[00:00:02]
STARTED TODAY.I HOPE THAT YOUR FAMILIES AND YOUR HOMES ARE WELL.
UH, WE ARE GOING TO START WITH OUR
[PRESENTATIONS]
FIRST PRESENTATION BY OUR COUNCIL MEMBER, POLLARD.UH, AND THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES HIM FOR A PROCLAMATION TO JASMINE PORTER TO RECOGNIZE THE PEACE PROGRAM.
WELL, THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TIM, AND GOOD AFTERNOON TO EVERYONE HERE IN ATTENDANCE.
UM, THE PEACE PROGRAM IS AN INITIATIVE THAT MY OFFICE TOOK THE LEAD ON WITH MS. PORTER HERE, UM, AT THE HEIGHT OF THE SOCIAL JUSTICE CHALLENGES THAT WE WERE HAVING AFTER THE DEATH OF GEORGE FLOYD.
AND AT THAT TIME, UH, THERE WERE MANY CALLS FOR POLICE REFORM, MANY CALLS FOR EXECUTIVE ORDERS AND POLICIES TO BE CHANGED.
AND ALTHOUGH THOSE THINGS WERE NECESSARY, WHAT WE WANTED TO DO WAS ACTUALLY LOOK AT THE POLICE OFFICER THEMSELVES AS A HUMAN, UNDERSTAND THE CHALLENGES AND THE DIFFICULTIES OF THEIR JOB, AND SAY, WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP THEM PERFORM BEST FROM A MINDFULNESS STANDPOINT, FROM A MENTAL HEALTH STANDPOINT? AND SO, JASMINE HERE APPROACHED ME ONE DAY AND SAID, HEY, I HAVE THIS PROGRAM OR THIS IDEA OF A PROGRAM THAT I WOULD LIKE TO INCORPORATE WITHIN THE CITY OF HOUSTON THROUGH THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AND JASMINE IS A INTERNATIONAL YOGA INSTRUCTOR, AND SHE SPECIALIZES IN SOUND THERAPY AND MEDITATION AND YOGA, ALL THESE MINDFULNESS TACTICS, UH, THAT SHE BELIEVED THAT SHE WAS ABLE TO TRAIN AND TEACH OUR OFFICERS.
IT WOULD HELP THEM INTENSE SITUATIONS.
IT WOULD HELP THEM BE ABLE TO STAY CALM AND DEESCALATE.
AND WE PUT FORTH THIS PILOT PROGRAM WITH THE POLICE UNION SEVERAL YEARS AGO, AND IT HAS GROWN SUBSTANTIALLY.
AND SO TODAY, WE WILL BE PRESENTING A PROCLAMATION TO THE PEACE PROGRAM, POLICE, ENLIGHTENMENT, AND COLLECTIVE EDUCATION.
AKA, THE PEACE PROGRAM IS A MINDFULNESS AND WELLNESS PROGRAM FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS.
THIS PROGRAM PROVIDES ESSENTIAL SKILLS FOR STRESS MANAGEMENT, PSYCHOLOGICAL AND EMOTIONAL AWARENESS, SUICIDE PREVENTION, PERSPECTIVE EXPANSION, AND IMPROVE PHYSICAL HEALTH AND AGILITY.
THE PEACE PROGRAM REFLECTS A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO ADDRESSING CHALLENGES FACING LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL BY FOCUSING ON LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS AS INDIVIDUALS.
THE PROGRAM ADDRESSES INTERPERSONAL, PROFESSIONAL AND SOCIAL WELLBEING.
LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS ARE EXPOSED TO HIGH LEVELS OF DAILY STRESSORS AND TRAUMA THAT CONTRIBUTE TO RISING STATISTICS OF SUICIDE, MENTAL HEALTH DISPARITIES, SOCIAL WITHDRAWAL, USE OF NEGATIVE COPING MECHANISMS, AND LOWER OCCUPATIONAL RESILIENCY.
FROM 2021, THE PEACE PROGRAM HAS OFFERED WEEKLY COURSES TAUGHT BY SKILLED PROFESSIONAL WELLNESS TRAINERS.
THE COURSES INCORPORATE A DATA-DRIVEN MINDFULNESS CURRICULUM, SYSTEMATIC MOVEMENT EXERCISES, COMPREHENSIVE MEDITATION DISCIPLINES, PARAY PARASYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM ACTIVATION.
WOW,
RELAXATION AND COGNITIVE RENEWAL PEACE PROGRAM STUDENTS REPORTED A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THEIR ABILITY TO MANAGE STRESS BEYOND THE CLASSROOM WITH REGULAR INTEGRATION OF PROGRAM CURRICULUM INTO THEIR DAILY LIVES.
THE PEACE PROGRAM IS RECOGNIZED BY THE TEXAS COMMISSION ON LAW ENFORCEMENT AS A CONTINUING EDUCATION PROGRAM THROUGH CLASSES, COMMUNITY OUTREACH, VIRTUAL RESOURCES, AND CITY PARTNERSHIPS.
THE PROGRAM HAS IMPACTED OVER 6,258 POLICE OFFICERS AND STAFF MEMBERS.
ADDITIONALLY, THROUGH INTERNAL TRAINING AND RESOURCES, THE PEACE PROGRAM STRIVE TO ENHANCE SOCIAL COHESION AND BUILD COMMUNITY.
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH HISD AND HPD, THE PEACE PROGRAM AIMS TO REIMAGINE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS AND CIVILIANS THROUGH A YOUTH MENTORSHIP PROGRAM INCORPORATING MINDFULNESS, PLAY, MOVEMENT AND VULNERABILITY.
THE CITY OF HOUSTON COMMENDS THE PEACE PROGRAM'S EFFORTS TO FURTHER PROMOTE COMMUNITY COHESION, MINDFULNESS AWARENESS, AND MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL SOCIAL RESOLUTIONS.
[00:05:01]
THANK YOU.SO THEREFORE, I, MARTHA CASTEX, TATU MAYOR PRO TEM OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, ON BEHALF OF JOHN WHITMEYER, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROCLAIM MAY 21ST, 2024 AS PEACE PROGRAM DAY IN HOUSTON, TEXAS.
COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD, THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US AND BELIEVING IN WHAT SEEMED LIKE A VERY, UM, UNORTHODOX IDEA AT THE TIME, AND BEING AVAILABLE FOR EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE NEEDED AS FAR AS SUPPORT ALONG THE ENTIRE JOURNEY.
UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH TO MY PARTNER IN THIS SAMANTHA WALKER FOR COME ON.
YOU'RE JUST ONE OF THE MOST AUTHENTIC PEOPLE THAT I KNOW, AND THIS IS WORK THAT I FEEL LIKE YOU AND I HAVE SUCH A SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP WITH.
WE'VE GOTTEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET TO KNOW THESE OFFICERS.
'CAUSE WITHOUT OUR COLLABORATION WITH YOU, THIS COULDN'T HAPPEN.
AND, YOU KNOW, EVERY BREATH THAT WE TAKE, EVERY HOUR THAT WE SPEND TOGETHER, EVERY CLASS THAT WE TAKE OVER THE STRETCH OF THESE THREE YEARS, UM, WE'VE JUST WATCHED YOU GROW AND BLOSSOM, AND IT'S BEEN AN HONOR TO BE A PART OF YOUR VULNERABILITY AND YOUR AUTHENTICITY.
AND JUST, IT'S, IT'S SUCH AN INTIMATE EXPERIENCE.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE PRACTICED MINDFULNESS AND WELLNESS AND HAD A COMMUNITY IN THAT WAY, BUT IT IS PROBABLY THE DEEPEST WORK THAT I'VE EVER DONE IN MY LIFE.
UM, WE DO HAVE, UM, A LOT IN THE WORKS.
WE'RE WORKING ON AN EXPANSION THIS YEAR.
AND BEFORE OUR FORMER CHIEF, UH, TROY FINNER LEFT, HE PUT US IN POSITION FOR A GRANT THAT YOU GUYS WILL SEE SOON.
UM, AND WE HAVE PLENTY OF OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE, OR STATIONS THAT ARE ASKING FOR THE PROGRAM AS WELL.
SO WE'RE JUST TRYING TO DO THE BEST THAT WE CAN TO GET THAT TO THEM AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
UM, DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING THAT YOU WANTED TO SAY,
IT HAS BEEN LIFE CHANGING FOR ME TO SEE HOW IT HAS AFFECTED THEM POSITIVELY.
UM, AND I CAN'T WAIT TO SHARE MORE OF THIS WORK WITH THEM.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD, FOR YOUR WORK ON THIS, AND CONGRATULATIONS.
UM, WE HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN.
AND THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD.
I REMEMBER WHEN THIS GOT KICKED OFF, AND IT WAS AT A REALLY TUMULTUOUS TIME.
AND, UH, WE WENT TO THE YOGA CLASS OVER THERE AT THE, AT THE POLICE UNION.
IT WAS JORDAN AND I WENT OVER THERE AND DID SOME YOGA WITH YOU, AND IT WAS AMAZING.
UM, I HAVE THE CALM APP THAT'S ABOUT AS FAR AS I'VE GOTTEN INTO THE MEDITATION THING, BUT I'M TRYING, I'M GOING THROUGH THE 23 DAYS.
UM, UH, BUT, UM, THANK YOU FOR JUST BRINGING THIS REALLY INSPIRED, UM, KIND OF DIFFERENT WAY OF HANDLING, UM, UH, GIVING OFFICERS, UM, SOMETHING, A WAY TO COPE, UM, WITH A VERY, VERY STRESSFUL JOB.
UM, REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR EFFORTS.
I'D LIKE TO MAKE ONE LAST COMMENT.
UM, THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS, OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, WE PUT A LOT INTO THE PROGRAM TO TEACH THEM AND GROW THEM AND HELP THEM, BUT THEY HAVE TAUGHT AND GROWN US A LOT.
AND WE HAVE FRIENDS THAT WE WALK AWAY FROM THIS, UH, THE WATER WORKS, HOLD ON,
UH, AND IT'S A CIRCUMSTANCE THAT I'M SURPRISED TO BE IN, TO UNDERSTAND AND TO, UM, CONNECT WITH A DIFFERENT TYPE OF HUMAN EXPERIENCE.
I THINK WE ALL EXPERIENCE THE STRESSORS OF LIFE, BUT THESE PEOPLE BEHIND US PUT THEMSELVES IN AN ADDITIONAL CHALLENGING POSITION TO PROTECT US.
AND I THINK WHEN WE SEE THAT PEOPLE NEED HELP OR THEY'RE STRUGGLING TO DO SOMETHING, IT'S A FAR BETTER QUESTION TO ASK, WHAT CAN WE ADD AND HOW CAN WE HELP THAN ANYTHING ELSE? SO IT'S BEEN AN ABSOLUTE PLEASURE TO DO THIS.
SO I WANT TO GIVE A, UH, A SHOUT OUT REALLY QUICKLY TO, UH, THE POLICE UNION FOR STEPPING UP.
UH, DOUG AND RAY, HI, UH, FOR GIVING A, A CHANCE ON THIS PROGRAM AT A TIME WHEN, UM, THERE WAS A LOT OF, UH, HESITATION AND APPREHENSION BETWEEN POLICE AND COMMUNITY, AND THEN OUR OFFICERS WHO, UM, BOUGHT INTO THE PROGRAM AND UNDERSTOOD WHY WE WERE DOING IT AND HOW IT COULD BE BENEFICIAL TO YOU ALL AS INDIVIDUALS AND PROFESSIONALLY.
SO I WANT TO, UH, PUBLICLY ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ALL THAT YOU'VE DONE.
[00:10:02]
YOU ALSO HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER.UM, EVERYONE'S A PRODUCT OF THEIR ENVIRONMENT.
I THINK THE ENVIRONMENT WE HAVE POLICE IN IS A REALLY TOUGH ONE.
SO WE NEED TO DO STUFF LIKE THIS TO TRY AND HELP 'EM COPE.
IS THAT ALRIGHT? PHOTOS, PHOTOS, EVERYBODY.
LET'S TAKE A PICTURE, EVERYONE THAT'S HERE FOR THE PEACE PROGRAM COME FORWARD.
HEY, STEEL, FOR PROCLAMATIONS TO RECOGNIZE MARIE KOS FOR HER 23 YEARS AS AN EMPLOYEE WITH THE YMCA.
HOW ARE YOU? GOOD, HOW ARE YOU? GOOD.
I AM EXCITED TODAY TO RECOGNIZE SOMEBODY WHO HAS COMMITTED SO MUCH OF THEIR CAREER TO THE HOUSTON COMMUNITY.
AND, UH, SOMEONE WHO EVEN THIS PAST SUNDAY, UH, WHEN THERE WAS A NEED TO DISTRIBUTE FOOD, ICE AND WATER IN THE NEAR NORTH SIDE, STEPPED UP TO VOLUNTEER ALL DAY, UH, IN THE SUN TO RUN LOGISTICS AT THE MD ANDERSON, YMCA.
UM, EVEN THOUGH SHE'S NO LONGER TECHNICALLY AT THE MD ANDERSON, YMCA, UH, BUT IT IT'S AN EXAMPLE OF HER COMMITMENT TO HOUSTONIANS, TO COMMUNITIES AND HER WILLINGNESS TO CONTINUE TO STEP UP AND ANSWER THE CALL, UH, BEYOND, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS EXPECTED.
UM, AND TODAY, UH, WE'RE GONNA RECOGNIZE ALL OF THE SURVEY, ALL THE YEARS OF SERVICE TO THE MD ANDERSON, YMCA AND, UH, THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
SO, UH, MARIA ARCOS, A NATIVE HOUSTONIAN, IS DEEPLY COMMITTED TO SERVING HER COMMUNITY SINCE JOINING THE MD ANDERSON, WHY, OR THE THE YMCA OF GREATER HOUSTON IN 2001, MARIE HAS PLAYED A ROLE IN DRIVING POSITIVE CHANGE IN FOSTERING COMMUNITY GROWTH.
AS THE CHIEF GOVERNMENT AND COMMUNITY AFFAIRS OFFICER, SHE MAINTAINS PARTNERSHIPS WITH PRIVATE AND PUBLIC ORGANIZATIONS WHILE ADVOCATING FOR THE YMCA'S NATIONAL AND STATE LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES.
SHE JOINED THE YMCA IN 1996 WHEN SHE VOLUNTEERED AS A BOARD MEMBER, EVENTUALLY RISING TO THE ROLE OF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR ONE OF HOUSTON'S 36 YMCA'S.
SHE BECAME THE FIRST LATINA IN THIS POSITION, PIONEERING REPRESENTATION FOR THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY
[00:15:01]
WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION.SHE THEN BECAME THE FIRST LATINA TO SERVE ON THE YMC A'S SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM SHOWCASING GROUNDBREAKING LEADERSHIP ABILITIES.
MARIA HAS BEEN A FORCE IN POSITIONING THE Y AS A PARTNER DURING TIMES OF DISASTER, RANGING FROM HURRICANES, FLOODS, PANDEMICS.
HER NAVIGATION OF PARTNERSHIPS HAS ENABLED THE Y TO LEVERAGE ITS RESOURCES TO BENEFIT THE ENTIRE REGION, ENSURING SUPPORT AND ASSISTANCE DURING CRITICAL TIMES OF NEED.
WITH THE MASTER OF SOCIAL WORK DEGREE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON GRADUATE COLLEGE OF SOCIAL WORK, SPECIALIZING IN POLICY AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZING, MARIE ARCOS IS EQUIPPED WITH THE KNOWLEDGE AND PASSION TO DRIVE MEANINGFUL CHANGE, COMMITTED TO ENSURING PUBLIC SAFETY AND HIGH QUALITY EDUCATION FOR HOUSTON'S CHILDREN AND FAMILIES.
SHE SERVES ON SEVERAL LOCAL BOARDS, INCLUDING GULF COAST, TEXAS WORKFORCE BOARD, HOUSTON LIVESTOCK SHOW, AND RODEO AVENUE, CDC COMP AND COMMISSIONER BRIAN'S PUBLIC SAFETY ADVISORY COUNCIL.
HER CIVIC ENGAGEMENT EXTENDS TO VOLUNTEERING WITH ORGANIZATIONS LIKE SPINDLETOP COMMUNITY PARTNERS, AND SERVING AS A SENIOR FELLOW WITH THE AMERICAN LEADERSHIP FORUM OUTSIDE OF PROFESSIONAL ENDEAVORS.
MARIE'S LOVE FOR HOUSTON SHINES THROUGH HER ACTIVE SUPPORT OF HER HISPANIC HERITAGE AND ENGAGEMENT WITH COMMUNITY.
WHETHER ATTENDING COMMUNITY EVENTS OR EXPLORING THE CITY'S HIDDEN GYMS, MARIE'S DEDICATION TO SERVING HOUSTON KNOWS NO BOUNDS.
THEREFORE, I, MARTHA CASTEX TATUM MAYOR PRO TEM OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, ON BEHALF OF JOHN WHITMEYER, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROCLAIM MAY 21ST, 2024, AS MARIE ARCOS DAY IN HOUSTON, TEXAS.
UM, SO JUST, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
UM, AND TO THE CITY COUNCIL, UM, I, UM, AM HONORED TO BE HERE IN FRONT OF YOU TODAY.
MANY OF YOU I'VE WORKED WITH ALONGSIDE AND YOUR ORGANIZATIONS PRIOR TO YOU SITTING IN THE SEATS THAT YOU ARE, YOU WERE STEPPING UP AS LEADERS.
AND IN THE OPPORTUNITY THAT I HAD TO WORK WITH AN ORGANIZATION THAT HAD A WIDE DEPTH WITH THE YMCA, I WAS ABLE TO WORK IN ALL YOUR DISTRICTS.
I'M A VERY PROUD, UM, RESIDENT OF DISTRICT H WHERE I WAS BORN AND RAISED, AND MY PARENTS THAT ARE HERE, STILL LIVE THERE.
I THOUGHT IT WAS, UM, UH, VERY HONORING FOR ME TO BE ABLE TO COMMIT 16 YEARS AT THE MD ANDERSON Y IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD I GREW UP IN.
THOUGH AS WE WERE GROWING UP, I DIDN'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO THAT YMCA.
AND SO I FEEL LIKE THE YMCAS AND OUR COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND OTHER, UM, LIBRARIES AND MULTI-SERVICE CENTERS ARE PUT IN NEIGHBORHOODS FOR OUR FAMILIES TO CONNECT WITH AND USE.
AND SO, WHILE THIS WAS A LABOR OF LOVE FOR ME, IT NEVER SEEMED LIKE WORK.
IT ALWAYS SEEMED LIKE IT WAS THE RIGHT THING TO DO BECAUSE IT WAS SOMETHING THAT I GREW UP WITH FROM MY GRANDPARENTS WHO WERE RAISED IN DENVER HARBOR, KEEPING US IN TOW, GOING TO THE CIVIC CLUB MEETINGS, GOING TO THE VETERANS CLUB MEETINGS.
IT WAS NEVER A TIME WHERE WE JUST SAT BACK AND WATCHED OTHER PEOPLE DO THINGS.
WE WERE A PART OF THE SOLUTIONS.
MY PARENTS WERE INVOLVED IN THE PARK, CLARK PARK.
WE, UH, WERE ABLE TO HELP FUNDRAISE AND PUT LIGHTS IN THE PARK WHENEVER THEY WEREN'T THERE.
SO IT'S SOMETHING AS A YOUNG PERSON THAT IT WAS JUST MENTORED AND MODELED BY, UH, THE FAMILY MEMBERS AND ALSO COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
I ALSO WANNA SAY THAT GROWING UP IN A COMMUNITY WHERE PEOPLE WERE THERE FOR EACH OTHER, IT'S WHEN OUR SCHOOLS AND OUR LIBRARIES AND OUR NONPROFITS ALL WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR FAMILIES HAD WHAT WE NEED.
AND I FELT LIKE THAT WAS MY CALLING IN 2001, TO SEE SOME OF THOSE RESOURCES BEING UNDERUTILIZED IN OUR UNDER-RESOURCED COMMUNITIES.
IT WAS, IT WAS MY JOY TO HELP BRING AND CONNECT PEOPLE TO CONTINUE TO THRIVE AND TO HELP THEIR FAMILIES SUCCEED.
I HAVE NO GREATER JOY THAN THE AMERICAN RED CROSS GIVING MY NUMBER OUT TWO DAYS AGO,
AND I'VE RECEIVED SO, UM, SO MANY PHONE CALLS FROM INDIVIDUALS I DID TO ASK THEM TO STOP.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, I WAS ABLE TO LISTEN TO THEM AND TALK TO THEM AND ASK THEM, HAVE YOU CALLED 2 1 1? HAVE YOU CALLED 3 1 1? THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT YOU SHOULD DO.
SOME OF THEM KNEW AND SOME OF THEM DIDN'T.
BUT THEY'RE TEXTING ME AND THEY'RE SAYING, STILL NO POWER.
AND I'M GIVING THEM THE ADVICE OF HOW TO WORK THROUGH YOUR, YOUR OFFICES, AND ALSO THE RIGHT RESOURCES TO CONNECT.
SO I THINK IT, WE HAVE AN AMAZING CITY AND WE HAVE AMAZING RESOURCES.
I'M JUST PROUD TO RECEIVE THIS PROCLAMATION AND TO BE A PART OF IT, AND TO HAVE BEEN A PART OF, UM, A LEGACY BUILDING FAMILY FOR HOUSTON, TEXAS.
WE'RE, UH, WE HAVE OUR FIFTH GENERATION, UH, BABY AND THE FAMILY, AND WE'RE ALL HOUSTONIANS.
AND THEN ALSO, I HAVE COLLEAGUES FROM THE YMCA
[00:20:01]
AND FRIENDS FROM THE NEAR NORTH SIDE WHERE I WORK SO LONG THAT ARE HERE.AND ALSO MY NEW, UH, SHE'S MY FRIEND AND ALSO THE CEO OF COMP ADOPT, WHERE I WILL BE, UM, DOING CHIEF GOVERNMENT RELATIONS AFFAIRS THERE ON A NATIONAL, UH, SCALE, UH, WITH THEM.
WE'RE WORKING WITH THE OEM RIGHT NOW TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE CONNECTIVITY AT THE DRCS AND IN YOUR MULTI-SERVICE CENTERS WHERE, UH, COMPUTERS AREN'T THERE.
AND WE'RE JUST, UH, HELPING TO CONNECT, UM, TO MAKE SURE OUR FAMILIES, AGAIN, AND OUR RESIDENTS AND THOSE THAT ARE STILL NOT WITH POWER HAVE, UM, THE ADEQUATE SUPPORT THEY NEED.
COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO AND MS. ARCOS, CONGRATULATIONS AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE IMPORTANT WORK THAT YOU DO.
VICE, VICE MAYOR PRO TIM, UM, COUNCILOR GARCIA, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING MARIE, UH, TO CELEBRATE HER AND HER SERVICES TO THE YMCA.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, I CAN SAY A LOT, A LOT ABOUT MARIE.
WE'VE WORKED, WE WORKED TOGETHER FOR, YOU KNOW, PAST 10 YEARS FOR SURE, OUT OF THE COUNCIL DISTRICT, UH, EYE OFFICE.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, SUNDAY SHE WAS AT, UH, HCC SOUTHEAST AS WELL.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF THERE WAS TWO OF HER OR YOU KNOW, WHAT WAS GOING ON, BUT, YOU KNOW, MARIE FINDS HERSELF IN PLACES WHERE WE, WHERE WE NEED HER.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN THE CASA BOOM SHUT DOWN IN THE, IN THE EAST END, UH, SHE WAS A HUGE ADVOCATE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE YMCA STILL HAD A PRESENCE IN THE EAST END.
UH, SO NOW THEY'RE HOUSED OUT OF, UH, MASON PARK.
SO THANK YOU FOR THAT WORK, MARIE, AND JUST YOUR CONTINUOUS WORK IN THE COMMUNITY, UH, AND OF COURSE, YOUR FAMILY.
UH, IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOUR FAMILY OUT HERE AS WELL.
UM, AND, AND KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEREVER YOU'RE GO OR YOU'RE COMPU AND KNOWING THAT YOU'RE GONNA BE THERE, THAT YOU'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO BE A, A, A HUGE SUPPORT FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
SO, COUNCIL, COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER.
JUST WANTED TO SAY CONGRATULATIONS, MARIE, AND, AND I KNOW, UH, DARN GOOD.
AND WELL, IT TAKES SEVERAL PAGES OF A PROCLAMATION TO REALLY LIST ALL YOU'VE DONE.
AND YOU ARE THE FACE OF OUR CITY, AND YOU'RE WHAT MAKES OUR CITY WHAT IT IS.
YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU STEP UP, YOU GIVE OF YOUR TIME, YOU GIVE OF YOURSELF.
AND, UM, I GREATLY ADMIRE ANYONE WHO DOES THAT.
AND CERTAINLY IT'S GENERATIONAL.
AND, AND YOU'RE CONTINUE THAT LEGACY FORWARD, UM, AS A, UH, ON THE RECEIVING END OF THE RIPLEY HOUSE BACK IN THE DAY.
THAT DATES ME A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT IT WAS CALLED BACK THEN.
I KNOW THE VALUE OF COMMUNITY CENTERS AND, AND CERTAINLY THE Y HAVING SERVED ON THE BOARD.
AND I JUST THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO, AND GOD BLESS YOU.
MS. ARCOS, WOULD YOU LIKE TO INTRODUCE YOUR FAMILY? WHO'S HERE TODAY? ALL OF THEM.
WELL, I WILL TELL YOU, MY MOM AND DAD ARE HERE.
THEY WERE ACTUALLY BOARD MEMBERS ON THE Y BEFORE I WAS, THEY INTRODUCED IT TO ME.
SO, AND THEN MY BROTHER AND SISTER-IN-LAW.
SO THIS IS MY MOM, CANDY HERNANDEZ, GEORGE HERNANDEZ, ONE OF OUR VETERAN MARINES AND MOM OF SEVEN, VERY NICE MOM AND DAD OF SEVEN.
WE ALSO HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER WHO WOULD LIKE TO SAY SOMETHING JUST REALLY MARIE JUST REALLY, REALLY FAST.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD AND ALL THE GOOD WORK THAT YOU DO.
BUT I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW, IT WAS JUST SO NICE WORKING WITH YOU SIDE BY SIDE.
I MEAN, THAT'S THE DIFFERENT PART, RIGHT? YOU'RE NOT JUST THE BOARD MEMBER.
YOU'RE NOT JUST WORKING IN THAT CAPACITY, BUT YOU ALSO GET OUT AND HELP COMMUNITY LIKE PERSONALLY.
AND I JUST WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE YOU FOR THAT.
'CAUSE IT WAS HOT OUT THERE,
SO IT WAS A PLEASURE MEETING YOU.
[2:00 P.M. – INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE]
THE CHAIR NOW RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO FOR NO.SO, COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ FOR THE INVOCATION.
UH, IF YOU CAN BOW YOUR HEAD, PLEASE.
HEAVENLY FATHER, WE COME TO YOU TODAY ASKING FOR YOUR GUIDANCE, WISDOM, AND SUPPORT.
AS WE BEGIN THIS MEETING, HELP US ENGAGE IN MEANINGFUL DISCUSSION.
ALLOW US TO GROW CLOSER AS A GROUP AND NURTURE THE BONDS OF COMMUNITY.
FILL US WITH YOUR GRACE, LORD GOD, AS WE MAKE, MAKE DECISIONS THAT MIGHT AFFECT OUR CONSTITUENTS.
[00:25:01]
OF STRENGTH TO DO OUR JOB AND CONTINUE TO HELP THOSE IN NEED.GUIDE US WHEN WE ARE CONFUSED.
ENERGIZE US WHEN WE ARE WEARY AND INFUSE US, WHEN WE, WITH THE LIGHT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, WHEN WE ARE BURNT OUT.
MAY THE WORK WE DO AND THE WAY WE DO IT.
BRING FAITH, JOY, AND SMILE TO ALL WE ENCOUNTER TODAY.
I ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR POWER OVER ALL THAT WE, THAT WILL BE SPOKEN, THOUGHT, DECIDE, DECIDED, AND DONE WITHIN THESE WALLS.
LORD, WE THANK YOU FOR THE GIFTS YOU HAVE BLESSED US WITH, AND COMMIT TO USING THEM RESPONSIBLY IN YOUR HONOR, IN THE NAME OF JESUS, I PRAY WITH MUCH LOVE AND THANKSGIVING.
COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ, IF YOU'LL STAND FOR THE PLEDGE.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE.
[ROLL CALL AND ADOPT THE MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING]
HAVE THE ROLL CALL.MR. SECRETARY, IF YOU'LL PLEASE CALL THE ROLL, MAYOR WHITMEYER.
COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON, COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN.
COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN AZZ, COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER PRESENT, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS.
COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN PRESENT, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO.
UH, ALL WE NEED IS A MOTION TO DELAY THE MINUTES.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR? ANY OPPOSED? ITEM CARRIES.
ARE THERE ANY PROCEDURAL MOTIONS? GOOD.
UM, I'D LIKE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO MOVE CHLOE COOK TO THE TOP OF THE TWO MINUTE AGENDA LIST, PLEASE.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR? ANY OPPOSED? ITEM CARRIES.
[PUBLIC SPEAKERS]
IF YOU'LL CALL THE FIRST SPEAKER.I AM AND BOL AND I, UM, I AM SPEAKING ON THE BEHALF OF A GROUP CALLED STOP TDOT AND TALKING ABOUT THE, UH, SALE OF A PARCEL OF, UM, THE, UH, WHITE OAK BAYOU.
UM, THE REASON I'M ABLE TO BE PART OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS BECAUSE OF WALKWAYS AND PUBLIC TRANSPORTATIONS.
UM, THE WAY I WAS ABLE TO GET TO UHD DOWNTOWN PRETTY MUCH EVERY DAY WAS WALKING THROUGH PART OF PART, PART OF THE WACO BAYOU FROM A, UH, TRAINED FROM A BUS STATION.
AND I THINK IT'S REALLY VITAL THAT WE UNDERSTAND HOW IMPORTANT IT IS, UH, THIS KIND OF STUFF.
