* 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. THAT WAS LIKE [00:00:01] A DADDY . HELLO. CAN I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION? THANK Y'ALL FOR BEING HERE. HELLO. OKAY. OH, HERE, WE'RE STARTING THE TABLE. WAIT A MINUTE. I THOUGHT WE GOT START A BUSY DAY, BUT A FUN DAY BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA RECOGNIZE SOME OUTSTANDING [PRESENTATIONS] HOUSTONIANS. I'M GONNA ASK THE VICE MAYOR OF PRO PECK TO, UH, RESIDE WHILE I JOIN EACH OF YOU, OR PRETTY CLOSE TO EACH CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS FOR A PROCLAMATION TO JENNIFER HIGHLAND IN RECOGNITION OF DYSLEXIA AWARENESS MONTH. THANK YOU, VICE MAYOR, PRO TIM, AND, UH, TO OUR MAYOR AND COLLEAGUES. I'M VERY HONORED TO BE ASKED TO MAKE THIS PRESENTATION, UH, ON THIS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE, UH, DYSLEXIA AWARENESS. WHEREAS DYSLEXIA IS A SPECIFIC LEARNING DISABILITY THAT AFFECTS APPROXIMATELY ONE IN FIVE INDIVIDUALS WORLDWIDE, REGARDLESS OF AGE, RACE, SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS. YET IT REMAINS WIDELY MISUNDERSTOOD AND POORLY TREATED. AND WHEREAS EMPOWERING DYSLEXIA FOR SPRING BRANCH HOUSTON MISSION IS TO PROVIDE A SUPPORTIVE SPACE WHERE PARENTS OF DYSLEXIC CHILDREN IN SPRING BRANCH, ISD AND BEYOND CAN COME TOGETHER AND FIND INFORMATION AND SUPPORT ON DYSLEXIA. AND WHEREAS EMPOWERING DYSLEXIA FOR SPRING BRANCH HOUSTON ACTIVELY ENSURES EVERY CHILD LEARNS TO READ AND THRIVE, BREAKING THE CYCLE OF DYSLEXIA THAT LEADS FAR TOO MANY INTO THE PRISON SYSTEM. APPROXIMATELY 80% OF TEXAS STATE PRISON INMATES OF FUNCTIONALLY ILLITERATE WITH 48% HAVING DYSLEXIA. WHEREAS DYSLEXIA IS A NEUR, A NEUROLOGICAL ORIGIN OFTEN INHERITED THAT AFFECTS THE WAY THE BRAIN PROCESSES LANGUAGE, AND THEREFORE PRESENTS CHALLENGE WITH READING, WRITING, AND SPELLING, WHICH RESULTS IN DIFFICULTY WITH READING COMPREHENSION, IMPEDES KNOWLEDGE AND ACQUISITION DESPITE AVERAGE OR ABOVE AVERAGE INTELLIGENCE. AND WHEREAS DYSLEXIA AWARENESS MONTH HELD EVERY OCTOBER PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY TO EDUCATE OUR COMMUNITIES ABOUT DYSLEXIA, DISPEL MYTHS AND STEREOTYPES, AND CELEBRATE THE STRENGTHS AND THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF INDIVIDUAL WITH DYSLEXIA AWARENESS, MON IS CRUCIAL IN PROMOTING UNDERSTANDING EARLY IDENTIFICATION AND EFFECTIVE INTERVENTIONS THAT CAN EMPOWER INDIVIDUALS WITH DYSLEXIA TO SUCCEED ACADEMICALLY AND PROFESSIONALLY. AND WHEREAS THE CITY OF HOUSTON ENCOURAGES EDUCATORS, PARENTS, HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS, ADVOCATES, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT DYSLEXIA, PROMOTE ADVOCACY AND FOSTER ACCEPTANCE AND I INCLUSIVITY FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH DYSLEXIA. THE CITY EXTENDS ITS ACCOMMODATION TO EMPOWERING DYSLEXIA FOR SPRING BRANCH HOUSTON, FOR ITS ADMIRABLE EFFORTS IN TRANSFORMING PERCEPTION OF THIS DISEASE. DYSLEXIA. MAYOR, THANK YOU. AND, UM, I CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH. I HAVE PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH MY YOUNGEST DAUGHTER, SEVERELY DYSLEXIC. UH, 40 YEARS AGO SHE WAS, UH, GOING TO DURHAM ELEMENTARY AS A KINDERGARTEN STUDENT IN HISD, AND WE NOTICED THAT SHE DIDN'T WANT TO GO TO SCHOOL ON THE DAYS THAT THEY WERE HAVING SPELLING MM-HMM [00:05:01] . SO HER MOTHER AND I SPOKE TO PRINCIPAL AT DURHAM ELEMENTARY, HISD. HE SAID, SHE'S NOT LEARNING HER SOUNDS AND I THINK YOU SHOULD TAKE HER TO TEXAS CHILDREN AND HAVE HER TESTED. MM-HMM . SHE TESTED AND THEY, UH, DIAGNOSED HER AS DYSLEXIA. MY MOM AND, UH, 40 YEARS AGO, AND PROBABLY CURRENTLY, HISD DID NOT PROVIDE THE ADEQUATE SERVICE THAT THE JUST SICK CHILD NEEDED. SO HE SAID, IF YOU CAN AFFORD IT, YOU NEED TO TAKE HER TO A PRIVATE SCHOOL NAMED BRIARWOOD OVER IN WEST HOUSTON. AND HER MOTHER HAD MORE MONEY THAN I HAD. AND, UH, AND, AND SARAH WAS VERY BLESSED. I'VE OFTEN WONDERED. YES. AND, UH, AS YOU CITED THE PRISON SYSTEM, I'VE WORKED IN TDCJ FOR YEARS AS CHAIRMAN OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE AVERAGE INMATE FUNCTIONS AT A SIXTH GRADE LEVEL. UH, MOST HAVE COME THROUGH THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM LARGELY BECAUSE OF LEARNING CHALLENGES, DYSLEXIA, AS YOU POINTED OUT. SO MM-HMM . THANK YOU FOR SLOWING US DOWN, SHARING THE MESSAGE THAT, UH, THOSE STUDENTS DESERVE OUR ASSISTANCE. I'M SO EXCITED TO LET EVERYONE KNOW THAT SARAH WAS TOLD AS A KINDERGARTEN OR HER PARENTS THAT SHE COULDN'T GO TO COLLEGE. SHE NOW HAS A MASTER'S DEGREE AND IS COUNSELING OTHER YOUNG PEOPLE WITH THEIR CHALLENGES. SO IT, IT CAN BE DONE. IT CAN BE DONE. AND THE STATE OF TEXAS NEEDS TO DO A BETTER JOB. OBVIOUSLY, I'VE BEEN, UH, A SPOKESMAN IN THE LEGISLATURE, BUT WE DON'T PUT A FACE ON IT. YES. LIKE I JUST DID. YOU'VE GOT TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THIS IS JUST NOT A NUMBER, IT'S NOT JUST ANOTHER STUDENT, BUT IT'S OUR LOVED ONES WITH ASSISTANCE AND LIVE A LIFE OF HELPING OTHERS. SO, THANK YOU. THIS IS REALLY SPECIAL AND VERY PERSONAL FOR ME. YES, HE'S, WELL, IT MAKES ME PROUD TO BE THE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND YOUR FRIEND AND THE, THE COMMUNITY ADVOCATE. SO I, JOHN WHITMEYER, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROCLAIM OCTOBER 8TH, 2024. IT'S DYSLEXIA AWARENESS DAY IN HOUSTON, TEXAS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. YES. COME UP. YES, PLEASE DO. THANK YOU. I LOVED YOUR STORY. UM, COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS, DO YOU WANT, THAT'S VERY COMMON. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS, DO YOU WANNA INTRODUCE, UM, THE PEOPLE UP HERE? YES. TELL THEM. OKAY. UH, I'M JENNIFER HYLAND. IF YOU COULD TURN AROUND INTO THE MICROPHONE. SORRY. THANK YOU. I THOUGHT I WAS TELLING THEM. UM, I'M JENNIFER HYLAND. I AM THE ADMINISTRATOR OF THE EMPOWERING DYSLEXIA FOR SPRING BRANCH HOUSTON GROUP. THIS IS MY DAUGHTER, JILL. SHE'S IN 10TH GRADE AT STRATFORD HIGH SCHOOL IN SPRING BRANCH. AND WE FOUND OUT EIGHT YEARS AGO THAT SHE WAS DYSLEXIC. AND, UM, WE FOLLOWED A SIMILAR PATH, UM, THAT WE, UH, ENDED UP PULLING HER AND PUTTING HER IN A PRIVATE SCHOOL SO THAT SHE COULD LEARN HOW TO READ. SHE'S BACK IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND THRIVING. UM, BUT ONE OF MY DRIVING FORCES IS, YOU KNOW, NOT EVERYBODY CAN AFFORD TO PULL THEIR KIDS AND GET THEM YES. THE EDUCATION THAT THEY NEED. AND OUR SCHOOLS HAVE GOT TO DO A BETTER JOB OF HELPING THESE KIDS. THEY ARE SO SMART AND THEY'RE SO CAPABLE MM-HMM . AND WE ARE FAILING THEM EVERY DAY BECAUSE WE'RE NOT DIAGNOSING THEM AND WE'RE NOT HELPING THEM GET THROUGH THE STRUGGLES THAT THEY HAVE TO BREAK OUT OF, OF, UM, THE READING TROUBLES THAT THEY HAVE. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU GUYS TODAY, UM, LISTENING TO THIS. THIS IS VERY NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART. YEAH. YEAH. VERY GOOD. THANK MAYOR RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO FOR A PROCLAMATION TO WESLEY COMMUNITY CENTER TO CELEBRATE THEIR HUNDRED AND 20TH ANNIVERSARY. HEY, GOOD WESLEY, HOW ARE Y'ALL? THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON, COLLEAGUES. UM, IT IS AN HONOR TODAY TO STAND BEFORE YOU WITH A PROCLAMATION TO WESLEY COMMUNITY CENTER, CELEBRATING THEIR 120TH ANNIVERSARY. UM, THEY ARE A LONG, LONGSTANDING COMMUNITY CENTER IN THE HEART OF THE NEAR NORTH SIDE AND THE HEART OF DISTRICT H THAT HAS BEEN SUCH A PIVOTAL [00:10:01] COMPONENT TO THE COMMUNITY, UH, PROVIDING SO MANY VALUABLE SERVICES AND PROGRAMS. AND AS YOU HAVE A, A CENTER THAT OPERATES FOR 120 YEARS, YOU KNOW, WITH THAT LONGEVITY, YOU HAVE TO ADAPT TO DIFFERENT NEEDS IN DIFFERENT TIMES. AND THEY HAVE DONE THAT. THEY HAVE WEATHERED STORMS, AND THEY HAVE CONTINUED TO PROVIDE VALUABLE RESOURCES AND PROGRAMMING TO THE COMMUNITY. UM, SO IT IS A, IS A HONOR TO PRESENT THIS PROCLAMATION TODAY. UM, THE WESLEY COMMUNITY CENTER WAS ESTABLISHED 120 YEARS AGO IN 1904 BY THE WOMEN OF THE FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH AS A SETTLEMENT HOME FOR IMMIGRANTS IN THE NEAR NORTH SIDE NEIGHBORHOOD. OVER THE YEARS, THE CENTER HAS GROWN AND DIVERSIFIED ITS OFFERINGS, WHICH INITIALLY INCLUDED KINDERGARTEN AND SEWING CLASSES WHILE RELOCATING SEVERAL TIMES WITHIN HOUSTON. IN THE THIRTIES AND FORTIES, WESLEY HOUSE WAS SITUATED ON ROTHWELL STREET, THEN ELYSIAN STREET. AND FINALLY, IN 1960, THE CURRENT FACILITY 1410 LEE STREET, WAS CONSTRUCTED IN 1942. WESLEY WAS INCORPORATED AS A NONPROFIT IN TEXAS AND BECAME A UNITED WAY AGENCY IN 1976. UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF RUTH PALMER, WESLEY SECURED FUNDING FOR CHILDCARE SENIOR PROGRAMS, AFTERSCHOOL ACTIVITIES. IN THE EIGHTIES, WESLEY BECAME, BEGAN ASSISTING STRUGGLING FAMILIES BY PROVIDING COUNSELING AND EMERGENCY FINANCIAL SUPPORT, AS WELL AS OFFERING URBAN SURVIVAL SKILLS TO HISPANIC PARENTS, WHICH INCLUDED ENGLISH CLASSES AND GUIDANCE ON ACCESSING COMMUNITY RESOURCES. IN 1991, THE REBA VILLE HENDERSON FOOD PANTRY OPENED AND ON LAND THAT WAS GENEROUSLY DONATED BY THE HOUSTON BOARD OF MISSIONS OF THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH. SIGNIFICANT EXPANSION OF WESLEY'S MAIN BUILDING WAS COMPLETED IN 1995, ADDING A SECOND FLOOR AND A NEW CHILDCARE WING. IN 2010, WESLEY LAUNCHED HOUSTON'S FIRST FINANCIAL OPPORTUNITY CENTER FUNDED BY THE UNITED WAY THRIVE. THIS CENTER REMAINS ACTIVE TODAY, OFFERING JOB TRAINING, FINANCIAL COACHING AND ASSISTANCE, AND ACCESSING BENEFITS DURING THE PANDEMIC, THE DEMAND FOR FINANCIAL AID AND FOOD SURGE PROMPTING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A DRIVE THROUGH FOOD PANTRY AND INCREASED FUNDING FOR JOB TRAINING SERVICES. WESLEY ALSO EXPANDED ITS FINANCIAL STABILITY SERVICES TO INCLUDE ADULT LITERACY PROGRAMS, E-S-L-G-E-D, DIGITAL LITERACY AND RESILIENCY PREPARATION. LOOKING AHEAD TO THE SUMMER OF 2025, WESLEY PLANS TO UNDERTAKE EXPANSIONS AND RENOVATIONS IN ANTICIPATION OF ITS 120 YEARS. THE CITY OF HOUSTON WISHES WESLEY COMMUNITY CENTER, A HAPPY ANNIVERSARY AND COMMENDS ITS UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO THE COMMUNITY. IT ALSO EXPRESSES GRATITUDE TO THE DONORS WHO SUPPORTED THE FACILITIES RENOVATION, AS WELL AS THE COUNTLESS VOLUNTEERS AND STAFF WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO WESLEY'S ONGOING SUCCESS. THANK YOU. AND IF I COULD TAKE A MOMENT WHY THIS IS SO IMPORTANT. WE HAVE A GREAT CITY AND GREAT PEOPLE. WE DO HAVE CHALLENGES, AS MOST MAJOR CITIES DO. WE'RE ADDRESSING THOSE CHALLENGES. SO YOU MIGHT ASK, AS I OFTEN DO, HOW ARE WE SO GREAT WHEN THE CITY GOVERNMENT HAS SO MANY CHALLENGES? THIS IS A DEMONSTRATION RIGHT HERE FOR WHAT MAKES HOUSTON SO GREAT WHILE WE GO ABOUT OUR DAILY CHORES OF TRYING TO IMPROVE CITY SERVICES. SO THERE'S SO MANY IN THE FAITH-BASED CHARITABLE BUSINESS. I COULD GO ON AND ON THAT WHILE WE WORKING ON CITY CHALLENGES, Y'ALL ARE ALREADY MAKING IT A GREAT CITY. SO THANK YOU. I'VE BEEN IN PUBLIC OFFICE 50 YEARS AND AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER, NOT 104 YEARS BACK, AS LONG AS I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN PUBLIC SERVICE, WE ALWAYS RECOGNIZE THE WESLEY CENTER AND WHAT YOU WILL PROVIDE WHEN WE RUN OUT OF OTHER OPPORTUNITIES, OTHER SOURCES. LIKE I SAID, AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER, YOU'VE BEEN THERE AND SERVED OUR COMMUNITY AND AS I JUST MENTIONED, HELP MAKE THIS A GREAT CITY. SO I'M VERY PLEASED AS THE MAYOR OF HOUSTON VERIFY THE HEAR BACK, PROCLAIM OCTOBER 8TH, 2024 IS WESLEY COMMUNITY CENTER DATE, THE HUNDRED 20TH ANNIVERSARY. SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. HI, I AM AMY CORIN, I'M THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF WESLEY COMMUNITY CENTER. AND I WANNA THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS HONOR. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO AND MAYOR WHITMEYER AND ALL OF YOU FOR THIS HONOR. UM, WE ARE SO PROUD TO OPERATE HERE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, AND LAST YEAR WE SERVED 13,000 PEOPLE WITH ALL OUR SERVICES. WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT, UM, AND WE APPRECIATE, UM, ESPECIALLY THE SUPPORT AND ADVOCACY OF COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, WHO'S A TIRELESS ADVOCATE FOR OUR SERVICES AND WHAT WE DO. [00:15:01] AND THANK YOU MAYOR WHITMEYER FOR YOUR, UM, SUPPORTIVE WORDS AND FOR ALL YOU'VE DONE FOR FOR WESLEY OVER THE YEARS. WE APPRECIATE YOU. THANK YOU. CHAIR RE, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO FOR A PROCLAMATION TO CINDY BANNO TO RECOGNIZE HER CONTRIBUTIONS IN SUPPORT OF THE HISPANIC AND LGBTQ PLUS COMMUNITIES. THANK YOU VICE MAYOR, PRO TEM, AND COLLEAGUES AS WE CONTINUE TO CELEBRATE HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH. UH, I AM EXCITED TO HONOR, UH, POWERHOUSE LATINA HERE TODAY, UH, THAT HAS DONE SO MUCH, UH, WITH HER CAREER AND HER INFLUENCE TO HELP THE LATINO COMMUNITY, UM, AS WELL AS OTHER, UH, ISSUES AND CAUSES THAT, THAT SHE'S VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT, FROM LATINO OWNED BUSINESSES TO SURVIVORS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND THE LGBTQ PLUS COMMUNITY. UM, AND SHE BUILT HER CAREER AND, AND ACHIEVED THE TOP, UH, OF SUCCESS AS A SINGLE MOTHER ON TOP OF ALL OF ALL OF THESE THINGS. SO SHE IS A INSPIRATION TO MANY AND CONTINUES TO, UH, USE HER INFLUENCE, UH, FOR GOOD THROUGHOUT THE CITY. UM, SO I, UH, I'M VERY EXCITED TO RECOGNIZE CINDY TODAY. SO WHEREAS CINDY ROMANO IS A DISTINGUISHED PUBLIC FIGURE AND MEDIA PROFESSIONAL WITH OVER 20 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE WHOSE DEDICATION TO COMMUNITY SERVICE AND BROADCASTING HAS SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACTED THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY AND BEYOND, SHE HAS SERVED AS A MORNING NEWS ANCHOR FOR TELEMUNDO HOUSTON AND IS CURRENTLY THE CO-HOST OF MEGA ENTAS ON MEGA 1 0 1, HOUSTON'S NUMBER ONE SPANISH RADIO STATION WITH A TOP THREE GENERAL MARKETING GENERAL MARKET MORNING SHOW. HER WORK HAS ALSO EXTENDED TO FOX 26, WHERE SHE HAS CONTRIBUTED VALUABLE INSIGHTS AS A MEDIA PERSONALITY, WHEREAS CINDY BARNO HAS RECEIVED NUMEROUS ACCOLADES, INCLUDING THREE MARCONI AWARDS FOR BEST SPANISH STATION IN THE US WITH MEGA 1 0 1 NOW NOMINATED FOR A FOURTH AWARD. HER INFLUENCE REACHES BOTH LOCAL AND NATIONAL AUDIENCES THROUGH NBC UNIVERSAL TELEMUNDO AND AUDACITY FURTHER SOLIDIFYING HER ROLE AS A KEY FIGURE IN HISPANIC MEDIA. AND WHEREAS BEYOND HER PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS, CINDY HAS DEMONSTRATED A STRONG COMMITMENT TO THE LGBTQ PLUS COMMUNITY HOSTING WORLD AIDS DAY IN HOUSTON, ALONGSIDE LEGACY COMMUNITY HEALTH FOR THE PAST SEVEN YEARS, HER PHILANTHROPIC EFFORTS INCLUDE VOLUNTEERING WITH ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS REBUILDING TOGETHER HOUSTON, THE TEXAS CHILDREN'S NETWORK, WHERE HER EFFORTS IN A RADIO TELETHON HAVE HELPED RAISE OVER 11 MILLION AND CONTRIBUTED TO THE DEDICATION OF A HOSPITAL FLOOR TO MEGA 1 0 1, TO HOUSTON FOOD BANK, THE BARBARA BUSH LITERACY FOUNDATION, AND OTHERS. ADDITIONALLY, SHE HOSTS A MONTHLY COMMUNITY SHOW ON MEGA 1 0 1, CELEBRATING AND RAISING AWARENESS OF NONPROFITS WITHIN THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY. AND WHEREAS CINDY'S CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE COMMUNITY ALSO INCLUDE HER ROLE AS A HOST FOR EVENTS DURING HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH, FURTHER AMPLIFYING THE VOICES AND STORIES OF THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY. IN THE SPIRIT OF THIS IMPORTANT MONTH LONG CELEBRATION, THE CITY OF HOUSTON COMMENDS CINDY'S ONGOING DEDICATION TO PUBLIC SERVICE AND HER IMPACT ON MEDIA FOR INSPIRING AND UPLIFTING THOSE AROUND HER VERY WELL. THANK YOU, CINDY, FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU. WOO. I DON'T HAVE TO SAY ANYTHING ELSE. THEY JUST, THEY JUST, UH, EXPRESSED MY THANK YOU FOR BEING A TRAILBLAZER AND CERTAINLY A ROLE MODEL FOR SO MANY OF OUR DAUGHTERS. SO I KNOW THE BEST IS YET TO COME. AND I, JOHN WHITMEYER MAYOR, THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROCLAIM OCTOBER 8TH, 2024, IS CINDY ROMANO DAY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU. I'M TAKE. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR WHITMEYER, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBERS AND DISTINGUISHED GUESTS. MY NAME IS CINDY BURANO, AND I STAND BEFORE YOU TODAY WITH IMMENSE GRATITUDE AND PRIDE. RECEIVING THIS PROCLAMATION FROM THE CITY OF HOUSTON DURING HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH IS AN HONOR THAT I HOLD DEAR TO MY HEART AS WE CELEBRATE THE RICH HISTORY, CULTURE, AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF [00:20:01] THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY. I AM REMINDED OF THE INCREDIBLE STRENGTH, RESILIENCE, AND CREATIVITY THAT DEFINES US. OUR HERITAGE IS WOVEN INTO THE FABRIC OF THE CITY, AND IT'S A PRIVILEGE TO BE RECOGNIZED AS PART OF SUCH A VIBRANT, DIVERSE, AND DYNAMIC COMMUNITY. FOR THE LAST 20 YEARS, I HAVE SERVED OUR CITY OF HOUSTON ON THE AIRWAVES, ON THE RADIO WITH MEGA 1 0 1 ODYSSEY, AND ON TELEVISION WITH TELEMUNDO AND FOX 26. I HAVE WORKED HARD TO BE THE VOICE THAT BRIDGE BETWEEN MY UNHEARD HISPANIC COMMUNITY AND THE PEOPLE THAT CAN HELP US MAKE A DIFFERENCE. HOUSTON IS A CITY THAT THRIVES BECAUSE OF ITS DIVERSITY, AND THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY HAS PLAYED AN ESSENTIAL ROLE IN SHAPING ITS IDENTITY. WE ARE BUSINESS OWNERS, EDUCATORS, ARTISTS, HEALTHCARE WORKERS, AND SO MUCH MORE. EACH OF US CONTRIBUTES TO THE PROGRESS AND THE SPIRIT OF HOUSTON. AND I AM DEEPLY HUMBLED TO STAND HERE TODAY ON BEHALF OF MY COMMUNITY. I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THIS MOMENT TO HIGHLIGHT OTHER LATINOS AND ENTREPRENEURS MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN OUR CITY. LIKE MY ODYSSEY FAMILY, MY BOSS JIMMY GONZALEZ, MY CO-HOST, VALENTI GAGO FERNANDEZ, MY FELLOW ECUADORIAN BIANCA RA WITH THE RA PUBLIC RELATIONS GROUP, ORLANDO RODRIGUEZ, WITH THE ORLANDO SALON ALGA, AND GERALDINE RIVERS WITH HOT WINGS AND MORE PAOLO ALVARADO WITH, NAILED IT. CATHERINE GARRIDO WITH SSPA AND CHRISTINA MONTE MEOR WITH ME, A POP SITTER. A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO MY DEAR FATHER, GUILLERMO BNO, MY BEAUTIFUL MOTHER, MARITA, MY LOVELY DAUGHTER, CHLOE THAT'S HERE AND MY LOVE. I WANT TO THANK THE CITY OF HOUSTON FOR RECOGNIZING THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY. THIS PROCLAMATION IS A TESTAMENT TO THE CITY'S COMMITMENT TO INCLUSIVITY AND UNITY, AND I AM SO PROUD TO BE PART OF THIS COLLECTIVE JOURNEY. MY VISION IS FOR THE ANO DAY TO BECOME A YEARLY CELEBRATION OF OTHER LATINOS MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN OUR CITY. LET'S KEEP ON WORKING TOGETHER TO UPLIFT AND EMPOWER EACH OTHER, ENSURING THAT OUR HERITAGE AND OUR STORIES CONTINUE TO INSPIRE FUTURE GENERATIONS. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS HONOR. I WAS LIKE, THERE'S THE PR GIRL FOR THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ FOR A PROCLAMATION TO THE US NAVY TO CELEBRATE THEIR 249TH BIRTHDAY. ARE YOU, HOW ARE Y'ALL DOING? FINE. HOW ARE YOU FOR HAVING MAYOR TODAY? IT'S MY PRIVILEGE, UH, TO BE THE FIRST TO WISH THE UNITED STATES NAVY A HAPPY 249TH BIRTHDAY. YOU MAY KNOW, MAYOR, THAT BACK ON OCTOBER 13TH, 1775, THE CONTINENTAL CONGRESS CREATED THE CONTINENTAL NAVY. AND SINCE THEN, THE NAVY HAS BEEN SERVING OUR COUNTRY BRAVELY AND CONSISTENTLY FOR OVER TWO CENTURIES. THEY HAVE MAINTAINED THE FREEDOM OF THE SEAS, PROTECTED THE OPEN EXCHANGE OF GOODS, AND PROMOTED AMERICAN VALUES OF DEMOCRACY AND FREEDOM. THEY HAVE DEFENDED OUR COUNTRY IN NUMEROUS WORLD WARS AND CONFLICTS, UH, AND WE OWE A GREAT DEBT TO THE UNITED STATES NAVY FOR THE FREEDOMS WE ENJOY TODAY, MAYOR. AND WE ALSO NEED TO RECOGNIZE MANY MEN AND WOMEN HAVE PAID THE ULTIMATE PRICE IN SERVING IN THE NAVY AND, UH, AND OUR COUNTRY. SO THEY DO A LOT MORE THAN LOOK GREAT IN THEIR DRESS, WHITES, [00:25:01] . AND SO, UH, MAYOR, I ALSO WANNA SAY THAT THE UNITED STATES NAVY TODAY IS THE GREATEST NAVY IN THE WORLD, THE LARGEST AND MOST CAPABLE NAVY WITH THE HIGHEST COMBINED BATTLE FLEET TONNAGE, BOASTING THE WORLD'S LARGEST AIR FLEET CARRIER, FLEET, AIR AIRCRAFT, CARRIER FLEET, OVER 300,000 ACTIVE PERSONNEL AND 100,000 IN THE READY RESERVE MAYOR UNITED STATES NAVY. THANK YOU. THANKS COUNCIL. THANK EACH ANOTHER ONE OF YOU. I KNOW, UH, YOU GIVE, UH, TIME AWAY FROM YOUR FAMILY DEPLOYMENTS AND, UH, I KNOW YOU DRILL, YOU JUST DON'T, AS COUNCIL MEMBER SAYS, YOU JUST DON'T COME THROUGH SPECIAL DAYS AT CITY HALL. BUT IT TOOK A LOT OF HARD WORK AND COMMITMENT ON YOUR PART TO REACH, UH, YOUR LEVEL OF SERVICE. I WILL SHARE, ONE OF MY GREATEST EXPERIENCES WAS I WAS INVITED TO FLY OFF OF TAMPA, FLORIDA AND WATCH NIGHT LANDING ON THE AIRCRAFT, PERIOD, NO LIGHTS. AND, UH, THAT WAS REALLY, REALLY SPECIAL TO SEE THE TRAINING AND COMMITMENT AND THE DANGERS THAT YOUR COLLEAGUES AND WHEN YOU GO THROUGH THIS, THIS, WE, WE APPRECIATE. THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO THANK YOU ON BEHALF OF ALL HOUSTON'S HOUSTONIANS. THEREFORE, I, JOHN WHITMEYER, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROCLAIM OCTOBER 13TH, 2024 IS UNITED STATES NAVY'S 249TH BIRTHDAY IN HOUSTON, TEXAS. THANK Y'ALL, MAYOR. I DO WANNA INTRODUCE THREE FOLKS WHO ARE HERE TODAY. CAPTAIN THERESA FERRY, COMMANDING OFFICER OF THE NAVAL RESERVE CENTER. HOUSTON CAPTAIN JEFFREY BOWMAN, COMMANDER OF THE N-R-O-T-C RICE UNIVERSITY UNIT AND COMMANDER DAVID SHALLER, COMMANDING OFFICER OF THE NAVY TALENT ACQUISITION GROUP. HOUSTON. THANK Y'ALL, MR. MAYOR. THIS IS THE 249TH BIRTHDAY OF THE UNITED STATES NAVY, AND THIS YEAR WE ARE HIGHLIGHTING WAR FIGHTING STRENGTH AND READINESS. TODAY, THERE ARE OVER A HUNDRED AIR, UH, SHIPS AND SUBMARINES PATROLLING AND AIRCRAFT IN THE SKY. THEY'RE PATROLLING ANYWHERE THAT THEY CAN, WHERE THE INTERNATIONAL WATERS ARE ENABLING EVERYONE ELSE TO CONTINUE TO USE INTERNATIONAL WATERS. OKAY. THERE'S NOT ONE, WELL, THERE'S VERY FEW PEOPLE I THINK ALIVE TODAY WHO CAN REMEMBER A TIME WHERE THE UNITED STATES CITIZENS WERE AFRAID BECAUSE A DIFFERENT NAVAL POWER WAS STRONGER THAN THE UNITED STATES NAVY. SO THERE'S A LOT OF PRIDE AND HERITAGE MM-HMM . IN WHAT WE DO EVERY DAY. AND THANK YOU FOR HONORING, UH, THE UNITED STATES NAVY TODAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, CHAIR COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. WE HAVE SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS IN THE QUEUE BEFORE YOU TAKE A PHOTO. OKAY, GREAT. UM, FIRST COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER. THANK YOU, VICE MAYOR, PRO TEM. JUST WANTED TO GIVE A BIG SHOUT OUT. MY GRANDFATHER WHEN THE DAY HE TURNED 18 ENLIST AND HE, UH, TOOK OUT ON THE ROS SHAMBO IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC, AND HE WAS A PROUD NAVY CCB AND IT NAVY CCB AND IT SERVED HIM WELL HIS ENTIRE LIFE. AND HE WOULD BE SO PROUD TO SEE ALL OF YOU IN YOUR BEAUTIFUL DRESS WHITES TODAY. AND, AND OUR NATION OWES A GREAT DEAL OF DEBT TO YOU ALL FOR WHAT YOU DO FOR US EVERY DAY TO KEEP US SAFE. AND THANK YOU, AND GOD BLESS YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. THANK YOU, VICE MAYOR, PRO TEM, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS RAMIREZ, MAYOR WHITMEYER, THANK Y'ALL FOR THIS PROCLAMATION. I WANT TO GIVE A SPECIAL THANKS. UH, WHEN HOUSTONIANS WERE IN NEED AFTER HURRICANE BERYL, WE DID A RELIEF DRIVE IN DISTRICT H AND Y'ALL SHOWED UP TO HELP VOLUNTEER, UH, AND GIVE FOLKS THOSE PALLETS OF WATER AND, AND THE ICE AND THE FOOD. AND SO, UH, THANK YOU FOR, YOU KNOW, YOUR WILLINGNESS TO, TO HELP HOUSTONIANS AS WELL IN A TIME OF NEED. IT'S GREATLY APPRECIATED. COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ, THANK YOU, VICE MAYOR, PRO TIM. AND CERTAINLY I HAVE A LOT OF FRIENDS THAT, UM, SERVED IN THE NAVY, SO I'VE HEARD A LOT OF STORIES ABOUT WHAT GOES ON IN ALL OF THESE PORTS WITH ALL OF THESE GIRLFRIENDS. BUT MOVING RIGHT ALONG, , I DIGRESS, BUT CERTAINLY I WANNA RECOGNIZE A SPECIAL PERSON. AND THAT'S DR. NIECY HAMILTON. UM, YOU KNOW, SHE'S JUST A PHENOMENAL REPRESENTATIVE OF WHAT YOU ALL INSTILLED IN HER. UH, SHE HAS A MINISTRY, I CALL IT, AND SHE'S WALKING [00:30:01] AND HELPING US WITH, WITH THOSE THAT ARE BEING SEX TRAFFICKED. AND SO CERTAINLY YOU ALL HAVE TO BE SO VERY PROUD OF HER AS I AM. AND I ALSO WANNA RECOGNIZE DIRECTOR DEMBO, WHO'S ALWAYS STANDING WITH ALL OF OUR MILITARY. AND WE DO THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE. AND THANK YOU MAYOR FOR, UM, THIS PROCLAMATION AS WELL AS COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS. AND IF YOU WANNA COME INSIDE FOR THE PHOTO. YEAH, THANK YOU. THE BEST WAY TO DO IS I'LL TAKE YOUR TIME. I JUST GO INSIDE. RIGHT. AND MAYOR, LET ME ALSO RECOGNIZE WE HAVE A NUMBER OF NAVY VETERANS HERE WHO, UH, AS WELL. AND SO WE JUST WANNA RECOGNIZE ALL OF YOU AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO OUR COUNTRY, AND WE'RE GLAD YOU'RE HERE TODAY SO THAT WE CAN HONOR YOU AS WELL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I DIDN'T SEE DR. JONES OVER THERE. THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES MAYOR WHITMEYER, WHO WILL PRESENT THE MAYOR'S HISPANIC HERITAGE COMMUNITY ACTIVIST AWARD TO CLAUDIA ORTEGA HOGUE. HEY, HOW ARE YOU? GOOD. ROLLING. UM, AS WE'VE BEEN HONORING THE MAYOR'S HISPANIC HERITAGE AWARD MONTH, UH, SPECIAL AWARD TODAY FOR A COMMUNITY ACTIVIST AND, UH, CLAUDIA ORTEGA HOGUE, UH, SPEAKS VOLUMES ABOUT WHY WE'RE A GREAT CITY, AS I WAS SAYING EARLIER, IN OUR DIVERSITY INCLUSION. AND, UH, THEN I FIND OUT AND REMIND MYSELF THAT YOU'RE THE PRESIDENT OF LEGAL WOMEN VOTERS. YOU'RE PROTECTING OUR DEMOCRACY IN SO MANY WAYS AND, UH, MESSAGING ACROSS OUR COMMUNITY, THE IMPORTANCE OF REGISTERING AND VOTING. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. UH, THANK YOU. I ASSUME IT'S GOT TO BE A TOUGH JOB, PARTICULARLY IN THESE [00:35:01] CHALLENGING ELECTIONS. I KNOW, UH, TO GET EVERYONE TO SUPPORT THE CANDIDATE OR THEIR CHOICE, OF COURSE, PARTISAN, BUT CERTAINLY TO COME OUT. SO THANK YOU FOR, FOR WHAT YOU DO. AND, UH, I HAVE THIS PROCLAMATION THAT QUITE FRANKLY SPEAKS TO ALL THE HIGHLIGHTS IN YOUR CAREER. AND IT OBVIOUSLY, AS I JUST SAID, UH, POINTS OUT YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR ELECTORAL PROCESS AND THE LEGAL WIND VOTERS ARE SO WISE TO HAVE CHOSEN YOU. SO WE HAVE THIS PROCLAMATION, AND I'M SO PROUD TO PRESENT IT TO COUNCIL AND THE PUBLIC THAT I, JOHN WHITMEYER, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROCLAIM OCTOBER 8TH, 2024 AS CLAUDIA OR TAKE A HOPE DAY, AND ALL THAT STANDS FOR. SO THANK YOU. I CAN READ, I COULD READ ALL YOUR ACCOLADES, HOUSTON, ONE OF HOUSTON'S 50TH MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN. SO THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE FOR OUR GREAT CITY. YOU NEED TO TURN OKAY. SORRY. AND I'LL GIVE TO YOU. OKAY? YES, YES. GOOD AFTERNOON. UM, GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR WHITMEYER, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, FRIENDS, AMIGOS COLLEAGUES, AND MY FELLOW ESTONIANS. I AM TRU, TRULY HUMBLE AND HONORED TO STAND BEFORE YOU TODAY TO RECEIVE THE 2024 MAYOR'S HISPANIC HERITAGE AWARD FOR COMMUNITY ACTIVISM. THIS RECOGNITION REFLECTS NOT JUST MY INDIVIDUAL EFFORTS, BUT THE COLLECTIVE WORK AND DEDICATION OF MANY PEOPLE COMMITTED TO EMPOWERING OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH CIVIC ENGAGEMENT. I WANT TO TAKE, TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO THANK MY FAMILY, ADRIANA, ROBERTO RICARDO, MY MOM, KATHY, TO MY INCREDIBLE HUSBAND, JOSHUA HOKE, KNOWN AS RO TWO BEAUTIFUL CHILDREN, JOY AND EVA, KNOWN AS HOUSTON HOAX, MY CHAMPIONS AND MENTORS WHO HAVE BEEN MY FOUNDATION AND RESOURCE OF STRENGTH THROUGHOUT THIS JOURNEY TO THE MANY COMMUNITY PARTNER PARTNERS. AND I HAVE A LOT OF MANY HEADS FOR THOSE THAT KNOW ME, I'M GONNA JUST MENTION A FEW HOUSTON TOOL BANK, ADVANCE HOUSTON BONDING AGAINST ADVERSITY, NATIONAL IMMIGRATION FORUM, AMERICAN LEADERSHIP FORUM, AND ESPECIALLY SHOUT OUT TO MY INCREDIBLE TEAM AT THE LEGAL WOMEN VOTERS OF HOUSTON, KATIE, PRISCILLA, DIANA, EMILY BEING LAUREN, PRESENT BOARD MEMBERS, PATH MEMBERS, VOLUNTEERS, FRIENDS AND ADVOCATES THAT I HAVE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF WORKING ALONG THE SIDE OF, UH, IN THE COMMUNITY. THIS AWARD BELONGS TO ALL OF YOU. YOUR PASSION, YOUR COMMITMENT TO JUSTICE, AND YOUR BELIEF IN THE POWER OF OUR VOICES ARE WHAT MAKES OUR WORK POSSIBLE TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON, MAYOR'S HISPANIC ADVISORY BOARD AND MAYOR WHITMEYER, THANK YOU FOR THIS HONOR AND FOR CREATING A PLATFORM THAT CELEBRATES THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY. OUR CITY'S DIVERSITY IS ITS STRENGTH. AND I'M PROUD TO BE PART OF A COMMUNITY THAT EMBRACES CIVIC PARTICIPATION AS A WAY TO SHAPE OUR FUTURE. AS WE GATHER TO CELEBRATE HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH, WE CELEBRATE NOT ONLY OUR RICH CULTURAL HISTORY, BUT ALSO OUR VITAL ROLE IN SHAPING THE FUTURE OF THE CITY, THE STATE, AND THIS NATION. OUR HERITAGE IS THE LEGACY OF RESILIENCE, DETERMINATION, AND THE UNWAVERING BELIEF THAT EACH OF US CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE TO EVERY PERSON IN THIS ROOM. YOUR ENGAGEMENT MATTERS TO THE YOUNG LEADERS AMONG US. THIS IS YOUR TIME TO GET INVOLVED AND SHAPE THE FUTURE YOU WANT TO SEE. DON'T WAIT FOR OTHERS TO MAKE THE CHANGE. BE THE CHANGE. OUR COMMUNITY IS COUNTING ON YOU. I'M DEEPLY GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE, UH, THIS INCREDIBLE CITY, AND ITS BEAUTIFUL, VIBRANT PEOPLE. I DEDICATE THIS TO EVERY PERSON WHO BELIEVES, BELIEVES IN THE POWER OF THEIR VOICE, AND TO EVERYONE WHO WORKS TIRELESSLY TO ENSURE THAT OUR COMMUNITY IS HEARD, VALUE AND EMPOWERED TO TOGETHER WE MOVE FORWARD. THANK YOU. GRACIAS. THANK YOU. AND WE HAVE SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS IN THE QUEUE. COUNCIL MEMBER, MEMBER MARTINEZ. THANK YOU. VICE MAYOR PROAM, UH, CLAUDIA FELIC. UH, I THINK WE GO BACK LIKE 20 YEARS NILE, WHEN YOU'RE DOING VOTER OUTREACH AND CENSUS WORK WHEN I WAS AT BAKER RIPLEY. UM, AND JUST WANNA SAY THAT, UH, THROUGHOUT THAT, THAT TIME THAT I'VE BEEN ABLE TO WORK ALONGSIDE YOU, UH, YOU'VE BEEN A MENTOR AS WELL. UH, SO THANK YOU FOR CREATING PLATFORMS FOR YOUNG FOLKS TO STAY ENGAGED. UM, JUST, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE SO, SO JUST BEAUTIFUL. UM, I KNOW THAT YOU HAVE THE COMMUNITY, UM, COMMUNITY MINDED FIRST, FIRST AND FOREMOST. AND SO KEEP KEEP, UH, SETTING A GREAT EXAMPLE. UM, AND, [00:40:01] UH, I'M HERE TO CONTINUE TO FOLLOW CIA, CIA, SECOND COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. OH, THANK YOU. VICE MAYOR PRO TEM, AND CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU CLAUDIA. THANK YOU MAYOR. MAYOR HISPANIC ADVISORY BOARD. UM, THIS IS AN EXCELLENT, WELL-DESERVED AWARD. UH, YOU ARE CLEARLY SO PASSIONATE ABOUT CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND VOTER ENGAGEMENTS AND GETTING OUR COMMUNITY INVOLVED IN THE CIVIC PROCESS THROUGH ALL THE WORK YOU'VE DONE AND, AND THE IMPACT THAT YOU HAVE MADE. UH, THIS IS A WELL-DESERVED HONOR AND, UH, I KNOW THAT THERE'S MORE GREAT THINGS TO COME. SO THANK YOU AND CONGRATULATIONS, . THANK YOU. CHAIR RECOGNIZES, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. THANK YOU, VICE MAYOR, PRO TEM. I, I WANNA MAKE SURE WE RECOGNIZE WE HAVE STATE REPRESENTATIVE CHRISTINA MORALES IN THE CHAMBER. I WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND BEING PRESIDENT. UH, PRESENT STATE REPRESENTATIVE MORALES CHAIR RECOGNIZES MAYOR WHITMEYER, WHO WILL PRESENT THE MAYOR'S HISPANIC HERITAGE PUBLIC SERVICE AWARD TO JUAN HERNANDEZ, JR. THANK YOU. WELL, JUAN NEEDS NO INTRODUCTION. YES. HI, CHRISTINE. YES. NEEDS NO INTRODUCTION. AND, AND I, IN ALL DUE RESPECT TO THE OTHER NOMINEES AND CHOSEN FOLKS BY THE HISPANIC, UH, HERITAGE AWARD SERVICE, UH, YOUR FAMILY. SO, UH, YOU'RE NOT THE, WE DIDN'T SAY THE BEST FOR LAST. WE SAVE FAMILY FOR LAST ONE IS, WE KNOW, HELPS HOUSTON EACH AND EVERY DAY BY HOLDING ALL OF US ACCOUNTABLE. YEP. HE NOT ONLY HELPS US GET ELECTED, HE EXPECTS MUCH FROM YOU AND, AND WILL HOLD YOU ACCOUNTABLE. AND THAT'S WHAT WE NEED. AND IT CONTRIBUTES TO OUR GREATNESS. UH, I COULD READ THE WHOLE PROCLAMATION, BUT I'M NOT BECAUSE WE'RE FAMILIAR WITH YOUR GREATNESS, UH, IN THE HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT, UH, DENVER HARBOR. I KNOW, THAT'S RIGHT. . YOU KNOW, JUAN SAYS, WHILE Y'ALL ARE ARGUING OFTEN ABOUT WHETHER IT'S 10 FOOT SIDEWALKS [00:45:01] OR SIX FOOT FOOT SIDEWALKS IN THE HEIGHTS IN MONTROSE, WE JUST WANT OUR FIRST SIDEWALK. THAT'S RIGHT. THAT'S RIGHT. AND THAT'S OUR COMMITMENT TO YOU TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN. BUT THANK YOU AND YOUR AND YOUR WIFE FOR, UH, ALWAYS MAKING US FEEL AT HOME IN THE RESTAURANT. AS I SAID EARLIER, WE HAVE A GREAT CITY. AND WHILE WE WORK ON SOME OF OUR CHALLENGES, THEY'RE INDIVIDUALS, ORGANIZATIONS THAT JUST DAILY MAKE US THE GREAT CITY WE ARE. SO JUAN, I'M VERY EXCITED THAT THE, UH, ADVISORY GROUP RECOGNIZE YOU. UH, MARIO GALLEGOS BROUGHT US TOGETHER, SO I'D HAVE TO MENTION ONE OF MY, UH, COLLEAGUES, BUT, UH, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON. SO I, JOHN WHITMEYER, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY HONOR JUAN HERNANDEZ WITH THE MAYOR'S HISPANIC HERITAGE AWARD AND DECLARE OCTOBER 8TH AS JUAN HERNANDEZ DAY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. CONGRATULATIONS, YO, TO REPRESENTATIVE MORALES, WHO IS A FAMILY FRIEND OF OUR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. UH, THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE. UM, I NOMINATED JUAN, AND LET ME TELL YOU A COUPLE OF IMPORTANT THINGS ABOUT HIM. HE'S A RETIRED FIREFIGHTER AND HE BECAME A FIREFIGHTER WHEN THERE WEREN'T MANY LATINOS IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. UM, HE'S A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER, AND I'M SURE YOU'VE ALL BEEN THERE BECAUSE IT IS BECOME A POLITICAL HUB. AND I'M SO PROUD IT'S IN SECOND WARD, WHICH I REPRESENT. BUT PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT JUAN IS TO NOT BE ON HIS BAD SIDE, , BECAUSE YOU'RE RIGHT THERE. HE DOES HOLD US ACCOUNTABLE EVERY DAY. HE GOES ABOVE AND BEYOND FOR HIS COMMUNITY, BOTH DENVER HARBOR AND SECOND WARD. HE LIVES IN DENVER HARBOR. SO YOU CAN'T VOTE FOR ME, JUAN, BUT YOU'VE GOT YOUR BUSINESS IN SECOND WARD, AND I'M PROUD OF THAT. UH, LISTEN, LAST YEAR I DECIDED TO MAKE A VIDEO OF JUAN FOR TIKTOK. AND YOU KNOW, I'M ALWAYS TRYING TO MAKE SURE MY SOCIAL MEDIA IS WELL WATCHED, AND I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT WAS THE MOST WATCHED VIDEO THAT I EVER POSTED WITH OVER 18,000 VIEWS AND ABOUT 5,000 LIKES. WOO. ONE. AND YOU SAID IN THE VIDEO, LATINOS NEED TO VOTE. AND THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE LOVED ABOUT WHAT YOU SAID. YOU CAN WALK INTO HIS RESTAURANT AT ANY TIME AND YOU KNOW YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A MEANINGFUL CONVERSATION ABOUT THINGS GOING ON IN THE COMMUNITY OR SOMETHING ABOUT POLITICS. UH, I'VE BEEN AT YOUR PLACE WHEN YOU'VE HAD COMMUNITY FUNDRAISERS AND COMMUNITY MEETINGS. YOU TRULY, UH, GO ABOVE AND BEYOND. AND LET'S NOT FORGET ABOUT YOUR BEAUTIFUL WIFE WHO SUPPORTS YOU EVERY STEP OF THE WAY IN YOUR FAMILY WHO'S HERE TODAY. UM, SO LISTEN, JUAN, UH, THIS IS GONNA BE ONE OF MY PROUDEST MOMENTS AS A STATE REPRESENTATIVE TO HAVE NOMINATED YOU FOR THIS WELL-DESERVED AWARD. AND, UH, I'M JUST HAPPY TO BE HERE AND STAND WITH YOU. YES, JUAN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. WELL, THANK Y'ALL. THANK Y'ALL. AND, UH, YOU KNOW WHAT? I WANNA SAY SOMETHING 'CAUSE MY SON ALWAYS TELLS ME ONE MAN CAN DO IT. AND YOU KNOW WHAT? ONE MAN CAN DO IT. BUT I GOTTA HAVE GOOD FRIENDS LIKE THE MAYOR, MY CITY COUNCILMAN, MARIO, SALLY, JOAQUIN, JULIAN. AND DON'T BE SCARED DAVIS , BECAUSE YOU KNOW WHAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S HARD FOR ONE MAN TO DO IT. BUT WHEN YOU GOT A TEAM LIKE THIS AND, YOU KNOW, PICK UP THE PHONE, MAKE THE PHONE CALL OR GET THE MAYOR OUT THERE TO HELP CLEAN UP, UH, LIONS AVENUE, YOU KNOW, THEY SEE HOW MUCH HELP WE NEED IN DENVER HARBOR. SO I APPRECIATE IT. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU, MAYOR. WE HAVE A FEW COUNCIL MEMBERS IN THE QUEUE. COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ, THANK YOU, VICE MAYOR PROAM, UH, JUAN, JUST WANNA SAY CONGRATULATIONS AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR FRIENDSHIP, UH, YOUR HONESTY. UM, IF YOU WANT TO GET, UH, ABUSED, GO TO HIS RESTAURANT . UM, HE WILL TELL YOU LIKE IT IS WHETHER YOU, WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT. UH, BUT IN ALL SERIOUSNESS, UM, UH, I KNOW THAT YOUR HEART IS IN, IN THE RIGHT PLACE, UH, JUAN. AND SO I KNOW, UH, MARIO'S YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, BUT YOU KNOW THAT YOU CAN ALWAYS PICK UP THE PHONE AND GIMME A CALL. UM, WE'VE BEEN WORKING AT, AT SOME THINGS FOR, YOU KNOW, SINCE I WAS A STAFFER. UM, AND JUST KNOW THAT I'M HERE TO HELP AND SUPPORT BECAUSE, UH, WHAT DENVER HARBOR NEEDS MAGNOLIA PARK NEEDS AS WELL. AND I KNOW YOU UNDERSTAND THAT. UM, SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR, UH, YOUR COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY, UH, FOR ALWAYS OPENING UP YOUR RESTAURANT. UM, AND, YOU KNOW, EVEN THOUGH YOU OPEN UP AT EIGHT, THANKS FOR LETTING ME IN AT SEVEN 30 SOMETIMES. COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. WELL, THANK YOU, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER PECK AND JUAN, WHAT CAN I SAY? CONGRATULATIONS. UH, DENVER HARBOR [00:50:01] HAS NO FIERCER ADVOCATE THAN YOU. AND, UH, I CAN SAY THE SAME THING ABOUT YOUR ADVOCACY FOR THE EAST END AND, AND, UH, EG BARRIO. BUT, UH, I APPRECIATE YOUR FRIENDSHIP. I APPRECIATE THE COUNCIL YOU HAVE GIVEN ME. UH, I'LL SHARE SOMETHING WITH EVERYONE. WHEN I WAS CONSIDERING RUNNING, I ASKED YOU WHAT YOU THOUGHT ABOUT THE AT LARGE COUNCIL POSITION. YOU REMEMBER WHAT, REMEMBER WHAT YOU TOLD ME, ? DO YOU WANNA REPEAT IT? NO. . ALRIGHT. YEAH. UH, THE GIST OF IT IS YOU DIDN'T THINK VERY MUCH OF, OF AT LARGE COUNCIL MEMBERS IN GENERAL LOOKING, LOOKING BACK OVER THE YEARS. AND I NEVER FORGOTTEN THAT. AND EVERY TIME, UH, UH, I THINK THIS JOB GETS HARD, I THINK ABOUT THAT AND IT INSPIRES ME TO WORK HARDER. SO, YES, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO IS YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER, BUT I'M YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER AS WELL AND YOUR FRIEND, THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO. CONGRATULATIONS. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. VICE MAYOR, PRO TEM. CONGRATULATIONS, JUAN. UH, YOU KNOW, THIS IS SUCH A APPROPRIATE HONOR FOR YOU, UM, WHO'S SERVED AS A FIREFIGHTER AND HAS CONTINUED TO SERVE, UH, IN YOUR RETIREMENT WITH YOUR SMALL BUSINESS THAT IS, YOU KNOW, A COMMUNITY HUB, A COMMUNITY CENTER. AND WHEN THINGS COME THROUGH THAT ARE GONNA BENEFIT DENVER HARBOR, YOU'RE WILLING TO OPEN YOUR DOORS AND HOST IT LIKE A, THE COMMUNITY MEETING FOR, FOR MEOW WOLF. YOU DID THAT WITHOUT A BLINK OF AN EYE. AND YOU'VE DONE THAT FOR SO MANY YEARS. UM, IT'S ALWAYS APPRECIATED. YOU KNOW HOW DIRECT AND HONEST YOU ARE. UH, 'CAUSE WE DON'T ALWAYS GET THAT, UH, FROM CONSTITUENTS, BUT I KNOW THAT WE ALWAYS GET IT FROM YOU. AND SO NOW WITH THIS HONOR, UH, WE'RE GONNA PUT A CARDBOARD CUT OUTTA YOU AT CITY HALL . UM, SO THAT WHEN YOU WALK IN, THAT'S THE FIRST THING YOU SEE. HALLMAN ALL. THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. MAYOR. UH, OH. NOW, LEMME TELL YOU, EVERYBODY ELSE BEAT AROUND THE BUSH. I'M, I'M NOT GOING TO JUST BEAT AROUND THE BUSH ON WHAT HE SAID. I'M GONNA TELL YOU WHAT HE SAID WHEN I WAS IN THERE. NO, I'M NOT GONNA DO THAT. , I'M NOT GONNA DO THAT. JUAN. CONGRATULATIONS MY FRIEND. AND TO ALL OF THOSE WHO MENTIONED HIM, AND I'VE GOT TO KNOW HIM VERY WELL, HE AND HIS BEAUTIFUL FAMILY. AND, UH, MATTER OF FACT, UH, I DROPPED THROUGH THERE, HAVE LUNCH, TOOK MY CONSTITUENT SERVICE GUYS. JUAN IS TRULY A HERO IN THE COMMUNITY, UH, FOR ONE THAT SPENT TIME BOTH AT THIRD WARD AND EAST END AS A MUSTANG. SO, HEY, YOU KNOW, BUT JUAN, YOU DESERVE IT, MAN. YOU'RE THE BEST. THANK YOU, SIR. YOU WELCOME. COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN. THANK YOU. AND JUAN, CONGRATULATIONS. UH, JUAN AND I WORKED, UM, TOGETHER ON GETTING SOME STRIPING DOWN, UM, DOWN LYONS AVENUE. BUT WHAT THE STORY I DIDN'T TELL YOU, JUAN, IS WHEN I WAS PUSHING FOR THAT. AND, AND PUBLIC WORKS WAS GREAT, AND WE HAD HAD SOME ISSUES WITH THE STRIPING, BUT WE GOT IT. WE GOT IT TO DATE. I THINK IT WAS LIKE NOVEMBER. AND I TOLD JUAN, I GO, OKAY, GOT THIS DONE. IT'S COMING IN NOVEMBER. AND IN THE MEANTIME, PUBLIC WORKS CALLED ME BACK AND SAID, OH GOSH, ACTUALLY IT'S GONNA BE MUCH LATER BECAUSE WE GOT IT CONFUSED. AND I SAID, YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND. I ALREADY TOLD JUAN. AND LIKE, GET IT DONE. I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO, WE'RE SCARED. SO THANKS FOR YOUR ADVOCACY. WE'RE HERE FOR YOU. THANK YOU. VERY GOOD. AWESOME. [2:00 P.M. – INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE] [00:57:15] CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILMAN ALCORN FOR THE INVOCATION. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND IT'S MY HONOR TO INTRODUCE SOMEONE WHO NEEDS NO INTRODUCTION. HIS EMINENCE, DANIEL CARD, CARDINAL DENARDO, WHO I HOPE WILL EX WILL FORGIVE ME FOR MAKING HIM SIT HERE FOR SO LONG, THIS TODAY. BUT THANK YOU. COME ON UP. AND, UM, AND, UH, AS EVERYONE KNOWS, UM, CARDINAL DENARDO IS THE ARCHBISHOP OF GALVESTON HOUSTON AND PASTORS TO ITS 2 MILLION PLUS CATHOLICS AND 435 PRIESTS AND 146 PARISHES AND 54 SCHOOLS SPREAD OUT OVER 8,000 SQUARE MILES. HE, HIS SEATS ARE AT ST. MARY'S CATHEDRAL BASILICA IN GALVESTON AND THE COC CATHEDRAL OF THE SACRED HEART IN HOUSTON. HE CAME TO HOUSTON BACK IN 2000, UH, FOUR. HE SUCCEEDED ARCHBISHOP JOSEPH REZA ON FEBRUARY 28TH, 2006, AND WAS ELEVATED TO CARDINAL BY POPE BENEDICT IN 2007. IT IS, MY HONOR, AND I AM THRILLED TO HAVE YOU HERE AT CITY HALL, UM, EVERY TIME, MAYOR, THAT I HAVE ASKED CARDINAL DINARDO TO COME, AND IT'S BEEN FOUR OR FIVE TIMES, HE ALWAYS SAYS YES. SO THANK YOU SALLY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR KIND INVITATION, UH, THANKS TO ALL HERE, UH, ON THE COUNCIL, PARTICULARLY TO, UH, MAYOR WHITMEYER. THANK YOU. LET US PRAY. OH GOD, AUTHOR OF ALL WHO ALL THAT WE HAVE AND ARE WE COME BEFORE YOU TO SEEK YOUR INTERCESSION. WE BLESS AND THANK YOU FOR THE GREAT GIFTS WHICH YOU HAVE GIVEN OUR CITY AS WE LIVE AND SUSTAIN OUR GROWING COMMUNITY. AS WE SEEK TO PROMOTE THE DIGNITY AND WELLBEING OF EVERY HUMAN BEING PERSON, LET US REMEMBER AT THE FOREFRONT OF OUR MINDS, THOSE LESS FORTUNATE, THE SICK AND THE POOR, THE DOWNTRODDEN AND THE FORGOTTEN. MAY EACH OF US BE INSTRUMENTS OF MERCY AND FORGIVENESS TO THOSE WE ENCOUNTER IN A PARTICULAR WAY. OH LORD, WE ASK YOUR BLESSING UPON THE LEADERS OF OUR CITY THAT THEY MAY CONTINUE TO BE INFORMED BY THE VIRTUES OF WISDOM AND PRUDENCE AND EMBOLDENED BY THE VIRTUES OF JUSTICE AND MERCY, FOUNDED IN THE JUSTICE, IN THE VIRTUES OF TEMPERANCE AND FORTITUDE, AND WITNESSES OF CHARITY AND HUMILITY. MAY WE CONDUCT OUR MEETINGS WITH VIGOR, RESPECT, AND GOOD PATIENCE SO THAT WE MIGHT RECOGNIZE IN EACH PERSON YOUR LOVING PRESENCE AND WORK FOR THE COMMON GOOD OF ALL. YOU ARE BLESSED FOREVER ENDEAVOR. AMEN. AMEN. THANK YOU. WOULD YOU PLEASE STAND FOR THE PLEDGE, OUR PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. FROM [01:00:01] WHICH ONE NATION UNDER LIBERTY. JUSTICE [ROLL CALL AND ADOPT THE MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING] MADAM SECRETARY, YOU CALL THE ROLE PLEASE. MAYOR WHITMEYER. PRESENT. COUNCILMAN PECK HERE. COUNCILMAN JACKSON? HERE. COUNCIL MC CADEN WILL BE ABSENT. COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN CHABA. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. PRESENT. COUNCILMAN HUFFMAN. PRESENT. COUNCILMAN CASTILLO? HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ. HERE. COUNCILMAN PORT POLLARD. HERE. COUNCIL CASTEX WILL BE ABSENT. COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ? HERE. COUNCILMAN DAVIS. HERE. COUNCIL CARTER. PRESENT. COUNCILMAN PALMER WILL BE ABSENT. COUNCIL ALCORN HERE NEED A MOTION TO DELAY THE MINUTES. HECK MOVES. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. PROCEDURAL MOTIONS CHAIR RECOGNIZES. COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. THANK YOU MAYOR. MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO MOVE ORHAN KU OMAN TO THE TOP OF THE THREE MINUTE NON AGENDA LIST. I SECOND. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION IS PASSED. HE HAS, IT'S ALRIGHT. IT'S ALRIGHT. ANY OTHER PROCEDURES? UH, GO AHEAD MADAM SECRETARY, OUR FIRST WITNESS, OUR HAND, C COMAN. COME FORWARD. HONORABLE MAYOR WITH MAR AND HONORABLE COUNCIL MEMBERS. UH, GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS ORHAN . I AM THE PRESIDENT FOR, UH, ISTANBUL HOUSTON SISTER CITY ASSOCIATION, AS WELL AS AMERICAN TUR BUSINESS COUNCIL. I AM, UH, PROUD TO LET YOU KNOW THAT THIS SATURDAY WE WILL HOST INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF LANGUAGE AND CULTURE IFLC HERE IN, UM, UH, UNITED STATES AND AT THE VERY BEAUTIFUL CITY OF OUR HOUSTON, THE IFLC IS A GLOBAL EVENT ORGANIZED EVERY YEAR IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES AND WE ARE VERY HAPPY TO HOST THEM HERE IN, UH, THE, UH, HOUSTON. SO WE ARE WELCOMING 70 YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN FROM 25 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD AND FOUR DIFFERENT CONTINENTS. AND THEY CAME ALL THE WAY FROM THEIR COUNTRIES LAST 10 DAYS. THEY'VE BEEN, UH, REHEARSING, UH, THEIR, UM, UH, THE, UH, THE PERFORMANCE. THEY'RE GONNA SHOWCASE THE, UM, UH, UH, BEAUTIFUL CULTURE, UH, THROUGH THEIR, UH, DANCES AND SONGS AND, UH, THE TALENT PERFORMANCES. THESE STUDENTS FROM DIFFERENT COLORS, RELIGION, ETHNIC, UH, BACKGROUNDS, BUT THEY, THEY CAME ALL THE ONE, UH, ONE LANGUAGE, THE COMMON LANGUAGE THAT THEY USED, THE LANGUAGE OF LAW. THAT'S WHY WE CALL THEM, UH, THE COLORS OF THE WORLD. THEY HAVE BEEN, UM, DURING THIS 10 DAYS, THEY'VE BEEN HERE IN 10 DAYS, UH, THE HOUSTONIANS AS HOUSTONIANS, WE HAVE DONE OUR BEST TO SHOW THEM WHAT HOUSTONIANS HOSPITALITY ARE ALL ABOUT. AND, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO BRING THEM OVER HERE TO SEE THE, WHO'S THE, WHO ARE THE, UH, THE LEADERS BEHIND THE SCENES, OUR MAYORS, OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, TO MEET WITH THEM. SO, UH, WHEN THEY LEAVE HOUSTON AND UNITED STATES, UH, AFTER SATURDAY, THE NEXT, UH, THIS COMING SATURDAY, WE HOPE THAT THEY CARRY WITH THE GREAT EXPERIENCE AND BECOME AMBASSADORS FOR OUR CITY AND COUNTRY IN THE, IN THEIR HOME. SO WE HAVE SEVEN OF WHOM FROM DIFFERENT, BETWEEN FIVE DIFFERENT COUNTRIES. BUT I DIDN'T WANNA MAKE THIS ROOM AS BUSY, SO I JUST BROUGHT 12 OF THEM AND, UH, 10 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES. AND THEY'RE ALL OVER HERE. AND I AM PLEASED TO, UH, INTRODUCE THEM, UH, TO, TO YOU, TO YOU ALL. AND THEY ARE EXTENDING THEIR EX, UH, IMITATION TO OUR MAYOR, TO OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS TO JOIN THEM, UH, THIS COMING SATURDAY AT, UH, SEVEN 30 FOR THEIR SHOW. UH, WE ARE EXPECTING ABOUT 1200, UH, HOUSTONIANS. AND, UH, MR. MAYOR, THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, I KNOW I DON'T WANNA JEOPARDIZE YOUR MEETING, BUT IF THERE'S ANY WAY THAT YOU, UH, YOU CAN HAVE A, TAKE A QUICK PICTURE WITH THEM SO THEY CAN TAKE THIS TO THEIR HOME COUNTRY AS A GIFT FROM YOU ALL. FROM OUR CITY OF OUR HOUSTON, UH, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE. AND SO THEY BECOME, THEY BECOME THE AMBASSADOR OF OUR GREAT CITY OF, UH, HOUSTON. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU CA JUST A SEC. COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND ORHAN, UH, GREETINGS. IT'S GREAT TO SEE YOU BACK HERE AGAIN. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BRINGING, UH, THESE STUDENTS TO HOUSTON SO THEY CAN EXPERIENCE, UH, WHAT LIFE IS LIKE HERE AND OUR HOSPITALITY. I HOPE, UH, THE STUDENTS WHO COME FROM MANY COUNTRIES HAVE HAD A, A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE HERE. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THEY'LL BE GOING BACK HOME SOON. HOW, HOW LONG WILL THEY BE HERE IN HOUSTON? UH, THEY'VE BEEN HERE 10 DAYS, THEN ANOTHER FOUR DAYS FOR REHEARSING, UH, REHEARSING THEIR PERFORMANCE. AND, UH, THE EVENT IS ON SATURDAY AT SEVEN 30 AND THEY ARE START, UH, [01:05:01] GONNA LEAVE THIS COMING SUNDAY TO MONDAY. SOME FLYING OUT, UH, SUNDAY, SOME SUNFLOWER ON MONDAY AND TUESDAY. SO. AND CAN YOU TELL US, UH, WHAT COUNTRIES ARE REPRESENTED HERE THIS AFTERNOON? SO THIS, UH, TODAY HERE, WE, WE HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, COULD I, COULD I INTERRUPT? SURE. WHAT I WAS GONNA SUGGEST, IF WE ALLOW EACH STUDENT STATE THEIR NAME AND WHERE THEY'RE FROM. GOOD MORNING, PLEASE. YES. COME ON. IF THEY'RE GONNA BE OUR AMBASSADORS, WE NEED TO KNOW. SAY YOUR NAME AND JUST QUICKLY YOUR NAME AND YOUR UH, I'M ERIC FROM ROMANIA. GREAT. OKAY. GO OUT HERE. WE'LL FIGURE OUT A WAY TO TAKE A PICTURE. I AM AT FROM MOLDOVA. I'M MARIA AMELIA FROM ROMANIA. HMM. I AM ED FROM TANZANIA. MY NAME IS ANI, I'M FROM THE US I'M NIA AND I'M FROM KASTAN. I'M EE AND I'M FROM SOUTH AFRICA. I AM AND I'M FROM AUSTRALIA. I'M MAGDA FROM ROMANIA. I'M EBONY FROM FRANCE AND I'M FROM BUA, NEW GUINEA. I'M AYA FROM INDONESIA. COUNCILOR, MAYOR, I DIDN'T MEAN TO CUT YOU OFF, BUT I NO, THAT WAS A GREAT IDEA, MAYOR. THANK YOU. WELCOME EVERYONE. YEAH, WE'LL WE'LL TAKE A PHOTO ON A MINUTE. COUNCILMAN POLLARD. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND UH, GOOD AFTERNOON TO EVERYONE. ORHAN, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENCE, YOUR LEADERSHIP THROUGHOUT THE YEARS. UH, WE PRIDE OURSELVES HERE IN HOUSTON AND BEING THE MOST DIVERSE CITY IN AMERICA WHERE ONE OUT OF FOUR PEOPLE IN HOUSTON ARE FOREIGN BORN. UH, AND FOR YOU ALL TO BE IN OUR CITY, WE WANNA WELCOME YOU. UH, WELCOME TO HOUSTON. HOWDY AS WE WOULD SAY HERE. AND, UH, WE HOPE THAT YOU ALL HAVE BEEN ENJOYING YOUR TIME AND OUR LEARNING AS MUCH ABOUT THE UNITED STATES AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO SUPPORTING YOU ALL AS YOU ARE ON YOUR JOURNEY, UH, WITH THIS FESTIVAL AND MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR TIME HERE IN HOUSTON. AND ORHAN AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND YOUR COORDINATION AND EVERYONE INVOLVED. 'CAUSE I KNOW THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE BEHIND THE SCENES, BUT I'M SURE YOU ALL ARE MAKING YOUR FAMILIES AND YOUR LOVED ONES VERY PROUD AND YOU'RE REPRESENTING YOUR COUNTRIES VERY, VERY WELL HERE IN HOUSTON. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. VERY GOOD. YOU'RE WELCOME TO COME BACK ANYTIME. WE HOPE YOU TAKE, UH, THIS EXPERIENCE BACK TO YOUR HOMELAND AND HELP OTHERS. SO WITH THAT SAID, I WANT YOU TO HAVE A MEMORY OF CITY COUNCIL. IF Y'ALL WILL COME INSIDE THE HORSESHOE. WE'LL ALL STAND UP IN OUR SEATS AND TAKE A A PHOTO. I THINK THAT CYNTHIA, YOU WANT TO HELP? WHY DON'T Y'ALL COME UP HERE, RIGHT THERE, LOUIS, OPEN THE RIGHT HERE AND WE'LL JUST STAND UP IN OUR SEAT. A CHAIR I TO KIND OF TIGHTEN UP AND I GUESS WE NEED TO TIGHTEN UP TOO. YEAH, WE'LL NEVER GET TOGETHER. EDWARD, DON'T YOU COME FORWARD. CATHERINE, WHY DON'T WE COME MINGLE HERE ON BEHALF OF THE GROUP TO THE, TO THE CITY. PERFECT. THANK YOU SIR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. VERY GOOD. YOU HAVE? ALRIGHT. ALRIGHTY, EVAN, [PUBLIC SPEAKERS] COUNCILOR EVAN SHABAZZ. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MAYOR. I'D LIKE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO ADD LLOYD FORWARD TO THE TOP OF THE THREE MINUTE LIST [01:10:01] ARE BEHIND LLOYD FORD. THANK YOU. MOTION MAIDEN. SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. LLOYD FORD. I, I, I'M, I MAY NOT BE BACK. HELLO EVERYBODY. UM, AGAIN, MY NAME IS LLOYD FORD. I THINK I KNOW MANY OF YOU. UM, COMMUNITY ADVOCATE, SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD PRESIDENT. UM, I WOULD FIRST LIKE TO START OFF BY SAYING I WANNA THANK MY COUNCIL MEMBER FOR BEING, YOU KNOW, VERY RESPONSIVE IN ALL THE THINGS THAT WE DO IN OUR, OUR COMMUNITY IN DISTRICT D. UM, AND FIRST I WANNA START OFF BY SAYING, YOU KNOW, I COMMEND THE MAYOR, I COMMEND YOU NOT FOR, FOR THE CHANGES THAT YOU MADE IN THE ORDINANCE. NOT THAT I HAVE TO AGREE WITH 'EM, BUT I AGREE THAT YOU'VE SEEN THE CHANGE THAT NEED TO BE MADE IN YOUR COMMUNITY. AND GUESS WHAT? YOU MADE IT THROUGH THE LEGAL AND PROPER PROCEDURES. SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE ARE LOOKING TO DO TODAY AND I SEE THAT, I KNOW MOST OF YOU AND A LOT OF PEOPLE RAN ON ECONOMICS AND SAFETY. SO ONE THING THAT WE ALWAYS TRYING TO DO IS IMPLEMENT THOSE SAME SOLUTIONS WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY. AND AS YOU SEE, YOU HAVE THE PRESENTATION IN FRONT OF YOU. UM, WE'VE SPOKE TO EVERY CITY AGENCY THAT HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH THIS. WHETHER THAT BE H-P-D-D-R-T TEAMS, WHETHER THAT BE THE COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, UM, WHETHER THAT BE THE, UH, DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS, THANK YOU TO MR. ELDRIDGE. UM, SO ALL THESE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN VERY RESPONSIVE AND MISS HIPPOLITE ALSO AT THE, UH, COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. UM, SO THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE WANT TO CHANGE IN OUR COMMUNITIES AND OFFER THESE SAME INCENTIVES. AND WE WANT TO DO THAT BY HAVING OUR COMMUNITIES MORE SAFE AND MORE ECONOMICAL TO BRING BUSINESSES IN AND DO THESE THINGS. AND GUESS WHAT, THIS IS JUST NOT A DISTRICT D PROBLEM, EVEN THOUGH YOU SEE WE USE THE, THE TEMPLATE OF OUR FOUR SUPER NEIGHBORHOODS. THIS IS A DISTRICT D ALL THE WAY TO DISTRICT B AND EVERYWHERE ELSE THROUGH OUR CITY. AND SO THE TWO CHANGES THAT WE ARE LOOKING TO MAKE HERE TODAY ARE DEALING WITH TWO ORDINANCES, DEALING WITH THE CORNER STORES AND THE CONVENIENCE STORES AND GAS STATIONS, AND ALSO DEALING WITH THE VACANT PROPERTIES WITHIN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. IF Y'ALL SEE, WE'VE IDENTIFIED OVER 49 PROPERTIES JUST WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY, JUST ON THREE STREETS IN BETWEEN SIX 10 AND THE BELTWAY EIGHT. SO WITH THESE, WITH THE FIRST ONE THAT WE LOOK TO A MEN IS DEALING WITH THE CONVENIENCE STORES, UH, INCENTIVIZING THEM AND PENALIZING 'EM FOR ALLOWING DRUG USE DRUG SALES. AND WE HAVE YEARS OF FOOTAGE FROM PEOPLE SITTING OUTSIDE THESE STORES AND WHATEVER REASON THEY USE IT, A LAYER OF SECURITY, THEY FEEL LIKE NOBODY GONNA COME ROB THEM IF PEOPLE SITTING OUT THERE IN THE FRONT. BUT THIS MAKES OUR COMMUNITY LESS SAFE, LESS VALUABLE, UM, 'CAUSE MY WIFE ISN'T STOPPING AT ANY OF THESE STORES OR GAS STATIONS WHEN ALL THIS STUFF IS GOING ON. SO THAT, THAT ALSO CREATES SO MANY DIFFERENT PROBLEMS WITHIN OUR COMMUNITIES. AND WE WANT TO DO THIS BY, WE DON'T WANT TO GET OURSELVES BACK INTO THE SAME ISSUE OF VIOLATION IDENTIFICATION. SO WE ALSO PUT A CLAUSE IN THERE THAT ANYBODY CAN IDENTIFY THE ISSUE PER HAVING A TIMESTAMP OF THE VIDEO OR PICTURE IN MOTION. UM, AND WE CAN PUT IN THROUGH 3 1 1. BUT THE ISSUE IS TO FILE A CRIMINAL NUISANCE, YOU HAVE TO HAVE THREE OR FOUR OF THESE AND IT CAN ONLY BE DONE BY H-P-D-D-R-T TEAMS. SO EVEN IMPLEMENTING A SOLUTION LIKE THIS, IT CAN'T JUST BE DONE BY THAT. UM, AND THE SECOND ONE IS THE VACANT BUILDINGS WHERE WE WANT TO INCENTIVIZE PEOPLE TO HAVE SOMETHING OR DO SOMETHING WITH YOUR PROPERTY, RENT IT, LEASE IT, SELL IT, HAVE AN OPEN PERMIT THROUGH THE CITY OR HAVE SOME TYPE OF UTILITIES ON. BUT IF YOU CAN SEE WE HAVE PEOPLE LIVING IN OPEN BUILDINGS. WE HAVE BOATS AND THE BOATS AND PROPERTIES AND COMMERCIAL EV COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES. SO WE WANT TO INCENTIVIZE PEOPLE TO DO SOMETHING WITH THEIR PROPERTY. AND AGAIN, THIS CAN BE THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE CITY, JUST NOT DISTRICT D. AND WE MADE SURE NOT TO VIOLATE CITY OR I MEAN STATE PROPERTY LAWS. SO HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET THIS GOING. THANK YOU SIR. EVAN, THANK YOU COUNCILOR EVANS SHABA. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU LLOYD. LLOYD AND I HAVE AN ENGAGEMENT EVERY MONTH TOGETHER. BUT WHAT I LIKE ABOUT LLOYD IS HE DOESN'T JUST LISTEN TO COMPLAINTS, HE TRIES TO BRING SOLUTIONS. AND THAT IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT AND I APPRECIATE THE PARTNERSHIP. NOW, I BELIEVE THAT YOU HAVE PRESENTED THIS PACKAGE AND I THINK IT'S UNDER LEGAL REVIEW. AND SO WE WILL LOOK AT IT AND SEE HOW WE CAN IMPLEMENT BECAUSE I'M ALWAYS BEHIND TRYING TO CLEAN UP THE DISTRICT AS WELL AS HAVE ORDINANCES THAT PROTECT THE SAFETY AND QUALITY [01:15:01] OF LIFE OF THE CONSTITUENTS. AND SO I WANNA THANK YOU FOR COMING TODAY AND I LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO WORK WITH YOU IN THE FUTURE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. THANK YOU. VICE MAYOR, PRO TEM BROTHER. LORD, GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN. THANK YOU FOR COMING. AND THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE, UH, COMMUNITY ACTIVIST LEADERSHIP THAT YOU HAVE DONE IN THE PAST AND DOING NOW. AND THAT IS TO RECOGNIZE THE, THE NEED FOR WHAT NEEDS TO GO ON WITHIN THIS COMMUNITY. AND IT IS, IT'S TO, IT'S QUITE A BIT OF PLIGHT AND WE, WE'VE GOTTA WORK HARD AT DOING ALL THAT WE CAN AND WE CERTAINLY, UH, WILL EMBRACE YOU, EMBRACE THIS, HAVE DISCUSSIONS ON IT AND FURTHERING TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO HELP AND ASSIST WITHIN THE DISTRICT AND THE LEADERSHIP OF THE DISTRICT IN ORDER TO DO IT. BECAUSE IT IS A LOT OF IT, SOME OF IT'S EYESORE, BUT IT CAN NOT ONLY, WE JUST DON'T NEED TO JUST TALK ABOUT REDEVELOPMENT, BUT DEVELOPING AREAS THAT ARE UNDERSERVED. AND THIS IS DEFINITELY, UM, UH, SOME OF IT. SO WE, WE WILL EMBRACE THAT AND HAVE FURTHER CONVERSATION ON HOW WE CAN MOVE FARTHER IN IT. FOR SURE. AND I THANK YOU AND I SAY WE SAY THIS ALL THE TIME, YOU DON'T HAVE TO TAKE OUR LANGUAGE, BUT WE FEEL LIKE THIS SHOULD BE THE SOLUTION TO SOMETHING THAT IF THE OPTION TO DO NOTHING SHOULD BE DONE. YEAH. SO THIS SHOULD BE A SOLUTION, A STEP FORWARD TO SOMETHING BEING DONE AND NOTHING SHOULD BE OFF THE TABLE. YEAH. THANK YOU FOR YOUR MATERIAL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER MAYOR JACKSON. THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU MR. LORD FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP. I COMMEND YOU, UM, ON THIS PLAN. AND WHEN YOU HAVE A PLAN WHERE YOU HAVE COMMUNITY HAVE COME TOGETHER TO CO-CREATE AND CO-DESIGN THE PLAN, THAT'S WHEN YOU HAVE SUCCESS. THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN GET THINGS DONE IS BY WORKING TO TOGETHER AND COLLECTIVELY. AND IT'S NOT EASY TO DO BECAUSE YOU HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE WITH DIFFERENT PERSONALITIES. BUT WHEN YOU COME TOGETHER AND CREATE A PLAN WHERE YOU ALL ON ONE ACCORD, THAT'S WHEN CHANGE HAPPENED. SO I COMMEND YOU, UM, ANYTHING THAT MY OFFICE CAN DO TO SUPPORT YOU, UM, AND, AND THE GROUPS, THE ORGANIZATIONS AS PART OF THIS PLAN, APPRECIATE, UM, I'M HERE, UM, TO WORK WITH THE COUNCIL MEMBER. I KNOW SHE'S BEHIND IT. SHE ENDORSED IT. UM, JUST CONGRATULATIONS. I LOVE TO SEE COLLABORATIONS. I MEAN THAT, THAT'S GOOD. SO THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK, THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, ROSALYN EDWARDS. GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND COUNCIL. MY NAME IS ROSALYN EDWARDS AND I WAS BRING THE MIC DOWN. BRING THE MIC DOWN TO YOU. CAN YOU CAN PULL THAT MICROPHONE DOWN. SAY IT BETTER. YES. OKAY. MY NAME IS ROSALYN EDWARDS AND I'M THE HONOR OF A LITTLE, UH, WE CALL IT TO CULTRATE. IT'S A LITTLE CULTURAL SHOP RIGHT THERE AT A YELLOWSTONE IN CULLEN. AND WHAT I'M HERE ABOUT TODAY, I WAS HERE BEFORE AND UM, FIRST THE SMOKE SHOP NEXT DOOR, THEY HAVE THE LOUD MUSIC. YES, THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO PAY, PLAY THEIR MUSIC, BUT THEY'RE DISTURBING US. THEY'RE DISTURBING MEDITATION. THEY'RE DISTURBING THE CUSTOMERS THAT COME IN. 'CAUSE THEY'RE ASKING WHY IS IT SO LOUD? OF COURSE WE'VE SPOKEN WITH 'EM, THE LANDLORD HAS SPOKEN WITH 'EM, TOLD 'EM THAT MAYBE THEY NEED TO SOUND PROOF IT. BUT THE OTHER THINGS THAT WORRY ME ARE THE YOUNG KIDS THAT ARE COMING IN AND THEY'RE SELLING TO THEM. THEY'RE UNDERAGE AND WHATEVER THEY HAVE IN THERE, IT'S MAKING THEM SICK BECAUSE THEY COME OUTSIDE AND THEY THROW UP FROM THE SMOKE SHOP, MY SHOP ON DOWN THE WALKWAY. AND IT'S JUST, IT'S SAD. AND I GO OUT THERE AND I CLEAN IT UP AND I JUST THINK WE NEED SOMEONE TO COME IN AND PATROL OFFICERS OR SOME, I KNOW YOU ALL ARE BUSY AND YOU HAVE A LOT TO DO, BUT THIS IS IMPORTANT TOO. AND SINCE I WAS LAST HERE, TWO TO THREE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KILLED RIGHT THERE IN THAT SAME NEIGHBORHOOD. AND IT IS LIKE, UH, THE BROTHER LLOYD SAID, IT JUST LOOKS UGLY, TERRIBLE. EVERYBODY JUST HANGING OUT THE STORES. YOU KNOW, THEY'RE THERE FOR WHATEVER THEY CAN GET THE, THE, UH, ILLEGAL SALE OF THE CIGARETTES, THE DRUGS AND EVERYTHING. SO I'M JUST ASKING IF YOU ALL COULD PLEASE HELP US. 'CAUSE IT IS REALLY GETTING REALLY TIRED AND IT'S, IT'S SCARY. WE WORRY ABOUT THOSE KIDS, WHETHER THEY WANT US TO WORRY ABOUT 'EM OR NOT. WE DO. I'M A CONCERN, MOTHER, GRANDMOTHER, OWNER, AND I JUST WANT SOME HELP. THAT'S ALL WE ASKING FOR. I TALKED TO, UH, SOMEONE FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TODAY, UH, SERGEANT CARR. AND THAT'S WHY I'M HERE. I'M, I'M JUST HERE TO EXPLAIN WHAT'S GOING ON AND IT'S TERRIBLE. IT'S WORSE THAN WHAT I'M REALLY SAYING. YOU WOULD JUST HAVE TO BE THERE. AND WE INVITED YOU ALL TO COME DOWN [01:20:01] BEFORE, WHEN YOU HAVE TIME AT 67 20 CULLEN BOULEVARD, HOUSTON, TEXAS 7 7 0 2 1. YES. SO, COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABBAS. YES. THANK YOU. VICE MAYOR PROAM. AND THANK YOU MS. EDWARDS FOR COMING DOWN. UH, I WAS GONNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAD SPOKEN WITH, UH, SERGEANT CARR, AND SO WE WILL WORK WITH YOU TO SEE HOW WE CAN RESOLVE THIS. AND I, I THANK YOU BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, OUR KIDS DO FALL INTO SOME BAD SITUATIONS. YES, MA'AM. JUST BECAUSE OF THE ENVIRONMENT THAT THEY ARE IN. AND SO THANK YOU FOR COMING. AND THEN I THINK YOU MAY HAVE SPOKEN WITH INGRAM IN MY OFFICE AS WELL. YES. SO WE WILL CERTAINLY TRY TO WORK WITH YOU IN THE COMMUNITY TO, TO MAKE CHANGES TO MAKE IT A SAFER ENVIRONMENT. OKAY. I APPRECIATE IT. 'CAUSE IT'S JUST TOO MUCH GOING ON EVEN. YES. EVEN THE YOUNG MEN ARE FIGHTING, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE BRINGING THE, THE, THE YOUNG SISTERS IN, BEING INTIMATE AND STUFF WITH THEM AND THEY'RE FIGHTING AND BREAKING WINDOWS AND CAR WINDOWS AND EVERYTHING. WE'RE ALL IN DANGER. SO I APPRECIATE, THANK YOU SO MUCH. APPRECIATE THAT'S YOU, YOU ARE THE EYES AND EARS AND I DO APPRECIATE IT WHEN PEOPLE COME DOWN AND, AND TALK ABOUT THESE ISSUES. ALRIGHT? AND NOT ALWAYS PRETTY, BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS THEY DO NEED TO BE ABATED. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. APPRECIATE YOU ALL. THANK YOU SO MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER. RODNEY UNDERWOOD. RODNEY UNDERWOOD, ANTHONY JOHNSON. HELLO, COUNSEL. UH, MY NAME IS ANTHONY JOHNSON. I COME BEFORE YOU AGAIN. UH, ON BEHALF OF SOUTHERN BROTHERS IN THE M SUITES, UH, WE PERFORMED SOME WORK FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON IN BACK IN NOVEMBER OF LAST YEAR. UM, WE'RE GOING ON A YEAR OF COMPLETED WORK WITHOUT COMPENSATION. UM, I'M PRETTY SURE THAT, UH, MOST OF YOU REMEMBER MY FACE, I'VE SPOKEN TO YOU GUYS ABOUT SEVERAL TIMES, IS GOING ON ABOUT THE SEVENTH OR EIGHTH TIME, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN. UM, I'M JUST ASKING, YOU KNOW, THAT SOMEONE PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS A LITTLE BIT MORE IN DEPTHLY. THIS HAS ALREADY STARTED TO AFFECT MY BUSINESS. NOT ONLY, UM, THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT I HAVE WITH MY CONTRACTORS, BUT ALSO ME GOING OUT FOR BIGGER BIDS BECAUSE THE ENTITIES THAT WE'RE GOING OUT FOR THESE BIDS WITH, THEY'RE GOING TO ASK, ONE OF THE MAJOR QUESTIONS THAT THEY ASK IS, ARE YOU IN LITIGATION WITH ANYONE? AND IF SO, THEN WHY? UM, AGAIN, WE'VE, UM, GET MY EXACT DATES HERE. UM, WE REACHED OUT ON SEPTEMBER THE EIGHTH TO, UM, THE, THE ENTITY OR THE, THE GENTLEMAN WHO WAS TAKING CARE OF, UM, OR WHO WAS SUPPOSED TO BE OVER THE, OUR, UM, PORTION OF THE INVESTIGATION, MR. CLYDE CHARLES, VIA OUR PRIME ON SEPTEMBER THE EIGHTH. THE RESPONSE WAS THE SAME THAT IT'S BEEN THE OTHER 30 TIMES THAT WE'VE REACHED OUT. PLEASE CHECK BACK AT THE END OF THE MONTH. THE INVESTIGATION IS STILL ONGOING. IT'S THE SAME LITERAL, LITERALLY THE SAME WORDING, REPETITIVE, LIKE IT'S A COPY AND PASTE. UM, AGAIN, UM, THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON. THE, THESE REPLIES HAVE BEEN GOING, RESPONSES HAVE BEEN GOING ON FOR NINE MONTHS, COPY AND PASTE, SAME RESPONSE. UM, AND I PROVIDED TO NOT ONLY YOU GUYS, BUT I'VE PROVIDED TO, WELL, WE HAVE PROVIDED TO MR. CHARLES AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON AS WELL. UM, THE COUNTLESS WORK ORDERS, THE PICTURES AGAIN THAT, THAT I'VE SAID THAT WE'VE SUBMITTED. UM, AND WE HAD, WE HAVEN'T DONE THIS ONCE OR TWICE. THIS IS SEVERAL TIMES OVER, RIGHT? SO IT WASN'T AN ISSUE WHEN WE PROVIDED A QUALITY SERVICE OF WORK. SO I DON'T THINK IT SHOULD BE AN ISSUE WHEN WE'RE REQUESTING TO GET PAID FOR THE SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDED. AND, UH, AND AGAIN, IF, IF THERE WAS AN ONGOING INVESTIGATION, AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT, UM, THE CITY OF HOUSTON ISN'T BUSY WITH OTHER MATTERS THAT THAT NEEDS TO BE TO BE ADDRESSED AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. BUT IF THE WORK ORDERS WERE PROVIDED AS WELL AS PICTURES WITH THE WORK ORDERS AND ON THE WORK ORDERS, THERE ARE CITY SIGN OFF OR SIGN OFFS FROM CITY INSPECTORS, RIGHT? PICTURES BEFORE AND AFTER PICTURES THAT WERE SUBMITTED ON THE WORK ORDERS. IT HAS THE ADDRESS. IF THE INVESTIGATION WANTED TO BE CONCLUDED, SIMPLY JUST RIDE BY THE ADDRESSES TO SEE IF THE WORK WAS COMPLETED. AS A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER, THIS ISSUE HAS AFFECTED US TREMENDOUSLY. AND I COME BEFORE YOU GUYS AGAIN ASKING FOR SOME TYPE OF HELP OR RESOLUTION TO THE SITUATION BECAUSE GOING FORWARD [01:25:01] IT'S NOT LOOKING. WELL, THANK YOU FOR COMING TODAY. I'M SORRY TO HEAR THAT YOU, WE DON'T HAVE AN UPDATE, UM, RIGHT NOW. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS, UH, THANK YOU VICE MAYOR. UH, MR. JOHNSON, YOU ANSWERED MY QUESTION. I WAS CURIOUS OF THE LAST COMMUNICATION YOU RECEIVED FROM THE CITY. I'M ASSUMING OIG. YES, MA'AM. BUT, UH, MY COMMENTS MORE SO TO VICE MAYOR. UM, I KNOW MAYOR PRO TEM HAS, UH, PREVIOUSLY WHEN MR. JOHNSON AND OTHERS HAVE COME BEFORE ASKING FOR AN UPDATE, UM, UM, WOULD YOU ON A COUNCIL'S BEHALF INQUIRE WITH THE ADMINISTRATION ON A STATUS UPDATE? BECAUSE THIS IS A CONSISTENT THEME AND, UM, WE COULD, WE'RE ALMOST PUTTING PEOPLE OUT OF BUSINESS AND IT TIES THEIR HAND FOR GETTING ADDITIONAL BUSINESS. SO IF WE CAN BE, UH, MADE AWARE OF THE CONVERSATIONS, WHATEVER'S WITHIN THE LEGAL SCOPE, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL. IF WE, IF THAT SHOULD TO COUNSEL, THAT WOULD BE GOOD. THANK YOU. YES, WE ARE GOING TO WORK WITH THE ADMINISTRATION TO TRY TO GET YOU AN UPDATE HERE. UM, COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD, THANK YOU. VICE MAYOR PRO TIM. UM, I'M GONNA GET YOUR INFORMATION, UH, AFTER YOU FINISH YOUR COMMENTS AND, UH, I'LL WORK WITH YOU TO GET A RESOLUTION TO THIS, AT LEAST SOME INFORMATION MORE SO THAN THE COPY AND PASTE THAT YOU'VE BEEN RECEIVING. YES. UH, I KNOW IT'S FRUSTRATING. UM, I'M SURE YOU KNOW THE COMPLEXITIES OF THE, THE MATTER IN THE, IN THE ONGOING INVESTIGATION, WHICH IS SOMETHING TO BE TAKEN SERIOUS. AND, UH, IT MAY BE MORE THAN SOME OF US ARE, ARE AWARE OF. UH, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU SHOULDN'T BE IN THE DARK. UH, YOU SHOULD AT LEAST HAVE SOME UNDERSTANDING OF WHY, WHEN TIMELINES AND EXPECTATIONS, WHETHER YOU AGREE WITH THEM OR NOT. YOU SHOULD, YOU SHOULD AT LEAST HAVE THAT INFORMATION. SO I'M GONNA MAKE SURE YOU GET THAT. SO, UH, WE'LL TALK OFFLINE AFTER YOUR COMMENTS AND GO FROM THERE. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER, I JUST WANTED TO ASK LEGAL, DO WE HAVE AN UPDATE ON THIS? AND IF WE DON'T HAVE AN UPDATE, DO WE KNOW WHEN WE WILL HAVE AN UPDATE? SO IT'S NOT WITH LEGAL ANYMORE, IT'S BEEN WITH HBW FOR SOME TIME NOW. UM, AND THEY ARE, AS I UNDERSTANDING, INVESTIGATING, TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT THE WORK HAS BEEN COMPLETED. I DON'T HAVE THAT UPDATE. I'D HAVE TO COME FROM HBW. HAVE WE ASKED THEM THAT? I DON'T KNOW. COUNCIL MEMBER. OKAY. I THINK IT'D BE GREAT IF WE ASK THEM IF THEY'VE GOT AN UPDATE OR IF NOT, WHEN THEY WILL. THANK YOU. YES. AND WE WILL CONTINUE WORKING WITH BOTH DEPARTMENTS AS WELL. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR BEING HERE, AND WE'LL WORK TO GET YOU AN UPDATE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, WILL HILL. WILL HILL, KATIE SHUMWAY. HI, GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS KATIE CAMPBELL SHUMWAY, AND I AM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF HOUSTON. EARLIER TODAY, WE CELEBRATED, UM, THE WONDERFUL WORK OF OUR, UH, OUR PRESIDENT, CLAUDIA ORTEGA HOGUE. AND I'M SO PROUD TO SAY THAT, UM, OUR HOUSTON CHAPTER OF THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS IS SO THRIVING. YOU MAY NOT KNOW THIS, BUT OUR HOUSTON LEAGUE IS, UM, STARTED AT THE EXACT SAME TIME AS THE NATIONAL CHAPTER. SO OUR WOMEN'S RIGHTS FOR, UH, FOR VOTING RIGHTS HAVE BEEN REALLY SEWN INTO OUR HISTORY HERE IN HOUSTON, AND WE SHOULD VERY BE VERY PROUD OF THAT. UM, ONE THING THAT I WANTED TO ANNOUNCE TODAY IS THAT WE DO HAVE A FULL RELEASE OF OUR NON-PARTISAN HOUSTON VOTERS GUIDE. I ALSO WANTED TAKE A MOMENT TO THANK YOU ALL. MANY OF YOU HAVE PARTICIPATED IN THIS GUIDE. THIS GUIDE IS CREATED AND HAS OVER 80% OF PARTICIPANTS ANSWERING THESE QUESTIONS. THIS GUIDE IS DEVELOPED BY VOLUNTEERS, BY OUR STAFF, AND REALLY A COMPREHENSIVE NON-PARTISAN GUIDE, UNLIKE ANYTHING ELSE YOU CAN FIND. WHAT WE DO IS MAKE SURE THAT THERE ARE NO ENDORSEMENTS ON THIS, UM, ON THIS PUBLICATION. AND WE ALSO PROVIDE IT IN MULTIPLE LANGUAGES. WE HAVE IT IN ENGLISH, VIETNAMESE, CHINESE, AND SPANISH. WE ALSO, UM, SINCE LAST YEAR, UM, AGAIN, MANY OF YOU PARTICIPATED IN THAT, UM, UH, THAT GUIDE WHERE WE ALSO OFFERED IT AN AUDIO AS WELL AS A DIGITAL VERSION AND AN EBOOK VERSION. SO OUR, UH, DIGITAL VERSION IS REALLY INTERACTIVE AND ALSO WE'RE ABLE TO REALLY TRACK THE, UM, THE ANALYSIS ON THE BACKEND OF THAT. AND SO IT'S VERY POPULAR, VERY IMPORTANT, UM, PIECES OF INFORMATION. AND THAT WEBSITE IS HOUSTON VOTER GUIDE.ORG. IT'S AVAILABLE AND ACTUALLY A RESOURCE THAT WE USE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. SO ANYTIME WE HAVE RUNOFFS, ANYTIME WE HAVE ANY KIND OF SPECIAL ELECTIONS, WE USE THAT WEBSITE AS A DIGITAL TOOL TO OUTREACH TO OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION THAT THEY NEED IN ORDER TO HAVE AN INFORMED VOTE. AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE PARTNERED WITH, UM, BOTH LIBRARY SYSTEMS, HARRIS COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY, AND, UM, HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY FOR DISTRIBUTION OF THIS PHYSICAL GUIDE, [01:30:01] AS WELL AS AN EBOOK VERSION THAT IS ACCESSIBLE. SO THIS IS TINY, TINY NEWSPAPER TEXT, BUT UM, IF YOU'D LIKE IT TO BE IN A, IN A BIGGER TEXT, THEN YOU CAN USE IT ON YOUR TABLET OR YOUR PHONE TO, UM, HAVE AN ACCESSIBLE VERSION IN ENGLISH AND IN SPANISH. AND THEN FINALLY, WE DO HAVE AN AUDIO VERSION OF THIS VOTER'S GUIDE. AND IT IS, UM, IN ENGLISH AND IN SPANISH, UM, ENGLISH WILL BE RELEASED BY THE END OF THE DAY OR END OF THIS WEEK. AND ALL OF OUR TRANSLATED VERSIONS WILL BE, UM, UP ON OUR WEBSITE READY TO GO, UM, EARLY NEXT WEEK AS WELL. SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR ONE PARTICIPATING. THIS, UM, THIS GUIDE CANNOT WORK WITHOUT OUR PARTICIPATION OF OUR, OF OUR CANDIDATES. AND, UM, AND ALSO OFFER IF ANY OF YOU WOULD LIKE ANY COPIES OF OUR VOTER'S GUIDE, UM, WE HAVE SOME AT OUR OFFICE AND WE'RE HAPPY TO KIND OF COORDINATE, UM, SOME PICKUPS THERE. OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE ALLOWS US TO DISTRIBUTE OVER 75,000 COPIES OF THIS GUIDE. SO WE WANNA THANK THEM AS WELL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. THANK YOU. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER PECK, AND THANK YOU, UH, KATIE, GREAT TO SEE YOU AGAIN. YES, GOOD TO SEE YOU. AND THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, TO THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS FOR THE WONDERFUL SERVICE THAT YOU ALL PROVIDE. UH, IT'S ELECTION TIME AND WHEN VOTERS GO TO THE POLLS, THEY'RE GONNA SEE A LARGE NUMBER OF RACES, UH, AND A LARGE NUMBER OF CANDIDATES TO CHOOSE FROM. AND THAT'S A DAUNTING TASK FOR MANY OF US. AND ANYTHING THAT, THAT, ANY RESOURCE THEY HAVE THAT HELPS THEM MAKE A DECISION, UH, IS GREAT. AND SO THANK YOU FOR THAT AS A CANDIDATE. I WAS HAPPY TO PARTICIPATE. IT MADE ME A MORE CONCISE AND BETTER WRITER. I WILL SAY THAT BECAUSE THERE'S A WORD LIMIT, UH, BUT GOOD QUESTIONS WERE ASKED OF, OF EACH CANDIDATE. AND IT'S TRULY, UH, A PUBLIC SERVICE, WHAT YOU ALL DO. SO THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND SHARING THAT INFORMATION. THANK YOU. THANKS. NEXT SPEAKER, CAROLYN RIVERA. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR WHITMEYER AND CITY COUNCIL. I AM CAROLYN RIVERA. ARE YOU AWARE, ACCORDING TO AN OFFICIAL STATISTIC, THE PEOPLE OF CGA HAVE THE LOWEST AVERAGE LIFESPAN IN HARRIS COUNTY. I AM HERE ABOUT GOLD STAR MEDALS IN CGA 79 44 DOCK ROAD. FOR YEARS, RESIDENTS HAVE CONSISTENTLY COMPLAINED TO 3 1 1 ABOUT UNSANITARY AND DEPLORABLE CONDITION THROUGH THE CITY, UH, THROUGH EAST HOUSTON CIVIC CLUB, SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 49 50 AND INDIVIDUALLY. NEIGHBORS HAVE ALSO NOTIFIED EPA INSTEAD OF GOLD MEDAL STAR, GOLD, STAR METAL. AND PROVEN THEY ARE GETTING WORSE, WHO KNOW WHAT KIND OF POISON THEY'RE FLUSHING INTO THE COMMUNITY THROUGH OUR DITCH DRAINAGE SYSTEM AND INTO RESIDENCE YARDS. THE HOUSTON TRASH ORDINANCE SAYS THAT THE CITY ATTORNEY HAS THE AUTHORITY TO FILE AND PROSECUTE ACTION TO ABATE UNSANITARY CONDITION AND UNLAWFUL DISPOSAL OF WASTE. GOLD STAR MEDAL NEEDS TO BE OFFICIALLY INVESTIGATED AND THE COMMUNITY WHO ARE SUFFERING NEED TO BE MADE AWARE OF AND PART OF THE INVESTIGATION WE WANT TO LIVE AS LONG AS THE REST OF HARRIS COUNTY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. UM, AND I KNOW THAT, UM, IT WAS INSPECTED AND THEY ARE GOING BACK AGAIN ON THURSDAY. IF COMPLIANCE IS NOT MET, THERE COULD BE ADDITIONAL CITATIONS ISSUED. UM, COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON, THANK YOU. UM, MAYOR PRO TEM AND THANK YOU VICE MAYOR, PRO TEM. THANK YOU. UM, MS. CAROLYN AND THE EAST HOUSTON COMMUNITY, UM, FOR COMING OUT AND CONTINUING TO ADVOCATE, UM, FOR OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AS, UM, VICE MAYOR PRO TEM MENTIONED THAT THERE WAS AN INSPECTION RECENTLY DONE, BUT THE OOC, THE CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY WAS ISSUED ON THIS, UM, ESTABLISHMENT, THIS BUSINESS IN 2008. SINCE THEN, IT'S BEEN, UM, THEY ACTUALLY CAME IN AND DONE MORE TO THIS MODIFIED, [01:35:01] AND SO THEY NEVER GOT AN UPDATE ON THEIR, UM, THEIR OCCUPANCY, UM, PERMIT. AND RIGHT NOW THEY DO NOT HAVE A OCCUPANCY PERMIT, BUT YET THEY'RE STILL OCCUPYING THIS SPACE. AND SO MY QUESTION TO THE CITY OF LAW, I KNOW THAT THEY HAVE, UM, GONNA HAVE A JURY TRIAL, UM, IN JANUARY OF THIS YEAR, BUT WE CANNOT WAIT UNTIL JANUARY OF THIS YEAR. CAN, IS THERE A WAY TO GO IN AND SHUT 'EM DOWN GIVEN THE FACT THAT THEY DO NOT HAVE A OCCUPANCY PERMIT? EXACTLY. UH, MAY I SAY SOMETHING, AND OF COURSE THEY HAVE 21 CITATIONS AS YOU KNOW, UM, APPROXIMATELY $6,000. BUT AT SOME POINT WE HAVE TO LIKE, HOLD THESE BUILDINGS, THESE OWNERS ACCOUNTABLE, JUST LIKE THE OLD KMART SHOPPING CENTER. YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST, THIS IS LIKE A REPEATED INCIDENT, UM, IN THE DISTRICT BE, UM, COMMUNITY IN THE NORTHEAST COMMUNITY. SO WHAT CAN WE DO? UM, ACTS AND LEGAL. SO I'M NOT EXTREMELY FAMILIAR WITH THIS TYPE OF BUSINESS. I WILL TELL YOU THAT GENERALLY SPEAKING, UH, IF A BUSINESS DOESN'T HAVE A CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY, I BELIEVE, AND I WILL HAVE TO GO BACK TO YOU ON THIS COUNCIL MEMBER, BUT I BELIEVE ONLY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CAN SHUT THEM DOWN. OKAY. AND WE, WE PAY FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. SO IS THERE A WAY WE CAN GET A MESSAGE TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO GO SHUT 'EM DOWN? SO I'D HAVE TO LOOK IN THAT. I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW ALL OF THE REQUIREMENTS TO SHUT DOWN A BUSINESS THAT DOESN'T HAVE A SEAT. UH, CO BUT I'LL LOOK INTO IT AND I CAN CERTAINLY GIVE BACK TO YOU. MM-HMM. ABSOLUTELY. OKAY. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. AND AGAIN, THANK YOU MS. CAROLYN, AND I KNOW THERE'S OTHER PEOPLE SPEAKING ON THIS AS WELL. UH, THANK YOU. ONE THING ABOUT GIVING PERMITS, LIKE YOU SAID, 2008, THEY WERE GIVEN A PERMIT. ONE THING THAT WE IN CITY AS NEVER KNOW WHEN BUSINESSES ARE BEING BUILT OR APPROVED, I WENT TO THE COMM, THE, UH, OFFICE, UH, THE COURT COMMISSIONER'S COURT. THEY ASKED ANYBODY HERE FROM THE COMMUNITY OBJECTS, UH, NOBODY THERE. WHY? BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. NEXT SPEAKER MACKENZIE TATE. HELLO, MY NAME IS MACKENZIE. HOLD ON. HELLO, MY NAME IS MCKENZIE TATE. I LIVE IN CITY GAS. I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE POLLUTION IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD. I WANT TO SAY THAT THE POLLUTION IS CAUSING ME AND MY NEIGHBOR'S HEALTH PROBLEMS, SUCH AS ASTHMA, COPD AND CERTAIN CANCER. WE HAVE COMMUN IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD. WE HAVE COMPANIES IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD CAUSING A LOT OF DANGER IN MY, TO OUR WELLBEING. BEHIND MY HOUSE IS GOLD STAR METAL. THEY HAVE, THEY HAVE CAUSED MAJOR AIR POLLUTIONS. THAT IS NOT HEALTHY FOR ME. I WAS HOSPITALIZED FOR A WEEK. I, I WONDER LIKE THE, THE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO HELP ME HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE. MY COMMUNITY DESERVES CLEAN AIR. THANK YOU FOR, FOR YOUR TIME, MAYOR AND ALL MEMBERS OF CO CITY COUNCIL. THANK YOU MACKENZIE FOR BEING HERE TODAY. COUNCIL MEMBER, MEMBER JACKSON. THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU MS. MACKENZIE FOR COMING IN AND SPEAKING UP FOR, UM, OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. THIS IS HOW IT STARTED AS A YOUNG KID TRAINING YOU TO CONTINUE TO FIGHT, TO KEEP THIS FIGHT MOVING FORWARD. UM, JUST KNOW THAT WE ARE GONNA DO EVERYTHING WE CAN AS COUNCIL TO KEEP SPEAKING UP AND ADVOCATING AND PUTTING PRESSURE ON THESE OWNERS THAT'S IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS THAT'S POLLUTING OUR AIR. WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO THAT, NOT JUST FOR YOU, FOR THE GENERATION TO COME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD. OH WAIT. MACKENZIE, IF YOU CAN COME BACK. MACKENZIE, IF YOU CAN COME BACK, COME BACK, COME, COME BACK, COME. WE HAVE A FEW OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO WANNA TALK TO YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD. WELL, MS. MACKENZIE, I WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TESTIMONY AND FOR YOU COMING FORWARD TODAY. YOU DID AN EXCELLENT JOB OF LAYING OUT REASONS WHY WE NEED TO, UH, PRIORITIZE CERTAIN ENTITIES AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE SAFE FOR YOUR COMMUNITY. AND THIS IS GONNA BE ON THE PUBLIC RECORD, SO WE'LL ALWAYS BE ABLE TO GO BACK AND SEE YOUR TESTIMONY AND BE ABLE TO USE IT, UH, IN THE DAYS AHEAD. SO I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS. I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENCE AND KNOW THAT WE HEAR YOU. THANK YOU. ONE MORE. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS, IT'S GOOD TO MEET YOU AGAIN, MS. MCKENZIE. AND, UM, I SEE YOUR MOTHER THERE. UH, I, I WOULD LIKE TO THINK SOME OF THE BENEFIT OF HER WORK AT PRAIRIE VIEW IS RUBBING OFF ON YOU TODAY. AND FRANKLY, YOU KNOW, UH, UNFORTUNATELY, UM, THE CITY [01:40:01] HAS FAILED YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD IN MANY INSTANCES AND IT IS UNFORTUNATE THAT YOU HAVE TO COME HERE AND TALK TO US. UM, BUT OUR COMMITMENT TO YOU AND WHAT YOUR COUNCIL MEMBERS SHARED IS THAT WE'RE GONNA SELF-CORRECT THAT. SO WHEN THE NEXT TIME YOU VISIT THIS HORSESHOE, IT'S ABOUT ALL OF THE GREAT THINGS, THE GREEN SPACE, THE GOOD AIR, THE GOOD WATER, THE GOOD DRAINAGE THAT YOU HAVE IN YOUR COMMUNITIES. AND SO, UH, WE'RE GONNA GET THAT DONE FOR YOU, RIGHT? SO THAT, UM, THE NEXT GENERATION THAT COMES BEHIND YOU DON'T HAVE TO, UH, BE IN THE HOSPITAL FOR ONE WEEK, UM, BECAUSE OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR BRAVERY. UM, SHOUT OUT TO YOUR PARENTS THAT ARE DOING AMAZING WORK ON THE FRONTLINE, AND YOU HAVE A WONDERFUL ROLE MODEL AT HOME. SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO A LOT OF THE GREATNESS THAT COMES FROM YOUR HOUSE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MACKENZIE. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. DEANDRA COOPER ESTEEM COUNCIL MEMBERS, GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS DEANDRA COOPER AND I HOLD A TITLE THAT MANY OF YOU IN THE ASSEMBLY HOLD IN ITS PARENT ON MAY 25TH, 2023. MY SON WAS SHOT IN HIS HOME BY HIS THEN GIRLFRIEND'S MOTHER. AS MY SON LAID BLEEDING ON THE FLOOR, I WAS PINNED DOWN AND VICIOUSLY ASSAULTED BY SAID WOMAN AND HER DAUGHTER. MAKE NO MISTAKE, THIS WAS A PLANNED PREMEDITATED ACT OF VIOLENCE AS WE WERE UNARMED AND POSED NO THREAT. MY SON WAS TAKEN TO JAIL IMMEDIATELY AFTER HE WAS RELEASED FROM THE HOSPITAL WHILE THESE THREE INDIVIDUALS WERE RELEASED AND SET FREE. THE TREATMENT MY SON RECEIVED IN JAIL WAS NOTHING SHORT OF INHUMANE. HE WAS LEFT IN GENERAL POPULATION WITH AN OPEN BULLET WOUND AND BLEEDING. HE WAS NOT PROVIDED THE APPROPRIATE AND NECESSARY MEDICAL CARE. I WAS FORCED TO SEND IN FIVE CONCERNED INMATE E EMAILS JUST FOR HIM TO BE SEEN. AND HE WAS NOT SEEN AND ADDRESSED TO AN HOUR BEFORE HE WAS RELEASED. HE WAS LEFT WEAK AND IN PAIN IN AN UNSANITARY AREA WITH NO MEDICAL CARE. TO DATE. THESE THREE INDIVIDUALS WALK FREE WHILE MY SON FIGHTS FOR HIS FREEDOM WITH A BULLET STILL IN HIS ARM. MY SON LOST HIS JOB, HIS INSURANCE TO GO WITH IT. HE HAS LIMITED RANGE OF MOTION IN HIS PREDOMINANT ARM AND CAN NO LONGER PERFORM HIS PROFESSION AS A PHLEBOTOMIST, WHICH HE THOROUGHLY LOVES. WE RE PLEADINGLY STATED THAT WE WANTED TO PRESS CHARGES. AND WHEN I ASKED THE INVESTIGATOR IF THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY ACCEPTED OUR CHARGES AGAINST THE THREE ASSAILANTS, I WAS TOLD NO. WHEN I ASKED WHY THE INVESTIGATOR TOLD ME, BECAUSE I DIDN'T FEEL A NEED TO PRESENT THEM. WHEN I ASKED WHAT WOULD'VE HAPPENED IF SHE KILLED US, I WAS TOLD BY SAID INVESTIGATOR, LET'S BE GLAD THAT DID NOT HAPPEN. WE DON'T SPEAK ON HYPOTHETICALS. THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT FAILED TO DO THEIR JOB BECAUSE I HAVE RESPECT FOR THE CITY CHAIN OF COMMAND AND HAVE RECEIVED NO JUSTICE OR RESOURCES TO OBTAIN THIS SAID JUSTICE. I STAND BEFORE YOU NOW WANTING TO ASK THESE FUNDAMENTAL QUESTIONS. HOW IS IT RIGHT IN AMERICA THAT A WOMAN CAN ATTEMPT TO SHOOT TO KILL SOMEONE AND WALK FREE? HOW IS IT RIGHT IN HOUSTON THAT AN INVESTIGATOR CAN DECIDE WHOSE LIFE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE OTHERS AND ACT UPON IT? HOW IS IT RIGHT IN AMERICA THAT AN INVESTIGATOR CAN BE JUDGE, JURY AND EXECUTIONER DISMISSING THE VERY INDIVIDUALS THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO PROTECT AND SERVE? LET ME BE CLEAR, THE PLAN WAS TO KILL MY SON. AND THE ONLY REASON WHY I COULD STAND HERE IN FRONT OF YOU AND SAY THAT MY SON IS STILL HERE IS BECAUSE I WALKED IN BEHIND HIM. AT WHAT POINT DO WE RECEIVE EQUAL JUSTICE UNDER THE LAW? THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD. THANK YOU VICE MAYOR PROTO. AND, UM, THANK YOU MA'AM FOR BEING HERE. I KNOW IT'S DIFFICULT AND UH, I'M SORRY FOR YOUR SITUATION. UH, MANY OF THE ISSUES THAT YOU HAVE BROUGHT TO US ARE LEGAL IN NATURE AND I WILL SPEAK WITH YOU OFFLINE REGARDING THAT. BUT, UH, I DO BELIEVE SOME OF THEM CAN BE ADDRESSED OR AT LEAST ATTEMPTED TO. AND SO I'LL PUT FORTH AN EFFORT TO DO THAT FOR YOU. THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD. AND THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. ELI SA. [01:45:14] SORRY, MY VOICE. MY NAME IS ELIZA SON. I'M HERE TO LET THE MAYOR HE HAVE COPY OF THE DOCUMENTS AND THE CITY CANCER ABOUT AN ISSUE. BASICALLY, IT IS A COMPLAINT. IT IS A COMPLAINT BECAUSE IF WE DON'T COMPLAIN, THE PEOPLE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S BAD TO BE IMPROVED. I NOTICE YOUR APPRECIATION APPRECIATING AT THE BEGINNING PEOPLE AND ACTIVITY OF THE HOUSTON. AND IT IS A GOOD TO APPRECIATE, BUT IT ALSO EVEN MORE IMPORTANT TO FIND HOW THE DEFICIENCY WE HAVE. AND SOMEBODY WILL COME HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT THE DEFICIENCY. IF YOU DON'T KNOW THE DEFICIENCY, YOU DON'T, WE CANNOT IMPROVE. I'M INVOLVED IN COMMUNITY WORK IN DIFFERENT WAYS IN MY LIFE, BUT I WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THE ISSUE. THE ISSUE IS ABOUT FINANCIAL CRIME THAT I COMPLAINED TO THE CITY, TO THE HPD, TO THE POLICE BEFORE I COMPLAIN. I DID EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO BRING TO THE POLICE A COMPLETE PACKAGE. DOCUMENT NUMBER ONE, DOCUMENT NUMBER TWO, DOCUMENT NUMBER THREE, SEND THE EMAIL. I KNOW WHO TOOK THE MONEY. THEY TOOK FROM OUR ACCOUNT, $53,000 PEOPLE IN GEORGIA. BECAUSE OF MY COMMUN CONNECTIONS, I FOUND OUT WHO ARE THE PEOPLE, WHICH BANK THEY CASHED IT, THE BANK ACCOUNT AND EVERYTHING. AND THE BANK ACCOUNT ALSO, IF THE POLICE WILL CALL THE POLICE STATION, THEY WILL FIGHT. AND I HAVE THE ADDRESS OF THE PEOPLE. I DID ALL OF IT PREPARED AFTER I FILED THE POLICE EVERY DAY. I'M ASKING, DID YOU ASSIGN INVESTIGATOR? BECAUSE I CANNOT DO MORE THAN WHAT I DID. NO, WE DIDN'T SIGN. I FOLLOW UP EVERY DAY. THEY DIDN'T SIGN INVESTIGATOR UNTIL TODAY. I HAVE COPY, TWO COPIES OF THE SET OF THE COMMUNICATION IF YOU WANT. I SENT ALSO THE COPY TO THE MAYOR OFFICE. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE IT, BUT GUYS, IF WE WERE NOT, ACT QUICK. YOUR TERM IS ON STUFF LIKE THIS. WE WILL BE HAPPY TO YOUR ACCOUNTS. THANK YOU MR. SSON. UM, I BELIEVE THAT SERGEANT CARR HAS BEEN TRYING TO GET AHOLD OF YOU. I DON'T THINK THAT, UM, WE HAVE THE CORRECT PHONE NUMBER HERE ON THE LIST. SO IF YOU COULD PLEASE MEET WITH HIM AND HE'LL GET YOU SOME MORE INFORMATION. I TO HIM OUTSIDE THE CORRIDOR, BECAUSE I ASKED WHO I NEED TO TALK. I WAS BUSY ALL DAY LONG. I COULDN'T ANSWER THE PHONES. I'M SORRY. I APOLOGIZE. BUT WHEN I CAME HERE, I ASKED WHO IS THE POLICE? I SPOKE TO HIM AND HE TOLD ME THAT HE GOT MY MESSAGE. HE SEEN THE EMAIL AND HE WILL CORRESPOND TO ME AS SOON AS HE CAN. HE NEED TO ASSIGN INVESTIGATOR. I HOPE THE INVESTIGATOR WILL BE ASSIGNED. I WILL BE CALLED AND WE CAN RESOLVE IT. BUT MEANWHILE, I'M SURE $53,000. I'M SORRY TO HEAR THAT YOU'RE GOING THROUGH THAT. UM, I KNOW SERGEANT CARD WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH YOU TO FIGURE IT OUT. OKAY, THANK YOU SO MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER. ESTHER BURLING. THANK YOU. ESTHER BURLING. ELIZABETH SHEFFIELD. GOOD AFTERNOON. UM, I WAS HERE THIS PAST JULY TO INQUIRE ABOUT THE SUPREME COURT'S RULING TO ALLOW CITIES TO ARREST UNHOUSED. FOLKS FOLLOWING THAT, UH, SESSION, COUNCILMAN [01:50:01] JULIAN RAMIREZ OFFERED HIS CONTACT INFORMATION SO I COULD FOLLOW UP ON THE CITY'S PLAN FOR THE UNHOUSED COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ ON SEPTEMBER 17TH. YOU AND I HAD A ONE-ON-ONE DISCUSSION OVER MY PREVIOUSLY STATED CONCERNS ABOUT THE INVOLVEMENT OF HPD HANDLING ANY KIND OF MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS. YOU TOLD ME THAT DAY THAT A CRISIS INTERVENTION TEAM EXISTS FOR SITUATIONS SUCH AS WHAT WE WERE DISCUSSING. IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING FROM WHAT YOU SAID TO ME, THAT THE CRISIS INTERVENTION TEAM CONSISTS OF A MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL NOT AFFILIATED WITH HPD AND AN HPD OFFICER. I ASKED EXPLICITLY IF THE OFFICER WAS IN THEIR UNIFORM OR IN PLAIN CLOTHES AT THE TIME OF A NEEDED INTERVENTION. YOUR WORDS WERE THEY SHOULD BE IN PLAIN CLOTHES. ON SEPTEMBER 22ND, I WAS VIOLENTLY ASSAULTED BY HBD OFFICERS WHILE PARTICIPATING IN A PROTEST FOR A FREE PALESTINE. UPON STEPPING ONTO A PUBLIC SIDEWALK, I HEARD ARREST HER AS THIS EVENT WAS CROWDED. AND AS I KNEW I HAD NOT DONE ANYTHING TO WARRANT AN ARREST, I WAS UNAWARE THIS WAS THE STATEMENT WAS MADE ABOUT ME. NO PERSON TOLD ME I WAS UNDER ARREST FOR ANYTHING. THE OFFICERS JUST BEGAN TO GRAB ME FROM HERE. THE OFFICERS THREW ME TO THE GROUND, YELLING TO STOP RESISTING. BUT I ASK YOU HOW I COULD POSSIBLY BE RESISTING WITH AT LEAST TWO, IF NOT THREE GROWN MEN ON TOP OF ME PUSHING ME TO THE GROUND. IN PARTICULAR, OFFICER FRANKLIN, BADGE NUMBER 7 9 4 9 HELD ME DOWN BY MY NECK, LEAVING A VISIBLE BRUISE. FRANKLIN ALSO MADE SURE TO PUT THE CUFF ON MY WRIST SO TIGHT THAT I COULD HARDLY MOVE MY WRIST OR HAND LEAVING BEHIND VISIBLE SWELLING AND BRUISING. AFTER BEING PUT IN THE BACK OF THE PATROL VEHICLE, WE SAT IN THE PARKING LOT AT MILLER OUTDOOR THEATER FOR UPWARDS OF AN HOUR. WHEN I ASKED OFFICER BROM WHAT WAS TAKING SO LONG TO GO TO THE POLICE STATION, I WAS TOLD THAT THERE NEEDED TO BE A CHARGE FROM THE DA. APPARENTLY THE DA MUST HAVE KNOWN THAT THERE WAS NO CHARGE TO HOLD ME OR THE OTHER PROTESTOR THAT WAS DETAINED THAT DAY. IN FACT, THEY EVEN LET THE OTHER PROTESTOR GO WITHOUT A CITATION FOR THE ALLEGED TRESPASSING, MIND YOU, ON THE PUBLIC SIDEWALK, AND ATTEMPTED TO USE HER AS LEVERAGE SO THAT I COULD BE LET GO AS WELL. AT ONE POINT OFFICER FORD BADGE NUMBER 1 1 1 8 0 AND SERGEANT THOMAS THREATENED A CLASS B MISDEMEANOR FOR TRESPASSING. THEY KNEW AS WELL AS ALL OF US THERE KNEW THAT THAT WAS NOT GOING TO HOLD UP BECAUSE IN FACT, WE WERE NOT TRESPASSING. THANKFULLY, THERE IS A PLETHORA OF VIDEO AND PHOTO EVIDENCE TO CORROBORATE THIS. THROUGHOUT THIS ORDEAL, THE CRISIS INTERVENTION TEAM WAS CALLED TO HELP ME. COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ, WHAT YOU TOLD ME WAS A LIE. NOT ONLY WAS THERE NOT A MENTAL HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL WITH THE OFFICER, BUT THE OFFICER WAS DAWNED IN HIS FULL UNIFORM. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER HOLLY. I'D FINISH PLEASE. UH, YOU COULD HAVE MY TIME. THANK YOU. HE PROCEEDED TO ASK ME QUESTIONS THAT HE'S NOT QUALIFIED TO ASK ME, LET ALONE QUALIFY TO EVEN KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH MY ANSWERS. WHEN I ASKED HIM WHAT HIS CREDENTIALS WERE, HE TOLD ME HE'S NOT TECHNICALLY CERTIFIED, NOR HAS THE DEGREE, BUT ASSURED ME THAT HE WAS TRAINED. TRAINED. I THINK MOST MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS WOULD AGREE THAT HIS APPEARANCE AND LACK OF SUPERVISION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AS BEING PROPERLY TRAINED. AFTER REFUSING TO SPEAK WITH HIM, DUE TO HIS LACK OF ABILITY TO DO AN ADEQUATE ASSESSMENT, I WAS THEN TAKEN TO BEN HOBBS NEUROPSYCHIATRIC CENTER TO BE ASSESSED BY A MEDICAL DOCTOR. UPON ARRIVING THERE I WAS HANDCUFFED TO THE BED. I CONSENTED TO HAVE MY BLOOD PRESSURE TAKEN, WHICH WAS ABOUT ONE 70 OVER 100 WITH A RESTING PULSE RATE OF ONE 20. DUE TO THIS, I NEEDED MEDICAL CLEARANCE. ONCE AT THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT IN BEN'S HOBBS, STILL IN HANDCUFFS, MY BLOOD PRESSURE WAS TAKEN. AGAIN WITH THE NUMBERS BEING ABOUT THE SAME, THE NURSE TOLD ME AN EKG WAS NECESSARY. I WAS HANDCUFFED AND HAVING AN EKG PERFORMED BECAUSE I WAS EXERTING MY FREEDOM THROUGH LAWFUL PROTESTING. WHEN I WAS BROUGHT BACK TO THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT, I WAS STILL HANDCUFFED UNTIL THE NURSE TOLD OFFICERS FORD AND BRAUN THAT THEY COULD LEAVE ABOUT AN HOUR AFTER ARRIVING, I WAS CLEARED TO BE DISCHARGED. THE FOLLOWING DAYS CONSISTED OF ME FINDING MORE BRUISES ON MY BODY AND FEELING SORENESS THROUGHOUT. NO CITATION WAS EVER GIVEN. WE WERE NOT CHARGED WITH ANYTHING. SO WHAT WAS OUR CRIME? LASTLY, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A POINT, VERY PERSONAL POINT. I GREW UP WITNESSING DOMESTIC ABUSE. I NEVER ONCE EVER THOUGHT I'D EVER HAVE A BRUISE ON MY NECK FROM A MAN'S HAND TO HAVE TO HAVE PICTURES OF THE MARKS AND BRUISING AS EVIDENCE TO VALIDATE THAT THIS WAS IN FACT AN ASSAULT WAS AS TRAUMATIC AS THE ASSAULT ITSELF. IF ANY OF YOU HAVE BEEN ABUSED OR WITNESS ABUSE, SURELY YOU UNDERSTAND THE GRAVITY OF THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS. [01:55:01] I WANT JUSTICE, NOT JUST FOR MYSELF, BUT FOR EVERY PERSON HPD HAS ABUSED AND THERE SEEMS TO BE A FEW. THE JUSTICE FOR ME THOUGH, BEGINS WITH SERGEANT THOMAS AND OFFICER FRANKLIN. NO WORDS THAT YOU HAVE TO SAY AT THIS POINT WILL SATIATE ME ONLY. ACTION. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. I WANNA APOLOGIZE FOR THE, UH, CIRCUMSTANCES THAT YOU HAD TO EXPERIENCE. UH, I BELIEVE I DID SEE THAT VIDEO. I THINK IT CIRCULATED AND WENT VIRAL, THAT THAT WAS NOT A, A GOOD REFLECTION OF HOUSTON AND WHAT WE REPRESENT AND WHAT WE STAND FOR. I DO THINK HE WAS OBSESSIVE. UH, OF COURSE I ONLY SAW WHAT I SAW AND COULD NOT SEE THE TOTALITY OF THE, THE EVENT. BUT I DO THINK THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE AS A COUNCIL AND AS AN ADMINISTRATION SHOULD TAKE SERIOUSLY TO LOOK INTO. BECAUSE AS SHE STATED, SHE WASN'T EVER CHARGED WITH ANYTHING. THERE WAS NO CITATION EVER GIVEN, BUT SHE STILL HAD TO ENDURE, UH, A LEVEL OF, UH, UM, FORCE AND THE TRAUMATIC EVENTS THAT SUBSEQUENTLY LED TO HER BEING AT THE HOSPITAL, UM, BEING IN A POLICE CAR, BEING HANDCUFFED TO A BED AND THEN JUST LET GO. UH, I DON'T THINK WE TREAT PEOPLE THAT WAY. AND, UH, WE NEED TO LOOK INTO IT TO SEE IF WE CAN GET MORE OF THE INFORMATION AND FACTS REGARDING THE CIRCUMSTANCE, UH, SO THAT WE CAN BE, UH, MORE INFORMED ON, UH, WHAT TRANSPIRED AND WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO POSSIBLY IMPROVE THE NEXT TIME. SO, UH, WE WILL TAKE THAT UPON OURSELVES TO LOOK INTO THE MATTER WITH THE ADMINISTRATION, AND I'M ASKING THE VICE MAYOR PRO TIM, TO MAKE THIS A PRIORITY. UH, AND HOPEFULLY, UH, WE CAN FIND AT LEAST SOME TYPE OF RESOLUTION, UH, THAT'S MORE THAN TALK AND ACTION, LIKE YOU SAID. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU SO MUCH, AND THANK YOU FOR GIVING YOUR TIME. YES, ABSOLUTELY. AND IF SERGEANT CARR, IF YOU COULD WORK WITH US TO FIGURE OUT IF THERE WAS AN AFTER ACTION REPORT FROM HPD SO WE CAN GET MORE INFORMATION. THANK YOU. UM, COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. UH, THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER PECK. AND ELIZABETH, I'M SORRY TO HEAR THAT THIS HAPPENED TO YOU. UH, IT SOUNDS LIKE IT WAS EXCESSIVE. I'VE NOT HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW THE VIDEO, BUT I WILL LOOK INTO IT AND SEE WHAT HAPPENED. BUT HPD DOES HAVE TEAMS OF FOLKS WHO GO OUT, AN OFFICER AND A CLINICIAN, UH, TO, TO DEAL WITH FOLKS WHO ARE IN MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS. MM-HMM . I DON'T KNOW WHAT TEAM WENT OUT. UH, THEY TOLD ME TO VISIT WITH YOU, SPECIFICALLY THE CIT IS HOW THEY INTRODUCE THEMSELVES TO ME. RIGHT. BUT THEY DO WEAR DIFFERENT CLOTHING THAN YOUR TYPICAL OFFICER IN UNIFORM. SO AGAIN, THIS OFFICER DID NOT. OKAY. I ASKED HIM SPECIFICALLY AND HE WAS FULLY IN HIS FULL UNIFORM, BULLETPROOF VEST AND ALL. ALL RIGHT. I, I WILL LOOK INTO IT AGAIN. THANK YOU. SORRY THAT IT HAPPENED TO YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. JAMES CHAMBERS. JAMES CHAMBERS, LINDSEY WILLIAMS. HELLO, GOOD AFTERNOON. COUNCIL MEMBERS, MAYOR AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS. MY NAME IS LINDSEY WILLIAMS AND I'M PRESIDENT OF SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 64 AND 88, COVERING GREATER EASTWOOD LAWNDALE AND WAYSIDE. I ALSO SERVE AS A PRESIDENT OF THE EASTWOOD CIVIC ASSOCIATION AND I'M A FOUNDING MEMBER, UH, SERVE AS OUR TRAINS TRAINS COMMITTEE. UM, ADDITIONALLY FOUNDING MEMBER OF THE EAST AND RAIL SAFETY TASK FORCE, WHICH INCLUDES OUR NEIGHBORS AND FIFTH WARD. UH, FOR OVER THREE YEARS, OUR COMMITTEE HAS WORKED TO EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY AND PARTNERS PARTNER WITH ALL LEADERS AT ALL LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT TO SEEK RELIEF FROM THE GROWING TRAINS ISSUE AFFECTING OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. AS MANY AS YOU KNOW, UH, THE EXPECTED INCREASE IN FREIGHT RAIL TRAFFIC DRIVEN BY THE SUCCESS OF THE PORT OF HOUSTON IS STRAINING OUR COMMUNITIES. THIS INCREASE WILL ONLY EXACERBATE LONGSTANDING ISSUES WITH RAIL TRAFFIC IN THE EAST END. WHAT WE NEED AND WHAT WE'VE BEEN ASKING FOR IS SAFE PASSAGE AROUND THE TRAINS IN THE FORM OF GRADE SEPARATED VEHICLE AND PEDESTRIAN ACCESS. I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND THANK SEVERAL COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO HAVE ALREADY EXPRESSED THEIR SUPPORT FOR THESE GRADE SEPARATIONS, INCLUDING COUNCIL MEMBERS, MARTINEZ CASTILLO RAMIREZ, DAVIS CARTER, AND ALCORN. GIVEN SOME OF THE TERRIBLE SITUATIONS HAPPENING IN COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON'S AREA, I HAVE HEARD HER ADVOCACY FOR GREAT SEPARATIONS OF FIFTH WARD. I'M ALSO GRATEFUL FOR THE SUPPORT OF THE MAYOR US REP, SYLVIA GARCIA, THE LATE US REP, SHEILA JACKSON, LEE STATE SENATOR CAROL ALVARADO, TEXAS STATE REPRESENTATIVES CHRISTINA MORALES AND ANNA HERNANDEZ. IN ADDITION, I'VE HEARD SUPPORT FROM THE GULF COAST RAIL DISTRICT. OUR COMMITTEE HAS WORKED WITH PREVIOUS COUNCIL DISTRICT, I COUN, DISTRICT COUNCIL. I COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, ROBERT GALLEGOS AND SYLVIA GARCIA TO SECURE FUNDING GAP FOR THE WEST BELT PROJECT. PHASE ONE BY PROVIDING NECESSARY IMPACT STORIES TO APPLY FOR BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE LAW GRANT. MORE RECENTLY, WE ASSISTED COMMISSIONER ADRIAN GARCIA IN HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS IN APPLYING FOR ANOTHER BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE LAW GRANT FOR THE FEASIBILITY STUDIES ON ADDITIONAL [02:00:01] GRADE SEPARATIONS WITHIN THE EASTERN TRIANGLE. THE RESULT OF OUR WORK IN EDUCATING THE COMMUNITIES, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO HOLD TWO TOWN HALLS WITH THE FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATOR, ADMIT BOWS, WHO THEN ASSIGNED TWO FRA INSPECTORS TO OUR AREA. WE HAVE PROOF THAT ROUGHLY 40% OF THE REPORTS ON THE FLA BLOCKED CROSSINGS PORTAL COME FROM THE EAST END, UM, MORE SO THAN ANY PART OF THE COUNTRY. OUR CIVIC ASSOCIATION AND SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD HAVE CONSISTENTLY REPORTED THAT TRAINS ARE OF TOP CONCERN AFFECTING THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR RESIDENTS. I KEEP HEARING THAT WAYFINDING PROJECTS ARE BEING PRIORITIZED. UH, WAYFINDING PROVIDES NO RELIEF FOR CHILDREN CRAWLING UNDER TRAINS TO GET TO SCHOOL OR RESIDENTS TRYING TO USE NON VEHICULAR SUPPORT TRANSPORT AS A RESIDENT POURING HUNDREDS IF NOT THOUSANDS OF HOURS PER SOLUTIONS FOR THIS. YOU CAN IMAGINE MY FRUSTRATION AT HEARING THAT WAYFINDING PROJECTS ARE BEING PRIORITIZED. THE EAST END AND FIFTH WARD ARE THE MOST CAR INSECURE AREAS OF THE CITY. MEANING MANY HOUSEHOLDS DON'T HAVE RELIABLE FORMS OF VEHICLE TRANSPORT. RELYING ON WALKING, BIKING AND METRO WAY FINDING IS A SHORT-TERM SOLUTION, BUT ONLY A SHORT-TERM SOLUTION UNTIL A LONG-TERM SOLUTION IS IN PLACE. AND NOT JUST ME, BUT MANY RESIDENTS HAVE CONCERNED THAT IF WE ONLY PRIORITIZE WAYFINDING, WE'RE NOT GONNA LOOK FOR A LONG-TERM SOLUTION. I'M HERE TODAY. , YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR ADVOCACY ON THIS. UM, COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ. THANK YOU, VICE MAYOR PROTE. UH, LINDSAY, IF YOU WANNA WRAP UP. YEAH, I JUST, I'M JUST HERE TO ASK RESPECTFULLY, BUT DIRECTLY PLEASE CONTINUE EMPHASIZING GRADE SEPARATIONS IN ALL CONVERSATIONS AROUND STOP TRAINS. WITH THE INCREASE IN FREIGHT RAIL TRAFFIC, WE'RE FACING A SAFETY PROBLEM AND A COLLAPSE WITH THE RAILROAD INFRASTRUCTURE. THANK YOU. UM, AND JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU AGAIN, LINDSEY. UH, I THINK YOU WERE HERE A FEW MONTHS AGO, UH, SPEAKING TO SOME OF THE EAST END, UH, CHALLENGES WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, TRAINS BLOCKING, UH, MAJOR INTERSECTIONS MM-HMM . UM, AND I THINK SOME OF THIS CONVERSATION MIGHT HAVE BEEN SPARKED FROM A FEW WEEKS AGO, AND WE HAD SOME RESIDENTS FROM THE NORTHEAST, UM, COMING IN AND SPEAKING TO, UM, THEIR CHALLENGES WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, BLOCK, BLOCK CROSSINGS AS WELL. BUT THEN ALSO I BELIEVE SOME ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES THAT THEY'RE HAVING. SURE. UM, AND, AND SO, UM, I 100% AGREE WITH YOU. UH, SEPARATION AGREE IS THE, IS THE ANSWER. UM, I MENTIONED THAT TO THEM. UH, THEN, UH, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT IS WHAT WE'RE SHOOTING FOR AS WELL, UH, FROM THE DISTRICT EYE OFFICE. UM, WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH PUBLIC WORKS. I APPRECIATE YOU ALL TAKING, UM, UH, ADVICE TO WORK WITH PRECINCT TWO . UM, UNFORTUNATELY, UH, THE INDIVIDUALS IN PUBLIC WORKS THAT WERE LEADING THE CHARGE WHEN IT CAME TO SUBMITTING GRANTS, UH, THROUGH THE INFRASTRUCTURE BILL, UM, ARE NO LONGER WITH THE CITY. AND SO SURE IT HAS LEFT US, UH, A LITTLE BIT, UM, YOU KNOW, NOT HAVING THAT, THE BANDWIDTH TO, TO CONTINUE TO DO THOSE TYPES OF, UH, UH, OR SUBMIT THOSE TYPES OF APPLICATIONS. AND SO, UH, WE DEFINITELY NEED TO MAKE SURE WE'RE LEVERAGING COUNTY, STATE, FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, UH, FOR SURE. YEAH. WE, WE GAVE THEM 17 PAGES OF IMPACT STORIES AND DATA TO SUBMIT WITH THE APPLICATION. SO HOPEFULLY IT WAS HELPFUL. YEAH. AND, AND I THINK JUST TO THAT, AND I'LL, AND I'LL CLOSE WITH THIS, UM, AND I'VE MADE THIS VERY CLEAR, UH, WORKING OUT OF THE DISTRICT EYE OFFICE FOR THE PAST 10 YEARS. UM, BUT FOR EASTWOOD, UH, JUMPING ON BOARD AND REALLY HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH OTHER, UH, LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT AND HOLDING THEM ACCOUNTABLE, WERE WE ABLE TO SEE, UH, THE 24 PLUS MILLION DOLLARS TO, UH, FILL THE GAP IN TO ADDRESS, UH, YORK COMMERCE AND SAMSON, UH, GREAT SEPARATION. SO, UH, CONTINUE TO DO THE GOOD WORK. UH, WE'RE HERE TO SU SUPPORT YOU AS WELL. UH, AND AGAIN, JUST THANK YOU AGAIN LINDSEY, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. SURE. JUST A COMMENT. SO, UM, I HAVE A FRIEND THAT LIVES IN EASTWOOD AND I REMEMBER WHEN HE PURCHASED OVER THERE, YOU LITERALLY CAN HEAR THE TRAIN, LIKE ON THE PHONE. MM-HMM . AND DURING BARREL, HE HAD POWER. SO I STAYED WITH HIM LIKE TWO DAYS 'CAUSE I HAD NO POWER. AND I LITERALLY WAS STARTLED WITH THE TRAIN, LIKE WAKING UP. IT WAS LIKE PTSD. UM, AND ON THE WAY TO A DISTRIBUTION IN THE DISTRICT, I'M STUCK BEHIND THE TRAINS. SO I LEGALLY BACK OUT, LEGALLY BACK OUT IN THE STREET. GO THE OPPOSITE WAY SO I CAN GO THE OTHER WAY. SO HEARING IT AND THEN SEEING IT TWO DIFFERENT THINGS. YEAH. SO I LIKE, I WOULD JUST HEAR IT IN FRONT. I'M LIKE, OH, YOU'RE JUST COMPLAINING. IT'S JUST WHITE NOISE. IT'S JUST A TRAIN. NO, IT IS NOT LIKE THAT IS DISRUPTIVE. SO I MEAN, EVERYTHING Y'ALL ARE DOING WITH YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER AND THE STATE REP, ALL OF IT CONTINUE TO DO IT BECAUSE THAT IS, IT IS DEFINITELY WILD ON THAT SIDE OF TOWN. , THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER, VICKY MARTIN. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS VICKI MARTIN. I SERVE ON EXECUTIVE COUNCIL FOR SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 49 50, WHICH IS EAST HOUSTON CGA. I'M ALSO THE PRESIDENT OF CLAREMONT PLACE CIVIC CLUB. I COME BEFORE YOU TODAY TO SPEAK ABOUT AGAIN, WE WOULD LIKE TO STAND [02:05:01] IN SOLIDARITY ABOUT THE TRAIN. THERE'S A TRAIN ISSUE IN NORTHEAST HOUSTON. ANYTHING NORTH OF SIX 10, EAST OF 59, THAT'S GONNA BE HIRSCH ROAD, MESER, LITTLE YORK. THE TRAIN STOPPED BEYOND THE 20 MINUTES. AND IF THERE'S EVER AN EMERGENCY, YOU ARE JUST AT IN, IN A VERY VULNERABLE SITUATION. TODAY I AM HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT, I STAND IN SOLIDARITY WITH, UH, MISS, UH, CAROLYN RIVERA, DR. ROAD, GOLD STAR MEDALS. WE HAVE CALLED IN GOLD STAR MEDALS. SO MANY TIMES THAT THE PERMITS, THE, UH, RED TAGS HAVE NOW TURNED WHITE. THERE HAVE BEEN SO MANY RED TAGS. THEY WENT FROM ORANGE, RED, YELLOW, AND NOW THEY'RE WHITE. SO WE STAND IN SOLIDARITY ABOUT THAT PLANT HAVING NO OCCUPANCY. IT SHOULD BE SHUT DOWN. ALSO, THE KMART BARGAINS, UH, KMART. WE STAND IN SOLIDARITY WITH OUR COUNCILWOMAN, UH, TASHA JACKSON. THAT IS A BROWNFIELD THAT WE HAVE BEEN INUNDATED WITHOUT RETAIL AS A BRIGHT IN THE COMMUNITY. AND WE NEED TO DEVELOP THAT AREA. SO WE STAND BEHIND THAT. ALSO, THE TRUCK YARD, UH, TRUCK PILOT, TRUCK ROUTE PILOT. THE TRUCK ROUTE PILOT IS GOING TO BE INITIATED IN OUR AREA. AND THERE'S SOME ISSUES, OUR ATTORNEYS HERE TODAY TO, TO TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE. BUT WE ARE A RESIDENTIAL AREA, TIDWELL AND NORTH WEST SIDE IS RESIDENTIAL. THERE'S NO POINT OF ORIGIN, NOR IS THERE A DROP OFF POINT TO JUSTIFY TRUCKS TRAVELING DOWN TIDWELL NORTH WEST SIDE BETWEEN MESA LAY ROAD AND LITTLE YORK. ALSO THE LIBRARY. LAKEWOOD COMMUNITY LIBRARY. OUR LIBRARY WAS AFFECTED BY HARVEY. WE HAVE ASKED FOR IT TO BE REOPENED AND RENOVATED. WE RECEIVED THE EMAIL JANUARY, 2023 FROM THE HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY STATING THAT THEY DO NOT HAVE THE FUNDING AND THAT IT'S IN A 105 HUNDRED YEAR FLOOD PLAN. WELL, GUESS WHAT? THE ENTIRE CITY IS IN A HUNDRED YEAR FLOOD PLAN. SO THAT'S NOT A JUSTIFICATION TO US. AND TO ADD INSULT TO THE EXPLANATION, HABITAT BUILT A SLEW OF HOMES RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE LIBRARY. SO WE HAVE OVER 24,000 PEOPLE IN THE AREA, AND WE HAVE NO LIBRARY. AND AS YOU ARE AWARE, HISD HAS DONE SOMETHING WITH THEIR CAMPUS LIBRARIES. SO WHAT ARE OUR KIDS TO DO? LIBRARIES ARE A VITAL PART OF THE COMMUNITY. AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, WHAT YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU, THE ESPLANADES, WE PAY CITY TAXES AND OUR ESPLANADES ARE NOT BEING MAINTAINED. WHEN I SPEAK WITH THE, THE WORKERS, THEY TELL ME THINGS LIKE, OH, THE BLADE IS IN HIGHLAND CLARK, OR WE DON'T HAVE THE WEED EATERS ON THE TRUCK. SO THEY JUST CUT THAT, UH, WEEK TO A WEEK AND A HALF AGO AND THEY NEVER DRESSED THE CURBS. THAT'S THE TERMINOLOGY THAT THEY USE, IS MOWING AND DRESSING THE CURBS. SO AGAIN, WHAT ARE WE TO DO WHEN WE CLEAN OUR COMMUNITY AND THE CITY LEADS US IN A STATE LIKE THIS? IT'S NOT GONNA LET US CHANGE OUR CULTURE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. THANK YOU. UM, VICE MAYOR PRO TIM. AND THANK YOU MS. MARTIN FOR JUST YOUR LEADERSHIP, YOU KNOW, AND YOUR ADVOCACY. YOU ALWAYS WORKING ON SOMETHING ACROSS THE BOARD, UM, IN THE NORTHEAST COMMUNITY. UM, AND SO IN REGARDS TO THE EXCAVATE, I KNOW THAT THE CITY, THEY HAVE BEEN NEGLECTED. I THINK THEY CUT, CUT 'EM WOOD EVERY TWO WEEKS OR WHATEVER. BUT NOW OUR HOT TEAM IS TRYING TO FILL IN THAT GAP. SO JUST FOR, YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS CAN JUST REACH OUT TO THE OFFICE AND IF IT'S, YOU KNOW, WE CAN PUT IT ON THE LIST SO THAT THE HOT TEAM CAN GO OUT AND KIND OF HELP, YOU KNOW, KEEP IT CLEANED UP. WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH, UM, THE NORTHEAST CIVIC CLUB ON THIS AS WELL. SO THAT'S EAST EASTERN HOUSTON CIVIC CLUB. EAST HOUSTON CITY CLUB, I'M SORRY, EAST HOUSTON CIVIC CLUB. UM, SO THAT'S, UM, SOMETHING THAT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, COLLABORATE ON AND REGARDS TO THE TRUCK REROUTING ORDINANCE. I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE WORKING WITH PUBLIC WORKS ON THAT, UM, TO MAKE SURE. I KNOW THERE'S SOME FOLKS, SOME CONSTITUENTS WERE NOT HAPPY WITH IT OR, UM, HAVE BEEN PUSHING BACK ON IT, BUT I, I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED. UM, IT'S SOMETHING THAT THE COMMUNITY HAVE ASKED FOR AND SO I THINK WE SHOULD EMBRACE IT AND WORK WITH PUBLIC WORKS TO COME UP WITH A PLAN, UM, THAT IS GONNA BE BENEFICIAL TO EVERYONE. I DON'T WANT TO SCRAP IT. UM, BUT SO JUST I ENCOURAGE YOU TO ENCOURAGE SOME OF THE OTHER CONSTITUENTS JUST TO, YOU KNOW, WORK WITH US AND STOP BASICALLY FIGHTING AGAINST IT BECAUSE WE KEEP FIGHTING AGAINST IT, THEN IT'LL GO AWAY. AND SO, YEAH, EXACTLY. AND SO, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE STARTED WORKING ON BEFORE THIS ADMINISTRATION. SO, AND I THINK IT'LL BE GREAT, UM, TO REROUTE TRUCKS, GIVE THEM A ROUTE TO TAKE. 'CAUSE RIGHT NOW, UM, THIS, THIS OUR, OUR COMMUNITIES ARE OVERWHELMED WITH TRUCKING COMPANIES. YOU SEE THEM POPPING UP AND THEY GONNA KEEP RUNNING UP AND DOWN THOSE ROADS. AND SO AS LONG AS WE CAN PUT SOMETHING IN IN PLACE THAT BLOCKS THEM FROM COMING UP THE MAIN ROADS, UM, I THINK IT'S GONNA BE BENEFICIAL IN THE LONG RUN. AND AGAIN, WE ARE HERE ANYTIME YOU NEED SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, IT'S AN OPEN DOOR POLICY. JUST LET THE OFFICE KNOW WHAT YOU NEED. OKAY. OKAY. IF I MAY RESPOND, WE HAVE AHEAD FIVE TO SEVEN CIVIC CLUBS AND WE HAVE FIVE [02:10:01] HOAS WITHIN OUR BOUNDARIES. AND WE'VE DONE A TOWN HALL MEETING, WHICH WE HAVE SURVEYS AND WE HAVE, UH, UP FOR PEOPLE TO UPLOAD PICTURES. MM-HMM . AND THE CONSENSUS IS THAT THE COMMUNITY NORTHEAST SET OF GAS WANTS THE TRUCK, ROCK PUMP. RIGHT. SO I CAN CLEAR THAT UP FOR YOU NOW. WE WANT IT, BUT WE WANT TRUCKS THAT ARE ONLY NECESSARY IN OUR COMMUNITY TO BE THERE. NOT THE ONES CUTTING THROUGH THE GO TO UMBLE. RIGHT. WE ARE A RESIDENTIAL AREA. WHEN THEY BUY PROPERTIES, THEY PUT TRUCKS ON THEM INSTEAD OF HOMES AND THEY'LL PAYING TAXES AS A RESIDENCE. BUT THAT'S ANOTHER DAY AND THAT'S ANOTHER LOOK ANOTHER DAY. RIGHT. . THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU MS. MORGAN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR MY TIME. THANK YOU SO MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER, CAROLINE CROW. GOOD AFTERNOON COUNSEL. MY NAME IS CAROLINE CROW. I'M A STAFF ATTORNEY WITH LONE STAR LEGAL AID. I'M HERE TO GIVE SOME COMMENTS ON BEHALF OF SUPER NEIGHBORHOODS 49 AND 50 EAST HOUSTON CGA RELATED TO THE EAST HOUSTON SET GAS PILOT PROJECT. UM, I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING COUNCILWOMAN JACKSON JUST SAID, AND ALSO WITH, UM, MS. VICKY MARTIN, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD. WE CAN ALL AGREE THERE'S A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH TRUCKS IN NORTHEAST HOUSTON. EAST HOUSTON AND SETAS ARE PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE AND AT THE SAME TIME, THEY'RE SOME OF THE COMMUNITY'S MOST INUNDATED WITH THIS TRUCK ACTIVITY. ACCORDING TO A STUDY COMPLETED BY DR. TOBY ROSS, UH, PRESIDENT OF NEW PROGRESSIVE CIVIC CLUB IN SETAS, UM, AND SENT TO COUNCILWOMAN JACKSON, WHO OF COURSE HAS PLEDGED HER SU SUPPORT TO THE COMMUNITY OVER AND OVER AGAIN. UH, THE TRUCKING PROBLEM IN THIS TWO SQUARE MILE COMMUNITY IS GETTING WORSE. AS DR. ROSS'S REPORT DEMONSTRATES. THE TRUCK PROBLEM'S NOT LIMITED TO TRUCKS DRIVING ON DESIGNATED ROADS, WHICH IS SOMETHING THE PILOT WOULD AND THE, AND THE ORDINANCE WOULD WORK TO RESOLVE. INSTEAD, THE PROBLEM'S MUCH BIGGER. TRUCK LOTS ARE POPPING UP IN THE COMMUNITY WITHOUT PROPER APPROVALS. AND IN RESIDENTIAL AREAS, THE TRUCKS ARE CHANGING THE CHARACTER OF THESE COMMUNITIES POLLUTING THE AIR, CAUSING ACCIDENTS, DAMAGING STREETS, PERPETUATING DISPARITIES IN PROPERTY VALUES AND ENDANGERING THE COMMUNITY'S CHILDREN. THE PILOT PROJECT AND THE TRUCK ROUTE ARE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS ONE PIECE OF THE TRUCKING PROBLEM. WHILE OPPORTUNITY MAY HAVE A POSITIVE CONNOTATION, IT JUST MEANS A SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES THAT MAKE IT POSSIBLE TO DO SOMETHING. IN FACT, IT'S A NEUTRAL WORD. THIS IS ONLY AN OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE UNTIL THE CITY LISTENS TO THE COMMUNITY ABOUT WHERE THE ROUTE NEEDS TO GO AND WHAT ELSE NEEDS TO BE ACCOMPLISHED TO RESOLVE THE TRUCKING PROBLEMS, THE COMMUNITY WILL REMAIN PLAGUED BY THESE SAME PROBLEMS. FOR EXAMPLE, THE COMMUNITY HAS REPEATEDLY SAID, PLEASE KEEP TRUCKS OFF WAYSIDE AND OFF TIDWELL AND A SURVEY COMPLETED BY THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT MS. MARTIN REFERENCED AT THAT TOWN HALL. AND I'M ALSO HAPPY TO SEND COPIES OF THIS SURVEY AFTERWARD. UM, IT'S STILL OPEN. COMMUNITY MEMBERS ARE ACTIVELY FILLING IT OUT. UM, BUT OVER HALF THE COMMUNITY SAID, PLEASE KEEP TRUCKS OFF WAYSIDE, WHICH WAS SOME OF THE ORIGINAL FEEDBACK GIVEN TO THE CITY. WAYSIDES A COMMUNITY ROAD. UM, IT'S NOT A ROAD THAT TRUCKS NEED TO TO TRAVEL ON YET. THE CITY OF HOUSTON THROUGH PUBLIC WORKS HAS INSTALLED SIGNS ON WAYSIDE DIRECTING TRUCK TRAFFIC ON THIS COMMUNITY ROAD. UM, SO IT'S JUST A PRO, THIS IS A PROBLEM I WANTED TO COME AND RAISE, UM, IN THE SAME COMMUNITY SURVEY JUST TO ADDRESS COUNCILWOMAN JACKSON. MS. MARTIN ADDRESSED IT TOO. UM, THE OVER HALF THE RESPONDENTS, I THINK EVERYONE SAID IT WAS A GOOD THING. THERE WERE TWO NOS ON ON IT. I TALKED TO BOTH THOSE COMMUNITY MEMBERS AFTERWARDS, THEY SAID NO BECAUSE OF THE SIGNS ON WAYSIDE. UM, IT WASN'T IN REACTION TO THIS POTENTIAL SOLUTION TO PART OF THE LARGER TRUCKING PROBLEM THAT WE'RE ALL AWARE OF. AND IT DOES AFFECT ALL OF HOUSTON WITHOUT ZONING. THAT'S NOT LOST ON ME. UH, BUT SO, UM, THIS WILL ALL BEGIN WITH GETTING THE TRUCKS ROUTED THROUGH THE AFFECTED COMMUNITIES ON ROADS THAT COMMUNITY AGREES WITH. I THINK THE ORDINANCE ITSELF CONTEMPLATES ENGAGING WITH THE COMMUNITY TO BE SURE THAT TRUCKS ARE ON THE ROADS THE COMMUNITY HAS CHOSEN. SO. OH, OKAY. THANK YOU. UM, COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON, I WANNA GIVE YOU MORE TIME. GO AHEAD. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I JUST HAVE TWO ADDITIONAL THINGS. FIRST, THERE ARE JUST TWO ASKS. ONE IS REMOVE THE SIGNS FROM WAYSIDE AND TIDWELL. THE SECOND IS CONTINUE INSTALLING THE NO THROUGH STUCK TRUCK SIGNS IN THE RESIDENTIAL AREAS. I THINK THAT SOME OF THEM HAVE STARTED TO BE VERY EFFECTIVE. THAT IS FEEDBACK WE ALSO GOT FROM THE COMMUNITY. UM, ANYTHING ELSE? THANK YOU SO MUCH. SO DID YOU GIVE THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS? THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. DID YOU GIVE THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS TO PUBLIC WORKS? I HAVE A LETTER. I'M WAITING TO BE SURE EVERYONE IN THE COMMUNITY WHO'S BEEN ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN THIS IS ON BOARD WITH THE THINGS THAT EXPRESSES, UM, THOSE ARE, THESE ARE THE MAJOR TAKEAWAYS. I FELT LIKE IT WAS REALLY PRUDENT TO TELL CITY COUNCIL NOW. RIGHT. I, I KNOW THAT THERE'S SUPPOSEDLY AN OFFICIAL START DATE AND THAT, AND THAT THIS IS SOMETHING I THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE RESOLVED, RIGHT? AND THAT'S, UM, ON NORTHWAY SIDE WHERE THEY PUT A SIGN UP, THERE'S MANY SIGNS ON WAYSIDE. OKAY. IN FACT, THERE'S MORE [02:15:01] SIDES ON WAYSIDE, WHICH IS SUPPOSED TO BE A LOCAL TRUCK ROUTE THAN ON MESA AND MCCARTY, WHICH ARE THE, THE TRUCK THOROUGH AFFAIRS, YOU KNOW? RIGHT. SO IT'S A LITTLE CONFUSING. YEAH, THAT'S AN ISSUE ON NORTHWEST SIDE. 'CAUSE WHEN I GOT IN OFFICE, WE REDID NORTHWEST SIDE AND WITHIN WHAT IT SEEMED LIKE THREE MONTHS, THE ROADS WERE BACK DESTROYED BECAUSE OF THE 18 WHEELERS. SO I WOULD, I WILL GET WITH PUBLIC WORKS ON THAT. I AGREE. THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU SO MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER, MARY DAVE ANO, GOOD AFTERNOON. CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND MAYOR WHO'S NOT HERE. UM, I WANTED TO COME AND THANK YOU. MY NAME IS MARY DISTEFANO. I LIVE AT 1400 MCKINNEY STREET, ALSO KNOWN AS ONE PARK PLACE. IT'S AT THE CORNER OF LA BRANCH LAMAR. AND THE BUILDING TAKES UP THE WHOLE BLOCK. IT GOES AROUND, UH, LA BRANCH AND LAMAR AND MCKINNEY. AND I WAS HERE ABOUT A MONTH AGO COMPLAINING ABOUT THE NOISE AND THE NOISE POLLUTION. AND I WANTED TO EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE TO EVERYONE WHO WAS SO HELPFUL, INCLUDING OUR COUNCIL MEMBER. UM, SOMEONE ACTUALLY CAME TO THE BUILDING, THE MAYOR CAME WITH THE CHIEF OF POLICE AND SOME OFFICERS. AND THAT WEEKEND WAS THE MOST QUIET WEEKEND EVER. SO I WANTED TO EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE. I DON'T KNOW IF PEOPLE EVER COME BACK AND SAY, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. BUT I FELT IT WAS IMPORTANT. IT SOMETIMES JUST LISTENING TO THE QUIET, IT'S NOT TOTALLY RESOLVED. THERE ARE STILL PEOPLE WHO THINK THAT THEY SHOULD COME AND MAKE NOISE AT 12 AND ONE AND TWO ON THE WEEKENDS, BUT IT IS SO MUCH BETTER. SO I, I REALLY WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR THAT. THE OTHER ISSUE THAT I CAME TO SPEAK ABOUT WAS THE SPEEDING ELECTRIC. UM, THINGS, ELECTRIC SCOOTERS ARE PART OF IT, BUT YOU HAVE BICYCLES AND NOW THERE'S SOME CRAZY THREE WHEEL THINGS WITH LIGHTS AND I DUNNO WHAT THEY'RE CALLED, BUT THESE ARE AN ISSUE AROUND THE PARK AND AROUND OUR BUILDING. UM, BESIDES THE APARTMENT BUILDINGS, YOU HAVE THE FANIA AND YOU HAVE THIS WONDERFUL LITTLE FRENCH RESTAURANT. SO THERE'S A LOT OF TRAFFIC AND HAVING THE, UM, ELECTRIC SCOOTERS AROUND THAT. I THINK IT'S THE, THE CITY THAT HAS PUT IN SOME, UM, SUPERVISORS AND THERE'S A COUPLE LADIES THAT WALK AROUND PERIODICALLY AND THEY HAVE CUT DOWN ON THE SCOOTER TRAFFIC, BUT IT'S STILL VERY BAD. AND I'M WONDERING IF THE CITY CAN LOOK INTO THE PEOPLE WHO COME IN TRUCKS WHO LICENSE, YOU KNOW, WHO JUST SELL THESE THINGS AROUND THE AREA BECAUSE THERE'S REALLY NO POLICING OF IT. AND IT'S REALLY A SAFETY ISSUE RIGHT NOW. THERE'S A PUMP PUMPKIN FESTIVAL GOING ON AND THE FENCING AROUND IT HAS SANDBAGS. SO THE SIDEWALKS ARE ACTUALLY HALF. AND FOR OLD PEOPLE, LIKE WHO WOBBLE LIKE ME AND THE YOUNG PARENTS WHO COME WITH THEIR LITTLE KIDS, IT'S REALLY DANGEROUS. AND THE SCOOTER PEOPLE DON'T PAY ATTENTION WITH IT. UM, SO, AND THE LAST THING I WANTED TO ASK IS, UH, IS DISCOVERY GREEN PRIVATE OR DOES THAT BELONG TO THE CITY OR HOW DOES THAT FUNCTION? IT'S PRIVATE. IS THERE SOME WAY? HUH? SHARED. OKAY. BECAUSE, UM, IT'S, IT'S REALLY NICE TO LOOK OUT MY WINDOW AND SEE THE PARK AND ALL THE WONDERFUL FUNCTIONS, BUT THERE, THE PART THAT USED TO BE THE ICE SKATING RINK IN THE WINTERTIME, THAT IS SO FULL OF ALGAE AND HOUSTON DOES A GREAT JOB WITH MOSQUITOES AND STUFF, BUT THE ALGAE IS REALLY DISGUSTING UNLESS THE CITY'S SELLING IT TO PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY FOR SOMETHING HEALTHY, YOU KNOW, UM, MAYBE SOMETHING COULD BE DONE ABOUT IT. AND, AND I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU THE DUKE FOUNDATION IN NEW JERSEY, WHICH IS WHERE I CAME FROM BEFORE I CAME DOWN HERE. AND THEY ARE THE FIRST, I'M SORRY, THEY'RE THE FIRST. AND I, I CAN, IF YOU CAN GIVE AN ADDRESS OF WHO TO CONTACT, I WOULD CONTACT THEM FOR SOMETHING TO DO TO CLEAN IT UP. THAT'S TOTALLY HEALTHY. COUNCIL MEMBER ALQUAN, THANK YOU FOR COMING AND, AND I'M AN AT LARGE COUNCIL MEMBER. YOU CAN COUNT. I'LL GIVE YOU A CARD AND I KNOW, UM, JOAQUIN MARTINEZ IS YOUR DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER. HE CAN HELP YOU WITH THIS. IT'S GOOD TO KNOW ABOUT THE ALGAE. I HAVEN'T SEEN THAT OVER THERE. SO I'LL, I, WE CAN GET THAT REPORTED. I'VE HEARD FROM OTHER PEOPLE ABOUT THE SCOOTER SITUATION AND SO WE'LL GET THAT REPORTED AS WELL. WE DO HAVE SOME RULES AROUND THAT. UM, SO IF YOU EVER SEE IT, YOU CAN LIKE, TAKE A PICTURE OF WHEN IT'S GOING ON, WHEN PEOPLE ARE DOING STUFF THAT, THAT ALWAYS HELPS. UM, AND THEN, UM, FINALLY, I JUST WANNA SAY NO, PEOPLE DON'T COME BACK AND SAY THANK YOU. SO WE REALLY APPRECIATE, I MEAN, FOR THE MOST PART. SO WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR COMING DOWN AND I'M GLAD THAT I'VE HEARD FROM OTHER RESIDENTS OF, OF PARK ONE PARK PLACE AND, AND, UM, I I, SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT WERE GOING ON DOWN THERE. AND SO I'M GLAD THAT THE MAYOR AND CHIEF OF POLICE WENT DOWN THERE AND THINGS ARE, ARE GETTING BETTER IN THAT REGARD. IT REALLY IS. SUPER. AND I KNOW THAT YOUR POLICE DEPARTMENT IS SUPER OVERWHELMED, AND THERE'S BUDGET ISSUES AND STUFF, BUT HOPEFULLY PERIODICALLY PEOPLE CAN STILL COME IN AND ATTEND TO IT, JUST SO THAT [02:20:01] YEAH. AND THERE'S A, THERE'S A, A, THE, THE EXEC, A NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AT THE, AT THE, UM, AT DISCOVERY GREEN. BUT WE CAN GET IN TOUCH WITH HER AND LET HER KNOW, FIND OUT WHAT THE PLAN IS FOR THE ALGA. YEAH, IF YOU CAN GIMME THE ADDRESS. I'LL GIVE HER SOME IDEAS OF SAFEWAYS AND, OKAY. YOU KNOW, GREEN, GREEN WAYS TO GET RID OF THE ALGAE. GREAT. GREAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU ALL. THAT'S ALL. THANK YOU SO MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER, LAUREN SWEENEY. LAUREN SWEENEY, OLIVIA EZ. HELLO. UM, A FEW OF YOU HAVE, OR ALL OF YOU HAVE SEEN ME BEFORE. UM, I JUST WANTED TO ADDRESS RANDOMLY ENFORCING THE POLICY OF US NEEDING TO SUPPLY OUR ADDRESS AND PHONE NUMBER IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO BE A PUBLIC SPEAKER AT CITY HALL. WHERE THIS INFORMATION IS PRESENTED ON A PUBLIC DOMAIN IS REALLY PUTTING US AT RISK TO BE ACCESSED BY STRANGERS AND IS UNSAFE. THERE'S ALWAYS TALK ABOUT SAFETY, THIS SECURITY DEBT, WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY CREATING AN UNSAFE ENVIRONMENT FOR PEOPLE SPEAKING UP ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND EQUALITY. YET STILL, WE REMAIN COMPLICIT. STILL. WE REMAIN IN THE BOUNDARIES OF THE LAW. STILL WE'RE SHOWN HOLLOWNESS STILL. YOU ALLOW THE POLICE TO TERRORIZE PEACEFUL PROTESTORS, EMBODYING THEIR RIGHT TO FREE SPEECH, SHAME, THINKING OF WAYS TO SEPARATE AND DIVIDE ALL OUR PEOPLE, CATEGORIZING AND SUPPRESSING ALL OUR PEOPLE LOOKING DOWN ON AND DEGRADING ALL OUR PEOPLE, BEATING AND TAKING AWAY ALL OUR PEOPLE. STAND UP FOR ALL OUR PEOPLE. WALK BESIDE ALL OUR PEOPLE, TAKE A CHANCE TO SEE WHAT IS INSIDE ALL OUR PEOPLE. BE KIND TO OUR PEOPLE. DON'T ROLL YOUR EYES AT OUR PEOPLE. DON'T SPREAD LIES ABOUT OUR PEOPLE. DEVISE WITH THE PEOPLE. OPEN YOUR EYES TO THE PEOPLE. WE STAND UP WHEN THINGS AREN'T DONE RIGHT WITH OUR PEOPLE. ALL THESE LIES AND DISGUISE, Y'ALL NEVER THOUGHT WE'D BE THIS WISE. WE SHALL RISE. WE THE PEOPLE, WE ARE WISE. WE THE PEOPLE. WE STAND TALL. WE THE PEOPLE, WE ARE STRONG. YOU'VE BEEN WRONG FOR NOW. WE KNOW THAT ALL ALONG, WE BELONG. AND IT'S, IT'S CLEAR THAT YOU'RE NOT FOR HUMANITY, BUT YOU'RE FOR COMPLICITY. SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR TODAY. AND AFTER A YEAR OF COMING HERE TRYING TO GET YOU GUYS TO OPEN YOUR HEARTS AND UNDERSTAND WHY WE REPEATEDLY NEVER BACK DOWN IS LIKE JUST SPEAKING TO A WALL AT THIS POINT. A LOT OF THE TIMES WE NEVER REALLY GET ANY COMMENTARY BACK. SO IT'S LIKE DRAINING AT THIS POINT. UM, BUT I'LL NEVER STOP. LIKE, I, I'M NOT GONNA STOP. NONE OF US ARE GOING TO STOP. YOU'RE ALWAYS GOING TO SEE US HERE BECAUSE WE BELIEVE IN HUMANITY. WE BELIEVE IN TRUTH, AND WE WILL BE HERE TO ADDRESS LIES THAT GET SPREAD ABOUT US. WE ARE NOT BEING PAID FOR THIS. WE ARE HUMANS. WE'RE FIGHTING FOR RESPECT, FREEDOM, JUSTICE ABOVE ALL. SO IT'S UPSETTING THAT THE MAYOR ALSO ISN'T HERE. UM, BUT I'M GONNA HAVE TO GIVE THAT ENERGY TO YOU IN HOPES THAT YOU'LL BE ABLE TO RELAY THE MESSAGE TO HIM EFFECTIVELY, UM, BECAUSE WE NEVER THREATEN ANYBODY, EVER. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, ROSE CHAR. GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M SURE YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH ME AS WELL. UM, I CAME HERE TO ADDRESS MAYOR WHITMEYER, WHO IS ONCE AGAIN, NOT HERE TODAY, UNFORTUNATELY, BUT ALSO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS. I'M HERE TODAY BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN ADVOCATING FOR THE PEOPLE OF PHILISTINE FOR OVER A YEAR NOW. AND YET OUR CRIES FALL ON DEAF EARS. WHILE THE ICJ HAS STATED, THERE IS EVIDENCE THAT ISRAEL IS COMMITTING A GENOCIDE AND COUNTLESS WAR CRIMES, YOU MAYOR WHITMEYER, UNFORTUNATELY, AGAIN, WHO'S NOT HERE TODAY, AND COUNCIL MEMBERS SUCH AS ABBY CAYMAN, MARY HUFFMAN, AND AMY PECK HAVE NOT ONLY REMAINED SILENT, BUT HAVE BEEN SUPPORTIVE OF THESE ATROCITIES. YOU'VE CHOSEN TO SIDE WITH THE OCCUPYING POWER, TAKING MONEY FROM APAC AND SUPPORTING THE ISRAELI LOBBY, EFFECTIVELY SERVING FOREIGN INTEREST OVER THE VERY PEOPLE YOU ARE ELECTED TO REPRESENT. AND HOUSTON, OUR ARAB AMERICAN COMMUNITY, HAS SUFFERED UNBEARABLE LOSS. WE HAVE LOST LOVED ONES AND RAZA AND THE WEST BANK, LEBANON, SYRIA, [02:25:01] AND BEYOND. BUT YOUR ACTIONS AND INACTIONS GO BEYOND IGNORING OUR PAIN. THEY SHOW COMPLICITY IN THESE CRIMES. ISRAEL IS NOT ONLY MASSACRING PEOPLE IN GAZA, BUT ALSO THE WEST BANK, LEBANON, SYRIA, YEMEN WITH PLANS TO EXPAND THEIR WAR CRIMES INTO SURROUNDING COUNTRIES. IT'S CLEAR THAT THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT IS NOT JUST COMMITTING WAR CRIMES, BUT THERE ARE ESCALATING TENSIONS GLOBALLY DRAGGING THE UNITED STATES INTO A POTENTIAL WAR WITH IRAN. NOW, THIS IS NOT JUST A MORAL ISSUE, THIS IS A NATIONAL SECURITY ISSUE. SO THE NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT SUPPORTING ISRAEL'S ISRAEL'S AGGRESSION DOESN'T JUST ENDANGER PALESTINIANS AND ENDANGERS AMERICANS, INCLUDING THE PEOPLE OF HOUSTON. AND AGAIN, I WISH MAYOR WHITMEYER WAS HERE TODAY. UM, SORRY. I, WE'LL ADDRESS THIS TOWARDS HIM, BUT HIS ISLAMOPHOBIC RHETORIC PUTS US DIRECTLY IN HARM'S WAY. HE HAS ACCUSED US OF PROP US PROP, PALESTINIAN PROTESTORS OF BEING FUNDED BY IRANIAN CELLS, A BASELESS DANGEROUS CLAIM THAT HIS OFFICE FAILED TO PROVIDE ANY EVIDENCE FOR WHEN HOUSTON JOURNALISTS REQUESTED IT. HE'S MADE US TARGETS WITH THESE RECKLESS STATEMENTS, AND NOW HE'S IMPLEMENTED A NEW POLICY REQUIRING THOSE WHO WISH TO SPEAK AT CITY HALL TO PUBLICLY DISCLOSE THEIR ADDRESSES. AND WITH THE INCREASE IN THREATS AND HARASSMENT FROM ZIONIST EXTREMISTS, THIS PUTS US ALL AT EVEN GREATER RISK. AND HE IS TRYING TO SILENCE OUR VOICES THROUGH INTIMIDATION. I, FOR ONE, ALREADY GET ALMOST DAILY THREATS, INCLUDING DEATH AND RAPE THREATS. I HAVE HAD OBJECTS THROWN AT ME AND EVEN HAD AN ADULT MALE TRY TO SPIT AT ME WHILE HURLING VIOLENT THREATS WE'RE ALREADY FACING A SURGE IN HATE CRIMES AND HARASSMENT AGAINST ARAB AMERICANS, MUSLIMS, AND PRO-PALESTINIAN ACTIVISTS, BOTH HERE IN HOUSTON AND ACROSS THE ENTIRE COUNTRY, INCLUDING PALESTINIAN AMERICAN CHILD WHO WAS MURDERED SIMPLY BECAUSE HE WAS PALESTINIAN AND COLLEGE STUDENTS BEING SHOT FOR SIMPLY WEARING A CAFEE LIKE THE ONE I'M WEARING HERE TODAY. BY SUPPORTING ISRAEL, YOU ARE NOT ONLY BETRAYING YOUR CONSTITUENTS, BUT ALSO JEOPARDIZING OUR SAFETY. MAYOR WHITMEYER AND CERTAIN COUNCIL MEMBERS, YOUR ACTIONS AND YOUR SILENCE ARE COSTING LIVES. WE AS CUSTODIANS AND AMERICANS WILL BE DONE IN 10 SECONDS. DESERVE LEADERS WITH BACKBONES OF STAND FOR JUSTICE. COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD, YOU HAVE THE REST OF MY TIME. THANK YOU. WE DESERVE LEADERS WITH BACKBONES TO STAND FOR JUSTICE, LEADERS WITH THE COURAGE AND INTEGRITY TO PROTECT THE COMMUNITIES THEY SERVE. INSTEAD, WE ARE BURDENED WITH SPINELESS PUPPETS WHO PRIORITIZE FOREIGN INTERESTS OVER THE VERY PEOPLE THEY SWORE TO REPRESENT, PUTTING US AT ALL, PUTTING US ALL AT RISK IN THE PROCESS. AND I ALSO DO BELIEVE THAT MAYOR WHITMEYER IS ISLAMOPHOBIC RHETORIC TOWARDS PRO-PALESTINIAN PROTESTORS ENCOURAGES THE VIOLENCE AND THE ASSAULTS THAT WE ARE FACING BY HPD ON A REGULAR BASIS, EVEN WHEN WE ARE ABIDING BY THE LAW AND PEACEFULLY PROTESTING. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. LOUIS DARLING. THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS LOUIS DARLING AND I WANTED TO BRING SOMETHING TO Y'ALL'S ATTENTION ABOUT PARKING DIVISION. I CAN TURN AROUND WHY? I GOT TOLD YESTERDAY FROM 3 1 1 PARKING DIVISION IS NEVER GONNA RIGHT A TICKET ON MY STREET. WHY AM I TURNED AROUND? WHY, WHY, WHY CAN'T I HAVE PEOPLE COME ON MY STREET PARK IN A NO PARKING ZONE? I TURN AROUND AND COMPLAIN TO 3 1 1. THEY DON'T COME OUT. THE PARKING DIVISION DOESN'T COME OUT. WHEN THEY DO COME OUT. THEY COME OUT WHEN THE SCHOOL'S NOT IN SESSION EVERY DAY. FOR EXAMPLE, THIS ONE I GIVE YOU THIS CASE NUMBER, 2 4 0 0 3 7 6 5 5 5. ALTERNATE CASES WITH THIS ONE IS NINE CASES. EACH CASE HAS THREE TAGS ALTOGETHER. THERE SHOULD BE WHAT? NINE TIMES. THREE WILL BE WHAT? 27 TAGS. 27 TAGS. THEY'RE GONNA COME OUT HERE WHEN THERE AIN'T NO SCHOOL. ALL THEY'RE GONNA DO IS CLOSE 'EM. WHY ARE THEY GONNA PUT AROUND AND THEY, I GOT TOLD YESTERDAY, NOBODY WILL EVER GET A TICKET ON MY STREET. WHY DON'T I HAVE THE SAME RIGHTS THAT EVERYBODY ELSE HAS IN HOUSTON TO PICK UP THE PHONE, CALL THREE ONE ONE AND ASK FOR PARKING DIVISION TO COME ON OUR STREET AND GIVE TICKETS. WHY? WHY, WHY? WHY ARE THEY ABLE TO TURN AROUND? FOR EXAMPLE, THIS CASE, I GAVE THE CASE NUMBER 2 4 0 0 3 7 6 5 5 5. THEY'RE GONNA COME OUT HERE WHEN IT'S NOT A SCHOOL NO. OR SCHOOL TIME. THE SCHOOL ZONE ON MY STREET, IT SAYS SEVEN TO NINE. TWO TO FIVE. NO PARKING SCHOOL DAYS HAS ARROWS, HAS TOW TRUCKS. WHY IS IT EVERY DAY I HAVE 36 TO 55 PEOPLE PARKING IN A NO PARKING ZONE. HOUSTON, ISD POLICE DOESN'T WANNA DO NOTHING. HOUSTON POLICE DON'T WANNA DO NOTHING. PARKING DIVISION, I CALL. THEY DON'T COME OUT. THIS IS ONE CASE. LEMME GO TO THE SECOND CASE. HERE'S ANOTHER ONE WITH THAT ONE CASE. THEY WENT AHEAD AND CLOSED NINE CASES. DIDN'T CARE ABOUT WRITING A TICKET. WE'RE [02:30:01] BROKE. OR HE'S BROKE SUPPOSEDLY, I APOLOGIZE. EVERY TIME THEY WRITE A TICKET, THAT'S A $40 TICKET. BUT THEM TURN AROUND TAKING NINE DAYS OF ME CALLING AND JUST TO COME OUT HERE WHEN IT AIN'T A SCHOOL DAY, JUST TO TURN AROUND, CLEAR IT AND CLEAR ALL NINE CASES. FOR EXAMPLE, HERE'S ANOTHER CASE. 2 4 0 0 3 9 5 3 5 5. THIS ONE, THEY TOOK 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 CASES WITH THIS, THIS 1, 2, 4, 0, 0 4, 0 0, 5, 4, 2 ALTERNATE CASES FOUND. AND WHAT DO THEY ALL SAY? NO VIOLATIONS FOUND? I CAN CALL 20 DAYS IN A ROW. THEY HAVE A 19 DAY TIME LAPSE. SO WHAT I HAVE TO WAIT THE FULL TIME, WHAT? 19 DAYS JUST FOR THEM TO COME OUT HERE? WHAT? WHEN IT'S NOT AT A TIME TO COME OUT HERE AT 5 22 IN THE AFTERNOON WHEN THE SIGNS AREN'T ACTIVATED AFTER FIVE O'CLOCK, YOU'RE COMING OUT THERE TO DO WHAT? YOU'RE, YOU'RE WASTING TAXPAYER MONEY. YOU'RE NOT GONNA FIND NOBODY. THERE'S NOT EVEN NOBODY INSIDE THE SCHOOL. BUT EVERY DAY I GOT KARENS THAT COME THERE. DON'T READ THE SIGNS. UH, FOR EXAMPLE, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. SURE. UH, MR. DARLING, UH, THANKS FOR COMING. SO JUST A A CLARIFICATION, CAN I REPEAT BACK WHAT I THINK I UNDERSTOOD JUST SO I CAN MAKE SURE I'M CLEAR. SO YOU LIVE IN A NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE STREET HAS PARKING RESTRICTIONS ON THERE, SEVEN TO 9:00 AM TWO TO FIVE. TWO TO FIVE. THERE'S A SCHOOL NEARBY. TWO SCHOOLS, TWO SCHOOLS NEARBY. SO YOU CALL THREE ONE ONE, I CALL 3 1 1. AND THEN PARK HOUSTON SAYS WE'LL COME OUT. AND THEN THEY COME OUT AND THEY THEY DON'T COME OUT. YOU'RE SAYING THEY DON'T COME OUT? NO, BECAUSE THE PROTOCOL IS, IF YOU CALL 3 1 1 AND THEY HAVE, I GIVE 'EM A TIME I TURN RIGHT. BUT HERE'S THE PROTOCOL. IF YOU COME OUT AND THEY SEE THOSE CARS ARE PARKED THERE, THEY'RE GONNA MARK THAT TIRE. THEY'RE GONNA COME BACK 24 HOURS TO SEE IF THAT CAR IS THERE. I COULD BE, WHY AM I ASSUMING? BUT I, WHAT? I'M, THEY PROBABLY COME BACK AND THE CARS ARE GONE, YOU SEE DURING THAT TIME. SO THEY CAN'T DO ANYTHING BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT THERE FOR MORE THAN A 24 HOUR PERIOD. UM, I THINK THE PRO COUNCIL MEMBER, ALCORN AND I ARE ACTUALLY DOING SOME RESEARCH ON SOME OTHER PARKING ISSUES. AND I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING WE CAN, BUT WHY ISN'T PARKING DIVISION DOING ITS JOB, FOR EXAMPLE? BUT SEE, IF THE CAR IS MOVING WITHIN 24 HOURS, THEY CAN'T GET 'EM. THAT'S THE THING. SO IT'S NOT THAT THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE GONE AND RIGHT. AND SO EVERY DAY YOU GOT PEOPLE GETTING OUTTA THE CARS RIGHT SIGN. I GET IT. THEY'RE, THEY'RE STILL THERE WITHIN 24 HOURS. BUT I CAN YOU SHARE THOSE, UM, 3, 1 1 NUMBERS AGAIN? THIS ONE'S GONNA BE TWO. LEMME GO BACK TO THE NINE NINE THAT THEY CLEARED ALL IN ONE DAY. SURE. 2, 4, 0 0 3. 7 6, 5. FIVE, FIVE ALTERNATED CASES. 2, 4 0 0 3. 7 6 5 6 5, 5 5, 5 5, 5 5. WHAT'S THE SECOND ONE? THE ALTERNATED CASES FOR THAT? THERE'S NINE OF THEM. THERE'S 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9. SO THEY MERGED. YOU HAD SEVERAL CASES MERGED ON THAT ONE? YEAH. OKAY. AND THEN SO I CALLED NINE DAYS IN A ROW. NO, I GET IT. I GET IT. I GET YOU. I HEARD YOU. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I, THEY'RE NOT GONNA COME OUT HERE AT 5 22 WHEN THE SIGNS ARE NEEDED. I GET YOU. I HEAR YOU. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I, AND CLOSE ALL CASES THE THING AND I GET THE RIGHT INFORMATION. SO WE CAN DO SOME, SOME BACKGROUND WORK ON THIS ONE. CASES YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER MEMBERS IS NOT HERE TODAY. CASES, UM, BUT I'M SURE SHE'S LISTENING. ASHLEY, DISTRICT H OH, I'M SORRY. I THOUGHT THAT WAS C I'M SORRY. YOUR DISTRICT MEMBER'S RIGHT THERE. HE GONNA HANDLE ALL OF IT? NO, REALLY? NOT WITH HIS, NOT WHAT HIS IT'S YOUR RIGHT THERE. HE GONNA HANDLE ALL OF IT. GOT IT. THEY HAVE GONE OUT AND THEY'RE JUST NOT FINDING THE VIOLATIONS WHEN THEY GO OUT IS THE PROBLEM. OH, IF THEM COMING OUT 20 MINUTES EARLY, TAKE A PICTURE WHEN NOBODY'S ON THE STREET AND THEN LEAVE. HOW ARE THEY GONNA TURN AROUND LOOKING FOR ANYBODY? AND IT, IT SOUNDS LIKE, UM, THEY HAVE GONE OUT. UM, THAT UM, YOU KNOW, EVEN DURING THOSE SCHOOL ZONE TIMES AND THAT PARENTS MAY BE IN THE CARS WAITING, UM, IN THE SCHOOL PICK UP AND DROP OFF LINE. SO THAT MIGHT BE PART OF WHAT'S GOING ON HERE. BUT WE WILL, UM, CONTINUE TO WORK WITH YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER AND FIGURE OUT, UM, MAKE SOME MORE INFORMATION FOR YOU. I JUST WANT THE SAME RIGHTS AS EVERYBODY ELSE. I SHOULD BE ABLE TO PICK UP THE PHONE CALL AND HAVE SOMEBODY COME OUT AND WRITE A TICKET COMING OUT. THE THING ABOUT IT IS, IS HE GOT, I DON'T HAVE THE LAST TWO YEARS WHAT HAS BEEN DONE. TY WON'T EVEN ALLOW ME TO TALK TO YOU. WE, THERE'S A PROBLEM THERE. WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK. THEY PARK. HOUSTON HAS GONE OUT WHEN THEY'VE CALLED. THEY JUST HAVE NOT FOUND VIOLATIONS. RIGHT. AND SO ONCE THEY COME OUT AT THE RIGHT TIME, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO HELP. WHEN, BECAUSE I'VE STILL BEEN DEALING WITH IT FOR THREE YEARS. I REMEMBER WHEN STER TURNER WAS HERE, HE TURNED AROUND AND TOLD ME MONTGOMERY STATION AND HOUSTON, ISD POLICE, WERE GONNA WORK ON IT. I CALL HOUSTON, ISD POLICE. THEY DON'T DO NOTHING. HOUSTON POLICE, THEY GOT A BACKLOG BEFORE THEY EVEN GET IN THE CAR BEFORE THEY EVEN COME TO WORK. WHAT? THEY GOT 19 PEOPLE, 19 THINGS. BY THE TIME I CALL NON-EMERGENCY, TURN AROUND AND HAVE 'EM COME. THEY WHAT? COME OUT THERE TO FIND NOBODY. I GOTTA CALL AND CANCEL. TELL [02:35:01] 'EM WHAT? YOU GOTTA COME OUT HERE AND FIND NOBODY EVERY DAY. IT'S THE SAME PROBLEM I GOT KARENS THAT COME ON MY STREET. DON'T CARE ABOUT THE SIGNS ON THE STREET. DON'T CARE ABOUT WHERE IT SAYS TURN NO TURNING OFF OF NORLING ON THE COURT. WHY SHOULD I HAVE 50 PEOPLE MAKING ILLEGAL TURNS JUST TO SPEED DOWN THE STREET? I UNDERSTAND. IT'S VERY FRUSTRATING. UM, AS COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS SAID, THEY'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS. IT'S TRICKY. THEY'RE GOING OUT THERE. THEY'RE NOT FINDING VIOLATIONS AT THE TIME. IT'S NOT THAT THEY'RE NOT RESPONDING. THEY ARE I VIDEO. THEY JUST DON'T SEE WHAT YOU'RE SEEING AT THE TIME. THEY'RE OUT THERE TO DO THE CHECK. SO WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH YOU. WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH PARK HOUSTON. UM, I KNOW IT'S FRUSTRATING, BUT WE'RE GONNA, IT'S GONNA TAKE A LITTLE TIME FOR THEM TO TURN AROUND AND TELL ME NOT TO WRITE A TICKET. HE GONNA HELP YOU. HE, HE GONNA HELP YOU. YEAH. IT SOUNDS LIKE COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO IS GONNA CONTINUE WORKING WITH YOU TO SEE WHAT CAN BE DONE, UM, WITHIN THOSE TI THE TIMEFRAMES THAT YOU PROVIDED. SO PLEASE CONTINUE WORKING, UM, WITH COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO ON IT. I AIN'T EVEN TALKED TO HIM. NOT ONCE. WHY HIS REJECT WORKER TIE. IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE? I CAN THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. RALPH KIRBY. DON'T LET HIM GO. RALPH KIRBY. ELLIE MONTOYA. REVIS. MAURICE BELL. HOW Y'ALL DOING? UH, WE, I WOULD, IF YOU COULD STEP BEHIND ONE OF THOSE MICROPHONES, PLEASE. YES, MA'AM. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. YES, WE, WE'VE GOT A VOTE WITHIN 30 DAYS COMING NOW. EVERYBODY'S GONNA HAVE TO LOOK AND TAKE A ACTUAL THOUGHT OF HOW MUCH BETTER THEY WERE FOUR YEARS AGO. THE ECONOMY WAS GREAT. EVERYTHING WAS GOOD. NOW WE'VE GOT HOMELAND ALONG WITH, UH, DEMOCRATS TRYING TO TAKE OVER. NOW, WHENEVER THEY'RE TRYING TO TAKE OVER, WHICH THAT WAS A WARNING A LONG TIME AGO. WHAT WOULD HAPPEN? BECAUSE WHEN HOMELAND TAKES OVER, YOU DON'T HAVE POLICE NO MORE. YOU HAVE HOME POLICE, FEDERAL POLICE, HOMELAND POLICE. BECAUSE THAT'S WHY ALL THE DEMOCRATS ARE OUT TO BREAK THE POLICE. THE SOONER THEY GET RID OF OUR REGULAR POLICE. HOMELAND'S GONNA BE HERE TO SAVE US FROM ALL THE CRIME. SO IT'S UP TO US WHETHER OR NOT WE'RE GONNA VOTE RIGHT THIS YEAR. AND THE ONLY WAY WE'RE GONNA VOTE RIGHT, IS IF WE VOTE REPUBLICAN TO STOP THIS MOVEMENT. THE CORRUPTION IS IN THERE. YOU ALREADY KNOW THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT IS CORRUPT. YOU ALREADY KNOW THE FBI IS CORRUPT. YOU ALREADY, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. THANK YOU SO MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER PLEASE. THANK YOU WILLIE DREW, THANK YOU MAYOR PROAM. AND TO COUNCIL MEMBERS. UM, WEEK AGO I SUBMITTED TO MR. ARTURO'S OFFICE, UH, THE INFORMATION ALONG WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE ABOUT THE SHOWING THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT UM, THE BUDGET WAS APPROVED BY, UM, THE DIRECTOR AND STUFF FOR US TO USE THAT FUNDING. AND SO, I HA I JUST WANTED TO KNOW AS FAR AS THE STATUS MOVING FORWARD WITH THE, UH, RESOLUTION IF POSSIBLE. THAT'S ALL I WANTED TO KNOW. UM, COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. UM, THANK YOU. DID YOU SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH MY OFFICE AS WELL? UM, I HAD SUBMITTED IT. UM, I HAVE A COPY HERE FOR YOU. YEAH, THANK YOU. THAT WAY I CAN STAY INFORMED ON WHAT'S HAPPENING. 'CAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW YOU SUBMITTED ANYTHING TO THE MAYOR'S OFFICE. UM, BUT I JUST WANTED TO SAY THIS JUST REAL QUICKLY. UM, I MISS, MS. THOMAS. I KNOW THAT HOUSING IS VERY IMPORTANT AND IF YOU COME OUT THERE TO THIS AREA, TALK TO THE CHURCH, DOMINION PARK, CHURCH OF CHRIST. COME ON A SUNDAY. SEE THOSE SENIORS OUT THERE THAT NEED HOUSING? AND I'M TALKING ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING. I'M TALKING ABOUT, I PUT TOGETHER A, A, A, A GROUP OF PEOPLE, ARCHITECTS, DEVELOPERS, BUILD THE SUBCONTRACTORS WHO SAYING I'M GIVING IN KIND DONATIONS TO HELP BUILD THIS HOUSE. AFFORDABLE. THAT'S WHY I DIDN'T COME GET NO FEDERAL DOLLARS BECAUSE EVERYBODY WANTED TO COME TOGETHER AND SHOW THE CITY AND THE COUNTY THAT WE CAN COME TOGETHER AND BUILD AFFORDABLE [02:40:01] HOUSING. THAT'S HOW IMPORTANT AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS OUT THERE. THIS RESOLUTION IS IMPORTANT. SHOWING YOU THAT WHEN I BUILT THOSE TWO HOUSES, I LOST MONEY. I HELPED TWO FAMILIES GET INTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING THAT COULDN'T GET IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING. AS A POLICE OFFICER, I LOST MONEY. AND I JUST WANT TO LET YOU KNOW, I'M DOING THE SAME THING WITH THIS PROJECT. WE'VE PUT MONEY INTO THIS PROJECT ALREADY WITH TDCH. THEY'LL TELL YOU, AND THAT'S WHY WE HAD TO GET THIS NONE, UM, NON-EXEMPT RESOLUTION. THE COUNTY YOU TALK TO, COMMISSIONER ELLIS, HE'LL TELL YOU ALL THE COMMUNITY WORK I'VE DONE ON THIS PROJECT IN THE LAST YEAR. AND IT'S NOT ABOUT ME, IT'S ABOUT THE COMMUNITY. IT'S ABOUT THE COMMUNITY. I JUST WANT Y'ALL TO UNDERSTAND THIS. IT'S ABOUT THE COMMUNITY. I HAVE NEVER TAKEN MONEY OUT OF ANYTHING. I'VE ALWAYS DONE MY BEST TO PUT MONEY INTO IT. AND EVEN WHEN I BUILT THOSE TWO HOUSES, THE CITY MADE ME GO GET MY OWN FUNDING, MY OWN FUNDING. I HAD TO BUY LOTS THAT PEOPLE GOT LOTS FOR A DOLLAR. I HAD TO PAY FOR LOTS. I HAD TO COME UP WITH THE FUNDING. ASK CAPITAL ONE BANK, THE EMAILS THAT SHOW YOU THAT. THEY SAY, MR. DREW, UNTIL YOU GO GET YOUR MONEY, THEN THAT'S THE ONLY WAY WE'LL HELP YOU BUILD THOSE HOUSES. AND THEN THE CITY PUT THE MONEY IN AND THEY SAID, MAGIC BRIGHT SAID, WE WILL ALLOW YOU TO USE THAT $70,000 PER HOUSE TO PAY PEOPLE BACK THE BANK BACK. 'CAUSE THEY WOULD'VE HAD LIENS ON THOSE HOUSES IF WE DIDN'T PAY PEOPLE BACK. SO I'M JUST COMING TO THIS COUNCIL, NOT JUST ABOUT THAT PROJECT, BUT I'M COMING ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING. I'M SHOWING YOU THAT WE CAN BUILD AFFORDABLE HOUSING WITHOUT A LOT OF SUBSIDY MONEY. AND I WANT TO DO THAT MOVING FORWARD. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON? NO, I GOT THE DOCUMENT AND COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, THOMAS, WHO'S THE EXPERT ON HOUSING, IS LOOKING AT IT. AND SO, YES MA'AM, WE'LL FOLLOW UP AND JUST MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE SUPPORTING YOU AND TRYING TO GET YOU WHAT YOU NEED SO THAT YOU CAN MOVE FORWARD. THANK YOU, SIR. BUT I, BUT I DO LOVE TO WORK WITH YOU ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR DISTRICT B. 'CAUSE WE NEED AFFORDABLE HOUSING. SO LET'S, YOU KNOW, TALK, I, I WANNA WORK WITH THE CHURCHES. THE CHURCHES HAVE BEEN ASKING ME TO HELP THEM. 'CAUSE OUR PASTOR MATTHEWS IN SUNNYSIDE, HE HAS LAND AND HE SAY, DREW, IF YOU CAN DO THIS WITHOUT SUBSIDY MONEY, WE WANT YOU TO, WE'LL PUT THE LAND UP. OKAY? AND SO I WANT TO DO IT AND I CAN SHOW Y'ALL THAT. I CAN DO IT. I PROMISE YOU THAT. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK Y'ALL. THIRD COUNCIL MEMBER IN THE QUEUE. COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD. THANK YOU. VICE MAYOR, PRO TEM. WHAT, WHAT'S YOUR DEADLINE FOR THIS NOVEMBER 1ST? ALRIGHT, I'M GONNA, UH, I'M WORKING ON SOMETHING FOR YOU. I'LL KEEP YOU POSTED. I'M GONNA, UM, YOU'LL HEAR FROM US. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. I APPRECIATE Y'ALL. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. MARIAN WRIGHT. HI. I'M HERE TO SPEAK WITH YOU GUYS BECAUSE, UM, THERE WAS A TOWN HALL THAT MS. L HORN, MR. CASTILLO AND MARTIN COUNCILMAN MARTIN ALL HELD ABOUT PROPERTY TAX INCREASES ABOUT CONSIDERING THAT. AND I JUST WANNA SHARE WHAT'S GOING ON WITH YOU GUYS. ALTHOUGH I'M MORE THAN HAPPY TO PAY MY FAIR SHARE IN TAXES AND I DON'T THINK THE CITY GETS ENOUGH OF THE PERCENTAGE AND I'M MORE THAN HAPPY TO EVEN PAY A SLIGHT INCREASE IF WE GET THE CITY SERVICES THAT WE DESERVE. SO I WANNA GO ON RECORD AS SAYING THAT, BUT I WANT Y'ALL ALL TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THE PROPERTY TAXES IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD. OKAY? I'M GONNA USE COUNCIL MEMBER CIRO'S PROPERTY THAT SHE SOLD IN 2020 AS AN EXAMPLE. 6 23 OMAR STREET. IT'S IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD. AND THE REASON THAT I USE IT IS IT'S USED EVERY YEAR ALMOST AS A COMPARABLE WHEN THEY DO THE EQUITY ANALYSIS AGAINST MY HOUSE. WHEN THAT HOUSE WAS SOLD IN 2020, MAY OF 2020, IT WAS SOLD FOR $785,000. IT'S A 32. CAN I PLEASE SOMEONE GIMME SOME EXTRA TIME, PLEASE? YES, MA'AM. HAS EXPIRED. OKAY. COUNCIL MEMBER CAR, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD, YOU HAVE MY TIME. THANK YOU. AT THAT TIME WHEN THAT HOUSE WAS SOLD, IT WAS A 3,200 SQUARE FOOT HOUSE ON A 12,000, LITTLE BIT SHORT OF 12,000 SQUARE FOOT LOT. IT WAS SOLD FOR $785,000. IT WAS A C PLUS PROPERTY. THAT PROPERTY, WHEN IT WAS SOLD, WAS SOLD FOR LESS THAN MARKET VALUE FOR THE LAND. THE LAND THEY SAID WAS 930 SOMETHING THOUSAND DOLLARS. THE PROPERTY WAS SOLD FOR 780 SOMETHING THOUSAND DOLLARS. THAT WAS ON THE TAX RECORDS. IT WAS THERE, IT WAS STAYED. THEY REMOVED IT A YEAR EARLY FROM THE TAX RECORDS. IF YOU ACTUALLY GO AND LOOK UP 6 23 OMAR, IT'S SHOWING IT'S BEING LIKE A NEW PROPERTY IN 2021. THERE'S NO EXISTENCE OF IT PRIOR TO THAT. OKAY? [02:45:01] NONE ON THE TAX RECORDS, WHICH IS REALLY WEIRD. BUT GO AND LOOK IT UP YOURSELF. IT WAS CONNECTED TO ANOTHER PROPERTY THAT WAS ON ANOTHER STREET. IT WAS LIKE A SEVEN. AND EVEN IF YOU GO TO THE OTHER PROPERTY AND LOOK IT UP, THERE'S NO RECORD OF THIS. THAT PROPERTY, IT WAS JUST DIVIDED. ANY RACE, THAT PROPERTY TODAY, THE OWNERS BUILT 1000 SQUARE FEET. THEY ADDED AN ADDITION OF 1000 EXTRA SQUARE FEET. THAT PROPERTY TODAY IS ON THE TAX RECORD AT 2.4 HUNDRED, ALMOST $2.5 MILLION. OKAY? THAT'S THE INCREASE. NOW, EVERY YEAR I GO IN AND I SAY, UHUH MY PROPERTY, ISN'T THAT MY PROPERTY? BECAUSE THE ONLY SALE YOU HAVE ON THAT PROPERTY WAS FROM THEN. I GO BACK EVERY YEAR AND I FIGHT IT AND I GET MY PROPERTY TAXES REDUCED. THIS YEAR, MY PROPERTY TAXES AGAIN WAS AT, I'M NOT GONNA GIVE THE AMOUNT, BUT IT WAS AT AN AMOUNT THAT WAS, I'M SORRY, TESTIMONY. OKAY? SURE. I'LL DO MY TESTIMONY. I'LL SAY IT. MY PROPERTY WAS AT 900,000. THEY WENT AHEAD AND THEY INCREASED IT TO 1.5. OKAY? I WENT IN AND I SAID, IT MAKES NO SENSE. THIS ISN'T, DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE AT ALL. I DID NOTHING TO MY PROPERTY. HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT? MY IMPROVEMENTS WENT UP TO 700 AND SOMETHING THOUSAND DOLLARS FROM 200 AND SOMETHING, MY IMPROVEMENT PART OF MY HOUSE. HOW CAN Y'ALL JUSTIFY THAT? THEY COULDN'T, THEY GO AHEAD AND THEY REDUCE MY TAXES BACK DOWN TO 900 AND A LITTLE BIT MORE. 35,000. THEY INCREASED THEM 35, WHICH I WAS HAPPY WITH. I WAS OKAY WITH THAT. THAT IS WHAT MY HOUSE COULD SELL FOR. I'M CONFIDENT THAT THAT IS WHAT MY HOUSE COULD SELL FOR. MY HOUSE COULD NOT SELL FOR THE ONE FIVE, WHATEVER. IT JUST COULDN'T. THE HOUSE THAT THEY'RE USING FOR THE EQUITY ANALYSIS AGAINST MY HOUSE, I DON'T BELIEVE COULD SELL FOR 2.5. IT SOLD FOR 700 A FEW YEARS AGO, OR 7 85 RED, A FEW. IT'S INSANE. IT MAKES NO SENSE WHEN YOU SAY THAT WE NEED SOMEONE ELSE TO GO AND SIT ON THE HCA BOARD FOR, I BELIEVE YOU SAID THAT WE DO. WE NEED SOMEONE ELSE TO SIT ON THE BOARD. WHY ARE TAXES BEING, THEY HAVE ZERO, ZERO LAND SALES IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD TO JUSTIFY THIS. THE LAND SALES ARE SUPPOSED TO STAY ON. ALL THE SALES ARE SUPPOSED TO STAY ON FOR 36 MONTHS. THEY ROLLED OFF THE TWO LAND SALES THAT THEY HAD WITHIN TWO YEARS. THEY ROLL THEM OFF. TWO, WHEN I ASKED THEM WHY DID THEY ROLL 'EM OFF? THEY COME ISSUED THEIR POLICY. THAT'S WHAT THEY DO. THE TAX LAW SAYS THAT THEY HAVE TO STAY ON THE, OR THEY CAN STAY ON THE RECORDS FOR 36 MONTHS. THEY'RE ROLLING 'EM OFF. THEY'RE USING SALES THAT THEY'RE SAYING ARE LAND SALES THAT HAVE IMPROVEMENTS ON 'EM. AND THEY'RE NOT EVEN IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD. THEY'RE NOT IN THE 0.2 IS AT THE BACK OF MY NEIGHBORHOOD. THEY'RE, THEY HAVE ZERO LAND SALES. I HAVE ALL THE DOCUMENTATION. PROVE IT. IF ANYONE WANTS TO LOOK AT WHAT'S GOING ON, ROLAND ALTING IS SUPPOSED TO BE RESEARCHING THIS AND FIGURING IT OUT. I'M GOING TO SPEAK NEXT WEEK WHEN THEY HAVE THEIR OPEN SESSION, SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE. 'CAUSE THIS IS INSANE. OUT OF THE FIVE PROPERTIES THAT THEY'VE USED AGAINST MINE FOR EQUITY ANALYSIS, FOUR OF 'EM HAVE DECREASED SALE AMOUNTS. THE OTHER ONE, HE DOESN'T PROTEST HIS WHY? I DON'T KNOW, I CAN'T TELL YOU. BUT THEY ALL HAVE DECREASED. I MEAN AMOUNTS. AND WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT DECREASED AMOUNTS BY 50,000. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. I'M, I'M GONNA RECLAIM MY TIME. I THINK, I THINK WE UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU MEAN WITH THE APPRAISAL RATES AND HOW THAT IMPACTS THE, UH, WHETHER THE APPRAISAL VALUES AND HOW IT IMPACTS THE TAX RATES. AND I'M SURE WE'LL HAVE A, A DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT TOMORROW AND, UH, WE'LL GO FROM THERE. SO THANK YOU FOR COMING. THANK YOU. AND MS. THOMAS, WHY DON'T YOU LET US KNOW WHAT YOU'RE PAYING. PROPERTY TAXES SENT YOU. AS FOR MINE, I BOUGHT MY HOUSE FOR $62,000. WE, WE, WE DON'T LIVE IN THE SAME NEIGHBORHOOD. RIGHT? BUT WHERE ARE YOU NOW IN YOUR ? UM, WHAT THE VALUE, THE ASSESSED VALUE OF MY HOME IS PROBABLY LIKE 1 71 83 NOW. YEAH. YEAH. I MEAN, IT'S LIKE THREE TIMES WHAT I PURCHASED. SO, YEAH, I MEAN THAT, AND THEN WE HAVE A VADER ON THE, ON THE NOVEMBER, UM, ELECTION FOR ALEA. YEAH. MM-HMM . BUT LOOK, YOU, YOU DIDN'T FIND THAT LADY BUSINESS. YOU COULD FIND MINE ON HCA TOO. THAT'S, THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. JOB. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. THANK YOU. BYE. NEXT SPEAKER, LEE MERCER. [02:50:06] GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING. UH, I'M LEE MERCER AND I'M HERE, UH, UH, TO SEE MRS. SHA AGAIN AND CITY COUNCIL TOO. NOW I'M HERE REALLY TO HELP THE CITY. UH, MAYOR WHITMEYER, WHILE BACK WHEN HE FIRST BECAME MAYOR, SAID THAT, UH, HE NEEDED SOME HELP WITH CRIME SOLVING OUR CRIME SOLVE, UH, AND THE US ARMY MILITARY INTELLIGENCE ACADEMY, CAMP BULLY CENTER, SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS. AND, UH, I'M HERE TO, I WAS SENT BY THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT, WHICH IS THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH, US SUPREME COURT, THE CONGRESS, AND THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. SO IF YOU NEED SOME CRIME SOLVING HELP, I'M HERE TO HELP YOU. AND LIKE MR. BARS WANTED TO KNOW HERE THAT SHE'S CONCERNED ABOUT THE SHOOTING FIRECRACKER STORMS, THE LIE TEST COLLEGE. THAT'S WHAT I MEAN IN LIE TEST COLLEGE. AND I'M GONNA HELP YOU WITH A LIE. DETECTIVE TEST AND, UH, CRIME FLUENCY, AS SAID, MS. SHABAZZ, THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE CONCERNED WITH. NEXT THING I I'M CONCERNED WITH INVENT WAS INVENTING OF HOW TO SOLVE CASES. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. JACOB CLEMENTI. HI GUYS. OKAY, I AM GOING PUT MS. CORNER ON THE SPOT. WHAT HAPPENED TO THE ASTROS ? HE COMES, THEY'RE CHAMPION. NOW I'M GONNA PUT MS. TIFFANY AND THOMAS ON THE SPOT AND YOU WEARING ROOMING THAT THEY'RE GONNA BECOME WELL, SUPER BOWL CHAMPIONS, THE ASTROS. SO YOU'RE NUMBER ONE TO ME. AGE TIME. THAT'S RIGHT. YOU MY, YOU MY GOD. AND LOOK AT THE HAT IN GO TEXANS. YEAH. AND THEN, ANYWAY, I, I WORK, UH, ALL THE GAMES IN THE PARKING LOT AND I HAVE A GOOD TIME. I MEAN, MY, MY BOSSES, UM, THIS BLACK WOMAN NAMED ROSE, I MEAN ROBIN. SHE DOES A GOOD JOB OF, UH, HELPING ME OUT. AND SO, SO, UH, I'M GONNA BE MEETING BACK STUFF AND SAY GO TO TEXANS. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU JACOB. NEXT SPEAKER SINA CAR DOWN. SHE, HEY Y'ALL. I'M FROM NORTH CAROLINA. I MOVED TO HOUSTON 10 YEARS AGO FROM ASHEVILLE. HELENE HIT THE MOUNTAINS AND COMMUNITIES I CALL HOME HARD. IT HAS THE FOURTH HIGHEST DEATH TOLL IN US HISTORY AND HUNDREDS ARE STILL MISSING. WE CAN'T SEPARATE THE CLIMATE CRISIS WE'RE FACING FROM THE IMMENSE DAMAGE TO THE EARTH. THE US AND ISRAELI MILITARIES HAVE CAUSED FOR DECADES. WE CAN'T MOURN THE LOSS OF PRECIOUS PEOPLE IN PLACES IN THIS COUNTRY WHILE TURNING AWAY FROM THE DESTRUCTION OUR TAX DOLLARS FUND IN PALESTINE AND LEBANON AND ACROSS THE GLOBE. WHILE AMERICANS RELY ON UNDERFUNDED PUBLIC RESOURCES, THE US SENDS BILLIONS TO ISRAEL. I'M JUST HERE PERFORMING MY CIVIC DUTIES, ASKING Y'ALL TO PLEASE DO MORE TO STOP OUR COUNTRY FROM FUNDING A VIOLENT SETTLER COLONIAL STATE IN THE MIDDLE EAST. NOT THAT THIS WAS EVER ABOUT SELF-DEFENSE, BUT DOESN'T THE BIBLE TALK ABOUT TURNING THE OTHER CHEEK ABOUT LOVING YOUR ENEMIES? Y'ALL ALWAYS START THE MEETING OFF IN PRAYER. THE REAL GONNA UNDERSTAND. I PRAY, THE FAKE GONNA LISTEN. AND IF YOU THE FRAUD ON YOUR SQUAD, YOU STILL CAN CHANGE POSITIONS AND FOREVER. GLORY TO THE RESISTANCE. ALSO, GOTTA ECHO Y'ALL. TRYING TO REQUIRE PUBLIC INFO ON A PUBLIC FORUM IS WHACK. YO. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. NET OF TRAY HAND. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. I'M NETTA FROM THE EAST HOUSTON CITY CLUB. I'M HERE JUST TO SPEAK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE, UH, THE TRUCK PILOT IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. IT'S, THEY, THEY ARE PURCHASING, UH, LAND AND MAKE IT INTO A, A TRUCK, A A A TRUCK YARD. AND, AND IF I TELL YOU THOSE TRUCKS ARE GOING SO FAST, AND NOT ONLY ARE THE TRUCKS THERE, THEY HAVE HEAVY EQUIPMENT. THEY DON'T EVEN PUT IT ON THE TRUCK, THEY JUST DRIVE IT TO WHEREVER THEY NEED TO GO. AND IT, THEY LEAVE LIKE, UH, WHEN THERE'S TRACTORS, THEY LEAVE A LOT OF DIRT AND JUST A LOT OF CLAY, DIRT, EVERYTHING, YOU KNOW, IN THE STREETS. SO, BUT YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT THAT. BUT WE ALSO HEAR ABOUT THE, UM, COMMUNITY, THE LIBRARY. THE LIBRARY. I HAVE, I HAVE A LITTLE PAMPHLET THAT THE LIBRARY, WHEN IT WAS OPEN, THEY OFFERED A LOT OF THINGS FOR KIDS. NOT JUST KIDS, BUT FAMILIES AND, AND, UM, ACTIVITIES. THE COMMUNITY CENTER, WE WERE THERE, WE HAD NATIONAL NIGHT OUT AND WE USED PART OF [02:55:01] THAT AND IT TURNED OUT GOOD. WE, WE JUST LIKE HELPING THE KIDS AND HELPING THE COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. THANK YOU MS. NETTER. YOU CAN FINISH YOUR COMMENTS. OKAY? YES. WELL, THANK YOU. ALSO, WE HAVE, UM, LIKE ON HOMESTEAD, THAT BUILDING THAT, THAT UH, CENTER IS JUST NOTHING IS THERE. NOTHING IS THERE. AND YOU KNOW, WE WOULD LIKE, WE WOULD LIKE, LIKE A, UM, UM, MAYBE A 24 HOUR EMERGENCY. UM, OR EITHER A, A WORK SOURCE OR, OR HOW ABOUT THE, UM, UH, EXCUSE ME, I LOST MY THOUGHT. WHICH THE POST OFFICE, WE HAVE TO TRAVEL ALL THE WAY. EVERYTHING WAS MOVED OUT. WE HAVE TO TRAVEL ALL THE WAY TO LA TO, UH, LITTLE YORK IN 59 TO GO TO THE POST OFFICE. AND WE DO SO MUCH AT THAT COMMUNITY IN THE LIBRARY. THERE'S NOTHING FORCED THERE. MM-HMM . BUT THEY DID, THEY SAID IN 2023 THEY SAY THAT IT WAS A, IT WAS A FLOODPLAIN, BUT RIGHT ACROSS, THEY BUILT A NEIGHBORHOOD WITH KIDS. RIGHT? SO, UH, WE ARE ASKING YOU GUYS TO HELP US TO GET THAT, TO GET THAT DONE SO WE CAN TRY TO HELP THESE KIDS SO THEY WON'T STRAY THE WRONG WAY. 'CAUSE THE SCHOOL IS RIGHT BY THE COMMUNITY CENTER IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. RIGHT. AND WE ASKING YOU GUYS TO PLEASE HELP US. THANK AND MS. NETTA, THANK YOU, UM, AGAIN FOR COMING IN AND SPEAK. AND JUST FOR THE RECORD, UM, THE LAKEWOOD LIBRARY, WHICH OF COURSE I KNOW. I, I GREW UP ON OAK NORTH STREET. SO I WENT TO HOUSTON, EAST HOUSTON ELEMENTARY AND KIRBY MIDDLE SCHOOL. SO LAKEWOOD LIBRARY SPENT A LOT OF TIME THERE. UM, THE LAKEWOOD COMMUNITY CENTER AT THE PARK SPENT A LOT OF TIME THERE DURING THE SUMMER. UM, THEY, THEY FREE LUNCH PROGRAM, THE SUMMER PROGRAM. I MEAN, MY MOM HAD 16 KIDS, SO IT WAS VERY HELPFUL TO HER. UM, THE LAKEWOOD LIBRARY, I DID PUT IT ON, UM, SUBMITTED BUDGET AMENDMENTS TO FA LAST FOUR, UM, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, CIP BUDGETS. I SUBMITTED BUDGET AMENDMENTS TO HAVE THE LAKEWOOD LIBRARY INCLUDED IN CIP AND OF COURSE EACH TIME THAT IT WAS REJECTED. BUT I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I WILL CONTINUE TO SUBMIT BUDGET AMENDMENTS FOR LAKEWOOD LIBRARY, UM, ON THE CIP UNTIL THE DAY I LEAVE THIS OFFICE. UM, BECAUSE THE LIBRARY IS IMPORTANT. I KNOW THAT THEY WANTED TO RELOCATE, UM, WHERE THE, UM, ALPHA TIT, WHERE THE PROJECTS, THE, THE, WHAT IS IT? BRADY'S LANDING, ROBIN'S LANDING IS BEING BUILT. I SAID NO, THAT LIBRARY NEED TO BE RIGHT THERE BECAUSE WE GOT A WHOLE COMMUNITY RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET THAT THEY JUST DEVELOPED MM-HMM . AND SO I AGREE WITH YOU ON THAT. SO JUST KNOW THAT YOU GOT A, UM, A CHAMPION IN HERE FIGHTING FOR THAT LIBRARY BECAUSE WE NEED THAT LIBRARY. 'CAUSE THEY HAVE 'EM ACROSS THE CITY AND WE DESERVE ONE IN LAKEWOOD AS WELL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALSO, IF THERE'S ANYTHING WE COULD DO, THE, THE, THE CIVIC CLUB CAN DO TO HELP OUT WITH THE CITY, WE'RE WILLING TO DO THAT. AND YOU'RE DOING IT, THANK YOU. LIKE BY COMING IN AND LETTING ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS. 'CAUSE I CAN TALK ABOUT IT ALL DAY LONG MM-HMM . BUT IF, WHEN YOU GUYS COME IN, YOU, YOU LET THE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS KNOW THAT THERE IS AN ISSUE, UM, IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND, AND, AND MAYBE THEY'LL SIGN OFF ON MY BUDGET AMENDMENTS FOR THE CIP NEXT TIME. PLEASE SUPPORT IT. PLEASE, PLEASE HELP US. YEP. OKAY. SEE THEY ALL SAY YES. SEE . ALRIGHT. THANK Y'ALL FOR COMING IN. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, THIS COMPLETES THE SPEAKER. WE STAND IN RECESS UNTIL [RECESS] TOMORROW MORNING AT 9:00 AM THANK YOU BY, WE APPRECIATE THAT BEFORE. YES, THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING. I'M PETER LIVE FROM THE COUNCIL CHAMBER. I'M ABOUT TO READ THE CAPTION DESCRIPTION OR CAPTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL AGENDA FOR THE WEEK OCTOBER 8TH AND NINTH, 2024 AT APPROXIMATELY 10:30 AM THE ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE CITY CONTROLLER OF THE RESULTS OF THE ELECTRONIC AUCTION STYLE BIDING FOR THE SALE IN THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED 232 MILLION TAX AND REVENUE ANTICIPATION. NO. SERIES 2024 ITEM ONE MOTION AWARDING THE SALE OF 232 MILLION TAX AND REVENUE ANTICIPATION. NO. SERIES 2024, EXCUSE ME, BASED ON THE LOWEST TRUE INTEREST COSTS. RATIFY AND CONFIRM THE USE OF THE PRELIMINARY OFFICIAL STATEMENT. ITEM TWO, REQUEST FROM MAYOR FOR CONFIRMATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUALS AS NON-VOTING ADVISORY MEMBERS TO THE HOUSTON FIRST CORPORATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS. ITEM THREE, RECOMMENDATION FROM DIRECTOR HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM FOR APPROVAL OF FINAL CONTRACT AMOUNT OF 50 MILLION 114 661 80 CENTS AND ACCEPTANCE OF WORK ON CONTRACT WITH MANHATTAN CONSTRUCTION COMPANY FOR THE TERMINAL D RENOVATIONS PROJECT AT GEORGE BUSH INTER CONTINENTAL AIRPORT. I. ITEM FOUR, RECOMMENDATION FROM DIRECTOR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS FOR APPROVAL OF FINAL CONTRACT AMOUNT AND ACCEPTANCE TO WORK ON CONTRACT WITH GRAVEL LLC ITEM FIVE, ALLIED BREATHING AIR LLC FOR PURCHASE OF BREATHING AIR COMPRESSOR. ITEM SIX, EXCUSE ME, POLARIS SALES INC FOR PURCHASE OF ELECTRIC UTILITY COURTS. ITEM SEVEN, WAHA PIERCE INDUSTRIES. LLC GENSER, L-L-C-D-B-A, LJ [03:00:01] POWER INC. AND CENTRAL TEXAS HEAVY EQUIPMENT CODE DBA CENTRAL TEXAS EQUIPMENT ITEM EIGHT, RUSH TRUCK CENTERS OF TEXAS LP FOR PURCHASE OF HEAVY DUTY TRUCKS THROUGH THE HOUSTON GALVESTON AREA COUNCIL COOPERATIVE PURCHASING PROGRAM IN CARDWELL COUNTRY CHEVROLET THROUGH THE BY BOARD COOPERATIVE PURCHASING AGREEMENT. ITEM NINE, AMEND MOTION 20 24 4 0 4, PAST 5 22 20 24 TO INCREASE SPENDING AUTHORITY TO EXPAND THE SCOPE OF WORK FOR CITYWIDE ENTERPRISE ASSESSMENT CONSULTING SERVICES WITH ERNST AND YOUNG. ITEM 10, METRO FIRE APPARATUS SPECIALIST INC. FOR PURCHASE OF FIRE RESCUE TRUCK. ITEM 11, SAFE BOATS INTERNATIONAL, INC. LLC, I'M SORRY, SOLE SOURCE SUPPLIER OF SAFE BOAT REFURBISHMENT SERVICES. ITEM 12, THE CNA CORPORATION FOR PURCHASE OF CONSULTING AND ASSESSMENT SERVICES THROUGH THE HG BY COOPERATIVE. ITEM 13 APPROVED SPENDING AUTHORITY FOR WATER METERS AND REPAIR PARTS FOR FROM ACCURATE UTILITY SUPPLY LLC ITEM 14, ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $2,900,000 IN OCEANS OUT OF WATER AND SEW SYSTEM, CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND AND APPROPRIATION TO SUPPORT THE ANCE OF EMERGENCY PURCHASE ORDER FOR EMERGENCY REPAIRS TO A SANITARY SEWER LINE FOR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS. ITEM 15, AMEND 20 24 2 81 TO INCREASE SPENDING AUTHORITY FOR ADDITIONAL REPAIRS TO A SANITARY SEWER LINE FOR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS. ORDER 2:00 PM CONSTRUCTION AND REHAB LLC. THIS ITEM SHALL RECONSIDER DR. PASTOR'S. ITEM 14 ABOVE ITEM 16, RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS. NOMINATING MELISSA NORIEGA TO BE PLACED ON THE BALLOT FOR AN APPOINTED POSITION ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE HARRIS CENTRAL APPRAISAL DISTRICT. ITEM 17 RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE ISSUANCE OF A LETTER OF APPROVAL TO ELITE MEDICAL RESPONSE MANAGEMENT INC. ITEM 18 RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE ISSUES OF A LETTER OF APPROVAL TO OMNI EMS INCORPORATED. ITEM 19 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING A MEMBER TO LOAN AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND COLE KLEIN BUILDERS LLC ITEM 20 ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING ACCEPTANCE OF AWARD IN STATE OF TEXAS HOMELESS HOUSING AND SERVICES PROGRAM FUNDS AND APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY AFFAIRS. ITEM 21 ORDINANCE ACCEPTING AWARD IN STATE OF TEXAS HOUSING HOMELESS HOUSING AND SERVICES PROGRAM FUNDS AUTHORIZING CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY AFFAIRS. ITEM 22, ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING OUT OF AIRPORTS IMPROVEMENT FUND AWARDING CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT GONZALEZ GROUP LP ITEM 23, ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZED PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND HUSCH BLACKWELL LLP ON 24 ORDINANCE APPROVING AN AWARDING CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND VOYA INC. ITEM 25 ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE 20 19 8 57 TO INCREASE MAXIMUM CONTRACT AMOUNT FOR AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND ALWAYS IN SEASON DECORATING SERVICES INC. ITEM 26 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $2 MILLION AND NO CENTS. ITEM DEDICATED DRAINAGE AND STREET RENEWAL CAPITAL FUND DRAINAGE CHARGE OUT OF WATER AND SEWER SYSTEM. CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND AS AN ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATION TO CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF PEACE AND CENSUS USA INC. ITEM 27, ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING OUT OF GENERAL IMPROVEMENT, CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND AND APPRO APPROVING FIRST AMENDMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND RESTON CORPORATION. ITEM 28 ORDINANCE RELATING TO FISCAL AFFAIRS OF LAKE HOUSTON REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY ON BEHALF OF REINVESTMENTS. ZONE NUMBER 10. ITEM 29 ORDINANCE RELATING TO FISCAL AFFAIRS OF SOUTHWEST HOUSTON. REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY ON BEHALF OF REINVESTMENTS. ZONE NUMBER 20. ITEM 30 ORDINANCE RELATING TO PHYSICAL AFFAIRS OF HAR CLARK FORD BEING REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY ON BEHALF OF REINVESTMENT. ZONE NUMBER 25 ITEM 31, ORDINANCE APPROVING AN AUTHORIZING SUBMISSION OF ELECTRONIC APPLICATION FOR ACCEPTANCE OF GRANT FUNDS THROUGH THE OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR, PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICE, CRIMINAL JUSTICE DIVISION ITEM 32, ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING SUBMISSION OF ELECTRONIC APPLICATION FOR AN ACCEPTANCE OF GRANT FUNDS THROUGH THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES FOR FY 2025 MOTOR VEHICLE CRIME PREVENTION AUTHORITY CATALYTIC CONVERTER GRANT. ITEM 33, ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE NUMBER 20 22 8 60 17. INCREASE MAXIMUM CONTRACT AMOUNT APPROVING AN AUTHORIZING FIRST AMENDMENT TO EXISTING CONTRACT WITH HARRIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. ITEM 34 ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING THE NORTH SIDE OF THE 400 BLOCK OF BURNS STREET BETWEEN HELEN AND FLORENCE STREETS. ITEM 35 ORDINANCE CONSENTED TO THE ADDITION OF 4 6 8 0.48 ACRES OF ATLANTA HARRIS COUNTY WATER CONTROL AND IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT NUMBER 1 58 ITEM 36 ORDINANCE FINDING AND DETERMINING PUBLIC CONVENIENCE AND NECESSITY FOR THE ACQUISITION OF REAL PROPERTY INTEREST IN CONNECTION WITH THE PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT PROJECT KNOWN AS THE HIRSH LAURA COPY TO CROSS TIMBERS PAVING AND DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS. PROJECT ITEM 37 ORDINANCE FINDING AND DETERMINING THAT PUBLIC CONVENIENCE [03:05:01] AND NECESSITY NO LONGER REQUIRE THE CONTINUED USE OF A 20 FOOT WIDE STORM SEWER EASEMENT. ITEM 38 ORDINANCE FINDING AND DETERMINING PUBLIC CONVENIENCE AND NECESSITY FOR THE ACQUISITION OF REAL PROPERTY INTEREST IN CONNECTION WITH THE PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT PROJECT KNOWN AS THE THREE 15 COAL VIEW ROADSIDE DITCH IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT ITEM 39, ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING OUT OF WATER AND SEW SYSTEM, CONSOLIDATED EXCEPTION FUND APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND PAY DAWSON CONSULTING ENGINEERS LLC ITEM 40 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING OUT WATER AND SEW SYSTEM. CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND APPROVING AND AUTHORIZED PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND GARVER LLC ITEM 41. ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING OUT OF CONTRIBUTED CAPITAL PROJECTS FUND AND METRO PROJECTS CONSTRUCTION, D-D-S-R-F AWARD AND CONTRACT TO TYCON GROUP INC. THE SIDEWALK PROGRAM. ITEM 42, RECOMMENDATION FROM THE MAYOR AND DIRECTOR OF FINANCE TO PLACE THE PROPOSED TAX RATE OF 0.5 1 9 1 9 0 ON EACH $100 OF TAXABLE VALUE. ITEM 43, MOTION BY COUNCILMAN CASTEX HAYDEN. SECOND BY COUNCILMAN THOMAS. THAT THE REQUEST FROM MAYOR FOR CONFIRMATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OR REAPPOINTMENT OF THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUALS TO THE HARRIS COUNTY, HARRIS COUNTY SPORTS AUTHORITY BOARD OF DIRECTORS. THIS WAS TAGGED BY CONST MEMBER POLLARD. THIS WAS ITEM ONE ON AGENDA OF OCTOBER 2ND, 2024. PROP PROP A COUNCIL MEMBER. ITEM 44 IS RECOMMENDATION TO PLACE A PROPOSED TAX RATE ON EACH $100 OF TAXABLE VALUE ON THE OCTOBER 16TH, 2024 AGENDA WITH ADOPTION OF SUCH A TAX RATE EXPECTED TO RESULT IN AN INCREASE OF THE CITY'S A VALOR TAX REVENUES. THE HEARING DATE, OCTOBER 16TH, 2024 AT 9:00 AM THIS COMPLETES THE READING OF THE AGENDA. STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT SESSION OF CITY COUNCIL FOR TODAY, OCTOBER 9TH, 2024. SCHEDULED TO BEGIN AT 9:00 AM IN THE WORDS OF THE CITY SECRETARY PAT JEFFERSON. DANIEL, I'D LIKE TO LEAVE YOU WITH THIS. ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS TREAT EVERYONE THE WAY YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE TREATED. HAVE A BLESSED AND FAN FABULOUS DAY. SEE, COUNCIL WILL COME [RECONVENE] TO ORDER. THE MAYOR'S [MAYOR'S REPORT] REPORT IS ONE OF EXCITEMENT. I'M HANDING OUT AN EMAIL THAT I JUST RECEIVED FROM THE GOVERNOR, THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR OF THE SPEAKER AND THE CHAIR OF THE TWO HOUSES, APPROPRIATIONS AND FINANCE COMMITTEE. I TRAVELED TO AUSTIN LAST WEDNESDAY. MET WITH THE GOVERNOR IN THE MANSION, UH, TOLD HIM HOW BROKE WE WERE. I THINK I SAID THAT FIRST IN, UH, JANUARY, VERY MARCH. UH, TOLD THE GOVERNOR WE WERE DOING EVERYTHING WE COULD TO BE EFFICIENT, BUT WE WERE IN A RECOVERY MODE. WE OWED FEMA. I THINK COUNCILMAN CASTILLO LAST WEEK IN POPOFF FOR SOME DISCUSSION. NO, I SAID WE OWED FEMA 45 MILLION. WE DON'T HAVE IT. WELL, WE HAVE IT THIS MORNING. UH, NOT ONLY DID THE LEADERSHIP APPROVE 50 MILLION FOR DEBRIS PICKUP IN HOUSTON IN THE SURROUNDING AREAS, UH, MY PHONE'S RINGING OFF THE HOOK BECAUSE DUE TO OUR EFFORT, MOST OF THE JURISDICTIONS IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS ARE GONNA GET SOME ASSISTANCE. SO THE MODEL THAT I TOOK TO AUSTIN THAT WE HAD TO COLLABORATE, THAT WE WERE BROKE AND WE OWED FEMA MONEY. GOVERNOR, UH, I NEED YOUR ASSISTANCE. WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER. AND BEFORE HE LEFT THE MANSION, HE COMMITTED THE 50 MILLION THAT I WENT TO AUSTIN WITH. SO, UH, IT'S NOT THE ULTIMATE SOLUTION, COUNCILMAN ALCORN, BUT I THINK IT IS A MODEL THAT WE WILL GO FORWARD AND YOU WILL SEE ADDITIONAL STATE AND OTHER AGENCIES SUPPORT IN MEETING OUR CHALLENGES. UH, OBVIOUSLY I, JOHN WHITMEYER AM NOT GONNA CUT INTO BASIC SERVICES. OBVIOUSLY, I, JOHN WHITMEYER ARE GONNA USE MY EXPERIENCE. I WAS ON THE FINANCE COMMITTEE OVER 15 YEARS, WRITING $180 BILLION BUDGET IN 2011. WE HAD SEVERE SHORTAGES. I KNOW HOW TO DEAL WITH THE CHALLENGES OF GOVERNMENT FINANCES. I ALSO EMPHASIZED TO THE GOVERNOR THAT WE WERE BEING PUNISHED BECAUSE OUR REVENUE CAP WAS MORE SEVERE THAN THE OTHERS. WE HAVE TO ADDRESS THAT. BUT I, AND WENT INTO OTHER VERY CONCRETE EXAMPLES OF WHY WE FACE CHALLENGES THAT OTHER CITIES DO. AUSTIN HAS A UTILITY COMPANY, ELECTRIC COMPANY. SAN ANTONIO HAS A GAS COMPANY. WE ARE STRAPPED AND I WANNA COMPLIMENT COUNCILMAN [03:10:01] ALCORN. YOU WERE SOUNDING THE ALARM BEFORE I GOT HERE, BUT WHEN I RAN, I KNEW WE HAD A SYSTEMIC SHORTFALL. IT WAS 160 MILLION WHEN I WAS SWORN IN, RAISES TO POLICE OTHER ISSUES. I WISH I COULD ONCE AND FOR ALL. STRAIGHTEN THE FACTS. THE AGREEMENT WITH THE FIREFIGHTERS WAS FOR 650 MILLION. THE REMAINDER IS FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS. AND YOU COULD LOOK AT ANY DEPARTMENT'S PROPOSED BUDGET AND CONCRETE FOR FIVE YEARS. IT'S A LARGE AMOUNT. PLUS GETTING OUTTA COURT. VERY RESPONSIBLE. PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THIS. AND WE ARE GONNA ASK THE PUBLIC TO GIVE US ADDITIONAL RESOURCES. IN MY JUDGMENT AT THE PROPER TIME, YOU CANNOT IGNORE WHAT THE COUNTY AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IS DOING. WE ARE NOT IN A SILO THAT'S NOT IMPACTED BY OTHER AGENCIES. SO THIS IS AN EXAMPLE. YOU MUST REALIZE I'M NOT HERE TO NOT BE SUCCESSFUL. THE ONLY REASON I RAN, CERTAINLY THOSE THAT WERE HERE FOR THE LAST FOUR YEARS. KNOW JANUARY WHEN I WAS SWORN IN, WE HAD A SHORTFALL. WE'RE GONNA ADDRESS IT. WE WORKED MANY, MANY HOURS IN MY OFFICE WITH FINANCE, WITH THE TEAM LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO GET ADDITIONAL FUNDING. WE'RE GONNA BE IN A GREAT POSITION. COME SPRINGTIME, WE'RE WATCHING THE LEGISLATURE. WE'VE GOT PROPOSED LEGISLATION THAT IS GOING TO GIVE US SIGNIFICANT RELIEF. THE ONLY THING THAT IS HARMING US RIGHT NOW IS THE NEGATIVE POLITICIZATION OF WHERE WE STAND. IF YOU'RE GONNA GO AROUND THE CITY GIVING POLITICAL SPEECHES, OTHER ELECTED OFFICIALS SAYING OUR HAIRS ON FIRE, ALL YOU'RE DOING IS IMPACTING HOUSTON STANDING WITH A RATING SYSTEM. SO I'M HERE TO TELL YOU, AND I HATE TO USE ROOSEVELT'S BECAUSE WE'RE NOT IN A PEARL HARBOR SITUATION, BUT THE ONLY THING WE HAVE TO FEAR IS FEAR ITSELF. I'M NOT GONNA CUT COUNCILMAN PLUMMER BASIC SERVICES, SOLID WASTE. WHY WOULD I TEMPER WITH SOLID WASTE WHEN WE'RE JUST NOW BEGINNING TO GET SLING AND GARBAGE PICKED UP ON THE SAME, SAME DAY? I GET HOME AND I GET HIGH FIVES FROM MY NEIGHBORS. WE'RE PICKING IT UP ON TIME. OBVIOUSLY WE ALL KNOW THAT POLICE AND FIRE CAN'T BE TAMPERED WITH, BUT NONE OF THE OTHER MAJOR SERVICES EFFICIENCIES. YES, THE ERNST YOUNG INITIAL REPORTS IS SHOWING THAT WE GOT LIKE 40% OF THE CITY'S DIRECTORS SUPERVISING THREE OR FOUR EMPLOYEES. NOW YOU WANT TO ASK PEOPLE TO RAISE THE TAX RATE WHEN WE'VE GOT 40% OF OUR DIRECTORS SUPERVISING THREE PEOPLE. THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT. SO I'VE BEEN AT THIS A LONG TIME, VOTED FOR MORE TAX INCREASES THAN PROBABLY ANYONE ALIVE BECAUSE I WAS IN A LEGISLATURE FOR 50 YEARS. AND A PAY AS YOU GO SYSTEM, YOU CANNOT RUN A NEGATIVE BALANCE IN THE STATE BUDGET. SO I'M EXCITED ABOUT WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY. I'M GONNA GIVE AMPLE TIME FOR ANYONE CERTAINLY COUNCILMAN ALCORN THAT HAVE A DIFFERENT PROPOSAL. WE DON'T DISAGREE IN THE FUNDAMENTALS THAT HOUSTON IS. BUDGET IS BEEN NEGLECTED FOR TOO LONG. I LIVE IN THIS COMMUNITY. I'M GOOD FRIENDS WITH A NIECE PARK OR BILL WHITE GOING BACK ALL THE WAY TO LANIER. AND I SAW THE SELLING OF PROPERTIES. I SAW THE KICKING THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD. THIS IS AN ANNOUNCEMENT THAT WE'RE NOT KICKING THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD ANY LONGER. WITH THAT, OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS A TACTICAL DEPLOYMENT DIVISION DEPLOYED TO BOTH NORTH CAROLINA AND FLORIDA PERFORMING SWIFT WATER AND URBAN RESEARCH RESCUE OPERATIONS. THOSE OF US WHO LIVE ON THE GULF COAST KNOW THE RISK OF CATASTROPHIC STORMS AND THE HEARTBREAK OF DESTRUCTION IN THE AFTERMATH. OUR HEARTS AND PRAYERS GO OUT TO OUR GULF COAST NEIGHBORS IN FLORIDA. THE ROAD AHEAD IS HARD, DIFFICULT. WE WILL STAND BY AND STAND READY TO HELP FLORIDA ANY WAY POSSIBLE. I ACTUALLY HAVE A CALL IN TO THE MAYOR OF TAMPA. I CAN SEE WHERE THIS COUNCIL WOULD ORGANIZE A RELIEF EFFORT. UH, THANK YOU COUNCILMAN CASTILLO. YOU BROUGHT THAT SUGGESTION TO ME SEVERAL DAYS AGO. BUT LET'S SEE WHAT THE NATURE OF THEIR RECOVERY IS AND WHAT THEY NEED. I COULD SEE USING SOME OF THE CITY'S VENDORS SUCH AS HEB AND OTHERS TO RAISE WATER, SHIP IT THERE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. [03:15:01] UM, CELEBRATION OF LIFE IS, UH, THURSDAY FOR AN ICON IN OUR COMMUNITY, A CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER AND FM WILLIAMS, A PERSONAL LOSS FOR ME AND OUR COMMUNITY. AND THEN SATURDAY AT 10:00 AM WILL HAVE A CELEBRATION OF LIFE AT GOD'S GRACE COMMUNITY CHURCH. 99 44 MONTGOMERY ROAD. LET'S KEEP REVEREND WILLIAMS' FAMILIES IN OUR PRAYER AND CERTAINLY PRAY FOR OUR FELLOW CITIZENS IN FLORIDA AND NORTH CAROLINA. WITH THAT, I SUGGEST WE GO TO WORK. I GOT IT. OKAY, LET'S GO. GOT IT. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALQUAN COUNCIL, I JUST WANTED TO TELL YOU, CONGRATULATIONS. THIS IS AMAZING NEWS AND UM, THIS IS, THIS IS HOW WHEN MUNICIPALITIES ARE ABLE TO WORK WITH THE STATE, THIS IS HOW IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE DONE. SO CONGRATULATIONS. I AM SO HAPPY TO BE ABLE TO SEE THIS, HEAR THIS ANNOUNCEMENT THIS MORNING AND, UM, YOU CAME THROUGH ONCE AGAIN. THANKS MAYOR. AND THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING OF THE COLLABORATION WITH THE STATE, THE COUNTY AND OTHER JURISDICTIONS. AND I CAN TRULY SAY THE MODEL THAT I ASKED FOR AND RECEIVED IS BEING, UH, SPREAD ACROSS SOUTHEAST TEXAS ALL THE WAY TO BEAUMONT, PORT ARTHUR GALVESTON. CERTAINLY OUR, UH, JOINING COMMUNITIES OF BEL AIR. I I CAN GO ON AND ON. THEY'RE ALL ELATED BECAUSE THE STATE HAS NEVER DONE THIS BEFORE. SO THANK YOU AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORDS OF, UH, SEEING HOW WE FIX THIS PLACE. UH, WE GOT A MADAM OR A MR. SECRETARY. WE HAVE A MADAM, MADAM SECRETARY, IF YOU WILL NOW PROCEED WITH I DID IT WRONG. I'M ONLY, I KNOW HE'S JUST READING WHATEVER YOU WANNA TAKE BLAME FOR THAT? I WILL, I WILL. HE'S JUST, I LOOKED DOWN AND IT SAID MR. SECRETARY. IT DID, IT DID TOTALLY MY FAULT. GOOD. COUNT SOME ACCOUNTABILITY AROUND HERE. ABSOLUTELY. MADAM [CONSENT AGENDA] SECRETARY, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. WILL YOU NOW PROCEED WITH A CONSENT AGENDA? YOU GOT SOME MONEY? HE FEELING GOOD TODAY? YOU GOT SOME MONEY, HUH? I AIN'T GONNA MESS IT UP. I AIN'T, I AIN'T GOT NOTHING TO SAY TODAY. YOU TOLD ME TODAY YOU'RE GONNA SAY 20 WORDS. I SAID 20 WORDS YOU'RE AT ABOUT, SO LEMME STOP 14 RIGHT NOW. SO LEMME STOP. TAPPED OUT UNDER THE MISCELLANEOUS CATEGORY. ITEM TWO NEEDS A MOTION CAST X TATUM, MOVE. SECOND. MOTION BEEN MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES UNDER THE ACCEPTABLE CATEGORY. ITEM THREE HAVE BEEN REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. ITEM FOUR NEEDS A MOTION. CASTEX TATUM, MOVE. SECOND. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES UNDER THE PURCHASING AND TABULATION OF BID CATEGORY. ITEM NINE HAS BEEN REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. NEED, UM, ITEM NINE AND 13 HAVE BEEN REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. NEED A VOTE ON THE BALANCE? ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED. I'M SORRY. I NEED A MOTION ON THE BALANCE. OKAY, LET'S GET ONE CAST. NEXT. TAYLOR, MOVE THOMAS. SECOND. MOTION'S BEEN MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES UNDER THE RESOLUTION CATEGORY. ITEM 16 HAVE BEEN REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. NEED A VOTE ON ITEM 17 AND 18? VERY WELL. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES UNDER THE, UNDER THE ORDINANCES CATEGORY. ITEM 37 HAS BEEN PULLED AND WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. ITEMS RULES HAVE BEEN CONSIDERATION ARE 19, 20, 21, 25, 26, 27, 29, 33 AND 35. THOSE NUMBERS AGAIN ARE 19, 20, 21, 25, 26, 27, 29, 33, AND 35. NEED A VOTE ON THE BALANCE? ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. I APPROVE [CONSIDERATION OF MATTERS REMOVED FROM CONSENT AGENDA] SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. ITEM THREE NEEDS A MOTION. CASTEX MOVED. SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NA. MOTION PASSES. POLLARD [03:20:01] NO. SHOW. COUNCILMAN POLLARD. NO. ITEM NINE NEEDS A MOTION. THOMAS TAG ITEM NINE, TAGGED BY COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. AND, UM, JUST A COMMENTARY ON MY TAG. MR. MAYOR, UH, BEFORE WE EXTEND THIS CONTRACT, WHEN ARE WE GOING TO SEE THE PRELIMINARY FINDINGS OF THE ORIGINAL REQUEST? THEY'RE IN THE FILL AND AS SOON AS I SEE IT, UH, I'LL SHARE IT WITH YOU. OKAY. THERE'S NO SURE. THANK YOU. YES MA'AM. ITEM 13 NEEDS A MOTION CAST ATE A MOVE. SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NA. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 16 IS, I'M IN THE QUEUE ON THIS POND AFTER THE . OH, ARE YOU ON 13 AS WELL? OKAY. COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN ON 13. COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN. UH, I WAS JUST WONDERING, MAYOR, DO WE KNOW HOW MANY WATER METERS THIS IS FOR? YOU KNOW, WE ARE FIXING TO HAVE A COMPLETE REPORT FOR YOU AND THE COUNCIL ON THE STATUS. IF YOU'LL RECALL, WHEN WE WERE WORKING THROUGH OUR NEW WATER PLAN, WE HAD A PROJECTED DATE OF THE FIRST OF THE YEAR TO HAVE THE NEW METERS, UH, IN PLACE. WE'RE AHEAD OF SCHEDULE AND I THINK WE'RE GONNA DO IT BY THANKSGIVING. BUT THIS MORNING I ASKED, UH, RANDY IN PUBLIC WORKS TO BE PREPARED TO GIVE A COMPLETE BRIEFING OF, UM, TO THIS BODY AS TO THE STATUS REPORT. THAT'S PROBABLY, IT'S ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS THAT WE CAN MONITOR. UH, THE GOOD NEWS IS IT'S OUT OF THE NEWS. EVEN AMY DAVIS, WHO THE STORY FOR SO MANY MONTHS TELLS ME SHE'S NOT GETTING ANY CALLS. IT'S REALLY, REALLY WORKING, BUT WE NEED TO MONITOR IT AND WE'LL HAVE A FULL UH, DISCLOSURE VERY SOON. OKAY. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. THANK YOU. SIMILAR QUESTION. MY REQUEST, UH, IF, IF RANDY AND PUBLIC WORKS CAN PROVIDE THIS BY DISTRICT, SO WE CAN ANTICIPATE HOW MANY METERS THAT, UH, RESIDENTS ARE EXPECTED TO HAVE REPLACED SO WE CAN FRONT LOAD THAT AND LET THEM KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT. SO THAT'LL BE HELPFUL. EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT IDEA TO BREAK IT DOWN BY DISTRICT. MAKE SURE EVERYONE'S BEING TREATED EQUALLY. UH, NEXT ITEM 16 IS A RESOLUTION. JUST NEED A VOTE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION. HUFFMAN, NO PASSES. HOFFMAN VOTING, NO. SHOW HUFFMAN VOTING. NO. OKAY, ITEM 19 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. 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. THIS NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 25 IS AN ORDINANCE. THIS NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. RAMIREZ, NO. RAMIREZ VOTING NO. SO COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ, VOTING NO. ITEM 26 IS AN ORDINANCE. THIS NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 27 IS AN ORDINANCE. THIS NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. ONE SECOND. WE'RE TRYING TO FIND THE PACKAGE THERE. IT'S ITEM 29 IS AN ORDINANCE. THIS NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES AFTER THIS. OKAY, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS ON THIS ONE. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. THANK YOU. UH, THANK YOU COLLEAGUES FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF THIS ITEM. UH, THIS DISTRICT BUDGET INCLUDES A SUBSTANTIAL INVESTMENT ON THE DAIRY ASHFORD, UM, BETWEEN DAIRY ASHFORD, I'M SORRY, ON DAIRY ASHFORD BETWEEN BEL AIR AND BEECHNUT. THEY'RE RECONSTRUCTING, UH, BOTH SIDEWALKS, UM, IN THE TURS. THEY'RE ENHANCING LIGHTING UNDER BELTWAY EIGHT AND BEL AIR AND A, A SERIES OF OTHER PROJECTS. SO THE COMMUNITY'S BEEN WAITING ON THIS, SO WE APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT. THANK YOU. YOU ARE WELCOME. DID WE VOTE 29TH? WE DID, YES, SIR. OKAY, NEXT. ITEM 33 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED TO VOTE. COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ. COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ. THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, AND I JUST WANT TO, UH, CHIME IN A BIT ABOUT MY SUPPORT FOR THIS ITEM. THIS [03:25:01] IS TO INCREASE THE CONTRACT FOR THE HARRIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, UM, SPECIFICALLY CASE FOR KIDS PROGRAMMING. UH, WHEN WE START LOOKING AT PUBLIC SAFETY, THIS IS A HUGE ASPECT OF HOW WE REALLY ADDRESS PUBLIC SAFETY WHEN WE'RE BEING PROACTIVE ABOUT OUT OF SCHOOL TIME PROGRAMMING. UM, YOU KNOW, MORE RECENTLY, IN THE LAST MONTH AND A HALF, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF ISSUES IN THE EAST STENTS, SPECIFICALLY AROUND MILBY HIGH SCHOOL. UM, AND WE WERE WANTING TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT WE'RE INVESTING, UM, IN OUR YOUNG FOLKS, UH, MAKING SURE THAT THEY HAVE, UH, GOOD QUALITY OUT OF SCHOOL PROGRAMMING. THIS IS A, AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO EXPAND, UH, THAT TYPE OF, UH, THAT TYPE, THOSE TYPES OF, UH, PROGRAMS. AND SO, AGAIN, JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT AS WE START LOOKING AT PUBLIC SAFETY AND INCREASING CADET CLASSES, WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT HOW WE, UH, INCREASE ON THE FRONT END WHEN WE'RE BEING PROACTIVE WITH, UH, WITH, WITH THIS TYPE OF, UH, UM, PROGRAMMING WITH CASE FOR KIDS SPECIFICALLY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SIR. NEXT, JUST NEED A, ANY VOTE? VOTE. WE STILL NEED TO VOTE ON THAT ONE, SIR. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES AS OPPOSED TO NAY. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 35 IS AN ORDINANCE THIS NEED TO VOTE. COUNCIL MEMBER PEC VICE MAYOR. PRO. VICE MAYOR PROTE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, THIS IS TO, UM, ADD THE ADDITION OF 468 ACRES OF LAND TO AN IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT. AND THE DRAINAGE, UM, DETENTION PLANS HAVE NOT BEEN SUBMITTED FOR ONE SECTION AND IT'S UNDER A REVIEW AT HARRIS COUNTY FOR ANOTHER SECTION. UM, USUALLY WHEN THESE THINGS COME TO COUNCIL, THE DRAINAGE PLANS HAVE BEEN APPROVED AND SO WE AT LEAST HAVE SOME KNOWLEDGE THAT THE PLANS THAT THEY HAVE IN PLACE ARE, ARE GOING TO WORK AND NOT CAUSE ADDITIONAL FLOODING. AND SO I'M NOT GOING TO SUPPORT THIS ITEM SINCE THE DRAINAGE PLANS HAVE NOT BEEN APPROVED. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. JUST NEED TO VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR OF ITEM 35. SAY YES AS OPPOSED TO NAY. NO. JOE PECK, VOTING COUNCIL MEMBER PECK POLL. NO. VICE MAYOR PRO TEM PECK AND COUNCILMAN POLLARD. VOTING NOTE. OKAY, NOW WE'RE ON TAX RATE ITEM 42. ITEM FOUR NEEDS A MOTION. WHAT'S THE SECOND? SO THIS IS YOUR TAX RATE. WHAT'S NO HERS RAMIREZ MOVES. UH, BEFORE [SUPPLEMENTAL POSTING] I BRING UP 42 OUT OF A RESPECT FOR YOU AND YOUR EFFORTS, I WOULD BE GLAD, UH, TO TAKE YOURS UP FIRST. AND, UH, OBVIOUSLY WE, WE, WE AGREE ON SO MUCH, BUT, UH, IT'S A TIMING ISSUE. AND SO CERTAINLY I I'LL OUTTA RESPECT FOR YOUR HARD WORK AND KNOWLEDGE, I YIELD TO YOU TO BRING UP 44. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MAYOR, AND WHAT GREAT NEWS YOU BROUGHT THIS MORNING. UM, BASED ON THAT NEWS, MY COLLEAGUES AND I HAVE AGREED TO WITHDRAW ITEM 44. UM, I DID SPEND A HECK OF A LONG TIME. I KNOW YOU DID, WORKING ON THIS SPEECH, SO I'M GONNA READ IT. IT'S GONNA BE, IT'S GONNA BE REVISED. IT'S GONNA BE REVISED A LITTLE BIT. I KNOW YOU'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE, , SO JUST KEEP THAT WARM. NO, NO, NO. I'M SAYING IT TODAY. IT'S HOT . I'M SAYING IT TODAY. MAYOR, I'M SAYING IT TODAY BECAUSE WE STILL, WE STILL HAVE A LOT TO CONSIDER. AND IF YOU'LL ALLOW ME, I'D LIKE, I'D LIKE TO, TO ADDRESS SOME THINGS TODAY. UH, BASICALLY THIS WILL BE REVISED. UM, WE ARE NOT GOING TO, WE ARE NOT NO LONGER PUTTING FORTH A PROPOSAL TO RAISE THE TAX RATE, BUT I WANT TO CLARIFY SOME OF THE REASONS WHY WE FELT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO DO, TO DO SO. AND I FEEL LIKE YOU MADE ME B, FA CHAIR TO DO WHAT I THOUGHT WAS BEST FOR THE CITY'S FINANCES, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER WE AGREED OR NOT. SURE. AND THAT'S WHAT I'M DOING HERE. SO ALLOW ME TO OUTLINE THE REASONS WHY I JOINED THREE OF MY COLLEAGUES TO PUT FORTH A PROP, A MEASURE TO ADDRESS THE CITY'S TAX RATE. FOR AS LONG AS I HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN CITY GOVERNMENT, THE CITY HAS SPENT MORE THAN IT HAS COLLECTED IN REVENUES. THIS STRUCTURAL IMBALANCE IS NOT UNUSUAL. CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY EXPERIENCE THE SAME. MANY FACTORS CONTRIBUTE TO THIS IMBALANCE. CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS WITH EMPLOYEE UNIONS, PENSIONS, HEALTH BENEFITS, DEFERRED MAINTENANCE, LIMITATIONS ON COLLECTIONS, AND OF COURSE CONTINUOUS NEEDS, WHICH FAR OUT, OUT EXCEED THE AMOUNT OF MONEY AVAILABLE TO PAY FOR THEM. WHILE COMPLETE AND TOTAL STRUCTURAL IMBALANCE IN MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT IS DIFFICULT TO ACHIEVE. HOUSTON CAN AND MUST DO BETTER. OUR CITY'S FUTURE DEPENDS ON IT. DO WE WANT TO BUILD A WORLD CLASS CITY OF THE FUTURE? I KNOW WE DO. AND THAT IS WHY THIS CONVERSATION, WHILE DIFFICULT IS SO IMPORTANT, AND WE ALL KNOW IN DEALING WITH OUR FAMILY, PERSONAL FAMILY, FINANCES, WHEN OUR BUDGET GOES OUT OF WHACK, WE HAVE TO DO, WE HAVE TWO OPTIONS. WE REIGN IN SPENDING OR WE BRING IN MORE MONEY, AND SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO DO BOTH. AND IT'S NO DIFFERENT FOR THE CITY FACING A $230 MILLION BUDGET DEFICIT IN JULY. [03:30:01] WE DEFINITELY MUST DO BOTH. WHAT WE CANNOT AFFORD TO DO IS AVOID THE PROBLEM. YOU WE'RE NOT AVOIDING THE PROBLEM. YOU WENT UP TO THE STATE AND YOU GOT $50 MILLION. AND MARTA, PLEASE, I'VE GOTTA TALK TO HIM ON THIS. , PLEASE. I, I NEED, I NEED, I NEED THE, I NEED THE, I NEED THE FLOOR HERE. UM, SO, SO THANK YOU FOR NOT AVOIDING THE PROBLEM. UM, WE'RE IT, IT'S NOT COMING AT FISCAL PERIL TO US. 'CAUSE YOU WENT TO AUSTIN AND YOU GOT THE MONEY AND I'M VERY GRATEFUL. I HAVE GREAT RESPECT FOR THE WORK YOU AND YOUR ADMINISTRATION ARE DOING TO PUT HOUSTON ON SOUND FINANCIAL FOOTING. I DON'T CARE ABOUT THAT BELL. THE ERNST AND YOUNG AUDIT, THE SC THE SCOURING OF THE BUDGET TO ELIMINATE VACANCIES AND FIND MORE EFFICIENT WAYS TO OPERATE THE MAYOR'S ATTENTION TO CONSOLIDATIONS, SHARING SERVICES ACROSS DEPARTMENTS AND LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT, ROOTING OUT FRAUD, WASTE AND ABUSE, PUTTING TOURS UNDER THE MICROSCOPE, AND OF COURSE, LOOKING UNDER EVERY ROCK FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING FROM THE COUNTY, FROM THE STATE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, FROM METRO, FROM PRIVATE CORPORATIONS AND PHILANTHROPY, ALL OF THIS IS VITALLY IMPORTANT AND WE SHOULD BE GOING FULL SPEED AHEAD ON ALL FRONTS, WHETHER WE ADJUST THE TAX RATE, WHICH WE'RE NOT, OR NOT. I ALSO WANNA RECOGNIZE THE WORK OF THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION TO ADDRESS THE CITY'S UNFUNDED LIABILITIES ASSOCIATED WITH PENSIONS AND OTHER POST-EMPLOYMENT BENEFITS. OPEP PENSION REFORMS IN 2017 BROUGHT HOUSTON FROM AN $8.2 BILLION UNFUNDED LIABILITY CRISIS TO A MORE STABLE POSITION. THE LIABILITY NOW IS 2.3 BILLION. FURTHER IN 2022. DURING MY FIRST TIME, AND AFTER MUCH URGING FROM MANY OF US HERE ON COUNCIL, THE ADMINISTRATION INSTITUTED EB REFORMS TO BASICALLY CUT OUR UNFUNDED LIABILITY IN HALF. WHAT WAS PROJECTED TO BE A $9 BILLION LIABILITY IN 30 YEARS IS NOW PROJECTED TO BE 4.3 BILLION. THESE REFORMS WERE ESSENTIAL IN BRINGING DOWN ANNUAL PAYMENTS THAT WERE CROWDING OUT CITY SERVICES. I SAY ALL THIS TO ADDRESS ONE OF THE ASSERTIONS PEOPLE MADE ABOUT US SUBMITTING A PROP, A ME MEASURE THAT WE COUNCIL MEMBERS WERE LOOKING FIRST TO TAXPAYERS TO GET THE MONEY WE NEEDED. THIS IS FRUSTRATING AND COULD NOT BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH. AND NOW WE DON'T EVEN HAVE TO. I, FOR ONE, HAVE SPENT THE BETTER PART OF FI THE LAST FIVE YEARS STUDYING THE BUDGET, GOING LINE BY LINE TO SCRUTINIZE SPENDING, ACTIVELY PARTICIPATING IN BUDGET WORKSHOPS, RECOMMENDING CUTS, EFFICIENCIES AND INITIATIVES TO DRIVE DOWN COSTS, ADVOCATING FOR REFORMS, PUSHING FOR MORE SHARED SERVICES WITH THE COUNTY, CLAMORING FOR WRITTEN TS POLICIES TO GIVE TRANSPARENCY AND DIRECTION TOT SPENDING. THE LIST GOES ON. AND MANY OF YOU AROUND THIS TABLE HAVE JOINED ME IN THESE EFFORTS. WE HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT EVERYTHING BUT A TAX HIKE TO HELP OUR FINANCIAL SITUATION. BUT AT SOME POINT, IT'S CLEAR TO ME, AND I KNOW IT'S CLEAR TO YOU BECAUSE YOU JUST SAID IT. IN ORDER TO BE FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE, WE MUST LOOK AT THE REVENUE SIDE OF THIS EQUATION. LET'S STOP AND ANALYZE WHAT'S GOING ON HERE. IT'S REALLY JUST ABOUT THE NUMBERS. AND THAT'S WHAT I LIKE ABOUT NUMBERS. NUMBERS DON'T LIE AND NUMBERS TELL THE STORY. WE PASTORED $3.3 BILLION PROPERTY AND SALES TAX SUPPORTED GENERAL FUND BUDGET. WE HAD TO RELY ON $170 MILLION IN FUND BA BALANCE OUR SAVINGS TO COVER THE COSTS. ONCE AGAIN, WE SPENT MORE THAN WE COLLECTED. THANKFULLY, WE HAD A HEALTHY FUND BALANCE, A HEALTHY SAVINGS ACCOUNT TO COVER US. WE ADDED ON THE COST OF THE DIRETO. AND I WAS WORRIED, I WAS WORRIED ABOUT THAT 50 MILLION. I WAS WORRIED WHEN MELISSA DEBOWSKI CAME IN HERE AND SAID, WE HAD TO CUT $86 MILLION TO COVER THOSE COSTS. HELL, THE PARKS DEPARTMENT IS $89 MILLION. WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? I WAS WORRIED. SO THIS IS WHY I SUBMITTED THIS, THIS PROPOSITION. THERE'S MORE. I'M CUTTING IT DOWN SOME. I WILL WANT EVERYBODY TO NOTE THAT IF YOU, IF YOU LOOK AT THESE SHEETS THAT MELISSA DEBOWSKI, UH, GAVE US AT THE BFA MEETING, AND THERE SHOULD BE ONE AT EVERY TABLE. WE HAVE ALWAYS FOR THE LAST 10 YEARS, CALCULATED OUR LOCAL PROPERTY TAX REVENUE CAP USING THE PROP ONE AND PROP H CALCULATIONS. THIS YEAR WE'RE ACTUALLY, IF WE USED OUR PROP ONE AND PROP H CALCULATIONS, WE'RE ACTUALLY AT OPTION BA ONE POINT CENT INCREASE. WE, FOR THE LAST 10 YEARS, WE ALWAYS SAY, OH, WE RAISED THE TAXES NINE OUTTA 10 YEARS. THERE WAS ONE YEAR 2019 THAT WE RAISED THEM SLIGHTLY BECAUSE THAT PROP ONE AND PROP H CALCULATION REQUIRED US OR, OR ALLOWED US FOR A SLIGHT RAISE. IT WAS BECAUSE VALUATIONS WERE LOWER THAN THE PRIOR YEAR. THE SAME THING IS HAPPENING THIS YEAR. OUR VALUATIONS THIS YEAR ARE, ARE 3.8% GROWTH. LAST YEAR IT WAS 13% GROWTH. SO IF WE WERE DOING IT THE SAME, IF AS WE'VE DONE IT FOR THE LAST 10 YEARS AND BEYOND, WE WOULD BE AT THAT 1.70 CENT RAISE. NOW, I'M NOT PROPOSING THAT I, I RESPECT YOU AND I THINK YOU'RE GONNA FIND [03:35:01] THAT 1.70 CENTS SOMEWHERE ELSE, BUT, BUT I JUST WANTED TO BE CLEAR TO MY COLLEAGUES THAT'S WHAT'S GOING ON. AND LET'S, AND LET'S, UM, LET'S TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE SUGGESTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE IN VARIOUS EMAILS AND THINGS FLOATING AROUND. UM, WHEN AFTER THIS WAS, WAS DONE, THINGS LIKE GETTING FUNDS FROM METRO CHANGING SICK AND VACATION ACCRUALS, MOVING TO DEFINED CONTRIBUTION, PENSIONS, DISSOLVING TURS, OUTSOURCING SOLID WASTE. OKAY, I HEAR ALL OF THAT. BUT THOSE ARE NOT QUICK AND EASY FIXES, AND THEY REQUIRE BUY-IN FROM PUBLIC, UM, EMPLOYEE UNIONS. SO YOU CAN'T SNAP YOUR FINGERS AND DO THOSE KIND OF CHANGES. AND LET'S NOT FORGET ABOUT WHAT'S ON THE HORIZON. POLICE NEGOTIATIONS ARE ABOUT TO GET UNDERWAY. I DON'T HAVE TO TELL ANYONE HOW IMPORTANT THESE ARE. WITH FIRST YEAR COPS MAKING $25,000 LESS DOLLARS LESS THAN COUNTERPARTS IN OTHER CITIES, HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO RECRUIT AND RETAIN? AND AS SOMEONE WHO WAS IN THE ROOM WHEN CHIEF MCCLELLAN 10 YEARS AGO SOUNDED THE ALARM FOR ADDITIONAL POLICE AND INVESTIGATORS, HOW CAN WE IGNORE WHAT WE KNOW TO BE TRUE? WE NEED 1500 TO 2000 MORE OFFICERS. AND CHIEF MUNOZ YESTERDAY SAID, WE NEED 600 MORE FIREFIGHTERS. THE FIREFIGHTER DEAL, WHICH WE ALL SUPPORT, IT WILL COST AN ADDITIONAL $35 MILLION A YEAR FOR THE BACK PAY AND ANOTHER $46 MILLION A YEAR. JUST LIKE ALL WE DO IN ALL THE OTHER CONTRACTS ON SALARY AND INCENTIVES, WE HAVE AN IMMEDIATE NEED. MAYOR, YOU TALK ABOUT ALL THE TIME THAT THAT AMBULANCE HAS