[00:00:02]
CAPTIONS OF THE COUNCIL AGENDA FOR MAY 29TH, 2024.ITEM ONE, PUBLIC HEARING ON THE CITY BUDGETS FOR THE TIME PERIOD JULY 1ST, 2024 THROUGH JUNE 30TH, 2025.
ITEM TWO, REQUEST FOR MAYOR FOR CONFIRMATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OR REAPPOINTMENT OF THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUALS TO THE EAST LAKE HOUSTON MANAGEMENT DISTRICT BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
ITEM THREE, RECOMMENDATION FROM DIRECTOR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS REVIEWED AND APPROVED BY THE JOINT REFERRAL COMMITTEE ON REQUEST FROM LUCY MAGANA OF WYNN ROSE LAND SERVICES.
ITEM FOUR HMT SERVICES CORPORATION FOR PURCHASE OF PVC PIPE.
ITEM FIVE HMT SERVICES CORPORATION FOR PURCHASE OF SEWER PROBE RODS.
ITEM SIX, WATER BLASTING LLC DOING BUSINESS AS HOG TECHNOLOGIES FOR PURCHASE OF STRIPE HOG WATER BLASTING SYSTEM TRUCKS.
ITEM SEVEN, TRANSEX TRANSPORTATION PRODUCTS OF TEXAS INC.
MARKER EPOXY ITEM EIGHT, TIGER TRAFFIC IN FOR PURCHASE OF TRAFFIC SIGNALS.
ITEM NINE, CONSOLIDATED TRAFFIC CONTROLS INC FOR PURCHASE OF TRAFFIC OPTICAL DETECTORS.
FOR PURCHASE OF PEDESTRIAN PUSH BUTTON ASSEMBLIES.
ITEM 11, APPROVE SPENDING AUTHORITY IN THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $262,000 FOR EMERGENCY PURCHASE OF INSTALLATION OF FENCING GATE LOCK AND BOARDING UP OF WINDOWS AND DOORS AS PREVENTATIVE SECURITY MEASURES AT THE SPRING VILLAGE APARTMENTS FOR THE HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT AWARDED TO LMC CORPORATION.
ITEM 12, CHASTAIN ENTERPRISES HOUSTON LLC DOING BAD DOING BUSINESS AS CHASTAIN FORD FOR PURCHASE OF FORD F THREE 50 TRUCKS.
ITEM 13 APPROVED SPENDING AUTHORITY IN THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF $521,378 FOR INSTALLATION OF RESTROOM AND SHOWER TRAILER FACILITIES.
ITEM 14, BRENT TAG SOUTHWEST INC.
FOR SUPPLY OF LIQUID AMMONIUM SULFATE.
ITEM 15, BELMAN AND SERON NORTH AMERICA INC.
FOR PURCHASE OF SMOKE ALARMS, BED SHAKERS AND FLASHERS.
ITEM 16, ORDINANCE SETTING A HEARING REGARDING JUST AND REASONABLE RETAIL ELECTRIC RATES FOR CENTER POINT ENERGY HOUSTON ELECTRIC ITEM 17 ORDINANCE APPROVED AND AUTHORIZING FOURTH AMENDMENT TO SUB-RECIPIENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY.
ORDINANCE APPROVED AND AUTHORIZING SUB-RECIPIENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND HARRIS COUNTY TEXAS.
ITEM 19 ORDINANCE APPROVED AND AUTHORIZING SUB-RECIPIENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND HARRIS COUNTY TEXAS.
ITEM 20 ORDINANCE APPROVED AND AUTHORIZING SOLE SOURCE AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND RAF CORPORATION.
ITEM 21 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $1,439,380 OUT OF FIRE CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND $1,761,602 OUT OF REIMBURSEMENT EQUIPMENT PROJECTS FUND $1,918,000 OUT OF POLICE CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND AND $1,755,000 OUT OF FLEET EQUIPMENT.
SPECIAL REVENUE FUND FOR VEHICLES AND RELATED EQUIPMENT.
ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION.
ITEM 23, ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING LEASE AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND SOUTHWEST AIRLINES COMPANY CORPORATION.
ITEM 24, ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND BRACEWELL LLP ITEM 25.
ORDINANCE APPROVED AND AUTHORIZING AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND NORTON ROSE FULBRIGHT U-S-L-L-P ITEM 26 ORDINANCE APPROVED AND AUTHORIZING EXECUTION OF SETTLEMENT RELEASE AND INDEMNITY INDEMNITY AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND JAMES LEE HENRY SENIOR ITEM 27 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING COMPROMISE SETTLEMENT RELEASE AND INDEMNITY AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND MARINA CHARLES.
ITEM 28, ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING SE COMPROMISE SETTLEMENT RELEASE AND INDEMNITY INDEMNITY AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND CHRISTIAN COLEMAN AND BOBBY RAY.
ITEM 29, ORDINANCE DE APPROPRIATING $595,000 OUT OF POLICE CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND AND APPROPRIATING $595,000 OUT OF POLICE CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND TO THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT INTER-AGENCY MARINE OPERATIONS CENTER BOATHOUSE INSTALLATION PROJECT AND ASSOCIATED SITE WORK.
ITEM 30 ORDINANCE APPROVED AND AUTHORIZING AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND SMITH PUMP COMPANY INC.
ITEM 31 ORDINANCE APPROVED AND AUTHORIZING THIRD AMENDMENT TO CONTRACT.
4 6 0 0 0 1 5 4 8 6 BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND JP MORGAN CHASE NA ITEM 32.
ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE NUMBER 2019 DASH 10 38 TO INCREASE THE MAXIMUM CONTRACT AMOUNT FOR CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND HOME HOMETOWN VETERINARY
[00:05:01]
SERVICES DBA VIRGIE ITEM 33.PRE-POSITION DEBRIS REMOVAL CONTRACTS WITH DRC EMERGENCY SERVICES.
SIR ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES INC.
ITEM 34 HAS BEEN PULLED BY THE ADMINISTRATION.
ITEM 35 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING SUBMISSION OF GRANT APPLICATION TO THE US DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION BRIDGE INVESTMENT PROGRAM FOR BUFFALO BIO BRIDGES REHABILITATION STUDY ITEM 36 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $427,536 15 CENTS OUT OF WATER AND SEWER SYSTEM.
CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING ADVANCED FUNDING AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION.
ITEM 37 ORDINANCE APPROVED AND AUTHORIZING PURCHASE AND SELL AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS SELLER AND WILLIAMS TRUCK P AUTO AND TIRE SALES PURCHASER.
ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE NUMBER 20 23 3 71 TO INCLUDE THE ACQUISITION OF 61 ADDITIONAL PARCELS FOR 36 INCH WATERLINE ALONG MEDICAL CENTER BOULEVARD AND BAY AREA BOULEVARD PROJECT ITEM 39, ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE NUMBER 2024 DASH TWO 11 TO CORRECT OUTLINE AGREEMENT NUMBER FOR CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND PM CONSTRUCTION AND REHAB LLC ITEM 40.
ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $2,775,386 25 CENTS OUT OF WATER AND SEWER SYSTEM, CONSOLIDATE A CONSTRUCTION FUND APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND CALORI GROUP INC.
ITEM 41 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $5,375,000 OUT OF CONTRIBUTED CAPITAL PROJECT, FUND AWARD AND CONTRACT TO J RIVAS CONSTRUCTION, LLC ITEM 42.
ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $5,375,000 OUT OF CONTRIBUTED CAPITAL PROJECT, FUND AWARD AND CONTRACT TO JAY RES CONSTRUCTION, LLC ITEM 43.
ORDINANCE AMENDING SECTIONS 28 DASH 4 54 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES, HOUSTON, TEXAS RELATING TO EXEMPTIONS FROM APPLICABILITY OF CHAPTER 28.
ARTICLE 14 OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, CODE OF ORDINANCES RELATING TO REGULATION OF BOARDING HOMES.
THIS WAS ITEM 21 ON THE MAY 22ND, 2024 AGENDA.
THIS COMPLETES THE READING OF THE CAPTIONS OF THE AGENDA FOR MAY 29TH, 2024.
STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT SESSION OF HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL SCHEDULE TO BEGIN AT 9:00 AM AND IN THE WORDS OF THE CITY SECRETARY PAT JEFFERSON, DANIEL ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS TREAT EVERYONE THE WAY YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE TREATED.
AND WITH THAT, HAVE A BLESSED DAY.
[INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE]
PLEASE COME TO ORDER.CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ FOR THE INVOCATION.
BUT LEMME SEE IF I'LL BE, I'LL BE, I'LL BE GLAD TO.
DIDN'T YOU JUST COME? I JUST CAME FOR THE PRAYER BREAKFAST.
WHAT, WHAT YOU GOT NOW? I'M, I'M PRAYED UP.
BUT, BUT I'LL, I'LL, I'LL REACH IN.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME TOGETHER.
HAVE US UNITE THE CITY AS WE KNOW YOU CAN.
PLEASE CONSIDER THOSE THAT ARE LESS FORTUNATE, THOSE THAT LOST LOVED ONES DURING THE FIRST STORM.
BE WITH THOSE THAT ARE WITHOUT ELECTRICITY AND RESOURCES.
HELP US, YOUR FATHER TO REALIZE THIS IS A CALLING AND PUBLIC SERVICE IS A CALLING.
AND HELP US DO YOUR, YOUR WORK.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG FLAG FROM THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
[00:10:12]
MADAM[9:00 AM - ROLL CALL]
SECRETARY, PLEASE CALL THE ROLE MISS THE SECRETARY TODAY.I'LL PRAY AGAIN IF YOU WANT ME TO.
COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER WILL BE ABSENT.
COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN PRESENT.
COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER WILL BE ABSENT.
COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN HERE NEED
[ADOPT MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING]
A MOTION TO ADOPT THE MINUTES OF DECEMBER 19 AND 20 AND JANUARY 2ND.ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED? MOTION PASSES.
MR. SECRETARY, WILL YOU PLEASE CALL ITEM NUMBER ONE.
[1
9:00 A.M. PUBLIC HEARING on the City Budgets for the time period July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025
]ONE IS PUBLIC HEARING ON THE SEATED BUDGETS FOR THE TIME PERIOD OF JULY 1ST, 2024 THROUGH JUNE 30TH, 2025.IS THERE ANYONE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS ISSUE? YEAH.
WE HAVE ONE SPEAKER THAT SIGNED UP.
MR. KARE, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK IF YOU'RE PRESENT? ROSE.
IF NOT, IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK? IF NOT, IS THERE A MOTION TO CLOSE THE HEARING? A MINUTES SECOND.
[CONSENT AGENDA]
WILL YOU NOW PROCEED WITH THE CONSENT AGENDA UNDER THE MISCELLANEOUS CATEGORY? ITEM TWO NEEDS A MOTION CAST EX TATUM, MOVE I SECOND.MOTION PASSES UNDER THE PROPERTY CATEGORY.
MOTION CARRIES UNDER THE PURCHASING AND TABULATION OF BIDS CATEGORY ITEMS 11 AND 15 HAVE BEEN REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION.
NEED A MOTION ON THE BALANCE, HAS HATE OR MOVE.
MOTION PASSES UNDER THE ORDINANCES CATEGORY.
ITEM 34 HAS BEEN PULLED AND WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.
30 AND 39 HAVE NOT BEEN RECEIVED, BUT WILL BE CONSIDERED IF THEY'RE RECEIVED BEFORE THE END OF THE AGENDA.
ITEMS 17, 18, 19, 20, 24, 25, 27, 28, 31, 32, 33 AND 35 HAVE BEEN REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION.
17, 18, 19, 20, 24, 25, 27, 28, 31, 32, 33 AND 35 NEED A VOTE ON THE BALANCE? ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED.
[CONSIDERATION OF MATTERS REMOVED FROM CONSENT AGENDA]
THE MOTION CAST TAX TITLE, MOVE.ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED MOTION PASSES.
WOULD YOU AFTER THE ITEM? YES MA'AM.
UH, AND THOSE IN THE AUDIENCE.
UH, JUST GRATEFUL FOR THE SUPPORT ON THIS ITEM.
I KNOW THIS IS, UH, UH, THIS IS IN DISTRICT K? YES.
AND THIS ITEM CAME, UH, BEFORE THE HOUSING COMMITTEE.
WHEN WE ARE TALKING ABOUT, UM, THE RELOCATION PROPERTIES.
THIS IS ONE OF THE THREE THAT WE'VE, UH, RELOCATED WITH OUR DISASTER RECOVERY.
AND, UM, UH, THEY WERE WORKING VERY HARD TO GET THIS ITEM ON THE AGENDA TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S SECURED.
UM, IT'S NOT A PUBLIC SAFETY HAZARD, AND SO I'M GLAD TO SEE IT ON HERE.
AND SO SHOUT OUT TO PROCUREMENT FOR FAST TRACKING THIS AS WELL.
NEXT ITEM 15 IS A MOTION CAST.
[00:15:01]
17 IS AN ORDINANCE.THOSE IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED.
UM, AGAIN, THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT ON THIS.
UH, THIS IS PROBABLY THE ONE OF THE FEW TRANSACTIONS FROM THE CITY TO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY.
I MEAN, THIS IS A PASS THROUGH.
UH, THIS ITEM INITIALLY WAS PASSED IN 2020, UH, WHEN WE RECEIVED COVID, DOLLARS CARES DOLLARS, A MATTER OF FACT.
AND SO THESE FUNDS ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO SERVE SOME OF OUR MOST CRITICALLY, UM, OUR CHRONICALLY UNHOUSED, UH, RESIDENTS IN THE CITY THAT ARE DEEP LOW IN THE A MI.
SO I'M GLAD THAT THIS, UM, CONTRACT IS BEING EXTENDED SO THEY CAN CONTINUE TO KEEP THEM STABILIZED IN THIS CITY.
ITEM 18 IS, ITEM 18 IS AN ORDINANCE.
ORDINANCE ITEM 27 IS AN ORDINANCE.
COUNCIL, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS.
UH, MR. MAYOR, AND I DIDN'T ASK THIS DURING, UM, THE BRIEFING, BUT, UH, WHEN DO WE GO BACK TO BID? TO LOOK AT BANKS TO, UM, IN TERMS OF, UH, THE CONTRACTS TO GO BACK TO THE STREET? HOW OFTEN DOES THAT HAPPEN IN THE CITY? YOU'VE BEEN HERE FOUR MORE YEARS LONGER THAN I HAVE.
I MEAN, I DON'T, I DIDN'T ASK THIS.
I MEAN, HOW, HOW LONG, HOW OFTEN DOES IT COME UP? I DON'T KNOW.
COUNCIL COUNCILOR, VICE MAYOR, PROTE PECK.
UM, THIS IS FOR THE DEBRIS, UM, REMOVAL CONTRACTS AND VERY THANKFUL FOR THAT.
UM, I JUST HAVE A REQUEST FOR THE SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT THAT ANY OF THESE CONTRACTORS THAT ARE PICKING UP ANY KIND OF, UM, DEBRIS REMOVAL, IF THEY COULD PUT A SIGN ON THEIR TRUCKS THAT SAY THAT THEY'RE CONTRACTED BY THE CITY OF HOUSTON IN OTHER DEPARTMENTS, WE DO THAT.
EVEN CENTERPOINT, YOU KNOW, DURING THE STORM, THE, THE TRUCKS THAT CAME IN SAID, HAD A SIGN THAT SAID, UM, YOU KNOW, WORKING WITH CENTERPOINT ON IT.
UM, WE HAVE PEOPLE, UM, WHO'VE CONTACTED OUR OFFICE THAT ARE TELLING US THAT TRUCKS ARE GOING IN AND OUT OF THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND THEY'RE NOT SURE IF THEY'RE ACTUALLY WORKING WITH THE CITY OR THE COUNTY OR NOT, BECAUSE THEY'RE JUST KIND OF GOING THROUGH THE DIFFERENT PILES LOOKING FOR THINGS.
AND WHEN ASKED ABOUT IT, THEY'RE VERY SKETCHY ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHERE, WHY THEY'RE THERE.
AND SO JUST IF WE COULD REQUIRE THAT OF OUR CONTRACTORS, I THINK THAT WOULD, UM, EASE SOME OF THE CONFUSION ABOUT WHO'S PICKING UP STUFF IN PEOPLE'S NEIGHBORHOODS AND WHO SHOULDN'T BE THERE.
I'M SURE SOLID WASTE CAN ACCOMMODATE THAT REQUEST.
NEXT, DO WE VOTE? WE STILL NEED TO VOTE ON THAT ONE.
ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED TO THAT ITEM? MOTION PASSES.
ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED HUFFMAN.
IT'S A STUDY, UM, THAT'S GONNA FOCUS ON EIGHT BRIDGES, UM, THAT CROSS BUFFALO BAYOU.
A LOT OF THOSE ARE ON THE WEST SIDE OF TOWN AND DISTRICT G.
UM, WE KNOW THAT SOME OF THOSE STREETS LIKE KIRKWOOD WILCREST DURING HURRICANE HARVEY.
IT WAS WEEKS BEFORE THE PEOPLE FROM SOUTH OF THE BAYOU COULD GET NORTH OF THE BAYOU.
UM, AND TRYING TO, TO FIND A WAY AROUND.
SO THIS WILL LOOK AT THE FEASIBILITY OF REPAIRING AND RAISING SOME OF THESE BRIDGES TO, UM, WHERE IT WOULDN'T BE AN ISSUE IN ANOTHER STORM.
ALL IN FAVOR OF THOSE OPPOSED MOTION PASSES UNDER THE MATT AS
[MATTERS HELD]
HILL CATEGORY.UM, SO I'LL BE VOTING YES, UH, BUT I DEFINITELY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UH, I BRING SOME CONCERNS, UH, THAT I HAD PRIOR TO.
UM, YOU KNOW, I ACKNOWLEDGE THAT RECOVERY HOMES, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE IMPORTANT.
THEY'RE CRUCIAL TO SUPPORTING INDIVIDUALS ON THEIR JOURNEY TO RECOVERY.
[00:20:01]
UM, HOWEVER, I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE A OPPORTUNITY TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE TRACK THESE RECOVERY HOMES AS WELL.UM, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE OPERATING, UH, SAFELY AND EFFECTIVELY.
UH, UNDERSTAND THE PERMITTING CENTER HANDLES THE REGULATION FOR BOARDING HOMES.
I'VE LEARNED, UH, THAT THE RECOVERY HOMES ARE NOT BEING TRACKED SINCE THEY ARE NOT REQUIRED TO REGISTER OR SEEK A PERMIT.
UH, ACCREDITATION IS VOLUNTARY PER HB 2 99.
UM, AND SO WE COULD SEE A SITUATION WHERE BOARDING HOMES CAN ULTIMATELY BECOME RECOVERY HOMES.
AGAIN, NOT REGISTERING OR SEEKING PERMITS.
UM, I HAD A CONSTITUENT RE RECENTLY REACH OUT, UH, ASKING ABOUT NUMBER OF ROOMING, UH, BOARDING HOUSES IN THE EAST END BEING OPERATED BY HOUSTON ROOMS HOUSES, WHICH IS A WEBSITE THAT HAS, I THINK IT'S ABOUT 12 TO 15, UH, LOCATIONS.
AND I JUST THINK THAT IT'S CRUCIAL THAT WE, WE PROVIDE, UH, YOU KNOW, REGULATION OR SOME REGULATORY, UH, OVERSIGHT OVER SOME OF THESE, UH, LOCATIONS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE FOLKS THAT ARE LIVING THERE ARE TAKEN CARE OF.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND YOU KNOW, WE WERE ABLE TO REACH OUT TO SENATOR ALDO'S OFFICE AS WELL.
YOU KNOW, THEY WERE HELPING, UH, INFORM US OF WHAT WHAT CAN BE DONE.
AND, AND FROM WHAT WE UNDERSTAND AT THIS TIME, THE AGENCY IS IN THE RULE MAKING PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD.
UH, ONCE THE RULES ARE FINALIZED, THEN THEY'LL BECOME ENFORCEABLE.
SO THERE'S PUBLIC COMMENT THAT ENDS, UH, UH, JUNE 3RD.
UH, AND SO YOU CAN, YOU CAN SPEAK ON THIS ITEM, YOU CAN EMAIL H CCO PRU@HHSTTEXAS.GOV.
AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW, MAYOR, I KNOW WE'RE FOLLOWING SUIT TO FEDERAL GUIDELINES AS WELL.
UH, BUT YOU KNOW, WHEN WE RUN THE RISK OF BOARDING HOMES TURNING INTO RECOVERY HOUSES THAT DON'T, DON'T SEEK THESE PERMITS, OR WE DON'T HAVE A LIST OF THEM, THEN, YOU KNOW, IT BECOMES A CHALLENGE TO TAKE CARE OF THOSE FOLKS THAT ARE ACTUALLY STAYING IN THE RECOVERY HOUSES AS WELL.
SO, AGAIN, I, I'LL BE VOTING, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO, UH, FOLLOW SUIT, BUT I ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE TRACKING THESE PLACES.
AND I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ SAID.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF REALLY GREAT RECOVERY HOMES IN HOUSTON, BUT THERE'S ALSO ONES THAT ARE OPERATING WITH OFFERING NO SERVICES.
AND, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY OUR BOARDING HOMES THAT ARE SAYING THAT THEY'RE RECOVERY HOMES.
AND SO WHEN THIS ORDINANCE FIRST PASSED, I WASN'T IN OFFICE YET, BUT COUNCIL MEMBERS STARTED AT THE TIME I WORKED, YOU KNOW, FOR, WITH HER ON, FOR MONTHS ON THIS ORDINANCE.
AND IT WAS, IT SEEMED TO BE WORKING REALLY WELL TO COMBAT SOME OF THESE HOMES WHERE, YOU KNOW, 25, 30 PEOPLE WERE LIVING IN A HOUSE, UM, WITH, YOU KNOW, NO SERVICES, NO BEDS.
IT WAS NOT GOOD LIVING CONDITIONS.
AND SO THAT REALLY SEEMED TO CUT DOWN ON A LOT OF THAT.
SO I'M WORRIED BY EXEMPTING RECOVERY HOMES THAT SOME OF THESE COULD TURN INTO THOSE KINDS OF SITUATIONS.
SO I AGREE THAT WE NEED A WAY TO TRACK IT, UM, SO THAT THE FIRE MARSHAL AND, YOU KNOW, LAW ENFORCEMENT IS AWARE OF SOME OF THESE HOMES AS WELL.
