[Quality of Life Committee]
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THIS IS JULIAN RAMIREZ.I'M CHAIR OF THE HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL QUALITY OF LIFE COMMITTEE, AND, UH, WANNA RECOGNIZE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE WHO ARE HERE.
WE HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER AND ALSO VICE CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE, AMY PECK, AS WELL AS COUNCIL MEMBER MARY ANNE HUFFMAN.
UH, DO WE HAVE ANYBODY WITH US VIRTUALLY COUNCIL? NOT AT THIS TIME.
THAT MEANS THAT WE HAVE A QUORUM AND, UH, WE ARE COMPLYING WITH CHAPTER 5 51 OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE REGARDING OPEN MEETINGS.
AND SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND OFFICIALLY CALL THIS MEETING OF THE QUALITY OF LIFE COMMITTEE TO ORDER.
UH, THIS MEETING ALSO COMES WITH A VIRTUAL OPTION.
WE DON'T HAVE ANYBODY JOINING US YET.
HOWEVER, UH, WE HAVE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO MAY JOIN US BY THE END OF THE PROCEEDING.
IN ADDITION, I WANT TO RECOGNIZE ANOTHER COUNCIL MEMBER HERE.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER MARIO CASTILLO.
THIS MEETING IS BEING BROADCAST BY HTV, THE CITY'S MUNICIPAL CHANNEL.
THE PRESENTATIONS WILL HAVE HANDOUTS.
THOSE HANDOUTS CAN BE OBTAINED OR VIEWED ON THE CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE PAGE.
WE'LL ALSO HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT.
SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY SIGNED UP TO COMMENT DURING THIS MEETING.
IF YOU HAVEN'T SIGNED UP TO COMMENT, IT'S NOT TOO LATE.
UH, WE JUST ASK, UH, AT ANY POINT DURING THE MEETING THAT YOU COME OVER AND SIGN IN, UH, WITH GLORIA RODRIGUEZ, WHO'S PART OF MY STAFF DIRECTOR OF CONSTITUENT SERVICES.
SHE'S WAVING HER HAND RIGHT NOW, SO IT'S NOT TOO LATE.
IF YOU HAVEN'T SIGNED UP, UH, TO SPEAK AT THIS MEETING.
WE ALSO HAVE STAFF REPRESENTATIVES FROM SOME OF OUR OFFICES.
WE HAVE, UH, YADI BERA FROM DISTRICT I COUNCIL MEMBER JOAQUIN MARTINEZ STAFF.
WE HAVE JORDAN FRAZIER FROM COUNCIL MEMBER SALLY ALCORN, STAFF AT LARGE FIVE.
WE ALSO HAVE DANELLE FIELDS RIGHT FROM COUNCIL MEMBER TWILA CARTER STAFF, AND PURITA CHAVIS.
HAVE I GOT THAT RIGHT? YES, SIR.
ALRIGHT, DEE FROM DISTRICT K, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, MARTHA CASTEX TATUM STAFF.
WE HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIE DAVIS, WHO HAS ARRIVED AS WELL.
UH, WE HAVE YASMIN BEEZ REPRESENTING, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER TARSHA JACKSON.
UM, UM, WE HAVE STEPHANIE NICOLE ADA REPRESENTING DISTRICT F COUNCIL MEMBER TIFFANY TODD.
VIRTUALLY WE HAVE STAFF, UM, MARK MITCHELL FROM COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER OFFICE.
UM, CAROLYN, EVAN SHABAZZ, STAFF DAVID ALEXANDER FROM COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD, STAFF MONIRA REPRESENTING COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER AND ALIYAH FROM COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN'S OFFICE.
SO WE APPRECIATE YOUR PRESENCE.
WE'RE GONNA BE DISCUSSING TWO ITEMS ON THE COMMITTEE'S AGENDA.
ONE IS AN UPDATE ON THE CITY'S NOISE ORDINANCE, AND THE SECOND, WHICH WE WILL ADDRESS LATER, IS AN UPDATE ON THE CITY'S SUMMER LIFEGUARD PROGRAM.
ALRIGHT, SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND START THE MEETING BY, UH, HEARING A PRESENTATION FROM, UM, CATHERINE BRUNING FROM THE CITY'S ADMINISTRATION AND REGULATORY, UH, AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT.
ALSO PRESENT IS, UH, CHIEF SATTERWHITE FROM THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AND SO I'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU GUYS NOW.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE TWO OTHER SPEAKERS.
WE HAVE RANDY AVAILABLE, RANDY ZAMORA, AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS.
AND, UM, RUDY MORENO FROM, UH, PUBLIC WORKS, WHO WILL ALSO BE, BE PRESENTING A SECTION.
AND LET ME STOP YOU JUST THERE FOR A SECOND.
SO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS WE HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE FROM LEGAL YES.
RANDY ZAMORA AND FROM PUBLIC WORKS, RUDY MORENO, WHO WILL BE HERE AS RESOURCE, UH, WITNESSES IF NECESSARY.
IS THAT RIGHT? YEAH, HE'LL, THERE'S A SECTION IN HERE AND HE'LL TALK TOO, AND THEN A RESOURCE.
AND, UM, YOUR SPEAKER SEEMS TO BE, UH, LOWER IN VOLUME THAN MINE.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU MIGHT SPEAK CLOSER TO THAT, OR MAYBE WE CAN RAISE THE VOLUME.
YEAH, IF YOU COULD SPEAK A LITTLE CLOSER TO THE MIC, THAT'D BE GREAT.
AND SO YOUR PRESENTATION APPEARS TO BE QUEUED UP, SO ANYTIME YOU WANNA START, YOU GO RIGHT AHEAD.
WE, UM, ARE HERE TO TALK ABOUT CHAPTER 30, NOISE AND SOUND LEVEL REGULATIONS.
AND THERE ARE FOUR DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVE
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BEEN INVOLVED IN THE DISCUSSIONS OF THIS OVER THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS.UM, THIS IS AN UPDATE TO TELL YOU WHAT WE'RE, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT AND HOW FAR WE'VE GOTTEN AND WHAT WE'RE PROCEEDING.
WE DO HAVE, WE DO PLAN TO DO ADDITIONAL MEETINGS AFTER THIS WITH STAKEHOLDERS BECAUSE WE'VE NOT HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT.
UM, FOR THE CURRENT NOISE ORDINANCE, THE APPLICABLE LAWS ARE CHAPTER 30, THE CODE OF ORDINANCES.
THE RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY DECIBEL LEVELS ARE, UM, 65 DURING DAYTIME HOURS AND 58 DURING NIGHTTIME HOURS.
THAT IS IN 30 DASH FIVE OF THE CODE NON-RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY DECIBEL MAXIMUMS ARE 68 AT ALL TIMES.
THESE ARE THE LEVELS THAT THEY NEED TO BE, UH, OBTAINING OR STAYING WITHIN IF THEY DON'T HAVE A PERMIT.
UH, WE DO ISSUE PERMITS FOR THE USE OF SOUND AMPLIFICATION EQUIPMENT THAT ALLOWS AMPLIFYING SOUND TO 75 DECIBELS DURING SPECIFIC PERIODS OF TIME, DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF PERMIT OBTAINED A RA ISSUES.
THE PERMITS, HPD ENFORCES THE ORDINANCE.
THE TYPES OF PERMITS THAT WE HAVE FOR SOUND AMPLIFICATION, THERE'S FOUR TYPES.
UM, OVER THE YEARS WE'VE DONE CHANGES TO THIS ORDINANCE IS EVERY TIME WE KIND OF MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT BETTER EVERY TIME WE, WE COME UP.
UM, BUT WE HAVE ADDED NEW PERMITS.
AND SO THE FIRST PERMIT WE HAVE IS A DAILY PERMIT, AND THAT'S FOR SOMEONE THAT JUST NEEDS IT FOR THE DAY.
WE PREDOMINANTLY SEE THOSE AT RESIDENCES FOR HOMES, YOU KNOW, FOR RECEPTIONS, WEDDINGS, PARTIES, GRADUATION PARTIES, WHICH IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW IN A LOT OF PLACES.
THEN WE HAVE EXTENDED DAILY PERMITS WHO ARE ALLOWED BETWEEN EIGHT AND 10:00 PM AS WELL, THAT DON'T EXTEND MORE THAN FIVE CONSECUTIVE DAYS.
AND THAT PERMIT IS MORE FOR FESTIVALS, CHURCH REVIVALS.
WE ACTUALLY HAD SEVERAL CHURCHES, UH, APPROACH US ABOUT BEING ABLE TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS INSTEAD OF THEM HAVING TO GET A DAILY PERMIT EVERY DAY FOR FIVE DAYS.
AND SO WE WERE ABLE TO DO THAT.
ANNUAL PERMITS, UM, ARE GOOD THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
THERE'S A 14 HOUR PERIOD FROM 8:00 AM TO 10:00 PM SUNDAY TO THURSDAY, AND A 15 HOUR PERIOD BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 8:00 AM AND 11:00 PM ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY.
THE MOST RECENT PERMIT THAT WAS PASSED IN, UM, 22, WHICH WAS IMPLEMENTED IN SEPTEMBER OF 22, IS THE COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENT PERMIT.
AND IT'S FOR ESTABLISHMENTS THAT PLAY OUTDOOR AMPLIFIED SOUND WITHIN 300 FEET OF A RESIDENCE.
SO THE KEY TO THIS PERMIT IS YOU'RE WITHIN 300 FEET OF A RESIDENCE.
SO IF IT'S A COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENT PERMIT, THAT MEANS THEY'RE REALLY CLOSE TO A RESIDENCE.
UM, IT IS ALSO VALUED VALID THROUGH THE SAME TIMEFRAMES AS, UM, THE ANNUAL PERMIT.
WE ALSO, UM, JUST A LITTLE HISTORY OF SOUND PERMITS THAT WE'VE ISSUED OVER THE YEARS.
YOU CAN REALLY SEE WE'RE COMING BACK FROM COVID.
UM, 2021 IS STILL LOW BECAUSE OF COVID AND THE STAY HOME WORK SAFE INITIATIVES.
WHEN YOU GET ON INTO 2022, YOU CAN SEE WE'RE ISSUING MORE AND 22.
NOT ALMOST WHERE WE WERE, BUT WE'RE PRETTY CLOSE TO WHERE WE WERE PRE COVID, UM, WITH YOUR DAILY, WE ISSUED 726 EXTENDED DAILY, 58, ANNUAL 23.
AND, UM, COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENT 61.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 22 AND 23 IS THE ANNUAL PERMIT ONLY EXISTED.
WE DID NOT HAVE THE COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENT PERMIT, SO ANYBODY THAT HAD AN ANNUAL PERMIT THAT QUALIFIED AND NEEDED TO HAVE A COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHED PERMIT, WE SHIFTED 'EM TO THE COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENT PERMIT IN 2023 WHEN IT BECAME EFFECTIVE.
SO THAT'S WHY YOU'RE SEEING THE ANNUAL PERMITS GOING DOWN AND, AND, UH, CORRESPONDING WITH THE COMMERCIAL PERMITS.
UM, SOME OF THE REVISIONS THAT WE IMPLEMENTED IN 2022, WE CREATED DEFINITIONS FOR COMMERCIAL, RESIDENTIAL, AND OUTDOOR AREAS.
WE CREATED THE COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENT PERMIT.
THE FINE WAS INCREASED FROM A THOUSAND DOLLARS TO $2,000.
WE REQUIRED THAT A PERMIT BE ISSUED TO AN ESTABLISHMENT RATHER THAN AN INDIVIDUAL.
THAT WAS A BIG SHIFT IS BECAUSE IT CLOSED A LOOPHOLE WE WERE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH IN THAT PEOPLE WOULD COME IN AND APPLY AND IT'D BE THE APPLICANT AND THEY WOULD GET REVOKED, AND THE NEXT
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DAY SOMEBODY ELSE WOULD COME IN AND APPLY.AND WE COULDN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT THAT.
SO THIS HAS REALLY HELPED GET THAT LOOPHOLE CLOSED.
UM, WE ALSO REVISED THE ADMINISTRATIVE HEARING PROCESS FOR SOUND PERMIT SUSPENSION OR REVOCATION, THE COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENT PERMIT.
I GAVE YOU A LITTLE HIGH OVERVIEW THERE, BUT THE BIG THING ABOUT THE COMMERCIAL, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN PLAY AMPLIFIED SOUND FROM 8:00 AM TO 10:00 PM AND 8:00 AM TO 11:00 PM BUT THEN FROM 10:00 PM TO 2:00 AM AND 11:00 PM TO 2:00 AM YOU HAVE TO MEET THE LEVELS IN 30 DASH FIVE, WHICH ARE THE, YOU KNOW, THE 68 FOR COMMERCIAL AND 58 FOR RESIDENTIAL IS REQ REQUIRED FOR AN ESTABLISHMENT WITHIN 300 FEET.
THE OTHER BIG THING IS THEY'RE NOT ALLOWED TO PLAY ANY OUTDOOR AMPLIFIED SOUND BETWEEN 2:00 AM AND 8:00 AM AND THAT IS A BIG CHANGE.
AND THEN THEY HAVE A FEE, ALL OF THEM HAVE FEES WITH THE, UH, ADMINISTRATIVE COST.
CURRENTLY, WE CAN SUSPEND OR REVOKE A PERMIT IF THEY FAIL TO COMPLY WITH ANY APPLICABLE PROVISIONS OF CHAPTER 30, OR IF THE PERMITEE OR ANY AGENT EMPLOYEE RECEIVES TWO OR MORE CONVICTIONS FOR VIOLATIONS OF CHAPTER 30 WITHIN A 36 MONTH PERIOD.
FOR VIOLATIONS OF ANY PROVISIONS OF THIS, WE ACTUALLY HAVE SENT LETTERS TO THREE DIFFERENT ESTABLISHMENTS, AND THEY WILL BE HAVING HEARINGS, UM, NEXT WEEK AND AT THE END OF MAY.
SO GOING IN AND, AND USING THE TWO OR MORE, UH, CONVICTIONS.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN CAYMAN, EVAN SHABAZZ AND COSTELLO REQUESTED THE ADMINISTRATION TO EXPLORE FOUR ADDITIONAL ITEMS. AND THIS IS A SUMMARY OF WHERE WE ARE ON THESE ITEMS. UM, THE FIRST IS WE WANT TO ADD AN ENFORCEMENT MECHANISM WHEN THE SOUND MITIGATION PLAN IS INSUFFICIENT.
SECOND IS CONSIDER AMENDMENTS TO BUILDING CODE TO OUTSIDE PROOFING REQUIREMENTS FOR NEW BARS AND NIGHTCLUBS BUILT WITHIN 300 FEET.
EXPLORE THE ENFORCEMENT OF NOISE ORDINANCE BY HARRIS COUNTY CONSTABLE SIMILAR TO PARKING AND TRAFFIC, AND TO REINFORCE THE GENERAL ORDER.
300 DASH 14 ONE DUTY TO RESPOND AND 15 POLICE RELATED EXTRA EMPLOYMENT AT ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE ESTABLISHMENTS.
THE FIRST ADD AN ENFORCEMENT MECHANISM WHEN THE SOUND IMPACT PLAN IMPLEMENTATION IS INEFFECTIVE.
THIS IS ONE THAT WE, WE CAME UP WITH AS WE'VE BEEN LOOKING THROUGH.
I WILL TELL YOU THIS IS A PRODUCT IN WORK.
WE HAVE SOME SANDBOX IDEAS, BUT THEY'RE NOT FAR ENOUGH ALONG THAT WE KNOW IF WE CAN DO THEM OR NOT.
THEY'RE JUST IDEAS OFF THE TOP.
AND THE OTHER BIG THING ABOUT THIS IS WE'RE HOPING THAT AS SOME RESIDENTS SPEAK, WE MIGHT HEAR OTHER IDEAS THAT WE CAN LOOK INTO FURTHER.
BUT THIS IS, IF A PERMITEE OR AGENT RECEIVES SIX OR MORE CITATIONS WITHIN A 12 MONTH PERIOD FOR VIOLATIONS OF ANY PROVISION OF CHAPTER 30, THE PERMIT MAY BE SUSPENDED.
THEY DON'T HAVE TO HAVE THE GUILTY VERDICTS ANYMORE, THEY JUST HAVE TO HAVE THE CITATIONS ISSUED.
THE CITATIONS HAVE TO BE ISSUED AT DIFFERENT TIMES.
SO YOU COME IN AND ISSUE A CITATION, IT MAY HAVE TWO VIOLATIONS ON IT, SO WHEN YOU COME BACK THE NEXT TIME AND YOU ISSUE A CITATION.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S HOW WE'LL BE LOOKING AT THAT GOING FORWARD.
I DO GET A, UH, REPORT OF CITATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN ISSUED FOR SOUND, AND I'M GONNA HAVE RUDY MORENO COME UP AND SPEAK TO THIS WITH THE PUBLIC WORKS.
UM, OUR TEAM EVALUATED THE POTENTIAL CODE CHANGES FOR SOUNDPROOF AND REQUIREMENTS FOR NEW BARS AND NIGHTCLUBS BEING BUILT WITHIN 300 FEET OF A RESIDENCE.
