* 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.
           
          [00:00:06]
PLEASE COME TO ORDER. 
          [PRESENTATIONS]
I'M GONNA ASK THE, UH, VICE MAYOR PRO TEM PECK TO TAKE MY SPOTS SO I CAN JOIN COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN AND OTHERS WITH SOME PROCLAMATIONS OF SOME OUTSTANDING HOUSTONIANS. 
          UH, LET'S GET GOING. 
          THANK YOU. 
          I LIKE, OKAY. 
          GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. 
          AND I'D ASK, UM, OUR FRIENDS AT LOCK ARMS FOR LIFE TO JOIN US. 
          HOW ARE Y'ALL? GOOD AGAIN, MAYOR. 
          GOOD AFTERNOON. 
          UH, AUGUST HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED IN CITIES ACROSS TEXAS AS GUN SAFETY AWARENESS MONTH, AND I AM PROUD TO PARTNER FOR A SECOND YEAR WITH LOCK ARMS FOR LIFE, NAMING AUGUST AS GUN SAFETY AWARENESS MONTH HERE IN HOUSTON. 
          IN HONOR OF THE WORK BEING DONE TO SAVE LIVES EVERY SINGLE DAY, I AM HONORED TO INTRODUCE THOSE REPRESENTING LOCK ARMS FOR LIFE, INCLUDING BILL DEL, WHO IS A BOARD MEMBER. 
          AND AMELIA MERCADO, WHO I'LL JUST GIVE A QUICK SHOUT OUT, IS A THIRD YEAR MEDICAL STUDENT AT BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE AND IS CURRENTLY DISTRIBUTING 6,800 FIREARM LOCKS TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS THROUGH HOSPITALS AND COMMUNITY EVENTS. 
          AND IN DISTRICT C, WE'RE DOING SOMETHING SIMILAR. 
          WE PARTNER WITH HPD AND BE SMART TO GIVE OUT LOCKS AND GUN SAFES IN OUR SCHOOLS AND EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY. 
          LOCK ARMS FOR LIFE WAS FOUNDED IN 2018 FOLLOWING THE DEATH OF FOUNDER LISA ROSS'S SON JOHN, AS A RESULT OF IN THIS, HE DIED AS A RESULT OF A HANDGUN ACCIDENT. 
          LOCK ARMS FOR LIFE IS A TEXAS BASED ORGANIZATION COMMITTED TO REDUCING FIREARM RELATED TRAGEDIES, ENSURING EVERY FIREARM IS LOCKED WHEN NOT IN USE. 
          UH, AS OUR PRESIDENT REMINDED US LAST NIGHT, FIREARMS ARE THE LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH FOR CHILDREN IN OUR COUNTRY. 
          ROUGHLY THREE IN FOUR CHILDREN, AGES FIVE TO 14 WITH A FIREARM IN OUR, IN A HOME KNOW WHERE IT'S STORED. 
          AND MORE THAN ONE IN FIVE OF THOSE CHILDREN HAVE ACTUALLY HANDLED THAT GUN WITHOUT THEIR PARENTS' KNOWLEDGE. 
          AND SAFE STORAGE ISN'T JUST FOR HOMES. 
          SADLY, OUR CITY HAS LED THE COUNTRY IN ROAD RAGE INCIDENTS INVOLVING GUNS FOR THE LAST DECADE, AND RATES OF FIREARMS REPORTED AS STOLEN FROM VEHICLES CONTINUES TO RISE. 
          WE ALSO KNOW THERE'S A TRAGIC LINK BETWEEN FIREARMS AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, HOMICIDES. 
          THE LIST GOES ON WHEN IT COMES TO THE IMPORTANCE OF SAFE, SAFE STORAGE AND RAISING AWARENESS. 
          AND LOCK ARMS FOR LIFE HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN THIS CHAMPIONING SAFE STORAGE EFFORTS ACROSS OUR SA OUR STATE, THEY ARE LITERALLY SAVING LIVES. 
          SO WITH THAT, I'M PROUD TO PRESENT THIS PROCLAMATION. 
          WHEREAS UNSECURED GUNS POSE CLEAR SAFETY RISKS, PARTICULARLY TO CHILDREN. 
          AND WHEN GUNS ARE NOT STORED SAFELY OR SECURELY AND ARE ACCESSIBLE TO UNSUPERVISED MINORS, THE RISK OF DEATH OR INJURY SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASES. 
          IN THE UNITED STATES, 350 CHILDREN A YEAR GAIN ACCESS TO A LOADED FIREARM AND ACCIDENTALLY SHOOT THEMSELVES OR SOMEONE ELSE. 
          BETWEEN 2015 AND 2022, THERE WERE 248 UNINTENTIONAL SHOOTINGS BY CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 17. 
          IN TEXAS, AN AVERAGE OF THREE EVERY MONTH WHEN CHILDREN UNINTENTIONALLY SHOOT SOMEONE ELSE, THE VICTIM IS MOST OFTEN A SIBLING OR A FRIEND. 
          IN 2022, FIREARM RELATED INJURIES WERE AMONG THE TOP FIVE LEADING CAUSES OF DEATH FOR PEOPLE UP TO THE AGE OF 44 IN THIS COUNTRY. 
          AND CURRENTLY ABOUT 132 PEOPLE DIE FROM A FIREARM INJURY. 
          EVERY DAY, 4.6 MILLION MINORS IN THE US LIVE IN HOMES WITH AT LEAST ONE LOADED UNLOCKED FIREARM. 
          STUDIES SHOW THAT BETWEEN 70 AND 90% OF GUNS USED IN YOUTH SUICIDES, UNINTENTIONAL SHOOTINGS AMONG CHILDREN AND SCHOOL SHOOTINGS PERPETRATED BY SHOOTERS UNDER THE AGE OF 18, ARE ACQUIRED FROM THE HOME OR THE HOME OF A RELATIVE OR FRIEND. 
          ESTIMATES SUGGEST THAT EVEN MODEST INCREASES IN THE NUMBER OF AMERICAN HOMES SAFELY STORING THEIR FIREARMS COULD PRESENT, PREVENT ALMOST A THIRD OF YOUTH GUN DEATHS DUE TO SUICIDE AND UNINTENTIONAL FIREARM INJURIES. 
          EDUCATING AND RESOURCING COMMUNITIES TO PRACTICE SAFE GUN HANDLING AND STORAGE IS AN ACTIONABLE, MEANINGFUL WAY TO CREATE SAFER HOMES AND NEIGHBORHOODS ACROSS OUR CITY, STATE, AND OUR COUNTRY. 
          IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, GUN SAFETY AWARENESS MONTH IS HELD EVERY AUGUST TO INFORM PEOPLE ABOUT FIREARMS AND REMIND THEM TO LOCK THEIR GUNS AWAY TO 
          [00:05:01]
AVOID ACCIDENTS. 
          MAYOR, THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN CAYMAN, AND THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS IMPORTANT ISSUE BEFORE US. 
          THANK YOU TO THE LEADERSHIP OF LOCK ARMS FOR LIFE. 
          UH, WE GET SO BUSY THAT WE FORGET SOMETIME WHAT IS SO IMPORTANT. 
          WHILE WE ENCOURAGE RESPONSIBLE GUN OWNERSHIP, WE ALSO KNOW THAT THERE ARE TRAGEDIES THAT COULD BE AVOIDED WITH PROPER RESPONSIBILITY AND, UH, SAFEGUARDS. 
          SO IT'S THEREFORE, I'M JOHN WHITMEYER, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROCLAIM AUGUST 20TH, 2024. 
          IT'S GUN SAFETY AWARENESS DAY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. 
          CONGRATULATIONS. 
          THANK YOU, MAYOR. 
          THANK YOU MAYOR. 
          AND THANK YOU COUNCILWOMAN KAMAN, UH, FOR TODAY'S PROCLAMATION, UM, LIKE, UH, I WAS INTRODUCED. 
          MY NAME IS BILL OELL, AND I'M A BOARD MEMBER FOR LOCK ARMS FOR LIFE. 
          UM, WE'RE VERY PROUD FOR THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW FOR CITY OF HOUSTON DOING THIS PROCLAMATION FOR AUGUST. 
          IT'S THE GUN SAFETY MONTH. 
          UM, I WANT TO JUST TAKE A SECOND AND JUST DO A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT ORGANIZATION. 
          UM, LOCK ARMS FOR LIFE IS ON A MISSION TO ENSURE THAT EVERY GUN IS LOCKED WHEN NOT IN USE. 
          LOCK ARMS FOR LIFE'S FOUNDER, LISA ROSS, AS YOU HEARD, LOST HER SON IN 2009, DUE A HAND DUE DUE TO A HANDGUN ACCIDENT IN COLLEGE DUE TO IMPROPER GUN STORAGE. 
          TODAY HERE, SUPPORTING LOCK ARMS FOR LIFE IS LISA'S MOTHER, SISTER, AND BROTHER-IN-LAW. 
          FIREARMS NOW ACCOUNT FOR MORE THAN 50% OF ALL SUICIDES AND EVEN OUR OWN CITY. 
          ON AUGUST 7TH, KPRC NEWS HAD A BREAKING HEADLINE SAYING, JUVENILE CHILD KILLED. 
          WHILE PLAYING WITH A GUN LOCK, ARM LOCKING GUNS HAS PROVEN TO REDUCE ACCIDENTS AND SELF HARM, AND SIMPLY PUT LOCKING GUNS LITERALLY SAVES LIVES. 
          ONE OF THE THINGS THAT LOCK ARMS FOR LIFE IS DOING FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION IS THAT WE ARE RELEASING THIS FALL, A GRAPHIC NOVEL THAT WILL BE CALLED SAVE THE DAY, LOCK IT AWAY. 
          THIS GRAPHIC NOVEL IS, IS TARGETED TOWARDS SCHOOL AGED CHILDREN, AND IT WILL HELP PROVIDE EDUCATION AND MOTIVATION TO PREVENT GUN TRAGEDIES WITH LESSONS THAT THESE CHILDREN CAN TAKE HOME TO THEIR FAMILIES. 
          WE ARE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS NOVEL, AND WE REALLY THINK IT WILL HELP BRING THIS EDUCATION TO A WHOLE NEW GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS. 
          LAST, I WANNA TAKE JUST ONE SECOND TO AGAIN AND INTRODUCE AMELIA MECADO, WHO'S A MEDICAL STUDENT AT THE BAYLOR SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, AND HAVE HER JUST SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT SHE'S DOING WITH HER PASSION. 
          THANK YOU FOR THAT INTRODUCTION. 
          SO, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT IN MY THREE YEARS OF MEDICAL SCHOOL, I HAVE SEEN HOW IMPACTFUL GUNS, UH, GUN INJURIES HAVE BEEN IN OUR HOSPITALS AND ON MY PATIENTS. 
          UM, THIS HAS LED ME TO BECOME EXTREMELY PASSIONATE ABOUT FIREARM INJURY. 
          AND THROUGH MY INITIATIVES, LIKE MENTIONED HANDING OUT FREE GUN LOCKS, I WAS INVITED TO THE WHITE HOUSE EARLIER THIS YEAR TO MEET WITH MEMBERS TO TALK ABOUT GUN SAFETY AS A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS. 
          UM, AND THROUGH THESE CONVERSATIONS, I REALIZED HOW IMPORTANT THIS TOPIC IS TO OTHER HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS. 
          AND SO I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT THIS TOPIC IS VERY IMPORTANT ACROSS ALL FIELDS, INCLUDING HEALTHCARE. 
          THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN, FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD. 
          AND THANK YOU TO EVERYONE FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU DO TO KEEP EVERYONE SAFE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          YEAH. 
          SO, UM, COLLEAGUES, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR, UH, GIVING, GIVING ME THIS OPPORTUNITY TO HIGHLIGHT NATIONAL LATINA DAY. 
          UM, UH, THIS STARTED BACK IN 2015, AND WHAT I WANT TO ZERO IN ON, AND IF I CAN HAVE Y'ALL COME UP PLEASE. 
          UM, WHAT, WHAT I WANNA ZERO IN ON SPECIFICALLY IS SOMETHING THAT, UH, MY OFFICE AND I HAVE BEEN REALLY MORE FOCUSED ON, UM, OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS IS TECH. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE START TALKING ABOUT TECH IN GENERAL, UM, WE THINK ABOUT CALIFORNIA, AUSTIN, EVEN IN TEXAS, BUT SOMETHING THAT, THAT, UH, WITHIN HERE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON THAT WE REALLY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, THAT WE START UNDERLINING 
          [00:10:01]
AND INVITING AND PROVIDING SPACE FOR IS, UH, THE TECH SPACE AS WELL. 
          UM, SO WE HAVE THE ION IN DOWNTOWN. 
          WE HAVE THE ES PERSON BUILDING. 
          IF YOU HAVE NOT BEEN TO THE ES PERSON BUILDING, PLEASE MAKE IT THERE. 
          UM, BUT THEN, UM, WHEN I START THINKING ABOUT, UH, AGAIN, THE NATIONAL LATINA DAY, UH, MANY OF US, UH, CAN THINK OF, UH, YOU KNOW, OUR MOTHERS. 
          AND SO I THINK ABOUT MY MOTHER WHO RAISED 12 KIDS. 
          I THINK ABOUT, UH, MY SISTERS THAT I GREW UP WITH, SIX OF THEM, UH, MY DAUGHTER, MY WIFE. 
          AND I THINK WE CAN ALL REALLY, UH, YOU KNOW, SHARE THAT WOMEN IN THIS SPACE, AND SPECIFICALLY AROUND EVEN THIS HORSESHOE, WHERE WE HAVE THE SUPER MAJORITY, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, UM, HAVE A SPACE TO BE ABLE TO, UH, MAKE, MAKE, SHARE THEIR PERSPECTIVES, THEIR VOICES, THEIR LEADERSHIP. 
          AND SO TODAY I'M HONORED TO, TO, UH, HIGHLIGHT NATIONAL, UH, NATIONAL LATINA DAY LATINA INNOVATORS IN TECH. 
          AND SO I'LL READ, WHEREAS OF JULY 1ST, 2022, THERE WERE 63.7 MILLION HISPANICS IN THE UNITED STATES, MAKING UP 19.1% OF THE OVERALL POPULATION, AND THE LARGEST RACIAL AND ETHNIC MINORITY IN THE COUNTRY. 
          BY 2060, WHEN MORE THAN ONE IN FOUR AMERICANS WILL LIKELY BE LATINO, THE COUNTRY'S LATINO POPULATION WILL, WHICH CURRENTLY MAKES UP AROUND ONE IN FIVE, IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TO GROW. 
          AND WHEREAS LATINAS MAKE UP ABOUT 17% OF ALL ADULT WOMEN IN THE UNITED STATES TODAY NUMBERING 22.2 MILLION, THE BIGGEST NU NUMERICAL INCREASES OF ANY SIGNIFICANT FEMALE RACIAL AND ETHNIC GROUP, THE POPULATION INCREASE BY 5.6 MILLION BETWEEN 2010 AND 2020. 
          AND WHEREAS AUGUST 20TH HAS BEEN DESIGNATED AS NATIONAL LATINA DAY EVERY YEAR SINCE 2015, THE CELEBRATION OF LATINA DAY BRINGS ATTENTION TO ALL LATINAS WHO ARE CHANGING THE WORLD AND REALIZING THEIR DREAMS, WHETHER IT'S IN THE CLASSROOM AT HOME, OR JUST BY ACCEPTING THE FEMININITY OF OTHER WOMEN. 
          THIS DAY, WA WAS ESTABLISHED, ESPECIALLY FOR LATINAS TO EXPRESS THEIR PRIDE AND RECEIVE RECOGNITION FOR THEIR IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE SOCIETY BY TEXAS-BASED LATINA DOLORES LOLI ALVAREZ CASTILLA. 
          AND WHEREAS IN ADDITION TO CELEBRATING NATIONAL LATINA DAY, WE ALSO WANT TO COMMEMORATE, ACKNOWLEDGE, AND CELEBRATE THE LATINAS WHO WORK IN THE TECH SECTOR. 
          THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS PROJECTS THAT EMPLOYMENT IN STEM FIELDS WILL EXPAND AT A RATE TWICE AS FAST AS THE TOTAL EMPLOYMENT RATE IN UNTIL 2031. 
          EVEN WITH THE ANTICIPATED EXPANSION, ONLY 8% OF LATINA WOMEN WORK IN THE, THE STEM FIELDS INDICATING A DEFICIENCY IN THIS DEMOGRAPHIC. 
          AND WHEREAS IN HONOR OF LATINA INNOVATORS IN TECHNOLOGY LED BY LSA GLOBAL, WHICH HAS, WHICH IS HAS ITS HEADQUARTERS AT THE ION IN HOUSTON'S ION DISTRICT, THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS UNITING WITH LATINA STEM COMMUNITIES FROM ALL AROUND THE CITY FOR NATIONAL LATINA DAY, SHOWCASING THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR FAMILY, LOCAL, STATE, AND NATIONAL ECONOMIES. 
          WHEREAS THIS DAY IS DEDICATED TO CELEBRATING THE PERSEVERANCE, SUCCESS AND POSITIVE ECONOMIC INFLUENCE OF LATINA INNOVATORS IN THE TECHNOLOGY SECTOR IN HOUSTON. 
          THE CITY OF HOUSTON ENCOURAGES EVERYONE TO RECOGNIZE, HONOR, CELEBRATE THAT ENDURING CONTRIBUTIONS OF OUR GROWING LATINA INNOVATORS IN TECH ECOSYSTEM, WHO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT AND INSPIRE THE NEXT GENERATION OF YOUNG LATINAS, STEM LEADERS IN HOUSTON. 
          THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ. 
          AND, UH, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS SPECIAL PROCLAMATION BEFORE US. 
          UH, WE KNOW WHAT MAKES HOUSTON GREAT LADIES, AND, UH, I THINK THE FUTURE IS EVEN ONLY GONNA GET BETTER. 
          SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS. 
          UH, WE HAVE A LOT OF POWER, SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO USE IT ON BEHALF OF THE COMMUNITY. 
          REPRESENT THE FUTURE OF HOUSTON. 
          SO, UH, AS I SAY OFTEN, LET'S GO TO WORK. 
          WE RECOGNIZE YOU TODAY, BUT LET'S LEAVE HERE DEDICATED, REJUVENATE OURSELVES TO GO REACH OUT. 
          THERE'S A LOT OF YOUNG HISPANIC WOMEN IN TOWN THAT JUST NEED AN OPPORTUNITY, EASILY BE THEIR PATHWAY. 
          SO THANK YOU. 
          COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ. 
          I, JOHN WHITMEYER, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROCLAIM AUGUST 20TH IS NATIONAL LATINA DAY LATINA INNOVATORS IN TECH. 
          SO THANK YOU FOR BEING THANK YOU MAYOR. 
          AND THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ AND ALL OF CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR ALLOWING US TO SHARE THIS DAY WITH ALL OF YOU AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON. 
          AS A NATIVE HOUSTONIAN AND THE FOUNDER OF LSA GLOBAL, I AM TRULY HONORED TO CO-CHAIR THIS PROCLAMATION WITH MY DEAREST AMIGA, JULIANA, BRENDA, EVELYN, AND OUR FELLOW LATINA HONOREE. 
          LSA GLOBAL HAS BEEN EMPOWERING LATINOS AND LATINAS IN A TECH GLOBAL ECOSYSTEM SINCE 2011. 
          AND THE WORK CONTINUES HERE IN, IN ENSURING THAT WE EMPOWER NEXT GENERATION LATINO TECH INNOVATORS. 
          HOWEVER, BEFORE I INTRODUCE JULIANA AND EVELYN, LEMME TAKE A 
          [00:15:01]
MOMENT TO RECOGNIZE ME. 
          LAMA SO MARTINEZ FOR HER LOVE, SUPPORT, AND DEDICATION WHO CAME TO THIS COUNTRY AS AN IMMIGRANT FROM MEXICO, AS MY PERSONAL LIFE INVESTOR, SHE HELPED INSTILL IN ME THE VALUES AND PRINCIPLES TO ALWAYS BE A CHAMPION, A SPONSOR, AND ALLY, AND A FRIEND TO ALL WOMEN, ESPECIALLY OUR FELLOW LATINAS. 
          SO, THANK YOU, JULIANA. 
          THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER. 
          THANK YOU, MAYOR. 
          TODAY IS A VERY SPECIAL DAY FOR ME. 
          I WAS ABLE TO BE IN THE MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER'S TASK FORCE FOR INNOVATION, THE WOMEN COMMISSION, AND ALSO THE TASK FORCE HE PUT FOR WOMEN AND MINORITIES. 
          I WAS ABLE TO BRING GREENTOWN LABS TO THE ION DISTRICT, AND I ALWAYS FELT IT WAS A RESPONSIBILITY FOR ME TO REPRESENT THE LATINAS IN TECH BECAUSE IT'S THE BIGGEST GAP WE'VE EVER HAD. 
          UH, IN TERMS OF VENTURE CAPITAL, UH, WE ARE, AS WOMEN, WE ONLY GET 2% OF THE VENTURE CAPITAL. 
          BUT AS LATINAS, WE GET A 0.1%. 
          IF YOU TALK ABOUT SALARY GAPS, THE SALARY GAP BETWEEN LATINO MEN AND LATINO WOMEN IS EVEN BIGGER THAN AMONG AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN, WOMEN AND MEN. 
          AND, UM, MOST IMPORTANTLY, MOST IMPORTANT THAN THE SALARY GAP IS THE WEALTH GAP. 
          WHAT DO WE DO WITH THOSE SALARIES? HOW DO WE LEARN HOW TO INVEST IN GENERAL? LATINO WOMEN DON'T HAVE ANY FINANCIAL LITERACY, AND IT ALL STARTS WITH EDUCATION. 
          EDUCATION IN STEM, UH, ACCESS TO CAPITAL, ACCESS TO NETWORK NETWORKS LIKE OURS, THEY ALWAYS SAY THAT YOUR NETWORK IS YOUR NET WORTH. 
          AND MORE THAN ANYTHING, ACCESS TO INSPIRATIONAL CAPITAL, LATINA IN TECH, LATINA WOMEN NEED TO SEE ALL THE LATINAS THRIVING IN TECH AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY BECOME ROLE MODELS. 
          THAT'S WHY TODAY WE ARE SO HAPPY TO HAVE THIS IMPRESSIVE GROUP OF EXCELLENT WOMEN THAT ARE NOT ONLY THE EPITOME OF WHAT LATINAS CAN DO, BUT ALSO ROLE MODELS FOR MANY OTHERS THAT ARE GOING TO COME AND ARE GOING TO SHAPE THE CITY OF HOUSTON. 
          SO WITH THAT, I'LL LEAVE IT TO EVELYN TO TALK ABOUT WHO WE ARE IN THIS GROUP AND MAKE SURE THAT NOBODY GOES UNNOTICED. 
          THANK YOU. 
          I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE THE NAMES OF THE LATINA INNOVATORS THAT WE'RE HONORING TODAY. 
          FIRST OF ALL, WE HAVE VANESSA KINGDOM WITH ALPHA HOUSTON, MONICA WITH ANITA B ORGANIZATION. 
          WE HAVE JULIANA, JULIANA WITH ENERGY TECH NEXUS. 
          WE ALSO HAVE MICHEL ALOS WITH IMPACT HEALTH HOUSTON, WE HAVE PRISCILLA TRUE, UH, THE CHIEF OF STAFF AT THE CONSULATE GENERAL OF ISRAEL. 
          IN HOUSTON, WE HAVE ANNA RO, WHICH IS WITH LATINAS IN TECH, AS WELL AS KAREN MARTIN. 
          WE ALSO HAVE THE ANA COOK WITH LATINA LEADERS IN AI. 
          WE ALSO HAVE SARAH MEET WITH LATINA MEDIA TECH. 
          WE HAVE ANDREA RA WITH SHPE AND SHPE LATINAS. 
          UH, WE ALSO HAVE ALA REPRESENTING WOMEN IN CYBERSECURITY AND HCC. 
          WE HAVE ADRIAN MANAL WITH WOMEN IN BC AND THE ARTEMIS FUND. 
          WE HAVE BLANCA GONZALEZ WITH MICROSOFT, VERONICA JUAREZ, AND LATINAS IN BC AND MYSELF, EVELYN LATINAS IN SOCIAL MEDIA. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UP NEXT CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ FOR A PROCLAMATION TO CHICANO SQUAD IN HONOR OF THEIR 45TH ANNIVERSARY. 
          [00:20:08]
WHERE'S HE'S COMING. 
          CHIEF, UH, THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU, VICE MAYOR, PRO TIM, AND COLLEAGUES. 
          UM, THIS IS, UH, YOU KNOW, TAKES ME BACK ACTUALLY. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, WITHOUT TRYING TO GET TOO EMOTIONAL ABOUT IT, UH, I WAS A STAFFER WHEN, UH, THE FIRST CONVERSATIONS ABOUT CHICANO SQUAD. 
          YES. 
          UH, 40 YEARS. 
          IT WAS THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY FIVE YEARS AGO. 
          AND, UM, I HAD A, A COFFEE WITH, UH, UM, ANOTHER YOUNG GENTLEMAN, 'CAUSE HE'S ABOUT MY AGE, SERGIO VERA. 
          UM, AND HE ASKED ME A QUESTION ABOUT, YOU KNOW, DO YOU KNOW WHO THE CHICANO SQUAD IS? AND UNFORTUNATELY, I COULDN'T SAY YES. 
          UM, AND AS WE HAVE THIS DIVERSE COMMUNITY HERE IN HOUSTON, UM, I THINK PLENTY OF TIMES, I, I THINK WE CAN ALL SAY THIS, WHETHER YOU'RE A WOMAN OR OF, OF, UH, UH, MINORITY BACKGROUND, UH, YOU WANT TO FIND THAT SPACE WHERE YOU KNOW THAT YOU'RE A PART OF THIS FABRIC OF HOUSTON. 
          AND, AND SO AS SERGIO AND I CONTINUE TO HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS, UM, HE SAID, HEY, WE NEED TO CELEBRATE THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY. 
          UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, UH, MY FORMER, UH, BOSS, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, ROBERT GALLEGOS, UM, ALSO PUSHED FOR A PART OF THE HPD MUSEUM TO HAVE THE CHICANO SQUAD, UH, MUSEUM AS WELL. 
          AND SO WE'RE ABLE TO WORK ON THAT AS, UM, UH, AGAIN, FIVE YEARS AGO. 
          AND SO THIS IS NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART. 
          UM, WHAT I SHARED DOWNSTAIRS IS, UM, BUT FOR FOLKS THAT HAVE COME BEFORE US, WE CAN'T HAVE THESE SPACES. 
          AND THE CHICANO SQUAD SPECIFICALLY. 
          AND I'M, I'M, I'M VERY MUCH IN TUNE WITH THE ACTUAL, UH, NAME AS AN IDENTITY. 
          I CONSIDER MYSELF A CHICANO. 
          UM, AS A MEXICAN AMERICAN GROWING UP IN THE UNITED STATES, UH, SOMETIMES YOU WEREN'T AMERICAN ENOUGH, UH, BUT THEN YOU WEREN'T MEXICAN ENOUGH. 
          AND SO, AS YOU IDENTIFY AND SELF-IDENTIFY, UM, YOU KNOW, THE WORD ME, UM, UH, CHICANO CAME FROM THE WORD MEXICANO, WHICH IS AN NAWA WORD IN MEXICO, UH, FROM THE IN INDIGENOUS PEOPLE. 
          AND THE MEXICANO TURNED INTO MEXICAN MEXICANO. 
          BUT CHICANO STOOD OUT AS A, AS A, UM, AS A, AS AN IDENTITY FOR FOLKS THAT WERE WALKING ALONGSIDE IN THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT DURING THE CHICANO MOVEMENT. 
          AND SO, AGAIN, I HOLD THIS WORD, UM, AND THIS TITLE, UM, YOU KNOW, NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART, 'CAUSE OF MY FATHER, THE WAY HE RAISED ME. 
          BUT I REALLY WANNA, UM, MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN HIGHLIGHT THESE, UH, YOUNG GENTLEMEN. 
          UH, SO IF I CAN HAVE THE, THE MEMBERS OF THE CHICANO SQUAD COME UP AND, AND AS THEY COME UP, UM, I ACTUALLY, UH, WOULD LIKE TO HAVE, UH, RUBEN AS WELL, UH, FORMER PROSECUTOR COME UP AS WELL. 
          'CAUSE HE WAS PART OF THE, UM, A LOT OF THE WORK THAT WAS BEING DONE. 
          UM, AND I'LL NAME THEM, UH, JUST BRIEFLY SO THAT WAY YOU CAN, AND THEY'LL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK. 
          BUT, UH, YOU HAVE, UH, JOSE VERA JUNIOR, CECIL MOSQUERA, RAYMOND GONZALEZ, UP HERNANDEZ JAMES JIM MONTERO BEING REPRESENTED BY HIS GRANDDAUGHTER, ELIZABETH OL. 
          UM, ALSO, UM, WE HAVE WITH US, OF COURSE, IS, UH, COMMISSIONER GARCIA THAT WOULD BE ABLE TO SHARE SOME WORDS. 
          UM, AND AGAIN, UH, HARRIS COUNTY ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY RUBEN PEREZ. 
          AND I WANNA DEFINITELY RECOGNIZE, UH, A MENTOR OF MINE, UH, GRACIELA SCIENCE, WHO WAS A AT LARGE COUNCIL MEMBER. 
          AND I'LL GO AHEAD AND START READING THE PROCLAMATION, THE 45TH ANNIVERSARY, HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT, CHICANO SQUAD. 
          WHEREAS ON AUGUST THE 21ST, 1979, HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT STARTED A FIRST OF ITS KIND SPECIALIZED HOMICIDE UNIT IN THE NATION, THE CHICANO SQUAD. 
          WHEREAS THE CHICANO SQUAD WAS FORMED AS A 90 DAY PILOT PROGRAM TO ADDRESS SKYROCKETING HOMICIDE AND VIOLENT CRIME RATES WITHIN HOUSTON'S LATINO COMMUNITY. 
          IN THE LATE 1970S. 
          SINCE MANY OF THESE INCIDENTS WERE UNSOLVED, THE PUBLIC FELT RELUCTANT TO COOPERATE WITH THE LOCAL POLICE. 
          THE CHICANO SQUAD WOULD GAIN THE COMMUNITY'S TRUST OVER THE COURSE OF FOLLOWING OF THE FOLLOWING THREE DECADES, AND GO DOWN IN HISTORY AS ONE OF HOUSTON'S POLICE DEPARTMENT'S MOST DECORATED TRAILBLAZING AND INNOVATIVE UNITS. 
          AND WHEREAS JOSE DEON, ROBERT GATEWOOD, RAYMOND GONZALEZ, UP HERNANDEZ, JIM MONTERO, CECIL MOSQUERA AND JOSE VERA JR. 
          WERE THE INITIAL SIX MEMBERS OF THE CHICANO SQUAD. 
          THEY SPOKE THE LANGUAGE AND WERE AWARE AND WERE AWARE OF THE CUSTOMS OF THE COMMUNITIES THAT THEY WERE SERVING IN ADDITION TO BEING SQUAD MEMBERS AND NATIVES OF THE LA LATINO AREA. 
          SO YOU HAVE FOLKS FROM THE NORTH SIDE, FROM ALDEAN, FROM THE EAST END, AND I LOST MY SPOT. 
          THE CHICANO SQUAD SUCCESS, AS WELL AS THE SUCCESS OF EACH INDIVIDUAL MEMBER WAS GREATLY DEPENDENT ON THEIR, 
          [00:25:01]
THEIR OWN CONNECTIONS TO THE COMMUNITY. 
          AND WHEREAS FROM A SMALL OFFICE WITH A SINGLE TYPEWRITER IN 1979, THE CHICANO SQUAD WENT ON TO RECEIVE MANY AWARDS AND ACCOLADES, INCLUDING THE HISPANIC OFFICERS OF THE YEAR IN 1998, AND HISPANIC OFFICER OF THE YEAR IN 1990, FROM THE NATIONAL LATINO POLICE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION, THE MERITUS SERVICE AWARD FROM THE HOUSTON POLICE, PATROLMAN'S UNION IN 1987 HPD CHIEF OF POLICE UNIT CITATION IN 1999. 
          AND NUMEROUS PROCLAMATIONS AND CERTIFICATES OF APPRECIATION FROM THE CITY OF HU FROM THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HARRIS COUNTY, THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS, AND THE UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. 
          WHEN THE TEAM ACHIEVED A 91% HOMICIDE CLEARANCE RATE IN 1997, IT RECEIVED NATIONAL RECOGNITION. 
          WHEREAS AMONG THE MOST SIGNIFICANT CASES HANDLED BY THE CHICANO SQUAD WERE THE THE SAFE RETURN OF THE ABDUCTED INFANT RAKE CABRERA IN, IN 2001, WHOSE MOTHER PASSED AWAY AFTER BEING IN PRISON IN A CAR TRUNK. 
          THE 2002 APPREHENSION OF SUSPECTED EAST END SERIAL KILLERS, AND THE RETURN OF 14 MONTH OLD LILIANA REYES, WHO WAS ABDUCTED FROM THE HOUSTON, FROM HOUSTON BY A BABYSITTER IN 1987, AND SUBSEQUENTLY FOUND IN MEXICO. 
          AND WHEREAS THE UNITED, THE CITY OF HOUSTON ACKNOWLEDGES THE CONTRIBUTIONS AND INFLUENCE THE CHICANO SQUAD OF THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS HAD IN THIS, ON THE CITY, ITS CITIZENS AND THE COUNTRY, AND LOOKS FORWARD TO THE A AND E NETWORK'S SEPTEMBER, 2024 DEBUT OF A DOCUMENTARY ABOUT THE SQUAD IN RECOGNITION OF THE CHICANO SQUAD'S 45TH ANNIVERSARY OF CREATION, THE CITY OF HOUSTON, WHICH IS ITS MEMBERS' ONGOING SUCCESS AND RECOGNIZES THEIR COMMITMENT TO SERVING THEIR COMMUNITY. 
          AND THE CITY, THE CITY THEY CALL HOME MAYOR. 
          THANK YOU. 
          IN FACT, BEFORE I CLOSE, I'LL, I'LL YIELD MY TIME TO, UH, COMMISSIONER GARCIA. 
          I'M CERTAIN COMMISSIONER YOUNG MEN LIKE YOU THAT CHOSE TO ENTER THE DEPARTMENT. 
          THESE WERE YOUR INSPIRATION AND YOUR ROLE MODELS. 
          SO WITH THAT, I DON'T, I DON'T PUT WORDS IN YOUR MOUTH, BUT I KNOW HOW INSPIRATIONAL THESE GENTLEMEN WORK TO YOUNG LATINO YOUNG MEN IN THERE ACROSS OUR CITY. 
          ABSOLUTELY. 
          AND MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBER, THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYOR. 
          THANK YOU FOR, UH, SEEING THE VALUE AND CONTINUE TO RECOGNIZE THE HISTORY OF THESE, UH, PIONEERS, UH, BECAUSE OF ALL OF THE INCREDIBLE WORK THAT THEY DID, AND, BUT THE SACRIFICES THAT THEY ENDURED AS WELL. 
          AND, UM, AND I WOULD JUST SAY THAT, UH, CECIL AND I CAME FROM THE SAME NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, WHAT WE CALL THE REAL NORTH SIDE. 
          AND, UH, AND, AND SO WE DO, UH, YOU KNOW, THEY WERE INSPIRATION WHEN I JOINED THE DEPARTMENT AMONGST THE SMALL GROUP OF HISPANIC OFFICERS THAT WERE, WERE EXISTING AT THE TIME. 
          THERE WAS A CONVERSATION OF, DO YOU KNOW, THE CHICA SQUAD? MM-HMM . 
          AND ULTIMATELY, OUR PASS WOULD CROSS, UH, WORKED A COUPLE OF CASES WITH THESE GUYS, UH, OR WAS A PART OF THE CASES THAT THEY WORKED. 
          UH, BUT THEN AS IS TODAY, THEIR HUMILITY KNOWS NO BOUNDS. 
          THIS ATTENTION THAT THEY'RE GETTING IS ALMOST UNCOMFORTABLE FOR THEM TODAY. 
          AS IT WAS THEN. 
          ALL THEY CARED ABOUT WAS DOING THE WORK. 
          ALL THEY CARED ABOUT WAS CLEARING THE CASES. 
          ALL THEY CARED ABOUT WAS MAKING SURE THAT VICTIMS HAD JUSTICE IN SPITE OF ALL THE CHALLENGES THAT WERE PUT PLACED IN FRONT OF THEM. 
          A SINGLE TYPEWRITER FOLKS DO NOT LOSE SIGHT OF THAT. 
          A SMALL ROOM, ONE TABLE, I THINK ONE CHAIR. 
          AND, UH, AND NEVER, NEVER, UH, GIVEN THE EXPECTATIONS THAT THEY WOULD ACHIEVE, LIKE 90% CLEARANCE RATES IN CONTRAST TO AN ENTIRE HOMICIDE DIVISION AND THE SACRIFICES. 
          FOLKS, I WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND, IMAGINE THAT THIS COUNCIL IS A DIVISION. 
          AND IMAGINE TWO OR THREE CHAIRS BEING A SQUAD. 
          WHILE ALL OF YOU WOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ROTATE DAYS OFF, AND BY THE TIME YOUR DAY OFF CAME BACK TO YOU, IT'D PROBABLY BE A GOOD A CHUNK OF TIME. 
          BUT IMAGINE THREE GUYS ROTATING THOSE DAYS OFF. 
          THEY LITERALLY HAD NO DAYS OFF THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO RECEIVE. 
          DETECTIVE FRANK NEVER RECEIVED IT. 
          UH, AND SO WITH ALL OF THOSE THINGS, I CAN SAY THAT BECAUSE THEIR HUMILITY KNOWS NO BOUNDS. 
          I AM JUST THEIR BIGGEST FAN. 
          I AM, UH, PROUD OF THEIR LEADERSHIP AND THE WORK AND THE EXAMPLE THAT THEY PROVIDED TO YOUNG GUYS LIKE ME. 
          UM, AND, UM, AND SO I'M JUST GRATEFUL TO BE HERE WITH THEM. 
          AND I JUST, I WOULD ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO PLEASE TUNE IN, UH, TO THAT A AND E DOCUMENTARY, SHARE IT, UH, BECAUSE THEIR STORY, UH, SHOULD HAVE BEEN TOLD ALL ALONG. 
          BUT I'M GLAD THAT GIO, SON OF JOSE RA, UH, HAS, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, EXTENDED HIS, HIS SKILLS AND HIS AND HIS CAPACITY TO HELP TELL THE STORY, NOT ONLY OF HIS FATHER, UH, BUT 
          [00:30:01]
THOSE WHO WERE PIONEERS ALONGSIDE HIS FATHER. 
          SO MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AS WELL. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. 
          THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. 
          LEMME TELL YOU HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS. 
          I WAS A YOUNG STATE REPRESENTATIVE IN 1979, CLOSE TO HPD, EVEN AT THAT TIME. 
          IT'S NOT THE WORLD THAT WE LIVE IN TODAY, WHERE 50% OF OUR CITY IS HISPANIC, AS A COMMISSIONER MENTIONED. 
          AND COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ WAS A FAIRLY SMALL HISPANIC COMMUNITY LOCATED IN THE NEAR NORTH SIDE. 
          COMMISSIONER WILL CORRECT US THAT THE REAL NORTH SIDE GLENDALE AND OTHER COMMUNITIES, BUT THE EAST SIDE. 
          SO WHOEVER CAME UP WITH THIS CONCEPT, WHICH ONE OF YOU, OR COLLECTIVELY, I KNOW YOU DID IT FOR ALL THE RIGHT REASONS. 
          YOU LOVED POLICE WORK, FIGHTING THE BAD GUYS, BUT YOU LOVED YOUR COMMUNITY. 
          AND I CAN'T EMPHASIZE MEMBERS THE LANGUAGE SKILLS. 
          THAT WAS HUGE. 
          AND IT IS SUCH A DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENT THAT YOU WERE WORKING IN VERSUS THE ONE TODAY. 
          I SPOKE TO THE CADET CLASS LAST THURSDAY, MAJORITY HISPANIC. 
          SO YOUR WORK AND RESPECT LIVES ON. 
          SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY. 
          AND I, JOHN WHITMEYER, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROCLAIM AUGUST 20TH, 2024, IS HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT, CHICANO SQUAD DAY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. 
          AND ALSO THANKS TO THIS NEW LATINO CHIEF OF POLICE THAT'S GONNA WORK WITH OUR DEPARTMENT. 
          COLLECTIVELY, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A SAFER CITY. 
          SO THANK EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE. 
          IF, IF I COULD, UM, I'M GONNA PICK ONE PERSON, OR THEY CAN SELF-SELECT THEIR, THEIR ONE PERSON TO COME UP AND JUST SAY A FEW WORDS ON BEHALF OF THE CHICANO SQUAD. 
          UM, I KNOW CECIL WILL NOT GET THE MIC . 
          UM, BUT IF I CAN ALSO, WE HAD A, A, A MEET AND GREET DOWNSTAIRS, AND I WANT TO THANK TWO, UH, ACTUALLY THREE ORGANIZATIONS. 
          UM, A A RP. 
          UH, THEY WERE A SPONSOR, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY WERE WELCOME THIS, UH, FOR TODAY, BUT ALSO FOR THE, UH, SCREENING THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN ON THURSDAY. 
          UM, AND THEN OF COURSE, STARBUCKS. 
          AND A QUICK SHOUT OUT, ISAAC FOS. 
          HE'S MY FRATERNITY BROTHER, A RP, UM, ROSA, LINDA MARTINEZ IS HERE AS WELL. 
          AND THEN, OF COURSE, I WANNA THANK THE COMMISSIONER AGAIN FOR PRECINCT TOGETHER, FOR HELPING SPONSOR THIS, UH, THIS EVENT. 
          AND IF I CAN HAVE A GOOD FRIEND OVER HERE, AND IF I CAN ASK, UH, SERGIO TO COME UP HERE AS WELL, PLEASE. 
          FIRST OF ALL, MAYOR AND POLICE OFFICER, 50 YEARS, YOU'VE ALWAYS SUPPORTED US UP IN AUSTIN. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          THANK YOU, CHIEF. 
          GREAT TO SEE YOU. 
          I'M GLAD YOU'RE HERE. 
          AUSTIN, JULIAN RAMIREZ, DA. 
          HE'S A GOOD MAN. 
          YES, WORK OUR WAY UP. 
          NOW HE'S HERE. 
          I'M PROUD TO SEE YOU. 
          THESE GUYS REPRESENT HOUSTON, REPRESENT OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT. 
          WE WORK FOR YOU, SUPPORT US, WE'RE HERE FOR YOU. 
          WE WORKED HISPANIC CASES BEFORE I LEFT. 
          WE WERE OUT IN KINGWOOD WORKING OTHER CASES, CHRISTMAS ONE THAT I WORKED, AND I WON'T GO INTO THAT ONE, BUT I WAS OUT IN KINGWOOD CHRISTMAS EVE WORKING ON MURDER CASE, BUT WE WORKED 'EM ALL. 
          ANYWAY, GOOD TO SEE YOU HERE. 
          THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN, SIR. 
          THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE, AND THANK YOU, SIR. 
          THANK YOU, HAITI. 
          YEAH, YEAH. 
          UM, WELL, NUMBER ONE, THANKS DAD. 
          I'M REALLY PROUD OF HIM. 
          UM, MY NAME IS SERGIO RA AND I JUST WANT ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY HERE TODAY TO PLEASE TUNE IN ON LABOR DAY TO A AND E. 
          UM, THESE TYPES OF PROGRAMS DON'T GET MADE ALL THE TIME TO TELL THESE TYPES OF STORIES, SO PLEASE, A AND E LABOR DAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          PERFECT. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER, WE DO HAVE SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS IN THE QUEUE. 
          FIRST UP IS COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. 
          THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ, FOR BRINGING FORTH TWO WELL-DESERVED PROCLAMATIONS TODAY, NATIONAL LATINA DAY. 
          I HAPPEN TO HAVE FIVE LATINAS IN MY IMMEDIATE FAMILY, AND I LOVE THEM AND RESPECT EVERYTHING, UH, THAT THEY'VE ACCOMPLISHED IN THEIR LIVES. 
          AND THEN THIS ONE IS ESPECIALLY NEAR AND DEAR TO ME, THE CHICANO SQUAD. 
          I GOT TO WORK WITH THEM ON A PROFESSIONAL LEVEL, UH, FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. 
          AND, UH, YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT, WHAT YOU HAVE HERE IN FRONT OF YOU, UH, THE TALENT AND THE PERSEVERANCE THAT THESE, THESE, UH, FOLKS DISPLAYED. 
          AND, AND JOE SILVETA, I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE. 
          JOE, UH, INVESTIGATED THE CAPITAL MURDER OF A 4-YEAR-OLD BOY, DANIEL CABRA, I'LL NEVER FORGET, WHO WAS SHOT IN GANG CROSSFIRE AT AN APARTMENT COMPLEX. 
          AND THE SHOOTER RAN OFF. 
          UH, NO LEADS IN THAT CASE, BUT SOMEHOW 
          [00:35:01]
JOE SILVETA GOT AHOLD OF IT AND DOGGEDLY PURSUED THAT SUSPECT UNTIL HE GOT HIM IDENTIFIED AND BROUGHT HIM TO JUSTICE. 
          SO THESE, THESE GENTLEMEN BROUGHT, I DON'T KNOW, HUNDREDS, MAYBE THOUSANDS OF MURDERERS TO JUSTICE IN HOUSTON AND MADE, UH, OUR CITY SAFER. 
          SO THANK YOU ALL FOR THAT. 
          UH, COMMISSIONER, FORMER HOUSTON POLICE OFFICER GARCIA, YOU MENTIONED THE ADVERSITY THEY FACED, AND, UH, I SAW IT AND I HEARD IT. 
          UH, THEY WERE NOT WELCOMED, UH, LARGELY BY THE REST OF THE DEPARTMENT, SO THEY HAD TO WORK A LITTLE HARDER, UH, TO BE SUCCESSFUL, AND THEY DID. 
          AND SO THAT'S A TRIBUTE TO ALL OF YOU. 
          THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE, AND THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ, FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, COUNCIL MEMBER, THANK YOU SO MUCH, FIRST FOR RECOGNIZING LATINAS LEADING THE WAY AND HELPING TO SHATTER THE, THAT FINAL GLASS CEILING THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. 
          UM, BUT ALSO TO BRING FORWARD LIVING HISTORY TODAY, UM, TO EDUCATE THE NEXT GENERATION, NOT JUST ABOUT HOUSTON'S HISTORY, BUT ABOUT AMERICAN HISTORY. 
          UH, SO TO EACH OF YOU AND COMMISSIONER GARCIA, THANK YOU. 
          I THINK NOW WE, WE'VE BEEN GRACED WITH YOUR PRESENCE, UH, TWICE IN SEVEN DAYS, WHICH WE'RE VERY LUCKY TO HAVE YOU. 
          UH, BUT I, I THINK IT SPEAKS TO, UH, THE O THE GLASS CEILINGS THAT YOU YOURSELVES HAVE HELPED SHATTER. 
          UM, HOUSTON IS NOT WHAT IT USED TO BE. 
          AND WHILE WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO, OUR CITY WAS MADE A HELL OF A LOT BETTER BECAUSE OF EACH OF YOU. 
          SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR COURAGE. 
          THANK YOU FOR YOUR BRAVERY AND A, A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO EACH OF YOUR FAMILIES, BECAUSE THE SACRIFICE ALSO GOES TO THEM AS WELL. 
          SO PLEASE PASS ALONG OUR APPRECIATION. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER. 
          THANK YOU. 
          WELL, THANK YOU FOR, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ FOR BRINGING THIS GROUP HERE. 
          I'M SITTING HERE AND I, I KEEP HEARING YOU SAY SOMETHING REALLY FAST. 
          I'M THINKING, PETE HERNANDEZ, IS THAT YOU? YES, MA'AM. 
          I GUESS I'VE NEVER SEEN YOU IN A SUIT. 
          YOU, YOU, YOU, YOU, YOU, YOU CLEAN UP, RIGHT? RIGHT. 
          NICE. 
          NOW WHAT A, UH, AMAZING PIECE OF HISTORY. 
          I DIDN'T KNOW YOU WERE FAMOUS AND WHAT A, WHAT A FABULOUS GROUP. 
          AND THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU'VE DONE TO PAVE THE WAY FOR YOUNG, UH, MEN AND WOMEN. 
          AND, UM, IT'S AMAZING. 
          YOU LEARN SOMETHING NEW EVERY DAY. 
          SO THANK Y'ALL FOR BEING HERE. 
          PROUD TO KNOW SOME OF YOU AND ALL OF YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          BYE. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, THANK YOU, VICE MAYOR PROTI, AND, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ, THANK YOU FOR TWO FANTASTIC, UH, PRESENTATIONS TODAY. 
          COMMISSIONER, MAYOR, CHIEF, UM, IT'S SO GREAT TO SEE RECOGNITION GIVEN TO THE CHICANO SQUAD HERE AT CITY HALL. 
          UM, KNOWING THE CONTRIBUTIONS THAT WERE MADE, UH, TO THE CITY AND TO OUR HISTORY AND OUR CULTURE THAT CONTINUE TO HAVE AN IMPACT EVEN TODAY. 
          UM, AND I, I CAN'T WAIT TO CHECK OUT THE DOCUMENTARY AS WELL, BUT IT'S, IT'S VERY HEARTWARMING TO SEE, EVEN IF, IF Y'ALL DON'T WANT THE RECOGNITION, I'M SO GLAD TO SEE IT, UH, BEING GIVEN TO YOU BECAUSE YOU'VE ABSOLUTELY EARNED IT AND DESERVE IT. 
          AND, UM, I WISH, YOU KNOW, THIS HISTORY WILL CONTINUE TO LIVE ON AND, AND HAVE AN IMPACT FOR GENERATIONS TO COME. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ, FOR BRINGING THIS. 
          CONGRATULATIONS 
          [00:40:27]
FOR OUR FINAL PRESENTATION. 
          CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO FOR A PROCLAMATION TO THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON DOWNTOWN TO CELEBRATE THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF ITS FOUNDING QHD. 
          NOBODY WORKS FOR YOU. 
          SO BISCUIT, WHAT'S YOUR ENROLLMENT THESE DAYS? 14,000. 
          YEAH. 
          GOOD AFTERNOON, COLLEAGUES. 
          TODAY I AM EXCITED TO PRESENT A PROCLAMATION TO THE UNIVERSITY JUST OF HOUSTON DOWNTOWN. 
          JUST GIVE A MINUTE, I THINK YOU'RE ALRIGHT. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, I'M EXCITED TO RECOGNIZE A, AN INSTITUTION THAT HAS NOW BEEN AROUND FOR 50 YEARS. 
          THEY'VE MADE SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE CITY, AND IN MY TIME HERE ON COUNCIL, UH, I'VE SEEN THEM HARD AT WORK AFTER HURRICANE RESPONDING TO THE COMMUNITY WITH FOOD DRIVES AND WATER DRIVES. 
          UH, I'VE SEEN THEM PARTICIPATE IN EVENTS THROUGHOUT, UH, THE YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN A PART OF THE COMMUNITY, NEIGHBORHOOD FESTIVALS, NORTHSIDE FESTIVALS, YOU NAME IT. 
          UM, AND THEY'VE WORKED WITH ME ON THE DISTRICT H HORIZONS INTERNSHIP PROGRAM, HELPING TO SEE THAT PROGRAM COME TO FRUITION, AND, UH, ALSO GET THAT APPLICATION OUT TO A LOT OF THEIR STUDENTS. 
          SO THEY ARE FULLY INGRAINED IN HOUSTON AND BEING A GOOD NEIGHBOR AND BEING A GOOD PARTNER. 
          AND, UH, I'M EXCITED TO RECOGNIZE THEM TODAY ON THEIR 50TH ANNIVERSARY. 
          WHEREAS THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON, DOWNTOWN UHD IS COMMEMORATING ITS 50TH BIRTHDAY. 
          IT WAS ESTABLISHED AS THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON DOWNTOWN COLLEGE IN 1974. 
          AFTER ACQUIRING THE ASSETS OF SOUTH TEXAS JUNIOR COLLEGE IN 1979, THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE ESTABLISHED IT AS A SEPARATE UNIVERSITY MADE INSIDE THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON SYSTEM. 
          MARY, DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THAT?  AND IN 1983 WAS RENAMED AS THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON DOWNTOWN IN 2000 AND 2001. 
          IT WAS GRANTED AUTHORIZATION BY THE STATE OF TEXAS TO START OFFERING GRADUATE CLASSES, STARTING WITH A MASTER'S DEGREE OF SCIENCE AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE. 
          AND WHEREAS UHD EXPANDED FROM ONE BUILDING TO NINE IN 50 YEARS, EACH OF ITS STRUCTURES A WORK OF ARCHITECTURAL ART AND CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE DISTINCTIVE SKYLINE OF DOWNTOWN HOUSTON. 
          AND WHEREAS FROM THE BEGINNING, UHD HAS DEDICATED SERVING HOUSTON'S LABOR FORCE AT MORE THAN 14,000 STUDENTS EVERY YEAR. 
          IT IS THE SECOND LARGEST INSTITUTION IN HOUSTON, MORE THAN 67,000 FORMER ALUMNI CALL IT HOME. 
          AND IT HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED AS A MILITARY FRIENDLY, HISPANIC SERVING AND MINORITY SERVING INSTITUTION. 
          AND WHEREAS UHD SERVES THE NEEDS OF ITS DIVERSE STUDENT BODY, WHICH INCLUDES BOTH TRADITIONAL AND NON-TRADITIONAL STUDENTS, AS WELL AS WORKING PROFESSIONALS WITH A WIDE RANGE OF STUDENT SERVICES, INCLUDING BASIC NEEDS SERVICES, MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMMING, TUTORIALS, SERVICE LEARNING INTERNSHIPS, RESEARCH OPPORTUNITY, AND STUDENT EMPLOYMENT. 
          IT IS ALSO DEDICATED TO THE HEALTH AND WELLBEING OF ITS STUDENTS AND THEIR EXPERIENCE AND LIVES WITH ITS INVESTMENT OF THE $39 MILLION WELLNESS AND STUDENT SUCCESS CENTER. 
          AND WHEREAS UHD PROVIDES 45 BACHELOR'S AND 12 MASTER'S DEGREES PROGRAM, IN ADDITION TO TRADITIONAL HYBRID AND ONLINE COURSES AT UHD DOWNTOWN, UHD NORTHWEST AND THROUGHOUT AGREEMENTS WITH LSC CY-FAIR AND LSC KINGWOOD. 
          AND WHEREAS UHD IS HOME TO THE DEPARTMENTS OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE, SOCIAL WORK, URBAN EDUCATION IN THE COLLEGE OF PUBLIC SERVICE, DEMONSTRATING ITS DEDICATION TO THE ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING SOCIAL WELFARE AND PUBLIC SAFETY. 
