* 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. [00:00:05] COUNCIL, [PRESENTATIONS] COME TO ORDER. I'M GONNA ASK, UH, THE MAYOR PROTE. WHERE'S BATS? MAYOR PROTE. I'M SORRY THAT THEY WERE HERE A MOMENT AGO. I DO IT. I CAN DO IT. YOU CAN DO IT. I BET YOU CAN. YEAH, I DON'T GET, I DON'T GET IN TROUBLE WITH THE REAL ONE. NO, THEY'LL BE BACK IN A SECOND. OH, THERE, I VOLUNTEERED. MAYOR. SHE VOLUNTEERED. IT'S GOOD. THE LIST. HE TOOK IT WITH HIM. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL COLLEAGUES. UM, I HAVE THE, THE PRIVILEGE AND THE HONOR TO BRING UP, UH, ROBERT AND YOUR MOTHER, ROSALIA, ROSA, ROSALIA , IF Y'ALL CAN COME UP. ARE YOU, AND JUST, JUST A LITTLE BIT OF A, OF A BACKSTORY. SO WE'RE CELEBRATING TODAY, DI DETE, RIGHT? YOU'RE LIKE, WHAT'S, WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN? AND ELTE, UM, I'LL PROVIDE SOME BACKGROUND TO IT AS WELL. UM, IN MEXICO, UH, THE PEOPLE OF THE CORN, THE, THAT'S THE COMMUNITY OUT THERE. AND SO THERE'S A LOT MORE, UH, BEHIND WHAT ELOTE MEANS IN JUST IN OUR CULTURE. AND SO, UM, I'VE BEEN ABLE TO SPEAK TO ROBERT, WHICH I, I, I CAN'T WAIT FOR HIM TO SHARE HIS STORY WITH YOU ALL. BUT ESSENTIALLY THIS IS THE, UM, THE AMERICAN DREAM WHEN YOU ARE ABLE TO, UM, AND IT'S ALSO SOMETIMES IN A TIME OF NECESSITY TO COME TO A POINT WHERE YOU CAN BUILD A SMALL BUSINESS, EVENTUALLY BE WITHIN THE DYNAMO STADIUM, UH, HAVE THEIR OWN, UH, FOOD TRUCK UP AND HEMPSTEAD, BUT THEN ALSO EXPANDING. AND ONCE YOU CREATE THAT, THAT SMALL BUSINESS GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY, WHETHER IT'S IN SCHOLARSHIP, ROBERT, AGAIN, WILL SHARE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF HIS STORY. UH, BUT I'M, I'M HONORED TO BRING, UH, SOMEBODY WITHIN THE LATINO COMMUNITY. AND OF COURSE, I, I HARP ON IT ALL THE TIME. I TALK ABOUT IT, WHETHER IT IS AT THE MARIACHI FESTIVAL, WHETHER IT'S AT THE CHICANO SQUAD PREMIER, IT'S IMPORTANT TO, TO FEEL A PART OF THE LARGER FABRIC OF WHAT HOUSTON IS. AND THIS IS JUST ONE, ONE SMALL BUT HUGE STORY, UH, THAT ALSO ADDS TO THE DIVERSITY OF HOUSTON AND WHO WE ARE. AND SO I'M GONNA READ, UH, THE ALOTE. WHEREAS HARRIS COUNTY IS HOME TO A DIVERSE ARRAY OF LAND CUISINES THAT OFFER UNIQUE AND ENRICHING EXPERIENCES FOR THE COMMUNITY AND ITS RESIDENTS. AND WHEREAS THE CITY OF HOUSTON HAS GREATLY BENEFITED FROM, FROM MEXICAN CUISINE, INCLUDING THETE OR ROASTED CORN, WHEREAS THE LOTTE IS A POPULAR SOCIAL FOOD THAT BRINGS COMMUN PEOPLE TOGETHER OVER A TASTY, FULFILLING SNACK, AND IS DEEPLY ROOTED IN MEXICAN AND LATIN AMERICAN CULINARY TRADITION. AND WHEREAS A ADA ADAPT ADAPTIVELY TO DIFFERENTLY, UH, DIFFERENT, UH, REGIONAL AND PERSONAL TASTE ALLOWS FOR A WIDE RANGE OF TOPPINGS COMBINATIONS SUCH AS MAYA MAYONNAISE BUTTER, COCA CHEESE, LIME JUICE, AND CHILE. IT'S VARIOUS SHOWCASE, THE DI THE DIVERSITY, THE C CRE CREATIVITY OF MANY PLACES AND PEOPLE WHO HAVE EMBRACED THE DELICIOUS AND ICONIC TREAT. WHEREAS OTTE BRAVOS IS A SMALL HOUSTON BASED COMPANY ESTABLISHED IN 2018, SPECIALIZING IN OTES WITH THE AIM OF TAKING THE TRADITION OF LOCAL STREET VENDORS TO THE, TO NEW HEIGHTS. AND WHEREAS THROUGH HARD WORK, OTTE BRAVOS HAS SUCCESSFULLY MOVED INTO SHELL ENERGY STADIUM, SHARING THE LOCAL HISPANIC EXPERIENCE WITH A LARGE AUDIENCE, AND REPRESENTING THE LOCAL FOOD SCENE IN HOUSTON, WHICH THEY HAVE DEEPLY, DEEPLY PASSIONATE ABOUT WHAT THEY, WHICH THEY ARE DEEPLY PASSIONATE ABOUT. WHEREAS ELOTE BRAVOS SHOWCASES THE POWER OF RESILIENCE, PERSISTENCE, AND DEDICATION AMONG FAMILY OWNED SMALL BUSINESSES. THEIR WORK HAS BORN BORN FRUIT AS SEEN IN THEIR MANY RELATIONSHIPS WITH ENTITIES SUCH AS TELEMUNDO, UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON, NDA MAGAZINE, ES TV, AS WELL AS BEING FEATURED IN K PRCS, THE TEXAS, UH, TEXAS BUCKET LIST. AND WHEREAS ELOTE BRAVOS ALSO EXEMPLIFIES THE POWER OF SELF SELFLESSNESS BY CONTRIBUTING FINANCIALLY OR PROVIDING FOOD DONATIONS TO THE FOLLOWING GROUPS. HOUSTON, MEXICAN CONSULATE, HOUSTON DIAMOND DYNAMO'S, ANNUAL CHARITIES, GOLF TOURNAMENT, U OF H, YOUNG ALUMNI ASSOCIATION, U OF H, HISPANIC ALUMNI ASSOCIATION, NATIONAL HISPANIC PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION, AND OTHERS. WITH ITS PARTNERSHIP WITH DYNAMO AND DASH ELTE, BARRA HAS HAD MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO GIVE BACK TO THE LOCAL COMMUNITY. AND WHEREAS THE [00:05:01] ELOTE IS NOW JUST A SNACK IS NOT JUST A SNACK, BUT A CULTURAL EXPERIENCE. THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS PROUD TO CELEBRATE THIS MUCH BELOVED SNACK AND COMMENDS S FOR THE WORK IT DOES IN PROMOTING THE HISPANIC CULTURE AND ELEVATING THIS HUMBLE AND DELICIOUS TREAT. THANK YOU, UH, COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ, AND CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR RECOGNITION. AND, UH, THIS IS ONE MORE EXAMPLE OF WHAT MAKES YOU SO GREAT THAT, UH, WE LEARNED OF YOUR STORY. AND I'M WILLING TO PROMISE YOU BETTER DAYS IN FRONT OF YOU, BECAUSE THE GOOD NEWS IS WE'VE ALREADY HAD LUNCH. SO HERE, THE COUNCIL MEMBERS BROUGHT YOUR GREAT PRODUCT BEFORE US. AND SO, UH, NOW WE'RE GOING TO SUPPORT YOU GOING FORWARD. AND I WOULD THINK YOU'D BE IN ALL OF OUR SPORTS VENUES AND CERTAINLY ENTERTAINER VENUES, AND WHAT A STORY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. YES. THANK YOU. SO, THEREFORE, I, JOHN WHITMEYER, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROCLAIM AUGUST 27TH, 2024, IS DETE DE LODE. AND, UH, CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. SO I'M GONNA ASK, UH, ROBERT TO COME UP AND SHARE A FEW WORDS. UM, AND THEN HIS MOTHER WANTS TO SHARE SOME WORDS AS WELL, THAT ROBERT WOULD TRANSLATE. FIRST AND FOREMOST, THANK YOU, CITY OF HOUSTON FOR THIS, UH, PROCLAMATION. AS A FIRST GENERATION HISPANIC AMERICAN, IT'S A GREAT HONOR TO BE HERE STANDING IN FRONT OF YOU. UH, I NEVER THOUGHT THAT I'D BE HERE, BUT HERE WE ARE, UH, OVER SOMETHING SO, UH, TRADITIONAL AND SOMETHING SO, UH, DEEPLY ROOTED IN MY CULTURE. UM, I, I TAKE GREAT HONOR RECEIVING THIS DIA DE DETE HERE WITH MY MOM, WHO'S BEEN MY BACKBONE, UH, WHO'S BEEN MY SUPPORT SYSTEM AS WELL AS MY, MY FAMILY, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, TODAY IS MY LITTLE SISTER'S BIRTHDAY, ANO YES, WE PICKED THIS DAY TO CELEBRATE HER AS WELL AS ALL OF OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS THUS FAR. UM, YOU KNOW, EL IS, IS AN ODE TO MY PARENTS, BUT ALSO, UM, HAVE IT BE FUEL FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF HISPANICS GROWING HERE, UH, TO DREAM BIG, UH, TO NOT BE, TO REALIZE THAT THERE'S MORE GRATIFICATIONS THAN THE TRADITIONAL ROUTES OF, UM, THE GRATIFICATION OF THE TRADITIONAL, UH, LIFE HERE, RIGHT? YOU CAN MAKE SOMETHING BIG, UH, MAKE A BIG IMPACT, AND BE ABLE TO GIVE BACK ON A GREATER SCALE. UM, SO DON'T BE AFRAID TO TAKE THAT NEXT SLEEP IN YOUR ENTREPRENEUR JOURNEY. HAVE IT ALIGNED WITH LONG-TERM GOALS, YOUR PERSONAL GOALS, RIGHT? AND SO THIS GOES OUT TO EVERYONE THAT, UM, DOESN'T THINK THAT A CUP OF OTTE, UH, IS THAT BIG OF A DEAL, UH, LIKE JOHN WHITMEYER SAID, OR MAYOR IS, UH, OR WE HOPE TO BE AT EVERY STADIUM HERE, AND NOT JUST REGIONALLY, BUT YOU KNOW, NATIONALLY, RIGHT? IT, IT'S, IT'S A STAPLE FOOD THAT'S BEEN AROUND FOR CENTURIES, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO BE AROUND. AND SO WE JUST WANNA TAKE THE, UH, MOMENT TO APPRECIATE ALL OF YOU FOR BEING HERE AND, YOU KNOW, WITNESSING THIS GRAND MOMENT IN OUR LIFE. YOU KNOW, WE COME FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS. WE ARE NOT, UM, ANYTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY FROM YOUR TYPICAL HOUSTONIAN. AND SO WE TAKE GREAT PRIDE IN THIS, AND I THINK MY MOM WOULD LIKE TO SHARE A FEW WORDS AS WELL. UH, BUT I JUST WANNA LEAVE YOU OFF WITH THAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. STARTED, HELLO, UH, THANK YOU FOR, UH, BEING HERE AND, AND FOR HAVING THIS GREAT OPPORTUNITY. UH, I WANNA THANK THE STATE OF HOUSTON FOR ALL OF ITS SUPPORT AND GIVING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE TODAY. UH, UH, THE ORIGIN OF COMES FROM A, UH, A TIME OF HARDSHIP WHEN MY FATHER, UM, UH, INJURED HIS LEG AND WAS, UH, OUT OF WORK. AND SO OUT OF NECESSITY, HE, BRAVOS WAS BORN SELLING OUT OF OUR VAN AT CELL BROS AND FIESTA AND KROGER'S, AND YOU NAME IT, UH, TRYING TO, UM, SURVIVE [00:10:35] THE SEED OF OWNING A FOOD TRUCK. UH, THAT'S WHERE THAT, THAT STARTED. UH, BUT IT WASN'T UNTIL MY, MY, UM, MY BROTHER, MY OLDER BROTHER, RECEIVED A BONUS AND GAVE IT TO MY MOM ON MOTHER'S DAY IN 2017, UH, WHICH IS THE SAME YEAR THAT I GRADUATED FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON WITH MY, UH, BUSINESS DEGREE. UM, AND SO WHEN WE COMBINED THE THREE, OUR, OUR, THE THREE BROTHERS, ME AND MY BROTHER, MY TWO OLDER BROTHERS, UM, WE, THAT'S WHERE THE EL BRAVOS STORY REALLY BEGAN PHYSICALLY. AND SO, UM, WITH THE HARD WORK OF MY WILLIAM, MY BROTHER WILLIAM, SITTING HERE, UH, WHO FOUNDED THE OPERATIONS, UM, ME WITH THE BUSINESS BACKGROUND AND MY BROTHER WITH THE FINANCIAL, UM, SUPPORT, WE WERE ABLE TO CONSTRUCT SOMETHING SO SMALL AT THAT TIME. SHE FEELS VERY BLESSED TO, TO HAVE THREE SONS THAT, UH, FELT, UH, FELT IT IN THEIR HEART TO GIVE BACK TO THEIR PARENTS AND, UM, SUPPORT THEM IN, IN EVERY WAY THAT THEY COULD. UH, AND TO BE HERE NOW, SITTING IN FRONT OF YOU, UH, IS A DREAM COME TRUE. UM, SOMETHING THAT SHE'S ALWAYS OF HAVING. AND TODAY, RE'S 21ST BIRTHDAY IS TODAY. AND SO SHE'S VERY HAPPY TO ALL THE OPPORTUNITIES AND THE, THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND THE, AND THE SUCCESS THAT WE'VE HAD THUS FAR. GOOD. YES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND I'LL, I'LL CLOSE WITH THIS. UH, THERE'S A MILOT IN THE BACK OF THE CHAMBERS, SO IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, PLEASE STEP BACK AT ANY TIME DURING PUBLIC SESSION, A SNACK FOR YOU ALL AS WELL. ALL RIGHT? THAT'S THE GOOD STUFF. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ S COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN FOR A PROCLAMATION TO AFL [00:15:01] CIO GULF COAST IN RECOGNITION OF LABOR DAY. HOW YOU, YOU? GOOD TO, HOW ARE YOU? EVERYONE GATHER AROUND. ALL RIGHT. HOW SO? AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, LABOR DAY COMMEMORATES THE SACRIFICES, HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF WORKING CLASS AMERICANS UNDERTOOK TO SECURE BASIC WORKING CONDITIONS AND FREEDOMS FOR ALL IN OUR COUNTRY. RAISING OUR NATION'S STANDARD OF LIVING, BOLSTERING OUR ECONOMY IN SECURING PROTECTIONS FOR THE AMERICAN WORKER IN PURSUIT OF THE AMERICAN DREAM LABOR IS WHY WE HAVE A MINIMUM WAGE, THE FIVE DAY WORK WEEK, WORKPLACE SAFETY STANDARDS, CHILD LABOR PROTECTIONS, PAID VACATION AND SICK LEAVE OVERTIME PAY. THE LIST GOES ON HERE IN OUR REGION, UH, GULF COAST. A-F-L-C-I-O MAKES AN INVALUABLE DIFFERENCE IN OUR COMMUNITY. FROM, I'M NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO NAME ALL OF THE UNIONS, BUT FROM SCIU, WHO IS FIGHTING FOR JANITOR'S RIGHTS AND SECURING HUGE STRIDES FOR THEM. HOUSTON FEDERATION OF TEACHERS ADVOCATING IN THE MIDST OF A FRIGHTENING GUTTING OF OUR PUBLIC EDUCATION SYSTEM TO THE THOUSANDS OF LINEMEN FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY COMING TO AID FOLLOWING HURRICANE BARREL. AND AFTER THE WINTER STORM, UH, I ALWAYS LIKE TO REMIND PEOPLE, UH, PLUMBERS LOCAL 68 SPRUNG INTO ACTION TO ASSIST RESIDENTS WITH PLUMBING ISSUES AND TO HELP DISTRIBUTE RESOURCES. AND WE JUST HEARD LAST WEEK AT LABOR COMMITTEE ABOUT THE VOLUNTEER WORK THROUGH NEW HOUSTON TO CLEAR DEBRIS FOR RESIDENTS FOLLOWING THE RECHO AND HURRICANE BARREL. AND OF COURSE, OUR VERY OWN CITY EMPLOYEES UNION HOPE ASKED ME LOCAL 1, 2, 3, HIS ADVOCATED TIRELESSLY FOR THOUSANDS OF CITY EMPLOYEES. AND I WAS PROUD TO WORK WITH THEM, SPEARHEADING PRENATAL WELLNESS AND PAID PARENTAL LEAVE FOR ALL CITY EMPLOYEES, UH, ENSURING WOMEN DON'T HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN THEIR JOB AND THEIR HEALTH OR THEIR CHILDREN'S. AND EARLIER TODAY, UH, WE OPENED A NEW QUIET ROOM, UH, TWO ROOMS, EXCUSE ME, FOR OUR NINE ONE ONE CALL TAKERS THAT MY OFFICE HAD FUNDED. BECAUSE WITHOUT OUR CITY EMPLOYEES BEING AT THEIR BEST, WE AS A CITY CANNOT BE AT OURS. SO, 130 YEARS AGO, IN 1894, LABOR DAY WAS DECLARED A FEDERAL HOLIDAY AS A TIME TO HONOR AND RECOGNIZE THE SACRIFICE, ADVOCACY, AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF MILLIONS OF UNION MEMBERS NATIONWIDE. SO TODAY I AM JOINED BY HANNAH KHALIL, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF GULF COAST, A-F-L-C-I-O, LACEY WOLFE PRESIDENT. UH, WE HAVE BOARD MEMBERS AND STAFF, INCLUDING LINDA MORALES, ELSA FLORES, PAUL PUENTE, HORACE MARS, UH, ELE CASTRO MINOR. AND IF I MISPRONOUNCED YOUR NAME, I'M SO SORRY, DEL, EXCUSE ME. UM, SO WITH THAT, BEFORE THEY SPEAK, MAYOR, I'M GONNA PRESENT THE PROCLAMATION AT THIS TIME. WHEREAS ON SEPTEMBER 2ND, 2024, OUR NATION WILL CELEBRATE LABOR DAY TO COMMEMORATE THOSE WHO BANDED TOGETHER IN THE 19TH AND 20TH CENTURIES, EVEN SACRIFICING THEIR LIVES TO WIN BASIC PROTECTIONS FOR AMERICA'S WORKERS. LABOR UNIONS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FIVE DAY WORKPLACE, WORK WEEK, WORKPLACE SAFETY, PAID VACATIONS, OVERTIME, MINIMUM WAGE, AND MANY MORE OF THE STANDARD BASIC WORKING CONDITIONS WE ALL BENEFIT FROM TODAY. TODAY'S UNIONS CONTINUE TO DEFEND AGAINST THOSE WHO WOULD SEND US BACK TO THE DAYS WHEN WORKERS HAD NO VOICE. INEQUALITY AND INSECURITY WERE RAMPANT, AND CHILD LABOR WAS NORMALIZED. TODAY'S UNIONS COMBAT LOW WAGES AND UNSAFE WORKPLACES, DISCRIMINATION AND OTHER CHALLENGES WORKERS CONTINUE TO FACE. WHEREAS THE TEXAS GULF COAST, A-F-L-C-I-O WAS ESTABLISHED IN 2015 TO ADVOCATE FOR A TEXAS WHERE ALL WORKING PEOPLE HAVE A FAIR SHOT AT BETTER LIVES, REGARDLESS OF THE COLOR OF OUR SKIN, WHICH COUNTRY WE COME FROM, OR WHO WE LOVE, THAT WE ALL DESERVE THE AMERICAN DREAM. TODAY, TEXAS GULF COAST, A-F-L-C-I-O REPRESENTS OVER 95 UNIONS AND OVER 60,000 UNION MEMBERS EMPOWERING COUNTLESS OTHERS. THEY'RE BUILDING AN EVEN STRONGER VOICE FOR HOUSTON'S WORKERS THROUGH ELECTORAL POLITICS, POLICY CAMPAIGNS, AND SOCIAL AND TRADITIONAL MEDIA AND ORGANIZING AFFILIATED UNIONS ARE MOBILIZING IN TEXAS AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO GET OUT THE VOTE, BUILD A STRONGER FUTURE FOR ALL, AND DEFEND AMERICA'S DEMOCRACY. FROM PROJECT 2020 FIVE'S AGENDA, THE MEMBERS ARE LIFTING UP THOSE IN NEED, GENEROUSLY GIVING BACK TO OUR HOUSTON COMMUNITY THROUGH DONATION DRIVES, APPRENTICESHIPS AND UNION DRIVEN DISASTER RECOVERY EFFORTS, AND MUCH MORE. THE CITY OF HOUSTON COMMENDS AND APPRECIATES THE TEXAS GULF COAST, A-F-L-C-I-O FOR ITS VISION AND COMMITMENT [00:20:01] TO DEFENDING THE RIGHTS OF WORKING FAMILIES, AND EXTENDS OUR APPRECIATION AND BEST WISHES FOR THIS YEAR'S LABOR DAY CELEBRATION AT THE PASADENA CONVENTION CENTER ON AUGUST 31ST, 2024. AND I HOPE COUNCIL MEMBERS, YOU'LL ALL JOIN US OUT THERE, MAYOR. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN CAYMAN. AND, UH, THANK YOU INDIVIDUALLY AND COLLECTIVELY, ANNIE. UH, I'VE WORKED WITH THE COUNCIL MY ENTIRE CAREER. IN FACT, I LIKE TO SAY, IF YOU DON'T LIKE SOMETHING I SAY OR DO, DON'T BLAME ME. BLAME LABOR. 'CAUSE THEY, IF YOU NOT ONLY GOT ME STARTED, YOU'VE KEPT ME THERE OVER 50 YEARS, UH, ON BEHALF OF ALL HOUSTONIANS, WE THANK YOU. UH, YOU'VE HELPED MAKE THIS A GREAT CITY, UH, THROUGH YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS, YOUR POLITICAL INVOLVEMENT, BUT CERTAINLY YOUR HARD LABOR. UH, IT SHOULDN'T BE ANY SECRET OF, UH, LABOR'S PRESENCE HERE AT CITY HALL SINCE I WAS SWORN IN AS THE FIRST UNION MEMBER THAT IS NOW MAYOR, AS WE HAVE A STRONG PRESENCE HERE, CERTAINLY AT THE FIREFIGHTER'S CONTRACT WAS PROOF OF THAT. AND NOW WE'RE VERY SHORTLY WE'LL ANNOUNCE HOPE'S CONTRACT. SO I'VE ENCOURAGED ALL CITY EMPLOYEES, THE UNION MEMBERS, UH, YOU AND I KNOW THAT THE NON-UNION MEMBERS WILL BENEFIT FROM THE ORGANIZATION. UH, COLLECTIVE BOARD MEET AND CONFER THE COLLABORATIVE EFFECT OF THE, UH, NEW CONTRACT THAT WILL BE ANNOUNCED SHORTLY. SO I KNOW THERE'S NON-UNION MEMBERS ARE GONNA BENEFIT, JUST LIKE THE UNION MEMBERS. YOU AND I HAVE STRONG OPINIONS ABOUT THAT, AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO SUPPORT THEIR LOCAL UNION. UH, THE WORKING MEN AND WOMEN HAVE MADE HOUSTON, WHETHER YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE PORT, CERTAINLY, UH, THE PEOPLE THAT OPENED UP THE BUILDINGS AND KEEP THE LIGHTS ON IN THE, UH, COMMERCIAL AREAS. IT WAS HOT AS HELL WHEN WE WERE OUT ON RICHMOND AVENUE. YES, IT PROTESTING. AND YES, IT WAS. AND THE, THE, UH, OFFICE MANAGERS AND OWNERS AND THE DEPUTY SHERIFFS WERE ABOUT TO TAKE US DOWNTOWN. AND ABOUT TWO SUMMERS AGO, I ASKED THE, UH, ORGANIZER, I SAID, Y'ALL WANNA GO TO JAIL OR, OR STAY OUT HERE IN THE HEAT AND, UH, MAKE OUR POINT. SO IT'S, IT'S A GREAT EXPERIENCE. I WOULD ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO BE INVOLVED. AND THEREFORE, I, JOHN WHITMEYER, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROCLAIM AUGUST 31ST, IS TEXAS GULF COAST, FLC, ALL DAY IN THIS HOUSTON CITY. THANK Y'ALL FOR BEING HERE. AND, AND, UH, I THINK WE'RE GONNA HAVE MAYOR SOME WORDS, UM, FROM LACEY WOLF, BUT I, I, UH, WANTED TO ALSO RECOGNIZE MY VICE CHAIR ON THE LABOR COMMITTEE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ. AND I THINK, FRANCESCA, I DIDN'T SAY RECOGNIZE YOUR NAME EARLIER, SO IT'S GREAT TO HAVE YOU AS WELL. THANK YOU. AND I'M HONORED, UH, MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR APPOINTING ME AS VICE CHAIR OF LABOR. IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S IMPORTANT NEAR AND DEAR TO ME AS WELL. UH, I'VE WORKED, UH, LONG HOURS WITH SOME OF THESE FOLKS BEHIND ME AS A STAFFER, LOOKING FORWARD TO, UH, EVENTUALLY THE RESPONSIBLE BID ORDINANCE COMING FORWARD SO WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT FOLKS ARE GETTING PAID, UM, YOU KNOW, SUBCONTRACTORS GETTING PAID. AND SO, UM, AS WE CONTINUE TO FIGHT FOR THE, THOSE FOLKS THAT ARE AT SCIU AS WELL, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE STANDING WITH THEM, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S IMPORTANT TO CONTINUE TO ACKNOWLEDGE ALL THE WORK THAT, UH, LABOR HAS, HAS DONE, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO IT. SO THANK YOU AS WELL, UH, AS MY, AS THE CHAIR FOR LABOR COMMITTEE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CAME IN FOR INVITING ME UP HERE WITH YOU. THANK YOU. ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU MAYOR WHITMEYER. THANK YOU. COUNCILWOMAN ABBY CAYMAN, AND ALSO THANK YOU COUNCILMAN JOAQUIN MARTINEZ AND ALL THE COUNCIL FOR THIS GREAT PROCLAMATION, UH, FROM THE CITY. IT IS, IT IS QUITE AN HONOR, UH, TO US. AND WE, WE DO NOT TAKE IT LIGHTLY. I'LL KEEP MY WORDS, UH, SHORT BECAUSE, UH, WE'RE GETTING PAID PRETTY WELL TO GET BACK TO WORK. SO, UH, UH, BUT I DO WANNA SAY THAT TO DO LABOR RIGHT, YOU MUST TAKE THOSE WHO NEED LABOR, AND THEY HAVE TO BE A GOOD PARTNER WITH THOSE WHO, WHO DO THE LABOR. AND THAT'S US. AND THAT WE ARE, WE'RE PROUD OF WHAT WE DO. SO, AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR THIS. WE FEEL THAT WE'RE DOING THE RIGHT THING, AND WE FEEL THAT BEING PART OF A UNION IS WHAT MAKES THIS RIGHT. SO AGAIN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ANYONE ELSE WANNA SPEAK? ? OKAY. OH, I'M SORRY. COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ, WE'LL START WITH YOU. THANK YOU, UH, MADAM PRO TEM, THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD. AND THANK ALL OF YOU FOR BEING HERE. HANEY, [00:25:01] LACEY, PAUL, LINDA, AND, AND ALL OF YOU FOR REMINDING US WHY WE HAVE A HOLIDAY ON MONDAY AND FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU DO. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. CAROLYN EVANS SHABAZZ. THANK YOU MAYOR PROAM. AND CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, IT'S UNION WHEN YOU SEE HANNI KHAL AND LINDA IS COMING THE BUILDING. AND SO CERTAINLY THEY HAVE BEEN JUST STALWARTS IN, IN KEEPING THIS GOING AND HELPING PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO, FIRST OF ALL, REALIZE HOW IMPORTANT TRADES ARE. YOU KNOW, I PUSHED THAT, I, OF COURSE, I WAS THE CHAIRMAN AT THE HOUSTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE, BUT I'VE ALSO ALWAYS HAD SUCH A GREAT LOVE AND RESPECT. I TELL PEOPLE THAT I CAN'T FIX MY OWN CAR. UH, IF THE AIR GOES OUT, YOU BETTER LEAVE THE BUILDING BECAUSE THERE'S NOTHING THAT I CAN DO FOR YOU. BUT YOU ALL THIS COUNTRY WAS BUILT ON THE BACKS OF PEOPLE AND, UH, THAT HAVE WORKED IN THE TRADES. AND YOU ALL HAVE JUST REALLY, REALLY HELPED PEOPLE TO KNOW THAT THEY CAN BE COMFORTABLE IN, IN THEIR POSITIONS. 'CAUSE YOU ARE OUT THERE FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT. AND I AM CURRENTLY A MEMBER OF A FT AS A RETIRED TEACHER, AND PREVIOUSLY A MEMBER OF HFT. AND I, I SHUDDER TO THINK WHEN PEOPLE DON'T HAVE THOSE PROTECTION. AND SO CERTAINLY THANK YOU AND THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD, AND CERTAINLY MAYOR FOR, UH, GRACING THEM WITH THIS PROCLAMATION TODAY. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER. THANK YOU MAYOR PER TIM. AND THANK YOU, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD. AS AN OWNER OF A BUSINESS, THERE IS NO WAY I COULD GET THROUGH MY DAY WITHOUT MY TEAM. IT WOULD BE ABSOLUTELY IMPOSSIBLE. AND, AND SO EVERY DAY I'M REMINDED OF THE IMPORTANT WORK THAT ALL OF YOU DO. Y'ALL ARE FIERCE LEADERS FOR YOUR MEMBERS. AND, UH, AND I LOVE IT BECAUSE YOU DON'T JUST FIGHT FOR THEM BECAUSE YOU WANT TO, YOU FIGHT FOR COMPASS BECAUSE YOU KNOW YOU NEED TO, BECAUSE THEY CAN'T SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES OFTENTIMES. AND SO THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO. UM, JUST THE SELFISH, THE SELFISH LIST WORK, UM, THAT YOU DO EVERY DAY FOR, FOR THE PEOPLE THAT KEEP EVERYTHING GOING. UM, AND SO THANKS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TEM AND COUNCIL MEMBERS CAMAN AND MARTINEZ AND MAYOR FOR HONORING THE SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS OF LABOR. UH, YOU KNOW, AS WE'VE SEEN HOUSTON RECOVER FROM DISASTERS, WE HAVE SEEN LABOR STEP UP IN SO MANY WAYS FROM OUR CITY EMPLOYEES THAT ARE KEEPING FACILITIES GOING, OUR PUBLIC SAFETY FOLKS, AND EVEN AFTERWARDS, AS WE REBUILD AND RECOVER, YOU KNOW, Y'ALL WERE OFFERING TO HELP CLEAR DEBRIS OFF OF HOMES FOR FOLKS WHO COULDN'T DO IT THEMSELVES. AND THAT'S THE HOUSTON WAY. AND, AND IT'S SO GREAT TO SEE Y'ALL GET THIS RECOGNITION. LINDA, IT'S ALWAYS GREAT TO SEE A CONSTITUENT, UH, HERE AT CITY HALL. UM, BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HONORING THEM AND FOR THEIR SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS. THOMAS, UH, THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN AND, UH, FOR PRESENTING THIS AMAZING GROUP. UH, SELFISHLY I JUST WANNA SHARE THE BENEFIT OF LABOR IN MY LIFE. SO IF IT HAD NOT BEEN FOR THE PLUMBER'S UNION, I WOULD STILL HAVE THREE BUSTED PIPES FROM WINTER STORM. YURI. UM, I DON'T KNOW WHO THEY WERE, BUT I JUST LET THEM IN MY HOUSE 'CAUSE I HAD DISTRIBUTIONS. I HAD TO SERVE PEOPLE. AND SO I HAD THREE BUSTED PIPES OF THE PLUMBER'S UNION, MADE SURE THAT I WAS MADE WHOLE. UH, IF IT WAS NOT FOR THE PLUMBER'S UNIT, I WOULD STILL HAVE LEAKY TOILETS. I WOULD HAVE AN ELECTRICAL BOX IN MY HOUSE THAT WOULD'VE BLOWN UP. UH, AND SO, UH, JUST THE KNOWING THAT THE WORK THAT'S HAPPENING TO PROTECT JUST MY HOME AND HOW I LIVE, UH, THAT INVESTMENT IS, UM, A SAFETY NET FOR ME. UM, AS AN ASIDE, AND WE CAN TALK ABOUT THIS, I THINK WE CAN'T, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T MAKE THE CONNECTION BETWEEN, UH, THE WORKFORCE IN THE UNION AND HOUSING AND, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A WAIT LIST IN THE CITY. AND I, PARTICULARLY IN DISTRICT DEATH, WE HAVE CLOSE TO 645 PEOPLE THAT ARE WAITING FOR A HOUSING VOUCHER. I HAVE THE APPETITE FOR PARTNERING WITH THE UNION TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE INDIVIDUALS HAD A PIPELINE TO A WORKFORCE WHERE THEY CAN HAVE HIGH SKILL, HIGH WAGE, MEANINGFUL CAREER, THAT THEY WOULDN'T NEED THE HOUSING VOUCHER. AND I THINK THAT'S THE TYPE OF TRANSFORMATIONAL, IN INNOVATIVE WORK THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO DO AT A CITY LEVEL AND AT A REGION LEVEL TO MODEL THAT. SO, LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING THAT CONVERSATION, UM, WITH THE LABOR COMMITTEE AND THE HOUSING COMMITTEE IN THE FUTURE. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. I, I THINK IN THAT LAST COMMITTEE MEETING, I WAS STARTLED TO HEAR FROM THE HOUSE, UH, UH, HOUSING DIRECTOR THAT THERE WAS 30,000 PEOPLE WAITING FOR, UH, A HOUSING VOUCHER. UM, SO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU FOR THE GREAT WORK THAT YOU DO. UM, WE'RE VERY HONORED TO BE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH YOU AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON. THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER CAMAN, FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD. THANK YOU AND CONGRATULATIONS IN CONJUNCTION WITH THAT. UM, THE ONE THING WE DIDN'T REALLY TOUCH ON WAS THE APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS. UH, SO FOR [00:30:01] THE PUBLIC THAT IS LISTENING TODAY, UH, THOSE THAT ARE LOOKING FOR HIGH PAYING JOBS, BUT TRAINING TO HELP YOU ALONG THE WAY, UM, THE APPRENTICESHIP JOBS THAT ARE AVAILABLE THROUGH OUR LOCAL UNIONS IS SOMETHING THAT EARN WHILE YOU LEARN. THERE YOU GO. SO AGAIN, UH, ANYONE CAN FIND OUT MORE JUST BY GOOGLING GULF COAST A FFL CIO. THANK YOU. THANK MEMBER CASTILLO FOR PROCLAMATION TO LOVE ADVERTISING. TO CELEBRATE ITS 45TH ANNIVERSARY. OH, THERE YOU GO. YEP. I THOUGHT IT WAS ON THE LABOR. THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TEM. GOOD AFTERNOON, COLLEAGUES. UH, TODAY I AM EXCITED TO HONOR LOVE ADVERTISING AND BRENDA LOVE ON THEIR 45TH ANNIVERSARY HERE IN HOUSTON. UM, AND IT'S NOT JUST BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I HAVE KNOWN BRENDA FOR OVER EIGHT YEARS AND SHE EMBODIES THE SPIRIT OF HOUSTON THROUGH RESILIENCY AND STRENGTH AND COMPASSION, AND YES, LOVE. BUT, UM, SHE'S ALL ABOUT FAMILY AND EVERYONE AT HER COMPANY IS A FAMILY MEMBER. UM, AND I KNOW THIS BECAUSE MY HUSBAND'S BEEN AT HER COMPANY FOR 11 YEARS, SO I'VE SEEN IT FIRSTHAND, UH, JOEL BACK THERE. UM, AND IT'S BEEN A, AN HONOR TO SEE HOW SHE'S CONDUCTED HER BUSINESS. UM, I HAVE TO SAY ONE, ONE, UH, TIDBIT HERE, THIS FUN FACT. UH, SHE WAS AT HER WEDDING AND SHE WAS THE ONLY PERSON THAT GOT BOTH OF US ON THE DANCE FLOOR AT THE SAME TIME, , UH, BECAUSE WE WERE SO BUSY SAYING HI TO ALL OF OUR GUESTS, UH, SHE RAN OVER AND SHE SAID, JOEL NEEDS TO SEE YOU ON THE DANCE FLOOR. I'M LIKE, OKAY. AND THEN SHE RUNS OVER TO HIM AND SAYS, MARIO NEEDS TO SEE YOU ON THE DANCE FLOOR. AND THEN WE MEET ON THE DANCE FLOOR. AND WE BOTH WERE LIKE, WAIT, WHAT? 'CAUSE WE HADN'T BEEN ON THE DANCE FLOOR THE WHOLE NIGHT TOGETHER. UH, BUT WE DID BECAUSE OF HER. AND SO I'M, I'M HONORED TO, UH, RECOGNIZE HER BUSINESS AND HER COMPANY. YOU KNOW, SHE RECEIVED THE SILVER MEDAL FROM THE AMERICAN ADVERTISING FEDERATION, UM, AND WAS INDUCTED INTO THEIR HALL OF FAME. AND DURING THE ACCEPTANCE SPEECH, UM, JUST TO SHOW YOU THE IMPACT THAT LOVE ADVERTISING HAS HAD IN THIS SPACE IN THE COMMUNITY, UM, SHE ASKED ANYONE WHO HAD BEEN A PART OF THE COMPANY TO STAND UP. AND SO MANY FOLKS ACROSS THE ROOM HAD STOOD UP BECAUSE THEY HAD HAD GONE THROUGH THROUGH LOVE. UM, SO TODAY, UH, WE ARE GONNA HONOR LOVE ADVERTISING WITH A PROCLAMATION . WHEREAS LOVE ADVERTISING FOUNDED BY LIFELONG HOUSTONIAN, BRENDA LOVE HAS PIONEERED HOUSTON'S ADVERTISING SCENE FOR 45 YEARS. AS THE OWNER OF THE CITY'S LONGEST STANDING INDEPENDENTLY WOMAN-OWNED AGENCY, BRENDA HAS CONSISTENTLY SHOWN UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO THE COMMUNITY SHE LOVES AND TO CLIENT SUCCESS THROUGH INTEGRITY, HONESTY, AND INNOVATIVE THINKING. WHEREAS LOVE ADVERTISING IS DEDICATED TO ATTRACTING, HIRING AND RETAINING TOP TALENT. BRENDA SEEKS QUALITIES BEYOND RESUMES SUCH AS HUMILITY, KINDNESS, PASSION, AND ADOPTING THE PHILOSOPHY HIRE NICE. WHEREAS LOVE ADVERTISING HAS GENEROUSLY SUPPORTED NUMEROUS CHARITIES PROVIDING PRO BONO WORK FOR ORGANIZATIONS LIKE RONALD MCDONALD'S HOUSE, SAY, CHRISTOPHER'S TRUCKERS RELIEF FUND. AND THE BARBARA BUSH LITERARY FOUND LITERARY LITERACY FOUNDATION WHILE SUPPORTING LOCAL AND PRIVATE EDUCATION THROUGHOUT HOUSTON. WHEREAS BRENDA HAS SERVED ON INDUSTRY AND COMMUNITY BOARDS, INCLUDING CHUCK NORRIS'S, KICKSTART KIDS PROGRAM, MEMORIAL HERMAN HOSPITAL FOUNDATION, THE AMERICAN ADVERTISING FEDERATION, HOUSTON FOUNDATION BOARD. AND THROUGHOUT HER WORK ON THE AMERICAN ON THE ADVERTISING EDUCATION FOUNDATION BOARD, SHE HAS HELPED AWARD HUNDREDS OF SCHOLARSHIPS TO [00:35:01] COLLEGE STUDENTS. THROUGH THE YEARS, HER EFFORTS HAVE EARNED PRESTIGIOUS AWARDS, INCLUDING INDUCTION INTO THE AMERICAN ADVERTISING FEDERATION HALL OF FAME AND MULTIPLE AGENCY PRINCIPLE OF THE YEAR TITLES. AND WHEREAS LOVE ADVERTISING HAS COLLABORATED WITH AN IMPRESSIVE ROSTER OF BRANDS INCLUDING SHELL ENERGY, PHILLIPS 66 76, CONOCO, THE YMCA OF GREATER HOUSTON, THE HOUSTON LIVESTOCK SHOW, AND RODEO GALLERY FURNITURE, PERRY STEAKHOUSE GRILL, AND MANY MORE. AND WHEREAS THE CITY OF HOUSTON COMMENDS BRENDA LOVE FOR HER PERSONAL APPROACH THAT INSPIRES STAFF TO DELIVER EXCEPTIONAL RESULTS. HER GUIDANCE HAS LED TO NUMEROUS AWARDS LOCALLY, REGIONALLY, AND NATIONALLY, EVEN INTERNATIONALLY. UM, THE J CHIAT AWARD BEST IN SHOW AWARDS, BEST LARGE AGENCY AWARDS, VARIOUS INDIVIDUAL AND CAMPAIGN AWARDS IN AGENCY, MEDIA, CREATIVE, PR, DIGITAL AND MORE. AND WHEREAS WITH BRENDA LOVE'S LEADERSHIP, LOVE ADVERTISING IS POISED TO MAKE A LASTING IMPACT IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND BEYOND FOR MANY YEARS TO COME. THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, FOR BRINGING THIS SUCCESS STORY BEFORE US. UH, WHAT I WANT TO EMPHASIZE IS NOT ONLY SUCCESS OF BRENDA'S BUSINESS, BUT THE SUCCESS SHE HELPED OTHERS OBTAIN. I WAS THERE WHEN MATTRESS MAC WAS NOT QUITE AS WELL KNOWN AS IS TODAY. SO ON THE NORTH SIDE, WE WATCH YOU DEVELOP, UH, COMMERCIALS AND ADVERTISEMENT AND, AND TOLERATE MAC UH, AS MUCH AS YOU DID. SO ANYWAY, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUCCESS, BUT ALSO ASSISTING OTHERS. I MEAN, I, WE, WE HAD TIME. YOU COULD JUST ENUMERATE HOW MANY THAT YOU'VE, UH, HELPED MAKE SUCCESSFUL. SO THANK YOU AND IT'S PROPER THAT WE RECOGNIZE YOU TODAY. AND THEREFORE, I, JOHN WHITMEYER, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROCLAIM AUGUST 27TH, 2024, IS LOVE ADVERTISING DATE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. CONGRATULATIONS. WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA THANK ALL OF YOU HERE TODAY, AND ESPECIALLY THANKS TO YOU. THANKS FOR BEING MAYOR, REALLY. THANK YOU AND FOR MARIO FOR MAKING ALL THIS HAPPEN, I'M SURE, UH, OKAY. WHO WROTE THIS? BECAUSE ONE OF YOU COPYRIGHT PEOPLE BACK THERE, RYAN. YEAH. UH, THIS IS A LOT FOR Y'ALL TO HAVE TO HER TO HEAR . UM, SO WHO WOULD THINK THAT THIS LITTLE GIRL BORN AND RAISED IN THE HEIGHTS OF HOUSTON, TEXAS, NOT WHEN IT LOOKS LIKE IT DOES TODAY, BY THE WAY, , WE'D BE STANDING HERE. I CERTAINLY WOULDN'T. AND YES, THIS PROCLAMATION COMES AT A VERY IMPORTANT TIME IN OUR LIVES BECAUSE WE DO CELEBRATE 45 YEARS. SO 45 YEARS AGO, I WAS JUST A CHILD. UM, I WENT LOOKING FOR A JOB, I WORKED FOR AN AD AGENCY, BUT I DIDN'T LIKE WHO I WORKED FOR. SO I WENT LOOKING FOR A JOB. I INTERVIEWED FOR SEVEN MONTHS. THE ECONOMY WAS PRETTY GOOD. AND THEN I GOT TOLD, YOU KNOW, HONEY, WE JUST DON'T HIRE GIRLS TO DO WHAT YOU DO. I WENT, OKAY, GUESS I'LL HAVE TO MAKE A JOB. SO I DID. I TOOK $500 OUTTA MY SAVINGS ACCOUNT AND STARTED THE AGENCY. AND TODAY, I'M PROUD TO SAY WE HAVE 75 PEOPLE WORKING FOR US. AND WE ARE A $60 MILLION COMPANY. AND I AM ESPECIALLY PROUD OF THE WORK THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE DOING FOR PEOPLE SUCH AS THE YMCA, IF YOU'VE SEEN THE COMMERCIAL WHERE IT ENDS WITH THE SONG THAT'S OURS AND PEOPLE LIKE THE RODEO. AND YES, I'M VERY PROUD TO SAY FOR THE LAST 35 YEARS WE'VE BEEN MAKING SURE THAT EVERYBODY IN THE GREATER HOUSTON AREA KNOWS THAT MATTRESS, MAC AND GALLERY FURNITURE REALLY WILL SAVE YOU MONEY, . AND WE KNOW THAT HE DOES SO MUCH MORE THAN THAT. I'M VERY PROUD TO HAVE BEEN A PART OF ALL OF THAT ALONG THE WAY TOO. I'LL NEVER FORGET, ONE DAY HE CALLED AND HARVEY HAD HAPPENED AND HE GOES, HOW DO I GET TO THE STORE? I WENT, ARE YOU AT HOME? YES. I SAID, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO GET ON THE FREEWAY AND GO THE WRONG WAY. HE WENT, HOW? AND I'M TALKING TO HIM ALL THE WAY, DRIVING THERE. SURE ENOUGH, HE MADE IT. AND WE KNOW THE STORY ABOUT HARVEY AFTER THAT. AND ALL THE OTHER WONDERFUL THINGS HE'S DONE. GREAT PEOPLE TO WORK FOR. HE AND LINDA BOTH. I ALSO WANNA THANK ALL THE PEOPLE WHO'VE WORKED TO LOVE. YES, BECAUSE I STAND ON, THEY, I STAND ON THEIR SHOULDERS, TRULY. I PROMISED I WOULDN'T CRY. AND THEY ALWAYS KNOW I DO. THAT'S WHY THEY WROTE THIS LONG THING. SO, AND ALL THE OTHER CLIENTS THAT HAVE SUPPORTED US LONG WAY. BUT I MOSTLY WANNA THANK GOD FOR THE PLAN HE HAD FOR ME WHO WOULD'VE KNOWN. AND I ALWAYS LIKE TO SAY, IF YOU WANNA MAKE GOD LAUGH, TELL HIM YOUR PLANS. SO SPECIAL THANKS TOO TO MY DAUGHTER LINDSAY, WHO'S BEEN HERE FOR 44 [00:40:01] OF THE 45 YEARS, AND MY WONDERFUL HUSBAND, ED JONES, FOR STANDING BY ME THROUGH A LOT OF UPS AND DOWNS. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THIS HONOR. IT'S TRULY A SPECIAL DAY FOR LOVE ADVERTISING, AND WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR THE SUPPORT OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND ALL OF YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TEM. UM, OH, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING, UH, MS. LOVE FORWARD BECAUSE MISS, LOVE TO HEAR YOUR STORY, UM, AS A WOMAN-OWNED BUSINESS, WHAT YOU HAVE CREATED AND WHAT YOU HAVE GONE THROUGH. UH, I HOPE IT SERVES AS AN INSPIRATION FOR OTHERS TO NOT TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER. UH, AND IT'S CERTAINLY A FAMILY AFFAIR, YOU CAN TELL. UH, AND I, I JUST HAVE TO SAY A SPECIAL HELLO, UH, TO COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO'S HUSBAND JOEL. IT IS ALWAYS SPECIAL WHEN WE GET TO HAVE ONE OF OUR COUNCIL PARTNERS, UH, IN THE AUDIENCE. SO AGAIN, IT'S GREAT TO HAVE YOU HERE AS WELL. YES. AND ALL THOSE PEOPLE WORK AT LEFT THOSE FIRST TWO ROWS BACK THERE EXCEPT FOR A COUPLE. COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER, THANK YOU, TWILA. HELLO . SO THANK YOU FOR, UH, FOR BEING HERE TODAY, BUT I, I JUST SITTING HERE THINKING, I BET THOSE GUYS WHO TURNED YOU DOWN, BECAUSE WE DON'T HIRE A LITTLE LADY. WE DON'T HIRE SOMEBODY TO DO WHAT YOU DO. AND YOUR $500 INVESTMENT HAS PAID OFF. AND GOD BLESS YOU. YOU'VE BEEN, BEEN BLESSED AND BLESSED MANY, AND WHAT A WONDERFUL STORY. AND SO PROUD TO HAVE MET YOU, TO HAVE WATCHED YOUR CAREER. AND YEAH, I REMEMBER MATTRESS MAC WHEN HE WAS IN THE BRICK HOUSE AND PULLED THE FURNITURE IN EVERY DAY. 'CAUSE I GREW UP RIGHT DOWN THE STREET. AND SO WHAT A, WHAT A GIFT. YOU HAVE BEEN TO OUR CITY AND THANK YOU FOR DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING. CONTINUE TO DO IT. AND IF WE EVER NEED A GOOD ADVERTISING AGENCY, WE KNOW WHO TO CALL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU. THANK YOU COUNCIL. [2:00 P.M. – INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE] UH, MEMBER THOMAS FOR THE INVOCATION, PLEASE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, MAY I ASK EVERYONE TO BOW THEIR HEAD OR WHATEVER YOU DO IN YOUR PRACTICE? DEAR GOD, BEFORE WE ASK YOU FOR ANYTHING, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING. I WANNA THANK YOU FOR EVERY PERSON IN THE CHAMBER AND ASK THAT YOU PROTECT OUR CITY, THAT YOU CONTINUE TO LOVE OUR CITY SO WE CAN CONTINUE TO SERVE OUR CITY. I PARTICULARLY WANNA CALL OUT AND LIFT UP TO YOU OUR MAYOR, WILLIE DAVIS, ABBY CAYMAN, FRED FLICKINGER, TARSHA JACKSON M ANN HUFFMAN, JULIAN RAMIREZ, OUR SEC CITY SECRETARY MARTA, OUR MAYOR, PRO TEM MARTHA CASTEX TATUM, AMY PECK, JOAQUIN MARTINEZ, ED POLLARD, SALLY ALCORN, LETICIA PLUMMER, TWILA CARTER, CAROLYN, EVAN SHABAZZ, MARIO CASTILLO, AND EVERYONE THAT WE REPRESENT. GOD, THANK YOU FOR GETTING US TO THIS PLACE. CONTINUE TO LEAD US AND GUIDE US, AND IF WE ERROR, GIVE US YOUR GRACE THAT WE MAY RETURN TO THE PLACE TO SERVE YOU. AMEN. AMEN. THANK YOU. WE PLEASE STAND FOR THE PLEDGE. [00:45:15] MADAM [ROLL CALL AND ADOPT THE MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING] SECRETARY, PLEASE. A ROLL CALL. MAYOR WHITMEYER. PRESENT, COUNCIL MEMBER PECK HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN. PRESENT, COUNCILOR EVAN SHABA. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER. HERE. COUNCIL THOMAS. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN. PRESENT. COUNCILMAN CASTILLO? HERE. COUNCIL MARTINEZ. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTEX TATUM. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. HERE. COUNCIL CARTER PRESENT. COUNCIL PLUM HERE. AND COUNCILOR ALCORN. HERE NEED A MOTION TO ADOPT THE MINUTES OF APRIL 16TH AND 17TH AND APRIL 23RD AND 24TH. CASTEX TATUM, MOVE MOTION'S HAS BEEN MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILOR CAYMAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO MOVE LINDSEY ALDRICH TO THE TOP OF THE THREE MINUTE NON AGENDA LIST TO BE FOLLOWED BY NANCY HIGGS. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED AN NAY. MOTION PASSES. COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN APPOINTED OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE. I'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE IN THE AUDIENCE THE MEMBERS OF A A RP WHO HAVE BEEN VISITING TODAY. IT'S THEIR COMMUNITY BUILDING DAY. UM, Y'ALL STAND UP. GET YEAH, GET A BIG WE HAD A GREAT VISIT EARLIER, MAYOR, AND THEY ARE, UM, WALKING AROUND TALKING TO US ABOUT THEIR AGE FRIENDLY LIVABLE COMMUNITY PLAN THAT WAS ROLLED OUT ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO. AND THEY'RE PUTTING A LOT OF THOSE STEPS IN ACTION. AND, AND ALSO, WHILE I'M ON THE MIC, I WANNA, UH, MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO, TO MOVE TWO OF THEIR SPEAKERS. ROSALINDA MARTINEZ AND MARY ESTHER VIGIL. UM, TO THE TOP OF THE TWO MINUTE NON AGENDA LIST. SECOND. MOTION. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. ANYONE ELSE WITH A MOTION? IF NOT, [PUBLIC SPEAKERS] MADAM SECRETARY, IF YOU'LL CALL OUR FIRST SPEAKER SARAH SHEPHERD, TO BE FOLLOWED BY RANDALL HALL. THANK GOODNESS. HELLO. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I'M SPEAKING TODAY, BOTH ON BEHALF OF MYSELF, A FORMER LIBRARIAN AT THE HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY WITH 14 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE, A HOLDER OF A MASTER'S DEGREE IN LIBRARY SCIENCE, A MOTHER TO A FIVE-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER AND A LIBRARY POWER USER. AND ALSO FOR THOSE WHO STILL WORK AT THE LIBRARY AND FEEL THAT THEY CAN'T SPEAK OUT FOR THEMSELVES FOR FEAR OF RETALIATION OR BULLYING, WHICH HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY ADMINISTRATION HAS A RECENT HISTORY OF. MY FIRST CONCERN IS WITH HOW THE SEARCH FRAY LIBRARY DIRECTOR WAS CONDUCTED. ACCORDING TO STAFF CURRENTLY WORKING AT THE LIBRARY, THERE HAS BEEN NO TRANSPARENCY IN THE SEARCH FOR A NEW DIRECTOR. THEY DIDN'T EVEN KNOW ONE WAS HAPPENING. WERE ANY STAFF, LIBRARY STAFF ON INTERVIEWS WHO WERE THE OTHER FINALISTS FOR THE POSITION? THE PROCESS SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN CONDUCTED HAPHAZARDLY AT BEST. COMPARE THIS TO SAN ANTONIO PUBLIC LIBRARY, WHICH HAS ENGAGED A CONSULTING COMPANY TO CONDUCT A NATIONWIDE SEARCH AND HAS CREATED AN EXCELLENT PACKET OUTLINING THEIR CITY AND THE QUALIFICATIONS THEIR IDEAL LIBRARY DIRECTOR WOULD HAVE. A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE THAT THE MINIMUM QUALIFICATION FOR A LIBRARIAN IS TO HAVE EARNED A MASTER'S IN LIBRARY SCIENCE DEGREE FROM A SCHOOL ACCREDITED BY THE AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION. PEOPLE LIKE TO GROUP SCHOOLS AND PUBLIC LIBRARIES TOGETHER AS INSTITUTIONS OF LEARNING. AND ON THE SURFACE, IT MIGHT APPEAR THAT A SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR COULD TRANSFER THEIR SKILLS TO A PUBLIC LIBRARY SETTING. HOWEVER, PUBLIC LIBRARIES ARE HAVE VERY DIFFERENT PRIORITIES THAN SCHOOLS DO. SCHOOLS ACT IN LOCAL PARENTIS, PUBLIC LIBRARIES DO NOT. PUBLIC LIBRARIES HAVE MATERIALS FOR EVERYONE. THEY STRIVE TO BE A PLACE FREE OF CENSORSHIP AND FIGHT FOR THE RIGHT FOR PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO READ THE THINGS THAT THEY WANT TO READ. THEY, THEY DON'T RE THEY DON'T RESTRICT ACCESS TO INFORMATION. AND THE EDUCATION THAT HAPPENS IN LIBRARIES IS INFORMAL APPOINTING A SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR, AS THE LIBRARY DIRECTOR DEVALUES THE LIBRARY AND SHOWS THAT THE LIBRARY AND LIBRARIANSHIP ARE NOT RESPECTED. JUST WORKING IN LIBRARY DOES NOT MAKE ONE A LIBRARIAN. LIBRARIANS HOLD MASTER'S DEGREES. WHILE THERE ARE EXCELLENT AND DEDICATED STAFF WORKING AT THE LIBRARY AT ALL LEVELS, I BELIEVE THAT THE DIRECTOR OF A MAJOR LIBRARY SYSTEM IN THE FOURTH LARGEST CITY IN THE COUNTRY SHOULD HAVE A MASTER'S DEGREE IN LIBRARY SCIENCE. AS WELL AS EXPERIENCED WORKING FRONT LINES IN A PUBLIC LIBRARY. HPL OFF ALREADY SUFFERS FROM A LACK OF PROFESSIONAL LIBRARIANS. MANY LOCATIONS DON'T EVEN HAVE ONE LIBRARIAN ON STAFF. THE CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER [00:50:01] OF HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY DOESN'T HAVE A MASTER'S DEGREE IN LIBRARY SCIENCE, NOR HAS HE EVEN WORKED ON THE FRONT LINES. I WOULD POINT OUT THAT LIBRARY DIRECTORS OF ALL THE MAJOR LIBRARY SYSTEMS IN TEXAS AND THE CAPITALS OF OTHER STATES ARE MLS DEGREED LIBRARIANS, THE EXCEPTION BEING NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY, WHICH RUNS AND IS FUNDED DIFFERENTLY THAN ALL OTHER PUBLIC LIBRARIES. I WOULD ASK MS. GAU IF SHE CAN LIST THE BASIC TENANTS LAID OUT IN THE LIBRARY BILL OF RIGHTS. DOES SHE KNOW WHAT THE OFFICE OF INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM IS AND WHAT THEY DO? ANOTHER CONCERN BROUGHT UP TO ME BY CURRENT STAFF, UM, IS THE LAWSUIT THAT WAS BROUGHT AGAINST MS. GALL WHILE SHE WAS PRINCIPAL AT HISD. THANK YOU. TIME HAS EXPIRED. YOU CAN FINISH. OH, THANK YOU. UM, THE LAWSUIT, UH, BROUGHT AGAINST MS. GA, UH, WHILE SHE WAS A PRINCIPAL AT HISD ALLEGING DENIAL OF REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS, BULLYING AND RETALIATION AGAINST AN EMPLOYEE. THIS COMES UP, UH, IN A GOOGLE SEARCH OF HER NAME. AND WHILE IT HAPPENED MORE THAN 10 YEARS AGO, IT IS SOMETHING THAT DOES TRIGGER FEAR IN MANY CURRENT LIBRARY EMPLOYEES. GIVEN PREVIOUS CONCERNS AND ISSUES OF RETALIATION AND BULLYING AT HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY BY THE FORMER ADMINISTRATION, THIS IS NOT IN STILL CONFIDENCE IN STAFF. WHILE ON THE SURFACE, MS. GA'S RE RESUME IS IMPRESSIVE, I DON'T BELIEVE SHE POSSESSES THE QUALIFICATIONS FOR A SUCCESSFUL DIRECTOR OF THE HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A RIGOROUS SEARCH DONE IN THE WAY THAT SAN ANTONIO PUBLIC LIBRARY IS HOUSTON DESERVES BETTER. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND YOUR ATTENTION. THANK YOU. COUNCILOR KAMAN. MA'AM? MA'AM. COUNCILOR KABAN. SORRY. THANK YOU, MAYOR. IT'S MY FIRST TIME AND AND I APPRECIATE THAT. UM, THE ADMINISTRATION IS MAKING MS. G AVAILABLE. I'LL ACTUALLY BE STEPPING OUT TO MEET WITH HER, UM, AFTER MY CONSTITUENTS FINISH SPEAKING. UM, YOU, MS. MS. SHEPHERD, YOU SAID YOU WERE SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF CURRENT EMPLOYEES, IS THAT CORRECT? YES, THAT'S CORRECT. UM, I HEARD YOU MAKE ONE ASK. I WAS GONNA, MY QUESTION WAS MORE, SO ONE YOU'VE STATED WHAT ONE OF YOUR REQUESTS ARE. IS THERE A REQUEST ON BEHALF OF PUBLIC LIBRARY EMPLOYEES AS IT RELATES TO, UH, THE CURRENT NOMINEE, EITHER ENGAGEMENT OR HOW TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE COMFORTABLE? SURE. UM, THEY WOULD'VE LIKED TO SEE SOME TRANSPARENCY IN THE PROCESS. UM, I WAS INFORMED THAT PEOPLE DIDN'T KNOW THAT THE SEARCH WAS EVEN HAPPENING. UM, AND IT WOULD BE NICE THAT WHOEVER IS SELECTED, UM, AS A FINALIST TO BE THE DIRECTOR OF THE LIBRARY, MAYBE GETS TO MEET WITH SOME OF THE FRONTLINE STAFF, YOU KNOW, FOR A Q AND A, UM, LOOKING AT WHAT SAN ANTONIO PUBLIC LIBRARY HAS DONE, THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S INCLUDED IN THEIR KIND OF DESCRIPTION OF THE PROCESS IN THEIR SEARCH FOR DIRECTOR. THANK YOU, MA'AM. THANK YOU. NEXT, RANDALL HALL TO BE FOLLOWED BY VANESSA COLE. THANK YOU MAYOR. COUNCIL MEMBERS, MY NAME IS RANDY HALL AND I'M HERE TODAY TO ASK FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF ITEM NUMBER 52 ON YOUR AGENDA. THE CONSENT TO CREATE MUD 5 89 TO FURTHER CONTINUE OUR EFFORTS TO REBUILD THE INNER CITY OF HOUSTON AND PROVIDE AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR OUR LOCAL RESIDENTS. UH, BEFORE I START, I'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE CHESTER, UH, PASTOR CHARLES TAYLOR WITH GRACE CATHEDRAL CHURCH, WHOSE CHURCH OWNS A LARGE TRACK, WHICH WILL BE THE COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT WITHIN THE DISTRICT, LOCATED ON MESA DRIVE AND VANESSA COLE WITH COLE KLINE BUILDERS WILL BE CO BUILDING AND DEVELOPING IN THE DISTRICT AS WELL. I'M CEO AND CO-FOUNDER OF WINDY HILL DEVELOPMENT. AND FOR THE PAST 35 YEARS, I'VE BEEN DEVELOPING STARTER HOME COMMUNITIES IN AND AROUND THE CITY OF HOUSTON, INCLUDING WAYSIDE VILLAGE ON WAYSIDE DRIVE AT LITTLE YORK FORBES CROSSING AT ORUM AND ALAMEDA GENOA NEAR JAVI AIRPORT, CLEARWOOD CROSSING AT, UH, AT, UH, FUQUA AND BLACK HAWK FAIR GREEN ON JFK BOULEVARD AND BELTWAY EIGHT AND OTHERS, TOTALING OVER 3000 NEW HOMES ALL PURCHASED UNDER THE CITY'S AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAM AND ALL SUCCESSFULLY DEVELOPED UTILIZING IN-CITY MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICTS. MUD 5 89 WAS CREATED THROUGH THE RECENT TEXAS LEGISLATIVE SESSION THROUGH A BILL INTRODUCED BY STATE REPRESENTATIVE NIA THOMPSON AND STATE SENATOR BORIS MILES, BOTH OF WHOM SAW THE NEED TO SUPPORT THE PROJECTS THAT CONTINUE REBUILDING THE INNER CITY OF HOUSTON BY PROVIDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO OUR LOCAL RESIDENTS. MUD 5 89 WILL SERVE OUR MESA VISTA PROJECT. MESA MESA DRIVE ON MESA DRIVE ACROSS FROM NORTH FOREST HIGH SCHOOL AND WILL CONSIST OF 673 SINGLE FAMILY HOMES STARTING AT $180,000. YOU HEARD THAT RIGHT? $180,000. MANY OF YOU, AS YOU KNOW, ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAM AND THAT PRICE IS ALMOST 50% LESS THAN THE MAXIMUM HOME PRICE OF $334,000 CURRENTLY ALLOWED UNDER THE PROGRAM. THIS IS TRULY AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND WITHIN REACH OF [00:55:01] MANY LOCAL NORTH FOREST RESIDENTS WHO'VE BEEN PRICED OUT OF THE NEW HOME MARKET BY GENTRIFICATION OF DEVELOPERS AND BUILDERS OFFERING NEW HOMES AND TOWN HOMES IN THE $600,000 RANGE AND ABOVE, WE ARE NOT GENTRIFYING THIS AREA WITH OUR PROJECT TO THE CONTRARY, WE ARE OFFERING LOCAL RESIDENTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO BUY A NEW HOME UNDER THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAM AND STAY IN THE AREA MANY HAVE GROWN UP IN AND CONTINUE TO LIVE AND WORK IN TODAY. HOWEVER, THE ONLY WAY TO DELIVER THESE NEW HOMES UNDER THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAM TO OUR RESIDENTS IS TO UTILIZE MUD 5 89 TO FINANCE THE INFRASTRUCTURE COST, WHICH LOWERS THE PURCHASE PRICE OF THE NEW HOMES. IN CLOSING, HOUSTON LEADS THE NATION IN HOUSING AFFORDABILITY AND WE'RE PROUD WE'VE BEEN A SMALL PART OF THAT, MAKING THAT HAPPEN FOR THE LAST THREE DECADES. LET'S CONTINUE MAKING THE AMERICAN DREAM POSSIBLE TO MANY OF THOSE WHO NEVER DREAMED OWNING A NEW HOME WAS WITHIN REACH AT THE SAME TIME. CONTINUE YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED, REBUILDING THE INNER CITY. I ASKED FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND YOUR VOTE YES. TO CREATE THE MESS. VISTA MUD 5 89. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MAYOR PROTE, CASTEX STATE, THANK YOU FOR, UM, COMING TODAY. UH, MY QUESTION IS, UM, WE, WE HAD OUR HOUSING COMMITTEE MEETING ON Y YESTERDAY, DAY BEFORE YESTERDAY. UM, AND WE TALKED ABOUT, UM, A STELLA LINK PROJECT WHERE WE ARE HAVING DIFFICULTY MEETING THE, UM, PROFITABILITY AND MAKING IT AVAILABLE FOR, UM, DEVELOPERS TO BUILD SINGLE FAMILY HOMES. SO, UM, HOW MANY HOMES WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO BUILD IN THIS PARTICULAR, UM, SITE? 673? AND YOU SAID THAT THEY WERE STARTING AT $180,000. WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THOSE HOMES WOULD BE, UH, I MEAN, TO FIND A HOME IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON UNDER $200,000 IS PRETTY IMPOSSIBLE. UM, AND, AND I, AND I KNOW JUST FROM BEING IN REAL ESTATE, WHEN THEY SAY STARTING AT, UM, THERE'S LIKE TWO HOUSES AT, AT THAT PRICE, UM, WHAT, WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THE HOMES WILL BE UNDER $200,000? 300 OF THOSE LOTS, 300 OF THOSE HOMES WERE, ARE IDENTIFIED AS HOMES STARTING AT 180. AND AND THIS IS NAR HOMES THAT WERE BUILDING THESE, THIS IS THE LARGEST HOME BUILDER OR THE SECOND LARGEST HOME BUILDER IN THE NATION BUILDING. AND THE LARGE TYPICALLY INCLUDES THE REFRIGERATOR, WASHER, AND DRYERS. THAT'S CORRECT. SO THOSE WILL ALSO COME WITH THE REFRIGERATORS, WASHER AND DRYERS AND THE APPLIANCES. THAT'S CORRECT. WOW. AND IS, AND IF I MAY POINT OUT UNDER THE NUMBER OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAMS THE CITY OF HOUSTON OFFERS, I THINK THERE WAS ONE PROGRAM IN PARTICULAR WHERE THERE ARE 50 INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE BEEN THROUGH THE PROGRAM AND HAVE QUALIFIED FOR A GRANT UP TO $30,000 WHO CAN'T FIND A HOUSE. AND SO THE REASON THEY, SO PE RESIDENTS CAN ALSO USE DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE ABSOLUTELY. UM, FOR, FOR THE, FOR THESE HOMES. ABSOLUTELY. SO I KNOW THERE IS SOME CONCERN IN THE COMMUNITY THAT, UM, THERE IS, THIS COULD LEAD TO GENTRIFICATION. UH, HAS THERE, HAS THERE BEEN CONVERSATION WITH, WITH FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY TO INFORM OR EDUCATE THEM HOW THEY CAN ACTUALLY PURCHASE HOMES AND BE A PART OF THESE COMMUNITIES? WE, IT, WE DID, IT'S A GREAT QUESTION. WE HAD A GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY RECENTLY WHERE A NUMBER OF THE, OF THE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS REPRESENTATIVES CAME OUT. UM, AND WE DISCUSSED WITH SEVERAL OF THE COMMUNITY LEADERS WHAT TYPE OF HOMES WOULD BE THERE, WHO THE BUILDER WOULD BE, THE PROGRAMS THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE OFFERING. AND, AND JUST TO POINT OUT, THIS IS AN EX A REPLACEMENT PROJECT FOR OUR WAYSIDE VILLAGE PROJECT ON WAYSIDE DRIVE JUST IMMEDIATELY WEST OF US, WHERE WE'VE REBUILT THE INNER CITY ON PROPERTY, 300 ACRES, 1200 HOMES, THAT NOTHING WAS HAPPENING ON THAT PROPERTY FOR OVER 15 YEARS. THE SALES THERE HAVE BEEN OVERWHELMING. AND WE HAVE EVERY RACE AND ETHNICITY OF A BUYER IN THAT PROJECT. IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, AS SOMEONE MENTIONED EARLIER, IT'S TRULY A CROSS SECTION OF OUR COMMUNITY. SO WHEN WE HEAR THAT TERM, GENTRIFICATION, WE LOOK AT AND, AND I'M NOT CASTING ASPERSIONS AT THE TOWN HOME DEVELOPERS, YOU KNOW, NEXT TO MINUTE MADE AND, AND IN THE OTHER AREAS OF HOUSTON. BUT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SIX AND $700,000 TOWN HOMES, I UNDERSTAND WHAT GENTRIFICATION MEANS. MM-HMM . THAT'S NOT WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE. RESIDENTS THAT HAVE BEEN IN THIS AREA THAT WANNA STAY IN THIS AREA HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BUY A HOME WHERE MANY OF 'EM HAVE NEVER HAD THAT OPPORTUNITY. WE'RE PROUD TO DO THAT. AND AGAIN, I'VE BEEN DOING THIS WITHIN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AROUND FOR 35 YEARS, AND I'VE FOCUSED ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING MY WHOLE CAREER. I, I'M PROUD OF WHAT WE'RE DOING. AND I SEE THIS NOT ONLY AS SOMETHING THAT THE RESIDENTS, NOT ONLY OF NORTH FOREST DO DESPERATELY NEED THE, THE RE THE REVITALIZATION OF THE AREA, BUT ALL OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON CAN BENEFIT FROM SOMETHING LIKE THIS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN CAMAN. MR. HALL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING AND I WILL DEFER [01:00:01] TO THE DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER. BUT, UM, GENERALLY SPEAKING, JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, THE PROPOSAL PUTTING FORWARD, WE ALL SUPPORT AFFORDABLE HOUSING. UM, BUT YOU'RE ALSO ASKING TO CREATE AN INSIDE OF THE CITY LIMIT MUD, IS THAT CORRECT? SO A MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT, IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT. INSIDE, SO WE HAVE MUDS THAT COME BEFORE US GENERALLY, BUT THOSE ARE IN THE ETJ AREAS. AND THAT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE THEN IT GIVES A, A LEVEL OF OVERSIGHT AND GOVERNMENT TO DO SO. BUT YOU'RE ASKING TO CREATE A MUD WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS, AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT MUDS ARE FUNDED, IS THAT CORRECT? THROUGH BONDS? THAT'S CORRECT. AND THEN IT IS THE HOMEOWNERS THAT PAY OFF THE INCREASED TAXES FROM THOSE BONDS. THAT'S CORRECT. SO THEY'RE NOT ONLY PAYING CITY OF HOUSTON TAXES, THEY'RE IN ADDITION TO THAT THEN REQUIRED TO PAY THE MUDS TAXES AND YOU'VE CREATED AN ADDITIONAL LEVEL OF GOVERNMENT. I'M NOT SAYING THERE'S, UM, UH, TO THE, I'M NOT SAYING TO THE DETRIMENT OR BENEFIT OF RESIDENTS, I'M JUST EXPLAINING SOME OF THE INTRICACIES OF THIS. BUT YOU'VE NOW ADDED AN ADDITIONAL LEVEL OF QUASI GOVERNMENT. SO HAS THERE BEEN A TIMELINE LAID OUT FOR WHEN THOSE TAXES WILL ACTUALLY DECREASE FOR THOSE HOMEOWNERS? BECAUSE YES, IT'S ONE THING TO SAY THAT IT'S AFFORDABLE HOUSING, IT'S ANOTHER THING TO ADD ON AN ADDITIONAL LAYER OF TAXATION ON TOP OF THAT. SO FIRST AND FOREMOST, IS THERE A TIMELINE FOR WHEN THOSE TAXES WOULD BE PAID OFF? YES. AND ALL GREAT QUESTIONS. COUNCIL MEMBER, IF I MAY, UH, IN CITY MUDS HAVE BEEN UTILIZED IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON FOR THE LAST 30 OR 40 YEARS. UM, I KNOW PERSONALLY I'VE WORKED WITH THE CITY TO CREATE AT LEAST HALF A DOZEN IN CITY MUDS AS WELL AS OTHERS. UM, YES, BY ALL MEANS, THERE IS A SUNSET, IF YOU WILL, ON WHEN THOSE MUD TAXES WILL GO AWAY. AND TYPICALLY IT TAKES 30 YEARS JUST LIKE A MORTGAGE TO RETIRE THE MUD DEBT. AND SO WHAT HAPPENS IS YOU, IT'S, IT'S AN ELECTIVE TAX, IF YOU WILL. IT'S A CHOICE IF YOU'RE A HOMEOWNER AND YOU WANNA BUY A HOUSE AND THE ABILITY TO BUY THAT HOUSE IS, IS IS BETTER BECAUSE YOU FINANCE THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT THE CITY DOESN'T BUILD. RIGHT. THIS IS WATER SEWER DRAINAGE. IT TYPICALLY DOES IN OTHER AREAS. DALLAS, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE NEVER RIGHT. BUT THEY'RE STILL HAVING TO PAY CITY OF HOUSTON TAXES. SO OH, THEY ARE FOR THE REGIONAL THINGS LIKE THE, LIKE THE NORTHEAST WATER PURIFICATION PLANT THAT WAS EXPANDED. RIGHT, I UNDERSTAND. SO WITH THE SUNSET OF WHEN YOU SAID 30 YEARS FOR THOSE ADDITIONAL TAXES, WHEN YOU REFERENCE INNER CITY MUDS, TRADITIONALLY AND HISTORICALLY WHEN THERE WAS A MUD CREATED WITHIN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR INVOLVEMENT AND EXPERTISE IN THIS, THE PLAN WAS TO DISSOLVE THAT MUD AND THEN IT FALLS UNDER JUST THE, THE JURISDICTION OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON. SO DO YOU HAVE A TIMELINE FOR WHEN THIS MUD WOULD BE DISSOLVED EXACTLY UNDER THE SAME TIMELINE THAT ALL THE OTHER IN CITY MUDS? WE ARE NO DIFFERENT. THIS WOULD BE, OKAY. WELL, THERE'S STILL MUDS THAT ARE IN EXISTENCE BEYOND THOSE PROJECTED TIMELINES, SO I CAN'T SPEAK TO THAT. I JUST KNOW THE ONE THAT WE'RE CREATING HERE ONLY HAS A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF ACREAGE. AND ONCE THOSE BONDS ARE RETIRED, TYPICALLY THAT'S, BUT THERE, LET ME ADD THIS. THERE IS ONE REASON, ONE REASON WHY THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS THE MOST AFFORDABLE HOUSING MARKET IN THE NATION. AND THAT IS THE UTILIZATION OF MUDS. SIMPLY PUT, IT FINANCES THE INFRASTRUCTURE COST JUST AS IT FINANCES THE HOME. AND WE ARE 30%, 40% LOWER IN TERMS OF A SINGLE FAMILY HOUSE THAN ANY OTHER MAJOR MARKET IN THE UNITED STATES. WE'RE PROUD OF THAT. THAT'S ONE REASON THAT IT HAPPENS, AND THAT'S THE NUMBER ONE REASON THAT IT HAPPENS. THANK YOU. AND LASTLY, AND AGAIN, I APOLOGIZE AHEAD, I'M TAKING TIME. UM, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT YOU ARE BUILDING IN A FLOODPLAIN, BUT ONLY 20% OF THE DEVELOPMENT WILL BE REMOVED OUT OF THE FLOODPLAIN. IS THAT ACCURATE OR INACCURATE INFORMATION? NO, THERE'S, THERE'S, THAT'S INACCURATE. THERE'S, UH, THE TOTAL SITE'S ABOUT 180 ACRES. UM, I THINK THERE'S 13 ACRES THAT UNDER THE, UH, FULLY APPROVED PLAN THROUGH HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON THAT THERE'S 13 ACRES THAT WOULD BE FILLED. BUT THE BALANCE OF THE PROPERTY IS, OF COURSE, AGAIN, IS, IS THE FULLY APPROVED DRAINAGE PLAN FROM THROUGH FLOOD CONTROL. RIGHT, I UNDERSTAND. BUT, BUT THERE'S, THINK THERE'S 13 ACRES. WE HAVE 65 ACRES OF DETENTION UNDER THE STANDARD DETENTION RATIOS. WE TYPICALLY WOULD HAVE ABOUT 40, I THINK WE HAVE 65 IN THIS PROJECT. OKAY. WE'LL, WE'LL DOUBLE CHECK THAT AND MAKE SURE IT'S IN THE BACKUP. THAT'D BE GREAT. BUT AGAIN, WE USUALLY ASK WITH DEVELOPMENT, ESPECIALLY COMING IN WITH THIS TYPE OF PROJECT WHERE YOU'RE ASKING FOR APPROVAL, THAT THERE'S A MUCH MORE SIGNIFICANT REMOVAL FROM THE FLOODPLAIN THAN WE'RE SEEING. BUT I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THIS INFORMATION AND WE'LL GET BACK. OH, ABSOLUTELY. YES. AND JUST TO ADD, THANK YOU. OUR OUR PROJECT IS FULLY PERMITTED THROUGH THE CITY AND THROUGH THROUGH FLOOD CONTROL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR JACKSON. UM, THANK YOU MAYOR, AND THANK YOU MR. HALL FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU'RE DOING TO COME IN AND TRY TO DEVELOP, UM, DISTRICT B. UM, THANK YOU. IT'S NEEDED. UM, AND AS MY COLLEAGUES WAS TALKING ABOUT THE DOUBLE TAX, AND THAT IS SOME OF MY CONCERNS IS THE DOUBLE TAX. AND I KNOW WE SPOKE A FEW YEARS AGO, UM, AND I KNOW, UM, PASTOR TAYLOR [01:05:01] IS IN THE OFFICE. WE, UM, IN AN AUDIENCE WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, HE HAD AN EASEMENT THAT YOU WERE TRYING TO, UM, YOU KNOW, WORK WITH HIM ON SO THAT YOU CAN DO THIS DEVELOPMENT. BUT I WAS NOT AWARE OF THE MUD, YOU KNOW, AND I'M JUST LEARNING ABOUT, UM, THE MUD SINCE IT CAME ON THE AGENDA. MAYBE I MISSED IT, BUT I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THE MUD. UM, AND SO THE, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE DID PROVIDE ME WITH SOME INFORMATION, AND YOU DID SAY YOU WERE GONNA BUILD 673 HOMES. 300 OF THOSE HOMES ARE GONNA BE AFFORDABLE AT 180,000 PRICE POINT. RIGHT? WELL, LET ME, LET ME CLARIFY THAT. ALL OF THESE HOMES, ALL 673 HOMES WILL BE UNDER THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S AFFORDABLE HOUSING PRICE POINT. OKAY. ALL OF 'EM. NOT, WE'RE JUST STARTING AT 180. IN 180 WITH HALF OF THE LOTS, ABOUT 300 OF THE LOTS OR 300 OF THE LOTS WILL OFFER THAT 180,000. BUT EVERY HOME IN THIS PROJECT WILL FALL WITHIN THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAM. BECAUSE I HAVE ANOTHER PRICE HERE THAT'S 250,000, UM, THAT'S AFFORDABLE, BUT IT'S NOT AFFORDABLE. , I MEAN, LIKE, IT'S NOT AFFORDABLE. I'M SORRY, IT'S NOT AFFORDABLE, BUT I, I'M JUST, BUT I'M SAYING THAT'S, THAT'S THE PRICE POINT, RIGHT? 250. THAT'S CORRECT. HUNDRED AND 80 AND ON UP, AND I THINK BY DEFINITION MM-HMM. UM, UNDER THE CITY'S AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAM, THE, THE MAXIMUM PRICE UNDER THAT PROGRAM IS 334,000. MM-HMM . SO WE'RE STILL FALLING. AGAIN, OUR OBJECTIVE IS TO PROVIDE HOUSING TO THE LOCAL RESIDENTS TO WITHIN YOUR DISTRICT. RIGHT? YEAH. NO, AND WE WANT OUR, THE CONSTITUENTS TO BE ABLE TO STAY IN THE DISTRICT. I MEAN, THIS IS A BIG, THIS IS A HUGE PROBLEM ACROSS THE CITY OF HOUSTON, BUT SPECIFICALLY IN DISTRICT B, YOU KNOW, AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS NEEDED. RIGHT. UM, AND SO I ALSO JUST RECENTLY LEARNED, I KNOW WE HAVE MS. COLE IN THE AUDIENCE THAT ONCE THIS, UM, ONCE IT, IF, IF IT PASSED, THEN WE'RE GONNA EXPAND IT TO BRING IN THE, THE MUD TO BRING IN MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING. AND SO WHY ARE, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M JUST LEARNING ALL THIS THIS WEEK ABOUT THE EXPANSION OF THE MUD TOO, YOU KNOW, SO WHAT IS, WHAT IS THAT ALL ABOUT? THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. MM-HMM . UM, WE JUST RECENTLY STARTED WORKING WITH MS. COLE AND HER COMPANY. MM-HMM . WHO IDENTIFIED 60 ACRES THAT ADJOIN OUR, OUR TRACK TO THE SOUTH. AND THEY ASK IF WE WOULD BE INTERESTED IN, IN TALKING TO THEM ABOUT ASKING THE MUD TO ANNEX THAT PROPERTY IN AGAIN, UH, ADDING ANOTHER, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY HOMES, AND SHE'S GONNA SPEAK SHORTLY, BUT ADDING ANOTHER 300 OR 200 HOMES OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING WHEN THE NEED IS SO GREAT. WE SEE THAT AS A GREAT THING FOR THE CITY. I THINK MANY OF YOU KNOW, MS. COLE FROM THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS THAT SHE'S DONE OVER THE YEARS, UM, WE WELCOME THEM. YOU KNOW, WE WELCOME ANY OTHER ACTIVITY BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THAT THAT JUST GENERATES MORE ACTIVITY AND MORE, MORE VISIBILITY FOR OUR PROJECTS. SO, UH, ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE SAYING ARE ACCURATE. WE ARE, WE'RE CREATING A MUD. UH, WE, IT'S AN ELECTIVE TAX. AGAIN, THE TAX IS TO FINANCE INFRASTRUCTURE SO OUR HOMES CAN BE AFFORDABLE. IT IS THE REASON WE LEAVE THE NATION IN AFFORDABILITY. UM, I KNOW WE MET A YEAR AND A HALF AGO AND JUST BRIEFLY DISCUSSED THAT WE NEED A DISTRICT AND WE'RE GONNA BE COMING TO YOU FOR CONSENT YEARS. AND I, I GET IT. YOU HEAR A LOT OF, YOU MEET A LOT OF PEOPLE, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, STATE REP, NIA THOMPSON AND STATE SENATOR BORIS MILES LOOKED AT THIS AND SAID, WOW, IF THERE'S AN AREA IN HOUSTON THAT NEEDS REVITALIZATION, WE, WE COMMEND YOU BECAUSE NORTH FOREST IS RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE HIGH SCHOOL IS ONE OF THOSE AREAS. SO, SO, AND I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION. SO IS, IS THERE MONEY SET ASIDE? 'CAUSE I KNOW THAT THERE'S AFFORDABLE HOUSING DOLLARS IN THE TURDS THAT WILL SPECIFICALLY BE FOR THIS PROJECT TO HELP PEOPLE WITH DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE. I'M NOT AWARE. HAVE YOU BEEN? YOU KNOW, I'M NOT AWARE OF THAT, BUT LENNAR HOMES WILL FIND OUT BECAUSE THEY ARE, AGAIN, THEY'RE ONE OF THE BEST IN THE NATION TO HELP NEW HOMEOWNERS OR, YOU KNOW, FIRST TIME BUYERS, WHOEVER THEY ARE, TO SOURCE MONEY, GRANT MONEY THAT'S AVAILABLE THROUGH THESE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS IN THE CITY. ANY WAY THAT THEY CAN HELP THE HOME BUYERS, THEY DO A GREAT JOB AT THAT. BUT IF THERE'S MONEY IN THAT TURS, WE'LL CERTAINLY FIND OUT IF WE CAN HELP. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU RANDALL FOR BRINGING THIS, THIS FORTH. UM, SOUNDS VERY INTERESTING TO ME. I THINK THIS SOLUTION TO OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROBLEMS HERE IN HOUSTON ARE GONNA TAKE MANY FORMS AND THERE'S NOT A ONE SIZE FITS ALL SOLUTION FOR EVERYTHING. UM, AND WITH REGARD TO THE POINT ABOUT, UH, DOUBLE TAXATION, UH, THESE, THESE ARE ELECTIVE PURCHASES, ARE THEY NOT? YES SIR. THEY ARE. SO IF FOLKS TAKE A LOOK AT IT AND, AND THINK IT MAKES SENSE FOR THEM, THEN THEY'LL HAVE THE CHOICE TO, TO DO THIS, RIGHT? THAT'S CORRECT. AND IF THEY DO THE MATH AND THEY FIND THAT, UH, UH, THE TAX BURDEN'S GONNA BE, UH, TOO MUCH FOR THEM, THEN THEY DON'T HAVE TO ENTER INTO THAT TRANSACTION, RIGHT? THAT'S CORRECT. AND THEY'LL NEVER QUALIFY FOR THE LOAN IF, REGARDLESS IF, EVEN IF THEY WANTED TO DO IT, AND THEY DON'T QUALIFY FOR A LOAN WITH THAT ADDITIONAL TAX, RIGHT. YOU'RE RIGHT. AND, AND ALL THAT INFORMATION WILL BE DISCLOSED TO THEM AT THE FRONT END, WILL IT NOT? CLEARLY THEY HAVE UNDER THE STATE LAW, YOU HAVE A, A MUNICIPAL UTIL UTILITY DISTRICT NOTICE THAT [01:10:01] THEY'RE PRESENTED WHEN THEY'RE LOOKING AT THE HOUSE AND ALL GOES INTO THEIR, THEIR PAYMENT CALCULATION. ALRIGHT. ALRIGHT. WELL, I THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, DAVIS. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU MR. HALL FOR YOUR PRESENTATION AND BRINGING THIS FORWARD, BECAUSE AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS, WE KNOW, AND YOU KNOW QUITE WELL THAT IT'S GREATLY NEEDED IN HOUSTON. YES, YOUR HONOR. RIGHT NOW IT'S PARTICULARLY IN THE AREAS WHERE PEOPLE WANT AFFORDABILITY AND IT HELPS SUSTAIN THE COMMUNITY IN WHICH WE ALREADY LIVE AND LOVE. NOW, QUESTION IS THERE, WHAT IS THE, YOU SAID AROUND $180,000 BRACKET AT STARTING PRICE? YES, SIR. WHAT, WHAT'S THE SQUARE FOOTAGE OF THAT PARTICULAR HOUSE? WHAT WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE? THEY START RIGHT OVER A THOUSAND, 1100 SQUARE FEET. IT CAN BE A THREE BEDROOM, TWO BATH, ONE CAR GARAGE, UM, ON ITS OWN LOT. THESE ARE NOT TOWN HOMES. THESE ARE NOT SINGLE, SINGLE, SINGLE FAMILY, SINGLE FAMILY HOME? YES, SIR. OKAY. OKAY. YOU HAVE LIKE, UH, RENDERING OF ALL OF THAT? I, I, I DON'T TODAY, BUT LENORE HOLMES. SEE, I, I CAN, I CAN MAKE THAT AVAILABLE TO YOU CERTAINLY. SURE. THANK YOU, SIR. I, I WOULD APPRECIATE THAT. ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT, VANESSA COLE. GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. UM, HONORABLE MAYOR WHITMEYER ESTEEM COUNCIL MEMBERS. UH, MY NAME IS VANESSA COLE. I AM ONE OF THE PRINCIPALS AT COLE KLEIN BUILDERS AND WE SPECIALIZE IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING HERE IN HOUSTON. UM, TODAY I'M HERE TO ASK YOU TO SUPPORT, UH, ITEM 52 ON TOMORROW'S AGENDA FOR THE APPROVAL OF MUD 5 89. AS RANDY MENTIONED, WE HAVE, UM, 60 ACRES THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO BE ANNEXED INTO MUD 5 89. AND WE ARE JUST AT A STANDSTILL RIGHT NOW UNTIL THAT MUD IS APPROVED. UM, AS WE ALL KNOW, AFFORDABLE HOUSING HAS ITS CHALLENGES, UM, AND THERE ARE SO MANY COMPLEXITIES FROM THE HIGH COST OF LAND, HIGH COST OF CONSTRUCTION COSTS, UM, FLOOD INSURANCE COSTS, UM, VOLATILE INTEREST RATES, YOU NAME IT. THERE'S ALWAYS SOMETHING GOING ON. SO WE ARE JUST LOOKING AT THIS AS A FINANCIAL TOOL IN THE TOOLBOX FOR THIS AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT. THERE ARE SO MANY TOOLS OUT THERE FROM TURS TO LITECH TO MUD, TO NEW MARKET TAX CREDITS, TO GRANTS, AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM. THERE ARE SO MANY TOOLS, WE JUST THINK THAT THE BEST FINANCIAL TOOL FOR THIS PROJECT IS FOR A MUD. UM, I ALSO SPOKE WITH COMMUNITY WORK, CDC, AND HE MENTIONED TO ME THAT HE HAD 50 BUYERS PRE-APPROVED FOR THE 30 K DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE THAT'S COMING OUT OF THE CITY. BUT THEIR ISSUE IS THAT THEY DON'T HAVE ANY INVENTORY TO PUT THOSE BUYERS IN. AND WHAT RANDY AND I WANT TO DO IS BRING CLOSE TO A THOUSAND HOMES FOR THOSE 50 BUYERS AND MORE. MAYOR, YOU ALSO SAID THAT YOU WOULD LIKE HOUSTON TO BE, YOU'RE LIKE, WHAT DID I SAY? AN AFFORDABLE BIG CITY. AND WE BELIEVE THAT AND WE WANNA BE A PART OF THAT SOLUTION AS WELL. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION, AND WE JUST ASK FOR YOUR SUPPORT FROM MUD 5 89 AND WE WORK COLLECTIVELY TO, UH, GET THESE HOME BUYERS IN THEIR HOMES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UH, MAYOR PROTE, KASICK STATE, THANK YOU MS. COLE FOR BEING HERE. UM, I, I'D LIKE TO, UM, KIND OF TALK ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE IN THE PRICE OF THE HOUSE WITHOUT A MUD. AND WOULD IT BE TRUE TO SAY IF WE DID NOT HAVE A MUD DISTRICT, THE ACTUAL COST OF THE HOUSE WOULD BE MORE EXPENSIVE? UM, AND CAN YOU KIND OF TALK TO THE CORRELATION OF THAT ADDITIONAL MUD OR THE DOUBLE TAXATION IN CORRELATION TO THE ACTUAL COST OF THE HOUSE? YES. SO WE HAVE A MONTHLY COST COMPARISON IN THE PACKETS THAT WE SENT YOU GUYS. UM, THIS WAS BASED ON A SIX AND A HALF INTEREST RATE, 30 YEAR MORTGAGE. AND IT SHOWS THE HOME PRICE, 180 K WITHOUT THE MUD, THE BUYER WILL BE PAYING CLOSE TO $2,000 WITH THE MUD THEY'RE PAYING CLOSE TO 1400. RIGHT. AND SO WE, WE BREAK IT DOWN, AND THEN IF YOU TURN TO THE NEXT PAGE, WE BREAK IT DOWN EVEN FURTHER, THE BUYERS WHO ARE RECEIVING 30,000 DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE, THEY CAN USE THAT TOWARDS THEIR PRINCIPAL BUY DOWN. MM-HMM . AND SO THAT 180 THEN TURNS INTO $150,000 MORTGAGE, [01:15:01] AND NOW THEY'RE AT 1175 A MONTH. SO ONCE AGAIN, THERE ARE JUST DIFFERENT FINANCIAL TOOLS IN THE TOOLBOX, AND WE'RE JUST TRYING TO GET CREATIVE WITH DIFFERENT BUYERS AND DIFFERENT DEVELOPMENTS ON HOW WE CAN BE THE MOST EFFECTIVE FOR THAT PROJECT. SO CAN THE, CAN THE MUD DISTRICT, UM, FEE BE ROLLED INTO THE MORTGAGE OR WOULD THAT BE A SEPARATE, A SEPARATE PAYMENT OUTSIDE OF, OF THE MORTGAGE, THEIR MUD TAX? MM-HMM . UM, I DON'T KNOW. THERE'S THEIR MUD. IT'S ALL IN THE MORTGAGE. YEAH. NOT THE CREATOR OF THE MUD. YOU CAN EX YOU CAN ESCROW THAT, THAT MUD. YEAH. NO DIFFERENT. HE SAID YES. NO DIFFERENT THAN THE AVALOR TAX. OKAY. THANKS COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER. THANK YOU, MAYOR. SO WHAT IS THE HOME PURCHASER? WHAT WOULD THEY HAVE TO BUY IF THERE WAS NO MUD TO MAKE UP THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE 1375 AND THE 1947? MEANING WHAT THE SALES PRICES OF THE HOMES WOULD BE WITHOUT THE MUD? YES. WELL, WHAT, WHAT DO, WHAT WOULD THEY ACTUALLY HAVE TO PURCHASE? THE SALES PRICE WOULD START AT WHAT? 3, 3, 9, 8, LIKE 389,000 IS WHERE THE HOME PRICES WOULD START WITHOUT THE MUD. MM-HMM . OKAY. AND WHY ARE THE HOME PRICES LOWER? BECAUSE OF THE MUD? BECAUSE THE MUD ALLOWS THE INFRASTRUCTURE, THAT EXPENSIVE INFRASTRUCTURE COSTS FOR WATER, SEWER, DRAINAGE, ROADS. IT ALLOWS TO SPREAD THAT COST OVER TIME WITHOUT ONE PERSON OR ENTITY BEING BURDENED BY THAT. OKAY. SO IN A NEW COMMUNITY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, THE HOMEOWNER WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR ROADS IN THAT SPECIFIC COMMUNITY? WELL, I'M TALKING ABOUT ANY COMMUNITY, NOT IN THIS COMMUNITY, JUST WATER SEWER DRAINAGE. OKAY. I MEAN, I'VE NEVER BOUGHT A HOUSE WHERE I PAID FOR THE ROADS OR THE DRAINAGE. WELL, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE CLARIFYING. WATER, SEWER D DRAINAGE, SOME MUDS. UM, MUD FOUR 60 PAVING IS INCLUDED, SO IT DEPENDS ON THE MUD. OKAY. OKAY. THANK YOU. PAY FOR IT, THAT'S ALL. THANK YOU, MA'AM. THANK YOU. NEXT, JOSEPH SMITH. WHY DON'T YOU EXCUSE ME, SPEAK INTO THE MIC. YES. I HAVE A TON OF MEDICAL PROBLEM. SO I GO TO THE, MY RETIREMENT FROM THE CITY OF HOUSTON. THEY WON'T GIMME NO INFORMATION. SO I CAN TAKE LOANS OUT AND I'M TRYING TO BUILD FOR MY KIDS. I HAVE A 12-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER, TRACKSTAR. I HAVE A SON. THIS IS FIRST YEAR AS TEXAS, UH, TECH PLAYING DEFENSIVE END. I MISSED HIS HIGH SCHOOL YEARS BECAUSE I WAS SICK BEFORE AND I'M JUST TRYING TO BUILD FOR MY KIDS. BUT MY IDENTITY SO JACKED UP. I CAN'T GO NOWHERE BUT, AND DO THINGS I NEED. MY PASSPORT WAS JUST HELD UP BEHIND KIDS AND WIVES. I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING IN MIND BOX, BUT WHEN I GO TO DIFFERENT PLACES, THEY GIMME THE RUNAROUND. I CAN'T GET, NO, THEY WANT TO TALK. THEY DON'T WANT TO GIVE ME NO PAPERWORK SO I CAN PUT STUFF INTO YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. UH, WHO HAVE YOU SPOKEN TO BEFORE? THIS LADY? THAT GENTLEMAN RIGHT THERE. I'VE BEEN DEALING WITH THIS FOR YEARS. YEAH. YEAH. AND I WENT UP TO, UH, I WENT TO MY BENEFITS YESTERDAY AND THEY SAY SINCE I DON'T HAVE A PHONE NUMBER, THEY CAN'T CONTACT ME. SO I GOT EMAILED. THEY WON'T RETURN MY EMAILS. THEY TELL ME THEY GOING TO, THEY IS TALK TO ME. SO I KEEP GOING TO THE OFFICE. I GIVE MY SOCIAL, I HAVE MY WORK ID BADGE. I SHOW 'EM WHO I AM. YOU'RE GOING TO HUMAN RESOURCES? NO, SIR. I'M GOING TO THE BENEFIT OFFICE OVER HERE. HUMAN RESOURCES SAY THEY DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ON ME. OKAY. WELL, I'M GONNA LET YOU TALK TO MS. WILSON IN MY OFFICE. SHE'S RIGHT THERE BY THE DOOR. I'M JUST TRYING TO BE WITH MY KEY BECAUSE I WE'LL DO THE BEST WE CAN. THANK YOU. NEXT. RALPH KIRBY. [01:20:21] BRAD KIRBY ROSA, LINDA MARTINEZ. GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCIL MEMBERS MAYOR WHITMEYER. MY NAME IS ROSA LINDA MARTINEZ, AND I'M HERE TODAY REPRESENTING A A RP HOUSTON AS THE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY STRATEGY FOR TEXAS. A A RP IS HERE TO SPEAK ON THE AGE-FRIENDLY, LIVABLE COMMUNITY WORK, A STRATEGY DESIGNED TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS AND OPPORTUNITIES OF OUR AGING POPULATION. FIVE YEARS AGO TODAY, AN EXECUTIVE ORDER WAS SIGNED TO MAKE HOUSTON A MORE AGE-FRIENDLY COMMUNITY. OUR AGE-FRIENDLY LIVABLE COMMUNITIES PLAN FOCUSES ON NINE KEY AREAS, OR AS A A RP CALLS THEM NINE DOMAINS, WHICH ARE CRUCIAL FOR OLDER ADULTS, HEALTH AND WELLBEING. THE TOP ONES INCLUDE TRANSPORTATION, HOUSING, PUBLIC SAFETY, AND HEALTH SERVICES. I AM PROUD OF THE WORK OF OUR STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS THAT YOU SAW HERE TODAY, AND THAT WHAT THEY ARE DOING TO ENHANCE COMMUNITIES THROUGH OUR AGE-FRIENDLY INITIATIVES. WITH OVER 600,000 MEMBERS IN HARRIS COUNTY AND 220,000 IN HOUSTON PROPER, WE ARE EMPOWERING INDIVIDUALS AGE 50 AND OLDER. HOUSTON'S POPULATION IS AGING BY 2035, THERE WILL BE MORE OLDER ADULTS THAN CHILDREN UNDER 18. THE NEED FOR SERVICES AND POLICIES TAILORED TO AN AGE-FRIENDLY COMMUNITY WILL ONLY INCREASE. AND THIS IS NOT ONLY AN OLDER ADULT ISSUE, BUT AN INTERGENERATIONAL ISSUE. AS WE KNOW, MANY MINORITY COMMUNITY MEMBERS LIKE MYSELF ARE THE CAREGIVERS FOR OUR PARENTS. A A RP HOUSTON LEADS IN EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RECOVERY EFFORTS, OFFERING FREE WORKSHOPS TO HELP OUR COMMUNITIES BE BETTER PREPARED FOR DISASTERS AND MORE RESILIENT AND RECOVERY. WE ALSO FOCUS ON TRANSPORTATION ADVOCATING FOR COMPLETE STREETS THAT ARE SAFE AND ACCESSIBLE FOR ALL. WE CONDUCT SIDEWALK AUDITS AND PROMOTE MOBILITY OPTIONS, LOWER SPEED LIMITS, AND SAFER CROSSINGS. A RP ALSO PROVIDES FREE COMMUNITY PROGRAMS ON TOPICS LIKE CAREGIVING, FRAUD PREVENTION, DISASTER RESILIENCE IN MORE, ALIGNING WITH OUR MISSION TO CREATE MORE LIVABLE COMMUNITIES FOR EVERYONE. SINCE THE START OF AARP'S AGE-FRIENDLY LIVABLE COMMUNITIES PLAN, WE HAVE FACED A GLOBAL PANDEMIC AND ECONOMIC CHALLENGES. IT'S ESSENTIAL TO CONTINUE TO REVIEW AND UPDATE OUR PLAN TO MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY. YEAH, TOM HAS EXPIRED. YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND FINISH UP AS WE CELEBRATE THE FIFTH ANNIVERSARY. IT'S NO COINCIDENCE THAT WE ARE HERE ON THE EXACT FIVE YEAR ANNIVERSARY. WE ARE COMMITTED TO EXPANDING OUR IMPACT FOR OLDER ADULTS. WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE CITY. UM, THANK YOU TO ALL THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT MET WITH US TODAY. WE MET WITH NINE OFFICES, AND THANK YOU TO OUR VOLUNTEERS WHO GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY. SO THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO. WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ. THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, ROSALINA. CONGRATULATIONS ON THE FIVE YEAR PLAN, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING HOW Y'ALL REVAMP IT, SEE WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE. NOW IN 2024, UH, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO MARY ESTHER, WHO IS A CONSTITUENT OF DISTRICT HIGH EDDIE, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AS WELL. UM, WE ENJOYED HAVING THE CONVERSATION AND, UM, WE'VE ALREADY HAD SEVERAL EVENTS WHERE WE PARTNER WITH YOU ALL AND LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING THAT PARTNERSHIP, MAKING SURE THAT OLDER FOLKS, UH, HAVE A SAFE PLACE TO LIVE, UM, YOU KNOW, TO WALK, YOU KNOW, AND OF COURSE JUST BE ENGAGED IN THE COMMUNITY. SO THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK YOU DO. YES, THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOUR OFFICE IS DOING, SPECIFICALLY TO HELP OUR HISPANIC, LATINO, OLDER ADULT POPULATION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT, MARY, AS TO VIGIL. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR WHITMEYER. COUNCIL MEMBERS. I AM AN A A RP TEXAS VOLUNTEER HERE IN HOUSTON, TEXAS, AND ALSO A, A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT A. TODAY I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THE IMPORTANCE OF MAKING UTILITY BILLS SUCH A, SUCH AS A WATER BILL. MORE COMP, COMPREHENSIVE AND FAIR FOR FIXED INCOME HOLDS HOLD PARTICULAR FOR THE RETIRED 50 AND OLDER CONSTITUENTS LIKE MYSELF. DURING THE PANDEMIC, I EXPERIENCED THE PROFOUND LOSS OF MY DAUGHTER, MY ONLY CHILD, WHICH CHANGED MY LIFE IN WAYS THAT, EXCUSE ME, I NEVER ANTICIPATE. SUDDENLY I FOUND MYSELF IN THE ROLE OF A CAREGIVER FOR MY TWO GRANDCHILDREN. THIS NEW RESPONSIBILITY BROUGHT IMMENSE JOY, BUT ALSO SIGNIFICANT FINANCIAL [01:25:01] CHALLENGES, ESPECIALLY AS I NAVIGATED THIS RESPONSIBILITIES ON A FIXED INCOME, LIVING ON A FIXED INCOME WHILE RAISING MY GRANDCHILDREN. I FACED FIRSTHAND THE STRAINS OF BALANCING ESSENTIAL HOUSEHOLD EXPENSES, INCLUDING UTILITY BILLS WITH THE NEED OF MY FAM FOR THE, WITH THE NEEDS OF MY FAMILY. THE STRUGGLE IS ONE THAT MANY IN OUR COMMUNITIES ARE ALL TOO FAMILIAR. WHEN THE MEDIA STARTED REPORTING VARIOUS RESIDENTS THAT OWED IMMENSE BILLS, WATER BILLS, IT WORRIED ME. AND I STARTED LOOKING FOR MY WATER BILLS. TIME TO FIND OUT THAT THE LAST PREVIOUS FIVE MONTHS, MY BILLS WERE ESTIMATED. I HAD NO, AND I STARTED CALLING THE OFF THE WATER BILL DEPARTMENT, I MEAN THE WATER DEPARTMENT, AND GOT NO RESPONSE, CALLED THE MAYOR'S OFFICE. GOT NO RESPONSE, NOT THIS ONE. PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION. I WAS SO GLAD WHEN YOU SPOKE ABOUT IT AT, BEFORE YOU BECAME MAYOR, THAT SAID YOU WOULD TAKE CARE OF IT. AND YOU DID. YOU STARTED, YOU IMPLEMENTED THE, THE WATER BILL, UH, IMPROVEMENT PLAN. AND I TOOK ADVANTAGE OF IT, MY WATER, AND I, I WAS ABLE TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT. I WENT IN, GOT TAKEN CARE OF. I EVEN GOT A CREDIT. THANK YOU MAYOR, VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. I WANT TO EXTEND MY DEEPEST THANKS TO YOU FOR DOING THAT. AND URGE CITY COUNCIL TO CONTINUE SUPPORTING AARP'S AGE-FRIENDLY AND LIVABLE COMMUNITIES INITIATIVE. IT IS THROUGH SUCH SUPPORT THAT WE DID ENSURE YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. THANK YOU. YOU CAN CONTINUE. I LIKE TO LISTEN TO YOU, . I'M ENJOYING IT. TAKE YOUR TIME. . I CAME TO SAY SOMETHING NICE AND THE SUPPORT THAT YOU CAN ENSURE THAT ALL OF US HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO AGE IN PLACE WITH DIGNITY AND RESPECT IN THE RESOURCES WE NEED TO THRIVE. I REALLY APPRECIATED YOU DOING THAT BECAUSE I WAS ACTUALLY, THEY TOLD ME THAT I WAS THE FIRST ONE TO COME IN INTO THE OFFICE ON LELAND, WHICH I LIVE DOWN THE STREET FROM THERE. THANK YOU, MA'AM. COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ. THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, MAYOR ESTHER, JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR THE WORK YOU'RE DOING WITH A RP, BUT ALSO WITH THE YMCA. UH, THERE'S A LOT OF WORK THAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING, ESPECIALLY IN YOUR RETIRED, UH, TIME. AND, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO, TO UNDERSTAND THAT AS, AS YOU GET OLDER, THERE'S STILL VALUE IN WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU DO IN OUR COMMUNITIES. AND I JUST WANT TO LIFT YOU UP. UM, YOU KNOW, SOME BACKSTORY. MARY ESTHER WAS A NEIGHBOR OF MINE GROWING UP MIDDLE SCHOOL. UM, AND, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A LOT OF US ON THAT STREET PLAYING, UH, YOU KNOW, FLAG FOOTBALL OR TACKLE FOOTBALL, WHATEVER YOU WANNA CALL IT. AND, YOU KNOW, I KNOW SOMETIMES WE WERE PROBABLY, UM, IN YOUR WAY AT TIMES, BUT I JUST WANNA SAY, UH, THANK YOU FOR KEEPING AN EYE ON US WHILE WE'RE OUT THERE AS WELL. WELL, THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO FOR US. THANK YOU. WHAT'S UP NEXT? MICHAEL BARNES. MICHAEL BARNES, RANDALL SMITH, JOY DAVIS. GOOD AFTERNOON MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. TODAY I STAND BEFORE YOU AS A MEMBER OF PURE JUSTICE THE RISE COALITION AND ALSO AS A POLICE ABUSE SURVIVOR, WHO A NUMBER OF US RECEIVED CALLS FROM HPD TODAY TO CONFIRM WHETHER OR NOT WE WILL BE SPEAKING. I'M SOMEONE WHO DEEPLY BELIEVES IN THE FUTURE WHERE OUR COMMUNITIES THRIVE IN SAFETY AND TRUST. MY JOURNEY THROUGH THE HARSH REALITIES OF POLICE ABUSE HAS GIVEN ME A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE ON THE VITAL CHANGES THAT WE NEED. OUR CITY INVESTED IN THE SHOTS SPOTTER PROGRAM. LET'S REALLOCATE THOSE FUNDS TOWARDS COMMUNITY PROGRAMS THAT WORK FOR US, THAT TECHNOLOGY DIDN'T MAKE US SAFER. FROM MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, I'VE WITNESSED HOW THESE MEASURES, INSTEAD OF FOSTERING GENUINE SAFETY, DEEPEN THE DIVIDE BETWEEN COMMUNITIES AND THOSE SWORN TO PROTECT THEM, IT'S TIME FOR A CHANGE. I ALSO URGE OUR CITY TO FREEZE THE HPD BUDGET, ALLOCATE THOSE FUNDS ALSO TO COMMUNITY PROGRAMS. IMAGINE THE POSSIBILITIES OF INCREASE ADDITIONAL FUNDING TOWARDS HOUSING, EDUCATION, MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, JOB TRAINING, MEDICAL PROGRAMS, ECONOMIC PROGRAMS, AND YOUTH PROGRAMS. THESE ARE THE TRUE BUILDING BLOCKS OF A SAFER COMMUNITY. BY ADDRESSING THE ROOT CAUSES OF VIOLENCE AND INSTABILITY, WE CAN CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE PEOPLE FEEL SUPPORTED RATHER THAN THREATEN COMMUNITY PROGRAMS OFFER HOPE IN HEALING. THEY PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT, ADDRESSING THE UNDERLYING [01:30:01] ISSUES THAT LEAD TO CRIME AND CONFLICT. BY INVESTING THESE PROGRAMS, WE SHOW THAT WE BELIEVE IN THE POTENTIAL OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL AND THE STRENGTH OF EVERY COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. COUNCILOR RAMIREZ. MA'AM, MA'AM, PLEASE YOU JUSTICE COUNCILMAN MAYORS. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU JOY FOR COMING DOWN. THANK YOU. I AGREE WITH YOU THAT, THAT, UH, PROGRAM WAS NOT A WISE USE OF OUR, UH, PRECIOUS REVENUE. UH, AND, UH, YOU MIGHT BE HAPPY TO KNOW THAT EARLIER THIS YEAR, UH, WE APPROVED A, AN AMENDMENT THAT PART OF WHAT IT DID WOULD, WOULD, WAS TO CANCEL THE SHOT SPOTTER CONTRACT. YES. OKAY. SO, UH, I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT, AND AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR COMING DOWN. THANK YOU. NEXT, CHRISTOPHER RIVER VERA. GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYBODY. MY NAME IS CHRISTOPHER RIVERA. I WORK WITH THE TEXAS CIVIL RIGHTS PROJECT, ALSO A MEMBER OF THE RICE COALITION, WHICH STANDS FOR RE-IMAGINING SAFETY FOR EVERYBODY. AND I AGREE WITH WHAT JOY HAD SAID, THAT WE SHOULD CANCEL THE SHOTS SPOTTER CONTRACT, AND I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT IT WILL BE, UM, BECOMING CANCELED. BUT I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO PETITION OR RECOMMEND THAT IT DOESN'T TIE TO ANOTHER CADET COURSE. I KNOW THAT THAT'S WHAT THE MONEY WAS ALLOCATED FOR, EXCUSE ME. BUT JUST AS JOY HAD MENTIONED THAT MONEY COULD BE BETTER SERVED, HELPING PEOPLE, UM, BE PROTECTED FROM LIKE FLOOD CONTROL OR EVICTION, UH, PROTECTION. THERE'S BEEN AN EVICTION CRISIS SINCE 2020. IT'S BEEN ON A CONSTANT UPTICK. SO I WOULD HOPE THAT SOME OF THAT MONEY WOULD GO THERE AND JUST WANT TO HAVE EVERYONE REIMAGINE WHAT SAFETY WOULD BE. LIKE. SOMETHING WHERE IT'S NOT TIED TO POLICING NOTHING. WHERE SOMETHING WHERE IT'S NOT TIED TO PEOPLE BEING CRIMINALIZED, BUT WHERE PEOPLE ARE ACTUALLY BEING PROTECTED AND BEING SERVED AND OFFERING SERVICES WHERE THEY CAN ACTUALLY BE HELPED AND CREATE LIKE A SAFETY NET FOR THEM. AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, THE EVICTION CRISIS IS REALLY HIGH. AND, UH, OFTENTIMES IT'S KIND OF TIED TO THE, THE HOMELESS CRISIS AS WE SEE. AND AS, AS OF LATE THERE'S BEEN, UH, CRIMINALIZATION OF THE, OF HOMELESSNESS. SO IT'S BECOMING A DIRE ISSUE WHERE THE JAIL POPULATION IS EXPANDING AND IT'S ALL TIED TOGETHER. SO IF WE JUST ADDRESS THIS IN A CERTAIN WAY, IN MORE CRITICAL WAY, IN A RE IMAGINATIVE WAY, I THINK IT'D BE MUCH MORE, UH, BENEFICIAL TO THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS OF HOUSTON. UM, BUT AGAIN, PLEASE CANCEL THE SHOTS PRIOR CONTRACT. PLEASE DON'T TIE IT TO ANY MORE CADET CLASSES AND PUT THAT MONEY INTO ANYTHING BUT POLICING. UH, THANK YOU. GIMME A SECOND. NEXT, MAXIMO CORTEZ. UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND, UH, CITY, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS. UH, MY NAME'S MO CORTEZ. I'M AN INTERSECTION TRANS CRIMINAL LEGAL ADVOCATE FROM GRASSROOTS LEADERSHIP, TEXAS ADVOCATES FOR JUSTICE. AND, AND I, I WANNA READ SOMETHING FOR YOU. UH, TIME IS UP. THERE ARE NO BIRDS ON MARS. THERE ARE NO BIRDS ON THE MOON. AND THERE WILL BE GELS ON BOTH. IF WE CONTINUE WITH BUSINESS AS USUAL, WE ARE ABANDONED WHEN WE CROSS A CONVENTION. WE ARE FORSAKEN WHEN THEY BUST US OFF AWAY FROM OUR FAMILIES AND HOMES. WE ARE ABUSED AND SUNSHINE DEPRIVED. THEY TAKE AND THEY TAKE AND WE WITHER AND THEIR HEARTS GRATING AWAY LIKE CHEESE WITH EACH AWAKENED TRAUMA. BUT THIS SPACE, CITY AND COUNTY CAN DO IT. WE CAN BE A MODEL FOR THE WORLD AND BEYOND. WE WANT TO REACH BEYOND. WE MUST ACT BEYOND. WE DEMAND CARE NOT CAGES IN ALL PHASES. WE ARE FUTURE ANCESTORS. 111 YEARS FROM NOW, WILL WE BE REMEMBERED AS A BLESSING OR AS A CURSE TO OUR ANCESTORS, GENETIC, EMOTIONAL AND SPIRITUAL DESCENDANTS. I WON'T BE HERE. YOU WON'T BE HERE, BUT THEY WILL BE HERE. AND WITH THAT, PLEASE REPLICATE THE UM, UM, THE MONEY THAT YOU'RE USING TO SHUT DOWN A SHOT SPOT OR USE THAT MONEY, UH, FOR, TO REPLICATE THE HEART PROGRAM. BECAUSE LIKE IF A FAMILY MEMBER IS IN TROUBLE, I'M NOT GONNA CALL THE POLICE IF THEY'RE HAVING MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS, I'M GONNA CALL HEART, RIGHT? THE HOLISTIC ALTERNATIVE RESPONSE, NON-POLICE RESPONSE. SO PLEASE, PLEASE DO THAT. I KNOW WITH YOUR 30 YEAR CJ CAREER, UH, THE FORMER DEAN, YOU KNOW, LIKE IT'S NOT WORKING. IF IT HAD BEEN WORKING, WOULD IT BE SHUTTING DOWN ALL THE JAILS AND PRISONS ACROSS THE STATE? ONE OUT OF EVERY THREE UH, COUNTIES IN THIS STATE IS OUTSOURCING PEOPLE. SO PLEASE INVEST THE COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT LINDSEY ALDRIDGE TO BE FOLLOWED BY NANCY. HES [01:35:05] GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS LINDSAY ALDRICH WALSH. I'M THE WIDOW OF PAT WALSH, THE FORMER PLANNING DIRECTOR OF PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT FOR THE CITY. I'D LIKE TO WHICH THIS ONE I'D LIKE TO THANK JULIAN WHO HAD A FEVER YESTERDAY. SO IT WAS STUCK AT HOME FOR SCHOOL FOR SITTING THROUGH AN HOUR AND A HALF OF THIS JOY. UM, JULIAN AND I ARE HERE TODAY ABOUT THE METRO BOOST 82 PROJECT SPECIFICALLY, WHICH I BELIEVE IS THE FIRST PART OF THE PROJECT BEING DONE BETWEEN WOODHEAD AND HAZARD ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF WESTHEIMER. TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT, METRO IS REPLACING THE PARKING AND SIDEWALK ANTICIPATION OF I THINK ALSO THE STREET HERE IS A REPLACEMENT IN PLACE. THERE'S CURRENTLY A THREE AND A HALF TO FOUR FOOT SIDEWALK THAT IS UP AGAINST THE FENCE AT LINEAR FOOTBALL FIELD. DESPITE THE REQUIREMENTS OF A SIDEWALK REVIEW UNDER SECTION 40 DASH 5 53 OF CITY CODE, THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT CONFIRMED TODAY THAT THERE WAS NO REVIEW OF THE SIDEWALK OR THIS PROJECT. THE RESULT IS THE CURRENT CONSTRUCTION IS IN VIOLATION OF INFRASTRUCTURE DESIGN MANUAL SECTION 17.06 THAT REQUIRES A MINIMUM SIDEWALK OF SIX FEET ALONG A MAJOR THOROUGHFARE. JULIAN WAS PAID $5 TO HOLD THE TAPE MEASURE WHILE WE MEASURED IT, AND THE SIDEWALK IS ANYWHERE FROM FOUR FEET TO AS LITTLE AS THREE FEET, FOUR INCHES. THERE ALSO TREASON THE WAY THAT THE PROJECT TEAM THAT SAID THE ARBORIST COULD SHAVE OFF ITS ROOTS AND ITS TRUNK TO FIT. NOT ONLY DOES THIS VIOLATE CITY ORDINANCE BUT APPEARS TO VIOLATE THE A DA AS IT APPEARS A SIDEWALK LONGER THAN 200 FEET NEEDS A TURNAROUND SPOT. SO IF TWO WHEELCHAIRS ARE PASSING EACH OTHER, THEY DON'T HAVE TO BACK UP OVER 200 FEET. UM, I WISH I HAD MORE EXACT MEASUREMENTS OR UNDERSTANDING OF THE PROCESS, BUT DECIDES TALKING TO METRO PUBLIC WORKS, PLANNING THE TEAM ON SITE, NO ONE HAS BEEN ABLE TO PROVIDE ME WITH A PERMIT NUMBER, COPY OR DRAWING OF WHAT IS BEING PROPOSED. I CAN'T FIND ANYTHING ONLINE THAT DEPICT PICKS THIS OR HOW METRO MANAGED TO AVOID A SIDEWALK REVIEW. DOES LACK OF REVIEW SEEMS TO EXTEND TO THE ENTIRE METRO BOOST 82 PROJECT. THE KICKER IS HERE, THE PARKING LANE IS EIGHT, IS 11 FEET WIDE, FOUR FEET WIDER THAN THE CITY MID MINIMUM, WHICH I CAN FIND ONLINE AND WIDER THAN THE ACTUAL DRIVING LANES. YOU GET MORE ROOM TO PARK 'CAUSE HOUSTON'S NO HOUSTONIANS CAN'T PARK, UM, WHICH IS ABOUT NINE AND A HALF FEET. SO WE COULD HAVE HAD A NICE NEW PARKING, NICE NEW SIDEWALK AND HAD ENOUGH, UH, ROOM TO OBEY THE LAW. METRO HAS SCHEDULED TIME WITH ME ON THURSDAY TO WALK THROUGH THE PROJECT. MY HOPE IS THE CITY CAN PULL THE PERMITS ON THIS UNTIL THE PROJECT IS GET ON BACK ON TRACK. IT'S A TWO MILE STRETCH AND I'M SUPER EXCITED TO HAVE NEW CONCRETE, NEW SIDEWALKS, ALL OF IT. BUT I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE DOING THE RIGHT THING FOR THE CITY. SORRY, I SPOKE REALLY FAST 'CAUSE I ONLY HAD THREE MINUTES. THANK YOU. UH, COUNCILMAN KAMAN. THANK YOU MAYOR LINDSAY, THANK YOU FOR COMING TODAY. AND I DON'T WANNA EMBARRASS JULIAN BY HAVING HIM STAND UP, BUT IT'S ALWAYS SPECIAL WHEN HE'S ABLE TO BE HERE TOO AND I HOPE HE FEELS BETTER. UM, LINDSAY, YOU WENT OUT THERE AND JUST, I, 'CAUSE YOU TALK SO FAST, I WANNA KIND OF BREAK IT DOWN SO EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS. AND MAYOR, UM, WE APPRECIATE THE INVESTMENT THAT METRO IS MAKING, UH, IN THE CORRIDOR. I THINK THE CHALLENGE WITH THIS IS THEY ARE REPAVING. THERE'S PARKING ALONG LINEAR MIDDLE SCHOOL AND AGAIN, RIGHT AT WESTHEIMER IT IS A VERY HIGH TRAFFIC FOR PEDESTRIANS, FOR LITTLE CHILDREN, FOR FAMILIES WALKING TO LINEAR MIDDLE SCHOOL ON WESTHEIMER, WHICH IS A MAJOR THOROUGHFARE. THE SIDEWALK WAS AT FOUR FEET THEN ISH, THEN PARKING, THEN THE TWO LANES OF WESTHEIMER. YEAH, UH, EASTBOUND. SO IT'S TWO LANE. EXCUSE ME. EACH WAY. YEAH. UM, AND WHAT METRO DID IS THEY EXPANDED THE PARKING. I ACTUALLY AM NOT SURE THEY DID THAT. OKAY. BUT NO ONE CAN SHOW ME ANY PROJECTS WHAT I WAS TOLD BY METRO YESTERDAY. IF IT'S OKAY TO INTERRUPT MA'AM, PLEASE NO, PLEASE. THAT'S WHY WE'RE HAVING THIS METRO IS JUST REPLACING IN PLACE. THEY'RE COMING IN AND THEY ARE JUST DOING WHAT WAS THERE. AND I THINK IN THIS INSTANCE THAT PEOPLE SHOWING UP AND LOOKING AT IT WOULD'VE SEEN THAT, HEY, PARKING IS 11 FEET WIDE. THAT WAS REALLY WIDE. COULD WE MEET THE INFRASTRUCTURE DESIGN MANUAL, MAKE THE PARKING OR THE SIDEWALK WIDER, STILL PRESERVING OVER NINE FEET FOR PARKING IN THE SAME, UH, DRIVING LANES. SO I THINK THAT JUST NO ONE WENT OUT THERE AND THOUGHT THROUGH THE PROCESS AND SOMEHOW, I MEAN THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT CONFIRMED WITH ME TODAY THAT SOMEHOW THEY AVOIDED THE REVIEW. THE METRO AVOIDED THE REVIEW PROCESS. SO I WANNA THANK MAYOR RANDY AND SEVERAL PUBLIC WORKS EMPLOYEES DID GO OUT AT MY REQUEST ONCE I STARTED GETTING PINGED BY A LOT OF CONCERNED RESIDENTS ABOUT THIS, UM, TO, TO LOOK AT WHAT WAS HAPPENING. LINDSAY, WHAT I HEAR YOU SAYING IS, IF METRO IS INVESTING THESE IMPORTANT INFRASTRUCTURE DOLLARS IN REDOING THE SIDEWALK, ACTUALLY HAVING EYES ON IT TO SAY, HEY, BECAUSE OUR CITY'S IDM SAYS ON A MAJOR THOROUGHFARE, IT SHOULD BE SIX FEET WHERE THAT'S POSSIBLE. LET'S GO AHEAD AND MAKE THAT IMPROVEMENT WHILE KEEPING THE PARKING, WHILE KEEPING ALL OF THE DRIVING LANES. [01:40:01] THERE'S NOTHING CHANGING, BUT IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MAKE SENSE TO JUST REPLACE AS IS WHEN WE CAN BE BRINGING IT UP TO GRADE AND A DA COMPLIANCE AS THOSE CHANGES HAVE COME DOWN FROM THE FEDERAL LEVEL. UH, YOU ALSO MENTIONED THEY'RE SHAVING A TREE. ONE OF THE CONCERNS, MAYOR, IS THE OVERGROWTH OF BUSHES FROM LINEAR SIDE ACTUALLY THROUGH THE FENCE GOES INTO THE SIDEWALK AS IS. SO THEY BROUGHT THE SIDEWALK EVEN. NO, I THINK IT'S JUST THAT IT STILL AS IS THE SIDEWALK WAS TERRIBLE. I APPRECIATE METRO'S AND THE CITY'S COMMITMENT TO DOING THIS. I THINK WE CAN JUST DO IT A HIGHER LEVEL, WHICH IS GOING AND WALKING AND LOOKING AND SEEING THAT WE COULD HAVE MADE THIS BIGGER. THEIR TREES ACTUALLY GO UP TO THE SIDEWALK HEIGHT BECAUSE THE OLD SIDEWALK HAD LIKE NO REBAR IN IT, SO IT BROKE THROUGH IT. AND SO THAT'S WHEN THEY TOLD ME THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO SHAVE A TREE TO EVEN PUT A SIDEWALK IN. AND SO I THINK, AGAIN, NOT BEING ABLE TO RELY ON HISD FOR BASIC MAINTENANCE AT THE MOMENT, ALL OF THAT OVERGROWTH IS ALSO IMPACTING THE ABILITY OF KIDS AND FAMILIES TO WALK TO SCHOOL. YEP. UM, YOU LAST THING YOU HAD SAID THAT YOU WERE HAVING TROUBLE PULLING WHAT INFORMATION AND I'M HAPPY TO SUBMIT THAT REQUEST ON YOUR BEHALF IF THAT'S HELPFUL. THAT THAT WOULD BE GREAT. THE LOCAL TEAM HAS JUST CALLED ME, LIKE WHEN I ASKED THEM IF I COULD SEE A PERMIT WHEN I WAS WITH THE FOLKS THERE, THE SUBCONTRACTOR, THEY JUST TOLD ME IT WAS METRO BOOST 82. THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT TODAY CAN CONFIRM THAT IT DIDN'T GO THROUGH THE SIDEWALK PROCESS. AND SO I'M TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, BACK UP TO SEE. BUT I WOULD JUST REALLY LOVE A REALLY, WE COULD HAVE TWO LANES OF TRAFFIC, ONE GREAT LANE OF NICE PARKING AND ACTUALLY A REALLY NICE SIDEWALK IF THIS WAS DONE CORRECTLY. AND I WANT THE WHOLE, AND THE OTHER THING IS, I BELIEVE THIS IS THE VERY FIRST PART. IT'S THE LITERALLY 250 FEET. THERE ARE TWO MILES AT LEAST OF WESTHEIMER THAT METRO IS DOING. AND I WOULD LOVE FOR A REVIEW TO OCCUR OF THE REST OF THE PROJECT TO SEE WHERE OPPORTUNITIES ARE AVAILABLE TO OPTIMIZE WHAT WE HAVE. IT, IT'S NOT GONNA BE PERFECT, RIGHT? BUT WE CAN DO BETTER. HAPPY TO BE ON THAT WALKING TEAM TOO. IT'S KIND OF FUN TO BRING TAPE MEASURE. THANK YOU. SO YOU WERE ASKING FOR THE PERMIT NUMBER OR JUST SOMETHING? 'CAUSE I DON'T UNDER, I WAS JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW THEY GOT PLAN REVIEW, PLANNING REVIEW OF THIS. GREAT. AND I, I WANNA THANK METRO FOR AGREEING TO MEET YOU ON SITE ON THURSDAY AS WELL. UM, I, I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING ABOUT THAT MEETING. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. UH, COUNSELOR HORNEY. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU LINDSAY FOR COMING. I'M A BIG FAN OF SIDEWALKS. I'M A BIG FAN OF THIS METRO PROJECT. THEY'RE RIGHT BY MY HOUSE NOW AND IT'S AWESOME. WE ARE SO EXCITED TO GET SOME IMPROVEMENTS THERE. UM, BUT I DO THINK MAYOR, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT LIKE IF THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES IN HIGHLY PEDESTRIAN AREAS, UM, IF, IF WE CAN EXPAND THOSE SIDEWALKS AND NOT JUST PUT IT EXACTLY, YOU KNOW, THE SAME AS IT WAS AND, AND I'M NOT SURE HOW, I MEAN, IS THIS A, LIKE, IS PUBLIC WORKS JOINTLY, YOU KNOW, KIND OF DOING THIS WITH METRO OR THIS IS A FULLY RUN METRO PROJECT AND WE DON'T, THE CITY DOESN'T REALLY HAVE INPUT. I TALKED TO A BUNCH OF PEOPLE YESTERDAY, DON'T TELL MY BOSS THIS IS WHAT I SPENT MOST OF MY DAY ON. BUT, UM, I GOT THE MESSAGE BASICALLY THAT METRO SEEMS TO HAVE ALMOST LIKE A BLANK CHECK OR A BLANK PERMIT TO REPLACE IN PLACE, WHICH, OKAY, WELL IT'S ALWAYS A MATTER OF COST AND, AND TO GET THE TWO MILES DONE, YOU KNOW, TO EXPAND A SIDEWALK IS OBVIOUSLY GONNA ALL COST MORE MONEY. SO ACTUALLY MAYBE IT'S A MATTER OF BUDGET. BUT ANYWAY, I'D LIKE A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION ON THAT TOO. SO I THANK YOU FOR BRINGING IT TO OUR ATTENTION. AND, UM, THE METRO, ACTUALLY, THE SUBCONTRACTOR ADMITTED TO ME THAT IT WOULD'VE BEEN CHEAPER TO BUILD A BIGGER SIDEWALK. THE PARKING WOULD'VE BEEN SMALLER AND PARKING IS MORE EXPENSIVE THAN SIDEWALK . YEAH. BUT BUT IN, BUT IN OTHER AREAS OF WHERE THERE'S NOT A PARKING LOT OR WHATEVER YEAH. IN OTHER AREAS OF THE, OF THE TOWN OF, OF WHERE THAT, DURING THAT, THAT TWO MILE STRETCH, THERE'S GONNA BE AREAS WHERE, UM, IT WOULD PROBABLY WOULD ADD SOME COST. SO THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE FACTOR AND A LOT. AND IN SOME AREAS IT'S ALSO PRETTY NARROW, UH, AND NOT A LOT OF ROOM TO EXPAND THE SIDEWALK, BUT TO THE EXTENT I CAN HELP GET SOME INFORMATION ON HOW THE CITY'S WORKING WITH METRO ON, ON THAT LINE, I'M, I'M HAPPY TO DO IT. THANK YOU FOR COMING. THANK YOU. NEXT, NANCY HIGGS. ALFREDO DOMINGUEZ. HEY. HELLO. CAN YOU HEAR ME? GOOD AFTERNOON. THIS IS ALFREDO DOMINGUEZ WITH A CURRENT DISTRICT AGE RESIDENT AND ALSO A EMPLOYEE OF CIVIL RIGHTS CORPS AS THE HOUSTON POLICING PROJECT MANAGER. UH, MY ORGANIZATION, CIVIL RIGHTS CORPS IS, UM, ONE THAT DOES LEGAL, NONPROFIT AND [01:45:01] ADVOCACY AROUND POLICE ABUSE AND IS CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF SOME MULTIPLE LAWSUITS AGAINST THE BROADER HOUSTON POLICING AGENCIES. AND WE ARE HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE SHOTS SPOTTER CONTRACT AND THE RISE HOUSTON KIND OF DEMANDS MORE, MORE BROADLY AND ALSO TO DO A NICE LITTLE DELIVERY TO OUR MAYOR. SO I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF, I'M REALLY HAPPY TO HEAR THAT THE SHOTS SPOTTER CONTRACT IS GOING TO BE CANCELED. I THINK THAT IS A POSITIVE FOR THIS CITY, REGARDLESS OF HOW THAT MONEY IS BEING SPENT. BUT I'M REALLY DISAPPOINTED TO SEE THAT EVEN IN LIKE REDUCING THE AMOUNT OF POLICE PRESENCE AND POLICE SURVEILLANCE IN THE CITY, WE'RE CHOOSING TO PUT THAT MONEY RIGHT BACK INTO HPDS POCKET IN A WAY IN WHICH THAT TO ME DOES NOT SEEM TO MAKE SENSE WHEN SO MANY DIFFERENT COUNCIL MEMBERS I HEAR ALCO AND I HEAR CAME AND TALKING ABOUT WANTING TO MAKE THE CITY MORE WALKABLE. I HEAR SO MANY DIFFERENT PROJECTS THAT THE CITY WANTS TO WORK ON BUT DOESN'T HAVE THE FUNDS FOR, DOESN'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO. AND THIS POLICE BUDGET IS SITTING RIGHT THERE AS A POSSIBLE TO USE THAT MONEY INSTEAD OF INCREASING THE POLICE BUDGET BY MILLIONS OF DOLLARS EVERY SINGLE YEAR TO PUT THAT MONEY DIRECTLY INTO SOME OF THESE OTHER PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE THINKING ABOUT, LIKE FLOOD MITIGATION, LIKE MAKING OUR CITY MORE CLIMATE RESILIENT, LIKE BUYING GENERATORS FROM PEOPLE. THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT OPTIONS THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO US THAT ARE NOT JUST INCREASING THE POLICE BUDGET OR INCREASING THE AMOUNT OF POLICE OFFICERS THAT WE HAVE. UH, MY BACKGROUND IS IN PUBLIC POLICY. I GOT MY MASTER'S IN PUBLIC POLICY AT GEORGETOWN. LIKE POLICING IS LITERALLY THE ONLY ISSUE ON THE PUBLIC POLICY LEVEL THAT WE DO NOT CONSIDER AS WE CONSIDER EVERY OTHER PUBLIC POLICY ISSUE. WHEN WE LOOK AT FLOOD MITIGATION, WHEN WE LOOK AT HOUSING, WHEN WE LOOK AT HEALTH, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE OUTCOMES THAT THAT'S PROVIDING TO US AND WHETHER OR NOT THAT'S SERVING THE RESIDENTS OF THE COMMUNITY WITH POLICING EVERY SINGLE YEAR, REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE BUDGET LOOKED LIKE, REGARDLESS OF WE'RE FACING A BUDGET CRISIS, WE'RE STILL DOING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF INCREASES TO THE POLICE BUDGET IN A WAY IN WHICH THAT DOES NOT MAKE SENSE TO ME AND DOES NOT MAKE SENSE TO A LOT OF OTHER RESIDENTS. AND THAT'S WHY IT'S, I'M EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED TO SEE THAT THEY, WHEN WE HAVE LIKE A NEW WINDFALL OF MONEY COMING FROM THE CANCELLATION OF THE SHOT SPOTTER CONTRACT, WE'RE SEEING THAT MONEY GO RIGHT BACK IN TO HPD IN A WAY THAT WHICH DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO ME AND DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO A LOT OF HOUSTON AND HARRIS COUNTY RESIDENTS. AND I THINK I'M GONNA SPEND A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME TALKING ABOUT THE LAST TWO DEMANDS THAT WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT HERE, WHICH IS JUST THAT WE WANT TO SEE HPD COME OUT OF NON-SAFETY TRAFFIC STOPS. AND THAT JUST MEANS NOT HAVING POLICE OFFICERS STOPPING PEOPLE FOR MAKING THE, YOU KNOW, STOPPING ON THE CROSSWALK OR VERY MINOR INFRACTIONS LIKE HAVING YOUR TAGS OUT BECAUSE THIS INCREASES THE AMOUNT OF POLICE INTERACTION. AND WHEN WE HAVE A JAIL POPULATION CRISIS LIKE WE DO NOW IN HARRIS COUNTY, WE DON'T NEED TO INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF INTERACTIONS BETWEEN POLICE OFFICERS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS. AND LASTLY, THE MOST IMPORTANT DEMAND IS TO FREEZE THE HPG TO BUDGET MORE BROADLY AND JUST PUT THAT MONEY INTO THE MYRIAD OF THINGS THAT ALL THESE COUNCIL MEMBERS WANT TO DO THAT HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH POLICING AND THAT WOULD ACTUALLY MAKE THE CITY SAFER. AND FOR THAT, THAT THAT'S ME. THAT'S MY TIME. AND I DO, THE GIFT THAT I HAVE IS 60 TO 70 POSTCARDS MADE BY OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS TALKING ABOUT WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE INSTEAD OF SHOTS SPOTTER. THERE'S NOT POLICE OFFICER OR POLICING, UM, INCREASES NAMED ON THESE THINGS AND I WOULD LOVE TO GIVE THEM TO THE MAYOR IF ABEL PUBLIC COULD GRAB THEM. NO SPEAKERS. THANK NICK, SELENA BRA BULLS AND OKAY, THAT'S THE GSU. GOOD AFTERNOON Y'ALL. COUNCIL MEMBERS, MAYOR, MY NAME IS SELENA BRA BULLS AND I WORK WITH PEER JUSTICE AND I'M A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT C. I'M ALSO ENCOURAGED TO HEAR THAT THE SHOT SPOTTER CONTRACT SEEMS TO BE TENTATIVELY CANCELED, BUT I'M URGING YOU ALL TO URGE IMMEDIATELY. REMOVE SHOT SPOTTER IF YOU WANNA HELP LOCAL FAMILIES ENSURE HOUSTON CONTINUES THRIVING AND STAY TRUE TO YOUR OWN BUDGETED GOALS IN THE BUDGET FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR. THE SECOND OBJECTIVE OF THE CITY'S PUBLIC SAFETY PRIORITIES IS TO QUOTE, STRENGTHEN HOUSTON'S COMMUNITY POLICING PROGRAMS. KEEP THIS IN MIND. SHOTSPOTTER IS WITH A POOR POLICING TOOL AND DIRECTLY CONFLICTS WITH THE WELLBEING OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE COMMUNITIES. I'M URGING YOU TO PLEASE CENTER THE COMMUNITY IN THESE PROGRAMS THAT YOU ARE INTERESTED IN. AS A COMMUNITY MEMBER, I'M TELLING YOU THAT THERE ARE SERIOUS NEEDS DOLLARS TOWARDS JOB TRAINING PROGRAMS, FREE MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH CLINICS, AND MORE STABILIZATION AND SUPPORT SERVICES. FOR THOSE DEALING WITH HOMELESSNESS WOULD BE DOLLARS THAT ACTUALLY KEEP PEOPLE SAFE, KEEP THEM WITH THEIR CHILDREN, KEEP THEM IN CLASS, KEEP THEM OFF THE STREETS. ALMOST TWO THIRDS OF THE CITY'S GENERAL FUND BUDGET. SO $1 BILLION GOES TO HPD AND FUNDS PROGRAMS LIKE SHOTSPOTTER, WHILE THE CITY'S HEALTH, HOUSING AND SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENTS ALL TOOK BUDGET CUTS. THESE ENTITIES ARE CRUCIAL TO MY SAFETY, MY COMMUNITY SAFETY, AND MY LOVED ONE'S. SAFETY DEBRIS CLEANUP AND DRAINAGE CLEANING, RAPID CONNECTED PUBLIC TRANSIT AND CLEANING UP ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS THAT ARE CAUSING CANCER CLUSTERS. FOR FIFTH WARD CHILDREN ARE ALSO WAYS TO IMPROVE COMMUNITY SAFETY. PLEASE HEAT YOUR OWN BUDGET POLICY AND YOUR GOAL TO STRENGTHEN COMMUNITY POLICING AND GET RID OF SHOTSPOTTER IN RESPONSE TO THE CLARIFICATION THAT THE CONTRACT IS CANCELED. I THINK MYSELF AND THE OTHER ADVOCATES THAT [01:50:01] WOULD LIKE TO RISE TO REIMAGINE SAFETY FOR EVERYONE WANTS SOME ANSWERS ABOUT WHAT THE TIMELINE OR PLAN FOR THAT LOOKS LIKE. THE ADMISSION THAT WE WILL NOT RENEW THE CONTRACT IS NOT THE SAME AS REMOVING THE SURVEILLANCE TECHNOLOGY FROM OUR VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES. AND I THINK WE WOULD LIKE SOME ANSWERS ABOUT THAT. THE CONTRACT IS SET TO END IN 2027, WHICH IS THREE YEARS. I'M, I DON'T GAMBLE, BUT I'M WILLING TO BET THAT IN THE PAST THREE YEARS A LOT HAPPENED TO EACH OF US. THAT'S A VALUABLE TIME THAT WE CAN USE TO MAKE OUR COMMUNITY SAFER AND TAKE ACTION AND RISE TOGETHER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MA'AM. NEXT, CECILIA FONTANO. GOOD AFTERNOON, HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME AGAIN IS CECILIA BONINO AND I WORK WITH PURE JUSTICE. REGARDLESS OF WHAT YOUR INTENTIONS ARE WITH SHOT SPOTTER, WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE IMPACT ON INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES, ESPECIALLY THOSE IN VULNERABLE SITUATIONS. A, B, C 13 AND THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE REPORTED EARLIER THIS SUMMER THAT SHOT SPOTTER ALERTS WERE ONLY HALF AS EFFECTIVE IN LEADING TO FOLLOW UP RESPONSE AS PEOPLE ALERTING ABOUT OFFENSES. NORMALLY THIS ISN'T STOPPING VIOLENT CRIME. OVER 80% OF SHOP SPOTTER NOTIFICATIONS FROM LATE 2020 TO EARLY 2023 WERE EVENTUALLY THROWN OUT. THANK YOU FOR ENDING THE SHOT SPOTTER CONTRACT. INSTEAD OF WASTING TIME, MONEY, AND MANPOWER RESPONDING TO CRIMES THAT ARE NOT HAPPENING, WE NEED TO INVEST IN QUALITY HOUSING FOR SENIORS, BETTER EDUCATION FOR YOUTH, AND MAKE OUR NEIGHBORHOODS MORE RESILIENT TO FLOODING. WE HAVE THE POWER TO MAKE HOUSTON FOR ALL, BUT WE NEED TO STOP THROWING GOOD MONEY AFTER BAD CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. I AM URGING ALL OF YOU TO IMAGINE REAL SAFETY SOLUTIONS FOR EVERYONE BECAUSE WE CAN RISE UP AND TACKLE COMMUNITY ISSUES TOGETHER. I THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO ME. THANK YOU MA'AM. NEXT, LAURA GALLIER. LAURA GALLIER, TANGY SMITH CITY COUNCIL MAYOR WHITMEYER. MY NAME IS TANYA NICK SMITH AND THE COMMUNITY CALLS ME TANGIE. I'M THE FOUNDER AND THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF TEXAS FEDERATION OF THE PEOPLE FOUNDATION. I'M A MEMBER OF PURE JUSTICE AND I ALSO SIT ON THE RISE COMMITTEE. I HAVE A THANK YOU AND A SMALL ASK FROM YOU GUYS. I THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ENDING THAT SPOT OR THAT SHOT SPOT OR CONTRACT. I REALLY APPRECIATE IT. BUT MY ASK IS, MAYOR WHITMEYER, WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE THAT YOU CAN GET WITH HPD AND CREATE A PROGRAM TO BRING TO THE INNER CITY SO THAT WE CAN BRIDGE THE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN POLICING AND THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY SO THAT WE CAN UNDERSTAND AND REALLY WORK WITH COMMUNITY SAFETY? I'M ASKING COMMUNITY SAFETY DON'T LOOK LIKE WHAT EVERYBODY HERE AT THE CITY COUNCIL THINK [01:55:01] IT LOOKS LIKE. COMMUNITY SAFETY IS OUR LITTLE GIRLS THAT ARE AFRAID TO GO TO SCHOOL BECAUSE THEIR GARDENS ARE UNKEPT AND I'M GONNA KEEP IT CLEAN LIKE THAT. THEY DON'T WANNA GO TO SCHOOL BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE THE ECONOMIC STATUS THAT THEY NEED TO PURCHASE PERSONAL THINGS THAT THEY NEED SO THAT THEY CAN GO TO SCHOOL LIKE THAT. THAT RIGHT THERE, I'M GOING TO LEAVE IT LIKE THAT. I NEED TO KNOW IF YOU CAN GET WITH HPD SO THEY CAN COME IN AND THEY CAN HELP OUR LITTLE GIRLS AND THEY CAN HELP OUR LITTLE BOYS SO THAT WE CAN MOVE FORWARD SO THAT THEY CAN GET THE EDUCATION THAT THEY NEED SO THAT THEY CAN GO TO SCHOOL AND CONTINUE WHAT IT IS THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO CONTINUE COMMUNITY SAFE AND ALL, ALL THE TIME. DON'T LOOK LIKE WE NEED POLICE OVER HERE TO DO THIS, OR WE NEED POLICE OVER THERE TO DO THAT. WE NEED HELP. WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT OUR LITTLE GIRLS HAVE THE TOOLS THAT THEY NEED SO THAT IT CAN BE PRODUCTIVE AND SUCCESSFUL. THAT'S ALL I'M