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[Proposition A Committee on April 23, 2024.]
AND I'D LIKE TO CALL THE CITY COUNCIL PROP A COMMITTEE TO ORDER.UM, PLEASE CALL THE ATTENDANCE COUNCIL MEMBER PECK HERE.
COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABA, YOU.
COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN PRESENT.
AND COUNCIL MEMBER CAMAN IS NOW PRESENT.
FIRST OFF, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO EXTEND MY THANKS TO MAYOR WHITMEYER FOR ENTRUSTING ME WITH THIS, UH, RESPONSIBILITY OF SHARING THIS COMMITTEE AND ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
UM, I ALSO WANNA EXPRESS MY SINCERE APPRECIATION FOR OUR VICE CHAIR COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ, UM, FOR HER STEADFAST SUPPORT AND WILLINGNESS TO MAKE THIS COMMITTEE SUCCESSFUL.
ALSO, A SPECIAL THANKS TO HER OFFICE FOR PROVIDING A SECRETARY FOR THIS MEETING.
THANK YOU, COREY, FOR JOINING US.
NOW, LAST YEAR, YOU KNOW, HOUSTONIAN SENT A CLEAR MESSAGE TO CITY HALL PASSING PROPOSITION A BY 83%.
YOU KNOW, THIS PROPOSITION WAS AIMED AT EMPOWERING COUNCIL MEMBERS BY GRANTING THEM THE AUTHORITY TO PLACE ITEMS ON THE WEEKLY CITY COUNCIL AGENDA, A MOVE ALLOWING US AS COUNCIL MEMBERS TO BE MORE RESPONSIVE TO THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITIES.
HOWEVER, THE SUCCESSFUL PASSAGE OF PROP A HIGHLIGHTED THE NECESSITY FOR A DEDICATED COMMITTEE TO FACILITATE ITS SEAMLESS INCORPORATION INTO THE CITY COUNCIL LEGISLATIVE PROCESS.
NOW, TO BE CLEAR, THERE ARE STILL THREE PATHS WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HOW TO GET AN ITEM ON THE AGENDA.
THE MAYOR HAS MADE IT CLEAR THAT HE'S WILLING TO WORK WITH COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND YOU CAN GO DIRECTLY TO THE ADMINISTRATION TO HAVE AN ITEM PLACED ON THE AGENDA.
YOU CAN UTILIZE PROP A, HOW IT WAS WRITTEN.
IF THREE OR MORE COUNCIL MEMBERS THINK AN ITEM SHOULD GO ON THE AGENDA, THEN THE MAYOR SHALL PUT IT ON THE AGENDA, AND IT COULD BE EITHER VOTED UP OR DOWN AT CITY COUNCIL.
UM, OR IT COULD BE REFERRED TO THE PROP A COMMITTEE.
THE THIRD OPTION IS, UM, GOING THROUGH COMMITTEE FIRST.
SO MAYBE A COUNCIL MEMBER HAS AN IDEA, UM, THAT THEY KIND OF WANT TO JUST BRAINSTORM OR COLLABORATE, KIND OF FLESH OUT.
THEN, UM, YOU COULD ALWAYS BRING IT TO THE COMMITTEE FIRST.
AND IT ALSO MAY BE A WAY TO GARNER SUPPORT.
SO MAYBE A COUNCIL MEMBER HAS AN IDEA, UM, AND OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS MAY HEAR PRESENTATIONS AND SAY, HEY, I THINK THAT'S A GOOD IDEA.
I'D LIKE TO SIGN ON AND, AND BE AN AUTHOR OF THAT ORDINANCE AS WELL.
SO THERE'S THREE DIFFERENT PATHWAYS, UM, THAT WE CAN UTILIZE.
AND HERE TODAY WE'RE HERE TO TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE COMMITTEE PATH.
SO AS WE, UM, EMBARK ON THIS JOURNEY TOGETHER, IT'S CRUCIAL THAT WE ESTABLISH CLEAR RULES AND GUIDELINES TO ENSURE THE SUCCESS OF THE COMMITTEE AND THE FULFILLMENT OF OUR MISSION AS A BODY.
UM, WE'RE GONNA WORK TOGETHER WITH THE PUBLIC TO ENSURE THAT THE ITEMS BROUGHT FORTH TO THIS COMMITTEE ARE THOUGHTFULLY RESEARCHED, PRESENTED, AND DESIGNED AS TO MINIMIZE THE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES AND ESTABLISH MEANINGFUL POLICY FOR THE GOVERNANCE OF THE CITY.
AND LIKE VICE CHAIR EVAN SHABAZZ, UH, HAS SAID WE ARE NOT GATEKEEPERS.
UM, HOWEVER, IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY AS REPRESENTATIVES OF OUR CONSTITUENTS TO PULL BACK THE CURTAINS ON THE INNER WORKINGS OF CITY GOVERNMENT AND ENSURE THAT ALL ASPECTS OF ITEMS BROUGHT BEFORE THIS COMMITTEE ARE THOUGHTFULLY CONSIDERED.
SO, JUST SOME GUIDING PRINCIPLES THAT I WOULD LIKE US TO WORK TOWARDS WHILE WE'RE IN THIS COMMITTEE.
TRANSPARENCY IS GONNA BE THE CORNERSTONE OF THIS COMMITTEE.
ALL DISCUSSIONS, DECISIONS AND ACTIONS WILL BE CONDUCTED OPENLY AND WITH FULL ACCOUNTABILITY TO THE RESIDENTS THAT WE SERVE.
WE KNOW THAT WE'RE STRONGER TOGETHER.
COLLABORATION AND COOPERATION AMONG COMMITTEE MEMBERS IS GOING TO BE ESSENTIAL AS WE WORK TOWARDS OUR SHARED GOALS.
WE'LL EMBRACE CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION IN OUR APPROACH TO ADDRESSING THE CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES, UM, PRESENTED TO THE PROP A COMMITTEE.
WE'RE GONNA THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX, UM, TO FIND NEW AND EFFECTIVE SOLUTIONS TO IMPROVE OUR CITY.
UM, AND IF THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE AN ITEM, THEN THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE BODY MAY CONSIDER.
SO THE ROLES WE RESPONSIBILITIES OF EACH COMMITTEE MEMBER ARE EQUALLY VITAL TO OUR SUCCESS AS INDIVIDUALS.
WE BRING DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS, EXPERTISE, PERSPECTIVES TO THE TABLE.
HOWEVER, IT'S THROUGH OUR COLLECTIVE EFFORTS THAT WE CAN ACHIEVE MEANINGFUL PROGRESS TOWARDS OUR SHARED OBJECTIVES.
AND I ENCOURAGE EACH ONE OF YOU TO APPROACH YOUR ROLE WITH DILIGENCE, DEDICATION, AND A SPIRIT OF COLLABORATION, KNOWING THAT OUR COLLECTIVE EFFORTS WILL MAKE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND OUR CITY MORE RESPONSIVE.
UM, AT THIS TIME, VICE CHAIR, EVAN SHABAZZ, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE TO ADD?
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THANK YOU.UM, MADAM CHAIR, I, I AM REALLY, REALLY GLAD TO BE ABLE TO WORK WITH YOU.
I, I'M TELLING YOU, GOOD MORNING FOR THE SECOND TIME.
UH, WE WERE, UH, TOGETHER AT 7:00 AM VIRTUALLY, BUT CERTAINLY I JUST WANT TO, UH, REITERATE, UH, MY POSITION THAT WE ARE NOT HERE TO BE A GATEKEEPER.
WE CERTAINLY DON'T EVEN WANNA VET ITEMS, SO TO SPEAK, UM, IN THIS COMMITTEE.
UH, NOR DO WE WANNA BLOCK ITEMS IN THIS COMMITTEE.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE WILL OF THE VOTERS IS HEARD, AND THAT IS TO GET ITEMS ON THE AGENDA.
WE CERTAINLY KNOW THAT SOMETIMES THEY NEED TO BE TWEAKED, AND SO THIS COMMITTEE PROCESS WILL HELP IN THAT MANNER.
BUT, UM, ACCORDING TO THE, UH, WHAT WAS PASSED, NO COMMITTEE IS REQUIRED.
AND, UH, OUR CHAIR VERY ELOQUENTLY GAVE US THE WAYS THAT WE CAN GET TO THE AGENDA.
AND SO, UM, WITH NO FURTHER COMMENT, UH, AT THIS TIME, UH, CERTAINLY, UH, PROCEED.
AND THANK YOU FOR ACKNOWLEDGING ME.
SO OUR FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS IS GOING TO BE ESTABLISHING THE RULES OF THE COMMITTEE.
UM, THE RULES THAT WE ADOPT TODAY WILL GOVERN THE PROCESSES OF THIS COMMITTEE.
UH, YOU SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED A COPY OF THOSE RULES LAST THURSDAY, UM, SO YOU COULD HAD TIME TO READ OVER THEM AND CONSIDER THEM.
I'VE ALSO PROVIDED EACH OF YOU WITH A COPY OF THE LANGUAGE OF PROPOSITION A THAT WAS APPROVED BY THE VOTERS LAST YEAR.
UM, IT WAS A GREAT IDEA AND A CHANGE THAT THE CITY DESPERATELY NEEDED, AND IT RECEIVED INCREDIBLE BIPARTISAN SUPPORT.
I PUBLICLY SUPPORTED THE PASSAGE OF PROP A AS WELL AS I KNOW A LOT OF YOU DID TOO.
UM, BUT THERE ARE SOME THINGS IN PROP A, UM, THAT IT DIDN'T SAY, YOU KNOW, THE LANGUAGE FROM THE BALLOT SAID, OR THE QUESTION WAS, SHALL THE CITY CHARTER OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON BE AMENDED TO ENABLE THREE OR MORE COUNCIL MEMBERS BY WRITTEN REQUEST TO HAVE ITEMS PLACED ON THE AGENDA OF A REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING AND TO HAVE SUCH ITEMS CONSIDERED BY COUNCIL? SO PROP A DIDN'T NECESSARILY PRESCRIBE A TIMEFRAME.
UM, AND SO THESE RULES DO, UM, THE RULES THAT WERE LOOKING AT PASSING TODAY, PROPOSITION A DIDN'T NECESSARILY ENSURE ACCESS TO THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT, THE FINANCIAL, UM, DEPARTMENT OR OTHER DEPARTMENT REVIEWS OF PROP A ITEMS. THESE RULES DO.
UM, SO JUST TO CLARIFY A FEW THINGS IN ORDER TO FACILITATE AN ORDERLY AND PRODUCTIVE MEETING, UM, PROCEDURES NOT ADDRESSED IN THESE RULES WILL STRICTLY ADHERE TO ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDER.
NOW, THESE TIME, HONORED PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURES PROVIDE A FRAMEWORK FOR CONDUCTING MEETINGS WITH EFFICIENCY, CLARITY, AND RESPECT.
AND BY ADHERING TO THESE RULES, WE CAN ENSURE THAT OUR DELIBERATIONS REMAIN CIVIL AND OUR DECISIONS REMAIN INFORMED, UH, BY ESTABLISHED PROTOCOLS.
AS WITH OTHER COMMITTEES, MEMBERS OF YOUR STAFF ARE OBVIOUSLY WELCOME TO ATTEND AND PARTICIPATE IN THE DISCUSSIONS ON YOUR BEHALF.
HOWEVER, PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT STAFF, UM, CANNOT BE COUNTED TOWARDS A QUORUM FOR THIS MEETING.
AND, UH, STAFF CANNOT CAST PROXY VOTES.
SO, LIKE I MENTIONED BEFORE, THE RULES THAT WE ADOPT TODAY WILL GOVERN THE PROCESSES OF THIS COMMITTEE.
AND WE AS A BODY HAVE TO AGREE ON THESE RULES THAT FILL IN THE GAPS THAT CLARIFY THE PROCESSES AND PROTECT THIS NEW PRIVILEGE, WHICH THE RESIDENTS OF HOUSTON BESTOWED ON THEIR CITY COUNCIL.
UM, THE MAYOR HAS MADE A LOT OF CONCESSIONS WITH THESE RULES.
WE'VE WORKED TO, UM, KIND OF NARROW 'EM DOWN, BUT WE HAVE TO SET RULES BEFORE THIS KITTY COMMITTEE CAN MOVE FORWARD AND CONSIDER ANY OF THE OTHER ITEMS ON THE AGENDA.
SO WITH THAT SAID, UM, I'M HAPPY TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO CONSIDER, UH, THE ROLES.
UH, DISCUSSION AT THIS TIME ON THE ROLES, UM, MAYOR, UH, PRO TIM CASTEX TATUM.
AND THANK YOU FOR HAVING THIS MEETING.
I DO WANT TO, UM, VOICE MY CONCERNS ABOUT, UH, THE RULES AND ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE GOING TO DISCUSS TODAY, BECAUSE I WENT BACK AND LOOKED AT, UM, SOME OF THE CONVERSATIONS WE HAD ABOUT, UH, PROP A AND I THOUGHT ABOUT THE INTENT OF, UH, THE VOTERS AND THE PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY, UM, PARTICIPATED IN, UH, DEVELOPING THIS, UH, CHARTER LANGUAGE.
AND I THINK THAT WE NEED TO BE VERY CLEAR THAT WE AREN'T CONVOLUTING, UH, THE INTENT OF PROP A.
I THINK WHAT WE ARE DOING NOW IS REALLY, UM, CONVOLUTING, UH, THE INTENT OF PROP A WHEN PROPOSITION A WENT TO THE VOTERS.
THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A TOOL WHEN
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YOU ARE NOT GETTING ANY DISCUSSION OR ANY, UM, TRACTION WITH THE ADMINISTRATION.I THINK WHAT HAS COME FORTH THUS FAR AS, UM, ITEMS FOR US TO DISCUSS ON PROP A COULD EASILY GO THROUGH TRADITIONAL COMMITTEES THAT WE ALREADY HAVE SET UP.
AND WHAT I WANNA CAUTION US FROM DOING AS A COUNCIL BODY IS REALLY MOVING AWAY FROM THE ORIGINAL INTENT OF PROP A, WHICH WAS A TOOL FOR COUNCIL TO USE IN A STRONG MAYOR FORM OF GOVERNMENT WHEN WE ARE NOT GETTING ANY TRACTION FROM THE ADMINISTRATION, UH, ANYTHING ELSE, ACCESS TO THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT, ACCESS TO FINANCES AND THE FINANCIAL DEPARTMENT.
THAT ALL HAPPENS IN TRADITIONAL COMMITTEES.
AND SO I DON'T THINK THAT WE SPECIFICALLY NEED FOR THAT TO GO TO A PROP, A COMMITTEE TO HAVE THOSE DISCUSSIONS.
FOR EXAMPLE, GRANTED WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY RULES BEFORE, AND WE HADN'T HAD THIS TYPE OF DISCUSSION OR OPPORTUNITY FOR THIS DISCUSSION BEFORE.
BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, SPEED CUSHIONS, UH, PARKING METERS, UH, SOME OF THESE GENERAL CONVERSATIONS THAT HAVE TO DO WITH COUNCIL GOVERNANCE AND WHAT WE DO AS COUNCIL MEMBERS COULD GO TO TRADITIONAL COMMITTEES AND NOT NECESSARILY HAVE TO COME TO THE PROP A COMMISSION COMMITTEE.
THE INTENT OF PROP A WAS A TOOL FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS TO USE WHEN THEY WERE NOT GETTING ANY CONVERSATION OR MOVEMENT FROM THE ADMINISTRATION.
AND I JUST WANT TO CAUTION US FROM CONVOLUTING THE INTENT OF PROPOSITION A.
UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
AND THERE'S NOTHING IN THE RULES THAT SAY, UM, IF SOMETHING GOES TO COMMITTEE, THAT IT NECESSARILY HAS TO GO TO THE, TO THE PROP A COMMITTEE.
IT COULD BE REFERRED TO, YOU KNOW, ANY COMMITTEE THAT'S THAT'S APPROPRIATE FOR SURE.
UH, JUST A COUPLE OF OBSERVATIONS.
ONE, UH, LET ME SAY, I'M, I'M GRATEFUL TO SERVE WITH, UH, MAYOR IN JOHN WHITMEYER, WHO IS WILLING TO LISTEN TO COUNCIL, WHO ACTIVELY SEEKS INPUT FROM US AND LISTENS TO US, AND, UM, ENCOURAGES A HEALTHY DEBATE WHEN WE DO HAVE OUR COUNCIL MEETINGS.
UH, THAT SAID, WHEN WE CONSIDER RULES, I HOPE WE RECOGNIZE THAT WHATEVER RULES ARE CONSIDERED AND ULTIMATELY PASSED WILL OUTLAST OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THIS MAYOR.
AND, UH, ONE DAY WE MIGHT FIND OURSELVES, OR THIS COUNCIL MIGHT FIND ITSELF WORKING WITH A MAYOR WHO IS NOT AS FORTHCOMING OR A WELCOMING OF COMMENTS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS AND MIGHT BE RATHER DICTATORIAL AND MIGHT SEEK TO SQUELCH DISCUSSION AND DEBATE.
AND SO, I HOPE WHEN WE CONSIDER THESE RULES, WE'LL, WE'LL CONSIDER THAT POSSIBILITY AND THAT WE ULTIMATELY WILL NOT PASS RULES THAT WILL, UH, TO COUNT TO, UH, MAYOR PRO TEMS POINT DILUTE THE AUTHORITY THAT THE VOTERS HAVE JUST GIVEN US, WHICH IS SIGNIFICANT GIVEN, YOU KNOW, OUR POSITION RELATIVE TO THE MAYOR IN OUR CITY GOVERNMENT.
UM, AND SO I, I HOPE WE DON'T LOSE SIGHT OF THAT FACT.
THESE THESE RULES ARE NOT EASY TO AMEND AND THEY'RE NOT EASY, UH, TO CHANGE.
SO, THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN.
UM, ECHOING ALL OF THE COMMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN SAID THUS FAR FROM OUR MAYOR PRO TEM, UM, AS WELL AS OUR, UM, MY, OUR AT LARGE COUNCIL MEMBER.
UM, AND I WANNA THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR.
I KNOW THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE ARE GRAPPLING WITH THIS AS A BODY.
UM, I THINK IT'S A HISTORICAL AND PIVOTAL MOMENT IN THE CITY'S HISTORY, AND I DON'T THINK ANY SINGLE ONE OF US TAKES THAT LIGHTLY.
UM, AND I APPRECIATE THE TIME AND EFFORT THAT HAS BEEN PUT INTO NOT ONLY ORGANIZING THIS MEETING, BUT THE PROPOSED RULES THAT WE HAVE BEFORE US.
I HAVE SEVERAL QUESTIONS RELATED TO THIS, UM, AND I'M NOT SURE IF THAT SHOULD BE DIRECTED TOWARDS YOU OR TO LEGAL AT THIS TIME, UH, RELATED TO HOW THIS IN FUNCTIONALITY WOULD WORK, I THINK.
SO, FIRST AND FOREMOST, AGAIN, UM, AS, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ HAD MENTIONED, UH, WE MAY FIND OURSELVES WITHIN THIS BODY.
AGAIN, THIS IS NOT DIRECTED TOWARDS OUR CURRENT MAYOR, BUT WE ARE CREATING A PRECEDENT FOR THIS BODY AS A WHOLE FOR THE FUTURE OF THE CITY.
UH, AND SO THESE QUESTIONS ARE DIRECTED TOWARDS THAT END.
UH, IS ANY DEPARTMENTAL ASSISTANCE, UH, GUARANTEED OR ASSURED BY COUNCIL FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS PRIOR TO, UM, RULE 24, UH, AT
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THE BACK END, IF IT IS REFERRED BY THIS COMMITTEE FOR ASSISTANCE TO THE DEPARTMENT FOR SOMETHING LIKE THAT? BECAUSE, UH, ALL DEPARTMENTS ARE UNDER THE ADMINISTRATIVE AUTHORITY OF THE MAYOR AND THE ADMINISTRATION, I WOULD DEFER TO THE ADMINISTRATION.AND I BELIEVE THERE'S A REPRESENTATIVE HERE TODAY TO TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT TYPE OF, UH, SUPPORT CAN BE GIVEN PRIOR TO.
AND I THINK YOU RAISED THAT POINT.
AGAIN, I'M HAPPY TO HEAR FROM THE ADMINISTRATION IF THAT'S APPROPRIATE.
BUT AGAIN, IF ALL DEPARTMENTS, INCLUDING THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT, ARE UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF THE ADMINISTRATION, SPECIFICALLY IF A COUNCIL MEMBER WANTS SUPPORT AND CRAFTING SOMETHING PRIOR TO LEGAL DETERMINING WHETHER IT IS LAWFUL.
THE ONLY THING UNDER THESE RULES THAT LEGAL, MY UNDERSTANDING IS ASSESSING IS THE LEGALITY OF IT.
IF IT IS IN THE CORRECT FORMAT, AND IF IT FALLS WITHIN THE APPROPRIATE, UM, ORDINANCES AS THEY SEE IT.
UH, THE MAYOR HAS PREVIOUSLY REFERENCED, UH, STATE LEGISLATIVE, UH, RULES IN THE STATE LEGISLATURE OR IN CONGRESS.
THERE'S AN INDEPENDENT BODY, UH, OR OFFICE, SO TO SPEAK, WITHIN THAT PARTICULAR GOVERNMENT ENTITY THAT ACTUALLY HELPS, UH, THOSE ELECTED OFFICIALS CRAFT LEGISLATION SO THAT THEY DO FIT IN WITH THE CURRENT ORDINANCES AND ABIDE BY THE LAW, AS WELL AS MODEL IT, DRAFT IT CRAFTED, ET CETERA, SO THAT IT'S NOT FALLING ON THE ELECTED OFFICIAL OR A SMALL OFFICE TO COME UP WITH THAT.
AND THEN THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT DEAN, YOU KNOW, IS GIVING IT A THUMBS UP OR A THUMBS DOWN.
AND I BELIEVE STEVEN DAVID IS HERE ON BEHALF OF THE ADMINISTRATION.
UM, IS THERE ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE TO ADD TO THAT? GOOD AFTERNOON.
I'M DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF TO MAYOR WHITMEYER.
UM, IT HAS BEEN CLEAR, MADE CLEAR BY MAYOR WHITMEYER, UM, MULTIPLE TIMES TO THE DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS AS WELL AS TO THE ADMINISTRATION, BOTH SAYING IT AS WELL AS ACTING IT OUT IN PRACTICE, UH, THAT THE EXPECTATION IS THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE AS COOPERATIVE, UM, AS POSSIBLE TO WORK WITH Y'ALL IN DEVELOPING THESE IDEAS.
UM, I WOULD SAY THAT THE MOVING BEYOND WHAT HE'S ASKED US TO DO, UM, IN PRACTICE, WE WORKED WITH COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD AND HIS STAFF WITH THE, UH, TWO ITEMS THAT THEY BROUGHT FORWARD AS WELL UNDER, UH, THE PREMISE OF PROP A.
UM, AND IT WAS, UH, PRE-CONVERSATION IN THE IDEA OF RULE 23, WHICH IS GOING TO BE THE PURE PROP, A PATH THAT'S ENUMERATED IN THE CHARTER AND RULE 24, WHICH WOULD BE THE COMMITTEE PATH.
UM, IN EITHER INSTANCE, UH, THE DEPARTMENT'S COOPERATED WITH THE COUNCIL MEMBER AHEAD OF WHAT THOSE WOULD'VE ENVISIONED TO BE.
SO THE ANSWER, I THINK, IS YES, WE ARE EXPECTED TO COOPERATE AND GIVE AS MUCH GUIDANCE AND, AND HELP AS WE CAN.
WE RECOGNIZE THAT AS A LEGISLATIVE BODY, Y'ALL DON'T, Y'ALL AREN'T AFFORDED THE STAFF OR THE, UH, SORT OF DEEP DIVE POLICY EXPERTISE AND UNDERSTANDING THE NUANCE OF ORDINANCE OR STATE LAW.
SO BEING ABLE TO, TO MAKE THAT A AVAILABLE TO Y'ALL, UM, IS VERY IMPORTANT TO US BECAUSE WE WANT TO ASSIST IN ANY WAY THAT WE CAN.
AND I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THAT.
AND GOING BACK TO COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ'S POINT THAT THIS GOES BEYOND POTENTIALLY ONE ADMINISTRATION.
UM, AND I, I FULLY RESPECT AND APPRECIATE, I SEE MANY OF THE MAYOR'S TEAM HERE TODAY, WHICH SHOWS TO ME THE COMMITMENT TO HONORING THE SPIRIT OF THIS.
UH, I WOULD CHAIRWOMAN, I'D LIKE TO BE PUT BACK IN QUEUE, WOULD FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE WITH LANGUAGE THAT INCLUDED THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT COUNCIL HAS THESE RESOURCES AND ASSISTANCE, EVEN WHEN THE ADMINISTRATION MAY OR MAY NOT AGREE WITH THE SPIRIT OF WHAT THE COUNCIL MEMBER IS ATTEMPTING TO PUT FORWARD.
AND I'D LIKE TO GO BACK IN QUEUE.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN.
COUNCIL MEMBER CAME AND COVERED A LOT OF WHAT I WANTED TO SAY.
WHEN PEOPLE WOULD ASK ME ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL ABOUT PROP A I'D SAY, YEAH, I'M FOR IT.
BUT LIKE, IT'S STILL THE ADMINISTRATION THAT YOU HAVE TO GET FINANCE, YOU HAVE TO GET LEGAL, YOU HAVE TO GET PEOPLE TO WORK WITH YOU TO MAKE SURE SOMETHING CAN, YOU KNOW, THAT IS LEGIT TO GO ON THE AGENDA.
UM, SO I THINK THAT'S A REALLY GOOD POINT.
AND I KNOW THAT'S HARD TO, THAT MIGHT BE HARD TO CODIFY, BUT IN SOME WAY, UM, SOME ASSURANCE, UM, THAT WE WOULD GET SOME, UH, YOU KNOW, BUILT IN CODIFIED THAT WE WOULD GET, UH, ASSISTANCE FROM THE ADMINISTRATION OR FROM ADMINISTRATIVE DEPARTMENTS.
UH, I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT WHAT, BECAUSE IT DOES ADDRESS IN, IN RULE 2023, JUST IT HAS TO BE LAWFUL.
SO WHAT'S, IF I COULD ASK LEGAL, WHAT'S AN EXAMPLE OF LIKE, SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE UNLAWFUL TO PUT ON? I MEAN, WHY, WHY DOES IT HAVE TO GO THROUGH, THROUGH LEGAL? I MEAN, I'M SURE THERE'S ALL KINDS OF CRAZY THINGS THAT DON'T SOUND GOOD, BUT WHAT, WHAT MAKES IT LAWFUL? SO THE, THE LAWFUL ANALYSIS STEMMED FROM THE ACTUAL LANGUAGE OF THE CHARTER AMENDMENT.
YOU MAY SEE WHERE IT SAYS THREE OR MORE COUNCIL MEMBERS MAY ALSO
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REQUEST IN WRITING THAT ANY LAWFUL ITEM.SO AN ITEM MUST BE LAWFUL TO TRIGGER THE OBLIGATION TO GO ON THE CITY'S AGENDA.
BUT THAT TERM WAS NOT DEFINED IN THE, UH, IN THE PROPOSITION.
THAT BEING SAID, YOU KNOW, THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT HAS REVIEWED IN TERMS OF WHAT MAKES SOMETHING LAWFUL, SOME THINGS THAT WE WOULD LOOK FOR, AND IT REALLY DEPENDS ON THE ITEM THAT'S PRESENTED CAN BE WHETHER OR NOT SOMETHING IS, UM, SO VAGUE OR OVERBROAD THAT IT COULD BE VOID FOR VAGUENESS IF IT PRESENTS CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES.
IF IT IS ON AN AREA WHERE THE CITY IS COMPLETELY PREEMPTED AND CANNOT MAKE ANY DECISION AT ALL, UM, IF IT IS NOT AN EXERCISE OF THE CITY COUNCIL'S LEGISLATIVE AUTHORITY AS OPPOSED TO ADMINISTRATIVE POWER, FOR EXAMPLE, IF AN ITEM WAS TRYING TO OVERTURN THE DECISION OF A MUNICIPAL COURT DECISION, YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT IS WITHIN THE POWER OF CITY COUNCIL.
SO DEPENDING ON THE CONTENT, IT COULD FALL WITHIN A WIDE RANGE OF THINGS THAT THAT HELPS AND, AND CHAIR YOU.