          AND WHEREAS UHD IS COMMITTED TO ADVANCING, ITS THE SCIENCES, TECHNOLOGY, SERVICE AND SUSTAINABILITY AS EVIDENCED BY ITS COLLEGE OF SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY, WHICH IS HOUSED IN THE UNIVERSITY OF 
          [00:45:01]
HOUSTON'S FIRST LEED, GOLD BUILDING CENTER FOR URBAN ARCHITECTURE AND SUSTAINABILITY, SUSTAINABILITY GARDEN AND COMPOST CENTER, AND TARGET HUNGER COMMUNITY GARDEN, WHERE STUDENTS CONDUCT RESEARCH AND GROW FOOD FOR HOUSTON'S HOMELESS. 
          AND WHEREAS UHD IS HOME TO THE MARYLAND DAVIES COLLEGE OF BUSINESS, WHICH DEMONSTRATES ITS DEDICATION TO EDUCATING THE UPCOMING GENERATION OF BUSINESS LEADERS BY PROVIDING THE BIGGEST MBA PROGRAM IN TEXAS AND NINE STACKABLE GRADUATE CERTIFICATIONS. 
          AND WHEREAS, UH, HD'S DEDICATION TO ENHANCING HOUSTON'S CULTURAL AND CREATIVE SCENE IS DEMONSTRATED BY THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE COLLEGE OF HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES, THE BAYOU REVIEW, THE OCA THEATER AND THE OCA GALLERY. 
          AND WHEREAS BY PREPARING THE NEXT GENERATION OF LEADERS, THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON DOWNTOWN HAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE PROSPERITY AND VIBRANCY OF HOUSTON AND THE LONE STAR STATE FOR HALF A CENTURY. 
          THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS PLEASED WITH ITS INFLUENCE ON THE CITY AND ITS STUDENTS AND WISHES IT CONTINUED SUCCESS. 
          THANK YOU. 
          AND IT'S SO APPROPRIATE THAT YOU BRING THIS BEFORE US. 
          UH, AT ONE TIME I WOULD'VE SAID U OF H DOWNTOWN IS ONE OF OUR HIDDEN SECRETS, BUT THAT WOULD'VE BEEN MANY YEARS AGO UNDER DR. 
          BLANCHARD'S ABLE LEADERSHIP, IT HAS ARRIVED. 
          I WENT THERE IN 1970 AT THAT SOUTH TEXAS COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND THE BUILDING WAS COLD THEN , IT FLOODED THEN. 
          BUT YOU CAN SEE THE STEADY IMPROVEMENT. 
          AND, UH, I KNOW THE CITY IS COMMITTED BECAUSE OF YOUR LOCATION, BUT EVEN MORE SO BECAUSE OF THE PROFILES OF YOUR STUDENTS. 
          I DON'T BELIEVE THE PROCLAMATION MENTIONED THE NUMBER OF FIRST GENERATION STUDENTS. 
          IT IS JUST TREMENDOUS THE SERVICE THAT YOU'RE PROVIDING. 
          SO LET'S ALL JOIN TOGETHER TO RECOGNIZE YOU TODAY, BUT ALSO I THINK YOUR BETTER DAYS ARE IN FRONT OF YOU. 
          I THINK SOMEDAY WHEN WE PROVIDE THE STUDENTS HOUSING AND A STUDENT CENTER AND JUST REALLY GIVE IT ALL THE ASSETS THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU GO UP THE ROAD AND YOU SEE AT OTHER UNIVERSITIES, BUT YOU TALKED ABOUT THE ENROLLMENT AND IT'S, IT'S A RELATIVE SIZE HERE IN HOUSTON. 
          I CAN START NAMING COLLEGES ACROSS THE STATE, ACROSS THE STATE THAT THIS ENROLLMENT IS LARGER THAN. 
          SO WE NEED TO ALL GET BEHIND THE EFFORT IN THE LEGISLATURE. 
          THE CITY NEEDS TO DO WHAT IT CAN DO. 
          AND, UH, IT'S JUST EXCITING FOR YOU TO RECOGNIZE U OF H DOWNTOWN. 
          AND I'M PROUD AS THE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON HEREBY PROCLAIM AUGUST 20TH UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON, DOWNTOWN DAY IN HOUSTON, TEXAS. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYOR. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH, COUNCIL MEMBER. 
          UH, THE REALITY IS THAT IT FEELS LIKE WE ARE IN GOOD COMPANY. 
          AND I SAY THAT BECAUSE OF THE FACT NOT ONLY THAT WE'RE RIGHT DOWN THE STREET, WE'RE RIGHT IN THE HEART OF THE DOWNTOWN DISTRICT, UH, AND THAT WE CLAIM THE FACT THAT WE ARE PROUD TO BE A PART OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE FAMILY, UH, HERE AT UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON DOWNTOWN. 
          BUT ALSO BECAUSE I STAND REALLY, UH, DIRECTLY WITH THE SIX OTHER PRESIDENTS THAT PRECEDED ME, THAT REALLY HELPED THIS UNIVERSITY TO STAND AS TALL AS IT DOES. 
          NOW WITH THIS 50TH YEAR ANNIVERSARY, UH, YOU'VE HEARD ALL OF THE VARIOUS ACHIEVEMENTS THAT WE'VE MADE. 
          YOU HEARD THE MAYOR MAKE MENTION OF THE FACT THAT ONE OF THOSE ACHIEVEMENTS THAT WE DIDN'T TALK ABOUT IN THE PROCLAMATION, UH, IS THE FACT THAT WE DO SERVE A LARGE NUMBER OF FIRST GENERATION STUDENTS. 
          70%, UH, OF OUR STUDENTS ARE FIRST GENERATION AND 50% OF OUR STUDENTS COME FROM ECONOMICALLY DEPRIVED BACKGROUNDS. 
          BUT THE BEAUTY OF THAT, THE SILVER LINING OF ALL OF THAT, IS THAT THE VAST MAJORITY OF THOSE STUDENTS ARE COMPLETING DEGREES FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON DOWNTOWN. 
          AND THE, AND THAT THOSE DEGREES ARE DEGREES OF VALUE, MEANING THAT THEY LEAVE US WITH THE KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND DISPOSITIONS THAT HAVE THEM READY FOR THE WORKFORCE, HAVE THEM READY FOR GRADUATE AND PROFESSIONAL SCHOOL, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, THEY STAND TALL AS LEADERS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES AND LEADERS IN THEIR FIELDS. 
          UH, I WOULD BE HARD PRESSED NOT TO THINK THAT EVEN IN THE ROOM BEHIND ME, THAT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE EITHER CURRENT UHD STUDENTS OR UHD ALUMS OR MAYBE EVEN IN FRONT OF ME AS WELL. 
          IF YOU ARE, WOULD YOU PLEASE STAND, PLEASE STAND IF YOU ARE A CURRENT STUDENT OR IF YOU ARE UHD ALUM. 
          WE ARE PROUD OF ALL OF THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS. 
          AND, UH, AS THE MAYOR SAID, AND CERTAINLY I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER, ALL OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS KNOW AS WELL, IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY ARE WORKING TO ACHIEVE FAR MORE, UH, FOR OUR, FOR OUR STUDENTS AND FOR THE CITY. 
          WE SEE OURSELVES REALLY 
          [00:50:01]
INTEGRALLY, UH, TIED TOGETHER. 
          WE DON'T SEE UHD SEPARATE THAT FROM THE CITY. 
          WE CONSIDER OURSELVES ALSO TO BE AN ANCHOR INSTITUTION TO THE DOWNTOWN AREA. 
          UH, AND THAT MANY OF OUR STUDENTS, THEY HAVE OPPORTUNITIES FOR INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCES. 
          I KNOW THAT, UH, CERTAINLY WITHIN YOUR OFFICE, THAT YOU'VE GOT ONE OF OUR STUDENTS RIGHT NOW, UH, WORKING FOR YOU ON AN INTERNSHIP BASIS OR MAYBE ON A PAID BASIS. 
          UM, BUT THE REALITY IS THAT WE SEE MORE AND MORE OF THAT HAPPENING BECAUSE WE BELIEVE IN THE POWER OF EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING AND THAT THESE ARE THE INDIVIDUALS WE'RE PREPARING TO TAKE THE SEATS THAT YOU'RE IN RIGHT NOW, NOT ANYTIME SOON, BUT TAKE THE SEATS, UH, THAT, THAT YOU'RE IN, UH, BECAUSE WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THEY REALLY ARE ABOUT THE LEADERSHIP OF THE CITY AND THE NATION. 
          SO, UM, I COULD GO ON AND ON, BUT THE REALITY IS THAT THIS IS REALLY A PROUD DAY FOR US. 
          UH, WE'RE GOING, WE'VE BEEN CELEBRATING ALL YEAR LONG, AND WE'VE LEFT YOU WITH A LITTLE 50TH YEAR ANNIVERSARY BUTTON THAT WE, THERE YOU GO. 
          THANK YOU FOR MODELING THAT. 
          UM, AND, UH, WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO WEAR IT. 
          I KNOW THAT YOU MIGHT NOT BE A UHD ALUM, BUT, UH, WE CERTAINLY BELIEVE THAT WE ARE PARTNERS STILL THE SAME. 
          UH, SO THANK YOU ALL SO VERY MUCH. 
          UH, WE, I HAVE A HUGE DELEGATION OF UHD UNIVERSITIES IN DOWNTOWN FACULTY, STAFF, AND STUDENTS THAT JOIN THAT'S JOINED ME. 
          I'M GONNA ASK THEM TO COME UP NOW BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA TAKE A PICTURE TOGETHER. 
          MM-HMM. 
          BUT THANK YOU. 
          ALSO, BEFORE WE TAKE A PHOTO THOUGH, WE DO HAVE SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS IN THE QUEUE. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. 
          OH, SORRY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          WONDERFUL. 
          UH, THANK YOU. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO AND MR. MAYOR. 
          UH, HE'S ABSOLUTELY CORRECT ABOUT THE FIRST GENERATION. 
          UM, MY NIECE IS A STUDENT AT UHD. 
          SHE'S A GATOR. 
          I LOVE IT. 
          LOVE IT. 
          YEAH. 
          . 
          AND, UM, ON HER MOTHER'S SIDE, SHE'S THE FIRST ONE, UM, TO PURSUE COLLEGE. 
          AND I WILL TELL YOU, UM, WHAT YOU DIDN'T MENTION WAS THE GLOBAL EXPERIENCE. 
          SHE ACTUALLY RECENTLY SPENT SOME TIME IN KOREA THIS SUMMER MM-HMM . 
          AND THE FAMILY WAS LIKE, KOREA, WHAT, WHERE ARE YOU GOING? AND IT WAS THE FACT THAT HER ADVISORS, THE WAY SHE TALKS ABOUT HER ADVISORS, THE WAY SHE TALKS ABOUT HER EXPERIENCE FROM ORIENTATION TO THE CLASSWORK TO HER CAREER AND THE POSSIBILITIES. 
          YES. 
          AS A FACULTY MEMBER AT PRAIRIE VIEW A AND M, I COULD TELL YOU THAT I HAVE BEEN JUST COMPLETELY, UH, IMPRESSED WITH JUST LISTENING TO HER AS AN UNDERGRADUATE ABOUT HER EXPERIENCE, OPPORTUNITIES I DID NOT HAVE. 
          SHE HAS AT HER FINGERTIPS. 
          MM-HMM . 
          UM, AND SO AT ONE POINT SHE THOUGHT SHE WAS GONNA ATTEND AND THEN TRANSFERRING. 
          SHE SAYS, NO, I LIKE THIS UNIVERSITY. 
          AND SO I THINK THAT'S A PART OF THE STORY AS WELL AS WHAT Y'ALL ARE OFFERING. 
          SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          UM, UM, I DON'T HAVE ANYONE GOING BESIDES, UH, U OF UHD BESIDES HER AND MY MONEY AND MY NETWORK AND ALL OF THAT. 
          . 
          AND I MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE EDITED ONE OF HER PAPERS. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, BUT, UH, I TELL YOU THAT I'M JUST EXTREMELY IMPRESSED, UM, WITH HER ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE. 
          AND YOU HAVE AN AMAZING OUTREACH TEAM. 
          'CAUSE I RECEIVE AN INVITATION FOR EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS ON THAT'S GOOD. 
          THAT'S GOOD. 
          EVERYTHING I GET AN INVITATION FOR. 
          SO JUST CONGRATULATIONS. 
          AND LASTLY, I BELIEVE WE SHARE A FRIEND IN COMMON, DR. 
          ANTOINE GARIBALDI. 
          YES, VERY MUCH SO. 
          YES. 
          I WILL DEFINITELY LET HIM KNOW THAT I SAW YOU IN CHAMBERS TODAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          CONGRATULATIONS. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ. 
          THANK YOU. 
          VICE MAYOR PROAM, AND THANK THANK YOU, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO FOR BRINGING DR. BLANCHARD AND U OF H DOWNTOWN, UH, STAFF. 
          AND THANK YOU MAYOR FOR RECOGNIZING HIM AS WELL AS A UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON DOWNTOWN ALUMNI. 
          I JUST WANNA SAY THAT THOSE EXPERIENCES THAT, UH, MY COLLEAGUE, UH, YOU KNOW, MENTIONED THAT THEY ARE THERE. 
          UM, AND IT IS A FIRST GEN, UH, UNIVERSITY AND TOP QUALITY AS WELL. 
          AND SO, UM, AS YOU CELEBRATE YOUR 50, I THINK, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE THE RIGHT PERSON AT THE RIGHT TIME, DR. BLANCHARD, TO HELP LEAD, UH, UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON DOWNTOWN TO EXCEL AND, AND JUST BE BETTER, RIGHT? AND SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK, YOUR COMMITMENT TO THE STUDENTS AND TO THE FACULTY. 
          A QUICK SHOUT OUT TO, UH, DR. 
          LIZA ALONZO. 
          YES. 
          UH, GOOD FRIEND OF MINE. 
          UM, AND, AND JUST WANT TO SAY AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WE'RE HERE TO SUPPORT YOU AND, AND KNOW THAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS, YOU KNOW, BACKING YOU UP ALL THE WAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ. 
          THANK YOU. 
          VICE MAYOR PROAM, AND CERTAINLY THANK YOU DR. BLANCHARD. 
          OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON, THE MAIN CAMPUSES IN, UH, THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION, BUT WE CLAIM YOU AS WELL, . 
          THANK YOU. 
          I'M NOT CERTAINLY, UH, I HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY AT ONE POINT TO ENGAGE WITH SOME OTHER PRESIDENTS. 
          I AM THE FORMER CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF THE HOUSTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE. 
          AND SO, AND IN SPEAKING OF HOUSTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE, I SEE A GREAT ASSET TO YOUR STAFF AND, AND DEBORAH MCCOY THERE. 
          MM-HMM . 
          SHE ACTUALLY WAS WITH THE, UH, HCC FOR THINK LIKE 21 YEARS, RIGHT? MM-HMM . 
          AND SO NOW SHE IS THERE, AND I KNOW SHE'S DOING A FANTASTIC JOB THAT SHE IS. 
          SOMEBODY SPOKE TO ME OVER THERE, BUT I TELL YOU, MY EYES HAVE FAILED ME, SO I CAN'T LOOK OVER THERE. 
          BUT THANK YOU. 
          AND HELLO TO YOU . 
          I'M LIKE, BUT ANYWAY, BUT THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD. 
          AND MAYOR, UH, WE ALWAYS VALUE EDUCATION AND CERTAINLY YOU ALL HAVE BEEN A GREAT ASSET, UH, TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON. 
          AND CONGRATULATIONS AND HAPPY ANNIVERSARY. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          [00:55:01]
THANK YOU. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. 
          AND NOW, UM, WE CAN DO THE PHOTO. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COUNCIL, 
          [2:00 P.M. – INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE]
COME TO ORDER COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ FOR THE INVOCATION. 
          THANK YOU, MAYOR WHITMEYER. 
          I ASK RABBI SPRUNG TO COME FORWARD. 
          RABBI HAWK SPRUNG IS THE RABBI AT UNITED ORTHODOX SYNAGOGUES. 
          HE HOLDS RABBINIC ORDINATION AND A MASTER'S DEGREE IN JEWISH PHILOSOPHY FROM YESHIVA UNIVERSITY, WHERE HE IS ALSO PURSUING A PHD IN THE SAME FIELD. 
          HE HOLDS A BACHELOR OF LAWS FROM THE BAR, ELON UNIVERSITY. 
          HE AND HIS WIFE, T FERRET, AND THEIR THREE CHILDREN LIVE IN THE WILLOW MINTERS AREA OF HOUSTON. 
          WELCOME, RABBI SPRO. 
          THANK YOU, MAYOR. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COUNCIL MEMBERS, OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN WHO GIVES SALVATION TO KINGS AND SOVEREIGNTY, THE GOVERNMENT. 
          PLEASE BLESS THE MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBERS, MEMBERS OF OUR HOUSTON GOVERNMENT, AND ALL THE PEOPLE OF THIS GREAT CITY AND YOUR MERCY. 
          GIVE THEM LIFE AND PRESERVE THEM FROM ALL TROUBLE, WORRY AND HARM. 
          HELP OUR GOVERNMENT MEMBERS. 
          LEAD US IN PEACE AND PROSPERITY. 
          AS THE PROPHET JEREMIAH SAID, BUILD HOUSES AND DWELL IN THEM, PLANT GARDENS AND EAT THEIR FRUITS. 
          TAKE WIVES AND FATHER, SONS AND DAUGHTERS, SEEK THE PEACE OF THE CITY. 
          LET US TOGETHER ACT AS DAVID AND WORRY AND CARE FOR OUR NEIGHBORS. 
          AS PEACE HOLDS OWL. 
          ALL BLESSINGS. 
          BUT THE VISION CAN HOLD NONE. 
          AS DAVID WROTE AS FOR ME WHEN THEY WERE ILL, I DRESSED IN SACKCLOTH AND I AFFLICTED MYSELF WITH FASTING. 
          FOR THIS IS THE WAY OF THE RIGHTEOUS. 
          SAVE OUR LEADERS AND THEIR ADVISORS FROM ALL DANGER AND FALSEHOOD, AND GRANT OUR CITY PEACE. 
          BLESS US WITH YOUR PRESENCE. 
          LORD, BLESS US WITH YOUR REPUTATION AND ASSIST US THAT WE MAY BE WORTHY OF THEM. 
          AMEN. 
          AMEN. 
          WE PLEASE RISE FOR THE PLEDGE, PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO FLAG TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC WHICH STANDS FOR ONE NATION UNDER GOD, 
          [01:00:01]
INDIVIDUAL LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. 
          NOW LOOK, MADAM 
          [ROLL CALL AND ADOPT THE MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING]
SECRETARY, IF YOU'LL CALL THE ROLL, MAYOR WHITMEYER. 
          PRESENT. 
          CONSTABLE PECK. 
          HERE. 
          CONSTABLE JACKSON. 
          HERE. 
          COUNCILMAN KAMAN. 
          PRESENT. 
          CONSTABLE EVAN SHABA. 
          HERE. 
          COUNCILMAN FLICKINGER. 
          HERE. 
          COUNCILMAN THOMAS. 
          HERE. 
          CONSTABLE HUFFMAN. 
          PRESENT. 
          CONSTABLE CASTILLO. 
          HERE. 
          CONSTABLE MARTINEZ. 
          HERE. 
          COUNCIL POLLARD. 
          HERE. 
          COUNCILMAN CAST T WILL BE ABSENT. 
          CONSTABLE RAMIREZ. 
          HERE. 
          COUNCILMAN DAVIS. 
          HERE. 
          CONSTABLE CARTER. 
          PRESENT. 
          CONSTABLE PLUMMER HERE. 
          AND CONSTABLE ALCORN. 
          HERE NEED A MOTION TO ADOPT THE MINUTES OF MARCH 26TH AND 27TH, APRIL 2ND AND THIRD AND NINE, APRIL 9TH AND 10TH. 
           I SECOND. 
          MOTION MADE. 
          AND SECOND. 
          ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. 
          THOSE OPPOSED NAY. 
          MOTION PASSES. 
          PROCEDURAL 
          [PUBLIC SPEAKERS]
MOTIONS. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. 
          THANK YOU MAYOR. 
          I MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO ADD JACK VALINSKI TO THE BOTTOM OF THE TWO MINUTE NON AGENDA LIST. 
          I SECOND. 
          MOTION MADE. 
          AND SECOND. 
          ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. 
          THOSE OPPOSED NAY. 
          MOTION PASSES. 
          COUNCILMAN DAVIS. 
          THANK YOU MAYOR. 
          I MOVE THE SUSPENDED RULE TO MOVE. 
          JACOB CLEMENT TO THE BOTTOM OF THE ONE MINUTE NON AGENDA LIST. 
          I SECOND. 
          MOTION MADE AND SECONDED. 
          ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. 
          THOSE OPPOSED NAY. 
          MOTION PASSES. 
          UR I DUNNO. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER. 
          THANK YOU MAYOR. 
          I MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO MOVE BRANDY HARLOW TO THE TOP OF THE THREE MINUTE LIST. 
          I SECOND. 
          MOTION'S BEEN MADE. 
          AND SECOND. 
          ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. 
          THOSE OPPOSED NAY. 
          MOTION AGENDA. 
          AGENDA PERMITTED AGENDA LIST. 
          OKAY, YOU GO AHEAD. 
          MOTION PASSES. 
          ANYONE ELSE? DO NOT. 
          UH, MADAM SECRETARY, OUR FIRST SPEAKER, BRANDY HARLOW. 
          WELL, GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR WHITMEYER AND ESTEEM CITY COUNCIL. 
          MY NAME IS BRANDI HARLOW. 
          UH, I'M A SECOND GENERATION OWNER OF SOUTH POST OAK RECYCLING CENTER. 
          WE ARE A METAL RECYCLING AND SUSTAINABILITY COMPANY HERE IN HOUSTON AND CELEBRATING 30 YEARS IN BUSINESS. 
          WE ALSO HAVE OUR PROUD, NOT ONLY RESIDENTS, BUT BUSINESS OWNERS WITHIN, UM, MAYOR PRO TEM CASTEX, TATUM'S DISTRICT. 
          THERE. 
          UM, I AM HONORED ALSO TO SERVE AS THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE OFFICE OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY ADVISORY BOARD, WHICH IS WHY I'M HERE TODAY. 
          I'M HERE TO, TO SHARE AN EXCITING MILESTONE FOR THE OBO THIS THURSDAY, AUGUST 22ND, FROM TWO TO 4:00 PM IN THE LEGACY ROOM. 
          THE OFFICE OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY WILL BE COMMEMORATING 40 YEARS OF SUPPORT IN HOUSTONIANS. 
          I SAID, 40 YEARS OF SUPPORT IN HOUSTONIANS. 
          THE ADVISORY BOARD INVITES YOU TO JOIN US AS WE REFLECT ON THE ACHIEVEMENTS, AS WELL AS LOOK AHEAD TO THE FUTURE ENDEAVORS. 
          HOUSTON BOAST MOST, SOME OF THE MOST DYNAMIC AND DIVERSE COMMUNITIES TO INCLUDE MINORITIES, WOMEN, AND BUSINESSES IN THIS COUNTRY. 
          WE TAKE PRIDE IN THE STRIDES. 
          OBO CONTINUES TO MAKE AND HAS MADE TO ENHANCE THE PARTICIPATION OF THESE GROUPS ACROSS THE CITY OF HOUSTON IN TERMS OF CONTRACTS, AS WELL AS THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS. 
          TO DATE, THE OBO HAS SUCCESSFULLY CERTIFIED 5,700 SMALL BUSINESSES GENERATING CONTRACTING OPPORTUNITIES ACROSS THE HOUSTON AREA FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2024. 
          FROM JULY 1ST, 2023 TO JUNE 30TH, 2024, THE CITY OF HOUSTON HAS ALLOCATED AN IMPRESSIVE 2,000,698,000 FOUR HUNDRED AND THIRTY NINE, A HUNDRED AND TWENTY $8 TO VARIOUS FIRMS IN THE AREAS OF CONSTRUCTION, PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AND GOODS AND SERVICE AGREEMENTS. 
          WITH 21.8% OF THAT SPECIFICALLY DESIGNATED TO CERTIFIED MINORITY WOMEN, SMALL AND DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS ENTERPRISE FIRMS, OBO HAS DEVELOPED OUTSTANDING PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO EMPOWER AND, UM, ELEVATE THE MW SBE, ENABLING THEM TO PURSUE CONTRACTS EFFECTIVELY. 
          THESE INCLUDE INITIATIVES SUCH AS PILLARS FOR SUCCESS, THE ANNUAL MEET THE BUYER EVENT LAST YEAR, OF WHICH WE HAD OVER 600 BUSINESS OWNERS ATTEND, AND THE INTER-AGENCY MENTOR PROTEGE PROGRAM. 
          AS A BUSINESS OWNER, I HAVE PERSONALLY ATTENDED THE LATTER OF THE TWO, WHICH ARE PHENOMENAL NOW MORE THAN EVER. 
          IT IS CRUCIAL THAT WE CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE FOR OUR MINORITY WOMEN AND 
          [01:05:01]
THE SMALL BUSINESS COMMUNITY IN RELATION TO CITY CONTRACTS AND THE PROCUREMENTS OF GOODS AND SERVICES. 
          THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN FOR YOUR ATTENTION TODAY, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING ALL OF YOU THIS THURSDAY FROM TWO TO FIVE IN THE LEGACY ROOM AS WE CELEBRATE THE OBOS 40TH ANNIVERSARY. 
          THANK YOU FOR THIS TIME. 
          COUNCILMAN P*****K. 
          THANK YOU MAYOR, AND GOOD AFTERNOON TO EVERYONE. 
          BRANDY, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR COMING FORWARD, AND I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND EVERYONE WHO SERVES ON THE ADVISORY COUNCIL. 
          UH, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO HAVE, UM, STAKEHOLDERS AND BUSINESS OWNERS BE ABLE TO HELP CRAFT THE POLICY, UNDERSTAND HOW THE OPERATIONS OF THE OFFICE WORKS, AND WHAT WE CAN DO AS POLICY MAKERS TO STRENGTHEN YOU ALL'S PARTICIPATION AND BE ABLE TO COME UP WITH PROGRAMS AND INITIATIVES THAT NOT ONLY EQUAL THE PLAN FIELD, BUT PROVIDE EDUCATION AND ENGAGEMENT, UH, TO MANY OF THE SMALL AND MINORITY BUSINESSES WITH, UH, AROUND OUR CITY. 
          AND TO CELEBRATE 40 YEARS IS A HUGE ACCOMPLISHMENT AND SOMETHING THAT I THINK WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO AMPLIFY EVEN BEYOND, UH, SOME OF THE CELEBRATIONS THAT WE HAVE. 
          UM, BUT JUST TO REALLY THINK ABOUT THE IMPACT OVER THE PAST 40 YEARS THAT THE OFFICE OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY HAS PROVIDED TO MANY MINORITY AND SMALL BUSINESSES AROUND THIS CITY. 
          THAT WAS A PROGRAM, UH, THAT, UM, AT, AT SOMETIMES GETS REALLY PUSHED THROUGH THE COURTS, GETS PUSHED THROUGH PUBLIC OPINION, GETS PUSHED THROUGH, UH, SOME INDUSTRY, NOT UNDERSTANDING THE IMPORTANCE AND THE IMPACT YEAH. 
          UH, OF WHY IT'S NECESSARY. 
          AND SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE FACED, UH, WHEN THE PROGRAM FIRST STARTED 40 YEARS AGO, ARE SOME OF THE SAME ISSUES THAT WE'RE FACING TODAY. 
          SO I ALWAYS TRY TO TAKE, UM, THE LEAD ON LOOKING AT THOSE MWBE PARTICIPATION GOALS ON EACH AGENDA ITEM AND MAKE IT A PRIORITY TO ENSURE THAT, UH, WE'RE MEETING OUR GOALS, THAT PEOPLE ARE GETTING FAIR REPRESENTATION AND OPPORTUNITY, AND WHEN WE ARE NOT HOLDING, UH, THE CITY ACCOUNTABLE TO ENSURE THAT WE DO. 
          SO, I WANT TO THANK YOU AND EVERYONE INVOLVED, UH, THE DIRECTORS AND THE PAST DIRECTORS OF THE OFFICE OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY AS WELL. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COUNCILMAN PRO. 
          COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ. 
          THANK YOU MAYOR. 
          UH, BRANDY, UH, JUST WANT TO SAY, UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE ON THE, ON THE BOARD. 
          UM, IT'S, IT'S LEADERSHIP LIKE YOURSELF AND REPRESENTATION, UM, THAT REALLY GOES A LONG WAY, UH, 40 YEARS. 
          AND I THINK ONE THING THAT I JUST REALLY WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT, TO PUT IN PERSPECTIVE IS AS YOU WENT THROUGH THOSE, THOSE, UH, DATA POINTS AND HOW MUCH MONEY HAS COME, COME TO THOSE SMALL BUSINESSES, MINORITY WOMEN, UM, THOSE ARE DOLLARS BACK IN HOUSTON. 
          AND, AND I REALLY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT FOLKS, YOU KNOW, KIND OF HONE IN ON THAT BECAUSE AS YOU ALL DO BETTER, UM, THEN HOUSTON DOES BETTER. 
          THOSE DOLLARS ARE REINVESTED IN OUR COMMUNITIES. 
          THEY GET BACK INTO THE GENERAL FUND EVENTUALLY, UH, SALES TAX AND ULTIMATELY HELP MAKE SURE THAT OUR ECONOMY HERE IN HOUSTON US IS, IS STRONG. 
          AND SO THANK YOU FOR THE WORK. 
          I LOOK FORWARD TO, UH, VISITING WITH YOU ALL THIS THURSDAY AS WELL. 
          UH, CONGRATULATIONS ON 40 AND THANK YOU TO THE OBO STAFF THAT ARE HERE, BRANDON, UM, AND, AND THE REST OF THE TEAM, LENCIA, UH, DIRECTOR, UM, FOR ALL THE WORK THAT Y'ALL CONTINUE TO DO. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER, YOU MA'AM. 
          NEXT, DOUG SMITH. 
          ALRIGHT, I TOMORROW THERE'S A PUBLIC MEETING ON TAX ABATEMENTS, A PUBLIC HEARING, ACTUALLY AT A RECENT COMMITTEE MEETING RELATING TO THIS, THERE SEEMED TO BE SOME CONFUSION BY MANY IN ATTENDANCE, INCLUDING THE PRESENTER OF THE EFFECT ABATEMENTS MIGHT HAVE ON TAX COLLECTIONS. 
          THE ABATEMENTS ARE REFERRED TO YOU AS FUNNY MONEY BECAUSE YOU WERE GIVING AWAY MONEY THAT COULD NOT BE COLLECTED ANYWAY BECAUSE OF THE PROPERTY TAX CAP. 
          DEPENDING ON THE SITUATION, THIS MAY NOT BE TRUE. 
          IF THE ABATEMENT IS RELATED TO NEW CONSTRUCTION, THAT CAN BE ADDED TO THE EXISTING CAP. 
          SO YOU WOULD BE GIVING AWAY PROPERTY TAXES THAT YOU COULD OTHERWISE COLLECT. 
          AS YOU LOOK AT ABATEMENTS, PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT THE IMPACT WILL BE NOW THAT THE FIREFIGHTER'S DISPUTE HAS BEEN SETTLED. 
          THOSE OF YOU IN YOUR SECOND TERM MAY REMEMBER I CAME TO YOU SEVERAL TIMES DURING THE TURNER ADMINISTRATION TO POINT OUT HIS VINDICTIVE TREATMENT OF THE FIREFIGHTERS AND THAT IT COULD LEAD TO A LIABILITY FOR THE CITY OF $700 MILLION TO A BILLION DOLLARS. 
          UNFORTUNATELY, THAT ESTIMATE WAS LOW. 
          WHEN YOU ADD THE INTEREST ON THE BONDS THAT WERE RECENTLY ISSUED. 
          AT ONE MEETING I POINTED OUT, THE MAYOR WAS ARGUING TO BOTH SIDES OF HIS MOUTH IN LAWSUITS AGAINST THE FIREFIGHTERS. 
          IN ONE LAWSUIT, HE WAS ARGUING THAT PROP B WAS ILLEGAL BECAUSE IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN HANDLED UNDER COLLECTIVE BARGAINING. 
          [01:10:01]
AND IN ANOTHER LAWSUIT, HE SAID HE WAS, HE WAS ARGUING JUST THE OPPOSITE. 
          THAT COLLECTIVE BARGAINING WAS UNCONSTITUTIONAL. 
          WHEN I POINTED THIS OUT, HE SAID, I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT, WHICH WAS OFTEN HIS WAY OF DEALING WITH CHALLENGES TO ACTIONS THAT HE WAS TAKING. 
          BUT IT WAS CONFIRMED BY THE STATE SUPREME COURT, I GUESS NO COUNCIL MEMBERS AT THE TIME BOTHERED TO CHECK TO SEE OF WHAT I WAS SAYING WAS TRUE BECAUSE YOU JUST KEPT GIVING THE MAYOR MORE MONEY TO, FOR ADDITIONAL LAWSUITS, EVEN UP TO THE DAY HE LEFT OFFICE. 
          I POINT THIS OUT IN THE HOPE THAT IF SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPENS IN THE FUTURE, AT LEAST ONE OF YOU WILL CHECK TO SEE WHAT THE TRUTH IS SURROUNDING WHAT IS BEING SAID. 
          IF THIS HAD BEEN DONE AFTER MY COMMENTS THAT WERE BRUSHED ASIDE BY THE MAYOR, PERHAPS THE DISPUTE WOULD'VE BEEN SOLVED SOONER AND THE COST OF THE CITY MUCH LESS. 
          THANK YOU. 
          BEFORE YOU LEAVE YOU, YOU MENTIONED THE MAYOR, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE PREVIOUS MAYOR? I, YES, OF COURSE. 
          BIG DIS, BIG DIS, BIG DISTINCTION THERE. 
          YES, I, WELL, I MENTIONED HIS NAME AT ONE POINT, AND I APOLOGIZE. 
          NO, NO PROBLEM. 
          I JUST WANTED MAKE CERTAIN EVERYONE WAS CLEAR. 
          YES. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. 
          NO, I WAS JUST GONNA GET DOUG MY, IF HE NEEDED MORE TIME. 
          YOU NEED MORE TIME? NO, I DON'T NEED MORE TIME. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. 
          THANK YOU, DOUG, FOR BEING HERE AGAIN AND FOR ALWAYS PAYING CLOSE ATTENTION. 
          AND THANK YOU FOR POINTING OUT, UH, UH, THAT ABOUT, UH, THE DISCUSSION ON TAX ABATEMENTS. 
          IT'S NOT JUST FUNNY MONEY AND, UH, WHO KNOWS WHAT THE SITUATION WILL LOOK LIKE A YEAR FROM NOW, OR TWO YEARS FROM NOW. 
          WE, WE MIGHT NOT HAVE A LOCAL, UH, REV CAP, AND SO THAT MIGHT AFFECT THINGS AS WELL. 
          SO I APPRECIATE YOUR PAYING ATTENTION AND ALWAYS BEING HERE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COUNCIL CAYMAN, COUNCIL MEMBER. 
          THANK YOU, MAYOR DOUG, IT'S GREAT TO SEE YOU, UM, IN THE PRESENTATION. 
          IT'S JUST THE HEARING TOMORROW, I BELIEVE, NOT THE ACTUAL VOTE. 
          YEAH. 
          UM, BUT THERE'S A DISTINCTION BETWEEN ONETIME TAX ABATEMENTS AS IT RELATES TO CONSTRUCTION, FOR EXAMPLE, TO INCENTIVIZE TYPES OF BUILDING THAT THE CITY WANTS TO SEE THAT PROVIDE A GREATER COMMUNITY BENEFIT. 
          MM-HMM . 
          AND LONG TERM, UM, ANNUAL TAX ABATEMENTS THAT, AGAIN, TO COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ'S POINT, UH, COULD CHANGE IF THINGS RELATED TO OUR REVENUE CHANGE. 
          ARE YOU DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN THE TWO? I'M NOT AWARE OF THE DIFFERENCE, SO NO, IN ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          OKAY, THANKS. 
          NEXT, JOY ROTH TO BE FOLLOWED BY JACOB CLEMENTI. 
          GOOD AFTERNOON. 
          I'M A DISTRICT H RESIDENT WIFE, MIDDLE SCHOOL MOTHER, GIRL SCOUT TROOP LEADER, 25 YEAR EMPLOYEE CHEVRON, A CAR OWNER AND A REGULAR BIKE COMMUTER. 
          UM, I WATCHED THE MAYOR'S PRESS CONFERENCE EARLIER IN THE MONTH, UH, ANNOUNCING CHEVRON'S HEADQUARTER MOVED TO DOWNTOWN HOUSTON. 
          SORRY THAT IT COULDN'T COME ON YOUR BIRTHDAY. 
          UM, CHEVRON. 
          UM, SO THEY CALLED AND MENTION YOUR, THEIR CONFIDENCE IN YOUR ADMINISTRATION ADDRESSING CHALLENGES WITH PUBLIC SAFETY AND INFRASTRUCTURE. 
          AND I HOPE THAT THAT FOCUS ON PUBLIC SAFETY AND INFRASTRUCTURE WILL MAKE IT SAFER FOR ALL HUE, BIKE AND WALK AROUND THE CITY, WHETHER BECAUSE THEY PREFER TO OR BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO. 
          UM, THE COMPANY THAT I WORK FOR, CHEVRON'S DOWNTOWN LOCATION, HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED NATIONALLY AS A BICYCLE FRIENDLY BUSINESS. 
          I ALREADY HAVE A HUNDRED COLLEAGUES THAT BIKE TO WORK, AND I ASSUME THAT NUMBER WILL GROW WITH A HEADQUARTER MOVE. 
          WHEN INFRASTRUCTURE INCREASES THE SAFETY OF PEOPLE ON BIKES, IT ALSO BENEFITS THOSE THAT NEED TO DRIVE. 
          AND JUST ASK ANYONE TRYING TO GET ONTO I 45 FROM P STREET DURING RUSH HOUR. 
          GO AHEAD. 
          DO YOU NEED A LITTLE MORE TIME? UH, GOOD SHAPE. 
          WELL, I MEAN, SHOOT, I COULD, I TRIED TO MAKE IT FIT INTO 60 MINUTES, BUT, UH, YOU DID F YOU DID A GREAT JOB. 
          WELL, THANKS. 
          THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN. 
          SORRY, MA'AM. 
          MA'AM, MA'AM. 
          COUNCILMAN KAMAN. 
          THANK YOU, MAYOR. 
          REALLY QUICKLY, JOY, BECAUSE I WAS GONNA GIVE YOU THE REST OF MY TIME IF YOU WANTED TO FINISH. 
          DID YOU HAVE ANY? WELL, SURE. 
          UM, I, I REALIZED THAT, YOU KNOW, UM, I, IT, I THINK IT'S SURPRISING TO A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT, UM, I, OUR BIKE CAGES ARE PACKED. 
          WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT BIKE IN, YOU KNOW, FROM CERTAIN PATCHES OF THE CITY ARE, UM, MAYBE MORE POPULAR. 
          BUT WE'VE GOT PEOPLE THAT BIKE IN. 
          I MEAN, I THINK FROM DISTRICTS, I THINK I TOOK A NOTE, A, B, C, D, G, I, AND J. 
          WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT DO PUT THEIR, DO A COMBINATION OF BIKE AND BUS FROM KATIE, FROM THE WOODLANDS, FROM HARWIN. 
          UM, SO I'D LIKE TO SHARE THAT. 
          YEAH. 
          SO THESE ARE ALL, SORRY, I JUST WANTED TO BE CLEAR. 
          YOU HAVE DATA, IF YOU COULD SHARE WITH US ON SPECIFICALLY TO CHEVRON DOWNTOWN EMPLOYEES THAT UTILIZE, IS IT BIKE TO WORK? I WASN'T CLEAR ON THAT. 
          YES. 
          PEOPLE FROM, 
          [01:15:01]
YEAH, I MEAN, I COULD SHARE THIS MAP. 
          I WOULD JUST HAVE TO TAKE OFF PEOPLE'S PERSONAL INFORMATION, BUT THIS IS LIKE A MAP THAT, UH, WE HAVE OF PEOPLE THAT BIKE TO WORK TO CHEVRON AND SHARE, UM, SHARE WITH US WHERE THEY BIKE IN FROM TO HELP OTHER PEOPLE THAT ARE INTERESTED IN, UH, IN GIVING IT A TRY. 
          WELL, I WANNA PROTECT, UH, ANY INFORMATION THAT WASN'T PERMISSIBLE TO SHARE PUBLICLY, BUT IF YOU DO HAVE INFORMATION THAT YOU CAN SHARE PUBLICLY WITH AT LEAST MY OFFICE, I'M SURE OTHER OFFICES WOULD APPRECIATE IT AS WELL. 
          OKAY, SURE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          ALRIGHT, THANKS NICK. 
          JACOB CLEMENT TO BE FOLLOWED BY RALPH WALTON. 
          HEY. 
          HEY. 
          YEAH, BIG TIME KNOWING OUR A******S. 
          AND THANKS TO, UH, TWILA CARTER ALSO, I MEAN, SHE USED TO WORK THERE AND SO SHE, UH, GAVE THEM A LOT OF HELP. 
          . 
          I WANTED TO, HE PRAISE UPON THE, AS ACTUAL ORGANIZATION BECAUSE I TOOK A PRETTY HARD FALL, UH, SUNDAY AT THE, UH, BEFORE I CHECKED INTO THE GAME. 
          AND, UM, THEIR GUEST SERVICES HELPED ME. 
          AND THEN, UM, LO AND BEHOLD, WHEN I WAS UP IN THE, THE, WHERE I WAS DECEIT SIT, UM, AND, UH, SOME GUMBALL, UH, STOLE MY, MY, UH, GIFT FROM THE, UM, THEY WERE GIVEN AWAY. 
          AND WELL, GAS SERVICES TOOK CARE OF ME, AGAIN, MADE MY BAD EXPERIENCE AT THE GAME QUITE NICE BECAUSE THEY HAVE A, A GOOD ORGANIZATION THERE, THE ASTROS ORGANIZATION. 
          AND, AND NOW, UH, I'M WEARING EVERYTHING FROM HEAD TO TOE. 
          AND, AND THOSE WITH THE ASTROS LOGO, WHERE WERE THEY GIVING AWAY? SUNDAY? UM, UH, A BOOK, UH, NOT A BOOK BAG, BUT A, UH, A DUFFLE BAG. 
          DUFFLE BAG. 
          I BET WE CAN GET YOU ONE. 
          OH, I ALREADY GOT ONE. 
          YEAH, THEY, THEY, THEY FOUND ONE FOR ME. 
          I WAS LIKE, WE'VE TAKEN CARE OF IT. 
          WE'LL GET YOU ONE. 
          OH, WELL, WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          WE'LL FIND THE PERSON THAT STOLE IT. 
          , UH, SAY THE  OFFICERS CAN HELP ME. 
          NO, WE'LL, WE'LL GET IT BETWEEN, THERE'S, THERE'S SOME FOLKS AROUND THE TABLE TO GET IT FOR YOU. 
          YEAH. 
          OH, AND, UH, AS I SAY, EVERYTHING I'M WEARING HAND TO TOE HAS A NATIONAL LOGO. 
          OKAY. 
          WE'LL TAKE CARE OF IT AND TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF. 
          OKAY. 
          BE SAFE. 
          THE GUEST SERVICES OF THE, AS THE A GREAT JOB. 
          OKAY. 
          SO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS PAST SUNDAY? YES, SIR. 
          THIS PAST SUNDAY THAT I ASTRO KIDS SERVICES, DID A GREAT JOB OF FIXING UP MY KNEE AND, UH, HELPING ME MOVE THE, UH, STRUGGLING BACK THAT I, UM, GOT FROM WHEN I WENT IN THE GATE. 
          OKAY. 
          BE SAFE. 
          I WILL. 
          YES, SIR. 
          BYE-BYE. 
          NEXT, RALPH WALTON. 
          UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR. 
          COUNCIL TEAM. 
          COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, MY NAME IS RALPH WALTON. 
          THIS IS ROBBIE DIAZ. 
          WE'RE WITH THE MSC INDUSTRIAL COMPANY. 
          UH, WE ARE ONE OF THE MAIN COMPANIES THAT'S PARTNERING WITH SMALL BUSINESSES THROUGH YOU GUYS. 
          YOU KNOW, LISTEN, I DON'T WANNA SOUND, I DON'T NEED ALARMS GO OFF, BUT THE RULES ONLY ALLOW ONE OF YOU UP THERE AT A TIME. 
          OKAY. 
          I'M SORRY, SIR. 
          NO, NO PROBLEM. 
          IT WOULD BE FINE WITH ME, BUT, YOU KNOW, I'M SORRY, I JUST WANTED TO INTRODUCE HIM. 
          HE DIDN'T HAVE NO, YOU DON'T KNOW HIS APOLOGY. 
          IT'S JUST, UH, I DON'T WANT ANY ALARMS TO GO OFF. 
          OKAY. 
          MY FAULT. 
          NO, NO. 
          IT'S, IT'S, IT'S THE RULES FAULT. 
          GO AHEAD. 
          OKAY. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          WELL THANK YOU FOR, UH, ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK AND THANK YOU FOR CORRECTING ME WITH THE RULES, SIR. 
          UH, BUT I WANNA THANK YOU AND MS. PLUMMER AND THE REST OF THE TEAM HERE FOR EXPANDING THE RULES THAT THE OBO OFFICE THAT WE COULD PARTNER WITH SMALL BUSINESSES AND WE HAVE ALLOWED THEM TO BE AUTHORIZED RESELLERS FOR THE CO-OP THAT WE HAVE. 
          AND I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU. 
          AND LATELY, UH, THERE'S BEEN A DEFINED AMOUNT FOR THOSE SMALL BUSINESSES THAT WE HAVE TO, UH, MAKE SURE THAT THEY RECEIVE. 
          SO THAT'S GOOD FOR ME. 
          SO WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT THEY GET A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY EXPAND THEIR BUSINESS AND GROW THEIR BUSINESS AND BE ABLE TO GIVE BACK TO THE CITY. 
          WE'RE TRAINING THEM, SUPPORTING THEM. 
          SO HOPEFULLY NEXT YEAR I'LL HAVE ANOTHER SET OF 
          [01:20:01]
SMALL BUSINESSES AND WE CAN GRADUATE THOSE. 
          SO, JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU GUYS AND, UH, MAYOR, MS. PLUMMER, MR. JET, I, GREENFIELD. 
          'CAUSE I KNOW THERE'S YEARS OF HARD WORK BEHIND THE SCENES THAT WE DON'T SEE. 
          SO, UH, JUST WHEN WE NOTIFY WHAT'S GOING ON, I KNOW THAT'S A LOT OF HARD WORK BEHIND THAT. 
          SO I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU. 
          VERY GOOD. 
          THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COUNCILMAN PLUMMER, SIR, JUST A MOMENT. 
          SURE. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE AND, AND COLLEAGUES, THIS IS LIKE A REALLY BIG DAY. 
          WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR A LONG TIME. 
          AND MAYOR, I WANNA JUST THANK YOU. 
          AND YOUR ADMINISTRATION,  HAS BEEN AMAZING. 
          OBO. 
          YES. 
          BUT THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY NOW WHERE CO-OPS, ACTUALLY, THERE'S, AND I DON'T WANNA USE THE WORD CARVE OUT, BUT SMALL BUSINESSES, MISTYPE BUSINESSES ACTUALLY GET TO BE A PART OF THE PROCESS. 
          THIS IS A BIG DEAL. 
          SO, SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JUST STICKING WITH US. 
          NO PROBLEM. 
          UM, JED HAS BEEN AMAZING IN MAKING THIS HAPPEN, HONESTLY, WORKING WITH OBO AS WELL. 
          UM, BUT ALSO AS YOUR, JUST, JUST FROM A BUSINESS OWNER PERSPECTIVE, UM, JUST THANK YOU FOR BEING PATIENT WITH US NO PROBLEM. 
          AND, AND ALLOWING US TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX A LITTLE BIT, UM, AND ENGAGING OUR SMALL TO MID-SIZE BUSINESSES TO BE, UM, A PART OF THE PROCESS. 
          YES, MA'AM. 
          THANK YOU. 
          SO, CONGRATULATIONS. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          THANK YOU SIR. 
          SIR, SIR. 
          UH, COUNCILOR DAVIS? MM-HMM . 
          THANK YOU MAYOR. 
          UH, MS. WALTON CONGRAT, CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU. 
          UM, I HAD A MEETING WITH MR. GREENFIELD THIS MORNING. 
          OKAY. 
          YES. 
          TO GO OVER THAT PARTICULAR THING BECAUSE I KIND OF TARGETED AND WANTED TO MEET WITH HIM IN THE PROCESS , BECAUSE I WAS ONE OF THE ATTENDANTS IN, UH, AT THE ION BUILDING LAST YEAR. 
          OKAY. 
          YEAH. 
          WHEN THE SMALL BUSINESS, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CERTAINLY ALL BE PROUD OF. 
          AND, UH, CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU AND OTHERS FOR HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT. 
          IT'S A WONDERFUL PROGRAM IN ORDER TO GIVE YOU AND OTHERS THE, THE OPPORTUNITY AND THE ACCESS TO EXPAND AND GET MORE YES. 
          TRAINING AND OTHER THINGS IN TERMS OF, UH, YOUR BUSINESSES AND OTHER SMALL BUSINESSES. 
          YEAH. 
          AND I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO SAY MS. PORSCHE, UH, MS. PORSCHE FROM THE, UH, OBO OFFICE HAS MADE A VERY BIG EFFORT TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE BUSINESSES ARE COMPLIANT WITH ALL THE CITY LAWS AND RULES. 
          RIGHT. 
          AND THAT, UH, THEY ARE GOOD TO GO TO DO BUSINESS. 
          YES. 
          AND THEN, THEN TO SEE MORE MWBES TO PARTICIPATE WAS MY BIGGEST CONCERN WITH THAT. 
          AND THAT, AND AFTER EXPLAINING THAT, IT WENT WELL. 
          SO YES, SIR. 
          WE'RE ACTUALLY PARTNERING WITH THREE. 
          ABSOLUTELY. 
          ABSOLUTELY. 
          CONGRATULATIONS. 
          ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. 
          SURE. 
          UH, FLICKINGER COUNCILOR S I'M CURIOUS, IS THIS MSC INDUSTRIAL? YES, SIR. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          WE'RE A NATIONAL COMPANY, UH, AND WE SELL, UH, INDUSTRIAL SUPPLIES NATIONALLY. 
          AND THIS IS A BIG INITIATIVE FOR US TO BE ABLE TO JOIN THE SMALL BUSINESSES TO THE CO-OPS. 
          SO THE SMALL BUSINESSES HAVE THE SAME BENEFITS AND CAPABILITIES THAT WE HAVE IN SELLING TO THE CITY, AS WELL AS THE SAME PRICING. 
          SO THEY'RE GIVEN NATIONAL PRICING, UH, WITH NATIONAL COMPLIANCE AND PROVIDING NATIONAL CAPABILITIES. 
          DID YOU WANT TO BUY YOU ALREADY? I THINK YOU'LL SEE IT. 
          THANK YOU, SIR. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          DID YOUR FRIEND WANT TO COME? NO, SIR. 
          WE APPRECIATE DR. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. 
          NEXT. 
          NICOLE WILSON, BE FOLLOWED BY JACK VALINSKI. 
          GOOD AFTERNOON. 
          UM, MY NAME'S NICOLE WILSON WITH ON-THE-GO MEDICAL SUPPLY. 
          UM, I WANNA START BY THANKING MAYOR WHITMEYER AND THE COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK TODAY. 
          UM, I ALSO LIKE TO THINK JUST ECHOING WHAT, UH, MR. RALPH SAID, I'M ONE OF THE MBE THAT IS PARTICIPATING IN THE CO-OP, UM, AND AWARDED, UM, SOME FUNDS FROM THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO DO BUSINESS IN THE CITY. 
          SO I'M EXCITED ABOUT THAT. 
          UM, SO I WANNA THANK, UH, JUA AND DR. 
          PLUMMER FOR Y'ALL'S INITIATIVE AND, UM, YOU KNOW, ENCOURAGING AND PUSHING THE EFFORT TO WORK WITH, UM, THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND SMALL BUSINESSES AND MBE. 
          SO IT'S ENCOURAGING TO KNOW THAT YOU GUYS ARE WORKING BEHIND THE SCENES, UM, FOR TO AFFORD BUSINESSES LIKE MINE TO THRIVE IN THE COMMUNITY AND KNOW THAT WE ARE SEEING, AND YOU GUYS HEAR US, AND THAT WE ARE ABLE TO DO BUSINESS AS WELL AS SOME OF THE LARGE PRIME, UH, CONTRACTORS. 
          SO JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY WHO WAS INVOLVED, THE OBO OFFICE, AND, UM, THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME SPEAK TODAY. 
          THANK YOU MA'AM. 
          NEXT, JACK VALINSKI TO BE FOLLOWED BY SARAH SMITH. 
          HAPPY NATIONAL RADIO DAY, BUT I DIDN'T COME TO TALK ABOUT THAT. 
          THE OTHER THING IS THAT THE SECURITY KEEPS THINKING I'M MISSING MY BADGE, BUT I DON'T HAVE A BADGE ANYMORE. 
          I CAME 
          [01:25:01]
HERE TO ASK ABOUT THE MONTROSE TOURS. 
          YESTERDAY WAS THEIR SECOND MEETING OF THE NEW BOARD. 
          AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THEY WORK REALLY HARD IN PUTTING THINGS TOGETHER, BUT THEY GOT A BUDGET BACK FROM THE CITY AND PART OF THAT BUDGET IS TO PUT AWAY $11 MILLION FOR THE FIVE YEARS FOR THE MONTROSE LIBRARY. 
          I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHY THAT'S ON THE BUDGET, SINCE THE MONTROSE LIBRARY IS NOT IN THE DISTRICT, I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW THAT COULD HAPPEN. 
          THE OTHER CONCERN IS THAT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PROJECTS THAT WANT TO MOVE FORWARD, BUT THEY'RE WAITING FROM AN ANSWER FROM THE ADMINISTRATION. 
          SO I HOPE THAT COULD BE MOVED ALONG A LITTLE BIT FURTHER SO THAT WE CAN EITHER DO THOSE PROJECTS OR NOT DO THOSE PROJECTS. 
          OTHERWISE THE THE DISTRICT CAN DO OTHER THINGS. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          NEXT. 
          SARAH SMITH, BE FOLLOWED BY SHARON VANCE. 
          HELLO. 
          GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCILOR. 
          MAYOR. 
          UH, I WISH I HAD A GREAT TOPIC, UNFORTUNATELY, TWO YEARS AGO BEFORE YOU CAME ON BOARD. 
          UH, MY SON, MY ONLY SON WAS MURDERED AT HIS HOUSE. 
          NEIGHBORS CALLED CONSTANTLY. 
          I, I'M NOT GONNA GO INTO THE DETAILS OF THE 9 1 1. 
          I BOUGHT THE SHEET OF THE TRANSCRIPT. 
          I DISPATCHED TRAINS, PLANE, NOT PLANES, TRAINS AND TRUCKS SPEAKING TO THE MIC. 
          SO I KNOW WHAT YOUR ROLE IS AS A DISPATCHER. 
          EXCUSE ME. 