I THINK THE FACT THAT, UH, THE BIO IN PLACES LIKE IT ART CAN BE THE SOLE CONNECTION THAT PEOPLE GET PLACES, UH, THAT DON'T INVOLVE A STREET, THAT DON'T INVOLVE A CAR, INCREASE ACCESSIBILITY TO SO MANY PEOPLE, LIKE PEOPLE WHO MIGHT, UH, NOT BE ABLE TO AFFORD A CAR OR WHATNOT.
I ALSO THINK THAT PRECIOUS GREEN SPACE IN OUR CITY IS A RESPITE.
THERE'S A REASON WE HAVE SO MANY.
[00:30:07]
DIDN'T EXPECT TO HEAR MY NAME CALLED SWALLY IN THE MEETING.PLEASE SIT IN FRONT OF ONE OF THE MICROPHONES IN FRONT OF EITHER ONE.
UM, GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UM, SOME OF YOU MAY ALREADY KNOW ME.
UM, AND I'M HERE TODAY TO OPPOSE THE SALE OF PARCEL 8 0 1, THE WHITE OAK BAYOU GREEN TRAIL, UM, TO TXDOT.
IN SHORT, TXDOT WILL NOT, UH, BE A GOOD STEWARD OF OUR PUBLIC RESOURCES.
UM, SO FIRST OFF, I IMPLORE YOU ALL TO DELAY THE VOTE, DECLINE THE SALE, AND CALL TEX IN TO NEGOTIATE AN EASEMENT AGREEMENT FOR THAT PROPERTY TO SHOW THAT THEY'RE WORKING IN GOOD FAITH WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON ON THIS PROJECT.
UM, I'LL ASK YOU ALL TO REMEMBER THE PLANNED DEMOLITION OF LOFTS AT THE BALLPARK BACK IN 2020, UH, 20 21, 20 22, UM, AFTER TXDOT UNDER-REPORTED THE NUMBER OF UNITS THAT THEY WERE GOING TO DEMOLISH FOR THE I 45 EXPANSION, WHICH AT THAT POINT WASN'T EVEN MOVING FORWARD.
UM, THANKS TO Y'ALL, THERE WAS A LOT OF PUSHBACK TO, TO TXDOT.
AND THE STATEMENT THAT THEY CAME OUT WITH WAS, WE ACTUALLY DON'T NEED THE CITY'S PERMISSION TO DEMOLISH AS MANY OF YOUR APARTMENT BUILDINGS AS WE WANT, AND WE'RE NOT GONNA ASK FOR PERMISSION EVER AGAIN.
SO WE CAN PRETTY MUCH TRUST THAT TXDOT DOESN'T REALLY WANNA WORK WITH Y'ALL.
BUT AT THAT POINT, THE FHWA WAS NOT SUPERVISING THEIR MOVEMENTS ON THE I 45 EXPANSION AT THIS POINT.
IF YOU FORCE TDOT TO COME TO THE TABLE AND NEGOTIATE WITH YOU ABOUT THIS PARCEL OF LAND, IT IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO DEMONSTRATE TO THE FHWA EITHER THAT TXDOT IS WILLING TO PLAY BALL WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON, OR THAT THEY ARE NOT, AND THEY'RE CONTINUING TO RAILROAD OUR COMMUNITIES TO PUSH THIS PROJECT FORWARD.
I HAD A WHOLE SECTION IN MY COMMENTS HERE, SPECIFICALLY DIRECTED TO THE MAYOR.
I'M DISAPPOINTED THAT HE IS NOT HERE TO HEAR PUBLIC COMMENT TODAY ON SOMETHING THAT'S AS BIG AS THIS PROJECT.
UM, BUT OUR BAYOU IS HYPERCRITICAL OUR TRAILS ARE REALLY IMPORTANT.
UM, IT'S A, LIKE EVERYBODY HAS SAID, IT'S A SOLE CONNECTOR.
UM, AND THERE'S JUST REALLY NO WAY TO SAY THAT IT'S A PUBLIC SAFETY PRO TO PUT A REALLY HEAVILY USED AND VERY IMPORTANT GREENWAY TRAIL UNDER 31 LANES AND THREE ON-RAMPS.
HELLO, MY NAME IS SUSAN CHADWICK.
I AM THE PRESIDENT AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF SAVE BUFFALO BIO, A NONPROFIT ENVIRONMENTAL ADVOCACY GROUP.
JUST TO BE CLEAR, WE ARE NOT THE BIO PRESERVATION ASSOCIATION NOR THE BUFFALO BIO PARTNERSHIP, ALTHOUGH THOSE ARE EXCELLENT ORGANIZATIONS TOO.
I'M SPEAKING ALSO IN REFERENCE TO THE RECENTLY PROPOSED SALE OF CITY OWNED LAND CONTAINING THE WHITE OAK BIO GREENWAY TO THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION.
THE POINT I WANT TO MAKE TODAY IS THAT THE CITY MUST MEET CERTAIN LEGAL REQUIREMENTS BEFORE SELLING THAT LAND.
TEXAS STATE LAW REQUIRES THAT THE CITY HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING WITH AT LEAST 30 DAY PUBLIC NOTICE, PUBLISHED SEVERAL TIMES IN LOCAL NEWSPAPERS BEFORE SELLING OR CHANGING THE USE OF THAT LAND, WHICH IS OFFICIALLY DESIGNATED RECREATION LAND.
I REFER YOU TO CHAPTER 26 OF TITLE THREE OF THE TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE CODE.
THE WHITE OAK BIO GREENWAY IS A HIKE AND BIKE RECREATION AREA, PART OF THE 150 MILE $220 MILLION HOUSTON PARKS SPORT BIO GREENWAY'S PROJECT.
THE SECTION TO BE SOLD TO TEXDOT WAS COMPLETED IN 2018 USING FEDERAL FUNDS AS WELL AS LOCAL MATCHING FUNDS UNDER TEXAS LAW.
THE PROPOSED SALE USE OR TAKING OF THIS OFFICIALLY RECOGNIZED RECREATIONAL LAND REQUIRES ADEQUATE PUBLIC NOTICE IN A PUBLIC HEARING, AS WELL AS A FINDING THAT THE PROPOSED SALE OR REUSE INCLUDES ALL REASONABLE PLANNING TO MINIMIZE HARM TO THE LAND AS A PARK RECREATION AREA, SCIENTIFIC AREA, WILDLIFE REFUGE, OR HISTORIC SITE RESULTING FROM THE USE OR TAKING.
WE DO HAVE A COUPLE OF COUNCIL MEMBERS AND Q TO ADDRESS YOU.
MS. CHADWICK, I HAVE A QUESTION FOR ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEY, UH, ZAMORA.
SO REPRESENTATION HAS BEEN MADE ABOUT NOTICE REQUIREMENTS ABOUT IT 30 DAYS.
DO YOU, DO YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON THAT? YEAH, I, I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH ALL THE NOTICE REQUIREMENTS.
THERE ARE SOME IN THIS, THERE ARE, THERE'S, THERE ARE SOME NOTICE REQUIREMENTS IN THE SALE OF PUBLIC PROPERTY.
I DON'T KNOW ALL THE REQUIREMENTS, BUT THERE ARE SOME NOTICE REQUIREMENTS.
[00:35:01]
AN ANSWER BEFORE A VOTE IS CALLED TOMORROW? HOPEFULLY.I CAN GET YOU THAT BY TOMORROW.
AND ALSO, MAY I DIRECT A QUESTION TO THE SURE ATTORNEY? SO THE OTHER QUESTION IS, DOES THAT, IS THAT SALE OF CITY PROPERTY OR IS THAT SALE OF A PIECE OF LAND, UM, THAT IS CONSIDERED RECREATIONAL WILDLIFE, UM, PARK, ET CETERA? AND THE REASON WHY I'M ASKING THAT QUESTION IS BECAUSE AS OUR CHALLENGE HAS BEEN, THAT PARTICULAR AREA HAS NOT BEEN DEEMED A PARK BY THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
SO COULD WE CHECK ON THAT AS WELL, PLEASE? SO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND THE QUESTION.
SO IT IS CITY, IT IS CITY LAND.
SO YOUR QUESTION IS WHETHER OR NOT BECAUSE IT IS RECREATIONAL LAND, IS ANY KIND OF, UH, ARE THERE ANY DIFFERENT, UH, REQUIREMENTS FOR THE SALE? YES, I CAN FIND THAT OUT, SIR.
WE, WE, WE NEED THAT INFORMATION BY TOMORROW.
YOU, I MEAN, I'VE QUOTED YOU, I'VE SENT THE SAME INFORMATION TO MR THE CITY ATTORNEY.
AND, UH, YOU ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE GIVE 30 DAY, HAVE A SPECIFICALLY A PUBLIC HEARING ABOUT THAT ISSUE AND A FINDING THAT IT, THAT THE USE OR CHANGE IN THE LAND WILL NOT IS, IS ACCEPTABLE, IS NOT GONNA HARM THE RECREATIONAL VALUE OF THAT LAND.
I REALLY HOPE THAT YOU ARE RIGHT.
OUR SMOKING GUN
WE, WE WOULD ALL, THERE'S NO WAY TO REALLY FIGHT IT.
I MEAN, YOU COULD PUT UP A CHALLENGE, BUT YOU WILL REALLY, YOU'D ONLY BE FIGHTING OVER THE PRICE.
AND WE SAME IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, WE CONDEMN LAND ALL THE TIME.
SO, UM, UH, SO THERE'S REALLY THE ONLY DIFFERENCE THERE IS THAT ONE, THEY ARE, THEY'RE TAKING IT FROM US AND WE'RE NOT AGREEING, BUT THEY WILL ULTIMATELY TAKE THE PROPERTY.
SO WHAT I'M TRYING TO FIND OUT IS, ARE THERE DIFFERENT RULES FOR THE FACT THAT WE ARE SELLING THE PROPERTY AS OPPOSED, OPPOSED TO IT BEING IMMINENT? I UNDERSTAND THAT.
THANK YOU MS. CHADWICK, WE APPRECIATE OH, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO.
AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE TO, TO EXPRESS YOUR, YOUR, YOUR CONCERNS.
UH, I REALIZED THERE ARE A NUMBER OF FOLKS TODAY THAT ARE HERE TO TALK ABOUT THIS ITEM.
THAT THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT, UH, I TAGGED LAST WEEK BECAUSE OF, OF MY CONCERNS ABOUT THE SALE.
SO, UH, JUST KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF FOLKS HERE THAT SHARE THOSE CONCERNS.
THERE ARE CONVERSATIONS ONGOING AND WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT SOME WAY, UH, TO MAINTAIN THE HIKE AND BIKE TRAIL IN A WAY THAT, UM, I WOULD FEEL COMFORTABLE MOVING FORWARD WITH.
AND THOSE, ALL OF THOSE KINDS OF ISSUES WOULD BE THE SUBJECT OF A PUBLIC HEARING AND THE FINDING ON HOW THAT LAND IS GOING TO BE HANDLED, UH, IF IT WERE TO BE SOLD TO TDOT.
AND THAT ALL HAS TO HAPPEN BEFORE YOU ACTUALLY SELL IT AND VOTE ON SELLING IT.
HELLO, MY NAME IS AARON ERICKSON.
I LIVE IN DISTRICT C AND I'M A MEMBER OF STOP TEXT DOT I 45.
I'M HERE TODAY TO ASK THAT YOU NOT APPROVE AND AUTHORIZE THE SALE OF PARCEL 8 0 1, WHICH IS A PORTION OF WHITE OAK BAYOU GREENWAY TO T.
THE PAST FEW DAYS HAVE BEEN A TRYING TIME FOR MANY MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY, AND I WANNA THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND RECOGNIZE ALL OF THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO HAVE VOLUNTEERED THEIR TIME TO HELP OTHERS, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE DO IN A CRISIS.
BUT 31 LANES OF FREEWAY OVER WHITE OAK BAYOU DOES NOT SOUND LIKE LOOKING OUT FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
SELLING THIS LAND TO TDOT IS A BELL THAT CANNOT BE UN RUNG.
AND WITH ALL DUE RESPECT TO ANY PROMISES OR ASSURANCES THAT TDOT GIVES TO THIS BODY OR TO THE COMMUNITY WILL MOST LIKELY BE BROKEN.
WE'VE SEEN THAT TIME AND AGAIN, HIGHWAYS ARE ALWAYS MORE IMPORTANT TO TXDOT THAN COMMUNITY WANTS AND NEEDS TO TE SORRY,
WE ASK THAT YOU NEGOTIATE ON AN EASEMENT AGREEMENT WITH TDOT INSTEAD OF PURCHASE.
I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS LAND HAS
[00:40:01]
BEGUN THE PROCESS OF EMINENT DOMAIN WITH THE TEXAS TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION IN THEIR MEETING IN OCTOBER OF LAST YEAR.AND RIGHT NOW, IN THE COMING MONTHS AND YEARS, OUR FELLOW COMMUNITY MEMBERS WILL HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE SAME DESPICABLE AND VIOLENT PROCESS OF HAVING THEIR LAND FORCIBLY TAKEN BY THE STATE.
YOUR CONSTITUENTS ARE LOSING THEIR HOMES AND BUSINESSES, THEIR SENSE OF COMMUNITY TO MAKE WAY FOR A FREEWAY EXPANSION BECAUSE AGAIN, TDOT VALUES HIGHWAYS OVER COMMUNITIES.
PLEASE DO NOT AUTHORIZE THE SALE OF THIS LAND BEFORE FURTHER NEGOTIATING WITH TDOT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR COMMENTS TODAY.
HI, MY NAME IS HILLARY HAYNES.
I'M A PHYSICAL THERAPIST AND RESIDENT OF DISTRICT C.
I'M HERE ALSO, UM, TO OPPOSE THE SALE OF WHITE OAK BAYOU PARCEL, UM, 8 0 1 AS A MEMBER OF STOP TECH I 45.
UM, AND TO HEALTHCARE WORKER BECAUSE IT NEGATIVELY IMPACTS COMMUNITY HEALTH.
NEIGHBORHOOD AND BUILT ENVIRONMENT ARE A SOCIAL DETERMINANT OF HEALTH.
AND TAKING AWAY A SPACE THAT IS A PARK AND MULTI-USE TRAIL WILL TAKE AWAY PEOPLE'S ABILITY TO BE PHYSICALLY ACTIVE.
AND WHILE THE BAYOU IS OFTEN USED BY FOLKS EXERCISING, BEING PHYSICALLY ACTIVE IS NOT THE SAME AS EXERCISE OR RECREATION, BUT INCLUDES WALKING AND BICYCLING HIS TRANSPORTATION, INCLUDING, UM, BETWEEN BUST AND TRAIN STOPS.
PEOPLE ASSUME THERE'S A NEGLIGIBLE EFFECT OF SITTING IN A CAR, BUT IT REALLY HURTS US ALL.
COMMUNITIES ALSO LIVING NEAR HIGHWAYS, EXPERIENCE NEGATIVE HEALTH IMPACTS FROM POLLUTION AND STUNTED ECONOMIC GROWTH.
THESE ARE PREDOMINANTLY LOW INCOME, BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES THAT CONTINUOUSLY GET HIT WITH DISPLACEMENT.
AND WE NEED TO STOP THE VICIOUS CYCLE NOW.
SO I ASK YOU TO DECLINE THE SALE AND RENEGOTIATE WITH TXDOT.
AND LASTLY, AS A HEALTHCARE WORKER, MILLIONS OF PEOPLE ARE TRAPPED IN GAZA AND THOUSANDS OF INNOCENT PEOPLE ARE BEING MURDERED.
SO THE CITY OF HOUSTON SHOULD CALL FOR A CEASEFIRE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR COMMENTS TODAY.
I'M HERE WITH STOP TEXT DOT I 45.
I'M BORN AND RAISED IN HOUSTON.
MY EARLIEST MEMORY IN MY LIFE IS ACTUALLY HURRICANE ALLISON.
SO I'M NO STRANGER TO OUR NATURAL DISASTERS.
WHITE OAK BAYOU IS A CRUCIAL PART OF OUR FLOOD INFRASTRUCTURE.
THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I'M HERE TO ASK YOU REJECT THE OFFER FROM TDOT.
IT WOULD BE NICE FOR WHITE OAK BAYOU GREENWAY TRAIL TO BE DESIGNATED AS A PARK WE'VE BEEN ASKING FOR A FEW YEARS NOW, AND WE USE IT THE SAME WAY AS A PARK.
THAT WAY TEXTILE WILL HAVE TO MORE THOROUGHLY CONSIDER THEIR PLANS, THEIR ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS, AND THE IMPACTS ON MOBILITY.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO MENTION THAT MAYOR WHITMEYER HAS STATED THE IMPORTANCE OF RECREATIONAL BIKE PASS.
SO I WOULD LOVE TO SEE HIM KEEP HIS WORD ON THAT.
BUT UNFORTUNATELY HE'S NOT EVEN HERE TO HEAR THIS.
WE HOPE YOU CONSIDER ALL OPTIONS AVAILABLE, ESPECIALLY WHEN WORKING WITH TXDOT WHO HAS HISTORICALLY NOT ACTED IN GOOD FAITH.
AND TO THOSE WHO HAVE ADVOCATED FOR PUBLIC SAFETY OVER PROFIT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
NEXT SPEAKER, MISSOURI WILKINSON.
I AM ALSO HERE TO, UM, ASK Y'ALL NOT TO SELL OR BAYOU.
UM, WA DUKE BAYOU IS A INDISPENSABLE AS A SPACE MITIGATING FLOODING AND TO EXPERIENCE WILDLIFE.
WILDLIFE AND TO GATHER AS A COMMUNITY.
I'M GONNA SPEAK ABOUT MY PERSONAL CONNECTION TO WHITE OAK BAYOU FOR MANY PEOPLE, INCLUDING MYSELF.
UM, BIKING IS NOT A FRINGE ACTIVITY.
IT'S A SOLE MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION.
UM, IN A CITY, LACKING SAFE BIKE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT LEADS TO NEGLIGENCE AND ROAD RAGE.
IT ADDS UP TO DAILY RISK OF MORTAL THREAT TO BIKERS LIKE ME EVERY DAY.
UM,
UM, AND I KNOW A LOT BECAUSE WE HAVE TO.
UM, I MYSELF WAS HIT TWICE LAST FALL.
UM, SINCE THEN I'VE BECOME BEGUN TAKING THE LONG ROUTE.
I TAKE, UM, THE ONE SAFE BIKING ROAD ACROSS, UM, ALABAMA THROUGH DOWNTOWN.
AND THEN I GET ONTO WHITE OAK BAYOU.
THIS IS THE ONLY TWO ROADS IN HOUSTON THAT I FEEL REMOTELY SAFE ON.
WHITE OAK BAYOU IS THE ONLY SPACE THAT I FEEL SAFE GETTING ACROSS HOUSTON EVERY DAY.
[00:45:01]
AND THREATENED AND LIKE LITERALLY PEOPLE HAVE TRIED TO RUN ME OVER ON F*****G HEIGHTS BOULEVARD.ANYWAYS, UM, ALONG WHITE OAK BAYOU, I AM SAFE.
I'M SURROUNDED BY COMMUNITY AND NATURE.
IT IS A BRIEF BUT SHINING MOMENT OF MY DAY.
MAYOR WHITMEYER HAS URGED CYCLISTS TO STICK TO RAKE RECREATIONAL TRAILS.
WISH I COULD, WISH I COULD, I SURE WOULD BE ALL SURE WOULD IF WE COULD.
UM, BUT THE LEAST YOU COULD DO IS NOT SELL THEM.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS TODAY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LETTING ME SPEAK.
UM, MOST OF MY, UH, ADDRESS WAS GONNA BE TO MAYOR WHITMEYER, BUT HE'S NOT HERE.
UM, SO I WANTED JUST TO ASK YOU CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, I KNOW YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT ALL THE HORRIBLE STUFF THAT GOES ON WITH THESE, UH, SHORT TERM RENTALS.
UH, I LIVE IN DISTRICT G MARY ANNE.
UM, I WANNA KNOW, AS A CITY COUNCIL, WHAT CAN Y'ALL DO TO RESTRICT THE SHORT TERM RENTALS TO, UM, I LIVE IN AN, UH, HOA SO I'M FINE.
BUT I HAVE SO MANY FRIENDS THAT LIVE IN TOWN HOMES THAT DON'T HAVE ANY RESTRICTIONS OR HOAS TO PROHIBIT THE SHORT TERM RENTALS.
WHAT CAN Y'ALL DO AS THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS? I LOVE TO HEAR YOUR COMMENTS.
COUNCIL MEMBER, ALCORN, I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR A WHILE.
IF YOU WANNA RESPOND, GO AHEAD.
YEAH, SO WE'RE ONE OF THE ONLY LARGE CITIES THAT DOESN'T DO HAVE ANY KIND OF REGULATIONS ON THEM.
AND I THINK, I KNOW THIS ADMINISTRATION IS LOOKING, LOOKING AT THIS ISSUE.
I KNOW MY COLLEAGUE, COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ, IN HIS COMMITTEE IS ABOUT TO TAKE THIS UP.
UM, WHAT WE'VE KIND OF DONE THROUGH OUR RESEARCH AND THROUGH MY ROLE ON THE REGULATORY NEIGHBORHOOD AFFAIRS COMMITTEE LAST TERM IS KIND OF RESEARCH WHAT ALL THE OTHER PLACES ARE DOING.
OTHER CITIES ARE DOING, IT'S DIFFERENT THINGS.
OTHER CITIES HAVE ZONING, SO IT'S ALL VERY D YOU KNOW, THEY'RE DIFFERENT.
AT THE VERY LEAST, I FEEL LIKE WE NEED TO KNOW WHERE THEY ARE.
WE NEED TO HAVE THEM REGISTERED.
WE NEED TO KNOW WHO THE OWNERS ARE.
I MEAN, THE MAJORITY OF THESE SHORT TERM RENTALS ARE GOOD ACTORS.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE ALL STAYED IN AIRBNBS AND LIKE 'EM AND WHATEVER.
BUT, UH, WE KNOW, I MEAN, I KNOW WHERE THEY ARE.
I, I HAVE THE ADDRESSES OF WHERE THE BAD ONES ARE.
SO WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO, UM, SOMEHOW PENALIZE, UH, THE OWNERS OF THE ONES THAT HAVE REPEATED CALLS FOR SERVICE REPEATED, UH, VIOLATIONS REPEATED.
UH, SO I THINK AS A COUNCIL, WE NEED TO COME UP WITH SOME METHODOLOGY, UM, BY WHICH WE CAN, WHATEVER WE CAN DO.
I MEAN, THE, THE COURTS REALLY FIGHT BACK.
IT'S A BIG PROPERTY RIGHT? STATE.
SO A LOT OF THESE RULES THAT OTHER CITIES PUT INTO PLACE GET OVERTURNED.
BUT, UH, I'D, I'D RATHER FIGURE OUT A WAY TO GO TO THE OWNERS OF THE ONES THAT WE'RE HAVING A LOT OF PROBLEMS WITH.
AND, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE CAN DO, BUT TO THE EXTENT OF WHAT LEGAL WILL LET US DO, WE NEED TO GET THEM TO STOP.
AND LIKE SOME OF THE PLATFORMS WILL TAKE THEM OFF THE ROLLS, BUT THEN THEY JUST JUMP ON ANOTHER PLATFORM.
SO I KNOW THAT A RA IS TALKING TO A COMPANY THAT'S GOING TO MINE ALL THE DATA, ALL THE PLATFORMS. THERE'S LIKE 30 PLUS PLATFORMS OUT THERE TO FIGURE OUT WHO, I THINK WE'RE GONNA GET A CONTRACT TO SEE WHO THEY, WHO OWNS 'EM, WHERE THEY ARE.
THEY ALSO HAVE DIFFERENT WAYS OF, OF UH, KIND OF, UH, UH, MINING THE POLICE DATA AND STUFF TOO.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS WE CAN DO AS FAR AS FIGURING OUT KIND OF WHERE THE BAD, BUT LIKE I SAID, I MEAN, PEOPLE CALL US, WE KNOW WHERE THE BAD ONES ARE.
WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT A JILLION.
SHORT TERM RENTALS, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE 50 THAT I KNOW OF OR, OR LESS THAT IT SEEMS LIKE WE SHOULD DO SOMETHING.
SO FOR NOW WE'RE CALLING POLICE.
WE'RE CALL, WE'RE MAKING, WE'RE LOOKING FOR ADVERTISEMENTS.
WE'RE GETTING NEIGHBORS TO, TO PLEASE CALL 3 1 1 OR NINE ONE ONE.
OR IF IT'S SOMETHING BAD, LET US KNOW.
WE CAN'T JUST SAY, OH, THIS LOOKS LIKE SOMETHING BAD'S GOING ON.
WE ACTUALLY HAVE TO HAVE DATA THAT SOMETHING BAD IS GOING ON.
UM, SO I LOOK FORWARD TO I, THIS ADMINISTRATION HAS SPOKEN OUT ABOUT WANTING TO DO SOMETHING.
[00:50:01]
ARE, I KNOW ARAS IN THE WORKS, I KNOW LEGALS AND THAT I KNOW THEY'RE INVOLVED AND THEY WERE INVOLVED LAST TIME AND THAT'S PROBABLY MOVING ALONG.'CAUSE THERE'S SOME, I MEAN, ISN'T A LEGAL TO WALK AROUND WITHOUT ANY CLOTHES ON? YES.
WE HAVE TO HAVE ALL OF THIS REPORTED.
IT, IT, IT, IT'S HARD TO KEEP HEARING.
BUT, UM, IT'S A, IT'S A COMPLICATED ISSUE.
THE ONE THAT'S BEEN KIND OF CHALLENGED A LOT IN THE COURTS.
THERE'S NOT KIND OF A ONE SIZE FITS ALL REMEDY FOR THIS, BUT THERE ARE, AT THE VERY LEAST, WE NEED TO HAVE THEM REGISTERED AND WE NEED TO KNOW WHO THE OWNERS ARE.
ANYBODY ELSE? COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIR FOR YOUR TIME? OH, SOMEBODY ELSE? YES.
UM, AND I CAN'T REALLY ADD ANYTHING THAT COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN HASN'T ALREADY SAID.
UH, WE DO HAVE A QUALITY OF LIFE COMMITTEE.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS WE'LL BE TAKING THIS UP, UH, AFTER WE, UH, HEAR FROM THE MAYOR'S OFFICE ON, ON WHAT IDEAS THEY HAVE TO BRING FORWARD.
AS COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN STATED, IT'S NOT AS SIMPLE AS PASSING AN ORDINANCE, BANNING SHORT TERM RENTALS.
IT WOULD IMMEDIATELY BE STRUCK DOWN IN THE COURTS BECAUSE, UH, TEXAS IS SUCH A, A STRONG PROPERTY RIGHTS STATE.
IT'S GOING TO TAKE A NUANCED APPROACH.
AND, UH, WE WILL TAKE A GOOD, GOOD HARD LOOK AT IT VERY SOON.
I INVITE YOU TO COME BACK AND WEIGH IN WHEN WE HAVE OUR COMMITTEE MEETING AND, UH, WHEN WE TAKE UP ANY ORDINANCES AFTER THAT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
HOW Y'ALL DOING TODAY? HELLO, MR. BARNES.
UH, MAN, I'M JUST HERE TO FI FIND OUT WHAT YOU GUYS CAN DO TO HELP ME WITH EXONERATING MYSELF WITH THIS CHARGE THAT WAS FABRICATED UPON ME IN 2006.
I DID, UH, 13 YEARS IN PRISON.
ALMOST ALMOST SIX ON PAROLE RIGHT NOW.
UH, I CAME HOME, GOT A WELDING DEGREE, WENT TO CALIFORNIA BUILDING TRAINS.
SOME OF 'EM ARE RIGHT HERE IN DOWNTOWN HOUSTON.
I WENT TO RESEARCHING MY CASE AND EVERYTHING GOT SNATCHED BACK WHEN I CAME BACK HOME TO HOUSTON.
UH, MY PAROLE OFFICER, EVERYBODY I COULD POSSIBLY TELL YOU WAS THAT WAS, THAT WAS IN JU ON ONE.
FOLLOW ME EVERYWHERE I CAN GO GET ME FIRED FROM MY JOBS.
KEEPING ME TO THE POINT TO WHERE I CAN'T EVEN, I CAN'T EVEN SUPPORT MYSELF.
YOU KNOW, UH, I FILED EVERYTHING I COULD POSSIBLY FILED.
I WENT AND SPOKE TO THE JUDGE OF THE COURT AND SHOWED HER MY DOCKET SHEET, WHICH SHOWS THAT THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW WHEN I WAS ARRESTED.
WELL, BEFORE I WAS EVEN IN HOUSTON, I WAS LIVING AT HOME IN LOUISIANA.
THEY FILED A CHARGE OF BURGLARY HABITATION ON ME AND RAN IT.
AND THEN ONCE THEY NOTICED, I WASN'T IN THE, IN THE, IN THE SYSTEM OR IN THE SYSTEM.
THEY, IT WAS A B***H WARRANT FOR MY ARREST.
THIS WHOLE TIME I WAS LIVING IN ANOTHER COUNTY.
I WAS LIVING IN ANOTHER STATE.
I COME BACK HOME AND I GOT ARRESTED.
'CAUSE I WAS, I WAS STANDING UNDERNEATH THE CARPORT, SMOKING MARIJUANA AND GOT CHASED BY A COP.
HE PULLED IT UP AND SAID I HAD A WARRANT FOR, UH, THIS BURGLARY.
UH, EYE WITNESS TOLD HIM, MAN, THAT'S NOT THE GUY.
NO EVIDENCE, NO PHOTOGRAPH, NO NOTHING.
THE EVIDENCE THEY SAID THEY HAD WAS SOME FINGERPRINTS.
SO FROM GLASS, GLASS DON'T EXIST.
NOW IT COMES TO FIND OUT AFTER A CIVIL SUIT.
THEY NEVER DID AN A EXAMINATION.
AND IT'S PENDING RIGHT NOW AT THE FIFTH CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS.
AND EVEN THOUGH THE BRIEFS ARE IN, THEY WON'T EVEN SUBMIT IT TO THE JUSTICES TO MAKE A DECISION.
I'M LITERALLY COMING HERE TO FIND OUT WHAT CAN I DO TO OBTAIN MY FREEDOM AND GET MY LIFE BACK AND KEEP GOING.
YOU SAID YOU, YOU HAVE SOMETHING PENDING IN THE MA'AM FIFTH CIRCUIT, 23 DASH 24 84 IN THE FIFTH CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS.
