[Arts & Culture Committee on January 8, 2025.]
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HEREBY CALL THIS MEETING OF THE ARTS AND CULTURE COMMITTEE TO ORDER.
THE TIME IS 2:01 PM AND WE ARE ASSEMBLED IN THE CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBER, 9 0 1 BAGBY STREET, SECOND FLOOR IN HOUSTON, TEXAS.
THIS MEETING IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AND WILL BE BROADCAST ON HTV, THE HOUSTON CITY OF HOUSTON'S MUNICIPAL CHANNEL.
UM, I'M GOING TO RECOGNIZE, UH, FIRST AND FOREMOST, UH, THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THEN THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE VARIOUS OFFICES.
WE HAVE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER TWILA CARTER, WHO'S AT LARGE POSITION THREE.
AND THEN WE HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER JULIAN RAMIREZ, COUNCIL MEMBER REPRESENTING WHICH ONE? THAT LARGE ONE.
CAN'T KEEP UP WITH ALL OF THAT.
AND THEN WE HAVE, UH, REPRESENTATIVES FROM MARIO CASTILLO'S OFFICE FROM, UH, WHO ELSE? COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ'S OFFICE.
COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN AND COUNCIL MEMBER TARSHA JACKSON.
THE AGENDA IS FOR, THE AGENDA FOR TODAY'S MEETING HAS BEEN DISTRIBUTED TO ALL MEMBERS.
ARE THERE ANY ADDITIONS OR CHANGES TO THE AGENDA? I DON'T THINK SO.
HEARING NONE, THE AGENDA IS APPROVED AS PRESENTED.
I'D LIKE TO START BY WELCOMING EVERYONE TO TODAY'S ARTS AND CULTURE COMMITTEE MEETING.
THE ARTS AND CULTURE COMMITTEE IS ESSENTIAL TO THE VIBRANCY AND GROWTH OF HOUSTON, AND IT IS ALWAYS AN HONOR TO LEAD DISCUSSIONS THAT IMPACT THESE AREAS.
UH, I'M, UH, MY VICE CHAIR'S NOT HERE, UH, AT THIS PARTICULAR TIME, BUT HE IS VERY COMMITTED AND VERY COLLABORATIVE IN ADVANCING THE GOALS OF THIS COMMITTEE.
SO, UM, JUST TO RECOGNIZE VICE CHAIR CASTILLO, UM, TO LET YOU ALL KNOW THAT, UH, HE IS THE VICE CHAIR AND THAT AGAIN, HE'S VERY INSTRUMENTAL.
ALRIGHT, OUR FIRST AGENDA ITEM IS A PRESENTATION TO THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS STAFF.
AND, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE, UM, IS JOHN HERE? YES.
JOHN, YOU, I, I DON'T WANNA BUTCHER YOUR NAME.
SO IF YOU COULD COME UP JOHN DISTRICT, I'M SORRY.
YOU WANT TO GO FIRST? WE CAN, BUT I THINK THEY WERE, HOLD ON JUST A SECOND.
MAYBE I'M NOT READING THIS RIGHT.
WELL, ANYWAY, THE FIRST PRESENTATION IS, UH, FROM THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS STAFF.
IS ANYONE HERE FOR THAT? THIS IS GONNA BE A REALLY SHORT MEETING.
NOW WE'RE GONNA GO TO THE HOUSTON MUSEUM CULTURAL DISTRICT, AND, UH, WE WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU AND PROCEED WITH YOUR PRESENTATION.
SO IF YOU COULD COME UP JOHN AND, AND, AND PRONOUNCE YOUR NAME FOR ME.
IS THIS WORKING OR DO I NEED TO PUSH THE BUTTON? PUSH THE BUTTON, YES.
SO, UH, IT'S JOHN ARCHIE DANO.
ANO J JUST JOHN ARCH IS EASIER.
SO, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU ALL FOR ALLOWING US TO BE HERE.
UM, I'M PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE HEALTH MUSEUM, BUT I'M NOT HERE TODAY REPRESENTING THEM.
I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF THE EASTERN MUSEUM DISTRICT.
I'M ON THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, AND I'M CHAIR OF THE ADVOCACY COMMITTEE.
AND MAYBE I DREW THIS SHORT STRAW, AND THEY MADE ME DO THIS.
I'M NOT SURE, BUT I'M HERE REPRESENTING THE MUSEUM DISTRICT.
SHE IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE HOUSTON CENTER FOR CONTEMPORARY CRAFTS.
AND AMY H SHE'S OUR MANAGING DIRECTOR OF THE MUSEUM DISTRICT.
SO WE ARE HERE REPRESENTING THE DISTRICT, BUT WE ALSO HAVE OTHER FOLKS.
WE HAVE CEOS OF SOME OF THE OTHER MUSEUMS HERE.
IF YOU GUYS COULD PLEASE STAND UP THE CEOS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE STAFF, TOO.
THESE PEOPLE ARE HERE REPRESENTING, YES, THE OVER 8,000 PEOPLE THAT WORK WITHIN THE MUSEUM DISTRICT.
SO, UM, WE ARE HERE TODAY TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE TREMENDOUS IMPACT THESE PEOPLE AND THESE MUSEUMS HAVE ON THE VIBRANCY OF OUR COMMI, OUR COMMUNITY, THE QUALITY OF LIFE HERE, AND HOW WE MAKE
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THE CITY AN AMAZING CITY THAT IT IS.PLEASE SEE IF WE GOT IT COMING UP.
SO I, IT MAY BE HARD FOR YOU GUYS TO SEE, BUT HERE'S A LIST OF THE 21 INSTITUTIONS THAT MAKE UP THE HOUSTON MUSEUM DISTRICT.
WITHIN THIS LIST, WE HAVE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE LARGE.
WE HAVE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE SMALL.
SOME OF 'EM ARE FOCUSED ON SCIENCE, ARTS, CULTURE, HISTORY, AND WE HAVE A VARIETY OF REVOLVING EXHIBITS AT THEM.
WE HAVE ART COLLECTIONS, WE HAVE PERFORMANCES, WE HAVE FILM SERIES, AND WE HAVE HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES AND MANY, MANY MORE THINGS AT THESE MUSEUMS. ON THE LIST, YOU'LL SEE MUSEUMS THAT, YOU KNOW, MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, THE MENIL, AND THEN THERE'S SOME THAT ARE LESSER KNOWN.
UM, BUT THEY'RE REALLY UNIQUE MUSEUMS HERE IN THE CITY.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE BUFFALO SOLDIERS NATIONAL MUSEUM IS ONE OF THOSE.
