* 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. [City Controller's Office: Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration] [00:00:04] WELL, EVERYBODY, GOOD MORNING, . WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH, EVERYBODY. IT LOOKS LIKE A VERY GREAT CROWD, AND I'M, UH, VERY EXCITED, UH, THAT WE'VE GOTTEN TO THE DAY. UH, IN THE EVENT HERE I AM, UH, ASHLEY JOHNSON, THE COMMUNICATIONS AND ENGAGEMENT, UH, STAFFER FOR, UH, UH, CONTROLLER HOLLAND'S OFFICE. AND WELCOME TO OUR HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH CELEBRATION. THANKS SO MUCH FOR COMING TODAY. THE HISPANIC POPULATION AND CULTURE ARE REALLY AN INTRINSIC PART OF WHAT MAKES THE BAYOU CITY GREAT. AND TODAY, WE HONOR THAT CULTURE AND MANY CONTRIBUTIONS THAT EN LIFT UP, ENRICH AND MAKE US PROUD AS WE BEGIN THE PROGRAM. I'D LIKE TO CALL TO THE PODIUM, THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION, PRESIDENT DIEGO IGA TO MAKE AN INTRODUCTION. GOOD MORNING EVERYONE, AND THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS SPECIAL OCCASION, AN OBSERVANCE OF 2024 HISPANIC HERITAGE MUNCH, AND THE CELEBRATION OF THIS HISTORIC AND VIBRANT PART OF HOUSTON'S MULTICULTURAL MAKEUP. MY NAME IS DIEGO ARGA, AND I'M A JUNIOR AT THE CENTRAL CAMPUS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON, WHERE I SERVE AS THE STUDENT BODY PRESIDENT. TODAY, I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF INTRODUCING TODAY'S HOST, HOUSTON CITY CONTROLLER, CHRIS HOLLINS, CHRIS HOLLIN, OH, CHRIS HOLLINS IS A NATIVE HOUSTONIAN WHO HAS SERVED AS HOUSTON CITY CONTROLLER SINCE JANUARY OF 2024. AS THE INDEPENDENTLY ELECTED CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER OF THE NATION'S FOURTH LARGEST CITY CONTROLLER, HOLLANDS PROVIDES THE OVERSIGHT OF A BUDGET, EXCEEDING $6 BILLION, AND MANAGES THE CITY'S $6 BILLION INVESTMENTS, AND 14 BILLION DO DEBT PORTFOLIO. HOLLINS IS A DEEPLY COMMITTED TO TRANSPARENCY, FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY, AND RESULT DRIVEN OPERATIONS USING HIS OFFICE'S AUDITING AUTHORITY TO BRING NEW IDEAS AND BEST PRACTICES TO CITY DEPARTMENTS. AND THAT RESULTS IN COST SAVING AND A HIGHER STANDARD OF SERVICE IN HOUSTON RESIDENTS. PRIOR TO HIS SERVICE AS CITY CONTROLLER, HOLLINS LED THE 2020 ELECTIONS EFFORT IN HARRIS COUNTY AS COUNTY CLERK GAINING NATIONAL ACCLAIM FOR PROTECTING AND EXPANDING VOTING RIGHTS FOR 2.5 MILLION HOUSTON AREA VOTERS. DURING THE MOST IMPORTANT ELECTION OF OUR LIFETIME, HOLLINS IN'S INNOVATIONS, WHICH INCLUDED DRIVE-THROUGH VOTING, 24 HOUR VOTING ONLINE MAIL, BALLOT TRACKING, AND TRIPLING THE NUMBER OF EARLY VOTING CENTERS LED TO EYE POPPING RECORDS, RECORD VOTER TURNOUT. DESPITE THE ONGOING GLOBAL PANDEMIC, HOLLINS HOLDS A BACHELOR OF ARTS WITH BETA PHI. BETA KAPPA HONORS FROM MOREHOUSE COLLEGE AND COMPLETED A JOINT PROGRAM WITH YALE LAW SCHOOL AND HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL, EARNING BOTH HIS JURIS DOCTOR AND MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION DEGREES. HOLLANDS PREVIOUSLY WAS THE PRINCIPAL ATTORNEY AT HOLLAND'S LAW GROUP, PLLC. HOLLANDS SPENT THE BULK OF HIS CAREER AS A MANAGEMENT CONSULTANT WITH MACKENZIE AND COMPANY WHERE HE WAS DEDICATED TO HELPING LARGE GOVERNMENT AGENCIES TRANSFORM THEIR OPERATIONS TO BETTER ACHIEVE THEIR MISSIONS AND MEET THE NEEDS OF THOSE THEY WERE ENTRUSTED TO SERVE. HOLLANDS AND HIS WIFE MORGAN LIVE IN HOUSTON'S THIRD WARD WITH THEIR DAUGHTER VIVIAN AND THEIR SON GEORGE. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, PLEASE JOIN ME IN WELCOMING TO THE PODIUM HOUSTON CONTROLLER, THE HONORABLE CHRIS HOLLINS. DIEGO. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT WARM INTRODUCTION. Y'ALL. UH, DIEGO, AS THE STUDENT BODY PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON, IS THE TOP REPRESENTATIVE FOR MORE THAN 40,000 STUDENTS, UH, TO THE BOARD OF REGENTS TO U OF H ADMINISTRATION, UH, AND TO THE TEXAS STATE LEGISLATURE. THAT IS A BIG DEAL. AND TWO OF HIS FOCUS AREAS AS PRESIDENT ARE TRANSPARENCY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT, AND THOSE ARE SOME THINGS THAT I CAN GET BEHIND. HE ALSO HAS HIS VICE PRESIDENT, AUSTIN CRAIG, WITH HIM TODAY. CAN Y'ALL BOTH STAND ONE MORE TIME AND CAN WE GIVE HIM A ROUND OF APPLAUSE? WELL, GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING, GOOD MORNING. UH, TO OUR MANY GUESTS, MY SINCERE APPRECIATION FOR YOU JOINING US TODAY AT YOUR CITY HALL FOR THIS IMPORTANT CELEBRATION. UH, I'M LOOKING AROUND THE ROOM AND I SEE FRIENDS, BUT FOR THOSE WHO I HAVE YET TO MEET, AGAIN, MY NAME IS CHRIS HOLLINS. UH, I'M YOUR ELECTED CITY CONTROLLER, AND HERE AT THIS HERE AT THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE, WE WORK EVERY DAY TO ENSURE THAT THE INVESTMENT THAT YOU'RE MAKING IN OUR CITY IS PAYING A DIVIDEND BACK INTO YOUR LIFE AND IN YOUR FAMILY'S LIVES AND IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD. AND SO WE'RE THRILLED TO WELCOME YOU TODAY AS WE PROUDLY RECOGNIZE THE MORE THAN 2.8 MILLION RESIDENTS OF HISPANIC HERITAGE WHO LIVE IN THE HOUSTON REGION WITH LINEAGE FROM A HOST OF COUNTRIES, UH, OUR NEIGHBORS, HAIL FROM NATIONS THAT INCLUDE MEXICO, ARGENTINA, BOLIVIA, CHILE, [00:05:02] COLUMBIA, THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, ECUADOR, EL SALVADOR, GUATEMALA, HONDURAS, PERU, VENEZUELA, AND MANY OTHERS. THE HISPANIC CULTURE STRENGTHENS OUR CITY AND IS INTERWOVEN INTO THE FABRIC OF OUR AMERICAN STORY. AND SINCE OUR NATION'S FOUNDING LATINOS AND LATINAS HAVE HELPED BUILD OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND CITIES TODAY, THE HISPANIC CULTURE CONTINUES TO SHAPE HOUSTON, OUR NATION, AND THE WORLD THROUGH ITS PRESENCE IN OUR ARENAS OF BUSINESS, EDUCATION, SCIENCE, ENGINEERING, TECHNOLOGY, PERFORMING ARTS AND GOVERNMENT. AS HOUSTONIANS, WE ARE AN EVEN GREATER CITY BECAUSE OF THESE CONTRIBUTIONS, BOTH PAST AND PRESENT CONTRIBUTIONS THAT I'M CONFIDENT WILL CONTINUE AND HAVE A LASTING IMPACT FOR MANY YEARS TO COME. I WANNA TAKE A MOMENT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE OTHER ELECTED OFFICIALS IN CITY HALL STAFF JOINING US THIS MORNING. I'M LOOKING OUT. I SEE COUNCIL MEMBER TWILA CARTER. UH, WE ALSO HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIE DAVIS AND COUNCIL MEMBER JULIAN RAMIREZ. CAN WE GIVE THEM A ROUND OF APPLAUSE? UH, WE ALSO HAVE, UH, MEMBERS FROM IN DIGNITARIES FROM OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY. WE HAVE A STAFFER FROM CONGRESSMAN SYLVIA GARCIA'S OFFICE, AND I'D ALSO LIKE TO REPRE, UH, TO, TO WELCOME THE CONSUL GENERAL OF EL SALVADOR, UH, ALEXANDER GARCIA. CAN YOU STAND AND BE RECOGNIZED ALSO, TODAY'S EVENT WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE HARD WORK AND DEDICATION AND PLANNING FROM VOLUNTEERS AND MEMBERS OF THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE. FIRST, I WANT TO HAVE THE ENTIRE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE STAND AND BE RECOGNIZED. IF YOU'RE HERE. THESE FOLKS WORK HARD EVERY DAY ON YOUR BEHALF, AND SO WE WANT TO TAKE EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO EXTEND OUR GRATITUDE TO THEM. BUT IN PARTICULAR, I'D LIKE TO THANK THE PLANNING COMMITTEE THAT INCLUDED GABRIELLE CRUZ, ETHAN ECKER, AUBREY HOOPER, ASHLEY JOHNSON, VERONICA MARQUEZ, JOANNE RAY, AND JOHN SEILER FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE TO MAKE TODAY A WONDERFUL DAY OF CELEBRATION. THANK Y'ALL SO MUCH. AND AS THIS HAPPENED A COUPLE OF TIMES, NOW I'M GONNA TAKE THE POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE TO RECOGNIZE MY PARENTS, GEORGE AND CHRISTIE HOLLINS, WHO ARE HERE WITH US TODAY, AND MY AUNT AND UNCLE DAVID AND HATTIE HOLLINS. CAN YOU ALL STAND AND BE RECOGNIZED, PLEASE? I