          GO SPEAK INTO THE MIC RIGHT THERE. 
          THERE YOU GO. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          SO I KNOW WHAT, WHAT A PERSON'S ROLE IS. 
          9 1 1 IS BROKE. 
          Y'ALL. 
          WE SITTING AROUND HERE. 
          WE IN HOUSTON, IT'S BROKE. 
          I'M GONNA GIVE YOU THREE EXAMPLES. 
          THREE MONTHS BEFORE MY SON, WE HEARD THE GUY, HE GAVE A PERFECT GREETING, BUT YOU WENT TO SLEEP. 
          WELL, I UNDERSTAND THAT. 
          I'VE WORKED 24 HOURS. 
          I'M OKAY WITH THAT ONE, BUT THIS ONE RIGHT HERE, IT'S RIDICULOUS. 
          I WAS TRYING TO WORK WITH YOUR PEOPLE THAT WAS AHEAD OF YOU BEFORE YOU CAME ON BOARD. 
          'CAUSE I DIDN'T WANNA DROP IT IN YOUR LAP. 
          BUT, UH, THEY'RE GONE NOW. 
          SO, TROY FUNERAL, I HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH HIM, UH, I THINK IT WAS MAY WHEN HE LEFT. 
          SO MY LAST CONVERSATION WITH HIM WAS IN MARCH. 
          BUT WHOEVER COUNSEL SITTING HERE TODAY THAT COVERS 32 15 LAURA, HAPPY ZIP CODE NINE THREE. 
          THEY NEED SOME HELP OVER THERE WITH HANDLING THE CALLS. 
          AND THANK YOU FOR GIVING THE FIREMEN WHAT THEY DESERVE. 
          EVERY TIME I HAVE CALLED THEM, I WAS TAKING CARE OF BOTH OF MY PARENTS. 
          UH, THEY WERE MARRIED 67 YEARS, DIED SIX MONTHS APART. 
          SO I WAS THERE. 
          THEY ALWAYS SHOWED UP. 
          AND UH, THEY'RE THE ONLY ORGANIZATION THAT I'M FAMILIAR WITH THAT RUNS INTO THE FIRE. 
          WE RUNNING OUT WHEN PEOPLE SAY SHOTS, HPD NEEDS TO SHOW UP. 
          SO SUBSEQUENTLY I WAS PUT ON DUTY. 
          THE MAINTENANCE APARTMENT MANAGER CALLED ME THAT MORNING. 
          SHE WAS LIKE, HEY, SOMETHING HAPPENED LAST NIGHT. 
          WELL, IN MY MIND, I'M NOT THINKING ABOUT WHAT I'M FIXING TO GO AND SEE. 
          WELL, WHEN I GOT THERE, HE WAS GONE. 
          SO I'VE BEEN ON DUTY EVER SINCE. 
          I'M NOT HERE. 
          I'M HERE TO LET YOU ALL KNOW THAT WE HAVE A PROBLEM. 
          THERE'S NOTHING NOBODY COULD DO TO BRING HIM BACK. 
          THAT WAS MY ONLY, BUT WHAT I WILL, I, I GOT TWO REQUESTS ON HERE FOR YOU. 
          'CAUSE I DON'T WANT TO GO INTO, THE CASE IS STILL OPEN, SO I DON'T WANNA COMPROMISE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE CASE WITH THE DETECTIVES. 
          UH, BUT AT ANY RATE, I HAVE THIS HERE. 
          SO HERE'S MY THREE EXAMPLES OF THE PROBLEM WITH 9 1 1. 
          SO WE MENTIONED THE FIRST GUY BEING FATIGUED. 
          THEN MY SON, THREE MONTHS AFTER THAT, MY NIECE THAT LIVES AROUND THE CORNER FROM MY SON, SHE CALLED 9 1 1. 
          SHE WAS LIKE, HEY, THEY SHOOTING OVER HERE RIGHT NEXT DOOR. 
          YEAH, TIME HAS EXPIRED. 
          OKAY, GO AHEAD AND FINISH. 
          YOU CAN PROCEED. 
          OKAY. 
          SO SHE CALLED. 
          SHE SAID LIKE, HEY, SOME SHOTS ARE RINGING OVER AT MY NEXT DOOR TO MY HOUSE. 
          THE 9 1 1 9 1 1 OPERATOR ASSUMED IT WAS THE CALL AROUND THE CORNER SO SHE DIDN'T DISPATCH ANYBODY TO WHERE MY NIECE LIVE. 
          ALL I'M SAYING IT DON'T TAKE A WHOLE LOT TO BE A DISPATCHER. 
          I DISPATCH TWO PARTS OF TRANSPORTATION. 
          I RETIRED AT SOUTHERN PACIFIC RAILROAD AS A DISPATCHER. 
          SO I KNOW IT'S CERTAIN INFORMATION YOU NEED. 
          PROBING QUESTIONS THAT'S ASKED ON HERE WAS UNNECESSARY. 
          [01:30:01]
I JUST NOTICED AND WITNESSED IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY, THEY WERE AWARDED THE NINE ONE ONE CALL CENTER IN TEXAS. 
          OKAY. 
          SO WE CAN DO BETTER. 
          YES, MA'AM. 
          AND UH, ANYWAY, I DON'T GIVE MS. WILSON IN MY OFFICE THAT PACKAGE AND WE'LL CERTAINLY. 
          OKAY. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          THANK YOU ALL. 
          THANK YOU MA'AM. 
          BE THANKS FOR BEING HERE. 
          NEXT, SHARON VANCE. 
          GOOD AFTERNOON MAYOR AND COUNSEL. 
          I'M SORRY TO TAKE UP YOUR TIME AGAIN. 
          I WAS HERE LAST MONTH, UH, IN A COMPLAINT AGAINST AN OFFICER WITH HPD. 
          IT STARTED OFF WITH A BANG AND IT HADN'T DONE ANYTHING ELSE. 
          UH, THE LADY YOU ASSIGNED, MS. WILSON WAS A GREAT HELP AND IA WAS A GREAT HELP. 
          AND I WENT TO THE POLICE STATION AND THE OFFICER, HE WAS REALLY GOOD. 
          THE OFFICE ON LAY ROAD, OFFICER SERGEANT CAR ASKED ME TO GO TO THE STATION ON LAY ROAD AND TALK TO A SUPERVISOR SERGEANT. 
          WHEN I GOT THERE, I DID. 
          AND IT WAS MORE CONFUSING. 
          THE COMPLAINT AGAINST THE POLICE OFFICER ENDED UP BEING AGAINST THE GUY THAT TOOK THE REPORT. 
          SO IT GAVE IT ANOTHER INCIDENT NUMBER. 
          SO THEN I, I GOT AN, UH, A CALL FROM AN OFFICER STATING WHAT THE OFFICER, WHAT HPD HAD DETERMINED. 
          I WAS THE ONE THAT WAS PRESSING THE CHARGE AND NO CHARGES EVER BEEN PRESSED. 
          NO REPORT HAS EVER BEEN TAKEN, BUT FROM IA. 
          AND SO WHEN I WENT TO THE OTHER, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IN THE SAME BUILDING, HE SAID, FILL OUT THIS NEW FORM AND BRING BACK AND A-U-S-B-I ENDED UP CATCHING COVID AND I WAS DOWN. 
          SO I CALLED TO RESCHEDULE AND UH, IT'S LIKE I KEEP GOING IN CIRCLES. 
          THEY KEEP CHANGING ON ME. 
          WE NEED THIS FORM, WE NEED THIS, WE NEED THAT, UH, WE NEED A MEDICAL AND, AND MY THING IS, BUT Y'ALL NEVER TOOK MY REPORT THAT THE FIRST CONTACT OF INJURY WAS TO ME SINCE HE WAS, HE HAS BEEN ARRESTED. 
          HE HAS BEEN, HE HAS JUMPED $200,000 BAIL. 
          AND I LET THE POLICE KNOW STUFF THEY, THEY DIDN'T KNOW. 
          AND I SAID, MY NEPHEW, THAT'S AN FBI SAID, THREE LAW ENFORCEMENTS, HPD HARRIS COUNTY SHERIFF AND US MARSHALL ARRESTED HIM AT HIS JOB. 
          AND MY QUESTION IS, HOW CAN I NOT GET CHARGES FILED AGAINST HIM? AND I'M RIGHT HERE IN HOUSTON. 
          HOW IS HE KEEP DUCKING IN GEORGIA AND NOW HE HAS A WARRANT OUT BECAUSE HE JUMPED BAIL AGAIN. 
          AND THAT DAY THEY TOOK MY DAUGHTER AND MY HUSBAND, WHO SAW HIM PUSH ME INTO THE VEHICLE, AGAINST THE VEHICLE AND I HAD FROZEN SHOULDER AND I HAD JUST GOTTEN FOUR INJECTIONS. 
          AND THEY SAW THAT. 
          AND THE POLICE OFFICER, HE DIDN'T WANNA TALK TO ME. 
          HE JUST KEPT TELLING ME TO GET, GET, GET. 
          I THOUGHT I WAS GONNA ROLL OVER AND BARK SOON. 
          OKAY. 
          I SEE YOU SPOKE TO OFFICER CARR. 
          YEAH, BUT IT, IT DOESN'T SEEM TO BE GOING ANYWHERE. 
          IT STARTED GOING, BUT IT STOPPED. 
          OKAY. 
          WELL I'VE GOTTEN FURTHER WITH IA AND YOUR OFFICE, MS. WILSON. 
          OFFICER CAR DID, SERGEANT CAR DID START OFF WITH ME. 
          WELL, OKAY. 
          BUT STUFF JUST WENT DOWN AND GOT CONFUSING. 
          OKAY. 
          WELL, MS. WILSON'S FAMILIAR WITH YOUR CASE? I'LL WE'LL CHECK WITH HER. 
          OKAY. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU MA'AM. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER CAMAN FOR A PROCEDURAL MOTION. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER CAMAN. 
          THANK YOU, MAYOR. 
          UM, WE HAVE A FEW KIDDOS THAT HAVE BEEN SUPER PATIENT. 
          UH, SO I'M, I MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO MOVE CAROLINA BUSTOS, JULIA BUSTOS AND IRANI TREVINO, UH, TO BE NEXT. 
          OKAY, GIMME A SECOND. 
          A SECOND. 
          SECOND. 
          MOTION MADE. 
          AND SECOND. 
          ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. 
          THOSE OPPOSED NAY. 
          AND THEN PLUM MOTION PASSES. 
          AND THEN COUNCIL PLUMMER PROCEDURAL. 
          THANK YOU MAYOR. 
          AND I WOULD LIKE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO ADD 
          [01:35:01]
BRANDON TO MOVE BRANDON PIERCE UP ON THE THREE MINUTE LIST. 
          UM, TO ADD PATRICIA MCFARLAND BELOW THE LAST PERSON THAT COUNCILOR MCKEON MENTIONED. 
          OKAY, SECOND. 
          SECOND. 
          MOTION MADE. 
          AND SECOND. 
          ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. 
          THOSE OPPOSED MAY. 
          MOTION PASSES. 
          CAROLINA BUSTOS. 
          HELLO. 
          GOOD AFTERNOON. 
          UM, MY NAME IS CAROLINA BUSTOS. 
          I AM GLAD TO BE JOINED BY YOU ALL. 
          TODAY IS ACTUALLY MY BIRTHDAY. 
          UM, THE TOPICS I COME TO SPEAK TO YOU ON TODAY ARE SO VITAL THAT I WOULD RATHER BE HERE THAN ANYWHERE ELSE. 
          TODAY WE HAVE EVERYTHING IN HOUSTON, OIL, NATURAL GAS, AND LIQUIDS, REFINING, PETROCHEMICALS, PIPELINES, DOCKS, AND THEN THERE IS THE SHIP CHANNEL. 
          INDUSTRY IS BIGGER THAN LIFE HERE. 
          ASPECTS OF PROJECT 11 WILL NOT ONLY CONTINUE TO PLACE A BURDEN ON THE ALREADY VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES, BUT IT PLANS TO PLACE DREDGE MATERIAL IN THESE COMMUNITIES. 
          AS THE YEARS HAVE PASSED, MY PEERS AND I FACED INCREASINGLY TOUGHER ALLERGIES AND MORE HEALTH ISSUES. 
          FOR A YEAR AND A HALF, I WORKED AT SCHOOLS RIGHT NEXT TO INDUSTRY AND IT TOOK A TOLL ON MY HEALTH. 
          I OFTEN HAVE STOMACH ACHES AND HEADACHES. 
          THE REALITY IS, LIVING IN HOUSTON, THE DIRTIEST CITY IN THE US CAN BE QUITE TOXIC. 
          IT AFFECTS BOTH OF MY DAUGHTERS SO MUCH THAT I ACTUALLY LOST MY JOB DUE TO MISSING WORK. 
          TO TAKE MY DAUGHTERS TO THE DOCTOR IN MY HOUSEHOLD. 
          I ENSURE TO MAKE GOOD DECISIONS AND WE PURCHASE THINGS ON A NEED, NEED TO, NEED BASIS. 
          UM, AND SO MY HOUSEHOLD IS DOING THEIR JOB. 
          WE REALLY NEED A LENDING HAND. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          THANK YOU. 
          NEXT, JULIA, BOOST US YOUR PROJECT LEFT. 
          OH, WAS THAT THE LAST OKAY. 
          HI, MY NAME JULIE . 
          SORRY. 
          OH, YOU GOT STUCK ON MY ZIPPER. 
          I'M SORRY. 
          SORRY. 
          ONE SECOND. 
          OH, I DIDN'T EXPECT THAT TO HAPPEN. 
          JUST TOO HEAVY. 
          HI. 
          MAKE MY NAME'S. 
          SHE, WHAT DO YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT? HMM. 
          TALK ABOUT. 
          OKAY. 
          SAY IT. 
          I PEE. 
          WELL, SHE'S NOT FEELING WELL TODAY. 
          IT'S KIND OF PART OF WHY SHE WAS HERE TODAY TO EXPRESS THAT. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COUNCILMAN CAYMAN. 
          MAY, UH, MAYOR, SINCE SHE CAN'T SPEAK, COULD I, I MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO ALLOW THE, THE MOTHER TO SPEAK FOR HER. 
          ABSOLUTELY. 
          WE DON'T NEED A MOTION. 
          JUST LET HER DO IT. 
          OKAY. 
          OKAY. 
          YES. 
          UM, I AM THE MOTHER OF JULIA BUSTOS. 
          UM, SHE'S ONE OF MY DAUGHTERS THAT FACES THOSE HEALTH, UM, BARRIERS, UM, DAY IN AND DAY OUT. 
          UM, SHE, UH, CONSISTENTLY HAS HEADACHES. 
          SHE HAS TO, UM, MISS SCHOOL BECAUSE OF IT. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE GO TO THE DOCTOR. 
          WE, WE DO HER REGULAR DOCTOR VISITS, UM, AND THEY CONTINUOUSLY PRESCRIBE, UM, UH, MEDICATION FOR ALLERGIES. 
          UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES IT, IT JUST, IT'S, IT'S NOT ENOUGH. 
          AND IT, AND IT IMPACTS OUR LIVES ON A DAILY BASIS. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          THANK YOU. 
          NEXT, BRENT, RANDY TREVINO. 
          THANK YOU. 
          GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL. 
          [01:40:01]
MY NAME IS HERAND TINO AND I WEAR MANY HATS IN MY COMMUNITY. 
          AMONG THEM, I'M CO-FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR OF THE NONPROFIT, THE RAICES COLLAB PROJECT, AND I'M ALSO A MEMBER OF THE HEALTHPORT COMMUNITIES COALITION. 
          WE KNOW THAT YOU PLANT, UH, THE CITY COUNCIL PLANS TO ATTEND A TOUR OF THE PORT THIS THURSDAY TO SPEAK ON PROJECT 11, THE 11TH EXPANSION OF THE CHANNEL. 
          AND WHILE WE BELIEVE THAT A VISIT TO THE PORT IS VALUABLE, AND WE HOPE THAT YOUR CONVERSATIONS ARE FRUITFUL, WE ALSO HOPE THAT YOU CAN ASK TOUGH QUESTIONS. 
          UH, WE HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THE PORT BELONGS TO HOUSTON AND TO THE PEOPLE. 
          AND AS SUCH IMPORTANT STAKEHOLDERS, WE HOPE THAT THE COMMUNITY'S CONCERNS ARE LISTENED TO AND ELEVATED. 
          OUR GROUP HAS IDENTIFIED GAPS IN THE LAW THAT LEAD PEOPLE VULNERABLE TO FURTHER ENVIRONMENTAL STRESSORS. 
          AND WE HOPE THAT AS LEADERS YOU CAN HELP US FIND SOLUTIONS. 
          HPCC HAS PREPARED A ONE PAGER BRIEF WITH QUESTIONS THAT REMAIN UNANSWERED. 
          AND WE ARE MORE THAN HAPPY TO SHARE THAT WITH ALL OF YOU. 
          I HOPE THAT OUR ADVOCACY IS NOT MISCONSTRUED AS A COG IN THE SYSTEM, BUT RATHER AS A VALUABLE RESOURCE AND REPRESENTATION OF OUR COMMUNITY'S PRIORITIES. 
          SPEAKING FOR MYSELF, I KNOW THAT MY PRIORITIES ARE SIMILAR TO ALL OF YOURS. 
          I'M A HOMEOWNER, A BUSINESS OWNER, A DOCTOR IN THE LAW, AND AN ADVOCATE. 
          VERY PERSPECTIVES ARE POWERFUL, ESPECIALLY PERSPECTIVES OF COMMUNITIES AND THEIR PEOPLE. 
          I HAVE HEARD CONCERNS THAT IF WE PUSH BACK AGAINST PROJECTS THAT HOUSTON MIGHT LOSE FUNDS AND DEVELOPMENT. 
          BUT TO THAT, I SAY I HIGHLY DOUBT IT. 
          HOUSTON IS POWERFUL AND IT IS IMPORTANT FOR OUR LEADERS TO CLAIM THAT POWER THAT CARRIES 'CAUSE. 
          IF WE DON'T CLAIM OUR POWER, SOMEONE SURE WILL. 
          SO PLEASE BE TOUGHER IN NEGOTIATIONS WITH THESE PROJECTS AND NOT WITH COMMUNITY, BUT FOR COMMUNITY AND FOR THE PEOPLE WHO ARE THE CITY. 
          UM, WE ALSO NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, SOMETHING IS DONE TO MAKE SURE THAT POOR COMMUNITIES ARE HELPED BECAUSE MANY OF THEM ARE LIVING IN EXTREME POVERTY WITH INCOMES AVERAGING ROUGHLY $17,000 AND AGE EXPECTANCIES 20 YEARS SHORTER THAN ON THE OTHER SIDE OF TOWN. 
          SO WE TRULY DO NEED YOUR HELP. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COUNCILMAN POLLARD. 
          THANK YOU MAYOR. 
          AND THANK YOU MA'AM FOR COMING FORWARD IN YOUR COMMENTS AND THE PREVIOUS SPEAKERS AS WELL. 
          I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU, UH, EMAILED ALL OF OUR OFFICES, UH, THOSE QUESTIONS SO WE CAN BE AWARE OF THE CONCERNS OF THE COMMUNITY. 
          OKAY. 
          WONDERFUL. 
          IS THERE SOMEONE SPECIFIC LIKE THAT? WE CAN, SO IF YOU, IF YOU GOOGLE, UM, HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL MM-HMM . 
          ALL OF OUR EMAIL ADDRESSES AND CORRESPONDENCE, AS WELL AS OFFICE NUMBERS WILL BE ONLINE FOR YOU AND ANYBODY ELSE THAT WANTS TO REACH OUT TO US. 
          OKAY. 
          WONDERFUL. 
          THANKS SO MUCH. 
          THANK YOU. 
          NEXT. 
          BRANDON PIERCE. 
          GOOD EVENING. 
          MY NAME IS BRANDON PIERCE. 
          THE NAME OF MY COMPANY IS ENVIRONMENTAL SORBENT AND SAFETY. 
          I AM ONE OF THE SMALL BUSINESSES THAT IS CONNECTED WITH THE MSC CONTRACT. 
          UM, WE ARE FOREVER GRATEFUL FOR THE MEMBERS OF COUNCIL TO CONSIDER IT, APPROVE IT. 
          UM, MAYOR, I JUST WANT TO SAY YOU ARE BRINGING SO MUCH GREAT ENERGY TO THE CITY AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOU BEING OUR MAYOR AND BEING OUR LEADER. 
          UM, I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE A SPECIAL, UM, ACKNOWLEDGEMENT TO COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER. 
          UH, SHE HAD BEEN WORKING WITH ALL MEMBERS, SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS FOR THE LAST TWO, I THINK TWO AND A HALF, THREE YEARS. 
          JUST GETTING THAT UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT WE DO IN TERMS OF SMALL BUSINESSES, HOW WE WORK WITH THE CITY, AND HOW WE CAN INCORPORATE WHAT WE DO WITH BIG BUSINESS SUCH AS MSC. 
          UM, AS WE ALL KNOW, WHO SOME OF US ARE BUSINESS OWNERS, SMALL BUSINESS CAN DO THINGS. 
          BIG BUSINESS SOMETIMES CAN'T. 
          BIG BUSINESS CAN DO THINGS, SMALL BUSINESS CAN'T. 
          BUT TOGETHER WE'RE STRONGER FOR THE CITY. 
          UM, SUCH AS THE LAST STORM WE WERE ABLE TO, WE HAD OVER 300, UM, CHAINSAWS IN STOCK. 
          UM, SO WE WERE ABLE TO DELIVER THOSE WITHIN THE NEXT DAY. 
          THINGS LIKE THAT, AS OPPOSED TO HAVING TO ORDER IT, WAIT FOR IT TO COME IN AND THOSE TYPE OF THINGS. 
          SO, UM, WORKING WITH MSC HAS BEEN GREAT. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER ER HAS BEEN AWESOME. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER AL KARN HAS DEFINITELY LISTENED TO US, HAS GONE BACK AND FORTH WITH HER OFFICE, UNDERSTANDING WHAT WE'RE NEEDING. 
          UH, ALSO COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS, UM, HERE ON THE LEFT, HE HAS BEEN VERY OPEN, UH, TO THE PROCESS AND HOW HE CAN PARTICIPATE AND WE APPRECIATE YOU, UH, AND YOUR OFFICE FOR DOING THAT. 
          UM, JEDI GREENFIELD, UH, THE CHIEF PROCUREMENT OFFICER, UH, FOR THE CITY. 
          THUMBS UP. 
          [01:45:01]
HE'S BEEN AWESOME TO WORK WITH. 
          VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE, UM, AND HAS BEEN VERY, VERY OPEN TO, UH, THE PROCESSES IN, IN REGARDS TO HOW THE CITY CAN STILL MAKE PURCHASES ON, UM, ON THE GO WITHOUT HAVING TO BID TOO MANY THINGS OUT AND WAIT FOR BIDS TO COME IN AND TO HOLD PROCESSES AND THE END USERS NOT HAVE WHAT THEY NEED. 
          HE HAS BEEN GREAT IN TERMS OF BEING ABLE TO PUT THAT TECHNOLOGY TOGETHER WITH SMALL BUSINESSES WHERE WE CAN ALL, UM, AT THE END OF THE DAY BENEFIT THE CITY OF HOUSTON. 
          AND SO WE APPRECIATE THAT. 
          AND, BUT LAST BUT NOT LEAST, I JUST WANNA THANK ALL MEMBERS. 
          YOU KNOW, WE'RE HERE, I'M HERE TO GIVE GREAT TO, TO SHOW GRACE FOR WHAT YOU ALL HAVE DONE FOR US AS SMALL BUSINESSES. 
          BUT THANK YOU FOR, WITH, WITHOUT PROVIDING POLICE, FIRE, UM, DRAINAGE, UH, SEWER, WE WOULD WOULDN'T BE IN BUSINESS. 
          UM, SO THANK Y'ALL FOR MAKING THOSE HARD DECISIONS AND PUTTING IN THE TIME AND ALWAYS BEING AVAILABLE. 
          VERY GOOD. 
          COUNCILMAN DAVIS. 
          THANK YOU, MAYOR BRANDON. 
          MAYOR, IT IS GOOD TO SEE YOU, UH, HERE WITH US TODAY. 
          AND, AND CERTAINLY YOUR LEADERSHIP AND PROFESSIONALISM 'CAUSE YOU'RE GETTING WHAT YOU DESERVE. 
          WHAT YOU CAN PUT OUT AND WHAT YOU CAN PERFORM IN THIS CITY IS EXACTLY WHAT WE NEED IN GOING FORWARD. 
          HOUSTON IS A, IS A GROWING CITY CHANGING EVERY DAY, BUT WHAT YOU BRING TO THE TABLE IS, IS JUST ONE OF THE GREATEST ASSETS. 
          AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING SOME GREATER THINGS FROM, FROM YOU AND WORKING WITH THE CITY AND OTHER BUSINESS, SMALL BUSINESSES. 
          YOU HAVE EXEMPLIFIED THAT. 
          THE OTHER COLLEAGUES HAVE CERTAINLY EMBRACED YOU AND WHAT YOU'RE DOING. 
          AND SO I JUST COMMEND YOU AND LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU. 
          WE ALWAYS HEAR WHATEVER WE CAN DO. 
          THANK YOU, BRENDA. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COUNCILMAN PLUMMER. 
          THANK YOU MAYOR. 
          AND BRENDA, I WANNA THANK YOU ALSO BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IN THE BEGINNING OF THIS YOU HAD TO EXPLAIN A LOT TO ME AND EXPLAIN TO ME THE CHALLENGES THAT Y'ALL EXPERIENCED AS SMALL BUSINESSES IN, IN DOING BUSINESS CITY OF HOUSTON. 
          AND SO I WANT TO, YOU KNOW, THANK YOU FOR MEETING WITH ALL OF US COMING EXPLAINING THE PROCESS. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A CHALLENGE FOR OUR GRANGERS AND OUR HOME DEPOTS AND OUR LOWE'S. 
          THIS IS A CHALLENGE FOR THEM BECAUSE MSC HAS DONE THIS. 
          I MEAN, THEY HAVE REALLY, THEY'RE A SMALL MID-SIZE, NOT SMALL, THEY'RE A MIDSIZE COMPANY, BUT THEY'VE REALLY THOUGHT OUTSIDE THE BOX. 
          AND SO I'M HOPING THAT THE OTHER LARGER BIG BOX COMPANIES DO THE EXACT SAME THING, REALLY EMBRACING SMALL BUSINESS AND BRINGING THEM TO THE FOLD. 
          BUT THIS IS A NEW DAY FOR SMALL BUSINESS BECAUSE CO-OPS REALLY CREATED A CHALLENGE. 
          AND, UM, AND SO ONCE AGAIN, I'M NOT GONNA SPEAK OFF TO EVERYONE, BUT JUST THANK YOU ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE AND, UM, AND YOUR GUIDANCE BECAUSE WE WOULD NOT HAVE KNOWN THIS IS A PROBLEM IF Y'ALL DON'T BRING IT TO OUR ATTENTION. 
          SO THANKS. 
          THANK YOU. 
          I THINK THAT'S IT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          NEXT, PATRICIA MCFARLAND. 
          GOOD AFTERNOON. 
          I'M THRILLED THAT INDUSTRY NATIONS LLC WAS SELECTED TO PARTNER WITH MSC AS A SMALL BUSINESS PARTNER IN THEIR CO-OP. 
          ON BEHALF OF MY TEAM, I WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS OUR SINCERE GRATITUDE FOR THE TRUST AND CONFIDENCE YOU HAVE PLACED IN OUR COMPANY. 
          I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO PERSONALLY THANK COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER FOR ALL THAT SHE HAS DONE. 
          SHE'S BEEN THERE, SHE'S TO LISTEN TO US OVER AND OVER AGAIN, AND SHE NEVER TIRED. 
          AND SHE, SHE CAME THROUGH FOR US. 
          SHE REALLY DID. 
          AND I WOULD LIKE TO ALSO THANK, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER ELCON AND COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS, AS WELL AS OUR CHIEF PRO, UH, PROCUREMENT OFFICER JEDI AND THE OBO OFFICE FOR YOUR STRONG ADVOCACY AND CONTINUED SUPPORT ON BEHALF OF SMALL BUSINESSES. 
          WITHOUT YOU, NONE OF THIS WOULD BE POSSIBLE. 
          THANK YOU AGAIN. 
          THANK YOU MA'AM. 
          NEXT, MICHELLE VINCENT. 
          YES, COUNCILOR CAMAN. 
          MAYOR. 
          A, A QUICK MOTION. 
          I'M, I WAS INFORMED. 
          I MESSED UP AND LEFT OFF ONE OF THE KIDDOS, UH, IN MY EARLIER MOTION. 
          SO AFTER MICHELLE ZA, UH, I MOVED TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO MOVE UP AUBREY CONTRERAS. 
          SECOND. 
          [01:50:02]
SECOND. 
          MOTION MADE. 
          AND SECOND. 
          ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. 
          THOSE OPPOSED NAY. 
          MOTION PASSES. 
          AUBREY CONTRERAS. 
          SO ALMOST DIDN'T HAVE A SECOND. 
          HELLO. 
          HELLO, CITY COUNCIL COUNSEL. 
          MY NAME IS AUBREY RES. 
          TODAY I WANT TO SPEAK ABOUT HOW POLLUTED AIR IS BAD FOR THE CITY AND BAD FOR PEOPLE. 
          IT'S BAD BECAUSE WE MIGHT NOT ALWAYS SEE IT, BUT WE BREATHE IT AND IT HURTS PEOPLE MAY MANY TIMES IT MAKES US SICK AND WE CAN'T GO TO SCHOOL OR WORK. 
          IF KIDS AND PARENTS CAN'T GO TO SCHOOL OR WORK, THEN THEY WON'T BE ABLE TO LEARN OR MAKE MONEY OR HELP THEIR KIDS, FEED THEM. 
          MY FAMILY AND I TRY TO DO OUR BEST PART OF BY ONLY BUYING AND ONLY WHAT WE NEED AND AVOIDING PLASTIC. 
          IF WE CAN DO OUR PART AS KIDS, WE ASK YOU TO PLEASE GIVE US A HELPING HAND FOR AN EXAMPLE. 
          BASICALLY IT, YOU SEE THIS PAPER, IT'S BASICALLY OUR EARTH. 
          AND IF WE KEEP ON HAVING POLLUTED AIR, IT JUST KEEPS ON RIPPING, RIPPING, AND RIPPING. 
          AND ONCE WE RIP IT ALL THE WAY, WE CAN'T PUT IT BACK TOGETHER. 
          SO IF WE CAN, SO IF WE COULD DO OUR PART, CAN YOU MAYBE PLEASE GIVE US A HAND? MS. CONTRERA? MA'AM? YES. 
          I GOT A QUESTION. 
          COUNCILOR KAMAN AUBREY, IS THIS YOUR FIRST TIME SPEAKING AT CITY COUNCIL? UM, THIS IS ACTUALLY MY SECOND TIME. 
          YOUR SECOND. 
          WELL, YOU'RE DOING A VERY GOOD JOB. 
          CONGRATULATIONS. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          NEXT ANTHONY DENISON TO BE FOLLOWED BY WILL HILL. 
          GOOD AFTERNOON. 
          GOOD AFTERNOON. 
          IS IT ON? ALL RIGHT. 
          I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE FOR GIVING ME THREE MINUTES. 
          TODAY WE ARE HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE CHILD TRAFFICKING ISSUE THAT HAS HIT THE CITY OF HOUSTON. 
          UM, BASICALLY WE GOT TREATED LIKE WE WERE AT THE BORDER AND WE ARE UNITED STATES CITIZENS. 
          WHEN IT GOT IDENTIFIED, THERE WAS A PROCESS CALLED A REUNIFICATION PROCESS BECAUSE A LOT OF KIDS AT THE BORDER GOT HURT AS WELL BY THIS SAME ILLEGAL TACTIC. 
          THE ISSUE IS WE HAVE IT GOING ON HERE IN OUR CITY. 
          UM, I PERSONALLY HAVE FIVE KIDS THAT HAVE BEEN A VICTIM OF THIS. 
          ME AND MY WIFE HAS BEEN FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS INVESTIGATING THIS AND HAS COME UP WITH A RESOLUTION, A SOLUTION, AND HAVE CONCLUDED A FEDERAL INVESTIGATION IF WE CAN GET ANY HELP FROM THE CITY OF HOUSTON. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU, SIR. 
          NEXT WILL HILL, I MONTOYA RIVAS. 
          GOOD AFTERNOON, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, MAJOR, UH, WIMAR THIS AFTERNOON. 
          I AM HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT, UH, UH, FEMA, TSA. 
          UM, WE HAVE BEEN HAVING, UH, APPARENTLY AFTER THE DEATH OF, UH, CONGRESSWOMAN SHEILA JACKSON LEE, UH, SOME, UM, UH, RETALIATIONS WITHIN THE COUNTY AND WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON. 
          UM, MY ESTATE IN ATAS, THE KINGWOOD HASN'T BEEN TOO GOOD. 
          I'M SUING MY MOTHER. 
          UH, I'M LOOKING FOR MR. ENA, WHO IS, UH, RELATED TO MRS. GUADALUPE FERNANDEZ. 
          UH, YOUR, UH, CLOSE NEIGHBOR IN THE HEIGHTS. 
          UH, I'M ALSO SUING AM MAX AFTER A CAR ACCIDENT. 
          MR. ELWELL PORTER. 
          AT THE TIME, HE WAS MY ATTORNEY, HE DECIDED TO, UM, REMOVE HIMSELF FROM THE CASE. 
          AND I'M ALSO SUING IN THE SMALL CLAIMS COURT, UH, THE EL EL LDS CHARGE FOUR SLANDER. 
          UH, CURRENTLY I'M STAYING, UH, THAT'S MY UPDATE IN, UH, CONFER SUITE, WASHINGTON CONTINENTAL AIRPORT. 
          UH, WE'RE STILL WAITING FOR OUR FEMA MONEY. 
          UM, I HAVEN 
          [01:55:01]
TO STAY IN A HOTEL FOR ABOUT THREE WEEKS. 
          UH, FIRST STORM, THE THEN, UH, BOROUGH HIT. 
          AND, UH, WHEN PEOPLE STALK ME IN DIFFERENT HOTELS, I CAN, I'M NOT A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER. 
          I CANNOT SOLVE THE PROBLEMS. I CAN ONLY SOLVE MY LIFE OR THEY CAN COME TO YOU OR ANY, THEIR STATE REPRESENTATIVES OR SENATORS. 
          I MOVE FROM, UH, TO A DIFFERENT HOTEL. 
          I'M HERE TO BASICALLY, UH, TO, UH, TRY TO, UH, THEY UPDATE THIS. 
          I'M BACK IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, UM, STAYING IN JFK, UH, BY BUSH AIRPORT. 
          THERE'S A BUNCH OF FEDERALISTS, THERE'S A BUNCH OF GOVERNMENT THAT WILL KEEP ME SAFE. 
          AND MY DOOR, ANDRE, SHE'S SITTING OVER THERE. 
          SHE ALSO HAS A FEMA CASE, BUT SHE DOESN'T WANNA GO TO A, UH, HOTEL. 
          UH, MY DAUGHTER, LEANNE, SHE'S SAFE IN, UH, MONTGOMERY COUNTY WITH MY GRANDCHILDREN. 
          UH, SHE DOESN'T COME HERE BECAUSE PROBABLY SHE DOESN'T, UH, WANTS TO, UH, ADDRESS YOU. 
          UH, BUT, UM, I'LL SEE WHAT I CAN DO AND, UM, WILL, UH, WANT TO THANK THE, UH, CHURCH OF JOEL AUSTIN FOR THEIR COOPERATION ON TRYING TO ASSIST US AS WELL AS 50 FATHERS FOR, UH, THEM, UH, KEEPING, UH, CHECK ON ME AND MY CHILDREN IN REGARDS TO, UM, THIS SITUATION, HAVING TO DEAL WITH FEMA. 
          THERE'S MANY FAMILIES AROUND THE CITY OF HOUSTON THAT ARE GOING THROUGH D UH, DIFFICULTIES. 
          AND, UH, MANY OF THE PEOPLE WITHIN, UH, LOCAL HOTELS ARE HAVING, UH, PROBLEMS BECAUSE THEY'RE DRINKING, THEY'RE SMOKING ON THEIR FEMA CASES. 
          SO WE ARE JUST BRINGING THESE SITUATION TO YOUR AWARENESS. 
          HOPEFULLY YOU CAN, UH, COMING COMMUNICATE WITH, UH, WITH LOCAL AUTHORITIES, WITH, UH, STATE, UH, WHATEVER IS GOING AMONG THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY AND THE OTHER COMMUNITIES. 
          THE TOWN HAS EXPIRED, UH, MEXICAN, UH, MY YOUTH CITIZEN AND IT'S NONE OF MY BUSINESS. 
          UH, HOPEFULLY YOU GUYS CAN COME TOGETHER. 
          OKAY? THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU, SIR. 
          YOU ARE WELCOME. 
          NEXT. 
          ANDREA CARBON. 
          SHE OKAY. 
          FREDERICK MATH. 
          FENTON. 
          PETRI, HOW Y'ALL DOING? MY NAME IS FENTON PETRI. 
          I'VE BEEN WITH THE HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT FOR 25 AND A HALF YEARS. 
          BEFORE I WAS WRONGFULLY FIRED ON FMLA, I EMAILED, UH, TO CHIEF JUNIOR, UM, DOCTOR LETTER STATING THAT I NEED TO BE OFF BECAUSE I NEED TO CHECK MYSELF INTO A-P-T-S-D PROGRAM. 
          MAY 8TH, I EMAILED THAT MAY 6TH. 
          I WAS FIRED THE NEXT DAY, MAY 7TH, UM, BY A TEXT MESSAGE WHILE IN THE DOCTOR'S OFFICE. 
          UH, WHAT, UH, I HAD TWO OTHER VA APPOINTMENTS THAT DAY. 
          MY LAST APPOINTMENT WAS WITH THE THERAPIST. 
          I ASKED HER, COULD YOU PLEASE TALK TO CHIEF PINON? 'CAUSE I UNDERSTAND WHY I WAS FIRED. 
          A COMBAT WAR VETERAN SEEKING HELP FOR MENTAL HEALTH AT THE TIME. 
          SHE SAID, YES. 
          CHIEF PENER SAID HE DIDN'T FIRE ME FOR SEEKING HELP. 
          HE FIRED ME FOR AN INCIDENT THAT HAPPENED ON CHRISTMAS. 
          DECEMBER 25TH. 
          ON DECEMBER 23RD, I WAS, I WORKED 24 HOURS AT THE STATION ON DECEMBER 24TH, I GOT OFF, WENT TO CHURCH AND MADE GUMBO. 
          WE CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS EVE ON THE WAY HOME ON CHRISTMAS. 
          I REACHED FOR THE PHONE. 
          I SWERVE, I DID GET HIT A CURVE. 
          I WOUND UP GONNA THE HOSPITAL FOR CHEST PAIN THAT DAY. 
          THE POLICE DRAW BLOOD, MY BLOOD CAME BACK BELOW THE LEGAL LIMIT, 0.6 0.6. 
          NO CHARGES HAVE BEEN FILED AGAINST ME FOR THAT DAY. 
          I HAVE NO DWIS ON MY RECORD, BUT YET I WAS FILED FOR, FIRED FOR THAT INCIDENT. 
          UM, THEY HAVE SEVERAL PEOPLE WITH TWO DWIS IN EASTERN FIRE STATION. 
          I'M NOT GONNA SAY NO NAMES, BUT AT FIRE STATION 78. 
          SO FIRE STATION 66 S. 
          I HAVE NO DWIS ON MY RECORD, BUT I WAS FIRED FOR THAT AFTER COMPLETING THE PROGRAM. 
          IT'S A TWO MONTHS PROGRAM. 
          AFTER COMPLETING A MONTH, TWO MONTHS PROGRAM, UH, I SEEK TO GET MY RETIREMENT AND THEY SAID I COULD NOT GET MY RETIREMENT BECAUSE I WAS INDEFINITELY SUSPENDED. 
          SO MY 25 AND A HALF YEARS, I DON'T EVEN HAVE A PENSION. 
          I'M A GREAT FIREMAN. 
          I RECEIVED THE HIGHEST MEDAL. 
          ANY HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT, THE MEDAL OF HONOR. 
          I HAVE 25 YEARS OF EXCELLENT EPIS, BUT YET I'VE BEEN FIRED FOR SEEKING TO ME MEDICAL HELP. 
          'CAUSE I HAVE NO DWIS ON MY RECORD AND NO CHARGES HAS BEEN FILED AGAINST ME, BUT I'VE STILL BEEN FIRED. 
          I JUST, I WANT TO GO BACK TO WORK. 
          I DON'T WANT NO BACK PAY. 
          I JUST WANNA GO BACK TO WORK AND SERVE MY COMMUNITY AND SERVE MY CITY. 
          OKAY, ONE SECOND. 
          COUNCILMAN PLUMMER. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK 
          [02:00:01]
YOU MAYOR. 
          AND THANK YOU MR. PICCHI FOR BEING HERE TODAY. 
          MAYOR, IS THERE ANY WAY THAT WE CAN HAVE HIM WORK WITH SOMEONE IN YOUR OFFICE TO SEE? YES, SIR. 
          AND HE HAS AN ATTORNEY, I BELIEVE. 
          DO YOU NOT? YES, SIR. 
          THAT'S IN SEPTEMBER 26TH. 
          I'M TRYING TO, I DON'T WANT TO GET TO A PUSH AND MATCH OF WHO'S RIGHT AND WHO'S WRONG WITH THE CITY. 
          I JUST WANNA GO BACK TO WORK, SIR. 
          UNDERSTAND. 
          I DON'T WANNA BE INVOLVED WITH THAT. 
          UNDERSTAND. 
          I JUST WANNA GO BACK TO WORK. 
          I'M NOT TRYING TO GET NO BACK PAY. 
          I'M NOT TRYING TO BE, NO, I JUST WANNA GO BACK TO WORK, SIR. 
          THAT'S ALL. 
          WE'RE JUST GONNA HAVE TO LET THE PROCESS WORK. 
          WE'LL, WE'LL DO IT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. 
          AND I'D LISTEN TO YOUR ATTORNEY AND LET THE PROCESS WORK. 
          YES, SIR. 
          SORRY, YOU'RE GOING THROUGH THIS. 
          YES, SIR. 
          THANK YOU. 
          YOU'RE WELCOME. 
          NEXT, I THINK COMMISSIONER GARCIA IS ALREADY GONE. 
          I DON'T THINK HE WANTED TO SEE, HE WANTED TO DRAW HIS NAME. 
          PAMELA BUSBY. 
          HELLO EVERYBODY. 
          MY NAME IS PAMELA BUSBY. 
          MY NAME IS PAMELA BUSBY AND GOOD AFTERNOON. 
          I'M NEW AT THIS. 
          SO, UM, MY NAME IS PAMELA. 
          I'M HERE ASKING YOU FOR A CITY AUDIENCE IN THE PLACE THAT ALL FUNERAL HOMES HAVE A COOLER. 
          I AM ONE OF THE VICTIM OF 49, VICTIM OF JAYVON MAJOR, THE FUNERAL HOME SCAMMER IN HOUSTON, TEXAS. 
          UM, THE TEXAS ADMINISTRATION CODE 1 8 1 4 ALLOWS THAT ALL FUNERAL HOME MUST HAVE A COOLER INSIDE THEIR FUNERAL HOME, UH, TO KEEP THE BODY AT A CERTAIN TEMPERATURE WHERE MR. MAJOR DID NOT DO THAT. 
          HE'S A EXCUSE. 
          HE'S A FUNERAL HOME SCAM ME, HOUSTON, HE LEAVES THE BODY ALL OVER IN DIFFERENT HOMES AND STUFF LIKE THAT. 
          SO I'M COMING TO YOU GUYS AND ASKING YOU GUYS, COULD YOU PUT IT, COULD YOU PLEASE PUT IT IN THE CITY AUDIENCE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE ALL THE FUNERAL HOME, HAVE A, HAVE A COOLER INSIDE THE FUNERAL HOME FOR THE VICTIM. 
          DON'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH THIS AGAIN. 
          ANYTHING ELSE? THAT'S IT. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU MA'AM. 
          THANK YOU. 
          NEXT MOSHE EL UD. 
          PATRICK STRM, SENIOR. 
          GOOD AFTERNOON. 
          FIRST THING I'D LIKE TO SAY, PLEASE, IS THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH YOU TODAY. 
          HONORABLE MAYOR WHITMEYER. 
          MR. CITY CONTROLLER, DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBERS, LADIES, GENTLEMEN, GOOD AFTERNOON. 
          MY NAME IS JUSTIN SCHRAMM AND I'M ADDRESSING YOU TODAY FOR THE RESOLUTION OF A PROBLEM FOR WHICH I'VE BEEN PURSUING REMEDIATION SINCE AUGUST, 2023. 
          SPECIFICALLY, I'M TALKING ABOUT OVERGROWN FOLIAGE IN A NEIGHBORHOOD, BACKYARD, NEIGHBORING BACKYARD, SOME OF WHICH ENCROACHES TWO COMMUNICATION LINES AND IS NEARING THE ENCROACHMENT OF THE TOP POWER LINE. 
          I HAVE ENDEAVORED AND FAILED TO RESOLVE THIS PROBLEM IN HOPES OF AVOIDING A LOCAL POWER OUTAGE. 
          I HAVE CONTACTED NO LESS THAN EIGHT ENTITIES IN RESEARCH OF REMEDIATION, AND I I ATTEMPTED TO GIVE YOU A COPY OF MY ADDRESS. 
          AND IN THE INTEREST OF TIME, I WON'T GO OVER ALL THE EIGHT. 
          DURING THIS PERIOD, AT LEAST THREE INSPECTION ORDERS HAVE BEEN OPENED AND CLOSED. 
          HOWEVER, NONE OF THE CLOSURES ADDRESSED IN FULL THE ROOT PROBLEMS OF BOTH UNDERGROWTH AND THE LINE ENCROACHMENT. 
          THEREFORE, IT IS MY OPINION THESE VIOLATIONS SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN CLOSED IN THE FIRST PLACE. 
          THUS FAR, I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO DETERMINE WHERE THE RESPONSIBILITY LIES TO FURTHER COMPLICATE MATTERS. 
          THE PROPERTY IN QUESTION HAS NOT BEEN OCCUPIED FOR APPROXIMATELY 20 YEARS. 
          BILL, A PROPERTY OWNER IS LISTED ON THE AVAILABLE RECORDS. 
          I BELIEVE THAT IS BEING ADMINISTERED BY A TRUST. 
          MY LATEST UNDERSTANDING IS AS FOLLOWS, THE PROPERTY IN QUESTION HAD TO FIRST HAVE THE UNDERGROWTH REMOVED IN ORDER FOR CENTER POINT TO ACCESS THE LINES FOR MAINTENANCE CENTER. 
          POINT NUMBER TWO, CENTER POINT HAS DECLINED ALL ACTIONS THUS FAR. 
          THREE, THE CITY OF HOUSTON CANNOT ACCESS THE BACKYARD WITHOUT THE PERMISSION OF THE HOMEOWNER. 
          AND LASTLY, NUMBER FOUR, THE CITY OF HOUSTON NOW CONTENDS THIS IS A CIVIL MATTER AND PLACED THE RESPONSIBILITY ON ANOTHER PARTY, 
          [02:05:01]
ME TO FILE FOR LITIGATION IN MY LIMITED UNDERSTANDING OF THINGS. 
          THIS, THIS DOESN'T MAKE SENSE. 
          THE HOMEOWNER IS RESPONSIBLE TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND BY EXTENSION, THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO KEEP THE YARD IN SUCH A FASHION AS TO NOT IMPEDE THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND OR CENTER POINT REGARDING FOLIAGE MAINTENANCE. 
          IF THERE IS AN ORDINANCE VIOLATION, IT SHOULD BE EQUITABLY ENFORCED. 
          OTHERWISE, HOMEOWNERS COULD JUST DO WHAT THEY PLEASE IN SPITE OF POSSIBLE LOSS OF SERVICES OR DAMAGES TO OTHERS. 
          I HAVE NO DOUBT THE CITY OF HOUSTON WOULD NOT SIT IDLY BY IF MY PROPERTY VIOLATED THESE BASIC RESPONSIBILITIES. 
          IN CONCLUSION, IF NONE OF THE ENTITIES THAT I HAVE CONTACTED ARE THE CORRECT RESPONSIBLE AUTHORITIES, THEN WHO IS, IF I CANNOT OBTAIN A, AN EQUITABLE RESOLUTION, JUST PLEASE ADVISE ME OF THE CORRECT PARTY TO CONTACT. 
          THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION IN THIS IMPORTANT MATTER AND FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK. 
          GOD BLESS YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COUNCILMAN P*****K. 
          THANK YOU MAYOR. 
          UH, PATRICK, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR COMING FORWARD. 
          MY OFFICE HAS GIVEN ME A LOT OF BACKGROUND ON YOUR, ON YOUR PARTICULAR, UH, ISSUE. 
          ARE YOU, ARE YOU, UH, ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE, UH, DEPUTY, DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF? DAVID? YES. 
          ZU. 
          YES. 
          GOOD GUY. 
          UH, HE'S WORKED VERY HARD. 
          WE, WE DON'T SEEM TO BE MAKING MUCH HEADWAY. 
          CORRECT. 
          I WOULD BE REMISS TO SAY THAT WE HAVEN'T MADE ANY, BUT WE DON'T HAVE A FINAL RESOLUTION. 
          YEAH. 
          AND AND THAT'S WHY YOU'RE HERE TODAY BECAUSE, UH, MAYOR, MY OFFICE HAS AS DONE ALL THAT WE CAN TO WORK WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS, TRY TO CONTACT THE PROPERTY OWNER, GO OUT THERE, LOOK AT THE SITE, REACH OUT TO CENTER POINT. 
          UH, BUT WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA NEED YOUR ASSISTANCE AND, AND, AND SPEAKING TO, UH, THE DIRECTOR ON WHAT THE CITY OPTIONS ARE. 
          WHEN YOU HAVE A NEGLECTFUL PROPERTY OWNER WHO DOES NOT LIVE AT THE PROPERTY, HAVE OVERGROWN BACKYARD THAT IMPEDES ON THIS GENTLEMAN'S BACKYARD AND NO, NO SIR. 
          NOT, IT DOESN'T IMP IMPINGE ON MY BACKYARD, BUT IT IMPINGES ON CENTER POINTS OR ANYBODY'S ABILITY TO ACCESS THE PROPERTY IN A SAFE MANNER. 
          OKAY. 
          AND WHEN I HAD MET WITH THE, UH, FORESTER AT CENTER POINT AT ONE POINT, HE HAD SEEMED TO INDICATE THAT NEEDED TO BE CLEANED BEFORE THEY COULD DO ANYTHING. 
          OH, MAYOR, I, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE SOLUTION IS WHEN IT'S A PRIVATE PROPERTY AND IF IT HAS TO BE A CIVIL MATTER, UH, BETWEEN, UH, THAT PROPERTY OWNER AND THE, AND THE HARMED PARTY. 
          UH, BUT I DO WANT YOUR ADMINISTRATION TO LOOK AT WHATEVER OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE SO THIS GENTLEMAN CAN HAVE SOME RELIEF. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COUNCILMAN. 
          MAY I SUGGEST ONE OTHER THING? PLEASE? I'VE, UH, TALKED TO THE PARTIES ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE FENCE. 
          THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE FENCE FROM MYSELF AND THE ADJACENT PROPERTY. 
          'CAUSE IT'S NOT, UH, SQUARELY MATCHED. 
          THEY'LL ALLOW ACCESS BY CENTER POINT. 
          AND CERTAINLY I THINK THAT YOU WOULD HAVE UNIMPEDED ACCESS FROM THE NORTH YARD RATHER THAN TO HAVING TO GO THROUGH THE YARD IN QUESTION. 
          I WOULD THINK THAT THAT MAY BE AN OPTION, HOPEFULLY. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          ANYTHING ELSE, SIR? THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. 
          FOLLOW UP WITH MY OFFICE ON THAT PARTICULAR IDEA AND, AND I'LL TAKE THE LEAD ON TRYING TO FACILITATE. 
          APPRECIATE IT, SIR. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          NEXT. 
          DARREN HARPER DARL. 
          HARPER ADO SQUARE. 
          COULD WE RAISE THIS UP? I'M A LITTLE TALL, PLEASE. 
          WHO, WHO'S GOT THE RAISING MECHANISM? I SAW IT. 
          Y'ALL LOWERED IT EARLIER, PLEASE. 
          IT, IT CAME UP. 
          IT CAME UP. 
          OH, THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          UH, GIVING HONOR TO GOD FIRST I WISH. 
          SO, GOD, NO MATTER WHERE I'M AT, I'M GONNA GIVE HONOR TO HIM FIRST AND TO, UH, THE NEW MAYOR, JOHN WHITMEYER AND THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND EVERYONE HERE. 
          I'M A DOLPHIN SQUARE HOUSTON HOMELESS HOTEL. 
          UH, GIVE ME ONE SECOND. 
          I THOUGHT YOU WERE GONNA GIVE ME A, UH, YOU KNOW, LITTLE HEADS UP WITH THE OTHER PERSON. 
          WHEN YOU, YOU CALL THE ONE PERSON, THEN YOU CALL SOMEBODY ELSE. 
          BUT I'M READY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, 
          [02:10:01]
HOW ARE YOU GUYS DOING THIS AFTERNOON? I'M NOT GONNA TAKE TOO MUCH OF YOUR TIME. 
          AND I KNOW WHO HAS THE BAIL? SOMEBODY GOT THE BAIL. 
          I THINK IT'S GOING AROUND DIFFERENTLY. 
          SOMEBODY GOT THE BAIL. 
          UM, . 
          THAT'S RIGHT. 
          YOU BETTER HURRY UP THE MAIL. 
          THE BAIL'S GETTING READY. 
           THE OKAY. 
          OH MAN. 
          I, I LOVE, FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA SAY HOUSTON IS NOT A DIRTY CITY. 
          I LIKE HOUSTON. 
          YOU KNOW, HAVE YOU EVER BEEN TO CHICAGO AND NEW YORK? I LOVE THOSE CITIES TOO, BUT HOUSTON'S CLEANER THAN THAT. 
          UM, I JUST WANNA SPEAK ON EMERGENCY TRANSITIONAL HOUSING. 
          UM, WE HAVE A FORMAT, THE PERSONAL, THE PERMANENT HOUSING IS A GREAT THING. 
          BUT FOR THOSE DISPLACED INDIVIDUALS AND HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS, WHAT WILL THEY DO WHILE THEY'RE WAITING ON PERMANENT HOUSING? IT'S DANGEROUS OUT THERE ON THE STREETS. 
          I CAME FROM A HOMELESS BACKGROUND AND UH, WE, HOMELESS HOTEL HAS A SOLUTION FOR EMERGENCY TRANSITIONAL HOUSING. 
          WHILE PEOPLE ARE WAITING FOR PERMANENT HOUSING, KIDS, FAMILIES, UH, FRIENDS OR FRIENDS OR SOMEBODY, I THINK EVERYBODY KNOWS SOMEBODY WHO'S HOMELESS. 
          EVEN IF IT'S NOT INADVERTENTLY YOU, IT'S SOMEBODY YOU KNEW. 