UM, THE HEALTH MUSEUM IS THE ONLY HEALTH MUSEUM IN THE UNITED STATES.
AND THEN WE HAVE SOME REALLY, REALLY INTERESTING, UNIQUE ART MUSEUMS SUCH AS DIVERSE WORKS OR LAWNDALE.
MOST OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS ARE YEARS, YEARS AND YEARS OLD.
SOME OF 'EM ARE EVEN A HUNDRED YEARS OLD.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS IS CELEBRATING THEIR 100 YEAR ANNIVERSARY.
SO WHERE ARE WE LOCATED? IF YOU COULD HIT NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
WELL, YOU ALL KNOW OF THE MUSEUM DISTRICT.
IT'S AN AREA OF TOWN WE CALL THE MUSEUM DISTRICT.
WELL, THAT'S WHERE WE RESIDE CLEARLY.
SO WITHIN ABOUT A FOUR SQUARE MILE AREA, THAT'S RIGHT AROUND 59 AND MAIN STREET IS WHERE ALL 21 OF OUR MUSEUMS ARE.
UH, ADDITIONALLY, WE ARE ALSO MEMBERS AND WE WORK CLOSELY WITH THE OTHER SEVEN CULTURAL DISTRICTS.
YOU'VE HEARD FROM SOME OF THEM BEFORE.
WE WORK CLOSELY WITH THEM TO PROMOTE AND ENCOURAGE ARTS AND CULTURE ACROSS OUR CITY.
SO, UM, I, I GOT A QUESTION FOR YOU GUYS.
UM, SO WE'RE GONNA MAKE THIS A LITTLE INTERACTIVE.
WHAT CITIES IN THE UNITED STATES HAVE YOU BEEN TO THAT HAVE A LOT OF MUSEUMS? ANY PLACES YOU'VE BEEN THAT HAVE A LOT OF MUSEUMS? A LOT OF MUSEUMS. NEW YORK, NEW YORK.
ANYTHING ELSE? LOS ANGELES, IF YOU COULD HIT NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
SO YOU WONDER MAYBE HOW WE COMPARE TO SOME OF THESE MUSEUMS FROM A DENSITY PERSPECTIVE, THE UC MUSEUM DISTRICT IS THE MOST CULTURAL, ONE OF THE MOST CULTURALLY DENSE AREAS IN THE CITY.
WE COMPARE TO NEW YORK CITY'S MUSEUM MILE, WE COMPARE TO THE MUS, THE NATIONAL MALL IN WASHINGTON DC.
THIS CULTURE, DENSE DENSITY, OFFERS EXTRAORDINARY ACCESS TO THE ARTS AND SERVES AS AN INCREDIBLY ATTRACTIVE DESTINATION TO HOUSTONIANS AND PEOPLE FROM OUT OF TOWN.
BECAUSE OF THIS, THIS AREA IS ONE OF THE TOP DESTINATIONS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
PLUS, WE ARE VERY WALKABLE DURING CERTAIN TIMES OF THE YEAR.
IN ADDITION TO HAVING AMAZING EXHIBITS, EVENTS, PROGRAMMING AND MORE, HOUSTON ME'S DISTRICT PROVIDES A SIGNIFICANT SUPPORT TO OUR CITY'S ECONOMY.
WE HELP GET MEDIA EXPOSURE REGIONALLY, NATIONALLY, AND EV EVEN INTERNATIONALLY.
AND WE ARE ONE OF THE LARGEST INFLUENCERS ON QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AND WE ALL KNOW HOW IMPORTANT QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS THAT REALLY GENERATES PEOPLE TO COME TO OUR CITY.
IT GENERATES PEOPLE TO MOVE TO OUR CITY.
AND IT PEOPLE, IT GENERATES PEOPLE TO STAY IN OUR CITY.
SO IF WE'LL GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
WE KNOW SOME PEOPLE ARE INTIMIDATED BY MUSEUMS. SOME THINK THESE MUSEUMS AREN'T ACCESSIBLE TO FOLKS IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND SOME THINKS THEY'RE JUST, SOME THINKS THEY'RE JUST TOO EXPENSIVE.
BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE SLIDE, OVER HALF OF OUR MUSEUMS ARE FREE ALL OF THE TIME.
THE REST OF THE 10 ORGANIZATIONS HAVE FREE HOURS AT THEIR MUSEUMS. THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO REACH, UH, A DIFFERENT SEGMENT OF, OF THE CITY.
IN ADDITION TO THESE FREE HOURS, WE HAVE SOMETHING CALLED FREE FAMILY THURSDAY THAT SEVERAL OF OUR MUSEUMS PARTICIPATE IN.
SO IN A CERTAIN AREA, THEY'RE ALL OPEN FOR FREE ON THURSDAYS, AS IT CLEARLY SAYS.
AND YOU SEE PEOPLE WALKING AROUND FROM MUSEUM TO MUSEUM, COUPLES, KIDS, FAMILIES, ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF.
IN ADDITION TO BEING FREE AT CERTAIN TIMES OF THE YEAR, UH, WE PUT ON FREE EVENTS LAST SUMMER ALONE.
WE PUT ON 150 EVENTS, UM, ACROSS THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
UH, WITH OUR AMAZING EXHIBITS, OUR UNIQUE PROGRAMMING, AND BECAUSE WE ARE ACCESSIBLE, WE REACH A LOT OF PEOPLE ON THE SLIDE, YOU CAN SEE HOW MANY WE REACH 7 MILLION PEOPLE, 7 MILLION PEOPLE COME ON AN ANNUAL BASIS TO VISIT OUR MUSEUMS. AND ABOUT 2 MILLION OF THOSE ARE PEOPLE FROM OUT OF TOWN.
BUT NOT EVERYONE CAN COME TO OUR MUSEUMS. SO MOST OF OUR MUSEUMS HAVE COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAMS. SO WE GO OUT IN THE COMMUNITY AND WE REACH PEOPLE THAT WAY.
AND WE REACH HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE THAT WAY.
SO EVEN MORE THAN PEOPLE WHO COME TO OUR MUSEUMS. SOME OF OUR SMALL ORGANIZATIONS LIKE HOUSTON CENTER FOR PHOTOGRAPHY, REACHED ABOUT 4,500
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PEOPLE LAST YEAR IN THEIR COMMUNITY OUTREACH.OUR BIGGER MUSEUMS, LIKE THE CHILDREN MUSEUM, REACHED 140,000 PEOPLE WITH THEIR COMMUNITY OUTREACH.