CAN LOOK AROUND AT A LOT OF Y'ALL AND SAY, I WOULDN'T BE HERE WITHOUT YOU, BUT I WOULD NOT BE HERE WITHOUT YOU. . WITH THAT, LET ME SHARE WHAT WE HAVE IN STORE FOR YOU TODAY. WE HAVE MUSIC AND DANCE PERFORMANCES FOR YOU TO ENJOY. WE'LL THEN MAKE A SET OF PRESENTATIONS TO HONOR SOME SPECIAL INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE MADE GREAT CONTRIBUTIONS TO HOUSTON AND FOLLOWING OUR FORMAL PROGRAM. WE LOOK FORWARD TO FELLOWSHIPPING WITH YOU ALL AS WE ENJOY A SELECTION OF LIGHT FOOD AND BEVERAGES GRACIOUSLY PROVIDED BY OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS. WE THANK YOU AGAIN FOR HAVING, UH, FOR BEING WITH US HERE TODAY AT THE FIRST EVER HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH CELEBRATION HOSTED BY YOUR OFFICE OF THE CITY CONTROLLER. AND WITH THAT, I WILL TURN IT BACK OVER TO ASHLEY. THANK YOU CONTROLLER FOR THAT GRACIOUS WELCOME. AND, UH, BEFORE WE, UH, CONTINUE, I NOTICED WHILE THE CONTROLLER WAS SPEAKING, WE'VE HAD A COUPLE OF OTHER DIGNITARIES SHOW UP. WE HAVE OUR CONS GENERAL FROM COSTA RICA THAT IS HERE TODAY. WE ALSO HAVE OUR, UM, ONE FROM MAPLE, AND I BELIEVE WE HAD ONE MORE THAT I BELIEVE I CAME IN FROM THE, UH, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING THIS MORNING. AND NOW LET ME INTRODUCE OUR FIRST PERFORMANCE OF THE DAY. MAKO FOLKLORICO IS A PASSIONATE ENSEMBLE SPECIALIZING IN THE RICH AND VIBRANT ARTISTIC AND DANCE OF BALLET FOLK RICO DANCE, WHETHER THEY'RE PERFORMING OR TEACHING TO THE PUBLIC, ITS MEMBERS PROVIDE A WELCOME ENVIRONMENT WHERE YOUNG PEOPLE CAN LEARN TRADITIONAL MEXICAN DANCES AND CAN ALSO SHOWCASE THEIR TALENTS. ITS MEMBERS HAVE HAD THE PLEASURE OF PERFORMING TOGETHER AND SHARING THIS PART OF THE MEXICAN HERITAGE ACROSS HOUSTON SINCE 2020. PLEASE WELCOME MEGO WHO WILL PERFORM TWO SELECTIONS, GRA AND [00:16:16] THANK [00:16:16] YOU MAKOKO, FOR THOSE FINE PERFORMANCES. NEXT, WE HAVE A HOST OF YOUNG TALENT THAT IS JOINING US THIS MORNING FROM THE KINDER HIGH SCHOOL FOR THE PERFORMING AND VISUAL ARTS UNDER THE DIRECTION OF MARTIN LONGORIA MARIACHI. NEVA ALI SCHOOL IS PART OF THE MARIACHI PROGRAM AT KINDER H-S-P-V-A, A TUITION FREE PUBLIC SCHOOL IN HOUSTON, ISD. THE MARIACHI PROGRAM WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1998 FOR THE STUDENTS, THE STUDY TRADITIONAL MARIACHI REPERTOIRE, AND TO LEARN TECHNIQUES TO PERFORM AT THE CUTTING EDGE OF THIS UNIQUE AND BELOVED MUSICAL STYLE. KINDER HS PDA'S, MARIACHI STUDENTS REHEARSE DAILY AND THEY CAN ALSO BE SEEN PERFORMING AT, UH, EVENTS LIKE THIS ONE THROUGHOUT THE HOUSTON AREA. AND NOW LET'S GIVE A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR MARIACHI IN THE WAY. [00:23:11] LET'S GIVE ANOTHER ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR THE STUDENTS FROM KENDER H-S-V-V-A VERY LIVELY PERFORMANCE. THAT WAS EXCITING. NOW, UH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A, UH, SECTION OF THE PROGRAM. WE'RE GONNA BE HONORING SOME SPECIAL GIFTS THAT WE HAVE FOR SOME AWARDS AND, UM, AND RECOGNITION THAT'S COMING FROM THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE. I'D LIKE TO BRING TO THE FRONT, UH, ONE OF OUR DIRECTORS HERE IN THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE, AUBREY CHRISTOPHER HOOPER. I AM ACTUALLY GOING TO INVITE THE CONTROLLER TO, TO STAND WITH ME. UM, OUR FIRST HONOREE, UM, AS A COMMUNITY HERO IS MS. ELSA FLORES, AN IMMIGRANT FROM HUN, ABSOLUTELY AN IMMIGRANT FROM HONDURAS. FLORES LED THE TEXAS CHAPTER OF THE SERVICE EMPLOYEE INTERNATIONAL UNION, A SOCIAL JUSTICE LABOR ORGANIZATION REPRESENTING THOUSANDS OF PRIVATE SECTOR WORKERS ACROSS VARIOUS INDUSTRIES ACROSS THE STATE. FLORIST'S PASSION FOR SOCIAL ADVOCACY BEGAN AT A YOUNG AGE WORKING ON ISSUES LIKE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, ABUSE, AND HOMELESSNESS, WHICH EVENTUALLY LED HER TO SEEK A CAREER AS AN ADVOCATE