UM, AND I'M ALSO GOING TO SUPPORT IT BECAUSE I KNOW THAT WE HAVE TO ADOPT THIS PER STATE LAW, BUT WE REALLY NEED TO LOOK AT FUTURE ORDINANCES TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS DOESN'T TURN INTO WHAT WE HAD PRIOR TO THIS ORDINANCE GOING INTO EFFECT.
ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED MOTION PASSES.
THIS COMPLETES THE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA MEMBERS.
WE CAN'T TAKE UP THE AGENDA FOR PUBLIC SESSION.
OH, THE PUBLIC SESSION TILL NINE 30.
SO LET'S TAKE A 10 MINUTE BREAK.
WHY, WHY DON'T WE START POP OFF.
WHY DON'T WE START, PAPA? OKAY.
THIS AIN'T THE WAY WE OPERATE.
[NON CONSENT - MATTERS TO BE PRESENTED BY COUNCIL MEMBERS]
GREAT SUGGESTION.JUST A COUPLE OF ANNOUNCEMENTS.
UH, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETING, WE WILL TAKE PLACE THIS AFTERNOON AT 2:00 PM HERE IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBER.
UH, WE WILL BE, UM, HAVING A PRESENTATION ON THE 2024 BUDGET FOR THE TAX INCREMENT REDEVELOPMENT ZONE NUMBER 28 IN THE MEDICAL CENTER AREA.
UM, ALSO ON, UH, TS NUMBER 14, THE FOURTH WARD REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY.
SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING COUNCIL MEMBERS JOIN US, UH, FOR THAT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETING TODAY.
UM, ALSO ON SATURDAY JUNE 1ST, WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE GRAND OPENING OF THE DR. SHANNON WALKER NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARY.
UH, THE ADDRESS IS 1 1 6 3 0 CHIMNEY ROCK ROAD, AND WE ARE GOING TO CELEBRATE IN GRAND STYLE.
THE OPENING CEREMONIES WILL BE FROM 10 TO ONE.
UH, NASA ASTRONAUT DR. SHANNON WALKER, WHO IS A PROUD HOUSTONIAN AND FORMER DISTRICT.
A RESIDENT GRADUATED FROM WESTBURY HIGH SCHOOL WILL WELCOME THE COMMUNITY TO THIS STATE OF THE ART LIBRARY.
[00:25:01]
ARE INCREDIBLE AMENITIES IN THE LIBRARY.THE RECORDING STUDIO, IT'S TECH LINK, THE PODCAST ROOM, THE FIRST LIBRARY, CAFE, THE PASSPORT OFFICES, AND SO MUCH MORE.
SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE COMMUNITY COMING OUT TO CELEBRATE, UH, THE GRAND OPENING OF THE NEW DR. SHANNON WALKER LIBRARY ON SATURDAY, JUNE THE FIRST.
AND THEN ALSO WANT TO REMIND THE RESIDENTS IN FRAN GARDENS IN DISTRICT A THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION WILL HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE PLAT APPLICATION L CREST PLACE.
UM, SO IF YOU DID NOT RECEIVE THAT INFORMATION, UM, YOU CAN CONTACT THE DISTRICT K OFFICE.
THE DEVELOPER IS INTENDING TO BUILD AN OFFICE BUILDING WITH WAREHOUSE SPACE ON THE SITE.
AND THE HEARING WILL BE HELD TOMORROW, THURSDAY, MAY 30TH AT 2:00 PM IT'S AN IN-PERSON ONLY, UH, MEETING AT CITY HALL ANNEX 9 0 1 BAG.
BEFORE MORE INFORMATION, YOU CAN CONTACT THE DISTRICT K OFFICE AT 8 3 2 3 9 3 3 0 1 6.
UH, BE KIND TO EACH OTHER AND MAKE IT A GREAT DAY.
UM, I'D LIKE TO ANNOUNCE THAT WE HAVE TWO DISASTER RECOVERY TOWN HALL MEETINGS.
ONE OF THEM IS TONIGHT AND ONE OF THEM IS TOMORROW.
I KNOW IT'S SHORT NOTICE, BUT WE WANTED TO GET THE INFORMATION OUT TO PEOPLE VERY QUICKLY.
UM, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHETHER PEOPLE, UM, QUALIFY FOR FEMA ASSISTANCE OR WHAT OTHER ASSISTANCE IS OUT THERE.
SO WE WANTED TO HAVE THIS MEETING VERY QUICKLY.
UM, THANK YOU TO BRENT TAYLOR AND OEM FOR HELPING US, UM, SET THESE MEETINGS UP.
THE FIRST MEETING IS GOING TO BE TONIGHT IN SPRING BRANCH AT TRINITY MINDIN HALL COMMUNITY CENTER.
IT'LL BE AT 6:00 PM 1 4 1 4 WORK ROAD.
AND THEN TOMORROW IT WILL BE AN INWOOD AT THE WHITE OAK CONFERENCE CENTER, UM, ALSO AT 6:00 PM 7 6 0 3 ANTOINE.
UM, WE'LL HAVE, UM, OEM THERE.
WE'LL HAVE THE SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION, FEMA, AND THEN THE MEETING, UM, TOMORROW NIGHT, UM, CENTER POINT WILL BE THERE AS WELL TO ANSWER SOME OF THOSE QUESTIONS.
AND, UM, I JUST ENCOURAGE ANYONE WHO NEEDS ANY KIND OF ASSISTANCE WITH THE, UM, STORM RECOVERY TO PLEASE COME TO EITHER OF THOSE MEETINGS SO WE CAN GET ASSISTANCE FOR, FOR YOU.
IF YOU HAVE, IF YOU CAN'T COME TO EITHER OF THOSE MEETINGS AND HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT ANY OF THIS STUFF, PLEASE CONTACT MY OFFICE AND WE'RE HAPPY TO HELP YOU NAVIGATE THROUGH THAT.
WILL IT BE RECORDED? UM, IT WON'T BE RECORDED, BUT LIKE I SAID, IF ANYONE HAS ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT ANY OF THIS INFORMATION, THEY'RE WELCOME TO CONTACT THE OFFICE AND WE'LL, WE'LL HELP THEM WITH IT.
UM, FIRST I WANNA START OFF BY, UH, UH, SHARING WITH EVERYBODY THAT WE'RE HAVING OUR SECOND COFFEE WITH COUNCIL MEMBER JUNE 8TH AT 10 IN THE MORNING AT SIR JOBS, WHICH IS 1710.
TELEPHONE, UH, REFRESHERS WILL, WILL BE PROVIDED.
SO IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO, UH, ENGAGE WITH MYSELF AND MY TEAM, UH, TALK ABOUT THINGS THAT WILL HAPPEN ON THE GROUND, BUT ALSO JUST THINK ABOUT, UH, WHAT IS IT THAT WE NEED IN, IN EACH, UH, EACH COMMUNITY.
UH, ALSO, UH, I'LL TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY SINCE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CA IS NOT HERE, UH, TO PROMOTE FAMILIES WITH PRIDE.
JUNE 1ST STARTS PRIDE MONTH, AND SO IT'LL BE AT DISCOVERY GREEN IN DISTRICT.
I, UM, AND I KNOW IT'S RECENTLY MOVED FROM DISTRICT C INTO INTO DOWNTOWN AREA.
SO WANNA MAKE SURE FOLKS KNOW THAT FAMILY WITH PRIDE WILL BE FROM EIGHT 30 TO 1130 AT DISCOVERY GREEN, UM, JUNE 1ST THIS SATURDAY.
UM, AND THEN, UH, YOU KNOW, JUNE STARTING, UH, HURRICANE SEASON.
UH, JUST MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE YOUR EMERGENCY KIDS READY.
UH, KEEP ALL YOUR RECORDS SAFE.
UH, SIGN UP FOR ALERT HOUSTON FOR ALL YOUR ALERTS.
UM, AND THEN FINALLY, I JUST WANT TO CONGRATULATE MY SON, JOAQUIN MARTINEZ, WHO GRADUATED FROM KIPP EAST HIGH SCHOOL, UH, THIS PAST SUNDAY AND GOING TO U OF H GO COUGS.
AND, UH, GOOD MORNING TO EVERYONE.
MAYOR, AS YOU KNOW, UH, THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST CRITICAL TIMES OF THE YEAR FOR US AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, BECAUSE WE'RE GOING OVER, UH, THE BUDGET.
AND, UM, OVER THE PAST WEEK OR SO, I'VE BEEN REALLY KIND OF DIVING DEEPER INTO YOUR PROPOSED BUDGET, UM, AND HAVE SOME, SOME CONCERNS REGARDING IT.
AND I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE A LARGER CONVERSATION, UH, REGARDING THE BUDGET, UM, BEFORE WE GET TO THE POINT WHERE WE'RE VOTING ON IT, AND I KNOW WE'RE HAVING THE BUDGET WORKSHOPS RIGHT NOW, BUT THOSE JUST KIND OF GIVE A SUMMARY OF EACH DEPARTMENT.
BUT IN YOUR, YOUR PROPOSED BUDGET, UM, THERE ARE NO NEW FUNDING SOURCES, BUT WE'RE SPENDING MORE MONEY.
AND SO RIGHT NOW, FOR FISCAL YEAR 25, WE'RE AT $187 MILLION KIND OF BUDGET SHORTFALL.
BUT AFTER YOUR PROPOSED BUDGET, IF IT GOES INTO EFFECT, WILL BE AT A $229 MILLION DEFICIT, WHICH IS A $42 MILLION INCREASE.
AND SO I'M GETTING THESE NUMBERS FROM THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE, BUT WE'RE SPENDING MORE, BUT WE'RE NOT BRINGING IN MORE REVENUE OR ANY NEW REVENUE TO CLOSE THAT GAP.
AND THE MONEY THAT WE'RE USING TO CLOSE THE GAP THIS YEAR IS JUST A ONE-TIME FUNDING SOURCE THAT WAS LEFT OVER INTO THE FUND BALANCE FROM THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION.
[00:30:01]
SO, UH, IT'S, IT'S DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND THE LOGIC BE BEHIND HOW WE'RE GOING TO, UH, WANT TO PROPOSE SOMETHING THAT PUTS US IN A LARGER DEFICIT THAN WE'RE CURRENTLY IN, WITHOUT ANY UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT ARE THE NEW REVENUE SOURCES THAT COULD BE COMING, OR WHY AREN'T THERE ANY NEW REVENUE SOURCES BAKED INTO THIS PARTICULAR, UM, BUDGET.AND THEN ALSO BAKED INTO THIS BUDGET ARE THE, THE ALLOCATIONS THAT ARE WITHIN THE PROPOSED FIREFIGHTERS AGREEMENT.
BUT WHEN IT COMES TO THE AGREEMENT ITSELF, WE HAVEN'T EVEN SEEN IT YET.
SO IT'S DIFFICULT TO BE ABLE TO DETERMINE, YOU KNOW, HOW WE WOULD VOTE ON A PARTICULAR MEASURE WHEN WE HAVE NOT EVEN SEEN THE DETAILS YET.
AND THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN WAITING ON FOR SEVERAL MONTHS NOW.
I'VE BEEN PATIENTLY KIND OF PUTTING IT OUT THERE TO YOUR ADMINISTRATION TO SEND US SOME TYPE OF COPY, BUT WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO LOOK AT, UH, TO BASE THESE NUMBERS OFF OF.
AND WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE $100 MILLION DRAINAGE AND STREETS LITIGATION THAT WE HAVE OUT THERE, UH, THAT'S NOT EVEN FACTORED INTO THE BUDGET.
SO WHO KNOWS HOW MUCH WE WOULD HAVE TO PAY ON THAT OR IF WE WOULD HAVE TO PAY ON ALL OF IT.
SO THESE ARE, THESE ARE JUST BIG QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE REGARDING THE BUDGET.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT VENUE WE HAVE TO KIND OF DISCUSS THOSE IN A MEANINGFUL WAY.
UM, BUT FOR EVERYONE SITTING AROUND THIS HORSESHOE, WE HAVE SOME BIG DECISIONS TO MAKE REGARDING THE CITY'S FINANCIAL FUTURE.
UH, PROBABLY IN LESS THAN A MONTH.
AND WE DON'T HAVE ALL THE DETAILS YET, MAYOR.
SO I, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THOSE, UH, IN A TIMELY FASHION SO THAT WE CAN BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE VOTING ON AND, AND WHERE THOSE NUMBERS CORRELATE TO.
UM, ALSO, I REPRESENT THE GULFTON AND THE GALLERIA AREAS, UH, OF THE CITY, UM, THE MOST DIVERSE AREA, THE MOST DIVERSE CITY IN AMERICA.
AND I WAS DISHEARTENED BY SOME COMMENTS THAT WERE, THAT WERE MADE, UM, TO THE PRESS REGARDING THE GULFTON AREA.
AND, UM, AS IT PERTAINS TO RIDERSHIP, METRO BUS, RAPID TRANSIT.
AND IT WAS A, IT WAS A ARTICLE, UM, THAT QUOTED US SAYING, UM, THEY'RE LARGELY UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS.
THEY JUST WANT BASIC SERVICES.
THEY DON'T WANT TO BE A PART OF THE GALLERIA.
YOU THINK THEY'RE GOING TO BE WELCOMED IN THE GALLERIA? AND WHAT WHAT HURT ME ABOUT THAT IS WE'RE, WE'RE MAKING GENERALIZATIONS ON A PARTICULAR COMMUNITY THAT IS EXTREMELY DIVERSE.
UM, AND WHAT I WOULD HOPE FOR IS REGARDING ANY DECISIONS THAT ARE MADE, WHETHER IT'S PUBLIC SAFETY, INFRASTRUCTURE, HOUSING, ANYTHING THAT IS RELATED TO A PARTICULAR COMMUNITY.
THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION IS TO SPEAK TO THAT COMMUNITY FIRST.
UH, IT, IT'S BEEN QUOTED THAT THE GULFTON SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD PRESIDENT, SANDRA RODRIGUEZ, SAYS THAT SHE FEELS LIKE SHE DOESN'T HAVE A VOICE BECAUSE SHE ISN'T INVOLVED IN SOME OF THESE CONVERSATIONS.
AND A PERSON LIKE TAMMY RODRIGUEZ WITH THE GULFTON MANAGEMENT DISTRICT ARE, UH, SEVERAL PEOPLE WITHIN YOUR ADMINISTRATION WHO LIVE IN THE GULFTON AREA OR MYSELF AS THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE GULFTON AREA.
IF WE'RE NOT A PART OF THESE CONVERSATIONS REGARDING TRANSIT OR IMPROVEMENTS TO THE AREA, THEN THERE ARE NO CONVERSATIONS BEING HAD THAT ARE MEANINGFUL.
AND SO I, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO, UH, TRULY ENGAGE THAT COMMUNITY WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, THE AMENITIES AND THE SERVICES THAT THEY DESERVE.
AND THEY WILL GIVE YOU AN IDEA ON WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE.
AND THEY WOULD GIVE YOU AN IDEA ON WHAT THEY EXPECT FROM US AS THEIR ELECTED LEADERSHIP.
AND THEN WE WON'T HAVE TO ASSUME OR THROW OUT GENERALIZATIONS THAT, YOU KNOW, PARTICULAR COMMUNITIES AREN'T, AREN'T WELCOME IN OTHER AREAS, OR THEY DON'T WANT TO BE IN OTHER AREAS.
I THINK, UH, AS THE MOST DIVERSE CITY IN AMERICA, WE HAVE TO ALL COEXIST TOGETHER AND IT SHOULD BE A WELCOMING CITY FOR ALL.
UM, SO INCLUDE ME IN THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
I WANT TO BE IN THOSE CONVERSATIONS TO WORK WITH YOU.
UH, UM, THOSE AREAS NEED OUR HELP AND THEY NEED, UM, OUR LEADERSHIP AND, UM, WITHOUT THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY A PART OF THE CONVERSATION, I DON'T THINK YOU CAN HAVE A MEANINGFUL CONVERSATION.
AND, UH, I APPRECIATE YOUR CONCERN ABOUT THE BUDGET.
I ASSUME YOU'LL BE VOTING NO, BUT WE'LL TRY TO GET ALL THE INFORMATION WE CAN TO YOU IN TERMS OF THE TON AREA.
A WEEK AGO SATURDAY, I WAS IN THE GULFTON AREA ALL DAY.
THE SATURDAY AFTER THE STORM, THEY HAD NO ELECTRICITY.
I WAS OUT THERE REPRESENTING THEM.
THE NEWLY ARRIVED GUATEMALANS,
[00:35:01]
HONDURANS AND SALVADORANS THAT I MET WITH SAID THEY NEED BASIC SERVICES.YOU REPRESENTED THE AREA FOR FOUR YEARS BEFORE I GOT HERE.
WE TALKED TO 'EM ABOUT THE RAPID TRANSIT LINE AND THEY SAID, FIRST OF ALL, WE'RE NOT KNOWLEDGEABLE.
SO WE EXPLAINED TO 'EM, THEY SAID, NO, WE NEED RELIABLE METRO BUSES TO GET TO THE BAKER RIPLEY CENTER.
I SAID, WHAT DO YOU MEAN? WELL, THE NEW DESIGN, WHICH WAS IN PLACE AFTER YOU SERVING IT FOR FOUR YEARS, THEY CANNOT GET TO RIPLEY BAKLEY WHERE THEY NEED BASIC SERVICES.
THE LEGACY CLINIC HAS BEEN BLOCKED BY THE NEW DESIGN OF STARLIGHT.
SO I JOIN YOU IN WANTING TO REPRESENT THAT AREA.
YOU KNOW, AND I KNOW THAT THAT WAS A REP, A WRONG REPRESENTATION OF MY COMMENTS.
WE WERE TALKING ABOUT RETAIL BUYING, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT PROFESSIONAL STAFF.
ONE OF THE BIGGEST WASTE THAT YOU CAN POINT TO IS 200 MILLION FOR THE RAPID TRANSIT LINE ALONG POST OAK.
IT RUNS METRO'S BRAND, $200 MILLION, 700 RIDERS A DAY.
THE ACTIVISTS AND THOSE THAT WANT TO BUILD THE NEXT LINE WANNA RUN TO GOFTON.
I'M WORKING WITH THE COUNTY COMMISSIONER TO DO A TRANSFORMATION OF THAT PROPOSAL TO GIVE BASIC SERVICE AND DRAINAGE TO THE GOFTON AREA.
SO THERE'S A TIME TO CAMPAIGN AND THERE'S A TIME TO GO TO WORK.
YOU CHOOSE A CAMPAIGN METHOD, THAT'S FINE.
I WANNA GO TO WORK, WORK WITH ME.
'CAUSE WE ARE GOING, I'M SITTING HERE WITH YOU.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO OUTSIDE OF THE CITY.
I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH YOUR SCHEDULE.
YOU'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH MINE.
BUT I'VE GOT A BIG CITY, A LOT OF RESPONSIBILITY.
I'M SERVING IT, GETTING GOOD REPORTS, THE TON AREA.
BY THE WAY, SENATOR RODRIGUEZ RAN AGAINST YOU AND, UH, I THINK, I THINK SHE WOULD LIKE TO TALK TO YOU AS WELL.
I SHOULDN'T EVEN ENGAGE YOU, BUT I DID WANT TO CLEAR UP THE MISREPRESENTATION.
YOU DON'T WANNA, I WAS IN INDEPENDENCE HEIGHTS INDEPENDENCE HALL ON SATURDAY.
I WAS IN THE PITNER AREA THE NEXT DAY, REACHING INTO MY OWN POCKET TO HELP IMMIGRANTS, MOSTLY UNDOCUMENTED.
I CAN'T DO THAT FOR EVERYONE, BUT I'M GONNA DO MY PART.
IN FACT, ONE FAMILY WHO WALKED 45 MINUTES TO GET TO THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB, 45 MINUTES TO PICK UP SOME WATER AND ICE.
I GOT MY SECURITY DETAIL TO GIVE THEM A RIDE HOME.
I WILL MATCH MY RECORD WITH IMMIGRANTS, WITH ANYONE'S, IT'S A CALLING.
AND IF YOU WANT TO USE MISREPRESENTATIONS FOR YOUR POLITICAL PURPOSES, HAVE AT IT, BUT THE PUBLIC KNOWS BETTER.
AND I WOULD SUGGEST YOU COULD SIT NEXT TO YOUR, SITTING NEXT TO THE CHAIRMAN OF FINANCE WILL SPEND ALL THE TIME YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE BUDGET.
AND, UH, LET'S GO TO WORK COUNCIL MEMBER ALQUAN.
OKAY, ON THAT NOTE, WE ARE FINISHING UP THE, UH, FINISHING UP THE BUDGET WORKSHOPS TOMORROW WITH, UH, MAY 30TH WITH THE CONTROLLER'S TRENDS REPORT, THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE, UM, BUDGET AND ALSO FLEET MANAGEMENT.
UM, I AM GRATEFUL TO ALL THE DEPARTMENTS AND DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS WHO HAVE COME TO GIVE A THOROUGH LOOK.
UM, AND ALL MY COLLEAGUES AND AND STAFF WHO HAVE JOINED US AT THE, AT THE WORKSHOPS, IT IS AN IN-DEPTH LOOK AT EACH, EACH BUDGET.
UM, WE GO IN DEEP, WE ASK A LOT OF QUESTIONS.
SEVERAL OF THEM HAVE LASTED TWO HOURS OR MORE.
UM, UH, THERE'S LINE ITEM DATA IN THE BUDGET, UM, THAT CAN BE ANALYZED AS WELL.
AND, UH, I HOPE EVERYBODY DIVES IN DEEP.
UM, WE DO HAVE SOME MAJOR CONCERNS.
I THINK THIS BUDGET IS SETTING US UP TO, FOR, UM, FUTURE, UH, FUTURE REVENUE GENERATING, UH, UM, CONSIDERATIONS THAT WE KNOW WE'RE GONNA NEED.
WE KNOW WE'RE GONNA NEED COST CUTTING AND REVENUE GENERATING.
UM, THIS IS NOT UNLIKE MANY OF THE BUDGETS THAT HAVE BEEN PASSED IN RECENT YEARS THAT RELY ON FUND BALANCE TO CLOSE THE BUDGET GAP.