SO ON TOP OF THE 7 MILLION PEOPLE THAT CAME TO OUR MUSEUM, WE'RE REACHING HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
SO 7 MILLION, IT SOUNDS LIKE A BIG NUMBER, BUT LET'S KIND OF PUT THAT IN CONTEXT.
LET'S COMPARE THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT COME TO OUR MUSEUMS TO SPORTING EVENTS IN HOUSTON.
RIGHT? SPORTING EVENTS ARE REALLY, REALLY POPULAR HERE IN HOUSTON.
IF YOU'LL HIT THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
SO LET'S SAY WE TAKE ALL THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT GO TO THE TEXANS GAMES, AND WE ADD ONTO THAT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT GO TO THE ROCKETS GAMES.
AND WE ADD ONTO THAT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT GO TO THE ASTROS GAMES.
THERE ARE 80 ASTRO GAMES EIGHT ZERO EVERY SINGLE YEAR.
AND THEN ON TOP OF THAT, WE ADD THE BIG ONE, HOUSTON LIVESTOCK SHOW AND RODEO.
IT'S HERE FOR 20 DAYS IN A ROW.
IF YOU COMBINE THE ATTENDANCE OF ALL OF THOSE SPORTING EVENTS, THEY DO NOT COMPARE TO THE NUMBERS THAT WE HAVE.
WE HAVE 160,000 MORE PEOPLE THAT COME VISIT OUR MUSEUM THAT GO TO THESE SPORTING EVENTS.
SO I THINK THAT'S VERY POWERFUL.
OH, YOU KNOW WHAT? I SKIPPED THE SLIDE HERE.
SO ECONOMICS, LET'S TALK ABOUT ECONOMIC IMPACT.
UM, IF YOU LOOK AT, WELL, ACTUALLY A COUPLE MONTHS AGO, THERE WAS A PRESENTER HERE THAT CAME WITH THE, UH, AMERICANS FOR THE ARTS.
AND HE PRESENTED THE ECONOMIC IMPACT, UH, OF ARTS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES AND SPECIFICALLY IN THE HOUSTON AREA.
SO LET'S TAKE THE MACRO VIEW DOWN THE MICRO AT A MICRO LEVEL.
THE HOUSTON MUSEUM DISTRICT CREATES $617 MILLION OF ECONOMIC IMPACT TO THIS CITY.
IN ADDITION, WE HAVE 8,500 EMPLOYEES, I MENTIONED THAT EARLIER.
AND WE HELP RAISE ABOUT 13 MILLION IN TAX REVENUES FOR DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS, WHETHER IT'S CITY, COUNTY, OR OTHERS.
NOW, LAYLA WILL TALK TO YOU ABOUT HOW THIS COMPARES TO SOME OTHER CITIES.
SO WE'RE GONNA GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UM, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO JOHN AND AMY FOR WORKING ON THIS PRESENTATION WITH ME TODAY.
UM, TO REINTRODUCE MYSELF, I'M LAYLA CARTIER WITH HOUSTON CENTER FOR CONTEMPORARY CRAFT.
SO YOU'VE SEEN THESE NUMBERS BEFORE WHEN RANDY COHEN WAS HERE LAST FALL.
AND THERE'S JUST A FEW THINGS I WANNA POINT OUT QUICKLY.
THESE ARE BASED ON DATA FROM 2022 AND 2023, WHICH WE CAN ASSUME WE WERE STILL COMING OUT OF COVID.
SO I THINK IT'S SAFE TO ASSUME THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THE HOUSTON MUSEUM DISTRICT IS PROBABLY REACHING CLOSER TOWARD 1 BILLION AT THIS POINT.
AND I'M SURE WE HAVE ADDITIONAL JOBS AND TAX REVENUE TO ACCOUNT FOR THAT AS WELL.
UH, WE CAN ALSO SAY THAT, UH, THE ECONOMIC IMPACT, THAT NUMBER INCLUDES DIRECT EXPENSES THAT MUSEUMS ARE SPENDING ON OPERATING AND CAPITAL SALARIES AND PROGRAMS. WE'RE ALSO COMBINING THAT WITH AUDIENCE EXPENSES.
SO, HOTELS, RESTAURANTS, RETAIL.
UM, SOMETHING ELSE TO CONSIDER WHEN WE LOOK AT THIS SLIDE IS OUR NEIGHBOR, THE DALLAS ARTS DISTRICT, WHICH OF COURSE IS SIGNIFICANT AND IMPORTANT, BUT WHEN YOU COMPARE THEIR NUMBERS TO OURS, THE SIZE OF THE ECONOMIC IMPACT IN HOUSTON IS DOUBLE.
AND AN AVERAGE ARTS DISTRICT IN THE US IS OF COURSE, MUCH SMALLER.
SO AGAIN, IT JUST DEMONSTRATES THE IMPORTANCE AND MAGNITUDE THAT HUS HOUSTON, UH, IS REPRESENTING.
AND SO WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THESE NUMBERS, ESPECIALLY BY COMPARISON TO DALLAS OR MAYBE EVEN AUSTIN, I THINK WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO THINK ABOUT IS THE WORK THAT THIS COMMITTEE, THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING WITH THE CITY, WITH YOU, WITH OUR PEERS, IS VERY IMPORTANT.
IT'S BEING OBSERVED, AND WE HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO POSITIVELY IMPACT NOT ONLY WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE IN HOUSTON, BUT REGIONALLY AND THROUGHOUT THE STATE.
SO THE WORK THAT WE DO IS NOTICED ALSO NATIONALLY, EVEN INTERNATIONALLY.
THIS SLIDE POINTS OUT JUST A FEW OF THE HIGHLIGHTS WE'VE HAD IN, UH, NATIONAL MEDIA.
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, WASHINGTON POST CBS SUNDAY MORNING OF RECENTLY HAS FOCUSED ON HOUSTON MUSEUMS. AND SOME OF THIS MAY NOT BE NEWS TO ALL OF YOU, BUT, UM, AS A RECENT RECRUIT TO THE AREA, I WOULD SAY THE QUALITY AND MAGNITUDE OF THE CULTURAL ASSETS HERE IN HOUSTON DREW ME TO COME HERE ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO.
SO WHEN YOU TAKE ALL OF THIS COMBINED, WE JUST REALLY WANT TO REINFORCE HOW IMPRESSIVE AND IMPACTFUL THIS GROUP IS, BOTH LOCALLY AND NATIONALLY.
