* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:02] COUNCIL, PLEASE COME TO ORDER OUR FRIENDS PLEASE. ORDER, ORDER GETTING HARDER. YEAH. IN FACT, YOU HAVE EVERYONE'S ATTENTION. SECRETARY, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL . NO, JUST CALL TO ORDER. AND THEN YOU'RE GONNA DO THE FIRST PRESENTATION. THANK Y'ALL. WE HAVE A COUPLE [PRESENTATIONS] OF PROCLAMATIONS WE'D LIKE TO START OUT DOING. I YIELD. COUNCIL DAVIS, CHAIR THE MAYOR PRO CA THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS FOR A PROCLAMATION TO REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE US ARMY TO RECOGNIZE THE 249TH BIRTHDAY OF THE US ARMY MAYOR. THANK YOU MAYOR PROTI. AND, UH, COUNCIL AND MAYOR. THIS IS CERTAINLY A PROCLAMATION THAT I AM WELL HONORED TO PRESENT DUE TO THE FACT THAT I AM A VETERAN AND A PROUD ONE AT THAT AND A VIETNAM VETERAN SINCE ITS OFFICIAL ESTABLISHMENT. AND LET ME ASK ALL OF THOSE THAT ARE COMING UP. YES, COME ON. MANY OUR COMMANDERS. AND BEFORE WE, BEFORE WE MAKE THE, UH, PROCLAMATION, I WANTED TO, UH, MAKE AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, UH, OF PERSONNEL IN THE AUDIENCE. AFTER THE PRESENTATION, UH, THERE'S COMMISSIONING CEREMONY FOR DR. IMAN AHAD TO THE RANK OF LIEUTENANT COLONEL AND THE OATH ADMINISTERED BY LIEUTENANT COLONEL MATTHEWS MOORE, THE FIFTH MEDICAL, UH, RECRUITING BATTALION COMMANDER AND ALSO BROTHERS AND SISTERS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. AND I MISSED IS A 98-YEAR-OLD PRIVATE JOSE RODRIGUEZ. HE'S A, A WORLD WAR II VETERAN, SIR, IN THE PHILIPPINES. YES. SINCE ITS OFFICIAL ESTABLISHMENT ON JUNE 14TH, 1775, MORE THAN A YEAR BEFORE THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE, THE US ARMY HAS PLAYED A VITAL ROLE IN THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE AMERICAN NATION. AT TIME, THE ARMY PROVIDED THE LONG SYMBOL OF NATIONHOOD AROUND WHICH PATRIOTS RALLIED. SINCE THESE EARLY DAYS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, OUR SOLDIERS HAVE SERVED TO PROTECT, FREEDOM, AND LIBERTY. GENERATION AFTER GENERATION HAVE RAISED THEIR RIGHT HAND TO SUPPORT AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES, TO PRESERVE OUR FREEDOMS AND TO PROMOTE OUR AMERICAN VALUES. AND I WAS ONE OF THEM. TODAY, THE MEN AND THE WOMEN OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY ARE SERVING AT HOME AROUND THE WORLD, KEEPING OUR COUNTRY STRONG AND SECURE. THE BRAVERY OF OUR SERVICE MEMBERS AND THEIR FAMILY INSPIRES AMERICANS OF EVERY AGE AND BACKGROUND. AND THAT SACRIFICES WILL NEVER, EVER BE FORGOTTEN. AS WE OBSERVE THE ARMY'S 249TH BIRTHDAY, WE HONOR THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE US. WE CELEBRATE THAT SERVICE. WE REFLECT ON THAT SACRIFICE, AND WE THANK THE BRAVE MEN AND WOMEN WHO CONTINUE TO ANSWER THE NATION'S CALL. WE ARE INCREDIBLY PROUD OF THE COMMITMENT, THE RESILIENCE, AND HARD WORK OF OUR SOLDIERS FROM ACTIVE DUTY, NATIONAL GUARD AND ARMY RESERVE. IT IS BECAUSE OF YOU THAT WE REMAIN A SYMBOL OF STRENGTH AND HOPE AROUND THE WORLD. MAYOR, THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. AND WE HAVE MANY PROCLAMATIONS COME BEFORE US. NONE ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE ONE THAT YOU PRESENT TODAY, BECAUSE WITHOUT THESE MEN AND WOMEN, WE WOULDN'T EVEN BE ABLE TO BE HERE TODAY. SO IT'S SO APPROPRIATE THAT YOU REMIND US. CERTAINLY JUST A FEW DAYS AFTER EDAY. WE LOOK AT MR. RODRIGUEZ, EVEN THE YOUNG PEOPLE, THE OTHER YOUNG PEOPLE THAT, THAT ARE, THAT ARE HERE TODAY. UH, THIS IS JUST A MOMENT TO STOP AND THINK, NOT ONLY THE ARMY, BUT CERTAINLY YOUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS AND THE [00:05:01] OTHER BRANCHES. AND ON BEHALF OF ALL HOUSTONIANS AND PEOPLE ACROSS AMERICA, WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. YOU KNOW, WE QUITE OFTEN SPEND A LOT OF TIME APPROPRIATELY TALKING ABOUT OUR FIRST RESPONDERS. YEAH. FIREMEN AND POLICEMEN. WE CAN'T DO WITHOUT THEM. BUT THANK TO OUR REAL FIRST, FIRST RESPONDERS WORK. YEAH. IT'S THE, UH, MEN AND WOMEN IN THE US ARMY. SO IT'S MY PRIVILEGE. THEREFORE, I, JOHN WHITMEYER, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM JUNE 14TH, 2024 IS US ARMY DAY, THE 249TH BIRTHDAY. SO HAPPY BIRTHDAY. YEAH. YES. GO RIGHT AHEAD. THIS IS MIKE SHOW IF YOU'D LIKE TO. YES, SIR. MR. MAYOR COUNCILMAN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING US HERE AND FOR RECOGNIZING ALL THE MEN AND WOMEN HERE, UM, WHO SERVE IN UNIFORM IN THE ARMY. AND SO, JUST SO YOU KNOW, IN THE ROOM WE HAVE, WE HAVE WORLD WAR II VETERANS, VETERANS FROM VIETNAM, DESERT STORM, AFGHANISTAN, IRAQ, AND, AND SO MANY MORE. UM, WE ALSO HAVE A NEWLY MINTED SOLDIER INSIDE OUR MIST, UH, WHO JUST GRADUATED, GRADUATED BASIC TRAINING AND ADVANCED INDIVIDUAL TRAINING, AND WILL BE STATIONED AT FORT BLISS WITH US, WHO WILL BE OUR YOUNGEST PERSON TO, TO CUT THE CAKE WITH YOU. UH, GI JOE , PRIVATE, PRIVATE FREE. UM, BUT ALL THESE MEN AND WOMEN WHO HAVE PAVED THE WAY FOR US, WE, WE COULD NOT HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT YOU. WE WOULD NOT ENJOY THE BENEFITS THAT WE HAVE WITHOUT YOUR SACRIFICES THAT YOU ALL ENDURED. BUT WE CAN'T DO IT ALONE. ALRIGHT? UM, MYSELF AND, AND, AND EVEN SOME OF MY YOUNGER FOLKS, EVENTUALLY WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON. AND SO, UH, AS, AS MUCH AS WE HAVE RECEIVED SO MUCH SUPPORT FROM THE CITY OF HOUSTON, I ASKED YOU ALL, UH, TO, TO CONSIDER, CONSIDER TALKING TO THE YOUTH. CONSIDER TALKING TO, TO THOSE GRADUATES, TO JOIN IN THE ARMY. THE, THE BENEFITS ARE COUNTLESS FROM FREE MEDICAL CARE, 30 DAYS OF PAID LEAVE, RIGHT OFF THE BAT ENTRY LEVEL. WE WILL TEACH YOU THE SKILLS TO BRING THEM BACK INTO FRUITFUL CITIZENS. UM, SO I, I REPRESENT THE US ARMY IN, UH, HOUSTON RECRUITING BATTALION FOR ENLISTED ACTIVE DUTY AND ARMY RESERVE. SO IN THE RESERVE, THEY DON'T EVEN LEAVE YOUR COMMUNITY. THEY WILL, WILL PROVIDE THEM THE SKILL AND THEY COME RIGHT BACK AND, AND THEY'LL WORK AT THE RESERVE CENTER. I THINK THERE'S NATIONAL GUARD REPRESENTATIVES HERE AS WELL. UM, WE HAVE REPRESENTATION FROM, UH, THE ARMY MEDICAL SIDE. AND, AND YOU'LL SEE AN ENLISTMENT HERE BEING CONDUCTED FOR A 62-YEAR-OLD COMING IN. 'CAUSE WE NEED DOCTORS TOO INSIDE OF THE ARMY. UM, AND, AND WE HAVE THE SWORD HERE WHO REPRESENTS, UH, GOING INTO ROTC, WHERE THEY PROVIDE SCHOLARSHIPS FOR, FOR, UM, FOR THE UNIVERSITY WHERE THEY BECOME OFFICERS. SO A WIDE RANGE OF ARMY ARMY REPRESENTATION HERE. AND SO, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON FOR HAVING US HERE AGAIN. AND PLEASE CONSIDER MY WORDS. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. YES. WE DO HAVE A COUPLE OF COUNCIL MEMBERS IN Q UH, COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. WE DO HAVE A COUPLE OF COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE, UH, MEMBERS OF OUR ARMY. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TIM. UH, AND JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU. UH, MY, MY YOUNGEST BROTHER, THE YOUNGEST IN THE FAMILY, HE'S CURRENTLY SERVING IN SOUTH KOREA, IN THE ARMY. UH, PROBABLY BE RETIRING I THINK, THIS YEAR, IF I'M MISTAKEN. AND SO, UM, AS I SEE YOU ALL, I, I ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE EVERYBODY HERE, WE ALL HAVE FAMILY THAT SERVE AND WE JUST SUPER APPRECIATIVE FOR, YOU KNOW, TAKING ON THAT, THAT, UH, RESPONSIBILITY AND JUST, UH, CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS MAYOR FOR BRINGING THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER BRINGING THIS, UH, YOUNG GROUP TO BE UP HERE. UH, MR. RODRIGUEZ, THANK YOU. YES, SIR. THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE. YES, SIR. YES, SIR. SIR, THANK YOU. MEMBER, SIR. COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. THANK YOU. MAYOR PRO TEM, AND THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS AND MAYOR WHITMEYER FOR MAKING THIS POSSIBLE AND DECLARING THIS, UH, US ARMY DAY HERE IN HOUSTON. AND THANK YOU TO THE THOUSANDS OF MEN AND WOMEN WHO HAVE KEPT US SAFE AND DEFENDED OUR NATION, UM, AND ALLOW US TO ENJOY THE, THE FREEDOM THAT WE HAVE TODAY. AND TO MEET AS A, AS A BODY HERE, UH, REPRESENTING THE PUBLIC. UH, MY, MY DAD WAS AN ARMY VET AND, UH, PROUD ARMY VET. AND I'M GRATEFUL FOR HIS SERVICE AND THANKFUL THAT WE STILL HAVE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN WHO ARE WILLING TO SERVE IN THE ARMY AND, AND KEEP US SAFE. SO, THANK YOU ALL. COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER. YES, JUST WANTED TO, UH, TO SAY THANK YOU. UH, THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER [00:10:01] DAVIS FOR BRINGING THIS GROUP FORWARD. THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU MAYOR, FOR ACKNOWLEDGING THEM. I JUST WANNA GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO MR. RODRIGUEZ, WHO WHEN I WAS DELAYED BACK THERE, IMPORTANT CONVERSATION. I SAID, DO YOU STILL DRIVE? AND HE SAID, SOMETIMES . SO, SO BE ON THE LOOKOUT, BE ON THE LOOKOUT. AND, AND, AND WHEN YOU SEE THAT HAT GO BY, BE SURE TO GIVE HIM AWAY. BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, THANK YOU FOR SERVING OUR COUNTRY. AND, YOU KNOW, LESS THAN 1% OF THOSE WHO ARE ELIGIBLE ACTUALLY SERVE LESS THAN 1%. THAT'S RIGHT. YEAH. AND THE OTHER THING YOU DO IS YOU PROVIDE DISCIPLINE. MUCH NEEDED IN YOUNG PEOPLE TODAY. MAKE YOUR BED AND THE REST IS HISTORY. RIGHT. , THANK YOU. YES, YES. OKAY. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. AND TO EVERYONE WHO IS REPRESENTING THE ARMY TODAY, WE CANNOT, UM, THANK YOU ENOUGH. UH, WE ALL KNOW THAT FREEDOM IS NOT FREE. THAT'S RIGHT. AND BUT FOR YOU DOING THE WORK AND THE SERVICE THAT YOU DO, WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO SIT AND SERVE THE WAY WE DO. SO CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR ANNIVERSARY. UH, 249 YEARS DESERVES TO BE CELEBRATED. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. TON [00:17:02] RECOGNIZES, MEMBER MARTINEZ FOR A PROCLAMATION TO GARETH MORGAN'S IN CELEBRATING ASTROWORLD THEME PARK, EMPLOYEE REUNION. WE'RE GONNA GIVE, UH, EVERYONE A CHANCE TO EXIT THE CHAMBER IF YOU'RE LEAVING. JOSE, CAN YOU HELP US IF WE CAN CLOSE THE DOOR TO THE CHAMBER, SOME NOISY ARMY PEOPLE. THANK YOU. OKAY, THANK YOU. GARETH, YOU WANNA COME UP TO THE, TO THE PODIUM? OKAY. YOU GONNA STAND UP THERE WITH HIM? COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ, WE'RE READY FOR YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TAM. UM, SO I'M NOT SURE IF ANY, ANY OF Y'ALL KNOW WHEN, AS WHAT ACTUALLY CLOSED? UM, ANYBODY QUIZ, POP QUIZ. OKAY. I WAS 20 YEARS, BRO, MAYBE ABOUT 20 YEARS, ACTUALLY, 2005. SO I WAS TOLD, YOU KNOW, TIME FLIES WHEN YOU'RE NOT HAVING FUN. AND WE ALL USED TO HAVE FUN AT ASAL, RIGHT? UM, AND SO I'M, I'M HONORED AND ACTUALLY HAVE SOME GOOD FRIENDS UP HERE, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT WORKED AT ASTROWORLD. AND SO, UM, AS A YOUNG KID, I THINK WE ALL HAVE FOND MEMORIES OF, OF GOING TO THE PARK. AND I THINK WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO KIND OF START A NEW, UH, CAMPAIGN TO GET A NEW PARK INTO HOUSTON, RIGHT? YES. UM, SO YEAH, BUT I'M HONORED TO, UH, TO SHARE THIS, UH, PROCLAMATION WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND, AND, UH, MY COLLEAGUES. UM, AGAIN, WE ALL HAVE FOND MEMORIES, AND I THINK IT'S AN IMPORTANT THING FOR THE ASHWOOD EMPLOYEES TO HAVE THIS REUNION AND CONTINUE TO REMEMBER THE, THE THINGS THAT THEY DID TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE SAFE AT THE PARK, RIGHT? UH, TO MAKE SURE WE'RE HAVING FUN. AND, YOU KNOW, CONTINUE TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT THOSE MEMORIES, UH, LIVE ON. AND SO, I'LL GO AHEAD AND BEGIN ASTROWORLD THEME, THEME PARK, EMPLOYEE REUNION. WHEREAS HOUSTON IS ENRICHED BY THE LEGACY OF FAMILY AND FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT AND CONTRIBUTIONS BY HARDWORKING CITIZENS WHO PROVIDED A PLACE WHERE EVERYONE WAS WELCOME AND EXPERIENCE A DAY OF JOY AND THRILLS, CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE PRICELESS [00:20:01] MEMORY OF HOUSTONIANS, WHO ENJOYED A DAY AT ASAL THEME PARK REMAINED IN OUR HEARTS FOREVER, WHEREAS THE EMPLOYEES OF ASAL WORKED TIRELESSLY PROVIDING AN ESCAPE FOR ALL WHO ENTERED SINCE THE GRAND OPENING ON JUNE 1ST, 1968. FROM ALL CRAFTS TO ARTISTS, FOOD VENDORS, CATERINGS RIDE OPERATORS, GROUND CREW MERCHANDISERS, GAMES AND ATTRACTIONS, ENTERTAINMENT, FRONT GATE PARKING LOT ATTENDANTS, SECURITY LOSS PREVENTION, SALES AND MARKETING, FINANCE, HUMAN RESOURCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE ROLES AND ADMINISTRATIVE ROLES. THERE WAS NO PLACE LIKE ASWELL TO SHOWCASE THEIR LOVE OF THE JOB. AGAIN, THIS IS A HUGE OPERATION. WHEREAS OUR LOVE FOR ASWELL CLOSED ITS DOORS ON OCTOBER 30TH, 2005. ITS GLORIOUS MEMORY LIVES ON THROUGH THE ASAL EMPLOYEE REUNION COMMITTEE, AND THE THOUSANDS OF GOOD PEOPLE WE CALL THE ASAL EMPLOYEE ALUMNI. AND WHEREAS ON JUNE 1ST, 2024, THE LEGION OF FORMER ASAL THEME PARK EMPLOYEES GATHERED TO CELEBRATE LIFELONG FRIENDSHIPS AND REMEMBER ALL WHO SERVED OUR GUESTS. AND WHEREAS THE CITY OF HOUSTON COMMENDS ALL ASTROWORLD THEME THEME PARK EMPLOYEES WHO CONTINUE TO SHOW THAT CAN DO SPIRIT AND CELEBRATE THE GREAT AMERICAN SPIRIT THAT ASTROWORLD WAS FOUNDED ON. MAYOR THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER. AND THANK, UH, OUR FRIENDS FOR ALLOWING US TO REMEMBER, UH, THE FUNDS WE HAD AT, UH, ASTROWORLD PARK. AND, UH, I'M JUST SITTING HERE REFLECTING WHAT MY GRANDSONS HAVE MISSED OUT ON. YEAH. AND SO MANY OTHER YOUNG PEOPLE, UH, MAYBE EVEN PERHAPS A COUPLE OF OUR YOUNGER CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, IT WAS A PLACE THAT YOU WOULD GET DROPPED OFF AT, SPEND THE DAY, VERY WHOLESOME, CLEAN, FUN, AND GAVE THE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY FOR SO MANY YOUNG HOUSTONIANS AND THEIR FRIENDS. SO THAT SAID, I'M, I'M, UH, JOHN WHITMEYER MAYOR, THE CITY OF HOUSTON. HEREBY PROCLAIMED JUNE 1ST, 2024 IS ASTOR WORLD EMPLOYEES ILLUMINATE DATE. SO THANK Y'ALL FOR THANK YOU, CHAIR, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, OH. ARE YOU GONNA, SOMEONE GONNA SPEAK COUNCIL, MAYOR, FRIENDS, FAMILY, THANK YOU GUYS FOR ALLOWING US TO COME INTO YOUR CHAMBER TODAY TO, UH, REMEMBER, UH, OUR, OUR GLORIOUS LAND THAT WE GAVE SO MUCH. UH, WE, WE PUT OUR HEARTS AND SOULS INTO THE OPERATIONS OF THE, OF THE PARK AND LOTS OF LOVE, AND WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE IT COME BACK. SO, UH, IF WE WOULD, AND WE, WE HAVE A PLAN. SO, THANK YOU GUYS. THANKS FOR HAVING US TODAY. AND GO ASK. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER SHABAZZ, THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO, TIM. AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BRINGING THIS, UH, PROCLAMATION. ACTUALLY A LONG, LONG, LONG, LONG, LONG TIME AGO. I WORKED AT ASTROWORLD, SO YOU NEVER KNOW, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING, CAN, SOMETHING GOOD. CAN'T COME OUTTA ASTROWORLD, HOPEFULLY. ANYWAY, BUT I, I REALLY AM WITH YOU. I WOULD LOVE TO SEE IT COME BACK. NOW, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S DISTRICT D, DISTRICT K, K, BUT IT'S SO CLOSE. IT'S SO CLOSE. WE'LL CLAIM IT. BUT AT ANY RATE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BRINGING THIS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. YOU BET. AND WE ARE JUST, THANK, JUST VERY THANKFUL THAT THAT ASTROWORLD BROUGHT A LOT OF GREAT MEMORIES TO THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ. I, I HAVE TO TELL YOU, UM, THANK YOU FOR DOING THE PROCLAMATION TODAY. GARY, THANK YOU FOR REACHING OUT TO US. MY VERY FIRST JOB WAS AT ASTROWORLD. I WORKED AT PLAZA PIZZA. UH, MY, THE HOURLY WAGE WAS $2 AND 47 CENTS. MY VERY FIRST CHECK WAS $64. AND I THOUGHT I WAS DOING BIG STUFF, . UH, BUT I HAD A WONDERFUL TIME. SOME OF MY FONDEST MEMORIES WERE AT ASTROWORLD. I REMEMBER MY MOTHER USED TO BUY MY SISTER AND BROTHER AND I'S SEASON PASS EVERY YEAR BEFORE I STARTED WORKING AT ASTROWORLD. AND SHE WOULD DROP US OFF AT 10 O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING ON SATURDAY MORNINGS AFTER WE CLEANED UP. SO WE USED TO GET UP REALLY EARLY TO CLEAN UP THE HOUSE. SO SHE WOULD DROP US OFF AT 10 O'CLOCK WHEN IT OPENED. WE WOULD RIDE THE LITTLE TRAM ACROSS SIX 10, GET TO THE FRONT GATE, 10 O'CLOCK. WE WERE THE FIRST ONES IN THE PARK. AND SHE WOULD PICK US UP AT 10 O'CLOCK AT NIGHT. SHE GAVE US $20 A PIECE, MAKE IT WORK. AND WE HAD A BUDGET. WE KNEW WE'D GET A DRINK. WE KNOW WE WOULD BUY THAT HAMBURG AND FRENCH FRY MEAL AT, UM, LUNCHTIME, AND WE GET CANDY ON THE WAY OUT. WE HAD A WHOLE PLAN. SO, UH, IT WAS WONDERFUL MEMORIES. I'M SO GLAD THAT Y'ALL CAME BACK TO CELEBRATE THE EMPLOYEES. IT WAS A VERY ENRICHING, UM, JOB OPPORTUNITY FOR SO MANY OF ME AND MY FRIENDS. ALL OF US IN HIGH SCHOOL. WE ALL WORKED AT ASTROWORLD, SO, YOU KNOW, WE STAYED OUTTA TROUBLE 'CAUSE WE WERE AT WORK TRYING TO MAKE $64 . UH, SO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE. UH, WE'VE, [00:25:01] WE'VE GOT FOND MEMORIES. MY SON AND I ACTUALLY WAS AT ASTROWORLD THE DAY IT CLOSED. AND THERE WERE PEOPLE BAWLING. PEOPLE WERE CRYING ON THE WAY OUT BECAUSE IT WAS THE VERY LAST DAY, UM, THAT ASTROWORLD WAS GONNA BE OPEN IN HOUSTON. SO I'M ALL FOR IT. BRING BACK ASTROWORLD. THANK YOU MAYOR. COUNCILOR CAMAN. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. I'M SORRY. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. NO, I'M SORRY. VERY QUICKLY. UM, COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ, THANK YOU. UH, AND ALSO FOR RECLAIMING THE NAME ASTROWORLD BACK. YEAH, RIGHT. IN A POSITIVE WAY THAT SO MANY OF US HOLD, UH, VERY SPECIAL MEMORIES FOR, FROM OUR CHILDHOOD. UH, I ALSO WANTED TO WELCOME BACK GARETH TO CITY HALL. UH, SO I JUST, I HAD TO GIVE A SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO FORMER STAFF OF THE CITY. AND LET'S, AS WE REVIVE ASTROWORLD, LET'S ALSO FIND A GREAT PLAN TO SAVE THE ASTRODOME TOO. YEP. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OKAY. IS VICE MAYOR PRO TEM PECK FOR THE PRESENTATION OF THE BATTLE OF THE BRANCH TROPHY HERE, FIREMAN, HOW YOU MEET JOHN, HOW YOU DOING PARTNER? SO TODAY WE HAVE A SPECIAL PRESENTATION, UM, FOR HFD. SO WE RECENTLY HAD OUR THIRD ANNUAL BATTLE OF THE BRANCH, HPD VERSUS HFD SOFTBALL GAME. IT'S A FRIENDLY GAME TO RAISE, UM, FUNDS AND AWARENESS OF, UM, SPRING SPIRIT. IT'S AN AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM FOR KIDS, UM, ON PITNER ROAD. SO WE ARE VERY SUPPORTIVE OF SPRING SPIRIT AND ALL THAT THEY DO TO, UM, HELP OUR STUDENTS ON PITNER ROAD. UM, SO HFD WON THIS YEAR. THEY WON 18 TO 12. AND CONGRATULATIONS, , AND I WANNA RECOGNIZE, UM, MARTY LANGTON AND THEN SOME OF THE, UM, THE PEOPLE WHO PLAYED ON, UM, THE TEAM, ALFONDO SANCHEZ, DAVID HOWARD, MICHAEL ZA, ODELL MURRAY, DANIEL SMITH, AND DREW VALDEZ. UM, AND ALSO WANT TO THANK THE SPRING BRANCH MANAGEMENT DISTRICT FOR BEING A SPONSOR AND THE DISTRICT A TEAM AS WELL FOR PUTTING THIS ON. IT'S A LOT OF WORK TO PUT ON THIS EVENT. SO THANK YOU, UM, TO LIZ AND SARAH. AND, UM, JOSIE AND ALAN ACTUALLY WERE THE UMPIRES OF THIS GAME, SO THEY HAD FUN DOING THAT. SO JUST WANTED TO CONGRATULATE HFD FOR THIS WIN THIS YEAR. THANK YOU, UH, VICE MAYOR PRO PECK FOR BRINGING OUR FRIENDS AND FIRST RESPONDERS TO CITY COUNCIL. ON A LATTER NOTE THAN OFTENTIMES, UH, WHERE WE'RE ENGAGED. THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING IN THIS EVENT. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO EXCHANGE THE, UH, TROPHY. IT LOOKS, YEAH, PRETTY HEAVY ACTUALLY, SO THANK YOU. UH, TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF. IS THAT A ENTRY FOR THE BALL GAME OR NOT FROM THIS BALL? ANOTHER BALL GAME, MARTY DID WELL, THANK YOU. SO, UH, I, JOHN WHITMEYER, IN FACT, WE'RE NOT MAKING YOU TODAY. WE'RE JUST, WE'RE JUST PRESENTING. WE'RE JUST GIVING YOU THE JUST TRUTH. LET COME BACK ANOTHER DAY. WE'LL DO A PROCLAMATION. OKAY. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ WANTED TO ADD A COMMENT, JUST A QUICK COMMENT. I JUST WANNA GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO MICHAEL ESPARZA. UM, I THINK HE GOT ALL OF HIS SKILLS FROM THE MAGNOLIA PARK SHARKS, RIGHT? , THAT'S PROBABLY WHY Y'ALL ENDED UP WINNING. SO Y'ALL MIGHT NEED TO RECRUIT SOME MORE SHARKS THAN OUR FIREFIGHTERS. JUST WANNA SAY, BROTHER, 18 TO 12 IS A PRETTY HIGH SCORING GAME FOR A SOFTBALL GAME. I, Y'ALL WERE RUNNING AROUND THOSE BASES. THEY WERE. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK Y'ALL. YOU [2:00 P.M. – INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE] [00:31:01] CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER FOR THE VOCATION. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND I WOULD LIKE TO BRING UP PASTOR MORRISON TO THE PODIUM, PLEASE. IS SO, PASTOR MORRISON IS NOT ONLY A REALLY, REALLY GOOD FRIEND OF MINE, BUT HE IS A HUGE ADVOCATE, UM, FOR OUR COMMUNITY. HE'S THE PASTOR AT OLYMPIANS NEW FAITH, UM, CHURCH. AND WE HAVE, UM, DONE SOME REALLY GREAT WORK TOGETHER. BUT HE IS, HE, WHEN, WHEN ANYTHING HAPPENS IN THE COMMUNITY, FOOD DISTRIBUTION, WATER DISTRIBUTION, ADVOCATES, UM, AGAINST ILLEGAL DUMPING, ANYTHING THAT MAKES SURE THAT THE COMMUNITIES, UM, GET WHAT THEY NEED, HE'S THERE. SO, I'M SO GLAD THAT YOU'RE HERE AT CITY HALL. THANK YOU SO MUCH, UM, FOR BEING HERE TO, TO PRAY ON US BECAUSE OVER US, RATHER, BECAUSE WE DEFINITELY NEED THE HELP. , THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. LET US GO TO GOD, OUR FATHER. AND GOD, WE COME TO YOU TODAY SIMPLY BECAUSE WE HAVE NOWHERE ELSE TO GO. WE'VE TRIED EVERYBODY. WE'VE TRIED EVERYTHING. GOD, TODAY WE TRY YOU. WE ASK FOR YOUR GUIDANCE. WE ASK FOR YOUR INSIGHT. WE ASK FOR YOUR WISDOM AND HOW THIS, THE DISTRIBUTION CENTER OF THE ENTIRE CITY OF HOUSTON. LET IT BE THE START OF THE END OF THE PHRASE, UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES FOR LET THAT PHRASE BECOME EXTINCT. AND LET IT START IN THIS MEETING FOR WHEN ONE OF US HURT, ALL OF US HURT FOR WHEN ONE OF US SUCCEED, WE ALL SUCCEED. LET NOT SELFISH AMBITION OR SELF-AGGRANDIZEMENT OVERRULE THE HEART OF EMPATHY. LET IT NOT OVERRULED THE TOUCH OF HUMAN KINDNESS. LET US LOVE YOU WITH ALL OF OUR HEART. AND THEN LET US LOVE OUR NEIGHBOR AS WE LOVE OURSELVES FOR ONE DAY. WE WISH FOR YOU TO LOOK DOWN UPON THIS CITY AND SAY, THIS IS MY BELOVED CITY, IN WHOM I'M WELL PLEASED. IN JESUS' NAME, THANK GOD. AMEN. THANK YOU PASTOR. WOULD EVERYONE PLEASE STAND FOR THE PLEDGE. I PLEDGE TO FLAG THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE ONE H UNDER GOD IN LIBERTY. [ROLL CALL AND ADOPT THE MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING] MADAM SECRETARY, WILL YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLE MAYOR WHITMEYER. PRESENT, COUNCIL MEMBER PECK HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER CAMAN PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN CHABA. HERE. COUNCIL FLICKINGER PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. HERE. COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ? HERE. COUNCILMAN POLLARD. HERE. COUNCILMAN CASTEX TATUM. HERE. COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ? HERE. COUNCILMAN DAVIS. HERE. COUNCIL CARTER PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER HERE. AND COUNCILMAN ALCORN HERE. WE NEED A MOTION TO ADOPT THE MINUTES OF JANUARY 17TH, 2024. CASTEX TATUM, MOVE I SECOND. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION? THOSE IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES MEMBERS, [PUBLIC SPEAKERS] OUR FRIENDS AND THE AUDIENCE. WE HAVE A VERY LONG LIST OF SPEAKERS SIGNED UP TODAY BECAUSE WE HAVE MORE THAN 150 MINUTES WORTH OF SPEAKERS. THE RULES REQUIRE US TO ONLY GIVE EACH OF YOU ONE MINUTE, EVEN IF YOU SIGNED UP FOR MORE. NOW FOR PROCEDURAL MOTIONS. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. [00:35:02] EXCUSE ME. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. I MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO MOVE STEVEN LONGMEYER TO THE BOTTOM OF THE TWO MINUTE AGENDA. LIST. I THE SECOND MOTION MADE. AND SECOND, IS THERE ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIED. MAYOR DAVIS, COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. THANK YOU MAYOR. I MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULE TO ADD DORIS ELLIS TO THE TOP OF THE ONE MINUTE AGENDA LIST FOR THREE MINUTES. COMMENT SECOND. MOTION BEEN MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED. MOTION PASSES. COUNCIL MEMBER PECK. THANK YOU MAYOR. MAYOR PRO. MAYOR PRO PECK. THANK YOU MAYOR. I MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO ADD MARTY LANGTON TO WHAT WAS THE THREE MINUTE AGENDA LIST AFTER SONYA RICO? UH, I WANT ME TO SECOND THAT. I SECOND MEMBERS. YOU VOTE MOTION. AND IT'S BEEN SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED. MOTION PASSES. OKAY. COUNCILMAN CARTER? YES. I MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO MOVE CEDRIC WALKER TO THE TOP OF THE TWO MINUTE AGENDA LIST. I'M SECOND. MOTION HAS BEEN MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR OF THOSE OPPOSED? MOTION PASSES. COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN. THANK YOU. I MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO ADD CLEMON SCHULKE, DEPUTY MAYOR OF LEIPZIG TO SPEAK. FIRST I SECOND. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED. MOTION PASSES. COUNCIL MEMBER CA. MAYOR PROM. CASTEX STADIUM. THANK YOU MAYOR. I WAS LOOKING FOR, UM, MARIAN WRIGHT. IS SHE IN THE AUDIENCE? YES. OKAY. UH, 'CAUSE LAST WEEK SHE WAS UPSET THAT YOU WEREN'T HERE AND SHE WANTED TO SPEAK TO YOU. SO I WANT TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO MOVE, UH, MARIAN WRIGHT TO SPEAK AFTER DORIS ELLIS. SECOND MOTION HAS BEEN MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED. MOTION PASSES. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. THANK YOU MAYOR. I MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO MOVE TERRY CHEN TO FOLLOW MARTY LINCOLNTON. I SECOND. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR OF THOSE OPPOSED? MOTION PASSES. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. THANK YOU. UM, I MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO ADD ROXANNE LAWSON AS THE FIFTH SPEAKER. SECOND. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED. MOTION PASSES. COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER. THANK YOU MAYOR. I'D LIKE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO MOVE FRED WOODS AT THE TOP OF THE TWO MINUTE. WARREN, MOHAMMAD AND JOETTA STEVENS TO FOLLOW CEDRIC WALKER. AND THEN KEITH DOWNEY TO FOLLOW MARIAN WRIGHT. SECOND. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED. MOTION PASSES. COUNCIL MEMBER EVANS SHABA. THANK YOU MAYOR. I'D LIKE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO ADD ELOISE WILSON BEHIND DORIS ROBINSON. I UNDERSTAND THERE ARE A FEW SPEAKERS REGARDING JUNETEENTH, BUT THOSE ARE THE ONLY TWO NAMES THAT I CURRENTLY HAVE. UH, ELOISE WILSON. BEHIND DORIS ROBINSON. I A SECOND. DORIS, I DIDN'T HEAR THAT NAME. MOTION BEEN MADE AND SECONDED. ALL IN FAVOR OF THOSE OPPOSED MOTION PASSES. DORIS ELLIS, ROBINSON. DORIS. OH, WE ALREADY HAS. SHE'S ALREADY, SHE GOTTA BE BEHIND ROXANNE. SHE'S OFF ROXANNE. SHE GOTTA GO RIGHT BEHIND ROXANNE. SO IT'LL BE BEHIND. BEHIND. TO FOLLOW ROXANNE LAWS. ANYONE ELSE? ELOISE WORKS. NOT MA'AM. SECRETARY, PLEASE CALL THE FIRST SPEAKER CLAIMANT SCHEY. MR. MAYOR, DEAR COUNCIL MEMBERS, THANK YOU FOR INVITING US HERE TO SPEAK TODAY. COMING FROM A HUMBLE CITY THAT'S THREE TIMES SMALLER THAN HOUSTON, I EXPECTED AT LEAST 70 COUNCIL MEMBERS AS MANY AS THERE ARE IN NOW, IN YOUR ASSISTED CITY, IN YOUR GERMAN SISTER CITY LIFE. YEAH. SINCE YOU ARE ONLY 16, I SHALL TAKE HOME THE MESSAGE OF US LEAN MANAGEMENT EFFICIENCY, . DESPITE OF OUR, UH, POSSIBLE MANAGEMENT SHORTCOMINGS, WE'VE MANAGED TO BECOME ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING CITIES, THE FASTEST GROWING CITY IN GERMANY, 25% IN THE LAST 10 YEARS. IT'S A GREAT HONOR FOR ME TO SPEAK TO YOU. UH, TODAY, HOUSTON AND LE CIGAR OLD FRIENDS, 30 YEARS NOW. WE BEFRIENDED EACH OTHER ONLY FIVE YEARS AFTER THE WALL CAME DOWN, OR TO BE MORE ACCURATE AFTER THE LE CIGARS PUNCHED THE FIRST HOLE INTO IT. UH, WE ARE CELEBRATING THE 35TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE PEACEFUL REVOLUTION THAT STARTED OUT FROM LEIPZIG THIS YEAR. AND WE HAVE A DELEGATION FOR HOUSTON COMING IN. HOUSTON IS, [00:40:01] UH, SURPRISINGLY NOT THE LARGEST SISTER CITY WE HAVE, BUT DEFINITELY THE MOST THRIVING AND BUSINESS-WISE, THE MOST POWERFUL. WHAT'S MORE IMPORTANT? THE EXCHANGE IS LIVELY AND PERSONAL FROM PEOPLE TO PEOPLE. THERE ARE MANY CORPORATIONS LIKE THE RELIGION, CULTURE, AND EVEN SPORTS, WHICH IS ALL GREAT. BUT SINCE I'M RESPONSIBLE FOR ECONOMICS, WE WOULD LIKE TO DO BUSINESS HERE, ESPECIALLY IN THE LIFE SCIENCE SECTOR. I THINK WE CAN ACHIEVE MORE TOGETHER. SINCE I'VE JUST WITNESSED, UH, THAT YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THE AMERICAN VETERANS THAT FOUGHT IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR, ALLOW ME ONE FINAL REMARK. MAYBE SOME OF YOU DON'T KNOW THAT EVEN THOUGH LEIPZIG WAS PART OF EASTERN GERMANY, OUR CITY WAS FREED NOT BY THE RUSSIAN ARMY, BUT BY US SOLDIERS. SO THANK YOU FOR HELPING OUT IN DIFFICULT TIMES AND BEING FRIENDS TODAY. THANK YOU DEPUTY MAYOR. UM, WE APPRECIATE, I ENJOYED SPENDING TIME WITH YOU AND YOUR DELEGATION LAST NIGHT. YOU'RE KINDA GETTING ME IN TROUBLE EARLY IN THIS SESSION BY GIVING YOU ADDITIONAL TIME, . BUT YOU'VE TRAVELED SO FAR AND WE HAVE SUCH A GREAT SISTER CITY RELATIONSHIP. UH, I WANTED TO GIVE YOU THE, UH, HOSPITALITY THAT HOUSTON KNOWS HOW TO SHARE. SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. AND YOU MIGHT, WE MIGHT ASK YOUR DELEGATION TO STAND AND, UH, WE HOPE TO SEE YOU AGAIN SOON. SO WITH LAPIC DELEGATION, PLEASE STAND FROM GERMANY. BE SAFE IN YOUR TRAVELS. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD. THANK SIR. DEPUTY MAYOR. DEPUTY SIR. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND, UH, GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. UH, DEPUTY MAYOR, WE JUST WANT TO SAY, UH, WELCOME TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN. AND I MET WITH A DELEGATION IN OUR FIRST TERM HERE FROM LIKE SAID, IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU ALL AGAIN. AND I ALSO WANT TO BRING GREETINGS TO YOU ALL FROM FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER MIKE LASTER, WHO SAYS HELLO AND WELCOME BACK TO THE CITY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, CAYMAN, THANK YOU MAYOR. AND, UH, DEPUTY MAYOR WILMAN AND I TO THE ENTIRE DELEGATION. THANK YOU FOR TRAVELING SO FAR TO CELEBRATE, UH, OUR FRIENDSHIP, BUT ALSO THE IMPORTANT WORK THAT HOUSTON AND LEIG CONTINUED TO DO TOGETHER AND DO FOR OTHERS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. UH, SO TO HONOR AND COMMEMORATE, I KNOW YOU'VE TRAVELED EXTREMELY FAR. UH, SOME OF YOU HAVE, BUT THANK YOU ALSO, MAYOR, I'M SORRY I HAD TO MISS IN DISTRICT C THE RECEPTION YESTERDAY EVENING, BUT I'M SO GLAD, UM, THAT OUR CITY WAS ABLE TO CELEBRATE AND RECOGNIZE THIS IMPORTANT RELATIONSHIP. THANK YOU A LOT. THAT'S ALL. THANK YOU, SIR. BE SAFE. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. DORIS ES. MM-HMM . THANK YOU VERY, VERY MUCH. GOOD AFTERNOON AND HAPPY JUNETEENTH. HOW ABOUT THAT? I HAVE BROUGHT ROYALTY TO OUR CITY. DON'T YOU THINK THEY'RE BEAUTIFUL? JUST LOOK AT 'EM. THESE PEOPLE WILL REPRESENT YOU FROM NOW UNTIL 2025. THESE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN HAVE BEEN THROUGH REHEARSALS. THEY ARE READY TO RAIN WITH YOU. YOU CAN TAKE 'EM ANYWHERE YOU WANT TO TAKE THEM. ANY OF YOU. THEY REPRESENT HOUSTON CITYWIDE. MR. AND MISS JUNETEENTH, HOW ABOUT THAT? GIVE A BIG WAVE. WE APPRECIATE REVEREND DAVIS FOR WORKING WITH US TO MAKE IT HAPPEN. WE APPRECIATE, UH, OUR DISTRICT D COUNCILWOMAN SHABAZZ AND ALL OF YOU ALL BECAUSE, UH, WHEN WE SAY FREEDOM, WE MEAN FREEDOM ALL OVER HOUSTON. AND WE ARE HONORED THAT YOU HAVE ALLOWED US TO COME. AND THANK YOU. STAY AWAY. OKAY, COUNCILOR EVAN SHABAZZ. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND YOU ALL ARE ROYALTY. YOU ALL ARE SO BEAUTIFUL AND SO HANDSOME. AND THANK YOU, MS. DORIS. YOU ALWAYS BRING THEM HERE. AND I, I JUST WANT TO TELL THEM THANK YOU. AND, AND IF I COULD QUICKLY JUST SAY, I THINK WE HAVE EMORY ROSS PAYNE, WHO'S TODDLER MISS JUNETEENTH, THREE YEARS OLD, LITTLE MISS JUNETEENTH, BRITISH JACKSON, WHO'S SEVEN JUNIOR. MISS JUNETEENTH, LONDON LAMPKIN 11 TEEN, MISS JUNETEENTH, JACO DEARMAN 15, MISS JUNETEENTH, DESTINY, , UH, [00:45:01] WHO'S 20, UH, TODDLER MR. JUNETEENTH. ELIJAH WILLIAMS, WHO'S FIVE LITTLE MS. MR. JUNETEENTH. RASHAD WILLIAMS, WHO IS NINE AND TEEN. MR. JUNETEENTH. DEVON PRUITT, WHO IS 14. SO THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH TO THE PARENTS AS WELL, WHO, UH, HELPED THEIR CHILDREN TO PARTICIPATE. AND YOU ALL LOOK BEAUTIFUL AND HAPPY JUNETEENTH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL DAVIS. THANK YOU MAYOR, UH, CERTAINLY DORIS INTO THE HISTORICAL, UH, WORK THAT YOU DO IN THIS CITY FOR MANY, MANY YEARS THROUGH THE HOUSTON SUN. WE JUST ADORE YOUR WORK AND LABOR AND ALL OF THESE BEAUTIFUL ONES THAT ARE HERE. AND, UH, I JUST WANT TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TODAY. WE DO HAVE CERTIFICATES TO PRESENT TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THOSE THAT ARE HERE. UH, OUR, UH, MY CHIEF OF STAFF PRESENTED TO YOU BECAUSE WE ARE SO HONORED AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION AND THE I'M ME SPEAKING AT THE BREAKFAST. GOD BLESS YOU ALL. THEY ALL ARE SO BEAUTIFUL. THANK YOU. AWESOME. ALL OF YOU ALL ARE INVITED TO OUR JUNETEENTH HEALTH AND WEAR, HEALTH AND WELLNESS. PUBLIC POLICY BREAKFAST, PUBLIC POLICY BREAKFAST. DID YOU HEAR THE WORD PUBLIC POLICY BREAKFAST? WE ARE GONNA LOOK AT, UH, MENTAL HEALTH. WE ARE GONNA LOOK AT OBESITY AND WE ARE ALSO GOING TO ADDRESS SICKLE CELL ANEMIA IN OUR CITY AND IN OUR COUNTY. AND WHERE WILL YOUR EVENT BE? THIS IS ON JUNETEENTH THE 19TH AT EIGHT 30. WHERE? AT THE WINDHAM HOTEL AND MAYOR, I WILL BE HONORED IF YOU WOULD GRACE US WITH YOUR PRESIDENT. I, I'M CERTAINLY GONNA ATTEMPT TO. THANK YOU. IN FACT, I'LL BE THERE. JUST PUT ME DOWN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH COUNCIL. ALRIGHT EVERYBODY. WAIT. WHOA, WHOA. WAIT. OH, YOU GOT, WE GOT COUNCILMAN CAMAN EXCUSE. ASK ME IF Y'ALL ARE GONNA HAVE QUESTIONS. SO I HOPE I DON'T KNOW WHAT Y'ALL WANT. YOU NEVER KNOW MA'AM. YOU NEVER KNOW. COUNCILMAN CAMAN. THANK YOU. DO YOU WANT US TO ASK YOU A QUESTION? ? NO. . DORIS, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THESE INCREDIBLE, UM, YOUNG LEADERS IN OUR COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO FOR WHAT YOU AND THE HOUSTON SUN DOES TO PRESERVE, UM, BLACK AND AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY. NOT JUST FOR OUR CITY, BUT FOR THE NATION. UM, YOU AND YOUR TEAM, YOUR FAMILY AS WELL DO SO MUCH. UH, JUNETEENTH IS THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG, BUT IT IS A SHARP TIP THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE CONTINUE TO COMMEMORATE. SO TO EACH OF YOU, CONGRATULATIONS ON BEING RECOGNIZED THIS YEAR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU COUNCIL. THANK Y'ALL. COME BACK AND SEE US. ALRIGHT, WE'LL COME BACK NOW. THEY'VE INVITED US BACK NOW. WE HEARD THE INVITATION, MAYOR, YOU SAID COME BACK TO SEE US, RIGHT? NO, AND DON'T WAIT YEAR. WE DON'T WAIT UNTIL NEXT. JUNETEENTH COME SOONER. WE WON'T WAIT UNTIL NEXT. JUNETEENTH. OKAY, LET'S COME BACK, SIR. AND WE HAVE TO WHERE'S MS. WILSON? MS. WILSON, MS. WILSON HAS BEEN THE LADY WHO HAS WORKED WITH THESE YOUNG PEOPLE FOR FOUR WEEKS TO GET THEM PREPARED. THANK YOU MS. WILSON FOR THE RAIN. THANK YOU. LET'S GO NEXT SPEAKER. MARIAN WRIGHT, THAT YOUNG MAN. HI. THANK YOU. AND I'M GLAD THAT YOU'RE HERE. THE REASON THAT I REALLY WANTED TO SPEAK TO YOU DIRECTLY AND NOT HAVE IT FILTERED THROUGH OTHER PEOPLE. THERE IS A TRAIN TRACK THAT KIDS ARE HAVING TO CRAWL UNDER TO GET TO THE OTHER SIDE OF SCHOOLS. Y'ALL ARE UP HERE PLAYING THESE GAMES WHERE Y'ALL MOVE PEOPLE HERE AND HERE Y'ALL DO THINGS. Y'ALL SIT, SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS SIT FOR SOME PEOPLE ASK 'EM QUESTIONS, THEN THEY LEAVE. THEY COME BACK AND FORTH AND ALL OF THAT GOES ON. WE SIGN UP TO COME AND SPEAK AND THEN YOU HAVE TO LEAVE BECAUSE YOU HAVE OBLIGATIONS. AND I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT IT'S NOT FAIR TO THE PEOPLE. AND IT JUST HAPPENED TODAY. YOU SAW HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE MOVED BACK AND FORTH AND IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME. IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT TIME YOU SIGN UP, IT'S WHO YOU KNOW. AND THAT'S NOT RIGHT. WE HAVE KIDS RIGHT NOW CRAWLING UNDER TRAIN TRACKS THAT SHOULD BE A PRIORITY. INSTEAD, WE'RE WORRIED ABOUT STREETS WHERE WE'RE WORRIED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW BIG THE BIKE LANES ARE GONNA BE ON 'EM AND ALL THE REST OF IT. SHOULDN'T WE WORRY A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW TO GET SOME SORT OF A BRIDGE OR SOMETHING? DID YOU SEE THE VIDEO? YEAH. TIME HAS EXPIRED. YES MA'AM. I'M VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE SUBJECT. I'VE WORKED WITH CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATIONS, PREVIOUS MAYORS. IT'S PRETTY MUCH CONTROLLED IN WASHINGTON. I'VE ACTUALLY SEEN PLANS TO TAKE THE RAILS AROUND [00:50:01] THE PERIMETER OF HOUSTON. UH, IF YOU HAVE A SUGGESTION THAT YOU WANT ME TO PROPOSE OH, I DO, I WOULD CERTAINLY BE YOUR VOICE, BUT, UH, I DO. IT'S A HORRIBLE, DANGEROUS SITUATION. BUT THE RAILROADS ARE CONTROLLED IN WASHINGTON. MM-HMM . BUT I'VE WORKED WITH OUR CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION, I THINK IT WAS BILL WHITE THAT ACTUALLY HAD A PROPOSAL TO TRY TO REROUTE THE TRAINS. UH, I WOULD APPLAUD THAT. BUT YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S AUTHORITY. I HAVE A GREAT IDEA. WHAT'S THAT? HOW ABOUT WE STOP GIVING ALL OF THE MONEY THAT WE'RE GIVING TO THE MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS AND TO THE TURS A GOOD IDEA AND GET SOME OF THAT MONEY BACK AND COMBINE THAT WITH SOME MONEY THAT WE CAN GET FROM OTHER SOURCES LIKE MAYBE OUR COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, MAYBE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. I THINK ALL THAT'S A GREAT IDEA. IN FACT, I'VE ACTUALLY THOUGHT ABOUT IN PREVIOUS YEARS, I, I HAVEN'T ADDRESSED IT THIS SPRING, MAYBE IF WE START TICKETING THE CONDUCTORS AS THEY SAT THERE WITH THEIR TRAINS FOR HOURS SOMETIME. UH, I ACTUALLY WERE WHERE LAST THANKSGIVING I WERE WITH SOME FIRST RESPONDERS, FIREFIGHTERS AT THE GREG STREET, UH, LINES AVENUE STATION. AND WE TRIED TO GO ON A CALL NORTH OF THE STATION ON GREG STREET AND WE WERE BLOCKED AND, UH, HAD TO REROUTE GO UP 59 TO GET TO THE NORTH SIDE. SO I'M FULLY AWARE OF IT. I'M CERTAIN THE COUNCIL IS FULLY AWARE OF IT. AND, UH, YOU COULD TAKE THE TOUR AND MANAGEMENT DISTRICT FUNDS, BUT YOU'RE STILL GONNA HAVE TO HAVE THE AUTHORITY OF THE, UH, TRANSPORTATION. WELL, IN THE MEANTIME, WE'RE GONNA END UP HAVING A REALLY BAD SITUATION WHILE EVERYONE'S TRYING TO FIGURE OUT. IT'S A HARD SITUATION, SO HORRIBLE SITUATION. SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. I WAS ACTUALLY WORKING WITH FIRST RESPONDERS AND WERE CALLED OUTTA THE ROOM WHEN YOU WERE HERE LAST WEEK. HAD NO INFORMATION ON WHAT YOU WERE GONNA SPEAK CONCERNING, BUT, UH, THIS IS WHERE I REALLY LIKE TO BE ON TUESDAYS AND ONLY, UH, EXCUSE MYSELF UNDER SOME PRETTY STRESSFUL SITUATIONS. WELL, AND THANK YOU ALSO FOR REALLY PAYING ATTENTION TO WHO'S ON BOARDS AND KIND OF SHAKING SOME OF THAT UP BECAUSE YOU'RE GONNA GET PUSHBACK FOR DOING IT, BUT IT NEEDS TO BE DONE. SO WE DO APPRECIATE YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. BE SAFE. NEXT SPEAKER. KEITH DOWNEY SHOULD BE FOLLOWED BY ROXANNE LAWSON. I NEVER GET IT RIGHT. WHICH ONE? THIS ONE. THE ONE. OKAY. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL. UH, AS WE SIT HERE, I GOT IN A PHOTOGRAPH AND EMAIL FROM THE PRINCIPAL AT CATCHMAN GARDEN ELEMENTARY. A POST WITH A POWER LINE HAS FALLEN AT PAR D IN LOCKWOOD. SO I'VE ALREADY DONE THE 3 1 1 IN THE WHOLE BIT. UH, BUT THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME TODAY. I'M BRINGING TO YOUR ATTENTION, UH, TWO ITEMS THAT I SUPPORT. UH, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT BEING PROACTIVE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. UH, SO WE DO NEED THAT GENERATOR AT, UH, UH, THE CATCHMENT MULTI-SERVICE. AND IT'S A RESILIENCE HUB. IT'S A SOLAR POWER TO RESILIENCE HUB THAT IS YET TO BE ONLINE. BUT THE RIBBON WAS CUT DECEMBER 30TH. ALRIGHT? SO STORMS ARE GONNA BE A PART OF OUR LIVES. THAT'S JUST THE REALITY OF LIFE FROM HERE ON OUT FOR THE REST OF OUR LIVES. SO THAT BEING SAID, UH, NOT ONLY FOR CASHMAN MULTI-SERVICE, BUT WE ARE ALSO TALKING ABOUT OTHER MULTI-SERVICE CENTERS TOO THAT HAVE BEEN TRADITIONALLY UNDERSERVED AND YEAR AFTER YEAR NEVER HAPPENED. THE MONEY HAS NEVER BEEN THERE. THE THE STAFFING HAS NEVER BEEN CORRECT. THE WHOLE BUSINESS'S NOT ONE ADMINISTRATION, BUT IT HAS TO SOMEDAY THE BUCK HAS TO STOP HERE AND SAY, THESE PEOPLE MUST RECEIVE THAT YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. BUT ONE OTHER THING I JUST WANT TO ADD IS THE DRAINAGE IN NORTHEAST HOUSTON. I ALSO SUPPORT THAT AS WELL BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, I WANNA THANK THE MAYOR TODAY. I GOT THE LIST FROM FOX 26 OF ALL THE COOLING CENTERS WE'RE ON THE LIST. AND I'M SO HAPPY FOR THESE NORTHEAST MULTI-SERVICE CENTERS TO BE ON THE LIST. 'CAUSE WE ALWAYS ASK THE QUESTION, WHAT ABOUT US? SO THANK YOU. I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO EVERYONE BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE TO SAY THAT FOR COOLING CENTERS, BUT WE MUST BE PROACTIVE WITH THE RESILIENCE. AND I STATED LAST WEEK, A COMPREHENSIVE RESILIENCE PLAN GOING FORWARD FOR THE RESIDENTS OF HOUSTON. BECAUSE STORMS ARE GOING TO COME. WHERE DO PEOPLE GO? WHERE DO THEY GET IN LINE FOR THE DRIVE THROUGH TO GET FOOD AND WATER? UH, DO WE DO MOM AND POP RECOVERY? LIKE I'VE CALLED IT LAST WEEK AND WE ARE FINDING A PLACE, FINDING FOOD, FINDING WATER, HANDING IT OUT TO PEOPLE AND PEOPLE WHERE THE RESOURCES I WHERE, WHERE CAN I GET SOME WATER THAT WHOLE BIT. SO THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO COME BEFORE YOU LET, LET ME JUST SAY, UH, YOU'RE TALKING TO A CAN-DO ADMINISTRATION. WE'RE GETTING GENERATORS AT THE MULTI-SERVICE CENTERS. I CAN'T FIX SOMETHING THAT I DON'T KNOW ABOUT, [00:55:01] BUT WHEN I FIND IT OUT IN THE RECENT STORM WHEN WE OPENED UP THE MULTI-SERVICE CENTERS IS COOLING CENTERS AND THEY LOST ENERGY. WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING THOSE GENERATORS DONATED AND INSTALLED. AND WE'RE GONNA DO IT SOONER THAN LATER. AND THANK YOU, THANK YOU TO YOUR ADMINISTRATION. I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY THAT YOU REFER PEOPLE, THIS BODY, THIS CITY, TO A MULTI-SERVICE CENTER THAT DOESN'T HAVE POWER. RIGHT? IT WON'T BE CONTINUED MUCH LONGER. AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT. AND ONE THING, AND I'M PLEASE INDULGE ME 15 SECONDS. WHAT WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT FROM THIS RECENT STORM WE HAD ARE THE DAMAGED SCHOOLS. SOME OF THESE SCHOOLS, WE HAD A SCHOOL, A PAGE, RODERICK PAGE, A BATHTUB FLEW THROUGH THE WINDOW AND FROM A APARTMENT COMPLEX AND 75 FAMILIES HAD TO BE RELOCATED. DIDN'T MAKE THE NEWS. BUT RIGHT NOW, YOU GO TO PAGE AND YOU'LL SEE THAT A WHOLE SIDE IS MISSING OF THE SCHOOL. SO YES, WE, THE SCHOOLS, MANY SCHOOLS WERE DAMAGED NOT JUST IN CASHMERE, NOT JUST NORTHEAST, BUT THEY WERE DAMAGED. BUT NO ONE'S TALKING ABOUT THAT. SO WE MUST BE, UH, UH, TAKE EVERYBODY, EVERYBODY MUST COUNT IN. MAYOR, I THANK YOU FOR BEING PROACTIVE ON THIS MATTER. THANK YOU FOR BEING DOWN HERE. THANK YOU. NEXT ROXANNE LAWSON, THIS ONE. OKAY. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS ROXANNE LAWSON. I WANNA THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO THIS. I ALSO WANT TO APOLOGIZE FOR EXTENDING AN ALREADY REALLY LONG SPEAKERS LIST. THE LAST TIME I STOOD AT THIS MICROPHONE TO THANK THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL WAS IN EARLY 2016, FOLLOWING THE DEATH OF MY MOTHER, AUDREY LAWSON. MY FATHER STOOD BESIDE ME THAT DAY. TODAY, HIS SPIRIT STANDS BESIDE ME AGAIN, ON BEHALF OF THE LAWSON FAMILY, THANK THIS BODY OF ELECTEDS FOR THE KIND, CONDOLENCES AND CONSIDERATIONS AT THE DEATH OF MY FATHER, THE ICONIC REVEREND WILLIAM ALEXANDER LAWSON, THE VERY MOVING MOMENT OF SILENCE DURING THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING ON MAY 14TH. DURING THE DAYS BETWEEN HIS DEATH AND HIS CELEBRATIONS OF LIFE SERVICES CITY HALL WAS RESPLENDENT LIT UP IN RED, BLUE, AND GOLD LIGHTS. THE COLORS HE ESTABLISHED FOR THE LOGO OF WHEELER AVENUE BAPTIST CHURCH. THE CALLS, MESSAGES, EMAILS, CARDS, TEXTS, HUGS, PRAYERS, FLOWERS, AND EVERY OTHER EXPRESSION THAT HAS BEEN OFFERED TO THE LAWSONS HAS BEEN GREATLY AND SINCERELY APPRECIATED. AND WE ARE VERY GRATEFUL. MY FAMILY KNEW THE GIANT OF A MAN HE WAS AND THE LEGACY HE LEFT TO THIS COMMUNITY, THE CITY, THE STATE, THE NATION, THE WORLD. BUT AS WE LOST OUR REMAINING PARENT AND HAVE HAD TO RECOGNIZE AND EMBRACE OUR NEW TITLE OF ORPHANS, THE WHOLE THAT HAS BEEN LEFT IN OUR HEARTS IS SOMETHING THAT WILL NEVER BE REFILLED. DADDY'S TRANSITION WAS A BEAUTIFUL AND PEACEFUL EXPERIENCE, AND IT GAVE MELANIE, CHERYL AND ME GREAT COMFORT IN KNOWING THAT HE LEFT THE FRAILTIES AND INFIRMITIES OF HIS EARTHLY BODY AS HE GRADUATED TO A HIGHER REALM AND WALKED THROUGH THE GATES OF HEAVEN. I WOULD BE REMISS AND DID NOT WANNA GO ANOTHER WEEK WITHOUT THANKING MY SMALL EXTENDED WORK FAMILY OF MORE THAN 21,000 PEOPLE AND MY IMMEDIATE WORK FAMILY AT THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT OF MORE THAN 200 PEOPLE WHO HAVE SHOWN SO MUCH CONCERN, LOVE, AND SUPPORT TO ME AND MY LITTLE FAMILY OF LAWSONS. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEARTS. THANK YOU. I HAVE A SMALL TOKEN HERE FOR EVERYONE WHO WOULD LIKE ONE VERY NICE THAT I'LL LEAVE WITH [01:00:01] RENEE. I ALSO HAVE A THANK YOU CARD FROM THE LAWSONS. SO COUNCIL COUNCILMAN THOMAS. THANK YOU MAYOR ROXANNE. SO GOOD TO SEE YOU IN THE CHAMBERS. UH, WE MISSED YOU. UH, BUT KNOW THAT ALL OF US, ESPECIALLY ME, I WAS HOLDING SPACE FOR YOU DURING THIS TIME OF GRIEF AND CELEBRATION. ALL OF US CAN SAY THAT WE ARE BETTER BECAUSE WE KNEW YOUR FATHER, IF NOT PERSONALLY, BUT WE WERE ABLE TO WITNESS HIS GREATNESS. UM, WE WERE ABLE TO WITNESS HIS STRENGTH AND HIS LEADERSHIP. AND, UH, IT TAKES A CERTAIN TYPE OF FAMILY TO BE WILLING TO SHARE THEIR FATHER WITH THE COMMUNITY, THE WORLD, THE CITY IN EVERY OTHER PERSON IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT SACRIFICE. UM, I WISH I COULD TELL YOU WE HAD A CHOICE. , YOU HAD NO CHOICE. UH, BUT I APPRECIATE THAT. AND ALTHOUGH I DIDN'T HAVE THE DEEP RELATIONSHIP THAT OTHERS DID, BUT TO BE ABLE TO WITNESS HIS STORY, LISTEN TO HIS WORDS, UM, AND SEE HOW HIS LEGACY HAS MANIFESTED IN MULTIPLE PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THIS CITY, UM, IF WE MAY ONLY LIVE TO LIVE A LIFE LIKE HIS. UM, SO THANK YOU. WELCOME BACK, UH, TO CITY HALL. WELCOME BACK TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON, AND, UM, LET US ALL LIVE LIKE REVEREND LAWSON HAS. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. UH, COUNCILMAN CAYMAN. THANK YOU MAYOR ROXANNE. I KNOW THAT YOUR FATHER'S WORK LIVES ON IN YOU AND YOUR SIBLINGS AND EVERYONE. YOU WOULDN'T BE STANDING HERE COMMITTED TO THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE COMMITTED TO IN THE CITY WITHOUT THAT GIFT. BUT AS COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS SAID, UM, I KNOW YOU SAID YOU DIDN'T HAVE A CHOICE, BUT YOU DID BECAUSE YOUR FATHER WAS SO SUCCESSFUL. AND I KNOW THAT HE WAS SUCH A FAMILY MAN THAT, BUT FOR YOUR SUPPORT, HE COULDN'T HAVE IMPACTED THE MILLIONS OF LIVES. AND, UH, I, I KNOW YOU KNOW THIS, BUT SEEING HIS WORK THROUGH WHEN I WAS AT THE ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE AND THE COALITION OF MUTUAL MUTUAL RESPECT AND THE THREE AMIGOS, AND THE BRINGING TOGETHER THE UNITY OF SO MANY, UH, THAT IN AND OF ITSELF IS WHAT WE CAN ALL LEARN FROM FOR GENERATIONS TO COME. SO AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR COMING HERE. I KNOW YOU'RE PASSING AROUND THE BOOKLETS DURING THE SERVICE. I HAVE NEVER SEEN SUCH A PACKED HOUSE. UH, IT, I MEAN, IT WAS JUST OVERWHELMING IN TERMS OF THE BEAUTY AND THE SHOW OF SUPPORT BECAUSE HE HAS TOUCHED SO MANY PEOPLE'S LIVES. BUT THANK YOU AGAIN FOR SHARING HIM WITH US. BUT THANK YOU TO YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU CONTINUE TO DO TO CARRY ON THAT WORK. THANK YOU MAYOR. MAYOR PROTE, CASTEX TATUM. THANK YOU MAYOR ROXANNE. I'M SO HAPPY TO SEE YOU STANDING HERE. AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT THE WORLD WAS WATCHING AS WE CELEBRATED THE LIFE OF YOUR FATHER OVER THOSE DAYS. UM, WE WERE ALL CAPTIVATED BY HIS TREMENDOUS LIFE. AND YOU, YOU PICKED THE RIGHT WORD. IT WAS VERY ICONIC. HMM. UM, THERE WERE SPECIALS ON TV. UM, I'M SO GLAD THAT THE CHURCH STREAMED, UM, BOTH OF THE SERVICES BECAUSE PEOPLE WERE REALLY CAPTIVATED TO, UM, HEAR FROM OTHER LEADERS AND HEAR FROM ALL OF THE PEOPLE WHOSE LIVES THAT HE ACTUALLY TOUCHED. UM, THERE WAS A FEELING OF TRUE LOVE AROUND THE ENTIRE CITY AS PEOPLE PAY RESPECT FOR YOUR FATHER. AND THAT SPEAKS VOLUMES. UM, I HEARD SOMEBODY SAY HE'S THE ONLY LIVING PERSON THAT WE KNOW, THAT THERE WAS NO TROLL ON TWITTER, UM, TO SAY A NEGATIVE THING ABOUT REVEREND BILL LAWSON. UM, AND, AND YOU KNOW, IT, IT'S, IT'S A FUNNY THING, BUT IT'S A REAL THING, RIGHT? BECAUSE THAT'S THE TYPE OF LIFE THAT HE ACTUALLY LIVED. AND MAY HIS LEGACY BE A PART OF ALL OF US AS WE MOVE FORWARD, UM, IN OUR NEW NORMAL. THANK YOU COUNCILMAN POLLARD. THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, ROXANNE, I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT WE ALL ARE CONTINUING TO PRAY FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY. AND AS YOU THANK US, UH, PLEASE PASS OUR THANK YOUS, NOT ONLY TO YOU, BUT TO YOUR ENTIRE FAMILY AND EXTENDED FAMILY. UM, I WAS PRIVILEGED TO, UH, MEET WITH YOUR FATHER ON MANY OCCASIONS, ONE ON ONE. AND, UH, HE WAS ALWAYS VERY WARM, ALWAYS VERY PATIENT. UM, GAVE ME A LOT OF HISTORICAL REFERENCES, UH, BUT HE ALSO GAVE ME A LOT OF SUPPORT. AND SO, UH, I WILL REMEMBER THOSE DAYS AND REMEMBER HIS LEGACY. AND I WANT TO THANK YOU AND THE ENTIRE FAMILY FOR ALL YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS. GOD BLESS YOU ALL. THANK YOU . COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SCH ROSS. THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, THANK YOU ROXANNE. AND SHE HADN'T MENTIONED IT, BUT SHE'S ALSO MY SPELMAN SISTER. AND, UM, WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON FROM THAT. AND, AND CERTAINLY CHERYL, [01:05:01] WHO IS THE CONSUMMATE BUSINESS WOMAN. AND THEN THERE'S MELANIE. AND MELANIE AND I WENT TO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TOGETHER. SHE SAYS THAT I MADE HER CHANGE SCHOOLS BECAUSE I TOLD HER I WAS GONNA BEAT HER UP AFTER SCHOOL. , I STILL CHALLENGE THAT, BUT SHE DID. SHE HAD A MOUTH ON HER THEN IF SHE GOT A MOUTH ON HER, NOT THAT HAS MADE HER PLENTY MONEY. YES, SHE DOES. AND SO I JUST WANT TO SAY IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO MOURN PUBLICLY, BUT YOU ALL HAVE BEEN SO GRACEFUL, UH, IN ALLOWING US TO PAY TRIBUTE. AND ONE OF MY FONDEST MEMORIES WAS ACTUALLY IN THE KITCHEN WITH, UH, REVEREND LAWSON. AND I SAID, WELL, YOU KNOW, INTRODUCE YOURSELF. HE WAS DOING A, A ROBOCALL FOR ME. AND I SAID, YOU KNOW, PASTOR, DOCTOR, WHATEVER, HE SAID, HAVE YOU EVER HEARD ME TO REFER TO MYSELF AS THAT? HE SAID, I AM BILL LAWSON. HE WAS SO HUMBLE IN SPITE OF ALL THE ACCOLADES AND ALL OF THE LOVE THAT WAS BESTOWED UPON HIM. BUT HE WAS SOMEBODY YOU COULD KNOCK ON THE DOOR. HIS WIFE WOULD OPEN IT. YOU COULD GO IN, YOU COULD WALK IN THE BEDROOM AND HAVE A CONVERSATION, BUT JUST SO OPEN AND WARM. AND SO I, I AM SO VERY HONORED TO HAVE HIM AS MY CONSTITUENT AND CERTAINLY AS MY SUPPORTER. AND WE HOPE TO HONOR HIM IN OTHER WAYS IN THE FUTURE. AND SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING FORWARD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MAYOR DAVIS. THANK YOU MAYOR, MY SISTER. THANK YOU FOR YOUR STRENGTH FOR COMING TODAY, ACKNOWLEDGING CITY COUNCIL AND YOUR LABOR TO THIS CITY AND YOUR FATHER. AND CERTAINLY COULDN'T BE WITHOUT ACKNOWLEDGING YOUR MOTHER. OF COURSE I KNEW UP CLOSE AND PURSE TO BOTH OF THEM AS YOU WELL KNOW. BUT THANK YOU FOR YOUR STRENGTH. IT TAKES A LOT. IT TAKES A LOT. MOST PEOPLE DO. SOME DON'T KNOW. BUT THANK YOU FOR YOUR STRENGTH AT THE SERVICE AND UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR STRENGTH TODAY. AND WE KNOW AS THE WORD TEACHES US, THE SPIRIT LIVES ON GOD BLESS YOU. WE LOVE YOU. THANK YOU COUNCILOR ALCORN. ROXANNE, MY FRIEND, YOU GUYS, ROXANNE AND I STARTED AT THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT ON THE VERY SAME DAY, WAY BACK WHEN, AND WE'VE BEEN FRIENDS FOR A LONG TIME. AND HOW BEAUTIFUL FOR YOU TO COME DOWN HERE AND THANK US, MAN. WE NEED TO JUST BE THANKING YOU. WHAT A, WHAT A WONDERFUL GIFT YOUR FATHER WAS. WHAT THE PILLARS OF LIGHT OVER AT INTERFAITH MINISTRIES. I ALWAYS THINK OF THE THREE AMIGOS THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT UP AND NOW THEY'RE GONE AND THEY HELPED US WITH, SO THEY HELPED HOUSTON THROUGH SO MANY TIMES THAT COULD HAVE BEEN WAY, WAY MORE CHALLENGING, BUT FOR THEIR FAITH AND THEIR, UM, EXAMPLE. SO THANKS TO YOU AND YOUR ENTIRE FAMILY AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR FRIENDSHIP ALL THESE YEARS. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN PLUMMER. THANK YOU MAYOR ROXANNE, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. UM, YOU KNOW, GROWING UP I REMEMBERED EVERY TIME MY DAD HAD A MAJOR DECISION TO MAKE. HOWARD JEFFERSON AND REVEREND LAWSON WERE IN THAT CONVERSATION SOMEWHERE. AND JUST KIND OF AS A CHILD GROWING UP, SEEING THAT WHEN OTHER PEOPLE DEPENDED ON SOMEONE ELSE TO GIVE THEM THE RIGHT ANSWER BECAUSE OF WHO THEY WERE AND WHAT POSITION THEY CAME FROM AND KNEW WAS ALWAYS HONEST. THAT IS WHAT YOU AND YOUR SISTERS DO FOR US. SO YOUR GRACE JUST JUST FLOWS AND I KNOW YOU GOT IT FROM YOUR MOM AND YOUR DAD. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOURSELF WITH US. AND, UM, AND YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR HEARTS ARE, YOU KNOW, SADDENED, BUT, UM, HE WAS SUCH A PILLAR OF STRENGTH FOR EVERYONE. EVEN IF YOU DIDN'T KNOW HIM, YOU KNEW HIM. AND SO, SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU PALMER. UH, I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU AND THANK YOUR FAMILY FOR ALLOWING ME TO PLAY A SMALL ROLE IN THE CELEBRATION. IT WAS, UH, EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE AND THANK YOU FOR LIVE STREAMING IT. WHAT I REALLY WANT YOU TO, I WOULD ASK YOU TO THANK YOUR FAMILY ON BEHALF OF ALL HOUSTON FOR THE TIME THAT THE FAMILY SHARED HIM, UH, WITH HOUSTONIANS, THE HOURS UPON HOURS AWAY FROM THE FAMILY, AWAY FROM THE CHURCH, JUST DOING CIVIC DUTIES. AND, UH, IT'S WELL DOCUMENTED. IT WAS DISCUSSED AT THE SERVICE HOW HOUSTON'S SUCCESS IN INTEGRATION AND THE TRANSITION THAT HAS ALLOWED US TO BECOME THE GREAT CITY THAT WE ARE. UH, WE COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT HIM. IT'S WELL DOCUMENTED. SO THANK YOU AND THE FAMILY FOR SHARING HIS TIME AND ENERGY, UH, AND KNOWLEDGE AND WISDOM WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON. WE ARE GREAT BECAUSE OF HIS SERVICE AND, UH, HIS COLLEAGUES, SEVERAL HAVE BEEN MENTIONED TODAY. SO THANK YOU AND [01:10:01] LET'S CONTINUE TO CELEBRATE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. HAVE A GOOD DAY. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. ELOISE WILLSON. BETH SHOOK. HI. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR WHITMEYER AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. UH, MY NAME IS BETH SHOOK AND I'M A MONTROSE RESIDENT. UH, I AM ASKED, I'M HERE TO ASK THAT YOU PLEASE REFER THE NEW MONTROSE TOURS BOARD APPOINTMENTS BACK TO THE ADMINISTRATION FOR FURTHER REVIEW AND COMMUNITY INPUT. MY NEIGHBORS AND I, UM, AND I'M REFERRING TO OTHER WORKING PARENTS WHO, UM, CAN'T EASILY MAKE THESE MEETINGS. WE'RE FEELING VERY LEFT OUT ON RECENT, UH, MAJOR DECISIONS IN MONTROSE. AND NOW WE LEARN OF A PLAN TO REPLACE TRUSTED TURS BOARD MEMBERS, WHICH WILL AFFECT IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS. UM, FOR YEARS THERE HAS BEEN NO COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ON THIS AS FAR AS I CAN TELL. UM, I ASK THAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND THAT OUR DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER BE INVOLVED IN THIS PROCESS BEFORE A VOTE. IF THE APPOINTMENTS CAN'T BE SENT BACK TO THE PLANNING PHASE, UM, I'M ASKING THAT THE COUNCIL VOTE NO. UH, TRUST WILL ONLY BE FURTHER ERODED IF THESE APPOINTMENTS ARE FORCED THROUGH TODAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER GREG. GREG LAGRAND TO BE FOLLOWED BY ALEXANDRA SPIKE. HELLO, MY NAME IS GREG LAGRANDE. I'M PRESIDENT OF THE NEAR TOWN MONTROSE ASSOCIATION AND SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD NUMBER 24. THANKS TO THE COUNCIL AND TO THE MAYOR FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TODAY AND TAKING THE TIME TO HEAR. I'M HERE TO REQUEST THAT TODAY'S AGENDA ITEM NUMBER TO APPOINT FOUR NEW BOARD MEMBERS TO THE MONTROSE TOURS. 27, BE TABLED, DELAYED, TAGGED, WHATEVER, BUT NOT APPROVED. THERE ARE 17 NEIGHBORHOODS ASSOCIATIONS THAT WHOSE PRESIDENTS ARE MEMBERS OF THE NEAR TOWN ASSOCIATION. NO ONE HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN THIS. FROM THOSE, OUR DIRECT CONDUIT IS SPEAKING THROUGH ABBY CAYMAN'S OFFICE AS A COUNCIL PERSON WHO HAS NOT BEEN ADVISED, AND I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT IS, IT IS FAIR. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. THANK YOU. ALEXANDER. SPIKE, ALEXANDER SPIKE. GOOD AFTERNOON COUNSEL AND MAYOR WHITMEYER. MY NAME IS ALEX SPIKE. I'M A RESIDENT OF MONTROSE. I SPEAK ON BEHALF OF MYSELF AND MANY NEIGHBORS, UH, WHO COULD NOT MAKE IT TODAY. NOMINEES FOR THE TURS 27 BOARD. WERE ANNOUNCED MONDAY AT 12 WITH THE AGENDA, LEAVING COMMUNITY THREE HOURS TO SPEAK, TO SIGN UP AND SPEAK AT COUNCIL. I'M HERE TO ASK FOR THE RENOMINATION OF ALL FOUR COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND DELAY ON THE VOTE SO THE COMMUNITY AND COUNCIL CAN GIVE INPUT. THE EXISTING BOARD HAS PROVIDED REAL LEADERSHIP THROUGH IMMENSE CHALLENGES. THEY'VE BUILT COMMUNITY ON AUTONOMY FOR OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. THE BOARD HAS LED THE NEIGHBORHOOD THROUGH TWO ADMINISTRATIONS, THROUGH THE FIGHT TO KEEP MANTRAS INDEPENDENT FROM MIDTOWN AND ALL, ALL WHILE FOUNDING TRANSFORM TRANSFORMATIVE PROJECTS. THE REPLACEMENT WITHOUT CONSULTING COMMUNITY OR COUNCIL REPRESENTS A QUESTIONING OF OUR AUTONOMY, WHICH WE TREASURE SO MUCH. I WANT THE VOTE DELAYED OR REFERRED BACK TO THE CITY SO THAT THE COMMUNITY AND COUNCIL HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE REAL INPUT. WITHOUT ANY, ANY CONSULTATION, THE PRIORITIES OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD BOARD COULD BE CHANGED AND NOBODY FROM ST. STEVENS, LANIER MIDDLE SCHOOL OR THE EAST MONTROSE CIVIC ASSOCIATION WOULD'VE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET A SAY. EVERYONE WILL HAVE MISSED THEIR ONE CHANCE TO PROVIDE INPUT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT GLENN OF SHARON. GLENN OF SHARON ALON TORRES. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS ALANDRA. I'M A RESIDENT OF MONTROSE AND I'M VERY CONCERNED [01:15:01] ABOUT THE CURRENT PAUSE ON THE PROJECT AND THE REMOVAL OF OUR TOURS BOARD, WHO WE KNOW SO WELL. THE NEW BOARD GROUP WAS ANNOUNCED ON MONDAY WITH ONLY THREE HOURS OF ADVANCE NOTICE FOR THE COMMUNITY TO SIGN UP TO SPEAK AT CITY COUNCIL TODAY. UM, THE CURRENT TOURS BOARD MEMBERS HAVE WORKED TIRE TIRELESSLY WITH THE COMMUNITY FOR NEARLY A DECADE AND HAVE IMPLEMENTED SIGNIFICANT COMPROMISES BASED ON COMMUNITY INPUT. WE REALLY TRUST THE CURRENT BOARD. THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN IN THE WORKS FOR OVER THREE YEARS WITH SEVERAL MEETINGS, HOURS, UM, OF COMMUNITY INPUT. PEOPLE HAVE BEEN INSPIRED. ABOUT 80 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN INSPIRED TO COME TO CITY HALL AND SPEAK ON THIS TOPIC AND SHOW SUPPORT FOR THE PROJECT. THIS RUSHED APPOINTMENT IS EXTREMELY DISRESPECTFUL AND BY BYPASSES A COMMUNITY WHEN WE SHOULD BE THE FIRST TO BE CONSULTED. NOT TO MENTION THAT OUR NEIGHBORHOOD HAS BEEN MADE TO SUFFER SIX MONTHS WORTH OF DELAYS ON CRUCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS AND AN ANTICIPATED DEVELOPMENTS LIKE NEW APARTMENT BUILDINGS. THE REQUIRED NEW REDESIGNS AND STUDIES AND THE NEW LIBRARY REFURBISHMENT HAVE COST OUR NEIGHBORHOOD TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. THIS BONDED MONEY LEGALLY CANNOT BE USED ANYWHERE ELSE, BUT THE NEEDS OF TRO UM, DELAY THE VOTE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT, DYLAN LAZANO. . GOOD AFTERNOON COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS DYLAN. I'M A STUDENT AT RICE UNIVERSITY AS RESIDENT OF HOUSTON. AS I PURSUE MY EDUCATION, IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO ME THAT THE TURS BOARD IS REFLECTIVE OF OUR COMMUNITY VALUES. THE CURRENT BOARD HAS BEEN WORKING ON INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS FROM MONTROSE THAT WOULD ADDRESS DRAINAGE ISSUES IN THE AREA. JUST LAST NIGHT, I GOT STUCK ON A FLOODED STREET IN MONTROSE AND HAD TO WAIT AN HOUR FOR THE WATERS TO GO DOWN BEFORE I COULD RETURN HOME. THIS IS AN, UNFORTUNATELY, A COMMON OCCURRENCE FOR MANY RESIDENTS. SO WE ARE DEPENDING ON THESE INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS TO PROTECT OUR SAFETY DURING THESE RAINSTORMS, HOWEVER, ONE OF THE PROPOSED APPOINTEES TO THE BOARD HAS BEEN VERY OUTSPOKEN AGAINST ADDRESSING THESE DRAINAGE ISSUES. VOTING IN THESE NEW APPOINTEES WILL SIGNIFICANTLY SET BACK THESE PROJECTS, ESPECIALLY AS WE ENTER THE HURRICANE SEASON. ANY ACTIONS THAT WOULD FURTHER DELAY THESE INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS WOULD BE GREATLY IRRESPONSIBLE AND NEGLECT THE NEEDS OF YOUR CONSTITUENTS. I URGE YOU TO DELAY THE VOTE ON ITEM TWO UNTIL MORE COMMUNITY INPUT CAN BE GIVEN. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. NEXT COUNCIL MEMBER. MA'AM. MA'AM. MA'AM. MA'AM. NO. NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO. SHE'S GOT, UH, IT'S A PROCEDURAL MOTION. NO, NEVERMIND. THANK YOU. OKAY, COUNCILOR EVAN SHABA. SORRY. UM, NOW WHAT WAS I GETTING RID OF? SECOND? OH, I'D LIKE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO ADD DORSAL DUCKIN TO THE, TO SPEAK NEXT IF POSSIBLE. HE'S, HE'S BEEN HERE A FEW TIMES AND I WOULD LIKE TO EXTEND HIM THE COURTESY OF COMING UP TO SPEAK ON THERE. THANK YOU. DORS. DUCKIN. YOU NEED A SECOND FORM? A SECOND. I'M SORRY. MOTION MADE AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED. MOTION PASSES. DAR SEAL COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. I THINK SHE HAS A PROCEDURE ALSO. COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. UM, I MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO ADD SEVEN MORE TO THE SPEAKER'S LIST. WE CAN ADD 'EM AT THE TOP OF THE THREE MINUTE IN FRONT OF CASEY. AGENDA NONE. AGENDA? I DO WE JUST NEED A VOTE? YES. OKAY. WE JUST NEED A VOTE ON THE ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. THOSE OPPOSED. MOTION PASSES. DARCELL, DON DUNCANSON, MAYOR WITH MAY COUNSEL. I, YES, I'VE BEEN HERE BEFORE. I WANTED TO FIRST OF ALL SAY THANK YOU FOR THE SUPPORT OF GETTING, UM, FROM AT THE GALA, GALA AT MCGREGOR. THE OUTSIDE HALLWAY WAS CEMENT AND WHITE DUST WAS GETTING INTO THE APARTMENT. SO WE NOW HAVE THAT FLOOR DONE, AND I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THAT. UM, THE FLOORS INSIDE THE APARTMENTS ON THIRD FLOOR ARE STILL CEMENT, AND THEY JUST RECENTLY WENT UP ON THE RENT. SOME OF THE SENIORS, THEY WENT UP AS MUCH AS $500 ON THEIR RENT. AND I WAS TOLD THAT THAT'S A LAW IN THE STATE OF TEXAS THAT THEY CAN GO UP ANY AMOUNT THEY WANT TO GO UP AND IT'S NOTHING THAT THEY CAN DO. BUT WE ARE STILL HAVING, YOU KNOW, NO SECURITY, [01:20:01] NO GATES. AND THEY'RE TELLING US WE DON'T HAVE THE SECURITY AND THIS BECAUSE IT'S A LOW INCOME, UH, FACILITY. BUT YOU GO UP ON THE RENT , YOU KNOW, SO A LOT OF THE SENIORS ARE MOVING OUT, UH, BECAUSE THEY CAN'T HANDLE IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. CAPTAIN SHABA, SIR. COUNCILMAN EVAN SHABA. THANK, THANK YOU, MR. DUCKIN. AND I HAVE TO SAY THIS, HE'S BEEN HERE SEVERAL TIMES AND YOU ALL HEAR HIS VOICE. HE IS ACTUALLY A FAMOUS OPERA SINGER, JUST IN CASE YOU ALL DON'T KNOW THAT. SO ANYWAY, WE ARE NOT GONNA ASK YOU TO SING TODAY, MR. DINS. , YOU GONNA ACT ING YOU SING. BUT ANYWAY, THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR COMING. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU, POLLARD. COUNCILMAN POLLARD, SIR. MR. DUNCAN? SURE. ONE SECOND. COUNCILMAN POLLARD. TELL US THE NAME OF THE, UH, OF THIS, UH, APARTMENT COMPLEX AGAIN. GALA AT MCGREGOR. WE'RE AT 2 88 ANN MCGREGOR. AND, AND IT'S JUST A YEAR OLD. I MEAN, THEY'VE GONE UP ON THE RENT. AND WHO, WHO'S THE, UH, DO YOU KNOW THE MANAGEMENT COMPANY THERE? ASSET, ASSET ASSET LIVING. ASSET. WHAT? LIVING. OKAY. I'M GONNA WORK WITH YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO YEAH. REACH OUT TO ASSET LIVING. YEAH. ON THAT. YEAH. THAT, THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S NOT WHAT WE AS A CITY SHOULD BE DOING TO OUR SENIORS IN THESE TYPE OF, UH, YEAH. UH, LIVING QUARTERS. AND SO THEY COME TO THE CITY, UH, THEY WANT OUR SUPPORT, AND THEN YES, THEY DO HAVE A THRESHOLD ON BEING ABLE TO INCREASE THE RENT, BUT, UH, IT HAS TO BE JUSTIFIED. AND IF YOU'RE NOT RECEIVING THE SERVICES AND THE LIVING CONDITIONS THAT ARE SUITABLE, UH, THE LAST THING THAT THEY SHOULD BE DOING IS, IS GOING UP ON THE RENT, UH, FOR OUR SENIORS. SO WE NEED TO LOOK INTO THAT. I DON'T WANT YOU TO COME UP HERE AND THINK THAT YOUR, YOUR VOICE IS NOT, UH, BEING HEARD ON THESE MATTERS. UH, AND SO I'M GONNA WORK WITH YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER ON, UH, SEEING IF WE CAN GET YOU SOME DIRECT ANSWERS FROM ASSET LIVING ON WHY THIS IS HAPPENING. COUNCIL MEMBER ARDI'S OFFICE DID CALL AND ASK ABOUT IF YOU ARE GOING TO RAISE THE RENT. WHAT IS IT FOR? IS ARE THEY GONNA GET SECURITY OR THEY'RE GONNA GET, THEY COULDN'T ANSWER IT. OKAY. UH, WE'RE GONNA FOLLOW UP WITH YOU. ALRIGHT. COUNCILMAN PLUMMER. COUNCILMAN PLUMMER. THANK YOU, MAYOR. SO, THE CEMENT DUST IS STILL AN ISSUE. THE INSIDE OF THE, THE APARTMENTS ON THE THIRD FLOOR. MM-HMM . I HAVE PICTURES HERE. IT'S CEMENT, CEMENT. THE OUTSIDE HALLWAY. WE FINALLY GOT THAT COVERED. SO WE DON'T HAVE THE DUST COMING IN FROM THE HALLWAY, BUT INSIDE OF THE APARTMENTS ON THE THIRD FLOOR IS CEMENT, CEMENT. I, I, I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THAT BEFORE IN MY LIFE. BUT IT'S CEMENT. SO THERE'S CEMENT INSIDE OF THE APARTMENTS. INSIDE OF THE APARTMENT. AND I HAVE A PICTURE TO SHOW YOU IF YOU NEED TO SEE. OKAY. SO THAT CAN BE, 'CAUSE MAYOR, THAT WAS KIND OF THE ISSUE LAST TIME, BECAUSE THE CEMENT WAS IN THE HALLWAY, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT COULDN'T DO A VIOLATION. BUT NOW WHAT HE'S SAYING, IF IT'S INSIDE THE APARTMENT NOW, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT SHOULD BE ABLE TO GO IN AND DO AND DO AN INSPECTION. OKAY. WE WERE THERE THE NEXT DAY AFTER. RIGHT. HIS APPEARANCE ACCOUNTS REBECCA WILLIAMS, WHO'S SITTING RIGHT OVER THERE. YES, YES. MANY TIMES WAS ON TOP OF IT, CORRECTED THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS. NOW WE'LL ADDRESS THE RENTAL, BUT YOU BEING HERE MAKES A DIFFERENCE. AND, UH, HOW LONG HAD YOU BEEN LIVING THERE BEFORE YOU CAME TO COUNCIL? WHERE WE, WE ADDRESSED IT AND RESPONDED OVER, UH, I MOVED THERE IN JULY. LAST JULY. MM-HMM . MOVED THERE IN JULY. SO YOU WERE THERE ABOUT SIX MONTHS BEFORE I GOT THERE. COMPLAINING YES. YES. AND THEN THE NEXT DAY WE WERE THERE, . IT'S AMAZING. IT'S CRAZY FOR SENIORS. IT'S AMAZING. YEAH. WELL, WE'RE SORRY. YOU SHOULD NOT, AS COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE MENTIONED. YEAH. SHOULDN'T HAVE TO, SHOULDN'T HAVE TO COME TO CITY HALL TO GET A FAIR LANDLORD , BUT UNFORTUNATELY IT'S PRETTY PREVALENT ACROSS THE CITY. MM-HMM . I APPRECIATE YOU ALL THOUGH. YEAH. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU. NEXT, FRED WOODS. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. MY NAME IS FRED WOODS. I'M THE PRESIDENT OF NORTHWOOD MANOR CIVIC CLUB, AND I STAND BEFORE YOU TODAY IN ALLIANCE WITH NORTHEAST ACTION COLLECTIVE. IF YOU HAVE ACCESS TO INFORMATION AND THE CAPACITY TO PROCESS IT, BUT CHOOSE TO IGNORE IT, YOU ARE STUPID IF YOU CONTINUE TO DO THE SAME THING, BUT EXPECT A DIFFERENT RESULT. YOU ARE INSANE NORTHEAST HOUSTON [01:25:01] AND IS ONE OF THE LEAST RESILIENT COMMUNITIES IN ALL OF HOUSTON. STORM AFTER STORM. WE HAVE NO PLACE OF REFUGE EVEN AFTER WE REPEATEDLY BRING IT TO YOUR ATTENTION FOR ACTION. AT PRESENT, THERE IS ONLY ONE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER WITH A PERMANENT GENERATOR IN ALL OF HOUSTON. SUPPORT COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMBERS AMENDMENT FOR PERMANENT GEN, FOR A PERMANENT GENERATOR TO BE INSTALLED AT CASHMERE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER. NORTHEAST HOUSTON HAS OUTDATED INFERIOR DRAINAGE INFRASTRUCTURE IN BOTH OPEN DITCHES AND UNDERSIZED DRAINS. SUPPORT COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON'S AMENDMENT FOR AN INCREASE OF $8 MILLION TO LOCAL DRAINAGE PROJECTS, YOUR TIME KNOWINGLY, KNOWINGLY CONTINUING TO KICK THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD IS BOTH INSANE AND STUPID. IT IS ALSO IMMORAL TO LET A POPULATION OF PEOPLE SUFFER WHO CAN'T AFFORD RESILIENCY. INDEPENDENT OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT SUPPORT. THERE ARE THREE STAGES OF EMERGENCY RESPONSE, RESCUE RELIEF, AND RECOVERY. THE POLICE DO NOT HAVE A HISTORY OF COMING TO OUR RESCUE. UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES, COUNTLESS STORMS HAVE COME AND THERE REMAINS NOWHERE FOR US TO GO. SO THERE'S NO RELIEF. AND AS FOR A RECOVERY, 600 SQUARE MILES AND ONLY A HANDFUL OF FEMA DISASTER CENTERS, NONE OF WHICH ARE IN NORTHEAST HOUSTON IS A CONTINUED JOKE IN POOR TASTE. THE LEAST YOU CAN DO IS PASS THESE TWO AMENDMENTS. WE HAVE NO FAITH. AND WHAT BILL HOPE SOME OF US HAVE IS WANING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. THANK YOU. NEXT LORD MAGNER, I'VE TALKED TO YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS LLOYD MATZNER AND I SERVE AS THE PRESIDENT OF THE NORTH MONTROSE CIVIC ASSOCIATION, JERUSALEM DECISIONS MAYOR TO REPLACE THE TIERS 27 LEADERSHIP TO SUSPEND ANY ACTION ON THE MONTROSE BOULEVARD IMPROVEMENT PROJECT. AND YOUR DESIRE TO SPEND MILLIONS TO REFURBISH AN OLD AND, AND AN UNSAFE LIBRARY STRUCTURE HAVE BEEN MADE WITH LITTLE OR NO DISCUSSION WITH DISTRICT C COUNCIL PERSON ABBY CAYMAN, THE NEAR TOWN SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERSHIP, AND THE MANY CIVIC ASSOCIATIONS WHO ADVOCATE FOR THE INTEREST OF ITS RESIDENTS. THESE DECISIONS WILL RESULT IN MILLIONS OF WASTED TAXPAYER DOLLARS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN SPENT ON RESEARCH AND ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES, ENGINEERING DESIGNS, PROJECT PLANNING, AND GRANT SOLICITATION. THEY WILL NEGATE THE PARTNERSHIPS DEVELOPED WITH THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES, AND CONCERN NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS. ULTIMATELY, THERE'LL BE COSTLY DELAYS IN PROJECT. THEIR TIME HAS IMPLEMENTATION AND INCREASED THREATS TO THE EXISTING DECAYING INFRASTRUCTURE WHOSE ENHANCEMENTS YOU ANNOUNCED YOU WOULD BE A MAJOR PRIORITY FOR YOUR ADMINISTRATION. I HOPE THERE WILL BE A DELAY IN THE APPROVAL OF THE NEWLY NOMINATED TIERS MEMBERS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT, CHRIS INGER. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR WHITMEYER, MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS CHRIS INGER AND I OWN LAND, SEA, AND SKY, A BUSINESS THAT HAS OPERATED IN HOUSTON SINCE 1940. MY COMPANY IS LOCATED ON RICHMOND AVENUE IN MONTROSE AND IS SUBJECT TO TAXATION BY THE MONTROSE TIERS. I'VE OWNED A BUSINESS IN MONTROSE SINCE 2016 AND LIVED IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD FOR OVER 23 YEARS. I APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT TEARS HAS DONE TO THE AREA OVER THE PAST NINE YEARS, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO THEIR ONGOING WORK TO SOOTHE THE SERVE A COMMUNITY I LOVE IN ONE OF HOUSTON'S MOST VIBRANT NEIGHBORHOODS. THROUGHOUT THIS TIME, THEY HAVE ACTIVELY SOUGHT AND LISTENED TO INPUT FROM STAKEHOLDERS OF THE MONTROSE COMMUNITY. I COME BEFORE YOU TODAY TO DISCUSS APPOINTING NEW BOARD MEMBERS TO THE MONTROSE TOURS. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE SCOPE OF THIS CHANGE WITH THE MAJORITY OF THE BOARD BEING REPLACED AT ONE TIME. THIS CHANGE WILL RESULT IN A LOSS OF INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND CONTINUITY AT A TIME WHEN SEVERAL ESSENTIAL PROJECTS ARE EITHER ONGOING OR JUST BEGINNING. I AM ALSO CONCERNED THIS CHANGE TO THE BOARD IS BEING MADE WITHOUT INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY. IT SERVES A PROCESS NOT IN KEEPING WITH THE CHARACTER OF MONTROSE. I THEREFORE, RESPECTFULLY ASK THAT THE MAYOR REFERRED THE APPOINTMENTS BACK FURTHER DELIBERATION, CONSULTATION WITH COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS TO ENSURE THAT THE IMPACT OF THIS CHANGE IS FULLY UNDERSTOOD AND APPRECIATED. IF THE UNWILLING TO DEFER THESE APPOINTMENTS, I ASK THE CITY COUNCIL, VOTE NO ON THE SLATE OF APPOINTMENTS. [01:30:01] THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND ATTENTION IN THIS MATTER. THANK YOU. NEXT, LAUREN MARTIN. GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND MAYOR WHITMEYER. MY NAME IS LAUREN MORTON, PRESIDENT OF MONTROSE. FOR THE SAKE OF COMMUNITY TRANSPARENCY, PROJECT DEVELOPMENT AND THE FUTURE OF MONTROSE OF THE MONTROSE NEIGHBORHOOD, I ASK THAT YOU VOTE NO ON ITEM TWO, THE APPOINTMENT OF T 27 BOARD. UH, OR IF THERE IS NOT SUFFICIENT VOTES FOR NO, THEN UH, VOTE TO REFER THE ITEM BACK TO THE ADMINISTRATION FOR FURTHER REVIEW. WE HAVE ALREADY HEARD FROM MANY OTHER PEOPLE THAT THIS DECISION WAS MADE WITHOUT ANY COMMUNITY INPUT, UH, INCLUDING THAT OF OUR COUNCIL MEMBER ABBY CAYMAN. UM, AND I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW, I HAVE A LOT OF FREE TIME NOW, SO I WILL BE HERE AT EVERY CITY, UH, CITY COUNCIL MEMBER UNTIL WE HAVE A VOICE IN THIS. THANK YOU. THANKS. NEXT HANI. KHALIL. THERE GO HONEY. HA HA. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR. GOOD AFTERNOON. GET HOW TO DO THIS. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR, MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL. ON BEHALF OF THE 90 UNIONS AND 62,000 UNION MEMBERS AFFILIATED WITH THE TEXAS GULF COAST AREA LABOR FEDERATION, A-F-L-C-I-O, I URGE YOU TO VOTE FOR IN THE NEGOTIATED BACKPAY SETTLEMENT AND NEW FIVE-YEAR CONTRACT WITH HOUSTON FIREFIGHTERS. HOUSTON FIREFIGHTERS HAVE DEMONSTRATED EXCEPTIONAL PATIENCE AND RESILIENCE. THE BACKPAY SETTLEMENT PROVIDES THEM WITH A COMPENSATION THEY HAVE RIGHTFULLY EARNED OVER THE LAST EIGHT YEARS. WHILE THE NEW FIVE-YEAR CONTRACT OFFERS FINANCIAL CERTAINTY TO THEM AND THEIR FAMILIES, THE CITY AND TAXPAYERS APPROVAL WILL BENEFIT NOT ONLY THE FIREFIGHTERS, BUT THE CITY'S ABILITY TO RETAIN AND RECRUIT NEW FIREFIGHTERS, PUBLIC SERVANTS WHO PROVIDE ESSENTIAL FIRE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES TO OUR COMMUNITY. WE GREATLY APPRECIATE THAT MAYOR WHITMEYER HAS DECIDED TO NO LONGER KICK THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD, AND HAS MADE DIFFICULT DECISIONS TO COME TO AN AGREEMENT. IS IT PERFECT? NO, NO CONTRACT EVER IS, BUT AFTER EIGHT YEARS, YOU FINALLY HAVE A CONTRACT IN YOUR HAND. IT IS TIME TO, TO SETTLE THIS CONTRACT, MOVE IT FORWARD, AND, AND ENSURE THAT THIS LONG DISPUTED, UH, LONG DISPUTE IS FINALLY SETTLED. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. VERY GOOD COUNSEL. YES, SIR. COUNCILMAN CAMAN THAT FROM THE PREVIOUS SPEAKER? NO, IT WAS FROM OKAY. HANNY. DID, DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION? YES, SIR. CAN YOU RECOGNIZE I DIDN'T HAVE A QUESTION? THANK YOU, MAYOR HANEY, I JUST WANTED TO SAY, AND FOR ALL THE UNION MEMBERS THAT ARE HERE, UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO FOR EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOUR UNIONS, BUT ALSO HANDY LEADING, UM, IN PARTNERSHIP, UH, A-F-L-C-I-O FOR THE GULF COAST. SO I JUST, I WANTED TO RECOGNIZE THE WORK THAT YOU ALL DO IN SO MANY SPACES FOR SO MANY WORKERS IN OUR CITY. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER. WELCOME, ANNIE. THANK YOU. YOU MIGHT WANT TO SHARE YOUR TIME, OR AT LEAST YOUR RECOGNITION WITH HOPE THAT'S HERE. WE APPRECIATE SONYA, WE CERTAINLY APPRECIATE THE UNITY AND COLLABORATION OF THE ENTIRE LABOR CENTRAL COUNCIL FOR STANDING UP FOR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AND CERTAINLY, UH, RECOGNIZING THAT OUR FIRST RESPONDERS, OUR FIREFIGHTERS, HAVE GONE EIGHT YEARS WITHOUT A CONTRACT. AND, UM, IT'S IMPACTING THE RESPONSE TIME. IT'S IMPACTING RECRUITING. AND THIS WAS A WELL THOUGHT OUT SETTLEMENT. SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND REPRESENTING WORKING MEN AND WOMEN IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. THANK YOU. THANK Y'ALL. THANK Y'ALL. NEXT, NEXT. STEVEN LONGMEYER. GOOD AFTERNOON. YES, I'M THAT STEVE . MOST OF YOU HAVE RECEIVED AN EMAIL FROM ME WITH FAR GREATER DETAIL ON THIS ISSUE THAN I CAN COVER IN ONE MINUTE. LET ME START BY SAYING THAT EACH OF YOU SWORE A SOLEMN OATH WHEN YOU WERE INAUGURATED TO DEFEND THE US CONSTITUTION, THE TEXAS CONSTITUTION, AND THE CHARTER OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON. SAM HOUSTON IS UP THERE LOOKING AT EACH OF YOU AS YOU VOTE TOMORROW. YOUR DUTY IS TO REVIEW THE APPOINTMENTS MADE BY THE MAYOR TO COMMITTEES. I URGE YOU IN THE STRONGEST POSSIBLE TERMS [01:35:01] TO VOTE NO OR TO REFER, REFER THIS BACK TO THE ADMINISTRATION. AS THERE HAS BEEN NO COMMUNITY INPUT INTO THIS. THERE'S BEEN NO DIALOGUE ABOUT THIS. AND THE MOST HONEST PERSON I HAVE EVER MET IN MY WHOLE LIFE IS SITTING IN THIS ROOM TODAY. REVEREND LISA HUNT TO LOSE HER MORAL GUIDANCE ON THIS TOURS BOARD IS IN THE WORDS OF SOMEONE ELSE WHO SPOKE. JUST YES, TIME HAS EXPIRED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT, CEDRIC WALKER. CEDRIC WALKER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR WHITMEYER, UH, MAYOR PROAM, AND THE ENTIRE CITY COUNCIL. I'M CEDRIC WALKER, FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERS SOUL CIRCUS. THE UNIVERSAL CIRCUS WAS FOUNDED IN 1994 IN AN EFFORT TO UPLIFT AND CELEBRATE THE POSITIVE ACHIEVEMENTS AND CULTURAL CONTRIBUTIONS OF AFRICAN AMERICANS THROUGH FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT. WE'RE EXTREMELY EXCITED TO RETURN TO THE GREAT CITY OF HOUSTON, CELEBRATING OUR 30TH YEAR ANNIVERSARY HERE. THE TREMENDOUS SUPPORT THAT WE'VE RECEIVED FROM THE PEOPLE OF HOUSTON OVER THE YEARS HAS BEEN INVALUABLE TO OUR GROWTH. WE ARE THRILLED TO SUPPORT MAYOR WHITMEYER YOUTH INITIATIVES, WORKING WITH PARKS AND RECREATION DIRECTOR KENNETH ALLEN, PROVIDING 1000 FREE TICKETS FOR YOUTH AROUND THE CITY. ADDITIONALLY, WE'RE WORKING WITH COUNCILWOMAN TWILA CARTER, PROVIDING 1800 TICKETS FOR FAMILIES AND SHELTERS AND SENIOR CITIZENS. WE ALSO, WE ALSO WILL PROVIDE A, A SERIES OF FREE MINI PERFORMANCES FOR SUMMER YOUTH PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT THE CITY OVER THE NEXT THREE WEEKS. AS A MATTER OF FACT, WHEN THESE PERFORMANCE LEAVE HERE TODAY MM-HMM . THEY'RE HEADED TO THE FONDE RECREATION CENTER TO DO OUR FIRST MINI FREE MINI PERFORMANCE. WE HOPE THAT COMING BACK ALSO HAS A POSITIVE ECONOMIC IMPACT. WE WILL SPEND AN ESTIMATED $1.77 MILLION BACK IN THE CITY'S ECONOMY ON GOODS AND SERVICES. BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING ABOUT THE CIRCUS IS TO BRINGING TOGETHER OF FAMILIES AND TO BRINGING TOGETHER OF FAMILIES IS THE BRINGING TOGETHER OF COMMUNITY. WE'RE INVITING YOU ALL TO COME AND ENJOY OUR CIRCUS AS WE SHARE THOSE THINGS THAT MAKE US ALL ONE BIG FAMILY. THANK YOU. I I BELIEVE RIGHT BEHIND YOU ARE YOUR FANS, THE YOUNG PEOPLE. , IF Y'ALL KIND OF MAKE A LITTLE AISLE FOR THE YOUNG PEOPLE THAT ARE HERE SUPPORTING YOU. YES. COME ON IN TO GET THERE. I NEED, THESE ARE ALL THE RECIPIENTS OF THE TICKETS THAT WE'RE PROVIDING. THANK YOU. THEY'RE PICKING UP THEIR TICKETS TODAY. I UNDERSTAND. WHY DO YOU THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR BRINGING JOY TO PEOPLE'S LIVES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU'LL BE SAFE. JUST A SEC. JUST A SEC. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTEX TATUM. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, CEDRIC AND TAMMY, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THE UNIVERSAL CIRCUS BACK TO HOUSTON. SPECIFICALLY IN DISTRICT A, UH, WE WILL BE HAVING A DISTRICT A DAY AT THE CIRCUS FOR THE SENIORS IN THE CHILDREN FOR, UH, ONE OF THE SUMMERTIME SHOWS. YES. UH, WE'RE PLANNING ON THE STAFF AND I ARE PLANNING TO BE THERE WITH SOME COMMUNITY MEMBERS ON SATURDAY. UH, IT'S GREAT TO HAVE ZEKE, OUR FAMOUS RING MASTER, UH, IN THE CHAMBERS TODAY. UM, AND WHAT INCREDIBLE, UH, ACROBATICS AND, I MEAN, WHO CAN, WHO CAN REFUSE THE, THE COTTON CANDY AND POPCORN AND ALL THE TREATS, UH, OF THE CIRCUS. BUT THANK YOU FOR BRINGING FAMILY FUN TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO A WONDERFUL SUMMER OF CELEBRATION. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. JUST A SECOND ONE. SECOND. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. THANK YOU. IT'S NOT JUST THE UNIVERSE SOUL, UH, CIRCUS. IT'S THE UNIVERSE, SOUL CIRCUS. LIKE THAT'S HOW I, THAT'S HOW I KNOW IT ON THE RADIO. I'M EXCITED TO PARTICIPATE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR, UH, GENEROUS, UM, DONATION OF TICKETS, UH, FAMILIES THAT OTHERWISE, AT LEAST I KNOW IN [01:40:01] DISTRICT F WOULD OTHERWISE NEVER LEAVE BELTWAY EIGHT TO EXPERIENCE THIS, HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR, UM, EXTENDING THAT TO US SO WE CAN GET THIS TO THE COMMUNITY. I LOOK FORWARD TO ENJOYING THE UNIVERSE, SOUL CIRCUS. UH, THAT'S HOW I HEAR IT ON THE RADIO. THAT'S THE AD. YOU SHOULD PUT ME ON THE AD. I'LL TAKE CARE OF THAT. UM, I LOOK FORWARD TO, TO DOING THAT. SO ANYTHING ELSE WE CAN DO TO, UM, ELEVATE THIS WORK AND THE PERFORMANCE, UH, PLEASE LET US KNOW. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER SHIBA, EVAN SHABA. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND I DON'T KNOW IF I SPOKE WITH YOU WHEN YOU WERE TRYING TO GET OUTTA DISTRICT K AND COME TO DISTRICT D , BUT, UH, AT ANY RATE, I REALLY WISH WE COULD'VE ACCOMMODATED AND WE'LL WORK ON IT FOR THE NEXT TIME, , BECAUSE IT IS THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION. AND TAMMY CAMPBELL IS ALWAYS SO WONDERFUL TO SEE YOU. AND JUST ON A PERSONAL NOTE, I REMEMBER GOING TO THE UNIVERSAL CIRCUS RIGHT AFTER MY MOTHER DIED UNEXPECTEDLY. AND IT REALLY DID LIFT MY SPIRITS. AND SO THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO. AND YOU JUST NEVER KNOW WHO YOU ARE TOUCHING IN A CROWD, JUST DOING WHAT YOU HAVE A PASSION TO DO. THANK YOU. AND SO THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR ALWAYS COMING TO HOUSTON, BUT NEXT TIME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. COUNCIL, JUST A SECOND. COUNCIL MEMBER. CAMAN, UH, THANK YOU MAYOR. AND I SAW IN THE BACK, WE ALSO HAVE OUR, OUR DIRECTOR OF PARKS, DIRECTOR ALLEN WITH US. AND MAYOR THA I SAW YOU INTRODUCING ALL THESE JUST PRECIOUS, PRECIOUS CHILDREN. I'M ASSUMING IS PARKS DEPARTMENT BRINGING KIDS TO THE EVENT OR YES. UH, DIRECTOR. ALRIGHT. , YOU HAVE TO COVER ME. I WAS AMAZED TO GET THROUGH. RIGHT. WELL, AS A RESULT OF THE GENEROSITY OF THE UNIVERSAL SOUL CIRCUS, WE'RE GONNA SEND OVER 800 KIDS FROM OUR SUMMER ENRICHMENT PROGRAM. ROUND APPLAUSE FOR THAT. THE CIRCUS. THE CIRCUS. WELL, ACTUALLY AFTER YOU LEAVE, AFTER THEY LEAVE HERE, THEY'RE GOING TO FUNDING. THERE'S A PRE-SHOW THAT'S HAPPENING AT FUNDEE AT FOUR O'CLOCK. SO WE GOT ABOUT 30 MINUTES TO GET THERE. THANK YOU. I DID NOT SAY, DID Y STAY? NO, IT'S JUST, UH, THE 30, THE 30 YEAR, THE 30 YEAR HISTORY AND THE RELATIONSHIP WITH PARKS HAS BEEN ONGOING. I REMEMBER TAKING MY KIDS THERE. SO I JUST WANT TO THANK, UH, MR. WALKER AND AMARI FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY. MANY KIDS DON'T REALLY GET OUT THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD, SO FOR THEM TO COME TO CITY HALL AND THEN GO TO THE UNI UNIVERSAL SOUL CIRCUS AND THEN HAVE THE CIRCUS COME TO THEM. AMAZING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. IT'S A BEAUTIFUL GIFT FOR HAVING GREAT JOB. AMAZING. YOU'VE HAD A BIG DAY. YOU OUGHT TO GIVE THE POOLS A PLUG WHILE YOU'RE UP THERE, . OH, YES. I WISH WE WERE WISH YOU GUYS WELL, 16, BECAUSE I WOULD HIRE YOU ON THE SPOT AS LONG AS YOU COULD SWIM. BUT, UM, I CAN SWIM. I CAN SWIM. I, OKAY. ARE WE, I THINK WE GOT A FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER RIGHT THERE. ARE WE GOING? ARE WE GONNA BE FAMOUS? YES. YOU'RE YES. YES. YAY. I'LL LET YOU GO. BE CAREFUL. BE CAREFUL. IN MIDST OF A, A CITY DIRECTOR, ALLEN, YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS CAN GO . THANK YOU. BUT POOLS ARE OPEN. WE STILL NEED GUARDS. YEP. WE'VE MADE SOME PROGRESS. UM, IF YOU'RE SUCCEEDING ABOVE AND YOU'RE A STRONG SWIMMER, YOU HAVE A $500 INCENTIVE AND WE PAY UP TO $20 AN HOUR FOR 40 HOUR, 40 HOURS A WEEK FOR OVER 10 WEEKS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. GREAT JOB. GO MADAM SECRETARY. NEXT SPEAKER. WARREN MUHAMMAD OUT GOVERNMENT, I IMAGINE. WARREN MUHAMMAD. NEXT SPEAKER. JOETTA STEVENSON. JOETTA STEVENSON. [01:45:04] HI, MS. STEVENSON. HELLO. I WOULD GET CALLED BEHIND WHAT I CALL THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH UNIVERSAL . UH, MY NAME IS JOE ETTA STEVENSON AND I'M THE PRESIDENT OF THE GREATER FIFTH WARD SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD. AND I'M HERE TO ACTUALLY, ON A MORE SERIOUS NOTE, I'M HERE TO ASK THAT THE MAYOR AND ALL OF CITY COUNCIL PLEASE SUPPORT COMPLETING THE DISASTER HUB AT CASHIER GARDENS MULTI-SERVICE CENTER. YES. I LIVE IN FIFTH WARD. I LOVE MY COMMUNITY. CASHIER GARDENS IS OUR NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR. I ACTUALLY LIVED THERE BEFORE I STARTED SCHOOL AT ONE POINT. AND I LOVE THAT COMMUNITY. IT IS IN WALKING DISTANCE FOR ME OR RUNNING DISTANCE. IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE NEED IN THE NORTHEAST CORRIDOR BECAUSE WE STRUGGLE. WE WERE HERE, EXCUSE ME, IN JANUARY, ASKING FOR, UH, WARMING CENTERS IN CLOSE BY WITHIN THE NORTHEAST CORRIDOR. AND WE HAD TO FIGHT TO EVEN GET THE FIRST ONE. I THINK THE FIRST ONE APPEARED MAYBE AT THE NORTHEAST, UH, MULTI-SERVICE CENTER. ONCE AGAIN, THE COOLING CENTERS. WE HAD TO FIGHT TO GET A COOLING CENTER NEARBY WITHIN THE NORTHEAST CORRIDOR. HAD WE NEED THAT HUB, THAT CITY OF HOUSTON DISASTER HUB COMPLETED. WE WANT A PERMANENT GENERATOR PUT AT CASHIER GARDENS MULTI-SERVICE CENTER THAT WILL ACTUALLY POWER THE ENTIRE BUILDING AND MANAGE TO SERVE SO MANY NEIGHBORHOODS. NOT JUST CASRE GARDENS, BUT ITS SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOODS. LET'S HELP NORTHEAST HOUSTON, PLEASE STOP LEAVING US BEHIND. THANK YOU, MS. STEVENSON. NEXT SPEAKER. AV MOORE. MAYOR CITY COUNCIL. HAPPY FATHER'S DAY TO ALL INCREDIBLE FATHERS. I'M SAVON MOORE, HISD, ELECTED TRUSTEE. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE ARMY. I SERVED 10 YEARS AS AN ARMY RANGER, UM, THANKS TO 3 1 1. I'VE BEEN CALLING AND THEY'VE BEEN PICKING UP DEBRIS IN FIFTH WARD. I CONTINUE TO DO THAT ON SUNDAY AT MY CHURCH IN SUNNYSIDE. I WAS PREACHING, WORSHIPING GOD, AND IN THE PARKING LOT, THEY WERE VANDALIZING OUR CARS. SOUTHEAST DIVISION NEEDS MORE POLICE OFFICERS. THEY SAID IT WOULD TAKE FIVE HOURS TO GET TO ME BECAUSE IT WAS 34 CASES. PLEASE HAVE ANOTHER POLICE ACADEMY. MAYOR, I'M ASKING FOR YOUR SUPPORT BEHIND THE SCENES. CAN YOU TALK TO YOUR COLLEAGUES IN THE SENATE IN THE HOUSE TO PUSH FOR AMENDMENTS TO HOUSE BILL 1842 ACTS 2015 84TH LEGISLATION CHAPTER 10 46, AND AT YOUR MEETING ON JUNE 18TH WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD? I WOULD LIKE TO BE THERE BECAUSE MEN LIE. WOMEN LIE, BUT NUMBERS DON'T. HE WANTS TO NOT HAVE A WRAPAROUND SPECIALIST IN THE NORTHEAST. WE NEED IT. THANK YOU MR. CASTILLO. MY CHILDREN ARE THE ONES THAT GO UNDERNEATH THAT TRAIN TO GET TO THE SCHOOL. AND IT'S BEING, IT IS BEING BLOCKED. SO THANK YOU FOR FIGHTING FOR THAT. AND THANK YOU MS. JACKSON. I SENT YOU AN APARTMENT. IT'S FILLED WITH MOLD AND, UH, A CONSTITUENT. SHE WAS ABLE TO ADDRESS IT THIS WEEK. SO THAT'S WHAT I'M ASKING. I NEED YOUR SUPPORT, SIR. AND I WANT TO INVITE YOU ON THURSDAY, WE HAVE A SCHOOL BOARD MEETING. THEY WILL BE DISCUSSING THE BUDGET. HE'S GOING TO BE SPENDING OVER $253.3 MILLION THAT HE SHOULD NOT BE SPENDING. AND IF YOU SHOW UP, THEY'LL LISTEN BECAUSE YOU GIVE HOPE TO OUR CITY. WE, WE TRUSTED IN YOU AND WE VOTED FOR YOU. WE REALLY NEED YOU. I KNOW THAT IT'S A TOUCHY SUBJECT. I'VE BEEN GOING TO BOARD MEETINGS FOR THREE YEARS. I HAVEN'T, THE PEOPLE THAT CAME OUT IN FRONT OF CITY HALL, THEY JUST SHOWED UP FOR THREE, THREE MONTHS AGO. WE BEEN SHOWING UP. WE REALLY NEED YOU BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T SHOW UP, IT'S GONNA CONTINUE TO GET WORSE. ESPECIALLY FOR NORTHEAST HOUSTON. IT'S GONNA CONTINUE TO GET WORSE IN SOUTHEAST HOUSTON. I HOPE THAT MR. BASS, I WAS GONNA JOKE WITH HER. SHE WENT TO SPELL ME. I WENT TO HOWARD, BUT IT'S ALL HBCU LOVE, SO THANK YOU. VERY GOOD. MAYOR PROTE, CASTEX STATE, THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR, UM, COMING IN AND SPEAKING YOUR, YOUR CONCERNS. BUT I DID WANT TO, UM, REITERATE, THE SUPERINTENDENT HAS NOT CONFIRMED THE 18TH. HE'S NOT AVAILABLE ON THE 18TH. SO WE'RE START STILL WORKING WITH HIS OFFICE TO GET THE CORRECT DATE. AND ONCE WE GET THAT, WE'LL PUT THAT OUT FOR OUR SPECIAL CALL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETING. BUT THE NEXT SCHEDULED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MEETING IS ON THE 18TH, BUT HE IS NOT AVAILABLE ON THE 18TH. SO WE'RE STILL WORKING WITH HIS OFFICE TO GET A DATE. YES, HONOR. OKAY. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. VERY GOOD. COUNCILMAN CAMAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I ALSO HAD A QUESTION ABOUT HISC. WE HEARD FROM SOMEONE EARLIER TALKING ABOUT THE DAMAGES SUSTAINED TO MANY OF OUR SCHOOLS THROUGHOUT THE CITY. IN LIGHT OF THE DERECHO, UH, I'VE SPOKEN WITH STATE REPRESENTATIVES AND STATE SENATORS ABOUT THE CONCERN THAT HISC IS NOT [01:50:01] APPLYING FOR FEDERAL ASSISTANCE BEFORE THE FEMA DEADLINE. UM, HAVE YOU HEARD ANY UPDATES GIVEN HOW ENGAGED YOU ARE AS TO WHETHER OR NOT HISD IS EVEN ATTEMPTING TO APPLY FOR FEDERAL ASSISTANCE? HE HASN'T APPLIED. AND YESTERDAY AT THE BUDGET MEETING WORKSHOP, I ASKED THE SAME QUESTION FOR THEM TO APPLY, BUT HE HAS NOT. THEY'RE, THEY WANT TO USE THE BOND TO FIX ALL THOSE ISSUES. BUT OBVIOUSLY PEOPLE BELIEVE IF THEY CAN'T TRUST THEM AND DON'T HAVE TRANSPARENCY, THEY'RE NOT GONNA VOTE FOR IT IN NOVEMBER. BUT I I, I REALLY ENCOURAGE Y'ALL TO PUSH HIM TO DO RIGHT. 'CAUSE HE SCHOOL'S ABOUT TO BE CLOSED. LIKE, IT IS, IT IS REALLY BAD. I UNDERSTAND. IN, IN DISTRICT C, WE HAVE ONE OF THE HARDEST HIT SCHOOLS FROM IT. UH, THERE'S CLASSROOMS THAT CANNOT REOPEN UNTIL THEY'RE REBUILT. UH, SO I, I APPRECIATE YOUR VOICE ON THIS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. GOD BLESS YOU. YOU TOO. NEXT CASEY HACKNEY TO BE FOLLOWED BY LISA HUNT. HELLO, MY NAME'S CASEY HACKNEY. I'M A PROFESSOR OF CLASSICAL LITERATURE AT, UH, UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON SINCE 2001, AND I'M A LONGTIME HOME RUNNER, UM, IN MONTROSE. MY YOUNGEST SON JUST GRADUATED FROM KINDER H-S-P-V-A. AND I MENTIONED THAT DETAIL JUST BECAUSE AS WE'VE BEEN HEARING, HOUSTON CITIZENS HAVE ALREADY EXPERIENCED MASSIVE DISRUPTION IN HISD, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH OUR ELECTED BOARD COMPLETELY, UM, REPLACED AND A NEW SUPERINTENDENT APPOINTED A NEW BOARD PUT ON. SO I WAS REALLY DISMAYED TO FIND OUT, YOU KNOW, THAT WE WERE ALSO GONNA HAVE ALMOST A WHOLESALE REPLACEMENT OF, UM, THE MONTROSE TOUR BOARD, UM, WHERE I LOVE TO LIVE, UM, AND WHOSE WORK OVER THE RECENT YEARS, I'VE, I'VE REALLY RESPECTED. UM, I THINK THAT IT, YOU'VE HEARD A LOT OF, FROM PEOPLE ABOUT, ABOUT LACK OF TRANSPARENCY AND, AND THINGS LIKE THAT. BUT WHAT I WANNA SAY IS THAT YOU'RE GONNA LOSE SO MUCH INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE IF JOHN HAS EXPIRED, IF YOU, UM, REMOVE THESE BOARD MEMBERS WHO'VE DONE SO MUCH OVER THE YEARS. AND, UM, I URGE YOU TO, UM, DELAY THE VOTE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT, LISA HUNT. SHE'S ONE. MR. MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBERS. I'M LISA HUNT, THE RECENTLY RETIRED RECTOR OF ST. STEPHENS EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN THE MONTROSE, AND A FORMER MEMBER OF THE MONTROSE TOURS BOARD. I SERVED AS RECTOR OF ST. STEPHENS FOR 18 YEARS, AND I COME TO THE YOU TODAY AS A PRIVATE CITIZEN SPEAKING ABOUT A FAILED PROCESS THAT IMPACTS YOU AS COUNCIL MEMBERS AND YOU AS MAYOR. IT'S BEEN THE CUSTOM OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO ALLOW SITTING MEMBERS OF BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS WHOSE TERMS ARE EXPIRING TO REMAIN UNTIL THEY'RE REPLACEMENTS OR APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL. THE TRADITION ALLOWED NEW MAYORAL ADMINISTRATIONS TO HAVE TIME TO MEET WITH DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBERS, GET INPUT AND BE BROUGHT UP TO SPEED ON THE STATUS OF THE WORK BEING DONE BY THE BOARDS. ADDITIONALLY, THIS PROCESS PROVIDED CONTINUITY SO THAT SUCCESSION COULD BE SMOOTH AND ORDERLY. THIS IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT WHEN MULTIMILLION DOLLAR CONTRACTS ARE INVOLVED. UNFORTUNATELY, THE TRADITION OF COLLABORATION AND COURTESY BETWEEN THE MAYOR AND DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBERS HAS BEEN ABANDONED IN THE CASE OF THE MONTROSE TOURS. WHILE IT IS CLEARLY IN YOUR PREROGATIVE, MAYOR, MAYOR TO APPOINT MEMBERS TO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS IN A TIMELY FASHION, NO CONSULTATION WAS MADE WITH OUR DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER. YES, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CAMAN. COUNCIL MEMBER CAMAN MAYOR, I, I'D LIKE TO GIVE THE REVEREND MY TIME, GIVEN SHE WAS ONE OF THE, THE MEMBERS REMOVED. ANY OBJECTION? SURE. UM, FURTHER NO NOTICE WAS GIVEN TO OUR BOARD CHAIR THAT THIS ACTION WAS IMMINENT. NO PLAN IS IN PLACE FOR THE ORIENTATION OF THE NEW BOARD MEMBERS. I SERVED ON THE INAUGURAL BOARD OF THIS TOURS FROM ITS INCEPTION. THE MONTROSE TOURS HAS BEEN DATA DRIVEN AND RESEARCH BASED, ALL THE WHILE SEEKING COMMUNITY INPUT. WE'VE MULTIPLIED OUR INCREMENT WITH FUNDS FROM HARRIS COUNTY, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IN COLLABORATION WITH PRIVATE PARTNERS LIKE THE ISMA CENTER AND RADON DEVELOPERS. OUR TOURS IS IN A SOLID FINANCIAL POSITION. HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS HAVE BEEN INVESTED BY THE MONTROSE. TOURS IN RESEARCH PLANNING AND DESIGN. BONDS HAVE BEEN ISSUED FOR A MAJOR ROAD PROJECT. THESE DOLLARS WERE IN THE RISK OF BEING MERE SUNK COSTS BECAUSE OF THIS SEEMINGLY CAPRICIOUS DECISION TAKEN TO REMOVE THE MAJORITY OF THE BOARD'S MEMBERSHIP. BUT MORE IMPORTANT IS THE BREACH OF TRUST THAT THIS ACTION CAUSES IN OUR COMMUNITY. OUR NEIGHBORS VALUE, TRANSPARENCY, AND INPUT. THE TOURS BOARD HAS MADE COMMITMENTS AS ONE OF ITS FIRST ACTIONS. THE TOURS FUNDED PUBLIC PARKING FOR [01:55:01] A NEW PUBLIC LIBRARY IN THE MONTROSE COLLECTIVE. IT'S BEEN THE PROUD HOME OF HOUSTON'S L-G-B-T-Q COMMUNITY. HOUSTON HAS A STRONG MAYOR FORM OF GOVERNMENT, AND THERE IS WISDOM IN THIS STRUCTURE, BUT THERE ARE ALSO LIMITATIONS. I ASK YOU, UM, TO INSIST ON INPUT INTO THE APPOINTMENT OF BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AND MAYOR FOR YOU TO BE ABLE TO SEEK THE WISDOM OF THOSE CLOSEST TO THE COMMUNITY. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRIVILEGE OF SERVING ON THIS BOARD. THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU, MAYOR. I'M SORRY, I, I I WANTED TO RECLAIM SOME OF MY TIME JUST TO ASK THE REVEREND ONE QUESTION. SURE. UM, REVEREND, AS IT RELATES TO THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE, 'CAUSE THIS MAY BE THE LAST TIME THAT THE PUBLIC REALLY GETS TO HEAR FROM YOU ON THIS. UM, CAN YOU SPEAK TO THE WORK THAT YOU CHAMPIONED FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN MONTROSE? UM, YES. I'VE CHAIRED THE SUBCOMMITTEES ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND ON PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT. WE, FROM OUR INCEPTION HAVE BEEN VERY MINDFUL, UM, THAT THE RESOURCES OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING, THE SOURCES HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY LIMITED. AS LAND VALUES GO UP IN MONTROSE, THE DIVERSITY OF OUR COMMUNITY IS IMPACTED AND PEOPLE CAN'T AFFORD TO COME AND LIVE IN COMMUNITIES WITH SOME OF THE STRONGEST PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN HOUSTON. WE'VE BEEN WORKING CONSISTENTLY TO FIND OUT WAYS, UM, THAT WE CAN PILOT PROJECTS TO SUPPORT LAND OWNERS AND APARTMENTS AS WELL AS ADUS. AND I'M, I'M CONCERNED THAT THAT WORK WILL GO BY THE WAYSIDE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MA'AM. NEXT LEKI. IAN LEKI. GOOD AFTERNOON, CITY COUNCIL. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR. MY NAME IS JAN LEKI AND I'M A, A, A RESIDENT OF MONTROSE FOR THE PAST EIGHT YEARS, NINE YEARS, I CHOOSE TO LIVE IN MONTROSE TO BE IN A, A, A PART OF THE TOWN THAT IS SOMEWHAT WALKABLE AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. MR. MAYOR, YOU'VE HAD A SOMEWHAT HOSTILE APPROACH TO, TO THE MONTROSE COMMUNITY. UM, I'M SPEAKING TO YOU. WOULD YOU, WOULD YOU LOOK AT ME, PLEASE, MR. MAYOR, YOU, YOU'VE HELD UP THE MONTROSE BOULEVARD PROJECT FOR SIX MONTHS NOW. IT'S BEEN ON YOUR DESK. YOU'VE GIVEN THE COMMUNITY NOTHING, NO INDICATION OF WHEN THIS SUPPOSED REVIEW WILL BE COMPLETE. THIS PROJECT IS NEEDED. IT IS FUNDED, AND I WOULD LIKE YOU TO, TO MOVE IT FORWARD NOW, I'M VERY PLEASED AND I APPLAUD YOUR DECISION TO MOVE THE SHEPHERD DURHAM PROJECT FORWARD. YOU'VE MADE A LOT OF COMMENTS ABOUT LANE WIDTHS AND I WANNA TALK TO YOU SPECIFICALLY ABOUT LANE WIDTHS. YOU SAID YOU WOULDN'T SUPPORT ANY PROJECT THAT REDUCED LANES OR LANE WIDTHS, SO I'M VERY HAPPY THAT YOU DID NOT FOLLOW THROUGH ON THAT IN SHEPHERD DUR. AND I ASK FOR THE SAME CONSIDERATION HERE. ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH WHAT THE LA WIDTHS ARE ON MONTROSE? MR. MAYER, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. CAN I GET A LITTLE MORE TIME? ARE ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH, WITH THE NATIONAL ORGANIZATION OF CITY, YOUR TIME OFFICIALS HAS EXPIRED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. I APPRECIATE YOUR VIEWS. NEXT SPEAKER, SONYA RICO SHOULD BE FOLLOWED BY MARTY LANGTON. GOOD AFTERNOON. CAN YOU HEAR ME? GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. AS YOU ALL KNOW, MY NAME IS SO RICO AND I'M THE PRESIDENT OF HOPE AFSCME LOCAL 1, 2, 3. BEHIND ME, YOU SEE OUR MEMBERSHIP. WE ARE HERE TO SHOW OUR SOLIDARITY AND SUPPORT FOR THE NEGOTIATING PROCESS BETWEEN OUR FIREFIGHTERS UNION, IAFF, LOCAL 3 41 AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON. LED BY OUR MAYOR WHITMEYER. WE AS HOPE LOCAL 1, 2, 3 MEMBERS KNOW THE IMPORTANCE OF THE NEGOTIATING PROCESS. WHEN BOTH LABOR AND MANAGEMENT CAN SIT DOWN TOGETHER, BRINGING UNIQUE PERSPECTIVES AND PRIORITIES TO THE TABLE. THE END RESULT WILL NATURALLY BE A BETTER WORKPLACE IN BOTH OF OUR CASES. THAT WORKPLACE IS THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND THE MILLIONS, DEPENDING ON THE WORK THAT WE ALL DO. THIS IS WHY WE FULLY UNDERSTAND THE OPPORTUNITY THAT OUR UNION BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN IAFF LOCAL 3 41 AND MAYOR JOHN WHIT MEYER'S ADMINISTRATION HAVE MAYOR WHITMEYER CAME INTO THE OFFICE KNOWING THAT THE RESOLUTION OF LABOR AGREEMENTS IS OF THE UTMOST IMPORTANCE TO THE CITY. AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS HOPE MEMBERS SUPPORT HIM FOR OUR MAYOR. IN YEARS PAST, PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS MIGHT USE THE FACT THAT OTHER UNIONS WERE NEGOTIATING TO PUSH THE LOWER YOUR EXPIRE. GO AHEAD. GO AHEAD, SON. PAY RAISES. CITY WORKERS HAVE RECENTLY HEARD FIRE AND POLICE TOOK ALL THE MONEY FOR YOUR RAISES. THAT'S SIMPLY NOT TRUE. THOSE RAISES WERE NEGOTIATED AND AGREED TO BY BOTH THE CITY AND THE RESPECTIVE UNIONS. NO ONE TOOK ANYTHING. RATHER, THE PARTIES REACHED CONDITIONS THEY BOTH [02:00:01] AGREED TO. WITH THAT, WITH THAT IN MIND, WE'RE LEARNING TO USE OUR COLLECTIVE VOICES TO BECOME A REAL PRIORITY TO PROTECT THE IMPORTANT WORK WE DO. CITY EMPLOYEES ARE ESSENTIAL TO OUR WAY OF LIFE. FROM EMERGENCIES LIKE OUR RECENT MAY STORMS, THE SERVICES THAT MAKE EVERYDAY BETTER LIKE PARKS AND LIBRARIES. HOUSTON SIMPLY WOULDN'T BE THE SAME WITHOUT US. THE WHITMEYER ADMINISTRATION IS SITTING ON ONE SIDE OF THE TABLE. THAT'S THE SAME FOR BOTH THE HOPE MEMBERS IN OUR PROCESS AS WELL AS OUR FELLOW FIRE OR POLICE UNIONS. WE TRUST HIM TO KEEP HIS PROMISE AND DO WHAT IS BEST FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON. AS HOPE LEADERS, WE'VE TAKEN ALL OF THIS INTO CONSIDERATION. WE ARE CONFIDENT THAT THE PROCESS BETWEEN MAYOR WHITMEYER ADMINISTRATION AND THE HOUSTON PROFESSIONAL FIREFIGHTERS ASSOCIATION IS A SOUND ONE AND WILL LEAD TO A FAIR CONTRACT. WE OURSELVES ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR OWN NEGOTIATION PROCESS AND WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE IT FORWARD. WHILE WE DO NOT HAVE THE SAME LEVEL OF EXPERIENCE, WE STILL HAVE HIGH EXPECTATIONS TO ARRIVE AT A FAIR CONTRACT FOR OUR MEMBERS AS WELL. WITH THE SPIRIT OF COLLABORATION THAT WE HAVE SEEN THUS FAR, WE KNOW THAT THE BEST IS YET TO COME. THANK YOU. SO COUNCILMAN KAMAN. THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, SONIA, JUST, I KNOW YOU'RE REPRESENTING HOPE TODAY, BUT ON BEHALF OF ALL MEMBERS OF HOPE, THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED WORK. YOUR VOICE. UH, I JUST WANTED TO EXPRESS MY APPRECIATION TO YOU AND OUR HOPE MEMBERS. THANK YOU ABBY. COUNCILMAN CLINGER? YES. YOU MADE THE COMMENT THAT IN THE PAST YOU'D BEEN TOLD THAT THE POLICE AND THE FIREFIGHTERS HAD TAKEN EVERYTHING AND THERE WASN'T ENOUGH AVAILABLE FOR Y'ALL. RIGHT. I ASSUME THAT MEANS YOU'RE CONFIDENT THAT THE AGREEMENT THAT'S BEEN MADE WILL NOT CROWD OUT YOUR ABILITY, WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR FOR YOUR MEMBERS. THAT IS CORRECT. THANK YOU, SONYA. LET ME THANK YOU. UH, ACTUALLY ON BEHALF OF ALL CITY EMPLOYEES, YOU KNOW, I THINK EVERYONE SHOULD BELONG TO HOPE IF THEY WORK FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON. BUT YOU'RE ACTUALLY WITH YOUR MEMBERSHIP SPEAKING FOR ALL CITY EMPLOYEES. YES, SIR. AND THEY KNOW CITY EMPLOYEES THAT YOU'RE GONNA DO THE VERY BEST YOU CAN GET THEM THE BENEFITS AND WORKING CONDITIONS THAT THEY DESERVE. YOU, UH, BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION WHEN I WAS FIRST SWORN IN THAT THERE WERE EMPLOYEES BEING BULLIED BY DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS AND SUPERVISORS. I HOPE. AND YOU'VE TOLD ME THAT IT'S BEEN IMPROVED. YES, SIR. THAT THAT'S NOT GONNA BE TOLERATED. I ALSO WANT TO THANK YOU FOR RECOGNIZING THAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON RESIDENTS HAVE VOTED TWICE ON BEHALF OF FIREFIGHTERS FOR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING THAN PROP B. SO THIS JUST COMPLIES WITH THE PUBLIC SENTIMENT IN ACTUAL VOTE OF THE VOTERS OF CITY OF HOUSTON. YES. SO I THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING LOCAL 3 41. I SEE MARTY LANGTON AND WE HAD FIREFIGHTERS WITH US EARLIER DATE THAT YES, SIR, THAT THEY'RE GOING TO GET THE CONTRACT GOING FORWARD THAT THEY NEED AND REACH THE SETTLEMENT TO STAY OUTTA THE COURTS, WHICH COULD JEOPARDIZE, UH, THE CITY FINANCES. CERTAINLY. SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. UH, I HAVE AN OPEN DOOR FOR YOU AND YOUR MEMBERS AND ALL CITY EMPLOYEES THAT WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS WORKING CONDITIONS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, CITY OF HALL. YOU'RE WELCOME. AND THANK YOU, SIR. THANK YOU. HAVE ONE MORE. SONYA, SONYA, MS. RICO, COME HERE. WE HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER. UH, COUNCILMAN POLLARD WOULD LIKE TO OH, OKAY. OKAY. THAT WAS MY MISTAKE. NEVERMIND MISTAKE. HEY, SONYA. YES. YES. WE'RE ALSO, WE'RE ALSO WORKING WITH GENERAL SERVICES. I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN WORKING IN A CONDITION THAT HAD A LEAKY ROOF. YES, SIR. AND, UH, SOME DANGEROUS LIFE SAFETY ISSUES IN MANY OF OUR CITY FACILITIES. YES, SIR. THANK YOU FOR BEING PATIENT AND TOLERATING, UH, UNACCEPTABLE WORKING CONDITIONS. THAT'LL BE PART OF OUR NEGOTIATIONS FOR SURE. YES, SIR. AND JUST TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT. UM, SO I SENT AN EA TEXT MESSAGE OR EMAIL TO CHRIS TO LET HIM KNOW THAT THERE WAS STILL A LEAK WITH THE LAST RAIN WATERS THAT WE HAD. AND IT WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION THAT IT WAS MENTIONED. HOW WOULD I KNOW IF I HAVEN'T BEEN THERE IN SEVERAL MONTHS? TRUE. IT DOESN'T MATTER IF I HAVEN'T BEEN THERE, BUT SOME OF MY MEMBERS ARE STILL THERE AS WELL AS OTHER CITY OF HOUSTON EMPLOYEES. SO WHETHER THE PRESIDENT HASN'T BEEN SITTING AT 3 1 1 1, THERE'S STILL PEOPLE THERE THAT WORK THERE EVERY DAY AND HAVE TO SUFFER UNDER THOSE CONSEQUENCES. WE HAVE, WE HAVE CITY EMPLOYEES WORKING IN MOLD CONDITIONS. WE HAVE FIREFIGHTERS LIVING IN THE KINGWOOD TRAILERS. YES, SIR. WITH HOLES IN THE CEILING, HOLES IN THE FLOOR COVERED WITH PLYWOOD. AND, UH, WE DISCOVERED THAT PREVIOUSLY GENERAL SERVICES WERE NOT EVEN ALLOWED TO TALK [02:05:01] TO THE RANK AND FILE FIREFIGHTERS. IT WAS OFF LIMITS. SO WE'RE, WE ARE MAKING SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS AND THANK YOU. AND, UH, KEEP HOPE ALIVE WITH YOUR HOPE MEMBERS. OKAY. YES. WELL, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT MORNING, LANGTON MAYOR COUNCIL, UH, I WANTED TO BE HERE TO THANK LABOR, TO THANK THE MAYOR AND HIS STEADFAST SUPPORT. IT'S OFTENTIMES AT THE QUEUE HERE AT THE DIETS, IT SEEMS THAT PEOPLE FORGET YOUR RECORD. YOUR RECORD IS IMPECCABLE WHEN IT COMES TO DOING WHAT YOU SAY AND SUPPORTING LABOR. AND LABOR IS HERE. SUPPORTING THE FIREFIGHTERS TO TRY TO DIVIDE LABOR WILL NOT WORK. LABOR STANDS TOGETHER BECAUSE WHEN WE WORK TOGETHER, THE CITIZENS SUCCEED. THE FIREFIGHTERS SUCCEED. AND WE ARE VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THE HOPE MEMBERS THAT ARE STANDING HERE TODAY IN SUPPORT. WE'RE ALSO APPRECIATIVE OF THE TEXAS GULF COAST AREA LABOR FEDERATION IN LABOR, THE MOST FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT IS COLLECTIVE BARGAINING. THOSE THAT TRY TO UNDERMINE THE PROCESS GO AGAINST THE VERY CORE FUNCTION OF WHAT IT MEANS FOR RIGHTS, FAIRNESS, SAFETY, AND WAGES AND BENEFITS. THE COUNCIL MEMBERS SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED, UH, LETTERS FROM A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT UNIONS ACROSS HARRIS COUNTY. UH, WE'D LIKE TO THANK TEAMSTERS, UH, LOCAL 9 88 PRESIDENT ROBERT MELEY. WE'D LIKE TO THANK OF COURSE OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS AT HOPE LOCAL. 1, 2 3. PRESIDENT SONYA RICO, PLUMBERS LOCAL 68. WAYNE LORD SEAFARERS, UNION DEAN CORGI, ILA. CLYDE FITZGERALD, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. GO AHEAD. MARTY PAUL PUENTE WITH THE BUILDING TRADES, THE TEXAS A-F-L-C-I-O, PRESIDENT RICK LEVY, THE TEXAS GULF COAST AREA, LABOR FEDERATION PRESIDENT, LACEY WOLF, AND SO MANY OTHERS THAT HAVE REACHED OUT IN SUPPORT. THIS IS TRULY WHAT HAPPENS WHEN LABOR STANDS TOGETHER. IT IS NOT AN US FIRST THEM, YOU CAN APPRECIATE AND RESPECT WORKERS WITHOUT TRYING TO DIVIDE THEM. WE ALL ARE HERE SERVING THE CITIZENS OF HOUSTON. WE THANK THE MAYOR FOR HIS LEADERSHIP IN ACTION, NOT JUST IN WORDS. UH, AND WE ASK FOR THE SUPPORT OF THE COUNCIL, BUT ALSO THOSE, UH, THAT MAY BE HOLDING THIS UP. THERE ARE TIME FOR POLITICS AND THERE'S A TIME TO FOCUS ON PEOPLE'S LIVES AND THEIR LIVELIHOODS. FIREFIGHTERS AND THEIR FAMILIES HAVE WAITED EIGHT YEARS. WE NEED TO MOVE TOGETHER AND MOVE FORWARD AS A CITY AND MOVE FORWARD TOGETHER. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MAYOR MARTY. CERTAINLY LABOR'S MESSAGE AND RALLYING CRY THAT I'VE HEARD FOR YEARS AND IT'S BEEN IN THE HALLS OF CONGRESS AND THE LEGISLATURE, AND CERTAINLY THIS BODY THAT SOLIDARITY FOR IS CERTAINLY THE KEY TO SUCCESSFUL CONDITIONS FOR WORKING PEOPLE AND THEIR BENEFITS. AND TAXPAYERS. COUNCILMAN POLLARD. THANK YOU, MAYOR. ALRIGHT, MARTY, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. UM, I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS FOR YOU SINCE YOU'RE HERE. WE HAVE TO VOTE ON THIS, UH, FIREFIGHTERS DEAL WHENEVER, UH, IT COMES TO COUNSEL. UM, THE INCENTIVE PAY PART OF THE DEAL. UM, IS THERE A CAP ON THE INCENTIVES AND HOW DID THE INCENTIVES WORK? UH, YES, THERE IS, UH, I'VE TESTIFIED I THINK FOUR OR FIVE TIMES PUBLICLY, FINANCE DEPARTMENT HAS, UH, UH, TESTIFIED. AND OUR POSITION HAS REMAINED THE SAME THROUGHOUT. THERE'S A $10 MILLION, NOT INCLUDING PENSION, FICA, ADDITIONAL, UH, INCENTIVE PAY. UH, FIREFIGHTERS, IF YOU REMEMBER, UH, HAVE NOT HAD A CONTRACT SINCE 2011. THEIR INCENTIVE, UH, PAYS HAVE NOT ONLY STAYED, UH, STAGNANT, UH, BUT IN THE 2011 CONTRACT, THEY ACTUALLY TOOK THINGS AWAY FROM US BECAUSE OF THE RECESSION, AND THEY PROMISED TO GIVE THEM BACK. SO THIS IS NOW, UH, ADDRESSING NOT ONLY, UH, OVER 13 YEARS WORTH OF NEGLECT, BUT IT ALSO ADDRESSES THE ABILITY TO RECRUIT AND RETAIN. SO THERE IS A, UH, LIMIT. UH, ABSOLUTELY. UH, WE'VE SAID IT HERE MANY TIMES. IS THE LIMIT, UH, FOR THE 10 MILLION THROUGH THE DURATION OF THE FIVE YEAR DEAL OR YEARLY? WELL, NO, IT'S YEARLY. THAT'S, WE, WE MADE THAT, UH, VERY CLEARLY. THAT'S A, THAT'S AN ANNUAL. AND SO THE, THE $650 MILLION BACK PAY, UM, SETTLEMENT, UH, OUR CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE HAS TOLD US THAT WAS BASED ON A PUBLIC SECTOR STANDARD. ARE YOU IN AGREEMENT WITH THAT? WELL, LISTEN, I'M NOT GOING TO PLAY POLITICS WITH THIS. WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IS IT'S A QUESTION, THE STATUTE, I JUST WANNA KNOW IF, IF IT WAS, IF IT WAS ON A PUBLIC OR A PRIVATE SECTOR, IT'S A YES OR NO. WELL, [02:10:01] COUNCIL MEMBER, YOU CAN SAY IT'S A YES OR NO, BUT I'M GONNA ANSWER THE QUESTION THE WAY I NEED TO. IS, IS IT A PUBLIC SECTOR OR A PRIVATE SECTOR STANDARD COUNCIL MEMBER? I'M, I'M GONNA TRY TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, BUT YOU'RE AN ATTORNEY AND YOU KNOW VERY WELL FURTHER QUESTION THAT THE STATUTE THAT CONTROLS SAYS PRIVATE SEC, EXCUSE ME. DONE THE PRIVATE SECTOR STANDARD UNDER THE STATE STATUTE, WE FOLLOW THE LAW AND THE CITY HAS DEPOSED OUR EXPERT FOR THE PRIVATE SECTOR. YOU ALL HAVE HAD THAT INFORMATION SINCE 2018. THAT'S NOT MY QUESTION. YOU COUNCIL MEMBER. I CAN'T, CAN'T DISCUSS CONFIDENTIAL SETTLEMENT NEGOTIATIONS. OKAY. ONE AT TIME. I'M ASKING YOU, THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE SAID TO THE COUNCIL THAT THEY NEGOTIATED BASED ON A PUBLIC SECTOR STANDARD, I THINK HE'S REFERRING TO THE GO FORWARD. YOU DON'T HAVE A PUBLIC SECTOR STANDARD UNLESS YOU HAVE A SETTLEMENT. SO YOU'RE SAYING THAT ONLY THE GO FORWARD FIVE YEAR AGREEMENT IS BASED ON A PUBLIC SECTOR STANDARD. BUT THE SIX 50 MILLION IS NOT, WAS NOT BASED ON THE PUBLIC SECTOR. THE, THE, THE SETTLEMENT FOR THE SEVEN YEAR IMPASSE WENT TO THE SUPREME COURT AND THE ORDER WAS QUITE CLEAR ABOUT WHAT IT IS THAT THE FIREFIGHTERS WERE OWED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAW. UNDERSTOOD. MY QUESTION TO YOU YES. IS WHEN YOU WERE NEGOTIATING, OUR CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE HAS SAID THAT NEGOTIATION WAS BASED ON A PUBLIC SECTOR STANDARD, NOT A PRIVATE. MY QUESTION IS THE SIX 50 MILLION BACK PAY WAS THAT BASED ON A PUBLIC SECTOR STANDARD COUNCIL MEMBER? THE SETTLEMENT WAS, UH, TOOK IN A NUMBER OF FACTORS AND CAME TOGETHER, UH, UNDER CONFIDENTIAL SETTLEMENT NEGOTIATIONS. I'M NOT GONNA DISCUSS AND VIOLATE THE COURT'S ORDER. THA THANK YOU SIR. COUNCILMAN DAVIS. THANK YOU, MAYOR MARTY, LET ME ASK A QUESTION. SINCE THE THIS, THE ATTITUDE, I MEAN, THE IDEAL AGREEMENT IS BEING PRESENTED, HAS THAT BEEN A, HAS THAT BEEN A UPTICK A SWING IN APPLICATIONS FOR, UH, FIRE DEPARTMENT? YOU, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE FIRST ANNOUNCED THIS, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY, THE FEELING AMONGST EVERYBODY WHEN WE CAME TO COUNCIL WAS THAT WE GET TO MOVE FORWARD TOGETHER. UH, AND THAT EVERYBODY'S EXCITED THAT HFDS BACK OPEN. WE'VE SEEN AN INCREASE IN PEOPLE WANTING TO COME TO HFD. UH, NOW WE'RE AT A POINT WHERE THEY'RE A LITTLE BIT UNEASY BECAUSE WE'VE COME DOWN AND WE'VE, THEY'RE HEARING WHAT SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE SAYING, AND NOW THEY'RE FEELING VERY UNEASY AGAIN. AND THE GOAL OF GETTING A SETTLEMENT AND GETTING A RESOLUTION WAS TO MAKE PEOPLE FEEL, UH, VALUED AND ALSO BE ABLE TO RECRUIT AND RETAIN. WE CAN'T DO THAT WITHOUT HAVING THIS CONTRACT IN THE SETTLEMENT. YOU WILL NOT HAVE FIREFIGHTERS LEFT TO BE MAKING CALLS. SO DURING THE PERIOD OF, MY QUESTION NOW IS HOW MANY DID WE LOSE? WE HAVE LOST 500 FIREFIGHTER AND PARAMEDICS OVER THE PAST SEVEN YEARS, AND THAT'S DOWN FROM LEVELS IN 2010. AND WHAT THAT MEANS IS INCREASED RESPONSE TIMES. THAT MEANS GETTING TO THE CITIZENS ON THEIR WORST DAY. THIS ISN'T POLITICS. THESE ARE REAL LIVES. WE DEAL WITH REAL LIFE EMERGENCIES EVERY DAY. THE MEN AND WOMEN THAT PUT THEIR LIVES IN LINE EVERY SINGLE DAY HAVE SHOWN THE CITIZENS WHAT THEY'RE CAPABLE OF DOING. BUT WE CAN'T DO THAT WHEN WE'RE 500 FIREFIGHTER PARAMEDICS SHORT RUNNING NEARLY TWICE AS MANY CALLS WHEN FIREFIGHTERS ARE LEAVING IN DROVES TO GO TO OTHER DEPARTMENTS. UH, AND SO WE HAVE TO ADDRESS THIS. AND THAT IS EXACTLY WHY THE CITY HAD TWO OPTIONS. UH, THE CITY LOST IN THE TEXAS SUPREME COURT. THEY WERE EITHER GONNA GO TO TRIAL ON MARCH 25TH AND THEY WERE GOING TO LIVE WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR STANDARD AND ALL OF THE, UH, MONEY THAT HAD TO BE APPLIED RETROACTIVELY AND ALSO FORWARD. IF YOU HAD GONE TO TRIAL, I CAN TELL YOU STANDING HERE TODAY, UH, MAYOR WHITMEYER, IT WAS NOT AN EASY NEGOTIATOR. HIS TEAM, UH, IS NOT EASY. THIS WAS VERY DIFFICULT. THIS WAS VERY TEDIOUS. THERE WERE A NUMBER OF THINGS. IN ORDER TO GET TO A RESOLUTION, WE HAD THE MEMBERSHIP VOTE 94%. THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT IS EASY TO GET TO. AND SO WHAT WE HEARD THE LAST ADMINISTRATION, WHEN WE BEGGED COUNCIL MEMBERS TO COME AND BE INVOLVED IN OUR PROCESS, WAS THAT THE RULING FROM THE LAST ADMINISTRATION WAS IT VIOLATED THE CITY CHARTER AND THE LAW FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS TO ENGAGE AND INTERJECT THEMSELVES INTO LABOR AGREEMENTS. AND SO WE TOOK THAT ON ITS FACE. UH, AND SO WHEN WE STARTED TO GO DOWN THE NEGOTIATION WITH THE ADMINISTRATION, UH, THERE WERE VERY CLEAR TERMS. WE UNDERSTAND THE CITY'S FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS, THE FISCAL REALITIES, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, ON DAY ONE OF OUR MEETING, IN OUR MEETING, WE SAID, WE UNDERSTAND THAT OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS AT HOPE ARE COMING UP NEXT. AND THAT WE WANNA STRUCTURE A DEAL THAT DOES NOT PUT THE CITY IN WORSE FINANCIAL POSITION. AND THE MEN AND WOMEN IN THE FIELD, I'M TELL YOU, THEIR, THEIR FEELING ON IT. IT, YOU WANT, YOU WANNA ROLL THE DICE, LET'S GO TO COURT. IT'S NOT GONNA BE BETTER. I KNOW THAT WE HAVE SOME PEOPLE THAT THINK THAT IT MIGHT, WE IT ISN'T. AND SO WE WANT TO WORK WITH THE CITY MOVING FORWARD, STOP THE, UH, STUFF IN THE HEADLINES OF [02:15:01] THE PAPER AND GET TO WHERE WE'RE HELPING THE CITIZENS OF HOUSTON AND WE'RE DOING OUR JOBS AND WE'RE VALUING THE SACRIFICE THAT FIREFIGHTERS AND THE LIVES, UH, THE, THE ABILITY FOR THEM TO DO THEIR WORK AND TO PUT THEIR LIVES ON THE LINE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MARTY. BEFORE YOU LEAVE, YOU, UH, UNDERSTAND THE TERM NEGOTIATE. YES. IT MEANS JUST THAT. YES. TWO PARTIES SIT DOWN. YOU HAD A, YOU HAD A GOAL. I HAD LIMITS REPRESENTING NOT ONLY FIREFIGHTERS, BUT THE TAXPAYERS OF HOUSTON. AND WE REACHED A SETTLEMENT. WE COULD STILL BE NEGOTIATING, BUT WE'D BE IN COURT VERY SOON WITH MOST EXPERTS, MOST OUTSIDE ATTORNEYS AND CERTAINLY BUSINESS GROUPS WERE PREDICTING THAT THE EXPOSURE TO THE CITY WOULD BE GREATER THAN THE SIX 50. WE REACHED A SETTLEMENT BECAUSE YOU THOUGHT IT WAS FAIR TO FIREFIGHTERS. I THOUGHT IT WAS FAIR TO FIREFIGHTERS, A COMMITMENT TO THEM, BUT ALSO THE FINANCIAL CONDITION OF THE CITY. IT IS TOUGH TO MAKE UP EIGHT YEARS OF NEGLECT AND LOW BENEFITS. THE LAST CADET CLASS, YOU KNOW, AND I KNOW HAD 31 CADETS, AND WHEN YOU TALK TO 'EM, MOST OF 'EM ARE GETTING THEIR CERTIFICATION FROM HOUSTON AND GOING TO SURROUNDING JURISDICTIONS, FORT WORTH, AUSTIN, KATY, YOU NAME IT, TO GO TO WORK. IT IS IRRESPONSIBLE TO ALLOW THE WORKFORCE TO BE AT THE LEVEL THAT IT IS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. PEOPLE HAVE STOOD UP THERE AND SAID THEY'RE WORRIED ABOUT THE DEBT SERVICE THAT THEIR CHILDREN ARE GONNA HAVE TO PAY. DON'T YOU THINK THEY NEED TO BE WORRYING ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THEIR CHILDREN TODAY IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY NEEDING EMS OR FIRE? AND IT DOES SET THE STAGE FOR HOPE TO GET A VERY FAIR CONTRACT AND THEN WE'LL DEAL WITH POLICE IN TWO YEARS. IT'S THE RESPECT FOR FIRST RESPONDERS AND PUBLIC MUNICIPAL WORKERS. I REGULARLY SAY FIRST RESPONDERS INCLUDE PUBLIC WORKS, SOLID WASTE HEALTH DEPARTMENT. I THINK PUBLIC EMPLOYEES ARE FIRST RESPONDERS WHERE THEY'VE GOT A SIREN AND A A A A BADGE. IT IS JUST TAKING CARE OF PEOPLE THAT KEEP THE LIGHTS ON AND THE PEOPLE THAT MAKE THE CALLS THAT YOUR MEN AND WOMEN DO. MAYOR, IF I COULD ADD ONE THING AND, AND WHEN I, I MEET WITH HOPE, UH, QUITE REGULARLY. I MET WITH THEIR TEAM LAST WEEK. AND I WANT TO ECHO SOMETHING WE'VE ALWAYS SAID PUBLICLY, BUT I PROMISED THE HOPE MEMBER THAT I WOULD SAY VERY CLEARLY TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS. WE KNOW THAT WHEN WE'RE OUT THERE DOING OUR JOBS, IT IS BECAUSE OF THE WORK THAT THE HOPE AND THE MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES ARE DOING. IN ORDER FOR US TO BE ABLE TO DO THE JOB THAT WE DO, WE KNOW THE CRITICAL ROLE. WE KNOW THE CRITICAL ROLE THAT THEY PLAY. AND THAT'S WHY WE HAVE SAID VERY CLEARLY THAT WE STAND WITH HOPE. WHEN WE WEREN'T GETTING A CONTRACT YEARS AGO, WE STOOD HERE WITH HOPE. WE DIDN'T SAY BECAUSE WE WEREN'T GETTING WHAT THE FIREFIGHTERS HAVE EARNED, THAT WE ARE NOT GONNA SUPPORT HOPE. AND THEY'RE STANDING HERE TODAY DOING THE SAME. WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER. UH, WE TALKED A LOT ABOUT FOR YEARS, SHARED SACRIFICE. YOU'VE SEEN THE FIREFIGHTERS LIVING THAT AND YOU'VE SEEN HOPE MEMBERS THAT ARE OUT THERE NOT ONLY WORKING IN CONDITIONS, MUCH LIKE YOU TALKED ABOUT IN THEIR WORKING CONDITIONS, UM, JUST LIKE SOME OF THE STUFF THAT WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, WE HAVE TO FOCUS ON THE PEOPLE THAT BUILT THIS CITY, THE MIDDLE CLASS, THE LABORING CLASS BUILT THIS CITY. AND IT'S TIME THAT WE RESPECT AND VALUE THE WORK THAT THEY PROVIDE. AND WE THANK YOU. IN YOUR ADMINISTRATION, ARE YOU AWARE THAT IF WE DO NOT GET THE CERTIFICATION FROM THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE, IT WILL JEOPARDIZE THE SETTLEMENT? THE COURT IS VERY AWARE OF A TIGHT SCHEDULE. YES. IT'S, UH, DISAPPOINTING. I'VE MET WITH A CONTROLLER. IN FACT, WE, UH, HAVE OFFERED, UH, MANY MEETINGS AND HAD A MEETING, TOOK HIM TO A FIRE STATION. I HAVE REPEATEDLY ASKED IF THERE WERE ANY QUESTIONS. WE'VE PROVIDED HIM DRAFT COPIES, UH, MONTHS AGO. UM, WE ASKED HIM, UH, SPECIFICALLY IF THERE ARE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS TO HIS ROLE IN CLARIFYING AND CERTIFYING THE AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS. UM, WE'VE SEEN SOME QUESTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN SENT OUT, UH, THAT ARE A LITTLE BIT DISTURBING, UH, SAYING AS THOUGH HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH, UH, THE CERTIFICATION OF FUNDS. THEY SEEM LIKE, UH, THERE ARE MORE POLITICS BEING PLAYED WHEN THIS IS SERIOUS WORK. WHAT IF FIRE FIREFIGHTERS DID WHAT IS HAPPENING, UH, IN THE POLITICAL ARENA? WHAT IF WE DECIDED WE WERE JUST GONNA HOLD UP AND NOT REALLY GO AND RESPOND TO A CALL BECAUSE WE WANTED, UH, TO TEACH SOMEBODY A LESSON OR WE WANTED TO TRY TO, UH, TO GET A HEADLINE IN A NEWSPAPER? IT'S NOT APPROPRIATE. IT'S TIME TO MOVE ON. [02:20:01] THE JUDGE HAS SIGNED OFF. WE'VE SPENT EIGHT YEARS AND WE APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT. AND IF ANY COUNCIL MEMBER HAS QUESTIONS, WE HAVE OFFERED OURSELVES REPEATEDLY ON RECORD. AND I HAVE REACHED OUT AND MANY COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE, I'VE MET WITH THEM. ANY CONCERNS THAT HAVE COME UP FROM YOUR ADMINISTRATION, WE'VE ADDRESSED, WE'VE BEEN VERY OPEN AND TRANSPARENT, BUT AT SOME POINT, UH, WE HAVE TO MOVE FORWARD. THANK YOU. AND, AND WE ALL RECOGNIZE THAT THE FINANCE COMMITTEE HAS DONE AN OUTSTANDING JOB OF MAKING DATA AND INFORMATION AVAILABLE, AND I WOULD HOPE ANYONE THAT'S GOT SEARS QUESTIONS WOULD'VE ATTENDED, UH, THOSE MEETINGS. BUT ANYWAY, THANK YOU SONYA. THANK YOU. THANK HOPE. THANK OUR FIREFIGHTERS POLICE AND ALL OF OUR CITY EMPLOYEES AND FIRST RESPONDERS. WE'RE GONNA GET THERE. THANK YOU MAYOR. MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL. NEXT. TERRY CHIN. WHAT? YOU'LL GET ME? I'M GONNA OH YEAH. BE HERE. COUNCIL MEMBERS. JUST BEAR WITH ME. I'M TRYING TO GET AN INTERPRETER ON HERE. I HAVE THEM. WAIT, I DON'T NEED ONE FOR MYSELF. I JUST WANNA GET THEM READY IF YOU DON'T MIND. OKAY. INTERPRETER. CAN YOU HEAR ME? GO AHEAD. GO AHEAD. GO AHEAD. OKAY. HELLO, UH, MY NAME IS TERRY CHEN AND I'M THE ORGANIZING AND POLICY ASSOCIATE FOR WOODY JUNTOS LOCATED IN SPRING BRANCH. OUR AIM IS TO ENSURE THE FULL VITALITY AGENCY AND SAFETY OF ALL IMMIGRANTS IN TEXAS. A PART OF THIS IS BY ADDRESSING THE ROOT CAUSES OF INEQUITIES THAT EXIST WITHIN OUR COMMUNITIES. LANGUAGE ACCESSIBILITY HAS PROVEN TO BE A PAIN POINT, OFTEN DANGEROUS ONE FOR MANY IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES. RECENTLY, HARRIS COUNTY APPLIED FOR A GRANT TO FUND A LANGUAGE ACCESS OFFICE, AND OUR HOPE IS THAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON WILL MOVE TO DO THIS TOO, ESPECIALLY AS IT RELATES TO EMERGENCY RESPONSE. LUCKILY, THERE'S A GRANT OPPORTUNITY THROUGH NATIONAL PARTNERSHIP FOR NEW AMERICANS, UH, TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL FUNDING SUPPORT FOR INCREASED LANGUAGE SUPPORT, ESPECIALLY DURING EMERGENCY DISASTERS, UM, FOR RESPONSE AND RECOVERY. SOON YOU'LL HEAR FROM OUR KOREAN SPEAKING COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO SUPPORT AMENDMENT 1.02, PRESENTED BY COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. AND WE HOPE THAT YOU SUPPORT THIS FIRST STEP TO ADDRESS GAPS IN LANGUAGE ACCESSIBILITY BY MAYOR AT THE CITY LEVEL AS STATED IN THE INVOCATION, WHEN ONE OF US IS HURT, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. ALL OF US IS HURT. THIS IS MY BELOVED CITY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR COMMENTS. THANK Y'ALL TO THOSE STILL SEATED. NEXT SPEAKER MAY OWN SOUP. YOU THANK YOU. INTERPRETER. I HERE? YES. ALL RIGHT. I HAVE THE FIRST SPEAKER. PLEASE GO AHEAD. THANK YOU. OKAY. COULD YOU SAY ONE MORE TIME PLEASE? YES. UH, THE FIRST SPEAKER IS READY. OKAY. I AM READY. GO AHEAD, MA'AM. IT'S VERY FAST AND LONG. YES, INTERPRETER. IT'S VERY HARD TO MAYOR, IF I COULD ASK, CAN YOU PULL HER MICROPHONE DOWN ALSO SO THAT SHE'S SPEAKING IN THE MICROPHONE? AND THEN, AND MAYOR, IF IT'S OKAY, WE CAN ASK IF THEY COULD SUMMARIZE. SURE. NO. GIVE HER A WORD BY WORD IF, IF SHE CAN SLOW DOWN. IT SOUNDS LIKE THE INTERPRETER SAID THAT SHE WAS GOING FAST AND LONG. SURE. SO MAYBE IF SHE CAN DO A COUPLE OF SENTENCES AND LET THE INTERPRETER INTERPRET. I TRY. THANK YOU. [02:25:04] SORRY. COUNCIL MEMBER. I APOLOGIZE. THE CONNECTION WAS LOST. THEY WERE ON HOLD FOR 10 MINUTES. UM, WE HAVE TRIED SINCE LAST WEEK TO GET AN A LIVE INTERPRETER. I'VE TRIED FOUR VENDORS AND NO ONE WAS AVAILABLE. IT'S ONE OF THE HARDEST LANGUAGES TO GET SOMEONE, BUT I CAN TRY TO GET SOMEONE ELSE, OR IF, HOWEVER YOU WANT ME TO, BUT THEY DO HAVE A RIGHT FOR YOUR INTERPRETATION. CAN YOU SEE, CAN YOU SEE IF YOU CAN GET HER BACK ON THE LINE? YEAH, I WILL DO THAT. WE'LL CALL HER BACK UP WHEN SHE'S, SHE'S ON THE LINE. SURE. WE'LL, WE'LL CALL YOU BACK UP WHEN WE GET THE INTERPRETER ON THE LINE. CAN I JUST SAY THAT WE DID PROVIDE A WEEK'S NOTICE FOR INTERPRETATION. YOU'LL HAVE IT. AND SO WE DID GO THROUGH THE APPROPRIATE CHANNELS FOR THIS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER. SO WE GOING DOWN TO MAYOR PRO TIM. UM, I WAS JUST GOING TO MAKE A COMMENT THAT IF ANYONE HAS WRITTEN COMMENTS, IF WE AREN'T ABLE TO GET THE INTERPRETER BACK, IF THEY COULD POSSIBLY SEND IT TO MY OFFICE, WE CAN WORK WITH THE KOREAN COMMUNITY CENTER AND SEE IF WE CAN, UM, WORK WITH THEM TO GET AT LEAST THE INFORMATION OVER TO US. SINCE WE CAN GET THE INTERPRETER, WE CAN PROVIDE WRITTEN COMMENT AFTER THE FACT. BUT WE DID WANNA BE ABLE TO SPEAK HERE ABSOLUTELY. IN FRONT OF EVERYONE. WE'LL CONTINUE WORKING TO SEE IF WE CAN GET THE INTERPRETER BACK ONLINE. NEXT SPEAKER. SO WHO WE GOING DOWN TOYA. NORMAN, RIGHT. TO SOMEONE THAT DOES NOT NEED THE KOREAN INTERPRETER AND PUNYA NORMAN? YES. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS IJ NORMAN. UH, I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF IN DISTRICT A. I STRONGLY URGE YOU TO SUPPORT COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ LANGUAGE ACCESS COORDINATOR AMENDMENT. AT , WE UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF LANGUAGE ACCESS BECAUSE WE ARE ALL IMMIGRANT OR CHILDREN OF IMMIGRANT, WE BELIEVE THAT ALL PEOPLE, NO MATTER WHAT LANGUAGE THEY SPEAK, HAVE THE RIGHT TO LIVE WITH DIGNITY, ACCESS GOVERNMENT INFORMATION, AND PARTICIPATE IN DEMOCRACY. OUS HELP MANY PEOPLE IN MANY WAYS. WE PROVIDE ALL OF THIS EDUCATION AND TRAINING IN KOREAN. AND BECAUSE OF THIS LANGUAGE ACCESS, OUS EMPOWERS PEOPLE WHO HAVE LIVED IN THIS COUNTRY FOR DECADE TO PARTIC PARTICIPATE IN DEMOCRACY AND MAKE THEIR VOICE HEARD. WE NEED MORE LANGUAGE ACCESS AND MORE INVESTMENT IN COMMUNITY EDUCATION AND OUTREACH. SO PLEASE, YOUR TIME HAS YES. ON COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ, LANGUAGE ACCESS COORDINATOR. AMANDA 1.02. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY. NEXT SPEAKER. CRYSTAL. NO. CRYSTAL, NO. UM, CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR MOST RECENT AWARD. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. OKAY. UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, Y'ALL. I AM CRYSTAL NOLL. I WORK AT AIRLINES HOUSTON AND ADVOCATE FOR CLEAN AIR WITH COMMUNITIES. PERSONALLY, I'M AN IMMIGRANT. I SUPPORT MY MOTHER WHO SPEAKS LIMITED ENGLISH, AND ESPECIALLY AFTER THE STORM, I HAD TO FRANTICALLY CALL HER BECAUSE SHE DIDN'T RECEIVE A TRANSLATED ALERT. TODAY, I URGE YOU TO SIGN ON TO COUNCIL MEMBERS RAMIREZ'S AMENDMENT 1.02 FOR LANGUAGE ACCESSIBILITY AND TO ALLOCATE FUNDS FOR FULL-TIME LANGUAGE ACCESS COORDINATOR. IF I HAD MORE TIME, I WOULD ASK EVERYONE IN THE ROOM TO RAISE THEIR HAND IF YOU'VE EVER BEEN TO A RESTAURANT, AND THAT'S DIFFERENT FROM YOUR CULTURE AND TO ENJOY THE FOOD. FANTASTIC. NOW, WERE YOU NOTIFIED ADEQUATELY BEFORE THE THE PRESIDENTIAL STORM HIT? ALRIGHT, MY POINT THAT MY POINT, AND MOST PEOPLE IN HERE ARE FLUENT IN ENGLISH. SO LANGUAGE BARRIERS DON'T STOP US FROM ENJOYING FOOD AND COMMUNITY. RIGHT? SO WHY AREN'T WE SUPPORTING ETHNIC COMMUNITIES WHO HAVE LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY? THESE COMMUNITIES ARE OFTEN THE MOST AFFECTED, NOT ONLY BY NATURAL DISASTERS, BUT INDUSTRIAL DISASTERS TOO. WE NEED A DE, WE NEED A DEDICATED PERSON TO EXPAND LANGUAGE ACCESS IN ALL DEPARTMENTS, ESPECIALLY IN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, TO HELP KEEP FAMILIES SAFE. FOOD BRINGS US TOGETHER. SO LET'S MAKE OUR POLICY DO THE SAME. PLEASE SIGN ON TO COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ'S AMENDMENT 1.02. THANK YOU. AND PLEASE SUPPORT NORTHEAST ACTION COLLECTIVES, DRAINAGE AND COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, PLUMBERS, RESILIENCE HUBS, AND CASHIER GARDEN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ. THANK YOU MAYOR PROTEL. UH, CRYSTAL, GOOD TO SEE YOU HERE AT THE CHAMBERS. UH, THANK YOU FOR [02:30:01] SHOWING UP IN DISTRICT I AS WELL, UH, POST STORM. UM, AND JUST WANNA SAY THAT I APPRECIATE YOUR VOICE ON, ON THIS, THIS TOPIC AS WELL. UH, AS WE ALL KNOW, IT'S A VERY DIVERSE CITY, AND, AND SO WE DEFINITELY NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, UH, PROVIDING SOME LANGUAGE ACCESS TO AS MANY FOLKS AS WE CAN. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. CRYSTAL, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU AND THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO'S HERE ON THIS LANGUAGE ISSUE. UM, WE'VE HEARD YOUR, YOUR COMMENTS DURING THE BUDGET WORKSHOPS. I ALSO WANT TO THANK, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO AND COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ FOR SUPPORTING THIS AMENDMENT AS WELL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. Y'ALL. THANK, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. CAROLYN RIVERA. CAROLYN RIVERA, MAYOR. I DO APOLOGIZE, MAYOR. I DO APOLOGIZE. WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO GET A CONNECTION WITH A KOREAN INTERPRETER. WE DID OFFER THE OPTION OF AI, BUT IT WAS REFUSED. SO THE ONLY OTHER OPTION THAT I CAN OFFER IS IF THEY WANT TO SPEAK WITH ME LATER OR SUBMIT THE INFORMATION, THE LETTERS, I CAN HAVE THOSE TRANSLATED. BUT WE DID REQUEST AN INTERPRETER ONE WEEK IN ADVANCE. I'VE TRIED FOUR VENDORS. NONE OF THEM HAD A PERSON AVAILABLE. AGAIN, KOREAN IS ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT LANGUAGES TO GET AN INTERPRETER IN PERSON. BUT THE REQUEST TO USE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE WAS, WAS NOT, UM, THEY DID NOT WANT THAT. OKAY. THANK, THANK YOU FOR THAT INFORMATION. THANK YOU. WE ARE, I HAVE A QUESTION. CAN OUR, UM, SPEAKER, SPEAKER, SINCE THEY SIGNED UP, CAN THEY GO AHEAD AND GIVE THEIR TESTIMONY AND THEN WE'LL EMAIL YOU THE ENGLISH, UM, VERSION OF, DOES ANYONE IN THE CHAMBER SPEAK KOREAN? I MEAN, THEY ALL SPEAK THREE, BUT NOT LIKE BOTH. THAT CAN, THAT CAN TRANSLATE. CAN SOMEONE IN THE CHAMBER TRANSLATE? THEY'RE NOT HERE TO BE INTERPRETERS TODAY. IT'S A VERY HARD JOB, SO, OKAY. I I JUST, I JUST WANTED TO OFFER THE OPPORTUNITY IF THERE WAS SOMEONE IN THE CHAMBER. UM, I, I UNDERSTAND THAT WE'VE CONTACTED FOUR COMPANIES FOR A TRANSLATOR. UNFORTUNATELY, WE WEREN'T ABLE TO GET ONE IF SOMEONE IN THE CHAMBER WAS WILLING TO TRANSLATE. WE WANTED TO HEAR WHAT THE SPEAKERS HAD TO SAY. IF THEY WANT TO USE THEIR TIME TO SPEAK FOR THEIR, UM, ONE MINUTE AND SPEAK IN KOREAN, I'M HAPPY TO CALL THEM UP FOR THEIR TIME TO SPEAK. OKAY. I THINK THEY'D APPRECIATE THAT. OKAY. THANK YOU. WE'LL DO THAT RIGHT AFTER THE NEXT SPEAKER THAT WE'VE ALREADY CALLED UP. MADAM SECRETARY OF CAROLYN RIVERA. THANK YOU. HI, MS. RIVERA. HI. GOOD EVENING. OH, IT'S STILL AFTERNOON, ALMOST EVENING. GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M CAROLYN RIVERA. UH, I LIVE IN CITY GAS, NORTHEAST HOUSTON, AND I'M A VOLUNTEER WITH NORTHEAST ACTION COLLECTIVE. I AM ASKING YOU TO PASS BOTH AMENDMENTS BY COUNCIL MEMBERS, JACKSON AND ALCON. PRIORITIZE THE VOTE. YES. FOR $8 MILLION FOR LDP, WHICH DID NOT PASS LAST YEAR. DID NOT INCREASE LAST YEAR AS PROMISED. AND IT'S REALLY TIME FOR OUR ELECT ELECTED OFFICIALS TO HONOR THEIR PROMISES WHEN IT COMES TO GIVING FUNDS TO POOR, MARGINALIZED PEOPLE WHO CANNOT SPEAK AS LOUD AS SOME OF THE OTHER AREAS IN HOUSTON. WE ARE SUFFERING BECAUSE OF A LACK OF DRAINAGE OVER MANY YEARS, 25 OR MORE YEARS. THINK ABOUT THAT. YOUR HOUSE NOT BEING MAINTAINED FOR 25 YEARS, WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE. SO THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENED. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. THANK YOU. AND PLEASE VOTE FOR BOTH OF THEM. THANK YOU. AND YOU HAVE A HANDOUT THAT WILL EXPLAIN TO YOU VERY CLEARLY THAT THIS IS FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON, NOT JUST FOR NORTHEAST HOUSTON. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. MM-HMM . GO BACK, GO BACK UP TO THE SPEAKERS MAY. GO AHEAD, MA'AM. [02:35:24] YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. JOSHUA. JOSHUA, GO AHEAD, SIR. OH, CHILDREN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SIR. NEXT SPEAKER. PAUL KIM, SENIOR TEAM MEMBER. IMMEDIATE. THANK YOU, MR. KIM. NEXT SPEAKER. OKAY. [02:41:17] YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER YANG. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. DOES THAT CONCLUDE ALL OF THE SPEAKERS THAT NEED A TRANSLATOR? ONE MORE ONE. OKAY. Y WE LEE, GO AHEAD MS. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR SPEAKERS WHO NEEDED THE KOREAN TRANSLATOR. UM, PLEASE KNOW THAT WE'LL CONTINUE WORKING ON FORGING THOSE RELATIONSHIPS WITH SOME ADDITIONAL TRANSLATORS, BUT YOU HAVE DEMONSTRATED, UH, MOST DEFINITELY OUR NEED FOR LANGUAGE ACCESS. SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. NEXT SPEAKER. BECKY SALE. BECKY SALE. [02:45:08] GOOD EVENING. UM, ALL RIGHT, THIS ISN'T FAIR 'CAUSE Y'ALL ARE THE ONES STILL HERE, BUT THE MAYOR'S NOT HERE. A THIRD OF CITY COUNCIL ISN'T HERE. Y'ALL JUST HEARD A BUNCH OF SPEAKERS WITHOUT INTERPRETATION. LIKE, I'M REALLY ASKING Y'ALL TO LISTEN TO WHAT I HAVE TO SAY AND REPRESENT THE PEOPLE THAT ARE IN THIS ROOM, BECAUSE AS YOU CAN SEE, A LOT OF OUR GOVERNMENT IS NOT LAST YEAR. UH, SO Y'ALL PROBABLY REMEMBER ME. I'VE BEEN COMING HERE WITH A LOT OF QUESTIONS. FINALLY HAVE SOME ANSWERS. IF Y'ALL FLIP TO THE BACK OF THE FIRST PAGE OF THE PACKET WE GAVE YOU, THERE'S ANSWERS ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED TO THE MONEY LAST YEAR. THOSE CAME FROM THE COMPTROLLER'S OFFICE AND FROM THE DIRECTOR OF TRANSPORTATION AND DRAINAGE AND THE LEAD ENGINEER. THEY ARE THE RIGHT ANSWERS. THERE'S, THERE'S NOTHING TO LOOK INTO MORE WE'VE BEEN ASKING Y'ALL. WE FINALLY FOUND THE RIGHT ANSWERS. THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR. Y'ALL PROVED $40 MILLION. $20 MILLION GOT MOVED. THERE'S STILL $20 MILLION MISSING. THE $20 MILLION THAT GOT MOVED ALL WENT TO THE DITCH REESTABLISHMENT PROGRAM. A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THAT MONEY HAS EITHER BEEN SPENT ON CONTRACTS OR IS ALLOCATED TO CONTRACTORS. THERE'S $0 LEFT. THERE ARE NO PLANS TO MOVE THAT LAST 20 MILLION THAT'S MISSING. SO SUMMARY, AN AMENDMENT WAS PASSED LAST YEAR TO INCREASE LDP BY 20 MILLION. EVERYONE CELEBRATED AS A HUGE WIN IN THE ANSWER TO THE PUBLIC INPUT. THEN $0 WENT TO PRACTICE. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. GO AHEAD COUNCIL. COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. I WAS JUST GONNA HEAR MORE. GO AHEAD. THANKS. UM, OKAY. SO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON HAS PROPOSED AN AMENDMENT FOR $8 MILLION TO LDP THIS YEAR. WE'RE ASKING ALL OF Y'ALL TO SUPPORT THAT AMENDMENT AS A STEP TO RECONCILING THE 20 MILLION FROM LAST YEAR. IT'S MISSING. WE'RE REALLY PROUD OF COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON FOR STANDING IN WITH US. ALWAYS. COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER FOR YOUR SUPPORT. I'M REALLY EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE THAT COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ THIS WEEKEND AFTER UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS AMENDMENT WOULD BE A STEP TOWARDS THAT MISSING 20 MILLION, NOT AN ADDITIONAL 8 MILLION HAS ALSO AGREED TO SUPPORT OUR AMENDMENT. I'M ASKING, PLEASE ASK ME ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT PACKET. WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO REACH OUT. UM, THIS IS THE, THIS IS THE ONLY CONCRETE STEP TO RECONCILING THAT MONEY. EVEN IF YOU ALL SAY YOU REALLY WANNA KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO IT AND YOU WANNA GO GET IT. WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR A YEAR. WE'VE BEEN ASKING AND IT HASN'T HAPPENED. OKAY. WE'RE GIVING YOU A STEP THAT CAN ACTUALLY MAKE IT HAPPEN. THE SAME THING'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN AGAIN, WHERE THE AMENDMENT'S PASSED AND THE MONEY DOESN'T MOVE. BECAUSE WE HAVE A GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIS HOLLINS. WE HAVE A GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH PUBLIC WORKS AND WE KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR THIS TIME. SO YOU CAN GUARANTEE ALL OF US THAT WE'VE BEEN HERE, IF THIS AMENDMENT IS PASSED, WE'RE GONNA MAKE SURE THAT MONEY MOVES AND WE NEED YOU GUYS TO PASS THAT AMENDMENT. THAT IS THE WAY TO MAKE UP FOR WHAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR. UH, PLEASE ASK ME ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT PACKET. UH, YOU CAN EMAIL THE NAC EMAIL THAT YOU HAVE GOTTEN EMAILS FROM ANYTIME TONIGHT, I'LL GIVE YOU A CALL. ANY OF US WILL GIVE YOU A CALL. WE WANT THIS AMENDMENT TO BE PASSED. UH, THE MAYOR ISN'T HERE. HE'S GONNA COME AT YOU WITH DIFFERENT INFORMATION. HE ALREADY ASKED COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON TO WITHDRAW THE AMENDMENT. SHE'S NOT GOING TO WITHDRAW IT. SHE'S GONNA PUT IT FORWARD. COUNCIL. THE MAYOR ASKED HER TO WITHDRAW AND INSTEAD CONSIDER IT DURING THE CIP. THAT WOULD NOT BE A SOLUTION. ON THE FRONT OF THE SECOND PAGE OF THE PACKET, YOU CAN SEE WHY THAT WOULD BE MOVING MONEY THAT'S ALREADY GONNA BE PUT TO OTHER DRAINAGE PROJECTS INTO LDP. THE AMENDMENT THAT WAS PASSED MOVES MONEY FROM THE GENERAL FUND TO DRAINAGE. IT'S INCREASING THE TOTAL POT OF MONEY FOR DRAINAGE. THE AMENDMENT JACKSON HAS PUT FORWARD THIS YEAR WOULD DO THE SAME THING. IF WE WAIT AND TALK ABOUT IT DURING CIP, THAT'S MOVING MONEY AROUND. NO ONE HERE WANTS THAT. THAT'S GONNA TAKE MONEY AWAY. GO AHEAD AND WRAP IT UP AWAY FROM A PROJECT. THEY, THAT IS ALREADY ALLOCATED. MAYOR'S NOT HERE TO DISCUSS WHEN WE'RE HERE. DO NOT BE LIKE PERSUADED BY HIM TOMORROW. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, FRANCESCA HA HONOR MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL AND ESTEEMED GUESTS AND FELLOW HOUSTONIANS. MY NAME IS FRANCESCA FRANCOISE, AND I'M A THIRD YEAR LAW STUDENT AT THURGOOD MARSHALL SCHOOL OF LAW AND A LEGAL INTERN THIS SUMMER FOR BAYOU CITY WATERKEEPER. AS WE GATHER IN THIS ESTEEM CHAMBER TODAY, I'M REMINDED OF THE RESILIENCE SPIRIT THAT DEFIES FINDS OUR CITY, PARTICULARLY IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY. THE MEMORIES OF PAST TRIALS AND TRIUMPHS. NONE MORE POIGNANT THAN THE DEVASTATION WROUGHT BY HURRICANE HARVEY WEIGH HEAVILY ON OUR COLLECTIVE CONSCIOUSNESS. IT IS IN THE CONTEXT THAT I COME BEFORE YOU, COMPELLED BY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE AND CIVIC DUTY TO ADVOCATE FOR CRITICAL INVESTMENT IN OUR CITY'S DRAINAGE INFRASTRUCTURE. FLOODING REMAINS THE MOST COMMON DISASTER IN OUR CITY, AND THE LDP INCREASES A TANGIBLE STEP TOWARDS PROTECTING OUR COMMUNITIES FROM IN NATION PRODUCT, PROPERTY DESTRUCTION, AND DRAINAGE ISSUES. IN CONCLUSION, I URGE EACH OF YOU TO PRIORITIZE [02:50:01] THE SAFETY AND WELLBEING ALL AND WELLBEING OF ALL HOUSTONIANS. AND LET US INVEST IN OUR DRAINAGE INFRASTRUCTURE, HONOR OUR COMMITMENTS, AND BUILD A CITY THAT STANDS AS A BEACON OF RESILIENCE AND HOPE. PLEASE VOTE YES TO COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON'S AMENDMENT TO INCREASE THE LDB AMENDMENT. AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION AND YOUR COMMITMENT TO OUR CITY'S FUTURE. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, QUANITA. ERNEST QUANITA. ERNEST. NEXT SPEAKER LILIANA A LILIANA, A HELLO, GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCIL MEMBERS, MY NAME IS LIANA. I'M A STUDENT AT RICE UNIVERSITY. UH, WE'RE LOCATED IN DISTRICT C AND I'M HERE TO TALK TO YOU TODAY ABOUT THE LDP AMENDMENT BEING VOTING ON TOMORROW. THE MASSIVE BACKLOG IN THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROGRAM NECESSITATES IMMEDIATE ACTION THAT YOU GUYS CAN TAKE BY VOTING IN SUPPORT OF THE AMENDMENT TOMORROW. RESEARCH HAS CON REVEALED A CONCERNING TREND. AREAS THAT DID NOT USE TO FLOOD ARE FLOODING NOW DUE TO CLIMATE RELATED INDUCED, UH, PRECIPITATION. THIS MEANS MANY RESIDENTS THAT ARE LOCATED IN NEWLY FLOOD PRO AREAS ARE NOT FULLY AWARE OF THE EXTENT TO WHICH THEY MAY BE AFFECTED BY FLOOD DAMAGE. NOT TO MENTION THAT PRO THAT PROJECTS IN THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROGRAM ARE EXTREMELY BACKLOGGED. THERE ARE PROJECTS PLANNED A DECADE AGO THAT ARE, HAVE NOT BEEN IMPLEMENTED AS NORTHEAST HOUSTON FACES ISSUES IN THE REALM OF CLIMATE CHANGE RELATED FLOOD DISASTERS. THAT RATE OF IMPLEMENTATION IS NOT FAST ENOUGH. ONE OF THE BIGGEST CONTRIBUTORS TO FLOOD RECOVERY IS THE LACK OF MAINTENANCE OF INFRASTRUCTURE. HEALTHY DITCHES ARE KEY TO ADDRESSING FLOOD ISSUES AND LOCAL DRAINAGE PROJECTS CAN HELP EXPAND INFRASTRUCTURE TO NEW LOCATIONS THAT NEED IT MOST. LDP ALLOWS PUBLIC WORKS TO TAKE ON CASES ON A WORSE VERSE BASIS, AND THE FUNDING INCREASE WILL HELP SUPPLEMENT IN ADEQUATE STORM WATER INFRASTRUCTURE. IT'S FOR THOSE REASONS I URGE YOU TO VOTE IN SUPPORT OF THE LDP AMENDMENT TOMORROW. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. NEXT SPEAKER, DAVID ESPINOZA. DAVID ESPINOZA TO BE FOLLOWED BY BARBARA HENLEY. HELLO, COUNSEL. HI. UM, GO AHEAD DAVID. MOST OF YOU. HI, MY NAME IS DAVID ESPINOZA. I'M A RESIDENT OF NORTHEAST HOUSTON AND OF COURSE, A MEMBER UP IN THE NORTHEAST ACTION COLLECTIVE HERE TODAY TO ASK YOU GET TO THE POINT TO SUPPORT, UH, TAR JACK COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON'S, UH, AMENDMENT 7.001 TO INCREASE THE LDP BY $8 MILLION. AND THAT'S BECAUSE I NOTICED A HUGE DISPARITY IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD. I LIVE CLOSE TO THE 59 LID YORKS THAT'S LIKE THE VERY OUTSKIRTS OF THE CITY LIMITS. AND OVER THE YEARS I'VE SEEN SOME IMPROVEMENTS THANKS TO THE CITY AND A LOT FROM THE COUNTY, UH, IN THAT AREA. BUT THAT'S JUST ONLY MOSTLY IN THE ECONOMIC CORRIDOR. AND I SEE WHEN I GO PAST THAT, THOSE AREAS ON EITHER SIDE OF THAT 3 59, THERE'S A HUGE DISPARITY IN WHERE PEOPLE ARE FLOODING. I MEAN, I'VE HAD TO PERSONALLY RIP OUT A CARPET AND WALL FOR RESIDENTS WHO'S GOT A THREE FOOT OF WATER. I'VE SEEN PEOPLE GET TRAPPED BECAUSE THE, THE STREETS HAVE SUNK SO LOW. THEY NEED UPGRADE, UPGRADING, AND UPDATING SO THAT PEOPLE CAN LEAVE THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS DURING A DISASTER TO GET THEIR EMERGENCY SUPPLIES. I WANT THOSE PEOPLE TO BE, TO HAVE TO BELIEVE IN THE FUTURE OF LIVING IN HOUSTON. I DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO BE, TO WANT CONSIDER MOVING OUT, TO CONSIDER, UH, PRETTY MUCH TAKING THEIR ECONOMIC POWER AND THE TAX DOLLARS POWER FROM, UH, HOUSTON SO THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY CAN ACTUALLY BUILD THE FUTURE HERE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. BARBARA HENLEY. BARBARA HENLEY. BARBARA HENLEY. NEXT SPEAKER DIANE SHEPHERD. GOOD AFTERNOON. I HAVE A BIG MAP OF ACRES HOME. GO AHEAD. I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF THE BE SHEPHERD ACRES HOME NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARY. IT'S VERY DISAPPOINTING TO KNOW THAT CITY COUNCIL CAN APPROVE A LIBRARY BEING BUILT IN OUR COMMUNITY AND DON'T COME TO ANY OF THE COMMUNITY PEOPLE TO ASK THEM WHAT THEY WANT. MY DESIRE IS THAT THE BE OF SHEPHERD ACRES HOME NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARY, STAY ON WEST MONTGOMERY AND VICTORY. IT'S A HISTORICAL SITE. IT'S A PART OF OUR COMMUNITY, OUR LIBRARY. WHEN YOU GONNA GO DOWN VICTORY, THERE'S NO WAY TO GET TO THAT LIBRARY. WHEN YOU GUYS DECIDED BACK THEN TO DO OAK FOREST LIBRARY, YOU CAME BEFORE THE COMMUNITY. YOU ASKED THE COMMUNITY WHAT THEY WANT. THE COMMUNITY TOLD YOU THEY WANTED THEIR LIBRARY RIGHT THERE AT OAK FOREST AT 43RD IN OAK FOREST. THE SAME BRICKS YOU TOOK OFF THAT BUILDING. THEY WANT IT ON THE NEW BUILDING. THEY GOT IT BECAUSE WE ARE [02:55:01] COMMUNITY. MY CITY COUNCIL PERSON NOR YOU, AMY, GOT IN CONTACT WITH ME WHERE I HAVE HAD A 10 YEAR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE LIBRARY HAS. AND WE EXPECT FOR YOU TO RESPECT US TO COME TO THE TABLE WITH US TO SAY WE WANNA DO A NEW LIBRARY, NOT MOVE THE LOCATION. ASK US WHAT WE WANT, NOT WHAT YOU WANT. COUNCIL MEMBER PECK. OH, UH, VICE MAYOR PRO TEMP PECK. THANK YOU. THANKS SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. UM, AND WE DEFINITELY, AND OF COURSE THE NEW LIBRARY IS NOT IN DISTRICT ANYMORE, BUT IT'S RIGHT ON THE EDGE, SO I'M SURE THAT WE'LL BE VERY INVOLVED IN IT, UM, THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS. BUT I DO KNOW THAT THE PLAN WAS TO GO TO THE COMMUNITY, UM, BEFORE ANY OF THAT WORK STARTED. UM, THE FIRST STEPS WAS BASICALLY JUST PURCHASING THE PROPERTY. AND THAT'S ALL THAT HAS BEEN DONE SO FAR. SO THE NEXT STEPS WERE TO GO TO THE COMMUNITY AND TALK ABOUT WHAT THEY'D LIKE TO SEE THERE. WELL, THE THING WAS, THEY SHOULD HAVE CAME TO THE COMMUNITY AND ASK THE COMMUNITY THAT WE WANNA RELOCATE THIS LIBRARY. ASK US, AND JUST ASSUMING AND JUST DOING WHAT YOU WANT TO PURCHASE SOME PROPERTY. IT'S NOTHING WRONG WITH WEST MONTGOMERY, LITTLE YORK. HOW ARE, HOW ARE THE COMMUNITY PEOPLE GONNA GET TO THE LIBRARY? METRO RUNS RIGHT THERE BY THE LIBRARY. METRO DOES NOT COME DOWN. VICTORY, IT COMES DOWN. VICTORY STOPS AT TC JESTER, MAKE A RIGHT ON TC JESTER, MAKE A RIGHT ON A LEFT ON LITTLE YORK, OR THEY GO STRAIGHT DOWN TC JESTER. SO THE COMMUNITY HAS NO ACCESS TO A NEW LOCATION. AND IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT AT LEAST WITH THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION, THE PLAN WAS NOT TO CLOSE THAT LIBRARY. IT WAS TO ADD AN ADDITIONAL LIBRARY. IF THAT PLAN HAS CHANGED SINCE THEN, THEN I'M NOT AWARE OF THAT. BUT THAT WAS THE PLAN AT THE TIME THAT THIS WAS, WAS GOING TO BE AN ADDITION TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD. SO I YOU DIDN'T COME TO THE COMMUNITY. AND I AM WITH THE LIBRARY AT, WITH THE BE SHEPHERD ACRES HOME LIBRARY. WE DO ESSAY CONTESTS THERE EVERY YEAR. WE HAVE FUNDRAISERS FOR THAT LIBRARY EVERY YEAR. AND IT WOULD'VE BEEN A COURTESY TO SAY, WE WANNA MOVE THE LIBRARY, GET THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER. AND THEN YOU'RE SAYING YOU WANNA KEEP THAT LIBRARY THERE. WE DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT IT'S FOR. WE DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO KEEP. BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS, IT NEEDS TO STAY THERE BECAUSE THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME WE HAVEN'T HAD A LIBRARY. THAT LIBRARY OPENED UP IN 76. THAT LIBRARY IS ALSO A HISTORICAL SITE BECAUSE THAT WAS THE FIRST BLACK ARCHITECT EVER RECEIVED A CONTRACT FROM THE CITY OF HOUSTON. SO THAT LIBRARY MEANS A LOT TO THE COMMUNITY, MEANS A LOT TO ME BECAUSE I WATCH MY MOM COME TO CITY HALL EVERY WEDNESDAY WITH LARRY MCCASKILL, FRED PHI JUDSON ROBINSON. ASK HIM FOR THAT IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO THE THING IS, COME TO US IN THAT WAY. YOU'LL HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING. IT WILL BE A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COMMUNITY, NOT JUST DO WHAT YOU WANT TO AND SAY HERE. NO. THANK YOU FOR THOSE COMMENTS. NEXT SPEAKER, NORMA JOE THOMAS. NORMA JOE THOMAS. GOOD AFTERNOON COUNCIL. I'M NORMA THOMAS AND I'M ALSO FROM A ACRES HOMES. AND AS YOU MAY KNOW, A ACRES HOMES IS ENDEAVORING TO RETAIN ITS IDENTITY, PRESERVE ITS HISTORY AND CULTURE, AND BECOME ONCE AGAIN A VIABLE COMMUNITY. WE ACTUALLY SEE THE GENTRIFICATION THAT'S TAKING PLACE AS AN ABILITY OF ACRES HOMES TO BECOME A MODEL COMMUNITY FOR ALL GENTRIFIED COMMUNITIES AROUND THE COUNTRY. BUT INSTITUTIONS LIKE THE BAH SHEPHERD ACRES, ACRES, HOMES LIBRARY ARE CRUCIAL. SO AS YOU MOVE FORWARD TO THINK ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THAT LIBRARY, THINK ABOUT THE FACT THAT MOVING THE ACRES, ACRES, HOMES LIBRARY TO THE THRESHOLD OF GREATER INWOOD AWAY FROM THE LIFEBLOOD OF THE COMMUNITY, WOULD BE THE EQUIVALENT OF MOVING THIS BUILDING TO SOME OBSCURE LOCATION, STILL EXPECTING IT TO RECEIVE THE REVERENCE OF THE HOUSTONIANS AND POSSESS THE SYMBOLISM. IT NOW HAS HALTING THE LIBRARY PROJECT SHOULD NOT MEAN THAT MORE MONEY CAN NOW BE SPENT ON THE MONTROSE MIDTOWN PROJECT, AS WAS SUGGESTED BY THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE. WHATEVER FUNDS WERE ALLOCATED TO BUILD A NEW LIBRARY SHOULD BE USED TO RESTORE AND EXPAND UPON THE CURRENT ONE. IF THE LIBRARY MUST MOVE, LET IT BE WITHIN THE COMMUNITY THAT NEEDS ITS PRESENCE AND ITS SERVICES WE'VE ALREADY LOST OUT ON FUNDS THAT WERE GIFTED TO US BY OUR CONGRESSWOMAN, SHEILA JACKSON LEE. THOSE FUNDS WERE SENT TO THE EAST END FOR THE BENEFIT OF THAT COMMITTEE. TOM HAS EXPIRED. LET ACRES HOMES RECEIVE WHAT ACRES HOMES JUST DO. WE DON'T HAVE A TS, BUT WE PAY TAXES. IN THE WORDS OF THE GOOD PASTOR WHO DID THE PRAYER OF VOCATION, LET THE TERM UNDERSERVED COMMUNITY BECOME EXTINCT. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER. MA'AM, MA'AM, SHE HAS A QUESTION FOR YOU. [03:00:01] THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. I JUST HAVE SOME KIND OF CLARIFICATION QUESTIONS IF THAT'S OKAY WITH YOU. YES, MA'AM. SO FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, THERE WAS $18 MILLION THAT WAS BEING ALLOCATED FOR THE NORTH REGIONAL LIBRARY? YES, MA'AM. OKAY. SO YOU'RE SAYING THE COMMUNITY DOESN'T WANT THAT LIBRARY. YOU WOULD RATHER US UTILIZE FUNDS TO UPGRADE REFURBISH EXACTLY. THE CURRENT ONE. EXACTLY. DO YOU FEEL THAT THAT LIBRARY THAT'S CURRENTLY THERE, ACRES HOMES LIBRARY CURRENTLY IS LARGE ENOUGH TO SERVE YOUR COMMUNITY EFFECTIVELY? NO, IT IS NOT. BECAUSE OUR COMMUNITY HAS GROWN. THAT'S, AND THE USE OF THE LIBRARY HAS ALSO INCREASED. SO, AND AS I SAID BEFORE, OUR COMMUNITY IS BEING GENTRIFIED. SO WE, AND WE ARE WELCOMING IN OUR NEW RESIDENTS, BUT WHAT THAT MEANS IS THOSE THINGS THAT WE HAVE HAD TO SETTLE FOR IN THE PAST, WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO SETTLE FOR ANYMORE. AS OUR COMMUNITY GROWS, SO SHOULD THE SERVICES THAT COME INTO OUR COMMUNITY, SUCH AS THE LIBRARY. OKAY, SO YOU WOULD WANT, SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE UNDERSTAND BECAUSE IT HASN'T, OBVIOUSLY HASN'T COME TO COUNCIL YET. SO WE'RE STILL, WE'RE STILL DISCUSSING THIS. SO I BELIEVE, AND I DON'T, I THINK THAT THE NUMBER, THEY TOOK A PORTION OF THE TML, I THINK IT WAS LIKE $3 MILLION WAS GONNA GO TOWARD ACRES HOMES. BUT THAT WAS ONLY, I MEAN, NO, THE ACRES MM-HMM . BUT THAT WAS ONLY FOR DEFERRED MAINTENANCE. IT WASN'T FOR REHAB EXPANSION, ET CETERA. SO I GUESS WHAT MY QUESTION IS, WOULD YOU WANT MORE MONEY TO GO TO AKER HOMES TO MAKE IT LARGER? WOULD YOU WANNA TEAR DOWN THE LIBRARY AND MAKE, I MEAN, WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND A BIT BETTER. NOT RIGHT NOW, BUT IN THE, I WOULD LOVE TO, TO JUST HAVE A DEEPER CONVERSATION AND, AND, AND, AND SPEAKING OF DEEPER CONVERSATIONS, WHAT WOULD BE WONDERFUL IF IT'S A FEASIBILITY STUDY COULD BE DONE, AND THEN THE COMMUNITY BE BROUGHT IN TO HEAR THE RESULTS OF THAT STUDY SO THAT WE COULD, UH, BE INFORMED AS TO HOW WE SHOULD GO FORWARD. WE ARE NOT OPPOSED TO THE LIBRARY. THOSE OF US WHO HAVE JOINED TOGETHER AND SPOKEN ABOUT IT, WE'RE NOT TOTALLY OPPOSED TO IT BEING REMOVED IF THERE IS A LARGER LAND SPACE. BUT WHAT WE WANT IS THAT IT REMAINED IN THE HEART OF THE COMMUNITY. WE HAVE BEEN PUSHED TOWARD GREATER INWOOD, UH, WHEN WE WERE HAVING COMPLETE COMPLETE COMMUNITIES MEETINGS. WE SUDDENLY HAD A MEETING IN INWOOD. WHY ARE WE HAVING A MEETING IN INWOOD ABOUT ACRES HOMES? I'M CLEAR. THANK YOU. SO I'M SO GLAD Y'ALL ARE HERE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. NEXT SPEAKER. ELIZABETH LUMIA. ELIZABETH LUMIA. YES. HELLO, HOW ARE YOU? UM, I'M GOOD. HOW ARE YOU PRO TIM? UM, MY NAME IS BETH. I AM A, A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT C AND THE CO-DIRECTOR OF DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AT WEST STREET RECOVERY. URGING YOUR SUPPORT FOR COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON'S PROPOSED 8 MILLION AMENDMENT TO THE LOCAL DRAINAGE PROJECTS. JUST ONE YEAR AGO, I WAS SITTING JUST BACK THERE WITH THE NEC. WE CELEBRATED, Y'ALL CELEBRATED THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE CELEBRATED A $20 MILLION AMENDMENT TO THE LDP BUDGET THAT WAS PASSED UNANIMOUSLY LAST YEAR. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN, UM, WHO IS MY REPRESENTATION, SAID THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON FOR ELEVATING THE CONVERSATION OF FLOODING AND DRAINAGE, NOT ONLY IN DISTRICT B, BUT THROUGHOUT THE CITY. BECAUSE REMEMBER, L-D-L-D-P PROJECTS IMPACT ALL DISTRICTS. MAYOR PRO TEM KES TATUM, YOU SAID LAST YEAR. I THINK THIS IS A GOOD POLICY AND I THINK IT ADDRESSES OUR EQUITY ISSUE AND OUR NEEDS ISSUE. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS, LAST YEAR, YOU SAID, I AM REALLY EXCITED TO VOTE ON THIS ITEM, AND IT IS A WIN FOR THIS CITY. ALLOCATING 8 MILLION TO LDP FUNDING ISN'T JUST ABOUT DOLLARS. YEAH. TOM HAS THIS BY, IT'S ABOUT HONORING COMMITMENTS AND YOUR COMMITMENTS TO, AND EXCUSE ME, HONORING YOUR COMMITMENTS TO YOUR CONSTITUENTS AND PRIORITIZING OUR COLLECTIVE SAFETY. IT IS ABOUT SAFEGUARDING HOMES, FAMILIES, AND OUR FUTURES. THANK YOU. AND REMEMBER, THE MAYOR IS NOT HERE. Y'ALL ALL HAVE, Y'ALL HAVE BRILLIANT MINDS. YOU GUYS ALL HAVE THE ABILITY TO MAKE DECISIONS ON YOUR OWN. PLEASE, PLEASE. WE, WE ASK YOU, UM, TO VOTE IN FAVOR OF THIS. IT, IT IS AN EQUITY ISSUE. IT IS AN ISSUE OF NEEDS. AND WE, WE URGE Y'ALL TO, TO VOTE IN FAVOR OF, UM, $8 MILLION BEING ADDED TO LOCAL DRAINAGE PROJECTS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER. AALIYAH NEWMAN. HELLO, MY NAME IS, CAN SOMEONE LOWER THIS TABLE? CAN SOMEONE DO WHAT? LOWER THE TABLE. THANK YOU. THIS IS GOOD. THIS IS ALL THE WAY. OH, IT JUST GOES ALL THE WAY, ALL WAY DOWN. HOLD ON. OH, OKAY. WELL, OKAY. TELL ME WHEN . PERFECT. OKAY. AND NOW IF YOU COULD START MY TIME. HI, I'M ALLEGION NEUMAN, THE SENIOR POLITICAL ORGANIZER [03:05:01] FOR NAKASEC ACTION FUND TEXAS. AND I'M ALSO A CONSTITUENT. HERE ARE MY CONCERNS. PLEASE FREEZE THE POLICE BUDGET. TEXAS LAW STATES POLICE TO BUDGETS CAN NEVER BE DECREASED, BUT THEY DON'T HAVE TO INCREASE. UM, DURING THEIR PRESENTATION, HPD ASKED THAT THEY GET A BUDGET INCREASE OF 3%, WHICH IS NOT A LOT. I WOULD SAY THAT $2,177,000 IS A LOT OF MONEY. MANY OF YOU SAY THAT PUBLIC SAFETY IS YOUR CONCERN. I DON'T FEEL SAFE AMONGST THE POLICE AND NEITHER DO COUNTLESS OTHERS. WE'VE SEEN SO MANY TIMES HOW POLICE ARE NOT TRAINED ON HOW TO RESPECT OR PROTECT PEOPLE. LOOK AT THE PROTESTS AT U OF H. THEY JUST VIOLENTLY ARRESTED FOLKS WHO WERE JUST PEACEFULLY PROTESTING. UM, AND WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT? WE HAVE SEEN IT SO MANY TIMES ON THE NEWS, AND IT'S TIME FOR HPD TO GET RACIAL AWARENESS, IMPLICIT BIAS TRAINING AND FULL-TIME LANGUAGE ACCESS EMPLOYEES. IT'S ARGUED THAT WE CAN'T KEEP PEOPLE SAFE IF THERE AREN'T ENOUGH OFFICERS TO BE SENT. BUT WHAT SAFETY IS THERE? NOT BEING UNDERSTOOD IN YOUR NATIVE LANGUAGE IF PEOPLE ARE GETTING SHOT AND MISHANDLED WHEN ENGLISH IS THEIR FIRST. YOU CAN GIVE OUR TIME TO BERLIN, BUT NOT THE CHINESE, VIETNAMESE AND KOREAN HOUSTONIAN TAXPAYERS. I SPOKE WITH ANOTHER HOUSTONIAN ABOUT THIS AND THEIR COMMENT WAS, THE POLICE AT THIS POINT ARE JUST IN ARMS FOR THE WEALTHY. WHERE'S THE LIE? YOUR TIME HAS BEEN. THANK YOU. ADDITIONALLY, I KNOW THIS ISN'T TRADITIONALLY DONE, BUT I WOULD APPRECIATE IF YOU COULD ADD REVERSING THE SALE OF THE WHITE OAK BAYOU LAND TO THE NEXT AGENDA. UM, THE INCREASE OF HIGHWAY IS JUST FOR 18 WHEELERS IN COMMERCIAL GOODS, NOT FOR US. LASTLY, I'D LIKE TO JUST ADDRESS HOW DISRESPECTFUL THE MAYOR WAS TODAY BY ALLOWING ALL OF THESE PRESENTATIONS I'VE HAD TO GO MOVE MY PARKING. I'M A DISABLED PERSON, SO THAT'S NOT THE EASIEST THING FOR ME TO DO. UM, AND TO DO SO QUICKLY, I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT. AND, AND ADDITIONALLY, THERE WAS, UM, A PRESS CONFERENCE HELD DURING THE FIRST BUDGET WORKSHOP. I KNOW THAT THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY ON Y'ALL, BUT WE'RE HERE TO TESTIFY. AND I JUST FEEL LIKE THAT'S SUPPRESSION. AND IF YOU DIDN'T THINK IT WAS, WELL, I'M TELLING YOU IT IS RIGHT NOW. SO NOW YOU KNOW, ADDITIONALLY, YOU CAN USE THE LEGACY ROOM DOWNSTAIRS. IT'S BEAUTIFUL. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'M HAPPY TO WORK WITH YOU ON ANYTHING. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE. NEXT SPEAKER. DAN KRUGER. DAN KRUGER. DAN KRUGER, NEXT SPEAKER, BRENDA T HELLO, EVERYONE. UH, MY NAME IS BRENDA. I'M ALSO A CO-DIRECTOR OF DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AT WEST STREET RECOVERY, AND I ALSO ORGANIZED WITH, UH, THE NORTHEAST ACTION COLLECTIVE. UM, I LIVE IN, UH, DISTRICT J I'VE BEEN LIVING THERE FOR SIX YEARS, AND I VOTED FOR YOU. UH, I'M PARTIALLY BECAUSE LAST YEAR YOU WERE REALLY LIKE IMPORTANT IN SUPPORTING OUR, OUR VOTE, UH, FOR THIS. SO I HOPE THAT THIS YEAR, UH, AS WELL, YOU CAN, YOU CAN DO THE SAME FOR US. UM, IN THE BACK OF THAT PACKET, YOU CAN SEE THREE, THE LAST THREE PAGES. YOU CAN SEE ALL THE, THE KIND OF DIFFERENT PROJECTS THAT THE LDP UH, COVERS. MOST OF THEM. SOME OF THEM ARE IN DESIGN AND SOME OF THEM ARE, UH, UNDER CONSTRUCTION, UH, STILL. SO WE NEED MORE MONEY, MORE FUNDING TO GO TO THESE PROJECTS. EVERY COUNCIL HAS LDP PROJECTS, SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT THAT. UH, THE MAY, THE MAYOR ALREADY REJECTED OUR AMENDMENT, UH, BUT WE DIDN'T VOTE YOU ALL, UH, TO FOLLOW THE MAYOR'S VOTE. WE VOTED YOU TO REPRESENT US, AND I'M SURE A LOT OF YOUR CONSTITUENTS HAVE REACHED OUT IN FLOODING, ESPECIALLY IN THE LAST TWO OR THREE YEARS. UM, THE CITY ALL ACROSS THE BOARD FACES STREET AND DRAINAGE ISSUES. SO, UM, TARSHA IS NOT GONNA WITHDRAW THE AMENDMENT. SO, UH, I URGE YOU TO VOTE YES TOMORROW, UH, FOR TARSHA 7.018 MILLION LDP INCREASE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. NEXT SPEAKER. RAIN EMAN. RAIN EMAN. NEXT SPEAKER. DANIELLE GARCIA. DANIELLE GARCIA. OKAY, I'LL TRY TO MAKE THIS QUICK. UM, MY NAME IS DANIELLE GARCIA. I'M THE EDUCATION AND RESOURCE HUB COORDINATOR AT BAYOU CITY WATERKEEPER. HOWEVER, TODAY I AM SPEAKING TO YOU AS A COMMUNITY MEMBER AND DISTRICT A AND YOUR DISTRICT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER PECK. UM, I'M HERE TODAY URGING THE CITY AND OUR CITY COUNCIL, AND SPECIFICALLY MY CITY COUNCIL MEMBER, AMY PECK, TO VOTE IN FAVOR OF COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON'S AMENDMENT TO INCREASE LOCAL DRAINAGE PROJECT FUNDING BY $8 MILLION THIS YEAR. UM, AMY PECK, WHENEVER YOU RAN FOR REELECTION LAST YEAR, UNOPPOSED, I FELT SECURE AND VOTING FOR YOU BASED ON YOUR SUPPORT FROM THE $20 MILLION INCREASE TOWARD TOWARDS LPD LAST YEAR. AND THEN FOLLOWING MY TESTIMONY LAST YEAR, YOU ACTUALLY SPOKE WITH ME IN THE BACK OF THE PULPIT, ONE-ON-ONE SAYING THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT YOU WANTED TO SUPPORT, UH, ON. SO WHAT I'M DOING TODAY IS JUST ASKING YOU TO HONOR THAT COMMITMENT AND TO SUPPORT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON'S, UH, $8 MILLION INCREASE TO LDP FUNDING. AND THEN ALSO, I JUST WANNA SAY LIKE, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. GO AHEAD AND WRAP IT UP. OKAY. I JUST WANNA SAY LIKE IN REGARDS TO LANGUAGE JUSTICE AND LANGUAGE ACCESS, THAT WHAT JUST HAPPENED [03:10:01] WITH WORRY JUNTOS SHOULD NEVER HAPPEN IN A CITY LIKE HOUSTON. UM, AS OUR COUNCIL MEMBER OR DISTRICT A, YOU REPRESENT DIVERSE COMMUNITIES. YOU REPRESENT NON-ENGLISH SPEAKERS, YOU REPRESENT PEOPLE WHO SPEAK VIETNAMESE, KOREAN, CHINESE, SPANISH. AND SO IT'S JUST SUPER IMPORTANT THAT YOU'RE LEADING THIS INITIATIVE. AND IF THE CITY'S NOT GONNA SUPPORT IT, THEN YOU HAVE TO MAKE THE INITIATIVE AND YOU HAVE TO SUPPORT IT. OH, AND I'M SUPER NERVOUS, SO THANK YOU. YOU DID GREAT. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. NEXT SPEAKER. RAPHAEL MARTINEZ. RAPHAEL MARTINEZ. GOOD AFTERNOON. MEMBERS OF COUNCIL OF THE COUNCIL. I'VE SPOKEN HERE BEFORE AND I'M AWARE THAT THIS IS A VERY HANDED TOPIC, BUT IT MUST BE SAID. I COME TODAY TO ASK ABOUT THE STATUS OF MY SISTER'S CASE WITH HPD AND WHETHER IT HAS BEEN REOPENED OR THE POSSIBILITY EXISTS TO DO SO, SHE STILL REMAINS WITH THE PERSON WHO HAS SEXUALLY ABUSED HER. AND THAT CANNOT STAY THAT WAY. THE IMAGES THAT HAVE BEEN SHARED WITH YOU IS THE PERSON THAT SHE RESIDES WITH, AND I THINK IT IS SELF-EXPLANATORY AS TO WHY SHE CANNOT CONTINUE TO LIVE WITH THAT PERSON. I WANT YOU TO PLEASE LOOK INTO THE EYES OF THOSE CHILDREN AND TELL ME THEY ARE NOT IN PAIN WITH YOUR ASSISTANCE. THEY CAN BE HELPED. AND WITH TIME, HOPEFULLY SHE CAN RETURN TO US. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MR. MARTINEZ. AND I I DO UNDERSTAND THAT THEY'VE REACHED OUT TO YOU ABOUT CONTACTING CPS WELL, IT WAS MORE WITH HPD, WITH CPS THAT APPARENTLY THERE'S NO WAY TO CONTACT THEM PROPERLY, BUT, UM, OH, OKAY. THEN IT, AND YOU, YOU CAN DEFINITELY TALK TO MR. CARR, UM, ABOUT THE HELP THAT WE CAN PROVIDE THROUGH HPD AND CPS. YES, WE'VE, UH, HAD CONTACT WITH STAFF MEMBERS FROM THE MAYOR'S OFFICE SO WE CAN SPEAK WITH THEM AND GO FROM THERE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. BEST WISHES TO YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. GLADYS HOUSE, A PEACE COUNCIL. GO AHEAD. TESTING ONE, TWO. IT'S ALL. OKAY. UM, DO YOU HAVE A HANDOUT THAT'S CIRCULATING? HOW YOU DOING? COUNCILMAN DAVIS AND RAMIREZ? UM, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE HIGH WATER BILL, UM, AND OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAM IN FREEMANS TOWN. LAST BUILDING BUILDING WAS $261 AND NOW IT'S $600. IT'S BEEN NO LEAKS. THE CITY OF HOUSTON CONFIRMED IT. OUR, UH, PRIVATE PLUMBER CONFIRMED IT. UH, EVEN I CLIMBED UNDERNEATH THE HOUSE. UH, THERE ARE NO LEAKS ON THE INSIDE WITH THE COMMODES, ANYTHING LIKE THAT. AND WE HAD ONE TENANT WHO WAS, UH, OUT FOR ALL OF THIS YEAR. SO IT WAS LESS WATER USAGE. SO I REALLY APPRECIATE SAL, WHO'S HERE, WHERE'S, OKAY. HE'S BEEN TRYING TO ASSIST US WITH THE WATER DEPARTMENT, BUT REALLY MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE BECAUSE WE ARE STILL FORCED TO PAY AN UNJUST WATER BILL. AND YOU HAVE THIS HANDOUT, UM, THAT LARGE COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE THE BACKUP PICTURES. BUT WE HAVE SOME SERIOUS CONCERNS IN FRIEDMAN'S TOWN THAT WE REALLY NEED CORRECTED AND OUR AND TIME HAS EXPIRED. THANK YOU. SENATOR DAVIS. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. GLADYS. THANK YOU MAYOR PROTE QUESTION, UH, YOU WERE SPEAKING ABOUT THE WATER BILL MM-HMM . UM, ARE YOU AWARE OF THE, THE, UH, THE MAYOR'S NEW SYSTEM OR THEY'RE TRYING TO IMPLEMENT? YOU COULD MAKE A, YOU KNOW, AN APPLICATION. YOU SPOKE OF AN AMOUNT, A CERTAIN AMOUNT. YOU SAID YOURS IS UP TO SIX, 600. RIGHT. BUT THE ONLY ISSUE WITH THIS, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE STILL HAVING TO PAY THE, UH, LARGE WATER BILL. IT'S NOT LIKE IT GOES AWAY WITHOUT YOU PAYING IT. SO IT NEEDS TO BE A SYSTEM IN PLACE WHEN YOU'VE CHECKED EVERYTHING AND YOU'VE HAD ALL PARTIES CHECK AND THERE ARE NO LEAKS AND IT'S JUST NO JUSTIFICATION FOR THAT. WELL, THEY, BUT THEY ALSO HAVE A REFUND THAT PROGRAM IN REGARDS TO ONCE THEY COME OUT THERE, UM, YOU, IF YOU, IF YOU, SOMEONE CAME OUT AND LIKE I SAID, SAL HAS BEEN, UM, WORKING WITH ME HERE. UM, SOMEONE CAME OUT, THEY PUT A METAL SENSOR ON TOP OF THE WATER METER, UH, LID. YEAH. THE SENSOR. BUT I ASKED, WELL, WHAT DOES THAT DO? UH, YOU KNOW, UM, REALLY, UH, I [03:15:01] STILL, I'M STILL AT, UM, 0.1 OF THE LARGE WATER BILL. OKAY. SO, AND THIS IS NOT FIRST TIME HAVING, UH, ISSUES WITH UNJUST LARGE WATER BILLS. IT'S BEEN PROBLEMS WITH THE METER READER. YEAH. ON, UM, AND THE CITY ADMITTED, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS A PROBLEM. OH, THAT MEANS MY TIME IS THERE. MAKING, MAKING THE ADJUSTMENT. UH, YEAH, MAKING THE ADJUSTMENTS. YEAH. BUT WE STILL, I'VE EVEN GONE ALL THE WAY TO APPEALING BEFORE ADMINISTRATIVE, UH, BOARD AND STILL NOTHING. YOU KNOW. NO, SAL IS HE, SAL IS HERE. SAL IS, CAN CONTINUE TO WORK WITH YOU, MS. HOUSE AND WE CAN, WE CAN TRY TO GET IT RESOLVED. WE'VE GOT SOME NEW PROCESSES IN PLACE, UM, WHERE WE CAN GET THE AVERAGE OF THE WATER BILL SO WE CAN, WE CAN TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT YOU ARE PAYING FOR ONLY WHAT HAS BEEN USED. WELL, THAT'S WHAT A PROBLEM IS. BUT, UH, HOPEFULLY WE CAN MISS RESOLVE. AND THERE'S SOME PROGRAMS IF THERE, IF THE PROBLEM IS THE USAGE AND THE COST OF THE USAGE. SO, UM, SAL, YOU JUST CONTINUE TO WORK WITH MS. HOUSE AND WE TRY TO GET IT RESOLVED. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER PECK FOR THE MOTION. COUNCIL MEMBER PECK. THANK YOU MAYOR PERAM. UM, OUR NEXT SPEAKER, JUDITH MCLAUGHLIN, HAD TO LEAVE AND BRIAN DOTSON IS GOING TO SPEAK IN HER PLACE. SO I MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO ADD BRIAN DOTSON TO THE SPEAKER'S LIST. NOW, RAMIR IS SECOND. IT'S BEEN MOVED. AND SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION? ANY DISCUSSION IF NO DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR? ANY OPPOSED? ITEM PASSES. CASTILLO TOO. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. THANK YOU MAYOR PROTE. I MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO MOVE. CONNIE CASTILLO UP, UH, ON THE LIST TO FOLLOW, UM, THE PERSON THAT VICE MAYOR PROTO JUST ADDED. IS THERE A SECOND? THAT SECOND. IT'S BEEN MOVED. AND SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION? ANY DISCUSSION? IF NO DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR? ANY OPPOSED? ITEM PASSES. NEXT SPEAKER. BRIAN DOTSON. BRIAN DOTSON. I'M BRIAN DOTSON. I'M HERE REPRESENTING ONE CREEK WEST COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION IN WEST HOUSTON. UH, COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION IN, IN WEST HOUSTON. UH, WE WOULD LIKE FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO MAKE THE APPLICATION FOR THE P FOUR P, UH, UH, PROCESS FOR THE CUL PARK PATH BASE TWO, UH, DESIGN. IT'S JUST THE DESIGN. WE HAVE ALL THE MONEY RAISED FOR IT, SO NO, NO CASH IS NEEDED FROM THE CITY. WE HAVE ALL THE APPLICATION MATERIALS PREPARED. ALL THAT IS NEEDED IS THE CITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION. AND I CAN INPUT THE APPLICATION. THAT'S, THAT'S EASY. SO ALL THAT'S ALL WE NEED IS A CITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION, UH, TO, UH, TO MAKE THIS APPLICATION FOR P FOUR P. UH, THANK YOU MUCH. ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE PROHIBITED YARD PARKING? I'M SORRY, WHAT IS HE TALKING? PRECINCT. OH, PRECINCT FOUR. OH, OKAY. ALRIGHT, THE ACRONYMS. COUNCIL, COUNCIL MEMBER. PECK, VICE MEMBER. THANK YOU. UM, BRIAN, I, I BELIEVE YOU SPOKE WITH MY OFFICE ABOUT, UM, POSSIBLY GETTING THE MUD TO APPLY FOR THAT APPLICATION INSTEAD. DID YOU TALK TO THEM ABOUT THAT? SO, UM, THAT WOULD BE INTER THAT WE, WE CAN TALK TO THEM. THERE'S SEVERAL, UH, HOWEVER, THAT'S GONNA BE INTRODUCING A PARTY THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. I MEAN, THIS IS GONNA BE DESIGN OF CITY OF HOUSTON STREETS. UM, SO THE, THE OBVIOUS APPLICANT IS THE CITY OF HOUSTON. IF SOMEBODY ELSE MAKES THE APPLICATION, THEN THERE'S GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, 40 OR 50 HOURS OF LAWYERS TO MOVE IT FROM ONE SIDE TO THE OTHER. IT JUST DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE. SO, UH, IF THE CITY DOESN'T WANNA MAKE AN APPLICATION, UH, WE'RE GONNA TRY TO FIND SOMEBODY ELSE THAT WILL, BUT IT WOULD JUST BE A WHOLE LOT EASIER FOR EVERYONE IF THE CITY WOULD JUST BE THE ONE THAT MAKES THE APPLICATION. THAT'S ALL IT IS. I, I MEAN, I AGREE. I AND I SUPPORT THE PROJECT. I WOULD LOVE FOR THE CITY TO APPLY. WE'VE HEARD THAT THE CITY WILL NOT THOUGH, BECAUSE THEY'RE LOOKING AT SHOVEL-READY PROJECTS RATHER THAN PROJECTS THAT ARE IN DESIGN. SO I DO RECOMMEND THAT YOU TALK TO THE MUD TO SEE IF THEY CAN MAKE THE APPLICATION AND IF THEY CAN, I CAN TALK TO COMMISSIONER BRIANIS ABOUT HOW WE CAN BEST PARTNER TO MOVE FORWARD WITHOUT ALL OF THOSE HOURS OF GOING BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT ENTITIES. I, I, I REALLY THINK THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION. THERE'S ANOTHER PROJECT THAT I, THAT I CAME AND TALKED, SPOKE TO A COUPLE WEEKS AGO. THAT ONE IS DIFFERENT. THIS ONE WE'RE ASKING FOR THE DESIGN MONEY. IT CAN'T BECOME SHOVEL READY UNTIL YOU HAVE THE DESIGN. AND SO, RIGHT. BUT FROM THE CITY'S PERSPECTIVE, THEY WERE ONLY LOOKING WITH THAT, UM, PARTNERSHIP FOR PROJECTS THAT ARE SHOVEL READY. SO WE WOULD HAVE TO FIND MONEY FIRST TO DO THE DESIGN AND THEN PERHAPS IN THE FUTURE, THAT'S WHAT WE, WE HAVE THE MONEY. WE HAVE THE MONEY, WE HAVE A MUD THAT HAS COMMITTED THE MONEY, BUT IT HASN'T BEEN DONE YET. SO I THINK THAT THE FIRST STEP IS WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT THE DESIGN AND THEN POSSIBLY PARTNER LATER ON. BUT I DO SUGGEST TO TRY TO GET THE MUD TO APPLY BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, I'M SUPPORTIVE OF IT AND I CAN TALK TO COMMISSIONER BRIANIS ABOUT FINDING [03:20:01] A WAY, A PATH FORWARD WITHOUT THE CITY MAKING THAT APPLICATION. OKAY. CITY'S NOT GONNA MAKE AN APPLICATION, RIGHT? THE CITY. THANK YOU. SAID THAT THEY WILL NOT. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS DAVIS. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. DID, WERE YOU ADDRESSING THE SPEAKER? NO, NO, NOT THE SPEAKER. I JUST HAD A, A PROCEDURAL MOTION. YES, GO AHEAD SIR. MICHAEL, GO AHEAD. WE CAN'T HEAR YOU. UH, MICROPHONE. COUNCIL MEMBER. CAN WE, Y'ALL WAS ASKING THAT WE COULD MOVE, UH, SUSPEND THE RULE TO MOVE MS. MILLER UP TO THE, UH, NON AGENDA ITEM. ONE MINUTE. ANNMARIE MILLER. ANNMARIE MILLER. MM-HMM . SHE'S NEXT AFTER RONALD BEES. OKAY, GOOD. THANK YOU. THANKS ON. DISREGARD YOUR MOTION. DISREGARD YOUR MOTION. NEXT SPEAKER. RONALD BEES. ANN MARIE MILLER. I MOVED UP, UH, CONNIE CASTILLO AFTER CAST. OH, I'M SORRY. I SKIPPED ONE. I'M SKIPPED ONE. I'M SORRY. CONNIE CASTILLO. CONNIE CASTILLO. HI MS. CASTILLO. GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING. UM, I'M CONNIE CASTILLO. I WAS A LEAD PLAINTIFF IN A LAWSUIT AGAINST THE HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY FOR 2100 MEMORIAL. THE BUILDING HAS BEEN REBUILT. THEY'RE IN THE PROCESS OF MOVING US BACK IN. AT THE FIRST TWO MEETINGS WE HAD AN ALLEN PARKWAY VILLAGE. WE ASKED WHAT WE WOULD BE PAYING. THEY SAID JUST ELECTRIC AND CABLE. NOW THEY'RE PRESENTING US THAT WE WILL PAY WATER AND SEWAGE, WHICH SCARES ME NOW AFTER HEARING THAT LADY JUST NOW, THE OTHER THING IS THE NEW MANAGEMENT COMPANY. THAT'S WHY I'M HERE. MAINLY THE NEW MANAGEMENT COMPANY THAT WAS HIRED, UH, THEY'RE TREATING US POORLY. UH, THEY'RE ASKING FOR DOCUMENTATION LIKE YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY LETTER, BUT IT'S GOTTA BE LESS THAN 30 DAYS OLD. THEY DID NOT ACCEPT OUR TAX RETURN. NOTHING. THEY'RE AT GREEN STREET DOWNTOWN. SO IT'S HARDSHIP NOT ONLY ON SOME OF US, BUT ON OTHERS THAT DON'T EVEN HAVE CARS. NOW, TO THE MAIN POINT OF ME OF THIS NEW MANAGEMENT COMPANY, I'VE BEEN OFFERED ONE APARTMENT. NEXT TIME I MEET WITH HER, SHE'S CHANGING IT TO ANOTHER. I REQUESTED A BALCONY. THERE'S NOT A WHOLE LOT OF THEM. I WAS ONE OF THE FIRST APPLICANTS AND I'VE BEEN PUSHED TO NOT ONLY THE SECOND ONE, SHE CHANGED IT TO A THIRD APARTMENT, THEN SHE CHANGED IT TO A FOURTH APARTMENT. UM, I THINK THAT'S AGAINST HUD RULES. SOMEHOW, IF YOU'RE REDLINING US OR BEING SELECTIVE ON WHAT WE CAN CHOOSE OR NOT, ACCORDING TO OUR LAWSUIT, UH, I BELIEVE WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE THE FIRST TO GO BACK AND, UM, THIS IS THE TREATMENT WE'RE GETTING NOW. SO I WANTED THE MAYOR, MAYOR PROTI, MY COUNCILMAN AND ALL TO BE AWARE OF WHAT'S GOING ON. THEY'RE PLAYING GAMES WITH US AND I DON'T LIKE IT. I DON'T LIKE MY FRIENDS THERE THAT, THAT ARE BEING TREATED LIKE THIS. ONE OF THE APARTMENTS THEY SHOWED ME, AND I DID HAND IN FLOOR PLANS THAT I WAS GIVEN LEADING ME TO BELIEVE I WAS GONNA GET THAT APARTMENT. I HAVE A DIAGRAM OF WHERE I SHOWED HER WHERE I WANTED THE APARTMENT TO BE SOUTHEAST. IN MY PREVIOUS LIFE, I DID LEASE APARTMENTS MANY, MANY YEARS AGO. YOU NEVER WANNA FACE WEST. YOU'RE GONNA PAY MORE FOR ELECTRICITY AND IT'S HOT. I AM ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT DID LIVE THROUGH COVID. I WAS IN A COMA AND AN ICU. I'VE MADE IT. I CAN'T TOLERATE HEAT. SO THAT'S WHY I'M SPECIFIC ON WHERE I WOULD LIKE TO BE. I GROW HERBS. I LIKE TO COOK. I'M A GOOD LATINA. YOU KNOW, MY GRANDMOTHER TAUGHT ME WELL. WHO RAISED ME? COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, DID YOU WANT TO COMMENT? YES. THANK YOU MAYOR PROAM. AND THANK YOU CONNIE FOR COMING DOWN HERE, UM, FOR WAITING FOR, FOR MAKING YOUR COMMENTS. UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE BEEN IN COMMUNICATION WITH YOU AND, UM, I HAVE BEEN TALKING TO COLUMBIA RESIDENTIAL AND SO, UH, WE HAVE A CONTACT FOR YOU, UH, THERE THAT WILL TAKE YOUR PHONE CALL, UM, VISIT. UM, I ALSO WANNA BE A PART OF THIS PROCESS AS WELL. UM, OKAY. BECAUSE I, I AM CONCERNED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU'RE EXPERIENCING. UM, SO I HAVE SOMEONE HERE FROM MY OFFICE, UH, WHO WILL GET YOU THAT INFORMATION TODAY. AND, UH, WE'RE GONNA STAY IN TOUCH AND WE'RE GONNA BE INVOLVED AS WELL, UH, TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO HELP. OKAY? BECAUSE THE CURRENT MANAGER IS NOT PLAYING BALL. SHE'S THE ONE THAT HAS, YOU KNOW, SAID, YEAH, YOU'RE GONNA MOVE HERE. NO, YOU'RE GONNA MOVE THERE. AND THEN SHE GAVE ONE OF THE UNITS TO SOMEBODY ELSE. UH, AND IF YOU DID NOTE IN MY MEMO, THE PARKING SPACES, THERE'S NOT AS [03:25:01] MANY PARKING SPACES. THEY REBUILT THAT BUILDING AT STREET LEVEL, THE PARKING, WE HAD FIVE FEET OF WATER IN THERE AND THEY REBUILT THE PARKING GARAGE AT STREET LEVEL WITH LESS PARKING SPACES THAN THERE ARE APARTMENTS. SO I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND I LOOK FORWARD TO MEETING WITH YOU. BY THE WAY, MY DEAR DEPARTED FATHER, WHO'S BEEN GONE 22 YEARS, WAS A VERY PROUD CITY OF HOUSTON WORKER AND HE RETIRED FROM THE CITY OF HOUSTON. SO THANKS FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR WHAT Y'ALL DO. I APPRECIATE YOU AND FOR REPRESENTING US. HOLD ON ONE SECOND. WE HAVE ANOTHER COUNCIL MEMBER. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS, YOU VICE. THANK YOU. VICE MAYORAL TOO. CONNIE, THANK YOU FOR COMING AND EXPRESSING YOUR ISSUE. I'D JUST LIKE TO ASK THE QUESTION, HOW LONG HAVE YOU LIVED IN THAT FACILITY? UH, WE, UM, I WAS A THIRD PERSON LEFT IN THAT 11 STORY BUILDING. I'VE BEEN GONE, UH, 4, 4, 4 YEARS, FOUR MONTHS BEFORE THAT. I LIVED THERE FOR FIVE AND A HALF YEARS. OKAY. SO IT, UH, THEY JUST REBUILT THE BUILDING, SO OH, THEY REBUILT. OKAY. COUNCIL MEMBER CILLO, HIS OFFERS THIS OUT IN THAT TOO. I, I, AND, AND GOOD. AND I'M SURE IT IT'LL BE HANDLED, BUT THE QUESTION ALSO TOO, DID YOU SPEAK TO FAIR HOUSING? NO. UM, I'M A LITTLE KNOWLEDGEABLE, BUT I'M NOT THAT KNOWLEDGEABLE. I DIDN'T GO TO RAH HOUSING. I FELT LIKE I WOULD REACH OUT TO Y'ALL BECAUSE COUNCILMAN'S, YOU KNOW, REPRESENT. I REACHED OUT TO LIZZIE FLETCHER TOO, AND SHE RECOMMENDED THAT I CONTACT, UH, MY COUNCILMAN TO DO THAT. I JUST DON'T THINK IT'S RIGHT. WE'RE SENIORS. I MEAN, I'M NOT AS SENIOR AS SOME OF THE OTHERS, BUT I AM 68 AND THIS ISN'T RIGHT THAT THEY THINK THAT THEY CAN COME IN FROM GEORGIA AND TREAT US LIKE THIS. YEAH. AND AGAIN, THE MANAGER'S NOT PLAYING BALL WITH ME, SO. OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. RONALD BEES. ANN MARIE MILLER, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR. OH WAIT, HE'S NOT HERE. I EMAILED YOU GUYS IN LATE MAY WITH MY COMMENTS THAT I PLAN TO SHARE TODAY, BUT IT RAINED LAST NIGHT. AND IF YOU WEREN'T AWARE, ABOUT 20,000 PEOPLE LOST THEIR POWER A FEW WEEKS AGO WAS 400,000. AND BEFORE THAT IT WAS OVER A MILLION. CENTER POINT IS HIDING BEHIND ACTS OF GOD AND UNPRECEDENTED EVENTS. BUT THESE AREN'T UNPRECEDENTED EVENTS. THEY'RE UNPRECEDENTED. YOUR CITIZENS ARE WORRIED AND SCARED AND AN ACTIVE HURRICANE SEASON IS LOOMING AND IT'S NOT A SECRET. CENTERPOINT HAS BEEN DEFERRING MAINTENANCE FOR YEARS. THEY TOUT DECREASING MAINTENANCE COSTS FOR SHAREHOLDER VALUE AND THEIR SEC FILINGS AND EARNINGS CALLS. THEIR LAST 10 K REPORT SAID WE HAVE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH AGING INFRASTRUCTURE ASSETS. THE NATURE OF INFO AVAILABLE ON AGING INFRASTRUCTURE ASSETS MAY MAKE INSPECTIONS, MAINTENANCE, UPGRADING AND REPLACEMENTS OF ASSETS CHALLENGING AND DIFFICULT. IT ALSO IMPLIES, UM, THAT THEY'RE USING THEIR LIMITS OF LIABILITY FROM THE PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION TARIFF TO HIDE THIS BEHAVIOR. READ THE SECTION OF THEIR 10 K ABOUT HOUSTON ELECTRIC AND IT'LL KEEP YOU UP AT NIGHT. THE MESSAGE THE CITIZENS ARE GETTING RIGHT NOW IS TO BUY A GENERATOR THROWING GOOD MONEY AFTER BAD BECAUSE ELECTRICITY IS GOING TO FAIL ON A REGULAR BASIS. AND MOST OF YOUR CITIZENS CAN'T AFFORD AFFORD THAT HABITS. YOUR OVERSIGHT AND CONTROL OF POINT IS LIMITED AND I UNDERSTAND THAT. BUT EVEN IF YOU CAN DO ONE SMALL THING, DO IT BECAUSE I'VE DONE ONE SMALL THING. I AM BUYING $30 SHARES OF CENTER POINT AS I CAN TO INFLUENCE CHANGE. AND I RECOGNIZE THAT MY MINUTE IS UP, BUT I ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT YOU DON'T APPLY THAT RULE EQUALLY. AND SO THAT'S BROUGHT ME TO ONE LITTLE THING I WOULD LIKE TO SAY. AND MY PREVIOUS EMAIL, I SAID, I SHARED A QUOTE THAT I LIVE BY. IF YOU'RE GONNA BE SILENT IN TIMES OF INJUSTICE, YOU'VE TAKEN THE SIDE OF THE OPPRESSOR. I'VE SAT IN CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS AS A CITY EMPLOYEE THAT WENT UNTIL 3:00 AM BECAUSE THE PEOPLE NEEDED TO BE HEARD. AND YOU GUYS' PEOPLE, MS. MILLER, IF YOU COULD PLEASE WRAP UP YOUR COMMENTS AND THEY'RE NOT THE CITY BECAUSE YOU DON'T LISTEN TO THEM. PAGE, ZA PAGE. PROBABLY MAY, ONCE AGAIN, YOU COULD STEP BEHIND ONE OF THE MICROPHONES. PLEASE DON'T START MY MINUTES YET. I WANNA SAY THREE THINGS. OH, WELCOME TO THE MAYOR. AND I WOULD LIKE TO GET COMPLIMENTS TO THE SHERIFF DEPARTMENT AND THE CONSTABLE DEPARTMENT BEING ON BELTWAY EIGHT AND 45 AND SOME POLICE OFFICERS THAT WAS ON 45. THAT'S A DEATH TRAP. BREAKFAST, LUNCH AND DINNER. HAVING ACCIDENTS AND TAKING OUR LIVES. [03:30:01] UM, I'M HERE TODAY BECAUSE OF MY HOUSING. I'M A CLIENT WITH M-H-M-H-R-A AND UH, THEY HOUSING GUYS AND MEN THAT'S ON DRUGS. MY NAME CAME UP FOR HOUSING TWICE. MY SECTION EIGHT CAME. I WENT TO WASHINGTON. I WENT ALL THE WAY TO WASHINGTON, HOUSTON, TEXAS. DID NOT GIVE THEM PEOPLE MY PAPERWORK FOR SECTION EIGHT. I GOT EXPEDITED BACK TO HOUSTON, TEXAS FOR A CASE. AND I'M HERE. MY NAME CAME UP AGAIN FOR HOUSING AT M-H-M-H-R ON CAROLINE. I WAS DENIED HOUSING. THE LADY SAID, WELL, I DIDN'T THINK YOU WANNA MOVE OVER THERE TO THESE APARTMENTS. THAT'S BETTER THAN BEING OVER THERE IN THOSE APARTMENTS THAN TO BE IN, IN MY CAR, WHICH I HAVE A TRAILBLAZER THAT I SLEEP IN. I'D RATHER BE IN AN APARTMENT THAN IT BE IN A TRAILBLAZER. NOW, SINCE THE STORM HIT, WHICH I WAS PARKED DOWN THE STREET, MY TRAILBLAZER GOT BRICKS SLAMMED IN THE BACK OF IT AND A TREE THAT COME OUT THE ROAD IN FRONT OF THESE COURTHOUSE IN THE BACK OF MY WINDOW. NOW I CAN'T DRIVE MY VEHICLE. WHAT IS CITY DOING ABOUT EMPLOYEES THAT Y'ALL NOT HEARING? THAT WE NEED HELP THOSE THAT'S, THAT'S ON HOUSING. I CAN'T GET HOUSING, BUT Y'ALL HOUSING EVERYBODY FROM RUSSIA, PAKISTAN THAT MY SONS AND MY CHILDREN IS GOING TO WAR AT AND I CAN'T GET HOUSED. I'M MY NAME GETTING SLIPPED THROUGH THE CRACKS, BUT NOT HOUSING, BUT YOUR HOUSING PEOPLE THAT'S ON DRUGS AND KNOCK OUT. AND I GOT 20 YEARS CLEAN. THANK YOU MS. PAGE. UM, I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU ARE ON THE LIST FOR HOUSING, BUT LET'S GET YOU AN UPDATE. IS THERE SOMEONE FROM HOUSING HERE OR RENEE CAN OR NICK, ELI OR NICK? MY CAME THREE TIMES. RENEE. OKAY. RENEE'S GOING TO HELP YOU AND GET YOU AN UPDATE ON THAT. OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. NEXT SPEAKER. AUSTIN BROWN. AUSTIN BROWN. NEXT SPEAKER. RONALD INE. NEXT SPEAKER, NAG WOOL. HELLO, COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS NACO. UM, MY, I'M THE PRESIDENT OF RIVER BRIDGE INVESTMENTS. UH, WE ARE, UH, PROPOSING, UM, TWO AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT. THERE ARE TINY HOME SUBDIVISIONS, UH, LOCATED AT TWO 80 BELTWAY A UM, ALAMEDA GENOVA AREA. UM, THOSE HOUSE, UH, ONE PROJECTS 86 UNITS AND THOSE HOUSE ARE ALL UNDER 700 SQUARE FEET. AND THOSE ARE ALL TWO BEDROOMS. UM, AND THEY'RE ALL, ALL THOSE HOUSES ARE GONNA BE SOLD UNDER 200,000. UM, SO WE ARE, UM, WE'RE MORE FOCUSED ON AFFORDABLE. WE, WE ARE, WE BELIEVE THAT THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE NEED RIGHT NOW, AS YOU ALL KNOW, THAT, UM, PEOPLE WHO WORKING AND GETTING UNDER $80,000 A YEAR CANNOT QUALIFY FOR A HOUSE THAT IS OVER 300,000. SO WE'RE REALLY PASSIONATE, WHAT WE DO AND WHAT WE ARE DEVELOPING IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO SOLVE THE ISSUE AND TO PROVIDE MORE AFFORDABILITY TO PEOPLE. YEAH, TIME HAS EXPIRED AND ADDING MORE VALUE TO THE COMMUNITIES. AND, UH, ONE MORE THING I WANNA SAY. THOSE TINY HOMES, UH, CAN BE USED FOR REFUGEES, TEMPORARY SHELTERS, UH, EMERGENCY DISASTER. ALSO IT CAN BE CATERED TO, UH, LOW INCOME PEOPLE. AND SO I'M HERE TO GET A SUPPORT FROM THE CITY, UM, FROM YOU GUYS TO PARTNER POTENTIAL PARTNERING UP WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON BY GETTING SOME FORGIVING LOANS AND POSSIBLE TEST CREDITS, UH, TO PROMOTE THE NEW HOME OWNERSHIP TOGETHER FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON PEOPLE AND THE COMMUNITIES AROUND US. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK ON THIS. UM, WE'LL GET YOU IN CONTACT WITH THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT SO YOU CAN GET ALL THE INFORMATION YOU NEED TO WORK ON THIS. YEAH. UM, I THINK RENEE STEPPED OUT IN THE HALLWAY, UM, BUT WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT HE GETS IN CONTACT WITH YOU. THANK YOU. AND I HAVE THE DOCUMENTS I HANDED OUT TO THE GENTLEMAN. THEY, THEY, HE WOULD, CAN, OR IF YOU NEED IT, I CAN EMAIL YOU THAT AS WELL. THANK YOU. AND COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMER. OH, NEVERMIND. OKAY. WE'LL GET THAT INFORMATION. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER PLEASE. PATRICK HORN. PATRICK HORN. NEXT SPEAKER WILL HILL. SHE HAS A, SHE HAS A PROCEDURAL, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER FOR A PROCEDURAL MOTION. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A, UM, SUSPEND THE RULES TO BRING BENJAMIN BROADWAY UP NEXT, PLEASE. DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SECOND. SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? OPPOSED? MOTION PASSES. BENJAMIN BROADWAY. [03:35:14] YES. I'D LIKE TO THANK CITY COUNCIL FOR HEARING ME SPEAK. I THINK THAT WE NEED TO APPROVE BOTH AMENDMENTS OF MS. JACKSON AND MRS. ALCORN. UM, Y'ALL KNOW WHAT TO DO. I MEAN, YOU SEE THE MAYOR'S NOT HERE, MAN. IT'S KINDA LIKE THEY START A FIGHT, BUT THEY CAN'T FINISH IT. PLEASE MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION. APPROVE BOTH AMENDMENTS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR COMMENTS. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. OH, I LOST MY PLACE. ELOISE WILLISON DE UHUH. DESTINY, WASHINGTON. OH, OH, WE DID HER. OKAY. GEORGE LEBLANC. CHARLES GOFORTH. OH, WE ALREADY DID HIM. ROBERT PARO. BEVERLY PIN, PINNABLE PAPERWORK. MM-HMM . OH, GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF SENIORS. UH, I'M PRAYING AND ASKING YOU ALL TO PRAY AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE SENIORS THAT ARE BEING SCAMMED FROM THEIR HOMES, FROM THEIR BELONGINGS AND ALL OF THAT. I HAVE, UM, ASHAMED TO SAY, BEEN SCAMMED BY A CATHOLIC ORGANIZATION THAT HIRED THE CONTRACTOR. BROUGHT HIM TO MY HOUSE. HE DID NOTHING. I'M FIVE STEPS FROM BEING OUTDOORS. NO SHEET ROCK, NO, UH, INSTALLATION. NONE OF THAT IN MY HOME. AND PROBABLY WHEN I GO HOME TODAY, THE CONTAINER THAT THEY PUT MY PERSONAL BELONGINGS IN WILL PROBABLY BE GONE WITH ALL MY BELONGINGS IN IT BECAUSE THEY PAID THEM TO PUT IT IN THERE, BUT THEY DON'T WANT TO PAY TO TAKE IT OUT AND PUT IT BACK IN THE HOUSE. SO I'M ASKING YOU ALL IN ALL YOUR DOING EVERY DAY TO PLEASE REMEMBER YOUR SENIORS. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING. I'M SORRY TO HEAR THAT. UM, WE WILL MAKE SURE TO GET YOU IN CONTACT WITH THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY ASSISTANCE THAT WE COULD OFFER FOR YOU TO GET ALL OF THE DETAILS. UM, THERE'S RENEE, IF YOU CAN TALK TO HIM. WE'LL SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO ASSIST. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. OH, OH WAIT. SORRY. COME. SORRY. WE HAVE SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS IN THE QUEUE. COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER. OKAY. UM, COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. THANK YOU. I WAS JUST TRYING TO FIND WHAT, WHERE DO YOU LIVE? WHAT NEIGHBORHOOD? SUNNYSIDE. SUNNYSIDE. SUNNYSIDE? YEAH. OKAY. YEAH. BY YOUR TERRACE. OKAY. AND, AND, AND IT'S, YOU LIVE IN A RESIDENTIAL SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENCE? I LIVE IN A HOME. IN A HOME. AND YOU, WHICH IS MY PARENTS' HOME. I'VE BEEN THERE 74 YEARS. OKAY. AND SOMEBODY CAME TO RE IT'S, IT'S SAD. YEAH. SOMEBODY CAME TO REPAIR YOUR HOME. YES. AND A CHARITY ORGANIZATION BROUGHT THE, HIS, THEIR CONTRACTOR. AND HE, HE'S DONE NOTHING BUT DESTROYED MY HOME. HE BROUGHT A GUY THERE THAT HAD NO IDEA, WAS CONTRACTING ABOUT WHEN THEY TOOK DOWN THE CEILING FAN, THEY JUST CUT THE WIRING. THEY DIDN'T TRY TO TAKE IT LOOSE, THEY JUST CUT THE WIRING. SO NOW THAT I'VE GOT TO REDO MY HOUSE, THEY DON'T WANNA PAY TO HAVE IT ME, TO GET SOMEBODY TO HAVE IT DONE THE RIGHT WAY. I MEAN, NOBODY, AND THEN NOBODY WANTS TO COME IN AND WORK BEHIND THEM. OKAY. OKAY. 'CAUSE RENEE, YOU GONNA YEAH. AND THEN I'LL, I'LL, WE'LL FOLLOW UP WITH, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, SHABAZZ, WHO IS YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER? DE SHE'S ALREADY BEEN OUT THERE. I'VE BEEN, OH, SHE WORKING WITH THEM FOR A YEAR AND I'VE GOTTEN NOWHERE. OKAY. ALRIGHT. I'M SAD TO SAY IT, BUT I'M TELLING YOU THE TRUTH. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS, MA'AM, HOLD ON. HOLD ON ONE SECOND. HOLD ON ONE SECOND. COME BACK FOR A SECOND. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. THANK, THANK YOU. VICE PRO TEMP. UH, MA'AM, UH, QUESTION YOU SAID WHO ASSISTED YOU? CATHOLIC. CATHOLIC CHARITIES. OKAY. THEY, THEY PROVIDED A CONTRACTOR? YES. THEY BROUGHT THEIR CONTRACTOR. YES, MA'AM. HOW LONG AGO WAS THAT? A YEAR. A YEAR AGO. AND I'VE BEEN FIGHTING WITH THEM A YEAR TRYING TO GET IT DONE. OKAY. WELL, WE, UH, HE'S GOING TO SPEAK WITH YOU AND SO WELL MY CONSTITUENT AND WE'LL LET COUNCIL MEMBER SHABAZZ KNOW AS WELL ALRIGHT. ABOUT YOUR SITUATION. WE WILL DEFINITELY, YOU KNOW, STICK, UH, WITH YOU ON THAT. OKAY? MM-HMM . THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR COMING. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. VIRGINIA MCDAVID. [03:40:15] GOOD AFTERNOON, ESTEEMED COUNCIL MEMBERS. UH, THANKS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME BEFORE YOU TO SPEAK. UH, I AM HERE TODAY. I'M PART OF THE HOUSTON, UH, UH, COALITION, UH, FOR, UH, LIBERATION OF PALESTINE. AND WE HAVE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT AN EVENT LAST WEEK, UH, THAT THE MAYOR, UH, INTRODUCED THAT WE FELT LIKE WAS DIVISIVE. SOME COMMENTS, UH, CHARACTERIZING THOSE OF US THAT HAVE BEEN CALLING FOR A CEASEFIRE, UH, AS THE ENEMIES OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITY. UH, WE, WE, UM, DISPUTE THAT FACT AND HOPE THAT THE COUNCIL, UH, WILL HOPEFULLY TAKE SOME ACTION, UH, THAT SHOWS THAT ALONG WITH A HUNDRED OTHER COMMUNITIES OR MORE IN THE COUNTRY, HAVE TAKEN ACTION TO PUSH FOR A CEASEFIRE IN THE, UH, ISRAELI, UH, HAMAS AND GAZA CONFLICT. WE ALSO WANNA THANK SOME OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT HAVE SUPPORTED A PERMANENT CEASEFIRE, INCLUDING EDWARD POLLARD, UM, AS WELL AS JOAQUIN MARTINEZ, LETICIA PLUMMER, AND, UM, TO TIFFANY THOMAS, AS WELL AS CAROLYN EVANS SHABAZZ. UM, THERE'S A LOT THAT WE CAN DO. IT, IT IS A LOCAL ISSUE BECAUSE IT'S AN IMPORTANT ISSUE TO YOUR CONSTITUENTS THAT WEREN'T THE CASE AND THE MAYOR WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN THAT EVENT LAST, LAST WEEK. SO WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO TAKE ACTION, UH, TO SUPPORT PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND SUPPORT ALL THE CONSTITUENTS OF HOUSTON. IT'S A VERY DIVERSE CITY, AND, UH, ALL THE CONSTITUENTS IN THIS COMMUNITY DESERVE ATTENTION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. VICTOR SUAREZ. HANNAH VI REAL. I'M HERE TODAY IN RESPONSE TO RECENT NEWS ARTICLES THAT THE HISD SUPERINTENDENT HAS FINALLY AGREED TO MEET WITH THE CITY COUNCIL. AND IN RESPONSE TO THIS, I'M IMPLORING YOU TO APPROACH THIS MEETING WITH URGENCY THAT IT DESERVES I'S PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM AND ALL PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE A PUBLIC GOOD, NOT A BUSINESS IN WHICH PEOPLE SHOULD BE PROFITING OFF THE BACKS OF CHILDREN. AND IT'S IN THE BEST INTEREST OF OUR CITY TO HAVE A GOOD PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM. FIRST, I WANNA POINT OUT THAT OUR TEA COMMISSIONER HAS NO DEGREE IN EDUCATION AND HE ALSO HAS NO EXPERIENCE IN EDUCATION. NEITHER DOES OUR SUPERINTENDENT, DOES HE HAVE A SUPERINTENDENT CERTIFICATION? AND HE DOESN'T HAVE A TEACHING CERTIFICATE. A MONTH AGO, I WOULDN'T HAVE EVEN BEEN HERE, BUT NOW I'M SENDING MY PRE-K CHILD TO A SCHOOL WHERE THE PRINCIPAL AND 11 TEACHERS WERE ASKED TO RESIGN AND NOW THEY'RE ENTERING SUMMER WITH ONLY 30% OF THEIR STAFF. I WANNA POINT OUT A FEW OTHER THINGS. I'M SURE I'LL GET CUT OFF THAT. MIKE MILES HAS ALSO DONE WHO IS OUR CURRENT SUPERINTENDENT THIS YEAR. HE FIRED ALL CUSTODIANS AND HE ASKED THEM TO REAPPLY FOR THEIR JOBS ON AN HOURLY BASIS. HE ALSO SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED THE MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT. SO NOW OUR CUSTODIANS ARE BEING REQUIRED TO MOW THE LAWNS AT THE SCHOOLS. UM, HE ELIMINATED INTERVENTION, UM, POSITIONS. ALL THIS IS DATA. I CAN BACK IT UP AND IS ASKING FOR THOSE POSITIONS TO BE FUNDED BY THE PTO IF THEY'RE GONNA EVEN HAVE THEM AT ALL. UM, HE ELIMINATED WRAPAROUND SPECIALIST AND INSTEAD FUNDED HORIZON CENTERS THAT COST TWICE AS MUCH AS WHAT A WRAPAROUND SPECIALIST DOES. CAN I FINISH? I'M GONNA GO AHEAD, WRAP UP YOUR 'CAUSE EVERYBODY ELSE HAS WRAP UP. YOUR COMMENTS PLEASE. UM, HE PURCHASED ADULT SIZE SPIN BIKES FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS WITH SAT UNUSED ALL YEAR LONG AT ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THAT IS. HE REMOVED LIBRARIANS AND LIBRARIES. AND I DON'T EVEN HAVE TIME TO TELL YOU HOW MANY EXCELLENT PRINCIPALS AND TEACHERS HE FORCED TO RESIGN THIS YEAR. UM, I'VE COM FILED A FEW QUESTIONS THAT I'LL PASS OFF THAT I URGE YOU TO ASK HIM DURING THIS MEETING. I KNOW THAT, UM, PEOPLE HAVE ALSO EMAILED YOU THEIR QUESTIONS AS WELL, AND I URGE YOU TO ALSO ASK HARD QUESTIONS FOR HIM AND ASK FOR THE DATA TO BACK IT UP. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. DANIEL PEREZ. KENNETH ER, OLIVIA EZ. STEVE WILLIAMS, SARAH BELL EDWARDS, PAULA CURRY, HUEY, GERMAN WILSON. JACOB CLEMENT. [03:45:04] HERE I AM, MR. BERG. UH, AND THEN WENT, UM, THIS IS A PLEA. UH, I NEED, UH, HELP FROM OUR EXCELLENT LAWYER, EDWARD PAULA, BECAUSE I HAD THIS BFF BEST FRIEND FOREVER. AND SHE SEEKS TO HAVE A, A DIVORCE BECAUSE, UH, SHE HAS, UH, TAKEN TOO LONG TO SETTLE THE CASE AND SHE NEEDS HELP TO MAKE IT, UH, AN AMENDMENT AND TO THE GOVERNMENT GOVERNMENT SO THEY CAN HAVE IT UNDER REWARD. SO PLEASE, I'M GONNA WRITE IT DOWN FOR YOU, MR. POLLARD. AND WELL, I WANT TO SEE THIS, UH, 12 CARTER, YOU SHOULD BUY, SELL, OR TRADE. WHO? OH YEAH. . OH. AND UM, NATASHA JACKSON. I HAVE A THING FOR YOU. JUST BE YOUR TIME HAS PLACE TO BE BECAUSE THIS ISN'T WHERE YOU ARE. BUT HEY, I PREFER TO SUCCEED BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE IT HAS ME. DID YOU HEAR THAT? TASHA? . HERE IT IS. DESTINING B IS A PLACE TO BE BECAUSE IT HAS YOU. HOWEVER, I PREFER TO SUCCEED BECAUSE IT HAS A B YOU'RE IN THE PLUS. BE YOU ARE THE PLUS. BE YOU ARE THE PLUS TO BE AND YOU ARE THE PLACE TO BE. IS THAT WHAT HE'S SAYING? WE ARE BE DISTRICT B. DISTRICT B. YEAH. THE PLACE TO BE. PLACE TO BE. OH YES. IT IS THE PLACE TO BE. YOU GOT IT. YEAH. IT'S THE NO, DISTRICT B IS THE PLACE TWO B. OKAY. LIKE DISTRICT B IS THE PLACE TO BE UHHUH, BUT DISTRICT C IS BECAUSE IT HAS B IS WHAT HE SAID. OH, NOT ME. OH HIM. SHE, OKAY. I GOT IT NOW. OKAY. THANK YOU JACOB. THANK YOU FOR COMING. YEAH. HEY, I'M GONNA BE THE LAST ONE. JOSEPH . THREE MINUTES. OKAY. SO YEAH. SO I NEED A, I NEED AN ATTORNEY THAT COULD HELP ME WITH A, A GOVERNMENT AGENCY. I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S MORE THAN ONE OR, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT, AND I'M, I'M NOT AN ATTORNEY MYSELF, BUT I HAVE A A, A US DISTRICT COURT CASE OPEN. THIS IS A DISCRIMINATION CASE AND THE SITUATION IS SENSITIVE. UH, THE, THE SENSITIVE CASE, UH, COULD BE A POTENTIAL THREAT TO THE GOVERNMENT COURTS, US POPULATION. I, I DID ATTEMPT TO SPEAK TO, UH, AND REPORT THESE THREATS TO THE GOVERNMENT AGENCIES. AND THE GOVERNMENT DID NOT HELP. UM, I ATTEMPTED, UH, TO PREVENT THE LAKEWOOD CHURCH, UH, THE LAKEWOOD CHURCH SHOOTING AT, AT LAKEWOOD, UH, PASTORAL JOEL'S CHURCH. I ATTEMPTED TO PREVENT THE CHURCH SHOOTING, UH, THESE THINGS THAT CAUSE CONCERNS OF THE PEOPLE, THE UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPT, UM, TO PREVENT THE CHURCH SHOOTING THESE THINGS THAT, UH, CAUSE CONCERNS OF THE PEOPLE THAT DO CAUSE POTENTIAL DISTURBANCES. THIS UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPT TO PREVENT, UH, THE CHURCH SHOOTING AND REHABILITATE CRIMINALLY THE, UH, INTENTIONS CRIMINALLY OF, UH, THOSE PEOPLE THAT DO SUFFER A MENTAL HEALTH CONDITION. I DID THESE THINGS ATTEMPTING TO PREVENT THE CHURCH SHOOTING AT LAKEWOOD AND OTHER POTENTIAL THREATS THAT, UH, POTENTIALLY CAUSED THE SHOOTING. AND I SPOKE TO, UM, PASTOR JOEL STEIN FACE TO FACE. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. DO YOU WANT ME? I'M ALMOST, AND I SPOKE TO, UH, BEFORE THE SHOOTING, I SPOKE TO PASTOR, UH, OLSTEEN, FACE TO FACE AT THE LAKEWOOD CHURCH. THIS UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPT TO PREVENT THESE DISTURBANCES AND OTHER POTENTIAL THREATS, UH, CAUSED ME, UH, IT CAUSED MY, UH, TO BE, IT CAUSED ME TO BE EVICTED FROM MY APARTMENT. SO I LOST MY APARTMENT AND STUFF. UM, I TRIED TO GET A, UH, THE GOVERNMENT, UH, YOU KNOW, A LAW ENFORCEMENT TO HELP ME. UM, YEAH, IT CAUSED MY APARTMENT TO EVICT ME. I'M SLEEPING IN MY CAR, HOMELESS. I WASN'T HOMELESS BEFORE. I, I'M SHOWER. I'M, I'M, UH, THIS HAPPENED BECAUSE THE GOVERNMENT, THE NONPROFITS DID NOT HELP ME. LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES DID NOT HELP. IF YOU COULD WRAP UP YOUR COMMENTS, PLEASE. THANK YOU. YEAH. SO I, I NEED HELP. I HAD A STORAGE SHED WITH SOME EVIDENCE IN IT, AND IT'S BEEN, IT, IT BROKE THE STORAGE. CALLED ME AND SAID, CALL THE POLICE. I DID A POLICE REPORT. UM, I ATTEMPTED TO, YOU KNOW, I'M WORKING ON A CASE THAT'S SENSITIVE AND I ATTEMPTED TO REPORT THAT AND THE GOVERNMENT WAS CONFUSED. MOST OF THE LAW ENFORCEMENT, I MEAN, [03:50:01] I DON'T THINK THEY DIDN'T HELP ME 'CAUSE THEY DIDN'T WANT TO. BUT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE SITUATION WAS MUCH WORSE THAN, THAN THEY COULD UNDERSTAND. SO I NEEDED HELP. OKAY. WELL, UM, IS RENEE STILL HERE? WE CAN SEE IF THERE'S, UM, SOMEONE WE CAN GET YOU IN CONTACT WITH. WELL, YOU KNOW, THE, UH, MAYOR, THE MAYOR IS NOT HERE, BUT HE SAID, YOU KNOW, ALL THE GOVERNMENT AGENCIES ARE GONNA, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE OFFERING, YOU KNOW, ALL THESE RESOURCES AND STUFF AND YOU KNOW, I I TALKED TO THE US MARSHALS ALSO. UM, I I HAVE A RECORDED CALL. SHE'S GOT IT IN THE NOTES. OKAY. THANK YOU. WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO CONNECT YOU WITH SOMEBODY. YEAH, BECAUSE YOU KNOW, I GOT A SHOWER AND STUFF. THE SITUATION'S NOT GOOD. THAT'S WHY I NEED AN, YOU KNOW, ATTORNEY. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING. NEXT SPEAKER PLEASE. THAT COMPLETES A LIST OF SPEAKERS. [RECESS] ALRIGHT, WE STAND IN RECESS UNTIL 9:00 AM TOMORROW MORNING FOR THE WEEK. JUNE 11TH AND 12TH 2024. ITEM ONE, REQUEST FROM MAYOR FOR CONFIRMATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF REAPPOINTMENT OF THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUALS TO THE HOUSTON LIBRARY OF FOUNDATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS. ITEM TWO, REQUEST FROM MAYOR FOR CONFIRMATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUALS TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF REINVESTMENT. ZONE NUMBER 27, CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS, MONTREAL. ZONE. ITEM THREE, REQUEST FROM MAYOR FOR CONFIRMATION. THE APPOINTMENT OF THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUALS TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE MONTROSE REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY. ITEM FOUR, RECOMMENDATION FROM THE, THE FIRE CHIEF FOR APPROVAL OF EXTENSION OF INJURY ON DUTY LEAVE SALARY CONTINUATION FOR HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT, FIREFIGHTER RICKY PAYTON. ITEM FIVE, RECOMMENDATION FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY TO DEPOSIT THE AMOUNT OF THE AWARD OF SPECIAL COMMISSIONERS HEARING INTO THE REGISTRY OF THE COURT FOR WINDERMERE OUTFALL REPAIR PROJECT ITEM SIX, SIMTECH FIRE LLC FOR THE PURCHASE OF FLASHOVER SIMULATOR CHAMBERS FOR THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY ON BEHALF OF THE HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT. ITEM SEVEN, SOUTHERN TIRE MART, LLC FOR AGRICULTURAL TIRES, TRAILER TRUCK, TIRES AND AIR, AIR FIRE RESCUE TIRES. ITEM EIGHT, POLARIS SALES INC. FOR PURCHASE OF ELECTRIC UTILITY COURTS. ITEM NINE, DOGGED HEAVY MACHINERY SERVICES, LLC AND MUSTANG MACHINERY COMPANY LLC FOR EARTH MOVING EQUIPMENT. ITEM 10, EXCUSE APPROVED. SPENDING AUTHORITY IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED, UH, FOR PURCHASE OF A, A THREAT INTELLIGENCE PLATFORM SOLUTION FROM PRESCRIPTIVE DATA SOLUTIONS. LLC ITEM 11, APPROVED SPENDING AUTHORITY FOR PURCHASE OF HOLIDAY LIGHTING SERVICES FROM DECOR, DECOR IQ LLC ITEM 12, LEONARDO US CYBER AND SECURITY SOLUTIONS, LLC, FORMERLY S-E-L-E-X FOR PURCHASE OF AUTOMATED LICENSE PLATE READER SYSTEMS AND TRAILER ITEM 13, DETECTIVE KIM INC. FOR PURCHASE OF APEX R SEVEN SPECTROMETERS FOR HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT. ITEM 14, AIRSHIP AI HOLDINGS INC. FOR PURCHASE OF HARDWARE AND LICENSES. ITEM 15, AMEND MOTION 20 22 2 75 FOR PURCHASE OF SUBMERSIBLE TRASH PUMPS FROM EXUM DEWATERING SOLUTIONS INC. ITEM 16, PATRICIA TECH SUPPLY AND SERVICE FOR PURCHASE OF 55 GALLON DRUMS. ITEM 17, PATRICIA TECH SUPPLY AND SERVICE FOR PURCHASE OF BATTERIES. ITEM 18, TIGER TRAFFIC INK FOR PURCHASE OF TRAFFIC SIGNAL EQUIPMENT ITEM 19, PATRICIA, TECH SUPPLY AND SERVICE FOR PURCHASE OF FIRE HYDRANT PORTS. ITEM 20, PATRICIA TECH SUPPLY AND SERVICE FOR PURCHASE OF GUARDRAILS. ITEM 21, APPROVED SPENDING AUTHORITY IN THE MON SEED. $3 MILLION AND NO CENTS FOR EMERGENCY PURCHASE OF LIQUID POLYMER AWARDED TO SALINAS LLC. ITEM 22 HARWELL ENVIRONMENTAL CORPORATION FOR PURCHASE OF SOLE SOURCE PURCHASE OF MECHANICAL RAKE BAR SCREEN PARTS. ITEM 23, COASTAL WATER AUTHORITY FOR EMERGENCY WORK FROM HURRICANE HARVEY ON LAKE HOUSTON DAM ACCESS ROAD ITEM 24 RESOLUTION CONFIRMING SUPPORT FOR PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT AS AFFORDABLE RENTAL HOUSING OF ONE OR MORE PROJECTS. ITEM 25, ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE ISSUES OF GENERAL OBLIGATION REFUNDING BONDS. ITEM 26, ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING AND APPROVING SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT OF $650 MILLION AND NO CENTS BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND HOUSTON PROFESSIONAL FIREFIGHTERS ASSOCIATION, LOCAL 3 41 INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FIREFIGHTERS ITEM. THIS ITEM SHALL ONLY CONSIDER THAT PASSAGE. ITEM 25 ABOVE ITEM 27 UNITED, I MEAN I'M SORRY, ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING CITY OF HOUSTON [03:55:01] TO SUBMIT 2024 ANNUAL ACTION PLAN. ACTION PLAN TO THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT. ITEM 28 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING FIRST AMENDMENT FOR SEPARATE SHIPPING AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND THE WOMEN'S HOME. ITEM 29, ORDINANCE APPRO CREATING 5 38 1 90 AND NO CENTS OUT OF AIRPORTS RENEWAL AND REPLACEMENT FUND. AWARDING CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTOR TYCON GROUP INC. ITEM 30 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING GRANT AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES FOR THE PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS. ITEM 31 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING GRANT AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH STATE HEALTH SERVICES FOR THE PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS FOR THE CITY'S READINESS INITIATIVE. ITEM 32, ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING GRANT AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES FOR THE PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS FOR THE LABORATORY RESPONSE NETWORK. ITEM 33, ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING FIRST AMENDMENT TO CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND PURDUE. BRANDON FIELDER, FIELDER COLLINS AND MOTT, LLP AND GREENBERG TRIAL RIG LLP ITEM 34 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING FIRST AMENDMENT TO CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND LINEBERG GOGGIN, BLAIR AND SAMPSON, LLP ITEM 35 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING EXECUTION OF COMPROMISE, SETTLEMENT RELEASE AND INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT BETWEEN DOMINGO HERRERA. ITEM 36, ORDINANCE DE APPROPRIATED 180 6. 