BUT, UM, AS MANY OF US KNOW, WE CAN'T CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
WE ARE GONNA HAVE TO CUT EXPENSES AND RATES FOR REVENUE CAN'T BE DONE WITH JUST CUTTING EXPENSES.
UM, BUT MUCH, UH, MUCH GRATEFUL.
UM, I'M VERY GRATEFUL TO ALL THE DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS WHO, AND, AND THEIR FINANCE PEOPLE WHO HAVE REALLY, UM, COME IN HERE PREPARED.
UM, WE'VE GONE THROUGH PERFORMANCE MEASURES.
WE'VE GONE THROUGH EACH DIVISION OF THEIR PROGRAM.
WE'VE GONE THROUGH FTES, THOSE THAT THEY'VE CUT, UM, THOSE THAT THEY NEED.
MANY DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS HAVE PRESENTED A PRETTY THOROUGH LOOK OF UNMET NEEDS, WHAT THEY ARE GOING TO NEED IN, IN COMING YEARS, UH, TO EVEN JUST KEEP THEIR HEAD ABOVE WATER.
SO, UH, APPRECIATE ALL THE GOOD DISCUSSIONS THAT HAVE GONE ON, UM, IN THIS BUDGET SEASON.
UM, TO MY COLLEAGUES, I KNOW WE HAD A DIFFERENT, I ANNOUNCED THIS YESTERDAY.
THERE WAS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT OF A SCHEDULE THAT WAS PUT OUT AT THE BEGINNING THAT BUDGET AMENDMENTS WERE DUE LIKE TODAY, BUT NOW, UH, THE ADMINISTRATION HAS BUILT IN AN EXTRA WEEK.
UM, YOU CAN BRING YOUR BUDGET AMENDMENTS
[00:40:01]
JUNE 5TH TO THE TABLE.UH, MARTA, UH,
ALL THE FORMAT IS ON SHAREPOINT, UM, FOR HOW TO, HOW TO SUBMIT 'EM.
UM, AND, UH, AND THAT OR, BUT IF NOT, YOU JUST BRING 'EM ON THE FIFTH.
IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THE BUDGET AND ALL OF THE AMENDMENTS WILL BE TAGGED ON THE FIFTH WITH A VOTE HAPPENING THE NEXT WEEK ON THE 12TH.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP.
UM, JUST A THANKS TO COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN FOR HER HARD WORK ON THESE BUDGET PROCESSES.
UH, CERTAINLY FIRST TIME TO SIT IN AND YOU'VE DONE AN AMAZING JOB.
AND, UH, IT'S, IT'S LONG DAYS AND, AND A LOT OF WORK.
THERE'S A LOT OF DETAIL AND A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE.
BUT I APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR LEADERSHIP ON THAT.
JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU, MAYOR.
IT'S HURRICANE SEASON FOR MEETING WITH SANDRA CENTER RIVER AUTHORITY AND COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER AND MYSELF.
LAST WEEK, UM, UH, FRIDAY COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER AND I TOURED THE LAKE HOUSTON DAMS. AND WE ALSO HAVE A MEETING THIS FRIDAY WITH CONSTITUENTS IN THE KINGWOOD AREA.
UM, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT AND CONTINUED, UH, WORK ON THAT FOR THE, UH, COMMUNITY.
AGAIN, YOU KNOW, FLOODING IS A REGIONAL PROBLEM, NOT JUST A KINGWOOD PROBLEM, NOT JUST A SOUTH SIDE PROBLEM OR NORTH SIDE.
WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO, UH, WORK COLLABORATIVELY, WHICH, WHICH YOU'VE CERTAINLY, UH, A PROPONENT OF, BUT WE NEED TO REALLY CONTINUE THOSE CONVERSATIONS TO, TO TRY TO ASSURE THESE PEOPLE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING FOR THEM.
THANK YOU MAYOR, AND GOOD MORNING.
AND MY APOLOGIES, THE TRAFFIC WAS HORRIBLE, BUT I THINK THIS WAS A RECORD.
ANYWAY, I'M STILL HERE ANYWAY, BUT I WANTED TO JUST TO MAKE A REQUEST.
ALSO, MAYOR, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY USED TO HAVE THOSE MOSQUITO TRUCKS TO GO AROUND SOME MOSQUITO TRUCKS.
AND I KNOW WE'VE HAD A LOT GOING ON.
IT'S A LOT ON YOUR PLATE, BUT IF WE COULD GET THAT BACK IN ACTION, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
UH, BUT ANYWAY, LET ME KINDA RECAP.
UM, THE SENIOR SORAY WAS A HEARTFELT TRIBUTE TO THE ENDURING CONTRIBUTIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE OF OUR SENIOR COMMUNITY CELEBRATING OLDER AMERICANS MONTH.
THE EVENT FEATURED VARIOUS ACTIVITIES WITH THE HIGHLIGHT BEING THE DANCING WITH THE STARS, UH, SEGMENT WHERE DISTINGUISHED PUBLIC OFFICIALS SHOWCASE THEIR COMMUNITY, SPIRIT AND LEADERSHIP.
SPECIAL THANKS TO DIRECTOR STEVEN WILLIAMS, PAULA JOHNSON, BEVERLY BROWNLOW, AND ALL THE PEOPLE WHO MADE THIS WONDERFUL EVENT POSSIBLE.
ALSO, THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION OF THE SENIORS ON THE MOVE MINISTRY.
WE CELEBRATED THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE SENIORS ON THE MOVE AT LILY GROVE MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH.
THIS REMARKABLE MILESTONE HIGHLIGHTS THE PROGRAM'S COMMITMENT TO ENGAGING AND EMPOWERING OUR SENIOR CITIZENS.
THE CELEBRATION WAS FILLED WITH JOY REFLECTIONS AND A RENEWED COMMITMENT TO CONTINUING THIS VALUABLE WORK.
NOW, UPCOMING, WE DO HAVE A HURRICANE SEASON THAT IS REALLY SUPPOSED TO BE VERY, VERY HARD.
AND SO WE ARE HAVING OUR FOURTH ANNUAL HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS WORKSHOP ON THIS MONDAY, JUNE THE THIRD FROM FOUR TO 7:00 PM UH, AND THEN THERE WILL BE A PRESS CONFERENCE WITH MAYOR JOHN WHITMEYER AT 5:00 PM AND IT WILL BE AT EMANCIPATION PARK, UH, 30 18 EMANCIPATION AVENUE.
AND SO, CERTAINLY COME OUT, YOU CAN GET SOME SUPPLIES AND THINGS THAT YOU NEED, AND CERTAINLY SOME ADVICE.
NOW, MY PERSONAL ADVICE TO YOU, AND IT'S A VERY BIG EX EXPENSE, BUT I DON'T REPRESENT A COMPANY.
BUT IF YOU CAN GET A GENERAC OR A GENERATOR, I WOULD STRONGLY RECOMMEND IT BECAUSE, UH, THE POWER OUTAGES ARE REALLY, REALLY PREVALENT.
UH, LIKE EVEN YESTERDAY IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, THE POWER WENT OUT AND I COULD HEAR SOME OF THE GENERATORS KICK ON, BUT IT, IT'S WELL WORTH THE INVESTMENT.
AND I'M NOT RECOMMENDING A COMPANY, I'M NOT GETTING A KICKBACK.
JUST MAKING IT CLEAR THAT THAT IS A VERY, VERY WORTHY, UM, EXPENSE, IF YOU CAN, CAN DO THAT.
AND SO, UM, ALSO ON THE SATURDAY, THE US ARMED FORCES DAY, UM, WEATHER PERMITTING WILL BE NOON TO FIVE AT THE HOUSTON PRAISE AND WORSHIP CENTER.
OUR PARK, UH, BISHOP FRANK RUSH, CERTAINLY HAS DONE A WONDERFUL JOB.
UH, UH, AND WE ARE GONNA CELEBRATE OUR VETERANS.
THE PARK IS 38 15 LIVE OAK, WHICH IS RIGHT NEXT TO THE SHAPE COMMUNITY CENTER.
AND WE WILL HONOR AND CELEBRATE THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO SERVE OUR COUNTRY.
AND THE EVENT WILL FEATURE DISTINGUISHED GUESTS, FREE HAIRCUTS AND KID ZONES, ENSURING A DAY FILLED WITH ACTIVITIES AND COMMUNITY SPIRIT.
AND I WILL SERVE AS THE MC, WHICH I THINK I WOULD'VE DONE IN ANOTHER LIFE, 'CAUSE I REALLY ENJOY DOING THAT.
BUT AT ANY RATE, IF YOU ARE AVAILABLE, PLEASE COME OUT TO DISTRICT D AND ENJOY THE, I THINK THIS IS PROBABLY THE FOURTH ANNUAL CELEBRATION
[00:45:01]
OF THIS.AND THAT CONCLUDES WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION.
I WANT TO INVITE THE PUBLIC, UH, THIS SATURDAY TO COME OUT TO MOODY PARK.
I'LL BE HAVING A BACK TO SUMMER BASH WITH, UH, HPD FROM 9:00 AM TO NOON.
UM, WITH THE OFFICERS OF CENTRAL DIVISION, THEY'RE GOING TO BE, UH, A NUMBER OF, UH, PROGRAMS REPRESENTED THAT, UH, WILL GIVE KIDS THE ABILITY TO DO SOMETHING.
UH, OVER THE SUMMER, THE YMCA WILL BE THERE.
UM, WE'LL HAVE THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, THE LIBRARY DEPARTMENT, UH, THINGS THAT, UH, CAN HELP PROVIDE ENRICHMENT, UH, FOR OUR CHILDREN OVER THE SUMMER MONTHS.
AND, UH, WE'LL ALSO HAVE, UH, FAMILY ACTIVITIES, UH, TO DO.
SO, UM, IT'S GONNA BE A GREAT EVENT THIS SATURDAY, NINE TO NOON AT MOODY PARK.
I WANNA MAKE SURE EVERYONE, UH, COMES OUT.
UM, WANTED TO JUST TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, ANNOUNCE TO ALL THESE RECOGNIZING WE JUST CELEBRATED MEMORIAL DAY.
AND, UH, I CERTAINLY HOPE AND PRAY, UH, THAT MANY OF OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS IN THE FUTURE AS WELL AS ALL OF US WOULD ACKNOWLEDGE OF THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO HAVE FALLEN, UH, AS A VETERAN.
AND THEN CERTAINLY, UH, ARMED FORCES AND VETERANS DAY, UH, IS THE RECOGNITION.
BUT THE PEOPLE WHO DIED AND BLED AND SUFFERED, UM, SHOULD THAT RECOGNITION SHOULD BE.
THERE WERE SEVERAL DIFFERENT MEMORIAL SERVICES THAT WAS DONE ACROSS THE CITY, AND I WANT TO THANK ALL OF THOSE WHO ATTENDED AND THOSE THAT WERE PART OF IT.
AND I WANT TO THANK THE GATHERING OF, UH, EAGLES WHO INVITED ME, AND I PARTICIPATED EVERY YEAR FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS AND, AND RECOGNIZED THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES THAT ALL OF US COULD DO WHAT WE DO AND SERVE WHERE WE SERVE.
UH, ALSO, I WANT TO THANK THE LULAC 49 86, UH, WHO ALSO PARTICIPATE AND HELD THIS HONOR.
AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO IT.
AND I HOPE THAT MANY OF US IN THE FUTURE, UH, WOULD CERTAINLY DO MORE ON THE DAY ON MEMORIAL DAY TO, TO RECOGNIZE THOSE WHO HAVE FALLEN, UH, ON FOR OUR FREEDOMS AND OUR CAUSES.
ALSO, I'M PROUD TO ANNOUNCE THAT ON JUNE THE THIRD, WE CANCELED THE JUNE, THE, THE, UM, 20TH, UH, MAY, I'M SORRY, MAY THE 20TH TOWN HALL MEETING AT LARGE.
THIS IS MY FIRST AT LARGE MEETING.
WE HOPE TO DO FOUR THROUGHOUT THE YEAR FROM THE AT LARGE PERSPECTIVE.
WE DON'T DO, OF COURSE HAVE CIPS, BUT THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE INFORMATION, UH, ACROSS THE CITY AS AT LARGE REPRESENTATIVE MAYOR.
AND SO WE ARE HOPING TO DO IT.
WE'LL BE DOING IT, UH, IN THE DISTRICT B.
UH, AND, UH, WE'LL BE DOING IT, UH, AT THE FRANK SEALS GYMNASIUM, UH, NEXT TO THE TWELL COMMUNITY CENTER, JUNE THE THIRD.
WE'LL BE DOING IT THERE FROM 6:00 PM TO 7:30 PM UH, AND THEN WE'LL GO ACROSS, UH, THE CITY AND WE'LL DO IT, UH, NORTH, SOUTH, EAST AND WEST.
AND WE CERTAINLY INVITE ALL OF OUR FELLOW COLLEAGUES AND, UH, TO PARTICIPATE.
WE HAVE A LONG LINE OF THOSE WHO ARE GOING TO PARTICIPATE WITH US.
UM, UM, THE, UH, HPD, UM, UH, HFD AND OTHERS OF THE, UH, CITY DEPARTMENTS ARE GOING TO PARTICIPATE TO GIVE INFORMATION OUT.
AND ESPECIALLY WE ARE HAPPY THAT WE HAVE THE OEM TO, UM, ALSO PARTICIPATE WITH US WITH INFORMATION.
AND SO WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT AND WE INVITE EVERYBODY TO JOIN.
LAST, UH, I LIKE TO MAKE A RECOGNITION BECAUSE OFTENTIMES WE HEAR A LOT OF PEOPLE GET RECOGNITION HERE AT CITY, UH, AT CITY HALL.
BUT I, I WANTED TO RECOGNIZE, UH, THE RETIREMENT CELEBRATION MAYOR OF MR. ANTHONY DANIELS, UH, FROM THE CITY OF HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS AND ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT, UH, DRINKING WATER OPERATION FOR 31 YEARS OF SERVICE TO OUR CITY.
AND I THINK OUR EMPLOYEES MANY TIMES NEED TO HAVE THAT RECOGNITION, AND I'M PROUD TO RECOGNIZE HIM.
AND, UH, CONSIDERING THAT I AM A, UH, HIGH SCHOOL JACK YATES BY WAY OF STEPHEN F. AUSTIN MUSTANG, UH, GRADUATE, I WILL CONSIDER HIM, UH, YOU KNOW, CAROLYN, I MEAN, WE WERE THE LIONS, BUT, UH, AND I ENDED UP, OF COURSE, AT STEPHEN F. AUSTIN, WHICH I'M PROUD OF.
BUT, UH, HE IS FROM BOOKER T WASHINGTON AND I'M GOING TO HIGH SCHOOL, SO I'M GOING TO GIVE HIM THAT RECOGNITION TODAY
[00:50:01]
ON HIS BEHALF SINCE HE'S CELEBRATED WITH 31 YEARS.NOW, I KNOW THERE'S STILL A LOT OF, UM, TREE DEBRIS THAT IS BEING, UM, THAT RESIDENTS ARE WAITING TO BE PICKED UP.
I WAS SPEAKING TO COMMISSIONER RAMSEY THIS MORNING AND HE SAID THAT IT'S ESTIMATED THE AMOUNT OF TREE DEBRIS THAT WILL BE COLLECTED IS ENOUGH TO FILL UP NRG STADIUM.
UM, WHICH SOUNDS LIKE A SHOCKING AMOUNT.
UM, I HAVE BEEN ASSURED BY PUBLIC WORKS THAT EVEN NEIGHBORHOODS THAT HAVE PRIVATE TRASH CONTRACTS, UM, THAT SOLID WASTE WILL COME THROUGH AND, UM, CONTINUE TO PICK UP TREE DEBRIS.
THE RESIDENTS OF DISTRICT G, WE ARE EAGERLY WAITING FOR OUR TURN, SO THANK YOU.
THANK COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS WOULD TAKE YOUR TIME.
NOW LET ME GET YOUR TIME, UH, MR. MAYOR THOMAS, AND SINCE I WAS GONE LAST WEEK, UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
UM, JUST AN UPDATE FOR DISTRICT F RESIDENTS.
WE HAVE CLOSE TO NINE TO 10 INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS IN THE QUEUE.
I MENTIONED THIS IN THE NEWSLETTER TWO WEEKS AGO, UM, TOTALING NEARLY $1 MILLION.
I WANNA HIGHLIGHT, AND I'LL PROVIDE THIS INFORMATION IN THE NEWSLETTER THAT'S SCHEDULED TO GO OUT ON FRIDAY.
I WANNA HIGHLIGHT SOME SIGNIFICANT PROJECTS THAT WE'VE BEEN WAITING ON, A PANEL REPLACEMENT AT RICHMOND AND WALNUT BEND.
ANYONE THAT DRIVES IN WEST CHASE DOWN RICHMOND ON WALNUT BEND.
YOU KNOW, THIS IS A, A CRITICAL REPLACEMENT.
UH, THAT PROJECT IS, UH, $179,000 THAT'S IN QUEUE.
WE HAVE A NEW SIDEWALK FINALLY AT COOK AT SPRING GROVE.
WE'VE BEEN DOING A LOT OF WORK AT SPRING GROVE, MAINTAINING THAT EASEMENT, THAT'S $126,000.
WE ALSO HAVE AN EXTENSIVE SIDEWALK REPAIR PROJECT AT WEST PARK IN GESNER.
SOME OF THE PRELIMINARY WORK HAS ALREADY STARTED.
WE RECEIVED AN EMAIL FROM A, A GRATEFUL CONSTITUENT THAT'S $168,000.
UM, AND SO WE'RE GONNA DETAIL ALL OF THIS SO YOU CAN SEE THE STATUS OF THE PROJECTS AND ALL OF YOUR REQUESTS.
SOME OF THESE ARE COUNCIL DISTRICT SERVICE FUNDS.
SOME OF THIS IS COMING FROM, UH, PUBLIC WORKS IS, UH, UH, A CITYWIDE PROGRAM.
SO GRATEFUL TO HAVE THAT IN PROCESS AND MORE TO COME ON THAT.
UH, WHEN I RAN FOUR YEARS AGO, I TALKED ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY BEING ONE OF MY PRIORITIES.
AND NOT NECESSARILY CENTERING POLICING, BUT LOOKING AT HOW WE INVEST IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS TO CREATE SAFER SPACES.
SO I AM BRINGING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY AGAIN, THE THIRD ANNUAL SUMMER OF SAFETY.
UH, MAYOR WHITMEYER WILL BE IN ALE ON JUNE 11TH.
WE'RE GONNA WALK HAND IN HAND AND JUMP IN THE POOL.
RIGHT? THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO.
UM, AND SO, UH,
YEAH, WE'RE GONNA JUMP IN THE POOL.
SO, UM, BUT WITH THAT, UM, WE HAVE A NATIONWIDE SHORTAGE OF, UH, OF LIFEGUARDS.
WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE A SHORTAGE IN THE CITY OF LIFEGUARDS, WHICH MEANS, UM, NOW MORE THAN EVER, BEING ABLE TO SURVIVE IN THE WATER IS SO IMPORTANT AS HOUSTON PARKS WORKS TO OPEN UP ALL OF OUR POOLS.
THE ALE NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER POOL IS SCHEDULED TO, UM, OPEN ON PHASE THREE.
AND WITH THAT, I'M HOSTING A SWIM SAFETY EVENT WITH HOUSTON PARKS AND HOUSTON WAVE AT NO COST ON JUNE 15TH AND JULY 13TH AT THE ALE NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER, WE ARE, UM, TAKING ADULTS AND KIDS.
WE HAVE A LIST THAT'S ALREADY FILLING UP, AND SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO LIVE IN THE DISTRICT, BUT IF YOU WANNA, UM, ENJOY THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE IN THE COMMUNITY, IT'S IN IMPERATIVE THAT YOU LEARN AND GET COMFORTABLE WITH SWIMMING IN THE WATER.
THE DATA SHOWS THAT 60% OF BLACK KIDS DO NOT KNOW HOW TO SWIM.
YOU'RE 20% ARE MORE LIKELY NOT TO KNOW HOW TO SWIM IF YOUR PARENTS DON'T KNOW HOW TO SWIM.
AND SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF, OF OUR CITY POOLS ARE OPEN ADMINISTRATION AND THE PARKS DEPARTMENT ARE WORKING DILIGENTLY TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT HAPPENS.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE SAFE WITH THAT.
UM, WITH SUMMER OF SAFETY, WE'RE ALSO PARTNERING WITH HOUSTON FIRE FOR A FIRE PREVENTION ACTIVATION.
WE HAVE AN INCREASE OF MULTI-FAMILY APARTMENT FIRES IN THE DISTRICT.
SO WE'RE GONNA COMMUNICATE WITH THEM AND WORK WITH THOSE, UH, COMMUNITIES TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE, UH, UH, UM, SMOKE DETECTORS ARE REPLACED.
HOUSTON FIRE PROVIDES SMOKE DETECTORS AT NO COST.
MANY HOUSTONIANS DON'T KNOW THAT.
AND THEN WE'RE ALSO WORKING WITH BARK FOR A STRAY ANIMAL SWEEP.
SO ALL THIS INFORMATION WILL BE IN THE NEWSLETTER, AND IT'S ON A QR CODE, ALL ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
PUBLIC SAFETY IS ALSO ABOUT THE SAFETY OF GETTING FROM YOUR HOME TO THE PUBLIC PARK.
AND A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR PARKS AND THE GREEN SPACE BECAUSE WE HAVE STRAIGHT ANIMALS, SOMETIMES DANGEROUS ANIMALS.
UM, AND SO FAMILIES ARE RESISTANT TO LETTING THEIR KIDS PLAY.
SO IF YOU HAVE IDENTIFIED DANGEROUS STRAIGHT ANIMALS IN YOUR COMMUNITY, UM, HIT THE QR CODE REGISTER.
YOU CAN CON, YOU CAN SEE ALL THIS INFORMATION ON THE DISTRICT F WEBSITE, UM, AND PARTNERSHIP.
AND WE'RE GONNA SWEEP THOSE ANIMALS TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR COMMUNITIES ARE SAFER.
UM, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS AROUND THAT? YOU CAN ALWAYS EMAIL OUR OFFICE AT DISTRICT F@HOUSTONTX.GOV AND CALL THE OFFICE AT (832) 393-3002.
[9:30 AM - PUBLIC SPEAKERS]
SESSION.WE NEED A PROCEDURAL MOTION FROM SECOND.