AND WE'RE DOING THAT BECAUSE WE WANNA SHARE, YOU KNOW, IN YOUR GOALS.
SO ON OUR NEXT SLIDE, WE'VE OUTLINED A FEW THINGS THAT WE THINK WE COULD DO TO WORK WITH THIS COMMITTEE.
UM, AGAIN, YOU'VE SEEN THESE NUMBERS OF BEFORE, ESPECIALLY LAST
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FALL WHEN RANDY WAS PRESENTING.WE WANT YOU TO BE INFORMED SO THAT YOU CAN RECOGNIZE AND CELEBRATE HOUSTON AS THE EXTRAORDINARY CULTURAL EPICENTER.
WE ALSO WANT TO ASK THAT YOU LEARN ABOUT THE CHALLENGES THAT WE FACE.
UM, SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THE CRAFT CENTER, I CAN SAY THAT WE HAVE BEEN SEVERELY IMPACTED RECENTLY BY SEVERE WEATHER EVENTS.
WE ARE AFFECTED BY THE HISD TAKEOVER AND OUR ABILITY TO REACH STUDENTS OUT IN THE SCHOOLS AND ALSO BRING THEM TO OUR SPACES.
AND THE HOUSTON CENTER FOR CONTEMPORARY CRAFT IS ALSO IMPACTED ALMOST DAILY, UH, BY THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND SECURITY ISSUES THAT ARE ALONG MAIN STREET, ESPECIALLY UNDER THE OVERPASS OF I 59.
SO THESE ARE JUST MY CHALLENGES.
I'M SURE THAT ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE UNIQUE CHALLENGES THAT THEY COULD SHARE WITH YOU.
AND THEN 0.3, BRINGING IT BACK TO, UH, A POSITIVE NOTE, WE REALLY WANNA HIGHLIGHT OUR ECONOMIC IMPACT SO THAT THE MUSEUM DISTRICT, ALONG WITH OUR OTHER CULTURAL PARTNERS THROUGHOUT THE OTHER DISTRICTS IN THE CITY, CAN BE RECOGNIZED, UH, DURING CITY PLANNING AND BE AT THE TABLE WITH YOU AS YOU'RE MAKING DECISIONS.
SO, UM, A COUPLE MORE THINGS WE WANNA WORK WITH YOU GUYS ON REALLY HAVE TO DO WITH, WITH FINANCES AND REVENUE.
UM, WE'D LIKE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE MAINTAIN THE LEVEL OF SUPPORT WE HAVE FOR ARTS AND CULTURE ACROSS THE CITY.
THESE MUSEUMS, THESE CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS DEPEND ON FUNDING FROM THE CITY.
THEY DEPEND ON FUNDING FROM OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, WHETHER IT'S FOUNDATIONS OR INDIVIDUALS OR CORPORATIONS.
BUT THIS FUNDING IS CRITICAL TO KEEP THESE ORGANIZATIONS, UH, SUPPORTED.
SOME ORGANIZATIONS DRIVE REVENUE, THEY HAVE REVENUE THAT THEY BRING IN, OTHERS DON'T.
SO EVERY DOLLAR THAT WE GET IS CRITICAL TO THE SUPPORT OF, OF OUR ORGANIZATIONS.
AND THEN OF COURSE, WE WANT TO PROTECT THE HOT FUNDS, UM, THAT IS SO IMPORTANT TO US AND SO IMPORTANT TO OUR DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT DOESN'T START GETTING DILUTED, AND WE WANNA WORK WITH YOU ON THAT.
AND THEN LAST BUT NOT LEAST, I THINK THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES TO ADDITION, TO SHOW ADDITIONAL REVENUE STREAMS WITH YOU ALL.
SO WHETHER THAT'S PARTNERING MORE WITH HOUSTON FIRST, THERE'S PROBABLY A LOT OF THINGS WE CAN DO WITH THAT.
OR MAYBE WITH THE TOURS, I THINK THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE CAN DO TOGETHER TO TRY TO GET THE MESSAGE OUT ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING WITHIN THESE MUSEUMS AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS THE CITY.
SO, WE TOLD YOU ABOUT THE MUSEUM.
YOU'VE SEEN SOME PICTURES, YOU'VE SEEN SOME IMAGES.
BUT THE ONLY WAY TO EXPERIENCE WHAT WE DO IS TO COME TO OUR MUSEUMS, COME TO OUR MUSEUMS, COME TO AN OPENING OF A MUSEUM, COME TO AN EXHIBIT, COME TO AN EVENT, COME TO ONE OF OUR PROGRAMS. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE COME VISIT OUR MUSEUMS. AND IF YOU WANT, WE'D LOVE TO GIVE YOU A TOUR.
EACH OF YOU, WE'D LOVE FOR YOU TO COME BY ANY OF THESE MUSEUMS, AND WE'LL GIVE YOU A PRIVATE TOUR OF OUR MUSEUMS. SO, WITH THAT, WE APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT.
WE APPRECIATE YOU ALLOWING US TO SPEAK HERE TODAY, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO PARTNERING WITH YOU GUYS AS, UH, WE MOVE, UH, INTO THE FUTURE.
ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU SO VERY, VERY MUCH.
I WANNA RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER SALLY ALCORN, WHO JOINED US, UH, WHO'S A LARGE ONE, UH, FIVE, EXCUSE ME.
I DON'T MEAN TO TAKE ANYBODY'S JOB.
ANYWAY, UM, I, I ALSO, WELL, I'LL DO THAT AFTERWARDS.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN.
UM, REALLY INTERESTING ABOUT HAVING MORE IN OUR LITTLE FOUR MILE RADIUS.
UH, WHEN, WHEN RANDY DID THE THING, UH, THE PRESENTATION ON THE ECONOMIC IMPACT, HE HAD A, A A 30, ALMOST $32 MILLION LOCAL GOVERNMENT REVENUE NUMBER.
BUT I'M ASSUMING SINCE YOURS IS 13, THAT THAT'S, YOU GUYS ARE JUST FOCUSED ON THE 21 ORGANIZATIONS EXACTLY.
AND THAT 32 WAS KIND OF CITYWIDE.
I WANNA MAKE SURE, AND I'M VERY INTERESTED IN FACILITATE REVENUE STREAMS. I MEAN, YOU TOUCHED ON HOUSTON FIRST AND YOU TOUCHED ON THE T, BUT CAN YOU GIVE ME LIKE, WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE? I, I THINK THAT, AGAIN, YOU GUYS DIDN'T REALIZE THE IMPACT.