SO HAVE YOU GONE TO, UM, HARRIS COUNTY TO APPEAL THE HARRIS COUNTY TO COMMISSIONER'S COURT? HAVE YOU, HAVE YOU GONE TO NO, I SPOKE WITH, UH, THE OFFICER AND I, I PUT, I PUT IN A DATE TO GO SPEAK WITH THEM ON JUNE 4TH.
I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY GONNA BE THE BEST NEXT STEP IS TO GO TO HARRIS COUNTY TO ACTUALLY APPEAL MY MAIN PURPOSE IN COMING HERE.
'CAUSE I KNOW SENATOR WHITMEYER KNOWS SOME INDIVIDUALS AT THE SCHOOL OF LAW.
AND, UH, I, I'M LIKE, I'M TELLING YOU, UH, THERE IS A INVISIBLE FORCE THAT ARE DOING EVERYTHING THEY COULD DO TO KEEP ME FROM GETTING EXONERATED, EVERYTHING.
SO WE, WE WILL DEFINITELY MAKE SURE THAT YOUR INFORMATION GETS PASSED TO HIS, HIS STAFF.
BUT YOU CAN ALSO VISIT IS SERGEANT HERNDON STILL HERE WITH, UH, SERGEANT.
SERGEANT HERNDON? UM, BUT I THINK YOUR NEXT STEP SHOULD DEFINITELY BE TO APPEAL AT HARRIS COUNTY.
[00:55:01]
YOU MR. BARNES.AND I'M SORRY THAT YOU'RE HAVING ALL OF THIS MA'AM.
MA'AM, HAVE YOU EVER SPOKEN WITH A LADY NAMED TAMMY CAMPBELL WITH HONEY BROWN HOPE MA? I HAVE NOT.
I'M GONNA, UH, THE LADY RIGHT THERE CAN GIVE YOU SOME INFORMATION.
SHE CAN SOMETIMES HELP PEOPLE IN CIRCUMSTANCES SUCH AS YOURSELF.
WHO MAY BE ABLE TO WALK YOU THROUGH AND OUT OF THIS MM-HMM
AND SO, UH, THE LADY RIGHT THERE IS GONNA GIVE YOU SOME INFORMATION AND MAYBE YOU CAN REACH OUT TO HER AND IF SHE CAN'T DO IT, SHE MAY BE ABLE TO DIRECT YOU TO SOMEONE WHO CAN.
UM, IT AND THE WORLD HARVEST OUT RESEARCH IS LO LOCATED IN SUNNYSIDE.
SO WE'VE HAD AN INITIATIVE THAT WE ARE, WE ARE WORKING ON IN THE COMMUNITY.
IT'S AN EMPLOYMENT INITIATIVE.
SO WE'VE BEEN DOING JOB FAIRS, UH, FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS.
AND WE'VE KIND OF MAXIMIZED THAT, UH, THAT RESOURCE.
WE'VE GOTTEN A LOT OF GOOD INFORMATION.
SO WE ARE, WE'RE TRYING TO CREATE SOMETHING MORE CONSISTENT AND LONG TERM.
'CAUSE WHAT WE DO, WE'RE HELPING PEOPLE GET JOBS, BUT WHEN THEY LEAVE THERE, THEY DON'T SEE US FOR THREE OR FOUR MONTHS.
AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO CREATE SOMETHING THAT'S MORE ON A DAY-TO-DAY CONSISTENT BASIS.
AND WE, I'M COMING TO CITY COUNCIL TO SEE IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT YOU CAN SUGGEST OR ANY RESOURCES YOU HAVE AVAILABLE TO HELP US CREATE THIS, THIS PROGRAM.
BECAUSE WHAT WE SEE IN THIS COMMUNITY IS PEOPLE COMING IN MAKING PROMISES, SAYING THEY'RE GONNA DO THESE PROGRAMS AND THEN THEY DISAPPEAR.
AND SO THE ONLY WAY TO BUILD THE TRUST OF THAT COMMUNITY IS WE HAVE TO BE THERE EVERY DAY CONSISTENTLY.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO CREATE.
SO JUST WANTED TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY RECOMMENDATIONS OR ANY RESOURCES THAT THE CITY MIGHT HAVE THAT COULD HELP US BUILD SOMETHING LIKE THIS FOR THAT COMMUNITY.
SO MR. MCNEIL, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICES AND WE APPRECIATE YOU LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO HELP PEOPLE FIND EMPLOYMENT.
UM, WE DO HAVE A COUPLE OF COUNCIL MEMBERS IN QUEUE SO WE CAN HEAR FROM THEM, UM, WITH ANY SUGGESTIONS THEY MAY HAVE.
THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TEM AND THANK YOU SIR FOR COMING FORWARD.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE CURRENT PROGRAM AND HOW IT'S RUN IN SUNNYSIDE? BASICALLY IT'S A JOB FAIR THAT WE DO IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE TEXAS WORKFORCE, THE HOUSTON GAL, UH, GALVESTON AREA COUNCIL.
AND SO WE'VE UH, WE JUST COLLABORATE.
THEY HAVE A HUGE NETWORK OF EMPLOYEES THAT THEY BRING INTO THE COMMUNITY.
'CAUSE ONE OF THE ISSUES IN THE COMMUNITY WE GET A LOT OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT IS, UH, LIVABLE WAGE JOBS.
AND THERE'S NOT A LOT IN THAT COMMUNITY.
SO THAT'S WHY A LOT OF KIDS OR YOUNG PEOPLE IN THAT COMMUNITY DON'T EVEN RESPECT THE SCHOOL SYSTEM BECAUSE THEY DON'T SEE IT LEADING TO ANYTHING.
AND DO YOU SEE THAT WHEN YOU HAVE THOSE JOB FAIRS THAT INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE SEEKING EMPLOYMENT OR GAINING EMPLOYMENT FROM THOSE JOB FAIRS? SIR.
AND SO WHAT YOU'RE ASKING FROM US IS HOW CAN WE PUT FORTH SOMETHING THAT CAN BE EVEN MORE CONSISTENT? YES.
INSTEAD, INSTEAD OF ON A, EVERY SO OFTEN BASIS.
I'M GONNA GIVE YOU MY CARD AFTER.
SO WE CAN COLLABORATE FURTHER ON THIS.
COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS, I GOT SOME MORE LEAVE FOR YOU AS WELL.
FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION AND YOUR EFFORTS AND WHAT YOU'RE DOING, WHICH IS SO NEEDED, YOU KNOW, PRETTY MUCH ALL ACROSS OUR CITY.
WHERE ARE YOU LOCATED AT? IN SUNNYSIDE? RIGHT ON THE CORNER OF AIRPORT AND SCOTT.
WE HAVE THE TWO BIG ROUND DON CHURCHES.
SO WE, WE KIND OF OPERATE OUT OF THE CHURCH.
UH, S AND I, MY CONSTITUENTS SERVICE GUYS HERE, HE'S GOING TO GET SOME INFORMATION ALONG WITH COUNCILMAN POLLARD.
I LIKE TO WORK ALONG WITH YOU BECAUSE OF ONE OF THE THINGS, IS IT THAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR PEOPLE TO PARTICIPATE OR YOU'RE LOOKING FOR RESOURCES IN ORDER TO MEET THIS NEED? IT'S A COMBINATION BECAUSE THIS IS ALMOST, IF YOU ARE GOING TO REALLY MAKE AN IMPACT AND CHANGE YEAH.
THEN IT HAS, IT'S GONNA BE SOME, WE HAVE TO HIRE PEOPLE TO ACTUALLY TRACK AND SEE THE PEOPLE THAT ARE GETTING EMPLOYED, GETTING THE OPPORTUNITY.
SO THE COMMUNITY CAN SEE THAT THE RESULTS THAT WE'RE GETTING, BECAUSE THAT'S ANOTHER THING.
THEY'RE NOT REALLY SEEING THE RESULTS TO START TRUSTING AND BELIEVING THAT THAT COMMUNITY HAS A LOT OF TRUST ISSUES.
'CAUSE HOW PEOPLE COME IN AND PROMISE AND THEN DELIVER.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO CHANGE THAT.
AND WE CAN SEE THE PEOPLE, THEY, THEY WANT TO DO BETTER.
BUT IF THEY ONLY SEE YOU EVERY THREE OR FOUR MONTHS, THEY GO BACK IN THE COMMUNITY AND DEALING WITH THOSE SAME NEGATIVE INFLUENCES.
IT'S LIKE YOU JUST GOING IN A CIRCLE.
AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO GET A, A SOLUTION FOR THIS AND UNDERSTAND.
I LIKE TO WORK ALONG WITH, UH, COUNCILOR POLLARD AND OTHERS WITH YOU.
[01:00:01]
RESOURCES I LIKE TO RECOMMEND TO YOU.UH, AND THANK YOU FOR COMING FORWARD.
CERTAINLY SUNNYSIDE IS IN DISTRICT D, THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION.
AND I'M ALWAYS INTERESTED IN OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO GET GAINFUL EMPLOYMENT BECAUSE THAT'S HOW WE CHANGE THE CONDITIONS OF OUR LIVES.
SO THAT SAME LADY RIGHT THERE, IF YOU COULD REACH OUT TO HER.
UH, WE'VE HAD EXPUNGEMENT WORKSHOPS, YOU KNOW, FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE RECORDS.
UH, WE'VE CERTAINLY INVOLVED OURSELVES WITH SCHOOLS AND TRADE ORGANIZATIONS AND JOB OPPORTUNITIES.
SO WE WOULD WELCOME WHAT RESOURCE YOU CAN BRING TO THE TABLE.
AND CERTAINLY IF YOU GIVE HER YOUR INFORMATION, WE CAN GOOD EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, SPEAK FURTHER ABOUT IT.
AND I ALSO WELCOME THE COLLABORATION OF MY COLLEAGUES.
AND I'LL LEAVE THIS HERE, SOMETHING FOR YOU TO LOOK AT.
NEXT SPEAKER, PASTOR JAMES NASH.
STEVE WILLIAMS. STEVE WILLIAMS. NEXT SPEAKER.
MY NAME IS GENEVA WADSWORTH COLBERT.
I'M ALSO KNOWN AS, UH, SISTER NIA COLBERT.
I WOULD LIKE TO LEAVE HERE TODAY WITH, UM, HOPE
I AM A PERSON WITH A DISABILITY, A MENTAL HEALTH DISABILITY.
AND THAT IS ANXIETY DISORDER WITH PANIC ATTACKS.
POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER.
A RUTHLESS HOMELESSNESS PREVENTS ME FROM ACCESSING THE NEEDED MEDICAL CARE.
AND I, UH, AM NOT A MALINGERER.
I'M AT A SKILLED NURSING FACILITY IN SUGARLAND, TEXAS.
SO I HAVE TO SCOOT BACK THERE.
I DON'T HAVE EVERYTHING THAT I NEED.
UM, NO ONE SEES THE PAIN THAT I AM PHYSICALLY RECOVERING FROM A STROKE.
AND THIS IS ALL A RESULT OF BEING HOMELESS ON THE STREET, EXPLOITED AND VICTIMIZED.
NOW, I MADE IT TO THE HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY AND SUBMITTED A REQUEST THAT MY HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER TO BE REINSTATED.
THAT IS BECAUSE I WAS WRONGFULLY EVICTED ON NOVEMBER 15TH, 2022.
THAT'S A LONG TIME TO BE HOMELESS.
AND, UM, THAT ILLEGAL AREA, AGAIN, THE MAYOR IS NOT PRESENT, IS TO ASK THAT BECAUSE OF MENTAL DEFECT, I COULD NOT TIMELY FILE APPEALS.
I HAVE GONE TO LEGAL RESOURCES FOR HELP.
I'M APPEALING TO THE CITY COUNCIL TODAY.
AND IN THE ABSENCE OF THE MAYOR WHO PROMISED OR PLEDGED ON HIS CAMPAIGN THAT EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE A SEAT AT THE TABLE.
LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE WHO'VE BEEN OUT THERE.
NO ONE WOULD WISH THIS ON HIMSELF OR HERSELF TO BE.
AT HOW MANY TIMES HAVE BEEN EVICTED, ALWAYS OVERTURNED THE VOUCHER REINSTATED, WHICH MEANT I DID NOTHING WRONG.
BUT THE YOUNG MAN SAID IS TRUE.
YOU CAN BE BLACKLISTED, WHITELISTED FOLLOWED, TRACKED, STALKED, DENIED OF A BASIC HUMAN RIGHT.
AND TODAY I'D LIKE TO RELEASE THAT BED AT THE, UH, AT THE FACILITY.
NOT THAT I DON'T NEED IT, BUT BECAUSE WE ARE FACING SEVERE STAFF SHORTAGES, THEY'RE TAKING VERY GOOD CARE OF ME.
BUT WITH THE 14 TO 17 HOURS OF HOME HEALTHCARE, IF I WERE HOUSED, I COULD RELEASE THAT SPACE FOR, YOU KNOW, Y'ALL ARE LEAVING HERE TODAY AND YOU HAVE LOVED ONES.
NO ONE WOULD IMAGINE THAT THEY'D BE LYING IN A BED AND SOMEONE HAVING TO CHANGE THEIR DIAPERS.
I'VE SEEN HOW HARD THESE PEOPLE ARE WORKING AND I PUT ASIDE SOME OF MY NEEDS SO THAT THEY CAN HELP OTHERS.
THE MAYOR WAS VERY DISCOURTEOUS AND I HOPE YOU'LL LOOK AT THE TAPE OF HOW HE TREATED YOU.
THANK YOU SO MUCH MS. COLBERT.
ARE YOU CURRENTLY, UH, HOMELESS NOW? I AM.
[01:05:01]
ON RULING OUT A STROKE.I'VE RECOVERED, UH, I'VE GOT A WAY TO GO.
UM, I'M AT THE CRESCENT IN SUGARLAND, TEXAS.
THEY, THERE ARE A LOT OF PROBLEMS, BUT THEY PUT UP WITH ME FOR 30 DAYS AND ANYBODY WHO COULD PUT UP WITH ME AND I WAS NOT WALKING, UH, I WAS IN A WHEELCHAIR.
SO, YOU KNOW, I, THERE, THERE ARE PEOPLE WORKING REALLY HARD TO CARE FOR PEOPLE WHO CAN'T EVEN MOVE.
I JUST NEED TO GET MY VOUCHER AND GET HOUSED.
AND I KNOW THAT, UH, RENEE HAS BEEN HELPING TO GET YOUR VOUCHER.
UM, AND I KNOW HE STEPPED, HE STEPPED RIGHT OUT ING WILL YOU SEE IF, IF RENEE IS RIGHT OUT THERE? I KNOW RENEE, HE'S, HE'S GOOD GUY.
KNOW RENEE WE'LL, MAKE SURE THAT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, UM, KNOWS THAT YOU, YOU STILL NEED YOUR VOUCHER AND I'M GLAD THAT YOU'RE IN A SAFE PLACE NOW AHEAD.
UM, BUT WE, WE WILL TRY TO MAKE SURE YOU GET YOUR VOUCHER SO YOU CAN MOVE TO THE NEXT LOCATION.
GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCIL MEMBERS, GLAD TO FINALLY BE HERE.
UM, FIRST OF OFF, I WANTED TO QUICKLY THANK COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO AND OTHERS FOR TAGGING WHAT IS NOW AGENDA ITEM 54 FOR TOMORROW.
AS I THINK IT CAUGHT A LOT OF US OFF GUARD LAST WEEK.
AND I'M HERE TODAY TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF PRESERVING THE WIDE OAK BAYOU.
AND AS ONE OF THE PEOPLE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT SECTION OF LAND IN THE AGENDA ITEM OFFICIALLY DESIGNATED AS A PARK.
THIS IS A VALUABLE, BEAUTIFUL PIECE OF LAND THAT CONNECTS THE NORTHERN PARTS OF HOUSTON INTO DOWNTOWN.
AND IT'S ONE OF THE CRITICAL PARTS OF OUR CITY WHERE WILDLIFE CAN SEEK REFUGE.
THE IDEA OF IT BEING SOLD TO TXDOT FOR BARELY A QUARTER MILLION DOLLARS TO BE COVERED BY CONCRETE SLABS AND POLLUTING TRAFFIC IS QUITE FRANKLY INSULTING AND GENUINELY HEARTBREAKING TO ME.
AS DISCUSSION OF THIS ITEM HAS BEEN CIRCULATING, THE PHRASE PRESERVATION OF GREEN SPACE HAS BEEN CROPPING UP.
AND I BELIEVE THAT DESIGNATING THIS LAND AS A PARK WOULD HELP DO EXACTLY THAT.
ACCEPTING T DOTS LOW BALL OFFER OUT OF THE GATE WILL GUARANTEE THE EXACT OPPOSITE.
DESPITE NOT LIVING NEAR THIS SPECIFIC AREA, I, AS A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT A ENJOY AND LOVE BIKING DOWN WIDE OAK BAYOU.
AND BECAUSE PARTS OF OUR BAYOU DO GO THROUGH THIS DISTRICT, I BELIEVE COUNCIL MEMBER PECK CAN UNDERSTAND THAT THIS DECISION IMPACTS MEMBERS OF HER DISTRICT AS WELL.
WITH PROPOSITION A PASSED LAST NOVEMBER, THE COUNCIL HAS THE POWER TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
AND LASTLY, I UNDERSTAND THAT COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN IS NOT PRESENT AT THE MOMENT, BUT I ALSO WANTED TO QUICKLY JUST SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF THE MONTROSE BOULEVARD PROJECT.
AS I BELIEVE AFTER EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED LAST THURSDAY, WE CAN ALL AGREE THAT THAT AREA DOES FLOOD AND POSE A SIGNIFICANT HAZARD TO PEOPLE TRYING TO USE IT DESPITE NOT BEING A MONTROSE RESIDENT.
I ENJOY THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND WALKING AROUND WHENEVER I VISIT, AND I CAN ATTEST ON FIRSTHAND THAT THOSE SIDEWALKS ARE VERY BAD AND DO NEED TO BE IMPROVED.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME SPEAK.
WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE TODAY.
SO I'D LIKE TO SPEAK ABOUT THE HEIGHTS, UM, BRANCH OF THE LIBRARY WHERE I WENT RECENTLY TO TAKE CARE OF SOME BUSINESS.
NOW, UM, I WORK IN THE SERVICE INDUSTRY AS A WAITRESS, SO I CAN'T ALWAYS AFFORD THE THINGS THAT PEOPLE, UH, ASSUME ARE, UM, THAT EVERYBODY HAS.
SO I WENT TO LIBRARY TO USE A COMPUTER AND THERE'S A PROBLEM WITH HOMELESS PEOPLE IN THE LIBRARY.
UM, AND I REALIZE IT'S A PUBLIC BUILDING.
IT'S OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AND THEY ARE PART OF THE PUBLIC, BUT, UM, THEY'RE BRINGING THEIR BELONGINGS INTO THE LIBRARY WITH THEM, AND THE SMELL IS TERRIBLE.
THE ODOR, AGAIN, I'M SORRY TO TALK ABOUT HUMAN BEINGS LIKE THIS, BUT I FEEL LIKE IF I CAN'T USE THE COMPUTERS THEN, THEN I'M BEING LEFT OUT.
AND I DID LEAVE THE LIBRARY BECAUSE I WAS SO UNCOMFORTABLE, AND WHEN I WENT BACK, I TOOK VIC'S VAPOR RUB AND SWIPED IT UNDER MY NOSE JUST SO THAT I COULD SIT AND USE THE COMPUTER.
NOW, THE LAYOUT THERE IS THAT THERE ARE FOUR ADULTS, THERE ARE SEVEN COMPUTERS, FOUR IN A ROW ACROSS FROM THREE IN A ROW.
AND SO YOU'RE JUST SITTING RIGHT NEXT TO PEOPLE, WHICH, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN AVOID DOING WHEN YOU'RE OUT IN PUBLIC, BUT IN, IN THE LIBRARY.
UM, OKAY, I I DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER.
I HAVE A SUGGESTION THAT THEY LEAVE THEIR BELONGINGS OUTSIDE.
THERE'S A WINDOW WHERE YOU CAN LOOK OUT AND SEE YOUR THINGS.
UM, BUT MORE THAN THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
I MEAN, UM, I KNOW THE DOWNTOWN LIBRARY
[01:10:01]
USED TO HAVE A PROBLEM AND I WAS THERE RECENTLY AND, AND IT'S BEEN RECONFIGURED.SO I JUST LIKE TO ASK YOU TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM.
IT, IT'S A SMALL ONE I KNOW COMPARED TO OTHER ISSUES, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, SOME THINGS NEED TO BE DONE WITH A COMPUTER.
AND IF, IF YOU CAN'T AFFORD ONE AT HOME, THEN YOU NEED TO GO TO A PUBLIC SPACE.
AND, AND SO, UM, JUST LIKE TO ASK THAT YOU TRY TO CONSIDER ADDRESSING THAT.
WE HAVE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO WITH THE PROCEDURAL MOTION.
I MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO ADD RANDY BAXLEY TO THE THREE MINUTES NON AGENDA SPEAKERS LIST, UH, TO FOLLOW SAVANT MOORE.
IS THERE A SECOND? IT'S BEEN MOVED.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR? ANY OPPOSED? THE ITEM CARRIES.
UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, HONORABLE MAYOR PRO TIM, HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL.
I'M AN ATTORNEY AND A FELLOW IN THE ROYAL METEOROLOGICAL SOCIETY.
AND IT'S NOT WHY I CAME TO SPEAK, BUT I DID DID WANT TO SAY FROM THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN, IT LOOKS LIKE Y'ALL DONE A WONDERFUL JOB ON THE RESPONSE TO THE RATIO.
I I CAME TO TALK ABOUT, UH, A CRIME PROBLEM IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD.
UH, THERE WAS AN ARSON ON FRIDAY, AND WHAT I'M ABOUT TO TELL YOU IS VERY REPRESENTATIVE OF HOW HPD HAS DEALT WITH CRIME IN OUR IMMEDIATE VICINITY.
SOMEONE CAME OUT, WE HAVE VIDEO OF THE ARSONIST.
WE HAVE A STATEMENT FROM THE ARSONIST.
WE HAVE VIDEO OF HER COMPANION, COMPANION STEALING FROM OUR PROPERTY.
OUR PROPERTY IS A GATED COMMUNITY AND EACH INDIVIDUAL UNIT HAS GATES.
SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SECOND DEGREE FELONY BURGLARY, OR A HABITATION RATHER THAN YOUR NORMAL 30 0 2 BURGLARY.
UH, HHPD COMES OUT, TAKES A PERFUNCTORY REPORT FROM SOMEONE.
WE, SO I, I TELL HPD THAT WE HAVE PERISHABLE EVIDENCE AND Y'ALL CAN SEE I'VE GOT A FAIRLY SIGNIFICANT INJURY.
MY ROTATOR CUFF CORE TORE FROM THE ANCHOR.
SO IT'S LIKE MY SHOULDER'S NOT ATTACHED WITH THE TENDON RIGHT NOW, AND I STILL OFFERED, I WOULD LOAD UP THE EVIDENCE AND PUT IT IN MY VAN AND BRING IT TO THE MIDWEST STATION AND THEY'RE LIKE, NOPE, WE CAN'T TAKE THE EVIDENCE.
THERE IS SURVEILLANCE SYSTEMS FROM CAMERA VIDEO THAT IS PERISHABLE 'CAUSE IT WILL RECORD OVER ITSELF.
THEY WOULDN'T TAKE THE NAME AND PHONE NUMBER OF THE INDIVIDUAL WHO OWNED THE CAMERA.
AND, AND IF CONCERNED CITIZENS WE'RE TALKING ARSON.
WE, WE, WE KNOW WHO THE ARSONIST IS.
EVERYONE IS WILLING TO COOPERATE.
WE EVEN GOT THE ADDRESS OF THE THIEF.
HPD WON'T EVEN TAKE INFORMATION.
IN FACT, LATER THAT DAY, HPD, THE ARSONIST RETURNED.
I CALLED HPD, HEY, THE ARSONIST IS HERE.
CAN YOU PLEASE COME ARREST HER? NOT ONLY DID THEY NOT COME OUT, I DIDN'T EVEN GET A CASE NUMBER SO THAT THIS COULD BE FOLLOWED UP ON.
I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S SOME PROBLEMS. I'M NOT TRYING TO DOG PILE ON THE POLICE, BUT WHEN WE DON'T EVEN HAVE A CASE NUMBER TO FOLLOW UP ON FOR FELONIES, THAT CERTAINLY LOOKS LIKE HPD IS TRYING TO COVER THEIR TRAIL BY NOT GIVING YOU CASE NUMBERS.
'CAUSE YOU CAN'T TRACK WHAT'S NOT BEEN RECORDED.
AND, AND THAT HAS BEEN A COMMON PATTERN WITH, WITH OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
THE CONDOS WE LIVE IN ARE DILAPIDATED.
IF THAT RATIO HAD BEEN THREE MILES MORE SOUTH, YOU'D HAVE 24 HOUSTONIANS THAT LOST THEIR HOUSES.
BECAUSE THE CONDOS ARE SO DILAPIDATED, WE CAN'T GET INSURANCE.
DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS IS AWARE.
NOW, I WILL SAY THAT, UH, CONGRESSMAN POLLARD'S OFFICE HAS BEEN EXCELLENT ABOUT TRYING TO RESOLVE THESE ISSUES.
THE PROBLEM IS THERE IS A SQUARE THAT'S, THANK YOU.
YOU WANNA GO AHEAD AND WRAP UP? Y YES MA'AM.
THE, THE PROBLEM IS THERE IS A SQUARE OF LAND THAT NO ONE KNOWS WHO IT ACTUALLY BELONGS TO.
AND, AND THEN CONGRESSMAN FLICKINGER ALSO GOT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO SAY THEY'LL, THEY'LL COME AND GET, GET THE EVIDENCE THAT WAS PERISHABLE.
BUT SOMEONE NEEDS TO COME IN AND MOW THE SQUARE OF LAND.
I TRIED TO, BUT IT'S SO FULL OF DEBRIS AND BROKE MY LAWNMOWER.
AND, AND IT'S ONE OF THOSE, IF, IF THE SQUARE OF LAND WAS MOWED AND THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS FORCED OUR ASSOCIATION TO MAKE THE REPAIRS OR HPD WOULD COME OUT, WE'VE, IN FACT, I, I, I PUT
[01:15:01]
A INFORMATION PACKET IF ONE OF Y'ALL COULD GET IT TO HPDI, I AM CERTAINLY GLAD WE, WE'LL, WE'LL GET THAT FROM, UM, FROM YOU AND WE CAN GIVE IT TO HPD.BUT WE DO HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD IN THE QUEUE TO ADDRESS YOU.
UH, THANK YOU FOR COMING FORWARD, AND SORRY THAT YOU HAD TO COME ALL THE WAY DOWN HERE TO REPORT ON AN ISSUE THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN RESOLVED IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, I WILL PERSONALLY, UH, REACH OUT TO THE COMMANDER AT THE MIDWEST STATION, UH, TO FOLLOW UP ON THIS, UH, INCIDENT SO THAT HE'S AWARE, UH, AND ALSO SPEAK TO THEM ABOUT WHY THEY'RE NOT GIVING PROPER RESPONSE TIMES AND FOLLOW UPS, ESPECIALLY AS IT PERTAINS TO CASE NUMBERS SO THAT YOU HAVE IT FOR YOUR RECORD.
UM, AS IT PERTAINS TO THAT GRASSY AREA, UH, MY OFFICE HAS PUT FORTH WHAT'S CALLED A SUPPLEMENTAL MAINTENANCE TEAM, UH, THAT MAY BE ABLE TO COME OUT AND SURVEY THAT AREA AND KEEP IT MOWED.
SO WE'LL WORK WITH YOU ON THAT.
UM, AS IT, AS IT PERTAINS TO THE VIDEO EVIDENCE THAT YOU HAVE, IS IT STILL, DO YOU STILL HAVE IT? I, I DON'T HAVE IT.
THINK BEING THE OPERATIVE WORD THAT THEIR CAMERA RECORDS OVER A WEEK BASE, LIKE RECORDS OVER A WEEK.
SO IF SOMEONE WERE TO COME OUT TOMORROW OR, OR THURSDAY, IT COULD BE HAD, BUT I, I'VE GOT THE OWNER'S NAME AND CONTACT INFORMATION AND REGARDING YOUR SUPPLEMENTAL REPORT THAT THEY HAVE COME OUT, AND I APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK YOU'VE DONE.
THEY'VE COME OUT AND THEY'VE CLEARED EVERYTHING BUT THAT SQUARE OF LAND WHERE THE HOMELESS, THE HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS ARE.
AND DID THEY GIVE YOU ANY FEEDBACK ON WHY THAT WAS IT? I, I BELIEVE IT'S BECAUSE IT IS PAST THE, UH, DRAINAGE DITCH AND, AND THE SUPPLEMENTAL, IT, IT ONLY COVERED UP TO THE DRAINAGE DITCH.
WELL, WE'LL LOOK INTO THAT FOR YOU.
UH, LET'S TRY TO DOUBLE TEAM THIS TOGETHER.
BUT I'M GONNA NEED ALL I'M SORRY ABOUT THAT, GREG.
SOMETIMES IT'S SPASMS. I APOLOGIZE.
DO YOU NEED TO SIT, DEAN? NO, MA'AM.
I WILL, I WILL REACH OUT TO YOU DIRECTLY.
SORRY ABOUT ALL THE TROUBLES AND JUST HOPE YOUR SHOULDER GETS BETTER.
AND, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER POLLER, THANK YOU FOR TAKING THAT ON.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR ALLOWING ME TO COME AND SPEAK.
I CAME SEVERAL WEEKS AGO, UM, TO TALK ABOUT THE, THE THE HORRIBLE THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS WITH THE AIRBNBS.
AND, UM, SADLY, IT'S STILL CONTINUING ON.
AND YOUNG WOMEN ARE BEING TAKEN OUT OF APARTMENT BUILDINGS BY NEFARIOUS PEOPLE AND PUTTING, BEING PUT IN CARS.
WHY CAN'T WE ARREST THOSE PEOPLE? I'M SORRY.
IN ALL DUE RESPECT, MS. ALCORN, YOUR ME, YOUR, YOUR ANSWER WAS NOT ACCEPTABLE.