[00:55:01]
I AM SORRY I DIDN'T SEE YOU GONE.I MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO MOVE TINA BRADY TO THE TOP OF THE THREE MINUTE NON AGENDA LIST FOR THREE MINUTES.
SECOND, MOTION MADE AND SECOND.
ALL OPPOSED IN FAVOR? MOTION PASSES.
I'M BOB CHOATE AND I'M A PROUD ADVOCATE FOR RESPONSIVE AND RESPONSIBLE LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
ITEM 34 WAS PULLED OFF THIS WEEK'S AGENDA, BUT I SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON IT, SO I'LL, I'LL GO AHEAD AND SPEAK IF YOU DON'T MIND.
THIS IS FOR $25 MILLION FOR ART.
ANY HOUSTON HOUSEHOLD THAT HAS HOLES IN THE ROOF.
WATER LEAKING WINDOWS ARE BROKEN.
BABY NEEDS SHOES, SISSY NEEDS BRACES, AND MAMA NEEDS A NEW VAN.
HOUSTON FAMILY IS SPENDING MONEY ON ART.
I HOPE YOU SUSPEND THIS, DO SOMETHING WITH IT, AND LET'S TAKE CARE OF SOME OF OUR MORE URGENT NEEDS.
SPEAKING OF SPENDING MONEY AS C COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ MENTIONED THIS SATURDAY IS THIS FAMILIES WITH PRIDE EVENT BEING SPONSORED BY MY ALLEGED CITY COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVE.
LAST YEAR WAS SUBSIDIZED AS NEAR AS I CONFIGURED TO THE TUNE OF $12,900 OF CITY MONEY.
NOW THIS IS, UH, BEING BILLED AS A CITYWIDE EVENT BEING FUNDED WITH COUNTY, OR I'M SORRY, UH, COUNCIL DISCRETIONARY FUNDS.
I HAVE TO SAY I'M OPPOSED TO THIS.
WE GONNA SHOW YOU A PRIDE EVENT AND BY INQUIRIES AS TO THE BUDGET FOR THIS YEAR'S EVENT.
SO WHY ARE WE DOING IT? ALSO IN THE TERMS OF, UH, EXPENDITURES, THE SAME CITY COUNCILMAN IS ATTENDING A PARTISAN EVENT CALLED THE TEX DEM, UH, CONVENTION.
AND I MADE AN INQUIRY SEVERAL WEEKS AGO AS TO HOW IS THIS BEING FUNDED.
IF YOU WANNA GO ON YOUR OWN DIME, THAT'S GREAT.
IF YOU'RE SPENDING CITY MONEY AGAIN, I HAVE TO SAY I'M OPPOSED.
THERE IS ONE CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE THAT HAS YET TO POST A MEETING CALENDAR, AND THAT'S THE LABOR COMMITTEE.
I TRY TO SORT THIS OUT WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, WITH THE MAYOR'S, UH, MAYOR'S ADVISOR FOR CONSTITUENT SERVICES, AND THEN SUBSEQUENTLY WITH THE ASSISTANT CHIEF OF STAFF OR DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF.
AND I WAS TOLD WE ONLY HAVE TO POST AN POST THE AGENDA 72 HOURS IN ADVANCE.
IF YOU DON'T LIKE THAT, TAKE IT UP WITH YOUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE.
I DON'T SEE WHY WE CAN'T HAVE A AGENDA CALENDAR FOR ONE COMMITTEE.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ.
I WANT TO SUSPEND THE RULES AND MOVE DENISE O'NEILL, UH, AS THE NEXT SPEAKER.
UH, BOB, I'M GONNA GET THAT, THAT, UH, THAT, UH, LIST OF COMMITTEE MEETINGS FOR YOU.
ALRIGHT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS, MAYOR WHITMEYER, GOOD MORNING TO YOU.
I AM ESTON O'NEAL, FOUNDER OF SHAAK AND ENTERPRISE AND THE FADE TO BLACK ARTS FESTIVAL.
I'M EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE THAT OUR FESTIVAL SCHEDULED FOR JUNE 8TH THROUGH THE THE 14TH, 2025, IS BUILDING IN ANTICIPATION.
THIS GROUNDBREAKING FESTIVAL WILL PLACE, UH, UH, HOUSTON, UH, TO THE TOP OF THE NATION IN TERMS OF, OF, UH, NOTORIETY.
UH, AND IT WILL BUILD, UH, THE AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL ARTS KNOWLEDGE, UH, UH, IN A, IN A GREAT WAY OVER OUR COUNTRY.
THE FESTIVAL WILL CELEBRATE FILM, MUSIC, POETRY, AND THEATER.
UH, IT WILL ALSO, UH, UH, PROMOTE HOUSTON AS A LEADING DESTINATION FOR THE ARTS AND SHOW THE NATION THAT HOUSTON IS UNIFIED IN MAKING CULTURAL ARTS HISTORY.
I'M HERE TODAY TO SHOW OUR PROGRESS AND DISCUSS HOW YOU, OUR CITY OFFICIALS CAN PROVIDE CRITICAL SUPPORT.
WE HAVE CREATED AN IMPRESSIVE COLLABORATIVE INITIATION, UH, UH, ENGAGING HOUSTON'S CULTURAL LEADERS, INCLUDING THE ENSEMBLE THEATER, THE HOBBY CENTER, THE ALLEY THEATER, THE HOUSTON GRAND OPERA, THE HOUSTON BALLET, THE HOUSTON
[01:00:01]
SYMPHONY HOUSTON, UM, UH, UH, THE HOUSTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE, FORGIVE ME DOWNTOWN, AND THEN THE BUFFALO SOLDIERS NATIONAL MUSEUM AND MORE.WE ALSO HAVE THE SUPPORT OF MIDTOWN CULTURAL ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT, HOUSTON DOWNTOWN MANAGEMENT DISTRICT.
THE THIRD, THE FOURTH AND FIFTH WARDS.
WE HAVE THE SUPPORT OF CHURCHES, FRATERNITIES, SORORITIES, COMMUNITY LEADERS, AND HOUSTON CELEBRITIES.
THEY HAVE ALL JOINED THIS PROJECT AND SAID, YES, WE NEED THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO SAY YES TO, TO THIS FESTIVAL WAS CREATED TO PROMOTE HOUSTON NATIONWIDE AND DROP THOUSANDS OF TOURISTS READY TO SPEND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS HERE CONTRIBUTING TO OUR CITY'S BUDGET.
IT WAS CREATED FOR CULTURAL ARTS ENTHUSIASTS AND FOR BLACK VOTING CONSTITUENTS WHO HAVE BEEN WAITING A LONG TIME FOR THIS FESTIVAL TO HAPPEN.
WE HOPE THAT AS WE SUPPORT HOUSTON, HOUSTON WILL SUPPORT US.
I WANT TO ADD THAT FILM BECAME A MAJOR PART OF OUR FESTIVAL BECAUSE WE WANTED TO ALIGN OURSELVES WITH THE CITY'S GOAL OF STRENGTHENING ITS ECONOMIC IMPACT THROUGH FILM INDUSTRY INITIATIVES, THE FADE TO BLACK ARTS FESTIVAL WILL BRING A FLOOD OF NEW ARTISTS, PRODUCTION COMPANIES, INDUSTRY LEADERS, AND TREMENDOUS AWARENESS TO HOUSTON.
OUR CITY IS READY TO TAKE ITS PLACE AS A NATIONAL LEADER IN THE AFRICAN AMERICAN PERFORMING ARTS SECTOR.
AND THE FADES OF BLACK ARTS FESTIVAL IS COMMITTED TO HELPING HOUSTON REACH THIS GOAL.
TO REALIZE THIS VISION, WE NEED THE MAYOR'S APPROVAL TO EXCEED THE HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE'S CITY INITIATIVE GRANT LIMIT OF $10,000.
WE NEED THAT TO BE INCREASED, UH, TO COVER VITAL FESTIVAL COSTS AND THE CITY SUPPORT IN PROMOTING THE EVENT.
EVANS, UH, COUNCILMAN EVANS SHABA.
THANK YOU MAYOR, AND THANK YOU, DENISE, FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD.
ART IS VERY IMPORTANT AND, UH, WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE MANY THINGS THAT THE CITY HAS TO ENGAGE IN FOR OUR CITIZENS.
UH, BUT AGAIN, ART IS VERY IMPORTANT AND I'M VERY HONORED ALONG WITH MY COLLEAGUE TO BE, UH, THE CHAIR AND, AND VICE CHAIR OF THE ARTS AND CULTURE COMMITTEE.
AND THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE WANT TO CHALLENGE.
MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE HAVE THE FUNDING, UH, THROUGH GRANTS AND, AND DONATIONS TO BE ABLE TO BRING THIS TO FRUITION.
AND SO I THANK YOU FOR COMING FORWARD.
UH, CERTAINLY TRY TO ENGAGE YOU.
I I SEE YOU HAVE A, A LOT OF WONDERFUL ORGANIZATIONS AND PARTNERSHIP, SOME WHICH ARE IN THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION.
AND THEN I NOTICED YVONNE PHILLIPS DUPREE IS YOUR EMERITUS.
AND CERTAINLY INE BRYANT, WHICH ARE, ARE PERSONAL FRIENDS OF MINE.
AND SO, UM, CERTAINLY I WISH YOU WELL, AND WE'LL HAVE TO GET IN FRONT OF THIS SO THAT WE CAN BE ABLE TO, TO REALLY SUPPORT THIS, BECAUSE I ASSUME THAT THIS WILL BE SOMETHING THAT IS ANNUAL.
THE, THE, UH, THE CITY INITIATIVE GRANT HAS THREE TIERS.
I HAVE A LIMITED AMOUNT OF TIME TO GET BEFORE COUNCIL, GET BEFORE THE MAYOR, AND ASK FOR AN INCREASE.
WE NEED MORE THAN 10,000 TO, TO AFFECT CHANGE AND TO, TO COVER SOME OF THE BASIC THINGS FOR THE FESTIVAL.
SO THAT IS MY REQUEST, THAT WE GET ADVOCACY, WE GET PEOPLE BEHIND THIS.
THIS IS, THIS IS SUPPOSED TO MAKE HISTORY FOR US.
IT'S NOT JUST A LITTLE SMALL FESTIVAL.
IT WILL MAKE NATIONAL HISTORY WHEN WE DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
UH, WE'VE GOT GREAT PRESTIGIOUS PARTNERS.
WE'VE GOT THE, THE ALLEY, WE'VE GOT THE SYMPHONY, THE BALLET IS, IS A PART OF THIS.
I DON'T WANNA LET THEM DOWN BY NOT BEING ABLE TO SAY THE CITY IS BEHIND THIS PROJECT.
I DON'T WANNA SAY WE'RE JUST GONNA HAVE TO DO IT OURSELVES.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR TWO YEARS, SO IF, IF YOU WOULD HELP US, TALK TO US MORE ABOUT IT, WE CAN GET IT DONE AND, UH, AND MAKE NATIONAL HISTORY.
AND, YOU KNOW, THE MAYOR HAS A BIG CHECKBOOK OVER THERE.
UM, DENISE, THANK YOU FOR COMING TODAY.
I KNOW THAT YOU HAVE BEEN WORKING HARD TO TRY TO GET THE WORD OUT AND GET THE SPONSORSHIPS AND, UM, REALLY GARNER A LOT OF SUPPORT FOR, UM, THIS ARTS FESTIVAL.
AND I, I DEFINITELY AM SUPPORTIVE OF, OF THE FESTIVAL.
AND, AND MY QUESTIONS ARE, HAVE YOU ALREADY APPLIED FOR THE HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE GRANT? WELL, THERE'S STEPS, YOU KNOW, I FIRST NEED JUST CHAT WITH THEM ABOUT THE PROJECT.
AND, UH, JUST TALK TO THEM ABOUT THE, THE BUDGET AND THINGS LIKE THAT, AND THEN, UH, MOVE FORWARD WITH PUTTING THAT THROUGH.
HOWEVER, A DIRECTIVE FROM THE MAYOR WILL, WILL HELP OVERRIDE
[01:05:01]
THAT.I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE ASKING IS, BUT I'M ASKING YOU, HAVE YOU ALREADY APPLIED FOR THE HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE GRANT? YES.
YOU HAVE APPLIED FOR THE HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE GRANT? YES, MA'AM.
AND THEN MY OTHER QUESTION IS, HAVE YOU HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH HOUSTON FIRST? UM, THEY HAVE BEEN REALLY, UM, LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO GARNER MORE FILM MM-HMM
HAS THERE BEEN ANY CONVERSATIONS WITH HOUSTON FIRST ABOUT, UM, THE, THE FESTIVAL? YES.
WE BELIEVE WE HAVE THEIR SUPPORT.
THEY'VE INDICATED THAT ONCE WE GET EVERYTHING BUTTONED UP, UH, THEY WILL BEGIN TO PROMOTE IT.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S A GREAT HELP TO US.
WE'LL NEED TO CONTINUE TALKS WITH THEM, BUT YES, THEY ARE AWARE ABOUT THE PROJECT.
UM, MAYOR, I WOULD LIKE FOR US TO, UM, YOU KNOW, TAKE A LOOK AT THE, THE FESTIVAL.
I THINK THAT, UM, THERE ARE PROJECTS THAT COME TO THE CITY THAT, UM, REALLY, UH, ATTRACT PEOPLE TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
UM, I'M, I'M DEFINITELY SUPPORTIVE OF WHAT YOU ARE TRYING TO DO TO BRING MORE PEOPLE TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TO STAY IN OUR HOTELS AND YEAH.
TO SHOP AT OUR, OUR, OUR, UM, STORES AND TO EAT AT OUR RESTAURANTS, AND TO ALSO ENJOY THE, UM, BLACK ARTS FESTIVAL.
UM, I'D, I'D LIKE TO, UM, MAYBE SIT DOWN AND LOOK AT WHAT WE CAN DO AS A CITY TO, UM, HELP, UH, MS. O'NEILL WITH, WITH THE PROJECT.
AND, UM, DEFINITELY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE THE SUPPORT YOU NEED TO APPLY.
I KNOW SEVERAL COUNCIL MEMBERS HOST THE HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE MM-HMM
UM, IN THEIR COMMUNITY, SO PEOPLE CAN KNOW HOW TO ACTUALLY APPLY FOR THOSE GRANTS.
UM, THERE ARE SOME OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE FOR, UH, GRANT DOLLARS.
AND IF YOU, YOU KNOW, NEED ASSISTANCE, THE MOCA OFFICE CAN GIVE YOU THOSE LIST OF PROGRAMS THAT ARE AVAILABLE.
AND THEN WE CAN CONTINUE TO TALK ABOUT HOW WE CAN SUPPORT, UM, ADVERTISING AND MAKING SURE PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT THESE PROGRAMS AND CAN PARTICIPATE AND MAKE THEM EXCITING FOR US IN 2025.
AND WE'LL DEFINITELY SIT DOWN AND TAKE THIS, UH,
YEAH, THAT WOULD BE GREAT HELP.
WE, WE HAVE A, A NATIONAL REACH.
WE'VE GOT ABOUT EIGHT DIVISION LEADERS WHO KNOW PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, AND THEY'RE ANTICIPATING THIS, UH, THIS, I DON'T WANNA KEEP COMPARING IT TO THE ESSENCE FESTIVAL, BUT MADISON FESTIVAL HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR A LONG TIME.
IT BRINGS GREAT AWARENESS AND GREAT DOLLARS TO THE CITY.
SO I WOULD WELCOME AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT IT, UH, AND THEN MOVE FORWARD FROM THERE.
UH, AFTER OUR MEETING, UM, ON SEVERAL, YOU KNOW, THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THIS, WE ARE, I'M VERY BIG ON THE FACT OF HOW WE BRING IN MORE REVENUE IN THE CITY.
WE HAVE A HIGH CLASS CITY AND WE SHOULD DO IT BRINGING REVENUE IN.
WE HOST A LOT OF EVENTS AND OFTENTIMES WE SPEND A LOT OF MONEY, BUT WE NEVER SEE ANYTHING IN RETURN.
I THINK LOOKING AT THIS AS OTHER COLLEAGUES HAVE EXPRESSED, HAVE EXPRESSED, I THINK THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE CITY ALONG WITH HOUSTON FIRST SHOULD DEFINITELY LOOK AT.
YOU HAVE A LONG LIST OF PEOPLE MM-HMM
WHO ARE PART, WHO'VE JOINED IN, AND AS OUR DISCUSSION AS TO LOOKING AT OTHER PEOPLE, CERTAINLY FROM PUBLIC PRIVATE DOLLARS.
AND, UH, I'VE ALREADY, UH, REACHED OUT TO SEVERAL PEOPLE.
UH, WE JUST BEEN TRYING TO GET AROUND TO HAVING THAT MEETING.
BUT DUE TO THE STORM, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF CHANGES IN SCHEDULING.
BUT I LIKE TO CERTAINLY SUPPORT, UH, THIS EFFORT AND CERTAINLY TO DO WHAT WE CAN, EVEN UNDER THE BUDGET RESTRAINTS, WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT.
BUT THIS IS SOMETHING I THINK WOULD BE WORTHWHILE AND WOULD CERTAINLY PUT OUR CITY IN ANOTHER CATEGORY TO BRING MORE REVENUE AND DOLLARS INTO THE CITY.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK AND LABOR AND EFFORTS.
SO WE, WE HOPE TO SEE IT HAPPEN.
GOOD MORNING MAYOR WHITMEYER AND THE HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I'M A FELLOW HOUSTONIAN, AND I LIVE IN EASTWOOD.
I'M HERE TODAY TO THANK YOU FOR GUIDING METRO TO SHIFT FOCUS AWAY FROM BRT.
IN 2019, HOUSTON, VOTERS LIKE ME VOTED TO APPROVE THAT THREE AND A HALF BILLION DOLLAR BOND TO PAY FOR METRO.
IT WAS SUPPOSED TO IMPROVE PUBLIC TRANSIT AND ROADS AND SIDEWALKS, AND TO GET US TO THE AIRPORTS EASIER.
[01:10:01]
BUT METRO NEXT BRT WAS NOT ON A PATH TO LIVE UP TO THAT VISION.BRT PLANNED TO LAY CONCRETE OVER THE LOCKWOOD ESPLANADE AND DESTROY ITS TREES FROM POLK TO TIDWELL.
IT WOULD CEMENT HOUSTON TO A ROUTE WITHOUT POPULATION DENSITY.
AND THAT GOES THROUGH THE CANCER CENTER THAT WE'RE TRYING TO HELP PEOPLE GET OUT OF METRO.
NEXT BOOST INCLUDES INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS SIMILAR TO THOSE BRT PROMISED, AND IT WOULD ALLOW BUS ROUTES TO SHIFT AS POPULATIONS SHIFT THE METRO NEXT MOVING FORWARD PLAN MUST BE AN INVESTMENT IN HOUSTON, NOT AN ALBATROSS.
I PREPARED A ONE MINUTE SPEECH THINKING I HAD ONE MINUTE, BUT I'D BE LOVE TO TAKE QUESTIONS IF I MAY.
ANY QUESTIONS? COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ? COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ.
UH, TINA, THANK, THANK YOU FOR COMING.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, I REMEMBER BACK IN 2019 HOW THIS KIND OF, A LOT OF FOLKS OFF GUARD IN THE EAST EASTWOOD AREA.
UM, HISTORICALLY METRO HASN'T DONE A GOOD JOB OF, OF GETTING IN FRONT OF THESE, THESE CONVERSATIONS.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY'S VOICE IS BEING HEARD.
UH, WE DEFINITELY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT TRANSPORTATION BECOMES A PRIORITY IN HOUSTON, ESPECIALLY WITH INCREASED POPULATION.
WE HAVE MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, JUST CONTINUE TO HAVE DIALOGUE WITH MY OFFICE.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND DEFINITELY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE METRO, METRO CHAIR, UM, AND OF COURSE, THE ADMINISTRATION, YOU KNOW, WE CAN FIND WAYS WHERE EVERYBODY'S AT THE TABLE.
I'LL REACH OUT TO YOUR OFFICE TODAY.
MARIAN JARM, JARMAN JOINER, WALTER BEARD, O'NEILL JACKSON, JR.
GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL PANEL.
I'M HERE DUE TO MY SAFETY AND THE VIOLATION OF MY CIVIL RIGHTS.
UM, THIS DATE BACK ALL THE WAY TO 2007 WHEN I WAS, UM, BRUTALLY BEATEN BY A SHERIFF, UM, ON THE STREETS.
AND ALL THE WAY UP UNTIL THIS TIME PERIOD NOW I'M STILL RECEIVING HARASSMENT AND VIOLATION OF MY RIGHTS WHERE THEY ARE TRACKING ME, UM, MAKING SURE I DON'T GAIN ANY TYPE OF REVENUE.
UM, ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS IS IN 2011, I FIGURED OUT A, A FORMULA.
AND THIS FORMULA WAS TO, UM, CREATE A RIGHT PAD AND, UM, THE NEW WAVE OF IPADS.
UM, SO 2015, I, WELL, NO, THIS GOES BACK TO, UM, 2012.
I WENT TO APPLE AND I TRIED TO PRESENT THIS IDEA AND MARKET IT TO 'EM.
AND, UM, DUE TO, UM, PEOPLE, I GUESS THEY, UM, WATCH AND, UM, TROLLED.
AND SO, UM, THEY TROLLED AND THEN THEY PUT FIREWALLS AND BLOCKS UP ON MY PHONE TO WHERE I COULDN'T CONTACT ANY, UM, HUGE CORPORATION TO TRY TO PAT GET THIS PATENT AND INVENTION ON THE ROAD.
UM, AND SO NOW I'M AT THE POINT TO WHERE, YOU KNOW, I NEED FOR WHOEVER THIS CARTEL OR ORGANIZATION, AND I'M SERIOUS, A COLLECTION OF OFFICERS IN WHICH, YOU KNOW, I HAD TO GO TO APPLE LAST YEAR AND TALK TO THEM ABOUT PUTTING A, UM, BLOCK ON MY PHONE WHERE THEY CAN'T PUT TRACKERS ON MY PHONE TO WHERE THEY, I ALREADY TRIED NUMEROUS, UM, TIMES TO TAKE MY LIFE, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? AND RIGHT NOW I'M SITTING IN THE POSITION OF
[01:15:01]
WHERE THEY ARE SAYING IF I DON'T PAY THEM $3 BILLION THAT THEY GOING, UM, TAKE MY LIFE.AND I'M LIKE, SHOOT, I HAVEN'T RECEIVED $3 BILLION YET, SO I'M GONNA COME ACROSS AND PAY YOU $3 BILLION.