FOR ECONOMIC JUSTICE. AS PRESIDENT OF ITS TEXAS CHAPTER, SHE TIRELESSLY PURSUES EQUITY FOR IMMIGRANTS AND PEOPLE OF COLOR, AND THAT HAS CONSISTENTLY BEEN HER FIGHT AS A BELIEVER IN UNIONS FOR ALL FLORES [00:25:01] ADVOCATES TO EMPOWER WORKING FAMILIES TO BE CIVICALLY ENGAGED, AND FIGHTS FOR RACIAL AND IMMIGRANT JUSTICE ARE KEY TO CREATING COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIES THAT WORK FOR ALL PEOPLE REGARDLESS OF RACE. AND BECAUSE OF THAT, WE SEE IT FIT TO RECOGNIZE MS. ESSEL FLORES AS OUR COMMUNITY HERO. IF YOU WOULD PLEASE JOIN US AT THE STADIUM. OH MY GOODNESS. UM, I AM DEEPLY, DEEPLY HONORED, UM, TO STAND HERE TODAY AMONGST ALL OF YOU, UH, AND AMONGST ALL THE OTHER RECIPIENTS. UH, I FEEL, UH, BLESSED TO BE HERE. UM, AS AN IMMIGRANT, I WANNA JUST THANK, UH, COMPTROLLER HOLLANDS BECAUSE I THINK, UH, IT IS IMPORTANT FOR THIS TYPES OF WORK. AND THE WORK AND WHAT WE BRING TO THIS COMMUNITY IS HIGHLIGHTED SO THAT INSTEAD OF ONLY HEARING THE BAD NEWS THAT SOME PEOPLE WANNA HEAR ABOUT IMMIGRANTS, THAT WE HEAR MORE ABOUT, UH, THE IMPORTANT STUFF THAT WE DO FOR THIS COMMUNITY AND HOW WE CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD. I'M JUST ONE OF MANY, UM, WHO EVERY DAY, UH, WAKE UP THINKING ABOUT WHAT IS, WHAT IS IT THAT WE COULD DO TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF OTHERS? SO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR HIGHLIGHTING IT. THANK YOU AGAIN FROM, UM, MY HEART FOR HONORING ME TODAY. ALRIGHT, THANKS. LET'S GIVE ANOTHER ROUND OF APPLAUSE TO MS. FLORES. OUR NEXT COMMUNITY HERO IS NONE OTHER THAN MR. HUGO ORTEGA, BORN AND RAISED IN MEXICO CITY, AND THE OLDEST OF A FAMILY OF EIGHT CHILDREN, ORTEGO, I MEAN, ORTEGA BEL LEARNED HIS LOVE FOR COOKING FROM HIS MOTHER AND HIS GRANDMOTHER. IN 1984, HE IMMIGRATED TO HOUSTON WITH NO CONTACTS, NO JOB LEADS, BUT DETERMINED TO MAKE A LIFE FOR HIMSELF IN THE UNITED STATES. BEGINNING HIS CAREER AS A BUSBOY AND DISHWASHER AT THE BACKSTREET CAFE, WHILE STUDYING TO GRADUATE FROM HOUSTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE, CULINARY ARTS, CULINARY ARTS PROGRAM, ORTEGA WOULD, ORTEGA WOULD ADVANCE IN BOTH EXPERTISE AND TITLE AT THE RESTAURANT. HE LATER BECAME THE OWNER AND EXECUTIVE CHIEF, UH, ALONG WITH HIS WIFE TRACY. TODAY, HE IS THE EXECUTIVE CHEF AND OWNER OF FIVE OF HOUSTON'S TOP RESTAURANTS. BECAUSE OF THIS AND HIS TRUE SUCCESS STORY, WE THINK IT DEFINITELY FITTING TO NAME HIM AS ONE OF OUR YEARS COMMUNITY HEROES. CHEF HUGO ORTEGA, THANK YOU SO MUCH. WELL TAKE YOU THIS MUCH. THIS MARIACHIS MADE ME THINK OF IS AN HONOR TO BE PART OF THIS INCREDIBLE COMMUNITY, THIS INCREDIBLE CITY. I HAD THE PLEASURE TO KNOW HIM FOR OVER FOUR YEARS, OPEN HIS DOORS IN 1984 FOR ME, AND I NEVER LOOKED BACK. SO, UH, THANK YOU HOUSTON, THANK YOU TO HIS LEADERS. THANK YOU TO THIS WONDERFUL BAYOU CITY, TO THE ASTRO, TO EVERY SINGLE PERSON THAT LIVE HERE. AND THANK YOU SO MUCH TO THIS WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL, AND GIVING COUNTRY. WE CALL AMERICA. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AT THIS TIME, [00:30:01] I HAVE THE PLEASURE OF RECOGNIZING OUR COMMUNITY, TRAILBLAZER CHIEF SAM PENA, BORN IN LOS ANGELES AND RAISED IN EL EL PASO, TEXAS. PENA IS THE FIRST GENERATION UNITED US CITIZEN, UH, WHO WAS BORN TO MEXICAN IMMIGRANT PARENTS FROM AN EARLY AGE. HE GREW UP UNDERSTANDING A CULTURE OF SERVICE, AN IDEA WHICH WOULD TAKE HIM TO THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE, WHICH HE SERVED FOR FOUR YEARS AS A COMMAND AND CONTROL SPECIALIST, EARNING A BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE, AS WELL AS AN MBA FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT EL PASO. HE WOULD THEN LATER, UM, CONTINUE HIS STUDIES, UH, AT THE TEXAS TECH HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER, UH, WHERE HE BECAME A PARAMEDIC. HE