* 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. [PRESENTATIONS] [00:00:06] SECRETARY, PLEASE CALL THE ROLE. NO, NO. WE'LL DO, UH, INVO, UH, JUST DO THE FIRST PRESENTATION. OH, OKAY. BUT BEFORE WE START, I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, ASK EVERYONE TO JOIN ME IN A MOMENT OF SILENCE WITH THE PASSING OF REVEREND LAWSON THIS MORNING. THE CITY'S LOST A GREAT LEADER, CERTAINLY A CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER THAT HAS CONTRIBUTED TO MAKING THIS A GREAT CITY. AND I'VE WORKED WITH HIM FOR MANY YEARS, CERTAINLY AS A LEGISLATOR. AND WE LOOK TO HIM FOR HIS WISDOM AND COMPASSION AND ALL THE QUALITIES THAT YOU'D WANT AND A GREAT CIVIC LEADER. OUR CONDOLENCES GO OUT TO THE LAWSON FAMILY AND, AND, UM, AT THIS TIME, I ASK YOU TO TAKE A MOMENT OF SILENCE. AMEN. OBVIOUSLY, OUR CONDOLENCES GO TO THE WHEELER AVENUE BAPTIST CHURCH FAMILY AS WELL, AND THE CITY'S LORD, ITS FLAG TO HALF MASS IN HONOR OF REVEREND LAWSON. THANK YOU EVERYONE, AND I KNOW EACH AND EVERY ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES. JOIN ME IN THIS MOMENT OF CONDOLENCE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER MAYOR PRO TEM ICK TATUM, THE ASSISTANT MAYOR PRO TEM TON. PLEASE TAKE OATH WITH MY CHEAT SHEET. THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. UH, TODAY IS AN EXCITING DAY. WE ARE VERY EXCITED TO BE JOINED BY A HIGH SCHOOL COACHING LEGEND, WESTBURY HIGH SCHOOL COACH, ANDREW BLANKS. WE'RE SO EXCITED TO HAVE YOU HERE AT CITY HALL TODAY. THANK COACH BLANKS IS JOINED TODAY BY HIS BEAUTIFUL WIFE OF 53 YEARS, MS. DOLORES BLANKS, AND HIS DAUGHTERS NICOLE AND ADRIAN BLANKS. UH, HIS WESTBURY HIGH SCHOOL COLLEAGUES ARE ALSO HERE, PRINCIPAL NIXON, COACH CHERITA JACKSON, ATHLETIC DIRECTOR ROBERT MAXEY AND HISD SCHOOL DISTRICT ADMINISTRATORS ARE ALSO HERE. A HOST OF FRIENDS AND FAMILY MEMBERS HAVE ALSO JOINED US FOR THIS SPECIAL OCCASION. I'M SO HONORED TO RECOGNIZE COACH ANDREW BLANK'S LEGACY OF EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION, AND WE WISH HIM THE VERY BEST IN HIS WELL DESERVED RETIREMENT. AND THE PROCLAMATION READS WITH THE RICH LEGACY, ANDREW BLANKS HAS TRAINED WORLD CLASS HURDLERS AND SPRINTERS SUCH AS OLYMPIANS, BENNY BRAZE, AND BEANO KANI, A GRADUATE OF TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY. ANDREW COMPETED AS A SPRINTER FOR THE FLYING TIGERS UNDER COACH CLIFFORD PAUL EARNING CONFERENCE RECOGNITION IN THE SWAC, AS WELL AS ACCOLADES IN THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS AND THE NATIONAL COLLEGIATE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION, SERVING AS ASSISTANT TRACK COACH FOR TSU UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF COACH CLIFFORD PAUL AND COACH DAVE BETHANY. COACH BLANKS HAS PLAYED A PIVOTAL ROLE IN SHAPING ATHLETIC EXCELLENCE FOR OVER 40 YEARS OF DEDICATION TO EDUCATION IN HISD. ANDREW BLANK SHARES HIS WISDOM AS A LEGENDARY COACH OF THE BOYS CROSS COUNTRY AND TRACK TEAM AT WESTBURY HIGH SCHOOL. IN HIS EDUCATIONAL JOURNEY, COACH BLANKS HAS BEEN HONORED WITH THE HOUSTON AREA ALLIANCE BLACK SCHOLAR EDUCATOR, SECONDARY TEACHER OF THE YEAR, OUTSTANDING EDUCATOR, HISD MAN OF THE YEAR, HISD, COACH OF THE YEAR, AND THE GOLDEN APPLE AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING TEACHER. BEYOND THE CLASSROOM, COACH BLANK'S EXTENDS HIS PASSION FOR STUDENTS IN TEACHING BY HOSTING HURDLE CLINICS IN THE SUMMER, COACH ANDREW BLANK SERVES ON THE ADVISORY BOARD OF THE WILLOW WATERHOLE GREENWAY CONSERVANCY, AND IS THE FOUNDER OF THE CROSS COUNTRY PROGRAM AT THE GREENWAY. SINCE STARTING THE WESTBURY CROSS COUNTRY INVITATIONAL IN 2016, HE INTRODUCED OTHER COACHES AND ATHLETIC DIRECTORS TO THE WILLOW WATER HOLE GREENWAY. THERE ARE NOW FIVE MAJOR MEETS EACH YEAR AT THIS LOCATION. HE [00:05:01] IS THE AUTHORITATIVE VOICE OF SUMMER TRACK FOR USA TRACK AND FIELD GULF ASSOCIATION, AND HOLDS THE DISTINCTION OF BEING A CERTIFIED STARTER MAYOR AND COUNCIL. TODAY, WE ARE SO HONORED TO RECOGNIZE COACH ANDREW BLANKS AND WISH HIM THE VERY BEST ON HIS RETIREMENT. MAYOR. THANK YOU, MA'AM. THEREFORE, I, JOHN WHITMEYER, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROCLAIM MAY 14TH, 2024, IS ANDREW, COACH ANDREW BLANK STATE. AND I WANT TO QUICKLY BEFORE WE APPLAUD YOU. THANK YOU. UH, YOU'RE TOO YOUNG. , YOU'RE RETIRED, BUT I'M SURE MS. BLANKS HAS PLANS FOR YOU, BUT I CAN'T IMAGINE THE NUMBER OF YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN KEPT ON THE RIGHT PATH TO THEIR SUCCESS. SO THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TEM CASTEX TATUM. THIS IS WHY WE DO PROCLAMATIONS TO CALL ATTENTION TO SUCH A SUCCESSFUL CAREER. SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. YOU WANT SOMETHING TO SAY, , YOU'LL PLEASE. I AM, UH, VERY HUMBLED BY THIS AWARD. AND WHAT I WANT TO SAY IS IT'S NOT ABOUT, AS I TELL EVERYONE, IT'S NOT ABOUT WINS AND LOSSES AND A HUNDRED METER SPRINTS AND HURDLES. IT'S ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS AFTER. THAT'S OVER WITH, WITH MY YOUNG PEOPLE. I NEED THEM TO BE GREAT CITIZENS AND FATHERS AND MOTHERS AND HUSBANDS AND TEACHERS AND DOCTORS AND LAWYERS. I NEED THEM TO BE SUCCESSFUL ONCE THEY'VE LEFT. AND THAT'S ONE RIGHT THERE. SO AS YOU CAN SEE AND BEHIND HIM. SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE WHOLE EPITOME OF ALL OF THIS. IT'S GOOD TO GO OUT AND HAVE THOSE VICTORIES AND THE GOOD TO HAVE THOSE ACCOLADES THAT WAY, BUT IF THEY DIDN'T DO ANYTHING AFTER IT'S OVER PUT GOOD, DID I DO. SO JUST DOING A JOB THAT I LOVED. AND I'M VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO SOMETHING THAT I WANTED TO DO THAT WAS TEACH AND COACH. AND FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART AND FROM MY FAMILY, I THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WOULD YOU LIKE TO INTRODUCE EVERYONE WITH YOU? UM, OKAY. THIS IS MY LOVELY WIFE OF 53 YEARS. UH, DOLORES BLANK, MY DAUGHTER ADRIAN, MY DAUGHTER NICOLE, MY COWORKER AND OTHER DAUGHTER, SHETA JACKSON. UH, MY COWORKER AND MY NEXT SON, ROBIN MAXEY, MY PRINCIPAL, MS. NIXON AND MY COURT AND MY OTHER FRIEND. AND I CAN'T EVEN MS. CHRISTINE MCMILLAN. I SAY THIS BECAUSE CHRISTINA HAS BEEN WITH ME A LONG TIME. I TOLD I COACHED BOTH OF HER DAUGHTERS IN MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND SHE IS STILL A PART OF THE PROGRAM THAT HELPS US AT WESTBURY. SO THAT'S MY FAMILY AND, AND OUT. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYOR PROTE, FOR BRINGING THIS PROCLAMATION FORWARD. WE DO HAVE SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS IN THE QUEUE. UM, COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD, THANK YOU, VICE MAYOR, PRO TEM, AND MAYOR PRO TEM. THANK YOU FOR BRINGING FORWARD THIS PROCLAMATION. MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR HONORING THE DAY, UH, COACH. IT IS, UH, IT WARMS MY HEART TO SEE YOU THERE, UH, GETTING THIS RECOGNITION IN YOUR OWN DAY WITHIN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. UH, COACH BLANKS COACH ME, UH, IN THE EIGHTH GRADE AT JOHNSTON MIDDLE SCHOOL, UH, FOOTBALL AND TRACK. HE COACHED MY, UH, CHIEF OF STAFF, UH, PAUL YOUNG AS WELL AT JOHNSTON MIDDLE SCHOOL. AND, UH, HE WAS A TOUGH COACH, BUT HE WAS VERY ENCOURAGING. UH, HE KEPT YOU ON YOUR TOES, MADE SURE THAT YOU WERE, UH, A DISCIPLINED PERSON. UM, AND I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS. UM, ALL YOUR MENTORSHIP. UH, 49 YEARS IS A LONG TIME. SO THERE ARE MANY, UH, BOYS AND GIRLS THROUGHOUT HISD AND AND AROUND THE CITY OF HOUSTON WHO HAVE BENEFITED GREATLY, UH, FROM YOUR LEADERSHIP. AND, UH, WITH EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON WITH HISD RIGHT NOW, WE NEED AS MUCH LEADERSHIP AS POSSIBLE. SO I WANT TO JUST SAY THANK YOU, COACH FOR EVERYTHING. UH, YOU'RE ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I'M SITTING HERE TODAY. GOD BLESS YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. NEXT COUNCIL MAYOR EVAN SHABAZZ. THANK YOU, VICE MAYOR PRO TIM, I JUST HAD THE HONOR OF MEETING, UH, THIS WONDERFUL COACH BLANKS, AND WE TALKED FOR A MOMENT AND TURNS OUT THAT HE KNEW, KNEW MY DAD, WHO WAS ALSO A HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL COACH. AND SO WITH ME BEING A COACH'S KID, I DO UNDERSTAND ALL THAT GOES INTO BEING SUCH A WONDERFUL ROLE MODEL FOR SO MANY YOUNG PEOPLE. UM, THERE ARE PEOPLE RIGHT NOW THAT REACH OUT TO ME THAT SAY HOW SPECIAL MY DAD WAS TO THEM. SO I KNOW THAT THEY ARE DOING THE SAME THING ABOUT YOU. AND CERTAINLY I MET YOUR WONDERFUL WIFE. HE'S ALWAYS A GOOD WOMAN BEHIND A MAN, WHICH I'M [00:10:01] CERTAIN, YOU KNOW, THAT AFTER 53 YEARS, RIGHT? AND CERTAINLY YOUR YOUR WONDERFUL FAMILY, BUT ENJOY, ENJOY THIS TIME, I'M TELLING YOU, YOU KNOW, GET YOUR LITTLE ROUTINE THOUGH. DON'T JUST GO HOME AND GET IN FRONT OF THE COUCH AND WATCH ALL THE PLAYOFF GAMES, YOU KNOW, KEEP IT MOVING, YOU KNOW, UH, BECAUSE LIFE IS STILL FULL AND YOU ARE SO VERY WORTHY TO BE ABLE TO ENJOY YOUR REMAINING DAYS. AND OF COURSE, HOPEFULLY THERE WILL BE MANY, MANY MORE, AND YOU'LL GET MANY MORE ACCOLADES. THANK YOU. SO THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE TO OUR STUDENTS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MAYOR . YEAH. TO H-H-A-H-C-D-D-H-L-B-H-L-T-H-H-C, AND HHFC TO HONOR THE 56TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FAIR HOUSING ACT WITH AFFORDABLE HOUSING DAY. THANK YOU, MAYOR AND COLLEAGUES AND THOSE IN THE CHAMBERS, UH, BEFORE YOU. WE HAVE, UH, SEVERAL ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE ARE GOING TO ACKNOWLEDGE TODAY. UM, I, UM, ACKNOWLEDGE THEM BECAUSE THEY'RE DOING HEAVY LIFTING WORK AROUND AFFORDABILITY AND HOUSING. AND MAYOR WHITMEYER, YOU'VE GIVEN YOUR ADMINISTRATION A CHARGE TO MAKE HOUSTON THE MOST AFFORDABLE IN THE CITY. UM, AND OFTENTIMES WE GET TO INTERACT WITH THAT, WORK WITH OUR HOUSING DEPARTMENT. BUT TODAY, UM, THE PARTNERS THAT SUPPLEMENT AND COMPLIMENT AND LEAD IN VARIOUS WAYS OF HOUSING AFFORDABILITY, LAND DEVELOPMENT, PERMANENT AFFORDABILITY, UM, STABILIZING FAMILIES, WORKING WITH OUR VETERANS, THEY'RE HERE TODAY. SO IN 1968, UM, AND APRIL, THE FAIR HOUSING ACT WAS PASSED TO PREVENT HOUSING DISCRIMINATION AGAINST PEOPLE SEEKING A MORTGAGE AND OR HOUSING ASSISTANCE. UM, AND SO WE HAVE, UH, A SNAPSHOT OF THE, UH, LEADERSHIP IN TERMS OF INTELLECTUAL, BUT ALSO OUR PROGRAM LEADERS THAT ARE DOING THIS WORK IN THE CITY DAYS IN DAYS OUT, AND FOR DECADES WITH MANY SUCCESSES. SO, WHEREAS ON THE 56TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FAIR HOUSING ACT, WHICH, WHICH IS IN APRIL, UM, BUT MAYOR WHITMEYER, THEY WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU WERE HERE AND PRESENT TO DO THIS BEFORE YOU, UH, THE CITY OF HOUSTON HIGHLIGHTS ACCESS TO SAFE, STABLE, AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING AS A FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT AND THE CORNERSTONE OF THRIVING COMMUNITIES. AND WHEREAS THE CITY OF HOUSTON RECOGNIZES THE CRITICAL IMPORTANCE OF ADDRESSING THE HOUSING NEEDS OF ALL RESIDENTS AND IS COMMITTED TO FOSTERING EQUITABLE ACCESS TO HOUSING. AND WHEREAS AFFORDABLE HOUSING DAY CELEBRATES THE EFFORTS OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE DEDICATED THEMSELVES TO ADDRESSING AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN OUR COMMUNITY IN FOUR DECADES. AND WHEREAS ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS THE HOUSTON, THE HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT WITH THE CITY, THE HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY, THE HOUSTON LAND BANK, THE HOUSTON LAND TRUST, THE HOUSTON HOUSING COLLABORATIVE, AND THE HOUSTON HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION HAVE BEEN STEADFAST ALLIES IN THE FIGHT FOR HOUSING EQUALITY. THEY'VE WORKED TIRELESSLY TO PROVIDE AFFORDABLE HOUSING OPTIONS TO ADVOCATE FOR POLICY CHANGES AND TO EMPOWER HOUSTONIANS TO ACHIEVE HOUSING STABILITY. MR. MAYOR, THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, THOMAS, YOU'RE CERTAINLY DEMONSTRATING YOUR EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE AND COMMITMENT TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING BY BRINGING THESE LEADERS TO COUNCIL TODAY. UM, ALL I CAN SAY IS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, UH, A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE DEPENDING ON YOU. YES. SO EVEN STAFF, UH, BOARD MEMBERS, UH, LET'S, LET'S GO TO WORK. BUT THANK YOU FOR, FOR ACKNOWLEDGING, UH, OUR, OUR PLAN TO MAKE HOUSTON THE MOST AFFORDABLE CITY IN THE NATION. IT CAN BE DONE. [00:15:01] AND, UH, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. AND IT'S MY HONOR, THEREFORE, AS JOHN WHITMEYER, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROCLAIM MAY 14TH, 2024 IS AFFORDABLE HOUSING DAY. THANK YOU. YAY. SO WE DO HAVE A SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER OF, UH, REPRESENTATIVES HERE. SO, UH, MR. NORTHERN, I'M GONNA ASK YOU TO, UM, INTRODUCE YOURSELF, YOUR STAFF, AND THEN THE REPRESENTATIVE FROM EACH ONE TO QUICKLY INTRODUCE EVERYONE, AND THEN WE'LL, WE WILL HAVE A PHOTO. OKAY. YEAH, BRIEFLY. SO BEFORE WE DO THAT, I'LL BRIEFLY SAY A COUPLE WORDS. FIRST, I WANT TO THANK MAYOR MEYER AND CHAIR AND HOUSING OF THE HOUSING AFFORDABILITY COMMITTEE, COUNCIL PERSON, TIFFANY THOMAS, AND ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS. AS YOU KNOW, THIS IS AFFORDABLE HOUSING DAY HOUSTON, AND WE JUST CELEBRATE AFFORDABLE HOUSING MONTH, FAIR HOUSING MONTH. SO, I JUST WANNA TALK ABOUT A, A COUPLE THINGS IN HISTORY. FIRST, IN 1937, THE US HOUSING ACT WAS PASSED IN 1938. THE HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY WAS CREATED IN 1939. THE HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY OPENED THE FIRST HOUSING DEVELOPMENT TO HOUSE CITIZENS OF HOUSTON. IN 1965, THE DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT WAS CREATED AS A CABINET LEVEL POSITION. AND SOON AFTER, ROBERT E. WEAVER BECAME THE FIRST HUD SECRETARY. IN 1968, RIOTS FOLLOWED THE ASSASSINATION OF DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING CREATED A CIVIL RIGHTS ACT, ALSO KNOWN AS THE FAIR HOUSING ACT, WHICH OUTLAWS MOST HOUSING DISCRIMINATION, AND GIVES HUD EMPOWERMENT AND RESPONSIBILITY TO ENFORCE 1970 HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT INTRODUCES FEDERAL EX, UM, FEDERAL PROGRAMS OF HOUSING ALLOWANCE PROGRAMS AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATIONS. 1977 HOUSING COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ACT CONSOLIDATED PROGRAMS INTO THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM, AND CREATED THE SECTION EIGHT PROGRAM, THE HOUSING. IN 1975, HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY CREATED THIS HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER PROGRAM, AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON CREATED THE HOUSING COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM IN 19 70, 19 87, THE MCKINNEY ACT SET UP PROGRAMS TO DEAL WITH HOMELESSNESS. 1990 AFFORDABLE HOUSING ACT EMPHASIZED HOME OWNERSHIP AND ANCY BASED ASSISTANCE, AND PROVIDED HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT WITH HOME FUNDS AND BLOCK GRANT FUNDING. THIS BRINGS US TODAY WHERE THE HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY AND THE HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, AND MANY OTHER HOUSING PARTNERS, AS YOU SEE SOME HERE TODAY, IS CHARGED WITH ANSWERING MAYOR MEYER'S CHARGE TO MAKE HOUSTON THE MOST AFFORDABLE CITY. MANY PARTNERS ARE HERE TODAY, SOME MAY NOT BE, BUT I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO COME TODAY. THANK YOU, SIR. AND WE'LL DO A GREAT JOB. AFFORDABLE HOUSING MATTERS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND JUST FOR THE RECORD, UH, MAYOR WHITMEYER, THEY INVITED ME TO THE PARTY. UH, THEY HAD ALREADY, UM, ORGANIZED AND WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY WERE PUNCTUATED IN THE CITY'S HISTORY AND REALLY COME TOGETHER, UM, PUBLICLY TO SAY THAT AFFORDABLE HOUSING COME BEFORE THE COUNCIL. SO THANK Y'ALL FOR IN INVITING ME TO, UM, THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT THIS PROCLAMATION BEFORE YOU. SO WE'LL DO PHOTOS. WELL, LET'S ALSO, WE DO ACKNOWLEDGE, HAVE A COUPLE OF COUNCIL MEMBERS OH, WE DO IN Q THAT WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS, ADDRESS THE GROUP. FIRST, LET ME JUST SAY, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS, I'M GLAD THEY INVITED YOU TO THE PARTY, UH, TO PRESENT THE PROCLAMATION. UM, YOU DEFINITELY HAVE BEEN A VOICE OF, OF, UM, THE IMPORTANCE OF HOUSING ACROSS THE COUNTRY. AND THEN, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THE CITY OF HOUSTON BECOMING THE MOST AFFORDABLE CITY IN THE COUNTRY. UH, DIRECTOR NICHOLS HAS, UM, DEFINITELY MADE THAT BOLD STATEMENT ALONG WITH, UH, MAYOR WHITMEYER. AND WHENEVER WE GO, UM, ANYWHERE IN OTHER CITIES AND OTHER PLACES, PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT HOUSING. UM, IT IS ONE OF THE MOST PROMINENT ISSUES ON THE MINDS OF ELECTED OFFICIALS AND PEOPLE MM-HMM . ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY. SO TO SEE THIS, UM, DISTINGUISHED GROUP TOGETHER, IT'S GOING TO TAKE ALL OF US TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE HAVE, UM, SAFE, UH, AFFORDABLE, UH, PLACES TO LIVE, AND THAT THEY AREN'T DISCRIMINATED AGAINST. UM, THERE'S NO REDLINING AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT HAVE PLAGUED US AS A COUNTRY, UM, IT'S GOING TO TAKE ALL OF US TO MAKE SURE THAT WE COMBAT THAT. SO, CONGRATULATIONS AND THANK YOU FOR AMPLIFYING THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS DAY, THIS MONTH, THIS YEAR, THIS LIFE, UH, BECAUSE WE ALL DESERVE TO HAVE A PLACE THAT WE CAN ALL CALL HOME. SO THANK YOU FOR THE GREAT WORK THAT YOU DO. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD. THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TIM, AND COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING FORTH THE PROCLAMATION. MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR NAMING IT IN ITS HONOR. I KNOW MANY OF YOU ALL WHO ARE THERE STANDING, AND I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMITMENT TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING. AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE DON'T GET A LOT OF GENERAL FUND DOLLARS THAT COME TO THE CITY FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING. AND SO WE LEAN ON OUR PARTNERS AND STAKEHOLDERS IN THAT AFFORDABLE SPACE TO PROVIDE THAT HOUSING. UM, AND YOU CAN'T HAVE A THRIVING CITY WITHOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING. IF PEOPLE CAN'T AFFORD TO LIVE IN THE CITY, THEY GET PUSHED OUT TO THE OUTSKIRTS, AND THEN THEY'RE IN SOMEONE ELSE'S CITY. AND WE LOSE OUR TAX BASE. WHEN WE LOSE OUR TAX BASE. WE DON'T HAVE THAT TAX MONEY TO PROVIDE THE SERVICES THAT THE RESIDENTS DESERVE. SO [00:20:01] YOU ALL PLAY A CRITICAL ROLE IN THAT, AND I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR PROTO, AND THANK YOU, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR ACKNOWLEDGING THIS, UH, REALLY GREAT GROUP. UM, I'VE BEEN ABLE TO SIT DOWN WITH MANY OF THEM AS WELL. AND WHEN WE START LOOKING AT THE CITY WHERE IT'S AT NOW, UH, POPULATION DEMOGRAPHICS, WE ALSO NEED TO KEEP IN MIND THAT AS THE CITY CONTINUES TO GROW, THAT WE DO, UH, FIND DIFFERENT WAYS, RIGHT, OF THIS, WHAT I CALL LASAGNA KIND OF, UH, LAYERING, RIGHT? WE GOTTA FIGURE OUT HOW THESE, THESE PARTNERS CAN CONTINUE TO LEVERAGE EACH OTHER'S RESOURCES, BUT ALSO HAVE THE SAME UNIFIED VOICE TALKING TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AS WELL, AND LEANING ON OUR PARTNERS AT, UM, YOU KNOW, I WAS, I ATTENDED A, UM, A HOUSING, UH, POLICY INSTITUTE. AND AS WE CONTINUE TO SEE, UH, CHALLENGES ACROSS THE NATION, I, I FEEL VERY, UH, CONFIDENT IN SAYING THAT HOUSTON IS LEADING THE WAY, BUT THERE'S STILL A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE. AND SO DEFINITELY HIGHLIGHTING TODAY, BEING AFFORDABLE HOUSING DAY. UH, DAVID, THANK YOU FOR THE WORK YOU'RE DOING AT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY. EVERYONE UP, UH, UP, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, UP AT THE PODIUM. THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING. UH, THERE'S STILL A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE, AND I'M HERE TO, YOU KNOW, IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM BE, BE OF HELP. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MUCH PHOTO TIME. VERY GOOD. NEXT, THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES MAYOR WHITMEYER TO RECOGNIZE THIS YEAR'S CITY OF HOUSTON BRAVO AWARD WINNERS. THERE. SHE'S [00:25:01] ADAM CHAIR. AT THIS TIME, I'M GONNA YIELD TO OUR DIRECTOR CHEEKS TO, UH, ENUMERATE OUR WINNERS THIS YEAR. OBVIOUSLY, ALL OF OUR CITY EMPLOYEES ARE IMPORTANT. WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO FUNCTION WITHOUT 'EM. AND, UH, THIS SPECIAL GROUP'S BEEN SELECTED BECAUSE OF THEIR OUTSTANDING WORK DIRECTOR. I'LL YIELD TO YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYOR, AND THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBERS. I APPRECIATE IT. I, I DO APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT. AS THE MAYOR HAS SAID, THE BRAVO AWARD IS A VERY IMPORTANT AWARD FOR OUR ACTUAL CITY EMPLOYEES WHO HAVE GONE ABOVE AND BEYOND HERE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, NOT ONLY IN THEIR JOBS, BUT IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. SO, WE'RE GONNA START OFF WITH, UH, SOPHIA FONT. SHE IS WITH THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT, UH, DEPARTMENT DESCRIBED AS A RESOURCEFUL, CREATIVE, AND ALWAYS THERE FOR OTHERS. SOPHIA TOOK IT UPON HERSELF TO BUILD BRIDGES BETWEEN THOSE IN NEED AND THE RESOURCES THEY DESERVE TO HAVE A DIGNIFIED AND HEALTHY LIFE WITH EMPATHY AND SELFLESSNESS. HER VOLUNTEERISM AND EFFORTS SUPPORT IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES LIVING IN HOUSTON, WORKING AS A CONDUIT FOR THEM TO ASSESS PUBLIC HEALTH PROGRAMS FOR THE HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT. SHE'S, SHE ALSO HELPS IMMIGRANTS IMPROVE THEIR LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS AND COLLABORATION WITH THE EDUCATION FOR ALL FOUNDATION AND BRINGS. AND BY BRINGING VISIBILITY TO AVAILABLE PROGRAMS SUCH AS ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE, SOPHIA'S EFFORT ALSO ASSIST AND SUPPORTS VICTIMS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE, MAKING SURE THAT THEY RECEIVE LEGAL GUIDANCE TO ENSURE THEIR RIGHTS ARE PROTECTED. AS A HUMANITARIAN, SHE KNOWS THE IMPORTANCE OF PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL HEALTH, AND ENSURES THEY RECEIVE COUNSELING AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES APART FROM CONNECTING THEM WITH HEALTH PROVIDERS. SOPHIA ALSO BRINGS THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER BY COLLABORATING WITH LOCAL ARTISTS, EDUCATORS, CONSULTANTS, AND NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS TO CREATE AND PROMOTE RESOURCES THAT ARE ACCESSIBLE AND INCLUSIVE, THAT NON-ENGLISH SPEAKERS AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, THEREFORE, SOVIA FOR BEING THE BRIDGE THAT CONNECTS NEW AND VULNERABLE MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY WITH SERVICES THAT IMPROVE THEIR WELLBEING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. OKAY. COME ON. HOW YOUR FAMILY, HOW YOUR FAMILY. I HAVE MY FAMILY HERE. FAMILY, COME ON. THANKS. I SAW A LITTLE GIRL. CITY COUNCIL. DISTRICT D ALWAYS WILLING TO HELP. COREY IS ONE THAT GETS THE JOB DONE, MAKING NEW FRIENDS EVERYWHERE HE GOES. HE ESTABLISHES GENUINE CONNECTIONS THAT ALLOW HIM TO VOLUNTEER FOR DIFFERENT PROJECTS AND BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER TO HELP EACH OTHER. COREY'S [00:30:01] TALENTS AS A CONNECTOR WAS PERFECT MATCH FOR THE FRIENDS OF COLUMBIA TAP A VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATION THAT SUPPORTS AND PROMOTES THE FOUR MILE HIKING BIKE TRAIL THAT FOLLOWS THE OLD COLUMBIA TAP RAILROAD ROUTE, AND CONNECTS DOWNTOWN TO THE BRAISE BAYOU GREENWAY TRAIL. CORY WAS A SIGNIFICANT CON CONTRIBUTOR TO THE ORGANIZATION, FOCUSING ON PROMOTING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TO GET RESIDENTS NOT ONLY TO PARTICIPATE, BUT ALSO TO FEEL PRIDE AND OWNERSHIP IN ENHANCING AND REVITALIZING THE COLUMBIA TAP RAIL TRAIL. FOCUSING ON NEIGHBORHOOD AND IMPROVEMENT INITIATIVES. COREY'S COLLABORATION WITH SOUTH UNION PROUD, I'M SORRY, PROUD CIVIC CLUB, WAS CRUCIAL TO THE WELLBEING OF THE SOUTH UNION COMMUNITY. HE ALSO, HE'S, HE HAS ALSO BEEN INVOLVED WITH INITIATIVES THAT WILL SUPPORT EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WITH THE TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF INDEPENDENT PHARMACY OWNERS, BENEFITING PHARMACISTS AND THE COMMUNITIES THEY SERVE. HIS COLLABORATION WITH TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF PHARMACY AND THE HEALTH SCIENCE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION HAS STRENGTHENED THE BOND BETWEEN ALUMNI AND CURRENT STUDENTS AND ENHANCED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES. THANK YOU COREY GLEN, FOR BEING A NEIGHBOR WHO CARES ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY. HOLD ON. MR. GLENN, YOU WANNA TAKE OFF YOUR STICKERS? FACE THIS BIG CAMERA HERE. TAKE ONE. HERE. ON MR. THIS IS MR. GLENN'S PHONE. DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER FAMILY, YOUR FAMILY HERE, WHILE HIS FAMILY IS COMING UP? UH, WE DO HAVE A COUNCIL MEMBER IN QUEUE THAT WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS HIM. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. OH, YOUR MOTHER. I'M, YES MA'AM. I KNOW YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS YOU. UH, MAYOR AND DIRECTOR CHEEKS AND COUNCIL MEMBER SHABAZZ. UH, YEAH, LISTEN, A PERFECT SELECTION, UM, COUNCIL STAFF IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT TO ALL OF US. UH, BUT I THINK CORY BELONGS TO EVERYBODY ON COUNCIL. UH, CORY BELONGS TO EVERYBODY ON COUNCIL, SO, UM, HIS DEDICATION, HIS ENERGY, UM, HE IS DOGGED. HE GONNA GET THAT INFORMATION. HE GONNA TELL YOU WHAT IT IS. AND SO WE JUST APPRECIATE YOU. I, YOU KNOW, I'VE HAD PREVIOUS STAFF MEMBERS WIN THE BRAVO AWARD, SO I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT IT TAKES, UM, FOR A, A TEAM MEMBER TO RECEIVE THIS FROM THEIR PEERS. COREY, YOU ARE APPRECIATED. WE SEE YOU, UH, UH, WE APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR INVESTMENT. YOU MAKE US LAUGH, YOU KEEP US IN ORDER, AND YOU ARE ALWAYS RIGHT ON TIME WHEN IT'S TIME TO EAT. SO WE APPRECIATE YOU . COREY GONNA COME WITH THE MEAL WITH THE BAKED POTATO FROM PAPA'S. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE YOU COUNCIL MEMBER SHABAZZ, YOU GOT A GOOD ONE. UH, YOU GOT A GOOD ONE. YEAH. GIVE HIM THE DAY OFF. UH, HE EARNED IT. UH, CONGRATULATIONS. AND I KNOW YOU'RE MAKING YOUR PARENTS PROUD AND YOUR GRANDPARENTS [00:35:01] AND JUST, UM, FOR THOSE WHO MAY NOT BE ABLE TO, MAY NOT WITNESS HIS WORK, HE'S DEFINITELY AN ASSET TO CITY HALL. CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN. COUNCIL MEMBER SHABAZZ. I'M JUST SMILING. I'M GONNA TELL YOU, COREY CAME TO ME AND HE WAS KIND OF QUIET AND THEN HE BLOOM. I MEAN, REALLY. AND, AND I'M GONNA TELL YOU, HE IS THE GLUE. YEAH, HE IS THE GLUE. COREY GETS EVERYTHING DONE. I CALL HIM INSPECTOR KLU. SO, BECAUSE THERE'S NOTHING THAT GETS PAST HIM SOMETIMES. HE'S MY FIRST PHONE CALL IN THE MORNING, MY LAST PHONE CALL AT NIGHT. HAVE YOU EATEN, EATEN ANYTHING? COUNCIL MEMBER, ARE YOU OKAY? IS IT ANYTHING THAT I CAN DO FOR YOU? I, I COULD NOT HAVE BEEN BLESSED MORE THAN TO HAVE COREY, GLENN AND I, YOU KNOW, HIS FAMILY AND EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW, THEY SPEAK WELL OF HIM. HIS, THE COMMUNITY IS, IS THE KILLER. I HAVE TO MAKE SURE HE DOESN'T RUN FOR DISTRICT D, AT LEAST THAT LAST TIME. . NOW, HE WOULD BE WELL PREPARED THE NEXT TIME AND I WOULD SUPPORT HIM CERTAINLY. BUT HE HAS REALLY, REALLY BEEN, AND I CAN'T EVEN SAY ENOUGH HOW MUCH OF AN ASSET HE HAS BEEN TO ME TO HELP ME TO KEEP MY ARMS UP AND TO BE IN PLACES WHERE I NEED TO BE. SO I'M GONNA PERSONALLY THANK YOU, COREY, GLENN. AND I'LL SAY, WHAT IS IT, COREY? WHAT DO YOU WANT NOW? AND WELL, COUNCIL MEMBER. AND, YOU KNOW, I'M GONNA HEAR HIM OUT 'CAUSE IT'S ALWAYS VERY RELEVANT AND HE ALWAYS KEEPS ME ON TASK. SO THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH, COREY, FOR ALL OF YOUR WONDERFUL SERVICE. AND JUST MAKE SURE YOU ARE PREPARED TO STAY FOR THE REMAINDER OF MY TURN, UH, AND DON'T GET ANY BRIGHT IDEAS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN. THANK YOU. YEAH. COREY, I JUST WANNA SAY THAT I HAVE BEEN SO IMPRESSED WITH YOU. UM, YOU ARE ALWAYS WILLING TO HELP OUT WHETHER IT'S, UM, FOR A COMMITTEE HERE AND THERE OR OTHER PROJECTS, YOU'RE ALSO GREAT AT CONNECTING PEOPLE. UM, AND I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW, UM, HOW SPECIAL YOU REALLY ARE. SO, CONGRATULATIONS, COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. THANK YOU, UH, MAYOR PRO TEM. I WANT TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DITTO, UH, COUNCILMAN THOMAS AND COUNCILMAN SHABAZZ AND HUFFMAN. COREY IS JUST AN OUTSTANDING PERSONALITY. HE, HE, HE TOUCHES BASE WITH EVERYBODY NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE. HE'S ALWAYS WILLING TO HELP. HE'S ALWAYS WILLING TO, UH, EXTEND HIMSELF. AND I JUST WANNA LET HIM KNOW HOW MUCH WE APPRECIATE HIM, MAN, AT LARGE, TWO. UH, AND HE'S LIKE THAT WITH EVERYBODY AND JUST, AND, UH, GOD BLESS YOU MAN, AND KEEP IT UP. THE GOOD WORK. AND, UH, CALL, KEEP LOOKING OVER YOUR SHOULDER. THAT'S ALL WE TOOK. . COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON, THANK YOU. AND COREY, CONGRATULATIONS. YOU KNOW, UNTIL, UP UNTIL THIS POINT, I DIDN'T KNOW WHO OFFICE HE WORKED FOR, BECAUSE HE'S ALWAYS LIKE, YEAH, HE'S ALWAYS HELPING OUT. I MEAN, YOU GAVE ME A STARBUCKS GIFT CARD FOR MY BIRTHDAY. YES. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. I MEAN, I MEAN, AGAIN, YOU TOUCHING EVERYBODY ACROSS CITY HALL, UM, THE COUNCIL MEMBERS. AND IT'S NOT, I MEAN, EVEN THOUGH YOU SHABBAT COUNCIL MEMBER, SHABAZ, YOU'RE ALL OF OURS. AND SO CONGRATULATIONS. WELL DESERVED, WELL DESERVED. CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU COREY. SOUNDS, SOUNDS LIKE THIS, THIS PERSON I'LL BE WORKING IN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE. COREY, I'LL TALK TO YOU AFTERWARDS. YOU GONNA LOSE THAT? UM, NEXT WE HAVE MONIKA HINES, A FROM THE HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM, A TRUE ADVOCATE FOR ANIMAL CARE. MS. HINES DEDICATED HER LIFE NOT ONLY TO SAVING ANIMALS, BUT PROTECTING THEIR RIGHTS. AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, TO FIND THEM A HOME WHERE THEY ARE LOVED, NO MATTER HOW MANY MILES AWAY THAT IS. HER COMPASSION TOWARDS ANIMALS COMPELLED HER TO ESTABLISH THE ALL BREED RESCUE OF TEXAS INC. NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION. IN COLLABORATION WITH OTHER AGENCIES, SHE RESCUES PETS AT THE RISK OF EUTHANASIA, TO TAKE THEM HOME AND TAKE CARE OF THEM UNTIL THEY CAN FIND A LOVING OWNER. FOR 40 YEARS AND COUNTING, MS. HINES HAS COLLABORATED WITH OTHER NONPROFIT RAT TER, RESCUE CANADA, TRANSPORTING DOGS IN HER CAR TO DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE COUNTRY AND CANADA. MS. HINES PERSONALLY MAKES SURE THAT PETS GET TO A LOVING HOME. SHE ALSO RESCUES DOGS AND CATS JUST FROM THE STREET. THANK YOU, MS. HINES, FOR YOUR COMPASSION AND DEDICATION TO ANIMAL CARE. CONGRATULATIONS, [00:41:14] OUR NEXT BRAVO AWARD. RENTER AVERA YOUNG, YOUNG KASKA WOO, SLOWLY WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF EDUCATION AND YOUTH ENGAGEMENT, SUPPORTIVE, RESOURCEFUL, SELF-MOTIVATED OLIVERA KNOWS THE IMPORTANCE OF CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND ENRICHMENT IT BRINGS TO OUR CITY. HER DETERMINATION HAS HELPED CREATE COMMUNITY BONDS AND PARTNERSHIP THROUGH SISTER CITIES INTERNATIONAL, AN INTERNATIONAL NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION THAT CREATES STRENGTHS, PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN COMMUNITIES IN THE US AND OTHER NATIONS, AMONG OTHER CITIES, AMONG, AMONG OTHER THINGS, SISTER CITIES INTERNATIONAL, ESTABLISHED SISTER CITIES THAT ESTABLISH AGREEMENTS OF MUTUAL SUPPORT, FORMALLY RECOGNIZED BY THE CIVIC LEADERS OF THOSE CITIES, OLIVER RA'S, VOLUNTEERISM WITH A MULTICULTURAL CHOIR. INTERNATIONAL VOICES OF HOUSTON INSPIRE, EDUCATE, AND BRING JOY TO OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH DIVERSE WORK WORLD OF MUSIC. WITH HOUSTON BEING ONE OF THE MOST DIVERSE CITIES IN THE COUNTRY, OLIVEIRA'S COMMITMENT TO GIVE EVERY CULTURE ITS DESERVED REPRESENTATION, LED HER TO REACH OUT TO THE UNITED MACEDONIAN DYSPHORIA AND BECAME THE INTERNATIONAL STATE REPRESENTATIVE FOR TEXAS, BRINGING MORE VISIBILITY AND OPPORTUNITIES TO THE GLOBAL COMMUNITY. SHE IS ALSO A CHAMPION OF CHILDREN'S RIGHTS AND REPRESENTS THE U-N-C-F-C-E-F ORGANIZATION AS A GLOBAL CITIZEN FELLOW. THANK YOU OLIVERA FOR EMBRACING DIVERSITY AND BRINGING CULTURES TOGETHER. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK PLACE, THE BIG CAMERA HERE. FIRST. ONE MORE HERE. THREE. WE DO HAVE A COUNCIL MEMBER IN QUEUE TO ADDRESS MS. OLIVER. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN. THANK YOU. AND I'LL BE QUICK. I KNOW YOU NEED TO GET OFF YOUR, YOUR FOOT, BUT DIRECTOR, I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU DO. UM, IN ADDITION TO WHAT DIRECTOR CHEEKS JUST SAID, UM, GOING BACK LAST YEAR, AS SOME OF YOU MAY RECALL, HOUSTON WAS THE FIRST CITY IN THE UNITED STATES TO BE DESIGNATED BY UNICEF AS A CHILD FRIENDLY CITY. AND THAT'S IN LARGE PART THANKS TO THE WORK THAT YOU DO IN YOUR COMMITMENT TO YOUTH IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER ACCOLADES THAT YOU HAVE, UH, NOT JUST BROUGHT TO THE CITY, BUT BEHIND THAT IS THE REAL WORK BEING DONE. UH, NOW MORE THAN EVER, MAYOR, ESPECIALLY GIVEN, UH, WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT RIGHT NOW, UH, THE WORK THAT YOU CONTINUE TO DO, UH, REMAINS A CONSTANT. SO THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING. UH, IT'S A PRIVILEGE TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER. THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TIM. AND I JUST WANTED TO SAY CONGRATULATIONS, WELL DESERVED THE WORK THAT YOU DID WITH THE BEZOS SCHOOLS AND MAKING THAT CONNECTION AND MAKING SURE THAT YOUNG PEOPLE IN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES REALLY HAVE THAT EARLY, UM, THAT EARLY DEVELOPMENT, CHILDCARE DEVELOPMENT IS REALLY IMPORTANT. SO THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO, AND WE'RE GLAD TO HAVE YOU AT THE CITY. [00:45:01] CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS. OUR NEXT BRAVO AWARD WINNER IS AJ KISSINGER WITH HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS, TRANSPORTATION AND DRAINAGE OPERATION. COMMITMENT AND LOYALTY DESCRIBES AJ AND HIS DEDICATION TO BUILDING FELLOWSHIPS AND HELPING OTHERS IMPROVE AND REACH PROFESSIONAL GOALS. AJ HAS BEEN A MEMBER OF ALPHA ROCHA, A NATIONAL PROFESSIONAL FRATERNITY FOR ARCHITECTS AND THE ALLIED ARTS SINCE 2003. HE CURRENTLY SERVES AS THE BOARD PRESIDENT FOR NATIONAL CONVENTIONS, CONTRACTS, AND INSURANCE. HIS CONSISTENCY AND LOYALTIES HAVE SERVED AS AN INSPIRATION TO STUDENTS AND ALUMNI MEMBERS. HIS SELFLESS DEDICATION TO VOLUNTEERISM EXEMPLIFIES THE VERY ESSENCE OF LEADERSHIP. WITH A PASSION FOR SERVICE, AJ STARTED FROM THE BOTTOM AND ASCENDED TO REGIONAL DIRECTOR, THEN NATIONAL OFFICER, AND NOW PRESIDENT SINCE 2021. HIS PASSION FOR SERVICE NOT ONLY ENRICHES HIS FRATERNITY, BUT LEAVES A LASTING IMPACT ON OUR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU, AJ, FOR YOUR REMARKABLE DEDICATION TO BUILDING BRIGHTER FUTURES. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU. 3, 2, 1. HERE. THOSE FOUR. OUR NEXT BRAVO WINNER IS HAN WYNN. WITH ADMINISTRATION AND REGULATORY AFFAIRS, PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE. HANS PERSONIFIES THIS. FOR MORE THAN 10 YEARS, SHE HAS VOLUNTEERED WITH THE CAMO RESCUE AND OTHER ANIMAL RESCUE ORGANIZATIONS COMMITTED TO RESCUING AND CARING FOR LOYAL COMPANIONS. HAN EMBODIES THE TRUE SPIRIT OF FRIENDSHIP AND COMPASSION, FACING CHALLENGES AND UNCERTAINTY WITH KINDNESS. HAN GOES ABOVE AND BEYOND ORDINARY VOLUNTEERISM, BRINGING INJURED DOGS HOME TO NURTURE THEM WITH HOMEMADE FOOD, VITAMINS, MEDICAL CARE FOR THEIR INJURY, AND LOVE FOR THEM TO START HEALING AND EVENTUALLY FIND A FOREVER HOME. WHETHER CLEANING THEIR BEDS, WALKING THEM, TAKING PICTURES FOR ADOPTION, FEEDING THEM, OR TAKING THEM HOME, HAN IS ALWAYS THERE FOR THEM. OFFERING A LIFELINE TO THE DOGS IN NEED, NURTURING THEIR PHYSICAL HEALING, AND RESTORING THEIR TRUST IN HUMANITY. THANK YOU HAN, FOR ALL YOUR EFFORTS, NOT ONLY SAVING LIVES, BUT ALSO TO BRING JOY AND LOVE TO DOGS AND THEIR FUTURE FAMILIES. THANK YOU SO MUCH. CONGRATULATIONS. [00:50:14] LET'S SHIFT THIS WAY. WE GOT 3, 2, 1 ON CELL. HERE WE GO. ONE MORE HERE. THANK YOU. HILLARY PRITCHARD, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES. HILLARY PRITCHARD DOES NOT HAVE A LENGTHY TENURE AMONGST US TODAY HERE WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON, BUT SHE HAS ALREADY MADE AN ENDURING IMPACT THAT, EXCUSE ME, IMPACT THAT WILL HELP COUNTLESS OF HOUSTONIANS AND OTHERS ACCESS CITY SERVICES. HILLARY'S PERSEVERANCE AND DRIVE HER COMPASSION AND UNDERSTANDING AND HER PERSONAL EXPERIENCE HAVE HELPED HER DEVELOP AN EXTRAORDINARY ABILITY TO CONNECT AND COMMUNICATE WITH CONSTITUENTS WITH DISABILITIES. SHE HAS ALREADY BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN ADVANCING SEVERAL MOBILITY PROJECTS AND MOPD THAT PROJECTS MOPD HAS COMPLETED. THE CITY'S EX ACCESSIBLE INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAM WILL HELP MORE PEOPLE IN THE FUTURE. BECAUSE OF IMPROVEMENTS. HILLARY HAS MADE TOD'S DIGITAL COMMUNICATION SPACE. SHE ALSO HAS WORKED TO DEVELOP A MONTHLY NEWSLETTER TO RAISE MD'S SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE. HILLARY'S TALENTS HAVE ALSO TOUCHED SOME FAMILIAR HOUSTON INSTITUTIONS. SHE HAS VOLUNTEERED TO IMPROVE ACCESSIBILITY ISSUES WITH THE THEATER. UNDER THE STARS, THE CITY, THE, THE HOBBY CENTER FOR PERFORMING ARTS AND THE HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM. HER EFFORTS NOT ONLY RAISE AWARENESS TO ACCESSIBILITY ISSUES, THEY RESULT IN CHANGING IN CHANGES THAT IMPROVE ACCESS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES. AND HILLARY HILLARY'S ALSO VOLUNTEERS REGULARLY WITH THE CANINE COMPANIONS FOR INDEPENDENCE, HELPING WITH MEDIA ENGAGEMENT, PRESS RELEASES, AND COMMUNITY EN ENGAGEMENT EVENTS. HILLARY'S RELIANCE ON A WHEELCHAIR IS NO BARRIER. IT'S NO BARRIER TO THE EXCELLENT EXCELLENCE AT HER JOB WITH MOPD, IT'S NO BARRIER TO THE SERVICE SERVICING OTHERS. IT'S NO BARRIER TO VOLUNTEERING AT NUMEROUS COMMUNITY INSTITUTIONS, AND IT'S NO BARRIER TO INSPIRING US ALL. THANK YOU, HILLARY, FOR INSPIRING US AND BRINGING AWARENESS TO OUR COMMUNITY. CONGRATULATIONS. [00:55:31] ALRIGHT, WE'RE GOOD. THANK YOU. AND OUR LAST BUT NOT LEAST, AWARD PRECIPITANT BRAVO AWARD IS FOR IS FOR RICHARD P. SMITH, THE HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS, INTERIM DIRECTOR AND CITY ENGINEER RICHARD SMITH. RICHARD SMITH'S BEING HONORED WITH A BRA ROW AWARD SHOULD COME AS NO SURPRISE. HE'S ALWAYS DONE MORE THAN WHAT HE, WHAT'S ASKED OR EXPECTED. HE'S AN ACHIEVER. HE SEES SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE, AND HE DOES IT REGARDLESS OF WHETHER IT'S STRICTLY WITHIN HIS JOB DESCRIPTION. AND HE HAS, HAS A KNACK FOR DISUSING TENSION AND BUILDING CONSENSUS. THIS IS WHY THE CITY ENGINEER'S OFFICE RECENTLY MADE HIM A CUSTOMER SERVICE ADVOCATE, BOTH INTERNALLY AND EXTERNALLY. HE, HE'S NEVER AT A LOSS WHEN IT COMES TO RESOLVING ISSUES FOR CITY EMPLOYEES. AND YOU SHOULD SEE HIM TURN CONCERNED OR DISGRUNTLED RESIDENTS INTO HAPPY ONES, WHETHER IT'S AT A HEATED PUBLIC MEETING OR A DISPUTE BETWEEN DEVELOPERS AND A HOMEOWNER'S NEIGHBORHOOD. RICHARD BRINGS THE SAME POSITIVE INSIGHT, ENERGY, AND AN INITIATIVE TO VOLUNTEERISM THE LIST OF BENEFIC, THE LIST OF BENEFICIARIES OF, OF HIS GENEROSITY AND ALTRUISM IS TOO LONG TO LIST HERE, BUT I'M GONNA TRY A FEW. THE CUB SCOUTS AND BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA WHERE HE HAS HELPED LEAD TROOPS, SERVE ON THE SAM HOUSTON AREA COUNCIL, LORD OF THE STREETS OR LOTS, A CHURCH COMMUNITY THAT WELCOMES UNHOUSED AND FORMALLY HOMELESS TO HELP THEM RESTORE AND REBUILD THEIR LIVES. TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF WATER POLO AND US WATER POLO, THE TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF SPORTS OF OF OFFICIALS. WESTBURY LITTLE LEAGUE, THE WESTBURY SOCCER CLUB, THE INSTITUTE OF TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERS, GREATER HOUSTON SECTION PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION REPRESENTING TRAFFIC AND TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERS. AND HE WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN REVITALIZING THE HEROD COMMUNITY GARDEN IN MY LAND AREA TWICE. THANK YOU RICHARD, FOR YOUR COMMITMENT AND DEDICATION TO OUR COMMUNITY. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU. THEY GOT ALL THIS. WAIT ONE SECOND. WE GOT 3, 2, 4. YES, SIR. BEFORE YOU LEAVE, RICHARD, WE DO HAVE A COUNCIL MEMBER IN Q TO ADDRESS YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. I, I COULDN'T NOT SAY SOMETHING TO RICHARD. UH, RICHARD, I, I MEAN, YOU'VE RIGHTFULLY SO BEEN ELEVATED TO THE POSITION YOU'RE IN TODAY, BUT I KNOW THAT THIS AWARD, UH, YOU WERE EVEN RECOGNIZED BEFORE THAT AND PRIOR TO THAT, UH, FOR THOSE IN THE COMMUNITY THAT DON'T KNOW RICHARD, UH, I MEAN DIRECTOR CHEEKS AGAIN, YOU, YOU CAPTURED IT. AND I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW HALF OF THE THINGS YOU DID, BUT I KNOW THAT I HAVE BEEN OUT THERE WITH YOU, UH, WHEN YOU'RE VOLUNTEERING WITH, UH, YOUR SCOUT TROOPS AND THAT IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS TO DO. BUT YOU ALSO, UH, ARE ON SITE IN ANYONE'S DISTRICT WHEN THEY NEED SOMETHING. IF YOU NEED JUST EXTRA EYES, UH, SO MUCH SO THAT YOU'VE EVEN BROUGHT YOUR DAUGHTER ON SITE, UH, TO WALK WITH ME, UH, IN SHADY ACRES BEFORE. SO I JUST WANNA THANK YOU FOR THE COMMITMENT THAT YOU HAVE TO PUBLIC SERVICE, UH, BOTH IN TERMS OF YOUR AVENUES HERE AT THE CITY, BUT ALSO FAR BEYOND THAT IN ALL THAT YOU DO. UH, IT CONTINUES TO BE A PLEASURE AND DISTRICT C TO WORK WITH YOU. THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS, RICHARD. EVERYBODY. [01:00:01] AGAIN, I WANNA THANK UH, YOU MAYOR. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBERS. AND I ALSO WANNA THANK THE HUMAN RESOURCES, UH, COMMUNICATION TEAM. PUBLIC SERVICE RECOGNITION WEEK WAS PHENOMENAL. FROM THE BASKETBALL GAME TO THE SCHOLARSHIPS TO THE, TO THE, TO THE PAINTING, EVERYTHING WAS WONDERFUL. AND WE JUST WANNA THANK YOU FOR THE SUPPORT COUNCIL. UM, [2:00 P.M. – INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE] CHAIR RECOGNIZES VICE MAYOR PRO, TIM PECK. THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, DR. SCOTT, IF YOU COULD PLEASE COME UP FOR THE INVOCATION. DR. GERALDINE SCOTT HAS BEEN THE PASTOR AND CHAPLAIN OF THE MISSION OF YAHWEH FOR SIX YEARS. THE MISSION OF YAHWEH IS A GREAT ORGANIZATION IN DISTRICT A. THEY OFFER MANY LIFE-CHANGING PROGRAMS FOCUSED ON ENDING THE CYCLE OF HOMELESSNESS. INDEPENDENCY. DR. SCOTT IS A MEMBER OF THE CHURCH WITHOUT WALLS AND THE PRI PRISON MINISTRY. SHE SUPPORTS THE MISSION'S MINISTRY AND IS A MEMBER OF THE TEXAS BAPTIST WOMEN IN MINISTRY. SHE RECEIVED HER DOCTOR OF DIVINITY IN 2008 FROM THE CORNERSTONE UNIVERSITY IN LAKE CHARLES, LOUISIANA. SHE WAS LICENSED TO PREACH THE GOSPEL IN 2003 AND ORDAINED IN 2006. SHE'S ALSO A RETIRED MANAGER FROM AT AND T WITH 35 YEARS OF SERVICE. SHE'S RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SPIRITUAL COUNCIL, FOR THE STAFF AND RESIDENTS, AND SHE'S RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SPIRITUAL GROWTH FOR ALL THE WOMEN AND CHILDREN AT THE MISSION. DR. SCOTT IS A SINGLE PARENT WITH THREE DAUGHTERS AND FIVE GRANDCHILDREN. SHE LOVES READING AND HER MOST ENJOYABLE VACATION IS TAKING A CRUISE. THANK YOU, DR. SCOTT. GOOD AFTERNOON. YOU KNOW, THE BIBLE SAYS THAT MEN OUGHT TO ALWAYS PRAY. WITH THAT BEING SAID, LET US GO TO THE THRONE OF GRACE ALMIGHTY AND TRIUNE GOD. WE GIVE YOU THANKS AND PRAISE FOR ALL YOUR MIGHTY WORKS. YOU ARE LOVING AND GOOD AND GRACIOUS. THANK YOU FOR CREATING US AND SUSTAINING US DAY BY DAY. THANK YOU THAT YOU MADE US IN YOUR IMAGE TO EXISTING COMMUNITY WITH OTHER PEOPLE. WE THANK YOU FOR OUR CITY, THANK YOU FOR OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS, THE BUSINESSES, THE CHURCHES, THE FAMILIES, AND THE INDIVIDUALS THAT MAKE OUR CITY THE GREAT PLACE THAT IT IS. [01:05:02] BUT LORD, WE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE DO NOT DESERVE THESE GOOD GIFTS. WE ARE NOT WORTHY OF YOUR FAVOR. FOR WE HAVE SINNED AGAINST YOU IN THOUGHT, WORD AND DEED. WE DO THINGS THAT WE SHOULD NOT DO, AND WE DON'T DO THE THINGS THAT WE SHOULD DO. WE HAVE NOT LOVED YOU WITH OUR WHOLE HEART. AND WE HAVE NOT LOVED OUR NEIGHBORS AS OURSELVES. WE APPEAL TO THE LAMB OF GOD, JESUS CHRIST, WHO DIED FOR OUR SINS. FORGIVE US AND GIVE US HEARTS OF OBEDIENCE TO YOUR HOLY SCRIPTURES. THANK YOU THAT JESUS ROSE FROM THE DEAD AND NOW REIGNS HIS KING OF HEAVEN AND EARTH. GRANT THAT OUR CITY WOULD BE KNOWN AS A RIGHTEOUS CITY. A CITY THAT CONFESSES JESUS AS LORD, A CITY OF PEACE AND HOPE, A CITY WITH HAPPY HOMES, A CITY THAT WELCOMES THE STRANGER, A CITY THAT CARES FOR THE NEEDY. A CITY THAT DEFENDS THE INNOCENT FROM THE EVIL DOERS. LORD, WE THANK YOU FOR CIVIL GOVERNMENT. THOSE WHO BEAR THE SWORD DO SO AS YOUR MINISTERS TO BE A TERROR TO CRIME. I PRAY THAT OUR CIVIL SERVANTS WOULD ACKNOWLEDGE THIS CALLING AND PERFORM IT FAITHFULLY, BE WITHOUT JUDGES, ATTORNEYS, AND LAW ENFORCEMENT GRANT THAT THEY WOULD NEVER NEGLECT OR ABUSE THEIR AUTHORITY, BUT THEY WOULD STAND FIRM FOR TRUTH AND JUSTICE. KEEP THEM SAFE FROM HARM AS THEY SERVE OUR COMMUNITY. I PRAY FOR THIS COUNCIL MEETING TODAY. GIVE THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE AND GUIDANCE AS THEY DELIBERATE ON THE ITEMS BEFORE THEM. MAY EVERY DECISION BE RIGHTEOUS IN YOUR SIGHT FOR OUR BENEFIT AND FOR OUR GLORY. AND FOR YOUR GLORY, LORD, IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND OF THE SON AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, WE DO PRAY. AMEN. AMEN. THANK YOU. WE PLEASE STAND FOR THE PLEDGE, THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. MA'AM. [ROLL CALL AND ADOPT THE MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING] SECRETARY, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR WHITMEYER. PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER PECK HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN PRESENT, COUNCIL MEMBER EVANS SHABAZZ. HERE, COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER WILL BE ABSENT. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTEX TATUM. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER. PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN HERE. UH, WE NEED A MOTION TO DELAY THE MINUTES. CASTEX TATUM, MOVE ON THE SECOND. MOTION MADE AND SECONDED. ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED. MOTION CARRIES. WE HAVE A VERY LONG [PUBLIC SPEAKERS] LIST OF SPEAKERS TODAY BECAUSE WE HAVE MORE THAN 150 MINUTES WORTH OF SPEAKERS. THE RULES REQUIRE US TO ONLY GIVE EACH OF YOU WITNESSES ONE MINUTE, EVEN IF YOU SIGNED UP FOR MORE. UM, AT THIS TIME, CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN FOR A MOTION. UH, THANK YOU MAYOR. I MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO MOVE JUSTIN'S SIGN HORSE AND MICHELLE HORST TO THE TOP OF THE THREE MINUTE NON AGENDA. UH, EVEN THOUGH IT'LL ONLY BE FOR ONE MINUTE, THEY HAVE TO PICK UP THEIR CHILD SOON. THANK YOU. SECOND. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED. MOTION PASSES. UH, PLUM. COUNCILMAN PLUMMER. THANK YOU MAYOR. I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO MOVE KEVIN STRICKLAND, ERIC CARR AND BRANDON LOVE BELOW. MICHELLE HORST ON THE THREE MINUTE NON AGENDA LIST. SECOND. MOTION MADE AND SECONDED. ALL IN FAVOR OF THOSE POST MOTION PASSES. COUNCIL CARTER. WELL, JACKSON, I'M SORRY. THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, I MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO MOVE VDA ROBERTSON ROBERTS, UM, AT THE BOTTOM OF THE TWO MINUTE BEHIND [01:10:01] TYRONE KING. SECOND TWO MINUTES. MOTION MADE IN SIGNAL. ALL IN FAVOR OF OPPOSED? YOU? OPPOSED. MOTION PASSES. COUNCIL, MAYOR CARTER. THANK YOU. I MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO MOVE BETH HARP, UM, RIGHT BEHIND, UH, BRANDON. LOVE AT THE THREE MINUTE NON AGENDA. I SECOND. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED. MOTION PASSES. UH, COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ. THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, I MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO MOVE CARMEN SALAZAR BEHIND YARA GONZALEZ. IS IT BEHIND IN THE TWO MINUTE? THE TWO MINUTE, UH, NON AGENDA THOMAS SECOND MOTION HAS BEEN MADE IN SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED. MOTION PASSES. AND ONE MORE MAYOR, UH, MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO ADD LETICIA GUTIERREZ BEHIND STEPHANIE VALDEZ IN THE NON AGENDA. UH, THREE MINUTES. ONE MORE TIME. I MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO ADD LETICIA GUTIERREZ, UH, TO THE NON AGENDA. THREE MINUTE BEHIND STEPHANIE VALDEZ SECOND MOTION HAS BEEN MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED? MOTION PASSES. MOTION. UH, MADAM SECRETARY, PLEASE CALL THE FIRST WITNESS. MR. THE SECRETARY? YES. THIS FIRST SPEAKER WILL BE, UH, NICHOLAS, UH, JIMENEZ . SORRY ABOUT THAT. HI NICHOLAS. GO AHEAD. GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M NOT SURE WHAT I'M A WITNESS TO, BUT MY NAME IS NICOLA JIMENEZ. I'M PROUD TO LIVE AND WORK IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. AND I THINK MANY OF YOU KNOW THAT I WORK FOR COMCAST AND XFINITY HERE TO TALK ABOUT SOMETHING I CARE ABOUT AND I GET TO WORK ON, AND I KNOW A LOT OF YOU CARE ABOUT, WHICH IS ENSURING ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE INTERNET. UH, I THINK EVERYBODY, UH, ON THIS SIDE OF THE HORSESHOE, BUT I WANNA BE SURE. THERE'S A PROGRAM CALLED THE AFFORDABLE CONNECTIVITY PROGRAM FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THAT PROVIDES A SUBSIDY FOR THOSE WHO CAN'T AFFORD THE INTERNET. THIS PROGRAM SUPPORTS THE, THE, THE DETAILS AREN'T BROKEN OUT BY CITY, THEY'RE BROKEN OUT BY COUNTY, BUT ABOUT 1 MILLION HARRIS COUNTY PEOPLE BENEFIT FROM THIS PROGRAM AND THEY'RE GONNA LOSE THAT SUBSIDY AT THE END OF THIS MONTH. AND SO WHAT I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT IS HOW XFINITY COMCAST, AND HOW THE CITY OF HOUSTON HAVE OUR RESIDENTS, MY NEIGHBORS, YOUR NEIGHBORS BACK. UH, FIRST OF ALL, IF ANYBODY IS PARTICIPATING IN THE AFFORDABLE CONNECTIVITY PROGRAM AND IS LOOKING FOR SOMEWHERE TO LAND INTERNET ESSENTIALS FROM COMCAST OFFERS INTERNET AT HOME FOR 9 95 A MONTH. NO CONTRACT, NO CREDIT CHECK, ET CETERA. REALLY GREAT PROGRAM. SO I WANNA MAKE SURE YOU KNOW THAT. UH, BUT FURTHER, COMCAST AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON HAS PART, HAVE PARTNERED TO CREATE WHAT WE CALL LIFT ZONES. AND THERE'S 20 OF THESE SO-CALLED LIFT ZONES AT CITY FACILITIES, MULTI-SERVICE CENTERS THROUGHOUT THE CITY. UH, SO IF ANYBODY CAN'T AFFORD EVEN THE 9 95 A MONTH, WANT EVERYBODY TO KNOW THAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND COMCAST ARE HELPING BRIDGE THAT GAP WITH THESE LIFT ZONES. AND LASTLY, SINCE WE ARE STILL IN THE MONTH OF MAY, I KNOW, UH, ONE OF MY COMCAST EXECUTIVES WAS HERE A COUPLE WEEKS AGO. GO AHEAD. THANK YOU MA'AM. WRAP IT UP THOUGH. YES, MA'AM. COMCAST RISE IS A PROGRAM WE HAVE TO SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES. APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN THROUGH THE END OF THE MONTH. IF YOU'RE A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER, GO APPLY TODAY, COMCAST RISE.COM. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UH, WE DO HAVE A COUNCIL MEMBER IN Q COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. YEAH, JUST REALLY QUICKLY, NICK, THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU FOR THE INFORMATION. UM, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE GETTING THIS INFORMATION THROUGH OUR OFFICES TOO, SO THAT WE CAN SHARE IT OUT ON SOCIAL AND PUT IT IN THE INFORMATION THAT WE ARE GETTING OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY. UH, BUT ESPECIALLY AS THE FEDERAL DOLLARS RIGHT? DRY UP, UM, THE EFFORTS THAT YOU ALL ARE DOING TO CONTINUE TO BRIDGE THE DIGITAL DIVIDE AND PROVIDE THESE SERVICES IS GREATLY APPRECIATED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND NICK, THANK YOU ALSO FOR THE, THE LIFT ZONES FOR A LONG TIME. UM, MANY OF OUR MUNICIPAL, UM, FACILITIES THAT DID NOT HAVE, UH, INTERNET ACCESS, COMCAST HAS COME IN AND PUT SOME LIFT ZONES IN OUR MULTI-SERVICE AREAS AND SOME OF OUR, UM, PARKS AND RECS LOCATIONS. SO WE APPRECIATE THAT. CAN YOU SEND US A COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF THOSE 20 LOCATIONS AND I'D LIKE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ALL HAVE THAT AND WE CAN SEND THAT OUT IN OUR NEWSLETTERS AS WELL. ABSOLUTELY. YES MA'AM. ALL RIGHT. AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. WE APPRECIATE YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. OH, COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ. I'M SORRY. NO, THANK YOU MAYOR PERSON. AND JUST, [01:15:01] I ACTUALLY JUST WANTED TO TOUCH ON THAT, THAT LIST. UM, AND IF THERE'S ANY OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE TO EXPAND THAT, THAT, UH, RESOURCES, WE ALL KNOW THAT DIGITAL DIVIDE IS REAL. AND YOU KNOW, WHEN WE SAW COVID HAPPEN, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY KIND OF PULLED THE CURRENTS BACK AS TO WHAT RESOURCES IS IT THAT WE WE NEED IN OUR COMMUNITIES FOR OUR FAMILIES AND OUR KIDS. SO YOU'RE SPOT ON COUNCIL MEMBER AND, AND I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER ISN'T HERE, BUT COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER IS. AND WE DID JUST EXPAND, UH, TO OUR 20TH LIFT ZONE IN THE KINGWOOD COMMUNITY. UH, SO THAT'S THERE. AND I KNOW THE KINGWOOD COMMUNITY HAS BEEN AFFECTED BY FLOODING. SO THAT'S THEIR KINGWOOD COMMUNITY CENTER. THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK, NICK. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, SCOTTY JOSEPH. GOOD AFTERNOON COUNCIL MEMBERS. I'M JUST GIVING YOU A, A, UH, , JUST GIVING YOU A, UM, AN UPDATE. COUNCILMAN UH, COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON WITH THE, UH, FIFTH WARD E-BIKE MOBILITY INITIATIVE. WE'VE GONE THROUGH TWO COURSES SO FAR. WE'RE WORKING ON A THIRD COURSE. THE, UH, THE, UH, MEMBERS HAVE CHOSEN THEIR BIKES, SO WE'LL BE GOING THROUGH THE, UH, THE SAFETY PORTION OF THEM RIDING THEIR BIKES AT THE BIKE GARDEN THAT'S LOCATED AT, UH, FINNEGAN PARK. UH, THE INVITATION IS, HAS BEEN PLACED TO YOUR OFFICE. WE KNOW THAT YOU'RE BUSY UNTIL NOON, SO HOPEFULLY YOU'LL BE ABLE TO MAKE IT A LITTLE LATER ON THE AFTERNOON. BUT, UH, IT'S FULL STEAM AHEAD. UH, WE HAVE ONE MORE. WE HAVE TWO MORE COURSES, ONE ON THE 18TH, ANOTHER ON THE 25TH, AND THEN WE'LL BE AWARDING THE, UH, THE PARTICIPANTS THERE, ELECTRIC BIKES. SO, UM, WE ALSO WANTED TO, UH, PUT A, UH, PUT A INVITATION OUT TO THE MAYOR, BUT HE BOUNCED ON US. BUT, UM, TO OFFER HIM AN ELECTRIC BIKE BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF, UM, SEPAL ARIANS WHO MAY NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE ON TWO WHEELS, BUT THEY MAY, THEY MAY FEEL COMFORTABLE ON THREE WHEELS. SO, UH, SO AGAIN, THE, UH, I'LL BE QUICK. THE, UH, THE PROGRAM IS WRAPPING UP. WE HAVE TWO MORE WEEKS. THE END WILL BE ON THE 25TH. HOPEFULLY YOU'LL SIR, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. THANK YOU. AND MR. JOSEPH, THANK YOU FOR, UM, JUST EVERYTHING THAT YOU'RE DOING. UM, RIDING BIKES IS VERY IMPORTANT. I KNOW WHEN I FIRST STARTED RIDING AGAIN, I STARTED OUT ON THE ELECTRIC BIKE AND NOW I'M ON A REGULAR BIKE. AND SO, BUT EVERYONE HA HAS THE RIGHT AND SHOULD HAVE OPPORTUNITY TO RUN RIDE BIKES. SO THANK YOU, UM, JUST FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND EVERYTHING THAT YOU'RE DOING IN OUR DISTRICT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE TYRONE KING. GREETINGS, EVERYONE. MY NAME IS, HI MR. KING, WILL YOU STEP BEHIND THAT MICROPHONE? THANK YOU, SIR. GREETINGS EVERYONE. MY NAME IS TYRONE KING AND I'M SPEAKING IN REGARDS TO INCORPORATING A PEDAL BIKE, UH, BAR ONTO WASHINGTON AVENUE. THE CORRELATION, UM, IT'S A-B-O-Y-B-Y-O-B PEDAL BAR POWER AND ELECTRIC ENGINE ASSISTED. UM, THE GOAL IS TO INCORPORATE, UM, THE PARTY OF WHEELS FOR LIKE 12 TO 15 RIDERS AT A TIME. IT WOULD BE A TWO TWO HOUR TOUR, INCLUDED TWO BAR VISITS, UH, TRIVIA GAMES, KARAOKE, AND MUCH MORE. UM, MY QUESTION IS TO GET IT APPROVED FOR THE 600 BLOCK OF WASHINGTON AVENUE AND WELL, THE 6,000 BLOCK OF WASHINGTON AVENUE AND 4,000 BLOCK OF YALE AVENUE, UM, DAYS OF OPERATION WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, 5:00 PM TO 10:00 PM SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY, 12:00 PM TO 10:00 PM AND UM, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THAT WOULD BE ANY REGULATIONS IN REGARDS TO IT AND, UM, WOULD THAT BE SOMETHING WASHINGTON WASHINGTON AVENUE WOULD ALLOW? THANK YOU SIR. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN KAMAN? YES, SIR. SIR, MR. KING. UH, FIRST OFF, SO I'M JUST, I DON'T HAVE THE ANSWERS FOR YOU. I KNOW WE REACHED OUT TO YOUR OFFICE AND MAYOR, I THINK AGAIN, THE QUESTION IS, UH, I JUST WANNA CLARIFY SETTLING, SETTING UP A, UM, PE A PEDAL BAR, PEDAL BAR BIKE THAT WOULD, UM, BIKE BAR, UM, ALONG WASHINGTON AVENUE. MY, MY CONCERN, MAYOR, I CERTAINLY DON'T WANNA HINDER BUSINESS, BUT ESPECIALLY IN THE EVENING HOURS, HOW CONGESTED AND DANGEROUS WASHINGTON AVENUE AS A CORRIDOR ALREADY IS. SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT REGULATIONS THERE WE'RE HAPPY TO GET YOU WORK ON GETTING YOU THAT INFORMATION. I JUST FLAG WASHINGTON AVENUE HAS ITS OWN PARTICULAR CHALLENGES THAT, THAT WE HAVE TO CONSIDER AS WELL. YES MA'AM. YEAH. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT VEDA ROBERTS. [01:20:06] GOOD AFTERNOON, MR. MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. I'M SORRY. GOOD AFTERNOON, MR. MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. I'M VEDA ROBERTS, LIFELONG HOUSTONIAN AND A RESIDENT OF THE NORTHWOOD MANOR. I'M ALSO A MEMBER OF THE NORWOOD MANOR SUB CLUB AND THE NAC, THE NORTHEAST ACTION COLLECTIVE. I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF THE NORWOOD MANOR DRAINING SYSTEM. WE HAVE BAD DRAINING OUT THERE. I'VE BEEN GOING ON FOR OVER A DECADE AND WITH, IF IT RAINED MORE THAN TWO DAYS, TWO TO THREE DAYS IN THE HARD POUR RAIN, WE CANNOT GET OUTTA OUR HOUSES. WE CANNOT EVEN DRIVE OUT CARS DOWN THE STREET AND THE COMMODES WOULD FLOOD. IF YOU GO IN TO DO NUMBER TWO, IT COMES UP OUT AND THEN WE GOT A PROBLEM TRYING TO CLEAN THAT UP. HALLS BAYO IS RIGHT BEHIND MY HOUSE ON HOPPER ROAD AND WE HAVE A PROBLEM. MR. MAYOR, I HOPE YOU CAN FIND SOMEWHERE IN YOUR BUDGET THAT YOU CAN HELP THE RESIDENTS IN NORTHWOOD MANOR CORRECT THIS DRAINAGE PROBLEM THAT WE HAVING. AND IT'S BEEN GOING ON FOR A LONG TIME. SEVERAL ONES HAVE BEEN DOWN TALKING ABOUT IT. THANK YOU MS. ROBERTS. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. YOU, YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND FINISH. GO AHEAD MS. ROBERTSON. ALRIGHT, MR. MAYOR, I HOPE YOU CAN FIND SOMEWHERE IN YOUR BUDGET THAT YOU CAN HELP THE RESIDENTS IN NORTHWOOD MATTER WITH THIS DRAINING PROBLEM. WE ALSO AS BOTHERED WITH SNAKES COMING OUT OF THAT BIO, COULD YOU PLEASE FIND SOMEWHERE IN YOUR BUDGET TO HELP US? IT WILL CERTAINLY BE APPRECIATED. THANK YOU. AND ONE MORE THING, COULD YOU SEND SOMEONE FROM PUBLIC WORKS TO THE NORWOOD MANOR CITY CLUB TO TALK TO US ABOUT THIS SITUATION? SURE. THANK YOU SIR. YES MA'AM. COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, JACKSON. ONE SECOND. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND MS. ROBERTS, THANK YOU FOR, UM, COMING IN. I KNOW THIS IS YOUR FIRST TIME COMING TO COUNCIL TO SPEAK ABOUT, UM, THE ISSUES OF FLOODING, UM, IN NORTHWOOD MANOR. AND JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN DOING A LOT OF WORK, QUITE A BIT WORK OVER THE PAST YEARS. YOU KNOW, UM, MILLIONS PUT IN INVESTMENT, UM, TO ADDRESS, YOU KNOW, SWAT PROJECTS AND, UM, UM, THE, THE, THE, THE, UM, LOCAL DRAINAGE PROJECT. SO WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR ADVOCACY AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO ADD MORE RESOURCES AND I WILL CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE FOR MORE RESOURCES FOR, TO TO ADDRESS THE FLOODING WITHIN, UM, NORTHWOOD MANOR AND DISTRICT B. 'CAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF FLOODING ACROSS THE DISTRICT. UM, AND WE'VE BEEN DOING A GREAT JOB WITH ADVOCATING TO GET THE RESOURCES TO TAKE CARE OF IT. OKAY. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK COUNCILMAN JACKSON, GEORGE PUBLIC WORKS. COMING TO YOUR MEETING. I KNOW THAT WE HAVE REGULAR MEETINGS WITH PUBLIC WORKS. MY OFFICE HAVE BEEN ENGAGED, SO, UM, WE WILL, YOU KNOW, TALK WITH, I KNOW YOUR CIVIC CLUB PRESIDENT IS OUT THERE. WE'LL GET WITH YOUR CIVIC CLUB PRESIDENT AND JUST MAKE SURE THE PUBLIC WORKS CONTINUE TO COME OUT TO THE MEETINGS AND, YOU KNOW, ANSWER THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU GUYS MAY HAVE. OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. MR. ROBERTS. MS. ROBERT, MS. ROBERTS BEHIND YOU. WHAT'S THE SOURCE OF THE FLOODING? OBVIOUSLY RAIN . I GOT THAT, BUT IS IT OPEN DITCHES? IS IT LACK OF MAINTENANCE? YOU GOT A VALUE BEHIND YOUR HOUSE? WHAT? I THINK IT'S LIKE A MAINTENANCE. THE SEWER DRAINAGE IS NOT BEING CLEANED REGULARLY AND THEY'RE STOPPED UP AND THE WATER'S NOT FLOWING. OKAY. AND SHE'S, I AM A DISABLED PERSON. I WALKS ON CANE, I WALKS ON A WALKER AND IT'S HARD FOR ME TO COME OUTSIDE OF MY HOUSE WHEN THAT MY YARD IS FULL OF WATER. YES MA'AM. OKAY, WELL WE'LL SEND SOMEONE OUT THERE AND DEFINITELY PUBLIC WORKS WILL BE AT YOUR NEXT CIVIC CLIP. THANK YOU. AND I, I'LL WORK WITH YOUR, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER. COUNCIL MEMBER ALMOST SAID YOUR STATE REP. I'LL WORK WITH YOUR, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU MA'AM. THANK YOU MS. MAY BE SAFE. THANK YOU. NEXT. JUSTIN HURST. HELLO, I'M THE PRESIDENT OF THE SHADY ACRES ACRES PARENTS GROUP. THE SHEPHERD DURHAM ROAD PROJECT HAS BEEN A LONG TIME COMING OUR STREETS, OUR SIDEWALKS, OUR DRAINS ARE AGED AFTER DURING A GREAT DEAL OF CONSTRUCTION. WE THOUGHT THE END WAS IN SIGHT, BUT NOW WE ARE BEING TOLD THAT THERE'S A PAUSE THAT COULD POTENTIALLY JEOPARDIZE MILLIONS OF FEDERAL TAX DOLLARS. OUR COMMUNITY IS OVERWHELMINGLY IN SUPPORT OF THE SHEPHERD DURHAM PROJECT. THE CHILDREN OF LOVE ELEMENTARY DESERVE TO HAVE STREETS THEY CAN SAFELY CROSS. OUR DISABLED DESERVE TO HAVE SIDEWALKS THAT THEY CAN ACTUALLY USE. BUT IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT PEDESTRIANS, IT'S ABOUT CARS TOO. THE INTERSECTIONS WE MADE SAFER AND WILL REDUCE ROAD PONDING, WHICH CAN INDEED BE DANGEROUS AND EVEN DEADLY. SO FOR [01:25:01] THE PURPOSES OF SAFETY, FOR THE PURPOSES OF REASONABLE FUNDING AND FOR OUR VERY CHILDREN, UH, THE SHEET KERS PARENTS GROUP ASKED THE PROJECT BE RESUMED IMMEDIATELY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT. MICHELLE HURST. HI, I'M MICHELLE. UM, I'M ALSO HERE TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF CONTINUING PHASE TWO OF THE SHEPHERD DURHAM CONSTRUCTION PROJECT. UM, I AM AN ATTORNEY AND A MOM OF THREE AND A RESIDENT OF THE HEIGHTS, SORRY, . UM, AND WE LIVE, UH, WE LIVE RIGHT OFF OF DURHAM. UM, OUR KIDS, WELL THE OLDER TWO ANYWAY, GO TO SCHOOL RIGHT OFF OF DURHAM. OUR CHURCH IS RIGHT OFF OF DURHAM. AND, UM, WE'VE BEEN DEALING WITH THIS CONSTRUCTION FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS, WHICH HAS BEEN ROUGH. BUT, UH, THE PARTS OF THE PROJECT THAT HAVE BEEN FINISHED SHOW THAT, UH, IT'S DEFINITELY BEEN WORTH IT. UM, THE STREETS ARE A LOT SAFER AND, UH, WE REALLY WANT THIS PROJECT TO BE CONTINUED. UH, THEY REALLY NEED TO BE FIXED UP TO IMPROVE SAFETY FOR BOTH DRIVERS AND PEDESTRIANS. UM, WE'RE, WE BOTH DRIVE AND WALK ALONG SHEPHERD AND DURHAM EVERY DAY. UM, AND ALSO TO IMPROVE FLOODING. UM, SO IF YOU'VE BEEN IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD LATELY, YOU PROBABLY KNOW THERE'S, UH, TONS OF APARTMENT COMPLEX AND NEW HOUSES BEING BUILT. SO, UH, THE DRAINAGE ISSUE IS GETTING MORE AND MORE IMPORTANT. UM, SO FOR THE SAFETY OF OUR, OUR KIDS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND, UH, FOR THE FLOODING ISSUE, WE, UH, WE ASK THAT THIS PROJECT BE RESUMED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UH, ONE SECOND, MA'AM. MS. HORST, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANKS FOR COMING. I'M A SUCKER FOR A BABY. I HAD TO SAY HI, AND THANKS FOR, THANKS FOR BRINGING YOUR CHILD HERE. I AGREE WITH YOU. I LIKE THIS PROJECT. UM, I THINK, MAYOR, THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT, UM, HOPEFULLY CAN ADDRESS SOME OF YOUR CONCERNS AND, AND ALSO ADDRESS, BE SUPPORTIVE OF THE THINGS THAT, UM, THE NEIGHBORS ARE, ARE COMING TO EXPRESS SUPPORT OF. AND, AND I JUST HOPE WE CAN COME TO A GOOD SOLUTION FOR THIS IMPORTANT CORRIDOR FOR OUR CITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. HOLD ON ONE MORE. COUNCIL MEMBER CAMAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND MICHELLE, I, I COULD HAVE ALSO ASKED THIS OF JUSTIN, I KNOW JUSTIN'S VERY INVOLVED, AS ARE YOU WITH THE GROUPS IN AND AROUND SHADY ACRES. UM, HAVE YOU ALL BEEN ENGAGING WITH OTHER FAMILIES? I KNOW IT IS HARD TO COME DOWN HERE. UH, AND WHAT'S THE FEEDBACK YOU'RE HEARING FROM SOME OF THEM? UM, YEAH, DEFINITELY, AND I DON'T KNOW, MAY, JUSTIN MIGHT BE BETTER TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION, BUT WE HAVE POSED TO, WE HAVE A MOM'S GROUP, A DAD'S GROUP, AN OVERARCHING PARENTS GROUP, UM, THAT WE'VE BEEN DIALOGUING WITH ABOUT THIS A LOT. AND WE FOUND THAT IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD THERE IS OVERWHELMING SUPPORT FOR THIS PROJECT. THIS ISN'T, THIS ISN'T JUST A PASS THROUGH ROAD FOR US. LIKE THIS IS, THIS IS WHERE WE LIVE, WORK, GO TO SCHOOL. THIS IS OUR HOME, AND WE REALLY WANT THE ROADS TO BE SAFE. AND SO AMONGST THE PEOPLE THAT ACTUALLY LIVE WHERE THIS PROJECT IS TAKING PLACE, UM, IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S REALLY OVERWHELMING SUPPORT. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, FOR PARENTS, A LOT OF PARENTS, THEY WANNA PUSH THEIR KIDS IN STROLLERS AND WALK THEIR DOGS AND WALK TO SCHOOL WITHOUT, UH, WITHOUT HAVING TO WORRY ABOUT SAFETY. SO, AND, AND I KNOW IN SHADY ACRES, THERE ARE NOT THAT MANY SIDEWALKS TO BEGIN WITH, UH, RIGHT. THE PROJECTS ALSO ADDRESSING SOME OF THE, UH, WEST, UH, EAST TO WEST RIGHT. INTERSECTIONS AS WELL AND ADDING THOSE IN. BUT, UH, APPRECIATE Y'ALL'S FEEDBACK. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. NEXT, KEVIN STRICKLAND. GOOD AFTERNOON, CITY COUNCIL AND MAYOR WHITMEYER. AS ALWAYS, THANK YOU FOR THIS EXERCISE IN DEMOCRACY. UM, A SHOUT OUT TO MY NEIGHBORS, THIS IN HORSES FOR TAKING TIME OUT THROUGH DAVE, THREE KIDS TO BE HERE. THAT'S REALLY A COMMITMENT. UM, MY NAME IS KEVIN STRICKLAND AND I'M PRESIDENT OF THE GREATER HEIGHTS SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD, WHICH INCLUDES THE TIGHT-KNIT SHEPHERD DURHAM COMMUNITY. UM, AND I'D LIKE TO READ A LETTER THAT WE'VE WRITTEN IN SUPPORT OF THE SHEPHERD DURHAM PROJECT. UM, SO IF YOU BEAR WITH ME ON THE TIME, UM, THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD REPRESENTS CIVIC ASSOCIATIONS, WHICH ENCOMPASS AN AREA FROM I 10 TO THE SOUTH, SIX 10 TO THE NORTH I 45 TO THE EAST AND WIDE OAK BAYOU TO THE WEST. SO WE UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF CORRIDORS LIKE SHEPHERD DURHAM TO SERVE THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY WE'VE ALREADY SEEN WITH SEGMENT ONE, WHICH IS FROM SIX 10 TO 15TH, WHAT IT'S ACCOMPLISHED. DRAINAGE, NEW IMP PAVEMENT, TURN LANES AT KEY INTERSECTIONS, NEW SIDEWALKS, STREET LIGHTING, WHICH INCLUDES PEDESTRIAN LIGHTING. THANK YOU, SIR. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. GO AHEAD AND SAY, AND TREES GO AHEAD AND FINISH. YES, SIR. THANK YOU. WHAT HAD BEEN AN UNAPPEALING AND DANGEROUS STRETCH OF ROAD SIMPLY FOR COMMUTERS IS NOW RAPIDLY TURNING [01:30:01] INTO A CORRIDOR WHICH SERVES THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY. UH, IT'S WORTH NOTING THAT SHADY ACRES IN TIMBER GROVE ARE IN THE 100 YEAR FLOODPLAIN. AND SINCE 2018, THIS STRETCH OF ROAD HAS SEEN 1700 CRASHES AND FOUR FATALITIES. UM, WE URGENTLY NEED SEGMENT TWO TO BE DONE SO THAT IT CONNECTS SEGMENT ONE TO WHITE OAK BAYOU FOR THE DRAINAGE THAT THE COMMUNITY NEEDS FOR THIS AREA. UM, I'D LIKE TO THANK, UM, SOME CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO'VE BEEN OUT THERE TO TOUR THE PROJECT. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN, SENIOR DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, DISTRICT H COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN AND COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ, WHO'S ACTUALLY BEEN OUT THERE TWICE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SIR. NEXT, CARMEN SALAZAR. CARMEN SALAZAR, THE PREACHER. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS CARMEN SALAZAR. I AM A JANITOR ON THE NIGHT SHIFT FOR PRICHARD. MANY OF US WHO WORK AT NIGHT WORK IN DESERTED BUILDINGS ALONE AND ARE AFRAID. ONCE WHEN I WAS CLEANING, I OPENED AN OFFICE TO FIND AN ALMOST NAKED MAN STANDING THERE. I WAS TERRIFIED. I SHUT THE DOOR AND FLED. MY STORY IS JUST ONE OF MANY. MY COWORKERS TOLD STORIES OF BEING HARASSED. MANY ARE AFRAID TO SPEAK UP. I AM AFRAID TOO, BUT THIS IS TOO IMPORTANT TO STAY SILENT. I AM AN SCIU TEXAS MEMBER, AND WE ARE BARGAINING A NEW CONTRACT THAT EXPIRES AT THE END OF THE MONTH. THANK YOU. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. I'M SORRY, MA'AM. WERE Y'ALL FINISHED? THE TRANSLATION TAKES A LITTLE LONGER. YEAH, THANK YOU. I WAS ON THE BARGAINING COMMITTEE FOR SEIU TEXAS WHEN WE WANT IMPORTANT LANGUAGE PROTECTING WORKERS WHO EXPERIENCED SEXUAL HARASSMENT ON THE JOB. IT WAS A GOOD START, BUT IT WAS NOT ENOUGH. WE WANT TRAINING THAT IS THE SAME NO MATTER WHO WE WORK FOR. WE THINK THIS IS IMPORTANT TO PROTECT WORKERS AND OUR EMPLOYERS. WE WOULD LIKE TO ASK YOU TO SEND A LETTER TO THE CLEANING CONTRACTORS SUPPORTING US AND OUR EFFORTS TO ACHIEVE THESE GOALS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MA'AM. UH, MA'AM, ONE SEC. UH, COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU FOR YOUR STRENGTH FOR BEING HERE TODAY. UM, IT'S NOT EASY, BUT KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, I'VE, I'VE STOOD WITH SEIU BEFORE, UH, CONTINUE TO, AND, AND IF THERE'S A LETTER THAT YOU NEED SIGNED, I'M, I'M HERE TO SUPPORT YOU ALL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. MA'AM, ONE SECOND. SORRY, COUNCILMAN. UM, I, I ECHO WHAT, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER, MY VICE CHAIR OF LABOR COUNCILOR MARTINEZ SAID. UM, AND WE RECENTLY MET WITH SCIU AND APPRECIATE THEM. ONE, [01:35:01] APPRECIATE YOUR STRENGTH AND SPEAKING ABOUT YOUR PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, I DO KNOW THAT THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT THAT, UH, OUR, OUR WORKERS IN THE, AROUND THE CITY, NOT CITY OF HOUSTON EMPLOYEES, BUT UH, MEMBERS OF SCIU ARE EXPERIENCING THIS. UM, AND THAT'S EXTREMELY CONCERNING. SO REGARDING THE LETTER MAYOR, I'M SURE YOU'LL TAKE A LOOK AT IT. BUT, UM, ALONG WITH COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ, IF YOU ALL WANT TO SHARE THAT LETTER WITH US, WE'D BE HAPPY, HAPPY TO CIRCULATE IT WITH THE REST OF COUNSEL. UM, FOR THOSE THAT WOULD LIKE TO ADD THEIR NAME AS WELL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ERIC. NAME NEXT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU'ALL. ERIC CARR. YEAH. HELLO EVERYONE. MY NAME IS ERIC. I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR A O, ALSO THE CO-FOUNDER FOR THE BLACK LAW ENFORCEMENT ASSOCIATION. AND JUST WANNA SAY, AS LAST WEEK, WE, UM, CELEBRATED NATIONAL POLICE WEEK WHERE WE HONORED THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR THE SERVICE AND MANY FOR THEIR LIFE. AND IT'S ALSO WHEN WE LEARNED, OUR CHIEF AT THE TIME, UH, RETIRED AND DESERVES A HONOR TO BE HONORED FOR HIS 34 YEARS OF SERVICE BY THIS CITY. SO I JUST WANTED TO BRING SOME CONTEXT AND KIND OF ADDRESS A COUPLE THINGS REGARDING SOME OF THE CONTROVERSY, UH, RELATED TO THE 200, 2.8 MILLION REPORTS THAT WAS FILED OUT OF THAT 2.8 MILLION WITH A M WELEARN, THAT IT WAS 260,000 THAT WERE CODED WITH LACK OF STAFFING, WHICH IS APPROXIMATELY ABOUT 10%. SO THE SCHOOLS AND UNIVERSITIES THAT I WENT TO, A 90% OVERALL RATE IS PRETTY CONSIDERED ABOVE AVERAGE. AND I JUST WANTED TO ADDRESS THAT OUR OFFICERS ARE UNDERSTAFFED AND THEY'RE DOING A LOT OF GOOD WORK AND NEEDS TO BE, UH, THAT NEEDS TO BE HIGHLIGHTED. THANK YOU, SIR, YOUR TIME. AS ALSO, I WANTED TO BRING TO, UH, YOUR ATTENTION REGARDING THE BUDGET. WE REALLY NEED TO COME UP WITH A PLAN OF ACTION REGARDING OUR STAFFING ISSUES. REGARD ABOUT 5,100 OFFICERS, FIVE YEARS AGO, WE HAD ABOUT 5,200 OFFICERS. IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS, WE DIDN'T REALLY NET ANY OFFICERS BECAUSE THE AMOUNT OF OFFICERS THAT ARE LEAVING IS THE SAME AMOUNT OF OFFICERS THAT WE ARE HIRING. SO WE NEED TO ADDRESS OUR RECRUITING ISSUE AND OUR ATTRITION ISSUE BY RAISING THE SALARIES FROM OUR CADETS. WE ONE OF THE LOWEST IN THE STATE WE TALK ABOUT, WE LOVE OUR FIRST RESPONDERS AND OUR OFFICERS, BUT LET'S PUT OUR MONEY WHERE OUR MOTTO IS RIGHT NOW, IT'S $42,000 STARTING SALARY. WE NEED TO INCREASE THAT AT LEAST BY $10,000 TO KIND OF BE COMPETITIVE AND THEN GIVE A BONUS ONCE THEY GRADUATE. THE CITY OF CHICAGO HAS 12,000 OFFICERS FOR APPROXIMATELY 228 SQUARE MILES. WE HAVE 640 SQUARE MILES FROM KINGWOOD TO CLEAR LAKE. AND WE HAVE 5,000 OFFICERS, NO, NOT 5,000 POLICE CARS OF PATROL OFFICERS. NOT 5,000 DETECTIVES, 5,000 TOTAL OFFICERS, WHICH APPROXIMATELY ABOUT 18 MAY BE INVESTIGATIVE DIVISIONS. THEN WE HAVE SOME WORK IN SUPPORT THAT IS A MAJOR ISSUE, AND WE HAVE TO COME OUT WITH A PLAN OF ACTION TO ADDRESS THAT ISSUE. WE TALK ABOUT 2000 NEW OFFICERS. HOW ARE WE GOING TO DO THAT? IF WE ONLY COULD DO ABOUT 250 AT A TIME AT THE ACADEMY, WE NEED TO INCREASE OUR ACADEMY SIZE, INCREASE OUR ACADEMY STAFF, WE NEED TO CONSIDER HAVING ANOTHER ACADEMY MAYBE ON THE SOUTH SIDE SO WE CAN ACTUALLY TRAIN MORE OFFICERS AT A AT THE SAME TIME. BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WE ARE NOT REALLY NETTING OFFICERS. AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, BECAUSE I KNOW MY TIME IS UP AND I WANT TO BE RESPECTFUL WHEN IT COMES TO A NEW CHIEF, WE NEED TO HAVE SOMEBODY THAT UNDERSTANDS THE CITY OF HOUSTON, UNDERSTANDS WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO SIT ON 45 AND SIX 10 IN TRAFFIC, UNDERSTAND THE STAKEHOLDERS AND THE PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY BY FIRST NAME BASIS WHEN SOMETHING HIT THIS CITY THAT WE COULD LIE TO, UNDERSTANDS HOW TO WORK WITH THE US ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TO PROSECUTE CASES BY USING SOME OF OUR FEDERAL RELATIONSHIPS AND GETTING SOME HIDE MONEY AND SOME FEDERAL MONEY BECAUSE WE UNDERSTAND THAT WE HAVE A BUDGET ISSUE, BUT WE NEED TO LOOK AT HOW WE COULD BRING THOSE RESOURCES AND HAVE SOMEBODY WHO HAS THE EXPERIENCE TO BRING THOSE [01:40:01] RESOURCES TO OUR OFFICERS. AND WITH THAT BEING SAID, UH, I YIELD MY TIME, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER COMMERCE. I WAS GONNA EXTEND MY TIME, BUT YOU'VE ALREADY DONE THAT. MAYOR, UH, VERY GOOD. COUNCILOR CAYMAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, AND ERIC, THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP, UH, WITH A POLL, UH, AND RECOGNIZING THE CALIBER, UM, OF SERVICE AND PROFESSIONALISM, UM, OF CHIEF FINNER AND THE IMPORTANCE OF HONORING HIM, UH, FOR HIS SERVICE. UH, I THINK YOU COVERED EVERYTHING, BUT I JUST WANTED TO ASK YOU, 'CAUSE I KNOW APOL HAS BEEN, UH, SPEAKING OUT ON ISSUES LIKE THIS AND WHAT THEY SEE FOR THE DEPARTMENT. CAN YOU BRIEFLY TOUCH ON WHAT APOL O ENVISIONS FOR THE FUTURE OF HPD? YEAH, SO, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO RECRUITING, WE ACTUALLY WANT TO EXTEND A SOLUTION INSTEAD OF JUST TALKING ABOUT THE PROBLEM. AND WE WANT TO ASK EACH SENATE COUNCIL MEMBER, HOW CAN WE PARTNER WITH YOU TO DO A ACTUALLY RECRUITING CAMPAIGN? WE HAVE A LOT OF GOOD FRUIT RIGHT HERE IN OUR OWN BACKYARD, AND WE HAVE A LOT OF GOOD POTENTIAL OFFICERS OF PEOPLE OF SERVICE IN YOUR DISTRICTS. SO LET'S COLLABORATE AND SEE HOW WE COULD ACTUALLY DO A CAMPAIGN OF FINDING GOOD FRUIT IN OUR OWN BACKYARD. WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO GO TO DALLAS, WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO GO TO AUSTIN. WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO GO TO LOUISIANA. WE HAVE A LOT OF GOOD FRUIT RIGHT HERE IN OUR OWN BACKYARD. SO LET'S COLLABORATE AND, AND TRY TO GET THOSE GOOD FRUIT AND, AND HAVE THEM SUPPORT OUR CITY AND, AND PATROL OUR CITY. BECAUSE RIGHT NOW OUR GOOD FRUIT IS GOING TO OTHER CITIES BECAUSE WHO WANTS TO BE OFFICERS STARTING OFF AT $42,000 WHERE YOU COULD PUT YOUR LIFE ON THE LINE. SO IF WE REALLY LOVE OUR OFFICERS, LIKE WE SAY THAT WE NEED TO FIND A WAY TO PUT OUR MONEY WHERE OUR AMOUNT IS AND INCREASE THE SALARY FROM 42 TO AT LEAST 52, IF NOT EVEN MORE. YES SIR. COUNCILOR HUFFMAN. THANK YOU MAYOR, AND THANK YOU OFFICER CARR. I REALLY APPRECIATE EVERYTHING YOU DO AND EVERYTHING THAT, UM, YOU DO FOR APOL AND ITS MEMBERS. I KNOW THAT THEY'RE REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATIVE OF YOU. UM, I 100% AGREE WITH YOU. YOU KNOW, NOBODY BECOMES A POLICE OFFICER BECAUSE THEY WANNA MISS EVERY BIRTHDAY OR ANNIVERSARY. YOU KNOW, THEY DO IT BECAUSE IT'S A CALLING AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT THEY LOVE TO DO. AND FRANKLY, NO AMOUNT OF MONEY IS ENOUGH MONEY FOR WHAT Y'ALL DO, UM, ON A DAILY BASIS. AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WILL WORK ON. THANK YOU. YEAH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, OFFICER CLARK, THANK YOU FOR COMING. UH, JUST A FEW THINGS THAT YOU, UH, LISTED. UH, UH, I WANT TO FIRST ADDRESS THE FACT, GIMME YOUR OPINION OF WHERE YOU QUOTED NUMBERS IN REGARD TO RECRUITING AND REPLACEMENT OF OFFICERS, WHICH CRIME AND OUR POLICE OFFICERS A PRIORITY. CORRECT? IT REALLY IS. AND I KNOW ALL OF THE COLLEAGUES HERE FEEL THE SAME AS I DO. BUT HERE'S A QUESTION I'M GOING TO ASK. WHAT DO YOU OR HOW DO YOU FEEL AS, AS FROM A O AND OTHER OFFICERS ABOUT THE MORALE THAT'S IN HPD IN TERMS OF WHERE YOU ARE COMING FROM, WORKING OUT THEN THE FIELD? WHERE IS THE MORALE? DO, WOULD YOU RATE IT? TELL ME WHAT, WHAT, WHAT WOULD, WHAT WOULD YOU RATE IT AS? WELL, I WOULD SAY FROM MY VANTAGE POINT, OVERALL, THE MORALE IS PRETTY GOOD DESPITE WHAT WE ARE GOING THROUGH. OKAY. AND WE SEE THAT IN HOW HARD OUR OFFICERS ARE WORKING. THEY'RE, WE ARE UNDERSTAFFED, OBVIOUSLY, UNDERPAID. IT'S NOT LIKE THE OFFICERS, THE, THE CRIMINALS SAY, HEY, THEY GOT 260,000 BACKLOGS AND WE'RE GONNA STOP COMMITTING CRIMES. THE CRIMES ARE STILL HAPPENING EVERY DAY. OUR OFFICERS ARE STILL WORKING THOSE CRIMES THAT'S COMING IN. AND WE ALSO ADDRESS THE ISSUE WITH THE, WITH THE BACKLOG. MM-HMM . SINCE THEN, WE HAVE MADE, FILED SEVERAL CHARGES, SEVERAL TWO B WARRANTS, AND WE ACTUALLY HAVE MADE SEVERAL ARRESTS. AND CHIEF FENDER MADE IT A PRIORITY THAT READDRESSED EVERY SINGLE CASE WHERE WE WENT OUT TO THE LAST LISTED ADDRESS AND ADDRESS. UM, AND TRY TO MAKE CONTACT WITH ANY VICTIM. 'CAUSE THE FOCUS SHOULD BE ON THE VICTIMS. NOW, MORE SPECIFICALLY REGARDING MORRELL, OBVIOUSLY MORRELL IS NOT GOING TO BE THE BEST. IF YOU ARE LOOKING IN THE NEWS AND YOU SEE RE ON THE NEWS EVERY DAY TALKING ABOUT THIS SCANDAL, OBVIOUSLY THE MORALE IS NOT GONNA BE THE BEST. IF YOU HAVE A CHIEF THAT WAS HONORED BY SEVERAL OFFICERS WHO JOBS WERE SAVED, AND MAYBE THEY COULD HAVE NOT BEEN, BUT BECAUSE OF THE CHIEF, HE GAVE SECOND OPPORTUNITIES AND THEY SEE THAT THEIR LEADER IS NOT THERE, THEN OBVIOUSLY THAT'S GOING TO, THAT'S GONNA AFFECT, UH, MORRELL. IF YOU HAVE INCONSISTENCY IN [01:45:01] DISCIPLINE WHERE THIS GUY GETS, UH, ONE DAY AND THIS GUY GETS 30 DAYS FOR THE SAME ISSUE, THAT'LL BE AN ISSUE WITH, UH, MORALE. SO WE DO HAVE SOME MORALE ISSUES. WE NOT GONNA BE NAIVE TO THAT, RIGHT? BUT WE COULD ALWAYS DO BETTER. BUT WITH THE LEADER, RIGHT? LEADERSHIP, THAT'S WHY IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE SOMEONE THAT COULD ACTUALLY BRING THAT TOGETHER. AND I DON'T WANNA PUT ALL THIS MORALE ISSUES ON CHIEF BECAUSE IT, IT WAS BIGGER THAN THAT, BUT I DO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT HE GETS THE PROPER HONOR AND RECOGNITION BECAUSE DURING POLICE WEEK, WE HAD A LOT OF ACTIVITIES LINED UP FOR THAT WEEK. SO IT WAS IN SHOCK ALL TO SEE IN THE MIDNIGHT HOUR, CHIEF RETIRES, KNOWING THAT WE HAVE PRAYER COMING UP, KNOWING THAT WE HAVE MEMBERS WHO LOST THEIR LOVED ONE IN THE LINE OF DUTY. AND CHIEF WAS THE CHIEF AT THAT TIME TO LEAVE. AND THEN TO FIND OUT THAT FROM WHAT A LOT OF SOURCES IS TELLING US, HE, HE DIDN'T VOLUNTARILY, UH, IT ALSO SHOOK UP SOME MORALE AS WELL. WELL, LET ME JUST SAY, I, I THINK THAT'S CRITICAL. 'CAUSE THAT'S ALWAYS A ISSUE WHEN THERE'S SOME MORALE BECAUSE THESE MEN AND WOMEN PUTTING THEIR LIVES ON THE LINE EACH AND EVERY DAY. AND THAT'S A CONCERN FOR ALL THE HOUSTONIANS, BUT ALSO TO, YOU KNOW, WE, THE, THE OTHER PRIORITY IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS CLOUD HANGING OVER US. WE DON'T WANNA LOSE THE CONFIDENCE, UH, OF DISRESPECTING OUR MANY AND WOMEN POLICE OFFICERS BY HAVING THAT HANGING OVER OUR HEADS. UH, ONE OF THE THINGS I WANT TO ADDRESS, ONE OF OUR INTENTS AS I EXPRESS TO THE MAYOR, 'CAUSE THE CRIME IS A MAJOR, MAJOR ISSUE WITH ME, AS WITH OTHERS, BUT CERTAINLY I TALKED ABOUT IT DURING THE CAMPAIGN, AND I'VE OFFERED SOME THINGS THAT I THINK WOULD HELP US, ESPECIALLY IN THE AREAS OF RECRUITING. UH, PASTOR DONALD BYS IS HERE, WHO HAS TAKEN ON THE PRESIDENCY OF THE MINISTRY ADVISORY BOARD TO THE MAYOR ORGANIZATION THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY DOWN THROUGH THE YEARS, OVER 20 YEARS OF A LEGACY OF THAT, BECAUSE THERE'S CHURCH AND PASTORS, WE'VE ALWAYS BEEN INVOLVED IN COMMUNITY, AND WE ALWAYS WILL BE BECAUSE WE'RE DIRECTLY IN THE COMMUNITY. THE OTHER ISSUE WITH THAT IS THAT SOMETHING THAT I OFFER THAT MAY BE A WAY TO COMBINE THAT BECAUSE THE COMMUNITY NEED TO RESPECT THE POLICE AND, AND VICE VERSA. BUT WE, WE KNOW THAT THAT'S A KEY ISSUE. SO I AM CONCERNED ABOUT IT. I WOULD LOVE TO CONTINUE TO HAVE DISCUSSION WITH YOU CONCERNING THAT MATTER, BECAUSE I LIVE IN CHICAGO FOR FOUR YEARS, AND I UNDERSTAND THE DYNAMICS TO IT. AND YOU ARE RIGHT. WE HAVE A VAST MASS OF LAND VERSUS 200 SOMETHING SQUARE FEET AND, UH, OF, OF SQUARE MILES OF CITY. AND I'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT. SO, UH, I, I, I CERTAINLY WOULD LOVE TO CONTINUE TALKING WITH BOTH UNIONS IN REGARDS TO THE ROLE OF OUR POLICE OFFICER AND WHAT THE NEXT STEP IS GOING TO BE TO IMPROVE THIS WHOLE NETWORK OF ISSUES THAT WE HAVE, ESPECIALLY IN RECRUITING. YES, SIR. YES, SIR. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER EVANS SHABA. THANK YOU MAYOR, AND THANK YOU SERGEANT CARR. I'M, I'M GONNA SPEAK TO YOU PERSONALLY. YOU HAVE BEEN JUST STELLAR, AND I THANK YOU. TELL YOU, WHEN YOU ENGAGE ME AND YOU HAVE ME TO COME OUT AND SPEAK TO THE RECRUITS, I, I AM JUST SO ELATED BECAUSE THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT THEY GET A MESSAGE THAT HOW, HOW MUCH THEY ARE APPRECIATED. BUT, YOU KNOW, I'M ALWAYS CONSISTENT AND I ALWAYS TELL 'EM THAT THIS HAS TO BE A CALLING. UH, IT IS NOT JUST A JOB. YES, MA'AM. AND YOU HAVE SHOWN THAT THIS IS A CALLING FOR YOU, AND I APPRECIATE YOU COMING TODAY, SPEAKING TRUTH TO POWER AND CERTAINLY, UH, JUST WHAT YOU HAVE DONE AND YOUR CONSISTENT AND ENGAGEMENT AND KEEPING ME IN THE LOOP ON THINGS. I REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE IT. YOU'RE WELCOME. AND SO THANK YOU FOR COMING TO SPEAK TO US TODAY. YOU'RE WELCOME. MY PLEASURE. COUNCILOR POLLARD. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND, UH, GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. SERGEANT CARRA. UH, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. UM, AND ALL OF YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS, YOU AND THE ENTIRE, UH, AFRO-AMERICAN POLICE OFFICERS LEAGUE, YOU HAD JUST REFERENCED JUST NOW, UM, THAT YOU DON'T BELIEVE THAT CHIEF FINNER VOLUNTARILY RETIRED. I KNOW THAT YOU WERE CLOSE TO HIM, UM, AFTER 34 YEARS OF SERVICE, IT BEING POLICE WEEK, IT BEING IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS, UM, CONTROVERSY REGARDING THE SUSPENDED CASES. DID YOU HAVE ANY IDEA THAT, UH, HE WOULD BE MOVING IN THAT DIRECTION? DID YOU HAVE ANY IDEA THAT HE WOULD NOT WANT TO BE A PART OF THE DEPARTMENT ANYMORE? UM, NO, I DIDN'T HAVE ID, UH, ANY IDEA OF THAT. [01:50:01] UH, I BELIEVE THAT, UH, CHIEF WAS DOING HIS BEST TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE. I BELIEVE THAT HE APPRECIATED THE MAYOR WITH AN INDEPENDENT OVERSIGHT BOARD TO OVERSEE THE ISSUE. I BELIEVE THAT IT WAS, UM, OBVIOUS ONCE THIS HAD COME TO A FINAL DISPOSITION AND THE BOARD MADE THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THIS CHAPTER WAS GONNA CLOSE, AND CHIEF WAS GONNA MOVE ON TO THE NEXT CHAPTER. SO YOU BELIEVE HE WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO MOVING ON FROM THE, FROM THIS CHAPTER AND, AND, AND, AND STAYING WITH THE DEPARTMENT? UM, I BELIEVE SINCE YOU ASKED HIM, I'M JUST TELLING YOU WHAT I BELIEVE, AND I DON'T KNOW, AND I CAN'T SPEAK FOR CHIEF, THAT'D BE QUESTIONS YOU WOULD HAVE TO ASK HIM. I THINK THAT WHEN A MAYORS COME IN, IT'S NO SECRET THAT A MAYOR HAS THE PRIORITY TO, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, TO SELECT SOMEONE THAT HE BELIEVES COULD BE THAT POSITION. I THINK, UH, WAIT, I'M JUST TALKING ABOUT THE RETIREMENT. YEAH. UH, AS FAR AS WITH THE RETIREMENT, I DON'T THINK, UM, THAT IT WAS REALLY NO SECRET THAT CHIEF WANTED TO COMPLETE THE FINAL DISPOSITION OF THIS AND MOVE ON TO THE NEXT CHAPTER ONCE THIS WAS COMPLETED AND RESOLVED ACCORDINGLY IN AN HONORABLE WAY. THAT'S JUST WHAT I BELIEVE. NOW, MAY, MAY THAT BE THE CASE OR NOT. I DON'T KNOW. THAT'S, LIKE I SAY, YOU HAVE TO ASK CHIEF THAT QUESTION. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR PLUMMER. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR ADVOCACY. IT'S REALLY, UM, GREAT WORKING WITH YOU. BUT AT THIS TIME, AT THIS JUNCTURE OF WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH IN THE CITY, I THINK THE RELATIONSHIP AND STRENGTHENING IT AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE ALL, YOU KNOW, KIND OF IN LOCKSTEP IS, IS REALLY GONNA BE MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER BEFORE. YES. AND SO I JUST WANTED TO TELL YOU, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE AND, UM, JUST ALWAYS BEING HONEST AND, AND CLEAR OF WHERE WE ARE AND, UM, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, WE LOVE CHIEF NER JUST AS MUCH AS YOU DO. AND, UM, AND WE JUST NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN, UM, FIND SOMEONE THAT LOVES THIS COMMUNITY JUST AS MUCH. YES, YES. I, I DEFINITELY AGREE. UM, MAYOR, DEFINITELY AGREE. THANK YOU. UM, SERGEANT CARD, TELL ME, YOU, YOU SAID SOMETHING THAT YOU THINK THAT THIS, THIS COUNCIL SHOULD, UM, HONOR CHIEF FINN 34 YEARS OF SERVICE. WHAT, WHAT DO YOU THINK WOULD BE A A, A GREAT WAY FOR US TO HONOR HIS 34 YEARS OF SERVICE? WHAT, WHAT, WHAT WOULD THE OFFICERS LIKE TO SEE AS A WAY THAT WE COULD REALLY, UM, AMPLIFY HIS, HIS GREAT SERVICE? I MEAN, WE'VE, WE'VE HEARD FROM A LOT OF CONSTITUENTS, UM, AND THE PEOPLE IN THE, IN THE CITY DO WANT TO, UM, SHOW HIM HOW MUCH WE VALUED HIS 34 YEARS OF SERVICE AS A, AS A OFFICER. WHAT WOULD YOU CONSIDER A GREAT WAY FOR US TO HONOR HIS SERVICE? UM, A GOOD QUESTION. AND THAT WAS SOMETHING I'LL HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, REALLY KIND OF THINK ABOUT TO GIVE YOU A REALLY GOOD PERSPECTIVE. BUT I HAVE SEEN THIS CITY HONOR PEOPLE. MM-HMM . WE HONOR SOME TODAY. UH, WE DON'T HAVE TO REINVENT THE WHEEL PER SE. UH, WE, WE GREAT AT HONORING THOSE WHO DESERVE TO BE HONORED. AND WE GREAT AT HONORING THOSE WHO SACRIFICED AND GAVE A LOT TO THIS CITY AND 34 YEARS AS A DECORATED OFFICER THAT WAS HERE DURING THE HURRICANES, GEORGE FLOYD, AND I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT IN THE OFFICE, I'M TALKING ABOUT ON THE STREET LEVEL, RIGHT? I HAVE BEEN WITH THIS CHIEF WHEN FORMER GANG MEMBERS HAVE CALLED HIM AND HE WAS ABLE TO DEESCALATE GANG VIOLENCE IN OUR STREETS. I'VE BEEN WITH HIM WHEN ACTIVISTS HAD CALLED HIM AND HE WAS ABLE TO DEESCALATE VIOLENCE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. WELL, WHY DON'T WE, WHY DON'T WE PUT OUR, PUT OUR HEADS TOGETHER AND LET'S COME UP WITH AN OPPORTUNITY. UM, I THINK THAT THIS ENTIRE COUNCIL WOULD BE WILLING TO, UM, DO SOMETHING EXTRAORDINARY TO SHOW CHIEF FINNER HOW MUCH WE APPRECIATE HIS 34 YEARS OF DEDICATED SERVICE. UM, AND I'D LOVE FOR US TO, UM, KIND OF JUST HUDDLE AND FIGURE OUT THE BEST WAY WE CAN DO THAT. YES, MA'AM. YES MA'AM. AND I'M SURE HIS FAMILY WOULD BE THANKFUL FOR THAT. OKAY. THANK YOU. VERY GOOD. WELL SAID. NEXT. THANK YOU, ERIC. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU BRANDON. LOVE. GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. MY NAME IS BRANDON LOVE. I'M A SERGEANT WITHIN THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT, BUT I CURRENTLY SERVE AS THE PRESIDENT FOR THE AFRO-AMERICAN POLICE OFFICERS LEAGUE. I'M GONNA BRING A MORE OF [01:55:01] A CALM APPROACH THIS TIME. UH, THAT'S WHAT I, THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU GIVE YOUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ALL YOUR TALKING POINTS. I DON'T HAVE MUCH TO TALK ABOUT NOW, , BUT JUST A SHORT BIO BY MYSELF. I'VE BEEN ON ABOUT 10 YEARS NOW, UM, 35 YEARS OLD. AND I SAY THAT TO SAY THAT I'M A PART OF THE FUTURE HERE IN HPD AND ERIC CARR AND EVERYONE BEHIND EVERYONE ELSE THAT COMES IN AND SPEAK TO YOU, OR THEY HAVE A LOT OF TIME ON. BUT A LITTLE BIT ABOUT APRIL, THE ORGANIZATION WAS FOUNDED BACK IN 1975 DURING A TIME WHEN A LOT OF MINORITY OFFICERS DIDN'T HAVE A FAIR OPPORTUNITY WHEN IT CAME TO PROMOTING, WHEN IT CAME TO DISCIPLINE, WHEN IT CAME TO GETTING TO SPECIALIZED DIVISIONS. SO THE ORGANIZATION WAS FOUNDED TO BE THE REPRESENTATION FOR THE MINORITY OFFICER DURING THAT TIME. NOW, FAST FORWARD IN THE YEAR 2024, OUR ORGANIZATION HAS GROWN IMMENSELY. WELL, I REPRESENT OVER 900 POLICE, POLICE PERSONNEL AND CLASSIFIED CIVILIAN AS WELL WITHIN THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT. SO I HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO SHARE A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE FROM, FROM OUR MEMBERS AS WELL. AND A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT I WANTED TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION, AND JUST TO KIND OF ELABORATE A LITTLE BIT MORE ON IS RECRUITING. UM, LIKE I MENTIONED BEFORE, I HAVE 10 YEARS ON, AND MY GOAL IS TO CONTINUE TO ASCEND THEM, ASCEND THE RANKS HERE WITHIN HPD. AND I WANT TO CONTINUE TO MAKE SURE THE OFFICERS THAT ARE HERE, STICK, STICK, STICK AROUND. THANK YOU, MR. LOVE. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. NO, NO, NO. GO RIGHT AHEAD. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. SO I'D LIKE TO ALSO PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO CONTINUE TO STICK AROUND AND ALSO SHARE WITH YOU ALL AND SHARE WITH THE PUBLIC THAT WE ARE HIRING IS NO LONGER, YOU HAVE TO HAVE COLLEGE EXPERIENCE OR MILITARY EXPERIENCE. AND NOW YOU CAN HAVE WORK EXPERIENCE TO GET HIRED ON IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. ALSO, THERE'S NO, NO LONGER A AGE LIMIT. IF YOU CAN PASS THE PHYSICAL FITNESS TEST, YOU CAN NOW COME AND JOIN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. ALSO, RETENTION. A LOT OF, WE'VE BEEN EXPERIENCING THAT A LOT OF OFFICERS HAVE GO THROUGH OUR ACADEMY, GET THE TRAINING, WHICH IS SECOND TO NONE, AND THEN LEAVE AND GO ELSEWHERE TO MORE LUCRATIVE DEPARTMENTS LIKE PLANO, TEXAS OR GRAND PRAIRIE OR FRISCO OR MCKINNEY OR AUSTIN. AND NOT STAYING HERE WITHIN HPD. WE HAVE A LOT OF GOOD FRUIT HERE WITHIN THE CITY. AND I WANT TO CONTINUE TO SEE OUR ORGANIZATION CONTINUE TO, TO FLOURISH SO WE CAN SERVICE THE CITIZENS OF HOUSTON. AND ALSO, UH, COUNCILMAN DAVIS, YOU ASKED ABOUT MORALE AS A YOUNG OFFICER ON THIS DEPARTMENT. I BELIEVE MORALE IS IMPROVING. UM, I DO BELIEVE WHAT OUR CURRENT, UM, INTERIM CHIEF SADDLE WHITE, I BELIEVE THAT HE HAS A, HE'S HOMEGROWN RAISED THROUGH THE RANKS. WE DO HAVE A LOT OF FAITH IN HIM, A LOT OF HOPE, A LOT OF HOPE WITH HIM TO CONTINUE TO LEAD THIS ORGANIZATION IN A, IN A, IN A RIGHT WAY TO ADDRESS VIOLENT CRIME WITHIN THE CITY. SO MORALE IS IMPROVING WITHIN HPD, EVEN THOUGH CHIEF FINN IS NO LONGER WITH US UNDER OUR CURRENT, OUR CURRENT ACTING CHIEF. SO I JUST KIND OF WANTED TO MAKE MENTION OF THAT AND LET YOU ALL KNOW FROM A GRASSROOTS LEVEL THAT WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE FOR ALL, ALL OF OUR MEMBERS. AND I, I'M HERE AS A RESOURCE. I BELIEVE THEY SHARED YOU ALL MY CONTACT INFORMATION. I WANT TO BE HERE AS A RESOURCE. I WANNA PARTNER WITH YOU ALL SO WE CAN, UM, ATTEND YOUR EDUCATIONAL, UM, SAFETY BRIEF, BRIEF BRIEFINGS AND OTHER SEMINARS IN YOUR RESPECTIVE DISTRICT, DIFFERENT DISTRICTS SO WE CAN, UH, ALSO MARKET HPD IN A MORE POSITIVE WAY AND SHARE AND SHARE OUR RECRUITMENT EFFORTS. SO I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. I LOOK FORWARD TO COLLABORATING WITH YOU ALL IN THE FUTURE, AND I APPRECIATE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF Y'ALL FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO WITH THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBER. KAMAN. THANK YOU, BRANDON. I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU AS I DID, ERIC, FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP OF APOL. UM, YOU ALL SERVE IN THE DEPARTMENT AND AT THE SAME TIME SERVE THROUGH A POLL. UM, IT IS ALL, UM, MEMBERS OF HPD INVOLVED. THERE'S NO PROFESSIONAL STAFF, SO TO SPEAK, THAT CAN SUPPLEMENT THE TIME AND WORK THAT YOU ALL DO, UM, WHILE SERVING OUR CITY IN SO MANY WAYS. SO I JUST, I WANNA RECOGNIZE THAT AND THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP, UH, AND YOUR IMPORTANT VOICE. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND BRANDON, I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU AS WELL FOR, FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP, ERIC AS WELL, FOR APO, EVERYTHING Y'ALL ARE DOING, THE WORK THAT Y'ALL HAVE DONE TO ENSURE THAT THERE'S REPRESENTATION IN THE DEPARTMENT FOR BLACK AND BROWN FOLKS, BUT THEN EVEN, EVEN MORE SO WITH ALL ETHNICITIES, UH, NOW. UM, AND SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, THAT YOU ALL KNOW THAT I WANNA PARTNER WITH YOU ALL WHENEVER IT COMES TO DOING THE RECRUITMENT AND DISTRICT. I SPECIFICALLY, UH, SO DEFINITELY LOOK OUT FOR A CALL, UH, FOR MY OFFICE TO, TO START WORKING ON, ON SOME OF THAT. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. THANK YOU, MAYOR AGAIN. UM, SERGEANT LOVE, THANK YOU AS WELL AS SERGEANT CARR, ALWAYS FOR THE JOB THAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING AND WHAT YOU REPRESENT, IN MY OPINION, THE FINEST OF THE CITY OF ALL OF OUR POLICE OFFICERS, MEN AND WOMEN. AND YOUR COMMENTS ARE WELL TAKEN IN REGARDS TO THAT BECAUSE A LOT OF TIME WE, WE KNOW PEOPLE THROW OUT ABOUT OVERTIME, BUT A LOT OF I'VE SAID BEFORE IN THIS COUNCIL, OVERTIME CAN ALSO MEAN OVERWORK. AND WE WANT TO RESPECT THE OFFICER. AND THAT'S WHY I WAS INDICATING THAT, THAT RECRUITING IS VERY IMPORTANT. [02:00:01] IT, IT REALLY IS. AND SO HOPEFULLY THE JOB THAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING AND WORKING TOGETHER, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING, UH, THAT, THAT MORALE CONTINUE TO GO UP AND ANY AND ALL THAT I COULD DO AND WHATEVER AS WELL AS MANY COUNCIL PEOPLE WE ARE HERE, SIR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL HUFFMAN. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU, BRANDON FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO FOR THE POLICE OFFICERS OUT THERE IN YOUR LEADERSHIP. UM, FOR A POLL, UH, WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE AS THE NEXT PERMANENT CHIEF OF POLICE? UM, I WAS ASKED THAT QUESTION RECENTLY. I I JUST, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE JUST A, A GOOD CHIEF MAN OR WOMAN, A PERSON WHO SHARES, YOU KNOW, THE VISION OF THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT, WHO'S APPROACHABLE, WHO'S RELATABLE, WHO UNDERSTANDS THE NEED OF THIS CITY. UM, WE HAVE A LOT OF GOOD INTERNAL, UM, LEADERSHIP WITHIN HPD. AND I BELIEVE THAT, YOU KNOW, ANYONE OF THOSE CAN HELP LEAD THIS DEPARTMENT AND LEAD THE CITY IN THE RIGHT WAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT, THANK YOU MAYOR PER TIM. AND, UM, I'D LIKE TO ASSIST IN THE RULES TO PUT SHEILA BLAKE NEXT IN LINE. IS THAT OKAY? IT'S ON THE SECOND ON THE, ON THE THREE MINUTE NON AGENDA LIST. IT'S BEEN MOVED IN SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? ANY OPPOSED? CALL THE NEXT SPEAKER. SHEILA BLAKE, THANK YOU. YOU I'LL TRY TO KEEP IT. SHEILA BLAKE, I'M, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I'LL TRY TO KEEP IT BRIEF AND, UM, KEEP IT LIGHT. MY NAME IS SHEILA BLAKE AND I'M A FORMER CITY OF HOUSTON EMPLOYEE, AND I'M HERE TO EXTEND AN INVITATION. SO I'M GONNA JUST, UH, HAND OUT A FLYER AND, UM, AND CELEBRATE THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S GREEN BUILDING RESOURCE CENTER. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU KNOW THIS, BUT JUST AS WE HAD EARTH DAY RECENTLY, AND MANY OF YOU PROBABLY WENT TO DISCOVERY GREEN TO CELEBRATE AND HONOR THE PEOPLE WHO ARE, UM, IN THE ACTIVITIES THAT ARE PROTECTING OUR PLANET, THAT THE CITY PARTNERS WITH THE CITIZENS ENVIRONMENTAL COALITION TO DO THAT. AND THEY, ALONG WITH THE GROUP I'M REPRESENTING TODAY, UM, IS BLACKWOOD EDUCATIONAL LAND INSTITUTE, WHICH OPERATES THE SKY FARM ON TOP OF THE POST HTX. SO WE'RE PARTNERING TOMORROW EVENING TO HONOR STEVE STELZER, WHO RAN THE GREEN BUILDING RESOURCE CENTER FOR 15 YEARS. THAT GREEN BUILDING RESOURCE CENTER IS IN THE CITY. IT IS A GEM. IT IS A, A CERTIFIED GREEN BUILDING SPACE IN THE HOUSTON PERMITTING CENTER. HE'S DONE A GREAT JOB THERE. SO MANY THINGS. HE EDUCATES SCHOOL GROUPS. UH, WE RUN A, THEY RAN A RAIN BARREL CELL, ALL KINDS OF WONDERFUL THINGS. WE'LL BE HONORING HIM TOMORROW AND, UM, CELEBRATING SUSTAINABILITY IN HOUSTON AND THE GOOD TRACK RECORD THAT THE GREEN BUILDING RESOURCE CENTER HAS DONE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. IF YOU WANNA, ARE ARE THOSE INVITATIONS? YES. WE CAN GIVE THOSE TO RENEE AND HE CAN PASS THOSE OUT TO US. UM, AND THEN COUNCIL MEMBER CAME AND DOES, UH, HAVE A COMMENT FOR YOU? NO, SHEILA, I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU AND YOU SAID YOU WERE PASSING THOSE OUT. I JUST WANTED THE SPECIFIC DETAILS OF THE EVENT. UM, SKY FARM FIVE 30 TOMORROW AFTER EVENING FROM FIVE 30 TO EIGHT AFTER WORK. WEATHER'S SUPPOSED TO BE GOOD. AMAZING. AND AGAIN, TO STEVE FOR ALL THE WORK THAT HE'S DONE. AND SHEILA, THANK YOU FOR ALL THE PARTNERSHIPS. I THINK YOU, UH, GAVE A SHOUT OUT TO BLACKWOOD, UH, WHERE I ACTUALLY GREW UP GOING, UH, WITH MY CLASS, UH, AND BUILT THE CISTERN OUT THERE, AND IT'S AN INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCE FOR STUDENTS. SO THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER ALCO. SHEILA, THANKS FOR COMING AND THANKS FOR HIGHLIGHTING STEVE SELTZER WORK AT THE GREEN RESOURCE CENTER, THAT, UM, HE HAS DONE A GREAT JOB AND THAT IS A GEM FOR US. AND THANKS FOR ALL YOUR WORK AND HELPING US DO UPDATE THE BUILDING CODE LAST YEAR. APPRECIATE IT. YOU'RE WELCOME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, BETH HARP. BETH HARP, THANK YOU. UM, I AM HERE TODAY TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT HUNGER. MANY OF YOU HAVE BEEN HUGE SUPPORTERS OF KIDS' MEALS, BUT KIDS' MEALS IS A NATION'S ONLY HOME DELIVERY SERVICE FOR PRESCHOOL AGED CHILDREN THAT ARE LIVING IN SEVERE POVERTY. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS KNOW, BUT MOST RECENT NUMBERS FROM TEXAS CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL TELL US THAT 72,000 CHILDREN IN OUR CITY ARE LIVING FOOD INSECURE AND KIDS MEALS HAS A SOLUTION. WE ARE BRINGING MEALS DIRECTLY TO THE HOMES, THE APARTMENTS, AND THE TRAILERS OF PRESCHOOL AGED CHILDREN THAT ARE LIVING FOOD INSECURE. AND WE ARE BUILDING A BUILDING TO ENSURE THAT WE CAN SERVE 26,000 CHILDREN A DAY BY 2031. AND WE'D LIKE TO INVITE EACH OF YOU TO THE GROUNDBREAKING. THIS IS A HISTORIC TIME [02:05:01] FOR NOT ONLY FOR KIDS MEALS, BUT FOR OUR CITY BECAUSE AGAIN, WE'RE THE ONLY ONE IN THE NATION THAT ARE DOING THIS MODEL. WE ARE ALLEVIATING CHILDHOOD HUNGER ON A DAILY BASIS FOR SO MANY KIDS. RIGHT NOW, WE ARE SERVING AN ANNUAL AVERAGE OF CLOSE TO 10,000 CHILDREN A DAY, 10,000 CHILDREN A DAY. SO WE KNOW THAT WE ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE, BUT THE NEED IS HUGE. AND I'M SO GRATEFUL TO EACH OF YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND WOULD LOVE TO INVITE YOU TO ATTEND OUR GROUNDBREAKING. AND I'VE GIVEN YOU EACH AN INVITATION WITH SOME OF OUR CUSTOM COFFEE AND A LITTLE SHOVEL. AND I'D LIKE FOR YOU TO COME AND CELEBRATE THIS FOR OUR CITY, BECAUSE OUR CITY IS GONNA BE THE FIRST TO END CHILDHOOD HUNGER WITH THIS MODEL. BUT WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT. AND WE THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING. I WANTED TO SHOW YOU THE BUILDING. UH, THE BUILDING IS COMING AND IT'S IN SPRING BRANCH. AND WANTED TO THANK COUNCIL MEMBER A AMY PECK MAYOR, UH, VICE MAYOR PROTI FOR SUPPORTING US. THANK YOU MS. HALL, AS WELL AS SEVERAL OTHERS. GOOD TIME HAS EXPIRED. COUNCIL MEMBER PECK. THANK YOU, MAYOR PROTI. PAT, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO. WE'RE SO EXCITED THAT YOU'RE MOVING YOUR HEADQUARTERS TO DISTRICT A. UM, KIDS MEALS IS SUCH A GREAT ORGANIZATION. THANK YOU, UM, TO ALL OF THE VOLUNTEERS WHO WORK EVERY DAY DOING THIS, I MEAN, TO THOSE 10,000 KIDS THAT YOU SERVE EVERY SINGLE DAY. I MEAN, IT'S JUST LIFE CHANGING FOR THEM. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING. AND IF YOU HAVEN'T VOLUNTEERED WITH KIDS MEALS, I DEFINITELY RECOMMEND, UM, GOING OUT THERE. IT'S SO MUCH FUN TO PUT ALL THE FOOD TOGETHER AND TO DECORATE THE BAGS. AND SO, UM, IT'S, IT'S JUST A GREAT EXPERIENCE. THANK YOU FOR CELEBRATING YOUR BIRTHDAY WITH US RECENTLY. I'M SO GRATEFUL. I ALSO LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU TO COUNCIL MEMBER TWILA CARTER FOR, UM, SHE HAS BEEN A HUGE SUPPORTER, BOTH AT THE ASTROS FOUNDATION AND NOW AS A COUNCIL MEMBER DELIVERING MEALS DIRECTLY TO THE DOORS OF KIDS COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD. THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TIM. AND, UH, MS. HAR, I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, FINDING WAYS TO PROVIDE HEALTHY MEALS TO, UH, FAMILIES AND KIDS. UH, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS, UH, CAMPUS FOR SOME TIME. I REMEMBER WHEN IT WAS JUST SURRENDERING AND GLAD TO SEE IT COME TO FRUITION. AND ALSO ALL YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS ON THE FOOD INSECURITY BOARD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER, AND THANK YOU, BETH. YOU KNOW, THAT, UH, KIDS MEALS IS LIKELY MY FAVORITE CHARITY IN THE CITY, AND I WOULD CHALLENGE EACH OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO NOT ONLY GO AND HELP PREPARE MEALS, BUT GO ON A RIDE ALONG. IT IS LIFE CHANGING. ALSO, YOU WILL GET TO KNOW YOUR DISTRICTS IN A WAY THAT YOU MAY NOT WANT TO KNOW, BECAUSE SOME OF THE APARTMENTS THAT SOME OF THESE CHILDREN ARE LIVING IN. AND IT'S, IT'S AN EYE-OPENING EXPERIENCE. AND, AND, UH, I JUST, THE, THE WORK THAT THIS ORGANIZATION DOES IS BEYOND MEASURE LIFE CHANGING FOR SO MANY. AND JUST THANK YOU, UH, LIKE COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD SAID, WE'VE BEEN, THIS, THIS DREAM OF THIS BUILDING HAS BEEN AN IDEA FOR A LONG TIME AND IT'S FINALLY GONNA HAPPEN. I'M SO EXCITED. I REALLY AM VARSITY. SO THANKS BETH, FOR ALL YOU DO. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND YOU'RE RIGHT, WE'RE IN 47 ZIP CODES IN THE GREATER HOUSTON AREA, SO WE WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO COME RIGHT ALONG AND SEE THE IMPACTFUL WORK WE'RE DOING. SO THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ CHALLENGE MET, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER. GOOD TO SEE YOU, BETH. THANK YOU, UH, ENJOYED SO MUCH, UH, COMING OUT AND, AND HELPING AT YOUR FACILITY, UH, WITH MY COUNCIL STAFF A FEW MONTHS AGO WHEN, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER PECK INVITED US IN CELEBRATION OF HER BIRTHDAY. BUT THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO TO SERVE OUR, OUR CHILDREN HERE WHO DON'T ALWAYS HAVE, HAVE THE BEST FOOD TO EAT. UM, AND SO KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK AND THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER, SHYA SHARP. IS IT THREE MINUTES OR ONE MINUTE? ONE MINUTE. GO AHEAD. UM, I'VE BEEN HERE BEFORE YOU GUYS, A LOT OF YOU GUYS HAVE SEEN ME. UM, I JUST WANNA MAKE AWARE THAT THE ISSUES ARE STILL GOING ON WITH ME. AND I ALSO WANNA SUE THE CITY OF HOUSTON FOR HARASSMENT AS WELL. SO IF YOU GUYS DON'T, OR IF NOBODY DOES ANYTHING REGARDING MY SITUATION, I WILL BE SUING THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND HARRIS COUNTY BECAUSE I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO LIVE IN, YOU KNOW, UNCOMFORTABILITY EVERYWHERE I GO, AND I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH PEOPLE DOING FALSE REPORTS AND LYING ON MY NAME FOR FUN. THIS IS NOT, AND I, I DON'T APPRECIATE TRYING TO GET MEDIA ATTENTION OFF OF ME BECAUSE I'M AN INFLUENCER, SO I WILL, I KNOW HOW PEOPLE ARE AND I KNOW HOW PEOPLE CAN BE WHEN IT COMES TO THINGS LIKE THAT. SO, YOU GUYS HAVE A GREAT DAY. THANK YOU FOR COMING. NEXT SPEAKER. PAULA CURRY. PAULA CURRY. [02:10:03] IS THAT PAUL CURRY? NEXT SPEAKER. MARTY WILLIAMS. MARTY WILLIAMS. NEXT SPEAKER. CARLA JONES. CARLA JONES. NEXT SPEAKER. WALTER VIDAL. WALTER VIDAL, NEXT SPEAKER. MARIA LOPEZ. MARIA LOPEZ. NEXT SPEAKER. ADRIAN JOHNSON. ADRIAN JOHNSON. HELLO, MR. JOHNSON. GO AHEAD. WELL, HELLO CITY FOLKS. UH, I JUST CAME WITH A FEW QUESTIONS. I'M, UH, WELL, THE POLICE, UH, ACTUALLY, UH, ANSWERED A LOT OF MY QUESTIONS. THE ONLY QUESTION I REALLY HAD WAS, UH, THEY TOOK A LOT OUT OF IT. , ONLY THING I WAS CONCERNED WAS THE, UH, THE PROBLEM THEY HAD IS, UH, RECRUITING. I THINK YOU HAD TO CREATE REVENUE. AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THE CITY DOES WITH THE POLICING IS TAKING ON SIDE JOBS. I THINK THAT'S RIDICULOUS. IF I'M A TAXPAYER, I DON'T THINK AS COPS SHOULD TAKE A SIDE JOB MAKING $42,000 A YEAR. I THINK MY DAUGHTER MAKES MORE THAN THAT. BUT, UM, I THINK IN ORDER TO CREATE, UM, REVENUE, SO YOU CAN HIRE MORE POLICES, YOU GOTTA GET, UH, I, I KNOW THE STATE GOT RID OF THE, UM, RED LIGHT CAMERAS. I'M FROM CHICAGO AS WELL. I THINK THE RED, IF YOU LOOK AT CHICAGO'S, UH, REVENUE, HOW MUCH THEY MAKE ON RED LIGHT HAMMERS, WELL, YOU CAN MAKE A LOT OF MONEY THAT WAY. I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T LIKE IT, BUT YOU GOTTA OBEY THE LAW. I'M A, A CYCLIST AND, UH, THANK YOU MR. JOHNSON. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. OH, GO AHEAD AND WRAP IT UP, MR. ALRIGHT, JOHNSON. WELL, I, I'M A EIGHT TIME IRONMAN CYCLIST AND, UH, TRIATHLON. UM, I THINK IF YOU CAN, UM, JUST FIND OTHER WAYS TO CREATE REVENUE VERSUS, UH, I MEAN, THE COPS CAN GET MORE MONEY SO THEY CAN GET MORE POLICE OFFICERS. THAT'S PLENTY. IF YOU WANT SAFETY, I RIDE THAT BIKE OVER A HUNDRED MILES. AND IF YOU SEE THE BOY DRIVERS ARE OUT THERE WITH NO BUMPERS, NO INSURANCE, WELL PULL 'EM OVER. THEY GOT A LOT OF BUSES HERE IN HOUSTON. SO, UH, LET THE PEOPLE TAKE THE BUSES. I HEAR ALL THE TIME, CALL POLICE OFFICERS TELL, TELL ME THAT, UM, THEY PULL PEOPLE OVER, BUT PEOPLE DON'T GO TO COURT AND THEY KEEP ON DRIVING. WELL, THAT'S A LOT OF, A LOT OF REVENUE THAT'S GETTING IN THE WAY. YOU CAN CREATE MORE REVENUE FOR THE POLICE OFFICERS AND YOU CAN HIRE MORE POLICE OFFICERS. I THINK MAYBE I HAD A SOLUTION, BUT YOU GOTTA START SOMEWHERE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR, UH, ATE, THANKS FOR YOUR TIME. YOU GUYS ARE DOING A PRETTY GOOD JOB. NEXT SPEAKER. AMOS SIMS. AMOS SIMS. AMOS SIMS. NEXT SPEAKER. ORAL, UH, ROLLINS. MR. ROLLINS, WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING. GREETINGS EVERYBODY. SO I CAME HERE TODAY TO SPEAK ON THE WARDS. AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, FIFTH WARD, WE'LL JUST STICK A FIFTH WARD. FIFTH WARD USED TO BE A VERY BEAUTIFUL PLACE UP UNTIL ABOUT THE, UH, FIFTIES WHERE THE 1956 HIGHWAY SAFETY ACT WAS LEGALLY USED ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES TO DESTROY THE BLACK COMMUNITY. SO HOUSTON HAS A LOT OF PROBLEMS CURRENTLY BECAUSE OF THIS, THIS FACT, IN FIFTH WARD ALONE, WE LOST OVER 900 BLACK OWNED BUSINESSES. IF ANY, IF ANY NATIONALITIES, UH, BUSINESS SECTOR WAS DESTROYED IN A MATTER OF ABOUT 20 YEARS, THEIR POSTERITY WOULD DEFINITELY BE DAMAGED. THAT'S WHY THERE'S SO MUCH HOMELESSNESS WITHIN THE BLACK COMMUNITY TODAY. PRIOR TO THIS ALSO, UM, THE WARS WERE EXPANDING. SO THE BLACK COMMUNITY WOULD'VE LITERALLY OWNED, UH, DOWNTOWN PROPERTIES AND BEEN ABLE TO REALLY LIFT OURSELVES UP BY OUR BOOTSTRAPS. LIKE EVERYBODY TELLS US THAT WE NEED TO. SO WE CAN'T CONTINUE TO ACT LIKE EVERYBODY'S THE SAME, THAT EVERYBODY HAS GONE THROUGH THE SAME THING. WE HAVE HAD AN ENTIRE NATION WEAPONIZE FEDERAL FUNDING AGAINST US, AND WE CAN'T KEEP PLAYING THESE GAMES. LIKE, THAT'S NOT THE TRUTH. SO, UM, BASICALLY I WANNA KNOW HOW CAN WE ACCESS FUNDS? THANK YOU, MR. ROLLINS, YOUR TIME. THAT HAS EXPIRED. GO AHEAD AND WRAP IT UP. THANK YOU. SO, UH, THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION DID ALLOCATE FUNDS FOR COMMUNITIES THAT WERE DAMAGED BY INFRASTRUCTURE. SO I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW CAN WE ACCESS THESE, UH, THESE FUNDS BECAUSE WE, WE CAN LITERALLY SAVE HOUSTON. IT'S POSSIBLE. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS, UH, THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TEM. UM, VERY GOOD POINTS. AND I WANT TO [02:15:01] INVITE YOU, UH, TO SHARE THE SAME QUESTIONS DURING PUBLIC HEARING. UM, THE MAYOR JUST RELEASED THE PROPOSED FISCAL 25 BUDGET. UM, SO EVERY DEPARTMENT'S GONNA TALK ABOUT FUNDING A LOT. SOMETIMES IT'S FEDERAL FUNDING. AND I THINK THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU'RE RAISING FROM FEDERAL IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO LOOK AT HOW WE'RE GONNA, YOU COULD HEAR HOW THE CITY PLANS ON DRAWING DOWN ON SOME OF THOSE INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, FUNDS, HUD FUNDS, UM, UM, ALL TYPES OF OPPORTUNITIES. SO THERE, UM, RENEE CAN GET YOU THE BUDGET HEARING ALL THAT'S ALREADY PUBLISHED. YOU CAN COME IN CHAMBERS, YOU CAN WATCH ONLINE. BUT I WANNA ENCOURAGE YOU TO INGRATIATE YOURSELF IN THE BUDGET HEARING PROCESS. AND I THINK A LOT OF WHAT MAY COME OUT, UH, MAYBE HELPFUL FOR YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. OH, COUNCIL MEMBER. THANK YOU, SIR. NEXT SPEAKER, A PROCEDURAL MOTION. OH, COUNCIL MEMBER CHAVEZ. THANK YOU MAYOR PERAM. I'D LIKE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO ADD CARLA JONES BACK TO THE SPEAKER'S LIST. SHE HAD AN ISSUE AND SHE HAD TO ADDRESS OUT WITH THE POLICE OFFICER REGARDING THE LOST ITEM. AND I'D LIKE TO ADD HER BACK TO THE, SHE'S ALREADY ON THE LIST, BUT WE PASSED HER UP. IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? YEAH, YOU'VE ALREADY CALLED. OKAY. WE JUST NEED TO CIRCLE BACK TO HER. YES. YEAH, WE DON'T NEED A MOTION. WE DON'T NEED A MOTION. WE CAN JUST CALL HER UP. OKAY. THANK YOU. WE'RE CARLA JONES. CARLA JONES. CARLA JONES. HELLO, MS. JONES. HI. HELLO. IF YOU CAN GET BEHIND ONE OF THOSE MICROPHONES. THANK YOU. HELLO. PLEASED TO MEET YOU ALL. UM, I WAS A VICTIM OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN MY HOME ON 4 29 22 ON 4 5 20 FOURTH. THE CASE WAS DISMISSED DUE TO CONSTABLE PRECINCT SIX, LOSING THE NINE ONE ONE CALL AND BODY CAM EVIDENCE. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING PRECINCT SIX CHANGE DATABASES SOMETIME DURING THE TWO YEAR CASE AND FAILED TO SECURE MY CASE'S INFORMATION ALONG WITH WHAT I ASSUME MANY OTHERS. THE DEFENDANT WAS LOOKING AT 25 YEARS, PARTLY BECAUSE OF HIS LENGTHY PAST CRIMINAL RECORD, BUT BECAUSE CONSTABLE PRECINCT SIX FAILED TO PROTECT THE LAW, HE WALKED WITH NOTHING ON THURSDAY, 4 4 24. I WAS CONTACTED BY SINCE THE DA MCCORMICK INQUIRING IF I REMEMBER ANYTHING ABOUT THE CASE BECAUSE, EXCUSE ME, BECAUSE IT WOULD BE BACK IN COURT THIS WEEK. UM, THE NEXT DAY, FRIDAY, 4 5 24. IT WAS BACK IN COURT MONDAY 4 8 24. I WAS INFORMED IT WAS DISMISSED BECAUSE PRECINCT SIX DID NOT PRESERVE TELEPHONE EVIDENCE NOR VISUAL BODY CAM EVIDENCE TO PRE TO THE PRESENT DAY. I STILL DO NOT KNOW WHEN EXACTLY DID THE LOSS TAKE PLACE WITHIN THE TWO YEAR TIMEFRAME. I DO KNOW HARDENED CRIMINALS ARE BEING SET FREE AND THE VICTIMS ARE NOT BEING GIVEN PRIOR NOTICE THIS MISTAKE COULD COST LIVES. IT ALSO TOOK PRECINCT CONSTABLE SIX, SIX MONTHS TO SEND CRIMES VICTIMS COMPENSATION, THE REQUESTED POLICE REPORTS. THANK YOU, MS. JONES. THANK YOU. COUNCIL. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. OH, COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD. THANK YOU, MAYOR PROTE. UH, MA'AM, I'M VERY SORRY TO HEAR ABOUT, UH, THE CIRCUMSTANCES REVOLVING THAT INCIDENT. YES. UH, AFTER THE COUNCIL MEMBER SPEAK TO YOU, I'M GONNA STEP TO THE SIDE AND SPEAK TO YOU IN PRIVATE. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. COUNCIL MEMBER SHABA. THANK YOU MAYOR , DID YOU COMPLETE YOUR STATEMENT? IF NOT, YOU CAN HAVE A FEW OF MY MINUTES. YES. YES MA'AM. YOU DO? OH, YES. UM, UM, IT, IT ALSO TOOK, OKAY, IT ALSO TOOK PRECINCT CONSTABLE SIX, SIX MONTHS TO STAND CRIMES VICTIMS' COMPENSATION. THE REQUESTED POLICE REPORTS. I UNDERSTAND. AS DEPUTY MELISSA MANTA STATED, IT'S A SMALL DEPARTMENT AND SHE WEARS MANY HATS, WORKING RECORDS, AND I A HOWEVER, THIS IS NO EXCUSE, UM, TO TAKE PEOPLE LIES FOR GRANTED. JUSTICE HAS FAILED ME AS I ASSUME MANY OTHERS. I WOULD LIKE YOU ALL TO KNOW I AM NOT MAD BECAUSE OF DISMISSAL AS DEPUTY MELISSA. UM, MADENA SAID ONCE I QUESTIONED CONSTABLE PRECINCT SIX ON FOUR NINE ABOUT THE MISSING EVIDENCE, WHAT I DO FEEL IS RE-VICTIMIZATION DISAPPOINTMENT AND DISTRUST IN OUR JUDICIAL SYSTEM. THE DA OFFICE ASSISTANT DA MCCORMICK SPECIFICALLY, UH, SPECIFICALLY HAD IN THE CASE OTHER THAN THE MISSING NINE ONE ONE CALL AND, UM, BODY CAM EVIDENCE THAT I THE WITNESS WAS MISSING. THIS CAN BE, UM, DISPROVEN BY THE FACT I RESPONDED TO HIM IN LESS THAN FOUR HOURS THROUGH EMAIL. I HAVE ALSO LIVED AT THE SAME ADDRESS FOR 15 YEARS, AS WELL AS CHECK THE STATUS OF THE TWO YEAR CASE PERIODICALLY, I DO NOT KNOW WHAT HAPPENED, BUT SOMETHING IS DEFINITELY WRONG. COUNCIL MEMBER KAMA. THANK YOU. UM, FIRST AND FOREMOST, THANK YOU FOR COMING TO CITY COUNCIL. UM, IT'S ALWAYS DIFFICULT, UH, TO SPEAK ABOUT YOUR OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCE AND WHAT YOU'VE GONE THROUGH. SO I REALLY RESPECT YES, YOUR STRENGTH IN THAT. UM, YOU KEEP REF REFERENCING PRECINCT SIX CONSTABLES, AND THAT'S WITH OUTSIDE OF THE JURISDICTION OF THE [02:20:01] CITY OF HOUSTON. IT FALLS WITHIN THE JURISDICTION OF HARRIS COUNTY. UM, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THERE AREN'T PEOPLE HERE TO HELP YOU. I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD IS GONNA SPEAK WITH YOU, BUT I WANTED TO GIVE YOU SOME OTHER, UM, ADDITIONAL RESOURCES. ONE, UM, SPEAKING AT COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S COURT AND REACHING OUT TO YOUR COUNTY COMMISSIONER. OKAY. UM, BASED ON WHERE YOU LIVE, UH, BECAUSE THEY SHOULD BE YOUR, YOUR LOUDEST ADVOCATE, UH, AS YOU'RE DEALING WITH SOMETHING WITHIN HARRIS COUNTY. OKAY? UH, ADDITIONALLY, UH, IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN WORKING WITH, UH, SOME OF OUR SURVIVOR ORGANIZATIONS THAT SPECIALIZE IN MATTERS RELATED TO DOMESTIC ABUSE, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, HOUSTON AREA WOMEN'S CENTER MM-HMM . UM, YOU MAY ALSO WANT TO REACH OUT TO THEM IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY MM-HMM . UH, BUT I'LL, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD'S GONNA, UH, GET WITH YOU. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU KNEW THAT, UH, WE, WE, WE CAN WORK WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, BUT IF IT WAS WITH THE CONSTABLE, FOR EXAMPLE, EVEN THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE FALLS WITHIN THE COUNTY ITSELF. OKAY? YES, MA'AM. YES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, MARK MCNEIL. MARK MCNEIL. NEXT SPEAKER. BEN BENJAMIN BROADWAY. BENJAMIN BROADWAY. OOPS. TRYING TO GET TO SO THREE. YES, I'D LIKE TO THANK THE COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR LETTING ME SPEAK TODAY. THE MAYOR HAD LAUNCHED A CAMPAIGN THIS ELECTION SEASON THAT SAID PUBLIC SAFETY. WE HAVE SOME ISSUES THROUGHOUT THE CITY THAT IS TALKING ABOUT FLOODING. FLOODING IS A PART OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY THAT HE WAS SO MUCH PREACHING ABOUT, AND THE FIRST RESPONDERS ARE THE FIRST ONES THAT COME OUT WHEN THE CITY FLOODS THROUGHOUT ALL OF YOUR DISTRICTS. IT'S NOT JUST DISTRICT B AND IT'S NOT JUST THE 12 DISTRICTS BECAUSE THE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT ARE TRYING TO HELP THE OTHER ONES CAN AND STILL RESPOND TO SOME OF THOSE RESPONSES. NOW, I APPRECIATE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT Y'ALL ARE DOING, UH, THROUGHOUT THE CITY. LIKE I'D LIKE TO NAME ONE STREET, LIKE, UH, COLETTE AND LAS CLEFA THERE. THEY HAD EIGHT TO 10 INCHES OF WATER SITTING ON THAT CORNER. NOW BECAUSE Y'ALL HAVE ADDED DRAINAGE, NOW THERE'S NOT. THANK YOU, MR. MR. BROADWAY. NOT HARDLY ANY WATER THERE, JUST LIKE THERE, MR. BROADWAY, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. AND GO AHEAD. JUST GO AHEAD AND WRAP IT UP FOR US. UH, YES MA'AM. MR. BROADWAY. THANK YOU MA. Y'ALL FINALLY PUT IN DRAINAGE IN LAKEWOOD. WE NEED TO KEEP ON DOING THAT SITUATION AND PUT THE ADVIL ALARM TAX MONEY WHERE IT NEEDS TO GO THROUGHOUT THE CITY. THANK YOU. WE APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS. HAVE MORE COMMENTS. CAMAN, COUNCIL MEMBER CAMAN. SORRY. UH, SORRY. REALLY QUICKLY, MR. BROADWAY, AND THIS GOES FOR ANYONE THAT'S SPEAKING TO DRAINAGE TODAY. UM, YOU KNOW, LOOK, WE'VE SEEN THE FLOODS THAT ARE, ARE HAPPENING AND THE NEED THROUGHOUT THE CITY. SO I APPRECIATE WE'RE NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT ONE AREA, ALTHOUGH THAT AREA IS DESPERATELY NEEDS INVESTMENT, UH, OR ADDITIONAL INVESTMENT, BUT IT'S THE CITY. UH, I'D LOVE TO HEAR, MAYBE NOT TODAY, BUT, UM, Y'ALL'S OPINION AS IT RELATES TO, UM, WE HAVE FLOOD MITIGATION PROJECTS IN Q THAT DO NOT BURDEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S BUDGET. UM, BUT USE OUTSIDE SOURCES OF FUNDING THAT WILL ALLOW THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO THEN FOCUS ON OTHER FLOOD MITIGATION PROJECTS, BUT AGAIN, FLOOD MITIGATION PROJECTS. NONETHELESS, UM, AS YOU ALL ARE CONTINUING TO ADVOCATE FOR MORE CITY FUNDING, UH, IT'D BE VERY HELPFUL TO KNOW, UH, WHERE YOU ALL ARE ON. AGAIN, WE ALSO HAVE FLOOD MITIGATION PROJECTS FOR MAJOR THOROUGH FARES THAT WILL RELIEVE CERTAIN NEIGHBORHOODS THAT UTILIZE OUTSIDE FUNDING, UH, SO THAT IT DOESN'T BURDEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S BUDGET, SO TO SPEAK. AND THAT ADDITIONAL THEN ADDITIONAL FUNDS CAN BE USED FOR, FOR EXAMPLE, ADDITIONAL FLOOD MITIGATION, IF THAT MAKES SENSE. SO MY ASK AS YOU ALL CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE, UM, IF YOU COULD PLEASE SPEAK TO SOME OF THAT BECAUSE WE DO HAVE PROJECTS ON PAUSE RIGHT NOW THAT WILL ADDRESS IMPORTANT FLOOD MITIGATION TOO. UH, YES MA'AM. I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION. I'VE ALREADY PUT IN A REQUEST TO SPEAK WITH THE MAYOR. I'M JUST WAITING TO GET A RESPONSE FROM THEM. SO IF Y'ALL COULD TALK WITH THE MAYOR WHEN HE DOES [02:25:01] COME BACK THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, I'M WAITING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, RIVA BU RIVA BU. NEXT SPEAKER. OSCAR HERNANDEZ. OSCAR HERNANDEZ. GOOD AFTERNOON, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS HERNANDEZ. I AM A HOMEOWNER IN SUNNYSIDE, DISTRICT D I'M HERE TO EXPRESS MY SUPPORT TO THE NORTHEAST ACTION COLLECTIVE, UH, DRAINAGE DAMAGED FUNDS FOR THIS YEAR'S BUDGET. FLOODING IS A MAJOR PROBLEM IN HOUSTON, ESPECIALLY IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD. WE, WHEN WE, WHEREVER WE GET HIT BY HEAVY RAINS, WE GET POWER OUTAGES AND SEWAGE BACKUPS. SEWAGE IS VISIBLY, UH, SEEN FROM THE MANHOLE COVERS. STREET LIGHTS LOSE THEIR POWER AS WELL AS MANY HOMES INCLUDING MINE. THE MAYOR HAS ACKNOWLEDGED THAT DRAINAGE IS A TOP PRIORITY FOR VOTERS. HOWEVER, ACCORDING TO THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE TODAY, THE BUDGET FOR PUBLIC WORKS IS SEEING A 13% DECREASE IN THEIR DEPARTMENT'S BUDGET. NORTHEAST ACCENT COLLECTION HAS THREE, COLLECTIVE HAS THREE DEMANDS. UH, ONE SUSTAINED A DITCH REESTABLISHMENT PROGRAM. TWO, INCREASE THE ANNUAL LDP FUNDING. THREE, CREATE A PRIVATE SEWER, SEWER LATERAL FUND. SO WE ASK THAT WHY HAS THE CITY CONTINUOUSLY TURNED A BLIND EYE WHEN IT COMES TO RESIDENT RESIDENTS FROM MY NEIGHBORHOOD AND MOSTLY BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES WHO HAVE BEEN HERE NUMEROUS TIMES WITH THESE DEMANDS. COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. THANK YOU, UM, MAYOR PRO TIM. HEY, OSCAR, HOW YOU DOING? UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR ADVOCACY. YOU'RE ALWAYS ADVOCATING FOR ISSUES THAT IMPACT OUR COMMUNITIES. I JUST WANT TO SAY, HEY, IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU AND LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU ON THIS ISSUE. OKAY, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, MR. HERNANDEZ. UH, NEXT SPEAKER, KELLY TODD, KELLY TODD MEMO. GOOD AFTERNOON. UM, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, I HAVE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY SINCE 2022. WHEN I FIRST MOVED INTO MY APARTMENT, I FILED TO MOVE IN IN AUGUST OF 2022. BUT BECAUSE OF THEIR MISTAKES AND AN APTITUDE, THERE WAS AN UNNECESSARY DELAY OF TWO MONTHS. AND THOUGH IT IS IN THE HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITIES HANDBOOK, IF THEY CAUSE A LANDLORD TO LOSE COMPENSATION, THEY HAVE NEVER COMPENSATED MY LANDLORD FOR THEIR MISTAKE IN THE PROCESSING OF MY APARTMENT. MY CURRENT ISSUE IS WITH THE RECERTIFICATION OF MY APARTMENT, WHICH IS A ONE BEDROOM AND APARTMENT, BUT I REQUESTED AN INFORMAL HEARING TO GET IT CORRECTED. BUT THE HOUSTON HOUSING AS AUTHORITIES STATES THAT I LIVE IN A TWO BEDROOM APARTMENT AND THEY ALSO INCLUDE THE, MY UTILITY REIMBURSEMENT AS A PART OF MY INCOME, EVEN THOUGH IT IS AGAINST THE HOOD HANDBOOK. AND FURTHERMORE, IT IS AGAINST FEDERAL HOOD TO INCLUDE UTILITY REIMBURSEMENTS AS OVERALL INCOME. THANK YOU. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. GO, GO AHEAD AND JUST WRAP IT UP. OKAY. UM, THE MAIN CONTACT REGARDING MY UTILITY REIMBURSEMENT HAS BEEN JACKIE CARNEY. I ALSO TRIED TO REACH OUT TO KENNETH COLES TO GET THIS RESOLVED, BUT HE NEVER RESPONDS TO ANY OF MY COMMUNICATIONS AND THEY CONTINUOUSLY DON'T DO ANYTHING WITH REGARDS TO MY CASE AND THEY MAKE CONSTANT MISTAKES. OKAY. UH, I'M GONNA ASK YOU TO TALK TO, UH, RENEE AND RENEE IF WE CAN GET HER IN CONTACT WITH THE, UM, SOMEONE AT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY. IF WE CAN TRY TO GET SOMEBODY ON THE PHONE FOR HER TO GET SOME ANSWERS TO HER. BUT I'VE TALKED TO PEOPLE AT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY MULTIPLE TIMES. I HAD AN INFORMAL HEARING THREE MONTHS AGO REGARDING THIS ISSUE, AND THEY DID NOT CORRECT ANY OF THIS. AND I'M A DISABLED VETERAN, AND I'M CONSTANTLY HAVE TO FIGHT WITH THEM ABOUT THIS SINCE 2022. THEY KNOW. SO DID, WHEN YOU HAD THE INFORMAL HEARING, DID WHY, WHY, WHY DIDN'T THEY HEAR YOU? THEY NEVER DO. THEY, I WILL SEND THEM EVIDENCE, I WILL TELL THEM WHAT IS WRONG AND THEN THEY IGNORE ME. AND THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE 2022. OKAY. SO WE ARE NOT GONNA SOLVE THIS RIGHT HERE. SO WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO, UM, RENEE, IF YOU CAN GET HER, UM, INFORMATION, SOMEONE FROM THE MAYOR'S OFFICE WILL HAVE TO GET WITH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY TO TRY TO GET [02:30:01] HER SOME ASSISTANCE TO MAKE SURE THAT WHAT HAS HAPPENED IS, IS, UM, THE LAST STEP. MAYBE SHE NEEDS TO GO TO A FORMAL HEARING OR SOMETHING, WHAT THE NEXT STEP IS. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. LILY GRANDVILLE. LILY GRANDVILLE. LILY GRANDVILLE. NEXT SPEAKER. KASEM KHAN. KASEM KHAN. NEXT SPEAKER. YARA GONZALEZ. YARA GONZALEZ. NEXT SPEAKER, VICTOR REED, SENIOR VICTOR REED, SENIOR. NEXT SPEAKER. KENNETH LAVERNE HERE. HELLO, MR. LAVERNE. HOW DOING? THIS IS BEN. OKAY. YOU HAVE A GENTLEMAN HERE THAT, UH, I HOPE Y'ALL DOING GOOD TODAY. HE HAS SOME PICTURES, . OKAY. IF YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND COME TO THE MICROPHONE AND WE'LL GET THE PICTURES. I HATE TO BRING THIS IN FRONT OF YOU, MR. LAVER. ARE YOU, ARE YOU SPEAKING OR MA'AM, ARE YOU SPEAKING OKAY, IF YOU YES. CAN YOU, CAN YOU JUST LET, UM, MR. LAVERNE SPEAK AT THE MICROPHONE? THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UH, TODAY, I'M, THIS IS THE SECOND TIME I'M HERE. UH, OVER A PERIOD OF YEARS WITH THIS SAME INDIVIDUAL IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, THE PROBLEM'S BEEN THERE SINCE 2007. A THREE ONE, UH, ONE NU UH, NUMBER HAD, UH, 3 1 1 HAS BEEN NOTIFIED CONSTANTLY REGARDING AARON AND MARIA MARTINEZ OPERATING A CHEMICAL AND ENVIRONMENT, HAZARDOUS BUSINESS INVOLVING PAINTING IN THE, UH, FONTAINE NEIGHBORHOOD SINCE 2017. AT THE ADDRESS IS TEN FOUR TWO FOUR TWO TWO KASTON STREET, HOUSTON, TEXAS. A SITE VISIT WAS CONDUCTED BY, UH, ONE OF YOUR OFFICERS, UH, CITY WORKERS TO INVESTIGATE A BUSINESS OPERATING UNDER THE, FROM, UH, THEY CAME OUT ON THE NINTH AND, AND 23. MR. MARTINEZ TOLD THE CITY INSPECTOR SHE WAS NOT OPERATING ON A BUSINESS AT THAT ADDRESS. MR. MARTINEZ OPERATES AND BILL STEEL FENCES, GATES, STEEL BUILDINGS. MYSELF AND MY WIFE HAVE WITNESSED THE MATERIALS BEING DELIVERED TO HIS PRACTICE, UH, FOR BUSINESS. UH, THE, WHAT'S GOING ON, THE PAINT IS COMING INTO MY HOUSE. AND WE HAD A CITY, UH, WHERE'S THAT PAPERWORK ON THAT? THANK YOU, MR. LAVERNE. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. MR. LAVERNE. THANK YOU. UH, MRS. UH, ONE OF YOUR HEALTH DEPARTMENT LADIES CAME OUT. UH, I HAD A NAME HERE. UH, SHE CAN, I HAVE THAT MOTION. MOTION. ANYWAY, HER NAME IS JESSICA. SHE CAME OUT AND SHE TOOK A HIGH LEVEL OF INTENSE PAINT. WE'VE BEEN TO THE HOSPITAL. MM-HMM . WE HAVE A PAPER. WE HAVE PAPER FROM THE DOCTOR. I'VE BEEN TO, UH, THE EMERGENCY ROOM BEHIND THIS. I'VE ASKED, UH, THIS, UH, 3 1 1. I'VE COMPLAINED TO THEM. I HAVE A NEIGHBOR THAT LIVED NEXT DOOR. WE ARE IN BETWEEN BOTH OF THESE. THIS GUY'S PAINTING. I HAVE ASKED THE CITY TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS. UH, WE TALK ABOUT, UH, THE, UH, PEOPLE, UH, LIVING CONDITION IN THIS CITY, BUT IT'S, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO LIVE HERE WHEN PEOPLE ARE DOING ANYTHING THEY WANT TO DO. I UNDERSTAND EVERYBODY NEEDS TO MAKE A LIVING, BUT, BUT MY CONCERN IS WHEN IT AFFECTS MY HEALTH AND I HAVE TO GO TO THE DOCTOR BEHIND IT, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S NOT IN, THAT'S UNHUMAN INHUMAN TO ME. RIGHT. SO I'M ASKING THE CITY COUNCIL TO LOOK INTO THIS. I GOT PICTURES. UH, MR. LAVERNE, WE HAVE YOUR PHOTOS AND YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER DOES WANT TO ADDRESS YOU. SO COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. THANK YOU. UM, MAYOR PRO. TIM. MR. LAVERNE, THANK YOU FOR, UM, COMING IN AND BRINGING THIS, UM, TO OUR ATTENTION. UM, I'M LOOKING AT THESE PHOTOS. THIS IS LIKE A MAJOR ISSUE. IT IS. UM, THIS IS IN FONTS WOOD, RIGHT? THAT'S RIGHT. YEAH. AND WHY ARE YOU OPENING A BUSINESS, BUILDING A BUSINESS IN FONTINE CENIC WOODS? UM, HE, HE GOT ME. HE GOT, HE, NO, HE HAS A HOUSE HERE. HE HAS A BUSINESS HERE. YEAH. I'M IN BETWEEN BOTH. AND HE'S PAINTING BOTH PLACES AND BUILDING. RIGHT. SO, UM, I WILL GET, HALF MY STAFF WILL FOLLOW UP. AGAIN, THIS IS LIKE A MAJOR ISSUE WITHIN OUR, UM, COMMUNITIES BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THESE NEIGHBORHOODS, UM, FONTAIN HAVE DE RESTRICTION AND IT'S HARD TO ENFORCE DE RESTRICTION. AND BY THE TIME WE DO GET IN, GET [02:35:01] THERE, THEY DONE PUT THE BUSINESS UP. AND, UM, SO YEAH. SO I, I, I'M WITH YOU. UM, AND SO MY OFFICE WILL FOLLOW UP WITH YOU AND I'LL FOLLOW WITH YOU AND COME OUT AND SEE EXACTLY WHAT'S GOING ON. OKAY. I THANK Y'ALL FOR, UH, THE PRIVILEGE TO SPEAK TO YOU TODAY. YEAH. AND, UH, ON THE POLICE. I HOPE Y'ALL ADDRESS THE ISSUE. IT'S BAD. I REALLY DO. THANK YOU, MR. LAVERNE. WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE. IT IS CRAZY. AND THEN CAMAN HAS A PROCEDURAL MOTION. COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ, FOR A PROCEDURAL MOTION. THANK YOU. MAYOR PROAM. MOVE TO MOVE LETICIA GUTIERREZ UP TO NEXT THOMAS SECOND. IT'S BEEN MOVED IN SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? ANY OPPOSED? LETICIA GUTIERREZ. AND THEN CAYMAN DOES HAVE A MOTION. THANK YOU. MY NAME IS LETICIA GUTIERREZ, AND I AM HERE ON BEHALF OF THE HEALTHY PORTS COMMUNITY COALITION. I WANTED TO FIRST JUST THANK MY COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ, AND ALSO THE MAYOR FOR VISITING YESTERDAY, THE, UM, FURNITURE BANK OF HOUSTON. MY DAD, MY SEVEN 76-YEAR-OLD DAD HAPPENS TO WORK THERE, AND THEY DO, THEY DO GOD'S WORK. SO I WANTED TO THANK THEM FIRST FOR THAT. AND THEN I ALSO WANTED TO GIVE SOME UPDATES IN REGARDS TO A LOT OF THE EFFORTS THAT OUR ORGANIZATIONS COLLECTIVELY, THAT MAKE UP THE HEALTHY PORTS COMMUNITY COALITION AS WE CONTINUE TO MEET WITH EPA, THE ARMY CORPS AND THE PORT OF HOUSTON. UM, REGARDING THE PROJECT 11, PROJECT 11 IS BASICALLY, UM, PUT IT VERY PLAINLY GOING TO DUMP, UM, A LOT OF CONTAMINATED SOIL IN COMMUNITIES THAT ARE ALREADY BLOWING THE BRUNT. UM, I CAN TELL YOU FOR MYSELF, ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS WHY I DO THIS WORK IS BECAUSE MY SON WAS CONSISTENTLY BEING BOMBARDED WITH CHEMICALS AND AIR POLLUTANTS. I ALSO HAVE A YOUNG COUSIN WHO PASSED AWAY AT THE AGE OF SEVEN FROM LEUKEMIA BECAUSE WE LIVE NEAR THE PORT. AFTER UT HEALTH CAME OUT WITH THEIR, UM, ASSESSMENT OF CHILDREN THAT ARE TWO MILES OR LESS FROM THE PORT OF HOUSTON BEING 50 TIMES MORE LIKELY TO GET CHILDHOOD LEUKEMIAS AND CANCER. THIS IS WHEN I DECIDED TO TAKE ACTION. AND SO WE'RE ASKING THANK YOU, MS. LETICIA. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. SHE CAN HAVE SOME OF MY TIME. THANK YOU. UM, SO WE'RE JUST HERE TO ASK MAYOR AND COUNCIL TO SUPPORT OUR EFFORTS. WE KNOW THAT THE HOUSTON HOUSTON'S HEALTH DEPARTMENT ALSO HAS TAKEN A HUGE INTEREST AS THESE DREDGE SPOILS CONTINUE TO, UM, PREDOMINANTLY COME INTO OUR ALREADY UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES, INCLUDING PLEASANTVILLE, THAT AGAIN, THE CITY AT SOME POINT IS GONNA HAVE TO TAKE OVER ONCE THEY'RE CAPPED. SO AGAIN, WE ARE TRYING TO BRING, UH, SOME ATTENTION TO, UM, THESE, UM, DIRECTORS OF EPA, INCLUDING ARMY CORPS AND THE PORT OF HOUSTON IN REGARDS TO THE INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS AND A LOT OF THE CATASTROPHIC WEATHER PATTERNS THAT COULD ALSO CAUSE SOME SERIOUS DAMAGE TO COMMUNITIES ALREADY BEARING THE BRUNT COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER. THANK YOU, MAYOR PROAM. LETICIA, GOOD TO SEE YOU. UM, HAVE THEY STARTED DUMPING ALREADY? MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THEY HAVE RECEIVED THE FUNDING, UM, TO START PROJECT 11. I'M NOT, WE'RE NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT SURE EXACTLY WHERE THE PORT AND THE ARMY CORPS ARE IN TERMS OF STARTING THE PROJECT. WE'VE GOTTEN MIXED INFORMATION, BUT, YEAH. WELL, WELL, THE START, THE START OF THE PROJECT AND ACTUALLY DUMPING IN PLEASANTVILLE ARE TWO DIFFERENT DEALS. CORRECT. SO DO YOU KNOW, DO YOU KNOW, UM, THERE'S A TIMELINE AND WHEN THEY'RE GONNA, HAVE THEY, HAVE THEY, UM, CONFIRMED THAT THEY'RE DUMPING IN PLEASANTVILLE? NOT AS OF YET, NO. NOT FOR THE PHASE THAT WE'RE SPECIFICALLY CURRENTLY TRYING TO ADVOCATE AGAINST. ALL WE'RE ASKING IS FOR THEM TO PUT THE DREDGE BULLS SOMEWHERE ELSE. IT'S NOT REALLY THAT HARD OF AN ASK WE FEEL, UM, BECAUSE COMMUNITIES THAT ARE ALREADY, THAT HAVE BEEN CONSISTENTLY DUMPED ON, WE'RE ASKING THAT WE, THEY JUST PUT THE DREDGE SPOILS SOMEWHERE ELSE WHERE COMMUNITY IS NOT GOING TO BE HARMED. OKAY. COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. UH, THANK YOU MAYOR PROAM AND LETITIA, THANK YOU FOR YOUR ADVOCACY AND FOR YOUR COMMENT. UM, JUST LET YOU KNOW, UM, I, I TRIED ALONG WITH THE STAFF MEMBER TO, TO VISIT THE SITE, UM, A COUPLE MONTHS AGO, AND THAT DAY IT HAPPENED TO BE VERY, VERY HEAVY RAINS AND WE'RE UNABLE TO DO SO. SO WE'VE TRIED TO RESCHEDULE, BUT BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL AS FAR. SO, UH, WE'LL KEEP TRYING AND I'LL LET YOU KNOW HOW THAT TURNS OUT. WE APPRECIATE THAT AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR ADVOCACY AS WELL. AND I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF COLLEAGUES THAT WILL COME UP AFTER ME TO GIVE THEIR TESTIMONY AS WELL AS, AS I MENTIONED, AS WE CONTINUE TO SHED SOME LIGHT AND HOPEFULLY HAVE THE CITY CONTINUE TO SUPPORT US. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND NOW FOR HER PROCEDURAL COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN, FOR A PROCEDURAL MOTION. THANK YOU. I MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO MOVE JACQUES BOURGEOIS, JOHN GEIS AND VALERIE CAS TO FOLLOW BOB LEE. ALL SECOND. IT'S BEEN MOVED IN SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? ANY [02:40:01] OPPOSED? NEXT SPEAKER. AND THEN PLUMBERS IN THE Q TOO. BOB LEE. MAYOR BERT, I, I JUST WANNA JUST ASK FOR A REQUEST. OKAY. UM, THOMAS, MR. THOMAS JONES IS OUR REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE PORT. I THINK IT'D BE REALLY IMPORTANT TO MAYBE HAVE A CONVERSATION. I JUST WANNA GO ON RECORD SAYING THIS, HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT THE JUDGING AND, UM, JUST GIVE THE COUNSEL AN UPDATE OF WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, JUST SO WE KNOW EXACTLY WHAT'S GOING ON WITH PROJECT 11 AND WHERE THEY'RE PLANNING ON DUMPING THE, THE JUDGE BOYLES. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. YES. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. I'M, I'M BOB LEE. I'M A RESIDENT OF THE HOUSTON HEIGHTS FOR 40 YEARS, OVER 40 YEARS. AND I'M ALSO, FOR THE LAST 12 YEARS, I'VE BEEN ON THE BOARD OF THE WHITE OAK BIO ASSOCIATION, AND I'M SPEAKING TODAY IN FAVOR OF CONTINUING AND COMPLETING THE SHEPHERD DURHAM PROJECT FROM 15TH TO I 10. OTHER SPEAKERS HAVE ALREADY SPOKEN ABOUT SOME OF THE ISSUES RELATED TO THAT ON BEHALF OF THE WHITE OAK BAYOU ASSOCIATION, WE'VE, WE'VE SUBMITTED A LETTER TO MAYOR WHITMEYER, SO I WON'T RECAP THAT EXCEPT TO SAY THAT THE IMPROVED, UH, BICYCLE CONNECTIVITY WITH THE BAYOU IS VERY IMPORTANT. WE'VE SEEN A LOT OF, OF PEOPLE TAKING AN INTEREST IN THE BAYOU WITH THE, WITH THE, UH, INCREASED, UH, UH, BIKE LANES. AND, AND WE WANT PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO GET THERE AS, AS BEST THEY CAN WITHOUT CARS PREFERABLY. BUT AS A RESIDENT OF THE HEIGHTS, I HAVE, UH, I'VE BASICALLY AVOIDED THE SHEPHERD DURHAM CORRIDOR FOR THE ENTIRE 40 YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN THERE. IT'S A, IT'S A MESS. UM, AND I'VE BEEN REALLY, REALLY HAPPY AND EXCITED TO SEE WHAT'S GOING ON THERE OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. THE IMPROVEMENT IS REALLY, UH, OUTSTANDING. THANK YOU. AND YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. BOB, YOU'VE BEEN REALLY PATIENT. IF YOU'D LIKE TO TAKE SOME OF MY TIME TO FINISH, PLEASE DO IT. YOU CAN HAVE SOME OF MY TIME TO FINISH. OH, THANK YOU SO MUCH. I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT IN ADDITION TO THE AESTHETIC VALUES, THE ADDITIONAL TREES, THE BICYCLE, UH, SAFETY, UH, THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT IS GOING IN AS A PART OF THAT PROJECT IS VERY IMPORTANT. THIS, WE'VE SEEN, UH, THE, THE CORRIDOR TRANSFORMED OVER THE LAST YEARS FROM MOSTLY CAR, USED CAR LOTS TO A LOT OF, UH, APARTMENT COMPLEXES, CONDOMINIUMS, A LOT MORE PEOPLE IN THE AREA NOW. AND SO HAVING, UH, NEW WATER LINES, NEW SEWER LINES, ALL OF THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT. AND, UH, MY UNDERSTAND THAT THE PAUSE THAT IT'S UNDER RIGHT NOW RISKS THE, UH, THE FEDERAL FUNDING THAT'S BEEN MADE AVAILABLE TO IT. I THINK THAT WOULD BE A HUGE MISSED OPPORTUNITY AND A BIG MISTAKE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. BOB. WOULD YOU MAKE SURE WE MAY HAVE IT, BUT, UM, THAT, CAN WE, CAN YOU SEND ME A COPY OF THE WHITE OAK BIO ASSOCIATION'S LETTER? UH, SO I HAVE A COPY AS WELL? YES, I'D BE HAPPY TO DO THAT. THANK YOU. OKAY. THANKS VERY MUCH. THANKS FOR BEING HERE. NEXT SPEAKER, JOCK BURGES. HI, GOOD AFTERNOON. AHA. HI, MY NAME IS JACQUE BOURGEOIS. UM, I AM, I STAND BEFORE YOU AS THE LEADER AND THE CHAIR OF THE MAYOR'S L-G-B-T-Q ADVISORY BOARD. UM, I COME TO YOU TODAY TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF OR SPEAK ON THE ISSUE OF THE TWO CLASHING PRIDES THAT WE DO PRIDE ORGANIZATIONS. WE DO HAVE THE ESTABLISHED PRIDE 365 AND THE EMERGING NEW FACES, WHICH DESPITE ITS POTENTIAL POSES A SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGE DUE TO ITS CURRENT OPERATIONAL APPROACH. UM, OUR BOARD FOR THE MAYOR'S L-G-B-T-Q-I ADVISORY BOARD WAS CREATED IN RESPONSE TO THE PULSE MASSACRE, WHICH HAPPENED ON JUNE 12TH, 2016. UM, THE DESIRE WAS FOR US TO BE A, A ADVISORY BOARD THAT MITIGATES SOMETHING LIKE WHAT HAPPENED IN ORLANDO FROM EVER HAPPENING AGAIN. UH, SO IT IS OUR JOB TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ALL AS COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR STAYS INFORMED AND HAS THE BEST RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT HOW WE MOVE FORWARD. UH, THE SITUATION WE FACE TODAY WITH THE NEW FACES SCHEDULING ITS EVENT JUST SEVEN DAYS APART FROM THE PRIDE 365 AGAIN, EVENT, WHICH IS HAD A 46 YEAR TRADITION. UM, GO AHEAD AND GO AHEAD AND WRAP UP. IT STRETCHES OUR RESOURCES, UM, AS A CITY, UM, HOW WE FUNCTION, PUTTING ON THESE MAJOR EVENTS. UM, IT TAKES A LOT AND IT'S REALLY JUST A STRESSOR ON HPD STRESSOR ON BASICALLY YOU CREATING A NEW AVENUE FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO BE ATTACKED ONCE AGAIN. UM, NOT TO KNOCK ON WOOD, UH, BUT IT'S JUST REALLY OUR RECOMMENDATION THAT WE, THAT THE CITY APPROACH THIS NEW ORGANIZATION AND HAVE THEM, UH, MERGE THEIR EVENTS WITH THE 365 EVENT. THEY HAVE APPARENTLY HAVE NO PROBLEM CHANGING THEIR SCHEDULE AROUND WHICH [02:45:01] THEIR EVENT WAS ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED TO BE ON FISH PLAZA, AND NOW IT'S RIGHT HERE IN FRONT OF THE, UH, CITY HALL AS WELL, SAME AS THE 365 EVENT. UH, SO I, I IMPLORE COUNCIL, I IMPLORE MAYOR TO HAVE A SIT DOWN WITH THESE ORGANIZATIONS BECAUSE THEY CAN'T DO IT THEMSELVES. THEY, HAVE YOU HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO SOMEONE IN THE OTHER ORGANIZATION? I HAVE, I HAVE. UM, I AM, I THINK THAT DECISION WOULD NEED TO COME FROM THE, THE TWO ORGANIZATIONS. IT'S NOT, I I, I DON'T ANTICIPATE THAT IT'S GONNA BE A COUNCIL SAYING YOU NEED TO DO THIS, BUT IF THE TWO ORGANIZATIONS FELT LIKE IT WAS A GOOD IDEA, WE WOULD DEFINITELY BE IN SUPPORT OF THAT. MY, MY, MY APPROACH WITH THAT WOULD BE, UH, BECAUSE ACCORDING TO COUNCILMAN, UH, CASTILLO AND MAYOR, UH, THEIR URGING WAS FOR THEM TO HAVE THE MEETING, WHICH WAS SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN THIS PAST FRIDAY. IT DID NOT. UM, SO, OKAY, LET, LET'S HEAR FROM COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. HE'S IN THE QUEUE. HE MAY BE ABLE TO ADD SOMETHING TO IT. THANK YOU MAYOR PROAM, AND THANK YOU JACQUES FOR BEING HERE. UM, I'M GLAD YOU'RE HERE AND, AND YOU'RE HERE, YOU KNOW, AS A REPRESENTATIVE, YOU KNOW, ON THE ADVISORY BOARD BECAUSE I DO FEEL LIKE THERE IS A ROLE FOR THE ADVISORY BOARD TO PLAY IN HELPING TO UNITE THE COMMUNITY. UM, AND SO I'M, I'M GLAD THAT, THAT YOU'RE HERE AND I DO WANNA WORK WITH YOU AND THE ADVISORY BOARD, UM, IN DOING THAT. I MEAN, I THINK IT'S PRETTY CLEAR WE WILL HAVE TWO PRIDES THIS JUNE. UM, BUT MOVING FORWARD, WHAT CAN WE DO TO MAKE SURE THAT IF WE HAVE TWO, THAT THEY CAN COEXIST AND THAT WE'RE NOT HAVING THIS NEGATIVITY, THIS PUBLIC BICKERING, THIS INFIGHTING, WHICH IS DOING NOTHING TO HELP OUR COMMUNITY. IT DOES NOTHING TO WHATSOEVER TO HELP JOIN OUR COMMUNITY TOGETHER. IT'S, YEP, IT'S AN MLK EVENT ALL OVER AGAIN. YEP. AND SO WHAT WE WANNA DO IS MAKE SURE WE CAN GET PAST THAT EARLY ON AND NOT HAVE THIS LINGER YEAR TO YEAR TO YEAR. AND SO, UM, THAT'S WHAT I WILL BE FOCUSING MY EFFORTS ON. I REALIZE THAT THIS IS A, A BIG, UH, A BIG UNDERTAKING AND IT'S GONNA NEED A LOT OF FOLKS TO STEP IN AND HELP, WHICH IS WHERE CORRECT. I WOULD LOOK TO Y'ALL AND TO WORK WITH Y'ALL, UM, IN THIS EFFORT. SO I APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE, AND WE WILL BE IN COMMUNICATION. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU SO MUCH. COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN. NO, THANK YOU, JACQUE. I, I JUST WANTED TO ECHO MY APPRECIATION FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP IN THE ADVISORY BOARD AS WELL AS COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. UM, YOUR EFFORTS, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY ALWAYS HAS TO BE THE TOP CORRECT, UM, PRIORITY. AND SO I APPRECIATE YOU RAISING THE CONCERN ABOUT RESOURCE ALLOCATION, UM, BETWEEN TWO EVENTS. SO AGAIN, I JUST, I WANNA ECHO MY APPRECIATION, UH, FOR Y'ALL'S VOICE IS THE ADVISORY BOARD. AND I HOPE THAT THE MAYOR CONTINUES TO LEAN ON YOU AND THE ROLE OF THE ADVISORY BOARD, UM, AS WELL AS COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, WHATEVER WE CAN BE DOING TO SUPPORT YOU, UM, AND OTHERS THAT HAVE REALLY ENGAGED ON THIS ISSUE TOO. DO EVERYTHING YOU CAN, WE CAN TO BRING EVERYONE TOGETHER. RIGHT? AT THE END OF THE DAY, AS MAYOR PRO TEM SAID, UM, THESE ARE INDEPENDENT ENTITIES THAT THE CITY HAS NO CONTROL OVER. UH, WE RESPECT BOTH ALL, UM, BUT THEY HAVE TO BE WILLING TO, AND OUR HOPE IS THAT, UM, THOSE EFFORTS WILL CONTINUE. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU ALL. NEXT SPEAKER, JOHN GEIS. I GOT HURRY. MY PARKING METER'S EXPIRED. SO, GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR PROAM AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS JOHN GEIS. I'M THE PRESIDENT OF THE RICHWOOD PLACE CIVIC ASSOCIATION AND THE A BOARD MEMBER OF THE NEW YORKTOWN ASSOCIATION, WHICH REPRESENTS SUPER NETWORK 24. I'M HERE TODAY TO VOICE MY SUPPORT FOR THE MONTROSE BOULEVARD IMPROVEMENT PROJECT. I'VE BEEN A MONTROSE RESIDENT FOR 53 YEARS, AS YOU CAN TELL, I'M KIND OF OLD. MANY OF THOSE YEARS RESIDING JUST A FEW BLOCKS FROM THE MONTROSE BOULEVARD. AND OVER THOSE 53 YEARS, THE POPULATION OF THE MONTROSE AREA HAS INCREASED SUBSTANTIALLY. MONTROSE BOULEVARD AND ITS PEDESTRIAN AREA NO LONGER SERVES THE NEEDS OF THE MULTI ITY TRANSPORTATION AND SAFETY OF THE AREA. THE DESIGN OF THIS PROJECT IS A RESULT OF EXTENSIVE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. I, I HAVE BEEN A PART OF MANY OF THOSE MEETINGS BESIDES DRAIN AND SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS. IT WILL ALSO PROVIDE A SHARED USE PATH FOR MONTROSE RESIDENTS TO WALK OR CYCLE TO BUFFALO BAY PARK OR TO THEIR PLACE OF WORK. I'M RETIRED NOW, BUT USED TO WORK IN GARDEN NOTES AND IT WOULD FREQUENTLY RIDE MY BIKE TO SEVEN MILES FROM MONTROSE TO WORK BEFORE THERE WERE ANY BIKE LANES ON THAT ROUTE. IF I COULD HAVE RIDDEN ON SHEPHERD DRIVE AS IT IS NOW, THANK YOU MR. GRACE, IT WOULD'VE MUCH EASIER AND SAFER. AND ON THAT NOTE, I ALSO STRONGLY SUPPORT THE COMPLETION OF THE SHEPHERD DRIVE RECONSTRUCTION AS ORIGINALLY DESIGNED. I COUNCIL [02:50:01] MEMBER KAMAN. THANK YOU, JOHN. UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH. I, I ASKED THIS AS A 53 YEAR RESIDENT OF THE AREA OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD. UM, AND YOU AND I HAVE PARTNERED TO WORK ON, UH, ADDRESSING CONCERNS THAT YOUR CIVIC CLUB HAS RAISED RELATED TO DEVELOPMENT THAT COULD IMPACT FLOODING IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. SO I ASK THIS BASED ON EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH YOU ON OTHER ISSUES THAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD WAS CONCERNED ABOUT REGARDING FLOODING. ARE THERE AREAS WITHIN MONTROSE THAT FLOOD OR ARE AT RISK OF FLOODING AND DO YOU NEED FLOOD MITIGATION? OH, ABSOLUTELY. I MEAN, JUST IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, NOT DIRECTLY RIGHT UNDER, BUT SHEPHERD AND 59, THAT OVERPASS, THAT UNDERPASS THERE FREQUENTLY FLOODS WHENEVER THERE'S BIG RAINS AND FARTHER UP SHEPHERD TOO. YEAH. AND, SORRY, RELATED TO MONTROSE, NOT JUST SHE AND SHEPHERD. OKAY. YEAH. UM, AND RELATED TO ENGAGEMENT, HAS THE CIVIC ASSOCIATION BEEN ENGAGED THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS AND FOR HOW LONG RELATED TO MONTROSE BOULEVARD IMPROVEMENTS? WELL, YES. I MEAN, WE'VE WRITTEN LETTERS TO, UH, SECRETARY BUTTIGIEG TO ASK FOR FUNDING SUPPORT, GIVE OUR SUPPORT FOR FUNDING FOR THAT PROJECT AND EVERYTHING. AND WE, A LOT OF US HAVE BEEN TO THE TOUR MEETINGS OVER THE DESIGN OF THE PROJECT. OKAY. ABOUT FOR HOW LONG HAVE Y'ALL BEEN ATTENDING THOSE MEETINGS? OH, A COUPLE OF YEARS. UH, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN AWARE OF THE PRO, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE SAID, OH, WE JUST WROTE ABOUT THIS LAST YEAR. BUT IT'S BEEN THE TOUR, HAVE BEEN VERY TRANSPARENT ABOUT IT AND GREAT. THANK YOU. OKAY. ALRIGHT. THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH. UH, THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, VALERIE CASS. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS VALERIE CASS AND I'M A RESIDENT OF MONTROSE. I'M HERE TODAY TO TALK ABOUT THE MONTROSE BOULEVARD IMPROVEMENT PROJECT. I LIVE APPROXIMATELY ONE BLOCK WEST OF MONTROSE, AND I DRIVE ON EVERY SINGLE MORNING AS THE START OF MY MORNING COMMUTE. UM, I'M IN, I'M STRONGLY IN FAVOR OF THE PROPOSED IMPROVEMENT PLAN, AND I'M DEEPLY DISAPPOINTED THAT THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN PUT ON HOLD, DRIVING ON THE BOULEVARD ON A DAILY BASIS. I CAN ATTEST TO THE DANGEROUS DRIVING BEHAVIOR, WHICH IS ENABLED BY THE CURRENT ROAD DESIGN. I ROUTINELY WITNESS UNSAFE AND ILLEGAL PRACTICES SUCH AS SPEEDING AND RUNNING OF RED LIGHTS. I BELIEVE THAT THE PROPOSED REDESIGN WILL CREATE A SAFER DRIVING ENVIRONMENT BY ENCOURAGING DRIVERS TO ABIDE BY THE LEGAL SPEED LIMIT. THE CURRENT BOULEVARD DESIGN PRIORITIZES DRIVERS, UH, REACHING THEIR DESTINATION AT TOP SPEEDS, PUTTING OUR LIVES AND SAFETY ON THE LINE AS RESIDENTS. UM, I THINK IT'S ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT TO HAVE THIS PROJECT AS THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF TALK ABOUT HPD, NOT HAVING THE RESOURCES TO PATROL EVERY SINGLE TROUBLED INTERSECTION ON THE HIGH INJURY NETWORK. I KNOW THAT THAT'S BEEN A CONCERN. AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO PAY OVER TIME TO CONCRETE BARRIERS. THEY JUST STOP THEM. THANK YOU, MS. CASS. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. COUNCIL MEMBER CAMERON. UH, MS. CASS, IF YOU JUST WANNA WRAP UP LIKE 30 MORE SECONDS. THANK YOU. YES. UM, THIS HAS BEEN A PROJECT THAT HAS BEEN IN THE WORKS FOR TWO YEARS. IT'S BACKED UP REALLY STRONGLY BY DATA AND BY EXPERT, UH, EXPERT STUDIES. I'M VERY DISTRESSED TO SEE THAT SOME ANECDOTAL AND UNTRUE EVIDENCE HAS BEEN USED TO OPPOSE THIS PROJECT. WHEREAS I BELIEVE THAT IF WE ARE MAKING OUR DECISIONS BASED ON DATA AND ENGINEERING ANALYSIS, THIS PROJECT IS A WIN FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD. AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT UNPAUSED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, OMERO TEBOW. GOOD AFTERNOON. HELLO CITY FOLKS. I'M HERE TODAY TO TALK ABOUT AN INTERNATIONAL ISSUE. THIS IS GOING TO BE A LOT DIFFERENT THAN WHAT YOU'VE BEEN HEARING ALL DAY TODAY. I WOULD LIKE TO BRING TO ATTENTION ABOUT RAZA, WHICH IS A SMALL PIECE OF LAND, UH, FAR AWAY FROM HERE IN THE MIDDLE EAST. IT HAS A POPULATION OF 2.3 MILLION, WHICH IS THE POPULATION OF OUR CITY OF HOUSTON. BUT IT IS WAY SMALLER. IT MEASURES ABOUT 25 MILES LONG AND ABOUT SIX MILES WIDE. AND THAT IS THE DISTANCE OF THE ZA STRIP. IT HAS BEEN UNDER WAR FOR THE LAST MORE THAN SIX MONTHS. THERE HAS BEEN THOUSANDS OF PALESTINIANS KILLED, UM, MORE THAN 100,000 INJURED. THERE IS EVIDENCE OF GROSS UNDERESTIMATION OF THESE NUMBERS, AND THE LATEST FIGURES SEEM TO FEEL THAT THERE ARE MORE THAN 200,000 PALESTINIANS SKILLED, MOST OF THEM BEING WOMEN AND CHILDREN. THIS IS IN THE SETTING OF A RELENTLESS BOMBING AND MISSILES ON A CIVILIAN POPULATION, PRIMARILY, WHICH IS WITHOUT FOOD, WATER, ELECTRICITY, [02:55:02] MEDICINE, BASIC LIFE, AND HEALTHCARE. REZA HAS BEEN BOMBED WITH MORE BOMB THAN HI HIROSHIMA. THANK YOU, MS. THIBO. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. IF YOU WANNA JUST GO AHEAD AND WRAP IT UP. THE MAIN REASON I'M HERE IS AS A HUMAN AND PHYSICIAN, THIS BOTHERS ME TO AN EXTREME LEVEL WHEN THERE ARE CHILDREN BEING AMPUTATED WITHOUT ANESTHESIA, AND WHEN THERE IS NO LIFE, LIFE LIFE, BASIC LIFE, MEDICINE AVAILABLE. UM, AND I, I DO THINK THAT AN INTER INTERN, EVEN THOUGH IT IS AN INTERNATIONAL ISSUE, IT HITS HOME BECAUSE WE HAVE THE SECOND LARGEST PALESTINIAN POPULATION IN HOUSTON. AND A LOT OF THEM WHO HAVE PERSONALLY KNOW, HAVE FAMILIES BACK IN RAFA, WHICH IS WHERE THE CURRENT ASSAULT IS GOING ON. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU MS. TEBO. WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE TODAY. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER PECK FOR A PROCEDURAL MOTION. THANK YOU, MAYOR PERAM. I MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO MOVE LAQUITA BARNES, UM, TO SPEAK NEXT. IS THERE A SECOND? IT'S BEEN MOVED IN SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? ANY OPPOSED? UH, WE'LL MOVE LAQUITA BARNES TO BE THE NEXT SPEAKER. HELLO, MS. BARNES. HI THERE. GOOD MOR AFTERNOON. IT'S BEEN A LONG DAY, SO GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M SPEAKING AS AN HID PARENT, A TAXPAYER IN A DISTRICT D I'M SORRY, K. AND JUST DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE, UM, WHAT'S GOING ON IN OUR PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM AND THE POOR LEADERSHIP OF MIKE MILES. AS A FORMER EDUCATOR, I'M SAT IN BY THE ABANDONMENT OF OUR LIBRARIANS, OUR WRAPAROUND SPECIALIST, UM, WHO FULFILLED ALL OF THE NON-ACADEMIC NEEDS THAT CANNOT BE REPLACED BY THE LIMITED ACCESS OF THESE EIGHT SUNRISE CENTERS THAT ARE COSTING THE DISTRICT $12 MILLION ON FRIDAY. 1200 EMPLOYEES, MANY BEING CUSTODIANS AND PUTTING OPERATORS SALARY EMPLOYEES WERE TERMINATED SO THAT THEY COULD REAPPLY FOR THEIR POSITION, UM, AS AN HOURLY WAGES, NO BENEFITS, NO HEALTH INSURANCE. OUR CUSTODIANS ARE OUR BACKBONES OF OUR SCHOOLS. HOW WILL OUR CAMPUSES FUNCTION NEXT YEAR? AS YOU KNOW, LAST WEEK DURING TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK, UM, THE ADMINISTRATION TERMINATED CONTRACTS OF 40 SCHOOL PRINCIPALS. MAJORITY OF BEING A AND B SCHOOLS. UM, 600 WERE ALREADY, I'M SORRY, 300 PROFICIENT TEACHERS. MARLIN MIDDLE SCHOOL, THAT IS IN DISTRICT K AS WELL AS N ELEMENTARY AND DISTRICT J. BOTH WERE PRINCIPALS OF THE YEAR LAST YEAR, BUT NOW THEY'RE BEING FORCED TO RESIGN OR TERMINATED. HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN? UM, WHILE THE NATION IS EXPERIENCING A TEACHER SHORTAGE, WHAT IS MIKE MILES DOING? GETTING RID OF OUR MOST VALUED TENURED EDUCATORS WHO ARE WILLING TO STAY IN LOVE FOR WHAT THEY DO. THANK YOU. WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD. JUST ONE SECOND. GO AHEAD. YOU WANNA WRAP UP YOUR STATEMENT? I JUST WANNA WRAP UP. YEAH, GO AHEAD. UM, I KNOW THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE WOULD SAY THAT THIS IS A STATE ISSUE. THIS IS A CITY ISSUE. SO WE WOULD ASK THAT OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS CONTINUE TO BE ENGAGED WITH YOUR CONSTITUENTS, HOLD A TOWN HALL, UH, TOWN HALL MEETING, WHETHER THAT'S IN PERSON OR VIRTUAL. MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE GOING OUT TO THESE CAMPUSES. I CAN EMAIL YOU THE LIST OF THOSE CAMPUSES THAT ARE BEING THREATENED. AND OUR PARENTS WERE NOT INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS LIKE WE WERE IN THE PAST. THE SDMC IS NOT SOMETHING THAT'S BEING ENGAGED. SO WE DO NEED THE SUPPORT. WE DO NEED TO SHOW UP AND WE NEED THAT HELP NOW. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER. OH, DID YOU WANNA HAVE A COMMENT? COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD, GO AHEAD. UH, ONE, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR COMING FORWARD. UH, THIS IS A CITY ISSUE. UH, YOU CANNOT HAVE A THRIVING CITY IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A STRONG PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM. I DID GET A WORD ABOUT THE PRINCIPAL AT N WHO WAS THE, UH, TEACHER OF THE YEAR LAST YEAR FOR DISTRICT J. UH, THIS MORNING I HEARD PRINCIPAL, PRINCIPAL OF THE YEAR. MM-HMM . UH, THIS MORNING I HEARD, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, HUFFMAN THAT THE PRINCIPAL AT ST. GEORGE ELEMENTARY YES. WAS LET GO. THE LIST GOES ON. UH, BOTH OF THOSE SCHOOLS PERFORMED VERY WELL. UM, AND IT'S DISHEARTENING TO SEE THIS HAPPENING. I'M A-H-I-S-D PRODUCT MYSELF. AND THESE SCHOOLS ARE DOING WELL. THEY SEEM TO BE, UH, WELL LIKED. THESE TEACHERS, PRINCIPALS STAFF SEEM TO BE WELL LIKED IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. UM, AND IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A STRONG PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM, NOT ONLY WILL YOU NOT HAVE A THRIVING CITY, BUT YOU BREAK DOWN THAT COMMUNITY AND THEN YOU'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO HAVE A STRONG, WELL EDUCATED FUTURE, WHICH ARE OUR CHILDREN. UH, SO WE DO NEED TO SPEAK OUT ON IT. IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT FROM THE STATE LEVEL, UH, THERE'S NO REAL ACCOUNTABILITY BECAUSE THERE ARE NO ELECTED LEADERS SITTING IN ANYBODY THAT REPRESENTS HISD. AND BECAUSE OF THAT, IT IS, IT IS VERY DIFFICULT, UH, TO BE ABLE TO CHANGE CERTAIN POLICIES. UH, BUT THE PEOPLE HAVE A VOICE AND THE PEOPLE NEED TO USE THEIR VOICE. I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE, UH, TO REALLY UNDERSTAND THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF WHAT IS GOING ON HERE. AND WE HAVE TO FIND WAYS TO USE OUR VOICES TO SEND A MESSAGE THAT WE WANT TO KEEP STRONG LEADERS, TEACHERS, [03:00:01] AND STAFF AT HISD, UM, BECAUSE WE NEED ALL THE LEADERSHIP WE CAN GET THERE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER. THANK YOU MAYOR PER TIM. UM, DO YOU, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. I MEAN, DO YOU HAVE ANY SPECIFIC, AND WE CAN TALK YOU, MAYBE YOU CAN SEND ME AN EMAIL LATER BECAUSE I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE THE INFORMATION THAT YOU HAVE. BUT, YOU KNOW, I'M HEARING A LOT THAT A LOT OF THE, UM, ELECTED OFFICIALS ARE COMING UP AND SAYING THINGS. BUT WE'RE, THERE'S ALSO BEEN A CH UM, A BIT OF A CHALLENGE BECAUSE THEY'RE SAYING, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT STUFF, BUT YOU'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING. AND SO I REALLY WANNA, I WOULD LOVE FOR THE COMMUNITY TO LET US KNOW WHAT DO YOU WANT US TO DO? HOW DO YOU WANT US TO GET ENGAGED? CAN WE, SHOULD WE DO A PETITION? I MEAN, WOULD THAT WORK? THE PETITION, THE WORK, WHATEVER THAT LOOKS LIKE. LIKE GIVE US SOME REALLY, 'CAUSE YOU'RE ON THE GROUND, SHOW UP AT THE PROTEST. THE PETITIONS WILL WORK, BE VOCAL, GET OUT IN MEDIA. SO THE SAME WAYS THAT Y'ALL FIGHT ON CRIME AND DRAINAGE ISSUES, AND ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE IMPORTANT IN OUR SYSTEM. BUT LIKE YOU, UM, UH, DISTRICT MEMBER, UH, MENTIONED THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE A THRIVING, UM, COMMUNITY. RIGHT? IT STARTS WITH EDUCATION. SO THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE DEFINITELY THE, THE MO THE KEY THINGS THAT WE CAN DO. BUT WHAT I WOULD RECOMMEND IS THAT WE NEED TO DO IT IN SOME ORGANIZED MANNER THOUGH. MM-HMM . AND WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF, I JUST THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, AND I DON'T KNOW WHERE WE STAND ON THIS, COUNCILOR POLLARD, MAYBE WE CAN, WE NEED TO FIGURE SOMETHING OUT. BUT IT CAN'T BE RANDOM. IT NEEDS TO BE VERY STRATEGIC AND ORGANIZED. THERE ARE ORGANIZED, SO COMMUNITY VOICES OF PUBLIC EDUCATION, CFE, CVPE IS ON THE GROUND OF MAKING THAT HAPPEN AS WE SPEAK. THERE'S A PETITION ALREADY THERE. AND SO WE JUST NEED MORE OF THE PUBLICITY. THAT'S WHAT WE NEED CAN PLEASE. SO I'LL MAKE SURE TO SEND THAT LINK WHEN I EMAIL YOU. YES, ACTUALLY SEND IT TO ALL OF US. WILL DO. THAT WOULD BE AMAZING. AND WE WILL, WE WILL AMPLIFY THAT MESSAGE. THANK YOU SO MUCH. NO PROBLEM. THANK YOU. I GOTTA GO RUN, PICK UP THE KIDS. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU MS. BARNES. WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE. NEXT SPEAKER. CLAUDIA OBED. CLAUDIA. NEXT SPEAKER. CHRIS SHORT. CHRIS SHORT. NEXT SPEAKER. CRANDALL GAGE. CRANDALL GAGE. NEXT SPEAKER. BRIDGET LAND. HELLO, MS. LAND. I MADE IT UP HERE. FIRST I'D LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU. GO AHEAD AND SPEAK BEHIND ONE OF THOSE MICROPHONES. MS. LAND. MS. LAND. SO WILL YOU STEP BEHIND THE MICROPHONE SO WE CAN HEAR YOU? FIRST AND FOREMOST, I'D LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU TO MS. CAROLYN CHABAL. SO I'LL LET HARD WORK YOU'VE DONE IN DISTRICT D. EAGER MITCHELL. AWESOME. LISTEN, I COME TO SPEAK ON THE WHOLE BEHALF OF DISTRICT D. WE HAVE A OVERGROWN FIELD ACROSS THE STREET AT CROT. IT'S SO TALL AND SO WIDE. THE BUZZARDS AND THE ROADS ARE TAKING OVER THE COMMUNITY. WE HAVE A STREET THAT'S WELL KNOWN FOR ILLEGAL DUMPING. I WORRY MS. INGRAM MITCHELL SO MUCH ABOUT THIS PLACE. IT'S, THEY FOUND DEAD BODIES, DEAD DOGS, ANYTHING YOU COULD THINK OF ON ANA HILL. IT NEEDS TO BE CLEANED UP WITH THE ILLEGAL DUMPING. PLEASE, MR. MAYOR, HELP US. WE HAVE A BURNT DOWN BUILDING. MISS ANGRY MITCHELL, MR. EL P GOT UP ON MAY THE SECOND AT 10:00 AM AND WORKED TILL THE EVENING TO GET THAT PROPERTY CLEANED UP UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF MS. CAROLYN CHABA. THANK YOU. PLEASE. WHAT YOUR TIME HAS, HAS EXPIRED. MR. MAYOR, PLEASE COME OUT AND HELP US KEEP THIS COMMUNITY CLEAN. IT'S OVER HEAR OVERWHELMING WITH YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER WANTS TO ADDRESS YOU. JUST ONE SECOND MA'AM. COUNCIL MEMBER SHABAZZ. THANK YOU. MS. LAND, I BELIEVE YOU'VE BEEN IN COMMUNICATION WITH INGRAM. YES MA'AM. SHE'S AWESOME. OKAY. YEAH, WE, WE ARE GONNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT IS TAKEN CARE OF, ESPECIALLY THE ILLEGAL DUMPING. WE CAN GET THE HOT TEAM OVER THERE TO CLEAN THAT UP. OKAY. AND THEN WE'LL WORK WITH, UH, SOLID WASTE TO, WELL USE THAT OVERGROWN FIELD. RIGHT, RIGHT. WE'LL WORK WITH SOLID WASTE. OKAY. AND AND THE OTHER AREAS TO TRY TO GET THE GRASS CUT. WE APPRECIATE YOUR HARD WORK. YEAH. BECAUSE THAT, THAT'S UNACCEPTABLE. I MEAN, RODENTS AND EVERYTHING. AND YOU SAID THAT THEY FOUND THEY DEAD BODY. I MEAN ON ANNA HILL. ANNA HILL, IT'S, DON'T SAY LEGAL DUMPING. MS. GRAM CAN TELL YOU ALL ABOUT IT. DEAD DOGS, ANYTHING THEY JUST THROW OUT THERE DEAD. THEY THROW IT OUT THERE. THEY JUST THROW IT OUT THERE. YEAH. OKAY. WELL WORK WITH INGRAM AND WE'LL GET THAT DONE. AND THANK YOU [03:05:01] FOR COMING FORWARD BECAUSE THIS IS HOW WE FIND OUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE DISTRICT. YOU ARE THE EYES AND EARS AND SO THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. WE THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MUCH. WE'LL, WE'LL GET THAT TAKEN CARE OF. OKAY. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, KELLY FARADAY. HELLO, ESTEEMED, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS, AT LEAST THE ONES THAT ARE LEFT. IT'S VERY NICE TO SEE YOU IN PERSON. UM, IT'S AN HONOR TO STAND BEFORE YOU TODAY. MY NAME IS KELLY FARADAY AND I'M A, UM, PROUD HOUSTONIAN. ORIGINALLY NEW ORIAN, BUT DEEP ROOTS IN THIS VIBRANT CITY. I'M THE PRESIDENT OF FRIENDS OF WOODLAND PARK, UM, WHICH WAS FORMED 15 YEARS AGO WHEN THE, UH, PARK WAS RUMORED TO BE ON THE CITY LIST OF PARK CLOSURES. SECOND OLDEST PARK IN HOUSTON. ONE THAT I KNOW, UH, COUNCILMAN CASTILLO IS VERY FAMILIAR WITH. 'CAUSE HE HELPED US CLEAN IT UP. AND, UH, WE REGULARLY PULL OUT OVER 10,000 POUNDS OF TRASH OUTTA THE PARK ANNUALLY. AND WE'RE AT OVER 650 TIRES. UM, SO I SPEAK TO YOU TODAY AS, UM, WITH A POINT OF CONCERN, GRATITUDE, AND HOPE BECAUSE ONE OF OUR PASSIONS IS, UM, ENVIRONMENTAL, PRE ENVIRONMENTAL PRESERVATION, BUT ALSO CONNECTING COMMUNITIES. SO THAT IS SHARED BY ALL. I'M ALSO ON THE BOARD OF WHITE OAK BAYOU ASSOCIATION AND AN ADVISOR FOR BAYOU PRESERVATION. UM, FIRST I URGE YOU TO, UH, SEE THROUGH THE COMPLETION OF THE SHEPHERD DURHAM CONSTRUCTION PROJECT LED BY FIVE TO ENSURE WE CAN USE THAT FEDERALLY ALLOCATED FUNDING. I WON'T SPEAK MORE OF THAT. YOU'VE HEARD A LOT ABOUT THAT TODAY. UM, BUT SECOND, I ALSO IMPLORE YOU. THANK YOU MS. VERDE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. UM, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, UH, THANK YOU. VICE MAYOR PRO TEMP KELLY, YOU CAN HAVE SOME OF MY TIME TO FINISH. OKAY, THANK YOU. I IMPLORE YOU TO THROW YOUR FULL SUPPORT BEHIND THE FUNDED IMPROVEMENTS TO HOUSTON AVENUE NORTH OF I 10. UM, AS SOMEONE DEEPLY INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY, I'VE SEEN FIRSTHAND THE EXPONENTIAL GROWTH OF FOOT TRAFFIC, UM, WITH, UM, STUDENTS, WITH PARENTS, UM, WITH PEOPLE JUST ENJOYING THE BUSINESSES AND ENJOYING WOODLAND PARK. UH, BUT COMPETING WITH WHAT IS BASICALLY A SUPER HIGHWAY SHORTCUT FROM I 10 TO I 45. SO THERE ARE A NUMBER OF IMPROVEMENTS THAT WERE APPROVED, UM, FROM THE PREVIOUS COUNCIL MEMBER. AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THEY ARE AT RISK AT THIS TIME. UM, ADDITIONALLY, I STAND IN FIRM OPPOSITION TO OPPOSITION TO ORDINANCE 40, WHICH I BELIEVE IS ON THE AGENDA FOR TOMORROW. THREATENS TO SELL OFF A PRECIOUS PIECE OF GREEN SPACE THAT MANY OF US HAVE FOUGHT TO PRESERVE. 'CAUSE IT IS A KEYSTONE LINK IN BAYOU GREENWAY. AND IT'S GOING TO BE SOLD APPARENTLY TO TDOT FOR $260,000. I HAVE BEEN GETTING TEXTS ALL DAY OF PEOPLE TELLING ME WE CAN BEAT THAT PRICE. SO I KNOW THAT'S NOT WHAT IT'S ABOUT, BUT YOUR RESIDENTS ARE MORE THAN WILLING TO FIGHT FOR THAT, TO REMAIN PART OF A, UH, KEY LINK BETWEEN THE NORTH SIDE, THE HEIGHTS AND DOWNTOWN. AND THEN, UM, I'M ALSO STILL DEEPLY TROUBLED BY THE RECENT REMOVAL OF PEDESTRIAN BIKE MOVEMENTS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF, UH, I 10 ON HOUSTON AVENUE. THAT SWIFT DECISION MADE WITHOUT MEANINGFUL PUBLIC COMMENT DESERVES INVESTIGATION UNLESS MANY OF US FEELING UNSAFE AND UNHEARD. AND FINALLY, I WANT TO EXPRESS MY HEARTFELT GRATITUDE FOR THE SUPPORT OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, ESPECIALLY H PART, UM, AND PUBLIC WORKS. UM, WITHOUT THEIR UNWAVERING SUPPORT, WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO EXECUTE, EXECUTE THE IMPROVEMENTS IN WOODLAND PARK AND AROUND THE AREAS, UM, THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, CASTILLO. THANK YOU MAYOR PROAM. AND THANK YOU SO MUCH KELLY, UH, FOR COMING DOWN AND SHARING VALUABLE FEEDBACK. UM, YOU'RE SO ENGAGED IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND IN YOUR COMMUNITY AND WITH WOODLAND PARK AND ALL THAT YOU DO. UM, IT'S GREAT THAT YOU KNOW, YOU'RE ABLE TO, TO BE HERE AS WELL AND SHARE COMMENTS IN PERSON. AND, UM, WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT ABOUT THE THINGS YOU MENTIONED. THANK YOU. I MEAN, MANY PEOPLE THINK OF WOODLAND PARK AS A HEIGHTS PARK. IT IS A HEIGHTS PARK. IT IS A FIRST WORD PARK. IT IS IN THE GREATER NORTH SIDE MANAGEMENT DISTRICT, AND THAT'S WHO UTILIZES THAT PARK. SO, THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, LOUIS DARLENE. NEXT SPEAKER. THEODORE GUERRERO. THEODOR CARRERA. NEXT SPEAKER. ANNETTE JEFFERSON. [03:10:04] GOOD AFTERNOON. HI, MS. JEFFERSON. HI CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME'S ANNETTE JEFFERSON AND I'M A PART OF SOUTH PARK, UH, TEXAS. AND MY CONCERN IS I STAY ON SOUTH ACRES IN BETWEEN CUL AND THE MARTIN LUTHER KING BOULEVARD. AND I'VE BEEN CALLING THE CITY ABOUT THE WATER THAT JUST STANDS THERE IN THE DITCH. UM, THEY DID CALL ME TODAY AND SAID THEY CAME AND LOOKED AT IT, BUT THEY ALWAYS COME OUT THERE AND LOOKED AT IT. BUT THEN THAT CLOSED THE CASE. THEY SAID THEY DID SOMETHING ABOUT IT. ALSO ABOUT THE STREETLIGHTS AT NIGHTTIME IS PEOPLE, IF PEOPLE WALK DOWN THAT STREET, IT'S NO SIDEWALKS. AND MY BROTHER GOT HIT WALKING FROM WORK THERE AND JUST SO HAPPENED HE HAD HIS PHONE, UH, IN HIS HAND WHERE HE WAS SIGNALING UP TO LET SOMEBODY KNOW HE WAS IN THE DITCH. UM, SO I'M JUST TRYING TO GET HELP TO, TO GET THE WATER OUT THE DITCH. 'CAUSE I'VE BEEN, IT'S BEEN GOING ON FOR SIX MONTHS, BUT THEY COME OUT AND THEY, THE NEXT DAY I CLOSED THE CASE AND I'LL CALL BACK IN THE THREE ONE ONE TO REOPEN THE CASE. 'CAUSE THEY NEVER MAKE IT OUT THERE. SO I'M JUST ASKING FOR HELP. SO, UH, SAUL IS HERE. SAL IS HERE, AND HE CAN, HE CAN HELP YOU AND WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT, UM, THE COUNCIL OFFICE ALSO FOLLOWS UP ON, ON YOUR CASE. AND WE APPRECIATE YOU COMING, UM, AND LETTING US KNOW ABOUT THIS ISSUE. WE DEFINITELY WANT TO TRY TO GET IT RESOLVED. YES, MA'AM. CAN THEY TRY TO PUT BRIGHTER LIGHTS? LIKE I SAID, SO SOUTH A IS A THOROUGH, THAT'S WHERE THE, THE, THE, ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT AND EVERYTHING. STREET LIGHTS. LIGHTS, THEY, THEY USED TO HAVE A BRIGHTER STREET LIGHTS, BUT NOW THEY HAVE THESE NEW ONES AND IT'S DARK. IF YOU COME DOWN THERE AT NIGHTTIME, IT IS REALLY DARK. OKAY. AND SOMETIMES MY HUSBAND, HE'S, HE'S, HE'S DIALYSIS PATIENTS. AND YOU SIT ALL THE WAY FROM METRO AND IT BE SO DARK, DARK OUT THERE BECAUSE IT'S KIND OF LIKE THE COUNTRY. I CALL IT THE COUNTRY CITY. OKAY. WE CAN DEFINITELY CHECK AND MAKE SURE THAT THOSE, UM, EITHER THE BULBS IF THEY NEED TO BE CHANGED OR WHAT, WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN OR IF THERE NEEDS TO BE AN ADDITIONAL STREET LIGHT, WE CAN DEFINITELY WORK WITH YOUR, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER'S OFFICE TO TRY TO GET THAT TAKEN CARE OF FOR YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU. SO CAN YOU MAKE SURE THAT HER 3 1 1, UH, CONCERN GETS FOLLOWED UP ON? THANK YOU. THANK YOU MS. JEFFERSON. WE APPRECIATE YOU COMING TODAY. UHHUH . NEXT SPEAKER. VERONICA BLANCHARD? NOT YET. HI, MS. CHE. GOOD EVENING COUNSEL. MY NAME IS VERONICA BLANC. I'M GOING TO TRY TO MAKE THIS VERY SHORT. I NEED ASSISTANCE WITH THE HARRIS COUNTY HUMAN RESOURCES AND RISK MANAGEMENT TO PAY FOR DEPRECIATION TO MY VEHICLE BECAUSE ONE OF THEIR CONSTABLES NEGLIGENTLY HIT ME. I WAS DRIVING AND HE WAS PULLING OUT OF JACK IN THE BOX AND HE RALLIED, UH, MORE THAN 10 CONSTABLES, EVEN THOUGH HE WAS IN THE CITY OF BEL AIR. AND THEY CAME OUT AND THEY WERE VERY APOLOGETIC. AND THEY, I WAS INSIDE, NINA WAS THE CONSTABLE SIDED. THEY ASSURED ME THAT THEY WERE GOING TO TAKE CARE OF EVERYTHING. AND, UH, BECAUSE I WAS REALLY SCARED OF THEM AND I DIDN'T KNOW EXACTLY IF THEY WOULD LEAVE UP TO THEIR AWARD. I DECIDED TO RETAIN AN ATTORNEY. BUT THIS ATTORNEY, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. GO AHEAD AND WRAP UP YOUR COMMENTS. MS. LANCE. THE ATTORNEY TELLS ME THAT, UM, UH, HUMAN RESOURCES HAS REFUSED TO PAY FOR THE DEPRECIATION TO THE VEHICLE, AND I'M TRYING TO GET THEM TO PAY FOR IT. SO YOU MEAN THAT YOUR ATTORNEY REQUESTED THAT THEY PAY FOR THE DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE ACCIDENT? THE DEPRECIATION TO THE VEHICLE. OKAY. AND, UM, AND THEY REFUSED. SHE, SHE SAYS THAT, UH, UH, UH, I, I I DUNNO WHETHER TO MENTION HER NAME, YOU KNOW, FROM HARRIS COUNTY. UH, HUMAN RESOURCES AND RISK MANAGEMENT SAYS THAT THEY'RE NOT OBLIGATED TO PAY FOR IT. AND I'M JUST WONDERING ABOUT THE STATUTE OR WHATEVER IT IS THAT, UH, GIVES THEM THE AUTHORITY FOR A CONSTABLE TO OR HIT MY VEHICLE AND DON'T TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR IT. SO HAVE YOU HAD A CONVERSATION WITH YOUR ATTORNEY? THE ATTORNEYS WERE, WELL, THEY SAY THAT THEY WOULD, UH, UH, PAY FOR PART OF SOMETHING, BUT AS FAR AS, UH, THE, UH, DEPRECIATION TO THE VEHICLE THAT THEY'RE NOT OBLIGATED TO. SO I WOULD FOLLOW UP WITH THE ATTORNEY BECAUSE I, I THINK THAT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A, A LEGAL MATTER AND YOU ARE GOING TO NEED YOUR ATTORNEY TO HANDLE THAT SITUATION. UM, THERE ARE SOME INSTANCES WHEN, UM, MUNICIPALITIES, UM, MAY HAVE SOME IMMUNITY, BUT I KNOW THAT WE'VE HAD, [03:15:01] YOU KNOW, OPPORTUNITIES OR SITUATIONS WHERE WE'VE HAD TO, UM, PAY OUT WHEN, UM, A CITY EMPLOYEE HAS BEEN, UH, FOUND TO BE NEGLIGENT. AND WE'VE DONE THAT. SO I WOULD FOLLOW UP WITH YOUR ATTORNEY TO TRY TO GET THEM TO, UM, CONTINUE TO PRESS THAT CASE EVEN THOUGH THEY TOLD THEM THAT THEY'RE NOT GOING TO, UH, CAN YOU MAYBE FILE AN APPEAL? UH, YOU'RE GONNA NEED SOME LEGAL NEED, LEGAL HELP. THERE'S REALLY, BECAUSE IT IS THE COUNTY MM-HMM . UM, WE DON'T HAVE JURISDICTION TO OVERSEE THAT. SO YOU EITHER CAN GO TO, UM, UH, MAYBE, UM, COMMISSIONER'S COURT MM-HMM . AND TRY TO GET SOME ASSISTANCE OR YOU NEED TO CONSIDER, CONTINUE TO PURSUE IT WITH LEGAL ASSISTANCE. YES. UH, DO YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION WITH REGARDS TO COMMISSIONER'S COURT? BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHEN THEY HOLD. UM, RENEE CAN GET YOU, IS RENEE STILL OUT THERE? WE CAN GET, RENEE CAN GET YOU THE OKAY. CONTACT TO COMMISSIONER'S COURT. OKAY. THANK YOU. AND BEST'S WISHES TO YOU. OKAY. I KNOW IT'S FRUSTRATING, BUT, OKAY. KEEP PRESSING. THANK YOU. OKAY. IS RENEE NOT OUT THERE? HE'S IN THE BACK. OKAY. CAN YOU, I THINK HERNDONS GONNA TAKE HER. CAN YOU GET, ARE YOU GONNA TAKE HER? OKAY. SERGEANT HERNDON WILL HELP YOU. MS. BLAN, NEXT SPEAKER. AYA COLBERT. NIA COLBERT. I DON'T SEE HER NEXT SPEAKER. ELIZABETH. UH, ME, MISA COTTON. MISA. COLTON. COLTON, I'M SORRY. HELLO, MS. ELIZABETH. GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M HERE TO, I'M, I'VE BEEN A 28 YEAR RESIDENT OF HOUSTON. I'M HERE TO DISCUSS MY HOUSE. TWO YEARS AGO, THERE WAS AN ERROR IN THE PAPERWORK WHERE THE WRONG NAME WAS PLACED ON THE PAPERWORK AND I WAS TOLD NOT TO COME TO THE MEETING. AND THAT THE PEOPLE WHOSE NAMES WAS PLACED ON THAT PAPERWORK WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR COMING. IN THE MEANTIME, MY ROOF WAS REPAIRED AND THE MEETING WAS NEVER RESCHEDULED. AND I ASSUMED EVERYTHING WAS OKAY UNTIL LAST SUMMER WHEN I RECEIVED A NOTICE FROM THE CITY AND, YOU KNOW, RIGHT. ONE OF THE CITY INSPECTORS, UH, TOLD MY NEIGHBOR THEY'RE GOING TO DEMOLISH MY HOUSE. I HAVE OVER 20 OFFERS ON MY HOUSE AND, UH, I NEED TIME, MORE TIME TO MOVE AND GET READY. AND I, I WOULD LIKE SOMETIME I'M A DISABLED VETERAN. I HAVE MANY HEALTH PROBLEMS AND MO MOVING'S JUST BEEN GOING REAL SLOW. THANK YOU. SO ARE YOU SAYING THAT YOU, YOU'VE GOT A NOTICE THAT THERE IS A PLAN TO DEMOLISH THE PROPERTY AND YOU'RE TRYING TO SELL THE PROPERTY . RIGHT. THAT'S WHAT THE, IT NEEDS A NEW ROOF. THE CITY IS SPECULATING. THERE'S ONE OR MORE WARPING BEAMS. THERE ARE, THEY HAVEN'T SEEN ANY WARPING BEAMS AND THERE ARE NO WARPING BEAMS. AND, YOU KNOW, I WANTED TO GET AN ENGINEER TO COME OUT AND THE CITY IS TELLING ME IT WON'T DO ANY GOOD. 'CAUSE ONCE THEY MAKE THAT ORDER, THEY CAN'T GO BACK. BUT THE, WHO DID YOU TALK TO IN THE CITY? WHEN YOU SAY THE CITY, WHO THE, WHO DID YOU TALK TO? I GUESS THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS. OKAY. UH, LET US GET YOU IN CONTACT WITH, UM, SOMEBODY IN THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS BECAUSE WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T, UM, SCHEDULE A, A DEMOLITION IF, UM, THE PROPERTY IS, IS, IS PLANNING TO BE SOLD. IS, UH, IS RENEE OVER THERE? YEAH, MOST OF MY TOP OFFERS, 'CAUSE I'VE RECEIVED OVER 20 OFFERS ON PEOPLE WHO WANT TO PURCHASE MY HOUSE. MOST OF THEM WANT TO REMODEL IT AND FLIP IT. SO DO YOU HAVE AN OFFER ON, ON THE TABLE ALREADY? I, I HAVE MORE THAN 20 OFFERS IN WRITING. YES. YEAH. HAVE YOU ACCEPTED ONE OF THOSE OFFERS? IS IT IN NO. 'CAUSE I, I WANT TO BE PRETTY MUCH MOVED OUT BEFORE. OKAY. I ACCEPT. WE NEED TO SEE WHERE SHE IS IN THE ABATEMENT PROCESS AND IF, UM, THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS HAS THEM SCHEDULED FOR. YEAH, I, I BROUGHT ONE OF MY OFFERS ALONG HER, UM, HOME IS ORDERED, UM, FOR BILL, UH, FOR BILL OR DEMOLISHED. UH, BUT THERE'S NO SCHEDULED ABATEMENT FOR THE PROPERTY. UM, THE THING IS, SHE NEEDS TO WORK A REALTOR FOR TITLE COMPANY [03:20:01] TO ALLOW FOR SOMEBODY TO PURCHASE A HOME COMPANY ORDER. OH. WE'LL, WE'LL TALK. SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO TALK TO YOU OFFLINE 'CAUSE WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO SOLVE IT, JUST KIND OF STANDING HERE. BUT CAN YOU GIVE HER THAT INFORMATION SO SHE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH GETTING, UM, THAT INFORMATION TO THE TITLE COMPANY AND, AND MAYBE WORKING WITH SOMEONE IN THE REAL ESTATE MARKET THAT CAN HELP YOU WITH THE SITUATION? I THINK IT CAN BE SOLVED, BUT YOU ARE PROBABLY HAVE TO JUST WORK FAST TO MAKE IT HAPPEN. ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE SEVERAL OFFERS ON THE, ON THE TABLE. UM, YOU WOULD, I YEAH, I, I DO. THERE'S A LOT OF INTEREST IN THE HOUSE. IT'S ONE ONE MILE FROM LOOP SIX 10. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. RENEE, WILL YOU HELP HER AND MAKE SURE SHE HAS THE INFORMATION SHE NEEDS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT? NO PROBLEM. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. NEXT SPEAKER. MICHAEL BARNES. MICHAEL BARNES. MICHAEL BARNES. NEXT SPEAKER. JOHN JOHNSON. JOHN JOHNSON. NEXT SPEAKER. TINA BRADY. HELLO, MS. BRADY. HI. THANK YOU SO MUCH. UM, GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR PRO TEM AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS TINA BRADY. I'M A FELLOW HOUSTONIAN AND I LIVE IN EASTWOOD. I'M HERE TODAY TO SPEAK WITH YOU ABOUT THE EFFECTS OF THE NNES TAKEOVER IS HAVING ON OUR COMMUNITY. AND TO ASK YOU TO PROMOTE TRANSPARENCY INTO HISD ACTIONS. YOU DON'T HAVE DIRECT CONTROL OVER HISD, BUT YOUR POSITIONS ARE INFLUENTIAL AND YOU HAVE LINES OF COMMUNICATIONS THAT YOUR, THAT YOUR CONSTITUENTS DON'T HAVE. UM, EXEMPLARY EDUCATORS ARE BEING LET GO. WHILE HISD HOLDS JOB FAIRS TO FILL HUNDREDS OF TEACHER VACANCIES. WE DESERVE TO KNOW THE REASONS BEHIND HISD DECISIONS, BUT OUR QUESTIONS ARE EVADED CONDUITS FOR COMMUNICATION WITH COMMUNITY. LIKE THE SHARED DECISION MAKING COMMITTEES ARE IGNORED AND WRAPAROUND SPECIALISTS HAVE BEEN ELIMINATED. PLEASE USE YOUR AUTHORITY TO PRESS FOR ANSWERS ON OUR BEHALF. ENCOURAGE HISD TO PROVIDE SPECIFIC DETAILS OF NES PLANS AND FACILITATE A CONTINUOUS LOOP OF COMMUNICATION BETWEEN YOUR CONSTITUENTS AND HISD. EARLIER THERE WAS A QUESTION ABOUT SOME SPECIFIC WORK THAT YOU COULD DO IN ORDER TO BE INVOLVED. THANK YOU. GO AHEAD. GO AHEAD AND WRAP, WRAP UP YOUR COMMENT THAT, THAT, AND I'D LIKE TO, UM, PROVIDE THAT, IF I MAY. GO AHEAD. UM, YOU KNOW, UM, I HAD MENTIONED THAT THE, UM, THAT THE, SORRY, THE, UM, THE SHARED DECISION MAKING COMMITTEES ARE BEING IGNORED AND WHILE THEY'RE BEING IGNORED, THEY ARE STILL IN PLACE, BUT THEIR AGENDAS ARE JUST NOT ACTED ON. THE WORK THAT THEY DO IS NOT ACTED ON. THESE ARE, UM, THESE ARE, UH, THESE COMMITTEES ARE PROVIDED BY LAW. AND SO, UM, A COUNCIL MEMBER, ANY OF YOU COUNCIL MEMBERS, EACH OF YOU CAN ATTEND OR JOIN UP TO THOSE, THOSE COMMITTEE ME MEETINGS IN YOUR DISTRICT SO THAT YOU CAN BE AWARE. AND THAT WAY YOU, WHETHER THERE WILL BE ACTION BASED ON YOUR PARTICIPATION, I DON'T KNOW, BUT YOU WILL HAVE A FIRSTHAND INVOLVEMENT AND IT MAY BE NOTICED. COUNCIL MEMBER POLL, DID YOU WANT TO ADD? THANK YOU MAYOR PROTI, AND THANK YOU FOR COMING FORWARD IN YOUR COMMENTS. UH, I PUT OUT A STATEMENT LAST WEEK REGARDING THIS, UH, WITH SOME, UH, PRESSING QUESTIONS TO THE DISTRICT, UH, AND THE LEADERSHIP ON WHY THIS IS HAPPENING. I THINK NUMBER ONE, WE, WE NEED A RESPONSE THERE, THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME TYPE OF RESPONSE FROM THE LEADERSHIP AT HID AND WHY NOW? WHY THESE SPECIFIC PEOPLE? WHY NO NOTICE, UM, IN SCHOOLS THAT ARE PERFORMING WELL, WHY WERE THESE PEOPLE IDENTIFIED? WHY WASN'T THERE ANY STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT? UM, WE, WE JUST DON'T HAVE ANY ANSWERS. AND I THINK AS ELECTED OFFICIALS, WE NEED TO USE OUR LEVERAGE, UH, TO BE ABLE TO GET THE PUBLIC THOSE ANSWERS BECAUSE THERE ARE MANY COMMUNITIES AND FAMILIES WHO ARE VERY UNNERVED RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THEY, THEY DON'T HAVE ANY CERTAINTY FOR NEXT YEAR. AND SO I THINK, UH, WE AS COUNCIL MEMBERS WILL TAKE YOUR, UM, SUGGESTIONS AND SOME OF YOUR STATEMENTS AND KIND OF WORK TOGETHER BEHIND THE SCENES TO SEE WHAT CAN WE DO AS A BODY THAT DOES NOT HAVE JURISDICTION, BUT DEFINITELY HAS INFLUENCE. YEAH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU. WE APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS. YEAH, [03:25:01] MY PLEASURE. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND THANK YOU FOR RUNNING LONG AND DOING THIS ANYWAY. I REALLY APPRECIATE IT. KEEP PRESSING. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, JESSICA CAMPOS. JESSICA CAMPOS, NEXT SPEAKER. BERNARD WOODARD. BERNARD WOODARD. NEXT SPEAKER, UH, RANDY REINO. HI, GOOD AFTERNOON. UM, I THINK I HAVE ONE MINUTE. IS THAT CORRECT? YES, GO AHEAD. OKAY. SO I'M GONNA TALK AS FAST AS I CAN. I'M HERE, UH, TO REPRESENT, WELL, FIRST MY NAME ISO AND I'M A MEMBER OF THE HEALTHY PORT COMMUNITIES COALITION. AND SO I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT PROJECT 11 AND CUMULATIVE IMPACTS AS WELL AS OUR ASKS ON IT. SO AS WE'VE HEARD EARLIER TODAY, THE PLAN WITH PROJECT 11 IS TO TAKE CERTAIN DRUDGE MATERIAL AND DUMP IT INTO ALREADY HIGHLY VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES, WHICH INCLUDES PLEASANTVILLE AND GALENA PARK, SOME OF THESE PLEASANTVILLE RINKS IN THE 99 POINT NINTH PERCENTILE, MOST VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY. SO IT'S REALLY UNCONSCIONABLE TO PUT THEM AT GREATER RISK, AT FURTHER RISK WHEN THEY'VE ALREADY BEEN, YOU KNOW, EXPOSED TO SO MUCH. AND SO TO ME, REALLY THIS FIGHT IS PRETTY PERSONAL. UM, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THIS PROJECT REFLECTS A LOT OF, IF NOT MOST DEVELOPMENTS IN THIS CITY WHERE GROWTH IS EXISTENT FOR SOME AT THE EXPENSE OF OTHERS. AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HEARD THAT HOUSTON IS BROKE AND THERE ARE 16 BILLIONAIRES IN THIS CITY, 16 BILLIONAIRES. AND THE AVERAGE COMMUNITY ALONG THE SHIP CHANNEL HAS AN AVERAGE INCOME OF ABOUT $26,000 A YEAR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. GO AHEAD AND WRAP UP YOUR COMMENTS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND SO THE REASON WHY THIS IS SO PERSONAL TO ME IS, FOR EXAMPLE, THIS MORNING, LITERALLY THIS MORNING I WENT TO THE PULMONOLOGIST. I HAD A BREATHING TEST. THIS WAS THE SECOND ROUND OF, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO GO DIFFERENT TIMES. AND I WAS TOLD, YES, IN FACT YOU HAVE AT LEAST ASTHMA. WE HAVE TO DO FURTHER EXAMS, BUT MINIMALLY YOU HAVE ASTHMA AND YOU HAVE IRREPARABLE DAMAGE IN YOUR LUNGS. THIS IS COMMON FOR PEOPLE IN MY COMMUNITY. AND IT MADE ME THINK MY YOUNGEST NIECE, WHO WAS FIVE YEARS OLD, WHO STRUGGLED TO BREATHE SINCE SHE WAS BORN, HASN'T BEEN GONE TO THE PULMONOLOGIST. SO NOW I'M WORRIED, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THE PERMANENT EFFECT ON HER HEALTH? AND THE POINT IS THAT THE INCREASE IN ACTIVITY BY PROJECT 11 IS GOING TO AFFECT, UM, YOU KNOW, PM 2.5 IN OUR AIR BECAUSE THERE IS GOING TO BE MORE 18 WHEELERS NEAR OUR STREETS. THERE'S AN 18 WHEELER PARKING LOT RIGHT NEXT TO ME THAT'S ABOUT TWO OR THREE ACRES BIG AND TWO OTHER 18 WHEELER PARKING LOTS POPPED UP IN THE, IN THREE MONTHS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR. SO THIS IS A, A PROBLEM THAT'S REALLY, YOU KNOW, SNOWBALLING VERY QUICKLY. AND IF WE CAN AT LEAST ADDRESS THIS ONE ISSUE, WHICH IS THE DUMPING IN THESE VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES, THAT'LL BE A REALLY HUGE WIN. THANK YOU FOR COMING AND SHARING YOUR CONCERNS. WE DEFINITELY WILL GET SOME ANSWERS FOR THAT FOR YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND WE ARE SCHEDULING A PRESS CONFERENCE FOR, UM, LATE IN JUNE AS WELL AS A TOXIC TOUR FOR ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO JOIN US TO SEE THE SITES. AND YOU SAY WE, WHAT ORGANIZATION ARE YOU? THE HEALTHPORT COMMUNITIES COALITION, HEALTHPORT, WHICH IS MADE UP OF, UH, THE ORGANIZATION I WORK FOR PUBLIC CITIZEN AS WELL AS AIRLINES, HOUSTON, THE, UH, AND MANY OTHERS. COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. THANK YOU. UM, MAYOR PROAM, CAN YOU MAKE SURE THAT OUR OFFICES RECEIVE THAT INFORMATION? ABSOLUTELY. ALSO, UM, PRESS CONFERENCE AND, UM, WHAT PROJECT? 11? YES, MA'AM. OKAY, THANK YOU. OKAY. ABSOLUTELY. THANKS SO MUCH. ALL OUR, YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. GREAT. THANKS SO MUCH. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UH, STEPHANIE? OH, NEXT SPEAKER. SORRY, I WAS TAKING UP STEPHANIE. I WAS MOVING ON. ALMOST ON ALONG. STEPHANIE VALDEZ . STEPHANIE VALDEZ. GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. MY NAME'S STEPHANIE VALDEZ. I'M REPRESENTING SEER AND HERE IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE HEALTHY POOR COMMUNITIES COALITION. WITHIN THE PAST TWO WEEKS, OUR CITY HAS CONFRONTED A SERIES OF UNPRECEDENTED CHALLENGES SUCH AS STORMS, FLOODING, AND NOW TORNADOES. WHO KNEW WE HAD TORNADOES, WHICH ARE REMINDERS OF THE URGENT NEED TO CONFRONT CLIMATE CHANGE HEAD ON. HOWEVER, ALONGSIDE THE NATURAL FORCES AT PLAY, WE MUST ALSO CONFRONT THE MANMADE ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS THAT THREATEN THE WELLBEING OF OUR COMMUNITIES. AT THE FOREFRONT OF THESE CONCERNS LIES PROJECT 11, A PROPOSAL THAT COULD HAVE DETRIMENTAL EFFECTS ON NEIGHBORHOODS SUCH AS PLEASANTVILLE CLINTON AND GALENA PARK. PROJECT 11, AS YOU ALL HAVE HEARD, ENTAILS THE DUMPING OF TOXIC DREDGE SPOILS INTO THESE COMMUNITY. A DECISION THAT WOULD EXPOSE RESIDENTS TO HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCE SUCH AS DIOXIN AND PCBS. THE IMPLICATION OF SUCH ACTIONS ARE SEVERE, POSING SIGNIFICANT RISKS TO PUBLIC HEALTH SUCH AS REPRODUCTIVE CANCER, AUTOIMMUNE CONDITIONS, ASTHMA, JUST TO NAME A FEW. SO [03:30:01] LET'S GO AHEAD AND WRAP UP. THANK YOU SO MUCH. LET'S REMEMBER WHAT HARVEY HAS TAUGHT US. HURRICANE HARVEY. THAT VALUABLE LESSONS ABOUT THE VULNERABILITY OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, ESPECIALLY IN THE FACE OF EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS. THIS CAN LEAD TO HAZMAT SITUATIONS. AND WHEREVER THESE TOXINS ARE PLACED, WE WILL HAVE THESE, UH, SITUATIONS EVEN WORSE. AND IT WILL BE A LIABILITY FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON, WHICH IS WHY WE URGE YOU TO NOT ONLY ALLOW THESE TOXINS TO BE DUMPED IN OUR VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE BEEN AFFECTED TOO LONG. UM, LASTLY, I WANT TO URGE YOU TO VOTE NO ON ITEM 40. WHITE OAK BAYOU IS A NATURAL GREEN SPACE THAT SHOULD NOT BE SACRIFICED FOR ANOTHER MAJOR UNNECESSARY PROJECT THAT WILL HAVE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS ON OUR CITY. AND, UM, EMPHASIZING ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS CALLING FOR A CEASEFIRE IN GAZA. THOSE BOMBS ARE NOT BIODEGRADABLE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS TODAY. NEXT SPEAKER, BRIAN DOTSON. GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M BRIAN DOTSON. I LIVE IN WEST HOUSTON, CURRENTLY PRECINCT FOURS, PLACES FOR PEOPLE, CALL FOR PROJECTS IS OPEN THERE, BIG STRUCTURAL PROBLEM WITH IT. AREAS IN HOUSTON, THE CITY OF HOUSTON THAT AREN'T A TOURS OR MANAGEMENT DISTRICT, REALLY HAVE NO WAY OF MAKING THESE THINGS HAPPEN. UH, I'M ASKING TODAY THAT YOU MAKE TWO APPLICATIONS. THE FIRST WERE THE CULLEN PARK, UH, CULLEN PARK PATH PROJECT SEGMENT TWO, A LOCAL MUD, UH, IS PROVIDING 48,000 OF LOCAL MATCH FOR IT. SO IT DOES NOT REQUIRE ANY, ANY FUNDS FROM THE CITY TO, FOR THIS APPLICATION. UM, THE OTHER PROJECT IS THE PIPING ROCK EXTENSION, AN AREA WHERE WE'VE HAD FIVE FATALITIES IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS, OVER A MILE STRETCH OF HIGHWAY SIX. UM, SO MY, MY ASK IS THAT YOU MAKE THESE TWO APPLICATIONS. I HAVE SENT DRAFTS OF BOTH APPLICATIONS TO YOUR OFFICES AND, UH, LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU TO GET THOSE APPLICATIONS MADE BEFORE JUNE 7TH. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. COUNCIL MEMBER PICK. THANK YOU, MAYOR PERTON AND BRIAN, UM, THE CULLEN PARK PATH. I KNOW THAT THAT IS VERY MUCH WANTED BY THE NEIGHBORHOODS, UM, RIGHT BY, UM, CULLEN PARK. AND SO I DEFINITELY SUPPORT THAT AND WE ARE DOING WHAT WE CAN TO MOVE THAT APPLICATION FORWARD TO APPLY FOR THAT FUNDING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN. THANK YOU. UH, GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN. UM, I KNOW THAT, UM, YES, PRECINCT FOUR IS OPEN TO RECEIVING THOSE APPLICATIONS, AND I MET WITH, UM, STAFF FROM PRECINCT FOUR YESTERDAY JUST TO GET AN IDEA OF WHAT BUMPS PROJECTS, YOU KNOW, WHAT MAKES A PROJECT DESIRABLE AND THINGS LIKE THAT. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CAN REALLY RAISE IT IS IF THE, YOU KNOW, CITY MATCHES PART OF THE FUNDING. SO, UM, IF THE ADMINISTRATION AGREES TO, YOU KNOW, MATCH THAT FUNDING, UM, THEN WE WOULD WORK WITH PUBLIC WORKS TO HELP, YOU KNOW, MOVE THAT PROJECT ALONG. YES, THERE IS, UH, FUNDS AVAILABLE IN THE BIKE PLAN THAT'S, UH, ACCUMULATED OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS THAT HAS NOT BEEN SPENT, HAS NOT BEEN DEDICATED. IT JUST SITS THERE. AND THAT WOULD BE SUFFICIENT FUNDS TO COVER THIS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR, OH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MR. DOTSON. GOOD TO SEE YOU. I TALKED WITH YOU AT THE MEMORIAL SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD AND, AND WE TOO HAVE BEEN WORKING. UM, I KNOW I JUST GOT A TEXT FROM MY STAFF THAT, THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH, UM, PUBLIC WORKS AND FOLLOWING UP WITH YOU, YOU PROVIDED THE MAP, SO WE'RE SEEING HOW WE, WHAT WE CAN DO TO HELP AND, UH, WORK WITH COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN ON, UH, HOWEVER WE CAN TRY TO GET THESE, UH, PROJECTS FUNDED. THANKS FOR COMING. THAT'S ALL. THANK, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. NEXT SPEAKER. MILLICENT HOLIDAY. MILLICENT HOLIDAY, NEXT SPEAKER, TAMINA BTAS. HI. UM, SO FAR IT'S BEEN EASY TO LOOK AWAY FROM THE SUFFERING IN GAZA SINCE WE'RE SO FAR AWAY AND DETACHED FROM IT. BUT TODAY, HOUSTONIAN HEALTHCARE WORKERS ARE TRAPPED IN RAFA. THEY'VE BEEN EVACUATED BETWEEN SAFE ZONES SIX TIMES ALREADY, AND THE BOMBING IS GETTING CLOSER AND CLOSER TO THEM. HOUSTONIAN BASED ORGANIZATIONS LIKE BRIDGE TO BEDI AND F ARE THE ONES ORGANIZING AND RUNNING THESE OPERATIONS, AND THEY'RE BECOMING INCREASINGLY MORE AT RISK. YOU HAVE THE POWER TO ADVOCATE FOR THEIR PROTECTION. THIS WEEKEND I WENT TO A MEDICAL SCHOOL COMMENCEMENT WHERE THEY TOOK THE PHYSICIAN'S OATH TO PLACE THE WELFARE OF THE PATIENTS ABOVE PERSONAL GAIN AND TO PROTECT PATIENTS FROM IMPROPER CARE. THE OATH THEY FOLLOW AS THEY TRY TO OPERATE WITHOUT THE MOST BASIC OF NEEDS, OXYGEN, AND GAUZE AND ANESTHESIA TO RESPOND ALWAYS IN AN EMERGENCY. THE OATH THEY FOLLOW AS 400 ATTACKS WERE MADE AGAINST HEALTHCARE FACILITIES IN GAZA AS EVERY SINGLE HOSPITAL IS BOMBED. AND TO KEEP THE PROMISE OF HIPPOCRATES ABOVE ALL DO NO HARM. THE OATH THEY FOLLOW IS THE IDF [03:35:01] TOLD THEM TO EVACUATE, TO ABANDON THEIR PATIENTS, AND THEY REFUSED AND STAYED BY THEIR SIDE. YOU AS ELECTED OFFICIALS, ALSO TOOK AN OATH WHEN INAUGURATED INTO YOUR ELECTED POSITIONS. I EMPLOYEES TO ASK YOURSELF, WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ABIDE BY THIS OATH? ARE YOU SERVING YOUR CONSTITUENTS TO THE BEST OF THEIR ABILITY? THANK YOU. THANK YOU. HOW ARE YOU SERVING THE HOUSTONIANS PARTICULAR, THEIR OATHS IN THIS CITY AND WHOSE LIVES ARE AT DANGER TODAY? THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY. COUNCIL, COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER, I HAVE A QUESTION. CAN YOU THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, AND THANK YOU FOR EVERYONE THAT'S BEEN HERE TODAY. UM, SO FIRST OF ALL, YOU'VE BEEN SO CONSISTENT IN TERMS OF COMING HERE AND SPEAKING, UM, FOR ALL OF THE PEOPLE IN GAZA, IN ALL THE AREAS, UM, IN YOUR MIND, WHAT WOULD, WHAT WOULD YOU WANT FROM US? UH, THERE HAVE BEEN THREE MAIN ASKS THAT WE'VE MADE SO FAR, WHICH IS ONE IS TO CALL FOR A CEASEFIRE. TWO IS TO AMEND THE RELU, AMEND THE BYLAWS TO PREVENT ISRAELI INVESTMENT INTO ISRAELI BONDS. AND THIRD, TODAY BECAUSE OF THE HEALTHCARE WORKERS THAT HAVE REACHED OUT TO US, IS TO ADVOCATE FOR THEIR PROTECTION AND SAFETY. AND I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT MEANS YOU HAVE TO DO THAT, BUT I JUST KNOW THAT YOU HAVE MORE POWER THAN WE DO AS YOUR CONSTITUENTS. SO WHATEVER CONNECTIONS OR NETWORKS YOU GUYS CAN USE TO THE LARGER ADMINISTRATIONS IN THIS COUNTRY TO ADVOCATE FOR THEIR SAFETY TO BE REGARDED, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL. OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I APPRECIATE IT. THEY HAVE REACHED OUT TO US LITERALLY BEGGING, SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, RALPH KIRBY. I'LL GIVE YOU ABOUT 15 SECONDS. ANYBODY WANTS TO PUT IT OUT BACK? HI, MR. KIRBY, GO AHEAD AND SPEAK IN THAT MICROPHONE IN. DO YOUR MIND. GREAT. THANK YOU. UM, BASICALLY I'M HERE FOR EMPLOYMENT AND, UM, SENT A FOLDER TO THE MAYOR TO SEE ABOUT GETTING A JOB, ABOUT THE TIME HE WAS HAVING A PROBLEM WITH, UH, CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. AND JUST HERE I'VE DONE ALL SORTS OF, UH, PETITIONS TO REDRESS THAT HADN'T BEEN ADDRESSED. AND, UM, SO BASICALLY IT'S A, IT'S A THREE DOOR THING, YOU KNOW, DOOR NUMBER ONE IS LIKE EMPLOYMENT, AND THAT EMPLOYMENT WOULD BE FINDING OUT WHAT'S GOING ON WITH MY LIFE THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT SEEMS TO CARE ABOUT AND, UH, THE, UH, PROSECUTOR SEEMS TO CARE ABOUT FOR THE LAST FEW DECADES. THANK YOU, MS. KIRBY. YOU'RE WELCOME. COUNCILMAN PLUMMER, ARE YOU IN THE QUEUE? OH, NO, SORRY. MY FAULT. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, SIR. UM, NEXT SPEAKER. JOSEPH SMITH. DID YOU, HOLD ON ONE SECOND. DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING YOU WANTED TO SHARE WITH US? OKAY. YOU CAN GIVE IT TO RENEE AND WE'LL MAKE SURE THE MAYOR GETS IT. NEXT SPEAKER. JOSEPH SMITH. JOSEPH SMITH. NEXT SPEAKER. AISHA AMIN. AISHA AMIN. NEXT SPEAKER. SOPHIA SEGER. YEAH. HI. UH, I'D LIKE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE HOUSTON HEALTHCARE WORKERS ON MEDICAL MISSIONS IN GAZA WHO ARE NOW TRAPPED IN FACING DEATH. SINCE THE GROUND EVA OF RAFA HAS BEGUN AND THE EGYPTIAN BORDER IS CLOSED, HOUSTON CITY LEADERS HAVE THE POWER TO USE DIPLOMATIC CHANNELS TO PROTECT AID WORKERS AND END THE BOMBING OF RAFA BY USING THEIR POLITICAL CONNECTIONS TO THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION. HOUSTON IS ALSO HOME TO THE SECOND LARGEST PALESTINIAN AMERICAN POPULATION, MANY OF WHOM HAVE FAMILY RAFA WHO NEED FUNDS TO EVACUATE. USE YOUR INFLUENCE TO HELP PROTECT THOSE FAMILIES AND OUR HEALTHCARE WORKERS AND, YOU KNOW, OUR DEMANDS. BUT SINCE MOST OF YOU HAVE NOT SAID ANYTHING IN THE PAST SEVEN MONTHS, HOW WOULD YOU LIKE YOUR CONSTITUENTS TO DIE? WOULD YOU LIKE THEM TO STARVE TO DEATH, DIE OF THIRST, BE BLOWN TO SMITHING, SHOT BY IUF SOLDIERS, HEART ATTACK, HEAT, STROKE, INFECTION. WHAT I DON'T LIKE USING MORALITY OR HUMANITY TO COMPEL YOU TO ACT BECAUSE IT'S PROVEN TO BE INEFFECTIVE. BUT IF YOU HEAR THEY'VE DIED THERE, IF THEY WERE KILLED, OR IF THEY WERE INJURED, OR IF THEY COME BACK HERE WITH A VENGEANCE, I WANT YOU TO KNOW, THOUGH, THAT YOU COULD HAVE STOPPED IT OR AT TO HAVE A FIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. YOU DIDN'T AND YOU DIDN'T DO ANYTHING. AND I HOPE THAT WEIGH ON YOU. WE'LL KEEP SHOWING UP, BUT I JUST WISH THAT YOU WOULD. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE TODAY. NEXT SPEAKER. PRISCILLA RAMIREZ. PRISCILLA RAMIREZ. NEXT SPEAKER. HAMZA AIS. [03:40:01] HAMZA. AIS. NEXT SPEAKER. HE'S HERE. OH, HELLO HAMZA. GO AHEAD. HELLO, MY NAME IS HAMZA AND I'M FROM DISTRICT A AMY PS DISTRICT. AND I'M HERE TO SPEAK ON MULTIPLE AVENUES. WE HAVE BEEN HERE COMING UP TALKING ABOUT, I'M HERE FOR NAC AND I'M HERE TALKING ABOUT THE DRAINAGE ISSUES WE ARE FACING. NORTHWOOD MANOR MEMBERS CAME OUT TO DATE AND SPOKE ABOUT, UM, THEIR DRAINAGE ISSUES IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD. AND 20 YEARS AGO, THERE'S AN ARTICLE FROM EASTERN CHRONICLE THAT RELAYED THIS. AND THERE, SINCE THEN, THERE HASN'T BEEN AS MUCH HELP AS THEY NEED. UM, ALSO, AS MY FELLOW FRIENDS HAVE TALKED ABOUT, GAZA, PEOPLE ARE DYING OVER THERE AND OUR FAMILY MEMBERS ARE DYING. PEOPLE WHO ARE HERE, THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS IN GAZA ARE DYING. THE HEALTHCARE WORKERS RECENTLY JUST ALSO LIKE UN UH, AMBULANCE WAS DESTROYED AND ATTACKED, AND TWO UN HEALTHCARE WORKERS WERE KILLED BY THE IDF. WHY IS THIS AN ISSUE? WHY CAN'T WE SPEAK ABOUT IT? THANK YOU, MR. OISE. GO AHEAD AND WRAP, WRAP UP YOUR COUNSEL ALSO. ONE SECOND. LIKE THE, THERE ARE A HUNDRED AND PLUS CITIES ACROSS THE CITY THAT HAVE CALLED FOR CEASE FIRE. LET HOUSTON BE, SET A PRECEDENT FOR THAT AND PLEASE CALL FOR PERMANENT CEASE FIRE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. NEXT SPEAKER. ROBERT COATE. CHO CHO NOT HERE. BOB CHO. NEXT SPEAKER. JACOB CLEMENTI. JACOB CLEMENTI. COME ON, JACOB. YOU GOT ONE MINUTE TODAY. COME. WHAT TIME IS IT? HOW IT'S TIME. HEY, AT THE PARK I WORK AT, WELL I DEALT WITH, UH, NUMEROUS GRADUATIONS AND, UH, WELL, I WAS, UH, A CASHIER AND HEY, UH, I HAD A GREAT TIME AND IN FACT WHEN I WAS THERE, I PLAYED THIS MUSIC FOR THE CARS THAT CAME BY AND THEY JUST DIG IT. NOW I HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY TO, UM, SOMETHING FOR, I MEAN, PAT, SOMETHING FOR YOU. MAYOR PRO AND SOMETHING FOR, UM, WELL, UM, UH, DR. AZZ, BUT AT RATE, WHAT I WANT TO SAY IS THIS, WAS THIS YOUR BIRTHDAY? OH, OH, WELL YOU WROTE TO AMY? NO, HONEY. OH, HERE. OKAY. UM, WELL, UH, DR. AZZ, HER DISTRICT IS DISTRICT D, DISTRICT OF DESIRE, WELL, DESIRE DESTINATION, SAME THING. YEAH. UH, MAYOR'S, UH, DISTRICT IS, THANK YOU. A OK. OKAY. ALRIGHT, JACOB. I LIKE THAT. OKAY. WE A OKAY IN DISTRICT K. I LIKE THAT JACOB. PRETTY GOOD. I LIKE IT. AND DON'T FORGET, YOU GOTTA GRADUATE BECAUSE, HEY, IT IS TIME TO GRADUATE. CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE GRADUATES. THANK YOU FOR COMING AND CELEBRATING ALL THE GRADUATES. JACOB, WE APPRECIATE YOU. ALL RIGHT, COUNCIL, THAT'S IT. THAT COMPLETE, THAT COMPLETES THE LIST. THAT, THAT COMPLETES THE LIST. THANK YOU. ALL [RECESS] RIGHT. WE ARE IN RECESS UNTIL TOMORROW MORNING AT NINE WEST CO DISTRIBUTION INC. FOR PURCHASE OF ELECTRICAL SERVICE PANELS. ITEM EIGHT, ALPHA LAVAL, INC. FOR FURNISH AND DELIVER ONE 2.0 METER BELT FILTER PRESS, SKID PACKAGE. ITEM NINE, CONSOLIDATED TRAFFIC CONTROLS INC. FOR PURCHASE OF SCHOOL ZONE POLES. ITEM 10, APPROVE SPENDING AUTHORITY IN THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $2,228,973 32 CENTS FOR PURCHASE OF GROUND MAINTENANCE EQUIPMENT, PARTS AND SUPPLIES. ITEM 11, COBORN SUPPLY COMPANY, INC. FOR PURCHASE OF GRAVITY SEWER PIPE. ITEM 12, ABACUS QUALITY SYSTEM SERVICES, INC. FOR PURCHASE OF CUTOFF KEYS. ITEM 13, COWBOY CONCEALMENTS, LLC FOR PURCHASE OF CONCEALMENT BOXES TO CONCEAL SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS, ELECTRONICS, AND COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT. ITEM 14, ADVANCED HEALTH STYLES FITNESS EQUIPMENT, INC. FOR PURCHASE OF GYM AND EXERCISE EQUIPMENT. ITEM 15, AMEND MOTION. 20 19 2 46 TO [03:45:01] EXTEND THE AWARD FOR PURCHASE OF LIQUID FERRIS IRON SOLUTION AND INORGANIC METAL SALT AWARDED TO U-S-A-L-C-O-L-L-C ITEM 16, VANGUARD TRUCK CENTER OF HOUSTON LLC FOR PURCHASE OF ISUZU LANDSCAPING TRUCKS. ITEM 17 APPROVED SPENDING AUTHORITY IN THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF $149,319 FOR PURCHASE OF THE ANNUAL CRIME TRACER SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES. ITEM 18 APPROVED SPENDING AUTHORITY IN THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF $76,597 94 CENTS FOR PURCHASE OF POLARIS RANGER CREW XP 1000 ATVS. ITEM 19, RESOLUTION OF CITY COUNCIL SETTING A PUBLIC HEARING AT 9:00 AM ON MAY 29TH, 2024 IN CITY COUNCIL CHAMBER OF CITY HALL ON CITY BUDGETS FOR A TIME PERIOD JULY 1ST, 2024 THROUGH JUNE 30TH, 2025. ITEM 20 RESOLUTION CONFIRMING NO OBJECTION TO PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT OF CERTAIN PROPERTIES AS AFFORDABLE RENTAL HOUSING. ITEM 21. ORDINANCE AMENDING ARTICLE FOUR OF CHAPTER 44 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES. ITEM 22. ORDINANCE APPROVED AND AUTHORIZED AN AMENDMENT TO CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND TEXAS HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION. ITEM 23, ORDINANCE APPRO AND AUTHORIZING ELECTRONIC GRANT. APPLICATION FOR ACCEPTANCE FOR AND ACCEPTANCE OF GRANT FUNDS THROUGH THE TEXAS HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION. ITEM 24 ORDINANCE ACCEPTING PROPO THE PROPOSAL FROM AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL GROUP. ITEM 25 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $500,000 OUT OF AIRPORTS RENEWAL AND REPLACEMENT FUND AND APPROVING AN AUTHORIZING CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND MAIN LANE INDUSTRIES. LTD ITEM 26 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING REIMBURSABLE AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND THE A LX CARGO CENTER. I-A-H-L-L-C DOING BUSINESS AS D-N-A-T-A CARGO USA ITEM 27 ORDINANCE DEAR APPROPRIATING, $29,600 71 CENTS OUT OF MISCELLANEOUS CAPITAL PROJECTS ACQUISITION CP SERIES E FUND FOR CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT WITH HOUSING AND LAND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION DOING BUSINESS AS IKLO CONSTRUCTION ITEM 28 ORDINANCE DE APPROPRIATING $1,219,425 OUT OF GENERAL IMPROVEMENT CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND PREVIOUSLY, PREVIOUSLY APPROPRIATED TO CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AT RISK CONTRACT WITH SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC BUILDING AMERICA INC. ITEM 29 ORDINANCE APPRO AND AUTHORIZING A CONTRACT BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND STRIKE WATER SERVICES LLC ITEM 30 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING FIRST AMENDMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND BERLITZ LANGUAGES INC. ITEM 31 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING PROFESS ARCHITECTURAL AND ENGINEERING DESIGN SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND 1919 ARCHITECTS PC AND VCS ARCHITECTS, LLC ITEM 32 ORDINANCE TO INCREASE MAXIMUM CONTRA CONTRACT AMOUNT FOR THE CURRENT SECOND AMENDMENT TO INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND THE HARRIS CENTER FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND INTELLECTUAL AND DEVELOPMENT DISABILITIES. ITEM 33 ORDINANCE PROVEN AND AUTHORIZING THE SUBMISSION OF ELECTRONIC APPLICATION FOR AND ACCEPTANCE OF GRANT FUNDS THROUGH TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES. ITEM 34 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING SUBMISSION OF ELECTRONIC APPLICATION FOR AND ACCEPTANCE OF GRANT FUNDS THROUGH THE US DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION. ITEM 35 ORDINANCE APPRO AND AUTHORIZING SUBMISSION OF APPLICATION FOR GRANT ASSISTANCE TO THE NATIONAL TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRE PRESERVATION. ITEM 36 ORDINANCE APPRO AND AUTHORIZING SUBMISSION OF APPLICATION FOR GRANT ASSISTANCE TO THE TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION CLG GRANT. ITEM 37 ORDINANCE OF RENEWING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NORTH AND SOUTH SIDES OF THE 2300 BLOCK BLOCK OF TANGLEY STREET. ITEM 38 ORDINANCE CONSENTING TO THE ADDITION OF 125.25 ACRES OF LAND TO HARRIS COUNTY MUD NUMBER FIVE 16 ITEM 39 ORDINANCE CONSENTING TO THE ADDITION OF 11.684 ACRES OF LAND TO HARRIS COUNTY MUD NUMBER FOUR 60 ITEM 40, ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING SALE OF 126,627 SQUARE FEET OF CD FEE OWNED LAND SITUATED IN JOHN AUSTIN. SURVEY ABSTRACT NUMBER ONE, HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS SELLING PROPERTY TO TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION. ITEM 41 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZED AND TAKEOVER AGREEMENT FOR COMPLETION OF PART 10 WASTEWATER TREATMENT, PLANT ABANDONMENT AND FLOW DIVERSION TO TURKEY CREEK WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT PROJECT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND HARTFORD FIRE INSURANCE COMPANY. ITEM 42, AUTHORIZED ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING [03:50:01] $5,897,731 OUT OF WATER AND SEWER SYSTEM. CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND AWARD AND CONTRACT TO DL GLOVER UTILITIES LLC ITEM 43, ORDINANCE AWARD AND CONTRACT TO SPECIALIZED MAINTENANCE SERVICES INC. ITEM 44 ORDINANCE GRANTING TO BERKELEY OUTSIDE SERVICES INC. ITEM 45 ORDINANCE GRANTING TO CHERRY CONCRETE REMOVAL LTD ITEM 46 ORDINANCE GRANTING TO IN-SOURCE CORPORATION. ITEM 47, ORDINANCE GRANTING TO FIRST CHOICE GREASE SERVICE LLC ITEM 48. ORDINANCE GRANTING TO GREASE RECYCLERS LLC ITEM 49 ORDINANCE GRANTING TO MAGNA FLOW ENVIRONMENTAL INK. ITEM 50, APPROVE OF SPENDING AUTHORITY IN THE TOTAL AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $800,000 FOR EMERGENCY PURCHASE OF WEEDING, MOWING AND DEBRIS REMOVAL SERVICES AWARDED TO JUAREZ MOWING. JEFFERSON MOWING, FAS INDUSTRIES LLC AND BMF CONTRACTORS. LLC. THIS WAS ITEM NINE ON THE MAY 8TH, 2024 AGENDA. ITEM 51 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING FIVE $250,000 OUT OF PARKS CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND, $300,000 OUT OF POLICE CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND, $25,000 OUT OF PUBLIC LIBRARY. CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND, $50,000 OUT OF PUBLIC HEALTH CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND, $125,000 OUT OF FIRE CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND, $25,000 OUT OF GENERAL IMPROVEMENT, CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND AND $200,000 OUT OF SOLID WASTE. CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND FOR ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION, UNDERGROUND STORAGE, TANK REMOVAL AND DEMOLITION SERVICES TASK ORDER CONTRACTING PROGRAM. AND THIS WAS ITEM 24 ON THE MAY 8TH, 2024 AGENDA. ITEM 52 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING FIRST AMENDMENT TO SUB RECIPIENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND CHILDCARE COUNCIL OF GREATER HOUSTON, INC. THIS WAS ITEM FI 54 ON THE MAY 8TH, 2024 AGENDA. ITEM 53 ORDINANCE APPROVED AND AUTHORIZING FIRST AMENDMENT TO SUB-RECIPIENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND CHILDCARE COUNCIL OF GREATER HOUSTON INC. AND THIS WAS ITEM 55 ON THE MAY 8TH, 2024 AGENDA. THIS CONCLUDES THE READING OF THE CAPTIONS OF THE AGENDA OF MAY 15TH, 2024. AND IN THE WORDS OF THE CURRENT CITY SECRETARY. AND WE WISH HER A SPEEDY RECOVERY. YES, HAVE A BLESSED AND FTA DAY. THANK YOU COUNCIL. [RECONVENE] PLEASE COME TO ORDER A COUPLE OF ANNOUNCEMENTS. MEMBERS, UH, FUNERAL SERVICES FOR REVEREND LAWSON, UH, POUNDING PASTOR FOR WHEELER AVENUE BAPTIST CHURCH HAS BEEN SCHEDULED. REVEREND LAWSON'S BODY WILL LINE STATE THURSDAY, MAY 23RD FROM 9:00 AM TO 5:00 PM THE SERVICE OF CELEBRATION WILL BE FRIDAY, MAY 24TH AT 11:00 AM BOTH WILL TAKE PLACE AT WHEELER AVENUE BAPTIST CHURCH AT 38 26 WHEELER AVENUE. IN LIEU OF FLOWERS, THE CHURCH AND FAMILY ARE ASKING THE PUBLIC TO MAKE A DONATION TO THE WILLIAM A. LAWSON INSTITUTE FOR PEACE AND PROSPERITY. UH, I'M PLEASED TO SHARE WITH YOU THAT STARRING TONIGHT, HOUSTON CITY HALL WILL BE LIT IN GOLD, BLUE AND RED IN HONOR OF REVEREND LAWSON. THESE ARE THE COLORS OF THE WHEELER AVENUE BAPTIST CHURCH LOGO, WHICH REVEREND LAWSON DESIGNED HIMSELF AS WE KNOW. HE WAS THE FOUNDING PASTOR OF THE CHURCH, A TRAILBLAZER FOR CIVIL RIGHTS IN HOUSTON, AND IS AN ICONIC FIGURE ACROSS OUR COMMUNITY. UH, THE LIGHTS WILL REMAIN IN HIS CHOSEN COLORS AND HONOR AND RESPECT TO HIM UNTIL THE SERVICE NEXT FRIDAY. UM, WITH THAT SAID, UM, I WOULD DESCRIBE HIM AS A ICON AMONG ICONICS. NOW AT THIS TIME, JUDGE MARSHALL, I THINK HAS SOME GRADUATES FROM THE KING SENIOR COURT, TEEN COURT SENIORS. AND, UH, WE WANT TO THANK THEM FOR BEING HERE. I HOPE MOST OF 'EM WERE FOUND NOT GUILTY IN COURT. MAYOR, THESE ARE THE STUDENT VOLUNTEERS. OH, THE VOLUNTEERS. [03:55:01] NOT THE DEFENDANTS. OKAY. WELL, I WAS A DEFENDANT IN TEEN COURT IN HIGH SCHOOL AND WAS ABLE TO TALK MY WAY OUT OF A TICKET. THESE ARE MY, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WAS A SIGN OF THINGS TO COME, BUT I HAD A MOTORCYCLE OFFICER AT I 10 AND TC JESTER PULLED ME OVER AND I KNEW I WASN'T SPEEDING AND I WAS ABLE TO CONVINCE A JURY OF MY PEERS. AND BOY, I'VE NOT SPED SINCE, SO I PROMISE YOU. SO THANK YOU SENIORS. I I WISH WE HAD TIME TO HEAR YOUR, UH, SCHOOLS AND, AND YOUR EXPERIENCE. UM, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE A VIOLENT, A VALEDICTORIAN OF YOUR GROUP OR WE'LL LET JUDGE MARSHALL SPEAK, BUT THANK YOU FOR YOUR INVOLVEMENT AND, UH, STAY IN, STAY INVOLVED. THANK YOU. YOU'RE THE FUTURE OF HOUSTON. AND TAKE THIS EXPERIENCE OF CIVIC DUTY AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD. THANK YOU JUDGE MARSHALL, YOU WANT TO DESCRIBE YOUR PROGRAM AND HOW SUCCESSFUL IT IS? OUR, OUR TEEN COURT PROGRAM IS DESIGNED FOR STUDENTS TO HEAR CASES, REAL CASES. AND THE REAL CASES ARE DEFENDANTS WHO HAVE NON-MOVING VIOLATIONS. YOUR THEFT, YOUR CRIMINAL MISCHIEF, YOU'RE FIGHTING IN PUBLIC. THEY ARE TRAINED BY SOME OF THE BEST. WE SIT ON THE BENCHES, THE JUDGES SIT ON THE BENCHES. I HAVE THE TRAINERS AND THE JUDGES JUDGE LEE COLLINS IS HERE WITH ME. JUDGE JANIKA BRATTON, JUDGE ROBERTO DE LA GARZA. THEY TRAIN THEM, THEY TRAIN THEM TO BE PROSECUTORS AND DEFENDANTS. THESE STUDENTS HAVE STAYED WITH THE PROGRAM AND ARE GRADUATING AS THEY WERE THE DEFENDANTS FOR THIS AND NOT THE DEFENDANTS. THEY WERE THE PROSECUTORS AND THE DEFENSE ATTORNEYS AND THE JURORS. AND ALSO, JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, I, SOME OF THEM ARE, ARE STILL IN SCHOOL 'CAUSE THEY HAVE FINALS. BUT I HAVE ALEXIS RAMOS WHO'S PLANNING TO GO TO DARTMOUTH COLLEGE THIS SEMESTER. I HAVE ANDY WU, WHO IS GRADUATING, HASN'T MADE HIS DECISION YET. BIANCA RAMOS EITHER. UH, CHLOE COOPER IS HERE AND SHE IS GOING, UH, TO LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY. I HAVE JENNY LEE WHO IS GOING, UM, TO THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS IN AUSTIN. WITH ME, I ALSO HAVE MIRIAM MCGUIRE WHO WILL BE AT HOUSTON CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY, NATHANIEL CASTANEDA, WHO IS GOING TO THE UNIVERSITY OF ST. THOMAS AND ZION HARGRAVE, WHO IS GOING TO TEXAS SOUTHERN. AND ALL OF THEM TEND TO COME BACK. AND I HOPE THESE DO, THESE ARE, ARE, ARE SOME OF OUR SHINING STARS. AND MAYOR, I'M VERY PROUD OF THEM. I'M PROUD OF THE, THE JUDGES WHO VOLUNTEER THEIR TIME AND GIVE OF THEIR TIME TO HELP WITH THIS PROGRAM. WE NOW HAVE ABOUT 130 STUDENTS. SO THANK YOU ALL FOR LETTING THEM. THIS IS MY WAY OF TELLING THEM THAT I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE FOR THESE THREE TO FOUR YEARS. AND THIS IS MY WAY OF SAYING THESE PEOPLE THAT ARE SITTING AROUND THIS HORSESHOE APPRECIATE YOU AS WELL. SO THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU. THE CITY APPRECIATES, UH, EACH INDIVIDUAL. WE WISH YOU WELL. COME BACK, GIVE US A REPORT IN A COUPLE YEARS HOW YOU'RE DOING IN COLLEGE. JUDGE MARSHALL, THE DIVERSITY OF YOUR GRADUATES, UH, IS IMPRESSIVE AND CERTAINLY REFLECTS THE FUTURE OF HOUSTON. SO IT'S JUST SO GREAT TO SEE SOMETHING THAT'S WORKING SO WELL. WE DEAL WITH PROBLEMS AND ISSUES, SO IT'S SO GREAT TO SEE SOMETHING THAT IS THIS REWARDING. SO THANK YOU. AND THE PRINCIPAL OF THE HIGH SCHOOL FOR LAW JUSTICE IS HERE. UH, PRINCIPAL SCHEER AND, UM, CAST, CAST CASTILE, ONE OF HIS, UH, HOMEROOM TEACHERS. MS. JESSICA LEY, WHO HAS, HAS BEEN, UM, 12, 14 YEARS AGO. WE WENT TO THE HIGH SCHOOL WHEN IT WAS CALLED THE HIGH SCHOOL FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT. MM-HMM . AND ASKED IF IF SOMEBODY WOULD PARTNER WITH US, AND SHE VOLUNTEERED AND SHE HAS NEVER STOPPED. SO I THANK HER SO MUCH AND, AND THE PRINCIPAL FOR AT LEAST LETTING US CONTINUE. I'M C I'M CERTAIN THERE'S STAFF AND MENTORS THAT SHOULD BE RECOGNIZED AND, AND AND WOULD YOU GIVE THEM A SHOUT OUT AS YOU HAVE? YES, SIR. CAN YOU STAND UP FOR US THERE, YOUR HONOR? IT, IT DOESN'T JUST HAPPEN. THANK Y'ALL FOR WHAT YOU DO AND, UH, KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK. AND JUDGE SCOTT IS ALSO HERE WITH ME TODAY 'CAUSE HE HELPS COORDINATE. VERY GOOD. I YIELD TO COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. JUDGE. UM, FOR LAST TERM, WE WORKED VERY CLOSELY TOGETHER AND SEEING THE WORK THAT YOU ALL DID, UM, WITH THE HELP OF OUR TEENS ALSO, 'CAUSE YOU ALL ARE AN INTEGRAL PART OF THIS, BUT THE SUCCESS RATES THAT YOU HAVE SEEN THROUGH TEEN COURT AND, UM, SUPPORTING OUR YOUTH IN TAKING THE RIGHT PATH, UH, HAS BEEN INCREDIBLE. DESPITE THE CHALLENGES THAT THE MUNICIPAL COURTS HAVE FACED FROM MAYOR, THE STRUCTURAL DAMAGE STILL FROM HARVEY, UH, EVERYTHING, YOU STILL HAVE THESE VERY SUCCESSFUL AND EMPOWERING PROGRAMS. SO CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE GRADUATES. UH, JOB WELL DONE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UH, MAYOR PROTE CA TATUM, JUDGE MARSHALL, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THE TEEN COURT DOWN TO [04:00:01] CITY HALL. IT IS EXCITING TO SEE SO MANY OF OUR YOUNG PEOPLE AND TO HEAR OF THEIR SUCCESS. UH, SO MANY TIMES WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE YOUNG PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITIES AND WE TALK ABOUT SUMMER COMING UP AND ALL OF THE THINGS THAT, UM, YOUNG PEOPLE DO THAT AREN'T ALWAYS ON THE POSITIVE SIDE. SO TO AMPLIFY THE SUCCESS OF OUR STUDENTS IS ALSO AS IMPORTANT, UM, AS IT IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE CONTINUING TO DETER THE NEGATIVE, UM, THINGS THAT HAPPEN IN OUR COMMUNITY WITH OUR YOUNG PEOPLE. AND I'M CURIOUS TO KNOW, UM, I I ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT YOUR PEERS ARE TOUGHER ON YOU THAN THE ACTUAL JUDGE. SO THEY REALLY ARE. I'D BE CURIOUS TO, TO SPEND SOME TIME WITH TEEN COURT TO FIND OUT ARE THEY, UH, AS TOUGH AS THE, THE OLDER JUDGES, OR ARE THEY, UH, MORE LENIENT ON THEIR PEERS. UM, BUT I I, I THINK THAT FOR US TO HAVE THESE PROGRAMS, TO ALLOW YOUNG PEOPLE TO SEE HOW OUR JUSTICE SYSTEMS WILL WORK AND TO PARTICIPATE AND TO REALLY KNOW TO HELP THEM WITH THEIR FUTURE CAREERS IS INCREDIBLE. AND WE APPRECIATE YOU COMING DOWN AND SHARING THIS EXPERIENCE WITH US. AND TO THE YOUNG FOLKS, GOOD LUCK IN COLLEGE. UH, WE WISH YOU THE VERY BEST AND KNOW THAT WE ARE ROOTING FOR YOUR SUCCESS. VERY GOOD. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. THANK YOU MAYOR AND JUDGE MARSHALL. I, UH, WANNA CONGRATULATE ALL OF YOU FOR BEING HERE AND RECEIVING THIS RECOGNITION. UM, YOU KNOW, THIS SCHOOL, THE HIGH SCHOOL FOR LAW AND JUSTICE, UH, IS SO UNIQUE AND IT OFFERS SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES THAT YOU CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF, UH, FROM THIS TEEN COURT PROGRAM TO THE LAW ENFORCEMENT EXPLORER PROGRAM, WHICH I WAS A PART OF WHEN I WAS THERE, UM, TO THE DEDICATED STAFF AND FACULTY, YOU KNOW, MS. LY, WHO FOR FOUR YEARS WAS MY HOMEROOM TEACHER, HAD SUCH A, A PROFOUND IMPACT, UH, ON MY GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. IT'S, UH, REALLY EXCITING TO SEE Y'ALL HERE, UH, TO KNOW THAT YOU'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO GO ON AND USE THESE SKILLS AND USE THESE EXPERIENCES, UH, IN YOUR OWN CAREER AND IN YOUR OWN, UH, LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT. AND SO, UH, DON'T BE A STRANGER. COME BACK AND SEE US. UM, AND I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN. THANK YOU MAYOR, AND CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE GRADUATES. AND I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU, UH, JUDGE MARSHALL FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO. THANK YOU. I MEAN, THIS WOMAN, SHE DOES SO MUCH FOR THE COMMUNITY. SHE'S AT EVERY POLICE CADET GRADUATION. UM, I DON'T KNOW IF PEOPLE KNOW EVERYTHING THAT YOU CONTRIBUTE, BUT, UM, YOU ARE APPRECIATED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ANYTHING ELSE? IF NOT, UH, THAT'S IT. I, I WANNA MAKE ONE OTHER STATEMENT THAT I PROMISED HIM. I WOULD, WE HANDLE OVER 300 CASES AND WE HAVE NOT HAD ONE REPEAT OFFENDER FROM ONE DEFENDANT. ALL. ALRIGHT? ALRIGHT. THAT'S GOOD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. GOOD LUCK TO Y'ALL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. GO, GO FORWARD, MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD, UH, MEMBERS A LITTLE LATER IN THE, UM, THIS MORNING, I'LL HAVE THE INDEPENDENT REVIEW COMMITTEE TO MEET WITH US AND GIVE A STATUS REPORT. I'D RATHER DO THAT A LITTLE LATER IN THE AGENDA. THEY'LL BE HERE SHORTLY AND I'LL YIELD TO THEM. UH, [CONSENT AGENDA] MADAM SECRETARY, IF YOU WOULD NOW PROCEED WITH THE CONSENT AGENDA UNDER THE MISCELLANEOUS CATEGORY. ITEM ONE HAS BEEN REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. ITEM TWO NEEDS A MOTION. SECOND, MOTION MADE, AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED MOTION PASSES UNDER THE ACCEPT WORK CATEGORY. ITEM THREE HAS, HAS BEEN REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION UNDER THE PURCHASING AND TABULATION OF BIDS. CATEGORY ITEMS, 5, 6, 7, 9, AND 13 HAVE BEEN REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. NEED A MOTION ON THE BALANCE CAST NEXTT A MOVE. SECOND. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED. MOTION PASSES UNDER THE RESOLUTIONS CATEGORY ITEM ITEM 20 HAS BEEN REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. ITEM 19 JUST NEEDS A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED. MOTION PASSES UNDER THE ORDINANCES CATEGORIES. CATEGORY ITEMS. 2123. WE'LL GET THAT. 30, 32, 40 AND 41 HAVE BEEN REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. NEED A VOTE ON THE BALANCE? ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED. MOTION PASSES. ITEM ONE, [1.  RECOMMENDATION from Director Administration & Regulatory Affairs to create an Alcohol-Free-Zone for MESSIAH LUTHERAN EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER at 5103 Rose St., Houston, TX 77007 - DISTRICT C - KAMIN ] [04:05:02] MR. SECRETARY. ITEM ONE NEEDS A MOTION. CASTEX TATUM. MOVE I A SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? MOTION MADE. AND SECOND AFTER THE VOTE. COUNCIL MEMBER. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED. MOTION CARRIES. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, WE HAVE TWO SPECIAL GUESTS IN THE AUDIENCE TODAY. I WANTED TO RECOGNIZE, IF YOU'LL RECALL, UM, WHEN WE HAD MESSIAH LUTHERAN IN, UH, TO, FOR A PROCLAMATION CELEBRATING THEIR CENTENNIAL, UM, PASTOR ENGLE JOINED US AS WELL AS GABRIEL. AND IF Y'ALL WILL JUST STAND, GABRIEL'S JOINING US AGAIN. UH, THIS WAS FOR AN ALCOHOL FREE ZONE FOR THEIR SCHOOL AT THE CHURCH, UM, ALONG THE WASHINGTON AVENUE CORRIDOR. SO, UH, WANTED TO THANK YOU, PASTOR FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP. UH, I KNOW STACY, I DON'T THINK HAS MADE IT YET, BUT APPRE OH, SORRY. DIDN'T SEE YOU. GREAT TO SEE YOU AS WELL. BUT THANK YOU ALL FOR THE ENGAGEMENT IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD ON THIS. THANK Y'ALL. NEXT [CONSIDERATION OF MATTERS REMOVED FROM CONSENT AGENDA] ITEM THREE NEEDS A MOTION. CASTEX TATUM, MOVE ON THE SECOND. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND, UH, COUNCILMAN GER. YEAH, I'VE JUST GOT A QUICK QUESTION ON ITEM THREE. WE SHOW THIS WAS ACTUALLY COMPLETED A YEAR AGO, AND I'M CURIOUS AS TO WHY IT'S COMING UP FOR PAYMENT NOW. I KNOW WE HAD MET WITH STEVE AND DAVID HERE SEVERAL WEEKS AGO, AND HE TALKED ABOUT THE FACT THAT MOST ALL THE CITY PROCUREMENT HAS BUILT INTO IT, UH, TIMELY PAYMENT REDUCTIONS THAT ARE NEVER TAKEN BECAUSE WE NEVER PAY WITHIN 30 DAYS. AND I WAS JUST KIND OF CURIOUS AS TO WHY THIS TAKES AS LONG AS IT DOES TO ACTUALLY PAY OUT. THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION AND, UH, I'LL GET YOU THE ANSWER. AND COUNCIL MEMBER CAMAN. COUNCIL MEMBER CAMAN. AND I APPRECIATE THE QUESTION. COUNCIL MEMBER ON THIS ITEM, I CAN'T SPEAK TO DIRECTLY IF THIS IS WHAT CAUSED THE DELAY. I DO KNOW AFTER THEY BUILT SOME OF THE EQUIPMENT, FOR EXAMPLE, THE WATER FEATURE, THERE WERE SOME COMPLICATIONS AND ISSUES WITH IT THAT THEY HAD TO GO BACK IN AND DO REPAIRS TO AND TWEAK. SO THAT MAY HAVE CAUSED SOME OF THAT HERE. THIS RELATES TO TC JESTER PARK. UM, SO THERE WERE SOME ISSUES WITH SOME OF THE WATER FEATURES AFTER THEY HAD COMPLETED, UH, THAT THEY MAY HAVE GONE IN TO DO MORE REPAIRS FOR. I COULD BE MISTAKEN ON THAT THOUGH. WE'LL GET YOU AN ANSWER. THAT'S ALL I CAN TELL YOU. I, I SAW IT ON THE AGENDA. PRETTY BIG ITEM. SO THERE'S PROBABLY AN EXPLANATION FOR WHY IT TOOK SO LONG. AND IT'S MORE SO FOR, I GUESS, ALL OF OUR PAYMENTS AND ACCOUNTS PAYABLE. I, I MEAN, I, I KNOW IN MY BUSINESS WE TAKE THE DISCOUNT ON EVERYTHING, SO VERY, VERY WELL TAKEN. COUNCIL. COUNCILMAN CARTER. THANK YOU, UH, TO COUNCIL MEMBER OF FLICKINGER. POINT ON THIS ONE. WHEN YOU HAVE A PROJECT THAT'S 225 DAYS FOR COMPLETION AND IT GOES OVER BY 210 OR VICE VERSA, THERE SHOULD BE SOME, SOME QUESTIONS ASKED AS TO THE VENDOR AND THE DELIVERY. I KNOW THERE WERE MULTIPLE CHANGE ORDERS AND MAYBE THAT IMPACTED THE OUTCOME, BUT THE BIG PICTURE DOESN'T LOOK SO GREAT FOR THE VENDOR OR FOR THE PROJECT. UM, IT'S, IT WAS A RED FLAG FOR US AS WELL. WOULD YOU LIKE TO HOLD IT UP? NO, NO. I, I'M FINE WITH PAYING IT OUT. I JUST WANT TO FIND OUT WHY. WELL, YEAH. AND HOPEFULLY KEEP, GET TO WHERE WE CAN PAY WITH IT. KEEP THAT LINE OF QUESTIONING. 'CAUSE IT PROBABLY WON'T BE THE ONLY TIME YOU'LL WANT TO KNOW BECAUSE , I'VE, I'VE, I'VE LEARNED THE THINGS ARE SLOWER SOMETIME THAN THEY NEED TO BE HERE IN CITY GOVERNMENT. SO LET'S WORK ON IT. BUT I'LL, I'LL GET YOU THAT ANSWER. UM, THAT'S ALL. JUST, UH, YOU VOTE. NEED TO VOTE. WE ALREADY VOTED. SO YOU, NEXT ITEM. WE'VE ALREADY VOTED ON IT. NEXT ITEM. NEXT ITEM. ITEM FIVE NEEDS A MOTION. CAN'T ATE A MOVE. SECOND. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED. MOTION PASSES. ITEM SIX NEEDS A MOTION. CASTEX TATUM, MOVE I SECOND. MOTION MADE IN SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED. MOTION PASSES. ITEM SEVEN NEEDS A MOTION. CASTEX TATUM, MOVE SECOND. MOTION MADE IN SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED. MOTION PASSES. ITEM NINE NEEDS A MOTION. CASTEX TATUM, MOVE THOMAS. SECOND. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 13 NEEDS A MOTION CAST SEX. TATUM MOVE THOMAS. SECOND. MOTION. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? CAYMAN TAG CAYMAN. TAG. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. SHE'S GONNA TAG TAGS IT. MM-HMM . VERY WELL. NEXT ITEM 20 NEEDS A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE [04:10:01] OPPOSED. COUNCIL MEMBER COUNCIL PLUMMER. COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER. THANK YOU MAYOR. I HAVE A COUPLE COMMENTS TO MAKE ON ITEM NUMBER 20. UM, I RECOGNIZE THAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON NEEDS AFFORDABLE HOUSING, BUT THIS SHOULD NOT COMPROMISE TENANT HEALTH AND SAFETY. REGRETTABLY, KITTLE PROPERTY GROUP HAS A NATIONAL REPUTATION FOR POOR MAINTENANCE OF ITS PROPERTIES. IN FACT, THE SITUATION HAS BEEN SO DIRE THAT IN ONE STATE, OVER 60 TENANTS LODGED, UM, LODGED COMPLAINTS WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL. ADDITIONALLY, IN ONE CITY, THE LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT URGED TENANTS TO FILE COMPLAINTS. THE RIO AND HOUSTON PROPERTY THEY DEVELOPED JUST FOUR YEARS AGO IS IN THE ETJ COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ HAS PERSONALLY OBSERVED HOW THE PROPERTY NEGATIVELY IMPACTS THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF ITS RESIDENTS. AND BASED ON THIS, I'M CONCERNED THAT SENIORS IN CORDOVA WILL FACE SIMILAR ISSUES. WITHIN FOUR YEARS, I PROPOSE A SOLUTION TO KITTLE PROPERTY GROUP THAT WOULD PREVENT SUCH ISSUES AT THIS NEW DEVELOPMENT. THIS INVOLVES A LEASE ADDENDUM, WHICH IS, WHICH IS PERMITTED UNDER CHAPTER 92 OF THE TEXAS PROPERTY CODE. ALL I REQUESTED WAS THAT KITTLE AGREE TO A LETTER OF INTENT TO THIS DATE. THEY DID RESPOND WITH THEIR VERSION, BUT THAT, BUT THEY REMOVED ALL OF THE TENANT PROTECTIONS, WHICH IS A CONCERN. I RESPONDED BACK TO KITTEL SAYING THAT THAT WAS NOT ACCEPTABLE. AND THEY SAID THAT THEY, THEY WILL INTERNALLY REVIEW THE ITEM. I WILL HOLD MY TAG FOR DISCUSSION IF NECESSARY, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO TAG THIS ITEM. MAYOR, TAG IT. YES, BUT I'M GONNA RELEASE MY TAG FOR CONVERSATION. VERY GOOD. RAMIREZ. THANK YOU. RAMIREZ JOINS COUNCILOR RAMIREZ. ALSO TAX. HE TAX. MM-HMM . VERY GOOD. UH, MOTION TAX. NEXT ITEM 21 NEEDS A VOTE. COUNCILOR RAMIREZ. COUNCILOR RAMIR, UH, RAMIREZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. YES. UM, I GOT CONCERNS ABOUT THIS ITEM. UM, I SUPPORT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, BUT, UH, HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THE WAY THIS PARTICULAR ONE IS ADMINISTERED. UH, A LOT OF RESEARCH HAS BEEN DONE ON TAX ABATEMENTS, AND IT HAS SHOWN THAT ABOUT 90% OF THESE PROJECTS THAT GET THESE FAVORABLE TAX, UH, TREATMENT WOULD'VE LOCATED OR WOULD'VE EXPANDED ANYWAY. AND SO THAT, THAT CALLS INTO, UH, QUESTION, UH, WHETHER WE SHOULD HAVE THE PROGRAM TO BEGIN WITH. BUT, UM, I'VE GOT SOME CONCERNS ABOUT THE WAY THIS PARTICULAR PROGRAM IS ADMINISTERED, WHETHER IT'S IT'S ACTUALLY HELPING, FOR INSTANCE, SMALL BUSINESSES, UM, AND, AND SO FORTH. AND, AND I, I UNDERSTAND IT. UH, UH, IT, IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY INCREASE, UH, PROPERTY TAXES. HOWEVER, WHEN COMPANIES GET THESE TAX BREAKS, IT INCREASES THE BURDEN ON EVERYBODY ELSE. AND SO, I'M GONNA TAG THIS ITEM VERY WELL. ITEM JACKSONS IN THE QUEUE WILL HEAR RELEASE FOR DISCUSSION. RELEASE FOR DISCUSSION. I WILL RELEASE FOR DISCUSSION. OKAY. COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. AN ATTACK. UM, 'CAUSE I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT AN AMENDMENT THAT WAS SUBMITTED IN 2022, UM, THAT WAS NOT INCLUDED, UM, IN THIS PARTICULAR, UM, ORDINANCE. AND SO I WANNA JOIN THE TAG, BUT ARE WE RELEASING FOR DISCUSSION? YEAH, I'M GONNA RELEASE FOR DISCUSSION. COUNCILOR ALCORN, UH, I'LL JOIN THE TAG AS WELL. UM, IN, IN, BACK IN LIKE 20 17 20 18, WHEN I WORKED FOR, UH, STEVE COSTELLO IN THE RESILIENCE OFFICE, I WROTE A GRANT FOR, UM, TO THE HOUSTON ENDOWMENT AND GOT $250,000 TO STUDY INCENTIVES FOR, UH, GREEN DEVELOPMENT BY PRIVATE DEVELOPERS. UH, OUR LOW IMPACT DEVELOPERS. THIS IS, YOU KNOW, GREEN STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS. WE NEED MORE OF THEM IN HOUSTON. WE NEED DEVELOPERS TO BE INCENTIVIZED TO DO, TO DO MORE OF THEM. IN HOUSTON. UH, WE ARE AWARDED THE $250,000 FROM THE HOUSTON ENDOWMENT. UM, UH, A GROUP OF STAKEHOLDERS FROM THE PARKS BOARD TO THE, UH, BUILDERS ASSOCIATION TO THE URBAN LAND INSTITUTE. A HUGE GROUP OF STAKEHOLDERS WORKED TOGETHER TO DEVELOP THIS REPORT, WHICH WAS RELEASED IN 2019. UM, BASED ON THAT GRANT, WE THEN, THANKS TO COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN, WHO DID A BUDGET AMENDMENT, PUT A, UH, A GREEN STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE. UM, SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES WHO WERE HERE THAT VERY FIRST BUDGET YEAR, WHICH PASSED UNANIMOUSLY AND WHICH WAS PUT INTO PLACE, UH, I HAVE HEARD TO DATE, WE HAVE HAD A TOTAL OF ONE COMPANY GO THROUGH START TO GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS. THERE ARE SOME FLAWS, OBVIOUSLY, AND A LOT OF GOOD, A LOT OF GOOD WORK WENT INTO THIS. I AM FOR INCENTIVIZING COMPANIES TO DO GREEN STORM WATER INFRASTRUCTURE. I'M FOR THIS ABATEMENT PROGRAM, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO GO A LITTLE FURTHER IN LOOKING AT THIS PROGRAM. IT IS, I HAVE HEARD FROM DEVELOPERS, IT IS INCREDIBLY BURDENSOME. [04:15:01] OUR PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE, THE LIMITS ARE BURDENSOME. THE AMOUNT OF INFORMATION PROVIDED IS BURDENSOME. UM, IT'S, IT'S OBVIOUSLY NOT WORKING IF WE'VE ONLY GOTTEN ONE APPLICATION IN THAT WORKING THROUGH THE PROCESS IN FIVE YEARS. SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I'M FINE WITH THE CHANGES AS PROPOSED TO THIS. I DON'T THINK THEY GO FAR ENOUGH. AND I JUST WANNA RAISE THAT POINT. I'LL ULTIMATELY SUPPORT WHAT'S, WHAT'S ON THE AGENDA NOW. BUT, BUT, UM, NOT WITHOUT SOME RESERVATION THAT WE'RE NOT GOING FAR ENOUGH TO MAKE THIS A MORE VIABLE PROGRAM FOR DEVELOPERS. UH, THE CITY CANNOT DO ALL THE GREEN STORM WATER PRO, UH, PROGRAM PROJECTS THAT WE NEED. WE NEED HELP FROM PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT. AND THEY'RE NOT GOING TO DO IT IF THEY'RE NOT INCENTIVIZED TO DO IT. WELL SAID. I'M THINKING PERHAPS THE FINANCE COMMITTEE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, I THINK, YEAH. BECOME AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, MAYBE REVIEW THAT AND, UH, MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS. VERY GOOD. COUNCILOR CAMAN. COUNCILOR CAMAN. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND I SECOND. OH, I WILL, I TOO WILL JOIN THE TAG. AND I SECOND COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN'S, UH, COMMENTS. AND MAYOR, THIS WAS PREVIOUSLY BROUGHT TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UM, WHERE I RAISED SOME OF THESE CONCERNS. AGAIN, WHEN IT WAS IMPLEMENTED, THE THRESHOLD WAS EXTREMELY HIGH. THE, THE PACKAGE WE'RE VOTING ON IS, GOES BEYOND JUST GSII WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE NOT JUST FOCUSING ON GSI TO COUNCIL MEMBER. YOUR POINT. I BELIEVE ABOUT JUST YOUR PHILOSOPHY ON TAX ABATEMENTS GENERALLY, BUT WHEN WE SAW WHAT THE LEAD ABATEMENT, UM, IT'S A GOOD PROGRAM TO TRY TO INCENTIVIZE DEVELOPERS AND BUILDERS TO DO THE RIGHT THING IN BUILDING WHAT WE WANT TO SEE. THAT IS A BENEFIT TO THE COMMUNITY. BUT WHEN WE HAVE THESE THRESHOLDS THAT ARE SO HIGH, AND THEN THE PROCESS ITSELF IS SO BURDENSOME TO GET THE, UH, GET THE STAMP OF APPROVAL, WE'RE NOT SEEING THE SUCCESS THAT WE WANT. AND AGAIN, IT'S NOT JUST GSI LEAD. WE DID TWEAK, UH, AND I WANNA GIVE SOME CREDIT. WE HAVE SEEN MORE APPLICATIONS, BUT AGAIN, IT'S NOT THE NUMBER THAT WE HOPE TO SEE HERE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. UH, SO I, I WILL JOIN THE TAG. I WILL SUPPORT THIS ITEM, MAYOR, BECAUSE AGAIN, I, I SUPPORT THE DEPARTMENT'S ATTEMPTS TO IMPROVE UPON THE PROGRAM. BUT I THINK WE NEED TO CONTINUE THE WORK TO IMPROVE IT FURTHER. WE KNOW IT'S GOOD IF NOT ABUSED, AND WE NEED TO HOLD THE DEVELOPER TO THE CONDITIONS, THE EMPLOYMENT GOALS, ET CETERA, THAT THEY COMMIT TO, AND THEN HAVE REVIEW. I'VE SEEN IT AT THE STATE LEVEL FOR YEARS. I MEAN, WHETHER IT'S TESLA OR OTHER HUGE SUCCESSFUL RICH FOLKS THAT GET THE, UH, INCENTIVES BECAUSE WE'RE INTERESTED IN THE EMPLOYMENT, THE AFFORDABILITY OF THE COMMUNITY. AND THEY SEEM TO FORGET THAT MORE TIMES THAN, THAN WE LIKE. SO ABSOLUTELY AGREE. AND THAT'S WHY IT'S, IT'S A BALANCE BETWEEN THE INCENTIVIZING THE DEVELOPMENT, BUT ALSO FOR THE PURPOSES OF THE COMMUNITY AND THE TAXPAYERS AND THE EMPLOYMENT. BUT IT'S BEEN MY EXPERIENCE QUITE OFTEN. WE DON'T REVISIT IT AND SEE THAT THEY KEPT THEIR SIDE OF THE BARGAIN. RIGHT. AND THAT I, WE'LL TRY TO IMPROVE THAT. AND YEAH, I COMPLETELY AGREE. AND THAT'S WHY I THINK JUST ON THE GSI AND THE LEAD, IT'S A LITTLE BIT EASIER BECAUSE IT'S THE NOT LONG-TERM, UH, COMMITMENTS THAT YOU HAVE TO FOLLOW UP ON TIME AND AGAIN, SURE. IT'S, IT'S WHAT'S IN THE BUILDING AT THE OUTSET, SO IT'S LESS OF A BURDEN ON THE CITY. VERY GOOD. COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ AND MAYOR, TO YOUR POINT, UH, ABOUT WHAT TYPES OF JOBS ARE BEING CREATED. UH, WE RECEIVED INFORMATION THAT THE, OF THE FOUR PROJECTS THAT ARE UNDER CONSIDERATION AT THIS TIME, TWO OF THEM ARE MIXED USE RETAIL, AND ONE OF 'EM IS A PRODUCE DISTRIBUTOR. AND, UM, ALL JOBS ARE GOOD. I DON'T WANNA SUGGEST THAT THEY'RE NOT. BUT SHOULD WE BE GIVING TAX BREAKS TO, UH, THESE SORTS OF ENTITIES THAT ARE CREATING THOSE, THOSE KINDS OF JOBS AS OPPOSED TO, FOR INSTANCE, UH, I THINK THE FOURTH PROJECT THAT UNDER CONSIDERATION IS MANUFACTURING. YOU KNOW, THAT THAT INVOLVES SKILLED, SKILLED LABOR AND SO FORTH. SO THAT'S ANOTHER CON CONCERN. YEAH. SOMEONE HELPED ME. IT'S THE ZONE THAT WE ALWAYS, UH, REQUIRE THEM TO. ALSO TOWARD THE END OF MY SERVICES STATE, MA'AM, OPPORTUNITY ZONE. OPPORTUNITY ZONE, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE OUGHT TO LOOK THAT, UH, THEY'RE NOT GOING IN TO MORE DEVELOP COMMUNITIES THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR BASED ON SOCIAL ECONOMIC ISSUES, UH, ECONOMIC, UH, SALARY LEVELS, ET CETERA, HOUSING. AND THERE'S AN EXPERT RIGHT THERE, UH, TO SEE THAT THEY'RE GOING INTO OPPORTUNITY, OPPORTUNITY ZONES, [04:20:01] WHICH WOULD MAKE IT SO PROMISING. UM, MS. TILSON, DO YOU WANT TO SHARE ANY INSIGHT INTO YES, SIR. GOOD MORNING. THE CITY'S CONCERNS. YES, SIR. UM, SO JUST TO CLARIFY AND KIND OF COMMENT ON YOUR POINT ABOUT OPPORTUNITY ZONES. SO OVER THE TIME, OVER THE YEARS, THE ABATEMENT ORDINANCE HAS BEEN AMENDED TO REDUCE SOME OF THE INVESTMENT THAT'S REQUIRED IN CERTAIN COMMUNITIES, DISTRESS COMMUNITIES, OPPORTUNITY ZONES, ENTERPRISE ZONES, SO THAT WE COULD OFFER INCENTIVES TO COMPANIES THAT ARE NOT INVESTING AS HEAVILY AS SOME OTHER INDUSTRIES MIGHT BE ABLE TO INVEST. AND TO ADDRESS, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ'S COMMENT, UM, WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH THE OFFICE OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY FOR SMALL BUSINESSES, BUT ONE OF THE REASONS THAT WE DID DROP THE THRESHOLD TO 500,000 IN SOME CASES IS TO SUPPORT BUSINESSES THAT ARE COMING INTO COMMUNITIES THAT NEED INVESTMENT THAT JUST DOESN'T HAVE THE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS IN, IN INVESTMENT. UM, BUT I'M CERTAINLY HAPPY TO WORK WITH ALL OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT THE FEEDBACK THAT I'VE HEARD WAS VERY POSITIVE. UM, IF THERE IS A WAY FOR US TO IMPROVE UPON THE PROGRAM, WE ABSOLUTELY, YOU KNOW, WANNA DO THAT. UM, TWO OF THE PROJECTS THAT YOU MENTIONED, COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ, THE MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT, THOSE ARE LEAD AND GSI. UM, AND SO THOSE ARE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT. SO WE, WE TRY TO DISTINGUISH THE VARIOUS DIFFERENT TYPES OF ABATEMENTS IN THE ORDINANCE. SO THERE IS THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UM, TYPE OF TAX ABATEMENT THAT INCENTIVIZES THE ADVANCED MANUFACTURING COMPANIES OR THE ENTREPRENEURIAL, UH, HUBS, UH, LIKE WE DID WITH BRIDMORE FOUNDERS DISTRICT. AND THEN WE HAVE THOSE THAT ARE INTENDED TO ATTRACT, UH, DEVELOPERS TO DO LEAD OR GSI TYPES OF IMPROVEMENTS, UM, WHICH DOESN'T HAVE THE SAME THRESHOLD, DOESN'T HAVE THE SAME REQUIREMENTS. SO THAT'S JUST TO KIND OF, UH, CLARIFY THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE, THE ONES THAT YOU MENTIONED EARLIER. BUT, UM, WE'LL CERTAINLY WANT TO REACH BACK OUT TO ALL OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT HAD SOME COMMENTS SO THAT WE COULD TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT WE CAN DO WITHIN THE ORDINANCE TO ENHANCE IT SO THAT IT IS MORE APPEALING. UM, AND COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, WE DID MEET WITH A GROUP OF DEVELOPERS, UH, RETAIL DEVELOPERS THAT KIND OF EXPLAINED TO US. WE HAD A, A WORKING GROUP A COUPLE MONTHS AGO, UM, BECAUSE WE WANTED TO FIND OUT WHY WE WEREN'T GETTING THE KINDS OF, UH, ATTENTION AND WHY WE WERE NOT GETTING THE NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS THAT WE ANTICIPATED WHEN WE CREATED THIS ORDINANCE, OR WE AMENDED THE ORDINANCE. UM, THEY DID CLARIFY THAT, FOR INSTANCE, MAINTENANCE WAS A CHALLENGE. UM, THAT IN RETAIL DEVELOPMENT, IT TAKES ABOUT FIVE YEARS FOR THOSE PROJECTS TO STABILIZE, UM, SO THAT THE TENANTS COULD OFFSET SOME OF THE COSTS. AND SO THE AMENDMENT TO INCREASE THE MAINTENANCE FROM TWO YEARS TO FIVE YEARS WAS IN DIRECT RESPONSE TO COMMENTS THAT WE HEARD BACK FROM, FROM DEVELOPERS. SO MAYBE WE CAN RECONVENE THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY TO FIND OUT WHAT'S MAKING IT SO CUMBERSOME AND DIFFICULT SO THAT WE COULD REMOVE THAT BARRIER SO THAT WE CAN ENCOURAGE MORE ABATEMENT APPLICATIONS. THANK YOU FOR THAT INSIGHT. THAT'S WHAT I CALL THE REST OF THE STORY, . SO WE STARTED OUT VERY CONCERNED PROPERLY THAT IT'S BEING ABUSED, POTENTIALLY, OR I THINK YOU CAN FIND EXAMPLES OF IT, BUT YOU GET BACK TO THE, THE REASONING FOR HAVING IT, UH, IF DONE PROPERLY, IT'S A, IT'S A HECK OF A PROGRAM. UM, MAYOR PROTE, CASTEX TATUM, THANK YOU, DIRECTOR TILLSON FOR, UM, REITERATING THE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE, ESPECIALLY WITH THE, UH, LEAD IN GSI AND HOW WE'VE AMENDED THE THRESHOLDS. I THINK THAT WE CAN ALL DO A BETTER JOB OF MAKING SURE THAT DEVELOPERS KNOW ABOUT THE PROGRAM AND ENCOURAGING MORE DEVELOPERS TO UTILIZE THE PROGRAM. BUT I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UM, COMES UP, UH, AROUND THE HORSESHOE IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE, UM, AGREE ON A TAX ABATEMENT AND THEN THE BUSINESS OWNER DOES NOT FOLLOW THROUGH WITH THE NUMBER OF JOBS. CAN YOU WALK, I KNOW WE TALK ABOUT IT AT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETING, BUT I THINK SINCE WE'VE, UM, BROUGHT IT UP THIS MORNING, CAN YOU REITERATE TO THE COUNCIL WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A BUSINESS DOES NOT MEET THE THRESHOLD OF THE AGREED TAX ABATEMENT? ABSOLUTELY. SO EVERY, UM, ALL OF THE AGREEMENTS HAVE, UH, IN THE LANGUAGE, UM, RECAPTURE PROVISION OR DEFAULT AND CURE. SO COMPANIES CAN, IF SO, FOR INSTANCE, IF THEY FAIL TO MEET A JOB CREATION REQUIREMENT, UM, THE CITY HAS THE DISCRETION OF, FIRST OF ALL, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO NOT DO IS WE DON'T OFFER AN ABATEMENT FOR THAT YEAR. UM, SO WHEN COMPANIES SUBMIT THEIR COMPLIANCE DOCUMENTS, IF THEY FAIL TO MEET THE THRESHOLD, THEN THEY DO NOT GET AN ABATEMENT FOR THAT GIVEN YEAR. IN SOME CASES, THE AGREEMENT MAY BE TERMINATED. LIKE FOR INSTANCE, I PROVIDED COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ'S OFFICE SOME INFORMATION. ONE OF THE ABATEMENTS WAS ACTUALLY TERMINATED BECAUSE IN THE NINTH YEAR OF A 10 YEAR ABATEMENT, WHICH 10 YEARS IS THE MAX, IN THE NINTH YEAR, THEY DID NOT MEET THE JOB CREATION REQUIREMENT, AND THEY DID NOT HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO CURE BECAUSE IT WAS THE LAST YEAR. SO IN THAT SITUATION, THE AGREEMENT WAS TERMINATED. AND OTHERS, UM, WE HAVE A STRONG RECAPTURE PROVISION THAT'S MAYBE TIED ON NET OPERATING INCOME AND PERFORMANCE. UM, WHERE, FOR INSTANCE, A COMPANY CAME TO US AND SAID THAT THEY HAVE TO [04:25:01] RECEIVE A CERTAIN RETURN ON INVESTMENT IN ORDER FOR THEM TO BUILD A PROJECT. AND SO WE HAVE A VERY UNIQUE RECAPTURE PROVISION IN THAT AGREEMENT WHERE IF THEIR, UM, NOI EXCEEDS WHAT THEY PROJECTED, THEN THEY WOULD, THE CITY WOULD RECAPTURE EVERY DOLLAR ABOVE THE REQUIREMENT FOR AN NOI. SO WE WORK VERY CLOSELY, UM, WITH THESE COMPANIES TO ENSURE THAT THE CITY IS ACHIEVING THE BENEFITS, UH, AND MEETING THE EXPECTATIONS OF THE COMPANY. UH, AND IF THEY DON'T, THEN WE WORK THROUGH THE LEGAL PROTOCOL TO MAKE SURE THAT WE PROVIDE THE, THE NECESSARY RECOURSE. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT. YOU'RE WELCOME. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. THANK YOU. AND GWEN, I, EXCUSE ME, DIRECTOR. UH, I WANTED TO THANK YOUR DEPARTMENT BECAUSE, UH, GSI AND LEAD, I'M NOT MAYOR, TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THE OTHER TYPES OF, UH, TAX ABATEMENT PROGRAMS WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED, BUT FOR, UM, YOUR WORK, OTHERS IN YOUR OFFICE. SO, AS I SAID, I, I SUPPORT THE WORK THAT IS BEING DONE TO IMPROVE IT, AND I HOPE THAT WE CAN GET TO A PLACE WHERE WE SEE EVEN MORE SO THAT THE PROGRAM CONTINUES TO GROW AND WE SEE THE TYPE OF BUILDING AND DEVELOPMENT THAT THE CITY IS TRYING TO ENCOURAGE RIGHT NOW. SO I PERSONALLY JUST WANNA THANK YOU BECAUSE THIS HAS BEEN YEARS IN THE MAKING AND WE CONTINUE TO BUILD ON IT, BUT YOU HAVE BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN THIS. THANK YOU. WE WERE, WE WERE A LITTLE SURPRISED TOO THAT WE DID NOT GET THE NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS. AND SO THAT'S WHY WE CONVENED THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY TO FIND OUT WHAT'S BROKEN. YEAH. WHY AREN'T WE RECEIVING IT? SO WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE GOING TO MAKE THE, BASED ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE DID RECEIVE, WE'RE ALSO WORKING MORE WITH SOME OF THE PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS, UM, CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE. UM, WE PROVIDED THE INFORMATION ON OUR PROGRAM TO THOSE VARIOUS DIFFERENT OUTLETS SO THAT IT CAN GET TO THE, THE BUSINESSES. UM, AND SO WE CERTAINLY WANNA DO MORE TO PROMOTE AND MARKET THIS PROGRAM. SO WOULD CERTAINLY WELCOME EVERYBODY'S FEEDBACK TO MAKE THIS PROGRAM. AND WHATEVER WE CAN DO TO PARTNER, I KNOW I'M WORKING RIGHT NOW WITH PUBLIC WORKS, UM, EVEN IN TWEAKING THE IDM MANUAL, SO THAT HOW WE ACCOUNT FOR GREEN STORM WATER INFRASTRUCTURE WHEN IT COMES TO FLOOD MITIGATION IS EASIER DAY TO DAY, WHETHER YOU'RE GOING THROUGH THE TAX ABATEMENT PROGRAM OR NOT. SO THERE'S A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT WAYS WE, I KNOW WE CAN BE TACKLING THIS AS A CITY, BUT YOUR OFFICE IS INSTRUMENTAL IN THAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ANYTHING ELSE? UH, MS. TILSON, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PUBLIC SERVICE AND YOUR EXPERTISE. YOU, UH, YOU'RE VERY VALUABLE. THANK YOU. OKAY. ITEM'S TAGGED, 20 ONE'S TAGGED REPEATEDLY. 23, PLEASE, MADAM SECRETARY. ITEM 23 NEEDS A VOTE. COUNCILOR. OH, PLUMMER. COUNCILOR PLUMMER. I CAN COMMENT AFTER THOUGH, BUT I'M JUST REALLY EXCITED TO SEE THIS ON THE, ON THE AGENDA. UM, AS A DENTIST, YOU KNOW, OFTENTIMES, YOU KNOW, DENTISTRY IS LOOKED AT AS A LUXURY. PEOPLE DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FROM BASELINE. BUT THE, THE REASON WHY I LOVE THIS SO MUCH IS BECAUSE IT'S INCLUDING PREGNANT MOMS. AND, UM, JUST KIND OF A KEY, KIND OF A LITTLE, UM, PERCENTAGE HERE, UP TO 40% OF WOMEN THAT HAVE THEIR PREGNANT, THAT HAVE PERIODONTAL DISEASE HAVE, UM, 40% INCREASED CHANCE OF PRETERM LABOR. SO THIS IS A BIG DEAL AND, UM, AND I'M REALLY JUST EXCITED TO SEE THIS ON THE AGENDA. VERY GOOD. ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED. MOTION PASSES. NEXT ITEM THIRD AND NEEDS A VOTE. COUNCIL ALL IN. COUNCIL MEMBER PECK. UH, ASSISTANT MAYOR PROTE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, THIS ITEM IS FOR THE LANGUAGE TESTING SERVICES FOR HPD AND HFD. THIS IS TO MAINTAIN THEIR LANGUAGE CERTIFICATION PAY, WHICH I SUPPORT THE LANGUAGE CERTIFICATION PAY. BUT MY CONCERN IS THAT WE'RE SPENDING OVER $97,000 JUST FOR TESTING FOR ONE YEAR. AND I KNOW THAT THIS IS GOING BACK TO PROCUREMENT, AND SO I'M HOPING THAT WE CAN LOOK AT THAT, UM, AS WE GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS TO FIND SOME, A CHEAPER OPTION. THERE'S ALSO CONCERN ABOUT, UM, WE'RE SPENDING A DIFFERENT AMOUNT PER INDIVIDUAL WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT HPD VERSUS HFD. SO IF THERE'S A WAY WE CAN, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE THAT ACROSS DEPARTMENTS WE'RE SPENDING THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY AND CHEAPER WOULD BE GREAT. GREAT. THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY JUST FOR TESTING. WE'LL TAKE IT UNDER ADVISEMENT TAG. THANK YOU. POLLARD. NOT TAGABLE, NOT TAGABLE. I UNDERSTAND IT EXPIRES AT THE END OF THE WEEK. CAN I GET A DELAY MOTION FOR DELAY FOR, UH, 30 MINUTES? KILL OH. TO, TO THE END OF THE AGENDA? SURE. LET ME MAKE A CALL. OKAY. DELAY THE END OF THE AGENDA. DELAY TO THE END OF THE AGENDA. SO THERE'S A MOTION TO DELAY TO THE END OF THE AGENDA. I GOT IT. I GOT IT. I'M JUST TRYING TO THINK WHO, WHO YOU'D CALL. BUT ANYWAY, UH, FINE. IT'S DELAYED TO THE END OF THE AGENDA. RIGHT TO THE END OF THE AGENDA. I WOULD, WOULD CALL THE SAME PERSON I WOULD CALL IF I TAGGED [04:30:01] IT. IT DON'T MATTER. OKAY. REPRESENT YOUR DISTRICT MEMBER. UH, NEXT ITEM 32 NEEDS A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED COUNCILOR PLUMMER. AFTER. AFTER. SHE WANTS, AFTER. SHE WANTS AFTER THE VOTE. AFTER THE VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED MOTION PASSES. YEAH. SO PLUMBER, COUNCILMAN PLUM. THANK YOU, MAYOR. SO I'M REALLY EXCITED TO SEE THIS, UM, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE CAN DO SHARED SERVICES, UM, WHEN IT COMES TO MENTAL HEALTH, AND I JUST WANNA KIND OF BRING THIS ATTENTION. THESE PROGRAMS PROVIDE A SPECIALIZED RESPONSE TO INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS, FOCUSING ON DEESCALATION AND APPROPRIATE CARE, RATHER THAN TRADITIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT METHODS. AND BY ADDRESSING THESE CRISIS THROUGH MENTAL HEALTH INTERVENTIONS, THESE PROGRAMS AID, UM, IN PREVENTING SITUATIONS FROM ESCALATING INTO VIOLENCE AND THEREFORE SAFEGUARDING BOTH INDIVIDUALS AND OUR FIRST RESPONDERS. UM, I WANNA BRING TO EVERYONE'S ATTENTION THAT WE HAVE IN ADDITION TO DOING A SHARED SERVICE. UM, THE CITY OF HOUSTON HAS OCT PROGRAM, WHICH IS THE, UM, MEDICAL MENTAL CRISIS OUTREACH TEAMS. WE HAVE 20 TEAMS CURRENTLY, AND WE HAVE CERT, WHICH ARE CRISIS INTERVENTION TEAMS. WE HAVE 18 OF THOSE. UM, I REALLY WANT TO ENCOURAGE THAT WE FIND SOME WAYS TO KEEP THOSE TEAMS IN PLACE. THEY'RE INCREDIBLY, UM, BENEFICIAL TO NOT ONLY THE TO HPD, BUT ALSO TO THE JUST THE, UM, OUR CITIZENS IN GENERAL. AND SO, BUT PARTNERING AND DOING THESE, UM, THESE SHARED SERVICES, IT JUST HELPS US IN TERMS OF, UM, FUNDING. SO I'M INCREDIBLY, UH, EXCITED TO SUPPORT THIS ITEM. CAMAN. COUNCILMAN CAMAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I, I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER SAID, AND I KNOW SHE'S REALLY CHAMPIONED THAT CHAMPION THIS, UM, BUT CRISIS CALL DIVERSION, OUR HOUSTON PROGRAM WAS THE FIRST OF ITS KIND IN THE NATION. UM, AND IT, IT'S JUST VERY SPECIAL TO HAVE SEEN THIS GROW BECAUSE IT'S BUDGET SEASON. I DID WANNA ALSO HIGHLIGHT, IN ADDITION TO IT BEING JUST THE RIGHT THING TO DO, LAW ENFORCEMENT SHOULDN'T ALWAYS BE THE ONES TO ENGAGE WITH SOMEBODY. UH, ESPECIALLY IN A MENTAL HEALTH SITUATION WHERE SOMEBODY CAN GET THE HELP THAT THEY NEED AND STAY OUT OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. BUT EVEN AS IT RELATES TO FUNDING, UH, 200 CALLS, DIVERTED SAVES $36,000. UH, AND ON AN ANNUAL COST SAVINGS, IT'S AT LEAST 860,000. AND MAYOR, I BELIEVE SOME OF THESE NUMBERS ARE FROM ALL THE WAY BACK BEFORE, PRIOR TO 2020. UM, IT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL AND I'LL, I'LL DEFER TO OUR CHAIR OF PUBLIC SAFETY IF WE COULD AT SOME POINT GET SOME UPDATED COST SAVING NUMBERS, UH, AS WELL. BECAUSE AGAIN, I WOULD THINK THAT AS THIS PROGRAM GROWS, WE'RE SAVING EVEN MORE MONEY AND WE'RE SAVING LIVES, WHICH IS FIRST AND FOREMOST THE MOST IMPORTANT. I, I TOTALLY AGREE. IN FACT, IN PREPARING FOR THIS MORNING SESSION, UH, I WAS SO PLEASED WITH THIS ITEM THAT I SAID WE NEED TO REVIEW IT AND SEE IF IT NEEDS SOME, A BOOST OF ENERGY INFUSION OF AWARENESS. UH, FOR INSTANCE, THE, THIS FIRE AND PERHAPS EVEN HPD WHEN THEY SHOW UP AT A SCENE AND SEE, IT'S NOT A PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE, BUT IT'S TRULY A MENTAL HEALTH. LIKE THE INCIDENT, THE TWO FIREFIGHTERS THAT HAD TO JUMP OFF THE BALCONY, IF THEY WOULD'VE BACKED OFF, OF COURSE THEY WERE CAUGHT BY SURPRISE. BUT AT SOME STAGE, IF THEY'D SAY, NO, THIS IS A MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE. AND SO WE ALL KNOW HOW GREAT IT IS, BUT DO WE NEED TO ADVERTISE IT MORE? DO WE NEED TO HAVE MORE BRIEFINGS ON IT? SO I'M JUST SIMPLY SAYING, WE CAN'T GET COMPLACENT ABOUT SOMETHING THAT IS IN EXISTENCE, WE'RE FIXING TO FUND, BUT WHAT CAN WE DO TO GET MORE AWARENESS OF IT? SO, GOOD JOB. COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. YES, THANK YOU MAYOR. VERY HAPPY TO HEAR ALL THE COMMENTS ON, ON THIS PARTICULAR ITEM. UM, AND THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER CAMAN FOR PUTTING NUMBERS TO IT. UM, I, I BELIEVE AS WELL, STRONGLY THAT THESE TYPES OF PROGRAMS RESULT IN PUBLIC SAFETY SAVINGS IN ADDITION TO BEING THE RIGHT THING TO DO. AND WE SHOULD DO IT FOR THAT REASON. BUT I THINK IT'S GONNA BE CRITICAL AS WE GO FORWARD. TO YOUR POINT, MAYOR, UM, EXPANDING THESE PROGRAMS WHEN WE'RE GONNA LOSE ARPA DOLLARS AND SO FORTH. 'CAUSE, 'CAUSE SOME, SOME OF THESE SIMILAR PROGRAMS ARE FUNDED THROUGH ARPA AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO BE CREATIVE, UH, IN CONTINUING TO FUND THESE PROGRAMS AT THE LEVEL WE HAVE BEEN. SO WELL SAID. COUNCILMAN PLUMMER AND THANK YOU. AND I THINK COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ LITERALLY TOOK THE WORDS OUTTA MY MOUTH. , UM, M COTTON INSERT WERE FUNDED BY ARPA AND IT'S ON THE CHOPPING BOARD RIGHT NOW. AND SO I THINK WE REALLY NEED TO JUST KIND OF FIGURE OUT A WAY, HOW DO WE KEEP THESE PROGRAMS IN PLACE? UM, AND I WILL SAY THIS, I WANNA GIVE CREDIT TO HPD, I MEAN, THEY DO A REALLY GOOD JOB TRAINING OUR OFFICERS [04:35:01] ON HOW TO DEESCALATE AND DEAL WITH MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS ISSUES. THEY DO AN AMAZING JOB. UH, THERE, THERE, BUT THEY'RE ALSO, AND NOT, BUT, AND THERE ARE ALSO SITUATIONS TO WHERE AN OFFICER JUST NEEDS TO HAVE A MENTAL HEALTH WORKER THERE, RIGHT? SURE. UM, AND THEN, AND THEN THE OTHER PIECE ABOUT MCO THAT'S SO SPECIAL. IT'S AN OFFICER DOESN'T GO ON CRISIS ON CERTAIN, THEY DO, BUT THEY GET THE WRAPAROUND SERVICES THAT THEY NEED. AND THAT'S WHAT JUST MAKES IT SO MUCH BETTER. AND SO THESE, UM, THIS, THIS, THIS, EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY IS JUST SO CRITICAL WHEN WE, WHEN WE'RE SPEAKING ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY AND, UM, JUST REALLY WANNA HOPEFULLY SEE THESE AS LINE ITEMS IN OUR BUDGET. THANK YOU. GOOD, GOOD. UH, COMMENTS ON THE FUNDING GOING FORWARD? WE PROBABLY NEED TO THINK ABOUT A GRANT, MAYBE EVEN PARTNERING WITH THE COUNTY. SO ANYWAY, WE'VE GOT A LITTLE TIME TO WORK ON IT, BUT, UH, IT'D BE, WE JUST WON'T ALLOW US TO, UH, LET IT NOT BE USED MORE OFTEN. UM, NEXT ITEM, NEXT ITEM. ITEM 40 NEEDS A VOTE. CASTILLO. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. ON THIS ITEM, I DO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS I'D LIKE TO GET ANSWERED IN MORE CONVERSATIONS WITH TDOT, ALONG WITH, UH, CONCERNS FROM MY CONSTITUENTS. SO I WILL BE TAGGING IT. CAYMAN JOINS. NO PROBLEM. SAY THAT AGAIN. CAYMAN JOINS. OKAY. COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMBER, DO YOU MIND IF THE RELEASE TAG I WILL RELEASE FOR DISCUSSION? SURE. OKAY. NO, I, I COMPLETELY AGREE. AND I'M GONNA OBVIOUSLY, UM, JOIN THIS TAG AS WELL. UH, THERE ARE A LOT OF CONSTITUENTS THAT OPPOSED TO CONSTRUCTION AND RECONSTRUCTION OF THESE PROJECTS, NOT ONLY FOR I 10 45 AS WELL. I MEAN, HISTORICALLY FREE RATE EXPANSIONS HAVE HAD A SIGNIFICANT NEGATIVE IMPACT. URBAN AREAS, INCLUDING THE DESTRUCTION AND ESTABLISHED COMMUNITIES AND LOSS OF VALUABLE GREEN SPACES. WHITE OAK IS CALLED WHITE OAK PARK . IT IS CALLED A PARK. UH, IT ACTS LIKE A PARK. IT LOOKS LIKE A PARK. WE TREAT IT AS A PARK, BUT THE CITY OF HOUSTON HAS NOT DESIGNATED AS ONE. AND SO, UM, I, I'M JOINING THE TAG WITH, WITH, WITH COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. AND, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WILL NOT BE, UH, YOU KNOW, REPORTING THIS ITEM, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT AS A CITY. THANK YOU. VERY GOOD. COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER, I, I'M GONNA JOIN THE TAG AS WELL. SOUNDS GOOD. CAYMAN, COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. YEAH. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND I, I JUST WANTED TO ADD, UM, IN JOINING THE TAG MAYOR, MY, I KNOW THAT COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, HIS OFFICE, HAS BEEN INUNDATED BY CONSTITUENTS. UM, THIS SEGMENT, ABUTS DISTRICT C, UM, AND OUR OFFICE OVERNIGHT, UH, HAD MULTIPLE INQUIRIES ON THIS AS WELL. I KNOW THAT TEXT DOT GOING TO COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER'S CONCERN ABOUT THE GREEN SPACES. AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS ARE VOICING CONCERN ABOUT. I DO BELIEVE THAT TDOT HAS, UH, PUBLICLY COMMITTED TO PRESERVING THOSE GREEN SPACES. BUT IT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL, UH, TO, IN WORKING WITH YOUR OFFICE AND MAYBE GOVERNMENT RELATIONS TO BE ABLE TO CONVEY WHAT THOSE COMMITMENTS ARE. UM, AND ASSURANCES ARE IN A, IN A WAY THAT WE CAN RELAY THAT TO CONSTITUENTS SO THAT THEY ARE, UH, ON PAPER, SO TO SPEAK. SO, I, I THINK IT'S JUST GIVING ADDITIONAL ASSURANCES TO THE COMMUNITY ABOUT THESE VALID CONCERNS. BUT I, I DO THINK THAT TEXT IN GOOD FAITH IS TRYING TO WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY. WE JUST NEED TO BE ABLE TO SHOW SOMETHING FOR THAT. SOUNDS GOOD. ANYONE ELSE? IF NOT, ADAM'S TAGGED AND WE WILL GO TO THE NEXT ITEM. ITEM 41 NEEDS A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED HUFFMAN. COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I JUST WANNA SAY HOW EXCITED I AM TO SEE THIS PROJECT GET STARTED AGAIN. UM, IT'S BEEN DELAYED FOR QUITE SOME TIME. UH, THE ROAD ON ELDRIDGE, THERE HAS BEEN LANES THAT HAVE BEEN BLOCKED THAT COULDN'T BE OPENED, UM, DURING THIS TIME THAT WE TOOK A PAUSE. SO I KNOW THAT RESIDENTS IN DISTRICT G ARE REALLY EXCITED TO SEE THIS PROJECT. UH, MOVING AGAIN. THANK YOU. VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED. MOTION PASSES. NEXT. [MATTERS HELD - NUMBERING] ITEM 50 NEEDS A VOTE. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I TAGGED THIS ITEM LAST WEEK, UM, AND FOR A VERY GOOD REASON WAS ABLE TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH DIRECTOR SIMS DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS. HE'S IN THE AU AUDIENCE TODAY. UM, UH, THIS PARTICULAR ITEM, IT'S AN EPO. OF COURSE, A FULL CONTRACT SHOULD BE COMING TO COUNCIL, BUT IT WAS A BENEFICIAL CONVERSATION, UH, TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ONE. UH, WE HAVE A, A PENDING PARTNERSHIP. UM, SO I ENCOURAGE ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS, IF YOU HAVEN'T HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH DIRECTOR SINCE, PARTICULARLY ON THE DANGEROUS BUILDINGS IN YOUR DISTRICT, [04:40:01] DO SO. UM, AND THEN ALSO WITH OUR, UH, PARTNERSHIP WITH, UH, CAREER RECOVERY SERVICES, THAT'S GONNA BE A TREMENDOUS HELP. I SUPPORT THIS ITEM. I LOOK FORWARD TO SUPPORTING, UM, THE FULL CONTRACT THAT COMES. AND WHAT'S MORE SIGNIFICANT ABOUT ITEM 50 IS THAT, UH, THE DANGEROUS BUILDING, THESE ARE THE ITEMS THAT THEY'RE GONNA PUT A LIEN ON. UH, SO THAT'S DIFFERENT THAN WHEN WE HAVE OUR HOTSPOT TEAM OR CAREER RECOVERY, UH, DO ABATEMENT ISSUES. SO I SUPPORT IT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE CONVERSATION, AND I HOPE EVERYONE ELSE SUPPORTS IT AS WELL. VERY WELL. THANK YOU. AND MAYOR, WE DIDN'T GET A MOTION LAST WEEK, SO WE DO NEED A MOTION ON THAT ONE, PLEASE. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS, YOU WANNA MAKE A MOTION OR MAYOR PROTE? WE GET LAST WEEK. WE NEED A MOTION. OH, I MOVED. SO MOVED. SECOND. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED. MOTION PASSES. NEXT. ITEM 50 NEEDS A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED. 51. UH, MY APOLOGIES. ITEM 51 NEEDS A VOTE. THAT'S OKAY. THAT'S OKAY. ITEM 51. ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED. MOTION PASSES. 52. ITEM 52 NEEDS A VOTE. COUNCIL RAMIREZ. COUNCIL RAMIREZ. THANK YOU MAYOR. THIS ITEM WAS TAGGED LAST WEEK BY COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD. UM, I HAD EXPRESSED CONCERNS ABOUT SOME OF THE, UH, JUSTIFICATIONS FOR, FOR, FOR THIS ITEM. IN THE INTERIM, I'VE HAD THOSE CONCERNS ADDRESSED, GOT ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FROM HOUSING. I APPRECIATE THAT. AND NOW HAVE, UH, NO FURTHER CONCERNS ABOUT THE THIS ITEM OR 53. AND I'LL BE SUPPORTING BOTH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. VERY GOOD. ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED? MOTION PASSES. ITEM 53 NEEDS A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED. MOTION PASSES. I THINK IT'S TIME TO GO BACK. UH, COUNCILMAN POLLARD TO ITEM 30 THE DAY. THAT'S THE ONE THAT WAS DELAYED, I BELIEVE. YES, SIR. TO THE END OF THE AGENDA. YEAH. YOU READY TO MOVE ON IT? YEAH, WE CAN MOVE ON IT. MY ISSUE IS, UM, THIS IS ALMOST A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR LANGUAGE TESTING. SURE. UH, FOR HPD AND HFDI, I THINK WE, WE LIVE IN THE MOST DIVERSE CITY IN AMERICA. SO WE, WE WANT TO PROMOTE, UH, AN ENVIRONMENT TO WHERE OUR EMPLOYEES ARE INCENTIVIZED AND, AND GIVEN EXTRA PAY FOR BEING ABLE TO SPEAK MULTIPLE LANGUAGES SO THAT WE CAN COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY. BUT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS IS A LOT OF MONEY TO TEST SOMEONE TO SEE IF YOU KNOW HOW TO SPEAK SPANISH. I THINK WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT IS THAT IN THE BEST FINANCIAL, UH, IS THAT IN THE BEST FINANCIAL INTEREST OF THE CITY TO BE ABLE TO TEST A PERSON OVER AND OVER? THEY TEST AND I THINK THREE YEARS LATER THEY HAVE TO TEST AGAIN. AND WE'RE SPENDING SO MUCH MONEY TO SEE IF YOU'RE ABLE TO SPEAK A LANGUAGE WHEN MM-HMM . I DON'T KNOW IF THAT COST SHOULD BE A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS TO BE ABLE TO, TO KNOW THAT. I THINK REASONABLY WE CAN FIND THAT OUT IF A PERSON IS ABLE TO SPEAK FLUENT OR EFFICIENT SPANISH, UM, WITHOUT SPENDING A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS ON IT. SO I, THESE ARE SOME OF THE ITEMS THAT KIND OF GET, YOU KNOW, MAYBE OVERLOOKED AT TIMES. 'CAUSE WE'RE PASSING SO MANY THINGS THAT HAVE ALL THESE, YOU KNOW, BIG PRICE TAGS TO IT, BUT THE MONEY ADDS UP. AND YOU HAVE TO ASK YOURSELF, DOES IT SEEM REASONABLE TO SPEND A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR TESTING AND THEN TO DO REPEATED TESTS IF YOU ALREADY PASSED THE TEST WITH A HIGH SCORE? WHY, WHY DO I NEED TO BE TESTED AGAIN? AND I THINK THE, THE COUNTER TO THAT WOULD SAY, WELL, YOU MAY NOT BE AS STRONG AS A SPEAKER, YOU KNOW, A FEW YEARS LATER, BUT IF YOU TEST REALLY HIGH THE FIRST TIME, MAYBE YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE TO TAKE IT AGAIN. AND EVEN BEYOND THAT, EVEN IF YOU DO TEST IT AGAIN, IT DOES, IT COST A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS. SO, UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE SAY THE CITY'S BROKE, THEN WE NEED TO REALLY LOOK AT THE THINGS THAT WE DO AND HOW WE SPEND MONEY, BECAUSE IT ALL ADDS UP. AND SO THAT'S WHY I WANT TO GET FURTHER CLARIFICATION ON THAT. I SURE APPRECIATE, I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS AND, AND THE PHYSICAL RESPONSIBILITY THAT YOU'RE SHOWING AS SOMEONE THAT WAS ON THE FIRST NEGOTIATING TEAM IN 1998 ON BEHALF OF THE EMPLOYEES. I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW IMPORTANT THE LANGUAGE GUIL ARE MORE SO TODAY THAN IN 98. I THINK WHAT WE'RE TESTING FOR IS THE COMPETENCY LEVEL, THE SKILL SET, UH, BECAUSE OF THE ADDITIONAL PAY AND BENEFITS YOU RECEIVE BEING LANGUAGE, UH, SKILLS [04:45:02] THAT WE NEED TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT, UM, IT'S THE LEVEL THAT WHEN THEY HIT THE STREET, THEY CAN BE EFFECTIVE. AND, UH, I KNOW WE ALL PROBABLY KNOW FRIENDS AND FAMILY MEMBERS THAT'LL SAY THEY'RE BILINGUAL AND THEY MEAN THEY UNDERSTAND IT, BUT CAN'T SPEAK IT PERHAPS. SO WE'LL, UH, CERTAINLY CAUTION, UH, THE LEADERSHIP OF H PD AND THE FIRE TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT THEY'RE NOT BEING WASTEFUL. BUT IT'S PROBABLY ONE IN OUR DIVERSE CITY. I CAN'T IMAGINE A PROGRAM THAT, UM, HELPS FIRST RESPONDERS BE BE SAFE AND, AND RESPOND TO CIRCUMSTANCES. SO I I AGREE. EVERY, EVERY DOLLAR COUNTS. SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING IT TO OUR ATTENTION. VICE MAYOR PRO TE, WHO ALSO BROUGHT IT TO OUR ATTENTION IS THE VICE MAYOR PRO TEM. THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, AND I AGREE THAT WE NEED SOME KIND OF TESTING SERVICES, BUT TO SPEND ALMOST A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS ON THAT, THERE SURELY IS SOME OTHER OPTION THAT'S CHEAPER. AND TO TEST MULTIPLE TIMES. I MEAN, LIKE COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD SAID, IF YOU TEST OVER A CERTAIN THRESHOLD AND YOU'RE FLUENT, I DON'T KNOW WHY YOU WOULDN'T BE IN A FEW YEARS FROM THEN. SO MAYBE ONLY TESTING PEOPLE ONE TIME, AND IF YOU MEET A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE, A CERTAIN THRESHOLD, MAYBE YOU DON'T HAVE TO GET TESTED A SECOND AND THIRD TIME. SO I THINK THAT THERE'S PARAMETERS WE COULD PUT IN PLACE TO REDUCE THESE COSTS AND MAYBE FIND A CHEAPER OPTION AS WELL. VERY WELL SAID. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I, I HAD ONE. I SEE THE BENEFIT TO THIS, UM, ABSOLUTELY WHEN IT COMES TO COMMUNICATION IN REGARDS TO THE TESTING. BUT MY OTHER CONCERN IS IT, IT, AND IT STATES VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS. WHAT, WHAT DEPARTMENTS? THEY DON'T SPECIFY WHICH DEPARTMENTS. IT SAYS THAT IT'S A, PROVIDES A, UH, A SERVICE FOR VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS. SO IS THERE, IS THERE A LIST OF DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS THAT SPECIFY THAT, UH, THAT NEEDS THIS THAN OTHER DEPARTMENTS? YEAH, YOU, THE GOOD THING ABOUT THIS DISCUSSION IS WE LEARN AS WE GO FORWARD. ONE OF THE SIGNIFICANT COST IS THE SIGN LANGUAGE, UH, ABILITY. YOU CAN LEARN THE, THE, THE LANGUAGE OF MANY OF OUR RESIDENTS, UH, BY PHONE OR TECHNOLOGY. BUT I'M INFORMED THAT ONE OF THE CALLS MEMBERS IS SIGN LANGUAGE, WHICH HAS TO BE DONE OBVIOUSLY IN CLOSER CONTACT. SO ANYWAY, TWO VERY GOOD CONVERSATION. FIRE. I'M SORRY, WHAT THE COUNCILOR WAS ASKING WHICH DEPARTMENTS OF POLICE YEAH, THE DEPARTMENTS. YEAH, IT'S POLICE AND FIRE PRIMARILY FIRST RESPONDERS. OKAY. OKAY. I JUST WANTED TO BE CLEAR. NO, VERY GOOD. AS WHO WE WERE. GOOD CONVERSATION. UH, MAYOR PRO TATUM. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I JUST WANTED TO, UM, REMIND THE COUNCIL THAT THE ORIGINAL SCOPE OF THE WORK, UH, REQUIRES THAT THE CONTRACTOR PROVIDE THE SUPERVISION, THE LABOR, THE MATERIALS, THE SUPPLIES, THE EQUIPMENT, THE FACILITIES, SUPERVISION AND INSURANCE NECESSARY. AND IT IS LANGUAGE TESTING FOR CHINESE, MANDARIN, CANTONESE, VIETNAMESE, SPANISH, KOREAN, ARABIC, HINDU, URDU, RUSSIAN, FARSI, FRENCH, THAI, ITALIAN, GERMAN, PORTUGUESE, UH, TAGALO, TAGALOG, TAGALOG, UH, MALAY, GREEK, JAPANESE, DUTCH, HAITIAN, CREOLE, POLISH, ROMANIAN, YUBA, IGBO, UH, AND LOTS OF OTHER LANGUAGES. , SOME, SOME WE HAVEN'T HEARD OF YET. , BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, COUNCILMAN? AND SO I, I THINK I, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT THE PENNIES IN THE CITY, BUT I ALSO WANT US TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE LIVE IN A VERY DIVERSE CITY. MM-HMM . AND THAT THE NUMBER OF LANGUAGES THAT ARE SPOKEN IN OUR CITY, UM, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO BE COGNIZANT OF THE FACT THAT THIS IS ACTUALLY AN ADDITIONAL $100,000 TO THE ORIGINAL SCOPE. IT'S THE, THE PRICE IS ACTUALLY $339,000. YEAH. UM, BUT IT'S ALSO FOR THE TESTING, THE SUPERVISORY AND THE INSURANCE. UM, SO JUST WANTED TO, WELL, THANK YOU FOR AMPLIFY THAT. THAT'S, THAT'S GREAT INFORMATION. COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD, YOU REP. AND IT'S 500, AT LEAST 500 PERSONNEL THAT WILL BE TESTED. YEAH. WE WANNA BE COST EFFECTIVE. BUT COUNCIL COUNCILMAN POLLARD, YOU, I GUESS REPRESENT PROBABLY THE MOST DIVERSE DISTRICT. YOU THE CITY. YEAH. I'M, I'M GONNA FOLLOW YOUR LEAD ON THIS ONE, MAYOR, HOWEVER YOU WANT. THAT'S HOW I VOTE. YOU'RE BEING, YOU'RE BEING PHYSICALLY RESPONSIBLE THIS MORNING AND I APPLAUD THAT. BUT ANYWAY, UH, MAYOR PERM, YOU'VE PUT A REALLY GOOD FACE ON THIS ISSUE AND IT'S BEEN A VERY GOOD CONVERSATION. BUT WE WILL HOLD FOLKS ACCOUNTABLE TO SEE THAT [04:50:01] THEY'RE NOT RETESTING, RETESTING UNNECESSARILY. CARTER, COUNCILOR CARTER. COUNCILOR CARTER, THIS ONE. AND I HOPE WHEN WE SPEND $10 MILLION ON AN ITEM, WE'LL HAVE THE SAME CONVERSATION AS WE DID. AMEN. A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS ITEM. JUST, JUST AN OB. JUST AN OB JUST A LITTLE OBSERVATION. COUNCILMAN CARTER. WELL, SO, UH, CERTAINLY, UM, I'M ALWAYS IN SUPPORT OF HPD AND HFD AND ACTUALLY REACHED OUT ON THIS ITEM. AND IT NOT ONLY COVERS H-P-D-H-F-D, BUT ALSO HOUSTON EMERGENCY. UH, PERFECT. SO IT'S ALL THREE DEPARTMENTS. AND I DON'T KNOW ABOUT Y'ALL, BUT WHEN I DIAL 9 1 1, I WANT SOMEBODY WHO CAN SPEAK MY LANGUAGE TO ANSWER. AND I ALSO WANT SOMEBODY TO SHOW UP WHO CAN SPEAK MY LANGUAGE. AND THE OTHER THING IS, YOU CAN'T CUT OFF YOUR NOSE TO SPOT YOUR FACE. VERY WELL. COUNCILMAN THOMAS? UH, YES. UM, OH, ANOTHER VERY DIVERSE DISTRICT. VERY MUCH SO. UM, ALL THE LANGUAGES LISTED, THOSE ARE MY PEOPLE. AND SO THOSE MY PEOPLE. SO, YOU KNOW, I LET US NOT NI NICKEL AND DIME $97,000 WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CRITICAL MOMENTS, UH, IN NEIGHBORHOODS. ONE THAT ARE RESISTANT TO ENGAGE WITH PUBLIC SAFETY BECAUSE IT'S A LARGE IMMIGRANT OR REFUGEE COMMUNITY, THEY ARE ALREADY RESISTANT. LET US NOT UNDERMINE THE RESOURCES THAT WE NEED TO PUT, UM, IN COMMUNITIES. ALSO, LANGUAGE SERVICES ARE ALSO AVAILABLE IN THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS TRANSLATION SERVICES. UM, AT MINIMUM, I HAVE TO FLIP THREE LANGUAGES, UH, JUST TO COMMUNICATE WITH RESIDENTS IN DISTRICT F. UM, THERE IS A CERTAIN DIALECT IN THE VIETNAMESE LANGUAGE THAT, UM, UH, DIFFERENT, UH, GENERATIONS RESPOND TO. I HAVE TO SEND OUR STUFF TO A VIETNAMESE NEWSPAPER FOR TRANSLATION SO IT DOESN'T OFFEND, UM, THE ELDER COMMUNITY. SO THERE'S SENSITIVITY AROUND LANGUAGE. UM, AND, AND SO LET'S NOT NICKEL AND DOWN $97,000. UH, WE COULD NICKEL AND DOWN 1.5 BILLION, UH, BUT NOT 97,000 BUCKS. OKAY. HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET SOME UNANIMOUS SUPPORT ON THIS. MAYOR LOBBY YOUR VOTES. GET IT, GET IT, GET IT. I AGREE. DO IT. DO IT, DO IT. WELL. I DIDN'T DELAY IT. I KNOW. , I THINK MY MEMORY SERVES ME. YOU DELAYED IT. NO, I DID NOT. OH, I'M SORRY. I APOLOGIZE. I SWEAR I HEARD THE DELAY COMING FROM THIS SIDE. I THOUGHT I HEARD AN ECHO OVER HERE. DID NOT. COUNCILOR FLICKINGER. I, I STAND CORRECTED. LET'S VOTE THIS THING OUT. IT'S CRITICAL. VOTED, VOTED, VOTED, VOTED FLICKINGER. COUNCILMAN FLICKINGER. JUST REAL QUICK, I DO THINK IT WAS A GOOD POINT, MADE THAT IF YOU ARE FULLY BILINGUAL OR BILINGUAL, FULLY CONVERSATIONAL IN ANOTHER LANGUAGE, YOU TEST OUT, YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE TO BE GOING TO TEST. I MEAN, IF YOU'RE FULLY BILINGUAL AT 25 YEARS OLD, YOU'RE STILL GONNA BE AT 28, 29, 30, WHATEVER. NO ONE COULD DISAGREE WITH THAT COMMENT. I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT. AND THEY, AND WE NEED TO REVIEW IT, MAKE SURE IT'S DONE PROPERLY. AND IF YOU GET CERTIFIED, MAYBE THAT MAYBE WE NEED TO GIVE 'EM SOME KIND OF CERTIFICATE SAYING THAT THEY'RE BILINGUAL IN A SPECIFIC LANGUAGE, THAT, THAT WOULD SERVE THE PURPOSE. BUT YOU AND I KNOW THERE ARE PROBABLY SOME INDIVIDUALS TO GET THE EXTRA PAY WOULD CLAIM THEIR SKILLSET SET. THAT DOES NOT, THEY DON'T NEED IT. PROVE CORRECT. ANYWAY, THIS IS A HEALTHY DISCUSSION. COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER. AND I JUST WANNA SAY THAT WE HAVE LOT, WE GET LOTS OF PHONE CALLS FROM THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITIES JUST ASKING FOR THIS. SURE. AND SO I, YOU KNOW, DEFINITELY BELIEVE IT'S IMPORTANT, UM, TO GET THIS DONE. SO EXCITED TO VOTE ON THIS VICE MAYOR PROTE PECK, VICE MAYOR PROTE PECK, WHO I THINK STARTED THIS CONVERSATION. . THANK YOU MAYOR. AND JUST TO BE CLEAR, I SUPPORT THE, THE CONCEPT. I WAS JUST SUGGESTING THAT THERE MIGHT BE A CHEAPER OPTION AS WE'RE GOING OUT FOR PROCUREMENT, SINCE THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE. PERFECT. UM, BUT I ALSO WANTED TO POINT OUT THAT WE FOUND OUT THAT THIS WOULD ACTUALLY IMPACT THE PAY FOR FIREFIGHTERS AND POLICE OFFICERS FOR NEW POLICE OFFICERS AND FIREFIGHTERS COMING IN. AND SO THAT'S WHY I'M VOTING YES. BECAUSE I DON'T WANNA IMPACT ANYONE'S PAY OR, YOU KNOW, THE TESTING MOVING THIS ALONG. BUT AS WE DO GO OUT FOR PROCUREMENT, YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD DEFINITELY LOOK AT THIS TO SEE IF THERE'S A CHEAPER OPTION HERE. STILL IMPORTANT, STILL NECESSARY, BUT THERE COULD BE SOMETHING CHEAPER OUT THERE. I THINK. UM, YOU'RE RIGHT. EVERYBODY'S CORRECT. I THINK THE MAYOR PRO TEM BROUGHT SOME REAL LIGHT TO THE CHALLENGES OF ADDRESSING ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS. AND THE THING THAT STANDS OUT IN MY MIND, UH, COUNCILOR THOMAS, IS THE REFUGEE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY THAT NEEDS TO KNOW THAT THEIR LANGUAGE IS GONNA BE USED AND UNDERSTOOD BY FIRST RESPONDERS. 'CAUSE YOU AND I KNOW, AND MOST OF US RECOGNIZE THE HESITANCY OF A REFUGEE COMMUNITY, OUR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY, OF NOT MAKING A CAUSE BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT AWARE THAT WE HAVE THESE LANGUAGE SKILLS. [04:55:01] SO WE NEED TO BROADCAST THAT, THAT, UH, CALL AND WE'LL, WE WILL HAVE A SKILL SET TO DEAL WITH YOUR LANGUAGE. UM, COUNCILMAN ALCORN, WHILE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UM, LANGUAGE, I THINK, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS BROUGHT UP THESE SERVICES ARE OFF ALSO OFFERED IN THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS. UM, IN SCANNING THE 600 PAGE DOCUMENT OF THE BUDGET LAST NIGHT, I DID, UM, SEE IN THE PERFORMANCE MEASURES FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS, OUR TARGET WAS TO PROVIDE INTERPRETATION SERVICES FOR 20,000 PE 20,000 RESIDENTS. BUT WE ONLY PRESU WE ONLY EXPECT TO PROVIDE THEM FOR 2,315. SO I DON'T KNOW WHERE WE MISS WHERE WE'RE MISSING THE MARK OR IF WE OVER WAY OVERESTIMATED WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO HERE, BUT I'LL BE TALKING ABOUT THAT IN THE BUDGET WORKSHOP TODAY. VERY GOOD. COUNCILOR RAMIREZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND TO COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER'S POINT, UM, THESE TESTING SERVICES WILL BE TESTING OUR FIRST RESPONDERS. AND WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE INTERACTIONS THAT OUR POLICE OFFICERS HAVE WITH RESIDENTS, FOR INSTANCE, TEMPORARILY DETAINING THEM, ARRESTING THEM, MAKING DECISIONS, WHETHER OR NOT TO USE FORCE AGAINST THEM, OUR FIREFIGHTERS GO OUT AND OUR EMS PERSONNEL GO OUT AND THEY ADMINISTER LIFESAVING CARE IN INSTANCES. AND SO I THINK WE HAVE A GREAT, UM, INTEREST IN MAKING SURE THAT OUR POLICE OFFICERS AND OUR FIREFIGHTERS ESPECIALLY, UH, UNDERSTAND, UH, THESE, UH, LANGUAGES BEYOND ENGLISH AS THEY INTERACT AND, AND, AND DO THEIR JOBS. AND, UH, I'M ALL FOR SAVING MONEY, BUT, BUT I THINK THESE SERVICES ARE IMPORTANT AND I'LL BE SUPPORTING THIS ITEM VERY WELL. JUST NEED TO VOTE MEMBERS. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. YES. ALL OPPOSED, NO MOTION PASSES. VERY GOOD. WE, WE, THIS TIME I'D LIKE TO, UH, THAT COVERS OUR AGENDA. NOW, [MAYOR'S REPORT] I'D LIKE TO DO THE MAYOR'S REPORT AND ASK OUR REVIEW PANEL CHAIR AND, UH, CHRISTINA, IN FACT, I'D ASK ALL OF YOU TO STAND AND, AND LET ME THANK YOU PUBLICLY FOR YOUR SERVICE IF YOU WANT TO COME DOWN TO THE PODIUM. UH, ARTURO IS, UH, THE FIFTH MEMBER, ELLEN, THE PURPOSE MEMBERS IS THERE'S BEEN QUESTIONS, UH, CERTAINLY ABOUT THE STATUS OF THE INDEPENDENT REVIEW COMMITTEE. UM, IT WAS NEVER INTENDED TO BE, UH, PUBLICITY SEEKING HIGH PROFILE, UH, REVIEW COMMITTEE WAS TO BE AT WORKING HARD, UH, DOING THEIR REVIEW INDEPENDENT OF HPD, THE OVERSIGHT, WHICH I APPOINTED. UH, I KNOW Y'ALL BEEN WORKING HARD, YOU'VE KEPT MY OFFICE AND MYSELF BRIEFED, BUT I THINK IT IS APPROPRIATE TODAY TO GET A STATUS REPORT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. I KNOW Y'ALL HAVE PUT IN LONG HOURS AND HAVE, UH, REPRESENTED THE CITY WELL. SO THANK YOU. UH, EACH AND EVERY MEMBER AND I WILL YIELD, UH, MEMBERS AGAIN IS, UH, CAPTAIN OS WITH THE TEXAS RANGERS, REVEREND PRESTON REPRESENTING OUR COMMUNITY. UH, ARTURO IS OUR CITY ATTORNEY, CHRISTINA NOVAK. UH, NOT ONLY IS SERVING ON THIS REVIEW COMMITTEE, BUT CERTAINLY THE OFFICE OF POLICING REFORM AND ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON. OF COURSE, ELLEN COHEN, MANY YEARS OF PUBLIC SERVICE. SO THANK Y'ALL. AND, UM, JUST KEEP DOING THE GREAT JOB THAT YOU'RE DOING. SO, ELLEN, I'LL, I'LL, UH, EVERYBODY CAN SIT ACCEPT YOU, ALLEN. ELLEN, YOU CAN, UM, GIVE US A STATUS REPORT. AND I KNOW CHRISTINA WANTS TO GIVE SOME DATA. OKAY. WELL, THANK YOU MAYOR. AND AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR PUTTING TOGETHER THIS PANEL. WE'VE WORKED TOGETHER VERY WELL AND HAVE GREAT RESPECT FOR EACH OTHER'S AREAS OF EXPERTISE. I WAS GONNA INTRODUCE THEM, BUT YOU DID A FINE JOB. AND SO I'LL JUST MOVE YOU, YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND BRAG ON INDIVIDUALLY, COLLECTIVELY, HOWEVER YOU'D LIKE TO. I THINK, I THINK WE'VE INTRODUCED EVERYONE AND, AND AGAIN, I'M SO PLEASED TO BE ON THE PANEL. UH, JUST BRIEFLY, THE COMMITTEE'S BEEN CONDUCTING OUR REVIEW OVER A PERIOD OF SIX WEEKS MEETING ONCE A WEEK, BUT WE TAKE INFORMATION HOME WITH US TO WORK ON. SO WHILE WE'RE HERE ONCE A WEEK, WE'RE DOING WORK AT HOME ACCORDINGLY. AS A RESULT, IT IS TOO EARLY TO PROVIDE DETAILED, BROAD RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE DEPARTMENT AS A WHOLE. BUT WE ARE PREPARED TO PROVIDE YOU WITH PRELIMINARY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE WORK WE HAVE COMPLETED. AND AS SOON AS I'M FINISHED WITH MY BRIEF REMARKS, CHRISTINA WILL GIVE YOU THAT, UH, PRELIMINARY RECOMMENDATIONS. [05:00:02] OUR REPORT WILL FIRST SUMMARIZE THE HISTORICAL BACKGROUND SURROUNDING THE CREATION AND USE OF SUSPENSION CODE S SL. AS YOU KNOW, BY THIS TIME, IT STANDS FOR SUSPENDED LACK OF MANPOWER OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST 10 YEARS. OUR REPORT WILL ALSO PROVIDE A PROGRESS REPORT SUMMARIZING THE COMMITTEE'S COMPLETED WORK THUS FAR. THESE PRELIMINARY FINDINGS SURROUND THE REVIEW OF THE SPECIAL VICTIMS' DIVISION SUSPENDED INCIDENT REPORTS, WHICH TOTAL 9,167, AND ARE DIVIDED INTO THREE CATEGORIES. I WANNA ADD THAT HPG HAS BEEN FORTHCOMING AND TRANSPARENT IN PROVIDING DATA TO THE COMMITTEE. ADDITIONALLY, HPD PRESENTED THE COMMITTEE TO THE COMMITTEE LAYING OUT THEIR WORKFLOW AND REVIEW PROCESS, AND THEY DID THAT EARLY IN OUR MEETINGS. THIS IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE MUCH OF OUR REVIEW WILL TRACK AND BE CONTINGENT ON HP D'S PROGRESS. HP D'S OFFICE OF PLANNING AND DATA GOVERNANCE PROVIDES WEEKLY UPDATES ON THE STATUS OF THEIR INTERNAL REVIEW. AND WE HAVE BEEN REVIEWING THE CASES AS WE'VE GONE ALONG. I'M GONNA TURN THIS OVER TO CHRISTINA NOW TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF OUR AT UP TO THIS POINT OF OUR BRIEF RECOMMENDATIONS. GOOD MORNING, MAYOR. GOOD MORNING COUNSEL. UM, I'M GONNA TRY TO KEEP IT AS BRIEF AS POSSIBLE WHILE STILL BEING ABLE TO CONVEY THE SUBSTANTIVE DETAILS OF THE WORK WE'VE BEEN DOING. UM, I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT, UM, THAT WE SHARE OUR PROGRESS THUS FAR. UM, AND WE'VE DONE A LOT OF WORK IN THE SIX WEEKS. UM, AS COUNCIL MEMBER COHEN NOTED, THE COMMITTEE'S INTERIM REPORT, UM, IS COMPLETE AND IT WILL BE RELEASED TODAY FOR REVIEW BY, UM, ALL OF YOU. UM, NOW THE REPORT IS FOCUSING, UM, ON THE HISTORICAL TIMELINE AS WELL AS THE PROGRESS OF OUR REVIEW, WHICH FOCUSED ON THE SPECIAL VICTIMS DIVISION, UM, CASES, THE 9,167. NOW, THE HISTORICAL TIMELINE BEGINS IN 2014 AND EXTENDS THROUGH NOVEMBER OF, UM, 2021. AND THE TIMELINE FOCUSES ON THE CREATION OF THE SL CODE, THE USE AND THE REVIEW OF THE SL CODE, AND TO A LESSER EXTENT, THE DISCOVERY AND CONTINUED USE OF THE SL CODE. AND I SAY TO A LESSER EXTENT BECAUSE THAT BECOMES THE PRIMARY FOCUS OF THE INTERNAL IAD INVESTIGATION, WHICH DOES NOT, IS NOT ENCOMPASS IN THE SCOPE OF OUR REVIEW. THE INDEPENDENT POLICE OVERSIGHT BOARD, WHICH I ALSO OVERSEE, UM, IS TASKED WITH THE OVERSIGHT OF ALL THE CASES THAT WOULD POTENTIALLY RESULT IN MISCONDUCT OF HPD EMPLOYEES TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE COMPLYING WITH STATE LAW. THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT, THOUGH, PROVIDES A BACKDROP FOR THE COMMITTEE'S OVERALL REVIEW AND ASSESSMENT BECAUSE IT CONTEXTUALIZES HOW THE DEPARTMENT GOT TO WHERE IT IS TODAY. SO IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE INCLUDED THAT FOR, UM, THE PUBLIC AND FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS TO UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS. NOW, BEFORE I GET INTO THE SUBSTANTIVE DETAILS OF OUR REVIEW OF THE SPECIAL VICTIMS DIVISION, I'D LIKE TO BRIEFLY DESCRIBE THE BACKGROUND AND THE METHODOLOGY OF OUR REVIEW, AS WELL AS SOME PRELIMINARY FACT GATHERING STEPS THE COMMITTEE TOOK. OUR REVIEW WILL ENCOMPASS AN EXAMINATION OF A STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT SAMPLING OF 268,920 INCIDENT REPORTS THAT WERE SUSPENDED UNDER THE CODE. LACK OF MANPOWER, STATISTICAL SIGNIFICANCE HELPS QUANTIFY WHETHER A RESULT IS LIKELY DUE TO CHANCE OR SOME OTHER FACTOR. AND IT MEANS YOU COULD FEEL CONFIDENT THAT IT IS REAL AND GROUNDED. IN FACT, AS A STARTING POINT, MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE MET WITH MEMBERS OF HPD TO GATHER AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE COMPLAINT PROCESS, THE VARIOUS WAYS A CITIZEN CAN MAKE A COMPLAINT, THE PROCESS THAT THE INCIDENT REPORTS ARE ROUTED THROUGHOUT THE DEPARTMENT AND ULTIMATELY ASSIGNED TO AN INVESTIGATOR. WE LEARNED VERY EARLY ON THAT DUE TO LAPSES IN TECHNOLOGY, THE PROCESS CAN VERY EASILY BECOME INUNDATED AND COMPLICATED IN WAYS THAT HAVE DIRECTLY CONTRIBUTED TO THE THE PROBLEMS THAT WE SEE TODAY. HPDS INVESTIGATIVE AND SPECIAL OPERATIONS UNIT IS DIVIDED INTO THREE COMMANDS, CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS, SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS, AND HOMELAND SECURITY. THERE ARE 16 DIVISIONS FALLING UNDER THESE THREE COMMANDS, BUT 11 OF THEM ARE PRIMARILY DEVOTED TO INVESTIGATIONS. AND SO THAT WAS WHERE OUR REVIEW WAS FOCUSED. MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE MET WITH THE CASE MANAGEMENT TEAMS FROM VARIOUS INVESTIGATIVE DIVISIONS TO UNDERSTAND THEIR INTERNAL PROCESSES. WE OBSERVED INCONSISTENT METHODS OF CASE MANAGEMENT BETWEEN THE DIVISIONS WITH VERY LITTLE CHECKS AND BALANCES. [05:05:01] THE INITIAL FOCUS OF OUR REVIEW, AS I MENTIONED, IS THE SPECIAL VICTIMS' DIVISION, OR WHAT MANY HAVE COME TO REFER AS THE SEXUAL ASSAULT CASES. THERE WERE 9,167 INCIDENT REPORTS SUSPENDED UNDER THIS CODE IN THAT DIVISION. MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE MET WITH VARIOUS MEMBERS OF THE SPECIAL VICTIMS' DIVISION TO GET AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE DIVISION'S CASE MANAGEMENT PROCESS, BOTH PAST AND PRESENT. HPD INITIALLY DIVIDED THEIR REVIEW OF THE SPECIAL VICTIMS REPORTS INTO THREE PRIORITY GROUPS. IN OUR INITIAL REVIEW OF THE DATA PROVIDED BY HPD, WE NOTICED IMMEDIATELY THE LARGE NUMBER OF VARIATIONS OF THE SAME OFFENSE TITLE. FOR EXAMPLE, SEXUAL ASSAULT, COULD ALSO BE REFERRED TO AS SEX ASSAULT, AGGRAVATED SEXUAL ASSAULT, AGGRAVATED SEX ASSAULT, AG, SEX ASSAULT, AND AND SO ON. AS, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, IN FACT, WE COUNTED OVER 500 VARYING OFFENSE TITLES IN BOTH A DROPDOWN MENU AS WELL AS A FREE TEXT BOX. WE BELIEVE THIS DIRECTLY CONTRIBUTED TO THE MIS TITLING, WHICH IS ALL DONE MANUALLY AND POTENTIAL MISHANDLING OF VARIOUS INCIDENT REPORTS. THE COMMITTEE CHOSE TO REVIEW 10% OF THE INCIDENT REPORTS FROM 2016 TO PRESENT IN BOTH PRIORITY GROUPS ONE AND TWO OF THE SPECIAL VICTIMS' DIVISION. AND THESE REPORTS ARE CENTERED AROUND HIGH PRIORITY AND THE MOST SEVERE SEXUAL CRIMES. THIS APPROACH ENSURE COMPREHENSIVE COVERAGE BOTH VERTICALLY ACROSS THE YEARS AND HORIZONTALLY ACROSS OFFENSE TYPE. THIS PERCENTAGE REP REPRESENTS A MUCH LARGER PORTION OF REPORTS TO REVIEW THAN A STATIST, A STATIST STANDARD STATISTICAL CALCULATION. BUT BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF THE CRIMES, THE IMPACT ON THE VICTIMS AND THE COMMUNITY, WE THOUGHT IT WOULD MO WAS MOST APPROPRIATE TO REVIEW A HIGHER PERCENTAGE OF THESE CASES. WE WILL BE FOLLOWING THE SAME METHODOLOGY AS WE CONTINUE OUR NEXT REVIEW OF MAJOR ASSAULT FAMILY VIOLENCE, UM, THEIR PRIORITY GROUPS THAT HAVE A CLOSE NEXT LIST TO FAMILY VIOLENCE. WE ARE REVIEWING IN ACCORDANCE WITH GENERALLY ACCEPTED GOVERNMENT AUDITING. AND ALL OF THIS IS OUTLINED IN DETAIL IN OUR INTERIM REPORT. WE USED A RANDOM SAMPLING APPLICATION TO SELECT 10% OF THE INCIDENT REPORTS AND REQUESTED THOSE REPORTS FROM HPD, WHICH INCLUDED ALL OF THE SUPPLEMENTS, UM, CREATED BY HPD PERSONNEL. HPD HAS BEEN FORTHCOMING AND COOPERATIVE WITH ALL OF OUR DATA REQUESTS. AS ELLEN MENTIONED, WE RECEIVE WEEKLY AND SOMETIMES, UM, MULTIPLE TIMES A WEEK, UPDATES ON THEIR PROGRESS. AS THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS REVIEWED THE INCIDENT REPORTS, WE NOTICED COMMON TRENDS THAT LED TO OUR PRELIMINARY FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS WITH RESPECT TO OUR PRELIMINARY FINDINGS CENTERED ON SPECIAL VICTIMS DIVISION, 95% OF SAMPLED INCIDENT REPORTS HAD SUPPLEMENTS SUBMITTED THAT INDICATES THAT THE CASE WAS REOPENED FOR INVESTIGATION. HOWEVER, 5% WE OBER OF THE 5% REMAINING, WE OBSERVED THAT 4% HAD A FINAL DISPOSITION WITHOUT ANY SUPPLEMENTS, AND WE REQUESTED FURTHER CLARIFICATION FROM HPD WITH RESPECT TO THAT SUBSET OF OF REPORTS. IT IS THE COMMITTEE'S POSITION THAT EVERY INVEST INVESTIGATIVE ACTION OR STEP SHOULD BE DOCUMENTED ON A SUPPLEMENTAL REPORT. 85% OF THE SAMPLED INCIDENT REPORTS HAD FINAL DISPOSITION CODES. OF THESE 75%, AND THIS IS AS OF MAY 1ST, WERE CATEGORIZED AS INACTIVE DUE TO NO FURTHER LEADS. 1% WERE SUSPENDED DUE TO PATROL ARREST OR SUSPENDED DUE TO NO LEADS, AND 5% WERE CLEARED, 4% WERE CLOSED BY INVESTIGATION. THE REMAINING 15% THAT DID NOT HAVE A FINAL DISPOSITION ARE CURRENTLY UNDER INVESTIGATION. APPROXIMATELY 4% OF THE SAMPLED INCIDENT REPORTS HAD CODIS HITS. AND THESE ARE ALL UNDER INVESTIGATION. ALTHOUGH I ANTICIPATE HPD PROVIDING, UH, SOME SPECIFIC DATA DIRECTLY SOMETIME IN THE FUTURE. I WANTED TO SHARE SOME RECENT STATS WITH REGARD TO THE TOTAL POPULATION OF SD SVD OR SPECIAL VICTIMS DIVISION REPORTS. THE 9,167 52% OF THESE REPORTS HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED FOR INVESTIGATION. A TOTAL OF 264 CHARGES HAVE BEEN FILED, INCLUDING 38 FELONIES AND 226 MISDEMEANORS. BASED ON INFORMATION PROVIDED FROM THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, 238 OF [05:10:01] THOSE 264 HAVE BEEN RESOLVED IN SOME FORM, WHETHER BY CONVICTION, UH, PLEA CASE DISMISSAL, ET CETERA, OF THE 9,000 AND SO REPORTS APPROXIMATELY 41% HAVE BEEN INACTIVATED, CLOSED, CLEARED, OR SUSPENDED AND 87 HAVE BEEN CLEARED. LACK OF PROSECUTION, MEANING THE COMPLAINANT DID NOT WISH TO PURSUE CHARGES AND HPD HAD A SUSPECT IDENTIFIED. AND I JUST WANNA GIVE THE CAVEAT THAT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF CASES WHERE THE COMPLAINANT DID NOT WISH TO PURSUE CHARGES, BUT THERE WAS AN UNKNOWN SUSPECT. NOW, THESE ARE OUR PRELIMINARY RECOMMENDATIONS. WE DIVIDED INTO TWO DIFFERENT CATEGORIES. ONE ARE THE DEPARTMENT-WIDE PRELIMINARY RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE'RE MAKING, AND THEN THE SECOND GROUP IS SPECIFIC TO THE SPECIAL VICTIMS DIVISION. WE ARE RECOMMENDING WRITTEN DIRECTIVES FOR POLICY CHANGES AFFECTING THE ENTIRE DEPARTMENT, AND THIS IS TO ENSURE CLEAR COMMUNICATION AND CONSISTENT IMPLEMENTATION OF DEPARTMENT-WIDE POLICY CHANGES. WE ARE RECOMMENDING ATTENDANCE PROTOCOLS FOR ALL EXECUTIVE STAFF MEETINGS AND COMMAND STAFF MEETINGS. WE ARE RECOMMENDING MEETING MINUTES BE RECORDED, UM, DURING ALL FOR ALL DECISION POINTS. UM, FOR THESE MEETINGS, WE ARE RECOMMENDING GENERAL STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES FOR THE RECORDS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, THE RMS SYSTEM AND CASE MANAGEMENT, COMPREHENSIVE DOCUMENTATION OF THE PROCEDURES AND PROTOCOLS GOVERNING THE USE OF RMS AND HANDLING CASES WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT. THIS DOCUMENTATION SHOULD COVER CRITICAL ASPECTS SUCH AS DATA ENTRY, RETRIEVAL, STORAGE, SECURITY PROTOCOLS, CASE ASSIGNMENT, TRACKING, AND CLOSING PROCEDURES. WE RECOMMEND CASE ASSIGNMENT PROCESS MUST HAVE REASONABLE AND WORKABLE, UH, WORKABLE TIMELINES, EXCUSE ME, HPD SHALL DEFINE CLEAR AND REALISTIC TIMELINES FOR THE ASSIGNMENT OF CASES TO INVESTIGATIVE UNITS OR INDIVIDUAL DETECTIVES. THESE TIMELINES SHALL CONSIDER FACTORS SUCH AS CASE COMPLEXITY, PRIORITY LEVEL, AVAILABLE RESOURCES AND DEPARTMENTAL WORKLOAD SUPERVISORY REVIEW OF OR CHAIN OF COMMAND APPROVAL BEFORE AN INVESTIGATION IS SUSPENDED OR MADE INACTIVE. WE ARE RECOMMENDING A MULTI-LEVEL REVIEW OF THAT. WE ARE ALSO RECOMMENDING THAT WITH THE NEW IM IMPLEMENTATION OF THE RMS SYSTEM, UM, WHICH I BELIEVE IS SUPPOSED TO COME NEXT YEAR, THAT THEY SIMPLIFY RMS OFFENSE TITLES, ENSURING THEY'RE CONSISTENT WITH THE TEXAS PENAL CODE. THE COMMITTEE PROPOSES THE FOLLOWING RECOMMENDATIONS SPECIFIC TO THE SPECIAL VICTIMS DIVISION, CREATING A PROCESS TO CONSISTENTLY REVIEW DIVISIONAL AND UNIT LEVEL EMAIL INBOXES WHERE INCIDENT REPORTS ARE ROUTED FOR HANDLING. THIS WOULD INCLUDE A SYSTEM GENERATED RESPONSE FOR UP VERIFICATION UPON CODIS NOTIFICATION COLLABORATION WITH THE HOUSTON FORENSIC SCIENCE CENTER TO DEVELOP SOPS SPECIFIC TO LAB RESULTS. AND TESTING A PROCESS TO ENSURE ALL LAB RESULTS ARE UPLOADED TO RMS IN A TIMELY MANNER. WE ARE RECOMMENDING 24 HOUR AVAILABILITY OF AN SVD INVESTIGATOR FOR INCIDENT REFERRALS OR QUESTIONS IMPROVED COORDINATION WITH VICTIM SERVICES OUTSIDE OF HPD. THE DEPARTMENT SHOULD ACTIVELY SEEK TO ESTABLISH PARTNERSHIPS AND COLLABORATIVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH EXTERNAL VICTIM SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING NONPROFIT AGENCIES, COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, ADVOCACY GROUPS, AND OTHER GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES WITH THE SHARED GOAL OF SUPPORTING VICTIMS AND PROMOTING JUSTICE UPDATED VICTIM NOTIFICATION PROTOCOLS THAT INCLUDE INPUT FROM THE HOUSTON AREA WOMEN'S CENTER. UH, HPD SHOULD ENGAGE IN COLLABORATIVE DISCUSSIONS WITH REPRESENTATIVES FROM HAWK TO SEEK THEIR INPUT AND EXPERTISE IN UPDATING VICTIM NOTIFICATION PROTOCOLS. THESE DISCUSSIONS SHALL INCLUDE REVIEWING EXISTING PROTOCOLS, IDENTIFYING GAPS OR AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT, AND EXPLORING BEST PRACTICES IN VICTIM-CENTERED NOTIFICATIONS. WE ARE RECOMMENDING A MANDATORY HAWK ADMINISTERED 55 HOUR TRAINING FOR ALL MEMBERS OF THE SPECIAL VICTIMS DIVISION, RECOGNIZING THE SPECIALIZED NATURE OF HANDLING CASES INVOLVING VULNERABLE POPULATIONS. THE COMMITTEE PROPOSES A MANDATORY 55 HOUR TRAINING PROGRAM ADMINISTERED BY HAWK FOR ALL MEMBERS OF THIS DIVISION. WE ARE RECOMMENDING CO-FACILITATED VICTIM AND TRAUMA CENTERED TRAINING AT THE PATROL LEVEL IN THE ACADEMY, PLUS A YEARLY REFRESH REFRESHER FOR ALL OFFICERS. RECOGNIZING THE PIVOTAL ROLE OF PATROL OFFICERS IN RESPONDING [05:15:01] TO AND SUPPORTING VICTIMS OF CRIME. THE COMMITTEE PROPOSES INTEGRATING CO-FACILITATED VICTIM AND TRAUMA CENTERED TRAINING INTO THE CURRICULUM AT THE ACADEMY LEVEL. WE NOTICED DURING OUR REVIEW OF INCIDENT REPORTS THAT OFTEN IT IS PATROL OFFICERS WHO ARE THE FIRST POINT OF CONTACT FOR THESE VICTIMS, AND A LOT OF TIMES THEY JUST ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH THE SKILL SET NECESSARY TO APPROPRIATELY ADDRESS THE ISSUES THAT ARE HAPPENING AT THE SCENE. NOW REGARDING INCIDENTS, INCIDENT REPORTS, AND THIS IS SPECIFIC TO OUR VERIFICATION PROCESS, WITH A FINAL DISPOSITION OF INACTIVE NO LEADS, WHERE THE VICTIM SURVIVOR COULD NOT BE LOCATED, AND THERE IS A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF INCIDENT REPORTS THAT ARE INACTIVE BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT LOCATE THE, THE COMPLAINANT AND THE VICTIM SURVIVOR. WE RECOGNIZE THE CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH LOCATING VICTIM SURVIVORS. IN CASES WHERE LEADS HAVE BEEN EXHAUSTED, THE COMMITTEE PROPOSES ENHANCED COLLABORATION WITH VICTIM SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING AGENCIES SUCH AS THE LANDING UNITED AGAINST HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S MAYOR, OFFICE OF CASE MANAGER TO FACILITATE THE LOCATION OF VICTIM SURVIVORS AND PROVIDE THEM WITH THE NECESSARY SUPPORT AND RESOURCES. AND LASTLY, WHEN SCHEDULING A FORENSIC INTERVIEW WITH VICTIMS, WHICH IS A PREFERRED, UH, STANDARD PRACTICE FOR THE DA'S OFFICE IN DEALING WITH, PARTICULARLY WITH SEXUAL ASSAULT CRIMES, UM, WE ARE RECOMMENDING THAT THE HPD ALLOW THE VICTIM SURVIVOR TO SCHEDULE AN INTERVIEW AT THE CONVENIENCE OF THEIR INDIVIDUAL SCHEDULE. THE TIMING OF THE INTERVIEW SHALL NOT SOLELY BE DEPENDENT ON THE AVAILABILITY OF THE INVESTIGATOR OR ALLOCUTION OF OVERTIME. OUR WORK IS NOT DONE, BUT WE ARE PRIORITIZING VICTIM-CENTERED CRIMES WITH THE SHARED GOAL OF IMPROVING THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT AND ENSURING THE COMMUNITY THAT THIS WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN. YOU UNDERSTAND? THIS IS OUR PRELIMINARY REPORT, . AND ACTUALLY, AND YOU SHOULD BE GETTING THAT TO, TO AFTER THIS MEETING. YEAH, WE JUST SENT OUT COPIES OF THE PRELIMINARY REPORT, SO YOU'LL HAVE COPIES, YOU'LL HAVE ALL THAT INFORMATION IN YOUR HANDS TODAY. THANK, THANK YOU. UH, CHAIR COEN, UH, FOR Y'ALL'S COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW, I KNOW IT'S ONGOING. UH, IT'S SAFE TO SAY ABSOLUTELY THAT THE CODE USAGE HAS BEEN STOPPED, UH, THAT ALL THESE SEXUAL ASSAULT VICTIMS HAVE BEEN, CASES HAVE BEEN REVIEWED, INCIDENT REPORTS HAVE BEEN REVIEWED, AND CERTAINLY THEY'VE BEEN OFFERED COUNSELING AND OTHER SERVICES THAT, THAT YOU ARE PUTTING THEM IN CONTACT WITH. AND THAT'S THE FAMILY VIOLENCE YOU DID. YOU MENTION, CHRISTINA, YOU HAVE SO MUCH DATA THAT THE PROPERTY CRIMES AND OTHER INCIDENT REPORTS WILL BE PROCESSED. UH, CERTAINLY WERE NOT THE PRIORITY THAT THE 1 0 1 CRIME WAS, BUT, UH, THAT'S PART OF THE CONTINUATION THAT YOU'RE GONNA THAT'S CORRECT. WE ARE GONNA FOCUS ON, UM, ALL OF THE INCIDENT REPORTS THAT HAVE A NEXUS TO VICTIM CRIMES. UM, BUT WE WILL BE REVIEWING A STANDARD STATISTICAL, UM, SAMPLING OF THE REMAINING CRIMES, WHICH INCLUDE PROPERTY CRIMES, VEHICULAR CRIMES, AND ALL OF THOSE. BEFORE I YIELD