AND NOW I'M LIKE, SHOOT, UP UNTIL I WENT TO SHARK TANK.
AND SO NOW I'M JUST WAITING TO GET SOME TYPE OF FEEDBACK FROM THIS SITUATION.
SO I'VE BEEN TRYING TO CARRY ON MY LIFE AND COME UP WITH OTHER THANK YOU.
MR. JACKSON, DO YOU HAVE A, UH, IF YOU DON'T MIND ME ASKING, YOU HAVE FAMILY? UH, YES, I DO.
MATTER OF FACT, MY FATHER O'NEIL JACKSON WAS, UM, OVER PARKS AND RECREATION FOR AROUND 20 YEARS.
DO YOU LIVE WITH YOUR FAMILY? I LIVE WITH MY WIFE AND MY CHILDREN.
DO YOU MIND ME ASKING IF YOU WORK AT THIS POINT? I HAVEN'T BEEN WORKING, AND IT'S GOING ON TWO YEARS.
I USED TO BE A BARBER IN WHICH I HAVEN'T BEEN BARBERING FOR THE LAST TWO AND A HALF YEARS BECAUSE I HAD BEEN TRYING TO GET OUTTA THAT LINE OF BUSINESS DUE TO HOW THEY, UH, HARASS ME AND TRY TO CONTROL HOW MUCH MONEY I MAKE.
SO I CAN'T PUT MY CLOTHING LINE OUT.
I ASKED YOU THOSE QUESTIONS TO SEE WHAT YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES ARE.
IF YOU BELIEVE, UH, THESE CIRCUMSTANCES AND THE AUTHORITIES ARE STILL BOTHERING YOU, I WANTED TO KNOW IF YOU HAD A SUPPORT SYSTEM.
'CAUSE IT SOUNDS TO ME LIKE YOU NEED PERHAPS AN ATTORNEY OR FI FAMILY OR MAYBE A FAITH, A PERSON OF FAITH, SOMEONE TO HELP YOU GET THROUGH THE CHALLENGES THAT YOU'RE MENTIONING.
AND I HAVE SOUGHT OUT TO GET LEGAL ASSISTANCE, UM, DUE TO HOW THEY TRACK ME.
AND, UM, THEY TRY TO STAY AHEAD OF MY MOTIONS ON WHAT I'M GOING TO DO AS FAR TO TRY TO, UM, GET THE SITUATION RESOLVED WITH THEM.
AND, AND SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT STIPULATION THEY HAVE UNDER MY NAME OR HOW THEY ABLE TO GO TO THE ATTORNEY AND TELL 'EM THAT MY, UH, CASE WOULDN'T BE CREDIBLE.
WELL, I'M GONNA LET YOU SPEAK TO MY STAFF AND SEE IF WE CAN GET YOU SOME, UH, SOME ASSISTANCE.
NOW, YOU UNDERSTAND THE INCIDENT YOU'RE DESCRIBING HAPPENED IN THE COUNTY WHERE YOU'RE A RESIDENT.
UNDERSTAND, JUST FROM MY BRIEF REVIEW, YOU'RE NOT A RESIDENT OF HOUSTON, BUT YOU'RE, WE STILL CARE ABOUT YOU.
SO WHY DON'T YOU TALK TO MS. WILSON AND SHE'S GONNA SEE IF PERHAPS THERE'S SOME AGENCY, SOCIAL AGENCY THAT COULD HELP YOU WITH SOME OF YOUR CONCERNS.
BUT SEE, AND THEN REALLY, THIS GOES A LITTLE DEEPER THAN WHAT I'M EXPLAINING NOW, BUT BECAUSE THEY PUT ME ON A THREE MINUTE TIMEFRAME, I, I KNOW I CAN'T EXPLAIN THE WHOLE SITUATION.
AND IT'S REALLY FOR THE SAFETY OF THE COMMUNITY IN WHICH PEOPLE HAVE TO BE AWARE OF IN CASE ANOTHER BOMBINGS COME, COME ACROSS.
IN WHICH, UM, THE, UM, HISPANIC COMMUNITY ARE THE ONES JUST, WELL, WELL, LET ME, JUST TO ASSURE YOU, YOU SOUND TO ME LIKE YOU NEED SOME HELP, AND WE'RE GONNA DO THE BEST WE CAN TO GET YOU, UH, THE, THE ASSISTANCE YOU NEED FROM A PROPER AGENCY.
I'M NOT CERTAIN THERE'S MUCH THE COUNCIL OR THE CITY CAN DO THIS MORNING, BUT WE'RE GONNA GET YOUR INFORMATION AND PUT YOU IN CONTACT WITH, UH, AGENCIES THAT COULD, COULD BE OF ASSISTANCE.
THANK YOU, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I WENT TO PRE-K HERE IN COLLEGE HERE, TEXAS SOUTHERN.
BUT MAYOR, WHEN YOU WERE OVER AT THE INDEPENDENT HALL AND YOU WERE ANNOUNCING ON THE NEWS HOW DEPLORABLE THE CONDITIONS WERE.
WELL, I HAD BEEN FIGHTING THIS FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS, AND SINCE THE FREEZE, ERIC LUNA CAME OUT AND INSPECT THIS, SEE HOW THE MOLD WAS IN THE CEILING.
MY SIGNIFICANT OTHER HAS BEEN BREAKING OUT WITH SORES AND MOLES.
AND THAT BUILDING IS 70 YEARS OLD.
AND WE'RE ASKING EPA TO COME OUT AND DO THE WALLS.
[01:20:01]
CDC.THESE PEOPLE ARE DYING, LITERALLY DYING.
I'VE WATCHED THEM BEEN PA UH, CARRIED OUT IN BODY BAGS AND NO ONE HEARS MY CRY.
I LEFT THERE, BUT I LEFT MY SIGNIFICANT OTHER THERE.
NOW THIS IS MOLD COMING FROM THE CEILING AND THAT MANAGEMENT WOULD NOT IMMEDIATELY REPAIR.
AND IT SET THERE FOR TWO YEARS.
AND WE'VE LIVED IN THIS, THIS, THIS BUILDING.
UM, YOU CAN SEE THE LEAD, THE MOLD PEOPLE ARE REALLY, THIS IS INDEPENDENT HALL.
UM, WHEN I CALL IT WENT STRAIGHT TO, UH, COUNCILMAN'S, UH, AT LARGE NUMBER FOUR PLUMBER.
THERE'S A CC THERE'S A MS. GLOVER.
I'VE SENT PICTURES TO THE, UM, ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT, UH, CONSTRUCTION TO COME OUT AND SEE THIS BUILDING FALLING APART.
I'VE GOT YOU 50 PICTURES HERE.
YOU CAN KEEP IT AND GO THROUGH.
WELL, LET ME, LET ME JUST ASSURE YOU, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
AS YOU'VE ARTICULATED DEPLORABLE UNACCEPTABLE CONDITIONS AND BEEN THAT WAY FOR SOME TIME.
AND YOU'RE DOCUMENTING YOUR ATTEMPT TO GET THE CITY OF HOUSTON INVOLVED.
WE CAME ACROSS IT ABOUT TWO O'CLOCK ON SUNDAY AFTER THE STORM.
IMMEDIATELY FIRE, HPD HEALTH DEPARTMENT, EVERYONE WENT TO THE LOCATION.
UH, WE CALLED THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT THAT WAS THERE THE NEXT DAY.
UH, ACTUALLY I'VE SEEN VIDEO NOW OF MANAGEMENT TRYING TO REPAIR THE ROOF AND, AND INTERVENE, BUT NO DOUBT.
AND WE'VE GOT TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
AND COUNCIL MEMBERS AGREE ABOUT ABSENTEE OWNERS, ABSENTEE MANAGERS.
THE OFFICE WAS LOCKED THAT SUNDAY AFTERNOON.
IT HAD BEEN RED TAGGED AND YOU HAD PEOPLE LITERALLY WITHOUT FOOD AND WATER AND CERTAINLY NO ELECTRICITY.
AND WHAT ALSO CONCERNS ME IS WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OTHER LOCATIONS ARE IN SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCES.
UH, THEY SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO OPERATE.
CERTAINLY GETTING, UH, HOUSING ASSISTANCE.
OF COURSE, THE REAL CHALLENGE IS IF YOU DO NOT ALLOW SOMEONE TO LIVE THERE, WHERE DO THEY RELOCATE? AND THAT'S BEEN A BIG PROBLEM FOR ME TOO.
AND, AND I'LL BE WORKING WITH COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS HOUSING DEPARTMENT AND AUTHORITY SOCIAL AGENCIES, BUT YOU CAN'T LET PEOPLE LIVE IN THOSE CONDITIONS.
AND IT'S NOT JUST INDEPENDENCE HALL, IT'S NER STREET.
PEOPLE THAT CAN'T REACH OUT FOR ASSISTANCE AND ARE NOT AS CAPABLE AS YOU ARE TO COME TO CITY HALL.
THERE'S PEOPLE IN GOFTON AND OTHER COMMUNITIES THAT DO NOT HAVE TRANSPORTATION, DO NOT HAVE THE LANGUAGE SKILLS OR THE CONFIDENCE THAT YOU HAVE.
BUT YOU'VE HIT ON A REAL NERVE OF MINE.
I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBERS SHARE MY CONCERNS.
AND ALL I SAY IS, GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY.
YOU COULD ACTUALLY SEE THE SKY IN SOME OF THE, UH, UNITS.
AND, UH, AND IT WASN'T JUST FROM THE STORM.
'CAUSE LIKE I SAID, WE WERE THERE TO FREEZE.
BEDS, COFFEE, NUNO, THE, UH, NUMBER TWO PERSON IN THE EMERGENCY CENTER.
HE, AND ALL WE CAN DO IS, IS REACH IN OUR POCKET MM-HMM
AND GIVE HIM SOME PERSONAL ASSISTANCE.
I'VE BEEN SPREAD PRETTY THIN, BUT WHEN I GET THROUGH HERE TODAY, I WILL GET WITH MIKE NICHOLS AND GET AN UPDATE ON WHAT THE, UH, HOUSING DEPARTMENT'S DOING TOWARD THE OUT OF TOWN ABSENT MANAGEMENT.
AND I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE TEST TESTED FOR TOXICS.
IT NEEDS TO BE TESTED FOR TOXIC TOXICS.
IT IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE LIVING CONDITIONS.
CITIES DO NOT ALLOW PEOPLE TO LIVE IN THOSE CONDITIONS.
AND, YOU KNOW, MY SIGNIFICANT OTHER IS BLEEDING INTERNALLY, YOU KNOW, AND I'VE WATCHED HIM DIE.
I'VE SINCE MOVED OUT IN MARCH OF 21.
I WAS GONNA ASK YOU, ARE YOU STILL A RESIDENT? HE IS.
THEY MOVED HIM FROM 10 TO BUILDING SIX.
[01:25:01]
THE MANAGER OVER AT, UH, INDEPENDENT HALL.SHE SAID BUILDING TWO COLLAPSED THE WHOLE ROOF.
SO THEY'RE TRYING TO MOVE THOSE PEOPLE FROM BUILDING TWO WHEREVER THEY CAN.
I, I'LL GET AN UPDATE TODAY, SIR.
BUT YOU, FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD.
AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
AND ALL THE INFORMATION YOU HAVE SHARED, IT IS INCREDIBLY FRUSTRATING, UH, TO SEE THOSE LIVING CONDITIONS FOR YES.
UM, YOU KNOW, I WANT YOU TO KNOW WE HAVE, UH, BEEN IN CONTACT WITH YOU AND, AND RECEIVED YOUR EMAILS.
WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO COMMUNICATE AND FOLLOW UP AND BE A RESOURCE, UM, ON THE IMMEDIATE CONCERNS.
AND THEN ALSO, UH, ON THE MORE LONGER TERM AS THE, THE MAYOR MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, THE ABSENTEE OWNERS, UM, OKAY.
THAT WILL ALSO NEED TO BE ADDRESSED AS WELL.
BUT, UH, REALLY APPRECIATE YOU BEING ABLE TO BE AN ADVOCATE FOR THOSE WHO HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO COME DOWN AND SHARE, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING.
BECAUSE IT IS, UM, IT'S UNACCEPTABLE.
I THINK IT MAY BE, UH, ADVANTAGEOUS FOR US TO ALSO LOOK AT THE BOARDING HOMES AND NOT JUST THE SENIOR HOMES, BUT THOSE LODGING FACILITIES TO, ONCE THERE'S A DISASTER, THEY'RE VERY VULNERABLE.
WE DON'T KNOW POINT OF CONTACT.
SO I THINK AS THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT INVESTIGATES, THAT WE CAN ALSO LAYER TO GET A FOOTPRINT ON WHAT OTHER HOUSING FORMS ARE IN THE CITY THAT MAY BE VULNERABLE TO SENIORS, THOSE WITH DISABILITIES.
BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, AS THE STORMS CONTINUE TO COME, UH, WE OFTEN FORGET ABOUT, UH, UH, THOSE IN THOSE IN THOSE SITUATIONS.
SO I THINK THIS IS A GOOD DIRECTION.
AND REST ASSURED THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT ADMINISTRATION DEFINITELY WILL FOLLOW UP.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S CRITICALLY IMPORTANT.
UH, WE NEED A LOT OF INVENTORY IN THE CITY IN ORDER TO DO RELOCATION.
THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO PUSH, UM, TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE NEW UNITS AVAILABLE TO GET, UM, INDIVIDUALS OUT TO STABLE HOUSING.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE WORKING ON.
BUT, UM, THANK YOU FOR SHARING INFORMATION.
AND I, I DIDN'T MEAN TO OVERLOOK THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT IS, UH, COLLABORATING ON THE MATTER AND LEGAL.
WE'VE, UH, WE'VE REACHED OUT TO THE OWNERS AND THE MANAGERS AND, AND QUITE FRANKLY, THE CONDITIONS WERE SO BAD.
WE WERE LOOKING AT CRIMINAL NEGLIGENCE.
WHEN YOU ABANDONED PEOPLE TOTALLY ABANDONED THEM.
I MEAN, WE HAD TO KNOCK DOWN THE DOORS.
HD AUTHORIZED THE, SINCE THE FREEZE.
THEY KNOCKED DOWN ABOUT SIX DOORS.
'CAUSE WE WERE FEARFUL THAT PEOPLE WERE IN MM-HMM
AND THEY'RE AFRAID OF RETALIATION, DEATH CIRCUMSTANCES, SO MM-HMM
THE, THE, THE ONLY POSITIVE THING IS ONCE WE LEARNED, EVERYONE REACTED PROPERLY.
ALL THE CITY AGENCIES AND EVERYONE INVOLVED.
THE CONCERN IS THE LOCATIONS THAT WE'RE NOT AWARE OF AS COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS JUST MENTIONED MM-HMM
SO WE'VE GOT OUR WORK CUT OUT FOR US TO MONITOR IT MM-HMM
AND BE VERY CAUTIOUS IN OUR LICENSING.
THE STATE NEEDS TO DO A BETTER JOB IN THEIR STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT LICENSE.
AND, UH, WE'LL STAY ON TOP OF IT.
HOPEFULLY WE CAN TEAR IT DOWN AND REBUILD IT, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S BAD.
AND 30 14 MILES AVENUE, I WAS OVER THERE FOR THE, THE TORNADO, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE MY BROTHER'S A QUADRIPLEGIC ON THE THIRD FLOOR AND THERE WAS NO LIGHTS, THE LIGHTS CONNECTED TO THE WATER.
AND YOU COULDN'T GET THE WHEELCHAIR DOWN THE THIRD FLOOR.
SO, AND IT WAS DARK CLIMBING UP THERE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I'M SIX EIGHT TOO OLD.
I'M TIRED OF WELL, YOU LOOK GOOD.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR TIME.
PROCEDURE MOTION COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHIBA.
I'D LIKE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO MOVE EFRIN JERNIGAN AS THE NEXT SPEAKER.
MAYOR WHITMEYER COUNCIL, AND ESPECIALLY MY COUNCIL MEMBERSHIP.
I'M MAYOR FROM JOURNEY IN A VETERAN, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, BORN AND RAISED IN SUNNYSIDE.
MANY OF YOU MAY NOT BE AWARE OF THE 240 ACRE LANDFILL THAT IN 2019, AS A RESIDENT OF THE COMMUNITY, DORY WOLF AND I WROTE A PROPOSAL TO BRING
[01:30:01]
THE 52 MEGAWATTS SOLAR FARM, AN INTERNATIONAL PROJECT THAT CAN CHANGE A COMMUNITY THAT I DIDN'T REALIZE WHEN I WROTE THE PROPOSAL.MY BIRTH COMMUNITY WAS RANKED SIX IN THE NATION IN CRIME.
AND IT'S STILL NOT TOO FAR OFF.
SO WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY BE AN INTERNATIONAL STAGE.
SO SINCE 2019, WHEN WE WERE AWARDED AS THE COMMUNITY COMPONENT, I BUILT A SOLAR OUTDOOR CLASSROOM, A COMMUNITY GARDEN WITH A SOLAR THAT'S MOVING WITH THE SUN.
AND DIRECTLY ACROSS FROM THE SOLAR FARM, WE HAVE A VETERAN'S GARDEN, WHICH SIGNIFIES MY GODFATHER'S SERVICE AND MINE, THAT SOLAR THERE, THERE'S AGRICULTURE THERE, THERE'S A NAVY CHARGING STATION THERE.
AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, THE CITY SHOULD BE THERE.
BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, WE KNOW THAT OUR COUNTY WAS JUST AWARDED SOLAR FOR ALL.
IF WE'RE DOING SOLAR, WE HAVE THE CITY AS A PARTNER, WE HAVE PRIVATE BUSINESS AS A PARTNER.
COMMUNITY IS PART WASHINGTON COUNTY.
BE A PART, YOU CAN PROBABLY MAKE THAT ATTACHMENT BETTER THAN I, WE WELCOME THE COUNTY TO BE A PART BECAUSE WHAT WE HAVE ENCOUNTERED, IF I WAS CLEAN ENERGY AND I WAS GONNA DO THE PROJECT AND I REALIZED THAT IT WAS THE WORST MAINTAINED LANDFILL IN AMERICA, WHAT I WAS GOING TO SPEND, I GOTTA SPEND MORE.
SO LET'S GIVE 'EM THE HELP THAT THEY NEED.
LET'S UTILIZE THE COUNTY AS A PARTNER.
LET'S BUILD A PROJECT THAT EVERYBODY ELSE IN THE WORLD IS GONNA WANT TO REPLICATE.
I JUST WANTED TO PAINT THAT PICTURE AND HOPE THAT WE CAN FULFILL WHAT HAS ALREADY BEGUN.
WE ARE TRAINED OVER 104 PEOPLE TO BE SOLELY INSTALLERS AG OR WHATEVER.
WE'RE READY TO GO TO WORK, BUT WE'RE KIND OF STUCK IN WHERE WE ARE.
AND LASTLY, THIS SHOULD BENEFIT THE WHOLE COMMUNITY.
WE SHOULDN'T NOT HAVE A COMMUNITY BENEFITS AGREEMENT ALREADY READY.
AND THE COMMUNITY SHOULD BE AT THE TABLE.
EPHRAIM RAIM IS MR. SOLAR FARM.
I'M TELLING YOU, HE'S BEEN ON THIS PROJECT, UH, FROM ITS ONSET.
AND CERTAINLY HE HAS TRAINED PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY ON HOW THEY CAN ENGAGE IN THESE JOBS.
AND SO I WOULD LIKE TO GET AN UPDATE ON THE SOLAR FARM, UH, SO THAT WE CAN HELP THEM TO MOVE FORWARD.
I MEAN, THIS IS GONNA BE A TREMENDOUS OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PEOPLE IN SUNNYSIDE, YOU KNOW, TO GET THE SOLAR ENERGY AND ALSO TO EMPLOY SOME PEOPLE IN THIS THRIVING INDUSTRY.
AND SO RAIM, UM, IS THERE AND, AND HE'S PUT IN A LOT OF WORK.
AND SO IF WE COULD GET AN UPDATE, AND CERTAINLY IF HE CAN GET AN UPDATE SO THAT WE CAN HELP THIS PROJECT TO MOVE FORWARD, I'D BE VERY APPRECIATIVE.
I, THE DEVELOPER THAT THE CITY CHOSE DOES NOT HAVE THE FINANCIAL WHEREWITHAL.
SO IT'S BEING SHOPPED AROUND TO SEE IF ADDITIONAL FINANCES CAN BE FOUND ACTUALLY VISITING WITH ENERGY COMPANIES.
AND THUS FAR THAT DEVELOPER HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO ACQUIRE THE FINANCIAL
UM, I THINK IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT IN THE EARLY STAGES IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOTED THAT THIS PERSON, THIS COMPANY, THIS ENTITY WAS NOT GONNA HAVE THE RESOURCES GO FORWARD.
SO CERTAINLY THE CONCEPT IN IN YOUR INTEREST IS SOLID.
BUT IT'S GOTTA BE, UH, SOMEBODY'S GOTTA HAVE THE UPFRONT MONEY.
ALSO, UH, THERE'S SOME RESIDENTS CONCERNED THAT CENTER POINTS BACK OUT LOOKING FOR A TRANSMISSION SITE.
APPARENTLY THE ORIGINAL DESIGN DID NOT INCLUDE A SITE FOR THE TRANSMISSION OF ANY SOLAR POWER.
SO IT'S A PRETTY INCOMPLETE PACKAGE,
[01:35:01]
STARTING WITH THE LACK OF FINANCING GOING FORWARD WITH EVEN SOME OF THE TECHNICAL CONCERNS.BUT, UH, WITH YOUR PRESENCE HERE TODAY, WITH YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER AND OTHERS SHARING MY CONCERN, WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL KEEP IT ON OUR RADAR, BUT IT'S, A LOT OF WORK HAS TO TAKE PLACE TO GET IT DONE.
IT, AND THE ANNOUNCEMENT WAS BIG AND BRIGHT, BUT THERE WAS A, SOME DEFICIENCIES AS YOU WERE WELL AWARE OF.
WE HAVE A SITUATION LIKE WHAT WE HAVE.
IT'S REALLY A CITY PROBLEM NOW BECAUSE WHEN A DECISION WAS MADE 50, 70 YEARS AGO TO LET THAT COMMUNITY BE THE CITY DUMP SURE.