THE COST ASSOCIATED WITH SOUNDPROOF AND COMMERCIAL STRUCTURES WOULD BE DEPENDENT ON A NUMBER OF VARIABLES SUCH AS STRUCTURE, CEILING HEIGHT, MATERIALS, USES, USES, ET CETERA.
HOWEVER, BASED ON THE SAMPLE ANALYSIS, A ROUGH ESTIMATE, SOUNDPROOF AND MATERIAL COST IS AROUND $2,200 FOR EVERY 500 SQUARE FEET.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE CONSTRUCTION INSTALLATION COST.
SO THIS SOLELY THE COST, UH, ANY CHANGES TO THE BUILDING CODE WOULD BE PERSPECTIVE.
SO EXISTING ISSUES WOULD NOT BE ADDRESSED.
IT ALSO REQUIRES SUBSTANTIAL STAKEHOLDER STAKEHOLDER FEEDBACK DUE TO THE COST AND ADDED BURDEN ASSOCIATED WITH SOUNDPROOFING.
WE EXPECT STRONG OPPOSITION FROM STAKEHOLDERS AND PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS LIKE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY COUNCIL BUILDER BUILDING OWNERS
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AND MANAGERS ASSOCIATION, AND NEIGHBORHOOD BEER GARDENS AND BAR ASSOCIATION DUE TO EXPENSE AND EXTENSIVE STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT THAT WOULD BE REQUIRED.THIS IS NOT AN AMENDMENT THAT CAN BE MADE OR CONSIDERED IN THE SHORT TERM.
THE ADMINISTRATION CANNOT SUPPORT AT THIS TIME AND EXPLORE ENFORCEMENT OF THE NOISE ORDINANCE BY HARRIS COUNTY CONSTABLES.
UM, LEGAL HAS ADVISED US THAT THEY CANNOT, UM, ENFORCE THE CITY ORDINANCE BASED ON THE ENABLING STATUTES FOR CONSTABLES RESPONSIBILITIES.
THESE ENABLING STATUTES ARE AT THE STATE LEVEL.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IF AS WE GO FORWARD, WE CAN PROPOSE AS A LEGISLATIVE CHANGE AND SEE IF WE CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
SO IN TERMS OF, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS WE CAN DO, UH, IS REINFORCE OUR GENERAL ORDER, UH, THREE OH DASH 14 FOR WORKING AT, UH, THESE ESTABLISHMENTS.
UH, TO WORK AN EXTRA JOB IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AS A HOUSTON POLICE OFFICER, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A PERMIT AND WE HAVE POLICY REGARDING THAT.
SO, SECTION ONE, UH, DUTY TO RESPOND.
UH, THEY HAVE A DUTY TO RESPOND IF THE ESTABLISHMENT IS BEING TOO LOUD.
SO EVERY OFFICER THAT WORKS THERE FOR HPD, UH, WE'LL, WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT TRAINING.
THAT'S WHAT IT'S GONNA COME DOWN TO.
TRAINING AND REINFORCEMENT OF THE POLICY.
HEY, LISTEN, MONITOR THE, THE ESTABLISHMENT.
IF THE NOISE IS GETTING SO LOUD, YOU NEED TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WITH THE MANAGER.
IT WORKS IN EVERYBODY'S FAVOR.
IF THE ESTABLISHMENT REDUCES THE NOISE AND DOESN'T GO OVER THE POLICY, OFFICERS AREN'T CALLED TO RESPOND AND THE CLUB OWNER IS NOT BEING GIVEN A CITATION.
AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, UM, THE NEIGHBORHOOD IS NOT BEING AFFECTED AND PEOPLE'S, UH, LIVES AREN'T BEING IMPACTED.
SO IT'S REALLY GONNA BE ABOUT TRAINING, UH, 300 DASH 15, UH, OR THREE 14.
SECTION 15 IS SPECIFIC TO ALCOHOL AND BEVERAGE, UM, ESTABLISHMENTS.
AND AGAIN, IT'S ABOUT THOSE OFFICERS THAT ARE WORKING IN THOSE LOCATIONS THAT WE, WE WILL REVISIT TRAINING AND REVISIT POLICY WITH OUR OFFICERS TO, UH, EMPHASIZE HOW IMPORTANT IT IS THAT THEY MONITOR THAT FOR EVERYBODY'S BENEFIT.
I WILL SAY THAT THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT IS NOT THE ONLY, UH, DEPARTMENT THAT WORKS EXTRA JOBS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
MANY AGENCIES HAVE OFFICERS THAT WORK AT THESE ESTABLISHMENTS.
SO WE'LL BE HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH ALL OF THOSE AGENCY HEADS FOR THE SAME TYPE OF TRAINING REQUEST TO, UM, BE DILIGENT IN RESPONDING.
UH, AND, UH, ALSO HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH BAR MANAGERS, NIGHTCLUB, UH, DJS, ANYBODY THAT WOULD BE INVOLVED IN MAKING DECISIONS ON THE AMOUNT OF THE, THE LEVEL OF THE NOISE THAT'S BEING EMITTED FROM THAT ESTABLISHMENT, BE IT MUSIC OR OTHERWISE THAT THEY HAVE CONTROL OVER TO KEEP THEM, UH, WITHIN, UH, THE, THE DECIBEL ALLOWANCE, UH, BY CITY ORDINANCE.
AGAIN, THE IDEA BEING IS TO BRING, UH, AS MUCH RELIEF TO THE PEOPLE THAT ARE LIVING AROUND THOSE ESTABLISHMENTS AS POSSIBLE SO THAT THEY ARE, THEIR QUALITY OF LIVES IS NOT IMPACTED.
UM, SO AT THAT POINT, AGAIN, TRAINING AND, AND POLICY.
UH, AND, AND THE GOOD NEWS IS I DO HAVE ALL THOSE RELATIONSHIPS.
WE HAVE THOSE RELATIONSHIPS WITH ALL OF OUR OTHER AGENCY HEADS IN THIS 'CAUSE WE'RE DOING A LOT OF STUFF COLLABORATIVE COLLABORATIVELY RIGHT NOW WITH ALL OF OUR OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT, UH, SISTER AGENCIES.
SO I'M CONFIDENT THAT THEY WILL HELP US OUT WITH THAT.
UH, ADDITIONALLY, THERE'S, UH, THERE'S ALSO EQUIPMENT THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO INCREASE ON IN TERMS OF SOUND METERS AND THINGS THAT CAN HELP US, UH, ZERO IN, UH, IN TERMS OF IDENTIFYING CERT IN A, IN A CERTIFICATION OR CALIBRATED WAY SO THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY ISSUE A CITATION, UH, IF THAT ESTABLISHMENT CHOOSES TO STILL EXCEED THE DECIBEL RATING AND, UH, VIOLATE THE LAW.
AND FOR, UH, NOISE AND SOUND COMPLAINTS, BASICALLY YOU CONTACT THE HPD NON-EMERGENCY LINE, YOU CAN GO THROUGH THE ALERTS SLIP ONLINE IN PERSON, YOU CAN ATTEND THE COMMUNITY MEETINGS BY THE LOCAL, UH, POLICE STATION, AND YOU CAN ALWAYS SEND SOMETHING VIA MAIL TO THE CHIEF
ALRIGHT, UM, I'VE GOT, I'VE GOT A COUPLE, UH, FIRST WE'LL START WITH THE CHIEF SATELLITE, UH, CHIEF REGARDING, UM, HP OFFICERS WORKING SOME OF THESE CLUBS THAT ARE, THAT ARE VIOLATORS, WE, WE KNOW WHO THE WORST OFFENDERS ARE, DO WE NOT, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF WHICH ESTABLISHMENTS END UP WITH THE MOST CITATIONS FOR NOISE VIOLATIONS, WE
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HAVE THAT DATA.DO, DO WE KNOW IF ANY HPD OFFICERS ARE WORKING AT THOSE ESTABLISHMENTS? I DON'T KNOW.
UM, WE HAVE OFFICERS THAT HAVE PERMITS, BUT THEY MAY NOT NECESSARILY BE WORKING THAT NIGHT.
I'D HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK AND SEE WHAT OFFICERS HAVE PERMITS AT THOSE SPECIFIC LOCATIONS.
MOST OF THEM ARE OTHER AGENCIES, HENCE THE REASON I NEED TO REACH OUT TO THOSE, UH, MY, MY COLLEAGUES AND OTHER AGENCIES TO, UH, TO MESSAGE.
AND, AND, AND AGAIN, I'M, I'M CONFIDENT ONCE, UH, UH, MAKE THEM AWARE AND WHAT'S, WHAT'S HAPPENING AND WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO, THAT THEY WILL, THEY WILL HELP US OUT WITH THAT.
AND, UM, IF, LET'S SAY AN HPD OFFICER IS WORKING AT ONE OF THESE ESTABLISHMENTS THAT, UH, FREQUENTLY VIOLATES THE NEW, THE, UH, NOISE ORDINANCE.
DO, DO YOU, DO YOU THINK THERE'D BE ANY, UH, HESITATION ON THEIR PART TO ISSUE A CITATION TO THE ESTABLISHMENT THAT THAT'S, THAT'S PAYING THEM TO WORK THE EXTRA JOB? I, I CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT, WHAT YOU'RE DESCRIBING MIGHT BE A DILEMMA, BUT OFFICERS HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO ENFORCE THE LAW REGARDLESS OF ON DUTY OR OFF DUTY OR IN WHAT CAPACITY.
SO, UM, WE'LL JUST BE DRIVING HOME THAT POLICY AND THAT MESSAGING, UH, AGAIN, WE, YOU'RE WORKING AN EXTRA JOB IS A PRIVILEGE NOT A, A RIGHT.
SO IF WE HAVE A, A ESTABLISHMENT THAT CONTINUES TO OPERATE OUTSIDE THE, UH, THE PRESCRIBED LIMITS OF THE, OF THE DECIBEL ORDINANCE OR ANY, OR OUTSIDE THE LAW IN GENERAL, UM, WE CAN DENY THE ABILITY FOR OFFICERS TO WORK AT THAT ESTABLISHMENT.
NOW, WHAT THAT WILL MEAN IS NO OFFICER OR PROBABLY ANOTHER AGENCY THAT'S, AGAIN, SO COOPERATION, COLLABORATION AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE ALL ADHERING TO WHAT WE'RE ALL SWORN TO DO IS, IS REALLY THE RIGHT PATH.
AND, AND I, AND I WILL SAY I UNDERSTAND THE, THE NEED FOR OFFICERS TO WORK EXTRA JOBS IN ORDER TO MAKE ENDS MEET, AND ALSO WE WANT OFFICERS TO BE ABLE TO WORK EXTRA JOBS SO THAT THEY CAN CONTINUE WORKING FOR THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT.
SO, UH, I ALSO HAVE A QUESTION FOR, UH, MR. ZAMORA REPRESENTING LEGAL.
SO IF WE LOOK AT SLIDE 10, UH, IF YOU HAVE THAT IN FRONT OF YOU, RANDY, THE PROPOSED CHAPTER 30 ORDINANCE AMENDMENT, UH, ALLOWS THE SUSPENSION OR REVOCATION OF A PERMIT FOR SIX OR MORE CITATIONS.
SO NOT CONVICTIONS NECESSARILY, BUT CITATIONS.
I KNOW IN A CRIMINAL CONTEXT YOU HAVE DUE PROCESS CONCERNS, UH, IN INVOLVING VARIOUS PUNISHMENTS.
SO ON ON THE CIVIL ENFORCEMENT SIDE, ARE THERE ANY DUE PROCESS CONCERNS FOR PULLING SOMEBODY'S, UH, PERMIT JUST BASED ON CITATIONS JUST TO TICKETING? SURE.
AND, AND, AND LET ME BE CLEAR, WHEN WE TALK REVOKING THE PERMIT, THEY'RE STILL ENTITLED TO A HEARING AND THEY CAN BE REPRESENTED BY COUNSEL.
SO IT'S NOT A UNILATERAL, UH, DECISION.
IN OTHER WORDS, WE DON'T SAY YOU HAVE SIX OR MORE, THEREFORE, WE, WE REVOKE THE PERMIT.
WE GIVE THEM NOTICE THAT WE INTEND TO REVOKE THE PERMIT.
WE GIVE THEM A HEARING DATE IN FRONT OF INDEPENDENT HEARING OFFICER, AND THEY'RE ALLOWED TO PRESENT THEIR SIDE AND PRESENT ANY EVIDENCE THEY HAVE.
UH, AND THE HEARING OFFICER, UH, TAKES INTO CONSIDERATION EVERYTHING TESTIMONY FROM ANY WITNESSES WE MAY HAVE, INCLUDING POLICE OFFICERS OR CITIZENS, ANYTHING THE CLUB HA UH, HAS TO SAY.
AND THEN THEY, THEY MAKE A DECISION.
SO THEY DO GET A FULL BLOWN HEARING, UH, IN FRONT OF AN INDEPENDENT HEARING OFFICER.
WE DON'T JUST UNILATERALLY PULL THE PERMIT.
SO, SO IF THE BUSINESS OWNER IS, IS CONTESTING THE, THE VIOLATION ALLEGED IN THE CITATION, THEY CAN TAKE THAT UP IN THE HEARING, IN OTHER WORDS? WELL, THEY COULD CERTAINLY MAKE AN ARGUMENT, UH, UH, IN TERMS OF THE ACTUAL CITATION ITSELF AND CONTESTING THAT, THAT WOULD BE IN MUNICIPAL COURT, BUT THEY CAN PRESENT ANY EVIDENCE THEY HAVE AND THE HEARING OFFICER ISN'T ENTITLED TO CONSIDER ANYTHING.
SO WE HAVE SEVERAL COUNCIL MEMBERS IN THE QUEUE.
SO LOOKING AT THIS, IT LOOKS LIKE THE, THE INCREASED MAXIMUM FINE WENT FROM A THOUSAND DOLLARS TO $2,000, CORRECT? I'M SORRY, THE MAXIMUM FINE INCREASED FROM $1,000 TO 2000.
BUT IT SEEMS LIKE THE BUSINESSES THAT ARE APPLYING FOR THESE NOISE PERMITS ARE THE ONES THAT ARE TRYING AT LEAST ON ITS FACE TO BE MM-HMM
YOU KNOW, COMPLIANT AND GOOD ACTORS.
WHAT IS THE FINE IF THERE'S A NOISE ORDINANCE VIOLATION AND THEY HAVE NOT ATTEMPTED TO GET A PERMIT, IT WOULD STILL BE UP TO $2,000.
SO IT'S THE SAME WHETHER OR NOT YOU HAVE THE PERMIT OR DON'T HAVE THE PERMIT.
UM, AND I'M LOOKING AT THE LIST OF NOISE AND SOUND ORDINANCE PERMITS THAT HAVE BEEN ISSUED AND IN DISTRICT G UM, MY OFFICE, WE GET A LOT OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT CAMP ON WESTHEIMER.
AND I'M GOING THROUGH THIS LIST OF NOISE AND SOUND PERMITS, AND IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THEY HAVE ANY SOUND PERMITS ISSUED.
AND, UM, AND SO FOR THOSE BUSINESSES, WHICH, YOU KNOW, WE
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HAVE RESIDENTS CALLING US FROM DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS SAYING, YOU KNOW, I CAN HEAR IT.UM, AND OFFICERS GOING OUT THERE.
SO HOW DO WE TRY TO GET THESE BUSINESSES TO COMPLY? BECAUSE I KNOW CAMP ON APRIL 13TH, THEY HAVE A, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE ADVERTISING A CONCERT RIGHT NOW IN THAT PARKING LOT ON WESTHEIMER.
THEY DON'T HAVE A PERMIT ISSUED.
THE CONCERT'S SUPPOSED TO START AT 10:00 PM UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, IS HPD DOING ANYTHING TO SPECIFICALLY ADDRESS THOSE ESTABLISHMENTS THAT DON'T HAVE PERMITS? YEAH, THAT'S AN, THAT'S AN AUTOMATIC CITATION.
IF THEY DON'T HAVE A PERMIT AT ALL, THEN WE DON'T EVEN HAVE TO HAVE THE ARGUMENT ABOUT THE DECIBEL RATING BECAUSE THEY DON'T EVEN HAVE A PERMIT TO PROJECT, UH, NOISE.
SO, SO WE CAN WRITE THAT CITATION RIGHT AWAY.
UM, IN TERMS OF THE FORECASTING OR, OR ADVERTISE NEW, NEW, UM, EVENTS, THEN WE YES, MA'AM.
WE, WE WILL BE ON THOSE FOR SURE.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
COUPLE OF QUESTIONS ON THE ENFORCEMENT SIDE.
SO WE GET A CALL FOR A NOISE VIOLATION, HPD RESPONDS, DO ALL OFFICERS ON PATROL HAVE THE DECAL READING DEVICES TO BE ABLE TO TAKE THE READINGS IF THEY RESPOND? NO, SIR.
WE, THEY, THEY DON'T ALL HAVE THEM IN THEIR POSSESSION THERE.
THERE'S ONLY SO MANY AT EVERY STATION THAT ARE ISSUED OUT.
I'M ACTUALLY GETTING AN COUNT RIGHT NOW BECAUSE SOME OF 'EM DO BREAK, UH, TO GET A FIRM NUMBER BECAUSE I WAS PROBABLY GONNA, I WAS GONNA COME BACK AND TO SEE IF WE COULD FIND FUNDING TO BUY MORE.