6 36 AND OH CENTS OUT OF PARKS CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FIRM PREVIOUSLY APPROPRIATED TO TASK ORDER CONTRACT AND JOB ORDER CONTRACT PROGRAM AND APPROPRIATE 8 81 6 36 AND OH CENTS OUT OF PARKS CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND TO HVAC REPLACEMENT SERVICES CONTRACT WITH STAR SERVICE INC. DBA STAR SERVICE INC. OF HOUSTON. ITEM 37, ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE 20 18 4 25 ON CON AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND TIMES CONSTRUCTION INC. ITEM 38, ORDINANCE OF AMENDING ORDINANCE TO INCREASE MAXIMUM CONTRACT AMOUNT FOR CONTRACT BETWEEN CEDAR OF HOUSTON AND BREAD OF LIFE INC. ITEM 39 ORDINANCE OF PROVING AN AUTHORIZING CONTRACT WITH A GCM INC. ITEM 40 ORDINANCE APPROVING AN AUTHORIZING FIRST AMENDMENT BETWEEN CEDAR OF HOUSTON AND SOUTHEAST TEXAS REGIONAL ADV ADVISORY COUNCIL. ITEM 41 ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE 20 19 8 0 3 TO INCREASE MAXIMUM CONTRACT AMOUNT AND APPROVE THIRD AMENDMENT TO AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND AMBASSADOR SERVICES LLC ITEM 42 ORDINANCE MANY ORDINANCE 20 22 9 9 9 TO INCREASE MAXIMUM CONTRACT AMOUNT AND APPROVE SECOND AMENDMENT TO THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND MACKLEMORE BUILDING MAINTENANCE INC. ITEM 43 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING IN TO INCREASE MAXIMUM CONTRACT AMOUNTS FOR TWO CONTRACTS BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND ONE A ONE PERSONNEL OF HOUSTON INC. AND TWO RECRUITING SOURCE INTERNATIONAL. ITEM 44 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND RJR PARALEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES LLC ITEM 45 ORDINANCE APPROVING AN AUTHORIZING DERIVATIVE AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND CONVER ON FROM CON ONE INC. ITEM 46 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING FIRST AMENDMENT TO ENTER A LOCAL AGREEMENT AMONG CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS, HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS REINVESTMENT ZONE NUMBER ONE, CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS, LAMAR TERRACE ZONE AND ST. GEORGE PLACE REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY. ITEM 47, ORDINANCE APPROVING AN AUTHORIZING FIRST AMENDMENT TO END LOCAL AGREEMENT AMONG CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS, HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS REINVESTMENT ZONE NUMBER 20, CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS, SOUTHWEST HOUSTON ZONE, AND SOUTHWEST HOUSTON REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY. ITEM 48 ORDINANCE RELATING TO FISCAL AFFAIRS OF MEDICAL CENTER AREA REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY ON BEHALF OF REINVESTMENT ZONE NUMBER 28, CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER AREA ZONE ITEM 49, ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $218,469,809 86 CENTS OUTTA CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS TAX INCREMENT FUNDS ITEM 50, ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $62,277,913 AND 5 CENTS OUT OF TAX INCREMENT FUNDS. ITEM 51 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING TAKEOVER AGREEMENTS FOR COMPLETION OF TELFORD CITY DIVERSION PACKAGE TWO AND THREE AND LIFT STATION RENEWAL AND REPLACEMENT PACKAGE. TWO PROJECTS BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND SURETY COMPANY. MARKEL INSURANCE COMPANY I 52 HAS BEEN PULLED AND WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. I 53 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING FIRST AMENDMENT TO AMEND IT AND RESTATED COST SHARING AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON BAY BROOK MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT NUMBER ONE, THE CITY OF FRIENDSWOOD, THE CITY OF PASADENA, THE CITY OF WEBSTER, CLEAR LAKE CITY WATER AUTHORITY, GULF COAST WATER AUTHORITY AND HARRIS COUNTY MINISTRY UTILITY DISTRICT NUMBER 55 I 54 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING. AND THE LOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS AND MEMORIAL HEIGHTS STREET DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY I 55 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING THREE MILLION TWO HUNDRED SIXTEEN THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED SEVENTEEN THOUSAND FIFTY CENTS OUT OF WATER AND SEW SYSTEM. CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND APPROVING AN AUTHORIZING PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND WESTERN SOLUTIONS INC. ITEM 56 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING 5,000,400 [04:00:01] $455,740 NO CENTS OUT OF WATER AND SEWER SYSTEM. CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND AWARDING CONTRACT TO CFG INDUSTRIES. LLC ITEM 57. ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $2,850,752 AND NO CENTS OUT OF WATER AND SEWER SYSTEM. CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND AWARDING CONTRACT RELIANCE CONSTRUCTION SERVICES LP ITEM 58, ORDINANCE NUMBER 20 24 4 4 PASS. FIRST READING JUNE 5TH, 2024. ORDINANCE GRANT INTO IIX, INTEGRITY SOUTHEAST INC. SECOND READING ITEM 59, ORDINANCE NUMBER 20 24 4 5 PASS. FIRST READING JUNE 5TH. ORDINANCE GRANTING TO PEEKABOO RENTALS. LLCA, TEXAS LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY. SECOND READING ITEM 60. ORDINANCE NUMBER 20 24 4 0 6. I'M NOT GONNA TALK LOUDER THAN Y'ALL. ORDINANCE NUMBER FOUR, ORDINANCE NUMBER 20 24 4 0 6 PASS. FIRST READING JUNE 5TH. ORDINANCE GREEN TO DUMPSTER GUIDES, LLCA, TEXAS LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY. SECOND READING ITEM 61, ORDINANCE NUMBER 20 24 4 0 7 PASS. FIRST READING JUNE 5TH, ORDINANCE GREEN TO LE ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES, LLCA, TEXAS LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY. SECOND READING. ITEM 62, ORDINANCE NUMBER 20 24 4 0 8 PASS. FIRST READING JUNE 5TH, ORDINANCE GRANTED TO HOUSTON HARRIS COUNTY, TEMPTED TANK SERVICE LLCA, TEXAS LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY. SECOND READING. ITEM 63, ORDINANCE NUMBER 20 24 4 0 9 PASS. FIRST READING JUNE 5TH, ORDINANCE GRANTED TO SOTOS TRUCKING INC. A TEXAS CORPORATION. SECOND READING ITEM 64, ORDINANCE 20 24 4 10 PAST FIRST READING JUNE 5TH, ORDINANCE GRANTED TO PERFORMANCE CONTRACTING INC. A TEXAS CORPORATION. SECOND READING ITEM 65, ORDINANCE 20 24 4 11 PAST FIRST READING JUNE 5TH, ORDINANCE GRANTED TO UNITED SITE SERVICES OF TEXAS IN A TEXAS CORPORATION. SECOND READING ITEM 66, ORDINANCE NUMBER 20 24 4 12 PASS. FIRST READING JUNE 5TH, ORDINANCE GRANTED TO ACAN COMPANIES LLCA TEXAS NUMBER TO LIABILITY COMPANY, THE SECOND READING ITEM 67, ORDINANCE NUMBER 20 24 4 13 PASS. FIRST READING JUNE 5TH, EARN GRANTED TO WASTEWATER TRANSPORT SERVICES, LLCA, TEXAS LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY. SECOND READING ITEM 68, EARN NUMBER 20 24 4 14 PASS. FIRST READING JUNE 5TH, EARN GRANT TO SPECIALIZED WASTE SYSTEMS, INC. A FOREIGN FOR-PROFIT CORPORATION. SECOND READING ITEM 69, ORDINANCE 20 24 4 4 4 15 PAST FIRST READING JUNE 5TH, 2024. ORDINANCE GRANTING TO SAN MARCOS GREASE SERVICE LLCA, TEXAS LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY. SECOND READING ITEM 70, ORDINANCE NUMBER 20 24 4 16 PASS. FIRST READING JUNE 5TH, ORDINANCE GREENWICH SOUTH WASTE DISPOSAL, LLC. SECOND READING UNDER NON-CONSENT ITEM 71, SET A PUBLIC HEARING DATE TO PROVIDE A RESOLUTION NOR OBJECTION FOR THE 4% TAX CREDIT APPLICATION OF THE TIDWELL HEARING DATE, 9:00 AM TUESDAY, JUNE 18TH, 2024 UNDER THE MADISON SALE CATEGORY. ITEM 72, CONSIDERATION OF PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO ITEM 73. PASSAGE OF THE AMENDMENTS IS CONTINGENT UPON PASSAGE OF ITEM 73 BELOW ITEM 73, ORDINANCE RELATING TO FISCAL AFFAIRS OF THE CITY TAGGED BY COUNCILMAN ALCO. THIS IS ITEM 10 ON THE AGENDA OF JUNE 5TH. ITEM 74, ORDINANCE RATIFYING ADOPTION OF FISCAL YEAR 2025 ANNUAL BUDGETS. THIS IS TAGGED BY COUNCILMAN CASTEX TATUM. THIS IS ITEM 11 ON THE AGENDA OF JUNE 5TH. THIS ITEM CAN ON SHOULD ONLY BE CONSIDERED. PASS ITEM 73 ABOVE ITEM 75, ORDINANCE APPROVING AN AUTHORIZING PAYMENT TO HOUSTON RECOVERY CENTER, LGC BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND HOUSTON RECOVERY CENTER, LGC TABLE BY COUNCILMAN MCC CASTEX TATUM. THIS IS ITEM 12 ON AGENDA OF JUNE 5TH. THIS ITEM SHALL ONLY BE CONSIDERED AFTER PASSAGE OF ITEM 73 ABOVE ITEM 76. ORDINANCE APPRO AN AUTHORIZING PAYMENT TO HOUSTON FORENSIC SCIENCE CENTER, INC. TAB BY COUNCILMAN MCC CASTEX TATUM. THIS WAS ITEM 13 ON AGENDA OF JUNE 5TH. THIS ITEM SHALL ONLY BE CONSIDERED AFTER PASSAGE OF ITEM 73 ABOVE ITEM 77, ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE ISSUES OF PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT REFUNDING BONDS. THIS WAS TAB BY COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD. THIS WAS ITEM 16 ON AGENDA OF JUNE 5TH, 2024. ITEM 78 WAS A WRITTEN MOTION BY CONSTABLE PEC TO AMEND ITEM 79 AS FOLLOWS, THE FOLLOWING FUNDS TO BE REMOVED AS SOURCES OF FUNDING FOR THIS CONTRACT WITH THE HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE PASSAGE AMENDMENT IS CONTINGENT UPON PASSAGE OF ITEM 79 BELOW. ITEM 79 IS AN ORDINANCE APPROVED AND AUTHORIZING CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE. TAB BY COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN. THIS WAS ITEM 22 ON AGENDA OF JUNE 5TH, 2024. THIS COMPLETES THE READING OF THE AGENDA FOR THE CITY COUNCIL SESSION OF JUNE 12TH, 2024. STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT SESSION OF HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL. SCHEDULED TO BEGIN AT 9:00 AM IN THE WORDS WHILE CURRENT CITY SECRETARY PAT JEFFERSON. DANIEL, I'D LIKE TO LEAVE YOU WITH THIS. ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS TREAT EVERYONE THE WAY YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE TREATED. HAVE A BLESSED AND FANTABULOUS DAY. THANK YOU MADAM SECRETARY. YOU'RE [04:05:01] WELCOME. MY NUMBER ONE FAN. THANK YOU. AND HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO MY HUSBAND. YES, YES, YES. [RECONVENE] COUNCIL, COME TO ORDER. UH, JIM [MAYOR'S REPORT] AK YOU WANT TO MAKE A PRESENTATION SO YOU CAN GO BACK TO WORK? ALL RIGHT. UH, MAYOR WHITMER, MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL. GOOD MORNING. I'M HERE JOINED BY MY CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, UH, KELLY WOODWARD AND MY CHIEF TERMINAL MANAGEMENT OFFICER, LILIANA RAMBO. UM, I'VE ON BEHALF OF THE 1200 EMPLOYEES OF THE HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM, UH, I'D LIKE TO PRESENT YOU WITH FOUR PLAQUES TODAY. THESE FOUR PLAQUES ARE FOR OUR SKY TRACKS AWARDS THAT WE'VE RECENTLY WON. UM, THESE FOUR PLAQUES BASICALLY DEMONSTRATE OUR COMMITMENT TO THE 60 MILLION PASSENGERS THAT WE SERVE ANNUALLY AT BUSH AND HOBBY AIRPORTS. UH, THAT REPRESENTS OVER $36.4 BILLION IN ANNUAL ECO ECONOMIC ACTIVITY TO THE HOUSTON REGION AND 190,000 JOBS. AGAIN, UH, SKY TRACKS IS A THIRD PARTY ORGANIZATION THAT COMES IN AND AUDITS OUR AIRPORTS. IT CAME IN IN FEBRUARY, DID THAT AUDIT, AND WITH THAT WE WON A NUMBER OF MAJOR AWARDS. UM, NUMBER ONE, UH, WE RAN, UH, A FIVE STAR AIRPORT FOR HOBBY FOR THE THIRD YEAR IN A ROW. UM, SO HOBBY IS THE ONLY FIVE STAR AIRPORT IN NORTH AMERICA. NOT ONLY THAT WITH THE AUDITORS, YOU KNOW, FINDING HOBBY AS A FIVE STAR AIRPORT, UH, HOBBY WAS ALSO VOTED BY TRAVELERS AS THE BEST REGIONAL AIRPORT IN NORTH AMERICA. SO WE GET THE AUDITORS AND THE TRAVELING PUBLIC BOTH AGREE THAT HOBBY IS REALLY A FIVE STAR FACILITY. UM, AND THAT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE AGAIN, THAT'S FUELING A $470 MILLION EXPANSION AT HOBBY AIRPORT. SO WE'VE GOT A GREAT AIRPORT WITH THE GREAT FACILITIES THAT WE'RE CONTINUING TO EXPAND. UM, AT IAH, UH, WE ARE ABOUT TO ROLL OUT IN, UH, OUR NEW INTERNATIONAL TERMINAL PIER, WHICH INCLUDES SIX NEW INTERNATIONAL GATES. UM, IMPORTANTLY WE'RE GONNA BE OPENING OUR NEW TICKETING HALL, UH, NEXT SUMMER. UH, BUT IMPORTANTLY ON THAT, IT COMES WITH, UH, 19 NEW CURBS, UM, TO ALLOW FOR TRAFFIC TO FLOW AND, AND, AND, AND BE MUCH MORE EFFICIENT AT BUSH. UH, IN ADDITION TO THAT 17, UM, NEW TSA CHECKPOINT LANES IN THERE TO EASE THE, THE BURDEN ON THE TSA CHECKPOINT LANES AT BUSH. UH, UH, AND DURING THIS CONSTRUCTION, THOUGH WE'VE BEEN, SKY TRACKS HAS, HAS RATED THE AIRPORT A FOUR STAR AIRPORT. SO WE'RE WORKING OUR WAY TO BE FIVE STARS AT BOTH AIRPORTS. BUT RIGHT NOW, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING REALLY HARD ON THAT. AND THEN ALSO, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WE WANNA ALSO HIGHLIGHT, UH, AWARD THAT WE WON THAT IS IN COMPLETELY FOR THE ENTIRE WORLD. UM, SO WE HAVE, UH, BEEN VOTED THE BEST ART PROGRAM IN THE ENTIRE WORLD FOR AIRPORTS. AND THAT'S, I, YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT WE GET MORE PEOPLE LOOKING AT THE ART IN OUR AIRPORTS THAN THE LOUV DOES IN FRANCE. SO WE'RE REALLY PROUD OF THESE ACCOMPLISHMENTS. AND AGAIN, UH, THESE ARE JUST, AGAIN, REWARDS OF WHAT WE'RE DOING. BUT AGAIN, I WANT TO TURN IT OVER TO KELLY REAL QUICK, AND SHE'S GONNA TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE'RE GOING IN THE FUTURE. I WANT YOU TO EXPLAIN HOW THEY LOOK AT MORE ART THERE THAN THEY DO THE LOUV. YOU'RE JUST ASSUMING EVERYONE LOOKS AT THE ART. UH, WELL, IF WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU GO TO MOST, GO AHEAD. I JUST, WHEN YOU GO TO MOST AIRPORTS, RIGHT? THEY, THEY HAVE, I'M PATROL GUYS. THEY HAVE AN ART AREA, RIGHT? SO IF YOU HAPPEN TO WALK PAST THIS ART AREA, YOU WILL KIND OF, MAYBE, IF YOU'RE LUCKY, SEE THE ART IN THE AIRPORT, GENERALLY IN OUR AIRPORTS, WHERE YOU, ANYWHERE YOU TURN AND LOOK, THERE WILL BE SOME FORM OF ART, UH, THAT YOU CAN SEE. UM, SO WE NOT ONLY, WE HAVE A LARGE COLLECTION, UH, BUT WE SPACE IT THROUGHOUT THE TERMINAL. AND AGAIN, THE A PART OF THE COLLECT, LARGE PART OF THE COLLECTION IS ALL BASED ON HOUSTON ARTISTS. SO THE MONEY THAT WE SPEND ON ART, UH, IS REALLY BENEFITING THE COMMUNITY HERE. YEAH. , GOOD MORNING. HOW ARE YOU SIR? AND LAST TIME WE MET, WE TALKED ABOUT BATHROOMS. SO IN ORDER TO GET IAH TO FOUR STARS, WE HAVE ABOUT $40 MILLION BETWEEN IAH AND HOBBY AND GRANTS, UM, FUNDING TO REINVENT AND RE REFURBISH ALL OF OUR RESTROOMS. WE CURRENTLY HAVE TERMINAL B UNDERWAY AT, AT INTERCONTINENTAL, AS WELL AS WHAT JIM HAD SPOKE ABOUT WAS OUR, I TRIP OUR EM LIT AND OUR WEST PIER OPENING AS WELL AS TERMINAL A. WE'RE DOING SOME RE MODERNIZATION AND REFURBISHMENTS WITHIN TERMINAL A AND WE'RE ADDING ALL NEW JET BRIDGES TO OUR, TO OUR TERMINALS. SO THAT'S GONNA HELP IAH BRING UP OUR, UH, FOUR STAR RATING INTO A FIVE STAR RATING, HOPEFULLY LILIANA. YES. THANK YOU. AND AGAIN, IT, IT IS A PLEASURE TO BE HERE WITH, UM, MAYOR AND THE COUNCIL MEMBERS. UH, SO THANK YOU FOR HAVING US HERE. AND I JUST KIND OF, SORT OF WANTED TO JUST REEMPHASIZE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE DONE AT BOTH AIRPORTS TO BE ABLE TO GET US WHERE WE ARE, WHICH IS AGAIN, TIME AND TIME AGAIN. UM, THE ONLY FIVE STAR AIRPORT IN ALL OF NORTH AMERICA IS HERE AT HOUSTON. AHA. AIRPORTS. SO BEFORE I GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAILS, I WOULD LIKE TO [04:10:01] RECOGNIZE SOME OF THE MEMBERS OF OUR TEAM THAT MAKE IT HAPPEN. WE HAVE 1200, UH, EMPLOYEES, UH, THE AIRPORTS, BUT THERE ARE SOME OF THEM, UH, THEM HERE THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE. IF YOU GUYS COULD JUST STAND UP FOR A MINUTE, PLEASE, TO RECOGNIZE THE HOUSTON AIRPORT EMPLOYEE. SOME OF THEM ARE YOUR, UH, DIVISION MANAGERS AS WELL AS YOUR ASSISTANT DIRECTORS THAT, UH, HAVE EVERYTHING TO DO WITH WHAT THE PASSENGER EXPERIENCE. UH, AT BOTH AIRPORTS. WE SERVE OVER 193 DESTINATIONS THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE ENTIRE WORLD. THE OTHER THING THAT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT, AS WE KNOW KAPA AMERICA WILL BE HERE, UM, WITHIN A COUPLE OF WEEKS, UH, WITHIN OUR AIRPORTS, BETWEEN THE AIRLINES AND OUR EMPLOYEES, WE SPEAK MORE THAN TWO DOZEN LANGUAGES. THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE EXTREMELY, EXTREMELY PROUD ABOUT. AND 2017 IS WHEN WE STARTED THIS JOURNEY, THE JOURNEY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE BOTH AIRPORTS, HOUSTON FOR HOUSTON, HOBBY, NIH TO B, FIVE STARS. UH, WE ARE ON OUR WAY, WE WILL GET THERE. UM, AND AS KELLY SAID, AND JIM SAID, WE ARE EXTREMELY DEDICATED, NOT JUST WITH THE RS THE CONCESSION PROGRAMS, BUT WITH THE PASSENGER EXPERIENCE WITH EVERYTHING THAT WE DO FOR THOSE AIRPORTS IS FOR OUR PASSENGERS, MANAGING THE TRAFFIC, IMPROVING OUR FACILITIES, EVERY SINGLE STEP OF THE WAY WE DO IT FOR OUR PASSENGERS. SO AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR HAVING US HERE AND IT'S A EXTREMELY HONOR TO BE WORKING AT THE CITY OF HOUSTON. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. WELL, IT'D BE EASY TO JUST SAY THANK YOU AND, UH, ACCEPT THE, UH, TROPHIES. BUT, UM, I WANT TO THANK YOU INTERVIEW, WISH I HAD TIME, CERTAINLY YOUR EMPLOYEE, BUT WE STILL GET CALLS. YEAH. ABOUT RESTROOM, ABOUT PARKING. I JUST THINK WE HAVE TO RECOMMIT OURSELF, REDEDICATE OURSELF THAT WE CAN ALWAYS DO BETTER. AND THAT'S EVERYONE THAT CAN HEAR MY VOICE. SO WHILE WE CELEBRATE OUR RECOGNITION, I DON'T KNOW WHEN THEY DID THAT AUDIT, BUT IN THE LAST COUPLE DAYS I CALLED YOU YEP. ABOUT CONCERNS OF PEOPLE WAITING IN LONG LINES TO GET TAKEN TO THE PARKING LOTS. I THINK IT'S STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION. WE HAVE TO BE USER FRIENDLY. WE EITHER HAVE TO DO OFFSIDE PARKING OR SOME TYPE OF, UH, ENFORCEMENT ASSISTING WITH THE MOBILITY IN AND OUT. SO WITH THAT, I THINK WE OUGHT TO CELEBRATE THIS GREAT CITY WE LIVE IN. WE ALL KNOW HOW CRITICAL THE AIRPORT IS. AND SO IT'S, WE'RE PROUD TO BE HOUSTONIANS, BUT WE HAVE SO MANY FOLKS. HOW MANY COME IN LAST YEAR? UH, 60 MILLION. AND THEN THIS SUMMER RIGHT NOW WE'RE, WE'RE RUNNING AT BOTH AIRPORTS ABOUT 10% HIGHER THAN THAN LAST YEAR. SO RECORD NUMBERS. AND THAT JUST EMPHASIZES THE IMPORTANCE AND THE ECONOMIC ENGINE THAT THE AIRPORTS ARE. WE'RE GONNA HAVE SO MANY MORE EVENTS, CERTAINLY WITH THE WORLD CUP COMING AND I CAN GO ON AND ON. Y'ALL ARE SO IMPORTANT AND I HOPE YOU'LL REMEMBER THAT EACH AND EVERY DAY. AND WE WILL CONTINUE AS A BODY TO FORWARD YOU INQUIRIES THAT WE GET FROM RESIDENTS. 'CAUSE WE ARE STILL GETTING THEM AND WE NEED TO BE AS USER FRIENDLY AS POSSIBLE. YES, SIR. BUT THAT SAID, ON BEHALF OF THE COUNCIL, UH, WE THANK Y'ALL AND WE'LL ACCEPT THESE FIVE STAR AIRPORT. UH, THEY'LL BE PUT UP. YOU CONSIDER THAT ART MAYOR, MODERNIZE OF SOMETHING. PUT THIS UP WITH THE ART . ALRIGHT. KELLY THERE PICTURE. ALRIGHT, ALTON, COME IN HERE WITH THE ART ONE. OKAY. AND THEN TEAM, DO YOU GUYS WANNA COME UP REAL QUICK? YES, THAT WOULD BE GREAT. COME UP FOR ONE PICTURE TOO. YEAH, I AM A BACKGROUND PERSON. YEAH. SOMEBODY TOLD HER TO YOU RIGHT HERE. 1, 3, 1, 2, 3. ONE MORE IDEA. 3, 2, 1. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU MAYOR. BEFORE, UH, THE AIRPORT TEAM LEAVES, WE DO HAVE SOME COMMENTS IN QUEUE FROM THE COUNCIL MEMBERS. I KNOW THAT YOU'VE ACCEPTED THESE INCREDIBLE AWARDS ON BEHALF OF THE CITY, BUT WE DO HAVE A COUPLE OF COUNCIL MEMBERS IN QUEUE THAT WOULD ALSO LIKE TO CONGRATULATE THIS INCREDIBLE TEAM. WE'LL START WITH COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MAYOR PROTE, AND, [04:15:01] UH, DIRECTOR TO YOU AND YOUR ENTIRE TEAM. I WANT TO SAY CONGRATULATIONS ON THESE AWARDS. UM, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO HOBBY FOR IT TO BE THE ONLY FIVE STAR AIRPORT IN ALL OF NORTH AMERICA, UH, IS A TESTAMENT TO YOUR HARD WORK. AND NOT ONLY JUST IT GETTING THAT AWARD, BUT ALSO THE BEST REGIONAL AIRPORT BY THE TRAVELERS. I KNOW THERE WAS ALWAYS SOME, UH, CONVERSATION ON WHETHER OR NOT THAT AIRPORT WOULD REMAIN FIVE STAR, UH, WITH SOME OF THE CHANGES THAT WE'VE EXPERIENCED. BUT TO KNOW THAT IT'S STILL BEING RECOGNIZED AS THE ONLY FIVE STAR AIRPORT IS, UM, A TESTAMENT TO YOUR ALL'S HARD WORK. AND, AND WHEN I GO TO HOBBY SPECIFICALLY, THAT IS ONE OF THE MOST EFFICIENT AIRPORTS FROM PARKING TO GETTING TO YOUR TERMINAL, UH, TO GETTING, UH, FOOD, THE RESTROOMS, EVERYTHING, UH, IS FIVE STAR. AND SO I'M GLAD EVERYONE ELSE RECOGNIZES THAT AS WELL. AND CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ. THANK YOU MAYOR, UH, DIRECTOR AND TO THE HAS TEAM. UH, DEFINITELY CONGRATULATIONS. UH, WHEN, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT HOBBY, IT'S LITERALLY ABOUT FOUR OR FIVE MINUTES AWAY FROM MY HOUSE. SO, UM, I, YOU KNOW, I FREQUENT THERE OFTEN. AND, AND AS, UH, COUNCILLOR POLLARD SAID, UH, THE, THE AIRPORT IS, IS, UH, IS AN IMPORTANT ECONOMIC ENGINE OF AS WELL TO THE, TO THE DISTRICT. WE HAVE ABOUT A LITTLE BIT OVER 800 FOLKS THAT LIVE OUTTA DISTRICT GUY THAT, THAT WORK AT HOBBY. AND SO, UNDERSTANDING THAT FOR ME, UM, AS Y'ALL CONTINUE TO RECEIVE THESE AWARDS, UM, I KNOW IT'S A GOOD PLACE FOR FOLKS TO WORK. UM, AND ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE HOW WE CAN CONTINUE TO GROW THE WORKFORCE FROM, YOU KNOW, DISTRICT GUY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. SO, CONGRATULATIONS, UH, PROUD OF Y'ALL. UH, AND LOOKING FORWARD TO BACK TO BACK TO BACK TO BACK. . THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN CAYMAN. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND GOOD MORNING. UH, I LOVE WHAT, UH, COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ JUST SAID BACK TO BACK TO BACK. WE'RE STARTING TO SOUND LIKE, UH, OUR ASTROS AND OUR ROCKETS WITH THEIR CHAMPIONSHIPS. BUT A WORLD CLASS CITY ISN'T WORLD CLASS WITHOUT WORLD CLASS AIRPORTS AND Y'ALL'S TEAM, UH, DIRECTOR EVERY SINGLE DAY SHOWS UP TO PROVIDE NOT ONLY EXTRAORDINARY CUSTOMER SERVICE, BUT MEET THE NEEDS OF TRAVELERS. WHETHER THEY'RE HOUSTON'S RESIDENTS OR PEOPLE PASSING THROUGH. YOU ARE THE GATEWAY IN THE WELCOMING TO OUR CITY. UH, YOU KNOW, Y'ALL HAVE STEPPED UP TO PROVIDE FREE PERIOD PRODUCTS AND ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR FAMILIES, AND YOU CONTINUE TO EXPAND UPON THAT. AND THE, UM, NURSING PODS I'M SEEING EVERYWHERE. UH, YOU ALL DO SO MUCH. I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT, AS THE MAYOR DID THE ART, WE HAVE A LOT OF OUR ARTS LEADERS, UH, IN THE CHAMBER TODAY. AND AGAIN, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT A WORLD CLASS, CITY ART DOES SO MUCH FOR THAT. AND IT'S NOT JUST THE FIXTURES THAT WE SEE THAT ARE VERY UNIQUE TO HOUSTON, EVEN, UH, ON THE LOWER FLOORS OF HOBBY, ALL OUR LOCAL HEROES AND MUSIC ARTISTS. BUT THE LIVE MUSIC THAT YOU BRING TO TRAVELERS THAT, THAT PROVIDE THAT SENSE OF, UH, COMFORT AND JOY, WHETHER YOU'RE GETTING OFF THE PLANE OR MAYBE A LITTLE NERVOUS GETTING ON THE PLANE. UH, BUT FOR ALL THAT YOU DO, AND AS, AS IT'S BEEN MENTIONED, THERE IS A WHOLE TEAM BEHIND YOU. SO THANK YOU TO EVERYONE THAT WORKS WITHIN THE AIRPORT SYSTEM AND ALSO TO ALL OF THE, UH, EMPLOYEES THAT ARE OFTEN BEHIND THE SCENES. THAT'S RIGHT. WHETHER IT'S THE JANITORS, WHETHER IT'S WHEELCHAIR ASSISTANCE, WHETHER IT'S THE CONTRACTORS AND THE SUBCONTRACTORS THAT ARE UP AT 4:00 AM UH, AND WE GOTTA, WE'LL TALK ABOUT PARKING ANOTHER TIME FOR THEM, BUT I WANNA KEEP IT SO POSITIVE TODAY BECAUSE WHAT YOU BRING TO THE CITY BRINGS OUT THE BEST IN OUR CITY. SO FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART AND A SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO TOM AND LILANA, Y'ALL ARE ALWAYS SO RESPONSIVE. BUT DIRECTOR, VERY WELL DONE. AND CONGRATULATIONS. AND AGAIN, WHAT I WOULD SAY, THANK YOU FOR THE TEAM THING, BUT I DO, I DO THINK THE CITY COUNCIL IS PART OF THE TEAM. 'CAUSE YOU'VE BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THE AIRPORT. SO WE CONSIDER YOU PART OF THE TEAM ALSO, SO YOU CAN ENJOY THE AWARDS ALSO. I'LL TAKE IT. YES. TROOPER THOMAS. THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING. CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN. YOU KNOW, UM, AT THIS BODY WHEN WE PASS THE ITEM FOR THE MUSIC IN THE SKY, THAT IT'S ALWAYS AN INTERESTING CONVERSATION. ALWAYS. YEAH. THAT UHHUH . SO, UH, MY LAST FLIGHT TO DC I WAS IN BUSH AND THE MUSICIAN WAS PLAYING AND HE WAS JAMMING MM-HMM . AND I CALLED MAYOR PRO TEMP AND I SAID, IT IS GOING DOWN AT BUSH AIRPORT. HE WAS SINGING STEVIE WONDER. PEOPLE WERE LINED UP, THEY WERE SEATED, HE WAS TAKING A REQUEST. IT WAS GREAT. AND SO, UM, I LISTEN, IT WAS GREAT TO EXPERIENCE, UH, GREAT TO WITNESS THE INVESTMENT IN HOW THE ARTS AND CULTURE SHOW UP IN OUR AIRPORT. AND IT WAS A JOY TO WITNESS. AND I WAS HUMMING STEVIE WONDER GOING TO THE TERMINAL. AND PEOPLE WERE IN THE STORES. THEY WERE IN THE STORES DANCING, LIKE, YOU KNOW. AND SO IT WAS, IT WAS GOOD TO WITNESS THE INVESTMENT. UM, SO, UH, THE AIRPORT [04:20:01] AND ALL OF Y'ALL, Y'ALL DESERVE EVERYTHING YOU GET. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THAT'S GREAT TO HEAR. COUNCILMAN HUFFMAN. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND CONGRATULATIONS. UM, I TRAVELED LAST WEEKEND, UH, THROUGH IAH WITH MY FAMILY AND IT WAS PROBABLY THE BUSIEST I'VE EVER SEEN IT. YEAH, YEAH. BUT WE WENT THROUGH SEAMLESSLY. IT WAS FAST, EFFICIENT, UM, AND JUST VERY IMPRESSED. AND ALTHOUGH I KNOW IT IS A TEAM EFFORT, I JUST WANNA SAY DIRECTOR, SINCE YOU HAVE JOINED, UH, OUR TEAM IN HOUSTON, I'VE BEEN SO IMPRESSED WITH YOU AND YOUR WORK. UM, GREAT JOB. WELL, AGAIN, IT'S A TEAM THAT, THAT, THAT MAKES IT WORK. SO THANK YOU , COUNCILMAN FLICK AND JUROR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU DIRECTOR. YOU KNOW, WHEN JUDGING PERFORMANCE, IT'S ALL ABOUT HOW YOU COMPARE TO YOUR PEERS AND HOW YOU COMPARE TO YOURSELF. ARE YOU BETTER TOMORROW THAN WHAT YOU WERE TODAY? AND OBVIOUSLY WHEN IT COMES TO THIS, YOU GUYS ARE HITTING IT OUTTA THE PARK. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TEAM. THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, THIS IS AN INCREDIBLE DAY. UM, FOR THE THIRD YEAR IN A ROW, WE ARE FIVE STAR AT HARVEY. AND AGAIN, FOUR STAR AT INTERCONTINENTAL. HOUSTON IS A GLOBAL CITY. WE DESERVE TO HAVE INCREDIBLE AIRPORTS. UM, FOR US TO HAVE 193 DESTINATIONS. UM, WE WILL REMAIN, UH, A GLOBAL CITY, BUT WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO MOVE PEOPLE IN AND OUT OF OUR CITY SEAMLESSLY. AND I THINK THAT WE ARE DOING A GREAT JOB, UM, IN THAT. AND SO, UM, CONGRATULATIONS TO THIS ENTIRE TEAM. I THINK SKY TRACKS GOT IT RIGHT. UH, WE DEFINITELY ARE FIVE STAR AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO INTERCONTINENTAL BECOMING A FIVE STAR. UM, AS SOON AS THIS CONSTRUCTION IS DONE, I MEAN, I THINK ALMOST ALL OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS GOT TO DO A, A PRELIMINARY TOUR DURING THIS CONSTRUCTION MM-HMM . AND WE CAN SEE THE VISION. UM, WE CAN SEE THE IMPACT THAT THIS CONSTRUCTION IS HAVING ON THE, ON THE TERMINAL AT IAH. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO US BEING A FIVE STAR AT IAH VERY SOON. SAME HERE. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU CARTER. COUNCILMAN CARTER. THANK YOU MAYOR. JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU FOR ALL THE SUPPORT YOU GUYS GIVE, UM, AT BOTH AIRPORTS TO USO. LILIANA, YOU DO A GREAT JOB FOR OUR, FOR OUR MILITARY PASSING THROUGH, UH, TODAY AS WOMEN'S VETERANS DAY AND JUST HAD TO SHOUT OUT ON THAT. UM, GIVE THEM A PLUG BECAUSE YOU'RE SO ACCOMMODATING AND THEY SPEAK SO HIGHLY OF THE, UH, OF THE ACCOMMODATIONS THERE. SO THANK YOU BOTH FOR CONTINUING TO PUT THEM FIRST. ALSO, TOO, I HEAR PEOPLE COMPLAIN ABOUT THE TRAFFIC AND I SAID, BUT THE TRAFFIC'S NOTHING. WAIT TILL YOU SEE THE END RESULT. THAT'S RIGHT. AND I'M SO EXCITED, UH, AS A FREQUENT FLYER. I'M EXCITED FOR THE, UH, EXPANSION AND THE, AND THE, THE, THE VISION FOR, FOR THE AIRPORT. SO THANKS AGAIN FOR ALL YOU DO AND CONTINUE TO DO. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? IF NOT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR WORK AND, UH, WE'LL STAY IN TOUCH. ALRIGHT, BACK TO WORK. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. READY? YEAH. READY FOR IT IN THE BUILDING? NO, WE GOTTA DO THE, UH, YEAH. CITY SECRETARY'S READY FOR ITEM. ARE YOU, ARE YOU GONNA LET HIM? MADAM SECRETARY, WOULD YOU READ ITEM NUMBER ONE? ITEM NUMBER ONE. ITEM NUMBER ONE NEEDS A MOTION. CASTEX TATUM. MOVE I A SECOND. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED PASSES. THAT WOULD BE OUR LIBRARY BOARD INDIVIDUALS WILLING TO GIVE OF THEIR TIME. I WOULD ASK THEM TO STAND AT THIS TIME AND LET US RECOGNIZE THEM. AND THANK YOU. THANK YOU. LET SECRETARY, YOU WANT MAYOR PROTO. MAYOR PROM. CASICK TATUM. THANK YOU MAYOR. I KNOW YOU DID HAVE THE LIBRARY FOUNDATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS TO STAND. UM, I THINK THAT IT, IT WOULD BE PRUDENT FOR US TO, UM, AGAIN, SAY THANK YOU TO THEM. I KNOW THAT WHEN WE HAVE CALLED ON THE LIBRARY BOARD, FOUND THE FOUNDATION BOARD MEMBERS, UM, FOR [04:25:02] PROGRAMMING IN OUR DISTRICTS. UM, THEY MAKE SURE THAT THE, UM, THE, THE, THE TRAILERS THERE, THEY DONATE BOOKS. THEY, THEY PLAY A, A MAJOR ROLE IN ALL OF THE ACTIVITIES THAT WE HAVE GOING ON AT THE HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY. SO WE DO WANT TO, UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR VOLUNTEERISM AND FOR, UM, CONTINUING TO MAKE ACCESS TO KNOWLEDGE AVAILABLE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. AND, AND, UM, WE CANNOT THANK YOU ENOUGH FOR YOUR, YOUR VOLUNTEERISM. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY ALSO, AND, AND VOLUNTEERING YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? MADAM [CONSENT AGENDA] SECRETARY, WILL YOU NOW PROCEED WITH THE CONSENT AGREEMENT AGENDA UNDER THE MISCELLANEOUS CATEGORY? ITEMS TWO AND THREE HAVE BEEN PULLED AND WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. ITEM FOUR NEEDS A MOTION TO MOVE I SECOND. MOTIONS MADE IN SEGMENT. ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED MOTION PASSES UNDER THE PROPERTY CATEGORY. ITEM FIVE HAS BEEN REMOVED AS SEPARATE CONSIDERATION UNDER THE PURCHASING AND TABULATION OF V TABULATION OF V CATEGORY ITEMS. 10, 11, 12, 13, AND 14 HAVE BEEN REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. THOSE NUMBERS AGAIN ARE 10, 11, 12, 13, AND 14. NEED A VOTE ON THE BALANCE? ALL IN ALL IN FAVOR, THOSE OPPOSED. MOTION CARRIES. WE NEED A, I'M SORRY, WE NEED A MOTION. OH, WE NEED MOTION CAST. A MOVE A SECOND. MOTIONS MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR OF THOSE OPPOSED? MOTION PASSES UNDER ORDINANCES. CATEGORY ITEM 52 HAS BEEN PULLED AND WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. ITEMS 25 AND 26 HAVE NOT BEEN RECEIVED AND WILL BE CONSIDERED IF THEY ARE RECEIVED BEFORE THE END OF THE MEETING. ITEMS REMOVED, SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. 33, 34, 35, 38, 40, 44 AND 54. THOSE NUMBERS AGAIN ARE 33, 34, 35, 38, 40, 44 AND 54 NEED A VOTE ON THE BALANCE? 25. 25. SO WE GOT THREE WANT 25. 25 CAN GO BY ITSELF. YEAH, WE JUST, WE CAN'T DO 26 WITHOUT, I'M SORRY. OKAY. CAN'T DO TWO. HOLD ON. [04:30:03] OKAY. MEMBERS OF THE DISCUSSION IS THAT WE, ITEM 26, WE HAVEN'T HAD CERTIFICATION BY THE CONTROLLER, BUT LEGAL AND FINANCE PLEAS, IT WOULD BE PRUDENT TO APPROVE ITEM 25 WITH AUTHORIZES THE, UH, THE BOND. UH, WE WON'T GO FORWARD WITH IT AND OBVIOUSLY UNTIL, UH, WE HAVE A CERTIFICATION ON THE AGREEMENT. BUT, UH, ARTURO, ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION WHY YOU BELIEVE IT WOULD BE SMART TO, UM, APPROVE 25, WHICH IS JUST AUTHORIZING THE ISSUANCE OF THE BONDS, BUT DOES NOT GO FORWARD UNTIL FURTHER, UH, AGREEMENTS ON THE CERTIFICATION? UH, THAT'S CORRECT. UH, THIS IS THE AUTHORIZATION FOR A BOND ISSUANCE. IT HAS NOT, IT IS NOT CONSIDERED AN EXPENDITURE AND WE HAVE NOT DONE THAT. GOING BACK TO MY MEMORY GOES BACK TO THE NINETIES, IT, UH, THE CONTROLLER HAS NEVER CERTIFIED A BOND ISSUANCE UNDER 19 A, WHICH IS A CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENT. SO THIS IS READY TO BE CONSIDERED BY COUNSEL TODAY. ANY DISCUSSION ON SPEAK UP BECAUSE WE CAN'T HEAR MARY. IT WAS JUST, IT WAS HARD TO HEAR THE CITY ATTORNEY COULD, I'LL ASK HIM. RESTATE, LET ME REPEAT THAT. THE, UH, THIS ITEM FOR THE REFUNDING BONDS IS AT THE AUTHORIZATION FOR AN ISSUANCE. IT IS NOT CONSIDERED AN EXPENDITURE THAT THE CONTROLLER CERTIFIES UNDER 19 A OF THE CHARTER. AND THAT HAS TRADITIONALLY BEEN THE CASE GOING BACK AS MY MEMORY GOES TO THE NINETIES, AND WE HAVE LOOKED AT IT IN RECENT YEARS. THERE'S NOT AN INSTANCE WHERE THE CONTROLLER HAS CERTIFIED UNDER 19 A A BOND AUTHORIZATION. COUNCILOR MC CAMAN. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND, SORRY, THIS IS JUST NEWS AND WE HAVEN'T BEEN BRIEFED ON IT. SO I'D LIKE TO ASK THE CITY ATTORNEY A FEW QUESTIONS. 'CAUSE HE REFERENCED COMPONENTS OF THE, UM, CHARTER. SO SPECIFICALLY 19 A REFERS TO WHAT CITY ATTORNEY, UH, I BELIEVE IT IS, UH, ARTICLE ONE, SECTION TWO 19 A OF THE CHARTER ITSELF. RIGHT. BUT WHAT, WHAT DOES THAT PERTAIN TO? WHAT IS 19 A GENERALLY IS THAT JUDGMENT BONDS? IS THAT IT, IT OBLIGATES TO THE CONTROLLER TO CERTIFY AN EXPENDITURE OVER THE AMOUNT FOR WHICH WE HAVE TO GO OUT TO PROCUREMENT UNDER STATE LAW. THE $50,000 CURRENTS, $50,000 LEVEL. AND SO THE ISSUE HERE IS, IS THIS ITEM AND EXPENDITURE UNDER 19 A AND THIS, UH, I DO NOT BELIEVE FROM A LEGAL PERSPECTIVE IT IS BECAUSE IT IS AS SIMPLY AUTHORIZATION. AND THAT'S HOW THE CITY HAS TRADITIONALLY OPERATED. YOU CANNOT FIND GOING BACK SEVERAL DECADES WHERE THE CONTROLLER HAS CERTIFIED UNDER 19 A A BOND ISSUANCE AN ITEM LIKE THIS. SO, SO MAY I RESTATE MORE? SO IN LAYMAN'S TERMS WHAT YOU JUST SAID, BASED ON YOUR RESEARCH, YOU HAVE NOT FOUND A INSTANCE WHERE A CITY CONTROLLER HAS CERTIFIED A BOND ISSUANCE? YES. UH, AN YEAH, AN AUTHORIZATION FOR ISSUANCE SUCH AS THIS ITEM. OKAY. AND DOES THAT ALSO THEN PERTAIN? 'CAUSE I TO ITEM 26, MAYOR, YOU HAD REFERENCED BOTH OF THOSE AND I'M, I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND IF WE VOTE ON 25, ARE WE ALSO TAKING UP 26 OR NO, WE'RE NOT TAKING UP 26. OKAY. 'CAUSE IT REQUIRES CERTIFICATION. OKAY. THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION. MAYOR PRO UH, MAYOR PROTE, CATCH TATUM. THAT WAS MY QUESTION. THAT WAS MY QUESTION. ALSO, IF WE CAN MOVE FORWARD ON 25, WOULD WE MOVE FORWARD ON 26? SO WE CAN PASS 25, BUT WE WILL NOT TAKE UP 26 BECAUSE THE CONTROLLER DOES HAVE TO CERTIFY THE ACTUAL IMPROVEMENT OF THE SETTLEMENT, BUT NOT THE ISSUANCE OF THE BOND. YES, MA'AM. THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING. YEP. MORE? YES. MORE SPECIFICALLY, THE CONTROLLER HAS TO CERTIFY THE EXPENDITURE FOR THE ATTORNEY'S FEES FROM THE CITY'S PROPERTY AND CASUALTY FUND. THE, THE, THE REMAINDER OF IT, WHAT'S GONNA BE EXPENDED UNDER THE CBA? THOSE EXPENDITURES ARE INCREASES IN EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION. THE TEXAS SUPREME COURT HAS SAID THAT IS NOT SUBJECT TO OUR IN A, IN A CITY OF HOUSTON CASE. IT IS NOT SUBJECT TO THE 19 A, THE CONTROLLER CERTIFICATION OBLIGATION. SO TODAY WE WILL MOVE FORWARD ON 25, BUT NOT 20, BUT NOT 26 UNLESS IT COMES IN PRIOR TO US LEAVING TODAY. YES, THAT'S CORRECT. THANK YOU. SO A STATUS REPORT, [04:35:01] IT'S YOUR OPINION THAT IT'S THE 6.5 MILLION IN LEGAL FEES THAT REALLY NEED THE CERTIFICATION, NOT THE SIX 50. YEAH, THE 650 MILLION UNDER THE TEXAS SUPREME COURT PRECEDENT ARE INCREASES IN EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION AND THE COURT SPECIFICALLY RULED 19 EIGHT DOES NOT APPLY TO THAT. VERY GOOD MADAM SECRETARY, YOU WANT TO REREAD THE CONSENT UNDER THE ORDINANCES CATEGORY AGAIN. ITEM 52 HAS BEEN PULLED AND WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED ITEMS REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. ITEM 25, 33, 34, 35, 38, 40, 44 AND 54. ITEM 26 HAS NOT BEEN RECEIVED AND WILL BE CONSIDERED IF IT IS RECEIVED BEFORE THE END OF THE MEETING. SO THOSE NUMBERS AGAIN ARE 25, 33, 34, 35, 38, 40, 44, AND 54. NEED A VOTE ON THE BALANCE? ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED MOTION PASSES. THANK YOU MADAM SECRETARY, WOULD YOU START WITH ITEM FIVE? LET ME, LET ME GET MISTAKE WHEN YOU GET A CHANCE. ITEM FIVE NEEDS A MOTION CAST. TAYLOR. A MOVE I SECOND. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND, A MEMBER HUSBAND. EXCUSE ME. COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN. THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, THIS IS A JUDGMENT AND A CONDEMNATION CASE, UH, THAT'S GONE ON FOR FRANKLY, WAY TOO LONG. UH, THE CITY NEEDS ACCESS TO THE WIND OFME OUTFALL, WHICH IS IN BAD SHAPE. AND THIS EASEMENT'S THE ONLY WAY FOR THE CITY TO GAIN ACCESS AND REPAIR THIS AGING AND FAILING STORM SEWER OUTFALL. UM, IN ADDITION TO THIS ITEM, WHICH I'M OBVIOUSLY IN SUPPORT OF, THERE IS STILL ONE MORE HOMEOWNER IN PINE POINT VILLAGE THAT HAS HELD UP THIS PROCESS SO MUCH. THE EROSION HAS GOTTEN WORSE AND, UM, ENGINEERS HAVE HAD TO GO BACK AND REDESIGN HOW THEY'RE GOING TO FIX THIS OUTFALL. UM, IN THE MEANTIME, UM, CITY OF HOUSTON RESIDENTS HAVE FLOODED FIVE TIMES. UM, I CAN'T EVEN IMAGINE. UM, I FLOODED ONCE. I CAN'T IMAGINE HAVING TO DO IT AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN. BUT I'M GLAD THAT THIS HOMEOWNER WE ARE MOVING FORWARD AND HOPEFULLY, UH, THE LAST, UH, CONDEMNATION CASE WILL BE RESOLVED SOON. THANK YOU. SEAT TO VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 10 NEEDS A MOTION. CASTEX TA MOVE. MOTION MADE IN SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 11 NEEDS A MOTION. CASTEX T MOVE. I SECOND. ALL MOTIONS MADE IN SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? YES. OPPOSED? NO. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 12 NEEDS A MOTION. CASTEX TATUM, MOVE. SECOND. MOTIONS MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 13 NEEDS A MOTION. CASTEX TATUM, MOVE SECOND. MOTIONS MADE. SECONDED. ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 14 NEEDS A MOTION. CASTEX. TAYLOR MOVED. THOMAS SECOND. MOTION IS MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED. MOTION CARRIES. ITEM 24 IS A RESOLUTION. JUST NEED A VOTE. COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD. COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD. GOOD MORNING. MORNING TO EVERYONE AND UH, THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THIS ITEM REALLY QUICKLY. LAST WEEK I HAD, UH, MENTIONED SOME STATS REGARDING, UH, THE BISSONNET CORRIDOR. THAT'S THE AREA ON BINE BETWEEN, UM, US 59 AND BELTWAY EIGHT HISTORICALLY HAS BEEN KNOWN AS ONE OF THE, UH, HUBS FOR PROSTITUTION AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING. UH, THE CRIME LEVELS THERE IN THE PAST HAVE BEEN PRETTY EXTREME, BUT OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS WORKING WITH HPD SPECIFICALLY AND MANY OF THE OTHER, UH, STAKEHOLDERS OF THE AREA, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DRIVE THOSE STATS DRAMATICALLY DOWN. UM, WHEN YOU LOOK AT HUMAN TRAFFICKING, COMMERCIAL SEX ACTS, UH, COMPARED THIS TIME COMPARED TO THIS TIME OF LAST YEAR, IT'S GOING DOWN 70%. PROSTITUTION HAS GONE DOWN 80% PROSTITUTION PURCHASING [04:40:01] 99%. SO PROSTITUTION RELATED AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING RELATED CRIMES AND VIOLATIONS HAVE GONE DOWN IN THAT AREA 88%. UH, BETWEEN, UH, JANUARY ONE AND APRIL 30TH OF LAST YEAR, UH, COMPARED TO THIS YEAR, I MENTIONED ALL THAT BECAUSE ON, ON THE AGENDA TODAY, THIS ITEM IS FOR, UH, THE APPLICATION OF A MULTI-FAMILY DEVELOPER, UH, WHO IS APPLYING TO DEVELOP A 110 UNIT PROPERTY. WHERE AT BISSONNET AND BELTWAY EIGHT. OKAY. RIGHT THERE IN THE HUB OF WHERE WE'VE HAD JUST A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF, UH, ILLEGAL ACTIVITY OVER THE LAST COUPLE DECADES. THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE OVER THE COURSE OF TIME TO IMPROVE THAT AREA IS PROOF IN THIS ITEM THAT A MULTIFAMILY DEVELOPER SEES THE AREA AS THRIVING, SEES THE AREA AS IMPROVING AND WANTS TO INVEST IN A 110 UNIT, UH, PROPERTY, UH, TO GET A TAX CREDIT RIGHT THERE AT 1 0 1 1 2 BISSONNET. SO, UM, THIS IS ENCOURAGING TO ME. I HOPE THIS IS JUST A TREND OF MORE, UM, HOUSING AND RETAIL COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT COMING INTO THE AREA SO WE CAN CONTINUE TO, UH, SHOW THAT BISSONNET IS GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. SO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT MEMBERS. ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED MOTION PASSES. THANK YOU. [CONSIDERATION OF MATTERS REMOVED FROM CONSENT AGENDA] ITEM 25 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED TO VOTE ALL IN FAVOR, THOSE ATTORNEY, WE HAVE, WE HAVE COUNCIL MEMBERS IN QUEUE. I'M SORRY, COUNCILMAN POLLARD. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, WE WERE JUST TOLD THAT THIS ITEM, UH, WAS NOT IN. BUT NOW THAT IT IS IN, UM, MY OFFICE HAS PRESENTED AN AMENDMENT TO ITEM 25. UM, ITEM 25 IS RELATED TO, UM, JUDGMENT OBLIGATIONS TO PAY, UH, THE HOUSTON PROFESSIONAL FIREFIGHTERS, UM, $650 MILLION FOR BACK PAY. WE'VE HAD A LOT OF DISCUSSION OVER THIS, UH, ITEM, NOT ONLY THIS TERM, BUT OVER THE PAST, UH, FOR ME, FOUR AND A HALF YEARS, AND FOR SOME EVEN LONGER. UM, MY ISSUE WITH THE $650 MILLION BACK PAY AGREEMENT IS NOT THAT I DO NOT AGREE THAT THE FIREFIGHTERS SHOULD BE PAID. I BELIEVE THEY SHOULD BE PAID, THEY SHOULD BE PAID WELL, THEY SHOULD BE PAID FAIRLY. OKAY. MY QUESTION HAS ALWAYS BEEN, HOW DID WE GET TO SIX 50 AS THE NUMBER, THE CONTROLLER CAME OUT A COUPLE MONTHS AGO WITH A PRESENTATION THAT STATED THAT BASED ON SCENARIOS OF CALCULATIONS, UH, RELATED TO THE OTHER LARGE CITIES IN TEXAS, BASED ON THOSE NUMBERS, OUR SETTLEMENT PACKAGE SHOULD BE SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 110 MILLION AND 380 MILLION. THE HOUSTON PROFESSIONAL FIREFIGHTERS ASSOCIATION HAS EXPERTS THAT HAVE SAID THAT THEY BELIEVE THE EXPOSURE COULD BE UP TO $1.2 BILLION. MY QUESTION HAS ALWAYS BEEN, WHAT DO OUR EXPERTS SAY? THIS IS A BATTLE OF EXPERTS. CAN SOMEONE TELL ME HOW WE GOT TO SIX 50? OKAY. WHEN I ASKED FOR THAT EQUATION, WHICH IS JUST MATH, OKAY? YOU LOOK TO SEE HOW MANY EMPLOYEES WERE THERE, WHAT THEIR RANK WAS, HOW MUCH THEY GET PAID, UM, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY HOURS DID THEY WORK, HOW, AND THEN YOU COMPARE THAT TO OTHER CITIES AND YOU SEE WHERE WE FALL. WHERE'S THE SHORTFALL? THERE'S NO DENY, THERE'S NO DENYING THAT THERE IS A SHORTFALL. THE QUESTION IS HOW MUCH, ALL RIGHT? I NEGOTIATE SETTLEMENTS EVERY WEEK FOR MY PROFESSION. SO OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS, PLUS, ALL I DO IS NEGOTIATIONS. IF I'M TALKING TO THE OTHER SIDE AND THEY HAVE A FIGURE, I'M GONNA SAY, HOW DID YOU GET THERE? WHEN YOU'RE IN CLASS AND YOU HAVE A, YOU TURN IN YOUR MATH HOMEWORK, YOUR TEACHER MAY SAY, SHOW ME YOUR WORK. HOW DID YOU GET THIS NUMBER? YOU MAY HAVE GOT THE RIGHT NUMBER, BUT HOW DID YOU GET IT? SHOW ME THE WORK. SHOW ME THE MATH. SO SIX 50 MAY BE A GREAT DEAL. I DON'T KNOW, BECAUSE NO ONE IS TELLING US HOW DID THEY GET TO THIS FIGURE? ALL RIGHT. AND SO, UM, BECAUSE OF THAT, I'M NOT COMFORTABLE WITH MOVING FORWARD WITH VOTING ON AN ITEM OF 650 MILLION THAT MAY TAKE 30 YEARS TO PAY OFF. RIGHT? AND WHAT YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND IS MAYORS WILL COME AND [04:45:01] GO. COUNCIL WILL COME AND GO, BUT WE WILL HAVE TO PAY ON THIS FOR THE NEXT 30 YEARS. I'M 39 YEARS OLD. I WOULD BE PAYING ON THIS POSSIBLY UNTIL I'M 69 YEARS OLD. HAVE AN 8-YEAR-OLD SON WHO'S, WHO MAY BE PAYING ON THIS WHEN HE'S 38 YEARS OLD, SAME AGE AS ME TODAY. SO I BELIEVE THAT FOR SOMETHING OF THIS MAGNITUDE, WE SHOULD SEND THIS TO THE VOTERS. IT'S THEIR TAXPAYER MONEY THAT IT IS PUTTING US IN A, IN A, IN A FINANCIAL BIND. AND THEY SHOULD HAVE A VOICE IN WHETHER OR NOT THEY WANT TO SPEND $650 MILLION OVER THE NEXT 25 TO 30 YEARS. SO MY AMENDMENT ON THIS ITEM STATES AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING CITY COUNCIL TO PLACE A PROPOSITION ON THE BALLOT TO HOLD AN ELECTION ON NOVEMBER 5TH, 2024, BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 7:00 AM AND 7:00 PM IN ACCORDANCE TO THE TEXAS ELECTION CODE TO ASK THE QUALIFIED VOTERS OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO VOTE ON A MEASURE AUTHORIZING CERTAIN PARAMETERS RELATING TO THE ISSUANCE OF GENERAL OBLIGATION REFUNDING BONDS SERIES 2024, WHICH SHALL INCLUDE REFUNDING OF APPROXIMATELY $650 MILLION OF JUDGMENT OBLIGATIONS FOR THE PAYMENT TO THE HOUSTON PROFESSIONAL FIREFIGHTERS. I'VE ADDED THAT TO THE LANGUAGE THAT'S ALREADY THERE FOR COUNCIL TO MAKE THE DECISION. SO THIS AMENDMENT IS BASICALLY SAYING, INSTEAD OF COUNCIL MAKING THAT DECISION TODAY, THAT WE WANT TO PUT FORTH THEIR PROPOSITION FOR THE VOTERS OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO BE ABLE TO DECIDE IF THEY WANT TO USE THEIR TAX DOLLARS OVER THE NEXT 30 YEARS FOR THIS AMOUNT, OR IF THEY BELIEVE THAT THAT'S NOT IN THEIR BEST INTEREST. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. UM, NOT ON THIS AMENDMENT. UM, COLLEAGUES. I ALSO HAVE, UM, PRESENTED AN AMENDMENT TO THE ITEM. SIMILARLY, UM, JUST TO UNDERSCORE WHAT MY COLLEAGUE HAS MENTIONED, HOUSTONIANS ARE ASKING, AND THEY WANT GOOD GOVERNANCE. A GOOD GOVERNANCE MEANS ALTHOUGH THEY HAVE SENT US HERE TO THIS ELECTED BODY, IT DOES NOT MEAN THEY HAVE ABSOLVED THEIR RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE IN THE FUTURE OF THIS GREAT CITY. SO THE AMENDMENT SIMILARLY READS, UM, THE LANGUAGE ON THE AGENDA TO ALLOW THIS ITEM TO GO TO THE VOTERS ON THE NEXT UNIFORM ELECTION SO THEY CAN CONTINUE TO PARTICIPATE IN THEIR ENGAGEMENT. UM, WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR CITY REMAINS FINANCIALLY STABLE AND NIMBLE, UM, THROUGHOUT VARIOUS TIMES. AND I THINK THE AMENDMENT TO THIS ITEM DOES THAT. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, MAYOR PRO, MAYOR PROTE, CASTEX, TATUM. THANK YOU, YOU MAYOR. UH, MY QUESTION IS TO, UM, OUR CITY ATTORNEY ON JUNE THE FOURTH. WE HAD A BFA MEETING. AND MY QUESTION WAS, COULD THIS GO TO THE VOTERS? AND I WAS TOLD NO. UH, THAT'S A PRACTICAL LIMITATION BECAUSE, UH, WHEN, WHEN THE, THE JUDICIAL ENFORCEMENT, THE, THE, THE SECOND LAWSUIT CAME BACK TO THE TRIAL COURT, WE WERE UNDER A TRIAL SCHEDULE THAT IT WOULD HAVE HAD US GOING THIS SPRING. UH, IT WAS MOVED BACK ONLY BECAUSE THE PARTIES SAID WE WERE GOING TO TRY TO NEGOTIATE. UH, BUT THE COURT WAS CLEAR AND THE UNION WAS VERY CLEAR THAT IT, WE WERE EITHER GOING TO FISH OR CUT BAIT, SO TO SPEAK. AND IF WE WERE TO GO BACK TO THE COURT AND SAY, UM, AND SAY, WE DO NOT HAVE A SETTLEMENT, THE UNION IS INSISTENT THAT THIS BE SET FOR TRIAL FAIRLY SOON, AND LIKELY WE WOULD HAVE A TRIAL THIS FALL. SO THEN WE WOULD BE IN, IN THE COURTS AT THAT POINT. I'M NOT SURE THAT THERE'D BE ANYTHING TO GO TO THE VOTERS WITH, WITH REGARD TO A SETTLEMENT. NEVER SAY NEVER, BUT I THINK THAT'S THE MOST LIKELY COURSE. I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU SAID, . OKAY. SHOULD I TRY A DIFFERENT WAY THEN? UH, I, I THINK WHAT'LL HAPPEN IS WE WILL NOT HAVE A SETTLEMENT, AND THE JUDGE WILL PUT US ON A TRIAL DOCKET LIKELY THIS FALL, AND THERE WOULD BE NOTHING TO GO TO THE VOTERS ON, BECAUSE WE WOULD BE IN COURT FOR THE NEXT FEW YEARS RATHER THAN HAVING A SETTLEMENT TO GO TO THE, TO THE VOTERS. SO IF THE QUESTION WAS COULD WE SEND THE 650 MILLION TO THE VOTERS, YOU'RE SAYING IF WE DECIDED TO DO THAT, WE WOULD HAVE TO SAY THAT WE DON'T HAVE A DEAL, WE'VE GOTTA GO TO COURT, AND THEN THERE WOULD BE NOTHING TO SEND TO THE VOTERS, BECAUSE NOW WE WOULD BE DELIBERATING IN THE COURTS. CORRECT? CORRECT. AND YOU CANNOT HAVE AN ADVISORY ELECTION IN TEXAS. AND BECAUSE OUR BONDS INDICATE WHAT THEY'RE BEING USED FOR, IF THERE'S NOT A SETTLEMENT FOR WHICH THE, THE MONEY WOULD GO TO, THEN IT'S NOT A PERMISSIBLE ELECTION. UNDER TEXAS LAW, [04:50:02] WE HAVE TO HAVE A, A, WE HAVE TO HAVE A SETTLEMENT IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO ORDER AN ELECTION. SO WE'D HAVE TO AGREE TO THE $650 MILLION VOTE FOR IT. IT WOULD HAVE TO PASS. AND THEN IN ORDER FOR US TO ISSUE THE BOND, HAVE THE BOND ISSUANCE, WE WOULD GO TO THE VOTERS. AND THEN IF THE VOTERS SAY YES, WE WOULD DO THE BOND ISSUANCE. YES, BUT YOU WOULD HAVE A VERY STRICT TIMING ISSUE BECAUSE THE REASON YOU USE REFUNDING JUDGMENT BONDS IS BECAUSE THE SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME IN WHICH TO PAY A JUDGMENT, EITHER THAT OR YOU'RE APPEALING IT, UH, IN WHICH CASE YOU DON'T HAVE A SETTLEMENT. AND WE ALSO, IN OUR OTHER DEBT ISSUANCES IN OUR BOND COVENANTS, WE HAVE LANGUAGE THAT FAILURE TO PAY A JUDGMENT IS AN EVENT OF DEFAULT. SO WE COULD CALL INTO QUESTION OUR CUS OR AIRPORT BONDS WHERE AN INVESTOR COULD MOVE FOR DEFAULT. SO WITH THE TIMING OF A A, A POTENTIAL ELECTION, WILL WE MEET THE TIMELINE IF A SETTLEMENT IS REACHED? IT ALL DEPENDS ON THE TIMING OF IT, UH, OF WHEN IT IS A FINAL JUDGMENT. AND IF IT'S NOT BEING APPEALED, IT BECOMES FINAL, THE COURT LOSES JURISDICTION AFTER 30 DAYS, AND THEN AT THAT POINT IS WHEN THE CLOCK STARTS TICKING WITH REGARD TO OUR OTHER DEAD ISSUANCES. SO IT'S POSSIBLE TO DO THAT, BUT IT'S A VERY STRICT TIMELINE. OKAY. THANK YOU, COUNCIL COUNCILOR KAMAN. THANK YOU. I I HAD FOLLOW UPS ON THAT BECAUSE MY, MY UNDERSTANDING, I'M GONNA WAIT TILL THE CITY ATTORNEY'S AVAILABLE, UH, CITY ATTORNEY. I HAD SOME, A FOLLOW UP QUESTION. 'CAUSE NOW I'M VERY CONFUSED BASED ON, UH, THE MAYOR PRO TEMS QUESTIONS, IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT IF THIS WAS SENT TO THE VOTERS TO DECIDE, IT WOULD BE UP TO THE PARTIES AS TO WHETHER OR NOT TO RESPECT THAT DECISION TO GO TO THE VOTERS. SO OPPOSING COUNSEL OR THE OPPOSING PARTY COULD SAY, WE DON'T WANT THIS TO GO TO THE VOTERS, AND THEN THEY COULD PURSUE AN ACTION IN COURT. BUT THAT'S NOT DEFINITIVE, DEFINITIVE, EXCUSE ME. THAT, AND AGAIN, WE HAD TALKED ABOUT THE PRECEDENT WITH BONDS. SO STANDARD BONDS GO TO, UH, THE VOTERS. WE DO THAT, FOR EXAMPLE, ON EVEN THE SMALLEST OF THINGS. I SAY SMALL TO US, IT'S A LOT OF MONEY. GARBAGE AND RECYCLING WAS PROP G $6 MILLION. PROPOSITION F LIBRARIES, $26 MILLION, UH, CITY HALL FACILITIES, $29 MILLION. THE LIST GOES ON. THOSE HAVE ALL BEEN SENT TO THE VOTERS. AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 650 MILLION PLUS INTEREST. I UNDERSTAND. OR WHAT YOU'VE PREVIOUSLY SAID IS THAT JUDGMENT BONDS ARE NOT REQUIRED TO GO TO THE VOTER, BUT THAT DOESN'T PRECLUDE AS WE HAVE DONE IN THE PAST FROM PUTTING A BOND TO THE VOTER, IT'S THE PARTIES THAT WOULD THEN SAY, YES, OKAY. WE RESPECT COUNSEL'S DECISION TO PUT IT TO THE VOTERS. WE'RE GOOD WITH THAT. THERE IS THAT OPTION. YES. IF YOU, IF YOU MEET THAT, UH, STRAIGHT TIMELINE, IT'S POSSIBLE TO USE A DIFFERENT DEBT ISSUANCE MECHANISM TO, TO PAY A JUDGMENT. OKAY. THANK YOU. OBVIOUSLY, ARTURO, THE LIST OF BONDS THAT THE COUNCIL PERSON LISTED, YOU COULD GO ON AND OWN ANIMAL SHELTER, WHATNOT, ARE NOT THE RESULT OF A LITIGATION SETTLEMENT. THAT'S RIGHT. I THINK MEAN IT'S NOT APP, QUITE FRANKLY, IN ALL DUE RESPECT. I JUST THINK IT'S NOT APPLES AND APPLES TO LIST ALL THE BOND ISSUES THAT GO BEFORE THE PUBLIC. THIS IS PRETTY UNIQUE AND, AND VERY TIME SENSITIVE IS IT WOULD BE THE DIFFERENCE. IT, IT'S, IT'S ABSOLUTELY UNIQUE MAYOR, AND IT'S SUCH A LARGE, UH, AND MONUMENTAL, UH, DECISION. AND I DON'T THINK ANYONE AROUND THIS HORSESHOE, AT LEAST I CAN SPEAK FOR MYSELF PERSONALLY, UM, DOESN'T WANT TO SEE A DEAL DONE, DOESN'T WANT TO SEE SURE. FIREFIGHTERS NOT GET PAID. UH, FOR THOSE OF US THAT HAVE BEEN AROUND THE HORSESHOE, WE DESPERATELY WANT A DEAL DONE. SURE. UH, AND I PERSONALLY AM NOT QUESTIONING THE AMOUNT OR THE CALCULATION, BUT AGAIN, WITH SUCH A LARGE AMOUNT, SURE. WHEN OTHER PROPOSITIONS RELATED TO FIREFIGHTER PAY HAVE [04:55:01] GONE TO THE VOTERS TO CIRCUMVENT THAT, UM, I, I THINK MY COLLEAGUES ARE RAISING IMPORTANT QUESTIONS. SO I'M SIMPLY TRYING TO FLUSH THAT OUT. AND I'M TURN, I WAS WAITING TO RESPOND TOWARD THE END. BUT WHEN YOU WANT GO DISCUSS GOING TO THE VOTERS, I WOULD REFER YOU BACK TO PROP B. THE VOTERS HAVE SPOKEN, UH, TO THE COMPENSATION OF FIREFIGHTERS MORE THAN ONCE, CERTAINLY APPROVING COLLECTIVE BARGAINING. AND I'LL, I'LL WRAP IT UP IN A MINUTE AND LEAVE IT TO THE WHEEL OF THE BODY. BUT LET ME BE REAL CLEAR BEFORE WE DISCUSS IT MUCH MORE. THIS WOULD GUT THE SETTLEMENT AND THE COURT IS PREPARED, UH, AGGRESSIVELY TO GO TO TRIAL, WHICH WILL EXPOSE US TO AS HIGH AS TWICE WHAT THIS SETTLEMENT WAS NEGOTIATED AS. AND WHEN, WHEN COUNCILMAN POLLARD WANTS TO KNOW HOW WE REACH THAT, IT'S, AND YOU'VE NEGOTIATED SETTLEMENTS, THEY STARTED HIGH, WE STARTED LOW. IT'S LIKE A CONDEMNATION PROCESS. ANYTIME YOU HAVE TWO PARTIES AT THE TABLE WITH DIFFERENT RESPONSIBILITIES, YOU REACH A SETTLEMENT, HOPEFULLY. AND THAT'S WHAT THIS IS. IN THIS INSTANCE, WELL DOCUMENTED THAT THIS, UH, WITHOUT A SETTLEMENT, IT WOULD EXPOSE US TO PROBABLY TWICE TO SIX 50. SO LET'S BE REAL CLEAR, THE EXPOSURE WE HAVE IS GREAT AS READING, WE REACHED THIS SETTLEMENT AND ANY, UH, DELAY IS GONNA GUT THAT SETTLEMENT. AND, UH, AND I, I THINK WE, WE HAVE, WE HAVE HUGE RESPONSIBILITIES. AND OF COURSE, THE MESSAGE I WAS GOING TO STRONGLY EMPHASIZE IS, UH, WE'RE OUT OF TIME, AND THIS HAS BEEN AROUND FOR EIGHT YEARS, AND OF COURSE IT WAS GOING TO BE A LARGE NUMBER. MOST FOLKS THOUGHT A BILLION, UH, WORKING WITH THE UNION, WE GOT IT TO SIX 50 WITH OTHER WORKING, UH, CONDITIONS, DISCUSSIONS. SO, UM, WE, IT'S NOT BEEN CERTIFIED THIS MORNING, QUITE FRANKLY. I THOUGHT WE WOULD HAVE THIS DISCUSSION ONCE WE COULD BRING IT UP. BUT, UM, BOTTOM LINE IS WE'RE REALLY NOT, UH, PUTTING THE PUBLIC IN A BIND AS COUNCIL MEMBER POLLER MITCH. WE'RE ACTUALLY KEEPING THEM AND GETTING THEM OUT OF A BIND. THIS HAS BEEN PRESENT FOR EIGHT YEARS. A LOT OF TOUGH NEGOTIATIONS. IT IS A LARGE ITEM. IT WAS ALWAYS GONNA BE A LARGE ITEM. AND I'LL JUST CLOSE BY SAYING ONE OF MY MENTORS, BOB BULLOCK, WHEN YOU CAME OUT WITH A PLAN LIKE THIS THAT'S BEEN WORKED BY MEMBERS IN FINANCE AND HEARINGS, HE WOULD SAY, WHAT'S YOUR PLAN? SO IT'S EASY TO BE AGAINST SOMETHING, BUT IT'S ALSO RESPONSIBILITY. WHAT DO YOU OFFER? UH, THIS HAS BEEN DISCUSSED AND CUSSED AND MENTIONED. THE PUBLIC'S WELL AWARE OF IT. THE PUBLIC WANTS THIS OUT OF THE COURT. I RAN ON IT. AND ANY DELAY IS GOING TO GUT THIS SETTLEMENT. AND TO START OVER IS ABSOLUTELY IN MY JUDGMENT AND EXPERTS, IRRESPONSIBLE. WE HAVE OUTSIDE COUNSEL. UH, YOU CAN LOOK AT THE DECISIONS OF OTHER COURTS DEALING WITH FIREFIGHTERS, COMPENSATION, THIS COURT, AND, YOU KNOW, JUST FROM A POLITICAL PERSPECTIVE, THIS JUDGE, UH, IS WEIGHING THE PUBLIC VIEW IN THE, UH, PRIMARY VOTERS AS WELL. WELL, I, I HOPE THE JUDGE WOULDN'T BE LOOKING AT SAYING THAT IN WOULD BE THE ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH, WHICH I'M SURE SHE IS. NO, THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH WHAT I JUST SAID. THE JUDGE IS WEIGHING THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE POSITION OF THE PARTIES. YES, JUDGES RUN FOR OFFICE AND THEY WANT TO RESPOND TO THEIR CONSTITUENTS. AND THAT WOULD MEAN THE PEOPLE OF HOUSTON AND THE INTERESTED PARTIES TO, TO THINK OTHERWISE IS NAIVE. I DON'T, YES, JUDGES DON'T, ARE WATCHING RIGHT NOW, AND THEY'RE READY TO GO TO TRIAL. SO THIS IS A FAIR SETTLEMENT FOR ALL THE PARTIES. IT GETS THE CITY AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT OUT OF THE COURTS AT A NEGOTIATED SETTLEMENT THAT IS RESPONSIBLE. AND, UH, ACTUALLY THE VOTERS, YOU KNOW, IT'S INTERESTING TO ME. WE TAKE AN OATH AND DECIDE, DO WE REPRESENT THE PUBLIC? AND THIS IS THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO. UH, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE WE COULD SEND BACK TO THE VOTERS. I MEAN, YOU, YOU COULD, IT'S UNLIMITED NUMBER OF, OF THINGS ON THE, YOU KNOW, THE BUDGET. WE COULD SEND A BUDGET THIS MORNING TO THE PUBLIC. [05:00:02] THE PUBLIC SENDS US DOWN HERE TO DO OUR RESPONSIBLE THING, ASK QUESTIONS, NEGOTIATE, BE TOUGH, BUT THEN CARRY OUT YOUR RESPONSIBILITY. SO, AND, AND, AND MAYOR, IF I CAN JUST RECLAIM A QUICK SECOND OF MY TIME TO CLARIFY SOMETHING I DO WANT TO STATE ON THE RECORD, UH, I DO HOPE AND BELIEVE THAT THE JUDGE HERSELF IS LOOKING AT THE LETTER OF THE LAW, NOT POLITICS. THAT'S, THAT'S THE SANCTITY OF A, A JUDICIAL ROLE. UH, AND THAT IS NOT NAIVE. THAT'S A BELIEF IN, IN OUR AMERICAN JUDICIAL SYSTEM. AND I, I I DON'T THINK YOU ARE INFERRING THAT. I JUST WANNA MAKE THE RECORD VERY CLEAR. UH, BUT CITY ATTORNEY TO MY PREVIOUS QUESTION ASKED MORE SIMPLY IF THIS DID, FOR EXAMPLE, COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD OR THOMAS'S AMENDMENT TO SEND THIS TO THE VOTERS AS A BOND, UH, THE PARTIES COULD AGREE TO RESPECT THAT AND MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT. THEY COULD COME TO THE TABLE JUST AS THEY ARE COMING TO THE TABLE STILL ON OTHER THINGS RELATED TO THE CBA AND TOGETHER AGREE THAT THEY ARE GOING TO SEND THIS TO, UH, TO RESPECT THE BOND ITEM. IS THAT CORRECT? IT IS NOT AN AUTOMATIC ANYTHING IS, UH, I THINK THE STATE BEFORE THE COURT IS IF BOTH PARTIES AGREE TO CONTINUE TO NEGOTIATE AND THE COURT SEES PROGRESS, THEN THAT, THAT THAT WILL HAPPEN. BUT IF ONE PARTY DISAGREES, I BELIEVE THERE'LL BE A TRIAL THIS FALL. CORRECT. AND SO, BUT THAT WOULD BE UP TO THE PARTIES. SO IF COUNSEL DID WANT TO SAY, HEY, THIS IS SUCH A LARGE ITEM, THIS IS A BOND ITEM, WE REALLY WANT THE VOTERS TO WEIGH IN HERE AS THEY HAVE DONE ON OTHER ITEMS RELATED TO SPECIFICALLY FIREFIGHTER PAY, BECAUSE THAT IS THEIR RIGHT. THE PARTIES COULD AGREE TO THAT. AND IF THE COURT RECOGNIZED THAT AGREEMENT, IT COULD MOVE FORWARD. THAT IS NOT A CONFLICT. THE PARTIES COULD AGREE. SURE. THE PARTIES COULD AGREE. I THINK THE ONLY QUESTION MARK IS HOW LONG THE COURT WILL ALLOW THIS TO REMAIN WITHOUT BEING FINALIZED. THANK YOU, ARTURO. THERE WOULD BE NO SETTLEMENT WITHOUT THE JUDGMENT BOND. THAT IS A CRITICAL ELEMENT OF THE SETTLEMENT. YES, THAT'S CORRECT. JUDGMENT BOND. THAT'S WHAT THE COURT UNDERSTANDS, CORRECT? CORRECT. AND WHEN I SAY THE JUDGE WILL BE LISTENING TO THE PARTIES, OBVIOUSLY THAT'S WHY YOU GO TO COURT TO HAVE TWO OPPOSING SIDES. THE JUDGE INSTRUCTS YOU TO CONTINUE TALKING AND THE JUDGE DOES WEIGH THE GOOD FAITH OF BOTH PARTIES. THAT'S CORRECT, MAYOR. AND IF I, IF I MAY ADD SOMETHING, I'VE GOTTEN SOME INFORMATION FROM OUR ELECTION LAWYERS IN THE GENERAL COUNSEL SECTION. THEY THINK THESE AMENDMENTS MAY BE OUT OF ORDER UNDER THE, THE POSTING LANGUAGE AND ALSO THE ONE SUBJECT RULE. UH, I DO THINK THOUGH, THAT EVEN IF THIS ITEM DOES PASS AS POSTED, NOTHING HAPPENS UNTIL YOU APPROVE ITEM 26. SO, UH, I THINK THESE ITEMS PER THE ANALYSIS OF OUR ELECTION LAWYERS ARE, UH, ARE NOT IN ORDER. THEY, THEY HAVE DEFECTS RIGHT NOW AS PRESENTED. VERY GOOD. UH, COUNCILOR RAMIREZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. GOOD MORNING, OUR ATTORNEY, UH, MICHELLE, I'VE GOT SOME QUESTIONS WITH REGARD TO COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS'S AMENDMENT, WHICH I WAS JUST HANDED A FEW MINUTES AGO. THIS REFERENCES AN AMENDMENT TO THE CITY CHARTER THIS NOVEMBER. WOULD WE BE ABLE TO AMEND THE CITY CHARTER THIS NOVEMBER? UH, NO. THE, UH, UH, THE CONSTITUTION REQUIRES AT LEAST A, A PASSAGE OF TWO YEARS BEFORE YOU CAN, UH, CONSIDER A CHARTER AMENDMENT BECAUSE CHARTER AMENDMENTS WERE APPROVED PROP A AND B LAST NOVEMBER. IT WOULD BE. AND, AND THE WAY IT WORKS IS YOU LOOK AT A DATE SPECIFIC AND YOU GO TO THAT DATE TWO YEARS, HENCE, IF IT'S NOT QUITE TWO YEARS, YOU GO BEYOND THAT. SO I THINK WE GO TO, UM, 2026, MAY OF 26 BEFORE YOU CAN HAVE A CHARTER AMENDMENT. SO COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS'S AMENDMENT, WHICH REFERENCES THIS, UH, AMENDMENT TO THE CITY CHARTER, THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE LEGALLY, IS THAT RIGHT? FOR THIS NOVEMBER? THAT'S CORRECT. IF COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD'S IS THE SAME, IF IT WERE THE SAME, UH, SAME WOULD BE TRUE. IT WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE TO PUT IT ON THE BALLOT THIS NOVEMBER FOR A CHARTER AMENDMENT. THAT'S CORRECT. NOW, THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE FIREFIGHTERS THAT WE HAVE ON THE TABLE IS THE SUBJECT OF A FINAL JUDGMENT. IS THAT RIGHT? YES. THE COURT HAS ENTERED FINAL JUDGMENT BASED ON THIS AGREEMENT, AND NOW WE ARE TO CONSIDER HOW TO GO FORWARD AND FULFILL OUR PART [05:05:01] OF THIS AGREEMENT. IS THAT RIGHT? YES. THE AGREEMENT IS TIME LIMITED, IS IT NOT? YES. THERE'S WHAT WHAT IS THE, THE LIMIT OF TIME ON, ON FOR US TO DO OUR PART TO FULFILL THIS AGREEMENT? THERE ARE, THEY'RE IN THE NATURE OF TWO THINGS. ONE, THERE ARE THINGS IN THE, IN THE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT, FOR EXAMPLE, BEING ABLE TO FUND THIS BY, BY THE END OF JULY. THE OTHER ISSUE IS BECAUSE THE COURT ENTERED THE FINAL JUDGMENT ON MAY 21ST, IT LOSES JURISDICTION NEXT THURSDAY, THURSDAY OF NEXT WEEK, THE 20TH OF JUNE. AND AT THAT, AT THAT POINT, IF WE DO NOT HAVE, UH, APPROVAL OF THE ITEM, I THINK THE PRUDENT THING IS TO MOVE FOR A NEW TRIAL, UM, AND TELL THE COURT WE DO NOT HAVE COUNSEL APPROVAL. THEN IT IS UP TO THE COURT TO DETERMINE WHETHER IT WILL ALLOW THE PARTIES MORE TIME DENY IT OR SET IT FOR TRIAL. SO, SO AS TO THIS AGREEMENT, WE, WE EITHER HAVE TO DO OUR PART, UH, TO FULFILL THIS FINAL JUDGMENT, UH, OR, OR WE DON'T, AND IF WE DON'T, THEN WE DON'T HAVE AN AGREEMENT THAT WE CAN PUT ON THE BALLOT FOR NOVEMBER. DO WE, THAT WE CANNOT PUT THAT AGREEMENT ON? WE WOULD, THERE WOULD HAVE TO BE A REACH NEW AGREEMENT OR THERE WOULD BE A TRIAL. AND THERE'S BEEN DISCUSSION ABOUT, WELL, BOTH PARTIES COULD AGREE, BUT WE ARE JUST ONE PARTY HERE, ARE WE NOT? THAT'S CORRECT. WE, WE HAVE NO CONTROL OVER WHAT THE FIREFIGHTERS WOULD OR WOULD NOT DO. IS THAT RIGHT? THAT'S CORRECT. AND THE HEARINGS WITH THE COURT, UH, SHE HAD ALLOWED THE SETTLEMENT NEGOTIATIONS TO CONTINUE AS OPPOSED TO A TRIAL, ONLY BECAUSE BOTH PARTIES WERE IN AGREEMENT TO PURSUE THAT. IF ONE DOESN'T, I BELIEVE THERE'LL BE A TRIAL THIS FALL. AND, AND IF WE, AS YOU SAY, IF, IF WE DIDN'T FULFILL OUR END OF THE AGREEMENT, THEN UH, WE WOULD LIKELY GO TO TRIAL. I, THAT'S, THAT'S MY OPINION. YES. AND A TRIAL WOULD ONLY BE AS TO, UH, ONE OF THE SETTLEMENT YEARS. IS THAT RIGHT? WAS IT 2017 OR 2018? UH, A AS IT STANDS RIGHT NOW, IT WOULD BE, UH, FY 2018, THE 1718 YEAR. THE COURT HAS ALSO ORDERED THE SUBSEQUENT YEARS TO BE THE SUBJECT OF NEGOTIATE OF A COLLECTIVE BARGAINING NEGOTIATIONS, WHICH IS FAIR. FAIRLY SHORT TIMELINES, 60 DAYS. AND THEN IF THERE'S AN IMPASSE, THEN WE GO BEFORE THE COURT AGAIN TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE MANDATORY ARBITRATION PROVISIONS APPLY TO THOSE. AND THERE'S AN ISSUE AS TO WHETHER WE HANDLE THOSE YEARS SEPARATELY OR WHETHER THERE'S A CONSOLIDATION OF THEM. THOSE ARE ALL YET TO BE DETERMINED. SO, SO IF WE DON'T APPROVE THIS AGREEMENT, UH, IN IN SHORT ORDER, THEN WE COULD BE IN LITIGATION FOR YEARS AND YEARS TO COME. IS THAT RIGHT? YES. I MEAN, THE, I THINK THESE ARE IMPORTANT ISSUES. FOR EXAMPLE, THE, THE PROP HE PAY PARITY, UH, FROM THE, IN INCEPTION THROUGH THE FINAL DECISION BY THE TEXAS SUPREME COURT TOOK FIVE YEARS. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, COUNCILOR RAMIREZ BRINGS UP SOME GREAT POINTS, AND I THINK JUST FOR SOME CLARIFICATION AS WELL WITH, UH, UH, MAYOR, UH, MAYORAL TEM CASSIUS TATUM. SO IF, IF WE DO NOT, IF WE GO ALONG WITH THIS AND WE END UP IN A LAWSUIT, UH, THE SETTLEMENT BECOMES A BIT HIGHER, WILL WE BE ABLE TO TAKE THAT SETTLEMENT TO THE VOTERS? I THINK YOU CAN ONLY GO TO THE, YOU. I THINK ONE THING I SAID BEFORE IS YOU CANNOT HAVE ADVISORY ELECTIONS IN TEXAS, SO YOU NEED A PROPOSED SETTLEMENT IN ORDER TO GO, IN ORDER TO GO BEFORE THEM. THAT WOULD HAVE TO HAPPEN. IT WOULD EITHER BE THIS SETTLEMENT OR ANOTHER SETTLEMENT PER WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER CAME IN IS SAYING, IF ONE CAN BE REACHED, BUT IT'S SPECULATIVE WHETHER A SEPARATE ONE CAN BE REACHED. SO WE GO INTO LAWSUIT. LET'S SAY IT'S A BILLION DOLLARS. WE CAN'T GIVE THE VOTERS A OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE THAT DECISION AT THAT TIME. UM, WHEN DO WE HAVE TO PAY? WELL, YOU HAVE, I MEAN, IT, IT'S WHEN IT, A PARTY CAN APPEAL. SO DEPENDING ON WHERE THE APPELLATE PROCESS ENDS, ONCE THAT IS FINISHED, OR IF THEY DO NOT APPEAL, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE TYPICALLY THE MANDATE WILL ISSUE WHEN YOU HAVE TO PAY. THAT'S THE APPELLATE COURT ORDER, OR A TRIAL COURT. IT'S AFTER 30 DAYS. THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY, UM, YOU HAVE JUDGMENT BONDS OR REFUNDING BONDS FOR JUDGMENT BECAUSE YOU HAVE A VERY SHORT TIMELINE. AND IT'S DIFFICULT TO COORDINATE THAT WITH, UM, WHEN YOU CAN HOLD AN ELECTION. AND I, I APPRECIATE THOSE ANSWERS, UH, CITY ATTORNEY, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I THINK AT THE END OF THE DAY, UM, THE CONVERSATIONS THAT I'VE HAD, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'VE ALL BEEN ON A CAMPAIGN TRAIL. WE'VE TALKED ABOUT FIREFIGHTERS FOR EIGHT PLUS YEARS. UM, THE ONE THING THAT WE'VE BEEN LACKING FOR A LONG TIME HAS BEEN CERTAINTY, CERTAINTY AROUND THIS HORSESHOE ABOUT WHERE WE ARE WITH THE FIREFIGHTERS, UH, WHERE WE ARE WITH, UH, SERVICE DELIVERY. UM, AND SO AS DIFFICULT AS THIS MIGHT BE AT MAKING A DECISION, UH, I THINK IT, IT'S, [05:10:01] UH, INCUMBENT PART OURSELVES AS A LEADERSHIP BODY TO HELP MAKE THE BEST DECISION FORWARD. UM, AND I THINK ANY, ANY MORE DELAYS, ANY MORE LAWSUITS, UH, WILL CONTINUE TO COST THE CITY MONEY WILL CONTINUE TO, UH, PROVIDE THAT UNCERTAINTY, NOT JUST FOR THE FIREFIGHTERS, UH, WHO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY, BUT ALSO TO THE REST OF THE CITY EMPLOYEES. HOPE, HPOU, UM, JUST BASICALLY THE CITI THE CITIZENS OF HOUSTON, RIGHT? UH, THEY'RE UPSET ABOUT DELAYED TRASH SERVICE. THEY'RE UPSET ABOUT, UM, PARTS STOP BEING MOWED DE LITTERED ON TIME. UM, AND AGAIN, I THINK THIS IS IMPORTANT TO REALLY PUT OUT THERE JUST PLAINLY. UM, IF WE DO NOT MOVE FORWARD AND WE GO INTO A, A, A LAWSUIT AND THE SETTLEMENT IS MUCH HIGHER, THEN WE'RE ACTUALLY PUTTING THE, THE VOTERS AT A, A HIGHER RISK. AND I THINK TODAY, UM, IT'S, IT'S PAST DUE THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO KICK THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD FOR SURE. IT'S PAST DUE THAT, UM, WE CONTINUE TO HAVE LITIGATION, UM, WHEN WE KNOW THAT WE'VE BEEN VOTED TO MAKE THESE DECISIONS. SO I, I APPRECIATE THE CLARITY. UM, AGAIN, IT'S NOT AN EASY DECISION, BUT IT'S A DECISION THAT'S NEEDED, UM, TO BE MADE. AND SO, UM, I, I LOOK FORWARD TO MOVING FORWARD AS THE AGENDA WAS, UH, AGENDA ITEM WAS PRESENTED, I'D LIKE TO INTERJECT. ABSOLUTELY. THIS IS A PUBLIC PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE. THE REASON THIS IS SO IMPORTANT THAT WE'RE HAVING A WHOLE SHIFTS OVER DEMAND APPARATUSES 'CAUSE WE'RE SO UNDERSTAFFED, IT'S COSTING US MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN OVERTIME. WE'RE SHORT ON AMBULANCES. RESPONSE TIME IS GOING UP. I SPOKE TO 31 CADETS TWO MONTHS AGO. 