HOUSTON IS THE, THE GREATEST TRAFFICKING CENTER IN AMERICA, WHAT USED TO BE AN INCREDIBLE CITY.
THE CITY OF SAM HOUSTON IS A CITY THAT IS IN SHAMBLES IN EVERY WAY.
OUR CITY GOVERNMENT HAS FAILED ALL THE PEOPLE OF HOUSTON.
I'M SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THAT MAN WHO JUST GOT UP.
I'M ALSO SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THE PEOPLE AT WHITE OAK WHO ARE DESPERATE TO SEE WATER AND TO HAVE GREEN SPACE AND TO PRESERVE THEIR ANIMAL LIFE.
BUT KNOW MONEY IS THE NUMBER ONE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN HOUSTON, TEXAS.
AND GUESS WHAT? I HOPE MANY THOUSANDS LEAVE HOUSTON.
I HOPE THEY TAKE THEIR TAXES WITH THEM.
WE ARE TIRED OF PAYING TAXES FOR SCHOOLS THAT ARE DESTROYING OUR CHILDREN.
WE ARE TIRED OF PAYING TAXES IN THE CITY THAT DOESN'T PROTECT OUR CITIZENS.
WE ARE TIRED OF SEEING PEOPLE LIKE THIS LADY THAT ARE HOMELESS.
OUR VETERANS ARE ON THE STREETS, THOSE THAT FOUGHT AND ARE DYING FOR US, AND WE HAVE NO RESPECT.
WE BUILD HUGE BUILDINGS AND BIG ARENAS IN OUR STREETS, OR LIKE THIRD WORLD COUNTRIES.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE PLAN HAS BEEN FOR HOUSTON? IT'S BEEN THE PLAN FOR ALL THE CITIES IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF CLOWER AND PIVOT? THEY WERE PROFESSORS FROM COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY THAT IN THE 1960S CAME UP WITH A PLAN.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND EVERY ONE OF YOU
[01:20:01]
LOOK UP FLOWER AND PIVOT AND YOU FIND OUT WHAT THE AGENDA IS.BECAUSE THE AGENDA THAT THEY CAME UP WITH IS THE AGENDA THAT'S GOING OVER EVERY CITY IN AMERICA.
HOUSTON IS BECOMING DETROIT, NEW YORK, SAN FRANCISCO, AND ALL THE OTHER FABULOUS CITIES THAT GAVE US SO MUCH OF THE AMERICAN WAY OF LIFE DESTROYED.
AND GUESS WHAT, WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO ABOUT THAT? AND ANOTHER THING I'M GONNA SAY, I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THIS STORM THAT JUST HAPPENED.
THIS HA THIS STORM THAT JUST HAPPENED.
WE ARE GOING TO, WE'RE IN FIVE TO $7 BILLION WORTH OF OF DEBT.
BILSKI, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED.
YOU GO AHEAD AND WRAP, WRAP UP YOUR COMMENTS, MS. HOLINSKI.
AND WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN? WHO'S GONNA GET PAID OFF FOR THE, THE, UH, CONTRACTS THAT ARE BE GONNA BE COMING UP? WE DON'T TRUST OUR GOVERNMENT PEOPLE AND THE PEOPLE ARE WAKING UP.
WE'RE SEEING THE MONEY LAUNDERING, AND WE'RE SEEING THE STEALING IN THE LINE IN NON-TRANSPARENCY.
WE WILL SPEAK OUT AND WE WILL FIGHT BACK.
AND AGAIN, THOSE POOR PEOPLE WHO CANNOT A HIGHWAY IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN TO BE ABLE TO SEE TREES AND BEAUTY.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, MS. LINSKY.
MEMBERS OF CITY HALL, A MAYOR WHITMEYER, AND THE WONDERFUL PEOPLE OF HOUSTON.
A BEACON OF STRENGTH AND RESILIENCE IN AMERICA AND HOUSTON STRONG.
OUR SPIRIT THRIVES FACING CHALLENGES WITH UNWAVERING DRIVES, FOOD, CLOTHING, SHELTER, JOBS, RELIEF, ESPECIALLY DISASTER RELIEF.
OUR CITY'S NEED BEYOND RELIEF.
BELIEF, FREEDOM OF FAITH FUND IS WHAT WE'RE HERE TO TALK ABOUT.
OUR NOBLE QUEST TO AID THE COMMUNITY AT ITS BEST.
$50,000 INVESTMENT WE SPEAK SEEK TO SUPPORT THE VULNERABLE, FRAIL, AND MEEK TO IN THESE STORMY TIMES, WE STAND TALL.
WE HEED THE CALL TOGETHER, WE RISE IN UNITY AND GRACE.
HOUSTON'S GREATNESS, OUR INTERNAL EMBRACE.
IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE TORNADO'S CRUEL DANCE, HOUSTON'S STRENGTH SHINES.
A RESILIENCE STANDS THE FREEDOM OF FAITH FUND A BEACON BRIGHT GUIDING OUR CITY THROUGH THE DARKEST NIGHT.
BY INVESTING IN THESE ORGANIZATIONS, WE ARE INVESTING IN THE COLLECTIVE RESILIENCE AND STRENGTH OF OUR COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE.
THAT CAN POSITIVELY CHANGE THE VERY FABRIC OF THE DNA, OUR CITY TOWARDS DIVINITY.
THE FREEDOM OF FAITH FUND IS NOT JUST ABOUT PROVIDING TEMPORARY RELIEF.
IT IS ABOUT BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE FOR ALL ITS RESIDENTS.
FOR OUR CITY BY OFFERING A COMPREHENSIVE RANGE OF SERVICES AND SUPPORT, INCLUDING DISASTER RELIEF, ASSISTANCE, JOB OPPORTUNITIES, AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS, WE ARE CREATING PATHWAYS TO RECOVERY AND EMPOWERMENT FOR THOSE WHO NEED IT MOST.
WE URGE YOU TO JOIN US TO SUPPORT IN THE FREEDOM OF FAITH FUND AND MAKING A REAL DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF OUR FELLOW COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
WE WANNA TAKE THIS TIME TO GIVE THANKS TO PASTOR WILLIE DAVIS FOR ALREADY MAKE STANDING UP, MAKING A CALL TO DO, UH, THROUGH ALSO, UH, HIS, HIS, HIS, HIS ASSISTANT, FREDDIE GIBBS.
WE ALSO WANNA GIVE THANKS TO ALSO COUNCIL MEMBER TULA CARTER FOR ALSO REACHING OUT, UH, TO DENE FIELDS.
ALSO TO TO BROTHER EDWARD POLLARD FOR ALSO REACHING OUT AS WELL ALREADY.
AND ALSO MS. KAYLA COCHRAN, UH, THROUGH, UH, UH, MAYOR WHITMEYER.
BUT WE WANT TO ASK FOR ALL THE COUNCIL TO JOIN THE CALL AND TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY MAKE IT A, A, A, A STEADY NEED BECAUSE THEIR DISTRICTS ARE PARTICULARLY IN, IN NEED OF THEM TO STAND UP AND TO SPEAK AND TO REALLY FIGURE OUT WHAT IT IS THEY NEED.
'CAUSE THIS IS THE TIME STRUCTURED GRANTS A LIFELINE.
WE EXTEND EMPOWERED GRASSROOTS OUR HEARTS TO MEND THE HER NOR NETWORK OF FORCE OF LIGHT SHINE OF THE BLACK MADONNA SHINING BRIGHT KOHA OUTREACH, A HELPING HAND MENTOR, EMPOWER, MOTIVATOR ACROSS THE LAND, OYSTER CREEK METHODIST CHURCH TO PILLAR STRONG UNITY.
AND THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE GROUPS IN HOUSTON THAT WE ALREADY WORK WITH THAT ARE, ARE ALREADY IN OUR COLLECTIVE THAT WE'RE GONNA WORK WITH.
AND, AND, AND, AND THE GRANT APPLICATION PROGRAM FUND THEM TO SUBGRANT THEM TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE REACHING THE DISTRICTS BECAUSE WE'RE FOCUSED ON THE SOUTH SIDE, IN PARTICULAR, UH, DI DISTRICT MEMBERS, SHABAZZ'S DISTRICT.
UH, BUT WE, WE KNOW THE WHOLE CITY IS IN NEED FOR IMMEDIATE AID AND LONG-TERM CARE.
SO TRAINING, EDUCATION TOOLS WE PROVIDE TO THOSE WHO SERVE WITH HEARTS OPEN WIDE.
TOGETHER WE STAND IN LOVE AND GRACE.
HOUSTON SPA, HOUSTON SPIRIT, A SACRED SPACE FOR IMMEDIATE AID AND LONG-TERM CARE.
THE FREEDOM OF FAITH FUND WILL ALWAYS BE THERE IN THE FACE OF DISASTER.
WE UNITE GUIDED BY FAITH IN OUR CITY'S LIGHT.
THANK YOU FOR CONSIDERING OUR PLEA AS WE STRIVE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE HEART OF OUR BELOVED CITY THROUGH THE FREEDOM OF FAITH FUND.
MAYOR PRO TEM BROTHER MARK, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR ALL OF YOUR EFFORT AND YOUR PASSION, YOUR COMPASSION, AND ALL OF THOSE OF
[01:25:01]
THE COLLEAGUES WHO HAVE STEPPED UP TO WANT TO ASSIST YOU.AND I, I THINK THE, THE JOB WILL GET DONE 'CAUSE IT IS CITYWIDE.
SO WE LOOKING FORWARD TO WORK WITH YOU DIRECTLY.
KIARA ANI, HOW Y'ALL DOING? THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE.
I JUST WANNA REITERATE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT MY HUSBAND SAID.
UM, THE FREEDOM OF FAITH FOOD BANK.
WE ARE TRYING TO BE A BEACON OF HOPE FOR THE COMMUNITY.
WE SPECIFICALLY ARE TRYING TO ADDRESS THE FACT THAT RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT LOW INCOME MINORITY FAMILIES ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTED BY NATURAL DISASTERS LIKE TORNADOES THAT JUST HAPPENED HERE.
THOSE POPULATIONS ARE MOST VULNERABLE TO FLOODING, ARE OFTEN THOSE WHO ARE POOR.
AND IN ETHNIC AND RACIAL BACKGROUNDS.
FOOD, CLOTHING, SHELTER AND JOBS ARE WHAT WE NEED RIGHT NOW TO HELP THE LOW INCOME.
AND THOSE WHO MAY IDENTIFY AS POOR URBAN AREAS AND COMMUNITIES OF COLOR ARE FREQUENTLY SEGREGATED INTO REGIONS WHERE FLOODING AND OTHER INADEQUATE INFRASTRUCTURE HAS HAPPENED DUE TO LACK OF FUNDING IN THOSE AREAS.
NOT ONLY ARE WE ADDRESSING THE FOOD DESERT AND THE BLACK COMMUNITY AS WELL AS OTHER MINORITY COMMUNITIES, WE'RE FOCUSED ON THE POOR INFRASTRUCTURE THAT IS AFFECTING US DAILY.
UM, DAILY DAY IN, OUT AND NIGHT IN OUT.
AS WE CAN SEE THAT THERE ARE OTHER HOMELESS PEOPLE IN THE ROOM TODAY WHO ARE STRUGGLING JUST TO FIND SHELTER WHEN IT MAY BE RAINING COLD, OR THEY JUST NEED, UM, A BITE TO EAT.
DURING THESE TIMES, FREEDOM OF FAITH BLUE BANK IS ADDRESSING THE URGENT NEED TO ESTABLISH A GRANT PROGRAM.
SO THIS GRANT PROGRAM IS GONNA EMPOWER GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONS TO EXPAND THEIR REACH DURING THE PROGRAM.
WE'RE GONNA PROVIDE TRAINING AS WE ARE NONPROFIT ATTORNEYS TO EQUIP PEOPLE WITH LEGAL KNOWLEDGE AS WELL AS EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES AND JOB SECTOR OPPORTUNITIES.
THE GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONS WILL BE ABLE TO WORK IN THEIR ALLOTTED DISTRICTS, AND THEY WILL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THE TRAINING, UM, IN A SUBSET OF WHAT WE HAVE ALREADY PROVIDED THEM.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE WILL BE ABLE TO GIVE THEM TOOLS AND RESOURCES SO THAT THEY CAN MEET THE NEEDS OF THEIR COMMUNITY.
AGAIN, THOSE NEEDS ARE FOOD, SHELTER, JOBS, AND DISASTER RELIEF.
WE THANK YOU AGAIN FOR, UM, THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ABOUT HOW WE WANT TO EQUIP OUR COMMUNITY WITH TOOLS AND RESOURCES THAT THEY NEED TO EFFECTIVELY SERVE OTHER AREAS.
AND WE HOPE THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO WORK WITH YOU GUYS IN PROVIDING THOSE RESOURCES.
UM, BEFORE YOU WALK AWAY, YES.
UM, DO Y'ALL HAVE, UH, ANY INFORMATION TO SHARE WITH THE COUNCIL MEMBERS OR YOU CAN SEND TO OUR RESPECTIVE OFFICES? UM, YOU, IF YOU CAN SEND THAT TO OUR DISTRICT BOXES, WE'D BE HAPPY TO, UM, TAKE A LOOK AT THAT INFORMATION.
WE SAY IT AROUND THIS HORSESHOE ALL THE TIME THAT GOVERNMENT CAN'T DO THIS WORK ALONE.
WE APPRECIATE THOSE, UM, NONPROFITS AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE HELPING TO PROVIDE THIS TYPE OF SERVICES IN OUR, IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
UM, AS, AS FAR AS LIKE A PROPOSAL OR PITCH DECK, THINGS LIKE THAT, THE INFORMATION, ANY INFORMATION THAT YOU HAVE ABOUT YOUR ORGANIZATION YES, MA'AM.
AND WHAT WE COULD POSSIBLY DO, MAYBE TO PARTNER IN OUR RESPECTIVE DISTRICTS, UM, TO HELP THE FOOD BANK MAAM, OR TO HELP MA'AM WITH ANY OF THE TRAINING.
UM, I KNOW THAT SEVERAL COUNCIL MEMBERS WOULD, WOULD BE WILLING.
UH, WE WE NEED EXTRA HANDS ON DECK MA'AM IN OUR COMMUNITIES AS WELL, MA'AM.
SO WE APPRECIATE YOUR WILLINGNESS.
THANK YOU, UH, MAYOR PRO TIM, AND THANK YOU, UM, FOR, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING THAT YOU ARE DOING TO HELP MOVE OUR COMMUNITIES FORWARD.
WELL, THE, THE SLOGAN IS THEY TAKE A VILLAGE TO RAISE A CHILD, BUT OUR NONPROFITS ARE THAT THE VILLAGERS THAT WE, UM, RELY ON AND LEAN ON TO, UM, SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITIES.
AND SO I'M CURIOUS TO KNOW, HOW, UM, ARE YOU, DO YOU HELP NONPROFITS IDENTIFY FUNDING? UM, ARE YOU A FUNDING SOURCE? ARE YOU JUST UM, YES MA'AM.
SO WITH OUR NONPROFIT FREEDOM OF FAITH FOOD BANK, WE DO, UM, FOOD DRIVES AND WE PARTNER WITH DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS AND CHURCHES IN THE CITY TO HELP THEM GET THEIR FOOD DRIVES UP ON BOARD.
AND THEN WITH OUR LAW FIRM, WE HELP BUILD UP NONPROFITS, SO MAKING SURE THEY'RE IN LEGAL COMPLIANCE AND THEN PROVIDING WITH THEM, WITH THE INFORMATION FOR GRANTS, HELPING THEM APPLY FOR THOSE GRANTS AND DOING THOSE PROPOSALS FOR THEM.
AND I'M GONNA THANK YOU AS WELL.
BUT I ALSO HAVE TO POINT OUT HE IS SO ADORABLE.
ANYWAY, BUT THAT'S, HE'S OUR LEGAL INTERN
BUT THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR WHAT YOU DO AND, AND LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU.
WE LOVE WHEN BABIES COME TO CITY HALL
NEXT SPEAKER JOSEPH SMITH, SENIOR JOSEPH SMITH, SENIOR NEXT SPEAKER,
[01:30:02]
SAVANT MOORE.I'M THE ELECTED TRUSTEE FOR HISD.
UM, I REPRESENT DISTRICT TWO MO OF NORTHEAST HOUSTON.
I'M A FORMER ARMY RANGER, SEVEN YEARS.
UM, I'M A MINISTER AT GREATER MORNING STAR BAPTIST CHURCH IN SUNNYSIDE, TEXAS.
I HAVE A GRADUATING SENIOR THAT'S GOING TO HOWARD AND I HAVE TWO EIGHTH GRADERS.
I'M, UNFORTUNATELY, MY CHILDREN ARE VERY GIFTED, BUT THEY STAY IN A SCHOOL THAT HAS CEILINGS, FALLING IN MOLD, THERE'S NO CLEAN WATER.
UM, AND THEY, EVERY DAY THEY'RE EXPECTED TO SIT IN THEIR CLASSROOMS, SHOW UP, MAKE AS DO GOOD ON THE STAR TEST, AS YOU KNOW, UM, TO STAY TAKEOVER AS TAKING OVER HISD.
SO I CAME TODAY, I'VE BEEN GOING TO BOARD MEETINGS BEFORE I WAS ELECT FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS, UM, FOR THIS PAST YEAR.
I THINK, UM, MR. CASTILLO'S, THE ONLY PERSON THAT WAS AT THE MEETING THIS THURSDAY AT 4:00 PM I'M ASKING EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU TO SHOW UP BECAUSE THERE'S ALMOST 200 PRINCIPALS AND TEACHERS THAT WILL BE TERMINATED.
LAST WEEK, A ACT OF GOD STOPPED HIM FROM BEING TERMINATED.
AND ONE IS A PRINCIPAL OF THE YEAR.
I OFTEN ASK GOD, WHY DID HE PUT ME INTO POLITICS NOW? HE SAID THAT WE MUST BE HIS HANDS AND HIS FEET.
AND SO EACH OF US MUST START STANDING UP FOR EACH AND EVERY SINGLE CHILD BECAUSE NOW IT'S STARTING TO GO INTO THE AFFLUENT AREAS.
THEY HAD TO CLOSE HEIGHTS HIGH SCHOOL BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T HAVE NO AC YET.
MY CHILDREN HAVE BEEN SUFFERING WITH THAT.
AND FIFTH WARD IN NORTHEAST AS OF NORMAL.
AND SO I'M ASKING ALL OF US IN HOUSTON AND ALL THE PEOPLE THAT REPRESENT EACH DISTRICT FOR YOU TO SHOW UP BECAUSE A BOND WILL BE NEEDED.
LIKE THERE'S $10 BILLION WORTH OF INFRASTRUCTURE, BUT NO ONE TRUST THE CURRENT LEADERSHIP.
AND SO WHO WILL SUFFER MOST MY DISTRICT? SO WHAT I'M ASKING FOR YOU, I KNOW THAT IN JUNE THAT YOU'RE GONNA ASK FOR PROTECTIVE LANDMARKS.
MY FATHER COACHED AT FOREST BROOK.
WE KNOW NORTH FOREST NO LONGER EXISTS.
I'M ASKING THAT YOU PROTECT EVERY HISTORICAL BLACK SCHOOL, N-H-I-S-D, FROM WEELEY TO YATES TO WORTHING BOOKER T CASHMERE, BECAUSE WE KNOW IF THERE'S NO MONEY, THE FIRST CLOSURES WILL BE THOSE BLACK SCHOOLS.
AND THAT IS NO, THERE'S NO REASON THAT MY SON HAS TO GET ON A SCHOOL CHOICE BUS TO GO TO CARNEGIE WHEN THAT PRINCIPAL MAY BE TERMINATED AND HE CAN'T GO TO HIS NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOL AND RE RECEIVE THE SAME QUALITY.
AND SO I'M ASKING THAT EVERYONE WE GIVE BACK TO OUR SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY HAVE DECENCY.
AND REMEMBER THAT WE'RE HOUSTONIANS, REGARDLESS OF THE STATE COMING OVER.
WE GOTTA REMEMBER IT'S ABOUT THESE BABIES.
WE ONCE WERE CHILDREN, AND WITHOUT THESE TEACHERS, WE WOULDN'T BE WHO WE ARE TODAY.
AND SO I'M JUST ASKING THAT YOU PLEASE SHOW UP BECAUSE IT IS, IT IS BASICALLY BECOMING BAD FOR BUSINESS.
I WORK 14 HOURS DAYS, BUT I, I CHANGE MY SCHEDULE.
I'M GONNA SHOW UP EVERY TUESDAY UNTIL I GET MORE PEOPLE TO SHOW UP.
AND SO I'M JUST ASKING THAT YOU PLEASE START SHOWING UP.
SO THANK YOU FOR SHOWING UP MR. MOORE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING TODAY.
UM, DID, AND TELL ME WHAT YOU SAID YOUR, YOUR POSITION WAS.
I'M THE, I TOOK KATHY BLUFORD SPOT.
I'M THE ELECTED DISTRICT TWO TRUSTEE.
SO LIKE, YOU KNOW, CURRENTLY WE DON'T HAVE POWER TO THE STATE TAKEOVER, BUT I, I REPRESENT ALL OF NORTHEAST FROM BASICALLY NAVIGATION BOULEVARD TO BOOKER T TO NORTH FOREST.
ISD COUNCIL, COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS.
THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TEM, MY FRIEND, UH, BROTHER MOORE.
FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.
UH, AS A VETERAN, I CERTAINLY COMMEND YOU.
I DO WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT, UH, CERTAINLY HEARING YOU AND, UH, THERE'S BEEN A PROCESS START OF MEETINGS WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT.
LET'S, LET ME LET YOU KNOW THERE ARE MORE, THERE ARE DIFFERENT GROUPS OUT THERE DOING IT.
THERE'S A MINISTER GROUP THAT HAS HAD A COUPLE MEETINGS AND I WAS WITH IT AND WE'VE ALREADY REQUESTED ANOTHER ONE.
AND TO LAY OUT ALL THESE ISSUES, THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT IS SYSTEMIC.
IT DIDN'T JUST START YESTERDAY.
IT'S NOT GONNA GET SOLVED TODAY, BUT IT WILL GET SOLVED, I BELIEVE, AT CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME.
BUT THANK YOU FOR YOUR PASSION AND SERVICE AND WE WILL CERTAINLY GET IN TOUCH WITH YOU AND CONNECT WITH YOU ON THIS MATTER BECAUSE IT IS A SERIOUS MATTER AND IT'S GROWING IN MORE AND MORE INTEREST THROUGHOUT ALL OF THE CITY.
AND MY PRAYER IS THAT IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN THAT THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN GOING ON LONG BEFORE NOW BECAUSE OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT, IT IS ABOUT OUR CHILDREN, BUT WE CAN'T BE, UH, WE CAN'T BE JUST PARTICULARLY ABOUT WHEN WE DO IT, WE SHOULD HAVE ALWAYS BEEN DOING IT.
I'M A STUDENT OF PUBLIC EDUCATION AND I'VE ALWAYS AN ADVOCATE FOR PUBLIC
[01:35:01]
EDUCATION, BUT ALSO GIVE THE RIGHT THAT MANY PEOPLE FROM PRESIDENTS ON DOWN AND PUT THEIR KIDS IN PRIVATE SCHOOLS AND ALL OTHER TYPE OF SCHOOL.SO WE CAN'T, YOU KNOW, DEMONIZE EVERYBODY ELSE BECAUSE EDUCATION'S A FREE MARKET.
AND WE CERTAINLY HOPE, BUT WE WANT IT TO BE FAIR AND WE WANT IT TO BE HONEST.
BUT THANK YOU FOR YOUR, UH, YOUR EFFORTS.
UM, A LOT OF COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE, UH, MADE COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS ABOUT WHAT WE CAN DO WITH HISD.
UM, WE DO KNOW THAT IT IS AN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT.
UM, BUT WE ALSO RECOGNIZE THE CORRELATION OF A, A VERY STRONG SCHOOL SYSTEM WITH THE THRIVING CITY.
UM, SO WE WILL CONTINUE WORKING TO ADVOCATE FOR OUR KIDS AND FOR EVERYONE THAT IS, UM, WITHIN HISD SYSTEM, WE THANK YOU FOR SPEAKING UP.
UM, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO, TO JOIN.
UH, I KNOW, UH, YESTERDAY HOUSTON LANDING HAD AN EVENT AT THE HOBBY CENTER WITH, UM, SUPERINTENDENT MILES.
UM, I ATTENDED THAT EVENT, UH, WHERE THE STUDENTS INTERVIEWED HIM.
UH, THERE WAS SOME CONVERSATIONS THERE.
WE'LL CONTINUE TO TRY TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS SO THAT WE CAN DWELL IN OUR CITY AND DO WHAT'S BEST FOR HOUSTONIANS.
SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
RANDY BAXLEY, UH, THANK YOU FOR THE ADD.
UH, THANK YOU FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO LAST WEEK, UH, TAGGED ITEM 40 ON THE AGENDA, ITEM 54 FOR THIS WEEK'S AGENDA, SELLING OFF, UH, THE WHITE OAK BIO GREENWAY FOR A MERE QUARTER OF A MILLION DOLLARS.
ACTUALLY, I THINK IT'S $268,000, BUT CLOSE ENOUGH.
UH, THE PRICE IS A SHAME TO START WITH THAT WE'RE SELLING IT AT ALL IS A SHAME.
THIS, THIS COUNCIL HAS SAT HERE AND, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT SAYING Y'ALL, Y'ALL HAVE TO SIT HERE.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S A TERRIBLE THING THAT Y'ALL HAVE TO SIT HERE ALL THIS TIME.
UH, BUT, UH, IN Y'ALL DUTIES, NOT THIS COUNCIL, BUT THE COUNCIL BEFORE, YOU HAD TO DEAL WITH MAKING SURE THAT CARS WERE PULLED FROM THE BIOS.
AND THERE ARE MULTIPLE, THERE ARE CARS ALL IN THOSE BIOS WHEN HARVEY'S OR OTHER HURRICANES HIT HOUSES, GO DOWN THOSE BIOS.
DURING HARVEY, I STOOD ON THE PARKING LOT OF CASTILLO CENTER, WHICH IS JUST NORTH OF DOWNTOWN HOUSTON.
AND IN BETWEEN CASTILLO CENTER AND UHD IS THE STRIP OF LAND THAT IS BEING SOLD OFF.
THE IDEA IS THAT N-H-H-I-P WILL PUT SUPPORTS DOWN INTO THAT BIO AND THEY WILL CREATE AN AREA WHERE THOSE CARS AND THOSE HOUSES CAN BE CAUGHT.
AS THE WATER COMES DOWN, I SAW THE WATER RISE TO WITHIN INCHES OF THE TOP OF THAT BERM ON CASTILLO CENTER, MOVE AROUND THAT BERM AND GO OVER AND FLOOD THE BACKSIDE OF IRVINGTON COURTS.
IF WE ADD TO THAT BLOCKAGE AREA WITH SUPPORTS INTO THAT, WHICH IS WHAT N-H-H-I-P WANTS TO DO, THEN WE WILL CREATE A SITUATION WHERE THE WATER POSSIBLY WILL GO TO THE PARKING LOT OF MOODY PARK, WHERE WE STOOD YESTERDAY DISTRIBUTING FOOD TO, TO THOSE OF US WHO, WHO NEEDED THE FOOD.
AND SEVERAL OF US, I, I GOT TO MEET MS. CARTER.
LAST WEEK, UH, MARIO WAS THERE WITH US.
ADRIAN GARCIA WAS THERE WITH US.
UM, SYLVIA, SYLVIA GARCIA'S STAFF WAS THERE.
AND WILLIE CERTAINLY YOU'VE COME INTO THE COMMUNITY AS WELL MANY TIMES TO, TO HELP US AND TO SEE US AT LULAC.
AND THAT AREA UP TO PATTON STREET IS IN DANGER OF BEING FLOODED.
IF WE DO ANYTHING TO DESTROY THE PATH OF THE WATER TRAVERSING FROM THE NORTH SAN JA CENTER RIVER, I, I SHOULDN'T SAY THE NORTH.
IT'S ACTUALLY THE WEST BRANCH OF THE SAN JACINTA RIVER.
WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE TODAY.
[01:40:02]
NEXT SPEAKER.HOW ARE YOU? I WAS GONNA PLAY LA WOMAN, I MEAN, NOT LA WOMAN, BUT RIGHT ON THE, ON THE STORM BY THE DIVORCE, BUT, UM, WELL, I, I I SCREWED UP.
AND ANYWAY, WHAT I WANTED TO SAY IS, UH, THINK OF THE POSITIVES AND NEGATIVE OF, UH, OF, OF ANY, OF, OF MAKING THE STUPID, UH, CELL TEXT OUT OF THAT PARTIAL, PARTIAL LAND.
I MEAN, COME ON, PULL THE, UH, RAMIFICATIONS FOR EVERYTHING.
I MEAN, UM, SOME OF THEM WOULD BE WILL AS NINE, EXCUSE MY FRENCH.
AND, UM, WHAT ELSE I WANT TO SAY IS, IS GETTING MONEY, MONEY IN HERE.
SO I'M GOING GO SWIMMING AND UH, YOU KNOW, UM, WATER GOES DOWNSTREAM.
KNOW IS GOING GO DOWN STREET AND UH, I'M ON MANCHO AND WATER.
AND THEN WE'LL WIN THE BUFFALO BAYOU SLOWS WELL, AND WE'LL COME DOWN US AND THAT I WOMAN, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, JACOB.
MY NAME'S STEPH ORGANIZER WITH STOP TEXT, DO.
AND THIS WEEKEND WE ALL KNOW WE FACED A DEVASTATING NATURAL DISASTER.
AND AFTER BEING OUT THERE THE NEXT DAY, HELPING PEOPLE REMOVE TREES, REMOVE DEBRIS, GETTING PEOPLE OUT OF THEIR HOMES, ALL I CAN THINK ABOUT WAS WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO TO MITIGATE THESE DISASTERS THAT ARE GONNA BE HAPPENING MORE FREQUENTLY? AND NEVER DID A $12 BILLION HIGHWAY CROSS MY MIND.
UM, OUR WIDE OAK BODY SERVES US, ONE OF OUR PRINCIPAL FLOODING MITIGATIONS INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND NOT ONLY THAT, IT'S ONE OF OUR MOST LOVED GREEN SPACES.
COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER, YOU ATTENDED OUR CHRISTMAS CAROLING EVENT LAST TIME AND YOU WITNESSED HOW THIS SPACE IS SO IMPORTANT FOR ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY AS MENTIONED, BUT FROM ALL MY FRIENDS, WE ALL KNOW TDOT DOES NOT OPERATE IN GOOD FAITH.
WE KNOW THAT THIS IS A REAL OPPORTUNITY TO HOLD TEXTILE TO THEIR WORD AND MAKE THEM RENEGOTIATE ON THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S TERMS. I ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS GREEN SPACE IS VALUED AT 4.3 MILLION IN TECHSTAR WANTS TO PAY 260,000 FOR IT.
UM, YOU WANNA GO AHEAD AND WRAP UP? YES, PLEASE.
I URGENTLY ASK YOU TO NOT VOTE AND RE RECONSIDER THE SALE OF PARCEL 8 0 1 AND EXPLORE ALL YOUR OPTIONS, WHETHER IT'S DESIGNATING IT AS A PARK OR LEASING IT TO TECH STOCKS SO THE CITY OF HOUSTON DOESN'T LOSE AUTONOMY OVER OUR GREEN SPACE.
LASTLY, ON THE TOPIC OF DISPLACEMENT, I JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE SITUATION IN GAZA.
THERE IS CURRENTLY 1.7 MILLION PALESTINIANS DISPLACED AND I URGE THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO CRAN IMMEDIATE IMPROVEMENT CEASEFIRE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, MEMBER JACKSON.
JUST TO LET YOU KNOW ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED LAST SATURDAY WITH THE, UH, FIFTH WARD, UH, ELECTRIC MOBILITY INITIATIVE.
UH, WE KNOW A LOT IS GOING ON IN THIS, IN THE AREA, SO YOU WEREN'T ABLE TO MAKE IT.
BUT, UM, FOR THOSE WHO WERE ABLE TO ATTEND, MANY OF THEM DIDN'T HAVE ELECTRICITY.
SO JUST BEING ABLE TO COME OUT AND COME TO THE PARK, GET THEIR BIKES, GO FOR A RIDE, TO GET SOMETHING TO EAT, EVERYONE WAS REALLY HAPPY ABOUT THAT.
WE'LL BE HAVING OUR LAST CLASS THIS SATURDAY AND WE WILL BE TAKING THE COLUMBIA TAT TRAIL TO TA-DA THE THIRD WARD.
AND WE'LL BE IN YOUR AREA WITH OUR, WITH OUR, UH, MUTUAL FRIEND ED PETIT AND THE, UH, FRIENDS OF THE COLUMBIA TAB.
SO I JUST WANTED TO COME IN AND JUST LET YOU KNOW THAT I KNOW A LOT IS GOING ON RIGHT NOW.
I THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR PATIENCE.
UH, I CAN ONLY IMAGINE WHAT YOU HAVE TO DEAL WITH WHEN IT COMES TO THE, UH, THE INDIVIDUALS NOW.
BUT THANK YOU FOR THE TIME AND I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU A, A, A BRIEF UPDATE WITH WHAT'S GOING ON.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
NEXT SPEAKER, ROSANNA AL NA SHAHIR SANNA AL NAIA NEXT SPEAKER.
THAT CONCLUDES OUR SPEAKERS NOTES.
[RECESS]
YOU COUNSEL, WE STAND IN RECESS UNTIL TOMORROW MORNING AT NINE, THE DIRECTOR OF HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT FOR[01:45:01]
APPROVAL OF PAYMENT OF 2020 THROUGH 2024 ANNUAL ASSESSMENT FEES TO THE TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER.ITEM TWO, RECOMMENDATION FROM ACTING DIRECTOR OF THE PUB DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS AND ENGINEERING FOR APPROVAL OF FINAL CONTRACT AMOUNT OF $2,987,441 22 CENTS AND ACCEPTANCE OF WORK ON CONTRACT WITH GRAVA LLC.
ITEM THREE, RECOMMENDATION FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY TO DEPOSIT THE AMOUNT OF THE AWARD OF SPECIAL SPECIAL COMMISSIONERS INTO THE REGISTRY OF THE COURT TO PAY ALL COST OF COURT IN CONNECTION WITH IMMINENT DOMAIN PROCEEDING STYLE, CITY OF HOUSTON VERSUS GFL TEXAS REAL PROPERTY LLC.
ITEM FOUR, COLBURN SUPPLY COMPANY, INC.
FOR PURCHASE OF MANHOLE HOOKS.
ITEM FIVE, SILSBEE TOYOTA FOR PURCHASE OF HYBRID TOYOTA VEHICLES.
ITEM SIX APPROVED SPENDING AUTHORITY IN THE AMOUNT OF $83,934 84 CENTS FOR PAYMENT OF THE FINAL COST OF ADMINISTERING THE CITY'S 2023 GENERAL AND RUNOFF ELECTIONS THROUGH THE JOINT ELECTION AGREEMENT AND CONTRACT FOR ELECTION SERVICES WITH FORT BEND COUNTY.
ITEM SEVEN, MION TECHNOLOGIES INC.
FOR PURCHASE OF ULTRA RADIAC PLUS PERSONAL RADIATION MONITORS.
ITEM EIGHT HAS BEEN PULLED BY THE ADMINISTRATION.
ITEM NINE APPROVED SPENDING AUTHORITY IN THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $958,500 70 CENTS FOR PURCHASE OF AUTOMOTIVE LIFTS, INSPECTION, MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR SERVICES.
ITEM 10, MUNICIPAL EMERGENCY SERVICES INC.
FOR SCOTT AIR PACKS AND REPLACEMENT PARTS.
ITEM 11 IS AMEND MOTION 2022 DASH 2 67 TO INCREASE SPENDING AUTHORITY FROM $323,850 TO $404,812 50 CENTS FOR PURCHASE OF LEVEL MEASUREMENT DEVICES.
ITEM 12, ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP SOUTHWEST INC.
FOR WATER FOR WAGER ORDER CONTROL SYSTEMS. ITEM 13, AMEND MOTION 2023 DASH 4 4 0 TO INCREASE DIS SPENDING AUTHORITY FROM $14,392,403 15 CENTS TO $17,392,403 15 CENTS FOR VEHICLES RENTAL SERVICES.
ITEM 14 GCB INDUSTRIES LLC FOR PURCHASE OF PRE HEATER BOILER TUBES.
ITEM 15 WEISINGER INCORPORATED FOR PURCHASE OF A 600 HORSEPOWER VARIABLE SPEED I INFLUENT PUMP MOTOR ITEM 16.
APPROVE SPENDING AUTHORITY IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $966,591 82 CENTS FOR PURCHASE OF WORKIVA LICENSES.
ITEM 17 APPROVED SPENDING AUTHORITY IN THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $580,000 FOR CITYWIDE ENTERPRISE ASSESSMENT CONSULTING SERVICES.
ITEM 18 APPROVED SPENDING AUTHORITY IN THE IN THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF $250,000 TO PURCHASE SERVICES, PARTS AND EQUIPMENT FOR THE APPLIED NT VEHICLE EXHAUST REMOVAL SYSTEMS. ITEM 19 IS A RESOLUTION APPROVING THE ISSUANCE AND SALE OF HOUSTON HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION FOR MULTIFAMILY HOUSING GOVERNMENTAL NOTE YALE VILLAGE ITEM 20 IS A RESOLUTION APPROVED THE ISSUANCE AND SALE BY HOUSTON HEIGHT, HOUSTON HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION OF MULTIFAMILY HOUSING REVENUE BONDS, CORDOVA APARTMENTS.
ITEM 21 ORDINANCE AMENDED SECTIONS 28 DASH 4 54 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES HOUSTON TEXAS RELATING TO EXEMPTIONS FROM APP APPLICABILITY OF CHAPTER 28.
ARTICLE 14 OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON CODE OF ORDINANCES RELATING TO REGULATION OF BOARDING HOMES.
ITEM 22, ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING FIRST AMENDMENT TO LOAN DOCUMENTS BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON, EAST END MAKER HUB SPONSOR LLC AND URBAN PARTNERSHIPS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.
ITEM 23 ORDINANCE APPRO AND AUTHORIZING FIRST AMENDMENT TO SUB-RECIPIENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND HOUSTON HEALTH INC.
ITEM 24 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING FIRST AMENDMENT TO SUB-RECIPIENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND HOUSTON SRO HOUSING CORPORATION.
ITEM 25 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING NEW LEASE AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND BLACK FOREST VENTURES AVIATION RE LLC ITEM 26 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING APPROPRIATING $800,000 FROM EQUIPMENT ACQUISITION CONSOLIDATED FUND FOR PLANNED HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT LEGACY LAB INFRASTRUCTURE UPGRADE ITEM 27 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND BRACEWELL L-L-C-L-L-P ITEM 28 ORDINANCE APPROVED AND AUTHORIZING AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND NORTON ROSE FULBRIGHT U-S-L-L-P ITEM 29 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $255,729
[01:50:02]
10 CENTS OUT OF PARKS AND RECREATION DEDICATION FUND AWARD AND CONTRACT TO STRAY CON GROUP INC.ITEM 30 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING FUNDS IN THE AMOUNT OF $980,000 OUT OF PARKS CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND $162,260 OUT OF PARKS SPECIAL FUND, $187,000 OUT OF STATE GRANT.
STATE GRANT FUND AND $100,000 OUT OF CONTRIBUTED CAPITAL PROJECT FUND FOR LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURAL TASK ORDER CONTRACTING PROGRAM.
ITEM 31 ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE NUMBER 2017 DASH 3 0 7 TO INCREASE MAXIMUM CONTRACT AMOUNT AND APPROVING AN AUTHORIZING SECOND AMENDMENT TO SOLE SOURCE CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND COMMUNITIES IN SCHOOLS OF HOUSTON INC.
ITEM 32, ORDINANCE APPRO AND AWARD AND CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND SMITH PUMP COMPANY INC.
ITEM 33, ORDINANCE OF AWARD AND CONTRACT TO BAYSIDE PRINTING COMPANY INC.
ITEM 34 ORDINANCE APPROVED AND AUTHORIZING CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS OF HOUSTON HARRIS COUNTY OR ITEM 35 ORDINANCE APPROVING AN AUTHORIZING INTER-LOCAL AGREEMENT FOR SAN JACINTO RIVER AND TRIBUTARIES SEDIMENT REMOVAL AND SAND TRAP DEVELOPMENT PROJECT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON, SAN JACINTO RIVER AUTHORITY AND HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT ITEM 36 ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE NUMBER 2023 DASH 3 54 TO INCREASE MAXIMUM CONTRACT AMOUNT FOR SUB-RECIPIENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND HOUSTON FORENSIC SCIENCE CENTER INC.
ITEM 37 ORDINANCE AMENDING CITY OF HOUSTON.
ORDINANCE NUMBER 2024 DASH NINE RELATING TO THE RESCHEDULING OR POSTPONEMENT OF CERTAIN CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS.
ITEM 38, ORDINANCE APPROVED AND AUTHORIZING AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND MOTOROLA SOLUTIONS INC.
ITEM 39 ORDINANCE DESIGNATING RESIDENTIAL AREA IN WEST MOUNT WESTMONT SUBDIVISION REPLAY AND EXTENSION TWO NUMBER P 2 3 7 0 2 WESTMONT CIVIC CLUB SECTIONS ONE THROUGH SIX AS A PROHIBITED YARD PARKING AREA.
ITEM 40 ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE NUMBER 2017 DASH 7 0 8 TO INCREASE MAXIMUM CONTRACT AMOUNT APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING SECOND AMENDMENT TO CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND ALL PUMP AND EQUIPMENT COMPANY ITEM 41 ORDINANCE RENEWING AND RENEWING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NORTH SIDE OF THE 1000 AND 1100 BLOCKS OF LAG.
GREENE STREET BETWEEN STUDIO WOOD STREET AND MISHAW STREET EAST SIDE OF THE 1400 BLOCK OF STUDIO WIDE STREET BETWEEN ALL ALL GREG STREET AND LAG GREENE STREET AND THE EAST AND WEST SIDES OF THE 4,600 BLOCKS OF OAK RIDGE STREET AND NOR HILL BOULEVARD BETWEEN LAGREE STREET AND ALL GREG STREET WITHIN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS AS A SPECIAL MINIMUM LOT SIZE BLOCK.
ITEM 42 ORDINANCE CONSENTING TO THE ADDITION OF 97.846 ACRES OF LAND TO HARRIS COUNTY MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT NUMBER FOUR 10 ITEM 44 ORDINANCE CONSENTING TO THE ADDITION OF 5.9977 ACRES OF LAND TO HARRIS COUNTY MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT NUMBER 2 7 8 ITEM 44 ORDINANCE CONSENTING TO THE ADDITION OF 6.262 ACRES OF LAND TO EMERALD FOREST UTILITY DISTRICT.
ITEM 45 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND CDM SMITH INC.
ITEM 46 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $6,375,000 OUT OF CONTRIBUTED CAPITAL PROJECT FUND AWARD IN CONTRACT TO JAY RIVAS CONSTRUCTION LLC ITEM 47.
ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $6,375,000 OUT OF CONTRIBUTED CAPITAL PROJECT, FUND AWARD AND CONTRACT TO JAY RIVAS CONSTRUCTION LLC ITEM 48.
ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING 5 MILLION FOR $145,036 OUT OF WATER AND SEWER SYSTEM.
CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND AWARD AND CONTRACT TO VORTEX LINING SYSTEMS. LLC ITEM 49.
ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $3,679,100 OUT OF WATER AND SEWER SYSTEM.
CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND AWARD IN CONTRACT TO INDUSTRIAL TX CORPORATION.
ITEM 50 SET A PUBLIC HEARING DATE TO DESIGNATE LANDMARKS, PROTECTED LANDMARKS AND SIGNIFICANT STRUCTURES.
ITEM 51 COWBOY CONCEALMENTS LLC FOR PURCHASE OF CONCEALMENT BOXES TO CONCEAL SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS, ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT.
ITEM 52 RESOLUTION CONFIRMING NO OBJECTION TO PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT OF CERTAIN PROPERTIES AS AFFORDABLE RENTAL HOUSING EACH LOCATED IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS AND SUBMITTAL OF APPLICATIONS FOR NON-COMPETITIVE 4% HOUSING TAX CREDITS FOR SUCH DEVELOPMENTS.
ITEM 53, ORDINANCE A AMENDED ARTICLE FOUR OF CHAPTER 44 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES, HOUSTON, TEXAS RELATING TO TAX ABATEMENT.
ITEM 54, ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING SALE OF $126,627.
I'M SORRY, 126,627 SQUARE FEET OF CITY FEE
[01:55:01]
OWNED LAND SITUATED IN JOHN AUSTIN.SURVEY ABSTRACT NUMBER ONE, HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS SELLING PROPERTY TO TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION.
AND ITEM 55 ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR OF HOUSTON TO EXTEND OR CONTINUE A PROCLAMATION OF A LOCAL STATE OF DISASTER FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON BEYOND THE SEVEN DAY PERIOD AFTER THE PROCLAMATION PERIOD BEGAN DUE TO SEVERE DERECHO STORM MAKING CERTAIN FINDINGS RELATED THERETO AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.
AND THIS COMPLETES THE READING OF THE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA OF MAY 22ND, 2024.
AND IN THE WORDS OF THE CURRENT CITY SECRETARY, ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS TREAT THOSE THE WAY YOU WISH TO BE TREATED.
AND WITH THAT, I WISH YOU A BLESSED AND FANTA DAY COUNCIL COME TO ORDER
[RECONVENE]
[MAYOR'S REPORT]
FOR BEING PATIENT AND ALLOWED ME TO GET MY NOTES, UH, ORGANIZED HERE.UH, IT'S BEEN A VERY STRATEGIC, UH, WEEK.
UH, LAST THURSDAY NIGHT I WAS AT A LITTLE LEAGUE GAME, GRANDSON'S LITTLE LEAGUE GAME.
IN ONE OF THE MORE INTENSE SUDDEN STORMS THAT WE'VE EVER, CERTAINLY IN RECENT HISTORY EXPERIENCED CAME UPON NORTHWEST HOUSTON, KIND OF COMING DOWN TWO 90 FROM THE BRENHAM WALLER AREA.
AND AS I WAS WATCHING LITTLE LEAGUE GAME, WE WERE WARNED THAT THERE WAS GONNA BE A INTENSE STORM.
THE COACHES ADVISED US TO THEN GO TO OUR CARS, COME BACK AND FINISH THE GAME, WHICH WE ALL LOOKED AT HIM, KIND OF DID HE REALLY KNOW WHAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT.
WITHIN ABOUT THREE TO FIVE MINUTES, WE ALMOST ALL GOT BLOWN AWAY.
WE RAN FOR OUR CARS, KIDS GOING EVERYWHERE, PEOPLE GETTING UNDER METAL SHEDS.
WE WERE OFF OF, UH, PINE MOUNT BEHIND THE, UH, COYA LIBRARY, BUT WE GOT TO OUR CARS AND REALIZED THAT WASN'T SAFE.
YOU LITERALLY COULDN'T SEE ANYTHING BUT THE SWIRLING WIND, HAIL AND RAINED.
SO I PULLED OVER ON PINE MART, WAITED 10 OR 15 MINUTES AND IT LED UP A LITTLE BIT.
SO I WENT DOWN PINE MAR TO JESTER COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON.
THAT INTERSECTION WAS BLOCKED BY TREES.
SO WE MADE OUR WAY THROUGH THE INTERSECTION.
I REALIZED I WAS NOT THAT FAR FROM THE EMERGENCY CENTER, SO WE WORKED OUR WAY TO THE EMERGENCY CENTER.
I HAD A, A NEIGHBOR WITH ME, UH, LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL FAN.
UH, AND I GOT TO THE EMERGENCY CENTER AND PULLED UP IN A DRIVING REIGN AND THE LADY AT THE GUARDHOUSE COMMUNICATED WITH ME AS BEST WE COULD IN THE MIDDLE OF A STORM THAT I NEEDED A CITY ID.
AND SHE KEPT SHOWING ME 'CAUSE SHE DIDN'T WANNA COME OUTTA THE GUARDHOUSE AND SHOWED ME WHAT I NEEDED.
AND I FINALLY TOLD HER I'M THE MAYOR
SHE WAS DOING HER JOB AND SHE WAS DOING HER JOB.
REALLY GOOD
AND THEN OF COURSE I GOT TO THE DOOR AND WENT THROUGH THE SAME PROCESS.
I'M THE MAYOR, SO I'VE LEARNED A VALUABLE LESSON.
CARRY MY IDEA,
AND SHE AND I OVER THE, THE NEXT THREE OR FOUR DAYS, SHE AND I BECAME BEST OF FRIENDS
BUT NO, SHE WAS DOING HER JOB.
BUT IMMEDIATELY OUR RESOURCES STARTED COMING TOGETHER AT THE EMERGENCY CENTER.
AND I'LL GIVE YOU A STATUS REPORT WHERE WE ARE NOW, BUT OBVIOUSLY THE LOSS OF POWER WAS WIDESPREAD THROUGH NORTHWEST HOUSTON WHERE I WAS THROUGH TIMBER GROVE, THE HEIGHTS THROUGH THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT TO THE EAST END OUT THE GULF FREEWAY INTO THE BAY.
AND IT WAS VERY DEVASTATING, THE AREAS THAT WERE IMPACTED.
I COULD SPEND THE REST OF THE MORNING TALKING ABOUT HOUSTON CITIZENS AND, AND DEPARTMENTS.
UH, ALL LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT CAME TOGETHER LIKE ONLY HOUSTON HAS AND DID AND WILL IN THE FUTURE.
IN FACT, MEMBERS, IT'S SIGNIFICANT THAT, THAT MORNING I WAS IN A HURRICANE RECOVERY PREPARATION MEETING CHAIRED BY ANGELA BLANCHARD, 35 FIRST RESPONDERS AND STAKEHOLDERS, PEOPLE LISTENING TO EVERYONE'S EXPERIENCE AND HOW WE WERE PREPARING FOR HURRICANES.
[02:00:01]
BUT NOTHING WAS DISCUSSED ABOUT SOMETHING OF THIS MAGNITUDE, INTENSE INTENSITY AND THE SUDDENNESS OF THIS STORM.BUT WHILE I WAS THERE AT THE EMERGENCY CENTER, ABOUT 6 37 O'CLOCK, FIRST RESPONDERS SHOWED UP.
OUR FIREMEN WERE ON TWO 90, TAKING LIVE WIRES OFF OF THE FREEWAY OF TWO 90.
PINE MOUNT POLICE WENT INTO ACTION, PUBLIC WORKS SANITATION, THE FLEET MANAGEMENT METRO IMMEDIATELY STARTED RESPONDING.
AND I'M JUST TELLING YOU, IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A, IT IS TIMES LIKE THIS WHEN WE'RE SO PROUD TO BE HOUSTONIANS.
AND I'M PROUD TO BE THE MAYOR.
AND I WANT TO THANK THE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT STARTED SHOWING UP LOOKING AT, AT THE EMERGENCY CENTER, LOOKING OUT FOR THEIR INDIVIDUAL DISTRICTS AND THAT LARGE THAT REACHED ACROSS HOUSTON.
UH, THE IMMEDIATE, THE NUMBER THAT NIGHT WAS 920,000 PEOPLE WERE WITHOUT POWER.
UH, IT'S DOWN TO JUST A SECOND.
WHERE'S MY, UH, HERE IT'S, WE'RE DOWN TO 72,000 THIS MORNING.
UH, 550,000 PEOPLE HAVE HAD THEIR POWER RESTORED OVER THE PAST FIVE DAYS.
UH, OUR SIGNAL LIGHTS, TRAFFIC SIGNAL LIGHTS.
WE HAVE 135 STILL OUT THIS MORNING.
AS I CONTINUE TO GIVE YOU A STATUS REPORT, I WANT TO MAKE CERTAIN, I GIVE THE SHOUT OUTS TO TXDOT, TDOT, UH, CAME TO OUR ASSISTANCE NOT ONLY HELPING WITH THEIR RIGHT OF WAY, BUT IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND COMMUNITIES.
UH, WE STILL HAVE TO EMPHASIZE THE CONCERN FOR TRAFFIC SAFETY, UM, BUT PUBLIC WORKS AND, AND, UH, RANDY MACKEY AND HIS TEAM WORKING WITH STATE RESOURCES HAVE DONE A REALLY GREAT JOB WORKING AROUND THE CLOCK.
NOW LET ME STOP RIGHT HERE BEFORE I DO ANYTHING ELSE AND GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO OUR COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.
THE FIRST EVENING, BRIANNA RAMSEY AND GARCIA CALLED TO SAY THEY WERE BRINGING ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FROM THE UNINCORPORATED PART OF THEIR PRECINCTS INTO THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AND I HAVE SPENT CONSIDERABLE TIME WITH ALL THREE OF 'EM IN THEIR PRECINCTS, OUTTA THEIR PRECINCTS, BUT LOOKING OUT FOR HOUSTONIANS, UH, SANITATION, UH, WENT INTO OVERTIME, IMMEDIATELY GOT OUR CON OUTSIDE CONTRACTORS THIRD PARTIES INVOLVED, HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
WE DID OUR REGULAR ASSESSMENTS TWICE A DAY AND TO LISTEN TO THE DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS AND THEIR RANK AND FILE FIRST RESPONDERS, WHICH I CONSIDER PUBLIC WORKS AND SANITATION, DID A MAGNIFICENT JOB.
AMAZING CONCERN FOR WORKERS IN CENTRAL HOUSTON LAST NIGHT ACTUALLY ISSUED A REQUEST THAT THE CORPORATE COMMUNITY LEAVE LET THEIR WORKERS WORK AT HOME.
SO, UH, ON MONDAY, TUESDAY, WE ASKED EVERYONE TO USE GOOD JUDGMENT, UH, BETTER JUDGMENT THAN PERHAPS HISD USED, UH, YOU KNOW, SPRING BRANCH CANCELED SCHOOLS.
THEY WERE AT THE PITNER LOCATION, WHICH YOU NEED TO VISIT.
IT'S OFF OF HEMPSTEAD, A SELF-CONTAINED APARTMENT COMPLEX, DEPENDING ON NON-PROFITS FOR THEIR FOOD, WATER, AND POWER.
UH, WE WERE ACTUALLY IN A LIFE SUPPORT RESCUE MODE MOST OF THURSDAY NIGHT.
FRIDAY, SATURDAY, WE WERE ABLE TO GO INTO A RECOVERY MODE, BUT WE SOON FOUND OUT, NO, THERE'S STILL PEOPLE LIVES AND SECURITY EXPOSED THE PROTECTION OF LIVES AND PROPERTY.
SO SUNDAY, WE WERE ABLE TO DO BETTER INTO THE RECOVERY MODE.
AND THEN AS YOU SAW YESTERDAY, WE'RE IN A LONG-TERM RECOVERY MODE.
THE FEMA DIRECTOR, ADMINISTRATOR BEING HERE, UH, SBA, WE'VE OPENED, UM, 50 CITY COOLING FACILITIES.
[02:05:01]
METRO WILL GIVE YOU A RIDE TO A COOLING FACILITY CALLING 3 1 1 RESERVING 9 1 1 FOR EMERGENCIES.WE'VE ACTUALLY WORKING WITH THE STATE AND I'M, I'M, I'M SHOUT GIVING SHOUT OUTS FOR THE COUNTY, BUT THE STATE EMERGENCY CENTER HAD PREPOSITIONED THEIR TRUCKS.
SO YESTERDAY WE WERE DISTRIBUTING ICE, FOOD AND WATER.
WE'VE ACTUALLY REACHED OUT TO 800 MEDICALLY FRAGILE PEOPLE AT THEIR HOMES, A STEER PROGRAM FROM THE STATE OF TEXAS PARTNERING WITH US.
NOW, HERE'S SOMETHING I WANNA REALLY ASK YOU TO CONSIDER AS WE GO FORWARD, AND YOU'VE BROUGHT IT UP IN COUNCIL.
BEFORE THE UNLIVABLE CONDITIONS OF SOME OF OUR RESIDENTIAL FACILITIES, INDEPENDENCE HALLS SUNDAY AFTERNOON WAS DEPLORABLE PEOPLE WITH NO ROOFS OVER THEIR APARTMENTS.
THE OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT MANAGERS HAD ABANDONED THE SITE.
WE'VE GOT TO DO SOMETHING GOING FORWARD DURING QUOTE, NORMAL TIMES TO HOLD PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE CONDITION OF FACILITIES THAT PEOPLE LIVE IN.
UH, WE GOT ALL THE RESOURCES ON LOCATION SUNDAY ABOUT FIVE SENIORS, MEDICALLY FRAGILE PEOPLE HAD NOT HAD ANY WATER, FOOD OR ELECTRICITY SINCE THURSDAY NIGHT.
SO WE CAN, WE CAN DO EVERYTHING WE CAN, BUT IF THE MANAGERS AND OWNERS DO NOT BRING THESE CONDITIONS OR THESE FACILITIES TO OUR ATTENTION, INDEPENDENCE HALL, THE PITNER SITE THAT WE SPENT SO MUCH TIME IN THE LAST FOUR EIGHT HOURS HELPING INDIVIDUALS RECOVER, WE'RE ACTUALLY LOOKING, IF THERE'S CRIMINAL LIABILITY FOR ABANDONING THESE FOLKS THAT WERE LOCKED IN THEIR APARTMENTS.
HPD ACTUALLY HELPED THE HOUSTON FIRE KNOCK DOWN A FEW DOORS TO GO IN AND DO RESCUE, UH, FOR THESE MEDICALLY FRAGILE INDIVIDUALS, SENIORS, AND, AND, UM, I WOULD ASK FAMILIES TO CHECK ON THEIR LOVED ONES, WHICH, WHICH, UH, SOME OF THE FAMILIES WERE MISSING.
BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS WE'RE IN A STRONG RECOVERY MODE.
I CAN'T THINK I RANK AND FILE EMPLOYEES ENOUGH.
THEY HAVE PROPERTY, THEY HAVE FAMILIES THAT THEY WERE CONCERNED ABOUT, BUT THEY TOOK ON THEIR CITY RESPONSIBILITIES AND DID A MAGNIFICENT JOB.
I WOULD SAY WHETHER YOU'RE BLESSED IN YOUR AREA OF TOWN WAS NOT HIT HARD.
WE STILL COME TOGETHER TO REACH OUT TO HOUSTONIANS FOR THEIR FAMILIES, NEIGHBORS, PETS WERE CONCERNED DURING THE STORM.
I COULD GO ON AND ON ABOUT WHAT I WITNESSED PERSONALLY WITH THE DEDICATION OF EACH OF OUR CITY DEPARTMENTS.
UH, EVEN WITH WITHOUT THE RESOURCES THEY NEED, POLICE AND FIRE, UH, NEVER, NEVER MISSED A BEAT.
THE CHIEFS WERE THERE WITH THE RANK AND FILE.
EVERY LEVEL OF GOVERNMENT FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, OUR CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION WENT INTO ACTION.
COUNTY, GOVERNMENT, STATE, LOCAL, OUR FOUNDATIONS, OUR PHILANTHROPIC.
AND I'M GOING TO RECOGNIZE IN A MINUTE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF, UH, THE UNITED WAY AND THE GREATER HOUSTON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION.
THERE'S BEEN A PHILANTHROPIC FOUNDATION, CHARITABLE FUND SET UP.
AND UH, I'LL DO THAT IN ONE MOMENT.
UH, IN FACT, WHY DON'T WE, UH, ASK, UH, AMANDA, IF Y'ALL WOULD ALLOW ME TO CALL AMANDA MCMILLAN THE PRESIDENT, CEO OF UNITED WAY OF GREATER HOUSTON, AND STEPHEN LIN, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF GREATER HOUSTON, UH, FOUNDATION, IF Y'ALL WOULD COME FORWARD AND GIVE A, A REVIEW OF THE FUND THAT'S BEEN SET UP, THE SEVERE WEATHER AND DERECHO RECOVERY FUND ESTABLISHED BY THE GREATER HOUSTON DISASTER.