UH, AND YOU'RE THE ARTS AND CULTURAL COMMITTEE OF WHAT THESE MUSEUMS DO AND WHO WE REACH, HOW WE REACH THE REVENUE AND ALL THAT.
HOW DO WE GET THAT STORY OUT TO MORE MM-HMM
MORE PEOPLE ACROSS THE CITY AND EVEN ACROSS THE STATE AND NATIONALLY.
AND HOUSTON FIRST IS ONE OF THOSE ORGANIZATIONS THAT REALLY HELPED PROMOTE WHAT WE DO AT THE CITY.
SO JUST LIKE MORE MARKETING, MORE, I THINK IT'S MORE MARKETING, MORE DRIVING, MORE PARTNERSHIPS, PEOPLE TO THE, THE DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS.
AND, UM, YOU HAD A PICTURE OF THE CHECK, YOU KNOW, PLACE.
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TO SOMETHING THERE.THE PRESIDENT OF CHECKLIST, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S HERE.
THAT PLACE WAS LIKE BEAUTIFUL
I WAS, HOW DID I NOT KNOW THIS WAS HERE? UM, SO, UM, THANK YOU AND THANKS FOR OFFERING THE TOUR.
I KNOW YOU'VE GIVEN ME A TOUR OF THE HEALTH MUSEUM.
UH, IT REALLY, IT'S SUCH A, UH, OUR, OUR ARTS ORGANIZATIONS ARE, ARE SUCH A TREASURE FOR HOUSTON.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I'M HERE TO SUPPORT YOU, YOU KNOW, THE HOT TAXES, YOU KNOW, WE WE'RE SEEING INCREASES IN, IN HOT TAXES YEAR OVER YEAR.
IT'S JUST PRETTY UNBELIEVABLE HOW THOSE HAVE GROWN SINCE, YOU KNOW, COVID TIME.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, I I MEAN, I'M DEFINITELY INTO PROTECTING THAT.
I KNOW THERE'S BEEN SOME TALK OF THE ACTUAL INVESTMENTS IN THE KIND OF, THE PERCENTAGE OF THE, UH, THE VERTICAL CONSTRUCTION DOLLARS.
UM, BUT I HAVEN'T HEARD OF ANY TRIMMING OF THE HOT TAX DOLLARS.
I USED TO BE A SCHOOL TEACHER AND I WOULD HATE IT AFTER CHRISTMAS IF THE STUDENTS CHANGED THEIR SEAT.
SO THAT'S HOW YOU GOT ME MIXED UP.
I'M LIKE, WHAT IS HE DOING OVER THERE? ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO BE OVER THERE? ANYWAY, BUT THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ, UH, THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR AND, UH, JOHN.
LAYLA AND AMY, THANK YOU FOR THIS PRESENTATION.
UM, AND, UM, I, I THINK WE SHOULD ALL BE PROUD OF OUR MUSEUM DISTRICT AND, UH, THE AMOUNT OF TRAFFIC THAT IT GETS AND THE REVENUE, REVENUE THAT IS GENERATED.
UM, AND SO THE PRESENTATION INDICATES, UH, 7 MILLION VISITS A YEAR.
AND I'M CURIOUS TO KNOW HOW THAT BREAKS DOWN.
DO WE KNOW HOW MANY VISITORS WENT TO THE ZOO? UH, AND HOW MANY WENT TO THE NEXT HIGHEST, UH, UH, OR MOST, UH, TRAFFIC? YEAH, WE HAVE, WE HAVE NUMBERS.
UM, SOME OF OUR MUSEUMS, LIKE THE ZOO SEE OVER A MILLION PEOPLE A YEAR.
SO, UH, THE ZOO, THE MUSEUM OF NATURAL SCIENCE, BOTH SEE OVER A MILLION.
AND THEN WE HAVE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT SEE CLOSE TO A MILLION, LIKE THE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS OR THE CHILDREN MUSEUM.
AND THEN THE RANGES ARE DOWN FROM THERE.
I CAN EVEN EXPAND THE ZOO TOPS.
AND THEN, UM, HOUSTON MUSEUM OF NATURAL SCIENCE AND THE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS AND CHILDREN'S MUSEUMS ALL EXCEEDED A MILLION VISITS LAST YEAR.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF, UM, ACCESS, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S GREAT.
7 MILLION VISITS A YEAR THINKING, TRYING TO THINK ABOUT WHAT MIGHT GENERATE EVEN MORE VISITS.
DO YOU, HAVE Y'ALL DONE ANY SURVEYS TO, TO SEE HOW PEOPLE GET TO THE MUSEUM DISTRICT, WHETHER BY, BY CAR OR BY RAIL, UH, BUS, ANYTHING LIKE THAT? HAVE Y'ALL, UH, TRIED TO FIGURE THAT OUT? WE HAVEN'T DONE ANY RESEARCH.
UM, BUT THAT IS CRITICAL QUESTION TO BE ASKING AND TALKING WITH YOU GUYS ABOUT IS HOW DO WE GET MORE PEOPLE TO OUR MUSEUMS? I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT.
I KNOW YOU'VE GOT ONE, ONE OF OUR, OR PROBABLY PROBABLY THE MOST USED RAIL LINE OF ALL THAT RUNS THROUGH THAT, THE HEART OF THAT DISTRICT.
ANECDOTALLY, I MEAN, WE KNOW THAT, UH, IT LOOKS LIKE MOST PEOPLE COME BY CAR, BUT WE ARE SERVED BY THREE OF THE METRO RAIL STATIONS AND SOME BUS LINES AS WELL.
SO IT IS ACCESSIBLE FOR THOSE THAT WISH TO USE MASS TRANSIT.
AND HOW, WHAT DO Y'ALL THINK OF THE PARKING SITUATION IN GENERAL? I KNOW IT'S SPECIFIC TO EACH INDIVIDUAL, UH, ORGANIZATION, BUT, UH, ANY, ANY THOUGHTS ON HOW THAT CAN BE IMPROVED OR, UH, I MEAN, I THINK, I THINK IT, IT IS REALLY SPECIFIC TO EACH INDIVIDUAL ORGANIZATION AS WE'RE SEEING, SEEING ACROSS THE CITY.
PARKING'S CHALLENGED PARKING,
UM, AND FOR SOME OF OUR MUSEUMS, IT'S ACTUALLY A REVENUE DRIVER FOR US AS WELL.
SO, BUT, UH, BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, EACH MUSEUM SEEMS TO HAVE, UH, ENOUGH PARKING AS FAR AS I'M AWARE.