THEN LATER ROSE IN THE RANKS IN EL PASO BECOMING THEIR CHIEF. AND THEN IN 2016, HE FOUND HIS WAY TO THE GREAT CITY OF HOUSTON, BECOMING THE FIRST LATINO FIRE CHIEF OF THE HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT, LEADING SOME 3,900 PERSONNEL AND LEADING US IN TIMES OF, OF, YOU KNOW, GREAT ADVERSITY, UH, THROUGH TROPICAL STORMS, THROUGH, UH, HURRICANE HARVEY, AS WELL AS THE WINTER STORM. IN 2023, CHIEF PENA WAS NAMED THE 2023 METROPOLITAN FIRE CHIEF OF THE YEAR BY THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION'S FIRE CHIEF AND NATIONAL FIRE PROTECTION ASSOCIATION. HE HAS TRULY OPENED DOORS FOR YOUNG LATINOS, UH, WHO WISH TO FOLLOW IN HIS FOOTSTEPS, UM, AND IS DEFINITELY COMMITTED TO UPLIFTING THE NEXT GENERATION OF LATINOS. IT IS BECAUSE OF HIS LIFETIME OF SERVICE AND DEDICATION TO PUBLIC SERVICE, AS WELL AS THE COMMUNITY OF HOUSTON AS WELL. UH, PLEASE JOIN ME IN RECOGNIZING OUR COMMUNITY, TRAILBLAZER, CHIEF SAMUEL PENA. THANK YOU, BROTHER. APPRECIATE IT. WOW. WELL, UH, FIRST OF ALL, LET'S, LET'S GIVE ANOTHER ROUND OF APPLAUSE TO, TO MARIACHI. WHAT IS IT, MARIACHI AND MEXICO? THAT'S A, THAT WAS AN AMAZING, AMAZING PERFORMANCE. IT GIVES ME CHILLS, YOU KNOW, MEXICANO, UH, LEMME JUST SAY THAT IT'S AN HONOR FOR ME AND A PRIVILEGE TO BE STANDING HERE RECOGNIZING, YOU KNOW, AND CELEBRATING HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH. UH, IT'S GREAT TO SEE ALL THE ELECTED OFFICIALS, ROLAND EV, ALL THE HONOREES THAT ARE, THAT ARE RECEIVING, UH, RECOGNITION WELL DESERVED, AS WELL AS ALL THE DIGNITARIES THAT ARE HERE TODAY. THANK YOU GUYS. UH, THANK YOU FRANCISCO FOR, FOR WHAT YOU DO FOR THE ASTROS. MAN. WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT HOW UPLIFTING THAT TEAM HAS BEEN FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON. AND, UM, LOOK, I WANT TO THANK CONTROLLER HOLLANDS FOR, FOR SPOTLIGHTING AND THE RECOGNITION OF THE AMAZING CONTRIBUTIONS THAT HISPANICS AND LATINOS MAKE TO THIS GREAT CITY. THE, UH, HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH IS NOT JUST A TIME TO REFLECT ON OUR SHARED EXPERIENCES AND OUR SHARED HISTORY, BUT ALSO TO CELEBRATE THE AMAZING CONTRIBUTIONS THAT HISPANICS HAVE MADE TO STRENGTHEN OUR GREAT COMMUNITIES. WHETHER IT'S IN ARTS, WHETHER IT'S IN EDUCATION, WHETHER IT'S IN BUSINESS, CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, SPORTS, UM, THE CULTURE THAT WE BRING TO ANY COMMUNITY ACTUALLY STRENGTHENS THAT COMMUNITY. AND I'M VERY PROUD OF OUR HERITAGE, VERY PROUD OF THE CONTRIBUTIONS THAT ALL OF YOU HAVE MADE, HOW YOU REPRESENT NOT ONLY OUR HERITAGE, BUT OUR COMMUNITIES AND MAKE OUR COMMUNITIES STRONGER. SO WITH THAT, LOOK, LET'S, UH, LET'S EMBRACE OUR HERITAGE, AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO A FUTURE OF PROMISE AND UNITY. SO, CONTROLLER, THANK YOU AGAIN. APPRECIATE IT. CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN, CHIEF, AND THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR SERVICE. OUR FOURTH AND FINAL HONOREE OF TODAY IS A VERY SPECIAL FIGURE, UH, HERE IN THE HOUSTON SPORTS SCENE. UH, [00:35:01] NOW LET ME JUST SAY, FOR ALL DISCLAIMER, I AM FROM DALLAS AND I AM A RANGERS FAN, BUT I ADMIT WHEN MY TEAM DOESN'T MAKE THE PLAYOFFS, I ROOT ANYTHING TEXAS. SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, NOW THAT THAT'S OUT THE WAY, UH, LET ME GET TO HONORING OUR, OUR LAST, UH, AND FINAL, UH, HONOREE. BORN AND RAISED IN MAR RE VENEZUELA. THE STAR INFIELDER WAS SIGNED TO THE ASTROS IN 2006 AS AN AMATEUR FREE AGENT. WHEN HE WAS 16, AFTER PLAYING IN THE MINORS, ALTUVE MADE HIS WAY, UH, TO THE MAJOR LEAGUES WHEN HE DEBUTED IN JULY OF 2011, DURING THE 2011 ALLSTAR WEEKEND. SINCE THEN, UH, HE HAS ALMOST DEFIED GRAVITY IN LIFTING THE ASTROS TO WINNING TO ITS WINNING SUCCESS, BECOMING ONE OF THE MOST CELEBRATED PLAYERS IN THE FRANCHISE'S HISTORY. FOR OVER HIS 