I'LL YIELD TO, UH, AMANDA, I'LL YIELD TO YOU AND THEN, UH, STEVEN, YOU CAN FOLLOW TO GIVE US WHAT CAN WE DO, UH, AS COUNCIL CITY GOVERNMENT AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR TO HELP THE IMMEDIATE NEEDS.
WE HAD FOLKS THAT EVERYTHING THEY HAD HAD BEEN RUINED WITH THE LOSS OF POWER AND THEY DON'T HAVE ANY MONEY TO REPLACE THE BASICS THAT THEY NEED.
[02:10:01]
THANK YOU MAYOR WHITMEYER.UM, AND GOOD MORNING MAYOR AND CITY.
UM, AGAIN, MY NAME'S AMANDA MCMILLAN, I'M PRESIDENT, AND CEO OF THE UNITED WAY OF GREATER HOUSTON, ALSO A PROUD RESIDENT OF DISTRICT H.
UM, THANKS TO ALL OF YOU AND EVERYONE AT THE CITY OF HOUSTON FOR YOUR HEROIC EFFORTS TO HELP OUR NEIGHBORS IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE RECENT STORMS. UM, THANK YOU ALSO FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF THE SEVERE WEATHER AND DIRECTION RECOVERY FUND, WHICH IS WHAT STEVE AND I ARE HERE TO TALK ABOUT THIS MORNING.
WE KNOW THAT 14% OF HOUSEHOLDS ACROSS OUR REGION ARE STRUGGLING ON INCOMES BELOW THE FEDERAL POVERTY LINE.
AND ANOTHER 31% OF HOUSEHOLDS ARE WORKING HARD, AND THEY ARE STRUGGLING TO COVER THE BASICS FROM MONTH TO MONTH WHEN DISASTER STRIKES, IT'S THESE NEIGHBORS, AS THE MAYOR INDICATED, WHO GET HIT THE HARDEST.
THEY'RE FACED WITH EXPENSIVE HOME RE REPAIRS, LOSING, UH, ALL THE FOOD IN THEIR FRIDGE, AND THEY HAVEN'T BUDGETED TO REPLACE, UM, THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO MAKE IT TO WORK AND, AND EARN THEIR WAGES BECAUSE THE SCHOOLS ARE CLOSED AND THEY'RE HAVING TO PROVIDE CHILDCARE FOR THEIR KIDS.
UM, THIS IS EXACTLY WHY THE UNITED WAY AND GREATER HOUSTON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION CAME TOGETHER A YEAR AGO TO LAUNCH THE GREATER HOUSTON, UH, DISASTER ALLIANCE.
IT'S DESIGNED TO SWIFTLY ACTIVATE FUNDING EFFORTS, MOBILIZE OUR TRUSTED NETWORK OF PRO NONPROFIT PARTNERS, AND CONNECT THOSE IN NEED TO RESOURCES THAT CAN HELP THEM RECOVER, REBUILD, AND BE MORE RESILIENT IN THE FUTURE.
THE SEVERE WEATHER AND RE RECOVERY FUND ALLOWS US TO LIFT UP THE MOST VULNERABLE IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND ALSO PROVIDE THEM WITH EMERGENCY FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, HOME REPAIRS, AND ALSO NAVIGATION TO HELP THEM GET THROUGH THAT PROCESS FOR FEMA SBA AND OTHER ASSISTANCE AS THEY TRY TO REBUILD AND RECOVER.
UM, THIS WILL PROVIDE SERVICES IN HARRIS, MONTGOMERY, AND WALLER COUNTIES.
THE PROCEEDS FROM THIS FUND WILL BE DISTRIBUTED TO TRUSTED NONPROFIT PARTNERS WHO HAVE A DEEP UNDERSTANDING OF THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY AND WILL BE ABLE TO GET HELP TO THOSE WHO NEED IT MOST IN AN EFFICIENT, EFFECTIVE, AND EQUITABLE MANNER.
AND I'LL ADD TOO FOR THOSE, UM, IF, IF ONE THING Y'ALL CAN DO TO HELP FOR THOSE WHO NEED HELP RIGHT NOW, UM, YOU KNOW, Y'ALL HAVE ALREADY DONE SUCH AN AMAZING JOB OF LETTING OUR RESIDENTS KNOW THEY'RE NOT ALONE.
WE'RE AVAILABLE 24 7, UM, 365.
THEY CAN TEXT 2 1 1 HOUSTON TO 8 9 8 2 1 1 FOR HELP.
I'M STEVE MASLIN, PRESIDENT OF THE GREATER HOUSTON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION.
UH, LET ME ADD MY THANKS TO THE MAYOR AND, UH, TO ALL OF YOU, A PROUD MEMBER OF DISTRICT C.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, UM, REALLY APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR TIRELESS EFFORTS, WHICH WE'RE PRIVILEGED TO SEE UP CLOSE IN HELPING DRIVE RECOVERY OF OUR COMMUNITY.
WHEN DISASTER STRIKES, WE'RE REMINDED THAT NO ONE ENTITY CAN FIX IT ALL.
IT REQUIRES A COLLABORATIVE AND COORDINATED RESPONSE FROM THE NONPROFIT FOR-PROFIT, PUBLIC, AND PHILANTHROPIC SECTORS TO ENSURE THAT THE MOST VULNERABLE IN OUR REGION GET THE HELP THAT THEY NEED TO START THE RECOVERY AND REBUILDING PROCESS.
NOW, DISASTER RECOVERY OFTEN REQUIRES MULTIPLE AVENUES OF ASSISTANCE.
SO THIS FUND IS MEANT TO COMPLIMENT FEMA AND SBA FEDERAL ASSISTANCE, AND THEREFORE, WE ENCOURAGE IMPACTED FAMILIES TO APPLY FOR THAT ASSISTANCE.
NOW, UH, AS AMANDA NOTED, THE FUND WILL SERVE RESIDENTS OF HARRIS, MONTGOMERY, AND WALLER COUNTIES WHO WERE AFFECTED BY THE SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING EVENTS THAT OCCURRED BETWEEN APRIL 26TH AND MAY 17TH.
WE ARE GRATEFUL TO OUR FRIENDS AT CENTERPOINT AND COMCAST WHO ARE EACH DONATING $500,000 TO HELP JUMPSTART OUR EFFORTS TO HELP OUR NEIGHBORS RECOVER.
AND AN EXTRA THANK YOU TO COMCAST AND CENTERPOINT WHO ARE WITH US TODAY IN SUPPORT OF THE COMMUNITY AND THE FUNDS.
DIFFICULT TIMES ARE WHEN WE SEE THE STRENGTH OF OUR COMMUNITY.
AS YOU ALL KNOW, AS OUR NEIGHBORS FACE THE NEXT STEP IN THE LONG ROAD TO RECOVERY, WE ENCOURAGE THOSE WHO CAN TO SUPPORT THE SEVERE WEATHER AND TO RETRO RECOVERY FUND, ANY AMOUNT WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
TO MAKE A DONATION, PLEASE VISIT WWW DERECHO FUND.ORG.
THAT'S D-E-R-E-C-H-O-F-U-N D.ORG.
MY REMARKS WERE, UM, MORE DIRECTED TOWARDS YOUR COMMENTS, BUT I DO WANNA THANK THE EFFORTS BEING LAUNCHED.
AGAIN, WE DID THIS DURING, UM, THE WINTER STORM AND THE FACT THAT THE COMMUNITY CONTINUES TO COME TOGETHER AND THE OUTPOURING OF SUPPORT FROM NOT JUST THE HOUSTON COMMUNITY, BUT NATIONWIDE TO THIS.
AND I WANT TO PERSONALLY THANK Y WHEN WE WERE AT THE DRC YESTERDAY, UM, THERE WERE A LOT OF NEEDS THERE.
UH, AND I KNOW FEMA AND SBA ARE STANDING UP AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, BUT, UM, I CAME RIGHT TO Y'ALL, Y'ALL IMMEDIATELY
[02:15:01]
RESPONDED, GOT RESOURCES IN TO HELP FOLKS THAT NEEDED A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN JUST, UM, FEDERAL ASSISTANCE AT THE TIME.SO Y'ALL HAVE JUST BEEN TRUE PARTNERS.
UM, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU'RE DOING.
UM, I DID WANT TO MENTION THAT MOST OF THE POWER OUTAGES THAT ARE LEFT IN THE CITY ARE STILL IN DISTRICT A.
SO WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT CENTERPOINT CAN GET THAT BACK UP AND GOING, UM, VERY SOON.
AND I KNOW A LOT OF, THERE'S A LOT OF SENIOR CITIZENS AND A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO, UM, ARE JUST LEFT WITH NOTHING NOW.
AND SO, UM, WE ARE DEFINITELY GOING TO BE CONTACTING YOU AND WORKING WITH YOU ON THAT.
AND, AND WE'RE IN CONSTANT TOUCH WITH CENTER POINT.
UH, THEIR, UH, BEST PLANS ARE TO BE COMPLETED AT THE END OF THE DAY, UNLESS THERE'S TECHNICAL, CERTAINLY YOUR DISTRICT, BECAUSE THOSE HUGE TRANSMISSION TOWERS WERE KNOCKED DOWN.
SO MOST OF THE RESIDENTIAL, MOST OF THE USERS ARE GONNA BE RESTORED BY THE END OF THE DAY.
IF YOU DON'T, AND, AND YOUR NEIGHBOR'S LIGHTS ARE ON AND YOURS ARE NOT, IT'S GONNA PROBABLY BE SOMETHING AT YOUR, UH, RESIDENCE THAT YOU MIGHT EVEN NEED A, A ELECTRICIAN TO CHECK.
BUT, UH, THEY'RE DOWN TO 72,000 IN LESS THAN A WEEK.
WE CAN ALWAYS DO BETTER, OF COURSE.
BUT, UH, THEY'VE BEEN VERY RESPONSIVE.
THEY BROUGHT IN, UH, ADDITIONAL MUTUAL AID SUPPORT FROM OUT OF TOWN.
THERE'S OVER 7,000 LINEMEN OUT IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS AS WE TALK.
AND, UH, WE'RE GONNA STAY IN CONSTANT TOUCH WITH 'EM.
BUT IT'S A GREAT TIME TO MENTION, UH, COMMISSIONER GARCIA, UH, HAD A PRESS CONFERENCE YESTERDAY TO EMPHASIZE NO COMMUNITIES BEING NEGLECTED.
THERE WAS SOME CONCERN, SOCIAL MEDIA, THAT THE EAST END WAS GONNA BE THE LAST TO BE SERVED, AND THAT'S JUST ABSOLUTELY NOT TRUE.
EACH COMMUNITY'S GETTING, UH, THE SERVICE THAT, THAT THE CENTER POINT CAN GET TO 'EM, AND WE'RE MONITORING THAT VERY CAREFULLY.
ANOTHER THING ABOUT MISINFORMATION ON MY NOTES IS OUR WATER IS GOOD.
THERE WAS SOME MENTION OVER THE WEEKEND THAT THERE WAS CONCERN ABOUT THAT WE NEEDED TO BOIL OUR WATER.
THE FACTS ARE THE WATER, UH, PLANT IS WORKING AND THE WATER IS GOOD.
UM, ANOTHER THING TO ANNOUNCE IS THAT SANITATION IS DOING THEIR REGULAR RUNS AND ALSO PICKING UP DEBRIS.
AND IF YOU WANT, UH, SOLID WASTE TO PICK UP YOUR DEBRIS, PUT IT OUT ON THE CURB.
AND THEY'VE OBVIOUSLY CONTRACTED WITH THIRD PARTIES TO HELP WITH THAT EFFORT.
UM, MAYOR PRO TEM CASTEX TATUM.
I JUST WANTED TO, UM, TELL YOU ON, ON THURSDAY, UH, WHEN THE STORM BLEW THROUGH, I WAS AT THE GEORGE R. BROWN FOR AFRICA DAY.
SO THE STORM CAME STRAIGHT THROUGH DOWNTOWN, AND I DO WANT TO LET YOU ALL KNOW THAT THE GEORGE R. BROWN IS A GOOD PLACE TO BE IN A STORM.
THAT CONCRETE BUILDING, WE DIDN'T HEAR IT.
WE ONLY SAW IT FROM THE WINDOWS.
UM, BUT THAT BUILDING IS WELL CONSTRUCTED, UH, BECAUSE THAT STORM BLEW THROUGH.
UH, CHIEF SATTERWHITE WAS THERE AT AFRICA DAY, AND HE CAME AND TAPPED ME ON THE SHOULDER AND SAID, I'VE GOTTA GO TO THE EMERGENCY CENTER.
THERE'S A STORM BLOWING THROUGH WHILE THE STORM WAS BLOWING THROUGH.
UM, BUT ALSO WANTED TO SAY THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, DISTRICT A FARED, UH, PRETTY WELL.
THE BIGGEST ISSUE WAS, UM, THE POWER OUTAGES.
SO THE INFORMATION THAT YOU'VE PROVIDED TODAY WILL BE HELPFUL TO RESIDENTS WHO LOST EVERYTHING IN, IN THEIR REFRIGERATORS AND FREEZERS.
UM, BUT BIG SHOUT OUT TO CENTERPOINT, SPECIFICALLY JASON FABRE AND, AND, AND PAUL LOCKE, UM, WHO COMMUNICATED WITH US PUBLIC WORKS SOLID WASTE IS ALREADY OUT PICKING UP THE DEBRIS, UM, THE STAFF FOR THE CONSISTENT, UH, COMMUNICATION.
UM, THE FOUNTAIN APPRAISED CHURCH MAYOR, WHEN WE STARTED DOING THE CHARGING AND COOLING STATIONS, I MADE ONE PHONE CALL TO THEM AND THEY SAID, ABSOLUTELY, COUNCIL MEMBER, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT OUR MULTI-SERVICE CENTER IN THE AREA, UNFORTUNATELY, DOESN'T HAVE A GENERATOR.
UM, WE'RE WORKING ON A GRANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN, WE CAN HAVE THOSE THINGS PROVIDED, BUT THE, THE CHURCH WAS SO WILLING TO JUST OPEN UP THEIR FACILITIES FOR US TO HAVE A COOLING AND CHARGING STATION IN DISTRICT K FOR RESIDENTS.
UM, AND JUST WANNA LET EVERYONE KNOW HOW MUCH WE APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT.
AND I THINK NOW AS WE TRANSITION TO RECOVERY, THE SERVICES THAT YOU ARE PROVIDING TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE
[02:20:01]
KNOW WHAT FEMA'S PROVIDING AND HOW THEY CAN RECOVER, UM, IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS GOING TO BE PIVOTAL.SO THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT INFORMATION, AND WE'LL GET THAT OUT IN OUR NEWSLETTERS, UM, AND COMMUNICATE THAT TO AS MANY HOUSTONIANS AS WE CAN.
AND THE REAL MESSAGE FROM FEMA IS PEOPLE HAVE TO APPLY, RIGHT? AND THEY'RE ACTUALLY SENDING TEAMS INTO SOME OF OUR COMMUNITIES WITH A MOBILE TEAM TO ASSIST FOLKS.
UH, IN TERMS OF THE SECURITY OF THE GEORGE BROWN, UH, SOME BUILDINGS CLOSER TO CITY HALL DID NOT FARE THAT WELL.
THERE'S ABOUT A SIX BLOCK EXCLUSION ZONE.
SOME OF THE GLASS IN THE BUILDING HAS TO BE SPECIALLY ORDERED.
A LOT OF WORKERS, UH, MOST OF THE TRAFFIC LIGHTS HAVE BEEN RESTORED, BUT IT'S THE WORKERS AND THE SAFETY OF THE SIDEWALKS THAT HAVE TO BE UTMOST ON PEOPLE'S MINDS.
SO, UH, THANK YOU FOR THAT REPORT.
THE, THE FAITH COMMUNITIES, UH, AS YOU MENTIONED, HAS BEEN OUR PARTNERS THROUGHOUT THIS.
UH, I WAS JUST GIVEN NOTES THAT, UH, SOLID WASTE IS, UH, ALREADY PICKED UP OVER A HUNDRED TONS OF GARBAGE AND RUNNING IN ADDITIONAL 55 CREWS.
WE'RE MADE PROGRESS, BUT AS LONG AS ONE HOUSTONIAN ONE RESIDENT DOESN'T HAVE POWER, FOOD, WATER, UH, WHERE ESSENTIALS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT GETTING THE IMMEDIATE AID TO HIM, YOU KNOW,
BUT, UH, I, I THINK IT'S JUST AN EXAMPLE OF, OF EVERYONE COMING TOGETHER AND THE FAMILIES ARE JUST WITHOUT THE, THE ESSENTIALS.
AT PITNER YESTERDAY WE TALKED TO A A, A FAMILY IN LINE.
SHE HAD A YOUNG BABY AND AN 11-YEAR-OLD, THEY'D WALK 45 MINUTES WALKING IN THE HEAT FROM HAMMERLY AND, UH, GUESSING HER OVER TO THE PITNER SITE.
AND, UH, I ACTUALLY HAD MY, MY SECURITY DETAIL GIVE THEM A RIDE HOME.
I CAN'T HELP EVERYONE WITH THAT SPECIALIZED SERVICE, BUT IF WE HELP ONE FAMILY, UH, WE'VE, WE'VE MADE A DIFFERENCE.
BUT THE ANNOUNCEMENTS I'M HAVING TODAY ABOUT CITY GOVERNMENT, ALL HANDS ON DECK AND WORKING, UM, IS GONNA GET US THROUGH THIS, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ.
AND IT'S BEEN GREAT TO SEE EVERYBODY, UH, COME TOGETHER TO TRY TO HELP, UH, THE CITY GET THROUGH THIS.
WE FINALLY GOT POWER RESTORED LAST NIGHT AT SIX, SO THANK YOU.
CENTER POINT, MY HEART GOES OUT TO THE 90,000 OTHER CUSTOMERS THAT ARE STILL, STILL WAITING FOR THAT.
I HAD A COUPLE QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS.
A WONDERFUL PROGRAM THAT YOU'VE ANNOUNCED, AND THANKS TO UNITED WAY AND OUR CORPORATE PARTNERS, UM, CENTER POINT AND COMCAST FOR STEPPING UP TO HELP HOUSTONIANS.
UH, IS THERE A TIME TIMELINE FOR TIMETABLE FOR APPLICATION? GREAT QUESTION.
AND WE ACTUALLY HAVE, UM, WE HAVE A, A GROUP, A GRANT MAKING GROUP CONVENING LATER TODAY TO GET THAT PROCESS STARTED.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE TRY TO DO AS PART OF THESE RECOVERY FUNDS IS AS SOON AS THE DOLLARS ARE IN THE DOOR, AS SOON AS WE GET ENOUGH TO GET BACK OUT, THE DOOR IS DESIGNED TO GET IT OUT RAPIDLY.
FOR INSTANCE, AFTER THE WINTER STORM, UH, WE, WE APPROVED OUR FIRST ROUND OF GRANT MAKING FOUR DAYS AFTER THE PRESS CONFERENCE THAT WE HELD AFTER THAT STORM.
SO IT IS DESIGNED TO MOVE VERY RAPIDLY AND GET APPLICATIONS OPEN QUICKLY.
SO WE WOULD ANTICIPATE, UM, PROBABLY OVER THE NEXT WEEK, WE GET OUR FIRST ROUND OF GRANT MAKING DONE TO OUR ORGANIZATIONS THAT COULD HELP US GET THINGS OUT IN THE, INTO THE COMMUNITY.
AND DO YOU HAVE, UH, IDEAS IN MIND ABOUT WHAT ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS THERE MIGHT BE? WE, WE ARE LOOKING TO TARGET LOW AND MODERATE INCOME FAMILIES.
SO, UH, WE TALK A LOT AT UNITED WAY ABOUT ALICE ASSET LIMITED, INCOME CONSTRAINED, EMPLOYED.
SO THAT WOULD COVER FAMILIES ABOVE THE FEDERAL POVERTY LINE AS WELL, WHO ARE STILL, WHO ARE STILL STRUGGLING TO MAKE ENDS MEET EVERY MONTH.
AND ABOUT HOW MANY FAMILIES ARE YOU HOPING TO SERVE WITH THIS PROGRAM? UH, IT DEPENDS ON THE AMOUNT OF THE FUNDS RAISED.
AND, UM, WE TYPICALLY, FOR THESE FUNDS, WE'LL ALLOCATE ABOUT 25% OF THE FUND TO EMERGENCY FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, AND THEN ABOUT 75% OF THE PROCEEDS FOR HOME REPAIR, AND THEN ALSO NAVIGATION.
SO WE CAN HELP PEOPLE GET THROUGH THAT PROCESS OF GETTING FEMA ASSISTANCE AND SBA ASSISTANCE AS WELL.
AND SO THANK YOU ALL FOR DOING THIS.
I'M GONNA ALSO TAKE A MOMENT TO GIVE, UH, THE DIRECTOR A PARTS.
UM, PARKS WENT INTO IMMEDIATE, IMMEDIATE ACTION.
[02:25:01]
MEMORIAL PARKS, SUFFERED A LOSS OF SOME LARGE TREES AND, UH, AND, UH, VERY VALUABLE TREES.UM, THE DISPATCHERS AT THE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT WAS WORKING AROUND THE CLOCK EXTRAS, BROUGHT IN, UM, CHIEF MUNICH, HIS ASSISTANT TOM MUNOZ.
EVERYONE, UH, YOU COULD JUST, YOU COULD FEEL THE MORALE OF THE CITY EMPLOYEES WANTING TO HELP OTHERS.
DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS WAS VERY ACTIVE.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER, THANK YOU, MAYOR.
AND I JUST WANNA TELL YOU, WE OFTEN IN OUR OFFICE USE 2 1 1.
AND SO IT'S JUST NICE WHEN YOU'RE ABLE TO CALL CONSTITUENTS AND YOU'RE, THEY KNOW THAT WE'RE REFERRING A TRUSTED PARTNER, SOMEONE THAT JUST DOESN'T SHOW UP WHEN IT'S AN EMERGENCY, BUT SHOWS UP ALL THE TIME.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU'RE DOING.
UM, I DO HAVE A QUESTION, AND, AND YOU MAY NOT HAVE AN ANSWER FOR IT YET, BUT DOES THE RESIDENT HAVE TO SHOW A DENIAL OF A FEMA CLAIM BEFORE THEY WOULD BE ELIGIBLE? POSSIBLY AT, AT THIS POINT, I DO NOT THINK THEY WOULD FOR THE EMERGENCY FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.
UM, SO, WE'LL, WE'LL, I THINK WE'LL KIND LOOK AT THE GRANT MAKING THERE AND MAKE SOME DETERMINATIONS THERE.
BUT I THINK PARTICULARLY FOR THE NEAR TERM IMMEDIATE NEEDS, I DO NOT THINK THAT WOULD BE A FACTOR.
TYPICALLY, ONE OF THE REAL BENEFITS IS HOW QUICKLY THIS GETS OUT.
SO, YOU KNOW, IT'LL BE AHEAD OF THOSE KIND OF DETERMINATIONS IN MOST CASES.
THANK YOU, MAYOR, AND THANK YOU UNITED WAY FOR EVERYTHING THAT Y'ALL DO.
UM, THE CITY COULDN'T, UH, RECOVER AS QUICKLY WITHOUT, UH, YOUR EFFORTS.
AND THANK YOU TO COMCAST AND ALSO TO CENTER POINT, UM, IN THE FUTURE.
MAYOR, IT MAY BE HELPFUL IF CENTER POINT LEADERSHIP COULD POSSIBLY COME TO COUNCIL AFTER AN EVENT LIKE THIS TO KIND OF GIVE AN AFTER ACTION REPORT AND ANSWER COUNCIL MEMBER'S QUESTIONS, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT WE STILL, UM, YOU KNOW, HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS, YOU KNOW, IN THE FUTURE AND HOW WE CAN ALWAYS DO THINGS BETTER.
THEY HAD, UH, A VICE PRESIDENT IN THE EMERGENCY CENTER GIVEN US HOURLY REPORTS, BUT, UH, YOU'RE RIGHT TO COME FORWARD, COUNSEL WOULD BE A A GREAT IDEA.
WE'LL, WE'LL MAKE THAT, UH, MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
UH, AND DEFINITELY WANNA, UH, MAKE SURE WE GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO YOUR TEAM AS WELL AS STEVE AND DAVID.
KIM WAS INFORMED, UH, REGULARLY.
WE HAD MORNING DEBRIEF, UH, YOU KNOW, AFTERNOON DEBRIEF, AND SO I APPRECIATE THAT.
UM, WHEN IT COMES TO THE, THE FUND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO SEND IT ON A NEWSLETTER, PROBABLY SOCIAL MEDIA, BUT THERE'S ALWAYS FOLKS THAT WILL NOT GET THIS INFORMATION MM-HMM
UM, AND SO, UM, HOWEVER WE COULD BE HELPFUL WITHIN MY OFFICE TO CANVAS, BUT ALSO IF THERE'S ANY RESOURCES FROM YOU ALL TO MAKE SURE THAT FOLKS CAN GET IT ON THE GROUND.
UH, THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE NOTICED EVEN MORE SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, THE EAST END WAS HIT, UH, PRETTY HARD, BUT ALSO THE NORTHEAST PART OF DISTRICT I MM-HMM
AND SOME FOLKS FORGET ABOUT THAT.
THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, WOOD BAYOU SONG, WOOD GREENS, BAYOU ESTATE, EL DORADO, UM, AND THEY, THEY'RE POCKET NEIGHBORHOODS, AND SO THEY'RE EASILY CANVASED, BUT THOSE ARE THE FOLKS THAT MIGHT NOT HAVE TRANSPORTATION MM-HMM
UM, THERE'S NO COMMUNITY CENTER OUT THERE.
THERE'S NO MULTI-SERVICE CENTER OUT THERE.
UH, THE CLOSEST THING WE HAVE TO THEM IS, UH, NORTHEAST, UM, UM, HCC.
AND SO, UM, DEFINITELY WANNA WORK WITH YOUR, WITH YOU ALL WITH MY OFFICE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THAT INFORMATION TO THE FOLKS THAT REALLY NEED IT AND MIGHT NOT HAVE ACCESS TO, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, TO WHETHER IT'S, UM, YOU KNOW, SOCIAL MEDIA OR, OR NEWSLETTERS OR EMAILS.
AND SO, UM, A QUESTION JUST TO KIND OF PIGGYBACK A LITTLE BIT ON COUNCILLOR RAMIREZ.
UM, AND I'M ASSUMING THAT IT DEPENDS ON HOW MUCH AMOUNT WE RECEIVE, RIGHT? UH, WHAT DO YOU ANTICIPATE THE AVERAGE, UH, AMOUNT WILL BE PER FAMILY? MM-HMM
UM, WE'RE CURRENTLY PUTTING OUR FUND TOGETHER BASED ON ASSUMPTIONS OF UP TO A THOUSAND DOLLARS PER FAMILY IN EMERGENCY FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, AND UP TO $15,000 PER HOUSEHOLD FOR HOME REPAIR.
UM, AND, AND I'LL TAKE THIS, I'LL TAKE THIS TIME AS WELL.
UH, MAYOR, UH, UH, WHEN WE WERE SPEAKING ABOUT CENTER POINT, UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE, THE THINGS IN THE EAST END, UH, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE, THE POWER LINES ARE BEHIND HOMES, AND A LOT OF FOLKS DON'T KNOW THAT THEY NEED A CALL CENTER POINT TO ADDRESS THOSE TREE TRIMMING.
AND IT'D BE GREAT TO, UH, WORK WITH THEM, MAYBE WITH THE ENTIRE CITY TO HAVE A, A DAY OF TRIMMING OR, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING OF THAT SORT.
UH, PEOPLE CALL 3 1 1 AND, AND THEY, THEY THINK THAT IT'S THE CITY'S RESPONSIBILITY.
BUT ONCE THOSE TREE LIMBS START CROSSING SOME OF THE, UH, THE POWER LINES, THEN IT BECOMES CENTER POINTS RESPONSIBILITY.
AND I DON'T KNOW TO WHAT EXTENT HOW MUCH RESOURCES THEY ACTUALLY PUT OUT, UM, IN TRIMMING THOSE TREE, UH, TREE LIMBS.
BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, I'D LOVE TO WORK WITH, YOU KNOW, WITH, WITH YOUR ADMINISTRATION TO ENSURE THAT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, MAYBE PILOT A DAY OF TRIMMING, UH, IN CERTAIN NEIGHBORHOODS, UM, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S IN THE EAST END OR IN THE NORTHEAST PART OF THE DISTRICT.
AND, AND THEN, UH, JUST FINALLY, UH, JUST WANTED
[02:30:01]
TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT DEFINITELY TO THE THREE, UH, CHURCHES.SO YOU MENTIONED NONPROFITS, BUT I'M HOPING THAT CHURCHES CAN ALSO BE A PART OF THIS, THIS, UH, CONVERSATION.
IIA FE PO ON NAVIGATION, PASTOR CANTU, NORTH SHORE, UH, FELLOWSHIP CHURCH, PASTOR DIXON AND ST.
MATTHEWS MISSIONARY, UH, BAPTIST CHURCH, UH, PASTOR LACEY.
UH, THOSE HAVE BEEN, THOSE, THOSE PEOPLE THAT I'VE BEEN LEANING ON.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND FOR BETTER OR WORSE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GONE THROUGH DISASTERS AND, UH, WE'VE HAD NONPROFITS THAT HAVE BEEN HELP HELPFUL, BUT I THINK SOMETIMES THEY GET OVERWHELMED.
THEY MIGHT NOT HAVE THE CAPACITY TO, TO TAKE ON SOME OF THIS, UH, ASSISTANCE.
AND SO, UH, I KNOW HISTORICALLY WE'VE GOTTEN CALLS WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE NEEDED THE RENTAL ASSISTANCE AND FOLKS DIDN'T GET HELP, UH, WITH WHATEVER AGENCY THAT THEY'RE CONNECT TRYING TO CONNECT WITH.
UM, SO I'D LOVE TO SEE HOW WE CAN BE MORE ON THE GROUND, ON THE GROUND WITH SOME OF THE, THE CHURCHES THAT THEY DO HAVE THAT TRUST AND THEY VISIT WITH THEM WEEKLY, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE, THOSE, THAT LEADERSHIP IS ACTUALLY, UH, POINT OF CONTACT FOR SOME OF THESE FUNDS AS WELL.
COUNCIL MEMBER, THE FAITH-BASED COMMUNITY IS A CRITICAL PARTNER IN TIMES OF DISASTER, AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE PART OF A LOT OF THE NETWORKS WE WORK WITH.