I DID ACTUALLY MENTION THAT TO COUNCILOR RAMIREZ ON A SIDE CONVERSATION, UH, AT ANOTHER DAY, UH, THAT WE COULD, WE COULD STAND TO HAVE MORE SOUND METERS THAT ARE CALIBRATED, SO THEY'LL STAND UP IN COURT.
SO THAT WE CAN ALMOST EVERY O WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS ALMOST EVERY OFFICER WORKING ONE OF OUR MORE PROBLEMATIC AREAS OUT THERE MM-HMM
UH, AT, AT NIGHT, ESPECIALLY ON WEEKENDS, TO HAVE, THAT'S JUST ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ISSUE OUT AT, UH, WHENEVER THEY TAKE THEIR EQUIPMENT OUT TO GO OUT TO WORK THAT DAY, UH, SO THAT WE CAN GET OUT IN FRONT OF IT.
BUT YES, SO THE, BECAUSE OTHERWISE AS THE, AS THE PILOT, AS THE ORDINANCE IS WRITTEN RIGHT NOW, WE GO TO THE COMPLAINANT'S PROPERTY LINE, THE CLOSEST TO THE PROPERTY LINE OF THE BUSINESS, AND THAT'S WHERE WE TAKE OUR READING.
BUT WITHOUT A METER, WE DON'T, WE REALLY CAN'T CERTIFY FOR SURE THAT THEY ARE OVER.
THERE'S SOME OTHER WAYS AROUND THAT IN TERMS OF LOOKING AT THE IMPACT ON THE HOUSE, THE VIBRATIONS, THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT WE CAN ARTICULATE TAKES A LITTLE BIT MORE.
BUT OVERALL, HAVING THE A PIECE OF A CAL A CALIBRATED SOUND METER IS, IS THE OPTIMAL WAY.
AND THEN YOU MENTIONED TRAINING AS WELL.
UM, ABOUT HOW MANY OFFICERS ARE TRAINED TO USE THE SOUND METERS COUNCIL? I DON'T HAVE THAT ANSWER.
UM, I CAN GET THAT ANSWER FOR YOU, BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY RIGHT NOW.
I DON'T THINK IT REQUIRES A LOT OF TRAINING.
UH, I THINK IT'S, UM, UH, I DON'T WANNA CALL IT PLUG AND PLAY, BUT I THINK IT'S PRETTY REASONABLY EASY TO, UH, TO, TO UNDERSTAND IT AND BE ABLE TO SWEAR, YOU KNOW, IN, IN A OFFICIAL PROCEEDING IN A COURT, UH, ON THAT.
BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT NUMBER, THAT NAME.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, ESTABLISHMENTS THAT DON'T HAVE THESE PERMITS.
WE'VE ENCOUNTERED FACILITIES THAT DON'T EVEN HAVE CERTIFICATES OF OCCUPANCY.
AND THEY'RE OPERATING, I MEAN, ARE WE ABLE TO ADDRESS THAT FROM THE CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY SIDE AND THE LACK THEREOF? YES, SIR.
IT, IT, IT PRIMARILY IS, IS MORE A, UH, AN AUTHORITY AND RESPONSIBILITY WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT FIRE MARSHALS.
SO WE CALL THEM IN AND THEY COME IN AND, AND DO THEIR ENFORCEMENT, AND THEN WE SUPPORT THEM IN THAT ROLE.
COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, WE HAVE JORDAN FRAZIER ON BEHALF OF SALLY ALCORN WITH SOME QUESTIONS.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN CAN'T BE HERE TODAY, BUT SHE'S REALLY GRATEFUL FOR THE
UM, IN RESPONSE TO THE MEMO THAT SHE AND HER COLLEAGUES SUBMITTED IN, IN FEBRUARY.
UM, REALLY GRATEFUL THAT Y'ALL ARE TAKING ANOTHER LOOK AT THIS.
UM, JUST ON THE ADMINISTRATIVE HEARINGS THAT WERE REFINED IN THE SEPTEMBER 22 CHANGES, WE'VE, I BELIEVE THOSE HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL.
WE DO HAVE EXAMPLES LIKE, UM, A BUSINESS IN MIDTOWN, WHICH HAD IMPLEMENTED A SOUND IMPACT PLAN, AND WE STILL HAVE COMPLAINTS OF NOISE.
SO THIS, UM, NEW SIX OR MORE CITATIONS IN 12 MONTHS IS REALLY HELPFUL, UM, TO THOSE HOMEOWNERS WHO ARE HAVING TO STILL DEAL WITH NOISE, UM, ESPECIALLY THE CITATIONS AND NOT CONVICTION.
SO I'M GRATEFUL FOR THAT LANGUAGE.
ALSO, UM, EXCUSE ME, ON THE CONSTABLE SIDE, THAT'S ALSO SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT WITH THE GOVERNMENT RELATIONS TEAM.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCON'S BEEN IN, IN TALKS WITH THE COUNTY ATTORNEY ABOUT HOW WE COULD PUT
[00:30:01]
THAT, UM, POWER ON THE, OR GIVE THEM THE POWER TO HELP ENFORCE OUR, OUR NOISE ORDINANCE, BUT ALSO OTHER RULES LIKE THE CIVILITY ORDINANCE AND SOME OF OUR, OUR CITY ORDINANCES THAT AREN'T AS EASILY ENFORCED, UM, JUST BECAUSE OF THE PRIORITY OF IT ALL.UM, AND THEN ALSO ON THE CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCIES, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE WORKED, UM, WITH HPD AND THE FIRE MARSHAL, UM, TOGETHER PULLING THEM IN AS LIKE A TASK FORCE.
AND I THINK ON ONE OF OUR BAD ACTOR BARS THAT HAS CONTINUED TO HAVE NOISE CITATIONS, UM, THAT WE HAVE AN ADMINISTRATIVE HEARING LATER IN MAY, THAT'S SOMETHING WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON, A TASK FORCE TO ADDRESS THEIR MISSING CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY IN ADDITION TO THEIR LACK OF NOISE PERMIT OR THEIR, THEIR RECENT NOISE PERMIT, WHICH THEY'VE BEEN VIOLATING.
UM, AND THEN ON THE, ON THE COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENT PERMITS AND JUST COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN'S POINT REGARDING CAMP AND OTHER BUSINESSES THAT DON'T HAVE THOSE COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENT PERMITS OR ANY NOISE PERMITS AT ALL.
UM, SOME BUSINESSES I'VE ASKED ABOUT, AND I'VE BEEN TOLD, WELL, THEY DON'T, THEY DON'T HAVE NOISE OUT, UM, PROJECTED OUTSIDE, SO WE ARE NOT GONNA MAKE THEM GET A PERMIT BECAUSE THEY'RE, IT'S INSULATED OR IT'S CONFINED.
UM, BUT I THOUGHT WE PUT LANGUAGE IN THE ORDINANCE SPECIFICALLY IF YOU COULD HEAR IT OUTSIDE, REGARDLESS WHETHER IT'S CONFINED OR NOT CLOSED DOORS OR NOT, THAT THEY WOULD BE STILL BE REQUIRED TO GET THE PERMIT.
SO I WANTED TO ASK ABOUT THAT AS WELL.
RANDY, UH, THE ORDINANCES ORIGINALLY WRITTEN WAS, UM, WRITTEN TO ADDRESS ESTABLISHMENTS THAT WERE USING, UH, AMPLIFIED EQUIPMENT ON THEIR PATIOS.
UM, I DO THINK, UH, IT COULD BE WRITTEN TO APPLY.
UH, I THINK IT COULD, UH, TAKE IT BACK.
I THINK IT COULD BE READ TO APPLY TO BUSINESSES THAT AREN'T PLAYING, UH, UH, MUSIC ON THE PATIO.
THE INTENT WAS TO ENSURE THAT BUSINESSES THAT WERE GONNA PLAY MUSIC ON THEIR PATIOS OR THAT HAD THEIR DOORS AND WINDOWS OPEN SO THE MUSIC COULD BE HEARD.
THOSE ARE THE ONES WE'RE TRYING TO CONTROL.
UH, I'D HAVE TO LOOK AT THE LANGUAGE AGAIN.
UH, AS I SEEM TO RECALL YOU, YOU COULD APPLY IT TO THOSE, BUT I DON'T KNOW, UH, HOW MANY BUSINESSES WERE HAVING ISSUES WITH.
THEY WERE PLAYING MUSIC COMPLETELY ENCLOSED.
IT'S NORMALLY THE ONES THAT ARE DOING IT OUT ON THEIR PATIO.
THEY HAVE THESE OUTDOOR PARTIES.
I KNOW OF ONE ON WASHINGTON THAT WAS A PROBLEM, BUT I HEARD IT RECENTLY CLOSED, UM, DOWN, BUT BEFORE THAT IT WAS A PROBLEM AND THAT YOU COULD STILL HEAR THE NOISE OUTSIDE EVEN THOUGH IT WAS COMPLETELY, UM, CONFINED.
UM, AND THEN I JUST WANTED TO ALSO THANK Y'ALL FOR, UM, MOVING FORWARD WITH STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT MEETINGS AND ASK THAT Y'ALL USE THE STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT LIST THAT WE'VE PREVIOUSLY USED SO THAT WE CAN KEEP IT CONSISTENT OR, UH, WE CAN ADD OTHERS, BUT JUST MAKING SURE THAT EVERYONE REMAINS IN THE LOOP.
AND THE CHAIR DOES WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN'S WORK ON THE NOISE ORDINANCE ISSUE, AND, UM, SHE'S OUTTA TOWN AND SENDS HER REGRETS THAT SHE CAN'T BE HERE IN PERSON SHE IS WATCHING ON HTV.
UH, CHIEF SATTERWHITE REGARDING, YOU MENTIONED SOUND METERS.
CAN YOU TELL US IF YOU KNOW ABOUT HOW MANY SOUND METERS, UH, THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS NOW? SO THAT'S NU THAT'S THE NUMBER I'M TRYING TO, I JUST, I SET MY TEAM ON TO GET, I HAVEN'T, THEY HAVEN'T GIVEN ME THAT NUMBER YET.
I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S CERTAINLY PROBABLY IN THE, IN THE TWENTIES TO THIRTIES FOR SURE.
I MAY HAVE, I'VE ACTUALLY JUST SENT THAT OUT TO SEE IF I CAN GET A QUICK ANSWER FOR YOU, SIR.
AND DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE APPROXIMATE COST OF A SOUND METER IS? I BELIEVE THEY'RE ABOUT $500 A PIECE.
ARE ARE THEY ISSUED TO, UH, PATROL OFFICERS OR TO A SPECIALIZED UNIT? SO WE ISSUE 'EM OUT TO THE PATROL STATIONS, THE DIVISION, UH, EVERY PATROL DIVISION HAS AN EQUIPMENT ROOM, FOR LACK OF A BETTER TERM, THAT, THAT THEY ISSUE OUT EQUIPMENT THAT THE OFFICERS WILL BE, UH, DEPLOYING.
WE SO THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ONLY HAVE SO MUCH.
SO AS OFFICERS ARE GETTING OFF, THEY TURN IT BACK IN, THE OTHER NEXT OFFICER COMING ON CAN CHECK IT BACK OUT.
SO WE ISSUE IT TO THE PATROL DIVISION AND THEN THEY ISSUE THEM OUT.
WE DO HAVE LOUD NOISE UNITS, ESPECIALLY IN, UH, CENTRAL, IN CENTRAL PART OF HOUSTON, CENTRAL, CENTRAL DIVISION, WHICH HAS WASHINGTON AND THE HEIGHTS, UH, IN PART OF MIDTOWN.
ALSO ALLOWED NOISE UNITS FOR, FOR, YOU KNOW, AREAS LIKE EMANCIPATION AND ALAMEDA WHERE A LOT OF OUR CLUSTER OF BARS ARE, UH, IN THOSE TWO LOCATIONS AND WHERE WE GET A LOT OF OUR COMPLAINTS ALSO MIDTOWN, I MEAN, UH, MIDWEST OR THE GALLERIA AREA, UH, AND ESPECIALLY ALONG, UH, RICHMOND AND WESTHEIMER, LIKE COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFIN JUST BROUGHT UP.
UM, SCENE, NO OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL MEMBER OR STAFF? I THINK WE WILL, UH, GO AHEAD AND GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE.
WE HAVE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE SIGNED UP.
[00:35:01]
TO SPEAK ON, UH, THIS NOISE ORDINANCE ISSUE.SO THANK YOU GUYS FOR BEING HERE.
UH, I'D ASK YOU TO STICK AROUND IN CASE, UH, OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS OR STAFF HAVE QUESTIONS.
AND SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND DO SOME PUBLIC COMMENT NOW SINCE I THINK MOST OF YOU ARE HERE TO SPEAK ON THE NOISE ORDINANCE AND WE JUST HEARD FROM OUR NOISE ORDINANCE, UM, RESOURCE WITNESSES.
SO LOOKING AT THE LIST, UM, THE FIRST PERSON ON THE LIST IS JUDGE MEG POISSANT.
I HOPE I'M PRONOUNCING THAT CORRECTLY, BUT YES.
WHO YOU ARE, I'M CURIOUS OF AS A PRIVATE CITIZEN.
AND JUST LET ME SAY AT THE OUTSET, UH, FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, WE WILL, WE'LL SET A, A TIME LIMIT OF THREE MINUTES.
WE'LL START WITH THREE MINUTES FOR EACH MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC WHO WANTS TO COME FORWARD AND SPEAK.
AND IF YOU COULD JUST, UH, UH, SPEAK INTO THE MIC, THAT'D BE GREAT.
UH, THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS COMMITTEE CANNOT BE OVERSTATED.
THE RESIDENTS THAT LIVED IN WASHINGTON AVENUE BEFORE 2008 THAT SAW THE CHANGES WHEN THE BARS CAME IN, HAVE SUFFERERS AND CONTINUE TO SUFFER FROM THE LACK OF ENFORCEMENT AND THE NOISE AMENDMENT, WHICH IN SOME AREAS IS HELPFUL, SUCH AS THE CITATION AREA AND OTHERS NOT.
I DON'T KNOW IF ANY OF YOU HAD THE EXPERIENCE OF LIVING WITH 75 DECIBELS OF NOISE, 68 DECIBELS OF NOISE.
SOME OF THESE BARS OPEN AT 10:00 PM AND WHAT OCCURS THEN IS THAT YOU ARE DENIED THE QUIET HOUSTON AND ENJOYMENT OF YOUR PROPERTY.
I HAVE RESIDENTS AT THE HERITAGE, WHICH IS THE SENIOR HOME, WHICH THE CITY APPROVED THE BUILDING OF, AND WE CANNOT SLEEP ALL NIGHT.
THESE BARS PLAY MUSIC ABOVE THE DECIBEL LEVEL OR AT THE DECIBEL LEVEL, SOMETIMES UNTIL THREE 30 IN THE MORNING.
AND WE CANNOT GET AN OFFICER RESPONSE, ALTHOUGH THERE ARE OFFICERS THAT ARE WORKING AT THIS CLUB.
SO SOME OF THE SUGGESTIONS THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL IN TERMS OF AMENDING THE NOISE ORDINANCE ARE TO MEASURE THE NOISE FOR, FROM THE OFFENDING PROPERTY AND TO YES, HAVE CONSTABLES COME IN OR OFFICERS FROM ANOTHER AREA, FOR EXAMPLE, PASADENA THAT WOULD COME IN AND WORK THE OFF-DUTY CLUBS IN HOUSTON.
AND THEN THE HOUSTON OFFICERS CAN WORK IN PASADENA SO THAT THERE'S NOT THE CONFLICT OF INTEREST THAT WE SEE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
THAT WOULD BE EXTREMELY HELPFUL.
UM, THE, THE PROBLEM IS THAT THERE IS NOTHING IN THE ORDINANCE THAT COVERS THE BASE SOUND AND THESE BARS.
AND ARE THE, THE BARS THAT I'M TALKING ABOUT ARE HEART AND THE LINCOLN, THEY HAVE DJS SCREAMING ON THE MICROPHONE AND NOISE INCREASES AS IT RISES UP.
SO ANYONE THAT LIVES ON THE SECOND FLOOR OR ABOVE IS EVEN MORE, ESPECIALLY SUBJECT TO THIS KIND OF DISTURBANCE, IS SIMPLY UNACCEPTABLE.
THE OTHER PROBLEM, IN ADDITION TO NOT GETTING AN AN OFFICER IS THE REALITY IS WHEN YOU GET AN OFFICER OUT, YOU HAVE TO GET DRESSED AT TWO 30 OR THREE 30 OR FOUR IN THE MORNING, GO DOWNSTAIRS, LET THE OFFICER INTO YOUR HOME.
AND THE WAY THE OFFICERS ARE TESTING BASE IS TO PUT A GLASS OF WATER ON A TABLE AND SEE IF THE WATER MOVES OR TO PUT THEIR HANDS ON THE WALL.
AND THEY DO ISSUE CITATIONS WHEN THEY FEEL THAT VIBRATION.