16 YEARS IN BASEBALL, HE HAS BEEN SELECTED AS AN MLB ALL-STAR NINE TIMES. THAT IS A SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENT. UM, AND FIVE OF THOSE, HE WAS IN THE STARTING LINEUP. IN ADDITION, HE WAS A PART OF THE 2017, AS WELL AS 2022 WORLD SERIES VICTORIES FOR THE HOUSTON ASTROS IN THE COMMUNITY. TUVE AND HIS WIFE NINA, SUPPORT SEVERAL CHARITY INITIATIVES, FOCUSING THEIR EFFORTS ON YOUNG PEOPLE GIVING TO CHARITIES AND PROVIDING SUPPORT TO CHILDREN WITH SERIOUS ILLNESSES AND MEALS, UH, AND MEALS TO CHILDREN SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS. WHILE WE HOPED THAT WE WOULD ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO HEAR FROM ALTUVE HIMSELF, AS YOU KNOW, HE'S TRAVELING WITH THE TEAM, UM, AS THEY WRAP UP, UH, THE REGULAR SEASON. SO UNFORTUNATELY HE COULDN'T MAKE IT WITH US TODAY. BUT OF COURSE, THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT ONCE AGAIN, THE ASTROS HAVE MADE THE PLAYOFFS WINNING THE AMERICAN LEAGUE WESTERN DIVISION TITLE LAST WEEK FOR THE FOURTH CONSECUTIVE ROW, UH, SEC CONSECUTIVE YEAR IN A ROW. AND HOPEFULLY, UH, THEY BRING HOME, UH, THE TITLE , BUT TO ACCEPT ON HIS BEHALF. UM, AS, AS THIS YEAR'S COMMUNITY CHAMPION, UH, WE HAVE LONGTIME SPANISH BROADCASTER FOR THE HOUSTON ASTROS, FRANCISCO ROMERO, UH, WHO WILL BE ACCEPTING ON BEHALF OF JOSE ARTURO. YES, ABSOLUTELY, S CONTROLLER HOLLANDS. GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE HERE. UH, FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA SAY, UM, THANK YOU, UH, AND ON BEHALF OF, UH, JOSE TWE AND THE HOUSTON ASTROS, WELL, HE COULDN'T BE HERE BECAUSE OF, UH, THE, THE ASTROS ARE GETTING READY TO EMBARK ON ANOTHER, UH, PLAY OF RUN, HOPEFULLY MAKING IT TO ANOTHER WORLD SERIES. BUT, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANNA TELL YOU IS THAT THE HOUSTON ASTROS, JOSE TUVE AND, UH, OWNER JIM CRANE, ARE AT THE, UH, FOREFRONT OF HISPANIC HERITAGE, NOT ONLY HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTHS, BUT BEING VERY ACTIVE, UH, THROUGHOUT, UM, THIS YEARS AND, UH, HISPANIC COMMUNITY. PROOF OF THAT IS THAT, ON A PERSONAL NOTE, I AM IN MY 17 SEASONS WITH THE HOUSTON ASTROS AS THE SPANISH BROADCASTER. AND I, THE ASTROS ARE ONLY, THE ASTROS ARE ONLY ONE OF, I THINK, FIVE OR SIX TEAMS WHO EMPLOY THEIR SPANISH BROADCASTERS AS FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES. SO, UH, TO SAY THAT, UM, THANKS TO THE HOUSTON NATIONALS AND JIM CRANE, AND ANOTHER NOTICE THAT, UM, WITH THE SUCCESS THAT THE HOUSTON NATIONALS HAVE HAD, WITH THE HELP OF JOSE TU, I'VE HAD THE FRONT ROW TO WATCH JOSE TWE DEVELOP FROM A YOUNG MAN INTO A FUTURE HALL OF FAMER BASEBALL PLAYER. WE'VE SEEN THE UPS AND DOWNS THAT WE'VE SEEN THIS MAN, UM, GIVE HIS BEST. AS MOST OF YOU KNOW, HE TRIED OUT TWO, THREE TIMES BEFORE HE WAS, UH, ADMITTED TO BEING ASTROS CAMP, UH, BACK [00:40:01] IN VENEZUELA. SO HE'S A TRUE EXAMPLE OF WHAT OUR HISPANIC COMMUNITY IS, A HARDWORKING YOUNG MAN, HARDWORKING FAMILY, HARDWORKING FATHER, AND AND, AND SO ON. SOPHORA AND ALBE IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF WHAT WE SHOULD, UM, STRIVE TO BE IN ANY AREA THAT WE ARE. SO, AGAIN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, AND I WANNA LEAVE YOU WITH THIS, WITH THE MARIACHI, WITH JEFF FUGO HERE. AND, UH, THIS LOOKS LIKE A PARTY. WE JUST NEED THE FOOD. AND, UH, AS MY WIFE, LAA, WHO'S HERE, SHE'S A RICE UNIVERSITY EMPLOYEE, SHE WAS SAYING, UH, , I WANNA ASK FOR SONGS AND ALSO FOR THE FOOD. BUT THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND ALSO, AND LAST THING, WE TRAVELED TO MEXICO CITY BACK IN APRIL. AND LET ME TELL YOU, 10 YEARS AGO, MEXICO MEXICO'S TEAMS WERE OTHER THAN THE ASTROS, IT WAS BEAUTIFUL TO SEE MEXICO CITY PAINTED BLUE AND ORANGE, ASTROS BLUE AND ORANGE. SO THAT WAS BEAUTIFUL. AND, UH, HOPEFULLY WE'LL GET YOU ANOTHER ONE OF THESE GO