THEN HOW DO WE RAISE A BAD SITUATION? WE PUT ALL THAT WE CAN INTO MAKING AN INTERNATIONAL PROJECT A COMPLETE PROJECT THAT LEADS THE WAY FOR EVERY OTHER CITY.
NOW WHAT WE'VE ALREADY STARTED IS OTHER PROJECTS THAT WE'RE GOING TO BOUNCE OFF OF THAT CHURCHES SEWING SEEDS SURE.
AND IT'S AN OUTCOME OF THE SOLAR FARM.
AND THEN WHEN OTHER COMMUNITIES DO CHURCHES SOWING SEEDS, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A PRODUCT OF SOLAR THAT'S NOT ONLY GOING TO BE A HOUSTON PRODUCT, BUT DALLAS AND AUSTIN, THEY'RE ALREADY INTERESTED.
BUT IT HAS TO START WITH THE SOLAR FARM.
AND SO LET'S DO WHAT WE CAN BRING COUNTY AND WHOEVER IS TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
UH, MAYOR STILL WITH EVAN? I'M SORRY.
YOU OKAY, MR. SHABA? THANK YOU.
UH, THANK YOU FOR COMING DOWN.
UH, BROTHER EVE FROM, LEMME ASK YOU, HAVE YOU WENT TO THE COUNTY
COMMUNITY ACTION IS WHEN DOLLARS COME TOGETHER AND REALITIES HAPPEN.
SO YOU'VE NEVER, YOU'VE NEVER APPROACHED YOUR COUNTY COMMISSIONER? OH, YES, WE HAVE.
AND WHAT WAS THEIR RESPONSE? NO, THEY HAVE NEVER BEEN INVITED.
THIS PROPOSAL WAS WRITTEN BY DORY WOLF AND I, MORE OR LESS COMMUNITY AND STAKEHOLDERS.
IT WAS PART WITH THE CITY, BUT THE COUNTY'S NEVER BEEN A PART OF THIS PROJECT.
I WAS ASKING COULD THE COUNTY BE A PART IN THE SOLAR FOR ALL 250 MILLION THAT THEY JUST ACQUIRED, HELP US FINANCIALLY.
SO THE INFORMATION THAT YOU PROVIDED TO US TODAY IN THE, IN MAYOR'S RESPONSE IN REGARDS TO THIS, UM, WERE YOU AWARE THAT THE ORIGINAL CONTRACTOR THAT WAS OBVIOUSLY, UM, LEADING THIS, WERE YOU AWARE OF THE INFORMATION THAT THEY HAD NO FUNDS TO COMPLETE THIS? NO, I WAS NOT AWARE OF THAT.
WHAT I WAS AWARE OF IS THAT THERE WERE ONLY A FEW PEOPLE, BUT BQ ENERGY THAT JUST BECAME CLEAN CAPITAL AT ONE POINT HAD BUILT 16 SOLAR FORMS OFF OF LANDFILLS.
THEY WERE THE ONES THAT HAD A TRACK RECORD FOR DOING THIS.
THEY WERE CHOSEN BECAUSE THEY WERE THE LEADERS IN THAT INDUSTRY.
NOW BACKGROUND THAT YOU ALL MAY HAVE FOUND OUT ABOUT THEM, I'M NOT PRIVY TO, BUT IT WAS TOLD TO US THAT THERE WAS MORE NEEDING TO BE DONE AT THIS PARTICULAR SITE THAT WAS UNMAINTAINED THAT BECAME MORE THAN WHAT THEY KNEW ABOUT, AND IT WAS GONNA COST MORE MONEY TO DO THE PROJECT.
THAT COMPONENT WAS THEIR VERSION OF WHY A DELAY THEIR TRACK RECORD, THAT YOU ALL MAY HAVE FOUND OUT THAT THEY DIDN'T HAVE MONEY.
SO THERE'S A LOT WE DON'T KNOW, BUT IT'S GOOD THAT WE'RE HAVING A DISCUSSION TO FIND OUT WHAT'S REALLY THE PROBLEM.
I'D LIKE TO CERTAINLY, THANK YOU COUNCIL, COUNCIL CARTER.
IT MIGHT ASK IF IT WAS A FINANCIAL SITUATION, WHY DON'T WE BRING A PARTNER IN THE COUNTY, HELP US FINANCIALLY.
WELL, THAT'S AN EXCELLENT IDEA.
AND, AND, AND, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS HAS ALREADY RAISED THE COUNCIL, SO WE CAN'T MAKE YOUR COMMISSIONER DO ANYTHING.
I MEAN, IF, IF YOU'VE APPROACHED THE COUNTY AND AN INDIVIDUAL AND IT DIDN'T WORK, UH,
[01:40:01]
WE'LL DO THE VERY, ALL WE CAN DO IS SPEAK FOR OURSELF.I'M FAMILIAR WITH THE PROJECT.
WE ARE TRYING TO MAKE IT WORK.
BUT YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE THE FINANCIAL WHEREWITHAL.
AND THE PERSON CHOSEN BY THE CITY HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO COME UP WITH THE FINANCING.
UH, INSTITUTION AFTER INSTITUTION, BASED ON OUR RESEARCH SAYS IT'S JUST NOT GONNA BE PROFITABLE.
OBVIOUSLY, WITH THE, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE CONCERNS OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION, UH, WE SHOULDN'T GIVE UP HOPE THAT MAYBE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WOULD STEP IN AND GIVE SOME SERIOUS MONEY, BUT IT HASN'T HAPPENED.
WELL, CAN I INJECT ON THAT? SURE.
THE COMMUNITY CHANGE OPPORTUNITY, WHY DON'T WE PERCEIVE THAT, I'M SORRY.
WHAT? THE COMMUNITY CHANGE THAT EPA IS A GRANT.
I MEAN, YOU SAID IT WAS A TWO NINE 2019 AGREEMENT.
SO WE'VE GOT TO GO BACK AND SEE.
AND, AND I'VE ALREADY HAD ATTORNEYS LOOK AT IT.
CONCEPTUALLY IT IS A SUPER PROJECT UNDERFUNDED, UNDERDESIGNED FLAWED FINANCING.
AND I KNOW YOU'RE SINCERE AND SOUND SO INFORMED, BUT THE PEOPLE THAT PRESENTED IT TO THE COMMUNITY ACTUALLY AS A PART OF A COMPLETE COMMUNITY'S AGENDA, JUST DID NOT DO THEIR DUE DILIGENCE.
THAT'S ABOUT THE NICEST THING I CAN SAY ABOUT IT.
BUT CONCEPTUALLY, IT WOULD BE A HOME RUN.
AND I WOULD SUGGEST YOU, YOU CONTINUE TO CONTACT THE COUNTY.
BUT ANYWAY, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER.
UH, SIR, THANK YOU FOR COMING DOWN.
UH, AND, AND, UH, WANTING TO FIND OUT A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THIS AS CHAIR OF THE RESILIENCE COMMITTEE.
UM, ONE OF, UH, I'D INVITE YOU TO JOIN US AT SOME TIME TO TALK ABOUT THIS BECAUSE WHEN, UH, OUR FIRST COMMITTEE MEETING, THAT WAS ONE OF THE FIRST PROJECTS I QUESTIONED BECAUSE THE ANNOUNCEMENT MADE BACK IN JANUARY OF 2019, YOU KNOW, IT WAS A BIG DEAL AND WOULD BE A GREAT, GREAT PROJECT FOR THE COMMUNITY.
BUT AS THE MAYOR, UH, HAS SAID THE FUNDING WAS, WAS NOT IN PLACE.
AND WHEN YOU ANNOUNCE SOMETHING THAT'S SIGNIFICANT, THAT IMPACTS A COMMUNITY IN JOBS, IN, IN, YOU KNOW, IN THE WAY THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT IT WOULD, AND EVERYBODY'S GEARED UP TO GO.
AND THEN FIVE YEARS LATER, THERE'S NOTHING DONE.
AND HONESTLY, I'VE RE I JUST RECENTLY ASKED THE DIRECTOR OF THE OF RESILIENCE TO UPDATE ME ON THAT BECAUSE I'M VERY INTERESTED, BECAUSE IT IS, THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BREAK GROUND.
AND I SAID, WELL, WHEN ARE YOU BREAKING GROUND? WHEN IS IT GONNA START? DO YOU HAVE THE PERMITS? I CAN TELL YOU IF I'VE WORKED ON A PROJECT FOR FIVE YEARS, I KNOW WHEN I'M BREAKING GROUND, WHEN I'M GETTING IT STARTED.
AND THE ANSWER I GOT WAS, I'M NOT SURE OF THE EXACT DATE.
SO THAT TELLS ME THAT IT'S A NO-GO AT THIS TIME.
AND, UM, ONE OF MY TEAM MEMBERS WOULD GET YOUR INFORMATION AND, AND LOVE TO SIT DOWN WITH YOU AND VISIT WITH YOU AND SEE HOW WE CAN TRY TO COLLABORATE WITH THE COUNTY.
BUT IT'S A, IT'S A SIGNIFICANT PROJECT FOR THE COMMUNITY.
I UNDERSTAND YOUR CONCERNS BECAUSE QUITE FRANKLY, I'M VERY CONCERNED BECAUSE I THINK IT'S GREAT TO ANNOUNCE PROJECTS, BUT IF, IF YOU HAVEN'T DONE YOUR HOMEWORK, YOU'RE GONNA DISAPPOINT A LOT OF PEOPLE.
AND, AND I THINK THAT, THAT WE'VE PROBABLY BACK IN 2019, SHOULD HAVE DONE A WHOLE LOT MORE WORK THAT WAS DONE.
SO WE'LL TALK TO YOU FURTHER, BUT APPRECIATE YOU COMING DOWN.
UH, MAYOR PRO SIX TATUM, THANK, THANK YOU FOR COMING AND, UM, EXPRESSING HOW IMPORTANT THIS PROJECT IS TO THE COMMUNITY.
AND I THINK THAT WITH THE WEATHER RELATED, UM, INCIDENTS WE'VE BEEN HAVING ACROSS THE COUNTRY, THAT THESE TYPES OF PROJECTS ARE MORE IMPORTANT NOW MORE THAN EVER.
UM, WE ARE THE ENERGY CAPITAL OF THE WORLD MOVING TOWARDS ENERGY TRANSITION.
UM, THIS IS A VERY, UM, DOABLE PROJECT.
I THINK THAT IT WAS A GREAT PROJECT WHEN IT WAS ANNOUNCED.
THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN EXCITED ABOUT THESE PROJECTS.
THE ISSUE WE ARE RUNNING INTO, UM, THAT WE RUN INTO WITH A LOT OF PRO UH, PROJECTS, QUITE FRANKLY, IS, IS THE FUNDING.
BUT I DO THINK THAT WE, UM, NEED TO EXPLORE SOME PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS.
UM, IF WE ARE GOING TO TOUT THAT WE ARE THE ENERGY CAPITAL OF THE WORLD, ENERGY TRANSITION, CAPITAL OF THE WORLD, UM, IF WE ALL ARE SAYING WE BELIEVE IN THE PROJECT, THEN WE NEED TO RALLY TOGETHER TO MAKE THE PROJECT ACTUALLY HAPPEN.
UM, THE CHAIR OF RESILIENCY IS INTERESTED IN THE PROJECT.
[01:45:01]
I KNOW THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, SHE, SHE HAS SOME OPPORTUNITIES AND MAYBE SOME PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS WE CAN LOOK AT.MAYOR, I THINK THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, AS WE ARE, UM, HAVING THESE BIG CONFERENCES ON ENERGY TRANSITION THAT WE NEED TO KEEP THIS PROJECT IN FRONT OF A LOT OF THE, THE THOUGHT LEADERS ON ENERGY TRANSITION AND THE COMPANIES THAT ARE LOOKING AT ENERGY TRANSITION ACROSS THE WORLD.
UM, THIS COULD BE A TRANSFORMATIONAL PROJECT FOR NOT ONLY THAT COMMUNITY, UM, BUT FOR US AS A CITY, AS WE ARE DEALING WITH THESE WEATHER RELATED ISSUES.
SO I APPRECIATE YOU COMING DOWN TODAY.
UM, AND I HOPE THAT, AND I KNOW THAT YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER WILL, UM, GET AN UPDATE ON WHERE THE CURRENT, UM, CONTRACTOR IS ON THE PROJECT AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO AS A COUNCIL TO PROVIDE SOME ADDITIONAL, UH, RESOURCES OR SOME ADDITIONAL CONVERSATIONS TO REALLY TRY TO GET THIS PROJECT OVER THE FINISH LINE.
I THINK EVERYONE THAT WAS HERE WHEN THIS PROJECT WAS ANNOUNCED WAS EXCITED ABOUT THE PROJECT, NOT ONLY, UM, FOR WHAT IT DOES FOR THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE AROUND THE PROJECT, UM, AS FAR AS THE JOBS AND THE OPPORTUNITIES, UM, BUT ALSO FOR THE, UH, DAILY LIVING CONDITIONS TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE DID HAVE ELECTRICITY OR, UH, POWER, UM, DURING WEATHER RELATED INCIDENTS.
AND THERE'S NO BETTER TIME TO TALK ABOUT IT THAN NOW WHERE WE HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING POWER OUTAGES.
UM, I, I'M EXCITED ABOUT THE, THE FARM BECAUSE ONE OF THE VERY, UH, PROJECTS THAT WE DID IN DISTRICT K, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS, YOU'LL, YOU'LL, UM, REMEMBER THIS IS THE EDISON PROJECT.
WE HAVE A SOLAR, UH, THE DETENTION, UM, PART OF THAT PROJECT IS FILLED WITH, UH, SOLAR PANELS.
AND THOSE SOLAR PANELS ACTUALLY, UM, PROVIDE POWER TO, UM, THE APARTMENT COMPLEX SO THAT IF THE POWER GOES OUT, THE, UM, THE, THE CENTER, THE APARTMENT COMPLEX, UH, OFFICES, ALL WILL ARE, ARE OPERATING ON SOLAR POWER.
SO WE KNOW THE POWER OF HAVING THESE TYPES OF PROJECTS.
WE JUST HAVE TO RALLY AROUND AND GET ENOUGH INTEREST AND KEEP IT ON THE FOREFRONT SO THAT WE CAN, UM, ATTRACT PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS.
WE DO NEED TO REACH OUT TO THE COUNTY COMMISSIONER AND SEE HOW WE CAN GET THIS PROJECT OVER THE FINISH LINE.
SO THANK YOU FOR KEEPING IT ON THE FOREFRONT.
UH, MAYOR, I'M FOR PROCEDURAL.
UH, THANK ALREADY ON THE AGENDA.
UH, ALL IN MOTION MADE AND SECOND.
ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED MOTION PASSES.
I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT AN ACCIDENT, A FATALITY THAT HAPPENED ON THE 24TH.
I DIDN'T KNOW WE COULDN'T SPEAK TOGETHER.
CAN SHE SPEAK FOR ME? UH, I MAY HAVE TO ALLOW THE OTHER SPEAKER TO SPEAK.
COME UP AND INTRODUCE YOURSELF A SECOND MOTION MAID.
AND SECOND, TO ALLOW THE LADY TO SPEAK.
STATE YOUR NAME AND WHO YOU REPRESENT.
I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF THE ACCIDENT OF MY SON, DAMON WARREN.
THAT TOOK PLACE FRIDAY, MAY 24TH, 2024.
UM, AT FIVE 15 IN THE MORNING, I RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM OFFICER FLYNN AND SHE ADVISED ME THAT MY SON WAS IN AN ACCIDENT AND HE PASSED AT FIVE 50.
HER AND SERGEANT ROBERTS CAME TO MY HOME AND SHE EXPLAINED TO ME THAT AT 2 23 SHE WENT TO THE SCENE.
SHE EXPLAINED TO ME THAT SHE RECEIVED A CALL AND THAT TWO LADIES WERE DRIVING DOWN THE STREET.
THEIR VEHICLE RAN OVER DEBRIS IN THE ROAD THAT CAUSED THEM TO HAVE A FLAT.
THEY PULLED OVER TO GET OFF THE ROAD AND THEY TURNED THEIR HIGH BEAMS ON AND THEY EXITED THEIR VEHICLE.
WHEN THEY EXITED THEIR VEHICLE, THEY SAW HIS BIKE SITTING
[01:50:01]
IN FRONT OF THEIR VEHICLE.AND THEN WHEN THEY TURNED TO WALK TOWARD THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE, THEY SAW HIS BODY.
SHE TOLD ME THAT IT HAPPENED AT 2 23.
AND WHEN SHE LEFT MY HOUSE, SHE ADVISED THAT THE CASE HAD BEEN CLOSED.
UM, THE NEWS REPORTED THE INCIDENT HAPPENING AT 59.
AND AUDEN BENDER, HIS FRIENDS WENT TO THAT LOCATION.
THEY FOUND HIS PERSONAL BELONGINGS AT THIS LOCATION.
WHEN I SPOKE TO OFFICER FLYNN, SHE STATED THAT HIS BODY AND HIS BIKE WERE FOUND THREE MILES FROM THAT LOCATION.
SO WHEN I ASKED HER HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE, SHE TOLD ME SHE DIDN'T KNOW.
UM, AUSTIN BROWN WENT TO THE GAS STATION THAT'S AT THAT LOCATION AND THE OTHER BUSINESS.
AND THEY BOTH STATED THAT THEY WOULD ALLOW THEM TO VIEW FOOTAGE BECAUSE SHE TOLD ME THERE WAS NO FOOTAGE FOR HER TO REVIEW.
LET ME ASK YOU, AND, AND I'M SORRY I DIDN'T GET YOUR NAME.
WHEN DID THE INCIDENT, WHEN DID THE TRAGEDY HAPPEN? 5 24.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO MY SON.
WHAT, WHAT I'M GONNA SUGGEST IS OFFICER CARR IS THE HPD LIAISON THIS MORNING.
HE SHOULD GIVE YOU AN UPDATE BECAUSE IT SOUNDED LIKE IT'S AN OPEN CASE.
CAN, CAN I ASK THE YOUNG MAN NEXT TO YOU, WHAT, WHAT IS YOUR ROLE, SIR? UM, EXCUSE ME.
WE'VE BEEN BEST FRIENDS FOR 14 YEARS.
BUT WE THANK YOU FOR ASSISTING HER.
UH, OFFICER CARL, YOU CAN ADVISE THIS LADY AND TELL HER WHAT YOU CAN AND CAN'T TELL HER.
AND THEN STAY IN TOUCH IF YOU STILL HAVE.
BUT IF IT'S THAT RECENT, UH, I WOULD ASSUME IT'S AN OPEN CASE AND UNDER INVESTIGATION, BUT YOU CERTAINLY DESERVE TO ANSWER.
SO OFFICER CARR, WILL YOU, UH, GET INVOLVED? YEAH.
RIGHT OVER THAT GENTLEMAN RIGHT THERE.
I JUST WANT TO ASK HIS, HIS BROTHER KEITH DOWNEY NEXT TO YES.
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO COME BEFORE YOU.
A WEEK AGO TODAY I WAS IN TAMPA, FLORIDA.
UH, THIS IS, UH, TO THE RESILIENCE COUNCIL MEMBER.
I WAS WITH RESILIENCE CITY CATALYST, AND THERE WERE VISITORS FROM TORONTO, UM, THE NEW YORK CITY GOVERNMENT, MEXICO CITY AND PHOENIX.
AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, UH, THE RESILIENCE, UH, HUB IN KASHIMA GARDEN AND THE OTHER VARIOUS PROJECTS THAT RCC IS WORKING ON.
AND EVERYONE INGS THEIR PRAYERS FOR THE STORMS THAT WE'VE GONE THROUGH.
AND THAT'S WHY I'M HERE TODAY.
I'M SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD PRESIDENT FOR CASHIER GARDEN, ALSO VICE CHAIR OF THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIANCE.
AND I WAS BEFORE YOU JANUARY 23RD OF THIS YEAR, ONE WEEK AFTER THE FREEZE ASKING WHY WASN'T THE RESILIENCE HUB OPEN? THE ANSWER WE WERE GIVEN BACK THEN WAS LACK OF A TRANSFER SWITCH.
SO WHEN THE POWER GOES OUT ON THE BUILDING, THE SOLAR POWERED CARPORT WOULD POWER UP THE BUILDING.
NOW I'M BEING TOLD, LACK OF BATTERY, WE GOTTA FACE IT.
STORMS ARE A PART OF OUR LIVES FROM HERE ON OUT.
THIS IS, WE'VE HAD TWO STORMS, AND HURRICANE SEASON IS YET TO ARRIVE.
IT'S JUST A WAY OF LIFE FOR US.
SO YES, I'M HERE TO ADVOCATE FOR THE CASHMERE RESILIENCE HUB BEING OPEN.
BUT THERE WERE THREE OTHERS ONLINE.
AND I UNDERSTAND LACK OF FUNDING.
I UNDERSTAND, UH, PRIVATE PUBLIC PARTNERSHIPS.
BUT, UH, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT ALE.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ACRES HOME.
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TALKING ABOUT, UH, SUNNYSIDE.THE CITY OF HOUSTON MUST COME UP WITH A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOR WHEN THESE STORMS OCCUR.
IT WOULD REALLY HELP US HOW MUCH MONEY'S GOING OUT THE BACK DOOR THAT WE COULD BE SAVING ON RECOVERY INSTEAD OF MOM AND POP RECOVERY.
SO I'M ASKING THESE VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES, VULNERABLE RESIDENTS IN OUR COMMUNITY, WHEN PEOPLE DON'T HAVE ELECTRICITY AND CATCHMENT GARDEN, THEY CALL ME, THEY CALL THE COUNCIL MEMBER.
BUT PEOPLE CALL PEOPLE THEY TRUST.
AND THEY TRUST THE COUNCIL MEMBER AS WELL.
I'M NOT SAYING THAT THEY TRUST THE LARGE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
BUT THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS PEOPLE NEED HELP.
THEY DON'T CARE WHO THEY REACH OUT TO.
SO THAT BEING SAID, WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE, AND I UNDERSTAND WE ARE IN A BUDGET CRISIS FOR FUNDING, BUT WE MUST COME UP WITH A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
WHETHER THAT PLAN INCLUDES, UH, WE WILL HAVE THESE HUBS OPEN.
AND I UNDERSTAND ALL PEOPLE IN A COMMUNITY, SMALLISH, CASHMERE CANNOT COME TO ONE CENTER.