ASKING YOU TO DO. AGAIN, I, I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU GUYS FOR END OF THE SHOT SPOTTER, BUT WE NEED HELP ON THAT END BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT COMMUNITY SAFETY LOOKS LIKE TO THEM. THAT'S WHAT COMMUNITY SAFETY LOOKS LIKE TO THEIR PARENTS BECAUSE THE ECONOMIC STATUS IS JUST NOT THERE FOR EVERYBODY. EVERYBODY DON'T HAVE THE SAME MONIES THAT THEIR NEIGHBORS AND THEIR COUNTERPARTS HAVE. SO WE NEED TO KNOW IF YOU GUYS CAN DO THAT FOR US. THAT'S WHAT COMMUNITY SAFETY MEANS TO US. THANK YOU. WE WILL DEFINITELY SHARE THAT WITH HPD AND GET THEIR COMMUNITY OUTREACH GROUP INVOLVED. I APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MA'AM. MM-HMM . HAVE A GOOD DAY. MM-HMM . NEXT BEING OLA BECKY BEST AND THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE. MY NAME IS BECKY BEST, I'M A MEMBER OF DISTRICT G AND I AM THE PAST, UH, CHAIR OF THE GULF COAST ANIMAL WELFARE ALLIANCE AND THE IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON ANIMAL WELFARE ADVISORY COMMITTEE. I'M HERE TODAY TO TALK ABOUT ANIMAL WELFARE AND THE CRISIS THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY IN. I HEAR INCREDIBLE THINGS ABOUT THE WORK THAT'S TAKING PLACE IN OTHER AREAS SUCH AS AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS, AND I WONDER WHY WE'RE NOT MAKING THOSE SAME STRIDES IN ANIMAL WELFARE. I THINK IT'S PARTIALLY BECAUSE WE SPEND TOO MUCH TIME ASKING OURSELVES THE WRONG QUESTIONS. WE THINK A LOT ABOUT ANIMAL WELFARE IN TERMS OF NO KILL, AND WE'RE ASKING OURSELVES QUESTIONS LIKE, DO WE WANNA LEAVE THE ANIMALS ON THE STREET TO DIE OUT THERE? DO WE WANNA BRING THEM INTO THE SHELTER AND POSSIBLY RISK DYING THERE? AND IF WE BRING THEM INTO THE SHELTER, WHAT PERCENTAGE ARE WE COMFORTABLE EUTHANIZING? THESE ARE REALLY NOT THE BEST QUESTIONS THAT WE CAN BE ASKING. SIMILARLY, WE ALSO TEND TO FOCUS ON OUR LIMITATIONS. WE HAVE LESS PER CAPITA MONEY BEING SPENT. WE HAVE FEWER OFFICERS THAT ARE ON THE STREETS AND WE DON'T REALLY THINK ABOUT THE TIMES THAT WE HAVE SO MUCH THAT WE CAN BE OFFERING. SO IT WOULD BE NICE IF WE COULD STOP FOCUSING ON OUR PERCEIVED LIMITATIONS BECAUSE THEY SAY THAT IF YOU FOCUS AND FIGHT FOR YOUR LIMITATIONS, YOU GET TO KEEP THEM. AND I THINK THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE'VE SEEN HERE IN OUR CITY. WE HAVE ENTIRELY TOO MANY INTELLIGENT PEOPLE AND, UH, RICHLY RESOURCED COMPANIES THAT COULD COME TOGETHER AND REALLY PUT THE END OF THIS, UM, PROBLEM TOGETHER. IF WE WERE ASKING BETTER QUESTIONS LIKE HOW DO WE HELP OUR COMMUNITY STAY WITH THE PETS SO THE OWNERS CAN KEEP THEIR PETS? HOW DO WE WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY IN THE COMMUNITY IS, IS INVOLVED IN THIS COMMUNITY PROBLEM? AND HOW DO WE ALSO RAISE CHILDREN THAT WILL GROW UP AND STOP THE CYCLE OF ABUSE AND NEGLECT AND BECOME RESPONSIBLE, COMPASSIONATE OWNERS? THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE CAN DO IF WE REFRAME THE APPROACH AND WE MOVE FROM MANAGING PROBLEMS TO CREATING SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS THAT BENEFIT OUR PETS AND OUR COMMUNITY. WE FIX THE BROKEN SYSTEM AND WORK TO PREVENT YET ANOTHER RETURN TO THIS PLACE THAT WE'VE BEEN ONCE BEFORE OR MANY TIMES BEFORE. REALLY. UM, ANIMAL WELFARE HAS A TENDENCY TO GO READY, FIRE, AIM, AND WE HOPE THAT WE HIT SOME KIND OF A TARGET IN THE PROCESS. I KNOW THAT PRIVATIZATION IS ON THE CALENDAR RIGHT NOW BEING LOOKED AT, AND I THINK THAT COULD BE A VIABLE POSSIBILITY, BUT WE NEED TO GET REALLY CLEAR FIRST OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH AND THEN DECIDE IF PRIVATIZATION IS THE RIGHT TOOL TO GET US THERE IN THE LONG RUN. I ENCOURAGE YOU TO START A COMMUNITY CONVERSATION. IT'S VERY RARE THAT WE ACTUALLY HEAR FROM THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY OTHER THAN THE COMPLAINTS ON THE TELEPHONE CALLS WHEN THEIR DOG IS CHASING THEM DOWN THE STREET. SO IF WE CAN START THAT COMMUNITY CONVERSATION AND THEN PUT TOGETHER A CROSS SECTOR COMMUNITY COMMITTEE THAT IS NOT JUST THERE TO CHECK A BOX FOR HAVING THREE MEETINGS A YEAR, BUT THAT REALLY IS THERE TO MOVE THE NEEDLE AND IS GIVEN EMPOWERMENT TO DO SO, I BELIEVE WE CAN CHANGE AND MAKE A BETTER COMMUNITY. COUNCIL MEMBER [02:00:01] HUFFMAN, THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU DR. PES FOR COMING FORWARD, UM, TODAY AND JUST FOR YOUR COMMITMENT TO THE ANIMALS, UM, OVER ALL THESE YEARS. YOU HAVE SUCH A, UM, WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE IN THIS AREA AND SO I LOOK FORWARD TO TALKING TO YOU ABOUT SOME OF THESE IDEAS, UM, BECAUSE HOWEVER WE CAN, UM, DO THE BEST FOR THE ANIMALS OUT THERE AND LIKE YOU SAID, YOU KNOW, EDUCATING PEOPLE, UM, ENDING THE CYCLE OF NEGLECT AND VIOLENCE, THINGS LIKE THAT. I MEAN, ALL OF THOSE ARE, ARE VERY, VERY WORTHY. SO GREAT IDEAS. THANK YOU MA'AM. NEXT NORA GOMEZ. GOOD AFTERNOON TO EVERYBODY. I AM HERE BECAUSE THIS PAST WEEK WE TRAPPED AND NEEDED TO TURN TWO A STRAY DOGS THAT WERE RUNNING LOSING OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. WHEN WE WENT TO BARK, THEY WERE NOT ACCEPTED. WE WERE TOLD THAT IF WE LEFT THE DOGS, THEY WOULD IMMEDIATELY BE EUTHANIZED OR TWO OTHER DOGS WOULD BE EUTHANIZED. THIS STATEMENT MADE BY A BARK EMPLOYEE WAS MANIPULATIVE IN NATURE. SHE KNEW WE WOULD NOT LEAVE THE DOGS ONCE. SHE SAID THAT BARK IS REQUIRED TO TAKE IN THE ANIMALS AND THAT BARK DOES WHAT BARK DOES WITH THEM AFTER THEY ARE SURRENDER IS NOT OUR CHOICE. BARK IN THEIR WEBSITE SAYS, IS THE ONLY SHELTER IN HOUSTON REQUIRED BY LAW TO ACCEPT EVERY ANIMAL THAT COMES THROUGH THEIR DOOR? WE HAD TO DRIVE ALL THE WAY TO MAGNOLIA NORTH OF, UH, TMBO TO FIND THAT PLACE WILLING TO TAKE THE DOGS. WHAT IS BARK FOR? DOES BARK ONLY EXIST TO GIVE CITIZENS AWAY FROM DROPPING OFF STRAY ANIMALS? BECAUSE THE CITY POLICY ON A, A EUTHANASIA, WE LIVE ON A BUSY STREET WHERE CHILDREN OFTEN WALK TO, UH, NEARBY ELEMENTARY AND HIGH SCHOOL. PEOPLE WALK TO BUS STOPS SOMETIMES EARLY IN THE MORNING OR LATE AT NIGHT WHEN IT'S DARK OUTSIDE. IT, IT'S NOT SAFE FOR, FOR PEDESTRIANS, ESPECIALLY CHILDREN, WHEN STRAY DOGS CAN ATTACK AT ANY TIME BECAUSE BARK REFUSES TO TAKE THEM IN. IT IS COMMON TO SEE OUR NEIGHBORS WALKING WITH STICKS IN THEIR HANDS TO DEFEND THEMSELVES AGAINST, AGAINST STRAY DOGS. I WENT ON YOUR WEBSITE AND I SPENT A WHOLE LOT OF TIME IN IT READING IT SAYS ADOPTIONS WAIVED FEE. HOW DO YOU, UM, ADVERTISE THAT? I HAVE NEVER SEEN IT. UM, AND I GO TO COMMUNITY, UH, CENTERS, SENIOR, UH, EDUCATION CENTERS IN BAYLAND PARK, TRACY G AND THOMAS GLACIER. AND I'VE NEVER SEEN ANY, ANYTHING LIKE THAT. NO. UH, SOCIAL MEDIA, MORE MISSING OPPORTUNITIES FOR COMMUNITY OUTREACH. THE LAST, UH, POST ON YOUTUBE WAS MADE OVER FOUR YEARS AGO. INSTAGRAM, THE WEBSITE SAYS NOTHING TO SEE HERE, BUT I WENT IN IT ANYWAY AND I FOUND AN OFFER FOR MICROCHIP SERVICE, BUT THERE'S NO WAY TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT. DIGITAL STREET TEAM COMING SOON. GOD KNOWS HOW LONG IT HAS BEEN THERE. THERE'S ANOTHER BUTTON THAT SAYS URGENT PETS. I DOWNLOADED, I DOWNLOADED THE P UH, PDF FILE IN THE FIRST FIVE DOGS WERE ALL BREEDS THAT ARE BLACKLISTED BY INSURANCE AND THEREFORE UNLIKELY TO BE ADOPTED. ROTWEILER MIXED NAMED PANDA ROTWEILER MIXED NAMED PONY ROTWEILER MIXED NAMED PAULEY GERMAN SHEPHERD. IT EVEN SAID OVER THERE THAT THE DOG WAS PANTING AND DRINKING A LOT OF WATER BECAUSE MAYBE HOT BECAUSE THE FACILITY DOESN'T HAVE ANY AC, BUT DOES THAT MEAN YOUR TIME? THANK YOU. UH, COUNCILOR ALCORN. THANK YOU MA'AM FOR COMING AND FOR ILLUSTRATING SOME OF THE THINGS THAT NEED CHANGED. UM, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT MAKING SOME CHANGES AT BART. I KNOW THEY'VE BEEN FULL. I KNOW THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT OUR SHELTER'S OVERCROWDED. SO IS THE COUNTY SHELTER IS OVERCROWDED, AND THAT MIGHT BE ONE OF THE REASONS THAT THEY WERE NOT OPEN TO INTAKE, BUT WE ARE BRINGING THIS TO A JOINT SERVICE DELIVERY AND BUDGET FISCAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE ON OCTOBER 1ST. THE ADMINISTRATION HAS BEEN WORKING ON, UH, A PLAN TO ADDRESS, UM, SOME OF THE NEEDS AT BARK. SO I INVITE YOU AND OTHER COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO PLEASE PARTICIPATE IN THAT MEETING. IT'LL BE OCTOBER 1ST AT 10 O'CLOCK. AND, UH, LOOKING AT THE VARIOUS ASPECTS OF BARK, UM, KNOWING THAT IMPROVEMENTS NEED TO BE MADE, WE HAVE SOME GREAT STAFF OVER THERE AT BARK. THEY'RE OVERWHELMED, UM, UNDERSTAFFED AND OVERWHELMED AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S CHANGES TO COME AND I INVITE YOU TO BE PART OF THAT CONVERSATION. I APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. [02:05:05] BRIAN BARDEN. HELLO EVERYONE. UM, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS BRIAN BARDEN. I'M A RESIDENT OF THE WESTBURY, UH, DISTRICT K AREA. UH, I LIVE WITH MY WIFE AND MY MOTHER-IN-LAW, NORA, AND I'M HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT THE STRAY PROBLEM THAT WE HAVE IN HOUSTON. MY WIFE AND I BOTH WORK FULL-TIME AND VOLUNTEER. SHE HAS A RARE KIDNEY DISEASE KNOWN AS IGAN OR FOR YOUR OLDER GENERATION. THE, UH, BERGER'S DISEASE AND, UM, SORRY. UH, WE ARE, SHE'S VERY ACTIVE IN THE CHRONIC ILLNESS COMMUNITY AND AN ADVOCATE FOR HER DISEASE AS WELL. BETWEEN THE DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENTS, OUR JOBS, OUR VOLUNTEER WORK. I ALSO DO KARATE THREE TIMES A WEEK. AND FITNESS CLASSES LIKE WATER AEROBICS AND BAR CLASS. UH, WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF TIME TO BE DOING, UH, THE THINGS THAT WE DO. UM, WE STILL FIND A LOT OF FREE TIME FOR THE STRAYS IN THE AREA. JUST THIS, UH, LIKE JUST BE, I'VE BOUGHT A CHIP READER JUST FOR THE AMOUNT OF STRAYS IN THE AREA AND IT'S COMING HANDY. UM, THIS LAST WEEK WE HAD TWO STRAY DOGS COME INTO OUR YARD. WE SPENT SEVERAL DAYS AND A LOT OF TIME THAT WE SIMPLY DON'T HAVE NETWORKING, TRYING TO FIND A PLACE FOR THEM TO GO. ON THURSDAY, MY MOTHER-IN-LAW AND I WENT TO EVERY SHELTER AVAILABLE, CAPPED THE HUMANE SOCIETY SPCA AND BARK, BUT EVERY SHELTER WAS OVERLOADED. I WANT TO KNOW WHAT WE CAN DO TO HELP THE CITY'S INITIATIVES IN PROVIDING ASSISTANCE FOR THE ANIMALS. WE KNOW THAT BARK IS UNDERSTAFFED AND UNDERFUNDED. UH, WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT IT? THE BARK BUILDING IS BIG. IT'S BEAUTIFUL, IT'S NEWER. IT, WE DON'T SEE THE RIGHT LEVEL OF CARE FOR THE STRAY ANIMALS. MAY IT BE MORE SUPPORT, MORE FUNDING, MORE ADVERTISING, OR MORE NETWORKING. MY QUESTION TODAY, WOULD Y'ALL BE ABLE TO LAY OUT AN IDEA OF WHAT WE NEED TO HELP Y'ALL? MAY IT BE MORE FUNDING, MORE SUPPORT, MORE HANDS, MORE KNOWLEDGE, AND JUST AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT WE WENT THROUGH. SHE, WE BROUGHT THE DOGS TO BARK AND THE LADY BASICALLY THREATENED US WITH SAYING THAT SHE'S GOING TO EUTHANIZE THEM OR EUTHANIZE TWO OTHER ANIMALS. IF WE LEAVE THE, UH, LEAVE THE DOGS, THAT'S JUST NOT GONNA FLY WITH ME BECAUSE I, I CARE FOR ANIMALS AS MUCH. SO WE ACTUALLY ENDED UP NETWORKING AND GETTING THEM TO A RESCUE A LITTLE BIT NORTH OF HOUSTON, AND THAT WAS IN TWO DAYS. WE CAN HELP WHATEVER Y'ALL NEED AS WELL. JUST WHAT CAN WE DO? THANK YOU. UH, MAYOR PROTE, CAST TATUM, THANK YOU FOR COMING AND I KNOW IT'S FRUSTRATING YOU AND YOUR WIFE, UM, DISTRICT A RESIDENTS VERY, UM, HAPPY THAT YOU ARE HELPING. UM, AND QUITE FRANKLY, THE CITY DOES NEED HELP. WE, WE TRY TO DO AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. I'M SORRY. AND, AND WE APPRECIATE THAT. I'M CURIOUS TO KNOW, YOU SAID YOU BOUGHT A CHIP READER AND THAT YOU, UM, HAVE BEEN USING IT. DID YOU FIND THAT THOSE ANIMALS HAD BEEN CHIPPED OR SO, UH, MOST OF THEM NOT CHIPPED. SO IN THE PAST TWO YEARS, UH, ABOUT NINE DOGS, HALF OF THEM HAVE HAD CHIPS AND I'VE BEEN ABLE TO GET THEM BACK. THERE'S A, A, A SH LIKE A VET ABOUT TWO, THREE BLOCKS AWAY. I USED TO TAKE THEM TO THE, UH, SHELTER. NOT THE SHELTER, THE VET TO GET THE CHIP, BUT IT BECAME SO MUCH OF A THING THAT I ACTUALLY BOUGHT THE CHIP READER TO HELP. AND I WAS ABLE TO GET TWO DOGS RECENTLY, ONE THROUGH CAP. THEY ENDED UP GETTING, UH, UH, UM, ADOPTED OUT AND THEN ANOTHER DOG, UH, WE ENDED UP GETTING TO I THINK SPCA OR SOMETHING. BUT THIS LAST ONE, THEY SAID THAT IT WOULD TAKE UP TO TWO WEEKS FOR AN APPOINTMENT JUST TO SEE THEM. AND WE CAN'T HAVE DOGS JUST IN OUR BACKYARD, IN THE HEAT JUST SITTING THERE. UM, THEY SAID THAT WE COULD POSSIBLY GO ON SUNDAY AND IN THAT TIME BEING FROM THAT THURSDAY TO SUNDAY, I WAS ABLE TO NETWORK ME AND MY WIFE A RESCUE NORTH OF HOUSTON. AND, UM, A LOT OF TIMES AT THIS POINT, IF WE FIND A DOG THAT DOESN'T HAVE A CHIP, IT'S, IT'S A LOT OF TIMES EASIER TO JUST, OH NO, THEY NEVER CAME BY BECAUSE IT'S SO HARD TO FIND A PLACE FOR THESE DOGS. AND IT'S SO MUCH TIME AND EFFORT FOR US THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE, I DON'T BLAME THEM FOR JUST IGNORING THE DOG RIGHT IN THE STREET, BECAUSE THE AMOUNT OF EFFORT THAT IT TAKES TO HELP RIGHT. IS WELL, I APPRECIATE YOU COMING AND AMPLIFYING, UH, THE WORK THAT YOU ARE DOING. UM, BUT QUITE FRANKLY, WE NEED MORE PEOPLE TO DO WHAT YOU ARE DOING. OF COURSE. I MEAN, OUR OFFICE HAS [02:10:01] SPENT THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS WITH, UM, PICKING UP STRAIGHT DOGS, BUT THEN WE RUN INTO THE SAME PROBLEM THAT YOU RUN INTO. AND WE DON'T, AND THE RESIDENTS DON'T WANT THE DOGS TO BE EUTHANIZED. UM, BUT WE NEED MORE PEOPLE TO, UM, ASSIST US WITH MAKING SURE THAT THESE DOGS CAN GO TO A RESCUE FAMILY. UM, AND THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT AROUND THE HORSESHOE, THAT, YOU KNOW, WE NEED MORE PRIVATE PUBLIC PARTNERSHIPS TO HELP US WITH THE STRAY DOG INITIATIVES. UM, WE'VE ENCOURAGED RESIDENTS. I MEAN, MANY OF OUR OFFICES HAVE HAD, UM, DRIVES WITH BARK, UM, WITH, UM, FOLKS, YOU KNOW, BEING OUTTA WORK DURING COVID, WE'VE PROVIDED FOOD AND TRYING TO DO EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN SO PEOPLE CAN STILL MAINTAIN, UH, THEIR ANIMAL AND NOT JUST DISCARD THOSE, THOSE ANIMALS, UM, WHEN THEY CAN NO LONGER AFFORD THEM. UM, BUT WE APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU HAVE DONE. UM, OUR OFFICE IS WILLING TO HELP TO MAYBE RALLY SOME RESCUE GROUPS TOGETHER SO THAT, UM, YOU DON'T HAVE TO TAKE THAT ON, UH, YOU AND YOUR WIFE, AS YOU KNOW, ALONE MM-HMM . UM, BUT WE DO NEED MORE PEOPLE TO HELP. SO IF, IF, IF, IF YOU HAVE SOME IDEAS THAT YOU THINK MIGHT WORK, WE ARE DEFINITELY OPEN TO DISCUSSING THOSE WITH YOU. IF I WASN'T LIVING WITH MY MOTHER-IN-LAW AND I HAD MY OWN PLACE BE DIFFERENT STORY. RIGHT. UM, AS WELL. I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THIS OCTOBER 1ST THING, AND THEN THE LADY BEFORE MY MOTHER-IN-LAW SAID SOME GOOD POINTS WHERE WE NEED TO INFORM THE NEWER GENERATION. THESE, UH, ANIMALS SHOULDN'T BE, UH, GIFTS. ANIMALS SHOULD BE LIKE TREATED, STOP THE ABUSE, UH, TNR, ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF. HELP OUT WITH THE COMMUNITY. I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT DO STUFF LIKE ME. THEY JUST DON'T TALK TO Y'ALL AS RIGHT. THEY DON'T COME HERE AND DO THIS KIND OF STUFF, OR THEY'RE BUSY. RIGHT. AND THEY CAN ONLY DO SO MUCH. RIGHT. SO. WELL, AND ENGAGEMENT IS A TWO-WAY STREET. I MEAN, IF YOU'VE GOT SOME IDEAS AND SOME THINGS YOU'D LIKE TO SEE, OUR OFFICE IS DEFINITELY OPEN TO TRY TO RALLY SOME FOLKS TO TOGETHER AND TRY TO COME UP WITH SOME SOLUTIONS. UM, BUT WE DO NEED HELP. IT'S, IT, IT IS A MAJOR PROBLEM IN THE CITY. YES, IT IS. THANK YOU. IT IS. UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU. NEXT, LESLIE LERNER. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR WHITMEYER AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS LESLIE LERNER. I'M THE PRESIDENT OF THE WESTVIEW TERRACE CIVIC ASSOCIATION. I'M HERE ALONG WITH A COUPLE RESIDENTS TO DISCUSS AN ONGOING CITY DRAINAGE PROJECT. WE SHOULD BE GETTING SOME HANDOUTS PRETTY SOON. WESTVIEW TERRACE SUBDIVISION IS CURRENTLY UNDERGOING A THREE PHASE DRAINAGE PROJECT. WE WERE TOLD THE SPRING BRANCH EAST AREA PROJECT WAS NOMINATED TO THE LOCAL DRAINAGE PROGRAM FOR DRAINAGE REHABILITATION BY STORMWATER MAINTENANCE GROUP IN AUGUST, 2021, DUE TO NUMEROUS 3 1 11 COMPLAINTS. IT WAS FURTHER STATED THAT AFTER PERFORMING AN EXTENSIVE AMOUNT OF MAINTENANCE ON THE DITCHES, THE DRAINAGE ISSUE WAS NOT RESOLVED. SUPPOSEDLY, THERE WERE DIFFERENT SIZES OF DRIVEWAY CULVERTS AND SOME DRIVEWAYS WITHOUT ANY CULVERT, WHICH WAS NOT ALIGNED WITH THE ESTABLISHED FLOW LINE OF THE DITCHES. CONSTRUCTION BEGAN IN APRIL. LEADING UP TO THIS, THERE WAS NOT A QUESTION AND ANSWER SECTION. SESSION EXPECTATIONS WERE NOT SET, NOR WERE DELIVERABLES CONVEYED. THE ONLY THING RESIDENTS RECEIVED WAS A DOOR HANGER. AS TIME PROGRESSED, OUR CIVIC ASSOCIATION AND COUNCIL MEMBER PECK'S OFFICE WERE INUNDATED WITH COMPLAINTS. TO BE BLATANTLY HONEST, THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN A DISASTER. YOU SHOULD HAVE A PACKET OF PHOTOS IN FRONT OF YOU ILLUSTRATING WHAT IS MEANT BY DISASTER. IT SEEMS AS THOUGH THERE WASN'T ANY PLANNING FOR THIS PROJECT. STREETS HAVE BEEN A WRECK FOR MONTHS. CARS CONTINUE TO HAVE FLAT TIRES. DRIVEWAYS WERE REPLACED AND HAD TO BE REPORTED. WATER HAS BEEN TURNED OFF WITHOUT WARNING DRAINS AND LANDSCAPE LINES HAVE BEEN CUT. THERE HAVE BEEN MULTIPLE REPORTS OF PEOPLE FALLING IN DEEP DITCHES. THERE HAVEN'T BEEN ANY BARRICADES ERECTED TO SHIELD FROM SAFETY HAZARDS. WATER IS STANDING IN DITCHES FOR MONTHS ON END, ATTRACTING INSECTS, AND THE LIST COULD GO ON ON MONDAY, JUNE 17TH, 2024, WE INVITED COUNCIL MEMBER PECK HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS, REPRESENTATIVES TO A RESIDENT MEETING COUNCIL MEMBER. PECK WAS WONDERFUL AND DID A GREAT JOB TRYING TO ANSWER QUESTIONS AND CALM NERVES. SADLY, I CAN'T SAY THE SAME FOR THE HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS, STONEWATER MAINTENANCE REPRESENTATIVE BRIAN GOFF. PRIOR TO THAT MEETING, I SENT COUNCIL MEMBER PECK'S OFFICE, MR. GROP AND OTHER PHOTOS, AND OTHERS PHOTOS AND COMMENTS FROM RESIDENTS. I URGED THEM TO LOOK AT THE CONSTRUCTION SITE. PRIOR TO THE MEETING, [02:15:01] MR. GROP WAS ASKED ABOUT ENGINEERING REPORTS, THE BIDDING PROCESS, IF THE PROPOSALS INCLUDED EXPECTATIONS AND DELIVERABLES, ET CETERA. WE WERE BASICALLY TOLD THE CITY ACCEPTED THE LOWEST BID. THERE WASN'T AN ENGINEERING REPORT, AND THE BIDDING PROCESS DID NOT INCLUDE EXPECTATIONS AND DELIVERABLES. HOW CAN A PROJECT BE STARTED WITHOUT THESE OFFICIAL ELEMENTS? ON JUNE 27TH, A RESIDENT SUBMITTED A PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUEST FOR THE ENGINEERING REPORT THAT WAS DONE PRIOR TO THE PROJECT BEING STARTED. THE CITY RESPONDED. THE CITY OF HOUSTON HAS REVIEWED ITS FILES AND DETERMINED THERE ARE NOT RESPONSIVE DOCUMENTS TO YOUR REQUEST. PLEASE NOTE THAT THE RESPONSIVE RECORDS FOUND ONLY APPLIES TO SPRING BRANCH EAST PHASE ONE, PHASE TWO AND THREE HAVE NOT BEEN ASSIGNED A CONTRACTOR. AS OF NOW, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. NO, GO AHEAD. THE SAME DAY, ANOTHER PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUEST WAS SENT TO RECEIVE ALL CONTRACTOR RFP AND BID INFORMATION FOR THE PROJECT, INCLUDING ALL THE CRITERIA THE CITY USED TO SELECT THE VENDOR. ON JULY 17TH, A LETTER WAS RECEIVED FROM THE ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEY THAT THE REQUEST WAS SENT TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE. AT THIS TIME, THE RESPONSE HAS NOT BEEN RECEIVED. WE ARE NOW AT A POINT WHERE WE HAVE SEDIMENT ACCUMULATION AND STANDING WATER AND DITCHES, DEAD SIDE AND UNSIGHTLY PRO PROPERTY DAMAGE. WE ARE TOLD FACES TWO AND THREE COULD BE AROUND THE CORNER. OUR RESIDENTS IMPLORE YOU TO GET INVOLVED IN DEMAND ANSWERS. THE WAY PHASE ONE WAS HANDLED IS AN EMBARRASSMENT TO THE CITY. THERE HAS HAS TO BE LEADERSHIP, ACCOUNTABILITY AND OVERSIGHT. MOREOVER, THERE HAS TO BE A CONCRETE PLAN. WE UNDERSTAND THERE WILL ALWAYS BE COMPLICATIONS, BUT THE WHOLE PROJECT SHOULDN'T BE A DISASTER AND IMPACTS SO MANY RESIDENTS LIVES. PLEASE DO NOT PERMIT FUTURE PHASES TO BEGIN WITHOUT DOING YOUR DUE DILIGENCE TO SEE HOW IMPROVEMENTS CAN BE MADE FOR FUTURE CONSTRUCTION. ON ANOTHER NOTE, MAYOR WHITMEYER, I WANNA COMMEND YOU FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE IN A FEW SHORT MONTHS. YOU'RE DOING AN INCREDIBLE JOB WITH THE PUTTING THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN PLACE IN ADDRESSING ISSUES THE CITY HAS HAD FOR MANY YEARS. COUNCIL MEMBER PECK AND YOUR STAFF, THANK YOU TOO. YOU HAVE BEEN SO RESPONSIVE AND WONDERFUL THROUGHOUT THIS WHOLE PROCESS. WE APPRECIATE YOU. LET ME, UH, I'M GONNA RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER, BUT FIRST, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. I'M WAS UNAWARE OF THIS SITUATION, AND WHILE YOU ANSWER A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS, MS. WILSON, WOULD YOU GET RANDY DOWN HERE AND, AND LET PUBLIC WORKS AT THE VERY TOP, MEET WITH THIS AND GET SOME ACTION LIKE IN THE MORNING? YES. UH, QUESTION. COUNCILMAN PECK? THANK YOU, MAYOR AND LIZ. THANK YOU LESLIE AND MEMBERS OF, UM, THE CIVIC ASSOCIATION WHO ARE HERE TODAY. MAYOR, THIS, UM, PROJECT STARTED BECAUSE OF MULTIPLE THROUGH AND ONE REQUESTS AND REQUESTS TO MY OFFICE. THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF REDEVELOPMENT IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD. SO YOU HAD THE UPSIZE CULVERTS AND THE SMALLER CULVERTS. AND OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT MATCHING. SO WHILE A, IT WAS A NEEDED PROJECT, THE EXECUTION HERE HAS BEEN JUST, I MEAN, IT'S BEEN AWFUL. WE'VE BEEN THROUGH A LOT OF LOCAL DRAINAGE PROJECTS IN DISTRICT A AND WE'VE NOT HAD ANY OF THE ISSUES IN, IN OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS LIKE WE'VE HAD IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD. UM, EVEN DURING THE LAST STORM, THE CONTRACTOR APPARENTLY WOULDN'T LET, UM, SOLID WASTE TRUCKS COME THROUGH TO PICK UP STORM DEBRIS. YEAH. AND IT WAS LEFT, UM, OUT THERE BECAUSE THEY WOULDN'T LET THEM COME TO CLEAN IT UP. SO WE'VE JUST HAD ISSUE AFTER ISSUE HERE AND REALLY NEED SOME HELP GETTING THIS, UM, GOING CORRECTLY. IT'S COMING. I, UH, THERE MUST BE THE REST OF THE STORY IS, IS A CONTRACTOR'S THE ORIGINAL CONTRACTOR STILL ON THE SCENE? YES. OKAY. IT'S STILL THERE. I'M LOOKING AT THE, THE, THE WATER, UH, IT'S A COMBINATION OF POOR, UH, CONTRACT RESPONSE, BUT ALSO THE DEBRIS PICKUP. SO YOU'VE GOT MULTIPLE ISSUES ON THAT STREET. SO WE'LL GET TO THE BOTTOM OF IT BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE CITY. THANK YOU. CITY HALL TODAY. AND MAYOR, ANOTHER ISSUE TOO IS THAT IF WE, YOU KNOW, YOU, I CAN'T FIX SOMETHING I DON'T KNOW ABOUT, IS ALL I CAN SAY. SO YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB OF BRINGING IT FORWARD. THANKS. THANKS. THE COUNCIL MEMBER FOR BEING AVAILABLE, BUT, UH, SOMEBODY DEFINITELY DROPPED THE BALL. YES, SIR. THANK YOU. WE APPRECIATE YOUR HELP. VICE MAYOR PRO AND MAYOR ALSO. UM, SO THE WATER FLOWS INTO HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT, UM, DITCH. AND SO THERE'S BEEN ISSUES WITH, WITH THAT AS WELL. SO WE'RE WORKING WITH HARRIS COUNTY FOR THAT ASPECT OF IT TOO. SO THERE'S A LOT OF ISSUES THERE. AND THAT'S WHAT I WAS SUGGESTING IS THE REST OF THE STORY. IT'S NOT JUST THE CITY'S CONTRACTOR, IT'S THE CITY CONTRACTOR THAT IT'S NOT PERFORMING. I CAN TELL FROM THE WAY THE DITCHES HAVE BEEN, UH, SHAPED AND CARVED. THAT'S A COUNTY PROJECT. SO I THINK, AS YOU JUST MENTIONED, NOW WE'RE GONNA FIND OUT YOU'RE NOT GETTING THE SERVICES THAT YOU DESERVE BECAUSE OF COMPETING JURISDICTIONS. [02:20:01] AND THE QUESTION IS, IS THAT CONTRACTOR THAT'S NOT PERFORMING, WORKING ON BEHALF OF THE COUNTY OR THE CITY? THE CITY WE'RE GONNA KNOW WITHIN ABOUT 30 MINUTES. BUT WHAT I'M SAYING IS THIS IS MORE COMPLEX THAN JUST A BAD CONTRACTOR. IF IN FACT, THAT'S THE CASE, COULD BE COMPETING JURISDICTIONS THAT LEFT YOU KIND OF NOWHERE TO TURN, BUT HERE TODAY, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. WE APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN BECK. WE'LL STAY ON TOP OF THIS. UM, THAT'S IT. IF YOU'LL, UH, REBECCA, WILL YOU STAY IN TOUCH WITH MS. WILSON AND GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET RANDY OVER HERE? YES. YOU ON TOP OF IT, MS. WILSON. HE'S ON HIS PHONE. OKAY. UH, MA'AM, UH, THE HEAD OF THE PUBLIC WORKS IS ON HIS WAY DOWN HERE. I'M GONNA LET YOU USE MY OFFICE OR ONE OF THE ADJOINING CONFERENCE ROOMS, AND, UM, IF YOU NEED MORE ATTENTION, YOU LET ME KNOW BECAUSE THIS IS, UH, NOT GOOD. AND WE'RE GONNA GET TO THE BOTTOM OF IT. THANK YOU FOR COMING DOWN. SORRY YOU HAD TO TRAVEL DOWN HERE TO GET THINGS WORKED OUT, BUT IT'S GONNA GET WORKED OUT NEXT. CHRISTIAN MILLER. KRISTEN MILLER. DAVINA YUGO CHA. HELLO, EVERYBODY. UH, MY NAME IS DAVINA AND I AM AN ATTORNEY WITH LONE STAR LEGAL AIDS JUSTICE FOR HUMAN TRAFFICKING SURVIVORS PROGRAM. AND, UM, TODAY I JUST WANT TO MENTION AND SPEAK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME OF THE WAYS THAT WE ARE WORKING WITH OUR LABOR TRAFFICKING VICTIMS NOW NATIONWIDE AND INTERNATIONALLY. DATA SHOWING US THAT THERE ARE ACTUALLY MORE PEOPLE IN THE THROES AND CAPTURED IN LABOR TRAFFICKING THAN SEX TRAFFICKING. BUT, UH, MEDIA DOES HIGHLIGHT SEX TRAFFICKING A LOT. MY ROLE WITH THE JUSTICE FREEDOM TRAFFICKING SURVIVORS PROGRAM IS TO PROVIDE CIVIL LEGAL SERVICES TO LOW INCOME TEXAS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED EITHER LABOR TRAFFICKING OR SEX TRAFFICKING. AND, UH, ONE OF MY ROLES, ASIDE FROM FAMILY LEGAL ISSUES, IMMIGRATION ISSUES AND OTHER THINGS LIKE THAT, IS TO HELP SOME OF THE SURVIVORS REPORT THE TRAFFICKING, ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE WHO ARE NON, WHO HAVE NON-IMMIGRANT STATUS AND, UM, ARE, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN TRAFFICKED IN THE US MAYBE SEEKING UHT VISA APPLICATION, UM, APPROVAL. ONE OF THE STEPS IS TO BE, YOU KNOW, COLLABORATING WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT IN AN INVESTIGATION OR EVEN JUST TO START THE PROCESS THROUGH REPORTING. BUT ONE THING THAT WE HAVE FOUND IS, UM, ALTHOUGH WE HAVE SOME MANY GREAT PARTNERS WITH OUR, UH, HUMAN TRAFFICKING RESCUE ALLIANCE FOLKS AT HPV, IT HAS BEEN DIFFICULT WHEN IT COMES TO, OR THERE HAVE BEEN CHALLENGES WHEN IT COMES TO REPORTING LABOR TRAFFICKING SPECIFICALLY. UM, A COUPLE INSTANCES I CAN THINK OF. ONE IS WE WENT DOWN TO REPORT AND, UM, PD TRIED TO TAKE THE REPORT IN A PUBLIC PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO TRAFFICKING REPORTS, THEY CAN TAKE SOME TIME. UM, THERE'S A LOT OF EMOTIONS INVOLVED AND THERE'S JUST A TRAUMA INFORMED WAY TO APPROACH THAT THAT WASN'T EXHIBITED THAT DAY. FURTHERMORE, WITH THAT PARTICULAR CLIENT, UM, WE WERE TOLD THAT BECAUSE THERE WAS NO SEX INVOLVED, THAT IT WAS NOT TRAFFICKING. AND THEN WE WERE ALSO TOLD THAT IT WAS ACTUALLY AN EXTORTION CASE. I'VE BEEN IN THE ANTI-TRAFFICKING SPACE SINCE COLLEGE, SO ABOUT 18 YEARS NOW. AND, UM, I'M VERY WELL VERSED IN THE LAWS OF WHAT TRAFFICKING IS INTERNATIONALLY. I'VE WORKED WITH THE UN, I'VE WORKED WITH INDIA, I'VE WORKED WITH DIFFERENT COUNTRIES ON TRAFFICKING POLICIES, ESPECIALLY AROUND LABOR TRAFFICKING. UM, AND SO TO BE TOLD THAT IT WAS VERY DISHEARTENING FOR THAT PERSON TO HEAR. THANKFULLY, WE WERE ABLE TO WAIT A COUPLE HOURS TO SPEAK WITH MAJOR CRIMES. AND A YEAR LATER WE HAVE GOTTEN A CALL BACK ABOUT THAT INVESTIGATION. ANOTHER INSTANCE THAT COMES TO MIND IS A MALE VICTIM WHO HAD BEEN TRAFFICKED BY A FEMALE TRAFFICKER AND, UM, THAT BEING A FAMILY MEMBER AND HER BOYFRIEND. AND WHEN WE DID TRY TO REPORT A DEPUTY WAS SENT OUT TO HIS HOUSE, AND UNFORTUNATELY THERE WAS A LAW, A VERY HARD KNOCK AT THE DOOR, UM, WHICH I GUESS MADE THE HOUSEHOLD NERVOUS 'CAUSE WE HAD ONE NON-IMMIGRANT, UM, VICTIM LIVING THERE WHEN THEY REPORTED THE TRAFFICKING. UM, APPARENTLY THE DEPUTY FELT LIKE HE WASN'T BEING MAN ENOUGH AND TOLD THIS CLIENT TO MAN UP AND TO DEAL WITH HIS PROBLEMS WITHOUT BOTHERING, UM, THE PUBLIC. AND, UM, THAT'S [02:25:01] LITERALLY IT. THE LAST THING I, YEAH, SO THAT'S IT. YOU, YOU CAN, UH, WE HAVE A QUESTION FROM THE MAY APPROACH HIM. TATUM, THANK YOU FOR COMING DOWN AND EXPRESSING THOSE CONCERNS. WHAT SUGGESTIONS DO YOU HAVE, UM, IN ORDER FOR US TO HELP MAKE THE REPORTING BETTER AND THE SITUATION BETTER? HOW CAN WE HELP MAKE WHAT YOU DO, UM, A LITTLE MORE SEAMLESS? SO, I WOULD LIKE TO STRENGTHEN COLLABORATIONS, UM, BETWEEN THE WORK THAT, YOU KNOW, I DO AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS DO, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO REPORTING. AND, UH, IT COULD BE ANY TYPE OF LAW ENFORCEMENT IN THE CITY AS WELL AS POTENTIALLY POLICE ACADEMIES, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO TRAININGS, HAVING DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THE WAY THAT TRAFFICKING CAN REALLY PRESENT ITSELF, UM, IN THIS FIELD. IT DOES PRESENT ITSELF IN, I MEAN, WAYS THAT YOU CAN'T IMAGINE BECAUSE EVERYBODY, CRIMINALS ARE ALWAYS COMING UP WITH NEW WAYS TO DO CRIME, RIGHT? AND SO JUST HAVING THOSE OPEN CONVERSATIONS FOR ME, I'VE BEEN REALLY TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A POLICE OFFICER, AN INVESTIGATOR, BECAUSE I WANT TO KIND OF STEP, YOU KNOW, BE IN THAT MINDSET. AND SO I'M HOPING THAT WE CAN START TO ENGAGE IN CONVERSATIONS WHERE WE SPLIT. WE'RE ABLE TO FLIP ROLES AND SEE, YOU KNOW, THIS IS WHAT IS HELPFUL, THIS IS GOOD TRAUMA INFORMED, UM, REPORTING. AND THIS IS THE WAY, YOU KNOW, TRAFFICKING MAY NOT LOOK LIKE WHAT YOU THINK. IT'S, AND IT'S NOT ALL SEX TRAFFICKING, RIGHT? WE'VE HAD, UM, PIP MEETINGS ABOUT TRAFFICKING. UM, I THINK THAT THAT WOULD DEFINITELY BE ONE OF THE PLACES WE COULD, UM, COLLABORATE BECAUSE WE BRING IN SPEAKERS TO TALK ABOUT TRAFFICKING. WE'VE, UM, TRIED TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ON HOW TO IDENTIFY IT, HOW TO REPORT IT. UM, WE'D LOVE TO MAYBE PUT YOU IN CONTACT WITH SOME OF THE DRT OFFICERS WHO ARE HOSTING THESE CLASSES. UM, AND THEN ON THURSDAY IN DISTRICT A, I DON'T KNOW WHAT SIDE OF TOWN YOU LIVE IN, WE'RE ACTUALLY HAVING A MEET THE CHIEF, UM, WITH THE NEW POLICE CHIEF. UM, WE'D LOVE TO HAVE YOU COME AND SHARE YOUR CONCERNS AS WELL. I THINK THAT, UM, THIS IS ALL PART OF PUBLIC SAFETY IN OUR, IN OUR COMMUNITY, UM, AND WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO WORK TOGETHER TO FIND SOLUTIONS TO MAKE IT BETTER FOR OUR CITY. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT. IF IT'S THIS THURSDAY, I'LL ACTUALLY BE AT THE POVERTY LAW CONFERENCE IN AUSTIN, BUT, UM, I WOULD LOVE TO BE A PART OF SOME OF THOSE MEETINGS AND, UM, JUST BE ABLE TO GIVE SOME INPUT OR INSIGHT OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. OKAY. AND I HAVE YOUR, IF THIS IS YOUR GOOD CONTACT HERE, THEN I'LL HAVE MY CHIEF OF STAFF REACH OUT TO YOU AND GET YOU CONNECTED IN OUR, IN OUR LOOP. PERFECT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND I APPRECIATE Y'ALL'S TIME. THANK YOU. ONE MOMENT. UH, MARTINEZ. MARTINEZ, COUNCILOR MARTINEZ. THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, AND JUST WANNA ECHO A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT, UH, THE MAYOR PROAM HAS MENTIONED. SO I'VE SAT DOWN WITH THE, UH, UNITED AGAINST HUMAN TRAFFICKING CATHOLIC CHARITIES, AND A FEW OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE DOING THIS WORK. I'M INTERESTED TO REACH OUT TO YOU AS WELL. AND I APPRECIATE YOU HIGHLIGHTING, UM, LABOR TRAFFICKING AND SPECIFICALLY TRAFFICKING WHEN IT COMES TO MALES. I'VE HAD CALLS FROM HPD, UH, TRYING TO FIND RESOURCES FOR MALES THAT HAVE BEEN TRAFFICKED AND TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY, THAT THEY, UH, AM ABLE TO BUILD THAT TRUST, BE ABLE TO HOUSE 'EM WHILE THEY RUN REPORTS AND WHATNOT. AND, UH, WE FOUND THAT THERE IS REALLY ZERO HELP FOR MEN. UM, AND, AND TO DISPEL SOME OF THOSE, YOU KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, MYTHS OF MEN ARE NOT BEING TRAFFICKED AS WELL. UH, DEFINITELY WANNA HELP TO HIGHLIGHT AND ELEVATE THAT CONVERSATION. SO I'LL BE REACHING OUT TO YOU AS, UM, OVER THE NEXT, YOU KNOW, COUPLE DAYS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN, UH, YOU KNOW, BRING SOME IN. YOU CAN HELP BRING SOME INSIGHT AS WELL. AND, AND JUST HELP, HELP US ADDRESS SOMETHING THAT'S, YOU KNOW, REALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, MAKING HOUSTON A, GIVING HOUSTON A BAD NAME AS WELL. SO THANK YOU. NO PROBLEM. THANK YOU. AND LABOR TRAFFICKING IS A PASSION OF MINE AND REALLY EXPRESSING, UM, THE PREVALENCE OF IT AND HOW WE CAN HELP. SO, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, AND I JUST WANT TO ALSO, UM, ADD COMMENTS TO, UH, COMMENTS TO YOUR REMARKS. UM, I THINK OUR COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE ALSO INVOLVED IN THIS WOULD BENEFIT FROM, UH, YOUR INFORMATION AND YOUR BACKGROUND. AND I WANT TO SHARE, UH, MY CARD. SO, UM, I CAN, UM, GET YOU CONNECTED. I, I, I'M SPEAKING AT, UM, AN EVENT HOSTED BY THE LINKS INCORPORATED, UM, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES. 'CAUSE I ALSO THINK OUR STUDENTS NEED TO KNOW, YES, OUR COLLEGE STUDENTS, THEY'RE VERY VULNERABLE. UM, WE'VE BEEN HEARING SOME DISTURBING THINGS HAPPENING ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES AROUND LABOR TRAFFICKING, SEX TRAFFICKING, UM, AND I REPRESENT, UM, A LARGE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY DISTRICT F AND UM, TYPICALLY, YOU KNOW, SOME DATA SHOWS AROUND DISASTER IMMEDIATELY AFTER THERE'S LABOR TRAFFICKING THAT HAPPENS IN TERMS OF LIKE, IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY, IN THE, UH, RECOVERY INDUSTRY. SO I WANT TO, UM, I WANT TO CREATE THOSE [02:30:01] LINKAGES. SO THANK YOU FOR COMING. AND I THINK THERE'S SOME, UM, SOME GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO INFORM, EDUCATE, AND THEN ALSO ALIGN. AND THEN HAVE YOU, UM, BEEN INTRODUCED TO THE OFFICE OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN THE CITY? SO I HAVE, OKAY. I'VE BEEN LUCKY ENOUGH TO MEET WITH MS. DAVIS A FEW TIMES, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE WORKING ON STRENGTHENING THAT PARTNERSHIP AND I DEFINITELY WANT TO BE HERE TO SERVE. THAT'S MY ROLE. AND SO, UM, ALSO, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S ANY WAY THAT I COULD BE HELPFUL, I KNOW I'M JUST ONE PERSON, BUT I'VE GOT LONE STAR LEGAL AID BEHIND ME. IF, IF I COULD BE HELPFUL IN Y'ALL'S, UM, STRATEGIES, ESPECIALLY AROUND THIS, I'D BE HAPPY TO HELP. YEAH. THANK YOU, MA'AM. NEXT. THANK YOU, DARNELL, FLY AFTERNOON, SPEAKING TO THE MICROPHONE. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR WHITMEYER AND FELLOW, UM, COUNCIL MEMBERS. I'M JUST COMING HERE ON BEHALF OF MY MOTHER. SHE RESIDES IN HARRIS COUNTY, AND SHE LIVES AT AN APARTMENT COMMUNITY THAT IS GEARED TOWARDS SENIOR POPULATION. AND AS FAR BACK AS MARCH OF 2024, THE ELEVATORS HAVE BEEN OUT. THERE'S THREE BUILDINGS. UM, EACH BUILDING HAS TWO ELEVATORS, A FREIGHT ELEVATOR, AND A COMMUTER ELEVATOR. AND THEY'RE CONSTANTLY, CONSTANTLY OUT TALKING ABOUT A POPULATION OF PEOPLE THAT ARE WHEELCHAIR BOUND. UM, RELY ON WALKERS CANES, AND HAVING TO NAVIGATE A CEMENTED STAIRWELL IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. MY MOTHER SPECIFICALLY IS LEGALLY BLIND, AND SHE HAS MOBILITY ISSUES. SO OFTENTIMES IF WE'RE NOT THERE, AND THANKFULLY I'M ONE OF SIX OF HER CHILDREN THAT NOW RESIDE IN HOUSTON, BUT IF IT WERE NOT FOR US GETTING IN THERE TO HELP HER, SHE'D BE KIND OF UNABLE TO ATTEND A LOT OF HER APPOINTMENTS, GET TO THE SUPERMARKET. UM, WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF LOOKING TO HAVE HER MOVE SOMEWHERE ELSE, BUT THEN THERE'S ALSO ANOTHER GROUP OF PEOPLE, UM, THAT RESIDE THERE THAT NEEDS SOMEONE TO SPEAK ON THEIR BEHALF. SO I'M JUST COMING BEFORE YOU ALL TODAY TO SEE WHAT RESOURCES, WHAT AVENUES I CAN EXPLORE FURTHER TO TRY TO BRING A SOLUTION. AND I DO HAVE THE PROJECT MANAGER AND ME, I HAVE A GRIEVANCE I'VE SUBMITTED TO, TO THE CORPORATE OFFICE, ALONG WITH THE TIMELINE OF MY ESCALATION. MA MA'AM? UH, OUR MAYOR, PROTE TATUM HAS A QUESTION OR COMMENT. SO CAN YOU TELL US WHAT THE NAME OF THE COMPLEX IS? I, WE DON'T, WE DON'T HAVE THE ADDRESS ON THERE SO THAT WE CAN IT IS COMING AROUND ON THE FORM. YES. IT'S THE WILCREST ON, EXCUSE ME, THE PINNACLE ON WILCREST 95 20 WILCREST DRIVE. UM, HOUSTON, TEXAS 7 7 0 9 9. THAT'S YOU AND ME. THAT'S NOT ME. PROBABLY YOU. NO, THAT'S PROBABLY YOU. WE'LL, TAKE CARE. WE'LL, WE'LL FIND OUT, UM, WHICH DISTRICT IT'S IN AND, UM, WE'LL, WE'LL READ THE INFORMATION. I THINK IT WAS, I THINK I WAS TOLD IT WAS DISTRICT J I'M NOT. OKAY. UM, COUNCIL MEMBER POLL IS EXTREMELY RESPONSIVE, AND HE CAN, UM, WE'LL GET THE INFORMATION, BUT WE, WE WILL DO WHAT WE CAN TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE AT LEAST MAKING, UM, CONTACT AND WITH THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND HAVE THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT TO, UM, GET BY THERE AND SEE IF WE CAN, UM, GET THEM TO COMPLY AND GET THE ELEVATOR FIXED. BECAUSE I KNOW THAT IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT, ESPECIALLY IF IT'S A SENIOR FACILITY WHEN THEY DON'T HAVE THE ELEVATOR OPERABLE. NO, ABSOLUTELY. AND I DID SPEAK WITH THE REGIONAL MANAGER, SAMIRA. UM, SHE DID ADVISE BACK IN APRIL WHEN I INITIALLY BROUGHT THE GRIEVANCE TO HER THAT THEY WERE GONNA BE EXPLORING OTHER COMPANIES TO GO IN AND INSTALL NEW ELEVATORS, UM, AND ALSO MANAGE AND SERVICE THOSE ELEVATORS. AND THAT IS YET TO HAPPEN. SO I'VE DONE EVERYTHING THAT I CAN. MAYBE WE CAN PUT A LITTLE ADDITIONAL, UM, PRESSURE BEHIND IT TO TRY TO EXPEDITE THAT. BUT THANK YOU FOR COMING AND SPEAKING UP ON BEHALF OF YOUR MOTHER AND THE OTHER SENIORS THAT LIVE IN THE FACILITY. WE APPRECIATE YOU COMING BACK. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. HOLD ON ONE MORE. MAYOR, UH, COUNCILMAN POLLARD. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, I APPRECIATE YOU COMING FORWARD. UH, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'M HEARING OF THIS, BUT I WILL DEFINITELY BE REACHING OUT TO YOU PERSONALLY OR HAVE A STAFFER TO CONTACT YOU, AND WE WILL COLLABORATE ON FINDING A SOLUTION FOR YOU. I APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU FOR COMING. THANK YOU, MA'AM. NEXT, KAREN HOLMES. KAREN HOLMES, TOI GRINDER [02:35:02] AFTERNOON. I COME HERE TODAY TO OFFER MY SUGGESTIONS FOR HOUSTON'S DISASTER AND PROBLEM MITIGATION FOR, UH, SPECIFICALLY HURRICANE BARREL AND ALL THE FAILURE THAT HAPPENED. I WON'T BOTHER TO ADDRESS THAT. WHAT I WILL ADDRESS IS SOME OF THE SOLUTIONS THAT I FEEL ARE NOT ONLY PRACTICAL, BUT THEY'RE IMPLEMENTABLE IF THEY ARE MADE INTO SOME SORT OF ORDINANCE OR POLICY. AND SO SOME OF THOSE SOLUTIONS WOULD BE THAT, UH, IN, IN THE PRACTICAL SENSE, IF EVERY HOME AND I'LL SPECIFICALLY ADDRESS IN SEPARATE PORTIONS, RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL. ONE OF MY BLESSING, ONE OF MY, ONE OF MY BIGGEST PET PEEVES IS, UH, OR THAT I TAKE ISSUE WITH IS, IS MULTIFAMILY DEVELOPMENTS IN HOUSTON, WHICH I BELIEVE IN DISASTER SITUATIONS CONTRIBUTE MORE OF, UH, A PROBLEM THAN THEY DO. UH, ANYTHING ELSE. UH, THESE ARE LIKE MANY METROPOLIS, THEY'RE LITTLE CITIES WITHIN THEMSELVES, AND THEY SEEM TO BE MOSTLY IGNORED. THEY REPRESENT MONEY MILLS FOR THE STAKEHOLDERS, AND THE RESIDENTS WITHIN THEM RECEIVE LITTLE TO NO SUPPORT DURING DISASTERS. THE PEOPLE WHO RUN THESE THINGS, UH, ARE, THEY BEAR VERY LITTLE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PROPERTIES THEY RUN. AND SO WHAT I'M SUGGESTING IS THAT THE, UH, CITY MANDATES THAT, UH, THIS CAN BE DETERMINED LATER IN THE FUTURE. THE DATE OF THE DETAILS, I WON'T GET INTO THAT, BUT, UH, ANY MULTIFAMILY OVER A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF RESIDENTS SHOULD HAVE SOMETHING CALLED AN AUTOMATIC TRANSFER SWITCH. THAT SHOULD BE SOMETHING THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN, HAVE BEEN DONE A LONG TIME AGO. I WON'T GET IN A BEAT, A DEAD HORSE ABOUT THE BAD STUFF. LET'S TALK ABOUT SOLUTIONS. SO THEY SHOULD BE MANDATED TO HAVE AUTOMATIC TRANSFER SWITCHES AND JEN SETS. AND SO WHAT THIS WOULD DO IS IN THE EVENT OF A DISASTER, THE NEXT ONE, WHICH MIGHT BE RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER, I MEAN, WE CAN'T CONTROL NATURE. WE CAN CONTROL WHAT WE DO AND HOW WE RESPOND. AND SO FAR, THAT RESPONSE HAS BEEN ABYSMAL. SO WE CAN HAVE THESE, UH, MANDATED THAT, THAT THESE COMMUNITIES, THEY CAN AFFORD IT. I CAN TELL YOU NOW, THEY, THEY CAN AFFORD IT. THE STAKEHOLDERS THAT RUN THESE MULTI-FAMILY DEVELOPMENTS, THEY, THEY'RE NOT POOR PEOPLE. THEY, THEY, THEY MAKE PROFIT. THEY, MOST OF THAT PROFIT GOES VERY LITTLE BACK TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON. AND THEY CAUSE PROBLEMS IN EMERGENCY. AND THIS CAN ALL BE MITIGATED IF THEY ARE MANDATED TO HAVE, UH, GEN SETS. AND, UH, ALSO, UM, AUTOMATIC TRANSFERS. THIS POLICY CAN ALSO, YOUR, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. YOU WANT TO FINISH YOUR THOUGHT. UH, I BELIEVE THAT, UH, MY, MY IDEA CAN ALSO BE EXPANDED ON, OR IT CAN BE SCALED TO RESIDENTIAL, UH, PROPERTY AS WELL. UH, ESPECIALLY NEW DEVELOPMENTS. I WOULD FOCUS ON THAT A LOT MORE BECAUSE, WELL, THEY HAVEN'T BEEN DEVELOPED YET. AND SO IF THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS READY TO CHANGE THE WAY IT HANDLES THE EMERGENCY, SOME RADICAL CHANGE NEEDS TO BE DONE WITH EXISTING TECHNOLOGY AND EXISTING STRATEGIES THAT, I MEAN, THINK TOOLS THAT CAN BE, THESE THINGS ARE EASILY, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN GET A AUTOMATIC TRANSFER KIT FROM, UH, FROM YOUR LOCAL HARDWARE STORE FOR A FEW HUNDRED BUCKS. AND THESE THINGS CAN BE DONE IF THEY'RE MANDATED THAT, HEY, LOOK, BUILDING THIS PROPERTY, YOU INSTALLED IT. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU. I AGREE WITH YOU. AND, UH, COUNCILMAN DAVIS WOULD LIKE TO ASK A QUESTION OR COMMENT. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, MR. TSI? YEAH. TSE TOE. UM, THANK YOU FOR COMING AND MAKING IT. YOUR PRESENTATION SOUNDS PRETTY INTERESTING. DO YOU HAVE, UH, JUST FOR INFORMATION, BACKGROUND ON THIS PROCESS, YOU CALL IT A JET, UM, WHAT WAS IT A THAT YOU RECOMMENDED? YES. WHAT WAS IT CALLED? SO, SO WHAT, WHAT I'M RECOMMEND IT'S CALLED A GEN SET. GEN SET. OKAY. YES. AND, UH, WHILE I, I WILL NOT CLAIM TO BE AN AUTHORITY ON THESE SUBJECTS. I DON'T, I DO NOT POSSESS ANY [02:40:01] ACCOLADES ON THAT. OH, OKAY. UH, HOWEVER, I AM VERY WELL VERSED PERSONALLY IN THESE AREAS, AND I WOULD NOT MAKE MENTION OF THEM IF I DIDN'T HAVE SOME VESTED TIME AND EDUCATION. AND SO THESE GEN SETS, YES, THEY'RE BASICALLY, UM, WHAT WOULD, WHAT WOULD BE JUST A, A, A COMMERCIAL VERSION OF A, OF A RETAIL GENERATOR, BUT THEY'RE MADE FOR POWERING BUILDINGS SUCH AS THIS ONE. AND IN A MULTIFAMILY PROPERTY THAT WOULD, COULD BE DONE WITH. AND THESE UNITS ARE ABOUT THE SIZE OF A HONDA CITY. THEY COST ABOUT, UH, ANYWHERE FROM $20,000 ON UP. BUT THIS IS NOTHING IN, IN THE BUDGET OF A MULTIFAMILY DEVELOPMENT THAT IS, THAT IS MINIMAL. SO IT'S PERFECTLY IMPLEMENTABLE. AND I BELIEVE THAT THE CITY SHOULD MANDATE THAT THESE DEVELOPERS AND THESE PROPERTY OWNERS HAVE THESE ON STANDBY BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF THE ENVIRONMENT WE'RE IN. OKAY. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOU, COUNCILMAN THOMAS. THANK YOU. UM, YOU CLEARLY HAVE, UM, A VISION FOR THE CITY. UH, THE GOOD NEWS IS, IS THAT THE CITY SHARES IN YOUR VISION, UH, YESTERDAY AT THE HOUSING COMMITTEE, THE, UH, MULTI-FAMILY DIVISION, UM, SHARED THAT MOVING FORWARD, UM, FOR MULTI-FAMILY, PARTICULARLY FOR THOSE SENIOR PROJECTS THAT THEY'RE ASKING THOSE DEVELOPERS TO PRESENT, TO INCLUDE RATHER, UM, A POWER OUTAGE PLAN. I'M PROBABLY USING THE WRONG, UH, LANGUAGE, BUT THAT IS ANTICIPATED MOVING FORWARD. AND THEN ALSO IN OTHER PROJECTS. UM, SO THE, THE DEPARTMENT'S GONNA WORK THROUGH WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IN TERMS OF EXPENSE AND EXPECTATIONS, BUT THEY'RE ACTIVELY RESPONDING TO THAT. SO YOU'RE SPOT ON. UM, AND IF YOU WANT TO CONTINUE IN THAT CONVERSATION, JUST STAY TUNED TO THE NEXT MEETING AND PARTICIPATE IN THAT. I'M SURE THEY WILL VALUE YOUR FEEDBACK, BUT THEY ARE ALREADY ON IT. SO YOU CAN REST ASSURED THAT THEY'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH VERY SIMILAR THOUGHTS. THANK YOU, SIR. THANK YOU. NEXT, PATRICK HORN, BRE, THE TAR. GOOD AFTERNOON TO EVERYONE HERE. NICE TO BE AMONG YOU GUYS. AND I COME, I CAME BY TODAY TO, UH, SHARE A DREAM. I AM, UH, THE OWNER OF TERRAS, UH, COMPUTER COMMUNITY NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION. AND WE ARE KIND OF NEW TO THE CITY, BUT, UH, I JUST WANTED TO SHARE THE INFORMATION AND PUT MY SUGGESTIONS OUT THERE FOR MY HOMELESS BEDROOM. I HAVE A DREAM ABOUT GETTING THEM OFF THE STREET. AND TO ME, THIS IS A MISSION THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE A VERY, VERY LONG TIME. BUT I UNDERSTAND THAT LIFE IS TOUGH, AND, UM, I'M SURE THEY FEEL THE SAME WAY BECAUSE THEY'RE THE ONES WHO ARE SLEEPING ON THE STREET, ON THE BUS STOPS AND ABANDONED HOMES, A ABANDONED BUILDINGS RATHER, AND ASKING FOR HELP. SO I CAME HERE TODAY TO ASK FOR YOUR SUPPORT BECAUSE, UM, MY DREAM IS TO BUILD A FACILITY THAT THEY CAN HAVE ALL THE THINGS THAT THEY DON'T HAVE. A LOT OF TIMES, IF YOU'RE WALKING THESE STREETS AND YOU TALK TO VETERANS, UM, WHEN THEY WENT IN, THEY WERE YOUNG. MOST OF 'EM NOW ARE OLD. I CAN COME, I CAN TELL YOU, I TELL YOU SOMETHING THAT YOU ALREADY KNOW. BUT, UM, I'M KINDA REALLY A LITTLE BIT PREJUDICED WHEN IT COMES TO VETERANS, BECAUSE I LOST MY HUSBAND IN 2000. I WAS MARRIED 34 YEARS TO A VETERAN. I WATCHED HIM DETERIORATE 15 YEARS. AND IF IT WAS NOT FOR ME BEING GOD GIVEN ME A JOB TO DO WHERE I COULD SUPPORT US BOTH, AND I REALLY, REALLY HAVE A PROBLEM WITH LOOKING AT 'EM ON THE STREET. I AM, MY HEART CANNOT TELL YOU HOW PLEASED I AM [02:45:01] TO OPEN TERRELL'S, UH, COMMUNITY NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION, BECAUSE THAT WAS MY HUSBAND FOR 34 YEARS. AND WHEN I GO AROUND, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND THE NEED THAT THEY HAVE RIGHT NOW. A LOT OF THEM HAVE A LOT OF PROBLEMS TRYING TO, TO, TO GET THROUGH THE DAY. BUT, YOU KNOW, IT GETS COLD HERE IN HOUSTON. IT GETS HOT HERE IN THE SUMMERTIME. AND WE JUST ALL NEED, WE JUST ALL NEED TO LOOK AROUND AND TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT'S HAPPENING TO THEM. I KNOW, UH, WHEN I TALK TO 'EM, WHEN I MAKE MY ROUNDS, I'M A CARETAKER. I HAVE TAKEN CARE OF A LOT OF PEOPLE. MOST OF THEM I'VE JUST BEEN BEING PUT AWAY. BUT I'M HERE TODAY TO, TO, TO ASK FOR YOUR SUPPORT SO WE DON'T HAVE TO PUT 'EM AWAY. LET'S BUILD A HOUSE FOR 'EM. THEY DON'T WANNA PAY NO RENT. LET'S DO THAT TOO. OKAY. BECAUSE MY PLAN IS TO BUILD A FACILITY WHERE I CAN HAVE, OR THEY CAN HAVE ALL THEY NEED. EXCUSE ME, MA'AM. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND, UH, MR. STERL, THANK YOU FOR COMING. UM, AND JUST WANNA LET YOU KNOW, I, I FEEL THE SAME IN SENTIMENTS. I'M A VETERAN. I, MY HEART IS FOR VETERANS OF ALL, YOU KNOW, NO MATTER WHAT ARMED SERVICE THEY SERVE, NO MATTER MALE OR FEMALE, OR WHAT COLOR THEY MAY BE, IT, IT IS A DIRE IT IS A SERIOUS SITUATION. THESE MANY WOMEN HAVE GIVEN SO MUCH TO THEIR COUNTRY, OFTENTIMES TO BE OVERLOOKED, UH, WITH A LOT OF ISSUES PERTAINING TO THAT. I LIKE TO, I KNOW YOUR INFORMATION IS HERE. I LIKE TO REACH OUT TO YOU. I WORK WITH DIRECTOR DEMBO AND, AND WITH THE VETERANS AFFAIRS. UH, THE MAYOR KIND OF SIGNED ME TO THAT. AND I, AND I REALLY HONORED THAT BECAUSE TRULY MY WHOLE FAMILY WERE VETERANS ALL THE WAY BACK. MY GRANDFATHER WORLD WAR I, WELL, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S, I I'M NOT, I'M NOT, I, I, I, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU MEAN. I MEAN, THIS IS MY DREAM AND THIS IS MY WHAT, BUT PEOPLE DON'T TALK TO THEM. NO. SO YOU DON'T, YOU KNOW, WE, WE SERVE, WE SERVE, OH, OF COURSE. BUT WE, WE DON'T GIVE TO THE POOR, POOR PEOPLE THAT REALLY NEED THE SERVICE. 'CAUSE WE ALL LOOK, WE TOO BUSY SAYING, OH, THEY DON'T WANNA WORK. THEY DON'T WANNA DO THIS. THEY DON'T WANNA DO THAT. BUT IF YOU JUST WALK DOWN BY YOUR COURT, BY THE COURTHOUSE AND SEE 'EM LAYING OUT THERE ON THE SIDEWALK WITH NO LEGS, I MEAN, THAT JUST SAY A LOT BY A COUNTRY THAT DOESN'T SAY THAT. AND THEY DON'T, THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU GUYS AREN'T, WHY THEY CAN'T GET HELP. YOU KNOW? AND YOU, YOU SHOULD HEAR SOME OF THE STORIES THAT THEY TELL YOU, I KNOW MY TIME IS UP AND I'M GONNA GO DOWN. I'M GONNA GET OFF. YOU KNOW, BUT I, I HAVE TO SAY THIS BECAUSE THE ONE THIRD THAT YOU GUYS GIVE TO OTHER COUNTRIES COULD MAKE THEIR LIVES A LOT BETTER. YOU COULD GET US TO THOSE VETERANS BECAUSE THEY'RE THE ONES THAT'S KEEPING US SAFE, YOU KNOW? SO I UNDERSTAND BECAUSE EVERYWHERE I GO AND I TALK TO PEOPLE, A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE SAY, WELL, YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T WANT NOTHING. HOW DO THEY KNOW? BECAUSE THEY NEVER ASKED. SO YOU CAN'T JUST, YOU, YOU, YOU CAN'T UNDERSTAND THE PROBLEM UNLESS YOU DEAL WITH THE ROOTS AND PEOPLE DON'T DEAL WITH THE ROOTS OF WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM. AND I'M SORRY TO TAKE UP YOUR TIME. NO, THAT'S OKAY. BUT I JUST GET CARRIED AWAY WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT YES, MA'AM. WHEN YOU GO OUT THERE AND YOU TALK TO THEM, THEY TELL YOU ALL THIS STUFF, AND A LOT OF 'EM ARE NOT LIES. WELL, I WILL DEFINITELY, I WILL GET WITH YOU. I, WELL, THANK YOU GUYS FOR THANK YOU. LISTENING TO ME, MA'AM. WE HAVE A QUESTION FROM OUR MAYOR PROAM CAPTAIN. MS. TERRELL, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY. DIRECTOR DEMBO JUST CAME IN AND I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU, UM, WERE INTRODUCED TO HIM. UM, HE IS OVER OUR, OUR VETERANS HERE AT THE CITY OF HOUSTON. WE APPRECIATE YOUR PASSION, UM, FOR, UH, OUR VETERAN, HOMELESS VETERAN COMMUNITY. WE NEED MORE PARTNERS, BUT I THINK THAT HE WOULD BE THE BEST PERSON, UM, ALONG WITH COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, DAVIS, FOR YOU TO WORK WITH, TO TRY TO, UH, MAKE THOSE DREAMS COME TRUE FOR ALL OF US. THANK YOU GUYS. YOU'RE VERY WELCOME. THANK YOU, MA'AM. NEXT, ARLENE ROSE. ARLENE. GOOD EVENING. HI, MAYOR WHITMEYER, EVERY TEAM COUNCIL MEMBER. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HEARING ME TODAY. UM, I'M ARLENE ROSE, ALSO KNOWN AS NURSE ROSE, PUBLICLY AND TRADEMARKED. THE REASON WHY I'M HERE TODAY IS THE RISING RATES OF SUICIDE IS THE TRAJECTORY IF IT CONTINUES TO RISE, IT'S INSURMOUNTABLE. UM, IN 2022, THE, THERE HAS BEEN OVER 4,000 SUICIDES IN THE STATE OF TEXAS WITH HOUSTON ACCOUNTING FOR THE SECOND LARGEST NUMBER OF [02:50:01] THAT POPULATION. THE CONCERN HERE THAT I HAVE IS I SEE THAT HARRIS CENTER IS DOING A GREAT JOB OF SUPPORTING THE UNDERINSURED AS WELL AS THE UNDER, UM, SERVED COMMUNITY. THOSE THAT DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO HERE, BUT THERE'S A GAP. THAT GAP IS THE POPULATION OF INDIVIDUALS THAT ACCOUNT FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE WORKING, WHICH IS 45% TO 55% OF THE COMMUNITY. THAT GAP MEANS THAT THE POPULATION WHO ARE PAYING OR WORKING FOR INSURANCE OR FOR THEIR INSURANCE AREN'T, AREN'T SERVED. BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH THE HARRIS COUNTY, HARRIS CENTER IS ABLE TO PROVIDE SUPPORT TO THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE UNDERSERVED, THE RATES OF INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE WORKING SUCH AS INDIVIDUALS LIKE YOURSELF, CITY HALL EMPLOYEES, AND THE 22,000 OF THE HOUSTON CITY MEMBERS ARE NOT ADDRESSED. THAT GAP ACCOUNTS FOR THE, THE RISING RATES OF SUICIDE. AND I SAY THAT SIGNIFICANTLY BECAUSE THE NUMBER ONE, UM, MEMBER OF SUICIDE MEMBERS IS VETERANS THAN AUTOMOTIVE WORKERS. IT, THOSE WHO WORKS IN IT AND DATA, THOSE WHO WORK IN CONSTRUCTION TEACHERS, OUR PHYSICIANS, OUR NURSES, PUBLIC ORDER JUSTICE MEMBERS, VOLUNTEERS, STUDENTS, OIL WORKERS, AND THOSE IN TRUCKING. THESE ARE WORKING INDIVIDUALS WHO DO NOT HAVE A, UM, SUPPORT OR LIAISON WITHIN THE CITY OF HOUSTON FOR SPECIFIC MENTAL HEALTH PREVENTION OR MENTAL HEALTH ADDRESSED NEEDS AND SUICIDE PREVENTION. THAT'S THE PROBLEM. WHY AM I HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT IT? AGAIN, I'M NURSE ROSE AND I HAVE A, I'M A ADVANCED PRACTICE PSYCHIATRIC NURSE PRACTITIONER, AND I SERVE THE COMMUNITY BY PROVIDING MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES AT UNDER MY PRACTICE. ADDITIONALLY, I AM A PUBLIC HEALTH NURSE CERTIFIED, AS WELL AS A BOARD CERTIFIED GERONTOLOGY NURSE. I AM CERTIFIED NOW NEWLY, UM, AS A-M-B-P-M-B-P-P-D-E-P, AS WELL AS A MINORITY, UM, BUSINESS AND WOMEN OWNED ENTERPRISE. AND I THINK THAT I CAN OFFER SOME SUPPORT TO, TO CITY HALL SPECIFICALLY AND ALSO TO THE COMMUNITY. UM, IN NOVEMBER, I AM ORGANIZING AND SUPPORTING THE FIRST INAUGURAL HOUSTON HEALTH AND WEALTH WEALTH EXPO, WHICH IS A CONGLOMERATE OF INDIVIDUALS COMING TOGETHER TO PROVIDE SUPPORT TO ENTREPRENEURS AND INDIVIDUALS THAT DO REPRESENT THAT 45 TO 50% OF, OF MEMBERS WHO ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THE UNDERINSURED AND UNDERSERVED COMMUNITY. ADDITIONALLY, I AM ALSO A, A PROVIDER IF TIME HAS EXPIRED. GO AHEAD AND FINISH YOUR COMMENTS. I'M A PROVIDER UNDER THE COMP SITE, EAP PROGRAM, WHICH IS THE, THE, UH, EAP PROGRAM THAT IS UTILIZED TYPICALLY BY CITY HALL. AND THOUGH EVEN THOUGH I AM, UH, A MEMBER OF THAT COMP SITE, THE RATES OF INDIVIDUALS CONTACTING ME THERE IS VERY LOW MEANING THAT IT'S NOT WELL SPOKEN ABOUT. I DO BELIEVE THAT SERVE, HAVING A LIAISON WITH THIS WITHIN THE CITY HALL OR THE CITY OF HOUSTON, DIRECTLY ADDRESSING TO THAT POPULATION WOULD PROVIDE A SUBSTANTIAL BENEFIT TO THE COMMUNITY AND THE RATES OF SUICIDE THAT ARE RISING. IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, THE, THE RATES ARE RISING, EVEN THOUGH THE SUPPORT FOR SUICIDE INITIATIVES ARE INCREASING. SO THAT MEANS THE GAP IS NOT ADDRESSED. IF WE CONTINUE ON THIS TRAJECTORY FROM 2000, 2000 TO NOW 35% OF SUICIDE, THERE'S RATES OF SUICIDE RISEN 35%. SO DESPITE THE INITIATIVES THAT STARTED IN 2001, THERE IS A GAP. AND IF WE CONTINUE TO IGNORE IT, THE GAP RISES. AND I BELIEVE THAT WE CANNOT. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. WE'VE HAD A LONG DAY. UH, NEXT COUNCILMAN POLLARD. OH, COUNCILMAN POLLARD. I'M SORRY. THANK YOU, MAYOR NURSE ROSE, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR COMING FORWARD AND FOR YOUR INFORMATION. UM, I'M VERY MUCH INTERESTED IN EXPLORING THIS MORE WITH YOU, SO I WILL, UH, REACH OUT AND HAVE MY OFFICE SET UP A TIME TO DISCUSS FURTHER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR WHITMEYER. MA'AM, MA'AM, THERE'S ANOTHER QUESTION. SORRY, I WAS, I WAS LATE TO THE LATE TO PUSH THE BUTTON, BUT I ALSO APPRECIATE YOUR COMING. UM, I'M INTERESTED IN, IN THAT EAP, UM, WHAT YOU SAID. SO I ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT THAT WAS A WELL USED, UM, PROGRAM. IT'S NOT, NOT AS WELL USED. AND I KNOW THAT BECAUSE AGAIN, I'M ONE OF THE PROVIDERS. YOU'RE ONE OF THE PROVIDERS, OKAY. ANOTHER THING, MAYOR THAT I'VE HEARD, UM, FROM PEOPLE IS THAT ON OUR INSURANCE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S LIMITED, UM, I GUESS DEPENDING ON WHAT PLAN, LIMITED ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS, THERE'S LIKE A FEW THAT ARE IN THE PLAN, OR THE ONES THAT ARE IN THE PLAN ARE SO INCREDIBLY BUSY, UM, THAT MOST PEOPLE SEEK OUT SOMEBODY OUTSIDE THE PLAN, WHICH IS A LOT MORE EXPENSIVE. SO DEFINITELY SOMETHING I WANNA EXPLORE WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT OUR, UH, HEALTH BENEFITS CONTRACT NEXT TIME. BUT APPRECIATE, UM, YOUR WEALTH THOUGHT, THOUGHT OUT PROPOSAL. UM, I'VE ALWAYS, [02:55:01] UH, KIND OF WONDERED. I MEAN, WE, WE, WE TEND TO LIKE TALK TO PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, LIKE SEND PEOPLE LIKE THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, BUT THAT'S REALLY TO SEND, THEN THEY GO TO THE COUNTY. SO INTERESTING PERSPECTIVE HERE. AND, AND THANKS FOR COMING. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR RAMIREZ. UH, THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU, UH, MR. ROSE FOR COMING FORWARD. I CAN TELL YOU PUT A LOT OF WORK AND THOUGHT INTO YOUR, YOUR PROPOSAL AND, UH, THANK YOU FOR THINKING OF OUR CITY EMPLOYEES. APPRECIATE YOU. THANK YOU. I DID. IT TOOK ME A FEW MONTHS TO GET CERTIFIED, THEN THE PROPOSAL. AND I JUST REALLY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE UNDERSTAND THAT THESE ARE US INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE WORKING, WHO ARE NOT BEING ADDRESSED, AND THAT GAP IS RISING. THANK YOU. NEXT CHARLENE FORD. GOOD AFTERNOON. I WANNA THANK THE MAYOR AND THE COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR HAVING ME, BUT I'M HERE ON ANOTHER NOTE. UH, CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY? I'M HEARING ANOTHER NOTE. UH, I AM, UH, A PERSON WHO HAD SOME PARKING CITATIONS. UM, AND I REALLY DON'T KNOW WHERE I GOT A LOAD OF THEM. I DON'T REALLY DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY'RE COMING. AND, UM, I HAD TWO TICKETS BACK IN 23, AND I GOT A BOOTED ON MY CAR. AND I'M TRYING TO FIND OUT WHY THAT BOOT WAS THERE. I HAD TO PAY, UH, MONEY THAT I DIDN'T HAVE. I'M ON A FIXED INCOME, AND SO I NEEDED TO KNOW WHAT, HOW I CAN HAVE THIS DISMISSED, UH, SIMPLY BECAUSE I DIDN'T OWE THAT. I DON'T OWE, THEY'RE ASKING ME TO PAY $130 A MONTH FOR SIX WHOLE MONTHS, A MONTH FOR SIX WHOLE MONTHS. AND I SPOKE WITH, UH, SOMEONE IN THE ANNEX BUILDING AND, UH, SHE DIRECTED ME UP HERE TO COME TO GET THIS MATTER TAKEN CARE OF. I, I, I JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT'S, WHY I HAVE TO PAY THAT, BUT I DIDN'T OPEN TWO TICKETS. THAT WAS ONE IN 2023. AND THEN I GOT MY CAR BOOTED, WHICH I DIDN'T HAVE THE MONEY, HOWEVER, MY BANK LOANED ME THE MONEY, WHICH THEY TOOK OUT A MONTH LATER, THE THE SAME TIME. SO I HAD TO PAY THAT BACK ON A FIXED INCOME. AND SO I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO. SO THAT'S WHY I'M HERE SO THAT I CAN GET SOME HELP, SOME ASSISTANCE TO DISMISS THESE TICKETS. I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH ALL OF THESE, UH, CITATIONS. I, I HAVE IT RIGHT HERE, RIGHT BEFORE ME IN, UM, TELLING ME IT'S A PLANNED SCHEDULE. SO THAT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT I WASN'T EVEN AWARE OF, YOU KNOW? AND SO I'M JUST HERE FOR THAT REASON. I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO, BUT JUST USE THIS . DID YOU GO BEFORE THE JUDGE, OBVIOUSLY? EXCUSE ME? DID YOU GO BEFORE A MUNICIPAL JUDGE? NO, I DID. DID YOU GO TO THE MUNICIPAL COURT AND, AND SEE A JUDGE? YES, I DID. AND THEY, UH, UM, CALLED, UM, CALL ME IN TO PAY 400 AND I THINK $18 AND SOMETHING. YEAH. FOUR 18. YEAH. FOUR 18. FOUR 18. YEAH. ALONG WITH, UH, THIS AMOUNT, WHICH WAS, UH, ADD UP TO $780. YEAH. LEMME ASK SOMETHING. DID YOU HAVE A, DID YOU HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THE, UM, MUNICIPAL ATTORNEY? THERE WAS AN ATTORNEY. I DON'T THINK I DID. ALL I DID WAS, UH, SPOKE, SPOKE WITH THE LADY THAT SHE CALLED ME, THE OFFICE, SAID, I WANNA SHOW YOU WHAT, UH, YOU NEED TO, UM, PAY. BECAUSE IT WAS, IT WAS, WASN'T, UH, IT WAS TRUE, YOU KNOW, AND SHE SAID, I PARKED IN A PARKING SPOT WHERE A DIS DISABLED PARKING SPOT, WHICH I WAS DISABLED AT THE TIME. NO, NO, NO. BUT IF YOU DIDN'T HAVE A DESIGNATION, OR NO, I DIDN'T. I DIDN'T. I I DIDN'T HAVE THAT. BUT, AND, AND OF COURSE THE PUBLIC GETS REALLY UPSET IF, IF A, UH, PERSON PARKS IN THE HANDICAP ZONE THAT DOESN'T HAVE A PERMIT. BUT I'M CERTAINLY YOU, YOU DIDN'T INTENTIONALLY DO IT, OR NO, BECAUSE ON, TO BE FRANK WITH YOU, UM, I DIDN'T HAVE, YOU KNOW, I, MY HEARING IT, I'M DEAF IN THAT SIDE. YOUR HEARING EAR, MY HEARING. I'M DEAF IN ONE EAR. AND NOT ONLY THAT, I WAS, UM, [03:00:02] I DON'T KNOW. I'LL YOU WHAT A DISABILITY. I, I CAN'T DO IT FOR EVERYONE BECAUSE THAT'S A VERY SERIOUS OFFENSE. YES. BUT YOU'RE IN A DILEMMA. SO LET YOU TALK TO MS. WILSON AND LET'S SEE IF WE CAN FIND SOME RELIEF FOR YOU. WELL SEE, THAT'S WHY I'M HERE, BECAUSE I CANNOT, I'M DEAF IN THIS SIDE. NO, I UNDERSTAND. I'M TURNING THIS WAY TO LISTEN TO YOU BECAUSE I KNOW, I I, I, I KNOW HOW YOU FEEL. I, YEAH. LET ME ASK SOMETHING. DO YOU WORK? NOT ANYMORE. I WAS WORKING. I'M ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT. UH, I, I HAVE A DEGREE, HOWEVER, I, I CAN'T WORK ANYMORE BECAUSE DIS DISABILITY. YES, MA'AM. UHHUH. AND SO, UH, I'VE BEEN WANTING TO WORK AND PEOPLE BEEN CALLING ME TO COME TO WORK BECAUSE THEY LIKE MY CREDENTIALS AND ALL THAT. HOWEVER, I CAN'T, I WON'T ALLOW, DO YOU HAVE FAMILY THAT COULD HELP YOU WITH THIS, WITH THIS CHARGE? I HAVE A, I HAVE A FORM. NO, YOUR FAMILY, DO YOU HAVE ANY FAMILY THAT COULD HELP YOU WITH THE TICKET COST? NOT AT ALL. OKAY. NOT AT ALL. I'VE WENT THROUGH MY FAMILY FOR SO LONG AND, UM, YOU KNOW, AND THEY, THEY CAN'T HELP ANY LONGER. I MEAN, $130, I'M ON A FIXED INCOME. I GET DISABILITY. OKAY. WELL IT SAYS HERE, YOU STILL OWE $780. SO LET'S APPROACH THE COURT. OKAY. OR THE CITY ATTORNEYS TO EITHER SEE, THEY'LL RECONSIDER YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES OR GIVE YOU A PAYOUT PLAN. OKAY? IS THAT A DEAL? OKAY. SO WHY DON'T WE GO OVER THERE AND MS. WILSON'S GONNA FIND OUT, WHERE DO I GO FROM HERE? MA'AM, YOU'RE GONNA TALK TO THAT LADY THAT'S GOT HER HAND UP. OH. OH. AND I'M GONNA GIVE HER THAT AND WE'RE GONNA, OKAY. TALK TO THE ATTORNEYS, THE CITY ATTORNEY AND FIND OUT WHAT COURT, AND LET ME VERIFY ALL THE CIRCUMSTANCES AND SEE IF THEY'VE GOT A PAYMENT PLAN OR SOME WAY. THEY GIVE YOU A SECOND CHANCE. THIS IS A PAYMENT PLAN RIGHT HERE. WELL, THAT'S GREAT. GIVE IT TO MS. WILSON. WE'LL SEE IF THEY'LL GIVE YOU A SECOND CHANCE NOT TO PARK IN A HANDICAPPED ZONE AGAIN. 'CAUSE THAT'S NOT A GOOD, THAT'S NOT A GOOD, UH, EXAMPLE . BUT YOU'VE COME DOWN HERE ASKING FOR HELP AND WE'RE GONNA HELP. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT. AND THANK Y'ALL ALL FOR HAVING ME. YES, MA'AM. THAT IT? ALRIGHT, BE SAFE. THANK YOU. NEXT, NEXT. REINE. ADAM MOORE. UHUH. I THOUGHT YOU WAS GONNA PAY THE BILL. I WAS LIKE, OH, THE MAYOR'S GONNA PAY THE BILL. THE MAYOR MAY YOU GOING TO PAY THEIR DEAL. THAT'S WHY SHE CAME UP HERE. THE MAYOR A BETTER DEAL. I BET LEMME LOWER THAT. THAT'S WHY SHE CAME OVER HERE. SHE SAID, I GOTTA TALK TO THE MAYOR. THAT'S WHAT I SAID. THAT'S WHAT I WAS GONNA DO. YOU GOT IT, . THANK YOU. MY REASON FOR BEING HERE TODAY IS TO EXPLICITLY SEE AND ASK YOU, MAYOR AUER, IF YOU CAN PERSONALLY MEET WITH ME AND GO OVER MY EVIDENCES. I HAVE BEEN A VICTIM OF GOVERNMENT PUBLIC CORRUPTION HERE OVER A GOING ON ALL, IT'S OVER A YEAR. AND IT IS TAKEN A TOLL ON ME WHEN I OPEN UP MY DEVICES. I SEE HARRIS COUNTY, I SEE THE CITY OF HOUSTON. I SEE PUBLIC SAFETY. I HAVE NO PRIVACY. I'M ASKING YOU, NUMBER ONE, YOU WILL, YOUR APPOINT THE CHIEF OF POLICE AND THE POLICE OFFICERS HERE. YOU DID KNOCK ON MY DOOR BEFORE YOU WERE VOTED IN. HAD YOU KNOCKED ON MY DOOR, YOU PROBABLY WOULD'VE KNOWN WHAT WAS GOING ON. A LOT OF THESE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS I KNOW OF, I'VE ALREADY BEEN HERE. I KNOW THAT THE CITY CANNOT HANDLE OR NOT, UH, THE THINGS THAT GO ON WITH HARRIS COUNTY, BUT THE THINGS THAT HAVE GONE ON WITH HARRIS COUNTY HAS BEEN A DOMINO EFFECT TO THE WAY I LIVE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. I HAVE BEEN A VICTIM OF WIRE TAPPING AND FRAUD. I HAD BEEN A VICTIM OF 42 US 1985 BY LARGE ENTITIES IN THIS, IN THIS, IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, WHICH WOULD BE THE METROPOLITAN TRANSIT AUTHORITY, UH, THE, UH, SHERIFF DEPARTMENT WITH ED GONZALEZ, [03:05:02] THE, THE, UH, CRIMINAL DISTRICT COURT FOR HARRIS COUNTY WITH, UH, EVEN A JUDGE. I'LL MENTION HER NAME. NIKITA HARMON. OH LORD. UM, ALSO, UM, INVOLVED IN THIS IS, UH, LENA ALGO. NOW, WHEN SHE SAID SHE WAS GOING ON MENTAL LEAVE LAST YEAR, SHE DIDN'T LET YOU KNOW THAT I HAD BEEN ROBBED BY HER, BY PEOPLE IN HER, IN THEIR GROUP. AND THEY DIDN'T. AND I FILED A COMPLAINT WITH YOUR POLICE DEPARTMENT. NO ONE DID ANYTHING. BUT F**K WITH THE ROBBERY. YOU SEE WHERE THE ROBBERY HAPPENED AT? IT WAS A, THE MANAGER WAS A GONZALEZ. AND SO WHEN THE POLICE OFFICER CAME OUT AND TOOK THE REPORT, HE WAS A GONZALEZ. BUT WHEN I GAVE HIM THE REPORT PRIOR TO THAT, ME BEING ROBBED, THE PEOPLE THAT HAD BEEN IN MY DEVICES WAS CASEY GONZALEZ SUPPOSED TO BE A DISTRICT ATTORNEY AFTER THEY FOUND OUT. AND WHEN I GOT, WHAT I GOT ROBBED OF WAS MY LAWSUITS. AND I HAD FILED, WRITTEN UP TO FILE A FEDERAL COURT TO GET A RESTRAINING ORDER TO HAVE THEM TO STOP DOING WHAT THEY WERE DOING TO ME. THEY IN TURN GOT TOGETHER DURING, PRIOR TO THE WEEK OF ALGO. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. THANK, THANK YOU, MA'AM. WE'RE GONNA SHARE YOUR INFORMATION. NO, SIR. FIRST OF ALL, BECAUSE SEE, THE POLICE CAME IN MY HOUSE LAST WEEK. AND THIS IS THE THING, I'VE BEEN TO YOUR POLICE STATION SEVERAL TIMES. I FILED NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS, JUST LIKE THE 265 SEX CASES THAT WERE THROWN IN THE GARBAGE. NONE OF MY COMPLAINTS HAVE EVER BEEN ASSIGNED TO ANYONE. SO LAST WEEK WHEN I HAD A THOUSAND DOLLARS ECONOMIC LOSS TO MY DEVICES AGAIN, AND I CALLED THE POLICE AND SHOWED THEM THAT THE POLICE MOVED MY TABLE IN MY HOUSE AND TOLD ME TO PUT MY HANDS BEHIND MY BACK. HE WAS TAKING ME TO THE MENTAL HOSPITAL TO TALK TO A MENTAL PERSON. HAD THEY ASSIGNED MY CASES TO SOMEONE, OKAY? AND LOOK AT MY EVIDENCES, THEY WOULD'VE FOUND THAT I WAS NOT MENTALLY ILL. NOW WELL, I KNOW THAT WHEN PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND YOU, THEY THINK YOU'RE CRAZY. O OKAY, MA'AM, WE UNDERSTAND. SO WHAT I'M SAYING IS THIS, IS THAT HE WAS TRYING TO PUT ME IN A MENTAL HOSPITAL. AND ALL I WANTED WAS A REPORT FOR AN ECONOMICAL LOSS. HIS PARTNER HAD TO CALL A SUPERVISOR. AND ANOTHER THING IS THAT I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH NOT BEING ABLE TO FILE A COMPLAINT. SISTER, SISTER, THE MALE TRYING, HE, HE'S GONNA HELP YOU. BUT WAIT A MINUTE, THE THING ABOUT IT IS THAT WHAT'S YOUR, WHAT'S YOUR, WHO ARE YOU? JUST ONE SECOND. WHO ARE YOU, SIR? THAT, THAT'S MY SON. HE, HE'S AUTISTIC. WILL YOU HELP HER? UH, CAN I MEET WITH YOU PERSONALLY? WE'VE, WE'VE HEARD YOU NEED THE MAYOR. WE HAD THE INFORMATION. MR. MAYOR, CAN I MEET WITH YOU PERSONALLY BECAUSE THESE THINGS' GOING ON, I NEED, THEY'RE INFECTING THE COMPUTERS AT THE LIBRARY. THANK YOU. ALL THE COMPUTERS ARE INFECTED. SOMEBODY NEEDS TO LET HER VISIT WITH, UH, REBECCA REC. REBECCA, LOOK AT HER. I KNOW SHE'S HAD A CASE WITH I'LL HERE TO MEET WITH YOU PERSONALLY AND SHOW YOU WHAT WELL, YOU CAN'T DO IT TODAY. CAN'T DO IT TODAY. SO LET'S, LET'S WHAT? OKAY. CAN YOU MAKE AN APPOINTMENT? BECAUSE LEMME TELL YOU SOMETHING, WE'RE GONNA WORK ON IT. WHAT DID YOU THROW IN A WHAT YOU THROW IN THE, WELL, WHEN YOU DROP THAT BUCKET, IT'S GONNA COME UP AND WHAT YOU GONNA WORK? OKAY. SO I FEEL LIKE THIS BEFORE, IF THEY HAD A JUST INVESTIGATED IT, SISTER, THEY GONNA HELP YOU. SISTER. THEY GONNA HELP YOU. THEY GONNA HELP YOU BECAUSE SEE ALL THESE PAPERWORK. SEE, I WAS ON FALSE PAPERWORK. I KNOW, BUT SISTER, THEY GONNA HELP YOU. THEY GOING TO JUST, THEY GONNA HELP YOU RIGHT NOW. SHOW 'EM YOUR PAPERWORK. THEY'RE GONNA HELP YOU RIGHT NOW. THE MAYOR HELPING YOU. THEY GONNA HELP YOU RIGHT NOW. THEY'RE NOT GOING NOWHERE. ALL OF THESE I WAS PUTTING IN JAIL PAPERWORK. EVERY NAME ON HERE IS FORGED, RIGHT? THEY GONNA LOOK AT IT RIGHT NOW. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SIR. WE GOT YOU. HAVE A GOOD EVENING. WANNA ASK ANYTHING TO SAY WE DID? NO. I TALKING ABOUT NO, NO COUNCIL MEMBERS AT NO THANK YOU SISTER. NEXT. EUNICE CAN TOO, SIR. THANK YOU. SIR WAS LOOKING AT ME. I THINK SHE DROPPED HER PHONE. THERE'S A PHONE DOWN HERE. GOOD AFTERNOON. IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE HERE. UM, I HOPE THAT BY BRINGING THIS TO YOUR ATTENTION, THE ONGOING ISSUES GOING ON AT NEW HOPE HOUSING AT REED, THAT YOU CAN HELP US FOR THE LAST 12 MONTHS. EVERYONE FROM THE RESIDENCE MAINTENANCE OFFICE STAFF AT NEW HOPE HOUSING REED HAVE BEEN STRUGGLING. NOT HAVING A WORKING ELEVATOR. THEY FIX ONE. IT WORKS FOR A WEEK, WEEK AND A [03:10:01] HALF. I CALL THE OFFICE ONCE A WEEK AND I ASK 'EM, I HEAR THE SAME THING. WE'RE WAITING ON PARTS. I'VE SPOKEN TO NEW HOPE CORPORATE OFFICE WITH NO RESULTS. ON AUGUST 10TH, 2024 AT A BACK TO SCHOOL EVENT AT NEW HOUSING REED, I SPOKE TO SOME CORPORATE PERSONNEL AND ASKED ABOUT THE ELEVATOR ISSUES AND ONCE AGAIN, TOLD, WE'RE WAITING ON PARTS. SINCE THE BEGINNING OF MAY, TAMMY CURRY HAS BEEN THE ACTING PROPERTY MANAGER. TAMMY'S TITLE IS INTERIM COMMITTEE MANAGER. TAMMY BASICALLY MANAGES THE MANAGER AT NEW HOPE HOUSING REED. IF SHE HASN'T BEEN ABLE TO HELP US, WHO WILL? I'VE REACHED OUT TO MY AREA, UH, CITY COUNCIL MEMBER, DISTRICT D, AND THEY TRIED, THEY TRIED TO HELP WITH NO RESULT EITHER. I HAVE MOBILITY AND MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES DUE TO THE LOSS OF A WORKING ELEVATOR. I HAVE BEEN A PRISONER OF MY HOME OWN HOME. THIS HAS NOT HELPED MY DEPRESSION AND MY ANXIETY. MY DAUGHTER, MY 13-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER PAID THE CONSEQUENCES THIS SUMMER BECAUSE THE CHALLENGE OF USING THE STAIRS, I COULDN'T GO NOWHERE. NOT EVEN TO THE LIBRARY, NOT EVEN TO A MUSEUM OR ANYTHING WITH HER. AND SHE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO LIVE LIKE THAT. USING THE STAIRS IS VERY CHALLENGING BECAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GONNA FIND THERE. YOU CAN FIND ANYWHERE FROM LOOSE TRASH, TRASH BAGS, BROKEN GLASS, EVEN HAVING TO ENDURE FOUL SMELLS OF ROTTEN FOOD AND HUMAN AND PET URINE. BEING AFRAID OF A BROKEN EXIT SIGN THAT MIGHT HIT YOUR KIDS OR YOUR HEAD JUST DANGLING SOME OF THE DOORS DON'T EVEN HAVE HANDLES, WHICH IT MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO OPEN THE DOORS ON THE NEW HOPE HOUSING WEBPAGE. IT STATES THAT NEW HOPE HOUSING BELIEVES THAT EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE A SAFE, AFFORDABLE PLACE TO CALL HOME. I KNOW I DON'T FEEL SAFE NOT HAVING NO CHOICE BUT TO USE THE STAIRS. IT ALSO STATES THAT NEW HOPE HOUSING HAS A WHOLE PERSON APPROACH THAT HELPS RESIDENTS SUCCEED. I WANNA TAKE GED CLASSES, BUT THE RECURRING ISSUES WITH THE ELEVATOR NOT WORKING MAKES IT DIFFICULT. SO HOW IS THAT GONNA HELP ME SUCCEED AT NEW HOPE BEING NEW HOPE HOUSING AT RE NOW, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, I'M AFRAID TO LOSE MY HOME DUE TO ADVOCATING FOR EVERYONE AT NEW HOPE HOUSING COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHIRAZ. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU MS. CANTU. UH, WE WILL REACH OUT TO JOY HORWICK BROWN. THEY TAKE JOY OF PRIDE. YOUR OFFICE HAS REACHED OUT TO JOY IN THEIR, UH, DEVELOPMENT. UH, BUT I BELIEVE THAT YOU'RE SAYING THAT THESE ISSUES KEEP HAPPENING OVER AND OVER AND OVER. AND SO WE ARE GOING TO, UH, WORK WITH YOU AND, UH, GRAM AT THE DOOR. WE'LL CERTAINLY, UH, WORK WITH YOU AS WELL AND WE'LL REACH OUT BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND YOUR FRUSTRATION OF FEEL. I HAVE WORKED WITH MS. INGRID INGRID. MS. INGRID HAS ALREADY REACHED OUT TO JOY. OKAY? AND AFTER THAT'S THE ONLY THING THAT WE, I THINK IT WAS MISS KENTU. I UNDERSTAND. BUT WE ARE GONNA, BUT, BUT SINCE SHE REACHED OUT TO HER, JOY WENT TO THE PROPERTY AND BECAUSE WHENEVER THEY GO TO THE PROPERTY, THEY STAY IN THE OFFICE AND, AND BEFORE THEY COME, THEY ANNOUNCE IT AND EVERYTHING DOWNSTAIRS, EVERYTHING IS NICE AND CLEAN. EVERYTHING IS BEAUTIFUL. BUT I LIVE ON THE FOURTH FLOOR. I HAVE TO LITERALLY CARRY GLOVES BECAUSE I'M AFRAID TO TOUCH. I I DO UNDERSTAND, MA'AM, WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, MA'AM, BECAUSE I'VE BEEN THERE TO VISIT. YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER IS WORKING WITH YOU. I, I'VE BEEN THERE TO VISIT, GIVE AN OPPORTUNITY. I, I'VE BEEN THERE TO, EXCUSE ME, MS. KING. MR. CANTU. SAY, MS. CANTU, DO YOU I HAVE REACHED OUT TO, DO YOU WANNA GET HELP MS. CANTU? SEVERAL TIMES, MA'AM. ONE AT A TIME. IN FACT, YOU, AND THERE IS NOTHING'S HAPPENING. THAT'S WHY I'M HERE. THAT'S WHY I HERE 30. OKAY. AND THAT'S WHY I'M, I'M ADDRESSING YOU, MS. CANTU, AND YOU'VE MADE YOUR POINT, FIRST AND FOREMOST. I UNDERSTAND. I KNOW. NOW I REALIZE I WASTED MY TIME. THANK YOU. NO, YOU HAVE NOT. I'M, I'M TRYING TO TELL YOU THAT I HAVE GONE THROUGH THAT SAME SITUATION. THEY SAY THAT THEY, YOU DON'T KNOW. NO, MA'AM. NO MA'AM. LET ME FINISH MY STATEMENT. THAT THEY, THAT THEY SAY, COUNCIL MEMBER, THAT THEY DO THAT WHEN I COME THERE. THAT'S THE POINT I'M MAKING. MS. SHIBA, WELL, YOU'VE KNOWN YOUR JOB. LET IT REST MAYBE'S WHY YOU CAN'T GET HELP. NEXT. YOLANDA ANDRADE. WHAT Y'ALL GOING ON NEXT? YOLANDA ANDRADE. SANDRA FRANCIS. EVERYBODY COME DOWN WHENEVER HE WANT. THAT'S THE MAYOR FAULT. HE GONNA PUT THAT TIMELINE BACK. HEY, WE WE'RE DOING FINE. [03:15:01] UH, OKAY. THAT DILEMMA'S OVER. THANK GOD. OKAY. UM, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. UH, MAYOR WHIT, UH, MAYOR, UM, WHITMEYER AND, UH, MY COUNCILWOMAN AND ALL OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS HERE. I'M A REPRESENTATIVE OF STONE THROW PROPERTY OWNERS ASSOCIATION, AND I'M SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THEM. I, UH, MET WITH MY COUNCILWOMAN, UH, FOR DISTRICT K ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO, ABOUT THE SAME ISSUE. AND, UH, SHE SENT SOME OF HER PEOPLE OUT TO INVESTIGATE THE SITUATION. AND THEY RECOMME RECOMMENDED BECAUSE OF SAFETY ISSUES THAT WE NEEDED THESE SIGNS INSTALLED IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND FOR THEM TO BE ENFORCED. WELL, AS A COMMUNITY, WE DID THAT. AND NOW WE ARE STILL DEALING WITH THE ISSUE. WE HAVE PARENTS FROM, UH, WESTBURY HIGH SCHOOL, UH, PARKING. AND IF YOU LOOK AT OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, IT'S NOT STRUCTURED FOR ANYONE TO PARK WITHOUT BLOCKING YOUR PERSONAL DRIVEWAYS. WE HAVE PARENTS BLOCKING OUR DRIVEWAYS. WE CAN'T GET IN AND OUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD BLOCKING OUR MAILBOXES. WE CAN'T GET OUR MAIL BLOCKING OUR TRASH TO BE PICKED UP. WE CAN'T GET OUR TRASH PICKED UP. WE HAVE TALKED TO THEM. WE'VE, UM, TRIED TO GET THEM TO BE, UH, LAWFUL OBEY THE LAW. I JUST CAME FROM, UM, THAT, UH, I WAS JUST BROUGHT UP THAT WHEN YOU'RE IN A COMMUNITY AND THERE ARE LAWS AND THERE ARE RULES, FOLLOW THEM. WE CAN'T GET ANYBODY TO ENFORCE THE SIGNS. THE SIGNS CLEARLY STATES. NO PARKING, NO SITTING, NO STANDING. THAT WAS PUT THERE BECAUSE THE STUDENTS AND THE PARENTS WERE SITTING IN OUR DRIVEWAY, SITTING IN OUR YARD, SITTING IN OUR FLOWER BEDS WHEREVER THEY WANTED TO. NOBODY'S JUST FORCING IT. WE, I WENT TO, UM, HVD, I WENT TO THE COUNSELOR. I WENT TO THE SCHOOL. I'VE DONE EVERYTHING THAT WE COULD DO TO GET THIS TO STOP. IT'S A SAFETY ISSUE. THEY'RE BLOCKING THE STREETS AND THE FRONT AND THE, THE RIGHT SIDE, THE LEFT SIDE, AND IN THE MIDDLE. YOU CAN'T GET OUT. YOU CAN'T GET IN. THEY'RE PARKING. I'VE NEVER HEARD, I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING. WHY WOULD YOU PARK IN SOMEBODY'S PERSONAL DRIVEWAY? WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT? AND THEN YOU PARK THE WAY THE NEIGHBORHOOD, IF YOU SEE HOW A NEIGHBORHOOD'S STRUCTURED, YOU CANNOT PARK ON THE STREET WITHOUT BLOCKING SOMEBODY'S DRIVEWAY OR MAILBOXES. IT'S NOT STRUCTURED THAT WAY. BUT MY POINT IS HERE, THE LAW IS CLEAR ON THE SIGNS. IT SAYS NO PARKING, NO SITTING, NO NO STANDING IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. THEY'RE DOING JUST WHAT THEY WANT. THEY HAVE COMPLETELY TAKEN OVER OUR NEIGHBORHOOD STREETS. WE HAVE NO SAFETY. IF, GOD FORBID, IF WE NEEDED A FIRE ENGINE TO COME THROUGH, IF WE NEED THE AMBULANCE TO COME THROUGH, WE CAN'T GET IT. SO I'M HERE TODAY TO SEE FOR, SO FOR SOME UNKNOWN REASON, WE CANNOT GET LAW ENFORCEMENT TO COME OUT. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. MAYOR PROTE CAS STADIUM. THANK YOU MS. FRANCIS FOR COMING DOWN HERE. THIS IS AN EXHAUSTING PROBLEM. YES. IT'S, UM, THEY HAVE A NEW PRINCIPAL AT WESTBURY. YES, THEY DO. THIS IS A, UM, PARENTS WHO ARE WAITING ON THEIR CHILDREN THAT SPILL OVER IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD EVERY DAY. RIGHT. AND THEY GET THERE TWO AND THREE HOURS EARLY. YES. AND THEY PARK IN FRONT OF EVERYBODY'S PEOPLE'S HOMES WAITING ON THEIR CHILDREN MM-HMM . TO GET OUT OF SCHOOL. RIGHT. UM, UNFORTUNATELY, UM, NOW THAT WE HAVE A NEW PRINCIPAL, WE NEED TO GO BACK TO THE SCHOOL AND ASK MS. BRUCE. SHE'S IN A, AND I WILL TELL YOU, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE MET HER YET. YES, I HAVE. SHE'S INCREDIBLE. SHE WAS FORMERLY THE PRINCIPAL AT MADISON HIGH SCHOOL. RIGHT. SO I'VE WORKED WITH HER AND I KNOW SHE'S DYNAMIC. WE'VE GOT TO GET THE MESSAGE OUT TO THE PARENTS AGAIN, THAT YOU CANNOT PARK IN FRONT OF PEOPLE'S HOMES BLOCKING THEIR DRIVEWAYS. YOU CANNOT LORD HER IN FRONT OF THEIR HOMES WHILE YOU'RE WAITING FOR DROP OFF AND PICK UP. THEY DO HAVE A ROUTE THAT THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO PARK AND PICK UP. SO IT'S GOING TO TAKE US DOING THE SAME THING AGAIN, WHICH IS EDUCATING THE PARENTS. YOU KNOW, SCHOOL JUST STARTED AGAIN, SO HERE WE GO AGAIN. UM, TRYING TO DO IT AGAIN AND MAKE SURE THEY KNOW THAT THEY SHOULDN'T BE PARKING. I MEAN, I KNOW THE SIGNS ARE THERE. UM, UNFORTUNATELY FOR HPD TO COME AND ENFORCE THAT WE MAY BE ABLE TO MAYBE TRY TO TALK TO HISD POLICE, UM, AND HAVE MS. BRUCE WORK WITH HISD POLICE TO DO SOME ENFORCEMENT [03:20:01] BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL. UM, BUT I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY THE ROUTE WE NEED TO DO. IT'S, IT IS A NEW SCHOOL YEAR WE GOTTA DO, AND UNFORTUNATELY, WHEN YOU LIVE THAT CLOSE TO A SCHOOL, UH, WE'RE PROBABLY GOING TO HAVE TO DO THAT EVERY YEAR. RIGHT. UM, SO THAT, THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS, UM, TALK TO THE PRINCIPAL AND SEE IF SHE CAN PUT SOME LETTERS IN THE, IN THE, IN THE SCHOOL NEWSLETTER, MAYBE SOME SIGNS AROUND THE SCHOOL THAT WHILE PARENTS ARE WAITING TO PICK UP THEIR STUDENTS, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY SHOULD NOT BE BLOCKING YOUR DRIVEWAY AND YOUR NEIGHBOR'S DRIVEWAY. ESPECIALLY IN THE AREAS WHERE WE'VE ALREADY ERECTED THE NO PARKING SIGNS. SO, AND IF, AND IF I MAY NOT INTERRUPT YOU, IF I MAY. YES, MA'AM. THAT WAS THE FIRST, UH, STEP THAT I TOOK. MM-HMM . I WENT TO THE SCHOOL, I SPOKE WITH HER AND, AND SHE'S AT A DILEMMA. MM-HMM . SHE SPOKE TO THE, UH, SOUTH DIVISION OFFICE THAT'S RIGHT THERE ON THE CAMP WESTBURY CAMPUS. MM-HMM . AND THE WAY SHE EXPLAINED IT TO ME, SHE SAID, MS. FRANCIS, SHE SAID, THEY HAVE TAKEN ALL THE POWER OUT OF THE PRINCIPAL'S HANDS. SHE SAID, WHEREAS WE USED TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT, RECTIFY OFFICERS TO GO OUT IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. SHE SAID, WE DON'T HAVE THE POWER TO DO IT. OKAY. THEN THE HISD POLICE OFFICERS, THEY HAVE SOME TYPE OF RULE WHICH NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED. IT NEEDS TO BE WRITTEN, INVESTIGATED THAT ANYWHERE OUT OF 300 MILE RADIUS OF THE SCHOOL, THEY CAN'T COME OUT. I MEAN, 300 FEET MILES. YEAH. 300 FEET RADIUS FROM THE SCHOOL. THEY CANNOT COME OUT. RIGHT. WELL, I'LL, I'LL, I'LL REACH OUT TO MS. BRUCE AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO TRY TO, TO, UM, GET THE MESSAGE OUT TO THE PARENTS, BECAUSE QUITE FRANKLY WHAT IT IS, PARENTS ARE JUST SITTING AND WAITING TO PICK UP THEIR STUDENTS. RIGHT. AND THERE ARE A LOT OF KIDS AT THE SCHOOL AND A LOT OF PARENTS THAT ARE DOING DROP OFF AND PICK UP. UM, AND WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN DWELL TOGETHER. YEAH. BECAUSE I THINK WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN IS THAT BECAUSE THESE SIGNS ARE THE LAW, THEY ARE THE LAW. AND IF, IF I OR YOU WERE BREAKING IT ANYWHERE ELSE, WE WILL BE CITED FOR IT. AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT'S GOING TO HAVE TO HAPPEN HERE. BECAUSE TALKING AND ASKING, BEING REALISTIC WITH THESE PEOPLE IS NOT WORKING. WE HAVE EVEN GOT INTIMIDATED WITH THEIR CARS. 'CAUSE WE PATROL BOTH, UH, STREETS AND WE HAVE, UH, BEEN IN, YOU KNOW, WITH THEIR WANNA USE THEIR CARS AS A WEAPON BECAUSE THEY KNOW WHEN WE WALK UP, THAT'S WHAT WE ARE GOING TO ASK THEM, IS TO MOVE UNBLOCK THE DRIVEWAYS, UNBLOCK THE, UH, MAILBOXES SO WE CAN GET OUR MAIL. AND SO WE IT'S GONNA HAVE TO, IT'S LIKE AN ACCIDENT READY TO HAPPEN AND RACING UP AND DOWN THE STREET LIKE THEY'RE ON A RACETRACK AND THEY'VE TAKEN, SO THE LAW, IT'S JUST THE LAW. THE SIGNS ARE CLEAR. AND SO LET ME, LET ME REACH OUT TO MS. BRUCE AND MAYBE WE CAN, UM, WE, WE HAVE A MEETING WITH THE CHIEF ON THURSDAY. MAYBE WE CAN BRING IT UP AND MAYBE DO SOME TARGETED ENFORCEMENT BECAUSE IT IS A NEW SCHOOL YEAR, UM, AND MAYBE GET PEOPLE BACK IN THE HABIT OF NOT PARKING IN FRONT OF THE HOMES NEAR THE SCHOOL. RIGHT. BECAUSE THE NEIGHBORHOOD REALLY IS NOT STRUGGLING FOR THAT. WE GOT SOME SIGNS UP. THEY, THEY, THEY DON'T. AND THE, AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD'S REALLY NOT STRUCTURED FOR IT. IF YOU REALLY COME. LIKE WHEN, UH, OUR COUNCILWOMAN SENT HER PEOPLE OUT TO ASSESS THE SITUATION, AND WHEN THEY SAW IT, THEY SAW IT WAS A REALLY SAFE NEW AND THAT'S WHEN WE PUT THE SIGNS UP. BUT WE EXACTLY. THEY DON'T, THEY DON'T FOLLOW. EXACTLY. WE'LL, LET ME REACH OUT TO THE PRINCIPAL AND WE'LL, WE'LL SEE IF WE CAN GET SOME ASSISTANCE, BUT WE APPRECIATE YOU COMING DOWN AND EXPRESSING YOUR CONCERNS. OKAY. AND THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU MS. FRANCIS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU, MA'AM. NEXT, PAULA CURRY. I DUNNO IF I GOT THE MARILYN PICKERY CHAMPAGNE. OKAY. GREETING SM WHITMEYER AND COUNCIL MEMBER, CAN YOU STEP OVER AND SPEAK INTO THE MICROPHONE? OH, YOU CAN PULL IT UP A LITTLE BIT TOO. OKAY. AM I AUDIBLE? OKAY. THANK YOU. GREETINGS MAYOR WHITMEYER AND COUNCIL MEMBERS AS A PROUD AMERICAN, A DAUGHTER OF A WORLD WAR II VETERAN, MY FATHER AND A DAUGHTER OF A WONDERFUL MOTHER WHO'S 40 YEARS OF NURSING, TO WHICH I EMBRACE. IT COMES WITH THIS MESSAGE, WHICH IS SIMPLE AND TO THE POINT. I ENCOURAGE ALL AMERICANS ALIKE TO FULLY ENDORSE MY CHOICE FOR PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, MADAM VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS AND GOVERNOR TIM WALTZ. [03:25:01] WE ALL NEED TO PRESERVE THIS DEMOCRACY TO UPHOLD WHAT IS GOOD ABOUT THE UNITED STATES AND WHAT WE BELIEVE IN TO PRESERVE WHAT EACH AND EVERY AMERICAN ALIKE FEELS ABOUT OUR NATION, WHICH IS TO PUT COUNTRY OVER POLITICAL STANDING. IN ENDING, I WANT TO STATE THAT CONGRESS SHOULD PASS ALONG PARTY LINES, THE JOHN LEWIS VOTINGS RIGHT ACT AND OVERTURN LEGISLATION IN RELATION TO ROAD VERSUS WADE. I REFUSE TO GO BACK, BUT RATHER GO FORWARD AS AN AMERICAN IN A WORKING DEMOCRACY. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR TIME. AND ALSO TO ENCOURAGE YOUNG FOLKS TO VOTE. I HAVE A VERY VALID CONCERN ABOUT, UH, THE, THE 18 TO LIKE 30 SOMETHING YEAR OLDS THAT, UH, I FIGURE IS A HUGE MAJORITY OF FOLKS HERE IN HARRIS COUNTY THAT NEEDS TO EXERCISE THEIR RIGHT TO VOTE. AND I LIKE TO HAVE SOME KINDA, UH, ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AS FAR AS HOW THE COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE GOING TO, UH, ENCOURAGE THE VOTING IN THAT PARTICULAR AGE GROUP. NOW I'M NEARLY 60. OKAY THEN. AND SO I'VE BEEN VOTING SINCE I WAS 18 BECAUSE I KNOW IT WAS MY GOD GIVEN RIGHT TO VOTE. AND SO I LIKE TO KNOW EXACTLY HOW THE, UH, THE YOUNGER GROUPS ARE GOING TO BE TARGETED AS FAR AS THE ADS IS CONCERNED HERE IN HARRIS COUNTY. UH, COUNCIL POLL, COUNCILMAN POLLARD. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU MA'AM FOR COMING FORWARD AND, UH, LETTING US, UH, HAVE INSIGHT INTO YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON THE UPCOMING ELECTIONS. UM, ONE OF THE THING THAT I DO IS I TRY TO UTILIZE SOCIAL MEDIA AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE TO ENGAGE A YOUNGER AUDIENCE, UH, TO FIND WAYS IN WHICH WE CAN PUT CAPTIVATING VISUALS AND MESSAGES OUT FOR THEM TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF VOTING. AND MANY OF THE MEMBERS UP HERE UTILIZE ALL DIFFERENT METHODS AS WELL. I KNOW THE MAYOR PRO TEM HAS VOTER REGISTRATION DRIVES AND, AND GETTING PEOPLE DEPUTIZED TO GO OUT AND REGISTER TO VOTE. AND WE ALL HAVE, UH, CERTAIN STRATEGIES AROUND, UH, ELECTION TIME. BUT, UH, THE POINTS YOU MADE WERE VERY IMPORTANT. AND I THINK WE ALL NEED TO DO OUR PART IN ENSURING PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THEIR IMPORTANCE, UH, TO GO TO THE BALLOT BOX FOR THE ELECTION. SO THANK YOU FOR COMING. OKAY. UH, AND I ALSO LIKE TO GO ON AHEAD AND REITERATE MY, UH, UH, POINT IN RELATION TO PRESIDENT JOSEPH R UH, JOSEPH R BIDEN. OKAY. AND, UM, THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS THAT WHAT HE DID WAS ONE OF THE MOST UNFOUNDED FEATS THAT YOU COULD EVER EXPECT FOR A SITTING PRESIDENT TO DO. AND THAT'S A MATTER OF PASSING THE TORCH TO VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS. AND I JUST WANNA SAY HOW MUCH I REALLY, IT IT TAKES TO HEART THAT, THAT A SITTING PRESIDENT COULD DO SUCH A THING IN THE MIDDLE OF AN ELECTION YEAR LIKE THIS. I HAVE TO COMMEND HIM. UH, UH, I REALLY LOOK UP TO HIM. HE IS A TRUE PATRIOT AND I'M HOPING THAT MY MESSAGE HERE IN CITY HALL WILL RESONATE WITHIN THE WHITE HOUSE LOCATED. AND SO OTHERWISE, UH, I'LL END BY SAYING THAT, UH, I WILL BE PRESENT AGAIN HERE IN THESE CHAMBERS. THE NEXT SUBJECT THAT I, UH, INTEND ON SPEAKING ON IS, UM, THE SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION. OKAY. THEN, AND THAT'S IN RELATION TO THE COVID, UH, PPI FUNDING. AND SO I'LL BE MAKING MY APPOINTMENT REALLY SOON. OKAY. YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU, MA'AM. NEXT, MARY DE STEFANO. MY HI. GOOD AFTERNOON, MR. MAYOR. COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, I'M MARRIED TO STEFANO, AS YOU HEARD. I LIVE AT 1400 MCKINNEY STREET. IT'S ALSO A APARTMENT BUILDING, ONE PARK PLACE. I DO KNOW THAT MY REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS HAS RECENTLY PASSED AWAY, BUT I, WE MOVED HERE TO HOUSTON A YEAR AND CHANGE AGO. SO I'M REALLY NEW TO HOUSTON, NEW TO POLITICS. I HAVE NO CLUE WHO IS MY COUNCIL MEMBER. I DON'T KNOW DISTRICTS OR ANYTHING, AND I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT. BUT I'M HERE AND, UM, I'M GOING TO PLAY AS I SPEAK A LITTLE VIDEO. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN HEAR IT OR NOT. HOPEFULLY, AND THIS [03:30:01] IS ONE OF THE ISSUES I WANTED TO ADDRESS. THIS WAS SEVEN 30 AT NIGHT AND AT THE CORNER OF LAMAR AND LA BRANCH THERE'S A STOPLIGHT. SO YOU GET TO LISTEN TO THE MUSIC AT THE STOPLIGHT. YOU GET TO LISTEN TO THE MUSIC AS THEY CONTINUE DOWN MCKINNEY AND AROUND THE CONVENTION CENTER AND AROUND, AND THEY CIRCLE THE PARK. IT'S ONE THING TO HAVE IT AT SEVEN 30 AT NIGHT. IT'S ANOTHER THING TO HAVE IT AT TWO AND FOUR IN THE MORNING, WHICH WE DO. UH, SOMETIMES THESE RADIOS ARE SO LOUD THAT THE WINDOWS SHAKE AND WHAT I'M ASKING AROUND, BECAUSE WHAT DO I KNOW FROM HOUSTON? THEY SAY, OH, HOUSTON DOESN'T HAVE ANY NOISE LAWS. AND I'M LIKE, SAY WHAT? SO I REALIZE YOUR DOWNTOWN AREA, I'LL SHUT THIS OFF 'CAUSE IT'S ANNOYING, BUT I THINK YOU GOT THE MESSAGE. UM, I REALIZE THAT A LOT OF THE OFFICE PEOPLE ARE GONE BECAUSE OF COVID, BUT MORE PEOPLE ARE MOVING IN. ON TOP OF THAT, YOU HAVE THE CONVENTION CENTER WITH TWO MAJOR HOTELS, THE HILTON AND THE MARRIOTT RIGHT THERE. NOT TO MENTION THE OTHER HOTELS IN THE AREA. AND THOSE PEOPLE GET UP EARLY TO GO TO THE CONVENTION. THEY REALLY DON'T NEED THE BOOM BOXES. SO I WANTED TO, YOU KNOW, ASK YOU ALL TO PLEASE CONSIDER MAYBE THINKING FOR HOUSTON, UH, NOISE REDUCTION LAWS FOR CERTAIN TIMES OF THE DAY OR CERTAIN HOURS, YOU KNOW, LIKE AFTER 10 O'CLOCK OR 11 OR 12, OR MAKE IT DIFFERENT FOR WEEKENDS AND SO FORTH. BUT TWO AND FOUR IN THE MORNING IS REALLY TOO MUCH. SECOND OF ALL BY SECOND ISSUE IS THE PARK ITSELF, WHICH IS WONDERFUL. DISCOVERY GREEN IS, IS A SUPER, SUPER THING. AND I GO WALKING AT NIGHT, BUT ONE OF THE PROBLEMS IS THE SCOOTERS, THE ELECTRIC SCOOTERS. AND THE KIDS COME IN GROUPS AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU SAW ME WALK DOWN HERE, BUT I AM NOT THE GREATEST WITH BALANCE AND SO FORTH. SO IF I FALL, BOOM, UM, THERE IS A LITTLE BLINKY LIGHT SIGN THAT SAYS SCOOTERS ARE ILLEGAL, $200 FINE. BUT OF COURSE IT'S NEVER ENFORCED. AND OF COURSE EVERYONE KNOWS THAT. SO IT'S, I DUNNO IF YOU KNOW THE ITALIAN EXPRESSION, BUT BASICALLY THAT'S WHAT IT IS. AND SO WHEN YOU SAY IT'S ILLEGAL, THEY LOOK AT ME AND LAUGH. THE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE SAY, WELL, I CAN'T GO ON THE STREETS BECAUSE I'LL GET KILLED. WELL, THERE'S BIKE LANES. YOU CAN GO, YOU KNOW, PAY ATTENTION. YOU SHOULD ALSO MAYBE WEAR A HELMET IF YOU'RE THAT SCARED. BUT IT'S A PROBLEM. THERE'S LITTLE KIDS, THERE'S PEOPLE WALKING DOGS AND SO FORTH. SO I WANTED TO SAY, MR. MAYOR, THANK YOU THERE HAVE BEEN AT THE PARK, I'VE SEEN IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS, A COUPLE SECURITY PEOPLE AND IT'S A LITTLE BIT BETTER. COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, MS. DEANO, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS TO COUNCIL. UM, WE HAVE, WE DO HAVE A NOISE ORDINANCE, JUST SO YOU KNOW. UM, AND I BELIEVE IT'S, UM, AT, I WANNA SAY 10 OR 11, 11 I THINK IS WHEN IT'S, IT'S KICKS IN. UM, MY OFFICE IS GONNA REACH OUT TO YOU SO WE CAN TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHERE SOME OF THOSE ISSUES ARE, ARE, YOU KNOW, REALLY PREVALENT. UM, AND THEN WHEN IT COMES TO SCOOTERS AS WELL, JUST KNOW THAT, UH, WE HAVE BEEN HAVING CONVERSATIONS, UH, WITH DISCOVERY GREEN, INCREASING PATROL. UM, IT IS SOMETHING THAT IS A CHALLENGE THROUGHOUT ALL OF DOWNTOWN, NOT JUST AROUND DISCOVERY GREEN. AND SO, UH, PART OF, PART OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS IDENTIFY WAYS WHERE A RA CAN PARTICIPATE IN REGULATION. UH, BUT IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE ALSO WANNA LOOK AT, UM, YOU KNOW, BUSINESSES THAT WANNA DO THE RIGHT THING AS WELL. AND SO WE'VE, WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH OTHER ENTITIES THAT WE WOULD LOVE TO, UH, BRING UP TO THE ADMINISTRATION AS WELL. UM, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE THAT ARE RIDING SCOOTERS ARE ALSO, UH, YOU KNOW, BEING SAFE WITH THEM, BUT IT DOESN'T ALLOW THEM, UH, TO RIDE THROUGHOUT THE PARK. SO, UM, MY OFFICE IS GONNA BE REACHING OUT TO YOU SO WE CAN HAVE MORE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE NOISE, BUT ALSO SOME OF THE OTHER CHALLENGES YOU MIGHT BE HAVING IN DOWNTOWN AS WELL. OKAY. AND I AM YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER, SO OKAY. I WAS JUST GOING TO ASK YOU IF YOU WANTED MY COUNCIL MEMO. THANK YOU. DO YOU HAVE A CARD OR SOMETHING? I DO. I'LL GIVE YOU A CARD ON, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND, AND AS A LAST REQUEST, ONE PARK PLACE WHEN WE MOVED IN A YEAR AGO, THEY HAD SOMEBODY FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT THAT CAME ONCE THAT I REMEMBER, BUT I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT IT BEFOREHAND. AND THEN I SAID, ARE THEY'RE COMING BACK AGAIN? AND THE BUILDING SAYS TO ME, THEY DON'T KNOW, UM, THAT, THAT SOMEBODY FROM THE POLICE DEPART CAME AND THEY DIDN'T THINK THEY HAD A BIG ENOUGH AUDIENCE, SO THEY LEFT. AND SO THERE IS A DOWNTOWN PIP MEETING AS WELL, A POSITIVE INTERACTION PROGRAM, UH, MEETING IN DOWNTOWN THAT WE COULDN'T GET YOU MORE INFORMATION AS, UH, TO ATTEND. SO THAT WAY RES IT IS NOT JUST FOR THE BUSINESSES, IT'S ALSO FOR THE RESIDENTS THAT ARE IN DOWNTOWN. YEAH. OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I APPRECIATE IT, COUNSEL. THANK YOU. YOU GUYS DO A FABULOUS JOB. I, THIS IS, THANK YOU. COUNCIL RAMIREZ HAS WOULD LIKE TO TALK. THANK YOU MA'AM, FOR BRINGING YOUR CONCERNS FORWARD. UM, I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU. WE HAVE A NOISE ORDINANCE. IT'S NOT VERY EFFECTIVE FRANKLY, AND WE NEED TO MAKE CHANGES TO IT TO MAKE IT A MORE EFFECTIVE TOOL FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT TO ENFORCE. AND SO, UH, I FEEL YOUR PAIN. I'VE HEARD THE COMPLAINTS OF A LOT OF PEOPLE ACROSS THE CITY ABOUT OUR NOISE ORDINANCE AND LACK OF ENFORCEMENT AND UM, THANK YOU. WE'LL, WE WILL GET TO WORK ON IT. THANK YOU. IT'S JUST WEIRD TO ME. TEXAS IS A BIG STATE. WHY DO YOU NEED TO BE HERE? [03:35:01] THANK YOU MA'AM. NEXT CAR TORRES ALL. CARLA TORRES, STEVE WILLIAMS, JACOB CLEMENTE. WHAT UP ? I TOLD YOU I WOULD SPEAK ABOUT THAT TEXAS, BUT I'M ALSO GONNA SPEAK ABOUT THIS BAG. OKAY. IONS. UM, WELL FIRST GETTING LOADED, THIS I BRING COMPLIMENTS AND THAT IS, I'M GLAD THAT MAYOR WHITMEYER, UM, THE FIRE, FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THE EMS BECAUSE WITH THE EMS, THEY TOOK CARE OF MY HEAD INJURY. AND NOW, UM, WITH THE BACK, UM, THIS IS THE BAG THAT I LOST THAT WAS STRONG FOR ME AT THE PARK, BUT I GOT ANOTHER ONE AND HERE IT IS. AND IT SAYS ASTROS ON IT, DOESN'T IT? UH, AND THEN MADE, UM, WHAT ABOUT THEM TEXANS? I MEAN, HEY, THEY ARE, UH, GOING TO GO ALL THE WAY TO THE SUPER BOWL. WHO, WHO AGREES WITH ME? RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALRIGHT, MS. THOMAS, THOMAS, ME AND YOU. JACOB . ME AND YOU. I GOT YOU. OKAY. UM, WELL, I WAS DOING OKAY. I UNTIL THE 22ND AND THEN I WAS AT TEXAS TRAINING CAMP AND I GOT THIS, UH, KNEE WRISTBANDS AND UH, WELL, I HAD A GOOD TIME. I GOT FRED WILLIE'S AUTOGRAPH AND UM, UH, WELL I WAS WEARING MY S GEAR AND WELL WAS A FRENCH TURNING CAMERA. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. JACOB. YOU KNOW THE ASTROS ARE GONNA BE ON IN ABOUT 15 MINUTES, SO WE BETTER, WE BETTER GET OUTTA HERE. WRAP IT UP. LET'S GO. . THANK Y'ALL. THANKS FOR BEING HERE. STAN MILLICENT HOLIDAY SHE IS, NOPE. MILLICENT HOLIDAY IS NOT PRESENT. THAT COMPLETES LIST OF SPEAKERS [RECESS] WE RECESSED AT NINE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING. ITEM ONE, REQUEST FROM MAYOR FOR CONFIRMATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF SANDY GALL AS THE DIRECTOR OF HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEM. ITEM TWO, ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $2,247,631 AND 32 CENTS OUT OF WATER AND SEWER SYSTEM, CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND AS AN ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATION TO THE CONTRACT BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND BOER INC. ITEM THREE, RECOMMENDATION FROM CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS FOR APPROVAL OF CHANGE ORDER NUMBER FOUR IN THE AMOUNT OF $2,069,172 69 CENTS FOR THE LIFT STATION RENEWAL AND REPLACEMENT EAST 10 PARK MAXI ROAD, MESA DRIVE, WESTMONT NORTH SHORE ON CONTRACT WITH BOYER, INC. THIS ITEM SHOULD ONLY BE CONSIDERED AFTER PASSAGE OF ITEM TWO ABOVE. ITEM FOUR, RECOMMENDATION FROM DIRECTOR HOUSTON AIRPORT ASSISTANT FOR APPROVAL OF FINAL CONTRACT MOUNT AND ACCEPTANCE OF WORK WITH J DUNN CONSTRUCTION COMPANY FOR THE VEHICLE MAINTENANCE FACILITY. PROJECT ITEM FIVE, RECOMMENDATION FROM DIRECTOR HOUSTON AIRPORT ASSISTANT FOR APPROVAL OF FINAL, A CONTRACT AMOUNT AND ACCEPTANCE OF WORK ON CONTRACT WITH INTEX UNITED, INC. FOR THE TERMINAL. A WAY FINDING AND SIGNAGE PROJECT. ITEM SIX, RECOMMENDATION FROM CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS FOR APPROVAL OF UPON A CONTRACT AMOUNT AND ACCEPTANCE WORK ON CONTRACT WITH PERSON SERVICES CORP FOR LIFT STATION RENEWAL AND REPLACEMENT MCGREGOR WAY NUMBER TWO EBBS KELLOGG SCOTT NUMBER TWO, GLEN GO AND WCID NUMBER 73 LIFT STATIONS. ITEM SEVEN, AMEND MOTION 20 23 2 84 TO INCREASE SPENDING AUTHORITY FOR FUEL CARDS AND RELATED SERVICES FROM THE US BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION. ITEM EIGHT, AIR FLIGHT INC. FOR PURCHASE OF SCHWEIZER SIKORSKI 2 6 9 C SERIES. HELICOPTER REPLACEMENT, PORT OVERHAULS EXCHANGES AND REPAIR SERVICES. ITEM NINE, TELEDYNE FLIR SURVEILLANCE INC. FOR PURCHASE OF REPAIR SERVICES FOR A FLIR DUAL SENSOR THERMAL IMAGING SYSTEM. ITEM 10 APPROVED SPENDING AUTHORITY IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED FOR A ONE-TIME PURCHASE OF T 7 0 0 U DYNAMIC DILUTION CALIBRATORS FOR THE HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT OF AWARDED TO TELEDYNE API INC. ITEM 11, RESOLUTION SUPPORTING DENOMINATION OF COUNCIL MEMBER MARTHA CASTEX TATUM TO THE NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES BOARD OF DIRECTORS. ITEM 12 RESOLUTION SUPPORTING THE NOMINATION OF COUNCIL MEMBER ABBY CAYMAN AS VICE CHAIR OF THE ENERGY ENVIRONMENT AND NATIONAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE AND VICE CHAIR OF THE LOWER CITIES COUNCIL OF THE NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES. ITEM 13 RESOLUTION APPROVING THE ISSUANCE AND SALE BY HOUSTON HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION, A MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING REVENUE BONDS ALCOTT VILLAGE SERIES 2024 A AND MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING REVENUE NOTE, [03:40:01] ALCOTT VILLAGE SERIES 2024 B. ITEM 14, RESOLUTION APPROVING THE ISSUANCE AND SALE BY HOUSTON HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION, A MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING REVENUE NOTE EMILY AT MESA GARDEN SERIES 2024. ITEM 15, ORDINANCE SUBMITTING ARTICLE FOUR, CHAPTER 44, THE CODE OF ORDINANCES HOUSTON, TEXAS RELATED TO TAX ABATEMENT. ITEM 16 ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING ISSUES OF ONE OR MORE SERIES OF CITY OF HOUSTON TAX, TEXAS TAX AND REVENUE ANTICIPATION. NO SERIES 2024. ITEM 17, ORDINANCE APPROVING OF SUPPLEMENTAL BARBERING EVIDENCE BY CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS TAX AND REVENUE ANTICIPATION. NO. SERIES 2024 A ITEM 18 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING SECOND AMENDMENT TO LOAN AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS BEARING OMEGA COMMUNITY HEALTH SERVICES INC. A TEXAS NONPROFIT CORPORATION AND HOUSTON AREA COMMUNITY SERVICES, INC. A TEXAS NONPROFIT CORPORATION, EXCUSE ME. ITEM 19, ORDINANCE APPROVING AN AUTHORIZING SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND QUALTRICS. LLC ITEM 20. ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $1,393,000 AND NO CENTS OUT OF FY 25 EQUIPMENT ACQUISITION CONSOLIDATED FUND FOR THE NEXT GENERATION NETWORK. PROJECT ITEM 21 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $5,500,000 AND NO CENTS OUT OF FY 25 EQUIPMENT ACQUISITION CONSOLIDATED FUND FOR THE PUBLIC SAFETY RADIO REPLACEMENT PROJECT. ITEM 22 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $1,417,000 AND NO CENTS OUT OF FY 25 EQUIPMENT ACQUISITION CONSOLIDATED FUND FOR A NETWORK REFRESH PROJECT ITEM 23 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $400,000 AND NO CENTS FROM FY 25 EQUIVALENT ACQUISITION CONSOLIDATED FUND FOR THE PLANNED HTV NETWORK INTEGRATION PROJECT ITEM 24 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING EXECUTION OF COMPROMISE, SETTLEMENT RELEASE AND INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT BETWEEN MOIST LOPEZ AND CITY OF HOUSTON. ITEM 25 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING FIRST AMENDMENT TO LEASE AGREEMENT BETWEEN 1 0 0 3 9. VISIT LP AS LANDLORD AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS AS TENANT ITEM 26 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING AND PURCHASE SALE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS AS SELLER AND HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS AS BUYER. ITEM 27, ORDINANCE DE APPROPRIATED $25,674 AND 8 CENTS OUT OF PUBLIC LIBRARY. CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND PREVIOUSLY APPROPRIATED FOR MATERIALS, TESTING SERVICES AND APPROPRIATING $25,674 AND 8 CENTS OUT OF PUBLIC LIBRARY. CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND TO CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AT RISK CONTRACT WITH SPARK GLASS CONSTRUCTION CORPORATION FOR THE NEW WESTBURY LIBRARY. ITEM 28 ORDINANCE APPROVED AND AUTHORIZING FIRST AMENDMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND CLEAN EARTH ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTIONS INC. FORMERLY STERICYCLE ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTIONS INC. ITEM 29, ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING AND PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND COROLLA ENGINEERS INC. ITEM 30 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING SUBMISSION OF ELECTRONIC APPLICATION FOR AND ACCEPTANCE OF GRANT FUNDS THROUGH UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE IN SUPPORT OF THE SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENTS, COMPOSTING AND FOOD WASTE REDUCTION GRANT PILOT PROJECT ITEM 31, ORDINANCE APPROVED AND AUTHORIZING AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY FOR TRANSFER OF OWNERSHIP OF A POLICE HELICOPTER FOR THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT. ITEM 32, ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING AGREEMENTS TO REIMBURSE ALDEN ISD ALE, ISD AMIGOS. PUR VIDA ANNUNCIATION ORTHODOX CLEAR CREEK ISD, FORT BEND ISD GALENA PARK, ISD HOUSTON ISD HUFFMAN, ISD KATY ISD PASADENA, ISD PRESBYTERIAN SCHOOL, RIVER OAKS, BAPTIST SPRING BRANCH ISD ST. ANNE CATHOLIC SCHOOL, ST. JOHN'S SCHOOL AND ST. VINCENT DEPAUL SCHOOL FOR PAYMENT OF SCHOOL CROSSING GUARDS FROM CHILD SAFETY FUND. ITEM 33 ORDINANCE DESIGNATED IN THE PROPERTY MINISTRY KNOWN AS 25 29 STANMORE DRIVE, HOUSTON, TEXAS 7 7 0 1 9 ITEM 34. ORDINANCE DESIGNATING THE PROPERTY MUNICIPALLY KNOWN AS 3 3 6 3 SAN FELIPE STREET, HOUSTON, TEXAS 7 7 0 1 9 ITEM 35. ORDINANCE DESIGNATING THE PROPERTY MUNICIPALLY KNOWN AS 1703 WEST STREET, HOUSTON, TEXAS 7 7 0 2 6 AND ALSO KNOWN AS THE ALEXANDER Z AND JU C HESTER HOUSE. ITEM 36. ORDINANCE DESIGNATED THE PROPERTY MUNICIPALLY KNOWN AS 75 0 6 NORTH MAIN STREET, HOUSTON, TEXAS 7 7 0 2 2 AND ALSO KNOWN AS CONCORD MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH. ITEM 37, ORDINANCE DESIGNATED THE PROPERTY MUNICIPALLY KNOWN AS 1230 HOUSTON AVENUE, TEXAS 7 7 0 7 7 7 0 0 7 AND ALSO KNOWN AS KNAPP CHEVROLET BUILDING ITEM 38 ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING PORTIONS OF WOODLAND TERRACE AND WOODLAND HEIGHTS SUBDIVISION ITEM 39 ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE 800 BLOCK OF PICO STREET BETWEEN WATSON STREET AND JULIAN STREET. ITEM 40 ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING THE EAST AND WEST SIDES OF THE 4,400 TO [03:45:01] 4,500 BLOCKS OF EDISON STREET BETWEEN WISE AND FRALEY STREETS. ITEM 41 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING INTER LOCAL COST SHARING AGREEMENT BETWEEN NORTH HARRIS COUNTY REGIONAL WATER AUTHORITY AND CITY OF HOUSTON FOR HARDY HARDY WATER LINE PROJECT ITEM 42 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING FOURTH AMENDMENT TO WATER SUPPLY CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND CITY OF VO. ITEM 43 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $2,273,124 AND NO CENTS OUTTA WATER AND SEWER SYSTEM. CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND APPROVING AN AUTHORIZING PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND AMANI ENGINEERING INC. ITEM 44 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $3,485,182 AND 5 CENTS OUT WATER AND SEWER SYSTEM. CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND APPROVING AN AUTHORIZING PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND BINKLEY AND BARFIELD INC. ITEM 45 ON DECEMBER 20, 24, 5 87. PAST SECOND READING AUGUST 21ST. ORDINANCE GRANTED TO AMERICAN COMBAT KS LLCA, TEXAS LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY. THIRD AND FINAL READING ITEM 46, ORDINANCE 20 24 5 88. PAST SECOND READING AUGUST 21ST. ORDINANCE GRANTED TO FRONTIER WASTE, TEXAS WHOLE CORE LLCA, TEXAS LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY. THIRD AND FINAL READING, ITEM 47, ORDINANCE 20 24 5 89 PASSED SECOND READING AUGUST 21ST. ORDINANCE GRANT TO K AND S CONSTRUCTION SERVICES, LLCA, TEXAS LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY. THIRD AND FINAL READING ITEM 48, ORDINANCE NUMBER 20 24 5 90. PAST SECOND READING AUGUST 21ST, ORDINANCE GRANTING TO THE OUTHOUSE BOYS LLCA, TEXAS LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY. THIRD AND FINAL READING, ITEM 49, ORDINANCE NUMBER 20 24 5 91. PAST SECOND READING AUGUST 21ST, ORDINANCE GRANT TO STERILE CYCLE INC. A DELAWARE CORPORATION. THIRD AND FINAL READING, THIS IS THE END OF THE CONSENT AGENDA UNDER THE MATTERS SALE CATEGORY. ITEM 50 WAS A MOTION BY CONST MEMBER PECK, SECONDED BY CONSTABLE THOMAS TO ADOPT RECOMMENDATION FROM CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER HOUSTONS PUBLIC WORKS FOR APPROVAL OF FINAL CONTRACT AMOUNT AND ACCEPTANCE OF WORK ON CONTRACT WITH PM CONSTRUCTION AND REHAB L-L-C-D-B-A-I SOUTH CENTRAL. THIS WAS TAGGED BY COUNCIL POLL. THIS WAS ITEM SIX ON AGENDA OF AUGUST 21ST, 2024. ITEM 51 IS AN ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING AND LOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND WARDEN COUNTY JUNIOR COLLEGE. IT WAS TAGGED BY COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. THIS WAS ITEM 33 ON AGENDA OF AUGUST 21ST, 2024. AND ITEM 52 IS AN ORDINANCE CONSENTING TO THE CREATION OF HARRIS COUNTY MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT NUMBER 5 89. THIS WAS TAGGED BY COUNCILMAN JACKSON. THIS WAS ITEM 53 ON AGENDA OF AUGUST 21ST, 2024. THIS COMPLETES THE READING OF THE AGENDA FOR THE COUNCIL SESSION OF AUGUST 28TH, 2024. STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT SESSION OF HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL SCHEDULE TO BEGIN AT 9:00 AM I'D LIKE TO WISH A HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ALL THOSE BORN IN THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER. WE WILL NOT HAVE ANOTHER MEETING BEFORE THAT. SO I WANT TO WISH ALL MY SEPTEMBER BIRTH BABIES A HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ESPECIALLY THOSE FOR SEPTEMBER THE SECOND, WHICH IS MY BIRTHDAY. AND ALSO ONE OF THE, UH, SECURITY DETAILED BIRTHDAY AND A LOT OF CITY OF HOUSTON EMPLOYEES THAT I KNOW ARE ON SEPTEMBER THE SECOND. SO HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ALL OF THOSE IN THE WORDS OF THE CITY SECRETARY, PAT JEFFERSON. DANIELLE, I LIKE TO LEAVE YOU WITH THIS. ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS TREAT EVERYONE THE WAY YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE TREATED. HAVE A BLESSED AND FANTABULOUS DAY. THANK YOU MADAM SECRETARY AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY [RECONVENE] COUNSEL. PLEASE COME TO ORDER. MADAM [CONSENT AGENDA] SECRETARY, IF YOU WILL NOW PROCEED WITH THE CONSENT AGENDA. I KNOW UNDER THE MISCELLANEOUS CATEGORY, ITEMS ONE, TWO, AND THREE. ONE AND THREE ARE MOTION ITEM TWO AS AN ORDINANCE. ALL IN FAVOR NEED A MOTION. YOU NEED A MOTION, A MOTION CAST. STATE A MOVE ON. THE SECOND MOTION HAS BEEN MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. NEXT, UNDER THE ACCEPT WORK CATEGORY, ITEM FOUR HAS BEEN MOVED SEPARATE. CONSIDER CONSIDERATION ITEM FIVE AND SIX. NEED A MOTION CAST TAYLOR, MOVE I A SECOND. MOTIONS MADE AND SECONDED. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. AS OPPOSED A UH, MOTION PASSES UNDER THE RESOLUTION CATEGORY ITEMS 11, 12, 13, AND 14. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION CARRIES. I SKIP ING. I'M SORRY. I SKIPPED PURCHASING. YES. OKAY. UNDER THE PURCHASING CATEGORY, ITEMS SEVEN HAVE BEEN REMOVED. SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. EIGHT, NINE, AND 10. NEED A MOTION CAST TA MOVE. MOTION I SECOND MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION. [03:50:01] AND THEN WE DID THE RESOLUTIONS. WHERE ARE WE AT? YES. UNDER THE ORDINANCES CATEGORY ITEMS 20, 21, 22, 23, 26, 30, 32, 33, 34, 35 AND 37. THOSE NUMBERS AGAIN ARE 20, 21, 22, 23, 26, 30, 32, 33, 34, 35 AND 37 THAT BE REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. NEED A VOTE ON THE BALANCE? ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION CARRIES. OKAY. UNDER THE [CONSIDERATION OF MATTERS REMOVED FROM CONSENT AGENDA] ITEM FOUR NEEDS A MOTION. CASTEX TATUM, MOVE I A SECOND. MOTION BEEN MADE. MARTINEZ AND SECONDED. COUNCILOR MARTINEZ. THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, JUST WANNA BRING TO LIGHT, UH, SOME, SOME, SOME CHALLENGES THAT WE'VE BEEN HAVING WITH THIS SPECIFIC CONTRACT. UH, THERE'S A SUB THAT HAS, UH, SUBMITTED SEVERAL CHANGE ORDERS, UH, THAT HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED BUT HAS NOT BEEN PAID OUT. AND I UNDERSTAND THAT, UM, OF COURSE LEGALLY WE CAN'T GET INVOLVED IN IN THESE CONVERSATIONS, BUT AT SOME POINT I FEEL LIKE, UM, AS A CITY WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO HOLD THE PRIMES ACCOUNTABLE. UM, AND I KNOW WE'VE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UH, THE RESPONSIBLE BID ORDINANCE WHERE PRIMES CAN BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE TO THESE TYPES OF ACTIONS. UM, AND BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO GET, UM, ANY, ANY REAL SOLUTION OTHER THAN SAY LET THE PRIME AND THE SUB LITIGATE IT OR GO, YOU KNOW, GO, GO AND HAVE THAT DISCUSSION OUTSIDE. UM, THEN I, I REALLY, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, THAT WE CAN FIRST AND FOREMOST MAKE SURE THAT THE SUB GETS PAID, UH, FOR THE CHANGE ORDERS HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED. UM, AND BECAUSE OF THAT, I'M GONNA TAG IT. BUT I ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE AGAIN, MAYOR, THAT WE CAN START GETTING A BIT MORE INVOLVED AND BE MORE, UH, IN TUNE AND HAVE THAT RESPONSIBILITY, UM, TO ENSURE THAT SUBS ARE NOT BEING TREATED IN THE WAY WHERE, UH, AGAIN, THE WORK IS BEING DONE. UH, BUT THEN THE PRIME IS, YOU KNOW, KIND OF LET, UH, BEHOLDEN TO, YOU KNOW, TO, TO WHAT THEY CAN DO. SO, VERY GOOD. I SHARE YOUR CONCERN. IN FACT, I ASKED CITY ATTORNEY TO CHECK ON ONE OF THE SUBS CONTRACTS AND SEE IF, IF EVERYTHING'S BEING DONE PROPERLY. IT'S REALLY TOUGH LEGALLY. BUT I HEAR YOUR CONCERNS. IT'S BEEN TAGGED BY COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ AND IT HAS BEEN TAGGED BY COUNCILOR MARTINEZ. THAT'LL GIVE US EVEN MORE OPPORTUNITY. UH, JACKSON. HMM? DAVIS? NO. OH YEAH. MARTINEZ AND JACKSON TAGGED BY MARTINEZ AND JACKSON. ITEM SEVEN NEEDS A MOTION. CASTEX TATUM. MOVE SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 20 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 21 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 22 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 23 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED. NAME, MOTION, PLUM PLUMMER IS RECOGNIZED AFTER THE VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED. NAME. MOTION PASSES. COUNCILMAN PLUMMER. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND I'D JUST LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT THESE ARE THE IT ITEMS ON THE AGENDA. UM, PREVIOUSLY THESE WOULD NORMALLY GO TO OR REVIEW THROUGH THE TTI COMMITTEE. UH, AND MAYOR, I'VE BEEN COMMUNICATING WITH YOUR OFFICE REGARDING THESE, THESE PROJECTS AND THE APPROPRIATED FUNDS. WE'LL REVIEW THESE AND DISCUSS THESE IN THE NEXT GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE. VERY GOOD, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT ITEM 26 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. DO YOU WANNA BE RECOGNIZED BEFORE, AFTER CASTILLO? AFTER OR BEFORE? YEAH, BEFORE CASTILLO BEFORE. RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER. THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, THIS ITEM IS ONE THAT, UH, I'M PERSONALLY EXCITED ABOUT FOR THE DISTRICT. UM, WHEN THIS CAME UP, UH, MONTHS AGO THAT THIS WAS GONNA BE PUT UP FOR SALE, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS CONCERN AMONGST THE COMMUNITY ABOUT WHAT EXACTLY WOULD THIS BECOME. AND THERE WAS A LOT OF DESIRE [03:55:01] ABOUT, UH, POTENTIAL MIXED USE, POTENTIAL RETAIL, MAYBE EVEN A GROCERY STORE, WHICH THE NEAR NORTH SIDE HAS LONG DESIRED ANOTHER GROCERY STORE. AND NOW, UH, WORKING WITH PRECINCT TWO, WORKING WITH THE COUNTY, UH, COMMISSIONER GARCIA. UM, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE COMMITTED TO A MIXED USE TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT. UH, THIS IS RIGHT NEXT TO THE BURNETT STATION LIGHT RAIL LINE. IT'S RIGHT NEXT TO THE BURNETT TRANSIT CENTER PROVIDING A LOT OF TRANSIT OPTIONS FOR FOLKS, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AND, UM, A 50,000 SQUARE FOOT RETAIL SPACE FOR, UH, A POTENTIAL GROCERY STORE THAT THEY'RE GONNA TRY AND, AND DELIVER. SO, UH, IT'S A WIN-WIN WIN. UH, IT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE WERE HOPING TO GET WHEN WE SENT THIS BACK AND, AND WANTED TO WORK OUT, UH, A BETTER DEAL. AND WE HAVE IT. AND SO I'M, I'M VERY PROUD TO SUPPORT IT AND I WANNA THANK ALL THE PARTNERS INVOLVED IN MAKING THIS HAPPEN. VERY GOOD. AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR VOICE, FOR YOUR DISTRICT. UH, I'M CERTAIN YOU AND, UH, COMMISSIONER AND MY OFFICE AND ALL THE PARTIES WILL SIT DOWN AND MAKE CERTAIN THAT THE INTEGRITY OF THE COMMUNITY'S PROTECTED. AND YOU'RE RIGHT, IT'S A WIN-WIN WIN. SO, THANK YOU COUNCILOR. FLICKING. I'M GLAD THIS ALL WORKED OUT. I'LL BE VOTING FOR THIS AS WELL. MY ONLY CONCERN WAS THAT PERHAPS IN THE FUTURE, IF WE HAVE A SALE, A PROPERTY LIKE THIS, THAT WE ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, I SAW THAT WE WENT THROUGH ALL THE CITY DEPARTMENTS AND MADE SURE NOBODY IN THE CITY NEEDED IT. MAYBE WE ACTUALLY GO TO THE COUNTY OURSELVES. 'CAUSE WE DIDN'T LET THIS UNTIL APRIL, AND NOW WE'RE VOTING IT IN AUGUST. THE REAL ESTATE FIRM'S GETTING OVER A HALF A MILLION BUCKS. UH, I'M PRETTY SURE THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO DO A WHOLE LOT OF WORK TO ACTUALLY MAKE THIS TRANSACTION. MAYBE WE COULD HAVE DONE IT OURSELVES TO SAVE THAT MONEY. EXCELLENT POINTS. IT WAS TIME SENSITIVE. AND, UH, IF DONE PROPERLY IN THE FUTURE, YOU'LL HAVE MUCH MORE ADEQUATE NOTICE AS WELL AS ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS. THANK YOU. WELL TAKEN POLL. COUNCILMAN POLLER. THANK YOU MAYOR. GOOD MORNING TO EVERYONE. I'M KIND OF GOING BACKWARDS A LITTLE BIT. UH, I KNOW THAT NO ONE SQUARED NUMBER ONE, UH, WHICH IS COOL. UH, BUT I WAS HOPING THAT WE WE'LL AT LEAST HEAR FROM THE LIBRARY DIRECTOR. WE VOTED ON HER. SHE IS GONNA BE LEADING THE LIBRARY SYSTEM, RIGHT? UH, IS SHE, IS SHE PRESENT? IS SHE SHE, SHE WAS, BUT AFTER THE COMPLETION OF THE VOTE, SHE WAS EXCUSED. AND I APPRECIATE YOUR CONCERN. BUT, UM, SHE LEFT, UH, AFTER SHE WAS APPROVED, SO THANK YOU. UH, WE WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE, WE'RE IN MIDDLE OF, WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE HER, WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE HER MAKE ANY COMMENT. YOU CAN HAVE AS MANY MEETINGS AS YOU WOULD LIKE. I JUST WHY ARE YOU GETTING SO COMBATIVE? I'M NOT COMBATIVE AT ALL. I'M TRYING TO GET A VOTE. WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF A VOTE AND YOU'RE ABOUT YEAH, I I WOULD JUST BE HALF ABOUT 30 ITEMS BEHIND WHERE WE WORK, WHERE WE ARE. ACTUALLY, BECAUSE YOU DID NOT CUSTOMARILY BRING HER FORWARD TO ADDRESS COUNSEL IN THE PUBLIC. I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE SPEAKING OF ABOUT CUSTOMARY. I RESPECT YOUR RIGHT TO MEET AND TALK TO HER. YOU'VE ALREADY VOTED FOR THE LADY. WE DID VOTE. SO ANYWAY, VOTE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST. UH, WE JUST NEED TO VOTE ON 26. WE NEED TO VOTE ON WHAT NUMBER? 26. 26. 26. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. NEXT. ITEM 30 NEEDS AN, UH, IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SEAT ALCORN. COUNCILMAN ALCORN. OKAY, GO. COMPOSTING. WE'RE GONNA TRY AGAIN, MAN. WE DIDN'T GET THIS GRANT LAST YEAR, SO WE'RE GONNA TRY TO GET IT THIS YEAR. WE, WE KNOW WHAT WE SOLID WASTE KNOWS WHAT THE, WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE GRANT APPLICATION. WE'RE RESUBMIT IT. IT'S A GOOD GRANT. WE'RE THE FOURTH LARGEST CITY IN THE COUNTRY. NOBODY WANTS TO HEAR ABOUT ME TALKING COMPOSTING ALL DAY LONG AGAIN. BUT, UM, THIS IS GONNA SAVE US FROM THE LANDFILL. Y'ALL, Y'ALL, Y'ALL ARE GONNA LOOK BACK ONE DAY AND SAY, I REMEMBER WHEN WE DIDN'T USED TO COMPOST. I CAN'T BELIEVE WE DON'T. WE, WE CON WE NEVER, WE DIDN'T COMPOST. IT'S FOOD. WASTE IS LIKE 25% OF OUR MUNICIPAL LANDFILL. UM, IT CREATES METHANE GASES. WE'RE GONNA ALL COMPOST ONE DAY. SO THIS IS A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. VOTE YES. OH, AND WE NEED A LETTER OF SUPPORT. MOST IMPORTANTLY, SOME OF YOU HAVE ALREADY SUBMITTED 'EM. UM, IF YOU HAVEN'T, PLEASE, PLEASE GET A, I THINK JORDAN SENT SOMETHING OUT. GET A LETTER OF SUPPORT IN. UM, WE'RE GONNA GET THIS GRANT THIS YEAR. COUNCILOR CASTILLO. COUNCILOR CASTILLO. UH, THANK YOU MAYOR. I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN. I WAS PROUD TO SUBMIT A LETTER OF SUPPORT FOR THIS GRANT. UH, PARTICULARLY BECAUSE THE COMPOSTS THAT THIS GENERATES IS GONNA HELP COMBAT URBAN HEAT ZONES. IT'S GONNA HELP CREATE GREEN CORRIDORS, AND WE ARE DEALING WITH EXTREME HEAT YEAR AFTER YEAR FOR LONGER DURATIONS OF TIME, LONGER PORTIONS OF THE DAY. UM, WE NEED TO TAKE THESE SMALL STEPS TO START COMBATING IT NOW SO THAT WE CAN MITIGATE IT WHEN IT GETS EVEN MORE HOT FOR LONGER PERIODS OF TIME IN YEARS TO COME. AND SO I, I'M PROUD TO SUPPORT IT. HOPE WE WERE ABLE TO SEE THIS THROUGH. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CAMAN. [04:00:01] COUNCILMAN CAMAN. THANK YOU. UH, WAS NOT GONNA LET THIS ITEM PASS UP WITHOUT CONGRATULATING COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN AND STICKING TO IT. UM, AS WELL AS THE SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT. UH, COMPOSTING IS THE COUNCIL MEMBER MENTIONED WILL HELP SAVE OUR LANDFILLS. IT WILL HELP SAVE TAXPAYER DOLLARS IN THE LONG RUN. UH, IT TAKES ABOUT 10 TO 15 YEARS TO SECURE A NEW LANDFILL IN TEXAS. UH, WE ARE ALREADY INCHING UP TO THAT END OF LIFE FOR MANY OF OUR, I THINK WE HAVE THREE LANDFILLS IN TOTAL. UH, BUT HUGE, HUGE CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU AND THE DEPARTMENT FOR CONTINUING TO CHAMPION THIS. I'VE STARTED COMPOSTING BECAUSE OF THE WORK THAT YOU HAVE BEEN DOING. UH, I DO WANNA DO A PERSONAL PLUG AS WELL THOUGH. AS WE LOOK AT DIVERTING ADDITIONAL WASTE, MULTIFAMILY RECYCLING CONTINUES TO BE A NEED THAT SO MANY OF OUR RESIDENTS ARE ASKING FOR. AND WE'RE CONTINUING TO WORK WITH THE SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT ON THAT MAYOR. BUT DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO EXTEND THE LIFE EXPECTANCY OF OUR LANDFILLS RIGHT NOW IS CRITICAL AND DOING IT THE RIGHT WAY. AND THIS IS ONE OF THOSE CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU. AND I WANT TO CONGRATULATE, WE DON'T HAVE THE MIC YET. WELL, IF YOU LOOK AT THE HISTORY OF IT, UH, IT WAS DENIED LAST YEAR AND NOW YOU WENT BACK TO WORK AND WE'RE REAPPLYING WITH SOME MODIFICATIONS. SO SHOWS WHAT, WHAT YOU CAN DO IF YOU WORK HARD AND DON'T GIVE UP. YEAH. JUST VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR. SAY YES AS OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 32 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION CARRIED. OH, WE HAVE A TAG. TAG BY COUNCILOR THOMAS. ITEM 33 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. NO. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES YOUR VOTES. NO. SHOW COUNCILMAN FLICKINGER VOTING NO. ITEM 34 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. NO SHOW. COUNCILMAN FLICK TO VOTING. NO. ALL OTHERS SAY THE YAY OR NAY. ITEM 34. ITEM 35 IS AN ORDINANCE. THIS NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE PRESENT. NO. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. MS. FLICKINGER VOTING. NO. SO COUNCILMAN FLICKINGER, NO. ITEM 37 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED TO VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. NO. OKAY. HE DID NOT VOTE NO. [MATTERS HELD] ITEM 50 IS A MOTION. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 51 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR, THOMAS. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. THANK YOU. I TAGGED THIS ITEM LAST WEEK, UM, INITIALLY BECAUSE IT WAS OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND AND WASN'T INCLUDED IN THE, UH, UH, CBA FOR PARAMEDICS TRAINING. BUT THEN I JUST, JUST GOT CURIOUS. I NOTICED WHARTON JUNIOR COLLEGE VERSUS HCC. AND WHEN I LOOKED AT THE NATIONAL REGISTRY, HCC HAS A 95% PASSING RATE. WHARTON COLLEGE HAS A 65% PASSING RATE FOR PARAMEDICS. AND THEN THE GENERAL FUND DOLLARS WITH THE OUTER DISTRICT FEES. THAT WAS A CONCERN TO ME. I KNOW THAT THERE'S A DEMAND. WE NEED PARAMEDICS. WE HAVE TO FAST TRACK THESE COURSES. I GET THAT AND I'M CLEAR. UM, ARE, IS THE ADMINISTRATION LOOKING AT WARDEN AND HCC AND SFA, LONE STAR? UM, THE ONES THAT HAVE THESE PROGRAMS, ARE WE, THIS IS JUST GONNA BE ONE COMMITMENT TO WHARTON. IT'S IT'S A SUPPLY ISSUE IN CAPACITY. I SHARE YOUR CONCERNS AND ASK THE SAME QUESTION. WHY, WHY WHARTON? UH, WITH LONE STAR AND HOUSTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE SAN JACK, WE CAN GO ON AND ON. UH, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT SAID THAT THEY'RE DESPERATE FOR POSITIONS AND I THEY DON'T HAVE TIME THAT YOU AND I COULD WORK ON TO GET THESE OTHER LOCAL JUNIOR COLLEGES GEARED UP. SO, YOU KNOW, YOU RAISE SERIOUS CONCERNS AND IT'S ALWAYS THE REST OF THE STORY. I KNOW THAT, THAT'S WHY I ASSUME THAT THERE'S A WHO MIGHT WHO MIGHT BE FROM WHARTON COUNTY THAT'S IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. I DON'T KNOW A WHOLE BUNCH OF FOLKS. YEAH, YEAH. THEY PROBABLY LIVE DOWN THERE. THEY LIVE IN WHARTON. BUT, BUT, BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS THEY DON'T LIVE IN HOUSTON. IT'S HARD. IT'S HARDER TO DISPUTE THE NEED. AND IF THEY HAVE THE AVAILABILITY TO TRAIN THEM, I THINK IT'S SOMETHING WE OUGHT TO KEEP IN MIND GOING FORWARD. AND, UH, DARN NEAR INSISTS THAT, UM, WE USE HOUSTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE LOANS. EC [04:05:01] JACK AND YOU NAME LOCALS. I MEAN, RIGHT. I MEAN MY, I MEAN THIS IS A GENERAL FUND ITEM. THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE FIRST TAG. IT'S FIVE A WITH TWO ONE YEAR OPTIONS I SHARE. AND WE HCC, THAT'S, WE ARE PRODUCING A WORKFORCE. HCC TO ME IS THE ANCHOR TO DO THAT. SO I MEAN, ARE YOU WILLING TO CONSIDER MOVING FORWARD THE, THE ADDITIONAL EXPANDING THAT, BECAUSE WE DO HAVE A NEED FOR PARAMEDIC TRAINING. WE HAVE THE NEED AND WE HAVE CONTRACTS. HISTORICALLY IT'S BEEN HCC, BUT WHEN HCC SAYS THEY CAN'T ACCOMMODATE YOUR NEEDS, WE CAN'T WAIT. ALTHOUGH IT OUGHT TO BE OUR GOAL AND ENCOURAGE 'EM, TALK TO THEIR BOARD. IT WAS JUST EXPLAIN TO THEM, TO ME AND WHEN WE PUT IT ON THE AGENDA WAS THERE'S A SHORTAGE, THERE'S A DEMAND AND HCC AND LONE STAR, THOSE ARE REALLY FINE AS YOU WELL KNOW SYSTEMS. AND I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT. UM, IT'S ONE OF THE THINGS WE NEED TO FIX THE BREAKDOWN IN COLLABORATION AND COMMUNICATION. WHY DO YOU WAIT TILL YOU'RE SO DESPERATE FOR THE PERSONNEL THAT THEN YOU APPROACH A COMMUNITY COLLEGE? THERE NEEDS TO BE A PLAN, COLLABORATION, COMMUNICATION, AND IT WON'T HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE, BUT IT'S HARD TO TURN DOWN SOMEONE THAT HAS THE CAPACITY AND THEY'RE READY TO PERFORM. AND THEN YOU AND I AND THE COUNCIL AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT FIRE CHIEF, HOW ABOUT THE FIRE CHIEF OUGHT TO HAVE THIS RESPONSIBILITY AND WE OUGHT TO ENCOURAGE AND WE WILL, THAT IT'S DONE LOCALLY EFFICIENTLY, COST EFFECTIVELY AND NOT SEND OUR CADETS AND WE'RE PAYING OUTTA STATE OUTTA DISTRICT FEES. I UNDERSTAND, BUT IT'S JUST THE NEED THERE. AND THE AND AND WE'RE SO SHORT. SO I, I GET IT. I DON'T HAVE YOU WANNA TALK THIS MORNING ABOUT A SHORTAGE IN THE FIRE? WE NEED 25 AMBULANCES, BUT NO, I, AND I GET THAT AND I'M NOT, THAT'S NOT WHAT'S WHAT I, WHAT I'M INQUIRING AT THE TABLE. IT'S JUST THAT HCC HAS A 95% PASS RATE. WARDEN HAS A 65% IN 2023 DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT STANDARD. SO IN TERMS OF CAPACITY, YEAH, BECAUSE YEAH, I MEAN, I I, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 95%, WE HAVE A CRITICAL NEED. WE NEED PEOPLE TO GET THROUGH THE CLASS TEST AND PASS TO GET ON THE STREET. I I, I'M CONCERNED THAT I WOULD LIKE MORE TO THE STORE THAN THEY, THEY DON'T HAVE THE CAPACITY. THEY'RE NOT READY TO DO OUR SHARING CONCERN. AND IN THE FUTURE, WE'LL MAKE CERTAIN THAT HOUSTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE IS THE PRIORITY, BUT IF THEY SAY THEY CAN'T DO IT, YOU GOTTA BELIEVE THEM. NOW, OBVIOUSLY, I DON'T, AND YOU AND I DON'T RUN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, AND THIS WAS BROUGHT TO US OBVIOUSLY BY THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION. SO LET'S JUST MAKE IT OUR PRIORITY TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE'RE PREPARED FOR THE REQUEST AND GET HCC AND LONG STAR I KNOW THEY RIGHT. WELL, THEY HAVEN'T ACCEPTED THEM. THAT'S ALL. THAT'S THE FACTS. SO I, I GOT, I DON'T YOU MAKE IT ON THIS ONE. ALL RIGHT. YES MA'AM. I'M GONNA LET YOU MAKE IT MR. MAYOR. ALRIGHT. I'M JUST, NO, IT'S RESPONDING TO THE DEMAND FOR CADETS IN TRAINING. IT OUGHT TO ALSO BE PART OF OUR DISCUSSION THAT IF WE PUT 'EM THROUGH OUR CADET CLASSES, THAT THEY STAY WITH HOUSTON FIRE. I AGREE. THE 31 THAT I SPOKE TO IN APRIL, IF YOU TALK TO 'EM INDIVIDUALLY, THEY WERE ALREADY, NOW THAT WAS BEFORE THE NEW BENEFITS PACKAGE. AND IN FACT, LEMME TELL YOU ANOTHER INTERESTING THING. I HEARD THIS MORNING VERIFY A HUNDRED RETIRED FIREFIGHTERS ARE COMING BACK ON THE SYSTEM. WE'RE WE'RE 590 SHORT. WE'RE PICKING UP A HUNDRED OF THOSE THAT ARE COMING BACK TO WORK BECAUSE OF THE MORALE BENEFIT PACKAGE. AND THEY FEEL LIKE SOMEBODY APPRECIATES 'EM. AND THAT 10% RAISED TOO, IT CERTAINLY MAKES US, I THINK THAT 2% MAKES US COMPETITIVE. THE FISCAL 25. I'M PROUD OF A GOOD MOTIVATION. COME ON BACK. IT'S, IT'S COMPETITIVE WITH FORT WORTH AND THE OTHER SYSTEMS. YEAH. BUT ANYWAY, COME ON BACK. GET OFF TRACK. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CAMAN. COUNCILMAN CAMAN. THANK YOU, UH, MAYOR, IN LIGHT OF WHAT, UH, THE COUNCIL MEMBER RAISED, ARE WE COMMITTING TO DOING A REVIEW FOLLOWING THIS CLASS TO SEE WHAT THE PASS RATES WERE AND WHETHER THIS ADDITIONAL FUNDING WAS WORTH? WE CAN DO AS MUCH DUE DILIGENCE AS TIME ALLOWS GOING FORWARD. I THINK YOU'RE GONNA SEE A VERY EXPERIENCED FIRE CHIEF TACKLE THIS 24 YEARS IN THE DEPARTMENT. PROBABLY MORE FAMILIAR WITH THIS THAN ANYONE WE'VE TALKED TO. BUT THE DEPARTMENT BROUGHT THIS CRITICAL NEED HCC AND LONE STAR SAID THEY COULD NOT HANDLE THE REQUIREMENTS. SO THEY WENT, IF YOU WANT TO ASSUME THEY'RE DEALING IN GOOD FAITH, THEY GO TO WHARTON. BUT WHY DON'T WE ALL AGREE WE'LL FIX THIS PROBLEM, BUT I'M NOT SURE WE GOT TIME TO DO IT TODAY. I, I UNDERSTAND AND I VERY FAMILIAR WITH, AGAIN, THE CAPACITY ISSUES. WE EVEN TRIED TO WORK TO EXPAND CAPACITY WITH COMMERCIAL DRIVER'S LICENSE SURE. TRAINING SO THAT WE COULD HIRE MORE INDIVIDUALS FOR SOLID WASTE AND [04:10:01] PUBLIC WORK. SO I'M VERY FAMILIAR WITH THAT. WE'RE JUST ALSO AS A COUNCIL, ALLOCATING A, YOU KNOW, FIVE, CLOSE TO 5 MILLION ADDITIONAL DOLLARS HERE. SO I'M TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE GONNA GET THAT AFTER ACTION REPORT. I AGREE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NATE. POLLARD. NO. POLLARD, NO. POLLARD. PUT ME ON, I DON'T KNOW. PUT ME ON. NO. POLLARD KNOWS ALL MOTION PASSES. NEXT. NO AND NO, NO, NO. THOMAS IS A NO AS WELL. THOMAS, NO. ITEM 52 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. JACKSON FOR A MOTION. COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, I WOULD LIKE TO REFER THIS ITEM BACK TO, UM, THE ADMINISTRATION. UM, I SUPPORT AFFORDABLE HOUSING. UM, I'M AL I'M WILLING AND READY TO ALWAYS WILLING AND READY TO SUPPORT PROJECTS THAT'S GONNA BRING AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE DISTRICT. HOWEVER, I STILL HAVE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT THIS PROJECT THAT I'M SURE THAT WE CAN TAKE CARE OF WITHIN THE NEXT MONTH OR SO. UM, DO WANNA GET A COMMITMENT, A SOLID COMMITMENT FROM THE DEVELOPER ABOUT THE, UM, 300 HOMES THAT ARE GONNA BE PRICE POINT, HAVE A PRICE POINT OF 180,000. THERE'S NOTHING IN WRITING THAT, THAT THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN. ANYTHING CAN CHANGE ONCE YOU START BUILDING, UM, THE PRICES CAN GO UP. UM, AND FROM TALKING TO THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT, UM, I KNOW THAT THERE'S, THE, THE DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE DOLLARS IS SCARCE. SO MAKING SURE THAT WE DO HAVE MONEY FOR DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE, UM, AS WELL AS THE COMMUNITY HAVE NOT BEEN INVOLVED. UM, FRED WOODS WAS HERE YESTERDAY. THAT WAS HIS FIRST TIME HEARING ABOUT IT. SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE, THE ADJACENT COMMUNITIES KNOW ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING, UM, OVER IN THIS AREA. AND THEN THE BOUNDARIES, YOU KNOW, WE LEARNED THAT THEY'RE PLANNING TO EXPAND IT, EXPAND THE MUD, WHAT'S, ONCE IT'S VOTED ON, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE KNOW WHERE THIS MUD IS GONNA TAKE PLACE. SO, UM, I STILL HAVE THOSE CONCERNS. I KNOW THAT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, GET 'EM ADDRESSED, UM, WITH SOME TIME. AND AGAIN, I'M WILLING TO SUPPORT, UM, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT MY COMMUNITY IS PROTECTED AND THAT THEY'RE GETTING WHAT THIS DEVELOPER COMMITTED TO. THANK YOU. VERY GOOD. MAYOR PROTE, CAST TATUM. THANK, THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON FOR THOSE, UM, CONCERNS. I KNOW YESTERDAY WE HAD THE DEVELOPER AND, UM, SOME CONVERSATIONS, UM, ABOUT THIS. AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT EVERYWHERE WE GO AROUND THE COUNTRY, UM, PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING. UM, AFTER HEARING YOUR CONCERNS YESTERDAY AND HEARING THE CONCERNS, UM, AND WHAT THE, THE DEVELOPER HAD TO SAY, I, I DID HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO TRY TO FIND OUT ABOUT MORE IN CITY MUDS. UM, CURRENTLY THE CITY OF HOUSTON HAS 26 IN CITY MUDS. UM, AND BASED ON OUR CONVERSATION THAT WE HAD IN THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT AND LOOKING FOR TOOLS TO HELP DEVELOPERS TO ACTUALLY PUT AFFORDABLE HOMES ON THE GROUND, I WAS LOOKING FOR, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE REAL OPPOSITION, UM, VERY SENSITIVE TO YOUR CONCERNS. AND I THINK THAT THE DEVELOPERS SHOULD TO THE TIME TO EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY ABOUT, UM, THIS AFFORDABILITY. WHEN YOU TALKED ABOUT POTENTIAL GENTRIFICATION, OF COURSE OUR EARS PERK UP. UM, BUT WHEN YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT THIS LEVEL OF AFFORDABILITY, UM, IN ADDITION, WE'RE DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE AND OFFSETTING THE TAXES WITH THE, WITH THE MUD. UM, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THIS LOCATION, I LOOKED AT THE MAP, IT'S NEAR, I THINK IT'S, UH, SMILEY HIGH SCHOOL. SO THE INFUSION OF THE TAX DOLLARS, UM, FOR THAT COMMUNITY. UH, AND, AND QUITE FRANKLY, THE, I THINK THE NUMBER THROWN OUT YESTERDAY WAS OVER A THOUSAND ADDITIONAL AFFORDABLE HOMES. AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S AFFORDABILITY IS $310,000 AT 120 A MI 225 FOR 80% A MI TO PUT A THOUSAND AFFORDABLE HOMES INSIDE THE CITY OF HOUSTON. I THINK THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE DEVELOPER IS EDUCATING THE COMMUNITY ON HOW THEY BECOME BUYERS OF THESE HOMES, SO THAT THEY CAN REMAIN IN THEIR COMMUNITIES AT THIS LEVEL OF AFFORDABILITY. BECAUSE WHAT GOOD DOES IT DO FOR US TO FIGHT FOR DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE IF PEOPLE DON'T HAVE HOUSES TO BUY? BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, IF YOU LOOK FOR A HOME IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, UNDER $200,000, YOU MAY FIND ONE, AND IT'S PROBABLY SOMEWHERE YOU DON'T WANNA LIVE, AND THE HOUSE THAT YOU DON'T WANNA LIVE IN. AND YESTERDAY WE HEARD THE DEVELOPER COMMIT TO OVER 300 [04:15:01] HOMES UNDER $200,000. AND FROM OUR HOUSING COMMITTEE MEETING, THERE'S THE DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE, AND PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY BEEN APPROVED FOR THIS DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE AND CANNOT FIND A HOME. SO I THINK THAT WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE WORKING ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE TO FIX OUR, OUR HOUSING AFFORDABILITY IN THE CITY. AND THIS MAY BE A GREAT EXAMPLE OF HOW WE ARE UTILIZING OUR DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE AND ALSO HOLDING DEVELOPERS ACCOUNTABLE FOR, FOR PROVIDING THE LEVEL OF HOUSING STOCK THAT WE NEED IN OUR CITY. AND THE MUD IS A TOOL FOR US TO USE TO KEEP THESE HOMES AFFORDABLE. UM, I WILL SUPPORT YOU ON REFERRING THIS BACK BECAUSE I DID HAVE ONE OTHER QUESTION ABOUT HOW COMMUNITY MEMBERS CAN BECOME BOARD MEMBERS ON THOSE MUD DISTRICTS. UM, SO THAT IS ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY FOR RESIDENTS IN THESE COMMUNITIES TO PLAY A PART IN THE DECISION MAKING AND ALSO KEEP, UM, THE AFFORDABILITY, UH, KEEP AN EYE ON THE AFFORDABILITY. SO I, I, I JOIN YOU IN THE, UM, WANTING TO REFER IT BACK, AND I WOULD ASK THE DEVELOPERS TO MAYBE JOIN YOU IN A COMMUNITY MEETING TO EDUCATE, UH, THE COMMUNITY ABOUT THIS. IT'S A, IT'S COMPLEX, IT'S COMPLICATED. UM, BUT WE DO HAVE 26 IN CITY MUDS IN THE CITY. A MATTER OF FACT, UM, UM, ONE NEAR DISTRICT A IS, UH, CITY PARK, UM, IS AN IN CITY MUD. AND WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THOSE 4,000 AFFORDABLE HOMES THAT WERE BUILT, UH, RIGHT IN THE HEART OF THE CITY NEAR THE MEDICAL CENTER NEAR 2 88, UM, IT GIVES WORKING CLASS HOUSTONIANS THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK AND LIVE WHERE IT'S NOT CUMBERSOME FOR THEM TO TRAVEL TO AND FROM WORK. BUT WHEN I LOOKED AT THE PROJECT, I AM, I'M FOR THE PROJECT, AND I THINK TO PUT A THOUSAND HOMES, UM, ON THE GROUND THAT ARE UNDER $325,000 IS A WIN FOR THE CITY. BUT I DEFINITELY AM SENSITIVE TO THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS. UM, I, I THINK THAT THERE IS A DISTRUST, UM, IN SPECIFICALLY AFRICAN AMERICAN AND HISPANIC COMMUNITIES WHEN YOU START TALKING ABOUT POTENTIAL GENTRIFICATION. SO WE NEED TO BE VIGILANT ON MAKING SURE THIS AFFORDABILITY REMAINS A REAL LEVEL OF AFFORDABILITY. SO, I WILL JOIN YOU IN WANTING TO REFER THIS BACK, HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL CONVERSATIONS WITH THE DEVELOPERS, BUT BASED ON THE INFORMATION ABOUT THE USING THE TOOL FOR THE, UM, IN CITY MUD, UH, AND THE DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE AND KEEPING THESE HOMES AFFORDABLE, I SEE THIS AS A WIN FOR OUR HOUSING STOCK IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND, UH, THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. UM, SHE HAS ANNUNCIATED SOME, SOME CONCERNS THAT ARE VALID, I THINK, AND, UH, NEED TO BE CONSIDERED. AND SO I SUPPORT HER MOTION TO REFER BACK. I WILL SAY THIS, HOWEVER, UM, FROM WHAT THE DEVELOPER STATED YESTERDAY IN PUBLIC COMMENT, THIS SOUNDS LIKE A VERY EXCITING PROJECT. AND, UH, I HOPE AS WE HAVE THIS, THIS DISCUSSION ABOUT IT, WE REMAIN REALISTIC ABOUT, UH, WHAT IT NEEDS TO LOOK LIKE AT THE END. BECAUSE IF IT'S NOT ATTRACTIVE TO THE DEVELOPER, IT WON'T GET DONE RIGHT. AND SO THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR HOUSTONIANS TO HAVE 300 MORE SINGLE FAMILY UNITS PRICED UNDER $200,000 IF WHAT HE SAYS IS CORRECT. WE HAVE PRECIOUS FEW PARTS OF THE CITY THAT ARE NOT YET DEVELOPED. THIS IS ONE AREA THAT CAN BE DEVELOPED WHERE WE CAN PUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING. AND SO, UH, WE NEED TO WORK WITH THEM, I THINK, TO, TO, TO, TO MAKE SURE THIS IS A GOOD DEAL FOR THE CITY AND FOR RESIDENTS AND FOR THE DEVELOPER AS WELL. I HOPE WE DO THAT IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS. VERY GOOD. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I, I, I ALSO WANT TO JOIN WITH CONSTABLE JACKSON ON THIS, ON YESTERDAY. IT WAS A DEEP INTEREST. I, I'M FOR THE FACT THAT WE NEED TO RETAIN AS MANY HOUSING, UH, AFFORDABLE HOUSING WITHIN A LOT OF OUR COMMUNITIES DUE TO GENTRIFICATION AND THE FACT THAT, UM, WE, WE HAVE SOMEONE THAT WANTS TO, YOU KNOW, BUILD HOUSES, BUT I HAD AN INTEREST, THAT'S WHY I ASKED THE SIZE OF THE HOUSES AND THE, THE, THE REALITY AS TO WHAT THE SQUARE FOOTAGE OF THESE HOUSES GONNA BE. UH, FIRST OF ALL, IT, WHEN YOU ARE A HOMEOWNER, IT'S A DIFFERENT APPROACH THAN JUST LIVING IN APARTMENTS AND THAT TYPE OF THING. AND WE NEED MORE HOUSES WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY. SO, I, [04:20:01] I, ALONG WITH OTHERS, I WANT TO JOIN WITH COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. AND, UM, WE NEED TO LOOK VERY CLOSELY AT THIS MATTER. VERY GOOD. COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I'M ALWAYS GONNA DEFER TO THE DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER, BUT I, WHAT I WANT US TO UNDERSTAND FROM A PRIVATE SECTOR STANDPOINT, TIME IS MONEY. THESE DEVELOPERS WHO ARE, WHO ARE LAND DEVELOPERS TRYING TO PUT FORTH A PRODUCT OF A THOUSAND HOMES, SINGLE FAMILY HOMES, WE ALWAYS TALKING ABOUT APARTMENTS AND REHABS. THESE ARE SINGLE FAMILY HOMES. AND SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT I'M HEARING, UH, ALTHOUGH SOMEWHAT VALID, I THINK WE NEED TO STAY, TAKE A STEP FORWARD AND UNDERSTAND WHAT ARE WE REALLY LOOKING INTO. IF THE QUESTION IS POSSIBLE, GENTRIFICATION, THESE, THE, THE DEVELOPER SAID THERE WAS 1100 SQUARE FOOT HOMES. THESE AREN'T MANSIONS THAT THEY'RE BUILDING. THESE ARE AT 180,000 TO 300,000. YOU'RE NOT GOING TO CREATE GENTRIFICATION BASED ON THOSE PRICE POINTS. UM, YOU ALSO HAVE TO LOOK AT, THESE ARE NEW BUILDS WITH NEW APPLIANCES, WITH NEW INFRASTRUCTURE. LIKE IF WE'RE GONNA BE SERIOUS ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND TRYING TO INCREASE OUR OWN CAPACITY, THEN WE HAVE TO BE A VERY BUSINESS FRIENDLY COMMUNITY, A VERY BUSINESS FRIENDLY CITY. AND WHEN PRIVATE DEVELOPERS ARE COMING FORWARD WITHOUT A PROGRAM THAT WE'RE OFFERING THEM, THIS ISN'T A CITY PROGRAM. THESE ARE PRIVATE DEVELOPERS WHO FOUND A CREATIVE WAY TO BUILD AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WE HAVE TO FIND WAYS IN WHICH TO CHAMPION THAT, BECAUSE THERE AREN'T MANY PRIVATE DEVELOPERS THAT ARE OUT THERE WILLING TO BUILD AT THESE PRICE POINTS OR BE CREATIVE ENOUGH TO FIND A WAY TO BUILD AT THESE PRICE POINTS. SO, UM, FOR, FOR A COMMUNITY THAT I KNOW, UM, IS THIRSTY FOR, UM, NEW DEVELOPMENT, THIRSTY FOR ATTENTION, THIRSTY FOR PEOPLE TO INVEST IN THEIR COMMUNITY BECAUSE THEY ARE WELL DESERVED OF HAVING THAT, I THINK THIS PROJECT GOES A LONG WAYS TOWARDS SHOWING OUR COMMITMENT AS A CITY, UH, TO ALL COMMUNITIES, THAT EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE, UM, A GOOD PLACE TO CALL HOME, UH, THAT IS NEW, THAT IS MODERN. AND THEN WITH THE MUD, THE CREATION OF THE MUD, THEY'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL THE INFRASTRUCTURE. THEY'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE UTILITIES. THAT THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT THE CITY THEN HAS TO, UH, TAKE THE BURDEN. SO UNDERSTAND YOUR CONCERNS, BUT FROM A PRIVATE SECTOR, PRIVATE DEVELOPER STANDPOINT, WHAT I DON'T WANT IS TO DISCOURAGE THEM FROM COMING TO THE TABLE WITH CREATIVE WAYS IN WHICH TO BUILD SINGLE FAMILY HOMES BY, YOU KNOW, PUTTING A PAUSE ON THESE PROJECTS. SO, UM, I HOPE THIS GOES THROUGH BECAUSE I DO THINK IT WILL BE A BENEFIT TO YOUR DISTRICT AND TO THE CITY AS A WHOLE. THANK YOU, THOMAS. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR THOMAS. UH, THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, AND ON THIS ITEM, I'M GONNA GET BACK IN THE QUEUE AND AMEND, UH, THE MOTION, UH, WITH THE, UM, APPROVAL OF THE, A DISTRICT MEMBER. BUT LET ME JUST SAY, THIS IS A, UM, ENCOURAGING NEWS AROUND DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE. ON MONDAY WHEN WE HAD THE HOUSING COMMITTEE, UH, THE DEPARTMENT SHARED THAT NOW WITH THE IMPROVED RELATIONSHIP WITH THE GLO, UM, THEY'RE IN CONVERSATIONS ON REDIRECTING SOME OF THOSE DOLLARS TO INFUSE, UH, DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE THAT'LL BE MORE SUBSTANTIAL THAN OUR 50,000, RIGHT? SO THAT WE, WE HAVE DONE 30,000, WE'VE INCREASED TO 50,000, BUT AS THE MAYOR PRO TIM SAID, 30,000, 50,000 WON'T MOVE THE NEEDLE. UM, SO I THINK YOU WILL SEE, UM, AT THE SAME TIME HAPPENING, THIS DEVELOPMENT IS HAPPENING. UH, THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT IS WORKING IN ADVANCE TO MAKE SURE THAT HOUSTONIANS HAVE SUBSTANTIAL INVESTMENT SO THAT THEY CAN BUY DOWN THAT 288, WHICH CAN KEEP THEM IN THAT, IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD. SO THAT IS HAPPENING, UM, IN ADDITION TO THE TURS ALLOCATION IN OUR ANNUAL CDBG, WHICH OFTEN IS SUBSCRIBED, UH, FULLY. SO THAT'S ENCOURAGING. SO JUST KNOW THAT THAT IS HAPPENING ON YOUR BEHALF. I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND GET BACK IN THE QUEUE TO AMEND THE MOTION. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND I, OBVIOUSLY, I'M GONNA DEFER TO COUNCILOR JACKSON ON THIS AS WELL, BUT I DO THINK THAT WE ALSO NEED TO EXPLAIN TO THE COMMUNITY THAT WE'VE SPENT SO MUCH MONEY ON THE INFRASTRUCTURE SIDE, DRAINAGE, UM, SEWER ROW FACILITIES. THIS IS NOW MONEY THAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON DOESN'T HAVE TO PUT IN A CIP OR A SWAT PROJECT, OR, YOU KNOW, FIND OTHER RESOURCES FOR THAT. SO I THINK WE JUST HAVE TO EXPLAIN TO THE COMMUNITY HOW THIS BENEFITS THEM AND HOW, UM, THE MONIES THAT WE WOULD NORMALLY SPEND ON THOSE PROJECTS, YOU KNOW, WOULDN'T HAVE TO, COULD GO SOMEWHERE ELSE, UM, INTO AREAS OF NEED. SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SUPPORTING THIS, THIS, THIS PROJECT. VERY GOOD. COUNCILMAN CAYMAN. [04:25:01] THANK YOU, MAYOR, AND I APPRECIATE THE DISCUSSION ON DISCUSSION ON THIS. I DO WANNA SAY, UH, JUST A ONE QUICK ANECDOTE AS IT RELATES TO INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT. UH, IN DISTRICT C, WE HAVE HAD INNER CITY MUDS WHERE THE CITY OF HOUSTON HAS SAID, YOU NEED, YOU SHOULD BE DOING X, Y, Z TO MAKE SURE THAT YOUR WATER PRESSURE, IF YOU'RE BUILDING A TALL TOWN HOME THAT'S THREE OR FOUR STORIES HIGH, HAS THIS TYPE OF EQUIPMENT TO SUSTAIN WATER PRESSURE. YOU SHOULD BE DOING THIS TO MANAGE YOUR WATER QUALITY. YOU SHOULD BE DOING ALL OF THESE THINGS THAT ARE UP TO WHAT THE CITY STANDARD WOULD BE. BUT AGAIN, BECAUSE OF THE WAY THEY'RE BUILDING, THEY'RE NOT INCORPORATING THAT. AND THEN WE ARE HAVING TO COME IN WHEN THAT AREA, THE WATER SYSTEMS HAVE FAILED, AND THEY'RE ASKING THE CITY TO PONY UP, TO PAY TO FIX IT. SO AS WE HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS, AGAIN, I THINK THE FOCUS ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS ABSOLUTELY KEY. BUT WHEN WE'RE ADDING ANOTHER LAYER AND SAYING, OH, YOU KNOW, THIS IS GREAT, BECAUSE IT'S TAKING THE HANDS OFF OF THE CITY, THAT'S NOT ALWAYS WHAT ENDS UP HAPPENING. THAT'S NOT TO REFLECT THE CURRENT DEVELOPER THAT'S BEFORE US, AND THAT'S NOT TO, UH, SAY THAT THEY DON'T HAVE THE BEST OF INTENTIONS AND THAT THIS ISN'T A, A GOOD PROGRAM, BUT THERE'S A LOT MORE LAYERS TO THIS THAN JUST, OH, THIS SOUNDS LIKE A GREAT DEAL. AND IT TAKES ALL OF US DIGGING INTO THAT AND LOOKING INTO THAT HISTORY AND THAT BACKGROUND. ADDITIONALLY, WHEN WE'RE BUILDING INTO THE FLOODPLAIN, THAT IS ANOTHER CRITICAL CONCERN THAT WE SHOULD ALWAYS BE LOOKING AT. HOW MUCH OF A PROPERTY IS BEING REMOVED OUT OF THE FLOODPLAIN AND WHAT MITIGATION IS GOING IN. UH, SO AGAIN, I, I'M JUST SPEAKING FROM A DISTRICT C PERSPECTIVE, UM, AND, AND WE'LL BE SUPPORTING THE COUNCIL MEMBER, BUT, UH, WANTED TO ADD THAT TO THE CONVERSATION THAT THERE ARE CHALLENGES. VERY GOOD COUNCILOR, VICE MAYOR, PRO PECK. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND I'M NOT AGAINST THIS. I THINK IT'S, UM, YOU KNOW, A GOOD WAY TO FUND SOME OF THESE PROJECTS TO GET AFFORDABLE HOUSING, BUT SOMETHING THAT'S HAPPENED IN DISTRICT A WITH THE MOST, PROBABLY THE MOST RECENT IN-CITY MUD THAT WE'VE PASSED, THIS WAS IN 2017. UM, IT WAS 900 HOMES ARE BEING BUILT IN AN IN-CITY MUD. AND THOSE WERE AFFORDABLE HOMES IN THE 200 TO $400,000 RANGE. NOW WE'RE STARTING TO SEE THOSE HOMES GETTING RESOLD ON THE MARKET. AND SO THEY'RE GOING UP NOW FOR SOMETIMES DOUBLE WHAT THE PERSON PAID FOR, WHICH IS FINE, BUT THEY'RE NO LONGER AFFORDABLE BECAUSE WHEN YOU ADD THAT MUD TAX TO IT, WHAT WAS, YOU KNOW, A $300,000 HOME THAT'S NOW SELLING FOR $640,000, WHEN YOU ADD THAT MUD TAX, YOU MIGHT AS WELL JUST GO BUY A $750,000 HOME, BECAUSE THAT TAX BASE IS SO HIGH. SO, JUST WANTED TO, SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO WORK ON AS A BODY. IF WE'RE PASSING THESE MUDS AT THE STATE LEVEL AND THE CITY LEVEL, WE NEED TO FIND WAYS TO REDUCE THAT MUD TAX SO THAT THEY'RE NOT TAXING PEOPLE FAR MORE THAN WHAT THEY ACTUALLY NEED TO DO THOSE SERVICES. BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY'RE LOOKING AT, OH, THIS, THIS HOME IS REALLY CHEAP WHEN YOU ADD UP ALL, YOU KNOW, THE CITY TAXES, COUNTY SCHOOL, AND THEN THAT MUD TAX, WHICH IS ACTUALLY SOMETIMES A HIGHER RATE THAN WHAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS EVEN CHARGING, IT'S ADDING THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO WHAT WAS A REALLY AFFORDABLE HOME. SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT WITH MUDS GOING FORWARD. RAM, AND, AND YOU DIDN'T MENTION THE HOMEOWNER ASSOCIATION . YES. ADD THAT FEE ON TOP. ANYWAY, WELL DONE. RAMIREZ. COUNCILOR RAMIREZ. YES, MAYOR. UH, THANK YOU. UM, SO THE POINT I WANTED TO MAKE WAS THAT IT SEEMS LIKE THIS ITEM CAME THROUGH PLANNING AND NOT HOUSING. WE HAD AN EXTENSIVE HOUSING COMMITTEE MEETING ON, UH, MONDAY. AND, UH, THIS WAS NOT ON THE AGENDA. I THINK IF, UH, IT HAD GONE THROUGH HOUSING OR HAD ROPED IN HOUSING MORE EXTENSIVELY, WE MIGHT HAVE MORE INFORMATION ON IT. AND SOME OF THESE, SOME OF THESE ISSUES MIGHT HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED. SO I'LL NOTE THAT FOR, FOR THE FUTURE. THANK YOU. VERY GOOD. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. THANK YOU. I, UM, I, I DEFER TO COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. UM, THANK YOU. UM, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS, AND THANK YOU, UH, MY COLLEAGUES FOR YOUR COMMENTS. I REALLY APPRECIATE IT. UM, I DO, UM, SUPPORT AFFORDABLE HOUSING AGAIN. UM, BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF QUESTIONS AROUND, UM, ESTABLISHING THE MUD, MUD IN THIS PARTICULAR AREA. UM, AND JUST MAKING SURE THAT THE COMMUNITY IS INVOLVED AND THEY KNOW EXACTLY WHAT'S GOING ON. AND SO, UM, I STILL WANNA REFER BACK TO THE ADMINISTRATION AND, HUH? WHO YOUR WITHDRAW YOUR MOTION TO. SO I WANNA REDO ALL MY MOTION WITHDRAW THOMAS SECONDS. OKAY. AND THEN I'M GONNA PASS IT TO YOU. RIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. UM, I MOVE TO DELAY ITEM 52 FOR TWO WEEKS TO BE PLACED ON THE SEPTEMBER 11TH AGENDA. MEMBERS, YOU'VE HEARD THE MOTION. SECOND. SECOND. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. DELAYED FOR TWO WEEKS. PERFECT. [04:30:01] ALRIGHT, THAT SOUNDS LIKE A COMMITTEE HEARING THIS MORNING. SOUNDS . IT'S THE WAY IT SHOULD BE. NEXT. AND THIS COMPLETES THE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA. WONDERFUL. [NON CONSENT - MATTERS TO BE PRESENTED BY COUNCIL MEMBERS] MEMBERS, COUNCILLOR JACKSON, YOU, YOU FIRST YOU WANT A LITTLE TIME TO NO. UM, YEAH, POP OFF. OKAY. UM, JUST ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO SIGN UP FOR DISTRICT B'S NEWSLETTER. UM, CONTACT OUR OFFICE, 8 3 2 3 9 3 3 0 0 9. UM, EMAIL DISTRICT B@HOUSTONTX.GOV. UM, MAYOR, I DO WANT TO TALK WITH YOU AS I'M TALKING. I JUST THOUGHT ABOUT IT. UM, THE OLD HOMESTEAD, KMART SHOPPING CENTER, I DID HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH, UM, OUR INTERIM DIRECTOR, UM, RANDY, AND HE ASSURED ME, WELL, HE DIDN'T ASSURED ME, HE SAID THAT IT NEEDS TO COME DOWN, UM, IT NEEDS TO BE DEMOLISHED. THERE WAS A DEMOLITION ORDER ON THAT HOMESTEAD SHOPPING CENTER, UM, BACK IN 2011. UM, BUT IT WAS NEVER DEMOLISHED. AND SO SINCE THE STORM, UM, THE RECENT STORM THAT WE HAVE, IT'S LIKE LITERALLY FALLING APART. SO, UM, I JUST THINK AS A CITY, IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO, UM, TEAR THIS BUILDING DOWN BECAUSE IT'S DANGEROUS. UM, IT'S ATTRACTING ILLEGAL DUMPING AND IT'S GETTING WORSE OVER. AND I ENCOURAGE YOU TO GO AND JUST DRIVE OUT THERE AND LOOK. I'M SURE, NO, I SAW IT WHEN I WAS OUT NORTHEAST. YEAH. ON DEBRIS PICKUP. UH, OUR FRIEND MR. WOODS MADE CERTAIN THAT I SAW IT. UH, IT'S BEEN HERE A LONG TIME. YEAH. UH, I'M GOING ON THREE DECADES. AND SO IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT YOU DESTROYING DANGEROUS BUILDINGS, IT WAS ON THE DEMOLISHED PLAN IN 2011. IN 2011, UM, THE DEVELOPER, HE WAS ACTUALLY WORKING ON A DEAL WITH THE AIRPORT. UM, AND THEN, UM, THE PREVIOUS COUNCIL MEMBER TAGGED IT, AND THEY CAME UP WITH AN AGREEMENT THAT HE WOULD TEAR THIS BUILDING DOWN. UM, BUT IT NEVER HAPPENED. AND SO I'M ENCOURAGING YOU. PLEASE, LET'S DEMOLISH IT. WE'LL GET AFTER IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT, UH, HUFFMAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, DISTRICT G, WE HAD A VERY SUCCESSFUL RESIDENT RESOURCE FAIR LAST WEEKEND. WE HAD 43 DIFFERENT TABLES, REPRESENTATIVES FROM DIFFERENT CITY DEPARTMENTS, UM, STATE AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. IT WAS BIGGER AND BETTER THAN IT WAS LAST YEAR, AND WE'RE JUST GONNA KIND OF KEEP BUILDING ON THAT. SO THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY WHO PARTICIPATED. UM, ON ANOTHER NOTE, THERE WAS, UH, A TRAGEDY THAT HAPPENED IN DISTRICT G OVER THE WEEKEND. A 7-YEAR-OLD GIRL DROWNED AT A POOL WHERE THERE WERE TWO LIFEGUARDS PRESENT. UM, LOTS OF ADULTS PRESENT, AND I JUST WANTED, YOU KNOW, MY HEART GOES OUTTA THE FAMILY, BUT ALSO JUST TO REMIND PEOPLE THAT USUALLY DROWNING REALLY IS A SILENT THING, AND PEOPLE CAN BE AROUND AND BE IN THE AREA AND STILL NOT NECESSARILY NOTICE. SO, UM, AS SUMMER WINDS DOWN, UM, WE JUST NEED TO KEEP THAT IN MIND AND, AND BE CAREFUL. WELL SAID. UH, NEXT. COUNCILOR RAMIREZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I JUST WANT TO NOTE THAT WE'VE HAD A LOT OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT NOISE THROUGHOUT THE CITY IN MANY NEIGHBORHOODS, AND I'VE TAKEN A LOOK AT OUR NOISE ORDINANCE, AND I, I DON'T THINK IT'S AN EFFECTIVE TOOL FOR ENFORCEMENT AND ADDRESSING THE ISSUES THROUGHOUT THE CITY, NOT JUST ALONG WASHINGTON AVENUE AND RIVERSIDE TERRACE AND MANY OTHER PLACES. AND SO, UM, I WANNA LOOK AT REVISING THAT ORDINANCE TO MAKE IT A MORE EFFECTIVE TOOL FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT SO THAT WE CAN GET SOME, UM, SOME HELP TO OUR RESIDENTS. SO, I'LL BE VISITING WITH THE ADMINISTRATION ABOUT THAT IN THE NEAR FUTURE. MAYOR, I SHARE YOUR CONCERN, CERTAINLY, UH, AT MY HOUSE LAST FRIDAY NIGHT AT 11 O'CLOCK, IT WAS PRETTY REGULARLY VIOLATED. AND, UH, THEY WERE ABOUT TO GET CITED AND, UH, ASSISTED IN, IN RELOCATION, AND THEY LOWERED IT. BUT, UH, QUITE FRANKLY, THE STANDARDS PRETTY LOW. YOU CAN BE MAKING A LOT OF NOISE AND STILL BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH ORDINANCE. SO OBVIOUSLY WE NEED TO REVISIT THAT. BUT, UH, I GUESS I BROUGHT UP THE PROTESTORS. IT'S AN AMAZING TO ME THAT THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY CAN RESTRAIN THE PROTESTORS FROM THE CONVENTION SITE, BUT A RESIDENTIAL AREA CAN'T. BUT ANYWAY, ANOTHER DISCUSSION FOR ANOTHER DAY. UH, COUNCILMAN THOMAS. I DON'T HAVE NOTHING TO SAY. COUNT. COUNT YOURSELF. LUCKY, MR. MAYOR. NO, I DON'T HAVE NOTHING TO SAY THAT. I'M GOOD. I PASSED. LOOK THAT SMILE ON YOUR FACE. YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. . TAKE THAT RIDE. I, I COULD GIVE YOU SOMETHING. YOU TALK ABOUT THE BALLGAME SATURDAY NIGHT. OH, WHAT, WHAT LATER? PRAIRIEVIEW T SSU, RIGHT? YOU WANNA COME ON LATER DAY CLASS? YOU WANNA COME? YOU I'M DOING MY BEST, BUT COME. YOU NEED TO REMIND US. COME HERE. ALRIGHT. VERY GOOD. COME HANG WITH US. I DON'T WANT, I DON'T WANT TO, I DON'T WANNA SPEAK FOR YOU, BUT IF I WAS YOU, I WOULD'VE MENTIONED IT. . THANK YOU. UHHUH. MAYOR PROTE, CASTEX. TATU. THANK [04:35:01] YOU, MAYOR. I'M GOING TO THE LABOR DAY CLASSICS. UH, DO WANNA THANK MY COLLEAGUES FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF THE NLC NOMINATION. THIS TODAY, UM, FOR TRANSPORTATION, INFRAS, UH, COMMITTEE CHAIR, UM, FOR, UH, NLC. UM, I WILL BE, UM, APPLYING FOR THAT AGAIN. UM, SO THANK YOU FOR THE SUPPORT OF THE RESOLUTION. AND THEN ALSO WANT TO THANK THE, UM, COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR ATTENDING THE HELPING HANDS, UH, PROGRAM, UH, PRESS CONFERENCE THAT WE HAD WITH KROGER AND UNION PACIFIC. UM, I HOPE THAT YOU HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GET THOSE, UM, GIFT CARDS OUT TO THE RESIDENTS IN YOUR COMMUNITIES. WE'VE HAD SOME, UM, REALLY, UM, GOOD, UM, MEETINGS WITH CONSTITUENTS WHO ARE, ARE VERY GRATEFUL FOR THAT LITTLE, UH, BOOST AND HAND UP. UM, AFTER, UH, HURRICANE BARRELL, UM, THURSDAY, WE HAVE A MEET THE CHIEF EVENT SCHEDULED, UM, IN DISTRICT K, UH, WE WILL HAVE A COMMUNITY MEETING WITH THE NEW POLICE CHIEF. IT WILL BE HELD AT 6:30 PM AT THE FOUNTAIN LIFE CENTER. WE'VE ALREADY HAD OVER 250 RESIDENTS TO RSVP. HOPE THAT, UM, WE HAVE MORE, WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO A, A ROBUST DISCUSSION WITH THE NEW CHIEF AND INTRODUCING HIM TO THE RESIDENTS IN OUR COMMUNITY. UM, ALSO WANT TO GIVE A BIG THANK YOU TO FEMA AND THE SBA. YESTERDAY AT OUR PIP MEETING, UH, THEY WERE THERE EXPLAINING, UM, WHY RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN DENIED ON THEIR APPLICATIONS, AND HELPING THEM TO GO BACK IN WITH THOSE APPEALS, UM, AND REALLY HELPING THEM TO BE PREPARED FOR, UH, THE NEXT EVENT, UH, AND GIVING THEM THE INFORMATION THAT THEY NEED FOR DISASTER RECOVERY. AND TO REMIND RESIDENTS THAT WE DO HAVE EIGHT DISASTER RECOVERY CENTERS IN HARRIS COUNTY. UM, IF THEY WERE UNABLE TO COME TO THE PIP MEETING, UM, THERE ARE EIGHT OTHER DISASTER RECOVERY CENTERS THAT THEY CAN GO TO IF THEY HAVE QUESTIONS OR NEED HELP WITH THEIR APPLICATIONS OR THEIR APPEALS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. AND THEN WANT TO JUST WISH EVERYONE A HAPPY LABOR DAY. UM, BE SAFE AND BE KIND TO EACH OTHER. THANK YOU, MA'AM. UM, VICE MAYOR PROM PECK. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, FIRST I WANNA THANK YOU FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE IN HAVING RANDY TALK TO OUR CONSTITUENTS YESTERDAY AT PUBLIC SESSION. UM, HE WAS GREAT, UM, AND IS WORKING ON A PLAN. THEY ASKED HIM WHEN THEY SHOULD FOLLOW UP WITH HIM, AND THEY SAID, IS TWO WEEKS OKAY? AND HE SAID, NO, NO, NO. WE'RE GONNA HAVE, UM, A PLAN IN PLACE BY FRIDAY. SO, UM, THEY WERE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT. SO, THANK YOU, MAYOR, AND THANK YOU, RANDY. UM, WE ARE STILL GETTING REPORTS FOLLOWING THE HURRICANE OF TRAFFIC SIGNS THAT ARE EITHER MISSING OR TURN THE WRONG WAY. SO I JUST WANTED TO ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO PLEASE CONTINUE TO CALL THAT INTO THREE ONE ONE. I KNOW PUBLIC WORKS HAS BEEN DOING A GREAT JOB PRIORITIZING THAT, BUT, UM, WE'VE, WE'RE STILL GETTING THOSE CALLS TO MY OFFICE, SO PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU LET US KNOW IF YOU SEE SOMETHING LIKE THAT. AND THEN FINALLY, UM, I WANTED TO THANK THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS FOR THEIR QUICK FOLLOW UP WITH, UM, AN ISSUE WE'RE HAVING AT A HOUSE ON HOLLISTER. UM, IT LOOKS LIKE IT WAS A HOUSE THAT STARTED TO GO THROUGH MAYBE A REBUILD PROCESS, AND THEN KIND OF PAUSED, AND THERE WERE ALL KINDS OF ISSUES GOING ON AT THAT HOUSE, BUT THEY WERE ABLE TO GET ON THAT VERY QUICKLY AND WANTED TO THANK THEM FOR THAT WORK. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, FIRST I JUST WANNA ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO TUNE IN SEPTEMBER 2ND AND THIRD FOR THE PREMIER OF THE CHICANO SQUAD, UH, DOCUMENTARY. IT'S ON A AND E. IT'S AT 8:00 PM UH, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, UH, WE CELEBRATED 45 YEARS, UM, THIS PAST WEEK. AND IT'S A, IT'S A GREAT STORY AND IT'LL REALLY BRING SOME, UH, EDUCATION AS TO, UM, WHAT, WHAT THOSE INDIVIDUALS WENT THROUGH. BUT THEN JUST REALLY WHAT HOUSTON HAS BEEN GOING THROUGH OVER THE LAST 45 YEARS WHEN IT COMES TO LAW ENFORCEMENT AND HPD AND COMMUNITY RELATIONS AS WELL. UM, I WAS HAPPY TO JOIN NEW HOPE HOUSING, UH, AT A, UH, HARD HAT TOUR AT, AT OUR SENIOR HOUSING DEVELOPMENT THAT WILL BE OPENING UP ON ENNI OCTOBER 25TH. UH, WE'LL CONTINUE TO REMIND, UH, RESIDENTS THAT APPLICATION PROCESS OPENS UP FOUR MONTHS PRIOR TO, SO NEXT SUMMER, WE'RE LOOKING TO, UH, MAKE SURE THAT FOLKS ARE, ARE INFORMED AND READY TO, UH, MOVE INTO, UH, A NEW SENIOR HOUSING DEVELOPMENT THAT'S GREAT IN THE EAST DOWNTOWN AREA. UM, AND THEN LASTLY, MAYOR, UM, I SHARED A, A MAP WITH YOU. UM, WE WANT, I REALLY WANNA SEE SALT WHITES COME IN, UM, AND DO A MARRIAGE REPORT, UH, SPECIFICALLY POST BARREL. UM, WHAT YOU'LL SEE IS ALL THE YELLOW AREAS, WHICH IS, HAS NOT BEEN PICKED UP. THE FIRST PASS HAS NOT BEEN PICKED UP. AUGUST 31ST IS THE DEADLINE FOR THE FIRST PASS. I DON'T THINK IT'S GONNA HAPPEN. SO LAST NIGHT I WAS AT CIVIC CLUB MEETINGS WHERE, UM, TREE DEBRIS HAS NOT BEEN PICKED UP. AND JUST TELLING THEM, JUST POINT BLANK BEING TRANSPARENT AND HONEST, IT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN. UM, SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO, UH, SHARE SOME REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS. THE PACKET BEHIND YOU IS ESSENTIALLY 7 7 0 2 3 11, 12, UM, [04:40:01] EIGHT, SEVEN. UM, THOSE, THOSE, UH, COMMUNITIES IN THE EAST END HAVE NOT SEEN A FIRST PASS, AND SOME OF 'EM HAVE NOT SEEN THE PAST FROM POST DICHO AS WELL. AND SO, UH, OUR PHONES, OUR PHONES ARE RINGING. UM, AND I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE, I KNOW SOLID WASTE IS WORKING EXTREMELY HAR HARD AT THE DEPARTMENT, BUT WE ALSO HAVE CONTRACTORS. UM, I KNOW WE, YOU KNOW, TOOK SOME TIME TO SET UP SOME OF THE, THE, THE DIS OR THE LOCATIONS WERE THESE TREE DEBRIS WERE GONNA BE SET UP, UH, OR DELIVER OR DROPPED OFF AT. UM, AND SO I, I REALLY WANNA MAKE SURE WE CAN DIG INTO SOLID WASTE, UH, DEPARTMENT A BIT MORE TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE FINDING EFFICIENCIES, UM, BUT ALSO, AGAIN, GIVING THE RESIDENTS REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS. SO THERE'S BEEN FOLKS THAT HAVE TREE DEBRIS FOR OVER A MONTH AND A HALF GOING ON TWO MONTHS. VERY GOOD. COUNCILMAN P*****K. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, A FEW MONTHS AGO I SHARED SOME STATS REGARDING, UH, PROSTITUTION RELATED OFFENSES IN DISTRICT J, UH, PRIMARILY ON BINET BETWEEN US 59 AND BELTWAY EIGHT. AS WE KNOW, THAT'S BEEN A VERY CHALLENGING AREA OVER THE PAST SEVERAL DECADES WHEN IT COMES TO PROSTITUTION RELATED OFFENSES AND CRIME. AND SO MY OFFICE IN CONJUNCTION WITH HPD WEST SIDE COMMISSIONER BRIANIS, OUR MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS HAVE REALLY PUT A STRONG EMPHASIS ON MAKING THAT A HIGH PRIORITY AREA FOR US TO ALLEVIATE, UH, THOSE TYPES OF BEHAVIORS AND CRIMES THAT HAVE OCCURRED, UH, FOR YEARS. UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID THAT HAS BEEN MOST EFFECTIVE HAS BEEN CLOSING OFF SOME OF THE SIDE STREETS, UH, WHERE INDIVIDUALS WOULD GO DOWN THOSE STREETS TO EITHER DO SEX BUYS OR DRUG SALES. UM, AND SO A FEW MONTHS AGO, I GAVE YOU THE FIRST QUARTER STATS, UH, JUST GOT THE, THE, UH, SIX MONTH STATS FROM HPD WHEN IT COMES TO HUMAN TRAFFICKING. UH, IN DISTRICT J IS DOWN 71% FROM 14 OFFENSES TO FOUR, UH, PROSTITUTION CRIMES, DOWN 80% FROM 146 TO 30. AND PURCHASING PROSTITUTION IS DOWN 98%, 178 TO FOUR. SO IF YOU GO DOWN THIS AND THAT, NOW, IT'S A COMPLETELY TRANSFORMED STREET. UM, AND I WANT TO GIVE A HUGE SHOUT OUT TO EVERYONE WHO'S INVOLVED, UM, THAT HAS MADE THAT HAPPEN, THAT HAS BEEN ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS AND, UH, INTERNATIONALLY KNOWN STREETS. UH, AND WE WANT TO DO ALL THAT WE CAN TO SHAPE THAT REPUTATION IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. AND SO I'LL CONTINUE TO BE ABLE TO BRING FORWARD THESE STATS. MAYOR, I WANT TO, UH, THANK YOU YOUR ADMINISTRATION FOR CONTINUING TO WORK WITH MY OFFICE ON PROVIDING RESOURCES, UH, TO THAT STRETCH AT FIRST, IT STARTED WITH THE ONE SAFE HOUSTON PROGRAM UNDER MAYOR TURNER. AND NOW THE, AND NOW UNDER YOUR ADMINISTRATION CONTINUING TO MAKE BINET A, UH, PRIORITY IS SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN TRANSFORMATIVE FOR DISTRICT J. SO THESE, THESE STATS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES, BUT YOUR EYES WILL ALSO SEE IT IF YOU RIDE DOWN THAT STRETCH AS WELL. UM, I WANT TO GIVE A HUGE SHOUT OUT TO MY OFFICE SPECIFICALLY, UH, KENNEDY AND, UH, DAVID FOR THEIR WORK ON THE FREE DIAPER DISTRIBUTION WE HAD IN DISTRICT J THIS PAST WEEKEND. WE WERE AT THE INDIA HOUSE WHERE WE PROVIDED THOUSANDS OF DIAPERS TO FAMILIES IN NEED. UM, THANK YOU TO HEB KROGER CONNECT COMMUNITY, THE TEXAS DIAPER BANK AND UNION PACIFIC. WE DID PASS OUT SOME OF THOSE CARS, MAYOR PRO TEM, UH, TO FAMILIES IN NEED AS WELL. UH, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO HAVE THESE DIAPER DISTRIBUTIONS BECAUSE THEY, THEY'VE ALWAYS BEEN A HUGE SUCCESS FOR US. AND LASTLY, OUR GOOD NEIGHBOR PROGRAM HAS KICKED OFF IN DISTRICT J, UH, WHERE WE USE OUR COUNCIL DISTRICT SERVICE FUNDS TO DO MINOR EXTERIOR HOME REPAIRS FOR EITHER SENIORS, DISA, DISABLED, OR VETERANS. AND SO, WHEN WE IDENTIFY A HOME WITHIN DISTRICT J THAT NEEDS SOME HELP, OR ONE OF THE HOAS OR CIVIC CLUBS REACHES OUT TO US, UH, WE GO AND WE DO THOSE EXTERIOR HOME REPAIRS FOR, FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS. WE'VE DONE TWO HOMES, UH, THUS FAR FOR THOSE IN DISTRICT J WHO ARE INTERESTED IN THAT PROGRAM. UH, YOU COULD REACH OUT TO OUR OFFICE AT DISTRICT J@HOUSTONTX.GOV. AND, UM, WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO, UH, REALLY HIGHLIGHT THAT PROGRAM BECAUSE WE THINK WE CAN GET A LOT OF BANG FOR OUR BUCK ON THAT. UM, AND TO EVERYONE, HAVE A GREAT REST OF YOUR WEEK. GOD BLESS YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN CARTER. THANK YOU. JUST WANNA HIGHLIGHT THAT WE'LL BE AT THE ACRES HOMES COMMUNITY CENTER THIS FRIDAY, UM, AT 8:00 AM WITH OUR UNITY IN THE COMMUNITY. UH, HPD WILL BE THERE TO TALK ABOUT PERSONAL SAFETY. ADDITIONALLY, ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER WITH THE PARKS DEPARTMENT ON THEIR NEXT CLEANUP PARKS CLEANUP ON SEPTEMBER 28TH, UM, A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, THEY HOSTED ONE, AND WE WERE IN B [04:45:01] AND CLEANING UP A PARK. IT'S ACTUALLY QUITE FUN TO SEE THE BEFORE AND AFTER, SO ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO, TO SHARE THAT IN THEIR DISTRICT, BUT ALSO TO, TO PARTICIPATE. HAVE A GREAT DAY. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN EVAN SHABAZZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, THIS WEEK, UH, WE GATHERED AT THE CUNY HOMES FOR A SPECIAL MURAL DEDICATION AS PART OF THE END, THE EXCEPTIONS HOUSTON CAMPAIGN. FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT MAY NOT BE FAMILIAR, THE 13TH AMENDMENT TO THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION STILL INCLUDES AN EXCEPTION CLAUSE THAT ALLOWS THE GOVERNMENT TO FORCE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN CONVICTED OF A CRIME TO PERFORM LABOR. IT'S THE DIFFERENCE IN SLAVERY AND INCARCERATION. LEGAL INCARCERATION. THE EXCEPTION STATES THAT NEITHER SLAVERY NOR INVOLUNTARY SERVITUDE SHALL EXIST IN THE UNITED STATES, EXCEPT AS PUNISHMENT FOR A CRIME. THIS MURAL IS BEAUTIFUL. IT IS DESIGNED BY THE TALENTED ARMANDO COSTAN AND PAINTED BY BLACK CASSIDY. IT FEATURES CUNY HOME RESIDENCE EDRICK EARL RHODES II OF STUDENT AT THE JACK GATES HIGH SCHOOL. IT IS THE POWERFUL SYMBOL OF OUR COMMUNITY'S ONGOING STRUGGLE AGAINST THE, AGAINST THE EXCEPTION CLAUSE IN THE 13TH AMENDMENT. I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO JUST GOOGLE 13TH AMENDMENT EXCEPTION TO GET MORE OF AN IDEA OF THIS, OF THIS HISTORY. THIS ARTWORK NOT ONLY BEAUTIFIES OUR SPACE, BUT ALSO SERVES AS APPOINTMENT REMINDER OF THE WORK THAT STILL NEEDS TO BE DONE IN THE FIGHT FOR JUSTICE AND EQUALITY. AND I EXTEND MY HEARTFELT THANKS TO EVERYONE INVOLVED IN THIS PROJECT FOR THE HER HARD WORK AND DEDICATION. I ALSO WANNA, UM, GIVE MY CONDOLENCES TO ANDREA RODRIGUEZ, UH, AVI YES, FAMILY. UH, CERTAINLY SHE, UH, RICE UNIVERSITY IS IN DISTRICT C, BUT YOU KNOW, I DO HAVE A LOT OF UNIVERSITIES IN, UH, THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION AND JUST WANT TO LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT THERE IS SUPPORT AND RESOURCES. IF YOU ARE IN A TOXIC RELATIONSHIP, PLEASE GO OUT AND SEEK HELP AND RESOURCES. THERE IS A WAY TO NAVIGATE OUT OF THOSE TERRIBLE SITUATIONS. PEOPLE'S EMOTIONS RUN HIGH. AND THEN IN THIS INSTANCE, IT WAS A MURDER SUICIDE, AND IT HAS CERTAINLY HAPPENED, UH, AT ON OTHER CAMPUSES AND CERTAINLY OUTSIDE OF THE ACADEMIC WORLD. AND SO, CERTAINLY WE WANT PEOPLE TO STAY SAFE AND LEARN HOW TO NAVIGATE INTO SAFER RELATIONSHIPS. AND I WANNA CAUTION EVERYONE TO JUST BE SAFE. YOU KNOW, THERE'S SO MUCH GOING ON AND, YOU KNOW, AROUND THE UNIVERSITIES, YOU HAVE NEW STUDENTS, PEOPLE WHO ARE, WHO ARE NOT ACCLIMATED TO THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE COMMUNITY. WE WANT THEM TO STAY SAFE, STAY IN GROUPS. DON'T JUST THINK THAT YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE FREE NOW AND YOU CAN JUST WALK AROUND. YOUR PARENTS AREN'T THERE, BUT THERE IS DANGER THAT IS LURKING. AND SO JUST WANT THEM TO BE CAUTIOUS. AND ALSO TO GET INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION, PLEASE SIGN UP FOR THE NEWSLETTER AT, UM, DISTRICT D AT, UH, HOUSTON TX.GOV. EVERYONE HAVE A WONDERFUL BREAK NEXT WEEK, IF YOU EVER GET ONE. ACTUALLY, NOBODY EVER REALLY GETS A REAL BREAK FROM THIS. THIS IS THE 25 8 JOB, WHICH I'M JUST EXPLAINING. I'M NOT COMPLAINING, AND I'M VERY HONORED TO SERVE THAT CAPACITY. THANK YOU. DON'T EXPLAIN COUNCIL CASTILLO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I WANT TO REMIND, UH, DISTRICT H RESIDENTS TONIGHT WE HAVE OUR SECOND DISASTER PREPAREDNESS RECOVERY WORKSHOP, UH, AT HTX ART IN THE HEART ON JENSEN DRIVE, 6:30 PM WE WILL HAVE REPRESENTATIVES FROM FEMA AND THE SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION THERE TO ASSIST FOLKS, UH, WITH THEIR RECOVERY AND HELP THEM PREPARE FOR ANY FUTURE DISASTERS. I ALSO WANTED TO, UH, THANK DIRECTOR NICHOLS. I RECENTLY HAD A MEETING WITH HIM, UM, DISCUSSING SOME ISSUES WE'RE HAVING WITH, UH, HOMELESSNESS AT OUR CITY PARKS, YOU KNOW, SPECIFICALLY MOODY AND, UH, RECENTLY MONTY BEACH. AND SO WE'RE UTILIZING, UM, ALL THE TOOLS THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO US. UH, MY DISTRICT H PATROL PROGRAM, UH, WE'RE GONNA BE MEETING WITH PARK RANGERS AND THE PARKS DEPARTMENT TO, TO SEE HOW THEY CAN HELP. UM, AND I UNDERSTAND HE'S WORKING ON, ON AN INITIATIVE AROUND HOMELESSNESS THAT'S, UH, COMING TOGETHER. AND SO I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING, UH, WHAT COMES FROM THAT, BECAUSE WE NEED MORE HELP. UM, WE'VE HAD FAMILIES HARASSED, WE'VE HAD CHILDREN HARASSED AT OUR PARKS, OPEN FLAMES ON OUR, OUR BASKETBALL COURTS. AND, UH, WE JUST GOTTA DO BETTER THAN THAT. AND, UM, I LOOK FORWARD TO, TO CONTINUING TO WORK WITH HIM TO ADDRESS, UM, A QUALITY OF LIFE AND A, AND A SAFETY ISSUE. UM, THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. COUNCILMAN DAVIS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, EVERYONE, WE ARE CERTAINLY GRATEFUL TO ALL OF THOSE WHO HELP US IN SUPPORT OF OUR TOWN HALL. WE HAVE OUR THIRD [04:50:01] ONE THAT'S COMING UP IN THE MONTH OF OCTOBER. WE TRY TO PLAN AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE, AND I CERTAINLY WAS GREETED WONDERFULLY IN A LEAF IN THAT AREA. WE JUST CHOSE THAT AREA. WE'D BE MOVING SOUTH TO THE, UM, WE WILL BE AT THE LIFE CENTER, THE FOUNTAIN LIFE CENTER IN DISTRICT A, WHICH WE HOPEFULLY INCLUDE ALL OF THE DISTRICTS AROUND. WE JUST TRYING TO HELP AND SUPPORT OUR DISTRICTS, OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS FROM AT LARGE TOWN HALL MEETINGS. AND WE'VE BEEN PRETTY GOOD AND SUCCESSFUL IN GETTING AS MANY PEOPLE OUT AS WE CAN. I LIKE TO MAKE AN APPEAL, MAYOR, AND SUGGESTION, UH, I WILL BE WITH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, MAYOR PRO TEM TATUM AND HER MEET THE CHIEF. I'VE ALSO HAD A MEETING THAT I'VE REQUESTED WITH CHIEF DIAZ. AS YOU KNOW, UH, CRIME HAS BEEN MY BIGGEST CONCERN AS A, UH, NATIVE BORN ESTONIAN. AND I NEVER LIKED IT OVER THE PAST 20, 10, 15, 20 YEARS, BUT MOSTLY NOW. AND I WANT TO COMMEND, UH, YOU, IN TERMS OF THIS ELECTION THAT YOU'VE CHOSE TO BE THE, UH, TOP COP, YOU KNOW, POLICE CHIEF OF OUR CITY. BUT I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE AN APPEAL THAT WE HEAR FROM OUR CHIEF AND OR ONE OF HIS ASSISTANTS AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH, ON WHERE THE CRIME PLACES ARE GIVING EVERY DISTRICT COUNCIL PERSON. YOU KNOW, I MADE THIS SUGGESTION THAT I THINK WHEN WE HEAR FROM THE CONTROLLER, WE HEAR FROM DIRECTOR FINANCE, WE OUGHT TO HEAR FROM OUR POLICE CHIEF IN TERMS OF THAT, THAT WAY EVERY DISTRICT COUNCIL PERSON HAS AN IDEA WHAT'S GOING ON IN HIS OR HER DISTRICT AS IT RELATES TO CRIME. AND THAT WAY WE CAN GET A UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL VIEW OF WHAT'S HAPPENING SO THAT WE CAN RESPECT OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT. UH, LAST POINT, UH, AS I HAD TALKED WITH YOUR ADMINISTRATION OFFICE BEFORE ABOUT A PLAN CALLED PPP, WHICH I'M, I'M SPEAKING OF THAT IN TERMS OF POLICE PASTORS AND PEOPLE, WE HAVE TO BRIDGE THOSE THINGS TOGETHER. IF WE WANT TO SEE OUR CITY GET IN A BETTER DIRECTION AS IT RELATES TO CRIME, THERE HAS TO BE A COLLABORATION OF OUR COMMUNITY TO HELP REDUCE CRIME IN OUR CITY. THANK YOU. WELL SAID. AND WE ALL KNOW CRIME DOES NOT RECOGNIZE BOUNDARY LINES. YES. IN FACT, WE APPLAUD COUNCILMAN POLLARD FOR DOING SUCH A FINE JOB ON MISSING THAT. YES. BUT I WOULD SUGGEST MOST OF THOSE ACTORS HAVE PROBABLY MOVED TO OTHER DISTRICTS. UH, SO IT NEEDS TO BE A CITYWIDE EFFORT. UH, ABOUT THE TIME THE PRESSURE CAME ON BINET, WE NOTICED ON THE NORTH SIDE 45 AND AIRLINE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON, AND, AND, UM, I GUESS THAT'S GONNA BE MARKED NECESSARY. IT CERTAINLY, UM, CERTAINLY INCREASED. SO YEAH, WE, WE APPLAUD ADDRESSING THESE HOTSPOTS, BUT QUITE FRANKLY, IT'S A CITYWIDE ISSUE THAT WE NEED TO COLLABORATE ON, AND IT'S A EXCELLENT IDEA TO GET A REPORT FROM THE CHIEF, UH, OR CERTAINLY HIS REPRESENTATIVE. YEAH, I, I MEAN THAT JUST, AND I, AND I APPLAUD THE, THE MAYOR PROTE BEING SO PROACTIVE NOW. YEAH. HAVING THE CHIEF IN HER DISTRICT TOMORROW EVENING, THAT THAT'S JUST HOW WE'RE GONNA SOLVE THIS PROBLEM IS MAKING IT ALL OF OUR PROBLEMS. YES. AND I WAS THERE WHEN, WHEN COUNCILMAN POLLARD, UH, KICKS OFF HIS ANNUAL CRIME, UH, MARCH IN, UH, HIS COMMUNITY, I WAS THERE WITH HIM. AND I THINK IT'S A VERY, HE'S DONE A, A TREMENDOUSLY GOOD JOB IN, IN ATTACKING IT. BUT AS YOU SAY, IT'S A CITYWIDE ISSUE. MM-HMM . AND I THINK ALL OF OUR AREAS, BECAUSE CRIMINALS, THEY ALWAYS TRY TO FIND DIFFERENT SPOTS TO DO WHATEVER THEY CAN'T DO IN ONE AREA, THEY'LL MOVE TO ANOTHER ONE, YOU KNOW? SO I APPRECIATE YOUR IDEA ABOUT THE PASTORS BEING INVOLVED. ANY STAKEHOLDERS, OUR PASTORS, OTHER, UH, CONCERNED INDIVIDUALS THAT COULD ASSIST US IN HELPING THESE, UH, TRAFFIC VICTIMS? YES. MOST OF THE PROSTITUTES WOULD BE, UH, CRIME, UH, TRAFFIC VICTIMS, HELP THEM GET AWAY FROM THEIR PIMP AND OTHER PEOPLE THAT ARE PREYING UPON THEM, AND CERTAINLY THE USERS, THE CUSTOMERS. YEAH. AND THAT, AND THAT'S, AND JUST THE LAST POINT, I'LL BE DONE, BUT THAT'S WHY WE PUT TOGETHER THE MINISTRY ADVISORY BOARD. SURE. I PUT THAT TOGETHER. YOU WILL BE HEARING FROM US ABOUT THAT. SURE. IT'S A COLLABORATION OF ALL PASTORS, OF ALL FAITHS, OF ALL ETHNICITIES. AND I'M EXCITED ABOUT THAT. AND, UH, WE SAID COUNCIL WILL BE HEARING FROM ALL OF THEM. THANK YOU. SOUNDS GOOD. AND CERTAINLY DIVERSIFIED OR BROADEN IT TO INCLUDE ALL OF OUR FAITHS. ABSOLUTELY. RABBIS, RABBIS, AB EYES, IT DOESN'T MATTER. YOU'RE ON TO SOMETHING. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR. FLICKING. [04:55:01] IF Y'ALL NEED SOME HELP OF ME RUNNING THE WHOLE CITY, JUST LET ME KNOW. I GOT YOU, SIR. IF YOU NEED ME HELP FOR THE REST OF THE CITY OUTSIDE OF DISTRICT J, JUST LET ME KNOW. OH, WE KNOW IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, RIGHT. , ALL I CAN SAY IS GOOD LUCK. COUNCILMAN FLICKER. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, SLOAN SWEENEY RECENTLY JOINED OUR TEAM AS A SOUTH SECTOR MANAGER DOWN IN THE CLEAR LAKE AREA. AND, UH, SHE ACTUALLY CAME FROM THE CHAMBER DOWN THERE. IT'S HER BIRTHDAY TODAY, SO WANTED TO WISH HER A HAPPY BIRTHDAY. UH, ALSO LAST SATURDAY, THE, UH, GREATER HOUSTON PORT BUREAU ANNUAL MARITIME HELD THEIR DINNER. AND, UH, I WAS ABLE TO ATTEND THAT. UH, THEY HONORED, UH, JURGEN SCHROEDER, WHO, UH, APPARENTLY HAD BEEN OUT THERE FOREVER, AND THEY THOUGHT, TO LARGE EXTENT WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SUCCESS OF THE PORT. UH, REALLY WANTED TO TRY AND CALL SOME ATTENTION TO THE, THE PILOTS ASSOCIATION. THEY HAVE GOT SOME FANTASTIC BLUE COLLAR JOBS OUT THERE. UM, PEOPLE GETTING OUTTA HIGH SCHOOL. SOME OF THE HIGH SCHOOLS HAVE PROGRAMS FOR THE MARITIME. SAN JACINTO COLLEGE HAS A PROGRAM FOR THE MARITIME. UH, AFTER A TWO YEAR, UH, CERTIFICATION AT SANTO COLLEGE, THEY'RE ABLE TO MAKE 60 GRAND A YEAR. A COUPLE YEARS AFTER THAT, THEY'RE ABLE TO GET INTO SIX FIGURES. THERE IS SOME REALLY GREAT THINGS GOING ON AT THE PORT. THE PORT ADDS A HUGE AMOUNT OF ECONOMIC, UH, DEVELOPMENT OUT TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON, AND REALLY THINK WE NEED TO GET BEHIND THAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. GOOD. COUNCILMAN KAMAN? THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, FIRST THANK YOU ALL FOR THE SUPPORT, UH, NOT JUST ON THE NLC, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS FOR BOTH MYSELF AND MAYOR PRO TEM KASIK TATUM AS WE CONTINUE TO WORK WITH NLC. UH, AND THE WORK HAS BEEN EXTRAORDINARILY VALUABLE, UH, BOTH FOR OUR CITY AND AT THE, AND THE STATE AND NATIONAL LEVEL. UH, BUT THANK YOU FOR THE SUPPORT ON THE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE GREEN STORM WATER INFRASTRUCTURE TAX ABATEMENT PROGRAM. UH, I REALLY WANNA THANK, UH, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT AND DIRECTOR TILSON AND HER TEAM FOR REALLY LISTENING AND, UH, COMING UP WITH THOSE IMPROVEMENTS THAT I THINK WILL PROVIDE MORE ACCESS AND INCENTIVES FOR, UH, GREENER BUILDING. UH, COUNCILMAN REVEREND SHABAZZ, THANK YOU FOR THE KIND WORDS. UM, OUR THOUGHTS CONTINUE TO BE WITH THE FAMILY OF ANDREA RODRIGUEZ AVILA, UM, THE RICE COMMUNITY. THE RICE FAMILY'S HURTING RIGHT NOW. UH, AND WE KNOW THAT IN A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SITUATION, UH, FIREARM INTRODUCED MAKES IT FIVE TIMES MORE LETHAL. UH, SO WE APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S SUPPORT. I HAVE BEEN IN COMMUNICATION WITH RICE UNIVERSITY THROUGHOUT, UH, BUT AN ABSOLUTE TRAGEDY THAT IS FAR TOO COMMON. UH, YOU'RE RIGHT, IT'S NOT JUST AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. UM, IT HAPPENS. UH, I DO WANT TO, UH, PROVIDE A FEW THANK YOUS. YESTERDAY WE HAD A VERY SPECIAL RIBBON CUTTING AT OUR OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT. MAYOR, I'M SORRY YOU COULDN'T BE THERE, BUT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER PECK, UH, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. SO DID, UH, CHIEF DIAZ, CHIEF MUNOZ, UH, CHIEF SATTERWHITE, THE LIST GOES ON TO REALLY LIFT UP THE WORK THAT OUR NINE ONE ONE CALL TAKERS DO DAY IN AND DAY OUT. UH, THEY'RE SO SHORT STAFFED, OBVIOUSLY DURING EMERGENCIES. THEY, UH, WORK OVER 12 HOUR SHIFTS. UM, OFTENTIMES THEY HAVE NOWHERE TO SLEEP. UH, THEY DON'T EVEN HAVE BREAK ROOMS, AND I'LL GET TO THAT IN A SECOND. BUT, UH, EVEN NOW BECAUSE OF THE STAFF SHORTAGES, THEY ARE AS WORKING A 12 HOUR SHIFT, UH, EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM TAKING SOME OF THE HARDEST CALLS, UM, THAT ANY OF US CAN EVER IMAGINE. UH, I, MY OFFICE FUNDED, UH, TWO BREAK ROOMS TO, ONE IS A QUIET ROOM, ONE IS A REPOS ROOM, UH, TO SUPPORT THEM IN THEIR WORK. AND, UH, THAT WE WORKED WITH HOPE AND ACTUAL NINE ONE ONE CALL TAKERS. GOT TO SAY WHAT THEY WANTED THESE ROOMS TO LOOK LIKE. SO THEY GOT TO PICK, UM, WHAT THEY WANTED IN THE ROOMS. WE FUNDED IT. WE WORKED WITH GSD, UH, BUT THOSE ARE OFFICIALLY OPENED AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S SUPPORT WITH THAT, INCLUDING FROM HOPE, SONYA, JOSEPH KIM LOT, WHO'S A NINE ONE OPERATOR, AND, UH, LED THE CHARGE, UM, DIRECTOR RODERICK JACKSON. UH, OUR NEW DIRECTOR AT HEC, UH, WAS VERY SUPPORTIVE. UH, DIRECTOR MESSIAH MAYER WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN THIS, AND HIS TEAM, UH, WAS FULLY ON BOARD AND MADE THIS POSSIBLE. UM, OF COURSE, THE STAFF AT OEM AND OTHER CITY LEADERS. SO THANK YOU TO EVERYONE. IT WAS, ESPECIALLY AS WE GET TO LABOR DAY, UH, A REALLY SPECIAL THING TO LIFT UP THE IMPORTANT WORK OF OUR NINE ONE ONE CALL TAKERS. WE APPRECIATE THEM. WE HAVE A PUBLIC MEETING. UH, THIS IS A MANTRAS, COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDER MEETING ON THURSDAY, AUGUST 29TH AT 5:30 PM WITH PUBLIC WORKS. IT WILL BE A VIRTUAL COMMUNITY MEETING ON THE GRAY AND TAFT PROJECT. UH, WE'RE EXPECTING NEW CONCRETE PAVING WITH IMPROVED STORM DRAINAGE, CURBS, SIDEWALK STREET LIGHTING, UH, UNDERGROUND UTILITIES. UH, SO THURSDAY'S MEETING, WE'LL SHARE THE DESIGN AND PLANS FOR THAT. [05:00:01] UH, SO WE ENCOURAGE RESIDENTS TO JOIN US, UH, AS WE MOVE FORWARD ON THAT PROJECT AND APPRECIATE PUBLIC WORKS PARTNERSHIP. LASTLY, MAYOR, UM, I'M EXTREMELY CONCERNED WITH THE NEWS THAT, UH, THE STATE GOVERNOR ABBOTT HAS PURGED OVER A MILLION VOTERS, UH, FROM VOTING ROLLS. UH, IT'S BLATANT INTIMIDATION. UH, WE SAW THIS HAPPEN IN 2019 WHEN, UH, THE STATE TRIED TO PURGE 95,000 RESIDENTS, UH, ALLEGING THAT THEY WERE NON-CITIZENS. OVERWHELMINGLY, THEY WERE, UH, WE'RE SEEING THIS ONCE AGAIN IN THE MIDST OF THE TARGETING OF, UH, OUR AITA, UH, LULAC MEMBERS WHOSE DOORS WERE KNOCKED DOWN BECAUSE THEY ARE VOLUNTEERS, UH, REGISTERING PEOPLE TO VOTE. UH, SO MY QUESTION, I KNOW THAT THE, SOME OF OUR PARTNERS AT THE STATE LEVEL, OUR STATE REPRESENTATIVES, ARE GOING TO BE HAVING A PRESS CONFERENCE TOMORROW MORNING ON THE STEPS OF CITY HALL. I ENCOURAGE THE PUBLIC TO TUNE IN. I ENCOURAGE THE PUBLIC AND RESIDENTS TO MAKE CHECK THEIR VOTER REGISTRATION STATUS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY WERE NOT IMPACTED. BUT MAYOR, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW AS A CITY, WHAT WE ARE DOING TO EDUCATE RESIDENTS TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN SO THAT THEY ARE ABLE TO EXERCISE THEIR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT, THEIR RIGHT AT THE BALLOT BOX, UH, IN LIGHT OF THE LATEST, UH, INTIMIDATION EFFORTS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. ANYONE ELSE? WELL, OBVIOUSLY IT'S PRETTY OBVIOUS. WE ALL HAVE RESPONSIBILITIES AND, UH, WE JUST ACCOMPLISHED SOMETHING BY BRINGING IT TO EVERYBODY'S ATTENTION. THE PRESS COVERED IT, AND, UH, WE ALL STAND VERY MUCH IN OPPOSITION OF INTIMIDATING PEOPLE. UH, AND ELECTIONS MATTER. YOU KNOW, IF PEOPLE PURSUE THAT INITIATIVE, THEY'LL BE ON THE BALLOT. AND THAT'S ABOUT THE STRONGEST THING WE CAN DO IS ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO REGISTER, VOTE, AND HOLD PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE. AND, UH, WE SHOULD DO IT EVERY DAY. SO THANK YOU. EVERYBODY ENJOYED LABOR DAY. I STAND 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.