AND WE, WE LEARNED AFTER HARVEY THAT OUR, OUR ASSISTANCE MINISTRIES ARE, ARE TRUSTED PARTNERS IN INCREDIBLY EFFICIENT DISTRIBUTION CHANNELS FOR NEEDS.
SO, UM, WE, WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE, HAVE, UM, AVAILABILITY TO GET SOME SUPPORT FOR THAT AS WELL, AS WELL AS WORKING WITH SMALLER NONPROFITS THAT SOMETIMES WOULDN'T NORMALLY COME TO MIND IMMEDIATELY, BUT THEY HAVE TRUST IN VARIOUS COMMUNITIES AND IN AREAS WHERE YOU WOULDN'T NORMALLY SEE SOME OF THE BIGGER INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO IT'S A COMBINATION OF THE TWO.
UH, SOMETIMES WE JUST LOOK AT SOME OF THE, THE LARGER NONPROFITS FOR THAT, THAT QUICK SUPPORT.
UH, BUT SOMETIMES EVEN THOSE ORGANIZATIONS AREN'T IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS.
AS MUCH AS WE, WE THINK, UH, OR WOULD HOPE.
UM, AND SO THOSE SMALLER NONPROFITS ARE DEFINITELY A, A HUGE HELPING HAND, SO.
UH, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE SUPPORT Y'ALL ARE BRINGING TO HOUSTONIANS AND COUNCILOR.
I WANT YOU TO KNOW EVERY STEP OF THE WAY WE'VE EMPHASIZED MAKING CERTAIN THAT WE HAVE WORKERS, UH, IN SOCIAL AGENCIES WITH FEMA, ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS TO MAKE, CERTAINLY HAVE BILINGUAL, UH, WORKERS AVAILABLE.
WE ENCOUNTERED THAT AT THE PITNER SITE OVER THE WEEKEND, THAT, UH, THERE WERE SOME BREAKDOWN IN COMMUNICATION.
ALSO, WE WANTED TO EMPHASIZE EVERYONE, EVERYONE'S WELCOME TO REACH OUT FOR ASSISTANCE ON THE FEMA APPLICATIONS.
ONE, YOU HAVE TO, THAT'S THE FIRST STEP.
BUT EVEN IF YOUR IMMIGRATION STATUS DOES NOT ALLOW YOU TO APPLY, IF YOU HAVE A CHILD THAT IS A US CITIZEN, YOU CERTAINLY CAN COME FORWARD AND RECEIVE FEMA AND OTHER ASSISTANCE THAT ARE AVAILABLE DURING A CRISIS LIKE THIS.
WE REACH OUT TO EVERYONE THAT IS A HOUSTON RESIDENT.
UH, ALSO, UH, YOU TALK ABOUT THE, UH, TRIMMING OF TREES.
I KNOW CENTER POINT HAS A PRETTY VIGOROUS PROGRAM OF GOING DOWN THEIR EASEMENT.
A LOT OF THE TREES ARE IN ON PRIVATE PROPERTIES, SO THAT BECOMES AN ISSUE.
ONE THING WE DID DISCOVER DURING THE, UH, CRISIS IS SOME LACK OF MAINTENANCE AND, UH, LACK OF RESOURCES, WHICH WE ARE AWARE OF, EVEN DURING NORMAL TIMES.
CERTAINLY HPD UH, BROUGHT ON ADDITIONAL RESOURCES, LONG HOURS, UH, TO PROTECT NOT ONLY LIES, BUT PROPERTIES.
THERE WAS SOME INCREASE IN BURGLARIES IN THE, UH, AREAS WITHOUT ENERGY.
SO AGAIN, I COULD GO FORWARD IN, IN, UM, THANK THE PEOPLE THAT, UH, SACRIFICED TIME AWAY FROM THEIR FAMILY AS FIRST RESPONDERS AND CITY WORKERS, UH, AND MADE SUCH A DIFFERENCE.
AND, UM, THANK YOU FOR, UM, EVERYTHING YOU'RE DOING AND, UM, FOR SHARING THIS INFORMATION, UM, WITH US.
UM, I PIGGYBACK, UM, WHAT COUNCIL MARTINEZ, UM, MENTIONED ABOUT THE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, HOW WE LEAN ON THEM TO BASICALLY HELP, UM, HELP OUR, HOW COMMUNITIES RECOVER.
AND SO I'M JUST CURIOUS TO KNOW WHAT IS, WHAT ARE THE MAX AMOUNTS FOR THE SMALL NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, AND DO THEY GO THROUGH THE SAME PROCESS AS RESIDENTS WHO ARE TRYING TO GET, UM, FUNDING OR SOME FINANCIAL SUPPORT? MM-HMM
UM, WE DON'T HAVE A MAXIMUM AMOUNT FOR OUR NONPROFIT PARTNERS, SO WE'RE, WE'LL BE RELYING ON OUR NONPROFIT PARTNERS TO HELP DISTRIBUTE THIS AID THROUGH AND INTO THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND, AND THEY'LL BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, KIND OF LEVERAGE SOME OF THAT FUNDING TO COVER THEIR PROGRAM COSTS BECAUSE, UM, NONPROFITS ARE ALSO BUSINESSES AND YEAH.
AND THEY NEED TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THEIR TEAMS AS THEY, AS THEY GET OUT AND DO THIS IMPORTANT WORK IN THE COMMUNITY.
DO YOU ADD ANYTHING TO THAT, STEVE? YEAH, BUT THERE'S, WE, WE HAVE A PRETTY RIGOROUS PROCESS TO EVALUATE THE NONPROFITS TO QUALIFY AS PARTNERS.
SO WE GO THROUGH THAT, BUT THEN WHEN THE MONEY GETS DISTRIBUTED,
[02:35:01]
YOU KNOW, THEIR ROLE AS, AS AMANDA SAYS, IS TO GET IT OUT TO THE INDIVIDUALS AND THE FAMILIES, BUT THERE WILL BE A PIECE OF IT THAT HELPS COVER THEIR COSTS.JUST, UH, MAKE MY REMARKS NOW AS IT RELATES TO EVERYTHING.
I KNOW WHEN YOU OPENED UP, UH, YOU TALKED ABOUT HEAT RIGHT NOW, UM, AND I'M VERY, VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE INCREASING HEAT.
WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF FAMILIES WITHOUT POWER.
UM, I DID WANNA EMPHASIZE WITH RESIDENTS, WE'RE GETTING A LOT OF COMMENTS, UM, AND WE APPRECIATE CENTER POINT GETTING, UH, THE MAPS THAT THEY DO HAVE UP AND GOING AGAIN.
UH, BUT THERE'S NEIGHBORHOODS THAT AREN'T REFLECTED ON THERE.
WE KNOW THAT, UM, THAT DOESN'T MEAN DON'T, UH, PLEASE KEEP REPORTING TO CENTER POINT, LET OUR OFFICES KNOW.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN CENTER POINT DOESN'T KNOW ABOUT THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS ON THE MAPS.
BUT THAT BEING SAID, UM, REALLY WANNA ENCOURAGE EVERYONE IN THE CITY.
IF YOU DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO POWER, TO PLEASE GO TO ONE OF THE COOLING CENTERS, UM, OR SOMEWHERE TO GET RELIEF OUT OF THE HEAT.
DO NOT WAIT, UM, UNTIL IT'S TOO LATE.
AND YOU'RE ALREADY SEEING THE SYMPTOMS OF HEAT EXHAUSTION AND, UH, LIFE-THREATENING CONDITIONS.
SO MAYOR JUST REALLY, REALLY WANTED TO PUSH THE FACT THAT WE ARE SEEING, UM, BRUTAL HEAT RIGHT NOW AND THE DANGERS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
UH, ALSO, MAYOR, YOU ARE PUSHING OUT, UH, WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL.
UM, WE WERE WITH ADMINISTRATOR SWELL YESTERDAY AND SBA, UM, THE FEDERAL RESOURCES ARE COMING IN.
ONE OF THE KEY COMPONENTS WITH ANY DISASTER FOR A CITY IS AN ADDITIONAL FORM CALLED I THROUGH I STAT, UM, THAT WE'RE ALL ASKING RESIDENTS TO FILL OUT IF YOU HAVE HOME DAMAGE.
IT HAS BEEN VERY CHALLENGING IN THIS INCIDENT TO KNOW EXACTLY WHERE ALL OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE HOMES AND BUSINESS DAMAGE IS, BECAUSE IT'S SO SPORADIC, BECAUSE IT'S TREES FALLING AND WIND DAMAGE.
AND WITHOUT THAT INFORMATION, UH, THE CITY DOESN'T KNOW EXACTLY WHERE TO BE FOCUSING RESOURCES.
AND IT ALSO HELPS US DRAW DOWN THOSE RESOURCES.
UH, MAYOR WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, I KNOW IT'S IMPERATIVE THAT WE ASK FOR THOSE DIRECT ALLOCATIONS DIRECTLY TO THE CITY, BUT I STAT IS A CRITICAL COMPONENT IN THAT.
SO WE'VE BEEN PUSHING THAT OUT.
BUT IF THE MEDIA CAN ALSO PLEASE HELP EDUCATE RESIDENTS, WE REALLY NEED, IN ADDITION TO THOSE FEDERAL FORMS BEING FILLED OUT, THAT IAP FORM.
UM, AND ALSO TO JUST BE AWARE OF SCAMS RIGHT NOW FOR RESIDENTS.
WE GOT A LOT OF DOOR TO DOOR SCAMS HAPPENING.
PLEASE USE TRUSTED RECOVERY RESOURCES, INCLUDING YOU ALL, UM, THAT ARE UP HERE THROUGH THE DISASTER ALLIANCE.
UH, BUT THERE'S STILL A LONG WAY TO GO FOR A LOT OF US.
I KNOW DISTRICT A AND DISTRICT C, UM, HAVE SOME OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT OTHER DISTRICTS ARE NOT SUFFERING RIGHT NOW FROM POWER OUTAGES EITHER.
UM, SO IT HAS BEEN A VERY COLLABORATIVE EFFORT AROUND THE HORSESHOE, UM, BOTH AT THE CITY LEVEL, THE COUNTY LEVEL, UH, BUT WE DO HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO, AND I REALLY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT RESIDENTS ARE BEING AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE RIGHT NOW.
UH, AND IF YOU NEED A FREE RIDE TO A COOLING CENTER, PLEASE CALL 3 1 1 OR METRO.
UH, WE'RE SEEING A LOT OF, LOT OF HEAT, UH, IMPACT RIGHT NOW.
AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
AND I KNOW YOU WERE IN THE EMERGENCY CENTER MOST OF THE WAKING HOURS AND, AND SOME AFTER WAKING HOURS.
BUT, UH, WE HAVE 50 COOLING CENTERS ACROSS THE CITY.
NO ONE'S, UH, BEING OVERLOOKED.
AND IF A COUNCIL MEMBER CAN BRING SOMETHING TO MY ATTENTION, UH, WE'LL, WE'LL WORK TOGETHER TO GET THE RESOURCES THERE.
METRO'S BEEN GREAT ABOUT BRINGING SOME, UH, VEHICLES AS TEMPORARY COOLING CENTERS AS WE'VE DISCOVERED SOME OF THE RESIDENTIAL FACILITIES THAT ARE UNDERSERVED.
AND I MAYOR, IF I CAN JUST RECLAIM A LITTLE BIT OF MY TIME.
AND I, I PERSONALLY WANNA THANK, UM, CHIEF PENA AND I WENT ON SCENE TOGETHER TO THE FIRST SENIOR CENTER THAT WE FOUND, UM, SURE.
AND I KNOW THAT WE WILL BE LOOKING INTO THAT, UM, AFTERWARDS.
AND I KNOW THERE'S AN ITEM TODAY ON, UM, SENIOR BOARDING HOMES THAT I'LL, I'LL TALK ABOUT MAYBE SOME OF THE OTHER TOOLS WE CAN LEVERAGE.
BUT, UM, BASED ON WHAT WE SAW THERE, UH, MAYOR, YOU AND YOUR TEAM JUMPED INTO ACTION CITYWIDE.
UM, AND I APPRECIATE THE PARTNERSHIP, THE TEAMWORK, BUT WHAT I SAW THERE, I'M NOT SOON TO FORGET.
AND, UH, WE'RE CONTINUING TO CHECK IN ON THEM.
BUT THERE, THERE'S A LOT OF NEED RIGHT NOW.
IT, IT IS SO AMAZING HOW QUICK I, AND I WAS THERE, I GOT TO THE EMERGENCY CENTER TO GET OUTTA THE STORM
[02:40:01]
UNFOLD.UH, WE CAN ALL JUST BE SO GLAD WE'RE HOUSTONIANS.
NOT THAT WE EXPERIENCE THESE WEATHER, BUT, UH, IT'S, IT'S JUST, ONCE AGAIN, YOU GET TO SEE HOW WE COME TOGETHER.
I THINK THE COLLABORATIONS ON, I'VE BEEN IN OFFICE OVER 50 YEARS.
I'VE BEEN THROUGH STORMS. I'VE WORKED WITH EVERY LEVEL OF GOVERNMENT.
I'VE NEVER SEEN THE COLLABORATION.
I JUST BELIEVE IT'S UNPRECEDENTED.
AND TO SHOW AGAIN, HOW CITY GOVERNMENTS RESPONDING.
UH, LET'S TAKE PERMITTING FOR INSTANCE.
THIS IS A GOOD ANNOUNCEMENT TODAY THAT PUBLIC WORKS HAS SET UP AN EXPEDITED REVIEW PROCESS FOR REPLACEMENT FOR ELECTRICAL ROOFING AND FENCING.
I, JOHN WHITMEYER REQUIRING ALL DISCIPLINES INVOLVED IN THE PERMIT PROCESS TO BE A PART OF THE EXPEDITED REVIEW PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT IS INSTRUCTED TO ALLOW REPLACEMENT REPAIR STRUCTURES IN THE ORIGINAL FOOTPRINT, PROVIDED THE CONSTRUCTION DOES NOT VIOLATE A DEED RESTRICTION.
SO IN THESE CHALLENGING TIMES, WE CANNOT LET RED TAPE IF DONE, IF THE PROCESS IS DONE SAFELY, WE CANNOT LET RED TAPE GET IN THE WAY OF, UM, REPAIRS OF ROOFING, ELECTRICAL, AND FENCING.
AND RANDY, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER.
JUST TO THE POINT TO ADD ON TO WHAT, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER KINGMAN MENTIONED ALSO GENERATORS AND JUST, I THINK THAT WE NEED TO, I KNOW THAT HFD, UM, HAS DONE A REALLY GOOD JOB KIND OF PUTTING THAT ON THEIR SOCIAL MEDIA, BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW WE CAN GET MORE INFORMATION TO OUR CONSTITUENTS ABOUT THE, UM, THE RISKS OF GENERATORS.
I WENT TO ONE CONSTITUENT'S HOME, UM, JUST TO BRING HER SOME ICE AND SHE HAD A, UM, A MOTOR LIKE, UM, A GAS MOTOR THAT I THINK WAS MAYBE FEEDING THE, YOU KNOW, GIVING THE GENERATOR ELECTRICITY OR WHATEVER.
AND, UM, THE FUMES WERE JUST INSANE.
AND IT WAS JUST THE GAS BURNING AND, BUT, BUT IT WAS OUTSIDE, BUT IT WAS ON HER PORCH.
IT WAS LIKE THREE STEPS AWAY FROM HER FRONT DOOR.
AND A LOT OF THE OLDER HOMES ARE NOT REALLY, REALLY INSULATED WELL.
SO I KNOW THOSE FUMES HAVE TO BE INSIDE, BUT IF THERE'S, I DON'T KNOW HOW WE CAN DO THAT, BUT WE NEED TO PUT SOME GENERATOR HOW THE BEST PRACTICES OF HOW TO USE A GENERATOR.
ANOTHER PIECE TOO IS, UM, A LOT OF OUR SENIORS WERE USING, UM, LANTERNS THAT HAD LIKE OIL IN THEM, LIKE THE BURNING OIL IN THEM WITH THE WICKS.
LIKE THOSE CAN BE DANGEROUS SOMETIMES WHEN THEY'VE GOT A CANDLE NEXT TO THEM.
I MEAN, AS WE'RE MOVING INTO HURRICANE SEASON, IF THERE'S A WAY THAT WE CAN JUST DO A BIT OF A BETTER JOB PUTTING OUT, UM, SOME PUBLIC MESSAGING, UM, ON, WE DID A REALLY GOOD JOB DURING THE FREEZE WITH LIKE HEATERS AND NOT PUTTING BLANKETS NEXT TO THEM AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT WHEN WE'RE IN THIS SITUATION, I THINK THAT, UM, IF WE CAN DO SOME TYPE OF PUBLIC MESSAGE TO OUR CONSTITUENTS, I THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
CHIEF PENA MENTIONED THE, UH, DANGERS OF CARBON MONOXIDE AS A RESULT OF USE IN GENERATION AT EVERY PRESS AVAILABILITY.
AND OBVIOUSLY GREAT THAT YOU BRING IT UP THIS MORNING.
UH, THE FUMES, CARBON MONOXIDE FROM THE GENERATORS WILL, UH, WILL INJURE YOUR HEALTH AND IT'S, IT'S LIFE ARE DEATH MATTER.
AND, AND I THINK A MATTER OF FACT COULD JUST ADD, MAYBE WE DO IT AT LIKE CIVIC CLUB MEETINGS AT TOWN, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
BECAUSE A LOT OF THE SENIORS DIDN'T HAVE CELL PHONES AND THEY WEREN'T WATCHING TV, SO THEY MISS A LOT OF THOSE MESSAGES.
I MEAN, WE WERE SENDING OUT MESSAGES TO PEOPLE DIRECTLY AND THEN THEY WERE FEEDING IT TO OTHER PEOPLE BECAUSE A LOT OF THE SENIORS JUST DIDN'T HAVE ACCESS.
WELL, NOT ONLY SENIORS, I MEAN EVERYONE, UM, IF YOU COULDN'T MAKE IT TO A CHARGING STATION.
SO MAYBE IF WE COULD START PUTTING THAT OUT AT LIKE THESE, OUR, OUR CLUB, OUR MEETINGS, OUR SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD MEETINGS EARLY ON, MAYBE AN OPTION TOO.
UM, BUT JUST I THINK WE NEED TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX IN THAT ONE A LITTLE BIT.
WE, WE'VE ACTUALLY ASKED TXDOT FOR PERMISSION TO USE SOME OF THEIR DIGITAL BILLBOARDS, UH, BY AGREEMENT IT WAS RESTRICTED FOR TRANSPORTATION ITEMS. WE'RE ACTUALLY DOING PUBLIC HEALTH ANNOUNCEMENTS.
SO THIS IS A, UH, THAT YOU GOT ME THINKING THAT THAT WOULD BE A GOOD, UH, AVAILABILITY OF INFORMATION.
SO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON, UM, THANK YOU MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBER PLUM, I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU.
UM, THE TEXAS TOOL BANK, WE WERE ABLE TO PURCHASE GENERATORS FROM THEM, YOU KNOW, IN, IN, IN, IN REGARDS TO DISASTER RECOVERY OR REPAIR.
WE HAD BLUE TARPS, AND SO WE WERE DELIVERING, UM, GENERATORS AND TARPS AND CUTTING TREES.
BUT WHEN WE, AS WE STARTED, UM, DELIVERING GENERATORS TO THE CONSTITUENTS AND TO SOME, YOU KNOW, LARGER BUILDINGS SO THAT MULTIPLE PEOPLE CAN GET IN, WE REALIZED THAT WE HADN'T TRAINED THEM ON HOW TO USE THE GENERATOR.
[02:45:01]
SO IT WAS HELPFUL TO GET, UM, SENIORS WHO ACTUALLY NEEDED ELECTRICITY, YOU KNOW, HAD OXYGEN TANKS, SOME, SOME ELECTRICITY.AND SO I JUST THINK LIKE REALLY TRAINING THE CONSTITUENTS ABOUT, UM, THE DANGERS OF, UM, GENERATORS WOULD BE HELPFUL.
BUT THEN ALSO HAVING GENERATORS.
I MEAN, WE HAD MULTI-SERVICE CENTERS THAT WAS NOT OPERATING BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE A GENERATOR.
AND SO, UM, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO LOOK INTO, UM, AS A CITY.
COUNCILOR CARTER, I THINK WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY, UH, AT THIS POINT TO TRY TO REALLY PUSH OUT INFORMATION ON THE EMERGENCY ALERT OR TEXT MESSAGES AND SUCH.
AND WE NEED TO, TO, TO YOUR POINT AT THE, YOU KNOW, NEIGHBORHOOD MEETINGS AND SUCH, CONTINUE TO REMIND PEOPLE TO, UH, REGISTER FOR THE ALERTS.
UM, BECAUSE I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, IN TRAVELING AROUND TO SOME OF THE COOLING CENTERS, YOU KNOW, THERE'S INDIVIDUALS AND THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT'S OPEN.
AND IT'S NO FAULT OF ANYONE OTHER THAN HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU DON'T KNOW? RIGHT? YOU'RE NOT SITTING HOME WATCHING TELEVISION IF YOU HAVE NO POWER.
SO WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO REMIND PEOPLE TO REGISTER FOR THESE SYSTEMS THAT ARE OUT THERE, THAT PROVIDE THE INFORMATION THAT'S NECESSARY TO GET THEM TO THE RESOURCES, WHETHER COOLING CENTER, WHETHER GENERATOR SAFETY, WHATEVER.
I THINK WE HAVE A, CERTAINLY AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPOUND AND EXPAND ON THAT ALERT TO HOUSTON.
AND I THINK THAT'S A, CERTAINLY A VERY RESOURCE.
ONE MORE QUESTION, ONE MORE COMMENT.
I DON'T KNOW IF SENIORS KNOW HOW LONG THEIR FOOD CAN BE IN THE REFRIGERATOR AT A CERTAIN TEMPERATURE.
AND WE, WE WERE TELLING A COUPLE PEOPLE, NO, YOU CANNOT EAT THAT FOOD.
I KNOW IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S SOMETHING THAT WOULD JUST KINDA BE COMMON KNOWLEDGE, BUT WE'LL GET WITH THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND SEE WHAT KIND OF SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORK, ADVISEMENTS, UH, TEXT, EMAIL COULD, UH, CAUTION ABOUT THE, UH, JUST BECAUSE THEY CAN GET REALLY SICK.
THE OTHER PIECE IS, UM, WE USED TO HAVE THE EXTREME WEATHER EXPO.
DO WE, DO WE STILL HAVE IT? IS IT LIKE HURRICANE, LIKE, LIKE HURRICANE READINESS? ARE WE, ARE WE DOING THAT THIS YEAR? WE'LL CHECK ON THAT.
'CAUSE A LOT OF THE NON-PROFITS, THAT'S, THAT WAS A REALLY GREAT, UM, RESOURCE.
UH, I JUST WANT EVERYONE TO KNOW THE PUBLIC THAT, UH, WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN, IF THERE'S SOME RECOMMENDATION OR, UH, CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM, UH, WE STAND READY TO LISTEN TO THE PUBLIC, UH, OUR PARTNERS IN PROVIDING THE SERVICES AND CERTAINLY COUNCIL MEMBERS SHARING INFORMATION AND COLLABORATION ON BEHALF OF THE CITY GOVERNMENT IS, IS WELCOME.
WE'RE COMING UP ON A LONG WEEKEND OF RECOVERY.
UH, I WOULD URGE US TO USE THIS TIME, UH, TO RESUPPLY OUR FOOD PANTRIES.
THE FOOD BANK WAS RUNNING SHORT.
I WOULD, UH, ASK OUR CHARITABLE PARTNERS TO HELP THE FOOD PANTRIES, CERTAINLY ASSIST OUR CONSTITUENTS WITH FEMA AND SBA REGISTRATION, PROTECT OUR PROPERTY, GET TREES OFF HOUSES, TARPS ON ROOFS, AND, UH, SHARE INFORMATION.
THE INFORMATION IS SO VALUABLE AS WAS JUST, UH, EXPRESSED.
SO WITH THAT SAID, UH, I'LL CONTINUE TO BE AVAILABLE TO THE PRESS AND AVAILABLE TO ALL THE DEPARTMENTS.
UH, WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.
THE COLLABORATION IS MAKING A HUGE DIFFERENCE.
AND, UH, IF NOTHING ELSE, ANYONE ELSE HAS ANY REPORTS, IF NOT, I WOULD
[CONSENT AGENDA]
ASK THE MADAM SECRETARY TO MOVE TO THE CONSENT AGENDA.UNDER THE MISCELLANEOUS CATEGORY, ITEM ONE HAS BEEN REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION UNDER THE ACCEPT WORK CATEGORY.
ITEM TWO NEEDS A MOTION AS SIXT A MOVE.
MOTION PASSES UNDER THE PROPERTY CATEGORY.
ITEM THREE NEEDS A MOTION CAST NEXTT TO MOVE.
MOTION PASSES UNDER THE PURCHASING AND TABULATION OF BIDS CATEGORIES.
ITEM EIGHT HAS BEEN PULLED AND WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.
ITEMS 5, 12, 17, AND 18 HAVE BEEN
[02:50:01]
REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION.NEED A MOTION ON THE BALANCE? UH, 16.
MOTION PASSES UNDER THE ORDINANCES CATEGORY.
ITEMS 27, 28, 46 AND 47 HAVE NOT BEEN RECEIVED AND WILL BE CONSIDERED IF THEY'RE RECEIVED AT THE, BY THE END OF THE AGENDA.
ITEMS 21, 22, 29, 36, 37, 38, 39 AND 40 HAVE BEEN REMOVED FOR SEPARATE, SEPARATE CONSIDERATION.
21, 22, 29, 36, 37, 38, 39, AND 40.
NEED A VOTE ON THE BALANCE? THANK YOU.
[CONSIDERATION OF MATTERS REMOVED FROM CONSENT AGENDA]
ITEM ONE NEEDS A MOTION CAST.DO WE WANT THE MOTION FIRST? OH, YES.
QUICKLY JUST THANKING THE TEAM, UH, FOR THIS PACKAGE OF HYBRIDS.
ITEM 12, NEEDS OF, NEEDS A MOTION CAST.
REALLY QUICKLY, UM, THIS IS, UH, AN ITEM I'M GONNA SUPPORT.
IT'S FOR ODOR CONTROL SYSTEMS. UH, FOR WASTEWATER TREATMENT.
I DID WANNA BRING UP ONE ISSUE, UH, IN A NEIGHBORHOOD.
ALSO AN AREA DEVASTATED BY THIS CURRENT STORM.
BUT WE CONTINUE TO HAVE ISSUES WITH THE 11TH STREET WASTEWATER TREATMENT.
WE'VE TRIED EVERYTHING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PUBLIC WORKS.
UH, THEY'VE BROUGHT IN, UH, REPAIR SERVICES, ODOR CONTROL TOWERS, AND MONITORS.
UM, WE'RE EVEN COORDINATING A PUBLIC MEETING TO TRY TO EXPLAIN SOME OF IT, BUT NOTHING, UH, THAT THE CITY SEEMS TO BE DOING IS WORKING.
AND THE ODOR CARRIES ACROSS THE BAYOU.
UH, SO I AGAIN, JUST WANTED TO FLAG THAT WE CONTINUE TO HAVE ODOR ISSUES, UH, RELATED TO THIS.
AND THEN THOSE ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED.
FULLY SUPPORT THIS ITEM, WHICH HAS JUST PASSED.
UM, THIS WILL HELP, UH, THE CITY BECOME MORE EFFICIENT, WHICH, UH, WE, WE NEED, UH, ALSO INVOLVE SOME FORENSIC ACCOUNTING, DOING A DEEP DIVE INTO PARTS OF, UH, CITY GOVERNMENT.
AND, UM, LOOK FORWARD TO BEING, UH, PART OF THE PROCESS, GOING THROUGH IT AND PROVIDING SOME INPUT HOPEFULLY AS WELL.
UH, I'VE GONE THROUGH THE SCOPE OF WORK AND THE PROPOSAL.
IT'S AMAZING TO ME THEY'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO DO THIS IN SIX WEEKS.
UM, I DO FEEL, UM, LIKE COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ SAID IT WOULD BE GREAT TO, FOR, FOR THIS GROUP TO GET INPUT FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, ALONG THE WAY.
UM, WHEN THEY'RE LOOKING AT DEPARTMENTS, WE'RE DOING A DEEP DIVE THROUGH THE BUDGET WORKSHOPS RIGHT NOW, UM, LOOKING AT PERFORMANCE MEASURES AND THINGS.
SO I THINK A LOT OF US HAVE SOME, SOME IDEAS TOO.
SO WE'D LOVE TO, TO KIND OF BE HOWEVER USEFUL, UM, AS THIS ENGAGEMENT IS CARRIED OUT.
[02:55:17]
PROCEDURAL MOTION TO GIVE A CALL ON MAYOR PRO TE UH, MAYOR PRO TEM CAST TATUM.UH, WE, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO BRING YOU PRIOR TO ITEM.
BEFORE WE APPROVE THE ISSUANCE OF THE BOND ON ITEM NUMBER 22.
SO THE MOTION IS TO BRING UP ITEM 52 PRIOR TO THE VOTE ON ITEM 20.
PREMIER IS SECOND MOTIONS MADE? AND SECOND.
ANY ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED? ALL IN PASSES.
AND I'M JUST GONNA GO ON AND JUST MAKE MY COMMENTS NOW ON THIS ITEM.
UM, IN ADDITION TO ITEM NUMBER, UM, NUMBER 20.
UM, SO AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, KITTLE, WE'VE BEEN DEALING WITH THEM FOR A LITTLE BIT NOW.
THEY CURRENTLY HAVE NUMEROUS, UM, LAWSUITS, UM, ACROSS THE NATION.
UM, WE TRY TO WORK WITH THEM IN TERMS OF A LEASE ADDENDUM THAT WOULD JUST GIVE TENANTS SOME ADDITIONAL RIGHTS BECAUSE CURRENTLY THE CITY OF HOUSTON DOESN'T HAVE ANY TYPE OF APARTMENT INSPECTION REFORM ORDINANCE THAT HOLD ANY OF THESE LANDLORDS, UM, ACCOUNTABLE, UM, FOR TREATING PEOPLE FAIRLY.
