* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:06] I AM TO ORDER. MADAM SECRETARY, WOULD YOU CALL THE ROLL? NO, NO, SORRY. NEVERMIND. COME ON. WILL YOU TAKE OVER THE CHAIR? SURE. DON'T CALL THE ROLL HERE. THERE'S ONLY 1, 2, 3, 4 HERE, VICE MAYOR PRO. [PRESENTATIONS] THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES VICE MAYOR PRO TEM PECK FOR A PROCLAMATION TO VOGEL CREEK COMMUNITY CHAMPIONS FOR THEIR WORK IN DISTRICT A VICE MAYOR, PRO PECK. THANK VICE MAYOR PRO TEM. AND IF I COULD GET THE VOGEL CREEK COMMUNITY CHAMPIONS UP HERE AND MAYOR, AS THEY'RE WALKING UP. AS YOU KNOW, WE'RE BUILDING THE THOUSAND ACRE FEET OF DETENTION IN, UM, INWOOD THAT OF COURSE YOU SUPPORTED AS A STATE SENATOR. AND THE CONTINUATION NOW IS MAYOR AND, UM, THE VOCAL CREEK COMMUNITY CHAMPIONS HAVE SUPPORTED THAT PROJECT ALONG WITH, UM, THE GREEN SPACE AND, UM, RECREATION ALONG VO CREEK AND THE DETENTION BASIN. THEY ALSO SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITY IN MANY, MANY WAYS, INCLUDING THE EISENHOWER HIGH SCHOOL, UM, WHICH IS RIGHT OVER THERE. AND THE EISENHOWER HIGH SCHOOL CHOIR JUST SANG IN FRONT OF CITY HALL AND THEY ARE HERE IN THE AUDIENCE. IF THEY COULD JUST STAND TO BE RECOGNIZED, PLEASE. EISENHOWER CHOIR, THANK YOU FOR COMING. AND WE'RE THANKFUL FOR THE VOGEL CREEK COMMUNITY CHAMPIONS FOR SUPPORTING OUR COMMUNITY, INCLUDING OUR HIGH SCHOOL. WHEREAS THE VOGEL CREEK COMMUNITY CHAMPIONS AND INDEPENDENT AND SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY LED ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO PROMOTING ACTIVE LIVING WAS ESTABLISHED THROUGH COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS BETWEEN THE HOUSTON PARKS BOARD AND BE WELL ACRES HOMES, AN INITIATIVE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS MD ANDERSON CANCER CENTER. AND WHEREAS THE VOGEL CREEK COMMUNITY CHAMPIONS HAVE EXHIBITED REMARKABLE DEDICATION TO THE INWOOD FOREST ACRES HOMES AND THE BROADER HOUSTON COMMUNITY BY ORGANIZING FREE EVENTS ALONG THE VOGEL CREEK GREENWAY THAT PROMOTE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, SOCIAL INTERACTION, AND APPRECIATION FOR PARKS, TRAILS, AND GREEN SPACES. AND WHEREAS THE VOGEL CREEK COMMUNITY CHAMPIONS HAVE FACILITATED NUMEROUS ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES, INCLUDING COMMUNITY MEETINGS, OPEN HOUSES, BUS TOUR, SAFETY WALKS AND SURVEYS, AS WELL AS EVENTS SUCH AS BIKE RIDES, FESTIVALS, AND RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONIES SUCCESSFULLY ENGAGING IN OVER 2,500 LOCAL RESIDENTS TO DATE, DONATING MORE THAN $2,000 WORTH OF BICYCLES TO CHILDREN AND FAMILIES IN THE COMMUNITY, AND CONTRIBUTING HUNDREDS OF VOLUNTEER HOURS OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS TO ENHANCE THE LIVES OF IN WOOD, FOREST, AND ACRES HOMES, RESIDENTS. AND WHEREAS THE EVENTS ORGANIZED AND HOSTED BY THE VOGEL CREEK COMMUNITY CHAMPIONS CREATE ESSENTIAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR FAMILIES, FRIENDS, AND NEIGHBORS TO UNITE, FOSTERING A SENSE OF COMMUNITY AND BELONGING, WHILE EMPHASIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF HEALTH, WELLNESS, AND THE ENJOYMENT OF HOUSTON SCENIC TRAILS AND GREEN SPACES. AND WHEREAS THE VOGEL CREEK COMMUNITY CHAMPIONS HAVE NOT ONLY REVITALIZED THE VOGEL CREEK GREENWAY, BUT ALSO TRANSFORMED IT INTO A CENTRAL HUB FOR RECREATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. THEY'RE, UH, IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL RESIDENTS OF HOUSTON. AND WHEREAS THE CITY OF HOUSTON RECOGNIZES AND COMMENDS THE VISION, DEDICATION, AND HARD WORK OF THE VOGEL CREEK COMMUNITY CHAMPIONS FOR THEIR INSTRUMENTAL ROLE IN STRENGTHENING OUR COMMUNITIES AND INSPIRING ACTIVE SOCIAL AND VIBRANT LIFESTYLES FOR BOTH CURRENT AND FUTURE GENERATIONS. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, PECK ASKED MAYOR PROTE FOR ACKNOWLEDGING THE HARD WORK AND COLLABORATION EVERYONE REPRESENTS HERE TODAY. BUT BEFORE WE TALK ABOUT OUR SIDEWALKS AND OUR PAST, I SAW YESTERDAY THAT , I WENT TO A GRANDSON'S BALLGAME AT OUR SAVIOR LUTHERAN. SO WHEN YOU PULL OUT OF THE CAMPUS, THERE'S THE SIDEWALKS AND YOU GO TOWARD, UH, WHITE OAK VALUE AND ALL THE PATHS AND ALL THE IMPROVEMENT. SO THANK YOU. BUT EISENHOWER STUDENTS, WE HOPE THIS WILL WE IMPROVE, INCREASE YOUR INTEREST IN YOUR GOVERNMENT. THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE TODAY. YOUR MUSIC IS BEAUTIFUL. WE WANT YOU TO VISIT YOUR CITY HALL MORE OFTEN, REGISTER TO VOTE SOME DAYS, DESIRE TO BE, UH, I ALMOST SAY A COUNCIL MEMBER, BUT HOW ABOUT MAYOR ? A LOT OF TALENT AND, UH, INTEREST IN YOUR GROUP. SO COME BACK OFTEN. BUT THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY TO OUR COMMUNITY CHAMPIONS. THANK YOU. ACROSS HOUSTON. THERE ARE GROUPS SUCH AS YOURS MAKING IMPROVEMENTS AND, UH, ALLOWING THIS GREAT CITY TO GO FORWARD. UH, WE HAVE CHALLENGES WHERE GOVERNMENT DOES NOT ALWAYS ADDRESS SOME OF THE NEEDS. THERE YOU ARE. SHARING THE TORCH. [00:05:01] THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MEMBER HECK, FOR BRINGING IT TO OUR ATTENTION. SO THEREFORE, I, JOHN WHITMEYER, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROCLAIM JANUARY 14TH, 2025 IS VOGEL CREEK COMMUNITY CHAMPIONS DAY IN HOUSTON, TEXAS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. MAYOR. I BELIEVE BETH WHITE WITH, UM, HOUSTON PARKS BOARD WOULD LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS. SURE. WELL, THANK YOU. UM, COUNCIL MEMBER PECK, YOU'VE BEEN WITH US ON THIS JOURNEY FOR A LONG TIME, LONG BEFORE YOU WERE THE COUNCIL MEMBER, SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND THANK YOU MAYOR WHITMEYER FOR YOUR COMMITMENT TO NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS IN PARTICULAR. I AM BETH WHITE, I'M THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF HOUSTON PARKS BOARD. I KNOW MANY OF YOU AND WORKED WITH ALL OF YOU, UM, BUT WE'RE JUST SO THRILLED TO BE HERE TODAY. WE'VE WORKED FOR NEARLY 50 YEARS WITH COMMUNITY LEADERS AND CITY THROUGHOUT HOUSTON TO IMPROVE, PROTECT, AND CREATE NEW PARKS. BUT I AM JUST DELIGHTED ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR CELEBRATION. THE COMMUNITY CHAMPION GROUP IS THE FIRST GROUP OF ITS KIND THAT WE ORGANIZED AS PART OF OUR DNA OF NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS AND ENGAGING COMMUNITIES. AND, UH, THIS BEAUTIFUL NEW GREENWAY IN THE INWOOD FOREST COMMUNITY CALLED VOGEL CREEK. GREENWAY IS JUST A JEWEL, AND AT SOME POINT OUR NEXT PHASE IS TO CONNECT IT TO WHITE OAK BIO GREENWAY. SO WE WERE THINKING BIG AND THINKING BEYOND. UM, WE ALWAYS INTENDED FOR THE CHAMPIONS TO SERVE AS A MODEL FOR OTHER GROUPS THROUGHOUT HOUSTON THAT WANNA HELP US CARE FOR ALL OF OUR BEAUTIFUL TRAILS, PARKS, AND GREEN SPACES. AND BOY, HAVE THESE GUYS DELIVERED. UM, I KNOW THEY WOULD BE HAPPY TO TALK WITH EACH OF YOU, UM, AND ANYONE IN HOUSTON ABOUT HOW MEANINGFUL THIS WORK IS TO VOLUNTEER TIME TO BETTER YOUR OWN COMMUNITIES. IT'S A MODEL PROJECT IN SO MANY WAYS. IT'S SORT OF THE EPITOME OF THE PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP ETHIC IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. AND UNLIKE MANY PROJECTS THAT FOCUS ON MERELY SOLVING A SINGLE PROBLEM, VOGEL CREEK GREENWAY ADDRESSES FLOODING. IT ADDRESSES LACK OF OPEN SPACE. IT ADDRESSES HAVING SAFE ON STREET TRAILS. AND, UM, I LOOK TO YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DID ON THE WHOLE BIG PICTURE OF FLOOD DETENTION AND HOW DO YOU WORK IN THESE COMMUNITIES THAT CONTINUALLY FLOOD AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE DANGERS OF FLOODING WITH CREATING NEW GREEN SPACE. SO WE'RE VERY APPRECIATIVE, UM, TO FURTHER SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS, WE RECEIVED FUNDING FROM BE WELL ACRES HOMES, AN INITIATIVE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS MD ANDERSON CANCER CENTER. AND A KEY COMPONENT OF THAT FUNDING WAS FOR THIS GROUP, THE COMMUNITY CHAMPIONS, TO BECOME SELF-SUSTAINING AND SELF-OPERATING. THEY'RE WELL ON THEIR WAY TO DOING THAT. UM, AS YOU HEARD, THEY HOST VERY SUCCESSFUL, UH, QUARTERLY EVENTS. UM, THESE FOLKS ARE TIRELESS, THEY'RE CREATIVE, THEY'RE JOYFUL, AND THEY ARE DEEPLY COMMITTED TO THEIR COMMUNITY. AND BELIEVE ME, WE HEAR FROM THEM IF SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE OUT ON THAT GREENWAY AND WE'RE RIGHT ON IT. UM, I DO WANNA THANK ALL THE PARTNERS AND I AM USING NOTES 'CAUSE I DON'T WANNA LEAVE ANYONE OUT, BUT MAKING THIS A SUCCESS. UM, YOU KNOW, I