'CAUSE THAT'S ALL WE COULD GET IN A CLASS. SO THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A MONEY ISSUE, BUT IT'S A PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE. WE HAVE AMBULANCES GOING FROM DOWNTOWN TO KINGWOOD TO CLEAR LAKE. IT IS A PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE, AND THE PUBLIC RECOGNIZES IT. EIGHT YEARS OF NEGLECT IS EXPENSIVE TO EXPOSE US TO A TRIAL IS JEOPARDIZING PUBLIC SAFETY TO THE, THE RECRUITS HAVE ALREADY, UH, INCREASED BECAUSE THEY SAW A SETTLEMENT. IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOUR CONTRACT'S GONNA BE, IT'S HARD TO RECRUIT PEOPLE TO PUBLIC SERVICE. SO ANYWAY, I JUST THINK THE DISCUSSION OUGHT TO BE BALANCED WITH WHAT YOU'RE GONNA DO WITH THAT MONEY AND HOW IT IMPACTS PUBLIC SAFETY. AND I'M GONNA RULE IT OUT OF ORDER AND WE CAN CONTINUE TO DISCUSS IT, BUT, UH, IT HAS DEFECTS AND, UH, EVERYONE, ANYONE'S WILLING TO COMMENT. BUT, UM, THE CITY ATTORNEYS ADVISED ME THAT IT HAS DEFECTS AND I'M GONNA RECOGNIZE HIM AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME. VICE MAYOR PROTE. VICE MAYOR PROTE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. IS, IF IT'S GOING TO BE RULED OUT OF ORDER, I GUESS I DON'T NEED TO WELL, THAT'S KIND OF REASON WHY I WENT AHEAD AND, AND WAS TRANSPARENT AND LET YOU KNOW IT'S GONNA BE RULED OUT. ORDER NOW, WE CAN DISCUSS IT, THE PROS AND CONS AS LONG AS YOU'D LIKE. UH, BUT, UH, IT'S DEFECTIVE AND, UH, I'M GONNA RULE IT OUT OF ORDER. WHAT, I'M SORRY, MAYOR. POINT OF CLARIFICATION. THANK, WHICH IS, WHICH IS RULED OUT OF ORDER. I UNDERSTAND. ONE 20 REPRESENTS 25 NUMBER 20 ISSUE 25, THE AMENDMENTS AMENDMENT. I'M SORRY, THE AMENDMENTS, BOTH AMENDMENTS YOU'RE RULING OUT OF ORDER? YES, MA'AM. ON WHAT, ON WHAT GROUNDS? I UNDERSTAND ONE IS REFERENCING THE CITY CHARTER, BUT I DON'T BELIEVE THE SECOND IS. SO COULD THE CITY ATTORNEY OR ME YOU JUST CLARIFY IT FOR THE RECORD? I'D APPRECIATE THAT. UH, WELL, IN ORDER TO BE, UH, UH, THERE ARE THREE THINGS REALLY IN ORDER TO BE, UM, A VALID, UH, ORDER FOR AN ELECTION, THERE'S CERTAIN ITEMS THAT HAVE TO BE IN THERE PER THE ELECTION CODE AND ALSO THE, THE GOVERNMENT CODE FOR A BOND. THERE'S ALSO AN ISSUE IS THAT THIS IS SPECIFICALLY REFUNDING BONDS. THAT'S WHAT STATED IN THE, UH, IN THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT NOTICE THIS WOULD BE A DIFFERENT MECHANISM. SO THERE MAY BE A, A TOOMA ISSUE. UM, AND, UH, LET'S SEE. THE THIRD ITEM WAS, UM, UH, THE, THE, THE ONE SUBJECT RULE, UH, WHICH IS REALLY A CONSTITUTIONAL RULE ON WHEN YOU GO, UH, TO THE, WHEN YOU HAVE A PROPOSITION ON THE BALLOT, IT MAY BE CONSIDERED MORE THAN ONE SUBJECT, BUT AS I SAID BEFORE, EVEN IF COUNSEL PASSES THIS, IT, WE ARE NOT GOING OUT FOR BONDS UNTIL THE, UH, UNTIL THE SETTLEMENT IS APPROVED. AND MAYOR, [05:15:01] OR MAY I ASK ONE OTHER QUESTION? SURE. UH, CITY ATTORNEY, WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT THIS TYPE OF BOND AND THAT TYPE OF BOND, I BELIEVE, WHEN IT CAME TO THE PENSION OBLIGATION BONDS. AND MAYOR, YOU MAY BE MORE FAMILIAR WITH THIS, I BELIEVE, 'CAUSE YOU WERE INVOLVED AT THE STATE LEGISLATURE WHEN THIS HAPPENED, THAT WAS APPROXIMATELY A BILLION DOLLARS, AND THE LEGISLATURE ACTUALLY MADE THE CITY TAKE THAT 1 BILLION TO THE VOTERS. UM, CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE DIFFERENCE THERE? SORRY. RATHER THAN THE LEGISLATURE, IT'S A STATUTORY LANGUAGE. YOU KNOW, DOES THE STATUTORY LANGUAGE REQUIRE THAT IT BE, UM, VOTER APPROVED OR NOT? UH, I THINK IT'S, IT'S PRETTY CLEAR THAT THE REFUNDING JUDGMENT BONDS THAT WE'RE USING HERE DO NOT REQUIRE VOTER APPROVAL. SEVERAL OTHER MECHANISMS IN THE GOVERNMENT CODE DO REQUIRE THAT, RIGHT? BUT DO NOT REQUIRE AND ARE PERMISSIBLE OR TWO DISTINCT THINGS. TRUE. UH, I I MEAN, I I'M NOT TAKING ISSUE WITH THE FACT THAT IF THE TIMING WERE RIGHT AND IF THE PARTIES AGREED, YOU COULD FUND THIS BY VOTER APPROVAL. I THINK THOSE ARE TWO BIG OBSTACLES THOUGH, IN, IN MOVING FORWARD ON THE JUDGMENT. P COUNCILOR PECK VICE. WELL, I WAS GOING TO TALK AGAINST THE AMENDMENT, BUT IF IT'S RULED OUT OF ORDER, THEN YEAH, GUESS I DON'T NEED TO. COUNCILOR THOMAS, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS, THANK YOU SO MUCH. UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH. I, YOU KNOW, FOR ME, THE, UH, SETTING THE AMENDMENT WAS BASED OFF OF PRINCIPLE BECAUSE HOUSTONIANS, AGAIN, WANT GOOD GOVERNANCE AND THEY HAVE TO KNOW THAT THEIR REPRESENTATIVES ARE REPRESENTING THEM TO THE BEST OF THE ABILITY. AND THAT'S WHAT I'M DOING. UM, MY COLLEAGUE TO MY RIGHT COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ, AND I DO NOT SHARE THE SAME CONSTITUENCY. UM, UH, RESIDENTS EMAIL THE OFFICE. THEY SEE ME IN THE GROCERY STORE, THEY ASK ME AT THE CIVIC CLUB, AND THEY ASK, HOW ARE WE GONNA PAY FOR THIS? SO I CAN APPRECIATE HIS INQUIRY, BUT THE REALITY IS, IS THAT I'M NOT BANKROLLED BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, UH, OR THE FIRE UNION. I DIDN'T HAVE THEIR SUPPORT TERM ONE, TERM. TWO, THERE ARE NO POLITICAL PROMISES. AND SO TO COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ'S COMMENTS ABOUT CERTAINTY, I THINK YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. WE DO NEED CERTAINTY, BUT WHEN WE CREATE A SUPPOSED CERTAINTY FOR ONE GROUP, WE'RE GONNA CREATE AN UNCERTAINTY FOR ANOTHER 2.3 MILLION HOUSTONIANS THAT THEIR INSURANCE HAS DOUBLED. THE WATER BILLS ARE WATER BILLING, UH, THE RENT IS DUE EVERY MONTH, AND WE HAVE NOT OFFERED THEM ANY ADDITIONAL REVENUE, UH, STREAMS. WE HAVE NOT OFFERED THEM ANYTHING BUT A PROPERTY TAX INCREASE, A TRASH FEE, AND THEN THE MILK IS $5 A GALLON. SO I DO THINK WE HAVE TO, UM, UH, UH, UH, TRANSITION FROM POLITICAL CAMPAIGN POINTS BECAUSE I'M SURE MANY OF MY COLLEAGUES AROUND THIS HORSESHOE TALKED ABOUT THE FINANCIAL STABILITY OF THIS CITY. YOU CAMPAIGNED ON SEND ME TO CITY HALL BECAUSE THE CITY'S FINANCES ARE A WRECK. AND NOW THAT WE'RE HERE, WE'RE WILLING TO ABSOLVE OUR ABILITY TO INVESTIGATE AND INTERROGATE THE CITY FINANCES FOR THE NEXT 30 YEARS. THAT'S WHAT WE'RE WILLING TO DO. I'M NOT WILLING TO DO THAT. SO I FOUND WITH IT BEING RULED OUTTA ORDER, BUT ON THE RECORD, THE RESIDENTS THAT I REPRESENT, UM, THE HOUSTONIANS THAT SEE ME THROUGH THE, UH, THROUGH THE HALLWAYS AND THROUGH EVENTS, AND THEY WHISPER IN MY EAR, KEEP GOING, KEEP ASKING THOSE QUESTIONS, I'M AT PEACE WITH THAT. I'M READY TO VOTE ON THE ITEM. UH, NUMBER 25. BUT I WOULD ALSO SAY THAT PROP B WAS ABOUT A PAY PARITY WITH HPD. THIS ITEM IS ABOUT A PRIVATE INDUSTRY. THESE ARE NOT THE SAME. SO, UM, HOUSTONIANS WERE UNDER THE BELIEF THAT THEY WANTED THEIR HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THEIR HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT TO MAKE THE SAME AMOUNT. THE DISCUSSION AND THE ITEM AT THE TABLE TODAY IS NOT THE SAME. NO ONE CAN, WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY FOR ANYTHING. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY, WHEN I, UH, VISITED, UM, HOUSTON FIRE STATION 76 IN, IN EARLY 2020, I WROTE ON THEM WITH THE C SHIFT. THERE WAS A CALL, THERE WAS AN INFANT THAT WAS CHOKING. WE WENT TO IMPERIAL POINT, AND WHAT I WITNESSED THOSE MEN AND WOMEN DO WITH THAT BABY ON THE GROUND CHOKING, YOU CAN'T PAY FOR THAT. THESE INDIVIDUALS LEAVE THEIR HOME TO REMOVE DEBRIS, KNOCK DOWN DOORS TO GET SENIORS OUT. YOU CAN'T PAY FOR THAT. THAT'S NEVER ON THE TABLE. WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTION AND VALUE OF THE MEN AND WOMEN OF HOUSTON FIRE PARAMEDICS OR FIREFIGHTERS AT THIS TABLE. IT'S ABOUT THE FINANCIAL STABILITY OF THE CITY AND WHAT'S AVAILABLE TO US TODAY. WHAT'S AVAILABLE AS WE LOOK AT A A, A ACTIVE, UM, HURRICANE SEASON, WHAT'S AVAILABLE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT HOPE AND POLICE, AND WE'VE MINIMIZED THIS JUST TO EMPLOYEE GROUPS, BUT THIS IS ALSO ABOUT THE RESIDENTS THAT ULTIMATELY HAVE TO BEAR THAT BRUNT. UM, WHEN I'M 72 YEARS OLD, WE'LL BE CELEBRATING THE PAYMENT OF THIS BILL, BUT WHO'S TO SAY THAT WE WON'T CREATE A MASS EXODUS OF HOUSTON FIRE WHEN WE'RE ISSUING [05:20:01] A QUARTER MILLION DOLLAR CASH SETTLEMENT? ONE TIME, PAY A 10% INCREASE MOVING FORWARD. THEY, SOME OF THEM ALMOST HAVE A MILLION DOLLAR PENSION. AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK TO THIS BODY IN FISCAL 27 TALKING ABOUT WE HAVE TO OUTSOURCE PARAMEDICS BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE, UM, THE PEOPLE TO RECRUIT TO COME INTO THE, UM, COME INTO THE HOU, UH, DEPARTMENT. SO, UM, I'M FOUND WITH THIS BEING RULED OUTTA ORDER, I'M READY TO VOTE ON 25. THANK YOU. WOULD YOU LIKE TO ALSO HAVE AN AMENDMENT TO SUBMIT THE SEVEN, ABOUT 7 MILLION BILLION DOLLARS BUDGET THAT WE'RE GONNA TAKE UP LATER? WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEND THAT TO THE VOTERS? UM, I DON'T HAVE A BUDGET AMENDMENT. I DON'T HAVE ANY I DON'T BELIEVE IN NO, I'M SAYING THE WHOLE CONCEPT. THOSE ARE NOT, THAT'S NOT THE SAME THING. THE, THE CITY'S BUDGET IMPACTS 2.3 MILLION HOUSTONIANS. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SERVICES IT A SEVEN DAY. THIS IS ONE, THIS IS ONE EMPLOYEE GROUP, RIGHT? AND SO IF THE BOND WAS OBVIOUSLY HOUSTON FIRE POLICE AND HOPE WE'RE GONNA BOND AND WE'RE GONNA ADD SOME SIDEWALKS AND WE'RE GONNA PUT SOME CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS IN THERE. I THINK HOUSTONIANS WILL SAY ABSOLUTELY RIGHT? BECAUSE THEY SEE, THEY, THEY SEE THEMSELVES IN THAT. SO, NO, I THINK THOSE ARE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS, BUT THOSE ITEMS ARE NOT TIED UP IN COURT WITH THE JUDGE SAYING MOVE. SO ANYWAY, I RESPECT YOU. ALL RIGHT. I MEAN, I GET IT, BUT YOU KNOW, I WANNA SEE THE ORDER WHERE THEY SAID WE CAN'T TALK ABOUT IT BECAUSE THAT KEEPS TALKING ABOUT THIS, THIS INVISIBLE ORDER IN THIS COURT ORDER. PRODUCE THE ORDER. WE HAVE A DEADLINE COUNSELOR. WELL, OKAY, SO NOW WE'RE NOT GONNA PRODUCE THE ORDER. OKAY. LISTEN AGAIN, I'M READY TO VOTE ON 25 MINUTES. I KNOW IT, BUT I WANNA MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE UNDERSTAND THE GRAVITY OF, UH, OUR POSITIONS AND, UH, I'M, I'M FINE. NO, YOU ARE. I THANK YOU. I'M GOOD. NEVER DONE MAYOR PROTE CASTEX DATA. THANK, THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, AND I GUESS FOR ME IT IS, IT IS A VERY DIFFICULT POSITION AND, UM, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE SAT IN THESE SEATS OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS AND WE COULDN'T GET TO AN ACTUAL NUMBER. NOW WE'VE GOTTEN TO AN ACTUAL NUMBER AND I THINK THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT SIGNED, UM, PROPOSITION BII, I DON'T THINK WE CAN FIND ONE PERSON THAT WE CAN GO OUT TO AND SAY, DO YOU SUPPORT THE FIREFIGHTERS THAT WOULD SAY, NO. THERE, THERE'S NOT A PERSON THAT WOULD SAY NO. BUT I DO THINK THAT THE, OF ALL, THE PEOPLE THAT SIGNED PROPOSITION B IN SUPPORT OF FIREFIGHTERS MAKING THE SAME AS, UM, POLICE OFFICERS AND, AND IN SUPPORT OF FIREFIGHTERS, UM, WE HAVE A NUMBER NOW. AND I THINK THAT THOSE PEOPLE AND THE PEOPLE OF HOUSTON SHOULD HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO WEIGH IN. AND WHETHER THAT IS VIA ELECTION OR, UM, THROUGH FEEDBACK, BECAUSE ENGAGEMENT IS HARD, UM, FOR PEOPLE TO ENGAGE IS HARD FOR PEOPLE TO KNOW ALL THE DETAILS. AND FOR US TO COMMUNICATE THE DETAILS IS HARD WHEN YOU ARE JUST GETTING ALL THE DETAILS. UM, MY QUESTION WOULD BE, IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ASK THE COURT TO POSTPONE THE TRIAL PENDING A VOTE BY VOTERS SAY THAT THERE WOULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY? I SUSPECT IT WOULD BE OPPOSED BY THE UNION. I DIDN'T HEAR YOU SAY IT AGAIN. THERE WOULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT. I SUSPECT IT WOULD BE OPPOSED BY THE UNION. YOU OKAY. IT WOULD BE OPPOSED BY THE UNION. YEAH. AND IN MY, IN THE COURT HEARINGS WE HAD BEFORE, THE COURT TO ME WAS CLEAR THAT SHE WAS ONLY DELAYING THE TRIAL AS LONG AS BOTH PARTIES WERE IN AGREEMENT. SO I THINK IF THERE'S A DIVISION BETWEEN THEM, THAT'S WHY I'VE BEEN EMPHASIZING, I BELIEVE THERE WILL BE A TRIAL HELD THIS YEAR. THEN MY, MY NEXT QUESTION WOULD BE, IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO ASK THE UNION IF THEY WOULD AGREE TO ALLOW A COURT TO POSTPONE THE TRIAL PENDING A VOTE TO THE VOTERS? YES, THERE WOULD BE THAT OPPORTUNITY. THEN MY NEXT QUESTION WOULD BE, IS THAT SOMETHING YOU WOULD BE WILLING TO DO AS AN ADMINISTRATION? NO, WE CAN BRING IT UP TO THEM. THEY'VE, IN THE NEGOTIATIONS, THEY'VE BEEN VERY FIRM ABOUT THE DEADLINE. THE COURT IS READY TO GO TO TRIAL. I MEAN, SURE, I CAN ASK THEM. YEAH, WE'LL DO IT. I WE'LL GET 'EM DOWN HERE TODAY. YOU OBVIOUSLY KNOW, UH, THE RESPONSE THEY'RE GONNA HAVE. THEY'VE GOT, UH, WORKING CONDITIONS MM-HMM . STAFFING ISSUES THAT THEY KNOW ARE CREATING A SERIOUS THREAT TO PUBLIC SAFETY. SO YEAH, WOULD I COMMUNICATE IT? YEAH. YOU THINK THEY'RE NOT WATCHING IT. THEY'RE WATCHING IT IN THE FIREHOUSES AS WE TALK AND, UH, WHERE THE MORALE HAS BEEN AT AN ALL TIME RECENT HIGH, UH, [05:25:01] YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST AMAZING COUNCIL, REMEMBER THAT WE WATCHED THEM WORK IN KINGWOOD. WE WATCH 'EM WORK IN RECENT STORMS ENDANGERING THEIR LIVES. A CADET COMES OUT AT $40,000. THEY TAKE PAY CUTS TO TAKE THIS JOB. AND SO THEY TAKE THIS LAWSUIT VERY SERIOUS, AS YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN HERE FOR EIGHT YEARS, UH, THE DISPUTE, AND IT'S, AND, AND I DON'T, I DON'T AGREE. I THINK MOST OF THIS CAMPAIGN DISAGREE WITH CAN I CAMPAIGN TO GET 'EM OUT OF THE COURT, START PAYING FIREFIGHTERS AND NOT LAWYERS. AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS MORNING. I AGREE. I THINK THAT I'M, I'M SUPPORTIVE OF THE PAY GOING FORWARD. THE QUESTION IS THE 650 MILLION SURE IN BACK PAY, I, I DEFINITELY WANT CADETS TO MAKE MORE MONEY. I DEFINITELY THINK OUR FIREFIGHTERS DESERVE TO BE PAID MORE. THE QUESTION IS JUST MY, MY UNCERTAINTY IS THE PEOPLE WHO SIGNED ON PROP B, SHOULD THEY WEIGH IN AND SHOULD THEY NOW HAVE A NUMBER TO CORRELATE WITH THAT SIGNATURE? YOU, YOU AGREED THAT THEY SHOULD MAKE THE MONEY. UM, WE DIDN'T HAVE A NUMBER, WE DIDN'T HAVE A NUMBER FOR THEM. WE JUST SAID, DO YOU SUPPORT THE FIREFIGHTERS? EVERYBODY'S GOING TO SAY YES TO THAT. NOW THE QUESTION IS $36 MILLION PER YEAR. IT'S A HUGE IN ADDITION. SO IT, IT'S A DIFFERENT QUESTION. IT'S A MORE CERTAIN QUESTION THAT HAS A PRICE TAG ON IT. SURE. WELL, WE CAN'T SEPARATE THE BOND FROM THE SETTLEMENT. IT'S AN INCREMENT PART OF THE SOLUTION. AND ALL I CAN TELL YOU IS WE'LL BE YEARS AWAY FROM A SETTLEMENT. IF WE GO TO TRIAL AND THERE'S APPEALS, THE COST WILL ONLY GO UP, THE UNCERTAINTY WILL ONLY GO UP. THE RECRUITMENT OPPORTUNITIES WILL GO DOWN. UH, SO ALL I'M SIMPLY SAYING IS IT'S, IT'S VERY COMPLEX. IT'S BEEN IN THE WORKS FOR YEARS. WE REACHED A SETTLEMENT. THE COURT IS WATCHING. WE'RE ON A VERY STRICT TIMETABLE. SO THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A REFERENDUM, WE WOULDN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT WE'D PUT ON THE BALLOT FOR YEARS. YOU CAN'T PUT SIX 50 ON THERE. 'CAUSE THAT'S, THAT'S NOT GOING, WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE A SETTLEMENT. SO YOU'RE LOOKING PROBABLY AFTER SEVERAL, I'M NOT EVEN SURE THE MEMBERS WILL, SOME OF THE MEMBERS WILL STILL BE HERE DUE TO TERM LIMITS. THE SIX 50 WILL GO AWAY, THEN WE'LL GO TO TRIAL. MOST PEOPLE THINK THE EXPOSURE'S MUCH GREATER, THEN IT'S GOING TO BE APPEALED. SO JUST BE REAL HONEST WITH EACH OTHER. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, I'M NOT EVEN SURE THE PROPOSAL, THE PROPOSALS OF THIS AMENDMENT WILL EVEN BE HERE TO HAVE ANOTHER VOTE. WHAT ARE YOU GONNA SEND TO THE PUBLIC? YOU CAN'T SEND 'EM SIX 50 'CAUSE THE SETTLEMENT'S GONNA GO AWAY WHEN YOU GO TO TRIAL. SO I DON'T KNOW. WE'RE PLAYING WITH FIRE. WE HAVE A SOLUTION THAT HAS BEEN WELL NEGOTIATED. THE PUBLIC UNDERSTANDS THAT TO START OVER, MOST PEOPLE WOULD SAY IRRESPONSIBLE. AND THAT'S WHAT THIS VOTE IS ALL ABOUT. BECAUSE WE CAN'T PUT SIX 50 ON A BALLOT TILL WE GET IN A SETTLEMENT. BUT THE FIREFIGHTERS, LORD KNOWS, YOU ASKED ME TO TALK TO 'EM. I'LL GET 'EM DOWN HERE BEFORE WE ADJOURN. THEY'RE READY TO GO TO TRIAL IF WE IGNORE THIS GOOD FAITH SETTLEMENT. SO YOU MAY NOT, IN ALL DUE RESPECT, STILL BE ON COUNCIL WHEN IT COMES BACK TO WHAT WE SEND TO THE PUBLIC. AND I PROMISE YOU, AFTER CAMPAIGNING ACROSS THIS CITY, THE VOTERS WANT A RESOLUTION TO THIS. AND I'M OF THE STRONG OPINION I HAVE TO SPEND MY ENTIRE ADULT LIFE IN OFFICE. THAT'S WHY WE GOT ELECTED TO MAKE TOUGH CALLS, JUST LIKE WE'RE GONNA DO ON THE BUDGET LATER TODAY, JUST LIKE WE DO ON WHETHER WE'RE GONNA PUT $8 MILLION INTO DRAINAGE, WE WANNA SEND THAT TO THE REVEREND. THIS IS NOT JUST A TYPICAL BOND ISSUE THAT YOU SEND TO THE VOTERS. IT IS ESTABLISHED AS A JUDGMENT BOND. IT'S A VEHICLE THAT WHATEVER PAYOUT THAT YOU WANNA PROPOSE, DEPENDING ON INTEREST RATE, TIME IS GONNA BE A BIG NUMBER. I WOULD THINK A CONSERVATIVE BUSINESS GROUP, LIKE THE PARTNERSHIP WHO CAME OUT YESTERDAY AND SUPPORTED THE SETTLEMENT WAS EXPECTING AND TELLING THEIR BOARD IT WAS GONNA BE A BILLION DOLLAR SETTLEMENT. WE DID A GOOD JOB ON BEHALF OF THE TAXPAYERS AND THE FIREFIGHTERS UNDERSTAND THE SETTLEMENT. THEY'RE IN SUPPORT OF IT. SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE REALLY RISKING A SOLUTION OF A GOOD SETTLEMENT. AND IT IS A PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE, JUST A CLEAR [05:30:01] PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE THAT IS IMPACTED BY FINANCES. SO IF Y'ALL WANT TO CONTINUE TO TALK ABOUT IT OR WE CAN, UH, UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S OUT OF ORDER. MEMBER POLLARD. COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THIS HAS BEEN SOME GOOD DISCUSSION. UM, A FEW THINGS HAVE BEEN MENTIONED. ONE, THE CITY ATTORNEY SAID IT IS POSSIBLE FOR THIS TO, FOR THIS AMENDMENT TO, UH, BE VALID BASED ON BOTH PARTIES BEING ABLE TO AGREE. OKAY? THERE'S BEEN NEGOTIATIONS ON THIS ON THE, ON THE SIX 50 CBA EVEN LAST NIGHT WE WERE GETTING EMAILS ABOUT CHANGES TO THE DEAL. ANYTHING CAN BE NEGOTIATED IN A NEGOTIATION. SO IF THE PARTIES WANTED TO AGREE THAT THE JUDGMENT IS BASED ON THE VOTERS, THEY CAN AGREE TO THAT. THE CITY ATTORNEYS ALREADY ALREADY SAID THAT THE TRIAL WILL PROBABLY GET SET FOR THE FALL. WELL, THAT'S WHERE THIS ELECTION WOULD TAKE PLACE. THIS WILL BE A PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION. OUR HIGHEST VOTING TURNOUT ELECTION. THE MAYOR STATED THAT THE FIREFIGHTERS STARTED HIGH, WE STARTED LOW. MY ONLY ISSUE IS WHERE DID WE START? WHAT, HOW DID WE GET TO THIS NUMBER? THE FIREFIGHTERS HAVE SAID 1.2 BILLION IS THEIR NUMBER. WHAT'S OUR NUMBER? WE REPRESENT THE CITY AND THE CITY'S TAXPAYERS. AND THEN WHEN WE GET TO THAT NUMBER, HOW DID YOU GET IT? EXPLAIN HOW THAT'S MY, MY ONLY QUESTION IN THIS WHOLE ISSUE IS SIX 50 SEEMS HIGHER THAN ANTICIPATED. THE CITY CONTROLLER SAID HIS TOP WAS 380 MILLION. THAT'S THE CITY CONTROLLER. HIS, HIS HIS HEAD GUY IS THE, WAS THE, WAS THE DIRECTOR OF FINANCE LAST YEAR. SO THAT'S A BIG GAP BETWEEN 380 MILLION AND 650 MILLION. AND WHEN THE CITY IS ALREADY PROCLAIMED TO BE BROKE, WE HAVE TO DO ALL THAT WE CAN TO ENSURE THAT THE DOLLARS THAT WE SPEND ARE REASONABLE. $300 MILLION GAP. THAT'S A HUGE DIFFERENCE. SO MY BIGGEST THING IS THAT WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF JUSTIFICATION FOR THE NUMBERS. AS AN ATTORNEY, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE WHAT OUR EXPERTS ARE SAYING SINCE IT'S A BATTLE OF EXPERTS. IF WE STARTED LOW, WHAT'S THAT LOW NUMBER AND WHY WAS IT THAT LOW? NO ONE CAN SEEM TO GIMME THAT ANSWER, BUT YOU WANT ME TO VOTE ON 650 MILLION THAT WILL TIE INTO A 1.5 BILLION PLUS DEAL THAT GETS PAID OVER 30 YEARS THAT THE TAXPAYERS HAVE TO PAY FOR A CITY THAT SELF-PROCLAIMED IS BROKE. THAT DOESN'T MAKE A LOT OF FISCAL SENSE TO ME. NOW, IT'S NOT MY MONEY. AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT'S THE TAXPAYER'S MONEY. SO MY AMENDMENT SAYS, HEY, IF Y'ALL WANNA SPEND SIX 50, GREAT. NO PROBLEMS. IT'S YOUR MONEY. YOU CAN DO WHATEVER YOU WANT WITH IT. BUT WITH A BILL THAT HIGH THAT THEY'RE PAYING ON IT FOR 30 YEARS, WHY WOULDN'T THEY HAVE A CHANCE TO SAY, YES, WE AGREE WITH PAYING 650 MILLION FOR 30 YEARS. AND IF THEY DON'T GUESS WHAT YOU GUYS NEGOTIATE AND GO BACK TO COURT OR YOU GET A, A, A NEW SETTLEMENT. SO MY PLAN IS, SINCE YOU, SINCE THE THE QUESTION WAS POSED, WELL, WHAT WOULD YOU DO? WELL, FIRST THING I WOULD DO IS I WOULD GIVE IT TO THE VOTERS. I WOULD GIVE IT TO THE VOTERS. IF THE VOTERS DON'T APPROVE IT, YOU COME WITH YOUR SETTLEMENT TERMS AND YOU GET IT DONE. COULD I, COULD I, SO MY, MY BIGGEST THING IS THREE MONTHS OF A, OF A WAIT, RIGHT? FROM, TO GET TO THE, UH, TO THE, TO THE BALLOT, WHICH EARLY VOTE WOULD START IN OCTOBER. THAT'S NOT, THAT'S NOT UNREASONABLE FOR $650 MILLION OVER 30 YEARS. IT'S THEIR MONEY. LET THEM HAVE A VOICE. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER, I URGE YOU, I URGE YOU TO RECOGNIZE THERE WILL BE NOTHING TO PUT ON THE NOVEMBER BALLOT BECAUSE WE'RE GOING BACK TO TRIAL. WE'RE GONNA GO TO COURT AND THE FIREMEN WILL NOT START OVER. SO WE'RE GONNA LITIGATE IT. SO THERE'S NOTHING FOR YOU TO TALK ABOUT IN THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION. IT, THAT'S WHEN THE TRIAL WILL JUST START. THEN THERE WILL BE A PROCESS OF GOING TO COURT. THEN THERE'S [05:35:01] GONNA BE AN APPEAL AND YOU KNOW, IT'LL BE THREE OR FOUR YEARS. IN THE MEANTIME, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, QUITE FRANKLY, HEMORRHAGES FROM LACK OF FIREFIGHTERS, EQUIPMENT WILL CONTINUE TO PAY OVERTIME. AND I JUST URGE YOU TO RECOGNIZE THE PROCESS. SOME OF YOU'VE BEEN HERE FOUR YEARS AND WE'RE SO MUCH FURTHER ALONG, WE'VE GOT A SETTLEMENT AND YOU KNOW HOW IT'S A SETTLEMENT IS REACHED. YOU GIVE, I GIVE AND WE REACH SOMETHING THAT WE CAN LIVE WITH THAT WE THINK IS RESPONSIBLE. AND THAT'S WHERE WE FIND OURSELF TODAY. NOW CAN YOU TELL US WHAT'S IT SOUNDS GREAT. AND, AND LORD KNOWS I'VE WATCHED IT IN THE LEGISLATURE FOR MANY, MANY YEARS. WHEN SOMEONE DOESN'T WANT TO TAKE A TOUGH, MAKE A TOUGH DECISION, THEY JUST SAID, LET'S JUST MAKE IT A REFERENDUM. THAT'S NOT IN MY JUDGMENT, IN MY LONG CAREER WHY WE'RE ELECTED. WE'RE ELECTED TO CARRY OUT OUR RESPONSIBILITY. AND IT IS A TOUGH VOTE. IT'S A HUGE RESPONSIBILITY, BUT IT'S ONLY GONNA GET TOUGHER IF WE DON'T RESOLVE IT. WITH THIS NEGOTIATED SETTLEMENT. IT WILL ONLY GET TOUGHER AND MORE EXPENSIVE. THAT'S WHAT EXPERTS, THE ATTORNEYS THAT WE'VE PAID MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO. IT WILL ONLY BE MORE EXPENSIVE IN TERMS OF LEGAL COSTS, BUT ALSO IN THE ULTIMATE SETTLEMENT. IS THERE ANY WAY FOR THE ADMINISTRATION TO TELL US WHAT THE LOW NUMBER WAS? WHAT WAS OUR NUMBER? THERE WAS NOT A FIXED NUMBER ON EITHER SIDE. WE, WE DIDN'T OFFER A NUMBER, SIR. DID WE OFFER A NUMBER? IT IT WAS . NO, WE DID NOT OFFER A NUMBER. WE OF COURSE OFFERED NUMBERS THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS AND YOU KNOW IT LIKE I DO AND I WOULD JUST LIKE TO KNOW WHAT WERE THE NUMBERS? THAT'S ALL I'M ASKING. WE'VE HEARD 1.2 FROM THE OPPOSING SIDE. WE'VE HEARD THEIR NUMBER VERY, VERY RESPECTFULLY. I WOULD JUST LIKE TO KNOW WHAT, WHAT IF I TOLD YOU 400 MILLION? WOULD THAT MAKE YOU FEEL GOOD? IF THAT IS THE ACCURATE NUMBER IS I DON'T WANT IT JUST A RANDOM NUMBER. IT'S A BALLPARK FIGURE. SO A BALLPARK FIGURE WAS WE STARTED AT 400. YES. AND DO WE HAVE, UM, THE METRICS BEHIND HOW WE GOT TO 400? SURE DID. YEAH. AND NOW I WOULD THANK YOU FOR THAT. MY BIG THING IS WE'RE HERE ABOUT TO VOTE ON THIS NOW. NONE OF US HAVE EVER SEEN THAT. YOU WANT US TO VOTE? CAN I SPEAK JUST SURE FOR A MOMENT? SURE. YOU WANT US TO VOTE ON SIX? A TOUGH VOTE ON 650 MILLION AND WE'VE NEVER SEEN OUR LOW NUMBER. WE NEVER UNDERSTOOD WHY THAT WAS OUR LOW NUMBER. IT WAS FOR DISCUSSION. AND SO THAT, THAT'S BEEN MY ONLY ISSUE WITH THIS ENTIRE PART. WELL, THAT'S REASON I WENT AHEAD AND, AND, AND PROBABLY VIOLATED SOME CONFIDENCE. NO, YOU DIDN'T BECAUSE THE OTHER SIDE ALREADY GAVE THEIR NUMBER. SO YOU'RE GOOD. THE OTHER SIDE ALREADY GAVE THEIR NUMBER. YEAH, LEMME JUST TELL YOU WHAT, LET'S VOTE EVERYBODY. CALL EVERYBODY KNOWS WHAT THE ISSUE IS. ROLL CALL. THERE'S A TIME TO CAMPAIGN. NO, NO, NO, NO, NO. CASTILLO'S STILL IN THE FIRST TIME. I'M SORRY. CAST CARTER AND ALCORN. IT'S ON THE AMENDMENT. ROLL. OKAY. SLOW DOWN. REVEREND DAVIS. ROLL CALL ON THE AMENDMENT. SURE. ON THE AMENDMENT. ON THE AMENDMENT. AM I SPEAKING IF I MAY? OKAY, ARE WE VOTING OR ARE WE SPEAKING IN THE QUEUE? IF I MAY I, I'M SORRY. YEAH. OKAY. YES, THE AMENDMENTS WERE RULED OUT OF ORDER. YES. SO THAT IT'S NOT BEFORE THE BODY RIGHT NOW. NO RULE. LET'S VOTE ON THE MAY NINE. LET'S, NO, LET'S GET BACK ON THE ITEM. ON THE ITEM TO ITEM ISSUE 25. SO WE'RE CALLING THE VOTE ON ITEM 25. IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE READY TO DO? NOT THESE WERE POINT OF CLARIFICATION. CAN THE CITY ATTORNEY PLEASE GIVE AN EXPLANATION AGAIN ON WHY THE ITEM, THE AMENDMENT LANGUAGE THAT I PUT FORWARD THAT DID NOT REFERENCE THE CHARTER IS BEING RULED OUT OF ORDER WHEN IT IS THE EXACT SAME LANGUAGE THAT IS PULLED FROM THE BACKUP, THAT JUST ADDS THAT IT SHOULD BE FOR AN ELECTION DATE FOR THE VOTERS TO APPROVE THE BOND MEASURE. UH, IT IT, ONE, THERE'S AN OPEN MEETINGS ACT ISSUE BECAUSE THE, THE, THE POSTING DIDN'T INDICATE GOING TO THE VOTERS. THERE'S ALSO AN ISSUE AS TO WHETHER IF YOU, IF YOU HAVE AN AMENDMENT FOR NOT GOING TO THE VOTERS AND GOING AND AMENDING THAT, YOU MIGHT HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THE, UH, THE ONE SUBJECT RULE. WE MIGHT OR WE DO. WE WE MIGHT, I HAVEN'T LOOKED INTO THAT. SO IF IT'S A MIGHT, WHY, HOW IS IT RULED OUT OF ORDER ON A MIGHT BECAUSE OF THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT. IS IT PRETTY CLEAR? IT DOESN'T COMPORT WITH THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT? [05:40:05] OKAY, THE VOTES ON ITEM 25. WHAT? WITHOUT AMENDMENTS CLERK CALL. UM, SECRETARY CALL ROLE MAY I BELIEVE THERE'S OTHER MEMBERS IN QUEUE. THE ITEM ONE. YES. ITEM 25 ON THE ITEM. HE'S CALLING THE ITEM. THE ITEM ONLY THE ITEM ON YOUR AGENDA. CLERK, SECRETARY, CO ROLL. NO SIR. DISCUSSION. SHE'S IN ON, ON THE DISCUSSION ON THE ITEM ITSELF. I APOLOGIZE. NO, NO WORRIES. COUNCIL, THANK YOU. UM, COLLEAGUES, UM, THIS HAS BEEN A GOOD DISCUSSION. I MEAN, THIS IS A LOT OF MONEY. THIS IS MORE MONEY THAN WE'RE USED TO SEEING AND IT'S NOT JUST 650 MILLION, IT'S UP 1.3 BILLION OR SO OVER TIME, WHICH I GET SOMETHING I BROUGHT UP NUMEROUS TIMES. IT NEVER, NOBODY EVER SEEMS TO HAVE AN APPETITE FOR IT IS I WANNA MAKE SURE, ARE WE, I'D LIKE TO PAY SOME OF THIS DOWN WITH SOME OF OUR, SOME OF OUR, UM, MONEY BECAUSE WE HAVE EXTRA MONEY. I KNOW IT'S NOT A LOT AND I KNOW IT'S COMMITTED EVERY WHICH WAY, BUT WE HAVE MORE, MORE FUND BALANCE THAN WE'VE HAD EVER. AND THIS IS A LONG TIME. THIS IS A LONG PERIOD OF TIME TO PUT THIS MUCH MONEY TO, UH, TO THE TAXPAYERS, TO ALL OF US TO, TO OUR CITY BUDGET. UM, I THE SIX 50 IS FINE. I'M FINE WITH THE SIX 50. IT'S THE FUNDING. IF WE, IF WE MADE THAT SIX 30, WE SAVE $40 MILLION OVER TIME. WE PUT IN 20, WE GET 20, WE SAVE $20 MILLION OVER TIME. THAT'S REAL MONEY. MY QUESTION IS, IF WE, IF WE APPROVE 25, UM, ARE WE, ARE WE COMMITTED TO THAT SIX 50? COULD WE, IF THIS BODY DECIDES, UM, TO LOWER THAT THAT AMOUNT, COULD WE MAKE IT FOR A LESSER AMOUNT IF WE CAME UP WITH THE, WITH THE AMOUNT? UM, ANOTHER WAY, NOW I KNOW IT'S, IT'S RISKY BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF OBLIGATIONS IN FRONT OF US AND THAT'S WHAT I'VE GOTTEN FROM THE FINANCE DIRECTOR AND THAT'S WHAT I'VE GOTTEN FROM THE CONTROLLER. NOBODY SEEMS REALLY EAGER TO DO IT. I'D FEEL BETTER JUST LOWERING THIS ABOUT JUST A LITTLE BIT WITH SOME OF THAT ONETIME MONEY. THE ONLY REASON WE HAVE A BIG FUND BALANCE IS BECAUSE OF THE ARPA MONEY THAT THIS IS A ONETIME EXPENSE THAT WAS ONETIME MONEY. IT MATCHES. SO I WOULD BE, UM, I WOULD FEEL COMFORTABLE IF, I MEAN, I, I'M, I'M READY TO PASS THIS. I JUST WANNA KNOW IF THERE'S ANY APPETITE WHATSOEVER IN, IN LOWERING THAT, UM, AMOUNT TO DECREASE THE AMOUNT OVER TIME THAT, THAT WE PAY. THOSE, THOSE UNFUNDED UH, THE SURPLUS FUNDS YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ARE OBVIOUSLY COMMITTED. THEY'RE TO THE BUDGET WE'RE FIXING TO TAKE UP. 189 OF THEM ARE 199 MILLION ARE, THERE'S 91 MILLION LEFT. LEMME WHAT THERE'S REQUESTS OR REQUESTS COMING IN AS WE SIT HERE. I'M SORRY. THERE'S REQUESTS FOR ADDITIONAL EXPENDITURES COMING IN AS WE TALK. SO PROBABLY, AND WE'VE GOT TO HAVE RESERVES, EMERGENCY FUNDING, THE NEGOTIATED SETTLEMENT, UH, LOOKING AT INTEREST RATES AND, AND THE, UH, BOND AUTHORITIES ALL ANTICIPATED THIS PAY PAYOUT PERIOD AND WE CAN ALWAYS REFINANCE IT. INTEREST RATES GO DOWN, WE'LL REVISIT IT AND THAT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE TIME TO PAY IT DOWN DEPENDING ON THE CITY'S FINANCES. I HAVE SOME PRETTY AMBITIOUS PLANS TO TRY TO GET ADDITIONAL RESOURCES. I WOULD NOT BE LAYING THIS OUT IN FRONT OF YOU IF I DID NOT KNOW MY RESPONSIBILITY TO WORK WITH YOU AND COME UP FOR ADDITIONAL REVENUE. AND IT'LL BE SIGNIFICANT IF WE'RE GONNA PUT THIS CITY ON PROPER FOOTING GOING FORWARD. AND THAT'S WHEN YOU KNOW, THERE AGAIN, EVERYTHING WE WANT TO THINK AND NEW CONCEPTS AND IDEAS, IAND ON THE BALLOT WILL BE AT A STANDSTILL. WE JUST COME TO A STANDSTILL. SO ANYWAY, I APPRECIATE YOU. I UNDERSTAND, AND MANY YEARS AGO WHEN WE GOT THE ARPA MONEY, MANY PEOPLE SAID, THIS IS ONE TIME MONEY, WE SHOULD SETTLE THIS DEAL AND WE DIDN'T DO IT. I GET IT AT THAT. AND, UM, SO ANYWAY, I PROMISE YOU WE'LL REVISIT IT. TRY TO PAY IT DOWN, BUT WE DON'T EVEN KNOW THE, THE BOTTOM FIGURE IF WE DON'T HAVE A SETTLEMENT. AND THAT'S WHAT'S AT STAKE WITH THIS VOTE. THANK YOU, CASTILLO. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. THANK YOU MAYOR, AND I APPRECIATE ALL THE CONVERSATION THAT WE'VE HAD. UH, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF CLARITY. MY QUESTIONS FOLLOW UP ON MAYOR PRO TEMS QUESTIONS. YOU KNOW, IF, AND THROUGH ALL THE DISCUSSION, IF BOTH PARTIES ARE IN AGREEMENT, THEN THE COURT'S NOT GONNA ORDER THE TRIAL. AND, YOU KNOW, YOU SAID YOU'D BE WILLING TO TALK TO THE UNION. AND SO IF WE, IF WE TAG THIS TO GIVE YOU A WEEK TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THE UNION, YOU KNOW, AND WE'RE BOTH IN AGREEMENT, WOULD THAT OFFER A PATH FOR US TO CONTINUE TO HAVE THIS SETTLEMENT IN PLACE? NOT HAVE THE TRIAL ORDER, BUT BE ABLE TO [05:45:01] ASK THE VOTERS, YOU KNOW, THEIR OPINION ON THIS AMOUNT AND THIS, THIS BOND. NOTHING'S GONNA CHANGE, NOTHING'S GONNA CHANGE FROM BEING INVOLVED. I ACTUALLY SAW A UNION REPRESENTATIVE WALKING THROUGH HERE. I MEAN, I'M GETTING TO SHOW ONE MEAN YES, TWO MEANS NO. UH, THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR EIGHT YEARS. THE PUBLIC'S TIRED OF READING ABOUT IT. THEY ELECTED US, ELECTED YOU TO MAKE A RESPONSIBLE, TOUGH DECISION. AND WE'VE DONE IT. AND SO, UH, I THINK IT'D BE WRONG TO TAG IT. WE'VE GOT A FULL DAY AHEAD OF US. WE'VE GOT OTHER ISSUES TO TAKE UP. THERE'S NO SECRET COUNCIL MEMBER. ALCORN'S DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB AND CERTAINLY A JOINT COMMITTEE HEARING WITH CAYMAN. THERE'S BEEN HEARING, AFTER HEARING ON THIS, IT'S NOT GONNA CHANGE. YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOME PEOPLE CRITICAL OF THIS. THERE WAS 22 FINANCE MEETINGS. I UNDERSTAND THERE'S SOME IN INDIVIDUALS CRITICAL THAT THEY WENT TO TWO OF THE FINANCIAL MEETINGS. SO THIS IS, THIS IS LIFE AND DEATH. PUBLIC SAFETY, CITY'S FINANCES. AND I THINK THE PUBLIC EXPECTS US TO MAKE A DECISION. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS, THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, TO YOU MAYOR, AND TO MY COLLEAGUES. I'D LIKE TO MAKE MY WORDS, EXPRESS THEM. AND I CERTAINLY WANT TO PRAY THAT I CAN SEE RIGHT IN REGARDS TO US TODAY. AND I PRAY TODAY AS I DO EVERY DAY. NOT THAT ANY, I'M NOT ASKING ANYBODY TO BELIEVE IN MY PRAYERS, BUT MY ISSUE IS BASED UPON WHAT HAS HAPPENED PRIOR. ALL OF US RESPECT. I RESPECT EVERY INDIVIDUAL AROUND THIS HORSESHOE. GOD KNOWS. I DON'T SAY A LOT. OF COURSE, EVERYBODY HAVE THE PRIVILEGE TOO. AND I TRY NOT TO, UNLESS IT'S SOMEBODY THINK I HAVE SOME KNOWLEDGE OF OR OPINION OF. I MEAN, SOME MAY DO IT MORE, BUT I THINK IT'S IMPERATIVE TO ALL OF US. RESPECTFULLY. I HEARD FROM, AS I LISTENED TO COUNCILMAN POLLARD, COUNCIL, THOMAS MAYOR PRO, TIM TATUM, OTHERS WHO HAVE EXPRESSED THEIR OPINION ABOUT THIS, HOW WE GO ABOUT IT. THE PROBLEM IS, WE HAVE TO ADMIT THE FACT THAT WE ARE BROKE. AND I THINK ALL OF US CAN ADMIT TO THAT. NOW, HIGHWAY YOU CALL BROKE. EVERYBODY HAVE OPINION ON BROKE. NOW, HERE'S THE DEAL. I SAID THIS MAYOR, AND I'LL SAY IT AGAIN. AND WE REPRESENT ALL. NOW, I, I WAS LISTED TO COUNCILMAN THOMAS AND I WAS LISTED HER PASSION AND COMPASSION. SHE WAS SPEAKING TOWARD COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ. BUT YOU KNOW, AND I, I UNDERSTAND IT, BUT WE REPRESENT EVERYBODY. YOU KNOW, I KNOW WE HAVE DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBERS, BUT THAT LARGE REPRESENT THE WHOLE CITY. 'CAUSE THE WHOLE CITY VOTED FOR US. BUT I DO WANT TO, I DO WANT TO MAKE THE POINT THAT, LISTEN, WHATEVER THAT NUMBER WAS, IF THAT THE NUMBER HAD TO COME FORWARD AND THE NUMBER HAD HAVE BEEN LOWER AND, AND, AND RESPECTFULLY, AS COUNCILMAN POLLARD WAS TALKING ABOUT A NUMBER, WHAT WAS THAT NUMBER? AND HE CERTAINLY HAD A RIGHT TO ASK THAT QUESTION. BUT WHATEVER THAT NUMBER WAS, IT STILL HAD TO BE A NEGOTIATION TO BE ACCEPTED BY THE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE FIREFIGHTERS UNION. WE KNOW THAT IN THE COURT AND IN THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING THERE, A LOT OF INFORMATION CANNOT BE REVEALED AS IT WAS PRIOR TO MAYOR WHITMEYER ADMINISTRATION. A LOT OF THIS DISCUSSION HAD NOT GOT TO THAT POINT. 'CAUSE IT WASN'T SOMETHING THAT COULD BE REVEALED. NOW, WHETHER WE ARE 650 MILLION BROKE, OR 1.6 OR $7 BILLION BROKE, BROKE IS BROKE. AND IF I GOTTA DIG OUT OF A HOLE, I'D RATHER DIG OUT OF A HOLE AT 650 MILLION, THEN 1.7 BILLION. I DON'T THINK ANYBODY IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WOULD WANT TO PAY A, A HIGHER DEBT THAN A LOWER DEBT. NOW, I THINK IT'S IMPERATIVE THAT WE UNDERSTAND WHAT WE TALKING ABOUT. THE FIRE FIGHTERS, SAME THING. I WOULD ARGUE FOR THE POLICE AS WELL AS THE UNION WORKERS. WE'VE GOTTA TAKE SERIOUS. WE ARE, WE GOT PROBLEMS. BUT THAT'S WHAT LEADERSHIP IS ABOUT, TACKLING PROBLEMS. AND SO I WOULD HOPE THAT WE TAKE A GREAT CONSIDERATION OF THE FACT THAT THESE MEN AND [05:50:01] WOMEN ARE THE FIREFIGHTERS OF THIS CITY, THAT WE CAN RESPECT THE FACT THAT IT'S BEEN EIGHT YEARS AND THIS HAS BEEN MOVED AND MOVED AND MOVED. I WOULD LOVE TO SEE US MOVE FORWARD AND LET US GO ABOUT DOING THE BUSINESS OF THE CITY. THIS AIN'T GONNA BE THE ONLY PROBLEM WE HAVE IN HOUSTON, TEXAS, BUT I JUST BELIEVE THAT WE CAN UNIFY OURSELVES. AND I JUST BELIEVE THAT, UH, IT CAN BE DONE. THIS IS NOT A, AN OPPORTUNITY ABOUT WHO HAS THE BEST IDEA. I DON'T THINK THAT SHOULD BE THE ISSUE. MAYOR, I, I, I JUST WANNA SAY THAT I, WHATEVER YOU'VE DONE, YOU'VE DONE WHAT YOU NEEDED TO DO OR TRIED TO DO AND BROUGHT IT BEFORE US. AND I THINK THIS IS A HARD DECISION. MAYOR PRO TEM MADE A POINT THAT I THINK WAS VALID. COUNCIL MEMBER IKO MADE THE SAME. THERE ARE A LOT OF PLANS. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE MAYOR'S PLAN GOING TO BE, BUT IT MAY BE SOMETHING THAT WILL BENEFIT THE WHOLE ENTIRE CITY. BUT I THINK WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD. LET'S DO AND MAKE SOME HARD DECISIONS AND LET'S GO FORWARD AND MAKE OUR CITY BETTER. AND I DON'T WANT TO SEE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT LOSE ANY MORE PEOPLE. WE ARE SHORT 500 FIREFIGHTERS. WHAT'S SOME OF THE OPPONENTS OF GOING FORWARD THIS MORNING ARE FAILING TO INCLUDE THAT THROUGH NEGOTIATIONS. WE GOT A NEW PROPOSED FIVE YEAR CONTRACT. NOW, THINK ABOUT THAT. YEARS WITHOUT A CONTRACT, EIGHT YEARS OF BACK BENEFITS, WE REACH A SETTLEMENT ON THAT. AND THEN WE'RE ABLE TO TELL OUR FIREFIGHTERS AND WE'VE AGREED TO A NEW FIVE YEAR CONTRACT. I, I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW IMPORTANT THAT IS TO PUBLIC SAFETY. SO WE CAN KNOW THAT WE'VE GOT STABILITY IN OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT. WE'RE GONNA HAVE SUFFICIENT NUMBER OF FIRE MEN AND WOMEN EMS, THE PUBLIC KNOWS THAT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT NEEDS ASSISTANCE. THIS WILL GUT THE SETTLEMENT. WE'LL GO BACK TO COURT. THE COURT WILL ORDERS TO TRIAL STARTING IN SEP IN, IN, IN THE FALL LENGTHY TRIAL, A JUDGMENT. IT'LL BE APPEALED. WE'RE YEARS AWAY FROM SOLVING OUR PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE OF ADEQUATE FIRE SERVICES. AND THAT'S WHAT IS BEFORE US. YOU KNOW, WE GO, I COULD, I COULD GIVE THE LIMITS. OBVIOUSLY EVERY ONE OF US HAS BEEN IN NEGOTIATIONS. YOU START LOW, THEY START HIGH. AND WE DID A HECK OF A JOB, HECK OF A JOB TO WRAP IT UP AT SIX 50. AND MAYOR, I WAS NO ONE THOUGHT WE COULD DO IT. YEAH. AND THAT'S BEFORE IT'S EXPENSIVE BECAUSE REMEMBER HOW WE GOT HERE? IT WAS ALWAYS GONNA BE EXPENSIVE. YEAH. THE DIFFERENCE IS NOBODY WAS TRANSPARENT ABOUT IT. WHEN DID Y'ALL, WHEN DOES ANYBODY DISCUSS AT THIS HORSESHOE? WE MAY BE OUT 1,000,000,002 OR THREE IF WE DON'T GET OVER THERE AND DEAL IN GOOD FAITH. SO, YOU KNOW, THE PUBLIC UNDERSTANDS VOTERS ARE A LOT SMARTER THAN SOME FOLKS GIVE 'EM CREDIT. THEY KNOW WHAT'S AT STAKE. ABSOLUTELY. FIRE PROTECTION, MEDICAL ASSISTANCE. THE SAME FOLKS THAT PULLED US OUT OF THE LAST STORMS PICKING UP LIVE WIRES OFF OF TWO 90. WE NEED TO MOVE ON WITH A SOLID, REASONABLE FINANCIAL SETTLEMENT AND LET THE FIREFIGHTERS KNOW THEY'VE GOT A FUTURE WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND THEY WILL HELP US IN RECRUITING. AND THAT. AND THAT'S ONLY THE THING I'M, I'M CONCERNED WITH TOO, MARY. LASTLY, I'M CONCERNED WITH I FIREFIGHTERS AND PEOPLE WANTING TO BE A FIREFIGHTER. NO, YOU SHOULD BE CONCERNED THAT, THAT THAT IS VERY CRITICAL IN THIS RESPECT. AND ALSO WHATEVER DECISION GOING TO BE, WE GONNA KEEP SPENDING MORE MONEY. I AND, AND WE'VE ALREADY, I ASKED, I ASKED THE, UH, CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE SEVERAL WEEKS BACK, A MONTH OR SO AGO, HOW MUCH DID WE SPEND FIGHTING THIS THING? OVER THE YEARS, WE WILL ALMOST $2 MILLION. AND IF IT GOES BACK INTO COURT GOING THROUGH THIS PROCESS, WE GONNA SPEND MORE MONEY. EVEN IF WE DECIDE TO GO TO THE ELECTION, WE'RE GONNA SPEND MORE MONEY. DO YOU KNOW WHAT? THIS SETTLEMENT, FORT WORTH WILL STILL BE PAYING THEIR FIREFIGHTERS MORE THAN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. WE'RE IN SUCH A DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENT WITH OUR PETROCHEMICAL, WITH OUR PORT. THE BEST WAY WE CAN GET READY FOR HURRICANE SEASON IS HAVE ADEQUATE FIRST RESPONDERS. STARTING WITH FIREFIGHTERS IS JUST AMAZING TO ME. IT'S EXPENSIVE TO RUN CITY GOVERNMENT. IT'S EXPENSIVE TO HAVE PUBLIC SAFETY. AND [05:55:01] IT'S BEEN NEGLECTED FOR YEARS AND YEARS. WHERE WAS THIS DISCUSSION A YEAR AGO? EIGHT YEARS AGO? IT WASN'T ALLOWED, BUT THE PUBLIC UNDERSTANDS. AND YOU SEE THESE FIREFIGHTERS OUT ON THE FREEWAY PROTECTING THE POLICE AND INVESTIGATING AN ACCIDENT. I MEAN, EVERYWHERE YOU LOOK, WE'VE GOT TO HAVE A VERY VIABLE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND WE DON'T HAVE IT. SO ANYWAY, I THINK EVERYBODY KNOWS THE ISSUE. YEAH. UM, CARTER IS NEXT COUNCIL MEMBER. CARTER. CARTER. THANK YOU, MAYOR. NOT, NOT TO BELABOR APPOINTMENT, BUT COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS, YOU MENTIONED THAT THE WHOLE CITY VOTED FOR YOU AND MAYOR, YOU REFERENCED THAT THE PUBLIC KNOWS LESS THAN 10% OF THE POPULATION OF THE CITY VOTES ON AN ANNUAL, ON ANY ELECTION. I MEAN, DEPENDING ON WHAT THE ELECTION, I MEAN, YOU JUST RAN. SO YOU KNOW THAT IN THEORY, YOU, WE WERE ALL ELECTED, BUT THE WHOLE CITY DIDN'T VOTE. THIS IMPACTS THE ENTIRE CITY'S PUBLIC SAFETY IN A BIG WAY. THEY ELECTED US, THEY, WHOEVER VOTED, WHOMEVER, NOT THE WHOLE CITY, BUT THAT, THAT'S FRACTION THAT VOTED. I MEAN, LOOK AT THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT'S RECENT ELECTIONS. I MEAN, LIKE NOW, LIKE, LOOK AT THE, THE LATEST AND GREATEST. NO ONE VOTES, RIGHT? WE HAVE A PROBLEM. THE APATHY OF VOTERS. SO TO PUT THIS BACK TO VOTERS, IN ANY SENSE, SHAPE OR FORM, OBVIOUSLY NOT NOVEMBER, BUT KICKING IT DOWN THE ROAD AND PUTTING IT IN FRONT OF VOTERS, THE SAME VOTERS WHO VOTED ON PROP B BEFORE WILL VOTE AGAIN. SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S TIME. I BELIEVE IT'S TIME THAT, THAT WE VOTE AS A BODY ELECTED TO VOTE AND REPRESENT THAT PUBLIC. WHO KNOWS? AND THAT WHOLE CITY WHO VOTED THANK YOU. MY, MY COMMENT. COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER WAS NOT TAKE IT TO THE BALLOT THAT, THAT, THAT BEFORE YOU, BUT YOU REFERENC THE WHOLE CITY. NO, I WAS MAKING REFERENCE TO POINT OF ORDER. YOU CAN RAISE THAT POINT OF ORDER. I'LL RULE IT AND LET THE GENTLEMAN FINISH THIS QUESTION. WHAT I WAS, I WAS RESPONDING TO MY KINDLY COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, THOMAS, WHEN SHE WAS SPEAKING TO JUNIOR MAYORS. I, MY COMMENT WAS NOT TO THE EXTENT ABOUT THE BALLOT. COUNCILMAN CARTER FOR CORRECTION? THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER PECK, VICE, VICE MAYOR PROAM PECK. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, FIRST THANK YOU FOR, UM, BRINGING THIS ITEM FORWARD. THIS IS A BIG DEAL TO GET TO THIS POINT. I MEAN, IT'S BEEN SO MANY YEARS. THE FIREFIGHTERS NEED TO GET PAID. THEY DESERVE TO GET PAID WHAT THEY DESERVE. AND THIS, I THINK BRINGS US TOWARDS THAT. UM, YOU KNOW, IF WE DON'T VOTE IN FAVOR OF THIS RIGHT NOW, IT'S JUST GOING TO GO BACK TO THE COURTS. I THINK WE ALL KNOW THAT. WE'VE ALL EXPRESSED THAT. UM, AND THERE'LL BE MORE YEARS OF COURT CASES AND LOOK AT WHERE ALL OF THE YEARS OF COURT CASES GOT US. IT GOT US TO $650 MILLION. SO IF WE GO BACK TO COURT, IT'S GONNA BE YEARS. AND WHAT ARE WE GOING TO BE LEFT WITH IN THE BILLION DOLLAR RANGE? SO IT'S TIME TO JUST MOVE FORWARD, VOTE THIS THROUGH, AND MAKE SURE THAT OUR FIREFIGHTERS GET PAID. I DO WANNA, UM, COMMENT THOUGH ON COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN'S POINT ABOUT IF THERE'S A WAY TO PAY DOWN SOME OF THIS WITH OUR FUND BALANCE SO THAT OUR, UM, AMOUNTS THAT WE'RE GOING FOR THE BOND IS LESSENED. I THINK THAT WE SHOULD DO EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN TO REDUCE THAT AMOUNT USING FUND BALANCE OR WHATEVER OTHER SOURCES OF FUNDING WE CAN FIND TO LOWER THAT AMOUNT, UM, TO REDUCE OUR LIABILITY. THANK YOU. OBVIOUSLY THAT MAKES SENSE. AND WE'LL BE LOOKING FOR THAT OPPORTUNITY. I'M, I'LL MAKE THAT PUBLIC COMMITMENT. WE'LL BE LOOKING AT INTEREST RATES AND WHERE, AND GET THE MOST BANG FOR OUR LIMITED DOLLARS. COUNCILMAN THOMAS? I KNOW YOU'RE READY TO VOTE. I, THAT'S, I WAS GOING CALL A ITEM. MR. MAYOR, LET'S MOVE. I CALL THE QUESTION YEAH, CALL A QUESTION. NO, I WAS THE LAST ONE. I'VE GOT FOUR MORE . THOMAS. I KNOW WHAT, I KNOW WHAT YOU WANT NOW. NOW LET'S SEE WHAT CAME IN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, ONE, I JUST WANT TO, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE VOTERS, SO TO SAY. NO ONE VOTES, SO WE SHOULDN'T SEND SOMETHING TO THE VOTERS. UH, YEAH, I THINK WE ALL HERE RESPECT THE RESIDENTS OF HOUSTON AND OUR CITIZENS WHO DO TURN OUT, WHO DO VOTE. WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN ENCOURAGING MORE VOTING AND COUNCIL MEMBER. I'M NOT IMPLYING THAT YOU ARE SUGGESTING THAT AT ALL, BUT I DO WANT TO IMPRESS UPON ALL OF US, ALL OF US IN THIS BODY, THE IMPORTANCE OF VOTERS SPEAKING. UM, THE QUESTIONS I HAD MAYOR, PERTAINING TO THE ORIGINAL ITEM, THE 650 MILLION PLUS IS ALREADY ACCOUNTED FOR WITHIN THE CURRENT BUDGET THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE VOTING ON. IS THAT CORRECT, SIR? DEBT SERVICE. THE DEBT SERVICE [06:00:01] IS INCLUDED. YES, MA'AM. SO I, AGAIN, I RECOGNIZE A LOT OF MY COLLEAGUES WANNA MOVE FORWARD TODAY. UH, THE CITY ATTORNEY, WHERE DO YOU GO? SORRY, ARTURO. DON'T LEAVE. Y'ALL SCARED. Y'ALL SCARED YOU'RE NEEDED. UM, THE CITY ATTORNEY, IN RESPONSE TO COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD'S INQUIRY ABOUT HIS AMENDMENT, THERE WERE A LOT OF QUESTIONS OF WE NEED TO POTENTIALLY LOOK INTO THIS. AND SO I QUESTION THE TIMING OF HAVING TO VOTE ON THIS PARTICULAR ITEM TODAY. WHEN IF WE VOTE ON THE BUDGET, IT DOESN'T UNDERCUT THE ABILITY TO PASS THIS IN A WEEK OR SO. I'M NOT SUGGESTING, AND I'M NOT PUTTING FORWARD THAT TAG, I'M SIMPLY ASKING THE QUESTION SO I CAN MAKE THE BEST DECISION POSSIBLE. THIS, THIS IS JUST A TIMELY PART OF THE SETTLEMENT AS WE GO FORWARD, HOPING THAT THE, UH, CONTROLLER IS WATCHING THIS DISCUSSION AND WILL SEE FIT TO CERTIFIED ACTUALLY BEFORE WE GET OUT HERE TODAY, EVERY DAY THAT WE DO NOT APPROVE THE SETTLEMENT, JEOPARDIZES THE SETTLEMENT. WELL, AND I UNDERSTAND, BUT I DO WANT, AND WE'VE GOT A DROP DEAD DATE OF ABOUT TWO WEEKS, AND THEN WE GOTTA GO TO COURT AND THE JUDGE WILL SEE WE DON'T HAVE A SETTLEMENT, WHICH SHE'S BEEN LED TO BELIEVE AND WE'LL MAKE, HAVE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT STARTING OVER AND I UNDERSTAND, BUT THERE'S A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF ACCOUNTABILITY ON THE CITY'S PART WITH THIS. WHERE WE RECEIVED THE, AGAIN, I KNOW WE'RE NOT VOTING ON THE CBA TODAY, BUT WE RECEIVED FINAL INFORMATION JUST LAST MONDAY. WE, THAT I BELIEVE THE CITY CONTROLLER HAS SUBMITTED QUESTIONS, WHICH HE HAS EVERY RIGHT TO DO. I'M NOT IN THE BUSINESS OF ATTACKING THE CITY CONTROLLER FOR TRYING TO, UH, I NOT EITHER DO HIS DUE DILIGENCE ON HIS SIDE. SO I'M SIMPLY ASKING WHAT THE IMPACT IS. IT JEOPARDIZES EVERYTHING. HOW SO? BECAUSE WE'VE WAITED EIGHT YEARS, WE HAVE THE CLOCK TICKING, THE PARTIES ARE READY TO GO BACK TO THE COURT BECAUSE WE'VE TOLD THE JUDGE, JUDGE HAS THE AGREEMENT AND THE JUDGE WILL PUT US TO TRIAL IF WE'RE NOT THERE. I UNDERSTAND. BUT ANOTHER COMPONENT OF THIS IS THE CBA, WHICH WE ARE NOT VOTING ON TODAY. SO I THIS IS SIMPLY THE AUTHORIZATION OF THAT 650. SO IF THERE'S STILL OUTLYING QUESTIONS THAT COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE QUESTIONS, THAT'S TO THEIR, THERE'S NOT, I'M SORRY, I SAY I DO NOT BELIEVE THERE ARE OUTLYING QUESTIONS. I THINK THERE ARE AS TO THE, WHETHER AND WHAT THE APPROPRIATE LANGUAGE WOULD BE FOR AMENDMENTS TO REFER THIS TO THE VOTERS, WHICH I WANNA RESPECT THE COLLEAGUES THAT ARE PUTTING THOSE FORWARD IN A BEST EFFORT TO WORK WITHIN THE PARAMETERS OF CITY COUNCIL, BUT TO ALSO ENSURE THAT VOTERS HAVE A VOICE IN THIS COUNCILMAN WE'VE HAD. HOW MANY JUST YOU'VE BEEN INVOLVED HEARING AFTER HEARING, AFTER HEARING IT'S TIME TO MOVE ON. WE'VE HAD HEARING, AFTER WE'VE HEARING, HEARING AFTER HEARING HEARING. WE'VE HAD HEARING AFTER HEARING, AFTER HEARING WITH NO SPECIFIC INFORMATION PRESENTED TO US. WE HAVE HAD JOINT LABOR AND BFA COMMITTEE MEETINGS I WATCHED WITH ABSOLUTELY NO INFORMATION THAT HAS BEEN ABLE TO BE PRESENTED TO US. SO YES, WE'VE HAD HEARING, AFTER HEARING, TRYING TO ASK QUESTIONS BECAUSE, AND I THINK STAFF HAS DONE A, AN EXCEPTIONAL JOB TRYING TO GET US WHAT THEY CAN. BUT EACH TIME IT HAS BEEN, WE'RE STILL IN NEGOTIATIONS THAT MAY BE CHANGING. THIS IS CHANGING. WE HAVE NOT HAD CONCRETE INFORMATION. SO, WELL, WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, WE HAVE HAD COMMITTEE HEARINGS, BUT WE'VE BEEN HAVING TO HAVE COMMITTEE HEARINGS WITH NO INFORMATION PRESENTED TO US. WELL, I RESPECT YOU AND I REALLY THINK YOU OUGHT TO VOTE YOUR DISTRICT, BUT WE NEED TO HAVE A VOTE. UH, 'CAUSE I'M COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS WANTS TO VOTE AND I'M HONORING HER. SO THANK YOU. UH, COUNCILMAN FLICKINGER. THANK YOU BARRY MAYOR. AND, UH, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR GETTING US TO THIS POINT. UM, JUST TO REMIND EVERYBODY, YOU WERE HANDED THIS, UH, THIS WASN'T ON YOUR WATCH AND PROCEEDS PROBABLY THE WATCH OF EVERYBODY HERE. UM, SO, SO I DO APPRECIATE ALL THAT. NOW, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT WE COULD TAKE THIS TO THE VOTERS, THAT THE FIREFIGHTERS UNION WAS AMENABLE TO THAT WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE IF WE TOLD THE FIREFIGHTERS UNION THAT REGARDLESS OF HOW THIS TURNS OUT, AND EVEN THOUGH WE DON'T HAVE A FINAL PRODUCT, THAT WE'RE GONNA GIVE YOU THE 10% RAISE THAT'S IN THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT ON JULY 1ST, AS LONG AS YOU WILL SAY, HEY, WE'RE FINE WITH TAKING THIS VOTERS IN [06:05:01] NOVEMBER. AND I ALSO THINK THE VOTERS IN NOVEMBER WILL SUPPORT THE FIREFIGHTERS. UM, IN FACT, YOU KNOW, WHEN THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNION WAS HERE AT THE BFA MEETING, I DON'T REMEMBER THE EXACT DISCUSSION AROUND ELECTIONS, BUT HE EXPRESSED VERY OPTIMISTICALLY BEING ABLE TO GO TO THE VOTERS. AND IF THEY'RE AMENABLE TO THAT, I, I THINK THAT WOULD BE GOOD. I MEAN, I, I ABSOLUTELY UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA BE VOTING ON A SIX AND A HALF BILLION DOLLARS BUDGET. YOU KNOW, THAT EVERYTHING DOESN'T GO TO THE VOTERS. BUT I DO THINK BONDS ARE A LITTLE DIFFERENT BECAUSE THEY OBLIGATE THE CITIZENS FOR 25 OR 30 YEARS. AND I THINK IT WOULD BE REALLY NICE TO BE ABLE TO HEAR WHAT THE VOTERS HAVE TO SAY ON THAT. I DO THINK THE VOTERS WOULD SAY YES. UH, I I JUST THINK IT WOULD BE A, A MUCH, MUCH CLEANER THERE. SEE, THE, AND I HEAR YOU. THE, THE DIFFICULTY IS EVERYTHING STARTS OVER PENSION. THE, THE JUDGMENT, THE 650 DOES NOT SPEAK TO BACK PENSION CONTRIBUTIONS BY THE CITY OF HOUSTON. I PROMISE YOU, IF WE START OVER, IT'LL BE MORE EXPENSIVE. IT'LL BE YEARS BEFORE IT'S RESOLVED. IT'S GOING TO IMPACT THE OPERATIONS OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. I'M NOT MAKING THIS UP. THIS IS NOT A CAMPAIGN SPEECH. THIS IS REALITY FROM GOING TO THE FIRE STATIONS, WORKING WITH THE ADMINISTRATION. WE ARE LOSING FIREFIGHTERS AS WE TALK. WE'RE 500 SHORT. SO YES. COULD YOU DO THIS SEVERAL OTHER WAYS? ALL THE OPTIONS WERE CONSIDERED. WE LISTENED TO OUTSIDE COUNSEL. WE LISTENED TO THE LOCAL, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT IS NOT ONLY A NUMBERS ISSUE AND A PUBLIC SAFETY, PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE. IT IS A MORALE ISSUE. WE'VE GOT TO LET THE FIREFIGHTERS KNOW THAT WE'RE BEING FAIR BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN MISTREATED FOR EIGHT YEARS. JUST GO OUT INTO THE STATIONS AND TALK TO 'EM. GO TO GO TO KINGWOOD AND LOOK AT THE CONDITIONS THEY'RE LIVING IN. THEY SLEEP IN MOLD. AND WE SIT AROUND HERE AND TRY TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF EVERY ONE OF OUR COMMUNITIES. GUESS WHO'S BEEN LEFT OUT? WE NEED A COMPLETE COMMUNITIES FOR FIRE STATIONS. THEY GOT HOLES IN THE FLOOR THAT THEY COVER WITH PLYWOOD. THEY GOT HOLES IN THE CEILING. I CAN GO ON AND ON. THEY'RE HELD OVER TO WORK OVERTIME BECAUSE THERE'S NOT ENOUGH FIREFIGHTERS TO WORK THE NEXT SHIFT. THEIR EQUIPMENT BREAKS DOWN. I CAN GO ON AND ON. IT IS A SOUND FINANCIAL ISSUE AND IT PROTECTS PUBLIC SAFETY. COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD. THANK YOU, MAYOR. YOU, YOU JUST BROUGHT UP A FEW POINTS, , JUST A FEW. YOU, YOU WERE, YOU WERE SPEAKING ABOUT THE CONDITIONS OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, MOLD AND OTHER SURE, SURE. THINGS RELATED TO THEIR, THEIR CURRENT DUTIES. THIS, THIS, THIS IS JUST FOR BACK PAY. ONCE WE PAY THIS, THOSE FACILITIES WILL REMAIN THE SAME. UM, NOT, I, I JUST BEG WITH THIS ITEM. I BEG WITH THIS ITEM. THOSE FACILITIES STAY THE SAME WHEN, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FAIRNESS TO THE FIREFIGHTERS, UH, WHICH I'M ALL FOR. IT ALSO NEEDS TO BE FAIRNESS FOR THIS BODY, FAIRNESS FOR THE PUBLIC. WE HAVE YET TO GET ANY INFORMATION ON WHAT OUR NUMBER IS. OKAY? THE REASON I CANNOT SUPPORT THIS IS BECAUSE WE ARE VOTING ON SOMETHING TO WHERE WE ONLY HAVE ONE SIDE'S NUMBER. THEIR NUMBER IS ONE, IT COULD GET UP TO 1.2. WE DON'T HAVE OUR NUMBER AND WE DON'T, AND WE DON'T HAVE A JUSTIFICATION ON WHY. THAT'S OUR NUMBER. WE'RE VOTING BLIND. THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING. WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE TRIED TO BARGAIN WITH. I SOMETIMES I FEEL LIKE, LIKE I'M LIVING IN A TWILIGHT ZONE HERE. IF I, I WISH I COULD NEGOTIATE WITH THE CITY AS AN ATTORNEY ON THE DEALS THAT I MAKE, THAT I JUST CAN PUT FORTH A NUMBER AND THAT'S THE NUMBER WITHOUT HAVING TO JUSTIFY WHY. THAT'S THE NUMBER. THIS IS $650 MILLION THAT'S TIED INTO A $1.5 BILLION DEAL. AND NO ONE'S ASKING WHAT'S OUR NUMBER? HOW DID WE GET THERE? THIS IS MATH. THIS IS BACK PAY. YOU CAN CALCULATE HOW YOU GOT TO THAT NUMBER. THIS ISN'T A ARBITRARY HERE. SIX 50 IS THE NUMBER. SO MY BIGGEST THING IS IF YOU WANT ME TO VOTE ON THIS AND YOU WANT MY SUPPORT, IT WOULD BE GREAT TO TELL ME HOW WE GOT THERE. NOT ABOUT MORALE AND ALL THESE INTANGIBLE, THIS IS NUMBERS. THIS IS BUSINESS. YOU ALL ARE BUSINESS MEN AND WOMEN WHO ARE ELECTED TO DO BUSINESS OF THE CITY OF A ALMOST [06:10:01] $7 BILLION SERVICES CORPORATION. AND YOU'RE NOT GONNA ASK FOR THE NUMBERS. YOU DON'T CARE WHAT THE NUMBERS ARE THAT WE PRESENTED FROM OUR SIDE OF THE TABLE. AND HOW DO WE GET THOSE NUMBERS? HOW IS IT JUSTIFIED? WHERE'S THE CALCULATIONS? THE CITY CONTROLLER WHO DID NOT SIGN OFF ON THIS ITEM IS BEING PRESENTED WITHOUT HIS CERTIFICATION PRESENTED HIS NUMBERS, SIX SCENARIOS. HE GAVE YOU ALL DIFFERENT TYPES OF REASONS AND RATIONALE BEHIND HIS NUMBERS. HIS NUMBERS WERE 110 MILLION TO 380 MILLION. WE'RE AT 650 MILLION. NO ONE'S ASKING, WHY IS THERE SUCH A GAP WHEN THE CITY CONTROLLER, THE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER OF THE CITY, HAS DRASTICALLY DIFFERENT NUMBERS. WE DON'T CARE IF IT WAS YOUR MONEY IN YOUR OWN SAVINGS ACCOUNT, YOU WOULD ASK MORE QUESTIONS. BUT SINCE IT'S THE TAXPAYER'S MONEY AND IT'S NOT COMING DIRECTLY OUTTA YOUR WELLS FARGO OR YOUR CHASE ACCOUNT, YOU'RE NOT ASKING THE QUESTIONS. COUNSEL, I MUST BE THE ONLY FISCAL CONSERVATIVE UP HERE. YEAH. BECAUSE I'M ASKING THE QUESTIONS SO WE CAN VOTE AND IT'S PROBABLY GOING TO PASS. AND YOU'RE GONNA PUT $650 MILLION OUT THERE OVER 30 YEARS OF DEBT WITHOUT EVER KNOWING WHAT OUR NUMBER WAS. I FEEL CONFIDENT IN OUR CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AND OUR OUT LOUD OUTSIDE LEGAL COUNSEL THAT THEY COULD GO BEFORE A JURY OR A JUDGE AND SAY, BASED ON THESE NUMBERS, THIS IS WHY WE BELIEVE IT SHOULD BE X AMOUNT OF DOLLARS. SO IF WE STARTED LOW, WHAT'S THE NUMBER AND HOW DID WE PICK THAT NUMBER? I DON'T WANT YOU TO SAY, OH, IT'S 400. ARE YOU HAPPY WITH THAT? NO, I'M NOT HAPPY WITH THAT. I WANNA KNOW THE NUMBER AND WHY WE GOT THERE. THAT'S WHAT ATTORNEYS DO. THAT'S WHAT MEN AND WOMEN IN THE BUSINESS IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR DO. OKAY? WE DON'T JUST VOTE ON ARBITRARY NUMBERS. SO IF YOU ALL WANNA VOTE ON NUMBERS, JUST BECAUSE IT'S A NUMBER AND IT FEELS GOOD, THEN GO GO AHEAD WITH THAT. I SUPPORT THE FIREFIGHTERS. I HOPE THEY GET ALL THAT THEY DESERVE. ALL I ASKED FOR WAS THE NUMBERS. THAT'S IT. IF YOU WANT ME TO VOTE ON SOMETHING OF THIS MAGNITUDE, AT LEAST GIVE ME THE NUMBERS. THANK YOU. ROLL CALL. I REALLY THINK YOU'RE SELLING THE MEMBER SHORT ROLL CALL. I THINK YOU'RE SELLING THE MEMBER SHORT. IN FACT, CLOSE TO INSULTING THEM THAT THEY DON'T KNOW HOW NEGOTIATIONS GO. MOST OF US HAVE NEGOTIATED JUST A SECOND. I PUT A FIGURE ON THE TABLE. WE WORKED UP TO WHAT I THOUGHT THE CITY COULD AFFORD AND STILL BE FAIR TO THE FIREFIGHTERS. IT'S A GIVE AND TAKE. YOU KNOW IT, QUITE FRANKLY, IT'S A TIME TO CAMPAIGN. CAN YOU SHARE IT WITH US, PLEASE? I'VE ALREADY TOLD YOU A NUMBER THAT WE STARTED AT. IT WAS NOT THE REAL NUMBER BECAUSE YOU DO NOT SHOW YOUR CARDS IN A NEGOTIATION. YOU WORK UP TO WHAT YOU THINK YOU CAN AFFORD. THAT WOULD BE FAIR AND REACH A SETTLEMENT. YOU KNOW THAT BECAUSE YOU'VE BEEN INVOLVED. SO LET'S VOTE. I THINK I KNOW HOW YOU'RE GONNA VOTE AND THAT'S GOOD. REPRESENT YOUR DISTRICT. BUT I'M SUGGESTING THAT WE DO THE RESPONSIBLE THING AND VOTE ON ITEM 25. WELCOME COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I JUST HAD ONE POINT OF INFORMATION. UM, AND I'M GONNA DEFER TO THE WILL OF YOU AND MY COLLEAGUES WHO DO WANNA MOVE FORWARD WITH A VOTE. BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT IN RESPONSES TO QUESTIONS THAT WE SAW FROM THE CONTROLLER, WE SAID THAT, UH, IN THE CITY'S RESPONSE, THE CITY HAS UNTIL JUNE 19TH, NEXT WEDNESDAY TO APPROVE THIS SETTLEMENT. SO WHEN I HAD ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE TIMING OF THIS AND WAS TOLD, UH, THAT IT, I'M TAKING ALL CONTINGENCIES UNDER CONSIDERATION AND I RESPECT, I'M NOT GONNA GO RIGHT DOWN TO THE DEADLINE ON DEALING WITH PUBLIC SAFETY AND FIRE AND EMS PROTECTION. I'M NOT GOING DOWN TO THE DROP DEAD POINT. WE'RE GONNA HANDLE IT THIS MORNING, HANDLE IT RESPONSIBLY. EVERYONE SHOULD VOTE THEIR DISTRICT. BUT KEEP IN MIND, IF WE DON'T GO FORWARD, YOU'RE GUTTING A SETTLEMENT THAT HAS TAKEN FOREVER, NO ATTEMPT, QUITE FRANKLY, BEFORE I WAS SWORN IN IN JANUARY, JUST YOU WANNA DO SOME HISTORY, BUT LET'S VOTE IN JANUARY. I DO THINK THERE WERE ATTEMPTS WE DIDN'T HAVE A SETTLEMENT. I AND MAYOR, WE'VE DONE IT IN FIVE MONTHS. SO, AND MAYOR, AS COUNCILOR FLICKINGER SAID, I THINK YOU GET A LOT OF CREDIT TO GETTING HERE FOR THIS DAY. BUT LET'S ALL I'M, I JUST WANT THE RECORD TO BE CLEAR. THANK BECAUSE I ASKED A QUESTION AND RECEIVED A RESPONSE. THANK WELL, I THANK YOU. I'VE GOT SOMEONE KEEPS TWIST SOME ARM OVER HERE TO HAVE A VOTE. SO, YOU KNOW, AND, AND ALL DUE RESPECT, I'M GONNA DEFER TO THE BILL, OKAY? OKAY. CLERK RO. MAYOR WHITMEYER. YES. COUNCILMAN PECK? YES. COUNCILMAN JACKSON? YES. COUNCILMAN KAMAN? YES. COUNCILOR EVAN SHABAZZ? YES. COUNCIL FLICKINGER? YES. COUNCIL THOMAS? NO. [06:15:01] COUNCILOR HUFFMAN? NO. COUNCILOR CASTILE? YES. COUNCILOR MARTINEZ. YES. COUNCIL POLLARD? NO. COUNCILOR CASTEX TATUM? YES. COUNCILOR RAMIREZ. YES. COUNCILOR DAVIS. YES. COUNCILOR CARTER? YES. CONSTABLE PLUMMER. YES. CONSTABLE KORN? YES. 14 THREE. 14 TO THREE HAVE BEEN 14 YESES AND THREE NOS. THE, UH, MOTION PASSES OR THE ISSUE IS APPROVED. ITEM 33. WE NEED A BREAK. WE NEED A RESET. DO WE NEED A BREAK? WE NEED A, I JUST FOUND OUT. GIVE US SOME RECESS. WE CAN, WE CAN FINISH THE AGENDA. OR IF Y'ALL WOULD LIKE, UH, A BREAK, I'LL FIVE MINUTES SUGGEST THAT THERE'S NOTHING WE CAN DO IN FIVE MINUTES. , . NOT ME ANYWAY. . NOT THOSE DOCTORS. LET'S COME BACK. LET'S COME BACK IN 10 MINUTES. BUT MEMBERS, PLEASE COOPERATE. AND LET'S GET BACK. 10. I MIGHT EVEN LET YOU HAVE 15 IF YOU, IF YOU'RE IN LINE, GOT LUNCH COMING AT NOON. WE HAVE LUNCH AT NOON. WE HAVE LUNCH. SO 10. AND THEN WE JUST MOVE TO EXTEND. JUST MOVE TO EXTEND AFTER. OKAY. Y'ALL, Y'ALL WANNA WORK LATE THIS EVENING? LET, LET'S YOU GOT BABIES. WE'LL COME BACK IN 15 MINUTES. WE'LL DO 10 15. LET'S AT LEAST GET THROUGH SOME COUNCIL. COME TO ORDER. ADAM. OH, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. NOT THERE. CAN WE JUST GET A MOTION TO EXTEND PASS, MOVE, CAST. STATE A MOVE TO EXTEND PASS. NEW SECOND. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR OF THOSE OPPOSED? MOTION PASSES. ITEM 33, PLEASE. ITEM 33 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE TAG. ITEMS TAG. VERY GOOD. 34. ITEM 34 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED TO VOTE. THOMAS TAG. GOT IT OUT CORNER. THOMAS, TAG OUR FRIEND THOMAS. ITEM 35. SECOND ITEM 35 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED TO VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED. MOTION PASSES. 38. ITEM 38 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. TAG ITEMS TAGGED. TAG BY COUNCILOR THOMAS. TAGGED BY THOMAS. ITEM 40. ITEM 40 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 44 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 54 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR? ALL IN FAVOR? VOTE. ALL AFTER ALL. IN FAVOR. THOSE OPPOSED. MOTION PASSES. COUNCIL MEMBER CAMAN. THANK YOU MAYOR. I KNOW WE'RE ABOUT TO GET TO THE BUDGET, BUT I JUST WANTED TO SAY A BIG THANK YOU TO EVERYONE. UH, WHAT WE JUST VOTED ON WAS THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT TO DRAW DOWN THE FUNDS, THE 40 TO $50 MILLION TO FINISH PHASE TWO OF DURHAM SHEPHERD. UH, THIS GOES ALL THE WAY BACK TO 2020 WHEN WE FIRST, UH, SOUGHT THESE FUNDS. AND IT'S, THESE FUNDS ARE ONE OF, IT WAS THE FIRST OF ITS KIND FOR OUR REGION THAT WE'VE ACCEPTED. IT'S THE, IT WAS INSTRUMENTAL FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE ENTIRE CORRIDOR. BUT THE FACT THAT WE WERE ABLE TO GET THIS FOR THIS TYPE OF GRANT IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO NOW REPLICATE THROUGHOUT THE CITY. UH, BRINGING EVEN MORE DOLLARS TO THE CITY THROUGH NEW SOURCES OF FUNDING. UH, I COULD NOT BE MORE GRATEFUL THAT THIS IS MOVING FORWARD. UH, THE PROJECT INCLUDES, AS A REMINDER, OVER 19,000 FEET OF STORM SEWER LINES. 46,000, SORRY, EXCUSE ME. 4,600 FEET OF SANITARY SEWER LINES, UH, SHARED USE PATHS. MARE SIX OVER 600 NEW TREES. WE KNOW WE TALK A LOT ABOUT TREES, BUT 600 NEW TREES. MANY OF YOU, AS I SAID PREVIOUSLY, UH, TOURED THE AREA, WORKED WITH RESIDENTS, THE HEIGHTS ASSOCIATION, ALL OF OUR CIVIC CLUBS. UH, MAYOR, THE FACT THAT WE CAN MOVE FORWARD. I KNOW YOU TOOK A HARD LOOK AT THIS. I, AGAIN, SAY THAT I APPRECIATE YOUR DEFERENCE TO THE DATA, THE OVERWHELMING NEIGHBORHOOD SUPPORT. UM, YOUR TEAM WORKED EXTREMELY HARD TO GET TO TODAY. UH, AND I LOOK FORWARD [06:20:01] TO THE FACT THAT WE CAN NOW MOVE SWIFTLY, UH, TO FINISH PHASE TWO, A FEW SPECIAL THANK YOUS. IN ADDITION TO MY COLLEAGUES, UH, THE MEMORIAL HEIGHTS TOURS, THG, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, ESPECIALLY TPC AND OTHERS, THE GREATER HEIGHTS SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, ALL OF OUR CIVIC CLUBS, THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD. AGAIN, THIS IS A ECONOMIC DRIVER, A VERY, VERY IMPORTANT TRANSFORMATIONAL OPPORTUNITY FOR DISTRICT C, BUT ALSO FOR THE CITY. SO TO ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS, THANK YOU. AND MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR PUTTING THIS I ITEM FORWARD SO EXPEDITIOUSLY SO WE CAN DRAW DOWN AGAIN, 40 TO $50 MILLION IN FEDERAL GRANTS THROUGH TDOT, UH, TO FUND IMPROVEMENTS FOR INFRASTRUCTURE AND DRAINAGE AND SAFETY. COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER. THANK YOU, BAYER. AND I WANNA JUST CONGRATULATE YOU. UM, THIS IS A HUGE WIN. I MEAN, THIS IS HOW IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE, RIGHT? WHEN WE LISTEN TO STAKEHOLDERS, YOU LOOK AT THE DATA, YOU COME TO THE TABLE. AND, UM, THIS IS, I'M REALLY EXCITED FOR THE COMMUNITY. AND I ALSO WANNA CONGRATULATE ALL THE ADVOCATES ON THIS, UM, ON THE PROJECT. AND, UM, AND I'M EXCITED TO SEE THIS HAPPEN. UH, READY FOR A MOTION? UH, I THINK WE'VE ALREADY VOTED. WE JUST, WE NEED TO MOVE TO THE NEXT. WE VOTED OKAY. WE VOTED IT. NEVERMIND. NEXT ITEM, ITEM [NON-CONSENT - MISCELLANEOUS] ITEM 71 IS A MOTION TO SET A PUBLIC HEARING TO PROVIDE A RESOLUTION OF NO OBJECTION FOR THE 4% TAX CREDIT APPLICATION OF THE TIDWELL. CAN I STATE TO MOVE TO, TO SET THE, UH, HEARING DATE FOR 9:00 AM ON TUESDAY, JUNE 18TH, 2024. SECOND. ANY, ANY OBJECTION? SECOND. SECOND. MOTION MADE AND SECONDED. MOTION PASSES. OKAY, WE'LL TAKE UP AMENDMENTS. THOMAS MOVES TO EXTEND PAST NOON. WE DID. OH, WE DID ALREADY. OKAY. YES, WE DID IT. THOMAS REMOVES MOTION. THANK YOU, MA'AM. HOPEFULLY WE DON'T NEED ONE TO WORK PAST MIDNIGHT. HOW'S THAT? NO, WE DO NOT. HERE BY THREE, SIR. I'VE DONE THAT BEFORE AND WE DID NOT NEED A MOTION. COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ 1 0 1. THANK YOU, MAYOR. YOU KNOW, I THINK AT THE TOP OF MOST HOUSTONIANS WISHLIST IS PUBLIC SAFETY. AND A BIG PART OF PUBLIC SAFETY IS HAVING ENOUGH POLICE OFFICERS ON OUR STREETS. OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS, HOUSTON HAS BLED POLICE OFFICERS TO THE POINT WHERE WE HAVE FEWER ON THE STREETS NOW THAN WE DID TWO DECADES AGO. AND AS A RESULT, RESPONSE TIMES ARE HIGHER, UH, THAN THEY'VE EVER BEEN. AND, UM, MAYOR, THIS BUDGET AMENDMENT SEEKS TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT. IT'S NOT A COMPLETE SOLUTION, BUT IT IS, UH, WOULD ADD AN ADDITIONAL CADET CLASS AT THE ACADEMY. UH, TYPICALLY THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS FIVE ACADEMY CLASSES. THIS WOULD ADD A SIXTH ACADEMY CLASS IN TWO OF THE LAST FOUR YEARS. WE HAVE ACTUALLY LOST MORE OFFICERS THROUGH ATTRITION THAN WE HAVE GRADUATED FROM THE ACADEMY. AND THAT'S NOT GOOD. AND SO I KNOW THIS IS GONNA REQUIRE THE ACADEMY STAFF TO STRETCH AND THE DEPARTMENT TO STRETCH IN TERMS OF RECRUITING, BUT I KNOW THEY CAN RISE TO THAT CHALLENGE. AND THE RESULT, HOPEFULLY WILL BE MORE OFFICERS ON THE STREETS AND, AND SHORTER RESPONSE TIMES. NOW IT COMES WITH THE COST, OBVIOUSLY. UH, THE GOOD THING IS THAT WE ARE, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, GONNA BE CANCELING THE SHOT SPOTTER CONTRACT. THAT'S $700,000 RIGHT THERE. WE ALSO HAVE ACCESS TO A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF ASSET FORFEITURE FUNDS, WHICH CAN BE USED FOR CERTAIN PURPOSES. I KNOW ASSET FORFEITURE FUNDS CANNOT BE USED TO PAY SALARIES. HOWEVER, THEY CAN BE USED TO PAY FOR OTHER THINGS LIKE EQUIPMENT, OVERTIME, INSTRUCTION AND SO FORTH. AND SO THAT WILL GET US STARTED. THIS WILL BE THE SIXTH ACADEMY CLASS, WHICH MEANS IT WILL START LATER IN THE FISCAL YEAR AND MOST LIKELY NOT BE CONCLUDED WITHIN THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR. AND SO WE WON'T HAVE TO SPEND ALL 4 MILLION OF THAT DOLLARS WITHIN THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR. AND SO, MAYOR, I WOULD ASK FOR, UH, UH, WELL, I SHOULD SAY I WOULD THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF THIS AMENDMENT, MAYOR. I KNOW IT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU'VE BEEN WANTING TO DO AS WELL. AND, UM, I'D JUST ASK THAT THE COUNCIL PASS THIS BUDGET AMENDMENT TO ADD THE SIXTH ACADEMY CLASS AND TO HELP MAKE US SAFER. VERY GOOD. I CERTAINLY JOIN YOU. WE'RE ON SCHEDULE AT THE END OF THE YEAR. WE'D HAVE 200 ADDITIONAL OFFICERS IF YOU COMPARE THE RECRUITS CADETS VERSUS THE RETIREES. SO WE'RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK, BUT WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO. COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD. [06:25:01] THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I THINK IN, IN THEORY, AND THIS, THIS MAKES A LOT OF SENSE, BUT IN PRACTICALITY, UH, I HAVE SOME CONCERNS WITH IT. UM, I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE AS MANY CADET CLASSES AS POSSIBLE. BUT FROM, FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN IN THE PAST, WE HAVE NOT ALWAYS FILLED UP THE, THE CADET CLASSES THAT WE DO HAVE. SO IF THERE'S ANY SAVINGS FROM THAT, I WOULD SAY THAT WE USE THOSE SAVINGS TO POSSIBLY FUND ANOTHER CADET CLASS. I'VE ALWAYS BEEN TOLD THAT FIVE HAS BEEN KIND OF OUR MAX, BUT WHAT THE DEPARTMENT CAN REASONABLY DO IN THE COURSE OF ONE FISCAL YEAR. UM, THIS AMENDMENT SPEAKS TO SAVINGS FROM SHOT SPOTTER. UM, BUT THOSE COULD BE A ONE TIME OR A TWO TIME, UH, EXPENDITURE. UH, I THINK IT'S LONG PRACTICE THAT WE DON'T WANT TO USE, UM, YOU KNOW, CANCELING ONE PROGRAM THAT COULD BE A SHORT TERM PROGRAM TO PAY FOR A LONG-TERM DEBT. UM, I'M GONNA BE VOTING NO ON MANY OF THE ITEMS THAT COME FROM THE GENERAL FUND, JUST BECAUSE I BELIEVE THE CITY HAS A SPENDING PROBLEM. WE'RE SPENDING MORE THAN WE'RE BRINGING IN. WE ARE BRINGING IN NO NEW REVENUE. WE'RE USING A LOT OF ONE-TIME FUNDING SOURCES. AND OUR STRUCTURAL DEFICIT IS GROWING WITH THIS BUDGET. OKAY? SO, UM, ADDING MORE COST TO OUR, THAT WILL COME FROM OUR GENERAL FUND THAT'S ALREADY NOT ALLOCATED. WE'RE JUST PUTTING OURSELVES DEEPER IN THE HOLE. AND ALTHOUGH THERE ARE MANY AMENDMENTS THAT ARE COMING FORTH THAT YOU ALL PUT FORTH THAT ARE EX EXTREMELY CREATIVE, UM, IT CONTINUES TO TAKE, SOME OF THEM TAKE FROM THE GENERAL FUND, WHICH IS ALREADY SHRINKING. AND WE ALREADY KNOW NEXT YEAR WE'RE GONNA BE FACING A A DEFICIT. SO BECAUSE OF THAT, I DON'T THINK IT'S PRUDENT TO ADD ANOTHER CADET CLASS. I DON'T THINK IT WILL BRING THAT MUCH DENT INTO THE, THE, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY CONCERNS THAT WE HAVE WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE LONG TERM FINANCIAL FUTURE AND SAY, HOW ARE WE GONNA PAY FOR THIS LONG TERM WHEN WE'RE USING AN EXAMPLE OF SHORT TERM, UH, FINANCING TO PAY FOR THE INITIAL, UH, CLASS. VERY GOOD COUNCILMAN VOTE. YOUR DISTRICT IS THE BEST ADVICE I CAN GIVE YOU. INGER NEXT. INGER. I'M ALL FOR ADDING ADDITIONAL POLICE OFFICERS. WE NEED THEM. THERE'S NO DOUBT ABOUT IT. TO COUNCILMAN POLLARD POINT, THIS ABSOLUTELY ADDS EXPENSES. I STILL WOULD BE FOR IT. ALTHOUGH I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IF MAYBE WE COULD ADD SOME LANGUAGE THAT WOULD GUARANTEE THAT WE GET MORE POLICE OFFICERS OUT OF IT. I'M CONCERNED THAT WE'RE GONNA TRAIN THE SAME NUMBER OF OFFICERS OVER SIX CLASSES THAT WE WOULD UNDER FIVE. SO IF WE CAN RECRUIT IT, THAT'S GREAT AND I'M ALL FOR IT. BUT, BUT I'D LIKE TO SEE MAYBE THAT WE ACTUALLY DON'T OPEN UP THE SIX CLASS UNTIL WE GET CLOSER TO IT TO SEE THAT WE ACTUALLY ARE ABLE TO FILL THE FIVE. UH, VERY WELL SAID. UM, THE LAST CADET CLASS WAS 68, WHICH WAS LAST THURSDAY, ABOUT THREE WEEKS BEFORE WE HAD 76. SO WE'RE ACTUALLY FILLING OUR CLASSES. UH, THE SIXTH WILL BE A CHALLENGE, BUT THE, UM, ADMINISTRATION, I, WE'LL DO IT CERTAINLY IF WE ALL DO OUR PART ON RECRUITING. UH, WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT SOME LATERAL HIRES FROM OTHER DEPARTMENTS. SO, YOU KNOW, THE WAY WE'VE ALWAYS DONE THINGS JUST REALLY SHOULDN'T BE PART OF OUR MESSAGING THIS MORNING BECAUSE WE CAN IMPROVE IN SO MANY AREAS OF DELIVERY OF SERVICES. AND IF WE'RE NOT SAFE, PROBABLY NOTHING ELSE WE TALK ABOUT TODAY MATTERS. I APPLAUD COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ SHOWING HIS NEW ENERGY TO THIS TABLE AND VISION AND CERTAINLY HIS EXPERIENCE. THERE'S OTHER AREAS THAT WE CAN IMPROVE IN PUBLIC SAFETY. CERTAINLY OUR FORENSICS FORENSIC LABS. OUR MUNICIPAL COURT STILL HAS FOUR COURTROOMS BOARDED UP FROM HARVEY. SO I CAN GO ON AND ON OUR NEEDS IN THE AREA OF PUBLIC SAFETY. WE SPENT ALL MORNING TALKING ABOUT ONE OF THEM, BUT TO, TO NOT SUPPORT THE EFFORT. AND I WOULD SAY EVEN THE ACCOMPLISHMENT OF A SIX POLICE CADET CLASS, UH, IS NOT LISTENING TO HOUSTONIANS ABOUT WHAT THEY STEAL BY THE KENNER REPORT TWO WEEKS AGO. THEIR NUMBER ONE ISSUE IS PUBLIC SAFETY. IF WE'RE NOT SAFE, PROBABLY DEBRIS PICK UP AND A WHOLE BUNCH OF OTHER THINGS, TAKE A BACK SEAT TO BE SAFE. SO, THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ. JUST NEED TO VOTE. NEED TO VOTE. CALL THE ROLE. MADAM SECRETARY, PLEASE. MAYOR WHITMEYER. YES. COUNCILMAN PICK. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON? YES. COUNCILMAN KAMAN? YES. COUNCILOR EVAN SHABAZZ. YES. COUNCIL FLICKINGER? YES. COUNCILOR THOMAS? NO. COUNCILOR HUFFMAN? YES. [06:30:01] COUNCILMAN CASTILE? YES. COUNCILOR MARTINEZ. YES. COUNCIL POLLARD? NO. COUNCILOR CASTEX TATUM? YES. COUNCILOR MAR UH, RAMIREZ. YES. MEMBER DAVIS. YES. COUNCILOR MCC CARTER? YES. COUNCIL PLUMMER? YES. COUNCILOR ALCORN? YES. MEMBERS? THERE'S 15 YESS. TWO NOS. THE AMENDMENT IS PASSED. NEXT ITEM 1.02. I UNDERSTAND THERE'S A SUBSTITUTE. THERE IS MAYOR, I, SORRY. THERE IS MAYOR. I HAVE, UH, AMENDED THE, UH, PROPOSED AMENDMENT THAT IS NOW 1.02. EVERYBODY SHOULD HAVE IT. IT WAS PASSED OUT, UH, EARLIER THIS MORNING. THIS WOULD, UM, ALLOCATE $35,000 TO EMPLOY A FULL OR PART-TIME LANGUAGE ACCESS COORDINATOR, UM, TO COORDINATE SERVICES TO DETERMINE WHAT WE HAVE ACROSS MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS. I THINK THE NEED FOR LANGUAGE TRANSLATION HAS BEEN PROVEN OVER THE LAST, UH, COUPLE OF WEEKS AS WE'VE HAD BUDGET WORKSHOP HEARINGS AND STRUGGLE TO ACCOMMODATE FOLKS WHO DON'T SPEAK ENGLISH OR SPANISH. CERTAINLY IF YOU'RE A SPANISH SPEAKER, YOU HAVE ACCESS TO MORE INFORMATION AND MORE RESOURCES. BUT FOR THOSE WHO DON'T SPEAK ENGLISH OR SPANISH, AND A LOT OF HOUSTONIANS AND RESIDENTS FALL INTO THIS CATEGORY, UM, YOU ARE AT A DISADVANTAGE WHEN WE HAVE EMERGENCIES, AS WE HAVE HAD SEVERAL THIS YEAR. AND I THINK ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE CAN BEGIN TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM IS TO EMPLOY A LANGUAGE ACCESS COORDINATOR TO SEE WHAT WE'RE DOING, WHERE, WHERE THE GAPS ARE, AND HOW WE CAN DO A BETTER JOB OF REACHING THOSE HOUSTONIANS WHO, WHO DO, DO NOT SPEAK ENGLISH OR SPANISH. MANY LANGUAGES ARE SPOKEN. THERE ARE MANY THINGS THAT, THAT WE CAN DO, I BELIEVE THAT WE'RE NOT DOING NOW, AND WE SHOULD TRY HARDER. THE FUNDING WOULD COME FROM MY OWN, UH, BUDGET SURPLUS. UH, I ANTICIPATE BEING ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE 15,000 TO THIS. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT AT LEAST TWO OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE WILLING TO SIGN ON AND COMMIT TO HELPING TO FUND THIS OUT OF THEIR FY 25 DISTRICT S SERVICE, UH, COUNCIL FUNDS. AND I SHOULD ALSO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO MY PREDECESSOR MIKE KNOX, WHO HELD THIS SEAT BEFORE ME THIS FISCAL YEAR. THAT'S CONCLUDING, BEGAN LAST JULY. SO FOR SIX MONTHS, HE MANAGED HIS BUDGET WELL ENOUGH TO GIVE US THE FLEXIBILITY TO PROPOSE THIS AMENDMENT. UH, MAYOR AND I WOULD ASK FOR THE SUPPORT OF, OF COUNSEL IN PASSING THIS AMENDMENT. VERY GOOD. CERTAINLY IN THE ADMINISTRATION. I SUPPORT IT, UH, IN OUR DIVERSE CITY. UM, CERTAINLY I WOULD GO AHEAD AND EMPHASIZE THE VIETNAMESE LANGUAGE AND A MULTITUDE OF LANGUAGES THAT A COORDINATOR COULD ASSIST WITH. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP. UH, I THINK IT'S GOOD TO, TO EMPHASIZE THE DIFFERENCE IN THE, UH, SUBSTITUTE. ORIGINALLY THE AMENDMENT ACTUALLY NAMED TWO OF OUR OUTSTANDING COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT WERE GONNA CONTRIBUTE FUNDS TOWARDS IT. I THINK, UH, BEFORE YOU WROTE OUT THIS, OTHER MEMBERS WERE STEPPING FORWARD. SO NOW IT'S JUST KIND OF EVERYONE WILL JOIN HANDS TO COME UP WITH A COORDINATOR AND WE'LL MAKE SURE IT'S FUNDED. AND I WOULD YIELD AT THIS TIME TO COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, WHO I KNOW WAS OUT FRONT AND WANTED TO HELP SUPPORT IT FINANCIALLY. YES. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND, UH, THANK YOU TO COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ FOR OFFERING THIS AMENDMENT. I MEAN, WE HAVE SEEN RECENTLY THROUGH BUDGET HEARINGS AND, AND PUBLIC SESSIONS, HOW WE ABSOLUTELY NEED MORE LANGUAGE ACCESS AND, AND TRANSLATION SERVICES. SO, UH, I WOULD HAPPILY, UH, JOIN IN AND SUPPORT AND BE, WOULD BE WILLING TO, IF, YOU KNOW, LEGAL SIGNS OFF ON IT, UH, COMMIT $10,000 FROM MY SERVICE FUND BUDGET TO THIS AMENDMENT. COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ, ANOTHER, UH, BRIGHT STAR THAT WANTED TO GIVE MONEY TOWARD THIS PROGRAM AND OTHERS. 'CAUSE THAT'S THE WHOLE POINT. WE'RE OPENING IT UP NOW TO EVERYONE CONTRIBUTE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, AND ALONG, ALONG WITH MY, UH, COLLEAGUE, UH, COUNCILOR CASTILLO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD THIS CONVERSATION WITH COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ, UH, FOR SOME TIME. I APPRECIATE HIM, UH, TAKING THE LEADERSHIP ROLE IN, IN, UH, IDENTIFYING A, A SHORTFALL RIGHT NOW THAT WE HAVE IN THE CITY. UM, AS COUNCIL MAYOR CASTILLO MENTIONED, WE'VE HAD SEVERAL FOLKS COME TO CITY COUNCIL THAT HAVE NEEDED TRANSLATORS, UH, INTERPRETERS. UM, AND THEN IN DISTRICT, I SPECIFICALLY, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN VERY, VERY, UM, UH, SPECIFIC TO TRYING TO, UM, ENGAGE THE VIETNAMESE COMMUNITY. WE HAVE SEVERAL VIETNAMESE VILLAGES ALONG THE PARK PLACE, BROADWAY CORRIDORS. AND, AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT EVERY COMMUNITY IS REPRESENTED. ALTHOUGH, UM, I, I STILL PUT IN, OF COURSE, THE 74% THAT'S LATINO IN, IN DISTRICT. I, I THINK WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERY COMMUNITY HAS ACCESS TO, UH, BEING ENGAGED WITH THE CITY. SO I, I ALSO PENDING LEGAL'S REVIEW, OF COURSE, THE, [06:35:01] YOUR REVIEW AS WELL WITH CDSF. UH, I PLAN ON CONTRIBUTING AS WELL. GREAT. YESTERDAY WE NEEDED A KOREAN TRANSLATOR. WE HAD IT CALLED GIGI LEE ON MY STAFF. WE'D HAVE KNOCKED THAT ONE OUT OF THE PARK. UH, COUNCILMAN CAYMAN. THANK YOU, MAREN. I THINK THIS IS A TERRIFIC ITEM. SO I THANK ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT ARE PARTNERING TO BRING THIS FORWARD. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, I JUST HAD ONE QUESTION, TWO QUESTIONS FOR YOU. AS IT RELATES TO WHERE, UM, THE ACCESS COORDINATOR WOULD RESIDE, HAVE YOU IDENTIFIED WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, IS THAT STILL TO BE WORKED OUT? AND ARE YOU THAT'S THE FIRST QUESTION. I'LL JUST STOP THERE. WELL, MY, MY UNDERSTANDING, UH, THE ADMINISTRATION BELIEVES THE BEST FIT WOULD BE WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS. AND SO I'M WILLING TO GO ALONG WITH THAT. OKAY. TERRIFIC. THANK YOU FOR THAT INFORMATION. UH, AND LASTLY, AS THE LANGUAGE READS, 'CAUSE IT SAYS ALLOCATE 35,000 TO EMPLOY, YOU ARE IDENTIFYING PARTIAL FUNDING. BUT IT'S OUR UNDERSTANDING IF WE VOTE ON THIS BUDGET, THAT ALL OF THE FUNDING FOR THIS WOULD COME FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS' OFFICE BUDGETS. IS THAT CORRECT? AS IT STANDS NOW? UH, YES. SO WE'VE GOT TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT ARE WILLING TO SIGN ON. OBVIOUSLY, IF THERE'S MONEY ELSEWHERE IN THE BUDGET THAT THE ADMINISTRATION CAN IDENTIFY, BE HAPPY TO ACCEPT THAT AS WELL. OKAY. NOW AGAIN, THIS IS EITHER A FULL, FULL-TIME OR PART-TIME. PART-TIME OR, UH, CAN BE DONE ON A CONSULTANT BASIS. OKAY. SO WHATEVER FUNDS WE HAVE TO WORK WITH, WE CAN BE FLEXIBLE ON THAT. TERRIFIC. I JUST WANTED MAYOR TO BE CLEAR ON THE FUNDING SOURCES. SO LIKE, AS A REQUIREMENT FOR ALL OF OUR BUDGET AMENDMENTS, IDENTIFYING THAT TO MAKE SURE IT'S CLEAR THAT IT'S COMING FROM, UM, OUR OFFICE BUDGETS AS YOUR INTENDED SOURCE. IS THAT YES. OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. COUNCILOR POLL. COUNCILOR POLLARD. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND THAT WAS MY QUESTION AS WELL, TO ENSURE THAT WE HAD, UH, ASSURANCE THAT THE FUNDING SOURCE WOULD BE CDSF DOLLARS OR, OR OFFICE DOLLARS FROM THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. IT WOULD NOT BE COMING FROM THE GENERAL FUND. AND, UH, I GUESS THERE'S ALSO A, A CONVERSATION AMONGST THOSE WHO WILL SUBMIT DOLLARS FOR THIS, THAT, UH, YOUR INTENTION IS TO MAKE IT REOCCURRING AS WELL, SO THAT THIS ISN'T JUST A ONE TIME THING. UM, AND THAT THERE IS A LONG TERM COMMITMENT BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO JUST BRING SOMEONE IN FOR A YEAR AND THEN WE, WE DON'T COMMIT THOSE DOLLARS AGAIN. SO FOR, FOR THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO ARE PUTTING FORTH THIS, I, I COMMEND YOU ALL THE, THE DOLLARS ARE NOT COMING FROM THE GENERAL FUND. SO, UH, THAT KEEPS US OUTTA DEBT. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN PLUMMER. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND THANK YOU COUNCILOR RAMIREZ. THIS IS A REALLY GREAT, UM, OPPORTUNITY. AND I WANNA ADD TO THIS. WE, UM, OUR OFFICE IS WORKING WITH, UM, URI JUNTOS AND AIR ALLIANCE. THERE'S A GRANT THAT IS BEING OFFERED THROUGH THE OFFICE OF NEW AMERICANS, UM, THAT DIRECTLY GOES TO THIS. AND SO OUR OFFICE WILL BE WORKING WITH YOU AND WITH THESE ORGAN NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS TO ENSURE THAT THIS IS, UM, NOT A ONE-TIME DEAL THAT WE DO HAVE, UM, MORE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO BRING SOMEONE ON FULL-TIME BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY LANGUAGE BARRIERS, UM, AND, AND LACK OF ACCESS IS, IS REALLY IMPORTANT. SO I, I'M DEFINITELY SUPPORTIVE OF THIS ITEM, CUSTOMER DAVIS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I THINK IT'S A GREAT IDEA TO CONSTABLE RAMIREZ AND, UH, AND THE CONTRIBUTORS TO IT. I'M GLAD THAT, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD, UH, BROUGHT UP THE ISSUE IN REGARDS TO WHERE THESE DOLLARS COME FROM. UH, AND I THINK IT'S A PHENOMENAL, WE HEARD FROM PEOPLE, UH, FROM COMMUNITIES THAT NEED THE ASSETS TO THAT AND COMMEND ALL OF THE THREE COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTION. AND, UH, I WOULD CONSIDER COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ CONTRIBUTED ONLY IF YOU GIVE ALSO TO THE VETERAN'S AFFAIRS OFFICE, UM, UH, CONTRIBUTION, THEN I WOULD CONSIDER, UH, DONATING TO, UH, THAT ONE, THE, UH, THE OFFICE OF VETERAN AFFAIRS AND, UH, VETERANS IS AN OFFICE THAT NEED BE BECAUSE OF HOMELESS AREAS. THEY NEED THOSE DOLLARS. AND, UH, I WOULD CONSIDER CONTRIBUTION IF, UH, IF I COULD, UH, GET THAT AGREEMENT. NOT GERMANE. MAY I RESPOND, MAYOR AMENDING Y'ALL, Y'ALL CARRY ON YOUR CONVERSATION. IS HE AMENDING? IS THAT, THAT'S AN AMEND. IT'S JUST NOT, NOT GERMANE TO WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, BUT I'M WILLING TO LISTEN. I'M WILLING TO LISTEN TO YOU. GOOD JOB. GOOD JOB. YEAH. YEAH. I, BUT WELL, WE GOT, WE GOT THE VETERANS AFFAIRS COVERED. OKAY. GOOD DEAL. I'M, I'M ASSURE TO THAT, MAYOR, AND WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT THIS AMENDMENT COVERS THE VETERANS. SOUNDS GOOD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SIR THOMAS, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. I SUPPORT THIS ITEM AS WELL. UM, ONE OF THE REASONS IS BECAUSE IT, IT'S DIRECTLY COMING FROM COUNCIL MEMBER OFFICES. UM, I ACTUALLY AUTHORED THAT AMENDMENT IN 2021. COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE THE ABILITY TO, UM, UH, USE COUNCIL DISTRICT SERVICE FUNDS OR ADMINISTRATIVE [06:40:01] ITEMS. AND WE'VE SEEN THE SUCCESS OF THAT WITH A VARIETY OF THINGS. I THINK THIS IS GOING TO REALLY ADD SOME INFRASTRUCTURE TO, UM, UM, OUR PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT AS A CITY FROM DISASTER DEPARTMENTS AND OTHER WORKS THROUGH OUR COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, COUNCIL OFFICES. SO, UM, I SUPPORT IT. LOOKING FORWARD TO VOTING. CARTER VERY GOOD. COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER. WELL, I CERTAINLY SUPPORT IT, BUT I WOULD HAVE ONE QUESTION. COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ, WHEN IT COMES TO, AND OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO ARE CONTRIBUTING, WHEN IT COMES TO A CONSULTANT PROPOSING A SCOPE OF WORK, IDENTIFYING NEEDS, UM, WE NEED TO BE KIND OF COGNIZANT AND AWARE OF WHERE THOSE FUNDS ARE GONNA COME FROM BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MANY LANGUAGES IN OUR CITY THAT THAT WILL ALSO IMPACT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE BUDGET SOMEWHERE OR SOMEBODY'S BUDGET FOR SURE. I THINK THAT IT'S AS A, YOU KNOW, WITH, GIVEN THE ABILITY TO BE SUBJECTIVE ABOUT THE NEEDS OF THE CITY, THERE ARE GONNA BE MANY OTHER CONSULTANTS OR INDIVIDUALS NEEDED TO, UH, TO HELP WITH THESE RESIDENTS WHO DON'T HAVE, WHO HAVE THE LANGUAGE BARRIER NONPROFITS OUT THERE. YOU KNOW, THERE ARE CERTAINLY PLENTY OF, OF NONPROFITS TO WORK WITH AND SUCH, BUT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER'S GRANT, UM, FUNDING, YOU KNOW, CAN MARRY THAT OR SOMETHING. BUT ANYWAY, THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT OF, LOT MORE TO COME. I THINK PROBABLY BE A GOOD ITEM IF IT PASSES, WHICH IT WILL, UH, LET A COMMITTEE WORK, LISTEN FROM THE COMMUNITY AS TO WHAT THEIR SERVICES, HOW THEY COULD BE BEST SERVED. AND FINANCE WOULD PROBABLY BE A GOOD COMMITTEE, BUT THERE COULD BE OTHERS. BUT, UH, THE DETAILS WILL BE WORKED OUT. COUNCILOR POLLARD. COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND, UM, I KNOW THAT THE, THE, UH, THE SALARY, UH, IS BEING CONSIDERED AT 35,000 IF THAT, IF THAT IS FOR FULL TIME, I JUST WANT YOU ALL TO TAKE IN MINE. UH, THAT WILL TAKE OUT TAXES AND THEY WILL TAKE OUT PENSION COSTS. SO WHOEVER THIS PERSON IS, THEY'LL BE A SAINT FOR, UH, COMING ON FULL, FULL TIME FOR THIS AMOUNT OF MONEY. THANK YOU. YOU COULD OBVIOUSLY DO A SUBSTITUTE IF YOU FEEL STRONGLY ABOUT IT. YOU COULD DO A SUBSTITUTE IF YOU FEEL STRONGLY ABOUT IT. OH, THAT'S OKAY. DO YOU SUPPORT THE SUBSTITUTE? JUST NEED TO VOTE ON THE SUBSTITUTE AMENDMENT. NEED TO VOTE ON THE SUBSTITUTE AMENDMENT. ALL IN FAVOR? I. OPPOSED? MOTION PASSES. 1 0 3. 1 0 3. RAMIREZ. THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, AMENDMENT 1 0 3. I'M GOING TO BE, UH, FOLLOWING THE ADMINISTRATION'S RECOMMENDATION AND WITHDRAWING THIS. UH, BUT LET ME EXPLAIN WHAT THIS IS ABOUT. SO, UM, THE CITY OF HOUSTON EMPLOYS CRISIS CALL TAKERS AT, UH, NINE ONE ONE. AND THEIR FUNCTION IS TO SORT OF INTERCEPT CALLS THAT MIGHT OTHERWISE GO TO THE POLICE OR FIRE DEPARTMENT. UH, WHEN INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE IN MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS CALL, AND REALLY WHAT THEY NEED IS SOME HELP WITH, UH, THE CONDITION THAT THEY'RE IN. THEY HAVEN'T NECESSARILY COMMITTED ANY CRIMES. UH, THEY WOULD BE PERHAPS A BURDEN ON OUR FIRST RESPONDER SYSTEM. AND, AND THE BEST THING TO DO IS TO GET THEM SOME MENTAL HEALTH ASSISTANCE. SO WE HAVE CALL TAKERS WHO WILL DO THIS RESULTING IN, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY COST SAVINGS, DIVERTING FOLKS AT TIMES FROM JAIL BEDS AND SAVING AMBULANCE SHIPS AND, AND WHATNOT. AND SO THESE CALL TAKERS ARE PARTIALLY FUNDED THROUGH ARPA FUNDS, WHICH ARE GONNA BE GOING AWAY. WE ASKED HPD AND WERE TOLD THAT, UH, THREE OF THE POSITIONS COULD BE FUNDED THROUGH THE END OF NEXT MAY, BUT NOT THROUGH THE END OF THE ENTIRE, UH, FISCAL YEAR, NEXT FISCAL YEAR. SO AGAIN, WE'RE GOING TO BE USING FUNDS OUT OF, UH, THE AT LARGE COUNCIL. ONE, UH, BUDGET SURPLUS TO FUND, UH, $23,000 TO CARRY THOSE THREE POSITIONS THROUGH THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR. AND AGAIN, CREDIT TO COUNCIL MEMBER KNOX FOR HIS WISE MANAGEMENT OF THE BUDGET TO, TO, UH, THE END OF LAST YEAR. AND SO WITH THAT SAID, MAYOR, I'M GONNA WITHDRAW THIS REQUEST 'CAUSE I UNDERSTAND IT DOES NOT REQUIRE A BUDGET AMENDMENT IN ORDER TO ACCOMPLISH THIS. SO THANK YOU. VERY GOOD. COUNCIL MEMBER CAMAN. COUNCIL MEMBER CAMAN. THANK YOU MAYOR. REALLY QUICKLY, COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ, WILL THE 23,000 BE SUFFICIENT TO COVER THE, UH, DEFICIT THROUGH THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR? YES. IT WILL COVER, UH, THE FUNDS THAT ARE LACKING TO PAY THREE CALL TAKERS THAT ARE CURRENTLY FUNDED THROUGH ARPA FUNDS THROUGH THE END OF THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR. SO IT'S THE MONTH OF JUNE FOR THREE CALL TAKERS. TERRIFIC. THANK YOU. ADAM. WITHDRAWN. NOW, [06:45:01] COUNCILLOR CARTER 3.01. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, WELL, WHILE I KNOW WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TODAY, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND NOT THE UNION HERE. CERTAINLY AS IT PERTAINS TO, UH, UH, THE KINGWOOD AREA, YOU YOURSELF HAVE OBSERVED THAT WE'VE NOT HAD ANY IMPROVEMENTS OR, OR ANY, UH, FUNDING PUT INTO OUR FIRE DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE MUCH NEEDED OUT THERE. UH, THERE'S BEEN A PLAN ON THE CIP FOR A LONG TIME TO COMBINE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THE POLICE STATION. WE HAVE A SMALL, UH, STOREFRONT POLICE STATION IN THE BACK OF KINGWOOD. UH, I WILL, UH, REMOVE THE REQUEST, UH, WITHDRAW THE REQUEST, BUT CERTAINLY ADDRESS IT BACK WITH THE CIP TO PRIORITIZE THIS FOR, FOR THE COMMUNITY, FOR DISTRICT E AND WORKING WITH COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER, UM, TO, UH, REALLY TRY TO BRING NOT ONLY DISTRICT E, BUT THE OTHER, THE OTHER FACILITIES IN THE CITY UP TO STANDARDS. BUT WE'LL FOCUS ON DISTRICT E WITH THIS ONE. THANK YOU. ITEMS, WITHDRAWN. I APPRECIATE WHEN YOU RESUBMIT IT TO CIP. CERTAINLY SUPPORT THAT AS REGARDS TO FIRE STATION, CERTAINLY IN KINGWOOD WE'RE LOOKING FOR CORPORATE SPONSORS AND EVEN A MANAGEMENT DISTRICT'S GONNA BE ABLE TO NEW FIRE STATION AND MEMORIAL. SO WE'RE LOOKING FOR ALL THE POSSIBILITIES TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. NEXT, UH, 3 0 2, 3 0.1, 3.02. AGAIN, I'LL BE WITHDRAWING THIS REQUEST, BUT CERTAINLY PRIORITIZING, UM, IN THE CIP. VERY GOOD. ADAMS WITHDRAWN 3.03 WITHDRAWING THE, WITH WITHDRAWING THIS REQUEST AS WELL. BUT WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT WE TALK A LOT ABOUT, UM, ABOUT OUR FIRST RESPONDERS AND, AND, UH MM-HMM . YOU KNOW, AS FAR AS THE, THE NUMBERS WITH FEMALE AND MALE, CERTAINLY ON THE EM EMS SIDE, MOST LARGE CITIES, MOST MAJOR CITIES HAVE A, UH, A LARGE FEMALE POPULATION OF EMS. AND, YOU KNOW, IF YOU LOOK ACROSS THE CITY, WE DO NOT HAVE THE FACILITIES, THE SUPPORT, THE DEMOGRAPHIC OF, OF TRYING TO RECRUIT FEMALE FIREFIGHTERS. AND SO I THINK THAT CERTAINLY WE NEED TO TAKE A LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, GETTING THE STATIONS UP TO, TO, UH, STANDARDS THAT WOULD MEET THAT REQ, UH, REQUIREMENT. SO WE'LL ADDRESS IT IN THE CIP. VERY GOOD. I'M WITHDRAWN. WE'LL MAKE IT A PRIORITY WHEN WE GET TO THE CIP, UH, COUNCILMAN CARTER 3.04. UM, THANK YOU MAYOR GOING DOWN THE LIST. UM, UH, I'M AGREEABLE TO REFER THAT TO PUBLIC SAFETY, BUT AGAIN, I THINK COLLABORATION, UM, WITH OUR COUNTY ON THE TRAINING, UH, CADET TRAINING, NOT ONLY ON THE, UH, EMS, THE BUT POLICE DEPARTMENT CERTAINLY COMBINE COMBINING OUR EFFORTS AND TRYING TO ADD MORE THERE. MAKES SENSE. AND APPRECIATE THE, UH, REFERRAL TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE REPORT FROM THE COMMITTEE. VERY GOOD. REFERRED TO, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY. ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED MOTION PASSES. UH, CARTER 3.3 0.05. LAST ONE. THANK YOU. . UM, UM, AGREEABLE TO REFER TO THE QUALITY OF LIFE. I THINK IT MAKES, UH, SENSE THAT, UM, WE TAKE A LOOK AT COMBINING AND COLLABORATING WITH THE COUNTY, UH, ON OUR PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEM. UH, LOOKING, TALKING TO COUNCIL MEMBER PECK, UH, YESTERDAY, WE'VE KINDA ON THE SAME TRAIN THERE WITH THAT THOUGHT. BUT, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO COLLABORATE WITH THE HARRIS COUNTY IN AS MUCH AS WE, UH, CAN AND BRING MORE TO OUR RESIDENTS BECAUSE THEY'RE ALL THE SAME COMMUNITY. SO, THANK YOU. VICE MAYOR PROTE PECK. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER. I HAVE A VERY SIMILAR AMENDMENT AND, UM, OFFER THIS ONE PRETTY MUCH EVERY FISCAL YEAR. I COMPLETELY AGREE THAT WE NEED TO COMBINE, UM, WHERE WE CAN WITH THE COUNTY. I KNOW COUNCILOR ALCORN HAS BEEN A BIG PROPONENT OF SHARED SERVICES. UM, DEFINITELY WITH THE LIBRARY SYSTEM. THERE ARE MANY SERVICES THAT COULD EASILY BE SHARED TO SAVE BOTH THE COUNTY AND THE CITY MONEY AND MAKE IT A BETTER SERVICE FOR, UM, OUR CONSTITUENTS. SO I'M IN COMPLETE AGREEMENT WITH, UM, MOVING FORWARD WITH THAT. VERY GOOD COUNCIL MEMBER, ALCORN, I THINK MOST OF US AGREE WITH YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN. I KNOW. DOES MAYOR. UM, YEAH. THIS HAS BEEN A BIG ISSUE OF MINE SHARING SERVICES. WE, WE HAD THE IDEA OF FORMING A WORKING GROUP THAT NEVER REALLY HAPPENED, BUT I, I, I KNOW YOU'RE A BELIEVER IN THE WORKING COMMITTEES, AND I THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT TO TAKE UP, UM, YOU KNOW, BRINGING IN COUNTY PEOPLE AND CITY PEOPLE AND TWO COMMITTEE AND, AND LAYING OUT WHERE THE, WHERE THE OVERLAPPING AND DUPLICATIVE SERVICES ARE AND FIGURING OUT AS A COMMITTEE, AS A WORKING GROUP, UM, WHERE, WHERE WE CAN DO SOME MORE STUFF TOGETHER. SO HAPPY TO TAKE THAT ON. SURE. I SURE APPLAUD. UH, WE'RE SEEING SOME THINGS HAPPEN. THERE'S SEVERAL COMMISSIONERS [06:50:02] THAT ARE HELPING US COLLABORATE AND IMPROVE THINGS WE WISH WE COULD GET COMMISSIONER'S HELP ON THE WEST GRACE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER S IS DOING AN OUTSTANDING JOB OF HELPING US, AS IS, UH, RAMSEY AND AND GARCIA. SO I WOULD JUST, IN THE LAST TWO DAYS WITH WORKING WITH THE CITY ANIMAL SHELTER AND THE REFERENCE WAS IF WE COULD ONLY GET THE COUNTY SHELTER TO COOPERATE AND WORK WITH US IN AN ANIMAL WELFARE, IT WOULD BE REALLY AN ADDITIONAL HELP. SO LET'S, LET'S CONTINUE DOWN THIS PATH OF CUTTING OUT THE DUPLICATION AND GETTING MORE BANG FOR OUR DOLLAR COUNTY AND CITY TAXPAYERS EXPECT US TO DO THAT. COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND I JUST, I ALSO SUPPORT THIS AND YOU SAID BARK, YOU SAID, UM, YOU KNOW, MULTI-SERVICE CENTER AND I ALSO WANNA INCLUDE PARKS AS WELL. NO ONE CARES WHAT SURE. LOGOS OUT ON THE, AT THE PARK AS LONG AS IT'S MOW DE LITTERED MAINTAINED. AND SO I APPRECIATE YOU, UH, BRINGING THIS AMENDMENT FORWARD. A COUPLE COMMISSIONERS HAVE ALREADY OFFERED TO HELP US WITH OUR MOWING IN OUR CITY PARKS. THE, UH, EXPLANATION ONES. WE'RE ALREADY OUT THERE. WE'RE SHARING THE SAME AREA, SO WE'RE MOWING MORE FREQUENT THAN Y'ALL, SO WE'LL JUST EXTEND OUR HOURS AND, UH, START MOWING IN CITY PARKS. SO IT'S A GREAT PROPOSAL, COUNCILMAN PLUMMER. AND I CAN'T, I JUST CAN'T LET THIS MOMENT GO BY WITHOUT TALKING ABOUT ILLEGAL DUMPING AND APARTMENT INSPECTION REFORM. I JUST, YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE HAVE SAFE PLACES TO LIVE AND THEY LIVE IN CLEAN ENVIRONMENTS. SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, UM, I WOULD LOVE TO, I MEAN, I KNOW THAT'S NOT THE INTENTION OF THIS, BUT AS WE TALK ABOUT SHARED SERVICES AND EVERYONE, UM, LIVING AND WORKING TOGETHER, THEN, UM, I WOULD LOVE TO ADD THOSE TO THE LIST. EXCELLENT POINT. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. THANK YOU. JUST CLARIFICATION, COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER, ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT CONSOLIDATING LIKE CAPITAL FACILITIES OR SHARING SERVICES? UM, UH, CATALOGS, PASSPORT OFFICES, BECAUSE THOSE ARE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS. THE WAY I INTERPRET THAT THEY ARE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS, BUT I WOULD BE OPEN TO BOTH. I THINK IT MAKES SENSE. I MEAN, MOST PEOPLE WHO GO TO A PUBLIC LIBRARY, THEY DON'T REALLY KNOW WHO'S RUNNING AND OPERATING THAT LIBRARY. AND I THINK IT'S, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE JUST NEED TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE OVERLAP. YOU KNOW, THE CITY OF HOUSTON RESIDES IN HARRIS COUNTY AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I PERSONALLY DON'T THINK IT REALLY MATTERS IF IT'S A COUNTY OR CITY. IF WE AGREE, WE, YOU KNOW, AGREE TO OPERATE, I THINK IT WOULD BE BOTH. SURE. SO, UM, AND, AND NOT TO AMEND THIS ITEM, BUT I JUST WANT TO, UH, AS AN ASIDE, WE HAVE SOME SPECIAL USE LIBRARIES SUCH AS THE GREGORY SCHOOL THAT HOUSES, UM, AFRICAN AMERICAN, UH, ARCHIVES AND HISTORY. AND SO TO BE SENSITIVE AROUND THAT CONVERSATION, THAT IT'S NOT JUST A CAPITAL EXCHANGE, BUT THERE'S SOME OTHER THINGS THAT ARE TIED TO THESE FACILITIES. AND SO, UM, LOOKING FORWARD TO WHEN THIS COMES TO COMMITTEE SO WE CAN GET IT OUT. THANK YOU. THAT'S ALL. OKAY. NEXT VOTE. WE JUST NEED THE VOTE TO REFER TO COMMITTEE. IS THERE A VOTE TO, UH, SEND IT TO THE QUALITY OF LIFE COMMITTEE? ALL IN FAVOR OF THOSE OPPOSED REFERRED TO QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUE. NEXT PLUMBER, 4.01 SUBSTITUTE. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MARY. A SUBSTITUTE, UM, YOU CAN LAY IT OUT AND YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. EXPLAIN SUBSTITUTE. SO LET ME FIRST, UM, DEFINE WHAT RESILIENCE MEANS. RESILIENCE IS THE ABILITY TO COPE WITH STRESS IN A POSITIVE WAY, IN A RESPOND TO PRESSURE. AND THAT IS ONE THING THAT I DON'T BELIEVE. I THINK THE INTENTION OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS THERE, BUT I DON'T BELIEVE WE DO IT IN MANY WAYS. AND ONE, ONE SPACE IS OUR RESILIENCE HUBS. WE CREATED THAT IN JULY OF 23. UM, WE WROTE, WE, YOU KNOW, WE PAID FOR A DOCUMENT TO BE DRAWN UP. WE HAVE THE TOOLS, WE'VE GOT A TOOLKIT, WE'VE GOT THE EXAMPLES. UH, CASHMERE GARDENS WAS DESIGNATED AS A RESILIENCY HUB IN RESPONSE TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON. UM, BUT NEVER WAS FULLY DEVELOPED AS A HUB. IT WAS UNABLE TO FUNCTION DURING DIRECT SHOW OR ANY OTHER STORMS THAT WE'VE HAD. UM, THE LACK OF, UM, ELECTRICITY. SO I WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS CASHMERE GARDENS SPECIFICALLY AS A RESILIENCE HUB, IF WE'RE GONNA CALL IT THAT. WE NEED TO PUT THE MONEY, UM, THAT'S NECESSARY TO IMPLEMENT THEM. THE FIRST STEP IS PUTTING IN A GENERATOR. AND THIS IS NOT A MOBILE GENERATOR. THIS IS ONE THAT WILL ALLOW THIS TO BE FUNCTIONAL AT ALL TIMES, THE ENTIRE BUILDING. UM, IT, IF YOU LOOK ON YOUR, UM, ON YOUR ATTACHMENT ONTO THE AMENDMENT, UH, WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, BEEN IN CONVERSATIONS WITH, UM, WITH UH, GSD AND THEY ASSISTED US WITH KIND OF LAYING OUT WHAT THAT COST WOULD LOOK LIKE. UH, THE TOTAL AMOUNT WOULD BE $899,289. UM, THIS IS TO, LIKE I SAID, PUTTING A PERMANENT GENERATOR AT THIS LOCATION, UH, TO SERVE THIS PARTICULAR COMMUNITY. UM, AND IT'S REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT. THIS IS GOING TO INCLUDE DESIGN AND PERMITTING [06:55:01] CONSTRUCTIONS, UM, FY 26 AND WILL WHEN IT WILL BE COMPLETED. UM, THIS WILL BE A 250 KILOWATT NATURAL GAS GENERATOR, UM, WITH ALL THE ELECTRICAL WORK THAT'S NECESSARY WITH NATURAL GAS UTILITIES. UM, THE PLATFORM WILL BE THERE DUE TO A, UM, AT FOUR, AT FOUR, UM, DUE TO FLOOD FOR, UM, THE FLOODPLAIN. A DETENTION FOR THE, THE PLATFORM WOULD BE NECESSARY IN ARCHITECTURAL ENCLOSURES AND GENERATORS. AND SO THIS WILL BE THE FIRST STEP. I MEAN, MY GOAL IS TO REALLY LOOK AT OUR RESILIENCY DEPARTMENT, PUT THESE TOOLKITS INTO ACTION BY BRINGING IN FEDERAL DOLLARS, UM, BRINGING IN FOLKS THAT ARE SPECIALIZED IN THIS SPACE AS WELL, AND REALLY MAKING SURE THAT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, GIVE CASHMERE GARDENS, UM, WHAT, WHAT WE'RE CALLING IT, MAKE IT WHAT IT IS, AND MAKE SURE THAT WE SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITIES. AND SO THIS PARTICULAR, UM, COMMUNITY. AND SO I'M ASKING MY COLLEAGUES, UM, TO PLEASE SUPPORT THIS AMENDMENT. AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, UM, I'M OPEN. UH, A COUPLE QUESTIONS. I'D CERTAINLY SHARE THE INTENT. UH, I WAS SHOCKED DURING THE RECENT STORM WHEN WE ATTEMPTED TO OPEN, UH, COOLING CENTERS, WE FOUND OUT THAT OUR MULTI-SERVICE CENTERS WERE DARK ALSO FOR LACK OF, UH, GENERATORS. I JUST CAN'T IMAGINE HOW LONG I CAN TOO, THAT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN REFERRED TO OUR MULTI-SERVICE CENTERS AND THEY GET THERE AND THEY'RE OUT OF POWER ALSO. SO OBVIOUSLY THAT'LL BE A HIGH PRIORITY. UH, ACTUALLY I'VE BEEN IN SOME SERIOUS DISCUSSIONS WITH SOME CORPORATE CITIZENS THAT WANT TO DONATE THEM, UH, COLLABORATION WITH OUR COUNTY OFFICIALS. SO WOULD WE NECESSARILY SPEND THAT IF WE MOVE FAST ENOUGH TO GET GENERATORS AT CASHMERE? AND I WOULD SUGGEST OTHER LOCATIONS NO, I, I SPOKE THAT MAYOR. SO THE GENERATOR THAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO IS ACTUALLY A MOBILE GENERATOR. THIS IS, THIS IS DIFFERENT. THIS IS MUCH LARGER AND MUCH MORE INTENSIVE. AND SO, UM, SO I OBVIOUSLY APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT YOU'VE BEEN ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, PARTNER WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR TO DO THAT IN ALL THE OTHER LOCATIONS. BUT THIS IS TRULY A RESILIENCY HUB. AND LEMME JUST KIND GIVE YOU AN IDEA. THE, THE LIFE, THE AGE EXPECTANCY OF PEOPLE IN THIS AREA IS 69 YEARS OLD. IT'S 20 YEARS DIFFERENT. SO NOT ONLY IS THIS COMMUNITY SUFFERING FROM A LIFE EXPECTANCY PERSPECTIVE, WHICH MAKES IT LESS RESILIENT TO ANYTHING. SO EVERY TIME A STORM HAPPENS, ANYTIME ANYTHING HAPPENS, WE DON'T HAVE THE BANDWIDTH TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PROTECTING THIS, THIS COMMUNITY. AND OF COURSE, I'M NOT, I'M NOT SAYING THAT ALL COMMUNITIES ARE NOT IMPORTANT IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, CLEARLY, BUT THIS HAS BEEN DESIGNATED FOR THE LAST ALMOST TWO YEARS AS A RESILIENCY HUB. WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO PUT THE WORK INTO THIS PARTICULAR ONE AND MAKE IT EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE CALLING IT. UM, AND SO, UM, IN LIGHT OF THAT, WHAT YOU'RE BRINGING FORWARD ARE ACTUALLY MOBILE GENERATORS. FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, THIS IS ACTUALLY GONNA BE A PERMANENT FIXTURE AT KME GARDENS. I WAS JUST TRYING TO GET AS READY FOR HURRICANE SEASON AS POSSIBLE. YES. YOUR PROPOSAL WILL TIME WILL TAKE SOME TIME. YEAH. THIS WILL BE A TWO YEAR, THIS WILL BE A TWO YEAR PROCESS. AND IN THAT TWO YEARS, I WOULD LIKE TO, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY HAVE A COMMITTEE MEETING WORK WITH COUNCILMAN JACKSON SPECIFICALLY. SURE. UM, ON THIS PROJECT, HAVE A COMMITTEE MEETING MAYBE IN JULY WITH OUR RESILIENCY, UM, COMMITTEE AND, AND FIGURE OUT OTHER WAYS BRINGING FEDERAL MONEY THAT'S AVAILABLE TO US, OUR DELEGATION, OUR FEDERAL DELEGATION. AB ABSOLUTELY WOULD BE SO WE CAN COMPLETE THIS PROJECT. VERY GOOD. COUNCILOR POLLARD. COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, THIS MONEY WILL BE COMING FROM THE GENERAL FUND, WHICH ALL OF OUR, UH, ITEMS SEEM TO BE COMING FROM. I THINK WORKING WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR IS A GREAT IDEA. I THINK, UH, HELPING THEM, WORKING WITH THEM TO BRING MAYBE A MOBILE, THEN WORKING TOWARDS HAVING SOMETHING OF THIS MAGNITUDE ATTITUDE, THE SERVICE CENTER WOULD BE IDEAL. UH, YOU ALREADY MENTIONED, MAYOR, THAT YOU HAVE FOUND THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL DIFFERENT MULTI-SERVICE CENTERS THAT NEED GENERATORS. AND SO THIS PROBLEM WILL STILL PERSIST IN OTHER AREAS. SO IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT ALLEVIATING ALL THE PROBLEMS GOING THROUGH THE PRIVATE SECTOR TO GET THE MOBILE GENERATORS, IF WE CAN AT LEAST EXPAND THOSE THROUGHOUT THE CITY, I THINK IS A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. IT KEEPS US FISCAL SOUND. AND, UM, BY NOT PULLING FROM THE GENERAL FUND, WE'RE NOT PUTTING OURSELVES IN FURTHER DEBT. THERE HAS TO BE MAYBE SOME MONEY WITHIN PUBLIC WORKS OR SOMEWHERE ELSE ALREADY BUILT INTO THIS BUDGET THAT WE CAN PULL THAT MONEY FROM AN EXISTING PLACE. AND IF THAT'S NOT THE CASE, THEN I DON'T THINK IT IS FEASIBLE TO TAKE MONEY FROM THE GENERAL FUND KNOWING THAT IT'LL PUT US IN FURTHER DEBT. UM, BECAUSE IF WE CAN WORK WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR TO GET THE MOBILE GENERATORS, THEY DO THE JOB FOR NOW WHILE WE WORK TO SEE HOW MUCH REVENUE WE CAN BRING IN FOR THE FUTURE TO THEN HAVE, UH, [07:00:01] A LARGER GENERATOR. VERY GOOD. COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, AND THANK YOU, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER PLUM FOR, UM, INTRODUCING THIS, UM, BUDGET AMENDMENT. UM, OF COURSE, THE FREEZE THAT, THE STORM THAT WE JUST HAD WAS, WE WAS ALL SURPRISED WHEN WE LEARNED THAT OUR MULTI-SERVICE CENTERS DIDN'T HAVE GENERATORS, SPECIFICALLY, UM, THE RESILIENCE HUB IN CASHMERE GARDEN. UM, AND SO, UM, I SUPPORT THIS AMENDMENT. UM, WE NEED THAT, UM, THE CASHMERE GARDEN UP AT LEAST A LOCATION THAT RESIDENTS, UM, IN THE NORTHEAST SIDE OF TOWN CAN GO TO IF WE HAVE ANOTHER STORM WITHOUT LIGHTS. UM, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT WE WERE WITHOUT LIGHTS THIS PAST, UM, DECEMBER WHEN WE HAD THE FREEZE. IT WASN'T OPEN EITHER, BUT I DIDN'T KNOW THAT IT DID NOT HAVE A GENERATOR. AND SO, UM, I SUPPORT IT. UM, I THINK WE NEED TO GET IT UP AND GOING, IF WE CALL IT INTO A RESILIENT HUB, IT NEEDS TO HAVE ALL THE TOOLS AND THE RESOURCES IN NEED TO, UM, BASICALLY SUPPORT THE RESIDENTS IN THAT AREA. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN. THANK YOU. UM, I ECHO MY COLLEAGUES SENTIMENTS AND COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMER, I APPRECIATE YOU RAISING THE ISSUE OF CLIMATE CHANGE, UM, AND EXTREME WEATHER BECAUSE IT IS ONLY GONNA GET MORE AND MORE FREQUENT. MM-HMM . UH, THE, I, I'D BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO SUPPORT THIS. I HAD A FEW QUESTIONS, IF YOU DON'T MIND. ONE, AS YOU SAID, THIS DOES INCLUDE THE ELECTRIC WIRING. SO MAYOR, WE ARE, AND I SO APPRECIATE THAT YOUR TEAM IS WORKING TO GET ADDITIONAL GENERATORS, INCLUDING FOR WEST GRAIN MULTI-SERVICE CENTER. RIGHT. THAT ALSO SERVES AS A HUB. UM, BUT COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER, THIS WILL INCLUDE THE COST OF THE WIRING THAT NEEDS TO GO INTO THAT. 'CAUSE THAT CAN BE A HEFTY PRICE AS WELL. CORRECT. TERRIFIC. AND TO MANAGE EXPECTATIONS, I BELIEVE YOU MENTIONED THIS IS A LONG TERM PROJECT. THIS CAN'T BE DONE AND GET DONE BEFORE THE END OF THIS HURRICANE SEASON. THIS IS GOING TO TAKE TIME TO, UM, DO THE DESIGN, THE WIRING AND SECURE THE ACTUAL GENERATOR. DO, WHAT'S THE TIMEFRAME OF THAT? YEAH, AS I STATED, IT WAS A TWO YEAR PROCESS, TWO YEAR. SO, WE'LL, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY GET A TEMPORARY GENERATOR THERE DURING HURRICANE SEASON. AND THEN ONCE WE GET UP AND RUNNING, THEN WE'LL BE ABLE TO MOVE THAT TEMPORARY GENERATOR OR THAT MOBILE GENERATOR TO A DIFFERENT LOCATION. THANK YOU. AND COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD, I APPRECIATE YOUR QUESTION AS TO WHERE CAN WE BE PULLING THIS MONEY FROM, BUT I DO KNOW, EVEN IN SPEAKING WITH GSD AND COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, WE'VE HAD THESE CONVERSATIONS. UM, I BELIEVE IT'S, THEY AREN'T EVEN UP TO WHERE THEIR MRR NEEDS TO BE. THEY'RE 4 MILLION SHORT. RIGHT NOW. WE ARE ON DEFERRED MAINTENANCE TO, UM, AN, DID I SAY THE WRONG NUMBER WITH THAT? YEAH. OKAY. UM, WE HAVE A HUGE ISSUE, MAYOR, WHEN IT COMES TO DEFERRED MAINTENANCE, WHERE OUR OBLIGATION IS GROWING AND WE'RE NOT ABLE TO TACKLE THE RENOVATIONS OF THESE FACILITIES, NOT JUST IN A TIMELY MANNER, BUT THEY NEEDED TO BE DONE YEARS AGO. AND THAT EXPENSE IS BALLOONING. MY ONLY PROCEDURAL QUESTION I SEE HERE IS THAT, UM, MAYOR, YOUR, YOUR TEAM HAD RESPONDED THAT THIS IS A CIP AMENDMENT, UM, NOT A BUDGET AMENDMENT. I'D BE PREPARED TO VOTE ON THIS TODAY IN SUPPORT OF THIS. SO I, I WANTED, I, I GUESS I'M ASKING FOR CLARIFICATION ON THAT. YES, WE'RE GOING TO, UH, LOOK AT THE CIP, BUT IN THE MEANTIME, UH, COUNCILMAN PLUMMER FEELS STRONGLY ENOUGH TO HAVE US TAKE THIS UP AND, UH, HAVE A ROLL CALL VOTE, OR WE DON'T EVEN HAVE TO HAVE A ROLL CALL UNLESS SOMEBODY WANTS ONE. I'M, I'M PLEASED. JUST HAVE A VOICE VOTE. 5 MILLION IN THE CIP FOR GENERAL. I'M IN EXCUSE OBVIOUSLY STILL WITH KAREN, WE'RE, WE CAN STILL LOOK TO THE CIP, BUT THE COUNCIL PERSON FELT STRONGLY ENOUGH ABOUT THIS TO, UH, RECOMMEND IT FOR A VOTE, I THINK TO SEND A STRONG MESSAGE. YEAH. AND ALSO, IF I COULD JUST ADD TO THIS TEMP, UM, AND I'M NOT SURE MAYOR, WHICH GENERATORS YOU'RE REFERRING TO, BUT FROM WHAT I'M UNDERSTANDING, MOBILE GENERATORS TYPICALLY ARE NOT ABLE TO HEAT AND COOL FACILITIES. AND SO THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO CONSIDER. AND THAT'S ANOTHER REASON WHY I FEEL LIKE THIS IS IMPORTANT TO BRING FORWARD. AND THOSE DETAILS ARE BEING WORKED OUT WITH THE PUBLIC WORKS AND HEALTH AND, UH, THE PARKS DEPARTMENT AS TO WHAT THEY NEED. UH, SOMETIME THEY WORK VERY WELL, THE SQUARE FOOTAGE THEY NEED TO COVER. SO, YOU KNOW, MAYBE DOUBLE DOWN. THERE'S JUST LETTING THE ENGINEERS AND THE DEPARTMENTS WORK ONCE WE GET THE, UH, DONATIONS, WHICH WERE OFFERED A COUPLE WEEKS AGO. AND OF COURSE, THE REAL CHALLENGE IS GOING TO BE, WE HAVE SEVERAL, MANY MULTI-SERVICE CENTER, SO YOU'RE EMPHASIZING CASHIER, BUT I PROMISE YOU SUNNYSIDE FEELS JUST AS STRONGLY ABOUT THEIRS. ALTHOUGH I UNDERSTAND IT'S GOT AIR 'CAUSE IT'S NEW. [07:05:01] BUT, UH, WE CAN GO TO ACRES HOME OR OTHER COMMUNITIES. I THINK THE MAYOR PRO TEM IS GONNA DISCUSS HER MULTI-SERVICE CENTER, WHICH THERE'S ONE OF OUR CHALLENGES IS TO TRY TO PROVIDE EQUITY ACROSS THE CITY. UH, I'M CERTAIN, UH, WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT WEST GRAY IN OTHER AREAS. I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU, DURING THE STORM, AND WE WERE RESPONDING TO PEOPLE WANTING A COOLING CENTER, I WAS SHOCKED, SHOCKED, EVERYBODY. OF COURSE, I JUST GOT HERE. BUT IT'S AMAZING THAT PLACES THAT WE REFER TO FOR EMERGENCIES ARE CLOSED FOR LACK OF BACKUP ENERGY. IN FACT, I ACTUALLY, THE DAY WE WERE DISCUSSING, I SAID, I WANT, I ASSUMED CITY HALL HAS A BACKUP GENERATOR, BUT I WOULDN'T, I WOULDN'T BET ON IT. AND MAYOR, IF I COULD, IF I COULD JUST KIND OF END THE CONVERSATION, I KNOW WE HAVE A LONG DAY. UM, THIS IS A RESILIENCY HUB AND I THINK THAT WE NEED TO START IMPLEMENTING WHAT WE NEED TO DO. SURE. TO PUT EVERYTHING IN PLACE TO MAKE IT EXACTLY WHAT IT'S CALLED. AND I THINK THAT IN TALKING TO OEM YESTERDAY, WHEN THEY WERE, WHEN THEY DID THEIR PRESENTATION, IT'S THE FRONT FACING VIEW OF THE PUBLIC. THAT IS A CHALLENGE, RIGHT? IF WE'RE SAYING THAT THEY'RE GONNA DO THAT, IT'S, IT'S A RESILIENCY HUB. THEN WHEN A DISASTER HAPPENS OR SOMETHING HAPPENS, THEY DRIVE STRAIGHT THERE BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE THAT IT'S FULLY EQUIPPED TO BE ABLE TO CARE FOR THEM. I THINK C AND I THINK THAT WOULD BE A COMMUNITY. THIS IS A GOOD PI. THIS IS A, I THINK A FIRST STEP, UM, IN, IN CREATING THAT. UM, AND, YOU KNOW, I'M PREPARED TO CALL THE VOTE. WELL, YOU'RE DOING A FINE JOB. IT IS RESILIENCE HUB, BUT I BET YOU OTHERS WOULD SAY THEIR COMMUNITY NEEDS THE SAME. SO THERE'S OUR CHALLENGE. BUT ANYWAY, IT'S BEFORE US. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN, YOU'VE ALREADY SPOKEN. COUNCILOR HUFFMAN, UH, TH THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, YOU KNOW, D DURING DICHO, DISTRICT G UH, WE HAD SOME CHALLENGES, BUT WE DEFINITELY EXPERIENCED LESS DAMAGE, UM, THIS TIME AS OPPOSED TO OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY. AND, UM, BUT NEXT TIME, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S ANOTHER DISASTER, WE MAY BE IN A DIFFERENT BOAT. AND SO I JUST, YOU KNOW, LIKE THE MAYOR SAID, I JUST WANNA, YOU KNOW, REMIND EVERYONE THAT YOU KNOW, DISTRICT G WE'RE THE ONLY DISTRICT WITHOUT A COMMUNITY CENTER. AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT THIS IS NOT A, A WORTHY ITEM, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE RESIDENTS OF DISTRICT G ALSO HAVE A PLACE NEARBY. YOU KNOW, IF CONSTITUENTS NEED A WARMING CENTER OR A COOLING CENTER, BECAUSE WE KNOW ANOTHER DISASTER IS GONNA HIT. WELL SAID. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. THANK YOU MUCH. COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, PLUMMER FOR CLARIFICATION. UH, THE CDBG DISASTER RECOVERY 21 ITEM. THE DIRECT ALLOCATION WE RECEIVED FROM HUD HAS $6.7 MILLION FOR NEIGHBORHOOD FACILITY RE UM, RESILIENCY. A PART OF THAT IS TO, UM, ADD GENERATORS TO ALL OF OUR MULTI SERVICE CENTERS. SO IT'S ALREADY IN QUEUE. SO, UH, I BELIEVE THAT THE FUND SHOULD BE COMING TO THE CITY IN LIKE, IN SHORT ORDER. THEIR GRANT AGREEMENT HAS ALREADY BEEN ESTABLISHED. ARE YOU WILLING TO HAVE THIS CONSIDERED, I, I'M GONNA ASSUME THAT THAT CENTER IS ALREADY IN THE MASTER PLAN FOR A GENERATOR, BUT IT'S JUST CLARIFICATION ON THE GENERATOR THAT YOU'VE BEEN TALKING TO WITH GSD AT THE 800,000 BECAUSE THERE'S 6.7 MILLION ALREADY ALLOCATED FOR GENERATORS. AND SO LIKE, WHAT, WHAT'S YOUR WILLINGNESS IN TERMS OF LIKE, CAN WE JUST CROSS CHECK TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS LOCATION IS ALREADY INCLUDED? MOST OF THEM ARE, I KNOW A LEAF IS NOT, 'CAUSE WE'RE ALREADY BUILT WITH THE GENERATOR, UM, WHICH WOULD ALLEVIATE THE $800,000. AND THEN THERE'S SOME ADDITIONAL FUNDING. I'M WILLING TO AMEND THE ITEM. I'M, FIRST OF ALL, I WANT, I WANNA VOTE ON THE ITEM, BUT I'M WILLING TO AMEND THE ITEM TO SAY IF THERE ARE ANY OTHER REVENUE SOURCES THAT CAN BE UTILIZED TO PAY FOR THIS, THEN I'M WILLING TO DO THAT. BUT I WANT, I WOULD LIKE TO GO TO A VOTE ON THIS TODAY. SURE. SO IS THAT THE MOTION TO AMEND? YES. I, I'LL THOMAS SECOND. I'LL MAKE A YEAH, THAT'S THE REPEAT THAT. SURE. SO THE AMEN. THE, YEAH, IF OTHER OTHER FUNDING SOURCES ARE AVAILABLE TO REPLACE THE GENERAL FUND WITH THOSE FUNDING SOURCES. OBJECTION. OBJECTION CHAIR HERE. NONE THAT'S, UH, AMENDED NOW BEFORE US. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OH, BACK TO PLUM. BACK TO COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER? NO, ON THE AMENDMENT. THAT'S IT. ON THE, YEAH, SO COUNCIL MEMBER CAS, UH, ON AMENDMENT MAYOR KASICK STATE. I WAS JUST GONNA ADD THAT WE ALSO HAVE 1.5 MILLION IN THE CIP FOR GENERATORS. UM, SO THERE COULD BE POTENTIAL DOLLARS. SO WE DON'T HAVE TO USE, UH, THE GENERAL FUND DOLLARS FOR THE ACTUAL GENERATOR. AND THEN MY OTHER POINT I WANTED TO MAKE IS, IF WE WERE LOOKING FOR GRANT DOLLARS, USUALLY IF WE ARE APPLYING FOR GRANTS, THEY [07:10:01] DON'T ALLOW US TO SUPPLANT IF WE HAVE MONEY ALLOCATED IN THE BUDGET. SO I WANT US TO BE CLEAR THAT IF WE PUT THE 800,000 IN A BUDGET AND APPLY FOR A GRANT, SOMETIMES THEY DON'T ALLOW YOU TO SUPPLANT MM-HMM . BUT THERE IS THE 1.5 MILLION AND THEN THE, THE 6.7 MILLION. SO, SO I'M, I'M WILLING, THIS IS MY, THIS, THIS IS AN URGENT SITUATION, SO I'M NOT, I DON'T WANNA WAIT, I DON'T WANNA WAIT A LONG TIME TO, YOU KNOW, TO TRY TO ALLOCATE, TO TRY TO FIND THE MONEY. SO IF WE CAN DO THIS IN A TIMELY MANNER AND YOU KNOW, IN THE NEXT THREE WEEKS OR SO, FIND OUT WHAT'S AVAILABLE TO US. I'M WILLING TO AMEND THIS ITEM, UM, TO USE OTHER DOLLARS AS LONG AS IT DOES NOT DELAY THE PROCESS. THE PROCESS ALREADY GONNA TAKE TWO YEARS AMENDMENTS. YEAH, WE'RE ON THE AMENDMENTS OF OKAY. THE AMENDMENT OF THE AMENDMENT. YES. SO WE NEED A VOTE ON THAT. YES. OKAY. SO ANY OTHER, JUST SAY THE LANGUAGE THAT YOU WANT TO AMEND. COUNCIL THOMAS IS, SHE'S ALREADY SAID HER MOTION. YEAH, I SECOND. YEAH, YOU SECOND. OKAY. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION ON THAT BEFORE WE GO? NO, NO. ANY DISCUSSION ON THE AMENDMENT? OKAY, ON THE AMENDMENT. WE'RE ON THE AMENDED AMENDMENT. POLLARD HAS DISCUSSION. COUNCILOR POLLARD. THANK YOU MAYOR. SO CAN WE MAKE AN AMENDMENT TO SAY THAT THE $1.5 MILLION THAT'S ALREADY BUDGETED FOR GENERATORS 899,000 OF THAT, OR A REASONABLE PORTION OF THAT FOR A GENERATOR GOES TOWARDS CASHMERE? BECAUSE IF WE ALREADY HAVE IT BUDGETED FOR GENERATORS, JUST MAKE THAT THE PRIORITY LOCATION. THAT WOULD HAVE TO HAPPEN IN CIP. OBJECTION. I THINK, I THINK THAT'S NOT APPLES AND APPLES. THAT'S, UH, MONEY THAT WE'D HAVE TO DO IT DURING MELISSA CAN EXPLAIN. I YIELD MELISSA. YES. I THINK THAT WOULD BE A PROPER CIP AMENDMENT AT THAT TIME. C SO THEN THAT TABLE THIS AND MAKE IT THE CIP AMENDMENT RIGHT? WHEN CIP COMES UP? YEAH. YEAH. THAT'S NOT BEFORE US. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OKAY. WE HAVE AN AMENDED AMENDMENT. WE HAVE OTHERS WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK. YEAH. ARE YOU ALRIGHT? UH, FLICKINGER, DO YOU HAVE A COMMENT? YEAH, IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'VE ALREADY JUST HERE TODAY IDENTIFIED A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT BUCKETS WITH, WITH MONEY IN IT TOWARDS GENERATORS. I WOULD THINK THE SMART THING WOULD BE TO DO IS TO LOOK AT THIS IN TOTALITY. IT MAKES ABSOLUTE SENSE TO HAVE ONE THERE. I, I COMPLETELY AGREE. I THINK MAYBE WE JUST LOOK AT THIS IN THE TOTALITY OF ALL THE LOCATIONS THAT NEED ONE AND TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GOING AND MAKE CASHMERE A PRIORITY. I, I AGREE. I'M SITTING HERE THINKING WITH ALL THE MOVING PARTS, MY COMMITMENT WOULD BE TO BRING IT BACK BEFORE COUNCIL WHEN WE START SEEING THE RECEIPT OF EITHER THE FEDERAL FUNDING, CERTAINLY THE CIP DISCUSSION. SO I JUST KNOW THIS IS IMPORTANT AT THIS POINT IN TIME. AND, UH, HOPEFULLY WE GET FORTUNATE. WE'LL HAVE OTHER RESOURCES. SO LEMME WHO ELSE WANTS TO SPEAK? COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN. THANK YOU MAYOR. I, COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER, AS I READ YOUR AMENDMENT, AS IT'S LAID OUT IN THE, UM, MATRIX, EXCUSE ME, THE ONLY BOLDED RIGHT, I'LL DEFER TO CA ARE ARE YOU IN QUEUE? MAYOR, IF YOU DON'T MIND GOING TO THE NEXT PERSON AND THEN I'LL COME BACK IN QUEUE. THANK YOU. FINE PLUMBER, COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER, BUT SHE'S ALREADY MADE HERSELF PRETTY CLEAR. WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE RECOGNIZED? COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. SO I UNDERSTAND THERE'S A SPECIAL CALLED BUDGET AND FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING ON MONDAY, UH, THAT'S GONNA DEAL WITH CIP. AND SO IF I COULD ASK, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, IF, UH, THAT MEETING COULD POTENTIALLY DELVE OFF INTO DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS GENERATOR FOR CASHMERE GARDENS AND, AND OTHER GENERATORS AT SUCH FACILITIES? WELL, HOPEFULLY THAT'LL BE AFTER WE VOTE ON THE BUDGET TODAY. MM-HMM . WHAT, WHAT DO YOU, ARE YOU REQUESTING OR HAVE A HEARING, I GUESS CAN, CAN WE DISCUSS THIS, UH, IN, IN A LARGER CIP UM, DISCUSSION BEGINNING ON MONDAY, I GUESS IS WHAT I'M ASKING? IS THAT ONE OF THE THINGS WE CAN BE DISCUSSING ON MONDAY AT YOUR COMMITTEE MEETING? UH, I'M HAPPY TO, BUT I'M, I'M GONNA DEFER TO THE AUTHOR OF THIS AMENDMENT. UM, WE CAN CERTAINLY DISCUSS IT. I WOULD LIKE TO ADD, IF YOU'LL ALLOW ME, UH, I DID ASK, UM, IN, IN THE BUDGET QUESTIONS, UM, HOW MANY MULTI-SERVICE CENTERS DO NOT HAVE A GENERATOR? UH, ACRES HOMES, DENVER HARBOR, FIFTH WARD, HIRAM CLARK, CASHMERE, SOUTHWEST, THIRD WARD, WEST [07:15:01] END, MAGNOLIA AND NORTHEAST. DON'T WORRY. I GOT, AND THEN I ASKED ABOUT COST, UM, AND WAS TOLD THAT THE AVERAGE AND THAT THIS DOES NOT MATCH. AND YOU'VE DONE YOUR RESEARCH ON THIS AND I'VE SEEN YOUR SPREADSHEET, BUT I'VE, I ASKED SPECIFICALLY, WHAT IS THE AVERAGE COST OF A GENERATOR FOR THESE FACILITIES? AND I GOT THE NUMBER BACK OF 300,000. THAT WAS FROM THE, FROM THE TOOL BANK. NO, . WE THAT THE ANSWER FROM THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, NOT FROM GS D. SO DIFFERENT, UH, SO YOUR QUESTION WAS, COULD THEY HAVE A HEARING? I THINK THE ANSWER IS THEY CAN HAVE A HEARING, BUT IT'S NOT BEFORE US AT THIS TIME. OKAY. DAVIS, COUNCILMAN DAVIS. THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, ONE OF MY CONCERNS ABOUT THAT IS THE RESOURCES, THE EXTRA RESOURCES OF FUNDING THIS AS COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, THOMAS HAD JUST INDICATED OF FEDERAL DOLLARS. BUT I THINK THE THING THAT'S THE BIGGEST CONCERN IS HOW QUICK WILL THAT BE DONE IF WE HAVE TO WAIT FOR THOSE DOLLARS. THE PROCESS OF GETTING THE GENERATORS IN THE, UH, FACILITIES MAY TAKE LONGER BECAUSE OF THE TYPE OF, OF FUNDING SOURCE THAT IT HAS. NOW WITH WHAT, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN JUST INDICATED, ARE WE TALKING ABOUT $300,000 FOR THE WHOLE LIST OF FACILITIES THAT SHE JUST NAMED? IS THAT THE TOTAL NUMBER? WAS THAT 300,000 THE TOTAL NUMBER OF THOSE FACILITIES? OR IS THAT PER THE, IF YOU'LL ALLOW ME THE, THE, THE QUESTION I ASKED WAS OF THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT WHERE MOST OF THE MULTI-SERVICES SENT CENTERS RESIDE, THEY SAID 300,000. WE ASKED THE SAME QUESTION TO GSD, THEY SAID 700,000, HOW MUCH? 700,000, WHICH IS CLOSER TO THE EIGHT. YEAH. WHICH, WHICH I'M SURE THAT HAS TO DO A LOT TO DO WITH THE, WHERE THE FACILITY IS, WHERE THE GENERATOR HAS TO BE. THAT MAY BE OTHER, UM, YOU KNOW, CONSTRUCTIONAL PURPOSES. SO THE DOLLAR COULD GO. I MEAN, THE AMOUNT COULD GO UP. I, I DON'T KNOW. I'M JUST, I'M SOMEWHAT UNIQUE. YEAH, THEY'RE ALL DIFFERENT. OKAY. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. THANK YOU MAYOR. OKAY. I'M ON THE RIGHT LANGUAGE. COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER, TO YOUR POINT, I BELIEVE THE BOLDED LANGUAGE IN YOUR, UM, SUBSTITUTE AMENDMENT THAT YOU PRESENTED IS THE ACTUAL LANGUAGE OF THE AMENDMENT THAT'S BEING PASSED. SO THAT SAYS, TO ENHANCE THE RESILIENCE OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON AGAINST EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS, THE CITY OF HOUSTON SHALL PROVIDE A GENERATOR FOR THE CASHMERE GARDENS RESILIENCY HUB TO ENSURE CONTINUOUS OPERATION DURING SUCH EVENTS. IF THAT IS THE LANGUAGE ITSELF THAT WE ARE VOTING ON, I DON'T SEE A CONFLICT BETWEEN WHAT ANYBODY IS SAYING HERE. IT'S DIRECTING THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO IMPLEMENT, UM, AND MOVE FORWARD WITH A GENERATOR. UH, I'M TRYING TO ONE, I THINK OUT OF DEFERENCE TO WHAT THE DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER AND OUR AT LARGE COUNCIL MEMBER WHO'S THE AUTHOR OF THIS ARE TRYING TO SAY THEY REALLY WANT A VOTE ON THIS AND THEY WANT THE COMMITMENT THAT THIS WILL BE MOVED ON AT THE SAME TIME, UH, WE HAVE SOME QUESTIONS AS TO WHAT THOSE DIFFERENT FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES ARE. SO IF THE, IF THE VOTE IS JUST ON THAT LANGUAGE THAT THE CITY SHALL IMPLEMENT, RIGHT. AND I'M SUGGESTING THAT INSTEAD OF GOING FROM THE AMENDMENT TO THE AMENDMENT, THE ORIGINAL LANGUAGE DOESN'T CONFLICT WITH WHAT ANYBODY IS TRYING TO DO. RIGHT NOW. I'M TRYING TO, WELL, BEFORE US, WE'VE ALREADY ADOPTED THE AMENDED MM-HMM . AMENDMENT TO THE AMENDMENT. WE'RE WE'RE DEALING WITH THE AMENDED AMENDMENT. PLUMBER. PLUMBER. YEAH. I'M READY FOR A VOTE. OKAY. BUT HAVE WE DECIDE ON WHAT THE FUNDING SOURCE WOULD BE? YES. SO THE THE THE AMENDMENT SAYS, YES, FED THE AMENDMENT, FED TO THE AMENDMENT ITEM. SHE WISHES TO SUPPLEMENT THAT IF ADDITIONAL FUNDS FROM DIFFERENT FUNDING STREAMS COMES AVAILABLE, IT, IT WOULD RELEASE THE GENERAL FUND. SO IF IT GOES INTO THE CAPITAL CIP PROGRAM, IT'S PRIORITIZING CIP IF IT'S DR 21 AND THE FUNDS ARE THERE 'CAUSE THEY'RE MSCS THAT ARE ALREADY IDENTIFIED, IT GOES INTO THE, IT GOES INTO THAT. OKAY. 'CAUSE THE FLEXIBILITY OF WHEN THE DOLLARS BECOME AVAILABLE, IT'S DIFFERENT FUNDS AND IT RELIEVES THE GENERAL FUND. WELL, WE SHOULD SAVE THAT AND WE WON'T SPEND RIGHT OFF THE AMENDMENT. WE SHOULD SAY WE'LL LOSE THE GENERAL FUND TOGETHER. WE WON'T SPEND THE GENERAL FUND IF WE GET YOU. YOU JUST WANT YOUR GENERATOR. I WANT MY GENERATOR . I GOT IT. I'M NOT WAITING. AND IT'S GOING BE IN BUDGET YEARS TO MAKE THE CON THE AMENDMENT TO YOUR AMENDMENT IS THAT WE LOOK AT ALL RESOURCES. IF WE GET MORE MONEY BEFORE YOU GET STARTED ON YOUR GENERATOR WITH THE 800 IN THE GENERAL, WE'LL TAKE THAT OPTION. ABSOLUTELY. AS LONG AS IT'S DONE YOUR, TAKE THE MONEY YOU'RE DISCUSSING, TAKE IT TO ANOTHER MULTI-SERVICE CENTER. BUT, BUT LET ME JUST MAKE SURE WE'RE [07:20:01] ALL STAYING ONLINE HERE. I, I GET THE FACT THAT WE ALL HAVE NEEDS IN ALL COMMUNITIES. I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND THAT. BUT THIS IS THE ONLY RESILIENCE HUB. IT IS. IT IS CALLED IT. IT IS NAMED IT. IT IS DESIGNATED IT. AND SO I'M JUST SAYING THIS IS NOT A MULTIPURPOSE CENTER ONLY. IT IS. IT SERVES AS BOTH. IT'S VERY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT THE OTHER ONES ARE. WE GOTTA VOTE RIGHT? RIGHT. VOTE ON AMENDMENT. ALL IN FAVOR? OND ON THE AMENDED. AMENDED AMENDMENT. AMENDMENT. AMENDMENT AND AMENDMENT. YES. AMENDMENT AS AMENDED. THANK YOU. ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED. MOTION PASSES. SO NOW BACK TO THE ORIGINAL. YEAH. SO COUNCILMAN POLL, VOTING NOTE. OKAY, NEXT. COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN. THANK YOU. UM, COLLEAGUES. THE FIRST ONE, 5.0 ONES JUST CUTTING PAPER. WE SPEND 6.024 MILLION CITYWIDE ON PAPER PRINTING. ALL THE, ALL OF THOSE COSTS, ALL OF THE CATEGORIES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH PAPER. I APPRECIATE THE ADMINISTRATION'S SUPPORT ON THIS. I DID TAKE OUT THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH WATER BILLS AND THAT LEAVES US WITH, UM, WITH A SAVINGS OF $261,203. THERE YOU GO. CITYWIDE. SO APPRECIATE, UM, YOUR SUPPORT ON THIS AND, UM, I THINK WE ALL HAVE LEARNED HOW TO DEAL WITH MUCH, MUCH LESS PAPER. SO THANK YOU. VERY GOOD. ADMINISTRATION SUPPORTS. ALL IN FAVOR. MARTINEZ. COUNCILOR MARTIN. THANK YOU MAYOR. I'M HUGE FAN OF THIS. UH, ALSO JUST TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION, MAYBE MOVING AWAY FROM BUSINESS CARDS, PAPER TO QR BUSINESS CARDS AS WELL. SO, UH, WE CAN START TALKING ABOUT THAT AS WELL. IT'D BE GREAT FOR ALL CITY EMPLOYEES. GREAT. UH, THAT'S IT. JUST NEED A VOTE. NEED A VOTE ON 5.01. ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED. MOTION PASSES. COUNCILMAN ALCORN ON 5.02. UH, 5.02 DEALS WITH TERMINATION PAY. UM, DURING A LOT OF THE BUDGET WORKSHOPS, UH, MAYOR, THERE WAS, UH, AND, AND COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER ALSO KIND OF, UM, ADDED SOME, UM, COMMENT ABOUT THIS. UH, SOME DEPARTMENTS WHOLE BUDGETS WENT UP JUST BECAUSE SOMEBODY LEFT. I MEAN, THE ENTIRE BUDGET WENT, WENT UP BECAUSE ONE OR TWO PEOPLE LEFT, OR, AND I'M NOT TRYING TO DENY ANYBODY WHAT'S OWED TO THEM. UM, EXISTING EMPLOYEES, SICK LEAVE VA UNUSED VACATION. BUT WE HAVE NOT LOOKED AT THESE POLICIES ON SICK SINCE 1990. OR DO I HAVE IT BACK? UH, YEAH. SICK. THE SICK POLICY WE HAVEN'T LOOKED AT SINCE 1996. THAT WAS THE ORDINANCE THAT WE, UM, WHEN WE DID THAT ORDINANCE ON SICK LEAVE TURN, UH, VACATION SINCE 2003. UM, THERE'S VARYING, UH, WE, WE'VE PULLED THE DIFFERENT, UH, ENTITIES, UH, COUNTY, STATE, FEDERAL, EVERYBODY HAS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT. A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T PAY OUT SICK LEAVE. PEOPLE DO IT DIFFERENT WAYS. I APPRECIATE, UM, YOU'RE JUST REFERRING THIS TO COMMITTEE. I'M HAPPY TO PUT TOGETHER A WORKING GROUP, ANY OF MY COLLEAGUES. WELCOME TO JOIN ME ALONG WITH MEMBERS OF A RA AND FINANCE AND HR. UH, SHOUT OUT TO CARLA COLEMAN, WHO REALLY SPENT A LONG TIME WITH ME, UM, KIND OF WALK WORKING THROUGH HOW THIS POLICY WORKS. UM, WE SPENT $13 MILLION LAST YEAR CITYWIDE ON TERMINATION PAY. UM, I KNOW THESE ITEMS ARE ALSO PART OF, UM, UNION BARGAINING. UM, SO IT'S, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO CONSIDER THAT. BUT THE, BUT THE, THE POLICIES THEMSELVES ARE ORDINANCES. THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE NOT DETERMINED IN THE UNION NEGOTIATION. SO I'M HAPPY TO TAKE THIS ON WITH ANY OF MY COLLEAGUES WHO WANNA JOIN ME AND, UM, WITH MEMBERS, STAFF FROM HR AND A RA AND FINANCE TO, UM, REVISIT THOSE POLICIES, SEE IF THERE IS A POTENTIAL SAVINGS TO THE CITY. I MEAN, WE ARE A, WE ARE A SERVICE ORGANIZATION OF PEOPLE. UM, TO MAKE A BUDGET IMPACT YOU UNFORTUNATELY HAVE TO LOOK AT THINGS THAT AFFECT PEOPLE. TERMINATION PAY IS ONE OF THEM. AND, UM, UH, COME BACK WITH SOME RECOMMENDATIONS WITHIN, UM, SIX MONTHS. VERY GOOD. ADAM IS REFERRED TO THE BUDGET AND PHYSICAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE. COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKER, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKER. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE A COMMENT IN SUPPORT OF THIS. AND IT ISN'T EVEN SO MUCH AS LIKE SALARY REFERRED TO, YOU KNOW, TAKING AWAY FROM PEOPLE. BUT, YOU KNOW, WE CONSTANTLY HAVE A DISCUSSION HERE ABOUT HOW WE CANNOT ATTRACT PEOPLE. 'CAUSE WE CAN'T COMPETE WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR. UH, I, I'VE GONE BACK AND LOOKED AT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S, UH, BLA WEBSITE, LOOKED AT THE HOLIDAYS, VACATION, SICK TIME, FAMILY LEAVE. WE PAY SO MUCH MORE ON THE BACK END WITH THAT, [07:25:01] THAT IF WE COULD FREE THAT MONEY UP ON THE BACK END AND PUT IT ON THE FRONT END, I THINK WE WOULD BE ABLE TO COMPETE FAR BETTER. UH, IN FACT, I'VE HAD ONE OF MY OFFICE STAFF, UH, MARK MITCHELL, WHO HAD LEFT A YEAR OR SO AGO AND CAME BACK TO WORKFORCE. ONE OF THE THINGS WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THESE, HE SAID, I WAS SHOCKED AT THE CHECK I GOT THAT PAID OUT. WHAT I, HE SAID, I HAD NO IDEA THIS MUCH MONEY WAS COMING TO ME. AND, AND I DON'T THINK THE PEOPLE THAT WE'RE HIRING SEE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE PENSION AND THE OTHER BENEFITS, THE, THE ACCUMULATED SICK TIME, THE ACCUMULATED DAYS OFF VACATION TIME. I, I THINK WE REALLY NEED TO LOOK AT MOVING THIS MONEY FROM THE BACK END TO THE FRONT END. VERY GOOD. I AGREE. VERY. IT'S, IT'S VERY ROBUST. UM, OUR, OUR, OUR SITUATION IS VERY ROBUST IN COMPARISON TO OTHER ENTITIES. WE ARE FAR AND AWAY MORE THAN THE PRIVATE SECTOR. IT ISN'T EVEN CLOSE. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN, THANK YOU MAYOR. AND I APPLAUD COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN FOR PRESENTING SO MANY, NOT JUST THIS, BUT SO MANY BUDGET SAVING AMENDMENTS. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT AND DOING YOUR DUE DILIGENCE. UM, AND I FULLY SUPPORT THIS GOING TO BUDGET AND FISCAL AFFAIRS. I KNOW IT DOES NOT PERTAIN TO THE LABOR UNION CONTRACTS. I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT, UM, WE DO HAVE UNION REPRESENTATION WITHIN THESE WORKING GROUPS AND CONVERSATIONS, AND WE'RE HAPPY TO PARTNER ON THAT, BUT I ABSOLUTELY DEFER TO YOU AS THE AUTHOR AND CHAIR OF BFA. I WOULD JUST WANNA ENSURE THAT, UM, THERE'S UNION REPRESENTATION IN THOSE CONVERSATIONS AS WELL. YEAH, THAT'S A GOOD POINT. AND ALSO, UM, YOU KNOW, I KNOW POLICE ALREADY HAS SOME ASPECTS OF PTO IN THEIR SITUATION. SO LOOKING AT, AT SO MANY OF THE, SO MUCH OF THE TREND IS, IS PTO IN ALL OF ITS DIFFERENT FORMS. SO, UM, MAKING THAT PART OF THE, PART OF THE WORKING GROUP'S CHARGE AS WELL. LOOKING AT PTO VERSUS A TRADITIONAL SICK AND VACATION LEAVE POLICY. VERY GOOD. A VOTE TO REFER TO BUDGET FISCAL AFFAIRS. ALL IN FAVOR, THOSE OPPOSED MOTION PASSES. 5.03. 5.03. I JOINED WITH COUNCIL MEMBER JOAQUIN MARTINEZ. THIS IS SOMETHING WE'VE LOOKED AT PRETTY MUCH. UM, I BROUGHT IT UP MANY TIMES BEFORE, NOT NECESSARILY IN A BUDGET AMENDMENT. UM, UH, WE HAVE MANY ENTITIES USING OUR CITY'S MWBE CERTIFICATION ENTITIES THAT USE IT INCLUDE HARRIS COUNTY, METRO PORT HOUSTON, HOUSTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE, HISD, HOUSTON FIRST, HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY, FORT BEND, ISD, GALVESTON COUNTY, UH, TO NAME A FEW. THERE'S ALSO OTHER GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES AND SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN THE NINE COUNTY REGION THAT USE THE CERTIFICATION. I MEAN, WE DO ALL THE WORK. WE HAVE THE STAFF. WE, UH, PUT IN THE TIME WE HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW HOW IT'S DONE, BUT, UM, WE NEED TO LOOK AT HOW WE COULD POSSIBLY, UM, CHARGE SOME OF THESE OTHER ENTITIES, RAISE SOME REVENUES FOR THAT SERVICE. UM, WE'RE DOING THE WORK OF THE CERTIFICATION. THEY'RE USING IT. AND, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER MAR MARTINEZ, IF YOU WANNA WEIGH IN. COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. UH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCO, AND, UH, AND I, I'M OF AGREEMENT I, WHEN I FOUND THIS OUT, I, I KNOW YOU, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, YOU'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR SOME TIME, BUT A FEW MONTHS AGO WHEN I FOUND THIS OUT, I HAD THE SAME, YOU KNOW, JUST QUESTION WHY AREN'T WE CHARGING THESE OTHER ENTITIES? UM, AND WHAT I'VE HAD, WHEN I'VE HAD THIS CONVERSATION WITH OFFICE OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY, UM, IF WE COULD PROVIDE A BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR AND A ADMINISTRATOR AS WELL, WHICH IS ROUGHLY TWO POSITIONS OF 130,000, THAT'S WHAT WE'LL PROBABLY BE LOOKING AT WHEN WE'RE LOOK, UH, LOOKING AT WHAT THIS CHARGE WOULD BE TO OTHER ENTITIES ESSENTIALLY. AND SO, UM, IN ORDER TO CONTINUE TO, UH, YOU KNOW, MOVE THESE, THESE, UH, CERTIFICATIONS FORWARD, WE GET CALLS ALL THE TIME IN OUR OFFICES THAT, UH, CER THEY'VE BEEN WAITING ON THE CERTIFICATION FOR EIGHT PLUS MONTHS OVER A YEAR. AND SO I APPRECIATE YOU, UH, YOU TAKING THIS ON, UH, COUNCILLOR ALCORN AND A HUNDRED PERCENT SUPPORTIVE OF IT AS WELL. YEAH. ANYONE ELSE? UH, THANK YOU CHAIR FIRST TO THE BUDGET AND PHYSICAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE. ALL IN FAVOR, THOSE OPPOSED REFER NEXT. UH, COULDN'T BE A BUDGET SEASON WITHOUT BRINGING UP BARK . AND I KNOW, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO HAS ANOTHER AMENDMENT AS WELL. THIS IS ALSO, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO HAS GIVEN A LOT OF THOUGHT TO THIS AS WELL. AND MAYOR, YOU CERTAINLY CAMPAIGNED ON IT. AND I'VE HEARD YOU TALKING ABOUT SPINNING OFF. UM, SOME OF BARK'S RESPONSIBILITIES ALSO, UH, WORKING WITH THE COUNTY, AS YOU MENTIONED EARLIER TODAY. UM, WE DO HAVE EXAMPLES OF, OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT CORPORATIONS THAT HAVE, UH, WE'VE DONE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, THE ZOO, HOUSTON ZOO DEVELOPMENT CORP, THE HOUSTON RECOVERY CENTER, HOUSTON FIRST, OF COURSE, HOUSTON AMATEUR SPORTS PARK. HOUSTON PARK SPORT. THERE'S, UM, L GCS. AND THERE'S, UH, I'D LIKE TO LOOK AT, AT, UM, AT THAT WITH AN, WITH AN LGC, THEY'RE, THEY'RE SUBJECT TO OPEN MEETINGS, ACTS, AND PUBLIC INFORMATION. THEY CAN ISSUE BONDS ALL AS ALL ASSETS. UM, IF IT DISSOLVES OR TRANSFERRED TO THE CITY, [07:30:01] THERE'S NO INDEPENDENT AUTHORITY TO TAX, THERE'S NO IMMINENT DOMAIN POWER. THERE'S CHECKS AND BALANCES APPROVING CERTIFICATION OF FORMATION OF ANY ILAS OR LEASE AGREEMENTS, UM, CONFIRM. WE CONFIRM BOARD NOMINATIONS. WE APPROVE ANNUAL BUDGETS, APPROVE DEBT ISSUANCES. UM, IT, WE WOULD, THIS WOULD THIS, UH, THIS AMENDMENT WAS ACTUALLY TO, TO GET A CONSULTANT TO HELP, UM, HELP LEAD THAT CHARGE TO SEE WHAT ALL WAS INVOLVED IN, IN SWITCHING ALL THE NON-ANIMAL CONTROL ASPECTS. I MEAN, WE STILL HAVE TO GO OUT THERE AND DO ANIMAL CONTROL. WE HAVE TO CALL WHEN THERE'S A BITE OR A DANGEROUS DOG. I MEAN, THAT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY AS A CITY. BUT THE ADOPTIONS, THE, THE OUTREACH, THE COMMUNICATIONS, THE LIVE RELEASE, A LOT OF THE, UH, SPAY NEUTER, ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF COULD BE SPUN OFF. UH, I'M NOT SAYING THAT'S THE ANSWER. UM, I KNOW THAT THE ADMINISTRATION HAS PLANS TO PUT A RFP OUT, UM, TO GET A NONPROFIT INVOLVED IN THIS. MAYBE THAT'S THE ANSWER. I LIKE THE IDEA OF A LOCAL GOVERNMENT CORPORATION. I THINK IT'S A BIG JOB. I THINK THAT THAT SPINNING OFF THESE, THESE DUTIES IS A BIG JOB. AND I'M NOT SURE THERE'S, UH, WE'VE GOT GREAT NONPROFITS, BUT THIS WOULD BE A BIG, UM, I JUST, I LIKE THE IDEA OF EXPLORING AN LGC AND, UM, I'LL DEFER TO MY COLLEAGUE WHO'S, WHO'S DONE SOME WORK ON THIS TOO. BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT REFER IT TO SERVICE DELIVERY COMMITTEE. I'M FINE WITH THAT. UH, UH, IF WE COULD DO A JOINT BFA, 'CAUSE I THINK IT WILL HAVE SOME BUDGET IMPLICATIONS AND SERVICE DELIVERY. UM, I'M HAPPY WITH THAT. AND, UM, ANYWAY, COLLEAGUES, WE, YOU, YOU ALL KNOW THAT WE'VE STRUGGLED, UH, WITH BARK FOR MANY YEARS. UH, WE CAN'T KEEP DOING THINGS THE SAME WAY WE'VE BEEN DOING 'EM. UM, WE STILL HAVE A, WE ARE HAVE A HUGE ASTRAY ANIMAL POPULATION IN THE CITY. UH, WE SPEND HALF PER CAPITA OF OTHER TEXAS CITIES. IT'S NOT GETTING ANY BETTER. AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO REALLY SHIFT THE PARADIGM HERE, UM, TO, TO LOOK AT SOMETHING NEW. SO I'M FINE WITH NOT DOING THE CONSULTANT. UM, AND, BUT AS LONG AS WE CAN KIND OF MOVE FORWARD WITH GETTING THIS TO COMMITTEE AND, AND, AND MOVING TOWARD, UM, DOING SOMETHING DIFFERENT. AND I REALLY WOULD LIKE THE LGC MODEL TO BE PART OF THE DISCUSSION. VERY GOOD. COUNCIL CASTILLO, COUNCIL CASTILLO. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN FOR ALL THE WORK YOU'VE DONE. UM, NOT JUST WITH THIS AMENDMENT, BUT WITH THIS ISSUE OVER THE YEARS. UH, I'M ALSO A BIG PROPONENT OF THIS MODEL, THIS LOCAL GOVERNMENT CORPORATION MODEL AND STUDYING IT. UM, WE HAVE SEEN IT BE SUCCESSFUL IN OTHER VENTURES AND WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE A NUMBER OF CHALLENGES RELATED TO ANIMAL CONTROL THROUGHOUT THE CITY AND THE COUNTY. AND WE KNOW IT'S GONNA BE SOMETHING THAT'S GONNA TAKE, UM, A LOT OF MONEY TO FIX COORDINATION, UH, WITH THE COUNTY. AND THIS MODEL WILL ALLOW US TO POTENTIALLY UNLOCK, UH, A LOT OF PRIVATE AND CORPORATE DOLLARS THAT CAN BE BROUGHT IN TO HELP OUR ANIMAL CONTROL EFFORTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY WHILE WE STILL MAINTAIN THE CHECKS AND BALANCES. ALL THE THINGS THAT, UH, THAT YOU EXPLAIN AND HOW THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CORPORATION WORKS. UM, SO I THINK THIS GOING TO A JOINT SERVICE, DELIVERY BUDGET FISCAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE IS A, IS A GREAT APPROACH TO ENSURE THAT, UH, WHILE WE WON'T HIRE A CONSULTANT, WE CAN PUT A GROUP TOGETHER, UH, GET THE RIGHT FOLKS IN THE ROOM AND STUDY THE FEASIBILITY ON THIS APPROACH ALONG WITH OTHER APPROACHES. UM, THIS MAY NOT BE THE ONE, BUT I THINK WE ABSOLUTELY SHOULD LOOK AT IT AND TAKE A HARD LOOK AT IT BECAUSE THIS COULD BE A WAY FORWARD, UM, THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO, TO GET A, GET A HANDLE ON ALL THE ISSUES WE'RE WE'RE DEALING WITH WHEN IT RELATES TO, UH, ANIMAL CONTROL EFFORTS. VERY GOOD. YOU KNOW, I'M A HUGE SUPPORTER AND THIS LAST WEEK WE HAD BARK STAFF AND LEGAL TOGETHER LOOKING AT ALL OF OUR OPTIONS. IN FACT, LEGAL'S WORKING ON A PROPOSAL AS WE TALKED, PROBABLY ALONG THE LINES OF THE LGC, BUT I, I REACHED SO, UH, NEED A MOTION REFER TO SERVICE DELIVERY COMMITTEE. MOTIONS SERVICE. IT IS A JOINT SERVICE AND BFA, THEY'RE MAKING THAT JOINT. YEAH. YEAH. I'M SORRY. BFA AND, UH, JOINT DELIVERY OF SERVICE. WE GOT IT. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR, THOSE OPPOSED MOTION PASSES. I WILL WITHDRAW COLLEAGUES 5.05 IN, UM, IN EXCHANGE FOR, UH, A NEW AMENDMENT THAT, UM, IS BEING PASSED AROUND RIGHT NOW. AND I'LL, I WILL DEFER THE CONVERSATION TO, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON, UM, ON THIS THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER. AND SO [07:35:01] THE AMENDMENT NUMBER INSTEAD OF IT WAS ORIGINALLY SEVEN, ITS 7 0 1 INSTEAD OF 7 0 2. 'CAUSE I'M, I JUST REWROTE. WE JUST REWROTE THE AMENDMENT AND NOW IT'S A JOINT AMENDMENT BETWEEN, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER, ALCORN AND HUFFMAN AND MYSELF. AND SO, UM, THE INITIAL AMENDMENT, I WAS GONNA SUBMIT A BUDGET AMENDMENT TO, UM, ADD 8 MILLION TO LDP. UM, AND SO WE ARE STILL MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS SAME AMENDMENT. UM, HOWEVER, INSTEAD OF, UM, PUTTING IT, UM, PULLING IT OUT OF THE, WELL, WE ARE GONNA PULL IT, EXCUSE ME, 8 MILLION FROM THE GENERAL FUND ENDING FUND BALANCE TO D-D-S-R-F, UM, WITH SPECIAL CONSIDERATION TO LDP BASED PROJECTS. UM, AND SO BASICALLY THIS CHANGE WAS, UM, BASED UPON THE CONVERSATION THAT I HAD WITH, UM, PUBLIC WORKS AND, UM, THE, THE MAYOR'S ADMINISTRATION THAT I KNOW PUBLIC WORKS, YOU GUYS ARE, UM, RESTRUCTURING HOW YOU BASICALLY DO BUSINESS. UM, WE HAVE SEVERAL POTS OF MONEY THAT'S MOVING, UM, UM, FOR SWAT PROJECTS, LDP, WE HAVE THE REESTABLISHMENT PROGRAM. AND SO THIS WOULD ACTUALLY FREE UP, UM, PUBLIC WORKS TO BE ABLE TO FOCUS MORE ON WHAT THEY NEED TO FOCUS ON AT THE TIME. UM, NOW IF WE HADN'T, IF THIS, UM, CHANGE WAS MADE PRIOR TO THIS AMENDMENT, THEN UM, IT WOULD ACTUALLY BE OKAY GOING STRAIGHT TO, UM, THE D-D-S-R-F, BUT THE CHANGE HAS NOT BEEN MADE. SO UHHUH MAKE, MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT, WE'RE MAKE A LONG STORY, HUH? WE'RE WITHDRAWING ALCORN'S 5.05 AND WE'RE GONNA DISCUSS IT WHEN WE GET TO YEAR SEVEN TO SOMETHING. OKAY, SO I'M NOT GONNA DISCUSS IT NOW? NO, MA'AM. OKAY. WELL Y'ALL THREW IT TO ME. NO, WE'RE JUST LETTING YOU WARM UP. OKAY. ALRIGHT. WELL, Y'ALL THREW IT TO ME. I'M READY. WELL, I KICKED IT OVER THERE. SORRY. YOU'RE DOING A FINE JOB. OKAY, WELL SAVE IT. OKAY. ALRIGHT, WE'LL SAVE IT THEN. ALRIGHT. JUST SAVE IT. DON'T GO ANYWHERE. OKAY, SIR, OUR ACCORDS WITH TROY 5 0 5. 5 0 5. IS THERE OBJECTION. CHAIR IS NONE. UH, PECK SIX OH PECK 6 0 1. THANK YOU MAYOR. 6.01 IS, UM, FOR ALL EMERGENCY PURCHASE ORDERS, UM, TO LET US KNOW BASICALLY IF THE COMPANY HAS BEEN FORMED WITHIN A YEAR. I DON'T WANT TO PENALIZE A NEW COMPANY, BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL FOR US TO KNOW THAT ESPECIALLY SINCE, UM, EMERGENCY PURCHASE ORDERS DON'T GO THROUGH THE PROPER CHANNELS FOR BIDDING. IF THIS COMPANY WAS JUST FORMED AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN WE'RE GIVING THEM HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS LIKE WE'VE SEEN WITH VERY GOOD, YOU KNOW, THE WATERLINE REPLACEMENT, UM, COMPANIES, UM, THAT WE SHOULD AT LEAST KNOW SO THAT WE CAN DO OUR DUE DILIGENCE AND LOOK TO THE COMPANY MORE ADMINISTRATION SUPPORTS IT, VOTE ALL IN FAVOR, THOSE OPPOSED MOTION PASSES 6.02. UM, SO 6.02 IS TO ADD AN ADDITIONAL $64,000 TO THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE FOR THE POSITION OF THE CITY AUDITOR. UM, AND THIS ITEM IS, UM, KIND OF IN CONJUNCTION WITH 6.03 AS WELL. UM, WHICH WOULD INCREASE THE BUDGET $800,000 FOR THE AUDITING DIVISION EXPANSION. BOTH ARE NEEDED BECAUSE RIGHT NOW IN THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE, THEY KIND OF DO THE CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATION AUDITS AND NOT REALLY THE EFFICIENCY AUDITS. AND I THINK EVERYONE KNOWS THAT I'VE LONG SAID THAT WE NEED SOME KIND OF EFFICIENCY AUDIT, WHETHER IT'S A SUNSET REVIEW OR WE'RE VOTING ON THOSE AUDITS OR IT COMES BACK TO COUNCIL, UM, IN SOME WAY OR FORM. WE NEED EFFICIENCY AUDITS IN THE CITY. AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE LACKED, UM, FOR MANY YEARS. WE, WE JUST HAVE NOT DONE THESE AUDITS. UM, AND I KNOW THAT WE WOULD, BY SPENDING THIS MONEY, WE WOULD DEFINITELY FIND THAT MONEY BY DOING THESE AUDITS. SO IT WOULD BASICALLY PAY FOR ITSELF EVENTUALLY. UH, ADMINISTRATION IMPOSES, YOU KNOW, WE ALREADY HAVE A REVIEW GOING FORWARD, SO THIS WOULD DUPLICATE THAT. AND I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE STAY IN TOUCH WITH THE COMP CONTROLLER'S OFFICE IF THEY NEED ADDITIONAL MONIES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE YEAR THAT WE WOULD, UH, ADDRESS IT AT THAT TIME. BUT WE ARE DOING A DEPARTMENT BY TALK DEPARTMENT AUDIT AND REVIEW RIGHT NOW. AND MAYOR, THE DEPARTMENT BY DEPARTMENT AUDIT, IS THAT WHO, WHO IS THAT THROUGH, IS THAT THROUGH AN OUTSIDE VENDOR OR IS THAT JUST THROUGH YOUR OFFICE? HOW ARE WE DOING THAT? NO, WE HAVE A VENDOR. MELISSA, WHO DO YOU, I MEAN, I KNOW THAT WE'VE HAD A VENDOR, I DIDN'T KNOW THAT WE VOTED ON EVERY SINGLE DEPARTMENT. YES. THAT IT'S IN, WE'RE IN THE PROCESS. YES. THAT VENDOR WAS APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL A FEW WEEKS AGO. THAT'S THE ERNST AND YOUNG, THE STATEWIDE, THAT THAT'S GOING TO BE EVERY SINGLE DEPARTMENT. UM, IT'S FOCUSED MOSTLY ON THE CORPORATE FUNCTIONS OF THE CITY. SO IT WILL BE A CITYWIDE VIEW FOR ALL DEPARTMENTS, BUT IT WILL BE FOCUSED ON CERTAIN FUNCTIONS. AND THAT'S ERNST AND YOUNG, IS IT NOT? YES SIR. YES. WE ACTUALLY VOTED ON THAT A COUPLE WEEKS AGO. RIGHT. BUT I THINK THAT BY DOING EFFICIENCY AUDITS THROUGH THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE, WE CAN HAVE A DEEPER DIVE THAN THAT PROCESS. WELL, [07:40:01] I APPRECIATE THAT I OF THE OPINION THAT IT'S BEING DONE WITH THIS SIGNIFICANT AUDIT THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT UP. SO, UM, DOES MELISSA HAVE ANYTHING ELSE? WELL, MAYOR, I THINK IN THAT CASE, I'M WILLING TO SEE WHAT AND WHAT, UM, WHAT IS THE TIMELINE FOR WHEN WE'RE SUPPOSED TO GET THOSE RESULTS BACK? I DON'T REMEMBER. THAT'S GONNA BE A FAIRLY QUICK TURNAROUND. UM, AT LEAST ON THE PHASE ONE WITHIN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS. OKAY. YES. UM, THEN I AM WILLING TO WITHDRAW 6.01 AND 6.02. UM, AND I, AND I PROMISE YOU WE'LL REVISIT IT IF, IF THE AUDIT THERE NEEDS ADDITIONAL MONIES. OKAY, THANK YOU. VERY GOOD. OBJECTION. 6.02 AND 6.03. HONOR WITHDRAW. 6 6 0 3. 6 0 3. WANT COMMENT? COUNCIL MEMBER, HUFFMAN WANTS A COMMENT. 6.03, IT IT BEEN COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN WOULD LIKE COMMENT. SO THAT WAS FOR, YOU'RE WITHDRAWING BOTH 6.603 HONOR? YES. MM-HMM . OKAY. YEAH. AND MY COMMENT GOES TO, UM, YOU KNOW, I HAD A SIMILAR, UH, BUDGET AMENDMENT, UH, 12.05, UM, THAT WAS COMING UP. BUT JUST IN LIGHT OF THE RECENT CRIMINAL INDICTMENTS OF MULTIPLE CITY OF HOUSTON EMPLOYEES, YOU KNOW, IT SHOULD BE OUR HIGHEST PRIORITY TO CREATE SOME KIND OF LIKE ANTI-CORRUPTION TASK FORCE THAT PRIORITIZES RESPONSIBLE SPENDING OF TAXPAYERS DOLLARS. UM, HOWEVER, IT APPEARS THAT, YOU KNOW, I'M WITHDRAWING MY, UM, BUDGET AMENDMENT OF 12.05 WHENEVER WE GET TO IT BECAUSE, UM, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE COMPTROLLER HAS SUFFICIENT FUNDS TO, TO DO THIS ALREADY IN HIS BUDGET. SO THAT'S WHY I'M GOING TO WITHDRAW MINE. NO ONE WANTS AN AUDIT MORE THAN ME AND IT'S IN THE PROCESS AND WE'LL REPORT IT. AND IF WE NEED TO DO ADDITIONAL MEASURES, WE WILL. SO 6 0 2 AND THREE WITHDRAWN, 6.04 IS TO ALLOCATE, UM, ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR A TRANS, A BETTER TRANSPARENCY TOOL IN THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE. I KNOW THAT IN THE PAST WE'VE DONE A TRANSPARENCY TOOL THROUGH CHECKBOOK AND IT, YOU KNOW, IT, IT DOESN'T WORK LIKE IT SHOULD. IT'S NOT USER FRIENDLY, IT'S NOT THE BEST OPTION. AND THE PEOPLE DESERVE TO KNOW HOW THEIR TAX DOLLARS ARE BEING SPENT IN AN EASY FASHION WHERE THEY CAN GO ONLINE AND, YOU KNOW, JUST CLICK A FEW BUTTONS AND FIND OUT WHERE THEIR MONEY IS GOING TOWARDS. IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT RATHER THAN SPENDING THIS MONEY, UM, THAT WE CAN DO THIS IN-HOUSE AND TRY TO BEEF UP THE, UM, THE SYSTEMS THAT WE DO HAVE IN PLACE. SO I WILL WITHDRAW THIS AMENDMENT IN LIGHT OF THAT INFORMATION AND LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE ON THIS COUNCIL. COUNCIL. MAYOR ALOR, THANK YOU. AND I UNDERSTAND YOU'RE WITHDRAWING IT, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME AND A LOT OF MONEY ON THIS THING THAT IS STILL REALLY DIFFICULT TO NAVIGATE. IF JORDAN FRAZIER WASN'T AN EXCELLENT EXCEL PIVOT TABLE PERSON, THERE'S NO WAY I'D HAVE ALL THE NUMBERS I NEED TO PASS THIS BUDGET. IT'S, IT'S HARD TO NAVIGATE AND THE WHOLE REASON FOR IT IS TO BE EASIER TO NAVIGATE SO JOE CITIZEN CAN FIND OUT WHAT'S GOING ON AND HOW THEIR MONEY'S BEING SPENT IN THE CITY. OTHER CITIES DO IT BETTER. I SURE HOPE WE CAN MAKE THE ONE WE HAVE. I WAS NOT WILLING TO PUT MORE MONEY TOWARDS IT BECAUSE GOD, WE'VE ALREADY PUT A LOT OF MONEY TOWARDS IT AND A LOT OF TIME AND ANGST ABOUT IT, LIKE FOR A YEAR. UM, SO THANK YOU. LET'S, LET'S WORK ON IT. APPRECIATE IT. OKAY. UH, 6 0 4 IS WITHDRAWN. 6 0 5, 6 0 5. 6.05 IS TO REQUIRE ANY EFFICIENCY STUDIES DONE BY ANY CITY DEPARTMENT OR OUTSIDE VENDOR TO COME BACK TO COMMITTEE SO THAT WE COULD HEAR IT BY CITY COUNCIL. THE, UM, CONTROLLER'S AUDITS, ALTHOUGH THEY'RE NOT THE EFFICIENCY AUDITS, THEY IN YEARS PAST HAVE DONE THE AUDITS AND THEN IT KIND OF JUST ENDED THERE. IT DIDN'T EVER, IT, IT NEVER WENT TO COUNCIL FOR US TO REALLY REVIEW AND TALK ABOUT AND MAKE AND IMPLEMENT ANY CHANGES. SO AS WE DO MOVE FORWARD WITH THOSE EFFICIENCY AUDITS THAT YOU TALKED ABOUT, MAYOR, I WOULD LIKE FOR IT TO COME TO COUNCIL AT LEAST THROUGH A COMMITTEE SO THAT WE CAN HEAR IT AND TALK ABOUT IT AND SEE WHAT CHANGES WE NEED TO MAKE. I AGREE IF WE CAN SHARE IT WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS AS WELL. YES, ABSOLUTELY. I DON'T CARE WHAT COMMITTEE IT COMES TO, WHICHEVER ONE THAT YOU KNOW, THE SUBJECT IS GERMANE TO, I'M FINE WITH THAT. BUT I DO WANT TO REQUIRE THAT IT COMES TO SOME COMMITTEE FOR US TO DISCUSS IN, IN A STATEMENT OF TRANSPARENCY. IT WILL ALL IN FAVOR THOSE POSTS. MOTION PASSES. SO 6 0 7 CAN WE SAY, CAN WE SAY REVIEWED BY COMMITTEE? YEAH, JUST PUT THAT DOWN. THAT'S FINE. REVIEWED BY COMMITTEE. COMMITTEE AND CARRIES 6 0 7, I BELIEVE WE'RE ON 6 0 6. UM, THIS IS TO REQUIRE ANY CITY JOB POSITION THAT'S NOT [07:45:01] FULFILLED WITHIN SIX MONTHS OF THE POSTING DATE TO HAVE TO GET MORE APPROVAL FROM THE MAYOR'S OFFICE BEFORE IT CAN BE FILLED. A LOT OF TIMES AT THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR WHEN WE, THERE'S A BUDGET SHORTFALL, ALL OF A SUDDEN WE FIND ALL THIS MONEY AND IT USUALLY COMES FROM THE VACANCIES. AND SO I KNOW THAT ON THE MATRIX MATRIX IT SAYS THAT, UM, THERE'S ALREADY A POLICY IN PLACE, BUT WE HAVEN'T SEEN THAT POLICY IN PRIOR YEARS REALLY AMOUNT TO ANY COST SAVINGS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. IT'D BE HELPFUL TO KNOW AS WE'RE GOING THROUGH THE BUDGET EVERY MONTH TO SEE, YOU KNOW, WHAT VACANCIES THERE WERE THAT HAVEN'T BEEN FULFILLED THAT WE CAN THEN PUT TOWARDS OTHER THINGS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FISCAL YEAR RATHER THAN AT THE END. WELL, AS YOU SAID, THERE'S ALREADY THAT POLICY AND IT'S BEING CARRIED OUT AS WE TALK. SO I, UH, REQUEST TO, WITH YOUR WITHDRAW OF THAT, IF IT'S ALREADY IN PLACE. WELL, MAYOR, I HAVEN'T SEEN THAT THAT POLICY HAS ACTUALLY BEEN FOLLOWED, BUT IF YOU'RE SAYING THAT IT WILL BE FOLLOWED, THEN I'M HAPPY TO WITHDRAW IT. VERY GOOD. IT WILL BE FOLLOWED. OKAY, , THEN I WILL WITHDRAW. MOTION OH 6 6 0 7. UM, 6.07 IS TO, UM, HAVE HOUSTON PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT AND HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS, EVALUATE FINANCIAL BENEFITS OF SHARING MOWING DUTIES. RIGHT NOW, EACH DEPARTMENT HAS DIFFERENT DUTIES AS FAR AS MOWING THE ESPLANADES LIBRARY GROUNDS, MULTIPURPOSE CENTER GROUNDS, VARIOUS, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT, UM, RESPONSIBILITIES. AND IF THEY WERE TO SHARE SOME OF THOSE DUTIES, WE COULD POTENTIALLY SAVE SOME MONEY. I AGREE WITH YOU. AND I'D LIKE TO REFER IT TO THE GOVERNMENTAL OPERATIONS COMMITTEE WITH AN AGREEMENT THAT IT'LL COME BACK IN 120 DAYS WITH A PLAN OR LESS OR LESS UP TO 120. MM-HMM . OKAY. REFER TO GOVERNMENT RELATIONS OPERATIONS COMMITTEE AND TO BE BACK WITHIN 120 DAYS. ANY DISCUSSION? THOSE IN FAVOR, THOSE OPPOSED MOTION PASSES, UH, 6.08. 6.08 IS IN CONJUNCTION WITH COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. UM, THIS IS TO ALLOW US TO USE COUNCIL DISTRICT SERVICE FUNDS TO MAINTAIN ANY DITCH OR RIGHT OF WAY ALONG A MAJOR THOROUGHFARES AND AREAS OPPOSING MAINTENANCE CHALLENGES TO THE ADJACENT PROPERTY OWNER PER ORDINANCE. UM, THE ADJACENT PROPERTY OWNER IS REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN THEIR, THEIR DITCH OR RIGHT OF WAY, BUT SOMETIMES, UM, IT'S JUST NOT FEASIBLE. IT'S ALONG A MAJOR THOROUGHFARE OR, UM, IT'S A BIG DITCH THAT'S THERE THAT THEY JUST CANNOT MAINTAIN IT. AND SO, UM, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT PUBLIC WORKS IS GOING TO WORK WITH US ON THIS AND APPROVE THOSE COUNCIL DISTRICT SERVICE FUNDS FOR THAT. SO IN LIGHT OF THAT, I WILL WITHDRAW THIS AMENDMENT. OKAY. THAT'S A COMMITMENT CAYMAN IN THE QUEUE. COUNCILOR CAYMAN. COUNCILMAN CAYMAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I TOO WANTED TO SPEAK TO THIS ITEM. UH, AS COUNCILOR PECK INDICATED SEVERAL YEARS AGO, COUNCIL MEMBERS BEFORE THE CITY DID THE TRANSFORMATIONAL POLICY OF MOVING TOWARDS ADOPTING, UM, CITY DITCHES AS THE CITY'S RESPONSIBILITY. COUNCIL MEMBER, PECK AND I HAD PASSED AN AMENDMENT TO ALLOW FOR CDSF, UM, REHABS OF DITCHES FOR WHETHER IT'S A SENIOR, SOMEONE THAT CAN'T GET TO IT, THERE MAY BE A BLOCK THAT REALLY JUST NEEDS SOME ATTENTION, OR IT MAY BE A PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY. UM, ALL AND TOWARDS MITIGATING FLOODING. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER PECK, I APPRECIATE THAT YOU'RE CONTINUING TO PUSH TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN USE ALL OF OUR FUNDS, UM, FOR, IN THE BEST INTEREST OF OUR RESIDENTS. OF COURSE, WITH FLOODING, AT LEAST IN DISTRICT C BEING, IF NOT THE, ONE OF THE TOP PRIORITIES IS THE MOST REPETITIVELY FLOODED DISTRICT. UM, I TOO WANTED TO THANK THE DEPARTMENT, MAYOR PUBLIC WORKS, UH, FOR WORKING WITH US ON THIS TO ENSURE THAT WE CAN USE THOSE FUNDS. UH, BUT I DID WANNA SPOTLIGHT THAT COUNCIL MEMBER PECK HAS BEEN CONTINUING TO, UH, LEAD THE WAY AND CHAMPION ON THIS EFFORT, AND IT'S, I APPRECIATE THE PARTNERSHIP. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU. UM, ADAMS WITHDRAWN, 6 0 9. 6.09 IS, UM, THIS IS VERY SIMILAR TO COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER'S AMENDMENT ABOUT SHARED SERVICES WITH, UM, HARRIS COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY. SO SINCE THAT ONE ALREADY PASSED, I WILL WITHDRAW THIS ITEM. OKAY. MOTION WITHDRAWN. SIX 10. UM, SIX POINT 10. THIS IS, UM, SIMILAR TO COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ'S, UM, ITEM ABOUT LANGUAGE ACCESS. THIS ITEM IS TO CONSOLIDATE, UM, LANGUAGE ACCESS AND TRANSLATION SERVICES. WE HAVE MANY DIFFERENT CONTRACTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY, AND MANY DEPARTMENTS USE PURCHASE ORDERS AS KIND OF A ONE-TIME THING. UM, AND IT COULD POTENTIALLY SAVE THE CITY MONEY TO CONSOLIDATE ALL OF THOSE CONTRACTS INTO ONE CONTRACT SO THAT ANY CITY DEPARTMENT THAT MIGHT NEED TRANSLATION SERVICES CAN TAP INTO THAT ONE [07:50:01] CONTRACT THEN, RATHER THAN HAVING THE MULTIPLE CONTRACTS. VERY GOOD SUPPORT. ANY OBJECTION, CHAIR? NONE. SIX 11. SIX 11 IS TO, UM, PROHIBIT USING TAX SELLERS FOR EVENT TABLE SPONSORSHIPS. FOR EXAMPLE, LUNCHEONS AND GALAS. I'VE NOTICED, UM, SEVERAL DEPARTMENTS WILL BUY A WHOLE TABLE AT A VERY COSTLY RATE. UM, AND I DON'T THINK THAT WE SHOULD BE USING TAX DOLLARS ON SOMETHING LIKE THAT. I CAN'T EVEN USE MY OFFICE BUDGET ON PURCHASING A TABLE AT AN EVENT, NOR WOULD I WANT TO. UM, IN FISCAL YEAR 2024, UM, THIS IS JUST PUBLIC WORKS ALONE, SPENT $57,000, UM, ON TABLE SPONSORSHIPS. AND I KNOW THAT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE A LOT OF MONEY, BUT KEEP IN MIND THAT $45,000 OF THAT CAME FROM FUND 2311, WHICH IS THE DEDICATED STREET AND DRAINAGE RENEWAL AD VALOR FUND. AND $10,000 OF THAT CAME FROM FUND 8,300, WHICH IS THE WATER AND SEWER OPERATING FUND. SO DEFINITELY, YOU KNOW, IF THEY'RE GOING TO SPONSOR SOMETHING, IT SHOULD NOT COME FROM EITHER OF THOSE TWO FUNDS. THE PROPOSAL IN, UM, THIS COMING FISCAL YEAR, UM, IS GOING TO BE FOR $24,000 OUT OF FUND 8,300, WHICH IS THE WATER SEWER SYSTEM AND OPERATING FUND. SO AGAIN, YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING AT CERTAIN EVENTS, BUT USING TAX DOLLARS, ESPECIALLY OUT OF THIS FUND WHEN THERE ARE MANY OTHER THINGS THAT WE COULD PAY FOR INSTEAD, I THINK IT'S JUST NOT A GOOD USE OF TAX DOLLARS. VERY GOOD. COUNCILMAN POLLARD. THANK YOU MAYOR. MAYOR, WOULDN'T THIS BE A, UH, A POLICY AMENDMENT? THIS, THIS ISN'T ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE ACTUAL BUDGET. UM, THERE IS NO DOLLARS TIED TO THIS, TIED TO THE BUDGET. 24,000. YOU'RE CORRECT. AND I WAS JUST FIXING NOT THE WAY IT'S LAID ALREADY HAVE A POLICY, ADMINISTRATION HAS A POLICY, WE'RE TRYING TO LIMIT THAT AND CHALLENGE COINS AND EVERYTHING ELSE THAT WE SPEND THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS ON. SO I, I DO THINK IF WE, IF WE DO LOOK AT THAT POLICY, IT COMES BACK AS A, AS A, A ORDINANCE OR A POLICY WITHIN THAT DEPARTMENT, RATHER THAN DISCUSS IT AS A BUDGET AMENDMENT. UM, I DON'T DISAGREE WITH THAT, BUT COUNCILMAN WE'LL HAVE A POLICY AND FOLLOW YOUR LANGUAGE. I, I THAT'S FINE. I MEAN, IF YOU'RE WILLING TO PUT THE POLICY IN PLACE AND WE STOP DOING THIS, I DON'T CARE HOW IT'S DONE, WHETHER IT'S A BUDGET OR SOME OTHER WAY, AS LONG AS IT, I PROMISE WE CONTINUE DOING IT. I PROMISE YOU IT'LL GO, IT'LL GO FURTHER THAN YOU'RE REALIZING RIGHT NOW. COUNCIL, I'M SURE. . COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. THANK YOU. AND COUNCIL MEMBER PECK, I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO, AND AS YOU AND I DISCUSSED, AND I BELIEVE WHY YOU ADDED SOME LANGUAGE IN, SO I'M SAYING THIS JUST FOR CLARITY AND FOR THE RECORD, MAYOR, UM, IS THE FOCUS ON SPECIAL EVENTS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE THAT ARE LIKELY AN IMPROPER USE. HOWEVER, FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN MAYOR PRO TEM AND I HAVE BEEN TO NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES AND THE DEPARTMENT HAS A TABLE ON THE FLOOR, UM, SPOTLIGHTING THE CITY, WHICH HAS LED TO MORE, NOT JUST AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS, BUT ACTUAL BENEFITS FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON, I WANNA MAKE SURE MAYOR, UM, THAT WE'RE NOT RESTRICTIVE IN THE OPPORTUNITIES TO ALLOW OUR DEPARTMENTS TO PARTICIPATE, UM, IN IMPORTANT EVENTS THAT ALLOW THE CITY NOT ONLY TO BE SPOTLIGHTED, BUT MOVE THE CITY FORWARD. I DON'T THINK THAT'S THE INTENT OF COUNCIL MEMBER PECKS AMENDMENT, BUT I DID WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT WAS, AS WE DISCUSSED, POLICY BROUGHT TO THE FOREFRONT. YEAH, I GUESS IT'S EYES IN THE BEHOLDER. WHAT, WHAT THE EVENT WOULD, UH, JUSTIFY A, AN EXPENDITURE, UH, I GUESS SOME OF Y'ALL KNOW BETTER THAN I DO. IF YOU LISTEN TO THE DEPARTMENTS, THE REQUEST TO SPEND THIS MONEY COMES FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS. SO, UH, I THINK WE'LL HAVE A GOOD TIGHT POLICY THAT DOESN'T USE TAXPAYERS MONEY FRIVOLOUSLY. AND IF THERE IS A MAJOR EVENT, WE'LL TAKE IT UP HERE, TALK ABOUT AND POP OFF. YOU REALLY THINK WE OUGHT TO BE SPONSORING, GIMME AN EXAMPLE, A CONCERT, WHATEVER. I I DIDN'T SAY THAT. NO, OF COURSE YOU DIDN'T. OKAY. THAT'S ME TALKING GOT IT. RESPONDING TO, IT'S IN THE EYES OF THE BEHOLDER. MOST OF THE EVENTS THAT THE DEPARTMENT HEADS EDS INVEST IN ARE AT THE REQUEST, OFTEN IN THE COMMUNITY, AT THE REQUEST OF COUNCIL MEMBERS. SO I WAS JUST SAYING, WHY DON'T WE HAVE AN OPEN DISCUSSION AS WE GO FORWARD. IF THERE'S A QUESTION MARK ABOUT WHAT IS SOMETHING THAT THE CITY OUGHT TO PARTICIPATE IN, I JUST USE HYPOTHETICALLY, MAYBE NOT A CONCERT. MAYBE IF THE CONCERT'S FOR A GREAT CAUSE WE CAN DISCUSS IT HERE AT THE HORSESHOE. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. COUNCIL RAMIREZ. COUNCIL [07:55:01] MEMBER RAMIREZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. YES. AND IF THE ADMINISTRATION AND, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS SOME OF THESE ISSUES IN ETHICS COMMISSION, I, I CERTAINLY WOULD BE SUPPORTIVE OF IT. NOT ONLY THIS, BUT THERE'S SIMILAR ISSUES THAT COME UP THE, THEY'RE QUESTIONABLE WHERE I THINK THE CITY COULD BE SAVING MONEY. SO FULLY SUPPORT THAT. I, I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU. WITHDRAWN. YEAH. UM, AMENDMENT'S. WITHDRAWN. WITHDRAWN. UH, I'M GONNA RUN TO THE BACK C MINUTE AND LET THE, I'M SORRY. WITHDRAWN. WITHDRAWN. OKAY. JACKSON. BUT COUNCILMAN JACKSON, I'VE ALREADY HEARD YOUR PROPOSAL, SO I'LL BE RIGHT BACK. , I'M GONNA DO IT AGAIN. I'M READY. I'M READY. GO AHEAD AND DO IT AGAIN WHILE I GO. YOU READY? IT'S TO TRANSFER 8 MILLION FROM THE GENERAL FUND TO, I'M NOT TRYING TO, THE DEDICATED DRAINAGE AND STREET FUND, UM, TO BE THE PRIORITY IS ON LDP PROJECTS. OKAY. AND WITHIN 120 DAYS PUBLIC WORKS WILL COME TO THE SERVICE DELIVERY COMMITTEE TO, UM, DISCUSS HOW THEY INTEND TO ENHANCE DRAINAGE PROGRAMS, PROGRAMMING AND IMPROVE REPORTING OF WORK PERFORMED IN HOUSTON. AND THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN AND, UM, HUFFMAN, THIS IS LIKE A JOINT EFFORT. I KNOW YOU WAS GOING FOR SWAT PROJECTS AND, UM, YEAH. SO THANK YOU. SHE DID. UM, THIS IS, UH, 7.01, 7.02 AS ON THE SHEET. COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD. THANK YOU, MAYOR. PROTO. UH, I STATED EARLY ON, UM, THAT I WAS NOT GONNA SUPPORT ANYTHING, UH, OR ANY AMENDMENT THAT TOOK FROM THE GENERAL FUND. I AM GONNA MAKE AN EXCEPTION ON THIS ONE BECAUSE, UM, WE PROMISED, UM, WE PROMISED THESE, UM, GROUPS AND THESE COMMUNITIES THIS MONEY LAST YEAR. AND, UH, IF WE SAY WE'RE GONNA DO SOMETHING, WE NEED TO DO IT. AND SO THIS, THIS MONEY, UH, UH, SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE, BUT OBVIOUSLY IT'S NOT. I, I THANK, I THANK, UH, SOME OF THE ADVOCACY GROUPS FOR THEIR DILIGENCE IN GETTING ANSWERS FOR US, AND AN UNDERSTANDING AND A CLARITY OF WHAT HAPPENED TO THESE DOLLARS. UH, FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY CLARIFICATION FROM THE DEPARTMENTS ON WHY CERTAIN THINGS DIDN'T HAPPEN, BUT WHAT WE DO HAVE A CONFIDENCE IN IS THE MONEY WAS NOT ALLOCATED. AND THESE COMMUNITIES DESERVE THE MONEY FOR MUCH NEEDED PROJECTS. SO, ALTHOUGH I SAID I WAS NOT GONNA VOTE ON ANYTHING REGARDING THE GENERAL FUND DOLLARS, THIS IS NECESSARY 'CAUSE THESE DOLLARS SHOULD HAVE ALREADY BEEN THERE IN THE FIRST PLACE. SO I, I THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP ON THIS COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN. THANK YOU. UM, I SIGNED ON IN SUPPORT OF THIS AMENDMENT. I HAD A SIMILAR AMENDMENT, UH, COMING UP, WHICH IS 12.01, WHICH I'M GOING TO WITHDRAW, UM, IN ORDER TO MOVE THIS ONE FORWARD. YOU KNOW, I JUST THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE CURRENTLY ALLOCATED, UM, MONEY THAT WE HAVE IS INSUFFICIENT TO ADDRESS THE GROWING NEEDS THAT OUR CITY FACES. AND THAT'S EVIDENCED BY JUST, YOU KNOW, MODERATE, UH, RAIN EVENTS, UM, IN THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS. YOU KNOW, COST FOR PROJECTS AND COMPLETION TIMES HAVE INCREASED COMPARED TO JUST A FEW YEARS AGO. UM, AND IF WE DON'T ACT, THE GAP BETWEEN OUR CITY'S NEEDS AND THE AMOUNT OF RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO ADDRESS THEM ARE GONNA CONTINUE TO GROW. YOU KNOW, WE'RE JUST NOT GETTING THE SAME AMOUNT OF PROJECTS DONE WITH THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY, UM, BECAUSE OF INFLATION AND GROWING COSTS. SO I FEEL LIKE THIS IS VERY NECESSARY AND I'M HAPPY TO JOIN YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN ALCORN. THANK YOU TO MY COLLEAGUES, COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON, AND COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN FOR RECOGNIZING THE NEED FOR ADDITIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT THAT WE'VE BEEN UNDER FUNDING FOR A LONG TIME. UH, IN MY, YOUR 2 CENTS SURVEY, IT WAS THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY. PEOPLE REALLY CARE ABOUT INFRASTRUCTURE AND GETTING THIS STUFF FIXED. THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF CONFUSION. THANK YOU TO THE ADVOCACY GROUP ABOUT THE FUNDS THAT WERE, UH, THAT WE VOTED ON LAST YEAR. I ACTUALLY TOOK THE TIME LAST NIGHT TO WATCH THE MEETING LAST YEAR, , I WATCHED THE MEETING WHEN THIS ITEM CAME UP AND THERE WAS TO BE 80 MILLION FOR SWAT, INCLUDING 20 MILLION FROM THE COUNTY. THERE WAS, THERE WAS 20 MILLION ALREADY IN THE BUDGET TO HANDLE DITCH REESTABLISHMENT. AND THIS 20 MILLION FROM COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON'S PREVIOUS AMENDMENT WAS TO GO TO THE LOCAL DRAINAGE PROGRAM. NOW, I WROTE MY AMENDMENT, WHICH I WITHDREW, UM, TO GO TO, UM, D-D-S-R-F AT VALOREM, UM, BECAUSE THAT HAS BEEN UNDERFUNDED AND IT'S A LITTLE BIT BROADER. LOOK, UM, IF I DON'T WANT MONEY TO BE WASTED, I DON'T WANT TO FORCE EVERY DIME OF IT INTO LDP IF THERE ARE OTHER USES. SO I LIKE THE LANGUAGE OF THIS BROADER AMENDMENT FOR STREET AND DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS WITH PRIORITY CONSIDERATION GIVEN TO LDP PROJECTS. I HAVE TALKED, SPOKEN TO [08:00:01] THE PUBLIC WORKS, UH, TO RANDY MACKAY WITH PUBLIC WORKS. THERE ARE PROJECTS IN LDP. UM, IF THAT IS THE BEST USE OF THESE FUNDS, I ABSOLUTELY WANT THEM TO GO TO LDP IF THERE IS ANOTHER USE IN THERE. I THINK THE BROADER LANGUAGE IS ADVANTAGEOUS FOR ALL OF HOUSTON. COUNCILMAN THOMAS. THANK YOU. UH, MY COMMENTS ARE MORE SO DIRECTED TO THE DEPARTMENT, TO THAT POINT, UH, THAT COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN RAISED, UM, I DON'T HAVE THE BENEFIT OF HAVING, UM, A STRONG ADVOCACY GROUPS, UH, SUCH AS NAC, UM, HOLD THE LINE ON THE WEST SIDE. AND SO IT'S IMPERATIVE THAT THE, THE DEPARTMENT IDENTIFIES THE LDP PROJECTS THAT ARE IDENTIFIED ON THE WEST SIDE. WE HAVE STREETS AND DRAINAGE PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN ON A CIP CYCLE FOR YEARS, UM, UM, WITHOUT MUCH ATTENTION. AND SO, UM, UM, MY SUPPORT OF THIS, I'M ALWAYS, I CAUTIOUS WE VOTE ON ITEMS AND THEN WE SAY, THE DEPARTMENT SAYS, OH, THEY'RE GONNA COME BACK TO US AND SHOW US THE LIST OF THESE THINGS, AND IT GETS LOST IN THE ETHER. AND SO I REALLY WANNA, UM, UH, PRESS BEYOND BEING ON RECORD. I REALLY WANNA PRESS THE DEPARTMENT TO TURN BACK TO COUNCIL MEMBERS AT LARGE AND DISTRICT. SO YOU CAN SEE HOW THESE LDP STREET, ALL OF IT IS SCORED. IT'S SLATED. AND THEN WHAT'S THE TIMELINE FOR THIS TO GO TO CONSTRUCTION WITH THIS ADDITIONAL FUNDING? UM, FOR ME, I, LIKE I I'M IN, UM, I MICRO COMMUNICATE ON THE WEST SIDE FROM EVERYTHING FROM A SPEED BUMP TO A SWAT PROJECT. THEY KNOW THE, THE DETAILS, THE NITTY GRITTY, AND I WANNA BE ABLE TO CONFIDENTLY GO BACK AND SAY, UM, THIS ITEM ALLOWS US TO DO THE FOLLOWING. UM, AND SO, UM, I'M GOING TO, UH, GIVE YOU THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT, RANDY, AND, UH, I'LL SUPPORT THE ITEM. I AGREE WITH YOU, BUT WE ALL RECOGNIZE 8 MILLION IS NOT GONNA GO VERY FAR. SO WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T THANK MISSION ACCOMPLISHED WITH $8 MILLION. WE'VE GOT TO ADDITIONAL LOOK FOR ADDITIONAL RESOURCES, MAYBE A HUGE INFRASTRUCTURE BOND AT THE PROPER TIME. BUT IT'S ALL, YOU LIKE THE BONDS, HUH? IT'S ALL, IT'S ALL BEING RE NO, I LIKE SOLUTIONS IS WHAT I LIKE, AIN'T LIKE BONDS. AND I'M ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THIS 8 MILLION IS NOT GONNA GO VERY FAR. NO. IT WILL GO INTO THE, TO THE LARGE POOL THAT PUBLIC WORKS WORKS FOR, BUT, UM, NO, AND I GET THAT. WE, WE'VE GOT, WE REALLY NEED TO IDENTIFY THE PROJECTS THAT YOU'D LIKE TO USE FOR THIS. THAT'S RIGHT'S PROBABLY MORE. SO MY POINT IS THAT, SO NORTHEAST, OBVIOUSLY, WHAT IS ONE OF THE IMPETUS TO DO THIS IS THE REPEAT OF NORTHEAST RESIDENTS COME DOWN HERE. BUT IF OTHER COMMUNITIES WERE AS ORGANIZED, UH, MOST AREAS OF TOWN, INCLUDING MONT, I COULD GO ON AND ON. I KNOW, BUT I'M STILL ON MY TIME, MR. MAYOR, SO LIKE, I'M JUST, I I DON'T HAVE YOU ON THE TIME. YOU CAN DO WHATEVER YOU WANT. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE YOU. NO, BUT I'M JUST MAKING A POINT THAT I KNOW $8 MILLION, THAT'S HALF A PROJECT, RIGHT? IT'S MORE SO ABOUT GETTING IN PRACTICE WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF KEEPING THOSE PROJECTS ORGANIZED AND PRIORITIZED SO IT'S MORE PUBLIC FACING SO WE CAN CONFIDENTLY KNOW WHAT'S IN THE AIR, WHAT'S PUSHBACK, YOU KNOW. SURE. UH, WHAT'S THE DESIGN STATUS? IT'S MORE ABOUT THAT. WELL, WE HAVE A NEW PUBLIC WORKS OPERATING OFFICER AND HOPEFULLY ALL RECOGNIZE THE TRANSPARENCY AND THE AVAILABILITY OF THAT DEPARTMENT, UNLIKE MAYBE, UH, EARLIER IN OUR CAREERS. BUT I SUPPORT YOU. YEAH. I, I, I, I WAS CONCURRENT. I WAS JUST TRYING TO BE REAL THAT YOU CAN GET ALL THE REPORTS YOU WANT, BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, 8 MILLION IS NOT GONNA GO A LONG WAY. SO WE, IT'S A GREAT START. AND PUBLIC WORKS IS GONNA, GONNA LISTEN TO US. COUNCIL MEMBER CAMAN. ALRIGHT. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I, I WANTED TO THANK EVERYONE FOR THE COLLABORATION ON THIS AND TO ALL OF THE ORGANIZERS WHO HAVE TIME AND AGAIN SAID THEY'RE ALSO ADVOCATING FOR THE ENTIRE CITY. UM, AND THE TIME THAT YOU ALL TAKE TO COME DOWN TO CITY HALL TO REACH OUT TO EACH OF US. UM, TWO INDIVIDUALS HAVE BEEN STANDING, HOLDING A BANNER IN THE BACK, PROBABLY, I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU'VE BEEN DOING IT FOR ALMOST TWO TO THREE HOURS, BUT THAT IS EXTREMELY IMPRESSIVE. UH, BUT THE POINT BEING THAT RESIDENTS CONTINUE TO ENGAGE COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, WHETHER IT'S THROUGH YOUR, UM, SURVEY, WHICH WE ALL SHARE OUT IN LOVE, WHETHER IT'S THROUGH OUR OWN DISTRICTS AND OUR FEEDBACK, UH, BUT THE RESIDENTS ARE REALLY ENGAGING AND WE WANT TO, I WANNA ENCOURAGE YOU TO CONTINUE TO ENGAGE, CONTINUE TO ASK QUESTIONS AND CONTINUE TO ELEVATE THE ISSUE BECAUSE, UM, HOUSTON IS NOWHERE NEAR WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE WHEN IT COMES TO FLOOD MITIGATION, FLOOD RESILIENCY. AND, UH, WE ARE, AGAIN, I KEEP SAYING IT, WE NEEDED ALL OF THIS YESTERDAY. SO THANK YOU ALL. COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I FULLY SUPPORT THIS AND SHOUT OUT TO NAC. UH, YOU SHOWED AGAIN HOW TO GET THINGS DONE, UH, THE RIGHT WAY. AND, UH, YOU'RE RIGHT, MAYOR, IT'S JUST A DROP IN THE BUCKET, BUT IT'S A START. AND SO I FULLY SUPPORT THIS. PROJECTS LIKE THIS WILL END UP EVENTUALLY SAVING THE CITY MONEY, SO THANK YOU. VERY GOOD. COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND, UM, THANK YOU COLLEAGUES [08:05:01] FOR SUPPORT SUPPORTING THIS ITEM. BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, THANK KNOCK, UM, KNOCK. THANK YOU GUYS FOR YOUR ADVOCACY. UM, THE NORTHEAST, I KNOW Y'ALL CALL Y'ALL KNOCK NACK, UM, BUT THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO. UM, WE'VE BEEN, UM, IN THE TRENCHES FOR QUITE SOME TIME, YOU KNOW, FIGHTING, UM, TO, UM, GET FLOOD MITIGATION PROJECTS AND DRAINAGE PROJECTS IN THE DISTRICT. AND I THINK WE'VE MADE A LOT OF PROGRESS BETWEEN SWAT AND, UM, THE LOCAL, LOCAL DRAINAGE. AND IT'S BECAUSE OF YOUR ADVOCACY AND YOUR, YOUR PARTNERSHIP, UM, THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH WHAT, UM, WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED. I KNOW THAT WE SUBMITTED THE BUDGET AMENDMENT LAST YEAR, UM, FOR 20 MILLION. UM, WE GOT THE DITCH ESTABLISHMENT PROGRAM. THANK YOU FOR THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION FOR MOVING THAT BECAUSE THE DITCH REESTABLISHMENT PROGRAM, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE SUBMITTED THE YEAR BEFORE THAT, YOU KNOW, SO IT'S LIKE WE SUBMIT SOMETHING, WE GET IT THE NEXT YEAR. AND SO, UM, BUT THE, AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE'RE GETTING WHAT WE, UM, DESERVE AND I KNOW WE DESERVE MORE. UM, AND IT WILL COME. SO THANK YOU ALL FOR, YOU KNOW, JUST YOUR WORK AROUND THIS. THANK YOU. RANDY MACKAY IS AN OPERATING OFFICER OF PUBLIC WORKS. I WANT Y'ALL, OBVIOUSLY YOU'VE BEEN WORKING WITH HIM, HE'S GONNA MAKE THIS HAPPEN AND MAKE IT GO AS FAR AS POSSIBLE, BUT ALSO COME BACK, BE VERY TRANSPARENT ABOUT OUR UNMET NEEDS. SO RANDY, THANK YOU. STAND UP. WE ENJOY WORKING WITH YOU. YOU GOT A TOUGH ASSIGNMENT. HEY, MAYOR AND ALSO WEST STREET RECOVERY. SHOUT OUT TO, I KNOW YOU GUYS ALL COLLABORATE TOGETHER, BUT, UM, YEAH, THANK YOU. YEAH, THANK YOU FOR THOSE THAT ARE HERE TODAY AND HAVE BEEN HERE AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER. EACH WEEK. THANK YOU. MOTION TO VOTE ON THIS. NEED TO VOTE ON THE SUBSTITUTE. ALL IN FAVOR, THOSE OPPOSED. MOTION PASSES. CONGRATULATIONS COUNCIL, COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN ON 8 0 1. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, COUNCIL MEMBERS BEFORE YOU SHOULD HAVE A SUBSTITUTE AMENDMENT, UM, THAT INCORPORATES THE ADMINISTRATION'S, UH, RECOMMENDATION AND BRINGS THE COST DOWN TO ZERO. UM, AND WORKING WITH THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT ON THIS ITEM, WHICH I APPRECIATE. UM, THIS WILL HAVE NO FISCAL IMPACT. UH, IN LIGHT OF PROPOSITION A, THERE IS AN INCREASING NEED FOR AN ATTORNEY FAMILIAR WITH CITY, STATE, AND FEDERAL LAW TO ADVISE AND SUPPORT COUNSEL'S WORK. THIS AMENDMENT WILL CREATE AND FUND A POSITION, THE POSITION OF AN INDEPENDENT LEGISLATIVE LEGAL COUNSEL TO ASSIST AND ADVISE CITY COUNSEL IN THEIR OFFICES ON MATTERS OF POLICY AND PROPOSED ORDINANCES THAT ARE WE, THAT WE ARE CONSIDERING. AS THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR OF IMPLEMENTATION, THE OPTION WILL BE FOR EITHER THE POSITION TO RESIDE IN THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE OR FOR THE CITY ATTORNEY TO CONTRACT OUT TO A SPECIALIZED FIRM. I BELIEVE THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE BELIEVES THAT THEY CAN HOUSE THIS WITHIN THE CITY ATTORNEY, BUT I WANTED TO AFFORD THEM THAT FLEXIBILITY. UH, ANY REMAINDER OF FUNDS AT THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR SHALL RETURN TO THE GENERAL FUND. UH, AGAIN, THIS IS FILLING A VACANCY, SO IF THERE HAPPENS TO BE THOSE FUNDS, THOSE WILL REVERT BACK. THIS IS DONE AT OTHER LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT. FOR EXAMPLE, UM, IN CONGRESS YOU HAVE THE CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE, WHICH WORKS PRIMARILY AND DIRECTLY WITH MEMBERS OF CONGRESS AND THEIR COMMITTEES AND STAFF. ON A CONFIDENTIAL, NONPARTISAN BASIS ON THE STATE LEVEL, MAYOR, I KNOW YOU'RE VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE TEXAS LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, THAT PROVIDES BILL DRAFTING, UH, COMPUTING, RESEARCH, PUBLISHING, UH, AND OTHER SUPPORT SERVICES FOR THE LEGISLATURE ITSELF. UH, AGAIN, I HAVE WORKED WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY OFFICE. THEY'RE CONFIDENT IN HOW THIS IS LAID OUT. UM, AND I WOULD BE HAPPY TO DEFER TO THE CITY ATTORNEY, UH, TO DISCUSS MORE IF ANYONE HAS QUESTIONS. BUT, UM, THIS WILL NOT CONFLICT WITH CURRENT ORDINANCES. UH, THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE WILL CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN THE, UM, ULTIMATE AUTHORITY ON CITY LEGAL MATTERS. SO IT IS NOT TO CONFLICT WITH A LEGAL DECISION OR DETERMINATION, IT IS TO PROVIDE SUPPORT, ESPECIALLY GIVEN PROPOSITION A, SO THAT WE CAN WORK WITH AN INDEPENDENT LEGISLATIVE ATTORNEY TO CRAFT, TO WORK ON ORDINANCES, GET THEM PREPARED TO PRESENT MAYOR TO YOU, TO THE BODY, ET CETERA. UH, SO WITH THAT, I LAY THE SUBSTITUTE BEFORE YOU AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. VERY GOOD. I WAS CERTAINLY HOPING THAT THIS WAS ALREADY TAKEN PLACE. I THOUGHT YOU HAD ACCESS TO LEGAL COUNSEL FOR ADVISING COUNSEL, BUT YOU'RE, YOU'RE, UM, PAINTING THE PICTURE VERY CLEAR AND IT WILL NOT HAVE A PHYSICAL IMPACT, BUT UTILIZE THE VACANCIES. IS THAT YOUR UNDERSTANDING? THAT IS CORRECT, SIR. [08:10:01] VERY GOOD. POLLARD. COUNCILMAN POLLARD. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND, UH, THANK YOU TO COUNCIL MEMBER CAMAN FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD. I'M GLAD TO SEE THE AMENDMENT. WE HAD SPOKE ABOUT MY CONCERN THAT INITIALLY, UH, THE WHITE OAK BAYOU GREENWAY, UH, DOLLARS WERE NOTED AS BEING A POSSIBLE FUNDING SOURCE, UH, WHICH I DIDN'T THINK A, A ONE-TIME FUNDING SOURCE WOULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR THIS. I DO BELIEVE THAT IT WOULD BE GREAT TO HAVE, UH, INDEPENDENT COUNSEL WITHIN THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE OR CONTRACT IT OUT. THIS THOUGH SAYS, UM, UTILIZING THE EXISTING, EXISTING VACANCY. SO WHAT WOULD THAT AMOUNT BE, UH, TO HAVE ADEQUATE LEGAL COUNSEL? I MEAN, WE WANT TO ENSURE THAT THAT VACANCY AMOUNT IS, UH, TO THE LEVEL THAT IT REQUIRES FOR, UM, LEGAL COUNSEL TO ADVISE US ON THESE TYPE OF MATTERS. UH, THEY MAY NOT BE AS GOOD AS YOURSELF OR, OR CITY ATTORNEY MICHELLE, BUT WE NEED THEM TO BE, YOU KNOW, AS COMPETENT. UM, AND HOW DO WE ENSURE THAT IT'S AN INDEPENDENT LEGAL COUNSEL OF THE, OF THE, UH, CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE IF THEY'RE WITH THE CITY ATTORNEYS. AND, UM, DO YOU HAVE ANY CLARIFICATION FROM CITY LEGAL ON THOSE, ON THOSE, UH, QUESTIONS? SO THE ATTORNEY WILL BE DEDICATED TO THE PROP A ISSUES, AND LIKE ALL CITY ATTORNEYS, UM, THEIR DUTY IS TO THE CITY. UH, AND THEN AT SOME POINT, LIKE THE CITY ATTORNEY WILL CONTINUE TO REVIEW, UH, ALL THE ORDINANCES OR ALL THE, ALL THE LEGAL ISSUES THAT COME UP. BUT IN TERMS OF, I THINK THE INDEPENDENCE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, IT WILL BE AN AUTO, THEY WILL BE AUTONOMOUS AND DEDICATED TO THOSE ISSUES. SO I, I DON'T KNOW, AS THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT, UH, IDENTIFY WHAT THE VACANCY, UH, POSITION WOULD BE, THE AMOUNT OF THAT POSITION THAT WOULD BE UTILIZED FOR THIS NEW LEGAL COUNSEL. YES. YEAH, I THINK WE HAVE AN IDENTIFIABLE SOURCE ON THAT VACANCY. SO, AND, AND IT WILL BE MORE THAN SUFFICIENT. THANK YOU. YEAH. YEAH. COUNCIL MEMBER, I HAD CONFIRMED THAT THEY DID IDENTIFY THE POSITION. I DON'T WANT TO, UM, DISCUSS THE DETAILS PERTAINING TO THE INDIVIDUAL THAT THE REASON WHY THERE IS NOW A VACANCY THAT WAS NOT AS EXPECTED. UM, THAT'S, THAT'S PERSONAL MATTERS THAT I DON'T THINK ARE FOR THE HORSESHOE. UM, BUT THE CITY ATTORNEY, UM, HAS VERIFIED AND CONFIRMED ONE, THAT THEY DO HAVE THE FUNDING FOR THIS WITH THAT VACANCY. AND TWO, THAT THERE IS, UM, THE ABILITY TO HAVE AN AUTONOMOUS, UM, AS THE CITY ATTORNEY STATED POSITION WITHIN IT. AGAIN, NOT CONFLICTING WITH AS A LAYOUT IN THE AMENDMENT, UM, CURRENT CITY CODE ORDINANCES AND LAW THAT GIVE THE CITY ATTORNEY, OBVIOUSLY THE ULTIMATE AUTHORITY AT THE END OF THE DAY TO RULE AS TO WHETHER SOMETHING IS LEGAL OR NOT LEGAL FOR THE CITY. VERY GOOD. THE MOTION IS, UM, BEFORE A VOTE ON AMENDMENT TO THE AMENDMENT COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I, I'M CONFUSED ON THIS PARTICULAR ITEM BASED UPON THIS AMENDMENT. I MEAN THAT, UH, IT IS SPOKEN OF, THAT THE, SHE INDICATED THAT SHE'S GIVEN EXCLUSIVE AUTHORITY TO THE CITY COUNCIL, TO THE, UH, CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE BASED ON THE POLICY. SO IF THIS, THIS ATTORNEY IS APPOINTED BY US TO REPRESENT CITY COUNCIL, IF THEY CONFLICT WITH SOMETHING THAT THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE DOES, THEN WHERE DOES IT GO FROM THERE? I MEAN, ARE WE IN A DISCUSSION BETWEEN WHAT THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AGREED TO BASED UPON THIS COUNCIL THAT'S REPRESENTING WHATEVER ISSUE THAT COUNCIL IS PUTTING FORWARD? UH, IF WE ABIDING BY THE ORDINANCE AND THE POLICY OF THE CITY, THEN THERE'S A CONFLICT BASED UPON, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE DECIDE UPON. UH, AND WHO MAKES THAT DECISION IF THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO REPRESENTATIVES? WELL, I WOULD ANTICIPATE THAT CITY ATTORNEY THAT'S BEEN ATED WOULD HAVE AN ATTORNEY-CLIENT PRIVILEGE WITH THE COUNCIL MEMBER THAT, THAT HE OR SHE IS, IS ASSISTING. SO, YES. UH, THE MODEL THAT I'VE ANTICIPATED IS ONE, TO PREPARE THAT COUNCIL MEMBER WITH LEGAL ADVISING COUNSEL, UH, YOU KNOW, THE DETAILS WILL BE WORKED OUT, BUT I WOULD THINK YOU DON'T SHARE THAT WITH THE OTHER COUNCILMAN, PARTICULARLY IF IT'S THE WORK PRODUCT OF THAT COUNCIL MEMBER. SO, COUNCILMAN KAMAN, THE, THE VISION THAT I HAD WAS, IT JUST HELPS YOU TO BE PREPARED, GET A LEGAL OPINION, HAVE AN ADVOCATE FOR YOUR POSITION TO BE DONE BY AN ATTORNEY THAT HAPPENS TO BE IN THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, [08:15:01] BUT I DON'T ANTICIPATE 'EM HAVING A CONFLICT. THAT'S CORRECT. IN POSITION WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY, THIS IS GONNA BE A COUNCIL MEMBER'S ADVISING COUNCIL. CORRECT. AND MAYOR, PURSUANT TO CITY CODE OF ORDINANCES, SECTION TWO DASH 2 58, WHICH I REFERENCE AMONG OTHERS, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS, TO YOUR QUESTION, THE CITY ATTORNEY AT THE END OF THE DAY CONTINUES AND REMAINS TO BE THE SOLE AUTHORITY AS IT PERTAINS TO LEGAL DECISIONS AND MATTERS. SO THEY'RE, LET'S SAY WE'RE WORKING ON AN ORDINANCE, THEY'RE THERE TO SUPPORT US, THEY'RE THERE TO, UM, PROVIDE DRAFTING SUPPORT. BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THAT IS REVIEWED BY THE CITY ATTORNEY IN THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, AND YOU ARE CORRECT. ABSOLUTELY, MAYOR, AND YOU'RE WHAT YOU ARE ENVISIONING, UH, THIS BEING THERE, THERE'S NOT A CONFLICT THERE. WE CAN ALWAYS MODIFY IT IF NECESSARY. THE VOTE IS ON THE SUBSTITUTE. ALL IN FAVOR OPPOSED? MOTION PASSES. OKAY. 8 0 2. 8 0 2. COUNCILMAN CAYMAN. UH, MAYOR PER COUNCIL MEMBER PECK, THIS ITEM WAS WITHDRAWN. UH, IT PERTAINED TO THE, UM, ABILITY FOR US TO CONTINUE TO USE CDSF FOR DITCH MAINTENANCE AND RIGHTS OF WAY, INCLUDING PRIVATE PROPERTY, UH, UNTIL SUCH TIME AS THE CITY ITSELF IS ABLE TO TAKE OVER THE CITYWIDE MAINTENANCE OF THOSE DITCHES. VERY GOOD AMENDMENTS. WITHDRAWN. COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER 10 0 1. YES. I WANTED TO PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL ELECTED OFFICIALS TO BE ABLE TO OPT OUT OF THE PENSION SYSTEM. UM, I WAS A LITTLE SURPRISED TO LEARN THAT THIS WOULD VIOLATE STATE LAW AND OBVIOUSLY I DON'T WANNA DO THAT, SO I'LL BE WITHDRAWING IT. AMENDMENT'S WITHDRAWN. YOU CAN DONATE YOURS. UH, 10 0 2, LOOK AT YOUR 10 0 2. CURRENTLY, THE POLICY FOR EMPLOYEES IS IF THEY DO NOT USE THEIR SICK DAYS THAT THEY EARN AT THE END OF THE YEAR, THAT THEY ARE GIVING BONUS DAYS FOR EACH DAY. THEY DIDN'T USE. UM, APPARENTLY THIS GOES BACK FROM A LONG TIME AGO WHEN THEY WANTED TO INCENTIVIZE ATTENDANCE. UH, I THINK THAT THE ATTITUDE OF COMING TO WORK SICK HAS CHANGED OVER THE DECADES, AND WE NO LONGER WANT TO INCENTIVIZE PEOPLE COMING TO WORK SICK. UH, ADDITIONALLY, THESE DAYS ARE ALL ACCRUED, AND THIS GOES BACK TO SALLY'S POINT EARLIER, THAT WE ARE MAKING THESE LARGE PAYOUTS. UH, AND, AND NOT ONLY ARE WE MAKING THESE LARGE PAYOUTS, BUT WE'RE DOING IT WITHOUT ACCRUING THE EXPENSE WHEN THE EXPENSE HAS ACTUALLY BEEN INCURRED. AND INSTEAD JUST HAVING THAT EXPENSE HIT WHENEVER THE EMPLOYEE GOES TO LEAVE. UH, I'D LIKE TO SEE ABOUT CHANGING THAT POLICY TO WHERE WE NO LONGER INCENTIVIZE PEOPLE TO COME TO WORK SICK, UH, AND WE ELIMINATE THE BONUS DAYS. I'D STILL LIKE TO SEE THE EMPLOYEES BE ABLE TO ROLL THE DAYS OVER TO THE NEXT YEAR. UM, YOU KNOW, IF WE WANT TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT, THEN THAT'S FINE. I WAS JUST MERELY LOOKING TO GET RID OF INCENTIVIZING COMING TO WORK. SICK. UM, I GUESS THE, YOUR ADMINISTRATION WOULD LIKE TO REFER THAT TO THE LABOR COMMITTEE, AND I'M FINE WITH THAT AS WELL. VERY GOOD. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. AND IT WILL BE REFERRED TO THE LABOR COMMITTEE. SO, I, I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, MAYOR, MORE THAN HAPPY TO HAVE THIS REFERRED TO THE LABOR COMMITTEE. I WOULD WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UM, IN CONJUNCTION WITH COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN'S AMENDMENTS WE'RE, WE'RE NOT DUPLICATING EFFORTS AND THAT, UM, WE'RE MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT EVERYTHING AT ONCE, NOT AT DIFFERENT TIMES. SO WE'LL LOOK TO BFA TO COORDINATE WITH THAT. VERY GOOD. MOTIONS WITHDRAWN. AMENDMENTS WITHDRAWN. VOTE TO VOTE TO REFER. OKAY. VOTE. REFER TO THE LABOR COMMITTEE. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. TO THOSE OPPOSED PASSES. THANKS. UH, 10 0 3. YES. WE CURRENTLY HAVE A REQUIREMENT WHERE FUNDS ARE AUTOMATICALLY SPENT ON ART WHEN WE HAVE A, A CAPITAL PROJECT. UM, IN FACT, I WAS QUITE SHOCKED ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS THAT WE VOTED ON AFTER GETTING HERE JANUARY WAS A COMBINED FIRE AND POLICE STATION THAT ONE OF THE TURS, I THINK WAS PAYING FOR, AND THERE WAS ACTUALLY GOING TO BE $400,000 SPENT ON ART AT THAT FACILITY. UM, I SIMPLY THINK THAT WE NEED TO BE VOTING ON THESE ART PROJECTS ON THEIR OWN MERIT RATHER THAN HAVING THE SPENDING BE ON AUTOPILOT. I THINK CERTAINLY THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD TIMES TO, TO SPEND MONEY ON ART. I THINK, UH, THE DISCUSSION ABOUT THE AIRPORTS WAS A GOOD ONE, YET THE AIRPORT HAS $20 MILLION WORTH [08:20:01] OF ART AT SOME POINT IN TIME. AND I THINK YOU GOTTA ASK THE QUESTION, WHAT IS ENOUGH? IF 20 MILLION ISN'T ENOUGH, IS 2225. UH, AND I REALLY THINK THAT WE NEED TO SPEND THIS MONEY BASED UPON THE PROJECT WHERE WE CAN SEE EXACTLY WHAT IT IS WE'RE GETTING FOR OUR MONEY. AND, AND WHETHER OR NOT IT'S WORTHWHILE. I I THINK WE'VE GOT SOME PROJECTS THAT WHEN WE LOOK BACK ON IT, WE SAY, NO, THAT REALLY WASN'T A GOOD EXPENSE. I KNOW WE'VE GOT THE, THE BIG BIRD DOWN AT THE GEORGE R. BROWN THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO FLAP ITS WINGS AND IT'S NEVER WORKED, UH, SINCE THE DAY IT WAS PUT IN. UM, AND, AND ALTHOUGH THIS IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT OUT IN KINGWOOD ON THE OVERPASSES, THEY HAVE THESE KIND OF, UH, PARABOLIC SHAPES PROTRUDING FROM THE OVERPASSES. I HAD TO POINT OFF TO POINT OUT TO MY WIFE THAT THAT WAS ACTUALLY SUPPOSED TO BE A PINE TREE, AND THAT WAS ART AND HER TAX DOLLARS PAID FOR THAT. UH, YOU GO DOWN TO GALVESTON AND IN THE MEDIUM, THE CULVERT KIND OF GOES UP AND DOWN. THAT'S ACTUALLY ART, THAT'S WAVES. UM, SO I JUST THINK THAT WE NEED TO BE SPENDING THE MONEY ON SOMETHING THAT WE KNOW WHAT IT IS, WE MAKE A DECISION ON IT, AND IT PASSES ON ITS OWN MERITS. UH, SO YOU'D LIKE TO HAVE THIS REFERRED TO THE ARTS AND CULTURE COMMITTEE AND, AND I'M FINE WITH THAT AS WELL. COUNCIL VICE COUNCIL MEMBER PECK. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, SO REGARDLESS OF WHAT HAPPENS TO THE FULL ORDINANCE, I DO THINK THAT WE NEED TO, AT THE VERY LEAST, EXEMPT POLICE AND FIRE ANY PUBLIC SAFETY ENTITY FROM THIS ORDINANCE. AND YOU AND I HAVE DISCUSSED THIS, UM, A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO ABOUT MAKING AN ORDINANCE CHANGE. WE HAVE THE ITEM ON THE AGENDA TODAY FOR THE CONTRACT WITH THE ARTS ALLIANCE THAT I HAVE THE AMENDMENT TO REMOVE, UM, POLICE AND FIRE FROM THE FUNDING. UM, WE HAVE SO MANY OTHER NEEDS AND PUBLIC SAFETY THAT THAT MONEY COULD GO TOWARDS INSTEAD. SO I DO THINK THAT WE SHOULD LOOK CLOSELY AT THIS ORDINANCE AND SEE AT THE VERY LEAST, TO EXEMPT, UM, PUBLIC SAFETY AND NEEDS FROM THE ORDINANCE. AND AGAIN, I DON'T WANNA RE DERAIL, UM, PUBLIC ART IN ANY WAY, BUT THERE ARE OTHER NEEDS IN PUBLIC SAFETY THAT THIS MONEY COULD GO TOWARDS INSTEAD. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, AND I, I WON'T BELABOR THE POINT BECAUSE IT IS BEING REFERRED BACK. WE'RE NOT GONNA BE VOTING ON ANYTHING TODAY, BUT I DO WANNA CAUTION US AS A BODY. IT'S SLOWLY PICKING AWAY AT WHAT WAS A VERY HARD FOUGHT, UM, CREATION OF OUR ARTS ORDINANCE THAT TOOK TIME, THAT MOBILIZED HOUSTONIANS. UM, I RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER PECK, UH, AS IT PERTAINS TO THE ITEMS THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. THERE ARE ABSOLUTELY PUBLIC SAFETY NEEDS, SO I'M NOT DETRACTING FROM THAT. BUT I THINK THERE'S AN AND TO THAT, THAT PUBLIC ART, CERTAIN TYPES OF LIGHTING BEAUTY DO CREATE PUBLIC SAFETY SPACES AS WELL. UM, AND THAT'S BEEN THROWN THROUGH STUDY AFTER STUDY AFTER STUDY. SO I THINK, AGAIN, I WELCOME THE DIALOGUE AND THE CONVERSATION. UH, I'M NOT NECESSARILY OPPOSED TO ANYTHING THAT YOU'RE SAYING. AND, YOU KNOW, COUNCIL MEMBER FLICK AND DRIVE HAVE TREMENDOUS RESPECT FOR YOU AND YOU COUNCIL MEMBER PECK. UM, BUT I, I WANNA CAUTION US AS A BODY THAT WE MAY BE SLOWLY CHIPPING AWAY AT SOMETHING AND END UP IN A PLACE WHERE WE NEVER INTENDED TO BE. UH, SO I AGAIN, SUPPORT THE REFERRAL. I JUST AS WE'RE GONNA BE SPEAKING ABOUT THIS A LOT MORE, WANNA LAY OUT, UM, MY CONCERNS. SORRY, COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER. I DO AGREE WITH YOUR RECOMMENDATION TO REFER IT TO THE ARTS AND CULTURE COMMITTEE, AND I SUPPORT THAT I DO NOT SUPPORT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER P'S, UH, AMENDMENT BECAUSE THAT IMPACTS, UH, EVEN THE POLICE MEMORIAL AND THE UPKEEP OF THOSE PARTICULAR PROPERTIES. SO JUST AS A MATTER OF RECORD, I DO NOT SUPPORT HER AMENDMENT, BUT I DO SUPPORT YOURS. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN CASTILLO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I DO THINK IT'S, UH, WISE TO LOOK BACK ON OUR ORDINANCES AND SEE HOW THEY'VE WORKED AND HOW THEY ARE CONTINUING TO WORK OVER TIME. UM, THIS ONE HAS BEEN AROUND SINCE 1999. UH, IT WAS AMENDED IN 2006, SO THIS IS PROBABLY A GOOD TIME TO TAKE A LOOK AT HOW IT'S PERFORMING. AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT ALL THE ARTS THAT WE HAVE AT OUR AIRPORTS, WE HAVE A LOT OF PUBLIC ART AT OUR AIRPORTS. UM, AND WHEN WE THINK ABOUT PUBLIC ART, IT'S MEANT TO BE ENJOYED BY THE CITY AS A WHOLE, NOT JUST THOSE THAT ARE TRAVELING OR, OR VISITING, BUT IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, IN OUR MULTI-SERVICE CENTERS, IN OUR PARKS, ALL, ALL THROUGHOUT THE CITY. AND SO I DO THINK THERE'S, THERE'S THINGS WE SHOULD EXAMINE. UM, I AGREE WITH COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ ON [08:25:01] COUNCIL MEMBER PECK'S AMENDMENTS. UM, WHILE IT MAY LOOK LIKE WE CAN SAVE SOME MONEY, UM, THE MONIES THAT COME FROM THOSE PROJECTS ALSO GO TO ARE CONSERVATION. OUR MAINTENANCE OF THE PUBLIC ARE WE ALREADY HAVE. UM, AND SO THE POLICE MEMORIAL IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE. UM, IT'S OUTDOORS. IT'S IMPACTED BY THE SHIFTING SOIL ALONG THE BAYOU. THE MARBLE CRACKS, WE HAVE TO REPAIR IT. IT'S HAD TO BE REPAIRED THREE TIMES ALREADY, SEPARATELY AT A COST OF $44,000. AND SO IF WE'RE NOT PULLING FROM THIS MONEY, WHERE IS THAT MONEY GONNA COME FROM? AND WE OBVIOUSLY DON'T WANT OUR MONUMENTS AND OUR MEMORIALS TO BE IN DISREPAIR. UM, SO I CAN'T SUPPORT THOSE AMENDMENTS. UM, WHEN WE LOOK AT HOW MUCH WE'RE SPENDING YEAR TO YEAR, UM, ANY AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT'S TAXPAYER MONEY IS SIGNIFICANT. BUT, UM, COMPARED TO OTHERS, IT'S NOT AS MUCH. AND SO, UH, THERE ARE GOING TO BE SOME SAVINGS. BUT IN THE LONG TERM, UH, I THINK THAT THERE ARE CONSEQUENCES TO THIS THAT WE MAY NOT ANTICIPATE RIGHT AWAY. PLEASE KEEP IN MIND, I'M NOT LOOKING TO DEFUND ART. ALL I'M LOOKING TO DO IS FOR US TO VOTE ON THE INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS ON THEIR OWN MERIT. AND IF THE PROJECTS ARE GOOD, THEN WE SAY YES. IF THE PROJECTS ARE BAD, WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SAY NO. A LOT OF SENSE. AND WHEN WE DO ASK THE PUBLIC FOR ADDITIONAL REVENUE, WHICH WE WILL, THIS WILL BE SOMETHING THAT WE'LL BE ASKED ABOUT. AND I THINK THE POLICE MEMORIAL COULD BE SEPARATED FROM OTHER GENERAL PURPOSES. UH, I JUST THINK IF, AND, YOU KNOW, I'M FAMILIAR WITH THE ARTS LIGHTS HAVE FRIENDS ON IT, SO IF YOU'VE GOTTA USE A POLICE MEMORIAL AS AN EXAMPLE TO JUSTIFY THE EXPENDITURES AND FIRE AND POLICE STATIONS, I THINK THAT'S A STRETCH. BUT I THINK, LIKE WE'VE DISCUSSED MANY ITEMS, DAVE, WE OUGHT TO HAVE A WORKING GROUP. WE OUGHT TO LET IT GO TO A COMMITTEE, COME BACK WITH A SOUND RECOMMENDATION, BECAUSE THE AMOUNTS OF MONIES THAT ARE BEING INVESTED IN ARTS WILL HAVE TO BE JUSTIFIED WHEN WE'RE ASKING FOLKS FOR MORE MONEY FOR DRAINAGE OR OTHER RELEVANT ISSUES. SO I THINK IT'S A GOOD, HEALTHY DISCUSSION THAT NEEDS TO BE REVISITED. AND I DON'T THINK, UH, QUITE FRANKLY, I DON'T THINK IT'S FAIR TO SINGLE OUT A PARTICULAR ONE PROJECT WHEN SOMEONE'S TALKING FOR A GENERAL REVIEW. BUT FIRST OF ALL, YOU KNOW, THE POLICE MEMORIAL, I'VE BEEN AROUND SINCE IT WAS CREATED. IT'S NOT A HUGE BUDGET ITEM. UM, IN FACT, LORD KNOWS I'D LIKE TO RELOCATE IT TO WHERE THE PUBLIC, UH, SEES IT, APPRECIATES IT AND PAUSES THE LOCATION. WHAT, AND MAYBE SOME OF THE ARTS MONEY COULD BE USED FOR THAT. UH, THERE'S NOT PARKING THERE FOR EVENTS FROM POLICE MEMORIAL SERVICE. UH, THE GENERAL PUBLIC DOES NOT REVIEW IT. I'D LOVE TO SEE IT IN A VERY DENSE LOCATION NEAR GEORGE BROWN SOMEWHERE WHERE IT WOULD HAVE A REAL MEANINGFUL SYMBOL OF PAYING THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE. I HAVE FRIENDS ON THE MEMORIAL, SO CERTAINLY WANNA MAINTAIN IT, BUT I'M NOT SURE IT'S THE SAME DISCUSSION THAT YOU HAVE WITH MOORE ART THAT PROBABLY COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER IS SPEAKING TO THAT POINTS MAYOR WAS TO THE AMENDMENTS. UH, THAT COUNCIL MEMBER ? YEAH. WELL, I DON'T THINK SHE, I DON'T, I DON'T WANNA SPEAK FOR COUNCILMAN PECK, BUT I DON'T THINK SHE'S TALKING ABOUT THE POLICE MEMORIAL AS SHE IS PUTTING ITEMS IN, UH, FUNCTIONING STATIONS. NOW THAT COULD BE A HEALTHY DEBATE TOO, AND I THINK WE PROBABLY NEED TO LET A COMMITTEE REVIEW IT, TALK TO THE FIRST RESPONDERS. WHAT WOULD THEY LIKE IN THEIR STATIONS? I BET NO ONE'S REALLY EVER ASKED THEM. WITH THAT SAID, UH, I'LL REFER, UH, A MOTION, REFER THIS TO THE ARTS AND CULTURES COMMITTEE, AND I DON'T WANNA SHUT DOWN. COUNCIL MEMBER HORNE, JUST ONE MORE THING. BIG SUPPORTER OF THE ARTS HERE. I KNOW YOU'RE NOT TRYING TO DEFUND THE ARTS, BUT WE HAVE AMAZING CIVIC ART IN THIS CITY. WE'RE KNOWN FOR IT. UM, IT CREATES A SENSE OF PLACE. IT CREATES A TIE IN WITH THE COMMUNITIES. IT'S, IT'S NOT A FRIVOLOUS THING TO HAVE. IT'S ESSENTIAL, UM, TO OUR CITY. PUBLIC ART IS ESSENTIAL. I'M HAPPY TO HAVE THE DISCUSSION. I CERTAINLY DON'T WANNA BE THE JUDGE OF WHAT WINS AND WHAT LOSES. WE HAVE. WE HAVE SELECTION COMMITTEES THAT DECIDE THAT, THAT KNOW A WHOLE LOT ABOUT MORE ABOUT ART THAN I DO. UM, I, NOTWITHSTANDING THE BIRD THAT DOESN'T MOVE IN FRONT OF THE GRB , WE HAVE, UM, WE HAVE SOME MAGNIFICENT, AND PERHAPS THE PLACES WHERE PEOPLE THINK WE DON'T NEED ART ARE THE VERY PLACES WE NEED IT THE MOST. MM-HMM . UM, SO [08:30:01] I LOOK FORWARD TO THE DISCUSSION, UM, BUT REALLY WANNA, UM, WANNA TALK ABOUT MY, AND SHOW MY STRONG SUPPORT FOR OUR CURRENT PROGRAM AND HOPE IT CONTINUES. WELL, I DON'T THINK YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE. IN FACT, I ASSUME IT'S UNANIMOUS THAT WE SUPPORT THE PUBLIC ARTS. AND I WOULD SAY IF YOU REALLY LOVE THE ARTS AND SUPPORT IT, YOU GOTTA BE CAREFUL THAT YOU DON'T GIVE THE OPPOSITION TALKING POINTS. UH, COUNCILMAN KAMAN IS TALKING ABOUT THE CHIPPING AWAY. WELL, IT GETS CHIPPED AWAY WHEN PEOPLE DON'T APPRECIATE HOW YOU'RE USING THE MONEY. AND THAT COMES FROM A PUBLIC DIALOGUE AND TRANSPARENCY AND GET BEHIND THE ARTS AND MAKE CERTAIN THAT, MAKE SURE IT'S PROPERLY USED. BUT WE'RE ALL IN SUPPORT OF IT. COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I'LL BE BRIEF. UH, JUST WANT TO ALSO SHOW MY SUPPORT FOR ART AND WHEN WE START TALKING ABOUT WHERE THEY IT SHOULD BE, UM, I CAN THINK OF ONE FIRE STATION STATION 20 HAS GARCIA'S MURAL THERE, AND IT'S A SYMBOL OF THE COMMUNITY AS WELL. AND SO, UM, AS WE START TALKING ABOUT, UH, THE, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS SPECIFIC, AND I'M, I'M IN AGREEMENT WITH HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER, UH, I JUST ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE TAKE INTO ACCOUNT, UH, THAT IT'S NOT JUST A PUBLIC SAFETY, BUT IT'S ALSO AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UH, OPPORTUNITY AS WELL. UH, SO WHEN WE HAVE THIS, THIS, UH, FRUITFUL CONVERSATION IN THE NEAR FUTURE, I THINK WE SHOULD, UH, JUST MAKE SURE THAT WE THINK OF, UH, LOCATIONS WHERE WE NORMALLY DON'T HAVE ART. UM, THE EAST END HAS TRANSFORMED ITSELF BECAUSE OF THE ARTS. UM, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THE HOBBY AIRPORT DO THE SAME THING. UH, SO AGAIN, I, UM, I'M IN SUPPORT OF, YOU KNOW, HAVING THIS DIALOGUE AS WELL. I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UH, WE ALSO, UH, YOU KNOW, TAKE A REAL, YOU KNOW, KIND OF HIGH LEVEL, UH, CONVERSATION ABOUT WHERE WE ARE WITH IT, UM, AS WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE CITY'S SAFE BRINGING IN FOLKS, UH, TO THE COMMUNITY FOLKS TRAVEL WITHIN THE EAST END JUST TO TAKE, UH, PICTURES WITH MURALS. SO, UM, BUT AGAIN, I APPRECIATE YOU, YOU LOOKING AT THIS AS WELL. AND TO YOUR POINT, I DROVE BY THAT MURAL THE OTHER DAY. I THINK IT LOOKS GREAT. YEAH. AND AGAIN, THAT WOULD STAND ON ITS OWN MERITS AND THAT WOULD'VE BEEN VOTED. YES. ALL I'M SAYING IS TAKE IT OFF OF THE AUTOPILOT. I THINK WE OUGHT TO HAVE SOME DISCUSSION AT SOME POINT WHEN WE DON'T. EVERYTHING ELSE TO DO ABOUT WHO'S GONNA MAINTAIN THE MURALS. THEY'RE NICE, BUT WHAT'S THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR FIVE OR 10 YEARS FROM NOW? THE PAINTER ARTISTS MAY OR MAY NOT BE AROUND. AND IF YOU COVER OUR CITY WITH MURALS, I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE SOME DEPOSIT OR SOME RESPONSIBILITY FOR HOW YOU'RE GONNA MAINTAIN THEM, BECAUSE THEY WON'T ALWAYS BE AS BEAUTIFUL AS THEY ARE WHEN THEY'RE, UM, PRESENTED TO US. I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY'S THOUGHT ABOUT THAT BUT ME, BUT IT COULD BE PRETTY ROUGH AROUND HERE IF YOU HAVE MURALS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN PROTECTED AND, UH, MAINTAINED ANOTHER DISCUSSION. UH, I JUST NEED A VOTE. NEED A VOTE TO SEND IT TO THE, UM, THOMAS MOVE CHAIR OF ARTS AND CULTURE TO HAVE A WORKING GROUP AND REPORT IT BACK TO THE QUALITY OF LIFE COMMITTEE WITHIN SIX MONTHS. ALL IN FAVOR? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. THOSE OPPOSED. THANK YOU. DONE. COUNCILMAN HUFFMAN 1201. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I'M GOING TO WITHDRAW 12.01 BECAUSE OF THE PASSAGE OF BUDGET AMENDMENT 7.01 12 OH, ONE'S WITHDRAWN. 1202 POLL IN THE QUEUE. SO 1202, THIS AMENDMENT. JUST A SECOND. COUNCILMAN POLLARD. I WAS WITHDRAWN. I WAS GOING MAKE SOME ARGUMENTS ON THAT, BUT A LOT OF THESE ARE WITHDRAWN. 1202. 1202. THIS AMENDMENT, UM, PROPOSES USING APPROXIMATELY 871,000 FROM PREVIOUSLY UNASSIGNED FUNDS TO INCREASE CADET PAY, ENSURING THAT OUR CITY REMAINS COMPETITIVE, UM, IMPROVES OUR ABILITY TO HIRE AND RETAIN POLICE CRED, UH, RECRUITS. THE POLICE DEPARTMENT'S BEEN USING FEDERAL ARPA FUNDS TO PROVIDE CADETS WITH, UM, HIRING INCENTIVES. BUT AS, UM, ACTING CHIEF SATTERWHITE SAID DURING HIS BUDGET PRESENTATION THAT THAT MONEY EXPIRES AT THE END OF THIS MONTH, UM, YOU KNOW, THESE FUNDS ARE GOING TO BE DEPLETED AND IT'S CRUCIAL TO MAINTAIN THESE INCENTIVES TO SUCCESSFULLY FILL THE FIVE OR NOW SIX, UM, BASED ON, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ'S BUDGET AMENDMENT TO ADD A SIX CADET CLASS. SO I HAVE TWO MORE BUDGET AMENDMENTS, 12.03 AND 12.04 COMING IN AFTER THIS ALSO RELATED TO HPD. I'M OKAY WITH REFERRING THOSE TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE TO DISCUSS, BUT BECAUSE THIS IS TIME SENSITIVE, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, TAKE 12.02 UP. OKAY. COUNCILOR POLLARD. COUNCILMAN POLLARD. SO YOU, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN, YOU'RE PROPOSING TO, TO, TO TAKE $871,517 FROM THE GENERAL FUND, AND THERE'S NO OTHER, UM, [08:35:01] FUNDING ALLOCATION YOU'VE SEEN RECENTLY WITHIN THE $1 BILLION POLICE BUDGET THAT COULD GO TOWARDS THIS ALREADY. WELL, I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE PROBLEMS WITH, YOU KNOW, WITH THE BUDGET BECAUSE, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT AS DETAILED. YOU KNOW, I THINK EVERY DEPARTMENT HAS PLACES WHERE THEY CAN CUT AND THEY CAN MOVE THINGS AROUND. WE SAW THAT THE NUMBER ONE THING FOR THE POLICE BUDGET GOES TO, YOU KNOW, PERSONNEL AND CLASSIFIED EMPLOYEES. SO I DON'T KNOW IF THERE IS, UM, NECESSARILY ROOM IN THAT BUDGET, ALTHOUGH I THINK THERE IS WASTEFUL SPENDING IN EVERY SINGLE DEPARTMENT. I'M OPEN TO OTHER FUND SOURCES FOR THIS, BUT IF WE WANT TO, YOU KNOW, FILL THAT SIXTH CLASS, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO KEEP THIS. UM, I'M JUST A BIG PROPONENT OF LOOKING WITHIN THE EXISTING BUDGET, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S A BILLION DOLLARS TO SEE IF WE CAN SHIFT MONEY THAT'S ALREADY THERE, THEN THEN CREATE MORE DEBT. UM, BECAUSE WHEN WE TAKE FROM THE FUND BALANCE, THAT'S JUST, UH, LESS MONEY THAT WE HAVE FOR OVERALL SERVICES AND WE'RE ALREADY IN DEBT GOING FORWARD IN THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR. VERY GOOD. MELISSA, CAN I GET YOU TO ADDRESS THIS? IF THIS IS TRANSFERRED TO THE UNDERSIGNED FUND BALANCE FOR HPD CADET RETENTION, WHAT DOES THAT DO TO THE BALANCE OF THOSE FUNDS? WHAT, WHAT DOES IT DO? SORRY, ON 1202 YES. IMPACT. YES. SO, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER WAS CORRECT THAT THE, UM, THE CADET INCENTIVE PAY, UH, WAS PREVIOUSLY FUNDED WITH ARPA AND THAT'S, UM, EXPIRING WITH THE, UH, DEPLETION OF THE ARPA FUNDS. UM, SO RIGHT. IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO LOOK TO THE UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE TO FUND OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND. OKAY. SO, UH, CURRENTLY THE WAY THE PROPOSED BUDGET WAS, WE HAVE ABOUT $98 MILLION IN EXCESS OF THE 7.5% REQUIREMENT. SO IT WOULD REDUCE THAT AMOUNT AVAILABLE. AND THEN WE HAVE, OF COURSE, OTHER AMENDMENTS THAT HAVE PASSED TODAY, LIKE THE 8 MILLION FOR THE LDP. SO WE'RE TRACKING ALL THOSE. WELL, WOULD THAT JEOPARDIZE THE RESERVE? UH, IT WILL BRING OUR RESERVES DOWN, UH, FROM WHERE IT CURRENTLY ARE IS, UH, GETTING US CLOSER TO THAT 7.5% MINIMUM. DO YOU WANNA REFER THIS TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE? SEE ADDITIONAL IMPACT? I'LL REFER IT TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE, BUT I REALLY WANT TO WORK HARD WITH, UM, HPD TO FIND A WAY TO CONTINUE THIS CADET INCENTIVE PAY. I THINK THAT'S THE ONLY WAY WE'RE GONNA GET, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA FILL OUR CLASSES. I THINK WE'RE ALL COMMITTED TO THAT INCENTIVE PAY, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO STILL HAVE THE DISCRETION TO FIND IT AND, UH, IN THEIR OPERATING BUDGET, OR LET THE ADMINISTRATION AND COUNCIL FIND A PLACE FOR IT. THE INCENTIVE PAY HAS BEEN REAL IMPORTANT. AND SO JUST ONE QUESTION FOR, AND IT'S A SHAME THAT, AGAIN, THINGS WERE FUNDED WITH ONE TIME FEDERAL FUNDING, BUT WELCOME TO THE REAL WORLD. AND SO THIS QUESTION FOR THE DIRECTOR, UM, YOU KNOW, IF THIS IS REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE AND, UM, AND THIS ARPA FUNDING ENDS, DOES IT END AT THE END OF THIS MONTH? SO WE HAVE THE, WE HAVE SUFFICIENT CADET INCENTIVE PAY TO LAST THROUGH THE CADET CLASSES THAT, UH, THROUGH DECEMBER OF FY 25. SO WE HAVE ABOUT SIX MORE MONTHS OF YEAH, SURE. UM, CADET INCENTIVE PAY AVAILABLE THROUGH ARPA. OKAY, THANK YOU. AND THAT HELPS ME BECAUSE I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT IT ENDED AT THE END OF THIS MONTH. YES. WE HAVE TO ALLOCATE. OKAY, THANK YOU. SURE. I'D BE HAPPY TO REFER THIS TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE. MOTIONS MADE TO REFER TO PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE. MOTION MADE AND SECOND, ALL IN FAVOR OF THOSE OPPOSED MR. RAMIREZ AND ALCORN IN THE QUEUE. YOU WANNA SPEAK? WELL, I WAS JUST GONNA SAY ONE THING, I'M, I'M CERTAINLY IN FAVOR. I I WOULD'VE BEEN IN FAVOR OF, OF FUNDING IT. I THINK THESE INCENTIVES ARE SUPER IMPORTANT. BUT TO COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD'S POINT, I DID ASK A SERIES OF QUESTIONS IN DIFFERENT LINE ITEMS WITHIN THE POLICE BUDGET, UM, WHERE THERE IS A, AN AMOUNT GIVEN IN THE, THE FY 20, LET'S, LET ME SEE, GET THIS RIGHT. SO THEY, THERE'S AN AMOUNT THAT WAS BUDGETED LAST YEAR, FY 24. THEN THERE'S THE FY 24 ESTIMATE WHERE THEY'RE GONNA END UP. THEN THERE'S THE, THE FY 25, WHAT THEY'RE PROPOSING. SO WHAT I SAW IN SEVERAL FOUR, I'VE GOT FOUR LISTED HERE IN MY QUESTIONS, UM, OKAY, WHY THE INCREASE, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT BE A HUNDRED THOUSAND OR A COUPLE HUNDRED THOUSAND OR WHATEVER FROM FY 24 ESTIMATE, WHICH IS WHERE THEY'RE GONNA END UP TO BACK, THEY'RE BASICALLY GOING BACK TO THE NUMBER OF FY 24 BUDGET. AND THO THAT WAS THEIR ANSWER TO ME IN EACH OF THE CASES. THEIR ANSWER WAS, UM, IT'S BASICALLY THAT'S THEIR RUN RATE. WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IN THE ESTIMATE IS THEIR RUN RATE, [08:40:01] BUT WE'RE BUDGETING ACCORDING TO WHAT WE BUDGETED IN 24. SO THAT DOESN'T HELP ME, YOU KNOW, THAT DOESN'T HELP ME THAT YOU, YOU, YOU CONSISTENTLY BUDGET WHAT YOU, WHAT YOU BUDGETED THE YEAR BEFORE, BUT YOU'RE CONSISTENTLY SPENDING LESS. SO I THINK TO COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD'S POINT, YOU CAN PROBABLY SCRUB SOME OF THIS TO SAY NO, NO, NO, DON'T JUST BUDGET EXACTLY WHAT YOU BUDGETED LAST YEAR IF YOU'VE CONSISTENTLY IN THIS LINE ITEM. AND THERE WERE, THERE WERE A COUPLE, IT WAS BUILDING MAINTENANCE SERVICES, OTHER RENTAL PAPER AND PRINTING, WHICH I'VE ALREADY ATTACKED. UM, MISCELLANEOUS SUPPORT SERVICES. THERE'S, THERE'S, THERE'S, THERE'S THERE'S ROOM IN THERE BECAUSE, AND, AND IT'S A PATTERN AND IT'S NOT JUST THE POLICE DEPARTMENT THAT DOES THAT. NO, THAT'S WHAT I WAS GONNA SAY. YOU CAN DO THAT. MANY DEPARTMENT, MANY DEPARTMENTS DO THAT, BUT MANY DEPARTMENT, OTHER DEPARTMENTS, WHEN I ASKED ABOUT IT, GAVE SPECIFIC REASONS WHY THEY WERE INCREASING. SO IF THERE'S SPECIFIC REASONS THAT ARE GOOD THAT THEY'RE INCREASING, BUT TO JUST SAY, OH, THAT'S WHERE WE ENDED UP. WE'RE NOT BUDGING MORE THAN THE YEAR BEFORE. WELL, I THINK THE, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE HELP US GET TO THE BOTTOM OF THAT. COUNCILOR RAMIREZ, I AGREE WITH, WITH ALL THAT'S BEEN SAID, I WOULD ALSO NOTE THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS ACCESS TO A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT FUNDS AND IT, THERE'S NOT A WHOLE LOT OF DETAIL GIVEN TO US AS TO WHAT THE PARAMETERS ARE ON THOSE FUNDS FOR, YOU KNOW, WHEN, WHEN THEY CAN BE USED AND, AND WHEN THEY CANNOT. I WOULD ALSO NOTE, I THINK THERE'S, THERE'S PROBABLY A FAIR AMOUNT OF WASTE WITHIN THE BILLION DOLLAR POLICE BUDGET, AND I WOULD STRONGLY SUPPORT, UH, DOING MORE AUDITS WITHIN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO SEE WHERE THAT WASTE IS, TO SEE WHERE WE WE COULD RECOVER, UH, SOME OF THOSE FUNDS AND, AND SPEND IT MORE APPROPRIATELY. OBVIOUSLY, I THINK YOU'RE CORRECT, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WE'RE DOING AN AUDIT REVIEW OF THE DEPARTMENTS AND FIRE AND POLICE BOTH WILL BE UNDER THAT REVIEW. DO THE BEST WE CAN. COUNCILOR P*****K. COUNCILOR P*****K. THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, THAT'S KIND OF BEEN MY POINT, THIS WHOLE EXERCISE IS THAT WE, WE SPEND, WE, WE HAVE A SPENDING PROBLEM. THE DEPARTMENTS ARE PUTTING FORTH THEIR BUDGET, BUT THEY'RE NOT EVEN SPENDING THEIR WHOLE BUDGET FROM THE YEAR BEFORE. BUT THEN THE NEXT YEAR WE GIVE THEM THE WHOLE BUDGET AGAIN. SO WE HAVE TO LOOK AT WHAT DID YOU ACTUALLY SPEND, WHAT DID YOU SPEND IT ON? WHY DID YOU SPEND IT? WHERE YOU CAN FIND THOSE CUTS OR AT LEAST SAY, OKAY, YOU DIDN'T SPEND THIS AMOUNT OF MONEY LAST YEAR, SO WE'RE NOT GONNA GIVE IT TO YOU THIS YEAR. BECAUSE THAT'S HOW WE START TO CLOSE THAT GAP. BUT IF WE JUST CONTINUE TO GIVE EACH DEPARTMENT WHAT THEY WANT JUST BECAUSE THEY WANT IT WITHOUT ANY JUSTIFICATIONS, THEN THERE, THERE'S SOME, I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE LOSING OUT ON, UH, BEING ABLE TO PUT THOSE DOLLARS SOMEWHERE ELSE SORT TO CLOSE DOWN ON THE BUDGET, UH, DEFICIT. I SEE OUR DIRECTOR CAME UP TO THE MICROPHONE. I'D BE VERY OPEN TO ZERO BASED BUDGETING. IF, IF THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE SUGGESTING IT MIGHT REQUIRE. I THINK WE COULD DO THE ZERO BASED BUDGETING HERE MIGHT REQUIRE, NOT REQUIRE MORE FULL-TIME COUNSEL. WELL, I THINK WE COULD DO THAT RIGHT NOW AS A COUNCIL LOOKING AT, WHEN WE LOOK AT THE BUDGET AND SAY, I'M NOT GOING TO GIVE MORE MONEY. I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU WHAT YOU SPENT OR LESS BECAUSE YOU HAVE NOT SHOWN TO SPEND ALL THE MONEY THAT WE GAVE YOU BEFORE. SO THAT'S THE WHOLE EXERCISE OF WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE. THAT'S WHY I'M GONNA PROBABLY VOTE NO ON THE BUDGET BECAUSE WE'RE SPENDING MORE THAN THEY'RE ACTUALLY SPENDING THEMSELVES, WHICH CREATES A LARGER DEFICIT GOING FORWARD. THANK YOU. SO I THINK TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE, UM, YOU KNOW, BUDGETING MORE THAN WE USED IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR, UH, WE SEEK TO BUDGET CONSERVATIVELY ON AN EXPENDITURE SIDE AND A REVENUE SIDE, RIGHT? WE SEE THAT WHEN WE BUDGET, UH, ON A CONSERVATIVE PROJECTION ON SALES TAX SALES, TAX REVENUES COME IN. UM, WE THINK THAT GIVES US A LITTLE BIT MORE, UM, A CONSERVATIVE APPROACH FOR LOOKING AT IT. UH, THAT BEING SAID, I THINK THAT WE ARE, UM, COMMITTED AND WHAT WE'VE BEEN SAYING FOR THE LAST COUPLE MONTHS IS LOOKING AT SOME OF THOSE, ESPECIALLY WHERE YOU SEE A LOT OF THE EXPENDITURE SAVINGS AND VACANCIES UM, YES, THERE'S STILL A LOT OF VACANCIES BUDGETED IN THIS PROPOSED BUDGET, BUT THROUGHOUT THE YEAR WE WANNA LOOK AT PARTICULARLY THOSE AGE VACANCIES AND, UM, I THINK IT WAS TO COUNCIL MEMBER PECK'S AMENDMENT OF THE HIRING CONTROLS, UH, REALLY LOOKING AT WHICH OF THOSE AGE VACANCIES DO WE ACTUALLY NEED, UM, TO PROVIDE THE SERVICES THAT WE NEED TO PROVIDE TO THE CONSTITUENTS. SO, UM, I THINK THOSE ARE, ARE VERY GOOD POINTS AND, AND SOMETHING WE SEEK TO WORK THROUGH IN THE, IN THE COMING MONTHS. BUT TO ASK YOU A QUESTION, SINCE YOU'RE, SINCE YOU MADE THE POINT, IF WE WERE TO, LET'S SAY A DEPARTMENT SPENT LESS MONEY THAN BUDGETED, AND NOW WE'RE GOING TO GIVE THEM THE SAME AMOUNT, COULDN'T WE GIVE THEM LESS NOW? AND IF THEY REACHED A POINT WHERE THEY NEED MORE MONEY THAN WE PULL FROM THE FUND BALANCE, WE DON'T HAVE TO DO IT FRONT ON THE FRONT END, AT LEAST IT SHOWS THAT WE'RE HAVING SAVINGS ON THE FRONT END IF WE DON'T GIVE THEM THE SAME AMOUNT YEAR AFTER YEAR, JUST BECAUSE THEY PUT IT THERE FOR FLEXIBILITY. [08:45:01] I THINK THAT THAT IS DEFINITELY WHAT WE WANNA MOVE TOWARDS FOR FY 26, ESPECIALLY AS WE GO THROUGH THOSE, THOSE AGE VACANCIES. BUT WHY WOULDN'T WE DO IT NOW FOR FY 25 IF WE KNOW THAT IS A, A GOOD PRACTICE? I THINK PART OF IT IS THE, WE WANNA DO THAT. UM, I MENTIONED THE, THE ERNST AND YOUNG, THE CITYWIDE ENTERPRISE SCAN TO LOOK FOR THOSE EFFICIENCIES AND WHERE WE CAN BEST TARGET THOSE REDUCTIONS TO, UH, IMPACT THE SERVICES THE LEAST OR IMPROVE SERVICES IN SOME AREAS. AND I WOULD SUGGEST COUNCIL POLLARD, AND YOU CAN HELP WHICH DEPARTMENT'S OVERFUNDED. WHEN I MEET WITH DIRECTORS, WHETHER IT'S PARKS BAR, CERTAINLY PUBLIC WORKS, FIRE POLICE, MOST OF 'EM, IF THEY HAVE MONIES THAT THEY HAVEN'T SPENT THAT WE BUDGETED, THEY'RE GONNA PUT IT IN SOME UNMET NEEDS, WHETHER IT BE STAFFING VEHICLES, YOU KNOW, PARKS WILL TELL YOU WE'RE DOING THE BEST WE CAN, BUT WE GOTTA SHUTTLE PEOPLE TO THE WORK SITES. NOW, HE MAY NOT HAVE ALREADY SPENT ALL THAT. HE HAD BUDGET, BUT HE'S WAITING FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PLAY CATCH UP. AND I, AND I THINK YOU COULD GO ACROSS CITY GOVERNMENT WITH A LOT OF UNMET NEEDS IN THE DEPARTMENTS STAFFING AND THE FACILITIES. Y'ALL TALKED TO GENERAL SERVICES ABOUT THE CONDITION OF MOST OF OUR BUILDINGS DANGEROUS? YEAH. I SAY, I JUST SAY WE GIVE THEM THE MONEY ON THE BACK END IF THEY NEED IT, IF THEY NEED IT, BECAUSE ON THE FRONT END IT HASN'T BEEN SHOWN. I JUST DON'T WANT THE UNDER, I DON'T THINK IT'S ACCURATE TO ACT LIKE WE'RE OVERFUNDING CITY GOVERNMENT. CAN WE MAKE CUTS? CAN WE ECONOMIZE CUT OUT DUPLICATION? WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT ALL DAY LONG, BUT I'M MEETING WITH DIRECTORS THAT ARE GOOD CONSCIENTIOUS FOLKS THAT ARE TELLING YOU THEY CAN'T DELIVER THE SERVICES THAT WE EXPECT. SO ANYWAY, WE'RE MAKING, WE'RE GETTING THERE. COUNCILOR DAVIS. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, DID I UNDERSTAND YOU MAKE THE SUCH SUGGESTION ABOUT A ZERO BALANCE BUDGET. IT SOUNDED LIKE COUNCILMAN POLLARD WAS SUGGESTING THAT YOU START COMPLETELY OVER EACH YEAR. AND I'VE EXPERIENCED THAT AT THE STATE LEVEL. GEORGIA KINDA LEFT LED THE WAY JIM AND CARTER ACTUALLY GOT CREDIT FOR ZERO BASED BUDGETING. YOU JUST START OVER AND IT'S A GREAT CONCEPT. I'VE SEEN IT WORK, BUT IT REQUIRES AN AWFUL LOT OF, UH, PARTICIPATION. AND I'VE GOT SOME FOLKS THAT HAVEN'T BEEN GOING TO FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETINGS, SO I CAN ONLY IMAGINE HOW GOING TO A ZERO BASED BUDGET WOULD WORK. WELL, YOU, YOU KNOW, WE, WE PASSED AMENDMENT TODAY WITH A 5% REDUCTION IN EXPENDITURES ON PAPER AND YEAH, WE TRIED THAT, HUH? WE TRIED TO, ACROSS THE BOARD 5%. THE PROBLEM WITH THAT IS THE EFFICIENT AGENCIES ARE PUNISHED. THOSE WITH WASTEFUL SPENDING GET AWAY WITH IT. THEY JUST SAY, OKAY, WE'LL GIVE YOU 5%. SO I THINK YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT DEPARTMENT BY DEPARTMENT. WE TRIED THE, THE, THE ACROSS THE BOARD. I'VE SEEN IT DONE IN PREVIOUS YEARS. 10%. PRETTY HARSH, BUT QUITE FRANKLY, IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE OUGHT TO CONSIDER GOING FORWARD TO SAVE MONEY. I AGREE. OKAY. WELL, GREAT. STAY TUNED. UH, 1203. BEG PARDON? WITH HUFFMAN 1203, YEAH, HUFFMAN 1203. 1203. THIS AMENDMENT PROPOSES ALLOCATING 2.2 MILLION FROM THE UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE TO EXPAND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT'S EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM FOR RETIRED OFFICERS. HIRING THESE FORMER OFFICERS OFFERS VALUABLE EXPERIENCE AT A COST EFFECTIVE RATE. THEY CAN PROVIDE INVESTIGATIVE AND ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT, UM, ENABLING MORE PATROL OFFICERS TO CONCENTRATE ON ESSENTIAL POLICE WORK. THESE RETIRED OFFICERS, THEY WORK PART-TIME, UM, EARNING APPROXIMATELY $30 PER HOUR WITHOUT RECEIVING BENEFITS. UM, THE ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR THIS WOULD ALLOW HPD TO INCREASE THE PROGRAM FROM ABOUT 42 OFFICERS TO APPROXIMATELY A HUNDRED OFFICERS. UM, I'M NOT ASKING, UH, THE COUNCIL TO VOTE ON THIS 2.2 MILLION TODAY, BUT TO REFER THIS TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE, SO THAT WAY, UM, YOU KNOW, WE COULD FIGURE OUT A WAY TO FUND THIS PROGRAM. COUNCILOR FLICKINGER, I RECALL THE CONVERSATION WITH CHIEF SATELLITE ON THIS. WEREN'T THESE RETIRED OFFICERS BROUGHT BACK AT, AT A SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED RATE FROM, DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT THAT WAS OR, I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE, BUT THIS WOULD EQUATE TO ABOUT $30 PER HOUR. YEAH, YEAH. WHICH WAS SIGNIFICANTLY LESS OF THE ALL IN. 'CAUSE THEY WEREN'T RECEIVING THE BENEFITS, RIGHT? YEAH. SO IT, IT WAS DEFINITELY COST EFFECTIVE. [08:50:02] VERY GOOD. COUNCILMAN REFERS IT TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE. ALL IN FAVOR OF THOSE OPPOSED. MOTION CARRIES. 1204. 1204. THIS AMENDMENT, UM, WOULD UTILIZE 185,000 FROM THE FUND BALANCE TO CREATE 10 LIEUTENANT POSITIONS WITHIN WITHIN HPD. UM, IN ACTING CHIEF SATELLITE'S PRESENTATION, HE NOTED THE NEED FOR ADDITIONAL SUPERVISORY CAPACITY WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT. IT'S NOT ACTUALLY CREATING, UM, THE 185,000, IT'S JUST THE PAY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN, UM, SERGEANT AND LIEUTENANT. UM, HOWEVER, I'M ALSO ASKING THAT THIS ONE BE REFERRED TO PUBLIC SAFETY TO SEE HOW WE CAN GET THIS ACCOMPLISHED. ISSUES REFERRED TO PUBLIC SAFETY IS YOUR OPPOSITION IS IN PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE. 1205. 1205 IS WITHDRAWN. 1205 IS WITHDRAWN. 1206. 1206. THIS HAS TO DO WITH, YOU KNOW, THE CITY OF HOUSTON. UM, WE DON'T HAVE AN ESTABLISHED MOSQUITO CONTROL INITIATIVE. AND WHAT WE HAVE SEEN WITH THIS VERY WET SUMMER, WE'RE GONNA SEE AN INCREASE IN MOSQUITOES. NOW, THE COUNTY HAS A PROGRAM, BUT THE, THE CITY DOESN'T. AND I THINK THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS ISSUE CAN'T BE EMPHASIZED ENOUGH. UM, JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO, UM, A SAMPLE WAS CONDUCTED BY THE HARRIS COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH THAT FOUND A POSITIVE SAMPLE OF WEST NILE IN DISTRICT G. UM, AND SO THIS WAS TO PURCHASE SOME MOSQUITO FOGGERS. HOWEVER, I'VE BEEN ASSURED BY THE ADMINISTRATION THAT WE ARE GONNA WORK DILIGENTLY WITH THE COUNTY WHO DOES HAVE THIS PROGRAM TO SEE HOW WE CAN, UM, UTILIZE IT IN THE CITY AS WELL. VERY GOOD. WITHDRAWN OH 7, 12 0 7 ON THIS AMENDMENT AIMS TO CAP NON-TRAINING RELATED TRAVEL EXPENSES AT THE AMOUNT SPENT IN FY 24, RESULTING IN AN ESTIMATED SAVINGS OF APPROXIMATELY $179,000. THIS MEASURE WILL HELP MAINTAIN FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY WHILE SUPPORTING NECESSARY TRAVEL FOR TRAINING PURPOSES. VERY GOOD. ALL IN FAVOR? UM, ALL IN FAVOR? OPPOSED? MOTION PARENT. SORRY. HOLD ON. HOLD ON. AMENDMENT. HOLD ON. CAYMAN AND THOMAS, SORRY. CAYMAN AND THOMAS ON THAT ONE. THOMAS COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. YES. THANK YOU MUCH. UM, COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN. SO CAN YOU CLARIFY 1207 IN TERMS OF, UM, YOU KNOW, FLIGHTS HAVE INCREASED COST OF HOTELS COST, YOU KNOW, PER DIEM, ALL OF THAT MILEAGE CHANGES, UM, EVERY YEAR. SO THEN HOW IS THIS, SO LET'S SAY, UH, THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A DEPARTMENT FOR TRAINING OR TO COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN'S POINT IN TERMS OF PROMOTING THE CITY PUBLIC AWARENESS. WHAT'S THE CURE FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT? ARE THEY COMPLETELY EXCLUDED FROM POSITIONING THE CITY AT A NATIONAL LEVEL OR A REGIONAL LEVEL? NO, NOT NECESSARILY. UH, THIS AMENDMENT AIMS TO CAP THE NON-TRAINING, UH, TRAVEL RELATED EXPENSES. SO IT WOULDN'T AFFECT THE TRAINING TRAVEL RELATED EXPENSES. I AGREE THAT IT IS STILL IMPORTANT FOR THE FLIGHTS TO, UM, PROMOTE THE CITY AND THINGS LIKE THAT. UM, BUT THIS, UM, IT, THIS WAS THE AMOUNT SPENT IN FY 24. AND I THINK IF WE JUST KEEP IT AT THAT, SURE, WE COULD SEE SOME SAVINGS ON THE BUDGET. RIGHT. SO IT DOESN'T EXCLUDE THE TRAINING. CORRECT. IT EXCLUDES TRAINING RATHER IT EXCLUDES TRAINING. CORRECT. CORRECT. GOT IT. OKAY. COUNCILOR CAYMAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I WAS, I WAS JUST WONDERING ABOUT THE DEFINITION OF ALL ALL DEPARTMENTS. FOR EXAMPLE, MAYOR, YOUR OFFICE LEADS, TRADE DELEGATIONS. SOME OF THOSE COSTS MAY DIFFER DEPENDING ON WHAT COUNTRIES YOU HAVE GONE TO. UH, IF YOU, I KNOW YOU'VE, I THINK, BEEN TO ONE SO FAR, BUT, UH, THERE ARE DIFFERENT COSTS AFFILIATED WITH DIFFERENT TYPES OF TRIPS. FOR EXAMPLE, ONE COUNCIL MEMBER MAY CHOOSE TO LEAD A DELEGATION SOMEWHERE ONE YEAR AND NOT, UH, BE TASKED WITH THAT THE FOLLOWING YEAR. SO WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DEPARTMENTS, THERE IS A, A VARIATION. I UNDERSTAND THE INTENT OF THIS AND FULLY SUPPORT IT. UM, BUT I, I DO WANNA, I WOULD LIKE SOME CLARITY AS TO WHAT ALL DEPARTMENTS MEAN, BECAUSE AGAIN, YEAR TO YEAR, THAT CAN BE A CHANGE. THAT CAN BE A DIFFERENCE. I KNOW WE'RE COMPARING IT TO LAST YEAR. UM, BUT FOR EXAMPLE, TRAVEL WAS EXTREMELY LIMITED YEARS PRIOR BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC, RIGHT. WHICH YOU'RE NOT COMPARING IT TO. I'M JUST USING THAT AS AN EXAMPLE. SO COULD YOU PLEASE ELABORATE ON THE DEPARTMENTS THAT THIS APPLIES TO AND HOW WE'RE ACCOUNTING FOR, UM, THE DIFFERENT EXPENSES THAT MAY BE INCURRED DEPENDING ON THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF TRIPS THAT ARE TAKEN IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE CITY? WELL, AND I KNOW THAT COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, UM, I KNOW THAT COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN WAS LOOKING AT, AT THIS AS WELL. AND SO, UH, IF [08:55:01] YOU WANNA TAKE THIS QUESTION, SURE. I MEAN, THAT'S, WE WERE LOOKING ANY, ANY WAY TO CUT SAVE TO, TO SAVE MONEY THROUGHOUT THE BUDGET. AND, AND I ACTUALLY, UM, TOLD COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN, I'M GLAD YOU DID NON TRAVEL RELATED TRAINING. THAT WAS SOMETHING WE WERE LOOKING REALLY LOOKING AT AND HAPPY TO SUPPORT IT. UM, I THINK HOLDING IT TO LAST YEAR'S EXPENSIVE EXPENSES IS FAIR. AND, UM, IF WE NEED TO ADJUST FOR INFLATION OR WHATEVER IN, IN THE FUTURE, THAT'S, I THINK THAT'S FINE. BUT, BUT THIS IS, YOU KNOW, $179,000 WE CAN SAVE. IT'S, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT NOTHING. IT'S ABSOLUTELY NOT NOTHING. I THINK, FOR EXAMPLE, MAYBE A MORE PRECISE QUESTION, DOES THIS IMPACT THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF TRADE AND INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS, FOR EXAMPLE? I THINK SINCE HE SUPPORTED IT, SORRY TO JUMP OUT OF TURN. YEAH. I SUPPORT HER AMENDMENT. DON'T, DON'T WORRY ABOUT MY OFFICE. WE, WE, WELL, I'M WORRIED ABOUT THE, I'LL LOOK OUT FROM OFFICE. I'M WORRIED ABOUT THE IMPLICATIONS OF AND BENEFITS OF TRADE DELEGATIONS AND BUSINESS AND OTHER, I I'LL LOOK OUT FOR THEM TOO. THEY'RE SO-CALLED TRADE I, I'M RESEARCHING THEM AND WE'RE TRYING TO QUANTIFY HOW MUCH TRADE IS A RESULT OF THAT. AND THE JURY'S OUT AS WE TALK. SO WE'LL LET YOU KNOW IF WE NEED MORE MONEY. BUT I SUPPORT, UH, AS COUNCILOR ALCORN JUST SAID, YOU KNOW, THIS IS REAL MONEY. AND IF IT'S NOT FOR TRAINING, WE NEED TO BE VERY CAUTIOUS. UH, ALL IN FAVOR OF THE AMENDMENT. THOSE OPPOSED MOTION. THERE'S NO THOMAS VOTING. WE SPENT SHOW THOMAS VOTING. NO. POLLARD'S, NO OBJECTION. THOMAS. OBJECTION. POLLARD. 10. THOMAS. THOMAS. NO, NEXT. 1302. HMM. OH MAN. UH, 1302. COUNCILMAN CASTER. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, 13 13, 13 0 1. SHOULD BE UP FIRST. 1301. AND THIS IS A AMENDMENT TO ALLOCATE 350 DO THOUSAND DOLLARS FROM THE GENERAL FUND TO BARK TO RESTORE FUNDS SO THAT THEY WILL BE ABLE TO, UM, MAINTAIN A PROFESSIONAL KENNEL CLEANING SERVICES CONTRACT. UH, THIS WAS SOMETHING THEY HAD THROUGH ARPA FUNDING, UH, WHICH IS SET TO GO AWAY. UH, I APPRECIATE THE ADMINISTRATION SUPPORT ON THIS ITEM. UM, IT'S, IT'S SO CRUCIAL TO THEIR OPERATIONS, UH, TO BE ABLE TO HAVE PROFESSIONALS TO COME IN, CLEAN THE KENNELS TO CODE AND STANDARD, UH, NOT SHIFT THAT TASK ONTO EXISTING BARK STAFF, UH, WHICH TAKES AWAY THEIR TIME WITH THE ANIMALS THEMSELVES. UH, THEY DO TRAINING, THEY DO, UH, OTHER THINGS TO HELP MAKE THEM MORE ADOPTABLE. UM, THE ANIMALS THAT DON'T HAVE THAT, UH, THEY HAVE BEHAVIORAL ISSUES, THEY HAVE ISSUES. WHEN THEY DO GET ADOPTED, THEY GET BROUGHT BACK. SO, UH, IT CASCADES INTO, INTO IMPACTING OPERATIONS AND, AND THIS IS GONNA BE A BIG HELP, UH, TO BARK. VERY GOOD. COUNCILMAN MC POLLARD? YEAH, I WAS GONNA, UH, ASK COUNCIL MEMBER STEELE, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE HAVE A BUDGET OF THIS MAGNITUDE, IF THERE WAS ANY RESEARCH INTO OTHER AREAS, UH, THAT YOU COULD PULL THE FUNDING FROM, IT IS 350,000 INSTEAD OF GOING FROM THE GENERAL FUND, BUT LOOKING AT ANY SAVINGS, UH, FROM OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT DID NOT SPEND AS MUCH AS THEY DID IN THE PREVIOUS FISCAL YEAR, TO PULL THOSE SAVINGS FROM THERE TO, TO GO TOWARDS BARC. WE DIDN'T LOOK INTO, UH, OTHER DEPARTMENTS FOR, WE LOOKED AT BARK ITSELF, AND THIS CAME FROM ARPA FUNDS THAT WENT, THEN THIS WAS A PORTION OF IT. THEY ACTUALLY LOST OVER 900,000 IN ARPA FUNDS. SO, BUT Y'ALL, YOU ALL DIDN'T SEE ANY OTHER PLACE IN THE BUDGET THAT YOU COULD PULL 350,000 FROM? NOT FROM BARK ITSELF, NO. NO. FROM ANY DEPARTMENT? NO. DAVIS COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, TO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, I, THIS WAS ARCO FUNDS PROVIDED FOR THIS PROCESS, AND I CERTAINLY SUPPORT, UH, MARK. UM, BUT MY QUESTION IS, IS AS YOU CONSIDER THE NUMBER OF $350,000, WAS THERE A BIDDING, IS THERE A BIDDING PROCESS IN TERMS OF WHO IS GONNA BE HIRED? I MEAN, IS THAT THE DROP DEAD NUMBER OF 350,000? THAT, THAT WAS THE COST FOR THE CONTRACT LAST YEAR? AND IT IS A, A PROFESSIONAL SERVICE, SO I KNOW THERE ARE LIMITED OPTIONS IN TERMS OF WHO CAN PERFORM THE, UH, THE KENNEL CLEANING. SO, SO WITH THAT, I MEAN, I'M SURE THERE, I MEAN, WHOEVER WAS CHOSEN, WAS THAT CHOSEN IN A BIDDING PROCESS? THE ONE THAT WAS CHOSEN LAST YEAR, WAS IT, WAS IT, SO THAT I WOULD HAVE TO, TO GET BACK TO YOU ON, IN TERMS OF [09:00:01] WHY THE PERSON THAT WAS PICKED WAS PICKED. RIGHT, RIGHT. OKAY. OKAY. GOOD. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER. COUNCILMAN FLICKINGER. WHAT WAS THE PROCESS BEFORE THE COVID FUNDS THAT WERE USED? SO WITH THIS, IF THE CO, IF THE PROFESSIONAL FOLKS ARE NOT THERE, THEN STAFF CLEANED THE KENNELS. SO THE STAFF DID IT PREVIOUS TO THAT AT SOME POINT? YES. OKAY. THANK YOU. MM-HMM . OKAY. UM, JUST VOTE ON 13. THE VOTES ON 1301. ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED POLL? NO. POLLARD, NOT EVERYONE. NO. IT PASSES WITH POLLARD VOTING NO. 13.02 WAS, UH, THE SAME AS COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN'S 5.04 AND WAS RE-REFERRED TO, UH, SERVICE DELIVERY SLASH UH, BUDGET AND FISCAL AFFAIRS AMENDMENT AMENDMENTS, WITHDRAWN, WITHDRAWN. 13.03. 13 0 3, 13 0.03. UH, THIS AMENDMENT WAS INTENDED TO HELP, UH, PREVENT UNINTENDED COSTS, UH, FROM CHANGES TO COUNCIL DISTRICT SERVICE PROJECTS, UM, THAT WERE RELATED TO, UM, WHAT THE ORIGINAL PROJECT COST AND THEN CHANGES TO IT THAT RESULTED IN, UH, COST BEYOND A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE THRESHOLD. UM, I UNDERSTAND THIS IS NOT A BUDGET AMENDMENT, UM, SO I WILL WITHDRAW IT. I WOULD APPRECIATE A CONTINUED CONVERSATION WITH YOU, THOUGH, MAYOR, ON THE IDEA AMENDMENTS WITHDRAWN. 13 0 3, 13 0.04 IS A BUDGET AMENDMENT PROPOSAL THAT WOULD EXEMPT CITY OF HOUSTON VEHICLES MARKED VEHICLES FROM HAVING TO PAY CITY PARKING METERS WHILE THEY'RE CONDUCTING CITY BUSINESS. MM-HMM . UM, RIGHT NOW THE PARKING FEES ARE PAID BY EMPLOYEES, AND THEN THEY ARE BROUGHT BACK AND REIMBURSED. UM, THE COST AND THE PROCESS TO REIMBURSE A CITY EMPLOYEE FOR A PARKING FEE IS AROUND $30. UH, THE PARKING FEES THEMSELVES ARE $2 AND 25 CENTS AN HOUR OR SO. SO, UM, WE'RE DUPLICATING PROCESSES. UH, WE'RE COSTING OURSELVES MONEY, AND WE'RE TAKING TIME FROM, UM, EMPLOYEES THAT COULD BE DOING OTHER CITY BUSINESS. SO, UH, MY PROPOSAL WOULD BE TO, IF YOU'RE IN A CITY VEHICLE, YOU'RE CONDUCTING CITY BUSINESS, AND YOU'RE AT A CITY METER, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PAY THE PARKING FEE. VERY GOOD. BUT I ASSUME YOU'VE BEEN ADVISED IT'S NOT A BUDGET ITEM. UH, YES. AND, UH, WE'LL WITHDRAW IT AND KEEP IT ALIVE FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION. I WILL, UH, DO THAT AND LOOK FORWARD TO THE GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS COMMITTEE REVIEWING IT WITHIN 120 DAYS. VERY GOOD. COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN? YES. MAYOR. I SEE ALSO, FIRST OFF, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. THANK YOU. UM, WHEN YOU HAD INFORMED ME OF THIS, I, I, I THINK THIS IS A TERRIFIC, UM, ITEM TO PUT FORWARD AS WE CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR COST SAVINGS. UH, MARY, I KNOW IT'S BEING REFERRED TO GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS, BUT I ALSO HAVE A NOTE FROM YOUR OFFICE THAT YOU WILL IMPLEMENT A CHANGE TO THE EXECUTIVE ORDER SO THAT THIS IS IMPLEMENTED. SO, I WANTED TO CONFIRM THAT, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO'S BUDGET AMENDMENT WILL BE IMPLEMENTED, UH, INTO CITY POLICY. YES. WE'LL, WE'LL BRING IT BACK TO COUNCIL, NO DOUBT. AMENDMENTS WITHDRAWN. 1304. HMM. NEXT, OH, SORRY, THAT'S 14. WE'RE AT THE TOP OF THE NEXT PAGE. 1401. 1401. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I WANT MY FIRST RECOMMENDATION TO BE, IF WE CAN START BACKWARDS NEXT YEAR. SO WE CAN START OFF WITH K AND J . UM, ? NO. UH, SO 4 2 14 POINT, UH, ZERO. ONE ESTABLISHES A AND ASSESSES A ONE-TIME FEE ON NEW RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT THAT REQUIRES WASTE SERVICES TO BE PROVIDED BY SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT. UH, THE ONE-TIME FEE SHALL BE CALCULATED BY MULTIPLYING A NUMBER OF NEW SIGNAL FAMILY DWELLINGS IN THE DEVELOPMENT BY COST INCURRED BY TO THE CITY TO DE TO DELIVER THE REFUSE CARD, THE NEW REFUSE CARD. AND IT'S ABOUT $26 AND 20 CENTS. UM, REVENUE GENERATED FROM HERE WOULD BE A ONE TIME SERVICE FEE. UH, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU KNOW, AT, AT THE MOMENT, YOU'RE NOT LOOKING AT ANY FEES, MAYOR, BUT I JUST WANNA, UH, BRING TO ATTENTION. UM, YOU KNOW, JANUARY, ONE OF THE FIRST ITEMS THAT WE, THAT WE, UH, SOME OF THE FIRST ITEMS THAT WE VOTED ON WAS TO PURCHASE NEW REFUSE CARDS. WE SPENT ABOUT 2.5 MILLION, UH, ROUGHLY ABOUT 38,000 REFUSE CARTS. [09:05:01] 17,000 OF THOSE WERE FOR NEW RESIDENTS. SO THAT IS NEW PICKUPS. YOU KNOW, IT'S A NEW CART ALTOGETHER. AND SO, UM, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT AS WE START HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS WITH INEFFICIENCIES, COURSE CORRECTING THAT WE'VE BEEN NEEDING TO, UH, IMPLEMENT FOR PAST 10, 15, 20 YEARS, UH, THAT WE START HAVING THE CONVERSATION ABOUT FEES. UM, I KNOW IT'S NOT PROBABLY THE MOST, UH, POPULAR THING TO TALK ABOUT, UH, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, IT'S SOMETHING THAT, AS WE JUST SEEN TODAY, WE'RE, WE'RE HAVING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, CONTRACTS, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE, UH, BEING MORE, UH, EFFICIENT WITH, WITH SERVICE DELIVERY. UH, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE TRANSPARENT AND HONEST WITH THE COMMUNITY AS WELL, UH, THAT THE SERVICES THAT THEY'RE EXPECTING, WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FUND THOSE, UH, PROPERLY. AND SO, UM, I, I, I KNOW YOU WANNA REFER THIS TO BUDGET AND FISCAL AFFAIRS AND SERVICE DELIVERY COMMITTEE. I'M IN FAVOR OF THAT, UM, AS WELL. I'M READY TO HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS. COUNCIL, THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN POLLARD. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I THINK THESE ARE SOME CREATIVE IDEAS AS I'M LOOKING OVER THE MATRIX, BUT I, I DON'T THINK ANY OF THESE ARE BUDGET AMENDMENTS. I THINK THESE ARE MORE POLICY DRIVEN OR, UM, YOU KNOW, ORDINANCE RELATED. SO, UM, JUST WANNA MAKE THAT KIND OF KNOWN WHEN I'M LOOKING THROUGH HERE, THAT WE'RE EITHER INCREASING FUNDING, UH, ASSESSING FEES, ESTABLISHING PROGRAMS, ALL THESE ARE ARE ORDINANCE OR POLICY CHANGES. YEAH. YEAH. COUNCIL GOING TO A COMMITTEE AND IT, IT IS NOTED, BUT ALSO I THINK IT'S GOING TO, A COMMITTEE WILL PUT IT ON LIFE SUPPORT. WELL, I THINK IT'S FAIR TO SAY THAT EVERYTHING THAT WE DO IS A ORDINANCE AND A POLICY. SO IT'S OKAY TO HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS WITH THAT. ANY, ANY OPPOSITION TO IT? TO BUDGET AND PHYSICAL AFFAIRS CHAIR NUN 1402. 1402. UM, ANOTHER POLICY CHANGE. UH, INCREASED FUNDING FOR SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT BY ESTABLISHING A MONTHLY SOLID WASTE USER FEE FOR RESIDENTS WITH SOLID WASTE TRASH SERVICE. THE USER FEE SHALL BE BASED ON A PAY AS YOU THROW. MODEL REVENUE SHALL BE ESTABLISHED AS AN ENTERPRISE FUND FOR SOLID WASTE. UM, AGAIN, UM, UNDERSTANDING THAT, UM, THAT WE NEED TO START HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS. WE NEED TO START RIGHT SIZING, UH, UH, ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENTS. SPECIFICALLY FOR ME, THE, THE ONE THAT WE HAD A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS, AND I'VE HAD THIS CONVERSATION FOR 10 YEARS AS A STAFFER. UM, SO IT'S NOTHING NEW. UM, I, I THINK FOLKS THAT HAVE BEEN HERE AROUND THE HORSESHOE FOR FOUR YEARS, SOME, UH, LIKE MY COLLEAGUE, UH, YOU KNOW, COUNCILMAN ALCORN, WHO'S BEEN AROUND FOR EVEN MORE, THESE ARE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE CANNOT CONTINUE TO JUST KEEP PUSHING DOWN THE ROAD. UM, ALSO REFER TO BUDGET AND FISCAL AFFAIRS AND SERVICE DELIVERY COMMITTEE. AND SO, UM, I RESPECT THAT AS WELL, MAYOR, AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE START HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS AS WELL. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN MAYOR, REALLY QUICKLY, I DID WANNA THANK COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ, CONTINUING THE TRA TRADITION OF YOUR DISTRICT REALLY LEADING THE WAY WHEN IT COMES TO SOLID WASTE. UM, I KNOW THAT MAYOR, SOLID WASTE HAS HAD THEIR HANDS FULL WITH THE DERECHO, WITH THE CENTER POINT OUTAGES, UM, AND THE DOWN TREES. BUT I DID NOT, MAYOR, HI, I MAYOR, I DID NOT RECEIVE FROM THE SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT, UM, THE BUDGET QUESTIONS THAT WE HAD SUBMITTED. SO I WOULD HOPE THAT WE CAN GET THOSE BACK AT SOME POINT. I'LL BET. POINT I'M PICKING UP DEBRIS. WHAT ARE YOU ON? BET THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I SAID, SAID WHILE YOU WERE I'LL MAKE SURE THAT THEY GIVE YOU ADDITIONAL TIME. I UNDERSTAND. AND THAT'S WHY WHAT I SAID WHEN YOU WERE TALKING TO THE MAYOR PRO TEM, WAS, I'M SURE THEY'RE ADDRESSING THAT, BUT I WOULD LIKE, THAT'S WHAT I WAS JUST TELLING THEM THOSE, UH, RESPONSES BACK. BUT TO THAT END COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ, UH, YOU CONTINUE TO LEAD THE WAY ON THIS, UH, I HOPE WE CAN ALSO CONTINUE TO GET UPDATES ON MULTIFAMILY RECYCLING. I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT'S ADDED INTO THE CONVERSATION AS WE CONTINUE TO PUSH. THANK YOU. OKAY. COUNCILING PLUMBER. OKAY. , YOU GETTING ? I GOT SOME HOT AND I'M LISTENING. YEAH, I KNOW. NO, NO. MAYOR, YOU COULD DO. I, I KNOW YOU'RE LISTENING. YOU COULD TALK. I'M SURE YOU WEREN'T TALKING TO HER ABOUT THE, THE BEACH WEATHER OR ANYTHING. I MEAN, I'M SURE IT WAS SOMETHING IMPORTANT. I, UM, THANK YOU FOR, FOR BRINGING THIS UP. DO YOU MIND IF WE COULD ADD TO YOUR, UM, I KNOW YOU'RE THE AUTHOR OF THIS, IF WE COULD ADD JUST EVALUATING, RECYCLING AND HOW WE, AND HOW WE DO RECYCLING AND, UM, MAYBE IF, UM, WE COULD LOOK AT INCENTIVES IF PEOPLE DO RECYCLE, YOU KNOW, ET CETERA, WHATEVER THOSE LOOK LIKE. UM, JUST IF, IF YOU DON'T MIND ADDING THAT TO THE DISCUSSION, I'D APPRECIATE IT. NOT, NOT, NOT, UH, DEFINITELY NOT OPPOSED TO IT. OKAY. UM, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE PUT EVERYTHING [09:10:01] ON THE TABLE AND WE SHOULD BE HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS JULY 1ST. OKAY. PERFECT. THANK YOU. NO, NO, NO. IT'S OKAY. I'M, I'M OKAY WITH NOT AMENDING IT. I'M JUST SAYING THAT IN THE CONVERSATION. IF WE COULD JUST BRING UP RECYCLING AS WELL, THAT'D BE GREAT. I DON'T WANT TO TALK TO YOU. MAYOR, YOU BETTER BE CAREFUL. YOU CAN BE PUTTING TIME OUT. . I WANNA REPORT SOMEBODY. . SHE'S TALKING TO ME WHILE SOMEBODY ELSE IS TALKING. MOTION FOR LISTENING. ALL RIGHT. LET'S GO. THAT'S WHY I WANNA START WITH DISTRICT K FIRST, NEXT, NEXT YEAR. SOMEBODY THAT'S BEEN A W MY WHOLE LIFE. I KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE AT THE BACK OF THE LINE WHEN THEY GO IN ALPHABETIC QUARTER. SO, SO, UM, 14.03, UH, 14.03. UH, THE CITY OF HOUSTON SHALL REVIEW THE SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT HEAVY TRASH COLLECTION, UH, PROGRAM, AND DETERMINE IF A REIMAGINE OR ON DEMAND SERVICE WOULD BE MORE EFFICIENT AND SUSTAINABLE FOR SOLID WASTE. UM, AND, AND MORE RELIABLY, UH, MEET THE NEEDS, UH, OF THE CUSTOMER. UM, SO WE ASK SOLID WASTE. UH, WHAT'S THE AVERAGE, UH, COST FOR HEAVY TRASH PER MONTH IS ABOUT $1.9 MILLION. SO ALL AND ALL, Y'ALL GONNA WANT THAT 11.4 IF WE CAN CUT IT IN HALF TO GO TO OTHER THINGS. BUT, UH, AGAIN, I THINK THOSE DOLLARS SHOULD BE, UH, BE LOOKED AT. RIGHT. UM, AND THIS CAME TO MIND BECAUSE WE DID A, WE HAD A SURVEY OUT OF DISTRICT GUY. UH, WE HAD ABOUT 312 RESPONSES. UH, NEARLY HALF OF THEM, UH, SAID THEY PLACE HEAVY TRASH SIX TIMES PER YEAR WITH ABOUT 15% SAYING THEY PLACE HEAVY TRASH LESS THAN TWICE PER YEAR. AND WE CONTINUE TO RUN TRUCKS THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOODS. UM, YEAH. AND, AND, AND SO, YOU KNOW, MAYBE TWICE A YEAR IS ACTUALLY TREE WASTE. AND FOUR TIMES, NO MORE THAN FOUR TIMES A YEAR IS, UH, BULK WAYS. AND SO WE GOTTA START LOOKING AT THESE INEFFICIENCIES. AND I'M, I'M SURE THAT THE, THE ARTISTS THAT, THAT, UH, BECOMING MIGHT, MIGHT BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY THESE THINGS. UM, BUT AGAIN, IT'S, IT'S RIGHT, IT'S RIGHT SIZING, SOLID WASTE. BUT ALSO IN THAT SAME, UH, UH, CONTEXT, WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT EVERY DEPARTMENT, MAKING SURE THAT THE COMMUNITY UNDERSTANDS THAT WHAT WE HAVE RESOURCES FOR, UM, UH, WE'RE NOT OVERSELLING WHAT WE, WHAT WE HAVE IN THE BUDGET. AND THEN AGAIN, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE THAT YOU ARE JUST PROVIDING GOOD SERVICES TO COMMUNITY. SO, UH, THIS ONE AS WELL, WILL BE REFERRED TO SERVICE DELIVERY. UM, AND SO I'LL GO AHEAD AND MOVE. GREAT. IS THERE A VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? I'M REFERRING TO THE SERVICE DELIVERY COMMITTEE. THOSE OPPOSED MOTION WILL, I THINK IT DESERVES A HEARING FOR SURE. THANK YOU. NEXT 14.04, UH, ESTABLISH AN ADOPT THE GATE PROGRAM UNDER HOUSTON PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT. THIS ADOPTION PROGRAM SHALL ENCOURAGE AND PROVIDE ORGANIZATIONS, HOMEOWNER ASSOCIATIONS, CIVIC CLUBS, RESIDENTS, UM, INTERESTED IN TAKING ON THE RESPONSIBILITY TO OPEN AND CLOSE PARK GATES DAILY, THE ABILITY TO DO SO AND THERE, AND THEREBY FREEING UP PARK RANGERS FOR THE, THIS RESPONSIBILITY FROM THIS RESPONSIBILITY. AND NOW, AND ALLOWING THEM TO FOCUS ON PRIORITY, RESPONSIBILITY, PUBLIC SAFETY, SECURITY, PATROL OF CITY PARKS. UM, THIS IS, WOULD BE NO DIFFERENT THAN AN ADOPTIVE PARK AGREEMENT RIGHT NOW. WE HAVE LITTLE LEAGUES AT, UH, MO DE LITTER PARKS, UH, WITHIN OUR PARKS DEPARTMENT. UH, WE HAVE THIS CHALLENGE, UH, CONSISTENTLY WHERE PARKS ARE NOT BEING, YOU KNOW, THE GATES ARE OPEN. UH, IT'S A PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE. AND SO, UM, AGAIN, I KNOW THIS ONE'S GONNA BE REFERRED QUALITY OF LIFE, BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT ALLOWS, UH, THE PARKS DEPARTMENT TO START RIGHT SIZING AS WELL. AND SO I APPRECIATE, UH, YOU KNOW, THIS CONVERSATION COMING IN THE NEAR FUTURE AS WELL. VERY GOOD. UH, REFER TO QUALITY OF LIFE COMMITTEE. ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED. MOTION PASSES. THANK YOU. AND 14.05, I'LL WITHDRAW. AS THIS WAS ALREADY DISCUSSED. OFFICE OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY WAS WITHDRAWN. MAYOR PROM, CASTEX TATUM ON 1405. 1405. YEAH. NO, IT WAS, IT WAS WITHDRAWN. ALCORN HAS, OH, ALWAYS. COUNCILOR ALCORN. WELL, I WAS JUST THINKING BOTH OF THESE. I KNOW THE ONE I OFFERED ALREADY PASSED, BUT THIS IS, SINCE MWBE IS IN THE ECONOMIC, USUALLY FALLS UNDER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, I THINK MAYBE A JOINT BFA OR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IF THE, IF THE MAYOR PRO TEM IS AMENABLE TO THAT. UM, SURE, SURE. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, SO BE IT. OKAY. MAYOR PRO TEM 16. MAYOR PRO TEM 1601 CASTEX TATUM. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND COLLEAGUES. WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. UM, I DID HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH DIRECTOR SIMS. UM, WE ARE LOOKING FOR 11 ADDITIONAL CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS. UH, MANY OF OUR DISTRICTS, UH, CONSIST OF LOTS OF NEIGHBORHOODS. I KNOW DISTRICT K IS 96 CIVIC CLUBS AND HOAS. UM, SO WE, [09:15:01] WE NEED ENFORCEMENT IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. UH, THE DIRECTOR HAS COMMITTED THAT THEY CAN GET THIS DONE WITHOUT, UM, IMPLEMENTING, UH, ADDITIONAL BUDGET, UH, NEEDS FROM THE GENERAL FUND. UM, SO I WILL REQUEST WITHDRAWAL WITH THE COMMITMENT FROM, UH, THE DIRECTOR AND THE ADMINISTRATION THAT WE WILL MOVE TO HAVING, UM, INDIVIDUAL INSPECTORS FOR OUR DISTRICTS. VERY GOOD. ANY OPPOSITION TO WITHDRAWING IT AND GETTING WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS WORKED OUT. VERY GOOD JOB. ALL IN FAVOR? YES. ALL OPPOSED NO. YES. 16.02. UH, YET AGAIN. UM, A LOT OF THE CITATIONS THAT WE NEED WRITTEN, A LOT OF THE WORK AND THE ENFORCEMENT, UH, NEEDS TO TAKE PLACE ON THE WEEKENDS. WE GET A LOT OF, UM, YOU KNOW, THE BANDED SIGNS. THEY PUT 'EM UP ON THE WEEKENDS. THE PEOPLE PARK IN THE, THE 18 WHEELERS ARE PARKED IN THE PLACES THAT THEY SHOULDN'T BE PARKED ON THE WEEKENDS. AND WE REALLY DON'T HAVE THE SAME LEVEL OF ENFORCEMENT ON WEEKENDS. I DO THINK THIS IS ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY FOR FOLKS THAT, YOU KNOW, WANNA PICK UP A PART-TIME JOB. THEY CAN, UH, DO SO, SO ON, ON A WEEKEND. UM, SO THE DIRECTOR, AGAIN, HAS COMMITTED THAT THEY CAN DO THIS WITHOUT, UM, BY JUST FILLING SOME OF THE VACANCIES THAT THEY HAVE IN THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS. SO, I WILL REQUEST WITHDRAWAL WITH THE SUPPORT OF DIRECTOR SIMS, UH, MOVING TO IMPLEMENT WEEKEND, UH, ENFORCEMENT IN OUR COMMUNITIES. ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. VOTE. VOTE. FROM COUNCILOR THOMAS. COUNCILOR THOMAS. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. THANK YOU MUCH. UH, UH, MAYOR PRO TEM, UH, WAS THE DIRECTOR INTERESTED FOR THE, UM, WEEKEND PAY IF FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS TO USE COUNCIL DISTRICT SERVICE FUNDS TO SUPPLEMENT THAT? HE, HE WAS OPEN TO ALL FUNDS AVAILABLE. OKAY. BECAUSE I, I, I THINK ON THE, THE WEEKENDS WOULD ACTUALLY BE THE BRIDGE SUPPORT THAT WE WOULD NEED HOTSPOT TEAMS AND OTHER, THE STAFF WE ALREADY HAVE WITH DON THROUGHOUT THE WEEK. BUT I AM, UM, A THOUSAND PERCENT IN SUPPORT OF DEDICATING CDSF FOR SOME BRIDGE FUNDING OVER THE WEEKEND UNTIL THEY CAN GET THERE. UM, UH, PEOPLE HIRED. THANK YOU MUCH. SOUNDS GOOD. WE'LL DEFINITELY WORK WITH DIRECTOR SIMS ON THAT. VERY GOOD. ANY OPPOSITION? THOSE IN FAVORS YOU SAY? YES. THOSE OPPOSED, WITHDRAWN. 16 0 3, 16 0.03. UM, THIS IS THE CLASSIC ALAMEDA PLAZA NEIGHBORHOOD THAT WE'VE BROUGHT BEFORE US FOR SIX YEARS, AND WE WILL BRING IT EVERY YEAR UNTIL WE CAN GET SOME MOVEMENT ON ALAMEDA PLAZA. AND I, YOU KNOW, I SAY THAT IN JEST, BUT IN ALL SINCERITY, I RECOGNIZE THIS IS A CIP PROJECT, BUT I DO WANT TO KEEP IT ON THE FOREFRONT. UM, THIS PROJECT STARTED OUT AS A SWAT PROJECT. IT WAS $3 MILLION. UH, THEN WHEN WE LOOKED AT IT AGAIN, IT GOT MOVED TO $12 MILLION, NO LONGER COULD BE A SWAT PROJECT. THEN WHEN THEY LOOKED AT IT AGAIN, THE STREETS AND DRAINAGE NEEDED TO BE IMPROVED, AS WELL AS CLOSING THAT DITCH. IF ANYONE HAS AN APPETITE TO SEE ONE OF THE MOST UNSANITARY DITCHES IN THE ENTIRE CITY WITH NUTRIA WALKING AROUND IT, UM, YOU CAN SEE THAT IN ALAMEDA PLAZA. AND IT'S, IT'S VERY SAD THAT RESIDENTS HAVE TO LIVE WITH THAT TYPE OF, UM, CONDITION JUST RUNNING THROUGH THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD. THE GOAL IS TO, UM, CLOSE THAT DITCH, UM, AND PUT THE DRAINAGE UNDERGROUND WITH THE LINEAR PARK. UM, WE, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT FOR YEARS. WE'VE LOOKED AT ADDITIONAL FUNDING FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, FROM GRANTS AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES, AND WE, WE HAVE NOT BEEN SUCCESSFUL WITH IT. UM, I WILL BRING IT AS A CIP PROJECT. UM, IF WE CAN GET IT ON OUR, OUR CIP AND COMMIT TO A DESIGN CONCEPT REPORT, THEN WE CAN REALLY IMPLEMENT SOME FUNDING BEHIND THIS PROJECT. BUT I AM, UM, ASKING MY COLLEAGUES TO, YOU KNOW, KEEP ALAMEDA PLAZA IN YOUR PRAYERS. AND REALLY, UM, I'LL NEED THE SUPPORT FOR CIP, BUT WANTED TO BRING IT FORWARD TODAY JUST TO KINDA KEEP IT IN THE FOREFRONT, BECAUSE IT'S A PROJECT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT FOR SIX YEARS. UM, SO I WILL WITHDRAW IT AND MOVE IT TO THE CIP VERY WELL. 16.04 WAS IN SUPPORT OF PUBLIC WORKS. UM, WE HAVE LOTS OF DITCH, UH, MAINTENANCE THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN. UM, THESE, UH, BIG DRAINAGE CHANNELS ARE, ARE ONLY CUT TWICE A YEAR. UH, THEY GET UP TO 10 FEET HIGH. AND, UM, PUBLIC WORKS IS, UH, ALSO WANTING TO INCREASE THE MOWING FREQUENCY ON THOSE EASEMENTS AND OPEN CHANNELS. UH, THEY ARE WORKING TO IMPLEMENT THAT, UM, WITHIN THEIR BUDGET. [09:20:01] SO I WILL REQUEST, UH, WITHDRAWAL WITH THE, UM, SUPPORT KNOWING THAT PUBLIC WORKS IS LOOKING HOW WE CAN INCREASE THE FREQUENCY OF THE MOWING OF THOSE CHANNELS. VERY GOOD. ANY, UH, OPPOSITION TO WITHDRAWING AND WORKING WITH PUBLIC WORKS CHAIR IS NONE. SO THAT NOW, [MATTERS HELD - NUMBERING] UH, MADAM SECRETARY, WE GO TO ITEM 73 AS AMENDED, WHICH IS THE BUDGET ITEM 73 AS AMENDED NEEDS TO VOTE. COUNCIL, COUNCILMAN POLLARD. THANK YOU, MAYOR, AND I APPRECIATE THE DISCUSSION FROM EVERYONE TODAY AND THE, THE WORK BY YOURSELVES AND YOUR STAFFS ON THESE AMENDMENTS AND, UH, THE ADMINISTRATION PUTTING FORTH, UH, THIS BUDGET FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR. UM, THE REASON THAT I CANNOT SUPPORT THE BUDGET IS BECAUSE WE'RE SPENDING MORE THAN WE'RE BRINGING IN. OKAY? AND I DON'T THINK THAT'S FISCALLY SOUND FOR ANY BUSINESS TO DO. UH, WE DON'T HAVE ANY NEW REVENUE, UH, IN THIS CURRENT, UM, BUDGET. UM, AND WE'RE USING ONE TIME FUNDING SOURCES TO PAY FOR MUCH OF THIS, WHICH WAS LEFT OVER FROM THE FUND BALANCE OF THE PREVIOUS YEAR. WHEN WE JUST SPOKE ABOUT THE HPD CADETS, UH, THE MAYOR SAID, IT'S A SHAME THAT WE'RE SPENDING ONE TIME FUNDING SOURCES FOR INCENTIVE PAY. WELL, WE'RE SPENDING ONE TIME FUNDING SOURCES ON MOST OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE SPENDING WITHIN THIS BUDGET. WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO START TO BECOME MUCH MORE SERIOUS ABOUT OUR SPENDING TRENDS AND OUR PATTERNS WITHIN THE CITY, BECAUSE ALL WE'RE DOING IS ENLARGING OUR STRUCTURALLY UNBALANCED BUDGET. AND IF WE CONTINUE TO SPEND FROM THE GENERAL FUND, IF WE CAN SPEND, IF WE CONTINUE TO NOT BRING IN NEW REVENUE, THEN WE'RE GOING TO GET TO A POINT, WHICH WILL PROBABLY BE NEXT YEAR, WHERE THEN WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO DO ALL THIS AT ONE TIME. WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO HAVE MORE FEES. WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA HAVE TO GO UP ON PROPERTY TAXES. WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO HAVE CUTS FROM DEPARTMENTS, ALL THAT TO CLOSE THE BUDGET GAP FOR ONE YEAR, BECAUSE THERE IS NO OTHER WAY TO DO IT, BECAUSE THE MONEY THAT WE'RE USING THIS YEAR WON'T BE HERE NEXT YEAR. SO I DO WANT TO CAUTION YOU ALL ON LOOKING INTO THE FUTURE WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE MORE REVENUE, BUT YOU'RE SPENDING MORE, YOU'RE CREATING EVEN A LARGER DEFICIT. AND I DON'T THINK THAT'S PRUDENT, UH, FOR THE TAXPAYERS. THANK YOU, RAMIREZ. COUNCIL RAMIREZ, MAYOR, I, SORRY. I'M GONNA SUPPORT THIS BUDGET. UM, I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT IT PUTS US IN A BETTER POSITION FOR NEXT YEAR. UM, I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT IT DOESN'T INCLUDE NEW TAXES OR A NEW GARBAGE FREE. UH, APOLOGIES. COUNCIL MEMBER, MARTINEZ. I ALSO APPRECIATE THE FACT, MAYOR, THAT, THAT YOU ARE GONNA WORK WITH, UH, YOUR STATE PARTNERS TO MAYBE HELP, UH, THE CITY'S FINANCIAL SITUATION. UM, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR WORK IN, IN GETTING THIS DONE. IT'S NOT A PERFECT BUDGET, BUT, UH, THERE ARE A LOT OF GOOD THINGS IN IT. AND I, I ALSO SUPPORT THE ADMINISTRATION'S COMMITMENT, UH, TO DOING MANAGEMENT STUDIES AND MORE AUDITS TO SEE WHERE WE CAN SAVE MONEY, UH, GOING FORWARD. AND SO I'M GONNA SUPPORT THIS BUDGET. THANK YOU. VERY GOOD. COUNCILOR. MARTINEZ. MARTINEZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I'M ALSO IN SUPPORT OF THIS BUDGET. I APPRECIATE THE, THE COMMENTS THAT COUNCILMAN POLLARD MADE. UH, BUT I, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO YOU STATE THAT THIS IS NOTHING NEW. WE'VE BEEN CLOSING A HUNDRED PLUS MILLION DOLLAR DEFICIT FOR, SINCE THE REV CAP HIT. UM, SO IT'S NOTHING NEW. UH, AND SO BEING TRANSPARENT ABOUT THAT, SO FOR THE PAST EIGHT PLUS YEARS, WE'VE BEEN TELLING VOTERS, WE'VE BEEN TELLING CITIZENS THAT, UM, THIS BUDGET IS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE, UH, CLOSING THE BUDGET, RIGHT? YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE DOING OKAY. WE HAVE NOT BEEN DOING OKAY. AND I CAN'T, I CAN'T, UH, STRESS COURSE CORRECTING THE CITY OF HOUSTON ANY MORE THAN NOW. UH, WE'RE NOT INCREASING FEES, WHICH I'M OKAY WITH. UH, THE MAYOR HAS BEEN ABLE TO IDENTIFY A BUDGET WHERE WE DON'T INCREASE, INCREASE FEES, DON'T LOOK AT A, UH, ANYTHING AT THE, IN THE REVENUE CAP, BUT ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T PASS THIS BUDGET AND THEN NOT START ADDRESSING THOSE AND HAVING THE REAL DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS THAT WE SHOULD HAVE HAD 10, 15, 20 YEARS AGO. AND SO, UH, I APPRECIATE THE, THE WORK THAT YOU AND YOUR ADMINISTRATION HAVE BEEN DOING. MAYOR, UH, I APPRECIATE, UH, EVERYONE HOLDING OURSELVES DEPARTMENTS ACCOUNTABLE. UM, I THINK THROUGHOUT THIS CONVERSATION, WE ALSO GOTTA BE VERY REALISTIC WITH COMMUNITY, UM, AND HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE [09:25:01] AS TO WHAT THEY REALLY WANT FROM THE CITY. AND SO, UM, I, I LOOK FORWARD TO VOTING ON THIS BUDGET AND LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING TO WORK. VERY GOOD. COUNCILMAN CAMAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, FIRST AND FOREMOST, I WANNA THANK AND RECOGNIZE CHAIR ALCORN AND YOUR STAFF, UM, TO HAVE DONE AND PUT TOGETHER EVERYTHING THAT Y'ALL DO WITH BUDGET HEARINGS. UH, IT, IT'S A LOT. SO AGAIN, THANK YOU TO YOU AND YOUR STAFF. UM, MAYOR IS YOUR FIRST BUDGET. I, I BELIEVE THIS WILL PASS, SO I, I DON'T WANT TO JINX IT, BUT I'LL SAY CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL, ESPECIALLY THROUGH THE PROCESS AND THE DIALOGUE THAT WE HAVE HAD, BECAUSE WE HAVE HAD A VERY PRODUCTIVE DIALOGUE AS IT RELATES TO THE CITY'S BUDGET. UM, I, I WILL BE SUPPORTING THIS BUDGET, UH, BUT I DO WANNA HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT CONTINUE, UM, THAT WE CONTINUE TO FACE AS A CITY. FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN CHIEF SATTERWHITE WAS BEFORE US, HE IDENTIFIED THAT WE STILL NEED 400 HPD INVESTIGATORS JUST TO MEET THE NEEDS AS IT RELATES TO THE MISCODING. UM, WE HAVE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN DEFERRED MAINTENANCE. OFTENTIMES, I FEEL GSD IS OVERLOOKED. IT'S THE EASIEST THING TO CUT. UH, BUT WE PAY FOR IT IN THE LONG RUN. AND HOW THEY ARE ABLE TO PUT TOGETHER WHAT THEY DO, MY HEART GOES OUT TO THEM. WE DO NOT HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL AMBULANCES. WE'RE KEEPING THEM AT THE SAME LEVELS. WHEN MAYOR, WE TALK A LOT ABOUT RESPONSE TIMES AND THOSE NEEDS. WE HAVE A POTENTIAL A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLAR LIABILITY FOR DRAINAGE, UH, BASED ON THE PENDING LITIGATION, UH, MUNICIPAL COURTS ARE STILL DAMAGED FROM HARVEY. MAYOR, I APPRECIATE THAT YOU BROUGHT UP WEST GRAY MULTI-SERVICE CENTER AND THE OTHER CENTERS THAT WE STILL DON'T HAVE FUNDING FOR. UH, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMITMENT TO PARTNER WITH US TO CONTINUE TO DO THAT. UM, AS WELL AS YOUR GOVERNMENT RELATIONS TEAM. I WANNA POINT OUT THAT, UH, OUR PARKS, OUR CITY PARKS, UH, MANY OF YOU MAY NOT KNOW, BUT MANGO PARK IN THE NORTHERN PART OF DISTRICT C, THEIR EQUIPMENT WAS SO OUT OF DATE, IT BECAME DANGEROUS, AND THEY LITERALLY HAD TO REMOVE THE ENTIRE PLAYGROUND. IT'S JUST AN EMPTY SPACE NOW WITH NO OPPORTUNITY FOR FUNDING. WE'RE WORKING WITH PARKS DEPARTMENT, BUT THAT'S JUST ONE PARK. AND NOW IT'S NOT, NOT A PARK, IT'S JUST A GREEN SPACE. UH, WE STILL NEED TO REPLACE NINE HIGH WATER RESCUE VEHICLES WITH MULTIPURPOSE TRUCKS. THAT'S FOR HIGH. AGAIN, FOR THE, UH, FIRE DEPARTMENT. WE NEED ADD-ONS FOR CAD. UH, OUR FUNDING FOR CANCER AND MEDICAL SCREENINGS FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IS ABOUT TO DRY UP. THAT WAS A REALLY IMPORTANT PROGRAM THAT WE, I HOPE WE CAN CONTINUE AND FIND THE MONEY FOR. UH, THE ONE THING WE DIDN'T DISCUSS TODAY, BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, IS THE FACT THAT WE ARE UNDER TWO REVENUE CAPS. ONE STATE IMPOSED CAP AND ONE VOTER IMPOSED CAP. AND UNTIL WE'RE ABLE TO ADDRESS THIS, I PERSONALLY BELIEVE WE NEED TO FALL UNDER UNIFORMITY WITH THE REST OF THE STATE AND DEFER TO THAT ONE. UM, BUT REGARDLESS, MAYOR, UH, I KNOW YOU'VE SPOKEN ABOUT THIS, UH, WE NEED TO HAVE A PUBLIC SAFETY EXCEPTION. UH, WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING TO GENERATE AND BRING IN MORE REVENUE BECAUSE OUR CITY, FOR AS LARGE AS IT IS, FOR AS MANY MILES AS WE HAVE, IS UNDER THE MOST RESTRICTIVE, UM, BUDGETARY CONSTRAINTS OF ANY MUNICIPALITY, I BELIEVE IN THE COUNTRY. UH, WE CONTINUE TO STAND ON STRONGER FOOTING THAN MOST MUNICIPALITIES, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE CAN'T DO BETTER. UH, SO I LOOK FORWARD TO THOSE CONVERSATIONS, BUT MORE SO TO TAKING ACTION TOWARDS THAT. UH, I WANNA THANK THE PUBLIC, ESPECIALLY DISTRICT C RESIDENTS, FOR THEIR ENGAGEMENT THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS, INCLUDING THE VIEWERS AT HOME. A LOT HAVE BEEN WATCHING ONLINE AND ENGAGING ONLINE. UH, BUT WITH THAT, MAYOR, I'LL CLOSE AND JUST EXPRESS MY APPRECIATION FOR, UH, THE DIALOGUE WE HAVE HAD, BUT ALSO THE RECOGNITION THAT WE HAVE A LOT MORE WORK TO DO. VERY WELL SAID. COUNCILOR FLICKINGER. THANK YOU, MARY. MAYOR, FIRST OF ALL, I WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU TO COUNCILMAN ALCORN FOR PUTTING ALL THE BUDGET WORKSHOPS ON. I LEARNED A LOT, UM, A LOT. I WAS SURPRISED ABOUT. UM, EVEN A LITTLE SURPRISED TODAY TO FIND OUT ABOUT THESE PARKING METERS AND THE FACT THAT CITY EMPLOYEES ARE PAYING ME THEIR FEES TO THE CITY AND THEN TURNING AROUND AND GETTING REIMBURSED FROM THE CITY. AND WE'RE SPENDING LOTS OF MONEY ON TOP OF THAT TO DO IT. IT JUST MAKES NO SENSE WHATSOEVER. UH, I THINK THE EFFICIENCY STUDIES ARE A FANTASTIC IDEA. UM, THE BUDGET, ALTHOUGH WE SPENT MORE MONEY THIS YEAR THAN LAST YEAR, THE RATE OF INCREASE WAS SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER. UH, WHICH I THINK WE'RE GONNA NEED FOR PROBABLY A FEW YEARS IN ORDER TO AVOID, UH, A FISCAL CLIFF. AND ONE LAST THING. I DO HOPE THAT IF WE GO TO INCREASE REVENUES, WE DO IT IN AS [09:30:01] STRAIGHTFORWARD MANNER AS POSSIBLE, AND JUST BE STRAIGHTFORWARD WITH THE PUBLIC AND SAY, WE NEED MORE MONEY. THIS IS WHAT WE NEED IT FOR. THIS IS HOW MUCH IT IS. UH, I THINK THAT TRYING TO DO IT THROUGH NEW FEES AND THAT TYPE OF THING, UH, ACTUALLY DIMINISHES SOMEWHAT OF WHAT YOU COLLECT BECAUSE YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO PAY IN ORDER TO COLLECT THAT MONEY. UH, WHEREAS VERSUS RAISING THE PROPERTY TAX CAP INCREASE EXCEPTION, YOU WOULD NOT HAVE THAT ISSUE. AND A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THAT WOULD ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO GO TO THE REVENUE RATHER THAN SPENDING MONEY COLLECTING IT. SO IF WE END UP DOING THAT, I, I HOPE THAT'S HOW WE GO THAT ROUTE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. VERY GOOD. OBVIOUSLY, I'D LIKE TO THANK OUR IS CHAIR ALCORN, HER COMMITTEE AND COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE, THE, THOSE THAT PARTICIPATED, UH, OUR FINANCE DIRECTOR, MY STAFF, THEIR DEPARTMENT HEADS, OR CITY EMPLOYEES THAT, UM, BRING ISSUES BEFORE US. LET ME JUST SAY THAT, UM, I APPLAUD THE UNITY AROUND THE HORSESHOE FOR THE MOST PART, I MIGHT ADD, BUT, UH, I VOTED AGAINST BUDGETS, LARGE STATE BUDGETS. IT'S EASY THING TO DO TO VOTE NO, BUT THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS A PERFECT BUDGET. IF ANY ONE OF YOU WERE WRITING THE BUDGET ALONE, IT'D BE DIFFERENT. SO IT'S ONE OF COMING TOGETHER, TRYING TO MAKE REASONABLE DECISIONS, LOOKING OUT FOR THE PUBLIC INTEREST, MAKING CERTAIN THAT QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES ARE ADDRESSED. UH, THIS IS A GOOD BUDGET. IT EMPHASIZES PUBLIC SAFETY, DRAINAGE INFRASTRUCTURE, THINGS THAT WE'RE ASKED ABOUT GENERATORS. HOW CAN YOU VOTE AGAINST GENERATORS FOR SENIOR CITIZENS DURING NOT ONLY COOLING PERIODS, BUT HEAT PERIODS. UH, THIS BUDGET PROVIDES FOR THAT. WE'RE ADDRESSING THE ISSUE OF CADET CLASSES FOR OUR FIRE AND POLICE. WHEN WE GET THROUGH WITH THE SOUND DOCUMENT, WE'LL STILL HAVE $87 MILLION EVEN TAKING IN CONSIDERATION A SEVEN AND A HALF PERCENT RESERVE. SO IT'S BEEN A RESPONSIBLE BUDGET. IT'S ONE THAT I THINK EACH OF US CAN PRESENT TO THE PUBLIC. AND SEVERAL OF YOU'RE EMPHASIZED. I NOT ONLY RAN ON IT, I STILL SPEAK TO IT. WE HAVE A LOT OF UNMET NEEDS. WE HAVE A FINANCE SYSTEM THAT'S NOT SUSTAINABLE. UH, THIS BUDGET THOUGH, IS PAID FOR. SO NOW, AFTER WE GO THROUGH THE NEXT MONTHS INTO THE FALL, CUTTING OUT DUPLICATION, WASTE, AND THERE WERE SOME INDIVIDUALS INDICTED TWO WEEKS AGO FOR WASTING AND STEALING CITY FUNDS. I THINK WE NEED TO DO THE AUDIT REVIEWS THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT AND COME OUT WITH A GOOD GOVERNMENT PROPOSAL TO THE CITIZENS OF HOUSTON, COLLABORATING WITH THE COUNTY, THE STATE, AND THE FEDS, AND LET EVERYONE KNOW WE HAVE A GREAT CITY, GREAT PEOPLE, BUT WE HAVE CHALLENGES. AND IF WE MEET THOSE CHALLENGES, UH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A VERY BRIGHT FUTURE FOR OUR YOUNG PEOPLE. SO WITH THAT SAID, UH, I'LL BE GLAD TO CALL THE ROLL. ROLL CALL. ROLL CALL. VOTE PLEASE. MAYOR MEYER? YES. COUNCILMAN P? YES. COUNCILOR JACKSON? YES. MCC? YES. ? YES. YES. HUFFMAN? YES. ? YES. MARTINEZ? YES. YES. RAMIREZ? YES. COUNCIL MC? YES. YES. YES. 15 TO TWO THERE BEING 15 AYES. TWO NOS. THE BUDGET. 73 ITEM PASSES. THANK Y'ALL. UH, ITEM 74 NEEDS A VOTE. GIVE HER JUST A SECOND. GIVE HER JUST A SECOND. GIMME A MINUTE. TAKE, TAKE YOUR TIME. NOPE. I'M SORRY. I DIDN'T MEAN TO RUSH YOU. ITEM 74 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED TO VOTE. . YOU READY? . PERFECT. UH, ALL IN FAVOR OF 74. SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NO AYES HAVE IT PASSED. WHAT ELSE? ITEM 75 IS AN ORDINANCE. YOU NEED A VOTE. NEED A VOTE ON 75? ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. ALL OPPOSED, NO AYES HAVE IT. YES MA'AM. ITEM 76 IS AN ORDINANCE. [09:35:01] IS NEED A VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR OF 76, SAY AYE. THOSE OPPOSED, NO AYES HAVE IT. ITEM SEVEN, SEVEN IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR OF 77. COUNCILMAN POLLARD. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, THIS QUESTION IS FOR THE CITY ATTORNEY. EARLIER WE, UH, DISCUSSED, UM, A SIMILAR REFUNDING BOND, WHICH WAS, I BELIEVE A GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND, UH, ITEM. THIS IS A PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT REFUNDING BOND ITEM. UH, IT'S ALSO RELATED TO THE FIREFIGHTERS, UM, CONTRACT. CAN YOU TELL US THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO BOND MEASURES? SO IN TERMS OF THESE REFUNDING BONDS FOR PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT, YOU WANT SIR TO COME FORWARD? WE GONNA HAVE DIRECTOR DEVOW, EXCUSE ME FOR INTERRUPTING, BUT I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE APPROPRIATE FOR THE DIRECTOR TO SPEAK TO THE FINANCE DIRECTOR. OKAY. OKAY. THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION. COUNCIL MEMBER. UM, SO IT FEELS LIKE YESTERDAY, BUT ITEM 25, UM, THAT PASSED EARLIER WAS RELATED TO THE $650 MILLION SETTLEMENT AMOUNT. UM, ITEM 77 IS RELATED TO BASICALLY OUR TRADITIONAL COMMERCIAL PAPER TAKEOUT FOR OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN SPENDING. UH, SO THE PROJECTS THAT ARE IN THE CIP, LIKE THE, UH, SOLID WASTE FACILITIES, HEALTH FACILITIES, PARKS, UM, YOU SEE THOSE PROJECTS IN THE CIP WE ISSUE COMMERCIAL PAPER. UM, I USUALLY COME BEFORE COUNCIL AND DO THE UPCOMING FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS PRESENTATION WHERE WE THEN FIX OUT THAT COMMERCIAL PAPER INTO LONG-TERM FIX RATE DEBT. SO THE THOUGHT OF BRINGING THIS ITEM FORWARD AT THIS POINT IS WHILE WE'RE IN THE MARKET ON THE $650 MILLION FOR THE SETTLEMENT, UH, FOR, UH, EFFICIENCY, UH, OF STAFF TIME, UH, SINCE WE'RE ALREADY ALREADY GONNA BE PRICING BONDS, UH, TO ISSUE THE COMMERCIAL PAPER AS LONG-TERM DEBT IN ASSOCIATION WITH THAT. SO WHILE IT'S CONTEMPLATED THAT THE TRANSACTION WILL HAPPEN AT THE SAME TIME AS THE FIREFIGHTER BOND ISSUANCE, THEY'LL BE ISSUED AS TWO SEPARATE SERIES AND THE MONIES WON'T BE COMMINGLED. SO FUNDING FOR THIS WOULD NOT GO TO THE FIREFIGHTERS. IT WOULD GO TO FUND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN PROJECTS. AND SO I SEE ON THE BACKUP, AS WITH ITEM 25 THAT PASSED EARLIER, THAT THE CONTROLLERS, UM, SIGNATURE LINE IS THERE, BUT THE CONTROLLER DID NOT CERTIFY THIS ITEM NOR ITEM 25. WHAT WAS THE PURPOSE OF YOUR SIGNATURE LINE BEING ON THE BACKUP AND THE CONTROLLER'S SIGNATURE LINE? UM, SO TYPICALLY WE, YOU KNOW, WE WORK WITH THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE ON ALL THE BOND ISSUANCES. UM, AND TYPICALLY WE HAVE THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE TO SIGN OFF ON THE COVER SHEETS AS WELL. UM, IN TALKING TO THE CITY LEGAL DEPARTMENT, AND I'LL LET, UM, THE LEGAL, UM, UH, MS. IER CORRECT ME IF I SAY ANYTHING WRONG, BUT, UM, THE SIGNATURE ON THE COVER SHEET IS NOT LEGALLY REQUIRED. NOW, WHEN WE GO TO THE BOND, UH, TRANSACTION AND THE BOND PRICING AND CLOSING ON THE BONDS, UM, PER THE CITY CHARTER, THE, THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE IS REQUIRED TO SIGN OFF ON THOSE DOCUMENTS, AS YOU SAW ON THAT BOND PRICING THAT WE'VE DONE. WHY WOULD WE INCLUDE THE SIGNATURE LINE ON, ON THE BACKUP IF IT'S NOT REQUIRED? I THINK IT, UM, THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE, I CAN SAY, DID HAVE INPUT ON THE COVER SHEET, GAVE COMMENTS ON THE COVER SHEET, UM, AND THERE THEY DID NOT TURN IN THE SIGN COVER SHEET TIMELY. THANK YOU. CAYMAN. COUNCILOR CAYMAN. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND, UH, TOWARDS THAT LINE OF QUESTIONING, I HAD JUST HAD A QUESTION AS IT RELATES, IT DOES COST MONEY. THAT'S WHY WE'RE TRYING TO GROUP THIS TOGETHER MM-HMM . TO ISSUE BONDS. YES. IS THAT CORRECT? UM, THIS MAY BE DIRECTOR MOORE APP APPROPRIATE FOR THE CITY ATTORNEY TO SPEAK TO. AND FORGIVE MY LACK OF KNOWLEDGE BECAUSE A BOND COSTS MONEY TO ISSUE. IS THAT WHY THE CITY, THE CITY CONTROLLER, IS REQUIRED TO CERTIFY IT? IS THAT A COMPONENT OF IT? WELL, I THINK IT DEPENDS ON WHICH, WHICH TYPE OF BOND AND WHICH GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION YOU'RE UNDER. I MEAN, I'M NOT THAT FAMILIAR WITH THE BOND PROCESS, SO I CAN GET AN ANSWER FOR YOU ON THAT COUNCIL MEMBER RATHER THAN GIVE YOU INFORMATION THAT'S NOT ACCURATE. OKAY. WE JUST, MAYOR, WE KEEP GOING BACK AND FORTH ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE, WHAT THE CONTROLLER DOES, WHY THE CONTROLLER DOES IT. AND I, I WANNA BE VERY CLEAR ABOUT THE CITY CONTROLLER'S AUTHORITY, WHAT WE AND THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON HAVE CHARGED HIM OR HER WITH. AND IF AS IT RELATES TO THE ISSUANCE OF BONDS, BECAUSE THERE'S A COST AFFILIATED WITH THAT, I WOULD ASSUME THAT THAT IS PERTINENT TO, UH, THE CITY CONTROLLER'S ROLE. SO JUST CLARIFICATION WOULD [09:40:01] BE VERY HELPFUL BECAUSE WE KEEP SPECULATING AND GOING BACK AND FORTH, BUT WE DON'T HAVE THE CITY CONTROLLER HERE TO SPEAK EITHER. UH, WHICH I THINK PRESENTS ITS OWN CHALLENGE. VERY GOOD. WE'LL GET YOU THAT INFORMATION. MAY I LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE REFER THIS ITEM BACK PENDING THE, UH, CITY CONTROLLER SIGNATURE, NOT SO HOW TIME SENSITIVE IS THIS? WELL, THE THOUGHT WOULD BE TO ISSUE THESE BONDS IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE, UM, 650 MILLION. AND, UM, SO, AND THAT WOULD BE AGAIN, TO, UM, YOU KNOW, ACHIEVE THE COST EFFICIENCIES. AND THE $650 MILLION IN BONDS ARE NOT GONNA BE ISSUED UNLESS THE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT AND JUDGMENT ARE SURE, YOU KNOW, FINALIZED. SO, UM, I WOULD SAY AS LONG AS THIS, UM, YOU KNOW, PASSES AT THE SAME TIME AS ITEM 26, THAT WOULD BE OKAY. OKAY. SO IT'S NOT TIME SENSITIVE TODAY, BUT IT WILL BE NEXT WEEK. YES, SIR. WHEN WE TAKE UP THE, UM, $650 MILLION, THAT'S FINE. IF YOU WANT MORE DISCUSSION ON IT, UH, YEAH, AND THAT'S WHAT, AND, AND, AND THAT WAS MY DISCUSSION EARLIER REGARDING ITEM 25, WHY THEY WERE BROUGHT AT DIFFERENT TIMES. IF WE KNEW THAT THE CBA HAD NOT BEEN CERTIFIED, IT HAS TO BE CERTIFIED AND THESE BONDS ARE ATTACHED TO IT, AND THE, AND THE CITY CONTROLLER'S SIGNATURE IS ON THE PAGES AND HE'S NOT SIGNING THEM. IT WOULD, IT WOULD SEEM AS IF IT WOULD BE MORE PRUDENT TO BRING ALL THE ITEMS AT THE EXACT SAME TIME. BECAUSE IF YOU, IF YOU DON'T, I'M SORRY IF YOU DON'T, IT, IT SEEMS TO CAUSE SOME CONFUSION. UM, WHEN IT, I THINK IT WAS TO BE CAUTIOUS, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, TO DO AS MUCH WORK AS WE CAN TOWARD A SETTLEMENT. SO IT WAS, YOU KNOW, THIS ITEM, NO ONE'S RAISED ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT IT PRIOR TO TODAY. SO IT WAS AN EFFORT TO GO AHEAD AND DO THE BONDING FOR OUR OTHER PROGRAMS. AND SO IT WAS JUST BEING CAUTIOUS, TRYING TO GET AS MUCH WORK DONE AS QUICKLY. WE DIDN'T ANTICIPATE NECESSARILY THE DISCUSSION AROUND ITEM 25 THAT TOOK PLACE, BUT, YOU KNOW, YOU DID YOUR JOB AND IF YOU WANT TO SLOW THIS ONE DOWN, YOU CAN SLOW IT DOWN. I JUST THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THE ITEMS COME. AT THE SAME TIME, I ALSO THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT THE CITY CONTROLLER, IF HE IS ON THE SIGNATURE LINE FOR A, A REASON, HE, HE, YOU ALL HAVE PUT HIM THERE FOR A REASON. AND WHEN HE'S NOT CERTIFYING IT, IT DOESN'T GIVE CONFIDENCE TO ME, UH, AS THE CITY'S WATCHDOG ON OUR FISCAL FUTURE THAT THESE ITEMS ARE IN ORDER, ARE THEY, UH, ARE READY TO ACTUALLY COME FORWARD. UM, IT'S, UH, IF I CAN INTERRUPT YOU FROM A, I UNDERSTAND IT WAS A COURTESY BECAUSE THE ONLY THING HE HAS TO CERTIFY COUNCIL MEMBER IS THAT $6.6 MILLION OF LEGAL FEES. I, I LEARNED THAT YESTERDAY AS WELL. THERE'S PLENTY OF PRECEDENT IN COURT RULINGS WHERE HE DOES NOT CERTIFY THE JUDGMENT BOND. SO IT'S A COURTESY TO INCLUDE HIM. IT'S ALSO A BUSINESS PLAN TO MOVE OUT ON THE BONDS THAT PARKS AND OTHER PEOPLE NEED. SO, YOU KNOW, UH, WELL I'LL FOLLOW YOUR LEAD. YOU CAN RAISE ALL THE QUESTION. IMMA FOLLOW YOUR LEAD. I'M GONNA WITHDRAW MY MOTION. WE CAN GO FORWARD WITH A VOTE. WELL, IT'S NOT JUST MY LEAD. IT'S THE LAW AND IT'S THE, UH, WHAT'S BEFORE US RIGHT NOW. SO ITEM 77, I NEED A MOTION ON 77, JUST A VOTE ON 77, JUST A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR OF 77, SAY AYE. THOSE OPPOSED. MOTION PASSES. MADAM SECRETARY, ITEM 78 IS A MOTION COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN. COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND, UM, THIS ONE, I THINK I'M SPEAKING ON IT NOW, BUT IT IS IN CONJUNCTION WITH 79. AND I WANNA BEGIN BY SAYING THAT I AM A PROPONENT OF THE ARTS, BUT I HAVE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT ITEM 79. UM, MY OFFICE COMMUNICATED WITH THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE, AND IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT WHILE ORDINANCE 2006 DASH 7 31, WHICH ESTABLISHES THE CIVIC ART PROGRAM AND ITS PROCESSES, UM, IT'S NOT BEEN POSTED ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE, CODE OF ORDINANCES. ADDITIONALLY, THE LINK [09:45:01] ON THE HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE WEBSITE THAT ALLOWS THE PUBLIC TO VIEW THE CITY'S ART COLLECTION, UM, IT DOESN'T WORK. SO, YOU KNOW, AT THIS POINT, I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW WHAT PIECES ARE IN THE CITY'S ART COLLECTION. UM, ALSO THERE HASN'T BEEN A FINANCIAL REPORT POSTED TO THE HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE WEBSITE SINCE FISCAL YEAR 2022. UM, AND LASTLY, YOU KNOW, IF WE ALLOCATE THE 25 MILLION FOR THIS ITEM, EACH CITY DEPARTMENT IS STILL RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MAINTENANCE COST OF THE ART. NOW, I KNOW THAT THE 25 MILLION, UM, PLUS WHAT THE CITY DEPARTMENTS, UM, SPENDS ON MAINTENANCE, YOU KNOW, SO THAT ADDS TO THE 25 MILLION. UM, BUT I KNOW THAT THE HA HAA PAYS FOR ART CONSERVATION, BUT I'M STILL UNCLEAR ABOUT WHAT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CONSERVATION AND MAINTENANCE ARE. UM, I'D LIKE TO KNOW HOW MUCH THE CITY DEPARTMENT SPEND ON ART MAINTENANCE, UM, LIKE AT THE AIRPORT. AND SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE ORDINANCE, IT SAYS, YOU KNOW, MAINTENANCE SHALL BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF EACH DEPARTMENT HAVING JURISDICTION OVER A CIVIC ART PROJECT OR WORK OF ART INCLUDED IN THE CITY COLLECTION. UM, IT ALSO SAYS THAT, UM, THAT HAA SHALL HAVE NO DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES WITH RESPECT TO THE MAINTENANCE OF THE CITY COLLECTION. UM, BUT THEY ARE IN CHARGE OF CONSERVATION. AND SO I'M UNCLEAR ON WHAT THE DIFFERENCE IS. UM, SO IN THE SPIRIT OF TRANSPARENCY AND RESPONSIBILITY TO THE PUBLIC, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO DELAY THE CONSIDERATION OF ITEMS 78 AND 79, UM, FOR TWO WEEKS. SO WE CAN BRING THIS ITEM BACK TO THE COUNCIL AGENDA ON JUNE 26TH IN ORDER TO GET SOME CLARITY ON THESE TOPICS. SECONDS. UH, TWO WEEKS. TWO WEEKS. TWO WEEKS. TWO WEEK DELAY ON 78 AND 79 ON 78 79 2 WEEK DELAY. SO ON THE MOTION TO DELAY, COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER ON THE MOTION TO DELAY ON THE MOTION TO DELAY THE MOTION TO DELAY FOR TWO WEEKS ON THOMAS ON THE MOTION TO DELAY COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. OH, FLICKINGER, YOU'RE NOT? NO, IT'S BEEN DELAYED. OKAY, GOOD. JUST TO CLARIFY AND POINT ARE, ARE, IS THIS ITEM AGAINST A DEADLINE? WHAT'S THE CLOCK ON IT? SO IN THE ORDINANCE IT SAYS JUNE 30TH. THE SCHOOL YEAR I THINK IS THE RIGHT, THE FISCAL YEAR. SO, UM, ALTHOUGH I LEARNED YESTERDAY THAT THERE HASN'T BEEN A CONTRACT WITH HAAA FOR THE LAST FIVE MONTHS. UM, SO I'M NOT REALLY SURE. UM, BUT IN THE ORDINANCE IT SAYS JUNE 30TH. OH, BY FISCAL YEAR. SO THERE'S A GREEN CLAUSE THAT THEY'RE OPERATING ON RIGHT NOW. SO BY MY QUESTION IS IF WE DELAY TWO WEEKS, DOES IT PUT US AGAINST, DOES IT CONFLICT ANYTHING? DOES IT, I DON'T THINK SO. I UNDERSTAND IT WOULDN'T JEOPARDIZE THE CONTRACT. OKAY. OKAY. MARTINEZ ON THE MOTION TO DELAY, AND THIS IS JUST, IT'S ON THE DELAY, IS THIS COMING TO A COMMITTEE OR JUST ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? I THOUGHT IT WAS TO GIVE THE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO HER DUE DILIGENCE. OH, CORRECT. YES. OKAY. OKAY. BUT I WOULD LIKE AT SOME POINT TO SEE A PRESENTATION FROM HAA I'D TO SEE THE WEBSITE UPDATE. NO, NO, NO. WE ALL ARE ENTITLED THAT I, I'LL SEE THAT THAT HAPPENS. MM-HMM. FOR SURE. COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ? UH, THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, AND THIS IS ON THE DELAY, UM, AS, AS IT'S JUST BEEN MENTIONED, RIGHT? THERE HASN'T BEEN A CONTRACT FOR THE LAST FIVE MONTHS. UH, THERE'S PROJECTS THAT ARE STILL PROBABLY BEING HELD UP AND PROBABLY CAN'T BE PAID FOR. AND SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UH, WE, AS WE DECIDE TO DISSECT THESE DEPARTMENTS, WHICH I'M ALL FOR, UH, WE'RE NOT PUTTING CERTAIN, UH, PROJECTS THAT ALREADY HAVE BEEN IN THE QUEUE, PROBABLY WAITING FOR MONEY TO GET PAID OUT. UM, AND SO I'VE SAT DOWN WITH, UH, HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE. I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT THERE ARE FOLKS THAT ARE NEEDING TO GET PAID AS WELL. SO, UM, I WANNA RESPECT, UH, YOU KNOW, COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN'S, UH, REQUEST. I JUST WANNA ALSO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE, IT'S BEEN TAGGED, UH, NOW IN A DELAY FOR TWO WEEKS. I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE GET THIS DONE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. VERY GOOD. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND, UH, MY QUESTION, AND I I MAY JUST NOT UNDERSTAND THIS AS IN DEPTH, BUT AS IT PERTAINS TO ITEM NUMBER 79, THAT IS FOR THE CONTRACT SPECIFICALLY WITH THE ARTS ALLIANCE. AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THAT IS INDEPENDENT OF THE ORDINANCE THAT YOU ALL ARE TRYING TO BRING FORWARD AND THAT THE CONTRACT ITSELF COULD MOVE FORWARD. AND AT THE SAME TIME, WE COULD STILL TAKE UP WHAT YOU ALL ARE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH SEPARATELY. SO WHILE AGAIN, THE, THERE ARE TWO SEPARATE ITEMS. ONE IS AN ORDINANCE ADDRESSING THE ACTUAL ORDINANCE ITSELF THAT WOULD ACTUALLY PULL CERTAIN FUNDS AWAY FROM THE ORDINANCE. WHEREAS 79 IS A CONTRACT FOR IMPLEMENTATION WITH THE ARTS ALLIANCE. THAT IS IRRESPECTIVE [09:50:01] OF WHATEVER WE CHANGE, IF WE CHANGE SOMETHING IN THE ORDINANCE. SO I'M HAPPY TO HEAR RESPONSES TO THAT, BUT I ALSO TO COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ'S POINT, WOULD WANNA ENSURE THAT WE ARE NOT DELAYING A CONTRACT THAT DOES NOT PERTAIN TO THE SPECIFIC, UH, BUCKETS THAT THE ORDINANCE IS IDENTIFYING. AND I HAVE, I HAVE QUESTIONS ACTUALLY ON BOTH, SO ON THE ORDINANCE AND ALSO, UM, ON ITEM 79. SO THE BOTTOM LINE IS, COUNCILMAN CAM, DO YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH A TWO WEEK DELAY TO ALLOW COUNCIL COLLEAGUE TO DO SOME, UH, CHECKS AND BALANCES THE RIGHT, THIS IS JUST ON AGAIN TO COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS', QUESTION ABOUT WILL THE DELAY, UH, IMPACT ANY OF THE CURRENT CONTRACTS? AND BASED ON COUNCILOR MARTINEZ'S REMARKS, I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY WHETHER OR NOT THAT WILL HAVE AN IMPACT. I'M, I'M TOLD IT WILL NOT JEOPARDIZE THE CONTRACT OR PAYMENT TO THOSE, OR PAYMENT TO IT. I MEAN, IT'S THE STATUS QUO. THEY'VE BEEN LIKE THIS FOR FIVE MONTHS, SO IT'LL JUST CONTINUE FOR TWO WEEKS. OKAY. COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNCIL MEMBER PRO VICE MAYOR PROTE PECK. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND TO COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN'S QUESTION, I SHARE THE SAME QUESTIONS AS, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN ABOUT MAINTENANCE VERSUS CONSERVATION AND TO MAKE SURE THAT IN THIS CONTRACT, THAT THE PROPER MONEY IS BEING SPENT ON WHAT IS SUPPOSED TO BE SPENT ON PER THE ORDINANCE. SO YES, THERE ARE ORDINANCE QUESTIONS HERE, BUT THE ACTUAL CONTRACT, THAT'S ITEM NUMBER 79. I HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW THAT MONEY IS BEING ALLOCATED. AND SO I THINK THAT'S WHY WE BOTH, UM, WOULD LIKE THE TWO WEEK DELAY. OKAY, MOTION AID. AND SECOND THAT WE DELAYED 78 79 FOR TWO WEEKS. HOW ON THE AGENDA FOR VOTE? YES MA'AM. IS THERE, UH, ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. OF THOSE OPPOSED MOTION PASSES. ANYTHING ELSE TO COME BEFORE COUNCIL AGENDA? IF NOT, POPOFF MORE POPOFF. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER? MARTINEZ. COUNCIL, CAN WE HAVE IT? DOES ANYBODY JUST FEEL REALLY LIKE THEY GOTTA POP OFF ? NO. IF NOT, COUNCIL STANDS ADJOURNED. THANK. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.