          WE HAVE A SOLUTION. 
          WE TAKE HOTELS AND WE PLACE INDIVIDUALS IN THOSE ROOMS UNTIL THE PERMANENT HOUSING COMES UP. 
          OUR ISSUE RIGHT NOW IS WE DON'T HAVE THE FUNDING. 
          IN 2014, I CAME AND SPOKE WITH THEN MAYOR ANISE PARKER. 
          GREAT, GREAT WOMAN AND YOUTUBE MAYOR, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, MAYOR INTERIM WAS, UH, ED GONZALEZ AT THAT TIME. 
          AND, UH, WE SPOKE ABOUT THIS AND WE SAID WE WERE GOING VIRTUAL AT THAT AT THAT TIME. 
          THEN THE PANDEMIC CAME AND EVERYBODY WENT VIRTUAL. 
          UM, WE JUST WANT TO KNOW, OH, THAT'S BARRY. 
          I KNEW IT. 
          I KNEW IT. 
          I THOUGHT IT WAS GOING SOMEWHERE, BUT HERE'S THE THING. 
          I KNEW IT. 
          I KNEW IT. 
          OKAY. 
          I JUST WANNA MAKE ONE POINT. 
          IF I KNOW SOME OF Y'ALL, YOU KNOW, AND I'M NOT GONNA CALL ANY NAMES. 
          I KNOW SOME OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, BUT, UH, I EVEN TOLD MAYOR TURNER, DOUGIE FISH GOT SIX MINUTES. 
          HOW COME I ONLY ONLY GET THREE NOW? SHE SAID THROUGH, IF Y'ALL WANT TO TALK TO US ABOUT THIS, WE GOT A SOLUTION FOR IT. 
          YOU KNOW, AND I SPOKE WITH NICK SESSIONS ABOUT THIS. 
          WE NEED A SOLUTION JUST FOR EMERGENCY. 
          AND WE'RE PART OF THE WAY HOME PROGRAM. 
          HOUSTON IS A GREAT CITY. 
          I LOVE THIS CITY. 
          LOVE Y'ALL. 
          AND I WANTED TO WRAP MY WHOLE, UH, PRESENTATION, BUT Y'ALL WOULDN'T LET ME RAP, YOU KNOW, SO YEAH. 
          , THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU MA'AM. 
          MAYOR, BE SAFE. 
          COUNCILMAN DAVIS BROTHERS? UH, DOS? YES SIR. 
          HELLO. 
          HI. 
          HOW YOU DOING? COUNCILOR DAVIS. 
          GOOD TO MEET YOU. 
          NICE TO MEET YOU, SIR. 
          YOU START OFF RIGHT WAY. 
          . 
          YOU KNOW WHEN YOU OPENED UP YOU DID START THE RIGHT WAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          BUT I JUST WANTED TO ASK A QUESTION. 
          HOW LONG YOU BEEN WORKING WITH THIS PROGRAM? UH, WE, UH, ACTUALLY STARTED WORKING IN 2009 WITH THE GREAT EARTHQUAKE OF THE PEOPLE OF HAITI. 
          AND THEN IN 2014 WE BECAME A OUR OWN ORGANIZATION. 
          UH, WE HELD EVENTS ALL AROUND THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND DIFFERENT, UH, PLACES AND, UH, HELPING THE HOMELESS. 
          UH, THE LAY GREAT, UH, SHEILA JACKSON LEAGUE, GOD REST OF SOUL WOULD COME OUT AND ALSO ASSIST US, UH, WITH THE HOMELESS POPULATION. 
          SO IT'S BEEN SINCE 2014. 
          WE ARE NOW A-I-R-I-R-S 5 0 1 C3 RECOGNIZED ORGANIZATION AND, UH, WE'RE DOING GREAT THINGS. 
          WE WANNA HAVE THE FIRST HOUSTON HOMELESS HOTEL, HOME HOMELESS FESTIVAL. 
          DO YOU MANAGE IT? HOMELESS FESTIVAL? UM, DO YOU MANAGE IT? RIGHT NOW I AM THE CEO AND FOUNDER OF, WE DON'T HAVE A PHYSICAL BUILDING, SO WE HAVE PARTNERSHIPS WITH HOTELS RIGHT NOW AND, UH, WE DO WANT TO GET A PHYSICAL BUILDING EVENTUALLY, BUT WE'RE WORKING ON THE FUNDING RIGHT NOW OF COUNCILMAN DAVIS AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WE JUST WANNA DO SOME GREAT THINGS. 
          THIS, I LOVE THIS CITY. 
          I LOVE HOUSTON. 
          GOTTA LOVE IT. 
          YEAH, I LOVE IT. 
          GOTTA LOVE IT. 
          YEAH, I LOVE IT. 
          THIS IS, THIS IS THE BIG H THAT'S RIGHT. 
          NOW I HAVE A CONSTITUENT SERVICE GUY. 
          HE JUST GOING TO GIVE YOU SOME INFORMATION. 
          I'D LIKE TO TALK WITH YOU ABOUT IT. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          SURE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          YES, SIR. 
          NEXT, ANNETTE JEFFERSON, 
          [02:15:05]
SCOTTY, JOSEPH, NOAH SANTANA. 
          WHERE ARE WE AT THERE? CHARLENE FORD, , JEROME BENSON. 
          HOW Y'ALL DOING? MY NAME'S JEROME BENSON. 
          OKAY, I HEAR ME. 
          GOOD. 
          RIGHT ON. 
          MY NAME'S JEROME BENSON. 
          I'M FROM, UH, WILMINGTON, DELAWARE. 
          I MOVED DOWN HERE IN 2006. 
          I'M CURRENTLY A SAFETY MANAGER IN THE RENEWABLE ENERGY FIELD. 
          UH, CURRENTLY OVERSEE, UH, 50 PLUS SITES AROUND THE UNITED STATES WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, WIND TURBINES AND THE SAFETY OF OUR GUYS. 
          UM, THE REASON FOR ME BEING HERE AS A MAYOR, I THINK WE HAD SEEN YOU, I HAD SEEN YOU, UH, SATURDAY NIGHT ALONG WITH A COUPLE OTHER, UM, PEOPLE. 
          UM, I'M A, I AM A 50 50. 
          I'M A, I HAVE TWO SONS, FIVE AND EIGHT YEARS OLD. 
          SO WHEN I DON'T HAVE 'EM, I LIKE TO ENJOY MYSELF WITH AN EVENING OF PLAYING SOME CHESS. 
          THE AREA I MIGHT PLAY IN MIGHT NOT BE THE MOST ESTABLISHED AREA, BUT IT IS THIRD WARD, TEXAS. 
          UM, THE MAIN REASON I'M HERE IS BECAUSE, UH, WHEN YOU GUYS CAME THROUGH ON SATURDAY NIGHT, UM, IT WAS, I FELT LIKE IT WAS AN AMBUSH. 
          UM, THERE'S PLENTY OF WAYS TO GET THE POINT ACROSS, BUT A HEAVY POLICE, UH, PRESENCE I DON'T THINK IS THE RIGHT ONE. 
          UM, I THINK, UH, WHEN, WHEN THE LADY HAD ASKED, WHEN I TALKED TO ONE OF THE COUNCILMEN IN THE GOLF CART, UM, DO YOU HAVE ANY SOLUTIONS? AND I DO HAVE A SOLUTION AND I HAVE MULTIPLE SOLUTIONS. 
          UM, I THINK THE STREETS ARE PUBLIC STREETS. 
          I DON'T THINK THEY'RE PRIVATELY OWNED STREETS, SO I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU CAN'T DO AFTER HOUR PARKING. 
          NOW IF IN THE MORNING TIME THEY, THEY CLEANING UP THE STREETS, BE OFF THE STREETS BY SIX, SEVEN O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING ALSO, UM, THE BUDGET IN HOUSTON IS THIS YEAR IS, UH, $6.7 BILLION ON THE POLICE FIRE. 
          THEY GET A, A PRETTY GOOD PENNY OF IT, IF IT WAS MY OPINION. 
          INSTEAD OF YOU SHOWING UP, ENFORCING INTIMIDATION TACTICS, UM, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW WHAT AREA THAT, WHAT KIND OF AREA IT IS. 
          UM, MOBILIZE BIKE UNITS, MOBILIZE THE CART UNITS. 
          I SEE YOU GUYS IN 'CAUSE IT'S A LOT OF THEFT GOING ON. 
          WHEN YOU DO GO INSIDE, UM, THESE CLUBS 'CAUSE THEY'RE BUSTING OUT WINDOWS. 
          I'M PRETTY SURE WE HEARD OF THAT TOO IN THAT AREA. 
          SO JUST ME AS A MAN, JUST SEEING A PRESIDENT AND MY CAR WAS ACTUALLY ON THE TOW ABOUT TO BE TOW. 
          UM, I JUST FEEL LIKE WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO ENJOY YOURSELF, NO MATTER WHERE YOU WANT TO ENJOY YOURSELF, YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE TO ENCOUNTER A SITUATION LIKE THAT TO WHERE, UM, YOU JUST FEEL WHEN YOU LEAVE LIKE THIS. 
          COME ON. 
          WHY, WHY HERE? WHY NOT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF TOWN WHERE THE SAME NIGHTCLUBS AND RESIDENTS LIVE IN THAT AREA? THEY CAN PARK ON THE STREETS OVER THERE. 
          BUT OVER HERE IS RULES. 
          I JUST WANT TO GET TO THE BOTTOM OF IT A LITTLE BIT. 
          UM, ANOTHER THING WHY I STILL GOT TIME, AND I AIN'T HIT THAT BELL REAL QUICK, IT DISTURBS ME HOW IT'S A $6.7 BILLION BUDGET AND WE GOT HOMELESS PEOPLE PROBABLY RIGHT OUT THE SIDE. 
          RIGHT NOW. 
          I JUST CAN'T UNDERSTAND HOW WE CAN ACTUALLY BE HERE GETTING MONEY FROM THE PEOPLE WHO PAY TAXES AND THEN DON'T HELP THE PEOPLE WHO REALLY NEED IT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU, SIR. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER, SIR. 
          COUNCILOR RAMIREZ. 
          UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, MR. BENSON. 
          I JUST, I JUST WANTED TO ASK A COUPLE MORE QUESTIONS SO I COULD BE CLEAR. 
          SO, WAS WAS THIS SATURDAY NIGHT? YEAH. 
          MM-HMM . 
          WHAT TIME WAS IT? UH, IT WAS PROBABLY ABOUT 11. 
          11:00 PM YEAH. 
          AND DID YOU HAVE YOUR CAR TOWED? NO. 
          THEY, THEY, UH, IT WAS PARKED IN FRONT OF THE, IT WAS PARKED IN FRONT OF THE, THE, THE, AT THAT, WELL, NOT AT THE HOUR, BUT THE NIGHTCLUB. 
          SO IT WAS PARKED IN FRONT. 
          SO THE SECURITY CAME IN AND GOT ME. 
          IT WAS RIGHT ON THE STREET. 
          MM-HMM . 
          IT WASN'T BLOCKING ANY DRIVEWAYS OR IT WASN'T BLOCKING ANY SIDEWALKS. 
          SO ALSO WHEN I WENT UP THE STREET AFTER THAT, THE PRESENCE OF THE COPS WERE STILL OUT. 
          AND SINCE WE TALKING ABOUT IT, I WAS PARKED IN FRONT OF THE, THE NICE SPOT AGAIN, RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE DOOR. 
          AND THAT TIME I GOT A TICKET. 
          [02:20:01]
SO EITHER WAY, THEY WAS TRYING TO, I GUESS, I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON. 
          WHAT, WHAT NIGHTCLUB WAS IT THAT YOU WERE PARKED NEAR? UH, AT FIRST, UM, I THINK IT'S CALLED D BAR ON EMANCIPATION. 
          OKAY. 
          AND, UH, DO YOU LIVE IN THAT AREA? I LIVE ON 2 88 SOUTH. 
          I LIVE, UH, LIKE 2 88 AND 16TH. 
          LIKE, YEAH, KIND OF SORTA OF, BUT NOT IN THAT AREA. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, I'M LOOKING AT THE ADDRESS ON THE SHEET WHERE NEXT TO YOUR NAME, IT SAYS 7 7 0 7 4. 
          IS THAT ACCURATE ZIP CODE WHERE YOU LIVE? YES. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, SO WHAT, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE SOLUTIONS YOU, YOU WOULD SUGGEST TO US? LIKE I SAID, I WOULD, I WOULD, YOU KNOW, JUST INSTEAD OF JUST THE ABUNDANCE OF COPS ALL AT ONCE, TO SHOCK THE PEOPLE, I WOULD THINK IT'D BE A WAVE OF THING THAT WHEN I DO IN SAFETY, YOU KNOW, I JUST KEEP ON, KEEP ON, KEEP ON UNTIL EVENTUALLY MY GUYS GET A SAFETY CULTURE. 
          SO WHAT MY SUGGESTION WOULD BE MOBILIZE COPS WHO MIGHT BE FROM THAT AREA. 
          SO IT GONNA BE, UM, YOU KNOW, COPS FROM DIFFERENT AREAS DEALING WITH PEOPLE FROM THIS AREA. 
          AND THERE MIGHT BE A CONFLICT, WHETHER IT'S ON BIKES, WHETHER IT'S IN GOLF CARTS, ANY KIND OF PATROL THAT YOU GUYS CAN SENDING THIS AREA WILL BE A SOLUTION, AT LEAST A, A ATTEMPT. 
          IF IT DON'T WORK, MAYBE WE SHOULD REACH OUT TO THE CUB CLUB OWNERS, BUT I THINK THE INFORMATION SHOULD GET BACK TO THE, THE PEDESTRIANS THAT SPEND THEIR MONEY. 
          SO THEY WON'T BE COME OUT AND WHERE MY CAR WERE. 
          WERE YOU AWARE THAT, UH, PARKING ON THE STREET WAS RESTRICTED IN THAT AREA BEFORE THEY TOLD YOU? IT? IT, THAT'S THE THING. 
          AT ONE POINT IT WAS AT ONE, I DON'T GO, I DON'T GO OUT OFTEN LIKE THAT. 
          SO WHEN I DO IT, I SEEN A CHANGE. 
          I DID SEE A CHANGE. 
          I DID SEE THE, THE STREETS WAS GETTING CLEARED UP, BUT I DON'T GO OUT OFTEN. 
          I, I'M NOT AT EVERY WEEK AND DO, SO WHEN I DON'T HAVE MY KIDS, I WANNA GO PLAY SOME CHESS. 
          I, I USUALLY, I'M OUTTA THERE BY AT LEAST 12 MIDNIGHT. 
          BUT ARE YOU AWARE THAT A LOT OF THE RESIDENTS IN THAT AREA HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THE NOISE AT NIGHT? YEAH, WITHOUT A DOUBT. 
          BUT I, THEY, I'M, I'M PRETTY SURE TO GET THOSE NIGHTCLUBS OVER THERE, THEY HAD TO SIGN SOME KIND OF PETITION TO LET YOU KNOW IT'S GOING TO BE MUSIC BEING PLAYED OR LOUD MUSIC. 
          JUST HOW, IN OTHER AREAS IN THE CITY WHERE MIDTOWN, THEY HAVE MUSIC AND CONDOS ABOVE, I'M PRETTY SURE THEY GOT A SIGN OFF ON IT. 
          MM-HMM . 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU, SIR. 
          YES, SIR. 
          THANK YOU. 
          HOLD COUNCIL MEMBER HOR . 
          THA THANKS FOR COMING. 
          AND I, I, COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ KIND OF ASKED MY QUESTION IF YOU KNEW ABOUT THE PARKING SITUATION, IF THERE WAS SIGNAGE OR ANYTHING ABOUT THE, THE PARKING SITUATION? UM, THE SIGNS CAN KIND OF CONTRA, UH, IT IS SIGNS OVER THERE, BUT I KNEW I SHOULD HAVE TOOK PICTURES AND I, YEAH. 
          YOU KNOW, THAT WASN'T, I WASN'T, OKAY. 
          OKAY. 
          AND SIGNS, AND THEN ON, ON THE CHESS, WHERE ARE YOU PLAYING CHESS? LIKE IN A, IN A EMPTY LOT OR OUTSIDE A BAR? PLAYING INSIDE OR INSIDE THE BAR? OUTSIDE THE BAR? MM-HMM. 
          INSIDE THE BAR. 
          INSIDE THE BAR? MM-HMM . 
          OKAY. 
          YEAH. 
          AND, AND JUST, YOU KNOW, WE DO GET TONS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT NOISE AND, AND I GUARANTEE YOU IT'S NOT JUST GOING TO BE THIS AREA, . 
          I MEAN, IT'S A LOT OF OTHER AREAS AND WE'RE NOT GONNA, WE'RE GONNA HAVE THE SAME RULES AT EVERY AREA TO CRACK DOWN ON NOISE AND CRACK DOWN ON, UM, THINGS THAT GO, THAT WE GET LOTS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT. 
          SO, WHILE I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS, YOU KNOW WHAT, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU PROBABLY, YOU'RE NOT GOING ENOUGH, ENOUGH OR WHATEVER WHEN YOU JUST OCCASIONALLY GO THERE. 
          IT SEEMED LIKE A BIG DEAL THAT PEOPLE COME, BUT WE ACTUALLY GET INUNDATED WITH, UM, RESIDENTS CALLING IN DIFFERENT AREAS OF TOWN. 
          SO ALL AREAS OF TOWN. 
          SO WHAT THE SOLUTION, WELL, I MEAN, ONE OF THE SOLUTIONS WAS KIND OF WHAT WAS DONE. 
          I HATE TO SAY, I MEAN, WE HAVE TO HAVE SOME KIND OF PRESENCE OUT THERE TO DETER THE, THE PARKING, TO DETER THE NOISE. 
          I MEAN, AND, AND I, AND I, I THINK, I THINK, AND I, I, I LIKE YOUR IDEA OF THE BIKE GUYS AND EVERYTHING ELSE. 
          I MEAN, HOWEVER WE CAN GET POLICE, UM, TO, TO ENFORCE SOME OF THE RULES THAT WE HAVE ON THE BOOKS. 
          'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE'RE CRITICIZED FOR. 
          WE'RE CRITICIZED FOR HAVING RULES AND NOT ENFORCING 'EM. 
          SO IT TAKES, IT TAKES, IT TAKES A A, A POLICE RIGHT NOW, THEY'RE THE ONES THAT CAN ENFORCE THE, THE NOISE ORDINANCE AND STUFF. 
          SO IT TAKES A PRESENCE TO GET TO GO OUT THERE. 
          SO I JUST DON'T WANT YOU TO FEEL LIKE THAT AREA WAS SINGLED OUT. 
          I'M ACTUALLY HOPING THERE'S OTHER AREAS THAT, THAT WE'RE GONNA GO TO TOO, TO REALLY GET A HANDLE ON THIS. 
          'CAUSE IT IS, IS A REALLY KIND OF DESTROYING QUALITY OF LIFE IN IT REALLY IS. 
          IF I LIVED THERE, IF I DID LIVE IN THAT AREA, I WOULD CONSIDER ON LIVING HERE, BUT I KNOW THAT THAT'S AN OLD NEIGHBORHOOD, RIGHT? BUT LIKE I SAY, IF THE COORDINATES CHANGE AND THINGS NEED TO BE, YOU KNOW, CHANGED FROM WITHIN THE NIGHTCLUBS AND THE LOUNGES, I THINK WE SHOULD TALK TO THE OWNERS. 
          BUT WHEN YOU COME OUT, IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, YEAH. 
          IT'S MANY DIFFERENT WAYS YOU COULD DO IT. 
          AND ALSO, IT'S A LOT OF VIOLENCE, RIGHT? PEOPLE. 
          RIGHT. 
          AND THERE'S BEEN LOTS OF CONVERSATIONS WITH BAR OWNERS, AND ESPECIALLY THE ONES THAT ARE, ARE REPEAT KIND OF OFFENDERS OF THESE ORDINANCES. 
          BUT, BUT REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR BEING HERE. 
          AND I WANTED TO ASSURE YOU THAT WE'RE NOT SINGLING OUT ANY ONE AREA. 
          I'VE GOT A LIST 
          [02:25:01]
 OF AREAS WHERE WE REALLY NEED TO, TO, UH, MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE, ARE, ARE, ARE PAYING ATTENTION. 
          I JUST TO, I MEAN, I'M NOT HERE TO COMPLAIN OR ANYTHING. 
          I JUST WANT TO GET IT OFF MY CHEST. 
          I MEAN, I JUST, YOU KNOW. 
          YEAH, NO, I APPRECIATE IT. 
          WHEN IT COMES TO INFORMATION AND SIGNS AND JUST, YOU KNOW, WHEN IT'S TIME TO VOTE, WE GONNA SEE A LOT OF SIGNS EVERYWHERE. 
          LET YOU KNOW. 
          IT'S, I MEAN, WE GOING, YO, YOU GUYS ARE GONNA SHOVE IT DOWN WITH THESE SIGNS, IS, I MEAN, SOMETIMES WHERE I'M FROM, WE HAVE A WHOLE SHOW ON PARKING WARS, YOU KNOW, ON THE EAST COAST. 
          I'M FROM THE TRI-STATE AREA, SO IT'S A LOT GOING ON WITH THAT. 
          BUT LIKE I SAID, I DON'T WANT TO TAKE UP TOO MUCH TIME AND BE HERE TO COMPLAIN. 
          I JUST WANT TO, I JUST DON'T LIKE TO FEEL LIKE YOU JUST SURE. 
          YOU KNOW, JUST SO THANK YOU EVERYBODY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          AND TAKE IT AGENT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          NEXT DUNBAR MUNCY. 
          HOW YOU GUYS DOING? I JUST WANNA READ SOME POETRY. 
          I CALL THIS POETRY, IT'S CALLED THE FINAL ACT. 
          AND I JUST WANNA SHARE WITH YOU GUYS THE FINAL ACT CALLED THE ALMIGHTY. 
          AND THEN AFTER THAT, I'M GONNA GO TALK ABOUT WHY WE SHOULD LEARN SPANISH AND EDUCATE MORE PEOPLE ABOUT THAT. 
          OKAY? SO IT GOES LIKE THIS, SEVEN, THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS. 
          I EMBRACE THEM ALL. 
          KILL A FRIEND TO CHASE THE CALL THE GALL OF YOU PEOPLE, THE ALMIGHTY SITS, WHETHER THE STORM, SO YOUR WORLD WILL BE BLISS. 
          AND THEN YOU RAGE WRAPPED UP THE DRAGON BLAZE THE BATTALION, PRIDE OF A SOLDIER LEFT THE BEHOLDER AND VW BEAUTY, GREED FOR THE BOOTY SLOT AND HANGOVERS MAINTAIN COMPOSURE, GLUTTONY RUMBLES. 
          THIS ROUND IS OVER. 
          MY AIM IS TO SILENCE DIRECT WITH MY VIOLENCE. 
          ALMIGHTY POWER SITS ON THIS ISLAND, THE ALMIGHTY. 
          IT'S BASED ON AN ARROGANT MAN THAT WANTS TO RULE THE WORLD. 
          AND THEN I HAVE FIVE REASONS WHY WE SHOULD LEARN SPANISH. 
          UH, I STARTED LEARNING SPANISH BECAUSE I HAVE A WHOLE BUNCH OF HISPANIC FRIENDS. 
          SO BASED ON MY EXPERIENCE, I GOT A TUTOR. 
          BECAUSE EVERY TIME I GO TO SCHOOL, I WASN'T REALLY LEARNING BECAUSE THERE'S TOO MANY PEOPLE. 
          SO YOU CAN'T FOCUS ON EVERYONE. 
          SO MY, MY BELIEF IS THAT THE FIRST REASON YOU LEARN SPANISH, YOU'LL MAKE MORE FRIENDS. 
          THE SECOND REASON YOU LEARN SPANISH, YOU'LL MAKE MORE MONEY. 
          THE THIRD REASON YOU LEARN SPANISH, YOU'LL MAKE MORE, UH, MAYBE FIND A BETTER SPOUSE IF YOU'RE A GUY OR A GIRL. 
          THE FOURTH REASON, YOU COULD GO ON VACATION DIFFERENT PLACES. 
          MAYBE YOU COULD LIVE SOMEWHERE. 
          MAYBE YOU COULD LIVE IN SPAIN OR PORTUGAL OR ITALY. 
          YOU WOULD'VE NEVER LIVED THERE IF YOU DIDN'T KNOW THE LANGUAGE. 
          AND THEN MY FIFTH REASON WOULD BE, YOU CAN TRY DIFFERENT FOODS. 
          NOW SOME PEOPLE, THEY DON'T WANNA TRY THINGS BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW THE LANGUAGE. 
          NOW, AFTER YOU LEARN THE LANGUAGE, THEN YOU'LL BE LIKE, MAYBE I'LL JUST TRY IT. 
          MAYBE I'LL JUST GO EAT IT. 
          YOU NEVER KNOW. 
          SO THAT'S MY BELIEF. 
          I THINK THAT COULD APPLY TO EVERY LANGUAGE. 
          BUT SOME LANGUAGES ARE BIGGER THAN OTHERS AND SOME ARE SMALLER. 
          LIKE YOU WOULDN'T, YOU COULD PROBABLY SAY IT ABOUT CHINESE, BUT YOU CAN'T SAY IT ABOUT NIGERIAN OR ANYTHING ELSE. 
          SO I BELIEVE THAT IN ONE ASPECT, YOU MIGHT GET ONE OF THESE OUTTA ALL FIVE OF 'EM. 
          YOU'LL AT LEAST GET ONE. 
          AND THAT'S ALL I WANTED TO SAY, TO SHARE MYSELF. 
          THANK YOU. 
          GREAT IDEAS. 
          UH, NEXT PASTOR ROY WASHINGTON TO BE FOLLOWED BY WILL HILL. 
          GREETINGS COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME, UM, UH, TO SPEAK BEFORE YOU TODAY. 
          MY NAME IS, UH, PASTOR ROY WASHINGTON. 
          I RESIDE IN DISTRICT B, WHERE I'M ALSO THE, UM, LEAD PASTOR OF JEHOVAH ALPHA HOUSE OF HEALING CHURCH. 
          I COME BEFORE YOU TODAY, UH, AS AN ADVOCATE FOR TWO FAMILIES IN, UH, IN OUR COMMUNITY. 
          UH, MS. TIDO AND MR. ANDERSON. 
          UH, MS. TIDO RESIDES IN DISTRICT K. 
          MR. ANDERSON RESIDES IN DISTRICT B. 
          UH, THESE TWO FAMILIES, UH, THOUGH LIVING ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE TOWN ARE UNITED, UH, BY A SHARED AND DEEPLY TROUBLING EXPERIENCE. 
          EACH OF THEM HAVE ENDURED THE CHAOS AND TERROR BROUGHT ON BY NEIGHBORS WITH SEVERE MENTAL, UH, HEALTH ISSUES FOR OVER, UH, ONE YEAR AND ONE CASE AND FOR SEVERAL YEARS. 
          AND THE OTHER, THESE FAMILIES HAVE BEEN SUBJECT TO ONGOING HARASSMENT AND THREATS, AND THEY HAVE, UM, LEFT THEM AND THEIR CHILDREN FEELING LIKE HOSTAGES IN THEIR OWN HOMES. 
          UH, THERE'S, UM, THEIR SUFFERING INCLUDES INCIDENTS, UH, THAT RANGE FROM PROPERTY DAMAGE SUCH AS EGGING AND KEYING AND VEHICLES TO MORE SEVERE DISTURBANCES LIKE, UH, SETTING FIRES IN THE STREET PUBLIC IN DCC, INCLUDING WALKING AROUND NAKED, LATE AT NIGHT, EVEN ENGAGING IN, UM, INAPPROPRIATE 
          [02:30:01]
PLEASURING THEMSELVES. 
          IN BROAD DAYLIGHT, SWAT TEAMS HAVE BEEN DISPATCHED TO, TO BOTH, UH, BOTH OF THESE NEIGHBORHOODS MULTIPLE TIMES. 
          YET DESPITE THESE INDIVIDUALS CONTINUE TO OPERATE WITH IMPUNITY, UH, UH, THE FRUSTRATION ON MY CONGREGATES IS, UH, PALATABLE. 
          DESPITE, UH, UH, PROVIDING VIDEO EVIDENCE OF THESE EGREGIOUS ACTS TO THE POLICE, THEY HAVE BEEN MET WITH RESPONSES THAT AMOUNT TO, THAT'S NOTHING WE CAN DO. 
          UH, THIS IN ACTION HAS LED THEM TO TAKE MEASURES THAT THEY NEVER THOUGHT THEY WOULD HAVE TO, UH, SIMPLY BY ARMING THEMSELVES IN FEAR FOR THEIR SAFETY AND, UH, UH, THAT OF THEIR FAMILIES. 
          AS I STAND BEFORE YOU TODAY, UH, WELL, AS I WAS WRITING, UH, THIS, UH, BRIEF NOTE, UH, MS. TIDO HAD INFORMED ME THAT HER NEIGHBOR WAS OUTSIDE, UH, COMPLETELY NAKED. 
          UH, IT WAS ABOUT NINE 30 THIS MORNING. 
          UM, THIS IS JUST ONE EXAMPLE OF THE DAILY REALITY THAT, UH, THESE FAMILIES FACE. 
          WHILE I'M ADVOCATING SPECIFICALLY FOR THESE FAMILIES, I'M NOT NAIVE TO THE FACT THAT, UH, THIS ISSUE STANDS FAR BEYOND THEM. 
          UH, IT'S A CRISIS THAT IS UNDOUBTEDLY AFFECTING MANY OTHER FAMILIES ACROSS OUR CITY. 
          UH, SO I, UH, COME BEFORE YOU WITH A QUESTION THAT THESE FAMILIES HAVE ASKED AND, UH, THAT I NOW ALSO ASK ON THEIR BEHALF, WHAT IS THE CITY'S POSITION OR STANCE ON DEALING WITH THESE INDIVIDUALS? IS THERE A PLAN IN PLACE, UH, TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES? OR WILL THESE FAMILIES CONTINUE TO HAVE TO, UH, KEEP CALLING WITH NO REAL RESOLUTION IN SITE? THANK YOU, SIR. 
          COUNCILOR NEXT. 
          COUNCILMAN JACKSON. 
          THANK YOU MAYOR. 
          AND THANK YOU PASTOR WASHINGTON FOR COMING IN AND BRINGING THIS, UM, ISSUE TO OUR ATTENTION. 
          UM, HAVE YOU BEEN IN CONTACT WITH OUR OFFICE OR YOUR, UM, YOUR WELL CONGREGANTS? UH, THEY HAVE, THEY HAVE, BUT, UM, ONE OF THEM IS, UH, ONE OF 'EM IS A, A SINGLE PARENT, SO SHE COULDN'T COME IN TODAY TO REPRESENT HERSELF. 
          AND THE OTHER ONE, UM, HIS WIFE HAD A SURGERY ON TODAY. 
          AND SO I HAVE A COUPLE CASE NUMBERS THAT THEY ALREADY, UH, HAVE. 
          UM, THE ONE ON DISTRICT B MM-HMM . 
          UH, THEY HAVE TWO DIFFERENT CASES WHERE INDIVIDUALS PLEASURING THEMSELVES OUTSIDE THE ACT, ACTUAL TAPE, ACTUAL FOOTAGE. 
          BUT, UM, HE GOES, THEY COME BACK TO THE RESIDENCE. 
          WHEN THE POLICE COME, THEY SAY, WELL, HEY, NO CRIME BEEN COMMITTED, WE CAN'T SEE. 
          AND THEN THEY BRING THEM RIGHT BACK TO THE RESIDENCE. 
          AND SO NOW IT'S, IT'S LIKE A CYCLE. 
          UH, AND IT'S, UH, ON TWO DIFFERENT SIDES OF THE TOWN. 
          SO, UH, IT'S NOT THE SAME, YOU KNOW, ONE, ONE SIDE OF TOWN AND THE OTHER SIDE, SAME THING. 
          THEY'RE GOING THROUGH THE SAME THING WITH THEIR NEIGHBORS. 
          YEAH. 
          IT'LL BE HELPFUL TO, YOU KNOW, GET AN OPPORTUNITY, BE ABLE TO SPEAK WITH, UM, YEAH, I HAVE THEIR, I HAVE THEIR NUMBERS AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WE CAN JUST DO WHAT WE CAN TO TRY TO, YOU KNOW, BE A LIAISON BETWEEN HPB AND THE, UM, RESIDENT. 
          BUT THEN ALSO THERE'S OTHER SERVICES IN THE AREA, UM, IN THESE COMMUNITIES. 
          SO IF WE KNEW EXACTLY WHERE THEY LIVE, WE CAN CONNECT THEM TO, UM, SOME TYPE OF RESOURCE OR ANOTHER, UM, THAT'S ORGANIZATIONS THAT TACKLE MENTAL ILLNESS THAT WE CAN POSSIBLY CONNECT, UM, YOU GUYS WITH. 
          SO, UM, IT'LL BE HELPFUL IF WE HAVE MORE INFORMATION. 
          SIR, I APPRECIATE YOU COMING AND SPEAKING ON THEIR BEHALF STANDING IN STAND FOR 'EM. 
          BUT WE NEED TO, UM, BE ABLE TO TALK TO THEM. 
          RIGHT, RIGHT. 
          I, I, I, I HAVE THIS COPY I WANTED TO LEAVE WITH YOU GUYS 'CAUSE IT ACTUALLY HAS THEIR INFORMATION AND THEIR NUMBERS, WHICH THEY, THEY TOLD ME, WELL, THEY WELCOME A CALL FROM ANYBODY. 
          UH, THAT'D BE HELPFUL. 
          I CAN GET THAT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COUNCILOR DAVIS. 
          THANK YOU, MAYOR. 
          UH, THANK YOU PASTOR. 
          WATCH FOR COMING DOWN. 
          THESE TWO PEOPLE THAT BROUGHT THIS ISSUE UP, ARE THEY MEMBERS OF YOUR CONGREGATION? YES, SIR. 
          YES, SIR. 
          BOTH WERE MEMBERS. 
          ONE IS THE ACTUAL YOUTH PASTOR, AND, UM, , HE, HE, HE'S ACTUALLY BEING INDUCTED INTO THE, UH, I GUESS IT'S HISD, HALL OF FAME. 
          MM-HMM . 
          IN FEBRUARY. 
          UH, . 
          YEAH. 
          HE GONNA GET ON ME IF I AIN'T MENTION THAT, BUT, BUT YES SIR. 
          UH, ONE IS A, UH, ONE IS A, UM, A USHER, SCHER, AND THEN THE OTHER ONE IS, UM, YOUTH PASTOR. 
          OKAY. 
          WELL, I, I WILL WORK WITH, I'M GONNA WORK WITH COUNCILMAN JACKSON TO FIND AND FACILITATE HOW WE CAN HELP IN THAT, IN THAT MATTER. 
          YES, SIR. 
          BUT NONE OF THIS IS DONE AROUND YOUR CHURCH, IS THAT? UM, YEAH, WE HAVE SOME MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES AROUND OUR CHURCH. 
          UH, WE JUST, UM, UH, IT HASN'T AFFECTED US IN THIS AREA WHERE WE ARE CALLING AND CALLING AND CALLING AND NO RESOLUTION. 
          THESE FAMILIES HAVE BEEN CALLING AND CALLING AND CALLING. 
          AND THE ONE, UM, THE ONE IN DISTRICT K, THE, FOR THE LAST TWO DAYS, UM, THIS GUY SET FIRES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ACTUALLY HAD TO CALL 9 1 1 ON THEM. 
          UH, UH, UH, WHEN, WHEN THAT 9 1 1, UH, WHEN THE POLICE OFFICER GOT THERE ON YESTERDAY, THEY TOLD THE, UH, THE CAPTAIN OF THAT, I GUESS HE'S THE CAPTAIN OF THE, UH, ON THE FIRETRUCK, HEY, HE HASN'T COMMITTED ANY CRIME. 
          [02:35:01]
IT'S THE FIRE'S IN THE STREET, SO IT'S NOT ON A, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, THIS SAME GUY IS DOING THIS OVER AND OVER. 
          THAT TRUCK COULD BE SOMEWHERE ELSE, YOU KNOW, IT IS JUST, AND THIS IS HAPPENING QUITE FREQUENTLY? YEAH, FREQUENTLY. 
          OKAY. 
          FREQUENTLY. 
          OVER AND OVER. 
          MM-HMM. 
          OKAY. 
          MM-HMM . 
          GOOD DEAL. 
          WE'LL, WE'LL REACH OUT. 
          YES, SIR. 
          YES SIR. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU GUYS FOR YOUR TIME. 
          THANK YOU. 
          NEXT WILL HILL. 
          GOOD EVENING, SIR. 
          MADAM, UH, I CAME DOWN HERE. 
          I KNOW YOU'RE PROBABLY FAMILIAR WITH ME. 
          I CAME DOWN HERE SEVERAL TIMES. 
          I'M THE SAME MAN THAT TOLD YOU I HAD A MASTER'S AT, UH, 22. 
          UH, I WAS UNDER MR. LADETTE, MR. REED AND MR. FOSTER AT SAM HOUSTON PIPING TRADES WHERE I WAS THE PRESIDENT AT. 
          I WAS ORDAINED AT 16 YEARS OLD. 
          AND I EXPLAINED TO YOU THAT I HAD WENT THROUGH, UM, A OBSTACLE WITH MY SISTER EUGENIE HERE AND, UM, THE SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION TAMPERED WITH MY, MY INFORMATION. 
          I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY GOT INTO IT, BUT SOMEHOW THEY WAS TAKING MY IDENTITY. 
          I TOLD YOU I WENT TO WORK FOR A RS, AMERICAN RESIDENTIAL SERVICE AND UM, I WAS A SUPERVISOR, BUT MOST OF THE TIME THEY KEPT ME ON DRAINS. 
          UH, I HAD A, A INJURY OVER THERE WHERE THEY TOOK MY NEW VAN BECAUSE I TOOK UP FOR SOME BLACK EYES. 
          I KNOW WHAT IT WAS, AND THEY LEFT ME ON SIDE OF THE ROAD. 
          SO I WENT TO THE DOCTOR AND HE SAID, EARS, EYES, AND NOTES AND THROAT WAS NORMAL. 
          AND HE PRESCRIBED A DRUG CALLED ATIVAN, UH, LORAZEPAN PSYCH MEDS. 
          AND, UH, HE TRIED TO GET ME TO GO BACK, NEVER DID GO BACK TO THE JOB, BUT WHAT I'M SAYING TODAY IS I WOULD HAVE BEEN GETTING 15 RIGHT AT PRETTY CLOSE TO $15,000 A MONTH ON ALL MY RENTAL PROPERTY. 
          AND I HAVE PROPERTY UP IN MISSOURI CITY, HAVE PROPERTY OFF EAST MOUNT HOUSTON, AND I HAVE PROPERTY OVER IN ACRE HOME. 
          OKAY. 
          UNFORTUNATELY, UH, WHEN THESE GUYS GOT TOGETHER, THEY TARGETED MY BUSINESS, THEY TARGETED MY RENTAL PROPERTY. 
          AND YOU A MAN, YOU UNDERSTAND? I DON'T KNOW YOU THAT WELL. 
          I DON'T KNOW YOUR RACIST STATUS. 
          I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE NOT RACIST. 
          I'M NOT RACIST. 
          MY GRANDFATHER IS CAUCASIAN, YOU KNOW, AND HE BUILT US IN OUT OF FIFTH WARD AND THE BUSINESS FELL BACK ON ME. 
          SO WHAT I'M ASKING YOU TODAY, WHEN I WENT TO FEDERAL COURT ON THE DOCUMENTS THEY GAVE ME, THE ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS TOLD ME TO GO TO THE POST OFFICE AND MAIL THE SEALS OFF. 
          UH, THE BLACK LADY AND THE CAUCASIAN MAN THAT HANDLED THE PAPERWORK TOLD ME TO TAKE 'EM. 
          OKAY? SO I KNOW THEY DID WRONG, BUT I'VE ALREADY EMAILED CARMELA HARRIS AND THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION ABOUT IT. 
          OKAY? I WAS WORKING FOR PACE PLUMBING AT THE AGE OF WHAT, 15, 16 YEARS OLD. 
          SO I HAD BEEN PAYING IN TAXES A LONG TIME. 
          NOW THEY TAM WITH MY PLUMBING COMPANY AGAIN. 
          I'M GOING INTO A DIFFERENT TYPE OF BUSINESS NOW BECAUSE THE ATTORNEY GENERALS HAS CALLED MY KIDS' MOTHER, AND I GOT THREE KIDS, MOTHER, BUT I WOULD'VE NEVER BROKE UP WITH 'EM. 
          BUT THE ATTORNEY GENERALS HAVE TARGETED ME SO LONG IN THE SECURITY FRAUD THING THAT THEY HAD BEEN GOING ON. 
          I WANTED TO SPEAK WITH KEN PAXTON. 
          I KNOW THAT SHEILA JACKSON LEE WAS HANDLING IT, AND THE LAST TIME I TALKED, SPOKE WITH HER WAS WHEN YOU WAS GETTING INAUGURATED. 
          SHE WENT OVER TO THE FEDERAL BUILDING AND WAS TELLING ABOUT THE HOMICIDE DOCUMENTS THAT'S WROTE UP IN HPD INVESTIGATION ON ME. 
          I WANT CLARITY, I WANT CLEARANCE. 
          YOU KNOW, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. 
          SO THAT'S WHAT I WAS SPEAKING TO YOU ABOUT AND SHE WAS SUPPOSED TO HANDLE THAT FOR ME. 
          AND THEN SHE COME UP WITH COUNSEL ALL OF A SUDDEN. 
          SO WHAT'S GOING ON? YOU THE MAYOR HOUSTON. 
          THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO SPEAK WITH YOU ABOUT IT, BECAUSE NOW IT'S INTENSIFIED. 
          I'VE SPOKE TO, TO MUSLIM CHURCHES ABOUT IT. 
          HEY, THEY READY TO WALK. 
          AND I SPOKE TO SOME OTHER PEOPLE. 
          I'M JUST TRYING TO GET PEACE, CLARITY ON CLEARING THIS UP. 
          SO I DON'T LIKE NOBODY TO GO BEHIND ME LIKE MEMORIAL HERMAN HOSPITAL, CREIGHTON RICHARDSON, AND SAY, OH, HE'S PSYCH, HE'S PSYCH. 
          I RUN A BUSINESS THAT'S HURTING MY KIDS. 
          SO THIS IS WHAT I WANT YOU TO KNOW. 
          ALRIGHT, THANK YOU SIR. 
          SO HAVE A GOOD DAY. 
          WHO DO WE TALK WITH, SIR? WHO DO WE TALK WITH? WE'LL TALK SOON. 
          OKAY. 
          I APPRECIATE IT. 
          WE'VE HAD HARVEY, WE'VE HAD MAJOR STORMS IN HOUSTON. 
          DON'T LET THE, THE NEXT STORM IN OUT IN HOUSTON BE SOUNDS GOOD. 
          BECAUSE, BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT ACTING RIGHT. 
          OH, YEAH. 
          THANK YOU. 
          BE SAFE. 
          ANYTHING ELSE, HUH? NO, NO, NO, WE'RE FINE. 
          OH, WELL, MY PROBLEM IS HOUSTON, TEXAS PLUMBING. 
          NO, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. 
          OKAY. 
          GOOD JOB. 
          I TURNED YOU FROM PAYLESS FIVE STAR PLUMBING, HOUSTON, TEXAS, AND I GOTTA INSPECT DOWN ALL, BE SAFE. 
          BE SAFE. 
          [02:40:01]
APPRECIATE MONEY FROM NEXT , MICHELLE EGEN BAR, UH, LORD, HELP ME. 
          ROBERT CHO. 
          OH, ROBERT, GOOD AFTERNOON. 
          LIVING NEAR 11TH STREET AND BEING A MEMBER OF TRINITY LUTHERAN CHURCH ON HOUSTON AVENUE, THE WORDS TRAFFIC CALMING, UH, CAUSED A LITTLE REACTION. 
          SO WHEN I SAW ITEM 42 ON THE AGENDA, I, UH, IT PIQUED MY INTEREST. 
          I SEE THESE ARE BASICALLY TRAFFIC CUSHIONS, SO, YOU KNOW, LOOKS GOOD TO ME. 
          GO AHEAD AND DO IT. 
          YOU HAVE MY PERMISSION, BUT ONE THING I WOULD ASK, AND ONE OF THE THINGS I DO MOST OF MY DRIVING IN DISTRICT A AND DISTRICT C WITH MY WIFE'S 2004 T-BIRD CONVERTIBLE, HER MIDLIFE CRISIS CAR, AND I'VE ALMOST LOST THE BOTTOM OF IT A FEW TIMES, DRIVING BELOW THE SPEED LIMIT, HITTING SPEED CUSHIONS WHERE THEY LOOK GREAT WHEN THEY'RE FIRST PUT IN, BUT NO ONE EVER MAINTAINS THE PAINT JOB ON THEM. 
          SO MAYBE, YOU KNOW, THE GROUPS YOU'RE WORKING WITH CAN TAKE THE LEAD AND MAYBE I NEED TO COME TO TALK TO THE SERVICE DELIVERY COMMITTEE OR WHATEVER ABOUT ESTABLISHING SOME SORT OF A MAINTENANCE ROUTINE ON THE ONES THAT ARE ALREADY INSTALLED. 
          UM, ONE MORE THING SINCE I HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME INTERESTING HERE. 
          SOMEBODY HERE TODAY MENTIONED CENTER POINT ENERGY. 
          I WAS KIND OF AMAZED TO FIND THAT SINCE THE CITY HAS NO JURISDICTION OVER CENTER POINT, THAT 13 TIME HAS EXPIRED, OF THE 16 MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL HAVE TAKEN POLITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THEM. 
          I HOPE YOU DO THE RIGHT THING WHEN THE TIME COMES TO MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT THEM. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          NEXT RIVA PAGE. 
          EDUARDO DURAN, PART OF YOUR PART OF ME FOR MENTIONING SOMETHING LAST TIME THAT I WAS HERE, THAT REALLY SOUNDS, MAKES ME ME SOUND LIKE A JOKE. 
          UM, BUT AS FAR AS, UH, GENE EDITORS ENTERING INTO THE FOOD SUPPLY, INCLUDING THE PRODUCE, WHICH, UH, PLENTY OF, OF, I'M TRYING TO LOOK FOR THE PAPERS BY THE WAY. 
          UM, UH, PLENTY OF, UH, THE TE UH, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE OF TENNESSEE, UH, IS DISCUSSING IT. 
          THERE'S A WEBSITE CALLED, UH, GENE ENGINEERING NEWS.COM OR SOMETHING ALONG THE LINES OF THAT, WHICH, YOU KNOW, DISCUSSES ALL OF THE GENE EDITING THAT'S GOING ON ON SO MANY DIFFERENT LEVELS. 
          UM, SO THAT SEEMS SOMETHING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO ASK. 
          WHAT SHOULD I DO ABOUT THAT? WHAT SHOULD I ASK? BECAUSE I MEAN, I'M, I'M, I KIND OF LOOK AROUND AND I SEE A LOT OF SMIRKING, YOU KNOW, SCANDALOUS, SMIRKING AS THOUGH THIS IS SOMEHOW AN EGO CONTEST OF SOME SORT. 
          UM, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. 
          I HAD ASKED FOR THREE MINUTES AND THEY DIDN'T PUT ME ON THE LIST. 
          OKAY, WRAP IT UP FOR US. 
          WELL, I GET THREE FULL MINUTES. 
          PREVIOUS SPEAKERS DO NOT ACTUALLY BEING TOLD TO WRAP IT UP. 
          OKAY, GO FORWARD. 
          WE'LL GIVE YOU A ALSO, WE'LL GIVE YOU A MINUTE OR TWO OR THREE. 
          SO I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF, UH, ARTICLES THAT ARE STATING THAT SPECIFICALLY. 
          NOW, IF YOU GO ON CBI.GOV, THEY HAVE A FULL GENE EDITOR LIST OF, YOU KNOW, OF WHAT THEY HAVE SELECTED TO GO AHEAD AND, YOU KNOW, PUT INTO DIFFERENT, UH, FORMALITIES, WHETHER IT'S THE PRODUCE, WHETHER IT'S, YOU KNOW, SALMON OR OTHER, UH, MEAT. 
          AND THE THING IS THAT NONE OF THIS IS BEING, BEING, UM, BEING BROADCASTED ON THE NEWS. 
          SO GENERAL PUBLIC GETS COMPLETELY, COMPLETELY ASLEEP TO WHAT THEY'RE EATING. 
          AND OF COURSE, THE CANCER LEVELS AND THE CANCER RATES ARE GONNA GO UP. 
          UM, BESIDES THAT, I MEAN, UH, IF I GO AHEAD AND MENTION ABORTION FOR A SECOND, RIGHT? I MEAN THE, THE WHOLE REASON WHY ABORTION WAS, YOU KNOW, SUBSTANTIALLY PROMOTED WAS TO GO AHEAD AND JUST GAIN ALL THAT ACCESS TO STEM CELLS AND, AND, YOU KNOW, BIOLOGICAL MATERIAL RESEARCH, BIOLOGICAL MATERIAL FOR RESEARCH. 
          AND SO THEY MADE A, THEY MADE A KILLING. 
          LITERALLY A KILLING. 
          SO WE, WE DO HAVE TO WRAP IT UP. 
          WE'VE HAD A REALLY LONG BREAK. 
          SO WHAT, WHAT SHOULD I DO ABOUT ALL THESE THINGS THAT 
          [02:45:01]
ARE COMING, COMING INTO PERIOD? I THINK THEY'RE ALL VERY SERIOUS AND WE'RE GONNA TAKE 'EM UNDER CONSIDERATION, ENGINEER NANO MATERIALS INTO THE FOOD WHICH ARE INCREASING IN COMPLEXITY IN APPLICATION. 
          YEAH. 
          UM, I CAN BRING A FRESH COPY OF THAT PARTICULAR, WE APPRECIATE IT. 
          WE TOOK GOOD NOTES AND WE'RE GONNA TAKE IT UNDER CONSIDERATION. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          I HAVE, I HAVE THE ARTICLES HERE, BUT DO YOU SUGGEST THAT I GO AHEAD AND JUST WRITE LETTERS TO MY CONGRESSMAN? THAT'S NOT A BAD IDEA EITHER. 
          WHAT ELSE CAN I DO? WELL, YOU'VE DONE A GOOD JOB TALKING TO US TODAY, SO I THINK LET US ABSORB WHAT YOU'VE SAID. 
          YOU MIGHT WANNA TALK TO YOUR CONGRESSPERSON. 
          ALRIGHT? BUT ANYWAY, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE BECAUSE, BECAUSE ONCE THEY GO AHEAD AND START FORCING ALL TO GET, BE VACCINATED UNDER A UNIVERSAL MEDICAL, MEDICAL, UH, MEDICAL PLAN, SOME SORT, YES, THEN THAT'S PRETTY MUCH THE END GAME OVER. 
          ALRIGHT? BE SAFE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          I'D SAY ANYTHING ELSE BUT THAT WOULD PROBABLY GET THIS COMPLETES THE LIST OF SPEAKERS. 
          THANK YOU MA'AM. 
          WE RECESSED, 
          [RECESS]
UH, EIGHT O'CLOCK TOMORROW. 
          I'M ABOUT TO READ THE DESCRIPTION OR CAPTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL AGENDA FOR THE WEEK, AUGUST 20TH AND 21ST, 2024. 
          ITEM ONE IS A PUBLIC HEARING REGARDING THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE CITY'S TAX ABATEMENT ORDINANCE ITEM TWO, REQUEST FROM MAYOR FOR CONFIRMATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF DANIEL G HUBERTY TO POSITION FOUR OF THE COASTAL WATER AUTHORITY BOARD OF DIRECTORS. 
          ITEM THREE, RECOMMENDATION FROM THE DIRECTOR OF FINANCE THAT THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVE A MOTION SUBMITTED THE NO NEW REVENUE AND VOTER APPROVAL TAX RATES. 
          ITEM FOUR, RECOMMENDATION FROM CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS FOR APPROVAL OF FINAL CONTRACT AMOUNT OF $1,945,281 AND 31 CENTS AND ACCEPTANCE OF WORK ON CONTRACT WITH THE LOPEZ UTILITIES CONTRACTOR LLC. 
          ITEM FIVE, RECOMMENDATION FROM CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS FOR APPROVAL OF FINAL A CONTRACT AMOUNT OF $6,575,832 AND 30 CENTS AND ACCEPTANCE OF WORK ON CONTRACT WITH INDUSTRIAL TX CORP. 
          ITEM SIX, RECOMMENDATION FROM CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS FOR APPROVAL OF FINAL A CONTRACT AMOUNT OF $3,726,593 65 CENTS AND ACCEPTANCE OF WORK ON CONTRACT WITH PM CONSTRUCTION AND REHAB L-L-C-D-B-A-I-P-R SOUTH CENTRAL. 
          ITEM SEVEN, RECOMMENDATION FROM CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS FOR APPROVAL OF FINAL CONTRACT AMOUNT OF $2,382,503 AND 17 CENTS AND ACCEPTANCE OF WORK ON CONTRACT WITH THE DCE CONSTRUCTION INC. 
          ITEM EIGHT, RECOMMENDATION FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY TO SETTLE THE PENDING LITIGATION IN CONNECTION WITH THE IMMINENT DOMAIN PROCEEDING. 
          FILE CITY OF HOUSTON VERSUS SYNDICATE LAND LTD ET AL FOR THE ACQUISITION OF PARCELS KY 2167 KY 2168 TCY 21 0 0 8, AND TCY 21 0 0 9 FOR THE 24 INCH WATERLINE ALONG HIGHWAY THREE PROJECT ITEM NINE APPROVED SPENDING AUTHORITY IN THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED 10 MILLION 2 0 6 7 29 64 FOR PURCHASE OF MAINTENANCE REPAIR AND OPERATING MRO SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT FROM FAST AND ALL COMPANY AND THEIR MWB RESALE SUPPLIER HAWS OFFICE PRODUCTS INC. 
          ITEM 10 HAS BEEN PULLED AND WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. 
          ITEM 11 APPROVED SPENDING AUTHORITY FOR SPAY AND N SERVICES FOR FEED LINE CANINE ANIMALS. 
          WATER TO TO HOUSTON PETSET. 
          ITEM 12 APPROVED SPRINTING AUTHORITY FOR EMERGENCY PURCHASE OF MATERIAL LABOR AND INSTALLATION OF DRIVING RANGE NETTING FROM AMERICA'S NATIONWIDE NETTING INC. 
          ITEM 13 ALCO INC. 
          LLC FOR EMERGENCY PURCHASE OF INORGANIC METAL SALT COAGULANTS ALUMINUM CHLOROHYDRATE, A CH FOR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS. 
          ITEM 14, EROSION CONTROL SYSTEMS INC FOR EMERGENCY REPAIRS OF STORMWATER OUTFALL. 
          ITEM 15 APPROVED SPRINTING AUTHORITY FOR PURCHASE OF DENTAL SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT FROM PATTERSON DENTAL SUPPLY INC. 
          THROUGH SOURCE WELL COOPERATIVE. 