IT MUST BE A HUB AND SPOKE MODEL.
IT MUST BE A HUB AND SPOKE MODEL.
PEOPLE ON THE WEST SIDE CAN'T GET TO THE EAST SIDE SOMETIMES BECAUSE OF FLOOD WATERS OR WHAT HAVE YOU.
BUT LET'S SAY WE ARE GIVING OUT FOOD NOW.
RIGHT NOW WE ARE HUNTING LOCATIONS DOWN IN PARKING LOTS TO GIVE OUT FOOD WHEN A STORM OCCURS OR PEOPLE ARE HEARING ABOUT SOMETHING, IF THERE IS A PLAN GOING FORWARD FROM THESE HUBS THAT TWO DAYS AFTER A STORM, THAT FOOD WILL BE GIVEN OUT TO THE PEOPLE THAT CAN DRIVE AND GO.
SO I'M ASKING THE CITY TO THINK ABOUT A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, NOT JUST THE RESILIENCE OF THE CASHMERE, BECAUSE HOUSTON'S A BIG PLACE AND WE NEED A BIG PLAN.
SO I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
YOU ARE AWARE THERE'S BEEN NEGLECT FOR MANY YEARS.
AND UH, WHEN WE HAD THE SUDDEN STORM WEEK AGO NOW, UH, THE MULTI CASHMERE GARDENS MULTI SERVICE CENTER WAS DESIGNATED AS A COOLING CENTER.
AND THEN IT WAS DISCOVERED IT HAD NO POWER.
I DISCOVERED THAT OUR MULTI SERVICE CENTERS ARE NOT EVEN COVERED BY GENERATORS BECAUSE YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
OUR, THEY'RE ALMOST YEAR ROUND ESSENTIALS.
SO I'VE BEGUN TALKING TO OUR CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION TO SEE IF THEY COULD ASSIST US IN MAKING SURE THE MULTI-SERVICE CENTERS HAVE GENERATORS.
IT WAS, IT WAS A DISCOVERY YES.
BUT WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN FROM THE MAYOR'S OFFICE TO TALK TO OUR CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION.
UH, WE ACTUALLY ATTEMPTED TO PUT TEMPORARY GENERATORS, BUT IT HAPPENED ON A THURSDAY.
UH, YOU KNOW, IT WAS A SUDDEN INTENSE STORM.
WE DIDN'T GET TO WATCH IT FOR, WE DIDN'T GET TO PAD OUT IN THE GULF.
WE WERE ALL CAUGHT VERY, VERY SIMILAR TO YESTERDAY'S.
SO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A WAKE UP TALK? IT MIGHT HAVE ONE TODAY,
YOUR, YOUR COMMENTS ARE WELL TAKEN.
COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS, THANK YOU AGAIN, MAYOR AND, UH, BROTHER ONLY.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS I DO WANT TO SAY, MAYOR, I, I BROUGHT THIS DISCUSSION UP SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE ABOUT HOW WE COME UP WITH A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT YOU'RE GOING TO ADDRESS THE LEGISLATURE BECAUSE WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN UNIQUELY ABOUT HOUSTON IS OTHER PLACES DIFFERENT THAN OTHER PLACES DOESN'T NEED TO BE A PLAN.
ONE OF THE THINGS I TALKED ABOUT IMMEDIATE IN OUR COMMUNITIES WAS IF IT WAS MANDATORY THAT MANY OF OUR CONVENIENCE STORES AND, AND EVERY COMMUNITY GOT THREE AND FOUR OF THEM, THAT IT WILL BE MANDATORY THAT THEY HAVE A GENERATOR THAT WOULD SUPPLY, UM, ICE.
BECAUSE PEOPLE CAN GO THERE QUICKLY.
AND, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT NEED TO BE CONSIDERED.
AND AS PART OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN THAT'S UNIQUELY BY OUR CITY, ALSO ALL OF THE HOMES, HOUSING FACILITIES THAT GET TAX CREDITS, AS YOU JUST INDICATED, GOING TO THE LEGISLATURE, THEY SHOULD BE BY LAW MANDATORILY.
IF YOU HAVE A FACILITY WHERE THEY HAVE SENIOR CITIZEN LIVING IN IT ALL TO BE MANDATORY WHEN IT'S BUILT, THEN IT HAS TO BE BUILT WITH A GENERATOR.
THAT WAY PEOPLE DON'T LOSE THEIR MONIES.
NOW PEOPLE ARE ASKING TO FILL OUT FORMS, UH, TO FEMA FOR FOOD LOSS AND ALL OF THAT.
THAT'S A GOOD WAY TO SUPPLY ALL OF THE SUBS THAT WE KNOW THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN.
BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE FOR WHO CAN'T GET TO THE HUBS.
I GOT MANY CALLS FROM PEOPLE, AND A LOT OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS IN THE
[02:00:01]
DISTRICTS WERE TRYING TO DO THE BEST THEY CAN TO GET WATER.IMMEDIATE THING WAS WATER, BUT IT WAS SO BROAD.
BUT IF THAT WERE FACILITIES THAT, LIKE OUR CONVENIENCE STORES, THEY ARE THERE.
WELL, YOU DO KNOW, TWO WEEKS AGO ON THIS COUNCIL, WE DISCUSSED TOO MANY CONVENIENCE STORES.
SO IT GETS A LITTLE COMPLICATED.
WELL, WE, WE ACTUALLY HAD FOR THE FIRST TIME THAT I'D EVER HEARD RIGHT, THAT THERE WAS RESISTANCE TO CONVENIENCE STORES BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE FOLKS HANG OUT THAT HAVE BAD HABITS.
BUT, UH, I'M JUST SIMPLY, I'M JUST LETTING YOU KNOW THAT.
I I WHY YOU WANT TO USE A CONVENIENCE STORE AS A RECOVERY MECHANISM? WELL, YEAH.
AND, AND, AND, AND THAT'S TRUE.
AND, AND LET ME JUST SAY, YEAH, IT COME OUT, WE GOT A LOT OF WORK TO DO.
BUT WE'VE GOTTA COME UP AS BROTHER DONALD, WE GOTTA COME UP WITH A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
YOU KNOW, WELL, IT DIDN'T GET THIS WAY OVERNIGHT.
BUT WE GOT EXACTLY, WE GOT NEW MINDS, NEW ENERGY AROUND THE TABLE.
UH, WE WERE ACTUALLY IN A MEETING THAT THURSDAY MORNING WITH 36 STAKEHOLDERS LED BY AN ANGELA BLANCHARD ABOUT HURRICANE RECOVERY.
WE WERE ACTUALLY DOING OUR DUE DILIGENCE, GETTING READY, LEFT THAT MEETING, AND THEN THE STORM BLEW IN MM-HMM
INTENSE SUDDEN AT ABOUT SIX O'CLOCK.
AND, UH, QUITE FRANKLY, I THINK EVERYONE RESPONDED AS BEST THEY COULD.
CITY DEPARTMENTS, CERTAINLY CENTER POINT AND OTHERS.
BUT AS MR. DOWNEY JUST POINTED OUT, UH, THERE WERE SOME GAPS.
IF OUR MULTI-SERVICE CENTERS AND OTHER LOCATIONS, LIBRARIES, ET CETERA, ARE GONNA BE COOLING WARMING CENTERS, WE GOTTA HAVE A BACKUP ENERGY.
AND AS OF YESTERDAY, AND WE DO, AND WE DO KNOW THAT THERE, LORD, HELP ME, DON'T START COMPARING WHERE WE SPEND OUR MONEY WITH AN ESSENTIAL LIKE THIS.
IT'S, WE'VE GOTTA PRIORITIZE WHERE WE'RE SPENDING OUR MONEY.
AND, UH, I KNOW WHERE THE, YOU, WHERE THE COMMUNITY WOULD WANT US TO SPEND IT.
ON, ON ENERGY AND COOLING AND WARMING CENTERS.
AND MAN, LET ME JUST SAY, I KNOW THE DISCUSSION ABOUT THE CONVENIENCE STORES.
I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS ABOUT SHUTTING THEM DOWN MORE, LIKE MONITORING THEM,
BUT THEY SHOULD SELL ICE AND NOT DRUGS.
THAT SLOGAN ANOTHER ISSUE FOR ANOTHER DAY.
BUT WE DO, NO, WE HAVE TO DO BETTER.
WE NEED A PLAN, RECOVERY PLAN.
UH, AND WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA GO TO WORK.
ALL SAY, AND, UH, AS OF YESTERDAY'S STORM, TWO OF THE PANELS FLEW OFF.
UH, MR. DOWNEY, I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE YOU TO THE HOUSING COMMITTEE MEETING.
I THINK YOUR REMARKS WOULD LAND VERY WELL.
UM, UM, POST 2021, UH, THE FORMER HUD SECRETARY, MARSHALL FUDGE, UM, GAVE A DIRECT ALLOCATION TO HOUSTON FOR $50 MILLION.
UM, WITHIN THAT $50 MILLION ALLOCATION, UM, GENERATORS ARE ALLOWABLE AT THE MULTIPURPOSE CENTERS.
THE, THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT, THE CITY, THEY'VE RE RECEIVED THE GRANT AGREEMENT.
SO THE MONEY IS IN PROCESS TO COME TO THE CITY.
UM, THEY LIGHTLY BRIEFED ON THAT ITEM.
MAYBE LIKE LAST YEAR THERE WAS SOME DELAY ON THE FEDERAL SIDE, BUT I THINK DURING PUBLIC COMMENTS, UH, UM, YOUR COMMENTS WOULD BE IMPORTANT AS THEY GET TO THE PUBLIC COMMENT PORTION OF KINDA WHERE THIS IS LAID OUT AND THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT.
BUT I, I DO WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT IT'S BUILT INTO THAT FEDERAL DOLLAR THAT WOULD BE CALLED OUR DR 21.
UM, SO IT IS COMING, IT'S FEDERAL DOLLARS.
YOU KNOW, IT TAKES A WHILE TO HAPPEN, BUT I THINK, UM, SOMETIMES THE WORK WE DO IS ISOLATED.
WE DID AN OEM BRIEFING ON DISASTER HUBS AND THAT CAME OUT OF PUBLIC SAFETY HOUSING, GETS THE FEDERAL DOLLARS POST RECOVERY.
LIKE SO SOMETIMES THE WORK IS ISOLATED.
SO YOUR, UM, COMMENTS WOULD DEFINITELY, UM, BE IMPORTANT TO SHARE.
SO I WANT TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO COME EITHER, UH, JUNE OR IN AUGUST.
THERE'S NO MEETING IN JULY, BUT I THINK THE TIMING IS PERFECT, UM, TO, TO REALLY, UM, GET IN FRONT THE HOUSING COMMITTEE IN THE DEPARTMENT TO TALK ABOUT PRIORITIES AND WHY I'LL REACH OUT TO YOUR OFFICE.
AND MS. CARTER, I'LL REACH OUT TO YOUR OFFICE AS WELL.
THANK YOU MR. DOWNEY FOR COMING.
AND YOU MENTIONED YOU WERE IN TAMPA FOR A RESILIENCE CUT.
WHAT, WHAT KIND OF WORK IS BEING DONE? YEAH, THAT WAS LIKE A SUMMIT.
UH, SO WAS IT LIKE THE RESILIENT CITY SUMMIT AND THE RESILIENCE OFFICER, CHIEF OFFICER FROM HOUSTON WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THERE BECAUSE OF THE STORM.
HE WASN'T ABLE TO COME, BUT HE WAS SCHEDULED TO BE THERE.
AND, UH, BUT YET IT WAS A SUMMIT, UH, WITH THE RESILIENT CITY CATALYST TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE RESILIENT PROJECTS THAT THEY'RE WORKING ON AROUND THE COUNTRY.
SO, LIKE I SAID, YOU HAD NEW YORK,
[02:05:01]
TAMPA, TORONTO, SO THAT IT'S THE RESILIENT CITIES CONFERENCE.AND IT WAS, AND THE MAYOR OF TAMPA WAS THERE TOO.
UM, I'M HUEY GERMAN WILSON, PRESIDENT, SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 48.
I'D LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO THANK COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN AND PLUMBER AND JACKSON.
UH, BECAUSE WITHIN DAYS, UH, LESS THAN 72 HOURS OF THE DISASTER, THE STORM THAT WE EXPERIENCED ON MAY 16TH, THEY WERE IN OUR COMMUNITY PROVIDING FOOD AND WATER AND HELPING US TO PASS THOSE OUT ACROSS THE COMMUNITY IN AREAS WHERE NO ONE WAS PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN HELPING.
UNFORTUNATELY, IT APPEARS AS THOUGH THE CITY WASN'T PARTICULARLY INTERESTED EITHER BECAUSE OUR MULTI-SERVICE CENTERS DIDN'T OPEN.
SO IT'S HARD FOLLOWING KEITH DOWNEY, UH, OUR MULTI-SERVICE CENTERS DIDN'T OPEN.
THE CITY SAID WE DIDN'T KNOW WE WERE, WE DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO DO THIS.
WE ARE STILL HOUSTON, I'M GONNA SAY THIS AGAIN.
WE ARE THE FOURTH LARGEST CITY IN THE COUNTRY.
LITERALLY AND FIGURATIVELY, THIS IS NOT OUR FIRST RODEO.
IT IS DEPLORABLE THAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON FROM THE EAGLES NEST COULD NOT SEE WHERE THIS DISASTER WAS MOST IMPACTFUL.
AND SO TO OPEN MULTI-SERVICE CENTERS IN AREAS OTHER THAN WHERE PEOPLE WERE AFFECTED AND EXPECT THOSE PEOPLE TO CATCH A BUS OR 3, 1, 1, WHATEVER IT WAS THAT WAS PROVIDED ALTERNATELY AFTER 3 1 1 DIDN'T WORK.
UM, TO ASK FOR THOSE SERVICES TO BE PROVIDED AND OUR PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO GET ON A BUS, TO GO TO ANOTHER AREA TO GET WATER.
CAN WE PICK UP THE PLAN, REVIEW THE PLAN, AND DECIDE HOW WE'RE GOING TO UTILIZE THAT PLAN WITH REVISIONS? THIS IS A STORM.
LIKE NOTHING WE'VE EVER SEEN BEFORE I SAID THAT DURING HARVEY.
WE SAID THAT DURING THE WINTER OF STORM URY, WE SAID THAT DURING COVID, AND WE STILL EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEMS DURING THIS DISASTER THAT WE EXPERIENCED DURING EVERY OTHER DISASTER.
I EXPECT THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO BE ABLE TO, TO PIVOT BETTER THAN WE DO.
SO IF IT REQUIRES THAT WE OPEN THOSE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER WITH GENER, WITH GENERATORS, OR WITH BUSES FROM METRO, THAT CAN PROVIDE COOL COOLING AND WARMING, THAT'S AT OUR DISPOSAL AT THE, AS THE CITY THAT IS AT YOUR DISPOSAL.
IF THAT, IF, IF SMALL ORGANIZATIONS CAN GET TOGETHER, PROVIDE FOOD FOR 200 PEOPLE ON A DIME, I EXPECT THAT THE CITY CAN OPEN A MULTI-SERVICE CENTER, PUT COOLING, HEATING, WARMING WATER, FOOD IN A LOCATION WHERE OUR COMMUNITY CAN WALK TO THAT LOCATION.
I SHOULD NOT STAND BEFORE YOU EVERY TIME WE HAVE A DISASTER HA HAT IN HAND.
WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE AND, AND YOUR COMMENTS DO NOT FALL ON DEAF EARS.
WE'VE ALL BEEN HAVING LOTS OF CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW WE ACTUALLY MAKE SURE THAT OUR MULTI-SERVICE CENTERS CAN ACTUALLY SERVE OUR CONSTITUENTS DURING THOSE STORMS. UM, AND UNFORTUNATELY, MANY OF THOSE DO NOT.
I MEAN, THE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER IN DISTRICT EIGHT DOESN'T HAVE A GENERATOR EITHER, AND IT WASN'T OPEN.
SO WE PARTNERED WITH A CHURCH IN THE COMMUNITY THAT HAD UTILITIES IN POWER SO THAT WE COULD SET UP A CENTER THERE.
AND SO IT IS GOING TO TAKE SOME EFFORT.
AND, AND THE BOTTOM LINE IS IT TAKES MONEY.
WE, UM, HAVE APPLIED FOR A GRANT FOR GENERATORS FOR OUR MULTI-SERVICE CENTERS.
UM, AND I KNOW THAT IT IS A, IT IS A BIG ISSUE IN THE CITY, BUT WE ARE WORKING ON IT.
I THINK THAT EVERY STORM, UM, YOU KNOW, HAS DIFFERENT CHALLENGES.
WE NEVER KNOW WHERE THEY'RE GONNA GO, WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO HIT, BUT WE KNOW THEY WILL GO SOMEWHERE AND THEY WILL HIT THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
SO THERE IS A COLLECTIVE LOOK AT OUR MULTI-SERVICE CENTERS TO TRY TO GET GENERATORS ON THOSE SO THAT WE CAN AT LEAST HAVE OUR MULTI-SERVICE CENTERS, UM, AVAILABLE TO PROVIDE SHELTER FOR CONSTITUENTS ACROSS THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
SO WE APPRECIATE YOUR ADVOCACY.
UM, I KNOW YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, HAS BEEN WORKING DILIGENTLY TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE SERVICES
[02:10:01]
ARE PROVIDED IN THE COMMUNITY.UM, YOUR AT LARGE COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE ALSO, UM, YOU KNOW, WORKING TO BE IN THOSE COMMUNITIES WHEN STORMS HIT.
UM, AND I HOPE THAT YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT WE DO CARE.
UM, AND EVERYBODY WAS OUT WORKING TO TRY TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON HAD RESOURCES AND ICE.
UM, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO THAT, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR, UM, FUNDING TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE MULTI-SERVICE CENTERS CAN GET THE GENERATORS THAT WE ALL REALIZE THAT WE NEED TO HAVE ON THOSE CENTERS.
STEVE WILLIAMS. STEVE WILLIAMS. STEVE WILLIAMS. NEXT SPEAKER, ED DURAN.
I'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU TODAY THE VIDEOS OF THE TENT MASSACRE THAT OCCURRED IN RAFA ON MAY 26TH IS ISRAEL BOMBED TENTS OF DISPLACED CIVILIANS IN A SAFE ZONE.
YOU GUYS CAN'T EVEN LOOK AT ME.
UM, BUT BEFORE THAT, I'D ALSO LIKE TO REMIND YOU THAT WE'RE SEEING LABOR RESCINDED ACROSS THE COUNTRY FOR NOT MEETING DEMANDS.
I KNOW YOU CAN'T AFFORD TO LOSE ANY MORE FUNDING.
HOUSTON'S BROKE, RIGHT? AMY PECK AND MARY HUFFMAN, YOU BOTH ATTENDED A HOUSTON YOUNG REPUBLICANS EVENT.
SO I'M SHARING THESE VIDEOS AND DEDICATION TO YOU BOTH.
AND MAYOR WHITMEYER MARY, PAY ATTENTION.
THIS IS WHAT YOU'RE SUPPORTING.
CAN'T EVEN SAY THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
NEXT SPEAKER THOMAS AND FEL THOMAS DELAFIELD.
MY NAME IS THOMAS FELD WITH SUNSHINE RENEWABLE SOLUTIONS.
SPEAKING TO YOU TODAY WITH SHARED WORDS FROM DORY WOLF OF WOLF ENERGY, WHO COULD NOT BE HERE HERSELF AS COUNCIL MEMBER EVANS SHABAZZ KNOWS.
IN AUGUST OF 2019, ALMOST FIVE YEARS AGO, WOLF ENERGY'S TEAM, INCLUDING EPHRAIM JOURNIGAN, WHO WE JUST HEARD FROM, FROM SOUTH UNION, CDC, WAS AWARDED THE UNFUNDED OPPORTUNITY TO TRANSFORM A LONG, NEGLECTED UNMAINTAINED FORMER LANDFILL AND SUNNYSIDE INTO A SOLAR FARM.
WE ARE GRATEFUL TO THE COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ'S SUPPORT OVER THE YEARS, LIKE SPEAKING AT THE SOLAR BOULEVARD EVENT AND RECENT COMMUNITY MEETINGS IN 2020, WOLF ENERGY BROUGHT ON BQ ENERGY DEVELOPMENT, NOW CLEAN CAPITAL TO DEVELOP THIS CHALLENGING SITE.
IT IS OUR UNDERSTANDING THAT ALL PERMITS ARE IN PLACE.
WE ARE GRATEFUL TO THE CITY FOR THEIR SUPPORT THROUGHOUT THE PERMITTING PROCESS,
[02:15:01]
AS IT HAS NOT BEEN EASY, THAT SUPPORT FROM THE CITY NEEDS TO CONTINUE TODAY, IF NOT INTENSIFY, TO GET THIS PROJECT BUILT.AS CHALLENGES STILL EXIST, THE LANDFILL COVER HAS BEEN IGNORED FOR THE LAST 50 YEARS, AND AS A RESULT, IT IS FILLED WITH SCRAP TREES AND SWAMP AREAS THAT SHOULD NOT BE THERE.
AS PAUL CURAN OF BQS SAID, THIS IS THE WORST LANDFILL SITE THEY HAVE EVER SEEN.
AND PUTTING SOLAR ON LANDFILLS IS ALL THAT THEY DO.
AS A PRIVATE CONTRACTOR, WE DON'T HAVE THE ANSWERS.
WE ARE JUST HERE TO SHOW SUPPORT FOR THE PROJECT AND ENCOURAGE THE NEW ADMINISTRATION TO LEAN IN TOGETHER TO HELP MAKE IT WORK.
WHEN WE SUBMITTED THE ORIGINAL PROPO PROPOSAL, BATTERIES WERE NOT YET ECONOMICAL.
NOW WE UNDERSTAND THAT THEY'RE A MAJOR PART OF THE PROJECT AND A KEY COMPONENT FOR GRID STABILIZATION.
HENCE, THE DEVELOPER'S REQUEST FOR A TRIFURCATED LEASE.
OUR UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE REQUESTED LEASE CHANGES THE TWO MEGAWATT COMMUNITY SOLAR ARRAY, UH, WITH THE REQUESTED LEASE CHANGES.
THE TWO MEGAWATT COMMUNITY SOLAR ARRAY COULD BEGIN CONSTRUCTION THIS SUMMER.
THAT WOULD BE GREAT NEWS FOR THE COMMUNITY.