TO GO CLEAR ACROSS TOWN. WE HAVE AN IMMEDIATE NEED FOR 20 MORE AMBULANCES TO STAFF THOSE AMBULANCES WITH THE PEOPLE WE HAVE ON BOARD, THE FIREFIGHTERS WE HAVE NOW, THAT'S $9 MILLION TO PAY 'EM OVERTIME. IF WE WANNA REALLY HIRE THE 104 FIREFIGHTERS THAT WE NEED TO STAFF THOSE AMBULANCES, THAT'S ANOTHER $14 MILLION. AS FOR TERMINATION PAY, SICK LEAVE AND ACCRUAL COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER AND I DISCUSSED THIS, UH, AT THE BUDGET TABLE WE HAVE, WE'VE DID BUDGET AMENDMENT TO FORM A TERMINATION PAY TASK FORCE TO EXAMINE CITY POLICY AS FAR AS VACATION AND SICK LEAVE ACCRUALS. BUT WE'RE ABOUT TO PASS AND I'M GONNA SUPPORT THE HOPE CONTRACT. UM, BASED ON KIND OF WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT DURING THE BUDGET SEASON, THE, THE EMPLOYEE UNION DID GIVE SOME ON THE VACATION, IMPROVE ACCRUALS. THERE'S STILL WORK TO DO ON SICK, BUT AGAIN, THAT TAKES TIME. SOLID WASTE, WE ALL KNOW IS WOEFULLY UNDERFUNDED. I LOOK FORWARD TO THE BURNS AND MCDONALD REPORT TO TELL US HOW WE CAN OPERATE THIS DEPARTMENT MORE SUSTAINABLY. PARKS HAS A LIST OF $72 MILLION OF CRITICAL NEEDS OVER THE NEXT FOUR YEARS. BARK IS UNDERFUNDED. WE PAY HALF PER CAPITA OF OTHER CITIES FOR ANIMAL WELFARE, AND IT SHOWS THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS NEEDS 20 MORE CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS FOR NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS NUISANCES. WE HAVE A PENDING LAWSUIT IN OUR REBUILD HOUSTON PROGRAM WITH WHICH IF DECIDED FOR THE PLAINTIFFS, UM, WOULD REQUIRE THE CITY TO SPEND $100 MILLION MORE FROM PROPERTY TAXES ON STREETS AND DRAINAGE. AND PEOPLE WANT MORE INVESTMENT ON INFRASTRUCTURE, STREETS, DRAINAGE, AND SIDEWALKS. WE ALL KNOW THE NEED IS GREAT. AND WHILE WE WILL NEVER HAVE ENOUGH TO COVER ALL OUR NEEDS, WE WILL NEED HELP FROM THE TAXPAYERS AT SOME POINT WHEN THE TIMING IS RIPE. SO LET ME CLOSE WITH THIS. MY COLLEAGUES AND I DID NOT TAKE LIGHTLY ASKING HARDWORKING HOUSTONIANS TO, TO HELP US PAY FOR THE DISASTER COSTS. I AM AWARE THE HARDSHIPS ARE EXPERIENCE THAT HARDSHIPS PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING WITH RISING INSURANCE, HIGHER TAXES FROM OTHER ENTITIES. HARRIS COUNTY JUMPED RIGHT IN AND RAISED THEIR RATES TO THE, TO THE MAX THEY COULD. AND I ALSO KNOW THERE ARE BOND MEASURES ON THE BALLOT BALLOT, WHICH COULD IMPACT TAX BILLS. I KNEW THE TIMING OF THIS WAS NOT IDEAL, AND I RESPECT THE MAYOR FOR DOING ALL HE COULD DO BEFORE GOING TO THE TAXPAYERS. HE REALLY DID. BUT ABSENT THIS INFORMATION THAT CAME TODAY, I BELIEVED THAT WHEN YOU FIND YOURSELF IN A HOLE, IT'S BEST TO STOP DIGGING. I BELIEVED THAT THIS RATE INCREASE WAS THE RIGHT THING TO DO. ABSENT THE INFORMATION THAT CAME TODAY, WE NEEDED THE REVENUE TO MEET THE MOMENT. AND THANK YOU GOVERNOR ABBOTT FOR PROVIDING IT. I DIDN'T WANNA KEEP DIGGING THE HOLE DEEPER. IT DIDN'T MEAN THAT WE WERE GONNA STOP LOOKING FOR CUTS. IT DIDN'T MEAN WE WERE GONNA STOP LOOKING FOR EFFICIENCIES OR ELIMINATING WASTE OR EXAMINING TOURISM SPENDING. IT DIDN'T MEAN WE DON'T KEEP SEEKING FUNDS FROM OTHER ENTITIES. I MEAN, FRANKLY, WE NEED TO DO IT ALL. I REPEAT, WE HAVE A $230 MILLION DEFICIT WE'RE FACING IN JULY. I PLAN ON LEAVING THIS HORSESHOE IN A FEW YEARS KNOWING I COULD DO ALL I COULD TO PUT HOUSTON ON A, ON A BETTER FINANCIAL TRACK. THE PROP A MEASURE WAS CERTAINLY NOT A POLITICALLY POP POPULAR ONE, BUT I WOULDN'T HAVE PUT IT FORWARD IF I DIDN'T THINK IT WAS THE RIGHT THING TO DO FOR THE HEALTH OF OUR CITY FINANCES. WE NEEDED THAT $50 MILLION. I LOOK FORWARD TO THIS DISCUSSION, WHICH I THINK IS PROBABLY OVER NOW. UM, UH, [03:40:01] NOT REALLY. I WANNA, BUT I VERY MUCH RE RESPECT AND VALUE THE INPUT OF MY COLLEAGUES. UM, THE STUFF I HEARD LAST WEEK AND THEN STUFF I'M SURE I'LL HEAR TODAY. AND, UH, AND AGAIN, UM, MAYOR, THANK YOU. GOOD WORK AT THE STATE. GO SALLY . OH, OH. FIRST, LET ME PREFACE MY REMARKS BY SAYING YOU'RE A TRUE LEADER AND I REALLY MEAN THAT. I I'VE BEEN IN GOVERNMENT SERVICE A LONG, LONG TIME. AND YOUR PRESENTATION THIS MORNING RATES RIGHT UP NEAR THE TOP OF, UH, PROFESSIONALISM, CONSTITUENT SERVICE, AND, UH, GIVEN A VERY GROWN UP DISCUSSION OF WHAT'S IN FRONT OF US. SO, UH, I THANK YOU, YOUR COLLEAGUES THAT JOIN YOU IN USING PROP A. IT WAS, UH, THE RIGHT THING TO DO AT THE RIGHT TIME, UH, TO FACILITATE THIS DISCUSSION, AND I UNDERSTAND IT. AND, UH, WHEN WE GET TO ISSUES LIKE THE PROPOSED TAX RATE, YOU HAVE TO REPRESENT YOUR DISTRICT, YOUR CONSCIENCE, AND WHERE YOU WANT TO TAKE THIS CITY. SO WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER. UH, IT WILL BE DIFFICULT. IT DIDN'T GET LIKE THIS OVERNIGHT, SO WE'LL HAVE MANY MORE DISCUSSIONS LIKE THIS. I WOULD ANTICIPATE SOMETIME NEXT SPRING, OR MAYBE EVEN THE STATE OF THE CITY NEXT FALL TO HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE, I COULD USE YOUR NOTES TODAY, QUITE FRANKLY, A COMPREHENSIVE DISCUSSION ABOUT WHERE WE ARE AND WHERE WE WANT TO GO AND, UH, ACCOMPLISH THE PUBLIC BUY-IN. I REALLY, REALLY THINK THAT'S CRITICAL. AS I'VE SAID, I'VE, I'VE VOTED FOR TAX INCREASES FOR HIGHWAYS, SCHOOLS, PRISONS. THE PUBLIC UNDERSTANDS THERE'S NO FREE LUNCHES. WE DO HAVE SOME REAL CHALLENGES IN THE FUTURE YEARS, CERTAINLY THE POLICE NEGOTIATIONS. BUT IT'S MY INTENTION TO DEAL WITH THE WASTE DUPLICATION CONFLICTS OF INTEREST. I THINK WE'VE GOT TO BUILD THAT BUY-IN AND THAT CREDIBILITY WITH THE PUBLIC. AND, UH, YOUR PRESENTATION GOES A LONG WAYS TOWARDS A REAL REALITY CHECK. SO THANK YOU. AND I WOULD BE HAPPY TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO REFER ITEM 44 BACK TO THE ADMINISTRATION. SECOND. MOTION HAS BEEN MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. WE HAVE A COUPLE MOTION. YOU MAKE THE MOTION. I'LL MOVE IT. SHE NODDED. SORRY. SHE NODDED. I MOVE THAT AS MARTINEZ WAS SO INTERESTED IN MAKING SURE THAT COUNCILMAN ALCORN KNOWS HOW MUCH I RESPECT HER AND HER COLLEAGUES THAT I DIDN'T SEE LIT UP. UH, COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, AND I DEFINITELY WANNA SAY THAT, UM, PLEASE KNOW THAT YOUR SUCCESS IS OUR SUCCESS AND ESTONIAN SUCCESS. SO I APPRECIATE THE WORK YOU WERE DOING LAST WEEK, UM, PRIOR TO, UH, LEADING UP TO THOSE MEETINGS. I ALSO WANT TO THANK THE LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD FOR, FOR WORKING WITH YOU. UM, UNDERSTANDING THAT IT, IT DOES TAKE A, A PARTNERSHIP HOLISTICALLY TO BE ABLE TO SEE US, UH, EVENTUALLY GET ON A, A GOOD FINANCIAL, UH, STANDING. I ALSO WANT JUST, UH, DEFINITELY THANK, UM, YOU KNOW, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN. YOU KNOW, IT, IT MIGHT SEEM AS A FRESHMAN COUNCIL MEMBER THAT I MIGHT NOT KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON. UM, YOU KNOW, MAYBE SEEM LIKE IF, UH, YOU KNOW, I'M DOING POLITICAL SUICIDE, RIGHT? BECAUSE NOBODY WANTS TO RAISE TAXES AND THAT'S AN ELECTED OFFICIAL BECAUSE YOU WANNA STAY IN THIS POSITION. BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT'S, IT'S, UH, DEFINITELY KNOWN THAT MY RESPONSIBILITY IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN STAYING IN THIS OFFICE. UM, FOUR YEARS THAT I HAVE RIGHT NOW IS IMPORTANT TO ME TO ENSURE THAT I CAN FOLLOW IN SOME OF THE, THE LEADERSHIP AND FOOTSTEPS THAT SALLY'S BROUGHT TO THE, TO THE TABLE. UH, I ALSO WANNA THANK MY COLLEAGUES, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, ANOTHER FRESHMAN COUNCIL MEMBER THAT ALSO UNDERSTANDS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE HERE TO DO THE RIGHT THING. UM, AND SOMETIMES THE THE RIGHT THING IS NOT THE MOST COMFORTABLE THING. UH, THOSE THAT PARTICIPATED IN THE, UM, VIRTUAL TOWN HALL, I WANT TO THANK THOSE RESIDENTS. WE HAD ABOUT 70, UH, INDIVIDUALS REGISTER AND PROBABLY OVER 50 RESIDENTS PARTICIPATE. UM, WE CANNOT GOVERN, UH, IN A VACUUM, UH, PROP A IS, IS IS SOMETHING THAT THE VOTERS WANTED TO SEE HAPPEN. AND I THINK IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO ENGAGE COMMUNITY THROUGHOUT THAT PROCESS OF PROP A. AND SO IT WAS A SUNDAY, A SUNDAY AT TWO O'CLOCK. UH, IT TOOK A LOT FOR MY COLLEAGUES, BUT ALSO FOR THOSE RESIDENTS TO PARTICIPATE. AND I WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO ALL OF THEM. UM, I ALSO APPRECIATE, MAYOR, THAT, THAT YOU RECOGNIZE THAT, THAT WE HAVE SHORTFALLS. UM, THIS IS NOTHING NEW. UM, YOU KNOW, ONCE THE REV [03:45:01] CAP KICKED IN, UM, YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE, JUST LIKE A HOUSEHOLD, RIGHT? YOU KNOW, YOU EVENTUALLY HAVE KIDS AND, AND YOU HAVE MORE POPULATION IN THE CITY, AND YOU HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT REVENUE LOOKS LIKE, WHETHER IT'S GETTING ANOTHER JOB RIGHT, WHICH COULD BE TOUGH. UM, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE CANNOT CONTINUE TO, UH, THE, TO THE SAME PACE WHERE WE'RE SPENDING AND NOT PROVIDING THOSE SERVICES THAT FOLKS CONTINUE TO WANT. UM, AS A DISTRICT, AS A DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, I HEAR IT CONSISTENTLY. I'VE HEARD IT AS A STAFFER. UH, WE WANT OUR TRASH TO BE PICKED UP. WE WANT IT TO BE SAFE. I JUST MENTIONED HOW PUBLIC SAFETY IN THE EAST END IS, IS A PRIORITY FOR ME RIGHT NOW. UM, THAT MEANS MORE COPS, THE EAST SIDE SUBSTATION IS STRAPPED AND THEY'RE UTILIZING A LOT OF THEIR RESOURCES TO ADDRESS WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE EAST END. UM, AND SO AS WE CONTINUE THESE CONVERSATIONS, I, I APPRECIATE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KO'S LEADERSHIP, UM, KNOW THAT YOU ARE NOT ALONE IN THIS CONVERSATION. I APPRECIATE THE NEXT FOUR YEARS THAT I'LL BE ABLE TO WORK WITH YOU AND, AND MY COLLEAGUES TO ADDRESS THESE, UH, FINANCIAL CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE. UM, AND MAYOR, UH, AGAIN, JUST, UM, APPRECIATE THE HELP. MARY, I DIDN'T HAVE, NOT THAT I DIDN'T HAVE FAITH IN YOU, BUT THE RESPONSIBILITY, UH, THE RESPONSIBILITY THAT I, THAT I HOLD, UH, TO THE CONSTITUENCY OF DISTRICT I, BUT JUST QUITE FRANKLY, YOU KNOW, ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS, I HAVE FRIENDS THAT LIVE THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE CITY AND, AND THESE, THESE ARE LEGITIMATE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE SHOULD BE HAVING. UM, AND I HOPE THAT THIS IS SETTING THE TABLE FOR WHAT'S TO COME IN THE FUTURE. UH, STILL LOOK FORWARD TO LEVERAGING RESOURCES WITH THE COUNTY. WE SAT IN A FLOOD CONTROL, UM, BRIEFING WITH, UH, TO DISCUSS WHAT THAT TAX TAX RATE INCREASE IS GONNA LOOK LIKE. ALL THESE CONVERSATIONS NEED TO BE AT THE TABLE. WE CANNOT WORK IN SILOS, AS YOU MENTIONED. UM, AND FOLKS NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT A TAX INCREASE, UM, ON YOUR BILL IS NOT NECESSARILY BECAUSE THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS INCREASING THAT TAX RATE. AND WE ALL HAVE TO HAVE THAT OPEN, HONEST, TRANSPARENT CONVERSATION. AND SO, UM, AGAIN, I I, I'VE, I'VE SECONDED THE, THE MOTION TO, YOU KNOW, TO TAKE IT OFF, UH, OFF THE AGENDA AND LOOK FORWARD TO, UH, CONTINUE TO WORK WITH YOU AND YOUR ADMINISTRATION TO ADDRESS OUR, OUR FINANCIAL, UM, OBLIGATIONS TO THE CITY AND TO THE RESIDENTS. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMBER, POLLARD PLUMBER. NO PLUMBER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND I JUST WANT TO SERIOUSLY COMMEND COUNCILMAN ALCORN. UM, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE SO, WELL, THEY JUST THINK SO CLEARLY ABOUT SOMETHING, UM, KNOW ULTERIOR MOTIVES, PURE SINCERITY OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON. UM, AND SO IT WAS JUST MY PLEASURE TO STAND WITH YOU ON THIS. IN ADDITION TO COUNCILLOR MARTINEZ AND CASTILLO. THIS WAS A HARD CONVERSATION. AND I'M A BUSINESS OWNER, AND I JUST UNDERSTAND THAT YOU COULD ONLY DO ONE OF TWO THINGS. YOU FIND MORE MONEY OR YOU CUT. THAT'S JUST HOW WE ARE, RIGHT? UM, BUT YOU HAVE RELATIONSHIPS. MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING IN THIS HAIL MARY THIS MORNING. WE ARE SO INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL IN MY MIND. I JUST KNOW THAT THERE'S CERTAIN THINGS THAT WOULD HAVE TO GIVE. IT JUST HAS TO, IT'S JUST NATURALLY, IT'S NOT THE INTENTION OF YOU, YOUR ADMINISTRATION OR, OR OF OUR COLLEAGUES, BUT SOME THINGS HAVE TO GIVE. AND UNFORTUNATELY, UM, IT WOULD BE IN DEPARTMENTS. AND SO, UM, UNTIL YOU WERE ABLE TO BRING THIS 50 MILLION TO US, UM, I JUST DIDN'T SEE HOW A DIFFERENT WAY OF IT HAPPENING. AND SO, UM, SO I'M GRATEFUL TO YOU WHAT YOU'VE DONE, UM, AND IN MY MIND TO ALLOW US TO BE SUSTAINABLE. YOU KNOW, INCREASING A HOUSEHOLD, UM, EXPENSE OF $19 FOR A SENIOR ANNUALLY, OR A LITTLE BIT OVER A HUNDRED DOLLARS FOR A REGULAR HOUSEHOLD ANNUALLY. IT JUST SEEMED LIKE EVEN THOUGH WE ARE DEALING WITH HARDSHIPS, CLEARLY GROCERIES, SHELTER, ALL OF THOSE ARE EXPENSIVE NOW, BUT IT SEEMED TO ME THAT THAT WAS JUST ENOUGH TO KEEP THINGS GOING FOR US. AND SO THAT IS WHY, UM, I SUPPORTED COUNCIL MEMBER ALKO AND JOINED MY COLLEAGUES ON THIS. UM, BUT WHAT I WILL SAY IS, IN TALKING TO COMMUNITY, WHAT I HEARD FROM THEM WAS THEY WEREN'T AGAINST IT. THEY JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THE MONEY WAS GOING IN ONE PLACE. AND SO WHAT I WOULD, YOU KNOW, SAY IS THAT IF WE EVER DO A TAX INCREASE AT EVER, WHENEVER THE TIME IS RIGHT, AND IT'S SPECIFICALLY FOR DISASTERS EITHER PREVIOUSLY OR IN PREPARATION FOR THAT, WE ARE INCREDIBLY TRANSPARENT ABOUT IT. AND WE LET COMMUNITIES UNDERSTAND THAT THIS MONEY IS GOING TO A SPECIAL FUND OR A SPECIAL AREA, AND IT'S ONLY GOING TO DEAL WITH WHAT WE'VE DEALT WITH PREVIOUSLY AND WHAT WE DEAL WITH MOVING FORWARD. AND, AND THAT WAS WHAT THE CONCERN WAS. AND ONCE WE, ONCE WE COULD AGREE ON THAT, IT SEEMED LIKE COMMUNITY LEADERS ACROSS THE CITY REALLY WERE OKAY WITH IT, BECAUSE THEY DID UNDERSTAND THAT THIS PUT A HUGE TOLL ON US AND ON OUR SERVICES. AND SO, ONCE AGAIN, THANK YOU, UM, AND CONGRATULATIONS, [03:50:01] COUNCILMAN BECORN, JOB WELL DONE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. OH, I ACTUALLY, COUNCILMAN POLLARD SAID, OH, THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, AND CONGRATULATIONS ON, ON YOUR WORK TO HELP SECURE US FUNDING FOR OUR STORM RECOVERY. UM, IT'S STILL NEEDED. AND, YOU KNOW, THIS WAS REALLY WHAT SPURRED, YOU KNOW, THE CONVERSATION AROUND THIS PROPE ITEM WAS HOW ARE WE RECOVERING FROM, AND WILL WE BE ABLE TO FULLY RECOVER, UH, FROM OUR STORMS THAT WE FACED THIS YEAR? AND I APPRECIATE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN'S WORK ON THIS AND, AND HER LEADERSHIP AND MY COLLEAGUES WHO, WHO JOINED IN, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE TOUGH CONVERSATIONS, BUT WE WERE ELECTED TO HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS AND WE CAN'T SHY AWAY FROM EVEN TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING LIKE THIS BECAUSE, UH, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE TO DO. AND, AND CONSTITUENTS EXPECT US TO DO THAT, AND TO FLESH OUT ALL THE DIFFERENT SIDES OF, OF OUR, OF OUR BUDGET, UH, FROM WHAT WE'RE SPENDING TO WHAT WE'RE BRINGING IN. AND I WILL SAY THAT THE COMMUNITY REALLY RESPONDED WELL TO THE ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS THAT WE DID. AND, AND THAT WAS CLEAR ON SUNDAY, UM, WHEN WE HAD SO MANY FOLKS, UH, NOT JUST SHOW UP, BUT THEY EVEN SUBMITTED THEIR OWN QUESTIONS AND IDEAS BEFOREHAND. I MEAN, WE HAD SOME FOLKS THAT SUBMITTED A 10 POINT PLAN, UH, ON WHAT THEY WANTED TO SEE FOR OUR BUDGET. THEY JUST APPRECIATED BEING ASKED AND BEING A PART OF THE PROCESS AND THE CONVERSATION. UH, AND THAT'S ONE OF MY BIGGEST TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS WHOLE EXPERIENCE. UH, PEOPLE HAVE IDEAS, THEY HAVE THOUGHTS, THEY WANT TO BE ENGAGED, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO HOW WE ARE SPENDING, UH, TAXPAYER DOLLARS AND, AND WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH THAT AS A CITY. UM, AND SO I, I, I THINK THAT THAT'S SOMETHING WE SHOULD ABSOLUTELY CONTINUE AS WE THINK ABOUT, UM, THE FUTURE YEARS WHEN WE'RE SETTING OUR TAX RATES. UH, COUNCILS MEMBER ALCORN. MAYBE WE CAN DO A YEARLY TAX RATE TOWN HALL, UH, BECAUSE PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, APPRECIATED IT. THE PROCESS ISN'T ALWAYS AS CLEAR AS OTHERS. UM, BUT I THINK IT'S SOMETHING MOVING FORWARD THAT, UH, SHOULD BE CONTINUED AND, AND THE IDEAS THAT THEY PROVIDED US, UH, WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO LOOK AT AND, AND USE MOVING FORWARD. UM, BUT, UM, WE'VE ADDRESSED, UH, A BIG PART OF OUR RECOVERY TODAY, UH, THANKS TO YOUR EFFORTS. UM, I THINK MY, MY COLLEAGUES AND COUNCILOR ALKER FOR ALL OF THEIR WORK ON THIS, AND, UH, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO HAVE THESE TYPES OF CONVERSATIONS WITH HOUSTONIANS AND CONSTITUENTS TO, TO BE TRANSPARENT AND, AND ALSO TO GET THEIR INPUT AND FEEDBACK IN, IN WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE AT, AT CITY COUNCIL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP. AND THE SUNDAY SESSION WAS, WAS VALUABLE. AND, UH, I THINK WE SHOULD DO THAT. UH, I DON'T WANNA GET OFF THE SUBJECT WRONG, BUT I WOULD SUGGEST WE START THINKING ABOUT A NIGHT CITY COUNCIL. I THINK IT WOULD BE A LONG OVERDUE TO ALLOW WORKING PEOPLE THAT CAN'T GET OFF DURING THE DAY TO COME GIVE US THEIR VIEWS AND WATCH THEIR GOVERNMENT IN ACTION. WE'RE ACTUALLY WORKING WITH, WITHIN MY ADMINISTRATION TO LOOK AT THE TIMING OF THAT. AND, UH, MAYBE AFTER THE FIRST OF THE YEAR, HAVE KIND OF AN INNOVATIVE IDEA TO, UH, BRING GOVERNMENT MUCH MORE ACCESSIBLE. BUT YOUR SUNDAY SESSION WAS A, A GOOD MODEL. AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK. COUNCILMAN POLLARD. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND GOOD MORNING TO EVERYONE. UM, I THINK WE CAN ALL AGREE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE CITY HAS TO FIND WAYS TO CLOSE THAT GAP, AND WE HAVE TO FIND EITHER MORE REVENUE OR, OR HAVE MORE, UH, UH, LESS EXPENDITURES. UM, I THINK THE, THE BIGGEST THING FOR ME IN ALL OF THIS, EVEN WITH THE $50 MILLION THAT HAS, HAS COME IN THIS MORNING, IS UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE PLAN IS. WHAT, WHAT'S THE MESSAGING LIKE, EVEN IF WE GET THE MONEY, WHAT, WHAT IS THE PLAN? WHAT IS THE END RESULT? WHAT IS THE IMPACT TO HOUSTONIANS? EVEN WHEN WE TALK ABOUT INCREASING THE TAX RATE, I DON'T THINK PEOPLE ARE TRIPPING ON THE TAX RATE GOING UP. IF THEY KNEW, HOW DOES THIS BENEFIT ME? WHERE'S THE MONEY GOING? HOW WILL IT BE SPENT EVEN WITH THE $50 MILLION? UM, WHICH IS GREAT. IT'S A ONE TIME DEAL, RIGHT? WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO FIND A WAY TO HAVE SUSTAINABLE REOCCURRING REVENUES THAT WE CAN STAND ON A, UH, A, A SOUND FINANCIAL FUTURE WITH. AND SO THOSE ARE THE DISCUSSIONS THAT I THINK HAVE TO BE HAD AND THE DISCUSSIONS THAT ARE PROMPTED BY THE WORK THAT YOU ALL HAVE DONE. THE REASON THAT I, UH, WAS HESITANT TO SUPPORT THAT WAS 'CAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THE PLAN WAS. ONCE WE GET THE MONEY, [03:55:01] WHAT IS THE PLAN FROM THE ADMINISTRATION ON HOW DO WE, HOW ARE WE BUDGETING AND PUTTING FORTH THESE DOLLARS FOR BETTER SERVICES, UH, FOR HOUSTONIANS? AND, UM, I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO PUT AT THE FOREFRONT OF THESE, THESE DISCUSSIONS. AND, UM, THE MAYOR SAID, TRUST HIM AFTER, AFTER THE BUDGET, UH, VOTE, AND THAT HE HAD RELATIONSHIPS AND THAT HE COULD GET SOME THINGS DONE. AND, UH, UH, HE WAS ABLE TO GET MONEY FROM THE STATE ON THAT. AND SO I APPRECIATE, APPRECIATE THOSE EFFORTS. EVERY DOLLAR THAT COMES INTO HOUSTON SHOULD BE CELEBRATED, AND EVERY DOLLAR THAT COMES INTO HOUSTON, UH, ARE FOR THE BENEFIT OF HOUSTONIANS. SO I THINK THAT IS ALWAYS SOMETHING, UM, THAT WE SHOULD GIVE PROPS TO. UH, AND HOPEFULLY WE COULD FIND A WAY TO CONTINUE TO BE CREATIVE, UH, FOR THE ADDITIONAL MONEY THAT WILL BE NECESSARY. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS IS, THANK YOU, MAYOR. I, I, I CERTAINLY WANTED TO, UM, EXTEND, UH, MY CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU MAYOR IN THIS EFFORT, BECAUSE FROM MY STANDPOINT IN DEALING WITH BUDGETS, TIMING IS EVERYTHING. TIMING IS EVERYTHING. EVEN IF IT WAS A, WHAT IS IT? 8:02 AM TIMING IS EVERYTHING. AND I THINK IT'S VERY VITAL TO ALL OF US THAT WE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE WERE ISSUES GOING ON RELATIVE TO BUDGETS IN REGARDING OUR CITY. BUT THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS, AND I'M GLAD, AND I CERTAINLY WANT TO CONGRATULATE OUR CHAIR OF THE BUDGET COMMITTEE FOR HER EFFORTS AND ALL. AND YOU'VE DONE THAT, MAYOR. OTHERS HAVE EXPRESSED IT. UM, COUNCILMAN ALCORN AND I WAS AT A CIVIC CLUB TOGETHER, AND SHE EXPRESSED A VERY NEED, EXPLAINED IT. AND, UH, I COMMENDED HER THEN AND SAID TO HER, AND OF COURSE, I WOULD NEVER SAY NEVER, BUT I WILL SAY, NOT NOW. I WAS NOT FOR IT, NOT NOW. I TRUST THE LEADERSHIP. I SAID THIS A WEEK AGO. UM, AND I THINK THAT WHAT THE CITY, WHAT THE CITY ALSO LOOKED FOR, AND I WANT TO SAY TO MY COLLEAGUES THAT WE TEND TO ALWAYS WORK IN SILOS. AND I THINK WHAT? NOTHING ELSE, MAYOR, YOU'VE SHOWN THE POSITION THAT COLLABORATION, WHETHER IT BE STATE AND, AND OR COUNTY, CAN WORK TOGETHER IF IT'S SOMEONE WHO KNOWS HOW TO DO IT. BUT I THINK WE NEED TO TAKE A FINE LOOK AT THE WAY WE SPEND OUR MONEY. I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT ALL THE AREAS, WHETHER IT COULD BE WASTING OUR MONEY. WE KNOW THAT THERE HAVE BEEN SOME MISUSE OF FUNDS COMING OUT OF THE CITY TOWARD THE CITIZENS. AND LET ME JUST SAY, I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT A TOWN HALL WAS DONE IN ORDER TO BRING IT TO THE PEOPLE. I'VE SAID THAT TOO. THAT'S THE REASON WHY I STARTED TOWN HALL. WE REALLY WANT TO HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC, THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO DO. AND SO I COMMEND THEM IN DOING IT. BUT EVEN IN THE LARGER TOWN HALLS, WE'VE HEARD FROM PEOPLE WHO SAID THEY DIDN'T WANT A TAX INCREASE, AS, AS I'M SURE OTHER DISTRICTS HAVE. SO I THINK WE, WE HAVE TO WORK NOT AS SILOS FROM COUNCIL. IF WE WANNA ADDRESS THESE FINANCIAL ISSUES, THEN WE GOING TO HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER, UH, TO MAKE, YOU KNOW, OUR CITY BETTER AND STREAMLINE THESE DOLLARS. THIS DIDN'T HAPPEN YESTERDAY. AND THESE ISSUES IN TERMS OF OUR BUDGET IS NOT A CAN. IT'S A BARREL. IT'S DONE, BEEN KICKED AND KICKED AND KICKED AS WAY. IT WAS EVEN WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENTS OF CONTRACT. AND AS I SAY, YOU KICK, YOU KICK, YOU KICK A CAN LONG ENOUGH, IT TURNS INTO A BARREL. AND I JUST BELIEVE GOING FORWARD, THE LEADERSHIP THAT COUNCILMAN, UH, ALCORN IS DOING, I THINK IS COMMENDABLE. YOU, WE GOTTA DEAL WITH THESE ISSUES, BUT WE CAN'T DO IT IN SILOS. WE'VE GOTTA DO IT AS A COLLABORATION AMONG EACH OTHER. SO I COMMEND YOU, MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP. I TRUST IT. YOU KNOW, UNTIL THAT'S SOMETHING OTHER, BUT I TRUST THE IDEA THAT YOU TOOK THE LEADERSHIP. OKAY, THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR RAMIREZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP IN, UH, TAPPING INTO YOUR RELATIONSHIPS THAT YOU ESTABLISHED AT THE STATE LEVEL OVER MANY DECADES. UH, IT HAS BENEFITED HOUSTONIANS TODAY, AND I'M VERY GRATEFUL FOR THAT. I HOPE HOUSTONIANS APPRECIATE IT AS WELL. ALSO WANT TO EXPRESS THANKS TO GOVERNOR GREG ABBOTT AND THE LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD. I WANNA MAKE SURE HOUSTONIANS KNOW WHO THEY ARE, THEIR LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR DAN PATRICK, SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE DADE FALON CONTROLLER. GLENN HAGAR, SENATE FINANCE CHAIR, MY FRIEND, UH, THE SENATOR FOR DISTRICT 17, JOAN HUFFMAN AND HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS CHAIR, DR. GREG BONIN. THEY UNDERSTAND AS WELL HOW IMPORTANT HOUSTON IS TO THIS STATE AND HOW, UH, UH, HOW MUCH WE NEEDED THIS FUNDING. UH, I WANT TO THANK COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN FOR HER LEADERSHIP ON THIS ISSUE AND ALL THE WORK THAT SHE'S DONE ON IT. WE'VE CERTAINLY BENEFITED FROM YOUR EXPERIENCE AND WORK ON THIS. AND TO YOUR POINT ABOUT [04:00:01] THE MEASURES THAT HAVE BEEN SUGGESTED THAT ARE NOT QUICK FIXES, THIS AMOUNT OF MONEY FROM THE STATE GIVES US THE TIME TO REALLY START TALKING ABOUT THOSE MEASURES, UH, SO THAT WHEN NEXT YEAR ROLLS AROUND, UH, PERHAPS WE CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THOSE THINGS LIKE GETTING MORE MONEY BACK FROM METRO, GETTING MONEY BACK FROM THE T AND SO FORTH. AND SO WE WON'T BE QUITE IN THE DIRE POSITION, UH, THAT MANY EXPECT US TO BE IN NEXT YEAR. I ALSO WANNA NOTE, UH, IT WAS MENTIONED THAT, THAT HOUSTON'S POPULATION IS GROWING. I HEAR THIS FROM TIME TO TIME, AND THE FACT IS, HOUSTON'S POPULATION IS PRETTY STATIC OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS. IT'S, IT'S, IT'S STAGNATED. AND ONE OF THE REASONS THIS IS TRUE, I THINK, IS BECAUSE IT HAS GOTTEN MORE EXPENSIVE TO LIVE HERE, AND PEOPLE ARE ACTUALLY MOVING OUT. AND I THINK IF YOU DID, UH, THE RESEARCH, IT WOULD SHOW THAT IF IT WERE NOT FOR IMMIGRATION FROM OTHER COUNTRIES, HOUSTON'S POPULATION WOULD'VE BEEN DECLINING THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS BECAUSE OF, IN PART, THE COST OF LIVING HERE. EVERY TIME TAXES ARE RAISED AND FEES ARE RAISED, IT GETS MORE EXPENSIVE TO LIVE HERE. SO I THINK WE SHOULD KEEP THAT IN MIND GOING FORWARD. THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU. AND BEFORE WE VOTE, I WANT TO THANK THE, UM, OUR PARTNERS IN AUSTIN. GOVERNOR ABBOTT WAS, UM, GRACIOUS IN WELCOMING ME WHEN WE TOOK HIM OUR, OUR URGENT MESSAGE LAST FRIDAY. I'VE BEEN IN TOUCH WITH THE ENTIRE MEMBERSHIP OF THE LBB, CERTAINLY SET TO THE LEFT AND FINANCED SEVERAL SESSIONS WITH, UH, SENATOR HUFFMAN AND GREG BONHAM. OUR NEIGHBOR TO THE SOUTH, UH, CHAIR OF APPROPRIATIONS WAS VERY, UH, SUPPORTIVE. THE LIEUTENANT, GOVERNOR AND SPEAKER ARE VITAL TO ANY, UH, EFFORT WE WE MAKE IN AUSTIN, AND THERE WILL BE MORE. SO I THANK THEM THIS MORNING. UH, I PROMISE EACH AND EVERY ONE, WE WILL BE STRONGER GOING FORWARD AS WE TAKE UP THIS TOPIC. AND PEOPLE ARE GOING TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE DIDN'T, IT WASN'T THE FIRST THING THAT WE DECIDED TO DO WAS, UH, TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE RECOVERY EXCEPTION TO THE REVENUE CAP. SO I THINK WE'VE DONE OUR JOB AND, UH, WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK LEFT, AND IT WILL BE TOUGH, BE SOME TOUGH DECISIONS TO MAKE GOING FORWARD. SO I THINK ALL MY COLLEAGUES AND, UH, MOTION'S BEEN MADE AND SECONDED TO REFER ITEM 44. BACK TO THE ADMINISTRATION. UH, ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. NO. MOTION PASSES. THANK Y'ALL. NEXT ITEM 42 NEEDS A MOTION. ALL CAST TATUM, MOVE RAMIR. SECOND. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. THOMAS? NO. COUNCIL, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. NO. MOTION PASSES. OKAY, ONE MORE ITEM. ITEM 43. I'M MEANT TO DO. I'M 43, NOT 42. I WAS WONDERING, , Y'ALL WAS TALKING TOO MUCH. I GETTING BACK TO ONE OF OUR EARLIEST DISCUSSIONS TO RECONSIDER THE VOTE ON 42. REMEMBER, WHEN WAS IT FINAL? I THINK WE HAD TO, WE HAD A DISCUSSION. THAT'S HOW I THINK YOU WANTED IT WHEN THE GAVEL CLOSED. THAT'S BUT OUTTA RESPECT FOR YOU. AND I WANT EVERYTHING. OH, I'M NOT TRIPPING EITHER WAY. I, I DON'T EITHER WAY. IS THERE, UH, ITEM PASSED A MOTION TO RECONSIDER THE VOTE BY WHICH? 40? I'LL JUST VOTE. NOTE AGAIN. PASS TO MOVE TO RECONSIDER THE VOTE. YOUR OBJECTION CHAIR IS NOT NOW BEFORE, BUT YOU'RE UNANIMOUS ON THAT. LOOK. I DID YOU? YEAH. YES, MA'AM. GOOD JOB. OKAY, SO BACK TO THE VOTE ON [NON-CONSENT - MISCELLANEOUS] 42. OKAY, BACK TO 42. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. WE GOT A MOTION. YES. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. NOW. [MATTERS HELD] ADAM 43. UH, ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. SO OPPOSED NAY. THOMAS'? NO. SHOW MEMBER. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. NO. MOTION PASSES. OKAY. AND NOW WE'RE JUST WAITING ON THE CONTROLLER TO COME DOWN. WE HAVE THEIR MEMO, BUT HE HASN'T COME DOWN YET TO DO ITEM NUMBER ONE. SO, UH, WE CAN START POPOFF IF YOU'D LIKE. YES. WE, WE NEED THE CONTROLLER'S PRESENCE, AND HOPEFULLY IT'LL BE SOONER THAN LATER. [NON CONSENT - MATTERS TO BE PRESENTED BY COUNCIL MEMBERS] UH, BUT LET'S START POPOFF. WE'VE HAD A PRETTY HEALTHY ONE ALREADY THIS MORNING. BUT, UH, START WITH VICE MAYOR PRO PROTE PECK, VICE MAYOR, PROTE PECK. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I WOULD LIKE TO ANNOUNCE OUR ANNUAL DISTRICT A PUBLIC SAFETY TOWN HALL. IT WILL BE ON NOVEMBER 7TH AT 6:30 PM AT THE WHITE [04:05:01] OAK CONFERENCE CENTER, 7 6 0 3. ANTOINE, UM, HPD, CHIEF DIAZ, HFD, CHIEF MUNOZ AND PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY CHIEF SATTERWHITE WILL ALL BE IN ATTENDANCE. UM, I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO COME, UM, WHO WANTS TO TALK ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY IN DISTRICT A. UM, AND WE ARE ALSO WORKING WITH HOPE CITY TO PROVIDE TOYS FOR CHILDREN THIS HOLIDAY SEASON. SO IF YOU'D LIKE TO BRING A TOY FOR CHILDREN 15 AND YOUNGER TO THE TOWN HALL, UM, WE WILL COLLECT IT AT THAT TIME. THANK YOU. NEXT MARTINEZ. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ. MAYOR, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO, UH, FOR THE APPOINTMENT TO SERVE ON THE HOUSTON FIRST CORPORATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS. AND THANK, UH, MY COLLEAGUES FOR THEIR SUPPORT. I LOOK FORWARD TO SERVING ON THE BOARD AND ENSURING HOUSTON REMAINS, UH, COMPETITIVE AND ATTRACTIVE DESTINATION FOR TOURISM AND ECONOMIC GROWTH. ALSO, UM, ON A LIGHTER NOTE, JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT COUNCIL MEMBERS KNOW THAT CMC IS STILL GOING ON THIS MONTH. BLUE BINS ARE IN THE LOBBY AT CITY HALL ANNEX TODAY. WE HAVE, UH, SALAD STARTING AT 1230. UH, NEXT WEDNESDAY WE HAVE MUSICAL CHAIRS BRING YOUR FAVORITE CAKE AND $5 TO ENTER. IT'S AN EXCITING TIME IF YOU HAVEN'T PARTICIPATED IN MUSICAL CHAIRS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN POLLARD. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, MAYOR, I WANNA ADDRESS TWO, TWO ISSUES IN MY DISTRICT THAT I'VE BEEN SEEING, UH, HAVE BEEN INCREASING OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS. ONE IS THE ILLEGAL STREET VENDORS. WE HAVE, WE HAVE AREAS OF DISTRICT J AND I KNOW IN DISTRICT F WHERE INDIVIDUALS ARE SETTING UP TENTS TO SELL ITEMS. THEY'RE USING THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY TO DO THIS. UM, AND IT'S BECOMING MORE AND MORE OF A ISSUE WITH CARS BEING ABLE TO MOVE BACK AND FORTH. IT'S AN ISSUE WITH BLOCKING, UH, THE SIDEWALKS. IT'S AN ISSUE WITH A LOT OF ILLEGAL ACTIVITY HAPPENING. UM, UM, AND OUR OFFICE HAS TRIED TO DO A LOT JUST FROM A DISTRICT STANDPOINT WITH COUNCIL DISTRICT SERVICE FUNDS, OVERTIME, DOLLARS. BUT, UM, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE CANNOT CONTINUE TO ALLOW TO GROW BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE GETTING MORE AND MORE EMBOLDENED WITH THIS. AND THE RESIDENTS OF THE AREA ARE COMPLAINING IN THE SAFETY OF THE AREA IS BEING COMPROMISED. SO, ILLEGAL STREET VENDORS IS SOMETHING I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH AND A STRATEGY THAT I LIKE TO FIGURE OUT. UM, AND THEN ON 59 SOUTH, UH, BETWEEN CHIMNEY ROCK AND BINET, THE UNDERPASSES, WE'RE STARTING TO SEE MORE AND MORE HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS POP UP. UH, THAT WAS AN ISSUE THAT WE ARE FACING DURING COVID. WE WERE ABLE TO ADDRESS IT, BUT NOW THEY'RE COMING BACK. AND, UM, I HAVE A REAL ISSUE WITH JUST SEEING, LIKE VISIBLE ON ITS FACE, OVERT, UM, UM, SITUATIONS WHERE WE KNOW THAT THE LAWS ARE NOT BEING FOLLOWED AND WE'RE NOT HAVING PROPER ENFORCEMENT. AND SO WE HAVE TO FIND OUT A WAY IN WHICH TO ADDRESS THAT. UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE STRATEGY IS WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS, UH, FROM THIS ADMINISTRATION, BUT I'D LIKE TO WORK WITH YOU ALL ON SEEING WHAT MY OFFICE CAN DO, UH, TO PUT FORTH ANY EFFORT INTO THOSE TWO AREAS. UM, BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S BECOMING MORE AND MORE OF A, UH, ISSUE. AND IF WE DO NOT, UH, TACKLE IT NOW, I'M A I'M AFRAID THAT IT WILL BE TOO BIG TO, TO ADDRESS SO ILLEGAL STREET VENDORS AND HOMELESSNESS, UH, UNDER 59 SOUTH BETWEEN CHIMNEY, ROCK AND BINET. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND, UH, HOMELESS ISSUE IS A TOP PRIORITY. UM, OUR HOUSING AUTHORITY, UH, NOT HOUSING, HOUSING DEPARTMENT, MIKE NICHOLS, DIRECTOR AND CHIEF SATELLITE OF HOMELAND SECURITY ARE WORKING DAILY ON A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, WHICH WE WILL SHARE VERY SOON TO ADDRESS, UM, THE HOMELESS IN PUBLIC SPACES. WE JUST GOT TO, UM, COME UP WITH A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, AND IT, IT WILL ALSO REQUIRE SOME FUNDING. SO LET'S, UH, ALL CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER. THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT TOPIC. COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, I'VE ABSENT PLEADING TODAY, BUT I, WHAT I NEGLECTED TO SAY WAS, THANK YOU TO MY COLLEAGUES, COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER, COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. I AM VERY GRATEFUL FOR YOUR WILLINGNESS TO GO OUT ON A LIMB WITH ME HERE. UM, YOU SHOWED GUTS, YOU SHOWED INTEGRITY, AND YOU WORKED REALLY HARD TO INCREASE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT ON THIS ISSUE. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER, I'D LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO, TO COMMEND YOU ALL, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, MARTINEZ, ALCORN, PLUMBER, AND CASTILLO. UH, YOU'RE RIGHT. SOMETIMES, UH, THE, THE, UM, TOUGH THINGS OR THE THINGS YOU GOTTA STAND UP AND DO. [04:10:01] AND I ADMIRE YOU ALL FOR, FOR, UH, MOVING TOWARDS SOMETHING THAT YOU BELIEVE IN. AND, UH, EVEN THOUGH WE MAY NOT AGREE, I CERTAINLY HAVE A LOT OF RESPECT FOR YOU ALL FOR DOING SO. UM, ALSO TOO, MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR THE, UH, HOUSTON FIRST BOARD APPOINTMENT. I'M, UH, REALLY EXCITED FOR THAT OPPORTUNITY AND WORKING WITH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ. UM, THE ONLY OTHER PIECE I'VE GOT IS TODAY WE'RE EXCITED TO KICK OFF AS A, UH, CITYWIDE AND ULTIMATELY STATEWIDE, UH, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE INITIATIVE AT NOON TODAY. SO, HOPE TO SEE Y'ALL DOWN THERE. THANK YOU. I AGREE. COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABA. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, UH, ON LAST THURSDAY, WE HAD AN INCREDIBLE TURNOUT FOR THE FIFTH ANNUAL FALL LUNCHEON AT ST. DOMINIQUE VILLAGE. THIS GATHERING BROUGHT TOGETHER MANY LEADERS AND SUPPORTERS ALL UNITED IN THEIR EFFORTS TO STRENGTHEN THE SENIOR CARE COMMUNITY. ST. DOMINIC VILLAGE CONTINUES TO DO REMARKABLE WORK, PROVIDING COMPASSIONATE CARE AND SUPPORT FOR OUR SENIORS, AND THIS LUNCHEON WAS A PERFECT REFLECTION OF THAT DEDICATION, AND THANK YOU TO EVERYONE THAT MADE THAT A SUCCESS. WELL, THIS PAST WEEK, UM, WE HAD THE TSU HOMECOMING, AND IT WAS A BLAST. THE PARADE, WHICH I PARTICIPATED IN, WHICH IS LIVELY FLOATS AND MARCHING BANDS WERE FULL OF TIGER PRIDE, BRINGING TOGETHER STUDENTS, ALUMNI, AND THE COMMUNITY, AND A CELEBRATION OF SCHOOL SPIRIT. THE ENERGY KEPT BUILDING UP UNTIL THE BIG HOMECOMING GAME ON SATURDAY. CERTAINLY, UH, TEXAS SOUTHERN ALWAYS WINS THE HOMECOMING, AND IN THIS CASE, UH, THE HALFTIME RATHER. AND THEY ACTUALLY WON THE GAME 45 TO 21, AND IT WAS A GREAT WEEK. AND JUST, AND JUST ON A A A A DOWN NOTE, THOSE BIKE LANES ARE A REAL PROBLEM, UH, IN THAT COMMUNITY. IN ALL SERIOUSNESS. UM, IT WAS JUST SO MANY PEOPLE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. THOSE BIKE LANES REALLY CREATE, CREATE A PROBLEM, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE HAVE THESE HUGE EVENTS AT TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY. SO HOPEFULLY WE CAN LOOK AT, AT SOMETHING IN REGARDS TO THE SAFETY. THERE WERE, UH, FIRE TRUCKS AND AMBULANCES, UH, TRYING TO GET IN AND OUT, AND IT WAS CERTAINLY A PROBLEM. PEOPLE WERE GETTING TICKETED BECAUSE THE BIKE LANES WERE FULL OF PEOPLE, AND OF COURSE, THEY HAD NO OTHER PLACE TO PARK. AND SO THAT'S A PROBLEM. THEY WERE, UH, YOU KNOW, PARKING IN YARDS AND WHATEVER TO KEEP FROM PARKING IN THE STREET. AND I, I THINK THAT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE CERTAINLY NEED TO ADDRESS. AND THE BUSES, OF COURSE, WERE COMING DOWN THE STREET AND THAT, THAT CREATED ANOTHER, UH, TRAFFIC, UH, DILEMMA. AND SO, CERTAINLY, UH, I'M ALL IN FAVOR OF BIKING AND BIKERS AND BIKE SAFETY. UH, AGAIN, I AM A BIKER, NOT AS REGULARLY AS I SHOULD BE, BUT CERTAINLY I HAVE MUCH RESPECT AND I CERTAINLY WANT PEOPLE TO BE SAFE. UH, BUT I THINK THERE'S ANOTHER WAY TO DO THAT. AND SO HOPEFULLY WE CAN LOOK AT THAT IN THE FUTURE. UH, I WANT TO CONGRATULATE CAROL LAMBRIGHT AS THE NEW PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE HERMAN PARK CONSERVANCY. HER EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE IN URBAN PARK MANAGEMENT AND HER LEADERSHIP IN TRANSFORMING PUBLIC SPACES MAKE HER A PERFECT FIT FOR THIS ROLE. SHE'S ALREADY MADE A HUGE IMPACT IN HOUSTON AND BEYOND, AND WE ARE EXCITED TO SEE WHAT SHE'LL BRING TO THE HERMAN PARK AS SHE LEADS ONE OF OUR CITIES MOST CHERISHED GREEN SPACES IN THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION. UH, ON TODAY, THERE WILL BE AN ARTS AND CULTURE COMMITTEE MEETING AT 2:00 PM UH, JOINED BY MY COLLEAGUE, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. WE'VE GOT AN EXCITING LINEUP OF SPEAKERS WHO WILL HIGHLIGHT THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ARTS AND HOUSTON, INCLUDING LEADERS FROM THE HOBBY CENTER, PROJECT ROWHOUSE AND JONES HALL. THESE DISCUSSIONS WILL DIVE INTO HOW THE ARTS ARE DRIVING ECONOMIC GROWTH AND CREATING NEW OPPORTUNITIES IN OUR COMMUNITIES. I ALSO, UH, WOULD LIKE TO ANNOUNCE THE SERVICES FOR OUR HONORABLE JUDGE ZANETA BERNIE, UH, WHICH WILL BE ON TOMORROW EVENING, OCTOBER THE 10TH AT 6:00 PM AT THE SHRINE OF THE BLACK MADONNA AT 53 0 9. MARTIN LUTHER KING. I, I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT JUDGE THETA BERNIE, AND CERTAINLY IF YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME OUT AND, AND BRING COMFORT TO HER FAMILY, AS WELL AS LIFT HER NAME, UH, IF YOU WANT TO GET INFORMATION ON, UH, DISTRICT D, PLEASE SEND AN EMAIL TO DISTRICT D@HOUSTONTX.GOV SO THAT WE CAN SEND YOU OUR NEWSLETTER. AND JUST AS A POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE, I'M GONNA WISH HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MYSELF ON THIS SUNDAY. UM, NO GIFTS NEEDED, UH, BUT CERTAINLY JUST VERY, VERY THANKFUL OF BEING AN OCTOBER BABY. AND OCTOBER IS SUCH A BEAUTIFUL MONTH, AND, UH, I, I WANT YOU ALL TO JUST LIFT ME UP AND CELEBRATE ALONG WITH ME WHEREVER YOU ARE ON SUNDAY. THANK YOU. BIRTHDAY. AND THAT CONCLUDES WHAT'S GOING ON IN DISTRICT D, THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION. THANK YOU. [04:15:01] IF I, IF I COULD, UH, COUNCILMAN CASTER, LET ME, UH, DRAW OUR ATTENTION. IF YOU CAN HIT THE PAUSE BUTTON, [ELECTRONIC OPENINGS] UH, CONTROLLER HOLLINS AND HIS STAFF AND DIRECTOR DEBOWSKI AND ARE PRESENT AND, UH, TO REPORT ON THE REVERSE AUCTION. AND, UM, IF THEY'LL COME FORWARD AND GIVE US THEIR REPORT. DO YOU NEED TO CALL? IS MELISSA HERE? THANK YOU. EXCUSE ME. GOOD MORNING, MAYOR. HONORABLE MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, UH, ON THE AGENDA. TODAY IS THE CITY OF HOUSTON TAX AND REVENUE ANTICIPATION NOTES SERIES 2024. UH, THESE ARE ALSO KNOWN AS TRANS NOTES. TRANS NOTES HELP THE CITY TO MANAGE CASH FLOW AND WORKING CAPITAL NEEDS DURING THE YEAR. THE NEED FOR WORKING CAPITAL IS BASED ON THE TIMING DIFFERENCE THROUGHOUT THE CITY'S FISCAL YEAR, BETWEEN EXPENDITURES, WHICH ARISE EVERY SINGLE DAY, AND REVENUES, WHICH ARE SLOWER EARLY ON IN THE FISCAL YEAR, AND COME ON LATER ON IN THE YEAR. SO, IN SHORT, THESE TRANS NOTES ALLOW US, UH, AS A CITY TO BRIDGE THE GAP, KEEP THE LIGHTS ON, AND PAY OUR BILLS ON TIME UNTIL WE RECEIVE PROPERTY TAXES IN EARLY 2025. UH, EACH ONE OF YOU SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED A COPY OF THE WINNING BIDS FOR THIS YEAR'S TRANS NOTES. THE ISSUANCE AMOUNT FOR THIS YEAR IS $99 MILLION, AND WE RECEIVED FIVE WINNING BIDS, UH, THIS YEAR FROM TRUIST SECURITIES, BOK SECURITIES, HILLTOP SECURITIES, RBC CAPITAL MARKETS, AND PNC CAPITAL MARKETS. THE TOTAL INTEREST COST THAT WE RECEIVED, UH, THIS YEAR IS RIGHT AROUND 2.9%. THE LAST TIME THAT THE CITY ISSUED TRANS NOTES WAS IN 2021, THAT YEAR, WE ISSUED $75 MILLION AT A TOTAL INTEREST COST OF MORE THAN 7.5%. SO AS YOU CAN SEE, WE WERE ABLE TO ACHIEVE SIGNIFICANT SAVINGS THIS TIME AROUND. AND WE'RE ASKING COUNCIL TO APPROVE THIS AGENDA ITEM SO THAT WE CAN KEEP THE TRAINS MOVING. UH, I WANNA EXTEND A SPECIAL THANKS TO THE CITY CONTROLLER'S, TREASURY TEAM LED BY VERNON MIDDLETON LEWIS, UH, ALSO OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT, UH, RUN BY MELISSA DEBOWSKI, WHO IS RIGHT HERE, SMILING, UM, AND LEGAL AND OUR FINANCIAL ADVISORS. AND SO WE'RE ASKING YOU TO APPROVE THIS AGENDA ITEM. THANK YOU, SIR. MEMBERS, IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS OF THE FINANCE DIRECTOR, SHE'S PRESENT. IF NOT, UH, WE DO NEED A MOTION. YES. NEED A MOTION TO ACCEPT THIS REPORT. SO MOVED. MOTION MADE. SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES AS OPPOSED TO NAY. MOTION PASSES. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THIS PAST SATURDAY WE HAD A RIBBON CUTTING FOR THE BUFFALO BAYOU PARTNERSHIPS, UH, LOCKWOOD AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT. I WANNA THANK DIRECTOR NICHOLS FOR BEING PRESENT, UH, ALONG WITH CONGRESSWOMAN GARCIA. UH, THIS IS GONNA BE A, A BRAND NEW AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT RIGHT ALONG THE BAYOU IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE HAPPENING EAST, UM, FOR BAYOU EAST. AND IT'S GONNA BE FANTASTIC FOR THE RESIDENTS AND THE COMMUNITY. THIS COMING SATURDAY. WE'RE GONNA HAVE AN INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, MEETING OVER IN THE EAST END AT THE MORALES RADIO HALL FROM 10 TO 12, WHERE WE WILL BRING ALL THE PARTNERS THAT ARE WORKING ON INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS IN THE EAST END FROM PUBLIC WORKS, TO THE TOURS, TO TDOT MANAGEMENT DISTRICT, UM, METRO TO COME TOGETHER, SHOW, UM, AND, AND ANSWER QUESTIONS FROM FOLKS ABOUT, UH, WHAT'S GOING ON IN THEIR PART OF TOWN AND, AND GET INFORMATION OUT THERE. SO BE SURE TO JOIN US. AND THEN AT IRVINGTON PARK, WE'RE GONNA DO A BIKE CLEAN CLEANUP FROM 9:00 AM MEET AT IRVINGTON PARK, UM, WITH THE GREATER NORTH SIDE MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS BY HOUSTON AND THE LINDE PARK CIVIC CLUB. UM, SO IF YOU WANT TO GET OUT AND HELP CLEAN SOME OF THE BIKE LANES, UM, THIS SATURDAY, 9:00 AM AT IRVINGTON PARK. AND, UH, I WANNA WISH A HAPPY EARLY BIRTHDAY TO MY NEIGHBOR COUNCIL MEMBER, EVAN SHABAZZ. UM, THANK YOU. AND, UH, THAT'S ALL MY FOR MY REPORT. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, JUST WANTED TO OPEN BY EXPRESSING THAT, UM, WE, UH, WANT TO CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR THE WILLIAMS FAMILY. UH, MY GREAT RESPECT FOR THIS LEGEND IN OUR COMMUNITY, UH, PASTOR DR. FN WILLIAMS SENIOR, UH, I WILL BE PARTICIPATING IN THE CELEBRATION OF HIS HOME GOING THIS WEEK. AND, UH, CERTAINLY, UH, MAY I KNOW YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH DR. WILLIAM GOES A LONG, LONG WAYS BACK AND RESPECTFULLY, UH, PRAYING FOR, UH, ALL OF THOSE WHO LOVED HIM DEARLY AS MYSELF, HOW TO RESPECTED, HOW TO RESPECTED IN THIS CITY, IN THIS [04:20:01] STATE, IN THIS NATION. UM, SO WITH THAT PRAYERS AS WELL TO, TO THE FAMILY, UH, WE HAD A, WE HAD A FANTASTIC TOWN HALL MEETING ON MONDAY IN DISTRICT K AT THE FOUNTAIN LIFE CENTER. I WANT TO THANK, UH, OUR MAYOR PRO TIM KA, UH, MARTHA TEX TATUM FOR RECOMMENDING THE VENUE AND ATTENDING OUR EVENT. IT WAS SO NICE TO HAVE HER WITH US ON STAGE AND PRONOUNCING SOME OF THE, UH, EXCITEMENT IN THE COMMUNITY IN THE TOWN HALL. IT WAS OUR THIRD TOWN HALL THAT MY OFFICE HAS HELD CITYWIDE OVER THE LAST FIVE MONTHS. AND MY STAFF, I CAN'T COMMEND THEM ENOUGH FOR THEIR HARD WORK, UH, IN PREPARING. THIS TOOK A LOT OF WORK, BUT PEOPLE WERE EXCITED AND PARTICIPATING IN IT. WE HAD WELL OVER 150 PEOPLE THERE IN ATTENDANCE, AND WE COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT THE SPONSORS. THE, THE FOUNTAIN OF THE PRAISE CHURCH, ONE WORLD STRATEGY GROUP, SOUL FOOD BY CATHERINE ENVIRONMENTAL, SO LLC, CLEAR CHANNEL OUTDOOR. I WANT TO THANK MY GOOD FRIEND ALI FOR HIS SUPPORT OF THAT AND PARK EIGHT PLACE BY JOHNSON DEVELOPMENT. WE COULDN'T HAVE HELD THIS EVENT WITHOUT THOSE SPONSORS, AND I REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE THEM STEPPING UP AND HELPING US TO MAKE AND INTRODUCING THOSE, UH, TO OUR COMMUNITY. I'VE HIGHLIGHTED THESE, UM, UH, CITY OFFICIALS AND PARTNERSHIP ORGANIZATIONS. UH, WE COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT THEM. UH, I'VE HIGHLIGHTED THESE PEOPLE BEFORE AND I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO COMMEND THE DEPARTMENT LEADERSHIP THAT CAME OUT TO OUR EVENT. IT MEANS MUCH TO ME AND THE PEOPLE AND THE RESIDENTS TO SEE DIRECTORS FROM CITY HALL COME DOWN TO MEET THEM IN THEIR COMMUNITY. SO, I'D LIKE TO THANK THE DEPARTMENT LEADERSHIP THAT CAME OUT TO SUPPORT OUR TOWN HALL MEETING. HOUSTON POLICE CHIEF, UH, NO DIAZ, HOUSTON FIRE CHIEF THOMAS MUNOZ, MAYOR'S OFFICE OF HOMELAND SECURITY AND PUBLIC SAFETY DIRECTOR LA LARRY SADDLE, WHITE HOUSTON CITY ATTORNEY. UH, MY FRIEND, UH, ARTURO MICHELLE. I WANT TO THANK HIM AND HIS, UH, STAFF FOR COMING OUT AS WELL. I, A DEPUTY INSPECTOR GENERAL, CHRISTINA NOACK, WHO ALSO, UH, JOINED WITH US HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY DIRECTOR SANDY GALL, UH, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF VETERAN, UH, AND MILITARY AFFAIRS DIRECTOR ROBERT DEMBO AND DR. LASANDRA JONES, THE OFFICE OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY DIRECTOR, LENCIA HORDE. I WANT TO THANK ALL OF THESE DEPARTMENT HEADS AND LEADERS FOR JOINING WITH US AND MAKING IT A SPECIAL NIGHT. OUR WILL NEXT AND LAST TOWN HALL MEETING COLLECTIVELY FOR THE YEAR WILL BE DONE IN JANUARY. UH, IT WOULD BE DONE ON THE EAST SIDE, UH, AT THE CT CHURCH 97 0 1, OUR MEETING GENO ROWAN ON MONDAY, JANUARY 6TH. AND THOSE WHO FEEL FREE AND WOULD LIKE TO JOIN US, WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE YOU. IT'S ALL ABOUT THE CITY. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU, SIR. COUNCILMAN FLICKINGER. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, FIRST OF ALL, CONGRATULATIONS, UH, GETTING THE MONEY FOR THE FEMA MATCH FOR OUR PORTION OF THE DISASTER AID IS HUGE. I HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE ASKING ME WHETHER OR NOT THEY THOUGHT YOU'D BE SUCCESSFUL, AND I SAID, I DON'T KNOW. IT'S A BIG STRETCH, BUT IF ANYBODY CAN DO IT, I BELIEVE HE CAN WITH THE RELATIONSHIPS HE HAS. SO, AGAIN, CONGRATULATIONS ON THAT. UM, WE'RE GONNA HAVE, UH, OUR NEXT TOWN HALLS AT, UH, EDGEBROOK AND CLEAR LAKE ON THE, UH, OCTOBER 22ND AND 24TH. AND, UH, THE SOUTH IS HAVING, UH, RECYCLING EVENT DOWN, UH, AT ELLINGTON FIELD FOR THE CLEAR LAKE RESIDENCE. AND KIND OF JUST TO ADD ON TO COUNCILMAN ALCORN'S CONVERSATION ABOUT, UH, REVENUE, WE CERTAINLY NEED ADDITIONAL REVENUE. WE'VE GOT UNFUNDED LIABILITIES, WE'VE GOT DEFERRED MAINTENANCE, BUT, BUT I DO THINK THERE'S ANOTHER WAY WE CAN GET THERE AS WELL THAT WE DON'T REALLY TALK ABOUT A LOT. UM, WE HAD A COMPARISON OF THE DIFFERENT CITIES AND THEIR TAX RATES HERE WHILE BACK. ONE OF THE ONES THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE UP THERE. WE, STAFFORD. STAFFORD HAS A PROPERTY TAX RATE OF ZERO, AND THE REASON THEY DO IS 'CAUSE THEY ARE VERY BUSINESS FRIENDLY AND THEY BRING BUSINESSES IN THERE. UH, COUNCILMAN CARTER AND I, SHE GOT OUT THERE A COUPLE DAYS BEFORE I DID, MET WITH A CONSTITUENT HERE LAST WEEK, WHO HAS AN EXISTING FACILITY OUT THERE AND WAS WANTING TO EXPAND. AND THE REQUIREMENTS THAT WAS BEING PUT UP BEFORE HER WERE NONSENSICAL. UH, SIMILAR TO WHAT WE HAD A CONSTITUENT COME IN HERE A COUPLE WEEKS AGO TALKING ABOUT THE THINGS THEY WERE DOING. UH, I, I DON'T KNOW THAT EVERYBODY IN PERMITTING UNDERSTANDS [04:25:01] THAT THE ADDITIONAL STRUCTURES, THE ADDITIONAL BUSINESSES ALL ADD TO OUR TAX BASE TO WHERE HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET MORE REVENUE WITHOUT ACTUALLY INCREASING THE AMOUNT THE CITIZENS ARE PAYING ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS. UH, YOU KNOW, ON A PERSONAL NOTE, OUR BUSINESS MOVED A LITTLE OVER A DECADE AGO. WE WERE IN HOUSTON AND WE'D HEARD NOTHING BUT HORROR STORIES WITH A PERMITTING WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON AT THAT TIME. AND WE DECIDED THAT WE WERE EITHER GOING TO GET A PIECE OF PROPERTY, PUT UP A NEW BUILDING, OR GET INTO AN EXISTING BUILDING AND MODIFY IT TO WHAT WE NEEDED. BUT WE WERE NOT GONNA BE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. OUR SALES TAXES WE COLLECT EVERY MONTH, FOUR OR $5,000 OF THAT GOES TO THE CITY OF SOUTH HOUSTON. WE BOUGHT THE BUILDING ACROSS THE STREET. WE'RE PAYING PROPERTY TAXES ON THAT. IF WE ARE BUSINESS FRIENDLY, WE CAN GET MORE REVENUE WITHOUT HAVING TO TAX THE, UH, TAX OUR CONSTITUENTS MORE. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS, COUNCILOR JACKSON. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I WANNA START OFF BY GIVING MY CONDOLENCES TO THE, UM, WILLIAMS FAMILY, UM, PASTOR REVEREND FM IN IN WILLIAMS, UM, OF ANTIOCH MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH. UM, YOU KNOW, HE'S BEEN IN THE COMMUNITY FOR QUITE SOME TIME IN ACRES HOMES. IN FACT, UM, MY AUNT LIVES ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE CHURCH, AND SO SHE MOVED THERE 50 YEARS AGO. SO HE WAS JUST LIKE FAMILY, UM, TO THE FOLKS ON BILL STREET AND ACRES HOMES. AND SO WHEN SEND MY CONDOLENCES AS WE GET READY TO, UM, CELEBRATE HIS LEGACY AND HIS LIFE, UM, IN THE NEXT THREE DAYS. AND SO JUST SENDING THEM, UM, MY PRAYERS. UM, ALSO, MAYOR, I JUST WANNA POINT OUT SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT WE ARE DEALING WITH IN DISTRICT B AND I'M SURE IN OTHER AREAS, BUT WE HAVE A LOT OF BUSINESSES THAT ARE SETTING UP AT RESIDENTIAL AND RESIDENTIAL HOUSES. UM, BUT THEY'RE OPERATING AS BUSINESSES. AND SO, AND ALSO THEY DON'T HAVE OCCUPANCY PERMITS. AND SO WE JUST WANNA START LOOKING AT THAT. UM, I MEAN, THESE, THESE COMPANIES ARE TRUCKING COMPANIES. UM, THEY'RE BATCH PLANTS. UM, THE RESIDENTS RIGHT NOW ARE GOING THROUGH TAKING A LIST OF, YOU KNOW, GETTING THE ADDRESSES SO THAT WE CAN LIKE PRESENT, UM, THAT DATA TO YOU ALL. BUT WE NEED TO LIKE, GET A HOLD OF, BECAUSE THEY'RE OPERATING, THEY'RE NOT PAYING BUSINESS TAXES AND IT'S REALLY, UM, IMPACTING OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. UM, LASTLY, I'M GONNA INVITE FOLKS OUT TO OUR BE SUCCESSFUL JOBS AND RE RESOURCE, UM, FAIR, WHICH IS HAPPENING TOMORROW AT 10:00 AM AT GREENHOUSE INTERNATIONAL CHURCH, LOCATED AT 200 WEST GREENS ROAD. THIS IS PART OF OUR BE SUCCESSFUL INITIATIVE, WHICH IS A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO ADDRESSING POVERTY AND IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR RESIDENTS AND DISTRICT B, UM, UM, BE SUCCESSFUL. TAKE ON FIVE CHALLENGES, UM, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, PUBLIC SAFETY, CAPACITY BUILDING FOR OUR NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION, IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR DISTRICT B RESIDENTS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. AND SO EVERY TWO MONTHS WE HAVE A JOB FAIR. UM, AND THIS PARTICULAR JOB FAIR, WE'RE GONNA HAVE OVER 50 EMPLOYERS, UM, PARTICIPATING. AND SOME OF THESE EMPLOYERS ARE HIRING, HIRING SECOND CHANCE JOBS. AND WE NEED EMPLOYERS WHO ARE HIRING SECOND CHANCE BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE CRIMINAL RECORDS THAT ARE EAGER, UM, TO GET INTO THE WORKFORCE. UM, I ALSO WANT TO ADD, WE ARE ACTUALLY GONNA BE PARTNERING WITH, UM, THE HARRIS COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT. AND WE'RE GONNA START GOING INTO THE JAILS TO BE SUCCESSFUL AND TRAINING YOUNG MEN, UM, GETTING THEM THEIR CDLS LICENSE, AS WELL AS TRAINING WOMEN AS COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS. SO WHEN THEY DO COME OUT, TRANSITION OUT, THEY CAN TRANSITION INTO A JOB. SO WE'RE LOOKING FOR EMPLOYERS WHO HIRE SECOND CHANCE. AND SO IF YOU WANT ME MORE INFORMATION ABOUT, UM, THE JOB FAIR AND EVERYTHING THAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE BE SUCCESSFUL INITIATIVES, CONTACT OUR OFFICE AT 8 3 2 3 9 3 3 0 0 9 OR EMAIL US AT DISTRICT B@HOUSTONTX.GOV. Y'ALL HAVE A BLESSED DAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILOR HUFFMAN. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU FOR ADVOCATING FOR US IN AUSTIN, UM, AND SECURING THAT $50 MILLION FOR US. AS I MENTIONED LAST WEEK, YOU KNOW, DEBRIS PICKUP IS STILL AN ISSUE IN DISTRICT G, SO I'M EXCITED FOR THIS MONEY TO COME IN AND US TO FINALLY GET THIS CLEANED UP. UM, THE OTHER ISSUE WE'RE KIND OF SEEING IN DISTRICT G, WHICH I KNOW IT'S NOT A DISTRICT G PROBLEM, AND COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT THIS, BUT, YOU KNOW, TYPICALLY IF A STREET IS, UH, WIDER THAN 27 FEET, THEN THE CITY WON'T PUT IN NO PARKING SIGNS ON THE SIDES OF THE STREET. HOWEVER, WE HAVE COMMERCIAL VEHICLES THAT ARE LINING THESE STREETS, ESPECIALLY NEAR APARTMENT COMPLEXES. UM, AND EMERGENCY VEHICLES CAN'T GET DOWN THE STREETS. I HAVE ANOTHER NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE THE MAIL, THEY SAID THEY'RE GONNA STOP DELIVERING MAIL BECAUSE IT'S THE ONES WHERE THEY DRIVE UP AND YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT A WALKING MAILMAN. AND SO WE'RE HAVING ALL SORTS OF ISSUES AND I'D LIKE TO WORK WITH THE ADMINISTRATION TO EITHER CHANGE THIS OR MAKE SOME EXCEPTIONS. UM, AND I'M NOT, I'M NOT SAYING ELIMINATE ALL STREET PARKING, BUT AT LEAST ON ONE SIDE OF THE ROAD, UM, BECAUSE IF YOU CALL 9 1 1, THAT MAY BE THE MOST IMPORTANT CALL YOU EVER MAKE. AND WOULDN'T YOU BE SO DISAPPOINTED IF THE EMERGENCY VEHICLES COULDN'T GET TO YOUR LOVED ONE BECAUSE [04:30:01] OF THE CARS BLOCKING THE STREETS? THANK YOU. THANK YOU COUNCILOR RAMIREZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I JUST WANNA HIGHLIGHT, UH, SOME IMPORTANT VOTES WE'RE GONNA BE TAKING IN THE NEXT WEEK OR TWO REGARDING WHAT ARE KNOWN AS PUBLIC FACILITY CORPORATIONS OR COMMONLY KNOWN AS PFCS. THESE ARE VEHICLES THAT THE HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY, WHICH IS A FEDERAL ENTITY, NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH OUR OWN HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT USE TO, UH, TRY TO CREATE AFFORDABLE HOUSING. HOWEVER, UH, SOMETIMES THAT HOUSING IS NOT REALLY ALL THAT AFFORDABLE. UM, IN RECENT YEARS, THERE HAVE BEEN ABUSES OF THE PFC PROCESS, UH, SUCH THAT THE LEGISLATURE STEPPED IN LAST YEAR AND PASSED SOME SAFEGUARDS. ONE OF THOSE SAFEGUARDS WAS THAT ALL NEW PFCS UNDER SECTION 3 0 3 OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE WOULD HAVE TO COME BEFORE CITY COUNCIL. UH, THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT, UH, RESPONSIBILITY WE NOW HAVE TO DETERMINE ACCORDING TO THE LEGISLATURE'S MANDATE, WHETHER EACH ONE OF THESE IS IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST AND TO THE BENEFIT OF HOUSTON RESIDENTS. AND SO WE'LL BE VOTING, I BELIEVE ON THREE OF THEM VERY SOON. AND IT'S INCUMBENT ON ALL OF US TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THESE, UH, PROJECTS AND WHETHER OR NOT THEY, UH, CREATE AFFORDABLE HOUSING. I ALSO WANNA SAY, MAYOR, THAT, UM, THIS IS PROBABLY THE ONLY, UH, INTERACTION WE HAVE WITH THE HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY WHERE WE EXERCISE, UH, SOME OVERSIGHT OR CONTROL IN A SMALL WAY OVER WHAT THEY DO. UM, THE HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY, AS I SAID, IS A FEDERAL ENTITY, THE DIRECTORS OF WHICH ARE APPOINTED BY THE MAYOR AND MAYOR. I KNOW YOU HAVE CHANGED OUT THE DIRECT THE, UH, THE CHAIRMAN OVER THERE. YOU'VE CHANGED OUT A NUMBER OF THE DIRECTORS, WHICH IS ALL TO THE GOOD. AND, UH, I APPRECIATE THAT AND HOPEFULLY THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, UH, WILL, WILL DO ITS JOB AND OPERATE, UH, FOR THE BENEFIT OF HOUSTON RESIDENTS IN CREATING AFFORDABLE HOUSING. UM, I HAVE TRUST IN, UH, THE DI THE CHAIRMAN OVER THERE, JODY PERLER, AND THE, UH, NEW BOARD DIRECTORS AS WELL. SO, UH, I JUST WANNA SAY THAT I HOPE WE TAKE THESE VOTES ON PFC. SERIOUSLY, AND THANK YOU MAYOR FOR THE CHANGES YOU'VE MADE OVER THERE. THANK YOU, SIR. UH, COUNCILOR THOMAS. THANK YOU, UM, TO THE RESIDENTS, JUST AN ANNOUNCEMENT. WE HAVE OFFICIALLY COMPLETED, UH, THE AILEY VILLAGE, BELL PARK LIFT STATION NUMBER TWO. THIS IS AN $18 MILLION PROJECT. THANK YOU, HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS. UH, WE STARTED THIS PROJECT WINTER OF 2023, AND WE HAVE, WE ARE COMPLETING THIS PROJECT ON TIME. SO THIS IS A PROJECT TO IMPROVE OUR WASTEWATER CONDITION. SO I, I DO WANNA LET YOU KNOW THAT THE COM, THE, UH, CONSTRUCTION IS COMPLETE, UM, AND YOU SHOULD START SEEING, UM, THE EQUIPMENT MOVE OUT OF THE WAY. SO THAT'S BEEN A, A LONG PROJECT. UH, SECONDLY, THE OLD HUNTINGTON PRO, UH, UH, LIBRARY ON KIRKWOOD, THE OLD A LEAF LIBRARY, HAS BEEN SECURED BY THE GENERAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT. WE WERE EXPERIENCING ILLEGAL DUMPING AND SOME EMERGING HOMELESSNESS ISSUES THERE. SO YOU SHOULD NOTICE A FENCE AROUND THAT SECURED PROPERTY. AS WE RECEIVE MORE UPDATES FROM GSD ABOUT THE USE OF THAT LAND, WE WILL COMMUNICATE THAT AND LET YOU KNOW. SO I WANT TO, UM, SHOUT OUT, UH, DOUG SMITH FROM OUR SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD FOR, UM, UM, INQUIRING AROUND THAT. I ALSO WANNA SHOUT OUT OUR DISTRICT F HOTSPOT TEAM. THEY'RE DOING YEOMAN'S WORK ON THE WEST SIDE. UH, WE ARE, UH, CUTTING LOCKS DOWN ON EASEMENTS. WE'RE CUTTING THE GRASS, WE'RE REMOVING THE BLIGHT. UH, WE'VE CLEARED A MAN, WE'RE CLEARING A MANDA LANE IN MIDWEST HOUSTON, 7 7 0 63. WE'VE CLEARED SPRING GROVE ACROSS FROM ALE, UM, ALE ALEXANDER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, 7 7 0 9 9, WIND SWEPT IN TANGO WILD 7 7 63, AND SENATE IN WEST PARK. SO WE ARE DOING THAT WORK. WE ARE USING THAT EQUIPMENT. SHOUT OUT TO THE HOUSTON TOOL BANK. THAT'S A WONDERFUL PARTNER AS WE CONTINUE TO BEAUTIFY AND IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN OUR COMMUNITIES. UM, I WAS ABLE TO CELEBRATE THE 70, 79TH INDEPENDENCE DAY OF THE REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA LAST WEDNESDAY EVENING. IT WAS AMAZING. THE FOOD WAS GREAT. I JUST ALWAYS HAVE A GOOD TIME, UH, WITH MY PEOPLE. AND SO, UH, IT WAS A GREAT TIME. THANK YOU TO OUR HONOR OF COUNCIL GENERAL ARENA TONGA FOR THE INVITATION. LOOK FORWARD TO SUPPORTING MANY OF THE THINGS THAT YOU'LL CONTINUE TO DO ON THE WEST SIDE. I ALSO SERVED AS THE GRAND MARSHALL LAST SATURDAY TO THE NIGERIAN CULTURAL PARADE. IT'S THE LARGEST WEST AFRICAN PARADE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. UM, AS WE KNOW, DISTRICT UP IS HOME TO THE LARGEST WEST AFRICAN POPULATION IN THE UNITED STATES, AND PROUD TO REPRESENT THEM. AND SO HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY NIGERIA. WE HAVE A SERIES OF, UH, CELEBRATIONS HAPPENING ALL THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF HOUSTON. IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU FIND YOUR WAY, CELEBRATING OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS FROM THE CONTINENT. UM, I WANT TO THANK THE MAYOR PROTE FOR EXTENDING AN INVITATION TO MYSELF AND OF SEVERAL OTHER [04:35:01] COLLEAGUES, UM, IN DIFFERENT POLITICAL OFFICES TO TALK ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF YOUNG PEOPLE VOTING AT WINDSOR VILLAGE CHURCH, RIGHT THERE IN THE HEART OF DISTRICT K. AND JUST A REMINDER TO EVERYONE PAYING ATTENTION THAT YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOUR ID IS VALID. YOU NEED TO CREATE A VOTING PLAN. YOU NEED TO KNOW WHO YOU'RE VOTING FOR AND WHAT YOU'RE VOTING FOR. VISIT HARRIS VOTES.COM. PRINT OUT YOUR SAMPLE BALLOT AS WE HAVE A VERY LONG BALLOT THIS ELECTION CYCLE. AND AN AN INFORMED VOTER IS A GOOD VOTER FOR THE CITY. UM, AND THEN ALSO, UH, LASTLY, WELCOME TEXAS MUNICIPAL LEAGUE. WE HAVE, WE, YOU SHOULD SEE A BUNCH OF, UH, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND MAYORS ALL THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF TEXAS, UM, IN OUR CITY, IMPROVING OUR SALES TAX. AND SO WE WERE ABLE TO, UH, SHARE SOME TIME WITH THEM LAST NIGHT. THANK YOU TO OUR FORMER VICE MAYOR PRO TEM JERRY DAVIS, UM, FOR HOSTING A RECEPTION FOR, UM, COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, LAST NIGHT AT CULTURE RIGHT THERE IN DOWNTOWN. SO IF YOU HAVE NOT BEEN TO TEXAS MUNICIPAL LEAGUE, PLEASE POP IN, SAY HELLO TO YOUR COLLEAGUES. IT'S A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE AND CONNECT. AND THEN IN CLOSING, LET ME JUST ANNOUNCE ON SATURDAY, WE'RE HOSTING OUR INAUGURAL FAITH AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING SUMMIT, UM, OCTOBER 12TH AT FIRST METHODIST IN WEST CHASE. WE HAVE OVER A HUNDRED INDIVIDUALS REGISTERED, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN WILL BE WITH US, VICE CHAIR DAVIS WILL BE WITH US, AND A HOST OF OTHERS HOUSING AUTHORITIES, HOUSTON FINANCE CORPORATION, WELLS FARGO AND MORE. AND SO WE ARE EXCITED TO ENGAGE WITH OUR FAITH LEADERS, UM, AND AS WE LOOK AT INCREASING INVENTORY OF AFFORDABILITY, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, THAT THEY TAKE AN ACTIVE ROLE IN THAT. IF MY OFFICE CAN BE OF SERVICE OR SUPPORT OF ANY OF ANYTHING THAT YOU HAVE GOING ON ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE CITY, PLEASE REACH OUT TO DISTRICT F AT HOUSTON, TX DO GOV. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MA'AM. UH, COUNCILLOR EVANS SHABA. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND I FORGOT TO MENTION ON SATURDAY I WAS ON KTSU TALKING ABOUT THE CUNY HOMES, AND I JUST WANT THE COMMUNITY TO KNOW THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY, UH, WHO HAVE NOT ENGAGED IN THIS PROCESS. THAT THE CUNY HOMES IS GONNA BE A WONDERFUL PROJECT. UM, THE PEOPLE ARE VERY EXCITED. THEY ARE LIVING IN SOME CONDITIONS THAT NEED TO CERTAINLY BE ADDRESSED AND CAN ONLY BE ADDRESSED BY DEMOLITION AND REBUILDING. THIS WILL BE A MIXED INCOME PROPERTY WHEN IT'S REBUILT, BUT IT'S GOING TO GIVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO LIVE A BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE. AND SO WE WANNA TRY TO DISPEL ANY RUMORS REGARDING NOT REBUILDING THE CUNY HOMES. UH, THAT IS A, A BEACON IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE LIVED IN, UH, THE CUNY HOMES AND HAVE COME OUT AND THEY HAVE DONE GREAT THINGS. AND SO, UH, WE JUST WANT TO DISPEL ANY RUMORS THAT THIS IS NOT GOING TO BE A WONDERFUL PROJECT. AND THAT WAS DISCUSSED. AND IF YOU, IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE REACH OUT TO MY OFFICE REGARDING THAT BECAUSE WE FULLY SUPPORT QUALITY HOUSING IN THE AREA AND THERE WILL BE VOUCHERS GIVEN TO PEOPLE TO MOVE THEM INTO OTHER SPACES. SOME OF THEM WILL BE NEW PROPERTIES, SO WE MAY HAVE A HARD TIME GETTING PEOPLE TO MOVE BACK. UH, BUT CERTAINLY THE OBJECTIVE IS TO GIVE EVERYONE A GREAT ENVIRONMENT AND LIVING CONDITIONS. AND SO I JUST WANTED TO LIFT UP KTSU FOR ALLOWING THAT FORUM AND TO LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT WE ARE MOVING FORWARD TO TRY TO GET THIS PROJECT, UH, TO FRUITION. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. THANK YOU, MAYOR. JUST ONE LAST THING. THIS, UM, PAST SATURDAY I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, PARTICIPATE IN THE SOUTHERN SMOKE FEST. AND SO I WANNA GIVE A SHOT OUT TO, UM, CHRIS AND LINDSEY, UM, FOR A SUCCESSFUL EVENT. NO, IT'S NOT SMOKING CIGARETTES, IT'S ACTUALLY WHAT THEY BRING THE, THEY ACTUALLY BRING THE BEST, UM, CHEF, 70 BEST CHEF TO HOUSTON AND YOU TASTE THEIR FOOD, BUT THE PROCEEDS GO TO SUPPORT RESTAURANT WORKERS. SO LIKE WHEN COVID HAPPENED, UM, RESTAURANT WORK WORKERS, THEY'RE ABLE TO HELP THEM WITH THEIR BILLS, YOU KNOW, THE UTILITY BILLS, UM, RENT. AND SO, UM, IT'S A GREAT WAY TO SUPPORT AND HELP PEOPLE IN NEED, BUT ALSO TASTE SOME GOOD FOOD. AND SO IT WAS AT THE DISCOVERY GREEN, UM, REALLY GREAT EVENT. I LOOK FORWARD TO IT EVERY YEAR. I MISSED IT LAST YEAR LOOK, BUT WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO IT THIS YEAR. AND, UM, YEAH, SO JUST, I'M GONNA MAKE SURE Y'ALL KNOW ABOUT IT WHEN THEY COME. AGAIN, REALLY GOOD EVENT. SO CONGRATULATIONS CHRIS AND YOUR TEAM. BYE. WE, WE 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.