          AND ON THE GO MEDICAL SUPPLY LLC ITEM 16 APPROVED SPRINTING AUTHORITY FOR PURCHASE AND REPLACEMENT OF MOBILE INCAR RADIOS AND ANTENNAS ON BEHALF OF HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT, TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION RESOURCES SUPPLIER MOTOROLA SOLUTIONS INC. 
          ITEM 17, AMEND MOTION 20 23 6 99 TO INCREASE SPENDING AUTHORITY FOR PURCHASE OF MAINTENANCE REPAIR OPERATING MRO AND INDUSTRIAL SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS. 
          WATER TO C TWO CO. 
          D-B-A-M-S-C, INDUSTRIAL SUPPLY CO ADD AND NWBE GOLD FOR WWE, GRAINGER AND C TWO CO. 
          D-B-A-M-S-C INDUSTRIAL SUPPLY CO AND AUTHORIZE 
          [02:50:01]
THE ADDITION OF WWE GRAINGER'S MWVE, RESALE SUPPLIERS, BERGON COMPANY AND ACME FACILITY MAINTENANCE LLC AND  CODE M-D-B-A-M-S-C, INDUSTRIAL RESALE SUPPLIERS ENVIRONMENTAL ABSORBENTS LLC ON THE GO MEDICAL SUPPLY LLC AND INDUSTRY NATIONS LLC SEALS FORD FOR PURCHASE OF ITEM 18 SEALS FORD FOR PURCHASE OF 21 20 25 FORD EXPLORER SUVS. 
          ITEM 19 SEALS FORD FOR PURCHASE OF FORD F-150 HYBRID AND FORD MAVERICK HYBRID TRUCKS. 
          ITEM 20 ORDINANCE ADOPTING THE READOPTING, THE HOUSTON YOUTH RE RECREATION PROGRAM STANDARDS OF CARE AS CODIFIED BY ARTICLE 12 OF CHAPTER 32 OF CODE OF ORDINANCES. 
          ITEM 21 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING FIRST AMENDMENT TO SUB-RECIPIENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS INSPIRING COMMUNITIES INC. 
          DBA THE HEART PROGRAM ITEM 22, ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING SUBMISSION OF AN APPLICATION FOR AN ACCEPTANCE OF GRANT FUNDING THROUGH THE COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING GRANT PROGRAM. 
          ITEM 23 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING FOUR THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED FOUR MILLION ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY FIVE THOUSAND AND NO CENTS OUT OF THE EQUIPMENT ACQUISITION CONSOLIDATED FUND AND $103,850 AND NO CENTS OUT OF THE CONTRIBUTED CAPITAL PROJECT FUND FOR EQUIPMENT REPLACEMENT FOR THE HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT OUT OF 24 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING AND REIMBURSABLE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION. 
          ITEM 25 ORDINANCE COMMITTEE ORDINANCE 20 23 5 0 1 TO INCREASE MAXIMUM CONTRACT AMOUNT FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND THE SO CONSULTANTS LP ITEM 26 ORDINANCE THE APPROPRIATING $750 MILLION, $750,000 AND NO SENSE OUT OF EQUIPMENT ACQUISITION CONSOLIDATED FUND PREVIOUSLY APPROPRIATED TO THE TASK ORDER AND JOB ORDER CONTRACTING PROGRAM AND APPROPRIATE $750,000 AND NO CENTS OUT OF THE EQUIPMENT ACQUISITION CONSOLIDATED FUND TO THE EXISTING CONTRACT WITH STAR SERVICE INC. 
          ITEM 27, ORDINANCE DE APPROPRIATED $165,000 IN NO CENTS OUT OF SOLID WASTE CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND PREVIOUSLY APPROPRIATED FOR CONSTRUCTION AND CONTINGENCY AND APPROPRIATED $165,000 IN NO CENTS OUT OF SOLID WASTE CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND TO NIO AND MORE GEOTECHNICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES CONSULTANTS. 
          ITEM 28, ORDINANCE APPROVING AN AWARDING CONTRACT BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND AEX INC. 
          DBA APPLE TOING CO ITEM 29 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING SOLE SOURCE CONTRACT BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF AIRPORT EXECUTIVES INC. 
          ITEM 30 ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE 20 19 5 25 TO INCREASE THE MAXIMUM CONTRACT AMOUNT FOR AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND BFI. 
          WASTE SERVICES OF TEX, T-X-L-P-D-B-A ALLIED WASTE SERVICES OF HOUSTON AND REPUBLIC SERVICES OF HOUSTON. 
          ITEM 31 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING A DERIVATIVE OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND LIVE, LIVE VIEW TECHNOLOGY INC. 
          ITEM 32 ORDINANCES, ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING CONTRACTS BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND COMPASS ABATEMENT SERVICES, LLCF AND L, LANDSCAPING AND CONSTRUCTION, INC. 
          ISL CONTRACTORS, ORTHO CONSTRUCTION AND RENOVATION CODE AND TOP CHOICE SOLUTIONS LLC ITEM 33, ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING INTER LOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND WARDEN COUNTY JUNIOR COLLEGE. 
          ITEM 34 ORDINANCE FINDING AND DETERMINING PUBLIC CONVENIENCE AND NECESSITY FOR THE ACQUISITION OF REAL PROPERTY. 
          INTEREST IN CONNECTION WITH THE PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT PROJECT KNOWN AS THE FOURTH MAIN REHABILITATION AND RECONSTRUCTION DESIGN. 
          CONSENT, DECRE SONG, WOOD AND NER NUMBER ONE, LIFT STATIONS PROJECT ITEM 35 ORDINANCE APPRO AND AUTHORIZING SECOND INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN SAN CENTER RIVER AUTHORITY, HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT, CITY OF HUMBLE ITEM 36 ORDINANCE APPROVING THE FORM OF CITY OF HOUSTON HOMEOWNER AGREEMENTS AND ESCROW COST DEPOSIT AGREEMENTS BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND THE ATTACHED PROPERTY OWNER FOR THE FEDERAL EMERGENCY AGENCY. 
          FLOOD MITIGATION ASSISTANCE, HOME ELEVATION PROJECTS FUNDED BY THE 2018 FLOOD MITIGATION ASSISTANCE GRANT, TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD. 
          CONTRACT NUMBER 2 0 0 0 0 1 2 4 2 7 ITEM 37 ORDINANCE APPROVING THE FORM OF CITY OF HOUSTON HOMEOWNER AGREEMENTS AND ESCROW COST DEPOSIT. 
          TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD CONTRACT NUMBER 2 0 0 0 0 1 2 4 2 8 ITEM 38, ORDINANCE APPRO THE FORM CITY OF HOUSTON HOMEOWNER AGREEMENTS AND ESCROW DEPOSIT, TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD CONTRACT NUMBER 1 9 0 0 1 2 5 3 8 ITEM 39, ORDINANCE APPRO THE FORM OF CITY OF HOUSTON HOMEOWNER AGREEMENTS AND ESCROW COST DEPOSIT, TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD CONTRACT NUMBER 1 9 0 0 0 1 2 5 3 6 ITEM 40 ORDINANCE APPROVING THE FORM OF CITY OF HOUSTON HOMEOWNER AGREEMENTS AND ESCROW 
          [02:55:01]
COST DEPOSIT, TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD CONTRACT NUMBER 1 9 0 0 0 1 2 5 3 7 ITEM 41 ORDINANCE APPROVING THE FORM OF CITY OF HOUSTON HOMEOWNER AGREEMENTS AND ESCROW COST DEPOSIT, TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD CONTRACT NUMBER 2 0 0 0 0 1 2 6 3 6 ITEM 42, ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $52,250 AND NO CENTS OUT OF METRO PROJECTS CONSTRUCTION D-D-S-R-F FUNDS, APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING ANY LOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS ST. 
          GEORGE PLACE WE DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY AND REINVESTMENTS. 
          ZONE NUMBER ONE, CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS ST. 
          GEORGE PLACE. 
          ITEM 43, ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING TWO, MEETING $192,517 AND 60 CENTS OUTTA WATER AND SEW SYSTEM. 
          CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND HATCH ASSOCIATES CONSULTANTS INC. 
          ITEM 44, ORDINANCE NUMBER 20 24 5 87 PASS. 
          FIRST READING AUGUST 14TH, 2024. 
          ORDINANCE GRANT GOING INTO AMERICAN COMBAT CANS, LLCA, TEXAS LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY. 
          SECOND READING ITEM 45, ORDINANCE 20 24 588 PAST FIRST READING AUGUST 14TH, ORDINANCE GOING INTO FRONTIER WASTE, TEXAS HOLD COAL, LLCA, TEXAS LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY. 
          SECOND READING ITEM 46, ORDINANCE 20 24 5 89 PAST FIRST READING AUGUST 14TH OR GRANTED TO K AND S CONSTRUCTION SERVICES, LLC AT TEXAS LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY. 
          SECOND READING ITEM 47, ORDINANCE 20 24 5 90 PASSED FIRST READING AUGUST 14TH, ORANGE GRANT INTO THE OUTHOUSE. 
          BOYS LLC AT TEXAS LIMITED TO LIABILITY COMPANY SECOND READING ITEM 48 OR DECEMBER, 2020 4, 5 91 PASS. 
          FIRST READING AUGUST 14, ORDINANCE GRANT TO STERICYCLE, INC. 
          A DELAWARE CORPORATION. 
          SECOND READING, END OF CONSENT AGENDA ITEM UNDER MATTERS HILL ITEM 49, MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER PECK TO ADOPT RECOMMENDATION FROM DIRECTOR GENERAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT FOR APPROVAL OF FINAL CONTRACT AMOUNT OF 1 MILLION 3 0 5 5 48 43 WITH D SEVEN ROOFING AND METAL. 
          IT WAS TAGGED BY CONST POLLARD. 
          THIS WAS ITEM 13 ON AGENDA OF AUGUST 14TH. 
          ITEM 50 WAS A MOTION BY COUNCILMAN THOMAS, SECONDED BY CONST PEC TO A DIRECT RECOMMENDATION FROM CHIEF FOR OPERATING OFFICER. 
          THIS WAS WITH T CONSTRUCTION LLC. 
          THIS WAS TAGGED BY CONSTABLE POLL. 
          THIS IS ITEM 14 ON AGENDA OF AUGUST 14TH. 
          ITEM 51 WAS A MOTION BY CONST MEMBER THOMAS. 
          SECOND BY COPEC TO DIVE RECOMMENDATION FROM CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER. 
          THIS IS THE CONTRACT WITH ENVI WASTE SERVICES GROUP EIGHT TAGGED BY CONSTABLE POLLARD. 
          THIS WAS ITEM 15 ON AGENDA OF AUGUST 14TH. 
          ITEM 52 IS RESOLUTION. 
          CONFIRMING NO OBJECTION. 
          THIS WAS TAGGED BY CONSTABLE RAMIREZ. 
          THIS WAS ITEM 29 ON AGENDA OF AUGUST 14TH. 
          ITEM 53 WAS AN ORDINANCE CONSENTED TO THE CREATION OF HARRIS COUNTY MUD 5 89 COUNCIL MEMBER CAMBRIDGE. 
          THIS IS ITEM 55 ON AGENDA OF AUGUST 14TH. 
          AND ITEM NUMBER 54 IS AN ORDINANCE FINDING AND DETERMINING THAT PUBLIC CONVENIENCE AND NECESSITY NO LONGER REQUIRE THE CONTINUED USE OF BILL STREET. 
          THIS WAS TAB BY COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN. 
          THIS WAS ITEM 58 ON AGENDA OF AUGUST THE 14TH, 2024. 
          THIS COMPLETES THE READING OF AGENDA FOR THE CITY COUNCIL SESSION OF AUGUST THE 21ST, 2024. 
          STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT SESSION OF HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL. 
          SCHEDULE TO BEGIN AT 9:00 AM IN THE WORDS OF THE 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 FAN HAVING THIS DAY. 
          THANK YOU MADAM SECRETARY. 
          YOU'RE WELCOME. 
          MY NUMBER ONE FAN. 
          THAT'S RIGHT, COUNSEL. 
          [RECONVENE]
UH, COME TO ORDER PLEASE. 
          UH, AN ATTEMPT TO BE AS EFFICIENT AS POSSIBLE. 
          LET'S GO TO ITEM NUMBER TWO, THE CONFIRMATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF DANIEL HUBERTY TO THE POSITION FOR THE CUAL WATER AUTHORITY BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR A TERM TO EXPIRE MARCH 35TH, 2025. 
          UH, SHE'LL CALL THE ITEM ITEM SECRETARY. 
          ITEM TWO NEEDS A MOTION. 
          THOMAS MOVES MARTINEZ. 
          SECOND. 
          MOTIONS MADE. 
          AND SECOND. 
          ALL IN FAVOR. 
          UR, AFTER, AFTER, AFTER. 
          ALL IN FAVOR, SAY YES. 
          ALL OPPOSED, NO YESES. 
          HAVE IT. 
          CONGRATULATIONS MR. HUBERTY. 
          YOU WANT TO COME DOWN? WE'D LIKE TO NOT BREAK BREAD WITH YOU, BUT, UH, WE'D CERTAINLY SHARE THE PODIUM WITH YOU. 
          UH, I THINK YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER WOULD LIKE TO BE RECOGNIZED. 
          COUNCILMAN FLICKINGER. 
          THANK YOU MAYOR. 
          AND, UH, ALSO THANK YOU FOR THIS APPOINTMENT. 
          UM, DAN, I THINK YOU'LL DO A FANTASTIC JOB OF REPRESENTING THE PEOPLE UP, NOT ON ONLY ON LAKE HOUSTON, BUT IN THE ENTIRE REGION. 
          KINGWOOD, HUFFMAN, ALL THAT AREA. 
          UH, OBVIOUSLY YOUR YEARS OF EXPERIENCE 
          [03:00:01]
IN THE STATE HOUSE WILL HELP NAVIGATE WHAT WE NEED TO DO UP THERE FOR, FOR LAKE HOUSTON. 
          AND WE FINALLY HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THERE ON THAT BOARD. 
          SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          I REALLY APPRECIATE IT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, CARTER. 
          COUNCILMAN CARTER, NOT TO BE OUTDONE BY MY NEIGHBOR. 
          THANK YOU MAYOR DAN, YOU THOUGHT YOUR PUBLIC SERVANTS YEARS WERE OVER. 
          WELCOME BACK, WELCOME BACK. 
          WE KNEW YOU WOULDN'T STAY OUT LONG, SO WE'RE EXCITED, CERTAINLY FOR THE COMMUNITY, UH, TO HAVE YOU BACK, UH, BACK IN THE FOLD AND, AND WORKING FOR, FOR THE BETTER. 
          GOOD. 
          SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOU'VE DONE AND CONTINUE TO DO. 
          THANKS. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. 
          THANK YOU MAYOR BROTHER DAN, IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN. 
          YES, SIR. 
          ALWAYS. 
          AND CONGRATULATIONS. 
          I THINK, UH, THIS WAS CERTAINLY A GOOD, UM, CHOICE, UH, BY THE MAYOR TO PUT SOMEONE THERE WHO, UH, KNOWS SOMETHING ABOUT THE, UH, ACTUAL, THE COASTAL WATERS AND 'CAUSE YOU BRING YOUR EXPERIENCE FROM STATE LEVEL AS WELL. 
          AND SO, UH, I THINK THIS IS A GREAT, UH, PICK YOURS AND YOU ARE THE RIGHT PERSON FOR THE POSITION. 
          THANK YOU, SIR, AND CONGRATULATIONS TO THANK YOU, SIR. 
          THANK YOU, UH, DAN. 
          VERY WELL, UH, SAID BY MY COLLEAGUES. 
          UM, JUST ANOTHER EFFORT ON MY PART TO PUT COMPETENT, UH, INDIVIDUALS IN RESPONSIBLE POSITIONS. 
          AND, UH, I HAVE FULL CONFIDENCE THAT YOU'RE GONNA REPRESENT HOUSTON AND OBVIOUSLY YOU COME FROM AN AREA THAT, UH, IS KIND OF SPECIAL IN TERMS OF WATER SUPPLY, UH, FLOODING AND, UH, THE UNIQUENESS OF THE KINGWOOD SERVICE AREAS. 
          SO THANK YOU. 
          YOU, YOU AND I HAVE KNOWN EACH OTHER A LONG TIME AND YOU'RE AN OUTSTANDING PUBLIC SERVANT. 
          SO THANK YOU FOR ACCEPTING THIS APPOINTMENT. 
          I'LL YIELD TO YOU IF YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS AS TO WHAT YOUR MISSIONS IS GONNA BE. 
          THANK, THANK YOU MAYOR. 
          COUNCIL MEMBERS, THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. 
          AND COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER, THANK YOU, UH, FOR RECOMMENDING ME. 
          I APPRECIATE IT VERY MUCH. 
          AND MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR, UM, YOUR, YOUR SUPPORT AND CERTAINLY YOUR TRUST. 
          UH, AND WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO, UH, AS YOU KNOW, I'VE LIVED UP IN THAT AREA A VERY, VERY LONG TIME AND, UH, WE'VE BEEN THROUGH A LOT. 
          AND SO THIS IS, UH, IMPORTANT. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, I DECIDED WHEN, IF I'D EVER GET BACK INTO SERVING IN ANY CAPACITY, IT WAS SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE MEANINGFUL, UM, THAT I COULD DO, UM, THE WORK, UH, REPRESENTING OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR CONSTITUENTS IN THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE. 
          AND MAYOR, I JUST WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT I WON'T LET YOU DOWN AND COUNCIL MEMBERS, I WON'T, WE'RE GONNA FOCUS ON, ON VERY IMPORTANT THINGS UP THERE. 
          SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          WELL, IT COASTAL WATER AUTHORITY, UH, THAT I'VE WORKED WITH FOR AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER, 30, 40 YEARS IS CRITICAL. 
          THEY HAVE RESOURCES REGIONAL, UH, PLANNING, SO BRING US BACK SOME RESOURCES FROM THE AUTHORITY. 
          THEY HAVE GREAT CAPACITY TO GET SOME THINGS DONE. 
          SO YOU BEING HOUSTON'S VOICE ON IT IS, UH, VERY STRATEGIC. 
          THANK YOU, SIR. 
          THANK YOU. 
          STAND. 
          THANK YOU, SIR. 
          THANK YOU ALL MEMBERS, 
          [MAYOR'S REPORT]
UH, BRIEFLY ON THE, THE MAYOR'S REPORT, UH, WE'LL GET THE INDEPENDENT REVIEW OF THE HPD REVIEW COMMITTEE AT THE, BEFORE WE GO TO POPOFF, BUT AFTER WE HANDLE THE AGENDA, UH, BEFORE WE GO ANY FURTHER, I'M SADDENED TO LEARN OF THE PASSING OF TACHO MINEOLA. 
          I DON'T KNOW IF, IF YOU'VE HAD THE PLEASURE OF, OF WORKING WITH HIM. 
          I HAVE FOR MANY YEARS IN THE LEGISLATURE, HE WAS A TRAILBLAZER IN THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY, KIND OF STARTING THE HISPANIC STUDIES OUT AT, UH, U OF H AND HE'D COME TO AUSTIN AND GET LINE ITEMS FOR THAT SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM. 
          AND A LOT OF THE CURRENT HISPANIC LEADERSHIP WENT THROUGH HIS CLASSES AND STUDIES, SO HE WILL BE GREATLY MISSED. 
          HIS SERVICE IS 10 O'CLOCK SATURDAY MORNING AT THE BLESSED SACRAMENT CATHOLIC CHURCH AT 40 15 SHERMAN STREET. 
          LET'S, UH, KEEP HIS FAMILY IN OUR PRAYERS AND I PLAN TO BE THERE. 
          UH, FIRST ITEM 
          [1.  9:00 A.M. - PUBLIC HEARING regarding proposed amendments to the City’s Tax Abatement Ordinances
]
WOULD BE, UH, PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM ONE, TAX ABATEMENT ORDINANCE, MADAM SECRETARY, ITEM ONE IS A PUBLIC HEARING. 
          MR. BUSKER, YOU WANT TO REPRESENT US WELL GO AHEAD. 
          GOOD MORNING, MAYOR. 
          GOOD MORNING, COUNSEL. 
          I'M ANDREW BUSKER IN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. 
          PURSUANT TO CHAPTER THREE, 12.002 OF THE TEX TAX CODE, BEFORE CITY COUNCIL MAY ADOPT, AMEND, REPEAL OR REAUTHORIZED GUIDELINES AND CRITERIA FOR TAX ABATEMENT, CITY COUNCIL MUST HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING AT WHICH MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HEARD. 
          NOTICE OF THIS PUBLIC HEARING WAS 
          [03:05:01]
PUBLISHED IN THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE ON JULY 26TH, 2024. 
          SECTION THREE 12.002 ALSO REQUIRES CITIES TO ADAPT TAX ABATEMENT GUIDELINES AND CRITERIA BEFORE ENTERING INTO TAX ABATEMENT AGREEMENTS. 
          AND EACH APPROVED ABATEMENT AGREEMENT MUST MEET THOSE GUIDELINES. 
          STATE LAW ALSO REQUIRES TAX ABATEMENT GUIDELINES AND CRITERIA TO SUNSET EVERY TWO YEARS. 
          CITY COUNCIL LESS ADOPTED TAX ABATEMENT GUIDELINES AND CRITERIA, UM, BY ORDINANCE NUMBER 2022 DASH 3 44 AS CODIFIED IN ARTICLE FOUR OF CHAPTER 44 OF THE CITY CODE OF ORDINANCES. 
          AND THOSE GUIDELINES AND CRITERIA EXPIRED ON MAY 19TH, 2024. 
          THE CITY DESIRES TO CONTINUE ITS ELIGIBILITY TO PARTICIPATE IN TAX ABATEMENTS BY ADOPTING AMENDED GUIDELINES AND CRITERIA FOR TAX ABATEMENTS AND REAUTHORIZING. 
          ARTICLE FOUR OF CHAPTER 44 OF THE CITY CODE OF ORDINANCES. 
          THIS STATEMENT FROM THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DESCRIBES THE IMPORTANCE AND BENEFITS OF THE CITY'S TAX ABATEMENT PROGRAM IN TWO PARTS, AND THEN FURTHER DESCRIBES THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE TAX ABATEMENT GUIDELINES AND CRITERIA. 
          FIRST, THE TAX ABATEMENT PROGRAM IS AN ESSENTIAL TOOL IN A LOCAL GOVERNMENT'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TOOLBOX, ESPECIALLY IN TEXAS AND IT'S OFTEN USED TO COMPETE FOR INDUSTRY JOBS AND INVESTMENT. 
          THE CITY HAS A COMPREHENSIVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TOOLBOX IN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, USES THIS TOOLBOX TO ENCOURAGE INVESTMENT IN JOB CREATION IN A VARIETY OF WAYS, INCLUDING FACILITATING INTRODUCTIONS TO INDUSTRY NETWORKS, ASSISTING COMPANIES WITH THE PERMITTING PROCESS, AND SUPPORTING JOB TRAINING AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT PIPELINES. 
          THE CITY'S TAX ABATEMENT PROGRAM IS ONE OF EIGHT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVE PROGRAMS IN OUR TOOLBOX ESTABLISHED IN 1988. 
          THE CITY'S TAX ABATEMENT PROGRAM HAS BEEN AN EFFECTIVE TOOL FOR ATTRACTING PROJECTS ACROSS INDUSTRIES, INCLUDING ENERGY MANUFACTURING, DISTRIBUTION, DATA CENTERS, GROCERY STORES, AND MULTIFAMILY HOUSING. 
          UPON A REVIEW OF PUBLICLY AVAILABLE DATA FROM THE STATE COMPTROLLER, IT APPEARS OVER HALF OF THE TAX AGREEMENT AGREEMENTS IN TEXAS EXECUTED WITHIN THE PAST 10 YEARS WERE ENTERED INTO TO SUPPORT NEW BUSINESSES. 
          TAX AB ABANDONMENT AGREEMENTS WERE ALSO HEAVILY USED WITHIN THE LAST DECADE TO SUPPORT EXPANDING OR MODERNIZING BUSINESSES COMPARED TO THE DATA, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTERS THE CITY'S TAX ABATE PROGRAM CONSERVATIVELY AND JUDICIOUSLY. 
          OUR OFFICE RECOMMENDED THE AND CITY COUNCIL APPROVED SIX TAX ABATEMENT AGREEMENTS WITHIN THE PAST 10 YEARS, WHICH IS ON PAR WITH THE CITY'S OF SAN ANTONIO AND FORT WORTH. 
          IN CONTRAST, THE CITY OF DALLAS APPROVED 12 TAX ABATEMENTS WITHIN THE SAME PERIOD. 
          THE CITY HAS HAD MANY SUCCESSES THROUGH THE TAX AMENDMENT PROGRAM, AND I WOULD LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT A FEW. 
          IN 2015, OUR OFFICE RECOMMENDED A PROJECT SUPPORTING HOUSTON'S FOOD SYSTEM. 
          CITY COUNCIL APPROVED A TAX ABATEMENT SUPPORTING A NEW DISTRIBUTION CENTER FOR A NATIONAL GROCERY CHAIN. 
          TODAY, THE KROGER DISTRIBUTION CENTER ON SIX 10 GHO DRIVE IN DISTRICT B EMPLOYS 542 PEOPLE AND SUPPORTS OUR REGIONAL KROGER STORES. 
          ALSO, IN 2015, OUR OFFICE RECOMMENDED AND CITY COUNCIL APPROVED A TAX ABATEMENT AGREEMENT SUPPORTING A NEW UPS DISTRIBUTION CENTER. 
          UPS SOUGHT TO EXPAND THEIR BUSINESS AND COMMUNICATE IT IN WRITING THAT THE COMPANY WOULD NOT CONSIDER ANY LOCATION THAT DID NOT OFFER TAX INCENTIVES. 
          HOUSTON WAS IN COMPETITION WITH OTHER CITIES, UH, AND IN THE END WAS SELECTED FOR THIS MAJOR INVESTMENT IN JOB GENERATOR. 
          UPS ORIGINALLY COMMITTED TO HIRING 700 FOR, SORRY, 575 NEW EMPLOYEES. 
          AND TODAY, THE DISTRIBUTION CENTER AT 11 8 0 2 NORTH GESNER ROAD IN DISTRICT B HAS HIRED 1,100 NEW EMPLOYEES SINCE 2015. 
          IN 2019, OUR OFFICE RECOMMENDED A PROJECT SUPPORTING TECH INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP. 
          CITY COUNCIL APPROVED A TAX ABATEMENT SUPPORTING THE TRANSFORMATION OF AN UNDERUTILIZED INDUSTRIAL SITE INTO AN ENTREPRENEUR, HUB AND TECHNOLOGY STARTUP ACCELERATOR. 
          TODAY, THE CANON BRIMORE FOUNDERS DISTRICT AT 1334 BRIMORE ROAD AND DISTRICT A HAS OVER 1,100 MEMBERS WITH APPROXIMATELY 825 OF THEM BEING ENTREPRENEURS. 
          AND THE FACILITY HOSTS 294 COMPANIES AT THIS LOCATION. 
          APPROXIMATELY 95% OF THE INDIVIDUALS AND COMPANIES ARE ACTIVELY INNOVATING IN THEIR FIELD OF WORK. 
          IN 2021, OUR OFFICE RECOMMENDED A PROJECT SUPPORTING SUSTAINABILITY. 
          CITY COUNCIL APPROVED A TAX ABATEMENT SUPPORTING A NEW OFFICE TOWER DOWNTOWN THAT WOULD BE A PINNACLE OF ENERGY EFFICIENCY. 
          TODAY, SKA RECENTLY COMPLETED CONSTRUCTION ON 1550 ON THE GREEN AT 1550 LAMAR STREET AND DISTRICT I A 28 STORY CLASS, A OFFICE AND RETAIL BUILDING THAT THEY'RE PROMOTING IS HOUSTON'S MOST FORWARD THINKING BUILDING. 
          SECOND, THE CITY'S TAX ABATEMENT PROGRAM HAS EVOLVED SINCE 1988 AS HOUSTON'S ECONOMY AND DEVELOPMENT NEEDS HAVE EVOLVED. 
          THE CITY'S TAX ABATEMENT GUIDELINES CRITERIA HAVE BEEN AMENDED OVER THE YEARS TO REMAIN RELEVANT AND REFLECT CHANGING INDUSTRY AND ECONOMIC DYNAMICS. 
          EXAMPLES OF PRIOR AMENDMENTS TO THE TEXAS AMENDMENT GUIDELINES AND CRITERIA INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING. 
          [03:10:01]
IN 2011, CITY COUNCIL AMENDED THE GUIDELINES CRITERIA TO REQUIRE A COMPETITIVE SITE COMPARISON ONLY IF AN APPLICANT WAS CONSIDERING A LOCATION OUTSIDE OF THE CITY FOR A PROPOSED PROJECT. 
          RECOGNIZING THAT THERE WERE OTHER BARRIERS AND FACTORS INFLUENCING A COMPANY'S DECISION TO INVEST IN HOUSTON. 
          IN 2016, CITY COUNCIL AMENDED THE GUIDELINES AND CRITERIA BY EXPANDING THE EXAMPLES OF COMMUNITY BENEFITS THAT AN APPLICANT MAY PROVIDE TO RECEIVE MORE FAVORABLE CONSIDERATION, INCLUDING A COMMITMENT TO PROVIDE LIVABLE WAGES, LOCAL JOB RECRUITMENT, AND AFFORDABLE WORKFORCE HOUSING. 
          IN 2018, CITY COUNCIL AMENDED THE GUIDELINES AND CRITERIA TO REQUIRE AT LEAST ONE COMMUNITY BENEFIT IN EVERY APPLICATION, SUCH AS LOCAL OR COMMUNITY JOB RECRUITING, HIRING FROM JOB REENTRY PROGRAMS, LOWER MIDDLE SKILLS, JOB TRAINING, AND PAID INTERNSHIPS OR MENTORSHIP PROGRAMS. IN ADDITION, APPLICANTS SYNCING TAX AB ABANDONMENT PROGRAMS FOR MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING PROJECTS WERE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE LOCAL JOB RECRUITMENT AND SPECIFIC SAFETY PRACTICES AND TO MAKE AT LEAST 20% OF THE UNITS IN THEIR DEVELOPMENT AFFORDABLE OR WORKFORCE HOUSING UNITS IN 2020 CITY COUNCIL AMENDED THE GUIDELINES AND CRITERIA TO ALLOW FOR A REDUCED INVESTMENT REQUIREMENT AND A REDUCED JOB CREATION REQUIREMENT FOR PROJECT LOCATED WITHIN QUALIFYING CENSUS TRACKS TO LEVERAGE THE FEDERAL OPPORTUNITY ZONE PROGRAM, UH, AND INCURRED SMALLER BUT EQUALLY VALUABLE INVESTMENTS IN UNDER INVESTED COMMUNITIES. 
          CITY COUNCIL ALSO CREATED THE GREEN STORM WATER INFRASTRUCTURE TAX ABATEMENT AND INCREASED THE ABATEMENT PERCENTAGE AVAILABLE FOR LEAD PROJECTS. 
          TODAY'S PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE TAX ABATEMENT GUIDELINES AND CRITERIA CAN CONTINUE THE CITY'S ITERATIVE PROCESS OF ALIGNING POLICY WITH HOUSTON'S EVOLVING ECONOMY AND DEVELOPMENT NEEDS. 
          IN THE FINAL PIECE OF THIS STATEMENT, I WILL INTRODUCE THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS FOR CITY COUNCIL CONSIDERATION. 
          AFTER PREVIOUSLY PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE TEXAS GUIDELINES AND CRITERIA WERE REFERRED BACK TO THE ADMINISTRATION. 
          EARLIER THIS YEAR, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT REVIEWED COMMENTS RECEIVED BY COUNCIL MEMBERS. 
          OUR OFFICE CONDUCTED IN AN ADDITIONAL FO FOCUS GROUP FOR STAKEHOLDER FEEDBACK AND COORDINATED WITH OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS TO EVALUATE POTENTIAL AMENDMENTS. 
          BASED ON THE COMMENTS AND FEEDBACK RECEIVED, A PRESENTATION OF THESE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS OCCURRED AT THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETING HELD ON JULY 17TH, 2024. 
          AND THAT PRESENTATION IS AVAILABLE ON THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE WEBSITE. 
          THE PROPOSED 2024 AMENDMENTS TO THE TAX ABATEMENT GUIDELINES AND CRITERIA AIM TO INCREASE THE TRANSPARENCY OF THE CITY'S TAX ABATEMENT PROGRAM AS A WHOLE AND INCREASE THE BENEFIT OF THE GREEN STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE TAX ABATEMENT INCENTIVE. 
          TO THAT END, THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS INCLUDES SEVERAL CHANGES. 
          FIRST, AMENDING THE DEFINITION OF TOTAL GREEN STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE COST TO INCLUDE THE FINANCING COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE CAPITAL NEEDED TO CONSTRUCT THE GREEN STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS AND INCREASE ELIGIBLE ABATED MAINTENANCE COSTS FROM TWO YEARS TO FIVE YEARS OF MAINTENANCE FOR CERTAIN GREEN STORM WATER INFRASTRUCTURE. 
          THESE CHANGES UNDER THIS DEFINITION BETTER ALIGN WITH THE DEVELOPMENT COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH GREEN STORM WATER INFRASTRUCTURE. 
          SECOND, REDUCING THE GREEN STORM WATER INFRASTRUCTURE TAX ABATEMENTS IN INVESTIVE INVESTMENT ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS. 
          THE MINIMUM EXPECTED TOTAL PROJECT COST WOULD BE REDUCED FROM $3 MILLION DOWN TO $735,000. 
          AND THE MINIMUM REQUIRED TOTAL GREEN STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE COST WOULD BE REDUCED FROM $100,000 DOWN TO $35,000. 
          THE REDUCED INVESTMENT THRESHOLDS ALLOW FOR SMALLER PROJECTS TO QUALIFY FOR THE INCENTIVE, WHILE STILL ENSURING THAT PROJECTS WILL LIKELY GENERATE ENOUGH TAXABLE VALUE FOR AN EFFECTIVE ABATEMENT ON THE PROJECT'S TOTAL GREEN STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE COSTS. 
          THIRD, AMENDING THE GUIDELINES AND CRITERIA TO ADD A REQUIREMENT THAT TAX ABATEMENT PUBLIC HEARING NOTICES BE POSTED IN THIS ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE AND UPDATE THE NEWSPAPER REQUIREMENT FOR CONSISTENCY WITH CHAPTER THREE 12 OF THE TEXAS TAX CODE. 
          FOURTH, AMENDING THE SUNSET PROVISION TO INCLUDE LANGUAGE CONSISTENT WITH CHAPTER THREE 12 OF THE TEXAS TAX CODE RELATING TO PUBLIC HEARING REQUIREMENTS FOR ADOPTIONS, AMENDMENTS, REPEALS AND REAUTHORIZATIONS FOR THE CITY'S TAX ABATEMENT GUIDELINES AND CRITERIA AND PROVIDE THAT PUBLIC HEARING NOTICES FOR SUCH ACTIONS WOULD BE IN THE SAME MANNER REQUIRED FOR PUBLIC ABATEMENT AGREEMENT OR TAX ABATEMENT AGREEMENTS. 
          IN CONCLUSION, THE ORDINANCE TO AMEND AND REAUTHORIZE THE TAX ABATEMENT GUIDELINES AND CRITERIA WILL BE PLACED ON NEXT WEEK'S AGENDA. 
          THERE IS NO ACTION REQUIRED TODAY. 
          THE ADMINISTRATION RECOMMENDS AMENDING AND REAUTHORIZING THE CITY'S TAX ABATEMENT GUIDELINES AND CRITERIA WHICH ARE CODIFIED IN ARTICLE FOUR OF CHAPTER 44 OF THE CITY CODE OF ORDINANCES. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU COUNCILMAN THOMAS. 
          THANK YOU MAYOR. 
          GOOD MORNING, UH, COLLEAGUES, CAN YOU REPEAT NUMBER TWO ABOUT THE, UH, STORM WATER DRAINAGE FROM A HUNDRED THOUSAND 30? SURE. 
          SO WE'LL BE REDUCING, UM, THE STORM WATER INFRASTRUCTURE TAX ABATEMENTS INVESTMENT ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS. 
          SO 
          [03:15:02]
THE TOTAL PROJECT COSTS RIGHT NOW, UM, IN THE, UH, CURRENT GUIDELINES AND CRITERIA IS A 300, OR SORRY, A $3 MILLION TOTAL PROJECT COSTS OF WHICH A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS SHOULD BE FOR GREEN STORM WATER INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS. 
          WE'RE REDUCING THAT. 
          SO NOW, UH, ANY PROJECT THAT IS $735,000 OF TOTAL COST WITH AT LEAST $35,000 GOING TOWARDS GREEN STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE COSTS WOULD NOW BE ELIGIBLE. 
          SO WE'RE LOWERING THAT THRESHOLD ON SO SMALLER PROJECTS WOULD, WOULD QUALIFY WHERE THEY DON'T AT THIS TIME. 
          THANK YOU COUNCILOR RAMIREZ. 
          THANK YOU. 
          GOOD MORNING, ANDREW. 
          APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR PRESENTATION. 
          UM, I WANNA MAKE CLEAR AT THE OUTSET, I STRONGLY SUPPORT A BUSINESS FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT. 
          WE'VE, WE'VE HAD DISCUSSIONS ABOUT SOME OF THE ISSUES SURROUNDING TAX ABATEMENT AS, AS I SEE THEM. 
          I'M CURIOUS TO KNOW, IS INTEGRA MISSION CRITICAL GONNA BE PART OF THAT ORDINANCE THAT'S ON THE AGENDA NEXT WEEK? NO, THIS IS ONLY FOR OUR PROGRAM. 
          MM-HMM . 
          SO ONCE THIS ORDINANCE IS APPROVED, IF IT'S APPROVED BY YOU ALL, THEN WE WOULD MOVE FORWARD WITH OUR, UH, PENDING TAX, AB PAYMENT AGREEMENTS. 
          SO THIS IS ONLY ON THE ORDINANCE CHANGES. 
          OKAY. 
          UH, WE'LL ALL HAVE MORE THOUGHTS ON INTEGRA WHEN, WHEN WE GET TO THAT DISCUSSION, BUT, UH, A QUESTION, UH, THAT I DO HAVE FOR YOU IS, IS IN REGARDING COMMUNITY BENEFITS, YOU LISTED JUST A FEW OF THEM, BUT THERE THERE ARE MORE, UH, COMMUNITY BENEFITS IN THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE. 
          ARE THEY NOT? THEY'RE ALREADY EXISTING IN, UH, ARTICLE FOUR OF CHAPTER 44, SO THEY'RE LISTED THERE. 
          OKAY. 
          IT, IT STRUCK ME THAT SOME OF 'EM WERE, WERE PRETTY VAGUE. 
          UM, AND I WOULD TEND TO FAVOR SOMETHING THAT'S MORE OBJECTIVE OVER SOMETHING THAT'S, THAT'S VAGUE. 
          UM, YOU'VE SAID THAT THE PROGRAM IS ESSENTIAL TO OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND YOU'VE ALSO SAID WE'VE DONE ONLY SIX IN THE LAST 10 YEARS. 
          IS THAT RIGHT? THAT'S CORRECT. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, AND YOU KNOW, I'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS BEFORE, BUT THERE'S A PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN, UM, WHO STUDIES ECONOMIC INCENTIVES PROVIDED BY, BY GOVERNMENT AND, UM, HE'S PROFESSOR OVER GOVERNMENT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES. 
          HE SURVEYED THE RESEARCH FROM A NUMBER OF STUDIES, UH, DONE THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY AND DETERMINED THAT ONLY IN, IN 10% OF TAX ABATEMENT CASES CAN WE SAY THAT THE COMPANY WOULD NOT HAVE LOCATED IN HOUSTON OR WOULD NOT HAVE EXPANDED HERE LOCALLY, UH, BUT FOR THE TAX ABATEMENT. 
          SO IN OTHER WORDS, 90% OF CASES THE COMPANY WOULD'VE LOCATED HERE ANYWAY OR, UH, EXPANDED HERE ANYWAY. 
          WHAT, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT? WELL, THAT'S CERTAINLY A STUDY THAT IS LARGER THAN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, SO I CAN SPEAK FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON. 
          UM, SO FOR US, THE TAX AMENDMENT PROGRAM HAS BEEN ESSENTIAL FOR, UH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. 
          AND IN THOSE CASES WE'VE HAD SIX EXAMPLES WHERE IT WAS CRITICAL FOR THESE ABATEMENTS TO TAKE PLACE FOR THOSE DEVELOPMENTS TO OCCUR. 
          AND WE'RE PROUD OF THAT. 
          SO, SO YOU THINK WE DO, UH, A GOOD JOB OF DOING THE DUE DILIGENCE TO MAKE SURE COMPANIES WOULD, WOULD COME HERE ANYWAY, SO WOULDN'T COME. 
          IN OTHER WORDS, THEY WOULDN'T COME HERE, BUT FOR THE ABATEMENT THAT WE'RE GONNA GIVE THEM, I AGREE. 
          OUR OFFICE, UM, CONDUCTS DUE DILIGENCE TO ENSURE THAT THE ABATEMENT IS ESSENTIAL FOR THE DEVELOPMENT. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          AND, AND WE'LL, WE'LL DISCUSS INTEGRA FURTHER WHEN, WHEN THAT APPEARS ON THE AGENDA. 
          THANK YOU, ANDREW. 
          COUNCILOR ALCORN. 
          THANK YOU MAYOR, AND THANKS FOR THIS. 
          UM, AND ESPECIALLY THANKS FOR WHAT YOU DID ON GREEN STORM WATER INFRASTRUCTURE. 
          THIS IS SOMETHING WE'VE BEEN WANTING FOR A LONG TIME. 
          WE DON'T HAVE ANY APPLICATIONS FOR THAT. 
          MAYBE WE HAVE ONE NOW, BUT THAT I THINK THAT'LL REALLY IMPROVE IT, UM, FOR THE PUBLIC GOOD. 
          I MEAN, WE'RE TRYING TO GET MORE GREEN STORM WATER INFRASTRUCTURE AND WE CAN'T DO IT ALL. 
          UM, THE CITY CAN'T DO ALL THOSE PROJECTS. 
          SO THE WAY TO GET PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT, UM, TO WANNA DO IT IS TO INCENTIVIZE IT. 
          I MEAN, THAT WAS STUDIED AND WE LAID OUT WAYS TO DO IT. 
          AND THANK YOU FOR WORKING WITH THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY AND TO GWEN AND YOU AND EVERYBODY THAT WORKED ON THAT, UM, TO, TO REALLY MAKE THESE CHANGES. 
          SO WE CAN GET SOME PROJECTS IN, UM, TO COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ'S POINT. 
          I DO THINK WE PUT IN SOME, UH, INTO THE PROGRAM SOME MORE STRINGENT, UM, LOOKS AT HOW MANY JOBS ARE BEING CREATED, HOW MANY THINGS ARE HAPPENING AFTER THE FACT THAT WE DO LOOK, GO BACK AND LOOK AT, AT THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE. 
          UH, WE BRING THOSE BACK TO MAKE SURE WE'RE HOLDING, UH, THESE COMPANIES THAT GET THE ABATEMENTS ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE, FOR THE, FOR THE PUBLIC GOOD, FOR THE PUBLIC BENEFIT. 
          SO, UM, ANYWAY, I'M IN FAVOR OF THIS. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COUNCILMAN CAMAN. 
          THANK YOU, MAYOR. 
          GOOD MORNING. 
          BIG THANK YOU. 
          UM, YOU ALL, UH, DIRECTOR TILSON TOOK OUR FEEDBACK RELATED TO GSI SPECIFICALLY. 
          'CAUSE WE HAVE, 
          [03:20:01]
I HAVE BEEN HYPERFOCUSED ON THAT ALONG WITH COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN. 
          UH, Y'ALL TOOK OUR FEEDBACK AND YOU ARE MAKING THIS PROGRAM EVEN BETTER SO THAT IT CAN SUCCEED. 
          YOU'RE MAKING IT EASIER FOR BUILDERS AND DEVELOPERS TO INCORPORATE GREEN STORM WATER INFRASTRUCTURE AND IDEALLY, MAYOR OFFSET SOME OF THE COSTS OF JUST DIGGING A CONCRETE HOLE WHEN WE REQUIRE DRAINAGE, WHICH IS DRAINAGE IS IMPORTANT AND WE RECOGNIZE THAT. 
          BUT LET'S THINK ABOUT THIS IN A MORE HOLISTIC WAY. 
          SO I PERSONALLY, AND ON BEHALF OF THE DISTRICT WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR INCORPORATING THIS, FOR LOWERING THE THRESHOLD, UM, SO THAT WE CAN WORK TOWARDS GETTING THIS PROGRAM TO BE A SUCCESS STORY, NOT JUST FOR HOUSTON, BUT FOR THE STATE. 
          UM, AS IT RELATES TO, UH, OVERALL TAX ABATEMENTS. 
          'CAUSE I KNOW WE'RE NOW HAVING THIS BROADER POLICY DISCUSSION. 
          I WANNA BE CLEAR THOUGH, WITH GSI TAX ABATEMENTS, THAT'S A ONE-TIME COST OFFSET. 
          THIS IS NOT IN PER, UH, FOR LONG TERM REDUCTIONS IN COSTS THAT OTHER TYPES OF TAX ABATEMENTS MAY SEE. 
          IS THAT CORRECT? THE ONLY LONG-TERM PIECE OF IT, AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW, LONG TERM IS SUBJECTIVE HERE, BUT FOR THIS TAX ABATEMENT, WE ARE, UM, EXTENDING THE NUMBER OF YEARS OF MAINTENANCE FOR VERY SPECIFIC PORTIONS OF GREEN STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE. 
          BUT MOST OF GREEN STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE IS AN UPFRONT COST THAT THE DEVELOPER HAS TO MAKE BEFORE THEY CAN EVEN, LIKE, SAY IN A RETAIL DEVELOPMENT, GET TENANTS INTO THE DOOR. 
          UM, SO IT'S, THEY HAVE TO DO A LOT OF UPFRONT COSTS BEFORE THEY CAN START SEEING REVENUE FROM THAT PROJECT. 
          SO THIS ABATEMENT HELPS, UM, BALANCE THAT OUT. 
          RIGHT. 
          SO FROM AN ENFORCEMENT PERSPECTIVE, UH, IT, THE CITY OF HOUSTON HAS CONTROL OVER THAT AND DOES NOT PROVIDE THAT INCENTIVE UNTIL THAT WORK, UH, THEY HAVE MADE GOOD ON THAT WORK. 
          THAT'S CORRECT. 
          GREAT. 
          UH, GOING GENERALLY TO OVERALL TO TAX ABATEMENTS, UM, I BELIEVE WE ONLY, UH, IN THE PAST DECADE, I THINK YOU SAID THE CITY OF HOUSTON HAS DONE, I I BELIEVE, DID YOU SAY SIX? SIX, YEAH. 
          COMPARED TO OTHER CITIES OR COUNTIES IN TEXAS, HOW DOES THAT RANGE? SO, UM, AS I MENTIONED, UH, CITY OF DALLAS HAS DONE 12 IN THE PAST 10 YEARS. 
          UM, WE CAN LOOK AT IT WITHIN OUR GREATER HOUSTON REGION, OR WE COULD LOOK AT IT KIND OF STATEWIDE WITH POPULATION SIMILAR POPULATIONS. 
          SO WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT BOTH COUNTIES AND LOCAL AND MUNICIPALITIES CAN BOTH ISSUE TAX ABATEMENTS. 
          SO, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, SAN ANTONIO, EVEN THOUGH THEY'VE DONE FIVE IN THE PAST 10 YEARS, BEHAR COUNTY HAS DONE 13. 
          UM, HARRIS COUNTY HAS DONE SIX IN THE PAST 10 YEARS. 
          UM, SO IN THAT AREA WE'RE, WE'RE PRETTY COMPARABLE AS FAR AS YOU KNOW, SAN ANTONIO AND FORT WORTH AND HARRIS COUNTY. 
          SO, SO WE'RE COMPARABLE TO OTHER CITIES AND COUNTIES, BUT AT THE SAME TIME MM-HMM . 
          THIS IS NARROWLY FOCUSED. 
          UM, AND WE'RE DOING, LIKE YOU, I'M, I'M USING YOUR WORDS, THE DUE DILIGENCE SO THAT WE'RE NOT, UH, GIVING THIS OUT TO EVERYBODY AND ANYONE. 
          THAT'S WHY WE HAVE SUCH A SMALL NUMBER. 
          EXACTLY. 
          YES. 
          THANK YOU. 
          AND AGAIN, REALLY APPRECIATE THE EFFORT ON GSI. 
          THANK YOU . 
          COUNCILOR FLICKINGER, UH, THANK YOU MAYOR COUNCILWOMAN ALQUAN MENTIONED THAT WE GO BACK AND REVIEW TO MAKE SURE THEY'VE DONE WHAT THEY SAID THEY WERE GONNA DO. 
          HAVE WE HAD ANY CLAWBACKS? WE'VE HAD SOME, UM, SO CLAWBACKS IS A VERY SPECIFIC TERM, AND SO IN OUR TAX ABATEMENT AGREEMENTS, WE DO HAVE RECAPTURE PROVISIONS. 
          AND THAT CAN BE IN A, THAT CAN FUNCTION IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS. 
          SOME OF THAT IT COULD BE JUST TERMINATING THE TAX ABATEMENT. 
          UH, DEPENDING ON IF A COMPANY, UM, FAILS TO MEET SOME OF ITS TARGETS, WE CAN REDUCE THE ABATEMENT THEY GET THAT YEAR. 
          SO IF WE HAD ANY REDUCTIONS, RECAPTURE CALLBACK, I CAN GET SPECIFIC INFORMATION TO YOU. 
          I DON'T HAVE THAT OFFHAND RIGHT NOW. 
          OKAY. 
          PLEASE SEND THAT OVER. 
          SURE. 
          ANYTHING ELSE, MEMBERS? IF NOT, ANDREW, THANK YOU. 
          I'M, I'M VERY IMPRESSED WITH YOUR UNDERSTANDING AND KNOWLEDGE. 
          WHERE'D YOU GAIN MOST AT WORKING? UH, WORKING HERE? I MEAN, I DO HAVE, UM, EDUCATION , SO, UH, I HAVE THAT, THAT'S A GIVEN. 
          SO, BUT THE PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU HELP THIS PLACE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          YOU HELP US BE AS GREAT AS WE ARE. 
          I JUST WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT. 
          AND YEAH, I'VE HEARD A LOT OF TESTIMONY AND, UH, YOU CERTAINLY KNOW YOUR SUBJECT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          I APPRECIATE THAT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          ALRIGHT, THANKS. 
          ANYONE ELSE PRESENT WOULD LIKE TO, UH, SPEAK TODAY? WE DON'T HAVE ANY SPEAKERS SIGNED UP. 
          NO ONE SIGNED UP. 
          IS THERE A MOTION TO CLOSE OPPOSED MOVES TO CLOSE THE HEARING? I SECOND. 
          MOTION MADE. 
          AND SECOND TO CLOSE THE HEARING. 
          ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. 
          THOSE OPPOSED NAY. 
          [03:25:01]
YAY. 
          HAVE IT 
          [CONSENT AGENDA]
MADAM SECRETARY, IF YOU'LL NOW PROCEED WITH HIS CONSENT AGENDA ONE, TWO. 
          UNDER THE MISCELLANEOUS CATEGORY, ITEM THREE HAS BEEN REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION UNDER THE ACCEPT WORD CATEGORY. 
          ITEM SIX HAS BEEN REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. 
          NEED A MOTION FOR ITEM FOUR, FIVE, AND SEVEN. 
          PROMISE? MOVE TO ACCEPT FOUR, FIVE, AND SEVEN. 
          I SECOND. 
          WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. 
          JUST NEED TO VOTE. 
          MOTION MADE. 
          AND A SECOND. 
          ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. 
          THOSE OPPOSED NAY. 
          MOTION PASSES. 
          NEXT. 
          AYE. 
          ITEM EIGHT NEEDS A MOTION. 
          THOMAS MOVES EXCEPT ITEM EIGHT. 
          SECOND. 
          MOTION MADE. 
          AND SECOND. 
          ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. 
          THOSE OPPOSED NAY. 
          MOTION PASSES UNDER THE PURCHASING TABULATION OF BIDS CATEGORY ITEM 10 HAS BEEN PULLED AND IT WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED ITEMS REMOVED. 
          SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. 
          9, 11, 12, 14, 15, 17, 18, AND 19. 
          THOSE NUMBERS AGAIN ARE 9, 11, 12, 14, 15, 17, 18, AND 19. 
          NEED A MOTION FOR ITEMS 13 AND 16? THOMAS MOVES TO ACCEPT ITEM 13 AND 16. 
          SECOND. 
          MOTION MADE. 
          AND SECOND. 
          ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. 
          THOSE OPPOSED NAY. 
          MOTION PASSES 
          [CONSIDERATION OF MATTERS REMOVED FROM CONSENT AGENDA]
UNDER THE ORDINANCES, CATEGORY ITEMS MOVE SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. 
          20, 21, 22, 23, 31, 32, 33, 36, 37, 38 AND 39. 
          THOSE NUMBERS AGAIN, ARE, OH, I'M SORRY. 
          THOSE NUMBERS ARE 20, 21, 22, 23, 31, 32, 33, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, AND 43 THOSE NUMBERS. 
          ONE MORE TIME ARE 20, 21, 22, 23, 31, 32, 33, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41 AND 43 NEED A VOTE ON THE BALANCE. 
          PROMISE MOVES TO ACCEPT THE BALANCE. 
          SECOND MOTION MAY NEED A VOTE. 
          SECONDED. 
          ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. 
          THOSE OPPOSED NAY. 
          MOTION PASSES. 
          I'M JUST BIG STACK. 
          OKAY. 
          WHERE IS WE? ITEM THREE NEEDS A MOTION. 
          THOMAS MOVES. 
          SECOND. 
          ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. 
          THOSE NAMES. 
          MOTION PASSES. 
          ITEM SIX NEEDS A MOTION. 
          COUNCILMAN POLLARD. 
          WE GET A MOTION AND A SECOND. 
          FIRST HECK MOVE. 
          MOTION MADE AND SECONDED. 
          COUNCILMAN P*****K. 
          RICK CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILMAN POLLARD. 
          THANK YOU MAYOR. 
          AND GOOD MORNING TO EVERYONE. 
          UM, ITEM SIX IS FOR THE APPROVAL OF A CONTRACT, UH, FOR SANITARY SEWER REHABILITATION. 
          UM, IF YOU ALL REMEMBER LAST WEEK, I TAGGED SEVERAL ITEMS. UM, AND THE REASON FOR THAT WAS THAT THE MWBE PORTION, THE, UH, VENDORS WERE NOT REACHING THEIR APPROVED PARTICIPATION RATES. 
          HOWEVER, THEY WERE STILL BEING RATED AS SATISFACTORY. 
          UH, THE SAME THING HAS HAPPENED HERE. 
          UM, THE APPROVED MWBE GOAL FOR THIS PROJECT WAS 12.94 FOR MBE AND 8.72 FOR WBE. 