THINGS DON'T NECESSARILY, SOMEBODY ADDRESS THINGS DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO COME TO PROP A COMMITTEE.
LIKE, UH, YOU COULD SAY, I WANNA TAKE SOMETHING THROUGH, YOU KNOW, BFA OR WHATEVER, UM, TO, TO WORK AN ISSUE THROUGH AT THE TABLE.
UM, AS WE'VE HAD IN, IN THESE COUPLE THAT HAVE COME PREVIOUSLY WHEN THAT HAD BEEN REFERRED TO COMMITTEE, IT WAS TO THE PROP A COMMITTEE.
BUT I'M ASSUMING AS A BODY WE COULD SAY, IF AN, IF A PROP A, UH, SOMEBODY SUBMITTED A PROP A AMENDMENT, WE COULD SAY WE COULD MOVE TO REFER IT TO PUBLIC SAFETY, AND SOMEBODY COULD SECOND THAT AND IT WOULD GO TO PUBLIC SAFETY.
AM I HEARING THAT RIGHT? OKAY.
YOU KNOW, I JUST WANNA BE VERY CAUTIOUS THAT WE DON'T SHOOT OURSELVES IN THE FOOT BY DILUTING PROPOSITION B WHEN IT COMES TO ITEMS THAT WE WANT ON THE AGENDA, AND THAT WE ARE NOT USING IT TO DELAY ITEMS THAT WE MAY OR MAY NOT AGREE WITH.
AND SO I WANT TO BE CAUTIOUS ABOUT THAT.
BUT I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, I KNOW THAT THESE ITEMS MAY BE VOTED ON.
WHAT DOES A VOTE MEAN? DOES IT MEAN THAT IT CANNOT MOVE FORWARD? UM, I, I DON'T THINK THAT'S THE INTENT.
I THINK THAT THE END RESULT OUGHT TO BE THAT IT GETS ON THE AGENDA AND AT THAT POINT YOU TAG IT OR, UM, DECIDE THAT, THAT YOU DO NOT SUPPORT IT.
BUT WHAT DOES A BLOCK VOTE MEAN IN THIS COMMITTEE? UM, WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO PARTICULAR ITEMS, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION, COUNCIL MEMBER.
UM, SO WHAT THAT SIGNALS FOR US, SO THERE, THE DEFAULT RULE 23 IS ALWAYS THE OPTION THAT THE COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE.
YOU, EVEN IF YOU DECIDE THAT YOU WANT TO GO TO COMMITTEE, IF THE COUNCIL MEMBER, IF IT IS VOTED TO COMMITTEE OR ASKED TO GO TO THE COMMITTEE, AND YOU DECIDE HALFWAY THROUGH THE PROCESS THAT YOU DON'T THINK THIS IS GOING THE WAY THAT YOU WANT TO GO, YOU ARE ALWAYS AFFORDED PROP A AS A PATH, RIGHT? TO GET THREE SIGNATURES, PUT IT ON THE AGENDA.
THE LAWFULNESS REVIEW AS DANIELLE, UH, PUT VERY ASTUTELY IS BROAD AND WIDE.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT ONLY CHANGE THAT WE WANTED TO MAKE, AND IT'S NOT EVEN REALLY A CHANGE, IT'S A DEFINING THING, IS THE PERFORMANCE METRIC.
WE WANT, UH, WE WANT TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE TO HOW MUCH TIME AS PROP, PROP A WAS SILENT TO THE AMOUNT OF TIME IT WOULD TAKE TO DO A LAWFULNESS REVIEW.
WE WANNA PUT A, A LID ON THAT AND SAY NO MORE THAN SEVEN DAYS.
AND THERE'S A SHALL LANGUAGE IN RULE 23.
BUT WITH REGARD TO RULE 24 IN THE COMMITTEE, THE IDEA IS THAT TO AVOID, AS DANIELLE WHO IS WEARING MANY HATS RECENTLY, UH, TOLD US DURING THE ETHICS COMMITTEE, THERE IS A REAL RISK OF DISCUSSING POLICY AMONGST YOUR BODY OF VIOLATING THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT AND HAVING, HAVING A ROLLING QUORUM.
AND SO THE IDEA, AND THE REASON WHY THIS PARTICULAR COMMITTEE IS A COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE, IS IT AFFORDS YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A DELIBERATIVE POLICY DISCUSSION THAT DOESN'T ALLOW YOU TO VIOLATE THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT AND DOES NOT ALLOW YOU TO CREATE A ROLLING QUORUM FOR YOURSELF.
UM, NOT EVERYTHING IS GOING TO GET THE FULL SUPPORT OF THE BODY.
AND SO THE IDEA BEHIND VOTING IT OUT OF COMMITTEE IS THAT IT IS A SIGNAL THAT YOU HAVE SUPPORT OF YOUR COLLEAGUES, AND IT'S A SIGNAL TO THE ADMINISTRATION THAT THIS IS WHETHER WE WANT IT OR NOT, THIS IS GOING TO BE PUT ON THE AGENDA, WHETHER THROUGH THE PROP, A PATH OR NOT, AND WILL BE VOTED ON AND HAS THE OSTENSIBLE SUPPORT OF THE BODY.
AND IT'S NOT TO SAY THAT WE WOULD TAKE ANYTHING LESS SERIOUS IF WE DON'T SUPPORT IT, BUT IT, IT IS A CLEAR SIGNAL AS A UNIFIED LEGISLATIVE BODY TO THE ADMINISTRATION.
SO AND SO, IT'S A SIGNAL, BUT IT DOES NOT STOP THE ITEM FROM MOVING, MOVING FORWARD.
AND PART OF THE REASON WHY, UH, YOU'LL NOTICE IN RULE IT'S, UH, RULE 23, SECTION C, RULE 24, SECTION A ONE, UM, AND THEN RULE 23, SECTION E TWO, THERE IS, UH, REFERENCE TO AN AMOUNT OF TIME WE HAVE TO RESPOND AND TO DO THE THING.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, MARTA C IS THE AGENDA DIRECTOR.
SHE HAS TO PROCESS ALL OF THE DIFFERENT DOCUMENTS THAT
[00:25:01]
ARE PRODUCED TO PUT AN ITEM ON THE AGENDA.WE WANT TO GIVE HER A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME, BUT NOT AN OVERLY LONG AMOUNT OF TIME.
UH, WORKING WITH COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD, IT'S DIFFICULT.
UM, THIS IS ALL BRAND NEW FOR US.
WE'RE LEARNING JUST THE EXACT SAME AS Y'ALL ARE.
AND SO WE'RE HAVING TO UNDERSTAND OUR RUN OF THE MILL PROCESS THAT WE'RE USED TO DOING IS NOW A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT WITH COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THREE AGENT ITEMS. AND SO WE HAD TO FIGURE OUT WHAT DOES THIS DOCUMENT LOOK LIKE? WHAT DOES THE BACKUP LOOK LIKE? WHAT DOES THE COVER SHEET LOOK LIKE? AND SO THIS GIVES MARTA ALSO TIME, AS YOU KNOW, SHE POSTS THE AGENDA ON THURSDAYS.
AND SO IF THERE IS A COMMITTEE HEARING AND, YOU KNOW, FIVE ITEMS COME OUT OF THE COMMITTEE ON A TUESDAY, ARE WE EXPECTING HER TO PROCESS THE 50 ITEMS THAT ARE GONNA BE ON THE AGENDA? AND THE ADDITIONAL FIVE THAT COME FROM COUNSEL.
SO THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF, OF REASONABILITY TO OUR PROCESS, BUT SHE'S STILL CAPPED.
AND THEN WITH REGARD TO THE DEPARTMENTS THEMSELVES AND LEGAL, RIGHT, THE LAWFULNESS REVIEW IS CAPPED AT SEVEN DAYS.
AND THE IDEA IS THAT THIS PARTICULAR DOCUMENT WOULD BE ADOPTED AS COUNCIL RULES.
SO WE ARE NOW HELD ACCOUNTABLE, RIGHT? AND THAT'S THE, THE IMPORTANT THING HERE IS I, I'M A DATA PERSON.
I THINK ALL OF Y'ALL KNOW THAT I BELIEVE IN PERFORMANCE METRICS AND I BELIEVE IN FOLLOWING THE RULES.
AND THESE ARE THE RULES, AND WE WANNA BE ABLE TO FOLLOW THEM.
AND MR. DAVID, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT, UM, THERE HAS TO BE A QUORUM IN THIS COMMITTEE MEETING IN ORDER FOR THE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO TAKE ACTION, LIKE VOTE AN ITEM OUT OF COMMITTEE OR AN OR, OR A DOWN VOTE ON IT.
HOWEVER, IF THERE ISN'T A QUORUM AND, YOU KNOW, FIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS SHOW UP TO A PROP, A COMMITTEE MEETING, AND IT'S GOING THROUGH THE COMMITTEE PROCESS FIRST, ALTHOUGH WE MAY HEAR PRESENTATIONS AND WE GET TO DISCUSS IT, THERE MAY NOT BE AN UP OR DOWN VOTE IF THERE'S NOT A QUORUM.
AND SO AT THAT POINT, AFTER IT GOES THROUGH COMMITTEE, EVEN IF THERE'S NOT AN UP OR DOWN VOTE, THREE OR MORE COUNCIL MEMBERS COULD SIGN ONTO AN ITEM AND IT COULD BE PLACED ON THE AGENDA.
THE IDEA IN THE COMMITTEE IS NOT TO BE A POCKET VETO OR TO KILL THESE ITEMS. IT'S THE IDEA TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY AT FIRST.
FIRST AND FOREMOST, IT'S A VENUE TO HAVE A DISCUSSION WITH YOUR COLLEAGUES WITHOUT RUNNING THE RISK OF ANY ETHICS VIOLATIONS OR LAW VIOLATIONS.
UM, A NUMBER OF MY QUESTIONS WERE ANSWERED BY, UH, THE VICE CHAIR'S QUESTIONS, BUT I DO WANT TO JUST MAKE SURE I FULLY UNDERSTAND.
RULE 24, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT VOTING AS A COMMITTEE, WE CAN TAKE THE FOLLOWING ACTION, AGREE WITH PLACEMENT ON THE COUNCIL AGENDA WITHIN THE NEXT TWO MEETINGS, OR DISAGREE WITH PLACEMENT ON THE COUNCIL AGENDA.
IS THAT THE ONLY, THE ONLY VOTE WE WOULD TAKE AS A BODY IS WE WANT TO PUT THIS ON THE AGENDA OR WE DON'T, I, GO AHEAD.
I'M HAPPY TO TAKE THAT QUESTION.
SO THE IDEA BEHIND THIS IS THAT THE VOTE IS A SIGNAL TO THE SUPPORT, RIGHT? AND THIS IS, UH, THIS IS THE CHALLENGE, RIGHT? THREE ITEM, THREE SIGNATURES ARE NOT NINE VOTES.
UM, AND SO I MENTION THAT BY VOTING THIS OUT OF COMMITTEE, YOU'RE SIGNALING TO THE ADMINISTRATION THAT THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH SUPPORT THAT WE HAVE TO RUN IT.
THE CHALLENGE THAT WE WANT, THE THING THAT WE WANT TO BE COGNIZANT OF IS THAT CITY STAFF ARE VERY BUSY.
I KNOW THAT Y'ALL WORK WITH DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS AND DEPARTMENTS ALL THE TIME.
I THINK Y'ALL RECOGNIZE THE GOOD WORK THAT THEY DO.
UM, AND SO 50 HOUR WEEKS OF DAY-TO-DAY WORK CAN BE COMPOUNDED VERY GREATLY BY HAVING TO REACT TO A LEGISLATIVE BODY.
WE'RE NOT COMPLAINING ABOUT REACTING TO THE LEGISLATIVE BODY, BY THE WAY, BUT IT IS, IT'S A REALITY THAT WE HAVE TO FACE.
AND SO WHAT WE DIDN'T WANT TO DO IS WE WANTED TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY IN A COMMITTEE PROCESS FOR Y'ALL TO CRAFT AS MUCH POLICY AT THE COMMITTEE LEVEL AS POSSIBLE TO WHERE WE KNOW IT'LL HAVE SUPPORT AND PASS CITY COUNCIL WHEN Y'ALL GET IT THROUGH.
AND THE IDEA BEHIND THAT IS THAT WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO CONSTANTLY BE REACTIVE TO THE IDEAS THAT WOULD DIE, UH, IN CITY COUNCIL WHEN IT COMES TO A VOTE.
IF IT'S HALFWAY THERE AND YOU SPEAK WITH YOUR COLLEAGUES AND THEN IT GETS HALFWAY BETTER, THEN IT'LL PASS AND WE'RE GOOD TO GO.
UM, THAT WAS THE IDEA BEHIND THIS, WAS BY VOTING IT OUTTA THE COMMITTEE.
IT IN SOME WAYS, UH, REQUIRES Y'ALL TO COLLABORATE AND WORK AND CRAFT THE POLICY THAT Y'ALL WOULD BE WILLING TO SUPPORT WITH EACH OTHER.
SO THAT, THAT WOULD BE REALLY THE ONLY, OUR ONLY VOTES IN THIS COMMITTEE WOULD BE TO VOTE SOMETHING OUT OR IT OR NOT TO KICK IT.
RIGHT? AND DO OTHER VOTE WOULDN'T TAKE A VOTE.
GOING BACK TO COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN'S COMMENT, CHAIR HUFFMAN'S COMMENT.
UM, QUORUM IS NINE BECAUSE IT'S A COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE, UH, AND A MAJORITY VOTE WOULD BE FIVE.
UH, IF YOU CANNOT GET A QUORUM, YOU CANNOT VOTE.
BUT IT DOESN'T PRECLUDE YOU FROM A DISCUSSING IT AND HEARING WHETHER OR NOT SOMEONE WOULD BE WILLING TO ENTERTAIN THE ITEM AND VOTE FOR IT AT A COUNCIL, THE CITY COUNCIL SETTING.
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YOU FROM GETTING THREE SIGNATURES AND PUTTING IT ON THE AGENDA.AND EVEN IF IT'S VOTED DOWN, WE CAN STILL GET THREE SIGNATURES AND PUT IT THAT'S RIGHT ON IF IT'S BROUGHT TO THE COMMITTEE.
BROUGHT TO COMMITTEE COMMITTEE.
AND I THINK WHAT WE'RE GONNA SEE, UH, ENVISIONING THIS AGAIN, RIGHT? WE'RE ALL SORT OF LEARNING ON THE FLY HERE.
UM, THERE ARE GONNA BE A TON OF DIFFERENT WAYS THAT THE I, THESE IDEAS GET BROUGHT FORWARD.
IN SOME INSTANCES, YOU'RE GONNA SEE A PRETTY COMPREHENSIVE, UH, PRETTY COMPREHENSIVE TWEAKING OF ORDINANCE AT A VERY GRANULAR LEVEL, RIGHT? WE'RE GONNA CHANGE THIS WORD HERE, WE'RE GONNA CHANGE THAT SENTENCE THERE IN OTHER WAYS WE THINK THAT WE MIGHT BE HEARING JUST GENERAL IDEAS.
UM, AND BEING ABLE TO DISCUSS THAT OPENLY IS, IS GONNA BE A VALUE.
AND SO TRYING TO ENVISION ALL OF THE POSSIBILITIES IS HARD.
UM, AND SO WITH THIS, THE IDEA IS THAT Y'ALL GET COMFORTABLE WITH THIS.
WE'RE NOT SAYING YOU HAVE TO SUPPORT IT IN THIS THING.
IF YOU WANNA MAKE TWEAKS AND CHANGES, THAT'S FINE.
THE THING THAT WE WANNA BE ABLE TO DO IS MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S ACCOUNTABILITY ON OUR SIDE.
AND TO BE QUITE HONEST WITH THE DEPARTMENT STAFF PREDICTABILITY, RIGHT? IF WE HAVE, UH, IF Y'ALL SAY THAT YOU'RE OKAY WITH A SEVEN DAY LAWFULNESS REVIEW, THAT'S A SIGNAL TO THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT THAT THEY HAVE SEVEN DAYS TO PROCESS THIS.
THINGS ARE HARD AND COMPLICATED.
I WOULD SAY THAT THE, OF THE TWO THAT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD BROUGHT FORWARD THE, UH, PARKING METERS FROM A LANGUAGE PERSPECTIVE, FROM A LAWFULNESS PERSPECTIVE, WAS MUCH EASIER AND QUICKER THAN THE SPEED CUSHIONS ONE.
SO WE, LOOKING AHEAD TO THE FUTURE, KNOWING THAT WE CAN'T NECESSARILY PREDICT WHAT IDEAS Y'ALL ARE GONNA BRING FORWARD, WE THINK THAT SEVEN DAYS IS A REASONABLE LAWFULNESS REVIEW.
COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER, THANK YOU SO MUCH, MADAM CHAIR.
THIS IS A REALLY GREAT, UM, CONVERSATION.
I FEEL THAT, UM, THIS IS MORE OF A PROTECTION VERSUS A BARRIER.
UM, I THINK JUST FOR, FOR THE PUBLIC TO UNDERSTAND, AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO GIVE ANY DETAILS, STEVEN, BUT WHAT NORMAL VETTING PROCESS DOES THE ADMINISTRATION DO TO PUT SOMETHING ON AN AGENDA IN THREE MINUTES? YEAH.
BUT COULD YOU JUST, CAN YOU GIVE US A GAUGE? 'CAUSE I FEEL LIKE EVERYONE NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND THAT YOUR DECISIONS AREN'T MADE WITHOUT TALKING TO STAKEHOLDERS, DOING DUE DILIGENCE, UM, LOOKING AT UNATTENDED CONSEQUENCES, UM, LOOKING AT DEPARTMENT'S EXPERIENCES AND LEANING ON THEIR EXPERIENCE TO MAKE THE DECISION.
SO I KIND OF FEEL LIKE THIS IS MORE OF A PROTECTIVE MECHANISM BECAUSE WHAT WE DON'T WANT IS WE DON'T WANT TO BRING SOMETHING TO COUNCIL AND GET VOTED DOWN BECAUSE WE JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT.
AND, AND TO ANSWER YOUR ORIGINAL QUESTION, WHAT WE TYPICALLY SEE WHEN DEVELOPING POLICY, UM, IS WE SPEAK TO THE STAKEHOLDERS.
WE SPEAK TO FOCUS GROUPS, WE, UH, RUN THE TRAPS.
IF THERE'S ANY SORT OF STATE REQUIREMENTS OR FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR NOTIFICATION, YOU GET PUBLIC HEARINGS AT YOUR BODY AS WELL.
UM, THERE, THERE ARE A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE RUN, NOT WITHSTANDING THE FINANCIAL ANALYSIS, THE LEGAL ANALYSIS, THE DRAFTING, UH, OF THE ORDINANCES THEMSELVES.
UM, IT IS SOMETIMES SIMPLER AND SOMETIMES NOT.
UM, IT JUST DEPENDS ON, IT JUST DEPENDS ON THE ITEM THAT'S COMING FORWARD.
BUT TO YOUR POINT, UM, WE WANT TO BE ABLE, I DON'T, PROTECTION, I THINK THAT'S A FINE WORD.
UM, WE'VE, WE'VE BEEN, IT'S RULES OF THE ROAD MM-HMM
RIGHT? IN A WORLD WHERE PROP A IS A GOOD IDEA THAT DIDN'T HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF SPECIFICS IN IT, UM, WE WANTED TO BE ABLE TO PUT THINGS, RULES THAT ARE, OR GUIDELINES ON HOW TO ENUMERATE PROP A OR EXECUTE PROP A, UM, THAT PRESERVE THE IDEA THAT Y'ALL HAVE THAT TRIGGER.
IF YOU CAN GET THREE SIGNATURES, YOU'RE ON.
AND THAT'S THE THING THAT WE WANTED TO PRESERVE.
AND I, AND I JUST, MY LAST, MY LAST COMMENT ON THAT IS, UM, SO I THINK WHAT I WANT TO GET OUTTA THAT CONVERSATION IS THAT YOU'RE NOT EXPECTING US AS, AS, AS YOU KNOW, AS PEOPLE, AS COUNCIL MEMBERS BRINGING SOMETHING TO THE AGENDA TO NOT DO THE SAME LEVEL OF DUE DILIGENCE THAT THE ADMINISTRATION DOES TO PUT SOMETHING ON THEIR AGENDA.
WELL, THAT'S EXACTLY WHY WE, MAYOR WHITMEYER HAS BEEN VERY CLEAR THAT THE DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS ARE GOING TO ANSWER YOUR PHONE CALLS.
THEY'RE GOING, WE ARE GOING TO BE RESPONSIVE.
I MEAN, IT'S, UH, I THINK DURING THE, THE TWO ITEMS, PAUL AND I SPOKE PROBABLY TWICE A DAY FOR TWO WEEKS STRAIGHT.
SO IT, WE'RE MAKING OURSELVES AVAILABLE.
THAT IS MAYOR WHITTIER'S COMMITMENT IS THAT THIS ADMINISTRATION IS VERY OPEN AND VERY TRANSPARENT AND COOPERATIVE.
I, IT IS PRETTY OBVIOUS THAT MANY OF US ARE QUESTIONING THE RULES, WHICH I THINK IS ADEQUATE TO DO ABOUT THIS ADMINISTRATION AND PRESENTING THE RULES CONCERNING PROP AID.
BUT I THINK WHAT I'D LIKE TO DETERMINE, BASED UPON WHAT WE'RE READING IS NUMBER ONE, PROP A WAS NOT ORIGINATED BY THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION OR THE COUNCIL.
[00:35:01]
PUBLIC.AND MANY WHO WERE CAMPAIGNING COME, SOME OF YOUR COMMENTS REGARDING ANOTHER ADMINISTRATION COMING THROUGH IS THAT'S WELL TAKEN.
BUT ON THE CAMPAIGN, EVERYBODY SEEMED TO BE FOR PROP A AND IN SUPPORTIVE OF IT, UH, OF PROP A.
BUT I THINK WHAT WE NEED TO DO, FROM WHERE I SIT LOOKING AT THE LANGUAGE, LET'S LOOK AT THE LANGUAGE THAT WAS CREATED IN THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION.
SHALL THE CITY CHARTER OF HOUSTON BE AMENDED TO ENABLE THREE OR MORE COUNCIL MEMBERS BY WRITTEN REQUESTS TO HAVE ITEMS PLURAL, PLACED ON THE AGENDA OF A REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING AND TO HAVE SUCH ITEMS CONSIDERED BY COUNSEL? NOW, IN, IN MY UNDERSTANDING, AND NOT THAT EVERYBODY ALL AGREE WITH THAT, BUT THE POINT IS THIS ADMINISTRATION IS TRYING, FROM WHAT I GATHER, IS PUTTING FORTH RULES.
BECAUSE NONE OF THIS WOULD DON PRYOR NATURALLY.
NOT BECAUSE IT WASN'T ON THE BALLOT TO BE VOTED ON.
SO IT WOULDN'T HAVE MADE SENSE TO VOTE FOR SOMETHING UNTIL IT GOT PASSED BY THE PUBLIC.
SO NOW, I GUESS THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE PROCESS, AND I WANT TO GO BACK TO MAYOR PRO TEM, UM, TATUM, WHEN SHE MADE THE STATEMENT, WHICH, UM, SHE SAID THAT, UM, AT THIS POINT, WHEN YOU BRING SOMETHING, WHAT KIND OF TRACTION FROM THE ADMINISTRATION, UM, WHICH I THINK IS SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO DEVIATE FROM THE LANGUAGE THAT WAS PUT ON THE BALLOT.
AND IT SAYS, CONSIDERED BY COUNCIL, WHICH WOULD MEAN THAT WHATEVER ITEM IS PUT ON THE AGENDA BY THREE COUNCIL MEMBERS, IT WAS CONSIDERED.
SO, I, I LIKE TO GET A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT, WHAT THAT ENTAILS.
I'M ASSUMING THAT THESE RULES RELATE TO THAT MADAM CHAIR.
I DON'T KNOW IF THE, IF THERE HAS TO BE CONSIDERED, WHAT ENTAILS CONSIDERED, WHAT DOES THAT ENCOMPASS CONSIDERED BY COUNCIL? WHAT WOULD THAT, WHAT WOULD THAT MEAN? EVEN THOUGH THIS LANGUAGE WASN'T CREATED BY THIS ADMINISTRATION, IT WAS CREATED BY THE PREVIOUS ONE.
SO WHERE DID IT COME FROM? CITIZENS.
SO MY POINT IS THAT DISCUSSION HAS TO BE EVALUATED, RIGHT? IF IT CONSIDERED, IT WOULD BE FOR US TO PUT THE DEFINITION ON CONSIDERED BY COUNCIL.
WELL, AND I THINK THAT THAT'S WHY WE NEED A, A PROCESS FOR THAT THE COMMITTEE OPERATES UNDER, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE WORKING OUT RIGHT NOW.
BECAUSE CONSIDERED IS A VERY VAGUE WORD.
YOU KNOW, WHEN THREE OR MORE COUNCIL MEMBERS PUT SOMETHING ON THE AGENDA, UM, THAT'S CONSIDERED RIGHT.
I THINK BY, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S VOTED DURING THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING UP AND DOWN, WHETHER IT'S REFERRED TO THE PROP, A COMMITTEE, OR TO ANOTHER APPROPRIATE COMMITTEE.
UM, THEN BECAUSE IT'S ALREADY BEEN CONSIDERED, THE MAYOR HAS PUT IT ON THE AGENDA, THERE'S NOTHING AFTER THAT COMPELLING THE MAYOR TO PUT IT BACK ON THE AGENDA.
THESE RULES ESTABLISH THAT, HEY, IF THREE OR MORE COUNCIL MEMBERS PUT SOMETHING ON THE AGENDA TO BE CONSIDERED MM-HMM
WHICH NOW PROP A HAS BEEN FULFILLED.
THEN IT GOES TO COMMITTEE, THESE RULES SAY THAT IF IT COMES OUT FAVORABLY FROM COMMITTEE, THEN THE MAYOR WILL PUT IT BACK ON THE AGENDA WITHIN THE NEXT TWO REGULAR COUNCIL SESSIONS, IF I'M INTERPRETING THAT CORRECT.
THE, THE IDEA BEHIND THIS IS THAT, LET'S SAY THAT YOU DECIDE, YOU GET YOUR SIGNATURE AND TWO OTHER SIGNATURES, UH, YOU'LL WALK TO MARTA OR EMAIL MARTA, THE, THE DOCUMENT, THE, THE CHANGES THAT YOU WANNA SEE WITH THOSE THREE SIGNATURES.
AND WITHIN TWO COUNCILS SESSIONS, IT'LL BE ON.
SO LET'S SAY THAT IT'S, SAY IT HAPPENS ON A MONDAY, YOU SEND IT TO MARTA ON A MONDAY.
IT WON'T BE THAT WEDNESDAY, BUT THE FOLLOWING WEDNESDAY.
WELL, BECAUSE THE, THE UNDERSTANDING OF THAT COMING FROM PEOPLE IS THAT, WELL, WE'RE STOPPING THE PROCESS THAT THE CITIZEN VOTE FOR.
AND I DON'T THINK THAT'S REALLY THE INTENT OF, OF THIS BODY IS TO STOP IT.
BUT I'M THINKING THE INTENT OF OF THIS BODY IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE COVERED EVERYTHING THAT'S RESPONSIBLE FOR WHATEVER THAT ITEM IS THAT THE THREE COUNCIL MEMBERS AGREED UPON.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO BACK IN THE QUEUE?
[00:40:01]
UH, YES.COUNCIL MEMBER P THANK YOU CHAIR.
UM, FIRST THANK YOU, UM, FOR YOU AND YOUR STAFF AND EVERYONE WHO PUT ALL THE RULES TOGETHER.
I KNOW THIS WAS A LONG PROCESS TO, UM, PUT ALL OF THIS TOGETHER.
I APPRECIATE THAT THERE IS THE OPTION TO GO EITHER STRAIGHT TO, UM, COUNCIL OR TO GO TO COMMITTEE FIRST.
UM, THERE ARE CERTAINLY SOMETIMES WHERE IT'S JUST AN EASY FIX THAT CAN JUST GO TO COUNCIL AND OTHER TIMES WHERE, LIKE YOU SAID, STEVEN, THAT WE WANT TO DISCUSS IT FURTHER WITHOUT VIOLATING ANY KIND OF OPEN MEETINGS, UM, ACT.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF TALK ABOUT, UM, DILUTING THE PROCESS AND MAYBE WHY ARE WE NOT REFERRING IT TO A DIFFERENT COMMITTEE INSTEAD OF THIS PROP A COMMITTEE.