BUT THINK ABOUT EVERY MORNING HAVING TO GET UP AT THREE 30 IN THE MORNING WHEN YOU WORK AT SEVEN THE NEXT MORNING TO LET THESE OFFICERS IN YOUR HOME.
IT DOESN'T DISTURB THE BARS, IT DOESN'T INTERRUPT THEIR BUSINESS, THEY DON'T SHUT THEM DOWN.
BUT IT CERTAINLY DISTURBS THE RESIDENTS AND THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE.
THE EXPERIENCE THAT I HAVE PERSONALLY ON CENTER STREET IS THAT THESE BARS MAKE AMPLIFIED SOUND AT LEAST FROM 10:00 PM LATER, THAT THEY'RE ALWAYS OVER OCCUPANCY, THAT THERE'S NO FIRE MARSHAL AVAILABLE TO SEE THAT THEY'RE OVER OCCUPANCY AND THAT WE'RE AWAKE ALL NIGHT.
THERE ARE FAMILIES IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD WITH INFANTS WEARING HEADPHONES WITH WHITE NOISE SO THE BABIES CAN SLEEP.
THIS IS UNCIVILIZED, THIS SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING IN A MAJOR CITY.
THERE ARE SOLUTIONS, THE BUILDING CODE SHOULD BE AMENDED SO THAT THERE ARE REASONABLE MATERIALS.
AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT I WOULD CERTAINLY LIKE TO SEE THERE SHOULD BE SOME TRANSPARENCY HERE.
THE STAKEHOLDERS SHOULD HAVE BEEN SPOKEN TO.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE 2200 FOR FIVE, $2,200 FOR 500 FEET
[00:40:01]
OF SOUND MITIGATION.YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW THERE'S NONE.
THERE'S AN EXPERT FOR EVERYTHING.
AND SO THERE'S AN EXPERT FOR SOUND.
THERE ARE ARE DIFFERENT WAYS TO ADDRESS THIS AND, AND WE'RE REALLY SEEKING TO HAVE THAT HAPPEN.
IT IS UNACCEPTABLE THAT WE DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW MANY NOISE METERS HPD HAS SINCE WE'VE BEEN DEALING WITH THIS SINCE 2008.
THE SIMPLE SOLUTION IS TO TURN THE MUSIC DOWN, BUT THE BARS REFUSE TO DO IT UNTIL, UNTIL SOMEONE TELLS THEM THEY HAVE TO DO IT.
AND HPD DOESN'T HAVE THE RESOURCES TO ADDRESS ALL THE CALLS THAT COME IN.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE RECORD OF ALL THE CALLS TO NON-EMERGENCY THAT HAVE COME IN REGARDING THESE NOISE PROBLEMS. THESE BARS ARE MAKING MILLIONS.
THEY SHOULD BE GOOD NEIGHBORS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
ALRIGHT, THANK YOU FOR COMING FORWARD.
DO I SIT DOWN PLEASE? THAT'S FINE.
I'D LIKE TO MAKE A FEW COMMENTS REGARDING THE ADMINISTRATION'S RELUCTANCE TO CONSIDER CHANGES TO BUILDING CODES TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM OF, OF NOISE IN OUR RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITIES.
CITY COUNCIL AND ACTS CHANGES TO BUILDING CODES AND PASSES NEW ORDINANCES ALL THE TIME TO ADDRESS COMMUNITY CONCERNS.
IN FACT, IN JANUARY OF 2022, CITY COUNCIL APPROVED AMENDMENTS TO THE CITY CODE OF ORDINANCES, CHAPTER 42 AND CHAPTER 39, AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON CONSTRUCTION AND ELECTRICAL CODES TO ADDRESS THE EFFECTS THAT MAY ARISE WHEN NEWLY CONSTRUCTED MID-RISE AND HIGH-RISE STRUCTURES ABUT SINGLE-FAMILY AND SMALL SCALE MULTIFAMILY RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES.
THE RESIDENTIAL BUFFERING ORDINANCE AMENDMENTS ADDRESS FOUR MAIN AREAS.
THEY ESTABLISH A BUFFER DISTANCE BETWEEN ALL SINGLE FAMILY, RESIDENTIAL OR MULTI-UNIT RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES AND HIGH-RISE OR MID-RISE STRUCTURES.
THEY ESTABLISH GARAGE SCREENING AND LIGHTING STANDARDS THAT PREVENT HEADLIGHTS FROM CARS AND PARKING GARAGES FROM SHINING ON ADJACENT RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES.
THE AMENDMENT ALSO PREVENTS GARAGE CEILING LIGHTS FROM SHINING INTO ADJACENT RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES OR STREETS ESTABLISHED STANDARDS.
THEY ALSO ESTABLISH STANDARDS FOR WALL OR POLE MOUNTED LIGHT FIXTURES TO PREVENT THESE LIGHTS ON COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES FROM SHINING INTO RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES OR STREETS.
AND THEY ALSO ESTABLISHED DUMPSTER SCREENING REQUIREMENTS, UH, FOR COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENTS TO PROVIDE DUMPSTER SCREENING WHEN THEY'RE LOCATED ADJACENT TO STREETS OR RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES.
ALSO, IN JULY OF 2022, CITY COUNCIL APPROVED AN ORDINANCE REQUIRING CERTAIN BUSINESSES TO INSTALL SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS AT THEIR OWN COST AND TURN FOOTAGE OVER TO POLICE ON DEMAND.
THE ORDINANCE SPECIFICALLY REQUIRES BARS, NIGHTCLUBS, CONVENIENCE STORES, SEXUALLY ORIENTED BUSINESSES AND GAME ROOMS TO INSTALL SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS WITH ACCOMPANYING LIGHTING AT ALL PLACES WHERE CUSTOMERS ARE PERMITTED, KEEP THE CAMERAS RUNNING AT ALL TIMES AND STORE THE FOOTAGE FOR AT LEAST 30 DAYS AT THE EXPENSE OF THE BUSINESS OWNER.
NO ONE IS FORCING A BAR TO LOCATE THEIR ESTABLISHMENT WITHIN 300 FOOT OF A RESIDENCE.
HOWEVER, IF THEY CHOOSE TO DO SO, THEY SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO ABATE THEIR NOISE.
JUST LIKE WE REQUIRE BUSINESSES AND COMMERCIAL STRUCTURES TO SCREEN THEIR TRASH SHIELD, THEIR LIGHTING AND PROVIDE OUR WELL AND SECURITY MEASURES.
FORCING THESE BUSINESSES AND DEVELOPERS TO BEAR THE EXPENSE OF THESE REQUIREMENTS.
NOISE COMPLAINTS AND THEIR IMPACT ON HOUSTON.
RESIDENT RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITIES HAVE BEEN A CONSTANT THEME AT THIS COMMITTEE AND AROUND THE CITY COUNCIL HORSESHOE FOR MANY NOW YEARS.
NOW IT'S TIME CITY COUNCIL TAKES THE NECESSARY STEPS TO MAKE SURE THE HEALTH, SAFETY, COMFORT, AND REPOSE OF ITS RESIDENTS IS PROTECTED BY IMPLEMENTING COMMON SENSE CHANGES TO THEIR BUILDING CODES THAT REQUIRE NOISE ABATEMENT.
JUST LIKE WE REQUIRE ABATEMENT OF MANY OTHER FORMS OF POLLUTION.
AND WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THIS $2,200 PER 500 SQUARE FEET, THAT'S $4 AND 50 CENTS A SQUARE FOOT AND A BUILD OUT THAT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE A COST THAT SOMEBODY BUILDING AN ESTABLISHMENT LIKE THIS SHOULDN'T BE ABLE TO BEAR.
ALRIGHT, UH, HANG AROUND WITH US FOR A LITTLE BIT, MARK.
SO WE HAVE, UH, JORDAN FRAZIER AGAIN IN THE QUEUE.
UM, LIKE I SAID, COUNCIL MEMBER ALQUAN IS LISTENING ON HTV AND SHE JUST WANTED ME TO LET YOU KNOW THAT WE AGREE WITH YOU AND WE THINK THE BUILDING CODE, UM, SHOULD BE AMENDED.
NEXT UP WE HAVE STACY FAIRCHILD.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, THAT'S FINE.
THANK YOU CHAIR, UH, AND COMMITTEE FOR HAVING THIS MEETING.
[00:45:01]
THINK IT'S VERY, VERY IMPORTANT.AS YOU KNOW, I REPRESENT, UM, SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 22 WASHINGTON AVENUE COALITION MEMORIAL PARK, AND THIS IS, UM, MY AREA IS, UM, THE POSTER CHILD FOR THIS LOUD NOISE PROBLEM, WHICH IS IS WHY I'M HERE TODAY.
UH, AS MEG AND MARK STATED, I A HUNDRED PERCENT AGREE WITH THEM.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE STILL, EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE MADE IMPROVEMENTS THROUGH, UH, POLICY, WE STILL HAVE A PROBLEM THAT IS OCCURRING CITYWIDE AND WHICH IS WHAT BRINGS US HERE TODAY.
UM, I DO BELIEVE THAT THE ADMINISTRATIVE, UH, HEARING PIECE, UH, AS PART OF THE LAST ROUND OF REVISIONS HAS BEEN VERY HELPFUL.
UM, BUT THERE IS MORE THAT WE CAN DO PARTICULARLY, UH, AS IT PERTAINS TO ENFORCEMENT.
ONE OF THE THINGS IS, UM, TWO AND A HALF YEARS AGO, I SAT WITH CHIEF NER, MARK AND I DID, UM, AND TALKED TO HIM ABOUT ALLOWING THE CONSTABLES TO ENFORCE THE SOUND ORDINANCE.
HE LOVED THE IDEA, IT TOOK HIM.
HE SAID, I'M GONNA GO BACK TO THE MAYOR.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'LL SEE WHERE THAT GOES.
YEAR AND A HALF LATER THE ANSWER CAME BACK, NO.
SO CONSTABLE ROSEN IN HARRIS COUNTY PRECINCT ONE, UM, SET OUT TO TALK TO LEGAL AND I THINK RANDY, THAT THEY HAVE, HE HAS TALKED TO SOMEBODY IN YOUR OFFICE TWICE ABOUT THIS.
AND THERE WAS MOVEMENT UNTIL WE ENDED UP WITH THIS ENABLING STATUTE, WHICH WE WILL GO AFTER.
AND IT WOULD BE FANTASTIC IF WE COULD HAVE THE CITY SUPPORT THE ADMINISTRATION AS WELL AS COUNCIL SUPPORT, UM, TO REMOVE THAT ENABLING STATUTE SO THAT THE CONSTABLES CAN, YOU KNOW, UM, ENFORCE THE SOUND ORDINANCE.
THE MAYOR RAN ON COLLABORATING WITH LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES.
UM, HE EVEN HAD A MEETING IN JANUARY ABOUT IT.
AND, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT MOVE FORWARD IN YOUR SUPPORT ON THAT.
UM, BUT GOING BACK TO WHAT CHIEF SATTERWHITE SAID, YOU KNOW, HPD HAS A POLICY, BUT WE'RE ALL HERE TODAY BECAUSE HOW IT PLAYS OUT ON WASHINGTON AVENUE AT A MINIMUM, BUT CITYWIDE, IT'S NOT, THEY'RE NOT THE, THESE OFFICERS WHO ARE WORKING THE EXTRA JOBS, UM, ARE NOT, UH, FOLLOWING THEIR OWN POLICY.
BECAUSE IF THEY WERE, THAT WOULD BE THE FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE.
SO I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING MORE ABOUT THIS TRAINING.
IN MY VIEW, IT SHOULDN'T TAKE LONG.
THESE OFFICERS ARE VERY SMART, UM, AND THEY KNOW HOW TO LISTEN.
SO I, AND THEY KNOW HOW TO APPLY THE, YOU KNOW, UM, UH, OR TO ACT UPON, UM, YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT THEY'RE ASKED TO DO.
SO I WOULD EXPECT THAT THE TURNAROUND TIME FOR THAT TRAINING WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, MINIMAL.
UM, SO I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING MORE ABOUT THAT.
AND AS IT PERTAINS TO THE FIRE MARSHAL, THE FIRE MARSHAL WORKS EIGHT TO FIVE, I THINK MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY DURING COVID, I THINK WE HAD A LITTLE BIT MORE COVERAGE, PARTICULARLY ON WEEKENDS.
UH, AND THAT WAS I THINK AT MAYOR TURNER'S, UM, REQUEST.
SO WE DID GET A LITTLE BIT MORE RESPONSE OUT OF THEM IN TERMS OF, UM, THEM RESPONDING FOR OVER OCCUPANCY OR, UM, CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY.
BUT IF THEY ONLY WORK EIGHT TO FIVE, GO AHEAD.
MAY I FINISH THIS LESSON? MM-HMM
IF THEY ONLY WORK EIGHT TO FIVE MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, THEY'RE NOT HELPING US.
PARTICULARLY WHEN COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFIN HUFFMAN, YOU HAVE SITUATIONS WHERE THEY'RE STARTING AT 10:00 PM ON A WEEKEND.
SO WHAT I WOULD ASK THE COMMITTEE TO DO AND THE ADMINISTRATION, IT'S TO LOOK AT TO AT LEAST HAVE ONE TO TWO, UM, PEOPLE OR UNITS AVAILABLE AS IT PERTAINS TO THE FIRE MARSHAL AVAILABLE IN THESE AFTER HOURS TO RESPOND TO THE, TO THE CALLS THAT YOU'RE GETTING IN DISTRICT G AND, AND OTHER PLACES.
IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME ON WASHINGTON AVENUE.
WE HAVE ONE RIGHT NOW THAT DOES NOT HAVE A CO.
MARK WAS HERE IN JANUARY TALKING TO THE MAYOR ABOUT IT IN DETAIL AND NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE.
SO, UM, THAT'S ALL I HAD TO SAY.
UH, STAY WITH US FOR A MINUTE, STACY.
WE HAVE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER M ANN HUFFMAN, UH, THANK YOU CHAIR.
AND THIS IS NOT DIRECTLY TO THIS SPEAKER, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE AN UPDATE FROM CHIEF SATTERWHITE THAT THERE ARE 28 FUNCTIONING SOUND METERS AT THIS TIME, AND THE COST IS $518 PER UNIT.
UM, AS IT PERTAINS TO UNITS THAT ARE, UM, ASSIGNED TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM IN CENTRAL DIVISION, WE HAVE THREE, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING, BUT THEY ARE REGULARLY PULLED FOR OTHER THINGS THAT OCCUR AND HAPPENS.
SO WE STILL HAVE, EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE ON THE JOB, YOU KNOW,
[00:50:01]
TO JUST ADDRESS NOISE PROBLEMS, THEY GET REGULARLY PULLED.SO IT'S, YOU KNOW, KIND OF A, A CIRCLE THAT JUST CONTINUES WHERE WE DON'T GET A RESPONSE.
53 0 6 WAS EXTREMELY LOUD LAST NIGHT.
EXTREMELY LOUD, BUT THEY DIDN'T GET A RESPONSE.
WE HAVE, UH, JORDAN FRAZIER IN THE QUEUE AGAIN.
UM, JUST ON THE FIRE MARSHAL, UM, POINT THAT YOU MADE, I KNOW THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THEIR TEAM FOR YEARS NOW, AND WHEN WE DO GET, UM, AN ADVERTISEMENT FOR A CONCERT LIKE A CAMP OR OR ANOTHER, UM, LATE NIGHT ACTIVITY, WE SEND IT TO THEM AND THEY ARE ABLE TO RESPOND AND SEND PEOPLE OUT IN REAL TIME.
I'M NOT SURE IF THAT'S HAPPENING WITH OVERTIME DOLLARS, BUT I KNOW THAT THEY HAVE BEEN RESPONSIVE IN, UM, GOING OUT THERE WHEN THE ACTIVITY'S OCCURRING.
UM, ALSO ON THE CONSTABLES PIECE, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER QUAN'S AGAIN LISTENING AND ASKED ME TO RE REITERATE THAT WE'RE, UM, WILLING TO WORK WITH GOVERNMENT RELATIONS EITHER AT THE LEDGE NEXT SUMMER TO MAKE THE CHANGES NECESSARY OR, UM, MAYBE WORK WITH THE COUNTY ATTORNEY ON AN ILA.
UM, SPEAKING OF COLLABORATION, AS YOU MENTIONED, CONSTABLE ROSEN IN AS WELL AS COMMISSIONER BRIANIS.
STACY, BEFORE WE GO TO THE NEXT SPEAKER, UH, THAT RAISES A COUPLE QUESTIONS IN MY MIND.
SO, UH, RANDY, IF YOU COULD, UH, ADDRESS THEM.
SO NORMALLY WE HAVE CERTIFIED PEACE OFFICERS IN FORCE, OUR, UM, ORDINANCES OF THIS KIND AND CERTAINLY ALL OF OUR HOUSTON POLICE OFFICERS ARE CERTIFIED PEACE OFFICERS, BUT IS IT LEGALLY REQUIRED THAT A PEACE OFFICER HAS TO, OR SOMEONE MUST BE A PEACE OFFICER IN ORDER TO ENFORCE THIS NOISE ORDINANCE? OR COULD WE HAVE TRAINED CIVILIANS ENFORCE 'EM? I DON'T THINK YOU COULD HAVE TRAINED CIVILIANS.