MENTIONED, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN AND COUNCIL MEMBER PECK, BUT THE HOUSTON PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT, HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS, UM, WHICH I WILL ADD, FOUND THE MATCH FOR THE PROJECT, THE PUBLIC MATCH, UM, HARRIS COUNTY PRECINCT ONE, THE BROWN FOUNDATION, WHICH PUT UP HALF OF THE MONEY FOR THIS EFFORT AND CONTINUES TO FUND PARKS AND OUR WORK. UM, AND THEN THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT NORTH DIVISION WAS REALLY CRITICAL IN HAVING, UM, PARTICIPATION IN THE PLANNING MEETINGS AND GIVING THEIR ADVICE TO US FOR HOW WE DESIGN THINGS. AND LAST, I'M EXCITED TO SHARE THAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S, VOGEL CREEK GREENWAY IS A FINALIST FOR THE PRESTIGIOUS URBAN LAND INSTITUTE'S 2025 DEVELOPMENT OF DISTINCTION AWARDS. AND SO NOW FOR A LITTLE POLITICKING ON MY PART, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE FOR VOGEL CREEK GREENWAY PROJECT@HOUSTON.ULLI.ORG BY THE END OF BUSINESS ON FRIDAY, AND WE'LL SEND YOU AN EMAIL TO REMIND YOU OF THAT . BUT THANK YOU AGAIN. UM, IT'S JUST A DELIGHT TO BE HERE. AND I JUST LOVE THESE FOLKS. THEY'RE AMAZING. SO THANK YOU. OH, AND OUR PROJECT MANAGER, LISA GRIFF, UM, WHO MANAGED THE CONSTRUCTION AND DESIGN OF THE PROJECT, LISA HERNANDEZ, OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WHERE, UM, SO SORRY IF I TOOK TOO MUCH TIME, BUT I, I DON'T GET A CHANCE TO CELEBRATE THESE FOLKS THAT OFFENSIVE. THANK YOU SO MUCH, BETH. WE DO HAVE A COUPLE OF COUNCIL MEMBERS IN QUEUE THAT WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS YOU. WE'LL START WITH COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. YES, MA'AM. THANK YOU. VICE MAYOR. UH, EXCUSE ME. MAYOR PRO TEM, VICE [00:10:01] MAYOR PROTE, THANK YOU SO MUCH. I KNOW SPEAKING TO THE RESIDENTS HERE TODAY, YOU, UM, ARE AN UNRELENTING ADVOCATE AND CHAMPION FOR THE AREA. I KNOW WE PARTNERED, UH, ADVOCATING FOR GREATER GREATER INWOOD DETENTION. UH, BUT THERE'S SO MUCH THAT Y'ALL ARE DOING. SO A BIG CONGRATULATIONS. AND I WANTED TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO ALSO SPOTLIGHT THE WORK, UH, THE GREATER INWOOD RESILIENCE PLAN, UH, THAT THIS GOES HAND IN HAND WITH THAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON PUT OUT, UH, IN JUNE OF LAST YEAR THAT TALKS ABOUT ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU ALL ARE ACCOMPLISHING AND THE WORK THAT WE HAVE YET TO DO, INCLUDING GETTING FOLKS SAFELY TO THE TRAILS, TO OUR PARKS, AND AROUND OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. SO, THANK Y'ALL SO MUCH, BETH. YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I, I LOVE THE WORK THAT YOU AND YOUR STAFF DO. UH, WE COULD NOT DO IT WITHOUT YOU, BUT A BIG CONGRATULATIONS, BECAUSE I UNDERSCORE THIS, WE REALLY CAN'T DO IT WITHOUT, UH, FOLKS LIKE YOU ALL ARE VOGEL CREEK COMMUNITY CHAMPIONS. SO CONGRATULATIONS, COUNCIL, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCO. THANK YOU. THANKS FOR BRINGING THIS COUNCIL MEMBER PECK. I'M, I'M ONLINE ABOUT TO VOTE. SO, UH, , UH, ANYWAY, YAY. I SEE LOTS OF GREAT FAMILIAR FACES. I'VE BEEN OUT TO VOGEL CREEK RIGHT IN ON ONE OF YOUR BIKE RIDES WHERE THEY DON'T JUST, IT'S NOT JUST A BIKE RIDE. I MEAN, THEY REALLY SHOW YOU THERE'S COOL ART OUT THERE. I MEAN, IT IS A GEM OUT THERE. Y'ALL GO TO VOGEL CREEK. I MEAN, IT'S STILL, I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW IT WAS OUT THERE BEFORE I WENT OUT THERE. AND I, I LOVE HOW MUCH YOU LOVE YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND LOVE YOUR COMMUNITY AND LOVE THAT AREA, PUSHING FOR MORE. THEY'RE GONNA CONNECT, MAKE THAT CONNECTION. THAT WAS ONE OF THE BIG PITCHES WHEN I WAS OUT THERE. IT WASN'T JUST LIKE, LOOK HOW GREAT THIS IS. OH, WE'RE GOING FURTHER. WE'RE GOING TO WHITE OAK. UM, BUT IT'S A GREAT, IT'S A GREAT SPACE. THANKS FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK. IT'S, IT'S, UH, WHAT THE PARKS BOARD DOES, WHAT COMMUNITIES DO TO MAKE THE CITY GREAT. SO THANKS FOR BEING HERE. WAY TO GO. COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER. THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TEM, AND THANK YOU, UH, VICE MAYOR PRO TEM FOR BRINGING THIS GROUP. BUT, UH, AND ALSO TOO, COMMUNITY CHAMPIONS. I'M WATCHING AS EVERYONE SPEAKING, AND THE PRIDE THAT YOU ALL HAVE IN, IN YOUR WORK IS, IS EVIDENT. AND THE FACT THAT YOU BROUGHT THIS GREAT GROUP OF, OF SUPERSTARS BEHIND YOU, AND TODAY AS WE STOOD THERE AND LISTENED TO THEM SING ANGELS WATCHING OVER ME, IT WAS MOST PROFOUND BECAUSE THERE WAS A SIREN IN THE BACKGROUND. AND I THOUGHT, WHAT A, WHAT A WONDERFUL SONG AND WHAT A WONDERFUL SELECTION. BUT YOU ARE THE EXAMPLES FOR THESE YOUNG PEOPLE. AND THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO AND CONTINUE TO DO. TO SET THAT EXAMPLE, IT TAKES ALL OF US WORKING TOGETHER AND WE'VE GOT THAT SAME 24 HOURS A DAY. IT'S HOW WE CHOOSE TO SPEND OUR TIME THAT MAKES THE DIFFERENCE. SO, THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS. VERY GOOD. THE CHAIR NOW RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN FOR A PROCLAMATION RECOGNIZING JANUARY AS HUMAN TRAFFICKING AWARENESS MONTH. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN, THANK YOU SO MUCH, TAMIKA. COME ON UP. AS OUR MAYOR PRO TEM SAID, JANUARY IS HUMAN TRAFFICKING AWARENESS MONTH. AND WHILE THIS IS A CRITICAL, UM, RECOGNITION THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY, I THINK HERE IN HOUSTON, WHICH HAS ALSO BEEN RANKED, UH, THE WORST, RIGHT, THE I 10 CORRIDOR WORST FOR HUMAN TRAFFICKING NATIONALLY, UH, IT IS IMPORTANT NOT ONLY TO RECOGNIZE THE MONTH, BUT THE GROUPS THAT ARE ON THE GROUND DOING THIS WORK EVERY SINGLE DAY. UH, SO WE ARE HONORING TODAY A BUNCH, UH, AN ENTIRE COALITION, UH, BUT ALSO UNITED AGAINST HUMAN TRAFFICKING. THEY ARE CELEBRATING THEIR 20TH ANNIVERSARY THIS YEAR. CONGRATULATIONS. YAY. AND THEY LEAD, THEY LEAD A COALITION MADE UP OF OVER 50 ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING NONPROFITS, LAW ENFORCEMENT, UH, UNITED UNDER THE ANTI-HUMAN TRAFFICKING MOVEMENT. WE HAVE SOME OF THOSE GROUPS WITH US HERE TODAY IN ADDITION TO CEO TAMIKA WALKER. IF [00:15:01] ALL OF THOSE GROUPS THAT ARE HERE TODAY AND MEMBERS, COULD YOU PLEASE STAND? SO WE'LL CALL THEM UP, WE'LL CALL THEM UP FOR A PICTURE IN JUST A MOMENT. UM, BUT I DID WANNA RECOGNIZE SOME OF THEM. A FC YOUTH AGAPE ADVOCATE CONSULTING, UH, BREAKING CANES INC. I'M SORRY IF I'M MISPRONOUNCING IT. COVENANT HOUSE, WHO'S A TERRIFIC PARTNER. NOMI NETWORK PROJECT PROTECT OUR CHILDREN. RED M REFUGE FOR WOMEN, TEXAS GULF COAST, SAN JOSE CLINIC, ST. LUKE'S HEALTH STREET, GRACE, THE LANDING BCM ANTI-HUMAN TRAFFICKING PROGRAM, THE HARRIS CENTER, ALWAYS A TERRIFIC PARTNER. ASHLEY HARRISTON, UH, I IS ASHLEY HERE TODAY? UH, I THINK SO. IS SHE HERE? SHE MAY BE HERE. UM, AND I WANNA RECOGNIZE HER AS ONE OF OUR VERY STRONG SURVIVORS. WITH THAT BEING SAID, UM, THE NUMBERS FOR THIS ANNUAL REPORT FOR THIS PAST YEAR HAVE NOT, UH, BEEN RELEASED YET. BUT IN 2023 OVER, UH, 6,000 INDIVIDUALS WERE SERVED, UH, OVER A THOUSAND PARTICIPANTS IN A PROGRAM CALLED REAL REAL TALK YOUTH AWARENESS 27 WORKSHOPS, UH, CLOSE TO A THOUSAND YOUTH PARTICIPANTS IN EDUCATION. UH, THE NUMBERS GO ON AND ON AND I THINK SPEAK TO THE CRITICAL WORK. AND WITH THAT, I WILL, UH, BE PROUD TO PRESENT THIS PROCLAMATION. WHEREAS HUMAN TRAFFICKING IS A PROFOUND VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS, JEOPARDIZING THE SAFETY AND DIGNITY OF INDIVIDUALS ACROSS THE GLOBE, INCLUDING HERE IN THE UNITED STATES, WHERE VICTIMS OF ALL AGES, BACKGROUNDS, AND VULNERABILITIES ARE IMPACTED. A STUDY BY THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS ESTIMATES THAT THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 313,000 VICTIMS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN TEXAS ALONE WITH WOMEN AND GIRLS DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTED. HOUSTON IS HOME TO A NETWORK OF DEDICATED ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES, ADVOCACY GROUPS, AND SERVICE PROVIDERS, ALL WORKING TO COMBAT HUMAN TRAFFICKING BY INCREASING AWARENESS, DELIVERING COMPASSIONATE AND TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE TO SURVIVORS AND HOLDING OFFENDERS ACCOUNTABLE. IN THE PAST YEAR, THE NATIONAL HUMAN TRAFFICKING HOTLINE CONFIRMED CASES IN HOUSTON ACROSS GENDERS, AGES, AND INDUSTRIES, WHILE COUNTLESS OTHERS REMAIN UNREPORTED, WHICH UNDERSCORES THE NEED FOR CONTINUED VIGILANCE AND ACTION. UNITED AGAINST HUMAN TRAFFICKING PROVIDES CRITICAL SUPPORT TO SURVIVORS, EQUIPPING THEM WITH THE TOOLS TO REBUILD THEIR LIVES, WHILE ALSO DELIVERING EDUCATION AND PREVENTION PROGRAMS AIMED AT PROTECTING VULNERABLE POPULATIONS, PARTICULARLY HOUSTON'S YOUTH FROM EXPLOITATION. THROUGHOUT JANUARY, HOUSTON WILL HOST EVENTS AND INITIATIVES AIMED AT FOSTERING A MORE INFORMED, ENGAGED, AND UNIFIED COMMUNITY, WORKING TOGETHER TO PREVENT HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND ENSURE PUBLIC SAFETY. THE CITY OF HOUSTON ACKNOWLEDGES AND COMMENCES THE TIRELESS EFFORTS OF THE ADVOCATES, ORGANIZERS, AND PARTICIPANTS DEDICATED TO ENDING HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND EXTENDING CARE TO THOSE AFFECTED MAYOR. YEAH. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR MAKING THIS, UH, ONE OF OUR HIGHEST PRIORITIES. AS, UH, CHAIRMAN OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE IN AUSTIN, WE WE'RE ALWAYS FOCUSED ON ANTI-HUMAN TRAFFICKING ENHANCEMENTS. UH, NIA THOMPSON REPRESENTATIVE AND JOAN HUFFMAN IN THE SENATE DONE OUTSTANDING WORK. AND, UH, I WAS, UH, PROUD TO CONTINUE THAT SAME PASSION FIGHTING HUMAN TRAFFICKING HERE AT CITY HALL. UH, YOUR LIST OF, UH, SPONSORS AND, AND SUPPORT GROUPS DID NOT NAME HPD. UH, HPD IS VERY ACTIVE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. SO WHETHER IT'S AT THE AIRPORT OR IF YOU GET ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND ASK, UH, AS I WAS SHOWN RECENTLY BY HPD, IF YOU GOOGLE HOUSTON SEX, UNFORTUNATELY IT'LL STILL SEND YOU TO BIS NET. SO WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO. UH, WE'RE ONLY GOING TO ACCOMPLISH MORE IF WE TALK ABOUT IT AND HAVE DAYS LIKE THIS PROCLAMATION. SO AS WE GET READY FOR THE WORLD CUP, UH, WE'LL FOCUS ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING ISSUES, BUT I DON'T WANNA WORK, WAIT FOR THE WORLD CUP. EVERY DAY OUGHT TO BE A WORLD CUP IN HOUSTON FIGHTING HUMAN TRAFFICKING. SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD, AND THEREFORE, I, JOHN WHITMEYER MAYOR, THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROCLAIM JANUARY 25TH AS HUMAN TRAFFICKING AWARENESS MONTH IN HOUSTON, TEXAS. THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK YOU DO, AND I'LL, I'LL DEFER TO TAMIKA. UM, AND, AND JUST TO CLARIFY, THE GROUPS WE LISTED ARE SOME OF THE GROUPS REPRESENTED HERE TODAY, SO THAT'S PERFECT. AWESOME. AWESOME. THERE'S PROBABLY OTHERS, LOTS OF OTHERS. LOTS OF OTHERS THAT WE HAVE A LISTED. YEAH. LOTS OF OTHERS. SO WE NEED TO KEEP THE STATE OF TEXAS FOCUSED. GOOD DEAL. THANK YOU SO MUCH. UH, FIRST AND FOREMOST, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME HERE TODAY. I AM TAMIKA WALKER AS, UH, THE CEO OF UNITED AGAINST [00:20:01] HUMAN TRAFFICKING. IT'S AN HONOR TO BE, I'M GONNA LET YOU YEAH, IT'S AN HONOR TO BE HERE. SO WHAT I WANTED TO LET YOU GUYS KNOW IS THAT WE HAVE WORKED REALLY CLOSELY WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON FOR MANY YEARS TO COMBAT HUMAN TRAFFICKING. WE BELIEVE IN THE VALUE OF ALL THE WORK THAT YOU GUYS DO TO MAKE SURE TO ELEVATE THIS CONVERSATION IN OUR CITY. IT'S AN ISSUE, UH, THAT AS AN ORGANIZATION AND AS A COALITION, WE REALLY, REALLY, REALLY DO EVERY DAY, FOCUS ON EVERY DAY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN ELEVATE THE CONVERSATION. I THINK A BIGGER PART IS AS, UH, MAYOR WHITMEYER, UH, COMMUNICATED THAT THE LAW ENFORCEMENT SUPPORT THAT WE HAVE FIRST RESPONDERS, UH, MEDICAL SURVI, UH, PROVIDERS AND SURVIVORS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING ARE THE PEOPLE THAT ACTUALLY GUIDE THE WORK THAT WE DO. SO, PLEASE KNOW THAT EVERYTHING THAT WE DO, AND AS THE COALITION MEMBERS WANNA STAND AND COME UP UP FRONT, WE REALLY WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THEM AND MAKE SURE THEY UNDERSTAND THAT WE APPRECIATED THAT WE COULDN'T DO THIS WORK WITHOUT EVERYONE COMING TOGETHER AND UNITING AGAINST THE FIGHT AGAINST HUMAN TRAFFICKING. AS A, A LEADER OF THE ORGANIZATION THAT'S, UH, IDENTIFIED AS UNITED AGAINST HUMAN TRAFFICKING, WE DO WANT TO ALWAYS FOCUS ON HOW WE CAN COME TOGETHER AND BALANCE OUT OUR DIFFERENCES AND UNDERSTAND THAT EVERYBODY HAS A VOICE IN THIS FIGHT FOR THE SURVIVORS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND THE ATROCITIES THAT THEY EXPERIENCE EVERY DAY. IT'S IMPORTANT THAT EVERYONE IS UNIFIED AND THAT EVERYONE IS UNDERSTANDING THAT IT'S HAPPENING HERE IN OUR CITY EVERY DAY AND MAKING SURE THAT WE ELEVATE THE CONVERSATION AS MUCH AS WE CAN. SO, THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE. THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU CONTINUE TO DO, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, FOR BRINGING THIS, UH, PROCLAMATION EVERY YEAR, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN ACKNOWLEDGE AND, AND BE AWARE OF THE ISSUE THAT'S HAPPENING HERE IN OUR CITY. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. WALKER. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR, UH, BEING HERE. WE KNOW THAT EVERY JANUARY IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO AMPLIFY THIS MESSAGE. AND, UH, THANK YOU ALL FOR CONTINUING TO DO THE WORK TO PROTECT SURVIVORS AND KEEP GETTING THE MESSAGE OUT THAT WE DON'T WANT THIS BEHAVIOR IN OUR CITY. CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR PROCLAMATION. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT. [2:00 P.M. – INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE] [00:25:14] COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS, FOR THE INVOCATION. THANK YOU MUCH. UH, WOULD YOU BOW YOUR HEADS OR OPEN YOUR HANDS OR TAKE YOUR POSTURE OF REVERENCE? DEAR GOD, BEFORE I ASK YOU FOR ANYTHING, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING. I WANNA THANK YOU FOR THE INDIVIDUALS THAT LINE THIS HORSESHOE, THE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE TRAVELING THROUGHOUT OUR CITY. I WANNA THANK YOU FOR THE BLESSING. I WANNA THANK YOU FOR KEEPING US DURING THIS WEATHER. THANK YOU FOR THE, UH, BREATH IN OUR BODIES. THANK YOU FOR THE SANITY OF OUR MINDS. THANK YOU FOR THE FULLNESS THAT'S IN EACH OF OUR HEART. BUT TO GOD, I ONLY WANT, I WANNA ASK YOU FOR ONLY WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR US. AND THAT'S TO PROTECT US. THAT'S TO GUIDE US, AND THAT IS TO INFORM US OF THE THINGS AND THE, THE, THE WORDS AND THE ACTIONS THAT WE MUST DEMONSTRATE TO REPRESENT THIS GREAT CITY. TO HONOR YOUR WORD AND TO HONOR YOUR PEOPLE, MAY YOU ADD AN EXTRA BLESSING TO THE DOER OF YOUR WORD, AN EXTRA BLESSING TO THOSE THAT SERVE YOUR PEOPLE. AND YOUR SON'S NAME I PRAY. AMEN. AMEN. ROLL CALL. ROLL [ROLL CALL AND ADOPT THE MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING] CALL PLEASE. MAYOR WHITMEYER. PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER PECK HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. HERE. COUNCIL MC KAMAN. PRESENT COUNCIL MEMBER EVER SHABA HERE. COUNCIL FLICKER WILL BE ABSENT. COUNCIL THOMAS PRESENT, COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO WILL BE ABSENT. COUNCIL MARTINEZ WILL BE ABSENT. COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD. HERE. COUNCIL MCC CASTEX TATUM HERE MEET YOU. COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ. HERE, COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. COUNCILMAN CARTER. COUNCILMAN PLUM WILL BE ASKING COUNCILMAN ALCORN HERE. WE NEED A MOTION TO ADOPT THE MINUTES OF JANUARY 7TH AND EIGHTH. CASTEX TATUM, MOVE. NEXT. SECOND. MOTIONS MADE IN SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. UH, NOW FOR [PUBLIC SPEAKERS] PROCEDURAL MOTIONS. COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER. THANK YOU MAYOR. I MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO MOVE JACOB CLEMENTE TO THE TOP OF THE, UH, THREE MINUTE FOR ONE MINUTE LIST. SECOND MOTION. RIGHT. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. AND THEN I GUESS EVAN SHABA, I DUNNO WHAT SHE, COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO MOVE PAULA SMITH TO THE TOP OF THE THREE MINUTE NON AGENDA. AND THEN I HAVE A SECOND MOTION AS WELL TO, TO FOLLOW. JACOB CLEMENTE. TO FOLLOW JACOB? OKAY. YES. IS JACOB GONNA BE THREE MINUTES OR ONE, ONE AT THE TOP? ONE MINUTE FOR ONE MINUTE. NO, I WANT PAUL AT THE TOP OF THE THREE MINUTE AFTER JACOB. IT'S THREE MINUTES, BUT HE'LL BE FOR ONE MINUTE. THE SAID JACOB WAS GONNA BE ONE MINUTE. OH MY. Y'ALL GET Y'ALL GET IT TOGETHER. GET IT TOGETHER. UM, I'D LIKE TO MOVE ILIA MONTOYA RIVAS. UH, ADD HER TO THE LIST. UH, I BELIEVE THE TOP OF THE ONE MINUTE LIST BEHIND JACOB CLEMENTE. NO. NO. OKAY. WELL, WHEREVER Y'ALL PUT IT, JUST LET ON THERE. THANK YOU. WE GOT IT. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED. SECOND. MOTION PASSES. ANYONE ELSE? I THINK THAT'S IT. NOT, UH, MA'AM. SECRETARY CALLER. FIRST SPEAKER. JACOB CLEMENT. OKAY. HI JACOB. UH, FRIENDS HOUSTONIANS. TEXANS. LET ME, YOU HERE. I COME HERE NOT TO RAISE KANSAS CITY, BUT TO BURY HIM. THIS IS WHY, IF YOU FEELING LIKE I'M FEELING RIGHT NOW, YOU MUST BE A TEXAN FAN. LET'S GO LOUD. CROWD. [00:30:07] UHHUH. AH, Y'ALL KNOW YOU TO STAND UP. JACK, SIT DOWN, COACH, SIT DOWN AROUND. TELL HIM NIKA GONNA SHOW JACOB YOUR MINUTE IS IS UP. SO I KNOW THAT WE'RE ALL EXCITED ABOUT THE TEXANS. DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANNA ADD? OKAY. DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANNA ADD, JACOB? YES. I WENT TO AUSTIN TO DO SOME PRO UM, SOME, UM, LOBBYING FOR PRO-LIFE ISSUES. AND I SAW WHAT WENT TO THE MENS YOUNG CHECK HOUSE OWNED BY LAURA MALCOLM L BROWN AND PHILIP BROWN. AND I HAD THE KANSAS CITY STRIP CHECK. OH, WOW. THAT'S GREAT. GET A STRIP CHECK. I I'M GOING, WE'RE GONNA STRIP KANSAS CITY. ALL RIGHT, WELL, WE'RE ALL VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE BIG WIN. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, JACOB. HAVE A SUPER DAY. I GOT IT. GO NOW. OKAY, THANKS. OKAY, NEXT SPEAKER. PAULA SMITH. PAULA SMITH. NEXT SPEAKER. NEXT SPEAKER. VASANT BACH. VASANT BOT. I WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE PRONOUNCING THAT CORRECT. V-A-S-A-N-T-B-H-A-T-T, VASANT BOT. NEXT SPEAKER. ANNETTE JACKSON. ANNETTE JACKSON, FORMER LEGAL EMPLOYEE . HI, MS. JACKSON. HOW ARE YOU? GOOD MORNING. UM, FIRST GIVING HONOR TO JESUS CHRIST, WHO IS THE HEAD OF MY LIFE, UH, TO THE MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND OTHERS. UH, MY NAME IS ANNETTE. CAN YOU SPEAK? WILL YOU SPEAK RIGHT INTO THAT MIC? I TALK LOUD ENOUGH. BELIEVE ME. YOU'RE GONNA HEAR ME BEFORE THIS IS OVER WITH. UH, MY NAME IS ANNETTE JACKSON AND I AM NOT HERE TO COMPLAIN. I CAME TO ASK YOU TO PUT YOURSELVES IN MY SHOES AND LOOK THROUGH MY EYES FOR THE NEXT TWO MINUTES. I WAKE UP EVERY MORNING AND LOOK OUTSIDE TO SEE IF THE HEAVY HAUL TRASH HAS BEEN PICKED UP. JANUARY 17TH WILL BE THE THIRD MONTH THAT NO HEAVY HAUL TRASH HAS BEEN PICKED UP AND IT'S STILL OUT IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE. ARE YOU LOOKING? CAN YOU SEE THAT? TRASH WAS OUT IN MY, OUT IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE FOR THANKSGIVING. IT WAS OUT IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE FOR CHRISTMAS. IT WAS OUT IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE FOR NEW YEAR. IT HAS RAINED THREE OR FOUR TIMES ON THAT TRASH. OTHER PEOPLE HAVE STARTED ADDING TO THAT TRASH. AND SO I GO OUT AND RESTACK IT NEATLY BECAUSE THE HEAVY HAUL PEOPLE WON'T PICK IT UP IF IT'S ALL OVER THE PLACE. EXCUSE ME. I'VE CALLED 3 1 1. I'VE CALLED MY HOMEOWNER'S ASSOCIATION WHO SAYS THEY'RE COMING. JUST GIVE THEM TIME. THEY'RE COMING. I'VE EVEN CALLED, UH, MY COUNCIL PERSON'S OFFICE. I CALL THE SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT, AND THEY HAVE A PERMANENT, UH, BUSY TONE. I WAS ABLE TO GET THROUGH TO THAT DEPARTMENT ONE TIME WHEN I WAS WORKING AND I WAS DOING CONTRACTS AND THEY NEEDED TO TALK TO ME IN ORDER TO GET THEIR CONTRACT WORK DONE. SO I GOT JOE WIGINGTON, WHO WAS MY BOSS TO CALL THEM, AND THEY CALLED ME BACK. SO I GOT A CHANCE TO TALK TO THE SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT. I AM NOW FIXATED ON HEAVY HAUL TRUCKS. I SEE THEM EVERYWHERE. I GO ALL OVER THE PLACE. IT'S LIKE WHEN YOU'RE GONNA BUY A BRAND NEW CAR AND EVERYBODY SEEMS TO BE DRIVING YOUR CAR. THAT'S THE WAY IT IS FOR ME. AND THE SOLID WASTE HEAVY HAUL TRUCKS. I SEE THEM. I'VE EVEN GOTTEN OUT AND TALKED TO THEM AND ASKED THEM, COULD YOU PLEASE COME TO MY HOUSE AND PICK UP MY HEAVY HAUL TRASH? AND THEY SAY, THEY SAY, MA'AM, WE ONLY GET A LIST OF WHERE TO GO. WE DON'T, WE DON'T HAVE, UH, WE CAN'T JUST GO PICK UP HEAVY HALL FOR ANYBODY. SO I KNOW YOU ALL HAVE AN ANSWER FOR ME, SO LET'S HAVE IT. WE DO HAVE FOR YOU, MS. JACKSON. AS A MATTER OF FACT, UM, THE ADDITIONAL CONTRACTORS THAT HAVE BEEN HIRED BY THE CITY ARE IN FORT BEND TODAY. THEY SHOULD BE FINISHED WITH THAT AREA BY TOMORROW. AND I HATE THAT YOU HAD TO COME DOWN HERE, BUT [00:35:01] IT WAS, IT WAS ON THE SCHEDULE. THEY DID GET SOME SUPPLEMENTAL, UM, HELP TO HELP IN FORT BEND. I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN CALLING THE OFFICE AND WE'VE BEEN, UH, AMPLIFYING YOUR VOICE TO SAY THEY THEY REALLY NEED THEIR HEAVY TRASH PICKUP. AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR KINDNESS. WE APPRECIATE YOUR PATIENCE. UM, BUT WE'VE BEEN TOLD THAT THEY SHOULD, UH, BE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD TODAY AND THEY SHOULD COMPLETE THAT FORT BEND AREA ON TOMORROW. IF THAT'S NOT THE CASE, CALL US IN THE OFFICE AND WE'LL, WE'LL GET SOMEBODY OUT THERE. MUCH. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MUCH. YOU'RE SO VERY WELCOME. MUCH . NEXT SPEAKER. DOROTHY ANDERSON. DOROTHY ANDERSON. I KNOW SHE'S FROM THE SAME NEIGHBORHOOD, SO IF YOU, IF YOU SEE HER, MS. JACKSON, LET HER KNOW. UH, AND IF, AND, AND IF IT'S NOT PICKED UP BY TOMORROW, LET US KNOW. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANKS SO MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER. CODY ADAMS. CODY ADAMS. NEXT SPEAKER. ANNA HARRIS. ANNA HARRIS. HELLO, MS. HARRIS. HI. GOOD TO SEE Y'ALL. HAPPY NEW YEAR. HAPPY NEW YEAR. OKAY. TODAY WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT WHAT RIGHTS DO ELDERLYS HAVE IN TEXAS. THE RIGHT TO BE FREE OF ABUSE, PHYSICAL, MENTAL, AND EMOTIONAL RIGHT TO DIGNITY AND RESPECT. RIGHT. TO EXERCISE THEIR CIVIL RIGHTS RIGHT TO PRIVACY, AND RIGHT TO SPEAK OUT ABOUT ABUSIVE TREATMENT. ON MAY 16TH, 2024, WE WERE HIT BY A FRIGHTENING STORM THAT TOOK OUR POWER OUT FOR SEVEN DAYS. ON DAY THREE, I RECEIVED A CALL FROM A FRIEND ON THE THIRD FLOOR IN MY BUILDING BECAUSE OF HEALTH ISSUES. HE WAS UNABLE TO LEAVE HIS APARTMENT AND WAS REACHING OUT FOR HELP. HE WAS NOT THE ONLY SENIOR RESIDENT IN DISTRESS UNTIL DAY SIX OF THE OUTAGE. MANAGEMENT HAD NOT MADE ONE WELFARE CHECK ON ANYONE. MRS. HUDSON CAME TO HER OFFICE IN THE MORNINGS AND LEFT AT NOON. IT IS AGAINST THE LAW IN THE STATE OF TEXAS TO NEGLECT SENIORS. OOPS. SORRY. NOW LET'S LOOK AT DIGNITY AND RESPECT AT OUR PROPERTY. WHEN SENIORS ARE CONTROLLED THROUGH A TATTLETALE SYSTEM, PITTING RESIDENTS AGAINST EACH OTHER, IS THAT RESPECT WHEN SENIORS ARE CONTROLLED THROUGH FEAR MANIPULATION? IS THAT RESPECT? WE CURRENTLY HAVE A COUPLE LIVING AT CAMPAN WHO HAVE BEEN UNDER A, A LEASE VIOLATION, WHICH RESTRICTS THEM FROM TALKING TO ANYONE IN THE COMMUNITY CALLED A GAG ORDER. AND THEY'VE BEEN UNDER THIS ORDER SINCE OCTOBER. THE DAY AFTER SPEAKING OUT, A COUNCIL MEMBER OUR MEETING, THEY WERE ISSUED AN EVICTION NOTICE. AND BASICALLY THEY'RE IN THEIR APARTMENT. NO ONE HAS SEEN THEM SINCE THEN. RETALIATION AGAINST A SENIOR IN TEXAS IS ILLEGAL. IF YOU'VE READ THROUGH OUR LENGTHY LEASE THE RULES, WE HAVE NO CIVIL RIGHTS. WE CAN ONLY HOST TWO PEOPLE IN OUR APARTMENT. THAT MEANS MY SON, HIS WIFE, AND TWO CHILDREN COULD NEVER COME FOR DINNER, THANKSGIVING, CHRISTMAS, OR REALLY ANYTIME. WE CAN ONLY HAVE TWO PEOPLE AT THE POOL AT A TIME, AND THAT MEANS MY SON AND HIS TWO KIDS COULD NOT COME TO THE POOL WITH ME. AT THE SAME TIME, WE HAVE TO GET PERMISSION TO HOST ANYONE OVERNIGHT. WHEN WE DO HAVE A GUEST, THEY HAVE TO MOVE THEIR CAR OUT OF OUR PARKING LOT BY 9:00 PM OR BE TOWED. AND THAT'S BECAUSE DUE TO THE FACT THAT THERE WAS NO PARKING ALLOTTED FOR GUESTS AND OF ALL THE PEOPLE IN THE WORLD WHO NEED COMPANY, IT'S US. AS YOU WILL RECALL, MR. KELLY STOOD BEFORE THE COUNCIL AND SAID, WE COULD. THIS HAS EXPIRED. IT'S OKAY. Y'ALL HAVE MY SPEECH AND YOU CAN, MS. HARRIS, IF YOU WANNA JUST GO AHEAD AND WRAP IT UP. WE DO HAVE TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT ARE IN QUEUE TO SPEAK WITH YOU. OKAY. UH, LET'S SEE. I WILL WRAP IT UP. COUNCIL MEMBER PECK? YEAH. OH, I I WAS GONNA GIVE YOU SOME OF MY TIME IF YOU WANTED TO. OKAY. I'M JUST GONNA ASK ONE QUESTION AND THEN WE CAN GO. UM, I WANNA LEAVE ALL OF Y'ALL WITH THIS QUESTION TO THINK ABOUT WHY ISN'T THE TEXAS LEGAL SYSTEM TAKING BETTER CARE OF SENIORS IN PROTECTING US FROM ABUSE? COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ, UH, THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TEM. AND, UH, THANK YOU MA'AM FOR SPEAKING. [00:40:01] I, UH, AM DISAPPOINTED TO HEAR SOME OF THE THINGS YOU'RE SAYING AND, UH, WHAT I WILL DO IS ASK MR. KELLY TO WATCH A RECORDING OF YOUR REMARKS AND, UH, ASK HIM FOR A RESPONSE. ALRIGHT. AND THEN WE'LL REACH BACK OUT TO YOU. ALRIGHT. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MAYOR FOR TIM. AND MS. HARRIS, THANK YOU FOR COMING AGAIN. UM, I KNOW MS. BUTLER IS, UM, SPEAKING AFTER YOU AS WELL. WE HAVE ONGOING MEETINGS WITH THE OWNERS OF THIS APARTMENT COMPLEX FOR ALL OF THE CHANGES THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE DISCUSSED, UM, PREVIOUSLY. AND SO WE'RE CONTINUING THOSE CONVERSATIONS. WE HAVE NOT STOPPED, UM, THOSE CONVERSATIONS BY ANY MEANS. SO THANK YOU FOR COMING IN AND SHARING THE CONCERNS AGAIN. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, SHERRY BUTLER. SHERRY BUTLER. THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR ALLOWING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK. TODAY IS THE FIRST TIME THE FOUR OF US ATTENDED THE, THIS TUESDAY MEETING. THERE HAVE BEEN SOME IMPROVEMENTS. COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE ASKING THE GOOD DIRECT QUESTIONS THAT GET TO THE ROOT OF THE SAFETY CONCERN. BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE WAS THE ONE THAT WAS ASKED AT THE MEETING OF AMY PECK AND WILLIE DAVIS AT THE APARTMENT COMPLEX NEWS MEDIA. AMY PECK AND THE FIRE CHIEF WERE HORRIFIED ON THAT DAY. WHEN THEY CAME OUT AND SAW THE STATE OF WHAT WAS GOING ON AT OUR APARTMENT COMPLEX. THEY ALL STATED THEIR OPINIONS THAT THIS WAS JUST UNACCEPTABLE AND ALL IN AGREEMENT OF THE EGREGIOUS BEHAVIOR COUNCIL MEMBER. PECK STATED, THERE WERE ACTIONS ONGOING BEHIND THE SCENE, BUT SINCE NOTHING WAS EVER COMMUNICATED TO ANY RESIDENTS, AND THERE WAS NO NOTIFICATION OR EVIDENCE OF IMPROVEMENTS, I, I AM FORCED TO TAKE YOUR WORD THAT THERE, THAT THERE WERE THINGS GOING ON, BUT THE LACK OF COMMUNICATION IS JUST STILL SO RIDICULOUS. AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY WE DON'T GET NOTIFIED AND WE AREN'T TOLD WHAT IMPROVEMENTS ARE HAPPENING AT OUR COMPLEX. IT'S DANGEROUS TO NOT HAVE EMS HAVE CONTROL. I TALKED ABOUT IT IN MY FIRST ONE, AND I'M GONNA RUN OUTTA TIME, BUT THERE'S CALL BOXES THAT WERE AT THE APARTMENT EMS AND PHYSICAL THERAPISTS AND THOSE KIND OF PEOPLE COULD ACCESS AND GET INTO THE BUILDING. WE DON'T HAVE THAT BOX BECAUSE THE DAY AFTER WE CAME HERE, THOSE SILVER BOXES THAT WERE WORKING FOR SOME PEOPLE WERE ALL RIPPED OUT. AND LITTLE BOXES THAT WERE CALLED, THE NOX BOXES WERE INSTALLED. AND THERE'S ONLY ONE KEY IN EACH OF THOSE BOXES. AND THROUGH MY INVESTIGATION, I'VE DISCOVERED THAT IT'S NOT THE FIRE TRUCKS. THE, THE, THE FIRE GUYS ARE GRAY. I KNOW BOTH OF THE CAPTAINS AT THE ONE THAT'S NEAR ME, AND THEY HAVE KEYS ON THE FIRETRUCK. SO IT'S NOT THE FIRETRUCKS, IT'S THE EMS PEOPLE THAT COME. AND IF THEY'RE HAVING AN EMERGENCY OR THEY HAVE TO GET BACK, THEY DON'T PUT THE KEY BACK IN THE BOX. AND I SPOKE TO THE INSPECTOR, UH, HI HIGGINS WAS OUT THERE, AND I QUESTIONED HIM ABOUT IT AND HE SAID, WELL, THERE'S BY LAW WE ONLY HAVE TO HAVE ONE KEY IN THE BOX. AND I SAID, BUT IF THE EMS THROUGH MY INVESTIGATION ARE THE ONES THAT ARE TAKING THAT KEY AND IT DOESN'T GET REPLACED, WHAT ABOUT THAT? AND HE GOES, IN ALL MY 30 YEARS, I CAN SAY THAT'S RARELY HAPPENED. AND I JUST LOOKED AT HIM AND I SAID, INSPECTOR, IF IT HAPPENED ONCE, ISN'T THAT TOO MANY TIMES I WAITED NO RESPONSE. I NEED THOSE CALL BOXES. SO THEY'RE INSTALLED OUTSIDE AND PEOPLE CAN DIAL THE NUMBER AND THEY CAN GET INTO THE BUILDING. IT IS A HUGE SAFETY CONCERN. AND IT'S WHEN YOU'RE OLD AND YOU NEED HELP AND YOU NEED A PHYSICAL THERAPIST OR AN EMS, THE ONLY WAY THEY GET IN IS WHEN ANNA HEARS THEM BEATING AT THE DOOR WHEN SHE'S WALKING HER DOG. AND SHE'S, THEY CAN'T GET IN. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. THANK YOU, MS. BUTLER. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER. THANK YOU. UH, MAYOR PRO TEM. UH, YOU KNOW, MS. BUTLER, YOU, WE SPOKE A LITTLE BIT BEFORE THE MEETING AND I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS AND, UH, NOT TO MUDDY THE WATER BECAUSE SOUNDS LIKE COUNCIL MEMBER PECK AND CERTAINLY DAVIS AND RAMIREZ ARE ALL ON IT, BUT YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU ASKED FOR IS COMMUNICATION. WE, WE TOUCHED ON THAT BRIEFLY, AND I'M SURE, UH, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER PECK HAS REQUESTED WRITTEN COMMUNICATION AND, AND, AND I THINK IT SOUNDS LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE JUST NEED TO KEEP DOING THAT. AND IF, [00:45:01] IF SOMEONE HERE COULD HELP FURTHER WITH THAT AND SENDING A LETTER OR, YOU KNOW, A LIST OR ANYTHING, BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND, UM, LIVING IN A, IN A FACILITY THAT IF SOMETHING HAPPENS AND YOU'RE CONCERNED ABOUT PEOPLE HAVING ACCESS TO HELP YOU IN A TIME OF NEED, THAT IS A VERY CRITICAL CONCERN. AND JUST TO HAVE A PLAN CERTAINLY IS, IS SECURITY. SO I UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, YOUR FRUSTRATIONS AND I'M SURE THAT COUNCIL MEMBER PECK IS WORKING ON THAT, BUT THERE'S ANY WAY ANY OF US COULD HELP YOU. WE, WE WOULD, BUT I, I THINK, UH, I'LL CERTAINLY HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH COUNCIL MEMBER PECK ON FOLLOWING UP ON OUR DISCUSSION, BUT COMMUNICATION IS KEY AND THAT'S ALL YOU'RE REALLY ASKING FOR. IT IS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ANSWER. COUNCIL MEMBER PECK, I'M VICE MAYOR PRO TEMP PECK. I APOLOGIZE. THANK YOU, MS. BUTLER. THANKS FOR BEING HERE AGAIN. UM, YOU'RE RIGHT. COMMUNICATION WAS, UM, A BIG TOPIC OF CONVERSATION WHEN WE MET WITH THE PROPERTY OWNERS, UM, ALONG WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE AS WELL. UM, THEY CAN TELL YOU THAT THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WE DISCUSSED VERY HEAVILY WITH THEM SETTING THE EXPECTATIONS THAT THEY NEED TO HAVE BETTER COMMUNICATION WITH THE RESIDENTS. AND I KNOW THAT IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT HASN'T HAPPENED YET. WE WANTED TO GIVE THEM A LITTLE BIT OF TIME TO IMPLEMENT THEIR SYSTEM THAT THEY WERE, UM, TALKING TO US ABOUT. SO WE, LIKE I SAID BEFORE, HAVE ONGOING CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM. UM, SO GET AN UPDATE ON THAT PIECE OF IT SO THAT WE CAN SHARE WITH THE COMMUNITY. AND AS FAR AS THE, UM, BOXES FOR, UM, FOR EMS TO COME IN, WE'VE HAD, UM, HPD, THE, THERE'S, UM, A TASK FORCE FOR APARTMENTS. WE'VE HAD THEM LOOK AT THE APARTMENT COMPLEX SEVERAL TIMES, AND THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WE TOLD THEM TO PLEASE CHECK AND MAKE SURE THAT THE KEY IS THERE. SO EVERY TIME THAT THEY GO, UM, AND LOOK AT THE APARTMENT NOW, UM, THAT YOU'VE BROUGHT THAT TO OUR ATTENTION, THEY ARE CHECKING THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS A KEY SO FAR EVERY TIME THAT THEY'VE LOOKED, UM, THERE HAS BEEN THE KEY, BUT, BUT THE PROBLEM IS WE CAN'T SEE IT IF THERE'S ONLY ONE KEY IN EACH OF THOSE BOXES. AND THE EMS TAKE IT, WE CAN'T LOOK AT IT. AND THAT'S WHY HPD IS WHEN THEY GO AND DO THEIR INSPECTIONS, THEY'RE MAKING SURE THAT THAT KEY IS THERE. AND SO, SO FAR THEY HAVEN'T SEEN AN ISSUE WITH IT. UM, NOT BEING THERE SINCE YOU BROUGHT IT TO OUR ATTENTION. WE'VE ALSO BROUGHT THAT TO THE ATTENTION OF THE PROPERTY OWNERS AS WELL, UM, FOR WHEN THEY'RE DOING JUST KIND OF THEIR, YOU KNOW, DAILY, WEEKLY, UM, WALKTHROUGHS ON THE APARTMENT THAT THEY NEED TO CHECK THE OFF OF THEIR LIST TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS A KEY THERE AS WELL. SO THANKS FOR BRINGING THAT TO OUR ATTENTION SO THAT WE WERE ABLE TO NOTIFY THEM. THAT'S ALL. NEXT SPEAKER, TARA WARD. TARA WARD. NEXT SPEAKER. GWENDOLYN DURELL. GWENDOLYN . YES, MA'AM. IF YOU'LL SPEAK BEHIND ONE OF THOSE MICROPHONES, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR US. OKAY. IS IT STILL MORNING? IT'S ON. WE'RE READY FOR TO HEAR FROM YOU. THANK YOU ALL FOR HEARING ME. MY NAME IS GWENDOLYN DURELL. I LIVE AT 46 55 ALDEN MILL ROAD, APARTMENT 3 1 6, HOUSTON, TEXAS 7 7 0 3 9. IT'S A INDEPENDENT LIVING FACILITY. I'M A FIVE TIME STROKE SURVIVOR, LEGALLY BLIND. I WAS, UH, GIVEN, UH, EVICTION NOTICE. I HAD ALL MY STUFF TOGETHER, BUT FOR SOME REASON IT'S MISSING. I FEEL LIKE SOMEBODY'S GOING IN MY APARTMENT WHEN I'M NOT THERE. LAST [00:50:01] YEAR MY MEDICAL INSURANCE PAID FOR MY APARTMENT TO BE EXTERMINATED FOR BED BUGS. ALL OF A SUDDEN I GOT BED BUGS BACK IN MY APARTMENT REAL BAD. I EVEN PURCHASED A BRAND NEW MATTRESS LAST YEAR OUT OF MY OWN SOCIAL SECURITY. UH, I MOVED FROM A 1500 SQUARE HOUSE, RENT HOUSE TO LIVING WITH MY MOM. AND SHE DIED LAST YEAR IN OCTOBER. SO I CAN'T GO BACK TO MOM'S HOUSE. BEFORE SHE DIED, SHE HAD A WHEEL MAIL, A WILL MADE SAYING AS SOON AS SHE DIES, SELL THE HOUSE AND THE PROCEEDS WOULD GO TO ME, MY SISTER AND MY HALF-BROTHER. I'VE ASKED THEM TO LET ME MOVE IN THE HOUSE AND I WOULD TAKE CARE OF ALL THE BILLS AND THINGS, BUT THEY WON'T. THE APARTMENTS THAT I LIVE IN NOW, I TRIED FRIDAY OR THURSDAY. WHEN I LEFT HERE, THE METRO LEFT, THAT'S MY ONLY TRANSPORTATION. GOT ME BACK HOME. LITTLE AFTER FIVE, ABOUT 5:00 PM THE PROPERTY MANAGER WAS STILL IN HER OFFICE. I ASKED HER COULD I PAY MY RENT. SHE TOLD ME NO, THEY WERE NOT ACCEPTING MY MONEY THAT, UH, THEY HAD ALREADY FILED AN EVICTION. I'VE BEEN LOOKING, I WENT TO THE ZINE APARTMENTS FOR SENIORS ZINE VILLAGE. SOMEBODY IS USING MY SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER AND MY NAME, AND NOW THAT'S A FRAUD ALERT ON ME. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT IS OR WHAT IT MEANS, BUT I'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR PLACES I EITHER DON'T HAVE ENOUGH INCOME OR THERE'S THIS EVICTION COMING UP. I WANTED TO SEE IF YOU ALL COULD HELP ME TO FIND A PLACE TO LIVE SO I WON'T BE HOMELESS OUT THERE IN THE ELEMENTS. MR. DURACELL, WHEN IS THE, UH, THE DATE ON THE, WHAT'S THE DATE ON THE EVICTION NOTICE? THE 22ND OF JANUARY, I GO TO THE EVICTION COURT ON SHEPHERD. OKAY. UM, I THINK THE COUNCIL MEMBER, SHABAZZ, DID YOU WANNA MAKE A COMMENT? YES. UH, UH, THANK YOU FOR COMING. UM, NOW YOU SAID ZION VILLAGE, IS THAT IN THIRD WARD? YES, MA'AM. OKAY. SO WHAT WAS THE PROBLEM WITH YOU GETTING IN ZION VILLAGE, IF YOU DON'T MIND ME ASKING? SHE SAID IT WAS, UH, A FRAUD ALERT ON MY NAME. OKAY. SO THAT NEEDS TO BE CLEARED UP. AND THEN AFTER THAT THEY WOULD, THEY HAVE THE SPACE AND THEY WOULD ALLOW YOU TO MOVE INTO ZION VILLAGE? IS THAT YOUR UNDERSTANDING? THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT. OKAY. WELL, WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS GET MY OFFICE ENGAGED AND PERHAPS WE CAN GET THAT CLEARED UP FOR YOU SO THAT YOU CAN MOVE INTO ZION VILLAGE. I'D LOVE TO HAVE YOU IN DISTRICT B AND CERTAINLY, UM, I'M GONNA HAVE TO GET THE INFORMATION MYSELF BECAUSE WE ONLY HAD ONE SPEAKER AND SO I DIDN'T ASK MY STAFF TO COME DOWN, BUT I'LL MAKE SURE THAT I GET YOUR INFORMATION AND SEE IF THERE'S SOME WAY THAT WE CAN NAVIGATE YOU THROUGH THAT PROCESS TO GET YOU IN THE ZION VILLAGE. EVEN IF YOU GO TO COURT TO BE EVICTED, THEY STILL HAVE TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE TIME, BUT WHO WANTS TO LIVE LIKE THAT? RIGHT? THAT IS SO STRESSFUL KNOWING THAT AT ANY POINT, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU MAY BE HOMELESS, BUT WE'LL SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO TRY TO GET YOU THERE. AS LONG AS THEY HAVE THE SPACE AND YOU HAVE MET ALL OF THE CRITERIA, UH, THAT, UH, IS NEEDED TO GET IN. OTHER THAN THIS GLITCH, WE'LL SEE WHAT WE CAN DO FOR YOU. OKAY? AND I'LL JUST STEP OUT AND, AND GET YOUR INFORMATION MYSELF. OKAY? WE WROTE UP ON THE ELEVATOR TOGETHER. I DIDN'T KNOW WE HAD A DESTINY, BUT, SO CERTAINLY I I WOULD BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO HELP YOU IF I CAN. THANK YOU. OKAY, WELCOME. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER NEXT SPEAKER. NIA COLBERT. NIA COLBERT. NEXT SPEAKER. I'M MARIA EBO. ARIBA. EIGEN. NEXT SPEAKER. ROSA HALL. ROSA HALL. NEXT SPEAKER. MICHELLE BLACKWELL. I'M HERE. [00:55:23] HELLO, MS. BLACKWELL? YES. HOW YOU DOING? DOING WELL, THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON. THIS IS WORKING. MY NAME, MY NAME IS MS. BLACKWELL AND THIS LETTING YOU KNOW THAT I CAME HERE THIS AFTERNOON WITH A, A VERY GOOD REPORT. SOMETHING VERY, UM, SWEET. ALRIGHT. UM, THIS WAS, UH, YESTERDAY MORNING THE DIRECTOR OF BARK. HIS NAME IS, UM, JARED MES. I ASKED PERMISSION TO USE HIS NAME AND HE DID A WONDERFUL JOB OF TAKING CARE OF THE SITUATION REGARDING THE, THE CATS. MY TWIN SISTER WAS JUST OVERWHELMED. EVERY TIME I WENT TO MY TWIN SISTER'S HOUSE, SHE WAS STRESSED OUT WITH ALL THESE CATS. I WAS STRESSED OUT FOR HER. SO I WAS TRYING, SO MY TWIN SISTER SAID, MICHELLE, YOU GO TO ALL THESE MEETINGS AND YOU THINK YOU CAN HELP ME. AND I SAID, WELL, YEAH, I GOTTA GET JUMP IN AND HELP MY TWIN SISTER. SO HE TOOK CARE OF THE SITUATION. MY TWIN SISTER SAID, SHE, UH, CALLED ME AND SAID THEY CAME BY THAT AFTERNOON, THEY PICKED UP THE CATS. SO NOW I'M JUST FEELING HAPPY, HAPPY. SO JUST, SO I'M JUST LETTING YOU KNOW THAT FOR NEW YEAR, SOMETIMES PEOPLE ARE ASKING FOR CARS, HOMES, ET CETERA, AND I'M JUST SAYING IT'S FOR NEW YEAR. THAT WAS THE BEST GIFT THAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED WAS, UH, THE SITUATION WAS TAKEN CARE OF WITH MY TWIN SISTER DEALING WITH THE CATS AND JUST LETTING YOU KNOW THAT BARK IS DOING, UM, THAT ORGANIZATION IS DOING A TREMENDOUS JOB. AND I DIDN'T KNOW THAT THE SITUATION WAS GONNA BE TAKEN CARE OF JUST LIKE THAT. SO I WAS JUST VERY RELIEVED. SO JUST LET YOU KNOW THAT I'M JUST PUTTING IT OUT THERE ABOUT THE DIRECTOR, JARED MEERS. HE DID, UM, HE DID A WONDERFUL JOB. SO I CONGRATULATE BARK ON WHAT THEY DO. THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR SUCCESS STORY WITH US NEXT SPEAKER. BRANDY REED. BRANDY REED. NEXT SPEAKER. WILLIAM JOHNSON. WILLIAM JOHNSON. GOOD AFTERNOON. HELLO. ONLY ONE SPEAKER AT A TIME. SO, SO OUR RULES SAY WE CAN HAVE ONE SPEAKER AT THE PODIUM AT A TIME. OKAY. IT LOOKS LIKE YOU HAVE A PRESENTATION OF, I JUST WANTED TO SHOW IT SOME SORT SO YOU CAN SEE WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE. OKAY. TO HAVE IT IN PERSON AND JUST MY SUPPORT. GO AHEAD. SO, UH, MY NAME IS WILLIAM JOHNSON JR. I'M THE FOUNDER OF W JOHNSON CONSULTANT, A HOUSTON BASE, SPECIALIZED UNDERWATER ROBOTIC, UH, WORKFORCE TRAINING AND INNOVATIVE RESEARCH, UH, AND DEVELOPMENT COMPANY. I'M HERE TODAY TO SHARE THE VISION TO BRIDGE HOUSTON INCREDIBLE POTENTIAL WITH THE UNDERREPRESENTED COMMUNITIES CHALLENGE. HOUSTON DISTRICT FACES SIGNIFICANT WORKFORCE AND ECONOMY DISPARITIES. FOR EXAMPLE, IN DISTRICT DISTRICT B WHERE I GREW UP IN 31% OF THE RESIDENTS LACK HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMAS AND 37% HOUSEHOLD EARNS LESS THAN $25,000 A YEAR ANNUALLY. MEANWHILE, HOUSTON GROWTH INDUSTRIES SUCH AS THE ROBOTICS, WHICH I HAVE HERE, OIL AND GAS, WHICH I'M IN, ALSO ADVANCED MA UH, MANUFACTURING AND URGENT NEEDS FOR SKILLED WORKERS. THE GAP HINDERS THE PROGRESS OF BOTH THE COMMUNITIES IN OUR CITY ECONOMIC GROWTH SOLUTION. W JOHNSON ON SIDE OF BISHOP DIXON AND THE GOOD GANG, NICK RAFFORD WITH PERSONA. UM, PATRICIA WILLIAMS WITH ARMANI SCHOOL. BRANDON SIMMONS WITH TEXAS SOUTHERN VIDEO RAY, UH, BLACK BLACKBROOK HOUSTON. WE'RE ALL HERE IN SUPPORT TO HELP HOUSTON GROW, UH, FROM A YOUNGER AGE TO WHATEVER AGE THAT'S IN NEED OF EMPLOYMENT. UM, KEY COMPONENTS TRAINING. UM, I'M CERTIFIED WITH THE CITY OF, UH, WITH THE, WITH THE CITY, WITH, UH, MULTIPLE DIFFERENT COMPANIES AND OIL AND GAS TO OPERATE THIS ROBOT. I'VE BEEN USING THIS ROBOT FOR THE LAST 92 DAYS IN NIGERIA. I'VE USED IT FOR THE LAST 16 YEARS IN THE GULF OF MEXICO. AND, UH, I SPENT EIGHT YEARS USING THIS ROBOT FOR THE US NAVY. THE US NAVY JUST PURCHASED $92.6 MILLION WORTH FOR THIS ROBOT. AND WE'RE USING THIS ROBOT TO UPDATE THIS ROBOT WITH XBOX CONTROLLER. UH, COUNCILMAN, UM, POLL HAS HAD OPPORTUNITY TO SEE IT AND, UM, HE'S BEEN SUPPORTING ME BEHIND THE SCENES AS WELL. UM, ALSO, I'VE TAKEN THIS, LIKE I SAID, TO THE AMANI SCHOOL WITH THE YOUTH. THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO TAKE IT APART, PUT IT BACK TOGETHER, THINGS AS SUCH, TRYING TO GET THOSE YOUNG, UM, INSPIRED INTO ROBOTICS. [01:00:01] EVERYBODY'S RIGHT NOW IS HOLDING A CELL PHONE. WE'RE USING TECHNOLOGY TO SPEAK. HOW DO WE, UM, LEARN HOW TO OPERATE THOSE ROBOTS AND PUT 'EM TOGETHER AND TAKE 'EM APART? I'M HERE TO DO THAT ALONG WITH MY PARTNERS HERE. UM, WITH THE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE, I WORKED FOR MR. NICK RAFFORD AT NAUS ROBOTICS. NOW, UM, HE'S A NASA ROBOTIC TECHNICIAN WHO STARTED HIS OWN COMPANY. HE LET ME COME IN. HE TAUGHT ME EVERYTHING I KNOW ABOUT THIS ROBOT THAT I HAVE HERE. HE WAS ABLE TO USE THIS ROBOT TO GO FIND MINES FOR THE NAVY AUTONOMOUSLY. AND NOW THAT SAME ROBOT, THE SAME MACHINE LEARNING AND SAME SOFTWARE IS IN THE TESLA. SAME THING WITH EVERYTHING THAT'S HAPPENING. SO HOW DO WE GET AHEAD? UM, HOW DO