          UM, THE PARTICIPATION THAT WAS ACHIEVED WAS ONLY 5.69 FOR MBE AND 0.02 FOR WBE. 
          UM, SO I'M GONNA TAG THIS. 
          I JUST WANT TO GET MORE CLARIFICATION. 
          I I DON'T WANT TO SEE A TREND OF WEEK AFTER WEEK. 
          UM, THE MWVE CONTRACTS NOT REACHING THEIR PARTICIPATION GOALS AND STILL BEING RATED SATISFACTORY. 
          I KNOW THAT THERE'S ALWAYS SOME BACKSTORY, UM, AND MAYBE THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT HAPPENED ALONG THE WAY THAT CAN, UH, EXPLAIN THIS. 
          UM, BUT I'M GONNA TAG THIS FOR MORE INFORMATION AND, UM, THAT'S 
          [03:30:01]
THE REASON I TAGGED THOSE ITEMS LAST WEEK AS WELL. 
          THANK YOU, MAYOR. 
          OKAY. 
          ITEMS TAG. 
          ITEMS TAG. 
          NEXT. 
          ITEM NINE NEEDS A MOTION. 
          THOMAS, MOVE SECOND. 
          MOTION MADE. 
          SECOND ON ITEM NINE. 
          COUNCILMAN PLUM. 
          THANK YOU, MAYOR. 
          AND I WOULD JUST LIKE, I'M GONNA COMMENT ON NUMBER NINE, BUT IT ALSO REFERS TO 15 AND 17. 
          UM, I'M EXCITED ABOUT THIS ITEM AS WELL AS 15 AND 17. 
          FOR SEVERAL YEARS, I'VE CONSISTENTLY RAISED THE CONCERNS ABOUT THE INEQUITIES FACED BY MWBES WITHIN THE COOPERATIVE PURCHASING FRAMEWORK. 
          PRIMARILY DUE TO THE LACK OF REQUIREMENTS FOR CO-OP CONTRACTS TO INCLUDE MWBE PARTICIPATION WITH THE RECENT CHANGES TO THE PROCESS, MWBES WILL NOW HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DIRECTLY BENEFIT WITH THE CITY. 
          WHEN THE CITY UTILIZES COOPERATIVE PURCHASING AGREEMENTS IN THE PAST, MWBES HAD TO SELL THEIR PRODUCTS TO THE CO-OPS, WHICH WHEN THEN MARKED UP THE PRICES BEFORE SELLING THEM TO THE CITY. 
          THE NEW PROCESS ALLOWS MWBES TO WORK DIRECTLY WITH THE CITY ON PORTIONS OF THE CONTRACT WITH SIGNIFICANT ADVANCEMENTS IN EQUITY. 
          MANY OF THE BUSINESSES CAME AND THANKED EVERYONE YESTERDAY REGARDING THIS. 
          UM, BUT MAYOR, I REALLY WANT TO THANK THE CHIEF PROCUREMENT OFFICER, JEDEDIAH GREENFIELD AND THE OFFICE OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY AND THE ADMINISTRATION, UM, FOR MAKING THIS PIVOTAL CHANGE POSSIBLE. 
          THIS REALLY DOES ALLOW CO-OPS TO NOT HAR, YOU KNOW, HINDER THE WAY IN WHICH A MINORITY IN SMALL BUSINESSES ARE ABLE TO ENGAGE IN THE PROCESS. 
          IT'S A BIG WIN FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON. 
          AND I WANT TO, UM, ALSO MENTION THAT JUDIAH IS GONNA BE GOING TO A PROCUREMENT CONFERENCE, UM, THIS WEEK OR NEXT WEEK, UH, TO, TO, TO LAUNCH THIS BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS SOMETHING EXCLUSIVELY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, AND HE'S GONNA SHARE IT WITH THE NATION. 
          THANK YOU. 
          VERY GOOD. 
          GOOD JOB. 
          THAT'S ALL. 
          MOTION MADE. 
          SECONDED. 
          ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. 
          THOSE OPPOSED NAY. 
          MOTION PASSES. 
          ITEM 11 NEEDS A MOTION. 
          THOMAS MOVES SECOND. 
          MOTION MADE AND SECONDED. 
          ALL IN FAVOR? CASTILLO. 
          OH, AFTER THE VOTE. 
          CJ, AFTER THE VOTE. 
          EXCUSE ME FOR INTERRUPT. 
          UHUH, DON'T WORK ON IT. 
          ANYTHING GOING ON? NO, NO, NO. 
          DON'T WORK ON IT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER. 
          I WANT TO INQUIRE. 
          WE OKAY. 
          BLAME IT ON CENTER POINT. 
          YES. 
          ? YEAH. 
          WE PAID THE BILL . 
          PROBABLY A, PROBABLY A TREAT. 
          UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO AFTER THE VOTE. 
          MARTINEZ, ARE YOU AFTER THE VOTE? AFTER THE VOTE? BOTH AFTER THE VOTE. 
          OKAY. 
          ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. 
          THOSE OPPOSED NAY. 
          MOTION PASSES. 
          COUNCILOR CASTILLO. 
          THANK YOU MAYOR AND COLLEAGUES. 
          THIS ITEM HERE IS GOING TO INCREASE OUR SPAY NEUTER CAPACITY UTILIZING, UM, A NON-PROFIT HOUSTON PET SET. 
          THEY DO FANTASTIC WORK THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY, AND IT'S CLEAR WE, WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO INCREASE OUR CAPACITY. 
          BARK IS CONSTANTLY AT CAPACITY. 
          UH, THERE IS A HIGH DEMAND FOR THESE SERVICES, UH, THROUGHOUT THE CITY, UH, BOTH FOR DOGS AND CATS. 
          WE HAVE TO. 
          UM, AND SO THIS IS A, A GOOD STEP IN, UM, OUR ABILITY TO ADDRESS, UH, AN ISSUE THAT IMPACTS THE ENTIRE CITY. 
          AND, UM, I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING OTHER WAYS WE CAN, UH, WORK WITH OUTSIDE STAKEHOLDERS TO INCREASE OUR, OUR CAPACITY. 
          AND, AND I KNOW AT THE BUDGET COMMITTEE IN OCTOBER, WE'RE GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT, UM, THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CORPORATION MODEL FOR BARK, UH, WHICH IS SOMETHING WE, WE HAVE WANTED TO EXPLORE. 
          SO THIS IS A GOOD STEP FORWARD, AND I HOPE THERE'S MORE TO COME. 
          VERY GOOD. 
          COUNCILLOR MARTINEZ. 
          THANK YOU, MAYOR. 
          UM, AND JUST WANTED TO ECHO SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES' COMMENTS. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE LOOK AT THE ASTRAY ANIMAL POPULATION, UH, IT IS IMPACTING THE ENTIRE CITY. 
          BUT WE ALSO HAVE HEARD OF THE BACKWARD C, WHICH IS DISTRICT B-H-I-N-D, WHERE WE GET A, A LARGER AMOUNT OF STRAY ANIMALS. 
          AND SO LOOKING FORWARD TO, UH, WORKING ALONGSIDE WITH PET SET, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO EDUCATE AND, AND ENFORCEMENT, BUT THEN, UH, YOU REALLY NEED TO HAVE RESOURCES, UM, A AVAILABLE. 
          AND SO THIS IS ONE WAY WHERE WE CAN START, UH, TO, TO CONTINUE TO, UM, YOU KNOW, DRILL DOWN ON, ON THAT STRAY ANIMAL POPULATION WHERE WE'RE LOOKING TO SEE ABOUT 200, UH, SPAY AND NEUTER SERVICES A MONTH, UH, WITH HOUSTON PETS. 
          AND SO I'M EXCITED TO WORK WITH THEM AND, UM, LOOKING FORWARD TO, YOU KNOW, TO CONTINUE TO ADDRESS THIS STRAY ANIMAL POPULATION ISSUE. 
          VERY GOOD. 
          NEXT ITEM 12 NEEDS A MOTION. 
          THOMAS MOVES SECOND. 
          MOTION MADE. 
          AND SECOND ON ITEM 12. 
          AFTER THE VOTE CAME IN AFTER THE VOTE. 
          ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. 
          THOSE OPPOSED NAY. 
          MOTION PASSES. 
          COUNCILMAN 
          [03:35:01]
CAYMAN. 
          THANK YOU. 
          MARY. 
          JUST WANTED TO SPOTLIGHT THIS BRIEFLY AND THANK THE DEPARTMENTS FOR WORKING ON THIS. 
          UM, I WAS NOT AWARE, BUT AFTER THE DICHO, UM, THREE QUARTERS OF MEMORIAL PARK'S DRIVING RANGE WERE AT A COMMISSION, BE JUST FROM NET DAMAGE. 
          I ASKED HOW MUCH REVENUE LOSS THE CITY HAD INCURRED BECAUSE OF THE DRIVING RANGE BEING IN OPERABLE, UH, PER HAR OVER $175,000 AND LOST REVENUE. 
          SO, MAYOR, AS IT RELATES TO US CLAIMING COST BACK, I HOPE THAT WE'RE INCLUDING THAT, BUT, UH, IT JUST GOES TO SHOW WHAT A LITTLE THING CAN DO. 
          VERY GOOD. 
          NEXT, NEXT. 
          ITEM 14 NEEDS A MOTION. 
          MOVED. 
          SECOND. 
          MOTION MADE. 
          AND SECOND. 
          OR ITEM 14. 
          ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. 
          THOSE OPPOSED NAY. 
          MOTION PASSES. 
          NEXT. 
          ITEM 15 NEEDS A MOTION. 
          THOMAS MOVES ON. 
          15 SECOND. 
          MOTION MADE. 
          AND SECOND ON ITEM 15. 
          ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. 
          THOSE OPPOSED NAY. 
          MOTION PASSES. 
          ITEM 17 NEEDS A MOTION. 
          THOMAS MOVES ON. 
          17 SECOND. 
          MOTION MADE. 
          AND SECOND POLLARD. 
          COUNCILMAN POLLARD. 
          THANK YOU, MAYOR. 
          UM, I WANT TO GET THROUGH THOSE THREE ITEMS, UH, REGARDING THE CO-OPS TO GIVE MY SPELMAN SISTER A BIG SHOUT OUT, UM, ON HER LEADERSHIP, ON FINDING A WAY TO WORK WITH THE ADMINISTRATION TO GET THESE MWBES, UM, AN AVENUE TO PARTICIPATE. 
          AND SHE'S BEEN ADVOCATING FOR THAT, UH, FOR THE LAST COUPLE YEARS. 
          IT WAS AN ISSUE THAT SHE BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION AND EDUCATED US ON AND WHY IT WAS NECESSARY. 
          AND, UH, SHE STOOD STRONG ON THAT AND SHE, UH, WAS VERY PERSISTENT. 
          SO I WANT TO GIVE YOU YOUR CONGRATULATIONS ON THAT. 
          THIS IS A BIG DEAL FOR THE CITY AND EVEN BIG DEAL FOR, UH, THE VENDORS. 
          YEP. 
          THANK YOU. 
          VERY GOOD. 
          VOTE NO. 
          JUST NEED TO VOTE. 
          ALL IN FAVOR? ON 17, SAY AYE. 
          THOSE OPPOSED NAY. 
          MOTION PASSES. 
          CONGRATULATIONS. 
          UH, COUNCILMAN PLUMMER AND POLLER. 
          THANK Y'ALL. 
          NEXT ITEM 18 NEEDS A MOTION. 
          THOMAS MOVES ON. 
          18 SECOND. 
          MOTION MADE. 
          AND SECOND. 
          ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. 
          THOSE OPPOSED NAY. 
          MOTION SHOW. 
          COUNCILMAN CAYMAN. 
          NO. 
          UH, MOTION PASSES. 
          UH, NEXT ITEM 19, NEEDS AND MOTION. 
          THOMAS MOVES. 
          ALL IN FAVOR. 
          MOTION MADE. 
          AND SECOND. 
          ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES TO THOSE OPPOSED NAY. 
          CAYMAN'S IN THE QUEUE AFTER COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. 
          AFTER. 
          AFTER. 
          OKAY. 
          ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES TO THOSE OPPOSED NAY. 
          MOTION PASSES. 
          COUNCILMAN CAYMAN. 
          THANK YOU MARY. 
          JUST WANNA THANK FLEET AND THE DEPARTMENTS FOR PUTTING THIS PACKAGE TOGETHER, UM, FOR HYBRID TRUCKS, UH, FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON. 
          I AGREE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          NEXT ITEM 20 IS AN ORDINANCE. 
          JUST NEED TO VOTE. 
          JUST NEED TO VOTE. 
          OH, NO DISCUSSION. 
          ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. 
          THOSE OPPOSED NAY. 
          MOTION PASSES. 
          ITEM 21 IS AN ORDINANCE. 
          THIS NEED A VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. 
          AFTER. 
          AFTER. 
          OKAY. 
          ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. 
          THOSE OPPOSED NAY. 
          MOTION PASSES. 
          ITEM 22 IS AN ORDINANCE. 
          THIS, JUST A SEC. 
          WE HAVE A COMMENT BY COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. 
          THANK YOU MAYOR. 
          I DON'T WANT TO MISS AN OPPORTUNITY TO HIGHLIGHT THE HEART PROGRAM. 
          UM, THEY DO FANTASTIC WORK THROUGHOUT THE CITY, WORKING WITH, UH, FOLKS WHO ARE DEVELOPMENTALLY, UH, DISABLED, PROVIDING THEM JOBS. 
          THEY MAINTAIN, UH, OVER 60 VENDING MACHINES ACROSS THE CITY. 
          THEY OPERATE, UH, OVER 150 CONCESSIONS EVENTS, UH, THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. 
          AND, UM, THEY PAY FOLKS AT MINIMUM WAGE OR HIGHER, WHICH IS REALLY IMPORTANT. 
          UM, AND, UH, THEY CONTINUE TO DO GOOD WORK AND I'M, I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THEM. 
          THANK YOU. 
          NEXT, ADAM. 
          22 IS AN ORDINANCE. 
          JUST NEED A VOTE. 
          ALL IN FAVOR ON 22. 
          THOSE IN FAVOR SAY YES. 
          THOSE POST NAY. 
          MOTION PASSES. 
          COUNCIL OR CAYMAN MAYOR, JUST WANNA THANK CONGRESSMAN GREEN. 
          THIS IS A, A AWARD FOR A COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDED GRANT THROUGH CONGRESSMAN GREEN'S OFFICE FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. 
          SO JUST WANNA RECOGNIZE OUR CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION WORKING FOR US. 
          VERY GOOD, THANK YOU. 
          NEXT, ADAM, 23 IS AN ORDINANCE. 
          YOU NEED TO VOTE ALL COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER. 
          AFTER, AFTER ALL IN FAVOR, SAY YES. 
          THOSE OPPOSED NAY. 
          MOTION PASSES. 
          CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILOR FLICKINGER. 
          THANK YOU MAYOR. 
          JUST WANTED TO SAY, GLAD TO SEE THIS ON THE AGENDA AND GET PAST, UH, OUR COUNCIL DISTRICT ACTUALLY CONTRIBUTED FUNDS TO THE HIGH WATER RESCUE VEHICLES FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. 
          I TOTALLY AGREE. 
          NEXT, ITEM 31 IS AN ORDINANCE. 
          JUST NEED A VOTE. 
          ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. 
          THOSE OPPOSED NAY. 
          MOTION PASSES. 
          ITEM 32 IS AN ORDINANCE. 
          [03:40:01]
JUST NEED A VOTE. 
          ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. 
          THOSE OPPOSED NAY. 
          MOTION PASSES. 
          ITEM 33 IS AN ORDINANCE. 
          JUST NEED A VOTE. 
          CALL MS TAGS MOTION. 
          UH, TAG BY COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS TAGGED BY COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. 
          NEXT ITEM 36 IS AN ORDINANCE. 
          JUST NEED TO VOTE. 
          VICE MAYOR PRO TEPEC, VICE MAYOR PRO. 
          JIM PECK. 
          THANK YOU MAYOR. 
          UM, THE NEXT COUPLE OF ITEMS ARE FOR THE, UM, HOME ELEVATION GRANTS. 
          AND THERE ARE BLESS, BLESS YOU MANY, UM, HOMEOWNERS IN DISTRICT A WHO ARE GETTING GRANTS FROM THESE ITEMS. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT. 
          THEY ARE VERY EXCITED AND I'M EXCITED FOR THEM. 
          UM, JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT THOUGH, THAT MANY OF THE HOMES THAT ARE GETTING THESE GRANTS ARE, UM, IN AREAS WHERE THE ENTIRE STREET FLOODS. 
          AND SO IT'S NOT JUST WE'RE FIXING ONE HOME AND NOW EVERYTHING IS FIXED. 
          IT'S THE ENTIRE STREET IS STILL GOING TO CONTINUE FLOODING AND HOMES ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO FLOOD. 
          SO, JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT THAT SOME OF THESE AREAS, FOR EXAMPLE, ARE IN, UM, THE SPRING SHADOWS NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE FUNDING, WE HAVE A PROJECT IDENTIFIED, AND WE JUST NEED TO MOVE FORWARD ON SOME OF THOSE. 
          SO JUST WANTED TO AGAIN, ADVOCATE FOR MOVING SOME OF THESE CIP PROJECTS FORWARD. 
          THANK YOU. 
          AND THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE GRANTS FOR THESE HOMEOWNERS COUNCILOR CAYMAN. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, ECHOING OUR VICE MAYOR PRO TEM. 
          THIS PROGRAM IS CRITICAL TO KEEPING, UH, RESIDENTS IN THEIR HOMES AND COMMUNITIES IN THE PROPERTIES ON THE TAX ROLLS FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON. 
          UM, A MAJORITY, UH, MO THE MOST OF ANY DISTRICT, UH, IN THESE APPLICATIONS IS DISTRICT C. 
          UH, WE HAVE THE MOST REPETITIVE FLOODING OF ANY REGION, PRETTY MUCH IN THE ENTIRE STATE. 
          UH, AND I REALLY WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THE TEAM FOR GETTING THE WORD OUT, UH, INCLUDING DAVID WARDLOW, LUCY KOREA, BRIAN RAM, FOR WORKING ALL OF THESE APPLICATIONS. 
          BUT WE NEED TO BE DOING MORE AS VICE MAYOR PRO TEM SAID. 
          UH, NOT ONLY FOCUSING ON INFRASTRUCTURE, BUT EDUCATING MORE RESIDENTS ON WHAT IS AVAILABLE TO SUPPORT THEM IN ELEVATING THEIR HOMES, UH, TO REMOVE THEM OUT OF THE WAY OF, OF RISK AND HARM FROM FLOODING. 
          SO, AGAIN, GLAD TO SEE A LOT OF THESE MOVING, UH, BUT WE DEFINITELY NEED MORE. 
          NEED TO VOTE ON ITEM 36. 
          ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. 
          THOSE OPPOSED NAY. 
          MOTION PASSES. 
          ITEM 37 IS AN ORDER. 
          DOES THIS NEED A VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. 
          THOSE OPPOSED NAY. 
          MOTION PASSES. 
          ITEM 38 IS AN ORDINANCE. 
          JUST NEED TO VOTE. 
          ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. 
          THOSE OPPOSED NAY. 
          MOTION PASSES. 
          ITEM 39 IS AN ORDINANCE. 
          JUST NEED TO VOTE. 
          ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. 
          THOSE OPPOSED NAY. 
          MOTION PASSES. 
          ITEM 40 IS AN ORDINANCE. 
          JUST NEED TO VOTE. 
          ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. 
          THOSE OPPOSED NAY. 
          MOTION PASSES. 
          ITEM 41 IS AN ORDINANCE. 
          JUST NEED TO VOTE. 
          ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. 
          THOSE OPPOSED NAY. 
          MOTION PASSES. 
          ITEM 43 IS AN ORDINANCE. 
          JUST NEED TO VOTE. 
          ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. 
          THOSE OPPOSED NAY. 
          MOTION PASSES. 
          [MATTERS HELD]
ITEM 49, WE HAVE A MOTION. 
          JUST NEED A VOTE. 
          ALL IN FAVOR ON ITEM 49. 
          SAY YES. 
          THOSE OPPOSED NAY. 
          MOTION PASSES. 
          ITEM 50, WE HAVE A MOTION. 
          JUST NEED TO VOTE. 
          ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. 
          THOSE OPPOSED NAY. 
          MOTION PASSES. 
          ITEM 51, WE HAVE A MOTION. 
          JUST NEED TO VOTE. 
          ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. 
          THOSE OPPOSED NAY. 
          MOTION PASSES. 
          ITEM 52 IS AN ORDINANCE IS RESOLUTION JUST NEED TO VOTE. 
          ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. 
          THOSE OPPOSED NAY. 
          MOTION PASSES. 
          ITEM 53 IS AN ORDINANCE. 
          JUST NEED TO VOTE. 
          ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. 
          THOSE OPPOSED NAY. 
          JACKSON HAS TAGGED IT. 
          JACKSON TEXT JACKSON TAGS ITEM NEXT ITEM 54 IS AN ORDINANCE. 
          JUST NEED A VOTE. 
          ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. 
          THOSE OPPOSED NAY. 
          MOTION PASSES. 
          THIS COMPLETES THE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA. 
          [03:46:18]
I KNOW WHAT WHY, WHY WE LET MS. COHEN, UH, THERE SHE IS. 
          WE'LL WAIT, WE'LL WAIT A MINUTE OR TWO. 
          COUNCIL MAYOR EVAN SHABAZZ, YOU WANNA TELL OUR COLLEAGUES WHERE WE WERE SATURDAY NIGHT? WELL, IF I COULD HAVE EVERYBODY'S ATTENTION, UH, I WOULD, I WOULD ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO DO WHAT THE COUNCILWOMAN AND I DID. 
          UH, WE VISITED HOTSPOTS. 
          COUNCILMAN POLLARD. 
          UH, OBVIOUSLY THE CHALLENGE IS WHEN YOU HAVE BUSINESSES, PARTICULARLY ENTERTAINMENT ENTERPRISES, RIGHT UP IN A NEIGHBORHOOD, PARKING TRAFFIC, COMPLYING WITH PERMITS IF THEY HAVE ONE. 
          UH, AND IT WAS REALLY, REALLY GOOD TO SEE OUR, OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT AS MOTIVATED AS THEY WERE AND PROFESSIONAL AS THEY WERE. 
          AND I ENJOYED, UH, AGAIN, WORKING WITH YOU IN THE COMMUNITY. 
          I WAS GONNA SAVE IT FOR MY POP OFF, BUT CERTAINLY THAT WAS A TREMENDOUS SHOW OF FORCE. 
          UM, I DO APPRECIATE YOU MAYOR AND THE NEW, UH, POLICE CHIEF C*****G. 
          UH, THERE WERE, WERE, UH, OFFICERS FROM NOT ONLY SOUTH CENTRAL, BUT FROM OTHER AREAS. 
          AND THERE WERE SOME TREMENDOUS RESULTS. 
          UH, ON THAT EVENING, I ACTUALLY WAS ON A A TV, UM, UH, MY OFFICE, DISTRICT D WE PROVIDED ATVS, TWO ATVS FOR, UH, SOUTH, CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST. 
          AND THEY SAY THAT THOSE ARE TREMENDOUS HELP FOR THEM TO GET PLACES AND SPACES THAT CARS CAN'T GET. 
          BUT THE, THE CROWD WAS LIKE LOOKING, THEY WERE JUST SO AMAZED THAT THERE WERE SO MANY POLICE OFFICERS. 
          UH, I DIDN'T SMELL ANYTHING, SO I'M IMAGINING THAT THEY MOVED ON WITH ANY OF THAT IF THAT WAS GOING ON. 
          AND I DIDN'T SEE ANY OF THOSE ARRESTS. 
          BUT CERTAINLY, UM, I'M GONNA SHARE THE RESULTS WITH MY COLLEAGUES. 
          IT MAY BE SOMETHING THAT YOU WANNA LOOK AT TO GET, UM, SOME OF THE THINGS UNDER CONTROL. 
          WE WANT PEOPLE TO COME AND HAVE A GREAT TIME. 
          I ALWAYS TELL PEOPLE, BACK IN THE DAY, I USED TO SHAKE A TAIL FEATHER MAYOR. 
          BUT CERTAINLY YOU HAVE TO FOLLOW THE RULES. 
          YOU HAVE TO FOLLOW THE RULES SO THAT EVERYONE CAN ENJOY, UH, THE SPACE AS WELL AS THE NEIGHBORS WITH NO ZONINGS. 
          CERTAINLY THAT IS A PROBLEM. 
          AND THEN WITH MY COLLEAGUES, UH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN AND, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN, CERTAINLY WE WORKED ON THE NOISE ORDINANCE AND, YOU KNOW, HAD A REALLY DIFFICULT TIME WITH REALLY GETTING TEETH IN THIS. 
          AND SO I DID HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH YOU AS WELL TO SEE IF WE COULD HAVE THE COURTS, THE COURT DATE SET AT A MORE CONDUCIVE TIME. 
          WHAT'S HAPPENING IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY ARE HAVING THESE COURT CASES AT 9:00 AM WHILE THE OFFICERS HAVE WORKED ALL NIGHT. 
          THEY GET OFF AT 7:00 AM AND SO YOU EXPECT THEM TO COME TO COURT AND SIT THERE FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS. 
          'CAUSE IT DOESN'T JUST HAPPEN WHEN THEY GET THERE AND THEN THEY ARE TIRED. 
          AND THEN IF THEY DON'T SHOW UP, THEN THE CASE IS THROWN OUT. 
          SO WE JUST NEED THE COOPERATION OF THE COURT SYSTEM TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN THESE CITATIONS ARE GIVEN, THAT THEY CAN BE HEARD. 
          AND THEN THE, THE RESIDENTS TAKE OFF WORK AND THEY GO, AND THEN THE COURT CASE IS THROWN OUT. 
          AND SO IT'S JUST A VICIOUS CYCLE. 
          BUT MAYOR, I'M GONNA SERVE, UH, SEND THESE STATISTICS AND THIS DATA AROUND IT WAS TREMENDOUS. 
          UH, THE CITATIONS THAT WERE GIVEN TO THE CLUBS, THE, UM, PERMIT CHECKS OF THESE FOOD TRUCKS THAT ARE SITTING OUT THERE. 
          AND 
          [03:50:01]
THIS IS ALL FOR THE SAFETY OF THE CONSTITUENTS. 
          LET'S JUST BE CLEAR. 
          IT IS NOT TO HARASS ANYONE. 
          IT IS CERTAINLY JUST TO HELP US ALL TO LIVE IN A SAFE SPACE AND TO BE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD. 
          SO I THANK YOU, MAYOR. 
          YOUR PRESENCE MADE A TREMENDOUS DIFFERENCE, ESPECIALLY YOURS AND THE NEW POLICE CHIEF AND PEOPLE WERE ABLE TO JUST KIND OF SEE WHO YOU WERE TO SEE HOW IMPORTANT ALL OF THIS IS. 
          AND SO I THANK YOU FOR THIS EFFORT, AND AGAIN, I'M GONNA SHARE IT SO THAT MY COLLEAGUES CAN SEE THAT THEY NEED TO PERHAPS GET THIS GOING IN THEIR OWN COMMUNITIES DISTRICT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU FOR YOUR REPORT. 
          AND THAT WAS A TASK FORCE OF ABOUT 50 OFFICERS. 
          AND, UH, WE WERE DISCUSSING SATURDAY NIGHT ONE, WE CANNOT MAKE THAT A ONE TIME ENFORCEMENT OR PEOPLE TO KNOW, WELL, THEY WERE HERE, NOW THEY'RE GOING, BUT ALSO WE NEED TO MOVE IT AROUND THE CITY. 
          I I WAS THINKING ABOUT YOU, COUNCILMAN ALOR ALCORN, SATURDAY NIGHT, THE PONTIAC, UH, AND SAN PHILIPPI, UH, SITUATION. 
          BUT WE CAN NAME OTHER, CERTAINLY WASHINGTON. 
          WE ALMOST SATURDAY NIGHT, WE WORKED ABOUT ONE. 
          WE ALMOST PICKED UP THE TEAM AND TOOK 'EM TO WASHINGTON. 
          BUT, UH, THEY WERE PRETTY BUSY ON THE STREETS, UH, WITH THEIR ENFORCEMENT. 
          IT WAS WELL RECEIVED. 
          UH, WE MET A LOT OF GOOD GRASSROOTS FOLKS. 
          BUT ANYWAY, UM, A GREAT, A GREAT CONCEPT THAT THAT WAS, UH, VERY BENEFICIAL TO THE COMMUNITY. 
          WE WERE ACTUALLY ON EMANCIPATION, THEN WE LEFT AFTER A WHILE, WENT OVER TO ALAMEDA AND, UH, SOUTHMORE. 
          AND IT WAS A GOOD, GOOD NIGHT FOR, UH, FOR THE RESIDENTS. 
          NOT SO GOOD NIGHT FOR SOME OF THE, UH, UNPERMITTED BARS. 
          UH, C COUNCILMAN ALCORN, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU. 
          UM, C COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABBAT SENT ME THAT, WHAT ALL THE CITATIONS THAT WERE WRITTEN, EVERYTHING THAT WAS DONE, WE ARE FOREVER BEING TOLD THAT WE HA DO NOT ENFORCE OUR ORDINANCES. 
          AND ESPECIALLY IN THIS AREA. 
          AND BECAUSE OF MY WORK FIRST TERM, I'M REGULATORY NEIGHBORHOOD AFFAIRS AND THE NOISE ORDINANCE, YOU KNOW, I JUST GOT TO BE THE PARTY POLICE . 
          AND I WAS, I WAS FUN BACK IN THE DAY TOO. 
          I PROMISE YOU. 
          SO WE'RE NOT TRYING TO SHUT ANYBODY DOWN. 
          I MEAN, WE WANNA GO HAVE A GOOD TIME. 
          MOST 99% OF THE BARS IN THIS TOWN ARE GREAT AND FUN, BUT WE GET REPEAT VIOLATORS OF OUR ORDINANCES. 
          AND I THINK IF YOU JUST USE THIS TASK FORCE APPROACH ON THESE REPEAT VIOLATORS, WE, WE CAN NAME 'EM. 
          EVERY DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER IS GONNA NAME THE PLACES AND JUST STAY AT IT, NOT JUST, LIKE YOU SAID, NOT JUST ONCE. 
          DO IT FOR MY, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T, WE DON'T WANNA HARASS PEOPLE, BUT WE, WE, WE DO, WE WANNA GIVE, IT'S LIKE WE RESPECT THE RIGHTS, THEIR RIGHTS SO MUCH MORE THAN THE NEIGHBORS. 
          AND WE NEED TO RESPECT THE NEIGHBOR'S RIGHTS, AND WE NEED TO SHOW THEM THAT WE ARE GONNA ENFOR. 
          WE DON'T NEED A WHOLE BUNCH OF NEW LAWS ON THE BOOKS. 
          WE NEED TO ENFORCE THE ONES WE HAVE. 
          AND SO THANK YOU FOR THIS EFFORT, AND I HOPE IT IS A, A LONGER TERM KIND OF, YOU KNOW, BAD BAR TASK FORCE THAT CAN KEEP GOING. 
          I WANT, I WANT TO HEAR FROM EVERYONE, BUT DO YOU WANNA SAVE IT FOR POP OFF OR IS IT TIMELY NOW? BUT WE DO HAVE OUR, OUR COMMITTEE THAT, UH, WE NEED TO HEAR FROM. 
          SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE US TO, I WAS TRYING TO USE SOME PRODUCTIVE TIME FOR OUR COMMITTEE TO GET BEFORE. 
          SO, UM, I KNOW EVERYONE'S EXCITED ABOUT THE RESULTS THAT WE HAD SATURDAY NIGHT. 
          WE'RE GONNA DO THAT ACROSS THE CITY, BUT WE'RE GONNA NEED RESOURCES. 
          UH, A LOT OF THESE OFFICERS WERE WORKING OVERTIME AND, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY BEING CERTAINLY MY HIGHEST PRIORITY LEADS US RIGHT IN FROM THE SATURDAY NIGHT RESULTS, WHICH WE WILL TAKE CITYWIDE AND HAVE RESULTS INTO. 
          UH, HEARING OUR REPORT FROM, UH, CHAIRWOMAN, UH, COHEN AND OUR OTHER MEMBERS OF THE INDEPENDENT REVIEW THAT HAVE COMPLETED THEIR, UH, REVIEW OF THE H-P-D-S-L CASES 268,920, WHICH STILL SHOCKS ME THAT THIS WAS ALLOWED TO BE THE PRACTICE FOR 10 YEARS. 
          I URGE YOU TO READ THE REPORT, WHICH I DID DURING THE NIGHT. 
          UH, CERTAINLY THE EXECUTIVE REPORT PAINTS A PRETTY ACCURATE SITUATION OF WHAT WE'VE DEALT WITH, I THINK LAST WEEK OR TWO WEEKS AGO. 
          CHIEF SATTERWHITE, UH, CERTAINLY GAVE A THOROUGH REVIEW. 
          THIS IS, UH, VERY MUCH IN, IN CONSISTENT WITH ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS THAT I THINK ARE SO VALUABLE DEALING WITH TECHNOLOGY AND THE, UH, IMPROVEMENT OF CIVILIAN EMPLOYEE NUMBERS. 
          SO IF I COULD, I, I WANT TO CALL UP CHAIRMAN COHEN AND CHRISTINE NOVAC, WHO, UH, WE KNOW IN THE INSPECTOR GENERAL'S OFFICE, BUT CAPTAIN 
          [03:55:02]
ALS, UH, WITH THE RANGERS, REVEREND PRESTON, UH, AND CERTAINLY ARTURO, EVERYONE PLAYED A VAL ROLE. 
          I DON'T THINK, IF I CAN SAY SO. 
          I COULD HAVE PICKED A BETTER GROUP OF PROFESSIONAL, INDEPENDENT, UH, PEOPLE OF THE HIGHEST INTEGRITY TO DO THIS. 
          I WOULD URGE US TO, UH, SHARE IT WITH OUR CONSTITUENTS AS WE GO FORWARD, FINDING THE RESOURCES TO MAKE THESE, UH, REFORMS. AND YOU'RE NOT GOING TO CHANGE THINGS OR CORRECT THINGS IF YOU DON'T IDENTIFY 'EM AND SHARE 'EM WITH THE PUBLIC. 
          IT'S SHOCKING TO ME THAT FOR 10 YEARS THIS EXISTED AND NO ONE AFTER, UH, CHUCK MCCLELLAN IN 14 BROUGHT THIS TO THE COUNCIL OR THE MAYOR ATTENTION. 
          UH, IT'S ALMOST DIFFICULT TO BELIEVE THAT THIS FINE ORGANIZATION OF RANK AND FILE OFFICERS KNEW HOW BROKEN IT WAS AND, UH, IT WAS JUST BROUGHT PUBLIC IN MARCH. 
          BUT, UH, CHAIR COHEN, THANK YOU SO MUCH CHRISTINE AND I WILL YELL AND I KNOW YOU'LL BE AVAILABLE AFTER THIS BRIEFING WITH THE MEMBERS, UH, IN THE BACK HALL OR IN THEIR OFFICES. 
          SO THANK YOU. 
          THE FLOOR IS YOURS. 
          WELL, THANK YOU MAYOR. 
          THANK YOU FOR APPOINTING ME TO SERVE ON THE INDEPENDENT REVIEW COMMITTEE AND WITH SUCH AN AUGUST PANEL. 
          THEY'RE HERE WITH ME TODAY AND I WELCOME THE OPPORTUNITY TO REINTRODUCE THEM TO YOU. 
          THEIR FULL BIOS ARE IN YOUR REPORT, WHICH WAS DISTRIBUTED TO YOU. 
          I KNOW YOU JUST DID, BUT I'M GONNA JUST GIVE IT A LITTLE BIT MORE BECAUSE THEY'RE SPECTACULAR. 
          REVEREND LEON PRESTON, WHO'S PASTOR, THANK YOU. 
          UH, WHO'S THE PASTOR OF VAIL STREET BAPTIST CHURCH, A LAW ENFORCEMENT CHAPLAIN FOR THE HARRIS COUNTY CONSTABLE'S OFFICE AND A METRO BOARD MEMBER CAPTAIN JEFF OWLS, A 21 YEAR LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER, CURRENTLY WITH THE TEXAS RANGERS, ARTURO MICHELLE, LET'S SEE, WHERE IS HE? WHERE IS ART? OH YEAH, THE ARTURO. 
          DID YOU NOT THINK I KNEW HE WAS THERE? ARTURO MICHELLE, CITY ATTORNEY SINCE DECEMBER, 2020 AND BEFORE THAT, SERVING IN THE SAME POSITION UNDER MAYOR BILL WHITE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          AND CHRISTINA NOVAK, DEPUTY INSPECTOR GENERAL FOR THE OFFICE OF POLICING REFORM AND ACCOUNTABILITY. 
          AND FORMER ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY IN BRONX COUNTY, NEW YORK. 
          SINCE BEING APPOINTED TO THE COMMITTEE IN MARCH OF THIS YEAR, WE HAVE MET EVERY THURSDAY WITH ONE OR TWO EXCEPTIONS. 
          AND AS CHARGED BY THE MAYOR, EXAMINED THE COMPREHENSIVE DATA FROM HPD ON SUSPENDED INCIDENT REPORTS, VERIFIED THE ACCURACY AND COMPLETENESS OF THE INFORMATION OBTAINED AND FORMULA FORMULATED ACTIONABLE RECOMMENDATIONS TO IMPROVE TRANSPARENCY AND EFFICIENCY. 
          IN OTHER WORDS, WE WERE CHARGED WITH REVIEWING THE REVIEWERS. 
          OUR RECOMMENDATIONS AIM TO ENHANCE THE TRANSPARENCY, EFFICIENCY, AND EFFECTIVENESS OF HPDS CASE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES. 
          WE REALIZE THAT THESE RECOMMENDATIONS REQUIRE SIGNIFICANT, SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENTS IN RESOURCES, TECHNOLOGY, PERSONNEL, AND INFRASTRUCTURE AS FAR BACK AS 2014. 
          THEN HPD CHIEF MCCLELLAN SAID IN HIS REPORT BEFORE COUNSEL, WHICH I HAD THE HONOR OF SERVING ON, SO I HEARD HIM GIVE THIS REPORT. 
          HE SAID THE FOLLOWING. 
          AND I QUOTE, THE WAY DATA IS ANALYZED AND THE METHODS USED TO DEPLOY, OFFICERS CANNOT REPLACE, CANNOT REPLACE THE INEVITABLE NEED OF ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE. 
          FAILURE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS WILL ULTIMATELY RESULT IN MISSED OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPACTING CRIME AND DISORDER. 
          HE GOES ON TO SAY, TO THE EXTENT FUNDING ALLOWS, IT IS WISER TO BUILD UP CAPACITY OVER TIME, AS OPPOSED TO WAITING UNTIL A CRISIS APPEARS AND WE FIND OURSELVES PLAYING CATCH UP. 
          BEING ABLE TO PREVENT OR AT LEAST MINIMIZE CRIME AND DISORDER PROBLEMS, SAVES A LOT OF GRIEF AND REGRET FOR EVERY POTENTIAL VICTIM. 
          THE COMMITTEE RECOGNIZES IT IS NOT SIMPLY ADDING ADDITIONAL STAFF THAT WILL SOLVE THE PROBLEM, BUT ALSO THE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN AND THE WORKING TOGETHER OF DIVISIONS WITHIN HPD. 
          I'M NOW ASKING CHRISTINA NOVAK TO HIGHLIGHT OUR FINDINGS AND OUR RECOMMENDATIONS. 
          THANK YOU, CHRISTINA. 
          [04:00:01]
THANK YOU. 
          GOOD MORNING EVERYBODY. 
          THANK YOU, MAYOR, FOR THE APPOINTMENT. 
          UM, IT WAS AN HONOR TO SERVE WITH THE OTHER COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND, UM, I REALLY DO FEEL THAT WE WERE ABLE TO REALLY TAKE AN IN-DEPTH LOOK AT THE DEPARTMENT IN AN EFFORT TO, UH, BE MORE TRANSPARENT, HOLD PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE, BUT ALSO FORMULATE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WILL OVERALL IMPROVE THE CITY OF HOUSTON. 
          THE COMMITTEE'S FINDINGS ARE INTENDED TO GUIDE THE CITY COUNCIL, THE MAYOR, AND THE PUBLIC. 
          IN DISCUSSIONS ABOUT IMPROVING HPDS OPERATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS. 
          THE FINDINGS PINPOINT SIGNIFICANT ISSUES WITHIN HPDS CASE MANAGEMENT AND OPERATIONAL FRAMEWORK, INCLUDING INCONSISTENCIES, UNDERSTAFFING, AND OUTDATED SYSTEMS. THESE CHALLENGES ARE EXACERBATED BY DIFFICULTIES IN RECRUITING CIVILIAN STAFF AND INADEQUATE COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN DIVISIONS AND EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP. 
          ADDRESSING THESE PROBLEMS IS VITAL FOR BOOSTING CRIME RESPONSE AND MANAGING EFFICIENCY. 
          THE COMMITTEE'S KEY FINDINGS ARE AS FOLLOWS, WE FOUND INCONSISTENT PROTOCOLS, INVESTIGATIVE DIVISIONS WERE OPERATING IN NEAR TOTAL AUTONOMY LEADING TO INCONSISTENT AND OUTDATED CASE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES. 
          THERE IS AN INEFFECTIVE RECORDS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM. 
          THE CURRENT RMSS ADEQUATE AND PERSONNEL LACKED THE PROPER TRAINING TO EFFECTIVELY USE IT. 
          A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF CRIMES WERE MISCLASSIFIED AS NON-CRIMINAL IMPACTING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF INVESTIGATIONS. 
          OUT OF THE, THE TOTAL DATA SET, THE 268,800, EXCUSE ME, 8,818 INCIDENTS WERE MISCHARACTERIZED AS NON-CRIMINAL WHEN IN FACT THEY MET THE ELEMENTS OF A CRIME. 
          ONCE AN IS, ONCE AN INCIDENT IS CODED AS SUSPENDED, THERE IS MINIMAL FOLLOW UP OR REAS REASSESSMENT AND VICTIMS ARE OFTEN NOT UPDATED ON THEIR CASE STATUS. 
          HPDS DATA IS SCATTERED ACROSS MULTIPLE SYSTEMS RESULTING IN INCOMPLETE, INACCURATE, AND NON-STANDARDIZED INFORMATION THAT IS DIFFICULT TO ANALYZE, COMPARE AND SHARE THE PROCESS FOR ESCALATING DATA TO HIGHER COMMAND LEVELS IS UNRELIABLE AND HAS LIMITED IMPACT ON EXECUTIVE DECISIONS. 
          THERE IS A BREAKDOWN IN COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN DIVISIONS AND EXECUTIVE STAFF, INCLUDING ASSISTANT CHIEFS, SUPERVISORS AT ALL LEVELS OR ALL RANKS LACKED ADEQUATE TRAINING FOR EFFECTIVE TEAM MANAGEMENT. 
          HPD IS UNDERSTAFFED AND FACES DIFFICULTIES IN MANAGING AND OPTIMIZING BOTH CLASSIFIED AND CIVILIAN PERSONNEL. 
          THE DEPARTMENT DOES NOT ADEQUATELY LEVERAGE TECHNOLOGY TO SUPPORT INVESTIGATIVE FUNCTIONS TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES, THE REPORT RECOMMENDS A MULTIFACETED STRATEGY, WHICH INCLUDES STANDARDIZING CASE MANAGEMENT, IMPLEMENTING COMPREHENSIVE SOPS TO ENSURE UNIFORMITY ACROSS THE DIVISIONS, AND CREATING A DEFINED CASE MANAGEMENT UNIT IN EVERY INVESTIGATIVE DIVISION. 
          THIS UNIT SHOULD REGULARLY REVIEW ANY SUSPENDED CASE AND CONDUCT AUDITS TO IMPROVE SOLVABILITY ENHANCING THE SYSTEM, THE CURRENT RMS SYSTEM FOR BETTER CASE MANAGEMENT AND DATA ANALYTICS. 
          NOW, MANY PEOPLE BOTH WITHIN HPD AND OUTSIDE HAVE SAT HERE AND TALKED TO YOU BEFORE ABOUT THE LIMITATIONS OF THE CURRENT RMS SYSTEM. 
          SO IT'S NOT NECESSARY, I THINK, TO, TO GO THROUGH ALL THE WAYS THAT THE CURRENT SYSTEM HAS HAMPERED PRODUCTIVITY IN THE DEPARTMENT. 
          THE COMMITTEE DOES THINK THAT THE DEPARTMENT IS IN A VERY STRATEGIC POSITION. 
          CURRENTLY THE NEW RMS SYSTEM IS SET TO GO LIVE IN SPRING OF 2025. 
          SO THEY'RE IN A POSITION TO ENSURE THAT IT, EXCUSE ME, CAN EFFECTIVELY ASSIST THE DEPARTMENT AS A CITY. 
          WE DON'T WANNA FIND OURSELVES IN A POSITION SEVERAL YEARS FROM NOW FRUSTRATED AND MAKING THE SAME COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE RMS SYSTEM THAT, THAT WE'RE FACING CURRENTLY, THE COMMITTEE IS CONFIDENT THAT THE TEAM HPD HAS CURRENTLY ASSIGNED TO WORK THROUGH THE NEW RMS SYSTEM WILL TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE RECOMMENDATIONS MADE BY THE COMMITTEE. 
          WE HOPE THAT THE DEPARTMENT ALSO ENSURES THAT ALL THE KEY STAKEHOLDERS HAVE A SEAT AT THE TABLE BECAUSE WE REALIZED VERY QUICKLY AFTER INTERVIEWING SO MANY PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE DEPARTMENT THAT RMS TOUCHES EVERY ASPECT OF EVERYONE'S RESPONSIBILITY. 
          NOT JUST 
          [04:05:01]
INVESTIGATIVE, BUT PATROL AS WELL. 
          SO IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE FEEDBACK AND RECOMMEND RECOMMENDATIONS THAT APPLY TO THEIR INTERNAL WORK AND THAT ARE SPECIFIC TO THEIR DIVISION. 
          WE RECOMMEND INCREASING CIVILIAN STAFF, EXPANDING AND RETAINING ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT AND CREATING CAREER PROGRESSION PATHS. 
          WE RECOMMEND HBD CONDUCT A THIRD PARTY PERFORMANCE BASED STAFFING ANALYSIS TO ADDRESS STAFFING CHALLENGES AND TO ENSURE EFFECTIVE RESOURCE UTILIZATION. 
          THE DEPARTMENT IS CURRENTLY FACING CHALLENGES IN OPTIMIZING ITS HUMAN RESOURCES. 
          DESPITE HAVING A SKILLED AND CAPABLE TEAM, THERE APPEARS TO BE A SIGNIFICANT GAP BETWEEN THE STAFF'S POTENTIAL AND THEIR ACTUAL OUTPUT. 
          THE CURRENT UTILIZATION OF EMPLOYEES DOES NOT ALIGN WITH THEIR EXPERTISE AND STRENGTHS LEADING TO UNDERPERFORMANCE AND MISSED OPPORTUNITIES FOR LEVERAGING THEIR FULL CAPABILITIES. 
          EVERYBODY RECOGNIZES THAT THERE IS A STAFFING SHORTAGE, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT FOR HPD TO IDENTIFY WAYS TO IMPROVE THE DEPARTMENT DEPARTMENT'S EFFICIENCY. 
          IN ADDITION TO SIMPLY BOOSTING RECRUITMENT, WE RECOMMEND PROVIDING INCREASED LEADERSHIP TRAINING, OFFERING CONSISTENT TRAINING TO IMPROVE MANAGERIAL CAPABILITIES. 
          WE AS A CITY DO NOT WANT TO BE IN A POSITION WE WERE WHERE WE ARE SETTING UP OUR DEPARTMENT LEADERS TO FAIL BY NOT GIVING THEM THE NECESSARY SKILLSET TO MANAGE THEIR TEAM EFFECTIVELY. 
          THE COMMITTEE FOUND THAT LEADERS AT EVERY RANK WANTED TO SUCCEED IN THEIR POSITIONS, BUT WERE NOT PROVIDED WITH ADEQUATE RESOURCES AND TRAINING TO DO SO. 
          ADDITIONALLY, WE RECOMMEND ENHANCING MULTI-AGENCY COLLABORATION AND STRENGTHENING COOPERATION AND COLLABORATION WITH OUTSIDE AGENCIES THAT TOUCHES PUBLIC SERVICE AND VICTIMS, PARTICULARLY IMPROVING CRIME ANALYSIS, ASSIGNING DEDICATED TRAINED PERSONNEL FOR A BETTER DATA ANALYSIS. 
          AND LASTLY, IN TERMS OF OUR RECOMMENDATIONS, YOU KNOW, WE'VE ALL HEARD THIS, THE INFORMATION THAT WAS PROVIDED BY CHIEF MCCLELLAN IN 2014 WE'RE ASKING THAT HPD RING THE BELL SOONER. 
          IF LACK OF RESOURCES AFFECT IS AFFECTING PUBLIC SAFETY SO THAT THEY GIVE ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS, CITY COUNCIL, THE MAYOR, AND ANYBODY ELSE WHO HAS A VOICE AND OPPORTUNITY, AGAIN, TO COME TO THE TABLE AND COME UP WITH SOLUTIONS. 
          BY ADOPTING THESE RECOMMENDATIONS, HPD CAN ACHIEVE BETTER OPERATIONAL COHESION, ENHANCE RESPONSE CAPABILITIES, AND ULTIMATELY IMPROVE PUBLIC SAFETY THROUGH MORE EFFECTIVE CASE MANAGEMENT AND RESOURCE UTILIZATION. 
          THE COMMITTEE WANTS TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT HPD HAS RECOGNIZED THE SEVERITY OF THESE ISSUES AND IS TAKING PROACTIVE STEPS TO PREVENT FURTHER RECURRENCE. 
          THE KEY IS TO MANAGE OPERATIONAL ISSUES CONSISTENTLY, CONSISTENTLY ACROSS ALL AREAS AND ENSURE THAT THE RECOMMENDATIONS OUTLINED IN THIS, IN, IN THIS ASSESSMENT ARE IMPLEMENTED EFFECTIVELY AND UNIFORMLY. 
          THE COMMITTEE'S REVIEW AIMS TO PROVIDE CLEAR, FEASIBLE, AND ACTIONABLE RECOMMENDATIONS TO DRIVE POSITIVE CHANGE WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT. 
          DO I THINK EACH OF YOU IN YOUR COMMITTEE JUST DEMONSTRATED WHY IT WAS SO IMPORTANT TO HAVE AN INDEPENDENT REVIEW? IT MEANS SO MUCH COMING FROM YOU AFTER YOUR REVIEW, THEN, UH, PERHAPS HPD OR ANOTHER THIRD PARTY. 
          UH, WE HAVE ALREADY STARTED IMPLEMENTING SOME OF YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS. 
          ERNST AND YOUNG STARTED MONDAY DOING AN ASSESSMENT OF THE CITY, UH, EFFICIENCIES WITH THE EMPHASIS ON HBD. 
          SO WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT SO MANY OF THE ITEMS THAT YOU'VE ENUMERATED SUCH AS TECHNOLOGY, COMMUNICATIONS, AND OTHER FACETS OF, UH, HAVING A WELL RUN DEPARTMENT. 
          UH, ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT WAS YOU EMPHASIZED THE COLLABORATION IN THE DEPARTMENT. 
          IT JUST, SO MANY OF THE DIVISIONS SEEM TO BE KIND OF ISLANDS TO THEMSELF. 
          AND, UH, MAYBE THAT PLAYED A ROLE IN WHY THE, UH, DISCOVERY OR THE REVEALING OF THE SNL UH, CASES WAS THIS PAST MARCH, UH, THERE HAD BEEN A BETTER MANAGEMENT OF COLLABORATION AND, AND, UH, SHARING OF INFORMATION AND BEST PRACTICES OR WORSE PRACTICES. 
          [04:10:01]
MAYBE WE WOULDN'T BE HAVING THIS DISCUSSION TODAY, BUT, UH, ANOTHER EMPHASIS THAT YOU PLACED ON, UH, INFORMATION TO THE STAKEHOLDERS. 
          YOU KNOW, BRINGING MY AUSTIN EXPERIENCE TO THIS TABLE, BEING A MEMBER OF FINANCE, I ROUTINELY TOLD THE DIRECTORS OF ALL THE STATE AGENCIES, IF YOU DO NOT COME BEFORE US AND TELL US WHAT YOU REALLY NEED, NOT WHAT MAYBE THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE OR SOMEONE ALLOWED YOU TO TELL US, BUT THE DIRECTORS HAVE TO COME. 
          THE CHIEFS HAVE TO COME BEFORE THIS BODY AND ENUMERATE THE BACKLOG. 
          WHAT THE SHORTAGE OF STAFFING IS, THEN IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY. 
          BUT THE FIRST RESPONSIBILITY IS FOR THE CHIEF AND THE OPERATIONS PEOPLE TO REVEAL THE SHORTAGES AND WHAT IT'S DOING TO PUBLIC SAFETY FOR THE NUMBER OF CASES TO REACH THE LEVEL THAT IT DID. 
          AND I WON'T SPEND A LOT OF TIME, AND I NOTICE YOU DIDN'T. 
          AND I APPLAUD THAT GOING BACK WHO KNEW WHAT AND WHEN YOU EMPHASIZE HOW WE GO FORWARD. 
          BUT IT IS VERY OBVIOUS TO ME IN ALL THE DISCUSSIONS I'VE HAD SOME VERY, VERY IMPORTANT PEOPLE KNEW ABOUT THE SL MODEL AND THEY JUST, FOR WHATEVER REASON, AND SOMETIME IT'S DIFFICULT FOR AGENCIES OR EVEN ELECTED OFFICIALS TO REVEAL THE CIRCUMSTANCES IN THEIR DEPARTMENT THAT CAN NO LONGER BE ALLOWED. 
          WE'VE GOT TO HAVE TRANSPARENCY. 
          WE'VE GOTTA HAVE CHIEFS AND DEPARTMENT HEADS COME BEFORE US AND SAY, WE'VE GOT THIS BACKLOG AS CHUCK DID, CHIEF MCCLELLAN IN 2014, SAD THAT NO ONE RESPONDED, AND THAT WILL NOT BE ALLOWED UNDER MY ADMINISTRATION OR MY COLLEAGUES. 
          WE NEED GOOD, RELEVANT, ACCURATE INFORMATION. 
          THEN IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO PARTNER WITH THE PUBLIC TO REMEDY THESE, THESE SHORTFALLS, PARTICULARLY EMPHASIS ON THE CIVIL EMPLOYEES. 
          AND I HAD A CHIEF TOLD ME, I SAID, WHY DO YOU CONTINUE TO PUT UNIFORM UNIFORM CERTIFIED OFFICERS BEHIND DESK? HE SAID, BECAUSE WHEN COUNCIL CUTS THE BUDGET, THEY ALWAYS GO TO CIVIL EMPLOYEES BECAUSE POLITICALLY IN THE EYES OF THE PUBLIC, YOU CAN'T CUT BACK. 
          UNIFORMED OFFICERS, PATROL MEN AND WOMEN, BUT YOU DO FIRST CUT THE CIVILIANS. 
          UNBELIEVABLE THAT THIS JUST KIND OF CONTINUES TO KICK IN THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD. 