I LIKE THE FACT THAT THERE IS A PROP, A COMMITTEE THAT HAS TO GO TO, I MEAN, SURELY IT COULD BE REFERRED TO ANY COMMITTEE, BUT JUST THAT THERE IS THE OPTION OF REFERRING IT TO THE PROP A COMMITTEE.
BECAUSE I COULD SEE A SCENARIO WHERE IT GETS ON THE AGENDA AND THEN SOMEONE SAYS, LET'S REFER IT TO, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE.
AND, UM, EVERYONE VOTES TO REFER IT TO THAT COMMITTEE.
AND THEN THE CHAIR JUST SAYS, UM, NO, WE'RE NOT GONNA HEAR IT.
AND THAT HAS HAPPENED TO ME MANY, MANY TIMES WITH MANY BUDGET AMENDMENTS UNDER THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION WHERE WE VOTED TO REFER IT TO A COMMITTEE.
UM, AND IT JUST, YOU KNOW, THE COMMITTEE CHAIR WAS LIKE, YEAH, WE'RE NOT GONNA DO THAT.
SO THIS HAS THE, THIS SAYS THAT WE HAVE TO HEAR IT IN COMMITTEE.
AND SO I LIKE THAT PIECE OF IT, THAT YEAH, IT MIGHT GET REFERRED OR WE MIGHT DECIDE TO GO TO COMMITTEE AND THERE'S STEPS THAT HAVE TO BE TAKEN WHERE IT WILL ACTUALLY BE HEARD.
UM, AS FAR AS THE AFFIRMATIVE, UM, VOTE MY QUESTION, SO I, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT I UNDERSTAND.
SO IT'S A MAJORITY OF THE MEMBERS PRESENT, NOT NECESSARILY A QUORUM.
SO IF THERE'S THREE COUNCIL MEMBERS HERE AND THE THREE COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE LIKE, NO, WE DON'T LIKE THIS, AND THEY VOTE NO, THERE'S STILL THE OPTION FOR THREE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO PUT IT BACK ON THE COUNCIL AGENDA IS THAT IT DOESN'T INDEFINITELY.
AND THEN MY OTHER QUESTION IS, SO WHEN WE'RE VOTING YES OR NO IN COMMITTEE, ARE WE VOTING YES, WE SUPPORT THE ITEM AND WE'D LIKE TO HEAR IT ON THE COUNCIL AGENDA? OR ARE WE VOTING YES, THERE'S ENOUGH MERIT TO MOVE IT TO THE NEXT STEP? 'CAUSE THOSE ARE KIND OF TWO DIFFERENT VOTES.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, I MIGHT NOT SUPPORT THE ITEM, BUT SAY, YEAH, IT'S, IT'S AN ITEM THAT MAYBE WE SHOULD DISCUSS AS A FULL COUNCIL BODY.
SO I'M GONNA SAY YES TO MOVE IT TO THE NEXT STEP, BUT THEN WOULD VOTE NO ON THE ACTUAL ITEM.
SO I, WHAT IS THE THOUGHT BEHIND THE, WE WE NEVER TRY TO INTERPRET, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ACT ACTIONS WITHOUT TALKING TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I IMAGINE YOU WOULD CONTEXTUALIZE A VOTE WHERE YOU'RE SUPPORTING THE IDEA OF IT GETTING FORWARD FOR A FULL DELIBERATION AT CITY COUNCIL SESSION.
UH, THERE ARE NOT VARIATIONS OF A YES VOTE OR A NO VOTE.
UM, SO IF YOU VOTE YES, THE ASSUMPTION HERE IS THAT YOU SUPPORTED ENOUGH TO BE PUT ON COUNCIL.
UM, GOING BACK TO THE, AGAIN, SPIRIT OF THIS DOCUMENT, UM, THE INTENT ONE, WHICH I APPRECIATE, THERE IS A VETTING PROCESS IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE ARE WELL THOUGHT OUT.
THAT THEY COMPLY NOT ONLY WITH ORDINANCE AND IN LAW, BUT ARE, ARE DIRECTLY IN LINE WITH WHAT WE AS A CITY INTEND TO DO.
UM, TO THAT END, GOING BACK TO HOW THIS ACTUALLY WILL WORK WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT, DEPUTY CHIEF YOU SAID, WHICH I THINK IS ACCURATE, THAT STAFF IS ALREADY VERY STRETCHED THIN.
UM, SO ONE, I DISCUSSED LEGAL REVIEW, AND AGAIN, CHAIR IN SOME OF THIS LANGUAGE, MY CONCERN BEING, IT SAYS, UH, IT, IT, THE WAY I READ IT SHALL REVIEW.
IT'S MORE OF A THUMBS UP, THUMBS DOWN OF COMPLIANCE RATHER THAN ASSURANCES THAT, UH, THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT WILL PROVIDE RECOMMENDED LANGUAGE.
FOR EXAMPLE, UH, MY OTHER QUESTION, UH, I DO NOT SEE IN HERE REQUIREMENT FOR A FISCAL ANALYSIS.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S TO LEGAL.
WHAT IS PROVIDED IS THAT THE PROPOSED ITEMS SHALL SATISFY ALL OTHER LEGAL REQUIREMENTS, AT LEAST IN RULE 23, WHICH IS THE BASELINE PROP A PATH.
SO IF THERE IS ANYTHING THAT LAWFULLY MUST BE DONE FOR AN ITEM TO BE PASSED BY CITY COUNCIL, THAT WOULD STILL HAVE TO BE DONE.
THAT BEING SAID, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT FISCAL ANALYSIS, THAT IS ONE OF THE OPTIONS THAT ARE PROVIDED WHERE DRAFTING ASSISTANCE, ASSISTANCE FROM THE DEPARTMENT, THAT'S AN EXAMPLE OF A TYPE OF ASSISTANCE THAT THEY CAN GET.
'CAUSE IF YOU'LL NOTICE IN THE OPTIONS FOR, UH, TAKING AN ITEM HERE IN THE COMMITTEE, YES, THERE'S AGREE, THERE'S DISAGREE WITH PLACEMENT, BUT
[00:45:01]
THEN THERE'S ALSO, IF SOMETHING REQUIRES FURTHER EVALUATION AND DRAFTING ASSISTANCE, IT'S MAYBE A KERNEL OF AN IDEA THAT NEEDS, YOU KNOW, THE FULL SORT OF WEIGHT AND SUPPORT AND WORK OF THE DEPARTMENTS, INCLUDING MAYBE A FEE STUDY OR A FISCAL ANALYSIS AS YOU SAID, THEN THAT CAN BE REFERRED TO THE ADMINISTRATION.SO THE DEPARTMENTS CAN BE DIRECTED TO PROVIDE THAT.
AND SO I WOULD, ONE OF MY SUGGESTIONS WOULD BE THAT A FISCAL ANALYSIS, EVEN IF THERE'S NO FISCAL IMPACT, BUT THAT THERE'S A LINE AT THE BOTTOM OF EACH, IF IT'S COMING TO COMMITTEE AND WORKING WITH THE DEPARTMENTS THAT SAYS EITHER WHAT THE FISCAL IMPACT WOULD BE OR THAT THERE'S NO FISCAL IMPACT, UH, WE MAY DISAGREE WITH WHAT THAT ANALYSIS IS, BUT I THINK, AGAIN, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE, UM, HAVE DEPARTMENT BUY-IN WITH THAT.
UH, THE OTHER THING, AGAIN, I WOULD GO BACK TO DEPUTY CHIEF, UM, WITH STAFF STRETCHED SO THIN, UH, AGAIN, I FULLY APPRECIATE AND TRUST THIS ADMINISTRATION'S COMMITMENT TO COLLABORATION.
BUT AS LEGAL HAD SAID, THE DEPARTMENTS ARE AT, UM, THE DIRECTION AND THE DIRECTIVE OF A MAYOR.
THAT BEING SAID, IF WE DO WANNA BRING SOMETHING FORWARD, AND WE DO NOT HAVE THE ADMINISTRATION'S SUPPORT WITH THAT, UM, DO WE AS COUNSEL NEED TO CONSIDER AN INDEPENDENT, UM, STAFF OR OFFICE THAT DOES THIS REVIEW, UH, SO THAT THAT CONFLICT, UH, DOES NOT PRECLUDE COUNSEL ACTION MOVING FORWARD THROUGH THIS PROCESS? I AM GONNA ADDRESS IT IN A DIFFERENT WAY.
UH, BUT I THINK I'M GONNA ANSWER YOUR QUESTION.
SO THE, THE THING THAT IS, AGAIN, REITERATING MAYOR WHIT MEYER'S REQUIREMENT OF STAFF AND DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS IS THAT WE WILL BE COOPERATIVE.
UM, WE ARE NOT GOING TO HAVE, UH, AN INSTANCE IN WHICH TO COUNCIL MEMBER PECS OR VICE MAYOR PROTO PECS, UH, REFERENCE, WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE SITUATIONS LIKE THAT THAT OCCURRED, UM, AT COMMITTEE.
UM, THIS IS A LEARNING PROCESS FOR US AGAIN.
AND SO THERE ARE, THIS IS THE START OF THE CONVERSATION.
THIS DOCUMENT IS REPRESENTATIVE OF THE START.
I THINK IT PUTS REASONABLE RAILS ON THE ROAD.
UM, BUT ON TOP OF HAVING AN ATTORNEY HERE AT EVERY, WE'RE GONNA HAVE GENERAL COUNSEL HERE AT EVERY COMMITTEE HEARING.
WE HAVE REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT AND THE AUDIENCE.
THERE ARE TWO OTHER AGENDA ITEMS IN WHICH WE HAVE DEPARTMENT REPRESENTATIVES IN THE AGENDA.
AND THE IDEA IS THAT THIS COMMITTEE IS GOING TO BE A, A DISCUSSION, A FORUM FOR DISCUSSION WITH REGARD TO THE ITEMS THAT Y'ALL ARE LOOKING TO ADDRESS.
AND WITHIN THOSE ITEMS, THERE'S GOING TO BE A NEGOTIATION, UH, WITH THE DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS DIRECTLY, UM, THAT Y'ALL GET TO HAVE ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF TIME IT WOULD TAKE.
NOT EVERYTHING CAN BE RESOLVED RIGHT HERE.
NOT ALL POLICY DISCUSSIONS CAN BE HAD.
SOMETIMES AN ANALYSIS NEEDS TO TAKE PLACE.
UM, AND SO THE, WHAT I WOULD EXPECT THE DEPARTMENTS TO DO IS TO GIVE YOU A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME, UM, OF HOW LONG IT SHOULD TAKE THEM TO DO WHATEVER ANALYSIS OR, UM, UNDERSTANDING OR COMPREHENSION NEEDS TO OCCUR FOR THE ITEM THAT Y'ALL ARE CONSIDERING.
AND FOR Y'ALL TO AGREE THAT IT SHOULD TAKE THAT AMOUNT OF TIME, I EXPECT IT TO BE A DIALOGUE.
IF THEY SAY, WE WANT THREE WEEKS, YOU SAY TWO, AND THEN YOU AGREE UPON TWO.
AND IN TWO WEEKS, THEY'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO HAVE A RESPONSE FOR Y'ALL.
AND SO I, IF YOU DETERMINE IN THE FUTURE THAT YOU'RE NOT GETTING THAT COOPERATION, I WOULD HOPE THAT Y'ALL WOULD COME TO US AND LET US KNOW.
WE DON'T FEEL LIKE WE'RE BEING COOPERATED WITH, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, THAT'S WHEN I THINK A CONSIDERATION LIKE THAT COULD BE MADE.
AND REALLY QUICKLY, 'CAUSE I KNOW MY TIME IS UP AND I'LL NEED TO GO BACK IN QUEUE, THE, UM, IT FROM A TECHNICAL PERSPECTIVE, DOES A DEPARTMENT DRAFT, DOES A DEPARTMENT HAVE AN ASSIGNED STAFFER WITHIN THAT DEPARTMENT THAT DRAFTS, ORDINANCE, ORDINANCE CHANGES OR DOES IT ALL GO THROUGH THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT AND THERE IS A LEGAL STAFFER THAT DRAFTS THAT LANGUAGE FOR THE DEPARTMENT? SO I'LL TALK ABOUT THE PROCESS THAT HAS ALREADY OCCURRED, WHICH IS THAT IT, THE DELIBERATION ON SPEED CUSHIONS AND PARKING, UH, METERS WERE LED BY LEGAL, UM, WITH THE POLICY, THE RELEVANT POLICY FOLKS WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT PROVIDING INFORMATION, UM, WHERE IT COMES THROUGH.
IT MIGHT NOT BE LIKE THAT IN THE FUTURE.
MY UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD HAD BEEN SPEAKING WITH THE, THE PERMITTING, UH, WITH ADMINISTRATIVE AND REGULATORY AFFAIRS, UM, FOLKS A FEW WEEKS, IF NOT MONTHS AHEAD OF TIME ABOUT PARKING METERS AND, AND THE CHANGES THAT THEY WANTED TO MAKE.
UM, I COULD BE EXAGGERATING ON THE AMOUNT OF TIME, BUT THERE WAS A PRE-DISCUSSION PRIOR TO, I BELIEVE, LEGAL EVEN GETTING INVOLVED.
AND SO IT'S GONNA BE DIFFERENT.
EVERY ITEM IS UNIQUE AND EVERY ITEM IS DIFFERENT.
THERE ARE SOME THAT ARE GONNA BE VERY SIMPLE AND SOME THAT ARE GONNA BE VERY COMPLICATED.
WHAT WE COMMIT TO IS NOT BEING AN IMPEDIMENT TO THOSE DISCUSSIONS.
UM, IN FACT, YOU DON'T HAVE TO RUN THOSE THROUGH US.
[00:50:01]
CAN REACH OUT TO THE DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS ON YOUR OWN.BUT RECOGNIZING THAT THAT NOT, MIGHT NOT BE THE PROCESS FOR A FUTURE ADMINISTRATION.
UM, I WOULD THINK THAT THIS, THESE RULES COULD BE A LIVING DOCUMENT WHERE AS WE LEARN MORE ABOUT PROCESSES, WE CAN PUT REASONABLE RULES IN PLACE.
I DON'T VIEW THIS AS THE LAST TIME THIS IS TOUCHED AND THAT WE CAN ADD MORE PERFORMANCE METRICS AND MORE REQUIREMENTS THAT WE ADHERE TO.
KIM, WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO BACK IN THE QUEUE? YEAH.
UM, POINT WAS MADE EARLIER THAT THIS ADMINISTRATION HAS BEEN, UH, VERY, UH, COOPERATIVE AND FORTHCOMING.
AND I TOTALLY AGREE WITH THAT.
WE ASK A LOT OF QUESTIONS, WE GET ANSWERS, AND IT ALLOWS US TO MAKE BETTER DECISIONS.
UM, I WOULD SAY THAT A FUTURE MAYOR WILL PROBABLY NOT BE AS COLLABORATIVE AND HIS OR HER DIRECTORS PROBABLY WON'T BE AS COOPERATIVE.
AND SO WE HAVE TO CONSIDER THAT WHEN WE, UH, LOOK AT THESE RULES.
THE THING THAT CONCERNS ME, UH, ABOUT THIS, UH, UH, LAWFULNESS REVIEW IS THAT IT SHOULD NOT BE A REQUIREMENT IN ORDER TO GET SOMETHING ON THE AGENDA.
BECAUSE THE BALLOT PROPOSITION THAT WAS PASSED BY THE, BY SUBMITTED BY CITIZENS AND PASSED BY THE VOTERS, DID NOT REQUIRE A LAWFULNESS REVIEW.
CERTAINLY, I HOPE THAT ANYONE SUBMITTING AN ITEM, UH, FOR THE AGENDA WOULD WELCOME A LAWFULNESS REVIEW.
THE LAST THING I WANT TO SEE IS COUNSEL TO PASS AN ORDINANCE THAT GETS US INTO A LAWSUIT AND, UH, IN A VERY WASTEFUL LITIGATION PROCESS.
SO, UM, I'M ALL FOR LAWFUL LAWFULNESS REVIEWS, BUT NOT WHEN IT IS A PREREQUISITE PREREQUISITE IN ORDER FOR AN ITEM TO BE PLACED ON THE AGENDA.
BECAUSE I'M, I'M THINKING, ALWAYS THINKING WORST CASE SCENARIO, WHERE WE HAVE A MAYOR WHO'S A DICTATOR AND, UH, WHO DOESN'T WANNA WORK WITH COUNCIL, DOESN'T WANT TO CONSIDER COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, SPONSORED ITEMS, AND, UM, DIRECTS THE CITY ATTORNEY TO DECLARE, UH, AN ITEM SUBMITTED BY COUNSEL TO BE UNLAWFUL.
AND THEREFORE IT CAN'T MAKE THE AGENDA BECAUSE THE CITY ATTORNEY HASN'T BLESSED OFF ON IT AND SAID THAT IT'S LAWFUL.
SO I DON'T WANNA WANT US TO END UP IN THAT KIND OF SCENARIO WHERE, UH, WE CAN'T, UH, PUT SOMETHING ON THE AGENDA BECAUSE IT'S CONSIDERED TO BE NOT LAWFUL BY THE CITY ATTORNEY, WHICH IS NOT WHAT THE VOTERS PASSED IN NOVEMBER.
SO, THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN.
AND, AND I THOUGHT, UM, LEGAL, I THOUGHT THAT YOU SAID THAT LAWFUL WAS PART, IS LAWFUL PART OF THE, UH, CHARTER AMENDMENT LANGUAGE OR NOT THE BALLOT LANGUAGE? 'CAUSE YOU MENTIONED THAT IT WAS PART OF IT.
I THINK THERE'S AN IMPORTANT DISTINCTION BECAUSE I'VE HEARD SOME REFERENCES TO THE, THE PROPOSITION SUMMARY THAT APPEARED ON THE BALLOT, RIGHT.
VERSUS THE ACTUAL LANGUAGE THAT WAS DIFFERENT, THE CITIZENS' PETITION.
THAT IS WHAT THE CHARTER WAS AMENDED.
SO JUST TO BACKTRACK, BACKTRACK AND GIVE A VERY BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THAT PROCESS.
'CAUSE I THINK IT MIGHT BE USEFUL IF THAT'S OKAY.
UM, THIS WAS AN ITEM THAT WAS, UH, THE CITY COUNCIL WAS REQUIRED TO ORDER AN ELECTION ON BECAUSE A CITIZEN PETITION WAS SUBMITTED UNDER THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE, AND THERE WAS A REQUISITE NUMBER OF SIGNATURES WHEN THAT PETITION WAS SUBMITTED.
THAT PETITION CONTAINED THE EXACT LANGUAGE, HOW THEY WANTED THE CHARTER TO BE AMENDED.
AND THAT LANGUAGE IS NOW IN OUR CHARTER BECAUSE THAT, UM, THAT ITEM, THAT MEASURE WAS PASSED BY A MAJORITY OF VOTERS.
THE, THE, THE REFERENCE OR SUMMARY THAT I'VE HEARD PEOPLE REFERENCE, THAT IS THE PROPOSITION THAT IS A LANGUAGE SUMMARY THAT WAS DRAFTED BY THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT TO GO ON THE BALLOT BECAUSE YOU CAN'T PUT THE ENTIRE ITEM ON THERE.
AND YES, AS YOU MAY BE AWARE FROM DIFFERENT RECENT CASE LAW, YOU MUST TALK ABOUT THE CHIEF FEATURES OF AN ITEM SO THAT IT, UH, ADEQUATELY DESCRIBES IT.
BUT THE ACTUAL LANGUAGE THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH IS IN IT IS NOW IN ARTICLE SEVEN, SECTION THREE OF THE CITY CHARTER.
AND SO THAT'S AVAILABLE ONLINE AND IT'S THAT THREE OR MORE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS MAY ALSO REQUEST IN WRITING THAT ANY LAWFUL ITEMS AS SPECIFIED IN SUCH REQUESTS BE PLACED ON THE AGENDA OF ANY DESIGNATED REGULAR MEETING OF CITY COUNCIL.
I THOUGHT THAT THERE WAS ANOTHER, UH, THAT IN THE CHARTER, IT ACTUALLY DOES SAY LAWFUL.
UM, I, I WANNA SAY KIND OF ECHO WHAT, UH, VICE MAYOR PROAM WAS SAYING, I'M VERY GRATEFUL AND WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER WAS SAYING, I'M VERY GRATEFUL FOR A PROCESS BY WHICH WE CAN DISCUSS AS A BODY THESE ISSUES.
IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT TO AVOID IF ANYBODY WAS AT THAT ETHICS MEETING LAST WEEK, IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT TO AVOID A WALKING QUORUM WHEN YOU'RE DISCUSSING MATTERS WITH YOUR COLLEAGUES, UM, THAT YOU'RE GONNA, THAT ARE GONNA COME TO COUNCIL.
SO I APPRECIATE, UM, YOU USED THE WORD PROTECTION THAT THIS GIVES, THAT WE HAVE THESE MEETINGS.
[00:55:01]
THINK, UM, TO COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN'S POINT, IT'S A WAY TO GET DIRECTORS, UM, DEPARTMENTAL COOPERATION, UH, AT A COMMITTEE MEETING WHERE YOU COULD GET SOME FEEDBACK AND, AND STAKEHOLDER FEEDBACKS.I'VE SUCCESSFULLY RUN ISSUES THROUGH COMMITTEE THAT ENDED UP ON THE AGENDA.
I KNOW MANY OF US HAVE, UM, THROUGH THE COMMITTEE PROCESS.
AND I REALLY, UH, FOR A LONG TIME AGO, WE VOTED IN COMMITTEES.
I MEAN, I'VE BEEN AT CITY HALL A LONG TIME.
YOU THERE WAS A VOTE AND IT WAS JUST LIKE YOU SAID, STEVEN, IT WAS A VOTE FOR FULL COUNCIL CONSIDERATION.
SOMETIMES IT WASN'T AN UP AND DOWN I LIKE IT OR HATE IT.
LET'S BRING THIS TO FULL COUNCIL CONSIDERATION.
AND THAT WHAT THE REASON I LIKE VOTING AT COMMITTEE IS, IS, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU GET A LOT OF PARTICIPATION AT, AT COMMITTEE AND I THINK A LOT OF GOOD DISCUSSION AT COMMITTEE.
I DO HAVE A QUESTION FOR THE CITY ATTORNEY.
YOU, WE HAD A BRIEF DISCUSSION BEFORE THE MEETING ABOUT QUORUM.
UM, STEVEN YOU MENTIONED, OH, YOU CAN STILL HAVE A DISCUSSION IF THERE'S NOT A QUORUM, BUT, UH, UH, UH, PRIOR TO THE MEETING I HAD THAT DISCUSSION AND WE'VE HAD SEVERAL COMMITTEE MEETINGS, AS YOU ALL KNOW WITH, YOU KNOW, TWO PEOPLE SHOW UP AND TECHNICALLY BY THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT, WHAT I'M UNDERSTANDING IS YOU'RE REALLY NOT SUPPOSED TO HAVE A DISCUSSION OR CONVENE BUSINESS WITHOUT A QUORUM.
IF A COMMITTEE IS SUBJECT TO THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT AND WE HAVE THESE COMMITTEES OF A WHOLE THAT ARE DIS DISCUSSING ITEMS OF PUBLIC BUSINESS, THEN IN ORDER TO TAKE ANY ACTION, INCLUDING ACTION TO CONVENE THE MEETING, THERE MUST BE A QUORUM.
SO EVEN IF, OKAY, SO LET'S SAY IT'S NOT A COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE, IT'S A COMMITTEE OF FIVE PEOPLE AND YOU ONLY HAVE TWO SHOW UP, YOU CANNOT CONVENE THAT MEETING.
YOU CANNOT START THAT MEETING.
NO, THAT, THAT, I MEAN, IT'S NOT PRACTICE, IT'S NOT WHAT'S BEEN PRACTICED AT CITY HALL.
BUT WHAT I'M HEARING IS KIND OF A CHANGE HERE THAT, UH, THIS WOULD, THIS YOU WOULD ACTUALLY NOT BE ABLE TO CONVENE A MEETING TO EVEN HAVE A DISCUSSION WITHOUT A QUORUM OF THE MEMBERS OF THAT COMMITTEE PROVIDED THAT MEETING IS ONE THAT IS REQUIRED TO COMPLY WITH OPEN MEETINGS ACT.
WELL, AREN'T ALL OF OUR COMMITTEE MEETINGS REQUIRED TO COMPLY WITH OPEN MEETINGS ACT UNLESS THERE WAS SOME OTHER TYPE OF ADVISORY BODY THAT WAS CREATED, YOU KNOW, JUST COVERING ANY TYPE OF DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCE.
BECAUSE THIS IS A REAL DE DEPARTURE FROM, FROM WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING IN THE PAST.
AND I WANT, I WANNA BE CLEAR, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT WE'RE, WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE ON COMMITTEES.
I'M, I'M, I'M A BELIEVER IN A STRONGER COMMITTEE SYSTEM, UM, AND, BUT WANNA JUST BE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY LIKE BUDGET WORKSHOPS, THINK OF WE HAVE LIKE A, A BUNCH OF 'EM, AND SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T COME.
SO I, I JUST, I'D LIKE JUST CLEAR GUIDANCE FROM LEGAL, THE ADMINISTRATION ON HOW THESE WILL BE CONDUCTED.
AND IF WE ARE TAKING VOTES, WHICH I'M IN FAVOR OF TAKING VOTES IN COMMITTEE, I KNOW THAT FOR SURE YOU'D HAVE TO HAVE A, A QUORUM TO TAKE A VOTE.
BUT I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO KNOW ABOUT ACTUALLY HAVING A DISCUSSION OR CONVENING A MEETING.
I MEAN, IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'VE, YOU'VE TOLD ME THAT YOU SHOULDN'T COMPETE, YOU KNOW, THAT WE'RE GETTING LEGAL ADVICE THAT YOU DON'T CONVENE A MEETING WITHOUT A QUORUM.
UM, BUT THAT'S JUST VERY DIFFERENT FROM PRIOR PRACTICE.
THANK, I'M SORRY SHE WAS ON THE QUEUE.
SO I WANNA FOLLOW UP WITH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN'S QUESTION.
SO IF I'M CONVENING AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETING, UH, THERE ARE FIVE MEMBERS AND WE NEED THREE FOR A QUORUM, ARE YOU SAYING IF TWO PEOPLE COME TO THE MEETING THAT WE CANNOT HAVE THE MEETING OF THE PRESENTATION EVEN IF WE AREN'T TAKING A VOTE? SO THE ADVICE THAT THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE GIVES AND THEIR OPEN MEETING ACTS DOCUMENT THAT IF YOU'VE GOT A COMMITTEE THAT IS SUBJECT TO THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT, YOU NEED A QUORUM TO DO ANYTHING, EVEN TO BRING THAT MEETING TO ORDER.
AND THEN MY OTHER COMMENT IS, Y'ALL BETTER COME TO COMMITTEE MEETINGS,
UH, MY OTHER COMMENT IS I'D LIKE FOR US TO BE ABLE TO HEAR FROM, UM, I, I SEE SOME FOLKS IN THE AUDIENCE THAT HAVE, UM, PARTICIPATING IN THE WRITING OF, UM, PROPOSITION A I'M, I'M INTERESTED IN HEARING FROM, FROM THE PUBLIC ABOUT THEIR THOUGHTS ON, UH, PROPOSITION A.
BECAUSE AGAIN, I THINK THE INTENT OF THE PROPOSITION WAS FOR THREE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO BE ABLE TO PUT SOMETHING ON THE AGENDA WITHOUT CONSIDERATION OF WHETHER OR NOT THE ADMINISTRATION AGREED, DISAGREED OR NOT.
[01:00:01]
NOT THE SITUATION WE FIND OURSELVES IN NOW.UM, I, I RECOGNIZE THAT THE MAYOR HAS SAID THAT HE WANTS, UH, THE DIRECTORS AND EVERYONE TO FULLY COOPERATE WITH COUNCIL MEMBERS.
BUT AGAIN, I WANT US TO BE CLEAR ABOUT THE INTENT AND BEING AND, AND DILUTING THE INTENT OF PROPOSITION A, WHICH WAS FOR THREE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO BE ABLE TO PUT SOMETHING ON THE AGENDA IN A STRONG MAYOR FORM OF GOVERNMENT.
AND I, I WANT US TO CONSIDER THIS, UM, YOU KNOW, NOT CONSIDERING THE INDIVIDUALS CURRENTLY SITTING IN THESE SEATS, UM, BUT CONSIDERING THE POLICY.