UM, BUT I THINK IT'S, IT'S ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS.
AND FINALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY OUR HOMELESSNESS NUMBERS ARE UP AND THEY'RE UP ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
UH, AND I'VE HEARD, UM, YOU KNOW, ISSUES AROUND, UH, HERMAN PARK ESPECIALLY.
UM, HAS THAT BEEN AN ISSUE AT ANY OF YOUR ORGANIZATIONS? SO, I, I CAN SPEAK TO THE HEALTH MUSEUM 'CAUSE WE LITERALLY ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE, THE HERMAN PARK, UM, WE OCCASIONALLY SEE, UH, A HOMELESS PERSON.
UM, SOMETIMES THEY'LL COME AND, AND GO IN OUR GARAGE IN THE BASEMENT OF THE MUSEUM, BUT IT'S NOT VERY OFTEN.
BUT THERE ARE OTHER MUSEUMS THAT SEE MORE HOMELESSNESS.
AND I'LL LAYLA'S A PERFECT EXAMPLE.
UH, I WOULD SAY BECAUSE OF OUR PROXIMITY, AS I MENTIONED TO THE UNDERPASS ON MAIN STREET, WE, WE ARE AFFECTED DAILY.
SOMETIMES WE HAVE PROPERTY DAMAGE, SOMETIMES WE HAVE HARASSMENT OF VISITORS.
FOR THE MOST PART, WE'RE WELCOMING TO ANYONE THAT
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WANTS TO COME IN TO, WE'RE FREE OF CHARGE.WE HAVE FACILITIES AND PEOPLE HAVE COME IN AND, AND THEY ENJOY THE EXHIBITS.
WE DON'T TURN ANYONE AWAY UNLESS THEY'RE, UM, BEING DISRUPTIVE OR, YOU KNOW, OUR, THERE'S OPEN DRUG USE SOMETIMES ON OUR PROPERTY.
SO WE, UH, TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SEAL, WHICH IS A MIDTOWN, UH, SECURITY, UH, RESOURCE.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES IF THINGS ESCALATE, WE ALSO HAVE TO CALL, UH, CONSTABLE OR THE POLICE.
AND, AND LAYLA, YOU ARE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE HOUSTON CENTER FOR CONTEMPORARY CRAFT.
UM, HOW, HOW DO THE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS HANDLE SECURITY? IF, IF YOU ALL CAN SPEAK TO THAT? I CAN SPEAK THAT FOR MYSELF.
WE HAVE A SMALL STAFF AND WE DON'T HAVE, UH, 24 HOUR SECURITY.
SOME STAFF OR SOME ORGANIZATIONS IN THE DISTRICT DO HAVE ACCESS TO, UH, RESOURCES THAT ALLOW THEM TO HAVE 24 HOUR SECURITY.
WE, I CAN, AGAIN, FROM THE HEALTH MUSEUM WE HAVE, WHEN WE'RE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, WE HAVE SECURITY GUARD THERE ALL THE TIME.
I KNOW THE HOLOCAUST MUSEUM HAS A LOT OF SECURITY BECAUSE OF THE NEEDS THAT THEY HAVE.
SO I THINK IT'S REALLY UNIQUE TO ALL THE DIFFERENT MUSEUMS. OKAY.
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU'ALL FOR BEING HERE AND A WONDERFUL PRESENTATION.
UM, YOU KNOW, ONE WAY THAT I THINK THAT ALL OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS COULD HELP YOU TO GET THE INFORMATION OUT, IF YOU COULD, YOU KNOW, THINK MAYBE HAVE SOMEONE, YOU KNOW, CREATE A DIGITAL GRAPHIC SHOWING ALL THE DIFFERENT MUSEUMS, BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, WITH INFORMATION SUCH AS OUR OR SPECIAL EXHIBITS.
BECAUSE I KNOW AS AN AT LARGE MEMBER, WE TRY TO SHARE INFORMATION THAT'S HAPPENING IN THE CITY.
NOT JUST WITH A SPECIFIC DISTRICT.
SO ANYTHING THAT YOU WOULD BE WILLING TO SHARE, YOU KNOW, VIA EMAIL, WE'D BE HAPPY TO PUSH IT OUT, WHETHER IT'S ON SPECIFIC MUSEUMS OR KIND OF THE DISTRICT AS A WHOLE, HOWEVER YOU SAW THAT.
BUT, UM, AT LARGE THREE, WE'LL BE HAPPY TO PUSH THAT OUT TO OUR CONSTITUENTS AND IN OUR NEWSLETTERS.
WE HAVE ANY BROCHURES, WE EVEN HAVE, WE CAN LEAVE, WE DO THAT.
I'LL PASS AROUND THE BROCHURES AFTERWARDS, WHICH ACTUALLY LIST ALL THE MUSEUMS AND THE LOCATIONS AND THEIR HOURS.
SO, UM, WE CAN GIVE THAT TO YOU ALL.
I'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE SOME SPECIAL GUESTS WITH US TODAY.
YOU ALL ARE SPECIAL GUEST TOO.
UM, I'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE TAYLOR JACKSON, THE INTERIM CEO OF THE HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE.
CRAIG SCHILD, UH, NEWLY HIRED EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE HOUSTON THEATER DISTRICT.
SHE GOT UP AT THE SI SIMULTANEOUSLY.
I'D ALSO LIKE TO RECOGNIZE KATHLEEN O'REILLY WITH THE YOUTH MUSEUM PARK SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD.
IS SHE HERE? YEAH, SHE'S STANDING UP HERE.
I BELIEVE YOU WANTED TO MAKE A PUBLIC COMMENT.
UH, AND IT IS TIME FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS.
DO YOU WANNA COME FORWARD? YES.
AND I HOPE I'M NOT SPEAKING OUT OF TURN.
I HAVEN'T TALKED TO THE, UH, MUSEUM DISTRICT ASSOCIATION ABOUT MY THOUGHTS ON JUST WHAT JOHN HAS SAID.
UM, THE MUSEUM DISTRICT IN HOUSTON, TEXAS, LIKE JOHN SAID, IT IS LIKE NO OTHER IN THE UNITED STATES, THE COLLECTION OF INSTITUTIONS ALONG WITH THE HISTORIC CHURCHES, THE ARCHITECTURE, THE BUSINESSES THAT ARE THERE, IT IS UNPARALLELED.
HOWEVER, I WOULD HAVE A DIFFERENT TAKE ON THE WALKABILITY IN THE AREA.