TO MY COLLEAGUES, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT Y'ALL NEED, ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR RESOURCES THAT YOU NEED TO COMPLETE YOUR, UH, REVIEW? ANYTHING YOU CAN THINK OF THIS MORNING? I DON'T. YEAH, I DON'T THINK. I DON'T THINK SO. AND ARE YOU GETTING ACCESS IF SUBJECT COMES UP, ACCESS TO HPD, YOU QUICKLY, I'M SORRY. ARE YOU GETTING THE ACCESS TO THE HPD UH, WORK PRODUCT THAT IN THEIR REVIEW PROCESS? YES, WE ARE. HPD HAS BEEN VERY FORTHCOMING. UM, WHENEVER WE, UM, FOCUS ON MAYBE SOMETHING THAT WE SEE IS MISSING IN ONE OF THE INCIDENT REPORTS, THEY'RE WILLING TO SIT DOWN, WALK US THROUGH THE PROCESS, THEY ARE OPEN TO OUR SUGGESTIONS IN TERMS OF, UM, BETTER WAYS TO DEAL, UM, WITH, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE INVESTIGATIVE ACTIONS THAT WE SEE. UM, AND YOU KNOW, AS I MENTIONED, SOMETIMES MULTIPLE TIMES A WEEK THEY'RE UPDATING US WITH, UM, THE STATUS OF THEIR REVIEW. UM, I HAVEN'T HAD ANY PUSHBACK FROM HPD. AND, AND DO YOU, CHRISTINA, SPECIFICALLY, HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO SEPARATE YOUR DUTIES ON THIS REVIEW PROCESS AND ASSIGNMENT FROM YOUR OFFICE OF POLICING REFORM AND ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON? I MEAN, THEY ARE BOTH CRITICALLY IMPORTANT, BUT, UH, SHOULD BE INDEPENDENT IN MY JUDGMENT FROM YOUR WORK THERE. AND I THINK IT ALSO HIGHLIGHTS HOW, HOW VALUABLE YOUR SERVICE IS TO THIS REVIEW THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT TODAY. BUT HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO KEEP YOUR [05:20:02] RESPONSIBILITIES SEPARATE? ABSOLUTELY. I DON'T, UM, COMMINGLE THE INFORMATION BECAUSE I, UM, WANT TO RESPECT THE, THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE LAW. I DO MEET WITH THE, UM, MEMBERS OF THE INDEPENDENT POLICE OVERSIGHT BOARD, UM, AND WE HAVE CONSTANT COMMUNICATION ABOUT THEIR REVIEW, THEIR REVIEW OF THE UNDERLYING IED CASES, WHICH ARE SEPARATE AND DISTINCT FROM THE REVIEW THAT THE COMMITTEE IS DOING OF THE INCIDENT REPORTS. VERY GOOD. I YIELD TO, UH, MAYOR PROM, CASTEX TATUM. THANK YOU, MAYOR, AND, UM, TO THE ENTIRE BOARD. UM, I KNOW THAT THIS WAS A, UH, BIG UNDERTAKING AND WE APPRECIATE THE UPDATE. UH, I THINK THAT EVERYONE THAT MAKES A REPORT TO HPD DEFINITELY DESERVES A RESPONSE. UM, AND THERE WILL BE, UM, SOME REQUIREMENT TO, UM, REBUILD THE TRUST OF HOUSTONIANS TO KNOW THAT, UH, WHEN THEY MAKE A REPORT, THAT THERE WILL BE A RESPONSE. UH, I THINK THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE'VE HEARD, UM, FROM YOUR UPDATE, I LOOK FORWARD TO READING THOSE BECAUSE THERE WAS A LOT OF INFORMATION. BUT FROM THE, THE ONSET OF WHAT YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT AND DISCUSSED, I THINK THAT WE ARE MOVING FORWARD IN A, IN A GREAT DIRECTION. YOU'VE PUT FORTH SOME GREAT RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT MAYOR, I THINK THAT WHAT, WHAT PEOPLE REALLY WANNA KNOW IS WHAT, WHAT WILL BE THE ACCOUNTABILITY OF THE PEOPLE THAT ACTUALLY USE THE CODE? UM, I THINK THAT THE QUESTIONS THAT ARE LOOMING IN OUR COMMUNITY ARE, UM, WHERE'S THE, THERE'S A DISCONNECT. THERE'S A DISCONNECT OF WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS CODE, UM, WHO WAS IN CHARGE OF, UM, INVESTIGATIONS WHEN THIS CODE WAS BEING USED, UM, WHO IS GOING TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR ACTUALLY USING THE CODE AND NOT FOLLOWING UP ON, UM, THESE PARTICULAR CASES. I MEAN, THERE HAS TO BE A GENESIS OF HOW THIS STARTED AND WHY IT WAS ALLOWED TO CONTINUE. I THINK THE WORK THAT YOU HAVE PRESENTED THIS UPDATE ON IS GREAT AND MOVING FORWARD, I THINK THAT WE ARE IN A BETTER POSITION BECAUSE WE HAVE BROUGHT THIS TO LIGHT AND ARE GOING TO MAKE SOME CHANGES. BUT I DO THINK THAT PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW, UM, WHO IS GOING TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR USING THIS CODE, GENERATING THIS CODE, AND HOW DO WE REBUILD AND RESTORE PEOPLE'S FAITH IN HPD BY HOLDING THE PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE WHO THOUGHT THAT THIS WAS A GOOD IDEA. I MEAN, ONE PIECE I CAN ADD IS THAT IN THE REPORTS YOU'RE GOING TO RECEIVE, IT DOES GO BACK AT LEAST 10 YEARS, I BELIEVE. AND IT DOES GIVE DATES AND HISTORICAL INFORMATION ABOUT HOW THIS HAPPENED AND HOW IT'S, AND WHAT HAPPENED TO IT IN TERMS OF THE PENALTY PHASE OF THINGS. I THINK THAT'S GONNA BE UP TO HPD AND THE MAYOR AND I, AND I THINK THAT'S GONNA BE CRITICAL. MAYOR, THE PEOPLE, THE PEOPLE WILL WANT TO KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, HOW THIS STARTED, WHO USED IT, WHO, WHO, WHO MADE IT OKAY TO USE IT OVER AND OVER AGAIN. UM, AND YOU KNOW, WHO, WHO'S, WHO'S GONNA BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT SO THAT WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH THESE GREAT RECOMMENDATIONS? WELL, I, I'LL COMMENT FIRST OF ALL, UH, IAD THE INTERNAL INVESTIGATION IS GONNA DO THEIR REVIEW, WHICH IS PART OF THE INVESTIGATION. THE MISSION OF THIS REVIEW IS TO SEE THAT HPDS REVIEW IS, IS CREDIBLE, THOROUGH, AND, UH, FACTUAL. SO THEY WERE, IN MY JUDGMENT, AND SINCE I APPOINTED, WAS NOT TRYING TO, UH, DETERMINE THE FAULT IN WITH INDIVIDUALS AND PERSONALITY. SOME WHOM MOST OF US UNDERSTAND ARE NOT EVEN WITH HBD ANYMORE, CERTAINLY FORMER CHIEFS AND FORMER ASSISTANT CHIEFS. BUT I KNOW THERE IS, DUE TO THE COMPLAINT AND THE REQUEST FOR AN INVESTIGATION, THAT REPORT WILL BE FORTHCOMING. UH, THIS WAS MORE A REVIEW OF THE PROCESS, THE VICTIMS MAKING CERTAIN THEY'RE CARED FOR AND RECOMMENDATIONS GOING FORWARD. ANY FAULT, UH, THERE'S PLENTY TO GO AROUND. I THINK WE KNOW FROM 10 YEARS OF USAGE, UH, AT LEAST FOUR CHIEFS PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION. SO, UH, THE FOCUS IS ONE THAT IT, THAT WE GUARANTEE THE PUBLIC THAT IT'S BEEN STOPPED, THAT INCIDENT REPORTS WILL BE REVIEWED. UH, I MIGHT AS WELL MENTION RIGHT NOW, NEARLY EVERYTHING THAT YOU RECOMMENDED IS GONNA REQUIRE ADDITIONAL STAFFING, WHICH KIND OF HIGHLIGHTS HOW WE GOT IN THIS MESS IN THE FIRST PLACE. SO, [05:25:01] YOU KNOW, YOU PAY NOW OR YOU PAY LATER. UH, IF WE, IF WE HAVE THE RESOURCES TO DO THE REVIEWS THAT YOU ARE RECOMMENDING GOING FORWARD, THE COLLABORATION WITH THE VICTIM, UH, ASSISTANCE GROUP, THE WOMEN'S CENTER, UH, THE TRAINING, IT'S GONNA REQUIRE ADDITIONAL STAFFING, AND I THINK WE SHOULD HIGHLIGHT THAT. BUT I SHARE YOUR CONCERN THAT PEOPLE ARE HELD ACCOUNTABLE. WE CERTAINLY DON'T WANT 'EM IN POSITIONS A RESPONSIBILITY IF THEY FAVORED THIS, UNLESS NOW THEY RECOGNIZE, UH, HOW WRONGFUL IT IS. AND I, I DO, I DO BELIEVE, UH, WE NEED TO RESTORE THE TRUST IN THE PROCESS. BUT I WILL EMPHASIZE FROM MY CONTACTS AND TRAVELING THE CITY, PEOPLE DO SUPPORT AND RESPECT HPD. UH, I KNOW A LOT OF OFFICERS HAVE CONTACTED ME IN MY OFFICE. THEY WERE, THERE WAS DISAPPOINTMENT. I STILL, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT BELABOR THE POINT. I STILL FIND IT SO MIND BOGGLING AND UNACCEPTABLE, THAT FOR 10 YEARS, NO STAKEHOLDER, NO ACTIVE OFFICER, NO EMPLOYEE GROUP, NO ADMINISTRATION, NO ONE BROUGHT THIS TO OUR ATTENTION UNTIL THIS YEAR. IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, THINGS ARE JUST NOT EASILY KEPT QUIET AROUND HERE. SO ANYWAY, APPARENTLY THAT'S WHAT THE REVIEW SHOWS. I THINK THERE WILL BE INVESTIGATION, UH, REVIEWS REPORTED IN, IN, IN THE NEAR FUTURE, AND THEN WE CAN HAVE A DISCUSSION AGAIN. BUT THIS WAS THE FOCUS ON THE REVIEW OF THE INCIDENTS AND SEE THAT THE VICTIMS GOT THE ATTENTION AND THE ASSURANCE THAT THEY NEEDED. I UNDERSTAND IT'S, IT'S VERY UNDERSTANDABLE. SOME VICTIMS HAVE MOVED ON IN THEIR LIFE, HAVE NEW FAMILIES, NEW JOBS IN COMMUNITIES, AND DID NOT WANT TO REVISIT THESE HORRIBLE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT THEY REPORTED AT ONE TIME. SO THE, THE, THE GUARANTEES NEED TO BE THAT IT'S BEEN EXPOSED, STOPPED, AND WILL NEVER BE USED AGAIN. WHATEVER IT TAKES US TO PREVENT THIS AND IN THE FUTURE. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS, COUNCILMAN KAMAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I HAVE SEVERAL QUESTIONS AND SOME OF THEM YOU ALL MAY NOT BE ABLE TO, UM, RESPOND TO. AND MAYOR, I HOPE THAT THIS ESTEEMED GROUP WILL BE ABLE MAYOR AS HE WALKS OUT. UM, SO I'LL JUST MAKE THE PUBLIC REQUEST THAT I HOPE TO SEE YOU ALL, UM, SOON BACK HERE, ONCE IN THE NEXT PHASE OR IN THE FINAL REPORT. UM, I ALSO HOPE THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO ASK QUESTIONS OF, UM, THE IAD THE INTERNAL INVESTIGATION, BECAUSE A LOT OF THOSE SPECIFICS, UH, MAY PRETEND TO YOUR POINT, UH, AS WE MOVE FORWARD FIRST, WE ALSO NEED TO, UM, COMPLETE THE PAST AND MAY AND RIGHT THAT WRONG. AND THOSE ARE QUESTIONS THAT HAVE TO BE DIRECTED TOWARDS THEM. UH, CAN YOU AND I FIRST AND FOREMOST WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR THE TRAUMA-INFORMED, UM, AN EMPHASIS ON VICTIM AND SURVIVORS THAT YOU ALL ARE TAKING IN THIS, UH, BECAUSE THAT'S WHO MATTERS, UH, FIRST AND FOREMOST. UH, SO THANK YOU ALL FOR ADDING THAT IN AS WE DO LOOK FORWARD. UH, CAN YOU CLARIFY THE TIMEFRAME THAT YOU ALL REVIEWED? UM, 2016 TO 2024. TO 2024. 24? YEAH. OKAY. AND, UM, YOU HAD MENTIONED, UH, YOU USED TWO DIFFERENT WORDS AND SOMETIMES THE PUBLIC HAS BEEN GETTING CONFUSED. SO I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY FOR THE RECORD, WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE SL CODES REVIEWED UNDER SV, UH, THE 9,167, AT THE BEGINNING OF YOUR PRESENTATION, YOU SAID IT WAS 9,167 CASES LATER, YOU SAID, AND I BELIEVE IN THE REPORT WE JUST RECEIVED IT'S INCIDENT REPORTS. SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE'RE TALKING INCIDENT REPORTS OF 9,000, NOT CASES. THAT'S CORRECT. OKAY. AND THAT, THAT MATTERS, OF COURSE, ONE IS TOO MANY, BUT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT INCIDENT REPORTS VERSUS CASES THERE, THERE'S A DISTINCTION. UM, YOU MENTIONED LAPSES IN TECHNOLOGY, AND I'M ASSUMING YOU DID TOUCH ON THE RMS SYSTEM. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, UH, AS MANY AROUND THE HORSESHOE KNOW, I HAVE BEEN PUSHING HARD ON, UM, FOR, UH, FOR FOUR YEARS, UH, UH, TO GET THAT. AND WE'RE JUST A YEAR AWAY FROM GETTING THAT NEW SYSTEM IMPLEMENTED. BUT WHEN YOU TALKED ABOUT LAPSES IN TECHNOLOGY, IS THAT SPECIFICALLY THE RMS SYSTEM? I KNOW YOU MENTIONED IT CAN BE CATEGORIZED DIFFERENT WAYS. SO YOU HAVE LIKE AG SEX ASSAULT VERSUS SEXUAL ASSAULT, AND THE RMS SYSTEM AS IT STANDS, WE CAN'T UNDO CERTAIN LABELS, RIGHT? IT'S STUCK IN THE SYSTEM. THAT'S HOW OLD AND ANTIQUATED IT IS. SO DID THAT KIND OF [05:30:01] ONE IMPACT HOW YOU WERE ABLE TO DO YOUR INVESTIGATION, MAKING IT MORE DIFFICULT? AND TWO, DO YOU THINK THAT PLAYED A ROLE IN THIS? IF I MAY, I DON'T THINK IT AFFECTED OUR INVESTIGATION, OUR REVIEW AND ASSESSMENT, UM, BECAUSE WE ARE REVIEWING THE WORK OF HPD, UM, I DO THINK IN TRYING TO UNDERSTAND HOW WE GOT TO OUR PRESENT SITUATION, THAT IT PLAYED A HUGE ROLE JUST BECAUSE, UM, AS I UNDERSTAND FROM SPEAKING WITH HPD, NOT ONLY AS THE RMS SYSTEM ANTIQUATED, BUT THEY, UM, EACH DIVISION MAY USE A DIFFERENT DATABASE, WHETHER IT'S A MICROSOFT ACCESS OR SOMETHING, THEY DON'T, A LOT OF THESE SYSTEMS DON'T SPEAK TO EACH OTHER. SO THE TRANSFER OF DATA THERE, YOU KNOW, THERE IS A BREAKDOWN IN COMMUNICATION THERE. AND SO INFORMATION DOESN'T FLOW AS EFFICIENTLY AS IT SHOULD. AND I THINK THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THE PROCESS. AND I THINK ALSO WHEN IT COMES TO AUDITING, YOU'RE MAKING A LOT OF AUDITING AND O OVERSIGHT RECOMMENDATIONS, AND THE CURRENT RMS SYSTEM MAKES IT EXTREMELY DIFFICULT, UM, TO DO THAT AS WELL. SO MAYOR, WHATEVER WE CAN BE DOING TO GET THE NEW RMS SYSTEM IN PLACE, I KNOW THE FUNDING IS THERE, AND I KNOW IT TAKES TIME TO TRANSITION, BUT THAT'S, UH, GONNA BE CRITICAL IN THIS. THE, UH, TIMELINE IN THE REPORT, WE WERE JUST SENT IT AS YOU ALL WERE PRESENTING. AND THERE'S A FEW THINGS THAT STUCK OUT, UM, THAT I'M, I'M CONCERNED WITH, UH, THAT AGAIN, YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO SPEAK TO, BUT I'M GONNA ASK THE QUESTION. UH, SPECIFICALLY ON PAGES 13 AND 14, UH, THERE WAS A, I THINK A, IT'S CALLED A BLUE NOTE MEMO BACK IN 2021 THAT WAS SENT TO ONE OF THE, UH, ASSISTANT CHIEFS THAT, UH, LEFT HPD PRIOR TO ANY OF THIS COMING TO LIGHT. AND THAT'S, I THINK, ONE OF THE FIRST DOCUMENTS OF, UH, THAT BEING ALERTED TO THE EXECUTIVE COMMAND. UH, YOU THEN GO DOWN THOUGH, AND IT WASN'T NECESSARILY PRESENTED ALLEGEDLY, UM, TO THE EXECUTIVE COMMAND WITH, WITH CHIEF NER THERE UNTIL NOVEMBER 4TH, 2021, AND THAT'S WHERE HE SAID, UM, GET RID OF IT. AND THEN THE NEXT DAY, IF I READ CORRECTLY, IS ASTROWORLD. IS THAT CORRECT? CORRECT. SO THE ASTROWORLD TRAGEDY HAPPENED THE NEXT DAY, WHICH WE KNEW TOOK A HUGE, HUGE, UH, FOCUS ON FROM THE ENTIRE CITY AND THE NATION, RIGHT? UH, AN ABSOLUTE TRAGEDY. AND THEN, UH, IT GOES BACK TO, UH, ONE OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMANDS THAT ASKS IF IT SHOULD BE CIRCULATED THROUGHOUT THE DEPARTMENT SO THAT EVERYONE KNOWS IT. AND THE INDIVIDUAL THAT HAD ALREADY LEFT HPD HAD SAID, NO, IT DOESN'T NEED TO BE CIRCULATED DEPARTMENT WIDE. IS THAT CORRECT? YES. OKAY. SO MAYOR, AGAIN, AS WE GET INTO THIS IN THE DETAILS TO THE MAYOR PRO TEMS POINT, UH, WE HAVE TO LOOK, LOOK FORWARD AND MOVE FORWARD IN REBUILDING TRUST, AND NOT JUST REBUILDING TRUST, BUT MAKING THIS THE, UM, PREMIER MODEL FOR RESPONSE TO, UH, SEXUAL ASSAULT SURVIVORS AND VICTIMS OF CRIMES, UH, IN THE NATION. AND AS WE WORK TOWARDS THAT THOUGH, WE ALSO HAVE TO HEAL. AND THAT MEANS ACTUALLY UNDERSTANDING WHAT HAPPENED. UH, AND I THINK THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF FINGER POINTING, BUT AGAIN, WHAT I'M JUST PRELIMINARILY READING IN THE FIVE MINUTES SINCE WE RECEIVED THIS IS THERE ARE THINGS, UM, COMING OUT OF THIS THAT ARE CONCERNING TO ME ABOUT WHO KNEW WHAT AND WHO ALSO DIDN'T KNOW WHAT. AND, UH, I HOPE WE WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ASK MORE QUESTIONS ON THAT. UH, LASTLY, UH, CAN YOU JUST QUICKLY GO BACK OVER AGAIN, FOCUSING ON OUR SURVIVORS IN THE COMMUNITY AND BUILDING TRUST. WHAT ADDITIONAL RESOURCES AND SUPPORT HAS THE CITY, IF YOU KNOW, UH, BEEN PROVIDING TO VICTIMS THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED THROUGH THE HPD PROCESS? I KNOW YOU HAD MENTIONED THAT WE ARE DOING REFERRALS TO OUTSIDE ORGANIZATIONS, BUT ARE WE MAYOR PROVIDING ADDITIONAL SUPPORT AND RESOURCES, UH, FOR THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN TRAGICALLY IMPACTED BY THIS? UM, SO WITH RE RESPECT, ARE YOU TALKING WITH RESPECT TO THE SUBSET OF SL CASES OR TO JUST GENERALLY? I BELIEVE YOU HAD MENTIONED THAT WHEN THERE IS SOMEONE IDENTIFIED, UM, THAT HAS BEEN IMPACTED BY THIS SL CASE, TAKE FOR EXAMPLE, A A A SEXUAL ASSAULT VICTIM. MM-HMM . OR I LIKE TO USE THE WORD SURVIVOR. UM, WE'RE REFERRING THEM, I BELIEVE THE PROCESS IT SOUNDED LIKE IS TO ALSO REFER THEM OUT TO AN OUTSIDE AGENCY TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL SUPPORT. BUT ARE WE, AS A CITY PROVIDING ADDITIONAL SUPPORT? ARE WE PROVIDING ADDITIONAL RESOURCES TO, FOR EXAMPLE, A HAWK TO TAKE ON THESE ADDITIONAL [05:35:01] CASES? ARE WE PROVIDING ADDITIONAL, UH, STEPS IN THE PROCESS AND SENSITIVITY AND CARE WITH THESE INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE BEEN IMPACTED FOR FIRST HBDS CONDUCTING THAT THEIR REFERRALS AS THEY MEET WITH THE VICTIMS, AND CERTAINLY THE REVIEW PROCESS. WE'VE HEARD THE ASSURANCE THIS MORNING THAT THEY'RE REVIEWING THAT AND, UM, THE VICTIMS HAVE BEEN, UH, OFFERED AND, AND THEY'RE USING COUNSELING AND OTHER SUPPORT SYSTEMS. AND THAT'S WHEN THE STRONG RECOMMENDATIONS THAT OUGHT TO BE PART OF THE REGULAR INTERACTION WITH HPD AND VICTIMS, AS THEY NOT ONLY COMPLETE THE INVESTIGATION OR INCIDENT REVIEWS, UH, GOING FORWARD FUTURE YEARS, WE NEED, AS YOU SAID, LET'S MAKE A MODEL HOW HOUSTON DEALS WITH SEXUAL ASSAULTS AND ALL THE DIFFERENT TERMINOLOGY THAT CHRISTINA MENTIONED. I MEAN, THAT'S PART OF THE PROBLEM. WHAT IS THE PROPER, UH, IDENTIFICATION FOR THE, FOR THE VICTIMS IN TERMS OF THEIR SERVICES REQUIRED? BUT, UH, YEAH, THERE ARE A LOT OF GOOD SERVICES OUT THERE AND INTERVENTION AND, AND ACCOUNTABILITY, BUT IT REQUIRES STAFFING. AND I THINK THAT'S A MISSING FIRST. YOU CAN'T FIX SOMETHING IF YOU DON'T ADMIT WE HAVE A PROBLEM. WE'RE THAT'S BEING CONDUCTED AS WE TALK. THE RESPONSE IS GONNA REQUIRE RESOURCES AND COLLABORATION AND GO TO STATE, GET, GET THE, YOU KNOW, THE STATE PASSES A LOT OF LEGISLATION DEALING WITH SEXUAL ASSAULT VICTIMS, HUMAN TRAFFIC VICTIMS, BUT WE NEED THE RESOURCES TO FOLLOW IT. I, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT MAYOR, AND I THINK HPD THROUGHOUT THE YEARS IN LARGE PART, UH, MAYOR PRO TEM COHEN, UH, TO YOUR WORK AT, AGAIN, HOUSTON AREA WOMEN'S CENTER, SOME OF THOSE, UM, THOSE PROGRAM TRANSFORMATIONS HAVE OCCURRED AND WE ARE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. BUT AS WE IDENTIFY A VERY LAR UH, UH, A NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS THAT DIDN'T RECEIVE THOSE RESOURCES, AND I WOULD SAY, UM, DUE TO THIS SPECIFIC, UH, ISSUE WITHIN THE, WITHIN HPD, ARE WE PROVIDING THE ADDITIONAL SUPPORT IN TERMS OF FINANCES TOO, FOR EXAMPLE, A HOUSTON AREA WOMEN'S CENTER THAT IS HAVING TO TAKE ON THOSE ADDITIONAL CASES? ARE WE MAKING THAT RIGHT? MY KNOWLEDGE, AND YOU'VE BEEN HERE LONGER THAN I HAVE, BUT MY KNOWLEDGE IS THE CITY HAS NOT PROVIDED THE RESOURCES THAT ARE NECESSARY FOR SOME OF SOCIAL AGENCIES TO GO FORWARD, UH, PARTNERING WITH AGENCY. WELL, WE'VE PROVIDED MILLIONS TO HOUSTON AREA WIND I'M TALKING ABOUT. I UNDERSTAND, BUT WE STILL HAVE AS IS JANUARY. SO, SO WE, WE'VE, YOU'VE MENTIONED IT AND, AND SENT RESOURCES, BUT IT'S DOCUMENTED THAT WE HAVE NOT DONE ENOUGH. SO YOU ASK, HAVE WE DONE IT? UH, YOU JUST MENTIONED THAT WE HAVE REFERRED RESOURCES. YOU, UH, ARE BRINGING UP GREAT ISSUES. I'M JUST SIMPLY SAYING IS WHATEVER WE'VE BEEN DOING IS NOT ENOUGH. AND IF YOU WANNA MAKE IT A MODEL FOR THE NATION, WHICH WE ALL WOULD, WOULD JOIN YOU IN, IT'S GONNA TAKE MORE RESOURCES, MORE COLLABORATION, AND UPFRONT PROACTIVE SERVICES. AND THAT'S, BY THE WAY, THE REASON ELLEN COHEN IS CHAIRING THIS REVIEW COMMITTEE. AND, UH, EACH OF HER COLLEAGUES ARE VERY COMMITTED LOOKING AT THEIR, UH, OTHER JOBS THEY DO, OUTSTANDING SERVICE PROVIDING. BUT ELLEN COHEN, UH, HAS SUCH A RECORD OF ACCOMPLISHMENT PROVIDING WOMEN'S SERVICES AND VICTIM SERVICES. THAT'S WHY SHE'S HEADING UP THIS TEAM, RIGHT? SO, SO WE'LL FOLLOW THE RECOMMENDATIONS, GO FORWARD, FIND THE RESOURCES, AND, UH, HOPEFULLY GIVE EVERYONE THE SERVICES THEY PROVIDE. SO MAYOR PRO TEM, TO ASK THIS SPECIFIC QUESTION AS WE ARE IDENTIFYING THESE SURVIVORS THAT HAVE BEEN IMPACTED, I'M SURE YOU'LL INCLUDE IT IN YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT WHAT ADDITIONAL FUNDING OR SERVICE PROVISION SHOULD WE BE GIVING TO THOSE THAT WERE OUTSOURCING SUPPORT SERVICES TO SPECIFICALLY AS IT RELATES TO THIS MATTER, WHICH IS DISTINCT FROM MOVING FORWARD, WHAT THAT MODEL IS. AND I, AND I, AGAIN, I I WOULD MENTION THAT THIS IS A, YOU KNOW, A PRELIMINARY RECOMMENDATION. UM, WHILE WE'VE MET FOR SIX WEEKS, REALLY IT'S BEEN FIVE THAT WOULD'VE BEEN FOCUSED ON THE CASES. AND MY HOPE IS THAT NOT MY HOPE, MY INTENT IS THAT THE COMMITTEE AND I WILL PRESENT OUR FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS. UM, I CAN'T GIVE A DATE, BUT WHEN WE DO, IT [05:40:01] WILL INCLUDE THE TYPES OF THINGS THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. VERY MUCH SO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER PECK, VICE MAYOR. THANK YOU MAYOR, VICE MAYOR APPROACH, PECK. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU TO EACH OF THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS FOR YOUR WORK. I KNOW IT'S A BIG JOB AND I APPRECIATE ALL THE TIME AND CARE THAT YOU'VE PUT INTO THIS. UM, AS FAR AS THE, UM, RECOMMENDATIONS, THOSE WERE A LOT OF RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE JUST HEARD JUST NOW, BUT A LOT OF THEM SOUND REALLY GREAT. AND TO KIND OF PIGGYBACK ON WHAT COUNCILOR CAYMAN SAID. SO AS FAR AS IMPLEMENTATION OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS, YOU SAID THAT IT'S GOING TO, THE FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS ARE GOING TO GO TO THE MAYOR. UM, ARE THERE ANY THOUGHTS ABOUT HOW THOSE FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS WOULD BE IMPLEMENTED FROM THE COMMITTEE STANDPOINT? I KNOW THE MAYOR WILL PROBABLY HAVE THOUGHTS ABOUT THAT AS WELL, BUT ARE THERE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE COMMITTEE AS FAR AS HOW TO ACTUALLY IMPLEMENT THAT? LIKE, WILL, WILL THERE BE A CHECKLIST OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO ACTUALLY SHOW THAT THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE GETTING DONE? GO AHEAD. UM, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, AS WE HAVE MOVING THROUGH THIS PROCESS, WE ARE BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH HOUSTON AREA WOMEN'S CLINIC. I REACHED OUT TO, UM, ORGANIZATIONS INVOLVING HUMAN TRAFFICKING. 'CAUSE I SEE A LOT OF COMMON THEMES THERE WITH SOME OF THE INCIDENT REPORTS THAT I'M REVIEWING. WE ALSO ARE VERY COLLABORATIVE WITH HPD. UM, I THINK IT'S PIVOTAL RIGHT NOW THAT THEY ARE OPEN TO RECEIVING, UM, ANY POTENTIAL CRITICISM AND THERE'S ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT THERE. UM, AND WE HAVE ALSO KIND OF PARTNERED WITH THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. WE HAVE SAT, UM, MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE HAVE SAT IN WITH MEETINGS BETWEEN THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE SPECIFIC TO THE GROUPS OF SL CASES, UM, AND HPD TO FORMULATE, UM, RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WILL CHANGE THE PROCESS MOVING FORWARD. SO WE CAN SEE HOW THAT IMPLEMENTATION WILL HAPPEN, NOT JUST WITH RESPECT REACTIVELY TO THIS INCIDENT, BUT PROACTIVELY WITH ALL VICTIMS. THANK YOU. AND MAYOR, UM, YOU KNOW, THE REPORT, WE JUST RECEIVED IT AND I'M SURE THAT THERE WILL BE A LOT OF QUESTIONS. I KNOW I'M GONNA HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS. UM, AND VICE CHAIR JACKSON AND I WOULD REALLY LIKE THE COMMITTEE TO COME TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE TO PROVIDE UPDATES, OR EVEN IF IT'S BEFORE FULL COUNCIL, THAT'S FINE TOO. BUT JUST WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE FOLLOW UP, UM, CONVERSATIONS BECAUSE IT'S A LOT OF INFORMATION THAT, WE'LL, WE WILL DEFINITELY HAVE MORE QUESTIONS ABOUT. I TOTALLY AGREE. COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND I'M, I'M JUST READING. WELL, FIRST OFF, THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR, FOR YOUR WORK AND YOUR DILIGENCE. UM, THANK YOU MAYOR FOR, FOR THE FORESIGHT OF PUTTING TOGETHER THIS, UH, GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS TO LOOK INTO IT. AND EVEN TO THE MEMBERS WHO ARE SITTING BEHIND YOU, I WANT TO, I WANT TO THANK THEM FOR THEIR SERVICE. UM, COUPLE QUESTIONS IN YOUR REPORT. IT STATES THAT, UH, INITIALLY IN 2015, UM, GOING INTO 2016, THERE WERE EIGHT ONE HOUR CLASSES THAT WERE DONE TO, I GUESS, NOTIFY OR TRAIN CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT ON THIS NEW CODE, THE SL SUSPENDED LACK OF PERSONNEL, AND IT WAS ONLY FOR INVESTIGATIVE PERSONNEL. IS THAT CORRECT? UM, YES. AND JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, IT WAS FOR NEW RMS CODES THAT INCLUDED SL. SO IT WASN'T SPECIFIC JUST TO THIS CODE, BUT THEY WERE ADDING ADDITIONAL CODES TO RMS. AND SO ALL OF THE CODES THAT THEY WERE GOING OVER WERE ONLY WITH THE INVESTIGATOR PERSONNEL, NOT WITH THE ENTIRE DEPARTMENT. IS THAT CORRECT? I BELIEVE THAT THE TRAINING, UM, WAS FOCUSED ON THE INVESTIGATIVE DIVISIONS. ALTHOUGH AT CERTAIN LEVELS WITHIN PATROL, IF THEY HAVE PROACTIVE UNITS, THEY MAY UNDERTAKE SOME INVESTIGATION. THEY HAVE ACCESS TO THE SAME RRMS SYSTEM AS OTHERS. SO HOW WOULD THE ENTIRE DEPARTMENT KNOW THAT THIS CODE EXISTED? OR DID THEY KNOW THAT THE CODE EXISTED? UM, I BELIEVE WHAT I HAVE OBSERVED IN SPEAKING WITH THE DIFFERENT DIVISIONS IS THERE IS INCONSISTENCY IN TERMS OF WHAT PEOPLE KNEW AND WHAT THEY DIDN'T KNOW. WE FOUND THAT SOME INVESTIGATIVE DIVISIONS CHOSE NOT TO USE THIS CODE AT ALL. AND SO I THINK, UM, THAT SPEAKS TO YOUR POINT THAT, UM, THE COMMUNICATE, THERE WERE GAPS IN THE COMMUNICATION. AND SO SOME PEOPLE, UM, TOOK THE TRAINING HEAD ON AND IMPLEMENTED IT IN THEIR DIVISION AND OTHERS CHOSE NOT TO. AND THERE WAS NO, UM, DIRECTION THAT I OBSERVED GIVEN TO THEM TO MAKE THAT DECISION. SO FOR LEADERSHIP WITHIN HPD, SPECIFICALLY, THE EXECUTIVE COMMAND STAFF, WOULD THEY HAVE TO BE THE ONES TO, UH, GIVE THE APPROVAL FOR ANY SUBORDINATE TO BE ABLE TO UTILIZE THIS CODE? OR HOW WOULD THEY BE GIVEN NOTICE IF THEY WERE, LET'S SAY, TRANSFERRED FROM, YOU [05:45:01] KNOW, COMMANDER OR TO EXECUTIVE LEVEL THAT THIS CODE EVEN EXISTED? UM, I DIDN'T FIND A LOT OF INFORMATION, UM, LEADING ME TO BELIEVE THAT THE EXECUTIVE LEVEL STAFF WERE EXTREMELY INVOLVED UNLESS THEY WERE SPECIFICALLY TASKED WITH THIS PROJECT. YOU KNOW, I BELIEVE IT KIND OF STARTED IN 2014. OTHERWISE IT WAS VERY SPECIFIC TO THE INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE TAKING AN ACTIVE ROLE IN, UM, WORKING WITH RMS AND DEVELOPING, UM, NEW CODES FOR THE SYSTEM. AND SO THROUGH YOUR INVESTIGATION, IT WAS SEEN THAT CERTAIN DEPARTMENTS WITHIN HPD HAD THE DISCRETION TO USE THIS CODE, AND SOME CHOSE TO USE IT AND SOME CHOSE NOT TO. THAT'S CORRECT. MM-HMM . AND THEY CAN MAKE THAT DECISION WITHOUT THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMAND STAFF? THAT'S CORRECT. AND DID YOU ALL FIND ANY RATIONALE OR REASON TO WHY IT CAME OUT NOW AND UNDER THIS PARTICULAR LEADERSHIP? I BELIEVE THIS STEMMED FROM A VERY SPECIFIC INCIDENT THAT HAPPENED, UM, IN TERMS OF, UM, HOW IT CAME TO LIGHT, UM, UH, A CRIME THAT OCCURRED IN THE FALL OF LAST YEAR. AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT, UM, DEPARTMENT-WIDE, HOW IT BE, EVERYONE KIND OF BECAME AWARE OF IT. NO FURTHER QUESTIONS. THANK YOU ALL. ALRIGHT, COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER, NO FURTHER QUESTIONS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND, AND THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING. I MEAN, I THINK YOU'RE NOT ONLY BRINGING YOUR RESOLVE TO THE VICTIMS, BUT YOU KNOW, OF COURSE I, UM, AM INCREDIBLY, UM, ALIGNED WITH CHIEF FINN. AND SO I THINK THIS ALSO BRINGS SOME HONOR TO HIM AS WELL, BECAUSE FROM WHAT I'M HEARING RIGHT NOW, UM, THE MAJORITY OF THE CASES HAVE BEEN RESOLVED OR REVIEWED AT SOME LEVEL, AND THAT WAS UNDER HIS LEADERSHIP. AND I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO NOTE, UM, BECAUSE HE JUST GOT THERE IN 2021. SO I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT. SO TWO QUESTIONS HERE. UM, ONE, WHAT IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP OR WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP GOING TO BE IF IT'S BEEN DETERMINED WITH YOUR INVESTIGATION AND THE IN INTERNAL AFFAIRS DIVISION? ARE YOU GONNA SHARE, NOT SHARE INFORMATION, BUT ARE YOU GOING TO, IS THERE GONNA BE SOME LEVEL OF COMMUNICATION OR GIVING OF INFORMATION TO THEM OR THE COMPLETELY SEPARATE AND INDEPENDENT? IT'S COMPLETELY SEPARATE. THE IAD INVESTIGATIONS UNDER CHAPTER 1 43 ARE CONFIDENTIAL AS A MATTER OF LAW. AND SO, UM, THAT IS NOT THE FOCUS OF OUR REVIEW AND ASSESSMENT OF COURSE, BUT AT SOME POINT WE'LL HAVE TWO INVEST TWO, UM, PIECES OF INFORMATION TO KIND OF, NOT COMPARE AND CONTRAST, BUT WE'LL HAVE TWO DIFFERENT REPORTS THAT WE'RE ABLE TO LOOK AT AT SOME POINT. IS THAT TRUE OR NO? UM, I'M NOT SURE. JUST DEFER TO HPD ON HOW THEY WANT TO, UM, SHARE WHATEVER DATA FOR THAT UNDERLYING INVESTIGATION. OKAY. THAT SOUNDS GOOD. AND THEN THE, UM, I WOULD JUST HAVE SOME, AND OF COURSE WE JUST RECEIVED THE RECOMMENDATIONS, WHICH I THINK ARE AMAZING, BUT I WOULD JUST LOVE TO JUST BRING TO POINT A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT THINGS. UM, ONE FOR US, WE CLEARLY KNOW THAT THERE, AND THIS HAS BEEN MENTIONED BY OTHER, MY OTHER COLLEAGUES, UM, IT'S BEEN MENTIONED THAT A LOT OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THEY'RE MAKING, IT'S GONNA HAVE SOME BUDGETARY ATTACHMENTS TO THAT. SO IT WOULD BE REALLY NICE TO HAVE SOME LEVEL OF IDEA OF WHAT THAT NUMBER WOULD LOOK LIKE AT SOME POINT. UM, IN ADDITION, UM, ANY TYPE OF STANDARDIZATION OF SPECIMEN COLLECTION, UM, FOR THE OFFICERS, I THINK WOULD BE SOMETHING WOULD BE BENEFICIAL JUST FOR CONSISTENCY. UH, AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, WOMEN OF COLOR ARE, UM, REALLY OVERLOOKED WHEN IT COMES TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, TO SEXUAL ASSAULT, ET CETERA. AND I KNOW, AND I RESPECT ALL THE WORK THAT HAWK DOES, BUT THEY'RE ALSO ENTITIES. AND I'M JUST GONNA MENTION LIKE FRESH SPIRIT, WHO IS SOME DR. CONTE TERRELL I WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH. SHE SPECIFICALLY WORKS WITH WOMEN OF COLOR. AND I WOULD JUST REALLY LOVE TO JUST, UM, BROADEN THAT A LITTLE BIT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERY SINGLE PERSON FROM A DIVERSE PERSPECTIVE IS, UM, IS DEALT WITH WITH, WITH THAT. SO IF HAWK IS CLEARLY LEADING THAT CHARGE, I, I COMPLETELY ACKNOWLEDGE AND I'M FINE WITH THAT. BUT I REALLY WANT TO CONSIDER BRINGING OTHER PARTNERS IN AS WELL THAT DEAL WITH WOMEN OF COLOR AND, UM, AND ADVA AS WELL. I MEAN, THEY DO A GREAT JOB. AND, UM, AND IF THERE'S SOME WAY THAT THEY CAN BE DIRECTLY AFFILIATED, UM, WITH THAT FROM A FUNDING PERSPECTIVE OR SOME TYPE OF AGREEMENT, UH, I THINK THAT WOULD BE REALLY GOOD TO COMMUNITY. OKAY. JUST A COUPLE OF JUST HIGH LEVEL RECOMMENDATIONS AND THANK YOU, THANK YOU AGAIN, UM, FOR EVERYTHING. NO, I THINK IT'S EXTREMELY VALID IN TERMS OF ADDITIONAL RESOURCES, AND I WOULD SUSPECT THAT WOULD DEFINITELY BE IN OUR FINAL REPORT. COUNCILOR THOMAS, THANK YOU. UH, THANK YOU FOR THIS, UH, REALLY GOOD WORK. UH, ONCE THE, UH, PANEL WAS ANNOUNCED, UM, UH, FRANKLY I WAS SKEPTICAL, UH, ABOUT [05:50:01] WHAT WAS GONNA BE PRESENTED BACK TO, UH, COUNCIL. SO THIS IS VERY GOOD. UM, WORK, YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS ARE INFORMED, THEY'RE BEYOND FAIR. UM, YOU CAN TELL THAT THE ENTIRE COMMITTEE HAS GONE THE EXTRA MILE, BUT I CAN'T HELP TO IMAGINE THAT IF TROY FINNER WAS STILL OUR CHIEF, THAT ALL OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS WOULD'VE BEEN ADOPTED. HE WOULD'VE EAGERLY, UM, LOOK TO ADOPT THIS AND TO TRANSFORM THE PRACTICE OF THIS CODE IN THE DEPARTMENT. IT HAS NOT BEEN GIVEN A CHANCE TO DO SO. BUT SO IN RELATION TO THE RECOMMENDATIONS, ARE YOU THINKING GENERAL ORDERS OR IS THAT AN ORDINANCE THAT WOULD NEED TO COME THROUGH THE ADMINISTRATION FOR COUNCIL TO ADOPT, UM, TO COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN'S POINT, SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF DOLLARS AROUND, UM, UH, THE WOMEN'S AREA CENTER, PARTICULARLY ARPA FUNDING CARES FUNDING. WE'VE BEEN REALLY DILIGENT AROUND THAT. UM, IN YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS, I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER PECK MENTIONED ABOUT A CHECKLIST, BUT IN TERMS OF REALLY CODIFYING WHAT THIS IS AND THE PRACTICE, UM, I'M, I'M EAGER TO THAT I, I ACCEPT ALL RECOMMENDATIONS THAT Y'ALL HAVE PUT FORWARD. I THINK THE INFORMATION IN THE PRELIMINARY REPORT IS REALLY HELPFUL. UM, AND, AND BROWSING THROUGH THAT. UM, I AM AFFIRMED IN MY INSTINCT THAT INFORMATION WAS WITHHELD FROM CHIEF TROY FINNER. I'M AFFIRMED IN MY INSTINCT, UM, THAT, UM, HE WAS NOT GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEAD THE DEPARTMENT WITH ALL THE INFORMATION, UM, THAT HAS BEEN PROVIDED TODAY. AND SO HOPEFULLY WE CAN PIVOT AND MOVE FORWARD. UM, OUR ACTING CHIEF SATELLITE, UM, IS GREAT. UM, LIKE HIM A LOT. UM, HE'S GOOD FOR THE DEPARTMENT, HE'S GOOD FOR THE CITY. UM, AND HOPEFULLY THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE OFFERED TODAY, HE CAN LEAD FORWARD AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO SEE THE FRUIT OF THIS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU COUNCILOR CARTER. WELL, THANK Y'ALL FOR YOUR REPORT. UM, WE JUST GOT IT. AND, AND HONESTLY, ON THE HEELS OF, UH, CONFIRMATION FROM THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE THAT THE, AND, AND CERTAINLY ELLEN, YOU CAN IDENTIFY WITH THIS LANGUAGE, THE VOCA FUNDING FOR FY 2025 HAS BEEN, UH, CUT BY 42% WILL BE REDUCED. AND CERTAINLY IN AUSTIN, THEY'RE MAKING, UM, THEY'RE TAKING MEASURES TO TRY TO MITIGATE THE IMPACT. BUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE SERVICES AND WHAT THE CITY HAS DONE AND, AND FOR, UH, HOUSTON AREA WOMEN'S CENTER, KEEP IN MIND THAT THE FUNDING GIVEN PROVIDED TO HOUSTON AREA WOMEN'S CENTER IS VERY SPECIFIC. AND IT'S NOT TO COVER THESE SERVICES. UH, IT'S, IT'S, YOU KNOW, ON THE, UH, EXPANSION, UH, OF THE, UH, THE CAPITAL CAMPAIGN OVER THERE. AND SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THIS, WE, I THINK, I JUST WANNA REMIND EVERYBODY THAT HARRIS COUNTY HOLDS THE RECORD ANNUALLY FOR THE MOST VICTIMS KILLED DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, WHICH, YOU KNOW, WE CAN TALK ABOUT SEXUAL ASSAULT, THAT ALL LEADS UP TO IT, BUT WE HOLD THE RECORD. BUT THE FUNDING CONTINUES TO BE, TO BE CUT. AND THAT'S AT THE STATE LEVEL. THE FEDERAL LEVEL IS ON AND ON AND ON. BUT IT'S NOW MORE THAN EVER THE NEED TO COLLABORATE WITH OUR FRIENDS AT THE COUNTY, AT THE STATE, AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, AND, AND TRY TO AGAIN, MOVE FORWARD IN A POSITIVE WAY. BUT THAT, THAT NEED FOR COLLABORATION NOW IS THE TIME. IF IT WASN'T BEFORE, I MEAN, WE'RE IN A, IN A VERY PIVOTAL POINT AT OUR, AT A VERY PIVOTAL POINT. AND, AND WE'VE JUST GOT TO STEP UP AND BRING EVERYBODY TO THE TABLE WITH US TO, TO AGAIN, FOCUS ON THE VICTIMS AND THE SURVIVORS, NOT ON THE, THE CODING AND, AND THE PAST. WE NEED TO MOVE INTO THE FUTURE. AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU BOTH FOR YOUR IMPORTANT WORK. AND THANK THE REST OF THE COMMITTEE THAT'S WORKED ON THIS ISSUE. IT'S IMPORTANT, IT NEEDS TO BE DONE. AND, UM, I HAVE AN OBSERVATION. IT'S NOT INTENDED AS A COMMENT ON LEADERSHIP AT ALL, BUT, UM, IT'S GREAT THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT THESE CASES NOW. IT'S GREAT THAT SOME OF THEM ARE STILL ABLE TO BE SOLVED AND HANDED OVER TO THE PROSECUTOR FOR PROSECUTION. BUT YOU KNOW, MY BACKGROUND, AND I'M SURE YOU UNDERSTAND, CHRISTINE, EVERY CASE THAT'S HANDED OVER NOW TO THE PROSECUTOR FOR PROSECUTION IS, IS A WEAKER ONE, IS DAMAGED TO SOME DEGREE BECAUSE THESE CASES WERE NOT ADEQUATELY INVESTIGATED WHEN THEY OCCURRED AND WHEN THE REPORTS WERE FIRST MADE. I, I HOPE THAT, UH, WE'LL BE ABLE TO, UH, SOLVE AS MANY OF THESE CASES AS POSSIBLE AND GET THEM TO THE DA'S OFFICE SO THEY CAN BE PROSECUTED AND THAT, AND SO THAT JUSTICE CAN BE OBTAINED. BUT, YOU KNOW, MY OBSERVATION IS THAT THE FACT THAT WE'RE DOING THAT AT THIS POINT DOES NOT CURE ANY ERRORS THAT THAT HAVE BEEN MADE. THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU. AND I, I MIGHT JUST ADD THAT, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DISCOVERING TOO, IS THE NUMBER OF STEPS THAT HAVE TO GO THROUGH ON A CASE. AND THAT IS ANOTHER REASON THAT THINGS HAVE BEEN TIED UP. I MEAN, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU SAID YOU CAN GO TO THE DA'S OFFICE AND THE [05:55:01] DA'S OFFICE CAN EASILY TURN AROUND AND SAY, WE DON'T ACCEPT IT. WE CAN GO TO A FORENSIC SCIENCE. AND THEY MAY NOT BE ABLE TO EXAMINE THE, THE MATERIAL, ONE OF THE LOG JAMS IN THIS WHOLE SYSTEM TOO. THANK YOU. IF I COULD JUST COMMENT BRIEFLY, JUST WITH RESPECT TO THE SL CASES, UM, HPD, UM, HAS PROACTIVELY MET WITH THE DA'S OFFICE WHO HAS CREATED A SPECIAL GROUP TO HANDLE THE VICTIMS, UM, IMPACTED BY THE SL CODE. AND SO IT'S SEPARATE AND DISTINCT FROM THEIR INTAKE PROCESS, FROM THE NORMAL HANDLING OF THE CASES TO, UM, BE MORE VICTIM CENTERED AND TO PRIORITIZE THESE CASES AND ADDRESSING THOSE NEEDS TO HOPEFULLY HAVE BETTER OUTCOMES FOR SOME OF THESE CASES THAT WE'RE ABLE TO SURVIVE. GLAD TO HEAR THAT. THANK YOU COUNCILOR DAVIS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I, I WANT TO FIRST BEGIN BY ADDRESSING MAYOR. I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE LEADERSHIP. LET ME JUST PUT IT OUT THERE FOR PUTTING THIS TEAM TOGETHER REGARDING THIS ISSUE. AS I'M JUST PERUSING THROUGH THE INFORMATION THAT WE'VE SEEN, UH, IT'S ALWAYS BEEN THE THREE FACTORS WITH ME AND REGARDING THIS ISSUE. AND THAT IS, NUMBER ONE, HOW DID WE GET HERE? NUMBER TWO, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO TO FIX IT? AND NUMBER THREE, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO TO MAKE SURE THAT WE NEVER GO BACK THERE AGAIN? ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I LOOKED AT, UM, WITH MUCH OF THE MATERIAL, AND I WILL LOOK AT IT EVEN IN DOUBT AND TAKE, TAKE A DEEP DIVE IN IT, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT STOOD OUT FOR ME IS ON THE EXHIBIT A, WHICH, WHICH THE TEAM OBVIOUSLY RESEARCHED AND PULLED UP, AND IT WAS GIVEN UNDER OCTOBER, 2014 FROM CHIEF MCCULLEN WHO ADDRESSED THIS ISSUE WAY BACK, TWO PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS BACK ON THE ISSUES OF STAFFING. 'CAUSE THE BEDROCK TO THIS WHOLE PROBLEM IS ABOUT STAFFING, AND IT EXPLICITLY TALKS ABOUT THE STAFFING PROBLEM. AND I WOULD GOING FORWARD THAT WE DON'T GET IN THE WOODS AND IGNORE THE FACT THAT THE LACK OF STAFFING IN OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, WHICH IS, AS I STATED ON THE OTHER DAY, IS A GREAT POLICE DEPARTMENT. BUT UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES STANCES, IT TAKES A LOT OF WORK AND IT TAKES A LOT OF, OF, OF, OF EVERY AREA OF, OF OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT TO COVER THESE ISSUES. SO I I I JUST WANT TO, LIKE I SAY, I, I HOPE TO TAKE A DEEP DIVE. I'M SURE EVERYBODY ELSE WILL AS WELL, BUT I DO WANT TO JUST SAY TO THE GROUP THAT HAS COME TOGETHER AND TO OUR COUNCIL, THAT WE DON'T LOSE SIGHT OF THAT THIS DID NOT START YESTERDAY. THIS HAS STARTED YEARS AGO. AND I THINK WE, WE CANNOT IGNORE IT. THOSE THAT ARE NEW AND THOSE THAT ARE OLD, THEY'VE BEEN HERE. AND SO WE, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE COVER ALL OF THAT. ONE OF THE THINGS WE LEARNED IN LIFE IS YOU HAVE TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY FOR YOUR ACTIONS OR WHATEVER. YOU SOW IT, YOU'RE GOING REAP IT AT SOME POINT. AND I'M HOPING THAT GOING FORWARD THAT WE USE SOME, SOME REAL GOOD SENSE ABOUT WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO SUPPLY I POLICE DEPARTMENT WITH WHAT THEY NEED IN ORDER THAT THIS PROBLEM NEVER HAPPENS AGAIN. SO I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU AND THE TEAM FOR THIS AND I'M SURE THERE'LL BE FURTHER DISCUSSIONS ON THIS MATTER. THANK YOU. YOU KNOW, NOT ONLY THE INCIDENT LABELING THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH, BUT HOW MUCH TIME DO WE SPEND HERE LISTENING TO THE PUBLIC ABOUT NEIGHBORHOOD CONDITIONS, LACK OF RESPONSE, HOTSPOTS THAT THEY'VE BEEN LABELED CORRECTLY, WHETHER IT'S POTOMAC STREET IN SAN PHILLIPPE OR SOUTHMORE IN 2 88. IT JUST GOES ON AND ON. SO THAT'S THE REASON WE'VE GOTTA CONTINUE TO, IN MY JUDGMENT, TO MAKE PUBLIC SAFETY OUR HIGHEST PRIORITY. 'CAUSE WE DON'T SOLVE THAT AND GIVE THE HPD AND OTHER FIRST RESPONDERS THE RESOURCES THEY NEED MOST, NEARLY EVERYTHING ELSE WE TALK ABOUT. IT IS NOT GONNA MATTER IF WE DON'T MAKE THIS CITY SAFER. AND, UH, NOT JUST WITH SOME STATISTICS THAT STUDY GROUPS AND FBI RUN OUT, BUT THE EVIDENCE IS THE PEOPLE THAT APPEAR BEFORE US WEEKLY AND OUR CONSTITUENTS THAT WE HEAR FROM WHEN WE GO TO COMMUNITY, UH, TOWN HALL MEETINGS. YEAH, WE GOT A SERIOUS PROBLEM. WE'RE GONNA DO VERY AGGRESSIVE RECRUITING. I THINK WE LOOK AT THE COLLABORATION WITH THE OTHER AGENCIES. WE LOOK AT RESERVE, WE LOOK AT [06:00:01] RETIRED OFFICERS ASSISTING US, BUT UH, WE'VE JUST GOTTA CONTINUE TO MAKE THAT A PRIORITY. ABSOLUTELY. ABSOLUTELY. AND I THINK THE PUBLIC WOULD SUPPORT US, AND THAT'LL BE PART OF THE CONSIDERATION AS WE LOOK FOR ADDITIONAL REVENUE. UH, COUNCILMAN POLLARD. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, TO FOLLOW UP ON, UM, HOW THIS CODE INITIALLY WAS INSTITUTED, YOU ALL REPORT THAT, UM, THE PEOPLE WHO WERE FIRST NOTIFIED OF IT WENT THROUGH A TRAINING WERE THE INVESTIGATIVE PERSONNEL. EACH EXECUTIVE CHIEF, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, IS RESPONSIBLE FOR DIFFERENT DIVISIONS OR DEPARTMENTS WITHIN HPD. IS THAT TRUE? THAT'S CORRECT. DID YOU ALL FIND OUT THROUGH YOUR COLLABORATE, THROUGH YOUR INVESTIGATION THAT THE EXECUTIVE CHIEFS THAT ARE OVER CERTAIN DIVISIONS, DO THEY HAVE A, UM, DO THEY HAVE SOME TYPE OF MECHANISM OR SOME TYPE OF COLLABORATION TO WHERE THEY KNOW EACH OTHER'S STANDARD STANDARD OPERATIONS AT ALL? NOT THAT I OBSERVED, NO. SO YOU CAN BE AN EXECUTIVE CHIEF OVER ONE DIVISION AND NOT KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON WITHIN ANOTHER DIVISION? YES AND NO. NOW, I WILL SAY THAT, UM, DURING THE COURSE OF MEETING WITH, UM, HPD, UM, HPD ROUTINELY HAS COMMAND STAFF. THEY HAVE MULTIPLE MEETINGS THAT HAPPEN WEEKLY AND BIWEEKLY WHERE EXECUTIVE STAFF AND COMMAND STAFF ARE PRESENT. UM, BUT JUST, YOU KNOW, BUT TO UNDERSTAND THERE ARE STANDARD OPERATIONS, IT'S NOT A REQUIREMENT FOR THE CHIEF, THE EXECUTIVE CHIEFS TO KIND OF KNOW EACH OTHER'S, UH, STANDARD OPERATIONS. THAT'S CORRECT. SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT HOW TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING IN THE FUTURE, BECAUSE THIS IS A CODE TODAY, IT COULD BE SOMETHING ELSE DIFFERENT TOMORROW, IS THERE SOME TYPE OF RECOMMENDATION THAT YOU ALL ARE PROPOSING TO WHERE AT THE EXECUTIVE CHIEF LEVEL THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO KNOW THE OPERATIONS OF THE DIFFERENT DIVISIONS? I THINK THAT AT SOME POINT WE WILL BE RECOMMENDING, UM, PROCESS AND PROTOCOL FOR THAT ARE SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO THE FLOW OF COMMUNICATION FROM TOP TO BOTTOM. UM, I DID NOTICE AT LEAST PRELIMINARILY THAT, UM, THERE ARE NO, THERE'S NOT EVEN A BASELINE EXPECTATION IN TERMS OF, UH, MEETING WITH YOUR COMMANDERS OR HAVING CERTAIN MEETINGS BEYOND THE EXECUTIVE STAFF. YOU KNOW, SITUATIONAL VIOLENT CRIME MEETINGS. UM, THERE'S NO SET POLICY SAYING, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE NOW AN ASSISTANT CHIEF ON A MONTHLY BASIS, YOU NEED TO MEET WITH YOUR DIVISION COMMANDERS TO FIND OUT. IT SEEMS TO BE MORE OF A REACTIVE POSITION AS I SEE IT NOW. LIKE, IT'S YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO LET ME KNOW IF SOMETHING IS WRONG. AND SO I THINK, UM, RECOMMENDATIONS SURROUNDING COMMUNICATION SO EVERYBODY CAN BE AS INFORMED AS POSSIBLE, WILL BE FORTHCOMING. BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WITHIN HPD, WHERE, HOW IT LOOKS IS YOU RISE UP THROUGH THE RANKS AND THEN YOU GET TO COMMANDER AND MAYBE EXECUTIVE CHIEF AND YOU KNOW YOUR AREA, WHICH MAY BE, YOU KNOW, PATROL, BUT YOU MAY NOT KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON IN A DIFFERENT DIVISION. IS THAT CORRECT? YES. YES. AND SO BECAUSE OF THAT, FOR A PERSON LIKE CHIEF FINNER WHO ROSE UP THROUGH THE RANKS AND BECAME THE, THE CHIEF FROM THE EXECUTIVE LEVEL, THERE WAS NOTHING PUT IN PLACE THAT HE COULD BE AWARE OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING WITH THIS SPECIFIC CODE? WELL, I DIDN'T SPEAK DIRECTLY TO CHIEF FINRA ABOUT THIS. I, I AGREE THAT THERE'S NOTHING THAT I WAS ABLE TO LOCATE ABOUT A PROCESS PUT IN PLACE TO SHARE INFORMATION ACROSS DIVISIONS. AND I THINK THE BIG POINT IS JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE THE CHIEF OR AN EXECUTIVE CHIEF HAS NO BEARING ON YOU KNOWING ANYTHING ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR CODE, I DO THINK IT'S THE, IT PUTS THE ONUS ON THE PERSON TO TAKE THE INITIATIVE TO WANT TO FIND OUT THAT INFORMATION. UM, OTHERWISE THERE'S NO RESPONSIBILITY THAT I WAS ABLE TO LOCATE. AND WHEN YOU SAY PUT THE ONUS ON THAT PERSON TO WANT TO KNOW THE INFORMATION, THAT MEAN THAT'S A SUCH A OPEN QUESTION. 'CAUSE THERE'S, THE INFORMATION IS ENDLESS. SO UNLESS YOU'RE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING SPECIFIC, THEN THERE'S NO WAY FOR YOU TO BE ABLE TO FOR SURE KNOW THAT INFORMATION UNLESS THERE'S COLLABORATION OR, OR, AND A REQUIREMENT BETWEEN THE EXECUTIVE CHIEFS TO SHARE THAT INFORMATION. YES. AND BECAUSE OF THAT, A PERSON LIKE CHIEF FINNER WHO DID AN EXCELLENT JOB AS OUR CHIEF [06:05:02] AND HAS HAD TO BE AT THE FOREFRONT OF THIS AS BEING THE CHIEF, THERE WAS NOTHING TO POINT TO THE FACT THAT UNTIL HE RECOGNIZED IT IN 2021, THAT HE WOULD EVER HAVE KNOWN ABOUT THE CODE. WELL, I, I BELIEVE THAT REALLY WE'RE KIND OF GETTING INTO THE INFORMATION OF THE ID JUST BASED ON YOUR INVESTIGATION, BECAUSE I AM PRIVY TO BOTH SIDES, BOTH THE IAD INVESTIGATION AND TO THE INDEPENDENT REVIEW COMMITTEE. I'M GOING TO DEFER TO WHEN IAD INVESTIGATION IS DONE, AND IAD DECIDES TO RELEASE WHAT INFORMATION, UM, MAY REVOLVE AROUND THAT TOPIC. UM, BECAUSE O OBVIOUSLY I WANNA MAINTAIN CONFIDENTIALITY. SO YOU DO KNOW THAT INFORMATION, YOU JUST CAN'T SHARE IT. IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE, IT NOT NECESSARILY. UM, I JUST THINK THAT I, WE NEED TO BE JUST MINDFUL OF THE BOUNDARIES BETWEEN THE INTERNAL INVESTIGATION, WHICH IS CONFIDENTIAL AS A MATTER OF LAW, WHICH FOCUSES ON, UH, CHIEF FINN'S DIRECTIVE IN NOVEMBER, 2021, AND THE OUTCOME THAT HAPPENED AFTER THAT, WHICH INCLUDES, YOU KNOW, WHAT HE MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE KNOWN WITH RESPECT TO THAT. UM, FROM OUR REVIEW, WHICH IS FOCUSING ON THE WORK THAT HPD IS CONDUCTING SPECIFICALLY TO THE INCIDENT REPORTS. YEAH, I I MEAN, I WOULD ADD TO THAT, YOU KNOW, THE COMMITTEE ITSELF IS NOT INVOLVED IN ANSWERING OR INVOLVED IN WHAT YOU'RE ASKING. NOW WE ARE INVOLVED IN REVIEWING THE REVIEWERS AND UNDERSTANDING THE CASES THEMSELVES. SO IN TERMS OF THE ISSUES SURROUNDING CHIEF FINNER, THE COMMITTEE IS THE FIVE OF US REALLY COMMENT. THANK YOU. AND I WOULD, UH, COMMENT COUNCILMAN POLLARD, THE, UH, NEARLY EVERYTHING YOU ASKED IS THE BASIS OF CHIEF HATCHER'S, UH, REQUEST FOR AN INVESTIGATION BY A D TO THE TIMING AND THE ACCOUNTABILITY OF THE ISSUE. SO, UH, AS CHAIR COHEN JUST SAID THIS, THEIR REVIEW IS MORE THE WORK PRODUCT OF HPD THAN THE LEAD, CERTAINLY INVESTIGATION. BUT THE HATCHER LETTER, IF YOU LOOK AT THE WORDING OF IT, UM, SHE, SHE WAS THERE IN A MEETING WHEN THE REQUEST WAS MADE TO STOP USING IT. AND, UH, THAT'S AN ACTIVE INVESTIGATION BY IED, COUNCILOR CAVAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. JUST VERY QUICKLY, UM, 'CAUSE MAYOR PER TEM COHEN, YOU HAD SAID, YOU KNOW, YOUR WORK SPECIFICALLY IS RELATING TO WHAT HPD IS DOING RIGHT NOW. YOU'RE OVERVIEWING YOU'RE OVERSEEING THE REVIEW, SO TO SPEAK. MAYOR, GOING BACK TO MY PREVIOUS POINT, 'CAUSE I DON'T THINK I WAS CLEAR, SO I JUST WANNA CLARIFY. UM, WHAT I AM RESPECTFULLY ASKING FOR IS A RESPONSE EITHER FROM YOUR TEAM OR FROM HPD AS IT RELATES TO WHAT ADDITIONAL SUPPORT AND RESOURCES WE ARE CURRENTLY PROVIDING FOR THE VICTIMS AND SURVIVORS THAT ARE BEING IDENTIFIED RIGHT NOW. UM, I KNOW THAT THE RECOMMENDATIONS LOOK FORWARD TOWARDS WHAT ADDITIONAL THINGS WE CAN BE DOING, BUT FOR THE VICTIMS AND SURVIVORS BEING IDENTIFIED RIGHT NOW, WHAT I WOULD LIKE AN ANSWER TO THAT, AGAIN, NOT DOESN'T NEED TO BE AT THIS HORSESHOE RIGHT NOW, BUT I WOULD LIKE A RESPONSE TO THAT. HONESTLY, I THINK IT STARTS AT THE TOP WITH THE CHIEF AND HIS DIVISIONS THAT, UH, WILL MAKE THAT PART OF THE PROTOCOL. UH, I KNOW THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY, I PROBABLY DIDN'T EMPHASIZE ENOUGH, I KNOW BEFORE SHE PURSUES THESE CASES THAT ARE BEING REFERRED TO, ONE OF HER REQUIREMENTS IS THAT THE VICTIM'S RECEIVING COUNSELING AND, AND, UH, SERVICES THAT THEY SO BADLY NEED. SO, WE'LL, WE'LL PURSUE A PROTOCOL THAT HPD RULES AND REGULATIONS, THEY SHOULD FOLLOW IT. SO WE CAN NOT ONLY EXPECT, BUT KNOW THAT THE VICTIMS ARE GETTING THE SERVICES THAT YOU SPEAK TO. ANYTHING ELSE? I, ON BEHALF OF THE, THE WHOLE COUNCIL AND CITIZENS, WE THANK Y'ALL. I MEAN, I LOOK AT YOUR, YOUR JOBS, WHETHER IT'S BEING A PASTOR OR A LAW ENFORCEMENT, CITY ATTORNEY, UM, INSPECTOR GENERAL'S OFFICE BROUGHT, UH, A PUBLIC SERVANT. I'M NOT SURE, ELLEN, YOU WERE REALLY RETIRED, BUT CERTAINLY, UH, WE APPRECIATE YOUR GIVING OF YOUR TIME, AND I KNOW YOU HAVE A LOT OF WORK LEFT TO DO, AND WE THANK YOU. I KNOW, UH, YOU'RE GONNA BE AVAILABLE FOR, FOR A WHILE. UH, YOU CERTAINLY CAN USE MY OFFICE OR IF COUNCIL MEMBERS WOULD LIKE TO TALK [06:10:01] WITH YOU OUT. YES, SIR. CERTAINLY YOU CAN MAKE YOURSELF AVAILABLE IN THE, IN THE BACK HALLS. BUT THANK YOU. AND, AND WE'LL CONTINUE THIS, UH, CONVERSATION AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR PUBLIC SERVICE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBERS. THANK YOU. OKAY, MEMBERS, [NON CONSENT - MATTERS TO BE PRESENTED BY COUNCIL MEMBERS] UH, COUNCIL COUNCILLOR RAMIREZ. WELL, IN, IN LIGHT OF THE, UH, HOUR, I'M GONNA KEEP MY REMARKS BRIEF. I JUST WANTED TO OFFER A THOUGHT ON THE PASSING OF, UM, REVEREND BILL LAWSON. UH, EVERY LIFE IS PRECIOUS, BUT WE ALL KNOW SOME OF US LEAD LIVES THAT ARE MORE SIGNIFICANT THAN OTHERS. AND, UH, REVEREND LAWSON CERTAINLY DID. WE LIVE IN A GREAT CITY. WE HAVE A LOT OF FREEDOM. WE HAVE A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY, ACCESS TO EDUCATION, MORE JUST THAN OUR SOCIETY HAS BEEN IN THE PAST. REVEREND LAWSON, WHO I DID NOT KNOW, I'LL SAY THAT, UM, FOUND HIMSELF IN THE SIXTIES IN A VERY DIFFERENT PLACE, IN A PLACE THAT WASN'T AS FAIR, UH, THAT WASN'T AS JUST, THAT WAS SEGREGATED, WHERE NOT EVERYONE ENJOYED THE SAME RIGHTS THAT EVERYONE ELSE DID. AND, UH, HE FOUGHT FOR A BETTER, UH, CITY, A BETTER SOCIETY. AND WE ARE ALL EACH, EACH ONE OF US BETTER FOR THAT, FOR THE WORK THAT HE DID AND OTHERS ALONG WITH HIM, UM, IN FIGHTING AGAINST SEGREGATION AND IN FIGHTING FOR CIVIL RIGHTS FOR EVERYONE. AND SO I WANT TO EXPRESS MY APPRECIATION FOR THE WORK THAT HE DID AND THE LIFE THAT HE LED, AND, UM, OFFER MY CONDOLENCES TO HIS FAMILY, TO HIS FRIENDS, AND THE WHEELER AVENUE BAPTIST CHURCH COMMUNITY. SO, THANK YOU, COUNCILLOR THOMAS. THANK YOU. UM, I WANNA START MY POP-OFF COMMENTS. UM, BY ACKNOWLEDGING WHAT'S HAPPENING AT HISD, UM, PINEY POINT ELEMENTARY HAS LOST, UM, KENDALL BAILEY, A PRINCIPAL. SHE HAS RETIRED, BUT CONSIDERING THE CIRCUMSTANCES, I'M SURE THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE GOING ON THERE. SHE HAS BEEN AN UNWAVERING PARTNER. SHE WAS HAND IN HAND WITH ME, UM, POST THE WINTER STORM AND FREEZE, MAKING SURE FAMILIES ON THAT SIDE OF THE DISTRICT HAD ACCESS TO, UM, WATER, FOOD, UM, ALL OF THE AMENITIES DURING THE FREEZE. ALSO MAKING SURE, UH, WE'VE WORKED TOGETHER FOR SCHOOL SUPPLY AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS. UH, WE HOSTED READING WITH THE RAPPER AT PINEY POINT. PINEY POINT. THE LAND THAT PROPERTY SITS ON WAS DONATED BY DESCENDANTS OF FREED SLAVES, UM, TO HISD. AND SO, UM, IN ADDITION TO THE FACT THERE'S SUCH TURNOVER AND UPHEAVAL AT HISD, UM, AS A FORMER PUBLIC SCHOOL TRUSTEE, I'M JUST REMINDED THAT WE NEED TO SUPPORT OUR PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM. UM, AND THEN WE NEED TO ALL SPEAK AGAINST WHAT'S HAPPENING IN TERMS OF THE LAYOFFS WITH OUR WORKING FAMILIES, AS THAT WILL, UM, IMPACT OUR SOCIAL SERVICES NETWORK. AND, UM, IT, IT, IT'S JUST A SAD TIME WE'RE IN, IN A SAD TIME. UM, I WANNA ANNOUNCE MAY 22ND, THE BISSONNET SAFE STREETS PROJECT. UM, HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS IS HOSTING A COMMUNITY MEETING. IF YOU DO YOUR BUSINESS LIVE, WORK, PLAY ON BINET FROM DAIRY ASHERTON HILLCROFT. I WANT TO ASK YOU TO JOIN US ON MAY 22ND AT THE A LEAF NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER AT 6:00 PM TO 8:00 PM UM, WE ARE ASKING FOR YOUR OPINION SO WE CAN INFORM THE DESIGN PHASE OF THIS PROGRAM. IT IS A $28 MILLION PROJECT, AND IT'S CRITICAL. I LIVE VERY CLOSE TO BINET, AND SO I'M EXCITED ABOUT THIS. AND SO WE NEED YOUR HELP. UM, PLEASE SHOW UP. THIS WILL NOT BE OUR LAST, EXCUSE ME. HOLD ON, HOLD ON. EXCUSE ME. HOLD ON. I'M, I'M SAYING SOME GOOD STUFF. I'M SAYING SOME GOOD STUFF. UM, BINET IS REALLY IMPORTANT. I NEED EVERYONE TO, UM, ATTEND THAT. THIS IS THE FIRST, BUT IT WILL NOT BE THE LAST OF THE MEETING. UM, AND, UH, MAYOR WHITMEYER, YOU'RE GONNA COME TO ALE ON JUNE 11TH FOR THE PRESS CONFERENCE. THE SWIM, UH, THE SAFE, THE SAFETY SWIM, UH, PRESS CONFERENCE. AND SO, AS YOU KNOW, THE ADMINISTRATION'S OPENING UP ALL OF THE POOLS. ALE NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER IS ONE OF THE POOLS THAT WILL BE OPEN, WHICH DOVETAILS RIGHT INTO OUR SUMMER OF SAFETY ON JUNE 15TH. WE'RE HOSTING WITH THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, UM, A SWIM TRAINING, UH, PROGRAM. WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU CAN USE THE POOLS AND YOU CAN USE THEM SAFELY. UM, WE HAVE ONE ON JUNE 15TH AND JULY 13TH. SO, UH, MAYOR WHITMEYER COMING TO ALE. THAT'S A GOOD THING. UM, THE NEWSLETTER GOING OUT WILL HAVE A SIGNUP REGISTRATION FOR THE SUMMER SAFETY INITIATIVE. SIGN UP YOUR YOUNG PERSON, OR IF YOU'RE AN ADULT AND YOU WANNA LEARN HOW TO SWIM AND DO IT SAFELY, PLEASE SIGN UP, UM, AND DO THAT IN OUR OFFICE. UH, AND THEN LASTLY, I WANNA BRING BACK TO, UH, THE ATTENTION, UH, ABOUT THE FLEA MARKET ON BISSONNET. WE'RE CONSTANTLY, UH, GETTING CALLS AND EMAILS AROUND THAT. WE'RE HAVING A NEW FLEA MARKET THAT'S EMERGING ON BISSONNET AND COOK. WE'VE MADE TOUCH MADE, UH, CONTACT WITH THE PROPERTY OWNERS. SO WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THAT. SO I WANT TO JUST SHARE THAT FOR THE, UH, PURPOSE OF CONSTITUENTS THAT ARE PAYING ATTENTION. UM, WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING [06:15:01] WE CAN, UM, TO MAKE SURE, ONE, THAT THE VENDORS ARE SAFE, BUT THAT ALSO, UM, THAT THEY, EVERYONE HAS THE PAPERWORK THEY NEED IN ORDER TO DO THAT, UH, IN THE RIGHT, UH, MANNER AND DECENCY IN ORDER. UH, THAT CONCLUDES MY COMMENTS FOR TODAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR PROTE, CASTEX TATUM. THANK YOU, MAYOR. WANTED TO, UM, JUST HIGHLIGHT SOMETHING THAT I, I, I'D LIKE TO GET SOME CONVERSATION FROM THE COUNCIL BODY ON IS, UM, AS WE ARE VISITING OUR COMMUNITIES, UM, THERE'S A COMMON THEME THAT RESIDENTS ARE VERY FRUSTRATED WITH THE CONVENIENCE STORES AND GAS STATIONS THAT ARE ALLOWING, UH, LOITERING IN FRONT OF THE, THE STORES. I, I, I KNOW THAT EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER CAN PROBABLY NAME THE TOP FIVE IN THEIR DISTRICT WHERE THERE IS A, A SUNNY'S, UH, THE FRIENDLY STORE, ALL OF THOSE, UM, VERY INCONVENIENT, CONVENIENT STORES THAT HAVE BECOME NUISANCES IN OUR, IN OUR COMMUNITIES. AND LAST NIGHT WE WENT TO, UM, FORT BEND HOUSTON. IT WAS, IT WAS BROUGHT UP AGAIN, UM, HOW DO WE HOLD THESE OWNERS ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE NUISANCES THAT ARE BEING CREATED IN OUR COMMUNITIES? BECAUSE I KNOW IT'S NOT ONLY IN DISTRICT K, I KNOW IT'S HAPPENING THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE CITY, BUT WE'VE GOT TO PUT A HANDLE ON, UM, HOLDING THESE OWNERS ACCOUNTABLE. WE DO HAVE, YOU KNOW, A CONVENIENCE STORE ORDINANCE. UM, THE CONVENIENCE STORES HAVE BEEN REQUIRED TO PUT CAMERAS ON THE OUTSIDE OF THEIR STORES. IT IS NOT DETERRING THE DRUG DEALERS FROM STANDING OUTSIDE OF THE CONVENIENCE STORES. IT'S NOT, UH, DETERRING THE LOITERERS FROM BEING OUTSIDE THESE CONVENIENCE STORES. WE REALLY NEED TO GET A HANDLE ON, UM, THESE, THESE NUISANCES. IT IS, IT IS JUST A RECURRING THEME THAT WE HEAR AT EVERY CIVIC CLUB MEETING, EVERY HOA MEETING, AND MORE GAS STATIONS AND CONVENIENCE STORES ARE POPPING UP IN OUR COMMUNITIES. AND THIS PROBLEM IS PREVALENT. UM, SO I'D LIKE FOR US TO, YOU KNOW, GET ON OUR, OUR, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC SAFETY, UH, COMMITTEE. UM, AND FOR US TO REALLY RALLY AROUND, UM, MAYBE WITH THE, UM, YOU KNOW, I KNOW, UM, OUR MANAGEMENT DISTRICT IS DOING SOME WORK WITH, UM, MIKE LASTER TO TRY TO CREATE NUISANCE, UM, CHARGES AGAINST THESE STORES. BUT I REALLY WANNA HIGHLIGHT AND AMPLIFY THE NEED FOR US TO SHINE A LIGHT ON THESE NUISANCE CONVENIENCE STORES AND GAS STATIONS THAT ARE PLAGUING OUR, OUR COMMUNITIES. UM, AND THEN ON A, A LIGHTER, BETTER FUN NOTE, UH, SUMMER'S COMING, AND WE ARE EXCITED ABOUT OUR, OUR POOL OPENING. UM, DAY IS ON MAY 25TH AT 1:00 PM UH, MAYOR, YOU'RE GONNA BE AT WESTBURY AQUATIC CENTER ON MULLINS DRIVE, WHICH SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE DOING A TOUR OF, UH, POOLS, UH, THIS SUMMER. UH, TO AMPLIFY THAT OUR POOLS ARE GOING TO BE OPEN. THIS HAS ACTUALLY BEEN, YOU KNOW, A, A PROBLEM WITH MAKING SURE WE HAVE ENOUGH LIFEGUARDS. UM, SO WE ARE STILL ACTIVELY RECRUITING LIFEGUARDS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. UH, THERE IS A $500 HIRING INCENTIVE. UM, THERE, THERE IS A, UM, YOU KNOW, THOSE LIFEGUARDS DO GET PAID. IT'S A GOOD SUMMER JOB. IF YOU KNOW ANYONE THAT'S INTERESTED IN BEING A LIFEGUARD TO HAVE THEM CALL, UH, THE PARKS DEPARTMENT BECAUSE WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE ARE ABLE TO OPEN EVERY POOL, UM, NOW THAT ALL OF THE POOLS ARE OPERATIONAL. UM, SO WE'RE REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO, TO THOSE POOLS BEING OPEN THIS SUMMER. AND THEN, OF COURSE, I WANT TO AMPLIFY ON JUNE THE FIRST THAT DR. SHANNON WALKER NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARY WILL BE OPEN. THE GRAND OPENING RIBBON CUTTING IS FROM 10 TO ONE. I HOPE THAT COUNCIL MEMBERS WILL JOIN US THERE. UH, THE RESIDENTS ARE SUPER EXCITED. THE CONSTRUCTION TEAM IS TELLING US THAT THEY'RE PEEPING THROUGH THE WINDOWS, DRIVING BY, CAN'T WAIT TO GET IN. BUT WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE PASSPORT OFFICE, THE TECH LINK, THE CHILDREN'S CENTER, ALL OF THE NEW AMENITIES, UM, EVEN THE CAFE, ALL OF THE NEW AMENITIES THAT WILL BE AT THE NEW DR. SHANNON WALKER LIBRARY THAT WILL OPEN ON JUNE 1ST FROM 10:00 AM TO 1:00 PM IS, IS THE GRAND OPENING. AND THEN I WANNA JUST, UM, HIGHLIGHT MAYOR. THE RESIDENTS WERE VERY CONCERNED THAT THE LIBRARY HAD A ADDRESS OF 55 0 5 BELROSE, WHICH IS IN INTERIOR NEIGHBORHOOD STREET. AND THEY SUGGESTED THAT WE CHANGE THE LIBRARY'S ADDRESS TO A CHIMNEY ROCK ADDRESS, UM, BECAUSE IT'S A MAJOR THOROUGHFARE. AND THEY ASKED, AND WE DELIVERED, UM, THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT. I WANT TO THANK CJ MESSIAH AND EVERYBODY WHO WORKED, UM, TO GET THE ENTRANCE ON CHIMNEY ROCK SO THAT THERE WON'T BE A LOT OF INTERIOR TRAFFIC DRIVING THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD. BUT THAT CHIMNEY ROCK IS A MORE PREVALENT STREET. [06:20:01] IT'S A MAJOR THOROUGHFARE. PEOPLE KNOW WHERE THAT IS, UM, THAT THEY CAN ENTER INTO THE LIBRARY, UM, WITHOUT CAUSING A MAJOR DISTURBANCE THROUGHOUT THE, THE, THE NEIGHBORHOOD. JUST ANOTHER WAY TO, YOU KNOW, AMPLIFY THAT. GOOD SUGGESTIONS COME FROM THOSE THAT ARE CLOSEST TO THE PROBLEM. SO THANK YOU TO THOSE RESIDENTS WHO, UM, MADE THAT SUGGESTION. AND WE ARE VERY EXCITED ABOUT, UH, THE LIBRARY OPENING. KEEP UP WITH DISTRICT A SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTERS AND OUR UPDATES. BE KIND TO EACH OTHER AND MAKE IT A GREAT DAY. VERY GOOD, VERY GOOD. VICE MAYOR PROTE PECK. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, FIRST I WANTED TO WISH I A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO DISTRICT A'S CHIEF OF STAFF LIZ MIRANDA. HER BIRTHDAY WAS ON MONDAY. WE ARE SO LUCKY TO HAVE HER IN THE DISTRICT, A OFFICE AND JUST WANTED TO WISH HER A HAPPY BIRTHDAY. UM, NEXT MAYOR, I WANTED TO BRING SOMETHING TO YOUR ATTENTION. UM, THERE'S A COMPANY, T AND T CONSTRUCTION, AND THEY HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN, UM, ISSUING LIENS TO PEOPLE ALL OVER THE CITY. UM, SEVERAL IN DISTRICT DAY. WE'VE RECEIVED, UM, SEVERAL EMAILS AND PHONE CALLS FROM PEOPLE IN DISTRICT DAY. THEY WERE CONTRACTED BY THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO, UM, FIX, UM, SOME WATER LINES. AND THEY HAVE NOT BEEN PAID YET BY THE CITY OF HOUSTON. SO THEY HAVE FILED LIENS AGAINST ADJACENT PROPERTY OWNER. AND OF COURSE, THE PROPERTY OWNER HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS. THEY DIDN'T CON, YOU KNOW, DO THIS CONTRACT AT ALL. BUT THEY HAVE NOW FILED LIENS AGAINST OVER 200 PEOPLE'S HOMES, UM, THROUGHOUT THE CITY BECAUSE THEY ARE JUST THE ADJACENT PROPERTY OWNER. SO I KNOW THAT THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN LOOKING INTO THIS, BUT WE NEED TO BE MORE AGGRESSIVE ABOUT LOOKING INTO THIS BECAUSE PEOPLE, UM, HAVE BEEN PAYING THIS COMPANY. THEY'VE, UM, YOU KNOW, ARE WORRIED ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THEY TRY TO SELL THEIR HOMES. WE CAN'T ALLOW COMPANIES TO FILE LIENS AGAINST PEOPLE'S PROPERTY THAT HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS PROJECT. SO WHATEVER WE CAN DO TO BE MORE AGGRESSIVE AND, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE THAT THESE LIENS ARE UNFILED AGAINST PEOPLE, WE NEED TO DO THAT. THANK YOU, MAYOR. VERY GOOD. EXCUSE ME. COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ, WHO'S NOT HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, I TOO JOINED THE, UH, MAYOR PRO TIM, AND, UH, HER COMMENTS REGARDING THE GAS STATIONS. UM, I HAD EMAILED, UH, YOUR OFFICE PROBABLY ABOUT A MONTH OR SO AGO, A RECOMMENDATION THAT I THINK WE SHOULD LOOK AT. AND THAT IS NOT TO HAVE, UH, A CONCENTRATED AMOUNT OF GAS STATIONS IN ONE AREA. UM, I KNOW WE DON'T HAVE ZONING HERE IN HOUSTON, BUT ON EVERY SINGLE CORNER, IT SEEMS LIKE, ESPECIALLY IN RESIDENTIAL AREAS, WE'RE GETTING MORE AND MORE GAS STATIONS, AND THAT CAUSES MORE AND MORE HOTSPOTS, RIGHT? AND SO WE'RE CREATING THESE HOTSPOTS BY NOT HAVING SOME TYPE OF OVERSIGHT ON HOW MANY GAS STATIONS CAN BE IN ONE, UH, CONCENTRATED AREA. SO THAT'S STILL SOMETHING I WOULD LIKE TO LOOK AT. STILL, SOMETHING I THINK COULD, UH, HELP MITIGATE, UH, THE ISSUE BECAUSE THE MORE GAS STATIONS WE ADD TO NEIGHBORHOODS, THE MORE LIKELIHOOD THAT WE'LL CONTINUE TO HAVE, UH, INCREASED, UH, ISSUES. UH, I JOINED HIM WITH MY, UH, COLLEAGUE, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS, ON REAL CONCERNS REGARDING HISD. UM, THESE MASS LAYOFFS DESERVE SOME TYPE OF EXPLANATION. UM, WE'RE IN A TIME NOW WHERE THERE'S NO ELECTED LEADERSHIP AT HISD, SO IT'S HARD TO HOLD CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS ACCOUNTABLE. SO IT TAKES THE PUBLIC AS WELL AS THOSE IN ELECTED OFFICE, SUCH AS OURSELVES, TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK OUT AND GET INFORMED INFORMATION FOR THE PUBLIC ON WHY THESE MASS LAYOFFS EVEN OCCURRED IN DISTRICT J AT NEFF ELEMENTARY, WHICH IS IN SHARPSTOWN. UM, THE PRINCIPAL WAS FIRED. SHE WAS THE PRINCIPAL OF THE YEAR FOR THE DISTRICT JUST LAST YEAR, UM, AT ST. GEORGE ELEMENTARY, UH, WHICH IS AN OUTSTANDING SCHOOL, UH, NEAR THE GALLERIA THAT ROUTINELY TEST VERY WELL, THEIR PRINCIPAL WAS FIRED. UM, SO IT DOESN'T MAKE A LOT OF SENSE. I THINK WE REALLY NEED TO ASK THOSE TOUGH QUESTIONS. UH, I PUT FORTH AN ITEM THAT I HOPE WILL MAKE IT TO THE AGENDA NEXT WEEK, AND I HOPE TO GET SUPPORT FROM COUNCIL ON BEING ABLE TO, UM, HAVE AN ITEM THAT SPEAKS TO, UH, OUR SUPPORT OF THE TEACHERS, THE STAFF, AND THE PRINCIPALS OF HISD, BECAUSE THEY DESERVE TO KNOW THAT, UM, WE TOO ARE FRUSTRATED AND CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON, AND WE TOO, UH, HAVE THEIR BACK IN FIGURING OUT HOW WE CAN MAKE HISD, UH, THE STRONGEST DISTRICT WE CAN, THE LARGEST SCHOOL DISTRICT IN THE ENTIRE STATE, AND OUR CHILDREN, WHICH ARE OUR FUTURE IN OUR FUTURE WORKFORCE, DEPEND ON US TO, TO HAVE A STRONG, UH, FOUNDATION AND ENVIRONMENT TO LEARN. SO I LOOK FORWARD TO THE, [06:25:01] THE, THE DISCUSSIONS IN THE ONCOMING DAYS REGARDING THAT. UM, MAYOR, I SAW THAT YOU PUT OUT YOUR, YOUR BUDGET PRESENTATION THE OTHER DAY. UM, YOU HAD MADE A COMMENT THAT YOU INHERITED A MESS. AND, UM, MYSELF, ALONG WITH SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES WHO WERE HERE, I THINK WE DID ALL THAT WE COULD TO ENSURE THAT THE FUND BALANCE WAS AS HIGH AS POSSIBLE, UH, IN THE FUND BALANCE WAS ACTUALLY HIGHER THAN ANY OTHER CITY IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. UM, SO THAT FUND BALANCE, WHICH IS BASICALLY OUR SAVINGS, WHICH SOME OF IT WAS ATTRIBUTED TO ARPA, UH, WAS SITTING THERE FOR YOUR ADMINISTRATION TO BE ABLE TO USE BECAUSE WE KNEW THAT WE HAD VERY DIRE FINANCIAL CHALLENGES AHEAD OF US. THERE ARE SOME OF US AROUND THE HORSESHOE, ME AS ONE OF 'EM, WHO SAID, WE NEED TO SPEND SOME OF THAT MONEY AT THE END OF LAST YEAR, UH, WHILE WE HAVE IT. BUT THE PRIOR MAYOR SAID, NO, WE'RE NOT GONNA SPEND IT. WE'RE GONNA STACK IT UP AS HIGH AS POSSIBLE SO THE NEXT ADMINISTRATION WILL HAVE ALL THE MONEY THAT THEY NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO BALANCE THE BUDGET AND GIVE A YEAR FOR US TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO FOR FISCAL YEAR 26. SO I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT, UM, THAT FUND BALANCE THAT YOU INHERITED, UH, GREATLY ATTRIBUTES TO THE ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO BALANCE THIS BUDGET, BUT STILL IS NOT A STRUCTURALLY BALANCED BUDGET. AND I THINK IT'S HARD TO EVER DO A STRUCTURALLY BALANCED BUDGET AND PUBLIC, UH, IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR. AND I THINK WHEN YOU'RE, WHEN YOU'RE HERE AND YOU GET TO SEE ALL OF THE DYNAMICS OF A BUDGET, IT ENLIGHTENS YOU TO SAY, OR TO BE ABLE TO WITNESS THAT, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO BE ABLE TO HIT ALL THOSE DOT ALL THOSE I'S AND ALL THOSE T'S FOR A $7 BILLION BUDGET TO BE STRUCTURAL. UM, BUT I DO LOOK FORWARD TO FINDING WAYS IN WHICH WE CAN, UM, ENSURE THAT THE FISCAL FUTURE OF OUR CITY IS MET. THERE STILL IS THAT $100 MILLION, UM, DRAINAGE ALLOCATION LITIGATION THAT SITS OUT THERE. I THINK YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU WERE IN THE PROCESS OF A, UM, NEGOTIATION ON THAT. SO LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM THAT. BUT I DO ALSO SEE THAT THE, UH, PROPOSED NUMBERS THAT WERE IN THE FIREFIGHTERS BUDGET ARE BAKED INTO THIS BUDGET, BUT WE STILL HAVE NOT SEEN THE TERMS OF THAT DEAL EITHER. SO WE'RE, WE'RE ESSENTIALLY VOTING ON THE NUMBERS WITHOUT SEEING THE TERMS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH IT. SO WE ONLY HAVE A FEW MORE WEEKS. UH, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME OF THAT SO WE CAN MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS. UH, THESE ARE BIG NUMBERS, THESE ARE BIG ISSUES, AND, UM, WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THE ANSWERS SO THAT, UH, WE CAN VOTE PROPERLY. THANK YOU. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU. COUNCILLOR ALCORN, COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD BROUGHT UP THE, THE, YOUR, UM, MENTIONING YESTERDAY THAT YOU ARE GONNA MEET WITH THE PLAINTIFFS IN THE, IN THE DRAINAGE FEE CASE. SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. I POPPED OFF ABOUT THAT A COUPLE WEEKS AGO AND, AND LOOK FORWARD TO UPDATES ON THAT. UM, SPEAKING OF THE BUDGET, WE'RE STARTING HERE AT NOON OR SOON THEREAFTER TO, UM, IN OUR FIRST, UH, FINANCE PRESERVATION. THEN WE HAVE LIBRARIES AND, AND DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS AND, UH, FINANCE ALL TODAY. SO LOOK FORWARD TO MY COLLEAGUES. I HAVE ORDERED SOME PIZZAS FOR YOU GUYS, SO THERE'LL BE SOME FOOD IN THE BACK, SO DON'T GO AWAY. AND WE HAVE ALL KINDS OF SNACKS COMING FOR ALL THE WORKSHOPS. SO, UM, ONE THING I WANNA ANNOUNCE, AND WE WILL FINANCE IS BRING COPIES OF THEIR PRESENTATION TODAY. BUT I AM NOT, I AM NOT PRINTING OUT, AND I'M NOT ASKING DEPARTMENTS TO PRINT OUT THEIR PRESENTATIONS. IF YOU WANT IT PRINTED OUT, IT WILL BE ON SHAREPOINT, PRINT IT OUT YOUR OWN SELF. I'M NOT ADDING TO THE COST OF THAT. THERE'S TOO MUCH OF THOSE PRESENTATIONS THAT END UP IN THE RECYCLE BIN. SO, UH, SEE YOU THIS AFTERNOON, . THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND FIRST, I JUST WANNA START OUT BY, UM, ACKNOWLEDGING REVEREND LAWSON AND HE WAS A DEAR FRIEND TO OUR FAMILY. UM, I KNEW MY ENTIRE LIFE GROWING UP, UM, AND IT'S JUST HIS LEADERSHIP AND HE'S DEFINITELY A LEGACY AND HE'LL BE LOST. SO MY SINCERE CONDOLENCES TO HIS FAMILY, UM, IN ALIGNED WITH WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS AND POLLARD MENTIONED FROM THE HISD, UM, LAYOFFS. YOU KNOW, MAYOR, I THINK WE'RE AT A POINT NOW WHERE WE CAN'T KEEP ON SAYING THAT WE CAN'T BE INVOLVED LIKE WE, THAT WE'RE PAST THAT AT THIS POINT. I THINK THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS INCREDIBLY POWERFUL, UM, AND WE NEED TO TAKE A STAND AND SUPPORT THESE KIDS. UM, THE, WE ALWAYS TALK ABOUT UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCE, AND YOU TAKE ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS AWAY AND YOU SEE WHAT OUR WORKFORCE IS GONNA LOOK LIKE IN 10 YEARS OR FIVE YEARS, OR, OR CRIME IS GONNA LOOK LIKE IN FIVE OR 10 YEARS. I MEAN, THESE KIDS, UM, HAVE TO HAVE SOME SUPPORT AND WE HAVE TO MAKE A, UM, UNITED FRONT ON THIS IN SOME KIND OF WAY AND, AND SUPPORT THIS. SO I'M OBVIOUSLY GONNA, YOU KNOW, JOIN COUNCILLOR POLLARD IN WHATEVER HE WANTS TO DO IN TERMS OF WHATEVER DOCUMENT HE SUBMITTED TO ALL OF US. I WOULD ENCOURAGE ALL OF OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS TO SIGN ON, PLEASE. [06:30:01] UM, AND, AND I REALLY WOULD LIKE THE ADMINISTRATION TO FIGURE OUT SOME KIND OF WAY THAT WE CAN, UM, GET A HANDLE ON WHAT'S HAPPENING. HIS DAY, I'VE BEEN, YOU KNOW, WAS AT ALL THE RALLIES EARLY ON, BUT IT'S, IT'S, WE CAN'T DO ANY MORE RALLIES. LIKE IT'S TIME. WE COULD DO RALLIES, BUT WE NEED TO MAKE SOME CHANGES. AND, UM, AND THIS IS AFFECTING OUR TEACHERS, OUR PRINCIPALS, UM, THE STAFF. I MEAN, IT'S REALLY GONNA, UH, AFFECT HOW WE'RE DOING. I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE GOAL IS ON THIS. I CAN'T FIGURE IT OUT, BUT WHATEVER IT IS, IT'S NOT GONNA WORK, AND WE CAN'T ALLOW THAT HAPPENING IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. UM, ONE THING THAT'S HA SO ON A, ON A, ON A DIFFERENT NOTE, WE'RE GETTING LOTS OF CALLS FROM CERTAIN AREAS. OH, LET ME SAY THIS REAL QUICK, QUICKLY. AND I KNOW THAT COUNCILOR JACKSON WOULD'VE MENTIONED THIS, BUT SHE, UM, HAD TO STEP OUT. BUT, UM, THERE'S A, UM, RALLY THAT'S GOING TO OUR MEETING THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN. IT'S GONNA BE, UM, SUPPORTED BY, UM, UNITED DISTRICT BI JUST WANNA MENTION THIS. REALLY, IT'S AN EDUCATION TOWN HALL. IT'S GOING TO BE ON TUESDAY, UM, YEAH, TUESDAY, JUNE THE 11TH FROM SIX 30 TO 8:00 PM AT TIDWELL GYMNASIUM AT 97 20 SPALDING STREET. IT'S BEING SUPPORTED BY OVER 20 COMMUNITY PARTNERS. I THINK THIS IS A GOOD START IN TERMS OF WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE HISD SITUATION. SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO BE THERE. UM, AND THIS IS GONNA BE IN DISTRICT B IN, UM, THE DISTRICT FOR COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. AND THEN ON A FINAL NOTE, TONS OF BUILDING IS HAPPENING WITHOUT PERMITS IN A LOT OF COMMUNITIES AND THE PEOPLE THAT ARE DOING THE RIGHT THING AND PAYING FOR PERMITS FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND GOING ACROSS ALL THE PROPER CHANNELS TO GET IT DONE AND WAITING FOR MONTHS AND SOME PEOPLE YEARS TO DO IT THE RIGHT WAY. UM, I'M PAYING ALL THE FEES TO THE CITY. UH, IT'S UNFAIR TO HAVE PEOPLE THAT ARE BUILDING IN COMMUNITIES WITHOUT PERMITS, AND IT'S HAPPENING AT A LEVEL THAT'S A BIT INSANE. WE ARE, UM, MANY PLACES WHEN WE'RE FINDING OUT FROM THE COMMITTEE, WE ARE GETTING IT RE RED TAGGED, BUT BECAUSE OF IT PROBABLY STAFFING AND JUST NOT BEING ABLE TO ENFORCE IT CONSISTENTLY, UM, IT'S BEEN A CHALLENGE. YOU KNOW, AS YOU SAY, MAYOR, YOU KNOW, WE'RE BROKE, SO LET'S FIND SOME WAYS TO GET SOME MONEY IN THE BANK, AND, UM, MAYBE WE PUNISH THESE FOLKS. WE GET ONE RED TAG, AND THEN YOU'RE FINED AND WE START USING THESE PEOPLE AS AN EXAMPLE AND, AND THEN FIND, AND WHERE WE'RE ALIGNING WITH MUNICIPAL COURTS AND YOU GET TO COURT AND WE ARE TAKING A FINE, AND WE'RE NOT GONNA COME DOWN ON THE FINE. I MEAN, THIS IS REALLY UNFAIR. ONE PIECE THAT'S REALLY A CONCERN IS THAT THEY'RE BUILDING AND THEY'RE NOT PUTTING THE FLOOD MITIGATION PIECE IN PLACE. AND SO THE NEIGHBORS ARE NOW FLOODING. AND SO WHEN YOU'RE NOW TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S GOING AGAINST ALL THAT, WE ARE WORKING ON ALL THE INVESTMENT. A LOT OF MY DISTRICT MEMBERS ARE PUTTING IN THEIR COMMUNITIES, UM, IN TERMS OF FLOOD MITIGATION, IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST A SNOWBALL EFFECT. SO I REALLY THINK WE NEED TO CRACK DOWN ON THESE FOLKS, UM, AND, UM, AND FIGURE OUT A WAY HOW WE CAN HAVE A DEEPER CONVERSATION IN ONE OF THE COMMITTEES MAYBE IN TERMS OF HOW WE CAN, UM, JUST BE STRONGER IN TERMS OF ENFORCEMENT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UH, COUNCILMAN CARTER. JUST WANTED TO TAKE A MOMENT AND, UH, OFFER MY CONDOLENCES AGAIN TO THE LAWSON FAMILY, THE LEGACY WORK THAT, UH, CHERYL IS DOING OVER AT THE LAWSON ACADEMY IN WALLOP. I MEAN, IF YOU'VE NOT BEEN OVER THERE, YOU HAVE TO SEE IT. AND, AND CERTAINLY AS A FRIEND OF, TO MELANIE AND TO CHERYL, I DON'T KNOW THE REST OF THE FAMILY WELL, BUT WHAT A GREAT FAMILY AND WHAT A WONDERFUL LEGACY IN OUR CITY. UM, JUST GREAT PEOPLE. AND SO CERTAINLY, UH, MY PRAYERS ARE, ARE WITH YOU. THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT IS TODAY, IRONICALLY ENOUGH, MAY 15TH IS NATIONAL PEACE OFFICERS DAY. MOST PEOPLE, PROBABLY SOME OF YOU OUT THERE, I THINK KNOW THAT, UH, CERTAINLY HPD, UH, HAD, UH, THEIR POLICE WEEK LAST WEEK AND FRIDAY. UM, I WAS HONORED TO, I WAS GOING TO STOP BY THE MEMORIAL SERVICE AND ENDED UP STOPPING BY FROM ABOUT FOUR 30 TO ABOUT EIGHT 30 THAT NIGHT. SINCE EIGHTEEN FORTY ONE, A HUNDRED AND FORTY, A HUNDRED AND TWENTY ONE OFFICERS HAVE GIVEN THEIR LIVES IN THE LINE OF DUTY FOR HPD AND, YOU KNOW, TO, TO SEE THESE FAMILIES COME TOGETHER AFTER ALL THESE YEARS TO VISIT WITH EACH OTHER, SPEAKING MANY LANGUAGES, UH, BY THE WAY, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST REALLY A, REALLY, A GREAT, UH, IT'S JUST A FEEL GOOD, UH, CERTAINLY A FEEL GOOD CEREMONY IN OUR, IN OUR CITY AND FOR OUR CITY. UM, IRONICALLY ENOUGH, AT THE UNION HALL, UH, THE FIRST THING YOU SEE WHEN YOU WALK IN IS PAPPAS GONNA GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO THE PAPPAS FAMILY FOR, FOR BRINGING THE FOOD, SERVING ALL THE FAMILIES, UM, YOU KNOW, DONATING THE FOOD. WHILE THEY'RE NOT AT OUR AIRPORTS, THEY'RE CERTAINLY AT OUR UNION HALL SUPPORTING OUR HPD. SO JUST WANTED TO SHOUT OUT FOR THAT. AND THAT'S WHAT I'VE GOT. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, I JUST WANNA HIGHLIGHT AN EVENT THAT WILL TAKE PLACE IN DISTRICT D ON THIS SATURDAY. THE HOUSTON PRAISE AND WORSHIP CENTER, UH, LED [06:35:01] BY THE WONDERFUL BISHOP FRANK RUSH WILL HAVE THEIR US ARMED FORCES DAY CELEBRATION. IT WILL BE FROM 12 NOON TO 5:00 PM AT OUR PARK, WHICH IS 38 15 LIVE OAK, UH, NEXT DOOR TO THE SHAPE CENTER. AND THERE WILL BE FOOD FUND FELLOWSHIP AS WE HONOR OUR VETERANS. ALSO, I WANT TO SAY DITTO TO THE COMMENTS OF MY COLLEAGUES REGARDING HISD, THOSE THAT SHAPE PROTECT AND MAINTAIN OUR CHILDREN AND OUR BUILDINGS SHOULD NOT HAVE TO CONTINUE TO LIVE IN A CULTURE OF FEAR. AND THAT IS WHAT IS TAKING PLACE IN THE HOUSTON INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT. AND I BELIEVE IT IS INCUMBENT ON US AS A CITY TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES AND ENCOURAGE SOME CHANGE FOR THE PEOPLE THAT ARE THERE. I'M A FORMER EDUCATOR WITH THE HISD, AND I DO UNDERSTAND HOW IMPORTANT THE WORK IS THAT IS BEING DONE. AND, AND I JUST CAN'T SIT HERE AND BE SILENT REGARDING WHAT IS TAKING PLACE. AND CERTAINLY, UH, AS REVEREND LAWSON WAS, NOT ONLY MY PASTOR AND MY CONSTITUENT, UM, I CAN JUST SAY THAT FEW ARE DESTINED, UH, FOR GUIDING US THROUGH THE COMPLEXITIES OF LIFE. AND REVEREND LAWSON, WHO ACTUALLY CALLED HIMSELF BILL LAWSON, HE DID NOT LIKE THE TITLES, AND HE WOULD NEVER REFER TO HIMSELF AS PASTOR OR DOCTOR. HE WAS SUCH AN HUMBLE, AND, AND, AND JUST A, A, A SIMPLE MAN WITH A, WITH A GREAT HEART. I DON'T HAVE TO TELL ANYONE OF ALL OF THE WONDERFUL THINGS THAT HE HAS DONE. HE CERTAINLY WOULD HAVE TURNED 96 IN JUNE. BUT HE WAS CERTAINLY A, A, A PERSON THAT LIVED A, A WONDERFUL LIFE AND WAS A WONDERFUL BEACON. CERTAINLY MISSED. HE WOULD STILL SIT THERE IN CHURCH ON SUNDAYS AT THE 1130 SERVICE AND WOULD SIT THERE AND ENJOY THE SERVICES. AND SO HE WAS JUST SO QUIET AND HUMBLE, AND, AND I, UM, ACTUALLY HAVE KNOWN HIM BASICALLY ALL MY LIFE. HIS DAUGHTER, MELANIE, AND I ACTUALLY ATTENDED, UH, ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TOGETHER UNTIL SHE SAID THAT I THREATENED THAT I WAS GONNA BEAT HER UP, UH, AT THE END OF SCHOOL. AND SHE CHANGED SCHOOLS JUST SUDDENLY. BUT, UH, CERTAINLY, UM, HE CAN BE ASSURED THAT I, I'M NOT GONNA BEAT HER UP. I WASN'T GONNA BEAT HER UP THEN. AND I'M HERE TO SUPPORT HER AND THIS FAMILY. UH, IN THIS TIME OF, OF, OF GRIEF, YOU KNOW, WE SAY, OH, WELL, HE'S 96 OR 90, ALMOST 96, BUT CERTAINLY HE HAS BEEN SUCH A HEARTFELT PERSON TO THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY THAT IT'S GOING TO BE FELT FOR QUITE SOME TIME. AND SO CERTAINLY I'M NOT GONNA GO THROUGH ALL OF HIS ACCOLADES. UH, THEY SPEAK FOR HIM. SOME PEOPLE'S SERMONS ARE PREACHED IN LIFE. THEIR OBITUARIES DON'T EVEN NEED TO BE READ PUBLICLY FOR ALL THAT THEY HAVE DONE. AND, AND SO CERTAINLY MY SINCERE CONDOLENCES, UH, ROXANNE IS A CITY EMPLOYEE AND SHE'S MY SPELMAN SISTER AS WELL. AND CERTAINLY, UM, JUST, JUST A WONDERFUL FAMILY. ALL OF THE WORK THAT IS BEING DONE AT WALLOP, AS YOU SAID, UH, IS, IS JUST A TESTAMENT TO THIS GREAT FAMILY. UH, ERIC WAS SOMEONE THAT I KNEW AS WELL AS MRS. LAWSON. AND SO THEY ARE JOINED TOGETHER AGAIN, LOOKING DOWN ON US AND TAKING CARE OF US AS WE CONTINUE TO, TO FIGHT THESE BATTLES. SO, THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO THE LAWSON FAMILY AND TO ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES FOR YOUR EXPRESSIONS. UH, THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER, MEMBER CASTILLO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I, UH, ALSO WANT TO EXTEND MY CONDOLENCES TO THE LAWSON FAMILY DURING, UH, A VERY DIFFICULT TIME AND, AND RECOGNIZE THE PROFOUND IMPACT REVEREND LAWSON HAD ON THIS WORLD AND ON PEOPLE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE. UM, AND, UH, AT THE, AT THE SAME TIME, UM, I ALSO WANT TO JOIN MY COLLEAGUES AND, UM, SHARE MY CONCERNS ABOUT WHAT IS HAPPENING AT HISD. UM, WE'VE HEARD FROM, FROM SO MANY TODAY THAT GOOD PEOPLE ARE GETTING LET GO FOR NO PROBABLE CAUSE. UM, SERVICE WORKERS, PRINCIPAL AWARD-WINNING PRINCIPLES, UM, WE'VE JUST CONTINUED TO HEAR WEEK AFTER WEEK, YOU KNOW, MORE DISTURBING NEWS, MORE BAD NEWS. JUST WHEN YOU THINK, YOU KNOW, GOSH, WE CAN'T HEAR SOMETHING ELSE WE DO. UM, AND I ALSO DON'T WANT TO ACCEPT THAT WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT BECAUSE THESE SCHOOLS ARE IN OUR DISTRICTS. UM, THE FAMILIES ARE OUR CONSTITUENTS. THIS IS IMPACTING WORKERS, THIS IS IMPACTING CHILDREN. AND, UM, I, I'M NOT SURE WHAT, WHAT THAT ANSWER IS. YOU KNOW, I WENT TO THE SCHOOL BOARD MEETING LAST MONTH AND I SPOKE AND, UH, SHARED MY CONCERNS. UH, BUT I, I, I HOPE WE CAN COME TOGETHER [06:40:01] AROUND SOME ACTION THAT WE CAN TAKE. UM, BECAUSE WE, WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT OUR CHILDREN ARE, ARE LEARNING, THAT THEY'RE IN AN ENVIRONMENT THAT'S PRODUCTIVE AND SAFE. THAT OUR, OUR EMPLOYEES, OUR TEACHERS, OUR SERVICE WORKERS AT THESE SCHOOLS, UM, ARE ALSO IN ENVIRONMENT THAT'S SAFE AND THEY'RE ABLE TO DO THEIR JOBS AND NOT, UH, DO THEM IN FEAR. UM, AND SO I, I, WHATEVER THAT IS, UM, I'M NOT SURE, BUT I DO KNOW THAT I THINK IT'S TIME FOR US TO, TO FIGURE THAT OUT BECAUSE WE'RE JUST CONTINUING TO HEAR MORE AND MORE CONCERNING NEWS ABOUT THE SCHOOL'S, HISD, UM, AND HOW IT'S IMPACTING THE KIDS. THANK YOU. VERY GOOD. COUNCILMAN DAVIS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, LET ME BEGIN BY SAYING AND, AND, UH, ADDRESSING MY RELATIONSHIP WITH, UM, WILLIAM A. LAWSON PASTOR. UH, ON LAST NIGHT, I SAT WITH THREE OTHER PASTORS WHO PASTOR LOST HAS AFFECTED THEIR LIVES. HE STARTED WITH ME WHEN I WAS 17 YEARS OLD, BORN AND RAISED IN THIRD WARD, TEXAS, AS WE CALL IT. AND I WAS A PARTICIPANT IN MANY MEETINGS WITH HIM, WITH A LOT OF LOCAL POLITICIANS, THE FLIRT, THE FIRST, UH, BLACK AMERICAN WHO, UH, RAN FOR CITY COUNCIL IN THIS CITY I MET THROUGH PASTOR LAWSON, WAS CURTIS GRAVES. AND I WAS THERE AS AN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT PARTICIPATING IN A LOT OF THOSE MEETINGS WITH, WITH, UH, ANTHONY HALL AND BEN REYES AND JUDSON ROBINSON, JR. I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO JUST KIND OF BE A MENTOR WHEN PALMER BOWSER, WHO WAS ONE OF THE FIRST, UH, BLACK AMERICANS TO RUN FOR CITY CONTROLLER THOSE YEARS, GO ALL THE WAY BACK WITH ME. AND I LEARNED A LOT JUST SITTING IN THE PRESENCE OF THESE MEN. BUT BECAUSE OF HIM, AND WE HAD A LOT OF RELATIONSHIP TIMES TOGETHER, DRANK COFFEE TOGETHER, THE FREQUENT WITH THE FAMILY. ROXANNE AND I, WE WOULD TALK OFTEN, UH, AS WELL AS CHERYL, AND THEY WOULD REMIND ME OF WHERE HIS STATUS WAS. SO I WAS GRATEFUL TO HAVE BEEN WITH HIM TWO WEEKS AGO, UH, IN ONE OF MY REGULAR MEETINGS WITH PASTOR LAWSON, AND I WENT BY THE HOME AND HAD A CHANCE TO SHARE WITH HIM AND OTHERS AND PRAY WITH HIM. AND SO I WANT TO CERTAINLY COMMEND ALL OF YOU IN YOUR REGARDS TO HIM. ALSO, I DO WANT TO, UM, SAY THAT, UM, UH, HE IS A GIANT IN OUR CITY. I THINK ALL OF US HAS AGREED TO THAT. UH, HE'S, HE LAID A FOUNDATION THAT, UM, ALL OF US HAD BENEFIT BY. HE WAS A UNITER, AND THAT'S WHAT'S SO IMPORTANT. SECONDLY, I WANT ADDRESS THE HISD ISSUE. UM, DOESN'T MATTER WHO LEADER, BUT I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH SUPERINTENDENT. MILES SEVEN PASTORS OF US HERE IN THE CITY, HAD A CHANCE TO MEET WITH 'EM AND ADDRESS SOME OF OUR CONCERNS. I NEVER PUBLICIZED THAT, YOU KNOW, TO THAT DEGREE, BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN, FIRST OF ALL, IN ORDER TO GET WITH THE PROBLEM, YOU HAVE TO ADDRESS THE PERSON WHO'S LEADING THAT PROBLEM. WE CAN ALL HAVE OUR CRITICISM, AND THAT IS LEGITIMATE. BUT THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, UNTIL YOU TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONFRONT THAT PERSON IN, WHICH I DID, AND I DO PLAN TO DO IT AGAIN, BECAUSE THE GROWING CONCERN OF OUR CITY AND OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM IS REALLY GETTING UP THERE. AND THERE ARE A LOT OF DEEP CONCERNS AND THERE ARE LEGITIMATE CONCERNS. SO, UH, I DO WANT TO COMMEND OUR COLLEAGUES AND MY COLLEAGUES FOR TAKING THAT ON. BUT WE'VE GOTTA ADDRESS IT FIRST ON MAYOR. AND I THINK IT'S TIME FOR US TO, UH, BECAUSE OF CITIZENS OF OUR CITY, ESPECIALLY OUR YOUNG PEOPLE, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO US. I ALSO WANT TO IDENTIFY, UH, IT'S SUMMER COMING, AND I WANT TO LIFT UP THE MANY COMPLAINTS WE RECEIVED, UH, AS, UH, OUR MAYOR PRO TEM HAD TALKED ABOUT THESE CONVENIENCE STORES, A LOT OF PEOPLE COMPLAINING, UH, BY GOING TO THESE STORES AND THE GATHERING AROUND THESE STORES IN OUR COMMUNITY, WHICH HAS REALLY, REALLY BECOME A SERIOUS ISSUE. UH, AND I CERTAINLY HOPE THAT WE ADDRESS THAT. UH, DEFINITELY GOING FORWARD IN THIS SUMMER. ALSO, LOCAL DUMPING. WE SHALL NOT FORGET MOST THIS DUMPING IS DONE IN CERTAIN DISTRICTS. THAT'S NOT DONE IN OTHER DISTRICTS, BUT IT IS A PROBLEM, AND IT'S BEEN SUCH A PROBLEM. AS YOU WILL REMEMBER, HOUSTON WAS CONSIDERED ONE OF THE DIRTY CITIES IN AMERICA BASED UPON THE DUMPING. AND I WOULD LIKE, I WOULD NOT LIKE TO SEE THAT HAPPEN AGAIN. SO I THINK WE NEED TO CERTAINLY ADDRESS THAT ISSUE OF, UH, OF THE DUMPING IN OUR COMMUNITIES AS WELL. UH, I DO PLAN TO PARTICIPATE IN THE WESTBURY POOL OPENING. UH, I THINK THAT IS A, A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR YOUNG PEOPLE. I THINK IT'LL GET A LOT OF OUR YOUNG [06:45:01] PEOPLE OFF THE STREET. I, I, I MAY DO THAT. COUNCIL MEMBER, I MAY, I MAY, I MAY BRING MY TRUNKS AND, YOU KNOW, AND I GET OUT THERE BECAUSE I DO KNOW HOW TO SWIM FOR SURE. UH, AMEN. I, I, I GREW UP AT EMANCIPATION PARK, SO I KNOW HOW TO SWIM, YOU KNOW, AND GET IN THAT POOL. SO, UH, BUT I THINK IT'S A WONDERFUL THING. AND THEN WE NEED TO ENCOURAGE THAT, UH, IN REGARDS TO OUR POOLS AND TO KEEP OUR YOUNG PEOPLE OFF THE STREETS. UM, LAST BUT NOT LEAST, I'M EXCITED THAT COME MAY 20TH MAYOR, UH, I'M GOING TO HAVE ONE OF FOUR TOWN HALL MEETINGS, UH, WHICH IS GOING TO BE CONDUCTED, UH, AS AN AT LARGE TOWN HALL MEETING IN THE, UH, DISTRICT B AREA. WE ARE GOING TO BE AT THE TIDWELL COMMUNITY CENTER, UH, 97 20 SPALDING STREET, AND IT'S ONE OF FOUR, BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT MANY OF OUR CONSTITUENTS, UH, WE NEED TO GO TO THEM RATHER THAN THEM TRYING TO COME HERE. A LOT OF THEM DON'T GET A CHANCE TO VOICE THEIR CONCERNS AND THEIR ISSUES BEFORE COUNCIL. AND SO I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS SOMETHING AS I MADE A PROMISE DURING CAMPAIGN, AND I INTEND TO KEEP IT. THIS IS JUST ONE OF FOUR. I INTEND TO COVER THE ENTIRE CITY IN ALL OF OUR AREAS, NORTH, SOUTH, EAST, AND WEST. AND, UH, MY STAFF HAS PUT TOGETHER A TREMENDOUS OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO, TO VOICE THEIR CONCERNS AND ISSUES SO THAT WE CAN BRING IT BACK TO OUR COUNCIL AND TO THE MAYOR. AND, UH, CERTAINLY WE LOOK FORWARD TO IT, UH, TO EVERYBODY COMING OUT. WE WILL HAVE SOME, UH, OF THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS WILL BE JOINING WITH US. UH, UH, OUR INTERIM CHIEF POLICE RIGHT NOW WILL BE WITH US AND SO MANY OTHERS OF PUBLIC WORKS AND OTHER DEPARTMENTS OF THE CITY, AND WE WELCOME EVERYBODY TO COME OUT AND JOIN WITH US FROM 6:00 PM TO SEVEN 30, MAY THE 20TH. UH, AND I WANT TO COMMEND MY STAFF FOR HELPING ME AND ASSISTING ME IN DOING THIS. AND WE INVITE YOU ALL. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN CAYMAN. LAST BUT NOT LEAST, I, I WANNA THANK ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO HAVE GONE OUT TO SEE THE PROGRESS ALONG DURHAM AND SHEPHERD, AND THE OVER 120 RESIDENTS THAT HAVE DONE SO AS WELL. WHEN COUNCIL HAS UNANIMOUSLY VOTED ON PROJECTS THAT HAVE GONE THROUGH COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, YEARS OF PLANNING AND RECEIVED OVERWHELMING SUPPORT. I'M CONCERNED WHEN THERE'S AN ADMINISTRATIVE DECISION TO HALT INFRASTRUCTURE BASED SAFETY AND DRAINAGE PROJECTS. WE WORKED HARD TO GET THE FEDERAL DOLLARS FOR DURHAM SHEPHERD AT A TIME WHEN THE CITY IS UNDER SEVERE FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS. WE SHOULD NOT BE PUTTING AT RISK DOLLARS LIKE THIS, THAT BRING MUCH NEEDED IMPROVEMENTS, AS WELL AS AN ECONOMIC ENGINE THAT WILL REVITALIZE THE CORRIDOR. I'M WARY OF COMPARISONS OF FEDERAL INFRASTRUCTURE DOLLARS TO TRUMP'S BORDER WALL. THIS IS MONEY WE SOUGHT OUT IN A BIPARTISAN FASHION, AND I WANNA PUBLICLY THANK THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION FOR CONTINUING TO VEST INVEST IN OUR CITIES, AS WELL AS THE PARTNERSHIP ON THIS WITH TXDOT AND HG. THIS PROJECT IS HALFWAY DONE. IT STOPS HALFWAY THROUGH A UNIFIED CORRIDOR. THE UNFINISHED PART IS THE MOST DANGEROUS OF THE TWO SEGMENTS. WE HAVE AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL RIGHT ON THE CORNER. WE HAVE A MOTHER, MS. ADAMS, WHO WAS HIT AND KILLED IN FRONT OF HER FAMILY, TRYING TO HELP SOMEONE WHO WAS WHEELCHAIR BOUND CROSS SO THAT THEY COULD GET TO A BUS STOP. CARS CANNOT SAFELY CROSS THE CORRIDOR EITHER. THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND BUSINESSES OVERWHELMINGLY SUPPORT THIS FROM CIVIC CLUBS TO INDIVIDUAL RESIDENTS AND FAMILIES, PTOS AND INFORMAL NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS, HEB TARGET DEVELOPERS AND BUILDERS ALL ALONG THE CORRIDOR. IT'S SAFETY, IT'S DRAINAGE. IT'S AN ECONOMIC DRIVER. AS OF YESTERDAY, MY OFFICE HAS RECEIVED OVER 195 EMAILS FROM RESIDENTS WHO SUPPORT THIS PROJECT. WE HAVE RECEIVED TWO THAT OPPOSE OVER THE PAST TWO WEEKS SINCE IT WAS PUBLICLY STATED THAT THE PROJECT HAD BEEN PAUSED AND THE TS ORDER TO REDESIGN SEGMENT TWO, ALL PUBLIC SPEAKERS THAT HAVE COME TO COUNCIL HAVE SUPPORTED THIS PROJECT. UH, WE TALKED EARLIER TODAY ABOUT THINGS AT THE CITY MOVING SLOWLY, AND THIS PROJECT NEEDS TO MOVE FORWARD. WE ARE JEOPARDIZING MILLIONS OF FEDERAL DOLLARS. AND MAYOR, I'D RESPECTFULLY LIKE TO REQUEST A MEETING WITH MYSELF AND SEVERAL OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS WITH YOU, UH, RELATING TO THIS PROJECT SO THAT WE CAN FIND A WAY FORWARD TO ACCEPT THE FEDERAL DOLLARS BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE. I HAVE A FEW OTHER, UH, JUST GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS AND MAYOR, I HOPE WE CAN ADJOURN TODAY, UM, IN REVEREND LAWSON'S. HONOR, I APPRECIATE ALL OF THE, UH, STEPS YOU'VE TAKEN TO HONOR HIM. UH, AND AS [06:50:01] I HEARD AROUND THE HORSESHOE, EACH OF US HAS TRIED TO, I DON'T WANNA SAY CLAIM, BUT SHARE A PIECE OF REVEREND LAWSON. BUT I THINK THE MORE IMPORTANT THING IS, UH, THAT WE ALL BELONG TO HIM. AND EACH OF US HAS BEEN IMPACTED BY HIS LIFE AND MILLIONS OF PEOPLE. UH, HE WAS THE LAST OF THE THREE AMIGOS WITH ARCHBISHOP VIA RENZA AND RABBI CARF. AND THEY WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN SO MANY THINGS, INCLUDING THE CREATION OF THE PUBLIC DEFENDER'S OFFICE FOR HARRIS COUNTY. UH, AND I JUST, I LOVE HIM. I APPRECIATE HIM. I ENJOYED WORKING WITH HIM IN ALL DIFFERENT FASHIONS, BUT HE TOUCHED SO MANY INDIVIDUALS WITH THE GIFT OF HIS LIFE. UM, AND AS WE CELEBRATE LIFE, I ALSO WANT TO WISH A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALSO ON MONDAY, UH, TO OUR DIRECTOR OF CONSTITUENT SERVICES, ARI RAMIREZ. UH, WE LOVE YOU. AND ALSO WE HAVE AALIYAH, AALIYAH FEEL STAND. UH, AALIYAH HAS BEEN WITH OUR OFFICE FOR OVER A YEAR, AND I WOULD ASK THAT, UH, WHOEVER'S, I KNOW WE HAVE BUDGET HEARINGS THAT WE'RE ABOUT TO JUMP INTO, BUT ANY STAFF, UH, TO JOIN IN DISTRICT C FOR A SLICE OF CAKE RIGHT AFTER THIS, UH, AS WE WISH AALIYAH, GOOD LUCK AS WE CELEBRATE, UH, THAT SHE WILL BE GOING ON. UH, FIRST SHE'S GONNA BE PART-TIME FOR PART OF THIS SUMMER WITH US STILL. AND THEN SHE'S STARTING A PRE-DOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP AT YALE. UH, LET ME GET THIS RIGHT. THE HISTORY OF ART EMERGING SCHOLARS INITIATIVE POST BY CAL BY CAL RESEARCH EDUCATION PROGRAM. SOME REAL SMART SUBJECT. SO, AALIYAH, YOU HAVE DONE AN ABSOLUTELY EXCEPTIONAL JOB IN OUR OFFICE SERVING SO MANY PEOPLE. IT HAS BEEN A PRIVILEGE TO WORK ALONGSIDE YOU AND A PLEASURE TO GET TO SUPPORT YOU IN YOUR FUTURE ENDEAVORS. SO WE LOVE YOU AND CONGRATULATIONS, UH, TO MAYOR ON HISD. I JOINED ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES. UH, I HAD TRIED MEETING WITH HIDS GOVERNMENT RELATIONS TEAM. UH, WE'VE HAD SO MANY ISSUES LEADING UP TO WHAT NOW IS THE BREAKING POINT. UH, I HAVE, WE HAVE IN THE DISTRICT, GREGORY LINCOLN, UH, WHICH HAS THE LARGEST POPULATION OF UNHOUSED CHILDREN IN THE ENTIRE CITY. WHEN I HEAR THAT WRAPAROUND SUPPORT SERVICES AND COUNSELORS ARE BEING CUT FROM HISD, THESE ARE OUR MOST VULNERABLE. UH, WHEN I HEAR COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD, UH, ONE OF YOUR PRINCIPALS, ONE PRINCIPAL OF THE YEAR, MEYERLAND MIDDLE SCHOOL AS WELL, AND THEIR PRINCIPAL WAS JUST TERMINATED, UH, WE'VE HAD ISSUES AT WHARTON. THE LIST GOES ON. SO I STAND WITH THE PARENTS THAT OUR CHILDREN AND OUR TEACHERS, OUR TEACHERS THAT HAVE BEEN, UM, GOING THROUGH SO MUCH IN HISD, BUT WE MUST UNITE AND DO SOMETHING TO COUNTER WHAT IS HAPPENING, WHICH IS THE COMPLETE GUTTING OF OUR PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM. ON A WHITE NOTE, 'CAUSE I WILL END ON A POSITIVE NOTE RELATED TO H-I-S-D-I NEGLECTED A FEW WEEKS AGO TO THINK SPARK AND BAKER, WHICH IS ONE OF OUR HISD, UH, MAGNET BAKER MONTESSORI, WHICH IS ONE OF OUR MAGNET, UH, HISD SCHOOLS. WE HAD THE SPARK PARK REDEDICATION, UH, THE KINDERS WERE THERE. I WANNA THANK THE KINDER FOUNDATION. OUR MONTROSE TOURS, MAYOR DONATED OVER $200,000 FOR THIS COMMUNITY PARK. UM, SO WE APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT THEY HAVE DONE, ALL OF THE NONPROFITS AND THE PARTNERSHIPS, UH, AND ESPECIALLY THE PARENTS THAT ALSO HELPED RAISE MONEY FOR THAT. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UH, , PROBABLY NOT THE TIME TO DEBATE YOU, AND THERE'S REALLY NOT GONNA BE MUCH OF A DEBATE ON THE, UH, MOBILITY ISSUE AT DURHAM AND SHEPHERD. UH, I'VE BEEN VERY CLEAR. WE, WE HAVE, UH, MET WITH THE TURS LEADERSHIP LAST FRIDAY. THEY'RE WILLING TO MAKE MODIFICATIONS TO PROTECT THE MOBILITY OF DURHAM AND SHEPHERD. UH, AND I'LL, YOU DON'T HAVE TO PUBLICLY ASK ME TO MEET WITH COUNCIL MEMBERS. UH, IT'S A PRETTY COMMON PRACTICE AROUND HERE, BUT YOU KNOW, YOU'VE REPRESENTED THAT AREA. FOUR YEARS. I'VE REPRESENTED 50 YEARS. TXDOT SPENT 24 MILLION IN 2013 AT LITTLE YORK AND NORTH SHEPHERD, A FLYOVER TO TAKE THE PRESSURE OFF OF 45. MOND SHEPHERD IS A PUBLIC SAFETY EVACUATION ROUTE. UH, WE HAVE A COMPETING INTEREST HERE. MY JOB IS TO REPRESENT ALL HOUSTONIANS GARDEN OAKS, OAK FOREST ACRES, HOME 2 49. EVEN OUR FRIENDS IN ALDEN 2 49 WITH ALL OF ITS DEVELOPMENT FEEDS INTO WEST MONTGOMERY, DOWN TO NORTH SHEPHERD. SO WE HAVE TO BE MINDFUL OF WALKABILITY, PEDESTRIAN CROSSWALKS, BIKE PATHS, 10 FOOT SIDEWALKS. I COULD GO ON AND [06:55:01] ON THE ISSUES, I ACTUALLY WROTE A LETTER AS A SENATOR TO TRY TO GET THE PROCEEDS. NO ONE IN THE LETTER OR THE LEADERSHIP DESCRIBED THE REDUCTION OF LANES, THE NARROWING OF LANES, CREATING HAZARDS. SO YOU'VE LISTED A HUNDRED PLUS FOLKS. I GOT THOUSANDS, 700, 15,000 PEOPLE A DAY TRAVEL TO HOUSTON FROM OUTSIDE OUR CITY LIMITS. I'LL SAY THAT AGAIN. 715,000 PEOPLE TRAVEL TO HOUSTON. ABOUT A THIRD OF OUR POPULATION INCREASES EVERY DAY. SO THERE'S THE REST OF THE STORY. I RESPECT YOUR LEADERSHIP STYLE, YOUR REPRESENTATION STYLE, BUT THERE'S A HUGE PART OF YOUR DISTRICT THAT NEEDS A VOICE. AND I REPRESENT 'EM. THEY OVERWHELMINGLY SUPPORTED ME. I TALKED ABOUT THIS DURING THE CAMPAIGN, SO I'M GONNA MAKE SURE THAT OAK FOREST, SHADY ACRES GARDEN OAKS ACRES HOME. I TALK TO FOLKS REGULARLY. THEY COME UP TO ME AT LITTLE LEAGUE GAMES AND SAY, PLEASE HELP US 45, WHICH I THINK YOU OPPOSED THE EXPANSION. THAT'S NOT TRUE. HE'S OVERWHELMED. DURHAM SHEPHERD KEEPS FOLKS OFF OF SIX 10. IT KEEPS 'EM OFF. 45 TAKES 'EM DOWN MEMORIAL TO THE MED CENTER, TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON. SO, YOU KNOW, LET'S ALL TELL THE REST OF THE STORY AND I WILL MEET WITH YOU ANYTIME, ANY PLACE THERE WILL BE NEW TURS LEADERSHIP THAT'LL HAVE A MORE OBJECTIVE VIEW OF THIS. THERE ARE SPECIAL INTEREST PUSHING THIS. THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT SIT ON THE TURS THAT LIVE IN RIVER OAKS THAT HAVEN'T BEEN ALONG DERMA SHEPHERD DURING PEAK HOURS YET. THAT'S SO ANYWAY, MAYOR, THAT'S NOT ACCURATE. I'M GLAD TO TALK ABOUT IT BECAUSE IT'S WHAT I RAN ON LISTENING TO THE RESIDENCE AND MAYOR. YES, MA'AM. WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE FLYOVER THAT WAS DESIGNED, THAT WAS DESIGNED 15 TO 20 YEARS AGO, I UNDERSTAND IN THE SEGMENT THAT WAS DESIGNED, THAT IS TDOT RIGHT OF WAY IS THREE LANES. THAT SEGMENT IS NOT FOUR, BUT THEY HAVEN'T BEEN NARROWED COUNCIL, REMEMBER, THEY HAVEN'T BEEN NARROWED. SO WHEN YOU NOT ONLY REDUCE THE LANE, BUT YOU NARROW THE REMAINING LANES, YOU GOT A PROBLEM. THE PEOPLE THAT ARE DEVELOPING THE, THE OLD SEARS MAYOR, I DRIVE IT EVERY, DON'T PUT A TARGET STORE THERE, THEY'RE CONCERNED. NO, THE PEOPLE THAT WANT TO PUT THE TARGET THERE ARE THE ONES THAT ARE THREATENING TO MOVE OUT OF THE CORRIDOR BECAUSE THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN PAUSED. YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE EARLIER PROPOSED TARGET. I'M TALKING ABOUT THE ONE AT SHEPHERD, THE SEARS. ANYWAY, THE BOTTOM LINE IS I'LL MEET WITH YOU ANYTIME, ANY PLACE I UNDERSTAND, BUT I'M GONNA SAY THAT THE CHURCH, BUT ALL HOUSTON IS, WE'RE GONNA PROTECT THE MOBILITY AND THE, THE, UH, SAFETY OF THE FOLKS THAT ARE BACKED UP. YOU CAN'T EVEN GET OFF A MEMORIAL NOW ON THE SHEPHERD AT FIVE O'CLOCK. I'LL MEET YOU THERE THIS AFTERNOON, MARY. I DRIVE IT EVERY SINGLE DAY ON THE HOME. I REALLY LIKE YOUR ON THE WAY HOME OF LEADERSHIP, BUT THERE'S THE REST OF THE STORY THAT REALLY HASN'T BEEN TOLD THAT THAT IS JUST NOT TRUE. ANYTHING ELSE TO COME FOR COUNSEL? IF NOT, THANK Y'ALL. WE STAND IN RECESS. AJOUR, AJOUR. * 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.