UM, SO I'D BE INTERESTED IN HEARING FROM THE PUBLIC ON THE INTENT OF, UH, WHERE WE ARE MOVING WITH THE RULES AND REGULATIONS THAT WE ARE ADDING TO WHAT THE PUBLIC PASSED CHAIR DO YOU, IS IT OKAY IF I MAKE ONE COMMENT? SURE.
MAYOR, PER PRESUME, IS IT OKAY? SURE.
UH, IT IS OUR BELIEF THAT RULE 23 FULLY ENUMERATE OR FULLY ENCAPSULATES THAT, THAT, UM, IF YOU FEEL THAT THE LANGUAGE DOES DILUTE IT, THEN PLEASE LET'S CHANGE IT.
THE IDEA IS NOT TO, TO DILUTE ANYTHING, UM, FULLY RECOGNIZING THAT WE, I'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC AS WELL AND THEIR PERSPECTIVE ABOUT IT.
THE THOUGHT IS THAT RULE 23 PRESERVES THAT, UM, THE ONLY THING THAT IT, IT DOES IS PROVIDE PREDICTABILITY FOR Y'ALL AND FOR US WHERE THERE IS, UH, A LACK OF NUANCE IN THE CHARTER AMENDMENT, UH, SPECIFICALLY AROUND TIME.
UH, AND THE IDEA AROUND GIVING A SEVEN DAY LAWFULNESS REVIEW IS THAT A FUTURE ADMINISTRATION CANNOT POCKET VETO SOMETHING BY SAYING THAT IT'S GONNA TAKE 30 DAYS, SORRY, OR 60 DAYS.
THAT'S, IF THAT DOESN'T FEEL ADEQUATE FOR YOU, THEN PLEASE LET US KNOW.
AND WE HAVE A SIGNUP SHEET BY THE, THE DOOR OVER THERE.
ANY OF THE PUBLIC WOULD LIKE TO SIGN UP AFTER THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THE STAFF ARE DONE WITH THE DISCUSSION HERE.
IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT ABOUT THE RULES PROCESS, UH, PLEASE, UH, SIGN UP AND WE WILL DO THAT BEFORE WE TAKE A VOTE ON ANY OF THE RULES.
COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN, THANK YOU.
I'LL BE IN QUEUE TO THAT POINT, DEPUTY CHIEF, JUST SO THAT MY FEEDBACK IS CLEAR, WHEN I HAD MENTIONED ABOUT FISCAL NOTES, UH, TWO TO THE MAYOR PRO TEMS POINT, I WOULD FEEL MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE WITH ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE TO RULE 23 AND RULE 24 A THAT IS SIMILAR TO RULE 24 E, SUBSECTION TWO, THREE, THAT, UH, BECAUSE AGAIN, AS THIS READS CURRENTLY, ONLY IF THE COMMITTEE REFERS IT TO THE ADMINISTRATION, DOES THE ADMINISTRATION IN WRITING DIRECT THE DEPARTMENTS, UH, TO WORK WITH THE COUNCIL MEMBERS? AND I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU ARE SAYING, THAT'S NOT THE INTENT OR THE SPIRIT.
WHEN WE LOOK AT RULES, UH, WE HAVE TO GO BY THE LETTER OF WHAT IS HERE.
AND WHEN YOU INCLUDE SOMETHING IN ONE SECTION AND EXCLUDE IT IN THE OTHER, IT CAN BE INTERPRETED THAT THE INTENT IS OTHERWISE.
AGAIN, THAT'S NOT WHAT Y'ALL ARE SAYING, IT'S JUST THAT'S PART OF RIGHT.
WHY WE HAVE THIS PROCESS IS TO MAKE SURE THAT IT IS INCLUDED AND REFLECTED IN THE WAY IS INTENDED.
SO THOSE ARE TYPE, THE TYPES OF THINGS THAT I WOULD FEEL MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE WITH.
UM, I'M HAPPY TO DISCUSS THAT FURTHER WITH YOU CHAIR, UM, WITH THE ADMINISTRATION AND A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT.
I WOULD ALSO ASK TO COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN'S POINT, UM, THAT THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT, RATHER THAN MAKING A, A, A STATEMENT OF FACT CURRENTLY, BECAUSE OF THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE IMPLICATIONS, AND I KNOW THAT THE, UH, CITY ATTORNEY AND THE CHAIR IS EXTREMELY KNOWLEDGEABLE IN THIS, UH, GIVEN WE HAVE THOUGH 12 COMMITTEES NOW, WE'VE, WE'VE GROWN IN COMMITTEES.
UH, GIVEN THAT ATTENDANCE, UH, BY STAFF IS PERMISSIBLE, ESPECIALLY WHEN THERE IS NOT A VOTE, I WOULD ASK FOR A LEGAL DEPARTMENT, UM, ASSESSMENT OF WHAT ACTUALLY COMPLIES.
I DON'T WANNA JUST MAKE A A ALL IN SOME STATEMENT RIGHT HERE AT THE HORSESHOE.
I WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE DILIGENT BECAUSE, UH, THE CONCERN BEING WITH THAT MANY COMMITTEES, UH, IF WE CAN'T EVEN CONVENE SOMETIMES, FOR EXAMPLE, IT MAY BE A BODY OF FIVE, TWO OF THOSE COUNCIL MEMBERS ON THE COMMITTEE MAY BE THERE, BUT THERE MAY BE ADDITIONAL COUNCIL MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE THAT ARE NOT ASSIGNED TO THAT COMMITTEE, RIGHT? SO THERE'S ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT FACTORS.
UH, I WOULD JUST LIKE A MORE THOROUGH, UH, ANALYSIS DONE OF THAT SO THAT WE, UH, PREVENT ANY CONFUSION.
MR. CASTILLO, MR. COUNCIL MEMBER PECK.
UM, BEFORE I ASK MY QUESTION, JUST TO CLARIFY MY COMMENTS FROM BEFORE, I THINK IT MADE IT SOUND LIKE COUNCIL MOORE CAYMAN, WHEN SHE WAS THE CHAIR OF PUBLIC SAFETY, DIDN'T PUT ITEMS ON THE, THE COMMITTEE, AND THAT'S DEFINITELY NOT THE CASE.
I WAS TRYING TO USE MYSELF AS AN EXAMPLE,
UM, SO IN LIGHT OF WHAT, UM, COUNCIL
[01:05:01]
MEMBER ALCORN ASKED ABOUT, UM, THE, UM, THE QUORUM ISSUES.SO THAT KIND OF CHANGES NOW THEN HOW I FEEL ABOUT THESE RULES.
BECAUSE THE RULES, THE PROPOSED RULE SAYS, IT SAYS AN AFFIRMATIVE RECORD VOTE OF THE MAJORITY OF THE MEMBERS PRESENT OF THE COMMITTEE.
WELL, IF THIS IS A COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE, THEN IT HAS TO BE NINE OF US IF WE, IN ORDER TO EVEN HAVE THE MEETING AND THEN TO VOTE.
SO IT'S NOT JUST, IF THERE'S THREE OF US HERE AND THEN WE JUST VOTE TO MOVE IT FORWARD, IT WOULD HAVE TO BE NINE OF US HERE VOTING TO MOVE IT FORWARD.
AND I, REALISTICALLY, THAT PROBABLY WON'T HAPPEN EVERY SINGLE TIME THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE NINE PEOPLE.
AND THEN IF THAT'S THE CASE, THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE NINE TO MOVE IT FORWARD.
I DON'T SEE HOW THIS IS ANY DIFFERENT FROM BEFORE THE CHARTER AMENDMENT WHEN WE COULD HAVE A, A SPECIAL CALLED MEETING AND WE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE NINE PEOPLE TO VOTE ON SOMETHING, AND IT WOULD JUST BE A QUORUM ISSUE EVERY SINGLE TIME.
WE WOULD NEVER GET ANYTHING MOVING FORWARD.
SO THAT RAISES SOME CONCERNS FOR ME.
UH, I'LL REFER TO DANIELLE FOR ANY SORT OF LEGAL RESPONSE TO THAT, BUT THERE, I THINK THERE'S A, A PRACTICAL ONE AS WELL.
UM, JUST TO CLARIFY, YOU WOULD NEED A MAJORITY OF THE COMMITTEE, AND THIS IS A COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE, SO THAT'S NINE, TO BRING THE MEETING TO ORDER TO VOTE ON ANYTHING.
AND THIS IS JUST LIKE A REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
YOU NEEDED A MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE THERE FOR THE QUORUM.
SO IF A QUORUM IS NINE, THEN YOU NEED FIVE, A MAJORITY TO TAKE ACTION ON ANY ITEM.
SO YOU WOULD NOT RE, YOU WOULD NOT REQUIRE NINE VOTES.
RIGHT? BUT WE WOULD STILL NEED NINE PEOPLE PRESENT TO EVEN START THE MEETING.
YES, YOU DO NEED A QUORUM TO TRANSACTION.
SO I JUST REALISTICALLY DON'T SEE THAT HAPPENING EVERY SINGLE TIME THAT THERE WOULD BE NINE OF US AT THIS COMMITTEE.
SO HOW THEN IF SOMETHING, WE GO THE ROUTE OF GOING STRAIGHT TO THE COUNCIL AGENDA, WE HAVE THREE COUNCIL MEMBERS, WE PUT IT ON THE COUNCIL AGENDA, SOMEONE REFERS IT TO COMMITTEE, AND THEN IT GOES TO THAT COMMITTEE.
WE'RE JUST STUCK IN THAT LOOP EVERY SINGLE TIME OF JUST NOT VOTING ON THE ITEM.
SO IT, IT JUST GETS STUCK EVERY SINGLE TIME.
SO I THINK, I THINK THE PRACTICAL EFFECT, UH, THIS IS, THIS IS GONNA SOUND TERRIBLE, I DON'T WANNA, THE PRACTICAL EFFECT IS THAT YOU, Y'ALL WOULD HAVE TO WORK WITH YOUR COLLEAGUES, RIGHT? THE IDEA IS THAT THIS IS THE VENUE TO DISCUSS THE POLICY, RECOGNIZING THAT NINE PEOPLE HAVE TO SHOW UP, THAT'S NINE OF 16, UM, HAVE TO SHOW UP TO A COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE, THE SAME THING HAS TO OCCUR WITH BUDGET AND FISCAL AFFAIRS.
UM, SO TO HAVE THAT OPEN POLICY DISCUSSION WHERE YOU'RE NOT RUNNING THE RISK OF A ROLLING QUORUM OR A WALKING QUORUM, YOU'RE NOT RUNNING THE RISK OF VIOLATING AN OPEN MEETINGS ACT.
UM, IF YOU FEEL THAT IT DOESN'T COMPORT OR COMPLY WITH THE SPIRIT OF PROP A, YOU HAVE THAT PATH ENUMERATED FOR YOU.
WHETHER YOU VOTE ON THESE RULES OR NOT, THAT IS STILL YOUR PATH, UM, BECAUSE IT'S PART OF THE CHARTER.
UM, BUT IF YOU ARE TO PUT, GET THREE SIGNATURES AND NOT TALK TO ANYBODY AND JUST PUT SOMETHING ON THE AGENDA, YOU RUN THE RISK OF IT NOT PASSING AT ALL, WHICH I DON'T, IS IS ABSOLUTELY THE RISK THAT Y'ALL ARE, IT IS YOUR RISK TO TAKE, UM, THIS IS ENVISIONED TO BE A WAY THAT THERE'S ENOUGH ROBUST POLICY DISCUSSION, INCLUDING A VENUE THAT IS NOT PUBLIC SESSION FOR PEOPLE TO COME SPEAK PUBLICLY, WHICH I IMAGINE THEY'RE GONNA DO, UH, RIGHT AFTER THIS DELIBERATION IS DONE.
UM, SO I, I'M NOT DISAGREEING WITH ANYTHING THAT YOU JUST SAID, UM, BUT I, I THINK THAT THE IDEA OF GETTING NINE PEOPLE TO A 16 MEMBER MEETING TO DISCUSS POLICY IS A REASONABLE THING TO ASK.
UM, AND IN THE ABSENCE OF IT GOING TO THAT COMMITTEE, YOU WOULD STILL HAVE TO DO THAT WORK, RIGHT? UM, NO.
THAT WORK COULD, I THINK IT IS PERFECTLY POSSIBLE TO HAVE A DISCUSSION WITH YOUR COLLEAGUES WITHOUT VIOLATING A WALKIN QUORUM IN A, IN A OPEN MEETINGS ACT.
IT'S NOT RECOMMENDED TYPICALLY BY LEGAL BECAUSE YOU RUN A RISK, BUT, UM, THAT PATH IS STILL YOURS.
SO, I MEAN, I AGREE WITH YOU THAT IT'S REASONABLE THAT PEOPLE SHOULD BE AT EVERY COMMITTEE MEETING, BUT THAT'S JUST NOT REALISTIC AND IT'S NOT WHAT HAPPENS.
I THINK IT'S ALSO, YOU KNOW, REASONABLE THAT WHEN A SPECIAL CALL MEETING IS CALLED THAT PEOPLE ATTEND THAT AS WELL.
AND THAT HISTORICALLY HAS NOT BEEN THE CASE.
AND SO THAT'S WHY THIS CHARTER AMENDMENT WAS BROUGHT BY THE PEOPLE SO THAT THERE'S A WAY TO TAKE A VOTE IN ANOTHER MANNER RATHER THAN HAVING THIS SPECIAL CALL MEETING THAT NO ONE ATTENDS.
AND SO RESPECTFULLY TO ALL OF THE WORK THAT HAS BEEN PUT INTO THIS.
SO THIS REALLY CHANGES EVERYTHING FOR ME BECAUSE EVERYTHING IS JUST GONNA BE STUCK IN A LOOP.
NOW, IF, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE JUST DON'T LIKE IT, THERE'S NEVER GONNA BE A VOTE TAKEN.
AND I REALIZED THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE WOULD HAVE TO STILL BE NINE PEOPLE VOTING TO REFER IT TO COMMITTEE.
BUT IF, YOU KNOW, IF, IF I HAVE SOMETHING THAT I BROUGHT FORWARD AND I WANT THAT VOTE TAKEN BECAUSE FOR WHATEVER REASON I WANT THAT VOTE TAKEN, AND I THINK THE PUBLIC WOULD WANT THAT VOTE TAKEN, UM,
[01:10:01]
YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST, THAT'S JUST NEVER GONNA HAPPEN.AND I DON'T SEE HOW THIS CHANGES ANYTHING THAN WHAT WE HAD BEFORE.
COUNCIL MEMBER, DO YOU MIND IF I ASK THE LEGAL A QUESTION? UM, HOPEFULLY NOT LEADING, UH, DOES PROP A AS WRITTEN, UH, BY THE PUBLIC ENUMERATE ANY SEPARATE PATH ONCE IT'S PLACED ON THE AGENDA ITEM? MEANING, IS THERE ANY SPECIAL CONSIDERATION? OR IS IT A REGULAR ITEM OF THE AGENDA THAT IS OPEN TO ANY SORT OF MOTION? YEP.
THE, THE LANGUAGE PROVIDES FOR CONSIDERATION BY CITY COUNCIL, BUT ONCE SOMETHING IS ON THE, THE COUNCIL AGENDA, AS YOU ALLUDED TO, IT CAN TAKE MANY PATHS OTHER THAN, YOU KNOW, A STRAIGHT UP OR DOWN VOTE.
IT CAN BE TAGGED, IT CAN BE REFERRED BACK TO THE ADMINISTRATION, ET CETERA.
SO THE, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT I'M HEARING YOU CORRECTLY, THE ITEM IN ITSELF, THREE COUNCIL MEMBERS GET THEIR SIGNATURE, THEY PUT IT ON THE AGENDA.
IT IS A LAWFUL MOTION TO REFER IT BACK TO THE, TO REFER IT EITHER TO A COMMITTEE OR BACK TO THE AGENDA TO TAG IT, TO VOTE IT DOWN.
THOSE ARE ALL REASONABLE PADS FOR IT.
MAYBE NOT REASONABLE, BUT THOSE ARE ALL LAWFUL PADS FOR IT.
AND JUST REAL FAST, JUST ON THIS, UM, SO CAN WE MAYBE THEN, IN LIGHT OF THIS, ADD SOMETHING TO THIS, PLEASE.
THAT SAYS THAT IF, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S NO QUORUM PRESENT, IT AUTOMATICALLY GOES TO COUNCIL AGENDA, PERFECTLY HAPPY TO ENTERTAIN IT.
THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD FIX THAT LOOPHOLE OF, YOU KNOW, IT JUST NEVER GETTING TO A VOTE, IS THAT IT AUTOMATICALLY HAS TO GO TO COUNCIL IF THERE'S NO FORUM HERE TO TAKE A VOTE.
SO I WANNA BE CLEAR, WE'RE NOT, I'M NOT TRYING TO BE THE GATEKEEPER FOR THIS.
THIS IS Y'ALL'S DOCUMENT TO AMEND.
IF YOU THINK THERE, THIS COULD BE BETTER, MAKE THE CHANGE RIGHT HERE THAT WE'RE HAPPY TO ENTERTAIN ANYTHING.
THIS IS, YEAH, I THINK IN LIGHT OF, OF THAT NEW INFORMATION, I THINK WE NEED TO ADD THAT PART OF IT SO THAT IT JUST, YOU KNOW, THE, A VOTE IS ACTUALLY TAKEN AT SOME POINT, SO I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO ADD THAT TO THE PROPOSED RULES.
BUT IF NO QUORUM IS PRESENT, UM, FOR A VOTE OR TO EVEN START THE MEETING, NO, LET'S SAY FOR A VOTE, IF THERE'S NO QUORUM FOR THE VOTE, THEN IT AUTOMATICALLY SHALL GO TO THE COUNCIL AGENDA WITHIN TWO WEEKS.
IS THAT A MOTION TO STAY IN LINE WITH THE TWO WEEKS THAT ARE IN THE PRE, YOU KNOW, THE REST OF THE RULES? ARE YOU MAKING A MOTION? YES.
IS THERE A SECOND? CAN YOU, CAN YOU RESTATE THE MOTION? SO THE MOTION IS THAT IF NO QUORUM IS PRESENT FOR A VOTE IN THIS COMMITTEE, THEN THE ITEM SHALL AUTOMATICALLY GO TO COUNCIL WITHIN TWO WEEKS.
I'LL SECOND FOR, WE NEED SECOND DISCUSSION ABOUT THE, THE, THE RULES IN GENERAL BEFORE WE START MAKING A MOTION ON THE RULES.
WELL, WE CAN HOLD OFF UNTIL, YEAH, YOU KNOW, AFTER THE REST OF IT IS DISCUSSED.
COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN, GIVEN THERE HAVE BEEN SO MANY SUGGESTIONS, I FEEL THAT THIS IS NOT THE FINAL ITERATION OF THIS DOCUMENT.
WOULD IT BE APPROPRIATE FOR THE CHAIR AND VICE-CHAIR TO DIRECT THIS COMMITTEE TO SUBMIT, UM, SUGGESTIONS IN WRITING? OR WOULD THAT, AGAIN, I'M TRYING TO FIND WHAT THE BEST PROCESS IS SO THAT OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT HAVE MADE SUGGESTIONS OR FEEL STRONGLY ABOUT CERTAIN LANGUAGE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO VOICE THAT SO THAT LEGAL CAN STILL REVIEW IT AND COUNSEL CAN REVIEW THE ENTIRE DOCUMENT AS A WHOLE BEFORE WE DO THAT.
UM, THERE ARE STILL OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS IN THE QUEUE.
I, YEAH, IT'S JUST, IT'S NOT A, I'M JUST ASKING WHAT THE PATH FORWARD WOULD BE.
'CAUSE I KNOW ONE COUNCIL MEMBER JUST MADE A MOTION.
AND THAT WILL DEPEND ON, UH, HOW THE CHAIR DECIDES TO MOVE FORWARD WITH ADDING AND EDITING THIS DOCUMENT.
AND IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE DOCUMENT CAN BE, EVEN IF THE RULES ARE PASSED TODAY, IT CAN BE AMENDED AT A LATER TIME ALSO.
BUT I'M ALSO NOT OPPOSED TO, YOU KNOW, CONTINUING THE DISCUSSION AND THEN RECESSING, UM, TO GIVE EVERYBODY MORE TIME WITH THE RULES ALSO.
AND JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, THE VOTE OF THIS BODY DURING THIS COMMITTEE DOES NOT ELIMINATE THE OPPORTUNITY OF IT GOING BACK ON THE AGENDA.
WE'RE NOT, THIS IS NOT AN UP OR DOWN VOTE ON AN ITEM, CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.
THIS IS A, THIS IS A VOTE ON GENERAL SUPPORT FOR THE IDEA.
SO TO VICE MAYOR PRO TIM'S POINT, EVEN IF WE DIDN'T HAVE A QUORUM AND WE HAD A DISCUSSION
[01:15:01]
OF FOUR PEOPLE AND THEY DID OR DID NOT VOTE, IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT IT DOESN'T GO BACK ON THE, IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT IT DOESN'T HAVE THE POTENTIAL OF GOING BACK ON THE AGENDA IN THE NEXT WHATEVER THE TIME PERIOD IS, BUT WE WOULD JUST BE UNCERTAIN OF THE SUPPORT THAT THE PARTICULAR ORDINANCE OR ITEM WOULD HAVE FOR A POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE VOTE.AM I SAYING THAT RIGHT? I BELIEVE SO.
AND JUST TO CLARIFY THAT, BUT WHAT THE CITY ATTORNEY IS TELLING US IS THAT IF IT IS IN COMMITTEE AND WE'RE AT THE COMMITTEE TO GET INFORMATION FROM VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS, WE CANNOT EVEN BEGIN THE MEETING WITHOUT A QUORUM.
SO IF IT GOES BACK ON THE AGENDA, WE'RE KIND OF BACK WHERE WE STARTED TO WHERE WE HAVE NO INFORMATION.
AND, AND CHAIR, IF I COULD JUST KIND OF ASK A QUESTION ON THAT POINT, BUT I BELIEVE WHAT LEGAL IS SAYING IS THAT THAT'S ON ALL OF THE COMMITTEES IN GENERAL.
IS THAT CORRECT? OR JUST THE ONES THAT ALL OF US ARE A PART OF? SINCE COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN HAS REQUESTED THAT LEGAL LOOK INTO THAT ANALYSIS MORE DIRECTLY.
WE'RE, AND I'VE SPOKEN WITH GINGER PENNY, WE'RE GOING TO REVIEW THAT AS IT APPLIES TO ALL COMMITTEES TO MAKE SURE.
BUT YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY WITH THIS COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE, AGAIN, QUORUM TO TRANSACT BUSINESS COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN.
I WAS TRYING TO SMOOTH OUT THE PROCESS A LITTLE BIT.
UH, TO MAKE THIS EASY FOR THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT POINT OF POINT OF INFORMATION, THERE'S SOME, THERE'S A QUESTION AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THESE RULES WOULD HAVE TO BE PASSED TODAY IN ORDER TO PROCEED WITH THE NEXT TWO ITEMS FOR WHICH WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE INDIVIDUALS IN THE AUDIENCE THAT ARE HERE TO PROVIDE PUBLIC TESTIMONY ON IT, IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE IS NO SPECIFIC COMMITTEE RULES GOVERNING COMMITTEES CURRENTLY.
SO EVEN IF THIS WAS NOT PASSED TODAY, YOU COULD STILL HEAR THOSE PRESENTATIONS AS LISTED ON THE AGENDA WHILE NO ACTION COULD POTENTIALLY BE TAKEN, YOU COULD STILL HEAR THOSE ITEMS TO AFFORD THE PUBLIC THAT OPPORTUNITY.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.
SO IN, UH, FULL APPRECIATION FOR ALL THE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE ON THIS, UH, BUT SEEING THAT, UM, COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE ADDITIONAL VIEWS TO SUBMIT TO THE ADMINISTRATION SO THAT WE CAN ALL WORK TOGETHER TO COME UP WITH THE BEST FINAL PRODUCT.
AND SEEING THAT WE HAVE FOLKS HERE IN THE PUBLIC WHO WANT TO, UH, MAKE SOME COMMENTS AND WE HAVE TWO PRESENTATIONS.
UM, I MOVE TO POSTPONE CONSIDERATION FOR THE CONSIDERATION OF THESE RULES UNTIL THE NEXT TIME THIS COMMITTEE MEETS.
AND SO THE QUESTION THAT HAS BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED, IF YOU WILL REPEAT IT ONE MORE TIME, MOVE TO, UH, POSTPONE FURTHER CONSIDERATION OF THESE RULES UNTIL THE NEXT TIME THIS COMMITTEE MEETS.
MOTION HAS BEEN MADE AND SECONDED.
DISCUSSION OPPOSED? OH, I'M SORRY.
COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER? YES.
COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, MAYOR PRO TEM CASTEX TATUM.
IT LOOKS LIKE, WHAT'S THE TITLE? UM, ITEM PASSES PUBLIC DISCUSSION.
IF THERE'S ANYBODY WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK FROM THE PUBLIC
[01:20:01]
ON THE RULES, I GUESS WE'LL GO AHEAD AND, UM, WE'LL TAKE THAT UP AT THAT TIME.AND CHAIR, IF I MAY, UH, THANK Y'ALL FOR THE QUESTIONS AND DELIBERATION, AND I'M GOING TO TAKE, INTERPRET THIS UNANIMOUS VOTE TO DELAY AS A VOTE TO STOP SEEING MY FACE.
AND BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO PUBLIC COMMENT, WE STILL HAVE A FEW MORE IN THE QUEUE.
STAFF OF, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD.
UH, THANK YOU COUNCIL, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD'S NOT HERE TODAY, BECAUSE THIS WAS NOT THE INTENT OF THE VOTERS, WHETHER IT BE THIS COUNCIL BODY OR ANOTHER ADMINISTRATION TO HAVE THREE COUNCIL MEMBERS COME AND BRING A LAWFUL ITEM TO THE AGENDA.
UM, WE WORKED WELL WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE.
IT WENT FROM ONE PARAGRAPH TO 12 PAGES THAT WAS VETTED, BUT IT CAME TO COUNCIL TO REFER BACK TO A COMMITTEE FOR WHAT? MORE VETTING WE ALREADY DID THAT.
UM, THIS IS CONCERNING BECAUSE IF WE CAN'T BRING AN ITEM TO THE AGENDA BECAUSE IT GETS STUCK, 'CAUSE WE DON'T HAVE QUORUM OR WE DON'T HAVE A VOTE, WHAT HAPPENS TO OUR ITEM? AND ALSO, IF THERE'S AUTHORS THAT CHOOSE OR DESIRE TO NOT BRING FORWARD THE ITEM, HOW DOES THAT, HOW IS THAT RESPECTED? UM, SO I WANTED TO MAKE THOSE POINTS, UM, ON BEHALF OF THE COUNCIL MEMBER TO PUBLICLY, SO THAT WAY, UM, WE, WE KNOW THAT'S WHAT THE VOTERS WANTED.
WE UNDERSTAND THE LANGUAGE, BUT IF AN ITEM COMES FORWARD, WHETHER IT'S VOTED IN FAVOR OF OR NOT, IF IT'S ALWAYS REFERRED TO A COMMITTEE, DON'T HAVE A CHANCE TO VOTE IT.
AND I THINK YOU MAKE AN EX, UH, AN INTERESTING POINT, UH, ABOUT 0.2 SPECIFICALLY.
AND THAT MAY BE SOMETHING GOOD TO INCLUDE IN THE ROLES.
UNDER RULE 24, UM, THAT STATES UNDER COMMITTEE REPORT, THE ASSIGNED DEPARTMENTS WILL PROVIDE UPDATES TO THE COMMITTEE CHAIR DESIGNATED SUBJECT MATTER COMMITTEE ON THE STATUS OF THE PROPOSED ITEM, WHICH SHALL BE INCLUDED IN THE CHAIR'S REPORT.
WHAT IS THE TIMEFRAME, UM, FOR RECEIVING THAT UPDATE FROM, FROM THE DEPARTMENT? STEVEN? DAVID, WOULD YOU LIKE TO COME BACK UP AND WE CAN SEE YOUR BEAUTIFUL FACE AGAIN,
UH, THE IDEA IS THAT THE DEPARTMENT WILL BE ABLE TO GIVE YOU A REASONABLE UPDATE AND THEN YOU MAKE THE DETERMINATION YOURSELVES AS A BODY.
UM, IF, I MEAN, I DON'T, THINGS CAN GET VERY COMPLICATED.