YOU COULD HAVE, UH, OTHER CITY EMPLOYEES WHO ARE NOT CERTIFIED.
UH, I THINK YOU COULD DO THAT, UM, AS WE HAVE INSPECTORS IN OTHER DEPARTMENTS WHO ARE NOT ACTUALLY CERTIFIED PEACE OFFICERS.
SO HBW INSPECTORS, A RA INSPECTORS AND THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
BUT I DO THINK THEY'D HAVE TO BE AT LEAST CITY EMPLOYEES.
SO THAT MIGHT BE A WAY TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF FOLKS THAT THE CITY HAS ENFORCING THIS, UH, NOISE ORDINANCE.
IS THAT RIGHT? IN THEORY, YES.
TRACY, WOULD YOU COME FORWARD? HI, UH, I'M TRACY VAUGHT.
I'M PRESIDENT OF H TOWN RESTAURANT GROUP.
UH, AND AMONG MY FIVE RESTAURANTS, TWO ARE IN NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND I JUST, I WANTED TO BRING, UH, SOME THOUGHTS TO Y'ALL, UM, ABOUT THAT.
UH, ONE OF MY BUSINESS HAS BEEN IN BUSINESS FOR AROUND 20 YEARS, THE OTHER FOR AROUND A LITTLE OVER 40.
AND, UH, WE HAVE OUTDOOR PATIOS AND WE HAVE MUSIC, UH, ON SUNDAY BRUNCH, AND WE'VE NEVER HAD ANY KIND OF NOISE COMPLAINT.
UM, I DON'T THINK THAT WE ARE ATYPICAL.
I THINK THAT MOST RESTAURANTS AND BARS DON'T GET NOISE COMPLAINTS.
AND I JUST WANT TO CAUTION YOU, UH, TO PAINTING THE THING WITH A VERY BROAD BRUSH, PENALIZING MANY BUSINESSES THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, GOOD STEWARDS, UH, JUST BECAUSE THERE ARE A FEW BAD ACTORS AND, UM, YOU KNOW, REPEATED VIOLATORS.
UH, SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THE IDEA OF HAVING, YOU KNOW, ALL BUSINESSES THAT HAVE LIVE MUSIC HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, IF THEY BUILD A NEW BUSINESS, THEY HAVE TO, UM, YOU KNOW, PUT NOISE ABATEMENT IN THAT WOULD BE DIFFERENT THAN, FOR EXAMPLE, JUST SO IT'S, UH, FOR THE INSIDE, BUT YOU KNOW, WHERE YOU CAN'T HEAR IT ON THE OUTSIDE.
UM, I THINK YOU'RE, YOU'RE, UH, YOU'RE PENALIZING A LOT OF BUSINESSES THAT ARE ALREADY IN COMPLIANCE.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I I SUPPORT THE IDEA OF STRONG ENFORCEMENT FOR THOSE BAD ACTORS AND REPEAT VIOLATORS AND, UH, JUST SPEAKING FOR MYSELF, NOT FOR, FOR, UH, THE ASSOCIATION OR ANYTHING, BUT, UH, WOULD ASK THAT YOU THINK ABOUT THAT.
TRACY, IF I COULD ASK YOU A QUESTION OR TWO.
[00:55:01]
RESTAURANTS YES.IN YOUR GROUP, IS THAT, IS THAT CORRECT? UM, HAVE YOU IN CONNECTION OR ANYONE IN CONNECTION WITH THOSE RESTAURANTS, UH, HAD OCCASION TO SEEK, UH, NOISE, UH, PERMIT OR NOT? NO, I I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW YOU NEEDED ONE.
IF YOU HAD LIVE MUSIC, I MEAN, WE HAVE LIVE MUSIC ON SUNDAYS, BUT I'VE NEVER GOTTEN A PERMIT.
I HAVE A CANDLE PERMIT, WHICH IS A, A RIDICULOUS PERMIT THAT WE'RE ASKED TO GET, BUT I DID NOT KNOW THAT I NEEDED ONE.
DO I NEED ONE? WELL, THAT'S, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
WE'LL HAVE TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.
SO WE GOT A COMMENT OR A QUESTION AGAIN FROM JORDAN.
I'M SORRY TO KEEP MONOPOLIZING THE MICROPHONE AS A STAFFER ALSO, UM, THE INTENT BEHIND THE ORDINANCE CHANGES IN THE LAST ROUND AND IN THE MEMO FOR FEBRUARY WAS DEFINITELY TO NOT PENALIZE ANY, UM, RESTAURANTS WHO ARE PLAYING MUSIC DURING THE DAYTIME OR, YOU KNOW, WE HAD EXAMPLES EXACTLY LIKE ONE OF YOUR RESTAURANTS.
UM, I THINK BACK STREET LIKE BRUNCH MUSIC.
THAT WAS NOT OUR INTENT TO PENALIZE ANYONE LIKE THAT.
WHEN IT CAME TO BUILDING CODE ENFORCEMENT.
WE WERE ALSO TALKING ABOUT, UM, MAYBE A CLASSIFICATION FOR NIGHTCLUBS TO EXEMPT RESTAURANTS SO THAT WE, AGAIN, DON'T IMPACT Y'ALL'S BUSINESS.
MOM, WE JUST GOT THE, I HADN'T READ THE DETAILS OF IT AND I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT WAS MADE CLEAR WHEN WE WERE ASKED TO SPEAK, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, JUST, JUST THINK ABOUT THAT, THAT, UH, WE WANNA PROTECT BUSINESSES THAT, THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, THE GOOD, GOOD GUYS.
AND, UH, TRACY, TO YOUR POINT, YOU, YOU HAVEN'T BEEN PRESENTED WITH ANY SPECIFIC LANGUAGE, UH, BECAUSE IT'S NOT SOMETHING THE ADMINISTRATION IS SUPPORTING AT THIS TIME.
IS THAT, THAT YOUR UNDERSTANDING? I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT YOUR QUESTION IS.
WELL, UM, AND IT'S NOT NECESSARILY PART OF THE PRESENTATION, BUT, UH, WE HAVE PROPOSED LANGUAGE FOR THE ADDITIONAL ENFORCEMENT PROVISIONS, BUT NOT FOR, UM, A REQUIREMENT THAT WOULD ADD, UH, ADDITIONAL INSULATION TO THESE ESTABLISHMENTS.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S ALL OUTSIDE OF YOUR, YOUR KNOWLEDGE AT THIS TIME.
IS THAT RIGHT? IN OTHER WORDS, WHAT, WHAT THE REQUIREMENT WOULD BE, UH, FOR ADDITIONAL INSULATION? I STILL DON'T UNDERSTAND THE QUESTION.
ARE YOU SAYING, UH, UH, DO I, DO I, IN OTHER WORDS, THERE'S NOT, THERE'S NOT REALLY A SPECIFIC PROPOSAL FOR YOU TO, TO, TO SPEAK TO, RIGHT? YOU NO, AT THIS TIME, I, I I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT GONNA BE BURDENSOME ON BUSINESSES THAT ARE OPENING UP OR, YOU KNOW, STARTING A NEW BUSINESS AND FORCE THEM TO ADD MORE COSTS WHEN REALLY THE INTENT IS NOT GONNA BE TO HAVE SOME, YOU KNOW, VERY LOUD LIVE MUSIC VENUE THAT GOES TILL THREE IN THE MORNING.
YOU KNOW? UH, SO I, I DON'T WANT TO GET GROUPED INTO THAT, AND I DON'T THINK RESTAURANTS SHOULD BE GROUPED INTO THAT.
I UNDERSTAND TRACY, AND, AND TO YOUR POINT, UM, UH, MOST OF THE ESTABLISHMENTS IN, IN HOUSTON ARE NOT, ARE NOT BAD ACTORS.
AND SO WE, WE CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND THAT.
I, I THINK THAT'S ALL I'M SAYING IS, UH, WE HAVE TO CONSIDER THAT THERE ARE A FEW BUSINESSES THAT ARE REPEAT VIOLATORS AND CONSIDERING THE NUMBER OF BARS AND RESTAURANTS IN THE CITY, YOU KNOW, IT'S A VERY SMALL PERCENTAGE, BUT IT'S LOUD AND AND DIFFICULT FOR NEIGHBORS, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT.
I TOOK THE 95 TO THE RED LINE AND THEN WALKED OVER HERE FOR THE TUNNEL SYSTEM, HAD A GOOD RIDE.
THAT'S THE QUALITY OF THIS THING TOO.
MY THING ABOUT THE ORDINANCE IS, I THINK THE PROBLEM IS GREED.
I DON'T MIND A RESTAURANT HAVING LOW NOISE.
WELL, I CAN NEED THE BACK UP OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS RESIDENCES.
I THINK 68 IS TOO HIGH, BUT FOR ONE REASON, CHILDREN, HIGH NOISE LEVELS IS HARMFUL FOR EVERYBODY.
AND WE WANT THIS FOR CHILDREN.
I DON'T, I THINK THAT LEVEL NEEDS TO BE BROUGHT DOWN.
NUMBER TWO, I THINK WE HAVE A GREED PROBLEM.
UH, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE PUTTING MONEY BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE.
HAVING MORE MONEY IS PERHAPS TO ALMOST AS BECOMING THE NATIONAL, UH, MORALITY SYSTEM, UNFORTUNATELY.
[01:00:02]
AND I THINK THOUGH, AND A COUPLE WAYS TO GET AROUND THIS IS NUMBER ONE IN THE, FOR THIS GROUP, I THINK WHAT THE JUDGE MENTIONS HAVING, UM, SOME NON-POLICE ENFORCERS.UH, I KNOW THAT THE HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT HAS, UH, DELEGATED SOME OF THEIR MEMBERS AS IZED OFFICERS TO DO AMBULANCE INSPECTIONS.
I THINK THAT IS SOMETHING THAT COULD BE, UH, EXPANDED.
MAYBE SOMETHING FROM THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT OR FROM WHATEVER DEPARTMENT THAT WOULD HANDLE THIS WOULD BE GOOD.
NUMBER TWO, WE HAVE A COURT OVER ON NEXT REGION STREET, THE, UH, I THINK IT'S ON LUBBOCK, THE, THE COMMUNITY.
WE HAVE A MUNICIPAL COURT THAT'S OPEN 24 7, I THINK WITH, WITH A BUSINESS THAT IS CONSTANTLY, I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, ONE OR TWO.
GIVE THEM A, GIVE THEM A MULLIGAN.
BUT IT'S CONSTANT, CONSTANT, CONSTANT.
MAYBE THE WALL SHOULD BE CHANGED TO WHERE THE OFFICER CALLS THE, UH, JUDGE OVER HERE ON LUBBOCK STREET AND THEY GET A, UH, A NOSE FROM THAT JUDGE TO SHUT THE BUSINESS DOWN.
THE ONLY WAY TO, TO GET THESE BUSINESSES TO UNDERSTAND, TO OBEY THE LAW, IS TO HIT 'EM IN THE POCKETBOOK AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN, PARTICULARLY TO THOSE WHO ARE CONSTANTLY BREAKING THE LAW.
LASTLY, MY QUESTION IS, WE ALSO HAVE A THING ON THE STATE LAW CONCERNING, UH, DISTURBING THE PEACE.
WHEN DOES THIS CROSS FROM A CITY ORDINANCE TO BREAKING THE PEACE ON THE STATEWIDE LEVEL ON THE STATE LAW, WHICH IS ACTUALLY, IF YOU TAKE IT TO THE, TO THE EXTENT OF IT, THAT THE LAW, I THINK SAYS THAT IS A STATE JAIL FELONY.
SO MAYBE THE THING IS, OKAY, A LITTLE RESTAURANT, YOU KNOW, SLAP ON THE THING ONCE OR TWICE.
BUT WE GET THAT INNESS SHUT 'EM DOWN AND PUT 'EM IN JAIL IF YOU HAVE TO.
DID I PRONOUNCE THAT RIGHT? YES, YOU DID, SIR.
THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBERS AND COMMITTEE FOR HEARING OUR THOUGHTS TODAY ON THIS MATTER.
UM, I AM CHRISTINA GARLIA, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR THE SOUTHEAST REGION OF THE TEXAS RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION TODAY, REST REPRESENTING THE GREATER HOUSTON CHAPTER.
UH, THE GREATER HOUSTON CHAPTER OF THE TEXAS RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION.
DEFINITELY DOES HAVE CONCERNS REGARDING THIS.
UM, BUT WE DO APPRECIATE THE SPIRIT OF COLLABORATION THAT THIS DISCUSSION IS OCCURRING WITH TODAY.
UM, AND WE RECOGNIZE THAT EXTRA ENFORCEMENT IS NECESSARY.
UM, HOWEVER, REGARDING THE ORDINANCE THAT IS CURRENTLY ON THE BOOKS, UM, IT IS, IT IS DEFINITELY CLEAR THAT THERE IS MORE DATA AND INFORMATION STILL NEEDED REGARDING THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS, WHERE THOSE COMPLAINTS ARE LOCATED, VERSUS THE RESOURCES BEING GIVEN TO HPD, UM, AND PERHAPS OTHER AGENCIES TO ENFORCE, UH, THE CURRENT ORDINANCE WITH, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT SHOULD BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION, UH, ESPECIALLY REGARDING ADDING COSTS, UH, TO NEW BUSINESSES.
AND NEW DEVELOPMENT IS THAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON, UH, CONTINUES TO TAKE THE POSITION THAT INCREASING DENSITY, INCREASING THE PRESENCE OF MIXED USE DEVELOPMENTS, WHERE WE'RE GOING TO SEE THE COMBINATION OF HOUSING AND COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENTS COMBINING TOGETHER MORE AND MORE.
UH, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE IS DEFINITELY THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXAMINE THE BUILDING CODE, BUT TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION ADDING TO THE COSTS FOR NEW BUSINESSES.
UM, IF WE CONTINUE TO PLACE BURDENSOME COSTS ON NEW DEVELOPMENTS, ESPECIALLY IN LOCATIONS WHERE NEW RESTAURANTS MIGHT EMERGE, WE'RE GONNA SEE THOSE RESTAURANTS RELOCATING FURTHER AND FURTHER OUTSIDE OF THE CITY.
UM, AND THAT WILL HAVE A DOMINO EFFECT IN TWO WAYS.
ONE, IT WILL REDUCE REVENUE FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
UH, IT WILL ALSO INCREASE THE COMMUTE DURATION FOR THE RESIDENTS INSIDE OF HOUSTON GOING TO WORK.
UH, AND AS WELL AS ALL OF THE, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT THAT INCREASING THOSE COMMUTES MAY HAVE.
UH, ADDITIONALLY, THE QUALITY OF LIFE AND VIBRANCY THAT A LOT OF THESE BUSINESSES IN SUCH MISUSE DEVELOPMENTS MIGHT BRING, WILL BE LOST.
AND SO I DEFINITELY APPRECIATE, ONCE AGAIN, THE CONVERSATION, THE COLLABORATION, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO, ONCE THESE DETAILS HAVE A LITTLE MORE SUBSTANCE TO THEM, UH, HAVING A SERIES OF EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES WITH, UH, RESTAURANT MEMBERS SO THAT WE CAN ENCOURAGE COMPLIANCE, WE CAN ENCOURAGE,
[01:05:01]
UH, GOOD ACTORS TO COME ALONGSIDE OF THOSE WHO MAY BE STRUGGLING TO COMPLY WITH THE ORDINANCE, UH, AND TAKE A COLLABORATIVE APPROACH TOGETHER.NEXT UP WE HAVE NATHAN GADOMSKI.
UM, I'D ACTUALLY BEEN IN, UH, DOING SOME CORRESPONDENCE WITH, UH, COUNCIL, COUNCIL PERSON, THOMAS'S, UH, OFFICE.
AND, UM, I'M FROM DISTRICT F AND I, I THOUGHT THIS WAS, UH, THAT STRS WAS GONNA BE ON THE, UH, AGENDA TODAY.
BUT AS I'VE BEEN LISTENING TO THE TOPIC ABOUT THE NOISE ORDINANCE, IT'S REALLY NOT THAT DIFFERENT FROM WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE AIRBNB SITUATION.
AND I THINK MY MAJOR TAKEAWAY WITH ALL OF THIS AS IT APPLIES TO BIGGER PICTURE IS, YOU KNOW, IN BOTH INSTANCES YOU HAVE GROUPS OF, OF GOOD ACTORS WHO ARE IN THE MAJORITY, WHO PERFORM APPROPRIATELY AND WHO PRODUCE A, A GOOD SERVICE.
UH, THEY PRODUCE REVENUE FOR THEMSELVES, AND THEY, THEY ALSO IMPROVE NOT JUST THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE CITY, BUT THEY, THEY PROVIDE REVENUE FOR THE CITY AS WELL.
SO I, I THINK THE BIG QUESTION HERE IS WE NEED TO BE CAREFUL WHEN WE ARE LOOKING AT JUST ENFORCING THESE, THESE LARGE AND SWEEPING REGULATIONS.
AND I DON'T KNOW ALL THE DETAILS.
I'M NEW TO THIS AND I NEED TO COME TO SOME MORE MEETINGS.
I MEAN, THIS IS REALLY, UH, A VERY INTERESTING EXERCISE IN, UH, IN DEMOCRACY RIGHT HERE.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE GOTTEN INVOLVED BECAUSE IT AFFECTS ME PERSONALLY.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I THINK ENFORCEMENT ON THE PEOPLE WHO AREN'T DOING RIGHT AND AREN'T DOING WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING, WHETHER IT'S BY CREATING NOISE OR BY HAVING OUTRAGEOUS PARTIES OR PUBLIC NUDITY OR DRUG USE, OR, YOU KNOW, ALL THESE AWFUL THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON THERE, THERE NEEDS TO BE SOMETHING THAT'S DONE TO THEM, SPECIFICALLY WITHOUT IMPACTING EVERYONE ELSE.
AND JUST TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF MY BACKGROUND AS IT RELATES TO SHORT TERM RENTALS, WHICH I, I THINK THE NOISE IS AN ISSUE FOR THOSE AS WELL.
AND I, I'M NOT AGAINST IN ANY WAY THE CITY ENFORCING NO ORDINANCES AND MY SHORT TERM RENTAL, I HAVE VERY CLEAR RULES IN PLACE THAT TELL MY GUESTS WHAT THEY CAN AND CANNOT DO.
AND, YOU KNOW, I LIVE CLOSE BY.
AND I THINK HAVING CLEAR RULES AND BEING AN INVOLVED HOST IS VERY SIMILAR TO, YOU KNOW, FOLLOWING THE RULES AS A RESTAURANT OWNER AND, AND BEING INVOLVED IN, IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF YOUR BUSINESS TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE, YOU ARE FOLLOWING THE RULES AND, AND NOT JUST PROVIDING A GOOD EXPERIENCE, BUT YOU KNOW, ALSO COMPLYING WITH, WITH, WITH THE LAWS THAT ARE IN PLACE.
AND SO, AT MY, UM, PROPERTY, YOU KNOW, I'VE, I'VE ONLY BEEN IN BUSINESS FOR ABOUT 18 MONTHS.
I HAVE 141 POSITIVE REVIEWS OUT OF FIVE STARS.
PEOPLE LOVE COMING HERE, AND I'M JUST AFRAID THAT, YOU KNOW, IF, IF WE OVER-REGULATE AIRBNB OR, OR ANY OTHER, YOU KNOW, THING THAT AFFECTS SMALL BUSINESSES, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU, YOU'RE GONNA PUT THIS EXTRA BURDEN ON, ON JUST REGULAR FOLKS WHO ARE, YOU KNOW, WHO ARE JUST TRYING TO MAKE IT.
IT'S, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES OUT THERE, YOU KNOW, WHETHER YOU'RE A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER OR A LARGE BUSINESS OWNER OR WHATEVER.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, I JUST TO REPEAT WHAT, WHAT ONE OF THE FOLKS SAID IS JUST, YOU KNOW, PLEASE CONSIDER THE PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING THE RIGHT THING, YOU KNOW, IN THIS, IN THIS BROADER CONVERSATION.
AND WE'LL GET TO STR EVENTUALLY.
IT'S ACTUALLY ELIZA MARCEL RUIS PLUM.
CAN CAN YOU PULL THE MICROPHONE A LITTLE CLOSER? YES.
I, UH, LIKE I SAID, MY NAME IS ELIZA MARCEL RU BLOOM.
I'M GONNA TRY REALLY HARD TO KEEP THOSE THREE MINUTES REALLY CONCISE IN WHAT THE PROBLEM THAT PERSONALLY IN A COMMUNITY OF 10
[01:10:01]
HOUSES AND AROUND, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY DOZENS HOUSES ARE BEING SUFFERING.I, WE STARTED WITH THIS FOUR YEARS AGO.
IT'S BEEN CONSTANT COMMUNICATION WITH CITY COUNCIL.
HPDI TRIED, I I TALKED TO MAJOR JOURNALISTS BEFORE WITH MEYER STARTED, AND, UH, FEENEY, I HAD TALKED TO EVERYBODY WITH CONSTANT COMMUNICATION, WHICH OF US IN ALCORN, OUR SITUATION.
AND I, AND I THANK YOU ALL FOR TRYING TO FIX THIS PROBLEM.
BUT OUR PROBLEM IS DEAR, BECAUSE IT'S THREE ESTABLISHMENT THAT HAD BEEN ALLOWED IN THE LAST THREE YEARS WITHIN 13 FEET AWAY FROM OUR HOMES.
UM, IT'S A METAL BUILDING, TWO OF THEM.
SO IMAGINE THE LOUD MUSIC, HOW IT REVERBERATES.
I'M GONNA PLAY A LITTLE BIT SO YOU CAN HEAR, HAVE AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
AND THAT IS FROM 7:00 PM UNTIL THREE IN THE MORNING TO 30 TO THE DEPENDS.
THEN WE HAVE DOCTORS LIVING THERE.
WE HAVE CHILDREN'S SCHOOL AGE THAT CANNOT SLEEP.
I HAVEN'T HAD A GOOD SLEEP UNLESS THAT CLUB IS, IS THOSE CLUBS ARE CLOSE.
I THINK THAT I WANNA PLAY YOU ANOTHER PIECE OF BEAUTY.
SO TELL ME HOW YOU'RE FEELING.
'CAUSE I CAN'T SLEEP
I KNOW THAT KID NEEDS TO GO TO SLEEP TO GO TO SCHOOL THE NEXT DAY, AND IT'S TWO IN THE MORNING AND THEY CANNOT SLEEP.
I MEAN, I CANNOT TELL YOU HOW MANY THINGS.
THEY DON'T KNOW ME HOW MANY THINGS WE HAVE TRIED TO RECEIVE HELP.
I DON'T, I HAVEN'T SEEN THE POLICE SINCE FEBRUARY, WE CALL BECAUSE THIS IS THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT WHEN WE HAVE TO GO TO WORK ON FRIDAY AND WE HAVE TO GO TO WORK ON TUESDAY AND MONDAY.
IT'S A NONSTOP AND THERE'S THREE CLUBS AND THEY COMPETE IN THE LOUDNESS.
WHAT THESE CLUBS BRING TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD IS INCREDIBLE.
THERE'S BEEN SHOOTINGS, THERE'S BEEN, AND I'M SORRY.
LIKE I SAID, I'M GONNA TRY HARD.
I HAVE THREE YEARS OF BOTTLES OF VIDEOS OF BEGGING.
I UNDERSTAND LOUD MUSIC IS A PROBLEM CITYWIDE, BUT THIS IS A SPECIAL BECAUSE IT'S 13 FEET AWAY.
WHO IN THE RIGHT MIND ALLOW, ALLOW MUSIC PERMIT AND A PERMIT TO ALLOW THEM TO PLAY UNTIL TWO IN THE MORNING WHEN THERE'S 13 FEET AWAY FROM 10 HOUSES ON THAT SIDE.
BECAUSE THERE'S MORE AROUND IT.
AFFORDABLE HOUSES BEING BUILT ACROSS FROM THEM.
THERE'S ANOTHER, THERE'S TWO OTHER CHURCHES.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT IDEA I SUGGESTED.
I SUGGESTED AN IDEA THAT WILL CUT THIS FROM THE BOTTOM.
YOU NEED TO SET THE AMOUNT OF FEET AWAY FROM RESIDENTS TO A SENSIBLE A DISTANCE.
YOU NEED TO, WHEN THE PERMIT IS APPLIED, ASK THEM TO PRINT OUT AN AERIAL MAP OF WHERE IT'S GONNA BE.
IF IT'S IS A, IT'S WITHIN THE FEET AWAY FROM RESIDENTS.
YOU CANNOT GIVE A A ALLOW PERMIT.
LIKE I TOLD THE OWNERS, IF YOU PUT A WEEK THERE, A WEEK BUSINESS, A CAFE, I'LL BE THERE EVERY DAY.
BUT THIS IS, THIS IS AFFECTING ME.
YOU CAN TELL I'M, THIS IS AFFECTING MY HEALTH.
THIS, WE HAVE, LIKE I SAID, DOCTOR, HE WORK FOR LB JOHNSON.
HE HAS TO GO DO SURGERY AT SIX IN THE MORNING.
HE CANNOT GET, YOU WANNA BE OPERATED BY HIM.
YOU WANNA BE OPERATED BY SOMEBODY THAT CANNOT SLEEP.
AND I, I WISH I COULD SPEAK WITH THE MAYOR OR SOMEBODY BECAUSE I WANT SOMEBODY, THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES TELL ME ON MY FACE THAT THIS IS UNITED STATES AND THIS IS MY RIGHTS ARE BEING VIOLATED.
[01:15:01]
HOSTAGE BY THOSE CLUBS BECAUSE WE CANNOT SELL.WHO'S GONNA WANT TO BUY? WE CANNOT RENT AND WE CANNOT LEAVE THERE.
AND THE VALUE OF THE HOUSES ARE GOING DOWN.
LIKE I SAID, I UNDERSTAND THAT HOUSTON HAS A ALLOWED PERMIT, BUT THIS IS AN ABUSE PERMIT AND THERE'S WAYS THAT YOU CAN CUT IT ON THE BOTTOM BEFORE IT STARTS TO BE A PROBLEM THAT WILL SAVE YOU, UH, HPD TIME TO BE ENFORCING THIS BECAUSE RESIDENTS WILL NOT BE CALLING EVERY FIVE MINUTES.
YOU HAVE THE POWER TO STOP THIS BEFORE IT BECOMES A PROBLEM.
AND I'M, I HAVE A LOT MORE, BUT I KNOW I'M OUT OF TIME.
BUT IF YOU GUYS NEED TO TALK TO ME, GIVE ME AN EMAIL.
I'M, WE ARE ON A POINT THAT WE WANNA GO TO THE MEDIA.
IT COSTS $60,000 TO SUE THE CITY WHO WANTS TO SUE THE CITY.
UH, MARCEL, AND WE DO HAVE YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION, BUT HOLD ON JUST A SECOND IF YOU WOULD.
UH, WE HAVE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS IN THE QUEUE.
WHAT PART OF THE CITY DO YOU LIVE IN? DID YOU SAY WESLEY? NO, CHURCH.
WHICH, UH, IT'S ON EMANCIPATION AND HADLEY.
WELL, HOW LONG HAVE YOU LIVED THERE? FOUR YEARS.
THE HOUSE HAS BEEN THERE FOR A LONG TIME.
GREW UP, WAS BORN IN THAT COMMUNITY.
WENT TO SCHOOL THROUGH THAT COMMUNITY.
HOW LONG THEY BEEN THERE? THREE, THREE YEARS.
WHAT, UM, ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THE ZONING? YEAH.
WHAT ZONING IS? YES, OF COURSE.
YOU KNOW, HOUSTON'S NOT A ZONING.
WE DON'T HAVE A ZONING, WE UNDERSTAND THAT.
IT'S A HORRIBLE MATTER THAT YOU'RE EXPERIENCING WITH CHILDREN.
UM, THERE'S THE GOOD AND THE BAD OF THIS SITUATION BECAUSE BUSINESSES CREATES INCOME DOLLARS AND THOSE TYPE OF THINGS.
BUT THE BALANCE OF THAT BETWEEN PUTTING RESIDENTS IN HARM'S WAY FOR NOISE AND OTHER, OTHER ENTITIES THAT CAN CREATE FROM GUNFIRE.
ALL KINDS OF THINGS THAT INVOLVE THAT.
SO YOU, YOU, YOU HIT A TWO-EDGED SWORD, SO TO SPEAK.
SO, UM, LOOK, I HAVE MEETING, I'M SORRY TO INTERRUPT YOU.
I HAVE GONE TO EVERY MEETING MM-HMM
THIRD WARD DOESN'T MEAN THAT HAS TO BE A BAD PLACE.
AND THE CITY IS PUTTING A LOT OF EFFORT TO BRING PROGRESS TO THAT AREA.
AND I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM IF THAT BUSINESS IS AWAY FROM MY HOUSE WITH A 200 FEET AWAY.
I DON'T HAVE PROBLEM WITH THAT.
BUT IT'S 13 FEET ON A METAL BUILDING.
THERE'S NO WAY NOBODY CAN TELL ME.
IT DOESN'T HAVE TO MEAN THE THIRD WARD.
AND I, AND THAT'S IN, I'M A NATIVE, BORN AND RAISED IN THIRD WARD, TEXAS.
SO, BUT, UM, I I I WILL FOLLOW UP.
I'LL GET THE INFORMATION ON YOUR RESIDENCE AND, AND I WILL, LIKE I SAID, IF, IF I DON'T WANT THE BUSINESS TO GO AWAY, BUT THEY CANNOT PLAY LOUD MUSIC.
AND THE LYRICS OF SOME OF THE MUSIC.
THOSE KIDS ARE HEARING THAT VERY WELL.
AND COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS, WE DO HAVE HER CONTACT INFORMATION, SO WE'LL SHARE THAT WITH YOU.
I BELIEVE THAT CONCLUDES THE PUBLIC COMMENT WE HAVE ON THE NOISE ORDINANCE ISSUE.
CAN YOU TELL US YOUR NAME, SIR? YES.
[01:20:02]
YEAH, I THANK YOU FOR, UH, LETTING ME SPEAK TODAY.AND I JUST WANNA SAY THAT I REALLY GREATLY APPRECIATE THAT THIS IS, THIS ISSUE IS STILL BEING CONSIDERED FOR MORE CHANGES THAT WE CAN MAKE TO THE SOUND ORDINANCE TO IMPROVE IT FURTHER.
UM, HOWEVER, WHAT WAS SUGGESTED TODAY IS, I'M SORRY, JUST NOT NEARLY ENOUGH.
UM, IT NEEDS A LOT MORE CHANGES THAN THAT.
AND WHAT I HAVE IS BASICALLY JUST A, UM, SORRY.
UH, JUST WHAT I THINK ARE A FEW, UH, COMMON SENSE CHANGES THAT CAN MAKE THAT WOULD GREATLY IMPROVE THE SITUATION.
UM, SO NUMBER ONE MENTIONED THAT A SOUND MITIGATION PLAN CAN BE USED AS A WAY TO PREVENT THE REVOCATION OF THEIR PERMIT IF THEY'RE BROUGHT IN FOR REVIEW.
WHY CAN'T THAT BE DONE BEFORE THEY'RE GETTING A PERMIT IN THE FIRST PLACE? IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE WITHIN 300 FEET OF A RESIDENCE, YOU SHOULD HAVE A PLAN IN PLACE WHERE HOW YOU'RE GONNA MITIGATE SOUND BEFORE WE EVER ISSUE A PERMIT TO YOU.
UM, IT'S FRANKLY UNACCEPTABLE THAT THEY JUST RUBBER STAMP PERMITS FOR PEOPLE.
UM, AND THEN IT'S UP TO US TO TRY TO GET THEM REVOKED AFTER THE FACT.
UM, NUMBER TWO, THE, UH, THE COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENT SOUND PERMIT ACTUALLY CARRIES AN INCREASED DECIBEL LIMIT ALONG WITH IT, WHICH THE WHOLE REASON YOU NEED THAT PARTICULAR PERMIT IS BECAUSE YOU'RE WITHIN 300 FEET OF A RESIDENCE.
THAT IS NOT A SITUATION WHERE YOU INCREASE THE DECIBELS.
IT SHOULD BE, YOU HAVE TO GET THAT PERMIT JUST TO OPERATE AT THE DECIBEL LIMIT.
UM, NUMBER THREE, LIKE ANY FORM OF PERMITTING THAT THE CITY DOES, INSPECTIONS SHOULD BE INCLUDED.
UM, THERE'S NO REASON WHY WE CAN'T HAVE HPD OR SOME OTHER PERMITTING OFFICIAL OUT DOING RANDOM INSPECTIONS.
AND THOSE INSPECTIONS SHOULD BE ALLOWABLE AS ALL THE EVIDENCE IS NECESSARY FOR A HEARING AND REVOCATION THERE.
IF YOU'VE GOT CITATIONS, GREAT.
IF YOU'VE GOT CONVICTIONS, GREAT.
BUT IF YOU FAIL THOSE RANDOM INSPECTIONS, THAT SHOULD BE ENOUGH TO REVOKE YOUR, UM, PERMIT.
UM, NUMBER FOUR, THE DECIBEL LIMITS SHOULD BE REDUCED OR EVEN REMOVED IF A COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENT SOUND PERMIT HAS NOT BEEN OBTAINED OR HAS BEEN REVOKED.
UM, AT THAT POINT, YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO OPERATE ANY OUTDOOR AMPLIFICATION.
SO IF ANY SOUND CAN BE HEARD PAST YOUR PROPERTY LINE, DOESN'T MATTER WHAT VOLUME OR LEVEL YOU ARE IN VIOLATION OF THE OR NOISE ORDINANCE, 'CAUSE YOU REQUIRE THAT PERMIT.
SO IF THEY'VE BEEN REVOKED OR IF, UH, THEY NEVER OBTAINED ONE IN THE FIRST PLACE, ANY SOUND SHOULD BE ENOUGH FOR A VIOLATION.
UH, COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENT SOUND PERMITS, UM, SHOULD BE FURTHER GENERALIZED TO APPLY TO THE PHYSICAL ADDRESS AND NOT JUST THE ENTITY.
UM, THE APPLYING TO THE ENTITY INSTEAD OF A PERSON WENT A LONG WAY IN CLOSING SOME LOOPHOLES, BUT THERE'S STILL A GAPING LOOPHOLE IN THAT MOST OF THESE BUSINESSES ARE FLY BY NIGHT.
THEY OPERATE UNDER DBAS AND SHELL CORPORATIONS, AND THEY CAN EASILY JUST SWITCH THOSE AND GET A NEW PERMIT UNDER THE NEW, UH, SHELL CORP.
I'M SORRY, I HAVE MORE IF YOU ALLOW ME TO CONTINUE, BUT I UNDERSTAND.
YOU, YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND FINISH, FINISH YOUR THOUGHT.
I JUST THINK THAT POLICE OFFICERS NEED MORE ENFORCEMENT CAPABILITY.
UM, I KNOW THEY'VE BEEN, I MEAN, THESE ARE, UM, THIS IS ACTUALLY A MISDEMEANOR WHEN THEY'RE BROUGHT OUT.
IT'S A MISDEMEANOR, UH, CRIME AND PEOPLE CAN BE ARRESTED, BUT THEY HAVE BEEN INSTRUCTED BY CITY LEGAL TO NOT ARREST ANYONE.
SO IF YOU'RE REPEAT OFFENDER AND THEY'RE BEING CALLED OUT MULTIPLE TIMES IN A NIGHT, SOMEBODY NEEDS TO GO TO JAIL, IT'S A CRIME.
UM, AND, UH, FI FINALLY, JUST TO CLOSE IT UP, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT CAN NECESSARILY BE DONE ABOUT THIS, BUT I THINK THE REQUIREMENT TO HAVE A COMPLAINING WITNESS FOR THESE IS REALLY PROBLEMATIC.
UM, THIS IS ULTIMATELY AN OFFICER COMING OUT WITH AN APPROVED SCIENTIFIC DEVICE TAKING READINGS.
AND IT'S NO DIFFERENT IN PRINCIPLE THAN AN OFFICER ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD USING RADAR OR LIDAR TO CATCH YOU FOR SPEEDING.
AND YOU DON'T NEED SOMEBODY TO CALL HPD NON-EMERGENCY OR 9 1 1 TO COMPLAIN THAT SOMEBODY'S SPEEDING BEFORE AN OFFICER CAN CATCH THEM AND GIVE 'EM A CITATION.
UM, IT SHOULD BE THE SAME HERE.
THE ACTUAL READING THAT THE OFFICER TAKES SHOULD BE ALL THIS REQUIRED.
UM, THERE'S A LOT OF PROBLEMS WITH HAVING TO HAVE A COMPLAINING WITNESS IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THAT IF YOU REPORT IT AS ANONYMOUS, THAT BASICALLY OFFICERS CAN'T DO ANYTHING.
THEY DON'T REALIZE THAT IF YOU DON'T SAY, YES,
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I WANNA SPEAK TO AN OFFICER, OFFICERS CAN'T DO ANYTHING.UM, AND THEN THEY DON'T REALIZE THE BURDEN THAT IT PLACES ON THEM AFTER THE FACT BECAUSE THEY'RE GONNA GET A SUBPOENA IN THE MAIL.
AND IF THEY'RE NOT THERE AT THAT RANDOM DATE AND TIME BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO WORK OR THEY HAVE SOME OTHER ISSUE IN THEIR LIFE, IT GETS DISMISSED.
UM, AND THAT, THAT'S ALL PROBLEMATIC.
SO THAT'S BASICALLY WHAT I HAD TO SAY.
IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND SIGNING IN THE, UH, ON THE SIGN IN SO WE CAN, UH, HAVE YOUR INFORMATION.
WOULD ANYBODY ELSE LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE? IF NOT, WE WILL SAY THANK YOU FOR COMING.
THANK YOU TO THE CITY STAFF THAT'S HERE, AND WE'LL MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT ISSUE, WHICH IS ALSO IMPORTANT.
AND THAT HAS TO DO WITH THE LIFEGUARD PROGRAM AT OUR CITY SWIMMING POOLS.
WE HAVE HAD AN ISSUE THE LAST FEW SUMMERS WITH A NUMBER OF OUR SWIMMING POOLS NOT BEING ABLE TO BE OPEN BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF LIFEGUARDS, WHICH DEFINITELY AFFECTS QUANTITY OF LIFE IN THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND, UM, WE CERTAINLY WANT TO MAXIMIZE THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR FOLKS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS TO ENJOY OUR, OUR CITY POOLS.
AND SO WE HAVE A PRESENTATION TODAY FROM RAY DEEN FROM, UM, OUR PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT, AS WELL AS KEITH, UH, KENNETH ALLEN, OUR DIRECTOR.
IS THAT RIGHT? THAT'S CORRECT.
THANK YOU BOTH FOR BEING HERE.
THANK YOU CHAIR COUNCIL MEMBERS AND STAFF.
IT'S JUST A PLEASURE TO BE HERE.
AND THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON OUR AQUATIC SEASON AND OUR, UM, OUR PROCESS IN WHICH WE HIRE STAFF FOR THE SUMMER.
YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S A PLEASURE AGAIN TO BE HERE.
YOU KNOW, RAY IS BOOTS ON THE GROUND.
HE'S OUR AQUATIC SENIOR SUPERINTENDENT.
HE'S BEEN WITH US FOR OVER 17 YEARS AND I'VE HAD THE PLEASURE OF WORKING ALONG WITH HIM, UH, THROUGHOUT MY CAREER WITH PARKS AS WE PREPARE POOLS.
SO I AM NO STRANGER TO OUR AQUATIC, UH, PROCESS.
ALSO HAVE WITH ME TODAY, UH, MS. ROBERTS AND MS. ROBINSON FROM OUR HR DEPARTMENT WHO'S IN THE AUDIENCE.
I HAVE CHERYL JOHNSON, OUR CFO FOR THE DEPARTMENT.
UH, SHE'S RESPONSIBLE FOR ENSURING THAT WE HAVE MONEY TO OPERATE.
AND I ALSO HAVE TOM ANGELOS, WHO IS OVER OUR ATHLETICS AND AQUATICS DEPARTMENT.
THERE ARE 37 POOLS IN TERMS OF SEASONALLY OPERATING THOSE POOLS.
AND WE'RE OPERATING 37 POOLS ACROSS THE FOURTH LARGEST CITY IN THE UNITED STATES.
AND IN DOING SO, WE'RE HIRING HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AND COLLEGE STUDENTS TO OPERATE MULTIMILLION DOLLAR FACILITIES.
UM, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR SAVING LIVES WHEN THE NEED OCCURS.
SO, IS IT A TOUGH PROCESS? YES, IT IS.
WE WANNA OPERATE OUR POOLS AS SAFELY, UM, AND AS, UM, FROM A CUSTOMER SERVICE STANDPOINT AS, AS WELL AS WE CAN.
SO IT TAKES A SPECIAL PERSON TO WORK ALL SUMMER IN THE SUN LOOKING FOR DISTRESS, UH, INDIVIDUALS AND ENSURING THAT THEY HAVE A, AN ENJOYABLE TIME AT OUR, AT OUR POOLS.
UM, I, I ASKED RAY TO COME WITH ME AND PRESENT THIS PRESENTATION 'CAUSE HE'S IN, HE'S BEEN HEAVILY INVOLVED IN THE RECRUITING PROCESS, IN THE OPERATIONAL PROCESS, AND JUST MAKING SURE THAT WE, UH, MAINTAIN OUR POOLS, NOT JUST FOR, UM, THE SEASON, THE SUMMER SEASON, BUT YEAR, YEAR ROUND.
IT TAKES A YEAR ROUND PROCESS TO GET THESE POOLS UP AND RUNNING.
SO RAY, IF YOU WOULD, THANK YOU.
AN OVERVIEW OF OUR AQUATIC OPERATIONS.
UH, IT STARTS WITH OUR POOL SEASON THIS SUMMER, WHICH BEGINS SATURDAY, MAY 25TH OF MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND, AND IT RUNS THROUGH SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 1ST, LABOR DAY WEEKEND.
WE OFFER OPEN SWIM AT OUR AQUATIC CENTERS ACROSS THE CITY AT NO CHARGE TO THE PUBLIC.
WE ALSO OFFER FITNESS PROGRAMS AND, UH, YOU CAN SEE THE VARIETY THERE.
UH, ALSO AT NO CHARGE TO THE PUBLIC, WE HAVE 38 AQUATIC CENTERS IN OUR INVENTORY OF WHICH ONE IS BEING RENOVATED.
SO WE HAVE AN OPERATING INVENTORY OF 37 THIS SEASON, AND WE'VE BEEN RECRUITING AND TRAINING LIFEGUARDS SINCE THE
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MONTH OF MARCH.CITY LEGAL CLAIM, UH, CLEARED US TO START THIS PAST MARCH.
UH, WE TRIED TO START IN FEBRUARY, BUT EARLY MARCH WE, WE GOT GOING AND, AND WE'VE BEEN CONDUCTING, UH, TRAINING CLASSES WEEKLY SINCE THE MONTH OF MARCH.
WE SEEM TO BE HAVING SOME TECHNICAL HERE.
I I'LL DO THE POWERPOINT FROM HANDOUTS.
THIS IS OUR, OUR APPROVED, UH, RECRUITING FLYER.
SO THIS, THIS GOES OUT THROUGH ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION AS, AS WELL AS HANDOUTS AS WE RECRUIT FACE-TO-FACE.
YOU MUST BE 16 YEARS OF AGE ON OR BEFORE MAY 31ST, UH, OR YOUR FIRST DAY AT WORK.
UH, MUST PASS THE STANDARD LIFEGUARD SWIM EVALUATION.
THAT SWIM EVALUATION IS DONE BY US INTERNALLY.
IT IS EXTRACTED DIRECTLY FROM AMERICAN RED CROSS LIFEGUARD TRAINING, WHICH IS THE CERTIFICATION UNDER WHICH WE OPERATE.
UH, WE PRE-SCREEN APPLICANTS PRIOR TO SCHEDULING THEM FOR A LIFEGUARD CLASS BECAUSE WE MUST ENSURE THAT THEY MEET THE SWIM REQUIREMENTS.
WE DON'T WANT TO WASTE THEIR TIME OR HOURS.
UH, THEY HAVE TO BE CAPABLE IN ORDER TO REGISTER FOR OUR TRAINING.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, THE CITY, UH, ONBOARDING PROCESS MUST PASS PHYSICAL EXAMINATION, DRUG TESTS, CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK, AND OF COURSE HAVE RELIABLE TRANSPORTATION.
UH, THIS SEASON, OUR SALARY FOR LIFEGUARDS, $16 PER HOUR.
AQUATIC CENTER SUPERVISORS $20 PER HOUR.
UH, THEY WORK UP TO 40 HOURS A WEEK.
UH, TYPICALLY THEY WORK 30 TO 40 HOURS IN THE HEAT OF THE SUMMER, WEEKLY.
WE DO OFFER AN INCENTIVE AFTER THE FIRST TWO WEEKS ON THE PAYROLL, WE'LL FIRST COMPLETE, UH, PAY PERIOD.
UH, WE OFFER A $250 INCENTIVE, UH, ABOVE AND BEYOND THEIR REGULAR SALARY.
STAFF WHO WORK UNTIL AND THROUGH THE LAST WEEKEND OF THE SUMMER ARE ALSO OFFERED AN ADDITIONAL $250, UH, AT THE END OF THE SEASON.
OUR HIRING PROCESS IS, IS SIMPLE, BUT IT'S INTENSE.
UM, STEP ONE, PRE-QUALIFY, MEET THE AGE REQUIREMENTS.
UM, THAT SWIMMING SKILLS EVALUATION THAT I SPOKE OF, UH, IT INVOLVES SWIMMING SIX TIMES ACROSS THE 25 YARD POOL.
TREAD WATER, ARMS CROSSED LEGS, ONLY TWO MINUTES IMMEDIATELY AFTER THAT, SWIMMING, ADDITIONAL 50 YARDS ACROSS THE POOL AND BACK.
WE'RE LOOKING FOR SWIMMERS SO THAT WE CAN TRAIN THEM TO RESCUE.
UH, WE, WE JUST DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES TO TEACH SWIM LESSONS PRIOR TO ENTERING THIS COURSE, BOTTLE OF WATER.
HOWEVER, WE DO HAVE A LIFEGUARD DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM WHERE SOMEONE WHO IS CLOSE TO MEETING OUR REQUIREMENTS, WE INVITE THEM TO WORK WITH US ON THE WEEKENDS, ON SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS, AND WE WORK ON STROKE MECHANICS, ENDURANCE, AND WHATEVER TECHNIQUES THEY NEED IN ORDER TO PASS THAT SWIM EVALUATION SO THAT WE DON'T JUST TURN THEM AWAY.
SOMEONE WHO HAS A SHOT AT THIS, WE CAN WORK WITH THEM AND GET THEM IN POSITION, UH, TO LEARN TO RESCUE.
STEP TWO APPLICATION, UH, HOUSTON TX.GOV/JOBS, JUST LIKE, UH, JUST LIKE I DID.
AND, UH, ANY OTHER CITY EMPLOYEE WHO APPLIES ON THE HOUSTON JOB BOARD.
STEP THREE, LIFEGUARD CERTIFICATION.
WE TEACH THOSE COURSES ON THE WEEKENDS IN THE WATER PRIOR TO PRIOR TO WE, THERE IS A REQUIREMENT FOR APPROXIMATELY SIX TO 10 HOURS.
IT TAKES ABOUT EIGHT HOURS OF BLENDED LEARNING ONLINE.
THE APPLICANTS MUST COMPLETE COURSEWORK ONLINE AND PASS AN EXAMINATION PRIOR TO COMING TO US, UH, AND DOING THE, THE WATER RESCUES, FIRST AID, CPR, AUTOMATED,
[01:35:01]
EXTERNAL DEFIBRILLATION, AND, AND ALL THE TECHNICAL ASPECTS OF WHAT WE DO.AND WE PAY FOR IT, AND WE DO, WE DO PAY FOR IT.
RED CROSS HAS AN ADMINISTRATIVE FEE THAT, UH, THAT'S DONE BY PAYROLL DEDUCTION, MINIMAL, UH, $46 THIS YEAR.
UH, SO NO MONEY COMES OUT OF POCKET, UH, FROM THE APPLICANTS.
UH, OUR PRE-PROCESSING IS THE SAME AS FOR ANY OTHER CITY EMPLOYEE.
UH, MVR, BACKGROUND, CHECK, DRUG TEST, HEARING AND VISION.
UH, PHYSICAL EXAM, UH, JUST DUE TO THE NATURE OF, OF THE FIRST RESPONDER, ASPECTS OF WHAT WE DO.
AND THEN LASTLY, CONDITIONAL OFFER, AS WELL AS, UH, PLACEMENT AT ONE OF OUR AQUATIC CENTER LOCATIONS.
EVERYONE THINKS OF SWIMMING RIGHT AROUND NOW.
SUMMERTIME, SUMMER'S HERE LAST YEAR.
GUARDS ARE FINALLY DECIDING TO COME BACK.
UH, NEW PEOPLE ARE THINKING ABOUT SUMMER JOBS.
WE STARTED RECRUITING BEFORE OUR SEASON ENDED LAST YEAR.
UM, WE'VE BEEN TO JOB FAIRS, OUTREACH TO PAST SEASONAL EMPLOYEES.
UH, I COULD GO THROUGH THE LIST.
JUST TAKE A SECOND TO LOOK AT, AT WHERE WE'VE BEEN.
THIS IS, UH, FROM MID-OCTOBER TO NOW.
WE, WE ACTUALLY RECRUIT TOMORROW AND, UH, AND BEYOND, WHICH TAKES US TO SLIDE 10.
NATIONAL RECREATION AND PARKS ASSOCIATION.
BY, BY WHOM WE ARE ACCREDITED AS A, AS A NATIONALLY REC, NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED, ACCREDITED MUNICIPALITY.
NINE OUT OF 10 PARKS AND RECREATION AGENCIES EXPERIENCED CHALLENGES IN HIRING SINCE COVID.
THE TOP CHALLENGES INCLUDE INDIVIDUALS UNABLE TO WORK WITH US FOR THE ENTIRE SEASON, BUT IT ALSO INCLUDES INDIVIDUALS WHO JUST DON'T WANT TO WORK, ESPECIALLY OUT IN THE HOT SUN.
AND, AND JUST TO GIVE YOU A QUICK EXAMPLE, DEPARTMENT STORES, THEY USED TO HIRE AT MINIMUM WAGE 7 25 AN HOUR.
THEY'RE NOW OUR DIRECT COMPETITOR.
OUR GUARDS START AT 16 AN HOUR.
WELL, SO DO THESE DEPARTMENT STORES NOW.
SO, PRE COVID, WE DIDN'T HAVE THE COMPETITION THAT WE HAVE NOW.
UM, AND WE RECRUIT YEAR ROUND AS A RESULT.
UH, WE MAY GO THROUGH A THOUSAND CANDIDATES AND ONLY GET 15 THAT WILL ACTUALLY PASS ALL THE QUALIFICATIONS, DRUG SCREENINGS, AND THEIR STRENGTH IN TERMS OF SKILL LEVEL IN SWIMMING.
I JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT OUT.
DUE TO THE SCHOOL YEAR OVERLAPPING THE BEGINNING OF SUMMER, WE TEND TO OPEN OUR POOLS IN PHASES AT THE BEGINNING OF SUMMER, OPENING DAY FOR POOLS.
SATURDAY, MAY 25TH, PHASE ONE, THE AQUATIC CENTERS THAT WE DO OPEN WILL OPEN WEEKENDS ONLY, UH, MAY 25TH THROUGH JUNE 11TH, HISD.
UH, SCHOOL YEAR ENDS SECOND WEEK OF JUNE.
SO THAT'S THE OVERLAP THAT I'M, THAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
WE OPEN MEMORIAL WEEKEND, BUT BY TUESDAY, JUNE 11TH, WE SHOULD HAVE STUDENTS WHO WANT TO SWIM AND STAFF WHO ARE NOW OUT OF SCHOOL.
UH, WE OPENED TUESDAYS THROUGH SUNDAYS, WHICH IS OUR FULL OPERATING SCHEDULE, UH, WEEKLY AND LAST DAY OPEN WOULD BE SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 1ST, MID-MAY.
WE'LL, WE'LL HAVE A, A BETTER HANDLE ON OUR ACTUAL STAFFING WHO ARE APPROVED TO START WORKING.
AND IN MID-MAY, WE'LL MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT AS TO WHICH POOLS WE WILL OPEN.
OUR CRITERIA FOR OPENING POOLS.
HISTORICALLY, PRE COVID, THE HIGHEST ATTENDED POOLS.
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LESS THAN FULL STAFF, WE'RE TRYING TO SERVE AS MANY CITIZENS OF THE COMMUNITY AS WE POSSIBLY CAN.SO WE USE OUR HISTORICAL DATA AS, AS A PRIMARY DETERMINANT, GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION.
UH, WE DON'T WANT TO OPEN POOLS NEXT DOOR TO EACH OTHER.
WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO SPREAD OUT ACROSS THE CITY AND SERVE AS MANY COMMUNITIES AS WE POSSIBLY CAN.
UM, AND THEN AS A PART OF THAT CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT REPRESENTATION, WE TRY TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE AT LEAST ONE AQUATIC CENTER OPEN IN EACH COUNCIL DISTRICT.
UH, OUR AQUATIC CENTERS BY COUNCIL DISTRICT.
SLIDE 14, UH, IS A MAP OF OUR AQUATIC CENTERS WITHIN THE HOUSTON AREA 2020.
DURING COVID, ALL AQUATIC CENTERS WERE CLOSED.
2021, WE WERE ABLE TO OPEN 10 22, WE OPENED 14.
AND LAST YEAR WE WERE ABLE TO OPEN 24.
AND WE OPENED 24 IN LARGE PART BECAUSE WE ELECTED TO OPEN ON A THREE DAY PER WEEK SCHEDULE AND ROTATE OUR LIFEGUARD STAFF BETWEEN TWO AQUATIC CENTERS.
SO THERE WAS A TUESDAY, THURSDAY, SATURDAY SCHEDULE WHERE THEY WORKED AT ONE LOCATION, AND THEN THEY WORKED AT A DIFFERENT LOCATION ON WEDNESDAY, FRIDAY, SUNDAY.
SO WE WE'RE TRYING TO MAXIMIZE OUR IMPACT IN THE COMMUNITY, UH, WITH, WITH VERY LIMITED STAFF.
SUMMER 2023, ATTENDANCE OVER 65,000, UH, CITIZENS ENTERED OUR GATES.
AND, UH, THANKFULLY ALL OF THEM LEFT.
AND HOPEFULLY IN BETTER CONDITION THAN WE FOUND THEM.
OVER 2,900, UH, REGISTRANTS FOR SWIM LESSONS, WATER, FITNESS, LAP SWIMMING.
OUR OTHER AQUATIC PROGRAMMING COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ.
THA THANK YOU FOR POSING THE QUESTION IN OUR INITIAL MEETING.
HOW CAN YOU HELP? THERE IS NO MAGIC TO THIS.
IT INVOLVES FACE-TO-FACE RECRUITING IN LARGE PART.
UM, IT INVOLVES REACHING OUT TO CITIZENS AND, AND YOU GUYS MAY HAVE ACCESS, UH, TO CITIZENS, UH, IN, IN YOUR DISTRICTS THAT WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO REACH.
SO YOU, YOU CAN HELP US BY SHARING YOUR EXPERTISE IN REACHING OUT TO YOUR CITIZENS.
WE'RE LOOKING FOR 187 BUDGETED POSITIONS TO BE FILLED.
AND, AND THEY HAVE TO COME WITH SWIMMING SKILLS SO THAT WE CAN TEACH THEM TO BE THE PART-TIME FIRST RESPONDERS THAT WE NEED THEM TO BE.
AND MAY IS OUR TYPICALLY HIGH RECRUITING MONTH AS KIDS GET OUT OF SCHOOL, WE'RE PREPARED TO ACCEPT THEM IN, UM, FOR THE TESTING.
UM, WE JUST HIRED A NEW COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR, MATT SEL, UH, WHO REPLACED OUR PREVIOUS COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR, STELLA ESPOSA.
JUST TODAY HE STARTED A CAMPAIGN TO HIRE LIFEGUARDS AND HIS FIRST SHOOT TODAY WAS AT A LEAF PARK.
AND, UM, IF THERE'S ANY PLACE THAT YOU GUYS THINK WE NEED TO BE, UM, ANY PLACE THAT WE NEED TO POST INFORMATION, WE'RE CERTAINLY HERE TO DO IT.
THANK YOU BOTH FOR BEING HERE.
WE HAVE, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER ANNE HUFFMAN.
UM, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANNA SAY HOW IMPORTANT I THINK THIS IS.
UM, I WAS A LIFEGUARD FOR MANY, MANY SUMMERS AND ACTUALLY ENDED UP MANAGING A POOL.
AND THE POOL THAT I, I MANAGED, UH, YOU COULD PAY 75 CENTS AND BE THERE FOR EIGHT HOURS.
UM, AND IT WAS A GREAT PLACE THAT KIDS COULD ACTUALLY GO INSTEAD OF BEING AT HOME BY THEMSELVES.
WHEN MOM AND DAD WERE AT WORK ALL THAT TIME, YOU KNOW, THEY WERE GETTING EXERCISE, THEY WERE INTERACTING WITH OTHER KIDS AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY WERE SEEING THE POSITIVE INFLUENCES IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND SO I THINK THIS IS SO WORTHY.
UM, YOU KNOW, THAT WE REALLY PUT OUR EFFORTS INTO THIS DISTRICT G WE JUST INCLUDED THIS IN OUR NEWSLETTER THAT WE SENT OUT AT THE END OF THE MONTH ABOUT, UH, NEEDING LIFEGUARDS.
UH, WE ALSO HAVE SOME SUMMER MOVIE, UM, EVENTS COMING UP, UH, ONE IN MAY.
SO MAYBE THAT'D BE A GREAT PLACE FOR PARKS TO COME OUT AND, YOU KNOW, PASS OUT INFORMATION ABOUT THAT.
UM, HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO GET INTO THE CITY POOLS? NO CHARGE.
OH MY GOSH, THAT'S INCREDIBLE.
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I DIDN'T KNOW THAT.ALONG WITH THE PROGRAMMING, WE DON'T CHARGE FOR THE PROGRAMMING.
WATER FITNESS, LEARN TO SWIM OR OFFERING.
APPRECIATE WHAT Y'ALL ARE DOING.
NOW WE HAVE, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIE WILLIE DAVIS.
GOD BLESS YOU FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
IT'S A TALL ORDER JOB, UH, FOLLOWING POOLS.
UM, OF COURSE TIMES HAVE CHANGED A LOT IN REGARDS TO OUR COMMUNITY IN TERMS OF SWIMMING AND THE ACTIVITY THAT MANY OF OUR COMMUNITIES DO, WHICH IS ALWAYS A CONCERN FOR EVERYBODY IN THE CITY, ESPECIALLY OUR YOUNG PEOPLE ATTENDING SWIMMING.
THOSE THAT WANT TO GET JOBS AS LIFEGUARDS.
I HAVE A, A FEW SUGGESTIONS AND CERTAINLY FOR THE RECRUITING SIDE BECAUSE I KNOW EVERY SUMMER IT'S A DIFFICULT SCENARIO TO TRY TO GET MORE AND MORE PEOPLE TO, TO COME OUT AND BE LIFEGUARDS TO EVEN TRAIN FOR IT.
COUPLE SUGGESTIONS THAT I THINK THAT LIKE TO OFFER AND WE CAN TALK AND MEET AFTER THIS TO HELP YOU DO THIS BECAUSE I THINK MAINLY WE HAVE TO CHANGE THE WAY SOME OF OUR YOUNG PEOPLE SEE THE ACTIVITIES OF SWIMMING AND BEING INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY AS WELL AS THEIR PARENTS DURING THE SUMMERTIME.
ONE, I THINK THE CITY, THE NEWS MEDIUM OUGHT TO PARTICIPATE WITH SOME FREE ADVERTISEMENT ON, YOU KNOW, RECRUITING.
I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THE MAYOR AND, AND, AND WITH THE MAYOR'S ASSISTANT COULD GO TO OUR MEDIA AND AND ADVOCATE THAT.
'CAUSE ONCE IT'S PUBLICIZED CITYWIDE, NOT THAT YOU'RE NOT DOING IT NOW, BUT IF YOU DO IT ON A MEDIA PERSPECTIVE, THEN PEOPLE TEND TO, YOU KNOW, HEAR IT BETTER.
AND SOME OF THE ACTIVITIES THAT YOU'RE SHOWING, IF THEY SELL THAT, THEN IT MAKES IT A LITTLE EASIER TO RECRUIT FOR PEOPLE TO HIRE FOR THE JOBS.
THE MANY OF OUR RELIGIOUS ESTABLISHMENTS TO OUR CHURCHES.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT NEED TO BE, THAT'S A SECOND SUGGESTION.
ANOTHER ONE WOULD BE, UH, IN MY MIND WOULD BE COMPETITIONS.
A LOT OF, UM, COMPETITIONS, UM, THAT WHERE THERE'S AWARDS GIVEN TO PEOPLE THAT SWIM AND SWIMMING COMPETITIONS.
WE CAN GET SOME PRIVATE PUBLIC DOLLARS TO HELP WITH THAT FOR THE PURPOSES OF HELPING A LOT OF OUR YOUNG PEOPLE GET OFF THE STREETS AND THAT TYPE OF THING.
WE, IN OTHER WORDS, WE JUST HAVE TO BE KIND OF WISE AS A SERPENT ABOUT HOW WE APPROACH IT BECAUSE THIS CAN REALLY BE AN OPPORTUNITY TOOL TO HELP A LOT OF THESE YOUNG PEOPLE GET OFF THE STREETS, DO SOME OTHER ACTIVITY.
'CAUSE MANY OF THOSE YOUNG KIDS THAT ARE IN MINORITY COMMUNITY, THEY DON'T HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO SOME OF THESE SUMMER PLACES 'CAUSE THEIR FAMILY CAN'T AFFORD IT.
BUT I THINK IF WE USE THE PARKS, SWIMMING POOLS FOR THAT PURPOSE AND START THAT EFFORT, WE CAN GET MORE OF OUR KIDS TO PARTICIPATE AND GET PEOPLE TO FULFILL THOSE JOBS.
AND, UH, RECRUITING FROM COLLEGE I THINK IS ANOTHER ASPECT TO GET SOME OF THESE LIFEGUARDS AND PEOPLE THAT ARE IN COLLEGE THAT WOULD GIVE, YOU KNOW, THEIR TIME AND EFFORTS.
NOW WE HAVE, I'M SORRY, DID I CUT YOU OFF? UH, JUST A QUICK COMMENT MM-HMM
WE'RE ALSO AS AN INCENTIVE, MAKING OUR STAFF AWARE THAT YES, IT'S A SUMMER JOB, BUT THOSE WHO DO MEET OUR QUALIFICATIONS AND WORK WITH US, WE'RE BUILDING CAREER BRIDGES WITH HOUSTON FIRE AND HOUSTON POLICE.
YOU'VE REACHED OUT TO THE RECRUITERS.
UH, WE HAVE A FORMER AQUATIC CENTER SUPERVISOR WHO IS CURRENTLY IN THE FIRE ACADEMY AS WE SPEAK.
SO THIS PART-TIME SUMMER JOB, UH, WE'RE ALSO SPREADING THE WORD THAT THIS COULD LEAD TO CAREER EMPLOYMENT.
UM, ADDRESSING OTHER SHORTAGES, UH, INTERNALLY, YOU KNOW, WITHIN THE CITY.
BUT, UH, BEYOND BEING A SUMMER JOB, WE'RE ALSO PROMOTING CAREERS AS AN ASPECT OF, OF WHAT WE DO INTERNALLY, UH, TO RECRUIT FOR OTHER DEPARTMENTS.
THANK, THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONCERN.
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THANK YOU FOR THAT.NOW WE HAVE, UM, STAFF PURITA CHAVIS FROM, UM, CASTEX TATUM'S OFFICE COUNCIL MEMBER CASTEX TATU T THANK YOU MR. CHAIR.
AND THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, JUST WANTED TO TAG ON TO COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS'S RECOMMENDATION WITH REGARDS TO RECRUITMENT.
UM, KNOW THAT MAYOR PRO TEM CASTEX TATUM DOES, UM, COMMUNICATE THE JOB OPPORTUNITIES IN HOUSTON PARKS AND RECREATIONS DEPARTMENT.
SHE ATTENDS THE, UM, COMMUNITY MEETINGS AND WE SPREAD THAT INFORMATION, UM, MA UH, IN PERSON AND ALSO THROUGH OUR NEWSLETTERS.
UM, ONE SUGGESTION IS YOU MIGHT, UM, SHARE THE INFORMATION WITH FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, ESPECIALLY THE MEGA CHURCHES.
UM, THEY'VE GOT JOB EMPLOYMENT BOARDS, UM, AND CASE IN POINT, ONE OF MY CHURCH MEMBERS IS OLYMPIC SWIMMER SIMONE MANUEL.
UM, SO, UM, THERE'S SOME GREAT OPPORTUNITY THERE.
I JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT WITH YOU.
SO JUST, JUST A COUPLE, UH, QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE.
SO THIS SOUNDS LIKE PRETTY GOOD PAY FOR A SUMMER JOB.
IT STARTS AT $16 AN HOUR, IS THAT RIGHT? YES, SIR.
AND ABOUT HOW MANY HOURS A WEEK CAN, UH, LIFEGUARD WORK? 40, 40 HOURS A WEEK? YES.
AND YOU ALSO OFFER AN INCENTIVE, RIGHT? SO IF THE LIFEGUARD WORKS FOR THE ENTIRE SUMMER, THEY CAN EARN AN EXTRA $500 ON TOP OF THAT? YES, SIR.
AND HOW MANY WEEKS IS THE SUMMER POOL SEASON, ROUGHLY? 12.
AND WHEN WE, WE'VE HAD OPPORTUNITY, UH, TO EXTEND ON OCCASION, BUT ROUGHLY 12 MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND THROUGH LABOR DAY WEEKEND, IT, IT'LL AVERAGE OUT TO 15 TOTAL BECAUSE WE ASK 'EM TO COME IN EARLY FOR ORIENTATION AND TRAINING AND THEN, UH, IN SOME CASES STAY BEYOND, UM, THE CLOSING POINT THROUGH SEPTEMBER, UH, WHEN WE HAVE BUDGET TO DO SO BECAUSE OF SAVINGS OF NOT HIRING, UM, A FULL STAFF.
WELL, UH, THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.
I'M GLAD WE WERE ABLE TO TAKE UP THIS, THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE SO WE CAN GIVE IT SOME ATTENTION, UH, HERE DURING THE MONTH OF MAY, WHICH IS YOUR CRITICAL MONTH FOR FILLING OUT YOUR, YOUR ROSTER OF LIFEGUARDS.
SO THANK Y'ALL FOR BEING HERE.
I DON'T THINK WE HAVE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC HERE WHO WISH TO COMMENT ON THIS, BUT IF YOU, IF THERE ARE ANY, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
SEEING NONE AND SEEING NO OTHER COUNCIL MEMBER OR STAFF IN THE THE QUEUE, WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND ADJOURN THE MEETING.
I WANT TO, UH, IT'S 3:55 PM I WANT TO THANK, UH, UH, THE UNSUNG HEROES OF CITY HALL, OUR STAFF MEMBERS FOR BEING HERE.
UH, THANK JOHN MOSS, MY CHIEF OF STAFF FOR HELPING TO RUN THIS MEETING.
GLORIA RODRIGUEZ WAS HERE AND BACK AT THE OFFICE.
LEAH TAL WAS HOLDING DOWN, UH, THINGS THERE.
AND, UH, WE'LL HAVE ANOTHER MEETING.
WHAT'S THE NEXT DATE, JOHN? WE'RE GONNA LOOK IT UP HERE.
JUNE 3RD IS OUR NEXT MEETING OF THE QUALITY OF LIFE COMMITTEE.