AND COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ, YOU'RE YOUR PERFECT CHAIR FOR THIS COMMITTEE BECAUSE YOU'RE RIGHT IN THE HEART OF IT.
AND COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ, SALLY, ALL OF YOU HAVE WORKED SO HARD WITH US AND COREY TO INCREASE THE WALKABILITY OF MUSEUM PARK THROUGH OUR LIVABLE CENTER STUDY DONE FIVE YEARS AGO, WE FOLLOWED THAT WITH AN EFFORT ON THE CAROLINA PROMENADE SPEAKING TO THE ISSUES IN FRONT OF CONTEMPORARY CRAFT.
AND WE SO APPRECIATE THE COOPERATION OF EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM TO MAKE THE MUSEUM DISTRICT OF HOUSTON, TEXAS WHAT IT SHOULD BE.
AND I WOULD SAY THE ZOO, HERMAN PARK, EVEN THE SMITHSONIAN DOESN'T HAVE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES LIKE WE DO.
AND THEN YOU CAN WALK ACROSS THE STREET AND GO TO AN A, AN HISTORIC CHURCH
[00:30:01]
THAT IS JUST JAW DROPPING.SO WE'VE GOT SOMETHING REALLY SPECIAL HERE.
AND I THINK THAT I SO APPRECIATE THE MUSEUM DISTRICT COMING TODAY AND SAYING, WE NEED TO ELEVATE THIS AND WEAVE THIS, THIS, THIS GEOGRAPHIC AREA TOGETHER.
BECAUSE I WALK FROM, SAY, WE'LL USE FOR EXAMPLE, ASIA SOCIETY TO THE MANIL, AND PEOPLE WILL SAY, OH MY GOSH, THAT'S SO FAR.
IT'S JUST A PRETTY HOSTILE WALK.
SO WHAT WE DID IN THE LIVABLE CENTER STUDY WAS IDENTIFY THAT.
WE LOOKED AT WHERE ARE PEOPLE COMING FROM AND HOW ARE THEY GETTING THERE.
PEOPLE USE THE MORE PEOPLE NEED TO USE THE LIGHT RAIL.
WE JUST NEED TO WEAVE IT ALL TOGETHER.
AND I STILL APPRECIATE YOUR HELP COUNCILMAN REVEREND SHABAZZ IN FACILITATING THAT EFFORT AND YOUR STAFF.
SO THANK YOU ALL VERY, VERY MUCH.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING TO SUPPORT THE ARTS IN MUSEUM PARK? IS IT REALLY, AND I DIDN'T EVEN MENTION RICE UNIVERSITY, THE ION.
IT'S, IT'S JUST PROJECT ROW HOUSES.
THERE'S JUST NOTHING LIKE IT IN THE UNITED STATES.
AND I WOULD TOTALLY AGREE, PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THIS.
AND, AND IT'S IN THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION
AND WE WOULD LIKE IT TO FEEL, FEEL LIKE THAT.
AND WE APPRECIATE WORKING ON THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT IT REALLY NEEDS TO IMPROVE.
IT HASN'T BEEN TOUCHED IN DECADES, AND WE'VE STARTED AN URBAN FORESTRY PROGRAM, YOU KNOW, STEP BY STEP.
PARKING BENEFIT DISTRICT HAS BEEN HUGELY HELPFUL IN FUNDING SOME OF THAT WORK.
SO I'M GLAD THAT IT'S, THINGS SEEM TO BE COALESCING NOW.
SO THANK YOU ALL VERY, VERY MUCH.
AND THANK YOU FOR RECOGNIZING ME.
AND I DON'T KNOW KATHLEEN, IF YOU KNOW THIS BEFORE I WAS INAUGURATED, YOU WERE MY FIRST PHONE CALL
AND I'M LIKE, WHAT IS THIS LADY? WHAT DOES SHE WANT? THANK YOU.
BUT YOU HAVE BEEN JUST ABSOLUTELY SUPERB IN, IN, IN YOUR SERVICE, UH, TO THE MUSEUM PARK.
ARE WE GONNA HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN? KATHLEEN, GREAT TO SEE YOU.
AND YES, SHE'S, YOU'VE BEEN AMAZING OVER THERE.
WHAT, WHAT SPECIFICALLY CAN, CAN WE HELP YOU WITH NOW AS FAR AS IMPROVING WALKABILITY? IS THERE A CERTAIN AREA YOU'RE, UH, YOU'RE FOCUSING ON? I KNOW THE MAYOR'S PLANNING TO ROLL OUT A SIDEWALK PLAN, UM, SOON.
I MEAN, DO WE NEED TO, UH, WHERE DO YOU FI WHERE DO YOU SEE AS THE MOST CRITICAL NEED WITHIN MUSEUM DISTRICT? THE LIVABLE CENTER STUDY IDENTIFIED CAROLINE AS THE STREET MOST IN NEED BECAUSE, BECAUSE THERE ARE THE MOST INSTITUTIONS ON IT, ACTUALLY ON IT.
UM, CAROLINE MAIN STREET FEELS A LITTLE UNCOMFORTABLE MM-HMM
SO WE NEED, ACTUALLY, WE NEED THE STREETS AND SIDEWALKS REBUILT IS WHAT WE NEED AND BURY THE UTILITIES.
COUNCIL MEMBER CASTEX TATUM'S REPRESENTATIVE.
AND THANK YOU, UM, FOR THE COMMENTS.
UM, THIS, THIS THOUGHT ACTUALLY CAME TO ME AND IT'S MORE DIRECTED TO JOHN, LAYLA AND AMY.
JUST A THOUGHT, UH, YOU ME, WHEN YOU MENTIONED LIGHT RAIL, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S CONSIDERATION TO MARKET ON THOSE ON, ON METRO IN THE RAIL LINES, UM, THE MUSEUM, ESPECIALLY SPECIFIC EXHIBITS THAT, THAT ARE HAPPENING.
AND MAYBE ALSO CONSIDER PARTNERING WITH METRO TO OFFER SPECIAL RATES, YOU KNOW, TO GET PEOPLE TO SPECIFIC EXHIBITS, ESPECIALLY THOSE.
SO THAT MIGHT BE A CONSIDERATION.
BUT WE ARE, I KNOW WE ARE WORKING IN THAT DIRECTION.
AND ACTUALLY THE, UM, CUSTOMER SERVICE VICE PRESIDENT FOR METRO IS ON OUR SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL.