          SO ANYWAY, I'M EXCITED, PLEASED WITH THE NEW CHIEF, THE MOTIVATION OF THE OFFICERS THAT WE WORKED WITH ON THE STREET SATURDAY NIGHT. 
          THEY'RE FIRED UP, BUT WE'VE GOTTA GET 'EM THE RESOURCES AND IT STARTS WITH A VERY TRANSPARENT REVEALING REPORT. 
          AND I, UH, THINK IT'S PROBABLY ONE OF THE MORE IMPORTANT THINGS THAT I'VE DONE SINCE I WAS SWORN IN. 
          TURN BACK THE FOLDER AND SHOW FOLKS WHAT YOU'VE DISCOVERED AND YOU SHARED, THANK YOU. 
          YOU DID A VERY PROFESSIONAL, AND IT SHOWS THE EXPERIENCING COMMITMENT OF THIS GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS. 
          THANK YOU WITH THAT, UH, THANK YOU. 
          I CAN'T, CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH. 
          AND WE WILL NOT, YOU KNOW, I HATE TO GET INTO RECOVERY OF, OF, UH, THE STORM, BUT THERE WAS A REPORT ON RECOVERY FROM HURRICANES IN 2009 THAT I BET VERY FEW FOLKS HAVE SEEN COLLECTING DUST BALL. 
          HOBBY DID IT. 
          AND WE WOULDN'T BE INTO SITUATION WITH OUR RECOVERY IN PREPARATION FOR THE NEXT STORM IF WE'D HAVE SHARED THAT INFORMATION. 
          THIS ONE WILL NOT COLLECT DUST. 
          IT WILL SIT ON MY DESK AND THESE COUNCIL MEMBERS' DESK, WE ALREADY HAVE COUNCIL MEMBERS AFTER SATELLITE VERY FIRED UP ABOUT FINDING THOSE RESOURCES. 
          WE'RE GOING TO, TIMING IS EVERYTHING, BUT WE DON'T HAVE TIME TO WASTE WHEN IT COMES TO PUBLIC SAFETY. 
          WE WILL ADDRESS THE RESOURCE ISSUE, HEAVY RECRUITING, COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ'S, ADDITIONAL CLASS THAT WE ALL SUPPORTED. 
          UH, PEOPLE ARE FIRED UP AND THEY'RE DEPENDING ON US. 
          AND, UH, THANK GOD, LITERALLY, THANK GOD THAT THIS CAME TO OUR ATTENTION IN MARCH OF THIS YEAR, ARE ABLE TO STILL BE GOING ON ASSAULTS, FAMILY VIOLENCE, CRIME OF ONE, OH, UH, PERSON, PERSON CRIME, A MURDER CASE, RAPE, INCEST. 
          IT WON'T HAPPEN. 
          SO LET ME SHARE WITH MY COUNCIL MEMBERS THEIR COMMENTS. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD, THANK YOU MAYOR. 
          AND, UH, THANK YOU BOTH INTO THE ENTIRE, UM, BOARD FOR, UH, YOU ALL'S DILIGENCE AND EFFORTS ON THIS REPORT. 
          WHEN I FIRST HEARD THAT NUMBER, UH, I THINK IT WAS 264,000 CASES, THAT THAT'S A SHOCKING NUMBER. 
          UM, AND YOU HAD MENTIONED IN YOUR REPORT, UM, 
          [04:15:01]
THAT, THAT SOME OF THE, UH, SL CODES WERE EVEN MISCODED. 
          WERE WE ABLE TO DECIPHER WHICH OFFICERS OR WHERE THESE, UM, CODES WERE MOST COMING FROM? LIKE WHAT OFFICERS WERE PUTTING IN THEM IN THE MOST? OR WAS THIS THIS WIDESPREAD TO WHERE, UM, IT VARIED FROM DIFFERENT DIVISIONS, DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS, OR, OR CAN WE IDENTIFY CERTAIN OFFICERS OR CERTAIN DIVISIONS THAT PUT IN THESE CODES THE MOST? WELL, I MEAN, IT CAME FROM ALMOST ALL THE DIVISIONS. 
          GO AHEAD. 
          RIGHT. 
          UM, WELL, WHAT WE NOTICE IN OUR REVIEW IS MOST OF THESE CRIMES, THEY START AT THE PATROL LEVEL BECAUSE, UM, SOMEONE CALLS 9 1 1 AND PATROL RESPONDS. 
          AND SO, UM, IT IS OFTENTIMES INITIATED AT THAT LEVEL WHERE IT'S MISCHARACTERIZED OR MISCLASSIFIED. 
          SO ONE OF OUR RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, WAS ONCE THE NEW RMS SYSTEM IS IMPLEMENTED IS TO ENSURE THAT NOT JUST INVESTIGATIVE DIVISIONS HAVE REFRESHER TRAINING ON RMS, BUT PATROL LEVEL, UM, BECAUSE THEY RECEIVE IT IN THE ACADEMY. 
          BUT, UM, I THINK OUR REVIEW, UH, REVEALED THAT REFRESHER TRAINING WOULD BE, UM, A BETTER OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE SURE THAT THEIR SKILLSET STAYS UP TO PAR. 
          YEAH, BUT THE, THE ALARMING PART IS 264,000 CASES FOR JUST ONE PATROL, UH, FOR A DIVISION? NO, NO, IT'S ACROSS THE DEPARTMENT. 
          WHAT I'M, THAT'S WHAT I'M ASKING. 
          OKAY. 
          OKAY. 
          SO A, ACROSS THE DEPARTMENT, WERE WE ABLE TO IDENTIFY IF THERE WERE CERTAIN OFFICERS THAT USED THIS CODE MUCH MORE FREQUENTLY THAN OTHERS? UM, YES. 
          WE WERE ABLE TO IDENTIFY CERTAIN DIVISIONS YEAH, THAT USED IT MORE FREQUENTLY. 
          AND I BELIEVE THAT THERE IS A CHART THAT BREAKS DOWN THE DATA THAT HPD PROVIDED US, UM, BY DIVISION. 
          SO YOU CAN SEE THE NUMBER OF INCIDENT REPORTS CODED SL ACROSS THE DEPARTMENT. 
          UM, I SUSPECT YOU PROBABLY COULD IDENTIFY THE OFFICER FROM REVIEW, YOU KNOW, REVIEWING THE ACTUAL REPORT. 
          BUT THAT WASN'T A FOCUS OF OUR REVIEW. 
          AND I MEAN, WE WERE, WE WERE LOOKING, SORRY, WE WERE LOOKING AT CAR BREAK-INS AND RAPES. 
          WE WERE LOOKING AT FAMILY VIOLENCE AND, YOU KNOW, OTHER THINGS. 
          SO WE WERE LOOKING AT ALL DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS, UM, AND IT GAVE US A, YOU KNOW, PRETTY GOOD VIEW OF HAPPENING IN EVERY DEPARTMENT. 
          YEAH, AND MY BIG THING MAYOR, IS, UH, IF, IF THERE ARE OFFICERS THAT OVER THE PAST DECADE JUST USE THIS OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND ABUSED IT AND THEY'RE STILL A PART OF THE DEPARTMENT, YOU KNOW, THERE HAS TO BE A EXTREME CULTURAL SHIFT THERE BECAUSE TO GET TO THAT AMOUNT OF CASES MEANS THERE WAS A LOT OF WORK NOT BEING DONE , THAT IS ALMOST INCOMPREHENSIBLE TO GET TO THAT NUMBER, TO WHERE IT MAY BE A, A CULTURE OF, HEY, LET'S JUST CODE THIS AND MOVE ON, CODE THIS AND MOVE ON. 
          SURE. 
          AND I, I THINK THE WORK THAT THEY'VE DONE HAS BEEN EXTRAORDINARY, BUT IDENTIFYING AND ENSURING THAT THOSE OFFICERS FIND A WAY TO SELF-CORRECT BECAUSE, UH, THEY'RE STILL A PART OF THE DEPARTMENT AND WE NEED THE CULTURE AND THEIR PERSPECTIVES TO SHIFT IN ORDER FOR US TO REACH OUR FULL POTENTIAL AS A DEPARTMENT. 
          SO I KNOW THAT'S PROBABLY SOMETHING YOU ALL ARE WORKING ON BEHIND THE SCENES AND THESE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT YOU ALL PUT FORWARD ARE VERY HELPFUL AND I'M GLAD TO HEAR, MAYOR, THAT YOU ALL ARE ALREADY, UM, WORKING ON IMPLEMENTING SOME OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS SO THAT IT JUST WON'T BE ANOTHER REPORT. 
          UH, BUT THERE'LL BE ACTION. 
          THANK YOU, VICE MAYOR PRO, UH, VICE MAYOR, PRO PECK. 
          THANK YOU MAYOR. 
          AND THANK YOU SO MUCH, UM, TO THE BOARD FOR ALL THE TIME AND CARE YOU TOOK TO PUT THIS TOGETHER. 
          UM, AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE RECOMMENDATIONS DON'T, JUST LIKE YOU SAID, MAYOR, JUST SIT ON, YOU KNOW, AROUND AND NOT MOVE FORWARD. 
          SO I GUESS MY QUESTION IS MAYBE MORE FOR THE MAYOR AS FAR AS THE TIMELINE IS CONCERNED FOR IMPLEMENTATION. 
          I KNOW YOU SAID YOU'RE ALREADY WORKING ON THIS, UM, BUT WILL WE GET UPDATES AS FAR AS WHEN THESE ITEMS ACTUALLY GET PUT INTO PLACE? ABSOLUTELY, AND I SUGGEST WE HAVE A REGULAR REPORT FROM THE POLICE CHIEF AND FIRE CHIEF, BY THE WAY. 
          UH, SO NO ONE CAN SAY WE DIDN'T KNOW, WE KNOW NOW AND WE OUGHT TO GET UPDATES CERTAINLY MONTHLY, UH, BY THE POLICE CHIEF. 
          CERTAINLY, UH, THEY'RE STILL ADDRESSING THESE CASES. 
          WHEN SATURDAY, WHEN CHIEF WAS HERE TWO WEEKS AGO, THERE WERE 70,000 PROPERTY CRIMES STILL HAD NOT BEEN, UH, OPENED. 
          UH, THAT'S BEEN REDUCED BY 17,000 IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS. 
          SO THERE'S STILL A VERY ACTIVE, UH, PROCESS OF REVIEWING THESE CASES. 
          ALL THE VIOLENT OFFENSES HAVE BEEN OPENED AND REVIEWED. 
          THERE'S BEEN SOME INDICTMENTS, UH, 
          [04:20:01]
RAPE, INCEST, FAMILY VIOLENCE WERE THE HIGHEST PRIORITIES, BUT NOW WE'RE MOVING FORWARD. 
          BUT IN TERMS OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS, THEY'RE ALREADY BEING IMPLEMENTED. 
          UH, WE HAVE A VERY EXPERIENCED POLICE CHIEF TO ADDRESS, UH, COUNCILMAN POLLARD'S CONCERNS ABOUT THE CULTURE OF THE DEPARTMENT, AND IT MUST HAVE BEEN AWFUL WIDESPREAD. 
          I WOULD SUGGEST IT STARTS AT THE TOP. 
          AND LIKE I SAID, I'M NOT GONNA ADDRESS NEW WHO, WHO KNEW WHAT AND WHEN, BUT I THINK IT WAS PROBABLY A LOT MORE DISCUSSED IN RECENT YEARS THAN IT'S BEEN REVEALED. 
          IT'S JUST TOO WIDESPREAD. 
          THERE ARE TOO MANY DEDICATED LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS THAT WOULD FIND THIS UNACCEPTABLE AND ALARMING. 
          SO, AS I SAID, PRAISE THE LORD THAT WE FOUND OUT IN MARCH OR IT WOULD STILL BE GOING, GOING ON. 
          IT'S ABSOLUTELY BEEN STOPPED. 
          IT ABSOLUTELY WILL NOT EVER CONTINUE UNDER OUR ADMINISTRATION, BUT, UH, ONE WAS TOO MANY. 
          UH, WE QUITE FRANKLY, OWE HOUSTONIANS AN APOLOGY, AND I'LL GO A STEP FURTHER AND SAY WE CAN'T GOVERN BY SPIN. 
          WHILE THIS WAS GOING ON, THERE WAS A SPIN OF ONE SAFE HOUSTON. 
          THE PUBLIC KNEW BETTER, I KNEW BETTER. 
          AND HERE'S REVEALING WHY PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR PUBLIC SAFETY. 
          WE'RE GONNA ADDRESS IT. 
          WE'RE GONNA BE AGGRESSIVE AND MORE IMPORTANT, WE'RE GONNA BE TRANSPARENT ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING. 
          SO THERE ALREADY BEEN IMPLEMENTED, THE ASSESSMENT OF PERSONNEL TECHNOLOGY AND BEST PRACTICES STARTED LAST MONDAY WITH ERNST AND YOUNG, WHICH WE APPROVED. 
          AND, UH, I WOULD SUGGEST REGULAR REPORTS ON PERSONNEL BEST PRACTICES FROM THE POLICE CHIEF. 
          AND WE ARE, I'M VERY EXCITED TO SEE THE INVOLVEMENT OF THE CHIEF IN, UH, RANK AND FILE OPERATIONS. 
          SO ANYWAY, I MAY, I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T MEAN TO TAKE IT, MAYOR. 
          ONE MOMENT. 
          IF YOU HAVE THE REPORTS IN FRONT OF YOU, YOU LOOK ON PAGE 46, IT DOESN'T HAVE, DOESN'T HAVE A PAGE NUMBER ON THE BOTTOM, BUT YOU'LL FIND IT. 
          IT SAYS DIVISIONAL INCIDENT REPORTS AND SOPS, HPD PROVIDED THE FOLLOWING DIVISIONAL BREAKDOWN OF INCIDENTS REPORTS. 
          SO YOU CAN TELL, GET A PRETTY GOOD IDEA OF WHERE THE, THE GREATEST NUMBER OF INCIDENTS WERE IN, YOU KNOW, MAJOR ASSAULTS. 
          ANYWAY, I DON'T HAVE TO READ IT TO YOU, BUT YOU CAN SEE IT ON PAGE 46. 
          ANYTHING ELSE? UM, YES, SO, AND THANK YOU FOR THAT. 
          I THINK THAT WILL BE GOOD. 
          SO WHERE OPERATIONS ARE BEING CHANGED AND IMPROVED AS WE TALK. 
          THANK YOU. 
          AND THEN WILL THIS REPORT BE RELEASED TO THE PUBLIC? I THINK THE LAST REPORT WAS ON THE WEBSITE. 
          I DON'T KNOW THAT THIS ONE IS ON THE, I UNDERSTAND THIS MORNING, UH, AS WE'RE TALKING, IT'S BEING GIVEN TO THE PUBLIC. 
          OKAY, GREAT. 
          THANK YOU, MR. RAMIREZ. 
          COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ. 
          THANK YOU MAYOR. 
          AND THANK YOU, UH, CHRISTINA AND ELLEN AND ALL OF THE COMMITTEE FOR YOUR WORK ON THIS. 
          UM, THIS WILL SERVE AS A BLUEPRINT FOR IDEAS ON HOW TO MAKE SURE THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN GOING FORWARD, SO YOU CAN ALL FEEL VERY GRATIFIED FOR, FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE. 
          I APPRECIATE IT. 
          SO I'M CURIOUS TO KNOW, I WAS LOOKING AT THE METH METHODOLOGY SECTION. 
          I KNOW Y'ALL LOOKED AT A LOT OF REPORTS, SAMPLED REPORTS, AND LOOKED AT POLICIES AND SO FORTH. 
          WERE YOU ALL ABLE TO SPEAK TO, TO THE HUMAN RESOURCES TO COMMAND STAFF AND OTHERS IN THE DEPARTMENT ABOUT, UH, HOW THE DEPARTMENT OPERATES? YES, I AM. 
          WE SPOKE TO MEMBERS FROM EVERY INVESTIGATIVE DIVISION AND THEN FROM SEVERAL, UH, DIVISIONS OUTSIDE OF INVESTIGATIONS LIKE EMPLOYEE SERVICES, WHICH IS HPDS, INTERNAL HR, UM, THE TRAINING DIVISION, UM, VICTIM SERVICES. 
          MM-HMM . 
          THAT'S GREAT. 
          I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT. 
          NOW, YOU MENTIONED THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH MISCLASSIFICATION OF INCIDENCES, NON-CRIMINAL, AND I GUESS ALSO CRIMINAL. 
          UM, AND YOU MENTIONED A FIGURE ON THE MISCLASSIFICATION AS NON-CRIMINAL. 
          DO YOU, CAN YOU RE I DIDN'T CATCH WHETHER IT WAS 8,000 OR 88,818. 
          OKAY, SO 8,800 INCIDENTS THAT WERE CLASSIFIED AS NON-CRIMINAL, THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN CLASSIFIED AS CRIMINAL AND THEN FOLLOWED UP ON CORRECT. 
          OKAY. 
          DID YOU, DID YOU LOOK AT MISCLASSIFICATION AS NON-CRIMINAL, I'M SORRY, MISCLASSIFICATION AS CRIMINAL, THE REVERSE. 
          IN OTHER WORDS, UM, IN OUR SAMPLED POPULATION, WE DID SEE, UH, REPORTS THAT DID NOT APPEAR TO BE CRIMINAL IN NATURE FROM THE FACTS IN THE SUBSTANTIVE NARRATIVE, BUT WERE, UH, CATEGORIZED AS CRIMINAL. 
          I I SEE. 
          AND I TAKE IT BY YOUR ANSWER, YOU PROBABLY DON'T HAVE 
          [04:25:01]
A FIGURE ON THAT. 
          NO, WE DO NOT. 
          OKAY. 
          SO, UM, THAT'S, THAT'S DISTURBING FRANKLY. 
          A LOT OF THIS IS DISTURBING. 
          BUT YOU ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE RECORDS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM WAS OUTDATED AND I THINK WE'RE MOVING TO ANOTHER RECORDS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM. 
          IT'S, IT'LL TAKE A LITTLE, LITTLE WHILE, BUT YET ON THAT OUTDATED SYSTEM, THERE WAS STILL A LACK OF TRAINING REGARDING IT. 
          YES. 
          OUR UNDERSTANDING FROM SPEAKING WITH MEMBERS OF OFFICE OF PLANNING AND DATA GOVERNANCE, UM, WHICH IS THE EXPERTS AND HAVE THE, THE KNOWLEDGE, THE SPECIFIC RMS KNOWLEDGE FOR THE DEPARTMENT, IS THAT WHAT THE INTERNAL REVIEW FROM HPD WHEN THEY WERE LOOKING AT THE, THE LARGE SUBSET IS THAT OFFICERS SIMPLY WERE UNFAMILIAR WITH THE WORKINGS OF THE SYSTEM AND THAT'S WHAT CAUSED A LOT OF THE MISCLASSIFICATION, THE INAPPROPRIATE ROUTING TO THE WRONG DIVISION, ALL OF THOSE SORTS OF THINGS. 
          YEAH, AND THAT'S DISAPPOINTING. 
          YOU FIGURE WITH AN OUTDATED SYSTEM THAT WE'VE HAD FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, PEOPLE WOULD, WOULD KNOW HOW TO USE IT. 
          BUT, UM, APPARENTLY NOT TOO MANY PEOPLE, UH, WE'RE HAVING ISSUES WITH THAT. 
          WHAT, WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE CAUSE OF THAT? WHY ARE, WERE PEOPLE MISCLASSIFYING INCIDENTS AND, UH, WHY ARE THEY NOT TRAINED ON, ON THE RECORDS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM? WE HAVE, I DO THINK THAT THE CURRENT SYSTEM IS NOT USER FRIENDLY. 
          IT ALSO IS JUST VERY DIFFICULT TO NAVIGATE. 
          AND SO FOR PATROL OFFICERS WHO ARE TRYING TO COMPLETE A REPORT AT THE SCENE, IF YOU HAVE TO, IF IT TAKES 50 STEPS TO DO A REPORT, UM, I UNDERSTAND WHY, YOU KNOW, THINGS SOMETIMES AREN'T AS ACCURATE AS THEY SHOULD BE. 
          UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, THE MOST OF THE SELECTIONS ARE DROPDOWN MENUS, WHICH ARE NOT INTUITIVE. 
          WHAT WE SAW WAS THAT I BELIEVE THERE WAS OVER 500 AND I, I CAN GET THAT EXACT NUMBER FROM YOU LATER. 
          DIFFERENT TYPES OF OFFENSES THAT DIDN'T ACCURATELY MIRROR WHAT WAS IN THE PENAL CODE. 
          SO THEN, YOU KNOW, AN OFFICER WOULD SEE A DROP DOWN. 
          UM, I THINK AN EXAMPLE THAT I GAVE IN THE LAST INTERIM REPORT IS FOR SEXUAL, FOR RAPE, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS SEXUAL ASSAULT. 
          SP SPELLED OUT, THERE WAS SEX ASSAULT, UM, SPELLED OUT. 
          THERE WAS AG SEX ASSAULT, THERE WAS AGGRAVATED SEXUAL ASSAULT. 
          THOSE ARE ALL ESSENTIALLY THE SAME CRIME, BUT IT GAVE THE OFFICER THE ABILITY TO PICK SOMETHING DIFFERENT AND THEN WHEN IT'S PROCESSED, IT HAD THE POTENTIAL OF BEING ROUTED DIFFERENTLY DEPENDING ON THE CHOICE. 
          SO ONE OF OUR RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE REPORT IS TO SIMPLIFY THE CODING, NOT ONLY SO IT'S INTUITIVE TO A LAY PERSON. 
          SO IT'S EASY TO USE, BUT ALSO JUST SO IT MAKES MORE SENSE. 
          I THINK WHEN YOU SIMPLIFY THINGS, UM, IT WILL HELP YOU ROUTE IT TO THE RIGHT DIVISION. 
          AND IF THERE ARE MISTAKES MADE, BECAUSE YOU KNOW, WE ARE ALL JUST HUMANS WORKING IN THAT SYSTEM, THE MISTAKES WILL BE ABLE TO BE, WE WILL FIND THE MISTAKES MUCH SOONER AND THEN CORRECT THEM. 
          MM-HMM . 
          SO I THINK THAT'S WHAT CONTRIBUTED TO, TO THE, THOSE PROBLEMS. SO THE REPETITIVE TITLES FOR THE SAME CRIME, DOES THAT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH TRYING TO MATCH, MATCH IT UP WITH THE TCIC AND CIC CODES? UM, I'M NOT COMPLETELY SURE OF THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION. 
          I DO THINK THAT A LOT OF THE PROMPTS, WHEN OFFICERS ARE FILLING OUT THE INITIAL, UM, REPORT, THEY ARE BASED ON NEIGHBOR'S CLASSIFICATION. 
          SO THEY'LL ASK A QUESTION BASED ON THE TITLE THEY PICK. 
          MM-HMM . 
          UM, BUT TO YOUR SPECIFIC ANSWER, I'M NOT SURE. 
          SO IT WOULD SEEM THAT IT, IT MIGHT HELP, AND MAYBE THIS IS PART OF RMS ALREADY MIGHT HELP IF WHEN OFFICERS GO TO CODE, UH, AN INCIDENT, IF THEY HAD EASIER ACCESS TO THE ELEMENTS OF A PARTICULAR OFFENSE. 
          SO THEY COULD CHECK RIGHT THEN AND THERE, DOES THIS MEET THE ELEMENTS OF A PARTICULAR CRIME OR NOT? UH, DO YOU KNOW IF THAT'S PART OF THE CURRENT RMS SYSTEM OR, OR NOT? I DO NOT KNOW IF IT'S PART OF THE CURRENT RMS SYSTEM. 
          AND DO YOU KNOW IF THE SYSTEM THAT WE'RE GOING TO WILL MAKE IT EASIER FOR OFFICERS, UH, TO ACCESS WHAT THE ELEMENTS OF A CRIME ARE? I DON'T KNOW IF THE SYSTEM SPECIFICALLY ADDRESSES THAT, BUT I DO THINK, UM, INCREASED TRAINING SO THAT IT'S INTUITIVE FOR OFFICERS WILL HELP WITH THAT ASPECT. 
          MM-HMM . 
          ALRIGHT. 
          AND YOU MENTIONED ALSO THAT IN ADDITION TO OBVIOUSLY RECRUITING MORE OFFICERS, WE NEED TO BOOST EFFICIENCY. 
          UH, AND YOU SPOKE TO STAFFING ASSIGNMENTS. 
          ANY, SOME HAVE SAID WE PROBABLY HAVE TOO MANY SPECIALIZED UNITS. 
          I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ALL HAVE ANY, EITHER. 
          EITHER YOU, CHRISTINA OR ELLEN, IF YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON THAT. 
          [04:30:02]
CAN I GET SOME CLARIFICATION ON WHAT YOU MEAN? LIKE, TOO MANY SPECIALIZED UNITS WE HAVE, WE MIGHT HAVE A DRT AND WE MIGHT HAVE THIS UNIT AND THAT UNIT, YOU KNOW, THAT ARE, THAT ARE NOT PATROL OFFICERS. 
          AND SO THOSE OFFICERS IN THE DRTS AND THE OTHER SPECIALIZED UNITS, THEY'RE NOT PATROLLING, THEY'RE IN THEORY RESPONDING AS NEEDED TO, YOU KNOW, VARIOUS SITUATIONS AND, AND CIRCUMSTANCES. 
          I DON'T THINK THE STAFFING EFFICIENCY, UM, HAD TO DO SPECIFICALLY WITH THE TYPES OF DIVISIONS. 
          UM, JUST IN THE EXAMPLES YOU GAVE, I THINK THERE'S VALUE IN BOTH THE DRT OR THE DART OR THE CERT UNITS. 
          I THINK IT'S WITH, UM, THE RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THE CLASSIFIED MEMBERS, UM, AND THE, THE FEW ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF THAT THEY HAVE IN THOSE SPECIFIC DIVISIONS. 
          YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT CAN BE AUTOMATED THAT THEY ARE NOT AUTOMATED, THEY'RE NOT, UM, IT KIND OF GOES HAND IN HAND WITH THE, THE INABILITY TO EFFECTIVELY LEVERAGE TECHNOLOGY. 
          YOU HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE, YOU KNOW, DOING MANUAL DATA ENTRY. 
          UM, WE HAVE ONE PERSON I BELIEVE IN AUTO CRIMES THAT IS TASKED WITH REVIEWING ALL OF THE VIDEO THAT COMES INTO THE DIVISION. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, SO THAT IS VERY TIME CONSUMING. 
          AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, THERE'S WAYS I THINK THAT, UM, WE HAVE TO FIRST IDENTIFY WHERE THE LACK OF EFFICIENCY IS AND THEN TRY TO FIND RESOURCES TO, TO HELP THAT. 
          AND I THINK THE FACT THAT WE HAVE OFFICERS THAT HAVE BEEN SERVING FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS AND ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE PROCESS, BUT DON'T NECESSARILY KNOW ALL THE INS AND OUTS, AND THEN WE HAVE NEW CADETS COMING IN, AND AS THE MAYOR INDICATED, I MEAN, WE'RE TRYING TO GET MORE CADETS AND THEY HAVE TO BE ABLE TO BE TRAINED IN THIS, IN A SYSTEM. 
          IF THEY'RE NOT, IT'S USELESS. 
          RIGHT. 
          THANK YOU FOR THAT. 
          UH, ELLEN, AND, UH, MY LAST QUESTION HAS TO DO WITH, UH, RECOMMENDATION FOR IMPROVED MANAGERIAL CAPABILITIES. 
          DO YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON HOW WE MIGHT ACCOMPLISH THAT? I THINK IT WOULD BE PRUDENT FOR THE DEPARTMENT TO ACTUALLY OUTLINE WHETHER IT'S IN AN SOP OR SOME KIND OF POLICY. 
          SO AT LEAST THERE'S A BASELINE FOR WHEN SOMEONE IS PROMOTED TO A RANK SO THEY HAVE CLEAR EXPECTATIONS OF THEIR ROLES. 
          UM, WHAT WE FOUND AFTER INTERVIEWING MULTIPLE PEOPLE IN THE DIVISIONS IS, UM, NOT ONLY DO THEY PLAY VERY LITTLE IN THE DECISION MAKING ABOUT WHERE THEY END UP. 
          SO YOU COULD HAVE A COMMANDER WHO'S BEEN IN PATROL FOR 20 YEARS AND THEN HE RECEIVES NOTICE THAT ON MONDAY HE'S GONNA BE IN AN INVESTIGATIVE DIVISION AND HE HAS NO INVESTIGATIVE EXPERIENCE. 
          UM, AND THEN, AND BECAUSE THAT COULD, AND AS YOU TOLD THAT STORY, WHO PREFERS TO BE IN PATROL? RIGHT. 
          AND HE HAS A STRONG PREFERENCE FOR PATROL. 
          YES. 
          UM, BUT HE'S ALSO, THE TRANSITION PERIOD, IF THERE'S ANY, THE CROSSOVER BETWEEN THE FORMER COMMANDER AND HIM IS VERY LITTLE. 
          YOU KNOW, THERE IS FEW GUIDELINES ABOUT THE EXPECTATIONS IN TERMS OF FAMILIARIZING YOURSELF WITH THE SOPS OF THE DIVISION. 
          BUT OTHER THAN THAT, UM, THEY RECEIVE VERY LITTLE SOFT SKILL TRAINING, WHICH I THINK IS IMPORTANT. 
          YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE MANAGING A TEAM, UM, UH, ALL OF, YOU KNOW, THEY GET A LOT OF TACTICAL TRAINING, HOW TO BE A SUPERVISOR AT THE SCENE AND WHATNOT. 
          BUT WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, MANAGING CASE MANAGEMENT, HOW TO MANAGE CASE LOADS, HOW TO EFFECTIVELY ASSIGN CASES, THERE'S VERY LITTLE TRAINING. 
          AND IT APPEARS THAT THE DEPARTMENT HAS PUT THE ONUS ON THE INDIVIDUAL DIVISIONS TO COME UP WITH A PROCESS ON HOW TO DO THAT. 
          AND SO I THINK CONSISTENCY, UM, ACROSS THE DEPARTMENT, UM, TO MORE, TO MORE EFFECTIVELY SUPPORT THEIR LEADERSHIP WOULD HELP. 
          UM, WE SPOKE AT LENGTH WITH THE TRAINING DIVISION AND BEYOND THE REQUIRED LIKE TRAINING, YEARLY SUPERVISORY, LIKE MANDATORY TRAINING, THERE'S ALMOST ZERO OPTIONAL LEADERSHIP AND SUPERVISORY TRAINING THAT THEY CAN ELECT TO DO IF THEY ARE STRUGGLING THEMSELVES AND THEN THEY WANT TO LEARN MORE. 
          UM, THE DEPARTMENT DOESN'T HAVE A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEM TO GAIN THOSE SKILLS. 
          MM-HMM . 
          AND SO, AND SO LASTLY, IN SORT OF FOLLOWING UP ON THIS, YOU KNOW, ONE, ONE THOUGHT I'D HAD WAS THAT, UM, MAYBE THE CULTURE WAS SUCH THAT, UM, INDIVIDUALS DIDN'T FEEL FREE OR DIDN'T OCCUR TO THEM, YOU KNOW, TO SPEAK OUT AND SAY, HEY, WE CAN'T DO THIS. 
          UM, THIS IS NOT, THIS IS NOT A GOOD COURSE OF ACTION. 
          DO YOU HAVE ANY, ANY THOUGHTS ON, ON THE, THE DECISION MAKING CULTURE THAT EXISTS? YOU KNOW, IN, IN, IN THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF THE DEPARTMENT THAT COMMAND STAFF? I THINK THAT THERE WAS A GAP IN COMMUNICATION BETWEEN HIGH LEVELS AND THE RANK AND FILE, YOU KNOW, THE RANK AND FILE, WHICH MAKES UP MAJORITY OF THE DEPARTMENT. 
          AND IT'S DOING, 
          [04:35:01]
YOU KNOW, A HUGE AMOUNT OF THE WORK. 
          THEY HAVE ALL THE DETAILS, UM, NECESSARY TO BE EFFECTIVE IN PUBLIC SAFETY. 
          AND I DON'T THINK THERE, UM, WAS A WAY FOR THE COMMAND STAFF OR THE EXECUTIVE STAFF TO HAVE AN EXCHANGE WITH THEM ABOUT THAT. 
          AND I THINK THAT CONTRIBUTED TO, YOU KNOW, THE, WHERE THE DEPARTMENT IS TODAY. 
          YOU KNOW, AND SO WHEN THERE WERE ISSUES THAT CAME UP OR IF THEY HAD CONCERNS ABOUT THE WAY THINGS WERE WORKING IN THEIR DIVISION, THERE WAS NO PROTOCOL OR PROCESS FOR THEM TO ELEVATE THEIR CONCERNS WITH, UM, WITHIN, YOU KNOW, THE EXECUTIVE LEVEL. 
          MM-HMM . 
          WELL, THAT'S VERY HELPFUL. 
          AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL. 
          APPRECIATE IT. 
          THANK YOU, UR. 
          THANK YOU, MAYOR. 
          THE ISSUE THAT GOT US HERE WAS THE FACT THAT THERE WAS MORE CASES THAN WHAT HPD HAD THE BANDWIDTH TO INVESTIGATE. 
          I ASSUME THAT'S NOT CHANGED AND WE'RE STILL NOT INVESTIGATING ALL THE CASES. 
          AND I'M NOT SURE IF, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE THE RIGHT PEOPLE TO ASK, BUT DO WE KNOW HOW MANY CASES WE DIDN'T INVESTIGATE LAST MONTH OR THE MONTH BEFORE? I DO NOT HAVE THOSE NUMBERS. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. 
          THANK YOU, MAYOR. 
          UM, FIRST OF ALL, LET ME JUST THANK YOU AGAIN, MAYOR, FOR PUTTING THIS TEAM TOGETHER ON SUCH A VERY CRITICAL ISSUE IN OUR CITY. 
          'CAUSE IT CERTAINLY SHINES A LIGHT, UH, UPON SOME OF THE AREAS. 
          THERE'S BEEN A PROBLEM. 
          LET ME THANK THE TEAM FOR THEIR WORK AND THEIR EFFORTS IN DOING THIS. 
          JUST A FEW THINGS GOING FORWARD. 
          MAYOR, YOU KNOW, WE HAD CONVERSATION ABOUT, UH, I MADE A RECOMMENDATION EARLY THIS YEAR, AND I'M, I THINK YOU ADDRESSED THE FACT THAT WE NEED HPD TO MAKE A MONTHLY REPORT, UH, TO THIS COUNCIL. 
          THIS IS A SERIOUS MATTER AND YOU'VE TAKEN IT IN THAT RESPECT. 
          BUT I MADE THE RECOMMEND EARLY ON, OF COURSE, I WAS LOOKING AT WEEKLY, WHICH IS WOULD BE A LITTLE BIT TAXING. 
          BUT MONTHLY REPORT IS LIKE THE CITY CONTROLLER, THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT. 
          I THINK HPD SHOULD MAKE A REPORT TO ALL OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AS WELL AS THE US TO WHERE CRIMES THAT WERE COMMITTED, WHERE THEY WERE COMMITTED AT. 
          UH, I THINK THAT WOULD BE VERY ESSENTIAL TO WHERE WE ARE. 
          SECONDLY, UM, THE, THE, I LOOKED AT AND WROTE DOWN SOME OF THE POINTS THAT YOU WERE MAKING IN TERMS OF THE 88 MISCLASSIFIED, UH, MINIMUM FILE OF INCOMPLETE INFORMATION AND BREAK DOWN THE STAFF. 
          NOW, I'M SURE MARY, THAT YOU CAN REMEMBER THAT WAS MUCH DISCUSSION IN OUR CITY IN PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS ABOUT CIVILIAN, UH, YOU KNOW, BOARD REVIEW BOARDS TO OUR TO HPD. 
          NOT THAT THAT THAT SHOULD BE THE ANSWER OR THE CURE OFF, BUT I DO BELIEVE IN WHAT WE ARE HEARING COMING FROM THEM IN THIS INVESTIGATION THAT WE NEED TO HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE LOOK ONCE WE GET THAT INFORMATION FROM HPD IN TERMS OF WHERE THE PROBLEM IS. 
          I REMEMBER IN THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION WHERE THEY CAME UP WITH THE, UH, PAYMENT OF OVERTIME TO OUR OFFICERS. 
          WELL, YOU KNOW, NOT THAT OVERTIME DOESN'T HELP, BUT SOMETIME OVERTIME CAN MEAN OVERWORKED, WHICH CONSTITUTES MANY, MANY OFFICERS FOR NOT DOING SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THEY SHOULD DO. 
          AND ESPECIALLY AS A TEAM IN THEIR FINDINGS. 
          'CAUSE THEY SAY THESE ARE FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATION. 
          THEY DIDN'T BRING THEM FORTH AS ANSWERS. 
          'CAUSE I THINK FROM YOU AND THE LEADERSHIP OF YOUR ADMINISTRATION WITH THE COUNCIL, THAT WE COULD ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES. 
          BUT WE DON'T WANT OFFICERS, IN MY OPINION, OVERWORKED BECAUSE IT SOMETIME IT CAN CHANGE THE MORALE OF THE OFFICERS. 
          SO I'M GLAD THEY MENTIONED TRAINING. 
          THEY INDICATED THAT THERE IS SOME NEEDED TRAINING WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT IN ORDER FOR US TO DO THIS. 
          SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO WHATEVER THOSE CHANGES WILL BE. 
          AND I CERTAINLY WANT TO BE A PART OF THE GROUP THAT WE CAN COMPREHENSIVELY ADDRESS THESE ISSUES. 
          THAT'S 264,000. 
          MY LAST STATEMENT DIDN'T HAPPEN JUST FOUR YEARS AGO, EIGHT YEARS AGO, OR 14 YEARS AGO. 
          IN 2014. 
          CHIEF MCCULLOUGH, AS YOU SAID EARLIER, SAID IT WAS 20,000. 
          DO THE MATH. 
          20,000 2014 TO TWO 64,000 TODAY. 
          SO THAT CAN, HAS BEEN KICKED DOWN THE ROAD TO WHERE IT'S TURNED INTO A BARREL. 
          SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO DO. 
          AND, UH, I LOOK FORWARD TO TAKING THE FINDINGS AND THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THIS TEAM AND, UH, AND WORKING WITH THE ADMINISTRATION ON HOW WE DON'T GO HERE. 
          AGAIN. 
          THANK YOU. 
          WELL, LET ME JUST ASSURE 
          [04:40:01]
YOU, ALL OF US WILL BE INVOLVED. 
          AND, UH, COUPLE OF COMMENTS THAT COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ MADE ABOUT THE MANAGEMENT, UH, MODEL. 
          UH, I REGULARLY TALK TO OFFICERS CONCERNED ABOUT COMMANDERS IN CHARGE OF PATROL THAT NEVER DID MUCH PATROL. 
          THEY'RE MOSTLY ADMINISTRATORS AND THEY'VE DONE THEIR, UH, ACHIEVED THE COMMANDER STATUS TO EXAMS AND, UH, PROMOTIONS. 
          BUT THEY'RE OVER PATROL WITH VERY LITTLE EXPERIENCE. 
          LIKEWISE, YOU'LL HAVE SOMEONE OVER GANG ACTIVITIES THAT NEVER REALLY SERVED IN GANG DIVISION WHEN THEY WERE RANK AND FILE. 
          SO THERE'S A LOT OF IMPROVEMENT. 
          AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS, UH, WE'VE ASKED ERNST AND YOUNG TO EXAMINE PERFORMANCE ORGANIZATIONAL STAFFING, PARTICULARLY WHEN IT COMES TO CIVILIANS SPENDING FRAUD AND ABUSE. 
          AND SO IF WE GET A VERY THOROUGH REVIEW BY THIS PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION, UH, PARTNERING WITH THIS REVIEW COMMITTEE, UH, THEN IT'S OUR JOB TO ADDRESS IT. 
          BUT THE CHIEF COMING BEFORE COUNCIL ON A REGULAR BASIS IS ESSENTIAL BECAUSE WHAT IN MY JUDGMENT THROUGHOUT THIS REPORT IS A LACK OF TRANSPARENCY. 
          NOW, LET ME JUST TELL YOU ANOTHER THING BASED ON EXPERIENCE. 
          UH, ONE OF THE EMPHASIS IN MOST ADMINISTRATIONS, AND I UNDERSTAND IT, IS A CRIME RATE. 
          SO IF THAT'S YOUR EMPHASIS AND YOUR SPIN IS ONE SAFE HOUSTON, AND YOU'RE DOING THE GUN BUYBACK, WHICH THE FIRST CROOK HADN'T TURNED BACK IN HIS GUN, NO. 
          BUT IF THAT'S YOUR MODEL VERSUS TRANSPARENCY ON TWO CRIME NUMBERS, I THINK IT WOULD BE REASONABLE TO ASSUME IF THESE 264,000 CASES HAD NOT BEEN SUSPENDED, BUT THEY'D BEEN OPEN CASES SOLVING AND INVESTIGATING CRIMES, OUR CRIME RATE WOULD'VE BEEN A DIFFERENT NUMBER THAN WHAT'S BEEN REPORTED IN THE PREVIOUS YEARS. 
          IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO THE PUBLIC TO GIVE 'EM AN ACCURATE PICTURE. 
          IT'LL ASSIST US TO GET THE RESOURCES WE NEED. 
          AND IT'LL ALSO LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT WHAT THEY BELIEVE AND ARE EXPERIENCING WHEN THEY CHANGE THEIR LIFESTYLE, SENIORS COME UP TO ME IN THE HEIGHTS AND SAY, YOU'VE GOTTA DO SOMETHING. 
          'CAUSE WE DON'T LEAVE THE HOUSE AFTER FIVE. 
          YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT THEY REPORT TO ME. 
          UM, CERTAINLY YOU HERE IN YOUR DISTRICT, IT'S WHAT WE ADDRESS SATURDAY NIGHT. 
          SO WE'VE GOT TO MAKE CERTAIN THE TRANSPARENCY BY OUR ADMINISTRATORS, WHETHER IT'S FIRE, POLICE, PUBLIC WORKS, GOT A HUNDRED EMPTY POSITIONS AND WE WONDER WHY THE BROKEN WATER MAIN SITUATION GOT LIKE IT IS. 
          AND I DON'T WANNA DIGRESS FROM THE PUBLIC SAFETY MESSAGE THIS MORNING, BUT IT'S PRETTY PREVALENT THROUGH CITY GOVERNMENT THAT, YOU KNOW, I NEVER HEARD UNTIL I GOT DOWN HERE THAT PARKS HAS TO SHUTTLE THEIR WORKERS TO AND FROM WORK PROJECTS 'CAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH VEHICLES. 
          SO THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF NEGLECT, BUT TODAY WE'RE FOCUSING ON PUBLIC SAFETY, WHICH I BELIEVE IF WE DID NOT RESOLVE, NOTHING ELSE MATTERS. 
          SO I ASSURE YOU WE'LL ALL BE IN THIS TOGETHER. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. 
          THANK YOU MAYOR, AND THANK YOU TO THE COMMITTEE FOR ALL THE HARD WORK THAT WENT INTO THIS REPORT. 
          I WANT TO TALK ABOUT RECOMMENDATION 16, UH, REGARDING TECHNOLOGY. 
          YOU KNOW, I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH, UM, WHAT YOU'RE RECOMMENDING HERE AND THE ROLE THAT TECHNOLOGY WILL PLAY, NOT ONLY IN MODERNIZING THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, BUT ALSO IN, UH, BEING A FORCE MULTIPLIER. 
          YOU KNOW, AS WE ARE WORKING TO INCREASE OUR RANKS, THAT'S GOING TO TAKE TIME. 
          UH, TECHNOLOGY CAN PLAY A CRUCIAL ROLE IN HOW WE BRIDGE THAT GAP. 
          UM, YOU TALK ABOUT REQUESTING TECHNO OR, UM, GETTING TECHNOLOGY, UH, FROM THE CITY. 
          IS THERE A PROCESS CURRENTLY WHERE THEY ARE REQUESTING TECHNOLOGY FROM, UM, EITHER COMMANDERS OR FROM THE CITY AND, AND IS THERE A LIST OF, UH, SORT OF A WISHLIST OF THINGS THAT ARE, UH, DESIRED THAT THEY CURRENTLY DON'T HAVE AT THE MOMENT? I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE PROCESS IN TERMS OF REQUESTING DIRECTLY FROM THE CITY, FROM THE MAYOR OR FROM CITY COUNCIL, UM, FROM SPEAKING WITH MEMBERS OF THE DIFFERENT DIVISIONS. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK I GAVE ONE EXAMPLE IN THE SECTION, UM, WHERE, UH, WE TALKED TO PROPERTY AND FINANCIAL CRIME DIVISION AND THEY HAD IDENTIFIED WHAT THEY 
          [04:45:01]
BELIEVED WOULD BE, UM, A SOFTWARE THAT REALLY WOULD HELP THEM. 
          AND, UM, THEY MADE THE REQUEST AND WERE TOLD THAT THERE WAS NO BUDGET FOR IT. 
          SO I DO KNOW THAT INTERNALLY THEY MAKE THE REQUEST. 
          UM, I JUST DON'T KNOW HOW EFFECTIVE, YOU KNOW, IT IS ONCE THE DECISION IS MADE. 
          THERE'S NO BUDGET. 
          I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANY ADDITIONAL PUSH OR IF IT GETS OUTSIDE TO CITY COUNCIL IN ANY WAY. 
          I AM NOT, I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH THAT. 
          I THINK THERE'S, THERE'S ROOM TO IMPROVE THERE SPECIFICALLY AND, AND MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE MADE AWARE OF, UH, WHAT IS BEING ASKED FOR. 
          UM, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE WORK WITH, WHILE WE MAY NOT HAVE THE BUDGET OURSELVES, WE WORK WITH EXTERNAL, UH, PARTNERS. 
          YOU KNOW, WE MAKE REQUESTS THROUGH OUR CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVES FOR FEDERAL FUNDING. 
          UM, I DID ONE FOR MY DISTRICT H PATROL INITIATIVE, AND THERE'S WAYS THAT WE CAN BRING IN EXTRA MONEY TO HELP GET OUR, UH, POLICE DEPARTMENT THE TECHNOLOGY IT NEEDS. 
          AND, AND WE CAN CLEARLY SEE HERE THAT THERE, THERE IS A NEED. 
          UM, DO YOU KNOW IF, UM, THEY'RE UTILIZING AI AT ALL FOR ANY OF, UH, THEIR OPERATIONS? I DON'T BELIEVE THEY'RE CURRENTLY USING, UM, AI IN ANY FORM. 
          UM, A SUCCESSFUL, UH, TOOL THAT THEY'VE BEEN USING IS THE FLOCK CAMERAS. 
          AND I THINK THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO LEVERAGE THAT. 
          I KNOW THAT THE UNIT THAT MANAGES THE FLOCK CAMERA, I DON'T BELIEVE THEY EVEN HAVE A BUDGET. 
          SO THEY'VE BEEN EXTREMELY SUCCESSFUL IN, IN LEVERAGING, YOU KNOW, THE USE OF FLOCK CAMERAS THROUGHOUT THE CITY WITH NO BUDGET. 
          I THINK THAT'S A PRIME EXAMPLE OF, UM, A WAY TO TRY TO IMPROVE THE CONDITIONS WITH LIMITED RESOURCES. 
          AND COUNCIL MEMBER. 
          I THINK IT'S, IT REMINDS ME OF THE OLD ADAGE. 
          A LOT OF US HAVE USED WHEN PEOPLE HAVE COME TO US, IF YOU COME TO ME WITH A PROBLEM, COME TO ME WITH A SOLUTION AS WELL, WHETHER WE USE IT OR NOT. 
          AND SO WE KNOW, AS WE'VE MENTIONED HERE IN THE BOTTOM LINE, IS WE NEED MORE PERSONNEL. 
          IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THAT'S GONNA SOLVE THE PROBLEM, BUT IT'S CERTAINLY GONNA GO A LONG WAY IN HELPING IT. 
          BUT WHERE DO WE GET THE MONEY FROM? AND HAVING SAT WHERE YOU'RE SITTING NOW, I KNOW IT'S A VERY DIFFICULT CHOICE WHERE, YOU KNOW, WHERE DO WE CUT BACK AND WHAT DO WE DO GOING FORWARD? ABSOLUTELY. 
          UM, WELL, I'M, I'M GLAD TO SEE THIS WAS A PART OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS. 
          I MEAN, I THINK IT'S GONNA BE A VITAL PART MOVING FORWARD AND IT'S, UH, SOMETHING THAT I'LL CONTINUE TO TAKE AN INTEREST IN TO SEE HOW WE CAN HELP GET, UH, HPD THE TECHNOLOGY IT IS ASKING FOR, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE KNOW IT'S EFFECTIVE AND THAT, UH, THE RANK AND FILE ARE THE ONES THAT ARE PUTTING IT TO USE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN. 
          THANK YOU, MAYOR. 
          UM, FIRST AND FOREMOST, THANK YOU TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU, UH, FOR YOUR SERVICE. 
          MANY OF YOU SERVE IN OTHER CAPACITIES AND ADDITION TO THIS, AND OF COURSE, MY PREDECESSOR. 
          UH, IT IS FABULOUS TO SEE WHERE YOU ARE, AND I KNOW THAT YOUR COMMITMENT, UM, RINGS TRUE IN ALL OF THIS WORK AS WELL. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UH, AS IT RELATES TO, AND MAYOR, I DO WANNA RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF TACKLING THIS ISSUE, AND I THANK YOU FOR, UM, THE AGGRESSIVE NATURE IN WHICH THE CITY IS ADDRESSING THIS HEAD ON. 
          I DO WANNA SAY, UH, AND I, I'LL ALWAYS REFER TO YOU AS THE HONORABLE OR MAYOR PRO TEM, UH, BUT MAYOR PRO TEM COHEN, YOU REF YOU HAD REFERENCED THAT YOU HAVE ALSO SAT AT THIS HORSESHOE AND EVERY TERM WE HAVE ISSUES THAT COME UP AND WE TACKLE THEM. 
          AND THAT REMAINS TRUE FOR THE LAST TERM. 
          THE TERM BEFORE THAT. 
          THE TERM BEFORE THAT, AS IT RELATES TO THE NEW RMS SYSTEM, UH, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I, UH, MANY OF US, BUT I PRIORITIZED AS WELL AS CAD UNDER THE LAST ADMINISTRATION THAT IS IN THE WORKS OF BEING IMPLEMENTED. 
          IS THAT CORRECT? YES. 
          YES. 
          OKAY. 
          AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE, IF ANYBODY IS INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT HOW ANTIQUATED THE CURRENT SYSTEM IS IN THE CHALLENGES THAT POSED AND THE FLAGGING OF THAT BY HPD, BY COUNSEL, BY EVERYONE, AND RECOGNIZING THAT AND THEN WORKING TOWARDS A SOLUTION, ALL OF THAT CAN BE FOUND ON PRIOR COMMITTEE MEETINGS. 
          YOU CAN MEET WITH HPD TO LEARN MORE, BUT ALL OF THAT IS VERY WELL DOCUMENTED, INCLUDING THE CHALLENGES WITH THAT SYSTEM AND WHAT THE NEW SYSTEM WILL PROVIDE. 
          IT IS SUCH A MAJOR OVERHAUL. 
          IT TAKES YEARS TO IMPLEMENT. 
          UH, AND THAT IS UNFORTUNATE THAT IT TOOK THIS LONG, BUT IT IS MOVING. 
          NOW. 
          WILL THAT RMS SYSTEM, BASED ON YOUR UNDERSTANDING AND RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, ADDRESS MANY OF THE CHALLENGES, NOT ALL, BUT MANY OF THE CHALLENGES, UH, THAT YOU DISCOVERED? UM, YES, I BELIEVE IT WILL. 
          AND ALSO I THINK, UM, IN LIGHT OF THEIR INTERNAL REVIEW, UM, COMBINED WITH OUR OUTSIDE REVIEW, THEY HAVE MADE SOME ADDITIONAL REQUESTS AND CHANGES IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THE RMS UH, REFLECTS, 
          [04:50:01]
UM, WHAT THEY'RE SEEING HAPPEN AND WHAT HAS UNFOLDED OVER THE LAST COURSE OF OKAY, GREAT. 
          AND ARE THERE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS, MAYOR PRO TEAL, YOU, GIVEN YOUR LONG HISTORY ADVOCATING FOR, UH, DOMESTIC ABUSE SURVIVORS, UH, ARE THERE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS AS IT RELATES TO WHAT WE DO TO MAKE WHOLE, UM, SURVIVORS AND VICTIMS THAT WERE IMPACTED BY THIS? I DON'T KNOW THAT WE SPECIFICALLY PUT HERE, WE'RE WORKING CLEARLY WITH, YOU KNOW, ARY WOMEN'S CENTER AND OTHERS, AND VARIOUS DIFFERENT COMPONENTS TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S NOT JUST INVESTIGATING A CASE, BUT WHAT'S THE NEXT FOLLOW UP STEP? UM, I DO THINK THAT WE HIGHLIGHTED, UM, IN OUR CONVERSATIONS WITH HPDS INTERNAL VICTIM SERVICES DIVISION BECAUSE THEY'RE OFTEN THE STARTING POINT WHEN, UM, A CRIME OCCURS IN MEETING WITH THE VICTIM SURVIVORS. 
          UM, I, I THINK WHEN WE RECOMMEND THE STAFFING ANALYSIS, WE, UH, SUGGESTED, YOU KNOW, REVIEWING OPTIONS FOR POSSIBLY REORGANIZING SOME DIVISIONS. 
          AND IT COULD BE, UM, I THINK POSITIVE FOR VICTIM SURVIVORS IF WE, UM, ENHANCE VICTIM SERVICES DIVISION, UM, AND MAKE IT A POLICY THROUGHOUT THE DEPARTMENT. 
          'CAUSE OFTEN WHEN PEOPLE THINK OF VICTIM SERVICES, THEY'RE ONLY THINKING OF SEXUAL ASSAULT OR FAMILY VIOLENCE, BUT ANYBODY WHO EXPERIENCES A CRIME, WHETHER IT'S A CARJACKING OR SOMETHING, IS STILL A VICTIM. 
          AND I DON'T THINK THAT THE DEPARTMENT IS UTILIZING VICTIM SERVICES AS EFFECTIVELY AS IT SHOULD. 
          YEAH. 
          AND SO WE ARE MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT THAT. 
          GREAT. 
          GOOD POINT. 
          AND, UM, I, I WOULD APPRECIATE, I LOOK FORWARD TO THOSE. 
          UM, AND ARE YOU AWARE, I BELIEVE, UH, CHIEF SATTERWHITE AT THE TIME, NOT IN HIS LAST PRESENTATION, BUT EVEN BEFORE THAT, BEFORE WE PASSED, THIS PAST FISCAL YEAR'S BUDGET, HAD COME FORWARD AND SAID THAT, UM, HE ESTIMATED WE NEEDED A, A CERTAIN NUMBER OF ADDITIONAL INVESTIGATORS BASED ON WHAT THEY WERE LOOKING AT AND UNCOVERING. 
          ARE YOU AWARE IF THAT WAS ADDED INTO THIS PREVIOUS YEAR'S FISCAL BUDGET? UM, I AM AWARE OF IT, BUT I DON'T HAVE THE SPECIFIC NUMBERS OF IT. 
          OKAY. 
          UH, AND I'M GLAD YOU BROUGHT UP THE FACT THAT, UH, WE NEED MORE IMPROVEMENTS FOR, UH, VICTIM SERVICES. 
          UH, MAYOR YOU REFERENCED ONE SAFE HOUSTON, AND, UH, THE REASON I BRING THIS UP IS MANY OF US PROVIDED RECOMMENDATIONS UNDER ONE SAFE HOUSTON THAT WERE INCORPORATED AND WERE SUCCESSFUL. 
          FOR EXAMPLE, THE FACT THAT WE HAD CLOSE TO $10 MILLION ADDED UNDER ONE SAFE HOUSTON FOR DOMESTIC AND SEXUAL ABUSE RESPONSE. 
          UM, YES, WE DID OVERTIME, BUT WE ALSO DID INCENTIVES AND SIGNING BONUSES FOR RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON'S CREDIBLE MESSENGERS PROGRAM WAS INCLUDED AND FUNDED WITH THAT. 
          YOU REFERENCED BUYBACKS. 
          BUYBACKS ARE NOT TO ADDRESS, UM, THOSE THAT ARE USING, UH, FIREARMS FOR CRIMINAL ACTIVITY. 
          IT'S ADDRESSING THOSE THAT MAY HAVE UNWANTED FIREARMS THAT THEY'VE INHERITED OR HAVE LYING AROUND THE HOUSE, UH, TO DISPOSE OF THEM SAFELY TO GIVE TO HPD RATHER THAN A PAWN SHOP SO THAT THE WRONG PERSON, IT DOESN'T FALL INTO THEIR HANDS. 
          UH, WE PROVIDED, UH, WE INCORPORATED MAYOR PRO TEM CASTEX TATUM'S RECOMMENDATIONS AND PUSH AS IT RELATES TO CONVENIENCE STORES, BOTH LIGHTING AND SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS, CATALYTIC CONVERTER ORDINANCE, WHICH AGAIN, THE STATE HAS, UH, UNDER MAYOR, YOUR LEADERSHIP, UH, ACTUALLY TAKEN ON. 
          WE ADDED MILLIONS TO THE FORENSIC SCIENCE CENTER TO DO WHAT THE CITY COULD DO DESPITE THE COURT BACK BACKLOGS THAT WERE RESULTING FROM THE PANDEMIC, UH, OVER $20 MILLION FOR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER'S INITIATIVE AND PUSH FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND CRISIS DIVERSION. 
          UH, THE LIST GOES ON. 
          BUT I SAY ALL OF THIS BECAUSE AGAIN, WE BUILD ON THE BACKS OF THOSE THAT CAME BEFORE US. 
          AND EVERY ADMINISTRATION, EVERY TERM HAS THEIR CHALLENGES. 
          AND I COMMEND THE FACT THAT AS THIS TERM, THIS COUNCIL, WE ARE ADDRESSING THIS ISSUE. 
          BUT MANY, MANY, MANY ISSUES OTHER PREDECESSORS HAVE COME AND TRIED TO TACKLE HEAD-ON. 
          AND I DON'T WANNA SEE THAT WORK BEING TORN DOWN WHILE RECOGNIZING WE HAVE A HELL OF A LONG WAY TO GO TO MAKE THIS RIGHT AND TO GET IT RIGHT. 
          UH, BUT I AM PROUD TO SEE THAT AGAIN, THIS REPORT, UH, IS COMING ALONG QUITE NICELY. 
          I DID HAVE ONE ASK ON PAGE 13, FOOTNOTE 12, UH, ANY SUBSEQUENT ACTION TAKEN OR NOT TAKEN BY A MEMBER OF HPD AFTER THE, UH, SUPPOSED DIRECTIVE BY CHIEF FINNER IS THE SUBJECT OF AN ONGOING IAD INTERNAL AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT INVESTIGATION, NOT PART OF THE REVIEWER ASSESSMENT OF THE COMMITTEE. 
          MERIT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL AT SOME POINT, IS THAT INVESTIGATION 
          [04:55:01]
CONCLUDES TO HAVE A BREAKDOWN OF THAT SPECIFICALLY. 
          SO WHAT WAS DONE AFTER FINN'S DIRECTIVE TO NOT USE THIS CODE? UH, AND I ALSO SAW IN THE TIMELINE THAT UNDER, UH, ASSISTANT CHIEF SLINKER, UH, HE HAD SAID THAT NO CIRCULAR HAD BEEN NEEDED, UH, WHEN THE DIRECTIVE CAME DOWN, UH, TO NOT USE THE SL CODE, BUT THAT IT SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN ALL SOPS. 
          HAS THAT BEEN NOW INCLUDED IN ALL SOPS, STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES? UM, HPD HAS DRAFTED, UM, A SKELETON, UM, FOR CASE MANAGEMENT, AND IT IS SPECIFICALLY EXCLUDED, AND I DON'T BELIEVE ALL THE DIVISIONS HAVE COMPLETED THEIR DIVISIONAL SOPS. 
          BUT, UM, FOR THE MOST PART, YES, THAT'S BEEN DONE. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK, AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR THIS. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COUNCILMAN CARTER. 
          THANK YOU MAYOR. 
          AND THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR TIME AND YOUR EFFORTS ON THIS EXTENSIVE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT ALL DAY, WHETHER IT WAS A CULTURE OR COMMUNICATION, BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS RESOURCES. 
          THERE'S NO EASY WAY TO PUT IT. 
          THAT'S THE NUMBER ONE NEED IS RESOURCES. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, AND IF WE, I LIKE THE, UH, SOME OF THE, UH, IDEAS THAT YOU ALL HAVE PRESENTED IT CERTAINLY, UH, WHEN I LOOK AT RECOMMENDATION 11, THE, UH, CAREER PATH STRUCTURE, UM, YOU KNOW, WHETHER WE PROVIDE, UH, COMPREHENSIVE CONTINUING TRAINING ON TECHNOLOGY OR PSYCHOLOGY, YOU KNOW, TO HAVE OUR, OUR POLICE FORCE TRAUMA INFORMED, YOU KNOW, I CALLED MY ATTENTION, I WAS LOOKING AT, UH, AT THE INCIDENT REPORTS, AND, YOU KNOW, IN, IN 2018, UH, MAJOR ASSAULTS, FAMILY VIOLENCE, SPECIFICALLY 2018 TO 2019, 10,460 IN 2018 TO TWENTY ONE, SEVEN HUNDRED AND NINETY SIX THE FOLLOWING YEAR. 
          AND THEN WHEN YOU GO FROM 2022, 11,964 TO 20 23, 20 2000 TWO HUNDRED SEVEN HUNDRED AND SIXTY EIGHT, YOU SAID EARLIER, THE BELL NEEDS TO RING AS SOON AS THERE'S A PROBLEM. 
          AND IT HAS BEEN THE FACT THAT THIS HAS GONE ON FOR AS LONG AS IT HAS. 
          AND WITH RESPECT TO THE DEPARTMENT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE GOT TO COME UP WITH A SOLUTION TO PROVIDE THE RESOURCES THAT THE DEPARTMENT NEEDS. 
          AND CERTAINLY, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE CIVILIAN, UH, YOU KNOW, POSITIONS THAT WE CAN, THAT WE CAN, CAN AND SHOULD FILL WITH CIVILIANS, WE NEED TO FOCUS ON THAT. 
          AND WE REALLY JUST, WE REALLY NEED TO BE SURE THAT WE ARE PROVIDING OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT WITH THE BEST THAT WE HAVE TO OFFER, BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S CLEAR THAT THIS, UM, THIS HAS BEEN, YOU KNOW, 10 YEARS IN THE MAKING AND IT'S GOING TO TAKE SOME TIME TO FIX, BUT THIS ISN'T NEW INFORMATION FOR THE ENTIRE DEPARTMENT. 
          YOU CAN'T TELL ME THAT THERE'S NOT SOME KNOWLEDGE SOMEWHERE AND NOT POINTING THE FINGER AT ANYONE. 
          BUT THIS REPORT SAYS IT ALL, AND IT'S, IT'S BEEN THERE. 
          IT'S, I'M GLAD THAT YOU ALL, THANK YOU, MAYOR, FOR, FOR SELECTING THIS GROUP TO, TO TACKLE THIS, NOT A, NOT AN EASY TACKLE, BUT THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE. 
          AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH THE REST OF THIS TEAM TO BE PART OF THE SOLUTION, BECAUSE WE HAVE A PROBLEM. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, I, I LOOK FORWARD TO MANY MORE CONVERSATIONS, YES, CONTINUED UPDATES, BUT WE REALLY HAVE TO ADDRESS IT AND NOT JUST TALK ABOUT IT. 
          SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR EFFORTS AND YOUR TIME. 
          THANK YOU. 
          AND YOUR, YOUR POINT. 
          YOU KNOW, AS AN EXAMPLE, IF WE WERE TO HIRE 10 NEW OFFICERS, BUT WE DIDN'T TRAIN THEM, AND THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING, AND THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO WORK WITH THE SYSTEMS, IT'S REALLY, IT GOES, IT'S FRUITLESS. 
          UM, SO IT'S NOT JUST THE HIRING OF 10 NEW OFFICERS, IT'S GOTTA BE THE ACCURATE TRAINING OF THEM. 
          SO WE COULD SAY THEY KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING, THEY'RE IN THE RIGHT SPOT, AND THEY CAN IMPLEMENT THE ISSUES. 
          YEAH. 
          COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ. 
          THANK YOU, MAYOR. 
          AND, UH, YOU KNOW, MAYOR PRO TECO AND, UH, THAT, THAT LAST COMMENT THAT YOU MADE, UH, I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT. 
          I THINK TRAINING IS I IMPORTANT FOR ALL OF HPD OFFICERS. 
          YOU KNOW, THE, THE, SOMETIMES THE CONCERNS THAT I HAVE IS THAT ONCE YOU HAVE A COMMANDER IN A CERTAIN, UH, AREA OR A CERTAIN DIVISION, YOU KNOW, EVERY, EVERY, UH, TWO YEARS, THEY USUALLY HAVE A ROTATING MORE, MORE OR LESS. 
          AND THEN THEY DON'T RECEIVE THAT PROPER TRAINING. 
          AND AS THE MAYOR ALLUDED TO AS WELL, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE FOLKS THAT ARE MAYBE DOING PATROL THAT AREN'T BEING TRAINED OR WEREN'T EVEN IN THE FIELD DOING PATROL. 
          AND SO I, I THINK WE NEED TO DEFINITELY CONTINUE TO LOOK AT THOSE OPPORTUNITIES TO ENSURE THAT, UM, THAT CER CERTAIN LEADERSHIP, UM, CAN FOLLOW THAT RIGHT 
          [05:00:01]
TRACK WHERE, WHERE THEY HAVE THAT EXPERTISE. 
          SO THANK YOU FOR HIGHLIGHTING THAT. 
          AND, AND THE RECOMMENDATION FOR NUMBER 12, AND THEN FOR NUMBER 13, UM, WHICH GOES INTO A LITTLE BIT OF, OF WHAT, UH, COUNCILOR MAYOR CARTER WAS, WAS SPEAKING TO, WHICH IS, UH, THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, UH, CASES. 
          UH, WE KNOW THAT THAT'S USUALLY A TOUGH ONE. 
          IT, IT'S A SENSITIVE TOPIC, IT INVOLVES FAMILY. 
          UM, HIS, I, I'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH SONYA RALES WITH, UH, HOUSTON AREA WOMEN'S COUNCIL, AND SHE'S TRIED TO COME INTO HPD TO PROVIDE THAT SUPPORT. 
          AND SO LOOKING AT AND LEVERAGING THOSE, THOSE RESOURCES WITH, UH, ORGANIZATIONS LIKE, LIKE HAWK, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT. 
          AND SO I, I APPRECIATE YOU ALL HIGHLIGHTING, UM, ORGANIZATIONS LIKE, LIKE HAWK TO BE ABLE TO COME IN AND, AND PROVIDE THE TRAINING THAT THEY NEED AS WELL. 
          UH, PROVIDE THE SUPPORT. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, HPD CAN'T JUST POLICE EVERYTHING. 
          THERE'S SOME SOCIAL ISSUES THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS, AND THERE'S A LOT OF NONPROFITS, ORGAN ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE OUT THERE TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT SUPPORT. 
          AND I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO THE, TO THE BOARD, UH, FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING. 
          UM, I DO LOOK FORWARD TO, YOU KNOW, A REGULAR REPORT, UM, SIMILAR TO THE FINANCE COMMITTEE, HOPING IT'LL BE IN THE, MORE THAN LIKELY IN THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE WHERE, UH, THE CHIEF CAN COME IN, BUT ALSO, UH, ZERO IN ON, ON SPECIFIC, UH, DIVISIONS, WHETHER IT IS HUMAN TRAFFICKING, UH, AUTO DIVISION. 
          UH, WE KNOW THAT THAT'S ANOTHER AREA THAT COULD USE SOME IMPROVEMENT IN SOME, UH, COMMUNITY, UH, UM, ENGAGEMENT AND AWARENESS. 
          UM, WHEN WE START TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY, HOW MANY VEHICLES ARE BEING, UH, BROKEN INTO FOR FIREARMS AND, AND, AND THERE'S SOME REALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, REALLY EASY, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, SHARING OF KNOWLEDGE. 
          YOU KNOW, FOLKS KNOW WHICH TRUCKS USUALLY HAVE THOSE TYPES OF FIREARMS. AND, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT COMMUNITY, UH, STAY ENGAGED AND AWARE. 
          AND SO, UH, AGAIN, JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR THE WORK, MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR PUTTING THIS TASK FORCE TOGETHER, THE, THE ADVISORY GROUP TOGETHER AND, AND JUST LOOK, LOOKING FORWARD TO MAKING SURE THAT HOUSTON, UH, BECOMES A SAFER, UH, CITY FOR EVERYONE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          VERY GOOD. 
          COUNCILMAN PLUMMER. 
          THANK YOU, MAYOR. 
          AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION. 
          UM, AND ALL, ALL OF THE WORK THAT Y'ALL HAVE DONE, UM, IN REGARDING TO TRAINING. 
          UM, COMPLETELY AGREE. 
          MY QUESTION IS COMPREHENSION. 
          SO, AND, AND JUST CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, WHEN A CIRCULAR IS PUT OUT OR AN SOP OR GENERAL ORDER IS PUT OUT, THE OFFICERS LOG IN TO THEIR PORTAL, THEY DO THE TRAINING, AND THEN, UM, AND THEN IT'S JUST ACKNOWLEDGED, RIGHT? YES, YES. 
          SO, FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN I DO MY CE CREDITS, I GO THROUGH EVERYTHING. 
          I, THERE'S A COMPETENCY, THERE'S LIKE A ONE TWO QUESTION COMPETENCY AT THE END OF THAT. 
          HAVE WE CONSIDERED MAYBE DOING THAT AS WELL, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE RECORD, THAT THEY ACTUALLY READ THROUGH EVERYTHING, WHICH I KNOW THAT THEY PROBABLY ARE, BUT JUST TO READ THROUGH EVERYTHING. 
          BUT THEN TO HAVE LIKE A 1, 2, 3 QUESTION COMPETENCY AT THE END SO THAT WE CAN ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THEY, UM, HAVE SOME TYPE OF QUESTIONS AT THE END OR QUIZ THAT WASN'T PART OF, UM, OUR DISCUSSIONS. 
          UM, ALTHOUGH I, YOU KNOW, I DO THINK IT, IT IS A GOOD IDEA. 
          I THINK WHAT WE TRY TO EMPHASIZE IS REPETITION. 
          YOU KNOW, UM, OFTENTIMES PEOPLE LEARN BY REPETITION, WHETHER IT'S HAVING TO LOG IN AND REVIEW IT, WHETHER IT'S BEING READ AT ROLL CALL, UM, THE SUPERVISORS ACKNOWLEDGING IT IN MEETINGS. 
          I THINK THAT KIND OF REPETITION YEARLY REFRESHERS, UM, IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE THEN IT'LL, PEOPLE START TO, TO RETAIN IT. 
          UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, I, I DO THINK A, I DON'T BELIEVE THEY HAVE A COMPETENCY FOR ANYT OF THOSE NOW. 
          SO, UM, THAT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT CAN BE EXPLORED WITH HVV. 
          OKAY. 
          WHY WOULD YOU WOULD LIKE THAT? UM, 'CAUSE I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SO MANY ORDERS THAT THEY, THAT, THAT ARE PUT FOR IN FRONT OF THEM ON OFTENTIMES. 
          AND SO IT'S, IT'S CHALLENGING TO KIND OF KEEP THAT IN FRONT OF THEM OVER AND OVER AGAIN. 
          THE OTHER PIECE IS, UM, YOU KNOW, BASED ON, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS, UM, REGARDING NONPROFITS WORKING ON THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SIDE SPECIFICALLY. 
          UM, I ALWAYS, I WOULD JUST RECOMMEND IN ADDITION TO USING HAWK, YOU KNOW, USING NONPROFITS THAT FOCUS ON DIVERSITY, UM, YOU KNOW, AND, AND, AND THERE, THERE ARE MULTIPLE ONES OUT THERE AND I CAN SHARE A COUPLE THAT I WORK WITH DIRECTLY. 
          BUT, UM, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, 'CAUSE YOU KNOW, HAWK WILL OFTENTIMES REFER SURE TO THOSE, TO THOSE ENTITIES, BUT THE FUNDING PIECE IS MISSING. 
          UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, I WOULD JUST RECOMMEND JUST TRYING TO FIND ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE, THAT ARE MORE DIVERSE IN THAT SPACE. 
          ABSOLUTELY. 
          THANKS. 
          BY THE WAY, JUST AS AN ASIDE, WHEN I'M TALKING TO YOU, SOMETIMES I'M LOOKING DOWN HERE, AND I DON'T WANT YOU TO THINK OF BEING DISRESPECTFUL, BUT THIS HAS THE CLOSED CAPTION AND I HAVE A HEARING DEFICIT. 
          THERE'S A BIT OF A ECHO FOR ME, SO I CAN PICK IT UP HERE. 
          WE, WE UNDERSTAND, UH, COUNCILMAN JACKSON. 
          THANK YOU, MAYOR. 
          UM, AND THANK YOU FOR, UM, JUST PUTTING THIS REPORT TOGETHER. 
          UM, AS I'M LOOKING THROUGH IT, I'M PARTICULARLY EXCITED TO SEE, UM, RECOMMENDATIONS 
          [05:05:01]
THREE AND FOUR AND ON, ON THE FRONT. 
          I THINK IT'S 10 AND 11, WHERE WE'RE, UM, TALKING ABOUT IMPLEMENTING A CAREER PATH STRUCTURE. 
          UM, SO MY QUESTION TO YOU IS, YOU KNOW, OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS, I, BEFORE, UM, CHIEF NER LEFT, WE WERE ACTUALLY TRYING TO COME UP WITH A WAY TO GET CIVILIAN WORKERS, UM, UM, A PATHWAY WITH CIVILIAN WORKERS CAN PLUG INTO THOSE, UM, HPD, UM, UM, UM, UM, I GUESS OFFICER, UM, POSITIONS. 
          UM, BUT IT WAS CHALLENGING BECAUSE THESE CIVILIAN WORKERS DO NOT, THEY HAD NOT WENT, THEY DIDN'T HAVE COLLEGE DEGREES, RIGHT? AND SO, UM, TALKING TO SOME CIVILIAN WORKERS WHO WORKED IN HPD FOR PROBABLY ABOUT, UM, 17 YEARS, UM, STILL IS A CIVILIAN WORKER AND DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THAT THEY COULD NOT TRANSFER INTO A HIGHER POSITION BECAUSE OF NO COLLEGE CREDITS. 
          SO ARE YOU LOOKING AT WAYS TO, UM, GET CIVILIAN WORKERS ON THE PATHWAY TO WHERE THEY CAN BE AN OFFICER OR DETECTIVE OR MOVE INTO THOSE POSITIONS TO ONCE HHPD OFFICERS RETIRE? WELL, WE WEREN'T SPECIFICALLY TASKED WITH THAT, BUT WHEN I DID SPEAK WITH, UM, EMPLOYEE SERVICES, THEY HAD LOTS OF VERY USEFUL IDEAS ABOUT CREATING A WAY FOR CIVILIANS TO ELEVATE THEIR POSITION. 
          MM-HMM . 
          UM, WHAT WE LEARNED WAS THAT THERE WAS NO PROMOTIONAL PATH, RIGHT? SO, UM, CIVILIANS WHO ENJOYED THE WORK AND HAD BEEN WORKING THERE FOR YEARS, IF THEY WANTED TO INCREASE THEIR SALARY OR INCREASE THEIR CIVILIAN RANK, THEY HAD TO LEAVE THEIR CURRENT ASSIGNMENT. 
          AND SO, HPD IS AWARE OF THAT, AND I THINK THAT THEY'RE IN THE PROCESS OF TRYING TO CREATE, UM, SPECIFIC PATH FOR THOSE CIVILIANS MM-HMM . 
          UM, BUT IT REQUIRES JUST A LOT OF WORK. 
          THEY HAVE TO REWRITE THE JOB, THE JOB DESCRIPTIONS, AND SOME OF THE JOB DESCRIPTIONS DATE TO THE NINETIES. 
          AND SO I DO THINK IT'S GOING TO TAKE A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT, UM, WITH A, WITH SUPPORT FROM THE EXECUTIVE STAFF IN ORDER TO DO THAT. 
          BUT THEY, THEY HAVE A LOT OF THOSE IDEAS. 
          UM, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU JUST HIGHLIGHTED, THEY SHARED WITH ME IN OUR DISCUSSIONS. 
          AND SO, UM, I DO THINK, YOU KNOW, WITH THE RIGHT INCENTIVE AND THE RIGHT SUPPORT, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT COULD BE A POSSIBILITY. 
          OKAY. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          BEFORE I LET YOU GO, I'M CERTAIN YOU WANT TO JOIN ME, AND CERTAINLY THROUGH ALL YOUR CONVERSATIONS AND INTERACTIONS WITH HPD, WE REALLY HAVE A FINE DEPARTMENT. 
          AND THE RANK AND FILE OFFICERS THAT GO TO WORK EVERY DAY KNOWING THAT THEY MAY NOT GO HOME THAT NIGHT, ARE STILL DOING AN EXCELLENT JOB. 
          WE JUST RAN INTO SOME MANAGEMENT AND LABELING PROBLEMS THAT, UH, SO MANY OF THE PEOPLE RESPONSIBLE FOR ARE NOT EVEN IN THE DEPARTMENT ANYMORE. 
          SO I WANT TO APPLAUD THE DEPARTMENT AND THE PEOPLE THAT WORK COOPERATIVELY WITH YOU AND LET THE PUBLIC KNOW, UH, WE'RE IMPROVING PUBLIC SAFETY AND THE OFFICERS, THE, THE MORALE WE SAW SATURDAY NIGHT ON THE STREETS, THEY'RE READY, THEY'RE READY FOR SOME LEADERSHIP AND READY TO WORK. 
          SO, WITH THAT SAID, ALSO THE REPORT IS AVAILABLE ON THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S HOMEPAGE. 
          AND, UH, I KNOW Y'ALL ARE GONNA BE AROUND FOR A WHILE, BUT, UH, I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MUCH I APPRECIATE IT ON BEHALF OF THE PEOPLE OF HOUSTON, AND I CAN'T THINK OF A BETTER, UH, INDIVIDUALS IN GROUP THAT, UH, WE COULD HAVE PUT TOGETHER WITH ELLEN, YOUR, UH, CREDIBILITY AND EXPERIENCE. 
          AND CHRISTINA, I'VE GOT TO SEE YOUR FINE WORK AND YOUR EXPERIENCE AND COMMITMENT AND NOT TO MENTION PASTOR PRESTON. 
          UH, AND I ARRANGE YOUR FRIEND, CAPTAIN JEFF ES UH, A TRURO THANK YOU FOR WILLING TO SERVE. 
          SO NOW WE JUST HAVE A LOT OF WORK AND WE'RE GONNA CERTAINLY FOLLOW UP ON IT WITH THE ERNST AND YOUNG REPORT. 
          I LOOK FORWARD TO THAT AND, UH, WITH NEW LEADERSHIP OVER THERE. 
          AND WE'RE GONNA DO A HEAVY RECRUITING AND, UH, I THINK THE DEPARTMENT'S BEST DAYS ARE IN FRONT OF IT AND LARGELY TO Y'ALL'S FINE WORK. 
          SO THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU ALL. 
          THANK YOU ALL 
          [NON CONSENT - MATTERS TO BE PRESENTED BY COUNCIL MEMBERS]
MEMBERS. 
          POPOFF RIGHT HERE. 
          COUNCILMAN CAYMAN. 
          THANK YOU, MAYOR. 
          A FEW DISTRICT ANNOUNCEMENTS, EVERYONE IS INVITED THIS FRIDAY AT 6:00 PM TO MEMORIAL PARK AS THE CONSERVANCY UNVEILS OUR ANNUAL CAMP LOGAN AUDIO STORIES ENTITLED, REMEMBERING AND HONORING THE SOLDIERS OF THE THIRD BATTALION, THE 24TH INFANTRY REGIMENT. 
          UH, THESE SOLDIERS ENDURED RELENTLESS RACIST HARASSMENT AND VIOLENCE FROM WHITE RESIDENTS, HOUSTON POLICE AND FELLOW MILITARY PERSONNEL, UH, IN THE TIME OF JIM CROW. 
          UH, THE UNVEILING IS HELD ON AUGUST 23RD THIS YEAR, 106 YEARS AGO, 
          [05:10:01]
UH, THE CAMP LOGAN RIOT TOOK PLACE. 
          SO I REALLY WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE ALL OF THE PARTNERS, UH, INCLUDING COMMISSIONER BRIANIS AND THE MEMORIAL PARK CONSERVANCY FOR PARTNERING ONCE AGAIN, UH, TO SHOWCASE THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS HISTORY. 
          I ALSO WANNA SAY, UH, WE'RE VERY EXCITED. 
          FAMILIES WITH PRIDE HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED TO OCTOBER 26TH AT DISCOVERY GREEN. 
          UH, IT WILL TAKE PLACE DURING L-G-B-T-Q HISTORY MONTH. 
          WE ALWAYS PARTNER WITH THE LGBT CHAMBER. 
          UH, SO LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING FAMILIES OUT AT THAT, A RECORDING FOR OUR TREE MEETINGS. 
          WE HAD TWO DISTRICT C TREE MEETINGS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH TREES FOR HOUSTON. 
          UH, AND THOSE MEETINGS WERE ABSOLUTELY PACKED. 
          UH, WE APPRECIATE ALL OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD PARTNERS THAT CAME TOGETHER FOR THIS. 
          AND OF COURSE, BARRY WORDED TREES FOR HOUSTON, BUT THOSE RECORDINGS FOR THOSE THAT COULDN'T BE THERE, UM, ARE GONNA, ARE FOUND ONLINE. 
          UH, THE POWERPOINT SLIDES WILL BE IN MADE AVAILABLE IN A FEW DAYS ON OUR DISTRICT C WEBSITE. 
          AND WE HAVE ASKED, UH, ALL OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZATIONS AND CIVIC CLUBS THAT CAME OUT TO SHARE IT OUT AS WELL. 
          I DO WANNA SAY THAT, UH, IN SPOTLIGHT, THAT SPACE CITY WEATHER JUST CAME OUT WITH A REPORT VERIFYING THAT, UH, COMPARED TO IKE HURRICANE BARREL, UM, SHOULD HAVE HAD WAY LESS IMPACT THAN IT HAD. 
          UH, LOOKING AT WIND SPEEDS ALONE, I ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY TO GO TO SPACE CITY WEATHER TO ACTUALLY REVIEW THAT. 
          BUT MY QUESTION IS, IF IKE WAS WORSE IN TERMS OF SUSTAINED WINDS, WHAT WAS DONE IN 16 YEARS TO IMPROVE AND HARDEN AND MAKE SURE THAT THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN AND THAT, UM, WE KEEP THE LIGHTS ON. 
          SO I WILL CONTINUE TO PUSH ON THAT. 
          IN THE MEANTIME, UH, RESIDENTS, PLEASE GO AND CHECK OUT, UH, HOW YOU CAN DO YOUR PART TO MAINTAIN AND KEEP YOUR TREES HEALTHY AND SAFE. 
          UH, IN LIGHT OF EVERYTHING WE'RE EXPERIENCING, WOODCREST HAS A $2 MILLION PLUS DISTRICT INVESTMENT COMING. 
          UM, I BELIEVE WORK HAS STARTED THIS WEEK. 
          UH, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH RESIDENTS IN PUBLIC WORKS TO BRING THIS FORWARD, AND I APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S PARTNERSHIP ON THIS IMPORTANT, UH, DRAINAGE PROJECT. 
          AND LASTLY, A BIG THANK YOU TO DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS, ROMAN AGUILAR. 
          UM, OUR CAREER RECOVERY AND RESOURCES, NIKKI IS THE COORDINATOR, KINGWOOD HIGH SCHOOL KEY CLUB AND PRESERVATION HOUSTON FOR WORKING WITH OUR OFFICE IN THE DESCENDANTS OF OLIVE WOOD. 
          UH, WE HAD ANOTHER CLEANUP THIS PAST WEEKEND, UH, AS MANY, MANY, MANY NONPROFITS, UH, TRYING TO PRESERVE IMPORTANT HISTORY ARE STILL CONTINUING TO RECOVER FROM, UH, THE DERECHO AND FROM BERYL. 
          SO THANK YOU TO ALL THE VOLUNTEERS. 
          LASTLY, WE HAVE A LABOR COMMITTEE MEETING TOMORROW AT 10 30, UH, WITH VICE CHAIR MARTINEZ. 
          UH, TWO PRESENTATIONS. 
          ONE WILL BE THE HOUSTON FEDERATION OF TEACHERS. 
          UM, OUR TEACHERS ARE PART OF OUR COMMUNITY. 
          IT IS BACK TO SCHOOL. 
          MANY OF THEM HAVE NOT BEEN AFFORDED THE OPPORTUNITY, UH, TO GIVE THEIR VOICE IN TERMS OF WHAT IS HAPPENING WITHIN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. 
          SO WE'RE GONNA JUST GET A KIND OF STATE OF AFFAIRS FROM THEM. 
          AND THEN WE'LL ALSO HEAR FROM GULF COAST AREA LABOR FEDERATION, UM, ON THEIR VOLUNTEER EFFORTS IS THEY HELP OTHERS RECOVER FROM THE STORM. 
          SO THEY HAVE LAUNCHED A NEW PROGRAM TO ASSIST RESIDENTS DOING DEBRIS REMOVAL AND THINGS LIKE THAT. 
          SO THEY'LL ACTUALLY BE SHARING INFORMATION ABOUT THEIR PROGRAM AS WELL. 
          SO, TWO IMPORTANT PRESENTATIONS. 
          WE HOPE FOLKS WILL TUNE IN AT 10 30 TOMORROW MORNING. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER HOFFMAN. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UH, DISTRICT G THIS WEEKEND ON AUGUST 24TH, WE WILL HAVE OUR ANNUAL, UM, RESIDENT RESOURCE FAIR. 
          IT'S GONNA BE FROM 10:00 AM TO NOON AT GRACE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH FELLOWSHIP HALL. 
          AND BASICALLY THE PURPOSE OF THE EVENT IS JUST TO ALLOW CONSTITUENTS TO ENGAGE WITH DIFFERENT REPRESENTATIVES FROM CITY DEPARTMENTS, UM, FROM THE DIFFERENT SERVICE LINES, LOCAL AGENCIES, ORGANIZATIONS, IN HOPES THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY CAN GET SOME QUESTIONS ANSWERED IF THEY HAVE ANY, TAKE THE ANSWERS BACK TO THEIR NEIGHBORS. 
          AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU ON SATURDAY. 
          THANKS, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO BEGIN, BUT, UH, LET ME JUST SAY THAT DISTRICT F UH, MEANS FIGHT. 
          UH, FOR THE LAST WEEK, WE HAVE BEEN FIGHTING ON BEHALF OF OUR CONSTITUENTS ON A SERIES OF ISSUES. 
          I WANNA BUMP UP, UM, UH, UH, SEVERAL IMPORTANT ONES ON MONDAY NIGHT, MYSELF AND MY STAFF, UH, HOUSTON PERMITTING, SAID REPRESENTATIVES FROM HOUSTON PERMITTING, UM, JOINED US AT MEDITERRANEAN PLACE. 
          FOX 26 PICKED UP THE STORY WHERE WE HAVE ANOTHER BAD DEVELOPER ON THE WEST SIDE MANIPULATING, UH, MANIPULATING RESIDENTS, UH, WITH, UH, LIMITED TO NO DRAINAGE. 
          UH, RESIDENTS REACHED OUT TO OUR OFFICE BECAUSE THEY WERE UNABLE TO ACCESS THEIR WATER BILL OVER MONTHS, AND THEN THREATS OF HAVING THEIR WATER TURNED OFF. 
          [05:15:01]
UH, WE FOUND OUT AND WE REALIZED THAT, UH, UH, THEY ARE VICTIMS OF PREDATORY LENDING, UM, PREDATORY IN INFORMATION, PARTICULARLY WITH, UH, A NEIGHBORHOOD OF, UH, IMMIGRANT FIRST TIME HOMEOWNERS. 
          AND SO WE ARE WORKING WITH HU UH, HOUSTON PERMITTING CENTER TO RECTIFY THAT. 
          UH, WE WILL, UH, MEET AGAIN ON FRIDAY AT SIX 30 AT THE AAF NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS. 
          UH, SUBSEQUENTLY AFTER THAT MEDIA, UM, UH, SPOTLIGHT ON MONDAY AT NINE O'CLOCK, ANOTHER NEIGHBORHOOD AND ANOTHER DISTRICT IDENTIFIED AS BEING A VICTIM OF THE SAME DEVELOPER. 
          SO, UH, THEY ARE PURSUING LEGAL COUNSEL, UM, AND HAPPY TO SUPPORT THEM TO RECTIFYING THEIR ISSUE WITH THE WATER BILL. 
          IN ADDITION TO THAT, ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE DISTRICT ON JEANETTA, UH, WARN ORLEANS PLACE, I HAD MENTIONED THIS LAST WEEK BECAUSE I WANTED TO, UH, GREET AND WELCOME THE 13 RESIDENTS BACK TO THEIR HOME AFTER LOSING THEIR HOME TO FIRE DURING THE WEEK OF THE WINTER STORM FREEZE IN 2021. 
          UH, AND THEY HAVE BEEN VICTIMS OF A CONTRACTOR THAT HAS CONTINUED TO DELAY THEIR DEVELOPMENT FOR THREE YEARS. 
          AND SO WE ARE, UH, WORKING WITH THEM. 
          I WANNA THANK, UH, HOUSTON, UH, UH, PUBLIC WORKS, THE PERMITTING CENTER FOR PROVIDING THOSE RESIDENTS WITH TRANSPARENT INFORMATION SO THEY CAN SEE. 
          AND JUST A, A, A WISE WORD TO THE, YOU KNOW, CAUTION TO RESIDENTS. 
          YOU HAVE TO INSPECT WHAT YOU EXPECT, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU ARE PAYING INSURANCE DOLLARS. 
          THESE FAMILIES HAVE BEEN OUTSIDE OF THEIR HOME FOR THREE YEARS, AND THEY HAVE BEEN PAYING THEIR MORTGAGE AND ALSO TEMPORARY HOUSING. 
          UM, SO WE WILL CONTINUE TO DEAL WITH THAT ISSUE AS WELL. 
          UM, ON MONDAY, I STARTED OFF MY MORNING, UM, UH, WITH, UH, SOLID WASTE, UH, RIDING DOWN, UH, IN TANGLE WILD ON A SOLID WASTE TRUCK, GETTING AN INTIMATE FRONT ROW VIEW ON THE WORK THAT THEY DO. 
          UH, THE ROUTE THAT WE TRAVELED HAD 956 HOMES AND, AND, AND RIDING IN THAT TRUCK. 
          I WILL TELL YOU, THERE'S SOME MORE INFORMATION WE CAN SHARE WITH OUR RESIDENTS ABOUT PARKING ON THE STREET, ABOUT MAKING SURE YOU HAVE THE RIGHT, UH, UH, THE, UH, QUALIFIED MATERIALS FOR SOLID WASTE TO PICK UP. 
          AND SO THERE'S DEFINITELY SOME ADDITIONAL CONVERSATIONS WE NEED TO HAVE WITH OUR RESIDENTS, BECAUSE IT'S EXTREMELY DIFFICULT FOR THAT TRUCK TO MAKE IT ON THESE STREETS WHEN CARS ARE PARKED, UM, UM, OVERNIGHT AND FOR EXTENDED HOURS. 
          UM, I WANT TO THANK THE MEN AND WOMEN OF SOLID WASTE FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO. 
          UM, AND I WAS EVEN ABLE TO PICK UP, UH, SOME TRASH, UH, A COUPLE OF, UH, TRASH BINS, UH, FOR THAT. 
          UM, I ALSO WANNA JUST SHOUT OUT MY STAFF FOR THEIR CONSISTENT, UH, DILIGENCE. 
          UM, AND IN DISTRICT F UM, ALL OF THE BIG IDEAS, ALL OF THE BIG EFFORTS, THANK YOU FOR STANDING WITH ME AND THE RESIDENTS ON THE WEST SIDE, UM, KEEPING IT, UH, THE BEST SIDE. 
          UM, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO ALL OF THESE MATTERS THAT ARE IMPORTANT. 
          UM, I FINALLY LEFT THE WEST SIDE AND TRAVELED TO THE EAST SIDE. 
          I'M SURE COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ WILL TALK ABOUT THIS BEFORE RIBBON CUTTING FOR THE LAWNDALE PROPERTY. 
          UH, THIS WAS, UM, A PHENOMENAL DEVELOPMENT. 
          UM, HAPPY TO SUPPORT ALL THINGS AROUND AFFORDABILITY, PARTICULARLY IN HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS THAT NEED INTENTIONAL INVESTMENT. 
          SO THANK YOU FOR WELCOMING, UH, WELCOMING ME TO THE EAST SIDE OF TOWN. 
          AND THEN I WAS ABLE TO STAND WITH MAYOR PRO TEM LAST FRIDAY, AND KROGER AND UNION PACIFIC AND N-T-N-T-M-P, UM, FOR THE HELPING HANDS PROGRAM. 
          EACH COUNCIL DISTRICT RECEIVED 75 $100 GIFT CARDS. 
          UM, OUR FIRST DELIVERY WILL BE TO THE RESIDENTS OF ONE ORLEANS PLACE BECAUSE OF THEIR DISPLACEMENT OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS. 
          AND WE WILL SHARE THE REST OF THE GIFT CARDS WITH THOSE SENIORS AND YOUNG FAMILIES THAT WERE IMPACTED BY HURRICANE BARROW. 
          ON SATURDAY, WE CELEBRATED THE 46TH ANNUAL CONVENTION OF THE TAIWAN BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA. 
          THERE WERE STATE, FEDERAL, AND LOCAL LEADERS THERE. 
          IT WAS MY PLEASURE TO WELCOME THEM ON THE WEST SIDE OF TOWN. 
          AND I WANNA THANK SIGNATURE MANOR FOR OPENING UP THEIR FACILITY FOR A WONDERFUL OCCASION. 
          UM, THANK YOU FOR RAISING YOUR VOICES FOR ISSUES THAT CONTINUES TO CONTINUE TO MATTER. 
          UH, AND THEN LASTLY, I WANT TO, UM, JUST SHOUT OUT THE TEXAS DEMOCRATIC WOMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 
          THEY'RE HAVING THEIR LUNCHEON ON SATURDAY AND THE AWARDEES, CELINE GULL, JENNIFER, JENNIFER HERNANDEZ, RUTH KRAVITZ LING LOW, AND ALEJANDRA FOR AS BEING THE RISING STAR. 
          MY OFFICE IS PROVIDING CERTIFICATES JUST TO ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR WORK IN YOUR SERVICE, UM, UM, UM, TO THE COMMUNITY. 
          AND THEN I KNOW THERE WAS A CONVERSATION ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY, MORE PARTICULARLY FOR THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT, BUT ON THE WEST SIDE, AND I SHARED THIS WITH THE, UH, NEW CHIEF. 
          UM, THE POKER CLUBS ARE RUNNING RAMPANT ON THE WEST SIDE FROM HARWIN WEST, UH, WEST PARK, WEST TIME OF RICHMOND. 
          AND THAT'S A REAL ISSUE. 
          AND I WANNA THANK OUR VICE MAYOR, UH, UH, PRO TEM, UM, FOR WORKING TO GET THIS ON THE PUBLIC SAFETY AGENDA BECAUSE THESE POKER CLUBS ARE BREEDING GROUNDS OF NOT JUST AGGRAVATED ASSAULT, BUT WE'VE HAD HOMICIDES, WE'VE HAD ROBBERY, JUST ALL TYPES OF CRIME. 
          AND AS WE TALK ABOUT THE NOISE ISSUE, THESE POKER CLUBS ARE SITTING RIGHT IN THE SAME COMMERCIAL AREAS. 
          AND SO FOR SEVERAL YEARS WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON 
          [05:20:01]
THIS. 
          AND SO HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET A PUBLIC AUDIENCE AT THE COMMITTEE SO WE CAN WORK TO THIS. 
          AND, AND HOPEFULLY, UM, THE NEW CHIEF OF POLICE WILL TAKE THIS ON WHAT THEY TASK FORCE SO WE CAN ADDRESS, UM, UH, PERMITTING MANAGEMENT SO WE CAN HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT'S ACTUALLY HAPPENING WITHIN OUR DISTRICT. 
          UM, IF YOU, UM, NEED ANYTHING FROM DISTRICT F, PLEASE REACH OUT TO OUR OFFICE, 8 3 2 3 9 3 3 0 2, UH, DISTRICT F AT HOUSTON TX GOV, AND WE'LL DEFINITELY GET YOU SIGNED UP FOR THE NEWSLETTER AND GET YOUR RESOURCES DIRECTLY TO YOUR HANDS. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ. 
          THANK YOU, VICE MAYOR PROAM. 
          AND I'LL, I'LL KICK IT OFF WITH, UH, DEFINITELY, UH, APPRECIATING, UH, MY COLLEAGUE, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS, FOR ATTENDING THE LAWNDALE, UM, RIBBON CUTTING. 
          IT'S A MULTIFAMILY 106 UNIT, UM, UH, APARTMENT COMPLEX THAT WAS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY. 
          UM, AND AS WE CONTINUE TO, YOU KNOW, SEE THE, THE NEED FOR HOUSING AND, AND HOUSING OPTIONS, UH, IT'S, IT'S GREAT TO SEE IT IN THE, IN THE HEART OF, UH, REALLY THE, UH, HOUSTON, UH, NEAR HARRISBURG WHERE HOUSTON ORIGINALLY, UH, WAS, WAS, UH, ESTABLISHED. 
          UM, AND, AND JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO, UH, UH, WORK ON THESE TYPES OF PROJECTS, UM, AS SCHOOL HAS, UH, KICKED OFF OVER THE LAST FEW WEEKS. 
          JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UH, STUDENTS HAVE A SAFE, UH, TIME BACK, UH, YOU LEARN WELL. 
          UM, AND AL ALSO, FOR ALL THOSE THAT ARE DRIVING, MAKE SURE YOU ARE BEING MINDFUL OF PEDESTRIANS THAT ARE WALKING, STUDENTS THAT ARE WALKING. 
          UH, WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO MY SON WHO JUST STARTED MONDAY AT U OF H, UH, JOAQUIN. 
          UM, A FEW MORE THINGS. 
          UH, THESE, WE HAD A SPECIAL MEETING IN, UH, THE GARDEN VILLAGE NEIGHBORHOOD IN REGARDS TO THE SCOUT HOUSE. 
          UH, WANT TO THANK, UH, THE COMMUNITY THAT SHOWED UP, UH, IN FULL FORCE. 
          I THINK WE HAD OVER 50 RESIDENTS THAT SHOWED UP THAT, THAT EVENING. 
          UH, I WANT TO GIVE A, A A THANK YOU TO DEPUTY DIRECTOR MICHAEL EVANS FOR PARTICIPATING. 
          UM, I, I LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING THE DISCUSSIONS. 
          UH, THERE'S, UH, TALKS OF DEMOING A HISTORIC, UH, SCOUT HOUSE IN, IN THE, IN, IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, UM, BY TROOP 16, UH, JUST SAYING TROOP 16, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO RECOGNIZE THAT IT'S ONE OF THE OLDER, UH, TROOPS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. 
          AND SO, UH, I'M LOOKING, AND I WANNA THANK OF COURSE, MY, MY COLLEAGUE COUNCILOR SALLY ALCORN FOR ATTENDING AS WELL. 
          UM, BUT LOOKING FORWARD TO FINDING A SOLUTION WITH, WITH THE, UH, WITH THE RESIDENTS. 
          UM, A FEW EVENTS THAT ARE GONNA BE HAPPENING, UH, THIS, THIS WEEKEND, I'LL START WITH THE HUNDRED AND I BELIEVE 88TH BIRTHDAY FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON. 
          AND I KNOW SEVERAL OF MY COLLEAGUES WILL BE IN ATTENDANCE AS WELL. 
          UH, WILL BE, UM, AT 1100 BAGBY AT THE, UM, FROM THREE TO FIVE, CELEBRATING HOUSTON'S BIRTHDAY. 
          SO I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING FOLKS THERE. 
          AND THEN MOVING ON TO THE CHICANO SQUAD SCREENING, WHICH IS GOING TO BE TOMORROW AT THE HOBBY CENTER. 
          YOU KNOW, YESTERDAY I PRESENTED A PROCLAMATION TO THE CHICANO SQUAD FOR ON THEIR 45TH ANNIVERSARY. 
          IT WAS IMPORTANT TO HIGHLIGHT THE WORK THAT THEY'VE DONE HERE IN HOUSTON. 
          AND NOW, UH, YOU KNOW, THIS, UH, THIS, THIS ORGAN, THIS GROUP IS, IS BEING HIGHLIGHTED THROUGH A, UM, A DOCUSERIES THAT'LL BE ON A E STARTING SEPTEMBER, THE SECOND AND THIRD. 
          AND SO THOSE THAT'LL BE ATTENDING THE SCREENING TOMORROW, LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU ALL. 
          UM, WE ARE ALSO HAVING THE FIFTH ANNUAL MARIACHI FESTIVAL FRIDAY, SATURDAY, AND SUNDAY AT, AT THE HAM. 
          UH, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A GREAT EVENT. 
          IT'S A, IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, REALLY DIVE INTO MARIACHI AND THE CULTURE OF MARIACHI. 
          UM, AND THEN OF COURSE, BORGO FROM ACROSS, UH, THE STATE OF TEXAS WILL BE COMING IN. 
          AND SO LOOK FORWARD TO, UH, SEEING THOSE, UH, THOSE, UH, OR PARTICIPATING IN THOSE EVENTS, UH, FRIDAY, SATURDAY, AND SUNDAY. 
          AND THEN I'LL END WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, I WANT TO THANK THE MAYOR FOR RECOGNIZING AND, AND REMEMBERING, UH, DR. 
          TACHO MANOLA. 
          UM, I TOOK SEVERAL OF HIS CLASSES IN MEXICAN AMERICAN STUDIES, UH, THERE AT YEAR OF AGE. 
          AND SO, UM, ALSO, UH, YOU KNOW, THE CHURCH THAT HE'S GONNA BE, UH, HAVING HIS MASS. 
          I WAS AN ALTAR BOY THERE FOR 10 YEARS, SO HE WAS A PARISHIONER THERE WHILE I WAS A YOUNG, UH, A YOUNG, YOUNG KID, UH, GROWING UP IN THE EAST END. 
          AND, AND SO, UH, DR. 
          TACHO MANOLA, UM, MIGHT NOT GET A LOT OF NOTARY ACROSS THE CITY OF HOUSTON, BUT HE'S DEFINITELY A, A STAPLE IN THE HISPANIC, UH, COMMUNITY, SPECIFICALLY IN THE EAST END. 
          AND SO, UH, PRAYERS TO, UH, HIS FAMILY, UM, AND OF COURSE TO HIM AS WELL. 
          THANK YOU COUNCILMAN. 
          UH, MAYOR PRO, VICE MAYOR, PRO TIM. 
          THANK YOU, MAYOR. 
          AND, AND I TALKED TO YOU BRIEFLY ABOUT THIS. 
          UM, UH, MY STAFF AND I WENT TO THE EAST WATER PURIFICATION PLANT, UM, ON MONDAY. 
          UH, JUST, UH, SO GREG ILEY, THE NEW HEAD OF HOUSTON WATER, IS REALLY TRYING TO ELEVATE THIS WATER PLANT. 
          IT SUPPLIES WATER TO 65% OF THE CITY. 
          AND, UM, THERE ARE PARTS OF IT THAT WERE, YOU KNOW, BUILT IN 1954. 
          SO OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE IS BEYOND ITS USEFUL LIFE. 
          THEY'VE BEEN BAND-AIDING IT TOGETHER FOR A LONG TIME, UH, THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO KEEP BAND-AIDING AND PUTTING IMPROVEMENTS IN IT TO THE TUNE OF ABOUT 60 TO $80 MILLION. 
          AND, UH, ULTIMATELY NEED A NEW PLANT, WHICH 
          [05:25:01]
WILL BE, UM, YOU KNOW, OVER A BILLION DOLLARS. 
          YOU KNOW, THE ONE UP, UH, NOR UP IN, UM, IN THE EAST. 
          UH, THE NEW PLANT, THE NORTHEAST WATER PURIFICATION PLANT IS LIKE 1.8 BILLION, SO THINK BILLIONS. 
          UM, UNFORTUNATELY, A LOT OF OUR CAPITAL FUND FUNDS THAT SET, SET ASIDE AT, AT HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS IS GOING TOWARDS THE CONSENT DECREE, SO IT KIND OF CROWDS OUT THE MONEY THAT COULD BE USED FOR THE, THE WATER PLANTS. 
          UM, HE IS, I MEAN, WE TALKED TODAY ABOUT WHEN, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, AND YOU HAVE TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. 
          SO NOW WE KNOW, WE KNOW THIS IS A CRITICAL PIECE OF INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, AND WE'RE GONNA NEED A LOT OF STATE AND FEDERAL HELP BECAUSE IT'S SUPER EXPENSIVE. 
          EVERYTHING WE NEED TO DO, BUT JUST ENCOURAGE YOU ALL, UM, BECAUSE IT DOES IMPACT ALL DISTRICTS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO GO OUT THERE AND SEE IT. 
          AND, UM, IT REALLY, YOU CAN TALK ABOUT IT, BUT UNTIL YOU SEE IT, UH, YOU DON'T REALLY, UH, FULLY UNDERSTAND THE, THE CRITICAL NEED FOR INVESTMENT IN THAT, UH, SPECIFIC PIECE OF INFRASTRUCTURE. 
          THANKS. 
          NOW, VICE MAYOR PROTE PECK. 
          THANK YOU, MAYOR. 
          UM, I AM SAD TO ANNOUNCE THE PASSING OF THE DISTRICT, A SPONSORED HORSE AT MOUNTED PATROL. 
          UM, SHE WAS A 15-YEAR-OLD, UM, HORSE AND SERVED WITH HPD SINCE 2013. 
          UM, HER NAME WAS HOLLISTER. 
          WE DID A NAMING CONTEST, UM, WHEN WE FIRST STARTED SPONSORING HER. 
          AND, UM, HOLLISTER WAS THE, WAS THE CHOSEN NAME, AND SO WE'LL MISS HER, UM, AND CONDOLENCES TO ALL OF MOUNTAIN MOUNTED PATROL. 
          I KNOW THAT THEY ARE MISSING HER RIGHT NOW. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER EVANS SHABAZZ. 
          THANK YOU, MAYOR. 
          I WOULD LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT THE OMEGA SCI-FI FRATERNITY INCORPORATED VOTER EVENT, UH, HELD ON SATURDAY, WHICH WAS A TREMENDOUS SUCCESS. 
          THE ENGAGEMENT IN TURNOUT WAS IMPRESSIVE, DEMONSTRATING OUR COMMUNITY'S COMMITMENT TO CIVIC PARTICIPATION AND ENSURING THAT EVERY VOICE IS HEARD. 
          ALSO, I WANT TO, UH, GIVE A BIG THANK YOU AND SHOUT OUT TO EVERYONE INVOLVED IN THE RIVERSIDE CIVIC ASSOCIATION'S PARK CLEANUP EFFORT. 
          THEIR DEDICATION TO MAINTAINING AND BEAUTIFYING OUR COMMUNITY SPACES IS COMMENDABLE. 
          SPECIAL THANKS TO THE TOOL BANK AND CAREER AND RECOVERY RESOURCES FOR THEIR INVALUABLE SUPPORT AND RESOURCES, WHICH MADE THIS CLEANUP POSSIBLE. 
          I WANNA THANK, UH, SHARON EVANS BROOKS, AND THE FRIENDS OF RIVERSIDE PARK FOR THEIR LEADERSHIP IN ORGANIZING THIS EVENT. 
          I HAVE ALREADY HIGHLIGHTED THE TASK FORCE EFFORT, WHICH AGAIN, UH, I CANNOT MENTION MORE BECAUSE I THINK THAT THAT WAS A, A GREAT EFFORT AND CERTAINLY HOPEFULLY A BEGINNING TO GO THROUGHOUT THE CITY. 
          I'M, I'M NOT SELFISH, BUT CERTAINLY WE DO HAVE OUR NEEDS, BUT CERTAINLY I KNOW THAT IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO OTHER DISTRICTS. 
          UM, UPCOMING EVENTS IN THE DISTRICT. 
          UH, I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT, WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I ALWAYS ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO STAY INFORMED ABOUT THE LATEST EVENTS AND INITIATIVES IN DISTRICT D BY CHECKING OUR DISTRICT D PAGE REGULARLY. 
          AND TOGETHER WE ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE FOR THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION, A PLACE WHERE EVERY RESIDENT CAN THRIVE. 
          YOU CAN SIGN UP FOR THE NEWSLETTER AT DISTRICT D@HOUSTONTX.GOV. 
          AND MY FINAL ANNOUNCEMENT IS GOING TO BE AT, UM, FOR, UH, COME OUT TO THE TRINITY UNITED METHODIST FRESH PRODUCE MOBILE MART ON SATURDAY AT FROM 10:00 AM TO 1:00 PM AND IT'S IN THE CHURCH PARKING LOT. 
          SO COME ON OUT ON THIS SATURDAY AND GET SOME FRESH FOOD, FOOD AND PRODUCE. 
          UM, AND THERE WILL BE A GET OUT THE VOTE EVENT ALSO ON THIS SATURDAY FROM 10 TO ONE AND A COMMUNITY VOTER EDUCATION AND VOTER ENGAGEMENT. 
          SO THANK YOU TO TANISHA HUDSPETH, AN OUTREACH COORDINATOR, LYNN MUNFORD, AND WE ARE GONNA GET EVERYONE OUT TO VOTE SO THAT WE CAN, UH, PROTECT OUR DEMOCRACY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          OKAY, MEMBERS, THANK Y'ALL. 
          WE STAND RECESS, AUR ADJOURN.
* 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.