ASTROS. THANK YOU, CONTROLLER. WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE WITH A COUPLE OF PERFORMANCES HERE, SO I'M GONNA WELCOME AUBREY BACK TO THE STAGE OR MAYBE ASHLEY, BUT, UH, TO OUR HONOREES, AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL SO, SO MUCH FOR WHAT YOU DO FOR THE FABRIC OF THIS COMMUNITY. UH, EACH OF YOU SERVES IN, IN SOME TYPE OF UNIFORM, UH, CHIEF IN PARTICULAR FOR THE YEARS, UH, LEADING, UH, HFD, UM, RUNNING TOWARDS FIRES WHEN EVERYBODY ELSE RUNS AWAY. WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL FOR YOU. THANK YOU. UH, BUT TO EACH OF YOU, UH, FIGHTING ON BEHALF OF OUR LABOR COMMUNITY, UH, ADVANCING THE CULTURE OF THIS CITY, UH, THROUGH THROUGH OUR FOOD SCENE, AND, YOU KNOW, FRANCISCO, YOU COULD BE HERE BEING HONORED YOURSELF, BUT THANK YOU FOR REPRESENTING THE ASTROS. AUBREY DIDN'T GIVE LIKE QUITE THE ENERGY THAT WE NEEDED UP HERE REPRESENTING THE ASTROS. CAN WE GIVE THEM ONE MORE ROUND OF APPLAUSE AS WE'RE HEADED TO THE PLAYOFFS? UH, BUT THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE ON BEHALF OF THE TEAM AND OUR, OUR THANKS, UH, TO JIM CRANE AND THE, AND THE REST OF THE ORGANIZATION AS WELL. ASHLEY, THANKS CONTROLLER. AND AGAIN, THANKS FOR ALL OUR HONOREES TODAY. WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR ALL THAT YOU DO. AS WE CONTINUE WITH THE PERFORMANCE SECTION OF OUR PROGRAM, I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE OUR NEXT PERFORMER, JOSE IGNACIO CORTEZ KNOWN ALSO AS EL BDO. JOSE IGNACIO IS A RENOWNED VOCALIST AND A PERFORMER WHOSE MUSIC BRIDGES THE VIBRANT TRADITIONS OF MEKO WITH THE CONTEMPORARY SOUNDS OF AMERICA, BORN IN HOUSTON, THE MEXICAN PARENTS, HE SPENT OVER A DECADE CAPTIVATING AUDIENCES AND COMBINING THE RICHES OF MEXICAN HERITAGE WITH ITS AMERICAN UPBRINGING SHOWCASED ON PROGRAMS SUCH AS AS TODAY ATV'S, DING AND UNIVISION, JOSE IGNACIO'S, POWERFUL VOCALS HAVE EARNED THEM A CREDIT AS A STANDOUT VOICE IN LATIN MUSIC. WITH THAT, LET ME BRING TO THE STAGE JOSE IGNACIO CORTEZ. GOOD MORNING. I HOPE YOU GUYS ENJOY IT IS AN HONOR TO BE HERE WITH EVERYBODY CELEBRATING. IT IS LIKE A PARTY. YOU KNOW, WE NEED THE FOOD. IT'S FIVE O'CLOCK SOMEWHERE, RIGHT? , SO I HOPE YOU GUYS ENJOY IN SING ALONG WITH ME THIS JOSEPH. [00:45:15] HERE'S ONE MORE. THE H TOWN HOUSTON WITH THE SUN GOES DOWN ON MY SIDE OF TOWN, THE LONESOME FILLING COMES TO MY DOOR, AND THE WHOLE WORLD TURNS BLUE. THERE'S A RUNDOWN BAR ACROSS THE RAILROAD TRACK. GOT A TABLE FOR TWO WAY IN THE BACK WE'RE ING LORD, EMPTY. GOOD LOSING YOU. YOU KNOW IT. I SPEND MOST EVERY NIGHT BENEATH THE LIGHT OF A MOON. THAT'S GONNA BE WHAT EVERYBODY SAY. OH, IF YOU LOSE YOUR, THERE'S ALWAYS ROOM HERE FOR THE LONELY TO WATCH YOUR BROKEN DREAMS STANDS SITTING OUT OF THE BEAMS OF A NEON MOON. ONE MORE TIME TO WATCH YOUR BROKEN DREAM. STAND OUT OF THE, OF A NEON MOON, ONE OF HIS MA, TO WATCH YOUR BROKEN DREAM. STAND OUT OF THE, OF THE BEAMS. BLESS. BIG SHADOWING GO ASTROS. I GOTTA SING THE ANTHEM THERE WHEN I CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN. CIA, SING YOU . WOW, THAT WAS GREAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH JOSE IGNACIO FOR THAT DYNAMIC MEDLEY OF SONGS. AND FOR OUR FINAL PERFORMANCE OF THE, OF, UH, THE MORNING. I WANT YOU TO KICK BACK A LITTLE BIT, AND THIS IS GONNA BE VERY SMOOTH AND I THINK A LITTLE ROMANTIC WHEN WE WATCH IT. WE'RE GONNA HAVE A PERFORMANCE, WHICH IS A, A TRADITIONAL TANGO BORN IN ATHENA. ISADOR. MANINO WAS RAISED IN THE ART, UH, IN A VERY ARTISTIC HOME AND STARTED TRAINING IN CLASSICAL DANCE IN AN AREA IN AN EARLY AGE LEADING TO PERFORMANCES ACTUALLY IN HER NATIVE ENOS PROCEDURE. HER LOVE OF TANGO WOULD LEAD TO LESSONS WITH RENOWNED DUETS LIKE GA AND ANGIO IS SOUTHERN ZA AND FROM, AND MAZAR JUST TO NAME A FEW. IN HOUSTON, SHE ACTUALLY TEACHES CLASSES AND ORGANIZES MILAS GATHERINGS OF A, A ARGENTINA