AND YES, WE'RE BEGINNING THIS CON SOME OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS WE'VE NOT TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THE SPECIFIC IDEAS THAT KATHLEEN'S FACILITATED SOME INTERACTIONS WITH METRICS AND THEY CAN SEE.
UH, KATHLEEN, ONE LAST, UM, COMMENT.
I SO APPRECIATED YOUR REMARKS ABOUT, UH, INCREASING THE USE OF RAIL AND SPECIFICALLY THE RAIL LINE THAT GOES, UH, DOWN MAINE, UH, TO GET MORE PEOPLE OUT.
AND, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE HEARD A NUMBER OF TIMES IS THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T WANT RIDE RAIL IN HOUSTON BECAUSE HOMELESSNESS IS INCREASED.
UM, AND SO I WOULD JUST EN ENCOURAGE, UH, PEOPLE TO, UH, THINK ABOUT WHETHER THERE'S A LINK THERE.
UH, I MENTIONED EARLIER OUR HOMELESSNESS NUMBERS HAVE, HAVE JUMPED.
[00:35:01]
PART OF THAT IS BECAUSE OF HOUSING PRICES.PART OF IT IS BECAUSE WE'VE LOST FEDERAL FUNDING THAT WE HAD USED IN THE PAST TO ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS.
AND SO THE MAYOR HAS ROLLED OUT A HOMELESSNESS PLAN.
WE'RE GONNA BE LEARNING MORE DETAILS ABOUT IT LATER THIS MONTH IN THE QUALITY OF LIFE COMMITTEE, UH, MEETING.
BUT, BUT ONE THING THEY'VE BEEN TELLING US IS THAT, UM, EVERYBODY NEEDS TO PITCH IN ALL GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES, UM, NONPROFITS, UH, AND AND SO FORTH, UH, TO TRY TO REPLACE THAT FUNDING SO THAT WE CAN, UH, ADDRESS THE HOMELESSNESS ISSUE AND UM, MAYBE ENCOURAGE MORE PEOPLE TO COME TO THE MUSEUM DISTRICT.
DO YOU HAVE ANY, UH, FEEDBACK TO SHARE, UH, WITH THE BOUTS, UH, FROM THE HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS? UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR HAVING THOSE FUNDED, THOSE WHAT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER SHABAZZ IS REFERENCING ARE, UM, A PROJECT THAT CAME OUT OF OUR LIVABLE CENTER STUDY AND WE IMPLEMENTED A PILOT STUDY AT CAROLINE AND ROSEDALE.
AND PREVIOUSLY AT THAT INTERSECTION THERE WERE UNBELIEVABLE WRECKS.
I MEAN, TURN THE CAR OVER, SPIN 'EM AROUND WRECKS, WHICH IS ALWAYS SURPRISED ME IN SUCH A SEEMINGLY RESIDENTIAL AREA.
COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ HELPED US GET A PROJECT FUNDED.
UM, IT WAS DESIGNED THE FIRST PROJECT AT CAROLINA ROSEDALE.
THERE HAS NOT BEEN A SINGLE ACCIDENT SINCE THOSE WERE INSTALLED.
AND NOW THE REMAINING SYSTEM WHICH WE HAD STARTED, SOMEBODY REQUESTED BUMP, UH, THOSE TRAFFIC BUMPS.
AND WE SAID, MM, PROBABLY NOT BECAUSE YOU'RE JUST MOVING THE TRAFFIC TO ANOTHER STREET.
LET'S DESIGN A SYSTEM WHICH PUBLIC WORKS DID.
SO NOW WE HAVE ONE LOCATION IN AND WE HAVE 10 MORE TWO, SEE HOW MANY ARE FUNDED FOR FOUR OF THE, THE INTERSECTIONS.
AND THEY'RE SEEMINGLY STUCK IN PUBLIC WORKS FOR SOME REASON.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE THAT STANDS.
AND WE HOPE TO MOVE THOSE FORWARD SOON BECAUSE THEY ARE REMARKABLY EFFECTIVE.
IT DOESN'T RESTRICT VEHICULAR TRAFFIC IN ANY WAY.
AND THEY'RE JUST, WITH THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT ARE WALKING IN THE MUSEUM DISTRICT, THEY ARE ESSENTIAL.
YOU'VE ALL, UM, CON CONFIDENT AND HAVE TRIED TO DASH ACROSS BEN'S OR HERMAN DRIVE AND IT'S, THOSE ARE TWO OF THE LOCATIONS THAT WE'D LIKE TO PUT THESE IN.
AND THIS JUST EXTENDS THE, THE, UH, OR IT DOESN'T NARROW, IT LIMITS THE DISTANCE THAT A PEDESTRIAN HAS TO CROSS.
AND IT RAISES PSYCHOLOGICALLY THE PRESENCE OF PEDESTRIAN.
AND WHAT WE DID ON THE ONES AT CAROLINA ROSEDALE, THEY'RE NOT ONLY TRAFFIC CONTROL, THEY'RE ALSO HABITAT, THEIR STORM WATER MITIGATION.
I DID A STORM WATER, UH, ABSORPTION ANALYSIS.
IT'S MILLIONS OF GALLONS OF STORM WATER THAT IS FILTERED RATHER THAN DISCHARGED TO THE STORM DRAIN CONTAMINATED.
IT, IT, IT WAS, IT'S, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
SO WE'D LIKE TO MOVE THOSE FORWARD AND WE'RE JUST, CORY HAS BEEN MUCH MORE SUBTLE ABOUT HIS NAVIGATION THAN I WOULD BE.
SO I'M GLAD HE'S THERE TO TAMP ME DOWN
SO, BUT WE WOULD LIKE TO MOVE THOSE, THE REST OF THE SYSTEM FORWARD.
WELL I'M GLAD TO KNOW THAT THEY'RE EFFECTIVE AND WE WILL GET BEHIND IT TO TRY TO SEE IF WE CAN PUSH IT.
AND SO THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH.
THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING, FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO.
AND I THINK WE HAVE ONE PUBLIC SPEAKER AND THAT IS ELIZABETH BAILEY.
WELL, UH, UNLESS THERE'S SOME FURTHER COMMENTS FROM THE DE I BELIEVE WE CAN.
UM, AND I THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR THOUGHTS TODAY AND YOUR FEEDBACK AND ENGAGEMENT ARE VITAL TO THE SUCCESS OF OUR WORK.
AND SO IF THERE'S NO FURTHER BUSINESS, I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADJOURN THE MEETING.
THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR TIME AND PARTICIPATION AND HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY.