* 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. [PRESENTATIONS] [00:00:04] IF COUNCIL WOULD GO AHEAD AND COME TO ORDER. THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ FOR PROCLAMATION, RECOGNIZING THE MARIACHI FESTIVAL'S FIFTH YEAR. THANK YOU, MAYOR PROAM, IF I CAN HAVE, UH, FOLKS FROM THE MARIACHI FESTIVAL, UH, BEN CHIEF, UH, MEG FROM PERFORMING ARTS AND SAID UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON. YEAH, SO, UM, AS WE COME TO A CLOSE TO THE HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH, THIS WAY, RIGHT HERE, UM, HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH, I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HIGHLIGHT, UH, A GREAT ORGANIZATION THAT'S BEEN AROUND FOR FIVE YEARS, UH, THIS YEAR BEING ITS FIFTH YEAR, UM, AND REALLY MAKING GREAT STRIDES. UH, FIRST YEAR WAS AT THE, UH, LENTO BILINGUAL, THE HOUSTON, AND THE LAST THREE YEARS HAS BEEN AT THE WAR THEM CENTER. AND SO, UM, I'LL READ THE PROCLAMATION AND THEN WE'LL HAND IT OVER TO SOME OF THE ORGANIZATION, THE ORGANIZATION LEADERSHIP AS WELL. SO, WHEREAS HOUSTON'S HOSTS THE LARGEST THEATER STYLE MARIACHI FESTIVAL IN TEXAS ORGANIZED BY THE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION, MARIACHI FESTIVAL. AND WHEREAS THE MARIACHI FESTIVAL FOUNDED IN 2019 STANDS AS HOUSTON'S LARGEST HISPANIC NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO THE ARTS. AND WHEREAS THE MARIACHI FESTIVAL PRODUCES EVENTS YEAR ROUND THAT SHOWCASE THE TALENTS OF YOUTH ENGAGED IN MARIACHI AND ALICO PROGRAMS ACROSS THE HOUSTON AREA. AND WHEREAS THE HOUSTON, THE ORGANIZATION CELEBRATED ITS FIFTH ANNUAL MARIACHI FESTIVAL FROM AUGUST 23RD TO AUGUST THE 25TH AT THE WARLAND THEATER IN DOWNTOWN HOUSTON. WHEREAS THE SOLD OUT EVENT, THREE DAY, THREE DAY EVENT, EVENT, EVENT, FEATURED, UH, PREMIER MARIACHI AND VALLE RICO GROUPS FROM TEXAS, INCLUDING THE PERFORMANCE BY LOCAL ARTISTS SUCH AS OSCAR DE LA ROSA, WITH LA WITH LA MAFIA, AND EDWARD ANTONIO TREVINO AMONGST OTHERS. WHEREAS THE EVENT HAS ALSO INCLUDED THE MARIACHI FESTIVAL NATIONAL YOUTH VOCALIST COMPETITION, WHICH FEATURED CATEGORIES, UH, FOR ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE, AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. WHEREAS THE WINNERS OF THIS YEAR'S MARIACHI FESTIVAL NATIONAL YOUTH VOCALIST COMPETITION WITH ALESSANDRA GUTIERREZ ELEMENTARY CATEGORY, KAYLEE BUS, BUSO MIDDLE SCHOOL CATEGORY, AND REYNA LE AND ISABEL, ISABEL, ISABELLA, UH, CAROL GONZALEZ HIGH SCHOOL CATEGORY. UM, WHEREAS THE MARIACHI FESTIVAL ORGANIZATION HAS GAINED NATIONAL RECOGNITION FOR ITS TALENT, UH, FOR THE TALENT IT HAS NURTURED AND PROMOTED THE CITY OF HOUSTON COMMENDS THE MARIACHI FESTIVAL FOR ITS HARD WORK, DEDICATION TO THE ARTS AND CULTURE AND SUPPORT AND SUPPORT OF ARTISTS. THE CONTRIBUTION OF MARIACHI FESTIVAL HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY ENHANCED HOUSTON'S REPUTATION FOR HOSTING FIRST CLASS MARIACHI AND BILATERAL CORTICO EVENTS. THE CITY OF HOUSTON EXTENDS ITS BEST WISHES FOR THE CONTINUED SUCCESS OF THE ORGANIZATION, THEREFORE, I, MARTHA CASTEX TATUM MAYOR PRO TEM OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, ON BEHALF OF JOHN WHITMEYER, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROCLAIM OCTOBER 15TH, 2024 AS MARIACHI FESTIVAL DAY IN HOUSTON, TEXAS. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TIM. AND BEFORE I HAND IT OVER, HAND IT OVER TO, UH, SOME OF THE BOARD MEMBERS, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE, UH, COUNCIL COLLEAGUES THAT HAVE ATTENDED, UM, AND THOSE THAT HAVE NOT ATTENDED. LOOK FORWARD TO YOU ALL JOINING NEXT YEAR, BEN. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ. LET ME TELL YOU A LITTLE STORY ABOUT MARIACHI FESTIVAL. WE STARTED FIVE YEARS AGO AT LENTO BING WITH THE HOUSTON, WHICH IS TBH, AND WE HAD ABOUT 250 PEOPLE EVERY YEAR SINCE THEN, WE HAVE GROWN. AND I WILL TELL YOU, I'M VERY PROUD OF THE FACT THAT WE ARE NOW AT THE WORTHHAM THEATER, NOT JUST ONE DAY, BUT THREE DAYS, AND WE ATTRACT ABOUT 7,000 ATTENDEES, AND WE'RE VERY, WE'RE VERY PROUD OF THE FACT THAT WE ARE THE LARGEST HISPANIC NONPROFIT IN THE ARTS. I WOULD LIKE TO THANK SOME OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT HAVE SUPPORTED US. COUNCIL MEMBER MARIO CASTILLO, COUNCILMAN SALLY ALCORN, OF COURSE, JOAQUIN MARTINEZ, AND COUNCIL MEMBER JULIAN RAMIREZ, WHO'S NOT HERE. AND THE MAYOR. UH, WITHOUT YOUR SUPPORT, WE WOULDN'T BE WHERE WE'RE AT TODAY. I WOULD LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT THE FACT THAT THE MECCA OF MARIACHI PROGRAMS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, ACTUALLY NOT HOUSTON, NOT SAN ANTONIO, NOT DALLAS, AND NOT AUSTIN, IT'S ACTUALLY ROMA, TEXAS, AND THEY HAVE A POPULATION A LITTLE OVER THAN 10,000 PEOPLE. THEY ARE THE MECCA FOR MANCHI MARIACHI PROGRAMS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS. CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT? THERE IS NO REASON WHY HOUSTON SHOULD NOT BE THE MECCA OF MARIACHI MUSIC. BY THE WAY, UH, COUNCILMAN [00:05:01] JULIAN RAMIREZ, I I JUST THANKED YOU FOR SUPPORTING US. THANK YOU FOR COMING. I ALSO WANT TO INTRODUCE SOMEONE THAT HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN MAKING US SUCCESSFUL, AND THAT IS THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF PERFORMING ARTS HOUSTON, MS. MEG BOOTH. THANK YOU. UM, I AM RETICENT TO ACCEPT, UM, A SPOTLIGHT HERE BECAUSE THIS REALLY IS ABOUT THE MARIACHI FESTIVAL AND BEN MENDEZ AND HIS FAMILY. UM, FOR A CITY THAT HAS THE DIVERSITY THAT HOUSTON DOES, UM, AND THE EXTRAORDINARY CULTURAL ASSETS LIKE THE WORDHAM THEATER AND JONES HALL, UM, IT IS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL THAT WE CELEBRATE HISPANIC CULTURE IN THE FASHION THAT BEN HAS THE VISION OF AND HAS CREATED, UM, AT THE WORTHHAM. AND SO IT IS A PRIVILEGE FOR PERFORMING ARTS HOUSTON TO, UM, WORK WITH BEN AND TO REALIZE HIS VISION FOR WHAT THE MARIACHI FESTIVAL IN HOUSTON CAN BE. CONGRATULATIONS, BEN. THANK YOU. UH, IS THERE ANY U OF H COUGS IN THE HOUSE? WELL, I WANNA INTRODUCE ONE OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS, MR. JOSE RIA, WHO IS BEHIND ME, AND I'M GONNA TELL YOU A LITTLE STORY ABOUT JOSE. JOSE STARTED AT HISD AS A DIRECTOR OF MARIACHI PROGRAMS IN JUNIOR HIGH, IS AT PATRICK HENRY, AND THEN ALSO AT SAM HOUSTON HIGH SCHOOL. AND THEN HE EVENTUALLY BECAME THE DIRECTOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON MARIACHI PUMAS PROGRAM. AND I WILL SAY IT HAS GROWN TREMENDOUSLY UNDER HIS LEADERSHIP. BUT IN ADDITION TO THAT, THIS GENTLEMAN RIGHT HERE IS THE DIRECTOR OF THE MARIACHIS FOR THE HOUSTON TEXANS. I THINK THAT DESERVES A BIG HAND. WHAT DO YOU THINK? SO JOSE, TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR PROGRAM AS WELL AS THE MOCHI FESTIVAL WORKING JOINTLY. WELL, WE WANT TO GIVE A, A SPECIAL THANKS TO, UM, BEN MENEZ AND, UH, MOCHI FESTIVAL, WHO HAS REALLY, REALLY BEEN, UM, INSTRUMENTAL IN, IN THE, THE MARIACHI FROM OUR MARIACHI PROGRAM TO THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON IS NOW THE ACTUAL, THE, THE, TO GO TO, UM, BRIDGE FOR ALL OF OUR STOOLS IN INCLUDING KLE COL, KLE, ISD, HUMBLE ALDE, HIZ, AND SO MANY OTHER ONES THAT I, UM, THAT ARE THAT NEIGHBOR US. AND WITH THAT IN MIND, UM, WE, THE ICING ON A CAKE IS TO PERFORM THESE, THESE STUDENTS GET A CHANCE TO PERFORM AT THE WORTHHAM THEATER, WHICH IS REALLY NOT A SUCH A, IT'S NOT A SO EVER OFTEN, UH, OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM. SO THROUGH THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON, WE HAVE A SUMMER CAMP, WHICH WE JUST HELD. WE HAD ABOUT 180 STUDENTS, AND, UH, A LOT OF 'EM AUDITIONED AND THEY WERE, THIS IS THE SECOND YEAR THAT WE DO THIS, AND THEY ARE JUST SO, SO PRIVILEGED, AND IT'S JUST AN HONOR TO REALLY PERFORM AT THAT, THAT WONDERFUL AND BEAUTIFUL, UH, STATE OF THE ART THEATER. SO, UH, THROUGH, THROUGH THE MARIACHI FESTIVAL, THESE KIDS ARE REALLY GIVEN A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO REALLY GROW AS MUSICIANS, BUT NOT JUST MUSICIANS. TO, TO LEARN ABOUT THEM MORE ABOUT THEIR CULTURE AND TO BE PART OF A GREAT CITY. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON. GRACIAS, AND I KNOW JULIAN RAMIREZ AND JOKI MARTINEZ AND MARIO CASTILLO AND SALLY ACORN HAVE BEEN TO OUR EVENTS. IF YOU ALL WOULD LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS, WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR YOU. WE DO HAVE SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS IN THE QUEUE. UM, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN. THANK YOU. AND, UM, I'LL SAY A FEW WORDS. I LOVE THIS THING. IT'S SO FUN. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ FOR INVITING ME. I'VE BEEN FOR THE LAST COUPLE YEARS, AND YOU GUYS, THE MARIACHI FESTIVAL IS A BLAST. AND GEORGE ALCORN, MY HUSBAND, IS LIKE THE BIGGEST MARIACHI FREAK. HE, I MEAN, HE LOVES A MARIACHI BAND, AND IT'S JUST, IT'S NOT ONLY JUST THE MUSIC, IT'S THE DANCING AND THE COSTUMES. I MEAN, THERE'S A LOT OF WORK THAT GOES INTO THIS THING. IT'S A GREAT CULTURAL EVENT FOR OUR CITY. COUNT ME IN AS A, WHATEVER THE LOWEST LEVEL SUPPORTER IS NEXT YEAR, . UM, I'D LOVE TO HELP SUPPORT IT, UM, NEXT YEAR. AND IT'S JUST A, A GREAT THING FOR OUR CITY. AND I REALLY, REALLY THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK THAT I KNOW HAS GONE INTO THIS. SO WE CAN COUNT YOU FOR $10,000. I THINK YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO KEEP GOING DOWN LOW. . COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. THANK YOU, VICE MAYOR, PRO TEM, AND CONGRATULATIONS TODAY. UM, THIS IS SUCH A, A FITTING HONOR, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ, THANK YOU FOR, FOR BRINGING THE PROCLAMATION FORWARD. YOU KNOW, YOU'VE TAKEN SOMETHING THAT IS SUCH AN INTEGRAL PART OF OUR HISTORY AND OUR CULTURE, AND NOW IT IS SHOWCASED AT ONE OF THE PREMIER VENUES IN HOUSTON. UH, AND THAT OPPORTUNITY IS, IS SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE MAY NOT GET AGAIN, RIGHT, TO PERFORM THERE IN THE HEART OF, OF, OF HOUSTON. SO IT'S [00:10:01] GROWN. UM, IT'S NOW, UH, SOUGHT AFTER TICKET. UM, IT WAS A GREAT EXPERIENCE TO SEE FIRSTHAND AND, UH, I WISH YOU MANY MORE YEARS OF SUCCESS AND GROWTH, AND YOU CAN COUNT ON MY SUPPORT ALONG THE WAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. $10,000 . COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. THANK YOU, UH, VICE MAYOR PRO TEM, AND THANK YOU JOAQUIN, FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD, AND BEN, FOR ALL YOUR WORK. AND, UH, CHIEF REYES AND ALL THE, THE DIRECTORS, THE BRAINS BEHIND MARIACHI FESTIVAL. I'M PROUD TO HAVE, UH, BEEN A SPONSOR FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS AND TO SEEING THE GROWTH JUST IN THOSE THREE YEARS. I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN AROUND FOR, WHAT, FIVE YEARS NOW AND STARTED FROM WHAT? THE ARENA THEATER ON THE SOUTHWEST FREEWAY. T-B-H-T-B-H, ALL THE WAY TO GUS WORTHHAM, YOU KNOW, CENTER. AND, UH, WHAT A BEAUTIFUL VENUE TO SHOWCASE THIS BEAUTIFUL MUSIC AND BEAUTIFUL DANCING. UH, AND THIS IS THE MUSIC THAT I LISTENED TO WHEN I WAS GROWING UP AND THAT MY PARENTS LOVED AND MY GRANDPARENTS LOVED. AND IT'S JUST A, A JOY TO SEE IT PERFORMED IN A WORLD CLASS VENUE LIKE THAT AT, AT A HIGH LEVEL. UM, AND, UM, I WAS HAPPY TO ATTEND ALL THREE PERFORMANCES THIS YEAR. IT'S BECOME ONE OF MY FAVORITE WEEKENDS OF THE YEAR, UH, BECAUSE IT IS JUST DONE SO, SO WELL, UH, AT, AT THE MARIACHI FESTIVAL. AND I WISH YOU CONTINUED SUCCESS. I WAS HOPING THAT PUMAS HAD BROUGHT THEIR INSTRUMENTS TODAY SO WE COULD HEAR PERFORMANCE, BUT NEXT TIME, HUH? NEXT TIME, YES. AND THANK YOU MEG AS WELL FOR, FOR YOUR SUPPORT, UH, AND FOR WHAT YOU ALL DO TO SUPPORT THIS. SO, UH, JUST, JUST KEEP DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING. THANK YOU. I DID WANNA INTRODUCE A COUPLE OF THE BOARD MEMBERS, MEMBERS. SO WE HAVE MARISOL MENDEZ. RAISE YOUR HAND. MY MOTHER MAC MENDEZ. AND OF COURSE, YOU MET CHIEF. CHIEF. DID YOU WANNA SAY A FEW WORDS? I ONLY HAVE THREE MINUTES. , 20 SECONDS. I'VE SERVED, UH, MY NAME IS RAUL REYES. I'VE SERVED ON OVER 25 BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, AND THIS IS THE MOST IMPRESSIVE BECAUSE THIS BOARD THAT I SIT ON WITH MY MARIACHI FESTIVAL HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED AND SUPPORTED BY THE CITY OF HOUSTON. THAT SPEAKS VOLUMES FOR THE SUCCESS OF THIS ORGANIZATION. AND I HOPE THAT THE REST OF YOU WILL JOIN US NEXT YEAR TO HELP US CELEBRATE MARIACHI MUSIC AND THE CULTURE FOR THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK Y'ALL. THANK YOU SO MUCH. CONGRATULATIONS. NEXT, THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER FOR A PROCLAMATION TO TERRY HARRIS TO RECOGNIZE THE TRANSFORMATION AND TRIUMPH OF HER LIFE JOURNEY. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, TERRY. UH, SO COLLEAGUES AND, AND, UH, FRIENDS, YOU KNOW, WE TRAVEL THIS JOURNEY AND IT'S OFTEN WE MEET PEOPLE AND WE JUST THINK THAT, I ALWAYS SAY GOD PUTS, PUTS THEM IN THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME. AND, UH, UH, BACK IN THE SPRING, I HAD THE, UH, OCCASION TO ATTEND THE UNIVERSE, SOUL CIRCUS. REMEMBER THAT? MM-HMM . AND, UH, WE STARTED VISITING WITH, UH, MS. HARRIS AND TALKING ABOUT SEARCH HOMELESS. AND I SAID, OH, I'VE WORKED WITH HIM BACK IN THE DAY. AND SHE SAID, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE, BECAUSE SHE WORKS FOR SEARCH. AND, AND WE STARTED TALKING, AND LITTLE DID I KNOW, I LEARNED A STORY THAT I SAID, IF I'M EVER GOING TO DO A PROCLAMATION AT CITY HALL, LET THIS BE IT. UM, AND SO I, I, I WANNA TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT TERRY HARRIS. TERRY HARRIS WAS BORN IN 1962, ENCOUNTERED A SERIES OF FORMIDABLE CHALLENGES IN HER LIFE, GRAPPLING WITH DRUG ADDICTION, HOMELESSNESS, AND PERIODS OF DEPRESSION. DESPITE THESE ADVERSITIES, [00:15:01] SHE DEMONSTRATED REMARKABLE RESILIENCE IN THE FACE OF HARDSHIP. FOLLOWING HER FOURTH INCARCERATION IN 2011, TERRY OPTED TO ENROLL IN A SIX MONTH PRISON TREATMENT PROGRAM. UPON HER RELEASE IN 2012, SHE SOUGHT ASSISTANCE FROM SURGE HOMELESS SERVICES, WHERE SHE RECEIVED HOUSING SUPPORT AND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES, EAGER TO GIVE BACK. TERRY DEDICATED HERSELF TO THE ORGANIZATION, EVENTUALLY TRANS TRANSITIONING FROM A CLIENT TO A COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER, AND LATER A HOUSING CASE MANAGER. AFTER EARNING HER BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN 2018, WHILE SUPPORTING A 70-YEAR-OLD CLIENT, TERRY IDENTIFIED A GAP IN THE EXISTING SYSTEM, REALIZING THAT NOT ALL INDIVIDUALS WERE SUITED FOR INDEPENDENT LIVING IN PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING. MOTIVATED BY THIS INSIGHT, SHE ENVISIONED A COMMUNAL LIVING SPACE WHERE RESIDENTS COULD MUTUALLY SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER, LEVERAGING THEIR DIVERSE SKILLS, AND MITIGATE THE RISK OF AS ASSOCIATED WITH LIVING ALONE. WITH UN UNWAVERING DETERMINATION AND PERSONAL INVESTMENT, TERRY ESTABLISHED THE AMAZING GRACE GROUP HOME ON JULY 1ST, 2020. THIS FACILITY OFFERS A NURTURING ENVIRONMENT THAT PRIORITIZES CARE, SAFETY, AND COMMUNITY FOR INDIVIDUALS UNDERSERVED BY TRADITIONAL AGENCIES. TERRY'S EDUCATIONAL PURSUITS CULMINATED IN A MASTER'S DEGREE IN SOCIAL WORK, ENRICHING BOTH HER PERSONAL GROWTH AND THE QUALITY OF CARE PROVIDED TO HER GROUP HOME RESIDENTS. ON JULY 1ST, 2024, MARKING THE FOURTH ANNIVERSARY OF THIS INAUGURAL GROUP HOME, TERRY INAUGURATED HER FOURTH ESTABLISHMENT, AMAZING GRACE FOUR, EXTENDING HER REACH AND IMPACT WITHIN THE COMMUNITY. HER TRANSFORMATIVE JOURNEY STANDS AS A TESTAMENT TO RESILIENCE, COMPASSION, AND UNWAVERING DEDICATION TO FOSTERING POSITIVE CHANGE. TERRY HARRIS'S INDOMITABLE SPIRIT AND COMMITMENT TO SERVING THE VULNERABLE CONTINUE TO INSPIRE AND UPLIFT THOSE AROUND HER, CREATING AN ENDURABLE LEGACY OF STRENGTH AND PERSEVERANCE AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF HER EXTRAORDINARY ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND MORE REMARKABLE JOURNEY. THE CITY OF HOUSTON PROUDLY RECOGNIZES TERRY HARRIS. SO THEREFORE, I, MARTHA CASTEX TATUM MAYOR PRO TEM OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, ON BEHALF OF JOHN WHIT, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROCLAIM OCTOBER 15TH, 2024 AS TERRY HARRIS DAY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. CONGRATULATIONS. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU. SO, I JUST WOULD LIKE TO THANK SEARCH MY SEARCH FAMILY WITHOUT MY SEARCH FAMILY. I DON'T KNOW. THEY, THEY ALLOW ME TO BE THE CRAZY TERRY AT WORK, AND THEY DON'T, THEY DON'T JUDGE ME. AND I JUST WANNA SAY, UH, A BIG THANKS TO MY MOM. THE, I WANNA SAY A BIG THANKS TO MY MOTHER, UH, FOR JUST NEVER GIVING UP ON ME AND, AND GIVING ME THAT TOUGH, TOUGH LOVE WHEN I WASN'T DOING WHAT I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE, BE DOING. AND MY DAUGHTER, MY, MY, MY KIDS, THE PEOPLE THAT LOVE ME, MY FRIENDS AND, AND FAMILY, AND JUST ALL THE PEOPLE THAT LOVE ME. AND I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU ALL FOR THE SUPPORT. CONGRATULATIONS, COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER. WE DO HAVE A COUNCIL MEMBER IN THE QUEUE BEFORE YOU TAKE A PHOTO. UM, COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ. THANK YOU. VICE MAYOR, PRO TEM, COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER AND MAYOR PRO TE THANK YOU FOR HIGHLIGHTING, UH, MS. HARRIS. UH, JUST, JUST HEARING THE PROCLAMATION, I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT, UH, I, I APPRECIATE YOU, UH, SHARING YOUR STORY. UH, I, I THINK SEVERAL TIMES, WE, WE TEND TO FORGET AND SOMETIMES, UM, YOU KNOW, NOT PROVIDE THE SUPPORT THAT IS NEEDED FOR FOLKS THAT, UM, ARE, MIGHT HAVE CHALLENGING, CHALLENGING TIMES. AND SO, UM, I, I KNOW IS THE SUPPORT THAT'S OUT HERE FOR YOU THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, IT, IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE ALL NEED AT THE END OF THE DAY. AND SO JUST, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S A PRIVILEGE TO MEET YOU, UH, MASTER'S IN SOCIAL WORK. MY WIFE WILL BE PROUD. UH, SHE'S A SOCIAL WORKER AS WELL. UM, AND JUST, UH, THANK YOU FOR BEING AT THE FACE OF, OF WHAT WE KNOW, UH, CAN BE DONE, UH, FOR FOLKS THAT MIGHT BE, YOU KNOW, GOING THROUGH A HARD TIME. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD, AND CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, [00:20:32] MS. CARTER, BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW, GOD SITTING ME RIGHT NEXT TO HER AT THE CIRCUS AND FROM, FROM, FROM JUST US SITTING TOGETHER AT A CIRCUS CAME TO THIS WELL DESERVED THANK, THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO FOR A PROCLAMATION TO THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON'S ACADEMIC ACHIEVERS PROGRAM IN HONOR OF THEIR 30TH ANNIVERSARY. GOOD AFTERNOON, COLLEAGUES. UH, I'M EXCITED TODAY TO PRESENT A PROCLAMATION TO THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON ACADEMIC ACHIEVERS PROGRAM. UM, THIS IS A PROGRAM I, I GOT TO VISIT WITH AND AND KNOW, AND THEY'RE CELEBRATING THEIR 30TH ANNIVERSARY TODAY. UM, IT IS A PROGRAM DESIGNED TO HELP UNDERSERVED AND UNDERREPRESENTED STUDENTS ACHIEVE SUCCESS THROUGHOUT THEIR COLLEGE CAREER. UM, IT'S SIMILAR TO A PROGRAM THAT I WAS INVOLVED IN OVER AT TEXAS A AND M. UM, AND SO I WAS VERY PROUD TO, TO GO VISIT WITH THEM AND, UM, TO KNOW HOW THEY SUPPORT THEIR STUDENTS. THEY GET A FOUR YEAR, $16,000 SCHOLARSHIPS, UH, FOR BEING IN THIS PROGRAM. THEY GET CAREER COUNSELING LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES, AND, UH, IT'S SO VITAL THAT AS WE KNOW, STUDENTS COME IN, UH, FROM CIRCUMSTANCES, UH, THAT ARE DIFFERENT AND, AND FROM UNDERREPRESENTED POPULATIONS THAT WE ARE PROVIDING THAT SUPPORT TO HELP THEM ACHIEVE THEIR SUCCESS. SO, THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON ACADEMIC ACHIEVERS PROGRAM, WHEREAS THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVERS PROGRAM AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON IS CELEBRATING ITS 30TH ANNIVERSARY THIS FALL, MARKING THREE DECADES OF DEDICATION TO ENHANCING THE ACADEMIC SUCCESS OF UNDERREPRESENTED STUDENTS. AND WHEREAS SINCE ITS FOUNDING IN 1994, THE A A P HAS WORKED TIRELESSLY TO IDENTIFY AND RECRUIT UNDERREPRESENTED STUDENTS OFFERING PERSONALIZED ACADEMIC ADVISING, ONE-ON-ONE MENTORING, TARGETED TUTORING AND ACCESS TO ESSENTIAL RESOURCES DESIGNED TO SUPPORT ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT. AND WHEREAS THE A A P HAS MADE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT BY FOCUSING ON IMPROVING RETENTION RATES AND ENSURING SUCCESSFUL GRADUATION FOR ITS STUDENTS, ADDRESSING THE UNIQUE CHALLENGES FACED BY UNDERREPRESENTED INDIVIDUALS AND FOSTERING AN INCLUSIVE AND SUPPORTIVE ACADEMIC ENVIRONMENT. AND WHEREAS OVER THE PAST 30 YEARS, THE A A P HAS EMPOWERED HUNDREDS OF STUDENTS, MANY OF WHOM ARE FIRST GENERATION COLLEGE STUDENTS TO ACHIEVE ACADEMIC SUCCESS AND CONTRIBUTE MEANINGFULLY TO THE HOUSTON COMMUNITY THROUGH LEADERSHIP AND COMMUNITY SERVICE. AND WHEREAS THE GRADUATES OF A A P HAVE DEMONSTRATED THE LASTING POSITIVE IMPACT OF THIS PROGRAM BY GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY AND SUPPORTING THE CONTINUED SUCCESS OF UNDERREPRESENTED STUDENTS, WHEREAS THE CITY OF HOUSTON COMMENDS AND CONGRATULATES THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVERS PROGRAM AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON ON THE OCCASION OF ITS 30TH ANNIVERSARY, AND EXTENDS BEST WISHES FOR CONTINUED SUCCESS IN SHAPING THE ACADEMIC FUTURES OF HOUSTON'S YOUTH. THANK YOU SO MUCH. HOLD ON ONE SECOND. GOTTA PROCLAIM TODAY, THEREFORE, I, MARTHA CASTEX TATUM MAYOR PRO TEM OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, ON BEHALF OF JOHN WHITMEYER, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROCLAIM OCTOBER 15TH, 2024 AS THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON'S ACADEMIC ACHIEVERS PROGRAM DAY IN HOUSTON, TEXAS. CONGRATULATIONS, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS RECOGNITION. UH, FOR 30 YEARS WE HAVE BEEN AT THIS JOB AND PROUD TO SAY THAT OUR PROGRAM HAS NOT ONLY RECEIVED STATE, BUT ALSO NATIONAL RECOGNITION. UH, WE'RE WORKING HARD TO CONTINUE THIS MISSION. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS, WHICH USUALLY ARE FIRST GEN, LOW INCOME STUDENTS, AND SOME OF 'EM ARE HERE. AND I JUST WANT TO LET THEM KNOW THAT I AM SO, SO PROUD OF THEM. AND I KNOW THEY GIVE THEIR BEST, UM, HAVE THOSE 3.7 GPAS EACH SEMESTER TO MAKE SURE, UM, IT IS A VERY SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM, AND I WANT TO LET THEM KNOW I'M SUPER PROUD OF THEM. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS RECOGNITION. [00:25:03] COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, WE HAVE, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ IN THE QUEUE. THANK YOU. VICE PRO TE AND THANK YOU COUNCIL MAYOR CASTILLO AND MAYOR PRO TE FOR HIGHLIGHTING THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVERS FAILING. CONGRATULATIONS. UM, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE AT AUSTIN HIGH SCHOOL, UH, THE SCHOOL THAT I GRADUATED FROM. SO I'VE SEEN SOME OF THE WORK AND FOLKS, FRIENDS THAT OF MINE THAT HAVE ACTUALLY GONE THROUGH THE PROGRAM BEEN SUCCESSFUL. UM, AND IT WOULDN'T BE A POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE SUPPORT OF THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVER, UH, ACHIEVERS PROGRAM. AND I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF BIG, BIG SHOES FOR YOU TO FILL, BUT YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB. YOU KNOW, DR. CHER MENDOLA, UH, WAS A KEY LEADER IN THAT, IN THAT PROGRAM. UM, AND SO THANK YOU, UH, PHILLY, UH, CONTINUE DOING THE GREAT WORK AND CONTINUE TO INVITE ME TO SPEAK TO THE KIDS AT AUSTIN. I LOVE IT. THANK YOU. DEFINITELY. OKAY, YOU READY? [2:00 P.M. – INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE] CHAIR NOW RECOGNIZES VICE MAYOR PRO TEM PECK FOR THE INVOCATION. THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TIM, GOD OF PEACE. WE INVITE YOU TO PRESIDE OVER THIS MEETING, EVEN IF WE HAVE DIFFERENT OPINIONS, GIVE US UNITY OF SPIRIT. HELP US TO LISTEN POLITELY AS OTHERS SHARE THEIR POINTS OF VIEW. HELP US TO WORK AS A UNIFIED TEAM IN COMBINING IDEAS FOR A GREAT OUTCOME. MAY WE HAVE A SPIRIT OF COMRADERY IN THIS ROOM AND WORK TOGETHER ON OUR SHARED MISSION. AMEN. PLEASE STAND FOR THE PLEDGE. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD IN THE MIDST WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. MADAM [ROLL CALL AND ADOPT THE MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING] SECRETARY, IF YOU'LL PLEASE CALL THE ROLE [00:30:02] MAYOR WHITMEYER. COUNCILMAN PECK HERE. COUNCILMAN JACKSON? HERE. COUNCILMAN KAMAN WILL BE ABSENT. COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN CHABA. COUNCILMAN FLICKINGER WILL BE ABSENT. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. COUNCIL HUFFMAN PRESENT. COUNCILMAN CASTILLO? HERE. COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ? HERE. COUNCIL POLL WILL BE ABSENT. COUNCIL MCC CASTEX TATUM. HERE. COUNCILOR RAMIREZ? HERE. COUNCILMAN DAVIS. HERE. COUNCILMAN CARTER. COUNCIL PLUMMER HERE. AND CONSTABLE ALCORN HERE NEED A MOTION TO DELAY THE MINUTES. PECK MOVES. PUT SECOND. IT'S BEEN MOVED IN SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR? ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES ANY [PUBLIC SPEAKERS] PROCEDURAL MOTIONS? I COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER. COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER. THANK YOU MAYOR PER TIM. UM, I'D LIKE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO MOVE TOMORROW. BELL AT THE TOP OF THE TWO MINUTE AGENDA LIST. SECOND. IT'S BEEN MOVED. AND SECOND. UH, ALL IN FAVOR? ANY OPPOSED? THE ITEM CARRIES ANY OTHER PROCEDURAL MOTIONS? IF NOT, MADAM SECRETARY, IF YOU'LL PLEASE CALL THE FIRST SPEAKER. TOMORROW BELL. TOMORROW BELL. GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M CAUGHT. CAN Y'ALL HEAR ME? THIS DON'T SOUND LIKE A ZONE. YES, MA'AM. ALL RIGHT. I WANNA MAKE SURE. UH, I'M HERE TO SUPPORT PARKWOOD CIVIC CLUB. THEY'RE IN A BATTLE AGAINST A DEVELOPER WHO DOES NOT BELIEVE THAT THE RULES APPLY TO HIM. PERMITTING HAS DONE EVERYTHING THEY CAN DO. THEY HAVE GIVEN HIM RED TAGS. THEY'VE GIVEN HIM SEVERAL STOP WORK ORDERS. HE'S GOT A CITATION TO GO TO COURT FOR NOVEMBER 22ND. YET HE IS CONTINUING TO BUILD AT ALL HOURS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, IN THE, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY, EARLY IN THE MORNING TO GET THIS FINISHED. WHY IS HE DOING THIS? BECAUSE THERE IS NO ENFORCEMENT OF WHAT PERMITTING DOES. PERMITTING HAS DONE THEIR PART, BUT THERE ARE NO TEETH IN THE ENFORCEMENT. ALL THE GUY CAN GO OUT THERE AND DO IS SAY, STOP WORKING. IF THEY DON'T STOP, THERE'S NOTHING HE CAN DO THAT IS NOT WORKING FOR THE CITY. IT IS NOT WORKING IN MEYERLAND. IT IS NOT WORKING IN RIVERSIDE. IT IS NOT WORKING IN THE HEIGHTS. IT IS NOT WORKING. AND SO, LET ME TELL YOU ALL A SOLUTION Y'ALL NEED TO THINK ABOUT. AND THE FORMER NEIGHBORHOOD PROTECTION, WHICH IS NOW THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS, THEY HAVE ENFORCEMENT TO REMOVE DANGEROUS BUILDINGS. THEY CAN GET 'EM TORN DOWN. THEY CAN GET 'EM, UH, GET 'EM DEMOLISHED OR WHATEVER. THIS IS A DANGEROUS BUILDING. YOU ALL DON'T KNOW HOW HE CONNECTED TO THE SEWER LINES. YOU DON'T KNOW HOW HE PUT IN ELECTRICITY. SO WHEN YOU HAVE A BUILDING RIGHT BESIDE A RESIDENTIAL HOME, THEY GET A FIRE AND THEN A BURNING UP THE WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD. THIS NEEDS TO STOP. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. AND UNPERMITTED STRUCTURE IS A DANGEROUS BUILDING. YOU DON'T HAVE TO REINVENT THE WHEEL. THE SAME ENFORCEMENT, THE DEPARTMENT AND NEIGHBORHOOD HAS, THEY NEED TO USE IT IN THIS, UH, SITUATION RIGHT HERE. 'CAUSE THIS NEEDS TO STOP. THIS DOES NOT NEED TO CONTINUE. YOU ALL KNOW EVERYBODY IN HERE, YOU ALL HAVE PEOPLE BUILDING FOUR AND FIVE TOWN HOMES ON WHERE ONE HOME WAS. HOW ARE THEY CONNECTING THE SEWER LINE IF THEY DON'T HAVE PERMITS? YOU DON'T KNOW. WE JUST HAD A RETO AND WE HAD BURROW TREES THAT LOOKED BEAUTIFUL, HEALTHY, AND WONDERFUL TO US. WERE LAYING IN THE ROAD. WE DO NOT WANT THIS TO BECOME DEBRIS FOR THE NEXT HURRICANE OR STORM OR A FIRE IN OUR COMMUNITY. WE NEED Y'ALL HELP NOW BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOT STOPPED BECAUSE I'VE ONLY IN MY WHOLE 20 YEARS, I'VE ONLY SEEN Y'ALL TEAR DOWN ONE BUILDING. THAT'S IT. THANK YOU MS. BELL. THANK YOU. WE APPRECIATE YOU AND ALL OF YOUR NEIGHBORS FOR COMING TODAY. WE DO, UM, HAVE SOME ACTIONS THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE ON THE PROPERTY. UM, THE INFORMATION THAT WE RECEIVED TODAY SAYS THAT THERE WAS A CITATION ISSUE, AND THERE IS A COURT ARRAIGNMENT SCHEDULED FOR 11 22 24. UM, I KNOW THAT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER SHABAZZ HAS BEEN WORKING, UM, WITH THE DEPARTMENTS ON THIS ISSUE. UM, UNFORTUNATELY SHE'S NOT HERE TODAY, BUT SHE DID, UM, LEAVE A, A LENGTHY MEMO ABOUT WHAT HAS TAKEN PLACE AND WHAT IS TO COME AND HAS ASKED THAT SHE, UM, WILL CONTINUE AND SAID SHE WILL CONTINUE TO KEEP THE NEIGHBORHOOD ABREAST OF IT. BUT YOU BEING HERE TODAY AND YOUR NEIGHBORS BEING HERE TODAY MAKES A BIG STATEMENT. UM, WE KNOW THAT ENFORCEMENT IS, UM, VERY MUCH NEEDED IN ALL THE NEIGHBORHOODS. UM, BECAUSE THIS ISSUE, UNFORTUNATELY IS JUST NOT UNIQUE TO YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD. UM, AND WE DEAL WITH THIS AROUND THE, THE CITY AND, BUT FOR NEIGHBORS COMING FORTH AND MAKING THESE TYPES OF PETITIONS, A LOT OF THAT WOULD GO UNNOTICED. SO WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE, BUT THERE IS A COURT ARRAIGNMENT. UM, PLEASE KEEP IN TOUCH WITH COUNCIL [00:35:01] MEMBER SHABAZZ. THE ADMINISTRATION IS ALSO MONITORING, UM, WHAT'S HAPPENING AT THIS HOUSE. UM, AND WE WILL DO ALL THAT WE CAN TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, THIS GENTLEMAN WILL GO TO COURT AND WE CAN TAKE SOME ACTION. UM, AND YOU'RE RIGHT, WE SHOULD NOT HAVE THESE UNT UM, PROPERTIES JUST CONTINUE TO BUILD, UNFORTUNATELY, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. SOMETIMES THEY JUST KEEP DOING IT. UM, AND WE'VE GOT TO HAVE MORE EYES AND EARS ON THE GROUND. SO THANK YOU FOR CARING ABOUT YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND CARING ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT THESE BUILDINGS ARE SAFE. BUT THERE IS, UM, AN ARRAIGNMENT FOR COURTS SCHEDULED ON 11 22 24. OKAY? YES, I'M AWARE OF THAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. BUT THIS IS THE PROBLEM. WHEN YOU GO TO THOSE COURTS, ALL THEY GET IS, LET'S SAY IF THE FINE IS 10,000, THE JUDGE REDUCED IT TO A THOUSAND. THAT DOES NOT HELP US WITH THE STRUCTURE. THAT'S WHY I'M SAYING YOU ALL ALREADY HAVE A POLICY AND THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS YOU ALL TICKET AND REMOVE AND DEMOLISH DANGEROUS BUILDINGS. A STRUCTURE BUILT WITHOUT CODE AND WITHOUT COMPLIANCE IS A DANGEROUS BUILDING. YOU ALL NEED TO MAKE SURE YOU ARE CLASSIFYING EVERYTHING. THIS IS A DANGEROUS BUILDING. SOMEBODY FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS NEED TO BE OUT THERE RIGHT NOW AND LET THEM KNOW LEGAL HAS A RIGHT. THEY FOLLOW UP WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS AND THEY GET THE LAW BEHIND THEM, AND THEY DO IT ALL OVER THE CITY AND TEAR DOWN DEMOLISH BUILDINGS. THIS IS ONE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. THANK YOU. MAYOR PRO, TEM MAR TO ALL OF Y'ALL, THANK YOU FOR COMING. I'VE ALREADY NOTIFIED, UH, WELL, I HAD OUR CONSTITUENT SERVICE TO COME AND TO LOOK INTO IT. HOW WE FOLLOW UP BEHIND IT. I'LL GET WITH, UH, ALSO WITH COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNCIL SHABAZZ'S OFFICE SO THAT WE CAN FOLLOW UP BECAUSE TRULY YOU ALL RIGHT. I MEAN, I'M SURE HE'S BEEN SERVED AND CITED MANY, MANY TIMES BEFORE. IT'S THE REDUNDANT OF THE WHOLE DEAL. BUT I THINK WE'VE GOTTA DO MORE TO TRY TO GET ON TOP OF WHAT THIS HAPPENED BECAUSE ALL OF THESE PEOPLE HERE IS EVIDENCE OF THE FACT THAT OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING IS NOT HAPPENING. SO I'M GOING TO WORK WITH COUNCILMAN SHIBA. I'VE ALREADY HAD MY CONSTITUENT SERVICE GUY, A LONG WIND WHO WILL, UH, WILL FOLLOW UP WITH THE DISTRICT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER AS WELL AS MYSELF. I'M SURE THERE'S OTHERS WILL, BUT, UH, KNOW THAT SOMETHING WILL BE DONE. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. I'M GONNA, I'M GOING TO, UM, ASK OUR CITY ATTORNEY IN A SITUATION LIKE THIS. UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT OTHER RECOURSE, UH, WOULD THE NEIGHBORS HAVE, UM, IF HE'S HAS AN ARRAIGNMENT DATE SET? UM, WHAT, WHAT IS OUR ABILITY, UM, TO DISCUSS THIS WITH MUNICIPAL COURTS SO THAT THEY AREN'T LOWERING THE FINE IN MAKING THIS, UM, ACTUALLY HAVE SOME TEETH IN IT? SURE. THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN CERTAINLY DISCUSS WITH THE PROSECUTORS IN COURTS. UM, YOU DO HAVE A SCENARIO WHERE ULTIMATELY, REGARDLESS OF THE FINE THAT IT, IT IS JUST A FINE IN THIS SCENARIO. I WILL TELL YOU THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT THE MATTER RIGHT NOW. THERE, WE KNOW THERE ARE SOME DEED RESTRICTION ISSUES, BUT, UH, SO FAR THE ONES THAT WE HAVE, UH, DETERMINED EXIST ARE NOT ONES THAT CAN BE ENFORCED BY THE CITY. THE CITY HAS VERY LIMITED DEED RESTRICTION AUTHORITY, BUT THERE IS ONE WE THINK WE MAY BE ABLE TO ENFORCE. SO WE'RE WORKING WITH HBW TO INVESTIGATE THAT. IF IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE COULD ENFORCE, THEN WE WILL CONTACT THE OWNER AND TELL HIM THEY NEED TO STOP CONSTRUCTION AND FIX THAT PROBLEM. I ALSO UNDERSTAND FROM HPW THAT THE, UM, THE OWNER IS GETTING THE PROPER PERMITS TO CONTINUE THE WORK. UH, I CAN'T VERIFY THAT THAT'S FROM HPW, BUT, BUT ULTIMATELY WE ARE LOOKING AT THE MATTER AND WE HOPE TO HAVE AN ANSWER ABOUT WHETHER WE CAN INITIATE A LAWSUIT IN A COUPLE OF DAYS. OKAY. COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER. THANK YOU, MAYOR TIM, THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE. UM, I'VE ALSO REACHED OUT TO THE, TO PERMITTING DEPARTMENT TO GET A LIST OF EVERY SINGLE PERMIT THAT'S BEEN ACQUIRED BY THIS PROPERTY. AND, UM, I THINK IT'LL GIVE US SOME MORE INFORMATION, BUT I WILL BE SUPPORTING COUNCIL MEMBER SHABAZZ, UM, AS WELL, MAKING THIS HAPPEN. AND OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, I'M A PHONE CALL AWAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I APPRECIATE YOU ALL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. NEXT SPEAKER. DO, DO WE ALL SPEAK AT THIS TIME OR Y'ALL NO, NO, WE DON'T ALL SPEAK AT THIS TIME. WE, WE GOT THE NEXT SPEAKER COMING UP. WE'LL CALL YOUR NAME IF YOU'RE ON THE LIST TO SPEAK. . TIFFANY CHE. TIFFANY CHEVERIA. TIFFANY CHEVERIA. SHE'S COMING UP. OKAY. RIA. HI, TIFFANY. HELLO, GO AHEAD. HI, FRIENDS. MY NAME IS TIFFANY CHEVERIA AND I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF COLLECTIVE ACTION FOR YOUTH. AND I'M HERE TODAY TO SHARE MY THANKS AHEAD OF, UH, VOTING ON THE PROPOSAL TO EXPAND CREDIBLE MESSENGER'S SERVICES. SO COLLECTIVE ACTION FOR YOUTH WAS SELECTED AS THE INTERMEDIARY [00:40:01] TO HELP ORGANIZE AND COORDINATE THE CREDIBLE MESSENGER SPACE. WE HAVE ALREADY HIRED THREE FULL-TIME CREDIBLE MESSENGERS, AND THIS PAST MONTH WE HAVE BEEN ENGAGING IN DEEP TRAINING AND PLANNING AS WE ARE GETTING PREPARED TO TAKE OUR FIRST MENTEE. THE CREDIBLE MESSENGERS MENTORING PHILOSOPHY ALLOWS PEOPLE WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE TO WORK WITH OUR YOUNG PEOPLE. OFTENTIMES THAT SHARED LIVED EXPERIENCE IS THROUGH THE JUSTICE SYSTEM. SO WE GET TO EMPLOY FULL-TIME MEN AND WOMEN WHO HAVE GONE THROUGH EITHER JUVENILE PROBATION OR THE ADULT SYSTEM SO THAT THEY CAN MENTOR AND WORK WITH OUR YOUNG PEOPLE SO THEY CAN MAKE BETTER DECISIONS FOR THEMSELVES. IT IS MENTORING ON STEROIDS, AND IT'S REALLY SOMETHING THAT A YOUNG PERSON CAN REACH OUT TO 24 7 AND GET HELP TALK TO A LIVE PERSON WHO HAS BEEN THROUGH THOSE SAME STEPS AS THEM SO THEY CAN REACH POSITIVE ADULT OUTCOMES. I AM A PRACTITIONER OF YOUTH DEVELOPMENT, AND I CAN HANDS DOWN SAY THAT THE CREDIBLE MESSENGER, CREDIBLE, CREDIBLE MESSENGER OF PHILOSOPHY IS TRULY TRANSFORMATIVE. AND IT'S THAT MISSING PIECE FOR HOUSTON. THIS IS TRULY INNOVATIVE. AND SO I WANNA JUST SHARE MY THANKS TO MAYOR WHITMEYER FOR RECOMMITTING TO THIS INITIATIVE AS A FORM OF PUBLIC SAFETY, AS WELL AS COUNCIL MEMBER TARSHA JACKSON, WHO HAS DONE SO MUCH ADVOCACY TO KEEP THIS MOVEMENT ALIVE. I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. WE'RE SUPER EXCITED AND WE CAN'T WAIT TO REPORT BACK ALL OF THE GREAT THINGS THAT ARE GONNA COME OUT OF THIS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. THANK YOU MAYOR PRO, TIM, AND THANK YOU TIFFANY FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND FOR TAKING ON THIS HUGE TASK OF BEING THE INTERMEDIARY FOR THE, UM, CREDIBLE MESSENGER PROGRAM. I KNOW, UM, COLLEAGUES IS GONNA BE COMING UP ON COUNCIL TOMORROW FOR A VOTE. UM, I PRAY THAT YOU GUYS SUPPORT THIS. WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR QUITE SOME TIME OVER FOUR YEARS PLUS. UM, AND SO IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, UM, FINALLY MADE IT HERE. AND, UM, I KNOW WE HAVE OTHER CREDIBLE MESSENGERS THAT'S GONNA BE SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF THIS ITEM. THANK YOU ALL FOR, YOU KNOW, JUST YOUR COMMITMENT AND YOUR HEART TO THIS WORK. UM, IT'S NOT EASY. UM, AND BECAUSE PEOPLE LOOK AT YOU AS IF YOU A BAD PERSON BECAUSE YOU'VE BEEN IN THE SYSTEM, BUT WE'VE ALL MADE SOME TYPE OF MISTAKE AND WE ALL DESERVE A SECOND CHANCE. AND SO THIS CREDIBLE MESSENGER PROGRAM IS GIVEN YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN A SECOND CHANCE. BUT THEN IT'S ALSO CREATING, I LIKE, UM, THE FACT THAT IT'S CREATING A JOB OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN, AND IT'S HELPING BUILD OUR ECONOMY. SO, UM, THANK YOU AGAIN. UM, THANK YOU COLLEAGUES IN ADVANCE AND THANK YOU ALL. THE CREDIBLE MESSENGERS WHO WENT THROUGH, UM, THE TRAINING AND WENT TO DC ON OUR TOUR, UM, OUR, OUR PEER EXCHANGE LAST MONTH. JUST REALLY EXCITED. I'M OVER. I'M JUST OVERLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS INITIATIVE. SO THANK YOU. UM, THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO. COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ. THANK YOU MAYOR. MR. MS. TIFFANY, GO AHEAD. COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ. THANK YOU. I JUST WANTED TO CONGRATULATE, UH, MY COLLEAGUE COUNCILMAN JACKSON ON THIS PROGRAM. TIFFANY, THANK YOU FOR SPEAKING ON IT. AND, AND AS Y'ALL BOTH BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, PAINTED A GOOD PICTURE OF WHAT IT IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE NOT, UH, ALLOWING FOLKS TO JUST FALL THROUGH THE CRACKS, RIGHT? UM, PEOPLE MAKE, UH, BAD DECISIONS SOMETIMES, BUT I THINK IT'S, IT'S, UH, IT'S ON US TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING A WAY FOR SECOND CHANCE. FIRST AND FOREMOST, AND I'VE SHARED THIS BEFORE, I HAD A BROTHER, HE'S PASSED AWAY ALREADY, BUT HE WAS IN PENITENTIARY FOR SEVEN YEARS, RIGHT? AND SO, COMING OUTTA THE PENITENTIARY, EVENTUALLY BECOMING A LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL COACH, UM, YOU KNOW, A GOOD FATHER, IT WAS ONLY BECAUSE OF SUPPORT SYSTEM AND PROGRAMS LIKE CREDIBLE MESSENGER. AND SO, UH, THANK YOU FOR, FOR YOUR WORK AND FOR THOSE THAT ARE GONNA CONTINUE TO SPEAK ON, ON CREDIBLE MESSENGER, KNOW THAT YOU HAVE, UH, AN ALLY SUPPORTER, UH, HERE IN DISTRICT. I AS WELL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, EDWARD JOINER. GOOD AFTERNOON TO MADAM PRO TE DISTINGUISHED MEMBERS OF THIS COUNCIL. MY NAME IS EDWARD JOINER. I HAVE THE PLEASURE OF SERVING AS THE BOARD PRESIDENT FOR COLLECTION ACTION FOR YOUTH. I AM ALSO A CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY HERE, PRACTICING IN HARRIS COUNTY AND THE SURROUNDING COUNTIES. I WANT TO ENCOURAGE YOU ALL ON TOMORROW TO VOTE FOR, UH, ITEM 27. AS A CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY WORKING IN HARRIS COUNTY, I UNDERSTAND INTIMATELY HOW IMPACTFUL THIS WORK CAN BE. I BELIEVE THAT IT'S GOING TO BE TRANSFORMATIVE. I BELIEVE THAT IT'S GOING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE, AND WE NEED YOU ALL SUPPORT WHEN YOU ENTER INTO THE HALLS DOWNTOWN THERE. UH, IN THIS SAME BUILDING, THERE'S A SIGN THAT SAYS, GOVERNMENT MUST PROTECT ALL PEOPLE. THAT IS TRUE. AND YOU ALL HAVE THAT POWER. I BELIEVE THAT THIS WORK WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN HOUSTON, A TANGIBLE ONE. I HAVE CONFIDENCE IN THE STAFF AND OUR TEAM. AND LASTLY, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THIS, THE BEST TIME TO PLANT A TREE WAS 20 YEARS AGO. THE SECOND BEST TIME TO PLANT A TREE IS TODAY. YOU ALL HAVE THE ABILITY TO PLANT MANY TREES HERE IN HOUSTON THAT WILL GROW TO BE FRUITFUL. THANK YOU FOR MY, FOR YOUR TIME. [00:45:01] THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. NEXT SPEAKER, JONATHAN RODRIGUEZ. HELLO, MY NAME IS, UH, JONATHAN RODRIGUEZ. UH, I AM A CREDIBLE MESSENGER UNDER COLLECTIVE ACTION FOR YOUTH. UM, IT IS AN HONOR TO REALLY BE STANDING IN FRONT OF YOU BECAUSE NOT TOO LONG AGO I WAS TOLD THAT I WAS GONNA BE INCARCERATED FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE. I COMMITTED A CRIME WHEN I WAS 16 AND IT ALMOST COSTED ME MY WHOLE LIFE. BUT IN THE PROCESS OF BEING INCARCERATED, I, I ENCOURAGED, UH, NOT ONLY MY BROTHER, BUT MYSELF, AND I FOUND REHABILITATION THROUGH EDUCATION. I WENT THROUGH A WHOLE BUNCH OF LIBRARY BOOKS, A WHOLE BUNCH OF CLASSES, VOCATIONAL CLASSES, AND ALL ABOVE. SO WHAT I WAS WANTED TO SAY THAT, UH, IN THAT PROCESS, MY BROTHER AND SIX YEARS LATER, AFTER GUIDING HIM BEING A CREDIBLE MESSENGER, UH, HE SURPRISED ME BY WITH A NATURAL BADGE SAYING, LOOK WHERE I'M AT NOW. NOW HE, I DIDN'T THINK I WAS GONNA GET EMOTIONAL. NOW HE'S A MECHANICAL ENGINEER IN NASA AND WE USE OUR STORY TOGETHER TO BE ABLE TO REACH OUT TO OUR COMMUNITIES. SO I KNOW I'M CAPABLE BECAUSE OF THE PASSION THAT I HAVE TO BE ABLE TO DO. NOT, NOT, THIS IS FOR ME, IT'S NOT A JOB. AND FOR ME IT'S A PURPOSE. AND FOR ME, IT'S TO BE ABLE TO STAND ON THAT AND TO BE ABLE TO REACH OUR COMMUNITIES, OUR PEOPLE, OUR KIDS. AND I KNOW THAT, UM, WITH Y'ALL, WITH THE PRIVILEGE, WITH THE OPPORTUNITY THAT ALL OF YOU HAVE GIVEN ME, ASHA JACKSON, AND TIFFANY AND WILL AND ALL THE, ALL THE PEOPLE FROM COLLECTIVE ACTION FOR YOUTH. I THINK YOU ALL, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT I COULD, I COULD MAKE AN IMPACT IN OUR COMMUNITIES. THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR STORY. COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER. THANK YOU MAYOR PROTE. MR. RODRIGUEZ, THANK YOU FOR COMING FORWARD AND, AND THE COURAGE TO SPEAK OUT BECAUSE WHEN YOU SPEAK OUT, YOU'RE HELPING OTHERS. AND IF YOU WERE HERE FOR THE PROCLAMATION EARLIER WITH, FOR THE YOUNG LADY WHO ALSO HAD SOMEONE TO SUPPORT HER, AND YOU KNOW, SHE HAS HER MASTER'S DEGREE NOW, AND, AND YOU ARE THE PICTURE OF WHAT IT TAKES TO BE SUCCESSFUL AND CONTINUE TO HELP OTHERS AROUND YOU. AND, AND I JUST ADMIRE, ADMIRE YOU FOR BEING HERE. YOU GOT A REALLY COOL SUIT TOO, BY THE WAY. AND UH, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND KEEP DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING BECAUSE IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE. YES, MA'AM. GOD BLESS YOU ALL. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. NEXT SPEAKER LEE CLARK. LEE CLARK. WHO DO YOU HEAR? LEE CLARK. LEE CLARK. FIRST I WANT TO RECOGNIZE OUR CITY COUNCIL, ASHA JACKSON, THE DISTRICT B, FOR THE EFFORTS THAT SHE PUT IN. AND SHE WAS ABLE TO, I'M A CREDIBLE MESSENGER BY THE WAY. SHE WAS ABLE TO TAKE THE WORK AND SEPARATE IT FROM THE PERSON OF WHITE, THE WORKER STAND ON HIS OWN MERITS. AND THAT WORK MADE IT ALL THE WAY FROM DISTRICT B TO THE CITY HALL AND MANIFESTING IN THE FLESH THROUGH US AND BY Y'ALL HOLDING CANCER OUTSIDE OUR PRESENCE THAT LET US KNOW THAT OUR ABSENCE IS AS STRONG AS OUR PRESENCE BECAUSE THE WORK IS STANDING ON ITS OWN. WE BUILT THE MACHINE AND WE DON'T GET A LOT OF GLORY FOR IT BECAUSE WE THE RUBBER THAT MEAT IN THE ROAD. SO A LOT OF PEOPLE AIN'T GONNA CLAP FOR US. SO IN RETURN, WE WANT TO CLAP FOR Y'ALL FOR RECOGNIZING US. AND WE NOT GOING TO SAY THAT THIS MONEY THAT Y'ALL ABOUT TO GIVE US, BECAUSE WE KNOW YOU, HOW YOU SPEAK THINGS IN EXISTENCE, SPEAK AT THINGS THAT ARE NOT AS THOUGH THEY WORD FOR US BY HUM. SO THE MONEY Y'ALL WERE ABOUT TO GIVE US, WE NOT GONNA SAY IT'S NOT GOING TO GO IN VAIN BECAUSE THAT'LL KEEP US AT POINT A RATHER, WE GOING TO SAY IT GONNA BE ABLE TO STAND ON ITS OWN MARRIAGE AND Y'ALL GONNA SEE THE MONEY MANIFEST INTO THE WORK AND IT GONNA BE ABLE TO COME IN HERE AND SPEAK FOR ITSELF FOR THE MONEY AFTER THIS THAT WE GET. IF THAT MAKES SENSE. AND I AIN'T FINNA TAKE UP A LOT OF MY TIME. I'M JUST GONNA SPREAD THE MESSAGE AND I WANT TO CLAP FOR YOU, US AS WELL AS THE WORK. THANK YOU MR. CLARK. AND ON BEHALF OF MY CITY COUNCIL, WE THANK YOU IN ADVANCE BECAUSE TOMORROW COME BACK WITH THAT. YES. THANK YOU MR. CLARK. WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE, MA'AM. NEXT SPEAKER. MEREDITH JAMES. MEREDITH. JAMES. GOOD AFTERNOON, SPEAKING TO THE MIC. OH, GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS MEREDITH JAMES AND I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF EXCEL. BEYOND CIRCUMSTANCES, I WANT TO THANK, UH, OUR LEADERSHIP, TASHA JACKSON, FOR LEADING THIS EFFORT. I WANNA ENCOURAGE Y'ALL TO PLEASE VOTE ON ITEM 27. UM, IT'S VERY NEEDED. UM, THE RESOURCES, [00:50:01] THE MONEY THAT Y'ALL ARE PUTTING INTO THIS PROJECT WILL DEFINITELY HELP THE COMMUNITY. UM, I'M A THREE TIME FELON MYSELF, AND WHEN I GO OUT AND DO WHAT I DO IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, WE NEED DOLLARS. THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES WE'VE BEEN OUT THERE WITH NEGATIVE BANK ACCOUNT BALANCES. THERE'S BEEN TIMES WE'VE BEEN OUT THERE GETTING MONEY FROM EACH OTHER TO GET A RIDE TO HELP OTHER PEOPLE. SO THIS MONEY IS DEFINITELY NEEDED BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN USING OUR NINE TO FIVE JOBS AND DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE HAD TO DO FUNDRAISING TO KEEP THIS GOING. I'VE BEEN DOING THIS WORK FOR SEVEN YEARS. I KNOW MANY OF THEM HAVE BEEN DOING IT A LOT LONGER. AND OUR LEADERSHIP, SHE HAS BEEN DOING IT COUNTLESS NUMBERS OF YEARS. SO, UM, LIKE HE SAID, DON'T LET IT BE THE LAST TIME. DON'T LET THIS BE ONE ALLOTMENT. KEEP SENDING MONEY INTO IT BECAUSE IT'S GONNA HELP STOP THE CRIME WE ARE MITIGATING, UM, VIOLENCE. WE CAN'T ELIMINATE IT, BUT WE CAN MITIGATE IT. AND IT'S BECAUSE WE SITTING OUT THERE SETTING AN EXAMPLE, WE DON'T WANT, WE WORKING ON PASSION. I DON'T WANNA SEE ANOTHER LITTLE GIRL BEING A FAILING. I DON'T WANNA SEE ANOTHER LITTLE GIRL PREGNANT AT 16. I DON'T WANNA SEE NO GIRL GOING THROUGH WHAT I WENT THROUGH. I, MY MENTORSHIP IS MOSTLY GIRLS. WE HAVE GENTLEMEN OUT HERE THAT'S WORKING WITH THE BOYS AND SO JUST COLLECTIVELY, WE TRYING TO CHANGE THE FUTURE, UM, ONE KID AT A TIME. SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. NEXT SPEAKER. I HAD A REQUEST FOR SUSPEND THE RULE. OH, YOU WANT PROCEDURAL MOTION? YES. ILL FIND OUT WHAT IT'S NO, NO. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. RODERICK JOHNSON. RODERICK JOHNSON. GOOD MORNING. LET ME SAY THANK Y'ALL FOR HAVING ME. UH, LIKE THE PEOPLE PROCEEDING ME, I HAVE COME FOR THE SAME THING. UH, FIRST TO THANK OUR COUNCILWOMAN, UH, TASHA JACKSON FOR A WONDERFUL JOB. THIS PROGRAM HAS SAVED SO MANY, BUT IT HAS BROUGHT RESOURCES INTO OUR COMMUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO GET JOBS THEY WOULDN'T GET FOR THE WORK THEY'VE BEEN DOING ALL THE TIME. SO WE THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR YES. AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOU SEEING THE WORK, UH, AND THE PROJECT DONE. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, SIR. NEXT SPEAKER. ROBERT LAHA LAKA. HOW Y'ALL DOING? IT'S ROBERT ALKA. I'M THE TREASURER FOR COLLECTIVE ACTION FOR YOUTH, AND I WANT TO ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY TO VOTE YES FOR, UH, THE CREDIBLE MESSENGER PROGRAM. I'M ACTUALLY A FAMILY MEMBER OF A MENTEE THAT WAS, UH, ACTUALLY IN THE CREDIBLE MESSENGERS PROGRAM. AND I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT DURING THE TIME THAT I WAS COMING UP, GROWING UP FROM HIGH SCHOOL AND, YOU KNOW, GOING THROUGH COLLEGE AND OBVIOUSLY UP UNTIL THIS, THIS DAY, UH, SEEING THE MENTEE TRANSFORM, BUT THE HELP OF SEVERAL CREDIBLE MESSENGERS THAT ARE HERE AND ALSO SPEAKING ON THIS, UH, ON THIS CAUSE, ON THIS, ON THIS GREAT INITIATIVE, I THINK THAT, UM, I MEAN I BELIEVE THAT IT HELPED HIM TREMENDOUSLY. AND HE'S, HE'S, HE'S, HE'S OBVIOUSLY CHANGED, BUT UH, AGAIN, I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU GUYS IN ADVANCE FOR, UH, VOTING YES FOR INCREDIBLE MESSAGE. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, SIR. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, MICHAEL GALLOWAY. MICHAEL GALLOWAY. GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. MY NAME IS MICHAEL GALLOWAY AND I AM FORMALLY KNOWN AS 1 0 4 5 0 6 0. AND I'LL GET TO THAT IN A MINUTE. BUT FIRST, I WANTED TO THANK TARSA JACKSON AND ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR HEARING ME OUT TODAY AS WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO APPROVE AND HAVE A FAVORABLE, FAVORABLE DECISION ON ITEM NUMBER 27. THE REASON I GAVE MY MY OLD TYC NUMBER IS BECAUSE I'M CONSIDERED A STATE RAISED BABY. THAT'S WHAT WE CALL THE TERM. AND, UH, I GREW UP IN THE SYSTEM, INSIDE THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, WHILE MY PEERS WERE LEARNING HOW TO TAKE TESTS. AT 12 YEARS OLD, I WAS LEARNING HOW TO DO TIME AND I WAS LEARNING HOW TO BE IN A GANG. AND THAT'S NOTHING THAT A 12-YEAR-OLD SHOULD DO. AND SO I STAND BEFORE YOU A CREDIBLE MESSENGER BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN THE WORK I'VE SEEN IT HAPPEN. AND ALL WE ARE TRYING TO DO IS BE THE EXAMPLE FOR THE YOUTH THAT ARE COMING BEHIND US TO SHOW THAT YOU CAN MAKE BAD DECISIONS IN LIFE. BUT THAT DOESN'T DEFINE WHO YOU ARE. NOBODY WANTS TO BE REMEMBERED FOR THE WORST THING THEY EVER DID. [00:55:02] AND WE WANNA SHOW THEM THAT YOU CAN CHANGE BECAUSE THE ONLY EXAMPLES THAT I HAD GROWING UP WERE POLICE OFFICERS AND THEY WERE CONSIDERED THE ENEMY. THAT WAS THE LONGEST LASTING RELATIONSHIP I'VE EVER HAD IN MY LIFE, IS WITH THE STATE OF TEXAS IN A NEGATIVE WAY. AND I WANT TO HAVE IT IN A POSITIVE WAY. AND SO I SPEAK BEFORE YOU AS WELL AS ALL THE OTHER CREDIBLE MESSENGERS THAT WE WANT TO BE THE EXAMPLE AND WE WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND IT STARTS WITH US. SO I THANK Y'ALL FOR THAT. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER . SIR, SIR, REAL QUICK, MR. GALLOWAY, JUST THANK, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING AND FOR TELLING YOUR STORY. I, I WANTED TO ASK HOW, HOW WILL YOU GO ABOUT HOW DO YOU REACH THE, THESE KIDS? UM, YOUR MESSAGE IS SO IMPORTANT AND, AND WHAT, WHAT ARE DIFFERENT WAYS YOU REACH THE, THE PEOPLE YOU'RE TRYING TO REACH? THANK YOU FOR ASKING. AND SO, WHEN IT COMES TO THE CREDIBLE MESSENGER PROGRAM, WE FOCUS ON THREE PHASES. THE FIRST PHASE IS THE BUILDING, THE RELATIONSHIP PHASE, BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES THE YOUNG PEOPLE AND THE YOUNG ADULTS THAT WE ARE SERVING DON'T HAVE ANYTHING CONSISTENT IN THEIR LIVES AND THEY ARE IN A STATE OF CRISIS. SO OUR OBJECTIVE IS TO HELP THEM ALONG THAT PATH, TO COME OUT OF A STATE OF CRISIS BECAUSE WE CANNOT TEACH THEM TO FOCUS ON A DREAM OR FOCUS ON A VISION FOR THEIR LIVES IF THEIR MIND IS CLOUDED WITH EVERYTHING ELSE, RIGHT? WHETHER IT'S GETTING FOOD, WHETHER IT'S HAVING A SHELTER, WHETHER IT'S HAVING FURNITURE, ALL THOSE THINGS THAT COME WITH LEARNING HOW TO SURVIVE, WE BUILD THE RELATIONSHIP THERE AND THEN WE FOCUS ON WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO WITH YOUR LIFE? AND SO IF YOU BUILD THAT CONSISTENCY, THAT TRUST IS, IS CREATED ORGANICALLY. AND THAT IS HOW WE REACHED IT. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. NEXT SPEAKER. PRINCE HAYWARD. PRINCE HAYWARD. MR. MIKE THIS. MIKE, YOU. UM, HEY, HOW YOU GUYS DOING? DOING WELL, THANK YOU. COUNCILWOMAN SASHA JACKSON. UM, GET STRAIGHT TO IT. MY NAME IS PRINCE HAYWARD AND I'M ONE OF THE THREE CREDIBLE MESSENGERS, UM, FOR COLLECTIVE ACTION FOR YOUTH. FIRST OFF, LEMME SAY THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US THIS TIME TO, UH, REALLY JUST EXPRESS HOW IMPACTFUL THE CREDIBLE MESSENGER PROGRAM WILL BE, UH, FOR MOST OVERLOOKED AND UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES. I'M A PRODUCT OF SUCH COMMUNITY FROM AGING OUT OF CPS, EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS TO BEING CHARGED WITH AGGRAVATED ROBBERY. I HAVE SINCE BEEN BLESSED TO BE VERY EFFECTIVE AT USING MY STORY TO ADVOCATE FOR POLICY CHANGES AND BUDGET INCREASES AT THE STATE CAPITOL. OUR COMMUNITIES ARE PLAGUED WITH SYSTEMATIC BARRIERS SUCH AS LIMITED TRAUMA, HEALING PROGRAMS, SINGLE PARENT HOUSEHOLD, AND A LACK OF AWARENESS ABOUT COMMUNITY RESOURCES. MY COLLEAGUES AND I, UM, MY COLLEAGUES AND I TRULY BELIEVE THAT THIS CREDIBLE MESSENGER INITIATIVE WILL BE THE BEGINNING OF BREAKING DOWN THOSE BARRIERS. I HOPE YOU ALL KNOW HOW IMPORTANT, UM, YOUR SUPPORT IS IN HELPING US FULFILL THESE VOIDS WITHIN OUR HOUSTON COMMUNITIES. UM, I WOULD LIKE TO LEAVE YOU GUYS WITH A LINGERING QUESTION. HOW CAN WE, AS CHANGE MAKERS, EXPECT CHANGE TO OCCUR IF WE DON'T MAKE THE CONSCIOUS DECISION TO INVEST IN OUR COMMUNITIES FOR A BETTER, SAFER AND MORE INTENTIONAL FUTURE? I LIKE TO ASK THAT QUESTION AGAIN. I LIKE TO REPEAT MYSELF WHEN I SAY THINGS. THAT'S VERY PIVOTAL. . HOW CAN WE, AS CHANGE MAKERS, EXPECT CHANGE TO OCCUR IF WE DO NOT MAKE THE CONSCIOUS DECISION TO INVEST IN OUR COMMUNITIES FOR A BETTER, SAFER AND MORE INTENTIONAL FUTURE? THANK YOU GUYS FOR LISTENING. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. NEXT SPEAKER. DEREK BURTON. DEREK BURTON. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS DEREK BURTON. I WAS ONE THAT WAS RAISED BY THE STATE FROM THE AGE OF 10 TO 14. I WAS LOCKED UP 14 TIMES AS A JUVENILE. I'D HAVE BEEN IN ALL THE DIFFERENT GROUP HOMES, EMERGENCY SHELTERS, UH, THE HARRIS COUNTY YOUTH VILLAGE. AND AT THE AGE OF 14, I GOT CONVICTED OF, UH, CAPITAL MURDER AS A KID. AND I WENT AWAY TO DO 20 FLAT YEARS STARTING AT THE AGE OF 14. MY MOTHER DIED WHILE I WAS IN PRISON. MY GRANDMOTHER DIED WHILE I WAS IN PRISON. I'VE BEEN OUT SINCE 2011 WITH NO NEW CHARGES. AND I BELIEVE THAT THE SHARING OF THE REAL STORIES WITH THE YOUTH IS WHAT CAN HELP THEM. YOU KNOW? AND BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES I REMEMBER AS A KID, YOU KNOW, I WOULDN'T WANT TO LISTEN TO NO ONE THAT I COULDN'T REALLY RELATE TO. [01:00:02] AND THEN AS, AS A KID, AND AS A LOT OF KIDS, I KNOW, IF WE DON'T BELIEVE YOU CARE, WE REALLY DON'T WANT TO HEAR YOU. AND SO I BELIEVE THAT THE CREDIBLE MESSAGES, YOU KNOW, STAND AS A STRONG PROGRAM TO HELP WITH THE DETERRENT, THE YOUTH AWAY FROM TRAVELING. A SIMILAR PATH OF THAT, WHICH I TRAVELED IN A LOT OF MY PEERS. AND ALSO I BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD HAVE MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMS FOR TRAUMA IMPACTED YOUTH AS WELL, BECAUSE A LOT OF THE YOUTH ARE DEALING WITH A WHOLE LOT OF TRAUMA. AND EVEN I, COMING OUT OF PRISON, I WAS, UH, DIAGNOSED WITH BIPOLAR MANIC GENERALIZED ANXIETY, PTSD. SO IT'S A LOT OF THE YOUTH ARE DEALING WITH MENTAL ISSUES THAT WE, THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED. AND, UH, THAT'S PART OF THE REASON FOR THE UPTICK IN THE CRIME. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU MR. BURTON. NEXT SPEAKER. DEREK CURRY. DEREK CURRY. GOOD MORNING, A GOOD AFTERNOON. I WANT TO GIVE THANKS TO MS. JACKSON FIRST FOR HAVING A VISION OF THIS, UH, CREDIBLE MESSENGER PROGRAM. I, UM, I COME FROM THE SENSE OF GROWING UP WITHOUT, UH, PARENTS AND THE ONLY CREDIBLE MESSENGER I HAD, WHICH WE CALL MENTORS, WAS Y AND O ON THE STREET TO GIVE ME, UH, POSITIVE INFLUENCES. I MEAN, POSITIVE FEEDBACK, POSITIVE WORDS TO KEEP GOING. AND I THINK WE'RE ALL CREDIBLE MESSENGERS. WE HAVE SOMEONE THAT WE KNOW, WE HAVE SOMEONE IN OUR HOMES OR WE KNOW ABOUT SOMEBODY WHO'S BEEN INTO, IN, IN THE WRONG SITUATIONS, JUST TO SAY A GOOD WORD. JUST TO BE THERE FOR SOMEONE. 'CAUSE NO ONE'S BEEN THERE FOR YOU. I THINK THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE IN ALL OUR LIVES AND THIS POSITIVE THING THAT WE'RE DOING. CREDIBLE MESSENGER, UM, SPEAKING ON, UH, THE ITEM OF 27, UH, I HOPE YOU GUYS GO OUT AND REALLY VOTE FOR THAT. AND WE GET THIS THING PASSED BECAUSE IT IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR OUR YOUTH THAT ARE COMING UP, UH, COMING UP UNDER THE WRONG INSTRUCTIONS, WRONG LEADERSHIPS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR US TO GET OUT IN OUR COMMUNITIES AND REALLY REBUILD OUR COMMUNITIES AND BEING EXAMPLE TO THOSE WHO DOESN'T, WHO DON'T HAVE A VOICE, YOU KNOW, FOR THE VOICELESS. SO FOR ME, I THINK THIS IS A GREAT PROGRAM. I KNOW IT'S A GREAT PROGRAM. I'VE BEEN DOING IT FOR A LONG TIME ALREADY. I'VE SEEN RESULTS AND I KNOW WE ARE GOING TO GET, UH, POSITIVE RESORTS RESULTS AND POSITIVE FEEDBACK. SO THANK YOU GUYS FOR LISTENING. I APPRECIATE YOU. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, SIR. NEXT SPEAKER. BUSY PETERS MCGAHN MCGAHN. EVAN GREETINGS, HOW YOU DOING? MY NAME IS BOOTIE PETERS MOURN. IT WAS A V IT WOULD BE BORN WITH AN M. IT'S MOURN. I'M THE FOUNDER OF WOO, WOMEN HEALING AND EMPOWER WOMEN. WE ARE ARTS HEALING REENTRY PROGRAM LOCATED IN DISTRICT D, THE HISTORICAL SECTION OF SUNNYSIDE AREA, UH, DR. SHABAZZ COUNCIL, WOMEN'S AREA. AND I WOULD LIKE, LIKE TO THANK TASHA JACKSON, WHO WAS MY SISTER FRIEND I'VE KNOWN FOR YEARS AND WAS ON THE BOARD OF WU IN THE BEGINNING OF OUR ORGANIZATION. I'M REALLY PROUD OF HER AND HOW SHE STAYED CONSISTENT OVER THE YEARS IN WHATEVER ARENA SHE'S IN. SHE'S BEEN CONSISTENT WITH THIS WORK THAT WE NEED SO BADLY. I WANTED TO EXPRESS THAT WHY I AM A CREDIBLE MESSENGER. I'M A CREDIBLE MESSENGER BECAUSE THIS PROGRAM IS WORKING WITH YOUTH IN A WAY THAT IS AUTHENTIC. IT'S INTEGRITY. CHILDREN KNOW TRUTH WHEN THEY SEE IT. THE YOUTH KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GAME AND REAL. AND IT'S ALSO A COMBINATION OF PEOPLE WHO ARE FORMERLY INCARCERATED AS WELL AS PEOPLE WHO ARE ACTIVISTS AND HAVE BEEN WORKING IN COMMUNITY, WHETHER THEY'RE EDUCATORS OR WHAT HAVE YOU. AND IT'S AN AWESOME COMBINATION OF THE TWO. AND I TOO AM ASKING FOR YOU TO PLEASE VOTE FOR AGENDA 27 BECAUSE IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE PUT OUR [01:05:01] MOUTH WHERE OUR MONEY IS AND THAT WE KNOW WE CAN'T MAKE CHANGE WITHOUT IT. I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR, FOR, UH, AGREEING TO, TO GIVE US THESE MONIES AND, UM, BELIEVING IN HAVING FAITH THAT THIS WILL NOT BE A ONE TIME DEAL. THAT Y'ALL WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE WORK THAT WE ARE DOING. I KNOW THE GENTLEMAN SAID EARLIER THAT HE, THAT HE'S AN ALLY AND LOOK, LOOK FORWARD TO HIM BEING AN ALLY. I DON'T WANT AN ALLY. I NEED AN ACCOMPLICE. THIS, I NEED SOMEBODY, WHEN I BANG HIM OVER THE HEAD, YOU GONNA PULL HIM IN THE BUSH AND WHO'S GONNA BE THE DRIVING CAR? LIKE, WE NEED MORE THAN THAT, RIGHT? SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO YOUR SUPPORT AND THANK YOU SO MUCH. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, MA'AM. THANK YOU MAYOR PROTO. MA'AM BUSEY, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE AND TO EVERYONE ELSE THAT CAME UP HERE TODAY TO, TO SPEAK. UH, BEFORE I GOT TO COUNCIL, MY CAREER WAS IN PUBLIC HEALTH. I HAVE A MASTER'S IN PUBLIC HEALTH, SPENT MANY YEARS WORKING IN PUBLIC HEALTH. AND CREDIBLE MESSENGERS ARE SUCH A VITAL COMPONENT OF EVERY ASPECT OF PUBLIC HEALTH. AND I'VE SEEN IT FIRSTHAND FROM HELPING PEOPLE MANAGE CHRONIC DISEASES TO SIGNING UP FOR INSURANCE, YOU NAME IT. UM, SO I'M REALLY GLAD TO SEE Y'ALL HERE SHARING THAT MESSAGE OF THE IMPACT OF YOUR WORK. IT IS IMPACTFUL, IT IS LIFE CHANGING, IT IS LIFE SAVING. UM, AND, AND I'M VERY PROUD TO SUPPORT, UH, THIS ITEM AND TO ALSO THANK COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON FOR BEING SO PASSIONATE ABOUT BRINGING THIS PROGRAM INTO YOUR DISTRICT AND THEN FIGHTING TO KEEP IT GOING, UH, BECAUSE IT IS SUCH A KEY COMPONENT OF, OF REDUCING VIOLENCE AND, AND A NUMBER OF OTHER THINGS. SO THANK YOU'ALL SO MUCH FOR, FOR ALL YOUR WORK, FOR ALL THAT YOU DO. AND, UH, I'LL BE SUPPORTING, UH, THIS ITEM TOMORROW. WELL, THANK YOU. I SO APPRECIATE YOU AS AN EDUCATOR. AS, UH, SOMEONE WHO SAW THE PRISON TO THE SCHOOL PIPELINE AND REALIZED I HAD TO LEAVE THE CLASSROOM TO GO OVER TO THE OTHER JAIL REENTRY ISSUES BECAUSE UNFORTUNATELY HOW OUR CHILDREN ARE BEING PUSHED INTO THE JUVENILE DETENTION CENTERS. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. NEXT SPEAKER WILL HILL. WILL HILL, WILL HILL. NEXT SPEAKER, LETITIA ROWE. LETITIA ROWE. LETITIA ROWE. NEXT SPEAKER, BARBARA REDINGER. BARBARA REDINGER. NEXT SPEAKER. MICHAEL BARNES. MICHAEL BARNES. NEXT SPEAKER SHARON VANCE. SHARON VANCE. NEXT SPEAKER, DAVID REVIS. DAVID REVIS. MR. REBUS. YES, HELLO SIR. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS DAVID REBUS. I LIVE AT THIRTY FIVE TEN NINE TWO DRIVE, HOUSTON, TEXAS 7 7 0 1 3. I'M 80 YEARS OLD AND I AM SICK AND TIRED OF THOSE 18 WHEELER TRUCKS COMING DOWN THE AVENUE. IT SAYS NO THROUGH TRUCKS. I HAVE TRIED TO GET THE COUNCILMAN TO DO SOMETHING. I'VE OFFERED TO BUY, BUY THE SIGN WITH THE ROUND CIRCLE AND THE TRUCK. NO, THROUGH TRUCK. BECAUSE YOU HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT CAN'T READ ENGLISH. AND I KNOW QUITE A FEW OF THEM. THEY'RE DRIVING WITHOUT A DRIVER'S LICENSE. AND IT'S LIKE A FREEWAY THROUGH THERE. YOU GOT GAS TANKERS COMING THROUGH THERE. YOU'VE GOT, UH, ALL KINDS OF 18 WHEELERS COMING THROUGH THERE, TRANSPORTERS AND NO. AND THEY DO NOT GO DOWN THE STREET TO A MECHANIC. THEY GO FROM VILLE TO HIGHWAY 90 TO TAKE THE SHORTCUTS SO THEY DON'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE WEIGHT AND MEASUREMENT PEOPLE OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. AND, UH, I TALKED TO THE POLICEMAN. HE SAID, WELL, THEY, UH, THEY GO BY THEIR, UH, GOOGLE THING TELLS 'EM TO GO THERE. I DON'T CARE WHAT THEY GO BY. IT SAYS NO THROUGH TRUCKS. IF I RUN A STOP SIGN IN FRONT OF THIS POLICEMAN, HE'S GONNA GIVE [01:10:01] ME A TICKET. YOU KNOW? SO IT'S TIME THAT WE ENFORCE THE LAW. 'CAUSE THERE ARE PEOPLE THERE. YOU HAVE ONE TANKER THAT EXPLODES TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD. THERE GOES THE NEIGHBORHOOD, THE BRIDGES DOWN THE STREET. IT'S ABOUT GONE TOO. THE SPEED BUMPS THEY PUT THERE LOOK LIKE PANCAKES. 'CAUSE NOBODY CARES. EXCEPT I DO. I HAVE PEOPLE THAT WANT TO COME UP HERE, BUT THEY, THEY'RE EMBARRASSED TO COME UP HERE AND TALK. I'M NOT, YOU KNOW, I'M JUST TIRED. FIVE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING, THEY'RE SHAKING YOU OUT OF BED, KNOCKING THE PICTURES OFF THE WALL. YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT RIGHT. AND I HAVE A BRAND NEW 3-YEAR-OLD HOUSE, AND IT'S STILL DOING ALL THAT DAMAGE. THAT'S ALL I GOT TO SAY. YOU KNOW, IF IT GET SOMEBODY OUT THERE TO EVEN GIVE TWO PEOPLE A TICKET, IT'LL STOP BECAUSE THEY'LL GET ON THE RADIOS AND START SAYING, HEY MAN, DON'T COME DOWN THE STREET. HASN'T HAPPENED YET. I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S GONNA TAKE. GOT A COUPLE NEPHEWS THERE IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. MAYBE I'LL GET 'EM OVER THERE WHEN I HAVE THREE OR FOUR YEARS IN THERE. BUT RIGHT NOW, I DON'T KNOW. I'M GONNA HAVE A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN. 'CAUSE THESE, THESE THINGS REALLY, REALLY KEEP YOU AWAKE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. HANG ON, MR. UM, RIVAS, COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ. THANK YOU. MAYOR PRO TIM. UH, MR. DIVAS, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. UM, AND JUST AS, AS YOU MENTIONED, RIGHT, THERE HAVE BEEN A COUPLE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN DONE TO TRY AND SLOW DOWN, UH, THE HEAVY TRUCKS UP THERE, WHICH IS SPEED CUSHIONS, WHICH WAS PROBABLY ABOUT A GOOD FOUR OR FIVE YEARS AGO. UH, AND THEN OF COURSE THE, THE, UH, NOTE THREE TRUCK SIGNS. AND OF COURSE, TO, TO YOUR POINT, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE ENFORCEMENT CONTINUES TO BE A PRIORITY. UH, WE CONTINUE TO TALK TO THE NORTHEAST COMMAND, UH, STAFF OUT THERE TO MAKE SURE WHENEVER THEY ARE OUT THERE, THERE HAS BEEN TIMES WHERE THEY HAVE SET UP SHOP THERE AND HAVE GIVEN SOME CITATIONS. UM, I ALSO WANNA, UH, MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE ANOTHER DISCUSSION AS WELL, WHICH IS THE CITYWIDE, UH, TRUCK ROUTE PLAN. IT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS DISCUSSED FOR THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF, TWO YEARS, UM, THAT I WOULD LOVE TO, UH, MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN WE GIVE YOU, UH, MORE UPDATES ON AS WELL. THE, UH, WE HAVE A NEW PLANNING DIRECTOR THAT I, THAT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SITTING DOWN WITH AND HAVING DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THIS SPECIFICALLY IN THE NORTHEAST PART AND THE EAST END, WHERE WE DO HAVE, UH, INDUSTRIAL, UH, LOCATIONS ON MOU. THERE IS A BUSINESS THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH MAGNITUDE PREFERABLY COMING ON FROM, FROM THE NORTH, NORTH ASPECT OF IT. SO THAT WAY IT, UH, IT, IT'S NOT THROUGH THE RESIDENTIAL PART, WHICH IS SOUTH OF THAT BUSINESS WHERE THEY HAVE TRUCKS. RIGHT? AND, AND WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING FROM THEM GETTING TO THEIR LOCATION OF BUSINESS, UH, FOR THOSE HEAVY TRUCKS. UM, WHAT WE CAN DO IS CONTINUE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM. WE'VE HAD SEVERAL, UM, IN THE NORTHEAST PART WHERE WE'VE WORKED WITH THOSE COMPANIES TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE GOING THROUGH A DIFFERENT ROUTE, UM, TO ALLEVIATE SOME OF THE RESIDENTIAL PART. UH, ON MAGNITUDE SPECIFICALLY, I WANNA SAY THERE'S PROBABLY ABOUT, UH, A DOZEN OR SO HOMES SOUTH OF THE, UH, THE, UH, THAT, THAT, UH, TRUCKING COMPANY. AND SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO OUR PART. UH, PLEASE REACH OUT TO OUR OFFICE, CONTINUE TO REACH OUT TO OUR OFFICE. WE'RE GOING TO, AGAIN, MAKE SURE THAT HPD UH, SETS UP, SHOP THERE TO, UH, TRYING TO HELP ENFORCE. IT DOES BECOME DIFFICULT WHENEVER WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH HPD OFFICERS THAT ARE JUST PATROLLING. BUT KNOW THAT, THAT IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON. AND AS A FORMER STAFFER OUT OF THE DISTRICT EYE OFFICE, I WAS PART OF THAT. UH, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE THAT WE GOT THE, THE SPEED CUSHION, MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE SIGNS. I KNOW THEY GET KNOCKED DOWN, SO WE GOT A CALL 3 1 1 TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY REPLACE 'EM AGAIN. UH, SO, UH, AGAIN, JUST, JUST KNOW THAT, UH, AND, AND WE'LL SHARE THIS INFORMATION WITH YOU AS WELL. UM, WHAT, WHAT IS IT THAT THE CITY'S DOING CITYWIDE WHEN IT COMES TO A, A TRUCK ROUTE PLAN, UH, TO ENSURE THAT, THAT WE ARE TRYING TO KEEP AS MANY OF THOSE HEAVY TRUCKS OUT OF RESIDENTIAL AREAS? YEAH. WELL, YOU SPEAK ABOUT, UH, UH, SHOP THERE, REPAIR TRUCKS. IF ANYBODY WANTS TO COME OUT THERE AND RIDE WITH ME, YOU'RE WELCOME TO. I'LL PAY FOR THE GAS. THEY COME FROM WALLACE HILL AND GO TO HIGHWAY 90. THEY DO NOT GO TO ANY MECHANIC SHOP. IT'S A SHORTCUT, NOT A MECHANIC SHOP. UH, THERE'S A TRUCK COMPANY UP THERE. WHAT I'M SAYING, MAYBE THERE'S WRONG, WRONG TERMINOLOGY. I KNOW THAT HPD SET, THEY ACTUALLY GO OUT THERE AND THEY SET UP THERE TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE DOING SOME ENFORCEMENT, IS WHAT I WAS SAYING. UM, SEE THE FACT THAT THAT GUY'S NOT ON STREET, IT, IT DOESN'T HAPPEN ENOUGH. UM, BUT AGAIN, WITH SHORTAGE OF HPD OFFICERS, IT'S HARD TO HAVE SOMEBODY JUST STATIONED THERE TO, TO DO ENFORCEMENT ON TRUCKS. UH, BUT WE'LL REACH OUT TO THE NORTHEAST COMMAND STATION AGAIN. MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE OUT, OUT, THEY ARE OUT THERE. SO, OKAY, WELL, I DON'T EXPECT IT TO BE OUT THERE 24 HOURS, SO WE JUST LIKE UNDERSTOOD. ONE IN THE MORNING, ONE IN THE AFTERNOON. MAKE SOME MONEY, MAN, BECAUSE THEY'RE BREAKING THE LAW. UNDERSTOOD. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU, MA'AM. NEXT SPEAKER. MARK RODRIGUEZ. MARK RODRIGUEZ. THANK YOU. CITY COUNCIL. THANK YOU. CITY COUNCIL AND, UH, AMERIPRO. TIM. THANK YOU, MARK CASTILLO. MY NAME'S MARK RODRIGUEZ. I OWN TWO BUSINESSES IN SECOND WARD. I'M ALSO THE PRESIDENT OF [01:15:01] NFA EARLY START, ALSO THE PRESIDENT OF MY CIVIC GROUP. I'VE BEEN BRINGING THESE ISSUES TO PUBLIC WORKS SINCE LAST YEAR. THE DO NOT INTER SIGN IN FRONT OF THE SCHOOL. IF YOU LOOK AT IT, IT'S OBSTRUCTED BY THE STOP SIGN. THAT'S ONE PROBLEM. AND UNLESS YOU'RE LOOKING FOR THE DO NOT INTER SIGN CARS TURNED DOWN THAT PLACE ON A DAILY BASIS DOWN THAT STREET. ALSO, AROUND THE SCHOOL ZONE SIGNS. I'VE BEEN COMPLAINING TO TREES AND SINCE LAST YEAR ABOUT TRIMMING THESE TREES. IT AIN'T THAT HARD TO DO. THEY'VE MADE PLENTY OF EXCUSES. OH, THERE'S CARS PARKED UNDER 'EM, BUT IT AIN'T JUST ONE SIGN THAT'S BLOCKING. IT'S ALL AROUND THE SCHOOL WHERE THESE TREES ARE BLOCKING THESE THINGS. AND, AND WE'RE REALLY ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IN FRONT OF AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND AN EARLY START, IT'S KIND OF TOUCHING. 'CAUSE WE GO THERE EVERY MORNING. UM, I MEAN, THAT'S AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. EVEN HISZ TRUCKS HAVE DROWN, DRIVEN DOWN THAT ONE WAY. EVERY MORNING I WALK MY DAUGHTER TO SCHOOL AND EVERY MORNING I PICK HER UP EVERY AFTERNOON I PICK HER UP. UM, IT'S A PROBLEM THAT I KNOW WE NEED MORE PATROL WITH HPD, BUT I REALLY THINK PUBLIC WORKS NEED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT MAKING THIS DO NOT ENTER WHERE PEOPLE KNOW THAT'S A ONE WAY NOT TO TURN DOWN THAT STREET, THAT SIGN. THEY NEED TO DO BETTER THAN PUT THAT SIGN IN BACK OF THAT STOP SIGN WHERE YOU CAN'T EVEN SEE AS IN THE PICTURES THAT I SHOWED Y'ALL HERE. I I DON'T THINK WE OUGHT TO WAIT ANOTHER FOUR OR FIVE MONTHS TO GET THIS DONE. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, MR. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. THANK YOU MAYOR PROTI. AND THANK YOU MARK FOR, UH, COMING DOWN HERE TO RAISE YOUR CONCERNS. I KNOW WE VISITED, UH, SATURDAY ABOUT THIS WHEN WE TALKED TO PARKS ABOUT THE TREES AND HOW FRUSTRATING THE THE WEIGHT HAS BEEN, UM, TO GET SOME OF THESE THINGS RESOLVED. UH, I THINK YOU BEING DOWN HERE HELPS, UH, RAISE THE URGENCY. WE'RE GONNA DO THE SAME, UH, ON MY END. UM, I DON'T WANT ANOTHER FOUR MONTHS TO GO BY AND, AND WE'RE IN THE SAME SITUATION. UM, SO KNOW THAT MY OFFICE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH PUBLIC WORKS, UM, AND PARKS ON BOTH OF THESE ISSUES, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, HAVING THIS CONVERSATION IN, IN THREE MORE MONTHS. COUNCIL MEMBER, I WORK WITH TY AND SABRINA, UH, ON A DAILY OR WEEKLY BASIS, AND THEY DO TAKE CARE OF YOUR ALL. I MEAN, WE HAD A WATER LEAK, A BIG WATER LEAK RIGHT IN BACK OF THE SCHOOL. UH, SABRINA MADE A FEW PHONE CALLS AND IT GOT TAKEN CARE OF IMMEDIATELY. BUT I MEAN, FOR SOME REASON, I DON'T, I DON'T UNDERSTAND. PUBLIC WORKS WITH THE DO NOT ENTER. IF YOU LOOK AT IT, UNLESS YOU'RE LOOKING FOR THAT SIGN, YOU CAN'T SEE IT. CARS DRIVE DOWN THERE EVERY DAY, ALMOST ON A, ON A ONE WAY. BUT THANK Y'ALL AND THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER. AND THANK Y'ALL FOR HEARING ME OUT, AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET SOMETHING DONE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. JAMES CHAMBERS. JAMES CHAMBERS. JAMES CHAMBERS. NEXT SPEAKER. SHAIK DANIELS GELLIN. HELLO, GOOD AFTERNOON. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK. MY NAME IS SHAIK DANIELS GELS, AND I AM WITH THE PARKWOOD DRIVE CIVIC CLUB. I'M ACTUALLY THE DEED RESTRICTIONS PERSON, SO I WAS A BIT SURPRISED THAT THE CITY HAS SAID THAT. UH, THEY WERE LOOKING INTO THE DEED RESTRICTIONS WHEN I ACTUALLY HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH THEM AT LEAST A MONTH AGO TO TALK ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE. I DON'T WANNA GO OVER EVERYTHING THAT HAS BEEN SAID ABOUT THIS PROPERTY AT TH 37 60, UH, RIO VISTA. THAT IS THE MOST EGREGIOUS EXAMPLE OF THE DEFIANT AND RIDICULOUSNESS THAT'S GOING ON WITH THE DEVELOPERS THAT ARE COMING IN. I'VE BEEN WORKING ON DEED RESTRICTIONS FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. THIS IS REALLY WHAT IS HAPPENING IS OVER TIME PEOPLE ARE GETTING MUCH MORE DEFIANT AND THEY DON'T CARE WHAT THE CITY SAYS. THEY DON'T CARE WHAT THE DEED RESTRICTIONS SAY THEY'RE GONNA BUILD BECAUSE IT'S NOT THEIR COMMUNITY. WELL, I LOVE MY COMMUNITY. WE'VE GOT PEOPLE HERE WHO LOVE THEIR COMMUNITY, PEOPLE WHO'VE LIVED THERE 50 OR 60 YEARS LONGER THAN I'VE LIVED IN THAT COMMUNITY. AND, UM, WE'RE REALLY, WE'RE ASKING TWO, WE WANT YOU TO TEAR THIS PROPERTY DOWN. THIS HAS BEEN RIDICULOUS. IF YOU SEE THIS HOUSE, ALL IT'S GONNA BE IS ANOTHER AIRBNB THAT'S ILLEGAL IN OUR COMMUNITY. WE'VE GOT SEVERAL OF THOSE. THEY'RE BOLD. THEY ADVERTISE. YOU CAN PULL IT UP RIGHT NOW. THE REALTORS DON'T CARE. THEY ADVERTISE THAT THESE PEOPLE ARE, CAN USE IT AS AN AIRBNB WHEN IT'S ILLEGAL. THEY ALSO NEVER TELL PEOPLE ABOUT THE DEED RESTRICTIONS EVERY DAY, IT SEEMS LIKE NOW I'M CONTACTING [01:20:01] THE HOUSTON REALTORS ASSOCIATION. I'M CONTACTING REALTORS. I CALLED THIS PERSON, I'VE SPOKEN WITH THIS OWNER. I'VE SPOKEN WITH THE PERSON WHO PUT IN THE PERMIT. I'VE SPOKEN WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON. UM, I'M RETIRED. I ACTUALLY WOULD LIKE TO ENJOY A LITTLE BIT MORE OF MY RETIREMENT THAN HAVING TO CONSTANTLY CALL THE CITY, CONSTANTLY HAVE THREE ONE ONE SAY, WE'VE HEARD FROM YOU BEFORE. YOU DON'T NEED TO CALL AGAIN. WELL, YOU DIDN'T DO ANYTHING BUT CLOSE OUT THE FACT THAT YOU CALLED ME BACK TO TELL ME YOU HEARD ME. SO THAT'S REALLY A RIDICULOUS THING. WHAT WE'RE ASKING, NOT ONLY FOR THIS PARTICULAR HOUSE, WE WOULD LIKE TO PARTNER WITH THE CITY ON SOME OF THE OTHER ISSUES THAT ARE OCCURRING THERE AND GET ASSISTANCE. WE WOULD LIKE TO PUT SOME, WE COULD PUT SOME OF OUR MONEY IN IF YOU WERE WILLING TO MATCH SOME. SO WE KNOW YOU DON'T HAVE ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD TO DO THIS. WE COULD HIRE SOME LAWYERS. WE'RE WILLING TO HAVE SKIN IN THE GAME. WE NEED HELP. WE'RE ASKING FOR YOUR HELP. WE'RE ASKING FIRST THAT YOU TEAR THIS PROPERTY DOWN AND SECOND THAT YOU WILL PARTNER WITH US. IF WE CAN RAISE MONEY AND WE CAN MATCH IT UP TO A CERTAIN AMOUNT LIKE SOME OF THE OTHER DISTRICTS DO, THAT WOULD BE TRULY, TRULY HELPFUL TO US. AGAIN, MY NAME IS SHAIK DANIELS GELS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. HANG ON, HANG ON ONE SECOND. MS. MS MS. GELS. HANG ON ONE SECOND. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, ARE YOU IN THE QUEUE? NO. OKAY. I I DO WANNA ASK THE CITY ATTORNEY. A COUPLE OF PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY SPOKEN AND THEY WANT THE PROPERTY TO BE TORN DOWN. WHAT, WHAT IS THE CITY'S, UM, JURISDICTION ON ACTUALLY TEARING THIS DOWN AS A DANGEROUS BUILDING? SO THE DANGEROUS BUILDING, THE RULES FOR TEARING DOWN A DANGEROUS BUILDING UNDER DEPARTMENT NEIGHBORHOODS IS DIFFERENT FOR THE RULES UNDER THE BUILDING CODE. THEY'RE COM COMPLETELY SEPARATE. AND, AND ALTHOUGH IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE I'VE LOOKED AT IT, I ASSUME IT HASN'T CHANGED THE RULES UNDER THE DEPARTMENT. NEIGHBORHOODS REALLY TALK ABOUT BUILDINGS THAT ARE, UM, STRUCTURALLY UNSOUND. WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT NOT HAVING A PERMIT. YOU MAY NOT HAVE A PERMIT, BUT MAY STILL HAVE A STRUCTURALLY SOUND BUILDING. SO NORMALLY WHEN WE TEAR DOWN BUILDINGS, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT OLD DILAPIDATED BUILDINGS THAT ARE SO IN, SO STRUCTURALLY UNSOUND THAT DEPARTMENTS OF NEIGHBORHOOD HAS DETERMINED THAT THEY MUST BE TORN DOWN FOR SAFETY REASONS, UNFORTUNATELY, UNDER THE BUILDING CODE, COMPLETELY DIFFERENT STANDARD, AND WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO TEAR IT DOWN UNDER THE BUILDING CODE. OKAY. HOW DO YOU KNOW IF THEY ARE UNSAFE OR THAT THEY MEET ANY CODES WHEN YOU HAVE, THE CITY OF HOUSTON HAS NO PLANS. THEY BUILT THIS ON A PERMIT THAT SAYS MINOR REPAIRS. AND NOW THERE'S A THREE STORY BUILDING THERE THAT THEY'RE GONNA USE AS AN AIRBNB. SO HOW WOULD YOU EVEN HAVE ANY SENSE UNLESS YOU ACTUALLY GOT THE PLANS, FORCED THEM TO GIVE YOU THE PLANS AND ACTUALLY REVIEWED THE PLANS THAT THAT IS, THEY'RE REVIEWED BY HPW. SO THAT IS AN HPW ISSUE THAT I CAN'T ANSWER. THAT'S A, THAT HE SAID THAT'S AN HPW, UM, ISSUE. SO WE, WE DO HAVE, UM, THIS ISSUE, UM, FLAGGED FOR PUBLIC WORKS. UH, THEY ARE REVIEWING THE ISSUE AND WE DO HOPE TO BE ABLE TO GIVE A REPORT BACK TO THE RESIDENTS THAT HAVE COME TODAY TO, TO DISCUSS IT. SO, THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. YOU HAVE RAISED THE RED FLAG, OKAY. AND I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE SINCE I DID ACTUALLY CONTACT, THANK YOU. WHO, WHO IS THE DISTRICT D ATTORNEY FOR? UH, LEGAL BARNES. PAUL BARNES, OKAY. . ALL RIGHT. I TALKED TO HIM. THANK YOU. SO THANK YOU. UH, NEXT SPEAKER. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS OUR FORMER CITY CONTROLLER, CITY COUNCIL MEMBER. UH, MR. RONALD GREEN. MR. SIT RIGHT THERE. OH, SO MUCH FOR BEING DISCREET, UH, , FIRST OF ALL, UH, GOOD AFTERNOON. AND FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU ALL FOR ALL THE JOB, THE JOB THAT YOU'RE DOING. UM, I'M HERE TODAY TO ONE. I I AM GOING TO ECHO, UH, WHAT MY, MY NEIGHBORS HAVE TALKED ABOUT HERE TODAY. UH, I, MY NAME IS RONALD GREEN. I ALSO, UH, AM A MEMBER OF THE PARKWOOD DRIVE CIVIC CLUB, WHERE I SERVE AS A TREASURER. UH, AND I'VE LIVED IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS, AND OF COURSE, HAVE GROWN UP IN THIRD WARD. IF YOU HAVE A PACKET OF INFORMATION THAT I FIGURED THAT I WOULD HELP YOU ALL KIND OF GET A BETTER APPRECIATION FOR WHAT WE ARE DEALING WITH, UH, IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, ONE OF THE BEST THINGS THAT NOW THAT THE CAT IS OUT OF THE BAG, ONE OF THE MOST, UH, ENJOYABLE THINGS THAT I EVER EXPERIENCED AS A COUNCIL MEMBER AND AS, AS A CONTROLLER, IS GOING OUT INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND SOMEBODY THANKING ME FOR A JOB THAT I DIDN'T DO. AND THAT WAS BECAUSE MY STAFF HAD DONE IT. AND SO I WANNA FIRST OF ALL, THANK ALL THE STAFF MEMBERS WHO HAVE, WHO HAVE STEPPED UP TO THE PLATE. I'M NOT HERE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE, UH, THE COUNCIL DISTRICT D OFFICE 'CAUSE THEY HAVE STEPPED UP TO THE PLATE AT LARGE. COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE STEPPED UP TO THE PLATE. DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS HAVE STEPPED UP TO THE PLATE. WE HAVE, UH, I, I THINK IN, IF YOU LOOK AT THIS IN TERMS OF CITY OF, OF, UH, GOVERNMENT TIME, THEY HAVE MOVED WITH LIGHTNING SPEED. HOWEVER, WHAT I HAVE BEFORE YOU IS JUST TO GIVE YOU A FEW LITTLE THINGS, UM, THAT I THINK THAT WILL GIVE YOU A BETTER APPRECIATION FOR THIS. I HAVE LISTED SOME DEED RESTRICTIONS FOR US, UM, THAT WE BELIEVE THAT ARE [01:25:01] IN VIOLATION. UH, THIS IS THE FIRST I'VE HEARD THAT SOME OF OUR RESTRICTIONS MAY NOT BE ENFORCEABLE, BUT THINGS LIKE THE HEIGHT REQUIREMENT, THINGS LIKE THE SETBACK, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE CITY CAME OUT TO MEASURE THE SETBACK. WE HAVE A 10 FOOT SETBACK IN OUR DEED RESTRICTIONS, AND IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT IT WAS SEVEN. THEY MEASURED SEVEN FEET YESTERDAY. UH, WE ALSO HAVE, GO AHEAD. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TIM. UM, WE ALSO HAVE A HEIGHT RESTRICTION. AND IF YOU SEE THE PICTURE THAT I'VE GIVEN YOU, THESE PEOPLE HAVE TRIPLED THE SIZE OF THIS HOUSE, AND THEY'VE DONE IT ALL ON A MINOR REPAIR PERMIT. UM, BUT I, I'M, I'M NO, YOU KNOW, NO BARNABY JONES HERE. BUT I DID DO SOME, YOU KNOW, SOME, SOME CHECKING ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND THAT A LOT OF THESE PEOPLE ARE RELATED. BUT THIS IS THE SECOND TIME, UH, THE SECOND, UH, SELLER. I MEAN, IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, WHO HAS SOLD A HOUSE TO SOMEBODY WHO PLANS TO BUILD AN AIRBNB, UM, THERE'S A NETWORK. IF YOU JUST DO THE TRACE, THE DEED HISTORIES ON SOME OF THESE HOUSES, THEY BUY AND SELL TO EACH OTHER. SO, I MEAN, I'M, I'M SHORT OF SAYING A NETWORK. IT'S REALLY A RING IS WHAT THEY'RE DOING. UH, AND THEY HAVE NO REGARD FOR THIS. UH, WHAT DIDN'T COME OUT BEFORE IS THAT THESE PEOPLE ARE NOW WORKING ON THEIR FOURTH STOP WORK ORDER. THERE ARE ORANGE, THERE ARE RED TAGS OUTSIDE. WHEN SOMEONE FROM THE CITY DEPARTMENT OF, UH, UH, PUBLIC WORKS WENT OUT THERE, THEY LOCKED THEMSELVES THEMSELVES IN THE GATE AND WOULDN'T LET THE CITY IN THE GATE. UH, THESE PEOPLE WORK ALL HOURS OF THE NIGHT. THEY GET THEIR PROPERTY DELIVERED. I THINK SOME OF YOU HAVE BEEN TO MY HOUSE. I CAN LOOK AT THIS THROUGH MY, UH, FROM MY BEDROOM AND I CAN SEE WHAT'S GOING ON OUT THERE. SO THEY GET THEIR, UH, MATERIALS THAT ARE, UH, DELIVERED AT FOUR OR FIVE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING. AND, AND I KNOW IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE IT, BUT I GO TO THE GYM AT THAT TIME. AND SO I, I, I CAN HEAR, I CAN HEAR THIS GOING ON. UM, SO WHAT I, WHAT I AM SAYING IS THAT I DON'T LIKE TO GIVE YOU, UH, A, A PROBLEM WITHOUT GIVING SOME SOLUTIONS THAT POTENTIALLY ARE THERE. AND THAT FOR THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT, IF YOU LOOK ON THE, THE LAST PAGE, MANY OF MY, UH, UH, COLLEAGUES HAVE MENTIONED THAT THEY WANT THIS HOUSE TORN DOWN. WELL, YES WE DO. UM, BUT IT, AND I'VE HEARD IT FLOATED AROUND THAT, YOU KNOW, THESE PEOPLE ARE BUILDING A BIG HOUSE AND WE DON'T KNOW IF THEY JUST HAVE A BIG FAMILY. WELL, ONCE AGAIN, ALL IT TOOK WAS A LITTLE CURSORY SEARCH ON THE INTERNET. AND I FOUND OUT THAT WE'VE BEEN FIGHTING ANOTHER AIRBNB TWO BLOCKS AWAY, OWNED BY THE SAME PERSON WHERE THEY ARE ADVERTISING THE HOUSE THAT SLEEPS 22 PEOPLE. GO AHEAD. OKAY. WRAP IT UP. THE HOUSE THAT SLEEPS 22 PEOPLE, UH, AND A HOUSE WITH, UH, AND THAT, THAT VERY SAME HOUSE WAS BUILT WITH NO PERMITS. SO I THINK LET'S GO TO SOME OF THE, THE LOW INVESTMENT HIGH YIELD SORT OF SUGGESTIONS I HAVE FOR THE CITY. ONE IS TO HELP US ENFORCE THESE DEED RESTRICTIONS. AND WE'VE GONE THROUGH GREAT LENGTHS, UH, TO, TO DO THIS. AND ONCE AGAIN, YOU KNOW, I'M NO THURGOOD MARSHALL OR KEJI BROWN JACKSON, BUT I CAN, YOU KNOW, READ, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE, THE CITY LAW SAYS THEY CAN DO. UM, MONETARY PENALTIES. CERTAINLY SMALL MONETARY PENALTIES DON'T WORK WITH THESE PEOPLE, BUT ENLIST THE AID OF, UH, HCA. THESE PEOPLE ARE BUILDING THESE HOUSES ON THESE MINOR REPAIR PERMITS, AND THE CITY IS LOSING TAX DOLLARS. AND THESE ARE 6,000 SQUARE FEET HOUSES AFTER THEY GET DONE WITH THEM. BUT ON THE ROLLS, THEY'RE 1900 SQUARE FOOT HOUSES. SO FROM A A MONETARY PERSPECTIVE, THE CITY AND ALL OF THE OTHER TAXING ENTITIES ARE LOSING MONEY IN THAT RESPECT. UH, ENLIST THE AID OF THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY. WHEN SOMEONE GOES TO GET A PERMIT, THEY HAVE TO, UH, EITHER TESTIFY UNDER OATH OR, OR, OR SWEAR UNDER PENALTY OF PERJURY THAT THEY CHECK THE DEED RESTRICTIONS. THAT THERE ARE NO DEED RESTRICTIONS IN, UH, IN PLAY. AND IF YOU, I, I PUT A PICTURE THERE BECAUSE WE HAVE, WE'VE GONE THROUGH GREAT LENGTHS TO PUT SIGNS UP ON EVERY CORNER. UH, AND THIS, THIS PARTICULAR PERSON WHO WAS SO DEFIANT, THIS IS THEIR SECOND TIME DOING THIS. SO THEY KNOW WE HAVE DEED RESTRICTIONS. THE SELLER KNEW WE HAD DEED RESTRICTIONS. THE BUYER KNEW WE HAD DEED RESTRICTIONS. SO I SAY AT THE END OF THE DAY, THESE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN WILLFUL AND WANTING, THEY DID NOT EVEN GET THE, THE MINOR REPAIR PERMIT UNTIL AFTER WE HAD ENLISTED THE AID OF THE CITY TO PUT A RED TAG ON THE PROPERTY. SO FOR US TO SAY, NOW, THEY, THEY ARE, THEY ARE GIVING, THEY ARE APPLYING FOR THE PROPER PERMITS. WELL, WHAT DO YOU DO RETROACTIVELY FOR A HOUSE THAT'S, THAT'S BUILT AND BEING ADVERTISED FOR 20 OR 30 PEOPLE AT A TIME? AND YOU HAVEN'T CHECKED THE FOUNDATION, YOU HAVEN'T CHECKED THE, THE PLUMBING. YOU HAVEN'T CHECKED THE ELECTRIC. UH, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THE CITY IS, IS, IS LIMITED ON WHAT THEY CAN DO. BUT THERE ARE SOME, THERE ARE SOME EXISTING RULES THAT WE BELIEVE, UH, THAT THE CITY COULD ENFORCE. UH, I UNDERSTAND THAT THE CITY MAY BE HESITANT TO, UH, HELP NE HELP NEIGHBORHOODS ENFORCE DEED RESTRICTIONS. AND OURS IS A 100-YEAR-OLD, UH, CIVIC CLUB. UH, IT'S A 100-YEAR-OLD NEIGHBORHOOD. IT'S HISTORICAL. SO SOME, UH, SO WE HAVE, BUT WE'VE GONE THROUGH GREAT LENGTHS TO GET OUR, UH, OUR DEED RESTRICTIONS IN, UH, IN ORDER. SO I SAY ALL THAT TO SAY THIS. THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT WE BELIEVE THAT THE CITY COULD DO, UM, AND NOT EVEN BE CONCERNED ABOUT THE DEED RESTRICTIONS, BUT JUST ENFORCE YOUR OWN RULES. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. UM, YOU, YOU, YOU BRING UP SOME VALID POINTS, AND I WANT TO AGAIN ASK OUR CITY ATTORNEY, WHEN YOU ARE ISSUED THE STOP WORK PERMIT FOUR TIMES, WHAT, WHAT DOES THE CITY DO TO ENSURE THAT THEY ACTUALLY STOP WORK BEFORE THEY GO TO THE ARRAIGNMENT? HPW JUST INSPECTS NORMALLY STOP WORK ORDERS ARE, ARE [01:30:01] ENFORCED BY ISSUING CITATIONS. THAT'S THE ONLY ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITY WE HAVE FOR THAT KIND OF STUFF, IS THAT WE JUST GIVE THEM ANOTHER STOP WORK AND, AND, AND POSSIBLY ISSUE CITATIONS TO 'EM. YES. THAT'S WHAT THE CODE ALLOWS FOR AND THE CITATION. AND THEN THEY WON'T DO ANYTHING UNTIL IT'S TIME FOR THEM TO GO TO THE ARRAIGNMENT. AND THEN THEY KNOW WHAT THEY'RE IN COURT. EVERY PERSON IS DIFFERENT. WHAT YOU'RE HOPING THAT THEY WILL DO IS GO AND GET THE PROPER PERMITS. SO THE, THE CITATION STOP, I CAN'T SPEAK TO THIS PARTICULAR ENTITY, WHAT THEY'VE CONTINUED TO DO. UM, BUT FOR JUST THE NOT HAVING THE PROPER, THE STOP WORK ORDER, IF THEY CONTINUE TO WORK, IT'S ISSUING A CITATION. THAT'S ALL THE CODE ALLOWS US TO DO. SO, IN A SITUATION LIKE THIS, UM, WHERE WE KNOW FOR A FACT THAT THEY REALLY ARE BUILDING AN AIRBNB AND THEY'VE BUILT ANOTHER AIRBNB AND IT'S OWNED BY THE SAME PEOPLE, DO WE, ARE WE BUILDING A CASE FOR THE ARRAIGNMENT? I MEAN, WHAT, WHAT DO NEIGHBORS HAVE AS A RECOURSE? WELL, THERE'S A COUPLE OF THINGS. SO, SO, UH, THERE MAY BE DEED RESTRICTIONS THAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD ITSELF CAN ENFORCE A DEED RESTRICTION IN GE GENERAL RESTRICTIONS WITHOUT GOING INTO GREAT DETAIL, CAN BE ENFORCED BY THE NEIGHBORHOOD STATE LAW. SO THE NEIGHBORHOOD WOULD HAVE TO GET THEIR ATTORNEY TO ENFORCE IT. THE CITY CAN'T ENFORCE IT, BUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD WOULD HAVE TO GET THEIR ATTORNEY TO ENFORCE THEIR DEED RESTRICTIONS. WELL, THERE ARE, THERE, SO LEMME SAY TWO THINGS. THERE'S TWO ANSWERS TO THAT. SO THE FIRST ANSWER IS GENERALLY YES, THERE ARE FIVE DEED RESTRICTIONS UNDER STATE LAW THAT A MUNICIPALITY CAN'T ENFORCE. UM, FOR EXAMPLE, OFFENSE. THIS DOES NOT INVOLVE OFFENSE. SO, BUT ONE OF THE ONES THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT IS THE SETBACK ISSUE. THAT IS ONE DEED RESTRICTION THAT WE CAN ENFORCE. AND SO HPW IS INVESTIGATING FOR US, IF IT, WE DETERMINE THAT THEY HAVE IN FACT, UH, UH, VIOLATED THAT DEED RESTRICTION, THEN WE WILL LOOK AT, UH, INITIATING A LAWSUIT TO STOP THE BUILDING. THAT'S WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW. SO THE SETBACK IS REQUIRED TO BE 10 FEET AND THEY'RE AT SEVEN FEET. IF WE FILE A LAWSUIT, THEY WOULD HAVE TO TAKE IT DOWN. THAT IS CORRECT. WELL, THAT'S WHAT WE WOULD ASK IF WE WIN THE LAWSUIT. YEAH, IT WOULD OPENLY UP TO THE COURT. BUT THAT IS WHAT WE WOULD ASK. YES. IN OTHER, WELL, LEMME TAKE A STEP BACK. PRESUMABLY, WE, WE WOULD ASK THEM TO BUILD IT CORRECTLY MM-HMM . AND THAT MAY INVOLVE THEM TAKING IT DOWN. THAT IS CORRECT. OKAY. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TEM. THANK YOU, RON. GOOD TO SEE YOU, MY FRIEND AGAIN. UH, MY, MY QUESTION CONCERNING IS TO THE CITY ATTORNEY AS WELL, IF, IF THE BUILD, IF A BUILDING IS NOT SOUND, IT SAYS THE BUILDING IS ATED BUILDING REAL BAD STRUCTURE OF A BUILDING, THE CITY HAS A RIGHT TO TEAR THAT BUILDING DOWN. RIGHT. IF IT'S NOT OCCUPIED, IF IT HADN'T BEEN, IT CAN TAKE IT TO A HEARING YET. IF IT'S ORDERED TO TEAR IT DOWN, WE WE CAN TEAR IT DOWN. YES, SIR. OKAY. SO, SO WHAT WE ARE SAYING HERE IS WE TALKING ABOUT BUILDINGS BEING BUILT IN THE COMMUNITY WITHOUT THE PERMISSION AND THE LEGAL PERMITTING OF THE CITY, IT'S NOT, IT IS NOT BEING PERMITTED. SO HOW DO YOU, HOW DO YOU NOT HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT THE BUILDING IS, EVEN IF THE PERSON WENT OUT TWO OR THREE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING, HOW DO THE CITY KNOW IF THE BUILDING IS SOUND? IT COULD BE, YOU KNOW, IN A, IN A SITUATION WHERE IT'S COURSE IS IN VIOLATION BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T GET THE PERMISSION FROM THE CITY. WELL, SURE. YOU, YOU COULD HAVE A SCENARIO WHERE A BUILDING AFTER IT IS BUILT IS STRUCTURALLY UNSOUND. WE'D HAVE TO HAVE AN ENGINEER LOOK AT THAT. UM, BUT, UH, GENERALLY SPEAKING, UNDER THE, THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOOD STANDARDS, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DILAPIDATED BUILDINGS. THEY JUST HAVE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT STANDARDS THAN THE BUILDING CODE. SO, SO I GUESS MY QUESTION NOW, FOLLOWING MAYOR PRO TIM, IS WHAT WE DO AS COUNCIL, UH, IS MERIT TO WHERE WE FIND A WAY TO CORRECT THIS MATTER, YOU KNOW, SO THAT THE CITIZENS IN THAT COMMUNITY ARE NOT VIOLATING THEIR RIGHTS BASED UPON THEIR DEED RESTRICTION. I MEAN, WE HEAR THIS OFTEN, THIS IS NOTHING. RIGHT? PRETTY MUCH. SO IF, IF, IF THEY HAVE BEEN RED TAGGED THREE TIMES, YEAH. IS THERE A WAY FOR, UM, PUBLIC WORKS TO GO AND CITE THEM EVERY DAY UNTIL THEY COME INTO COMPLIANCE? CAN WE INSTRUCT PUBLIC WORKS? YEAH. YOU KNOW, IF THEY ARE, OR DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS WHO, WHOMEVER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CITATION, IF THEY, WE KNOW THEY'RE BAD ACTORS. IF THEY HAVE BEEN CITED THREE TIMES AND THEY CONTINUE, HE SEES THEM BUILDING EVERY DAY. RIGHT. IS THERE NOT AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO CITE THEM EVERY DAY UNTIL THEY GO TO THEIR ARRAIGNMENT? YES, YOU CAN. UH, IF THEY HAVE A STOP WORK ORDER AND THEY CONTINUE TO WORK, EVERY DAY IS A VIOLATION. THAT IS CORRECT. DO WE HAVE TO TAKE IT? SO DO, WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO TO MAKE SURE THAT HAPPENS? UH, THAT'S REACH OUT TO HPWI, I CAN FIND OUT WITH THE, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'VE CONTINUED TO WORK, IF THEY PULLED THEIR PERMITS, BUT WE CAN SPEAK WITH HPW. OKAY. COUNCIL MEMBER, I, I, I'LL LEAVE YOU ALL WITH THIS. I THINK, UM, ONCE AGAIN, THERE ARE SOME EXISTING, UH, THINGS IN PLACE. UH, AND, AND I THINK PROBABLY ONE OF THE, THE MOST, UH, I THINK, UH, EGREGIOUS THINGS ABOUT THIS IS THAT THIS PERSON IS DEFIANT AND THEY KEEP GOING, BUT IT, [01:35:01] THE WORKERS WHO ARE THERE, THEY'RE JUST TRYING TO WORK MM-HMM . UH, AND, AND THEY, THEY SOMETIMES THERE'S A LANGUAGE BARRIER. SO WE JUST KNOW THESE PEOPLE ARE JUST TRYING TO MAKE A LIVING. UM, BUT THE OWNERS, ONCE AGAIN, I SAID, THERE'S A RING HERE. BUT UNTIL YOU BEGIN TO, UH, ENFORCE THINGS LIKE PERJURY AND, AND, AND, AND, AND SUBMITTING THESE, THE FORGERY OF GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS, UM, I THINK IT HAS TO GO TO THE NEXT LEVEL. AND THE PEOPLE WHO OWN THESE STRUCTURES AND THE PEOPLE WHO ARE GETTING THE PERMITS, THEY'RE ALL RELATED. UH, IT IS NOT JUST A REGULAR PERSON. THERE'S A PERMIT RUNNER THAT'S OUT HERE THAT DOES THIS. YOU JUST PICK UP THE PHONE AND THEY WILL GET IT DONE. AND, AND, AND I SAW THIS HAPPEN FOR THIS, THIS PERMIT IN THE MORNING. THESE PEOPLE HADN'T EVEN APPLIED FOR A PERMIT. BY THE TIME MR. JAMES AND I GOT OFF A PLANE, WE WERE BOTH ALL GOING TO DC AND SOME OF US IN THE ROOM WERE IN DC BY THE TIME WE GOT OFF THE, UH, THE PLANE, THEY HAD ALREADY SECURED A PERMIT AND WHETHER THAT WAS DONE ONLINE OR WHATEVER. BUT THAT PERSON HAD TO ATTEST TO THE FACT THAT THEY HAD CHECKED WITH OUR CIVIC CLUB AND THAT OUR DEED RESTRICTIONS WERE NOT EVEN EXISTING. AND, AND THAT CERTAINLY IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK RISES TO A CRIMINAL LEVEL. I, AND I AGREE. I KNOW THAT WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT THIS ON, UM, PREVIOUS OCCASIONS, THAT WHEN PEOPLE FILL OUT THAT FORM FOR PERMITTING AND THEY CHECK THAT, UM, THEY'VE LOOKED AT THE DEED RESTRICTIONS ON A PERMITTING SIDE, NO ONE IS VERIFYING THAT THOSE DEED RESTRICTIONS EVEN EXIST. WE DON'T HAVE A PERSON AT THE CITY OF HOUSTON THAT VERIFIES THAT THOSE DEED RESTRICTIONS EVEN EXIST. AND THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS WE NEED TO CORRECT AS A, AS A CITY AS WELL. AND THE MOST EGREGIOUS THING ABOUT THIS PERMIT RUNNER IS THIS PERMIT RUNNER HAS RUN FOR CITY COUNCIL. AND ALL OF YOU KNOW WHO THIS PERSON IS. COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN. I DON'T KNOW WHO, DON'T KNOW WHO I WANNA KNOW. THE NAME IS ON THE PERMIT THAT I'VE GIVEN YOU. OKAY, I'LL LOOK IT UP. UM, GREAT TO SEE YOU CONTROLLER. UM, THANKS FOR BEING DOWN HERE AND THANKS FOR ALL YOUR WORK ON THIS. WE HAVE BEEN ROUNDED ROUND WITH THIS VERY ISSUE, AND I'VE MET WITH LEGAL MYSELF SEVERAL TIMES ABOUT THAT AFFIDAVIT THAT THEY, THEY CHECK THE BOX. IT'S A FEW THINGS. IT'S LIKE, WELL, WE DON'T KNOW IF THE, IF THE DEED RESTRICTIONS ARE EVEN IN, IN EFFECT, OR IF THERE ARE, YOU KNOW HOW SOMETIMES WHEN THE DEED RESTRICTIONS SAY NO CARPORTS, AND THERE'S FIVE CARPORTS. WELL, THAT NULLS AND VOIDS THAT DEED. YOU KNOW, THERE'S ALL KINDS OF THINGS. AND WHO DO, WHO'S THE ARBITER OF ALL OF THESE DECISIONS? AND JUST SIMPLY LIKE, THE ANSWER IS WE DON'T HAVE THE BANDWIDTH TO, TO DO ALL THAT. SO, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING FOR US TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT. DO YOU MENTIONED THIS AIRBNB A FEW TIMES. DO, DOES YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD HAVE A, UM, HAVE A DEED RESTRICTION AGAINST SHORT-TERM RENTALS? WE, WE, WE DO. UH, OKAY. AND WE HAVE A MINIMUM OF SIX MONTHS RENTAL. SIX MONTHS RENTAL SIX MONTHS. AND IT, AND I'VE, UH, PUT IT ON, ON THE LITTLE PACK THAT I HAVE HERE. OKAY. YEAH. I IT'S A MINIMUM. IT'S A MINIMUM OF SIX MONTHS AND WE DON'T ALLOW BOARDING HOUSES AND OKAY. AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. GREAT. GREAT. OKAY. WELL THAT'S, I GUESS SOMETHING THAT, THAT YOU, YOU WOULD HAVE TO BE AN ATTORNEY TO PURSUE THAT. BUT WE COULD WORK ON THE SETBACK THING. EXACTLY. AND, AND AS I SAID BEFORE, WE UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU KNOW, THE CITY DOESN'T HAVE THE BANDWIDTH TO DO ALL OF THIS. YEP. BUT SOME OF THESE ARE PURELY, UH, VIOLATIONS THAT THE CITY CAN ENFORCE. AND WITH THAT'S ALL WE'RE ASKING IS ENFORCE THE ONES YOU CAN, WE'LL GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD AND TRY TO, YOU KNOW, ENFOR AND, AND STRENGTHEN OURS AS WELL, ALONG WITH OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS. RIGHT. AND, AND I, LIKE I SAID, WE, WE TEND TO BE A BIT MORE, WE'RE NOT, I DON'T SAY WE'RE NOT MORE SOPHISTICATED THAN ANYBODY ELSE. IT JUST SO HAPPENS, UH, SHAR AND I ARE BOTH LAWYERS. UM, BUT, AND SO WE TEND TO PUSH A LITTLE FURTHER AND WE TEND TRY, WE TRY TO DOT EVERY I AND CROSS EVERY T. UM, BUT, SO THANK YOU. WELL, THIS WAS A GOOD THING TO DO. IT'S GREAT TO SEE A SHOW OF FORCE. I MEAN, WE ALL HEAR ABOUT IT. WE ALL KNOW ABOUT IT NOW. AND, UM, WE'RE GONNA STAY ON IT. THANK YOU. AND, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER SHABAZZ WANTED ME TO MAKE SURE TO LET YOU KNOW THAT SHE IS WATCHING AND SHE IS GONNA STAY ON TOP OF THIS. EVERYONE FROM THE CITY. ONCE AGAIN, I WANNA MAKE IT VERY CLEAR EVERYONE FROM EVERYBODY'S OFFICE, INCLUDING FROM THE MAYOR'S OFFICE TO THE COUNCIL OFFICE, HAS BEEN RESPONSIVE. IT'S, NOW IT'S TIME TO MAKE AN EXAMPLE OF THIS, THIS PROPERTY OWNER. ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. ERICA HENDERSON. ERICA HENDERSON. ERICA HENDERSON. NEXT SPEAKER. TONY LEWIS. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR PRO TEM. HOW ARE YOU? CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS? MY NAME IS TONY MIDDLETON LEWIS. I SERVE AS THE PRESIDENT OF THIS WONDERFUL CIVIC CLUB, PARKWOOD DRIVE CIVIC CLUB. I COME TO YOU AND AFTER FALLING BEHIND RUN, IT'S A LITTLE TOUGH, BUT I COME TO YOU 'CAUSE I AM ANGRY, ANGRY, ANGRY. HURT, HURT, HURT. WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO BE HERE. WE SHOULD NOT HAVE TO BE HERE. AND Y'ALL KNOW ME. I'M VERY EMOTIONAL. THIS IS CRAZY. WE CALL THE CITY, THEY RED TAG THEM. I WATCH THEM IN FRONT OF US, JUST TEAR IT UP AND THROW IT ON THE GROUND. WE COME BACK AND RE TAG THEM AGAIN. THEY TEAR IT UP AND THROW IT ON THE GROUND. TO ME, THEY'RE SAYING TO ALL OF US, TO ALL [01:40:01] OF US, THEY DON'T GIVE A HOOP. MM-HMM . THEY DON'T GIVE A HOOP. WE LOVE OUR COMMUNITY. WE LOVE HOUSTON, TEXAS. THAT'S WHY WE ARE HERE. WE NEED HELP. AND WHATEVER THAT HELP IS, I CAN'T FIND AN ANSWER. BUT IF THERE'S A ORDINANCE THAT NEEDS TO NEED TO BE REWRITTEN, IF THERE'S A POLICY THAT NEEDS TO BE REVIEWED, AGAIN, THIS IS CRAZY. AND GOD KNOWS, NONE OF US SHOULD HAVE TO, AND I'M NOT JUST SPEAKING FOR PARKWOOD CIVIC CLUB. WE HAVE SEVERAL OTHER REPRESENTATIVES FROM OTHER CIVIC CLUBS HERE WITH US SUPPORTING US. THEY TOO ARE HAVING THESE SAME ISSUES. CITY OF HOUSTON, WE NEED YOUR HELP. THIS IS MADNESS AND IT SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING. PLEASE HELP US. PLEASE HELP US. THAT'S ALL I NEED TO SAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. NEXT SPEAKER. CLARICE FREEMAN. CLARICE FREEMAN. SHE'S COMING. SHE'S 104. HELLO, MS. EY. GOOD AFTERNOON. I THINK EVERYTHING HAS BEEN SAID AND WHAT I HAD, I REALLY HAVE NOTHING MORE. AND BY THE WAY, I LEFT MY SCRIPT IN MY PURSE, WHAT I WAS GOING TO SAY ANYWAY, BECAUSE, UH, THE MEMBERS OF OUR ORGANIZATION WHO HAD ALREADY SPOKEN HAVE SAID ALL THAT NEEDS TO BE SAID ABOUT THAT. WHAT I HAD PLANNED TO DO IS, UM, UH HUH. OKAY. , I THOUGHT YOU MIGHT LIKE TO KNOW SOME OF THE HISTORY OF OUR ORGAN, OF THE, UH, ORGANIZATION AND WHY WE ARE SO ANXIOUS TO KEEP OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AS STABLE AS IT IS. SO SINCE IT SEEMS AS THOUGH I CAN'T GET AROUND OR GET OUT OF TALKING. AND ANOTHER THING, I HAVE AN ALLERGY. HOUSTON IS TERRIBLE. SO LET ME BEGIN AGAIN, AND I HOPE YOU'RE NOT WRITING DOWN ANY OF THIS. I AM A MEMBER. I AM CLARIDGE FREEMAN, A MEMBER OF THE PARKWOOD DRIVE CIVIC CLUB. AND I AM HERE TO SUPPORT MY NEIGHBORS IN AN EFFORT TO STOP WHAT MIGHT BE A VIOLATION OF OUR RESTRICTIONS. THIS JEWEL OF A NEIGHBORHOOD IS BOUNDED ON THE EAST AND WEST SIDE BY SCOTT AND DEL RIO AND THE NORTH AND SOUTH BY SOUTH MCGREGOR AND DIXIE ROAD. AND I HAVE LIVED IN THIS AREA FOR 58 YEARS. THIS AREA WAS A WEALTHY WHITE NEIGHBORHOOD LIKE RIVER OAKS. BUT WHEN THE RESIDENTS CHOSE TO LEAVE, THINK WHITE FLIGHT, WEALTHY BLACKS MOVED INTO THE AREA. AND THESE WERE DOCTORS, JUDGES, TEACHERS, SPORTS STARS, AND OTHER PROFESSIONALS. IN FACT, TEXAS MONTHLY, THEY EVEN DESIGNATED IT, DESIGNATED IT AS THE WEALTHIEST BLACK NEIGHBORHOOD IN TEXAS. THROUGH THE YEARS, LITTLE HAS CHANGED. AND WITH OUR RESTRICTIONS, WE HAVE BEEN [01:45:01] ABLE TO DEFY THE PREDICTION. MADE IT AT THAT, AT THAT TIME THAT THIS AREA WOULD BECOME A GHETTO. OUR RESIDENTS DIDN'T LEAVE, LEAVE A GHETTO TO CREATE ATO GHETTO. WE HAVE ALWAYS KEPT OUR RESTRICTIONS AND HAVE BEEN ABLE TO STOP ANY ATTEMPT TO BREAK THEM. WE ASK THAT THE PROPERTY IN QUESTION BE DENIED A PERMIT TO BUILD ANYTHING THAT VIOLATES OUR RESTRICTIONS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MS. FREEMAN. WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE. NEXT SPEAKER. DEBORAH THOMPSON. MY NEIGHBORS THINK, THINK I AM OLD AND THEY'RE ALWAYS TRYING TO HELP ME. THEY THINK I SHOULD BE IN A WHEELCHAIR ON, YOU KNOW, UH, WALKER AND A CANE OR WHATEVER. I'M IN GOOD HEALTH. THAT'S A, THAT'S A BLESSING. MY MIND IS THERE. I'M INVOLVED IN ALL KINDS OF THINGS HERE IN THE CITY. AND I HAVE BEEN INVOLVED AND STILL AM. I HAVE A DATE THAT'S COMING SATURDAY. OKAY, MS. FREEMAN, YOU BETTER GET IT. YES. AND AS I LOOK AROUND AND WHENEVER I'M OUT AND SOMEONE ASKS ME WHAT AM I DOING, I TELL THEM I JUST SIMPLY TAKE CARE OF MYSELF. THANK YOU MS. FREEMAN. WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE. YOU HAVE LIFTED ALL OF OUR SPIRITS TODAY. I HAVE A DAUGHTER WHO IS A DOCTOR AND I READ A LOT OF HER BOOKS. OKAY. AND SO I HAVE A MAN, YOU THIS KEEPING ME ALIVE. YES. AND THERE'S STILL SO MUCH LIVING TO DO. I AGREE. I I WISH EVERYBODY COULD UNDERSTAND. YOU DON'T HAVE TO GET OLD AND THE CRAP. NO, THERE'S TOO, TOO MUCH GOING ON IN HEAVENS. THE CLIMATE THAT WE ARE LIVING IN THESE DAYS. AMEN. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU MS. FREEMAN. COME BACK ANYTIME. . COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS, DID YOU HAVE A STATEMENT? I JUST, JUST BRIEFLY JUST WANTED TO COMMEND MS. ANDERSON 104 YEARS. SHE COULD, WHAT HER EYES HAVE SEEN AND HER EARS HAVE HEARD. SHE CAN SAY WHATEVER SHE WANT TO SAY. I KNOW IT. I WAS HOPING THEY WOULDN'T RING THE BELL ON HER. NEXT SPEAKER. MS. UH, DEBORAH THOMPSON. DEBORAH THOMPSON. HI, I'M DEBORAH THOMPSON. I AM NEW TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD. I'VE ONLY BEEN HERE FIVE YEARS, BUT I FEEL SO FORTUNATE TO GET TO LIVE HERE. AND THE ONLY THING I WANNA ADD TO ALL THAT'S BEEN SAID, BECAUSE THEY'VE COVERED A LOT, IS THAT THERE HAVE BEEN THREE HOUSES ON, I LIVE ON RIO VISTA WHERE THIS HOUSE IS LOCATED TWO DOORS DOWN. AND THERE HAVE BEEN THREE HOUSES ON OUR STREET THAT HAVE BEEN REMODELED IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. THOSE PEOPLE FOLLOWED ALL THE RULES. THEY HAD PROPER PERMITS, THEY TOOK A LONG TIME. AND I'M SURE THEY WOULD HAVE PREFERRED TO BE ABLE TO GET IN THEIR HOUSE IMMEDIATELY, BUT THEY DIDN'T. THEY, THEY DID WHAT THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO DO. AND NOW WE HAVE THIS MONSTROSITY BEING THROWN UP IN A MATTER OF TWO MONTHS. IT'S GONE FROM A HOUSE THAT NEEDED A LOT OF WORK TO THIS GIANT THING. SO IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT COULD BE DONE, WE APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE DONE SO FAR, AND HOPE IT'LL CONTINUE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, BARBARA ANDERSON. BARBARA ANDERSON. HI. HOW YOU DOING? WHAT I HAVE TO SAY WILL REALLY TAKE LONGER THAN THREE MINUTES. SO YOU MIGHT SEE ME EVERY TUESDAY FOR THE NEXT YEAR. I AM COMING HERE TO TELL YOU ABOUT MY, MY LIVELIHOOD THAT WAS TAKEN AWAY FROM ME BY A POWER. LET ME GO, LET ME JUST SEE WHAT I CAN DO. OKAY. I AM A FIXTURE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. I OWNED, IT'S ALL GOOD. I HOLD A DISA [01:50:01] DISADVANTAGED MINORITY CERTIFICATE FOR OVER 14 YEARS IN THE GEORGIA BROWN CONVENTION CENTER. I'M THE ONE THAT BLEW THE WHISTLE ON ARAMARK FOR BRIBERY, FOR CORRUPTION, AND FOR EVERYTHING. I CAME IN FRONT OF THE MAYOR TURNER AND I PRESENTED HIM WITH PAPERWORK AND HE TOLD ME TO GET AN ATTORNEY. I GOT AN ATTORNEY. MY ATTORNEY, BEN HALL, ASKED HIM FOR THE AUDIT THAT THEY DID TO SHOW THAT THIS WAS HAPPENING. TURNER USED THE CITY ATTORNEY AND ASKED KIM PAXTON NOT TO GIVE ME THE RECORDS THAT WOULD SHOW THAT MY BUSINESS HAD BEEN TAKEN FROM ME. I STARTED MY BUSINESS WHEN I WAS 12 YEARS OLD. SINGLE PARENT HOUSEHOLD. BUILT IT WHEN I WAS WORKING, WHEN I WAS IN AN ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIP. I, I OWNED, IT'S ALL GOOD. I CATERED FOR HILLARY CLINTON, CONGRESSMAN SHEILA JACKSON LEE. I LOST LARRY, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER LARRY. HE WAS ONE OF MY BIGGEST OPPONENTS THAT HELPED ME. SO WHEN I LOST HIM, I LOST EVERYTHING WITH ONE WORD OF TONY, OF TURNER TELLING ME TO BE CAREFUL. I LOST MY WHOLE LIVELIHOOD. I HAD A CITY CONTRACT. ARAMARK WAS A MANAGEMENT COMPANY, SO I SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GO BACK IN, RIGHT BACK INTO THE GEORGIA BROWN WITH MY CONTRACT AND RENEGOTIATE WITH LEFT WITH LEVY CORPORATION. BUT SINCE I P****D OFF MAYOR TURNER, I WAS COMPLETELY BLACKBALLED IN BUSINESS. I COULDN'T DO CATERING. I COULDN'T DO ANYTHING BECAUSE ONCE THEY KNEW THAT I WAS FIGHTING WITH TURNER, EVERYBODY SHUT ME DOWN. I GOT A CALL FROM THE AKA WHEN THEY CAME AND GOT, DID THEIR NATIONAL CONVENTION BECAUSE SOMEBODY RECOMMENDED THAT. WELL, I WAS A EXCELLENT CATERER. SHE WAS GONNA USE ME TWO DAYS LATER, LATER, SHE WOULDN'T EVEN TAKE MY CALLS. I KNOW WHAT IT WAS BECAUSE I WAS FIGHTING WITH TURNER. ANYTHING I SAID AGAINST TURNER, PEOPLE WOULDN'T EVEN TALK TO ME ANYMORE. THEY WOULD ONLY TALK TO ME WHEN I WAS OUTSIDE OF A ROOM WITH TURNER. SO I WOULD THINK THAT AS A DISADVANTAGE MINORITY CONTRACT THAT TURNER WOULD DO SOME TYPE OF INCLUSION OR JUST HELP ME WITH MY RIGHTS. BUT INSTEAD HE TOOK IT PERSONAL AND CLOSED ME DOWN. SO I AM HERE TO CITY COUNCIL. SAY I WORKED MY BUTT OFF, MY BUTT OFF FOR WHAT I ACHIEVED AND JUST FOR TRINITY TO TAKE IT AWAY. THAT WAS, IT'S WRONG. I WAITED SEVEN YEARS FOR HIM NOT TO HAVE THE POWER TO DO THIS. AND I'M TELLING YOU NOW, HE USED HIS POWER THE WRONG WAY. I AM A CITIZEN. I WORKED HARD FOR WHAT I HAD AND FOR THEM TO LET ME GO ONLY 'CAUSE I WAS SPEAKING MY TRUTH. THAT IS WRONG. YOU SAID YOU HAD AN ATTORNEY. DID, DID Y'ALL GO TO COURT? DID YOU VOTE BEN? YOU HAVE, YOU HAVE A LETTER WITH YOU. RIGHT. BEN HALL WROTE NEXT FOR EVERYTHING. THE CITY ATTORNEY WROTE KEN PAXTON AND ASKED HIM NOT TO RELEASE THE RECORDS. SO I, I DON'T HAVE MONEY TO KEEP A PAYING ATTORNEY TO FIGHT THE BIGGEST POLITICAL POWER HERE, TURNER. I DON'T, I'M A SMALL PERSON. I'M A PELE, I'M A FIGHTER, A GIANT. BUT GOD SAID, SIT STILL, BE QUIET AND THEN COME BACK WITH YOUR FIGHT. SO HERE I AM TODAY. I DIDN'T GIVE A REASON WHY I LOST MY CONTRACT. I DIDN'T GIVE NOTHING. EVERYBODY JUST STOPPED TAKING CALLS. NOBODY. THEY PUT MY EQUIPMENT IN THE DUMPSTER. I LOST EVERYTHING. NO DUE PROCESS, NO ARBITRATION, NO RIGHTS, JUST THROW HER AWAY. HMM. SO I THINK THAT WE PROBABLY NEED TO MAYBE HAVE HER SIT DOWN WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY. I I, I DON'T THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO SOLVE AT THE, AT THE COUNCIL TABLE. UM, BUT, UM, I THINK THE ATTORNEYS PROBABLY WOULD HAVE TO BE INVOLVED IN THIS. AND THAT'S GONNA BE ABOVE WHAT WE CAN DO AT THE COUNCIL TABLE. UM, SO IF, UM, SOMEONE FROM CITY LEGAL CAN UH, SPEAK WITH HER, I THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL. ARE YOU STILL REPRESENTED BY MR. HALL? NO LONGER? HE LET ME GO BECAUSE IT'S JUST TOO MUCH OF A FIGHT. I COULDN'T FIND ANY OTHER, I HAD TOOK SEVEN ATTORNEYS BEFORE I GOT BEN HALL AND I, NOW, THIS IS MY PERSONAL OPINION, BUT I GOT IT FROM SOMEBODY. I AM A CASUALTY OF WAR. I GOT BEN HALL AND BEN HALL WAS A RIVAL OF TURNER'S AND THAT'S WHY HE DECIDED TO DO IT. BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK ON THE LAST COUNCIL SEPTEMBER, 2017, YOU'LL SEE ME AND TURNER HAVING A DIALOGUE AND ALL TURNER IS SAYING, GET AN ATTORNEY. WELL, I GOT A FAVORITISM CLAUSE FROM ARAMARK WITH BEN HALL A YEAR PRIOR. SO TURNER KNEW I HAD AN ATTORNEY, BUT MIND YOU, CARISA RICE OF OFFICE OF VISITING OPPORTUNITY, ROGER HARRIS FROM HOUSTON FIRST OR ALL TELLING ME THAT TURNER IS GONNA HELP ME WITH THIS. BUT THE MINUTE I GOT BEN HALL AS MY ATTORNEY, HE SHUT ME DOWN. AND I WAS TOLD BECAUSE BEN AND TURNER WERE RIVALS. SO I AM A CASUALTY OF WAR. YEAH, I'LL SPEAK WITH HER. I MEAN, THIS IS, I DON'T KNOW IF THE CONTRACT IS WITH ARAMARK THROUGH GRB. IT MAY NOT EVEN BE A CITY CONTRACT, BUT WE'LL LOOK AT IT. AND I I CAN ALSO SAY IN TERMS OF [01:55:01] THE BUSINESS RECORDS, I WILL TELL YOU IT IS PRETTY STANDARD NOT TO RELEASE RECORDS THAT WE THINK LITIGATION MAY BE COMING. UM, AND THAT'S A VERY STANDARD PRACTICE. SO IT WASN'T NOT SOMETHING THAT WOULD'VE BEEN DONE PERSONALLY. IN FACT, WE DO THAT ALMOST ACROSS THE BOARD IN TERMS OF SPEAKING WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL. BUT I WILL SPEAK WITH HER AND, AND, AND WE'LL LOOK INTO IT. WILL YOU YEAH. WORK WITH OUR CITY LEGAL AND SEE WHAT WE CAN TRY TO DO TO ASSIST IN THIS, IN THIS MATTER. I JUST WANNA WORK. I'M, I'M, I'M COMPLETELY OUTTA WORK FOR THE LAST SEVEN YEARS. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, DERRICK BROS. DEREK BROS. HELLO, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. HOPE YOU'RE ALL DOING WELL. UH, MY NAME IS DEREK BRO. SOME OF YOU MAY REMEMBER ME. I'M A JOURNALIST IN THE CITY, ALSO A FORMER CANDIDATE FOR MAYOR OF HOUSTON. I'M HERE TODAY TO TALK ABOUT WATER QUALITY. I ACTUALLY SAW THE PRESS RELEASE THIS MORNING THAT THE CITY SAID THEY'RE GONNA, YOU GUYS ARE GONNA START DOING A PROGRAM TO REMOVE PIPES THAT MAY HAVE LEAD IN THEM. AND I THINK THAT'S A GREAT PROGRAM BECAUSE LEAD IS KNOWN TO BE, UH, A CAUSE OF NEURODEVELOPMENTAL ISSUES. AND TODAY I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT ANOTHER COMPOUND THAT IS IN HOUSTON'S WATER THAT ALSO HAS NOW BEEN LINKED TO NEURODEVELOPMENTAL ISSUES. AND THAT IS WATER FLUORIDATION CHEMICALS, WHICH HOUSTON IS ONE OF MANY CITIES IN THE UNITED STATES STILL PARTICIPATING. I WAS HERE 11 YEARS AGO SPEAKING TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS THEN AND CURRENT, UH, FORMER MAYOR NIECE PARKER ABOUT THIS. WE HAD SOME SUPPORT FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO WERE WILLING TO HAVE THIS DISCUSSION, BUT I THINK WE ARE A LITTLE TOO EARLY NOW. WHAT YOU ARE BEING PRESENTED WITH RIGHT NOW IN WHAT'S IN YOUR INBOX, UM, IS A RULING FROM A FEDERAL JUDGE IN SAN FRANCISCO, WHICH JUST RULED LESS THAN A MONTH AGO. AND I QUOTE, THE COURT FINDS THAT FLUORIDATION OF WATER AT 0.7 MILLIGRAMS PER LITER, THE LEVEL PRESENTLY CONSIDERED OPTIMAL IN THE US POSES AN UNREASONABLE RISK OF REDUCED IQ IN CHILDREN. JUDGE CHEN CONTINUES EPOS ON OWN EXPERT DEGREES THAT FLUORIDE IS HAZARDOUS AT SOME LEVEL OF EXPOSURE. AND AMPLE EVIDENCE ESTABLISHES THAT A MOTHER'S EXPOSURE TO FLUORIDE DURING PREGNANCY IS ASSOCIATED WITH IQ DECREMENTS. THE RISK TO HEALTH AT EXPOSURE LEVELS IN THE US DRINKING WATER IS SUFFICIENTLY HIGH TO DRINK TRIGGER REGULATORY RESPONSE FROM THE EPA. SO NOW THE EPA HAS BEEN ORDERED BY A FEDERAL JUDGE THAT THEY MUST MAKE A NEW RULE OR OUTRIGHT BAN FLUORIDE BECAUSE OF THESE LINKS. THE SECOND PAGE WILL TAKE YOU TO A REPORT THAT CAME OUT IN LATE AUGUST FROM THE US GOVERNMENT'S NATIONAL TOXICOLOGY PROGRAM, WHICH IS UNDER THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES. AND THE SCIENTISTS AT THE NTP SAID THEY HAD FOUND MODERATE EVIDENCE THAT FLUORIDE IS CONSISTENTLY ASSOCIATED WITH LOWER IQ IN CHILDREN. THEY ALSO WRITE BECAUSE PEOPLE RECEIVE FLUORIDE FROM MULTIPLE SOURCES, NOT JUST DRINKING WATER. INDIVIDUALS IN AREAS WITH OPTIMALLY FLUORIDATED WATER CAN HAVE TOTAL FLUORIDE EXPOSURES HIGHER THAN THEIR DRINKING WATER. AND THEY SAY THAT THIS IS, THERE IS MODERATE CONFIDENCE BETWEEN FLU AND INVERSE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN FLUORIDE EXPOSURE AND CHILDREN'S IQ, INCLUDING IN THE US. AND THE FINAL THING I WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU GUYS IS THAT THANKFULLY, BECAUSE OF THIS INFORMATION, SOME CITIES ARE ALREADY RESPONDING, INCLUDING IN TEXAS, ABILENE, TEXAS, THE CITY COUNCIL TWO WEEKS AGO RULED THAT THEY'RE GONNA PAUSE ADDING ALL FLUORIDATION CHEMICALS TO THE WATER. THE MAYOR WELDON HURT, SAID QUOTE, WHAT WE DID IS WE PUT A TEMPORARY SUSPENSION OF FLUORIDE TO THE DRINKING WATER. THERE'S SOME NEW STUDIES AND SOME CLASS ACTION LAWSUITS WE FOUND THAT COULD BE DETRIMENTAL TO HEALTH. SO THEY'RE PUTTING IT ON PAUSE FOR RIGHT NOW. AND I'M ASKING CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THE MAYOR TO USE PROPOSITION A TO PUT A HOLD ON THIS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. LAST I CHECKED. AND IT'S HARD THESE DAYS TO KNOW THE NUMBERS 'CAUSE THEY'RE NO LONGER LISTED PUBLICLY ON THE PUBLIC WORKS WEBSITE. BUT YEARS AGO, THE CITY OF HOUSTON WAS SPENDING A MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS TO ADD FLUORIDATION CHEMICALS INTO THE WATER, WHICH ARE BYPRODUCT OF PHOSPHATE MINING OUT OF FLORIDA. AND YOU HAVE THE POWER WITH PROPOSITION A TO PUT A HOLD ON THIS, I ALSO WANNA MENTION TO THOSE WHO CARE ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE OR WHAT'S SOMETIMES CALLED ENVIRONMENTAL RACISM, THAT THIS AFFECT AFFECTS PEOPLE IN THE FIFTH WARD. THIRD WARD SHARPSTOWN IN THOSE WHO CAN'T AFFORD FLUORIDE FILTERS OR GO TO THE FLUORIDE STATION, THE FLUORIDE FREE WATER STATIONS. SO THOSE IN THE POOREST COMMUNITIES ARE GONNA BE HIT THE HARDEST. BUT RIGHT NOW, HOUSTONIANS ARE BEING POISONED AND YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. ALL THIS INFORMATION HAS ALSO BEEN EMAILED TO EACH OF YOU AND THE MAYOR, THE LINK TO THE COURT RULING, THE LINK TO THE NATIONAL TOXICOLOGY PROGRAM STUDY AND THE LINK TO THE ARTICLE ABOUT ABILENE, TEXAS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THAT INFORMATION. UH, NEXT SPEAKER. DANICA SIMPSON. DANICA SIMPSON. GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. I'M HERE BECAUSE I WANNA TALK ABOUT THE UPTICK IN THE HOMELESS POPULATION AND THE PANHANDLING THAT I HAVE SEEN THROUGHOUT THE CITY. I INITIALLY, UH, WANTED TO COME SPEAK SPECIFICALLY ABOUT AN ISSUE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE WE ACTUALLY HAD A HOMELESS PERSON EVICT ANOTHER HOMELESS PERSON FROM THE BUS SHELTER. I KNOW IT SOUNDS [02:00:01] PREPOSTEROUS, BUT THAT IS WHAT HAPPENED. UM, I DID MEET WITH COMMANDER EDWARDS, WHO IS OVER OUR AREA, AND WHEN I SPOKE WITH HIM, WE DID SEE A DOWNTURN FOR ABOUT TWO, TWO AND A HALF WEEKS. NOW IT'S PICKING UP AGAIN, BUT I'VE NOTICED IT'S NOT JUST IN MY AREA. IT'S ALL OVER THE CITY. AND WHAT'S DISTURBING TO ME IS, AND I WILL HAND THESE OUT, WE WERE BEING TOUTED A FEW YEARS AGO AS A MODEL FOR HOW WE HANDLED OUR HOMELESS SITUATION AND DECREASED IT AND GOT PEOPLE THE SERVICES THEY NEEDED. WE WERE IN THE NEW YORK TIMES. WE WERE IN THE WASHINGTON POST, WE WERE ON CBS. OVER THE PAST MONTH, THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL INSTANCES OF PEOPLE BEING ACCOSTED AND STABBED AND BITTEN BY HOMELESS PEOPLE. THERE WAS A GUY WHO WAS BITTEN WAITING FOR THE BUS AT, UH, WEST BELFORT, WILLA BEND AND SOUTH POST OAK. WE ALSO HAD A HOMELESS LADY WHO WAS SLEEPING ON THE SIDEWALK NEAR SCOTT STREET, AND SHE WAS RUN OVER BY A DRUNK DRIVER AND KILLED ON SEPTEMBER 30TH. UM, I ALSO HAVE NOTICED THAT I, I ATTEND THE CATHEDRAL CO CATHEDRAL DOWNTOWN. I'VE NOTICED THERE'S AN UPTICK THERE. AND WHAT IS HAPPENING IS PEOPLE ARE ACTUALLY WALKING IN THE STREETS AND IT IS DIFFICULT TO DRIVE. AND I SAW ONE LADY ABOUT TWO AND A HALF, THREE WEEKS AGO, CARS LITERALLY HAD TO SLAM ON THEIR BRAKES TO KEEP FROM HITTING THIS WOMAN. THE SAME SCENARIO IS HAPPENING OVER AT SIX 10 ON SCOTT STREET, SOUTH MAINE, FANON AND KIRBY. NOW SOUTH MAINE, FANON AND KIRBY HAD BEEN CLEANED UP, BUT IT'S KIND OF BACK TO WHERE IT WAS. AND YOU CAN'T, WHEN THE LIGHT TURNS RED, EVERYBODY'S AT YOUR CAR. SO IT'S STOPPING TRAFFIC BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANNA RUN OVER THESE PEOPLE. NOW, I DON'T WANT US TO CRIMINALIZE HOMELESSNESS BECAUSE I REALIZE THAT PEOPLE GET DOWN ON THEIR LUCK. SO I'M HERE TO KIND OF SAY, FIRST OF ALL, I KNOW THE CITY IS WORKING ON SOME THINGS. SO I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW, A, WHAT IS THE CITY WORKING ON? AND B, HOW ARE WE GETTING THIS INFORMATION OUT TO NOT JUST THE PEOPLE WHO NEED THE SERVICES, BUT PEOPLE LIKE ME WHO ACTUALLY WANT TO HELP THESE PEOPLE BUT DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. UM, THE LAST THING I WANNA SAY IS WE HAVE BEEN TOUTING OURSELVES AS A WORLD CLASS CITY. AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU SAW ON, UH, C-B-S-K-H-O-U ABOUT TWO DAYS AGO, THERE'S POOP IN OUR STREETS. AND THAT'S EXACTLY HOW THEY WORDED IT. THAT'S WHY I'M USING THE WORD POOP. HOW CAN WE BE A WORLD CLASS CITY WHEN WE HAVE FECES IN OUR MAIN BUSINESS DISTRICT AND A HUGE ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT? THAT'S UNACCEPTABLE. AND IT SAYS THAT WE HAVE A PROBLEM THAT WE NEED TO FIX. AND I WAS LISTENING TO THE GO AHEAD, LISTENING TO THE CREDIBLE MESSENGERS PEOPLE. AND I THINK PART OF THAT I DID, I HAVE NO AFFILIATION WITH THEM, NEVER HEARD OF THEM BEFORE TODAY, BUT I WANT TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO GIVE THEM MONEY BECAUSE I THINK SOME OF THIS HOMELESSNESS IS GENERATED BECAUSE OF ACTIVITIES SUCH AS PEOPLE GETTING INCARCERATED AND THEN GETTING OUTTA JAIL FROM NOWHERE TO GO. MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, AND THEN CHILDREN, SPECIFICALLY FOSTER CHILDREN WHO HAVE NOWHERE TO GO. SO WHAT CAN WE DO? HOW CAN WE HELP CIVIC CLUBS, SCHOOLS, CHURCHES, WHOEVER, SO THAT WE CAN ALLEVIATE THIS PROBLEM AND GET BACK TO BEING TOUTED AS A CITY THAT HELPS SOLVE ITS HOMELESS PROBLEM. THANK YOU. HANG ON ONE SECOND. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TIMM. MS. MS. UH, SIMPSON, THANK YOU FOR COMING. MM-HMM . UH, MAKING YOUR PRESENTATION, HOMELESSNESS ISSUE FOR OUR CITY. EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER, EVERY COLLEAGUE AROUND THIS OR U IS CERTAINLY CONCERNED ABOUT THAT PERSONALLY, REALLY, BECAUSE IT IS A PROBLEM NOW. THERE ARE SEVERAL ISSUES CENTERED AROUND IT. MM-HMM . AND A LOT OF US ARE TRYING TO DEAL WITH IT, ADDRESS IT. UM, IN OUR TEAM, IN OUR OFFICE, WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO ADD OUR SUPPORT TO IT. AND ONE OF THE REASONS THAT WE ARE DOING IT IS BY TRYING TO EXTEND IT TO MANY CHURCHES AND PASTOR LEADERS IN THE COMMUNITY TO BECOME A PART OF HELPING TO RESOLVE IT. PUBLIC PRIVATE DOLLARS IS ANOTHER, YOU KNOW, ENTITY THAT WE CAN USE. AND YES, I KNOW EXACTLY, BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS I WAS DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT FOR YEARS WAS BUFFALO SPEEDWAY. MM-HMM . KIRBY DRIVE, FANON. AND PRIOR TO THE SUPER BOWL, UHHUH THAT WE HELD, IT WAS HORRIBLE. THEN WHEN IT SUPER BOWL CAME, CLEANED IT UP, AND THEN WITHIN MONTHS IT'S RIGHT BACK ALL THE WAY DOWN TO SCOTT STREET. MM-HMM . THAT'S THE COMMUNITY WHERE I LIVE. I'M, I'M TELLING YOU, THIS IS AN ISSUE, BUT WE ARE GOING TO DO IT, TRYING TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN AND WE NEED PEOPLE LIKE YOURSELF WHO WOULD SAY, HEY, WHAT CAN I DO? SO I I WILL MAKE A POINT TO, UH, COMMUNICATE WITH YOU. OKAY. THROUGH OUR OFFICE AS WELL AS OTHER COLLEAGUES HERE AT THE HORSESHOE ON THIS ISSUE BECAUSE, UH, WE DON'T WANT ANYTHING THAT'S GONNA BRING OUR CITY DOWN. [02:05:01] OKAY. AND THAT IS AN UPTICK. YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT. UM, I RIDE WITH THE HOT TEAM. MM-HMM . HPD HAS A TEAM OF OFFICERS WHO DRIVE AROUND IN THAT ISSUE, UH, LOOKING AT WORKING WITH THE HOMELESS, UH, PEOPLE. AND, UH, SO WE, WE'LL, WE'LL WORK CLOSELY WITH THAT. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANKS. UH, I LIKE WHAT YOU, UM, THAT YOU POSED THE QUESTION, HOW CAN WE, HOW CAN WE HELP? I THINK THIS IS A GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR HOMELESS OUTREACH TEAM TO MEET WITH OUR, OUR, OUR CIVIC CLUBS AND OUR HOAS TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE INITIATIVES THAT WE CAN, WE CAN DO AS A, AS A COMMUNITY. UM, I'LL, I'LL SEE IF WE CAN REACH OUT TO THE, UM, HOMELESS OUTREACH TEAM AND MAYBE ONE OF OUR PIP MEETINGS, UM, CAN BE, UM, SOME, SOME TIPS AND SUGGESTIONS FOR NEIGHBORHOODS AND CIVIC CLUBS. UM, BESIDES JUST THE CALLING IT IN, I KNOW THAT THE HOMELESS OUTREACH TEAM, WHEN WE, WE TURN THOSE CALLS IN, THEY DO GO OUT AND OFFER SERVICES TO THE, UM, HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS IN THE COMMUNITY. AND WE'VE DONE THAT. MM-HMM . UM, BUT I DO LIKE THE IDEA OF, OF MAYBE PULLING TOGETHER A MEETING TO TALK ABOUT WHAT COMMUNITIES CAN DO, UH, BECAUSE IT, IT IS A COMPREHENSIVE, UH, ISSUE THAT WE NEED TO ALL UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU KNOW, ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE DOING WHAT WE CAN TO KEEP, UH, THE HOMELESS PEOPLE, UM, OFF THE STREETS AND, AND GET THEM HOUSED, UM, IS A BENEFIT FOR US ALL. OKAY. THANKS. THANK YOU. OH, COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ. THANK YOU. MAYOR PRO TEMP. MS. SIMPSON, JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR, UH, BRINGING THIS, UH, TO OUR ATTENTION AS WELL. MM-HMM . IT BEING A CITYWIDE, UH, CHALLENGE. OF COURSE, EVEN IN DISTRICT, I, UH, WHICH I TAKE UP, UM, MOST OF DOWNTOWN EAST, DOWNTOWN, THE EAST END, AND EVEN HOBBY AIRPORT AREA. UH, WE HAVE OUR FAIR SHARE, OF COURSE, OF UNSHELTERED INDIVIDUALS. AND, AND YOU ASK, HOW CAN YOU HELP? THERE'S, THERE'S DEFINITELY A, A LARGER CONVERSATION, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT I CONTINUE TO PRESS ON COMMUNITY AS WELL. UM, RIGHT NOW WE'RE SITTING ON ABOUT $27 BILLION OF, OF SURPLUS AT THE STATE LEVEL, AND MENTAL HEALTH DOLLARS COME FROM THE STATE. SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO REACH OUT TO YOUR STATE REP AND YOUR STATE SENATOR. UH, WE'RE ABOUT TO GET STARTED IN A LEGISLATIVE SESSION IN JANUARY. UH, NOW'S THE TIME TO TALK TO 'EM ABOUT FUNDING. WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? AND THEN THE OTHER ONE, WHICH WE'VE BEEN, WE'VE, YOU KNOW, AND ALTHOUGH IT MIGHT NOT SEEM LIKE, UH, HOUSTON IS, IS, IS GAINING GROUND, UH MM-HMM . UH, WE HAVE DONE A LOT OVER THE LAST, AT LEAST 10 YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN A STAFFER. UM, AND, AND, AND WHAT IT COMES DOWN TO IS FUNDING, RIGHT? OKAY. UH, YOUR TAX DOLLARS. DO NOT GO TO HOUSING DEPARTMENT TO, TO PROVIDE, UH, SUPPORT IN THAT SENSE, RIGHT? IT, WE GET THOSE DOLLARS FROM HUD AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL. AND SO WHOEVER YOUR CONGRESS PERSON IS AS WELL, IT'S IMPORTANT TO ADVOCATE FOR MORE FUNDING TO, UH, TO LOCAL MUNICIPALITIES LIKE, LIKE HOUSTON. UM, THEY NEED TO BE AWARE, UH, THAT YOU ARE AWARE AS WELL. AND SO, UH, THIS IS A COLLECTIVE EFFORT AT THE END OF THE DAY. UH, AND WE CAN'T DO THIS WITHOUT YOU BEING A SOUNDING BOARD TO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET DONE HERE AT THE CITY OF HOUSTON. SO MAKE SURE THOSE OTHER ELECTED OFFICIALS, IF YOU HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE AS WELL. OKAY. CAN I ASK TWO QUESTIONS? YEAH, SURE. GO AHEAD. OKAY. FIRST QUESTION IS, I KNOW THERE USED TO BE SOME ORANGE SIGNS RIGHT NEAR THE WEST LOOP, WEST TIMER GALLERY AREA SAYING, GIVE YOUR GIVE TO ORGANIZATIONS AND NOT SPARE CHANGE. MM-HMM . IS THERE A WAY WE COULD GET THOSE SIGNS BACK UP AROUND THE CITY OR MAKE BILLBOARDS OR SOMETHING TO KIND OF ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO THINK ABOUT ORGANIZATIONS? AND THEN THE SECOND THING IS, I KNOW IN THE UPPER KIRBY DISTRICT, UM, THEY HAVE ALL OF THOSE SIGNS. I THINK IT'S, UH, SHEPHERD, GREENBRIER, BUFFALO, SPEEDWAY, KIRBY AND WESLEYAN, MAYBE, WHERE THEY SAY NO CAMPING, LOITERING AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF. SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S A LOCAL OR A STATE, BECAUSE IT DOES HAVE SOMETHING ABOUT STATE ON THERE. BUT ARE THERE, IS THERE A WAY WE COULD GET THOSE SIGNS UP AT DIFFERENT OVERPASSES AROUND ? SO THOSE ORANGE SIGNS WERE THE MANAGEMENT DISTRICT, THE MANAGEMENT DISTRICT IN THE AREA PUT THOSE SIGNS UP. OKAY. AND UNFORTUNATELY, UM, THE, THE UNHOUSED FOLKS WA EVERY DAY THEY WOULD COME, THEY WOULD PUT THEIR JACKETS OVER IT THAT, UM, SAID, YOU KNOW, SO THAT PEOPLE COULD SEE, COULD SEE WHAT THE SIGN SAID. OKAY. UM, AND EVENTUALLY THEY, THEY TOOK 'EM DOWN. UM, BUT I DO THINK THAT IT, IT MAY BE A GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO MEET WITH, UH, THE CLEAR CHANNELS AND THE, YOU KNOW, TO REALLY TALK ABOUT, UM, OUR DESIRE TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE GIVING TO ORGANIZATIONS AS OPPOSED TO PANHANDLER. UM, SO THAT MAY BE AN OPTION. UM, BUT I DO THINK THOSE SIGNS ARE, UM, FROM, FROM THE STATE STATE. OKAY. YEAH. OKAY. THANKS. ALL RIGHT. BUT THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUGGESTIONS, UHHUH, WERE YOU NEXT? NEIL AINO. NEIL AQUINA. AYE. THANKS. IT'S, IT'S DEEPLY DISRESPECTFUL THAT THE MAYOR AND FIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE ABSENT WITHOUT EXPLANATION. IT'S A [02:10:01] SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT OF TIME TO BE HERE. NOTHING'S MORE IMPORTANT TO HOUSTON RIGHT NOW THAN THE RESULTS OF THE UPCOMING ELECTION. THE RACE HATRED AND ANTISEMITISM, ALONG WITH CREDIBLE THREATS OF MASS DEPORTATION STRIKE RIGHT TO THE HEART OF OUR IDENTITY, AND YET WE KEEP GOING ON AS IT'S ALL NORMAL. I'VE HEARD MAYOR WHITMEYER SAY TWICE, HE DOESN'T SEE HOW MASS DEPORTATIONS WOULD BE LEGALLY AND LOGISTICALLY POSSIBLE. YET WE ARE TOLD CLEAR AS DAY WHAT FEDERAL LAWS WOULD BE CITED THAT FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL, MILITARY AND POLICE RESOURCES WOULD BE EMPLOYED, AND THAT DETENTION CAMPS WOULD BE ESTABLISHED. WE'RE TOLD THAT OPENLY CLEAR AS DAY, HARRIS COUNTY SHERIFF CANDIDATE KNOX HAS SAID, HE'LL USE HIS OFFICE TO DEPORT PEOPLE. WHAT ABOUT THE SIX REPUBLICANS WHO SIT HERE? WHERE DO THEY STAND ON MASS? DEPORTATIONS NOT ACCEPTING ELECTION RESULTS. THREATS TO FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT PROJECT 2025. THE LOCAL POLITICAL PRESS SHOULD ASK THEM. THEY SURE WANTED TO ASK SHEILA JACKSON LEE LAST YEAR IF SHE SUPPORTED DEFUND THE POLICE. WHY DON'T WE ASK YOU ABOUT SOME REAL EXTREMISM? AUTHORITARIANISM WILL REQUIRE A LOCAL INFRASTRUCTURE OF SUPPORTIVE OFFICIALS. MIGRANTS WILL NOT ROUND UP THEMSELVES. MAYBE RIGHT HERE WE HAVE THE LOCAL OFFICIALS UP TO THE JOB. THIS COUNCIL DID THE RIGHT THING SO FAR, DITCHING THE MAYOR'S PROPOSED ANTI FIRSTT AMENDMENT, PROTEST ORDINANCE FOUR COUNCIL MEMBERS RECENTLY HAD THE POLITICAL COURAGE TO PROPOSE A NEEDED TAX INCREASE TO MAKE THE CITY BUDGET WHOLE FROM STORM RECOVERY COSTS JUST AS IMPORTANT. MAYBE THOSE COUNCIL MEMBERS USED A CREATIVE ZOOM TOWN HALL FORUM TO TALK TO HOUSTONIANS ABOUT THE PROPOSAL Y'ALL COULD HOLD A DEMOCRACY TOWN HALL. THERE ARE SO MANY WAYS TO ENGAGE. LET'S BUILD ON THE INSIGHT, POLITICAL COURAGE AND CREATIVITY WE'VE SEEN FROM COUNCIL. AT ITS BEST, THIS LEADERSHIP WILL HAVE TO COME FROM INDIVIDUAL COUNCIL MEMBERS OR MEMBERS WORKING TOGETHER. IT WON'T COME FROM THE ADMINISTRATION. MAYOR WHITT MEYER'S CONCEPTION OF PUBLIC SAFETY SEEMS TO EXCLUDE DEMOCRACY. DO YOUR CONSTITUENTS KNOW ABOUT THE TEARING APART OF HOUSTON FAMILIES THAT WOULD RESULT FROM MASS DEPORTATIONS? AGAIN, IT IS QUITE POSSIBLY JUST MONTHS AWAY THAT PROJECT 2025 WOULD BUST THEIR UNION. THAT THE SUPREME COURT RECENTLY UPHELD TEXAS LAW ALLOWING WOMEN TO DIE RATHER THAN TO GET ESSENTIAL REPRODUCTIVE CARE IN AN EMERGENCY. MAYOR WHITMEYER CAMPAIGNED ON THAT VERY ISSUE. ALL THESE ARE LOCAL ISSUES. THEY'RE ALL RIGHT HERE IN FRONT OF US. YOU HAVE THREE WEEKS TO DO ALL YOU CAN TO INFORM HOUSTON. WHAT'S AT STAKE AFTER THAT? THE TASKS AND DECISIONS GET MORE DIFFICULT. WHAT STAND ASIDE OF THE POLICE LINE DO I STAND ON WHEN HARRIS COUNTY VOTES ARE TOSSED OUT AND ELECTION RESULTS ARE OVERTURNED? WHAT DO I DO WHEN STATE AND FEDERAL FORCES DIRECT HPD, THEY ARE SPECIFICALLY TALKING ABOUT USING LOCAL POLICE IN MIGRANT ROUNDUPS? WHAT DO I SAY WHEN, AS WE'VE SEEN ELSEWHERE IN TEXAS, MY SUPPORTERS GET THEIR DOORS KICKED IN BY KEN PAXTON AND DPSI ASK YOU TO ACT WITH URGENCY TO FIGHT THIS EXTREMISM. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. NEXT SPEAKER. RONNIE UNDERWOOD. RONEY UNDERWOOD, DR. DOUG. HELLO. GOOD A DAWN. HOW ARE YOU, DOUG? DOING WELL, THANK YOU, MR. I'M, UH, CALLING ABOUT, I'M, UH, THE, UH, MANAGER WITH UPLIFT HOUSE, A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION THAT'S TRIED TO DO AFFORDABLE HOUSING. AND, UH, SINCE THE STORM HIT, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF PROBLEMS WITH, UH, NOT ONLY UTILITIES, BUT WATER DAMAGE, SEWAGE, ET CETERA, ET CETERA. UH, WE'VE BEEN TRIED TO DO CAMRY, WE'D BE TRYING TO DO WHATEVER WE CAN TO UPGRADE THE PROPERTY. WE GOT 21 APARTMENTS OVER THERE. AND, UH, A LOT OF THE CLIENTS THAT WE, THAT WAS THERE, WE ASKED THEM TO, UH, LET FEMA FIND THEM RESIDENT ELSEWHERE TO, WE WERE ABLE TO GET THE PROPERTY TO WHERE IT WAS LEAST A MUCH MORE LIVABLE CONDITION. WELL, I'VE BEEN HAVING MORE, UH, THROWBACK THAN HELP AND ASSISTANCE IN THAT PARTICULAR AREA. AND THE ONE FOR TWO OF GENTLEMEN HERE THAT CAME OUT, NOW WE'RE GONNA START SEEING WHAT WE COULD DO TO HELP RAISE FUNDS AND TO MAKE MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT IS REALLY NEEDED. A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE NOT THE MINIMUM, UH, INCOME IS LIKE $700 A MONTH ANYWAY. SO, UH, WHAT WE CAN DO TO MAKE IT DECENT, AFFORDABLE IS TO BRING OUR, UH, THE CLIENT, UH, THE UNITS THAT WE DO HAVE TO A HIGHER LEVEL AND HAVE HIGHER ASSISTANCE. AND, UH, I JUST WANT TO, UH, COMMEND THE TWO GENTLEMEN THAT MET WITH ME. THEY SAID, [02:15:01] THEY GONNA WORK WITH ME. WE GONNA SEE WHAT WE COULD DO TO GET THIS THING IN ORDER. 'CAUSE IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE. PEOPLE TRYING TO FIND A DECENT PLACE TO GO, BUT THE PLACES THAT TRYING TO WORK WITH THEM IS GETTING MORE, UH, THROWBACK THAN HELP. I'VE HAD, UH, TICKETS PUT ON MY PROPERTY BECAUSE OF THINGS THAT WAS REALLY OUT OF OUR CONTROL AFTER THIS. UH, THE STORM, WHEN WE'RE TRYING TO FIND OUT WHAT WE CAN DO, THE PROPERTIES BASICALLY IS ALMOST ON A VACANT BASIS, BUT THAT'S NOT THE ISSUE. THE ISSUE IS THAT WE LEARN HOW TO COORDINATE AND WORK WITH THE CITY. SO WE WON'T BE JUST TALKING TO TALK, BUT WE COULD WALK THE WALK. ALL OF US NEED TO KIND LIKE COME TOGETHER. AND LIKE I SAID, WE'RE A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION. WE'RE TRYING TO DO AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AND WE'RE TRYING TO SEE WHAT WE COULD DO TO BRING, UPGRADE OUR NEIGHBORHOODS ALSO. SO I JUST WANTED TO SPEND SOME TIME. I'VE BEEN HERE A FEW TIMES, AND, UH, A LOT OF TIMES BY TIME THINGS WERE GOING ON ALL THE WAY. BUT, UH, UH, I JUST WANTED TO BRING FORTH, UH, WHAT THE CITY CAN DO TO WORK WITH US BECAUSE PEOPLE NEED DECENT HOUSING AND THEY NEED TO LEASE, HAVE A APARTMENTS THAT HAVE AIR AND HEAT AND ET CETERA, ET CETERA, ET CETERA. AND THAT IS WHAT OUR FOCUS IS. SO YOU, YOU SAID YOU DID MEET WITH SOMEONE AND THEY ARE, THEY HAVE AGREED TO WORK WITH YOU? UH, YES, THEY HAVE. I JUST MET SOMEBODY JUST A FEW MINUTES AGO. OKAY. WAS THAT SAL? WELL, SAL'S HERE. UM, IF, IF YOU WANNA, UH, FOLLOW UP WITH SAL AND THEN ALSO INGRAM FROM, UH, THE DISTRICT D OFFICE CAN ASSIST AS WELL. YEAH. 'CAUSE UH, WE, IT'S, IT'S A THING WHERE THAT, AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON, IF THEY GOT ANY FUNDS THAT'S AVAILABLE THAT WE COULD DO, WE COULD WORK TOGETHER, MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING IS DONE IN THE RIGHT WAY IN AN ORDERLY MANNER SO THAT WE CAN UPGRADE OUR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU, MR. UNDERWOOD. WE APPRECIATE YOU CARING. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. CR BUT BATI, GOOD AFTERNOON. HELLO, SIR. MY NAME IS BATI. I AM A LOCAL ARTIST HERE IN HOUSTON. UH, MY EDUCATION INCLUDES TWO DEGREES, ONE IN ARCHITECTURE AND ONE IN PAINTING. AND, UH, THANKS TO THIS INTERSECTION BETWEEN ARTS AND SPORTS, UH, MAINLY IN SOCCER WHERE, WHERE I DON'T THE BIG BODIES AND FACES, UM, ALLOWED ME TO BECOME AN ARTS PROFESSIONAL SINCE 2012. AND FROM THAT, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXHIBIT MY WORK IN DIFFERENT WORLD CUPS, INCLUDING THE BRAZIL WORLD CUP IN 20 14, 20 18, IN, IN RUSSIA IN 2022 IN QATAR. SO, UH, AFTER THAT I HAVE BEEN WORKING ON DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT INITIATIVES IN HOUSTON TO, UM, TO HELP SUPPORT ALL THE EFFORTS FOR THE WORLD CUP COMING UP IN 2026. UH, ONE OF THEM, IT'S, UH, LINEAR PARK, UM, URBAN LINEAR PARK IN EAST DOWNTOWN, WHICH IS THE ENHANCEMENT OF THE COLUMBIA TAP TRAIL THROUGH INNOVATION, CULTURE, ATHLETICS, AND NATURE. AND I'M HERE TODAY JUST TO, UM, OFFER MY SUPPORT WITH YOU, ALL OF YOU HERE. UH, AND I LOVE TO SIT DOWN TO TALK ABOUT JUST DIFFERENT PROJECTS THAT I HAVE IN, IN MY, IN MY PORTFOLIO. UH, SO YEAH. THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ. THANK YOU. MEMBER BROEL. GOOD TO SEE YOU. UM, AND JUST FOR EVERYONE'S AWARENESS, UH, VIRI HAS BEEN WORKING ON THIS PROJECT FOR A COUPLE YEARS ALREADY. UH, WE'VE MET SEVERAL TIMES. UH, AND A BIG, BIG PART OF THIS CONVERSATION IS HOW DO YOU TRANSFORM THE COLUMBIA TAP, UH, IN EAST DOWNTOWN, UH, INTO THIS, UH, GO PARK. AND SO, UH, I DEFINITELY WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO SIT WITH TO HEAR SOME MORE ABOUT IT. UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT MORE, UH, INVOLVEMENT IN IT WHEN IT COMES TO, OF COURSE, WHO'S MAINTAINING THE RIGHT OF WAY, WHICH, YOU KNOW, UM, YOU, WE'VE HAD A FEW CONVERSATIONS AS HOW WE CAN MOVE FORWARD IN THAT MANNER. BUT, UH, JUST, YOU KNOW, IN ANTICIPATION OF THE FIFA, UH, WOKE CUP COME TO HOUSTON, I THINK IT'S GOOD TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT, UH, SMALL BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS TO, TO SEE A VISION OF WHAT CAN BE COLUMBIA TAP DRILL. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TEM. IT'S SO GOOD TO SEE YOU DOWN HERE. UM, AND THANKS FOR JUST GIVING US A BRIEF GLIMPSE OF SOME OF YOUR WORK. I HAVE ONE OF 'EM IN MY OFFICE, . UM, BUT YOU KNOW, THAT YOU HAVE MY SUPPORT AND, UH, AND WHATEVER I CAN DO TO ASSIST, UM, YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU JUST LET ME KNOW AND I'LL BE THERE. THANK, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANKS SO MUCH. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, MELISSA COR. MELISSA CORREA, ER . HI EVERYONE. UM, LONGTIME LISTENER, FIRST TIME CALLER, UH, HERE AT CITY COUNCIL. AND, UM, I APPRECIATE, UH, THE EFFORT ALREADY PUT FORTH BY THE WHITMEYER ADMINISTRATION. I SIGNED UP TO SPEAK IN PURE FRUSTRATION SATURDAY NIGHT AT 8:00 PM SITTING ON MY PORCH. AND I APPRECIATE COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO [02:20:01] BEARING WITH ME AS I SHARED INSTAGRAM AFTER INSTAGRAM VIDEO OF WHITE OAK MUSIC HALL. IT IS SUCH A LOVELY FACILITY. IT REALLY IS A WORLD CLASS FACILITY. THEY CAN HOST UPWARDS OF 4,200 PEOPLE AT ONE TIME. AND I SAW IT ON SATURDAY NIGHT WHEN THEY HOSTED THREE CONCERTS. I LIVE ALONG NORTH STREET. IT'S A SMALL SIDE NEIGHBORHOOD STREET WEDGED BETWEEN, UM, THE NORTH STREET 45 BRIDGE AND HOUSTON AVENUE. WE DON'T EVEN HAVE PAINT ON OUR STREET THAT WOULD INDICATE TWO LANES OF TRAFFIC. UM, AND IN CONVERSATIONS, INITIAL CONVERSATIONS THAT I HAD WITH HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS YESTERDAY AND PARK HOUSTON YESTERDAY, WE DESPERATELY NEED YOUR HELP. UM, WHAT HAPPENED SATURDAY NIGHT WAS THE CULMINATION OF THREE CONCERTS ON OUR STREET, AND AS A RESULT, PEOPLE WERE PARKING BUMPER TO BUMPER. I'VE LIVED WITH THIS FOR MORE THAN SIX YEARS, AND I TRIED TO BE A REALLY COOL MILLENNIAL ABOUT IT UNTIL THEY BLOCKED ME IN AND I COULD NOT LEAVE MY HOUSE FOR MORE THAN FOUR HOURS ON SATURDAY NIGHT. BEYOND THAT, I WAS, UM, TALKING WITH A FAMILY MEMBER FROM INSIDE MY HOME, AND THEY ASKED IF I WAS SAFE AND OKAY, BECAUSE IT WAS NONSTOP HONKING, WHICH MAKES SENSE WHEN VEHICLES CAN'T MOVE IN EITHER DIRECTION OF THE STREET. AND SO, IN ADDITION TO IT BEING A NUISANCE TO THE NEIGHBORS OFF, OBVIOUSLY THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN. AND, UM, I'VE WITNESSED MULTIPLE TIMES HPD NOR, UM, HFD BEING ABLE TO GET THROUGH THE STREET, WHICH MAKES SENSE WHEN YOU HAVE 4,000 PEOPLE AT A CONCERT VENUE. IF THERE WAS AN EMERGENCY, WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO RESPOND AS A CITY. AND SO I STARTED TO LOOK AT WHAT COULD BE DONE, RIGHT? BECAUSE A COMPLAINT GETS YOU NOWHERE. UM, AND SO, UM, IN QUICK CONVERSATIONS YESTERDAY WITH VARIOUS CITY DEPARTMENTS, I LEARNED THAT THERE'S SOME ACTION, BUT I LEARNED THAT KIND OF LIKE WITH MY NEIGHBORS WHO WERE TALKING ABOUT THE AIRBNB AND THE WOMAN WHO'S UPSET WITH, WITH THE FOLKS THAT ARE UNHOUSED IN OUR CITY, WHAT SEEMS TO BE THE SOLUTION HERE WITH WHITE OAK MUSIC CALL IS LIKE, WE'RE GONNA FIX A SMALL PORTION, THEN THE PROBLEM'S GONNA PUSH. WE'RE GONNA FIX A SMALL PORTION, THE PROBLEM'S GONNA PUSH. SO EAST OF THE CONCERT VENUE, THERE'S NO PARKING, YOU'VE GOTTA HAVE A PERMIT. IT'S WONDERFUL. PARK HOUSTON IMPLEMENTED THAT PERMIT PARKING PROGRAM, AND IT'S BEAUTIFUL. EARLIER THIS YEAR, THE CITY TOOK ACTION AND THEY PUT UP NO PARKING SIGNS ON THE BRIDGE. AND SO SLOWLY BUT SURELY, ALL OF THE TRAFFIC, MORE THAN 4,000 PEOPLE HAVE SLOWLY MOVED INTO OUR SIDE STREETS. AND THEN BEYOND THAT, DEEPER INTO THE HEIGHTS, UNFORTUNATELY, THERE ISN'T INFRASTRUCTURE THAT SUPPORTS THE VEHICLES. WE DON'T HAVE CROSSWALKS, WE DON'T HAVE LIGHTING SYSTEMS. AND SO THIS IS JUST, UM, A PERFECT STORM AND WE NEED HELP. OKAY, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. THANK YOU MAYOR PROTI. AND MELISSA, THANK YOU FOR, FOR BEING HERE. AND, UM, NOT ONLY JUST LETTING US KNOW, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE EXPERIENCING, BUT ALSO HAVING SOME IDEAS. UM, THAT'S ALSO, THAT'S ALWAYS APPRECIATED. YOU KNOW, UM, THAT STRETCH OF NORTH MAINE AND THE, THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE SURROUNDED BY THE WHITE OAK MUSIC HALL HAVE BEEN IMPACTED, UH, FOR A WHILE NOW. AND AT ONE POINT I SERVED ON THE NEAR NORTH SIDE TURS BOARD, UM, AND WE LOOKED AT THAT STRETCH OF NORTH MAINE FROM THE FEEDER TO BOUNDARY TO TRY AND MAKE SOME IMPROVEMENTS BECAUSE IT'S NOT PEDESTRIAN FRIENDLY, IT'S NOT BIKE FRIENDLY. UM, YOU DON'T WANT TO USE THOSE MEANS TO GET TO THE WIDE OAK MUSIC HALL BECAUSE YOU DON'T FEEL SAFE WALKING OR BIKING ON THAT STRIP OF THE ROAD. THAT'S RIGHT. SO YOU'RE GONNA DRIVE, UH, IT EXACERBATES THE ISSUE AND IT'S SO CLOSE TO THE RAIL. UM, YOU SHOULD WANT TO BE ABLE TO, TO GET THERE ANOTHER WAY, BUT EVEN IF YOU UBER OR LYFT, UM, THAT CREATES AN ISSUE. 'CAUSE THEY'RE CLOSING OFF ONE LANE OF TRAFFIC FOR THE DROP OFF. SO YOU'RE TAKING A FOUR LANE ROAD AND CONDENSING IT DOWN TO A THREE LANE ROAD. UM, THERE, THERE, THERE IS A LOT GOING ON. UM, I KNOW THAT WHAT THE TOURS PROPOSED WAS PULLED BACK. THE ADMINISTRATION PUSHED, UH, UH, A PLAN FOR THAT STRIP OF THE ROAD THAT'S NOW BEING REVIEWED. UM, THERE, THERE WILL BE SOME IMPROVEMENTS TO COME. I KNOW THAT IT'S A PRIORITY FOR ME, UM, FROM THE SAFETY SIDE, FROM THE IMPACTS TO THE RESIDENTS. UH, I WANNA WORK WITH YOU AND, AND YOUR INPUT AND FEEDBACK, UH, WHEN THINGS ARE GOING WRONG, SPECIFICALLY, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THREE ONE ONE'S AWARE WE GET THOSE DOCUMENTED. UM, JUST SO THAT WE'RE CAPTURING THE FULL IMPACT OF, OF THE NUISANCE WHEN IT HAPPENS. UH, BUT THEN ALSO ON YOUR IDEAS AS WE MOVE FORWARD. UH, BECAUSE MYSELF, UH, THE TURS, THE MANAGEMENT DISTRICT, THE BUSINESSES THAT ARE, THAT ARE AROUND THERE, THE NEIGHBORS, THEY ALL WANT TO SEE SOMETHING HAPPEN. UM, AND WE'RE COMMITTED TO, TO WORKING TOGETHER [02:25:01] TO, TO FIND A SOLUTION. SO, UH, MY CONSTITUENT SERVICES DIRECTOR WILL, WILL COME. WE'LL GET YOUR INFORMATION AND WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT AS THESE THINGS OCCUR, UH, WE'RE AWARE AND THAT, UM, WHEN THE TIME COMES TO COME TOGETHER TO UH, FIGURE OUT SOME NEXT STEPS, YOU'LL BE A PART OF THE PROCESS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. BECAUSE I'M LISTENING TO THOSE FOLKS WORRY ABOUT AIRBNBS. AND OBVIOUSLY, UM, THE CONTENTION WITH WHITE OAK MUSIC HALL IS YEARS IN BREWING BEFORE THIS ADMINISTRATION, OBVIOUSLY, BUT THEY HAVE 320 PARKING SPOTS FOR A FACILITY THAT CAN HOLD MORE THAN 4,000 PEOPLE. YES, YES. THEY ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO WALK ON THE STREET, BUT THEN THEY ADVISE YOU THAT IT'S GONNA BE AT LEAST A 10 MINUTE WALK. SO LET'S SAY YOU DO A MILE IN 20 MINUTES, YOU ARE EXPECTED TO PARK VERY DEEP OUT INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD. THEY REFERENCED THE, UM, THE LIGHT RAIL, BUT I'M NOT QUITE SURE THAT THE SIDEWALKS ARE STABLE FOR THAT, NOR IS LIGHTING. AND THEN WHEN I SPOKE WITH PARK HOUSTON ABOUT THE POTENTIAL FOR MAYBE URGING WHITE OAK MUSIC CALLED TO CONTRACT LAW ENFORCEMENT, THE CITY SAID, WELL, WHERE WOULD THE POLICE STAND? AND I SAID, WELL, COULDN'T THEY STAND EITHER ON MAIN STREET OR HOUSTON? AND THEY SAID THAT INFRASTRUCTURE IS NOT SAFE, SO IT'S NOT EVEN SAFE FOR OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT TO GO OUT THERE. I SAID, WELL, MAYBE GOLLY, CITY OF HOUSTON, YOU COULD PUT UP PARKING METERS BECAUSE THAT'S A NICE REVENUE. I THINK WE NEED MONEY RIGHT NOW. AND I WAS TOLD BY THE CITY THAT OUR STREET IS ACTUALLY TOO NARROW. THAT LIKE, BY SAFETY STANDARDS OF TXDOT, YOU CAN'T EVEN HAVE PARALLEL PARKING. SO ALL OF THIS JUST LIKE GATHERS AND PAINTS THE PICTURE THAT THERE'S AN ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE. I APPRECIATE YOU. UM, AND THEN, AND THEN IT'S JUST THE HOUSTON WAY TO LOOK OUT FOR, FOR MY OTHER HOUSTONIANS SAYING, I DEFINITELY WANT RELIEF ON NORTH STREET, PLEASE, COUNCIL MEMBER. BUT MY HEART ALSO GOES OUT TO WHOEVER IS GONNA ABSORB THIS BECAUSE SOMEBODY ELSE WILL. UM, AND IT'S UNFORTUNATELY NOT GONNA BE THE MUSICAL HALL. IT'S GONNA BE THE NEIGHBORHOOD. SO THANK YOU. YEP. AND, AND WE'RE GOING TO THANK YOU FOR, FOR THE EXTRA CONTEXT, UM, BECAUSE IT IS, IT IS A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT. UM, I MEAN, I CAME WITH A LOT OF SOLUTIONS. I'M LIKE, ABOUT THIS, THIS, AND THAT. AND, UM, AND I'M LOOKING AT THE SIGNAGE. THE CITY OF HOUSTON LOVES THE STREET SIGN. UM, BUT THEN I LEARNED LOGISTICALLY WHY THIS DOESN'T WORK. AND, AND SO AS YOU ALL MOVE FORWARD WITH THESE ORDINANCES AND APPROVING AIRBNBS AND NOT, DON'T THINK ABOUT WHAT SOMEBODY'S ASKING YOU FOR TODAY, BUT IMAGINE POTENTIALLY WHAT THAT INFRASTRUCTURE COULD BE DOWN THE LINE. AND, AND, AND IT'S JUST GONNA BOTTLENECK IT. LIKE I SAID, A BULL IN A CHIME CABINET IS WHAT WHITE OAK HAS BECOME. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. THANK FOR BEING HERE. UH, THANK YOU FOR MELISSA FOR SHARING THIS. AND AS YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE POLICE CAN'T EVEN WORK THERE 'CAUSE IT'S NOT SAFE. I'M THINKING, UH, THIS SOUNDS LIKE SOMETHING OUT OF THE FAR SIDE ONLY IT'S NOT FUNNY. YEAH. YOU KNOW, UM, AND YOU HAVEN'T MENTIONED THIS AND I'M JUST WONDERING IF THEY'RE BLOCKING YOUR DRIVEWAY SPECIFICALLY. WOULD YOU NOT BE ABLE TO HAVE THEM TOWED SO THAT YOU COULD GET IN AND OUT? I WOULD, I WOULD HAVE TO HIRE A PRIVATE TOW COMPANY TO DO THAT MYSELF, IS MY UNDERSTANDING. THERE'S NO SIGNAGE ON THE STREET. THERE'S SO MUCH OTHER SIGNAGE EAST OF THE MUSICAL CALL THAT WHEN I'M OUT, UM, MAYBE PUTTING OUT MY TRASH CAN OUT ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT, WHICH IF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD PUTS OUT OUR TRASH CANS ON WEDNESDAYS AND THERE'S A CONCERT, OFTENTIMES THEY'RE MOVED OR OUR TRASH IS DUMPED IN THE STREET. AND ALL OF THAT IS TO CONTEND WITH THURSDAY MORNING. BUT THERE'S NO SIGNAGE ON OUR STREET THAT ISSUES ANY SORT OF PARKING NOTICE. UM, UH, REGARDING THE TOWING, ARE YOU PART OF A NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, GROUP THAT COULD HIRE A TOW COMPANY TO, UH, TO TOW CARS THAT ARE BLOCKING PRIVATE DRIVEWAYS? I'M NOT PART OF AN ORGANIZATION AND I'M NOT, I'M NOT AWARE OF A NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIANCE THAT IS SPECIFIC TO NORTH STREET. IT MIGHT JUST BE WOODLAND HEIGHTS IN GENERAL. UM, BUT THAT SERVES QUITE A ROBUST AREA. MM-HMM . ALRIGHT. WELL, AGAIN, I'M SORRY THAT Y'ALL ARE HAVING TO GO THROUGH THAT AND, AND CERTAINLY LEND MY VOICE IN SUPPORT OF WHATEVER MEASURES, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO AND, AND YOU GUYS COME UP WITH. SO IT IS, AND, AND COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ, THANK YOU FOR ASKING ME THOSE QUESTIONS BECAUSE THIS IS OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING THAT'S UNIQUE TO WHITE OAK MUSIC CALL BECAUSE IF YOU OR YOUR FAMILY WERE TO BUY A CONCERT TICKET ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, YOU'RE AT TOYOTA CENTER, YOU'RE AT NRG, YOU ARE ANYWHERE ELSE AT 7 1 3 MUSIC HALL THAT HAS PARKING INFRASTRUCTURE, IT HAS TRAFFIC LIGHTS THAT CAN MITIGATE AND CONTROL THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC. ALL OF THOSE VENUES HAVE THE CAPACITY TO CONTRACT LAW ENFORCEMENT. AND YET SOMEHOW THIS MUSIC VENUE THAT CAN HOLD THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE, IT'S BEEN PUT ON THE RESPONSIBILITY OF WHAT IS A LITTLE PERSON SUPPOSED TO DO FOR THIS. I MEAN, IMAGINE IF TOYOTA CENTER IN THE MIDDLE OF A BIG RESIDENTIAL AREA. SO IT'S HERE, WE'VE GOTTA FIGURE OUT A WAY TO DO THIS. I'M HOPEFUL THAT THE CITY CAN HELP, UM, BECAUSE UNFORTUNATELY I JUST CHOSE TO LIVE IN THE WRONG PLACE. WELL, I'M SORRY TO HEAR THAT. AND SORRY THAT YOU HAVE THAT ATTITUDE, [02:30:01] BUT AGAIN, I'LL, I'LL SUPPORT WHATEVER YOU GUYS THINK IS BEST. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. COUNCIL MEMBER ALCO. THANK YOU MELISSA. FIRST TIME CALLER, YOU DID A GREAT JOB. THANK YOU. YOU REALLY LAID OUT THE CASE VERY WELL. UM, YOU KNOW, I, I DOUBT A LOT WITH WHITE OAK MAINLY ON THE NOISE ISSUE. UM, THIS IS REALLY THE FIRST TIME I'VE DUG INTO THE PARKING AND THE KIND OF INGRESS AND EGRESS OF THE PLACE. UM, AND CERTAINLY WILL JOIN FORCES TO, TO FIGURE OUT, TRY TO HELP FIGURE SOMETHING OUT ABOUT HOW MANY TIMES PER WEEK OR MONTH IS IT A REAL PROBLEM? WELL, IT'S HARD FOR ME TO GAUGE THAT, AND I'LL SAY THAT BECAUSE IN 2024, MAYBE A FEW MONTHS AGO, UM, I DIDN'T DOCUMENT IT, BUT THE CITY OF HOUSTON DID ADD THOSE NO PARKING SIGNS TO THE BRIDGE OVER 45 AT NORTH STREET. AND SO THAT JUST STARTED TO PUSH EVERYONE BACK. MM-HMM . ALSO TOO, THE WEATHER IS COOLER. SO THIS SATURDAY I DID NOTICE THEY HAD THREE CONCERTS, BUT TO GIVE YOU SOME CONTEXT, TODAY THROUGH SATURDAY, THEY'LL HAVE TWO, AND THAT SHOULD BE AT LEAST 1200 PEOPLE IN THEIR VENUE BASED ON THEIR TOTALS. THE PROBLEM IS REALLY DEPENDENT ON THE PERSON PARKING THE CAR. YOU KNOW, SOME OF OUR NEIGHBORS UNDERSTAND THAT THEY'RE GONNA BLOCK OUR DRIVEWAY AND THEY WON'T DO IT. OTHER PEOPLE DON'T CARE. AND THEY'LL BLOCK ANYWAY AND THEY'LL THINK, WELL, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN DRIVE ON YOUR GRASS OR YOU CAN DRIVE IN YOUR NEIGHBOR'S DRIVEWAY. AND SO THEY'LL BLOCK IT THAT WAY. SO IT'S NOT LIKE WHITE OAK IS SANCTIONING TO BLOCK THE DRIVEWAY. IT'S DEPENDENT ON THE CALIBER OF PERSON. RIGHT. RIGHT. SO, BUT THERE'S CONCERTS EVERY WEEKEND, BASICALLY. EVERY WEEKEND. THEY BOTH SIT, THEY HAVE MORE THAN 400 LIVE EVENTS EVERY WEEKEND. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE BUILDUP TO THE WORLD CUP, THE WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC, WHO'S NOT GONNA WANNA JUMP IN ON THOSE BIG NOTABLE TOURISM EVENTS. I'M ONLY ANTICIPATING THAT IT'S GONNA GET WORSE. UM, AND THE CONCERTS ARE GREAT. I MEAN, TO THE BATTLE THAT WAS THE NOISE VOLUME. THEY'VE DEFINITELY CONTROLLED THAT. YEAH. NOT GETTING COMPLAINTS, THEN I KNOCK ON SOMETHING. YES. THEY ON THE NOISE. I CANNOT, I CANNOT HEAR THE CONCERTS. I CAN HEAR THE HONKING AND THE FRUSTRATION. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, MARIA ANOVA. MARIA ANOVA, NEXT SPEAKER ANN HARRIS. GOOD AFTERNOON. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS ANNA HARRIS AND I AM A RESIDENT OF CAMP DALE ON JUSTICE PARK DRIVE AND COUNCILWOMAN PECK, IT'S NICE TO MEET YOU. I KNOW THAT YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH OUR PROPERTY, SO I'M SO GRATEFUL THAT YOU'RE HERE. TODAY. I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT ONE LITTLE, ONE LITTLE PROBLEM IN THE BIG PICTURE. AND THAT IS OUR HEALTH CONCERNS. WE HAVE HAD TO DEAL WITH MAJOR SEWAGE FLOODING IN BUILDING THREE, WHICH IS WHERE I RESIDE, FIVE MAJOR FLOODING EVENTS THIS YEAR, TO BE EXACT. THE FIRST ONE WAS IN FEBRUARY, AND TWO OF MY NEIGHBOR'S FIRST FLOOR APARTMENTS FLOODED AND SEWER ACTUALLY RAN DOWN THE ELEVATOR SHAFT AND INTO THE ENTRY HALL OF OUR BUILDING. AND THE STAIN, THE STAINED WALL, BY THE WAY, WAS PAINTED OVER THE DAY BEFORE A STATE INSPECTION IN MAY. THE NEXT EVENT OCCURRED IN JUNE, AND IT ALSO FLOODED THE EXACT SAME TWO APARTMENT UNITS. UH, BOTH OF MY NEIGHBORS VACATED THEIR APARTMENTS NOT WANTING TO GO THROUGH THAT AGAIN. ONE MOVED AWAY AS QUICKLY AS SHE COULD. SHE WAS SER SEVERELY DISABLED. AND THE OTHER ONE MOVED TO AN UPSTAIRS APARTMENT. UNFORTUNATELY, ONE OF THE APARTMENTS, WHICH IS RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO ME, IS NOW, UH, I HAVE A NEW NEIGHBOR WHO IS ELDERLY HAND, UH, HANDICAPPED. AND SHE HAS HAD THREE OVERFLOWS IN THE PAST THREE WEEKS. THE VACANT APARTMENT ACROSS FROM HER HAS ALSO OVERFLOWED. AND BY THE WAY, UH, FLOOD NUMBER TWO IN JUNE, THE PLUMBER POURED BUCKETS OF SEWAGE IMMEDIATELY OUTSIDE OUR DOUBLE DOOR ENTRY TO THE BUILDING MANAGEMENT WAS INFORMED AND NOTHING WAS DONE. AND I HAVE PICTURES ON MY PHONE TO SHOW IF ANYONE'S INTERESTED IN ALL OCCURRENCES, OCCURRENCES, MAINTENANCE, WET VACUUMED, AND MANAGEMENT MOPPED. BUT THERE HAS NEVER BEEN ANY PROFESSIONAL CLEANING. AND THAT'S A BIG CONCERN BECAUSE IF YOU CAN IMAGINE IF IT RAN DOWN THE WALL, THERE [02:35:01] HAS TO BE MOLD. AND, UH, THE SECOND ISSUE THAT I WOULD LIKE TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION IS THAT OUR SWIMMING POOL HAD NO CITY PERMIT. FOR THE FIRST FIVE YEARS THAT THIS FACILITY WAS OPEN, WE'VE HAD, WE HAVE HAD ONLY ONE LIGHT IN THE POOL AT NIGHT FOR MONTHS. AND RECENTLY IT TOOK A CALL FROM A RESIDENT TO THE STATE TO GET THAT CORRECTED. THE POOL MAINTENANCE IS HANDLED BY OUR MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL, OR AT ONE TIME THE CLEANING LADY WAS OUR POOL PERSON BECAUSE WE WERE IN BETWEEN MAINTENANCE PEOPLE. DO YOU WANT TO GO AHEAD AND WRAP UP? I WOULD LOVE TO. THE POOL HAS BEEN SHUT DOWN BY THE STATE SEVERAL TIMES. ONCE BECAUSE THE CHEMICALS WERE NOT CORRECT. IN FACT, ONE OF OUR RESIDENTS WAS ADVISED BY HER DOCTOR NOT TO SWIM AGAIN AFTER SHE DEVELOPED A SKIN INFECTION. THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A PROFESSIONAL POOL COMPANY INVOLVED IN SERVICING OUR POOL. NOW THE FINAL SUBJECT IS MENTAL HEALTH. IN OUR COMMUNITY, THE RESIDENTS ARE DISRESPECTED BY MANAGEMENT AND TREATED AS THOUGH WE ARE OLD AND STUPID. WE ALL LIVE UNDER A CLOUD OF FEAR FROM THREATS OF LEASE VIOLATIONS, NON-RENEWAL OF OUR LEASE OR LEASE EVICTION. AND I WILL CONFESS THAT I AM NERVOUS STANDING UP HERE. NOT BECAUSE I'M AFRAID TO SPEAK TO Y'ALL, BUT BECAUSE I RISK LOSING MY HOME, BECAUSE I HAVE SPOKEN OUT AGAINST THIS MANAGEMENT. WE TRULY NEED YOUR HELP. AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LISTENING. VICE MAYOR PRO TEMP PAC. THANK YOU. UM, MS. HARRIS. YES. THANK YOU FOR SPEAKING TODAY. UM, I HAVE PERSONALLY SPOKEN WITH THE OWNERS OF THIS COMPLEX, UM, TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE SHORT TERM ISSUES THAT WE'VE HEARD ABOUT. AND I DO HAVE A MEETING WITH THEM ABOUT SOME OF THESE LONGER TERM ISSUES. UM, AND SO I'M GOING TO BE COMPILING ALL OF THE CONCERNS THAT YOU AND YOUR NEIGHBORS ARE HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT TODAY. AND, UM, ONE OF THE OWNERS IS IN THE AUDIENCE AND GOING TO BE SPEAKING HERE IN, UM, IN A LITTLE BIT AS WELL. SO THEY WILL BE LISTENING AS WELL TO ADDRESS THESE CONCERNS. SO THANK YOU, UM, FOR SPEAKING AND TO YOUR NEIGHBORS AS WELL. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ, MS. HARRIS, MS. WE DID HAVE ANOTHER COUNCIL MEMBER THAT WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. THANK YOU MS. HARRIS FOR COMING AND, AND SHARING YOUR COMMENTS. MAY I ASK, UH, HAVE THE RESIDENTS TAKEN ANY ACTION, UH, REGARDING THESE COMPLAINTS? OTHER THAN, OF COURSE, YOU'RE TAKING ACTION BY BEING HERE AND COMPLAINING TO, UH, BLAZER PERSONNEL? WELL, ACTUALLY, UH, WHEN WE GOT ATTENTION, BECAUSE WE WERE, UH, IN THE FIRST STORM, WE HAD, UH, SEVEN DAYS OF POWER OUTAGE. SO IT GOT A LOT OF ATTENTION THERE BECAUSE, UM, PEOPLE WERE STUCK. UH, WE HAD PEOPLE UPSTAIRS THAT COULDN'T EVEN GET DOWN THE STAIRS, SO THEY WERE STUCK IN THE HEAT. AND, UM, SO AT, AFTER ALL THAT, EVERYONE WAS ANGRY BECAUSE WE GOT LEFT AND WE WEREN'T TENDED TO, AND THERE WAS NO ATTENTION. SO I HAD ABOUT 25 PEOPLE THAT I GOT ALL TOGETHER AND, AND SAID THEY WOULD SPEAK UP, BUT AS TIME WENT BY, THEY'VE ALL LEFT, LOST THEIR COURAGE. BECAUSE HONESTLY, UH, WE DO LIVE UNDER THE FEAR OF LOSING OUR HOMES IF WE, WE HAVE A BOOK OF RULES AND I BROUGHT PAPERWORK AND THERE WILL BE COPIES FOR ALL OF Y'ALL. BUT WE LIVE UNDER THE FEAR OF LOSING OUR HOMES IF WE SPEAK OUT. AND MOST OF THEM, WELL, I I TRY TO GET MORE TO COME WITH US TODAY, BUT HONESTLY, MOST OF THEM HAVE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE AFRAID TO TALK. MM-HMM . AND, AND WHAT IS IT, UH, WHAT IS IT YOU WOULD LIKE FOR CITY COUNCIL TO DO? WELL, UM, WE JUST NEED ATTENTION ON THE MATTER BECAUSE WE FEEL THAT WE ARE NOT BEING TREATED AS WE SHOULD BE. AND OF COURSE, UH, THE, OF THE SEWAGE SITUATION IN OUR BUILDING IS OF GREAT CONCERN. I LIVE, I'M NEXT DOOR TO THE WOMAN THAT JUST MOVED IN AND WE LIVE ON A DAILY, WE'RE IN FEAR OF WHEN IS IT GONNA HAPPEN AGAIN? AND OF COURSE, WITH NO PROFESSIONAL CLEANING, IT CONCERNS US TOO, THAT, THAT IT'S A HEALTH HAZARD. SO THAT WOULD, TO ACCOMPLISH THAT WOULD BE TREMENDOUS. AND, AND WHAT IS THAT EXACTLY? TO HAVE CLEAN, PROFESSIONAL CLEANING COME IN AND CLEAN LIKE IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN CLEANED? BECAUSE I, WE KNOW IF IT RAN DOWN THE WALL AND INTO THE HALL AND WENT UNDER THE BASEBOARDS, AND, UH, THERE HAS TO BE, THERE HAS TO BE MOLD. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU MA'AM. MM-HMM . THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. NEXT SPEAKER. SHERRY BUTLER. SHERRY BUTLER. [02:40:04] UM, GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS SHERRY BUTLER. I'M A NATIVE HOUSTONIAN AND I'M SEEKING YOUR ASSISTANCE WITH SOME HEALTH ISSUES AT THE APARTMENT COMPLEX THAT I LIVE IN. UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS MY BIGGEST PASSION AND THE THING I NEED THE MOST HELP WITH IS THERE'S A SITUATION WHERE THE EMS AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CAN'T GET IN TO THE GATES. AND THAT GOT RESOLVED AND THEY NOW HAVE THE BUTTON THAT PUSHES, THAT OPENS THE GATES, BUT THEN WHEN THEY GET IN, WE HAVE THREE SEPARATE BUILDINGS THAT HAVE LOCKS AND THE LOCKS TO GET IN. THEY CAN'T GET IN. AND ONE OF MY FRIENDS DIED DECEMBER 23RD, UH, LAST YEAR, AND SHE HAD INTERSTITIAL LUNG DISEASE AND SHE WOULD HAVE DIED ANYWAY EVENTUALLY, BUT BECAUSE THEY WERE WAITING DOWNSTAIRS FOR 10 MINUTES BEFORE SHE, BEFORE THEY COULD GET IN, SHE WAS IN INTENSIVE CARE FOR SEVEN DAYS AND THEN DIED OF A REALLY HORRIBLE DEATH. SO ONE OF MY MISSIONS WAS TO MAKE SURE THAT I DID EVERYTHING THAT I COULD TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM. SO I'VE BEEN TO THE THREE DIFFERENT SUBSTATIONS, AND THEN I FOUND THIS SUBSTATION THAT USUALLY COMES TO US, AND GABRIEL IS IN CHARGE OF THAT. HE'S AN EXCELLENT GUY. THEY COME, THE EMS COMES THERE ALL THE TIME. WE'RE OLD, THEY'VE COME FOR ME. AND WHEN I BROKE MY HIP, I MEAN, THEY'RE, THEY'RE GREAT, BUT, AND, AND THE APARTMENT COMPLEX IS SAYING THE KEYS ARE PUT IN THE LOCKBOX. AND THEN WHAT HAPPENS IS THE FIREMEN COME, THEY HAVE AN EMERGENCY, THEY DON'T PUT THE KEYS BACK IN THE LOCKBOX, THEY GO OFF SOMETIMES IT REALLY IS, THEY CAN'T PUT IT. BUT I'VE SEEN 'EM ENOUGH TIMES WHERE THEY'RE DRIVING OUT AND THEY'RE NOT PUTTING THE KEYS BACK. SO I, ON MY OWN VOLITION, HAVE GONE IN AND PUT, BOUGHT KEYS AT THE KEY KEY KIOSK AND BROUGHT 'EM OVER TO GABRIEL, AND THEN GABRIEL CAME OVER THE FIRST TIME AND PUT THE KEYS BACK IN THE KEY BOX. THEN AGAIN, IT HAPPENS. THE, THE GUYS ARE OUT DOWNSTAIRS. IF IT'S IN THE DAYTIME, WE'VE GOT RESIDENTS THAT ARE GOING IN AND OUT. BUT IF IT'S AT NIGHTTIME, NOBODY'S GOING IN AND OUT OF THAT, THOSE DOORS. AND THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED WITH MY FRIEND. THEY DON'T, NOBODY'S DOWN THERE TO OPEN THE DOOR TO LET PEOPLE IN. NOW, THIS IS A PROBLEM BETWEEN, AND, AND MANAGEMENT CAN'T GET IN THERE BECAUSE THEY'RE SET. THE, THE, THE LOCKBOX IS MANAGED BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THEY CAN'T PUT THE KEYS BACK. SO I WENT AND BOUGHT MORE KEYS. I BOUGHT TWO SETS OF KEYS AND PUT 'EM IN THE BOX. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED AND I DON'T KNOW WHO DOES IT, BUT THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS. WE HAVE DARK, REALLY DARK PARKING LOTS IN THE BACK WHERE MY APARTMENT IS. I HAVE A GARAGE. MINE'S WELL LIT, BUT WE REALLY NEED HUGE FLOODLIGHTS BACK THERE. IT'S SO DARK YOU CANNOT SEE. AND THE OTHER THING IS, WE NEED SOME CAMERAS. WHY AREN'T THERE CAMERAS BACK THERE? IT WOULD END THIS A LOT OF, I THINK THE VANDALISM, OR AT LEAST IT WOULD PUT, UH, UM, A SUGGESTION OF IT. WE USED TO HAVE, ON THE THREE BUILDINGS, THERE'S THREE BUILDINGS AND THEY HAVE A SILVER BOX. AND THE SILVER BOX USED TO WORK. SO IF I WAS COMING IN LATE AT NIGHT, I HAD A, A KEY, IT WAS THE KEY THAT OPENED THE GATE TO LET ME IN AND IT, I WOULD PRESS THE KEY AND I COULD WALK IN. I'VE HAD TO HAVE CARPAL TUNNEL SURGERY SINCE THEN, AND I CANNOT USE THAT ANYMORE. THAT KEEP BOB DOESN'T WORK BECAUSE THEY SAID IT WOULD TAKE A, A SOFTWARE UPGRADE AND THEY'RE NOT GONNA DO THE SOFTWARE UPGRADE. SO THAT'S A SITUATION I THINK COULD BE EASILY FIXED. BUT, AND THEN THE LA THERE WAS, I HAVE SOME OTHER STUFF, BUT NOW THAT I HAVE KNOW WHERE Y'ALL ARE, I'M JUST GOING TO KEEP COMING BACK UNTIL WE GET A, I GET A IDEA OF HOW I CAN HELP AND MAKE IT IT BETTER FOR ALL OF US. THE LAST THING I WOULD LIKE TO SAY IS THERE'S NO MODERN WAY FOR US TO GET NOTIFICATIONS. LIKE, I HAVE A SON THAT TELLS ME TO HEAD TO HIS HOUSE IN AUSTIN. AS SOON AS THERE'S A SOMETHING IN THE GULF, I'M OUT OF THERE. SO FOR ALL THE NATURAL DISASTERS, THE WIND DISASTER, THE FLOODING, DISASTER, ALL OF THOSE, I WASN'T HERE, BUT I HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING WHEN IT WAS SAFE TO COME BACK BECAUSE THERE'S NO EMAIL LIST, THERE'S NO TEXT MESSAGING LIST. WHEN I FIRST MOVED IN FIVE YEARS AGO, I SAID, HOW IN THIS DAY AND AGE DO WE NOT HAVE AN ALERT SYSTEM? LIKE WHAT IF THERE'S A REAL PROBLEM? WE'RE NOT ALERTED. WE'RE ALL JUST IN OUR INDIVIDUAL, UH, APARTMENTS. I KNOW I'VE RUN OVER A LITTLE BIT LONGER AND I DO APPRECIATE YOU LISTENING. I THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS ISSUES FOR MY NEIGHBORS AND MYSELF. AND, UM, I'LL TAKE ACTION ITEMS FROM YOU, VICE MAYOR PRO TAMPA. IF YOU WANNA GO AHEAD AND, AND ADDRESS HER, THAT'D BE GREAT. YES. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SPEAKING TODAY. UM, I HAVE SPOKEN WITH THE FIREFIGHTERS AND PARAMEDICS WHO REGULARLY GO TO YOUR APARTMENT COMPLEX AND THEY DID INDICATE THAT THEY CAN GET IN. UM, BUT LET ME FOLLOW UP WITH THEM AGAIN 'CAUSE IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE MIGHT BE SOME DISCONNECT HERE. SO I [02:45:01] WILL FOLLOW UP AND MAKE SURE IF THERE'S SOME CONCERN THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT IT'S ADDRESSED. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. BUTLER. UM, AND I'LL BE BACK IF THIS STUFF DOESN'T GET HIT. OKAY, NEXT SPEAKER. GAIL MARTINS. GAIL MARTINS, GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M HEARING IMPAIRED. I'M DEAF IN THIS AREA. THIS AREA HAS ACOUSTICS TRAUMA. SO PLEASE BEAR WITH ME. I LIVE AT 39 JUSTICE PARK DRIVE WITH THESE OTHER LADIES. WE NEED YOUR HELP. I HAVE BEEN BULLIED BY BLAZERS REAL ESTATE. HER MANAGER, WHITNEY HUDSON, HAS HUMILIATED ME AND BULLIED ME ABOUT MY DEAFNESS. CHRIS CAMERON IS HERE TODAY. THAT'S HER GENERAL MANAGER. SHE'S ALLOWED THIS, SHE'S ENDORSED THIS. IT'S BEEN REPORTED TO HER. HUD IS AWARE OF THIS HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY. SHE'S VIOLATED MY PRIVACY. GONE IN WITH EMAILS AND SLANDERED ME. ON ONE OCCASION, MY AIR CONDITIONING WENT OUT. I WAS SLEEPING IN MY CAR 'CAUSE IT WAS SO HOT. AND I WENT TO WHITNEY AND SHE WASN'T THERE. AND HER ASSISTANT SAID THAT SHE WAS ON CALL WHEN YOU TRIED TO CALL HER THE EMERGENCY. 'CAUSE THE AIR CONDITIONING WAS OUT. SO WHEN I FINALLY GOT TO MEET WITH HER, SHE TOLD ME, WHY DON'T YOU OPEN UP YOUR EARS? STUPID? WHY DOESN'T SOMEBODY FROM YOUR CHURCH HELP YOU? I SAID, MY CHURCH. SHE SAID, WELL, THERE'S 14 OF YOU THAT LIVE HERE. SHE MARKED MY FAITH, BUT SHE ALSO VIOLATED THEIR PRIVACY BY DISCLOSING THAT TO ME. I DIDN'T HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW THAT. WHETHER I SHARE THE SAME FAITH, WHETHER I'M BUDDHIST, HINDU, JEW, CHRISTIAN, WHATEVER. SHE HAD NO RIGHT TO THROW THAT UP IN MY FACE. AND THAT'S MY RELIGION. BUT SHE HAD NO RIGHT TO EVEN USE THAT DURING THE TIME WHEN I WAS TRYING TO GET HER TO GET MY AIR CONDITIONING FIXED. MOST RECENTLY, SHE ALSO CHARGED ME $400 FOR MY DOG. AND THAT SHE KNEW I WAS DEAF. AND THAT'S A DISABILITY LAW. AND I HAVE BEGGED CHRIS CAMERON BEGGED HER. SHE'S LAUGHING. SHE, SHE MOCKED AT ALL OF YOU WHEN Y'ALL WERE HERE HELPING US. WHEN MAYOR WHITMAR SENT YOU OUT TO OUR APARTMENTS, THEY LAUGHED AND MOCKED THAT THE RED CROSS, THE POLICE MAYOR WHITMAR HAD SO MUCH LOVE FOR US AND COMPASSION. HE SENT EVERYBODY TO HELP US. YOU MANY PEOPLE, WE LOVED THAT. WE RESPECTED THAT. WE WANNA ALL THANK YOU, BUT WE ARE OLDER PEOPLE. WE NEED YOUR HELP. I'VE BEEN BEGGING HER TO GIVE ME MY $400 BACK BECAUSE I WANNA LEAVE. I WANNA MOVE. BUT THE THE LAST, THE LAST THING SHE DID AFTER THE OUTAGE IS I WENT IN AND I PAID MY RENT LIKE I'VE BEEN DOING FOR SIX AND A HALF YEARS. AND YOU KNOW WHAT THEY DID TO ME? THEY WENT IN WITH SOME TECHNOLOGY AND THEY HAD MY PAPER CHECK IN THEIR HAND. THEY WENT IN, USED SOME KIND OF MACHINE AND ALTERED THE AMOUNT. FEDERAL FRAUD, THEFT, AND FRAUD. THEY WENT IN AND VIOLATED FEDERAL LAW THAT PROTECTS ME AND MY BANK ACCOUNT BECAUSE I ENTRUSTED MY CHECK TO THEM. I GAVE 'EM TO YOU. YOU, YOU, ALL OF YOU, YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO ABUSE YOUR POWER BECAUSE I LIVE UNDER YOUR ROOF. YOU, I SPOKE WITH THE FEDERAL RESERVE AND THEY SAID, NO ONE CAN GO INTO YOUR BANK ACCOUNT, BUT BLAZERS THINKS THEY'RE ENTITLED. THEY CAN GO INTO YOUR BANK ACCOUNT, YOUR BANK ACCOUNT, YOUR BANK ACCOUNT, AND DO WHATEVER THEY WANT. AND THAT'S OKAY. BUT IT'S NOT OKAY. WHETHER IT BE $10, $50, A THOUSAND DOLLARS, IT'S MY MONEY. I GIVE THEM A CHECK. AND THAT'S THE AMOUNT WRITTEN. I I WENT TO MY BANK AND THEY INVESTIGATED WITH THEIR BANK, BANK OF AMERICA, AND THEY CONSIDERED IT FRAUD AND THEFT. IT WAS A CRIME. THEY SAID THEY WASHED YOUR CHECK. SO THEY INVESTIGATED AND THEY RETURNED MY MONEY TO ME. YOU KNOW WHAT CHRIS CAMERON DID? . SHE PUT EVICTION LETTERS ALL ON MY DOOR. SHE RETALIATED AND SAID, IF YOU DON'T PAY US A $75 FEE [02:50:02] FOR OUR BANK CHARGING US FOR RETURNING YOUR MONEY, YOU'RE GONNA BE EVICTED. THAT WAS IN JUNE. I'VE BEEN SUFFERING SINCE JUNE BECAUSE OF THESE PEOPLE. THEY ARE HORRIBLE. MS. MARTIN, WHITNEY HUDSON IS BEING PROTECTED BY CHRIS CAMERON. I GOD ONLY KNOWS WHY. THEY'VE GOT 38 PROPERTIES AND SOMETHING'S TERRIBLE GOING ON, BUT SHE'S PROTECTING HER WHEN SHE COULD. AND THEN WHEN THE POLICE WERE CONTACTED, DID, DID THEY PUT HER ON LEAVE? NO. CHRIS CAME TO HER DEFENSE. MS. MARTIN, THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SPEAKING TODAY. UM, WE NEED TO KIND OF GET TO THE BOTTOM OF WHAT'S GOING ON HERE. AND I DON'T THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN ADDRESS HERE TODAY. I DON'T KNOW WHAT SHE SAID AT THE TABLE. ONE MORE THING I'D LIKE TO SAY. THE CHECK, THE CHECK. NO ONE COULD FIND THE CHECK THE POLICE OR THE BANK BECAUSE THEY'RE HIDING THE CHECKS IN A SPECIAL STORAGE PLACE WITHOUT OUR KNOWLEDGE, WITHOUT OUR CONSENT. WE'LL, WE'LL REACH OUT TO YOU AFTER THIS MEETING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET TO THE BOTTOM OF IT. AND I TALKED TO HER PERSONALLY AND SHE MOCKED THE BANK INVESTIGATING AND SHE MOCKED THE POLICE INVESTIGATING. THEY HAVE NO RESPECT FOR ANYBODY. OKAY. AND SHE ALLOWED, WE'LL GET TO THE, WE'LL CONTACT YOU AFTER THIS MEETING SO THAT WE CAN FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GOING ON FOR ALMOST AN HOUR. AND YOU DIDN'T INTERRUPT HIM. THE POINT IS, BUT YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. IT'S BEEN THREE MINUTES. I'M, AND WE DESERVE TO BE PROTECTED UNDER LAW AND WE ARE HAPPY TO HEAR THE WHOLE REST OF THE STORY, BUT IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN REALLY ADDRESS HERE. SO WE'LL CALL YOU AFTER THIS MEETING AND GET TO THE BOTTOM OF IF YOU CAN. WE'RE GONNA GO, BEN, PLEASE FORGIVE ME. FORGIVE ME. I, I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU. AND PLEASE TELL MAYOR WHITMER WE REALLY, REALLY LOVE HIM AND RESPECT HIM FOR, FOR CARING ABOUT US. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, GLORIA RODRIGUEZ. UM, MY MOTHER IS ALSO, HER HEARING IS IMPAIRED ON HER LEFT EAR. AND SHE WEARS A HEARING AID ON THE RIGHT EAR. AND OF COURSE, I'M, UH, GLORIA RODRIGUEZ. I'M THE DAUGHTER OF MARY, UM, ARGA. AND SHE HAS REC RESIDED IN THE SAME, UM, PLACE ASSISTED LIVING THAT, UM, THE OTHER LADIES HAVE SPOKEN ABOUT. AND SHE'S BEEN THERE FOR FIVE YEARS. AND, UM, SHE'S 94 YEARS OLD AND SHE LOVES WHERE SHE LIVES. SHE LOVES THE COMMUNITY. SHE LOVES THE, THE LADIES THAT ARE THERE, HER NEIGHBORS. AND SHE DOESN'T WANNA MOVE IN WITH ANY OF HER KIDS. AND SO SHE'S PUT UP WITH A LOT OF THINGS. AND THE MORE WE, YOU KNOW, WE FIND OUT THE MORE THE THINGS THAT MORE IS DISRESPECT AND THE WAY THEY'RE TREATED. AND PEOPLE THINK THAT BECAUSE THEY'RE OLDER, THEY ARE, THEY'RE DUMB OR THEY DON'T KNOW. AND I'M 68 YEARS OLD. I'M STILL WORKING. AND I FEEL THAT WE SHOULD BE RESPECTED TOO BECAUSE WE'RE SENIORS AND ALL MY MOTHER WANTS IS TO BE TREATED RIGHT, LIKE THE OTHERS, AND NOT TO BE TREATED WRONG. AND SHE WAS TREATED WRONG ONE TIME THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY YELLED AT HER LIKE THEY YELL AT A LOT OF PEOPLE AT THE OFFICE. AND NOBODY DESERVES THAT. NO. THEY DON'T DESERVE BULLYING EITHER. AND I THINK THAT THE WRONG STAFF IS THERE THAT DEALS WITH THE SENIORS BECAUSE IT'S GONE ON FOR TOO LONG AND EVERYONE IS SCARED TO SAY ANYTHING. AND SO I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF MY MOTHER. YES. BUT, UM, AS HER DAUGHTER CONCERNED, BUT ALSO WORRIED ABOUT THE OTHER SENIORS. WE WERE HERE DURING THE HURRICANE WITH THEM. THEY WERE OUT WITHOUT WATER. I MEAN LIGHT FOR TWO WEEKS. AND, UM, FIRE DEPARTMENT, COUNCIL MEMBER PECK'S OFFICE, COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ, THEY WERE ALL THERE WITH, UM, A RP WAS THERE, UH, RED CROSS. EVERYBODY WAS THERE. SO WONDERFUL. THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WAS BRINGING DOWN PEOPLE FROM THE THIRD FLOOR, TAKING 'EM TO THE HOSPITAL BECAUSE THEY HAD NO WAY TO GET DOWN. I WAS BLESSED THAT I PICKED UP MY MOM AND BROUGHT HER TO MY HOUSE, BUT OTHER PEOPLE DIDN'T HAVE THAT LUXURY. AND THEY DIDN'T HAVE, WE WERE GOING AND CHARGING THEIR PHONES FOR THEM. WE WERE TAKING CASES OF WATER. I MEAN, IT'S, IT WAS SO SAD AND I HEARD IT ALL OVER HOUSTON AND ALL THE OTHER ASSISTED LIVINGS. WE DON'T DESERVE TO BE TREATED LIKE THAT. WE DO NOT, BECAUSE I KNOW EVERYBODY, [02:55:01] EVERYBODY HERE EITHER HAS A PARENT OR A MOTHER OR FATHER OR HAS HAD, AND YOU WOULDN'T WANT THAT TO BE DONE TO YOUR PARENTS OR TO BE TREATED THAT WAY. AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF GETTING BETTER. TREATMENT IS TERRIBLE. AND I THINK THAT THEY'RE SO SCARED. I'VE SPOKEN TO OVER 20 OF THEM. THEY DON'T WANNA SPEAK BECAUSE THEY FEEL THAT EITHER THEIR LEASE WILL NOT BE RENEWED. IT'LL, THEY'LL RAISE IT WHERE THEY CAN'T AFFORD IT ACCORDING TO THE SOCIAL SECURITY THAT THEY GET. AND I JUST THINK IT'S TERRIBLE. AND I KNOW I'M SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF MY MOTHER, BUT SHE SAYS THE SAME THING. I MEAN, THIS IS WHY I GOT MY INFORMATION. PLUS FROM THE NEIGHBORS MOM, DO YOU WANNA SAY ANYTHING? OH, OKAY. ABOUT WHAT? JUST TELL 'EM HOW THEY TREAT YOU, HOW YOU FEEL. ONLY THAT THEY OUT SPEAK WHEN WE GO AND, AND COMPLAIN ABOUT SOMETHING. IT TAKES FOREVER TO GET THERE AND TAKE CARE OF WHATEVER WE NEED. WAITED AS MUCH AS TWO MONTHS TO HAVE THINGS PUT IN THAT WE NEEDED. AND SO EVERY TIME THAT WE HAVE TO GO, THEY KIND OF PUSH US THAT WAY. AND ONE DON'T WANT US TO COMPLAIN ABOUT ANYTHING ABOUT THE MONEY. OH, YEAH. YEAH. SHE HAD AN ISSUE WITH, UM, SHE PAID FOR FIVE YEARS WITH A CHECK. SHE'S HAD HER CHECKING ACCOUNT WITH CHASE HER WHOLE LIFE AND NEVER HAD A BOUNCE CHECK EVER. AND SHE SPECIFICALLY LET THE OFFICE KNOW THAT ON THE THIRD OF EVERY MONTH, DEPOSIT MY CHECK SO THAT MY RENT GOES THROUGH. AND IT DIDN'T GO THROUGH. SO THEY SENT HER AN EV THAT SHE HAD TO EVICT AND VACATE. SHE'D NEVER HAD THAT. THEY TOLD HER THAT SHE HAD TO PAY LIKE OVER A THOUSAND DOLLARS, $1,136. I MEAN, IT WAS CRAZY. AND FROM NOW, FROM THE DAY THAT THEY DID THAT IN APRIL, SHE HAS TO PAY IN MONEY ORDERS. SO SHE DRIVES TO CHASE BANK TO GET A MONEY ORDER AND GET THE MONEY AND THEN BRING IT BACK TO THE, 'CAUSE THEY WILL NOT TAKE HER CHECK ANYMORE AFTER FIVE YEARS. THAT'S JUST ONE OF MANY DIFFERENT THINGS. BUT ANYWAY, THANK YOU. AND I, I, COUNCIL MEMBER PECK, I DO APPRECIATE YOU. I KNOW IT'S YOUR DISTRICT AND I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH ALL YOUR STAFF. THEY'VE BEEN GREAT. AND THANK YOU. OF COURSE. COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIR. THANK YOU. UM, COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UM, VICE MAYOR, PRO TEM. AND I JUST WANNA THANK ALL OF YOU FOR COMING IN AND JUST WITH HAVING THE COURAGE TO SPEAK UP, UM, ABOUT YOUR CONDITION AND SITUATION YOU'RE DEALING WITH. UM, I HEAR IT ALL THE TIME FROM, UM, UM, APARTMENTS THAT ARE NOT SENIOR LIVING APARTMENTS, THAT THEY JUST GOVERN GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE DEPARTMENTS. MM-HMM . AND, AND THE CONSTITUENTS ARE AFRAID TO SPEAK UP, UM, ABOUT THE CONDITIONS. AND NO ONE SHOULD LIVE IN ANY CONDITIONS. MM-HMM . ESPECIALLY CONDITIONS THAT WERE SEWER AND, UM, I KNOW YOU WOULD WITHOUT LIGHTS FOR SOME TIME AND A LOT OF US WAS, BUT, YOU KNOW, BEING TREATED INHUMANE. AND SO, UM, I'M, WHATEVER I CAN DO TO SUPPORT, I KNOW THAT WE, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER WAS TRYING TO PUSH APARTMENT REFORM. UM, AND OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I KNOW THERE'S A WAY OF THESE, IF THEY'RE GETTING SOME TYPE OF TAX CREDIT OR IF IT'S A HUD PROPERTY, THERE'S A WAY THAT HUD CAN STEP IN TO HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE. BUT I ENCOURAGE YOU JUST TO KEEP SPEAKING UP. UM, AND YOU, YOU, YOU, WHAT YOU'RE SAYING TODAY IS NOT ON DEAF EARS. I WAS JUST SITTING UP AND SAYING, WE NEED TO JUST, I'LL GET IN OUR CARS AND DROVE, DRIVE DOWN TO THE APARTMENT PLEX AND GET, GET IN FRONT OF THE MANAGEMENT AND LET 'EM, YOU DO JUST DO NOT TREAT PEOPLE LIKE THAT. AND I'M, I'M NOT SURE, IS MANAGEMENT IN THE OFFICE IN, IN THE, IN THE CHAMBERS RIGHT NOW? YES, THEY ARE. THEY'RE SPEAKING SOON. YEAH. SO, SO OBVIOUSLY OKAY. THEY HEAR, THEY HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. SO OBVIOUSLY THAT'S A PROBLEM. 