* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. READY. [00:00:04] COUNCIL, COME TO ORDER PLEASE. CHAIR RECOGNIZES [PRESENTATIONS] COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN FOR PROCLAMATION FOR MESSIAH LUTHERAN CHURCH TO CELEBRATE THEIR HUNDRED 50TH ANNIVERSARY. 100. I I'M JUST READING WHAT SOMEBODY GAVE ME. IT'S 100, 100, EH, 50 HERE. 50 THERE. CHEEK GOT MY CHEAT SHEET. I DIDN'T EVEN RECEIVE A YEAH. CAN I PET? PLEASE DO. SO, MAYOR, WE'RE HERE, UH, TODAY. IT'S MY PLEASURE. COUNSEL, UH, TO CELEBRATE MESSIAH LUTHERAN'S HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY. WE'RE CELEBRATING THEIR CENTENNIAL, BUT MAYOR, I'LL ABSOLUTELY TAKE ANOTHER 50 YEARS AS WELL. WITH THAT, UH, ADDED 52 . I, UH, MESSIAH LUTHERAN DOES SO MUCH IN OUR DISTRICT COMMUNITY AND THROUGHOUT THE CITY. I FOUND OUT THAT Y'ALL WERE CELEBRATING YOUR HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY WHEN I WAS ATTENDING THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 22 MEETING AND SN 22, ALONG WITH RICE MILITARY ALL CONSIDER THIS CHURCH TO BE KIND OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD'S HOME AWAY FROM HOME. AND YOU ALL HAVE ALWAYS OPENED YOUR DOORS AND WELCOME THE COMMUNITY IN. AND AT THE SAME TIME, PASTOR ENGLE, UH, YOU HAVE A CONGREGATION THAT DOESN'T JUST WELCOME PEOPLE IN, BUT IS OUT IN SERVICE OF THE COMMUNITY. UH, WE HAVE WITH US GABRIEL, THE COMFORT DOG, UH, WHO HAS BEEN WITH MESSIAH LUTHERAN SINCE 2017. UH, HE VISITS HOSPITALS AND NURSING HOMES. HE SUPPORTS COMBAT VETERANS. HE VISITS WITH OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT AND OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT. AND WE KNOW THAT MENTAL HEALTH, EVEN TODAY, WAS BROUGHT UP AS A, A CRITICAL NEED. AND OF COURSE, GABRIEL HAS ALSO BEEN DEPLOYED FOR DISASTER RESPONSES TO PLACES SUCH AS UVALDE, SANTA FE, EL PASO, EVEN PARKLAND, UH, IN THE AFTERMATH OF SCHOOL SHOOTINGS. UH, YOU ALSO, I BELIEVE, PARTNER WITH MEMORIAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, IN ADDITION TO HAVING, UH, YOUR OWN CHILD CHILDHOOD CENTER. AND TODAY WE'RE JOINED BY THERESA AND RUTHIE, AND I WILL ALLOW THE PASTOR TO, UH, INTRODUCE EVERYONE DURING HIS REMARKS. BUT IT'S MY PRIVILEGE TO BE PRESENTING THIS PROCLAMATION ALONG WITH YOU, MAYOR. WHEREAS MESSIAH LUTHERAN CHURCH WAS FOUNDED BY 11 DEDICATED CHARTER MEMBERS ON DECEMBER 9TH, 1923, MARKING THE INCEPTION OF A CENTURY LONG JOURNEY OF SERVICE. OVER THE COURSE OF 100 YEARS, MESSIAH LUTHERAN CHURCH HAS WITNESSED THE GUIDANCE OF NINE PASTORS WHO LED THEIR CONGREGATION WITH UNWAVERING DEDICATION AND GRACE. THE CONGREGATION HAS REMAINED ROOTED AT THE SAME LOCATION IN DISTRICT C STANDING PROUDLY ON THE CORNER OF ROSE AND ROY, SERVING AS AN ENDURING PILLAR OF THE COMMUNITY THROUGHOUT ITS STORIED HISTORY. IN THE AUTUMN OF 1930, MESSIAH LUTHERAN'S SCHOOL OPENED ITS DOORS PROVIDING GENERATIONS OF YOUNG MINDS WITH A NURTURING ENVIRONMENT FOR HOLISTIC CHRISTIAN EDUCATION. FROM KINDERGARTEN THROUGH EIGHTH GRADE UNTIL 1970, INSTILLING VALUES THAT HAVE SHAPED COUNTLESS LIVES. IN 1982, THE CONGREGATION FURTHERED ITS COMMITMENT TO EDUCATION BY ESTABLISHING THE EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER, A TESTAMENT TO THEIR UNWAVERING DEDICATION TO PROVIDING CARE AND EDUCATION FOR INFANTS THROUGH PRE-K. THEY SERVE AS AN INSTITUTION THAT CONTINUES TO THRIVE IN NURTURE YOUNG HEARTS AND MINDS TO THIS DAY. WHEREAS ON SUNDAY, DECEMBER 10TH, 2023, MESSIAH LUTHERAN CHURCH JOYOUSLY CELEBRATED ITS CENTURY OF SERVICE, COMMEMORATING A REMARKABLE MILESTONE OF UNWAVERING FAITH, COMMUNITY, COMPASSION, AND COMPASSIONATE OUTREACH. THE CITY OF HOUSTON COMMENDS THE CHURCH FOR A CENTURY OF PROFOUND IMPACT, UNWAVERING DEVOTION, AND BOUNDLESS COMPASSION. THANK YOU COUNCILMAN CAYMAN FOR BRINGING THIS PROCLAMATION FORWARD. IT'S ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF ONE OF OUR INSTITUTIONS THAT ON A DAILY BASIS HELPED MAKE THIS SUCH A GREAT CITY. AND PASTOR A HUNDRED YEARS, UH, SPEAKS FOR ITSELF AND I'M CERTAIN THE BEST IS YET TO COME WITH YOUR DELEGATION THAT YOU'VE BROUGHT TODAY, . THANK YOU. AND, UH, CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND I YIELD TO OH, ONE LITTLE PIECE OF INFORM, JUST A LITTLE PIECE. THEREFORE, I, JOHN WHITMEYER, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROCLAIM APRIL 30TH, 2024 AS MESSIAH LUTHERAN CHURCH DATE. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU. [00:05:07] GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR WHITMEYER. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBERS, IT IS AN HONOR TO BE HERE BEFORE YOU TODAY. I'M PASTOR TIM ENGEL, PASTOR OF MESSIAH LUTHERAN CHURCH. YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT GABRIEL. YOU NEED TO SEE HIM. GABRIEL RISE. GABRIEL RISE . HE IS OUR 8-YEAR-OLD GOLDEN RETRIEVER COMFORT DOG. ALSO WITH US, WE HAVE KEITH NEY, OUR CONGREGATION PRESIDENT STACEY VIVIANO, OUR EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER DIRECTOR AND HER ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, BELIN MARTINEZ. WE AT MESSIAH LUTHERAN CHURCH ARE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR RECOGNITION OF OUR 100 YEARS OF CHRISTIAN MINISTRY AND SERVICE. MESSIAH'S FOUNDING WAS BASED ON THE DEDICATION AND VISION OF ITS 11 CHARTER FAMILIES. THEY WERE DEDICATED TO THEIR LORD JESUS CHRIST AND HAD A VISION OF BRINGING THE MESSAGE OF SALVATION TO WHAT IN 1923 WAS CONSIDERED HOUSTON'S WEST END OUR CHURCH NO LONGER ON THE WESTERN OUTSKIRTS OF THE CITY. AS HOUSTON HAS EXPANDED WELL BEYOND US, BUT THE DEDICATION AND VISION OF OUR FOUNDERS HAS NOT HAVE NOT CHANGED. WE CELEBRATED OUR ANNIVERSARY WITH THE THEME PREPARED BY OUR PAST TO EMBRACE OUR FUTURE. OUR CHURCH'S WORK IS FAR FROM OVER AS WE BEGIN OUR SECOND CENTURY OF SERVICE. OUR THEME FOR 2024 IS OUR GOD CAN DO MORE BASED ON EPHESIANS THREE VERSES 20 TO 21, WHERE PAUL WRITES NOW TO HIM, WHO IS ABLE TO DO FAR MORE ABUNDANTLY THAN ALL THAT WE CAN ASK OR THINK ACCORDING TO THE POWER AT WORK WITHIN US. TO HIM BE THE GLORY IN THE CHURCH AND IN CHRIST JESUS THROUGHOUT ALL GENERATIONS, FOREVER AND EVER. AMEN. ON BEHALF OF THE MESSIAH LUTHERAN CONGREGATION, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR RECOGNITION OF WHAT GOD HAS DONE THROUGH OUR CHURCH DURING OUR FIRST 100 YEARS. CONGRATULATIONS. VERY GOOD. HOWDY HOUSTON. I AM STACY VIVIANO, A PROUD FOURTH GENERATION HOUSTON PROUD FOURTH GENERATION HOUSTONIAN. I'M A FIFTH GENERATION MEMBER OF MESSIAH LUTHERAN CHURCH. MY ROOTS IN THIS CITY RUN DEEP AND I'M HONORED TO SHARE YOU MY STORY. BUT Y'ALL ONLY GAVE ME A MINUTE TODAY. SO MESSIAH LUTHERAN CHURCH HAS BEEN THE CORNERSTONE OF MY FAMILY FOR GENERATIONS. IT'S WHERE MY GRANDPARENTS, MY PARENTS, MY BROTHER AND I WERE BAPTIZED, CONFIRMED, AND MARRIED. TODAY, WE ARE BOTH RAISING OUR FAMILIES THERE, JUST LIKE OUR GRANDPARENTS AND MY PARENTS DID. OVER FOUR DECADES AGO, OUR CHURCH SAW THE NEED IN THE COMMUNITY FOR C CHILDCARE AND OPEN MESSIAH, LUTHERAN EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER. I WAS THE SECOND CHILD ENROLLED AT THE CENTER AND A PROUD GRADUATE OF M-L-E-C-C, CLASS OF 1985. I'M ALSO A GRADUATE OF TRINITY MESSIAH LUTHERAN SCHOOL, CLASS OF 94 AND GRADUATE OF LUTHERAN HIGH NORTH CLASS OF 98. LIFE HAS COME FULL CIRCLE AND I'M HONORED TO BE THE DIRECTOR OF MLEC FOR THE PAST 20 YEARS. IT'S A PRIVILEGE TO BE A PART OF A CHURCH WHOSE MISSION HAS MEANT SO MUCH TO NOT ONLY MY FAMILY, BUT THE COMMUNITY. AS WE CELEBRATE THIS MILESTONE, LET'S REFLECT ON THE COUNTLESS LIVES IMPACTED BY OUR CHURCH'S MISSION. TOGETHER LET'S CONTINUE TO EMBODY THE VALUES OF FAITH, LOVE, AND SERVICE THAT MAKES MESSIAH LUTHERAN CHURCH A BEACON OF HOPE FOR ALL. THANK YOU, HOUSTON, FOR THE PRIVILEGE OF SERVING ALONGSIDE OF YOU. GOD'S BLESSINGS. TAKE A [00:10:15] IS COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. HE KNOWS. COUNCIL, THE CHAIR NOW RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO FOR A PROCLAMATION TO STORYHIVE TO COMMEMORATE A DECADE OF EXCELLENCE. HOW ARE YOU? THANK YOU, MAYOR. YES, SIR. GOOD AFTERNOON, COLLEAGUES. TODAY I AM EXCITED TO PRESENT A PROCLAMATION TO STORYHIVE ON THEIR 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY. UM, STORYHIVE IS A SMALL BUSINESS LOCATED OVER IN THE SECOND WARD, AND I WILL BE HIGHLIGHTING THERE ARE THREE, UH, CO-OWNERS HERE SHORTLY. UH, JENNA MORENO, WHO HAS BEEN A, UH, AWARD-WINNING JOURNALIST. SHE HAD A CAREER, UM, WORKING FOR SEVERAL TEXAS NEWSPAPERS AND THE WASHINGTON POST. UM, BEFORE, UH, GOING ON TO THE STORY HIVE, ALEX LUSTER, UM, WHO STARTED HIS CAREER IN TELEMUNDO'S NEWSROOM, PRODUCED AND EDITED PROMOS, UH, WENT ON TO PRODUCE EMMY AWARD-WINNING, UH, SPANISH LANGUAGE PROGRAM CONTENT, UM, AND TOM GANDY, WHO HAD A 20 YEAR LONG CAREER CREATING TELEVISION AND NEWS AND COMMERCIAL, DOCUMENTARY AND FILM WHO WAS INSPIRED TO PURSUE THIS LINE OF WORK, UH, AT THE AGE OF SEVEN, VISITING A PHILADELPHIA TELEVISION NEWS STATION AFTER WATCHING A STAR WARS FILM. UM, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT ONLY A VERY IMPRESSIVE TEAM. UM, THEY ALSO GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY. JENNA ORGANIZES, UH, A MONTHLY TRASH CLEANUP, UH, IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD JUST TO HELP PROMOTE CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND, AND TAKING PRIDE IN IN THEIR COMMUNITY. AND SO, UM, IT'S AN HONOR TO CELEBRATE THEM. TODAY ON THEIR 10TH ANNIVERSARY ON MAY 5TH, STORYHIVE COMMEMORATES A DECADE OF EXCELLENCE IN STORYTELLING AND VISUAL INNOVATION STORY HIVE, A PREMIER VIDEO PRODUCTION FILM. NESTLED IN THE HEART OF HOUSTON, TEXAS HAS ILLUMINATED SCENES SCREENS WITH CAPTIVATING NARRATIVES AND BREATHTAKING VISUALS. WITH EACH COMPLETED PROJECT, THEY HAVE SHOWCASED UNPARALLELED DEDICATION TO THE CRAFT OF VIDEO PRODUCTION. STORY HIVE'S. COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE RESONATES THROUGH EVERY FRAME, WEAVING TALES THAT LINGER IN THE HEARTS AND MINDS OF AUDIENCES WORLDWIDE. THE HONOR OF THIS MILESTONE, LET IT BE KNOWN THAT STORY HIVE STANDS AS A BEACON OF CREATIVITY AND PROFESSIONALISM, OFFERING A COMPREHENSIVE SUITE OF SERVICES ENCOMPASSING THE ENTIRE VIDEO PRODUCTION SPECTRUM. FROM INCEPTION TO EXECUTION, THEY EXCEL IN CONCEPTUALIZING, SCRIPTING, STORYBOARDING, SHOOTING, EDITING, AND INFUSING PROJECTS WITH MESMERIZING MOTION GRAPHICS AND VISUAL EFFECTS. BEYOND THE CONFINES OF TRADITIONAL VIDEO PRODUCTION, STORYHIVE EXPANDS ITS HORIZONS, PROVIDING EXPERTISE IN LIVE STREAMING PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY, PODCAST RECORDING, BOTH IN AUDIO AND VIDEO FORMATS. THERE ARE VERSATILITY, NOS, NO BOUNDS CONSISTENCY, CONSISTENTLY DELIVERING QUALITY ACROSS DIVERSE MEDIUMS. MOREOVER, THE CITY OF HOUSTON CELEBRATES STORYHIVE AS A CERTIFIED MINORITY OWNED ENTERPRISE, BEARING THE ESTEEMED CITY OF HOUSTON MINORITY BUSINESS ENTERPRISE CERTIFICATION, AND THE PRESTIGIOUS NATIONAL CERTIFICATION FROM THE HOUSTON MINORITY SUPPLIER DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL. THROUGH THEIR DEDICATION AND PERSEVERANCE, THEY EMBODY THE SPIRIT OF DIVERSITY AND INCLUSIVITY, ENRICHING THE FABRIC OF OUR COMMUNITY. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, FOR BRINGING THIS TEAM FORWARD. IT GIVES ME AN OPPORTUNITY TO LET YOU KNOW THAT, AND I KNOW I SPEAK FOR THE COUNCIL, CERTAINLY FOR THE ADMINISTRATION, WHATEVER WE CAN DO TO HELP YOU. 10 YEARS IS AN ACHIEVEMENT, BUT WE JUST CELEBRATED AN INSTITUTION HAS BEEN HERE A HUNDRED YEARS, SO I DON'T DOUBT FOR A MOMENT THAT, UH, YOU'LL REACH THAT GOAL. BUT THANK YOU FOR ALSO DEMONSTRATING OUR DIVERSITY. ONCE AGAIN, WE GET TO SEE WHAT MAKES THIS CITY GREAT. SO IT IS MY HONOR TO THEREFORE, I, JOHN WHITMEYER, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROCLAIM APRIL 30TH, 2024. HISTORIC HIGH OF DAY. THANK YOU COUNCILOR CASTILLO AND [00:15:01] THE TEAM THAT YOU BROUGHT FORWARD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UH, THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO AND MAYOR WHITMEYER FOR THE SPECIAL RECOGNITION. THE THREE OF US STARTED IN 2014 AND NOW EMPLOY 16 SUPER CREATIVE INDIVIDUALS. UH, 10 YEARS WENT BY REALLY FAST. UH, WE SURVIVED COVID, UH, WITH SUPPORT FROM THE CITY. WE'RE PROUD EAST ENDERS AND CONTINUE TO SERVE IN OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH VOLUNTEER WORK. WE COULD NOT HAVE DONE IT ANYWHERE IN ANY OTHER CITY, BUT HOUSTON, UH, THANK YOU ALL AND HAPPY CINCO. DEVO . HAPPY CINCO DE JAVO. COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. PROTO, UH, JUST DEFINITELY WANTED TO RECOGNIZE THESE ARE ALL, UH, EAST ENDERS, UH, DISTRICT GUY RESIDENTS THOUGH. UH, SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THEM TO, UH, HERE, UH, CALIFORNIA CASTILLO AND MAYOR FOR RECOGNIZE THEM AS WELL. UM, I THINK SOME OF THE THINGS, OF COURSE, WHAT THEY'RE BRINGING TO THE TABLE WHEN IT COMES TO STORYHIVE IS, IS AMAZING. BUT THEN JUST TO HAVE THEIR ENGAGEMENT IN THE COMMUNITY, I THINK JUST HELPS ELEVATE, UH, THE TRUST WITH, WITH NEIGHBORHOOD, RIGHT? UH, THEY JUST HAD, UH, THEY HOSTED THE 19TH ANNUAL FREEDOM FEST THIS PAST WEEKEND. UM, AND, AND STUFF, STUFF LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW, IT BRINGS COMMUNITY TOGETHER. IT, IT ENGAGES THOSE FOLKS, SMALL BUSINESSES WERE THERE. SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU AND WELL DESERVED 10 YEARS. UH, LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEXT 10 YEARS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. VERY GOOD. CONGRATULATIONS, [2:00 P.M. – INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE] CHAIR RECOGNIZES, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS FOR THE INVOCATION. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. PLEASE BOW YOUR HEAD OR ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR GOD AND YOUR PRACTICE. GOD, BEFORE WE ASK YOU FOR ANYTHING, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING. YOUR WORD SAYS THAT LEADERSHIP AND PROMOTION COMES FROM YOU. AND SO WE KNOW THAT WHAT YOU GIVE IT, YOU CAN TAKE IT. GOD, THANK YOU FOR THE ABILITY AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO WHAT ONLY YOU CAN DO THROUGH THIS CITY. ENDOW US TO PROTECT OUR CITIZENS, MAKE WISE DECISIONS, AND DO THIS IN A PEACEFUL MANNER. GOD, I ASK THAT YOU SPEAK TO THE HEARTS AND THE SPIRIT OF IN THE MIND OF EVERYONE THAT MAY BE IN CONFUSION, THAT MAY BE PERPLEXED OR ANGRY. AND I ASK THAT YOU CALM THEIR FEARS AND ASK THAT YOU REMIND US THAT WE ARE HERE FOR BUT A SEASON AND THAT OUR WORK IS MEANINGFUL. MAY MY WORDS BE A BLESSING TO THE HEARERS AND THE DOERS OF YOUR WORDS. AND MAY WE DEMONSTRATE WHAT YOU'VE CALLED US TO DO IN THIS CITY. AMEN. AMEN. PLEASE, UH, STAND FOR THE PLEDGE, PLEASE. [ROLL CALL AND ADOPT THE MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING] SECRETARY, PLEASE CALL THE ROLE MAYOR WHITMEYER, PRESIDENT COUNCIL MEMBER PECK HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER HERE, JACKSON. COUNCIL MEMBER CAMAN PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABA. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. HERE. COUNCILMAN HUFFMAN. PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILE. HERE. COUNCILOR MARTINEZ. HERE. COUNCILOR POLLARD. COUNCIL CASTEX TATUM. HERE. COUNCILMAN MAR RAMIREZ. HERE. COUNCIL DAVIS. COUNCILMAN CARTER. PRESENT. COUNCILMAN PALMER WILL BE ABSENT. COUNCILMAN ALCORN? HERE. HERE. . WE NEED A MOTION TO ADOPT THE MINUTES OF DECEMBER 5TH AND SIXTH AND 12TH AND 13TH. CAST ATE, MOVE I A SECOND. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED. MOTION PASSES. UH, CHAIR [PUBLIC SPEAKERS] RECOGNIZES, UH, MAYOR PROTEAM, CAST TATUM. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I'D LIKE TO MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO MOVE PUBLIC SPEAKER LAUREN HUDSON TO THE TOP OF THE ONE MINUTE NON-AGENDA LIST. THOMAS. [00:20:01] SECOND. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND IS ALL IN FAVOR. THOSE OPPOSED MOTION PASSES. AND THEN ALSO I'D LIKE TO, UH, SUSPEND THE RULES AGAIN TO MOVE TIM STOKES AND DONALD J. SIMON TO FOLLOW BRIAN COTTON ON THE LIST. SECOND. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED. MOTION PASSES. UH, CAMAN. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, I MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO MOVE LINDA MORALES AND RICKY CASTILLO TO THE TOP OF THE THREE MINUTE NON AGENDA. AND TO ADD BOBBY RAMOS TO FOLLOW RICKIE ON THE THREE MINUTE NON AGENDA. ON THE SECOND MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED. MOTION PASSES. COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ. THANK YOU MAYOR. I'D LIKE TO MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO ADD MARLENE CRISTAN TO THE BOTTOM OF THE THREE MINUTE AGENDA. SECOND. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED MOTION PASSES. ALSO TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO MOVE MARIA REJILLO, TIVIN ENGLISH AND KATIE MOROSA AND LINDSEY WILLIAM TO FOLLOW MARLENE CRISTIANO. I. SECOND. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED. MOTION PASSES. AND ONE MORE MAYOR AND ADD BRANDON SPEARS TO FOLLOW. LINDSEY LINDSEY WILLIAMS. SECOND. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED. MOTION PASSES. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN ALCORN. I MAY TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO MOVE CLIFFORD PGH TO THE BOTTOM OF THE ONE MINUTE NON AGENDA TO FOLLOW ISAAC KAB. SECOND. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED. MOTION PASSES. AND CASTILLO AND COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. THANK YOU MAYOR. I MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO MOVE ROSANNA AL NAAR TO THE BOTTOM OF THE THREE MINUTE NON-AG AGENDA LIST. THOMAS. SECOND. MOTION MADE AND SECONDED. ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED. MOTION PASSES. ANYONE ELSE? IF NOT, WE HAVE A VERY LONG LIST OF SPEAKERS. SIGN UP TODAY. 'CAUSE WE HAVE MORE THAN 150 MINUTES WORTH OF SPEAKERS. THE RULES REQUIRE US TO ONLY GIVE EACH OF WITNESS ONE MINUTE. EVEN IF YOU SIGNED UP FOR MORE, I'LL TRY TO USE MY GOOD JUDGMENT IF YOU'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF A THOUGHT TO BE RESPECTFUL AND LET YOU FINISH. UH, WITH THAT SAID, FIRST SPEAKER. FIRST SPEAKER, MADAM SECRETARY MICHAEL MAZO. PRESENT. PRESENT. NOW YOU KNOW MY LEGAL NAME. UH, YOU KNOW, MOST OF Y'ALL KNOW ME AS DOMINIC, SO, OKAY. I CAME HERE ON THE, ON THE 1 0 8 COMING IN OUT OF NORTH SHEPHERD PARKING RIDE. THE THING THAT CONCERNS ME IS I DID COME THROUGH SHEPHERD DRIVE THE OTHER DAY ON THE 27TH. I SAW THAT DISASTER. AND NUMBER 50, YOU'RE GONNA VOTE IN PEOPLE FOR THE, UH, DOWNTOWN MANAGEMENT DISTRICT. I THINK SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT WE'VE HAD IN THE PAST AND WE'RE SEEING NOW WITH THE MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS AND THE TURDS, I THINK THE THING IS, THERE NEEDS TO BE A REQUIREMENT AT THAT. THESE PROJECTS SAY LIKE, SHEPHERD DURO NEED TO COME BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL. AND IF, AND I THINK WE NEED ALSO NEED TO HAVE A VOTE OF THE PEOPLE. WE THE CITY ARE THE PEOPLE. AND I THINK THAT NEEDS TO, TO CHANGE. I THINK THE MORE WE GET PEOPLE INVOLVED BEFORE WE SHOVEL DIRT, THE LESS PROBLEMS WE'RE GONNA HAVE IN THE FUTURE. SO WITH THAT, I WOULD SUGGEST AND TWO, WITH THE MONIES INVOLVED WITH THE S MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS. YEAH. TOM, GO, GO AHEAD AND FINISH YOUR COMMENT. YOU SOUND LIKE YOU WAS, MAKE YOU SOUND LIKE YOU'D MAKE A GREAT CANDIDATE TO BE ON THE TOURS BOARD. I'LL GET BACK, I'LL GET BACK WITH YOU. GO AHEAD AND FINISH YOUR COMMENT. MY THING, MY THING IS, I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE MORE DIS MORE DISCUSSION IN THE HORSESHOE TO HAVE THESE THINGS PRESENTED OUT HERE BEFORE WE SEND IT TO HOUSTON GALVES AREA COUNCIL BEFORE WE SEND IT TO AUSTIN. YOU KNOW THAT. BUT, AND BEFORE WE SEND IT TO AUSTIN, WHEN WE WORK TOGETHER, I THINK THAT WE WOULD SOLVE THESE PROBLEMS BEFORE WE, BEFORE WE CAN HAVE A PROBLEM LIKE UPTOWN, BRT SHEPHERD DERHAM. WITH THAT, I SEND IT BACK TO YOU, MAYOR, THANK YOU. YES, SIR. THANKS FOR BEING HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. THANK YOU. DOMINIC. I ALWAYS APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT. UH, DOMINIC ALWAYS COMES TO HG, SO IT'S, AND HERE AS WELL. SO IT'S GREAT TO SEE YOU. ARE YOU AWARE THAT THERE WERE 10 DIFFERENT VOTES RELATED TO DERHAM SHEPHERD AT THIS COUNCIL? OKAY. WHAT? REPEAT THAT COUNCIL [00:25:01] MEMBER THERE, THERE WERE 10 DIFFERENT VOTES PERTAINING TO DURHAM SHEPHERD BEFORE THIS COUNCIL ALL PASSING UNANIM. NO, I DID NOT KNOW THAT. AND I THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE MAYBE BROUGHT UP. THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING THE QUESTION. NO, NO, I DID NOT KNOW THAT. I THINK MORE PR WOULD WORK THERE. OKAY. UNDERSTAND AND ALWAYS WELCOME FEEDBACK. UH, I'LL ALSO HAPPY TO GET WITH YOU ON THE EXTENSIVE, UH, COVERAGE OVER THE YEARS OF THE, OF THE PROJECT, BUT APPRECIATE IT VERY MUCH. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND, AND YOU ARE AWARE THAT YOU HAD TO SIGN UP BEFORE THREE O'CLOCK YESTERDAY. SO IF YOU WOKE UP THIS MORNING AND READ AN ARTICLE THAT KIND OF MOTIVATED YOU TO COME DOWN HERE, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO WAIT A WHOLE WEEK. SO I THINK I PERSONALLY, MEMBERS, IF WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE PUBLIC INPUT, NEED TO ADAPT A PLAN WHERE YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT A WEEK OR YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE READY AT THREE O'CLOCK YESTERDAY. YOUR INPUT TODAY IS VALUABLE. AND I BET THERE ARE OTHERS THAT WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT, UH, BUT FOR THE RULES. SO THANK YOU. AND ALSO, I THINK WITH THE COUNCIL MEMBER'S COMMENTS, WE NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB OF MAYBE COMMUNICATING THAT A PARTICULAR ISSUE'S GONNA COME UP. I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING WHAT THE DISCUSSION WAS IN TERMS OF THE SPECIFICS. THERE'S ONE THING TO WRITE A LETTER SUCH AS I DID, SUGGESTING YES, IMPROVEMENTS CAN BE MADE, BUT THEN THEY ROLL OUT A VERY DETAILED PLAN AND MAYBE NOT EVERYONE UNDERSTOOD THAT PLAN WHEN IT WAS FIRST DISCUSSED. I DIDN'T KNOW YOU WERE MAKING A VERY GOOD VALID POINT TODAY. THANK YOU. AND PLEASE STAY INVOLVED. THANK YOU. I ALSO GO TO METRO MEETINGS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. YEAH. BE SAFE. NEXT. MARLENA ANO. HI EVERYONE. UM, THIS IS MARLENE DE HONDURAS. HI, MY NAME IS MAR CRISTO. I AM ORIGINALLY FROM HONDURAS IN HOUSTON. I HAVE BEEN IN HOUSTON FOR 30 YEARS AND I HAVE FOUR KIDS. NA, IN HOUSTON. JOE, I FAMILIA. UM, I AM AN ACTIVE MEMBER IN MY COMMUNITY. I HAVE FOUR KIDS THAT ARE HOUSTONIANS. WE CONTRIBUTE TO THIS CITY IN MANY WAYS. WE PAY TAXES. AND, UM, HOUSTON, IT'S OUR HOME FOR, FOR THIS YEAR. I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR PUBLICLY, UM, TAKING A STAND AGAINST THIS BEFORE. GO AHEAD AND FINISH. I AM HERE AS A COMMUNITY MEMBER, AND I'M ASKING THAT YOU CONTINUE TO PROTECT US AND DON'T NEGLECT US. UM, IT IS MORE THAN HALF A MILLION OF UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS THAT LIVE IN THE CITY. [00:30:02] I WANNA ASK THE MAYOR OF HOUSTON, JOHN MEYER, TO PLEASE GRADE A REAL PLAN THAT PROTECTS OUR COMMUNITIES AGAINST THIS ANTI-IMMIGRANT BILLS. LIKE AS BEFORE I WAS A VICTIM OF THIS SYSTEMS THAT OPPRESSED OUR PEOPLE. I WAS DEPORTED. UM, AND I WAS SEPARATED FROM MY FAMILY. EVEN THOUGH THIS WAS 29 YEARS AGO. IT STILL AFFECTS US STILL THIS DAY. THIS IS THE REALITY THAT MANY LIVE. UM, EVEN AS WE'RE STANDING HERE AND WE'RE SPEAKING HERE, UM, THIS HAPPENS EVERY DAY IN HOUSTON. THAT'S WHY I'M HERE TO ASK AND DEMAND THAT, UM, YOU ALL CREATE A PLAN THAT WILL ACTUALLY PROTECT THIS, UM, UNDOCUMENTED FOLKS AND IMMIGRANTS AGAINST US BEFORE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR COURAGE TO, TO COME FORWARD AND THANK FOR YOUR, UH, SUPPORT GROUP MEMBERS FOR BEING WITH YOU. THANK YOU, MA'AM, FOR YOUR TRANSLATION. AND, UM, WE UNDERSTAND THE SERIOUSNESS OF THIS MATTER. COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ, COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, UM, JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT I, YOU KNOW, APPRECIATE HER COURAGE TO BE HERE. UM, IT'S NOT A, AN EASY CONVERSATION TO HAVE. SB FOUR IS SOMETHING THAT, THAT IS IMPACTING COMMUNITIES, UM, ACROSS, ACROSS THE STATE, UH, PARTICULARLY HERE IN HOUSTON, UM, WHEN WE HAVE, UH, HAVE MADE STRIDES IN, IN TRUST WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT. UH, I WAS WITH THEM ABOUT AN HOUR AND A HALF AGO, UM, AS THEY WERE DOWNSTAIRS, AND I WAS SHARING WITH THE MAYOR THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S FOLKS THAT ARE, ARE WANTING TO BUILD TRUST WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT, BUT THESE TYPES OF, UH, STATE LAWS, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY DO HINDER A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON. AND SO, YOU KNOW, AS I MENTIONED TO YOU EARLIER, MARLENE, I ASKED THAT YOU HAVE COMPASSION AND HUMANITY TOWARDS ALL OF US. SO I JUST, I DIDN'T WANNA SPEAK FOR YOU, MAYOR, BUT YOU KNOW, I, I WANNA LET HIM KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S COMPASSION DEFINITELY COMING FROM YOU AS WELL WHEN WE HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND FOR THE RECORDS. SINCE I WAS IN THE SENATE WHEN THIS LEGISLATION PASSED, I NOT ONLY VOTED NO, BUT SPOKE AGAINST IT. AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND I ALSO THANK YOU FOR YOUR COURAGE AND ALSO THANK EVERYONE STANDING WITH YOU TODAY FOR THE WORK THAT THEY DO. UM, MAYOR, WE MAY HAVE SEVERAL SPEAKERS TODAY JUST LOOKING AT THE TOPIC SPECIFICALLY ON SB FOUR. UM, NOT JUST THE DISCRIMINATORY INTENT OF IT, BUT THE IMPACT THAT IS IT IS HAVING ON OUR FAMILIES HERE IN HOUSTON, I BELIEVE, AND I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE MAYOR, YOU STANDING WITH THE COMMUNITY IN OPPOSING SB FOUR. I BELIEVE YOU'VE MADE, UM, SOME REALLY CRITICAL STATEMENTS, UH, PREVIOUSLY, AGAIN WITH THE CONFUSION OVER THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SB FOUR. UH, IT MAY BE HELPFUL IF YOU'RE COMFORTABLE RIGHT NOW OR LATER JUST REITERATING WHAT YOU HAVE SAID THAT THE CITY'S POSITION IS, ESPECIALLY AS IT RELATES TO, UM, LAW ENFORCEMENT AND NOT FORCING PEOPLE BACK INTO THE SHADOWS, UH, PROTECTING OUR FAMILIES AND KEEPING THEM SAFE. AND, AND, UH, THAT JUST MAY BE HELPFUL GIVEN THE CONTEXT OF FOLKS COMING TODAY. WELL, CERTAINLY, IT'S, IT'S BEING HELD UP AT THE FIFTH CIRCUIT, SO IT'S NOT AN IMPLEMENTATION. SO YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE UNUSUAL ANXIETY. YOU CERTAINLY SHOULD BE CONCERNED MONITOR IT, AND ALL OF US BE AWARE OF THE LEGISLATION. IT IS, I NEVER IT, IN MY JUDGMENT, IT'S VERY UNCONSTITUTIONAL, [00:35:01] UH, UNWORKABLE. YOU COULDN'T DO WHAT IT CALLS FOR. AND, UH, I JUST THINK AT THIS POINT IN TIME, WE, WE WATCH IT THROUGH THE COURTS, BUT, UH, IT'S HASN'T CHANGED ANYTHING. CERTAINLY, UH, IN MOST AREAS OF THE STATE, QUITE FRANKLY. UH, IF YOU TALK TO STATE LEADERSHIP, I WOULD SUGGEST MOST ANYONE THAT'S INFORMED KNOWS THAT IT'S UN UNCONSTITUTIONAL. IT'LL WORK ITS WAY TO THE US SUPREME COURT. AND THEN WE'LL JUST HAVE TO, UH, MONITOR IT VERY CAREFULLY. AND, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, YOU'RE CORRECT. UH, IT DOES UNFORTUNATELY DIVIDE THE COMMUNITY. AND, UH, WHAT WE'RE ABOUT AT CITY HALL IS UNITING OUR COMMUNITY. AND SO I THINK YOU CAN HAVE SOME COMFORT IN THAT. IT SHOULD NOT IN REALITY CHANGE PROCEDURES OR, UH, OPERATIONS OF CITY GOVERNMENT. BUT THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. OKAY. IT'S SOMETHING WE SHOULD BE SENSITIVE TO MONITOR AND, UM, I'M GONNA WATCH THE COURTS VERY CAREFULLY, BUT THANK YOU FOR HAVING THE COURAGE TO BE HERE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. YEAH, BE SAFE. OKAY, BYE-BYE. NEXT, MARIA TRUJILLO. OKAY. YOU ALL ALREADY KNOW WHY WE'RE HERE, BUT I'LL BE QUICK AND JUST STATE OUR CLEAR DEMANDS. WE KNOW THAT YOU, UH, MANY OF YOUR ALLIES AND THAT YOU HAVE VERBALIZED AND MADE PUBLIC STATEMENTS AGAINST US BEFORE. BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT WHEN THERE ISN'T WRITTEN POLICY AND GUIDANCE, UM, IT'S HARD TO PROTECT OUR COMMUNITIES WITHOUT THOSE THINGS. UM, SO THAT'S WHY WE ARE HERE TO DEMAND AND ASK AN EXECUTIVE ORDER BY THE MAYOR DECLARING THAT SP FOUR IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL, ANDFOR UNENFORCEABLE, AND THAT YOU OFFICIALLY REQUEST THAT HPD CREATES AN EXPLICIT STANDARD OF REASONABLE SUSPICION FOR APPROACHING INQUIRY AND PROBABLE CAUSE FOR ARREST UNDER SB FOUR THAT PROTECTS OUR PEOPLE FROM RACIAL PROFILING, PROFILING, AND DEMONSTRATES THAT THE LAW IS UNENFORCEABLE. WE ASK THAT, UH, THE MAYOR ALSO OFFICIALLY REQUEST THAT HPD IMPLEMENTS AND ENSURES THAT ALL OFFICERS ARE IMPLEMENTING SITE AND RELEASE PROGRAM AS MANY PEOPLE ARE FALLING THROUGH THE CRACKS BECAUSE NOT ALL OFFICERS ARE IMPLEMENTING THIS PROGRAM. UM, I AM A COMMUNITY MEMBER. I AM A MOTHER. I AM A WIFE. I LIVED IN THIS COUNTRY AS AN UNDOCUMENTED WOMAN AS WELL. AND YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. I AM HERE TO SEND ALONGSIDE WITH MY F FAMILY, WITH MY PEOPLE, UM, TO ASK FOR ACTUAL POLICIES THAT WILL PROTECT US. UM, AND THAT YOU TAKE THE LEAD AS THE MAYOR OF HOUSTON TO BE OUR CHAMPION, NOT ONLY AGAINST US BEFORE, BUT AGAINST ANY FUTURE LEGISLATION THAT MAY COME OUR WAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT TEVIN ENGLISH. GOOD AFTERNOON TO THE COUNCILORS AND MAYORS CITY OF HOUSTON. UM, I WANNA ECHO WHAT MY, UH, COMRADES HAVE HAVE SAID ABOUT SB FOUR. UM, YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW BY LOOKING AT ME, BUT SB FOUR AFFECTS ME, AFFECTS MY FAMILY, AFFECTS THE PEOPLE THAT I KNOW AND LOVE AND CARE ABOUT. UM, SO I WANNA STAND IN SOLIDARITY. I WANNA STAND AND ADVOCATE, UH, FOR STRONGER POLICIES AROUND SB FOUR. UM, I COMMEND WHAT YOU'VE, WHAT YOU'VE DONE SO FAR, WHAT YOU'VE SAID, AND THE, THE STANCE THAT YOU'VE TAKEN. UM, I THINK THAT'S VERY BRAVE OF, OF YOU IN TEXAS. UM, BUT WE DO NEED STRONGER POLICIES. WE NEED SOMETHING TANGIBLE, SOMETHING THAT CAN BE ENFORCED AND, UH, A STANDARD THAT, UH, THAT WE CAN RELY ON, THAT WE KNOW THAT OUR COMMUNITY IS, IS SAFE, AND THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ABLE TO GO OUT IN, IN, IN HOUSTON AND SHOP AND, AND, AND BE SAFE AND, UM, AND NOT LIVE IN THAT FEAR. SO, UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR STANCE. WE NEED MORE. UM, AND I ALSO WANNA STAND IN SOLIDARITY WITH MY LABOR BROTHERS AND SISTERS, UM, AND THEIR ASK FROM THE CITY. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE. AND WE WE'RE, WE'RE HOPING THAT Y'ALL ARE THE CHAMPIONS THAT WE NEED. THANK YOU. ONE SECOND. COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. THANK YOU MAYOR AND TEVIN. IT'S, IT IS ALWAYS GOOD TO SEE YOU. AND, UM, THE TEXAS ORGANIZING PROJECT. WE HAVE WORKERS' DEFENSE. YOU, YOU GUYS KNOW THAT I STAND WITH YOU, UM, ON THIS ISSUE. I'VE BEEN FIGHTING, UM, IMMIGRATION REFORM SINCE I STARTED ORGANIZING, UM, BACK IN 2004 FIVE. AND SO, UM, FOUGHT WITH YOU TO END, UM, ICE AND POLICE COLLABORATION TWO 80 IN 2 87 [00:40:01] G. AND SO WE DID A LOT OF, UM, WORK IMPLEMENTATION OF SITE AND RELEASE. SO THERE'S A LOT OF PROTECTORS, UM, POLICIES IN PLACE TO PROTECT, UM, THE, UM, IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY. AND SO JUST KNOW THAT I STAND WITH YOU ON WHATEVER WE CAN DO TO ADD FURTHER PROTECTION. I SUPPORT THAT. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNSEL. THANK YOU, SIR. NEXT, KATIE MEZA. HI, MY NAME IS KATIE MEZA AND I REPRESENT THE IMMIGRANT LEGAL RESOURCE CENTER, ALONG WITH THE REST OF THE HOUSTON LEEDS, UH, IMMIGRANT RIGHTS COALITION. UM, I SPEAK HERE TODAY AS OTHERS HAVE BEFORE ME TO REPRESENT THE TRUE CULTURE OF HOUSTON, A PLACE THAT'S WELCOMING TO IMMIGRANTS, BUT HOUSTONIANS, LIKE ALL TEXANS, ARE BEING BETRAYED BY OUR STATE LEADERSHIP WHEN THEY PASS ANTI-IMMIGRANT LAWS INTENDED TO TEAR APART OUR COMMUNITIES GOING AGAINST OUR BEST INTERESTS. THESE LAWS DO NOT BENEFIT ME OR ANYONE ELSE HERE TODAY. UM, AS LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIALS, PLEASE USE YOUR PLATFORMS TO PROTECT YOUR CONSTITUENTS AND AMPLIFY OUR VOICES. UH, FORTUNATELY I DON'T HAVE TO FEAR BEING DIRECTLY AFFECTED BY THIS LAW, BUT I FEAR THE EFFECTS ON MY FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS AND CALL ON YOU, UM, TO STAND FOR THAT. AS BEFORE, WE'LL ONLY INCREASE DANGEROUS POLITICAL THEATER ACROSS TEXAS AND CREATING A RACIST AND UNCONSTITUTIONAL STATE LEVEL DEPORTATION SYSTEM. SO I URGE YOU, MAYOR WHITMEYER, AND THE REST, REST OF CITY COUNCIL TO PLEASE, UH, DEMAND THAT HPD CREATE AN EXPLICIT STANDARD OF REASONABLE SUSPICION AND OTHER PROTECTIONS, UM, TO ENSURE THAT OUR COMMUNITY IS PROTECTED FROM THIS LAW. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. NEXT. LINDSEY WILLIAMS. HI. I HAVE, UM, SOME INFORMATION JUST TO PASS AROUND THAT, THAT'S ACTUALLY, UH, DATA THAT'S GONNA BE REALLY HELPFUL AND PROVIDE SOME CONTEXT TO WHAT WE'RE, WHAT I'M GONNA SPEAK ABOUT. UH, THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME SPEAK TODAY. MY NAME IS LINDSEY WILLIAMS AND I'M PRESIDENT OF SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 64 AND 88 GREATER EASTWOOD LAWNDALE AND WAYSIDE. I'M ALSO THE PRESIDENT OF THE EASTWOOD CIVIC ASSOCIATION AND THE TRAINS COMMITTEE CHAIR I'VE ALREADY SPOKEN TO OR EMAILED MANY OF YOU, AND I'M FAMILIAR WITH COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ, ALCORN RAMIREZ, AND DAVIS. AND I'M HERE TO DISCUSS OUR FAVORITE SUBJECT IN THE EAST END TRAINS. FOR YEARS, I'VE BEEN TIRELESSLY ADDRESSING THE PRESSING ISSUE OF TRAINS BLOCKING INTERSECTIONS IN OUR COMMUNITY. THE EAST END AND SOUTHERN PORTION OF FIFTH WARD ARE CRISSCROSSED BY FIVE RAILROAD LINES LEADING TO FREQUENT AND SIGNIFICANT STOPPAGES. YEAR AFTER YEAR, RESIDENT SURVEYS CONSISTENTLY RANK TRAIN BLOCKAGES AND NOISE AS THE TOP CONCERNS UNDERSCORING THE MATTER'S URGENCY. IN 2011, THE EASTON REQUESTED A QUIET ZONE FOR THE GALVESTON SUBDIVISION AND REQUEST THAT IS YET TO BE FULFILLED. MEANWHILE, THE GREATER HEIGHTS, RICE MILITARY AREAS, NEIGHBORHOODS WITH ONLY ONE TRAIN LINE SUCCESSFULLY SECURED A QUIET ZONE ALONG WASHINGTON CORRIDOR AND THREE GRADE SEPARATED CROSSINGS, INCLUDING ONE FOR BICYCLES. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. GO AHEAD AND FINISH THE HEIGHTS. BOS FOUR GRADE SEPARATIONS WITHIN A TWO MILE STRETCH, WHILE THE EAST END ONLY HAS FIVE IN ITS ENTIRETY. DESPITE BEING BURDENED BY THE VAST MAJORITY OF FREIGHT RAIL TRAFFIC, THE STARKLY ILLUSTRATES THE UNEQUAL DISTRIBUTION OF INFRASTRUCTURE ON THE GALVESTON SUBDIVISION RAIL LINE. WHEN THE TRAIN IS STOPPED, IT BLOCKS ALL NORTH SOUTH TRAFFIC FOR NEARLY THREE MILES. AND THIS BLOCKAGE HAPPENS FOR MOST OF LOCK FOR MOST RECENTLY FOR LOCKWOOD AT THE GALVESTON SUBDIVISION ON FRIDAY, WHICH WAS A BLOCK OF FOUR HOURS DURING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC, WHEN CHILDREN HAVE TO WALK HOME FROM SCHOOL, THE RESULT WAS DOCUMENTED, AMBULANCES THAT WERE REROUTED AND THEREFORE DELAYED BY THE TRAINS CHILDREN IN THEIR DETERMINATION TO GET TO AND FROM SCHOOL, STILL CRAWL THROUGH TRAINS TO GET TO SCHOOL, RISKING THEIR SAFETY. HGAC PREDICTS FREIGHT RAIL TRAFFIC TO INCREASE BY 200% THROUGH THE HOUSTON COMPLEX IN THE NEXT 30 YEARS. PLANNING FOR SECURING FUNDING AND BUILDING GRADE SEPARATIONS, WHICH IS REQUIRED IN THE EAST END, TAKES MANY YEARS. ALL THE WHILE OUR POPULATION IS STILL MULTIPLYING THE EAST RAIL DIS EASTERN DISTRICT RAIL SAFETY TASK FORCE, LED BY JACK HANNA GRIFF, OF WHICH I'M A MEMBER, IS WORKING THROUGH STUDIES AND SAFETY ACTION PLAN PREPARATION. AND IN THEIR LAST MEETING, THE GULF COAST RAIL DISTRICT NOTED THAT THEY'RE WORKING ON BUILDING CASES FOR ADDITIONAL GRADE SEPARATIONS AND HAVE IDENTIFIED 10 PRIORITY INTERSECTIONS IN THE EAST END, WHICH WOULD PROVIDE THE RELIEF NEEDED. WHAT WE NEED IS COOPERATION FROM THE CITY FOR COUNCIL. AND YOU MAYOR, I'D REALLY LIKE FOR YOU TO UNDERSTAND THE SEVERITY OF THE TRAIN SITUATION IN THE EAST END. WE CONTINUE TO FEEL LIKE WE'RE ON THE BACK BURNER REGARDING NEEDING INFRASTRUCTURE EVEN WHILE THERE'S FEDERAL GRANTS AVAILABLE. VERY GOOD. MEMBER ALCORN, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, THANK YOU FOR COMING AND THANK YOU FOR THIS INFORMATION AND THANK YOU FOR KEEPING YOUR FOOT ON THE GAS ON THIS ISSUE. UM, MAYOR, YEAH, IT WOULD BE GREAT TO GET, I MEAN, [00:45:01] WE KNOW ABOUT THE FEDERAL MONEY, 38 MILLION THAT'S COMING FOR SOME OF THE GRADE SEP SEPARATIONS, BUT I THINK THERE IS MORE MONEY. I'D LIKE TO GET SOME KIND OF COMPREHENSIVE LOOK AT WHAT GRANTS WE'RE GOING FOR, UH, THAT WILL RELATE TO THE RAIL AND, AND YEAH, THE, I'M SURE IT'S PART OF THAT TASK FORCE THAT Y'ALL ARE DECIDING. I MEAN, I, I WANNA, IT'S PART OF IT. MAKE SURE WE'RE GOING AFTER ALL THE GRANTS WE CAN POSSIBLY GET. NO, THE CITY HAS NOT APPLIED FOR ANY GRANTS FOR FUNDING FROM THE BIL INFRASTRUCTURE LAW IN THE LAST TWO, THE LAST THREE, THE LAST THREE YEARS. UM, AND I DO KNOW THAT IN THE 2025 FRA BUDGET, THEY LITERALLY LISTED THE EAST END. WE GOT, OUR NEIGHBORHOOD GOT A CALL OUT IN THEIR BUDGET FOR BEING THE WORST IN THE UNITED STATES FOR FREIGHT RAIL CONGESTION. SO WE ARE LISTED IN THE FRA BUDGET ALREADY AS SOMETHING TO IDENTIFY AND MITIGATE. SO WE JUST, THERE'S JUST NO PLAN. THERE'S NOTHING TO SUBMIT FROM THE CITY. VERY GOOD. YOU SAID THAT'S OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, SO I THINK I'VE BEEN HERE 116 DAYS, GIVE OR TAKE. WE'LL MAKE IT A TOP PRIORITY. I HAVE WORKED WITH YOUR CONGRESS PERSON AND EVEN YOUR STATE LEADERSHIP, AND NOW WE'LL TAKE IT UP HERE AT COUNCIL TO, UH, HAVE A GROWNUP DISCUSSION ABOUT WHAT CAN AND CANNOT DO. IT NOT ONLY AFFECTS RESIDENTS, IT AFFECTS FIRST RESPONDERS. I COULD GO ON AND ON. IT'S AMAZING WHY THIS HASN'T BEEN MORE OF A NATIONAL ISSUE. UH, BUT THE, UH, RAILROADS OBVIOUSLY HAVE TREMENDOUS INFLUENCE, UH, DEPENDING, AND IT PROBABLY SHOWS IT DOESN'T, DOESN'T MATTER WHAT ADMINISTRATIONS THERE, THEY'VE JUST BEEN ABLE TO OUTLIVE THE ISSUE. SO ANYWAY, WE'LL TAKE IT UP. MARTINEZ. COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. BY THE WAY, COUNCILMAN AND COUNCILMAN ALCORN, WE'LL WORK TOGETHER ON THAT ONE. COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, AND JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT, UH, A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT LINDSEY AND THE EAST END HAS DONE OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, I THINK. BUT FOR THEM, WE WOULD NOT HAVE RECEIVED SOME OF THOSE DOLLARS, UH, TO DO THE GRADE SEPARATION. UM, I THINK WHEN MY PREDECESSOR WAS HERE WITHIN THE FIRST YEAR OR TWO, MEDIA, MEDIA, MEDIA, NOTHING WAS HAPPENING. AND THEN ONCE WE STARTED GETTING A LOT OF THE DATA, AND THEN OF COURSE, THE WORK THAT JACK GRAPH, UH, WAS DOING, UH, WE WERE ABLE TO ACTUALLY PRESENT A, A, UH, FUNDABLE, UH, GRANT APPLICATION. AND SO THAT'S WHERE THE, YOU KNOW, 30 PLUS MILLION DOLLARS WENT TOWARDS. THERE IS A APPLICATION THAT I WAS MADE AWARE OF. UH, IT'S A CHRISSY GRANT, UH, THAT'S OFF OF LONG MACOW AND GRIGGS, SO DEFINITELY WANNA KEEP TRACK OF THAT. HISTORICALLY, THERE WAS FOLKS IN PUBLIC WORKS. I, I DON'T BELIEVE THEY'RE WITHIN, WITHIN, UH, PUBLIC WORKS ANYMORE, THAT WERE MANAGING A LOT OF THESE GRANTS. SO I DEFINITELY WOULD LIKE TO CONNECT WITH, WITH THOSE INDIVIDUALS, MAYOR, UH, WITHIN YOUR TEAM TO SEE WHO'S MANAGING THOSE GRANTS NOW, UH, BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF MONEY ON THE TABLE RIGHT NOW THAT WE COULD DEFINITELY USE IN THE EAST END SPECIFICALLY, BUT OF COURSE, EVEN THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE CITY OF HOUSTON, I KNOW DISTRICT B UH, H UH, YOU KNOW, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO HAS A MCREYNOLDS ELEMENTARY THAT, OR YEAH, ELEMENTARY THAT NEEDS PEDESTRIAN ACCESSIBILITY AS WELL. SO IT'S, IT'S SOMETHING THAT, AS YOU MENTIONED JUST A BIT AGO, IT'S, UH, SHOULD BE, UH, UH, NATIONAL ATTENTION, ESPECIALLY SINCE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE REPORTING SO MUCH, UH, BLOCKAGE IN THE EAST END. YEAH, THE CITY, THE EAST END, UM, MONTH OVER MONTH, YEAR OVER YEAR IS, IS THE WORST IN THE UNITED STATES. AND CHICAGO WAS QUOTED AT CONGRESS IS SAYING THAT THEY DON'T WANNA BE ANOTHER HOUSTON. ARE YOU SEEKING MOSTLY A, A GRADE SEPARATION? WHAT WOULD BE A PROPOSAL THAT WOULD OH, WE'RE GONNA NEED, WE'RE GONNA NEED GRADE SEPARATIONS BECAUSE OUR, UM, YOU SAY WHAT GRADE SEPARATIONS? WE DEFINITELY NEED GRADE SEPARATIONS. UM, BARRING ANY MAJOR LEGISLATION THAT CAN BE PASSED IN THE, IN THE, AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, THERE'S NOTHING ELSE WE CAN DO WITH THE TRAINS. UH, IDEALLY THEY WOULD SHORTEN, BUT, UM, THAT'S PROBABLY NOT GONNA HAPPEN WITH THE, WITH THEIR, WITH THEIR FEDERAL, WITH THEIR RULES. I WONDER IF ANYBODY'S EVER APPROACHED METRO ABOUT LOOKING NOT ON BEHALF OF WHAT THEY DO TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT WHAT THEY COULD DO FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD. AND THIS MIGHT BE COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ SAY, YEAH, NO, ACTUALLY A REAL GOOD EXAMPLE. AND, AND MAYBE A REAL GOOD USER FRIENDLY PURPOSE FOR METRO TO LISTEN TO THE RESIDENTS AND, AND MAYBE NOT BE ABLE TO PRODUCE EVERY INCIDENT, BUT, UH, CERTAINLY COULD GO ONE AT A TIME WITH A HIGHER PRIORITY BEING LISTED. UH, I'LL, I'LL TAKE THAT UPON MYSELF TO TALK TO METRO TO, UH, EXAMINE THESE CROSSINGS. SEEMED LIKE A GREAT USE OF SOME OF THEIR ACCUMULATED FUNDS. SURE. THANK YOU MA'AM. NEXT, BRANDON SPEARS. BRANDON SPEARS, LAUREN HUDSON. [00:50:07] HI EVERYONE. I'M LAUREN HUDSON, SVP AND CHIEF DIVERSITY OFFICER FOR COMCAST. I'M PLEASED TO JOIN YOU ALL TODAY FOR A SPECIAL AFTERNOON HERE IN HOUSTON. AND THANK YOU FOR HAVING US AT COMCAST. WE WANNA SUPPORT THE BUSINESSES AND THE BIG IDEAS FOR INNOVATION THAT ARE BURSTING AT THE SEAMS. AS OF THIS VERY CITY, WE'VE SEEN AND SUPPORTED THE POWER OF THE VIBRANT SMALL BUSINESS COMMUNITY NATIONWIDE THROUGH COMCAST RISE, AN INITIATIVE CREATED IN 2020 TO HELP STRENGTHEN AND EMPOWER SMALL BUSINESSES HARDEST HIT BY THE PANDEMIC. SINCE THEN, COMCAST RISE HAS AWARDED 13,500 SMALL BUSINESSES WITH MORE THAN 125 MILLION AND MONETARY MARKETING AND TECHNOLOGICAL GRANTS. MORE THAN 1,200 TOTAL RISE GRANTS HAVE BEEN AWARDED TO SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES RIGHT HERE IN TEXAS THROUGH THE COMCAST RISE PROGRAM TO HELP THESE BUSINESSES AND THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS NOT ONLY SURVIVE, BUT THRIVE OVER THE PAST FOUR YEARS. AS THE WORLD HAS EVOLVED, SO HAS THE PROGRAM AND WE HAVE COMMITTED TO CONTINUING TO SUPPORT AND POWER AND STRENGTHEN EVEN MORE SMALL BUSINESSES AND ENTREPRENEURS AT THE HEART OF OUR LOCAL COMMUNITIES AND HELP BUSINESSES AND THEIR LOCAL COMMUNITIES THRIVE. THIS YEAR IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS, COMCAST RISE WILL OFFER YEAH, TIME HAS, GO AHEAD. A TOTAL OF $500,000 IN GRANTS, ALONG WITH TECHNOLOGICAL MAKEOVERS, MARKETING ASSISTANCE, COACHING SESSIONS, AND EDUCATION RESOURCES. IN 100 HOUSTON AREA AREA BUSINESSES, WE KNOW CAPITAL COMPUTERS AND TECHNOLOGY ADVERTISING AND BUSINESS HEAVY SKILLS ARE NECESSARY FOR ENTREPRENEURS TO TAKE THEIR BUSINESSES TO THE NEXT LEVEL. AND THAT'S WHY COMCAST IS HERE TO HELP APPLICATIONS OFFICIALLY OPEN ON OUR WEBSITE@WWW.COMCAST RISE.COM, ON MAY 1ST THROUGH MAY 31ST. AND LASTLY, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR THE TIME TODAY, AND WE HOPE THAT YOU WILL HELP US IN SPREADING THE WORD ABOUT COMCAST RISE FOR YOUR SMALL BUSINESSES WITHIN THE HOUSTON COMMUNITY. THANK YOU FOR THE TIME TODAY. THANK YOU, MA'AM. UH, MAYOR PROTE CASTEX TATUM. UH, LAUREN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE TODAY. THANK YOU TO THE ENTIRE COMCAST TEAM. UM, WE KNOW THAT THE LAST, UM, TIME COMCAST DID THIS PROGRAM. IT WAS EXTREMELY SUCCESSFUL HERE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. UM, MANY OF OUR SMALL BUSINESSES WERE ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF, UM, NOT ONLY THE GRANT DOLLARS, BUT THE EQUIPMENT THAT WAS AVAILABLE AND THE COACHING THAT'S AVAILABLE, THE MARKETING THAT'S AVAILABLE, AND WE KNOW THAT IT IS SMALL BUSINESS WEEK. UM, SO WE APPRECIATE THE TREMENDOUS SUPPORT FROM COMCAST FOR THESE ENTREPRENEURS. UH, WHEN OUR SMALL BUSINESSES DO WELL, OUR COMMUNITIES DO WELL, OUR CITIES DO WELL. SO WE APPRECIATE ALL OF THE EFFORTS THAT YOU, YOU ALL HAVE PUT FORTH, UM, TO HELP US. GOVERNMENT CAN'T DO THIS WORK ALONE. WE NEED THESE PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS. UM, ARE THERE ANY, UH, FLYERS OR ANY DOCUMENTATION THAT WE CAN PUT IN OUR NEWSLETTERS IF WE CAN GET THOSE TO SHARE? UM, IN OUR MAY NEWSLETTERS, WE WANNA ENCOURAGE OUR SMALL BUSINESSES TO APPLY AND WE WANNA CELEBRATE THE ONES THAT RECEIVE THIS, THIS GRANT, UM, FROM COMCAST RISE. THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE TODAY. THANK YOU, MAYOR PROTON. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. THANK YOU, UH, ECHOING OUR APPRECIATION, UH, TO COMCAST, THE ENTIRE TEAM, AND A, A SPECIAL WELCOME TO JESSICA BACK TO CITY HALL. IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU. UH, I, I TOO WANTED TO THANK YOU NOT ONLY FOR WHAT Y'ALL ARE DOING AS IT PERTAINS TO SMALL BUSINESSES AND CONNECTIVITY, BUT WHAT WE SAW THROUGH THE PANDEMIC WAS, UH, THE DIGITAL DIVIDE, RIGHT? AND WITH THE FEDERAL DOLLARS THAT CAME IN, UM, AND THE AFFORDABLE CONNECTIVITY PROGRAM, I KNOW THAT THAT IS SHORTLY ENDING, BUT COMCAST, I BELIEVE, HAS BEEN STEPPING UP IN OTHER WAYS TO HELP RESIDENTS STAY CONNECTED. UH, WHETHER IT'S CHILDREN THROUGH EDUCATION, WHETHER IT'S PARENTS WHO ARE WORKING OR A A SINGLE, INDIVIDUAL, INDIVIDUAL, WHOEVER IT IS, THOSE NEEDS REMAIN. UH, CAN YOU ALL JUST BRIEFLY SHARE WHAT COMCAST IS DOING TO MAKE SURE, UH, THAT AFFORDABILITY CONTINUES AS WE CONNECT? ABSOLUTELY. SO WE HAVE A LONGSTANDING PROGRAM CALLED INTERNET ESSENTIALS. UH, SO THAT IS ONE WAY THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT, UH, THE DIGITAL DIVIDE. THE OTHER, WHICH WAS A REALLY SPECIAL MOMENT THIS MORNING AS WE OPENED THE KINGWOOD COMMUNITY CENTER LIFT ZONE. SO WE HAVE, UM, OUR COMMUNITY WIFI CENTERS, WHICH OFFER DIGITAL SKILL BUILDING WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, IN ADDITION TO ACCESS TO WIFI, UM, FREE WIFI IN SERVICES. WE HAVE A LITTLE OVER, UM, 1,250 THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES. AND RIGHT HERE IN THE, IN THE GREATER HOUSTON AREA, WE HAVE 53 LIFT ZONES. TERRIFIC. WELL, AGAIN, THANK YOU. I JUST WANT THE PUBLIC TO BE AWARE OF ALL THAT COMCAST IS DOING, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO BRIDGE THAT DIVIDE. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. THANK YOU. I WANNA TALK ABOUT MY INTERNET BILL. I'M JUST PLAYING . WE'RE GONNA TALK, WE'RE GONNA TALK, [00:55:01] WE CAN TALK, BUT NO, IN ALL SERIOUSNESS, I REMEMBER WHEN, WHEN THIS WAS RELEASED DURING THE PANDEMIC AND HOW INTENTIONAL COMCAST WAS TO MAKE SURE, UM, SMALL BUSINESSES THAT DID NOT HAVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE TO MAINTAIN AND TRANSITION TO DIG THE DIGITAL WORLD, UM, TO SUPPORT THEM. SO I WANT TO TELL YOU, THANK YOU. UH, UH, I WANNA SAY MORE THAN 11 SMALL BUSINESSES WERE AWARDED IN DISTRICT F. AND I REMEMBER, UM, THERE WAS EVEN A DENTAL OFFICE IN THE DISTRICT THAT WAS AWARDED, AND, UM, I REMEMBER SOME OF THE FEEDBACK OF THE RECIPIENTS ON HOW MEANINGFUL THIS WAS, UM, AND REALLY FORCED THEM TO THINK ABOUT HOW THEY HAVE A NEW MODEL OF BUSINESS NOW THAT THEY HAVE THOSE ADDITIONAL FUNDS. SO I WANNA, UH, THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND THEN IF YOU CAN'T, IF YOU KNOW ELECTRONICALLY, SEND ALL OF THIS INFORMATION SO WE CAN PUSH THIS ON THE STREET. ANY OPPORTUNITY TO SUPPORT OUR SMALL BUSINESSES, UH, MICRO BUSINESSES WITH THREE OR FIVE EMPLOYEES, WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT RESIDENTS HAVE EVERY, EVERY TOOL AVAILABLE TO BE SUCCESSFUL. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMITMENT. WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT THAT INTERNET BILL A LITTLE BIT LATER. BUT YEAH, THANK YOU. YOU GOOD? COUNCIL MEMBER INGER, THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT. SORRY I WASN'T ABLE TO MAKE THE EVENT UP IN KINGWOOD TODAY AS I WAS AT THE BUDGET MEETINGS. UH, APPRECIATE EVERYTHING Y'ALL HAVE DONE. UH, Y'ALL BEEN VERY RESPONSIVE AND DEALING WITH ISSUES IN KINGWOOD, AND I THINK, UH, THAT'S GOT ITS OWN UNIQUE CHALLENGES IN PUTTING IN UTILITIES. AND I KNOW Y'ALL HAVE BEEN VERY RESPONSIVE. IN FACT, UH, JUST WAS WORKING WITH A ISSUE WITH NICK HERE IN THE LAST COUPLE DAYS THAT HE'S BEEN HELPFUL WITH. AND THANKS FOR PROVIDING LUNCH FOR ALL THE VOLUNTEERS AT OUR BOPA EVENT. SO AGAIN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MA'AM. THANKS. NEXT, ISAAC , SORRY, UH, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. I ASK WHY YOU STILL DON'T CALL FOR A CEASEFIRE IN PALESTINE? EVERY WEEK THIS GETS IGNORED. SCORES OF CHILDREN, MOTHERS, FATHERS ARE KILLED, AND THE REMAINING ARE LEFT TO STARVE. TIME STILL PUSHES ON, BUT FOR SOME REASON, THE QUESTION IS WHAT NUMBER IS TOO HIGH? UH, 100,000. WE ARE AT 30 5K IN SIX MONTHS WITH MOST OF THEM WOMEN AND CHILDREN. WE'LL KEEP PRESSING EVERY WEEK UNTIL THOSE LIVES ARE RECOGNIZED, UNTIL THE FAMILY MEMBERS I'VE LOST PERSONALLY AREN'T SEEN AS NUMBERS OR UNFORESEEN TRAGEDIES, EVEN FROM A FINANCIAL PERSPECTIVE. I ASK WHY OUR MONEY GOES TO A FOREIGN ENTITY TO BOMB MY FAMILY WHEN THOSE FUNDS COULD BE DIRECTED TO OUR LIVES HERE AT HOME. THE $10 MILLION HOUSTON INVESTS IN ISRAELI BONDS COULD GO A LONG WAY FIXING THE DAM ROADS LIKE RICHMOND , OR HELPING THOSE WHO ARE HOUSELESS. SO I ASKED THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL TO CALL FOR A CEASEFIRE IN GAZA TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS, UH, TO NOT ENFORCE SB FOUR AND REINVEST IN HOUSTON WITH THE 10 MILLION THAT CURRENTLY GOES TO ISRAEL. I'D APPRECIATE A RESPONSE. THANK YOU. NEXT, CLIFFORD PEW. MAYOR WHITMEYER, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR DELAYING THE FIRST PHASE OF THE MONTROSE BOULEVARD DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR FURTHER STUDY. AND I WANNA OFFER SOME SIMPLE COMMON SENSE SOLUTIONS THAT I HOPE, UH, YOU AND OTHERS WILL CONSIDER. UM, RIGHT NOW THE PLAN CALLS FOR 10 FOOT WIDE SIDEWALKS ON EACH SIDE OF MOST OF THE BOULEVARD FROM ALLEN PARKWAY TO WESTHEIMER. FRANKLY, THAT WOULD WIPE AWAY VIRTUALLY EVERY TREE. BUT IF THE CITY INSTALLS BRAND NEW SIX FOOT WIDE SIDEWALKS THAT ARE A DA COMPLIANT, THAT ALONE WILL SAVE JUST ABOUT EVERY TREE CURRENTLY ON TROS BOULEVARD. AND YOU CAN HAVE A WALKABLE AND SHADED TROS ALMOST IMMEDIATELY WHEN THAT HAPPENS. AND MIX IN SOME NEW TREES. IF YOU WANT WITH THE OLD ONES, YOU WILL HAVE THAT CANOPY EVEN BETTER. UH, WITH SIX FOOT SIDEWALKS, YOU DON'T HAVE TO NARROW THE MEDIANS. SO THE TREES, THERE ARE SOME OF THE BEST HISTORIC TREES WILL THRIVE, AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO NARROW THE LANE. SO WHEN AMBULANCES ARE GOING TO THE MEDICAL CENTER, THEY'LL BE ABLE TO GET THERE FASTER. WE CAN RAVE MONTROSE BOULEVARD, WE CAN ADD SIDEWALKS, OTHER SAFETY FEATURES AT A MUCH LOWER COST THAN THE PROPOSED PROJECT CALLS FOR. RIGHT NOW, THE PROJECT FROM ALLEN PARKWAY TO WESTHEIMER IS A WHOPPING $52 MILLION. THAT'S 35 MILLION THAT'S NOT EVEN FUNDED RIGHT NOW. THE TIME, UH, THE TIME WHEN THE CITY IS BROKE MM-HMM . WE DON'T NEED TO BE SPENDING THAT MUCH MONEY. I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. YOU LIVE ON MONTROSE BOULEVARD? I'M SORRY? DO YOU LIVE ON THE BOULEVARD? NO, BUT I LIVE IN MONTROSE. I'VE LIVED THERE FOR 40 YEARS. I LIVE RIGHT OFF AT RICHMOND AND, UH, GROUSE STARK. SO NOT THAT FAR, BUT I'VE WALKED UP AND DOWN MONTROSE, VERY FAMILIAR WITH BOULEVARDS MOST OF MY LIFE. YOU, YOU ALSO SOUND LIKE YOU WOULD MAKE A GOOD TOURS BOARD . ANYWAY, THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I APPRECIATE [01:00:01] THAT. THANKS FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU, AUGIE. KEHE. GOOD AFTERNOON. OVER THE NEXT SIX MONTHS, A COMBINED $5.5 TRILLION SPENDING POWER WILL ACCESS THE CITY'S AIRPORTS, RESTAURANTS, BARS, PARKS. AND FOR A CITY THAT JUST SAID A COUPLE WEEKS AGO THAT IT'S GOING BROKE, HOW DO WE CAPITALIZE ON THIS? WHAT DO WE DO? WE EMBRACE OUR NATION'S FAVORITISM. THAT'S CAPITALISM. WE HAVE MCDONALD'S, WE HAVE BURGER KING, WE HAVE WHATABURGER. AND IF YOU LIKE ME FROM DISTRICT D, YOU HAVE SPARK A BURGER . BECAUSE WHAT DOES, WHAT DOES, WHAT DOES CAPITALISM NEED? IT NEEDS COMPETITION. THAT'S WHAT BREEDS ELEVATED SERVICES AND PRODUCTS. STARTING MAY 2ND THROUGH THE FIFTH, THE REAL BLACK PRIDE HOUSTON SPLASH, WHICH BEEN COMMUNITY FUNDED FOR OVER TWO DECADES, KICKS OFF THE, THIS STATE'S LARGEST, LONGEST PRIDE SEASON, TALKING SIX MONTHS HERE OF PRIDE SEASON. SO ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS EMBRACE THE NINE LOCALLY FUNDED PRIDES, THE NINE LOCALLY HOSTED PRIDES AS A PRIDE FOR ALL Y'ALL. COME TO TEXAS, COME TO THE HOUSTON AREA, USE OUR AIRPORTS, USE OUR BARS, USE OUR RESTAURANTS, AND, AND REJECT ANY THEORIES OF SEPARATIST TACTICS THAT CONSUMERS DO NOT LIKE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MA'AM. NEXT, JASMINE COTTON MC. WHEN I WAS IN FIFTH GRADE, ARIZONA PASSED ITS, SHOW ME YOUR PAPERS LAW. I REMEMBER WATCHING THE NEWS WITH MY PARENTS AND A SINKING FEELING FALLING OVER ME. FEAR. I FEARED WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN IF A SIMILAR LAW GOT PASSED HERE AT HOME IN TEXAS. MY MOM IS A US CITIZEN. SHE UNDERSTANDS ENGLISH PERFECTLY AND BUT STRUGGLES TO SPEAK IT AND WOULD STRUGGLE EVEN MORE IF PUT IN A STRESSFUL SITUATION LIKE BEING STOPPED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT. I FEARED WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN IF WE WERE STOPPED WHILE TAKING A, A WALK. WOULD SHE BE TAKEN AWAY FROM ME IF THEY OVERHEARD US SPEAKING SPANISH? THIS WAS MY FEAR IN FIFTH GRADE, NOT THE DARK, NOT TOMORROW'S HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT, BUT WHETHER OR NOT MY MOM WOULD BE TAKEN AWAY BY A RACIST MISUNDERSTANDING. I WAS NOT ALONE IN MY FEAR THEN. AND MORE THAN A DECADE LATER, I AM NOT ALONE IN MY FEAR. NOW, ABOUT A QUARTER OF LATINO CHILDREN IN THE US HAVE AN UNDOCUMENTED PARENT. AND THIS LAW WON'T JUST AFFECT THEM. IT WILL AFFECT US ALL. A SOCIETY CAN'T FUNCTION WHEN ITS FAMILIES ARE SEPARATED, WHEN ITS FAMILIES LIVE IN FEAR. HOW CAN WE BE PROUD TO BE MEMBERS OF THE MOST DIVERSE CITY IN THE US WHEN THAT VERY DIVERSITY IS USED AGAINST US? A SOCIETY BASED ON FEAR IS NOT FREE. A SOCIETY BASED ON FEAR ISN'T HOUSTON. SO PLEASE STOP THE FEAR AND PLEASE ISSUE AN EXECUTIVE ORDER AGAINST THE ENFORCEMENT OF SB FOUR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MA'AM. NEXT, LINDA MORALES. GOOD AFTERNOON. LINDA MORALES WITH THE GULF COAST AREA LABOR FEDERATION. UH, WE HANDED A BLUE FOLDER EARLIER AND A CANDLE. UH, COUPLE OF THINGS, UH, BEFORE I START. WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR ANTI SB FOUR COMMENTS. UH, WE TOO STAND IN SOLIDARITY WITH OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS. UH, MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR ESTABLISHING THE LABOR COMMITTEE, UH, AND HAVING, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS CAYMAN AND MARTINEZ LEADING. WE KNOW THAT IN YOUR YEARS OF SERVICE WORKING MEN AND WOMEN MATTER TO YOU. AND SO WE THANK YOU, SIR. OUR LABOR FEDERATION REPRESENTS 92 AFFILIATES, 60,000 WORKERS, AND EACH YEAR ON WORKERS' MEMORIAL DAY, APRIL THE 28TH, WE GATHER TO REMEMBER THE WORKERS WHO HAVE BEEN INJURED AND KILLED ON THE JOB. EACH DAY, MORE THAN 340 WORKERS ARE KILLED MORE THAN 6,000, SUFFER INJURY AND ILLNESS BECAUSE OF THE DANGEROUS WORKING CONDITIONS THAT ARE PREVENTABLE. AND BECAUSE OF THIS, WE RESPECTFULLY ASK THAT THIS BODY CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING LANGUAGE THAT WAS IN YOUR FOLDERS, UH, THAT AWARDEES OF CITY PROJECTS BE REQUIRED TO ENSURE THAT ALL INDIVIDUALS, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. GO AHEAD, LINDA. THANK YOU, SIR. PERFORMING PROJECT WORK HAVE COMPLETED 10 HOURS OF OSHA CERTIFICATION, AND AT LEAST ONE ONSITE SUPERVISOR WITH 30 HOURS, UH, OF OSHA CERTIFICATION. IN 2019, THE CITY OF [01:05:01] HOUSTON HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COORDINATED, COLLABORATED WITH US AND COMMUNITY PROJECTS TO IMPLEMENT NEW WORKER, UH, PROTECTIONS. THAT SAME LANGUAGE AS YOU SEE ON THAT FLYER INSIDE YOUR FOLDER AS WELL. UH, COMMISSIONER'S COURT, UH, RECOGNIZED WORKFORCE PROTECTIONS BY ESTABLISHING AN INITIATIVE TO PROVIDE HARRIS COUNTY CONTRACTORS WITH FREE OSHA TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION FOR WORKERS AS WELL AS HARRIS HEALTH. UH, SAME LANGUAGE WAS INCLUDED IN THE BOMB THAT WAS RECENTLY PASSED. PREVENTING INJURY, ILLNESSES AND DEATH AT WORK, RESTORE DIGNITY, SAVE LIVES, AND IMPROVE, UH, LIVELIHOODS AND REDUCE BURDENS ON FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES. THAT, AND IT MUST BE A PRIORITY ON THIS WORKER'S MEMORIAL DAY. THANK YOU FOR CONSIDERING THE PROPOSED LANGUAGE. AND TONIGHT WHEN YOU, BEFORE YOU LAY YOUR HEAD AND CALL IN THE, CALL IT AN EVENING, TURN ON THAT CANDLE THAT WE PROVIDED TO YOU AS A RE REMEMBRANCE OF ALL THOSE WHO HAVE LOST THEIR LIVES ON THE JOB. AND TOGETHER, SIR, LET'S WORK TO MAKE WORK AREA SAFE AGAIN, THANK YOU SO MUCH. APPRECIATE YOU, APPRECIATE EVERYONE OF YOU SAFE. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR CAYMAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, LINDA, I KNOW WE HAVE SEVERAL SPEAKERS ON THIS, BUT I ALSO WANNA JUST THANK ANY AND ALL WORKERS WHO ARE NOT JUST IN THE AUDIENCE TODAY, BUT LISTENING, UH, AND THOSE THAT ARE ON WORK SITES AND AREN'T ABLE TO LISTEN TODAY. UH, WHILE WORKERS' MEMORIAL DAY WAS ON APRIL 28TH, AS YOU SAID, IT'S NEVER TOO LATE, UM, TO HONOR AND HAVE A DAY OF REMEMBRANCE. UH, AND I WANNA PUBLICLY EXPRESS FIRST AND FOREMOST MY GRATITUDE FOR THE TIRELESS WORK THAT EACH OF YOU DO IN ADVOCATING, UH, FOR UNIONS AND WORKERS IN HOUSTON. AND YOU ARE REPRESENTING THE SILENT HEROES IN CONSTRUCTION, UH, THAT ARE KIND OF THE CORNERSTONE OF OUR ECONOMY. AND, UH, WORKPLACE SAFETY REGULATIONS HAVE COME A LONG WAY THANKS TO UNIONS, BUT WE CERTAINLY HAVE A LOT OF WORK THAT STILL NEEDS TO BE DONE. UH, SO I PERSONALLY, AGAIN, AS CHAIR OF LABOR MAYOR, UH, WANT TO THANK EVERYONE WHO IS SPEAKING OUT TODAY AND EVERY DAY ON THIS SUBJECT. UH, AND I WILL TAKE A LOOK AT THIS. AND I KNOW MY VICE CHAIR IS EXTREMELY INTERESTED AS WELL. OUR VICE CHAIR SHOULDN'T SAY MINE. OUR VICE CHAIR, EXCUSE ME, IS EXTREMELY INTERESTED AS WELL. UM, BUT WE, WE HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO. WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO. APPRECIATE YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER LINDA, UH, MARTINEZ. YES. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, LINDA, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED, UH, YOU KNOW, SUPPORT, BUT ALSO FOR YOUR ACTIVISM AS WELL WITHIN THE, THE LABOR COMMUNITY. UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S AS, AS, UH, YOU KNOW, MY, MY CHAIR FOR LABOR, LABOR RELATIONS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE DEFINITELY EXCITED AND TO BE ABLE TO HELP SERVE YOU ALL. I KNOW, AS YOU MENTIONED, THERE'S ALREADY SOME POLICIES, SOME ORDINANCES THAT WERE PUT IN PLACE. MM-HMM . LOVE TO SEE HOW WE CAN STRENGTHEN SOME OF THOSE. UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT, LOT THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO DO TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, WORKING FAMILIES, YOU KNOW, GET WHAT THEY DESERVE, RIGHT? ABSOLUTELY. ESPECIALLY IF THEY'RE THE ONES THAT ARE BUILDING OUR CITY. SO, UH, JUST KNOW THAT WE'RE, WE'RE HERE IN SUPPORT OF WHAT YOU'RE, WHAT YOU'RE BRINGING TO THE TABLE. UH, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE DEFINITELY REMEMBER ALL THOSE THAT HAVE PASSED. YES. UH, BECAUSE OF THOSE, THOSE, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, LACK OF RIGHT, LACK OF, UH, YOU KNOW, POLICIES, LACK OF LAWS THAT, THAT CAN PROTECT WORKERS. SO JUST WANNA SAY AGAIN, JUST THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. KNOW THAT WE ARE WITH YOU AND WE STAND WITH YOU AS WELL. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABA. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU, LINDA. IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO SEE YOU AND REALLY APPRECIATE THE ADVOCACY AND ACTIVISM THAT YOU DO ON BEHALF OF THE LABOR FORCES IN THIS CITY. THANK YOU, MAAM. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. APPRECIATE YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, LINDA. CONTINUE. NEXT. BRI C CASTILLO. HMM. OVER. GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND MAYOR. I AM RICKIE CASTILLO. I AM THE DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT INTERNATIONAL UNION OF PAINTERS AND ALLY TRADE DISTRICT COUNCIL TEAM. UM, JUST KIND OF LIKE WANNA TURN OUT A LITTLE BIT AS, AS WE RISE AND DRESS FOR WORK EACH MORNING, THE THOUGHT THAT IT MIGHT BE, OR LAST DAY RARELY CROSSES OUR MINDS. WE FOLLOW A ROUTINE OF EATING, SLEEPING, WORK, AND REPEAT. BUT THEN THERE ARE THOSE UNEXPECTED TRAGIC DAYS WHEN A MISHAP OR ACCIDENT SHATTERS EVERYTHING WE KNOW. IT'S SUDDEN JAREN AND AN UNIMAGINABLE JET. IT HAPPENS. UNFORTUNATELY EVERY DAY. OVER 340 INDIVIDUALS LOSE THEIR LIVES DUE TO UNJUST WORKING CONDITIONS. THEIR FUTURE NEEDLESSLY CUT SHORT. THIS YEAR WE HONOR MIGUEL LUNA FROM EL SALVADOR, AL FROM HONDURAS, ALEJANDRO FERNANDEZ, FUENTES FROM MEXICO, AND ORLENE RON FROM GUATEMALA, AMONG THE OTHER SIX WORKERS WHO TRAGICALLY [01:10:01] PERISHED IN THE COL OF THE FRANCIS SCOTT KEY BRIDGE IN MARCH 26TH IN BALTIMORE, MARYLAND. LATINO WORKERS, I'M SORRY, GO AHEAD. LATINO WORKERS PARTICULARLY FACE DISPROPORTIONATE RISK WITH 64% OF WORKPLACE FATALITIES AFFECTING THEM. THE STRUGGLES OF WORKERS HIGHLIGHT THE URGENT NEED FOR FAIR AND COMPREHENSIVE LEGISLATION TO PROTECT OUR WORKERS, REGARDLESS OF HERITAGE OR ETHNICITY. ESPECIALLY DURING THE SUMMER WHEN EXTREME TEMPERATURES IN THE FIELDS THREATEN THEIR LIVES. IT'S MORALLY REPREHENSIVE THAT LATINO WORKERS CONTINUE TO SUFFER FROM INADEQUATE PROTECTIONS AND SYSTEMIC INJUSTICE. WE MUST REMAIN STEADFAST AND OR COMMITMENT TO ENSURE WORKERS SAFETY AND RIGHTS. THIS WORKER MEMORIAL DAY, LETS UNITE WITH LABOR TO ADVOCATE FOR EVERY WORKER'S RIGHT TO DO A SAFE JOB. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR COUNCILMAN ALCORN. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU. FOR SAYING THE NAMES OF THOSE WORKERS THAT, UM, PERISHED ON THE, ON THE FRANCIS, UM, KEY BRIDGE. I WAS AT A WEDDING IN NORTH CAROLINA THIS PAST WEEKEND. MY A FAMILY WEDDING. MY COUSINS AND MY COUSIN'S HUSBAND WORKS FOR THAT COMPANY. KNEW EACH OF THOSE MEN PERSONALLY. HE SPOKE AT ONE OF THEIR FUNERALS. THESE WERE GUYS HE SAID THAT WORKED THERE FROM 15 YEARS, DIFFERENT AMOUNT OF YEARS, 10 YEARS, NEVER MISSED A DAY OF WORK, SALT OF THE EARTH, LIKE GREATEST PEOPLE EVER. THEY ALL HAVE FAMILIES. HE DESCRIBED THEIR FAMILIES. THE ONE THAT DID, UM, YOU KNOW, IS SURVIVE, YOU KNOW, HE'S, HE'S OUTTA THE HOSPITAL, HE'S HOME. BUT, BUT, UH, MY COUSIN'S, COUSIN'S HUSBAND SAID, YOU KNOW, WE'LL JUST OBVIOUSLY NEVER BE THE SAME. AND, AND, UM, JUST, I REALLY, UM, APPRECIATE THAT WAS SOMETHING SO, SO, UM, SAD TO ME. JUST HEARING ABOUT ALL OF THEM AND WHAT GREAT WORKERS THEY WERE, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE THAT WAS JUST A HORRIFIC ACCIDENT. UM, BUT I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR SAYING THEIR NAMES. AND WE ALL, UH, REALLY HAVE TO UNDERSTAND HOW DANGEROUS THIS WORK IS. OUR OWN PUBLIC WORKS, PEOPLE THAT WORK ON OUR STREETS, IT'S, IT'S A REALLY DANGEROUS JOB. SO, UM, THANK YOU FOR HIGHLIGHTING THAT AND FOR SAYING THEIR NAMES. I APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU, MA'AM. THANK YOU. NEXT SHIRLEY BRADFORD. I'M SORRY. BOBBY RAMOS. ALMOST GOT AWAY WITH IT. ALRIGHT. UH, HI EVERYONE. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. MY NAME IS BOBBY RAMOS. I'M THE LAINA LOCAL THREE 50 PRESIDENT. UH, WE REPRESENT THE LABORERS HERE IN HOUSTON. UH, IT'S GOOD TO SEE SOME OF YOUR FAMILIAR FACES HERE TODAY. UM, LET'S SEE. SO I'M HERE TODAY TO TALK ABOUT WORKING PEOPLE. UH, THE WORKING PEOPLE THAT FILL THIS GREAT CITY THAT I REPRESENT EVERY DAY HERE. UH, THESE PEOPLE HAVE FOUGHT FOR DECADES, THEIR PARENTS, THEIR GRANDPARENTS, UH, GENERATIONS TO CONTINUE FIGHTING FOR, UM, THE SAFETY THAT THEY ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO HAVE WHEN IT IS TIME TO GO TO WORK. UM, FROM THE WORKSHOP FLOORS TO THE CONGRESS HALLS, THEY CONTINUE TO FIGHT. BEING A REPRESENTATIVE OF THESE PEOPLE, THESE WORKING MEN AND WOMEN. I'VE PERSONALLY HEARD STORIES, HORROR STORIES OF EMPLOYERS THAT RETALIATE AGAINST WORKERS THAT SPEAK OUT AGAINST UNSAFE CONDITIONS. UM, THE BLACK, LATINO AND IMMIGRANT WORKERS THAT ARE KILLED ARE DONE AT, AT IT'S AN ALARMING RATE. UH, HEAT, WORKPLACE VIOLENCE, CHEMICAL EXPOSURES, INFECTIOUS DISEASES. THESE ARE ALL DANGEROUS AND UNCONTROLLED HAZARDS THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED EVERYWHERE AT EVERY WORK SITE AS ELECTED LEADERS, UM, WE SIMPLY ASK THAT YOU USE YOUR ELECTED POSITIONS AS A BULLY PULPIT TO CHALLENGE THOSE WHO DO BUSINESS WITH THE CITY TO DO BETTER, TO BE BETTER IN KEEPING OUR MEN AND WOMEN SAFE. UM, TOGETHER ON THIS WORKERS' DAY MEMORIAL, AS WE KNOW IT'S A LITTLE LATE, BUT BETTER LATE THAN EVER, UH, LET'S RAISE OUR COLLECTIVE VOICES TO ELEVATE SAFE JOBS AND PROTECTION FOR ALL. THANK YOU. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN CAYMAN. BOBBY, I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU AGAIN. I KNOW I SPOKE, UH, TO LINDA AS WELL, AND, UH, RICKIE DID A TREMENDOUS JOB. BUT WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE WORKING CONDITIONS AND YOU LISTED OFF JUST A FEW OF THE, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL AND SURROUNDING RISKS THAT, UH, WORKERS FACE EVERY SINGLE DAY, UH, I'M REMINDED THAT WE'RE HEADING INTO SUMMERTIME. IT WAS ALREADY PRETTY, IT'S ALREADY PRETTY HOT OUT. ABSOLUTELY. AND, UH, EVEN LAST YEAR WE HAD THE ISSUE WHERE, UH, OF WATER BREAKS AND THE STATE JUST THE SIMPLE BASIC COMMON HUMAN DECENCY OF A WATER BREAK AND REQUIRING THAT, UM, HAS BEEN PREVENTED OR STOPPED. UH, SO I, I AGAIN SAY I I I'M WITH YOU AND, [01:15:01] UH, WE WILL CONTINUE TO LIFT UP AND SPEAK OUT, BUT WE HAVE SO FAR TO GO WHEN WE'RE LITERALLY JUST TALKING ABOUT WATER BREAKS IN THE MIDDLE OF A TEXAS SUMMER. YEAH. UH, SO AGAIN, THANK YOU. ABSOLUTELY. THAT'S ALL. THAT'S GOOD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU EVERYBODY. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. NEXT. SHIRLEY BRADFORD. HERE SHE GOES. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING TO ALL, AND THANKS FOR GIVING ME THIS OPPORTUNITY. MAYOR. I'M GOING, I WANT, I WANT YOU TO DEAL WITH THIS. I'M HERE TO MAKE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS HUT, TURKEY HUT ON ALAMEDA. MM-HMM. IT'S NOTHING BUT DRUGS AND PROSTITUTION. I LIVE IN THE BLOCK. PASTOR CLUBS. THERE ARE FOUR CLUBS IN A BLOCK AND A HALF, FOUR. HOW DO YOU GET PERMITS FOR THAT? IT'S RIDICULOUS. I MEAN, IT, IT IS BAD. OKAY. AND I'M NOT SAYING IT BECAUSE I'M 86 YEARS OLD. OKAY. I CAN DO WITHOUT HIM. I'VE BEEN THERE FOR 30 PLUS YEARS. IT IS RIDICULOUS. THE MOTORCYCLE RIDINGS AT NIGHT, THREE AND FOUR O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING IN THE STREETS, RACING ON WAGONS WITH MUSIC AND LOUD. I MEAN, WHAT MORE, WHAT SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE. I CALLED THE POLICE ON THIS PAST SUNDAY BECAUSE WHEN I GOT HOME FROM CHURCH ACROSS THE STREETS FROM ME IN MY FRONT, THEY SET UP, THE NOISE WAS GOING. I THOUGHT THEY WERE GETTING READY TO HAVE A PARTY FOR CHILDREN BECAUSE OF THE TENTS AND EVERYTHING. NO. NEXT THING YOU KNOW, THE MUSIC WAS BLASTED. POLICE CAME AND I ASKED THEM, HOW CAN YOU GET A PERMIT FOR THIS? THAT HOUSTON HAS A NOISE, UH, ORDINANCE WHY'S NOT BEING IMPLEMENTED IN, IN, IN ABIDE BY. IT'S RIDICULOUS FOR A, A NEIGHBORHOOD LIKE THAT TO GO DOWN TO THE WOLVES. I WAS THERE WHEN IT CAME ABOUT. OKAY. FINANCE. MOST OF THOSE HOUSES THERE. YOU TELL ME YOUR NAME, I CAN TELL YOU WHERE YOU LIVE BACK THEN. I'M GONNA HAVE TO FINISH THIS. THE, THE, THE, THE JEWS WERE THERE. THEY MOVED TO MARYLAND. THE WHITE BANKS WOULD NOT LOAN THEM MONEY TO BUY THOSE HOMES. THEY WERE FINANCED BY THE FIRST BLACK BANK IN THE STATE OF TEXAS. MY SON'S GRANDDADDY. SO I KNOW ALL ABOUT IT. OKAY? AND TO SEE IT GO DOWN LIKE THIS, THAT'S, THAT'S AWFUL. IT'S A SHAME. IT'S A, IT IS. I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT TO SAY. IT IS FRIGHTENING. PEOPLE WALKING EVERYWHERE. YOU LEAVE YOUR HOUSE, NEXT THING YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY'S COMING DOWN THE SIDEWALK WAITING ON YOU TO, TO DO WHAT YOU GOING TO DO. CAN'T WE DO BETTER THAN THIS? HOUSTON? WE DON'T DESERVE THIS. WE'LL, UH, I'LL TAKE IT UP WITH THE POLICE CHIEF, LET ME ASK YOU, HAVE YOU EVER SPOKEN TO YOUR STATE REP OR STATE SENATOR ABOUT THE TABC? NO. BECAUSE THEY'RE TOO FRIENDLY WITH EACH OTHER. NO, WE NEED TO GO, WE NEED TO GO, WE NEED TO GO TO THE SOURCE. I'M SORRY. WHO'S FRIENDLY WITH WHO? YOU TALKING ABOUT THE STATE REP? THE STATE SENATOR. TOO CLOSE. I'M TALKING ABOUT ALL OF THEM. THEY'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING BUT GETTING CHECKS EVERY MONTH. THAT GOES FOR THE FORMER MAYOR, SHEILA JACKSON AND ALL THE REST OF 'EM. OKAY. ALL OF THEM. EVERY LAST ONE OF THEM, ALL THEY WANNA DO IS TAKE PICTURES AND TALK ABOUT WHETHER THIS AND WHETHER THAT. LET'S NOT WHAT WE HIRED 'EM FOR. THAT'S WHY I SAY I CALL YOUR NAME. 'CAUSE I, YOU, I I'M GONNA MAKE YOU REMEMBER ME TOO. OKAY? YEAH. YOU HAVEN'T NAMED A FRIEND OF MINE YET. I MEAN, THESE PEOPLE, I DIDN'T PAY $500,000 FOR A HOME. MY TAXES EVERY MONTH, EVERY YEAR. $8,000. AND THAT'S NOT A DROP IN THE BUCKET. I TELL YOU WHAT WE'RE, AND I'M SERIOUS, I APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE. AND IT'S MAKING A DIFFERENCE. I PROMISE. WE, WE WILL TALK TO THE AUTHORITIES. PLEASE, PLEASE. AND HOW, BUT REALLY, HOW CAN YOU GET FOUR CLUBS IN A BLOCK AND A HALF? THAT'S WHAT, [01:20:01] YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY DOING? THEY COME READY AND THE POLICEMANS CAN'T DO ANYTHING FOR LOOKING AT THE WOMEN. YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT THE PLACE YOU NEED TO DO THAT SOMEPLACE ELSE. I'M SORRY. I AM SORRY, BUT I'M TELLING YOU THE TRUTH. AND THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO DO. YOU SOUND LIKE YOU LIVE IN A REAL WORLD. I LIVE IN A REAL WORLD. I'M LIKE THAT COMMERCIAL. SAY THIS AIN'T NO GAME. ALRIGHT. I AGREE WITH YOU. IT IS NOT A GAME FROM MY VANTAGE POINT EITHER. SO. WELL, THANK YOU. LET US, UH, BRING IT TO THE CHIEF'S ATTENTION. WELL, BUT IT IS A CITYWIDE ISSUE AS WELL. UH, THE COM WITHOUT PERMITTING THE COMBINATION OF CLUBS AND ALCOHOL, WE NEED SOME JESSE JAMES OUT THERE, MA'AM. WE NEED SOMEBODY, UH, JESSE JAMES. YOU KNOW, THESE PEOPLE RIDING UP AND DOWN THE STREET. I ASKED THE OFFICER SUNDAY WHEN I WAS ON MY WAY TO CHURCH, I SAID, OH, YOU HOLDING IT DOWN, HUH? SHE SAID YES. TRYING TO, I SAID, YOU HAVE A GUN? SHE SAID, NO. I SAID, WELL, YOU CAN'T DO NOTHING BUT RUN AND HOLLER LIKE ME NEXT. RENA DIAZ. I HAD HATE TO HAVE TO FOLLOW HER, BUT SOMEBODY'S GOTTA TRY. NEXT. RENA DIAZ, JUNE SALES. KIM LANIER. CHRISTOPHER FIELDS. CHRISTOPHER FIELDS. HELLO EVERYONE. I JUST WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE MYSELF TO THOSE WHO WAKE UP EVERY DAY ON A MISSION TO MAKE THE CITY A BETTER PLACE. I KNOW YOU GUYS GET ASKED ALL THE TIME. I JUST WANNA SIMPLY WANNA THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY, UM, TO OUR, UH, REPRESENTATIVE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. UM, I WOULD LIKE TO LEAVE AN EXCELLENCE IN SERVICE PEN WITH, UH, SOMEONE HERE FOR YOU, UH, TO MAYOR WHITMEYER. I'D ALSO LIKE TO LEAVE ONE FOR YOU AS WELL, AND TO, UM, MAYOR PRO TEM TATUM, UH, CASTEX CASTEX TATUM. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO LEAVE ONE FOR YOU AS WELL. UH, MY INTENTION IS ONLY HERE TODAY TO INSPIRE EVERYONE, UH, IN THE COMMUNITY. TO KEEP IN MIND GENERATION ALPHA. WE ARE GENERATION Z. SO TO INSPIRE THE NEXT GENERATION TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN COUNTLESS LIVES AND COUNTLESS WAYS AND COUNTLESS PLACES FOR COUNTLESS REASONS. YES, WE HAVE CHALLENGES AND WE WERE, WE WILL FACE MORE DIFFICULTIES, UM, IN THE YEARS TO COME. WE WILL FACE TRAGEDY, FRUSTRATION, FEAR AND DOUBT IN THE YEARS TO COME, AS IS THE CYCLE TO HUMANITY. BUT WITH EVERYTHING WE DEAL WITH ON A DAILY BASIS THAT AFFECTS OUR EVERYDAY LIVES, I WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE TO CHAMPION THE CAUSE FOR INSPIRING THE NEXT GENERATION. AND I HOPE THROUGHOUT THE CITY, UM, THAT MY VOICE ECHOES THROUGH THE CHAMBERS OF TIME, EXCUSE ME, THROUGH THE QUARTERS OF TIME, SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO REMEMBER THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE LOOKING UP TO US. AND YES, WE WANNA BE COMFORTABLE, BUT THERE ARE SOME WHO WON'T, DON'T EVEN REALIZE THE CHALLENGES THAT THEY'RE GONNA FACE. THANK YOU. UM, THE NAME OF OUR FOUNDATION IS WISE UP TO RISE UP. YOU'LL HEAR MY NAME AGAIN, ONLY, UH, AN APPRECIATION. AND I'M GONNA LEAVE THESE WITH YOU, UH, INVITING EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER HERE TO SEEK US OUT TO GAIN MORE INFORMATION, TO SEE HOW WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING, AND THANK YOU FOR SHARING. THANK YOU, SIR. MY PLEASURE. NEXT, NANCY HIGGS. NANCY HIGGS, CHRISTOPHER PALMER. HELLO. GREAT. UH, MR. MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL. UH, I'M HERE TODAY, UH, BECAUSE I'M DISAPPOINTED. UH, MY NAME'S CHRISTOPHER PARMA. I'M A LIFELONG CUSTODIAN WHO LIVES OFF OF MONTROSE BOULEVARD, UH, JUST NORTH OF BUFFALO BAYOU. PERSONALLY, I LOVE WHERE I LIVE. I THE ABILITY TO TAKE A SHORT DRIVE, A WALK OR A BUS RIDE TO ACCESS SOME OF HOUSTON'S BEST NEIGHBORHOODS AND AMENITIES IS TRULY A BLESSING. FOR EXAMPLE, MY WIFE AND I LOVE GOING ON WALKS THROUGH THE HOUSTON'S CROWN JEWEL BUFFALO BAYOU PARK. UH, WE WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO WALK DOWN TO FREQUENT MORE BUSINESSES AND SOME OF OUR FAVORITE SHOPS DOWN IN MONTROSE, BUT IT'S NOT FEASIBLE TO WALK ON BROKEN SIDEWALKS PAST DYING TREES AND THROUGH UN DRAINED PUDDLES. I CAN COUNT NUMEROUS OCCASIONS WHERE MONTROSE BUSINESSES DID NOT RECEIVE OUR PATRONAGE BECAUSE OF THE POOR CONDITION AND REALM AROUND THE BOULEVARD, WE CHOSE TO GO SOMEPLACE ELSE. A VIBRANT [01:25:01] AND LIVABLE NEIGHBORHOOD IS ONE WHERE IT'S SAFE TO WALK AROUND AND CERTAINLY ONE THAT WILL NOT FLOOD IN A HUNDRED YEAR STORM. BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT MONTROSE BOULEVARD IS TODAY. MY PRIMARY ASK THEN IS THAT I URGE THE CITY TO PUSH FORWARD WITH THE MONTROSE BOULEVARD PROJECT IN ITS A HUNDRED PERCENT DESIGN WITH THE COMMUNITY'S DESIRE FOR BETTER DRAINAGE, WIDER SIDEWALKS, AND SAFE PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS. UH, AND IF I, IF I MAY HAVE SOME EXTRA HELP, I'D LOVE TO TALK TOUCH ON THIS SHEPHERD DURHAM PROJECT AS WELL. UH, ADDITIONALLY I'D LIKE TO TOUCH ON THE SHEPHERD DURHAM PROJECT IS RECENTLY I LEARNED THAT THAT REBUILD HAS BEEN PAUSED AND THAT IT'S COMPLETED DESIGN WAS REQUESTED TO BE CHANGED FOR THE WORSE. FRANKLY, THIS IS ASININE. IT'S BAD FISCAL POLICY TO REJECT MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN FEDERAL FUNDS, ESPECIALLY WHEN OUR CITY IS IN A BUDGET CRISIS. FURTHER THROUGH THIS EDICT, THE CITY IS REJECTING PRIVATE DOLLARS AS WELL. UH, MAY I CONTINUE? HAS EXPIRED? THANK YOU, SIR. UM, ENHANCING WALKABILITY SUPPORTS INVESTMENT AND ECONOMIC GROWTH IN OUR CITY. AND THIS PROJECT HAS DRIVEN DEVELOPMENT UP AND DOWN THAT CORRIDOR. HAM CAPITAL WHO SUPPORTED THE PROJECT AT, AT ITS INCEPTION, HAS WARNED OF THE DANGERS OF PAUSING THE PROJECT MIDWAY THROUGH BY THE CITY TURNING ITS BACK ON ITS INVESTMENT PARTNERS. THIS WILL ONLY DETER FUTURE DOLLARS FROM COMING TO OUR CITY. FURTHER, I WANNA STRESS THE REDESIGN BENEFITS THE SAFETY OF ALL USERS OF THE ROAD. SHE UNDER DURHAM, ARE ON HOUSTON'S HIGH INJURY NETWORK. THEY'VE HOSTED NEARLY 1800 CAR CRASHES WITH OVER 600 INJURIES IN THE PAST SIX YEARS. PROJECTS LIKE THIS THAT REDUCE VEHICLE LANES TO A NUMBER MORE FITTING OF THE CITY STREETS ARE PROVEN MESS MEASURES TO IMPROVE ROAD SAFETY. BRING VEHICLE SPEEDS DOWN TO THE SPEED LIMIT, LIKE WAS DONE VERY WELL ON 11TH STREET. AND CRASH RATES WILL GO DOWN FOR ALL USERS. BY PAUSING AND REQUESTING SHEPHERD DURHAM BE SCALED BACK, THE CITY WILL INFLICT FINANCIAL AND PHYSICAL WOUNDS ON ITS CITIZENS. FOR THE SAKE OF MY NEIGHBORS IN THE CITY, I ASK THAT YOU PLEASE PUSH THIS PROJECT FORWARD WITH ITS APPROVED AND SUPPORTED DESIGN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT MILLICENT HOLIDAY. MILLICENT HOLIDAY. PATRICK, OMAHA, OMAN. WELL DONE. UH, EVERYBODY MISPRONOUNCES MY NAME, BUT YOU GOT IT. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. UM, SO MY NAME IS PATRICK OMAN. I'LL ADJUST THE MIC HERE. UH, I LIVE ON HER CAREER NEAR, UM, HER CAREER NEAR 11TH STREET IN THE HEIGHTS. AND TODAY I'M HERE TO SPEAK STRONGLY IN FAVOR OF TWO NEIGHBORHOOD SAFETY PROJECTS AND ESSENTIALLY ESTHER, UM, ECHO OUR LAST SPEAKER. UM, FIRST WE WANNA TALK ABOUT THE SUCCESSFUL 11TH STREET, UM, CALMING PRO, UM, TRAFFIC CALMING PROJECT. UH, PRELIMINARY DATA SHOW THAT SPEEDING CRASHES ARE DOWN. IT'S MUCH EASIER TO CROSS THE STREET FROM MY DAUGHTERS AND I, NOT JUST AT NICHOLSON, BUT THROUGHOUT THE CORRIDOR AS WELL. AND DRIVERS ARE ACTUALLY RESPECTING PEDESTRIANS. SO PLEASE DON'T WASTE OUR TAX DOLLARS ROLLING BACK THAT PROJECT. UM, SECOND, I'M JUST MADE THAT THE CITY HAS DELAYED THE SECOND PHASE OF THE SHEPHERD DERHAM IMPROVEMENT PROJECT. UM, FOR ALL THE REASONS THAT MR. PARMA MENTIONED AND MORE, UH, ON THE INCOMPREHENSIBLE GROUNDS OF LANE REDUCTIONS. MULTIPLE STUDIES HAVE SUGGESTED THAT REDUCING THE LANES TO THREE WILL NOT CUT THROUGH VEHICLE THROUGHPUT, BUT WOULD MAINTAIN IT BY MAKING DRIVERS DRIVE IN A SAFER AND MORE ORDERLY FASHION. STREETS SHOULDN'T BE BARRIERS AND IF YOU KEEP THOSE THINGS AT FOUR LANES, IT MAKES IT MORE DIFFICULT FOR ALL OF US TO CROSS THE STREET. FOR EXAMPLE, KIDS CROSSING TO GET THE LOVE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WHERE MY DAUGHTERS GO. SO FINALLY, THIS 11TH STREET INTERVENTION CAN ONLY DELAY THE PROJECT AND IT'S LEADING TO, IT WOULD LEAD TO CROSS TO OTHER RUNS. IT. LET MAY A MINUTE IT FINISHED. I HAVE ONE PARAGRAPH. THANK YOU, SIR. UM, IT LEADS TO COST OVERRUNS AND THREATENS TO TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF FEDERAL AND COUNTY FUNDING. THAT'S TERRIBLE. OR HVAC FUNDING. IT'S REALLY TERRIBLE POLICY WHEN THE CITY FACES A HUGE BUDGET DEFICIT. SO TO PARAPHRASE, SAM RAYBURN, IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT TO BUILD THINGS, BUT IT'S VERY EASY TO DESTROY THEM. BOTH. 11TH STREET AND SHEPHERD DURHAM ARE THE RESULTS OF YEARS OF PLANNING AS WELL AS PAINSTAKING CONSULTATION WITH NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS, LOCAL BUSINESSES, AND ALL SORTS OF DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS. I WROTE LETTERS SUPPORTING THESE THINGS FIVE, SIX YEARS AGO. SO I ASK THAT YOU, MR. MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL, RESPECT THAT PROCESS AND NOT DESTROY IT BY FIAT. SO THANKS FOR YOUR TIME. I'M HAPPY TO DISCUSS THIS FURTHER WITH ANY OF YOU AT YOUR CONVENIENCE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. NEXT, ROBERT CAMPBELL, EDWARD PEPPERONI. THANK YOU COUNCIL. AND UH, MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR WORK YOU DID IN AUSTIN. UM, I SPOKE TO MANY, MANY PEOPLE BEFORE COMING HERE TODAY. I SPOKE TO STATE REPRESENTATIVE JOHNSON WHO URGED ME TO COME TALK TO YOU. [01:30:01] I SPOKE TO CITY ATTORNEY PAUL BARNES WHO SAID THE MAYOR WANTS TO HEAR FROM YOU DIRECTLY. SO WITH THAT SAID, HOUSTON HAS THE NUMBER ONE, WE HAVE MORE HOAS THAN ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE COUNTRY, IN THIS CITY. THERE'S PROBABLY DIFFERENT REASONS FOR THAT. MY CONCERN, AND MAYOR, I THANK YOU FOR THE WORK YOU DID IN PUTTING TOGETHER PROPERTY 2 0 9 BILL AND ALSO 82, WHICH WE REFER TO AS TUKA. THE PROBLEM IS YOU GUYS DID ALL THIS WORK. YOU SPENT A LOT OF TAXPAYERS' MONEY TO PUT THESE LAWS TOGETHER, BUT YOU FAILED TO HAVE AN ENFORCEMENT CLAUSE. THE ENFORCEMENT IS SELF REGULATED. SO IF I WANT TO SUE MY ASSOCIATION, 'CAUSE THEY'RE NOT FOLLOWING THE RULES UNDER TUKA THAT YOU PUT TOGETHER, I HAVE TO GO HIRE AN ATTORNEY, WHICH IS GONNA COST, DOESN'T MATTER IF IT'S A $50,000 UNIT OR A MILLION DOLLAR UNIT, IT'S GONNA COST THAT HOMEOWNER BETWEEN 25 AND $50,000, WHICH MOST PEOPLE DON'T HAVE IN THESE HOA MANAGEMENT COMPANIES WHO ARE IN CAHOOTS WITH SOME BOARDS. THEY KNOW THAT. AND THIS IS HOW THEY SILENCE THE HOMEOWNER. SO I'M ASKING YOU, PLEASE, WE NEED TO ESTABLISH A CITY ORDINANCE OR A COMPLAINT LINE. AND SOMEWHERE WHERE THE CITY CAN ENFORCE THESE RULES, AUSTIN WILL TAKE THEM 10 YEARS TO EVEN THINK ABOUT IT AGAIN. 'CAUSE WE KNOW THEY ONLY MEET EVERY TWO YEARS. SO I ASK YOU FOR ALL HOMEOWNERS, PLEASE SET UP, UH, YOU CAN USE AN EXISTING AGENCY SUCH AS THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE THAT WHERE THEY DO DEEDS OR CREATE A BRAND NEW ONE. BUT WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING TO GET RID OF THE BAD APPLES AND PROTECT THESE HOMEOWNERS. I'VE BEEN A BOARD PRESIDENT AND I CAN TESTIFY. I'VE SEEN IT HAPPEN IN FRONT OF ME. SO IF ANY OF YOU COUNCIL PEOPLE WANT TO TALK ABOUT THIS IN LATER, I'M WILLING TO LEND MY EXPERTISE OR KNOWLEDGE AT NO COST. BUT WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING BECAUSE THESE GUYS ARE JUST, UH, TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF HOMEOWNERS. I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME FOLKS. AND PLEASE. YEAH. THANK YOU. UH, WE HAVE A QUESTION FROM, UH, MAYOR PROM. K SIX TATUM, THANK YOU FOR COMING. I WANNA BE SURE I'M UNDERSTANDING YOUR QUESTION. ARE YOU, ARE YOU IN FAVOR OF THE HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION? ARE YOU LOOKING FOR SOME ENFORCEMENT FOR THE ACTUAL ORGANIZATION OR FOR THE HOMEOWNERS IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS? OKAY. THERE'S, THERE'S TWO TYPES. ONE IS THE HOMEOWNER NEIGHBORHOOD, WHICH IS 2 0 9. AND THEN THERE'S THE CONDOMINIUM, WHICH IS TUKA, TEXAS UNIFIED CONDOMINIUM ACT. AND IN BOTH OF THOSE, THE HOMEOWNER HAS NOWHERE TO COMPLAIN EXCEPT FOR HIRING A PERSONAL ATTORNEY. SO WHAT I'M ASKING IS THAT THE CITY BE THE ENFORCER, MAKE THESE MANAGEMENT COMPANIES DO THE RIGHT THING. PEOPLE DON'T, THEY'RE NOT SITTING ON MONEY WHERE THEY'RE JUST GONNA BELOW IT. AND THIS IS WHY THE MANAGEMENT COMPANIES DON'T DO ANYTHING. 'CAUSE THEY KNOW THE AVERAGE PERSON DOESN'T HAVE THAT KIND OF MONEY TO FIGHT THEM. AND THEN IF THEY DO FIGHT AND THEY WIN, GUESS WHAT? YOUR HOA DUES JUST WENT UP. 'CAUSE NOW YOU GOTTA PAY THE $50,000 OF THE PLAINTIFF'S ATTORNEY. THEN YOU GOT THE HO A'S ATTORNEY, ANOTHER 50 GRAND. THAT'S A HUNDRED GRAND, RIGHT? WHERE, WHERE, I GUESS, I GUESS I WAS JUST TRYING TO SEE WHAT OUR JURISDICTION WOULD BE FOR THOSE HOMEOWNER ASSOCIATIONS. I KNOW THAT, UM, WHEN WE HAD A NEIGHBORHOOD THAT HAD PROBLEMS WITH THEIR HOMEOWNER ASSOCIATION, THEY GOT RID OF THAT, UH, MANAGEMENT COMPANY AND GOT A DIFFERENT, UH, MANAGEMENT COMPANY. SO I I I'M SEEN THAT I GLAD HAPPEN. I'M GLAD BROUGHT YEP. EXCUSE ME. I DIDN'T MEAN TO INTERRUPT YOU, BUT I'M GLAD YOU BROUGHT THAT UP BECAUSE WHEN I WENT TO COUNCILMAN HOFFMAN'S, UH, HOA EXPO, THAT WAS THE BIGGEST COMPLAINT IS HOW DO YOU GET RID OF THESE HOA MANAGERS? YOU CAN'T, THEY RAILROAD THE ELECTION, SO THEIR BUDDIES STAY ON THE BOARD. THEY WANT TO TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR PROPERTY AND THAT'S NOT RIGHT. HMM. SO, WELL, I'VE SEEN SOME NEIGHBORHOODS GET RID OF THEIR MANAGEMENT COMPANY, GET, I UNDERSTAND. COULD GET A, A DIFFERENT MANAGEMENT COMPANY. SOMEBODY STILL HAS TO ENFORCE THE RULES. RIGHT. NO, I AGREE. THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT. THANK YOU. I DEFINITELY, YOU, YOU, YOU PIQUED MY INTEREST. SO THANK YOU. SEE HOW WE CAN HELP YOU. AND I'M AVAILABLE TO ANY OF YOU GUYS WHO, WHO WISH THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I'M NOT BEING RUDE, BUT I GOTTA GO TO THE LITTLE BOYS' ROOM. . THANK YOU. HMM. NEXT, MARTY WILLIAMS. MARTY WILLIAMS, KAREN HENRY, [01:35:04] KAREN HENRY MARK HOLINSKI. THANK YOU COUNSEL MAYOR SUSIE, HOW ARE YOU? UH, PARDON THE MICROPHONE. OKAY. THAT GOOD. UH, MY CONCERN IS, I'M SURE I'M SINGING TO THE CHOIR IS THE DE DEVIATION OF LAW ENFORCEMENT IN THIS COUNTRY. AND WHEN YOU GET INTO A BIG METROPOLITAN AREA, IT'S EVEN WORSE. UM, I KNOW PEOPLE'S, UH, HANDS ARE TIED BECAUSE OF COST, BUT WE'VE GOT TO DO SOMETHING TO INCENTIVIZE LAW ENFORCEMENT TO GET BACK INTO THE GAME. UH, I LIVE NEAR THE RICE VILLAGE AREA NEXT TO A, A MONTESSORI SCHOOL, AND PEOPLE ARE RUNNING STOP SIGNS THERE, OFFICER GARY GREEN. I SAID, GOD, WHAT CAN WE DO? AND HE SAYS, YOU KNOW, OUR HANDS ARE, ARE KIND OF TIED. UM, THEY NEED MORE MONEY. WE NEED MORE POLICE, UH, ACROSS THE STREET WHERE THESE LITTLE KIDS ARE WALKING TO SCHOOL. GUY DECIDES TO MAKE THAT HIS HOME. HE PUTS OUT HIS, UH, YOU KNOW, BLANKET AND SLEEPS THERE. AND AFTER ABOUT A WEEK, FINALLY THE SOUTHAMPTON POLICE COME IN AND, AND, AND RUN 'EM OFF. ANOTHER INSTANCE, A FEW BLOCKS DOWN THE STREET, A LADY WALKS ACROSS THE CORNER OF BIANET AND MORNINGSIDE, SHE PULLS DOWN HER TIGHTS, URINATES. UM, YOU KNOW, IT IS JUST, IT'S ONE THING AFTER ANOTHER. A GENTLEMAN WALKS DOWN THE STREET WITH HIS CART. IT'S GOT ALL HIS BELONGINGS. I'M FEELING SORRY. HEY, JUST DID A DEAL OF COFFEE. WOULD YOU LIKE SOME? HE STARTS SCREAMING AT ME. YOU CAN'T TALK TO ME. I'LL BURN YOUR HOUSE DOWN. SO I THINK THAT IT IS JUST, AS SHIRLEY BRADFORD HAD MENTIONED, WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING TO INCENTIVIZE THE POLICE TO GET BACK IN THE GAME. THAT'S A SPEECH. COUNCILMAN COUNCILOR CAYMAN. THANK YOU. MARK IT. IT'S GOOD TO HAVE YOU. AND, UM, WHEN YOU SPOKE ABOUT, UH, SPEEDING CARS AND ESPECIALLY RIGHT BY THE SCHOOL, UM, I DON'T THINK OUR OFFICE CHECKED. I DON'T THINK WE, UM, HAVE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF WORKING WITH YOU IN THE PAST. BUT IF YOU'LL REACH OUT TO MY, OUR OFFICE, WE DO WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH SOUTH HAMPTON, THE CIVIC ASSOCIATIONS, AS WELL AS RESIDENTS. SO IF THERE'S ALONG THE STREETS, ALONG THE SIDEWALK SAFETY THINGS THAT WE CAN DO, SUCH AS TRAFFIC STUDIES. OKAY. UM, AGAIN, I, I'M NOT SPEAKING TO THE ISSUE REGARDING THE UNHOUSED AND I WANNA BE VERY SENSITIVE TO THAT, BUT YOU RAISED SOME OTHER ISSUES THAT WE CAN ALSO PARTNER WITH YOU ON. SO IF YOU PLEASE FEEL FREE TO REACH OUT TO OUR OFFICE. I THINK MY STAFF DID, UM, CALL TODAY, NOW THAT WE HAVE YOUR CONTACT INFO. BUT WE'RE, WE'RE ALSO HAPPY TO HELP. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND MAYOR, GOOD LOOKING TIE. IT'S ALMOST BURNT ORANGE ALMOST. THANK YOU. UH, COUNCILMAN ALCORN. HI, MARK. GREAT TO SEE YOU. UH, THE, THE FOUR ALCORN CHILDREN HAVE STRAIGHT TEETH BECAUSE OF, UH, DR. MARK HOLINSKI HERE. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT. MARK, I DO WANNA THANK YOU FOR COMING AND, UH, OUR, WE'RE WE'RE IN BUDGET SEASON RIGHT NOW, AND THE POLICE WILL BE COMING FOR THEIR BUDGET WORKSHOP ON MAY 28TH AT THREE O'CLOCK. AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S TIME FOR PUBLIC COMMENT THERE THAT THERE WILL BE GETTING INTO THE NITTY GRITTY OF THE POLICE BUDGET, YOU KNOW, AND WHAT THEY NEED AND WHAT WE NEED TO FUND TO, TO HELP, UM, HELP WITH THE SITUATIONS YOU DESCRIBED. SO, UM, STAY TUNED. AND WE CERTAINLY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE THE RESOURCES THEY NEED TO, TO GET THE JOB DONE AND MAKE OUR STREET SAFER. THANK YOU FOR WHAT ALL YOU CAN DO. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT, LAKEISHA PHY. HELLO, MY NAME IS DR. LAKEISHA PHY. AND, UM, AND THE NAME OF THE SONG MICHAEL JACKSON THAT HE WROTE, HE SAID, WHAT ABOUT US? YOU KNOW, I'M SITTING HERE AND I'M LISTENING TO A LOT OF COMMENTS ABOUT, UM, GROUPS AND AS A DISENFRANCHISED AFRICAN AMERICAN FEMALE BUSINESS OWNER. WHAT ABOUT US? THROUGHOUT THE LAST YEAR, I HAVE BEEN ABUSED BY POLICE OFFICERS THAT ENTERED MY HOME FOR A GENERAL CHECK. I HAVE BEEN SEXUALLY ASSAULTED. NO ONE HAS EVEN LOOKED INTO THE CASE. MY CYBERSECURITY HAS BEEN HACKED, AND I DO HAVE THE SAME COMPANY. THEY GOT UP HERE AND SPOKE ABOUT THE GRANTS THAT THEY'RE GIVEN. COMCAST. COMCAST WAS SUED BY DISTRICT ATTORNEY KAMALA HARRIS [01:40:01] IN CALIFORNIA FOR BEING A MONOPOLY. HAVING A COMCAST NETWORK OVER THE ENTIRE STATE PUTS US IN A POSITION TO BE IMPOSED TO VOTER OF FRAUD BECAUSE ALL OF OUR SYSTEMS ARE SYNCED INTO THAT ONE SPOT. BECAUSE SOMEONE CAN CONNECT TO YOUR DEVICE BY YOUR IP ADDRESS IF THE ENTIRE STATE IS UNDER ONE UMBRELLA. I HAVE BEEN A VICTIM OF THAT SINCE LAST YEAR. I ATTEND, I, I'M AN ADVOCATE IN THE COMMUNITY. I ATTENDED A, AN EVENT, UH, SYLVESTER TURNER. HE WAS SPEAKING, HE WAS THE MAYOR AT THE TIME, AND I WAS SO EXCITED. I GOT AN OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE A PICTURE WITH HIS DAUGHTER. I POSTED IT ON FACEBOOK. IRONICALLY, THE PICTURE JUST DISAPPEARED. AND THAT WAS VERY STRANGE TO ME. BUT LATER ON THE NEXT DAY OF AROUND APRIL THE SEVENTH, APPROXIMATELY ONE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING, I WAS SEXUALLY ASSAULTED. THEN IT APPEARED TO ME WHILE THE PICTURE WAS REMOVED FROM MY PAGE. NOW I FILED POLICE REPORTS AND THE POLICE REPORTS ARE MAKING STATEMENTS AS IF I, THE PERSON THAT'S REPORTING THE INCIDENT, I'M THE ONE LYING. I REPORTED THAT MY CAR WAS STOLEN. IT WAS TAKEN BY A FAMILY MEMBER. AND I'M SITTING HERE WITH THE TITLE TO THE CAR RIGHT HERE IN MY HAND, AND IT HAS MY NAME ON IT. BUT ON THE POLICE REPORT, IT STATES THAT I COMMITTED A FALSE STATEMENT. I WASN'T DRIVING THE CAR. I HAD TO PAY TO GET IT OUT THE TOLL. SO WHY IS IT THAT WHEN I REPORT THINGS TO THE POLICE OFFICERS, TO THE MEDICAL EXAMINER, THAT I REQUESTED A RAPE KIT FOR THAT MEDICAL EXAMINER AT METHODIST HOSPITAL. THE NURSE TOLD ME, WE WANT YOU TO TAKE A PSYCHIATRIC EXAM BEFORE WE COLLECT ANY EVIDENCE. BEFORE THEY DID A RAPE KIT, THEY WANTED ME TO DO A PSYCHIATRIC EXAM. I SAID, I NEED YOU TO COLLECT THE EVIDENCE. AS A SCIENTIST, I KNOW EVERY MINUTE THAT YOU DO NOT TAKE THAT EVIDENCE. IT'S DETERIORATING FROM ME BEING ABLE TO IDENTIFY THE PERSON THAT HAS DONE THIS TO ME. MS. THE NURSE TOLD ME WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO SAY TO THE DEFENSE ATTORNEY. WHY IS A NURSE MS. MENIFEE AT METHODIST HOSPITAL SAYING THAT TO ME? I I, I'M SO SORRY THAT ALL THAT IS HAPPENING TO YOU. AND WE DO HAVE, UM, NOTES AND THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL PEOPLE THAT DIDN'T SHOW UP. I'VE BEEN COUNTING THEM. RIGHT. SO I'M JUST ASKING FOR A FEW MORE MINUTES AND I WANNA MAKE THIS LAST STATEMENT. MS. MEFE, I WANT TO GET SOMEBODY TO HELP YOU. OKAY? OKAY. I MEAN, SO EVERYTHING THAT YOU'RE SAYING, WE, WE HAVE, WE HAVE THE NOTES AND WE KNOW THAT YOU'VE TALKED TO, UH, COMMISSIONER'S COURT. MM-HMM . UM, I'M GONNA HAVE YOU TALK TO RENEE. AND RENEE IF YOU CAN GET HER IN TOUCH WITH, UM, THE POLICE OFFICER THAT CAN TAKE HER INFORMATION SO WE CAN MAKE SURE SHE GETS THE CONTEXT THAT SHE NEEDS. OKAY. AND I JUST, I CAN END WITH THIS 'CAUSE I KNOW THE BELL HAS BEEN HIT TWICE. AND AS A TEACHER, I KNOW WHEN A TOILET BELL RINGS, EVERYBODY IS IN TROUBLE. OKAY. UM, SO NO ONE EVER SAYS THAT MEXICO IS KNOWN FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING. IT'S AN UNDERSTANDING THAT THE TRAFFICKERS AND POLITICIANS WORK AS A TEAM TO MANAGE THE BUSINESS OF DRUG TRAFFICKING. MS. MIN, THEREFORE, WHAT DOES THIS WE'RE GONNA HAVE WHEN A CITY IS KNOWN FOR SEX TRAFFICKING? THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. BRIAN COTTON. BRIAN COTTON. BRIAN COTTON. GO AHEAD, MR. COTTON. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS BRIAN COTTON AND MY PRONOUNS ARE HE, HIM. I'M THE FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT OF HOUSTON'S NEW FACES OF PRIDE. FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW, COUNTLESS PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY HAVE SAID SOMEONE HAS TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT PRIDE. AND A YEAR AGO IT WAS SUGGESTED THAT I WAS THE PERSON. ONCE I DECIDED TO CREATE THE NEW ORGANIZATION, THE FIRST THING I WROTE DOWN IS THAT WE WOULD BUILD A BOARD THAT WAS AS TRULY DIVERSE AS THE CITY IT REPRESENTS. THE SECOND THING WE WROTE DOWN IS THAT WE WOULD BE FINANCIALLY TRANSPARENT. I'VE LOST COUNT OF THE CONVERSATIONS WHERE PEOPLE HAVE ASKED, WHERE IS THE MONEY? WHERE IS THE MONEY GOING? A FINANCIALLY TRANSPARENT BOARD IS SOMETHING WE'VE BEEN MISSING IN A PRIDE ORGANIZATION FOR A VERY LONG TIME. WE ARE DIFFERENT THAN ANY OTHER PRIDE ORGANIZATION BECAUSE WE FOCUS ON UPLIFTING AND HIGHLIGHTING SMALL NONPROFITS FROM OUR COMMUNITY. THIS YEAR WE PICKED TWO LOCAL NONPROFITS TO BE OUR FINANCIAL BENEFICIARIES. TONY'S PLACE AND GRACE PLACE. BOTH OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS FOCUS ON [01:45:01] HOMELESS LGBTQ PLUS YOUTH. UNLIKE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, WE HAVE EVENTS PLANNED THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. WE ALREADY HAVE TWO MAJOR EVENTS PLANNED FOR OCTOBER, A STEM EVENT WITH HP AND AN INCLUSIVE SOCCER CAMP WITH DYNAMO AND DASH. WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ON A FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY CLASS WITH ONE OF THE LARGEST BANKS IN THE COUNTRY. MANY OF YOU HAVE WONDERED WHY WE CHOSE NOT TO JOIN THE OTHER ORGANIZATION OR MERGE OR FIND SOME WAY TO WORK TOGETHER. THE ANSWER IS SIMPLE. THEIR ONGOING, SORRY. UH, THEIR ONGOING HISTORY OF FINANCIAL MALFEASANCE MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE. WE HAVE THREE LAWYERS ON OUR ADVISORY BOARD AND ALL OF THEM BEFORE COMMITTING TO BE INVOLVED, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. GO AHEAD, FINISH. THANK YOU. ALL THREE OF THEM BEFORE COMMITTING TO BE INVOLVED, WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE NEVER PLANNED TO MERGE WITH OR TAKE OVER. PRIOR TO HOUSTON 365, I SAID, NO, THAT WILL NEVER BE THE PLAN. I'M WELL VERSED IN THE FIDUCIARY DUTY AND I WON'T PAY FOR PAST SINS. AND THEY ALL AGREED. MY ASK OF YOU TODAY IS TO SEE WHO WE ARE AND THE IMPACT WE ARE MAKING IN THE COMMUNITY. I INVITE EACH OF YOU TO GET TO KNOW US, COME TO OUR EVENTS, SCHEDULE MEETINGS WITH US, WE WILL GLADLY SHOW UP. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. CASTILLO, UH, COUNCILMAN CASTILLO. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU BRIAN FOR BEING HERE AND FOR SPEAKING TO US AND ALSO PROVIDING INFORMATION. I KNOW, UH, YOU AND I WILL BE GETTING TOGETHER SOON AND I LOOK FORWARD TO THE CONVERSATION AND, UH, TO LEARNING MORE ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION, JUST LIKE YOU MENTIONED. VERY GOOD. YOU ALL HAVE A BOOK WITH OUR FULL STATEMENTS AND MUCH DATA, SO THANK YOU. ONE MORE. COUNCILMAN, COUNCILMAN CAYMAN HAS COMMENTED. EXCUSE ME, MAYOR. SORRY, BRIAN. NO, I JUST, UH, YOU KNOW, WE ALSO, I HAD THANKED, UM, THOSE THAT CAME LAST WEEK MM-HMM . FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTION IN THE COMMUNITY AND EVERYTHING THAT THEY PROVIDE. SO I TOO WANNA JUST EXPRESS MY APPRECIATION FOR EVERYBODY, INCLUDING YOU ALL THAT IS WORKING TO BRING, UM, MORE RELATED TO PRIDE TO OUR CITY. I KNOW THAT THERE, UM, ARE A LOT OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN THE AUDIENCE TODAY THAT ARE NOT SIGNED UP TO SPEAK, BUT HAVE BEEN, UH, IN THIS COMMUNITY DOING THIS WORK. UH, DALTON, I'M LOOKING AT YOU, UH, AND A FEW OTHERS THAT AGAIN, ARE NOT SIGNED UP TO SPEAK, BUT REALLY, UH, HAVE BEEN SO INVOLVED FOR SO LONG. SO I JUST WANTED TO ALSO RECOGNIZE THOSE IN THE AUDIENCE TODAY. THANK YOU. YEAH, DALTON IS WONDERFUL. HE'S ON OUR ADVISORY BOARD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT, KIM STOKES. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR WHITMEYER AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS TIM STOKES AND I'M THE PARLIAMENTARIAN FOR HOUSTON'S NEW FACES OF PRIDE AND A NATIVE HOUSTONIAN. UH, TO ADD CONTEXT TO BRIAN'S REMARKS, UM, DESPITE PREVIOUS MESSAGING TO THIS COUNCIL, OUR AIM IN PRESENTING THIS INFORMATION ABOUT PRIDE 365 TODAY DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A PERSONAL ATTACK OR ATTACK AGAINST ANYONE'S CHARACTER. RATHER, WE OFFER CRITICISM OF AN ORGANIZATION'S CONTINUED INABILITY TO DEMONSTRATE AN UNDERSTANDING OF ITS FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY. I'M GOING TO PRESENT SOME PUBLICLY VERIFIABLE FACTS ABOUT PRE PRIDE 365 FINANCIALS THAT SUPPORT OUR POSITION THAT THE CITY NEEDS AN ORGANIZATION LIKE OURS TO BRING FINANCIAL INTEGRITY, TRANSPARENCY, AND ACCOUNTABILITY BACK TO HOUSTON. LGBT PRIDE. FACT NUMBER ONE, PRIDE 365 HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN TWO LAWSUITS IN THE LAST SEVEN YEARS FOR ALLEGED FINANCIAL IMPROPRIETIES BY MEMBERS OF THEIR BOARD. FACT NUMBER TWO, WHEN NINE 90 TAX FORMS ARE FILED BY A NONPROFIT, THEY'RE PUBLICLY AVAILABLE ON THE IRS WEBSITE. FACT NUMBER THREE, PER THE IRS WEBSITE, PRIDE 365 HAS NOT FILED A NINE 90 TAX RETURN FOR THE YEARS 20 19, 20 21 OR 2022. FACT NUMBER FOUR, THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE RECENTLY REPORTED THAT THE CURRENT PRESIDENT LOANED THE CURRENT PRESIDENT OF PRIDE 365 LOANED $30,000 OF THEIR OWN MONEY TO THE ORGANIZATION. HOWEVER, THERE ARE NO LIABILITIES NOTED IN THE 21 OR 22 STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION. IN FACT, NUMBER FIVE, THE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR 20 21, 20 22, THERE IS AN EXPENSE FOR RENT IN THE AMOUNT OF $25,000. HOWEVER, THIS RENT WAS NEVER PAID TO THE LANDLORD. THE MONTROSE CENTER, AGAIN, THIS IS NOT AN ATTACK ON ANYBODY'S CHARACTER. THIS IS A CRITICISM OF AN ORGANIZATION THAT HAS REPEATEDLY FAILED THE CITY OF HOUSTON. AN ORGANIZATION WHO HAS REPEATEDLY SHOWN TO NOT HAVE FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND, UH, ALSO THANK YOU, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER PAK FOR YOUR SERVICE TO DISTRICT A APPRECIATE IT. GOOD DAY. THANK YOU. NEXT, DONALD, SIMON II, DONALD [01:50:02] CREON LONDO. HELLO, MY NAME IS MEL LORI CREIGHTON. I'M EFFECTIVELY KNOWN AS KAY. UM, I AM A COMMUNITY ADVOCATE. I'M AN EDUCATOR OF 20 PLUS YEARS, AND I'M ALSO A FULL-TIME DOCTORAL STEWARD AT PRAIRIEVIEW A MU UNIVERSITY. AND I AM A BOARD MEMBER OF NEW FACES OF PRIDE. LAST WEEK I WATCHED A VIDEO OF OUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE, SOMEONE WHO I TRULY SUPPORTED STANDING BEFORE YOU, AND WITH CONCERNS OF PARTIALITY BEING SHOWN TOWARDS US. UM, SHE STATED THAT SHE HAD FEAR THAT WE WERE VILLAINIZING BLACK WOMEN. AND I DON'T THINK SHE EVEN LOOKED AT OUR BOARD BECAUSE AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE ARE MULTIPLE WOMEN OF COLOR ON OUR BOARD. AND AS I ASSURE YOU, THAT THAT IS NOT THE REALITY. UH, WE AIM TO PROVIDE SERVICE AND ENRICH OUR COMMUNITY BY BRINGING TOGETHER PEOPLE WITH DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS, CULTURES AND PERSPECTIVES. WE DESIRE TO SEE HOUSTON THRIVE AND DIVERSITY OF EXPERIENCES AND VIEWPOINTS FOSTERS THAT CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION DRIVING PROGRESS AND PROSPERITY. I KNOW THAT WE ARE WORRIED ABOUT FINANCE, BUT PRIDES ALL NINE PRIDES IN OUR COMMUNITY, BRING THAT TO OUR COMMUNITY. UM, AS A MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF NEW FACES, A PRIDE, MY COMMITMENT TO SERVING EVERYONE, UM, IN THE COMMUNITY HAS ENABLED ME TO EVEN INTERACT WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE DIFFERENT FROM ME. AND TOGETHER AS A BOARD, WE'VE LEARNED TO APPRECIATE EACH OTHER'S SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES. AND WE HOPE YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. WE HOPE TO BE AN EXAMPLE OF COEXISTENCE, UM, NOT ONLY FOR PRIDE COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO FOR THE COMMUNITY WITHIN WHICH WE SERVE. UM, MY ACT TODAY IS ONLY THAT YOU SEE IT FOR WHO WE ARE AND NOT FOR WHAT YOU'VE HEARD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MA'AM. NEXT, ANDREA SIMONSON. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR WHITMEYER AND ESTEEMED HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL. I STAND BEFORE YOU TODAY HONORED TO ADDRESS A FEW FAMILIAR FACES OF WHOM I'VE HAD THE PLEASURE OF COLLABORATING ON VARIOUS COMMUNITY INITIATIVES WITH. MY NAME IS ANDREA SIMONTON, AND I USE SHE HER PRONOUNS. I'M HERE TO EMPHASIZE THE CRUCIAL ROLE OF AN INCLUSIVE PRIDE ORGANIZATION THAT PRIORITIZES GRASSROOTS SUPPORT FOR OUR COMMUNITY, NONPROFITS AND BUSINESSES. THE ESTABLISHMENT OF HOUSTON'S NEW FACES OF PRIDE IS IN A DUPLICATION OF EFFORTS, BUT A NECESSARY STEP TOWARDS FOSTERING A MORE REPRESENTATIVE AND SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT. WE FILL A VITAL VOID IN HOUSTON'S PRIDE REPRESENTATION, ENSURING THAT OUR ENDEAVORS ARE NOT MERELY CELEBRATORY, BUT ALSO IMPACTFUL. IN DECEMBER, WEEKS AFTER OUR INCEPTION, WE SAT DOWN WITH OUR 2024 BENEFICIARIES, TONY'S PLACE AND GRACE PLACE, TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF LGBTQ PLUS HOMELESS YOUTH DURING WINTER. I, LIKE MANY OTHERS WHO'VE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF NEVER BEING HOUSING INSECURE, WAS SURPRISED TO FIND THAT THE MOST REQUESTED ITEM FOR HOMELESS YOUTH WAS A BACKPACK, A BACKPACK THAT WOULD GO ON TO CARRY ALL OF THEIR BELONGINGS WHILE THEY SEARCHED FOR A PLACE TO REST THEIR HEAD. THESE ARE THE CONVERSATIONS AND THE WORK THAT ARE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF A PRIDE ORGANIZATION. I'M PROUD TO SHARE THAT WITHIN MONTHS OF OUR INCEPTION, WE SUCCESSFULLY RAISED IF I COULD CONTINUE, UM, $13,000 WORTH OF SUPPLIES FOR THESE ORGANIZATIONS. ADDITIONALLY, WE'VE ORGANIZED SOCIAL HOURS SPOTLIGHTING LOCAL NONPROFITS DEDICATED TO SUPPORTING HOUSTON'S MOST VULNERABLE POPULATIONS. OUR EVENTS AREN'T JUST FUN, THEY SERVE A PURPOSE, AND THAT IS TO GENERATE FUNDS THAT DIRECTLY BENEFIT OUR COMMUNITY. CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, I DO NOT HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU TO RATHER ASK THAT YOU HEAR US, YOU HEAR THE COMMUNITY AND YOU SEE THAT OUR VISION IS A PRIDE THAT CATALYZES EVERY ONE OF US. IF I COULD, I'D LIKE TO FINISH WITH A QUOTE FROM THE HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN, PRESIDENT KELLY ROBINSON, WHOM I'VE HAD THE PLEASURE OF WORKING WITH ON THE BOARD. CHANGE IS IN A HOPE, A WISH, OR A PRAYER CHANGE IS AN ACTION. THANK YOU. ELLA CANTU. ESTELLA CANTU. JESSICA CAMPOS. AISHA AMIN, LEE BRADLEY. GLEN [01:55:01] ADDISON. GOOD AFTERNOON. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK. HAD I KNOWN THIS WAS AVAILABLE IN YEARS PAST, I WOULD'VE FIRST APPROACHED YOU WHEN I HAD BROWN HERE. UM, I'D LIKE TO SHARE A CONCERN WITH YOU. MY NAME IS GLEN ADDISON AND MY WIFE AND I OWN TWO FUNERAL HOMES NORTH OF THE CITY IN MAGNOLIA IN SPRING. I'M HERE TODAY TO QUITE FRANKLY, COMPLAIN ABOUT THE CITY OF HOUSTON REGISTRAR'S OFFICE CONCERNING FETAL DEATH CERTIFICATES AND STILLBORN BABIES. I BELIEVE ONE OF THE MOST TRAGIC LOSSES IS WHEN A YOUNG MOTHER SUFFERS A MISCARRIAGE AT SOME POINT IN HER PREGNANCY AND HAS TO GO TO A LOCAL HOSPITAL TO DELIVER HER STILLBORN BABY. THE VAST MAJORITY OF YOUNG PARENTS THIS DAY AND AGE CHOOSE TO HAVE THEIR STILLBORN CHILD CREMATED. THIS PROCESS IS CURRENTLY DELAYED BY THE CITY OF HOUSTON REGISTRAR BECAUSE THAT OFFICE INSISTS THAT THE FUNERAL HOME SEND A LICENSED FUNERAL DIRECTOR TO THEIR OFFICE TO FILL OUT PAPERWORK IN ORDER TO OBTAIN THE STATE MANDATED CREMATION PERMIT. FOR YEARS, I'VE HEARD THE CITY OF HOUSTON PRIDE ITSELF ON TRYING TO OPERATE IN AS GREEN AWAY AS POSSIBLE, UH, TO CONTROL THE USE OF FOSSIL FUELS, AS WELL AS REDUCE TRAFFIC ON HOUSTON ROADWAYS BY PROMOTING MASS TRANSIT, ET CETERA. AS A RESULT OF THE INFLEXIBLE ARCHAIC RULES OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON REGISTRAR'S OFFICE EVERY DAY, DOZENS OF VERY INEFFICIENT FUEL, UH, ECONOMY VEHICLES THAT BELONG TO FUNERAL HOMES ARE FORCED TO GET ON HOUSTON ROADWAYS AND MAKE THEIR WAY TO THE REGISTRAR'S OFFICE TO COMPLY WITH THE VERY DICTATORIAL AND HEAVY HANDED RULES OF THAT OFFICE. THE PEOPLE THERE WHEN ASKED ON THE PHONE IF THEY WILL SIMPLY EMAIL OR FAX THE FORMS TO US OR ALLOW US TO EMAIL OR FAX THEM SO WE CAN SERVE THIS GRIEVING FAMILY SOONER RATHER THAN LATER. SIMPLY SAY WITHOUT ANY REGARD FOR COMMON SENSE OR COMPASSION. NO, I FEEL LIKE I SPEAK FOR DOZENS OF FUNERAL DIRECTORS ALL OVER THE REGION, THAT THIS NEEDS TO STOP. MAYOR WHITMEYER AND COUNCIL MEMBERS, I KNOW THAT MANY OF YOU HAVE A BUSINESS BACKGROUND, SO IT IS WITH THAT KNOWLEDGE IN MIND THAT I BELIEVE YOU WOULD AGREE THAT IN 2024, THIS IS NOT A GOOD WAY TO DO BUSINESS. I HOPE YOU WILL DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO CHANGE THIS INSANE METHOD OF DEALING WITH CREMATION PERMITS FOR STILLBORN CHILDREN. TODAY I APPEAL TO YOU ON BEHALF OF YOUNG COUPLES WHOSE DREAMS OF PARENTHOOD HAVE BEEN SHATTERED. GOOD TIME HAS EXPIRED. ALMOST DONE. UH, PLEASE STOP THE REQUIREMENT THAT WE HAVE TO GO IN PERSON. THAT'S MY, THAT'S MY REQUEST. OKAY. COUNCILMAN ALCORN. SIR. SIR, SIR, THANKS FOR COMING. I MEAN, THIS IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING I'VE NEVER HEARD OF BEFORE. I DON'T KNOW THE INS AND OUTS OF THE ISSUE, BUT IT CERTAINLY DOES, DOES NOT MAKE SENSE IF, IF THERE'S A WAY TO DO IT WITHOUT HAVING, AND WE DEAL WITH SO MANY REGISTRARS ALL ACROSS THE REGION AND THERE'S, THIS IS JUST, THIS IS THE ONLY CITY THAT DOES IT THAT WAY. IT'S, IT'S INSANE. THANK YOU. NEXT ONE MORE, SIR, SIR. MAYOR, MAYOR, APPROACH. TIM, CAST 16. I WAS GONNA ASK THE EXACT SAME QUESTION. HOW DO OTHER CITIES DO IT AND WHAT RECOMMENDATION DO WOULD YOU HAVE FOR US TO, TO HELP MAKE THIS A BETTER PROCESS? THE VAST MAJORITY WILL ALLOW US, BUT FIRST OF ALL, THE REGISTRAR'S OFFICE HAS ACCESS TO THE FETAL DEATH CERTIFICATE TO STATE COMPUTER SYSTEM. OKAY. THEY HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION IN THE COMPUTER BECAUSE THIS, THE FETAL DEATH CERTIFICATE CANNOT BE COMPLETED UNTIL THE DOCTOR FINISHES THEIR PART AND THEN IT'S DONE. AND THEN THAT'S WHEN WE GET OUR PERMIT. SO WHAT I'M REQUESTING IS THAT Y'ALL INSIST THAT THEY ALLOW US TO FAX OR SCAN AN EMAIL TO THEM, WHATEVER THEY'RE ASKING FROM US, AND THAT THEY IN TURN DO THAT WITH US. WE DO THAT, THAT HARRIS COUNTY MEDICAL EXAMINER, THEY'RE SO EASY TO WORK WITH. I MEAN, THEY, THEY'RE WONDERFUL ABOUT EMAILING DOCUMENTS TO US AND SO THAT WE CAN SERVE THOSE GRIEVING FAMILIES. UH, THIS, IT'S JUST HEART WRENCHING TO PUT FAMILIES AND SAY, WE DON'T KNOW WHEN WE ARE GONNA BE ABLE TO CREMATE YOUR BABY BECAUSE WE'VE GOT TO DESIGNATE A, A FUNERAL DIRECTOR. THEY WON'T EVEN ALLOW US TO SEND A CLERICAL PERSON. THEY INSIST THAT WE SEND A FUNERAL DIRECTOR AND KEEP IN MIND THAT THERE'S A SHORTAGE OF FUNERAL DIRECTORS. SO, AND COMING FROM A LONG DISTANCE LIKE WE DO, UH, IT'S JUST MORE DIFFICULT TO, TO BE ABLE TO HANDLE IT. AND, AND YOU COULD BE IN ANY REGION OF THE STATE IF, IF A YOUNG LADY IS HERE VISITING IN HOUSTON FROM AMARILLO SUFFERS A MISCARRIAGE, YOU CAN IMAGINE THE NIGHTMARE THAT THAT BACK HOME FUNERAL HOME IS GONNA GO THROUGH TO DEAL WITH THIS. SO JUST ALLOWING IT TO BE FAXED OR EMAILED IS WHAT WE'RE REQUESTING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT FORWARD. I DO HAVE A QUESTION FOR OUR CITY ATTORNEY. IS THERE A WAY THAT WE CAN, UM, IMPACT THIS? OR, OR WHO WOULD BE THE RIGHT PERSON TO SAY, CAN YOU JUST ACCEPT A, A FAX OR EMAIL? WHO, WHAT IS THE JURISDICTION FOR THIS CHANGE? I APOLOGIZE, COUNSEL. I READ FAX YOUR EMAIL TO WHO, BECAUSE I SENT THAT THE MENU. I'M SORRY. THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT. JUST CITY OF HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT. YEAH, WHOEVER. SO WE COULD JUST, WE COULD, WE COULD JUST, UM, SAY, SURE. HEY, CITY OF HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT, INSTEAD OF REQUIRING SOMEONE TO COME DOWN PHYSICALLY, CAN YOU ACCEPT A FAX OR EMAIL? I MEAN, I THINK PRES PRESUMING, PRESUMING THAT IT'S SIMPLY AN OPERATIONAL ISSUE, I DON'T KNOW WHY THE HEALTH CAN'T JUST MAKE UNILATERALLY MAKE THE DECISION. THEY DECIDE PRESUMABLY [02:00:01] HOW TO ACCEPT DOCUMENTS AND, AND IN TIMES PAST THE CITY, WE'VE BEEN TOLD THAT THE CITY REGISTRAR HAS MADE THIS RULE. I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG THAT PERSON HAS BEEN IN OFFICE. UH, I'M NOT SURE IF I WAS EVEN TOLD CORRECTLY. WHO'S THE CITY REGISTRAR SECRETARY? THE REGISTRAR FOR BIRTH AND DEATH CERTIFICATES SET. OH, CLERK. OH, OKAY. HEALTH DEPART DEPARTMENT. SO SOMEBODY IN THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT? YES. YES. YES. OKAY. BUT IF OTHER JURISDICTIONS ARE DOING IT, I KNOW THAT IT'S NOT AGAINST THE STATE LAW. OKAY. LET US LOOK INTO THAT AND SEE, I SEE IF WE CAN, IF WE CAN MAKE PHONE. BUT MY OTHER QUESTION IS, IS IT ONLY FOR STILLBORN CHILDREN? YES. IF I DECIDE I WANNA BE PREMED, IT'S TOTALLY, IT'S A TOTALLY DIFFERENT SYSTEM FOR STILLBORN BABIES. IF A BABY TAKES A BREATH AND LIVES ONE MINUTE, THEN IT'S, IT GOES INTO THE SAME SYSTEM THAT YOU AND I WOULD GO THROUGH. OKAY. SO YOU, YOU WANT TO DO THIS, IT'S THE STILLBORN IT, IT'S CALLED FETAL, F-E-T-A-L, FETAL DEATH CERTIFICATES. OKAY. AND, UH, A CREMATION PERMIT FOR STILLBORN BABIES. YES, MA'AM. OKAY. AND THIS ONLY KICKS IN AT RIGHT AT 20 WEEKS OF GESTATION. UH, IF A CHILD IS, IF, IF A WOMAN MISCARRIES AND SHE'S ONLY 18 WEEKS, WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE A PERMIT TO CREMATE THAT BABY. BUT WHEN YOU GET TO 20 WEEKS AND BEYOND, THIS IS WHEN THE ISSUE KICKS IN. OKAY. LET US LOOK INTO IT. OKAY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. AND WE CAN REACH OUT TO SEE IF WE CAN MAKE THAT CHANGE. NEXT. AISHA AM AISHA AMIN. HELLO, MR. MAYOR. AND, UM, EVERYBODY ELSE HERE. UM, I'M HERE, UM, TO DO MY JOB. HOLD, HOLD THE MIC CLOSER. THANK YOU. I'M HERE TO DO MY JOB AND SPEAK OUT FOR ALL THE PEOPLE WHO ARE STILL SITTING ON THE STREET IN CAMPS, STILL STARVING, STILL HEARING BOMBS ALL THE TIME, LOSING THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS, LOSING THEIR LIMBS, LOSING THEIR EYES AND SUFFERING. FOR THE LAST SEVEN MONTHS, I'M DOING MY JOB. COMING UP TO YOU, MR. MAYOR. RE REQUESTING MY REPRESENTATIVES TO SPEAK OUT FOR THOSE PEOPLE. I'M NOT ONLY SPEAKING OUT FOR THE PALESTINIANS WHO ARE SUFFERING THERE, I'M SPEAKING OUT FOR EVERYBODY WHO IS THERE, INCLUDING THE HOSTAGES, INCLUDING THE DOCTORS, MY FRIENDS WHO ARE THERE SENDING US VIDEOS, CRYING THAT THEY HAVE LOST THEIR COMPANIONS, CRYING. THAT THERE IS NO INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THEM TO TREAT ANYBODY EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE GONE THERE TO HELP. AND IT, IT IS VERY HARD TO COME AND TO SPEAK OUT IN THIS COUNTRY WHERE SO MUCH PROPAGANDA. I MEAN, I'M, I'M NOT A PALESTINIAN, I, I DON'T KNOW ALL THE HISTORY, BUT I'M COMING HERE FOR HUMANITY FOR THOSE PEOPLE THERE. AND WHEN I GO OUT ON THE STREET AND I HOLD A, HOLD A SIGN SAYING, PLEASE SUPPORT CEASEFIRE, THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE CURSING AT ME AND SHOWING ME FINGERS BECAUSE ALL THEY HAVE SEEN IS NEWS, WHICH IS TELLING THEM THAT I'M HERE FOR ANTISEMITE, I'M HERE FOR HAMAS. BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M HERE FOR. SIR, I'M, I DON'T KNOW ALL THAT HISTORY TO SUPPORT ANYBODY ELSE BUT THOSE PEOPLE I, I'M SUPPORTING WHAT IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW. NOT WHAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING IN THE PAST. WHAT IS, WHAT THOSE PEOPLE ARE GOING THROUGH FOR THE LAST SEVEN MONTHS AND THEIR FEAR THAT ANYTIME SOON SOMETHING IS GONNA HAPPEN, WHERE THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO GO THROUGH MORE. YOU ARE ALL MY REPRESENTATIVES HAS EXPIRED. OKAY. UM, IT IS JUST A FEW MORE SECONDS. I'M SORRY. FINISH YOUR COMMENT. THANK YOU. I WAS SAYING THAT LAST TIME I WAS HERE, I WAS TOLD THAT SOMETHING WAS GONNA HAPPEN BECAUSE IT'S A FOREIGN MATTER AND SOMEONE HERE WAS GONNA SPEAK TO A HIGHER OTHER OFFICES WHERE FOREIGN MATTERS ARE, ARE HELD. AND I WAS SO SHOCKED AND SO HAPPY I COULDN'T EVEN FINISH MY SPEECH. BUT HOUSTON CITY IS STILL NOT SUPPORTING CEASEFIRE. I'M NOT, I'M JUST REQUESTING FOR SOME SUPPORT FOR ALL OF US WHO ARE SUPPORTING HUMANITY, PLEASE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MA'AM. NEXT, SAMMY FORD. SAMMY FORD, PRISCILLA RAMIREZ. OH, MS. FORD. OH, SAMMY FORD. GOOD AFTERNOON. UH, MAYOR AND PANEL. UH, WE ARE THE FORDS AND WE ARE HERE JUST ONE PERSON AT A TIME, PLEASE. OH, THEY'RE HERE WITH ME. THEY ARE. BUT ONE PERSON, REALLY. ONE PERSON. WELL WE, I'M SPEAKING FOR THEM AS WELL AS MY FAMILY. UH, THEY'RE HAVING ISSUES. MY BROTHER'S A VETERAN AND HE'S ON DISABILITY. WE ARE CONSTANTLY STILL HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH, UM, THIS TAX EXEMPTION. [02:05:01] WE'VE CONTACTED SEVERAL TIMES. UH, THE APPRAISAL COMPANY, THE TAX OFFICE, WE'VE BEEN SHUFFLED, PAPERWORK SHUFFLED BACK AND FORTH. THEY SEND US THE SAME APPLICATION AND I'VE SENT IT TO THEM. UH, WE'VE SENT IT TO THEM SEVERAL TIMES, BUT THEY CAN ONLY TELL ME US THAT UM, IF WE DON'T PAY SOME TAXES OR SOMETHING, THAT YOU'RE GONNA LOSE YOUR PROPERTY. THIS PROPERTY WAS AN INHERITED PROPERTY BOUGHT IN 1925 BY MY GRANDFATHER. SOMEONE'S LIVED THERE ALWAYS. THEY TRIED TO TELL ME THAT, UH, NO, SOMEONE SAID IT WAS ABANDONED. IT HAS NEVER BEEN ABANDONED. MY FAMILY HAS ALREADY BEEN THERE. MY BROTHER IS A HONORED, UH, VETERAN. HE'S ON DISABILITY. THE OTHER ONE THAT WAS ON DISABILITY PASSED AWAY. UH, WE'VE BEEN MADE PROMISES, PROMISES EVEN THROUGH UH, HARVEY AND IKE THAT THE STRUCTURE WOULD, THEY WOULD GET HELP BEING FIXED. HE PASSED AWAY A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO. NOW WE ARE BACK AT THE SAME THING. BUT, UH, WE GOT A LITERATURE FROM A COMMISSIONER SAYING THAT THERE'S FUNDS, THERE'S DOLLARS TO BE SENT AND THEY'RE TRYING TO HELP PEOPLE NOT TO BE HOMELESS, BUT YOU GIVING US THREATS, SAYING THAT YOU GONNA MAKE, UH, MY FAMILY BE HOMELESS BECAUSE YOU CAN'T GIVE US A, A, A PROPER TAX EXEMPTION. YOU JUST KEEP TAKING US BACK AND FORTH AND SHUFFLING PAPERS. WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT TO DO AND WE NEED SOME HELP WITH THIS. AND I BROUGHT IT BEFORE YOU ALL TO SEE WHAT CAN OR CAN'T BE DONE. UH, WITH THIS PROBLEM. UH, WE SENT PAPERS TO THEM FARMS MORE THAN FIVE TIMES. AND THEN THEY HAVE THE NERVE TO SAY, WELL IT'S GOING TO COURT. WE HAVE, UH, YOU HAVE TO PAY SOME TAXES. WE ARE NOT SAYING WE CAN'T PAY, UH, DON'T WANNA PAY TAXES. I'M 66 YEARS OLD, HE'S 64. HE'S A VETERAN, HONORABLE DISCHARGE VETERAN WHO HAVE WENT TO SERVE HIS COUNTRY. AND NOT ONLY THAT, HE IS DISABLED. HE HAS ALL THE PAPERWORK. WE'VE SENT IT AND THEY, YET YOU CAN TELL ME THAT. BUT YET THE COMMISSIONER SAID THERE'S MONEY THERE TO KEEP YOU FROM BEING HOMELESS. SO WHY ARE YOU TRYING TO MAKE MY FAMILY BE HOMELESS? WHY DON'T WE DO THIS? MS. WILSON WITH MY OFFICE IS RIGHT THERE. WHY DON'T YOU MEET WITH HER? SHE'LL GET YOUR INFORMATION AND WE'LL MAKE THE INQUIRIES FOR YOU. ALRIGHT, JUST A SECOND. COUNCIL MEMBER. THOMAS WILSON. THANK YOU. UH, SISTER, I'M SORRY I COULDN'T FOLLOW YOUR NAME. WHAT'S YOUR NAME AGAIN? FORD SAMMY FORD. OKAY. SO, UM, QUICK QUESTIONS. UM, WHO'S ON THE DEED OF THE HOME? WHO'S ON THE TITLE? UH, THE ON THE HOME, UH, IS MY BROTHER AUGUSTUS FORD. AND MY BROTHER, MY YOUNGER BROTHER LIVES THERE, RICHARD FORD. AND UH, THIS PROPERTY, LIKE I SAID, IS INHERITED PROPERTY FROM THE 1920S. RIGHT, SO THE DEED HAS BEEN TRANSFERRED? YES. SO THE, OKAY, THE DEED IS IN POSSESSION. YES. SO DO YOU HAVE A, ARE YOU ATTEMPTING TO GET A, UM, A CAP ON YOUR TAXES IN TERMS OF YOUR EXEMPTION? WHATEVER HELP WE CAN GET? WE'VE ASKED. WE, WE ARE TRYING TO JUST GET SOME FORM OF TAX EXEMPTION OR TAX EXEMPT. MY BROTHER WAS, THAT PASSED AWAY, WAS TOTALLY TAX EXEMPT. HE'S ON DISABILITY AND SO NOW, UM, HE'S ON DISABILITY AS WELL AND WE ARE JUST TRYING TO GET SOME KIND OF HELP, BUT THEY JUST KEEP SENDING US THE SAME FORMS AND UH, WE KEEP FILLING THE SAME FORMS OUT, SENDING THEM BACK TO HIM. HIS MEDICAL HISTORY, EVERYTHING THAT REQUIRED. RIGHT. THE BROTHER THAT'S STILL WITH US, HAS THE DEED BEEN TRANSFERRED TO HIM? YES, IT HAS. OKAY. SO WHEN YOU GET WITH MS. WILSON, MAKE SURE YOU, UM, UM, ONE, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO CURE THOSE TAXES FIRST. 'CAUSE THEY'RE PROBABLY TALKING ABOUT PUTTING A, A LIEN ON THE HOME. AND SO, UM, AND WHO'S OCCUPYING THE STRUCTURE NOW? UH, THE BOTH OF THEM. OKAY. SO YOU HAVE AN AIR THAT'S ALREADY IN THAT STRUCTURE. SHE CAN ASSIST YOU WITH THAT, BUT JUST MAKE SURE YOU GET THE, UM, THE, UM, ACCURATE APPLICATION TO CAP YOUR TAXES BECAUSE HE IS ELIGIBLE AS A SENIOR. UM, AND THAT, UM, WE DID THAT AT THE CITY AND ALSO AT THE COUNTY LEVEL TO MAKE SURE THAT THE, UH, TAX REDUCTION THAT YOU WOULD RECEIVE THE BENEFIT OF THAT. SO JUST MAKE, MAKE SURE AND I DON'T, I I'M SORRY I WASN'T ABLE TO FOLLOW WHERE YOUR ADDRESS WAS IN. IT'S AN ACRES HOME, 80 14 ACRES. OH. AND YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER CAN WALK YOU THROUGH AS WELL. YES. THAT'S A HOME, ONE OF THE LARGEST AREAS THERE. AND LIKE MY GRAND, LIKE I SAID, MY GREAT-GRANDFATHER, THEY WAS SOME OF THE FIRST ONES AFTER THE WAR, UH, THAT SOME OF THE FIRST SETTLERS THERE AND IT'S ALWAYS BEEN SOMEBODY THERE. WE WERE PROUD OF THAT AND STILL PROUD OF IT AND WE WANNA HOLD ONTO IT. OKAY. VERY GOOD. COUNCIL JACKSON, COUNCILMAN JACKSON. THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, AND THANK YOU MS. FORD FOR BRINGING THIS TO OUR ATTENTION. UM, MY OFFICE WILL FOLLOW UP AND JUST, YOU KNOW, WORK WITH YOU TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S ANY INFORMATION YOU NEED SOME CONNECTIONS, YOU KNOW, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS ISSUE, UM, IS RESOLVED AND YOU GUYS DO NOT LOSE YOUR HOME. I KNOW IT'S A LOT OF FOLKS LOSING HO HAVE LOST THEIR HOMES IN ACRE HOMES AND ACRE HOMES DOES NOT LOOK LIKE IT DID YEARS AGO WHEN I, WHEN I WAS BORN, YOU KNOW, WE GREW UP THERE. YEAH. YEAH. SO I WAS BORN IN ACRE HOMES AS WELL. AND SO IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE BE ABLE TO KEEP, UM, THE RESIDENTS THAT ARE FROM THE NE NEIGHBORHOOD IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. SO JUST LET US KNOW WHAT WE CAN DO. WE'LL FOLLOW UP WITH YOU, OKAY? ALRIGHT. THANK [02:10:01] YOU YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU MA'AM. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU MS. WILSON. RIGHT OVER HERE. NEXT. YES. PRISCILLA RAMIREZ. THEY HAVE JUST PULLING IT BACK UP. SORRY. YOU JUST GIMME ONE SECOND. YOUR TIME IS RUNNING. TEXAS IS THE WORST IN ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH CARE. AS A SLIDING SKILL THERAPIST, I CAN'T EVEN CALCULATE MY WAIT LIST AND I CAN'T WORK FULL AS A THERAPIST AND STILL PROVIDE FOR MY FAMILY. THE SUICIDE RATE IN HOUSTON IS CLIMBING HUNDREDS OF HOUSTONIANS COMPLETE SUICIDE EVERY YEAR. ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES IS ABYSMAL. OVER 70% OF OUR YOUTH HAVE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES AND CRISES THEY CANNOT GET TREATMENT FOR DUE TO LACK OF AVAILABILITY OR PROHIBITIVE COSTS. DO YOU KNOW THAT HOUSTON COULD HAVE, DO YOU KNOW WHAT HOUSTON COULD HAVE DONE WITH THE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS WE SEND TO THE STATE OF ISRAEL, WHICH IS ACTIVELY COMMITTING A GENOCIDE AGAINST THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE, KILLING THE FAMILY MEMBERS, PEOPLE SITTING BEFORE YOU TODAY. WE COULD USE THESE MILLIONS TO TRAIN THERAPISTS AND PROVIDE AFFORDABLE THERAPY TO TENS OF THOUSANDS IN HOUSTON WHO DESPERATELY NEED IT, ESPECIALLY OUR YOUTH. ADDITIONALLY, WE COULD FUND THE CRISIS INTERVENTION TEAM TO EXPAND THEIR TEAM RATHER THAN WASTING RESOURCES BY PAYING POLICE OFFICERS TO HARASS PEACEFUL PROTESTORS, EXERCISING THE FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS TO PROTEST THIS ONGOING GENOCIDE THAT Y'ALL ARE IGNORING. OR, HEY, YOU COULD DO SOMETHING ABOUT SB FOUR TO NOT GREEN LIGHT MORE EGREGIOUS RACIAL PROFILING OF PEOPLE LIKE MY HUSBAND WHO, UM, IF THIS RACIAL PRO PROFILE PROFILING IS GOING TO GO AHEAD, HE COULD LEAVE HIS HOUSE WITHOUT HIS WALLET AND HIS ID AND COULD GET DETAINED EVEN THOUGH HE'S SERVED IN MULTIPLE WARS AND IS DONE FOR MORE FOR OUR COUNTRY, THEN A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE. SO I KNOW I HAVE A LITTLE ATTITUDE TODAY, BUT GOOD TIME. IT'S JUST RIDICULOUS. SEVEN MONTHS INTO THIS GENOCIDE, Y'ALL HAVE NOT CALLED FOR A CEASEFIRE. Y'ALL HAVE THE POWER TO DO THAT, SO DO IT. THANK YOU NICK USMAN, MY MOOD. GOOD AFTERNOON. UH, MY NAME IS ISMAN MAUD. I WORK AT BAYOU CITY WATERKEEPER LOCATED IN DISTRICT C. I'M HERE TO SPEAK ON THE RECENT APPEALS COURT RULING THAT WILL HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT IN ON OUR CITY'S EFFORTS TO COMBAT FLOODING AND IMPROVE DRAINAGE INFRASTRUCTURE. THE COURT'S DECISION HOLDS THAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON MUST ALLOCATE THE FULL 11.80 CENTS PER $100 OF TAXABLE VALUE OF PROPERTY TO THE DRAINAGE FUND AS IT WAS ORIGINALLY INTENDED BY THE CHARTER THAT WAS PASSED IN 2010 AND REAFFIRMED BY VOTERS IN A SUBSEQUENT VOTE VOTE. FOR TOO LONG, OUR CITY HAS BEEN SHORTING THE DRAINAGE FUND, DIVERTING FUNDING AWAY FROM PROJECTS THAT WERE VITAL TO PROTECTING OUR COMMUNITIES FROM FLOODING AND OTHER HEALTH IMPACTS. SO HERE'S WHAT WE'D LIKE YOU TO DO IN THE UPCOMING 2024 BUDGET. FIRST, WE'D LIKE YOU TO SUSTAIN THE DITCH REESTABLISHMENT PROGRAM WITH $45 MILLION ANNUALLY FOR STAFF AND CONTRACTS ENABLING THE CITY TO FOLLOW THROUGH ON A PROMISE AND REDUCE RACIAL INEQUITY. SECOND, WE'D LIKE YOU TO INCREASE THE ANNUAL FUNDING FOR LOCAL DRAINAGE PROJECTS BY $20 MILLION. ALLOWING PUBLIC WORKS THE AUTHORITY TO ADDRESS THE WORST DRAINAGE PROBLEMS FIRST. THIRD, WE'D LIKE YOU TO CREATE A $20 MILLION PRIVATE SEWER LATERAL FUND FOR THE 2025 FISCAL YEAR, YEAR BECAUSE TOO MANY RESIDENTS HAVE TO DEAL WITH SEWAGE BACKUPS AND OVERFLOWS DURING HEAVY RAINS. THESE PROJECTS CAN BE SUPPORTED BY THE RECENT COURT RULING, WHICH ENDS AVAL ROOM TAX DIVERSIONS FROM THE DI DRAINAGE FUND. THE ESTIMATE SUGGESTS AN ADDITIONAL $90 MILLION MAY BE REQUIRED. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. IF I COULD JUST FINISH. SURE. UH, THANK YOU, SIR. UH, THE, THE COURT WILL NOT REQUIRE THE CITY TO MAKE UP FOR THE $420 MILLION OF THE DRAINAGE FUND THAT'S BEEN SHORTED. WHILE I UNDERSTAND THE CONCERNS RAISED ABOUT POTENTIAL IMPACT ON OTHER SERVICES SUCH AS POLICE AND FIRE, WE CANNOT PIT ONE ESSENTIAL SERVICE AGAINST ANOTHER. THERE'S NO REASON TO LOOK AT DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS AS SEPARATE FROM PUBLIC SAFETY. AFTER ALL, YOU WOULD BE MAKING MANY COMMUNITIES AND HOMES SAFER THROUGH THOSE DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SIR. NEXT, MICHELLE, ALWAYS. UM, GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M ASHA LEWIS, COMMUNITY SCIENCE MANAGER AT BAYOU CITY WATERKEEPER. UH, I'M HERE REPRESENTING, UH, FROM DISTRICT A. I'M HERE TO TESTIFY IN SUPPORT OF INCREASED FUNDING FOR LOCAL DRAINAGE AND INVESTING IN A PRIVATE SEWER LATERAL FUND. I REQUEST THE MAYOR TO STAY TRUE TO HIS COMMITMENT ON DECEMBER 10TH, 2023, YOU STATED TO THE CHRONICLE THAT THE CITY NEEDS TO FOLLOW THE WILL OF THE VOTERS AND USE THE FUNDS FOR THE PURPOSE FOR WHICH THEY'RE INTENDED. WE WILL SPEND THE MONEY ON STREETS AND DRAINAGE. I URGE YOU TO STAY TRUE TO THAT AND INVEST IN OUR STREETS AND OUR DRAINAGE. BY ALLOCATING THE NECESSARY FUNDING, WE MUST PRIORITIZE LOCAL FUNDING SOURCES TO GO TOWARDS LOCAL DRAINAGE PROJECTS. A KEY SOURCE OF FUNDING FOR THESE PROGRAMS IS ENDING THE A VALOREM TAX DIVERSION, WHICH WOULD BRING IN AT LEAST $90 MILLION OF ADDITIONAL [02:15:01] FUNDING FOR DRAINAGE INFRASTRUCTURE. I URGE THE FOLLOWING THREE DEMANDS THAT THE CITY SUSTAINED THE DITCH REESTABLISHMENT PROGRAM WITH $45 MILLION ANNUALLY FOR STAFF AND CONTRACTS. INCREASE ANNUAL LDP FUNDING BY $20 MILLION TO CREATE A PRIVATE SEWER LATERAL FUND OF $20 MILLION FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025. THE CITY CAN MAKE REPAIRS FOR AT LEAST TWO REASONS WHEN THE PUBLIC LINE MAINTENANCE BREAKS THE PRIVATE LINE. IF IT'S OKAY FOR ME TO CONTINUE YOUR EXPIRED, CAN I PLEASE FINISH? YES, MA'AM. THANK YOU. UM, THE CITY CAN MAKE REPAIRS FOR AT LEAST TWO REASONS WHEN THE PUBLIC LINE MAINTENANCE BREAKS THE PRIVATE LINE, AND ALSO IF THE OVERFLOWS ARE GOING INTO THE STORM SYSTEM SYSTEM. EXPOSURE TO RAW SEWAGE PUTS A BURDEN ON OUR HEALTHCARE SYSTEM AND HAS LASTING PHYSICAL AND COGNITIVE HEALTH CONSEQUENCES, ESPECIALLY FOR CHILDREN. THE COMMUNITIES THAT ARE LEFT OUT OR SHORTCHANGED ARE ALWAYS THE SAME RESIDENTS IN LOW INCOME ZIP CODES, MOSTLY BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES ALREADY BURDENED WITH TOXIC POLLUTION. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS CONSIDERATION AND ALSO FREE PALESTINE. NEXT THEIA TELESCOPIC. UH, JUST A CORRECTION FOR THE RECORD. MY NAME IS STEFIA WITH AN F. LAST NAME THOMAS GOVIC. THANK YOU. SO GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE. LIKE I JUST SAID, I'M, I'M DR. STIA THOMAS GOVIC. I'M A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT H, AND I AM THE COALITION DIRECTOR FOR THE COALITION FOR ENVIRONMENT EQUITY AND RESILIENCE, WHICH HAS OFFICES AND DISTRICT B, DISTRICT C, AND WE SERVE PEOPLE ACROSS HOUSTON AT HARRIS COUNTY. SO OUR MISSION, WE GO BY SEA. OUR MISSION IS TO RAISE AWARENESS OF THE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN POLLUTION, PLACE AND PUBLIC HEALTH. WE WERE FOUNDED IN THE WAKE OF HURRICANE HARVEY, AND WE HAVE WORKED TO IMPROVE FLOOD RESILIENCE AND ADDRESS HEALTH CHALLENGES POSED BY CLIMATE CHANGE. SO FLOODING IS A BASIC PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE. DURING HARVEY, I HEARD STORY AFTER STORY OF RESIDENTS WHO ENCOUNTERED POLLUTION IN THE FLOOD WATERS. I THOUGHT WITH MY OWN EYES TOO, AND WE KNOW THAT THERE'S A LOT OF TOXINS FROM THE CANCER CLUSTER. AND FIFTH WARD RUNOFF FROM LANDFILLS, METAL RECYCLING FACILITIES, ROCK CRUSHING PLANTS, AND THEY MAKE PEOPLE SICK IN AREAS LIKE DENVER HARBOR, CASHMERE GARDEN, FIFTH WARD. WE ALSO KNOW THAT FLOOD WATERS ARE CONTAMINATED WITH SEWAGE OVERFLOWS, AND I'VE HEARD STORIES OF PEOPLE WHO ARE EITHER TRYING TO ESCAPE THE RISING WATERS OR WHEREVER WE'RE RESCUING PEOPLE WHO EXPERIENCED BACTERIAL INFECTIONS FROM COMING INTO CONTACT WITH FLOOD WATER. SO I'M HERE TODAY TO SUPPORT THE ADVIL VALOREM TAX RULING. WE THINK THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT CAN REALLY FULLY FUND THE DRAINAGE DEMANDS AND THE CHANGES THAT ARE BEING PROPOSED ARE REALLY EQUITABLE WAY TO ADDRESS FLOODING INFRASTRUCTURE. AND WE, WE FEEL LIKE THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR THE CITY TO REALLY MAKE GOOD ON ITS PROMISES FOR RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY. THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU, MA'AM. OH, NO. COUNCILOR CARTER. COUNCILMAN CARTER. JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS AND YOU'RE WELCOME TO TUNE IN OR ATTEND OUR RESILIENCE COMMITTEE MEETINGS. UM, AND GO ON THE WEBSITE FOR THE, FOR THE LINK TO TUNE IN OR, OR CERTAINLY JOIN US DOWN HERE. GREAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. NEXT, DORIS BROWN. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS DORIS BROWN. I'M JUST GONNA START SINCE I DON'T HAVE THREE MINUTES. IN THE WAKE OF THE COURT DECISION, MAYOR, YOU STATED THAT THE CITY WILL BE APPEALING THE RULING DESPITE HAVING CAMPAIGNED YOURSELF THAT ON END OF THE DIVERSION JUST MONTHS AGO. I DON'T, YOU SAID, SIR, I DON'T BELIEVE DRAINAGE INFRASTRUCTURE SHOULD COMPETE WITH PUBLIC SAFETY FUNDING IN A CITY WHERE SO MANY LIVES HAVE BEEN UPENDED BY FLOODING, EXCLUDING DRAINAGE AND FLOODING FROM PUBLIC SAFETY IS GROSSLY MAN MANIPULATIVE PROTECTION FROM FLOODING CONTAMINATED WATER IN DANGEROUS HOMES IN AN UN INDISPUTABLE PART OF PUBLIC SAFETY. YOU ALSO CLAIM THAT YOU ESTONIA WOULDN'T SUPPORT THIS [02:20:01] COURT ORDER. IN FACT, THE JUDGE ORDERED YOU TO EXECUTE A TAX CODE CHANGE ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF HOUSTON. IN, IN NOT ONE, BUT TWO ELECTIONS IS BETTER LATE THAN NEVER TO END THE DIVERSION. BUT THE IMPACT OF A DEC DECAY, OF UNDERINVESTMENT, OF LIFE SAVING DRAINAGE PROJECTS THAT WEREN'T FUNDED WILL NOT BE FORGOTTEN. IT'S UP TO THE PEOPLE OF HOUSTON TO KEEP HOLDING OUR CITY ACCOUNTABLE, TO MAKE SURE THE MONEY IS SPENT THE RIGHT WAY AND TO MAKE UP FOR THE LOST TIME. I, I'M OLD AND I WAS RAISED WITH, IF YOU DON'T HAVE A WORD, YOU DON'T HAVE NOTHING. SO I, WE ARE HERE TODAY. WE'RE ASKING THAT YOU UPHELD THIS $90 MILLION IN THE CITY BUDGET TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT. SO SAVE OUR LIVES. OUR QUALITY OF LIVING IS AT STAKE. WE'RE TIRED OF LOSING EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE, WE NEVER SEEN TO RECOVER FROM ONE DISASTER TO ANOTHER. THANK YOU MA'AM. MA'AM. COUNCILMAN CARTER? THAT WAS FROM THE LAST ONE. NOPE, I'M SORRY. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. YES. NEXT. GOOD AFTERNOON. I'D LIKE TO SAY A WORD HERE TO HONOR THE, THE BRAVE AND HEROIC STUDENTS, UH, AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON AT RICE UNIVERSITY AND AT COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES AROUND THE COUNTRY THAT HAVE STARTED TO SPEAK LOUDER AND MORE VISIBLY, UH, WITH A VERY SIMPLE DEMAND. AND THEIR DEMAND IS LET'S STOP SENDING AMERICAN DOLLARS OVERSEAS TO A FOREIGN GOVERNMENT THAT'S ON A CAMPAIGN OF DEATH AND DESTRUCTION, UH, THAT WE'RE ALL SEEING LIVE STREAMED IN REAL TIME. THIS IS A VERY SIMPLE DEMAND, AND THESE STUDENTS HAVE BEEN UNFAIRLY VILIFIED, UH, AND, AND MISTREATED, UH, AND HAD THEIR RIGHTS TRAMPLED ON. UH, AND I'M, I'M HERE TO HONOR THOSE STUDENTS. UM, AND I'M ALSO HERE TO ECHO THEIR CALL BECAUSE THE SAME CALL APPLIES TO OUR CITY, UH, AND OUR CITY'S INVESTMENTS. UM, INVESTMENTS IN ISRAELI BONDS ARE STILL AUTHORIZED BY THIS CITY. UH, SO I'M HERE TO, TO ECHO THAT CALL TO, FOR HOUSTON TO DIVEST FROM DEATH, UH, TO BREAK THE BONDS. UM, AND, AND I WANT TO END WITH THEIR, THE STUDENT'S SLOGAN. UH, THAT'S, THAT'S CHANTED LOUDLY ACROSS THIS COUNTRY. DISCLOSE, DIVEST. WE WILL NOT STOP. WE WILL NOT REST. THANK YOU. NEXT PHILIPPE SANCHEZ. HELLO, COUNCILMAN MAYOR. MY NAME'S FELIPE AND I LIVE IN ALDEAN. I USED TO LIVE IN SPRING BRANCH AND THE HOUSE IN FRONT OF OURS ALWAYS HAD OWNERS EVERY FEW YEARS. THE REASON WAS BECAUSE WHEN IT RAINED, ALL OF IT FLOODED. SOME PEOPLE WOULD LAST A COUPLE MONTHS BEFORE THEY MOVED OUT, OTHERS WOULD LAST LONGER. ONE OF THEM EVEN WORKED TO RAISE THE LAND AROUND THEIR DRAINAGE DITCH AND ADD WOODEN PANELS ALONG THE SIDES, HOPING THAT WOULD ALLEVIATE THE ISSUE. THAT FAMILY MOVED OUT LAST YEAR. I KNOW THAT THERE ARE NEIGHBORHOODS IN OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY THAT FLOOD EVEN WORSE THAN MY NEIGHBORS. AND BY HELPING THEM WE'RE HELPING US ALL. THAT'S WHY I SUPPORT THE NORTHEAST RESIDENTS DEMANDS FOR THE CITY TO SUSTAIN THE DITCH REESTABLISHMENT PROGRAM WITH 45 MILLION ANNUALLY. INCREASE ANNUAL LDP FUNDING BY 20 MILLION AND INVEST 20 MILLION INTO THE SEWER LATERAL REPAIR FUND TO IMPROVE ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS AND THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF THE CITY RESIDENTS USE THE MONEY FROM THE AVALOR TAX THAT WE VOTED FOUR YEARS AGO TO DO IT. MAYOR WHITMEYER, YOU CAMPAIGNED ON FIXING DRAINAGE, SO PLEASE HAVE A GROWNUP DISCUSSION WITH THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR HOW TO INVEST THIS MONEY INTO THE LATERAL FUND, OR WE'LL CONTINUE COMING BACK UNTIL YOUR WORDS TURN TO ACTION. DRAINAGE JUSTICE IS PUBLIC SAFETY. THANK YOU, NICK. NEXT, ARMANDO ALEJANDRO. ERIC CHRISTENSEN. ARMANDO HERE. OKAY. HOW ARE YOU DOING? MAYOR MEYER? MY NAME IS ARMANDO ALEJANDRO. I'VE BEEN RECOGNIZED IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON FOR 39 YEARS. MAYOR WHITMEYER. AND MY POINT I WANTED TO BRING UP TODAY, THE CITY OF HOUSTON, OF THE WATER DEPARTMENT, THEY BROKE SOME DRAINAGE IN THE 7, 7 0 11. AND, UM, WA I SPOKE TO JOAQUIN MARTINEZ'S OFFICE AND HIS EMPLOYEES ARE SAYING YOU ARE NOT NO ONE. HE, THEY TOLD ME, AND I FELT SO SAD WHEN THEY TOLD ME THAT MAYOR WHITMEYER, [02:25:04] GO AHEAD. IT JUST FEELS SAD. THEY CALL PEOPLE NO ONE AND WE'RE SOMEONE LIKE EVERYONE WE'RE SOMEBODY. RIGHT. MEYER, GO AHEAD. UM, THAT, THAT'S THE, THE POINT IS THAT WATER IS GOING INSIDE THE SEWER THAT THE DRAINAGE MEYER. YES, SIR. AND IT FEELS SAD. OLD PEOPLE ARE GETTING SICK WITH THAT WATER, WITH THE DRAINAGE PUSHING IN. AND MY LOVED ONE, MY MOM, SHE'S 84 YEARS OLD, WE'RE WE'RE WORKING WITH THE TURS TO YES. TRY TO ACCEPT CITY'S RESPONSIBILITY ON THE PUBLIC EASEMENT. YES, SIR. AND THEN WHEN IT GETS AS REPORTED ON THE PRIVATE SECTOR MM-HMM . THE CHURCH, WE'RE DOING OUR BEST TO GET THEM TO ACCEPT THAT RESPONSIBILITY AND SPEND SOME MONEY TO FIX, WE'LL FIX IT. SO, SO WE'RE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND NO ONE, I DON'T BELIEVE COMMUNICATED CORRECTLY THAT YOU'RE NOT SOMEONE THAT WAS OBVIOUSLY A MISCOMMUNICATION. WE APPRECIATE THAT. MAYOR WILMAR. WE JUST WANT LIKE, NO ONE SHOULD GET SICK ANYMORE. MY MOM, SHE'S AN OLD SENIOR CITIZEN THAT WHAT GOT ME A LITTLE BIT DISAPPOINTED AND I'M THE ONLY ONE WHO'S THE YOUNGEST WHO KEEPS OUT ON HER STUFF LIKE THAT. SURE. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, COUNCILMAN. THANK YOU, SIR. HOLD ON. COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ. THANK YOU. MAYOR ALEJANDRO? UH, YES SIR. FIRST, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND, AND KNOW, YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THAT WAS SAID, BUT JUST KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU CALL OUR OFFICE, WE'RE UHHUH READY, READILY, UH, AVAILABLE TO YOU. WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ANSWERING THOSE CALLS. MM-HMM . UM, I THINK THIS SPECIFIC ISSUE WHEN IT COMES TO WASTEWATER MM-HMM . SHOULD BE A FIX THAT SHOULD BE HAPPENING ON THE FOURTH. CORRECT. UH, SO PLEASE CONTINUE TO CALL OUR OFFICE. COULD I SAY SOMETHING? YEAH, GO AHEAD. WHAT? KIM MARTINEZ? YEAH. YOUR EMPLOYEE SAID, SHE SAID YOU'RE NOT NO ONE. SHE TOLD ME WITH WRONG ATTITUDE AND EVERYTHING AND I TOLD HER WHEN I'M, AND I TOLD HER WHEN I'M SEEING YOU, SHE'S SAYING SHE WAS GONNA DO WHATEVER SHE WANTED. OKAY. SO YEAH, AGAIN, UM, YOU KNOW, THE OFFICE IS THERE TO SERVE YOU. OKAY. KNOW THAT. OKAY. WE ACTUALLY APPRECIATE THAT JOAQUIN MARTINEZ, BUT HOPEFULLY YOU CAN FIX THOSE PROBLEMS WITH YOUR EMPLOYEES OR NO DIS INSPECTIONS. NO, NOT AT ALL. WE'RE LIKE I SAID, WE'RE HERE TO SERVE YOU. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU FOR BEING, APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU. HAVE A NICE, GREAT DAY NEXT. THANK YOU, SIR. NEXT. YOU'RE WELCOME, SIR. YOU'RE WELCOME. ERIC CHRISTENSEN, ERIC RAMESH, KAUR, UM, HONORABLE MAYOR AND, UH, RESPECTABLE COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS RAMESH KAUR. I HAVE EARLIER A SPEAKER HERE TALKING ABOUT HOA AND HE WAS VERY APPRECIATIVE OF YOUR EFFORTS, YOUR HONOR, THAT YOU'VE DONE A GOOD JOB IN ASKING. I HAVE A VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH THE DEPARTMENT OR NEIGHBORHOOD AND HO THANK YOU. HERE'S THE PROBLEM, YOUR HONOR. THE PROPERTY IS IN GALLIA. IT HAS BEEN LEAKING ROOF AND WALLS FOR THE LAST SIX YEARS. I'VE BEEN PAYING $800 A MONTH. IF I DO NOT PAY, YOU KNOW WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO AT JOY. I'VE BEEN PAYING THROUGH MY NOSE. THE PROPERTY IS AWAKENED, TOTALLY DESTROYED. I HAVE PICTURES HERE. THE BEAM, WHICH IS ON THE TOP, SUPPORTING THE ROOF BECAUSE OF WATER LEAKAGE FOR SIX YEARS IS DECAY IS ABOUT TO FALL. NOW, IF IT FALL, SOMEBODY WILL BE THERE. THE PERSON DOWNSTAIRS HAS TOLD ME A MILLION TIMES, I SAID I CAN'T DO HOA PROBLEM. I TALKED TO NEIGHBOR PROTECTION. I AM TOLD I HAVE PROBABLY 10 COMPLAINTS MADE OVER LAST SIX, SIX YEARS. THEY DON'T WANT TO COME. THE REASON WHAT THEY ARE SAYING, IT IS NOT MULTI-FAMILY UNIT. IT'S INDIVIDUALLY OWNED. I TOLD NEIGHBORHOOD IT IS INDIVIDUALLY OWNED. UNDERSTANDABLE, BUT THE COMMON ELEMENTS NOT. MY RESPONSIBILITY IS A NEGLIGENCE OF ACTUAL AND FAILURE OF FIDUCIARY DUTY. I TOLD THEM, COME OVER, LOOK AT IT. THEY LOOK AT IT. I SENT MY MAN, MY CREW TO SUPPORT THE BEAM. IF I TAKE THE BEAM OUT, THE WHOLE WALL WILL CAVE IN. SOMEBODY WILL BE THERE. YOUR HONOR, YOU HAVE TO DO SOMETHING. I HEARD EARLIER A GENTLEMAN TALKING TO HOA, WE [02:30:01] DO NOT HAVE MONEY AS HOMEOWNER TO PAY $60, 60, 50, $60,000. THE ATTORNEY SAYS VERY CLEARLY, EITHER YOU PAY ME IF I PUT A LAWSUIT OR YOU PAY OR YOU LOSE THE PROPERTY. SO I AM PAYING YOUR HAS TO MY MOST $800 A MONTH NEIGHBOR PROTECTION SHOULD BE GIVEN RESPONSIBILITY TO CITE PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT DOING THEIR JOB. AND MY I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR INSIDE. I WILL TAKE CARE OF, I CANNOT TOUCH OUTSIDE OF THE PROPERTY. SO I WANT MAYOR TO DO SOMETHING TO PROTECT HOMEOWNER THROUGH THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS TO PASS THE LAW. THAT IF THERE IS A COMMON ELEMENT PROBLEM, IF YOU CAN GO TO MULTI-FAMILY UNIT, WHY DON'T YOU GO TO HOA PROBLEM AND HELP WE PEOPLE. IT'S NOT MY PROBLEM. IF THE WALL FALL, SOMEBODY WILL BE DEAD. YOUR HONOR, PLEASE DO SOMETHING. AND I HAVE ATTACHED ALL THE PICTURES. I'M AN ENGINEER. I GOT SOME SPORTS MADE. IF I REMOVE THIS FORCE, YOUR HONOR, SOMEBODY WILL BE THERE. COUNCILMAN THOMAS? UH, SURE. UH, MR. MAYOR, IF YOU WILL ALLOW, ALLOW ME DR. KAPOOR AND I GO WAY BACK. THAT'S MY FRIEND. SO I WILL, UM, DR. KAPOOR, IF YOU'LL ALLOW ME WORK WITH THE COUNCIL MEMBER, OUR VICE MAYOR IN DISTRICT A WHERE THIS IS LOCATED, I BELIEVE, AND LET OUR OFFICE WORK WITH HER OFFICE TO GET YOU SOME RESOLUTION. IS THAT, IS, ARE YOU AGREEABLE? I'M VERY THANKFUL TO YOU TO PROTECT THE CONSTITUENTS. YOU TAKE THE CAUSE. OF COURSE. I UNDERSTAND THIS IS GABRIELLE NOT YOUR AREA, BUT I WILL APPRECIATE KINDLY DO SOMETHING. LET, LET ME, LET ME WORK THIS OUT FOR YOU PLEASE. AND I THANK YOU FOR REMOVING THAT TRAILER AND ALL OF THE GOOD WORK YOU'VE DONE. I APPRECIATE YOU. WHY THE NEIGHBORHOOD PROTECTION? WE NOT GO. WE DO. AND LOOK AT IT. I'M RIGHT HERE WITH YOU AND IT'S A CRIMINAL CHARGE. I GOT YOU, ME AND YOU. WE TOGETHER. ALL RIGHT, LET ME HANDLE IT. MAYOR, HONORABLE MAYOR HAS ALL PICTURES THAT SHOWS ALL THESE DAMAGES. GOT IT. I'LL SHARE IT WITH MY COLLEAGUES AND I HAVE TOTAL CONFIDENCE IN COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. BUT FOR BACKGROUND, YOU'RE BUYING THIS PIECE OF PROPERTY. YOU OWN, YOU SAY THE HOMEOWNER ASSOCIATION, SO THAT OBVIOUSLY MEANS YOU'RE, YOU, HAVE YOU PAID FOR IT TWO IN G? YES. OBVIOUSLY, YOUR HONOR, IT'S HOMEOWNER PROBLEM, BUT HOMEOWNERS DON'T WANT TO DO ANYTHING. THE ONLY WAY THEY CAN DO IS THE NEIGHBORHOOD PROTECTION COMES IN AND CITE THEM AND MAKE THEM RESPONSIBLE. IT'S A CRIMINAL CHARGE. SO IF I, SO YOU HAVE A HOMEOWNER ASSOCIATION, YOUR HONOR. YOU'VE APPEALED TO THE HOMEOWNER ASSOCIATION? YES, I'M ONE OF THE OWNERS. WHAT ABOUT OTHER RESIDENTS? UH, THE HOMEOWNER ASSOCIATION IS NO MORE NOT TOWN HOME. THEY'RE 104 UNITS, YOUR HONOR. OKAY. NOW THEY'RE INDIVIDUALLY OWNED. THAT'S THE MAJOR ISSUE. HAVE YOU COMMUNICATED TO THE OTHER HOMEOWNERS, IN OTHER WORDS, HAVE STRENGTH IN NUMBERS, HAVE, HAVE MORE THAN ONE OF YOU RAISED THIS ISSUE? EACH ONE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR HIS OWN PROBLEM. IT IS MY PROBLEM OR THE PROBLEM OF THE PERSON WHO LIVE DOWNSTAIRS. I AM MORE WORRIED ABOUT THE PERSON WHO LIVES DOWNSTAIRS. IF THE WALL CAME IN, SHE'S AN OLD LADY, SHE, SHE WILL DIE. YOU NEED TO, AND IT WOULD PROTECT PROBABLY A, B, C OR OTHER CHANNEL WILL COME OVER AND RAISE HELP. SO IT IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN I AM AN I'M ANTICIPATING THIS PROBLEM, YOUR HONOR. NO, I'M JUST TRYING TO GET SOME BACKGROUND INFORMATION. THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND MAYORS SHOULD DO SOMETHING AND AUTHORIZE HOMEOWNER ASSOCIATION. MULTIFAMILY IS OKAY, BUT HOMEOWNER ASSOCIATION, IF I, I CANNOT TALK TO BEAM. IF I'M AUTHORIZED, I WILL SEND MY CREW AND CHANGE DR. KAUR. I GOT IT. DR. KAUR. DR. KAUR, I GOT IT. WE GOT IT. I GOT YOU. WE GOT IT. JUST GIMME 10 DAYS. I GOT YOU. THANK YOU, BABE. I GOT YOU. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. LET ME RUN POINT. I APPRECIATE IT. I GOT YOU. I APPLAUD YOU. WE'LL, I GOT YOU. TAKE MORE THAN 10 DAYS. JUST LET'S GET IT FIXED. THANK YOU. WE'LL ALL WORK TOGETHER ON THAT ONE. NEXT, STEVEN, STEVEN. WOO. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS STEVEN WU. I'M WITH WOODY JUNTOS. TOMORROW IS MAYDAY. IT'S INTERNATIONAL LABOR DAY TO HONOR THOSE WHO FOUGHT AND CONTINUE TO FIGHT FOR WORKERS' RIGHTS. AMID THE ONGOING GENOCIDE AGAINST PALESTINIANS TO THE ENACTMENT OF [02:35:01] THE SB FOUR. OUR WORKING CLASS IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES CONTINUE TO FIGHT, TO FIGHT BACK AGAINST OPPRESSION AND VIOLENCE, TO FIGHT FOR A TOMORROW WHERE OUR HUMANITY IS WORTH MORE THAN OUR PRODUCTIVITY. I'M HERE ALONGSIDE THESE FIGHTERS WITH A VERY CLEAR DEMAND, CREATE WRITTEN POLICIES TO NOT ENFORCE SB FOUR. MAYOR, YOU HAVE THE POWER AND INFLUENCE TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN. WITH HPD, WE REQUEST A MEETING BETWEEN OUR COALITION, WHICH INCLUDES WORKERS' DEFENSE TOP AND YOU AND YOUR STAFF TO GO THROUGH THE PROPOSED SOLUTIONS THAT WE DISCUSS TODAY. THE THREE CRITICAL REASONS WHY WE NEED TO DO THIS. ONE, SB FOUR IS GOING TO BE A LOGISTICAL NIGHTMARE IN POWDER KEG FOR RACIAL PROFILING. AS MANY HAVE ALREADY SAID, TWO, IT'S GOING TO OVERWHELM OUR LOCAL BUDGETS. WE'RE FACING A DEFICIT FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR. THIS ESTIMATES HAVE SHOWN THAT THE NEW LAW COULD REACH $184 MILLION ANNUALLY ON THE CONSERVATIVE END. AND THREE, THIS LAW WILL MAKE HOUSTON LESS SAFE. FOLLOWING THE PASSAGE OF THE ORIGINAL SB FOUR IN 2017, THE HOUSTON POLICE CHIEF NOTED THAT THE DEPARTMENT SAW A DECREASE OF RAPE, UH, UH, REPORTING FROM LATINO RESIDENTS BY 42.8% FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR, WHILE THOSE WHO REPORTED VIOLENT CRIMES DECREASED BY 13%. IF FINISH, GO AHEAD AND FINISH THIS LAST THING, I JUST WANNA MAKE A QUICK NOTE. A LOT OF THE FOLKS HERE WHO ARE TESTIFYING ARE IMMIGRANTS OR CHILDREN OF IMMIGRANTS. MANY OF OUR MEMBERS WERE DISPLACED AS A RESULT OF PERSECUTION AND VIOLENCE. IT WOULD BE A DISSERVICE IF WE DO NOT SEE THE SAME THREAT OF WHAT OUR PALESTINIAN SIBLINGS HAVE BEEN AND ARE CURRENTLY ENDURING THROUGH. I'M GONNA BE VERY CLEAR. PLA PALESTINIAN LIBERATION IS AN IMMIGRANT JUSTICE ISSUE. WE MUST DIVEST ALL OUR BONDS FROM ISRAEL. WE MUST CREATE IMPASSE, A PERMANENT CEASEFIRE RESOLUTION. THANK YOU. NEXT, NEIL, FAR AZI. UH, GOOD AFTERNOON. I THANK Y'ALL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK AND FOR EVERYTHING Y'ALL HAVE DONE SO FAR TO OPPOSE SB FOUR AND ITS IMPLEMENTATION. I'M HERE TO ASK ON BEHALF OF BOTH MYSELF AND OF MGH ACTION, A C FOUR THAT ADVOCATES FOR JUST POLICIES AND LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES AFFECTING MUSLIM AMERICAN COMMUNITIES IN SOLIDARITY WITH TOP WORKERS DEFENSE PROJECT AND ALL THE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE COME HERE TODAY TO SPEAK TO YOU ABOUT SB FOUR. COME HERE TO ASK THAT YOU FORMALIZE THAT COMMITMENT AND ISSUE AN EXECUTIVE ORDER AGAINST THE ENFORCEMENT OF SB FOUR AND A DIRECTIVE TO LAW ENFORCEMENT ASKING THEM TO IMPLEMENT A PROBABLE CAUSE CHECKLIST FOR ARRESTS AND SB FOUR TO ENSURE THAT ARRESTS AREN'T BASED ON NATIONAL ORIGIN, RACE, ETHNICITY, OR OTHER IMPERMISSIBLE CRITERIA. SB FOUR IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL NIGHTMARE. IT'S UNFUNDED, AND THE STATE HAS NOT ISSUED ANY CRITERIA FOR IMPLEMENTING THE POLICY AS WE SAW RECENTLY IN THE CHAOS DURING THE FEW HOURS WHEN IT WAS IN EFFECT. IF PUT INTO EFFECT, SP FOUR WOULD LEAD TO MORE RACIAL PROFILING BECAUSE THERE ARE NO GUIDELINES ON WHAT CONSTITUTES PROBABLE CAUSE FOR SUSPECTING SOMEONE HAS ENTERED THE US, UH, IN TEXAS ILLEGALLY, ESPECIALLY IN AN COUNTY LIKE HARRIS COUNTY. WHAT COUNTS AS PROBABLE CAUSE HAVING AN ACCENT LOOKING BROWN LOOKING FOREIGN? WE JUST DON'T KNOW. AND THAT'S WHY WE NEED YOU TO TAKE A STAND AND ENSURE THAT SB FOUR WILL NOT BE IMPLEMENTED IN OUR MOSTS DIVERSE COUNTY IN TEXAS. UH, FURTHER, LIKE TO STAND IN SOLIDARITY WITH EVERYONE WHO'S ASKED FOR A CEASE FIRE IN PALESTINE. RECOGNIZE THAT YOU ALL MAY SEE THIS AS A FOREIGN POLICY ISSUE, BUT IT IS NOT THE ASK TO REINVEST MONEY THAT'S CURRENTLY IN ISRAELI BONDS. THEY ASK TO BE THE FIRST MAJOR, UH, TEXAS CITY TO CALL FOR A CEASE FIRE. IT WOULD MAKE A BIG IMPACT ON THE SENSE OF, I COULD JUST FINISH, UH, THE SENSE THAT, UH, IMMIGRANTS INCLUDING PALESTINIANS AND ARABS HAVE THAT THEY BELONG IN THIS CITY AND THAT THE VOICES ARE BEING HEARD. UH, THANK YOU FOR ANYTHING YOU CAN DO TO CURTAIL FEAR IN IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES. THANK YOU. NEXT, AALIYAH NEWMAN. AALIYAH NEWMAN, CECILIA FONTANO. GOOD EVENING, HONORABLE MAYOR AND HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS CECILIA FONTANO. I AM A MEMBER OF THE TEXAS ORGANIZING PROJECT. TODAY I AM HERE TO ASK HOUSTON MAYOR WITH MY AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS TO NOT ALLOW HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT TO ENFORCE SB FOUR IN OUR CITY. SB FOUR IS A RACIST [02:40:01] LAW THAT IS ROOTED IN WHITE SUPREMACY AND PROFILES BLACK AND LATINO PEOPLE REGARDLESS OF THEIR IMMIGRATION STATUS. THIS LAW WAS CREATED WITH THE INTENTION TO CRIMINALIZE AND INCARCERATE BLACK AND BROWN BODIES TO SEPARATE OUR FAMILIES. I WOULD LIKE TO REMIND ALL OF YOU THAT IMMIGRANTS ARE ESSENTIAL TO OUR WORKFORCE OF THIS COUNTRY, AND IT'S YOUR DUTY TO PROTECT THEM BY CREATING POLICIES THAT WILL STOP DEPORTATIONS LIKE SIGHT AND RELEASE. FOR THOSE WHO DUE TO STATE LEGISLATION ARE UNABLE TO OBTAIN A TEXAS DRIVER'S LICENSE, PEOPLE HAVE TO DRIVE TO WORK TO SUPPLY FOR THEIR FAMILIES. BUT SOMETIMES A TRAFFIC, A TRAFFIC STOP CAN MEAN DEPORTATION FOR MANY. MAYOR WHITMEYER, THE PEOPLE OF HOUSTON ELECTED YOU TO BE THEIR LEADER. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. SO WE ARE ASKING YOU TO LEAD WITH KINDNESS, COMPASSION, AND AN OPEN MIND TO HELP THOSE WHO ARE MOST VULNERABLE AND WHO WILL BE AFFECTED BY SB FOUR. WE INVITE YOU TO MEET WITH US TO TALK MORE ABOUT INITIATIVES THAT THE CITY CAN IMPLEMENT IN ORDER TO DECREASE THE NUMBER OF DEPORTATIONS THAT ARE HAPPENING WITHIN OUR CITY. THANK YOU ALL AGAIN FOR YOUR TIME AND HOPE TO HEAR GOOD NEWS FROM ALL OF YOU ON HOW WE CAN WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE HOUSTON A BETTER PLACE FOR ALL OF OUR FAMILIES. I THANK YOU KINDLY. THANK YOU. NEXT. YEAH. OH, I'M SORRY. COUNCILOR JACKSON. THANK YOU, MAYOR. HEY, MISS CECILIA, IT'S ALWAYS, ALWAYS GOOD TO SEE YOU. GOOD TO SEE YOU AS WELL. YES. THANK YOU FOR YOUR, YOU KNOW, ALWAYS ADVOCATING FOR OUR COMMUNITIES. YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT IS AFFORDABLE HOUSING, FLOODING, UM, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, IMMIGRANT RIGHTS, YOU ALWAYS FIGHTING FOR OUR COMMUNITIES. AND SO REALLY APPRECIATE YOU. UM, JUST WANTED TO RECOGNIZE YOU AND JUST THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO. AND, YOU KNOW, I STAND WITH YOU GUYS. THANK YOU. THE NEXT TIME YOU ALL SEE ME, I WILL BE FIGHTING FOR MY PERSONAL ISSUE FROM THE HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT. THANK YOU. NEXT, MODESTO HINOJOSA, ANNA ULA CONTRACTOR. WHERE ARE WE AT, DEAR CHRIS VALDEZ. SEE NO ADDRESS, NO PHONE. I WOULDN'T HAVE DOROTHY LINSKY, GOOD AFTERNOON. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK. I SO DO APPRECIATE IT. UM, AND JUST IN ALL, UH, RESPECT TO THOSE THAT HAVE TALKED ABOUT RIGHTS AND SECURITY. ALL HOUSTONIANS NEED SECURITY. ALL HOUSTONIANS NEED PROTECTION AND WE'RE NOT GETTING IT. I'VE SPOKEN TO SEVERAL POLICE, QUITE A FEW POLICE ACTUALLY WHO'VE LOOKED AT ME REALLY ALMOST WITH TEARS IN THEIR EYES AND SAID, MA'AM, THEY'VE, THEY'VE HELD OUR HANDS BACK FROM DOING OUR JOB. YOU BASICALLY HAVE TO BE MURDERED IN ORDER FOR US TO BE ABLE TO DO ANYTHING. PLUS SO MANY HAVE QUIT AND, UH, ARE, ARE FORCES DWINDLING DOWN TO NOTHING. I'M HERE BECAUSE I'M EXTREMELY CONCERNED FOR MY CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN, UH, OVER THIS, UH, SHORT TERM, UM, RENTALS THAT THEY ARE DOING FOR BRB OF THE AIRBNBS. AND I'M, I'M, I'M FOCUSED RIGHT NOW ON DISTRICT G. AND THE REASON I AM IS BECAUSE THAT IS WHERE MY SIX GRANDCHILDREN LIVE AND MY THREE CHILDREN LIVE, [02:45:01] AND MANY OF MY FRIENDS LIVE. AND I'M HORRIFIED TO HEAR OF THE THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON. TWO MINUTES FROM WHERE MY LITTLE CHILDREN, IT'S MY LITTLE GRANDCHILDREN ARE LIVING RIGHT NEAR HOUSTON COUNTRY CLUB. AND IT'S NOT JUST IN THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS, IT'S ALL OVER AND WE'RE ALLOWING IT. I'VE BEEN IN HOUSTON SINCE 1976. I'D LOVE HOUSTON. I DON'T LIKE HOUSTON ANYMORE. HOUSTON IS A SCARY PLACE. MY CHILDREN ARE SCARED FOR THEIR SAFETY. JUST DRIVING OUTTA THE BRIAR GROVE AREA, THERE WAS A NAKED MAN THERE OUT OF HIS MIND ON DRUGS AS MY GRANDCHILDREN WERE BEING TAKEN TO SCHOOL. BUT THAT'S NOT ANYTHING. TWO MINUTES FROM THEIR HOUSE. THEY, THEY WERE HAVING SEX OUT ON THE BALCONIES THEY WERE HAVING. ONE OF THE FILMS THAT I SAW WAS SO HORRIFYING THAT ONE LADY WAS BEING TAKEN OUT. SHE'D OBVIOUSLY BEEN VERY DRUGGED RIGHT THERE ON POTOMAC. TWO PEOPLE WERE TAKING OUT, SHE WAS BEING SEXUALLY, SHE'D BE TRAFFICKED. HOUSTON IS THE NUMBER ONE TRAFFICKING CENTER. IT'S ALL AROUND US. IT'S IN EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD. AND THE POLICEMAN SAID TO THE NEIGHBORS THAT WERE SO HYSTERICAL, MA'AM, WE NEED TO SEE MORE THAN ONE BODY. ONE BODY ISN'T ENOUGH. THERE'S NOTHING WE CAN DO. AND THAT ALL AROUND THAT AREA, THERE'S NIGHTCLUBS. THEY'RE HAVING SEX OUT IN THE PARKING LOT, THEY'RE TWERKING ON TOP OF THE, ON THE TRUCKS, ON TOP OF THE CARS, AND THE POLICE DON'T ARREST ANYBODY. IF I DID SOMETHING LIKE THAT, I CAN TELL YOU RIGHT NOW, I WOULD BE TAKEN TO JAIL IMMEDIATELY. THIS IS IN FRONT OF CHILDREN GOING TO SCHOOL. THESE ARE TAX PAYING CITIZENS. WE ARE TAKING THE LOAD FIRE FOR SO MANY PEOPLE THAT HAVE COME HERE AND WE ARE CARRYING THE LOAD AND WE DON'T EVEN HAVE SAFE STREETS. I'M SO CONCERNED ABOUT OUR CITY. I'M SO CONCERNED. I'M READY TO MOVE OUT OF THIS PLACE, BUT IT'S BECAUSE OF MY CHILDREN AND IT'S HAPPENING EVERYWHERE. WHY ARE WE NOT HIRING MORE POLICE? WHY ARE WE HOLDING THEIR HANDS BACK FROM DOING THEIR JOBS? AND I HATE TO SAY IT, BUT MARY NAN HUFFMAN, WHO IS NOT HERE IN DISTRICT G, SHE IS BEEN CONTACTED AND CONTACTED AND CONTACTED. I HAVE CONTACTED HER. I SUPPORTED HER. NOTHING. CRICKETS. CRICKETS FROM EVERYONE. THEY DON'T GIVE A DAMN WHAT HAPPENS IN HOUSTON ANYMORE. IT'S CORRUPT AND IS CRIMINAL. AND IF YOU WANT TO SEE, THESE ARE THE KIND OF PHOTOGRAPHS THAT ARE ALL UP AND DOWN IN NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE CHILDREN ARE GOING TO SCHOOL NAKED, PEOPLE HAVING SEX PEEING ON PEOPLE'S LAWN, DEFECATING, NOISE, CHAOS, DRUG RUNNING AND TRAFFICKING. WE DON'T STAND UP. WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE A CITY ANYMORE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LETTING ME SPEAK. YES MA'AM. NEXT, IVA SPIVEY. IVA SPIVEY, BRENDAN MCGEE. BRENDAN MCGEE, ALEX ROSEN, HOW'S IT GOING? Y'ALL, MAYOR WHITMEYER MY FIRST TIME TALKING TO YOU AND DEFINITELY NOT MY LAST. UM, GOOD TO SEE YOU. UM, I JUST WANNA SPEAK ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING REAL QUICK BEFORE I GET INTO WHAT I'M GONNA GET INTO. UM, I WILL SAY ABOUT HOUSING RIGHTS. UM, HOUSING BECOMES A LOT MORE AFFORDABLE WHEN YOU JUST HAVE A JOB AND WORK HARD. Y'ALL, UM, IF YOU'RE NOT A JOBLESS BUM THAT JUST COMES HERE EVERY MONDAY TO PROTEST YOU, MAYBE YOU'LL GET SOME MONEY AND JUST WORK HARD AND ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO AFFORD A HOME INSTEAD OF COMPLAINING ABOUT IT. ANYWAY, ONTO WHAT I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT. UM, SO LET'S TAKE A BREAK FROM, YOU KNOW, TWO PE, TWO GROUPS OF PEOPLE, ISRAELIS AND PALESTINIANS THAT BOTH HATE US FIGHTING 5,000 MILES AWAY, ABOUT A THOUSAND YEAR LONG TERRITORIAL DISPUTE. AND LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN OUR OWN COMMUNITY BECAUSE THAT, THAT'S WHAT MATTERS MORE. UM, WE'VE HAD $35 MILLION USED FOR MURALS PAINTING STUPID STUFF LIKE T****Y, THIS BLM THAT WE SHOULD TAKE, HAVE PUT THAT MONEY EITHER INTO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO ACTUALLY STOP CRIMES IN BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES RATHER THAN JUST VIRTUE SIGNALING ABOUT IT ON MURALS. MURALS HAVEN'T SAVED A SINGLE LIFE IN HOUSTON AS FAR AS I KNOW. WE HAVE JUDGES THAT LET OUT PEOPLE ON PR BONDS THAT GO AHEAD AND KILL PEOPLE. 200 MURDERS SINCE BAIL REFORM WAS ENACTED. YET WE'RE WE CARE MORE ABOUT MURALS. HOW ABOUT WE PAINT A MURAL FOR EVERY SINGLE PERSON THAT'S DIED AS A RESULT OF SOME HOUSTON JUDGE LETTING OFF A CONVICTED CAREER [02:50:01] CRIMINAL TO GO KILL MORE PEOPLE? SO I'M GONNA ASK THIS FROM THE CITY COUNCIL. ARE WE, HOW ABOUT INSTEAD OF CALLING FOR A CEASEFIRE IN GAZA OR ISRAEL OR WHATEVER, WHO CARES ABOUT THOSE PEOPLE? UM, HOW ABOUT WE CALL FOR A CEASEFIRE IN SUNNYSIDE OR THE SOUTH SIDE OR THIRD WARD? WOULD YOU CALL FOR A CEASEFIRE THERE? MAYOR, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. NOW PLEASE FINISH UP. OKAY, I'M JUST ASKING, WILL THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS CALL FOR A CEASEFIRE IN OUR OWN COMMUNITIES THAT ARE A LOT MORE DANGEROUS AND A LOT MORE, THEY'RE AFFECTING US A LOT MORE THAN, YOU KNOW, SOME TERRITORIAL DISPUTE IS. I MEAN, WE SHOULDN'T BE GIVING THEM ANY TAX MONEY, BUT HOW ABOUT WE CALL FOR A CEASEFIRE HERE IN OUR OWN COMMUNITY? OKAY, THANK YOU A BUNCH. ALRIGHT, HAVE A GOOD DAY. NEXT. ARMANDO POLANCO, ARMANDO POLANCO, MIRIAM NASER, WHICH EITHER ONE. GOOD MORNING, GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYBODY. MY NAME IS MIRIAM ABBAS. I'M A SUD EGYPTIAN AND I WORK IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. DISTRICT A. THE CITY'S INVESTMENT POLICY LAST UPDATED NOVEMBER, 2023 STILL ALLOWS OUR TAXES TO BE INVESTED WITH ISRAEL. WHILE ACKNOWLEDGING THE IMPORTANCE OF INTER INTERNATIONAL INVESTMENTS, IT'S IMPERATIVE TO PRIORITIZE INVESTMENTS THAT DIRECTLY BENEFIT CITY OF HOUSTON RESIDENTS, EXCUSE ME, AND THOSE WHO WORK HERE. OUR CITY IS FACING SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES FROM AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE AND FLOODING ISSUES, EVEN EXCESSIVE POLICE BRUTALITY. BY REALLOCATING A PORTION OF THESE FUNDS, WE CAN MAKE A TANGIBLE DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF OUR RESIDENTS. HERE IN MY TIME WORKING AS A COMMUNITY ADVOCATE, I'VE NOTICED A LOT OF HARSH POLICING IN HOUSTON, SUCH AS EGEN VERA WHO GOT TASTE TO DEATH RECENTLY BY HPD, BUT NOT ENOUGH INVESTMENT IN COMMUNITY RESOURCES SUCH AS MENTAL HEALTH CARE COUNSELING OR EDUCATION REALLOCATING FUNDS TOWARDS VOCATIONAL TRAINING, EDUCATIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS AND COMMUNITY RESOURCES WILL NOT ONLY EMPOWER OUR RESIDENTS, BUT LOWER CRIME RATES IN HOUSTON AS WELL. FURTHERMORE, WE CANNOT IGNORE THE IMPACT OF STATEWIDE LEGISLATION LIKE SENATE BILL FOUR, WHICH HAS CREATED TENSION AND FEAR WITHIN OUR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES. THIS LAW NOT ONLY UNDERMINES TRUST BETWEEN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND RESIDENTS, BUT DIVERTS RESOURCES AWAY FROM ADDRESSING LOCAL NEEDS. COUNCIL MEMBERS, I URGE YOU TO CALL FOR A CEASEFIRE IN GAZA AND NOT TO ENFORCE US BEFORE, AND INSTEAD REINVEST RESOURCES AND FUNDING INTO HOUSTON COMMUNITIES INSTEAD OF FOREIGN ENTITIES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT, MARK MCNEIL, SANNA. SHAR, GOOD AFTERNOON. I WASN'T SURE IF I COULD MUSTER UP THE STRENGTH TO BE HERE TODAY AS I'VE BEEN OVERWHELMED WITH MY OWN GRIEF, BUT SOMEHOW I MADE IT. NOVEMBER 11TH OF LAST YEAR, SIX OF MY DEAR FRIENDS WERE HIT BY A DRUNK DRIVER IN HOUSTON. FOUR OF THEM DIED THAT DAY. ONE OF THE TWO SURVIVING FRIENDS PASSED AWAY YESTERDAY DUE TO COMPLICATIONS FROM THE INJURY SHE SUFFERED FROM THE ACCIDENT. DESPITE THE OVERWHELMING GRIEF, I'VE BEEN STRUGGLING WITH MYSELF, I WAS INSPIRED TO BE HERE TODAY BY A PARTICULAR GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE SUFFERED MORE PAIN AND MORE GRIEF THAN ANYONE ELSE HERE IN THIS ROOM. A GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT DESPITE AN ENTIRE GENOCIDE BEING COMMITTED AGAINST THEM, THEY STILL FIND THE STRENGTH AND ENCOURAGED TO CARRY ON ANOTHER DAY. AS I'M SURE YOU ARE AWARE, THIS GROUP OF PEOPLE I'M REFERRING TO IS THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE. IF THEY CAN, IF THEY CAN FIGHT TO SURVIVE ANOTHER DAY, THEN I MOST CERTAINLY CAN COME HERE AND ADVOCATE FOR THEM. DESPITE MY OWN GRIEF, I MOST, SORRY, I'M ADVOCATING FOR YOU GUYS AND ASKING YOU GUYS AGAIN TO CALL FOR A CEASEFIRE AND A ME HOUSTON'S INVESTMENT POLICY OF SECTION 9.10 TO ENSURE HOUSTON NEVER AGAIN SENDS ANOTHER DOLLAR TO TAXPAYER, UH, ANOTHER DOLLAR OF TAXPAYERS MONEY TO THE APARTHEID REGIME OF ISRAEL THAT'S CURRENTLY COMMITTING THIS GENOCIDE. BUT I UNDERSTAND MANY OF YOU SITTING HERE TODAY WILL LISTEN TO YOUR CORRUPT APAC DONORS RATHER THAN THE CONSTITUENTS THAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO SERVE. YOU'LL PRIORITIZE YOUR OWN POCKETS RATHER THAN THE WELLBEING OF HUMANITY. SO IT'S POINTLESS TO TRY TO TRY TO APPEAL TO YOUR MORALS AND ETHICS BECAUSE YOU LACK IT. INSTEAD, [02:55:01] I WILL END MY STATEMENT WITH THIS. THE ARAB AND MUSLIM COMMUNITY HAS NEVER BEEN GREAT AT VOTING AND MAYBE THAT'S WHY YOU ALL DON'T LISTEN TO US, BUT I CAN ASSURE YOU TIMES ARE CHANGING AND WE ARE MOBILIZING IN A WAY THAT WILL ABSOLUTELY PUT YOUR JOBS ON THE LINE WHEN IT'S TIME TO VOTE AGAIN. AND LASTLY, I JUST, ONE MORE THING. I ASK YOU ALL NOT TO ENFORCE THE EXTREME RACIST ANTI-IMMIGRANT SB FOUR BILL AS IT IS NOT THE SOLUTION TO THE CURRENT BORDER CRISIS, AND IT WILL ONLY CREATE UNWARRANTED RACIAL PROFILING, CHAOS, CONFUSION. IT WILL NOT MAKE HOUSTON A SAFER PLACE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, JACK VALINSKI. NEXT. JACOB CLEMENTI. ALRIGHT. YOU DON'T HEAR IT YET, BUT YOU WILL NOW TAKE YOUR A OKAY. WELL, HEY, SEE THIS, THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST THINGS THAT, UH, WHEN MAYOR JOHN WILMAR HAS DONE AND THAT IS HE'S GIVEN US, UH, CAN YOU TAKE, YEAH. AND ANYWAY, UH, I I GOT THAT LIBRARY CARD AND THE UM, FREEMAN MAR LIBRARY THAT YOU, WE OPENED AND I SAID I GOTTA GO THERE AGAIN. AND SO I DIDN'T WELL, I'VE BEEN MORE THAN A MONTH. I'VE BEEN MORE THAN TWICE. I'VE BEEN THREE TIMES. THE LADY SOUNDS GOOD. YEAH. SO WHAT I WANTED TO SAY IS, UM, WELL DID YOU HEAR THE AMP THAT THEY PULLED OVER OVER AT UT AND AUSTIN? THEY HAD THEIR, THEIR ARRESTING PROTESTORS, PEACEFUL PROTESTORS ON THE CAMPUS OF UT YET, UM, UM, UT IS PUBLIC PROPERTY AND YOU HAD THE, THE FIRST AMENDMENT READ IN THE, THE FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHT IN THE, UH, ON PUBLIC PROPERTY. BUT THEN YOU GOTTA BE REAL SPECIFIC. THIS ONLY GOOD ON FEDERAL LAND, NOT ON STATE LAND. AND YOU LIKE, OKAY, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. GOT IT. THANK YOU DAVID. THANK YOU. YOU SOPHIA SEGER. ALRIGHT, GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M COMING HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT YOUR UPCOMING BUDGET DECISION. INSTEAD OF THROWING MONEY AT OUR MILITARISTIC POLICE DEPARTMENT AND PASSING DISCRIMINATORY LAWS LIKE US BEFORE OUR LEADERSHIP FOCUS ON DELIVERING SOLUTIONS TO OUR BROKEN IMMIGRATION SYSTEM, HOMELESS CRISIS, AND HEALTHCARE, CHILDCARE AND EDUCATION ISSUES, WHICH WILL ULTIMATELY SOLVE YOUR NEED FOR MORE POLICING AND LIKE ALWAYS. I'M ALSO ASKING YOU TO AMEND THE CITY'S INVESTMENT POLICY TO REMOVE THE OPTION TO INVEST IN ISRAELI BONDS SO THAT NO FURTHER FUNDS CAN BE FUNNELED INTO THE GENOCIDE OF THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE. I LOVE HOUSTON. I GREW UP HERE. I WANNA SEE A TRULY SUSTAINABLE AND EQUITABLE COMMUNITY. RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT INVESTING IN OUR EDUCATION, HOUSING, INFRASTRUCTURE, HEALTHCARE, IT'LL CUT DOWN CRIME BECAUSE PEOPLE HAVE WHAT THEY NEED. RAISE YOUR HAND HERE IF YOU WANT YOUR CITY TO NOT ENFORCE SB FOUR AND OUR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES AND TO CALL FOR A CEASE FIRE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MA'AM. NEXT, OLIVIA OLIVERES. HELLO, UH, WE, THE PEOPLE, UH, HELP OUR PEOPLE. WE HAVE OUR BACKS AND WE WISH THAT Y'ALL ACTUALLY HAD OUR BACKS AS WELL. Y'ALL INVESTING INTO POLICE TO PROTECT US WHEN I GUARANTEE YOU THE POLICE HAVE RARELY ACTUALLY MADE PEOPLE FEEL SAFE. POLICE HAVE REVEALED THEMSELVES TO BE THE DESTROYERS, NOT THE SAVIORS. AND NO AMOUNT OF MONEY COULD CHANGE THOSE TYPES OF BEHAVIORS. ONLY GIVING THEM MORE MILITARIZED GEAR AGAINST YOUR AVERAGE EVERYDAY HOUSTONIAN USE THAT MONEY TO FIX THE DRAINAGE ISSUES HAPPENING [03:00:01] THROUGHOUT THE CITY, WHICH PEOPLE HAVE BEEN BEGGING Y'ALL TO SOLVE. LIKE WHAT ARE Y'ALL DOING OR PLANNING THAT NEEDS SUCH A HIGH POLICE BUDGET WHEN THEY AREN'T EVEN THOROUGHLY INVESTIGATING NOR SOLVING TRUE CRIME CASES WHEN YOU HAVE SO MANY HOUSTONIANS THAT ARE HOMELESS OR CAN BARELY AFFORD TO SURVIVE WHEN YOU HAVE SEWAGE LEAKS THROUGHOUT THE CITY ON A DAILY BASIS WHEN YOU HAVE SO MANY PEOPLE TRYING TO CRAWL OUTTA DEBT. BUT Y'ALL WANT US TO HELP RECOVER THE CITY'S DEBT. YOU'RE JUST TRYING TO MAKE PRISONERS OUT OF ALL OF US AND THE NAME OF PROTECTION AND SAFETY BY DO NOT ENFORCE SB FOUR AND REINVEST IN HOUSTON WITH THE 10 MILLION THAT CURRENTLY GOES TO ISRAEL. CEASE YOUR SILENCE AND CALL FOR A CEASE FIRE BECAUSE THE SB FOUR BILL COVERED SOLE IN SIGNIFICANT CIVIL RIGHTS ABUSES. THANK YOU DIANE RAJI. I AM PERSONALLY OFFENDED THAT WHEN I PLAYED AUDIO LAST WEEK OF A GAZEN CHILD SCREAMING IN PAIN AFTER HE WAS HIT BY AN ISRAELI WEAPON, AMY PECK SAT THERE JUST SCROLLING ON HER PHONE AND WHEN I ASKED HER TO PAY ATTENTION, SHE CONTINUED. MS. PECK, IT MUST BE HARD FOR YOU FROM YOUR PRIVILEGED GATED COMMUNITY TO RELATE TO THE CHILDREN OF GAZA. YOU GET TO GO HOME AT NIGHT AND SEE ABIGAIL AND ANNABEL HEALTHY AND HAPPY AND SAFE. YOU AREN'T WORRIED ABOUT WHERE THEIR NEXT MEAL WILL COME FROM, HOW YOU WILL PROVIDE THEM CLEAN DRINKING WATER OR WHETHER YOU'LL SURVIVE THE NIGHT THE PEOPLE OF GAZA DON'T HAVE THAT LUXURY. WEEK AFTER WEEK FOR SEVEN MONTHS, YOU'VE DEMONSTRATED YOU DON'T VALUE LIFE. SO JUST KEEP IN MIND AS THE UNIVERSITY MOVEMENTS GROW AND DISRUPTIONS AND ACTIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY INCREASE WE HAVE TRIED TO REASON WITH YOU PEOPLE FOR SEVEN DAMN MONTHS. WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF FOR OVER 200 DAYS YOU BEGGED AND PLEADED FOR YOUR UNIVERSITY AND YOUR GOVERNMENT AND YOUR JOBS TO DIVEST FROM DEATH TO RECOGNIZE THE PAIN AND SUFFERING OF YOUR PEOPLE? IF YOUR ANSWER IS ANYTHING SHORT OF RIOT, THEN YOU'RE LYING TO YOURSELF. NEXT WOO, GRAB A CHOKE NOW PRESENT THAT, COMPLETE THE LIST OF SPEAKERS. THANK YOU. WE [RECESS] STAND IN RECESS UNTIL NINE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING. I AM ABOUT TO READ THE DESCRIPTION, OUR CAPTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL AGENDA FOR THE WEEK APRIL 30TH AND MAY 1ST, 2024 ITEM ONE PUBLIC HEARING TO PROVIDE A RESOLUTION WITH NO OBJECTION FOR THE 4% TAX CREDIT APPLICATION FOR THE RENOVATION OF CORDOVA APARTMENTS. WE HAVE THE REPORT FROM THE CITY CONTROLLING THE CITY ADMINISTRATION REGARDING THE CURRENT FINANCIAL STATUS OF THE CITY. ITEM TWO, REQUEST FROM MAYOR FOR CONFIRMATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF JAMES GILFORD II TO POSITION EIGHT OF REINVESTMENT ZONE NUMBER TWO, ALSO KNOWN AS THE MIDTOWN ZONE BOARD OF DIRECTORS. ITEM THREE, REQUEST FROM MAYOR FOR CONFIRMATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF JAMES GIFORD II TO POSITION EIGHT OF THE MIDTOWN REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY BOARD OF DIRECTORS. ITEM FOUR, REQUEST FOR MAYOR FOR CONFIRMATION OF THE REAPPOINTMENT OF MELODY. KELLY DOUGLAS ALDEN ISD REPRESENTATIVE TO POSITION SIX OF REINVESTMENT ZONE NUMBER 11 CD HOUSTON IN TEXAS GREATER GREENS POINT ZONE BOARD OF DIRECTORS. ITEM FIVE, REQUEST FOR MAYOR FOR CONFIRMATION OF THE REAPPOINTMENT OF MELODY. KELLY DOUGLAS ALDEN ISD REPRESENTATIVE TO POSITION SIX OF THE GREATER GREENS FARM REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY BOARD OF DIRECTORS. ITEM SIX, REQUEST FOR MAYOR FOR CONFIRMATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF FRANCIS S NEGRO TO POSITION EIGHT OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE REINVESTMENT ZONE. NUMBER 13, CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS OH SIX WARD ITEM SEVEN, REQUEST FROM MAYOR FOR CONFIRMATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF FRANCIS SNE TO POSITION EIGHT OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE OH SIX WARD REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY. ITEM EIGHT, REQUEST FROM MAYOR FOR CONFIRMATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF JOHN WILLIAM DIES TO POSITION EIGHT OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF TAX INSTRUMENT REINVESTMENT ZONE NUMBER 23 ALSO KNOWN AS THE HARRISBURG ZONE. ITEM NINE, REQUEST FROM MAYOR FOR CONFIRMATION. THE APPOINTMENT OF JOHN WILLIAM DICE TO POSITION EIGHT OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE HARRISBURG REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY. ITEM 10, RECOMMENDATION FROM DIRECTOR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS FOR APPROVAL OF FINAL CONTRACT AMOUNT OF $4,265,985 AND 67 CENTS AND ACCEPTANCE OF WORK ON CONTRACT WITH THE PM CONSTRUCTION AND REHAB L-L-C-D-B-A-I-P-R SOUTH CENTRAL. ITEM 11, RECOMMENDATION FROM DIRECTOR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS FOR APPROVAL TO FIND A CONTRACT AMOUNT OF $4,093,201 56 CENTS AND EXCEPTION TO WORK ON CONTRACT WITH ARMED MIRANDA TRUCKING AND THE CONSTRUCTION LLC ITEM 12. RECOMMENDATION FROM CITY ATTORNEY TO DEPOSIT THE AMOUNT OF THE AWARD OF SPECIAL COMMISSION TO THE ATORY OF THE COURT TO PAY ALL COSTS OF COURT IN CONNECTION WITH ANY [03:05:01] DOMAIN PROCEEDINGS STYLE. CITY OF HOUSTON V ASTRA PROPERTIES LLC ETAL ITEM 13 IDEXX DIS DISTRIBUTION INC. FOR PURCHASE OF FEE LINE AND K NINE DISEASE TEST KITS FOR THE ADMINISTRATION REGULATORY AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT. ITEM 14, STRIKER SALES LLC FORMERLY KNOWN AS STRIKER SALES CORPORATION FOR PURCHASE OF EMS POWER PRO XT AMUS COTS AND STAIR PRO STAIR CHAIR STRETCHERS. ITEM 15 APPROVED SPIN AUTHORITY IN THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF FIVE ME $394,559 AND 5 CENTS FOR PURCHASE OF AUTOMOTIVE AND HEAVY DUTY TIRES AWARDED TO SOUTHERN TIRES MART LLC ITEM 16 APPROVED PRINTING AUTHORITY FOR PURCHASE OF SO C CORD REMOTE FIRING DEVICE KIT AND ACCOMPANY EQUIPMENT AWARDED TO CORP LLC ITEM 17 Z SPACE INC. FOR PURCHASE OF AUGMENTED AND VIRTUAL REALITY INTERACTIVE LAPTOPS. ITEM 18, YOU SAW COAL LLC FOR SUPPLY OF INORGANIC METAL SALT COAGULANTS, ALUMINUM CHLOROHYDRATE, POLY ALUMINUM CHLORIDE AND ALUMINUM SULFATE FOR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS. ITEM 19 APPROVED SPENDING AUTHORITY FOR PROFESSIONAL MANAGEMENT CONSULTING SERVICES FOR SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT AWARDED TO BURNS AND MCDONALD ENGINEERING COMPANY INC. ITEM 20 ORDINANCE MAKING THE GENERAL APPROPRIATION OF CERTAIN REVENUES OF THE CITY. ITEM 21 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $2,240,000 IN NO CENTS OUT OF AIRPORTS IMPROVEMENT FUND FOR TRANSFER OF A PORTION OF LEE ROAD FROM PUBLIC WORKS TO HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM. ITEM 22, ORDINANCE APPRO AND AUTHORIZING FIRST AMENDMENT TO SUBRECIPIENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND CHILDCARE COUNCIL OF GREATER HOUSTON INC. ITEM 23 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING A FIRST AMENDMENT TO SUB-RECIPIENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND CHILDCARE COUNCIL OF GREATER HOUSTON INC. ITEM 24 ORDINANCE APPROVING AN AUTHORIZING SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND HOUSTON RECOVERY CENTER FOR FRONT LINES EXPANSION PROJECT ITEM 25 ORDINANCE APPROVING AN AUTHORIZING SALE AND CONVEYANCE OF WATERLINE EASEMENT TO WEST HARRIS COUNTY REGIONAL WATER AUTHORITY. ITEM 26 ORDINANCE AMENING ORDINANCE TO INCREASE MAXIMUM CONTRACTING AMOUNT APPROVING AN AUTHORIZING FIRST AMENDMENT TO CONTRACT BETWEEN C OF HOUSTON AND GENERATE GENERATE E-R-N-G-L-L-C AS SIGNED BY INTENT ROCK SOLUTIONS LLC ITEM 27 ORDINANCE APPROVING AN AWARDING CONTRACT BETWEEN C OF HOUSTON AND DEAN G PAPAS LAW FIRM L-P-L-L-C ITEM 28 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AWARDING PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND WILLIAM MARSH RICE UNIVERSITY ITEM 29 ORDINANCE MAKING CERTAIN FINDINGS RELATED TO THE CONVENTIONS OF TWO EASEMENTS ON TWO PARTS OF LAND EASEMENTS TO CENTER POINT ENERGY RESOURCES CORP DBA CENTER POINT ENERGY, TEXAS GAS OPERATIONS ITEM 2030 ORDINANCE DESIGNATING A RESIDENTIAL AREA IN NORTHWOOD MANOR SUBDIVISION ITEM 31 ORDINANCE DESIGNATED RESIDENTIAL AREA IN THE GLENWOOD FOREST SUBDIVISION. ITEM 32 ORDINANCE RENEWING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE EAST AND WEST SIDE OF THE 500 BLOCK OF FRAZIER STREET BETWEEN EAST FIFTH AND HALF STREET TO AND WHITE OAK DRIVE. ITEM 33 ORDINANCE RENEWING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE EAST AND WEST SIDE OF THE 500 BLOCK OF FRAZIER STREET AND THE WEST SIDE OF THE 500 BLOCK OF GRANDBERRY GRANDBERRY STREET BETWEEN EAST FIFTH AND A HALF STREET AND WHITE OAK DRIVE. ITEM 34 ORDINANCE CONSENTED TO THE ADDITION OF 2.00 ACRES OF LAND TO REED ROAD. MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT NUMBER ONE ITEM 35 ORDINANCE CONSENTED TO THE ADDITION OF ONE 4.4577 ACRES OF LAND TO DALE PUBLIC UTILITY DISTRICT. ITEM 36 ORDINANCE CONSENTED TO THE ADDITION OF 3.764 ACRES, ACRES OF LAND TO HARRIS COUNTY MUD 2 31. ITEM 37 THE ORDINANCE CONSENTED TO THE CREATION OF HARRIS COUNTY MUD 5 41 ITEM 38 OWNERS AUTHORIZING THE SALE OF 1,979 SQUARE FEET OF CITY FEE ON LAND OUT OF LAND AND A PART OF LOT SIX BLOCK 2 28 BAKER SHARON AND RYDEN EDITION SITUATING THE JOHN OFFICER SURVEY ABSTRACT NUMBER ONE, HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS SELLING THE PROPERTY TO TEXAS, UH, TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION. ITEM 39, ORDINANCE OF PUBLIC AND AUTHORIZING PUBLIC ROAD CROSSING, CLOSING AND REMOVAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY HOUSTON AND UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD COMPANY. ITEM 30, ITEM 40 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $2,707,740 IN THOSE STENTS OUTTA WATER AND SEWER SYSTEM. CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND QUO AND ASSOCIATES INC. ITEM 41 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $1,816,500 AND NO CENTS OUT OF WATER AND SEWER SYSTEM. CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND PARSONS WATER AND INFRASTRUCTURE INC. ITEM 42 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $1,100,000 IN OH CENTS OUT OF METRO PROJECTS [03:10:01] CONSTRUCTION D-D-S-R-E-F APPRO AND AUTHORIZING PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND A GEARY AND FIELDS LP ITEM 43 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $5,293,512 AND NO CENTS OUTTA WATER AND SEWER SYSTEM. CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND AWARDING CONTRACTOR CRUISE TECH INC. ITEM 44 ORDINANCE GRANTING TO BERKELEY OUTSIDE SERVICES INC. AT TEXAS CORPORATION, THE WRIGHT PRIVILEGE AND FRANCHISE TO COLLECT HOLLAND TRANSPORT SOLID WASTE AND INDUSTRIAL WASTE FROM COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES LOCATED WITHIN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS. PURSUANT TO CHAPTER 39, CODE OF ORDINANCES, HOUSTON, TEXAS FIRST READING ITEM 45, ORDINANCE GRANTED TO CHERRY CONCRETE REMOVAL, LTDA TEXAS LIMITED PARTNERSHIP FOR ALSO FIRST READING ORDINANCE ITEM 46, ORDINANCE GRANT TO IN SWORDS CORPORATION, A TEXAS CORPORATION FIRST READING ITEM 47 ORDINANCE GRANTING TO FIRST CHOICE GREASE SERVICE, LLC FIRST, UH, UH, TEXAS LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY. FIRST READING ITEM 48, ORDINANCE GRANTING TO GREASE RECYCLERS LLCA, TEXAS LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY. FIRST READING ITEM 49, ORDINANCE GRANTING TO MAGNA FLOW ENVIRONMENTAL INC. A TEXAS CORPORATION. ALSO FIRST READING. THIS IS THE END OF THE CONSENT AGENDA UNDER THE NON-CONSENT AGENDA. ITEM 50 RECEIVE NOMINATIONS FOR APPOINTMENTS OF POSITION C 13 ON THE HOUSTON FIRST CORPORATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR A THREE YEAR TERM ENDING DECEMBER 31ST, 2026. THIS COMPLETES THE READING OF THE AGENDA FOR THE WEEK, MAY 1ST, 2024. STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT SESSION OF HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL. SCHEDULED TO BEGIN AT 9:00 AM IN THE WORDS OF OUR CURRENT SECRETARY, PAT J DANIEL. I'D LIKE TO LEAVE YOU WITH THIS. ALWAYS, ALWAYS TREAT EVERYONE THE WAY YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE TREATED. HAVE A BLESSED AND FANTABULOUS DAY. OH, GET YOUR HEAD BUS. THANK YOU. [RECONVENE] HERE [ADMIN REPORT] RECOGNIZES CONTROLLER CHRIS HOLS AND FINANCE DIRECTOR MELISSA DEBOWSKI. GOOD MORNING MAYOR. I'M COUNCIL AM PLEASED TO PRESENT THE MONTHLY FINANCIAL REPORT FOR THE MONTH ENDING MARCH 31ST, 2024. IN THE GENERAL FUND. THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE IS PROJECTING AN ENDING FUND BALANCE OF $453.8 MILLION FOR FY 2024. THIS IS $14 MILLION LOWER THAN THE PROJECTION OF THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT DUE TO OUR DIFFERENT REVENUE PROJECTIONS. BASED ON OUR CURRENT PROJECTIONS, THE FUND BALANCE WILL BE APPROXIMATELY $267.5 MILLION ABOVE THE CITY'S TARGET OF HOLDING 7.5% OF TOTAL EXPENDITURES, EXCLUDING DEBT SERVICE AND PAY AS YOU GO AND RESERVE OUR REVENUE PROJECTION INCREASED BY $20.4 MILLION FROM THE FEBRUARY, 2024 MONTHLY FINANCIAL REPORT AS FOLLOWS, SALES TAX INCREASED BY $14.9 MILLION. ELECTRIC FRANCHISE INCREASED BY 2.1 MILLION AND LICENSES AND PERMITS INCREASED BY 0.7 MILLION. EACH OF THESE DUE TO HIGHER THAN ANTICIPATED RECEIPTS, INTEREST INCOME INCREASED BY $2.7 MILLION DUE TO HIGHER THAN ANTICIPATED INTEREST EARNINGS ON DEPOSITS AND INVESTMENTS REGARDING SALES TAX. I'D LIKE TO QUICKLY NOTE THAT THIS MONTH'S PROJECTION BY MY OFFICE IS BEING MOVED IN LINE WITH OUR BASE CASE SCENARIO. OUR CONSERVATIVE SCENARIO, WHICH WE'VE USED UNTIL NOW, AND YOU'VE, YOU'VE, UH, COMMENTED ON THAT MAYOR PROJECTS $865.9 MILLION IN SALES TAX. UH, FOR THAT SCENARIO TO BE ACCURATE, WE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE EIGHT OR 9% LOWER SALES TAX YEAR OVER YEAR FOR THE REMAINING MONTHS. UH, AND SO THAT'S BECOMING MORE AND MORE UNREALISTIC. IN ACTUALITY, WE'VE SEEN THAT IN MOST MONTHS, INCLUDING FEBRUARY, UH, THERE'S BEEN A SLIGHT INCREASE IN SALES TAX YEAR OVER YEAR. AND SO OUR BASE CASE SCENARIO IS, IS MORE ACCURATE AND IT PROJECTS $880.8 MILLION IN SALES TAX REVENUE. I WILL KNOW THAT THIS STILL LIENS A BIT CONSERVATIVE AS OUR BASE CASE SCENARIO PROJECTS THAT SALES TAX FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE YEAR WILL BE LOWER, UH, THAN LAST YEAR BY ABOUT 3%. OUR EXPENDITURE PROJECTIONS INCREASED BY $0.4 MILLION FROM THE FEBRUARY, 2024 REPORT DUE TO HIGHER THAN ANTICIPATED SECURITY SERVICES FOR GSD. MOVING OVER TO THE ENTERPRISE FUNDS AND THE AVIATION OPERATING FUND. NON-OPERATING REVENUES INCREASED BY $0.9 MILLION DUE TO HIGHER INTEREST INCOME AND OPERATING TRANSFERS FROM THE REVENUE FUND TO THE AIRPORT IMPROVEMENT FUND INCREASED BY $0.9 MILLION IN THE CONVENTION AND ENTERTAINMENT FUND. OPERATING REVENUES DECREASED BY HALF MILLION DOLLARS DUE TO LOWER THAN ANTICIPATED PARKING REVENUE AND OPERATING TRANSFERS INCREASED BY $3.1 MILLION DUE TO AN INCREASE IN TRANSFERS TO HOUSTON. FIRST, [03:15:01] OUR PROJECTIONS FOR THE COMBINED UTILITY SYSTEMS FUND STORMWATER FUND AND THE VARIOUS DRAINAGE FUNDS REMAINS UNCHANGED FROM THE PRIOR MONTH FOR COMMERCIAL PAPER AND BONDS. THE CITY'S PRACTICE HAS BEEN TO MAINTAIN NO MORE THAN 20% OF THE TOTAL OUTSTANDING DEBT FOR EACH TYPE OF DEBT IN A VARIABLE RATE STRUCTURE. AS OF MARCH 31ST, 2024, WE WERE WELL BELOW THAT THRESHOLD FOR EACH TYPE OF DEBT. MOVING ON TO THE QUARTERLY INVESTMENT REPORT. AS OF MARCH 31ST, 2024, THE CITY HAD $6.45 BILLION INVESTED IN OUR GENERAL INVESTMENT POOL. THE CHARACTER OF THIS POOL IS THAT OF A SHORT TERM BOND FUND THAT HOLDS INVESTMENTS OF A VERY HIGH CREDIT QUALITY AND THUS FITCH RATINGS HAS REVIEWED THIS POOL AND ASSIGNED THE POOL ITS HIGHEST RATING OF AAA. OUR INVESTMENTS ARE $422 MILLION HIGHER THAN LAST YEAR. THIS IS PRIMARILY DUE TO THE COMMERCIAL PAPER ISSUANCES IN THE GENERAL FUND AND THE COMBINED UTILITY SYSTEM AS WELL AS PROCEEDS FROM THE AVIATION BOND. AS OF MARCH 31ST, 2024, THE GENERAL INVESTMENT POOL WAS YIELDING 3.572%, WHICH IS UP FROM THE 3.3810000000000002% YIELD IN THE PRIOR QUARTER. IN ADDITION TO THE GENERAL INVESTMENT POOL, WE HAVE TWO SMALL INVESTMENT POOLS THAT TOTAL ABOUT $16 MILLION. THESE POOLS EXIST TO COMPLY WITH TAX REQUIREMENTS FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. ALONG WITH OUR INVESTMENT REPORT. WE'VE INCLUDED WITH THIS, UH, REPORT, THE QUARTERLY SWAP REPORT. THE CITY HAS TWO SWAP POSITIONS AND FOR THE THREE MONTH PERIOD ENDING MARCH 31ST, 2024, THE CITY HAD A NET PAID FROM ITS SWAPS OF $7 MILLION. FAIR VALUE FOR BOTH OF THESE SWAPS COMBINED AS OF MARCH 31ST, 2024 WAS NEGATIVE $86.3 MILLION, WHICH IS A $5.2 MILLION IMPROVEMENT OVER LAST QUARTER. SO BOTH OF THESE CITY SWAPS ARE TRENDING IN A POSITIVE DIRECTION. AND IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS REGARDING OUR SWAPS, PLEASE CONTACT MY OFFICE FOR MORE DETAILED BRIEFING. I'D ALSO LIKE TO SHARE THAT LAST WEEK THE CITY OF HOUSTON SUCCESSFULLY PRE-MARKET AND PRICED $870 MILLION OF BONDS FOR OUR COMBINED UTILITY SYSTEM. THE CITY'S TRANSACTION WAS SUBSTANTIALLY OVERSUBSCRIBED WITH APPROXIMATELY $3.1 BILLION IN ORDERS. AND THAT STRONG INVESTOR INTEREST ALLOWED US TO NEGOTIATE LOWER YIELDS, WHICH RESULTED IN NET PRESENT VALUE SAVINGS OF 53 POINT A HALF MILLION DOLLARS. SO AGAIN, THANK YOU TO CITY TREASURER OF VERNON MIDDLETON LEWIS TO DIRECTOR DEBOWSKI, AND TO THE ENTIRE FINANCE WORKING GROUP FOR THEIR DEDICATED WORK ON THAT BOND TRANSACTION. LASTLY, MAYOR, IF YOU'D ALLOW ME A BRIEF MOMENT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE. UH, YESTERDAY I DISCUSSED WITH, UH, THE LABOR AND BFA COMMITTEE, UH, OUR YEARS LONG NEED FOR ADDITIONAL AUDITORS WITHIN THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE, UH, THAT NEED REMAINS TODAY WHEN WE COMPARE OURSELVES TO SIMILARLY SIZED CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND ACROSS THE STATE. THE SIZE OF HOUSTON'S AUDIT CAPACITY IS SERIOUSLY LOW, WHICH INCREASES RISK OF FRAUD, WASTE, AND ABUSE. WITH MORE AUDITORS, WE CAN STRENGTHEN CONTROLS AND IDENTIFY POTENTIAL EFFICIENCIES TO SAVE TAXPAYER DOLLARS. THUS, THIS INVESTMENT WILL MORE THAN PAY FOR ITSELF. IN THE WEEKS AHEAD, I'LL BE REACHING OUT TO YOU MAYOR AND TO EACH MEMBER OF COUNCIL TO LAY OUT OUR FORMALIZED REQUESTS FOR ADDITIONAL AUDITORS, ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE AND UNDERSCORE THE URGENCY OF THIS NEED. UH, FINALLY, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. WE HAD DELTA DAY, UH, AT CITY HALL YESTERDAY, AND SO JUST WANTED TO CONGRATULATE YOU, UH, AND THE WOMEN OF DELTA SIGMA THETA FOR YOUR CONTINUED SOCIAL A UH, ADVOCACY, UH, AND IMPACT IN THIS COMMUNITY. AND THEN LASTLY, UH, CONGRESS OF CONGRESS MEMBER, FUTURE CONGRESS MEMBER, PERHAPS COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN. UH, YOU HAD ASKED ABOUT THE 11.80 CENTS AND AND WHAT THAT WOULD MEAN IF TOTALLY ADDED UP. UH, THAT NUMBER. WE'RE GONNA BE ISSUING A FORMAL MEMO BY EMAIL, BUT I THINK THAT NUMBER COMES IN AT AROUND 330, 300 $40 MILLION. UH, BUT WE'LL BE SENDING THAT IN DETAIL TO YOU AND TO THE REST OF COUNCIL, UH, LATER TODAY. MAYOR, THAT CONCLUDES MY REPORT. THANK YOU, DIRECTOR. GOOD MORNING. THIS IS THE NINE PLUS THREE FINANCIAL REPORT FOR THE PERIOD ENDING MARCH 31ST, 2024. FISCAL YEAR 24 PROJECTIONS ARE BASED ON NINE MONTHS OF ACTUAL RESULTS AND THREE MONTHS OF PROJECTIONS FOR THE GENERAL FUND. OUR REVENUE PROJECTION IS 42.5 MILLION HIGHER THAN THE ADOPTED BUDGET AND 337,000 HIGHER THAN THE PRIOR MONTH. THE VARIANCE FROM THE PRIOR MONTH'S PROJECTION IS PRIMARILY DUE TO $194,000 INCREASE IN OTHER FINES AND FORFEITS DUE TO HIGHER THAN ANTICIPATED RECEIPTS FOR FOR FALSE ALARM PENALTIES AND 143,000 INCREASE IN CHARGES FOR SERVICES DUE TO HIGHER THAN ANTICIPATED PLAN REVIEW FEES. UH, TOUCHING ON THE SALES TAX LIKE THE CONTROLLER MENTIONED, UM, OUR PROJECTION, UH, IS UNCHANGED FROM THE PRIOR PERIOD AND STANDS AT 880 MILLION. UH, WE BELIEVE, UH, LIKE THE CONTROLLER MENTIONED THAT THIS IS STILL A CONSERVATIVE PROJECTION SO FAR GIVEN [03:20:01] THAT YEAR TO DATE, WE'RE AVERAGING ABOUT 0.4% ABOVE THE PRIOR YEAR COLLECTIONS. IN ORDER TO MEET THE CURRENT ESTIMATE OF 880 MILLION, THE REMAINING MONTHS WOULD NEED TO COME IN ABOUT 3% BELOW THE PRIOR YEAR FOR THE REMAINING MONTHS MOVING OVER TO THE EXPENDITURES, OUR PROJECTION IS 42.4 MILLION HIGHER THAN THE ADOPTED BUDGET AND 400,000 HIGHER THAN THE PRIOR MONTH. AND THIS VARIANCE IS DUE TO HIGHER THAN ANTICIPATED SECURITY SERVICES FOR THE GENERAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT. WITH THOSE CHANGES, WE'RE CURRENTLY PROJECTING THE ENDING ENDING FUND BALANCE TO REMAIN RELATIVELY FLAT FROM THE PRIOR MONTH PROJECTION OF 467.8 MILLION, WHICH REPRESENTS 18.8% OF ESTIMATED EXPENDITURES, LESS PAY AS YOU GO AND DEBT SERVICE COSTS. THAT BRINGS THE FUND BALANCE TO 281.5 MILLION ABOVE THE TARGET OF HOLDING 7.5% OF EXPENDITURES, EXCLUDING DEBT AND PAY AS YOU GO. UH, FOR THE ENTERPRISE FUNDS, UH, THE CONTROLLER ALREADY WENT OVER THE PROJECTIONS FOR THE AVIATION DEPARTMENT, UH, AND CONVENTION ENTERTAINMENT. UH, SO I'LL MOVE ON TO A FEW COMMENTS ABOUT THE ECONOMY OVERALL. UH, FOR THE EMPLOYMENT FOR THE AREA, ACCORDING TO THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS, THE PRELIMINARY TOTAL NON-FARM EMPLOYMENT FOR OUR MSA WAS AT, UH, 3.4 MILLION IN FEBRUARY, WHICH IS UP APPROXIMATELY 0.7% COMPARED TO THE PRIOR MONTH. AND COMPARING THIS TO THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR, NON-FARM EMPLOYMENT IS DOWN BY 0.2%, AND THE PRELIMINARY UNEMPLOYMENT RATE FOR THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY WAS 4.6%. AND COMPARING THAT TO THE PRIOR MONTH AT 4.4%, UH, COMPARING IT TO THE PREVIOUS YEAR, THOUGH IT IS STILL DOWN, UM, THE PREVIOUS YEAR, THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE WAS 4.8% ON ENERGY. THE AVERAGE OIL PRICE WAS $81 AND 28 CENTS PER BARREL FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH, WHICH WAS ABOUT 5% HIGHER THAN THE PRIOR MONTH'S AVERAGE PRICE. AND COMPARING THAT TO THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR, THE PRICES INCREASED ABOUT 11%. AND, UM, THE ONLY OTHER THING I WANTED TO MENTION, UM, WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IT YESTERDAY, IS THE GENERAL APPROPRIATIONS ITEM THAT'S ON AGENDA FOR TODAY. UM, THAT'S THE ITEM LIKE WE DISCUSSED YESTERDAY. THIS IS ITEM NUMBER 20, UH, WHERE WE ARE GOING TO TRUE UP THE BUDGET FOR THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR TO, UH, REFLECT THE ESTIMATES THAT WE'VE BEEN GOING OVER IN ALL THE MONTHLY, UH, MEETINGS. THAT CONCLUDES MY REPORT. VERY GOOD, THANK YOU. ANY QUESTIONS? COUNCILMAN MCMAN? THANK YOU, MAYOR. GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE. UH, VERY BRIEFLY, UH, AS IT RELATES, MAYOR. UM, AND, AND I KNOW CONTROLLER, YOU JUST RAISED SOME QUESTIONS THAT WERE ASKED AT BFA RELATED TO THE DRAINAGE, UH, FEE. AS THE COURT HAS NOW RULED, I KNOW THAT THE CITY IS APPEALING THAT, UH, DECISION. HOWEVER, IT, THAT DECISION AT THE STATE SUPREME COURT COULD COME DOWN IN THIS UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR. UH, DO WE KNOW YET HOW THAT WILL IMPACT OUR BUDGET? AND HOW DO WE ACCOUNT FOR THE POTENTIAL COST OF THAT AND THE COST? MAY, WE JUST HAD ANOTHER HEARING ON, UH, THE FIREFIGHTER AGREEMENT YESTERDAY. SO ALL OF THAT COMBINED, DO WE KNOW WHAT THE FINANCIAL IMPACT WILL BE POTENTIALLY? YES. SO ON THE, UM, THE DRAINAGE LAWSUIT, LIKE WE TALKED ABOUT YESTERDAY, UM, THE IMPACT FOR THE FY 25 BUDGET WOULD BE OVER APPROXIMATELY A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS FOR FISCAL YEAR 25. UM, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, LIKE WE MENTIONED, UM, APPEALING THE LAWSUIT, UM, BUT IT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT AS WE LOOK AT THE BUDGETARY GAP AND THE PROPOSED BUDGET, UM, THAT WOULD BE IN ADDITION TO THAT 160 MILLION BASELINE GAP WE TALK ABOUT, UH, AND AGAIN, AS WAS MENTIONED YESTERDAY, WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THAT A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS FIGURE AND HOW MIGHT, HOW IT MIGHT IMPACT FY 2025, UH, WE'RE FORTUNATE THAT IN ANY SCENARIO, THIS WOULDN'T BE GOING BACK TO PREVIOUS FISCAL YEARS. UH, BUT WE DO NEED, YOU KNOW, LEGAL TO WEIGH IN ON, EVEN IN THE CASE OF AN APPEAL, IF WE WERE TO LOSE THAT APPEAL, IF IT WOULD THEN APPLY TO FY 2025. UH, IF SO, THEN, YOU KNOW, MY ADVICE WOULD BE THAT WE KEEP SOME AMOUNT OF, OF DOLLARS IN RESERVE, UH, IN CASE OF, OF THAT NEGATIVE OUTCOME. THANK YOU. AND MY LAST QUESTION, UM, THE CITY HAS GONE OUT AND DONE A REALLY GREAT JOB THE PAST FEW YEARS, ESPECIALLY WITH ARPA DOLLARS, AND IRA DOLLARS OF GOING OUT AND GETTING FEDERAL GRANTS SPECIFICALLY FOR INFRASTRUCTURE THAT THE CITY ITSELF CAN'T AFFORD. DO WE HAVE A LIST OR DO WE KNOW RIGHT NOW, UM, DO WE HAVE A RECORD OF HOW MANY INFRASTRUCTURE BASED PROJECTS THE CITY HAS BEEN AWARDED FEDERAL GRANTS FOR? I THINK WE COULD PROVIDE THAT. YEAH. YEAH, IF, IF WE COULD GET A COPY OF THAT. I KNOW MANY OF US AS DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE A LOT OF, LOT OF PROJECTS, UM, IN QUEUE, [03:25:01] UH, THAT ARE DEPENDENT ON OUR, THOSE FEDERAL GRANT DOLLARS. AND IT'D BE VERY HELPFUL TO KNOW HOW MANY WE'VE ACTUALLY BEEN AWARDED. UM, THUS FAR. UH, MY OFFICE IS IN POSSESSION OF WHAT I BELIEVE TO BE OF A NON-EXHAUSTIVE LIST OF, OF GRANTS RELATED TO PROJECTS HERE IN HOUSTON. UH, THE DOLLAR TOTAL OF THAT LIST IS ROUGHLY $300 MILLION. AND DON'T QUOTE ME ON THIS, BUT I WANNA SAY THAT'S ACROSS 60 OR 70 DIFFERENT GRANTS. UH, I DO KNOW THAT WITHIN THE TOP DOZEN OR SO OF THOSE GRANTS, THERE'S $200 MILLION, RIGHT? AND SO THOSE WOULD BE THE ONES THAT I'D BE PAYING MOST ATTENTION TO. OBVIOUSLY EVERY DOLLAR IS IMPORTANT, AND SO WE WANNA LOOK, LOOK AT THOSE. UH, I WILL SAY THAT AS PART OF OUR FFY 2025 AUDIT PLAN, WE ARE GONNA BE LOOKING AT THE CITY'S ABILITIES, UH, AND TRACK RECORD OF A SUCCESSFULLY APPLYING FOR THOSE GRANTS, AS WELL AS IMPLEMENTING, YOU KNOW, THOSE PROJECTS AS IT RELATES TO UTILIZING THOSE FUNDS APPROPRIATELY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. GOOD JOB. COUNCILMAN ALCORN FOR THE MOTION. COUNCILMAN ALCORN. I MOVE THAT WE ACCEPT THE MONTHLY FINANCIAL REPORT FOR THE PERIOD ENDING MARCH 31ST, 2024. SECOND CASTILLO, MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED MOTION PASSES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MAYOR. [1.  PUBLIC HEARING to provide a Resolution of No Objection for the 4% tax credit application for the renovation of CORDOVA APARTMENTS - DISTRICT D - EVANS-SHABAZZ ] NEXT WE'LL MOVE TO THE PUBLIC HEARING. MADAM SECRETARY, PLEASE CALL ITEM NUMBER ONE. ITEM ONE IS A PUBLIC HEARING TO PROVIDE A RESOLUTION OF NO OBJECTION FOR THE 4% TAX CREDIT APPLICATION FOR THE RENOVATION OF CORDOVA APARTMENTS. WE DO HAVE SPEAKERS TODAY. MADAM SECRETARY, YOU PLEASE CALL THE FIRST ERICA SCOTT. I, GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS ERICA SCOTT AND I'M WITH KITTLE PROPERTY GROUP. UM, I'M THE VICE PRESIDENT OF DEVELOPMENT THERE. WE ARE A VERTICALLY INTEGRATED, UH, COMPANY THAT DEVELOPS DESIGNS, CONSTRUCTS, AND LONG-TERM MANAGES AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMMUNITIES. KPG OPERATES OVER 150 COMMUNITIES, PROVIDING HOMES TO 35,000 PEOPLE. WE HAVE 18 COMMUNITIES IN THE STATE OF TEXAS WITH AN ADDITIONAL FIVE IN OUR PIPELINE. ONE OF THOSE IN OUR PIPELINE IS THE PROPOSED DEAL CALLED CORDOVA. THIS WILL BE A NEW 283 UNIT SENIOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMMUNITY ON 9.5 ACRES AT 61 60 MADDEN MADDEN LANE, EXCUSE ME, ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF HOUSTON, JUST WEST OF HOBBY AIRPORT. THIS IS A 55 AND OVER COMMUNITY AND WILL INCLUDE ONE AND TWO BEDROOM UNITS IN A, IN FOUR, FOUR STORY INTERIOR CORRIDOR, ELEVATOR SERVED BUILDINGS. WE ARE PLANNING THIS PROPERTY IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE HOUSTON HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION. SOME OF THE COMMUNITY AMENITIES WILL INCLUDE ONSITE MANAGEMENT OFFICE, A COMMUNITY ROOM WITH KITCHENETTE FOR RESIDENT GATHERINGS, A FITNESS CENTER, BUSINESS CENTER WITH COMPUTERS IN UNIT WASHERS AND DRYERS WILL BE PET FRIENDLY AND WE'LL HAVE A BARK PARK AVAILABLE FOR OUR RESIDENTS. THERE'LL BE GARAGES AVAILABLE FOR RENT. WE'RE GONNA ALSO OFFER AN ONSITE SHUTTLE THAT'LL OFF OPERATE THREE DAYS A WEEK, TAKING, UM, VISITS TO THE LOCAL GROCERY STORE PHARMACIES. WE'LL ALSO OFFER ACTIVITIES SUCH AS ARTS AND CRAFTS, SOCIAL EVENTS, AND AN ANNUAL HEALTH FAIR. UH, SECURITY WILL INCLUDE A FULLY FENCED AND CONTROLLED ACCESS 24 7 ONSITE SECURITY GUARD FOB ACCESS ENTRANCES AT EACH BUILDING, ENTRANCE TO THE PROPERTY AND SECURITY CAMERAS THROUGHOUT. COMPARABLE INCOME RESTRICTED PROPERTIES IN THE AREA ARE OVER 99% OCCUPIED. SO WE BELIEVE THIS PROPERTY WILL BE VERY WELL RECEIVED IN THE AREA. OUR TEAM HAS MET WITH COUNCILWOMAN EVANS SHABAZZ AND HER TEAM TO EARN THEIR SUPPORT. I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME THIS MORNING AND HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. UH, THANK YOU MAYOR. THANK YOU FOR, UM, SHARING A PUBLIC HEARING TODAY. I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, MORE SO COMMENTS. UM, YOU KNOW, I WAS WATCHING SOMETHING ON INSTAGRAM AND WAS TALKING ABOUT THE BOOMER GENERATION AND HOW IT'S THE LARGEST GENERATION THAT WOULD, UM, WILL CHOOSE TO AGE IN PLACE, RIGHT? AND SO, UM, UH, I APPRECIATE, UM, HOUSING DEVELOPERS THAT ARE FOCUSING ON THAT POPULATION, UM, FOR THOSE THAT ARE LOOKING TO EITHER DOWNSIZE OR, YOU KNOW, NEW CONSTRUCTION WHERE IT'S AFFORD AFFORDABLE. BUT A CLARIFICATION POINT IN YOUR COMMENTS. UM, YOU TALKED ABOUT NEW CONSTRUCTION. WE HAVE A RENOVATION THAT'S [03:30:01] LET, THAT'S LISTED. THIS IS A 4% RENOVATION, OR IS IT A NEW CONSTRUCTION DEAL? IT'LL BE NEW CONSTRUCTION IT. OKAY. EVEN BETTER, RIGHT? UM, AND SO, UM, HOPEFULLY THE DESIGN, UM, ALL OF THOSE THINGS WILL BE, YOU KNOW, UH, APPROPRIATE FOR THAT COMMUNITY. I'M SURE THE COUNCIL MEMBER IN HER ABSENCE, UM, PROBABLY HAVE SHARED SUCCESS. I'M ALWAYS EXCITED TO SEE DEVELOPERS PARTICIPATE IN A 4% COMPETITIVE PROCESS, UH, SO WE CAN ADD MORE HOUSING INVENTORY IN, IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO THANKS FOR SHOWING, UH, SHARING WITH US THIS MORNING. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. GOOD MORNING, MA'AM. AND THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. UM, I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING YOU'VE SAID. DON'T QUESTION THE NEED FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING, ESPECIALLY FOR OUR SENIORS. I WILL SHARE THAT I HAVE SERIOUS CONCERNS ABOUT, UH, KETTLE'S PERFORMANCE AT ONE OF THE PRIOR, UH, UNITS YOU GUYS HAVE IN THE AREA. AND THAT IS VERIO. IT'S ACTUALLY IN THE ETJ HERE IN HARRIS COUNTY. HOUSTON'S ETJ AND RESIDENTS THAT WE'VE SPOKEN TO. AND WE'VE MADE PERSONAL SITE VISITS ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT MOLD. SEVERAL RESIDENTS HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT MOLD. THE PRIMARY CONCERN AT THAT COMPLEX SEEMS TO BE SECURITY. UH, TWO CHILDREN HAVE BEEN SHOT IN THE RECENT PAST, INCLUDING ONE, I BELIEVE IN MARCH. UH, THAT'S A GREAT CONCERN TO US. WE'VE RAISED THAT CONCERN WITH, WITH YOUR MANAGEMENT, AND WE'RE TOLD, UH, THAT ONSITE SECURITY IS PROVIDED FROM 5:00 PM TO 5:00 AM AND, UH, THE TWO SITE VISITS THAT WE MADE RECENTLY, WE SAW NO SECURITY. UM, WE WERE ABLE TO GAIN ACCESS UNCHALLENGED AND WALK ABOUT THE COMPLEX. UM, AND SO THESE ARE THE TWO, TWO MAIN CONCERNS THAT WE HAVE. AND, YOU KNOW, WE CONTINUE TO WAIT FOR RESPONSE FROM KITTLE TO SEE, UH, WHAT'S GONNA BE DONE ABOUT THESE. WE ALSO, UH, FOUND SOME UNSAFE CONDITIONS ON, ON THE PROPERTY THAT COULD LEAD TO, TO INJURY A SERIOUS INJURY IN THE FUTURE, ACTUALLY, THAT WERE REPORTED SEVERAL MONTHS AGO THAT, THAT NOTHING'S BEEN DONE ABOUT. SO, DO YOU, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY IN RESPONSE TO THIS? THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. COUNCILLOR RAMIREZ, AND WE APPRECIATE YOU TAKING THE TIME TO MEET WITH US LAST WEEK AND GO THROUGH SOME OF THE CHALLENGES WE'VE HAD AT THAT PROPERTY. IT IS A 264 UNIT DEVELOPMENT THAT OPENED IN 2020, UM, DURING COVID. IT WAS ALSO OUR FIRST PROPERTY IN THE HOUSTON AREA. AND WE'VE LEARNED A LOT FROM THAT. UM, WE'VE INCREASED OUR SECURITY. WE'VE IN ADDED, UM, SECURITY CAMERAS TO THE PROPERTIES. THERE HAVE BEEN ISSUES, I'M NOT GONNA DENY THAT. UM, WE DO TAKE MAINTENANCE VERY SERIOUSLY. WE HAVE A, UM, WE CALL KIND OF MAINTENANCE WEEK WHERE ONE WEEK EACH QUARTER OF THE YEAR, WE HAVE OUR MAINTENANCE TEAM DO A HUNDRED PERCENT INSPECTIONS OF UNITS. UM, THEY GO IN AND NOTE ANYTHING THAT MAYBE A RESIDENT HASN'T REPORTED. WE DON'T HAVE THOSE, UM, NOTES ON THE MOLD. I KNOW THAT YOU HAVE SHARED WITH US. WE'VE ALSO SENT ARE SENDING OUT ANOTHER NOTICE TO OUR RESIDENTS BASED ON OUR MEETING LAST WEEK WITH YOUR TEAM, SO THAT WE CAN REMIND THEM, PLEASE LET US KNOW WHEN YOU HAVE ISSUES IN YOUR UNITS. UM, WE BELIEVE WE'RE DOING WHAT WE CAN AND TRYING OUR BEST. WE'VE LEARNED FROM OUR MISTAKES AND WE ARE MAKING CHANGES. WE DO NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN THIS AREA. I, I APPRECIATE THE RESPONSE AND, AND, UH, YOU'RE REACHING OUT WITH US AND MEETING WITH US. YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO LOOK AT IT AND, YOU KNOW, UH, HELP ME MAKE A DECISION NEXT WEEK, WHETHER OR NOT I CAN IN, IN GOOD CONSCIENCE VOTE NO OBJECTION TO A NEW PROJECT GIVEN THE PERFORMANCE ON THIS CURRENT ONE. THANK YOU. AND AS YOUR TEAM MEETS WITH RESIDENTS, IF YOU CAN GET THEIR UNIT NUMBERS, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL. BECAUSE IF THEY'RE NOT COMING TO US, WE DON'T KNOW. AND SO ANYTIME YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET ANY SPECIFIC INFORMATION, WE GLADLY ACCEPT THAT. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING. UH, MR. MAYOR AND, UH, COUNCIL, UH, MEN AND WOMEN, UM, I'M SHANNON DAVIS, UH, AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL TO, UM, KITTLE. AND I JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT THEY TAKE THESE CONCERNS VERY SERIOUSLY. THIS IS A SENIOR PROJECT, SO IT MAY NOT HAVE SOME OF THE SAME SAFETY ISSUES AS A, UH, FAMILY PROJECT, MIKE. AND ADDITIONALLY, THIS PROJECT IS BEING FINANCED WITH 4% BONDS AND TAX CREDITS, 4% TAX CREDITS AND BONDS THEY'VE ALREADY BEEN REACHED, WHICH MEANS THAT IF THIS, IF THEY DON'T GET THIS RESOLUTION OF NO OBJECTION LETTER, WE WILL LOSE THE OPPORTUNITY TO RETURN THOSE FEDERAL TAX CREDITS TO OUR COMMUNITY. THE HOUSTONIANS HAVE ALREADY PAID THOSE TAXES. WE'RE JUST ASKING TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THOSE TASK CREDITS TO COME BACK TO OUR COMMUNITY. 'CAUSE THEY'VE ALREADY BEEN REACHED. IF THIS DEAL DOESN'T GO FORWARD, THOSE CREDITS DON'T STAY IN HOUSTON. THEY GO TO WHOEVER IS NEXT IN LINE. SO THEY'RE JUST ASKING FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD THIS PROJECT FOR SENIORS IN A DISTRICT THAT IS HUNGRY AND THIRSTY FOR MORE QUALITY, AFFORDABLE HOUSING. AND MAYOR COUNCIL, UH, MAYOR PROTE, CASTEX TATUM, THANK YOU FOR, UH, ADDING THAT ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. [03:35:01] UH, MY QUESTION IS FOR THE PROPERTY THAT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ WAS, UM, DID Y'ALL BUILD THAT PROPERTY OR DID YOU TAKE IT OVER? WE BILLED IT. YOU BUILT IT. IS IT A SENIOR PROPERTY OR IT'S MULTIFAMILY? IT'S, UM, MULTIFAMILY GENERAL OCCUPANCY. OKAY. UM, I DID WANT TO ALSO ADD THAT I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT SEEING A SENIOR DEVELOPMENT, ESPECIALLY IN THE, IN THE, IN THE GULF GATE AREA. I KNOW THAT AS OUR RESIDENTS ARE AGING AND THEY ARE MOVING OUT OF THEIR, UM, MAYBE TRADITIONAL FAMILY HOMES INTO SMALLER PLACES, WE DO NEED MORE AFFORDABLE PLACES FOR OUR SENIORS TO LIVE AS THEY ARE NO LONGER IN THEIR EARNING YEARS. UM, BUT REALLY IN THEIR SEASONS, YEARS OF LIFE. UM, SO LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING A NEW PROPERTY, UM, AND HOPE THAT YOU WOULD TAKE ALL OF THOSE, UM, COMMENTS INTO CONSIDERATION AND MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE BUILDING THE BEST PROPERTY THAT WE CAN FOR HOUSTONIANS. ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU. O OBVIOUSLY NOT JUST BUILD THE BEST PROPERTIES, BUT MAINTAINING ON MANAGE AND MAINTAIN SECURITY. AND MS. DAVIS, YOU GAVE A VERY CORRECT STATEMENT. THE MONIES WILL GO OTHER PLACES, BUT THAT'S NOT A GREAT JUSTIFICATION IF IN FACT, THE DEFICIENCIES EXIST. UH, AND I DO THINK WE HAVE TO, UH, PROBABLY BE MORE SPECIFIC ABOUT THE UNITS. YEAH. COUNCILOR RAMIR, UNLESS THERE'S JUST A GENERAL DEFICIENCY THERE, BUT, UH, GOOD. UH, KETTLE HAS NOT BEEN ABLE GOOD CONVERSATION, ABLE TO IDENTIFY ANY MOLD, SO, I'M SORRY, WHAT? THEY'VE NOT BEEN ABLE TO IDENTIFY ANY MOLD, BUT IF THEY, THEY HAVE THE UNITS, THEY WILL CERTAINLY REMEDY IT. WELL, WE MAY HAVE AN HONEST DISAGREEMENT. MM-HMM. I MEAN, IT'S EITHER MOLD OR NOT MOLD, BUT I THINK IT'S GOOD THAT, UM, WE'RE HAVING THIS DIALOGUE TO REINFORCE WITH ALL OF OUR DEVELOPERS THAT, UH, RECEIVING THE, THE BUILD OUT IS JUST THE FIRST STEP THAT WE, WE DO HAVE SOME LOCATIONS THAT ARE LESS THAN SATISFACTORY. SO IT'S GOOD THAT YOU'RE HERE. MS. DAVIS, YOU MIGHT STATE YOUR NAME, YOU DIDN'T SIGN UP. YOU MIGHT STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD. YES, I'M SORRY. MY , I'M ACTUALLY SHANNON DAVIS. HUNTER. I SPOKE TO QUICKLY, UH, SHANNON DAVIS, HUNTER WITH COATS ROSE. THAT'S REALLY GOOD IN YOUR ROLE. I'M JUST CURIOUS YOUR INVOLVEMENT. YES. OUTSIDE COUNSEL TO KITTLE, THEY ASKED ME TO JOIN THEM THIS MORNING, OUTSIDE COUNSEL, OUTSIDE COUNSEL, IN CASE THERE WERE ANY TECHNICAL QUESTIONS ABOUT THE BONDS AND HAVE NOT. VERY GOOD. YOU'RE VERY WELCOME TO BE HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. YES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE YOUR REMARKS, MAYOR. UH, AND JUST TO TIE THE KNOT ON IT, I, I DON'T QUESTION THE NEED FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING, INCLUDING FOR OUR SENIORS AND FOR THE DESIRABILITY TO KEEP THESE, THESE FUNDS HERE LOCALLY. BUT WE'RE, WE'RE, WE CONTINUE TO BE CONFRONTED BY DEVELOPERS WHO COME IN HERE AND WANT A NEW PROJECT WHEN THEY'RE NOT DOING RIGHT BY OUR RESIDENTS ON, ON A PRIOR PROJECT. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, AS TIME PASSES, OUR, OUR OPTIONS ARE LIMITED IN, IN GETTING THEM TO REACT AND, AND DO RIGHT BY THE, THE FOLKS WHO LIVE IN THESE, IN THESE COMPLEXES. UH, THERE'S, THERE'S LITTLE WE CAN DO AFTER THE FACT. AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE CAN DO IS BRING TO LIGHT WHEN THEY COME BACK BEFORE, BEFORE US AND, AND ASK FOR, FOR FAVORABLE TREATMENT. AGAIN, I THINK IN ALL FAIRNESS, THE SPECIFIC UNITS OR THOSE INDIVIDUALS, WE OUGHT TO COMMUNICATE WITH 'EM ONE SO WE CAN REMEDY THE PROBLEM. ABSOLUTELY. IF IT EXISTS, ARE MOVE ON IF IT DOESN'T EXIST. COUNCILMAN CAYMAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I JUST HAD A QUICK, UH, I, I DON'T KNOW IF IT WOULD BE A PARLIAMENTARY INQUIRY OR PROCEDURAL QUESTION. UH, ITEM ONE IS LISTED AS A TAX CREDIT APPLICATION FOR THE RENOVATION OF THE APARTMENT, IF IT'S A RECONSTRUCT. UH, DOES THAT, DO WE HAVE TO PROVIDE PRIOR NOTICE VIA AN ADDITIONAL HEARING, OR DO WE JUST AMEND THE, UH, AGENDA ITEM FOR WHEN THIS ACTUAL ITEM COMES UP? SO, BECAUSE IT, RIGHT NOW IT'S LISTED ON THE AGENDA AS AN APPLICATION FOR THE RENOVATION, THAT'S THE NOTICE TO THE COMMUNITY AS IT RELATES TO A PUBLIC HEARING. SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE CROSSING OUR T'S AND DOTTING OUR I'S SO THAT THERE'S PROPER NOTICE SO THAT THERE CAN BE A TIMELY VOTE ON THESE SPECIFIC ITEMS. SO I, I DON'T NECESSARILY NEED AN ANSWER RIGHT NOW. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOUBLE CHECKING THAT SO THAT THERE'S NOT A, A PROCEDURAL ISSUE. WELL, THANK YOU. WE'LL MAKE SURE WE CROSS OUR T'S AND DOTTER I'S MM-HMM . AND WE'LL WORK WITH LEGAL TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT THAT'S CARRIED OUT. THANK YOU. GOT IT. THAT'S ALL. ANYTHING ELSE? THANK, SUSTAIN. MOVE TO CLOSE THE HEARING. SECOND, UH, MOTION BEEN MADE, AND SECOND TO CLOSE THE HEARING. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. AYES HAVE IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. WITNESSES. [MAYOR'S REPORT] MAYOR'S REPORT. THERE'S A BIG DOWNTOWN CINCO DE PARADE ORGANIZED BY THE LEAGUE OF UNITED AMERICAN, LATIN AMERICAN CITIZENS. [03:40:01] LULAC DISTRICT EIGHT IS ANOTHER GREAT TRADITION IN HOUSTON, SM ARABIA. IT'S 28TH ANNIVERSARY THIS YEAR. THE PARADE BEGINS AT 10:00 AM ON SATURDAY. OBVIOUSLY, UH, WE ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO ENJOY THIS, UH, CULTURAL, UH, DIVERSE PARADE. SUCH A KEY PART OF OUR COMMUNITY. I WOULD ALSO ASK YOU TO KEEP THE DEPUTY SHERIFF'S JOHN KOTO FAMILY AND YOUR PRAYERS. I'LL BE LEAVING COUNCIL. UH, CLOSE. UH, THE CLOSING OF COUNCILS TO ATTEND IS SERVICE. SO ONCE AGAIN, IT JUST SHOWS THE DANGERS AND THE RISK THAT, UH, OUR FIRST RESPONDERS ARE PUT THROUGH EACH AND EVERY DAYS. WITH THAT SAID, UH, I YIELD TO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR, UM, COLLEAGUES THIS MORNING. WE HAVE THE HARMONY SCHOOL OF SCIENCE WITH US THIS MORNING, THE SERVICE LEADERSHIP SOCIETY, IF YOU MAY STAND ALL THE WAY FROM, UH, SOUTHWEST ALEY, TEXAS, UM, WE CAN GO AHEAD AND GIVE 'EM APPLAUSE. SO, UH, THIS TALENTED GROUP OF YOUNG PEOPLE, UH, MR. MAYOR, YOU MAY, UH, ENJOY THIS. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU RECALL, THEY, THEY WERE, UH, VISITED AUSTIN LAST YEAR. THERE WAS, UM, SOME MOCK LEGISLATION THAT THEY WERE ADVOCATING, AND THEY WERE ABLE TO MEET WITH, UH, STATE REPS AND STATE SENATORS. SO, REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THEM. UH, MR. MAYOR, IF WE MAY GO TO THE FLOOR FOR A PHOTO. I'D LOVE TO, AND THANK YOU'ALL FOR BEING HERE, THE FUTURE OF HOUSTON. UH, REST IN YOUR HANDS, SO BE PREPARED. TAKE GOOD NOTES TODAY, , AND, UH, STAY IN TOUCH WITH US. AND I, I LOOK FORWARD TO COMING OUT THERE. AND LETS, UH, SHAKE HANDS AND TAKE PICTURES. AND YOU'RE WELCOME HERE. ANY DAY. THANK Y'ALL. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR. MADAM [CONSENT AGENDA] SECRETARY, WILL YOU NOW PROCEED WITH THE CONSENT AGENDA UNDER THE MISCELLANEOUS CATEGORY? ITEMS TWO AND THREE HAVE BEEN REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. ITEM 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, AND NINE. NEED A MOTION CAST. SIX, EIGHT, MOVED. SECOND. MOTION MADE, AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED MOTION PASSES UNDER THE ACCEPTABLE [03:45:01] CATEGORY. ITEMS 10 11 HAVE BEEN REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION UNDER THE PROPERTY CATEGORY. ITEM 12 NEEDS A MOTION CAST. NEXT STATE, MOVE I SECOND. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. AND ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED MOTION PASSES UNDER THE PURCHASING AND TABULATION OF BS CATEGORY. ITEMS 13 AND 19 HAVE BEEN REMOVED. SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. NEED A MOTION FOR ITEMS 14, 15, 16, 17, AND 18. CAST T MOVED ON THE SECOND MOTION MADE AND SECONDED. UH, ALL IN FAVOR OF THOSE OPPOSED? MOTION PASSES UNDER THE ORDINANCES CATEGORY, YES. UNDER THE ORDINANCES CATEGORY, ITEM 30 HAS BEEN PULLED AND WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. ITEMS REMOVED. SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. 2022 THROUGH 24, 26, 28, 31, 37, 39 AND 42. THOSE NUMBERS AGAIN ARE 20, 22, 23, 24, 26, 28, 31, 37, 39, AND 42 NEED A VOTE ON THE BALANCE? ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED. MOTION PASSES. [CONSIDERATION OF MATTERS REMOVED FROM CONSENT AGENDA] ITEM REMOVE SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. ITEMS TWO AND THREE. NEED A MOTION. THOMAS TAGS. THOMAS DID WHAT TAGGED. TAGGED. TWO AND THREE ARE TAGGED. HMM. TWO AND THREE. TAGGED BY COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. TWO AND THREE ARE TAGGED BY COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. ITEM 10 NEEDS A MOTION. CASTEX. TA MOVE SECOND. MOTION HAS BEEN MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 11 NEEDS A MOTION. CASTEX TA, MOVE ON A SECOND. MOTION. COUNCIL MEMBER CAMAN. COUNCIL MC CAMAN. THANK YOU. MARY. JUST WANTED TO SPOTLIGHT THIS ITEM. UH, THERE ARE A LOT IMPORT, LOT OF IMPORTANT CDSF PROJECTS THAT TOOK PLACE, UH, UNDER THIS CONTRACT. UH, GOING BACK ALL THE WAY FROM 2019 THROUGH LAST YEAR IN DISTRICT C, THIS INCLUDED A TRAFFIC DIVERTER AND UNIVERSITY PLACE. OVERLAYS, SIDEWALKS, INTERSECTION SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS IN MONTROSE, UH, AN OVERLAY IN WEST END, AND A LOT MORE. SO I, I REALLY WANNA THANK, UH, THE PUBLIC WORKS TEAM SPECIFICALLY, VAL LUNA, AND SUMMER LINDSEY, UH, AND THE CDSF PROJECT DELIVERY TEAM FOR CONTINUING TO WORK WITH, UH, OUR DISTRICT OFFICES. WE ARE SEEING THESE PROJECTS MOVE AND IT'S MAKING A BIG DIFFERENCE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. VERY GOOD. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR? OPPOSED? OPPOSED. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 13 NEEDS A MOTION CAST ITEM. MOVE I A SECOND. OCEAN YIELDS TO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I WANTED TO USE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO ONE, HIGHLIGHT, UH, BARK AND ALL THE WORK THEY DO WITH THEIR LIMITED RESOURCES, BUT ALSO, UH, BRING UP A, AN IDEA YOU MENTIONED ABOUT POTENTIALLY EXPLORING THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CORPORATION AND BARK. AND, AND I DO THINK THAT IT IS SOMETHING WORTH LOOKING AT. UH, SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, THAT WE CONTINUE TO TALK ABOUT THAT. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S A ROLE THAT WE NEED TO PLAY AS A COUNCIL TO HELP FACILITATE THAT, I'M HAPPY TO BE A PART OF IT. VERY GOOD. WE WILL DEFINITELY MAKE YOU AND ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, ALLIES IN, IN ADDRESSING BARK'S NEEDS. UM, WE, WE KNOW HOW IMPORTANT ANIMAL WELFARE IS, BUT WHEN WE GET SO BUSY SOMETIME, UH, IT DOESN'T GET THE ATTENTION THAT, THAT WE WANT. SO WE'LL COME UP WITH, UH, PLANS. I KNOW THEY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE AN ADDITIONAL LOCATION, WHICH I THINK WOULD IMPROVE THEIR ADOPTION, UH, RATE. AND, UM, THE, THE CONCEPT OF A NONPROFIT, UH, CERTAINLY SERVES THE ZOO AND OTHER INSTITUTIONS. SO I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF CORPORATE AND PHILANTHROPIC HELP, UH, AND INDIVIDUAL HOUSTONIANS THAT WOULD CONTRIBUTE TOWARD THE WELFARE OF OUR, OUR FOUR-LEGGED FRIENDS. SO, BART NEEDS TO BE A PRIORITY, AND IT IS, AND I'M CERTAIN EVERYONE SHARES THAT CONCERN. SO, UH, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING IT TO OUR ATTENTION THIS MORNING. THAT'S HOW [03:50:01] YOU CAN'T SOLVE SOMETHING IF YOU DON'T ADMIT THAT IT NEEDS SOME ATTENTION. AND BARK IS IN BAD NEED. LIKE, TALK TO THE COUNTY MORE ABOUT COLLABORATION ON ANIMAL WELFARE AS WELL. THEY HAVE A SHELTER. WE HAVE A SHELTER. I DON'T KNOW IF Y'ALL KNOW IT, BUT IF YOU GO TO THE, UH, IF YOU'RE A HOUSTONIAN, YOU GO TO THE HARRIS COUNTY SHELTER, THEY WILL REFER YOU BACK TO BARK, WHICH IS NOT IN THE SPIRIT THAT I WOULD LIKE TO COLLABORATE. UH, HOUSTONIANS ARE HARRIS COUNTY RESIDENTS, AND IF THEY WANT TO GO TO THE HARRIS COUNTY SHELTER, UH, I THINK THERE OUGHT TO BE MORE COOPERATION. SO WE'RE WORKING IN THAT DIRECTION AS WELL. SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING IT UP FOR DISCUSSION. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 19 NEEDS A MOTION. I SECOND STATE A MOVE ON THE SECOND. MOTION MADE AND SECONDED. VICE MAYOR PRO. VICE MAYOR. PROTE PECK. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, THIS IS FOR THE CONSULTING SERVICES TO ASSESS THE SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT'S CURRENT STATE. AND I CERTAINLY SUPPORT, UM, STUDIES THAT WILL SHOW EFFICIENCY AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE NEED TO DO IN EACH DEPARTMENT. SO I'M GONNA SUPPORT THE ITEM. I JUST WANT TO, UM, SAY THIS, MY HOPE THAT THE RECOMMENDATION ISN'T JUST THAT WE NEED A GARBAGE FEE. I HOPE THAT IT ACTUALLY SHOWS OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS. BECAUSE EVEN IF WE DO MOVE TO A GARBAGE FEE AT SOME POINT IN TIME, WE'RE STILL GOING TO NEED EFFICIENCIES WITHIN THAT DEPARTMENT. SO I'M GONNA SUPPORT THE ITEM, BUT I HOPE THAT IT ACTUALLY SHOWS RECOMMENDATIONS, NOT JUST CONFIRMING THE NEED FOR A GARBAGE FEE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR COMMENT. UH, COUNCIL. YES, AND IT'S, IT'S, IT'S ALL INCLUSIVE EFFICIENCIES, COST EFFECTIVENESS, PERFORMANCE. UH, IT'S NOT FOCUSED PRIMARILY ON A GARBAGE FEE, BUT REALLY TO SEE HOW THEY'RE DOING SO WELL WITH SO LITTLE, QUITE FRANKLY, UH, TO LEARN BECAUSE IT HAS IMPROVED IN RECENT WEEKS. AND I THINK, UH, WE NEED TO EXAMINE THAT, THAT IMPROVEMENT, THAT POSITIVE IMPROVEMENT, AND SEE IF THEY CAN AMPLIFY THAT. SO I'M PRETTY, PRETTY EXCITED ABOUT THE STUDY. I THINK IT'LL COME BACK WITH SOME, SOME DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS OF HOW WE MIGHT IMPROVE OUR EFFICIENCIES AND COST EFFECTIVENESS. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND I, I COULDN'T AGREE MORE WITH YOU. UH, AND I, I REALLY GIVE CREDIT TO, UH, THE, YOUR ADMINISTRATION AS WELL AS DIRECTOR WILLOCK AND OUR SOLID WASTE EMPLOYEES. THE FOLKS THAT ARE OUT THERE EVERY SINGLE DAY, SIX DAYS A WEEK, UH, REGARDLESS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS, UH, ARE DOING EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO SERVICE, UH, RESIDENTS IN, IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS. I DID WANNA CONFIRM ON THE RECORD, UM, THAT ONE, THIS STUDY IS VERY IMPORTANT AND I THINK AS YOU SAID, IT WILL SHOW A LOT OF THE EFFICIENCIES, BUT ALSO HOW WE GROW THAT AND AMPLIFY THAT. UH, BUT IT WILL NOT HALT OR IMPACT THE WORK WE ARE DOING SEPARATELY WITH THE DEPARTMENT LOOKING AT A MULTI-FAMILY RECYCLING ORDINANCE. SO I DID JUST GET THAT VERIFICATION BACK FROM THE DEPARTMENT, UM, BECAUSE THAT PILOT IS MOVING FORWARD. AND AGAIN, THAT'S INDEPENDENT AND SEPARATE, BUT I JUST WANTED TO CONFIRM ON THE RECORD THAT THAT WAS THE CASE. SO I APPRECIATE THAT. COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, THIS IS A GREAT PROPOSAL. I REALLY READ THROUGH THE BURNS MCDONALD PROPOSAL. THIS IS, IT'S GONNA COVER A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE, AND I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS. I THINK THIS GIVES US AN, I MEAN, WE ALSO HAVE A LOT OF DATA IN THE, IN THE, THE SOLID WASTE LONG RANGE PLAN. UM, I MEAN, THERE'S A LOT OF DATA IN THAT TOO. THIS'LL JUST BE A GOOD, UM, KIND OF UPDATE TO THAT. AND, AND I THINK WE WILL REALLY, I MEAN, THERE'S NO WAY WE CAN KEEP OPERATING SOLID WASTE LIKE WE'VE BEEN OPERATING. IT DOESN'T WORK. SO, UH, THERE'S A GOOD FIRST STEP IN BETTER TRASH DELIVERY TO COME. YES, IT CONTINUES TO BE A, A TOP PRIORITY OF, OF RESIDENTS. AND, UH, IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S REALLY BEEN ENCOURAGING THE IMPROVEMENTS, BUT I KNOW, UH, WE NEED A, UH, THIS STUDY TO GIVE US SOME GUIDANCE ON GOING FORWARD. UH, JUST NEED THE ALL IN FAVOR. ALL OPPOSED MOTION PASSES. YOU KNOW, IF I CAN, UH, TAKE SOMETHING OUTTA ORDER. IT PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE DURING THE MAYOR'S REPORT, BUT I WANT ALL OF US TO, UM, REACH OUT TO THE VICE MAYOR PROTE IN SUPPORT. I, I'M SORRY THAT YOU WERE PERSONALLY ATTACKED YESTERDAY BY SOME OF OUR WITNESSES. IT REALLY JUST PLAYS ABSOLUTELY NO ROLE. IT, IT HURTS THE, UH, THE ISSUE THAT THE WITNESSES WERE HERE TO SPEAK ON. SO, I KNOW, UH, I'VE BEEN ON RECEIVING END. I'M NOT SURE I'VE [03:55:01] EVER REALLY BEEN AS PERSONALLY ATTACKED, UH, AS YOU WERE YESTERDAY, WHERE THEY NAMED FAMILY MEMBERS. THAT IS JUST REPREHENSIBLE. BUT I WANT YOU TO KNOW THE MAYOR AND ALL YOUR COLLEAGUES, UH, UNDERSTAND YOUR FEELINGS. AND, UH, I WOULD ENCOURAGE, GUESS I SHOULD DO IT, AND I WILL GOING FORWARD, UH, OUR WITNESSES TO JUST NOT PERSONALIZE THE ISSUES. THEY OUGHT TO BE STRICTLY BASED ON THE MERITS OR LACK OF. BUT I'LL, I'LL DO EVERYTHING I CAN WITH THIS GAVEL TO, UH, TO PREVENT THE, UH, PERSONAL ATTACK ON ANY MEMBER OF THIS HORSESHOE BECAUSE I, UH, I KNOW YOU WERE UPSET AND YOU HAD A RIGHT TO BE UPSET, BUT I THINK YOU SHOWED THE, UH, THE STRENGTH AND THE LEADERSHIP TO CARRY ON AND NOT ALLOW IT TO INTERFERE. IF ANYTHING, IT, IT MAKES YOU STRONGER WHEN YOU COME THROUGH A STORM LIKE THAT. BUT THAT WAS, THAT WAS OUT OF BOUNDS. AND I WANT YOU TO KNOW, I, UM, AND YOUR COLLEAGUES SUPPORT YOU AND WILL STAND UP AGAINST PERSONAL ATTACKS. YOU ARE ENTITLED TO REPRESENT YOUR DISTRICT TO THE BEST OF YOUR ABILITIES. WITH THAT SAID, UH, UH, YOU MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO GET BACK ON THE AGENDA, BUT I, I STAND VERY FIRM ON THAT. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. NO, I JUST, I WANTED TO ECHO THAT MAYOR AND I WASN'T PRESENT FOR THAT YESTERDAY. UM, OR I'M SURE I WOULD'VE SAID SOMETHING MYSELF. UH, BUT MANY OF US HAVE BEEN AT ONE POINT OR ANOTHER ON THE RECEIVING END, UM, OF SOME OF THIS. BUT THE PERSONAL ATTACKS, THE, UH, AND I, I WON'T INFER WHY OR WHY NOT. COUNCIL MEMBER PECK WAS, UH, I, YOU KNOW, POINTED OUT INDIVIDUALLY, BUT I KNOW I HAVE ALSO, UM, HAD THAT. AND I WOULD SAY THAT THERE'S ONE THING THAT YOU AND I, MANY THINGS WE HAVE IN COMMON, BUT ONE THING IN PARTICULAR. AND, UH, I APPRECIATE THAT THIS COUNCIL AND THIS BODY STANDS WITH EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US. UH, BUT I WILL PERSONALLY SAY VERY LOUDLY, UH, THAT I STAND WITH YOU, AMY, AND LOVE YOU, AND I LOVE YOUR FAMILY. AND AN ATTACK ON ONE OF US IS AN ATTACK ON ALL OF US. MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, VICE MAYOR APPROACH. PECK. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT. UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S FINE CRITICISM AGAINST ANY OF US, BUT I DO NOT APPRECIATE ANYONE, UM, TALKING ABOUT MY CHILDREN OR MY FAMILY. AND SO THAT'S WHERE, YOU KNOW, I DRAW THE LINE ON THAT. BUT I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS AND COUNCIL MEMBER KINGMAN AS WELL. THANK YOU. YES, VERY GOOD. UH, NEXT ITEM 20 IS AN ORDINANCE. THIS NEED TO VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 22 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. RAMIREZ TAGS. COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ TAGS. ITEM 22. NEXT ITEM 23 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE TAG RAMIREZ. AGAIN. COUNCIL RAMIREZ TAGS. ITEM 23. ITEM 24 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. YOU ON A ROLL? COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ? , NO, NO SPEAKER. ALL IN FAVOR OF ITEM 24. THOSE OPPOSED. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 26 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED TO VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED MAYOR CAMAN. I'M SORRY. COUNCILMAN CAMAN. AFTER THE VOTE. AFTER THE VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR OF ITEM 26, SAY, AYE. THOSE OPPOSED. MOTION PASSES. COUNCIL MEMBER CAMAN. THANK YOU MAYOR. REALLY QUICKLY AS WE TALK ABOUT HURRICANE SEASON, I WANTED TO RECOGNIZE AND THANK YOU FOR THIS ITEM. UM, IT NOT ONLY WILL ENABLE A CITY TO FULLY COMPLY WITH THE REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS SPECIFIED BY TCEQ FOR WATER TREATMENT FACILITIES, BUT IT ALSO PROVIDES A HIGHER LEVEL OF OPERATIONAL RELIABILITY. UH, SO BACKUP GENERATION IS WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. POWER GENERATION DURING MAINTENANCE, OR SPECIFICALLY DURING GRID OUTAGE PERIOD. SO WE KNOW WE'VE EXPERIENCED THIS IN THE PAST. THESE ARE IMPORTANT ITEMS. THEY'RE NOT, UH, THEY DON'T ALWAYS GET THE ATTENTION THAT THEY DESERVE, BUT YOU REALLY NOTICE IT WHEN, WHEN THE POWER GOES DOWN AND WE HAVE ISSUES WITH OUR WATER TREATMENT. SO, UH, THANK YOU FOR THIS ITEM. AS WE LOOK TOWARDS HURRICANE SEASON, I KNOW IT'LL BE EXTREMELY VALUABLE. THAT'S ALL. VERY GOOD. NEXT ITEM. NEXT. ADAM, 28 IS AN ORDINANCE, ISN'T HE A VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. THOSE OPPOSED AYES HAVE IT. ITEM 31 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST HERE TO VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR? [04:00:01] COUNCILOR JACKSON. A, AFTER, AFTER THE VOTE. MM-HMM . ALSO AFTER THE VOTE. UH, ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED. MOTION PASSES. COUNCILOR JACKSON. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND, UM, I WANTED TO JUST CONGRATULATE THE RESIDENTS IN GLENWOOD FOREST FOR SUCCESSFULLY, UM, COMPLETING THE PROCESS TO IMPLEMENT, UM, PROHIBITED YARD PARKING WITHIN THEIR COMMUNITY. UM, IT'S BEEN A, A BIG ISSUE IN, UM, DISTRICT B I'M SURE ACROSS THE CITY FOR NEIGHBORHOODS THAT DON'T HAVE, UM, HOAS AND HAVING ISSUES ENFORCING DEED RESTRICTION. AND SO THIS IS JUST ANOTHER PROTECTOR, UM, TO KEEP, UM, CARS OFF THE LAWN, YOU KNOW? UM, AND THEY KEEP THE NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, BEAUTIFUL. SO THANK YOU MAYOR FOR, UM, SUPPORTING US ON THIS. UM, I KNOW WE HAD ANOTHER NEIGHBORHOOD THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO CAME UP TODAY THAT WAS 30, WAS IT 30 THAT WAS PULLED? I'M GONNA BE BACK NEXT WEEK. THIS NORTHWOOD MANOR. UM, JUST KNOW WE'RE MOVING FORWARD ON IT. EXCITED. UM, THANK YOU. AND, UM, CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN, COMMUNITY FOR, YOU KNOW, GOING THROUGH THIS WHOLE PROCESS. THANK YOU. UH, AND YES, AND YOU AND I HAD SOME VERY PRODUCTIVE DISCUSSION ABOUT THE, UH, ABILITY TO ENFORCE IT IN SOME GOOD JUDGMENT. IF A FAMILY FINDS HIMSELF IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES TEMPORARILY, UH, JUST USE SOME GOOD JUDGMENT. I'VE DEALT WITH THIS IN THE LEGISLATURE BEFORE, AND SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE ORDINANCES OR SOME OF THE PROPOSED STATUTES IN AUSTIN WOULD BE PRETTY PROHIBITIVE FOR FAMILIES THAT, UH, IN AREAS THAT JUST ABSOLUTELY NEEDED TEMPORARY PARKING CIRCUMSTANCES. SO WITH, WITH THE WAY YOU'VE DRAFTED IT AND THE RESIDENT'S INPUT HAS BEEN VERY VALUABLE. SO IT'LL, IT'LL BE AN IMPROVEMENT AND WE WILL HAVE THE OTHER PROVISION NEXT WEEK. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UH, WE'VE ALREADY VOTED. NEXT ITEM 37 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 39 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 42 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. ALL OPPOSED, NO. MOTION PASSES. [NON-CONSENT - MISCELLANEOUS] ITEM 50 NEEDS A MOTION. CASTEX A MOVED THOMAS SECOND MOTION. THIS IS THE NOMINATION. YEAH. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. COUNCILOR ALCORN. COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN. YES. I MOVE TO NOMINATE. UH, WE LEE TO THIS POSITION ON DECEMBER 1ST. QUARTER SECOND. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ARE THERE OTHER NOMINATIONS? SEEING NONE, THERE'S A MOTION TO CLOSE NOMINATIONS. OKAY. OKAY. WE JUST MOVE THE MOTION TO CLOSE. YES. CASTEX TATUM. MOVE TO CLOSE THE NOMINATIONS. THOMAS. SECOND. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? MOTION PASSES. AND THAT'S IT. [NON CONSENT - MATTERS TO BE PRESENTED BY COUNCIL MEMBERS] NOW, MEMBERS WE GET TO ENJOY POP-OFF. JACKSON FIRST. COUNCILMAN JACKSON. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND, UM, GOOD MORNING COLLEAGUES. UM, I JUST WANT TO MY POP OFF, I'M JUST GONNA ACKNOWLEDGE AND, UM, SAY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY DADDY. MY DADDY. HE TURNED 85 TODAY. UM, POPS IS A FATHER OF 18 CHILDREN. YES. 18. YES. UM, 16 FROM MY MOM. AND HE HAD TWO FROM A PREVIOUS MARRIAGE. AND SO, UM, GREAT DAD. JUST WANTED TO, UM, SEND HIM LOVE AND ENJOY YOUR DAY POPS. LOVE YOU, COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ. THANK I CAN'T TOP THAT. I'M GONNA PASS. COUNCIL MAYOR THOMAS. THANK YOU MUCH. UH, HAPPY BIRTHDAY POPS. UH, POPS WAS A ROLLING STONE. UH, SATURDAY WE HELD OUR SECOND ANNUAL D RESTRICTION WORKSHOP. IT WAS AN EXCEPTIONAL SUCCESS. I WANNA THANK ALL OF OUR PARTNERS, THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS, CITY LEGAL, HARRIS COUNTY TAX ASSESSORS, UH, THE HARRIS COUNTY TAX ASSESSOR RIGHTS AND RIGHTS LAW FIRM, FROST BANK, UH, THE DISTRICT F STAFF, AND OF COURSE THE HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT. WE HAD, UH, A FULL HOUSE OF RESIDENTS FROM DISTRICT F AND RESIDENTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY THAT ATTENDED. WE PROVIDED MEANINGFUL INFORMATION AND MY OFFICE WILL PROVIDE A FOLLOW UP. WE'LL INCLUDE THE VIDEO, THE PRESENTATIONS OF ALL OF OUR SPEAKERS AND THE CONTACT INFORMATION. AND SO WE ARE MOVING A COUPLE OF STEPS FORWARD AND PROTECTING OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ [04:05:01] FOR ATTENDING AS WELL IN CELEBRATION OF NATIONAL BIKE MONTH, WHICH IS IN MAY. I'M HOSTING TOUR THE WEST. UH, JOIN US ON SATURDAY MAY 4TH FROM AT 10:00 AM FOR A QUICK 10 MILE RIDE. OUR PARTNERS INCLUDE WALMART, WEST CHASE MANAGEMENT DISTRICT, SICK LEAST DOES DERIO CHAMPIONS CLUB TREK BYS IN WEST CHASE. AND THE DISTRICT F STAFF AND HPD WILL JOIN US AND SO MANY OF THEM ARE PARTICIPATING IN THE RIDE. I'M LOOKING FORWARD, UH, TO SEEING YOU THERE. YESTERDAY AS THE CON CONTROLLER HOLLANDS MENTIONED, WE HOSTED OVER 150 MEMBERS OF DELTA SIGMA THETA, UM, AT CITY HALL TO LEARN MORE ABOUT CITY DEPARTMENTS AND HOW WE CAN AMPLIFY OUR ADVOCACY, UM, ON LOCAL ISSUES. AND SO I WANT TO THANK, UH, OUR HARRIS COUNTY CLERK, TANISHA HUSBETH, WHO'S ALSO A MEMBER WHO ATTENDED FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER WANDA ADAMS. NOW A JUSTICE OF THE PEACE, OUR CONTROLLER, CHRIS HOLLINS, WHO'S A MEMBER OF OMEGA SCI FI FRATERNITY, WHO SPOKE TO US AS WELL. AND, UH, THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR FOR YOUR VIRTUAL MESSAGE AND PROCLAIMING THE DAY. AND A SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO COURTNEY SMITH AND TO JACKIE POPE FOR THEIR STEADFAST LEADERSHIP AND THE DISTRICT F STAFF AS WELL. AND LASTLY, NICHOLAS PER PERKINS, CEO OF FLOOD RECORDS FOR SPONSORING LUNCH. REALLY APPRECIATE, UM, ALL OF THE PARTNERSHIP. UM, LASTLY, I WANNA CONGRATULATE MY BIG BROTHER. HE IS GRADUATING TODAY WITH HIS MASTER'S DEGREE AND WE ARE ALSO VERY PROUD OF TROY DEMAN THOMAS WALK ACROSS THE STAGE AND DO IS PROUD. THANK YOU MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MA'AM. UH, MAYOR PROAM, CAST TATUM. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, IT IS THE FIRST DAY OF MAY. AND, UM, ALWAYS WANT TO AMPLIFY THAT. MAY IS MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH. UM, AS A COUNCIL, WE'VE DONE A LOT TO TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, PEOPLE KNOW WHICH RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE FOR THEM. WE'VE DONE A LOT WITH OUR, OUR HPD OFFICERS TO, UM, MAKE SURE EVERYONE IS AWARE OF, UM, CHALLENGES THAT PEOPLE MAY GO THROUGH. UH, COUNSEL, YOU MAY REMEMBER THAT MY OFFICE CREATED A MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS GUIDE FOR SEVERAL, UM, OF OUR AGENCIES. WE'VE PULLED THAT TOGETHER. WE DO STILL HAVE THAT. WE SEND THAT OUT, UM, IN OUR NEWSLETTER. UM, JUST WANNA ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR MENTAL HEALTH AND MAKE SURE THAT, UM, WE ALL KNOW WHAT RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE. UM, YOUR MENTAL HEALTH IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS OUR, AS OUR PHYSICAL HEALTH. AND THEN WANNA MAKE ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT THE HARM. CLARK REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY IS HOSTING A DEVELOPER'S NETWORK RECEPTION ON TOMORROW, THURSDAY THE SECOND AT 6:00 PM AT THE FOUNTAIN LIFE CENTER. SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS, ENTREPRENEURS, DEVELOPERS ARE ALL INVITED TO COME AND DO THE NETWORKING WITH OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS STRATEGIC PARTNERS, AND LEARN HOW TO ACCESS CAPITAL TO FUND THEIR PROJECTS. HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE. AND THEN FOR OUR RESIDENTS IN FORT BEND, HOUSTON, UM, HOPE THAT THEY SEE THAT THE WEST FUKE WAY INTERSECTION, CITY LIMITS TO CHIMNEY, ROCK AND SIDEWALK IMPROVEMENT PROJECT IS UNDERWAY. IT'S THE SECOND PHASE OF THE WEST FUKE WAY PROJECT. WE ARE, UM, REMOVING AND REPLACING THE SIDEWALKS ALONG WEST FUKE WAY AT FRAN ROAD. RESIDENTS IN FORT BEND. HOUSTON SHOULD LOOK FORWARD TO IMPROVE MOBILITY ROUTES ALONG WEST FUKE WAY, AND CAN FOLLOW THE PROJECT AND ALL OF OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS AT ENGAGEHOUSTON@WWW.ENGAGEHOUSTON.ORG. STAY CONNECTED WITH DISTRICT CASE, SIGN UP FOR OUR MONTHLY NEWSLETTERS AND UPDATES. BE KIND TO EACH OTHER AND MAKE IT A GREAT DAY. SOUNDS GREAT. UH, VICE MAYOR PROTE PECK. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I'LL PASS TODAY. COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ. THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, FIRST JUST WANT TO, UH, INVITE, UH, DISTRICT HIGH RESIDENTS TO OUR COFFEE WITH THE COUNCIL MEMBER THIS SATURDAY. UH, MAY 4TH AT EIGHT O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING, WE'RE GONNA BE AT CORAL. SO IN THE EAST END, THAT'S 1318 TELEPHONE. UH, JUST LOOK FORWARD TO, UH, YOU KNOW, KINDA GIVING HIGHLIGHTS OVER, OVER THE LAST FOUR MONTHS AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING AND WHAT WE WANT TO CONTINUE DOING IN, IN DISTRICT. I, UH, ALSO, UH, AS YOU MENTIONED, THE LULAC PARADE IS THIS SATURDAY AND DOWNTOWN. SO PLEASE COME OUT, UH, AND ENJOY THAT, UH, ANNUAL PARADE, UH, THAT LULAC DISTRICT EIGHT, UH, USUALLY HOSTS. UM, WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO, UH, NAO. UH, I WAS, UH, LAST WEEK I WAS ABSENT. I WAS AT THE, UH, POLICY INSTITUTE, SPECIFICALLY SPEAKING ON HOUSING CRISIS. AND SO, UH, THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, GREAT DISCUSSIONS WITH OTHER LATINO ELECTED OFFICIALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE SIMILAR ISSUES THAT WE WERE SEEING HERE IN HOUSTON. ALTHOUGH I WILL SAY THAT HOUSTON IS DOING A LOT BETTER. I THINK THERE'S STILL WORK TO BE DONE ON IDENTIFYING AFFORDABILITY AND HOW WE CAN CONTINUE TO BRING PARTNERS IN TO ADDRESS, UH, SOME OF THE HOUSING, UH, CRISIS THAT WE HAVE HERE IN HOUSTON. UM, AND THEN LASTLY, JUST WANNA, UH, MAKE SURE FOLKS IN THE EAST END, UH, KNOW THAT UNION PACIFIC IS STARTING THEIR ANNUAL MAINTENANCE. UH, THEY STARTED IN OFF OF LAWNDALE, UM, JUST PAST SUNDAY, AND THEY'RE GONNA BE STAGGERING THEIR MAINTENANCE THROUGHOUT APRIL AND MAY. AND SO JUST BE AWARE THROUGHOUT SOME OF THOSE INTERSECTIONS, WE ALREADY HAVE A LOT OF ISSUES WITH BLOCK CROSSINGS. AND SO WITH THIS MAINTENANCE, IT'LL, IT'LL PROBABLY BRING SOME EXTRA [04:10:01] HEADACHES. HOPEFULLY THIS CONSTRUCTION PAINT CAN BE AS EASILY DONE AS POSSIBLE. UM, AGAIN, JUST BE BE ON THE LOOKOUT ON SOME OF THAT INFORMATION FROM MY OFFICE. THANK YOU. VERY GOOD. COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN MAYOR, UH, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT A LITTLE BIT THIS MORNING, THE 11.80 CENT LAWSUIT. AND, UM, I KNOW THAT YOU MADE A PUBLIC STATEMENT ABOUT APPEALING, BUT I HOPE IN THE, IN THE MEANTIME, THEY, THERE ARE SOME DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THIS. UM, YOU KNOW, HOWEVER YOU CAN GET TOGETHER WITH LAWYERS OR WHATEVER, AND MAYBE WE CAN WORK SOMETHING OUT. I'M, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THIS. I I THINK THAT WITH THIS RULING, UM, THERE COULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR, UM, UM, CITY LEGAL TO EXPLORE WHETHER THIS INFRASTRUCTURE MONEY COULD POSSIBLY COME OUTSIDE THE REV REVENUE CAP, GO BEYOND THE REVENUE CAP. IF THE 11.80 CENTS, UM, PRORATED DOWN DOESN'T APPLY, UM, I COULD, I COULD EXTRAPOLATE FROM THAT THEN THE INFRASTRUCTURE STREET AND DRAINAGE INFRASTRUCTURE MONEY, UH, A VALOREM TAXES THAT WE RECEIVE ALSO MAYBE DOES NOT APPLY TO THE REV CAP. AND THAT COULD CERTAINLY BE A WIN FOR ALL. SO I HOPE SOME OF THIS IS EXPLORED. I I DON'T WANT TO JUST BE PAYING LAWYERS AND LAWYERS AND LAWYERS TO KEEP FIGHTING THIS WHEN I'M NOT AT ALL SURE ABOUT THE OUTCOME OF THIS, WHICH COULD NOT BE GREAT ON OUR FUNDS. SO I HOPE THAT THERE'S WORK BEING DONE TO, UM, AND I, I DID TALK TO ARTURO BEFORE I MADE THIS POP OFF. I'M NOT SAYING ANYTHING OUTTA SCHOOL. UM, BUT I HOPE THAT THERE'S WORK THAT CAN BE DONE TO, UH, WORK SOMETHING OUT ON THAT WHERE WE CAN, UH, GET, UM, MORE MONEY FOR INFRASTRUCTURE. EVERYBODY WANTS MORE MONEY FOR INFRASTRUCTURE AS IS BORN BEING BORN OUT. IT'S THE NUMBER ONE THING ON MY, YOUR 2 CENTS SURVEY RIGHT NOW. INFRASTRUCTURE IS THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY. UM, I KNOW PUBLIC SAFETY RAY, IT'S RIGHT AFTER, IS RAY STILL OUT THERE? PUBLIC SAFETY'S A CLOSE, A CLOSE SECOND, AND THEN SOLID WASTE IS THIRD. NO SURPRISE THERE. THE BASICS ARE WHAT PEOPLE WANT. A FEW OF THIS WEEK'S RESPONSES. UM, THE LACK OF A GARBAGE FEE IS UNFAIR AND INEQUITABLE AS A HOMEOWNER IN A MULTIFAMILY BUILDING, MY TAXES GO TOWARD TRASH PICKUP FOR OTHER PEOPLE'S HOMES, BUT MIGHT NOT, NOT MY OWN. UM, LESS SPENDING ON PAPER AND PRINTING, PLEASE. I LIKE THAT ONE A LOT. UH, THE SELF-IMPOSED REVENUE CAP NEEDS TO GO AWAY AS SAP PICK YOUR MOMENT SOON. THE LEGISLATURES BEYOND HOPE JUST NOW, BUT THEIR REVENUE CAP NEEDS TO GO TOO. WHO WROTE THAT? UM, PLEASE WORK TOWARD A BALANCED BUDGET WITH ZERO INCREASES IN TAXES, FEES, OR ANYTHING ELSE THAT COSTS US. AND THEN, UH, WE NEED A SAFER CITY, MORE ENFORCEMENT OF CURRENT LAWS. THANK YOU FOR THAT REPORT. UH, COUNCILOR MCC CARTER. THANK YOU. UH, IT WAS OUT LAST WEEK, BUT WANTED TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONGRATULATE OUR, OUR, UH, CADET CLASS THAT GRADUATED FOR THE HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT. UM, ALSO TOO, WE'LL BE PUTTING IN OUR NEWSLETTER AND CAN, WOULD ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO, WE'RE GONNA NEED TO FILL UP THOSE THOUSAND RETIRING HOUSTON FIREFIGHTERS OVER THE NEXT YEAR OR SO. UM, SO PUSH OUT TO, TO PUSH OUT THE, UH, WORD TO GET CADETS. ALSO THIS MORNING, JUST, UH, YOU KNOW, I WAS, UH, ON THE HOV FROM KINGWOOD AND THERE WAS AN ACCIDENT, SO I HAD TO DIVERT AND MY BLOOD PRESSURE WAS BOILING BY THE TIME I GOT DOWN HERE BECAUSE I WAS DIVERTED DOWN THAT KELLY STREET WITH A BEST LAID BIKE TRAIL IN THE CITY RIGHT BIKE LANE. AND I WAS REMINDED THAT, YOU KNOW, EVERY WEEK WE COME HERE AND WE, WE HEAR FROM OUR FRIENDS OVER ON 11TH STREET, AND WE WERE, WE'RE ON THE SHEPHERD DURHAM, WHICH I SUPPORT, BUT, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR KELLY STREET WAS LIKE THE BEST WORST BIKE LANE EVER. AND EVERYBODY'S FORGOTTEN IT. IT'S A HAZARD FOR BIKE RIDERS. IT'S A HAZARD FOR DRIVERS. IT'S THE STREET IS, IS CRUMBLING ALL AROUND. BUT THAT, THAT STREET, I WOULD CHALLENGE EVERYONE AS WE TALK ABOUT OUR BIKE LANES TO TRAVEL THAT STREET, EH, ONCE A WEEK MAYBE. AND, AND YOU'LL SEE THE NEED FOR GOOD PLANNING. AND, UM, ANYWAY, JUST NEEDED TO SHOUT OUT ON THAT ONE BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S A MESS OVER THERE. AND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO TRAVEL IT, YOU KNOW IT. THANK YOU. E EQUALLY IMPORTANT IS IF YOU TALK TO THE RESIDENTS ON KELLY STREET, WHAT HAS DONE TO THEIR, UH, LIFESTYLE AND THE USE OF THEIR OWN PROPERTY, IT'S, UH, PRETTY STRIKING. I COULD NAME OTHERS. I COULD NAME HARDY. I COULD NAME OTHERS THAT, UH, THEY USE SOME PRETTY FOUL LANGUAGE WHEN YOU ASK 'EM THEIR OPINION. THEY BELIEVE IT WAS DONE WITHOUT THEIR CONSENT OR, UH, EXPRESSIONS. SO I, I'LL INVITE EVERYONE TO TALK TO THE PEOPLE THAT ARE DIRECTLY IMPACTED. I COULD TALK ABOUT AUSTIN STREET. THEY, THEY WANT TO COME TALK TO COUNCIL AND I ACTUALLY ASK 'EM TO WORK WITHIN THE SYSTEM, UH, TO, UM, THE DOCUMENT, WHAT, WHAT THEY SPEAK TO. BUT ANYWAY, [04:15:01] YOU'VE HIT A NERVE, NO DOUBT. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I, UH, I'M EXCITED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE CINCO DE MAYO. PRAY THIS SATURDAY. IT SEEMS LIKE A NUMBER OF US WILL BE THERE AND, UH, WOULD ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY ELSE, UH, TO COME OUT. UM, IT WILL START AT 10, BUT YOU WANNA GET THERE EARLY TO GET A GOOD SPOT ON MAY THE NINTH. UM, WITH THE EAST END MANAGEMENT DISTRICT AND IN CONJUNCTION WITH DISTRICT, I WILL BE HOSTING AN INFRASTRUCTURE MEETING OVER AT THE FELIX FRAGA HCC CAMPUS AT 5:30 PM UH, WE WILL HAVE REPRESENTATIVES THERE FROM VARIOUS AGENCIES, AND YOU'LL BE ABLE TO LEARN ABOUT ALL THE INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS THAT ARE HAPPENING WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF THE EAST END MANAGEMENT DISTRICT. UM, AND WE HOPE TO HAVE A GOOD TURNOUT AND HAVE FOLKS, UH, LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS. UM, AND FINALLY, I DO WANNA WISH, UH, CONDOLENCES TO MY CONSTITUENT SERVICES DIRECTOR. HE RECENTLY LOST HIS FATHER. UM, AND SO, UH, I JUST WANT TO KEEP HIM AND HIS FAMILY AND MY THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS WOULD ASK YOU ALL TO DO THE SAME AS THEY'RE NAVIGATING, UH, A VERY DIFFICULT TIME. UH, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER INGER. THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, KINGWOOD, WE'RE GONNA HAVE THE ELECTRONIC RECYCLING EVENT THIS SATURDAY. UH, IT TYPICALLY FILLS UP, STARTS AT NINE O'CLOCK. SO IF YOU, UH, WANT TO GET YOUR ELECTRONICS, GET 'EM RECYCLED, PLEASE GET OUT THERE EARLY. UH, WE'VE GOT SOME FLOODING GOING ON RIGHT NOW ON THE EAST SIDE OF LAKE HOUSTON. UH, THERE'S, UH, A FEW HOUSES THAT ARE LOW LYING AROUND THE LAKE THAT WILL POSSIBLY GET SOME WATER. THEY FLOOD FAIRLY OCCASIONALLY, SO THIS ISN'T ANYTHING NEW TO THEM. BUT, UH, 1485 IS GONNA BE UNDER SEVERAL FEET OF WATER AND IMPASSABLE, UM, HPD IS, BOTH THE LAKE PATROL AND THE KINGWOOD DIVISION ARE READY TO MOVE PEOPLE IF ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY. UH, SO WE ARE PREPARED FOR THAT. UH, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT, S SALLY AND I, COUNCILMAN ALCORN HAD SOME DISCUSSIONS REGARDING THE SDRS AND REGULATIONS REGARDING THEM. I'M A LITTLE FAMILIAR WITH THE, UH, ORDINANCE IN GALVESTON, UH, WITH THEIR STR. THEY'VE, UH, HAD, UH, AN ORDINANCE IN PLACE FOR 10 YEARS NOW. UM, AND I THOUGHT SOME OF IT IS A BIT HEAVY HANDED, BUT I ALSO THINK THERE'S SOME GOOD THINGS IN THERE THAT MIGHT HELP US GET A HOLD ON THAT. AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE DISCUSSED TOO WAS THE POSSIBILITY OF USING SOME OF THE HOT TAX FOR SPECIFICALLY ENFORCEMENT OF OUR EXISTING LAWS AT SOME OF THESE SDRS THAT MIGHT BE ABLE TO PREVENT SOME OF THESE ISSUES THE RESIDENTS ARE HAVING. SO, SOMETHING HOPEFULLY WE CAN LOOK INTO HERE BEFORE TOO LONG. THAT'S ALL. I'VE GOT JUST A LITTLE SIGN. I'M GONNA BE AT THE BAY AREA ECONOMIC COUNCIL TOMORROW AFTERNOON. YOU'RE GONNA BE THERE. I CERTAINLY HOPE SO SINCE I'M INTRODUCING YOU. SO , IT'S A DAMN GOOD IDEA. . I LOOK FORWARD TO THAT INTRODUCTION. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN, IT'LL BE A DAMN GOOD INTRODUCTION. YOU COULD HAVE JUST SURPRISED ME, YOU KNOW, , BUT I'M STILL GOING. . UH, A FEW THINGS TO SPOTLIGHT. UH, FIRST, AS SOME OF YOU KNOW, UH, IN MY OFFICE, WE'VE BEEN HYPERFOCUSED ON WORKING WITH, UH, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND OUR COMMUNITY CENTERS IN TACKLING PERIOD POVERTY, PERIOD. POVERTY IS WHEN, UH, AND MANY YOUNG WOMEN ACTUALLY STRUGGLE WITH THIS. IT'S A LACK OF ACCESS TO, UH, MENSTRUAL PRODUCTS THAT KEEP ACTUALLY GIRLS HOME FROM SCHOOL. UH, WOMEN AND FAMILIES, OFTENTIMES, IF THEY'RE BELOW THE POVERTY LINE, HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN PERIOD PRODUCTS AND A MEAL. UM, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT NO ONE SHOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH. I WANTED TO THANK INTERCONTINENTAL, UM, WHO IS NOW PARTNERING WITH TWO COMPANIES. UH, THEY PREVIOUSLY WERE PROVIDING FREE PERIOD PRODUCTS IN THE BATHROOMS, BUT WITH SO MANY BATHROOMS YOU DON'T KNOW WHEN THEY RUN OUT. AND NOW, UH, THE CHRONICLE REPORTED, UH, THAT THEY HAVE NEW SMART VENDING DISPENSERS. THEY'RE STILL FREE. THAT WILL ALLOW THEM TO ACTUALLY TRACK IN REAL TIME WHEN RESTOCKING IS NEEDED. I JUST WANTED TO LIST THAT UP. AND AS WE CONTINUE TO PARTNER WITH THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, THEY ARE PROVIDING PRODUCTS IN, UH, FACILITIES THAT THEY MANAGE BOTH THEIR HEALTH CENTERS AND THEIR MANAGED MULTI-SERVICE CENTERS. AND WE'RE CONTINUING TO WORK WITH GSD AND HAR TO ADVOCATE MAYOR FOR THE EXPANSION INTO OTHER PUBLICLY, UM, FACING FACILITIES THAT THE CITY RUNS MAY 4TH. THERE IS A DISASTER READINESS INFO SESSION THAT WILL BE HELD AT WEST GRAY MULTI-SERVICE CENTER. UH, IT WILL FOCUS ON INDIVIDUAL AND FAMILY PREPAREDNESS, PLANNING FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES ACCESS AND FUNCTIONAL NEEDS. UH, THE WORKSHOP IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR RESIDENTS TO CONSULT DISASTER RESPONSE EXPERTS AND COMPLETE A PERSONAL PREPARED PLAN PREPAREDNESS PLAN. [04:20:01] IT WILL LAST ABOUT AN HOUR TO AN HOUR AND A HALF FOR THE CONSULTATION. I WANNA THANK AGAIN, UM, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, UH, HOUSTON URBAN AREA SECURITY INITIATIVE, UH, AND OF COURSE, MAYOR YOUR OFFICE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES DIRECTOR PONSE, UH, FOR PUTTING THIS ALL TOGETHER. AND WE WILL POST, IT'S A PRETTY LONG LINK TO SIGN UP, BUT WE WILL POST IT, UM, ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE SO THAT RESIDENTS HAVE ACCESS TO THAT. WE ALSO HAVE, UH, CIGNA SUNDAYS IN THE PARK, UH, IS COMING TO DISTRICT C AT LOVE PARK. UH, THIS IS A AMAZING EVENT THAT'S PUT ON IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CIGNA. BUT I REALLY WANNA THANK MOS FOR PUTTING THIS TOGETHER. SO IT'S SUNDAY, MAY 5TH, CINCO DE MAYO, UH, AT LOVE PARK FROM NOON TO 4:00 PM THERE'LL BE FREE FOOD GAMES AND ENTERTAINMENT. UH, THEN THE BIG ANNOUNCEMENT, UH, WE, UH, ARE ONCE AGAIN HOLDING FAMILIES WITH PRIDE. UH, THIS IS KIND OF THE BIG EVENT THAT DISTRICT C PUTS ON IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SO MANY OTHERS. UH, BUT OUR CO-PARTNER IS AS ALWAYS THE L-G-B-T-Q CHAMBER. AND, UH, THIS YEAR IT WILL BE HELD AT DISCOVERY GREEN. UH, IT WILL BE JUNE 1ST FROM EIGHT 30 TO 1130. WE WILL HAVE, UH, STORY TIME, A LIVE DJ GAMES ARTS AND CRAFTS, UH, PROUD PUPPY PARTY FOR ANYONE. YOU MAY NOT HAVE LITTLE KIDS ANYMORE, BUT YOU CAN STILL BRING YOUR DOG. UH, LOTS OF LOTS OF THINGS FOR KIDS TO DO AND ENJOY. UH, TO KICK OFF PRIDE MONTH, UH, WE'LL BE SHARING INVITATIONS OUT WITH COUNCIL. UH, SO I HOPE YOU ALL CAN JOIN AND ALSO SPREAD THE WORD. THIS ISN'T JUST A DISTRICT C EVENT, THIS IS A CITYWIDE EVENT. AND OF COURSE, THERE'S SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES. UH, PLEASE CONTACT OUR OFFICE IF ANYONE IS LISTENING AND INTERESTED IN HELPING TO SPONSOR. YOU CAN EMAIL DISTRICT C@HOUSTONTX.GOV. LASTLY, I WANTED TO GIVE A BIG THANK YOU TO THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS AND OUR LAZY BROOK CIVIC CLUB. UH, WE SPONSORED THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD MATCHING GRANT. UH, THEY DID AN ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE JOB. THE PROJECT FUNDED EIGHT NEW TREES ALONG THE ESPLANADE AND BEAUTIFICATION AT WEST TC JESTER AND LA Z BROOK DRIVE, INSTALLATION OF AN IRRIGATION SYSTEM. AND, UH, BOTH KURT AND JEFF, UH, JESSICA SWAFFORD REALLY, UH, PIONEERED THIS AND DID THE HEAVY LIFTING. SO A BIG THANK YOU TO BOTH OF THEM IN THE CIVIC CLUB. CONGRATULATIONS. VERY GOOD. ANYONE ELSE? WE STAND ADJOURNED. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.