THEIR CURRENT LOCATION IS ONLY FOUR YEARS OLD AND IS AL ALREADY IN DISREPAIR.
UM, THE TENANTS THERE ARE NOT PLEASED EITHER.
UH, LET, LET ME BE REALLY, REALLY CLEAR.
I AM SO SUPPORTIVE OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, I'M REALLY BEEN FOCUSED ON MAKING SURE THAT LANDLORDS ARE HELD ACCOUNTABLE AND OWNERS ARE HELD ACCOUNTABLE.
AND, UM, I JUST FEEL LIKE THIS IS ADDING ANOTHER ONE ON TOP OF THE TAX ROLL.
UM, IN TERM, IN TERMS OF THE, IN TERMS OF, UM, APARTMENT COMPLEXES.
THEY'RE JUST NOT GOOD PLAYERS.
THE LEASE ADDENDUM THAT WE RECOMMENDED IS BEING USED CURRENTLY THROUGH THE NNHP FOUNDATION AT COLUMBIA MANOR.
AND IF ANYONE'S BEEN AT COLUMBIA MANOR, IT IS HUGELY TURNAROUND.
I MEAN, THEY ARE, I WENT OVER THERE THIS WEEKEND.
UM, THE OWNERS OF NHP HIRED A BUS, A A LITERAL, A CHARTER BUS, AND WAS TAKING ALL OF THEIR TENANTS EVERY SINGLE DAY TO COOLING CENTERS TO GET GROCERIES AND FOOD.
UM, THEY FED THEM EVERY SINGLE DAY.
I MEAN, THESE FOLKS ARE JUST THE EPITOME OF WHAT IT SHOULD LOOK LIKE, UM, FOR, FOR A GOOD, FOR, FOR A PERSON THAT IS, UM, UM, THAT'S, THAT'S RESPECTING OTHER TENANTS.
SO I'M OBVIOUSLY A NO VOTE ON THIS.
I JUST WANTED TO, UM, JUST BRING IT TO EVERYONE'S ATTENTION THAT I GET.
AND COUNCIL MEMBER SHABAZZ, I, I KNOW THAT YOU NEED IN YOUR COMMUNITY, I DON'T WANT THAT.
THIS IS NOT, UM, I KNOW IT'S NECESSARY AND YOU KNOW YOUR COMMUNITY BETTER THAN ANYONE ELSE DOES.
UM, AND SO I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE YOU ON THAT.
AND I KNOW THAT YOU'RE, UM, SUPPORTING THIS ITEM.
I JUST, UM, FEEL LIKE WE'VE GOTTA PUT SOMETHING IN PLACE TO HOLD THESE FOLKS ACCOUNTABLE.
AND WE'RE NOT DOING THIS, THIS, THAT IN THIS PARTICULAR SITUATION.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, EVAN SHABAZZ.
UH, THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER, UH, FOR YOUR, UH, CONCERNS REGARDING THIS PARTICULAR, UH, GROUP.
UH, BUT I HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THEY HAVE WORKED TO, UH, AND THEN CONTINUOUS EFFORTS IN ADDRESSING THE COMMUNITY CONCERNS.
UM, THE LEASE ADDENDUM THAT I BELIEVE WAS, UH, RECOMMENDED BY YOU, THEY HAVE LOOKED AT THAT BECAUSE WE CAN'T PROHIBIT OR INHIBIT, UH, PROPERTIES FROM BEING ABLE TO MANAGE.
AND, AND I BELIEVE THAT THE ADDENDUM THAT YOU SENT WAS A LITTLE BIT RESTRICTIVE.
AND SO THEY ARE WILLING, AND THEY HAVE, UH, I THINK, UH, RED LINED AND, AND REFERRED, UM, THEIR COMMENTS BACK SO THAT, BECAUSE WE DO WANNA HOLD PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE.
BUT I ALSO WANT TO SAY THAT THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT PROJECT, UH, IN DISTRICT D UH, FOR THE SENIORS AND FOR THE CITY.
UH, IT'S 283 UNITS THAT ARE DESPERATELY NEEDED, UH, FOR FUTURE INVESTMENTS.
AND I BELIEVE THAT, THAT THE KITTLE GROUP WILL STAY ON TOP.
AND, AND, AND I'M GONNA EVEN ATTRIBUTE YOU AND COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ FOR BRINGING THIS TO THE FOREFRONT SO THAT THEY KNOW THAT THEY HAVE TO, UH, BECAUSE THAT'S NOT GOING TO BE TOLERATED.
AND SO I, I THINK THAT THEY HAVE WORKED, UH, TO TRY TO SHOW THAT, UH, THAT THEY ARE GOING TO OPERATE IN GOOD FAITH.
OF COURSE, EVERYTHING IS, YOU KNOW, SPECULATIVE.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN DOWN THE PIKE.
BUT I DO SUPPORT THIS ITEM AND HOPEFULLY MY COLLEAGUES WILL AS WELL.
[03:00:04]
COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ.WELL, THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ AND TOTALLY RESPECT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER'S VIEW.
UH, AND I, I DON'T BLAME HER AT ALL.
UH, FOR OUR PART, YOU KNOW, WE, WE SPOKE OUT AGAINST THIS, THIS PROJECT A FEW WEEKS AGO.
SINCE THEN, WE HAVE MET WITH KITTLE, UH, NOT ONCE, BUT TWICE.
YESTERDAY WAS THE MOST RECENT.
WE HAD A TEAMS MEETING, UH, YESTERDAY MORNING.
UH, THEY WERE ABLE TO ADDRESS, UH, SOME OF OUR CONCERNS.
THERE HAS BEEN PROGRESS AT THE PROPERTY SPECIFICALLY.
THEIR, THEIR FRONT GATE HAS BEEN FIXED.
THEIR PEDESTRIAN GATE HAS BEEN FIXED.
THEY'VE AGREED TO ADD AN ADDITIONAL, UH, DUMPSTER FOR WEEKEND TRASH PICKUP.
A DANGEROUS PROPERTY HAZARD THAT WE IDENTIFIED TO THEM, UH, HAS BEEN FIXED.
THEY ARE GETTING THEIR SECURITY IN ORDER, UH, ACCORDING TO WHAT, WHAT THEY'RE TELLING US.
MOST IMPORTANTLY, THEY'VE AGREED TO QUARTERLY MEET WITH EACH RESIDENT AND SURVEY SPECIFICALLY REGARDING MOLD, PESTS, AND VERMIN, GET THE, UH, TENANT TO SIGN OFF ON, ON A REPORT AND SUBMIT THAT TO US.
NOT THAT WE'RE IN A GREAT POSITION TO DO OVERSIGHT.
UH, UNFORTUNATELY, OVERSIGHT IS, IS LACKING.
I DON'T KNOW WHETHER THE IDEAL PLACE FOR OVERSIGHT WOULD BE THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING OR OUR OWN HOUSING DEPARTMENT, WHICH IS STRAPPED, UH, WITH, WITH PLENTY OF OTHER, UH, OBLIGATIONS.
BUT IT IS SOMETHING, AND WE APPRECIATE KITTLE BEING, BEING WILLING TO WORK WITH US.
WE EXPECT THAT THEY'LL FOLLOW THROUGH ON WHAT THEY, THEY SAY THEY'RE GONNA DO.
AND, UH, BECAUSE OF THEIR RESPONSE, WE'RE GONNA BE VOTING.
AND, UH, AGAIN, MY, MY EYES WERE OPENED A LITTLE BIT MORE OVER THE PAST WEEKEND AS WE, YOU KNOW, TALK ABOUT, UH, ESPECIALLY NON-PROFIT ENTITIES OVERSEEING A LOT OF THE MANAGEMENT AT, UH, SOME OF THESE FACILITIES.
UH, SO I, I KNOW THAT WE WILL CONTINUE AS A CITY TO WORK ON THIS.
AND BOTH COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER AND RAMIREZ, THANK YOU FOR YOUR DILIGENCE IN THIS.
UM, I WILL BE DEFERRING TO, UH, THE DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER WHO'S BEEN WORKING CLOSELY ON THIS.
IF COUNCIL MEMBER YOU SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE COMMUNITY IS ASKING FOR AND THERE IS THE NEED, ESPECIALLY FOR SENIOR HOUSING, UM, I PERSONALLY WILL BE DEFERRING TO YOU, BUT I, I DO THINK WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO HAVE NOT JUST CONVERSATIONS, BUT ACTIONS, UH, UTILIZING ALL TOOLS AT OUR DISPOSAL AND STRENGTHENING OUR TOOLS, UM, AS IT RELATES TO, UH, OVERSIGHT AND PROTECTIONS FOR RESIDENTS.
YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE, YOU'RE SO CORRECT.
UH, NOT ONLY DID WE NOTICE THIS WEEKEND, BUT I'VE BEEN AWARE OF IT FOR YEARS.
ANYTIME PEOPLE ARE IN A PROFIT MODE, OWE AND CARING FOR INDIVIDUALS, WE HAVE TO BE VERY DILIGENT.
WHETHER IT'S A NURSING HOME, A CORRECTION FACILITY, INDEPENDENT LIVING FACILITY.
WHEN YOU'RE CARING FOR PEOPLE IN YOUR MAIN PURPOSE IS TO MAKE A PROFIT, THE MORE THEY CUT BACK, THE MORE NEGLECT, THE GREATER THE PROFIT FOR THOSE THAT ARE NOT CONSCIENTIOUS.
SO EVERY TIME WE SEE SOMEONE THAT WE CAN REGULATE OR OVERSEE, OR MONITOR MIGHT BE THE BEST WORD IN THEIR, AND THEY GOT PEOPLE UNDER THEIR CARE, YOU HAVE TO BE VERY, VERY CAUTIOUS.
FLICKINGER, I HAD A QUESTION FOR COUNCILWOMAN PLUMMER.
DID THEY REJECT THE ADDENDUM ENTIRELY OR WERE THEY WILLING TO IMPLEMENT PART OF IT? NO, NO.
MAYOR, MAY I RESPOND? UM, SO WHAT THEY ACTUALLY DID WAS THEY PULLED OUT THE TENANT PROTECTIONS.
AND, AND LET ME BE CLEAR, THIS ADDENDUM IS LITERALLY WHAT THE COUNTY IS USING IT, IT'S NOT ANYTHING DIFFERENT.
AND THEIR, AND THEIR APARTMENT COMPLEXES ARE CURRENTLY USING IT, AND IT'S IN EFFECT AND IT'S EFFECTIVE.
BUT THEY, THEY PULLED OUT THE TENANT PROTECTIONS, UM, OUT OF THE ADDENDUM AND THEN, YOU KNOW, AGREED TO, TO THAT.
BUT THAT'S, THAT KIND OF DEFEATS THE PURPOSE.
AND LET ME BE, YOU KNOW, CLEAR.
YOU KNOW, WE DON'T, AND THIS IS, ONCE AGAIN, I'M PUTTING MY PLUG IN TO PUT SOME TYPE OF APARTMENT INSPECTION REFORM ORDINANCE.
IT'S NOW FIVE YEARS IN THE MAKING, AND WE'RE GONNA DO IT RIGHT? IF I HAVE TO, I'M JUST GOING TO PUT IT ON THE AGENDA AND GET IT DONE.
'CAUSE WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR SO LONG.
BUT BECAUSE THE CITY OF HOUSTON HAS NO GUIDANCE, WE ARE, YOU KNOW, I'M LEAVING IN THREE YEARS.
YOU KNOW, A LOT OF US ARE, WE DON'T HAVE THE BANDWIDTH TO MONITOR APARTMENT COMPLEXES, NOR DO WE HAVE THE GOVERNANCE.
AND SO IF AN APARTMENT COMPLEX WILL AGREE TO AN ADDENDUM THAT'S PULLING OUT ALL OF THE TENANT PROTECTIONS, WHAT'S THE POINT? I MEAN, IT'S THE POINT IN HAVING IT.
SO, UM, THEY MADE A COMMENT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, CRIME AND THAT, THAT THE ADDENDUM KIND OF SUPPORTS CRIMINALS OR, OR, OR SOMETHING OF THAT SORT.
[03:05:01]
AND I'M LIKE, THESE ARE 75 YEAR OLDS.I DON'T KNOW WHAT 75 YEAR OLD'S GONNA GO ROB A BANK.
BUT THESE ARE, THESE ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE THE MOST VULNERABLE.
AND, UM, AND YOU, YOU, YOU'VE HEARD PEOPLE COME BEFORE US.
I MEAN, THERE, THERE ARE SENIOR FACILITIES CURRENTLY THAT HAVE FLOORS THAT ARE UNFINISHED.
I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW WHEN WE ARE GONNA MAKE A DECISION ON HOLDING THESE FOLKS ACCOUNTABLE, BUT THE ONLY WAY TO DO THAT, 'CAUSE I I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH COUNCILMAN SHABAZZ.
WE HAVE TO HAVE IT, AND WE HAVE TO HAVE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AND WE HAVE TO HAVE SENIOR FACILITIES, BUT THEY'VE ALSO HAS TO BE SAFE.
AND WE AS A GOVERNING BODY CAN DO THAT.
WE HAVE FULL GUIDANCE TO DO THAT.
WE JUST HAVE TO PUT SOMETHING FORMAL IN PLACE.
SO I'M REQUESTING, YOU KNOW, MAYOR, TO PLEASE, LET'S COME TOGETHER, LOOK AT THE RECOMMENDATION I PUT FORWARD ON APARTMENT INSPECTION REFORM.
COME TO AN AGREEMENT ON WHAT WE WANNA DO.
UM, WE HAVE ENOUGH HEALTH INSPECTORS NOW TO DO IT.
UM, THE COMMUNITY'S ASKING FOR IT.
I THINK WE CAN DO IT AND GET ALL, ALL THE, UM, THE, UM, THE PEOPLE THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, A PART OF THE CONVERSATION, ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS A PART OF THIS, AND LET'S MAKE IT HAPPEN.
WHAT ARE THE POINT? STATE, STATE HEALTH, STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT NEEDS TO GET MORE INVOLVED, DO THEIR JOB.
I'M SORRY, ONE OTHER POINT I WANTED TO MAKE IS, IT SOUNDS LIKE, UM, THERE'S SOME MEMBERS THAT ARE PRETTY HAPPY WITH THE COOPERATION THEY'VE GOTTEN FROM 'EM AS OF LATE.
I'M CURIOUS HOW MUCH OF THAT IS TEMPORARY AND HOW MUCH OF THAT IS PERMANENT? COUNCILOR POLLARD.
COUNCILMAN POLLARD, THANK YOU, MAYOR.
AND GOOD MORNING TO EVERYBODY.
UH, I'VE BEEN KINDA WATCHING THIS ITEM FROM A DISTANCE.
UH, I TOO AM IN SUPPORT OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
MY, MY DISTRICT IS 85% APARTMENTS, SO I UNDERSTAND THE ISSUES WITH MANAGEMENT COMPANIES ARE LANDLORDS OR OWNERS WHO DO NOT, UH, KEEP THEIR PROPERTIES UP TO CODE.
THE ONE THING THAT HAS, UH, STOOD OUT TO ME IN THIS CONVERSATION IS COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ SAID HE WAS MEETING WITH KITTLE AND HAD ADDRESSED SOME ISSUES THAT THEY HAVE NOW CORRECTED.
IS THAT CORRECT? COUNCIL MEMBER MAYOR.
NO, I, I I CAN'T SAY THERE ARE ISSUES THEY HAVEN'T RESPONDED TO, THEY HAVEN'T TRIED TO ADDRESS.
MY MY QUESTION TO YOU IS, YOU MENTIONED JUST NOW BROKEN GATES AND OTHER ISSUES.
CAN YOU, UH, ELABORATE MORE ON, ON WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT HAD TO BE CORRECTED? UH, THE FRONT GATE, THEY EXPLAIN FREQUENTLY, GETS HIT BY CARS AND GETS KNOCKED OUT OF A, OUT OF ACTION.
A PEDESTRIAN GATE WAS, WAS UNLOCKED.
SO, AND, AND THERE WAS ANOTHER PROPERTY HAZARD WE'D BROUGHT TO THEIR ATTENTION, WHICH HAS BEEN FIXED AS WELL.
SO MY, MY, MY BIG THING IS, YOU KNOW, BUT FOR US TALKING ABOUT THESE THINGS, BUT FOR US REACHING OUT BASED ON THIS ITEM, WHO KNOWS WHEN THEY WOULD'VE GOTTEN NOTICE OF THAT OR WHY THEY DIDN'T HAVE NOTICE ABOUT IT IN THE FIRST PLACE? I MEAN, YOU'RE AT THE PROPERTY.
WHY IS THE GATE NOT WORKING? WHY, WHY ARE THINGS BEING UNLOCKED? THAT THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT CAUSE ME SOME CONCERN.
I, I BELIEVE WHEN WE'RE PUTTING FORTH ITEMS OR TAX CREDITS OR ANY TYPES OF SUBSIDY, UH, THE DEVELOPERS OR THE VENDORS HAVE TO BE, UH, EXCEPTIONAL IN EVERY SINGLE WAY.
UM, AND WHEN THEY HAVE PROVEN TO BE, UH, MAYBE NOT EXCEPTIONAL, THAT'S A TIME WHEN I THINK WE HAVE TO LOOK AT IT AND SAY, OH, SHOULD WE, UH, CONTINUE TO PROVIDE, UH, RESOURCES SO THAT THEY CAN, UM, CONTINUE TO DEVELOP IN THE CITY WITHOUT PROVING THAT THEY ARE EXCEPTIONAL? SO, UM, I HEAR WHAT THE, THE DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER IS SAYING, AND I'M A DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER, SO I LIKE TO DEFER TO THE DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER.
UH, BUT I AM, I'M, I'M VERY HESITANT, UM, WHEN I HEAR WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER IS SAYING ABOUT CON UH, THE, THE TENANT PROTECTIONS AND SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT SHE'S, SHE'S BROUGHT UP REGARDING THIS, UH, PARTICULAR DEVELOPMENT.
YOU'RE, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
AND BEFORE I GOT HERE, I WOULD OBSERVE THE DISCUSSION AROUND THE HORSESHOE ABOUT MANAGERS, OWNERS, DEVELOPERS THAT WERE NEGLECTING THE RESIDENTS AS THEY WERE BEFORE YOU WANTING ANOTHER PROJECT.
SO I THINK THE STRONGEST TOOL WE WOULD HAVE IS JUST LET EVERYONE BE PUT ON NOTICE THAT IF THEY DON'T DO THEIR BUSINESS CORRECT AND HAVE SAFETY AND, AND WELFARE OF THE RESIDENTS IS THE TOP PRIORITY, THEY JUST WON'T DO ANY FUTURE BUSINESS WITH THE CITY.
I KNOW THAT'S BEEN DISCUSSED, BUT IT OUGHT TO BE ENFORCED.
SO THANK YOU COUNCILOR EVAN SHABA.
AND THANK YOU TO MY COLLEAGUES FOR YOUR EXPRESSIONS.
WHAT I DON'T WANT IS FOR THIS PROJECT TO BECOME A SCAPEGOAT FOR WHAT THE CITY NEEDS TO ADDRESS GLOBALLY.
UH, BUT I BELIEVE THAT COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ, WHO'S VERY DILIGENT,
[03:10:01]
HAS ATTESTED TO THEIR RESPONSIVENESS.AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, MAYOR, I WANT TO THANK YOUR OFFICE AND THE ANTI-GANG OFFICE BECAUSE THEY HAVE COLLABORATED WITH, UH, VICTOR GONZALEZ JR.
AND, UH, I THINK THAT THAT HAS BEEN VERY FRUITFUL.
THEY HAVE ALSO ENGAGED WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS, AND THEY HAVE SUPPORTED THE SENIOR CITIZENS VIA THE YWCA OF HOUSTON.
SO I THINK THAT THEY HAVE SHOWN THAT, UH, THEY ARE WILLING TO WORK.
AND OF COURSE, WE DON'T WANT THEM TO STOP DOING THIS, NOR DO WE WANT ANY OTHER, UH, DEVELOPER TO STOP DOING THOSE THINGS THAT ARE NEEDED.
AND SO, AGAIN, I DO SUPPORT THIS PROJECT.
IT IS GOING TO BENEFIT THE SENIORS.
IT HAS A ONSITE FOOD PANTRY, A SHUTTLE PROGRAMMING ONSITE THREE DAYS A WEEK THAT TAKES THE RESIDENTS TO THE GROCERY STORES, THE PHARMACIES, CHURCHES, AND OTHER NECESSARY DESTINATIONS.
AND I THINK THAT THIS, UH, PROJECT IS WORTHY AND WE WILL STAY ON TOP OF IT, AND IT'S CRUCIAL TO ENSURING THE CONTINUED POSITIVE DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT D.
SO I THANK, UH, MY COLLEAGUES FOR YOUR SUPPORT, COUNCILOR RAMIREZ.
SO WHAT ALL OF THIS REVEALS TO ME IS THAT THIS, THIS HAS BEEN A HEALTHY DISCUSSION, BUT THIS REALLY NEEDS TO HAPPEN BEFORE IT REACHES, UH, COUNCIL.
AND THESE QUESTIONS NEED TO BE ASKED AND ADDRESSED BEFORE IT REACHES COUNCIL, BECAUSE BY THE TIME IT REACHES COUNCIL, YOU'VE GOT THE DISTRICT COUNCIL.
AND THIS IS NOT JUST THIS, THIS PROPOSAL, BUT ANY PROPOSAL THAT COMES BEFORE THE COUNCIL, THE DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER'S ALREADY ON BOARD.
AND, UH, THE TRAIN HAS ALREADY LET, LET THE STATION.
IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO, TO GET THINGS DONE, UM, AT, AT THIS POINT.
AND SO I, I THINK THESE QUESTIONS NEED TO BE ASKED EARLIER IN THE PROCESS WHEN, WHEN IT IS WITH THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT, AND OUR INPUT CAN BE OBTAINED AT, AT THAT, THAT POINT AND, AND SAVE A LOT OF THIS, UM, UH, HEADACHE, IF YOU WILL, AT, AT THIS STAGE.
AND IT MIGHT BE SOMETHING WE, UH, WOULD WANT TO HAVE THE HOUSING COMMITTEE TO DO MORE, UH, ACTIVITY IN THIS REGARD.
IT WOULD BE GOOD TO HAVE A HEARING SHORT OF BEING AT COUNCIL TABLE.
SO WE'LL TAKE THAT AND VISIT WITH THE HOUSING CHAIR NEXT.
ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED PLUMBER? NO.
ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED ITEM PASSES.
UM, ON THIS ITEM, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE EAST END MAKER HUB, UM, WHICH IS A FACILITY FOR TRAINING, EDUCATION, APPRENTICESHIP, JOB OPPORTUNITY, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT FOR ADULTS AND YOUTH.
UM, THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO, THROUGH THE COMPANIES THAT ARE THERE, PROVIDE OVER, UM, A THOUSAND HIGH PAYING JOBS SINCE 2001.
AND THEY'VE DONE SOME FANTASTIC WORK OUT IN THE EAST END.
UM, THIS ITEM WILL HELP THEM, UH, WITH SOME ISSUES THEY HAD THROUGH HUD, UH, LOCKING IN FIXED RATE INTERESTS AND, UH, INTEREST RATES SPIKED, CAUSING SOME COST TO INCREASE.
SO THIS WILL HELP STABILIZE, UH, THE EAST MAKER HUB ECONOMICALLY AND, AND ALLOW THEM TO CONTINUE TO DO GOOD WORK.
UM, GLAD THIS WENT TO THE HOUSING COMMITTEE.
AND, UH, HAPPY TO SUPPORT THIS ITEM.
ITEM 29 IS AN ORDINANCE JUDGE.
NEED A VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED.
[03:15:01]
NEED A VOTE.ALL IN FAVOR OF THE COUNCILOR RAMIREZ ON 37TH.
YOU WANT 36? HE HAD A COMMENT ON 36.
COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ ON ITEM 36.
I SUPPORTED IT AND I'M GLAD THAT IT'S PASSED.
SPENT A LOT OF TIME LAST YEAR TALKING ABOUT THE BACKLOG AT THE CRIME LAB AND HOW IT WAS NECESSARY TO OUTSOURCE CASES.
AND SO I'M GLAD, UH, THIS ITEM WAS BROUGHT FORTH AND HAS PASSED SO THAT WE CAN GET MORE OF THAT BACKLOGGED DOWN AND GET, GET JUSTICE FOR OUR VICTIMS. THANK YOU, MAYOR.
UM, THIS JUST RELATES TO CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS AND TIME OFF.
AND I DID AGAIN, UH, I BELIEVE IT WAS LAST YEAR, WE SUCCESSFULLY INCORPORATED INTO THE SCHEDULE AN AMENDMENT.
I PUT FORWARD TO HAVE A CONSOLIDATED SESSION, UH, AROUND ELECTION DAY.
BUT I DO WANT TO CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE THAT ELECTION DAY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON SHOULD BE A CITY HOLIDAY WHERE ALL CITY EMPLOYEES HAVE THAT DAY OFF.
UM, SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO PUSH FOR THAT, BUT WANTED TO, UH, JUST SPOTLIGHT THAT FOR THE TIME BEING.
ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED MOTION PASSES.
UH, AFTER THE VOTE, UH, WE JUST VOTED.
DID WANT TO MAKE A COMMENT ON BEHALF OF COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS, WHO IS TRAVELING.
UH, SHE WANTED TO SHARE THAT THERE WAS A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF WORK DONE BY THE WESTMONT CIVIC CLUB AND THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT AND, UH, OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAVE WORKED TO GET THIS ITEM TO THE FINISH LINE.
UH, AND THAT, UM, IT'S BEEN A YEAR OF ENGAGEMENT AND SO SHE'S VERY HAPPY, UM, THAT THIS ITEM HAS PASSED AND IT IS WHAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO PROTECT NEIGHBORHOODS AND THE QUALITY OF LIFE, UH, THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
NEXT, ITEM 40 IS AN ORDINANCE.
ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED MOTION PASSES UNDER
[NON CONSENT AGENDA - NUMBERING]
THE NON-CONSENT MISCELLANEOUS CATEGORY.ITEM 50 IS TO SET A PUBLIC HEARING DATE.
CASTEX TATUM MOVED TO SET A PUBLIC HEARING DATE TO DESIGNATE LANDMARKS, PROTECTED LANDMARKS AND SIGNIFICANT STRUCTURES FOR WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26TH AT 9:00 AM SECOND MOTIONS MADE.
[MATTERS HELD - NUMBERING]
51 NEEDS A MOTION.COUNCIL, COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN.
UM, I, I REALLY QUICKLY WANNA GO BACK.
ITEM 38 WAS AN IMPORTANT EFFORT.
UM, THAT'S BEEN YEARS IN THE MAKING FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO THE REAL TIME CRIME CENTER FOR HPD, UM, WHICH IS AN INTEGRATED SYSTEM TO ENABLE CROSS-AGENCY COLLABORATION, INFORMATION SHARING, AND ALLOW HPD TO MANAGE BETTER MANAGE, UH, CRITICAL INCIDENTS.
SO I WANNA THANK THE ENTIRE TEAM, BUT AS WE TALK ABOUT HPD, PUBLIC SAFETY AND LAW ENFORCEMENT TECHNOLOGY IMPROVEMENTS, UM, THIS ITEM I HAD TAGGED I WILL BE SUPPORTING.
UH, BUT FOR THE PAST YEAR OR TWO, I HAD BEEN WORKING WITH HPD AS MORE CAMERAS COME ONLINE AS GREATER ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY COMES ONLINE, MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE THE SOPS IN PLACE, UM, FOR THE PROPER CHECKS AS IT RELATES TO VIDEO SURVEILLANCE.
UM, I'VE SPOKEN WITH CHIEF MARTIN MAYOR BECAUSE HP D'S BEEN DEALING WITH SO MUCH THIS YEAR ALREADY.
I KIND OF LET UP OFF THE GAS A LITTLE BIT TO GIVE THEM THE SPACE TO ADDRESS THE CRITICAL NEEDS.
BUT AS WE CONTINUE TO INVEST IN SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS AND TECHNOLOGY, WE REALLY NEED TO GET THOSE SOPS IN PLACE TO MAKE SURE, UM, THAT EVERYONE IS ON THE SAME PAGE WITH HOW WE OPERATE.
THOSE, THE SAME THING WE DID WITH FLOCK CAMERAS AND OTHERS.
IT'S JUST, AGAIN, STANDARD PROCEDURES THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE, UM, ARE HAPPENING WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT.
SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK ON THAT, BUT I WANTED TO PUBLICLY DISCUSS THE IMPORTANCE OF MOVING THAT FORWARD AS EXPEDITIOUSLY AS POSSIBLE.
[03:20:01]
IN SECOND.ITEM 53 IS AN ORDINANCE JUST NEAR VOTE.
COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN, COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN CAYMAN, UH, MOVES TO REFER THIS ITEM BACK TO THE ADMINISTRATION.
SECOND, WE HAVE A MOTION TO REFER BACK.
WE HAD, UM, YESTERDAY, I KNOW THAT YOU WERE OUT DEALING WITH THE STORM.
UM, WE HAD QUITE A, A BIT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS.
WE HAD SOME RESIDENTS THAT CAME FORWARD WITH SOME CONCERNS.
UM, I WENT BACK AND READ OVER, UH, THE MOUS AND THE AGREEMENTS AND I, I FEEL LIKE I NEED TO GET A LITTLE BIT OF CLARIFICATION FROM, UH, THE CITY ATTORNEY.
THERE WERE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS THAT THAT CAME UP YESTERDAY DURING THE, UM, PUBLIC SESSION.
UH, ONE IN PARTICULAR WAS, UH, RESIDENT THAT SPOKE ABOUT POSSIBLY HAVING TO HAVE A HEARING AND TO POST FOR 30 DAYS FOR PARKLAND.
CAN YOU D CLEARLY TELL US, IS THIS DEDICATED PARKLAND OR NOT DEDICATED PARKLAND? NOW, UH, THE RESEARCH WE'VE DONE SHOWS THAT, THAT IT IS NOT DEDICATED PARKLAND.
SO IS THERE A REQUIREMENT FOR A HEARING? IS THERE A REQUIREMENT FOR US TO DO ANYTHING AT 30 DAY NOTICE? HAVE WE MET ALL OF THOSE REQUIREMENTS? UH, NOT