I THINK THAT THE MAXIMUM THAT I SAW DURING THE TWO PROP A ITEMS THAT WE HAVE, UM, BEEN A PART OF SO FAR HAVE BEEN ABOUT TWO AND A HALF WEEKS OF POLICY DELIBERATION.
UM, I PERSONALLY GOT FRUSTRATED.
I THINK THE COUNCIL NEVER DID TOO, THAT IT TOOK THAT LONG.
UM, BUT WHAT I THINK CAME OUT OF IT WAS A MORE ROBUST POLICY, UM, THAT ADDRESSED A SERIES OF CONCERNS.
AND THE WAY THAT THAT PROCESS WORKED OUT WAS THAT WE HEARD FROM THE COUNCIL MEMBER AS WELL AS THE COUNCIL MEMBER, STAFF, STAFF THAT WAS THERE REPRESENTING THEIR COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO ALSO SIGNED, SPECIFICALLY, I'M TALKING ABOUT SPEED CUSHIONS.
WE HEARD WHAT THEY WANTED TO ACCOMPLISH, AND THEN THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT AND, UH, PUBLIC WORKS WENT AWAY AND HAD A POLICY DELIBERATION ABOUT IT.
I WOULD EXPECT THAT AS A DEPARTMENT COMES UP AND SPEAKS TO Y'ALL AT THIS COMMITTEE, OR WHETHER YOU'RE JUST CALLING THE DEPARTMENT IN GENERAL, TO GET AN IDEA THAT THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO SAY, THIS IS THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING.
THIS IS THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT WE THINK IT'S GONNA TAKE.
AND IT BECOMES A NEGOTIATION THAT FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, I WOULD EXPECT THEM, AND I KNOW THE MAYOR WOULD TO TO BE REASONABLE AND TO NOT SLOW ROLL IT AND TO, TO NOT DO THE THINGS THAT EITHER Y'ALL ARE EXPECTING OR THAT Y'ALL HAVE EXPERIENCED IN THE PAST.
OUR OFFICE WILL BE SUBMITTING, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS FOR, TO ADD THIS LANGUAGE.
UM, AND THEN QUESTION NUMBER TWO, IF I UNDERSTAND THAT IF THE ITEM IS FAVORABLE, THE ADMINISTRATION WILL PLACE ON THE AGENDA IN THE NEXT TWO REGULAR MEETINGS.
IF THE ITEM IS NO LONGER CONSIDERED AND IT FAILS, WHAT HAPPENS TO, UH, TO THE ITEM THEN? DOES THE PROCESS JUST START OVER WHERE THE THREE COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, SUBMIT THE REQUEST TO PLACE THEM ON THE AGENDA? OR CAN THEY GO FROM COMMITTEE AFTER IT FAILS DIRECTLY? CAN I, THE COUNCIL AGENDA CAN RESTATE YOUR QUESTION THE WAY THAT I HEARD IT.
WHAT HAPPENS IF THE ITEM FAILS? IF A PROP, A LAWFUL PROP, A ITEM GOES ON THE AGENDA AND FAILS THE VOTE, WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? CORRECT.
OF THE, ARE ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT AN ITEM IN THIS? SEE, I THOUGHT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT AN ITEM IN THIS COMMITTEE.
IF IT FAILS IN THIS COMMITTEE UNDER THIS RULE.
SO IF IT FAIL, YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE AT ANY STAGE OF THE PROCESS, IT CAN BE EXITED AT ANY TIME.
AND YOU CAN GO THROUGH THE PROP A PROCESS.
SO IF THERE'S NOT SUPPORT FOR AN ITEM IN THE, IN THE RULES FOR
[01:25:01]
THIS COMMITTEE, THEN THERE'S STILL THE PROCESS IN THE CHARTER.AND IN RULE 23, WHICH IS MEMORIALIZING THAT WHERE THREE OR MORE COUNCIL MEMBERS CAN SUBMIT A LAWFUL ITEM.
I WAS JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND IF THE AUTHOR, IF THE AUTHOR RESERVES A RIGHT TO, TO REFER IT BACK TO THE COUNCIL AGENDA IF THE AUTHOR RESERVES THE RIGHT, UH, IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING.
AND PLEASE, DANIELLE, CORRECT ME ON THIS ONE.
YOU DIDN'T GIMME THE HOOK LAST TIME WHEN I
BUT THE, I BELIEVE WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT ONCE IT IS SUBMITTED TO THE AGENDA, IT BECOMES A REGULAR AGENDA ITEM.
THERE IS NO LONGER AN OWNER OF THAT ITEM.
THE THREE COUNCIL MEMBER TRIGGERS IT TO BE PLACED ON THE AGENDA AND THEN IT BECOMES, UH, FULLY OWNED BY THE BODY.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.
BUT AGAIN, I'M WONDERING IF OUR, IF WE'RE SPEAKING ABOUT THE FACT THAT, SO SAY AN ITEM WAS ON THIS COMMITTEE AGENDA.
'CAUSE I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DISCUSSING.
AND IT WAS, IT WAS VOTED NOT FOR PLACEMENT, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT COMING BACK FOR THIS COMMITTEE.
THEN, UH, THREE OR MORE COUNCIL MEMBERS COULD STILL SUBMIT THAT ITEM AS PROVIDED IN THE CHARTER, BUT THEY WOULD NEED TO TAKE THAT ACTION AS THE CHARTER PROVIDES, SUBMIT IT TO THE AGENDA DIRECTOR AND THROUGH THE PROCESSES LISTED IN RULE 23.
SEEING THAT THERE ARE NO MORE COUNCIL MEMBERS OR STAFF IN THE QUEUE, I'D LIKE TO OPEN THE FLOOR TO PUBLIC SPEAKERS, SPECIFICALLY SPEAKING ON THE RULES OF THE PROP A COMMITTEE.
SO WE HAVE, UH, ONE SPEAKER LISTED.
UM, ARE YOU SPEAKING ON THE RULES OR ON SOMETHING ELSE? MARK.
UM, PATRICK TON CHARLES, TELL CHARLES ONE AT A TIME.
WE CAN TALK TO ONE, ONE AT A TIME.
CAN I BRING HIM, CAN WE BRING HIM UP? JUST SPEAK ON IT.
THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR CONVENING.
I THINK WHAT YOU ALL ARE DOING IS, UH, EXACTLY WHAT THE INTENT OF THE PROP A WAS.
WHY CAN I SAY THAT? IS THE MIC ON TEST TEST? THAT IS MUCH BETTER.
COMMITTEE, UH, JUST DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING RIGHT NOW, UM, IS HUGELY IMPACTFUL TO HOUSTONIANS, TO ALL THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS, ALL THE PEOPLE THAT RELY ON CITY SERVICES AND THOSE THAT YOU REPRESENT.
AND I THINK THAT WHAT YOU'RE DOING PRECISELY, UH, ENTAILS WHAT THE INTENT OF PROPPE WAS.
I CAN SAY THAT BECAUSE, UH, I WROTE IT.
UH, WE PUT TOGETHER A COALITION THAT HAD NEVER BEEN HAP THAT WE'VE NEVER SEEN IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
UH, AND I WOULD ARGUE IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, WE HAD DEMOCRATS, REPUBLICANS, PROGRESSIVES, LABOR GROUPS, GRASSROOTS, ORGANIZ, UH, GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONS TOGETHER.
AND THE QUESTION THAT WE ASKED WAS, IN ORDER TO IDENTIFY WHAT WAS IMPORTANT TO YOU AND YOUR DISTRICT AND TO YOUR COMMUNITY, UM, THAT THERE WAS AN INABILITY TO HAVE A DISCUSSION AND DIALOGUE.
THERE WAS AN INABILITY TO HAVE POLICY MAKING DECISIONS IN THE FOURTH LARGEST CITY IN THE NATION.
SO WE DID IN EFFECT, IN EFFECT, DID NOT HAVE A CITY COUNCIL THAT WAS ACTING AS A LEGISLATIVE BODY EXCEPT FOR WHATEVER AGENDA ITEM WAS BEING PUT ON.
UH, JUST WHAT YOU'RE DOING NOW AND HAVING DISCUSSIONS ABOUT, UH, TWO ITEMS AND THE MERITS ABOUT HOW WE CAN MAKE IT WORK.
UH, WHAT YOU ALL THINK ARE YOUR IDEAS BASED ON THE CONSTITUENTS THAT ELECTED YOU.
BUT ALSO, UH, MORE BROADLY IS THAT THE, WE TOOK THE LANGUAGE THAT WAS IN THE CITY CHARTER CURRENTLY FOR SPECIAL MEETINGS, AND HOW DO WE CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT TO WHERE IT WENT ON A REGULARLY CALLED COUNCIL AGENDA MEETING TO BE DISCUSSED.
AND I THINK THAT, UH, WHAT WE HAVE LOOKED AT AND WHAT WE'VE PAID ATTENTION TO AND VERY APPRECIATIVE OF IS THE LEVEL OF DIALOGUE THAT YOU ALL HAVE PUT INTO THIS.
UH, WHEN IT GETS ON A CITY COUNCIL AGENDA MEETING, AND I'M VERY FAMILIAR WITH ROBERT'S RULES AND THE RULES OF MEETINGS, IS THAT IT IS TREATED LIKE ANY OTHER AGENDA ITEM, WHICH MEANS THAT THE BODY AS A WHOLE GETS TO DECIDE.
UH, AND I THINK THAT SOMEBODY MADE THAT POINT EARLIER.
IT'S NO DIFFERENT THAN AN ITEM THAT'S PRO ON THEIR, UH, BY THE ADMINISTRATION.
UH, IF THE BODY HAS THE VOTES IN WHICH TO, UH, REFER IT TO A COMMITTEE, UH, THEN THAT'S THE WILL OF THE BODY.
UH, AND SO THERE'S NO POINT WHERE AN ITEM BECOMES, UH, SUPERSEDING IN AN AGENDA ITEM, IF YOU WILL, FROM ANY OTHER INDIVIDUAL OR ADMINISTRATION.
UH, IT'S REALLY WHAT THE BODY WANTS.
AND IF THERE IS, HONESTLY, IN, IN MY YEARS IN DEALING WITH, UH, THE LEGISLATIVE WORLD IN POLICYMAKING IS STATING WHATEVER PERSON'S INTENT IS FINDING A WAY TO WORK ACROSS THE AISLE.
AND IN HOUSTON, IT'S NOT REALLY, UH, A PARTISAN AISLE, UH, 'CAUSE WE'RE NONPARTISAN, BUT IT'S ACROSS THE AISLE AND PEOPLE THAT MAY NOT UNDERSTAND ABOUT WHAT YOUR ISSUES IN YOUR DISTRICT ARE, UH, AND TO BE ABLE TO FRAME SOMETHING
[01:30:01]
THAT WORKS FOR YOUR DISTRICT, BUT ALSO ALL HOUSTONIANS AND, AND TO REALLY DIVE DEEP INTO THE POLICY OF WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE DOING.AND SO I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.
UH, AND COMMITTEE, UH, AND I, I BROUGHT UP, UH, I WAS GONNA BRING UP, UH, CHARLES BLAINE AND, UH, DOUG SMITH AND, UH, A NUMBER OF OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, UH, THAT CAME TOGETHER IN THE MUCH, IN THE SAME MANNER THAT YOU ALL ARE DOING HERE IN ORDER TO DISCUSS WHAT'S THE BEST WAY.
BECAUSE HONESTLY, WHEN THE LANGUAGE GOT FIRST ROLLED OUT, UH, THERE WERE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT MAKING THE THRESHOLD HIGHER, MAKING IT, UH, LOWER.
WHAT ARE WE DOING? WE LOOK AT OTHER CITIES AND WE SPENT MONTHS, UH, GRAPPLING AND GOING BACK AND FORTH AND WHAT THE, BOTH LEGAL, BUT ALSO THE INTENT, UH, WAS THAT YOU WANTED TO KEEP IT IN LINE WITH CITY OF HOUSTON CHARTER, WHAT HAD BEEN IN THE PAST, AND HOW DO WE MOVE THIS, UH, FORWARD AND LET THE VOTERS DECIDE, WHICH I THINK THEY DID.
UH, BOB CHO, ARE YOU HERE TO SPEAK ON THE RULES? YES.
AND AS A VOTER, MY THOUGHT AND MY INTENTION IS THAT THE THREE COUNCIL MEMBERS WOULD PUT SOMETHING TOGETHER AND WOULD GO TO COUNCIL.
NO COMMITTEES, NO PS NO FAULT AT ALL.
UM, AND I JUST WANNA SPEAK BRIEFLY ABOUT THE INTENT.
UM, I, I'VE HAD A FEW COUNCIL MEMBERS REACH OUT TO ME, UM, ABOUT THE INTENT.
AND I CAN'T SPEAK TO WHAT MARTY HAS HEARD, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE JOINED THE, IN HOUSTON INDIVISIBLES, THE, UH, DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS OF AMERICA, THE KINGWOOD TEA PARTY, AND THE HARRIS COUNTY REPUBLICANS TO BRING THIS FORWARD, THE INTENT WAS TO GIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS POWER.
AND AS LONG AS THE RIGHT TO TAKE IT DIRECTLY TO THE AGENDA IS PRESERVED, AND IN THESE RULES, IF IT IS AMENDED, UM, AS COUNCIL MEMBER PECK'S SUGGESTION TO HAVE IT REFERRED BACK TO THE FULL AGENDA, IF THERE IS NO QUORUM, THEN THE INTENT IS FULFILLED.
BUT I ALSO WANNA TALK A BIT ABOUT THE UNDERLYING INTENT OF THIS.
WHEN WE FIRST SUBMITTED THIS IN 2020, THE INTENT WAS TO HAVE IT GO TO THE NEXT UNIFORM AGENDA, UH, UNIFORM ELECTION DATE.
AND IT WAS THE WILL OF THIS BODY AND YOUR PREROGATIVE TO, TO PUT IT ON 2023 RATHER THAN 2021 AND 2022.
UM, AND THEN ONCE IT WAS PASSED IN NOVEMBER OF 2023, IT WAS THE INTENT TO SET THE RULES THEN AND HAVE US USE IT STARTING AT THE, THE START OF THE YEAR.
AND MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER TRIED TO CALL A GOVERNMENT ETHICS COMMITTEE MEETING TO SET THE RULES.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED BEHIND THE SCENES, BUT THAT DID NOT HAPPEN.
AND SO THE INTENT THEN WASN'T FULFILLED.
AND I HEARD IN RECENT WEEKS, A FEW COUNCIL MEMBERS TALK ABOUT THE INTENT WAS TO TAKE POWER AWAY FROM THE PREVIOUS MAYOR.
THIS HAS BEEN SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN DISCUSSED UNDER MANY ADMINISTRATIONS.
HOUSTON HAS HAD A STRONG MAYOR FORM OF GOVERNMENT SINCE THE 1940S.
IT HAS HAD THIS STRONG MAYOR FORM OF GOVERNMENT SINCE THE 1950S, AND WE'RE JUST TRYING TO RESTORE SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS' POWER.
UM, AND SO THIS ISN'T DIRECTED AT ANY SPECIFIC MAYOR.
WE'RE JUST TRYING TO PUT PROCESSES IN PLACE TO MAKE SURE THAT REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE RELATIONSHIP IS BETWEEN COUNCIL AND WHATEVER MAYOR, WHOEVER MAYOR IS IN PLACE, THAT THEY STILL HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO, TO ACT ON BEHALF OF THEIR CONSTITUENTS, WHETHER IT'S THEIR DISTRICTS OR CITY AT AT LARGE.
AND SO I JUST WANTED TO SPEAK TO THE INTENT AND IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER 'EM.
WE HAVE ONE COUNCIL MEMBER IN THE QUEUE.
SO WE HAVE YOU TO BLAME FOR ALL OF THIS.
IS THAT RIGHT? AND MARTY? NO, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY BY PUSHING THIS AND THE OTHERS WHO WORKED WITH YOU TO DO IT.
THANK YOU, CHARLES FOR THAT EXPLANATION.
SOME CLARITY BECAUSE OF THE INTENT.
I HEARD WHAT BOB SAID AS WELL, AND, UH, AND YOU CLARIFYING IT BECAUSE THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WAS TRYING TO BRING UP AND THAT WAS DISCUSSION PRIOR, BECAUSE WHETHER OR NOT, AND HOW THE LANGUAGE WAS GOING TO BE DETERMINED.
AND I'M GLAD THAT YOU EMPHASIZE INTENT BECAUSE SO OFTEN, AND THEN MANY OF US FORGET THE PROCESS OF WHAT DID NOT HAPPEN.
AND YOU SAID IT WAS SUBMITTED, UH, FOR IN YEAR, UH, UH, I THINK 2020 IS WHEN WE FIRST SUBMITTED IT YES.
AND SHOULD HAVE IN, IN TIME TO MAKE IT FOR THE NOVEMBER, 2020 UNIFORM ELECTION DATE.
AND THEN IT WAS KICKED DOWN THE ROAD, OBVIOUSLY OF TO 23, CORRECT? YES.
SO, SO THAT COULD HAVE BEEN, AND YOU SAID THAT WAS A REFERRAL TO SOME OF THESE PROCEDURES, OF COURSE, THEN, BUT IT WAS NEVER, UH, EXECUTED, RIGHT? AM I CLEAR ON THAT? CORRECT.
THAT'S WHAT I, THAT'S WHAT I QUESTIONED LATER, EARLIER.
AND, UH, SO I THINK IT'S PRETTY OBVIOUS THAT THE PROCESS THAT'S GOING ON RIGHT NOW, UH, I DEEM IT IS A PROCESS BY WHICH, UH, THE UNDERSTANDING OF THAT, AND I DON'T CONSIDER IT BECAUSE I SUPPORTED THAT ON THE CAMPAIGN AS WELL AS OTHERS.
[01:35:01]
WHAT DID NOT HAPPEN, WHICH CONSTITUTES WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW.AND I THINK THAT'S PRETTY OBVIOUS.
AND IF I CAN JUST SAY ONE MORE THING, YOU KNOW, JUST TO TALK ABOUT AT WHEN THE CHANGE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON HAPPENED.
I KNOW WE'RE SPEAKING A LOT ABOUT HOW COLLABORATIVE THIS COUNCIL AND THIS MAYOR IS.
WELL, WHEN THE CHANGE HAPPENED, THE REASON THAT MAYOR HOFFINS, AND, AND WHEN YOU READ THE HISTORY OF IT, CONSOLIDATED, THE POWER IN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE WAS BECAUSE OF, OF CONFLICT WITH HIS COUNCIL.
AND SO WHO KNOWS WHEN THAT'S GONNA ARISE AGAIN, WHETHER IT'S UNDER THIS ADMINISTRATION OR THE NEXT.
AND SO AGAIN, WE'RE JUST TRYING TO SET PARAMETERS TO MAKE SURE THAT COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE THAT AUTHORITY AND THEN MAINTAIN THAT AUTHORITY REGARDLESS OF WHO'S HOLDING ANY SEAT.
ALWAYS APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS.
I BELIEVE YOU LIVE IN DISTRICT D I'M VERY GLAD.
SO I'M VERY GLAD THAT YOU DIDN'T HAVE ANY POLITICAL ASPIRATIONS FOR THIS LAST CYCLE.
THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR YOUR COMMENTS AND SERVICE.
THERE ARE NO MORE COUNCIL MEMBERS IN THE QUEUE.
ANYONE ELSE FROM THE PUBLIC THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK SPECIFICALLY ON THE RULES? OKAY.
UH, WE CAN MOVE ON TO THE ITEM THREE.
ITEM NUMBER THREE, WHICH IS THE, THE ORDINANCE, UH, AMENDING SECTION 26 DASH 1 55, PARKING METER REGULATIONS, DIRECTOR MARIA OR SHA PRESENTING.
WE HAVE, UH, DIRECTOR MARIA ORAD PRESENTING.
UH, THANK YOU CHAIR HUFFMAN AND COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, LOOK, PARKING, MAKING HISTORY BEING THE FIRST ITEM TO BE CONSIDERED ON, UH, TODAY'S COMMITTEE.
SO I'M HERE WITH MY COLLEAGUES, UH, RAMI ARAFAT, NILA YAYA, MELANIE CURRY, AND JENNIFER DIKA, WHO'S IN THE BACK RUNNING THE PRESENTATION.
WE'RE WITH THE ADMINISTRATION AND REGULATORY AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT, AND WE ARE HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE PROPOSITION, A PROPOSAL THAT WOULD EXTEND THE PARKING METER HOURS OF OPERATION.
A BIT OF BACKGROUND ABOUT PARK HOUSTON.
WE ARE THE CITY AGENCY RESPONSIBLE FOR ENFORCING ALL ON STREET PARKING ORDINANCES.
WE ALSO MAINTAIN, COLLECT AND MANAGE ABOUT 10,000 PARKING SPACES AND ADMINISTER A FEW PARKING PERMITS.
SO PARK HOUSTON IS ONE OF THE CITY'S SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS.
SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS COLLECT REVENUES AND THEN PAY FOR ITS EXPENDITURES OUT OF THOSE COLLECTED REVENUES.
IF THE REVENUES EXCEED THE EXPENDITURES, THERE'S A FUND BALANCE THAT IS CREATED, UH, BY ORDINANCE PARK.
HOUSTON HAS A $2 MILLION FUND BALANCE, AND THEN ANY REVENUES IN EXCESS OF THAT $2 MILLION ARE TRANSFERRED BACK TO GENERAL FUND.
SO WITH THAT, LET'S GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED WITH OUR, OUR PRESENTATION FOR TODAY.
AND WE CAN MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
MAYBE THERE'S A LITTLE TECHNOLOGY LAG.
SHOULD I JUST GO AHEAD AND PROCEED? I'M NOT SURE IF Y'ALL HAVE A ELECTRONIC ON YOUR PLEASE.
SO ON, UH, THIS SLIDE, UH, WE ARE, UM, SO A PROPOSAL WAS CONSIDERED, UH, AT CITY COUNCIL ON APRIL 3RD, AS YOU ALL ARE AWARE.
AND THE PROPOSAL WAS TO EXTEND ALL METER HOURS OF OPERATION, UH, TO 2:00 AM CITYWIDE FROM THE CURRENTLY, UH, ESTABLISHED A 6:00 PM DEADLINE IN CITY ORDINANCE.
UH, WE DO HAVE A FEW LOCATIONS THAT OPERATE OUTSIDE OF 6:00 PM AND I'M GONNA SHARE THAT WITH YOU ON THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO, UH, THE EXCEPTIONS TO ON STREET PAID PARKING THAT OPERATE AFTER 6:00 PM INCLUDE THE WASHINGTON CORRIDOR.
WE HAVE SOME METERS IN MIDTOWN.
WE HAVE SOME METERS THAT SURROUND THE RIVER OAKS DISTRICT.
WE HAVE A FEW PAID PARKING SPACES IN RICE VILLAGE AND ALSO IN THE NEW DEVELOPMENT AUTRY PARK OFF, UH, ADJACENT TO BUFFALO BAYOU PARK.
WE ALSO HAVE A HANDFUL OF OFF STREET PARKING LOTS THAT DO OPERATE BEYOND 6:00 PM AND, UH, THE, THE NEED FOR MANAGING THE CURB AT THESE LOCATIONS WAS THERE AFTER 6:00 PM WHICH IS WHY THE, THE METERS ARE SIGNED TO OPERATE AFTER 6:00 PM WHICH IS ALLOWED BY ORDINANCE.
UM, BUT A MAJORITY OF OUR METERS DO END RUNNING AT 6:00 PM THAT INCLUDES, UM, DOWNTOWN EAST DOWNTOWN PARTS OF MIDTOWN MUSEUM PARK.
THIS IS A MAJORITY OF OUR METER PLANT.
[01:40:04]
UM, SHOULD THIS ITEM BE APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL, IT'LL REQUIRE PARK HOUSTON TO UPDATE METER PROGRAMMING.WE HAVE APP PROGRAM THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE MANAGED.
WE HAVE SIGNAGE THAT WOULD NEED TO BE REVIEWED AND METER DETAILS THAT WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED.
UH, PUBLIC EDUCATION IS ALSO A NECESSARY COMPONENT.
ANYTIME WE RECONFIGURE ANY CURBSIDE, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THE ADJACENT STAKEHOLDERS ARE AWARE.
SO IN THIS CASE, IT WOULD BE THE GENERAL PARKING PUBLIC, WHICH IS A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT.
SO WE'D WANNA DEVELOP SOME EDUCATION MATERIALS, UPDATE OUR WEBSITES, AND, UH, INITIATE COMMUNICATIONS WITH ANY, UM, STAKEHOLDERS THAT MAY BE IMPACTED.
SO WITHOUT USING OVERTIME, IN ORDER TO TAKE CARE OF ALL THESE, UH, NECESSARY STEPS FOR IMPLEMENTATION, WE WOULD ANTICIPATE THAT OUR STAFF CAN DO IT, UH, ON REGULAR TIME AND IT WOULD COST ABOUT $50,000.
AND THIS IS MOSTLY JUST STAFF TIME TO MAKE ALL THESE ADJUSTMENTS.
THERE WOULD BE A LITTLE BIT OF SUPPLY PURCHASING FOR SOME SIGNAGE AND DECALS, BUT OTHER THAN THAT, IT'S MOSTLY STAFF TIME TO TAKE CARE OF THIS.
SO ON THE NEXT SLIDE, WE HAVE A REVENUE ESTIMATE.
WE'VE GOT TWO REVENUE ESTIMATES TODAY FOR YOU.
SO ON THE ONE HAND, WE HAVE A ESTIMATE THAT PUTS IT AT ABOUT 30% OCCUPANCY FOR THE PAID ON STREET METERS, WHICH WE ANTICIPATE WOULD GENERATE ABOUT $1.4 MILLION ANNUALLY.
WE THEN ALSO DID A FORECAST OF 60% OCCUPANCY AT THE ON-STREET PAID PARKING, WHICH WOULD GENERATE ABOUT $2.4 MILLION ANNUALLY.
SO THIS IS OUR PROJECT TIMELINE.
SHOULD CITY COUNCIL, UH, VOTE ON THIS ITEM AND IT GETS APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL, WE'LL RECOMMEND BREAKING UP THE METER PLANT INTO THREE PHASES OVER A PERIOD OF ABOUT EIGHT MONTHS.
SO WE WOULD NOT USE OVERTIME TO MANAGE THE PROCESS.
OUR THOUGHTS ARE IS THAT WE'D HAVE A PHASED APPROACH TO, UH, EXTENDING THE METER HOURS IN DIFFERENT AREAS.
SO PHASE ONE WOULD BE THE DOWNTOWN AREA, WHICH WOULD, UH, BE EXTENDED FIRST.
PHASE TWO WOULD BE MIDTOWN TO BE FOLLOWED BY PHASE THREE, WHICH WOULD BE EAST DOWNTOWN AND MUSEUM PARK.
WE ANTICIPATE A TIMELINE OF ABOUT EIGHT MONTHS TO TAKE IT ALL THE WAY TO THE END OF THE THREE PHASES.
NOW, WHAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT DURING THESE PHASES, MORE SO THAN TURNING ON THE METERS, IS TALKING TO OUR STAKEHOLDERS AND TRYING TO MITIGATE OR ADDRESS ANY CONCERNS THAT THEY MAY HAVE.
BECAUSE PARKING IS GENERALLY, YOU KNOW, IT'S A, PEOPLE TAKE IT SERIOUSLY AND, AND THEY, THEY ALL HAVE CONCERNS.
SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE TALK TO STAKEHOLDERS, UNDERSTAND THEIR CONCERNS, AND DEVELOP PROGRAMS WHERE WE THINK WE CAN HELP MITIGATE THOSE CONCERNS.
SO THAT WOULD TAKE EIGHT MONTHS, 240 DAYS.
AND, UH, THIS IS ON SLIDE SIX, IF YOU GUYS CAN SEE WHERE I'M AT RIGHT NOW.
ALRIGHT, SO ON THE NEXT SLIDE, WE'RE MOVING ON TO OUR CONCERNS.
SO, LIKE I WAS SAYING EARLIER, OUR STAKEHOLDERS WILL HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT ANY CHANGES TO THE CURBSIDE.
UM, THERE ARE WAYS TO ADDRESS THESE CHALLENGES, HOWEVER, AND WE WOULD PROPOSE THAT THE CITY LOOK AT PROGRAMS THAT WOULD HELP TO MITIGATE THE EFFECTS OF, UH, OF, OF THE PAID PARKING AS IT RELATES TO WHAT HAPPENS AFTER 6:00 PM.