AND TANGO WHERE IT DANCE, AND DOES WORKSHOPS WITH INSTITUTIONS LIKE MECCA DETO, BILINGUAL HOUSTON, UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON, DOWNTOWN IN CASA ATHENA IN THE GALLERIA AREA. HER PARTNER TODAY WILL BE, OR HER THANK GTO, WILL BE ONE MANUEL RINGO PASSIONATE ABOUT MUSIC THROUGHOUT HIS LIFE. JUAN LEARNED IN, UH, OR WAS INTRODUCED TO TANGO AT AN EARLY AGE, ACTUALLY AT FOUR, WHEN HE WAS LISTENING TO A RE RECORD, WHICH INTRODUCED HIM TO CHA RANA AND TANGO MUSIC. THIS LOVE OF DANCE ACTUALLY WOULD PROPEL HIM TO FURTHER GENRES SUCH AS BBOY DANCE TECHNO, AND LIVE STREET MUSIC. NOTICING, UM, INFLUENCES OF HIS OWN IS DAMIEN LABO, GRACIELA GONZALEZ, AND MARCELO DURAN ONE. MANUEL COMPARES TANGO DANCE TO LANGUAGE SAYING THAT VOCABULARY ENTERS THE BRAIN AND THROUGH THE EYES AND IS SPOKEN WITH THE ENTIRE BODY. AND THE GOAL IS TO HAVE AN ENJOYABLE AND COMFORTABLE DANCE AND ADAPTING OUR BODY'S CONVERSATION TO THE DIALECT OF WHOM WE ARE DANCING WITH. SO EVERYBODY WELCOME AND ENJOY THE TANGO PERFORMANCES OF ISADORA MANJI, JUAN MANUEL RANGEL. [00:56:05] THANK [00:56:06] YOU ZA AND ONE MAN. WELL, FOR THOSE WONDERFUL DANCES AND TO ALL OF OUR PERFORMERS TODAY, THANK YOU SO MUCH. IT'S BEEN A ROUSING, UH, AMOUNT OF TALENT AND IT REALLY, REALLY MADE THE, MADE THE PROGRAM GREAT. I HOPE EVERYONE'S ENJOYED THE EVENT AND TO GIVE CLOSING REMARKS, I'LL BRING BACK UP CONTROLLER HOLLINS, CAN WE HAVE ONE MORE ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR ALL OF OUR PERFORMERS TODAY? WHAT A WONDERFUL MORNING. UM, AND I JUST WANNA GIVE A SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO OUR STUDENTS FROM H-S-P-V-A. Y'ALL ARE INCREDIBLE AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO EVERYTHING THAT YOU ALL ARE GONNA DO, UH, TO OUR GUESTS, THANKS AGAIN FOR JOINING US TO PAY TRIBUTE TO OUR HISPANIC HERITAGE AND TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE MANY CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE HISPANIC AND LATINO COMMUNITY TO OUR GREAT CITY. UH, CHIEF, I THINK YOU WERE READING FROM MY NOTES UP HERE, BECAUSE, UH, I'M GONNA SAY A LOT OF THINGS YOU'VE ALREADY SAID. AS WE WRAP UP THIS CELEBRATION OF HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH, I WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO REFLECT ON THESE DEEP AND ENDURING CONTRIBUTIONS. HOUSTON'S VIBRANT CULTURE, OUR THRIVING ECONOMY, AND OUR RICH HISTORY ARE INEXTRICABLY LINKED TO THE HARD WORK, CREATIVITY, AND LEADERSHIP OF OUR CITY'S HISPANIC RESIDENTS. FROM SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS TO EDUCATORS, FROM HEALTHCARE WORKERS TO PUBLIC SERVANTS, THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY HAS BEEN A CORNERSTONE OF OUR PROGRESS AND OUR SUCCESS. AS CITY CONTROLLER, I'M COMMITTED TO ENSURING THAT THE FINANCIAL HEALTH OF OUR CITY REFLECTS OUR SHARED, OUR SHARED VALUES OF INCLUSION, OPPORTUNITY AND EQUITY, THE STRENGTH OF HOUSTON LIES AND OUR DIVERSITY. AND IT'S OUR DUTY TO UPLIFT EVERY COMMUNITY THAT MAKES THIS CITY UNIQUE. TOGETHER, WE'LL CONTINUE TO CREATE PATHWAYS FOR SUCCESS, MAKING HOUSTON A PLACE WHERE EVERYONE, REGARDLESS OF BACKGROUND, CAN TRULY THRIVE. LET US CONTINUE TO HONOR THE LEGACY OF THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE US AND WORK TOWARDS A BRIGHTER AND MORE INCLUSIVE FUTURE FOR ALL. AGAIN, PLEASE STICK AROUND FOR A FEW MINUTES AFTER WE WRAP UP AND MAKE SURE TO LEAVE THIS ROOM WITH A NEW FRIEND. UH, WE HAVE FOOD AND REFRESHMENTS HERE IN THE LEGACY ROOM FOR YOU TO ENJOY. IF YOU WANT A MARGARITA OR A PALOMA, YOU GOTTA GO A FEW BLOCKS FURTHER OUT OF THE BUILDING. BUT, UH, BUT WE HAVE FOOD AND DRINKS HERE FOR YOU. AND I WANNA, UH, MAKE A SPECIAL THANKS TO COCA-COLA SOUTHWEST BEVERAGES FOR THEIR GENERATION, UH, THEIR GENEROUS DONATION TO US, UH, TODAY. STE. * 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.