'CAUSE THEY CAME , SO TO SAY. THEY PEACE. AND SO JUST KNOW THAT YOU HAVE ME AS A, UM, ALLY. THANK YOU. AND AGAIN, NOBODY SHOULD BE TREATED THAT WAY. OKAY. AND I WISH Y'ALL ALL THE BEST. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. THANK YOU. VICE MAYOR, PRO TEM. THANK YOU GLORIA FOR COMING. THANK YOU, UH, MS. GONZALES FOR BEING HERE. AND, UM, CERTAINLY A VERY SERIOUS ISSUE. UM, I KNOW QUITE WELL OF THIS BECAUSE MY MOTHER LIVED IN A SENIOR SISTER LIVING AND THERE WERE A LOT OF ISSUES AND WE HAD TO STEP UP, ME AND MY SIBLINGS, FOR THOSE OF US WHO HAVE PARENTS THAT EXPERIENCED THAT, THEN IT'S VERY, VERY WORRISOME TO KNOW THAT THEY'RE GOING THROUGH THAT AND THEIR VOICES. MY MOTHER WHO PASSED AWAY MY LEUKEMIA WAS AIRLIFTED, HAD TO BE AIRLIFTED FROM A FACILITY. AND SOME OF THE CONDITIONS THAT THEY, THEY, UH, HAVE TO EXPERIENCE, THANK GOD SHE HAD SOMEONE. BUT THINK ABOUT THE MANY SENIORS WHO HAVE NO ONE TO STEP UP AND SPEAK ON THEIR BEHALF. I'M NOT ACCUSING THE COMPLEX. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE DEPTH IS, BUT I WOULD CERTAINLY, UH, LOOK INTO IT AS OTHERS ARE PROBABLY GOING TO DO. AND SO THAT WE RECTIFY THAT SITUATION. WE HAD A CASE EARLIER THIS YEAR WITH A GENTLEMAN [03:00:01] THAT HAD THAT SAME PROBLEM. AND, UH, WE HAD TO KIND OF STEP UP TO, TO ADVOCATE. 'CAUSE WHEN THEY GET SOMETHING LIKE AN EVICTION NOTICE, YOU 80, 90 YEARS OLD, YOU, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S A NIGHTMARE. THAT'S A NIGHTMARE FOR SOMEONE OF THAT AGE. SO THANK GOD FOR YOU COMING, MA'AM. A LOVELY, YOU HAVE A LOVELY DAUGHTER AS WE ALL LOVE HER DEARLY. BUT THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. NO, I JUST WANNA SAY, UH, TO BOTH OF YOU, THANKS FOR BEING HERE AND THANKS FOR SHARING, UH, YOUR REMARKS. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER. THANK YOU SO MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER, MARY, OH, THAT'S HER. HAR THAT'S HER. NATHAN KELLY, VICE MAYOR, PRO TIM, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, VISIT WITH YOU THIS AFTERNOON. UH, I AM NATHAN KELLY WITH BLAZER, AND I'M HERE TODAY TO REPRESENT THE OWNERS OF CAMPANILE AT JUSTICE PARK, UH, WHICH IS A HOUSING TAX CREDIT FINANCE COMMUNITY. TO YOUR EARLIER, UH, COMMENT LOCATED IN, IN COUNCIL, UH, DISTRICT A UH, JOINING ME TODAY AS WAS MENTIONED IS CHRIS CAMERON, THE GENERAL MANAGER OF OUR PROPERTY MANAGEMENT DIVISION, AND SHE'LL BE PREPARED TO GIVE SOME REMARKS AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AFTER I DO. UH, I JUST WANNA START BY SAYING THAT WE DO TAKE ALL CONCERNS THAT ARE BROUGHT TO US. SERIOUSLY. I'VE HEARD EVERY ONE OF YOUR CONCERNS. I WILL FOLLOW UP TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE ADEQUATELY ADDRESSED. UM, AND, AND FRANKLY, WE PRIDE OURSELVES IN HAVING AN EXCELLENT TRACK RECORD WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON, WITH YOUR HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, UH, WITH THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING COMMUNITY AFFAIRS AND HUD, UH, AND THE LIKE. UM, IT'S IMPERATIVE TO OUR TEAM THAT WE OPERATE ON AN OPEN DOOR POLICY. EVERY TIME I COME BEFORE THIS, UH, THIS HORSESHOE, I'VE INVITED YOU TO TOUR ANY ONE OF OUR PROPERTIES, UH, CAMPANELLA JUSTICE PARK INCLUDED ANYTIME YOU LIKE. UH, WHY? BECAUSE IT'S TO YOUR COMMENT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. UH, YOU SEE FIRSTHAND HOW SOMEBODY OPERATES THEIR BUSINESS IF YOU'RE ON SITE AND CAN VISUALLY INSPECT THE QUALITY OF THE, OF THE COMMUNITY. AND SO THAT INVITATION STANDS, UH, TODAY. UH, WE DO HAVE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES IN PLACE, UH, THAT ARE THERE TO PROTECT THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE. UH, AND TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE RULES AND REGULATIONS THAT WE, IRS HUD AND T-D-H-C-A SET ALBA BEFORE US. UH, THESE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES ARE REVIEWED WITH OUR APPLICANTS. THEY ARE REVIEWED WITH OUR RESIDENTS, UH, UH, UH, PRIOR TO ENTERING INTO ANY LEASE RENEWAL. UH, CAMP JUSTICE PARK IS ENTERING INTO ITS 11TH YEAR OF OPERATION. UH, WHEN MAINTENANCE ISSUES ARE BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION, UM, WE, UH, WHETHER THROUGH A RESIDENT, UH, UH, BRINGING THEM TO OUR ATTENTION OR THROUGH INTERNAL, UH, EXAMINATION, UH, WE HAVE WORKED TO BRING THEM, UH, TO, UH, WORK TIMELY TO BRING THEM TO A RESOLUTION. WE'VE GOT A CERTIFIED PROFESSIONALS ON OUR MAINTENANCE TEAM, UH, AND A VERY, UH, LENGTHY LIST OF REPUTABLE SUBCONTRACTORS AND VENDORS THAT WE USE TO MAKE THESE REPAIRS. NOW I READILY ADMIT THAT WE'RE NOT PERFECT, NOR IS ANYBODY, UH, AND THAT THERE'S ALWAYS IMPROVE IMPROVEMENT, INCLUDING, UH, IN THE INSTANCES OF, UH, RESPONSE TO DISASTERS AS, UH, UH, OCCURRED, UH, DURING THE DERECHO. AND HONESTLY, I FEEL LIKE WE DID A MUCH BETTER JOB IN RESPONSE TO HURRICANE BARREL BEYOND THAT. BUT AGAIN, THERE'S ALWAYS ROOM FOR US TO IMPROVE. UH, AS HAS BEEN NOTED, I'VE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH COUNCIL MEMBER PECK'S OFFICE. UM, WE HAVE, UM, ARE WORKING TO ESTABLISH A TIME TO MEET, TO GO THROUGH EACH OF THESE ISSUES THAT HAVE BEEN RAISED IN VARIOUS SPECIFIC DETAIL, UH, SO THAT WE CAN PROVIDE SOME ADDITIONAL, UH, FEEDBACK AND A TIMELINE TO RESOLUTION, UH, TO, TO THESE FOLKS' CONCERNS. UH, I APPRECIATE YOUR WILLINGNESS TO LISTEN TO BOTH SIDES. UM, I AM ALWAYS AT YOUR DISPOSAL. UH, WE HAVE 25 PROPERTIES ACROSS, UH, THE HOUSTON AREA. UM, AGAIN, AN INVITATION TO ANY ONE OF THOSE PROPERTIES, WHETHER THE ONE THAT WAS BUILT IN THE NINETIES, WHETHER THE ONE THAT WE ARE UNDER CONSTRUCTION NOW, UH, ON OR, OR ANY IN BETWEEN, INCLUDING JUSTICE PARK IS, UM, IS OPEN TO YOU. SO, UH, APPRECIATE YOUR TIME. THANK YOU, NATHAN. UM, AND FIRST, CAN YOU CONFIRM WITH THE RESIDENTS HERE, UM, THAT FOR THEM SPEAKING TODAY, OR, UM, ADDRESSING CONCERNS WITH MANAGEMENT, THAT THERE WILL BE NO RETALIATION, THAT YOU WANT TO KNOW THESE ISSUES SO THAT YOU CAN ADDRESS 'EM? I CAN, I CAN WHOLEHEARTEDLY SAY THERE WILL BE NO RETALIATION FOR THE ISSUES THAT YOU HAVE RAISED TODAY. I DID NOTE DOWN THE ISSUES THAT EACH OF YOU RAISED SO THAT WE CAN FOLLOW UP PERSONALLY WITH YOU TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE ISSUES ARE ADEQUATELY ADDRESSED TO YOUR SATISFACTION. THANK YOU. AND YOU KNOW, THERE'S OBVIOUSLY SEVERAL BLAZER BUILDING APARTMENT COMPLEXES IN DISTRICT A AND I HAVE NEVER SEEN ISSUES AT ANY OF THEM, SO THERE'S OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING GOING ON HERE THAT WE NEED TO [03:05:01] GET TO THE BOTTOM OF. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO THE MEETING SO WE CAN GO THROUGH ALL OF THESE ISSUES INDIVIDUALLY AND SEE WHAT IS GOING ON AND HOW IT CAN BE ADDRESSED AND FIXED. AGREED. COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER. THANK YOU. VICE MAYOR, PRO TEM. UM, SO JUST A QUICK QUESTION ON THE SEWER ISSUE. WAS IT WAS THE CARPET PROFESSIONALLY CLEANED? UH, THE, THE UNITS HAVE A, UH, LAMINATE VINYL TILE, UM, IN THE KITCHENS AND, AND WET AREAS, UH, AND, AND IN THE CORRIDORS AS WELL. THERE'S NO CORE CARPET IN THE CORRIDORS. SO WAS IT CLEANED THOUGH PROFESSIONALLY? UH, WE CLEANED THE UNITS, OUR MAINTENANCE TEAM CLEANED THE UNITS WITH THE APPROPRIATE CHEMICALS. THE UNITS WENT ALL THE UNITS AND YOU CLEANED THOSE. WHAT ABOUT THE HALLWAY? THE ONES THAT WERE IMPACTED? THERE WERE TWO UNITS THAT AT THE END OF A BUILDING THAT HAVE BACKED UP AS A RESULT OF WHAT I WOULD CALL NON FLUSHABLES BEING FLUSHED. MM-HMM . UM, AND SO WE HAVE, UH, TRIED TO RESOLVE THAT ISSUE AND A FINAL SCOPE OF THE ENTIRE LINE, UH, UM, IN, UH, LEMME SEE, I HAVE THE DATE FOR YOU. OCTOBER THE NINTH, I BELIEVE, FINALLY RESOLVED THAT ISSUE. WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY REPORTS OF ISSUES IN TERMS OF BACKUPS FROM THOSE TWO UNITS SINCE, BUT THOSE UNITS KIND OF CATCH THE FLOW FROM THE REST OF THAT BUILDING, AND THAT'S WHAT CREATED THOSE ISSUES. BUT THEY ARE GROUND FLOOR UNITS. UM, WE HAVEN'T BEEN, WE HAVEN'T SEEN ANY, UH, SEWAGE BACKUPS FROM UPPER FLOOR UNITS DOWN THROUGH A, THROUGH AN ELEVATOR SHAFT, AS WAS NOTED. SO WHAT THE, ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE LADIES MENTIONED THAT THERE WAS SEWER COMING DOWN THE WALL. MY QUESTION IS DIRECT QUESTION, YES OR NO? WAS THE AREA THAT WAS TOUCHED BY THE SEWER, WAS IT CLEANED PROFESSIONALLY? MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THAT WAS AN ELEVATOR SHAFT, NOT LIKE A UNIT WALL. UH, SO THAT WOULD'VE BEEN LIKE CONCRETE CINDER BLOCK, BUT WE, WE HAVEN'T SEEN ANY EVIDENCE OF THAT. UM, AND THEN WE HAVE NOT, WE'VE NOT BROUGHT IN A PROFESSIONAL, UM, LIKE A COTTON OR ANYBODY LIKE THAT TO DO A REMEDIATION. WE DID IT IN-HOUSE CLEAN OF, OF THE, OF THE ISSUES. OKAY. SO LET ME, BUT, BUT I'M HAPPY TO HAVE A, A VENDOR TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT WAS DONE TO MAKE SURE THAT IT WAS DONE IN. SO I DON'T, I DON'T, I MEAN, I, I REALLY NEED TO LOOK Y'ALL UP. I'M VERY, VERY ENGAGED WITH JUST THE DEPLORABLE CON CONDITIONS THAT A LOT OF OUR RESIDENTS LIVE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND TRYING TO PUT SOME MY APARTMENT INSPECTION REFORM ORDINANCE PAST, BUT IT'S JUST REALLY FALLING ON DEAF EARS. I WILL SAY THIS. YOU ARE, COME, THIS CONVERSATION IS THE REASON WHY WE DON'T EVER WANT TO DO TAX CREDIT. I MEAN, YOU, YOU ARE NOT ON OUR TAX ROLL. YOU GET A BENEFIT FINANCIALLY, AND WHEN WE HAVE RESIDENTS COME HERE AND COMPLAIN, IT INFURIATES ME. THERE IS NO WAY YOU OR THE CHRISTIE WOMAN BACK IN THE BACK DID NOT KNOW ABOUT THIS. I MEAN, AND YOU CAN'T STAND IN FRONT OF US AND SAY THAT YOU ARE GONNA HANDLE IT. NOW, THESE ARE SENIORS. THEY DON'T NEED TO BE UP HERE. THIS IS, THIS IS INFURIATE AND THIS IS JUST, THIS IS JUST, IT'S OUTTA CONTROL AT THIS POINT. YES, MA'AM. AND, UM, I DON'T KNOW. I MEAN, I WISH WE COULD PULL, I WISH WE COULD CLAW BACK THESE FOLKS WHEN WE GIVE THEM OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD AND NOT PAY TAXES TO ANY ABUSE. AND I WISH WE COULD DO SOMETHING TO REVOKE IT, HONESTLY, BECAUSE THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE WITH, WITH DUE RESPECT. UH, WE ARE A TAX PAYING ENTITY. UH, WE DO PAY TAXES TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON, UH, OUR PROPERTY SPECIFICALLY. BUT YOU, BUT YOU GOT SOME LEVEL, YOU, YOU HAVE SOME TAX CREDIT. RIGHT? IT'S A FEDERAL INCOME TAX BENEFIT. OKAY. BUT YOU'RE BUT YOU'RE ALSO A HUD PROPERTY, RIGHT? UH, WE WORK WITH THE, UH, HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY. THEY SEND US FOLKS THAT HAVE A TENANT BASED VOUCHER. WE'RE NOT A HUD PROPERTY. WE'RE A PRIVATELY FINANCED DEVELOPMENT. OKAY. WELL, BUT PUT TO YOUR OTHER POINT, AND I DON'T WANNA, I'VE DONE THE RESEARCH. I DON'T, I DON'T, I MEAN, I'M GONNA FACT CHECK EVERYTHING THAT YOU'RE SAYING. YES, MA'AM. MY POINT IS, YOU ARE TAKING CARE OF SENIORS. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. UM, YOU SHOULD BE COMPLETELY ASHAMED OF YOURSELF. AND IF THE PERSON THAT IS MANAGING YOUR PROPERTY, UM, IS WORKING FOR YOU, AND THAT PERSON CANNOT HANDLE THE SENIORS IN THE MOST RESPECTFUL WAY POSSIBLE, SHE NEEDS TO LOSE HER JOB AND NEED TO FIND SOMEONE THAT CAN HANDLE IT PROPERLY. 'CAUSE THIS IS EMBARRASSING. COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. YEAH. THANK YOU VERY SAMIR PROAM. UH, NATHAN, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. IT SAYS A LOT THAT YOU ARE HERE ALONG WITH, UH, THE OTHER PERSON FROM BLAZER THERE. THERE'VE BEEN A NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE WAY RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN TREATED BY, UH, PEOPLE ON SITE. I TAKE IT YOU'RE NOT ON SITE. I AM AT OUR HEADQUARTER OFFICE BECAUSE BLAZER HAS A LOT OF PROPERTIES. HOW MANY PROPERTIES DO Y'ALL HAVE? WE HAVE 25 ACROSS THE HOUSTON MSA 25 IN HOUSTON. AND HOW MANY THOUSANDS OF, OF UNITS IN HOUSTON? UH, ROUGHLY 3,500 UNITS IN HOUSTON AREA. OKAY. UM, BUT ANY COMPLAINTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE ABOUT PERSONNEL ON SITE, UH, WHAT WILL BLAZER DO ABOUT THOSE COMPLAINTS? UH, WE WOULD, UH, ESSENTIALLY INTERVIEW [03:10:01] RIGHT. OUR, OUR ONSITE MANAGER, UH, TAKE THOSE COMPLAINTS, UH, PROVIDE ANY SORT OF A WRITEUP AND NEED TO BE, UH, NECESSARY. AND, AND MS. CAMERON THAT'S HERE WITH ME CAN PROVIDE ANY, NOT THAT I WANT TO GET INTO THE SPECIFICS OF A PERSONNEL FILE, BUT SHE CAN GET INTO THE SPECIFICS OF THE POLICY RELATED TO A COMPLAINT THAT'S FILED AGAINST A, A PARTICULAR RESIDENT. OKAY. CAN, CAN YOU ASSURE THE COUNSEL THAT IF SOMEONE NEEDS TO BE FIRED, THEY WILL BE FIRED? BASIC. I CAN ASSURE THE COUNSEL, BASICALLY. OKAY. AND HAS BLAZER, I'VE HEARD BLAZER HAS HAD CO UM, UH, COMMUNICATIONS WITH COUNCIL MEMBER PECK, IS THAT RIGHT? YES, SIR. ALRIGHT. AND IS THAT ONGOING? IT IS. OKAY. UH, AND HAPPY TO DO THE SAME WITH YOUR OFFICE COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER, YOUR OFFICE COUNCIL MEMBER, ALCORN, ALL OF THE AT LARGE COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS, UH, ANY OF YOU THAT WANT TO MEET, UH, TO GO THROUGH THE EXACT SAME THINGS WE, UH, HAVE PROMISED TO GO THROUGH WITH COUNCIL MEMBER PECK, I'M WILLING TO DO THAT WITH YOU AS WELL. ALRIGHT. AND YOU MENTIONED, UM, THIS PROPERTY DOES TAKE VOUCHERS, HUD VOUCHERS, IS THAT RIGHT? IT TAKES TENANT BASED VOUCHERS THAT HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY, UH, ALLOCATES. I SEE. AND THAT'S NOT REQUIRED BY ALL PROPERTIES IN TEXAS, IS IT? IT'S NOT REQUIRED BY ALL PROPERTIES. IT IS REQUIRED OF HOUSING, TAX, CREDIT, FINANCE PROPERTIES. I SEE. ALRIGHT. AND, UM, YOU DO PAY, I TAKE IT, UH, PROPERTY TAXES HERE IN HARRIS COUNTY AND TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON? YES, SIR. I DON'T KNOW WHAT OUR, UH, UH, 2024 ASSESSED VALUATION IS OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD. BUT WE ARE AN ASSESSED PROPERTY AND WE DO PACK TAXES TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON. OKAY. ALRIGHT. UM, YES, THE, OBVIOUSLY WHAT THE RESIDENTS HAVE SAID IS, IS VERY DISTURBING. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, GOING FORWARD, YOU KNOW, WE'LL JUST STAY IN TOUCH AND, UH, HOPEFULLY GET THESE RESOLVED. THAT'S MY PLAN. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. YEP. COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN. THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU MR. KELLY FOR BEING HERE. UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE ALLEGATIONS WE HEARD TODAY WAS ABOUT CHECK WASHING, WHICH IS A VERY SERIOUS ALLEGATION. YES, MA'AM. UM, BEFORE TODAY, HAD YOU, WERE YOU AWARE OF THAT ALLEGATION? UH, I WAS NOT AWARE OF THE ALLEGATION UNTIL FRIDAY. UH, OUR MANAGEMENT TEAM WAS AWARE OF THE ALLEGATION. UH, THEY HAD REACHED OUT, UH, THEY HAD BEEN CONTACTED BY HPD IN, UH, I WANNA SAY EARLY SEPTEMBER. UM, THAT INVESTIGATION WENT THROUGH, WAS COMPLETED. UH, THE HISTORY, UH, THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY DECLINED TO PURSUE CHARGES RELATED TO THAT BECAUSE IT FOUND, UH, NO EVIDENCE, UH, TO SUBSTANTIATE THOSE CLAIMS. OKAY. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. THANK YOU. VICE MAYOR PROTE, REAL QUICKLY, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR PRESIDENT ALSO OFFERING TO SPEAK TO US CONCERNING THESE ISSUES. YES, SIR. BUT IF I MAY BACK UP A SECOND, WHEN THE TENANT MAKE A COMPLAIN, WHAT IS THE PROCESS, IF I MAY ASK AS TO HOW YOU RESPOND TO THAT COMPLAINT? IS THIS WRITTEN, IS IT VERBAL, UH, A COMPLAINT IN THE SENSE OF, OF LIKE A WORK ORDER REQUEST ON A MAINTENANCE ITEM? OR WITH RESPECT TO, UH, UH, A COMPLAINT AGAINST A, A STAFF MEMBER? NO, I'M, I'M TALKING ABOUT AGAINST A STAFF MEMBER. OKAY. I'LL HAVE TO DEFER TO MS. CAMERON ON EXACTLY HOW SHE HANDLES COMPLAINTS AGAINST OUR STAFF MEMBERS, BUT THERE'S NO, THERE IS NO IN-HOUSE PLAN AS TO THE RESIDENCE BY WAY OF GOING OVER THAT APARTMENT MANAGER TO HEADQUARTERS. SO SHE IS, MS. CAMERON THAT IS HERE TODAY IS THE GENERAL MANAGER OF THE ENTIRE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT COMPANY. AND SHE WOULD HAVE, UM, A, A DIRECT REPORT THAT'S OVER THIS PARTICULAR PROPERTY. UH, SO THERE IS THREE LAYERS OF MANAGEMENT THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE. OKAY. THE ONSITE MANAGER, A REGIONAL MANAGER THAT COVERS HALF OF OUR PORTFOLIO, AND THEY ALL REPORT UP TO MS. CAMERON. OKAY. ALRIGHT. AND SO SHE CAN ADDRESS THIS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, NATHAN. AND I'M NOT SAYING TOO MUCH RIGHT NOW BECAUSE YOU'VE ALREADY GOTTEN THAT EARFUL FROM ME ABOUT IT, BUT I DO APPRECIATE YOU, UM, BEING WILLING TO GO THROUGH THE LIST OF ALL OF THE ISSUES TO MAKE SURE THAT IT GETS ADDRESSED. SO THANK YOU. YES, MA'AM. OF COURSE. NEXT SPEAKER, CHRIS CAMERON. HELLO. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY. IF YOU COULD WAIT, SPEAK IN FRONT OF ONE OF THE MICROPHONES PLEASE. THANK YOU. THIS ONE. OKAY. UH, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF BLAZER. UH, THE OWNERS OF CAMPANILE, UM, ON JUSTICE PARK. MY NAME IS CHRIS CAMERON. AS EVERYBODY MAY KNOW, I AM THE GENERAL MANAGER. UM, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT WE DO TAKE PRIDE IN OUR ROLE THAT WE PLAY IN PROVIDING QUALITY HOUSING TO THE RESIDENTS OF THIS COMMUNITY AND ALL OF OUR COMMUNITIES. UM, WE ARE COMMITTED TO ENSURING THAT OUR PROPERTY REMAINS A WELL-MAINTAINED AND WELCOMING ENVIRONMENT FOR ALL. UM, WE UNDERSTAND THE CONCERNS HAVE BEEN RAISED REGARDING THE OVERALL OPERATIONS OF THE COMMUNITY. UM, MAINTAINING A HIGH STANDARD OF LIVING AT CAMPANO, AT JUSTICE PARK AND ALL OF OUR OTHER PROPERTIES IS ONE OF OUR TOP PRIORITIES. [03:15:01] UM, WE CONTINUE TO CONTINUALLY IN, UM, INVEST IN REGULAR, REGULAR MAINTENANCE, LANDSCAPING, NECESSARY REPAIRS, UM, TO KEEP THE PROPERTY IN GREAT CONDITION. HOWEVER, WE DO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE HAVE BEEN CHALLENGES THIS LAST YEAR DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER DURING THE DERECHO STORM, UM, THAT WERE KIND OF BEYOND OUR CONTROL, PARTICULARLY REGARDING THE LOSS OF POWER. UH, THE PROPERTY WAS WITHOUT POWER FOR A WEEK. UM, THAT DOES CREATE DELAYS. ALSO, ONCE POWER DOES COME BACK ON, UH, WE DO WANNA THANK COUNCIL MEMBER PECK BECAUSE SHE DID CONNECT US WITH A LOT OF RESOURCES TO HELP RENDER AID TO THE, UM, TO THE RESIDENTS OF THE COMMUNITY. AND WE ARE FULLY COMMITTED TO ENSURING THAT THESE RESOURCES ARE UTILIZED MOVING FORWARD, UH, SWIFTLY AND EFFECTIVELY. AND I THINK THAT CAN BE SHOWN, UH, DURING, UH, BARREL. UM, IT IS IMPORTANT THOUGH, I WANNA HIGHLIGHT THAT WE DO TAKE OUR RESIDENT FEEDBACK VERY SERIOUSLY. UM, WE DO TRY TO CONSISTENTLY ENCOURAGE OPEN LINE OF COMMUNICATION WITH OUR RESIDENTS. WE DO HAVE A RESIDENT CONCERN POLICY IN PLACE THAT RESIDENT CONCERN POLICY STATES THAT WE WILL RESPOND, WE REQUESTED IN WRITING SO THAT WE CAN DOCUMENT ALL OF OUR, UM, CONCERNS AND SPECIFICALLY FROM THE RESIDENT. UM, WE HAVE TO RESPOND WITHIN FIVE BUSINESS DAYS. IF IT'S THEN, UH, REBUTTED OR KICKED BACK TO A CORPORATE LEVEL. UM, WE WILL RESPOND WITHIN 10 BUSINESS DAYS. UM, WE HOLD VERY TRUE TO THIS POLICY AND PROCEDURE SO THAT WE ARE MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE NOT ADDRESSING, UH, OR NOT MISSING ANYTHING THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS. UM, HOWEVER, IN ORDER FOR US TO BE ABLE TO BE PROACTIVE WITH MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE MAKING THE CORRECT, YOU KNOW, AND ADDRESSING CORRECT, UM, ISSUES, WE HAVE TO BE NOTIFIED. YOU KNOW, AND I THINK I, AND I DO UNDERSTAND THAT WITHIN OUR SENIOR COMMUNITIES, THERE IS A FEAR LEVEL OF, YOU KNOW, LIKE RESPONDING TO, TO MANAGEMENT. BUT WE, WE DO HAVE AN OPEN DOOR POLICY. WE DO. WE ARE HERE TO HOUSE RESIDENTS. WE'RE NOT HERE TO CREATE CONCERNS. SO, UM, OUR COMMITMENT GOES BEYOND MERE OWNERSHIP. IT'S ABOUT FOSTERING AND THRIVING SUPPORTIVE COMMUNITY FOR OUR RESIDENTS. UM, SO I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND DO LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING TOGETHER TO ENSURE THAT THE CONTINUED SUCCESS AND, UH, VITALITY OF THE, OF THE PROPERTY. SO COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON, UM, THANK YOU. UM, VICE MAYOR PRO TIM, THANK YOU FOR, UM, YOUR COMMENTS. I HAVE ONE QUESTION. DO YOU GUYS HAVE A TE UM, TENANT RIGHTS GROUP OR A GROUP THAT TENANTS, YOU KNOW, LIKE AT CLEAR MANOR, WE HAVE A GROUP WHERE THEY CAN LIKE, KIND OF ORGANIZE AND THEY CAN BRING THEIR CONCERNS TO, BECAUSE IT IS KIND OF CHALLENGING TO BRING IT OR, UH, UNCOMFORTABLE TO BRING IT TO THE BOSS. SO THE PERSON WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR WHILE YOU LAY YOUR HEAD, UM, VERSUS IT'S EASIER WHEN YOU HAVE A GROUP THAT YOU CAN, UM, COLLABORATE WITH. SO JUST CURIOUS IF YOU HAVE THAT TYPE OF, UM, WE'VE NEVER REALLY CREATED ANY TYPE OF COUNCILS OR ANYTHING WITH WITHIN OUR SENIOR PROPERTIES OR ANY OF OUR PROPERTIES. JUST IN GENERAL. UM, WE, WE REALLY WANNA HEAR FROM THE RESIDENT FOR, FROM THE RESIDENT DIRECTLY. UM, BUT WE ARE ABLE TO, UH, WE DO TAKE CONCERNS FROM LIKE LIAISONS AND, YOU KNOW, I'VE SPOKEN WITH, YOU KNOW, LIAISONS FROM SOME OF THE RESIDENTS THAT ARE HERE TODAY AND MM-HMM . UM, I, WE, WE DEFINITELY DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH SOMEONE SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF A RESIDENT NOW, SO IS IT OKAY FOR THEM TO FORM A LITTLE GROUP, YOU KNOW, UM, JUST TO HAVE WHERE THEY CAN HAVE A SPOKESPERSON TO SPEAK ON THEIR BEHALF THAT LIVES IN THE AREA? I MEAN, IT'S OH, LIKE AN ACTUAL RESIDENT? NO, YEAH, YEAH. RESIDENTS THAT ALL LIVE IN THE COMPLEX. UM, THEY DECIDE, HEY, JUST LIKE A CIVIC CLUB, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE PEOPLE LIVE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, THEY HAVE A CIVIC CLUB, AND SO THEY CREATED LIKE A LITTLE CIVIC GROUP THAT, WHERE THEY CAN JUST TALK ABOUT THE ISSUES AND BRING THOSE ISSUES TO YOU GUYS. YEAH, I MEAN, WE'RE DEFINITELY OPEN TO SUGGESTIONS OF COURSE, AND I MEAN, WE CAN DEFINITELY DISCUSS THOSE WHEN WE HAVE OUR MEETING WITH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER PECK. BUT, UM, I MEAN, IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE'VE ADAPTED BEFORE. OKAY. I WAS JUST CURIOUS. THANK YOU. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. THANK YOU. VICE MAYOR, PRO TEM, QUESTION AGAIN TO YOU. UM, YOU INDICATED THAT YOU HAVE A FORM MM-HMM . THAT YOU SAID YOU, YOU GIVE TO THE, THE TENANTS. YES, SIR. NOW, BEYOND THAT FORM, IS THAT A COMPLAINT FORM OR IS IT A FORM THAT IDENTIFIES WHAT THEIR PROBLEMS ARE AND THE ISSUES ARE? IT, IS IT, IT IT HAS A SERIES OF QUESTIONS THROUGHOUT THE FORM THAT THEY HAVE TO PROVIDE. THEY HAVE TO PROVIDE, YOU KNOW, GOOD CONTACT INFORMATION, WHAT, YOU KNOW, HOW LONG THE CONCERN OF THEIRS HAS BEEN. YOU KNOW, IS IT LONGSTANDING? DID IT JUST HAPPEN? UM, SO IT ASKS THEM THROUGH A SERIES OF QUESTIONS WHILE THEY'RE FILLING OUT THE FORM. UM, IT'S NOT JUST A PAPER FORM. WE ALSO HAVE IT ELECTRONICALLY. SO IT IS SOMETHING THAT THEY'RE EASILY ABLE TO FILL OUT ON THEIR, YOU KNOW, CELLULAR DEVICE. UM, BUT IT DOES KIND [03:20:01] OF TAKE THEM THROUGH THE PROCESS OF HOW TO FILL OUT THE FORM. UM, THERE'S WAYS AND MEANS FOR THEM TO LIKE UPLOAD DOCUMENTS OR PHOTOS OR, YOU KNOW, ANY ADDITIONAL, UM, INFORMATION THAT THEY FEEL WOULD BENEFIT THE, YOU KNOW, CONCERN FORM THAT THEY'RE FINDING. WELL, MOST OF THE PEOPLE THAT'S HERE ARE SENIORS. YES. RIGHT? MM-HMM . AND A LOT OF THEM ARE NOT COMPUTER LITERATE. THEY DON'T HAVE AC, MANY OF THEM DON'T HAVE THE ACCESS TO DOWNLOAD OR UPLOAD OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. MM-HMM . SO WHAT DO YOU DO IN A CASE LIKE THAT? I MEAN, IF THEY MAKE A COMPLAINT, DO YOU GO IN AND TAKE PICTURES? DO YOU FOLLOW WITH THEIR COMPLAINT? I MEAN, THAT, THAT I'M SURE A LOT OF THOSE RESIDENTS DON'T HAVE, UH, COMPUTERS AND IN THEIR NO, I, AND, AND GOOD QUESTION. I MEAN, BUT WE DO HAVE PAPER FORM COPIES OF THIS FORM AVAILABLE FOR THEM AS WELL. UM, IT IS SOMETHING THAT THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO PROVIDE TO THE ONSITE TEAM, AND IF THEY DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE PROVIDING THE FORM TO THE ONSITE TEAM, THEY CAN DEFINITELY PROVIDE THAT FORM TO THE CORPORATE TEAM. UM, YOU KNOW, THEY CAN CALL US, THEY CAN EMAIL IT TO US, THEY CAN SEND IT VIA FAX. I MEAN, WE HAVE A LOT OF WAYS OF COMMUNICATION WITHIN OUR OFFICE. UM, SO I MEAN, I FEEL LIKE WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, AN OPEN FORUM FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO FILL IT OUT IF THE, IF THE, THE BARRIER WITH COMMUNICATIONS IS A PROBLEM. OKAY. MY LAST QUESTION MM-HMM . IF FOR SOME REASON THEY, THEY REACHED TO YOU AND THEY DON'T GET THAT ISSUE RESOLVED MM-HMM . DO YOU FURNISH THEM IN A NUMBER OR INFORMATION THAT THEY CAN GO ABOVE YOU? IS THERE A PROCESS WHEN I ASK THEM, WHAT PROCESS DO YOU HAVE THAT THEY GO ABOVE YOU IF THEY HAVE ISSUES WITH YOU? AS SOMEONE STATED WITH ME SPECIFICALLY? YES. RIGHT. SO DO YOU FURNISH THEM AN OPPORTUNITY OR A NUMBER OF SOMETHING WHERE THEY COULD GO ABOVE YOU? I CAN'T HONESTLY SAY AMONGST ALL OF YOU HERE THAT I PERSONALLY HAVE NOT BEEN BROUGHT ANY, ANY CONCERNS RELATED TO ME DIRECTLY. I, I DO TAKE, I DO TAKE MY, OUR RESIDENT'S CONCERNS VERY SERIOUSLY. WE HAVE A, WE HAVE TEAMS IN PLACE THAT, YOU KNOW, LIKE, LIKE NATHAN WAS SAYING, I HAVE A REGIONAL MANAGEMENT TEAM THAT HANDLES ALL OF OUR ONSITE TEAMS. IF A RESIDENT HAS A COMPLAINT IN REGARDS TO ME, I FEEL LIKE OUR OWNERS ARE VERY IN, IN CLOSE CONTACT AND, AND READILY AND AVAILABLE FOR ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS TO REACH OUT TO. SO I, I DON'T, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I'M OPEN FOR CRITICISM, YOU KNOW, AND CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM. I, I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH SOMEONE WELL, WANTING TO REACH OUT, YOU KNOW, REGARDING, WELL, YOU SAID YOU FEEL, I'M, I'M JUST SAYING SOME TESTIFIED THAT THEY TRIED TO, THEY MADE COMPLAINTS TO YOU. OKAY. YEAH. SOME DID TESTIFY TO SAY THAT, AND I GUESS THAT'S THE REASON WHY I ASKED THE QUESTION. MM-HMM . DID YOU FURNISH THEM IF THEY WERE NOT SATISFIED WITH YOUR RESULTS? IS THERE A PROCESS OR INFORMATION WHERE THEY COULD GO ABOVE YOU IN REGARDS TO THEIR RESOLVING THEIR ISSUES? I'VE NEVER BEEN TOLD DIRECTLY THAT THEY ARE NOT IN, YOU KNOW, AGREEANCE WITH, WITH MY RESPONSE. I HAVE ONLY DEALT WITH MAYBE TWO RESIDENTS THAT ARE HERE TODAY. UM, BUT YES, I MEAN, IF, IF A RESIDENT DOES COME TO ME AND SAYS THAT THEY DO NOT FEEL LIKE MY RESPONSE TO THEM IS ADEQUATE, I WOULD PROVIDE THEM WITH CONTACT INFORMATION FOR SOMEONE WHO IS HIGHER THAN ME. OKAY. THANK YOU MA'AM. UHHUH, COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. UH, THANK YOU. VICE MAYOR PRO TE MS. CAMERON, ARE YOU, ARE YOU LOCATED ON SITE? NO, SIR. OKAY. HOW MANY PROPERTIES DO YOU MANAGE? UH, THE 25 PROPERTIES? UH, ALL OF THEM. OKAY. AND HOW OFTEN DO YOU GET TO CAMPAN? UM, I WAS JUST RECENTLY AT CAMPANILE DURING THE DICHO STORM. OKAY. WELL, UH, I'D SAY WE'VE HEARD THIS AFTERNOON A PATTERN OF, OF, UM, IT WHAT GOES BEYOND JUST BAD BEDSIDE MANNER BY STAFF THERE, UM, AT CAMPAN. AND IT'S OBVIOUSLY CONCERNING TO MYSELF AND I I'M SURE TO THE OTHER MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. SO WHAT, WHAT DO YOU PLAN TO DO ABOUT THESE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE STAFF THAT'S ON SITE THERE AT CAMPAN? I MEAN, WE, I DEF WE DEFINITELY WILL, YOU KNOW, DISCUSS IN FURTHER, YOU KNOW, OUR PLANS OF ACTIONS. YOU KNOW, IF WHENEVER WE CAN HAVE OUR MEETING WITH, WITH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER PECK, UM, WE WILL HANDLE ANY CONCERN, YOU KNOW, RELATED TO AN EMPLOYEE IN THE WAY OF OUR POLICIES AND PROCEDURES. WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, VERY SET THE SAME WAY THAT WE HAVE RULES AND POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR OUR, UM, FOR OUR PROPERTIES AND FOR OUR RESIDENTS WITH THE COMMUNITY POLICIES IS THE SAME WAY. THAT SAME POLICIES THAT WE HAVE SET IN PLACE FOR OUR EMPLOYEES. [03:25:01] AND WE, WE DO HOLD OUR EMPLOYEES ACCOUNTABLE. WE DO HAVE, UH, PROCESSES FOR, UM, COUNSELING AND, UM, DIFFERENT TYPES OF, UM, YOU KNOW, WRITE, YOU KNOW, WRITEUPS AND, AND COACHING AND, AND WHICH CAN LEAD TO TERMINATION. I MEAN, WE, YOU KNOW, WE HA DO TERMINATE EMPLOYEES. I MEAN, IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT ISN'T, YOU KNOW, OUTSIDE OF OUR, OUR WHEELHOUSE. I MEAN, WE HAVE PROCEDURES IN PLACE IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO DO SO, BUT LIKE ANYTHING, WE NEED THE DOCUMENTATION, WE NEED PROOF, WE NEED, YOU KNOW, VALID INFORMATION IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO, UM, MOVE FORWARD WITH, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING LIKE THAT. WELL, YOU, YOU'VE HEARD SOME OF THE COMMENTS THIS AFTERNOON ABOUT YES, SIR. SOME OF THE THINGS STAFF SAID MM-HMM . IF, IF THOSE COMMENTS WERE TRULY STATED, UH, I MEAN, THEY SOUND LIKE FIREABLE SOUNDS LIKE FIREABLE CONDUCT TO ME. I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT THAT, WHETHER THAT'S ACCEPTABLE, IF, IF WHAT THEY'VE SAID IS TRUE. ABSOLUTELY. OKAY. I AGREE WITH YOU. ALRIGHT, WELL THAT'S, THAT'S GOOD TO HEAR. UM, SO, AND, AND I, I'LL, I'LL TELL YOU, UH, WE HEARD FROM GLORIA RODRIGUEZ EARLIER, GLORIA HAPPENS TO BE ON MY STAFF. MM-HMM . UH, AND HER MOTHER WHO STOOD NEXT TO MARY ARIAGA, UH, LIVES THERE. UH, SO, YOU KNOW, I GUESS I'LL, I'LL HAVE AN EASY WAY OF HEARING, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S GOING ON AT THAT PARTICULAR, UH, COMPLEX MM-HMM . UM, AND I'LL BE, I'LL BE FRANK WITH YOU. WE, WE HEARD SOME COMPLAINTS ABOUT HOW DURING THE, UH, STORM RECOVERY OR, OR THE, UH, UH, DAYS AFTER THE STORM WHEN THERE WERE DISTRIBUTIONS THERE ON SITE, UM, STAFF DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN THOSE DISTRIBUTIONS. UM, DO OR DO YOU, DO YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THAT, THAT IT WAS, IT WAS MAINLY, YOU KNOW, VOLUNTEERS, CITY COUNCIL, STAFFERS, YOU KNOW, OFFICIALS AND SO FORTH. I CAN, I CAN HONESTLY TELL YOU THAT I WAS THERE. MY REGIONAL TEAM WAS THERE. UH, REGIONAL MAINTENANCE WERE THERE, OUR SITE TEAM WAS THERE. WE WERE KNOCKING ON DOORS, WE WERE HELPING DISTRIBUTE THE WATER AND FOOD AND EVERYTHING LIKE THAT, THAT, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER PECK HAD, YOU KNOW, HAD FROM THE COMMUNITY PARTNERS, WE WERE ON SITE AND, AND WE WERE THERE HELPING DISTRIBUTING AND KNOCKING. AND SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S OKAY. ALRIGHT. OKAY. WELL, THANK YOU FOR, FOR BEING HERE. YES, SIR. COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ. THANK YOU. VICE MAYOR PROAM, UH, THIS IS NOT IN DISTRICT. I, UM, BUT I, AND I HAVE FULL FAITH IN VICE PRO TE UH, BUT THE ONE THING THAT JUST STOOD OUT, JUST RIGHT, RIGHT NOW, THE LAST TIME YOU WERE THERE WAS ABOUT THREE MONTHS AGO MM-HMM . UM, AND IF YOU'RE HAVING A LOT OF ISSUES LIKE THIS, YOU SHOULD BE THERE A LOT MORE FREQUENTLY MM-HMM . UM, AS THE AREA MANAGER. AND SO THAT'S THE ONLY RECOMMENDATION THAT I WOULD GIVE TO YOU. UM, YOU KNOW, YOU PERSONALLY BEING OUT THERE A BIT MORE, UH, WOULD BE HELPFUL. UH, AT THE END OF THE DAY, COMMUNICATION IS IMPORTANT AND IF YOU'RE NOT THERE TO HELP, HELP WITH THIS COMMUNICATION, THEN YOU ARE GONNA CONTINUE TO SEE FOLKS COMING HERE ON TUESDAY. SO, UH, AGAIN, UH, WISHING Y'ALL THE BEST. I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THESE SENIORS GET TAKEN CARE OF AT THE END OF THE DAY. NO, ABSOLUTELY. I WOULD LIKE TO ADD, UM, YOU KNOW, I AM OVER THE 25 PROPERTIES, UM, AROUND THE HOUSTON AREA. I DO HAVE A REGIONAL TEAM IN PLACE THAT, UM, MANAGES THE DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS OF THE SITE TEAMS. SO I DO MY BEST TO TRY TO GET TO THE PROPERTIES ON A QUARTERLY BASIS, UH, THROUGHOUT OUR PORTFOLIO. AND I, I HAVE BEEN PRETTY GOOD WITH, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE THAT I MAKE THOSE ROUNDS. UM, BUT I DO HAVE A REGIONAL TEAM IN PLACE THAT, YEAH, I GET, I GET IT. I HAVE 200, 400,000 RESIDENTS YES. IN DISTRICT, I MM-HMM . AND IT SPANS FROM BELTWAY AND HIGHWAY 90 ALL THE WAY TO BELTWAY AND 45. AND YES, SIR. AND, AND I'M ATTENDING CIVIC CLUB MEETINGS AS REGULAR AS POSSIBLE AS WELL. MM-HMM . I THINK AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A CUMBERSOME UPON UPON, UPON YOURSELF TO MM-HMM . JUST MAKE YOURSELF MORE, MORE AVAILABLE. SO THAT'S AGAIN, MY RECOMMENDATION. I UNDERSTAND. UM, AGAIN, AT THE END OF THE DAY, UH, YOU KNOW, THIS, THE JOB THAT YOU'RE DOING, THE JOB THAT I DO, THE JOB THAT WE DO, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, IT'S, IT'S A PRIVILEGE TO BE IN THESE SPACES. AND SO I THINK IT'S YOU, YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY MAKE YOURSELF MORE AVAILABLE TO THOSE RESIDENTS. ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU, MS. CAMERON. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY. I DO AGREE WITH YOU THAT THE STORM WAS NOT WITHIN THE CONTROL OF MANAGEMENT, BUT THERE WERE SEVERAL THINGS THAT WERE IN THE CONTROL OF MANAGEMENT THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN DURING THAT STORM. MM-HMM . UM, YOU KNOW, A PREVIOUS SPEAKER TALKED ABOUT ACCESS, UM, BY HFD. AND THE REASON WHY I KNOW THAT THEY HAVE ACCESS IS BECAUSE I HAD TO PERSONALLY WITNESS THEM ACCESSING THE BUILDING TO CARRY AN INDIVIDUAL DOWN THREE FLIGHTS OF STAIRS BECAUSE NO ONE WAS THERE FROM MANAGEMENT TO EVEN OPEN UP THE BUILDING. SO THERE ARE DEFINITELY CHANGES THAT NEED TO TAKE PLACE, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU. I WANT THE, UM, APARTMENT COMPLEX TO BE SUCCESSFUL BECAUSE THAT MEANS THAT THE RESIDENTS ARE GETTING, UM, THE EXPERIENCE THAT THEY DESERVE BY LIVING THERE. SO, [03:30:01] UM, I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU AND MEETING WITH YOU AND FIXING ALL OF THESE ISSUES. ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, JESSICA FLETCHER. THANK YOU CITY COUNCIL FOR YOUR TIME THIS AFTERNOON. WHY IS FLUORIDE IN HOUSTON CITY? WATER FLUORIDE IS TYPICALLY ADDED TO THE WATER TREATMENT SYSTEM AS A WAY OF IMPROVING DENTAL HEALTH, AS RECOMMENDED BY THE AMERICAN DENTAL ASSOCIATION AT 11 OF 0.7 PARTS PER MILLION. HOWEVER, FLUORIDE IS NO, HAS NO ADDED BENEFITS SINCE CHLORINE IS THE CHEMICAL USED TO SANITIZE AND KILL MICROBES AS PART OF THE CITY WATER TREATMENT SYSTEM. SO WHY IS FLUORIDE IN OUR WATER? EXCESS FLUORIDE CAN DAMAGE THE THYROID GLAND, DYSREGULATING CALCIUM DISTRIBUTION IN THE BODY, AND THAT CAN RESULT IN PAIN, SUCH AS DAMAGE TO THE BONES AND JOINTS. THE BONES MAY BECOME HARDENED AND LESS ELASTIC, INCREASING RISK OF FRACTURE AND CONTRIBUTES TO IMPAIRED JOINT MOBILITY. ACCORDING TO THE NET INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF ORAL MEDICINE, ACNE AND OTHER SKIN PROBLEMS, CARDIOVASCULAR ISSUES INCURRING HEART DAMAGE AND FAILURE, REDUCED FERTILITY IN EARLY PUBERTY IN GIRLS THYROID DYSFUNCTION, TMJ ISSUES, BONE CANCER, NEUROLOGICAL PROBLEMS, PARTICULARLY IN CHILDREN AND A DHD ACCORDING TO A B, C NEWS ON SEPTEMBER 30TH OF THIS YEAR, DURING IMMEDIATE BRIEFING, THE CITY OF ABILENE, TEXAS, GIVEN BY CITY MANAGER ROBERT HANNAH, ANNOUNCED THEY WILL NO LONGER BE ADDING FLUORIDE IN THE WATER EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY DUE TO PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES. THIS IS DECISION WAS MADE AHEAD OF POSSIBLE CHANGES FROM EPA REGARDING FLUORIDE LEVELS IN DRINKING WATER. THIS DECISION FOLLOWS A RECENT FEDERAL COURT RULING IN SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA THAT FOUND FLUORIDE IS A NEUROTOXIN, WHICH LOWERS IQ IN CHILDREN. THE CALIFORNIA RULING WAS PROCEEDED BY THE US NATIONAL TAXOLOGY PROGRAM RELEASING THEIR FINAL STUDY ON THE SUBJECT, WHICH FOUND THE SAME CONCLUSIONS ON NEUROLOGICAL DAMAGE IN CHILDREN MAY 1ST, 2019. TEXAS COMMISSION OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY HAS NOTIFIED HARRIS COUNTY IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT 18, THAT THE DRINKING WATER BEING SUPPLIED TO CUSTOMERS HAS EXCEEDED THE SECONDARY CONSTITUENT LEVEL OF TWO MEGALITER MILLIGRAMS PER LITER OF FLORIDA, OR PARTS PER MILLION. THE DRINKING WATER PROVIDED YOUR COMMUNITY WATER SYSTEM. HARRIS COUNTY HAS A FLUORIDE CONCENTRATION OF 2.3 PARTS PER MILLION EXCEEDING STATE ACCEPTABLE LEVELS. ACCORDING TO THE STATE OF TEXAS, TNG UTILITY WILL CONTINUE TO TEST MONTHLY TO MONITOR LEVELS. 98% OF WESTERN EUROPE HAS REJECTED FLUORIDATION INTO THEIR WATER, INCLUDING AUSTRALIA, BELGIUM, THE NETHERLANDS, DENMARK, ITALY, THE LIST GOES ON. IF FIRST WORLD COUNTRIES IN EUROPE HAVE REJECTED FLUORIDE AS A WATER ADDITIVE, THEN WHY IS IT IN OUR WATER? WHY SHOULD THE FOURTH LARGEST CITY IN THE UNITED STATES MAINTAIN AN EXPENSIVE WATER ADDITIVE THAT LOWERS STAR TEST SCORES IN SCHOOLS, HARMS THE BONE DENSITY OF THE POPULACE, PARTICULARLY OUR SENIORS, WHEN THAT MONEY COULD BE USED FOR LITERALLY ANYTHING ELSE THAT HAS BEEN ADDRESSED IN THIS COUNCIL TODAY? IT DOES NOT PURIFY THE WATER AND ANY DENTAL BENEFITS ARE FAR OUTWEIGHED BY THE HARMFULLY EXCESSIVE FLUORIDE LEVELS FOUND IN OUR WATER SUPPLY. POINT SEVEN IS WHAT IS RECOMMENDED. 2.3 IS WHAT IS IN OUR WATER? WHY IS FLUORIDE IN OUR WATER? HOUSTON, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. THANK YOU. VICE MAYOR PROTE AND JESSICA, THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. I'M JUST, JUST CURIOUS, ARE, DO YOU REPRESENT A GROUP OR, OR ANYTHING? I REPRESENTED, UH, A GROUP OF CONCERNED CITIZENS WITHIN HOUSTON. YES. OKAY. ALRIGHT. UH, 'CAUSE I NOTICED YOUR ADDRESS IS IN MONTGOMERY. DO I HAVE THAT RIGHT? I'VE RECENTLY MOVED, BUT I'M STILL VERY INVOLVED WITH THIS GROUP. OKAY. AND WHAT DOES THE GROUP HAVE A NAME? I'M JUST CURIOUS. UM, THE HOUSTON FREETHINKERS. HOUSTON WHAT? FREE THINKERS FREE. OKAY. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. LUCIA MORENO. GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M SURE YOU GUYS ARE ALL TIRED BY NOW. I'M HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT THE HOMELESS IN OUR AREA. I LIVE THREE BLOCKS FROM THE GREYHOUND AND, UH, THE HOMELESS HAVE TAKEN UP WITH THE DOGS. THESE PEOPLE ARE USING ANIMALS TO BEG FOR MONEY, SOME BREED, AND SELL THE [03:35:01] PUPPIES DOOR TO DOOR, WHICH THEN INCREASES THE AMOUNT OF STRAYS IN OUR AREA. CRIME HAS RISEN IN OUR AREA WITH A GREYHOUND. I KNOW RIGHT NOW, AND DON'T LAUGH, I HAVE 30 CAMERAS IN A SIX FOOT PRIVACY FENCE AROUND MY HOUSE, AND THAT'S FOR THE SAFETY OF MYSELF AND MY DOGS. WHEN YOU SEE THE HOMELESS AND I HAVE 'EM ON CAMERA, GOING THROUGH YOUR TRASH, PICKING UP ANYTHING YOU THROW OUT, BECAUSE SOMETIMES OUR TRASH ISN'T PICKED UP, THEY PICK UP ONE SIDE OF THE, THE STREET, THEY FORGET TO PICK UP THE OTHER SIDE. SO THESE PEOPLE HAVE A HEYDAY EXAGGERATION THAT I HAVE 30 RING CAMERAS. NO, I JUST WANNA TAKE CARE OF MYSELF AND MY DOGS AND WHAT I WORK FOR. I UNDERSTAND THE CITY NEEDS MONEY FOR POLICEMEN, FIREMEN, AND BARK. WELL, WHY ARE YOU LETTING SO MUCH MONEY GO? YOU ARE DISMISSING A LOT OF THE TICKETS IN THE CITY FROM PEOPLE WHO DON'T FOLLOW YOUR CITY ORDINANCE. THAT'S MONEY YOU GUYS NEED. THAT'S MONEY THAT'S USEFUL. AND FROM WHAT I HEARD TODAY, THERE'S SEVERAL OTHER TICKETS THAT AREN'T BEING TAKEN CARE OF. AND INSTEAD, AND I'M NOT HERE JUST TO COMPLAIN, THESE PEOPLE, IF THEY DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO PAY, MAKE 'EM DO COMMUNITY SERVICE, HAVE 'EM GO AND CLEAN AT BARK. BARK NEEDS A LOT OF HELP. THEY'RE GOOD PEOPLE. I VOLUNTEERED FOR BARK FOR OVER 30 YEARS, SO I KNOW, YOU KNOW WHAT, THAT'S MONEY THAT CAN GO IF YOU CAN'T WORK, IF YOU CAN'T PAY IT, THEN WORK IT OFF. OKAY? YOU ARE LOSING MONEY. THE CITY NEEDS GIVE THESE PEOPLE TICKETS FOR SELLING ANIMALS IN PUBLIC PLACES. I BROUGHT THIS TO, I THINK IT WAS YOU, I'M NOT MISTAKEN, A COUPLE OF YEARS BACK THAT WORKED FOR ANOTHER, UM, CITY COUNCIL AT THAT TIME. AND WE TOOK, GAVE THEM IDEAS. WE HAVE AN IDEA IN PLACE IF THEY'RE SELLING THE ANIMALS ON THE SIDE OF THE STREET, GIVE THEM A TICKET. ACTUALLY GIVE 'EM THREE TICKETS. ONE FOR SELLING ON THE SIDE OF THE STREET. TWO FOR HAVING A BUSINESS WITHOUT A PERMIT, AND THREE FOR BREEDING WITHOUT A PERMIT. BECAUSE I CAN GUARANTEE YOU THESE BACKYARD BREEDERS DON'T HAVE, SOME POLICE OFFICERS DON'T EVEN KNOW ABOUT THE ORDINANCES. I USED TO CARRY THE ORDINANCE WITH ME AND I'D HAND IT TO THE POLICE OFFICER HERE, THIS IS THE ORDINANCE, PLEASE GIVE THEM A TICKET. MY STUDENTS, WHEN I WAS STILL TEACHING, KNEW THE ORDINANCE AND WE'RE TALKING BETWEEN PRE-K AND FIFTH GRADE. I TAUGHT THEM PLENTY OF THAT. SO I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE TIRED OF HEARING, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING ALL DAY. BUT THANKS TO THE CITY'S TREE IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE, I AM RETIRED AND I WALK WITH A CANE. AND THAT'S ANOTHER STORY THAT I'LL DEAL WITH LATER. SO DON'T ALLOW PEOPLE TO NOT HAVE CONSEQUENCES. IF YOU BREAK THE LAW, THEN PAY UP WITH MONEY OR WORK, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WILL NOT LEARN. AND WE DO HAVE A LOT OF IMMIGRANTS. YES, TEACH THEM. THANK YOU SO MUCH. IF THEY DON'T GET IT, THEN LEARN. THANK YOU SO MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER PLEASE. NEXT SPEAKER. MARIBEL PICASSO. HI EVERYBODY. I'M MARIBEL PICASSO. I LIVE IN MAGNOLIA PARK. WE ARE NOT EASTON DISTRICT. WE ARE NOT SECOND WARD. A LOT OF PEOPLE OVERLOOK US AS A COMMUNITY BECAUSE WE'RE KIND OF IN THE MIDDLE OF ALL THEM. SO I'M HERE TODAY ABOUT GREYHOUND. GREYHOUND WAS MOVED, AS YOU KNOW. UM, Y'ALL DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT IT. NOBODY KNEW ABOUT IT. IT WAS DONE OVERNIGHT, WHICH IS A SHADY BUSINESS FOR GREYHOUND. SHAME ON THEM. BUT I'VE LIVED THERE ABOUT 56 YEARS NOW. MY PARENTS HAVE LIVED THERE ABOUT 80 YEARS. SO THAT MAGNOLIA PARK IS ACTUALLY, IT WAS ITS OWN CITY. IT HAS A CITY HALL IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE EVER BEEN THERE, BEEN BY THERE, BUT Y'ALL SHOULD COME AND, AND, YOU KNOW, TAKE A TOUR. IT'S REALLY, IT'S REALLY FASCINATING TO SEE THAT BUILDING THE CITY HALL BUILDING IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. BUT SINCE GREYHOUND HAS MOVED THERE, I'VE SEEN AN UPTICK IN A PROSTITUTION, VAGRANCY, SEX TRAFFICKING, DRUG TRAFFICKING. WE JUST LOST A 16-YEAR-OLD GIRL THAT WAS BROUGHT HERE BY GREYHOUND TO HOUSTON. UM, THERE WAS A MAN ARRESTED ON GREYHOUND ON HIS WAY TO HOUSTON FOR DRUG CHARGES FOR BRINGING, UH, FENTANYL AND COCAINE. UM, THERE HAS BEEN ONE HOMICIDE TWO BLOCKS AWAY FROM THE GREYHOUND. [03:40:02] AND THERE HAS BEEN A 16-YEAR-OLD CHILD WHO WAS SHOT TO DEATH. UM, THAT WAS LAST IN THE LA IN THE PAST TWO WEEKS. THAT HAPPENED. UM, YOU KNOW, GREYHOUND HAS IS A NUISANCE. IT'S REALLY A NUISANCE. AND PEOPLE, I'VE STARTED A PETITION. I HAVE OVER 1800 SIGNATURES. UM, GREYHOUND GOTTA GO IS MY FACEBOOK COMMUNITY PAGE. UH, A LOT OF THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS STAND BEHIND THIS PETITION AND MY MOVEMENT TO GET RID OF IT. IT NEEDS TO BE OUT OF THE RESIDENTIAL AREA. WE HAVE THREE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS WITHIN, I'D SAY A TWO MILE RADIUS OF GREYHOUND. UM, WE JUST, UH, IT, YOU KNOW, THE MAYOR, EVERY TIME I SEE HIM ON TV, HE'S SAYING HOW THE QUALITY OF LIFE IS IMPORTANT TO HIM. PUBLIC SAFETY IS IMPORTANT TO HIM. THOSE TWO THINGS IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, MAGNOLIA PARK, THOSE ARE BEING DESTROYED. IT'S DEPLETING AND IT'S UNNECESSARY AND IT'S UNACCEPTABLE. OUR ELDERLY COMMUNITY CANNOT GO OUT TO WALK BECAUSE WE'RE GETTING HARASSED BY, BY, UM, JUST IN, YOU KNOW, THE GUYS ARE WALKING AROUND. THEY, THE PAROLEES THAT ARE RELEASED FROM AT GREYHOUND, THEY SAY, OH, WELL, THEY GET PICKED UP. THAT'S NOT TRUE. THEY STAY IN IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, THEY WALK OUR NEIGHBOR, OUR RESIDENTIAL STREETS. AND, UM, THERE'S NO, OUR, OUR POPULATION IS 51% CHILDREN. AND YOU SEE NO CHILDREN OUT IN THE STREETS PLAYING NONE. NO ELDERLYS WALKING TO AROUND THE BLOCK, NOTHING. AND I JUST, I, WE CAN'T HAVE IT ANYMORE. IT HAS TO BE MOVED. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ. THANK YOU. VICE PROAM. UM, AND JUST WANNA THANK BOTH OF Y'ALL FOR COMING, FOR STAYING ENGAGED. I'VE HAD SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS WITH BOTH OF Y'ALL, WHETHER IT WAS THROUGH DIRECT MESSAGE ON INSTAGRAM OR FACEBOOK, OR PHONE CALLS OR EMAILS OR IN PERSON. UM, I, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE, UH, SHARE REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS WITH YOU ALL. UM, YOU'VE HEARD A SLEW OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT, UH, OR CHALLENGES ABOUT BEING, YOU KNOW, UNSHELTERED COMMUNITY. UH, YOU BRING UP TDCJ NOW, UH, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT REENTRY. WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? UM, AND I REALLY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UM, THAT AS, AS YOU CONTINUE TO STAY ENGAGED, 'CAUSE I WANT THAT, UH, THAT YOU ALSO, UM, FIND, HELP FIND THOSE REAL SOLUTIONS. UH, SO I KNOW THAT, UH, UH, REPRESENTATIVE MORALES HAS BEEN THE ADVOCATE FOR YOU ALL. MM-HMM . UM, PLEASE CHALLENGE HER. SHE'S ABOUT TO GO TO A STATE LEGISLATIVE SESSION MM-HMM . AND TO FIND MONEY SPECIFICALLY ON MEN MENTAL HEALTH. UM, WANNA MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY IS AT THE TABLE. UH, WE NEED HUD DOLLARS AS, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER. UM, Y'ALL NEED TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS AS WELL WITH THOSE ELECTED OFFICIALS. UH, THIS IS NOT A, UH, A QUICK FIX. UM, WE DEFINITELY NEED, UH, MORE OFFICERS ON, ON THE GROUND AS WELL. UH, 10 YEARS AGO WE WERE SAYING THAT WE WERE UNDERSTAFFED. THAT WAS 10 YEARS AGO. WE'RE PROBABLY ABOUT, UH, CLOSE TO ABOUT 1200, 1100, UH, WHETHER CIVILIAN OR, OR, UH, HPD OFFICERS UNDERSTAFFED NOW COMPARED TO 10 YEARS AGO. UM, WE'VE, WE'VE STARTED A, UH, THE PETITION PROCESS FOR THE CIVILITY ORDINANCE. THANK YOU FOR WALKING WITH US, MARIBEL. UM, WE, WE WILL HAVE IT ON, ON THE AGENDA TOMORROW, UH, TO SET A PUBLIC HEARING. SO I WOULD APPRECIATE MY COLLEAGUE SUPPORT. UH, IT'LL BE, THE PUBLIC HEARING WILL BE FOR OCTOBER THE 30TH. PLEASE COME BACK, COME BACK AND, AND SHARE, UH, WHAT YOUR THOUGHTS ARE ABOUT THE CIVILIAN ORDINANCE. ESSENTIALLY, IT, IT WILL NOT ALLOW ANYONE TO LIE. UM, YOU KNOW, SLEEP, YOU KNOW, LOITER WITHIN THE, THE, UM, CITY RIGHT OF WAY. IT'S, IT'S A VERY, UM, UH, IT COULD BE A, A, UH, CONTENTIOUS CONVERSATION. UM, WE ARE TRYING TO FIND, UH, MORE SOLUTIONS, BUT JUST KNOW THAT EVEN THOUGH IT'S ON THE BACK OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, UH, THIS CHALLENGE, UH, THIS IS NOT A CITY OF HOUSTON ISSUE ALONE. UM, ALSO JUST WANT TO CLARIFY, YOU KNOW, SO WE DON'T CONFLATE THE TWO, THE, UH, THE, THE YOUNG YOUNG MAN THAT WAS, UH, KILLED ABOUT TWO AND A HALF WEEKS AGO MM-HMM . THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE NOT RELATED TO THE GREYHOUND. UM, NO, THAT ONE WAS NOT. NO. AND I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT I CLARIFY THAT. YEAH. YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T, UM, SAY THAT EVERYTHING IS RELATED TO GREYHOUND BECAUSE THEN WE'RE NOT, UM, BEING, BEING TRUTHFUL ABOUT WHAT, WHAT OUR ISSUE IS WITH GREYHOUND. AND SO I JUST SHARE THAT BECAUSE I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN STAY FOCUSED ON WHAT, WHAT THOSE SOLUTIONS ARE. UM, I TOOK, TOOK OFFICE JANUARY THAT FIRST WEEKEND. WE HAD A COMMUNITY MEETING WITH PROBABLY ABOUT CLOSE TO 200 RESIDENTS THERE. UM, ALL YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS WERE THERE. UH, WE ARE HANDS ON WITH THIS, WITH THIS CHALLENGE. UM, AND AGAIN, UH, WE, WE CAN'T DO THIS ALONE. SO COLLECTIVELY, WE NEED Y'ALL TO CONTINUE TO, UM, VOICE THOSE CONCERNS. BUT ALSO LET'S JUST MAKE SURE THAT WE STAY, UH, FOCUSED ON WHAT THE REAL CHALLENGES ARE, AND THEN ALSO WHO CAN HELP OUT WITH THOSE SOLUTIONS. UM, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT GONNA BE JUST HERE AROUND THIS HORSESHOE. UH, WE NEED FEDERAL PARTNERS, STATE PARTNERS, COUNTY PARTNERS. AND SO, UM, AS YOU COME TO CITY COUNCIL [03:45:01] FOR PUBLIC SESSION, WHICH I INVITE YOU TO COME AS MUCH AS YOU CAN, UM, YOU, YOU SEE THAT YOU'RE PROBABLY THE ONLY ONE THAT'S SPOKEN HERE ON BEHALF OF MAGNOLIA PARK. RIGHT? UH, THAT'S, UH, YOU, WHICH WHAT WE'RE SEEING RIGHT NOW IS A RARE OCCASION. I NEED MAGNOLIA PARK TO CONTINUE TO COME AND SPEAK UP. UH, BUT KNOW THAT YOU COULD ALSO SPEAK UP AT THE COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S COURT AS WELL. OKAY. AND YOU CAN AL ALWAYS EMAIL YOUR STATE REP. UM, I, I WILL WANNA, I DO WANNA MAKE SURE I GIVE A, A SHOUT OUT TO STATE REPRESENTATIVE ANNA HERNANDEZ AND STATE SENATOR CAROL VERRADO. THEY'VE BEEN VERY HELPFUL. WE'RE LOOKING AT SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, HOW WE CAN PROVIDE SOME SUPPORT, UH, FOR REENTRY WHEN IT COMES TO TC TDCJ, UH, UTILIZING, UM, YOU KNOW, GREYHOUND AS A, AS A CONTRACT. SO, UH, THERE'S WORK BEING DONE. UH, AND AGAIN, UH, WHAT YOU'RE, WHAT Y'ALL BOTH ARE BRINGING IS SOMETHING THAT'S NOT BEING OVERLOOKED AT ALL. AGAIN, JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. HOPEFULLY WE CAN COUNT ON YOU ALL BEING HERE ON OCTOBER THE 30TH FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING. BUT DON'T LET THAT MONEY GO TO WASTE. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THEY NEED TO QUIT DISMISSING THOSE TICKETS. YOU GUYS NEED THE MONEY. I MEAN, IT'S NOT LIKE, I KNOW YOU GUYS DON'T HAVE ALL THAT MONEY, AND SO THAT THE AT LARGE DON'T FEEL LEFT OUT. WE WILL BE COMING AND SENDING YOU COPIES OF EVERYTHING TOO. SO, THANK YOU. YOU DON'T FEEL LIKE WE PICK ON YOUR MARKS? I, NO, NOT AT ALL. I, I WELCOME IT. I, I UNDERSTAND THE SPACE. UH, IT'S A PRIVILEGE TO BE HERE, BUT I ALSO UNDERSTAND THE RESPONSIBILITY. AND SO I DON'T EVER THINK YOU'RE PICKING ON ME. I, I'M, I'M GRATEFUL FOR Y'ALL TO BE HERE AND SPEAK UP AS WELL. THANK YOU. SHE HAS A QUESTION IF YOU OH, OKAY. COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. YES. THANK YOU MAYOR, UH, OR VICE MAYOR PROAM. SO, UH, MARI BELL AND LUCIA, THANK YOU FOR COMING AND THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR, YOUR COMMENTS. UH, IT MAY NOT BE ANY COMFORT TO YOU, BUT I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT, UH, WHEN GREYHOUND WAS ALLOWED TO MOVE INTO A RESIDENTIAL AREA IN THE EAST END, AS YOU KNOW, NOBODY IN THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY WAS TOLD ABOUT THAT. AND IT CAME AS A SURPRISE TO EVERYONE. UM, THAT WAS UNDER A DIFFERENT ADMINISTRATION. AND I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT SORT OF THING WILL NOT HAPPEN UNDER MAYOR WHITMEYER AND WILL NOT HAPPEN UNDER THIS CITY COUNCIL. UH, WE WILL MAKE SURE TO BE ENGAGED WITH THE COMMUNITY BEFORE SOMETHING LIKE THAT HAPPENS. SO, AND IT'S JUST THAT I HAVE HAD NUMEROUS CONVERSATIONS WITH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ ABOUT, UH, THE ISSUES. AND, UM, IF THERE'S A SOLUTION TO BE FOUND, UH, WE WILL FIND IT. I MEAN, YOU'RE GOING TO WHATABURGER, YOU'RE GOING TO MCDONALD'S. YOU HAVE TO ROLL DOWN YOUR WINDOW IN THE DRIVE THROUGH FOR SOME PERSON TO COME UP A HOMELESS AND SPIT IN YOUR FACE BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANNA GIVE THEM MONEY. THAT'S DISGUSTING. AND THEY'VE DONE THAT TO THE TEACHERS THAT WORK AT GALLEGOS ELEMENTARY. CAN I TAKE TWO SECONDS JUST TO TELL YOU ALL WHY I STARTED THE PETITION. I WAS AT MCDONALD'S WITH MY GRANDDAUGHTER, THREE YEARS OLD. SHE LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW AND SAID, NANA, WHY IS THAT LADY ONLY WEARING PANTIES? NO BRA, JUST PANTIES. I SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT? SHE TOOK A 3-YEAR-OLD CHILD TO OPEN MY EYES TO WHAT WAS REALLY GOING AROUND IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD BECAUSE I HAD, MY EYES WERE BLIND. I PAID NO ATTENTION TO IT. SO WHEN SHE DID THAT, I, I SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT, YOU ARE SO RIGHT BABY. WHY IS SHE, WHY IS SHE LIKE THAT? I, YOU KNOW, HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN THAT TO A 3-YEAR-OLD? YES, THERE'S PEOPLE WITH MENTAL HEALTH, BUT SHE'S THE ONE WHO ACTUALLY OPENED MY EYES TO STARTING THE PETITION AND GETTING HELP FOR THE COMMUNITY. SO, UH, YOU KNOW, AND BAR DID GOD BLESS MY 3-YEAR-OLD BARK DID CALL ME TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANYTHING THEY COULD DO TO HELP. AND I TOLD HIM, WE JUST NEED TO TAKE THESE DOGS AWAY FROM THESE PEOPLE. YEAH. I SAID, BECAUSE THEY'RE HURTING THEM. 'CAUSE THEN WE FIND THEM DEAD LATER. AND SO I'M JUST, YOU KNOW, AND PLEASE GET PARKING OVER THERE. I'M HANDICAPPED. AND, AND THEN WHEN I CALLED THE MAYOR'S OFFICE AND TOLD THEM, 80% OF YOUR PARKING OVER THERE THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE FOR US IS FILLED WITH MP, YOU KNOW, EMPLOYEES, THERE ARE TRUCKS, CITY TRUCKS PARKED THERE. WHICH, WHICH LOT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? THE ONE BEHIND THE ANNEX? YEAH, THE ONE THAT'S WHERE WE'RE SUPPOSED TO PARK. OKAY. ALRIGHT. THEY WERE FULL, FULL WITH 80% OF TRUCKS FROM HERE. IF, IF IT'S THE LOT BEHIND THE ANNEX, I THINK PART OF THAT IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION, WHICH MAKES IT MORE DIFFICULT. WELL, THAT'S WHAT THEY TOLD US, THAT IT'S FREE PARKING FOR US TO PARK THERE BECAUSE IT'S HARD TO FIND HANDICAP AND I CAN'T JUST PARK ANYWHERE ELSE. RIGHT. 'CAUSE IT'S A LONG WALK. YES. I'M SORRY ABOUT THAT. WHEN I CALLED THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, THE WOMAN WAS VERY RUDE. VERY RUDE. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. IKA DAVIS. OKAY. [03:50:01] HOW YOU DOING? MY NAME IS IKA DAVIS. UM, I'M A, UM, A VICTIM OF, UM, JAY-Z P DID THEM, UM, ATTACKS. THEY STARTED ATTACKING ME AND MY KIDS, UM, AFTER PRODUCING SOME, UM, PEOPLE FROM OFF THE SAME NEIGHBORHOOD WITH ME. AND, UM, THEY DID SOME, UM, BODY SWABS AND WALKED MY CHILD AWAY SPIRITUALLY AGAINST HIS WILL AND STARTED BEATING UP ON HIM. AND I HAVE PICTURES RIGHT HERE TO SHOW WHAT THEY, UM, DID US. UH, OKAY, HERE, HERE'S A PICTURE OF, UM, THE IDENTITY THEFT THAT THEY DID BETWEEN ME AND, UM, THIS YOUNG LADY. AND, UM, THIS RIGHT HERE IS MY SON THAT THEY, UM, GOT IN HIS BODY AND BEAT HIM ON THE BRAINS. THEN WALKED HIM TO THE JAIL WHERE HE'S AT RIGHT NOW, GETTING BEAT UP. AND I'M ASKING FOR SOMEONE TO PLEASE COME TALK TO ME ABOUT IT SO THEY CAN GO SEE ABOUT HIM, FOR HIM TO BE A LITTLE CHILD AND THEM TO WALK HIM TO JAIL. UM, AFTER, UM, BEATING HIM UP, YOU KNOW, VISUALLY AT HOME, THEN, UM, THEY, UH, SPIRITUALLY ATTACKED HIM. I CALLED CPS, ASKED FOR HELP. THEY WALKED INTO FOSTER CARE. UM, AND I ATTACKED HIM AGAIN. THIS TIME. THEY ATTACKED HIS, UM, HIS FACIAL APPEARANCE AND BODY SWAPPED HIM WITH A WRAPPER, A THUG GRABBER. AND THE ROBERTS, THE ONE BEATING UP ON HIM. AND THIS IS ANOTHER ONE, THE RAPPER'S KIDS. AND THEY HAD, UM, BODY SWABBED MY FACIAL APPEARANCE AS WELL. UM, THEY, UM, WAS CALLING THE HOUSE, UM, USING 6, 6, 6. 'CAUSE THEY GOT IN WITH SOME GOVERNOR OFFICIALS. AND, UM, THEY SHOT MY BABY IN THE FACE AND, UM, GAVE HIM A ROUGH TIME BEFORE THEY WALKED INTO JAIL. AND, UM, WHERE THEY TORTURING HIM AT RIGHT NOW, AND I HAVE THE PICTURE OF THE PRODUCER THAT'S BEEN, UM, HARASSING ME, UM, BY BODY SWAPPING, UM, ME OR WHATEVER HE BODY, HE, HE STOLE MY, UM, MY HEAD AND BODY SWAPPED IT. AND HERE'S A, UM, PICTURE OF IT. UM, THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE. IT'S A SMALLER HEAD RIGHT HERE. AND RIGHT HERE IS A, UM, A LARGER ONE OF, YOU KNOW, RIGHT BEFORE HE BUY THE SWAP IT. THIS RIGHT HERE IS THEM, YOU KNOW, POSTING STUFF SAYING THAT THEY ARE DOING THE TAX OR WHATEVER. IN THIS PARTICULAR TIME PERIOD, IT WAS THE ATTACKS IN HARRIS COUNTY JAIL. AND THEY POSTING IT, SAYING THEY'RE DOING THE ATTACKS AND THEY GOING IN THERE, THEY GOING IN THERE IN SPIRITUAL FORM. IT'S CALLED SPIRITUAL POSSESSION OR WHATEVER. THEY GET INTO THE GUY'S BODY AND THEY START, START FIGHTING, BEAT UP ON YOU OR WHATEVER. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING TODAY. UM, IF THERE'S SOME RESOURCES THAT THE MAYOR'S OFFICE CAN PROVIDE FOR HER, WE'D APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER. JACOB FERMENTED, WHAT ABOUT THE BODY SWAPS AND INDIVIDUAL MEDICAL RECORDS? I THINK IF THERE'S SOME RESOURCES THAT WE CAN PROVIDE, UM, MAYBE SOME CONTACT INFORMATION, THAT WOULD BE GREAT. OKAY. OKAY. BECAUSE THEY ARE TRAFFICKING US. THANK YOU. AS WE GO IN AND OUT THE GROCERY STORES, AND I'M NOT THE ONLY ONES. AND LIKE THEY WAS SAYING WITH THE WATER CONDITION, THE ILLUMINATI AND OTHERS ARE SABOTAGING OUR WATER SYSTEM. AND I STILL HAVE MY JUG OF WATER WHERE THEY PUT BUGS IN THERE AND I WOULD, OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE, I, I THINK IF YOU COULD TALK THEM RIGHT OVER THERE. THANK YOU SO MUCH DEDICATED TO THETAN. SOME OF US, WE TAILGATE IN OUR G WE AT THE SPOT. HOLD IT DOWN WITH OUR CUPS FULL AND OUR BAND IS WAVING DOWN. BELIEVE YOU ME, WE AIN'T TRYING TO HEAR IT. WE'RE EIGHT TOWN. WE'RE EIGHT TOWN. OKAY. AND ANYWAY, UM, UH, WHAT I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT IT IS TO ST. JOSEPH HOUSE, A HOUSE FOR MENTAL HEALTH REHABILITATION. CAN, IF YOU CAN SAY THAT. AND UM, WELL, I'M A MEMBER THERE AND, UM, WELL THEY, THEY HAVE HELPED ME AND AS WAS FORMER WAS WHEN FROM THE HOUSES WAS, WHICH PROVIDE HOUSING TO THE MUNICIPAL COMMUNITY. AND UM, ALSO WHO WANTS TO HEAR AN ANGRY JOKE? OKAY, SALLY, UH, YOU GET TO HEAR, UM, UH, YOU, ME, WOMEN HAS DONE A WHOLE LOT OF AUDITING [03:55:01] AND UH, AND AUDITOR, WHAT, WHAT TYPE OF CAR NEED TO DRIVE AN AUDI YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. AUDITOR DY, YOU SEE THERE, GIE DEAR MAGGIE, THANK YOU JACOB. COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. YES. UH, JACOB, THANK YOU FOR THAT AGGIE JOKE. DO YOU HAVE ANY SOONER JOKES? I WANNA KNOW ABOUT THAT. . YEAH. GO UT HEY, THEY CAN, CAN I GET A, UM, UT IS, CAN I GET AS A A, UM, LIBRARIAN, YOU KNOW WHY THEY DON'T SAY SHUT UP? THEY SAY UP, UP, UP, UP, UP, UP, UP, UP. THEY SHUT UP. THEY SAY UP, UP, UP. THANK YOU JACOB. WE APPRECIATE IT. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. MAURICE BELL. HOW Y'ALL DOING? I'M GONNA LAY, LAY IT DOWN. COLD SIMPLE. FACT IS, WE'RE, WE'VE GOT 31 BEFORE OUR ELECTION, NOW WE'RE LEFT WITH A CHOICE. YOU'RE EITHER GONNA BE A MARXIST OR A SOCIALIST IF YOU VOTE ON KAMALA HARRIS. AND THAT'S A SIMPLE FACT, EVEN WITH THIS NEW BILL ABOUT CENSORING OUR PHONES, THEY SAY IT'S JUST FOR THE KIDS, BUT IT'S A TROJAN HORSE TO CENSOR ALL. SO THAT MEANS EVERYBODY'S GOTTA MAKE A CHOICE. IF YOU'RE GONNA TURN AROUND AND GET ON THAT LIST. I CAN'T SAY MUCH FOR YOUR FUTURE BECAUSE YOU GOT A LOT OF PROBLEMS COMING IN IN THE FUTURE IF SHE WINS, WE CAN'T EVEN HAVE AN ECONOMY ANYMORE. WE CAN'T HAVE POLICE NO MORE. WE CAN'T. I MEAN, WE'VE GONE TO A POINT. WE DON'T EVEN HAVE A COUNTRY. WE DON'T EVEN HAVE BORDERS. SO YOU GOTTA MAKE A CHOICE, I GUESS. DO YOU WANNA BE A SOCIALIST OR A, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. THANK YOU SO MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER. MARIAN WRIGHT. HI. I WANNA THANK COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS AND MAYOR WHITMEYER FOR BRINGING ATTENTION TO DYSLEXIA LAST WEEK. UM, SO I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OF Y'ALL ARE AWARE, BUT NO ONE WAS EVER MADE TO READ. IT'S A MANMADE THING. WE WERE MADE TO WALK, WE WERE MADE TO WALK TALK. WE WERE NOT MADE TO READ. SOME PEOPLE, BRAINS ARE WIRED DIFFERENTLY. THERE'S ONE FOURTH OF THE POPULATION THAT ARE DYSLEXIC, THREE TO FOUR TIMES THAT AMOUNT THAT ARE IN JAILS RIGHT NOW. IF YOU LOOK AT THE JAIL POPULATION. AND IT'S BECAUSE WE'RE NOT MITIGATING AND GIVING THE PEOPLE THE HELP THAT THEY NEED AT A YOUNG LEVEL. IF YOU DO DO THIS WHEN THEY'RE VERY YOUNG. AND I'M A DYSLEXIC SPECIALIST. I WENT AHEAD. MY SON WAS DYSLEXIC. I'M ALSO DYSLEXIC. I BECAME A DYSLEXIC SPECIALIST AFTER MY SON WENT THROUGH MITIGATION AND I SAW WHAT IT DID FOR HIM. IF YOU HAVE SOMEONE AT A YOUNG AGE LIKE MAYOR WHIT MEYER'S, DAUGHTER, LIKE MY SON, MY SON GRADUATED FIRST IN HIS CLASS FROM A TINY SCHOOL, SCHOOL OF THE WOODS. IT'S IN YOUR AREA, IT'S A PRIVATE SCHOOL. GRADUATED FIRST IN HIS CLASS FROM SCHOOL OF THE WOODS. WENT TO TRINITY. CAN I PLEASE FINISH? NO. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. YES. I WANTED YOU TO FINISH. GO AHEAD. HE WENT TO TRINITY UNIVERSITY ON A MERIT SCHOLARSHIP. GRADUATED FROM THERE C*M LAUDE WITH HONORS. HE'S NOW IN GRADUATE SCHOOL IN OREGON TO BECOME A COUNSELOR. UM, HE'S STUDYING PSYCHOLOGY, HE'S GETTING HIS MASTER'S SO HE CAN DO CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY. HE DID THAT BECAUSE HE HAD THE MITIGATION THAT HE NEEDED. I HAVE ANOTHER STUDENT THAT I TAUGHT WHO'S ONE OF MY FAVORITE SUCCESS STORIES. HE'S AT UT RIGHT NOW. HE'S GRADUATING PRE-MED. HE'S ACTUALLY BEING PLACED RIGHT NOW FROM MEDICAL SCHOOL. IT CAN HAPPEN AND WE CAN DO THAT IF WE START AND WE GIVE THESE KIDS WHAT THEY NEED AT A YOUNG AGE. I HAVE A GIFT BOOK HERE. IT'S CALLED THE GIFT OF DYSLEXIA. IN HERE YOU CAN READ ALBERT EINSTEIN WAS SLE HENRY FORD WHO STARTED THE AUTOMATION. THEY CAN SEE THE BIG PICTURE A LOT OF TIMES INSTEAD OF SEEING THE LITTLE PARTS. YOU CAN'T LIVE IN SOCIETY AND BE SUCCESSFUL NOWADAYS UNLESS YOU CAN ACTUALLY LEARN TO READ. THEY CAN LEARN TO READ IF THEY'RE GIVEN THE RIGHT TOOLS. SO I'D LIKE TO GIVE THIS TO YOU. I WROTE A LITTLE SOMETHING IN HERE FOR YOU. YES, YES. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. BUT I DO WANNA MAKE ONE POINT, IT'S NOT A DISEASE, IT'S A LEARNING. IT'S A LEARNING DISORDER. YEAH. NOT DISORDER. IT'S A LEARNING [04:00:01] DIFFERENCE. IF WE CHANGE THAT PARADIGM SHIFT AND CALL IT A LEARNING DIFFERENCE BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT IT IS. UM, ONE OTHER THING, THE TWO PEOPLE THAT WERE SITTING BEHIND ME, UM, WERE THE TWO MANAGERS OF THE SENIOR APARTMENT COMPLEX. THEY WERE TAKING DOWN NAMES, HOPEFULLY THEY WERE TAKING DOWN NAMES OF WHO WAS SPEAKING SO THAT THEY CAN OFFER ASSISTANCE IF THEY DO RETALIATE AGAINST THE PEOPLE WHOSE NAMES THAT THEY WERE TAKING DOWN. PLEASE KNOW THEY WERE TAKING DOWN PEOPLE'S NAMES AND WHITE OAK. THE NOISE IS A LOT DIFFERENT. I CAN WALK TO WHITE OAK FROM THE WOODLAND HEIGHTS ACROSS THAT BRIDGE THAT THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT. AND I'M THERE. IT'S LESS THAN A MILE FROM MY HOUSE. THE NOISE IS DIFFERENT. PARKING IS AT TREASURE. THEY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH PARKING. WHY Y'ALL ALLOWED THEM TO BUILD WITHOUT ENOUGH PARKING? I DON'T KNOW. BUT Y'ALL ALSO ALLOWING OTHER BUSINESSES TO BUILD WITHOUT ENOUGH PARKING IN HOUSTON. WE NEED PARKING. WE DO NOT HAVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE NOT TO SUPPORT THE PARKING. THAT'S IT. THANK Y'ALL. OH, THANK YOU. AND TAKE CARE OF 11TH STREET. THANKS. THANK YOU MAYOR. THANK YOU. NEXT WEEKER, ANA CARA. HI. UM, I DO HAVE SOME COMMENTS TODAY ABOUT WHAT WE'VE SPOKEN ON ABOUT HOMELESSNESS IN OUR CITY. AND MY STATEMENT WILL TAKE LONGER THAN A MINUTE. CAN I GO AHEAD AND BE ALLOWED TO READ MY ENTIRE COMMENT? PLEASE ALLOW ME GO AHEAD AND START. ALRIGHTY. SO TODAY WE'VE HEARD A LOT ABOUT HOMELESSNESS IN OUR CITY AND HOW THE CITY HAS TAKEN ACTION TO CLEAN IT UP BY DESTROYING ENCAMPMENTS AND DISCARDING THE FEW BELONGINGS THAT THESE INDIVIDUALS HAVE. I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT PROVIDES HOUSING SUPPORT OR RESOURCES FOR OUR HOMELESS POPULATION. IT ONLY HIDES THE ISSUE FROM PUBLIC VIEW FOR A SHORT TIME AND FURTHER MARGINALIZES THOSE ALREADY IN NEED. I VOLUNTEERED WITH FOOD NOT BOMB, STARTING IN 2014, SEEING HOW OUR CITY CRIMINALIZES HOMELESSNESS AND RARELY OFFERS SOLUTIONS. Y'ALL SPENT RESOURCES THIS YEAR, THIS YEAR STILL TRYING TO BLOCK FOOD, NOT BOMBS FROM FEEDING PEOPLE AND HAVING THE POLICE HARASS COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT CAME OUT TO VOLUNTEER RATHER THAN WORKING WITH US. I WAS WALKING IN HERE TODAY AND OFFICER BAU DOWNSTAIRS WAS HARASSING A HOMELESS COUPLE AND THEIR DOG ON THE SIDEWALK. COPS HAVE NO CLUE HOW TO HANDLE HOMELESS OR MENTALLY ILL INDIVIDUALS. THEY'RE NOT TRAINED FOR IT. ALL THEY DO IS MAKE THINGS WORSE. BY TREATING PEOPLE LIKE CRIMINALS, IT'S LAZY, INEFFECTIVE, AND LACKS ANY EMPATHY, WHICH ISN'T SURPRISING. KNOWING HOW THE ROOTS OF US POLICING IS TRACED BACK TO SLAVE PATROLS DESIGNED TO CONTROL AND CAPTURE ENSLAVED BLACK PEOPLE. THIS SYSTEM EVOLVED INTO MODERN, MODERN POLICING WHERE MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES, ESPECIALLY PEOPLE OF COLOR AND THE HOMELESS ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY TARGETED. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. I STOPPED. 10 SECONDS LEFT. CAN I PLEASE? YOU'RE NOT OKAY. NO. IF YOU COULD WRAP UP. THANK YOU SO MUCH. OUR POLICE FORCES HAVE BECOME INCREASINGLY MILITARIZED LEARNING TACTICS FROM THE ISRAELI OCCUPATION FORCES. IF YOU WANT MORE FEDERAL FUNDING FOR A CITY, HOW ABOUT URGING THE GOVERNMENT TO STOP GIVING BILLIONS TO ISRAEL? YOU KNOW, THE TERRORIST COLONY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CURRENT US FUNDED HOLOCAUST OF PALESTINIANS THAT Y'ALL CONTINUE TO IGNORE. THE SAME METHODS OF SURVEILLANCE, CONTROL AND VIOLENCE USED AGAINST PALESTINIANS REFLECT A GLOBAL PATTERN OF STATE POWER, SUPPRESSING VULNERABLE LOO GROUPS. THESE SYSTEMS ARE BUILT ON LEGACIES OF COLONIZATION, AND THEY'RE ALL THE SAME. HBD, K, K, KIDF, THEY'RE ALL THE SAME. AND YOU GUYS HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY. YOU HAVE POWER. WE'VE BEEN COMING TO YOU, SPEAKING TO YOU ABOUT ALL THESE ISSUES. I'VE BEEN WORKING IN COMMUNITY STUFF. WE'RE NOT ENEMIES, WE'RE NOT TRYING TO, ALL WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS BREAK DOWN SYSTEM OF OPPRESSION THAT WE ENABLE HERE AND GLOBALLY, BECAUSE WE DO BELIEVE IN HUMANITY. WE DO BELIEVE IN GOD, WE DO BELIEVE IN PRAYER. WE BELIEVE IN JUSTICE FOR ALL. NOT JUST HOUSTONIANS, NOT JUST AMERICA, NOT JUST RICH PEOPLE, NOT JUST PEOPLE ABLE TO AFFORD HOMES. I DON'T UNDERSTAND Y'ALL'S LIKE AGGRESSION TOWARDS US. LIKE I GOT INTO AN ARGUMENT WITH THE POLICE OFFICER COMING IN HERE FOR WHAT? I WAS LITERALLY JUST TRYING TO HELP THESE PEOPLE GET OFF THE SIDEWALK LIKE THEY WERE BEING HARASSED TO DO. PEOPLE CAN'T GET THEIR BASIC NEEDS MET. THEY JUST WANNA BE IN SHADE AWAY FROM PEOPLE. AND INSTEAD OF COMING, I, I WAS JUST OFFERING TO HELP THEM CARRY THEIR BAGS. WE WERE MOVING AND STILL JUST BEING, I'M GONNA LEAVE IT BECAUSE IT'S GOING INTO A RANT THAT YOU GUYS ALREADY KNOW. YOU, YOU ALL KNOW ABOUT THIS. WE, WE DO HAVE A COUNCIL MEMBER IN THE QUEUE. UM, COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. THANK YOU. AND I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR COMING IN AND ADVOCATING FOR WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN. UM, WHEN YOU, YOU GUYS COME IN AND YOU TALK ABOUT US, YOU REALLY DON'T KNOW WHERE THE MAJORITY OF OF US CAME FROM. UM, I STARTED OUT IN ORGANIZING. I STARTED FIGHTING FOR MY SPECIAL NEEDS SON, UM, WHO WAS JAILED AT 10 YEARS OLD FOR REFUSING TO GO TO A TIMEOUT. HE SPENT FIVE AND A HALF YEARS IN TEXAS JUVENILE JAIL. SO JUST IMAGINE FIVE AND A HALF YEARS, YEAH. AWAY FROM YOUR HOME. IT'S NOT UNCOMMON. THAT'S FIVE AND A HALF CHRISTMASES AND BIRTHDAYS THAT I AS A PARENT LIVE WITHOUT [04:05:01] MY SON. SORRY. AND I FOUGHT FOR HIM AND I FOUGHT FOR GOOD JOBS. I FOUGHT FOR IMMIGRATION REFORM, I FOUGHT FOR QUALITY SCHOOL SCHOOLS AND I'VE DONE IT FOR OVER 25 PLUS YEARS AND I'M STILL DOING IT TODAY. SO DON'T COME IN HERE AND JUDGE US SAYING THAT WE DON'T, WE, I WANNA THANK TRYING TO JUDGE YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT BECAUSE OF PEOPLE LIKE YOU. I APPRECIATE YOUR RESPONSE BECAUSE OF THE ADVOCACY, PEOPLE LIKE YOU, THAT'S HOW THINGS CHANGE. YOU'RE GONNA HAVE ADVOCATES AND YOU'RE NOT GONNA GET EVERYTHING YOU WANT. WE ARE NOT GONNA SAY WHAT YOU WANT AND THERE IT'S GONNA BE ANGER, BUT YOU JUST KEEP DOING WHAT YOU DOING. THANK YOU. YOU JUST KEEP SHOWING UP. WHEN YOU KEEP SHOWING UP, THINGS ARE GONNA CHANGE IN THIS WORLD. OKAY? JUST THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. AND YOU HAVE A BLESSED ONE. YOU TOO. OKAY, THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. ALRIGHT, THIS COMPLETES THE LIST OF SPEAKERS. WE STAND IN RECESS UNTIL [RECESS] TOMORROW MORNING AT 9:00 AM GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING. COMING TO YOU LIVE FROM THE ANNA RUSSELL COUNCIL CHAMBER. I'M ABOUT TO READ THE DESCRIPTION AND CAPTIONS OF THE CITY COUNCIL AGENDA FOR THE WEEK OF OCTOBER 15 AND 16, 2024 ITEM ONE. ITEM ONE HAS BEEN PULLED BY THE ADMINISTRATION AND WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. ITEM TWO, RECOMMENDATION FROM CHIEF OF INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS FOR ANNUAL RENEWAL OF MEMBERSHIP IN THE TEXAS MUNICIPAL LEAGUE. ITEM THREE, TEXAS COMMISSION ON FIRE PROTECTION FOR PAYMENT OF FOR PAYMENT FOR ANNUAL RECERTIFICATION FEES FOR FIREFIGHTERS. ITEM FOUR, RECOMMENDATION FROM DIRECTOR HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM FOR APPROVAL OF FINAL CONTRACT AMOUNT OF $1,484,138 50 CENTS AND ACCEPTANCE OF WORK ON CONTRACT WITH INTEX UNITED INC. ITEM FIVE, RECOMMENDATION FROM CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS FOR APPROVAL OF FINAL CONTRACT AMOUNT OF $1,915,407 15 CENTS AND ACCEPTANCE OF WORK ON CONTRACT WITH RED ZONE ROBOTICS INC. ITEM SIX, RECOMMENDATION FROM CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS FOR APPROVAL OF FINAL CONTRACT AMOUNT OF $4,953,028 74 CENTS AND ACCEPTANCE OF WORK ON CONTRACT WITH PM CONSTRUCTION AND REHAB L-L-C-D-B-A-I-P-R SOUTH CENTRAL. ITEM SEVEN. RECOMMENDATION FROM CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS FOR APPROVAL OF FINAL CONTRACT AMOUNT OF $33,605,371 9 CENTS AND ACCEPTANCE OF WORK ON CONTRACT WITH FIVE COMPANIES LLC. ITEM EIGHT. RECOMMENDATION FROM CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS FOR APPROVAL OF FINAL CONTRACT AMOUNT OF $2,224,260 39 CENTS AND ACCEPTANCE OF WORK ON CONTRACT WITH GRAVA LLC. ITEM NINE, RECOMMENDATION FROM CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS FOR APPROVAL OF FINAL CONTRACT AMOUNT OF $4,056,333 74 CENTS AND ACCEPTANCE OF WORK ON CONTRACT WITH JAY RIVAS CONSTRUCTION LLC. ITEM 10, RECOMMENDATION FROM CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS REVIEWED AND APPROVED BY THE JOINT REFERRAL COMMITTEE DECLINING THE ACCEPTANCE OF REJECTING AND REFUSING THE DEDICATION OF A 25 FOOT WIDE DRAINAGE EASEMENT LOCATED EAST OF PARSON STREET. ITEM 11 APPROVED SPENDING AUTHORITY IN THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF $297,013 2 CENTS FOR PURCHASE OF ANIMAL ENFORCEMENT OFFICER TRUCKS FROM CHASTAIN ENTERPRISES HOUSTON, LLC DOING BUSINESS AS CHASTAIN FORD. ITEM 12, DOGGETT HEAVY MACHINERY SERVICES LLC MUSTANG MACHINERY COMPANY LLC AND DEER END COMPANY FOR PURCHASE OF EARTH MOVING EQUIPMENT. ITEM 13 APPROVED SPENDING AUTHORITY IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $129,570 FOR PURCHASE OF SURVEY METER KITS. ITEM 14 APPROVED SPENDING AUTHORITY IN THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF $100,000 FOR CONSULTING SERVICES FOR THE BROWNFIELDS REDEVELOPMENT PROGRAM. ITEM 15 APPROVED SPENDING AUTHORITY IN THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF $99,750 FOR PURCHASE OF WATER METER VAULT. ITEM 16 RESOLUTION CONFIRM AND APPROVAL OF PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT OF REZA PARK ROAD AS A AS AFFORDABLE RENTAL HOUSING. ITEM 17 RESOLUTION CONFIRM [04:10:01] AND APPROVAL OF PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT OF ORUM CIRCLE APARTMENTS AS AFFORDABLE RENTAL HOUSING. ITEM 18 RESOLUTION CONFIRMING APPROVAL OF PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT OF AOR MED CENTER ROAD AS AFFORDABLE RENTAL HOUSING. ITEM 19 ORDINANCE OF PROVIDING FOR THE ASSESSMENT LEVYING AND AND COLLECTION OF AVALOR TAXES FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON. ITEM 20 ORDINANCE APPROV AND AUTHORIZING FIRST AMENDMENT TO SUB-RECIPIENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND SEARCH HOMELESS SERVICES. ITEM 21 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING SUB-RECIPIENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND THE COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS OF HOUSTON HARRIS COUNTY. ITEM 22 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING INTERCREDITOR AGREEMENT AND SUBORDINATION AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND HEART OF HOUSTON COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION. ITEM 23 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING SIXTH AMENDMENT TO TEXAS GENERAL LAND OFFICE. ITEM 24 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $14,559,043 74 CENTS FOR IAH SKYWAY AUTOMATED PEOPLE MOVER SYSTEM OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE SERVICES AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND ALSTOM TRANSPORT USA INC. ITEM 25 ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE NUMBER 2024 DASH 7 0 5 TO AMEND MAXIMUM CONTRACT AMOUNT FOR FINANCIAL ADVISORY SERVICES AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND MASTERSON ADVISORS. LLC ITEM 26 ORDINANCE APPRO AND AUTHORIZING SECOND AMENDMENT TO AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND EVERBRIDGE INC. ITEM 27 ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE NUMBER 2023 DASH 10 41 TO INCREASE MAXIMUM CONTRACT AMOUNT APPROVING AND AUTHORIZED AND RESTATED AND AMENDED AGREEMENT TO EXISTING CONTRACT WITH THE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT FOR THE COLLECTIVE ACTION FOR YOUTH PROGRAM TO PROVIDE CREDIBLE ME MESSENGER SERVICES. ITEM 28 ORDINANCE APPROVED AND AUTHORIZED AN INTER-LOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON ON BEHALF OF ITS COLLEGE OF OPTOMETRY FOR OPTO OPTOMETRY AND VISION SERVICES. ITEM 29 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $3,900,000 OUT OF POLICE CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND TO REPLACE EXISTING UTILITY SERVICE INTEREST AND GENERATORS AT THE WEST SIDE COMMAND STATION . ITEM 30 ORDINANCE RELATING TO FISCAL AFFAIRS OF LELAND WOODS REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY ON BEHALF OF REINVESTMENT. ZONE NUMBER 22 ITEM 31 ORDINANCE RENEWING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NORTH SIDE OF THE 800 BLOCK OF PICO STREET AS A SPECIAL MINIMUM LOT SIZE BLOCK. ITEM 32. ORDINANCE APPROVED AND AUTHORIZING A SECOND INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN SAN JACINTO RIVER AUTHORITIES CITYUM AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON FOR LAKE CONROE LAKE HOUSTON JOINT RESERVOIR OPERATIONS STUDY ITEM 33 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATE $9,462,700 OUT OF WATER AND SEWER SYSTEM. CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND APPROVED AND AUTHORIZING PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND FIVE ENGINEERING LLC ITEM 34 ORDINANCE APPROPRI AND $2,247,886 46 CENTS OUT OF WATER AND SEWER SYSTEM. CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND APPROVING AN AUTHORIZING PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND KIMLEY HORNE AND ASSOCIATES INC. ITEM 35 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $4,737,400 OUTTA WATER AND SEWER SYSTEM. CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND AWARDING CONTRACT TO INCORPORATED. ITEM 36 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $4,400,000 OUT OF DEDICATED DRAINAGE AND STREET RENEWAL CAPITAL FUND DRAINAGE CHARGE AWARDING CONTRACT TO GRAVA LLC. ITEM 37. ORDINANCE GRANTING TO A EVERGREEN VACUUM SERVICES THE RIGHT PRIVILEGE AND FRANCHISE TO COLLECT, HAUL AND TRANSPORT SOLID WASTE AND INDUSTRIAL WASTE FROM COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES. ITEM 38 ORDINANCE GRANTING TO BUCK WASTE LLC, THE RIGHT PRIVILEGE AND FRANCHISE TO COLLECT, HAUL AND TRANSPORT SOLID WASTE AND INDUSTRIAL WASTE FROM COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES. ITEM 39, ORDINANCE GRANTING TO CONTROL WASTE SERVICES LLC, THE RIGHT PRIVILEGE AND FRANCHISE TO COLLECT, HAUL AND TRANSPORT SOLID WASTE AND INDUSTRIAL WASTE FROM COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES. ITEM 40 ORDINANCE GRANTING TO DANIELS SHARP SMART INC. THE RIGHT PRIVILEGE AND FRANCHISE TO COLLECT, HAUL AND TRANSPORT SOLID WASTE AND INDUSTRIAL WASTE FROM COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES. ITEM 41, ORDINANCE GRANTING TO GB RECYCLE LLC, THE RIGHT PRIVILEGE AND FRANCHISE TO COLLECT, HAUL AND TRANSPORT SOLID WASTE AND INDUSTRIAL WASTE FROM COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES. ITEM 42, [04:15:01] ORDINANCE GRANTING TO GFL OF TEXAS LP THE RIGHT PRIVILEGE AND FRANCHISE TO COLLECT, HAUL AND TRANSPORT SOLID WASTE AND INDUSTRIAL WASTE FROM COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES. ITEM 43, ORDINANCE GRANTED TO GFL PLANT SERVICES LP THE RIGHT PRIVILEGE AND FRANCHISE TO COLLECT, HAUL AND TRANSPORT SOLID WASTE AND INDUSTRIAL WASTE FROM COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES. ITEM 44 ORDINANCE GRANTING TO HERITAGE CRYSTAL CLEAN LLC, THE RIGHT PRIVILEGE AND FRANCHISE TO COLLECT, HAUL AND TRANSPORT SOLID WASTE AND INDUSTRIAL WASTE FROM COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES. ITEM 45 SET A PUBLIC HEARING DATE REGARDING THE AMENDMENT OF ARTICLE 16, CHAPTER 40 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES PROPOSED EXTENSION OF THE CIVILITY ORDINANCE TO MAGNOLIA PARK WITH A HEARING DATE OF WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30TH, 2024, 9:00 AM ITEM 46 IS AMEND MOTION 2024 DASH 4 0 4 TO INCREASE THE SPENDING AUTHORITY FROM $580,000 TO $1,350,000 AND TO EXPAND THE SCOPE OF WORK FOR CITYWIDE ENTERPRISE ASSESSMENT CONSULTING SERVICES WITH ERNST AND YOUNG. AND THIS WAS TAGGED BY COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS ON THE AGENDA OF OCTOBER NINE AND WAS ITEM NINE ON THAT AGENDA. THIS COMPLETES THE READING OF THE AGENDA FOR THE CITY COUNCIL SESSION OF OCTOBER 15 AND 16, 2024. STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT SESSION TO BE SCHEDULED AT NINE. I'M SORRY TO BEGIN AT 9:00 AM AND IN THE WORDS OF THE CITY SECRETARY PAT JEFFERSON DANIELS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS TREAT EVERYONE THE WAY YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE TREATED. HAVE A BLESSED AND FAN TABLET DAY IN THE COUNCIL. PLEASE COME TO [RECONVENE] ORDER [MAYOR'S REPORT] MAYOR'S REPORT'S VERY SHORT. I UNDERSTAND THE TODAY IS BOSS'S DAY, WHICH I THOUGHT WAS EVERY DAY. IT IS IN MY WORLD. SO USE IT, USE IT AS YOU'D LIKE. [CONSENT AGENDA] UH, MADAM SIX, WILL YOU NOW PROCEED WITH THE CONSENT AGENDA? DID YOU WANT DO MAYOR'S REPORT? I JUST GAVE THE MAYOR'S REPORT. THAT WAS IT. OH, BOSS BOSS'S DAY. OKAY, UNDER THE MISCELLANEOUS CATEGORY. ITEM ONE IS THEN PULLED AND WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. ITEMS TWO AND THREE NEED A MOTION. CASTEX TAYLOR, MOVE PROMISE. SECOND. ALL MOTIONS MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES UNDER THE ACCEPT WORK CATEGORY ITEMS REMOVE SEPARATE CONSIDERATION FOR 5, 6, 7, AND NINE. NEED A MOTION ON ITEM EIGHT, CASTEX TATU MOVED. THOMAS SECOND. MOTION'S BEEN MADE IN SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY MOTION PASSES UNDER THE PROPERTY CATEGORY. ITEM 10 HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM SEPARATE CONSIDERATION UNDER THE PURCHASING AND INTERROGATION OF BID CATEGORY ITEMS 11 AND 14 HAVE BEEN REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. EITHER A MOTION FOR ITEM 12, 13 AND 15. CAST MOVED. ALL SECOND MOTION HAS BEEN MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES UNDER THE RESOLUTIONS CATEGORY. ITEM 16 AND 16, 17 18 HAVE BEEN REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION UNDER THE ORDINANCES CATEGORY. SINCE YOUR LIST HAVE BEEN RECEIVED, ITEM 22 HAS BEEN RECEIVED. SO THE ITEMS REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION ARE 19 21, 23, 24, 26, 27, 30, AND 34. THOSE NUMBERS AGAIN ARE 19, 21, 23, 24, 26, 27, 30, AND 34. NEED A VOTE ON THE BALANCE? ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. [CONSIDERATION OF MATTERS REMOVED FROM CONSENT AGENDA] OKAY, MADAM SECRETARY, ITEM FOUR, PLEASE. I MOVE FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. ITEM FOUR NEEDS A MOTION. CASTEX TAYLOR, TATU, MOVE I THE SECOND MOTIONS MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. ITEM FIVE NEEDS A MOTION. CASTEX TATUM, MOVE I THE SECOND MOTIONS MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY MOTION. LAUREN LUM. NO. MARTINEZ NOLL. I'M [04:20:01] SORRY, WHAT? PLUMBER AND MARTINEZ VOTING. NO PLUMBER. MARTINEZ BE SHOWN VOTING. NO. UH, ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. ITEM SIX NEEDS A MOTION. CASTEX T TO MOVE I SECOND. MOTIONS MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. ITEM SEVEN NEEDS A MOTION. CASTEX, TATU, MOVE I SECOND. MOTIONS MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. ITEM NINE NEEDS A MOTION. CASTEX A MOVE SECOND. COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER. THANK YOU, MAYOR. SO I'M, I'M COMMENTING ON THIS ONE, BUT THE SAME SITUATION, UM, KIND OF IS CONNECTED WITH THE PREVIOUS ITEM FIVE. SO THIS, THIS PARTICULAR COMPANY RECEIVED THE UNSATISFACTORY, UM, DUE TO NOT BEING ABLE TO, UM, COMPLY WITH THE MWBE REQUIREMENTS. AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY HAVE TO, AND, AND, UM, WE REALLY HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE HAVE REQUIREMENTS, THEY FOLLOW THEM ACCORDINGLY. THIS PARTICULAR COMPANY HAS HISTORY OF NOT DOING IT. AND SO, UH, YOU KNOW, MAYOR, I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO ON THESE SITUATIONS. I KNOW OBO DOES, YOU KNOW, THE BEST JOB THAT THEY CAN IN MANY WAYS TO, TO ENSURE THAT THESE COMPANIES, UM, FOLLOW THE, THE MWBE GOALS. BUT WE CAN'T CONTINUE TO SUPPORT ENTITIES THAT, UM, THAT DON'T DO THAT. THANK YOU. AND I SHARE YOUR CONCERN, BUT I WANT TO DISCUSS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND RECOGNIZE THE MAYOR PROM CAST. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER, I THINK YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT THAT WE DO HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE AMPLIFYING THE IMPORTANCE OF MEETING OUR, OUR OBO GOALS. UM, ITEM FIVE AND ITEM NINE, UM, BOTH HAVE BEEN UNDER, UM, REVIEW WITH THE DIRECTOR OF OBO ON THIS PARTICULAR ITEM. UM, THIS COMPANY HAS TWO CONTRACTS. ONE IS SATISFACTORY AND ONE WAS UNSATISFACTORY. UM, THEY CURRENTLY ALSO HAVE THREE OPEN CONTRACTS WHERE THEY ARE PROGRESSING AND THEY ARE MEETING, MEETING THEIR GOALS. AND SO RIGHT NOW THEY DO NOT HAVE A PATTERN OF NON-COMPLIANCE. THEY HAVE ONE UNSATISFACTORY. AND THE WAY OUR RULES ARE SET UP, UM, THE COMPANIES HAVE TO HAVE A PATTERN OF NON-COMPLIANCE. UH, THIS IS THEIR ONE UNSATISFACTORY, BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE AMPLIFY WHEN THEY DON'T MEET THAT WE ARE WATCHING AND THAT THEY ARE BEING CLOSELY MONITORED. SO WE ARE, THIS, UH, CONTRACT WAS FROM 2022. UM, WE HAVE AUGMENTED OBO TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE CLOSER COMPLIANCE ON THESE ITEMS. IF Y'ALL WILL REMEMBER, WE DID, UM, ALLOW FOR SOME ARPA DOLLARS TO MAKE SURE OBO HAD MORE, UM, STAFF SO THAT WE CAN CLOSELY MONITOR THESE. ITEM FIVE WAS FROM 2018. UM, BUT IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE CONTINUE TO AMPLIFY THAT AS AN ADMINISTRATION. WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THESE COMPANIES ARE MEETING THEIR OBO GOALS. BUT FOR THIS PARTICULAR COMPANY, THEY HAVE THREE OPEN CONTRACTS AND THEY ARE MEETING THEIR GOALS ON THOSE. THEY DO HAVE ONE UNSATISFACTORY, SO THERE ISN'T A PATTERN. UM, BUT WE DO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE CLOSELY MONITORING WHEN THEY DON'T MEET. WELL. AND I'D LIKE TO ALSO MENTION, UM, I MET WITH A DIRECTOR FOR SOME TIME YESTERDAY ABOUT THE GENERAL OPERATIONS OF THE OFFICE. THEY ONLY HAVE 13 EMPLOYEES. SO IF WE'RE REALLY SERIOUS ABOUT MWB CERTIFICATION AND OPPORTUNITY, WE GOTTA BEEF THAT UP, MAKE IT A HIGHER PRIORITY. UH, I HAVE CONTACTS THAT WAITED EIGHT, NINE MONTHS TO BE CERTIFIED. THEN WE SEE FROM, UH, CONTACT, UH, THAT THE POOL OF, OF CERTIFIED PEOPLE IS, IS SMALL. I'M NOT DEFENDING THIS PARTICULAR, UH, LACK OF MEETING THEIR GOAL. I THINK THE MAYOR PO TIM DID AN EXCELLENT JOB OF SAYING THE BIG PICTURE FOR THIS FIRM. UH, BUT ITEM NUMBER NINE, THAT ENTITY WAS GIVEN A CONTRACT IN 2022, ITEM 5, 20 18. SO I THINK WE'RE DEALING WITH, UH, IT'S FAIR TO SAY A BROKEN SYSTEM AND THE PEOPLE THAT NEED THE SERVICE ON THE FRONT END OF BEING CERTIFIED AND PROCESSED ARE NOT BEING PROPERLY SERVED, NOR THE CONTRACTORS THAT HAVE CITY GOALS, UH, BEING ABLE TO, UH, BE PROPERLY [04:25:02] SERVICED. SO WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO. I APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING THAT. BUT I THINK WITH THE OVERALL TRACK RECORD OF, UH, THIS ITEM YOU'VE RAISED EXCELLENT ISSUE, BUT I THINK, UH, AT LEAST I'M TOLD THEY'VE DONE THE VERY BEST THEY CAN WITH THIS, BUT WE WILL HOLD EVERYONE ACCOUNTABLE. BUT I THINK WE NEED TO, UH, BEEF UP THE OFFICE OF OPO, THE DIRECTOR HART. I WAS VERY IMPRESSED YESTERDAY WITH HER COMMITMENT. SO LET'S, UH, TAKE THIS AS A, UH, WARNING THAT WE'VE GOT A LOT OF WORK TO DO AND HAVE BEEN NEEDING FOR A LONG TIME. MARTINEZ, COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND, UH, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF LOTS HAVE ALREADY BEEN SAID. UH, THESE ARE OLD CONTRACTS. UH, BUT I I DEFINITELY APPRECIATE MY COLLEAGUE PLUMMER, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER. BRINGING THIS TO, TO THE ADMINISTRATION'S ATTENTION. IT'S SOMETHING THAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT AS WELL. UM, AS YOU MENTIONED, OBO NEEDS TO BE BEEFED UP. FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, THEY'VE LOST SEVERAL STAFF MEMBERS, MAYBE A HANDFUL WITHIN THE LAST FEW MONTHS THAT'S NOT HELPING, UH, OUR CASE TOO MUCH. AND SO, UH, REALLY TAKING THIS INTO, UH, SERIOUS CONSIDERATION AS, AS TO WHAT OBOS ROLE IS. UH, MYSELF AND COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, UH, TALKED ABOUT HOW WE CAN BRING MORE REVENUE BY CHARGING A FEE TO OTHER, UH, ENTITIES THAT UTILIZE OUR, OUR CERTIFICATION. SINCE WE'RE THE REGIONAL CERTIFYING, UH, AGENCY, UH, WE REALLY NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT OBO, UM, CAN, CAN PULL THROUGH BECAUSE AS WE GET THOSE CERTIFICATIONS, AND IT DOES BRING UP THAT POOL, I'VE SAT WITH, UH, NAMAC, HCA, UM, RHCA, ALL THESE CONTRACTORS THAT WANT TO DO BUSINESS, UH, WITH THE CITY. UH, BUT IT DOES, IT, IT DOES BECOME DIFFICULT, UM, BECAUSE OF, OF JUST THE HISTORY OF NOT BEING ABLE TO GET THINGS DONE, UH, WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT. UM, I'VE SAT DOWN WITH, UH, INTERIM DIRECTOR AS WELL. I, I THINK SHE, SHE'S INTERESTED IN WANTING TO CHANGE SOME OF THIS. BUT, UM, THIS IS A, A BROKEN SYSTEM THAT WE DEFINITELY NEED TO CONTINUE TO, UH, KEEP OUR EYES ON. SO APPRECIATE YOUR WORK ON IT TOO, MAYOR. THANK YOU. WELL SAID. JUST NEED TO VOTE. NEED TO VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY PLUMBER. NO, I'M SORRY. NO SHOW, UH, PLUMBER VOTING. NO. GOT IT. UH, MOTION PASSES. NEXT. ITEM 10 NEEDS A MOTION. CASTEX TATUM, MOVE. SECOND. MOTION'S BEEN MADE AND SECONDED, BUT I WANT SPEAK TO IT BEFORE WE VOTE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, I AM IN FAVOR OF THIS ITEM. UM, IT IS DECLINING THE ACCEPTANCE OF AN EASEMENT IN DISTRICT G AND, UM, AND I'M TOTALLY FINE WITH THAT. BUT ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THIS PROPERTY, THERE IS AN EASEMENT THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE MAINTAINED BY THE CITY. HOWEVER, WE'VE BEEN HEARING FROM THE HOMEOWNER THAT IT'S FULL OF BRUSH AND DEBRIS, UM, WHICH IS NOT ALLOWING THE WATER TO KIND OF FLOW OUT FROM BEHIND HER HOUSE. AND SO I JUST WANT TO, UM, STRESS THE IMPORTANCE OF THE CITY MAINTAINING THE EASEMENTS THAT WE DO HAVE. AND, UH, BUT I'M IN FAVOR OF THIS ITEM. THANK YOU. I SHOULD, YEAH. WE WILL ADDRESS THAT SPECIFIC SITE, UH, WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD. UH, ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NA. MOTION PASSES. NEXT, ITEM 11, NEEDS AND MOTION CAST ATOR, MOVE ON. SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR. MOTIONS MADE. AND COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, WHILE WE'RE ON THE SUBJECT OF CHALLENGES IN THE CITY, UM, WE ALL KNOW THAT BARK HAS BEEN A CHALLENGE FOR SOME TIME. UM, GRATEFUL FOR THESE THREE ADDITIONAL TRUCKS. THIS BRINGS US TO 33 TRUCKS FOR OUR 24 ANIMAL ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS. UM, I ASKED A FEW QUESTIONS AROUND THIS AND, AND JARED MEERS TOLD ME THAT, UH, WE'RE ANSWERING ABOUT 58% OF CALLS FOR SERVICE. AND IN MY BOOK, THAT'S A, THAT'S AN F. 58% IS AN F. UM, I'D AT LEAST TO GET, LIKE, TO GET UP TO A C IF WE COULD. UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S AGAIN, YOU KNOW, HE SAYS EVEN IF YOU, EVEN IF WE DOUBLED THE AMOUNT OF ANIMAL ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS, IT WOULD TAKE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF SOME TIME TO GET AHEAD OF THIS. I KNOW WE'RE WORKING ON THE LGC, MY COMMITTEE ALONG WITH COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON'S COMMITTEE IS, UH, HOPING TO MEET SOON ON THE LGC. UH, THAT WAS A BUDGET AMENDMENT AND I KNOW SOMETHING YOU'RE WORKING ON, MAYOR. AND, AND I KNOW THAT'S GONNA BE SOMETIME, HOPEFULLY THIS FALL THAT WE CAN HAVE A MORE IN-DEPTH DISCUSSION. UM, WE'VE BEEN ASKED, AND I WOULD CERTAINLY ENTERTAIN, UM, UM, I KNOW SCOUT IS ASKING FOR POTENTIAL, UH, MEMBERS, UH, THAT COULD BE ON THAT BOARD TO BE VETTED. SO, UH, I THINK WE, WE ARE JUST, I JUST NEED SOME [04:30:01] BETTER INFORMATION ABOUT KIND OF DIRECTION IT'S GONNA GO. SO I CAN TELL PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, THIS IS KIND OF WHAT, WHAT THE DIRECTION IS, WOULD YOU BE INTERESTED IN SERVING ON THIS BOARD, KIND OF THING. SO, I DON'T KNOW, IT'S KIND OF CHICKEN AND EGG. YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE BOARD BEFORE YOU DECIDE WHAT YOU'RE DOING OR YOU, YOU KNOW, BUT JUST, JUST, I SAY ALL THIS TO JUST SAY WHATEVER HELP I CAN BE, UM, TO GET THIS SET UP. I THINK IT'S A, IT'S A GOOD IDEA. I THINK HAVING A SEPARATE BOARD AND, AND, UM, KIND OF SEPARATING SHELTER OPERATIONS AND ADOPTIONS AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS. THERE'S SUCH PROFESSIONALS AND THERE'S SUCH PHILANTHROPY IN THIS CITY, UM, THAT COULD GET INVOLVED WITH THIS. I MEAN, WE'RE NOT GONNA COME UP WITH ALL THE MONEY, THAT'S FOR SURE. BUT WE CAN SET UP VEHICLES, UH, THROUGH WHICH, UM, WE CAN GET A LOT OF SUPPORT FOR. SO JUST, JUST, UH, HOPEFULLY THAT'S GONNA BE ON THE RADAR IN, IN NOVEMBER, DECEMBER TIMEFRAME. AND WE CAN HAVE A GOOD COMMITTEE MEETING. I'D ALSO LIKE TO PROBABLY HAVE A TOWN HALL ON IT. THERE'S A LOT OF GREAT IDEAS OUT THERE ON ANIMAL WELFARE AND, AND, UM, WE JUST, WE JUST WANNA BE BETTER THAN ANSWER. WELL, I WAS IN INDEPENDENCE HEIGHTS LAST NIGHT, HAD A CIVIC CLUB MEETING. THAT'S ONE OF THEIR MAJOR PROBLEMS UP THERE. STRAY DOGS. LOTS OF STRAY CATS TOO. THEY'VE GOT A BIG CAT, FERAL CAT SITUATION UP THERE. SO ANYWAY, JUST, UH, ADD IT TO THE LIST. MAYOR , I UNDERSTAND AND I COULD COMMENT, BUT YOU DON'T NEED ANY HELP, WHAT YOU TELL THE FOLKS BECAUSE IT'S SAME FOLKS I TALKED TO. UH, WE'VE BEEN HERE NINE MONTHS. THIS PROBLEMS EXISTED FOR A LONG TIME. IN FACT, IT WAS EVEN WORSE IN PREVIOUS YEARS. SO WE'RE FOCUSING ON ANIMAL WELFARE. WE'RE, UH, COLLABORATING WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR, THE NEW LLC. UH, WE NEED TO RELOCATE, BARK, OR HAVE AN ANNEX FOR SURE THAT WOULD ALLOW, UH, ADDITIONAL BETTER SERVICES. WE'RE TALKING TO THE COUNTY THAT ULTIMATELY WE DON'T NEED A COUNTY, UH, SHELTER AND A CITY SHELTER. SO WE'RE LOOKING FOR ALL THE WAYS TO PROVIDE BETTER SERVICES. UH, MARK IS ALWAYS AN ISSUE, AND, UH, YOU'RE RIGHT, IT'S ON THE LIST, BUT, UH, WE'RE GETTING THERE AS FAST AS WE CAN. OKAY. YEAH. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER. COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER. JUST TO DOVETAIL ON COUNCILWOMAN ALCORN'S COMMENTS. I MEAN, THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT ANIMAL WELLBEING. SURE. AND I THINK A LOT OF PRIVATE MONEY COULD BE RAISED TO, TO DO WHATEVER WE NEED TO DO FOR THIS. ABSOLUTELY. AND I THINK THAT'S GONNA BE ONE OF THE MODELS THAT GETS US THROUGH THIS, IS TO GO TO, UH, CORPORATE HOUSTON. UH, THE FOUNDATIONS AND THE PEOPLE THAT CARE SO MUCH. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN CARRYING THEIR LEGISLATION FOR 20 YEARS. UH, SO NOW WE'RE HERE AND IT'S GONNA BE A RESOURCE ALLOCATION. UH, OR I'LL MENTION AGAIN, I THINK, UH, WE NEED TO GET THEM IN MORE COMMUNITIES, EITHER THROUGH VEHICLES OR CERTAINLY IN ADOPTION CENTER. I'VE GOT PEOPLE THAT'VE GOT DIVISION, UH, SAN FOLLOWING SAN ANTONIO. SAN ANTONIO PUT AN ADOPTION CENTER NEXT TO THE ZOO. UH, WE'RE ACTUALLY WORKING WITH METRO NOW TO SEE IF WE COULD GET SOME ADDITIONAL RESOURCES TO, UH, GET TO THE FAMILIES THAT ENJOY ANIMALS AND PETS, LEAVE THE ZOO, GET A APPLICATION PROCESS FOR AN ADOPTION. SO, AS Y'ALL ALL KNOW, WE, WE GET PULLED IN A HUNDRED DIRECTIONS, BUT THIS IS, UH, CERTAINLY NEEDS TO BE ONE OF OUR TOP PRIORITIES BECAUSE SPADING AND NEUTERING IS, UM, SHOULD BE OUR HIGHEST PRIORITY. UH, THERE'S A GROUP THAT IS SO IMPRESSIVE. UH, I BELIEVE THEIR PROPERTY NAME IS NO SHELTER. UH, THEY RALLIED THE A LEAF CENTER ABOUT A YEAR AGO ON A SATURDAY MORNING, UH, SPAYED AND NEUTERED. 800 PEOPLE. PEOPLE CAME FROM EVERY DIRECTION. 'CAUSE THEY CAN'T AFFORD IT. THEY WANT TO BE GOOD COMPLIANCE WITH TRYING TO CONTROL THE ANIMAL POPULATION. I ASKED THE LADY IN CHARGE THAT SATURDAY MORNING, WHAT'S YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE? SHE SAID, FINDING LOCATIONS. I SAID, WHAT ABOUT A CITY? I WASN'T THE MAYOR YET. I WAS LEARNING, I WAS MOTIVATED. I SAID, WHAT ABOUT CITY MULTI-SERVICE CENTERS? THIS IS AN EXACT CONVERSATION. SHE SAID, WELL, THE CITY WON'T LET US BECAUSE NO PETS ARE ALLOWED. UH, I SAID, OH, LORD, HELP US. NO PETS ARE ALLOWED IN THE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER. I SAID, EVEN FOR THIS PROJECT, YOU'RE CORRECT. SO WE'RE GETTING THERE, BUT, BUT, UH, LET'S STAY FOCUSED. THE, THE, THE ANIMAL WELFARE [04:35:01] AND OUR FOUR-LEGGED FRIENDS, WE ALL KNOW WE HAVE CONSTITUENCIES THAT CARE SO MUCH AS WE DO, YOU KNOW. SO ANYWAY, THANKS FOR THE DISCUSSION. WHERE WERE WE? MARK ITEM. NEED A VOTE? WE NEED TO VOTE. WE JUST NEED TO VOTE. NEED TO VOTE ON ITEM 11. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. YES. ITEM PASSES. ITEM 14 NEEDS A MOTION. CAN STATE A MOVE. I SECOND. MOTION HAS BEEN MADE. AND A SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 16 IS A RESOLUTION. JUSTINA VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE TAG VICE NAY, UH, BEFORE THE VOTE. COUNCIL MEMBER PECK. UM, WELL, IF IT'S GONNA BE TAGGED, I CAN SAY IT. NEXT WEEKEND. THERE'S A TAG. WERE YOU RELEASED FOR DISCUSSION? YES. OKAY. VICE MAYOR PRO TEPEC. VICE MAYOR PRO TE PECK. OKAY, THANK YOU. UM, I, UM, CAN'T SUPPORT THIS ITEM. I UNDERSTAND IT'S GOING TO BE TAGGED AND WE CAN DISCUSS IT NEXT WEEK. BUT BASICALLY, UM, THIS AREA HAS FLOODED BEFORE AND IT WILL CONTINUE TO FLOOD. IT'S ADJACENT TO ATTICS RESERVOIR. UM, AND REALLY NOTHING SHOULD BE BUILT RIGHT HERE. AND, BUT IF SOMETHING IS GOING TO BE BUILT, IT CERTAINLY SHOULDN'T BE AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR AN ALREADY VULNERABLE POPULATION THAT PROBABLY CAN'T AFFORD TO START OVER IF THEY GET FLOODED. UM, WE DO NEED AFFORDABLE HOUSING. I'VE SUPPORTED AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN DISTRICT A, BUT IT NEEDS TO BE IN THE RIGHT LOCATION. AND THIS ONE JUST, ISN'T IT? SO I'M NOT GOING TO BE, UM, SUPPORTING THIS ITEM, BUT IF IT'S GOING TO BE TAGGED, WE CAN DISCUSS IT FURTHER NEXT WEEK. UH, COUNCILOR RAMIREZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I JUST WANNA NOTE THAT ITEMS 14, I'M SORRY, 16, 17, AND 18 ARE, UH, VOTES BY COUNCIL TO APPROVE OR NOT APPROVE PUBLIC FACILITIES, CORPORATIONS, WHICH ARE VEHICLES TO DEVELOP MUL. WELL, IN THIS INSTANCE, IN THESE INSTANCES, MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING. AND, UH, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THEY'VE COME BEFORE HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL. AND IT'S BECAUSE THE LEGISLATURE, UH, PASSED A LAW REQUIRING THESE TYPES OF DEVELOPMENTS TO COME BEFORE US. THESE ARE PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN THE HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY, WHICH IS NOT A CITY DEPARTMENT, HAS NO CONNECTION WITH THE CITY OTHER THAN, UH, THE MAYOR. GETS TO A POINT. THE, UH, DIRECTORS, UM, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE'VE HAD THE CHANCE TO CONSIDER THESE PROJECTS. THEY'RE QUITE COMPLEX. AND, UM, WE'VE LEARNED A LOT IN THIS PROCESS. WE LEARNED THAT I THINK WE NEED, UH, MORE INFORMATION AND GREATER BANDWIDTH ON THE PART OF THE CITY TO BE ABLE TO EVALUATE PROPERLY THESE, UH, DEVELOPMENTS. AND THESE WERE ON THE AGENDA AS ONE ITEM ALL LUMPED TOGETHER TWO WEEKS AGO, MAYOR, AND YOU LISTENED TO US AND YOU PULLED IT AND SEPARATED THEM INTO THREE SEPARATE ITEMS. UH, I, I, UM, APPLAUD YOU FOR THAT. THESE ARE DIFFERENT DEALS, DIFFERENT LOCATIONS, DIFFERENT LEVELS OF AFFORDABILITY, AND THEY DESERVE DIFFERENT CONSIDERATION. BUT, UM, IN, IN RESPECT TO THE TAG, I WON'T SAY MUCH MORE THAN THAT. I WILL SAY, UH, WE'LL HAVE SOME COMMENT ON THE OTHER TWO ITEMS, SHOULD THEY RECEIVE CONSIDERATION. BUT THIS IS A NEW POWER WE'VE GOTTEN AND WE NEED TO TAKE IT SERIOUSLY AND DIVE DEEPLY INTO THESE WHEN WE HAVE 'EM. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK. BACK TO FLICKINGER, COUNCILMAN FLICKINGER. JUST TO ELABORATE, OUR OFFICE HAD ASKED FOR SOME MORE INFORMATION ON 16, 17, AND 18, WANTING TO KNOW WHAT THE FULL MARKET RATES FOR THE RENTS ARE, WHAT THESE SUBSIDIZED RATES ARE FOR THE LOWER INCOME IS GONNA BE. SO WE CAN ACTUALLY SEE WHAT WE'RE GONNA GET FOR THE DOLLARS THAT THESE PEOPLE ARE GONNA GET AS FAR AS TAX ABATEMENTS TO MAKE SURE WE'RE ACTUALLY GETTING OUR MONEY'S WORTH ON IT. VERY WELL. DID YOU TAG THEM? YES, SIR. 16. 16 IS TAGGED. NEXT ITEM 17 IS A RESOLUTION VOTE TAG 17 IS TAGGED AS WELL. DO YOU WANNA DISCUSS? WILL YOU RELEASE FOR DISCUSSION? OKAY. COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. UH, AGAIN, AND I THANK, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER FOR BRINGING UP THE, THE CONCERN THAT WE HAVE, UH, THAT ARE WE GETTING ENOUGH INFORMATION TO PROPERLY EVALUATE THESE DEALS? THIS ONE IN PARTICULAR WOULD ONLY ADD, UH, 20% OF THE UNITS IN THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT, UH, TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING, 80% OF THE UNITS IN THIS COMPLEX, OR GOING TO BE MARKET RATE OR ABOVE. AND THAT IS SOMETHING, FRANKLY, THAT'S NOT NEEDED IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. AND SO, UM, HOPEFULLY WE WILL GET A STRONGER CASE FROM THE HOUSING AUTHORITY ON [04:40:01] WHY WE SHOULD APPROVE THIS DEAL. VERY WELL, THOMAS? COUNCILOR THOMAS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. MY COMMENTS IS TO, UM, DIRECTED TO COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ. SISTER, YOU GOTTA CLOSE YOUR GATE. YOU GOT THE COUNCIL MEMBER THAT REPRESENTS KINGWOOD MAKING IMPLICATIONS ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS ON MLK IN 2 88 BLACK PEOPLE. ALL RIGHT, WE'RE GONNA HAVE AN OPEN CONVERSATION. THIS IS ABOUT BLACK PEOPLE, AND NO ONE'S TALKING ABOUT THE NUMBER OF BLACK PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN DISPLACED OUT OF THAT AREA. THIRD WARD IS NO LONGER MAJORITY BLACK. NO ONE'S TALKING ABOUT THE 44,000 UNITS WE LOST TO HARVEY, AND THAT WE STILL HAVE TO REPLACE THOSE. AND EVERY DELAYED VOTE GETS US FURTHER AWAY FROM THAT. YOU GOT TO CLOSE YOUR GATE BECAUSE WHEN KINGWOOD ITEMS COME UP HERE, NO ONE SAYS ANYTHING, WE LET THEM MAKE IT. BUT WHEN IT'S A CANCER CLUSTER, WHEN IT'S A SOLAR FARM, WHEN IT'S MLK, WHEN IT'S HOUSING, WHEN IT'S ANYTHING, THEN IT, WE BECOME MORE CURIOUS ABOUT THE TAXPAYERS BENEFIT, NOT STABILIZING THE HOUSTONIANS THAT NEED TO RETURN TO THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD. CLOSE YOUR GATE, MAKE SURE THESE PEOPLE DON'T COME. MAKE SURE THE PEOPLE KNOW THAT YOU REPRESENT WHO'S VOTING NO ON THEIR OPPORTUNITY TO RETURN BACK TO THEIR HOME, TO STAY IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD, TO HAVE ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND STABLE HOUSING. RIGHT? BECAUSE UNFORTUNATELY, EVERYBODY IS NOT ON A VOUCHER. WE HAVE TO DO THAT WORK, BUT WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT STILL NEED MARKET RATE UNITS IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD. THEY STILL NEED 80% A MR UNITS IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD. NEXT TIME A KINGWOOD ITEM SHOW UP HERE, YOU BETTER HAVE A WHOLE LOT TO SAY. COUNCILMAN PLUMMER. COUNCILMAN PLUMMER. I'LL, I'LL LET COUNCILMAN SHABA SPEAK FIRST, AND THEN I'LL GO. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH, COUNCIL MEMBER. AND IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THE RESPECT FOR BLACK PEOPLE IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING, IT'S ABOUT RESPECT FOR DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBERS. I HAVE NOT HEARD FROM EITHER OF THESE GENTLEMEN, UH, REGARDING ANY PROBLEMS WITH THIS, THIS PARTICULAR ITEM. AND, UH, PREVIOUSLY I HAVE HAD A CONVERSATION WITH COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ REGARDING THAT. AND SO, UH, I JUST WANNA BE VERY CLEAR THAT I, I, I DO DEEM A DISRESPECTFUL WHEN I HEAR THAT YOU DO HAVE A PROBLEM AS WE SIT AT THE TABLE. AND I WILL ALSO BE MINDFUL OF THAT AS WELL, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER. AND, UH, I, I'M ASSUMING THAT WE WILL HAVE MORE DISCUSSION ON NEXT WEEK, BUT IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, I'M VERY GOOD AT FACILITATING WITH THE, WITH THE DEPARTMENTS AS COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ ALWAYS ALREADY KNOWS. AND SO I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE JUST THE, THE RESPECT AS I WOULD IF I HAD A PROBLEM IN YOUR AREA. BUT I HAVE RESPECT FOR OTHER DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND I BELIEVE THAT THEY'RE ALL HERE TRYING TO REPRESENT, AND I'M DOING THAT AS WELL. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN PLUMMER. THANK YOU. AND I, AND I WANT TO JOIN MY, MY COLLEAGUE. YOU KNOW, IN SAYING THIS, WE'VE LOOKED A LOT OF APARTMENT COMPLEXES IN CITY OF HOUSTON. I MEAN, ABOUT 2,500 HALF OF OUR INVENTORY IS JUST NOT EVEN LIVABLE, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU. AND MAYOR, I, I'M ALWAYS GONNA TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PUT FORWARD MY APARTMENT INSPECTION REFORM ORDINANCE, AND WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING TO HOLD FOLKS ACCOUNTABLE. UM, I'VE AL ALSO BEEN VERY VOCAL ABOUT NOT SUPPORTING PFCS BECAUSE OF MY CONCERNS. BUT THE STATE HAS PUT GUARDRAILS THERE. I HAVE VETTED THESE COMPANIES. I KNOW IT MAY NOT BE IDEAL, BUT YOU KNOW, IN WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS SAID, AND OF COURSE, SUPPORT, YOU KNOW, SUPPORTING COUNCILL MEMBER SHABAZZ IN THESE PARTICULAR COMMUNITIES, WE HAVE TO HAVE SOME LEVEL OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING. WE SEE WHAT THE HOMELESS POPULATION'S DOING. WE SEE WHAT THE GENTRIFICATION'S HAPPENING IN COMMUNITIES. THE TAXES ARE GETTING MORE EXPENSIVE. PEOPLE ARE HAVING TO MOVE OUT. MANY PEOPLE ARE BECOMING HOMELESS. WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT WHERE PEOPLE CAN LIVE IN A SAFE SPACE. AND SO I'M SUPPORTING ALL THREE OF THESE ITEMS WHENEVER IT COMES TO US, BUT DELAYING THIS OVER AND OVER AGAIN, I DO, I DO BELIEVE IS A, IS A, IS A CONCERN, UM, THAT WE NEED TO, THAT WE NEED TO RECONSIDER. I AM LISTENING TO EVERYONE'S CONCERN. I THINK OBVIOUSLY THE PROGRAM IS VERY WORTHWHILE. WE ALL ARE COMMITTED TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING. CERTAINLY SPEAKING TO COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ POINT, WHO REPRESENTS SUNNY SIDE, BY THE WAY, SAID THAT HE WAS CONCERNED THAT THERE WASN'T ENOUGH OF THESE PROJECTS DEDICATED TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING. SO, LIKE I SAID, I DON'T WANNA SPEAK FOR ANYONE, BUT I THINK ONE, THE LEGISLATURE WANTED THESE KIND OF DISCUSSIONS, BUT IN TERMS OF AFFORDABILITY, [04:45:01] I THINK THE COUNCIL MEMBER WAS SAYING THAT NOT ENOUGH HAD BEEN SET ASIDE. NOW, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT MEANT HE'S NOT, I LET HIM SPEAK FOR HIMSELF, BUT I'M JUST TRYING TO BRING THE SIDES TOGETHER. COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ, YOU OBVIOUSLY REPRESENT THE DISTRICT AND KNOW THE CONCERNS MORE THAN ANYONE, BUT I JUST WAS TRYING TO SEE IF THERE WAS SOME MISREPRESENTATION THAT SOMEONE DID NOT CARE ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING. SENATOR, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER CERTAINLY IS CAPABLE OF SPEAKING FOR HIMSELF, BUT I THINK WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER. IT'S GOING TO IMPACT THE CITY'S AFFORDABILITY, WHICH SHOULD BE ONE OF OUR HIGHEST PRIORITIES. IN FACT, I SEE MIKE NICHOLS WITH US THIS MORNING. HE REGULARLY SAYS THAT OUR GOAL AS A CITY ADMINISTRATION, THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT, IS TO SEE THAT WE'RE THE MOST AFFORDABLE, USED TO SAY LARGE, LARGE CITY IN AMERICA, THE MOST AFFORDABLE. NOW, I THINK HE'S BROADEN IT TO THE MOST AFFORDABLE OF ANY MUNICIPALITIES. BUT ANYWAY, UM, COUNCILMAN FLICKINGER, SEVERAL POINTS. FIRST OF ALL, I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING AGAINST AFFORDABLE HOUSING. I NEVER SAID I HAD A PROBLEM WITH THIS. WHAT I SAID WAS, WE HAD QUESTIONS THAT HADN'T BEEN ANSWERED. I'D SIMPLY LIKE TO KNOW WHAT THE FULL MARKET RATE IS AND WHAT THE LOWER PRICE IS GONNA BE PAID. AND THIS ISN'T AN ISSUE WITH THE POOR PEOPLE. IT'S A QUESTION THAT GOES TO THE DEVELOPER. I MEAN, WE'VE HAD APARTMENT COMPLEXES IN THE PAST WHERE WE'VE GIVEN, AND ACTUALLY THERE HAS BEEN CHANGES, BUT TAX ABATEMENTS HAVE BEEN GIVEN TO THEM. AND THEY SAY, OH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE 60% A MI. WELL, THE A MI IS SUCH THAT THE 60% THAT WERE PAYING FULL MARKET RATES, THIS IS SIMPLY ASKING THE QUESTION, WHAT ARE WE GIVING THEM AND WHAT ARE THEY GETTING? AND THIS GOES FAR MORE TO THE DEVELOPERS THAN IT DOES TO THE ACTUAL TENANTS. SO, AND LASTLY, RACE HAS GOT ABSOLUTELY ZERO TO DO WITH ANY OF THIS. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I'D LIKE TO, UH, ADDRESS THIS ISSUE BASED UPON THE, THE ATTITUDE THAT FIRST AND FOREMOST, WE NEED TO DO THE, THE QUESTIONS COMING FROM BOTH COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. AND, UH, FLICKER IS LEGITIMATE, BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE A GOOD HABIT TO CONSULT WITH THE DISTRICT COUNCIL PERSON. UH, THEY HAVE ACCESS TO THAT. THESE QUESTIONS ARE LEGITIMATE, BUT THE REALITY IS, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S ALWAYS A A AS, AS MOST PEOPLE WOULD ASSUME, BASED UPON THE AFFORDABILITY, IT IS TO BE LOOKED AT IN TERMS OF HOW MUCH THOSE PEOPLE ARE GETTING. THAT'S MOVING IN BASED ON COST. BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT WE, WE DO MORE, UH, COMMUNICATING BACK AND FORTH DUE THE RESEARCH ON THE COMMUNITY AND THE WHY THIS IS IMPLEMENTED RATHER THAN, UM, JUST LOOKING AT IT FROM THE, FROM AN OFFSET IN TERMS OF COST. BUT, UH, AFFORDABILITY IS A NECESSARY MEANS. BUT IT WOULD BE, IN MY OPINION, A BETTER HABIT THAT IF THOSE AROUND HERE, BECAUSE I, I OFTEN SAY, MAYOR, WE OFTEN WORK IN SILOS. AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT PROBABLY NEED TO BE ADDRESSED WITH COUNCIL. AND I THINK WE OUGHT TO TAKE OUR ACTIONS BASED UPON COUNCIL. AND THEN I THINK IT BENEFITS EVERYBODY WHEN WE HAVE GOOD RESEARCH. WE KNOW WE TALKING ABOUT, WE COULD TALK TO EACH OTHER. YOU KNOW, I KNOW SOME MAKE YOU NOT TO TALK TO CERTAIN PEOPLE, BUT THE REALITY OF IT IS WE NEED TO START TALKING MORE TO THE COUNCIL PERSON THAT IT AFFECTS THE BOARD BECAUSE WE ALL LIVE IN DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES, BUT WE ALL KNOW HOW THE SAME ISSUES YOU ARE. CORRECT. AND OF COURSE, IT WAS A MAJOR CONCERN OF MINE AND SOME ON COUNCIL, HOW THE HOUSING AUTHORITY WAS BEING OPERATED, LACK OF TRANSPARENCY. I CAN GO ON AND ON AND ON. I'VE GOT BOARD MEMBERS THAT WE PLACED THERE SINCE THE FIRST YEAR. THEY'RE STILL TRYING TO GET THE FINANCIAL PICTURE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR. WE'VE GOT NEW BOARD MEMBERS, BUT THERE'S STILL SOME ISSUES CONCERNING THE PROCESS. [04:50:02] WHY DO THE SAME DEVELOPERS KEEP GETTING ADDITIONAL PROJECTS? I, UH, THINK THERE WAS SOME RECENT PRESS ABOUT THE LACK OF, UH, DESIGNATED SPACE FOR LOW INCOME. AND SO IF, IF, IF WE'RE DOING OUR JOB, ALL OF US, WE'VE GOTTA SEE IF THE PURPOSE OF THIS PROGRAM IS BEING ACHIEVED, THAT IT'S NOT THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE PLANNER, BUT THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE COMMUNITY AND THE AFFORDABILITY OF THE RESIDENTS THAT OUGHT. AND I'M CERTAINLY, WE CAN ALL AGREE ON THAT. SURE. SO IF WE NEED TO GET THE CHAIRMAN OF THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, MR. LER OVER HERE FOR, UM, I, I THINK EVERY COUNCILMAN'S DESERVES AS MUCH INFORMATION AS THEY NEED. ABSOLUTELY. UNTIL SOMEONE DETERMINES THAT THERE, THEY'RE JUST BEING OBSTRUCTIONIST, WHICH I DON'T BELIEVE ANYBODY IN MY JUDGMENTS REACH THAT LEVEL. UH, WE WORK WITH THEM. AND, UM, THIS IS IMPORTANT MECHANISM ESSENTIAL FOR PUBLIC HOUSING AFFORDABILITY, YES. BUT, UH, IT NEEDS TO BE TRANSPARENT. AS MANY QUESTIONS RAISED, YOU KNOW, THE PROJECT WON'T BE COMPLETED FOR THREE YEARS. SO SOME OF THE FINANCES THAT COUNCILOR IN GER OR, AND MAYBE EVEN RAM INQUIRED ABOUT WON'T BE AVAILABLE UNTIL UPON COMPLETION. WHAT THE MARKET IS COST FACTOR, COMPETITIVE, UH, AFFORDABILITY. SO ALL I CAN SAY IS LET'S DO OUR JOB. BUT, UH, I'LL GET MR. PROLO OVER HERE SOONER THAN LATER. BUT I'VE GOT QUESTIONS AND I'M STILL, EVEN WITH A NEW BOARD, SOME OF THE PREVIOUS DECISIONS, LIKE, WHAT THE HECK ARE WE GONNA DO WITH MIDDLE STREET? SHOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN BUILT ON TOP OF A LANDFILL. WE'LL WAIT FOR TECQ TO GIVE US THE CLEARANCE. YOU KNOW, ANYBODY WANT TO GO THERE AND TURN THE LIGHT SWITCH ON TO START ASKING FOLKS LOOKING FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UH, WITH LOTS NEXT DOOR THAT ARE STILL ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS. SO I AIN'T HAPPY WITH THE HOUSING PART. IF YOU READ TODAY'S PAPER, THE, UM, THE VOUCHER PROGRAM IS STALLED OUT. DEPENDS ON WHO YOU BELIEVE. SOME AT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, BLAME IT ON HUD HUD'S. GOT QUESTIONS ABOUT THE HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY. SO ALL I CAN SAY IS WE'VE GOT A LOT OF WORK TO DO, BUT IT DIDN'T GET LIKE THIS OVERNIGHT. AND, UH, WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF STILL CLEANING UP THE ACTIONS OF THE HOUSE AUTHORITY. WELL SAID. GOT SOME REALLY, REALLY GOOD PEOPLE SERVING ON THE BOARD. NOW I GET CALLS, TALKED TO ERIC CARTER YESTERDAY FOR A, FOR A LONG TIME. THEY'RE CONCERNED ABOUT THE ADMINISTRATION. I'LL GO AHEAD AND NAIL IT. A LACK OF TRANSPARENCY. WHY DID YOU DO THIS WHEN YOU DID IT? AND WHAT IS YOUR TRUE FINANCIAL PICTURE? THAT'S A GOOD EXAMPLE OF MINISTRY AND THAT, THAT'S THE POINT I'M MAKING. AND, AND OF COURSE, ONCE RESEARCH WAS DONE, PEOPLE LOOKED INTO IT AND THEY DISCOVERED THINGS. AND I GUESS THAT'S REALLY ALL I'M SAYING, THAT WE NEED TO COMMUNICATE THE CONCERNS OF MY COLLEAGUES IS LEGITIMATE. I'M NOT GOING AGAINST IT, BUT I THINK MORE DIALOGUING AND, AND, AND RESEARCHING. WELL, THE DIRECT, IT'S SO BAD. THE DIRECTOR AND THE ADMINISTRATION RECOMMENDED SOME NEW RULES A COUPLE WEEKS AGO THAT WOULD'VE PRETTY MUCH EXCLUDED THE BOARD, WHICH WE HAD A COUPLE BOARD MEMBERS SAID THEY WOULDN'T SERVE UNDER THOSE CONDITIONS. ALL I CAN ASSURE YOU IS I'M MONITORING IT BECAUSE IT IS SUCH AN ESSENTIAL SERVICE TO, UH, LOW INCOME HOUSTONIANS. COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND I, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS IN REGARDS TO MY INITIAL COMMENTS, WHICH WERE, MY CONCERN WITH, WITH ORUM IS THAT, UH, THIS IS NOT AFFORDABLE ENOUGH FOR THE RESIDENTS OF SUNNYSIDE WHEN YOU HAVE A PLAN FOR AT LEAST 50% OF THE UNITS TO BE ABOVE MARKET RATE. THAT SOUNDS LIKE GENTRIFICATION TO ME. BUT, UH, I'VE BEEN ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT HOUSING PROJECTS ALL YEAR LONG. MANY OF THEM HAVE DEALT WITH THE DEPLORABLE LIVING CONDITIONS IN SO MANY OF THESE COMPLEXES. COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER AND I, UH, HAVE WORKED TOGETHER ON, ON SOME OF THESE ISSUES. AND SO I ASK QUESTIONS WITHOUT REGARD TO WHERE, WHAT DISTRICT THE PROJECT IS, IS LOCATED IN. I THINK, UH, THE RESIDENTS OF HOUSTON NEED AND [04:55:01] DESERVE AFFORDABLE, AFFORDABLE HOUSING THAT IS LIVABLE. UM, AND THAT SERVES THEIR INTERESTS. AND, UM, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, DAVIS, YOUR, YOUR POINTS ARE WELL TAKEN. HOWEVER, LET ME ASSURE YOU, I HAVE COMMUNICATED WITH THE DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBERS REGARDING ITEM 16, 17 AND 18, UH, ON 16 COUNCIL MEMBER PECK AND I HAVE HAD MULTIPLE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THAT PROJECT ON 18 COUNCIL MEMBER CASTEX TATUM AND I HAVE HAD MULTIPLE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THAT PROJECT. AND, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ ON 17 THIS ITEM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR FACILITATING THAT MEETING. THAT, THAT, UH, I JOINED WITH, UH, REPRESENTATIVES OF THE DEVELOPERS ON THIS PROJECT AND THEIR CONSULTANT AND MEMBERS OF OUR HOUSING COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT. THAT WAS A HELPFUL MEETING AT WHICH I SHARED A NUMBER OF MY CONCERNS. SO I'M SURE NOTHING THAT I'M SAYING TO YOU IS ANY SURPRISE. BUT MY, MY, UH, HOPE IS THAT WE CAN USE THESE PFCS TO ACTUALLY GENERATE HOUSING THAT IS AFFORDABLE AND NOT JUST MARKET RATE, UH, GIVING DEVELOPERS TAX ABATEMENTS, FULL ABATEMENTS, WHERE THEY DON'T PAY ANY TAXES AT ALL FOR HOUSING THAT THE MARKET WOULD'VE PRO WOULD'VE PROVIDED. ANYWAY, THAT'S NOT A GOOD WAY, UH, UH, TO RUN THE CITY, I DON'T THINK. AND THAT'S, THAT'S MY CONCERN HERE, IS THAT THEY'RE NOT AFFORDABLE ENOUGH AND THAT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, WHICH AGAIN, IS NOT WITHIN YOUR PURVIEW, MAYOR, IT'S NOT PART OF THE CITY. IT'S A SEPARATE FEDERAL ENTITY NEEDS TO DO THEIR JOB AND NEGOTIATE DEALS THAT ARE ACTUALLY AFFORDABLE AND SERVE FOLKS AT 30 A MI AND 50 A MI, NOT JUST MARKET RATE AND ABOVE. THAT'S MY CONCERN. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHIBA. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS, COLLEAGUES. MY COMMENT WAS BASICALLY REGARDING THE RESPECT TO THE, UH, INDIVIDUAL DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBERS. UM, I BELIEVE IN TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY. I, I GOT A MESSAGE ACTUALLY FROM YOUR APPOINTEE WHO I CERTAINLY APPROVED MIKE NICHOLS IN REGARDS TO HIS SUPPORT OF ALL THREE OF THESE ITEMS. I BELIEVE QUESTIONS SHOULD BE ANSWERED, BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT WE NEED TO USE THE TIME IN BETWEEN GETTING TO THE DAIS TO BRING THIS TO THE FOREFRONT AND TAG AN ITEM. THAT IS MY POINT. THERE HAS BEEN ADEQUATE TIME TO DISCUSS AND GET ANY QUESTIONS ANSWERED PRIOR TO GETTING HERE AND DELAYING THIS ITEM FURTHER, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ, UH, WE DID GET TO A POINT THAT YOU, YOU CAN ATTEST TO THE FACT THAT I WILL GET THOSE PEOPLE AT THE TABLE FOR YOU TO ANSWER THE QUESTIONS. AND I DO UNDERSTAND YOU, YOUR BELIEF THAT IT NEEDS TO BE MORE AFFORDABILITY FOR MORE PEOPLE. AND I CAN CONCUR WITH THAT. BUT AGAIN, MY MINE WAS NOT ABOUT BLACK PEOPLE, LOW INCOME, WHATEVER THE WHOLE SITUATION IS. BUT CERTAINLY THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IS VERY, VERY, UH, UH, A VERY MUCH A CONCERN BECAUSE THERE IS A NEED FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING. BUT AGAIN, THE TIME TO, TO TAG AND, AND ASK FOR QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED IS NOT TODAY WHEN THIS HAS COME TO, UH, OUR ATTENTION A, A FEW WEEKS AGO. AND SO THAT IS MY, MY POINT, NOT TO SAY THAT ANYBODY IS NOT FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING, SO TO SPEAK, BUT IS JUST NOT, IT DOESN'T SIT WELL WITH ME WHEN I'M SITTING HERE LOOKING AT YOU BASICALLY. AND YOU AND I HAVE SEEN EACH OTHER IN OTHER SETTINGS AND NOT ONCE HAVE YOU CONVEYED TO ME THAT YOU HAD A QUESTION. AND THAT IS MY POINT. AND LET'S, LET'S TRY TO GET PAST THAT. SO, AND, AND I'M SPEAKING IN TERMS OF ALL OF THE DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBERS WITH NO DISRESPECT TO THE AT LARGE, BUT WE DO HAVE THE FINGER, OUR FINGERS ON THE PULSE OF THE NEEDS OF OUR OWN DISTRICTS, AND HOPEFULLY THAT CAN BE RESPECTED. AND AGAIN, I DO RESPECT THAT MIKE NICHOLS ACTUALLY SENT ME A TEXT ON, AND HE WAS LEAVING TOWN, BUT HE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT I KNEW THAT HE SUPPORTED ALL THREE OF THESE PROJECTS. AND THAT IS MY POINT. THANK YOU VERY WELL. AND WE CAN FIX THAT, BY THE WAY, I THINK, UH, EVERYONE'S HEARING IT AND OBVIOUSLY WE CAN ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO REACH OUT AND, AND COMMUNICATE. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. SURE. AND, UM, AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN MOVE ON WITH THIS. SO I, TWO THINGS. COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ MENTIONED THE HOUSING AUTHORITY CAME BEFORE THE COMMITTEE AUGUST 26TH. THEY RAN THROUGH IN DETAIL WHAT THE PFC PROCESS WAS EXTENDED THEMSELVES FOR ANY QUESTIONS. IT'S OCTOBER 16TH, RIGHT? SO, UM, RACE DOES HAVE TO DO WITH IT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HOUSING IN [05:00:01] THIS CITY AND HISTORICAL PRACTICES OF REDLINE DIVESTMENT, LIKE WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT THE IMPACTS OF DISASTER. SO YES, WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT HOUSING, YOU HAVE TO TALK ABOUT RACE. WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT HOUSING, WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT HOW STRATEGICALLY WE GO BACK TO THESE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT DON'T HAVE MULTI THE ADEQUATE MULTIFAMILY, THAT DON'T HAVE OPPORTUNITIES FOR HOME OWNERSHIP THAT MAY NEED TO BE CLEARED FROM ENVIRONMENTAL INJUSTICES. WE HAVE TO DO THAT THOUGHTFULLY. SO WE CAN'T MAKE SIMPLE STATEMENTS OF, I JUST DON'T HAVE THE INFORMATION BECAUSE IT'S A RIPPLE EFFECT OF OTHER THINGS WHEN PEOPLE ARE BEING DISPLACED AS WE KNOW IT. THAT'S THE POINT. AND SO WE HAVE TO GET COMFORTABLE IN TALKING ABOUT THAT AND NEVER WILL. I APOLOGIZE FOR TALKING ABOUT THE INTERSECTION OF HOUSING AND RACE OR JOBS AND RACE. WE ARE A VERY DIVERSE CITY. WE HAVE TO DO THAT, RIGHT? THAT'S ONE. NUMBER TWO, I THINK IT'S VERY PROBLEMATIC TO MAKE INTIMATE INTIMATIONS ABOUT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY LEADERSHIP WHEN THE ADMINISTRATION HAS NOT MET WITH HIM. SO THIS IS A PLAYBOOK. WE, WE CANNOT ATTEMPT TO DIS UH, TEAR DOWN SOMEONE'S CHARACTER WHEN WE HAVE NOT GIVEN THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO DISPLAY WHAT THEIR WORK IS DOING. THE REASON WHY HOUSTON IS ON NATIONAL NEWS ABOUT HOMELESSNESS IS BECAUSE OF THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, NOT EXCLUSIVELY BECAUSE THE COALITION OF HOMELESSNESS IS BECAUSE WE, THEY HAVE DIRECTED THEIR VOUCHERS FOR US TO HOUSE THE UNHOUSED. THAT'S THE REASON WHY. SO I DO HAVE A PROBLEM WITH, UH, THESE TYPES OF STATEMENTS THAT PAINTS A DARK PICTURE OF WHAT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY IS DOING, BECAUSE VERY FRANKLY, THE PEOPLE THAT ARE APPOINTED TO THAT BOARD DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE A BACKGROUND IN THIS WORK. SO, UM, IT WOULD NOT BE SURPRISING TO ME THAT THEY DON'T HAVE A, A GRASP OF THE FINANCIAL PICTURE. THAT'S NUMBER ONE. SO I THINK WE HAVE TO DO A BETTER JOB WITH THE PEOPLE AND THE AGENCIES THAT WORK TO ELEVATE OUR PRIORITIES AROUND HOUSING. AND I'M JUST THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, AND LET ME SAY THIS FOR SO WE CAN MOVE ON. WHEN I WAS CHAIR OF THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY NEVER CAME BEFORE THE HOUSING COMMITTEE. NOT ONE TIME, NONE OF THE PREVIOUS EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS EVER BRIEFED BEFORE THE COMMITTEE. WHEN I BECAME CHAIR, THE INTERIM DIRECTOR FINALLY CAME BEFORE THE MARCH, 2020 DURING THE FORM. WE WERE THE, THAT WAS THE FIRST VIRTUAL MEETING WE HAD WITH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY. EVER SINCE THEN, THAT AGENCY HAS COME BEFORE THIS BODY TO ANSWER EVERY QUESTION, MEET WITH EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER, SEND CERTIFIED INFORMATION SINCE THEN. SO TO MAKE, TO MAKE THE POINT THAT THEY'RE NOT TRANSPARENT AND SOMETHING'S DONE. IT, IT'S ATTEMPT TO ASSASSINATE SOMEONE'S CHARACTER. AND THIS IS A PLAYBOOK THAT WE'VE SEEN TIME AND TIME AGAIN. IF THE REALITY IS, IS THAT YOU DON'T LIKE THE EXECUTIVE IN PLACE, JUST PLAINLY SAY THAT, IF THE REALITY IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THE PEOPLE THAT YOU APPOINTED TO THAT BOARD IS TO GET THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OUT, SO Y'ALL CAN HAVE WHO YOU WANT, THEN SAY THAT. BUT TO ATTEMPT TO ASSASSINATE SOMEONE'S CHARACTER THAT'S HELPING OUR AGENDA IS UNFAIR. AND THAT'S NOT THE WAY THAT WE SHOULD DO THIS WORK. HOPEFULLY I CAN WRAP THIS UP. , COUNCILWOMAN SHABAZZ, FIRST OF ALL, MY APOLOGIES FOR NOT GETTING BACK WITH YOU, TO BE PERFECTLY HONEST, IT WAS PURELY OMISSION. UH, I HOPE YOU CAN CHALK IT UP TO MAYBE THE NEW GUY BEING HERE. UM, SO IN THE FUTURE, I CERTAINLY WILL. I HAVE JUST GOTTEN SOME OF THE INFORMATION THAT I'D ASKED FOR. IN FACT, THE, AS INFORMATION I'D ASKED FOR WAS EXACTLY THE INFORMATION I ASKED FOR YESTERDAY AT THE HEARING THAT THEY DIDN'T HAVE. AND THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE GETTING TO ME. I DID NOT MAKE THE PREVIOUS HEARING WHERE THIS WAS DISCUSSED. SO AGAIN, MY APOLOGIES FOR NOT GETTING BACK TO YOU IN THE FUTURE. I WILL VERY WELL. EVAN SHABA, UH, MAYOR PRO, NO COUNCIL MEMBER. EVAN SHABA. THANK YOU, MAYOR. YOUR APOLOGY IS ACCEPTED AND HOPEFULLY THAT MEANS THAT YOUR TAG IS LIFTED AS WELL. UM, AS, AND ALSO, UM, DIRECTOR NICHOLS IS HERE. UH, AND SO NOT TO PUT HIM ON THE SPOT OR ANYTHING, BUT IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE THAT PRECLUDES US FROM MOVING FORWARD, I BELIEVE THAT HE WOULD MAKE HIMSELF AVAILABLE. UH, MAYOR, WITH YOUR PERMISSION, WE HAVE THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR. I HAVEN'T SEEN THE, UH, YEAH, WE'RE, WE'RE FINE. I, YEAH, HE'S, HE'S, UH, GOT A DIFFERENT DEPARTMENT THAN THE ONE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. OKAY, THANK YOU. I WAS GONNA KEEP THE TAG ON. I WANNA REVIEW THE INFORMATION. YEAH. NEXT I 18 IS RESOLUTION. JUST NEED TO VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. VICE MAYOR, UH, MAYOR PROTON. MAYOR PROAM, CAST SIX. TATUM. I'M SORRY. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND I, I JUST WANTED [05:05:01] TO, UM, MAKE A COMMENT AFTER ALL THAT DISCUSSION ON ITEM 16 AND 17, THAT THIS PARTICULAR ITEM IN, IN DISTRICT K IS, UM, AN, AN EXACT EXAMPLE OF OUR VALUE PROPOSITION AS A CITY, WHICH IS, UM, I THINK WE CAN ALL AGREE THAT AS A CITY, WE SHOULD WANT PLACES FOR PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD TO LIVE AND TO BE ABLE TO WORK INSIDE THE CITY. THE LOCATION OF THIS ACTUAL DEVELOPMENT IS A GREAT ONE NOT FAR FROM THE MEDICAL CENTER. SO THE PEOPLE THAT ARE WORKING IN THE MEDICAL CENTER, THE TECHNICIANS, THE PEOPLE THAT, UM, WANT TO LIVE IN THE CITY WILL HAVE SOME OPTIONS. BUT I DO THINK THAT, UM, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT AS WE ARE MOVING FORWARD, THAT WE ARE HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE AFFORDABLE UNITS. UM, THERE, I THINK WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A COUPLE OF ISSUES. THE AVAILABILITY OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING INSIDE THE CITY, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR PEOPLE TO LIVE AND WORK IN OUR CITY, THAT'S AN AMAZING VALUE PROPOSITION FOR HOUSTON. BUT WE ALSO NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE ARE REMOVING, UM, THESE PROPERTIES FROM THE TAX ROLLS, BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH 9% TAX CREDIT, UM, PROPERTIES, THEY ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE 50% OR LESS OF THOSE PROPERTIES FOR THAT A MI. AND IF WE ARE GOING TO REMOVE THESE PROPERTIES FROM THE TAX ROLL, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY WAY THAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON COULD BENEFIT IN, UM, THE PROFITABILITY OF THESE, UM, APARTMENT COMPLEXES SO THAT WE CAN FURTHER ADD TO OUR AFFORDABILITY UNITS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. UM, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, REMOVING THESE FROM THE TAX ROLLS, THAT MODEL IS FINE. UM, BUT WHEN WE REQUIRE OUR 9% TAX CREDIT APARTMENTS TO HAVE MORE AFFORDABLE UNITS THAN THE APARTMENT COMPLEXES THAT ARE BEING REMOVED FROM THE TAX ROLL, THAT IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO LOOK FOR, UM, AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO ADD MORE AFFORDABLE UNITS TO OUR HOUSING STOCK IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. AND THERE MAY BE SOME MECHANISM TO DO THAT ALREADY IN PLACE. UM, BUT COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS, I HAD IN MY NOTES TO ADD, TO ADD THAT YOU WERE THE FIRST PERSON TO BRING THE, THE, THE, UM, HOUSING AUTHORITY TO OUR COMMITTEE MEETINGS. UM, BUT NOW THAT, UH, CHAPTER 3 0 3 LEGISLATION HAS PASSED AND WE ARE ABLE TO HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS, WE CAN ALWAYS IMPROVE ON OUR BEST. AND IF WE DO WANT TO BE A CITY THAT HAS A VALUE PROPOSITION THAT PEOPLE CAN LIVE AFFORDABLY AND WORK IN OUR CITY, THESE ARE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE NEED TO HAVE. BUT I AM IN SUPPORT OF ALL AURORA MED CENTER ROW. IT IS PROVIDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE CITY. BUT AS WE MOVE FORWARD, NOW THAT THIS LEGISLATION HAS PASSED AND EVERYBODY HAS THEIR, UM, VOICE BEING HEARD ON THESE PFC PROJECTS, UM, WE CAN CONTINUE TO MAKE IT BETTER TO MAKE SURE WE ARE PROVIDING THE AVAILABLE, UM, AFFORDABLE HOUSING WITHIN THE CITY FOR PEOPLE TO LIVE AND WORK. COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU, UH, MAYOR PROAM CASTEX TATU, I SUPPORT WHAT YOU JUST SAID. UM, I THINK THIS PROJECT IN YOUR DISTRICT IS DIFFERENT FROM OREM ITEM NUMBER 17 IN THAT MORE OF THESE UNITS IN THIS PARTICULAR, UH, PROPOSAL ARE GONNA BE AFFORDABLE. AND FOR THAT REASON, I'LL JOIN YOU IN, IN SUPPORTING IT. I DO AGREE AS WELL WITH YOUR COMMENT THAT, UH, THE CITY SHOULD RECEIVE, UH, SOME MONEY IN THESE DEALS. I KNOW SPECIFICALLY, UH, DIRECTOR NICHOLS HAS SUGGESTED THAT THE CITY'S COST IN EVALUATING, UM, THESE DEALS BE COVERED. AND, AND PERHAPS THERE ARE OTHER WAYS THAT THE CITY CAN, UM, UH, CAN, UH, FIGURE INTO THESE DEALS AS WELL. BUT I JOIN YOUR SUPPORT OF THIS ITEM, KEVIN SHABA. COUNCILMAN EVAN SHABAZZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I, I JUST WANNA MAKE NOTE, AND I COULD BE WRONG, BUT THE PURPOSE OF THE PFC ISN'T TO CREATE AFFORDABLE HOUSING. IT IS TO BRING DEVELOPMENTS TO AREAS WHERE THEY TRADI, WHERE TRADITIONALLY DEVELOPERS DON'T INVEST IN BECAUSE THEY DON'T SEE INCENTIVES TO DO SO. AND SO WITHOUT THE PFC, THE DISTRICT D PROJECT WOULD PROBABLY NOT MOVE FORWARD AND SEE, JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE UNDERSTANDING THAT [05:10:01] I HAVE. AND ALSO, MAYOR, JUST AS A SIDEBAR, UH, I THINK I DID SPEAK WITH YOU ONCE ABOUT A POSSIBILITY OF A, A HOMELESS PROJECT IN ONE OF THE ABANDONED AND OLD HOTELS. I KNOW THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS, BUT I THOUGHT I WOULD JUST KIND OF BRING THAT BACK TO YOUR ATTENTION. UH, THE OPPORTUNITY FOR, UH, SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE PHENOMENAL FOR THE CITY, FOR THE UNHOUSED. AND OF COURSE, IF THE MAYOR DEEMS IT APPROPRIATE, AT SOME POINT, IT MAY BE, UH, DISCUSSED WITH OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS, BUT I, I, I JUST WANTED TO THROW THAT IN AS WELL ABOUT THAT ABANDONED HOTEL THAT I THINK WOULD BE A PHENOMENAL OPPORTUNITY, UH, FOR PEOPLE TO HAVE CLEAN SPACES TO LIVE IN, AS WELL AS WRAPAROUND SERVICES THAT COULD TAKE PLACE IN THAT FACILITY. AND SO, UH, CERTAINLY, HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET BACK TO THAT DISCUSSION AT SOME POINT. BUT THAT IS MY UNDERSTANDING REGARDING PFCS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MA'AM. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NA. MOTION PASSES. NEXT. ITEM 19 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. IS THERE ANYONE PRESENT IN OUR, UH, THE PUBLIC THAT WOULD LIKE TO TESTIFY ON ITEM 19? SETTING OUR TAX RATE. NOT, THANK YOU. ALL IN FAVOR. SAY YES, PLEASE. OPPOSED? NAY. MOTION PASSES. NEXT. ITEM 21 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED TO VOTE. VOTE TAGGED BY COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. THOMAS AND JACKSON. JACKSON. OKAY. GOT THAT. ITEM 23 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 24 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED TO VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 26 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED TO VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR, VICE MAYOR, VICE MAYOR PRO PECK. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THIS IS, UM, THE NOTIFICATION SYSTEM FOR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, AND I SUPPORT THIS ITEM. UM, I JUST WANTED TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION THAT, UM, WE REALLY NEED TO LOOK AT THE INFORMATION THAT IS BEING SENT THROUGH ALERT HOUSTON AND THE WIRELESS EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM. UM, IN THE PAST, A LOT OF TIMES THE, THERE WAS A LINK INCLUDED WITH THE ALERTS THAT IT WAS JUST A READ RECEIPT TO SHOW THE CITY THAT YOU READ THE MESSAGE. YOU KNOW, WE ONLY HAVE A CERTAIN CHARACTER AMOUNT SOMETIMES WITH THE WIRELESS EMERGENCY ALERTS, AND I THINK WE SHOULD USE THOSE LINKS, UM, TO ACTUALLY GET USEFUL INFORMATION OUT TO PEOPLE. SOMETIMES THAT'S THE ONLY INFORMATION THAT WE'RE ABLE TO GET TO PEOPLE. SO I THINK WE JUST NEED TO LOOK AT THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE CLOSELY. UM, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE GET PANICKED WHEN THEY, THEY GET THOSE ALERTS AND NO ONE SENDING OUT ALERTS. JUST SAY, EVERYTHING'S GREAT IN THE CITY. THERE'S NOTHING WRONG. IT'S WHEN SOMETHING IS WRONG. WE'RE SENDING OUT THESE ALERTS. SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE LINKS WE'RE SENDING WITH THOSE ALERTS ACTUALLY TAKE PEOPLE TO, UM, INFORMATION THAT IS USEFUL AND HELPFUL TO PEOPLE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. JUST A VOTE ON 26TH. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. ADAM 27. ISN'T ORDINANCE, JUST NEED TO VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND I JUST WANNA SAY I'M, I'M ETERNALLY GRATEFUL TO YOU, UM, TO THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, UM, TO COLLECTIVE ACTION FOR YOU FOR MAKING THIS CONTRACT. A CREDIBLE MESSENGER CONTRACT HAPPENED, AND WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET THE CREDIBLE MESSENGER PROGRAM HERE AT THE CITY FOR QUITE SOME TIME BEFORE I, UM, CAME IN OFFICE. AND SO IT'S JUST EXCITING TO SEE THAT THE CITY IS NOW INVESTING, UM, IN THESE TYPE OF PROGRAMS. PROGRAMS THAT HELP PREVENT CRIME, UM, FAR TOO LONG. WE, YOU KNOW, RELY ON POLICE. UM, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THE COMMUNITY PLAY A ROLE, UM, AND THE COMMUNITY HOLD THEIR COM, UM, OWN COMMUNITIES ACCOUNTABLE. AND, UM, THE COMMUNITY JUST GET INVOLVED. AND SO THESE TYPE OF INVESTMENTS ACTUALLY HELP MAKE OUR COMMUNITY SAFE. AND SO I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IT, LOOKING FORWARD, UM, TO, UM, CONTINUE WORKING WITH YOUR ADMINISTRATION AND COLLECTIVE ACTION FOR YOUTH AND THE YOUNG FOLKS WHO CAME IN, UM, YESTERDAY TO SPEAK ON, UM, IN SUPPORT OF THIS ITEM. AND SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU FOR MAKING SURE IT MOVED FORWARD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP, AND I HOPE YOUR PROGRAM WILL COLLABORATE WITH OUR REENTRY PROGRAM. SO THERE'S A LOT TO BE DONE. AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP. AND YOU AND I HAVE BEEN WORKING IN DIRECTION OF, UH, SECOND CHANCES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR THOSE THAT GET CAUGHT UP IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. SO THANK YOU. I, I KNOW YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING. COUNCILOR RAMIREZ. COUNCIL RAMIREZ. THANK YOU, [05:15:01] MAYOR. I TOO WANT TO CONGRATULATE, UH, AND THANK COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON FOR WORKING HARD TO BRING THIS, UH, TO PASS. I THINK, UH, THESE SORTS OF SERVICES ARE, ARE MUCH NEEDED AND THE POTENTIAL UPSIDE IN REDUCING VIOLENCE IS, IS VERY HIGH. UH, THE ONLY THING I WOULD NOTE IS THAT, UH, THIS IS AN INCREASE IN THE ORIGINAL CONTRACT, WHICH ONLY JUST STARTED. SO WE DON'T REALLY HAVE ANY PERFORMANCE DATA, AND I HOPE THAT WITHIN A FEW MONTHS GOING FORWARD, WE'LL HAVE SOME PERFORMANCE DATA TO, TO PRESENT AND TO EVALUATE PERHAPS IN PUBLIC SERVICE COMMITTEE OR SOME OTHER COMMITTEE. BUT AGAIN, THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON, FOR BRINGING US FORWARD. THANK YOU. THAT'S DEFINITELY PART OF THE UNDERSTANDING, THE ACCOUNTABILITY ASPECT. SO WE'LL STAY IN TOUCH WITH YOU. COUNCILOR ALCORN, CONGRATULATIONS. COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. I MEAN, I, I THINK SHE'S BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS SINCE THE DAY I MET YOU. UM, YOU TALKED ABOUT THIS PROGRAM. I'M SO GLAD TO SEE THIS. BUT THOSE, THOSE PEOPLE, YOUNG PEOPLE THAT CAME IN HERE YESTERDAY, MAN, THEY WERE AWESOME. THEY WERE JUST AWESOME. AND YOU SHARING YOUR OWN PERSONAL STORY THROUGHOUT THIS JOURNEY, UM, THIS IS MAKING A REAL IMPACT AND WILL MAKE A REAL IMPACT ON PEOPLE'S LIVES BECAUSE OF WHAT YOU'VE DONE AND WHAT YOU'VE CHAMPIONED. SO, CONGRATULATIONS. NEXT ITEM 30 IS AN ORDINANCE. YOU NEED TO VOTE MARTINEZ. COUNCILOR MARTINEZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, I'M SUPPORTIVE OF, OF THIS ITEM. I JUST WANNA, UM, HAVE A BEGIN AN OPEN CONVERSATION, UH, OF COURSE WITH THE ADMINISTRATION AND, AND COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. SO, DISTRICT I IS A PART OF THIS TCE UH, HIGHWAY 90. UM, WE'RE JUST JUST SOUTH OF THE LANDFILL, AND IF YOU HAVE DRIVEN DOWN THAT PART OF 90, IT'S PRETTY BAD. UM, I'D LIKE TO, AS, AS WE START REEVALUATING TOUR, IS THIS IS A, A PERFECT OPPORTUNITY TO EXPAND THE TOURS, UM, IN THE FUTURE. UM, WHEN WE START LOOKING AT, UH, WHERE THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES AND NEEDS THAT NORTH NORTHEAST PART OF DISTRICT I, WHICH IS MERCURY, UH, VILLE, UH, 90, UH, THERE, THERE'S, UH, A LOT OF, UH, YOU KNOW, SUPPORT THAT, THAT IS NEEDED. AND SO I'D LIKE TO, UM, AGAIN, START THESE CONVERSATIONS WITH BOTH, UH, COUNCILOR JACKSON AND THE ADMINISTRATION AS, AS HOPEFULLY OPPORTUNITY OPENS UP WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, WE'VE RELEASED SOME, SOME OF THOSE, UH, T DOLLARS FROM THE, THE, UH, UM, I BELIEVE IT'S THE, THE DOWNTOWN OR THE, THE MEMORIAL TOUR. UM, SO, UH, AGAIN, JUST SUPPORTIVE OF THIS. RIGHT NOW. IT'S, IT'S PRIMARILY PAYING FOR A DEVELOPMENT UP IN THE, IN THE NORTHEAST PART OF THE DISTRICT. BUT WHEN WE START LOOKING AT INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE NEED FOR INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, AGAIN, THE AREA IS UP IN THAT NORTHEAST PART OF DISTRICT GUY AND DISTRICT B COULD DEFINITELY USE SOME HELP. SO, UH, AGAIN, I'M SUPPORTIVE. JUST LOOKING FORWARD TO FUTURE CONVERSATIONS. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 34 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. [NON-CONSENT - MISCELLANEOUS] ITEM 45 IS A MOTION TO SET A HEARING DATE. CAN I GET THE MOTION FOR THE DATE? YOU GONNA DO THE MOTION FOR THE DATE? YEP. MARTINEZ MOVED. CASTEX STATE AND MOVE TO SET THE HEARING DATE, UH, TO WEDNESDAY, UH, 9:00 AM OCTOBER 30TH, ON THE SECOND. OKAY. MARTINEZ MOTIONS, MARTIN AND THE COUNCILOR MARTINEZ. UH, THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE, UH, UH, COLLEAGUES, UH, SETTING THIS FOR A PUBLIC HEARING. I'VE HAD SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS AROUND THE HORSESHOE REGARDING WHAT'S HAPPENING ALONG HARRISBURG, SPECIFICALLY WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, THE GREYHOUND, BUT ALSO THE METRO RAIL. UM, UH, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A CONVERSATION. I'VE, UH, BEEN ON THE GROUND, UH, FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. ACTUALLY, THE FIRST WEEKEND THAT I TOOK OFFICE, WE HAD A PUBLIC MEETING AT THE MAGNOLIA MULTI SERVICE CENTER. PROBABLY ABOUT 200 RESIDENTS SHOW SHOWED UP. UH, SINCE THEN WE'VE HAD MULTIPLE MEETINGS. WE'VE HAD SOME RESIDENTS SHOW UP YESTERDAY SPEAKING ABOUT THE GREYHOUND. UM, AND, AND AGAIN, I JUST REALLY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT I CAN EXTEND THIS OPPORTUNITY TO RESIDENTS, UH, SPECIFICALLY ALONG THE HARRISBURG CORRIDOR, MAGNOLIA PARK AREA, TO COME AT THE, TO THE, TO THE PUBLIC HEARING OR SUBMIT SOME COMMENTS THAT WE COULD SHARE AS WELL. UH, IT'S, IT'S, THIS IS ALWAYS A CONTENTIOUS CONVERSATION, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, UH, YOU KNOW, THIS IS NOT THE, THE, THE OVERALL SOLUTION, BUT IT IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR, FOR US TO START, UH, WORKING WITH THOSE THAT ARE UN SHELTERED ALONG THE, THE CORRIDOR. I KNOW THERE'S A LARGER CONVERSATION THAT, THAT WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE NEEDING TO HAVE SPECIFICALLY FUNDING, UH, TO HOUSE FOLKS. UM, UH, SOMETHING THAT I KNOW COUNCILOR THOMAS HAS BEEN WORKING ON, UH, FOR A LONG TIME. AND SO I, I APPRECIATE MY COLLEAGUES, UH, ALSO GETTING THE WORD OUT, SPECIFICALLY THE AT LARGE COUNCIL MEMBERS. IF YOU HAVE NOT HAD A CONVERSATION WITH RESIDENTS, UH, PLEASE START HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM SO THAT WAY WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A, A, A GOOD VOTE, UH, COMING AFTER THE HEARING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SIR. JUST NEED A VOTE ON THE MOTION. ALL IN FAVOR? FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. [MATTERS HELD] [05:20:03] ITEM 46 NEEDS A MOTION CAST EXT A MOVE. SECOND. MOTIONS MADE. AND SECOND ALL MOTION MEMBER THOMAS, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS ELSE. ME IN MY END. THANK YOU. SO, UM, I TAGGED THIS ITEM LAST WEEK SOLELY FOR THE REASON THAT WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED, UM, THE PRELIMINARY FROM ERNST AND YOUNG. SO WE DON'T KNOW WHERE THE BASELINE IS, AND I'M JUST UNCLEAR WHERE THIS WILL STOP. ARE WE, IN TERMS OF, I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH AUDITING OUR TURS AND NONE OF THAT. I DON'T HAVE ANY PROBLEM WITH THAT. BUT WHAT IS THE ULTIMATE END GOAL WITH THIS? IS THIS JUST ABOUT BUDGETARY, GOOD GOVERNMENT ALLOCATION, GOOD GOVERNMENT, BUT THEN HOW DO WE ASSESS THAT IF WE HAVEN'T RECEIVED A BASELINE FROM THE FIRST ROUND? WE'LL GET A REPORT FROM 'EM. WHEN ARE WE GONNA GET THE REPORT FROM 'EM IN DUE TIME? IN DUE TIME? THOMAS IS A NO. FINE. COUNCILMAN ALCO. COUNCILMAN ALOR. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND I DID ASK FOR THE, UH, ADDITIONAL SCOPE OF WORK FOR THIS. IT LOOKS LIKE EVERY TS WILL DO THIS, I GUESS CALLED SPEND ANALYSIS, LOOKING THROUGH ALL THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, GENERAL LEDGER ACCOUNTS, UM, VENDOR PAYMENTS. UH, AND THEN IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING, AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, THAT THE, THE NEXT PART OF IT, THE MORE DEEPER DIVE IS JUST FOR MIDTOWN TURS AT THE, AT THE, AT THE CURRENT TIME. 'CAUSE THEY'RE THE ONE THAT'S GOT A COUPLE OFFICIALS BEEN INDICTED. SO OBVIOUSLY, I MEAN, THEY'RE NAMED IN THE SCOPE OF WORK. SO I'M ASSUMING YOU'RE, YOU'RE STARTING THERE. BUT, BUT, BUT, UH, IS THAT JUST, UH, IF YOU'RE, I GUESS, I GUESS THERE'S LIKE PHASE ONE AND PHASE TWO. SO IF YOU FIND SOMETHING IN, IN ONE OF THE EARLIER PHASES, IT'S JUST LOOKING FOR TRANSPARENCY, ACCOUNTABILITY. THE URGENCY OF MIDTOWN OBVIOUSLY SPEAKS FOR ITSELF. SO IT COULD BE EXPANDED AS COUNCIL SUPPORTS, BUT WE ALL KNOW HOW IMPORTANT THE TERMS ARE. THEY SPEND LARGE AMOUNTS OF MONEY WITH LITTLE OVERSIGHT. SO WE WANT TO GET INSIDE THE OPERATIONS AND SEE IF WE CAN ELIMINATE WASTE, DUPLICATION AND CORRUPTION AND, AND, UM, THIS, BUT WE'LL, WE'LL DO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF 'EM IN THE FIRST PHASE FOR THE SPEND ANALYSIS. THIS LOOKS LIKE A FIVE WEEK ENGAGEMENT. SO WE CAN EXPECT SOMETHING IN FIVE WEEKS. YES, MA'AM. OKAY. SEVEN WEEKS WILL FIRST. YES. VERY GOOD. COUNCILOR RAMIREZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, THIS IS GREAT. UH, I WISH YOU'D DO MORE OF IT, MAYOR. I WISH WE'D LOOK AT ALL THE TOURS AND DO A DEEP DIVE UNDER THE HOOD OF ALL OF THEM BECAUSE, UM, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF THEM THAT LACK, UH, SUFFICIENT TRANSPARENCY. BUT I APPLAUD YOU FOR DOING THIS. AND, UH, I BELIEVE IT'S MONEY WELL SPENT. I THINK WHAT WE FIND OUT IS, IS ACTUALLY GONNA END UP, IT'S GONNA END UP PAYING FOR ITSELF. SO I SUPPORT IT. THANK YOU. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES, AS OPPOSED NAY. NO. MOTION PASSES. SHOULD THOMAS VOTING? NO. SHOW THOMAS VOTING? NO. ALRIGHT, [NON CONSENT - MATTERS TO BE PRESENTED BY COUNCIL MEMBERS] PAPA, UH, START WITH COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, JUST A FEW THINGS. FIRST ONE, I WANT TO THANK THE EASTERN DISTRICT AND COUNCILMAN CASTILLO, UH, FOR CO-HOSTING A, UM, INFRASTRUCTURE MEETING IN THE EAST END. UH, WE, THIS IS OUR SECOND ONE, AND WE PLAN ON HAVING, UH, MORE OF THESE. IT'S ULTIMATELY, IT'S TO BE TRANSPARENT, UM, SHARING INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE EAST END WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS. UH, WHETHER IT'S A DRAINAGE PROJECT, THE ROUNDABOUT AROUND, UH, BY, UH, GUADALUPE CHURCH. AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE MORE INFORMATION WE CAN SHARE WITH RESIDENTS, THE LESS LIKELY THERE'LL BE CONFUSION AND, AND ANY HICCUPS WITH, UH, THE CONSTRUCTION AND LESS CONSTRUCTION PAINS. UH, SECONDLY, UM, WE ARE AWARE OF, OF, UH, OF A HOTSPOT, ILLEGAL DUMPING SITE AT THE 5,200, UH, LANCASTER NEAR TELEPHONE. UM, YOU KNOW, MY, MY TEAM HAS ALREADY DONE SOME, UH, SOME RESEARCH AS TO HOW MANY 3 1 1 CALLS HAVE BEEN MADE. UH, I DO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT I USE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO LET RESIDENTS KNOW, UH, WE NEED 3 1 1 CALLS. THERE'S BEEN VERY LITTLE TO ALMOST NO CALL CALLS FOR THE, THE LOCATION AT, AT, UH, 5,200 LANCASTER. UH, AND WE ARE WORKING CLOSELY WITH, UH, UH, CAMO ROSEN'S OFFICE, UH, SPECIFICALLY LIEUTENANT SCALES. WE HAVE ABOUT SEVEN ILLEGAL DUMPING CAMERAS THROUGHOUT DISTRICT I THAT WE ROTATE EVERY SIX TO EIGHT MONTHS. UM, AND THIS IS GONNA BE ONE THAT WE START FOCUSING ON. UM, LASTLY, I JUST WANT TO THANK THE, UM, UH, TRACY PRINCE WITH HOUSTON FIRST. SHE'S ON THE BOARD FOR THE GIRL SCOUTS, UH, UH, SAN JACINTO. UM, AND, AND WANNA SAY, UH, THANK YOU TO HER BECAUSE SHE SHOWED UP YESTERDAY TO GO SPEAK WITH, UH, TROOP, UH, 2 2 2 6 6, WHICH IS IN GARDEN VILLAS. UH, SHE OPENED UP, UH, UH, A GOOD CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT LEADERSHIP IS, UH, WITH THESE YOUNG, YOUNG LADIES. UH, I WAS ABLE TO TALK TO 'EM ABOUT JUST LOCAL GOVERNMENT. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? HOPEFULLY WE [05:25:01] CAN BRING 'EM OUT HERE TO, UH, ONE OF OUR NEXT PUBLIC SESSIONS, UH, SO THAT WAY THEY CAN STAY ENGAGED, INFORMED AS WELL. UM, AND THEN LASTLY, JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UH, IT, THE ANNUAL MUSICAL CHAIRS FOR CMC IS TODAY. IMMEDIATELY AFTER COUNCIL, UH, I THINK, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN'S GONNA WIN. THAT'S WHAT SHE'S SAYING. UH, TICKETS ARE $5. AND THIS IS, UH, UH, JUST A ANOTHER EVENT THAT WE'RE HAVING THAT WILL GO TOWARDS, UM, UH, THE, YOU KNOW, UH, FIT HOUSTON, WHICH IS THE, THE NONPROFIT THAT WE'RE SUPPORTING THIS YEAR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN. THANK YOU. UM, THAT MUSICAL CHAIR THING REALLY IS FUN, YOU GUYS, ? WE HAD A GREAT TIME LAST YEAR. OKAY. UM, I WANNA CONGRATULATE, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS ON A FANTASTIC EVENT ON SATURDAY, THE FAITH AND HOUSING AFFORDABILITY. UM, SHE REALLY BROUGHT TOGETHER, LIKE EVERYBODY THAT YOU'D WANT TO HAVE AT SUCH AN EVENT, UM, INCLUDING THE HOUSING AUTHORITY. UM, LEADERSHIP WAS THERE ON A PANEL. I SAT NEXT TO A GUY, A FAMILY THAT OWNED SOME PROPERTY THAT THEY WERE INTERESTED IN DEVELOPING, UM, INTO SOME AFFORDABLE HOUSING. THEY MET A DEVELOPER THAT'S INTERESTED. IT WAS ALL ABOUT THESE CONNECTIONS THAT WERE BEING MADE. CHURCHES BEING THE BIGGEST, I'M SORRY IF I'M STILL IN YOUR POP OFF, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS, BUT CHURCHES, UM, AND MOSQUES AND SYNAGOGUE. THEY'RE THE LANDOWNERS, RIGHT? AND SO THEY, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ WAS THERE, COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS WAS THERE. UH, IT WAS, UM, IT WAS SO GREAT TO SEE THE CONNECTIONS IN THAT ROOM BEING MADE. AND I REALLY THINK THAT THAT EVENT WILL LEAD TO SOME REAL LIVE BRICK AND MORTAR UNITS FOR PEOPLE TO STAY IN. IT WAS, IT WAS, UM, I MET ANOTHER PERSON, UM, THAT WAS THERE WHO'D WORKED IN THE, UM, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, YOU KNOW, FRONT. AND SHE WANTED, YOU KNOW, TO MEET WITH PEOPLE WHO COULD GET HER TO MOVE PEOPLE FROM JUST LIKE A SHELTER SITUATION TO A REAL HOME. UM, AND, AND WHICH IS SUCH A, THE, THE CHURCH LEADER'S MISSIONS AS WELL. SO IT WAS JUST, UH, A REALLY INTERESTING, UH, WELL PUT TOGETHER, UH, EVENT THAT I THINK WILL MAKE A REAL IMPACT. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE ALL GO TO A LOT OF THESE THINGS, BUT THAT THIS ONE YOU COULD FIT, YOU COULD PHYSICALLY SEE THE CONNECTIONS BEING MADE IN THAT ROOM, UM, OVER A HUNDRED PEOPLE, I THINK. AND, AND, UH, JUST SOMETHING I'D NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT, REALLY, FRANKLY, THAT THE CHURCHES COULD BE SUCH A PART OF, OF THE SOLUTION TO. WE'RE NOT GONNA FIX IT ALL UP THERE. LIKE MAYOR PRO TEM SAYS, GOVERNMENT CAN'T DO IT ALONE. UM, SO THAT WAS GREAT. AND HOPE, UM, YOU GUYS WILL COME TO MUSICAL CHAIRS, SO DON'T MAKE ME GO OUT THERE BY MYSELF. I BROUGHT A CAKE. COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER PASS. COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR PROAM. I WANNA FIRST, UH, THANK DIRECTOR ANGEL PONZI FOR THE WHITE CANE SAFETY DAY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON. I WAS NOT ABLE TO ATTEND, I WAS NOT IN THE CITY, BUT IT CELEBRATES THE EQUALITY, ACCOMPLISHMENTS, AND INDEPENDENCE OF THOSE THAT MAY HAVE VISION LOSS AND BLINDNESS AND, UH, WHO TRAVEL WITH THE WHITE CANE. AND SO I THANK HIM FOR THIS EVENT. UH, ON THIS PAST WEEK, WE DID COMMEMORATE THE LIFE OF JUDGE Z BERNIE. AND JUST AS A NOTE, I WOULD HOPEFULLY LIKE TO COMMEMORATE HER LEGACY IN SOME WAY, IN A CONCRETE WAY AND LASTING WAY AT SOME POINT IN DISTRICT D, PARTICULARLY IN THIRD WARD. I ALSO WANT TO SAY, WHENEVER MS. CLARE FREEMAN, 104 YEARS OLD COMES DOWN, I ALWAYS WANNA BE HERE. SHE CALLED ME. I TOLD HER I COULDN'T MAKE IT, BUT SHE CERTAINLY BROUGHT SOME CONCERNS. AND MY CONCERN CERTAINLY IS THAT, UM, AGAIN, I HAVE BROUGHT THIS TO THE FOREFRONT ABOUT NO VERIFIABLE SIGNATURE FOR CIVIC CLUB LEADERSHIP WHEN THESE PERMITS ARE APPLIED FOR. BUT THIS WOULDN'T HAVE REALLY MATTERED BECAUSE THIS PROJECT IS MOVING WITHOUT A PERMIT. AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE SOME LEGAL RAM RAMIFICATIONS WITH THE AIRBNBS, BUT CAN YOU ADEQUATELY, I MEAN, HONESTLY SAY THAT A PROJECT IS SAFE IF, IF THEY HAVE NOT GONE THROUGH THE PERMITTING PROCESS. AND SO WE DON'T KNOW IF IT'S COMPLIANT, AND THIS IS AN OPEN AND NOTORIOUS VIOLATION, UH, OF CITY RULES. AND WE JUST NEED THE CITY TO PERHAPS AT SOME POINT MAKE AN EXAMPLE OF THOSE WHO FEEL THAT THEY CAN BE, UH, VIGILANT IN RENEGADES IN REGARDS TO THOSE RULES THAT HAVE BEEN PUT FORWARD. AND SO THAT, THAT IS WHAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK TOWARDS. I'M GONNA SAY, UM, ON FRIDAY NIGHT, THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON, FOR YOUR ENGAGEMENT OF COUNCIL MEMBERS. WE HAD A GREAT TIME KARAOKE NIGHT, AND I'LL, I'LL GET YOU, I'LL, I'LL TEACH YOU TO CHALLENGE ME, RIGHT? ANYWAY, UH, WE HAD A GREAT EVENING, AND IT'S JUST WHEN WE CAN GET TOGETHER AND KINDA LET OUR HAIR DOWN, IT'S ALWAYS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY. AND I'M SURE, UH, I'M REALLY GOOD IN MUSICAL CHAIRS TOO, AND I KIND KINDA, KINDA CARRY A LITTLE BIT OF WEIGHT, SO YOU [05:30:01] BETTER BE VERY CAREFUL TRYING TO KEEP ME OUT OF THE CHAIR, RIGHT? UH, . AND SO, UH, AND CERTAINLY I WANNA, UH, LIFT UP THE DELTA SIGMA THETAS FOR THEIR EVENT, WHICH WILL BE ON SATURDAY, UH, AT 10:00 AM AT THE SUNNYSIDE HEALTH AND MULTI-SERVICE CENTER. UH, IT WILL BE A PARADE TO GET OUT THE VOTE RALLY. AND, UH, THE PARADE WILL ACTUALLY START AT 10:00 AM FROM MOUNT HEBRON BAPTIST CHURCH, 78 17 CALHOUN, AND IT WILL PROCEED DOWN CALHOUN AND GO TO THE, UH, SUNNYSIDE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER. AND SO WE INVITE YOU TO DO THAT. AND THEN ON TOMORROW, THERE WILL BE A GOLF TOURNAMENT AT HERMAN PARK. AND THIS GOLF TOURNAMENT WILL BE TO BENEFIT CAREER AND RECOVERY. CAREER AND RECOVERY HAS BEEN SUCH A GREAT PARTNER, UH, CERTAINLY IN, IN TRYING TO HELP US TO CLEAN UP THE DISTRICT. AND, UH, THEY HAVE COME OUT AND ASSISTED MY HOT TEAM, AND I WANNA CERTAINLY JUST LIFT THEM UP AND THEY HAVE THEIR, UH, GOLF TOURNAMENT TOMORROW, UH, TEE OFFICE AT 9:00 AM AGAIN, TO SET THE HERMAN PARK GOLF COURSE CLUBHOUSE. YES, THAT'S WHERE IT STARTS. ANYWAY, UM, THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. AND THAT CONCLUDES WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MA'AM. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TEM. I WANT TO, UH, START OFF BY AGAIN, UH, THANKING, UM, OUR CHAIR OF HOUSING AFFORDABILITY, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER TIFFANY THOMAS. IT WAS AN EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT SUMMIT. UH, WE LOOK FORWARD TO DOING MORE, UH, ENGAGED INTO THAT BECAUSE, AS I SAID, COMING ON COUNCIL, MANY, OUR OUR NON-FOR-PROFIT PASTORS HAVE LAND AND AREAS WHICH NEED THE PARTICIPATION OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING. UH, THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE PROMOTING WITH THE CREATION OF THE MINISTRY ADVISORY BOARD TO THE MAYOR. UH, THAT'S ONE GONNA BE ONE OF OUR BIGGEST PUSH, UH, WITH WHICH ALSO TO INCLUDE CRIME ISSUES THAT WILL BE ROLLING OUT PRETTY SOON. I WANT TO, I, I LIKE TO TAKE THE TIME TO HIGHLIGHT AN EVENT THAT IS NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART. HOUSTON, STAND DOWN. STAND DOWN IS A MILITARY TERM, REFERRING TO THE BRIEF PERIOD OF TIME A SOLDIER LEAVES AN ACTIVE COMBAT AREA IN ORDER TO REST AND REGAIN STRENGTH. SINCE 1993, HOUSTON STAND DOWN HAS SERVED VETERANS IN NEED OF VITAL LIFE ENHANCING CONNECTIONS. THE EVENT FOCUSES ON CONNECTING VETERANS WITH HOLISTIC RESOURCES THAT MEET BASIC NEEDS, TURN HOUSES INTO HOMES, OFFER A DAY OF, OF THE, UM, TO OUR LOCAL, UH, VETERANS TO RECOGNIZE THEM. SERVICES AND RESOURCES INCLUDE FOOD, HOUSING, FURNITURE, HOUSEWARE, CLOTHING, HYGIENE, SUPPLIES, HAIRCUTS, CAREER READINESS, MEDICAL AND BENEFITS, FINANCIAL, UH, LITERACY. THE 2020 FOURTH STAND DOWN EVENT IS OPEN TO VETERANS, MALE AND FEMALE, ESPECIALLY THOSE, UH, AT HIGH RISK OF BEING HOMELESS. THE EVENT IS TAKING PLACE OCTOBER 18TH FROM 9:00 AM TO 12:00 PM AT THE ZONE. THE ADDRESS IS 1 0 3 7 1 STELLA LINK ROAD, UH, 7 7 0 2 5. AND WE CERTAINLY WOULD LOVE TO SEE AS MANY PEOPLE COME OUT AND SUPPORT OUR, UH, VETERANS. UH, AND IT WOULD BE A BLESSING, UH, TO THEM TO SEE THE SUPPORT. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER. YEAH, WE'VE GOT A COUPLE OF TOWN HALLS NEXT WEEK, UH, NEXT TUESDAY IN EDGEBROOK AND THURSDAY IN CLEAR LAKE. I BELIEVE THE ONE IN EDGEBROOK IS THE FIRST TIME THEY'VE ACTUALLY HOSTED A TOWN HALL THERE. SO GLAD TO HAVE THAT OUT THERE. ALSO, UH, HARRIS COUNTY FLICK CONTROLS GONNA BE PUTTING ON A PRESENTATION TODAY AT 6:00 PM AT THE KINGWOOD COMMUNITY CENTER. SO EVERYBODY INTERESTED IN KNOWING, UH, WHAT THEY WANT TO DO WITH THE ADDITIONAL MONEY FOR THE TAX INCREASE FOR THE FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT SHOULD COME OUT THERE AND SEE WHAT THEY GOT TO SAY. COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TEM. I HAVE A COUPLE ANNOUNCEMENTS THIS WEEKEND. I WILL BE JOINING COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO AS GRAND MARSHALLS FOR THE 10TH ANNUAL JENSEN JUBILEE PARADE AND FALL FESTIVAL. UM, THE PARADE WILL KICK OFF AT 10:00 AM SATURDAY AT THE SHADY LANE PARK, LOCATED AT TEN TWO TWO ZERO SHADY LANE. UM, PASTOR SMITH IS ALWAYS DOING SOME GREAT THINGS. HIS, UM, EVENTS ARE ALWAYS A BLAST, SO I ENCOURAGE YOU HOUSTONIANS TO COME OUT. UM, IT'S FREE, UM, FREE FOOD, UM, GAMES, A LOT OF RESOURCES OUT THERE, SO JUST COME AND HAVE A GOOD TIME. ALSO, ON SATURDAY, [05:35:01] THE SHAPE, UM, SHEPHERD ACRES HOMES LIBRARY WILL BE CELEBRATING THEIR FALL FESTIVAL AND UNVEILING OF A NEW WORK OF ART TITLED MYTH AND LOGIC BY THE ARTIST JAW TAYLOR. MYTH AND LOGIC DEALS WITH THE GEOMETRY OF SOUND, MOVING THROUGH DIVERSE ENVIRONMENTS. UM, THERE WILL ALSO BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO CRAFT STORY TIME AND OTHER FUN ACTIVITIES. UM, THE KICKOFF OF THIS EVENT IS AT 1:00 PM AND IT ENDS AT 4:00 PM AND THE LIBRARY IS LOCATED AT 8 5 0 1 WEST MONTGOMERY. UM, COME OUT AND ENJOY THE FESTIVITIES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN. THANK YOU. I JUST WANTED TO BRING THIS TO, UM, Y'ALL'S ATTENTION. I HAD A NEIGHBORHOOD LAST WEEKEND. UM, THERE WAS A CONTRACTORS OUT THERE THAT WERE BORING FIBER OPTICS UNDER THE UNDERGROUND, AND THE CONTRACTOR ENDED UP HITTING SOME WATER PIPES, UM, IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD. AND SO WHEN I INQUIRED WITH 8 1 1, UM, I RECEIVED THIS MESSAGE THAT SAYS, IN TEXAS, WATER AND SEWER UTILITY OPERATORS ARE THE ONLY ONES NOT REQUIRED TO BE PART OF THE STATE'S 8 1 1 SERVICE. THAT BEING SAID, WE HAVE OVER 600 WATER SYSTEMS, INCLUDING MANY MUNICIPALITIES THAT CHOOSE TO BE MEMBERS BECAUSE THEY SEE AND EXPERIENCE THE VALUE OF PROTECTING THEIR UNDERGROUND INFRASTRUCTURE. DESPITE OUR ATTEMPTS AT BRINGING HOUSTON ON BOARD, THE CITY OF HOUSTON HAS CHOSEN NOT TO PARTICIPATE. WE HOPE FOR THE COMMUNITY'S SAKE, AND THAT THE CITY'S POSITION WILL CHANGE EVENTUALLY. THAT WAS SHOCKING TO ME, UM, THAT WE AREN'T PART OF THAT PROGRAM. FURTHERMORE, WE KNOW THAT ONCE THE CONTRACTOR HIT THESE CITY OF HOUSTON WATER PIPES, THE CITY OF HOUSTON HAD TO COME OUT, HAD TO DIG UP THE STREETS AND REPAIR THEM. AND I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE DOING A GOOD JOB OF HOLDING THESE CONTRACTORS ACCOUNTABLE AND RECOUPING THESE COSTS FOR THE DAMAGES AND THE REPAIRS THAT THEY MAY CAUSE. BUT I THINK GETTING ON THIS 8 1 1 SYSTEM WOULD BE VERY BENEFICIAL TO OUR UNDERGROUND, UH, WATER AND SEWER INFRASTRUCTURE. SO THAT WAS JUST VERY SURPRISING. THE OTHER THING I WANNA MENTION IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS HOME TO THE LARGEST MEDICAL CENTER IN THE WORLD, AND WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WE SAW HURRICANE HELENE COME THROUGH ON THE EASTERN COAST, UM, WHICH DAMAGED ONE OF THE PLANTS, WHICH WAS THE BAXTER PLANT THAT MAKES 60% OF THE NATION'S IV FLUIDS AND DIALYSIS FLUIDS. WOW. AND BECAUSE OF THAT, THE CITY OF HOUSTON, UM, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE HOSPITALS ARE SEEING A REDUCTION IN IV FLUIDS AND DIALYSIS FLUIDS BEING SENT HERE BECAUSE OF THE DAMAGE TO THAT PLANT. AND, UM, IF THIS ISN'T, YOU KNOW, TAKEN CARE OF QUICKLY, AND I KNOW THE BAXTER PLANT IS WORKING HARD, I'M SURE TO SANITIZE, YOU KNOW, LOOK AT ALL THEIR SYSTEMS, UM, BUT SURGERIES MAY HAVE TO START BEING CANCELED, THINGS LIKE THAT. SO I JUST THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO WORK WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, THE HOSPITALS, UM, THE LEADERS THERE TO MAKE SURE, UM, AND TO, YOU KNOW, JUST KIND OF TALK ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND PUT IT ON EVERYBODY'S RADAR. THANK YOU. HAVE YOU HAD ANY CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHY WE AREN'T ON THE 8 1 1 SYSTEM WITH ANYONE? SO JUST THE EMAIL THAT I RECEIVED YESTERDAY FROM THE DAMAGE PREVENTION MANAGER AND JUST THAT THE, UM, FORMER DIRECTOR OF THE HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS DECLINED TO BE PART OF THE PROGRAM, WAS ALL THAT, THAT I WAS TOLD. OKAY. I, I THINK IT MAY BE, UM, PRUDENT FOR YOU TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT TO MAYBE SEE WHY OR WHY NOT. THERE MAY BE AN EXPLANATION AS TO WHY OR WHY NOT. UM, BUT IT MAY BE SOMETHING WE WANNA LOOK AT IN COMMITTEE IF YOU THINK IT'S IMPORTANT ENOUGH FOR US TO, UH, EXPLORE IT FURTHER. ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. YES, THANK YOU. UH, MAYOR PRO TEM THIS PAST WEEKEND, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND, UH, THE FAITH AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING SUMMIT THAT COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN MENTIONED THAT WAS, UH, SPONSORED AND PUT ON BY A DISTRICT F COUNCIL MEMBER, COLLEAGUE TAMMY, UH, THOMAS, TIFFANY THOMAS, I'M SORRY, TIFFANY THOMAS. AND, UM, JUST, I USED TO HAVE, I USED TO HAVE A COLLEAGUE NAMED TAMMY THOMAS. SORRY FOR THAT, BUT, UH, NO, SERIOUSLY. SECOND EVENT I'VE BEEN TO IN DISTRICT F THAT WAS WELL RUN, UH, WELL ORGANIZED BY, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS AND HER STAFFS. THANK YOU FOR THAT. AS, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN SAID, I THINK THIS WILL EVENTUALLY LEAD TO MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS IN HOUSTON. AND SO THAT'S A VERY GOOD THING. UM, ALSO IN, IN, UH, DISCUSSION EARLIER REMARKS WERE MADE ABOUT THE, UH, HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY AND THE LEADERSHIP OVER THERE. I KNOW THE MAYOR SWITCHED OUT, UH, MOST OF THE BOARD EARLIER THIS YEAR. THAT WAS A GOOD THING. I THINK THERE THE BOARD IS UNDER, UH, GREAT LEADERSHIP AND IS MOVING THAT AGENCY, WHICH IS NOT A CITY AGENCY AGAIN, IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. HOWEVER, UM, WE HAVE HEARD CONCERNS ABOUT SOME OF THE LEADERSHIP STILL IN PLACE OVER THERE. AND CURRENTLY CHANNEL TWO IS DOING AN [05:40:01] INVESTIGATIVE SERIES ON SOME OF THE LEADERSHIP AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN GOING ON ON OVER THERE WITH REGARD TO CONTRACTS NOT BEING FULFILLED AND PAID OUT AND OVERRUNS AND LAST NIGHT, UH, INFORMATION ABOUT KICKBACK. SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO, WHO ARE INTERESTED IN WHAT'S GOING ON AT THE HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY TO TUNE IN AND LISTEN TO THAT. IT'S BEING DONE BY INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER AMY DAVIS, WHO'S THE SAME REPORTER WHO, UH, OPENED THE LID ON, UM, EMERGENCY WASTEWATER CONTRACTS THAT WERE FRAUDULENTLY ISSUED AND PAID OUT LAST SUMMER, UH, DURING OUR HEAT WAVE. AND SO, UM, IF HOUSTONIANS WANNA REMAIN INFORMED, UH, THERE'S THAT OPTION AS WELL. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. UM, I JUST WANNA GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO THE TEXAS MUNICIPAL LEAGUE, UH, TEXAS HOUSTON HOSTED THEM THIS WEEK, AND I HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE AS A KEYNOTE SPEAKER FOR THE TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF BLACK CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, T-A-B-C-C-M. AND IT WAS AN AWESOME, UM, OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE WITH COLLEAGUES FROM ACROSS THE STATE, AND HOPEFULLY HOUSTON TREATED YOU VERY WELL. UM, LAST WEEK I WAS ALSO ABLE TO SHARE TIME WITH THE CHAIR OF THE PAKISTANI CONGRESSIONAL CAUCUS, CONGRESSMAN TOM SWSI OUT OF NEW YORK LAST FRIDAY. UM, DISTRICT F REPRESENTS A LARGE PAKISTANI COMMUNITY, SO IT WAS GREAT TO ENGAGE WITH HIM. UM, ESPECIALLY AS, UH, THE LATE AND LEGENDARY, UH, CONGRESSWOMAN SHEILA JACKSON LEE, UM, WAS PREVIOUSLY CHAIR OF THE PAKISTANI CAUCUS. LOOKING FORWARD TO CONTINUED CONNECTIONS IN THEIR COMMUNITY. I WANNA THANK MY COLLEAGUES, UH, FOR JOINING US ON SATURDAY AT THE FAITH AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING SUMMIT. UH, I, I APPRECIATE YOUR, NOT JUST ATTEND, LIKE PARTICIPATING FULLY AND NOT JUST POPPING IN. UM, IT WAS DEFINITELY, UH, IT EXCEEDED MY EXPECTATIONS. AND FROM THAT, UH, WE HAVE A SERIES OF GOOD NEWS THAT WE'RE GONNA SHARE WITH THE PARTICIPANTS THAT'S COMING FROM THAT. BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, I WANT TO THANK THOSE WHO HELPED US LIFT THIS, UM, UH, TO SUCCESS. OF COURSE, THE DISTRICT F STAFF FOR THEIR WILLINGNESS. EVERY TIME I COME WITH A COME UP WITH AN IDEA, UH, THEY'RE ABLE TO, UM, EXECUTE ON MY BEHALF THE HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT. LAURA HOWARD OUTTA LIS FROM LISC, KEVIN RYLES WITH PRAIRIE VIEW, A AND M, DAVID NORTHERN, RICHARD MUD, JEFFREY POWELL, AMBER BURTON, DR. ASHLEY ALLEN, KRISTA STONEHAM, JANELLE YOUNG, SHARON MAYBERRY, COURTNEY JOHNSON ROSE AND VICTOR LEE. THERE'S A WHOLE LIST OF OTHER FOLKS. AND SO, UM, I, I JUST WAS, UM, DEEPLY APPRECIATIVE OF ALL OF THE WORK. WE HAD. CLEARLY OVER A HUNDRED PEOPLE, 150 PEOPLE, CHAIRS, FULL SEATS ARE FULL, AND PEOPLE WERE ENGAGED. AND IF WE'RE GONNA REALLY ADDRESS AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WE CAN'T HAVE ISOLATED CONVERSATIONS AND WE HAVE TO INCLUDE ALL STAKEHOLDERS AT THE TABLE. I ALSO WANT TO JUST REMIND EVERYONE THAT ON OCTOBER 22ND, THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT IS COMING TO A LEAF WESTCHASE TO TALK ABOUT THE SIDEWALK ORDINANCES. REMEMBER, WE WERE HAVING THE CONVERSATION, UH, UH, ABOUT ENGAGEMENT. AND SO THAT IS AT SIX O'CLOCK AT THE HCC ALE HAYES. THAT'S THE FIRST IN-PERSON MEETING. UH, WE HAVE PUT THIS ON OUR GROUPS, AND SO RESIDENTS ARE ANTICIPATING, UH, PARTICIPATING. AND THERE'S ALSO A VIRTUAL OPTION ON THE 23RD. SO IF YOU CAN'T GET THERE IN PERSON, THERE'S A VIRTUAL OPTION, PLEASE TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF THAT. UH, AND THEN LASTLY, I WANNA CLOSE BY JUST REMINDING HOUSTONIANS MEN AND WOMEN THAT IS BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH. PLEASE SCHEDULE YOUR MAMMOGRAM, FULFILL THAT APPOINTMENT. UM, UH, MY MOTHER, UH, LOST HER LIFE BATTLING BREAST CANCER. SHE FIRST WAS DIAGNOSED WHEN SHE WAS 36, AND I REMEMBER DISTINCTLY PLAYING SEGA GENESIS, AND SHE WALKED INTO MY BROTHER'S ROOM AND SHE ASKED ME TO FILL HER BREASTS, AND IT FELT LIKE A GOLF BALL. UH, AND BACK IN THOSE TIMES, UH, THE TREATMENT WAS VERY AGGRESSIVE. SHE LATER PASSED AWAY AT THE AGE OF 43. UM, I'M 43 TODAY. SO, UM, UH, PLEASE GO GET CHECKED. UH, DO YOUR ROUTINE, YOUR MONTHLY, UM, BREAST CHECKS, AND THEN MAKE SURE THAT YOU SCHEDULE YOUR MAMMOGRAM AND, AND ACTUALLY FULFILL YOUR, UH, YOUR APPOINTMENTS SO WE CAN, UH, BE SAFE AND, AND, AND TAKE CARE OF OUR BODIES. IF THE DISTRICT F OFFICE COULD BE OF ANY SUPPORT, PLEASE CONTACT MY OFFICE AT DISTRICT F AT HOUSTON TX GOV. THANK YOU. VICE MAYOR, PRO TEAK. THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TEM. UM, I WANT TO ANNOUNCE THAT THERE WILL BE TWO UPCOMING T TRUNK OR TREAT EVENTS FOR HPD. UM, THE FIRST ONE IS HPD NORTH DIVISION. THAT ONE WILL BE ON OCTOBER 25TH FROM THREE TO 6:00 PM AT THE NORTH DIVISION LOCATION. 9 4 5 5 WEST MONTGOMERY ROAD. AND THE NEXT ONE WILL BE AT THE, UM, FOR THE HPD NORTHWEST DIVISION, OCTOBER 29TH FROM FOUR TO 7:00 PM AT HOLLY BROOK ELEMENTARY, 3 6 0 2 HOLLISTER. THANK YOU. AND I WILL ROUND US OFF TODAY WITH MY TALKING POINTS. UM, TODAY WE ARE HAVING OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETING. UM, THE AIRPORT DIRECTOR CESAC WILL GIVE US UPDATES ON SPACEPORT AND THE IAH [05:45:01] TERMINAL REDEVELOPMENT PROGRAM. AND THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ANALYSIS ANALYST, ANDREW BUSKER, WILL PRESENT ON, UH, TEZ NOMINATION. SO HOPE THAT YOU'LL JOIN US THIS AFTERNOON AT 2:00 PM. ALSO, THE AIRPORT SYSTEM HAS GREAT NEWS AS THEY ARE MAKING MAJOR STEPS AT IAH. UM, THE D WEST PIER WILL OPEN ON OCTOBER 22ND. I KNOW SEVERAL COUNCIL MEMBERS HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO TOUR, UM, THAT TERMINAL WHILE THEY WERE COMPLETING IT. IT IS ABSOLUTELY PHENOMENAL. UM, AND I HOPE THAT YOU WILL, UM, BE ABLE TO EXPERIENCE THESE IMPROVEMENTS SOON. UM, BUT THIS WILL HAPPEN JUST IN TIME FOR THE INCREASE IN HOLIDAY TRAFFIC THAT WE ARE, UM, EXPECTING THIS HOLIDAY SEASON. AND THEN ON OCTOBER 28TH AT 6:00 PM WE WILL HOST OUR FORT BEND TOWN HALL MEETING. UH, MAYOR WHITMEYER WILL JOIN US ALONG WITH CHIEF NO DIAZ AND, UH, FIRE CHIEF MUNOZ, THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS DIRECTOR. UM, SIMS WILL BE THERE ALSO. DIRECTOR MARK WIL, UH, WILL JOIN US AS WELL. SO WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO MEETING WITH THE RESIDENTS IN FORT BEND HOUSTON AT THE IMPACT CHURCH ON CHIMNEY ROCK ROAD, 1 6 3 1 0 CHIMNEY ROCK ROAD. CONTACT THE DISTRICT EIGHT OFFICE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THAT FORT BEND TOWN HALL. HOPE TO HAVE, UM, SOME OF OUR AT LARGE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO JOIN US AS WELL IN RECOGNITION OF BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS, UH, THANK YOU FOR THE REMINDER FOR US TO, UM, AMPLIFY THAT WE ALL MAKE SURE WE ARE GETTING OUR, OUR YEARLY MAMMOGRAMS. UH, THE DISTRICT A OFFICE WILL, WILL DO OUR ANNUAL OPPOSING PINK YOGA CLASS WITH SURVIVORS. UM, AND WE HOPE THAT SURVIVORS, CAREGIVERS SUPPORTERS WILL JOIN US. UH, THE EVENT WILL BE AT BRENTWOOD LIFELONG CENTER AND IT WILL TAKE PLACE ON OCTOBER THE 28TH AT 6:00 PM WE'D LOVE TO HAVE COUNCIL MEMBERS JOIN US. LAST YEAR WAS OUR VERY FIRST, UH, OPPOSING PINK EVENT. WE HAD A WONDERFUL TIME. IT WAS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO AMPLIFY THE IMPORTANCE OF OUR, UH, BREAST HEALTH AND CONTINUING TO SUPPORT THOSE SURVIVORS AND CAREGIVERS. UH, WE ARE VERY, VERY EXCITED THAT, UH, WORK AUTHORIZATION FOR CONSTRUCTION ON THE REPLACEMENT OF SIDEWALKS AND RAMPS ON BOB WHITE FROM WEST BELFORT TO WEST AIRPORT BOULEVARD ARE HAPPENING. WE ARE ENHANCING AND IMPROVING ACCESSIBILITY FOR EVERYONE IN THAT AREA OF DISTRICT K AND LOOK FORWARD TO, UM, MAKING OUR STREETS SAFER AND MORE WALKABLE. MAKE SURE YOU'RE RECEIVING OUR DISTRICT K NEWSLETTER. UH, BE KIND TO EACH OTHER AND MAKE IT A GREAT DAY. WE ARE, WE STAND ADJOURNED. TWO. * 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.