SO, THOUGHTS AND IDEAS THAT WE HAVE INCLUDE ECONOMY PRICING.
SO IF YOU COME DOWNTOWN, THERE'S A PORTION OF DOWNTOWN THAT'S VERY ACTIVE.
OUR CURB IS VERY BUSY, BUT THERE ARE ALSO MANY LOCATIONS THAT SIT EMPTY BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT CLOSE TO DESIRED DE DESTINATIONS.
SO WHAT WE WOULD RECOMMEND IS THAT THOSE LOW DEMAND AREAS BE PRICED ACCORDINGLY.
SO IT'S, YOU KNOW, INSTEAD OF THE SAME HOURLY RATE THAT OCCURS UNTIL 6:00 PM THAT BECOMES AN ECONOMY ZONE THAT IS, YOU KNOW, $2 FOR THE WHOLE NIGHT, BUT IT REQUIRES A BIT OF A WALK TO YOUR DESIRED DESTINATION.
NOW, IF YOU WANNA PARK VERY CLOSE TO YOUR DESIRED DESTINATION, THOSE WOULD CONTINUE TO BE CHARGED AT THE SAME HOURLY RATE THAT IS AT THE DAYTIME, BUT YOU'RE IN A MORE CONVENIENT LOCATION AND YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, CLOSE TO THOSE DESIRED DESTINATIONS.
SO THE OTHER ITEM THAT YOU KNOW, WE KNOW IS AN ISSUE AND THAT WE'LL HAVE TO ADDRESS IS EMPLOYEE PARKING AFTER 6:00 PM WE HEARD AT PUBLIC SESSION A FEW WEEKS AGO THAT THERE ARE CONCERNS ABOUT EMPLOYEES WHO ARE COMING HERE, UH, WORKING IN THE EVENINGS.
THEY GO HOME LATE AT NIGHT, AND, UH, PARKING NEEDS WOULD HAVE TO BE LOOKED AT.
AND WE'D HAVE TO THINK ABOUT WHAT CAN WE DO FOR THESE EMPLOYEES AND HOW CAN WE MAKE IT SAFE AND CONVENIENT FOR THEM TO PARK IF WE ARE GOING TO START CHARGING AT THE CURB.
SO, SOLUTIONS THAT OTHER CITIES HAVE DONE IS THEY'VE, YOU KNOW, HAD, UH, COLLABORATIVES WITH PRIVATE PARKING OPERATORS TO LOOK AT ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR THESE EMPLOYEES.
UH, YOU CAN DEVELOP PARKING PROGRAMS IN CITY OWNED PARKING GARAGES.
WE'VE SEEN THAT IN OTHER CITIES.
NOW, HOUSTON'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
MOST OF OUR OFF STREET PARKING
[01:45:01]
IS MANAGED BY THE PRIVATE SECTOR.SO THAT WOULD REQUIRE SOME, UH, COLLABORATION.
UH, FINALLY THE THIRD THING THAT WE'RE WORKING ON RIGHT NOW IS THE DEVELOPMENT OF A REAL TIME, UH, PARKING AVAILABILITY MAP.
SO OUR CUSTOMERS CAN SEE WHERE ON STREETE PARKING IS AVAILABLE DURING METER HOURS OF OPERATION.
OTHER THINGS TO THINK ABOUT IS HOW CAN WE SHARE THIS INFORMATION IN A MORE WIDESPREAD MANNER.
UH, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THROUGH SOME WAY FINDING SIGNAGE OR DEVELOPING, UH, INVESTING IN SOME TECHNOLOGY THAT HELPS CUSTOMERS KNOW WHERE THEY CAN PARK OFF STREET AND ON STREET.
AND I THINK, CAN YOU MOVE FORWARD ON ONE SLIDE, PLEASE? WE'RE ON THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO WE SURVEYED THE TOP 10 MOST POPULATED CITIES AND OUR TEXAS NEIGHBORS FOR A TOTAL OF 15 DIFFERENT CITIES ON THE MAP.
A GREEN PIN, UM, INDICATES THAT THE METERS OPERATE BEYOND OFFICE HOURS CITYWIDE.
SO ALMOST HALF OF OUR CITIES FELL INTO THIS.
UM, SOME OF THEM END THEIR METERS AT 8:00 PM BUT SOME GO ALL THE WAY UNTIL TWO, 2:00 AM LIKE A BUSY CITY LIKE MIAMI.
SO THE SEVEN CITIES THAT FELL INTO THIS BUCKET INCLUDE AUSTIN, BOSTON, CHICAGO, PHOENIX, LA, MIAMI, AND SAN FRANCISCO.
UM, I DO WANNA POINT OUT THAT AUSTIN IS A LITTLE BIT OF A HYBRID BECAUSE ALL THEIR METERS EXTEND TILL MIDNIGHT FOR ONLY A PORTION OF THE WEEK.
HALF THE WEEK THEY SHUT OFF AT SIX, THE OTHER HALF OF THE WEEK THEY OPERATE TILL MIDNIGHT.
WHEN IT IS, YOU KNOW, PARKING IS IN DEMAND, WHICH MAKES SENSE.
THE YELLOW PINS ON THE MAP OPERATE ARE THOSE CITIES, UH, WHERE METERS STOP OPERATING AT 6:00 PM AND THERE ARE FOUR CITIES IN OUR SURVEY THAT MATCH THIS.
AND THESE ARE SAN ANTONIO, FORT WORTH, SAN DIEGO, AND PHILADELPHIA.
UH, THIS IS, UH, ALSO A, A BIG SUM OF CITIES AND HOUSTON FALLS INTO THIS.
THIS IS WHERE MOST OF THE METER PLANT ENDS OPERATIONS DURING OFFICE HOURS.
BUT AFTER 6:00 PM THERE ARE POCKETS IN THE CITY THAT DO CONTINUE TO CHARGE AFTER 6:00 PM SO BESIDES, UH, HOUSTON, WE HAVE DALLAS, EL PASO, NEW YORK CITY, AND WASHINGTON.
DC ALSO RECENTLY NASHVILLE, UH, MADE THE MOVE TO ENFORCING THEIR METERS 24 7, 24 HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
AND THE CITIES OF COLUMBUS AND MILWAUKEE HAVE ALSO RECENTLY EXPANDED THEIR HOURS OF OPERATION BEYOND OFFICE HOURS.
SO HERE ARE A FEW EXAMPLES OF WHAT OTHER CITIES PROVIDE FOR, UH, RELATIVE TO PARKING PROGRAMS IN THEIR CITIES.
UH, LIKE I MENTIONED, THE CITY OF AUSTIN, THEY HAVE, UH, CITY OWNED GARAGES THAT THEY MAKE AVAILABLE FOR SERVICE EMPLOYEES TO PARK AFTER 6:00 PM DURING THE DAYS OF THE METERS ARE IN OPERATION.
WHAT THIS DOES IS IT TAKES THOSE LONG-TERM PARKERS OFF THE ROAD AND MAKES THE METERS AVAILABLE FOR SHORT-TERM PARKERS AND INCREASES THAT, UM, AVAILABILITY AND TURNOVER AT THE CURB, WHICH IS THE MOST CONVENIENT LOCATION.
UH, THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO OFFERS FREE PARKING ON DOWNTOWN TUESDAYS.
NASHVILLE HAS PARTNERED WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR TO PROVIDE SOLUTIONS FOR SERVICE EMPLOYEES AFTER BUSINESS HOURS, AND THEY ALSO HAVE A PARKING MAP THAT PROVIDES REAL TIME AVAILABILITY.
YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW IF YOU ARE, UH, A DOWNTOWN EMPLOYEE MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY BUSINESS HOURS, EITHER YOUR EMPLOYER IS PROVIDING YOUR PARKING OR YOU ARE LEFT TO FIND A SOLUTION ON YOUR OWN, BECAUSE PARKING AT A METER MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY SIMPLY IS NOT FEASIBLE.
WE HAVE TIME LIMITS AND IT'S PAID PARKING, UM, AFTER 6:00 PM WE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE WOULD BE A CONCERN WITH SERVICE EMPLOYEES, AND WE DEFINITELY DO RECOMMEND THAT SHOULD THIS MOVE FORWARD, THAT THE CITY START COLLABORATING WITH PRIVATE SECTOR TO SEE WHAT KIND OF OFF STREET OPTIONS CAN WE MAKE AVAILABLE FOR THOSE EMPLOYEES SO THAT THEY HAVE A PLACE TO SAFELY PARK.
SO THIS BRINGS ME TO THE END OF MY PRESENTATION AND, UH, SORRY WE HAD TO GO THROUGH HALF OF IT WITHOUT THE SLIDES, BUT, UH, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.
AND WE HAVE STAFF FROM, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD'S, UH, OFFICE IN THE QUEUE.
I WANNA THANK YOU PERSONALLY, UH, AND NYLA AS WELL FOR ALWAYS ANSWERING MY CALL AND SWIFTLY RESPONDING TO MY EMAILS.
UH, BUT I, I WANTED TO MAKE IT VERY CLEAR ON BEHALF OF THE COUNCIL MEMBER THAT THIS WAS AN ITEM THE AUTHORS DID NOT WANT TO PURSUE ANY FURTHER.
UH, WE MADE THAT CLEAR TO THE ADMINISTRATION.
WE ALSO MADE IT CLEAR TO THE CHAIR, BUT DUE TO OUR QUORUM ISSUES, YOU STILL HAVE TO PROCEED.
SO I WANNA SAY THANK YOU, BUT I WANNA BE VERY CLEAR THAT WE CHOSE, THE AUTHORS CHOSE OR DID NOT WANT TO MOVE THIS FORWARD AS AN ITEM, BUT UNFORTUNATELY IT'S HERE WITH US TODAY.
UH, SO I JUST WANNA BE VERY CLEAR ON THAT.
AND WE WILL NOT BE TAKING A VOTE ON THIS
[01:50:01]
ITEM TODAY.THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION AND, UH, SOME OF THESE ITEMS. UH, AND I, I WON'T ADDRESS THE FACT THAT THE INTENT OF COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD IN REGARDS TO THIS ISSUE WAS TO LOOK FOR REVENUE STREAMS IN ORDER TO BRING IT TO THE CITY.
AND, UH, I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE FACT THAT YOU, IN YOUR PRESENTATION, YOU REFER TO OTHER CITIES, WHICH IS WHAT, UM, IS A BIG CONCERN.
I WAS GOING TO DO THAT IF THIS ITEM HAD GONE FORWARD, BECAUSE YOU USE SOME CITIES THAT USES THESE METERS LONG EXTENSIVE TIME AS ON WEEKENDS.
AND THEN OF COURSE A LOT OF THEM WENT TO CONTRACT.
THEY WENT FROM CITY OPERATION TO CONTRACT OPERATION, WHICH ADDED ANOTHER COST.
I LIVED IN CHICAGO FOR FOUR YEARS AND I WATCHED THESE METERS GO UP, AND OF COURSE, THE GENERAL PUBLIC HAD A REAL ISSUE WITH IT.
SECONDLY, IN YOUR PRESENTATION YOU TALKED ABOUT, UM, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE, THE $2 COST, YOU KNOW, UM, IN REGARDS TO FOR SOME FURTHER IT WOULD GO TO THE $2 AND THEN THOSE THAT WERE NOT, YOU KNOW, WOULD REMAIN THE SAME.
IF IT WAS CLOSER WITHIN THE PROXIMITY OF THE CITY, THE PRICE WOULDN'T CHANGE, RIGHT? SO THE, THE THING THAT I WANT TO RAISE ABOUT THAT IS BECAUSE THESE CITIES THAT YOU MENTIONED ARE TOTALLY DEMOGRAPHICALLY DIFFERENT THAN HOUSTON.
AND THERE'S ALSO A LOT OF ENTERTAINMENT WITHIN THOSE MAJOR CITIES LIKE CHICAGO WHERE I LIVED, OF COURSE HERE IN HOUSTON MOST OF MY LIFE.
BUT I WAS THERE FOR A PERIOD OF TIME.
SO DEMOGRAPHICALLY IT'S DIFFERENT.
AND ALSO FROM AN ECONOMIC ENTERTAINMENT SUGGESTION IS DIFFERENT THAN SAY, MIAMI OR, OR CHICAGO.
SO I JUST WANT TO LAY THAT OUT THAT I'M GLAD YOU PRESENTED, UH, PRESENTED BECAUSE IF WE REALLY RESEARCH IT SOONER OR LATER, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE, UH, SOME ISSUES AROUND PRICING AND AVAILABILITY TO, TO PEOPLE.
CAN, CAN I JUST RESPOND TO THAT? SURE.
UM, NO, I, I AM GLAD YOU BROUGHT THAT UP.
AND THAT'S WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PARKING TO REALIZE THAT IT IS NOT A ONE FIT ALL SOLUTION.
LIKE WE CAN'T JUST GO AND COPY WHAT AUSTIN DOES OR GO AND COPY WHAT CHICAGO DOES, AND THAT'S WHERE THE STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT COMES IN.
IT'S SO CRITICAL THAT WE HAVE THAT TIME AND, UH, COMMUNICATION WITH OUR STAKEHOLDERS SO WE UNDERSTAND WHAT THEIR CONCERNS ARE AND WE CAN FIGURE OUT WAYS TO ADDRESS IT.
NOW, MAYBE I MIGHT NOT ALWAYS BE ABLE TO ADDRESS 100% OF EVERYONE'S CONCERNS, BUT WE DEFINITELY WANT TO HEAR IT BECAUSE THAT IS HOW YOU MAKE A STRONGER SOLUTION.
SO I I, I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING AND I UNDERSTAND.
IF POSSIBLE, I WOULD LIKE TO YIELD MY TIME TO CHRIS LARSON, WHO IS HERE TO SPEAK, BUT DOES NEED TO LEAVE.
UH, CHAIR MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE, UH, CHRIS LARSON.
I'M THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF DOWNTOWN HOUSTON.
PLUS WE MANAGE THE HOUSTON DOWNTOWN MANAGEMENT DISTRICT, THE DOWNTOWN REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, AS WELL AS CENTRAL HOUSTON.
UM, AND I WOULD LIKE, UH, I GUESS TO FIRST START BY SAYING THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR CONCERN ABOUT THE CITY'S FINANCIAL WELLBEING.
UH, BUT I ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT THIS PARTICULAR ITEM, UM, THIS IS A SITUATION THAT WE BELIEVE IS A LITTLE BIT OF THE END JUSTIFYING THE MEANS.
UM, WE REALLY THINK THAT THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT, UH, MORE BROADLY HOW WE IMPROVE ACCESS INTO DOWNTOWN FOR ALL OF OUR STAKEHOLDERS TO THINK ABOUT A TIERED PRICING STRATEGY, UH, THAT MAKES THE BEST UTILIZATION OF OUR OFF STREET PARKING SUPPLY.
AND WE REALLY WANNA ENCOURAGE THAT THE CITY APPROACH THIS IN A VERY THOUGHTFUL MANNER, AND ONE THAT REALLY EMPHASIZES THAT, THAT NOTION OF STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT.
WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT THAT TODAY AND WHAT IT MEANS TO REALLY HAVE THE USERS OF DOWNTOWN AT THE TABLE IN THE CONSIDERATION OF THIS.
AND THEN, AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT EVERYTHING SHOULD BE FREE.
WHAT I'M, WHAT I'M SAYING IS THAT ULTIMATELY WE SHOULD BE THINKING ABOUT HOW WE MAXIMIZE THE UTILITY OF THIS PUBLIC ASSET.
AND I THINK THAT'S ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL, UH, ON, UH, AS A PART OF THE PATH FORWARD.
THE OTHER PIECE IS THAT WHEN WE START TO TALK ABOUT, UM, THE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES OF THESE KINDS OF ACTIONS, UM, I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE WAY THAT THIS IS PERCEIVED AND THE WAY THAT THIS IS REPEATED BY THE MEDIA, THE WAY THAT THIS, UH, POSES AS, AS REALLY AS A, AS A FEEDER INTO NEGATIVE PERCEPTIONS ABOUT THE ACCESSIBILITY INTO DOWNTOWN.
AND WE HAVE TO BE VERY THOUGHTFUL ABOUT HOW THESE AD HOC APPROACHES, UH, IMPACT THE ABILITY OF PEOPLE TO ACCESS PLACE.
AND I THINK THAT'S ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL IN WHAT WE DO.
SO, LIKE I SAID TO YOU LAST TIME, AND LIKE I SAID IN MY EMAIL TO MANY OF YOU A FEW WEEKS AGO, UM, WE STAND BY AS A PARTNER AND AS A VOLUNTEER, UH,
[01:55:01]
TO WANT TO ASSIST THE CITY IN DEVELOPING A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH.AND ONE WHICH REALLY PUTS THE ACCESS INTO DOWNTOWN BY ALL HOUSTONIANS REALLY AS OUR KEY GOAL AND THINKING ABOUT PARKING AS AN AVENUE TOWARDS THAT.
SO THINK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND, AND, AND COUNCIL MEMBER.
THANK YOU FOR YIELDING YOUR TIME, SIR.
UH, STAFF FROM, UH, VICE CHAIR EVAN SHABAZZ'S OFFICE.
UH, COULD, UH, MARIA, COULD YOU FIRST THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION? UM, THERE ARE MANY AREAS IN THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION THAT ARE AFFECTED BY PARKING, ESPECIALLY ALL ALONG SOME OF THE PLACES WE'VE WORKED ON ALAMEDA EMANCIPATION AND OTHER STREETS LIKE THAT.
MY QUESTION IS THIS, HAVE THE, HAS THE CITY GIVEN CONSIDERATION TO INVESTING IN MULTI-STORY PARKING COMPLEXES? THERE'S LAND AVAILABLE.
UM, THERE ARE, UH, QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES IN OUR DISTRICT THAT, UH, HEAVY PARKING, UH, IT'S A PROBLEM FOR OUR RESIDENTS.
CAN THE CITY OR HAVE YOU CONSIDERED INVESTING IN MULTI-STORY PARKING? SO, TRADITIONALLY THE CITY HAS, UH, OPTED FOR PRIVATE SECTOR TO TAKE CARE OF OFF STREET PARKING, UH, RESPONSIBILITIES LIKE WE HAVE VERY, I HAVE, UH, WE HAVE ABOUT 19 SURFACE LOTS THAT WE MANAGE, UH, BUT WE HAVE NOT LOOKED INTO BUILDING GARAGES SPECIFICALLY THAT HAS BEEN LEFT TO THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ'S OFFICE.
THANK YOU, MARIO, FOR THE PRESENTATION, UM, EXTENDING THE PARKING METER TIME.
IT'S, IT'S CLEAR WHERE THE, THE REMEDY IS COMING FROM, BUT SOME LESS OBVIOUS, UM, WAYS THAT ARE BENEFICIAL IS, OR CAN YOU SPEAK TO FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE, OR HAVE YOU GUYS CONDUCTED ANY ANALYSIS ON HOW TURNING OVER PARKING SPOTS CAN BE BENEFICIAL, UH, TO BUSINESS MM-HMM
AND ALSO TO INCREASING THAT REVENUE? I DUNNO IF YOU GUYS HAVE CONDUCTED
I THINK IT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
AND, YOU KNOW, STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT 30% OF CONGESTION THAT YOU'LL FIND IN A DOWNTOWN'S JUST FOLKS CIRCLING LOOKING FOR PARKING.
AND THAT'S BECAUSE WHEN THEY COME INTO DOWNTOWN, LET'S SAY YOU'RE COMING FOR DINNER ON A THURSDAY NIGHT AND IT'S EIGHT O'CLOCK AND YOU'VE COME DOWNTOWN AND YOU'RE LOOKING AND YOU'RE JUST DRIVING AROUND, CIRCLING, CIRCLING.
'CAUSE THE STREETS ARE BUMPER TO BUMPER WITH CARS.
SO WHAT HAPPENS IS, THOSE EMPLOYEES WHO WE REALLY SHOULD HAVE PARKING OFF STREET, THAT'S WHERE YOU WANT LONG-TERM PARKS WILL GET THERE BEFORE THEY GET THERE AT FIVE, SIX O'CLOCK, READY TO WORK, THEY TAKE ALL THE FREE ON-STREET PARKING.
SO THEN WHEN PATRONS COME, THEY HAVE TO PARK AT AN OFF STREET GARAGE BECAUSE THE OFF STREET GARAGES AT THAT POINT KNOW THAT THE STREETS ARE FULL AND THEY DON'T HAVE TO COMPETE WITH THAT ANYMORE.
SO THEY'LL CHARGE 20, $25 AND THEN YOU'LL GO PARK IN A GARAGE WHILE THE ON STREET IS TAKEN UP FOR MAYBE EIGHT HOUR SHIFT, NINE HOURS.
BUT SO THAT'S YOUR FIRST PERCEPTION, RIGHT? YOU COME DOWNTOWN AND YOU SEE STREETS ARE FULL OF CARS AND YOU'RE THINK, YOU'RE THINKING THE CITY JUST DOESN'T HAVE ENOUGH PARKING, THERE IS NOT ENOUGH PARKING.
WE NEED TO BUILD MORE GARAGES.
WELL, IN DOWNTOWN YOU'VE GOT 60,000 OFF STREET PARKING SPACES AND ABOUT 3000 ON STREETE PA SPACES.
THERE IS DEFINITELY ENOUGH PARKING IN DOWNTOWN.
BUT WHEN THE CURB SPACE IS FREE, WHICH IS YOUR MOST CONVENIENT, IT'S THE ONE THAT'S RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE RESTAURANT YOU WANT TO GO TO.
AND YOU SEE THAT IT'S BUMPER TO BUMPER, YOU THINK THERE'S NO PARKING.
SO IF YOU MANAGE THAT, LIKE YOU MANAGE INVENTORY, IT'S SIM YOU KNOW, IT'S SIMPLE ECONOMICS, YOU KNOW, SUPPLY DEMAND.
WHEN DEMAND IS HIGH, YOU HAVE TO PUT A PRICE ON IT, YOU HAVE TO MANAGE IT.
IF DEMAND IS LOW, LEAVE IT FREE.
IF NO ONE'S PARKING THERE, IF YOU CHARGE TO PARK THERE, THERE'S STILL GONNA BE NO ONE PARKING THERE.
BUT IF IT'S IN HIGH DEMAND, YOU PUT A PRICE ON IT AND PEOPLE COME, THEY STAY FOR THE THREE, FOUR HOURS AND THEN THEY LEAVE, AND THEN SOMEONE ELSE CAN COME AND TAKE THAT PARKING SPACE.
SO WHEN THEY COME DOWNTOWN, THAT PERCEPTION OF THERE'S NOT ENOUGH PARKING HERE IS KIND OF WASHED AWAY A LITTLE BIT.
SO YEAH, DEFINITELY, UM, YOU KNOW, CHARGING AT THE CURB DOES INCREASE TURNOVER, DOES IMPROVE AVAILABILITY.
YOU CAN REDUCE OR MITIGATE THAT 30% OF VEHICLES DRIVING AROUND.
SO THAT'S CONGESTION AND AIR QUALITY THAT YOU'RE IMPROVING.
SO THERE IS, THERE ARE QUITE A FEW BENEFITS, BUT YOU KNOW, IT NEEDS TO BE DONE THOUGHTFULLY.
SEEING THAT THERE ARE NO MORE COUNCIL MEMBERS OR STAFF IN THE QUEUE, WE'LL MOVE TO OUR PUBLIC SPEAKERS LIST.
UH, PLEASE CALL THE FIRST SPEAKER, DOUG SMITH.
[02:00:01]
TOWN RESTAURANT GROUP.UM, THAT'S BACKSTREET CAFE, HUGO'S CAR, COLE SOCHI, AND HERBE.
UH, I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT SOCHI.
WE HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, PARKING METERS.
SOCHI IS IN THE, UM, MARRIOTT MARQUEE NEXT TO THE CONVENTION CENTER ON DISCOVERY GREEN PARK.
UM, OUR EMPLOYEES DO PARK IN THE, UM, PARKING, METERED PARKING, UM, AND THAT'S THE LEAST EXPENSIVE PARKING AS SHE WAS SAYING.
UM, BUT IF YOU PARK IN A GARAGE, IT'S 20, $30.
SO, UM, IT, IT'S AN ISSUE EVEN TODAY, IT'S VERY HARD TO HIRE PEOPLE TO WORK DOWNTOWN BECAUSE OF PARKING.
AND I WOULD SAY THAT DOWNTOWN, THE BIGGEST ISSUE THAT RESTAURANTS HAVE IS PARKING.
UH, IT'S PROBABLY THE BIGGEST ISSUE ANYBODY HAS DOWN THERE.
UH, VERY DIFFICULT BECAUSE, BECAUSE MOST OF IT IS PRIVATELY OWNED.
WE BUY 50 SPACES FOR OUR CUSTOMERS FOR VALET PARKING, AND IT'S PROHIBITIVELY EXPENSIVE.
UH, IF THAT PARKING THEN IS CHARGED FOR, UH, IN THE EVENINGS, IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S SOMETHING BIG THAT WE WOULD NEED TO DEAL WITH.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WE'RE OPPOSING THIS, UH, AS IT STANDS, UM, RESTAURANTS, UH, PAY HUGE TAXES AND FEES AND EMPLOY MANY PEOPLE, AS YOU KNOW.
UH, AND IF THEY FAIL, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S PROBABLY MORE MONEY TO BE LOST IN THAT THAN GAINED IN ADDING THE, UH, PAID PARKING IN THE EVENINGS.
UM, BUT PROBABLY EVEN BIGGER THAN ALL THESE THINGS.
THERE'S A BIG PICTURE TO THIS, AND CERTAINLY WE SAW IT DURING THE PANDEMIC WHERE DOWNTOWN JUST EMPTIED OUT AND THERE WAS NOBODY IN THE BUSINESSES.
THERE WAS NOBODY IN THE APARTMENTS, THERE WAS NO RETAIL.
AND IT TOOK A VERY LONG TIME FOR ALL THAT TO COME BACK.
AND WE'RE STILL FEELING THE EFFECTS OF THAT.
LUNCHES ARE OFF, HAPPY HOURS ARE OFF BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE WORKING FROM HOME.
AND TO, I THINK WE DON'T WANT TO DO ANY HARM.
I I JUST WANTED TO COME AND SAY, YOU KNOW, LET'S THINK ABOUT THIS BECAUSE OUR FIRST JOB HERE IS TO DO NO HARM.
UM, YOU KNOW, I WOULD JUST LOVE TO SEE, UH, US A CLEAR PATH FOR A THRIVING DOWNTOWN.
UH, THERE'S ONE COUNCIL MEMBER IN THE QUEUE.
OH, SORRY, TRACY, THANK YOU FOR COMING.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY APPRECIATE YOU, YOU EXPRESSING AND REPRESENTING THE VIEWS OF THE FOLKS WHO, WHO WORK IN YOUR RESTAURANTS.
UM, I KNOW THAT REPRESENTS A LOT OF PEOPLE AND I KNOW THAT A MEASURE LIKE THIS WITH PARKING METERS, UM, MIGHT HAVE ITS BENEFITS, BUT IT ALSO HAS EFFECTS ON, ON BUSINESS AND RESULTS AND THEM, THEM TAKING HOME LESS PAY AND, AND PROBABLY BEYOND THAT, UH, RAISING COSTS FOR THEIR EMPLOYERS, WHICH YOU REPRESENT IN THE RESTAURANT.
SO THANK YOU FOR, UH, SHARING YOUR VIEWS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR NUANCED WORK ON BEHALF OF THE CITIZENS AND CITY OF HOUSTON.
I LEAD PERFORMING ARTS HOUSTON.
WE ARE A RESIDENT ORGANIZATION SINCE 1966 OF HALL.
I AM HERE REPRESENTING MY ORGANIZATION AND MY COLLEAGUES OF THE SEVEN OTHER NON-PROFIT CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS THAT RESIDE IN THE THEATER DISTRICT.
JOHN MANGA OF THE HOUSTON SYMPHONY HAS ALSO HAS ALREADY SPOKEN TO YOU ALL ABOUT THIS MATTER.
ALL EIGHT THEATER DISTRICT ORGANIZATIONS ARE DEEPLY INVESTED IN THE CULTURAL LANDSCAPE OF OUR CITY AND WORK EACH AND EVERY DAY TO ATTRACT RESIDENTS, VISITORS, AND EMPLOYEES DOWNTOWN TO PARTICIPATE IN A WIDE VARIETY OF HIGH QUALITY ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT EVENTS.
FOR DECADES, THE CITY HAS WORKED TO MAKE DOWNTOWN A DESTINATION.
AFTER HOURS EXTENDING PARKING METER, UM, HOURS THREATENS THAT PROGRESS, PARTICULARLY AFTER COVID.
UH, THE THEATER DISTRICT IS WORKING TOGETHER TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE
[02:05:01]
COMING DOWNTOWN TO COME TO THEATERS, BARS, RESTAURANTS, PARKS.MORE PEOPLE MEANS MORE OVERALL ECONOMIC ACTIVITY FOR THE MANY BUSINESSES THROUGHOUT.
MOST OF THE PUBLIC EVENTS IN THE THEATER DISTRICT HAPPEN AFTER 6:00 PM STREET PARKING COMPLIMENTS THE MANY PARKING AND TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS, WHICH INCLUDE MULT, UM, LIMITED METRO SERVICE AND BUSING, RIDE SHARE, UM, MULTIPLE GARAGES AND VALET PARKING, FREE STREET PARKING AFTER 6:00 PM HAS LONG BEEN THE MOST ACCESSIBLE OPTION FOR PARKING DOWNTOWN.
WE ARE QUITE CONCERNED THAT EXTENDING THE PAID METER HOURS, EXCUSE ME, WILL NEGATIVELY IMPACT MANY AUDIENCE MEMBERS AND STAFF THAT RELY ON THIS OPTION.
UM, INDIVIDUALS THAT WE WORK HARD TO WELCOME INTO THESE SPACES.
THE THEATER DISTRICT COMES TO LIFE AT NIGHT THROUGH HOURLY, PART-TIME CONTRACT AND UNIONIZED STAFF AND EMPLOYEES, ARTISTS, USHERS, STAGE CREW, FOOD SERVICE, HOUSEKEEPING, EMTS, BOX OFFICE SECURITY, ALL OF THESE PEOPLE FACTOR PARKING AND TRANSPORTATION INTO THE POSITIONS WE ARE ABLE TO OFFER AND THAT WORKERS ARE ABLE TO ACCEPT.
WE BELIEVE THAT MAINTAINING ACCESSIBLE PARKING WILL NOT ONLY FACILITATE THE CONTINUED GROWTH OF THE CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS, BUT ALSO ENSURE THAT HOUSTON REMAINS A WELCOMING DESTINATION FOR ARTS ENTHUSIASTS AND ARTS WORKERS FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE.
ADDITIONALLY, PART OF THE CULTURAL LANDSCAPE, UH, IN HOUSTON IS H-S-P-V-A, ONE OF THE BEST PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOLS IN THE COUNTRY FOR PERFORMING AND VISUAL ARTS.
AND IT TOO IS LOCATED DOWNTOWN AFTER SCHOOL PRACTICE WITH REHEARSALS, EVENTS AND PERFORMANCES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
PARENTS, FAMILY AND FRIENDS RELY ON STREET PARKING AROUND H-S-P-V-A IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE IN THEIR STUDENTS' WORK AND DEVELOPMENT.
WE ALL STRIVE TO BREAK DOWN ANY AND ALL BARRIERS, PERCEIVED OR REAL TO PARTICIPATING IN LEARNING IN AND APPRECIATING THE ARTS.
ACCESSIBILITY IS CRUCIAL AND REMOVING REMOVAL OF ACCESSIBILITY BUILDS MORE BARRIERS.
SO WE URGE COUNCIL TO CONSIDER THE NEGATIVE IMPLICATIONS OF EXTENDING PARKING METERS AND, UM, CONSIDER CREATING ALTERNATIVE OR ALTERNATIVE PARKING PROGRAMS BEFORE A VOTE TO EXTEND METERS HAPPENS.
I WAS GOING TO SAY GOOD MORNING EARLIER, BUT, UH, I'LL SAY GOOD AFTERNOON AS MY METER'S ABOUT TO EXPIRE.
AT ANY RATE, MY NAME'S ALLIE JARRETT.
THANK YOU MADAM CHAIRMAN FOR HAVING, LETTING US COME AND SPEAK ABOUT THIS TOPIC.
UM, I'M CHAIRMAN OF THE GREATER, UH, HOUSTON TEXAS RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS COMMITTEE.
AND I'M, I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF THAT GROUP.
I'M ALSO A FORMER OPERATOR IN A DOWNTOWN LOCATION AND HAVE A, AND HAVE A RESTAURANT, UH, CURRENTLY, UM, AND COUNCIL MEMBER PECK'S DISTRICT.
UM, JUST IMAGINE THIS, IF YOU WILL, JUST A MINUTE THAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON DIDN'T GET THAT EXTRA $2 FOR THAT METER THAT NIGHT.
WHAT THEY GOT INSTEAD WAS A PERSON WHO SUPPORTS LOCAL BUSINESSES AND THAT THEY DIDN'T RUSH OUT BECAUSE THE METER WAS ABOUT TO EXPIRE.
THEY SPENT ADDITIONAL MONEY ON BEVERAGES AND BITES WITH THEIR FRIENDS, WHICH BRINGS IN ADDITIONAL REVENUE FOR THE LOCAL BUSINESS THAT IN TURN PAYS STATE AND LOCAL TAXES, CITY TAXES, THE HEFTY CITY, UH, PERMITS THAT, THAT WE ALL HAVE TO PAY TO OPERATE.
TRIPLE NET FEES ON TAXES FOR, FOR PROPERTY TAXES OR PROPERTY TAXES, IF YOU HAPPEN TO OWN IT.
AND ALL THE EMPLOYEES THAT WORK FOR YOU, UM, THEY HAVE TO HAVE A PLACE TO PARK AS WELL.
AND THEY CONTRIBUTE TO THE LOCAL ECONOMY.
THEY MIGHT WANNA STAY EXTRA DOWNTOWN AND BE WITH THEIR FRIENDS AFTER WORK EXTRA TIME ON PARKING METERS.
IT DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE, $2 NOW OR YEARS OF LOCAL PATRONAGE BECAUSE NEXT TIME A GUEST WILL CHOOSE TO STAY IN THE SUBURBS WITHOUT COMING TO TOWN TO PARK.
WELL, I REALIZE THIS GIANT, UH, ISSUE THAT THE THE CITY HAS AS FAR AS THE BUDGET GOES IS A PROBLEM.
AND WE ASK THAT YOU LOOK JUST FOR OTHER WAYS THAT WE CAN FUND THIS.
ADDING EXTRA HOURS ON THE PARKING METERS JUST TELLS THE WRONG STORY.
I MEAN, IT TELLS US THE, TELLS OUR GUESTS AND CITY GOERS THAT, UH, THEY DON'T CARE AS MUCH ABOUT THE SHOPPING EXPERIENCE, THE DINING EXPERIENCE, UM, AS WE JUST CONTINUE TO GET DOLLAR TO DEATH, IT DOES SEND A MESSAGE LOUD AND CLEAR THAT YOU'RE WELCOME ONLY IF YOU PAY AND YOU'RE JUST WELCOME FOR A LITTLE WHILE.
SO I DO SAY ON BEHALF OF THE GREATER HOUSTON TEXAS RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION, OUR GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS COMMITTEE, THAT UH, YEAH, YOU DO COME TO US AND YOU INVOLVE US IN YOUR CONVERSATIONS AS YOU BRING DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE THIS TO COMMITTEE AND, AND HOPEFULLY THAT, THAT PEOPLE WILL STAY
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AND YOU'LL HAVE A QUORUM IN THE FUTURE.UM, 'CAUSE I KNOW YOU ALL ARE GIVING YOUR TIME AND ENERGY AND WE CERTAINLY APPRECIATE THAT.
AND, UH, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE.
CHRISTINA GARLIA, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR THE GREATER HOUSTON CHAPTER OF THE TEXAS RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION, UM, THE 5,500 HOUSTON AREA RESTAURANTS, AND, UH, ALL OF THEIR TENS OF THOUSANDS OF EMPLOYEES ARE WHO I'M SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF TODAY.
I AM ALSO MEMBER OF THE BOARD FOR THE HOUSTON HOSPITALITY ALLIANCE AND THE HOTEL AND LODGING ASSOCIATION OF GREATER HOUSTON.
G-H-T-R-A SUPPORTS THE SPIRIT OF COLLABORATION AND TRANSPARENCY WITH WHICH THIS COMMITTEE WAS ESTABLISHED AND IS AND HOPEFULLY CONTINUES MEETING WITH.
IN ADDITION TO ESTABLISHING AND ABIDING BY THE RULES OF GOVERNING THE PROCEDURES OF THIS COMMITTEE, TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION THE PERSPECTIVE OF INDUSTRIES AND INDIVIDUALS AS PARAMOUNT FOR APPLYING THE INTENT OF PROP A REGARDING PARKING METERS.
AS THE PROPOSAL CURRENTLY STANDS, G-H-T-R-A CANNOT SUPPORT IT.
HOWEVER, WE ARE COMMITTED TO CONTINUE WORKING WITH CITY LEADERS TO REVISE AND EVALUATE THIS PROPOSAL AND MINIMIZE DISRUPTIONS TO THE HOUSTON RESTAURANT COMMUNITY.
ANYTIME A PROPOSAL MAKES IT MORE DIFFICULT OR COSTLY FOR EMPLOYEES AND GUESTS TO VISIT LOCAL RESTAURANTS, IT RAISES A CONCERN THAT WE NEED TO CONSIDER VERY CAREFULLY.
SO I ASK THIS BODY FOR A COMMITMENT TO SEEK THE INPUT OF LOCAL BUSINESSES AND INDUSTRY REPRESENTATIVES TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT OF SUCH MEASURES REGARDING THE STAFF PROPOSAL COMMENTS TODAY, WE WOULD BE GLAD TO EVALUATE A PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP TO PROVIDE PARKING SUPPORT FOR EMPLOYEES OF LOCAL BUSINESSES.
BARRING THAT THE COSTS ARE PASSED ON TO THE LOCAL BUSINESS OWNERS, THESE COSTS SHOULD BE ABSORBED BY THE CITY.
AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND FOR HEARING OUR THOUGHTS TODAY.
AND THAT CONCLUDES OUR SPEAKERS LIST.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE IN THE AUDIENCE WHO WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT ABOUT THE PARKING METERS? OKAY, HEARING NONE.
WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE LAST ITEM OF THE AGENDA, WHICH IS THE ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 45, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT PROGRAM.
AND WE WILL HAVE A, UM, A PRESENTATION FROM PUBLIC WORKS.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MADAM CHAIR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I'M AN ASSISTANT DIRECTOR WITH HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS.
UH, I'M LEADING A GROUP CALLED A MULTIMODAL SETTING AND DESIGN.
UH, WITH ME TODAY IS MY, ONE OF MY MANAGING ENGINEERS, ELANY PAPA.
SO WE ARE HERE TO PRESENT YOU OUR SUMMARY OF, UH, THE, UH, SUMMARY OF THE EVALUATION THAT, UH, WE CONDUCTED ON THE POTENTIAL CHANGES ON THE PROPOSED OR CHANGES.
UH, JUST A REMINDER OF OUR PURPOSE AND FIVE TO THRIVE VALUES.
UM, OUR MISSION IS TO CREATE A STRONG FOUNDATION OF HOUSTON TO THRIVE.
AND, UM, IT'S, UH, REVISION TO THE ORNA IS CERTAINLY, UH, ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT WAYS TO, UH, IMPROVE THE FOUNDATION FOR ALL HOUSTONIANS.
SO, UH, WE HAVE THE PROCESS SYSTEM BROKEN DOWN TO TWO SECTION.
WE GIVE YOU A QUICK OVERVIEW OF THE ASSISTANT PROGRAM AND THEN ELAINE GONNA TAKE OVER AND TALK ABOUT THE CHANGES AND THE POTENTIAL IMPACTS THAT, UH, WE, WE, UH, WE SAW, UH, FORESEE.
SO THE, UH, THE CURRENT NEIGHBORHOOD TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT PROGRAM, UH, SHORT NTMP PROGRAM, IT HAS TWO TRACKS IN THERE.
UH, THE SPEED CONTROL, UH, PROGRAM AND THE VOLUME CONTROL PROGRAM.
AND THE PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAM IS TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR, UH, HOUSTONIANS BY ALLOWING INSTALLATION OF TRAFFIC COMMON DEVICES.
UH, THE SPEED CONTROL PROGRAM DEALS SPECIFICALLY WITH SPEED CUSHIONS AND THE VOLUME CONTROL DEALS WITH ALL THE OTHER TRAFFIC COMMON DEVICES, INCLUDING THE SPEED CUSHIONS.
UM, SO THE, UH, THE PROGRAM IS, UH, GOVERNED BY THE CITY OWNER, CHAPTER 45, ARTICLE, UH, 15.
UH, IT HAS GONE THROUGH, UH, MANY ITERATIONS IN THE STUDY IN 1993 AND IN 2010 IT, UH, IT MAKE IT TO THE ORDINANCE BECAUSE OF THE STATE LEGISLATURE.
UH, SO THIS IS THE, UM, UM, THE, UH, UH, THE, A COPY OF THE LE LEGISLATURE THAT'S REQUIRED THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO COME UP WITH A PROGRAM.
AND THAT'S WHY WE ESTABLISHED A PROGRAM IN THE CITY OWNER IN 2010.
AND, UH, TWO SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS IS, UH, REQUIRE US TO, UH, DO A PUBLIC NOTICE FOR ALL RESIDENTS WITHIN HALF A MILE WHERE A TRAFFIC COMING DIVIDE IS PROPOSED AND ALSO REQUIRES
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A PUBLIC HEARING IF A, A ROAD IS, UH, PROPOSED TO BE CLOSED.THE NEXT SLIDE? UH, SO THE PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW IS THE, UH, UH, CONSTITUENT DRIVEN PROCESS.
THE APPLICATION NEED TO BE SUBMITTED BY A RESIDENT OR A GROUP OF PRESIDENT OR NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZATIONS.
UH, AND IT'S REQUIRE SOME SORT OF PETITION OR LETTER OF SUPPORT, UH, FROM CIVIC CLUBS.
SO HOA, UH, AND UM, THE PROGRAM SPECIFICALLY REQUIRE US TO DEFINE A NEIGHBORHOOD AREA AND MAINLY IT'S FOR MA MAJOR, TURTLE FAIR, MAJOR THOROUGHFARE, UM, AND FOR SOME STUDY AREA, UH, BECAUSE THE DEFINITION RIGHT NOW, THE, THE NEIGHBORHOOD AREA CAN BE QUITE BIG.
IT CAN BE ONE SQUARE MILE, SO IT IS QUITE LARGE AND IT CAN, UH, HAVE SOME NEGATIVE IMPACTS AS FAR, UM, THE, THE COST TO IMPLEMENT THESE TRAFFIC COMMON DEVICES.
UH, UH, LET'S GO, GO AHEAD AND GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO THERE'S SOME PROS AND CONS WITH THE PROGRAMS. AND I MENTIONED EARLIER THE HALF A MILE NOTIFICATION.
SO THAT'S REQUIRES EVERY TIME WE NEED TO UH, UH, IMPLEMENT 'EM, WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH A PLANNING PHASE TO GET, SEND OUT A PUBLIC NOTICE OR HOLD A PUBLIC MEETING TO RESIDENT WITHIN HALF A MILE.
AND THAT CAN GO BEYOND THE, THE STUDY AREA.
AND A LOT OF TIME IT CAN CREATE CONFUSIONS BECAUSE SOME, SOME RESIDENT, UH, RECEIVED A NOTICE NOT SEEING TRAFFIC COMMON DEVICES, UH, ON THE STREET OR WITHIN THE AREA.
UM, AND UM, THEY CONFUSED WHY THEY GET THE NOTICE.
BUT THEN IT CAN ALSO LEAD TO, TO ADDITIONAL AWARENESS THAT THEY NOW THEY KNOW ABOUT THE PROGRAM, THEY CAN SUBMIT A SEPARATE APPLICATION FOR THAN STREET OR THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD.
UH, THE TIMELINE FOR THE TWO PROGRAM, THE SPEED CONTROL PROGRAM IS FAIRLY QUICK.
IT MEANS THEY WITH SPEED CUSHION DOES NOT REQUIRE THE DATA, ANY DATA COLLECTION.
MAINLY IT'S JUST A PUBLIC INPUT.
AND OUR PROFESSIONAL JUDGMENT, UH, IT CAN TAKE PROBABLY ABOUT SIX MONTHS TO GET, UH, THE PLANNING PHASE APPROVED AND MOVE INTO UH, CONSTRUCTION.
THE VOLUME CONTROL PROGRAM, UH, DOES REQUIRE LOT OF DATA.
WE HAVE TO DO, UH, FREE PUBLIC MEETINGS, WE HAVE TO CONDUCT A BEFORE AND AFTER TRAFFIC STUDY.
WE HAVE TO DO A TRIAL OF THE ATOPIC COMMON DEVICES, UH, IN PLACE AND SEE HOW THEY WORK.
UM, AND THE HOME PROGRAM PROBABLY TAKEN ONE AND A HALF TO TWO YEARS TO COMPLETE.
ALRIGHT, NOW, SO THE, UH, QUICK OVERVIEW OF THE PROGRAM.
I'LL TELL YOU ABOUT, ELAINE TALKED ABOUT THE PROPOSED CHANGES WE WALKED YOU THROUGH ON THE, UM, THE, THE, UH, THE LANGUAGE IN THE ORDINANCES WHERE THE CHANGES ARE.
I'M GONNA STAND AS WELL, IT'LL BE EASIER TO PRESENT.
UM, SO THE PROPOSED CHANGES, CAN WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE? SO, SO HERE'S A HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
UM, ONE ITEM IS A CREATION OF WHAT'S CALLED A PRIORITY AREA IN THE APPLICATION PROCESS.
THAT WOULD BE, UH, AN AREA TO FOCUS ON.
OFTEN WE GET APPLICATIONS WHERE A RESIDENT, ACTUALLY YEAH, I'M TALL.
WE HAVE SPEAKERS AT DIFFERENT HEIGHTS.
UM, SO THE CREATION OF PRIORITY AREA.
SO OFTEN WE GET APPLICATIONS AND RESIDENTS ARE REALLY FOCUSED ON THEIR STREET OR A FEW STREETS AROUND WHERE THEY, WHERE THEY LIVE.
AND SO, UM, AND THEN WE ASK THEM TO KIND OF DO A BROADER AREA BASED ON THE ORDINANCE AS IT STANDS TODAY.
SO THE CREATION OF PRIORITY AREA ALLOWS US TO FOCUS ON THAT AREA IF THEY WOULD LIKE US TO AND MAKE NOTE OF THAT AND RECORD OF THAT.
AND THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE SUPPLIED TO COUNCIL MEMBERS AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PROJECT AREA.
IF THIS ORDINANCE MOVES FORWARD, THE PROPOSED CHANGES ALSO FORMALIZES THE ABILITY TO PHASE IMPLEMENTATION BASED ON THE FUNDING AVAILABILITY.
OFTEN WE UNDERSTAND THERE'S LIMITED FUNDS TO FUND THESE PROJECTS AND AS KING SAID, WE CAN HAVE LARGE PROJECT AREAS, THE COST CAN BECOME VERY HIGH AND BECOME COST PROHIBITIVE.
SO THERE'S NO ABLE, NO ABILITY TO MAKE ANY IMPROVEMENT IN THE COMMUNITY 'CAUSE WE'RE LOOKING AT SUCH A LARGE AREA.
SO THIS WOULD ALLOW US TO PHASE IMPLEMENTATION OVER A FEW YEARS OR A FEW PHASES.
UM, BASED ON KIND OF THE NEEDS, IT ALLOWS FOR MODIFICATIONS AND PARTIAL APPROVAL OF CONCEPT PLANS.
SO WE CAN LOOK AT A CONCEPT PLAN AND SAY, OKAY, HERE'S WHAT WE WANNA DO, BUT WE'RE ONLY GONNA APPROVE THIS SIDE RIGHT NOW AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK TO THIS SIDE.
SO IT GIVES FLEXIBILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION BASED ON, AGAIN, THAT FUNDING AVAILABILITY COMPONENT AND ALLOWS FOR CHANGES TO THE NEIGHBOR BASE, UH, AREA BOUNDARIES.
SO IT ALLOWS US TO KIND OF BE FLEXIBLE WITH WHAT WE CONSIDER TO BE THE ACTUAL PROJECT AREA AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
OKAY, SO WE'RE ABOUT TO GO THROUGH ALL THE ORDINANCE LANGUAGE.
SO IT'S GONNA BE A LOT OF TEXT ON SLIDES.
RED TEXT IS REMOVE, YELLOW TEXT IS ADD.
UM, AND THEN, UM, DANIELLE PLEASE JUMP IN BECAUSE A LOT OF THIS WAS LEGAL.
UM, I WANNA NOTE WHEN WE DID THIS, AND PLEASE DON'T LEMME SPEAK FOR YOU, BUT, UM, THERE WAS AN OPTION TO OPPORTUNITY TO ALSO JUST CLEAN UP SOME LANGUAGE SO WE DON'T WANNA MISS THAT OPPORTUNITY.
SO SOME THINGS ARE JUST CHANGED FOR CLARITY'S SAKE OR TO BETTER REFLECT WHAT WE'RE ALREADY DOING TODAY.
UM, THE WAY THE ORDINANCE IS SET UP IS
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THE FIRST PART WHICH WE'LL GO THROUGH IS APPLIES TO BOTH VOLUME CONTROL AND SPEED CONTROL.THEN WE'LL GET INTO THE SPECIFICS OF VOLUME CONTROL AND THE SPECIFICS OF SPEED CONTROL.
SO JUST TO GIVE US AN OUTLINE OF WHERE WE'RE GOING NEXT SLIDE.
SO THE FIRST SECTION IS DEFINITIONS,
SO WHAT YOU'LL SEE IS THERE'S A NEW DEFINITION FOR THIS PRIORITY AREA.
IT'S THE YELLOW HIGHLIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU.
THE THREAD THAT'S BEING REMOVED IS ACTUALLY JUST GETTING MOVED TO A LATER SECTION.
UM, I THINK THIS WAS AGAIN WAS FOR CLARITY AND FOR BETTER KIND OF PUTTING IT IN THE RIGHT SPOT IN THE ORDINANCE BASED ON DANIELLE AND TEAM'S.
WE ALSO SORT OF JUST IN THE PROJECT DEFINITION NOTED AS CAN BE AMENDED TO REALLY GET INTO THAT FACT THAT WE'RE ABLE TO CHANGE MODIFY AND MODIFY AND PHASE.
UM, AND THEN ALSO THE SPEED CONTROL IS JUST SPEED CUSHIONS.
THAT'S THE ONLY TOOL IN THE TOOLBOX FOR THAT PROGRAM.
SO AGAIN, SPECIFYING THAT HERE IN THE LANGUAGE AS WELL.
SO THIS SECTION GETS INTO THE PURPOSE.
SO KIND OF LIKE WHAT ARE OUR STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES, UM, THAT WE GET TO DO WITH THIS PROGRAM.
AND SO THIS LANGUAGE, FORMALIZES HOUSTON PUBLIC WORK'S ABILITY TO CREATE STANDARDS, UM, AND PROCEDURES TIED TO THIS ORDINANCE.
IT HAS TO BE IN COMPLIANCE, BUT IT ALLOWS US TO KIND OF SAY, HERE'S HOW WE VIEW THESE RULES AND HERE'S HOW WE'RE GONNA APPLY THEM FOR ALL OF US TO BE ON THE SAME PAGE.
RESIDENTS, US, YOU GUYS, EVERYBODY.
UM, AND SO THIS JUST SORT OF FORMALIZES OUR ABILITY TO DO THAT AND GIVES US THAT FLEXIBILITY TO CREATE THOSE, UH, STANDARDS.
UM, WE DON'T ASK ANYONE, UH, WE'LL SEE.
YEAH, COPIES TO BE PURCHASED, NO LONGER APPLICABLE, PUTTING IT ALL ONLINE.
SO THINGS LIKE THAT ARE KINDA THAT CLARITY PART OF THESE EDITS.
SO I'M GONNA PAUSE FOR A MINUTE ON LANGUAGE AND TALK ABOUT THE POSSIBLE IMPACTS OF PHASING IMPLEMENTATION.
SO IF WE LOOK AT FUNDING AS A CONSIDERATION AND IMPLEMENTATION, THIS WILL MEAN THAT WE WILL CREATE A PROCESS FOR HOW LONG A CONCEPT PLAN WILL BE ACTIVE.
UM, AND THEN WE, WE NEVER WANT TO MAKE A PROPOSAL ON SOMETHING AND POINT IT THREE YEARS LATER AND SOMETHING'S TOTALLY CHANGED.
THAT'S NOT, WE'RE NOT BE GOOD STEWARDS OF OUR CITY STREETS.
SO BEING VERY THOUGHTFUL ABOUT THE, LIKE, THE LENGTH OF TIME SOMETHING IS ACTIVE, UM, AND THEN CREATING STANDARDS ABOUT DO WE RE NOTIFY THE PUBLIC? HOW DO WE ENSURE WE'RE COMPLIANCE THAT STATE CODE KING ALLUDED TO EARLIER.
SO AGAIN, THOSE PROCEDURES, THOSE PROCESSES AND BEING VERY CLEAR ON EXPECTATION SETTING.
THIS IS ALSO VERY IMPORTANT WHEN DEALING WITH THE, THE PUBLIC RESIDENTS ALWAYS HAVE QUESTIONS.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE, THAT'S OUR JOB.
HOW DO WE ANSWER THEM? HOW DO WE SERVE THEM? AND SO WE WANNA BE VERY CLEAR, UM, SORRY WE, I HATE MICROPHONES.
WE WANNA ENSURE CLARITY AS MUCH AS WE CAN WITH THEM HAVING CONSISTENT MESSAGING ABOUT HOW THE PROCESS WORKS, WHY THE RULES, THE WAY THEY ARE, AND WHAT THEY CAN EXPECT IF THEIR IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS, THE CONCEPT PLAN WILL BE PHASED AND THAT THEY MAY NOT BE GETTING IT ON THEIR STREET FOR A FEW MORE YEARS.
WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? HOW DO WE SHARE THAT INFORMATION? UM, THERE'S A POSSIBILITY OF, AGAIN, MORE MAILERS, WHICH IS ADDITIONAL COST DUE TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE COMPLIANT WITH THE STATE CODE.
AND THEN THERE'S ALSO THE POTENTIAL FOR PROPOSED CUSHIONS NEVER BEING INSTALLED.
EVEN IF IT'S PHASED, IT BUDGETS CHANGE AND THERE'S ALWAYS A CHANCE THAT SOMETHING WILL NOT HAPPEN.
SO WE'VE PROMISED IT, IT'S BEEN APPROVED, IT CAN'T HAPPEN.
AND SO THAT HAS TO BE SOMETHING WE HAVE TO CONSIDER AS WELL.
UM, SO THAT RED TEXT A FEW SLIDES BEFORE IT GOT MOVED HERE.
UM, AND IT WAS EXPANDED AGAIN TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THAT WE CAN MODIFY BOUNDARIES FOR FUNDING, UM, AND OTHER CONSIDERATIONS.
SO AGAIN, PUTTING SOME FLEXIBILITY IN HERE IS WHAT THIS LANGUAGE DOES ON THIS, UH, ON THIS SECTION OF THE ORDINANCE LANGUAGE.
SO, UM, WE'RE GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT IMPACTS OF THIS SORT OF CHANGING OF THE BOUNDARIES.
'CAUSE THIS IS A QUESTION WE GOT FROM A LOT OF YOU ALL ABOUT WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE AS WE IMPLEMENT AND, UM, USE, YOU KNOW, IF WE WERE TO MOVE FORWARD THIS PROCESS, HOW ARE WE GONNA ACTUALLY DO IT? UM, CONCERNS ABOUT HAVING MODIFICATIONS BASED ON FUNDING ALLOCATION.
THERE'S CONCERNS OF PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT, UM, BASED ON STREETS THAT HAVE FUNDING.
THIS WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD HAPPEN BOTH IN PUBLICLY FUNDED AND PRIVATELY FUNDED PROJECTS.
SO BEING THOUGHTFUL ABOUT WE HAVE TO TREAT THEM THE SAME.
AND THIS PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT THAT WE WOULD BE HAVING AS A POTENTIAL OUTCOME OF MODIFYING THE BOUNDARIES.
ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS WE HAVE THE BOUNDARIES AS THEY ARE TODAY IS TO BE COMPREHENSIVE.
WE NEVER WANT A PROBLEM IN ONE NEIGHBORHOOD TO SHIFT TO ANOTHER NEIGHBORHOOD OR ANOTHER STREET.
AND SO BEING VERY THOUGHTFUL ABOUT, OKAY, WHAT ARE WE DOING HERE? DOES THAT HAVE LARGER IMPACTS? AND SO WE NEVER WANT TO CAUSE IMPACTS NEGATIVELY TO ANOTHER PART OF IT.
AND SO CHANGING THE BOUNDARY COULD HAVE AN IMPACTS WHERE WE'RE NEGATIVELY IMPACTING OTHER PARTS OF A COMMUNITY.
UM, ALSO THE EXISTING ORDINANCE LANGUAGE ALLOWS FOR BOUNDARIES THAT ARE CLEAR AND DEFENSIBLE.
THIS IS JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS, AGAIN, COMMUNICATING WITH THE PUBLIC, BEING CLEAR, SETTING EXPECTATIONS, HAVING THEM UNDERSTAND WHY THEY'RE RECEIVING A NOTICE FOR SOMETHING NOT HAPPENING IN THEIR COMMUNITY AND THE IMPACT THAT HAS ON THEM.
SO JUST AGAIN, THAT CLARITY COMPONENT AND IF WE'RE MODIFYING BOUNDARIES, WE LOSE A LITTLE BIT OF THAT.
AND THEN THERE'S ALSO POSSIBLE CONFLICT BETWEEN NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS OR CIVIC CLUBS OR IF YOU KNOW, CONTACTS AND NEIGHBORHOOD CHANGES FROM SINGLE FAMILY TO MULTIFAMILY, ET CETERA.
YOU CAN START CREATING CONFLICT, DIFFERENT NEEDS, DIFFERENT
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EXPECTATIONS, AND THAT ENDS UP, UM, MAKING THE PROCESS HARDER AND ENSURING WE'RE NOT ABLE TO ALWAYS SOLVE THE PROBLEM.SO THIS SECTION IS JUST ABOUT OUR REVIEW PROCESS THAT WE GO THROUGH WHEN APPLICATION COMES IN.
ALL THAT WE'VE ADDED HERE IS AGAIN, THAT PRIORITY AREA.
IT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT'S PART OF THE APPLICATION PROCESS.
AND THESE ARE THE OTHER ITEMS ALREADY.
THERE NO CHANGES EXCEPT FOR A NUMBER IN THE LIST.
THIS IS HOW THE DIRECTOR SHALL EVALUATE AND PRIORITIZE ALL REQUESTS.
I'VE LEFT ALL THE PREVIOUS LANGUAGE, BUT THE EDITS HAPPEN ACTUALLY ON THE NEXT SLIDE.
AGAIN, THIS IS ABOUT ADDING LANGUAGE, ABOUT USING FUNDING AVAILABILITY AS A FACTOR IN MAKING DECISIONS ON WHAT CAN MOVE FORWARD, WHAT GETS APPROVED, WHAT, WHAT GETS MODIFIED.
WE'VE ALSO NOTED, AS I ALLUDED TO BEFORE, WE HAVE TO TREAT PUBLIC AND PRIVATE THE SAME.
SO IF A UH, ENTITY COMES IN AND WANTS TO PRIVATELY FUND, THEY'LL HAVE THAT ABILITY TO TO MODIFY BASED ON THEIR FUNDING AVAILABILITY OF THE PROJECT.
UM, SO NOW WE'RE GETTING INTO THE SPECIFICS FOR THE VOLUME CONTROL PROGRAM.
THIS IS THE ONE KEN TALKED ABOUT THAT CAN BE MULTIPLE YEARS, UM, THROUGH PUBLIC, UH, PUBLIC MEETINGS.
WE CAN LOOK AT A LOT OF DIFFERENT OPTIONS IN THE, UH, VOLUME CONTROL PROGRAM.
SO AS WE CREATE CONCEPT PLANS, YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
THIS LANGUAGE THAT IS HERE IS ACTUALLY SOMETHING WE ALREADY DO, BUT IT ADDS CLARITY.
SO AS WE GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS, WE ACTUALLY WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH SOLID WASTE FIRE DEPARTMENT POLICE PLANNING.
AND SO SAY WE'RE GONNA MAKE A MODIFICATION, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THOSE ENTITIES ARE ON BOARD AND THEY CAN SAY NO.
UM, THERE COULD BE LOTS OF REASONS FOR SAYING NO.
SO THIS ALLOWS US, IF THEY SAY NO TO GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD, CREATE A NEW CONCEPT PLAN, AND NOT STOP THE PROCESS, BUT KEEP WORKING WITH RESIDENTS AND NOT MAKE THEM GO TO THE FRONT OF THE LINE AGAIN.
IT'S LIKE, HEY, THIS DIDN'T WORK, NO WORRIES.
WE'RE GONNA KEEP WORKING AT THIS.
SO THIS IS JUST FORMALIZING WHAT WE ALREADY DO AND NOT MAKING IT.
SO THEY HAVE TO RESTART THE PROCESS FROM THE POINT.
IT CAN BE FROM ANY POINT ALONG THE WAY.
WE SAY, HEY, WE'LL MODIFY, WE'LL KEEP MOVING FORWARD.
UM, IT ALSO NOTES THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD BE DENIED FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS.
AND SO IF YOU'RE DENIED BY BECAUSE OF FUNDING, THAT'S ACTUALLY NOT STOPPING THE PROJECT, IT'S PUTTING ON HOLD.
BUT IF YOU'RE DENIED FOR AGAIN, A REASON THAT WE CANNOT, YOU KNOW, ADDRESS FROM FIRE DEPARTMENT OR POLICE OR THINGS OF THAT SORT, THAT WOULD THEN ACTUALLY DENY THE PLAN AND IT CAN STOP THERE.
SO AGAIN, JUST FORMALIZING ALL THOSE PROCESSES WE CURRENTLY DO.
UM, JUST LANGUAGE ABOUT IN WHOLE OR PART APPROVING NEXT SLIDE.
AND THEN AGAIN, LANGUAGE ABOUT AVAILABILITY OF COUNCIL MEMBER SERVICE FUNDS.
SO ALL THOSE DIFFERENT PIECES, JUST PUTTING 'EM IN EVERY PIECE WERE APPLIES TO NEXT SLIDE.
AND THIS IS THE END OF THAT SECTION.
UM, SO, SO AGAIN, THIS IS THAT SORT OF HOARD OF PART ABOUT HOW UM, WE ALREADY DO A LOT OF THESE THINGS.
WE'RE FORMALIZING THIS, THIS IS FORMALIZING LANGUAGE ABOUT THE ONE HALF MILE THAT WE HAVE TO MAIL EVERYONE AND NOTIFY EVERYONE BASED OFF THE TEXAS STATE CODE.
UM, IT'S ABOUT HOW WE USE THOSE PUBLIC COMMENTS TO INFORM THE PLAN AND HOW WE CAN MODIFY THE PLAN BASED OFF THOSE COMMENTS.
UM, YEAH, AND THAT WE WILL HAVE EVERYTHING PUBLICLY AVAILABLE, EASY TO FIND.
WE WANT PRESIDENTS TO BE PART OF THIS PROCESS.
WHEN IT GOES ON FOR LONG, THEY FORGET.
SO HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING, WE'RE BEING GOOD STEWARDS OF THIS NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
AND THEN THIS GOES BACK DOWN TO CURRENTLY ONCE A UH, CONSTANT PLAN HAS BEEN APPROVED OR MOVES FORWARD FOR THREE YEARS, AN APPLICATION FOR THAT AREA CANNOT BE PROCESSED.
SO, UM, THIS WOULD ACTUALLY SAY THAT IF A PLAN WAS PUT ON HOLD OR ONLY PARTIALLY APPROVED BASED ON FUNDING, THAT THREE YEAR RULE WILL NOT APPLY.
SO IT DOES NOT PENALIZE SOMEBODY JUST BECAUSE FUNDING COULDN'T MOVE THE PROJECT FORWARD.
THAT'S WHAT THIS LANGUAGE HERE IS STATING.
SO NOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE SPEED CONTROL PROCESS.
UM, SPECIFICALLY THIS IS THE SPEED CUSHION ONLY PROGRAM.
SO WHAT THIS IS BASICALLY STATING IS THE DIRECTOR HAS A DISCRETION TO APPROVE CONCEPT PLANS IN PART BASED ON FUNDING AND A VARIETY OF FACTORS AS WE'VE DISCUSSED.
SO THIS IS ALL THE ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE TO ADDRESS THOSE COMPONENTS.
NEXT SLIDE AGAIN, COUNCIL MEMBER DISCRETIONARY FUNDS IS NOW A FACTOR IN DEVELOPING A CONCEPT PLAN.
AND THEN THAT THREE YEAR LANGUAGE, I STARTED IT BEFORE ON THE VOLUME CONTROL PROGRAM IS ADDED HERE AGAIN, SO THAT IF WE ARE NOT ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH A PLAN BECAUSE OF FUNDING, IT DOES NOT MEAN THAT NO APPLICATIONS CAN BE RECEIVED FROM THAT AREA.
AGAIN, THAT'S KIND OF STAYS OPEN TO AN EXTENT.
OKAY, SO THAT WAS A LOT AND VERY FAST, BUT JUST A LOT OF CONTENT.
UM, BUT AS WE KIND OF CAME AT THE FRONT END, THERE'S PROS AND CONS TO THE PROGRAM AS IT STANDS TODAY.
WE VERY MUCH UNDERSTAND WHY THIS CAME UP BECAUSE WE HEAR THAT WE ALWAYS THINK ABOUT HOW CAN WE MAKE THIS PROGRAM BETTER ON OUR END.
AND WE ALWAYS WANNA WORK WITH YOU ALL TO BE DOING THAT.
AND SO WE WANNA ALSO DO A SUMMARY OF PROS
[02:30:01]
AND CONS FOR THESE ORDINANCE MODIFICATIONS.WHAT IT DOES ALLOW FOR IS EASY APPROVAL OF CUSHIONS ON ANY STREET PHASED IMPLEMENTATIONS, WHICH GIVES YOU MORE FLEXIBILITY ON YOUR FUNDING, WHICH I KNOW COULD BE A HUGE ASSET.
UM, AS YOU GUYS THINK THROUGH YOUR BUDGETS EVERY YEAR, AND IT PROMOTES PRIVATE FUNDING, IT MAKES PRIVATE FUNDING PROBABLY A LITTLE BIT EASIER.
WE'LL LIKELY SEE MORE OF THOSE COME THROUGH THE, SOME OF THE CONS TO TAKE, TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION ARE MORE ADDITIONAL PLANNING EFFORTS, MORE INFORMATION TO TRACK, MORE INFORMATION TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE SHARING AND, AND MAKING SURE IT'S BEING PART OF THAT CONCEPT PLANNING PROCESS.
THERE'LL BE MORE PROJECTS AND, YOU KNOW, SMALLER AREAS.
AND SO MORE NOTICES, MORE MAIL, ALL OF THOSE COMPONENTS, UM, APPROVING A PROJECT IN PARTIAL IMPLEMENTATION COULD RESULT IN RESIDENT FRUSTRATION.
THEY'RE LIKE, WHY IS, WHY NOT ME? WHY THEM? SO, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT'S ALWAYS SOMETHING WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH.
AND HAVING TO EXPLAIN THAT AND COMMUNICATE THAT CONCERNS OF, UH, SHIFTING A TRAFFIC ISSUE TO ANOTHER STREET PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT BASED ON FUNDING OF SOME STREETS, UM, WOULD ALSO BE A CONCERN WE HAVE FOR THE NEW PROGRAM.
AND THEN WE CONTINUOUSLY ARE FOCUSING LESS AND LESS ON TRAFFIC DATA WITH THIS PROGRAM.
SO ONE OTHER PIECE OF THIS WE WANNA TAKE A MOMENT TO KIND OF ALSO STAY WITH YOU ALL IS WE'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT HOW TO ALSO MODIFY THIS PROGRAM AND PARALLEL I THINK TO THE WORK YOU ALL HAVE BEEN DOING.
UM, SO THIS COULD, YOU KNOW, HAVE POTENTIAL IMPACTS ON OUR SORT OF PLANS, WHICH I WANNA DISCUSS ON THE NEXT SLIDE BRIEFLY.
SO TODAY, AS K SAID, WE HAVE TWO PROGRAMS, KIND OF THIS THE FAST TRACK SPEED CONTROL PROGRAM, SPEED CUSHIONS ONLY, AND THEN THE LONG PROGRAM.
THAT ALLOWS FOR EVERYTHING FROM ADDING A TRAFFIC CIRCLE TO A STREET CLOSURE.
IT WOULD BE ALL THOSE OPTIONS THERE.
AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS, IS THERE SOMETHING IN BETWEEN? IS THERE KIND OF A, STILL A QUICKER PROCESS THAT TAKES INTO ACCOUNT DATA, HAS MORE TOOLS IN THE TOOLBOX THAN JUST SPEED CUSHIONS, BUT CAN BE FOCUSED ON SAFETY IN NEIGHBORHOODS? NOT ANY ACCESS RESTRICTION.
ACCESS RESTRICTION PROBABLY WOULD STILL BE THAT, THAT THREE, UH, PUBLIC MEETING PROCESS TWO YEARS.
IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO CLOSE ACCESS TO THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD, WE NEED TO GO THROUGH A VERY DETAILED PROCESS TO ASSURE COMPLIANCE WITH THE STATE CODE.
BUT COULD WE CREATE A PROGRAM OF BETWEEN USING DATA, LOOKING AT TRAFFIC CIRCLES, LOOKING AT MEDIANS, LOOKING AT OTHER TREATMENTS IN ADDITION TO SPEED CUSHIONS AND THAT COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF A NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND SO THAT'S ONE OF OUR THOUGHTS IS KIND OF THREE DISTINCT PROGRAMS TO MEET ALL THESE DIFFERENT NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY.
UM, WE ARE ALSO IN THE PROCESS OF CREATING AN INTERACTIVE, UH, PUBLIC FACING DASHBOARD THAT'S MUCH MORE USER FRIENDLY FOR YOU GUYS,
AND SO, UM, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE ARE WORKING ON.
SO YOU CAN BASICALLY SEARCH YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, SEE WHAT'S BEING PLANNED FOR THERE, WHERE THE CUSHIONS ARE GONNA GO, IS IT IN FRONT OF MY DRIVEWAY? WE CAN THEN GIVE YOU A BETTER DETAILED MAP THAT TELLS YOU YES OR NO.
UM, NO, IT'S ON THE PROPERTY LINE.
UM, AND JUST TRYING TO SHARE INFORMATION IN A MORE COLLABORATIVE AND USEFUL WAY THAN WE CURRENTLY DO.
AND THEN WE'RE ALSO TRYING TO IMPROVE OUR CONSISTENT RESPONSE RATES.
WE MAIL EVERYTHING AND SOME PEOPLE IGNORE THEIR MAIL.
AND SO HOW DO WE ENSURE WE'RE ENGAGING IN THE COMMUNITY AND GETTING THE RIGHT INPUT BACK FOR THESE PLANS? AND SO WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO ELABORATE AND EXPAND THAT.
SO KEN, WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADD ANYTHING? I'M GOOD.
SO THAT IS THE CONCLUSION OF OUR PRESENTATION.
IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, WE CAN HAVE OUR Q AND A SLIDE UP.
UM, WE HAVE STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD'S OFFICE.
I WANNA THANK KING AND YOU, MELANIE FOR, FOR WORKING SO CLOSELY WITH OUR OFFICE ON THIS.
UH, AS YOU KNOW, WE TRIED TO HELP OUT A STREET THAT WAS WITH THE SCHOOL ON IT AND WE DIDN'T HAVE THE PROPER FUNDING, SO WE TRIED EVERY ANGLE WE COULD TO BRING A REMEDY TO THEIR THEIR NEEDS.
AND SO AS WE REPRESENT THEM, ESPECIALLY THE COUNCILMAN AROUND THIS HORSESHOE, WE WORK CLOSELY WITH YOU GUYS AND THE MAYOR'S OFFICE.
WE APPRECIATE YOUR EFFORTS AND, AND HOPEFULLY THIS CAN UH, PASS SO WE CAN, WE CAN CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD, BUT MAYBE NOT TODAY.
THANK YOU AS STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN'S OFFICE.
THANK YOU KANG AND TEAM FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
MY QUESTION HAS TO DO WITH FUNDING.
UH, APPROXIMATELY HOW MANY SPEED CUSHIONS DO WE INSTALL IN A GIVEN YEAR? NOT EXACT, BUT APPROXIMATELY.
I THINK WE, UH, IN THE LAST 10 YEAR, WE PROBABLY HAVE ABOUT 2000.
SO I WOULD SAY MAYBE TWO, 300 A YEAR ON AVERAGE.
A HUNDRED THOUSAND, UH, NO, NO.
IN THE, THE LAST 10 YEAR WE HAVE ABOUT 2000.
SO I, I HAVE A SPOT BY ABOUT MAYBE TWO, 200 A YEAR, TWO 300 A YEAR.
MY QUESTION IS BASED ON, ON, ON FUNDING AND I THOUGHT THAT WE WOULD'VE INSTALLED MORE THAN THAT.
AND THE INDIVIDUAL COST OF APPROXIMATELY 5,000 PER UNIT PER LOCATION? THAT'S CORRECT.
ANY WAY YOU COULD LOWER THAT OR NEGOTIATE THAT? IT'S, IT'S, UH, IT'S CONTRACTOR DRIVEN.
SO, UH, EVERY, UH, TWO YEAR OR SO WE, WE ADVERTISE AND BRING NEW CONTRACTORS.
UH, I'M, I'VE BEEN SURPRISED THAT THE PRICE HAS STAYED CONSISTENTLY IN PROBABLY LIKE FIVE, SIX YEARS.
UM, SO I WOULD EXPECT WITH ALL THE MATERIAL COSTS GOING UP, UH, THEY'VE
[02:35:01]
BEEN GOING UP, BUT I THINK WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO KEEP IT, UH, ABOUT ABOUT 5,000.THE REASON FOR ASKING THAT IS THE COUNCIL DISTRICT OFFICES RECEIVE METRO FUNDS EVERY YEAR FOR PROJECTS JUST LIKE THIS.
AND WE ARE TRYING TO SPREAD THAT AS BEST WE CAN.
AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT SOMETIMES BEING TOLD, UH, YOU NEED 40 UNITS TO, UM, DO THE BOUNDARIES AS DESCRIBED BY YOUR OFFICE, IT BECOMES COST PROHIBITIVE.
UH, WHICH IS WHY WE HAVE A VERY LONG LIST OF, UH, REQUESTS.
SO AGAIN, UH, WE WOULD LIKE YOU TO CONSIDER THAT AND AT THE TIME THAT YOU NEGOTIATE, WE WOULD LOVE TO BE INVOLVED, WHATEVER WE CAN.
THANK YOU, UH, STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN'S OFFICE.
AND THANK YOU SO MUCH CHAIN FOR ALWAYS YOUR CONTINUED ASSISTANCE.
I THINK I CALL YOU AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH TO TALK ABOUT SPEED QUESTIONS IN DISTRICT C AND I REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS, SO I'LL JUST START WITH WHAT I HAVE TIME AND I'LL GET BACK IN THE QUEUE.
IT'S FIRST, WE REALLY APPRECIATE THIS ITEM AS WE HAVE A LONG LIST IN DISTRICT C, UM, AND CURRENTLY DON'T HAVE A WAY TO FUND IT.
AS I UNDERSTAND THERE'S NO CITYWIDE FUNDING AVAILABLE.
UM, IS THE DEPARTMENT STILL LOOKING AT ADDITIONAL OPTIONS TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD MANAGEMENT PROGRAM WHEN, LET'S SAY SPEED CUSHIONS ARE NOT THE RECOMMENDATION? WHAT ELSE MIGHT BE AVAILABLE FOR RESIDENTS? UM, SO THAT'S WHAT, UM, UH, ELAINE WAS TALKING ABOUT.
SO A LOT OF RESIDENT USE THE PROGRAM FOR DIFFERENT THINGS.
SO, UH, UM, THEY MAY USE, UH, WE KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF STREET THAT DON'T HAVE SIDEWALKS, EVEN THOUGH THE TRAFFIC MAY NOT BE GOING FAST, BUT THE RESIDENT STILL DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THEM AND THEY WANTS TO BE CUSHIONED TO SLOW TRAFFIC DOWN MORE.
UH, SOME NEIGHBORHOODS WE HAVE MIXED USES AND THEY MAY NOT WANT, UH, TRAFFIC FROM ONE PART NEIGHBORHOOD TO USE THEIR PART OF NEIGHBORHOOD.
THEY MAY WANNA GO THROUGH THIS PROGRAM TO RESTRICT SOME OF THE ACCESS, SOME OF THE MOVEMENT, SOME TRAFFIC SO DIFFERENT.
THEY USE IT FOR DIFFERENT THINGS.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, SOME NEIGHBORHOODS THAT, UH, THEY MAY NOT LIKE TO SPEAK CUSHION, BUT THERE MAY OTHER TRAFFIC DEVICES THAT, UH, MAY NOT RESTRICT ACCESS, BUT STILL ALLOW TRAFFIC TO SLOW DOWN TO CALM DOWN.
AND THAT'S WHAT THE, THE, THE, THE, THE NEW PROGRAM THAT WE'VE, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT AND WITH INPUT FROM, UH, DIFFERENT COUNCIL MEMBER, INCLUDING COUNCIL MEMBER CAME AND TELL ABOUT DEVICES THAT WE CAN TRY AND IMPLEMENT WITHOUT GO THROUGH A LENGTHY PROCESS OF, UH, YOU KNOW, TWO YEARS TO GET 'EM DONE.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN, UH, WORKING, TRY TO WORK THROUGH.
AND A FOLLOW UP, UM, IS IT ACCURATE THAT THE DIRECTOR WILL BE THE FINAL, THEY HAVE THE FINAL DISCRETION OF WHETHER OR NOT THE SPEED CUSHION PROJECT CAN MOVE FORWARD IF WE'RE LOOKING AT LIMITING THE SCOPE SO THAT WE HAVE THAT EXPERT GUIDANCE AND IS THAT CORRECT? UH, SO THE, THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, UH, HAS TO APPROVE THE CONCEPT PLAN FIRST AND THEN IT MOVE TO, UH, THE COUNCIL FOR FINAL, UH, APPROVAL.
SO EVERYTHING GOES THROUGH THE, THE COUNCIL FOR FINAL APPROVAL.
BUT WILL THE, DOES THE DIRECTOR MAKE THE DECISION ON, LET'S SAY, UM, WE WANNA LIMIT THE SCOPE TO JUST A COUPLE STREETS VERSUS A WHOLE AREA? DOES THAT KIND OF IS THE DIRECTOR THAT MAKE A DECISION WITHIN THAT PROCESS OF YES, WE COULD LIMIT THE SCOPE? NO, WE CANNOT.
THE PROPOSED, YEAH, THE PROPOSED LANGUAGE IS, UH, AS, UM, OPENS UP A LITTLE BIT MORE, UH, UH, MORE FLEXIBILITY, UH, TO, FOR DIRECTOR TO CONSIDER BECAUSE NOW IT'S, IF IT'S APPROVED, THEN THE DIRECTOR HAS TO CONSIDER THE SMALLEST STREET AND MAY IGNORE SOME OTHER FACTORS.
FOR EXAMPLE, MAYBE THE TRAFFIC POTENTIALLY SHIFT TO ANOTHER STREET.
UH, BUT SINCE THE, THE LANGUAGE
WE REALLY RELY ON Y'ALL'S EXPERT GUIDANCE, SO WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
UM, SEEING NO OTHER, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS OR STAFF IN THE QUEUE, UH, WE'LL NOW CALL THE FIRST SPEAKER, KARINA KIRK.
MY NAME IS KARINA KIRK AND HI.
UM, OKAY, CAN YOU HEAR ME BETTER? THAT'S ALL RIGHT.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
UM, I HAVE BEEN HERE THIS MORNING AND I'VE HEARD, UM, SEVERAL MENTIONS OF INTENTION.
I'VE, I'VE HEARD ABOUT PROTECTION AND SO I UNDERSTAND IT IN YOUR SETTING.
IT'S DEFINITELY A CONCERN FOR YOU, BUT IT'S DEFINITELY A CONCERN FOR, UM, US IN THE RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS
[02:40:01]
EVEN ON JUST, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE FREEWAYS.SO SAFETY IS A BIG CONCERN OF MINE.
I DON'T CARRY THE TITLE OF, YOU KNOW, A PROFESSIONAL TITLE, BUT I DO CARRY THE TITLE OF VOTER.
I DO CARRY THE TITLE OF, UM, HOA PRESIDENT AND BEING JUST A, A TAXPAYER.
AND SO SAFETY SPECIFICALLY SPEEDING IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, IS JUST A BASIC QUALITY OF LIFE CONCERN.
AND I THINK THAT'S FOR ALL OF US HERE IN THIS ROOM.
AND SO FOR US IN MEMORIAL DRIVE ACRES, UM, WE ARE IN DISTRICT G, WE'VE APPLIED FOR SPEED CUSHIONS.
THERE ARE SO MANY COMPLEXITIES OF OF THANK YOU FOR EVERY, ALL THE PROPOSALS AND I THINK THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
HERE'S WHERE AS JUST A RESIDENT, WE HAVE SPEEDING IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
IT'S SMOOTH, BUT IT IS A NON OUTLET OR NO OUTLET.
UM, THE PANDEMIC CHANGED A LOT OF IT FOR ALL OF US IN DIFFERENT WAYS.
SO WE HAVE MORE DELIVERY SERVICES.
THEY'RE QUOTED, THEIR BONUSES, WHATEVER THEIR PAY STRUCTURE IS, IT IS DEPENDENT ON THE NUMBER OF DELIVERIES THEY MAKE.
THERE IS NO, I SAY NO CONCERN, BUT IT, THERE IS A LOT OF SPEEDING THAT HAPPENS BY DELIVERY AND SERVICE COMPANIES.
WELL, WE EVEN HAVE RESIDENTS WHO ARE DRIVING VERY FAST.
SO A LOT OF THESE PROPOSALS I APPLAUD.
I WELCOME, I HOPE THEY MAKE IT THROUGH BECAUSE WE ARE IN ONE OF THESE NEIGHBORHOODS.
IT'S UNIQUE, IT'S GREAT, IT'S LOVELY.
WE WANT THAT BASIC QUALITY OF LIFE, OF SAFETY.
WE HAVE THE AGING POPULATION WHO ARE WALKING THE STREETS AND WE WANT THAT ENVIRONMENT, BUT WE ALSO NEED THE SPEEDING TO STOP.
I MEAN, WE ARE AT RISK EVERY DAY.
I GO OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR STREET.
I'M NOT SAYING IT'S THE SMARTEST THING, BUT I'M GOING OUT THERE AND TRYING TO GET PEOPLE TO SLOW DOWN.
AND SO WE'VE ALL VICTIM TO ONE OF THE, I GUESS THE CURRENT ISSUES WITH THE PROCESS.
WE, OUR SUCCESS OF GETTING A SPEED CUSHION OR SPEED CUSHIONS IS DEPENDENT ON ANOTHER ADJACENT ROAD OR PARALLEL ROAD.
THEY HAVE HO THE MAJORITY OF THEIR RESIDENTS ARE IN A SECTION OF THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD THAT THEY, I KNEW I WAS GONNA GET THAT DING UM,
BUT ANYWAY, THERE ARE, THERE ARE SOME MEMBERS WHO ARE FOR IT, SOME WHO ARE NOT.
I AM IN AN HOA THAT WE ARE TOTALLY FOR IT.
WE UNDERSTAND AND RECOGNIZE WE NEED, UM, SOME SPEEDING DETERRENCE.
UM, WHETHER THAT BE SPEED CUSHIONS, UM, STOP SIGNS, WHATEVER WE NEED SOMETHING.
SO I WOULD VOLUNTEER OUR NEIGHBORHOOD TO BE A PILOT IF Y'ALL WANNA TRY ON THESE OTHER ALTERNATIVES.
'CAUSE 'CAUSE WE NEED SOMETHING.
WE ARE JUST PLEADING FOR HELP.
AND THAT'S REALLY TRULY WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS PROTECT THOSE THAT ARE MOST IMPORTANT TO US.
AND THAT'S OUR KIDS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, THAT'S OUR OLDER PEOPLE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
YOU DO HAVE A BEAUTIFUL NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY DOES STAY SAFE.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
UM, THERE ARE NO OTHER, UH, SPEAKERS ON THE LIST.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE IN THE AUDIENCE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS ISSUE? ALL RIGHT.
UM, THE UH, COMMITTEE MEETING FOR PROP A IS NOW ADJOURNED.