THE CITY AND THE BULLARD CENTER ARE BOTH RECIPIENTS OF THE SOLAR FOR ALL FEDERAL GRANT.
COULD SOME OF THOSE FUNDS BE ALLOCATED TO THE 50 MEGAWATT SOLAR FARM SITE RESTORATION? IF SOME OF THE POWER BENEFITS THE LOCAL UNIVERSITY, TEXAS SOUTHERN, WE KNOW THERE IS STILL A YEAR PLANNING AROUND THOSE GRANTS.
SO ALLOWING THE COMMUNITY SOLAR ARRAY AND THEN BATTERIES TO MOVE FORWARD WHILE THE DETAILS ARE WORKED OUT, OUT FOR THE REST OF THE SITE, SEEMS TO US A WIN.
WE URGE THE ADMINISTRATION TO PRIORITIZE THIS PROJECT.
COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER, THANK YOU FOR, UH, YOUR, YOUR, UH, INFORMATION.
UM, YOU KNOW, JUST CURIOUS, I KNOW THAT SUNNYSIDE ENERGY WAS, WAS ESTABLISHED FOR, SPECIFICALLY FOR THIS PROJECT.
IS THAT CORRECT? UH, SO WOLF ENERGY WOLF, WELL, SUN SUNNYSIDE ENERGY, LLC AS PARTNERSHIP AS I KNOW IT, BETWEEN WOLF ENERGY, MP TWO, SHELL AND EDF RENEWABLES.
AND SO, AND THE CITY RETAINS THE OWNERSHIP OF THE LAND AND, UH, THE, UH, LLC WAS TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR PERMITTING, CONSTRUCTION, MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION OF THE SOLAR FARM.
IS THAT THAT? YEAH, THAT SOUNDS RIGHT.
SO, SO, NO, I'M JUST CURIOUS BECAUSE CERTAINLY WHILE THE CITY RETAINS OWNERSHIP AND THERE WAS A COMPANY ESTABLISHED TO FROM, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, PERMITTING ALL THE WAY TO OPERATIONS, THERE SEEMS TO BE SOMETHING MISSING HERE.
SO I'D LOVE TO SIT DOWN WITH YOU, UH, MY OFFICE.
SOMEONE IN THE BACK WILL REACH OUT TO YOU AND, AND GET YOUR INFORMATION.
WE'LL GET YOU SET UP BE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, HISTORICALLY IN A BUSINESS AGREEMENT IT'S, YOU KNOW, YOU LEASE LAND AND TO AN OPERATOR AND IT JUST HAPPENS.
AND, UM, WHILE I THINK IT'S CERTAINLY GOOD FOR THE COMMUNITY, I, I THINK WE NEED TO TAKE A HARD LOOK AT IT, YOU KNOW, FIVE YEARS AGO TO NOW, AS A LITTLE BIT OF A TIME GAP AND, AND PERMITTING ASIDE, I DON'T KNOW THAT PERMITTING HELD IT UP ALL THAT TIME.
I'M, I'M CURIOUS, VERY CURIOUS ABOUT IT.
SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND WE'LL CERTAINLY TALK TO YOU.
Y'ALL DOING THIS MORNING? DOING WELL.
GOT THIS BOX FROM, UH, FEMA, LIKE, LIKE THOSE OTHER PEOPLE WAS JUST SAYING, UM, GOT FEMA SITTING DOWNTOWN.
THAT BUN, THEY GOT 30 PEOPLE THERE.
I'VE BEEN OVER THERE TWO DAYS JUST TO LOOK.
WHY WOULD YOU HAVE FEMA WITH FOOD THAT'S SITTING THERE? WATER.
NOBODY'S IN THE MIDDLE OF DOWNTOWN.
EVERYBODY OVER THERE GOT INSURANCE AND WHATEVER.
WE GOT FIFTH WARD, CASHIER GARDEN, PLEASANTVILLE, A CITY GAS, YOU KNOW, JUST SITTING GOOD FOOD.
LOOK, 16 CANS OF GOOD FOOD WHERE KIDS CAN EAT WHEN THEY COME OUTTA SCHOOL.
THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG WITH THAT PROBLEM.
YOU GOT THESE PLACES OVER HERE LOOK LIKE A WAR ZONE.
I TOOK MY FOOD OUT MY REFRIGERATOR 'CAUSE MY LIFE STAYED OFF FIVE DAYS.
TOOK IT TO FIFTH WARD, GAVE IT TO THE GUY THAT'S BARBECUING.
FEED THE STREET, TRY TO GET THAT MONEY BACK JUST TO SEE, OH, YOU GOT TO GO WITH FEMA.
YOU KNOW, I KNOW THEY WAS GONNA DENY BECAUSE I GOT INSURANCE.
THOSE PEOPLE DON'T HAVE INSURANCE.
[02:20:01]
IT'S JUST SITTING RIGHT NOW.THEY GOT SIX PALLETS JUST SITTING.
IT'S THE SECOND DAY I WENT AND GOT A BOX TO GIVE TO SOMEBODY.
I'VE BEEN CUTTING TREES ON MY DIME.
I GOT A THURSDAY, FRIDAY MORNING AFTER THE STORM.
WENT TO HOME DEPOTS FIRST IN LINE, BOUGHT TWO CHAINSAWS ME TWO CHAIN, TWO CHAINSAWS.
THE CHANGE, THE CHANGE WAS $27.
YOU GOT LITTLE KIDS OTHER DAY STANDING ON, ON 59 EQUIPMENT, SELLING WATER JUST TO GET SOMETHING TO EAT.
IT'S IN THE BACK OF MY TRUCK DOWN IN, IN THE PARKING LOT.
CALL 'EM AND ASK THEM WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT Y'ALL DOING UP HERE.
PARENTS AT HOME WITH THE OTHER KIDS.
GIRLS JUST, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO MAKE ENDS MEET.
I FOLLOWED THEM HOME WHEN I HAD THE PARENTS TO COME GET 'EM.
I FOLLOWED 'EM HOME AND YEAH, I AIN'T GONNA TELL YOU WHAT I TOLD THEM 'CAUSE I COULD HAVE CALLED CPS, BUT WHY DO THAT WHEN YOU CAN HELP 'EM OUT MY POCKET AND YOU GOT FOOD SITTING RIGHT DOWNTOWN THAT'S JUST SITTING THERE.
I'M SAYING WHAT'S WHAT'S GOING ON CITY.
PEOPLE CAN'T GET THEIR LIGHTS CUT ON BECAUSE THE, THE WEATHER POLE IS TORE UP.
THEY DON'T HAVE MONEY TO PAY FOR IT TO GET THE ELECTRICITY.
AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR KINDNESS AND YOUR GENEROSITY AND FOR ALSO, UM, SHARING THAT, UH, FEMA HAS THOSE PALLETS OF FOOD.
I KNOW THAT, UM, THE MAYOR'S ADMINISTRATION IS, IS LISTENING.
IF WE CAN, UM, SEE IF THERE'S A WAY FOR US TO DISSEMINATE THAT MONEY THAT, THAT FOOD TO, UM, PEOPLE IN NEED, WE DEFINITELY WILL DO SO.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD, WHAT THEY, THEY TOLD ME, EXCUSE ME.
THEY TOLD ME WHEN I WENT OVER THERE THAT THEY'RE SENT WHERE THEY'RE SENT.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE BEING SENT WHEREVER THEY RIGHT.
BUT THE MAYOR CAN, CAN INFORM THEM PLACES THAT THEY NEED TO GO.
YOU KNOW, COUNCIL, YOU KNOW, OUR COUNCIL PERSON, I DON'T KNOW WHAT KEITH AND THEM WAS TALKING ABOUT.
YOU KNOW, NOT DROPPING NO SHADE.
I'VE BEEN IN THE COMMUNITY SINCE THURSDAY OF LAST WEEK.
SEEN NOBODY, I'M GONNA TELL YOU THE TRUTH WHEN I COME DOWN HERE.
AND I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR ONE, UM, ALL OF THE CONTRIBUTIONS YOU'VE MADE TO THE COMMUNITY SINCE, SINCE THE STORM.
UM, AND BUT FOR YOU COMING HERE, I KNOW I WOULD NOT HAVE KNOWN ABOUT THE FOOD THAT, THAT IS SITTING DOWNTOWN.
AND I THINK I SHARED THE, UH, MAYOR PRO TEM SENTIMENTS THAT, UH, THE ADMINISTRATION SHOULD DO ALL THAT IT CAN TO HELP PUT TOGETHER A STRATEGY TO, UH, PROVIDE THAT FOOD TO COMMUNITIES IN NEEDS SO THAT IT DON'T, IT DOESN'T GO TO WASTE.
UM, I WILL MAKE MYSELF AVAILABLE.
UH, MAKE SURE YOU HAVE MY CONTACT INFORMATION FOR MY OFFICE TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO PERSONALLY.
IF YOU CAN DO WHATEVER YOU CAN, UH, THROUGH THE ADMINISTRATION TO ENSURE THAT THAT FOOD DOES NOT GO TO WASTE.
ESPECIALLY IF IT'S JUST BEEN THERE FOR THE LAST TWO DAYS WITHOUT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOWING WE DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT IT.
SO I KNOW THE AVERAGE PERSON DOESN'T KNOW ABOUT IT.
AND MOST PEOPLE ARE NOT GOING TO GO ALL THE WAY DOWNTOWN FOR ONE BOX.
SO LET'S DO WHAT WE CAN TO GET IT TO THEM.
UH, BUT I DO WANT TO THANK YOU FORWARD.
YOU'D, YOU'D BE SURPRISED FORWARD SURPRISED.
I DON'T DO THIS FOR, FOR RECOGNITION OR WHATEVER.
I DO THIS AFTER KINDNESS IN MY HEART.
'CAUSE I KEPT OUT MY PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY CALLED ME AND TOLD ME ABOUT IT, YOU KNOW, SO I GO CHECK IT OUT AND I GOOD PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE COME FROM DALLAS, UH, EVERYWHERE.
AND IT'S, IT'S, IT IS, IT IT, I'M GONNA TELL YOU THIS BEFORE I GO.
THE, THE, THE LADY WAS, WHEN THE POWER WENT OUT, SHE TOOK HER KIDS.
THEY WAS GETTING READY TO GO OUTSIDE TO GET IN THE CAR.
SOON AS SHE WENT BACK IN THE HOUSE, THE TREE SMASHED THE CAR.
SO JUST IMAGINE WHAT THOSE KIDS AND THAT LADY IN THE CAR, I WENT OVER THERE AND CUT THE TREE UP.
TOLD ME, YOU DON'T OWE ME NOTHING.
BUT THIS IS, THIS IS WHAT I DO IN THE COMMUNITY.
I DON'T DO IT JUST BECAUSE I DON'T COME DOWN HERE TO HARASS Y'ALL.
WHEN I COME, WHEN YOU SEE ME COME DOWN HERE, I'M COMING DOWN HERE ABOUT SOME BUSINESS.
'CAUSE I KNOW Y'ALL GOT STUFF TO DO.
[02:25:01]
RIDICULOUS.THIS STUFF NEED TO BE OUT THERE.
WELL, WE APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING THAT TO OUR ATTENTION AND WE WILL DO ALL WE CAN TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE, UM, UM, RESOURCES GET OUT INTO OUR COMMUNITIES.
I AIN'T DROPPING NO SALT, BUT TASHA JACKSON NEED TO GET OUT THERE.
UH, THANK YOU MAYOR PROMAN, BROTHER BALLARD.
THANK YOU FOR, UM, COMING DOWN AND, UH, EXPRESSING THAT INFORMATION BECAUSE I DO BELIEVE MAYOR PRO TEM, THAT THAT I THINK OVER THE DAYS THE COUNCIL, WE'VE HEARD A LOT.
THERE HAS TO BE A COMPREHENSIVE EMERGENCY PLAN PUT IN PLACE BECAUSE WE GONNA BE GETTING THIS, ESPECIALLY NOW, ALMOST EVERY MONTH GOING FORWARD.
AND I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU, UH, YOU KNOW, FOR WHAT YOU DO.
THERE ARE OTHERS WHO ARE DOING A LOT OF THINGS ACROSS.
AS MAYOR PRO TEM SAID, THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE WORKING IN COMMUNITIES THAT MAY NOT BE SPOKEN OR KNOWN ABOUT.
WE ALL CAN'T BE EVERYWHERE AT THE SAME TIME.
BUT WE CAN'T BE WHERE WE CAN'T BE.
BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT ENOUGH INFORMATION HAS BEEN GIVEN TO US.
AND THAT'S WHY I WAS SUGGESTING TOO, WE NEED TO USE THESE PLACES IN OUR COMMUNITY AS WELL AS OUR CHURCHES.
THAT'S, WE HAVE TO USE THE RESOURCES WE HAVE.
SO THE ADMINISTRATION HAS TO TAKE SERIOUS ABOUT BRINGING THE COUNCIL TOGETHER, MAYOR TEM, AND MAKE SURE THAT WE COME UP WITH A PLAN.
THIS IS ONLY MAY, RIGHT? WE HAVEN'T EVEN GOT TO JUNE, JULY, AND AUGUST.
BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH, MY FRIEND.
I'VE SAID, I'VE SAID THIS BEFORE.
I I'VE SAID THIS TO COUNCIL BEFORE, BEFORE THE LAST ADMINISTRATION.
I'M, I'M TELLING YOU, ALL YOU COUNCIL PEOPLE, YOU, YOU WILL NOT STRUGGLE SO HARD IF YOU HAVE SOMEBODY IN THE COMMUNITY WHERE YOU SERVE THAT KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE COMMUNITY.
'CAUSE IF Y'ALL DON'T KNOW, DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON WITH THIS FOOD BEING AT, AT, YOU KNOW, AT, AT DOWNTOWN, THERE'S PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY THAT KNOW ABOUT THE COMMUNITY, RIGHT? AND LIKE MS. PECK WAS SAYING, WHEN SHE FIRST, YOU GOT A LOT OF PEOPLE RIGHT NOW, I'M TELL YOU WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
INSTEAD OF TAKING THIS TO THE, TO THE DUMP, THEY BRING IT TO OUR COMMUNITY AND DUMP IT IN OUR COMMUNITY BECAUSE IT'S ALREADY TRASH IN THE COMMUNITY.
YOU KNOW, PEOPLE THAT'S WORKING CONTRACTS WITH, WITH, WITH THE CITY AND YOU KNOW, THEY DOING THIS HERE.
BUT YOU CAN BEST OF SHOW IF I CATCH ANOTHER ONE IN FIFTH WARD, YOU KNOW IT'S GOING TO BE, I'M, I'M TELLING YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER, DID YOU HAVE A, A COMMENT? THANK YOU.
UH, WE JUST WANTED TO SEE WHAT WAS IN THE BOX, BUT ALSO TOO, SEEMS LIKE WE COULD GET A FEW PEOPLE WITH PICKUPS TO GO OVER AND PICK THAT STUFF UP AND GET IT OUT IN THE COMMUNITY.
WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS, YOU GOT A CHURCH FOR OVER THERE.
I CAN SOME OF YOUR VOLUNTEERS, BUT YOU TAKE, YOU TAKE, YOU TAKE LIKE, LIKE RAVIOLIS FOR A KID THAT, THAT'S JUST GETTING OUTTA SCHOOL.
THEY CAN DO THIS HERE IN THE MICROWAVE.
WE'RE GONNA DO ALL WE CAN TO GET THAT FOOD OUT INTO THE COMMUNITIES.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BRINGING THAT TO OUR ATTENTION.
I CAN, I CAN GET YOU SOME TRUCKS TO, I GOT A BIG TRUCK.
I CAN GO GET IT, YOU KNOW? ALL RIGHT.
AISHA AMIN, DEAR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, AND MR. MAYOR, I'M SORRY, I KEEP COMING BACK HERE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
BUT THE REASON I DO THAT IS BECAUSE THE SUFFERING, THE, THE KILLING, THE STARVING, EVERYTHING IS STILL GOING ON THERE IN RAZA AND NOW IN RAFA.
AND THE, THE, THOSE PEOPLE THERE, THEY JUST LIKE ALL OF US HAVE THE SAME DREAMS AND THE SAME ASPIRATIONS.
AND ALL THOSE CHILDREN, THEY ALL WANTED TO GO TO COLLEGE.
THEY ALL WANTED TO BE PROFESSIONALS.
THOSE MOMS THERE WANTED TO SEE THEIR CHILDREN GROW AND GRADUATE AND GET MARRIED.
THEY ALL HAD THE SAME DREAMS. THOSE FATHERS THERE WANTED TO ALSO SUPPORT THEIR FAMILIES, FEED THEM AND HAS, AND SEE THEM DEVELOP AND GROW.
THEN WHY ARE WE NOT ABLE TO SEE THAT? WHY ARE WE NOT LETTING THEM ALSO EAT THEIR DINNER TOGETHER, EAT, HAVE, CELEBRATE THEIR, EAT THEIR CHRISTMAS, THEIR HANUKAH, THEIR LABOR
[02:30:01]
DAY, MEMORIAL DAY, THEIR THANKSGIVING TOGETHER.THEY ARE, WHY ARE WE NOT LETTING THEM DO THIS? AND WHAT IS MAKING US SO NUMB FROM WHAT'S HAPPENING THERE EVERY DAY, MORE AND MORE BOMBS AS WE SPEAK, SHOWERING OVER THEM LIKE THUNDERSTORMS. UH, PLEASE, UH, UH, DON'T THINK THAT THIS, THIS DON'T BE NUMB TO THIS.
PLEASE CONSIDER THIS AS A, AS, AS A SITUATION THAT IS REAL AND AND HAPPENING.
AND BECAUSE THERE'S NO, NO RELIGION THAT HAS SAYS THAT IT'S OKAY TO MASSACRE, TO ETHNICALLY CLEANS, TO TO STARVE PEOPLE, TO BE ABLE TO LIVE YOUR OWN LIFE, UH, SUPPORT YOUR FAMILY AND DEFEND YOURSELF AND GET TO GET LAND AND A, A GOOD LIVING FOR YOUR FAMILY.
SO, UH, PLEASE CONSIDER AND MY REQUEST, I AM A HOUSTON, A REP.
I HAVE BEEN LIVING HERE FOR MANY YEARS.
I WANT MY CITY COUNCIL TO SUPPORT CEASEFIRE AND STOP THIS SUFFERING.
THANK YOU MS. AMIN, FOR SHARING YOUR SENTIMENTS WITH US TODAY.
NEXT SPEAKER ROSANNA AL CHER SANNA.
SHE'S GONNA PASS OUT SOME PAPERS.
YOU GUYS, OR WHO DOES SHE NEED TO HAND IT TO? SHE CAN GIVE 'EM TO RENEE AND HE'LL PASS 'EM OUT FOR US.
MARY, YOU GET PAID WAY TOO MUCH TO BE ON YOUR PHONE THE ENTIRE TIME.
SO I SUGGEST YOU PAY ATTENTION.
YOU CAN JUST ADDRESS THE COUNCIL.
JUST ADDRESS THE COUNCIL AS A WHOLE THING.
JAMES BALDWIN ONCE SAID, THE CHILDREN ARE ALWAYS OURS, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM ALL OVER THE GLOBE.
AND I'M BEGINNING TO SUSPECT THAT WHOEVER IS INCAPABLE OF RECOGNIZING THIS MAY BE INCAPABLE OF MORALITY.
AS A MOTHER MYSELF AND A FIERCE PROTECTOR OF CHILDREN, ALL CHILDREN, I THINK ABOUT THIS QUOTE DAILY, ESPECIALLY THESE PAST EIGHT MONTHS AFTER SEEING A GENOCIDE LIVE STREAM WITH OVER 15,000 CHILDREN BEING MURDERED BY ISRAEL.
A GENOCIDE THAT, AS YOU KNOW, IS FUNDED BY AMERICAN TAX DOLLARS.
I ALSO THINK ABOUT WHO THIS QUOTE APPLIES TO AND WHO IS, AND I QUOTE, INCAPABLE OF MORALITY.
WHO ELSE IS A PARENT CLAIMS TO LOVE CHILDREN AND WANTS TO PROTECT THEM, BUT THEN GOES ON AND PUBLICLY SUPPORTS A COUNTRY MASS MURDERING CHILDREN? UNFORTUNATELY, I CAN THINK OF MANY SUCH HYPOCRITES, SOME WHO ARE ELECTED OFFICIALS SITTING HERE TODAY.
IN FACT, ONE IS MY VERY OWN COUNCIL MEMBER FROM DISTRICT A.
AMY PECK, NOT SEEING YOU, MARY.
EARLIER THIS MONTH, AMY PECK AND YOUR FELLOW HOUSTON COUNCIL MEMBER, MARY HUFFMAN, WHO JUST DECIDED TO LEAVE, HAD THE AUDACITY TO PROUDLY AND PUBLICLY SUPPORT HOUSTON YOUNG REPUBLICANS EVENT THAT WAS IN SUPPORT OF ISRAEL AFTER EIGHT MONTHS OF MANY OF US COMING HERE EVERY WEEK TO SPEAK ON THE CURRENT AMERICAN FUNDED GENOCIDE.
I NEED 30 MORE SECONDS, SO I'LL BE DONE.
YOU TWO DECIDED TO SUPPORT THE VERY COUNTRY MASS MURDERING, STARVING AND TORTURING CIVILIANS, INCLUDING CHILDREN.
YOU TWO AS MOTHERS PROBABLY GAVE YOUR CHILDREN A HUG AND KISS THIS MORNING, TELLING THEM YOU'LL SEE THEM LATER WHILE YOU ARE OUT HERE SUPPORTING A COUNTRY THAT'S FORCING PALESTINIAN MOTHERS TO SAY THEIR FINAL GOODBYES.
SO THEIR UNRECOGNIZABLE, BURNED, AND EVEN HEADLESS BODIES OF THEIR CHILDREN.
ARE YOU COMING TO GET ME
I HOPE YOU HAVE NIGHTMARES THAT TERRORIZE YOU.
I HOPE YOU ARE NEVER FORGIVEN FOR SUPPORTING A COUNTRY MASS MURDERING CHILDREN.
BUT MOST OF ALL, I HOPE YOUR CHILDREN GO UP BETTER THAN YOU.
AND GO AHEAD AND REPEAT THIS TO YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER, FELLOW COLLEAGUE, MARY.
NEXT SPEAKER, THIS COMPLETES THE LIST OF SPEAKERS.