WE GET, I I SPENT ABOUT, I GO TWO HOURS. GO AHEAD AND WRAP IT UP AND WE'LL GIVE YOU A LITTLE, A LITTLE MORE TIME. I SPENT TWO HOURS LAST TUESDAY AT THE JUVENILE DETENTION CENTER COURTHOUSE. THESE KIDS WAS JUST GETTING TIME FOR MAKING MISTAKES THAT WAS UNBEARABLE. AND I WANNA DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. I WANNA TEACH THEM ROBOTS. I WANNA TEACH THEM HOW TO DO IT AND HOW DO I DO IT? I NEED FUNDING. I NEED HELP. RIGHT? WE KEEP SAYING UNDERREPRESENTED. WE ARE REPRESENTED RIGHT HERE, SO WE'RE NOT UNDERREPRESENTED ANYMORE BECAUSE YOU GUYS ARE HERE REPRESENTING US. SO HELP US HELP THESE KIDS. THANK YOU FOR COMING, MR. JOHNSON. AND I SAW YOUR ROBOT IN THE BACK OF THE ROOM EARLIER TODAY, AND I THINK THAT IT IS INCREDIBLE THAT YOU ARE USING YOUR SKILLSET TO HELP US LEVERAGE THE TECHNOLOGY. UM, WE'VE GOT TO DO A BETTER JOB AS A, A CITY, AS A STATE, UM, AS INDIVIDUAL, UH, TEACHERS AND SCHOOLS, MAKING SURE THAT OUR KIDS DON'T GET LEFT BEHIND. I WAS AT THE CES CONFERENCE IN VEGAS LAST WEEK AND THE TECHNOLOGY THAT IS COMING OUT, UM, I I HEARD A SPEAKER SAY, UH, WE WILL BE TAKING FOR GRANTED IN FIVE YEARS. WHAT TODAY IS BLOWING OUR MINDS. EXACTLY. UH, SO TECHNOLOGY IS MOVING AT LIGHTNING SPEED. SO THANK YOU FOR BEING WILLING TO HELP. I, I'M NOT SURE IF I, UH, MAYBE COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, POLLARD TOLD YOU ABOUT OUR CASE FOR KIDS PROGRAM WHERE THERE'S OPPORTUNITY FOR, UM, AFTER SCHOOL FUNDING MAYBE. I KNOW YOU SAID YOU WERE WORKING WITH IMANI SCHOOL. I KNOW THAT'S IN DISTRICT A A LOT OF THE SCHOOLS HAVE AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS THAT MAY BE ONE WAY FOR YOU TO TAP INTO A PARTNERSHIP. UM, AND WE CAN HELP WITH FUNDING THROUGH, UH, CASE FOR KIDS. UM, BUT I KNOW THAT MANY OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE RESIDENTS IN OUR DISTRICTS ARE NOT BEING LEFT BEHIND AND THAT WE ARE BRIDGING THAT, THAT DIGITAL DIVIDE. SO THANK YOU FOR THE GREAT WORK THAT YOU DO. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD'S IN THE QUEUE TO ADDRESS YOU AS WELL. COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD. THANK YOU MAYOR PROTI, AND GOOD AFTERNOON TO EVERYONE. MR. JOHNSON IS THE PLEASURE TO SEE YOU HERE. UH, MR. JOHNSON IS BRILLIANT, YOU ALL. HE, HE'S USING HIS TALENTS AND HIS GIFTS, UH, TO SHARE NOT ONLY HERE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, AS HE SAID ALL OVER THE WORLD, UM, AND IS ABLE TO USE AQUATIC ROBOTICS AND TECHNOLOGY TO HELP PROVIDE EXPOSURE AND OPPORTUNITIES, UH, FOR COMMUNITIES THAT ARE UNDERREPRESENTED IN CERTAIN FIELDS. AND, UH, REALLY TAKING AN INTEREST IN THE YOUTH AND ENSURING THAT THEY HAVE NOT ONLY EXPOSURE, UM, BUT TRAINING AND UNDERSTANDING WITH EDUCATION ON THINGS THAT, BUT FOR HIM, EXPOSING IT TO THEM, THEY WOULD NOT KNOW. AND THE COOL THING IS HE USES HIS ROBOT, WHICH I WANT TO GIVE HIM A LITTLE TIME TO MAYBE HAVE SOMEONE, UH, HOLD UP AND EXPLAIN WHAT, HOW IT WORKS. BUT HE USES IT IN A, IN A WAY IN WHICH THEY CAN RECEIVE IT WELL WITH, WITH A VIDEO GAME CONTROLLER AND BEING ABLE TO SIMULATE IT JUST LIKE THEY DO, UH, THEIR GAMING SYSTEMS. AND SO, MR. JOHNSON, AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. AND IF YOU WANT TO EXPLAIN TO US A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE ROBOT, I THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL. OKAY, THANK YOU. SO THE ROBOT IS BASICALLY WHAT EVERYBODY USES THEIR HOUSE. IF WE OPERATES OFF OF 120 VOLTS, UH, IT OPERATES OFF 120 VOTES. UM, IT'S POWERED BY 120 VOTES. AND THEN THAT, THAT VOLTAGE IS STEPPED UP TO 400 VOTES DC EVERYTHING IS MODULAR. SO BASICALLY AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE'RE TAKING AWAY ALL THAT MATHEMATICS, TRICK, TRIGONOMETRY, ALL THAT STUFF IS OUT THE WINDOW. MYSELF AND MR. NICK WITH HIS TUTOR TRIGGER, HE WAS ALL ABLE TO JUST MAKE THIS WHOLE THING MODULAR TO BE ABLE TO JUST PLUG AND PLAY. JUST LIKE YOU PLUG YOUR VIDEO GAME IN XBOX, DON'T HAVE YOU GO THROUGH TRAINING TO PAYDAY VIDEO GAME, DO THEY? NO. SO AT THE SAME TIME, IT'S THE SAME CONCEPT. WE JUST USING THE XBOX CONTROLLER JUST TO MANIPULATE IT. THE NAVY HAS BOUGHT IT, LIKE I SAID, AND SO WE CAN USE IT HERE IN THE CITY AS WELL. SO WHEN THE BRIDGE AND DAMS NEED TO BE INSPECTED, IT CAN INSPECT BRIDGE AND DAMS. SO WE HAVEN'T USED [01:05:01] IT, BUT IT, I'VE TAKEN THIS VEHICLE TO NEW YORK CITY AND DO CROSSING INSPECTIONS, BUT IT'S A GATEWAY INTO TECHNOLOGY. WE HAD A PROBLEM AT THE PORT A COUPLE MONTHS AGO. THOSE ROBOTS ARE COMING TO THE PORT. WHO'S GONNA WORK ON THOSE ROBOTS? WE ARE. THANK YOU. YOU COUNCILMAN JACKSON. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU MR. JOHNSON. UM, FOR, UM, THIS IS LIKE REALLY CREATIVE. I SAW BOSS LIFE ON THE UM, YES, YES, YES, THE ROBOT. UM, I GOT AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH YOU GUYS A COUPLE YEARS AGO, UM, ABOUT OUR BE SUCCESSFUL INITIATIVE, CORRECT. UM, THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT. AND SO I WOULD LOVE TO PARTNER WITH YOU ON THIS. UM, WE ALSO WORK, UM, USE SOME OF OUR DISTRICT SERVICE FUNDS TO HELP SUPPORT SOME OF THE NONPROFITS OR PROJECTS IN THE DISTRICT. UM, YOU KNOW, LOVE TO WORK WITH YOU ON THAT AS WELL. I SAID WE GOT JEREMY CRAFT, UM, BACK THERE. HE'S, UM, WORKED WITH OUR CREDIBLE MESSENGERS, HELPED BUILD THEIR TEAM. AND AS YOU TALK ABOUT WORKING WITH YOUTH, UM, OUR CREDIBLE MESSENGERS ARE NOW, YOU KNOW, PLUGGED INTO HARRIS COUNTY JUVENILE PROBATION, UM, IN THE COMMUNITY AND THE SCHOOLS. AND SO, UM, WITH YOU BEING IN THE DISTRICT AND THE CITY, WE WOULD LOVE TO PARTNER WITH YOU AND SEE HOW WE CAN LIKE, UM, HELP MOVE YOUR PROJECT FORWARD. AND SO THANK YOU. WE'D LOVE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SIR. NEXT, WE NOW HAVE MICHELLE EKEN BAR IN THE AUDIENCE, GOING BACK TO HER BECAUSE SHE JUST WALKED IN EKEN BAR. NOW IF YOU GUYS KNOW MY STORY FOR THE PAST YEAR AND A HALF THAT I'VE BEEN COMING HERE, THESE EVENTS BEGAN SHORTLY AFTER FILING A REPORT AGAINST A PROFESSOR AT TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY. NOW, BEFORE I CAME HERE TO THIS PODIUM, I PASSED OUT THE FD NINE 30 FORM. AND IF YOU GUYS KNOW WHAT THAT IS, THAT IS AN UNLAWFUL DOCUMENT USED BY PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS, CORPORATIONS, AND THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY TO PLACE UNSUSPECTING US CITIZENS AND RESIDENTS ON SET TSDB. WHEN SOMEONE IS NOMINATED THROUGH THIS PROCESS, FBI BUILD OFFICES AUTOMATICALLY PLACED THEM WITHIN THIS CATEGORY. IF YOU GUYS WANT MORE INFORMATION ON THAT, THOSE ARE ACTUALLY EXCERPTS COMING FROM THE 2008 OIG REPORT, WHICH POINTS THE LACK OF QUALITY CONTROL WITHIN THIS CATEGORY AND THE LACK OF OVERSIGHT INCREASE THE POTENTIAL FOR INAPPROPRIATE AND INACCURATE WATCH NOMINATIONS. NOW, IF YOU GUYS KNOW WHAT THIS CATEGORY IS, IT'S CONSIDERED A PREEMPTIVE INVESTIGATIVE STAGE. BUT THERE'S A COMMON MISCONCEPTION ON WHAT THAT ACTUALLY MEANS. MANY ASSUME THAT ITS DESIGNATION IMPLIES A LACK OF SURVEILLANCE OR ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES, BUT THAT IS NOT TRUE. THE GOVERNMENT DOESN'T OFFICIALLY RECOGNIZE IT AS BEING A FORMAL INVESTIGATION, BUT IT STILL ALLOWS FOR ACTIVITIES SUCH AS ELECTRONIC SURVEILLANCE ASSESSMENTS, WHICH THE LEGAL AUTHORITY THAT THE FBA HAS TO FOLLOW SOMEBODY AROUND WITH INFORMANTS AND OTHER COUNTER-TERRORISM MEASURES. THESE ACTIONS ARE STATED WITH ITS IMPLEMENTATION OF MITIGATING POTENTIAL THREATS, BUT THEY OFTEN SERVE AS A JUSTIFICATION FOR TARGETING INDIVIDUALS WITHOUT PROPER EVIDENCE OR OVERSIGHT. THE TERM PREEMPTIVE MIGHT SOUND HARMLESS OR EVEN PRUDENT, BUT THIS CATCHALL CATEGORY RAISES SIGNIFICANT CONCERNS ABOUT ABUSE AS IT'S BROAD AND AMBIGUOUSLY DEFINED. ON PAPER, IT'S ABOUT PREVENTING TERRORIST ATTACKS, BUT IN PRACTICE IT ALLOWS FOR SWEEPING MEASURES THAT ERODE CIVIL LIBERTIES AND OPEN THE DOOR TO MISUSE OF POWER. AND THESE CONCERNS TRIPLE WITH THE ILLEGAL CLASSIFICATION OF THESE INDIVIDUALS BEING IDENTIFIED AS SUSPECTED TERRORISTS. SUCH A DESIGNATION OFTEN APPLIED WITHOUT SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE OR OVERSIGHT SUBJECTS, THESE INDIVIDUALS TO SEVERE CONSEQUENCES THAT INCLUDING INTENSE SCRUTINY, INVASIVE SURVEILLANCE, EMPLOYMENT CHALLENGES, AND EVEN ENTRAPMENT TACTICS. AND NOTABLY, THE USE OF ENTRAPMENT IS ONE OF THE PRIMARY ALLEGATIONS SURROUNDING THIS CATEGORY. AND YOU MIGHT BE REASONABLY WONDERING WHY SUCH A TACTIC WOULD BE EMPLOYED AT ALL, ESPECIALLY AT THIS STAGE. BUT ONE SIGNIFICANT REASON FOR THE TROUBLING PRACTICE LIES IN THE DATA. ONLY POINT 29% OF THE WATCH NOMINATIONS ARE TIED TO ACTUAL INVESTIGATIONS INVOLVING INDIVIDUALS KNOWN OR GENERALLY SUSPECTED OF TERRORIST ACTIVITIES. THE STAGGERING STATISTIC MEANS THAT AN OVERWHELMING 99.71% OF THOSE ADDED TO THE WATCH LIST ARE SWEPT INTO THIS PREEMPTIVE INVESTIGATIVE STAGE, OFTEN WITHOUT ANY SUBSTANTIVE EVIDENCE OR OVERSIGHT FOR JUSTIFYING SUCH FAR-REACHING MEASURES, COMPOUNDING THIS ISSUE IS THE FINANCIAL INCENTIVE DRIVING THESE PRACTICES. THE FBI RECEIVES APPROXIMATELY $3 BILLION A YEAR TO PREVENT TERRORIST ATTACKS. AND WHEN LEGITIMATE THREATS ARE RARE OR DIFFICULT TO IDENTIFY, THERE'S TREMENDOUS PRESSURE OF JUSTIFYING THE SUBSTANTIAL FUNDING OFTEN BY MANUFACTURING OR EXAGGERATING CASES. THIS CREATES A DANGEROUS CYCLE IN WHICH INNOCENT INDIVIDUALS CAN I GO ON? YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. THERE'S SEVERE ALLEGATIONS COMING OUT ABOUT DISCOVERY CONTINUE TO, THIS CREATES A DANGEROUS CYCLE IN WHICH INNOCENT INDIVIDUALS ARE COERCED, MANIPULATED, [01:10:01] OR ENTANGLED IN SITUATIONS THAT CAN BE FRAMED AS CRIMINAL ACTIVITY. AND THAT'S WHETHER OR NOT THEY ACTUALLY POSE ANY ACTUAL THREAT. THE CONSEQUENCES SUCH PRACTICES ARE DEVASTATING. NOT ONLY ARE THE FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS OF INDIVIDUALS VIOLATED, BUT THE TRUST IN LAW ENFORCEMENT INSTITUTIONS IS ERODED. AS A RESULT, ENTIRE COMMUNITIES ARE LEFT VULNERABLE, FOSTERING OR PERVASIVE CLIMATE OF FEAR, SUSPICION, AND SYSTEMATIC INJUSTICES. HENCE THE TOPIC OF THIS DISCUSSION TODAY, WHICH IS POLICE HARASSMENT. THE COMBINATION OF UNCHECKED AUTHORITY, FINANCIAL INCENTIVES, AND THE LACK OF MEANINGFUL ACCOUNTABILITY TRANSFORMS THIS SYSTEM AND TO ONE THAT PRIORITIZES QUOTAS AND METRICS OVER JUSTICE IN THE SYSTEM. REAL HUMAN LIVES ARE CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIRE. THEIR FUTURES JEOPARDIZED BY A SYSTEM THAT'S MORE FOCUSED ON DELIVERING RESULTS THAN ENSURING FAIRNESS. THIS TROUBLING REALITY RAISES URGENT AND CRITICAL QUESTIONS ABOUT THE BALANCE BETWEEN NATIONAL SECURITY AND CIVIL LIBERTIES, UNDERSCORING THE NEED FOR MEANINGFUL ACCOUNTABILITY TO PREVENT THE ABUSE OF POWER UNDER THE GUISE OF COUNTER-TERRORISM EFFORTS. WITHOUT THIS REFORM, THE FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS OF OF INDIVIDUALS REMAIN AT RISK AND THE TRUST NECESSARY FOR ENSURING THE JUST SOCIETY CONTINUES TO DETERIORATE. THE QUESTION IS NOT ABOUT WHO'S ON THE WATCH LIST TODAY, BUT ABOUT WHO COULD BE ON IT TOMORROW. OKAY? IT'S ABOUT MORE THAN JUST ONE PERSON OR ONE STORY. IT'S ABOUT A SYSTEM THAT OPERATES IN THE DARK, UNCHECKED, AND UNACCOUNTABLE. OKAY, LET ME, UH, AND IT'S A SYSTEM THAT NEEDS REFORM BECAUSE IF WE DON'T ADDRESS THIS NOW, THE ABUSES THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING TODAY WON'T JUST CONTINUE, BUT THEY'LL EXPAND, PULLING MORE INNOCENT LIVES INTO ITS DANGEROUS PATH. AND LASTLY, I JUST WANNA SAY THIS REALLY QUICKLY. IT'S NOT A COINCIDENCE THAT THE FBI REFERS TO THESE NOMINATIONS AS SILENT HIT ENTRIES OR SILENT HITS. OKAY? THE TERM RELEASE SERVES AS A EUPHEMISM TO THE BROADER ALLEGATIONS THAT ARE COMING OUT ABOUT THIS CATEGORY. AND THAT'S IT. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN POLLARD? NO, HE'S, NO THANK YOU. HE'S FINE. THANK YOU, MA'AM. OKAY, THANK YOU. NEXT, ANTHONY, AND THIS IS ANTHONY, CONSIDERED ANTHONY JOHNSON, CIC ABUSE. THAT'S WHAT IT'S, YES, MA'AM. ANTHONY JOHNSON. EDUARDO DURAN. SANDRA EDWARDS. GOOD EVENING, EVERYBODY. MY NAME IS SANDRA WITH MS. TASHA. UM, I AM HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT 800 MIDDLE STREET. UM, I FIGHT FOR CANCER CLUSTER IN FIFTH WARD ALREADY. HEY, MR. MAYOR. AND WE ARE BARELY GETTING THE ATTENTION THAT WE NEED. I KNOW Y'ALL SAY Y'ALL WORKING ON IT, BUT IT IS MOVING TOO SLOW. 44 YEARS TOO SLOW. BUT MIDDLE STREET, WE DON'T WANNA REINVENT THE WHEEL OF HAVING ANOTHER CANCER CLUSTER. AND I'M KIND OF CONCERNED ABOUT IT BECAUSE I GREW UP OVER THERE. I KNOW WHAT THEY BUILT, THAT COMPLEX SUN, IT'S ALL CONTAMINATED, AND I DON'T WANNA SAY ANOTHER CLUSTER ARISE IN HOUSTON AND ON MY TIME IN MY AREA. SO I'M ASKING, CAN Y'ALL PLEASE DO WHATEVER WE HAVE TO DO, BUT MAKE SURE NOBODY MOVE OVER THERE. NOBODY LIVE OVER THERE. CLEAN UP THE AREA BEFORE ANYBODY GO OVER THERE. WE ALREADY HAVE A CLUSTER THAT'S NOTHING BEING DONE ABOUT. WE DON'T WANNA RECREATE THAT AND HAVE IT HAPPEN AGAIN TO NOBODY ELSE. I DON'T WISH NOBODY TO GO THROUGH WHAT I'M GOING THROUGH RIGHT NOW AND WHAT I'M LIVING IN. AND I JUST WANT TO SEE IF Y'ALL CAN STOP IT BEFORE IT START. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT, PAMELA BONTA. HELLO, MY NAME IS PAMELA BONTA. I'M AN ENVIRONMENTALIST, I HEAR. I'M ALSO HERE TO SPEAK ON 800 MIDDLE STREET. UM, I HAVE ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION MYSELF, UH, MY FAM MY FAMILY HAS BEEN AFFECTED. MY HUSBAND HAS MULTIPLE MYELOMA, SO NOW I'M A CARETAKER, UH, FORCED INTO EARLY RETIREMENT SO I CAN TAKE CARE OF HIM IN HIS AILING HEALTH. UM, AND SO I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE REALITY OF 800 MIDDLE STREET, NOT THE LEGALITY. AND THE REALITY IS, IF YOU PUT PEOPLE IN THERE WITHIN THE FIRST YEAR OR TWO, THEY'RE GONNA START EXPERIENCING ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS. UM, THEY'RE GONNA GO TO THE DOCTOR AND THE DOCTOR'S GONNA TRY AND FIX THEM, BUT HE'S NOT GONNA KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON. SO THEY'RE GONNA TRY AND GIVE HIM A PILL, TRY AND NUMB THEIR BODY, TELL 'EM THIS IS WHAT YOU NEED TO DO, BUT THEN THEY'RE GONNA GO RIGHT BACK TO THE CONTAMINATION. SO THEY'RE GONNA BE PUTTING [01:15:01] BAD ON TOP OF GOOD, AND THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE GETTING ANY TRACTION IN THEIR HEALTH. THEY'RE GONNA KEEP CRASHING. UM, SOMETIMES TOXINS STAY IN THE BLOODLINE FOR SEVEN GENERATIONS. SO THAT'S MANY GENERATIONS IN YOUR FAMILY. IF YOU HAVE A CHILD, ONCE YOU'VE BEEN ON THAT PROPERTY, UM, SEVEN GENERATIONS LATER, THAT CONTAMINATION WILL STILL BE IN YOUR BLOODLINE. UM, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK MAYOR WHITMEYER TO MAKE A BOLD MOVE STAND AS YOU'RE STANDING FIRM. I'M PROUD OF YOU FOR DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING. UM, THERE WILL BE MANY LAWSUITS TO COME FROM PEOPLE MOVING IN THERE. UM, WHO I AM IS MY DAUGHTER STARTED TEXAS HEALTH ENVIRONMENT ALLIANCE. WE'VE BEEN FIGHTING FOR THE LAST 16 YEARS TO GET THE SAN JACINTA RIVER PIT, UH, WASTE REMOVED. UM, AND IT HAS BEEN QUITE A JOURNEY, SO I DON'T WISH THAT ON ANYONE. I STARTED GOING DOOR TO DOOR 16 YEARS AGO, AND LO AND BEHOLD, MOST PEOPLE IN MY COMMUNITY OF HIGHLANDS HAD CANCER. UM, THEIR CHILDREN HAD CANCER, THEIR ANIMALS HAD CANCER. SO WHAT WE DO WITH TEXAS HEALTH ENVIRONMENT ALLIANCE IS WE ALIGN THE HEALTH WITH THE ENVIRONMENT. AND I CAN TELL YOU THERE'S ANCIENT CONTAMINATION ON THAT 800 MIDDLE STREET. UM, GOING BACK TO THE EARLY 19 HUNDREDS, THEY WERE INCINERATING A LOT OF WATERMELONS, BUT THEN IT TURNED INTO OTHER TYPES OF METALS AND THINGS. SO REALLY WE DON'T KNOW WHAT ALL IS IN THERE FROM ALL OF THAT INCINERATING OVER ALL OF THE YEARS. UM, I THINK THAT THIS IS A HUGE ENVIRONMENTAL INJUSTICE. SANDRA HAD MANY FRIENDS THAT WERE SLATED TO BE MOVED IN THERE FROM FIFTH WARD. THAT'S WHY SHE CAME WITH ME TODAY TO SPEAK ABOUT IT. UM, AND THAT'S BASICALLY WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SAY IS FOR THE GOOD OF THE PEOPLE THAT MOVE IN THERE AND TO PREVENT FUTURE LAWSUITS, PLEASE DON'T MOVE ANYBODY IN THERE AND STAY YOUR COURSE. AND I'M VERY PROUD OF WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND HOW YOU'RE CLEANING UP THIS CITY. AND I'D JUST LIKE TO HAVE THAT SAID. UM, I DO HAVE A MAP FOR YOU, MAYOR, AND ALSO JACKIE MEDCALF CARD TO TEXAS HEALTH ENVIRONMENT ALLIANCE. UM, THIS SHEET I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE YOU IS SATELLITE IMAGERY FROM THE EPA OF VAPORS TOXINS THAT THEY CAN TAKE FROM A SATELLITE DOWN ONTO 800 MIDDLE STREET. AND YOU CAN SEE WHERE THE VAPORS AND THINGS THAT MAY BE OMITTING, MAYBE THERE'S NONE, BUT IF THERE ARE, EPA DOES HAVE THAT ABILITY. UM, THE OTHER THING I WOULD LIKE TO ASK REALLY QUICKLY IS I WAS WITH THE EPA IN HIGHLANDS LAST WEEK. THEY ARE TRYING TO CLASSIFY THE DIOXIN IN THE RIVER AS A LEVEL ONE NON-HAZARDOUS, IN WHICH CASE THEY'LL BE MOVING THAT DIOXIN TO JUST A REGULAR LANDFILL, WHERE IT'S GONNA BECOME SOMEBODY ELSE'S NIGHTMARE. SOMEBODY ELSE WILL SUFFER FROM THEM. JUST SIMPLY MOVING IT TO A LANDFILL THAT'S NOT DESIGNATED FOR THE DEADLIEST CHEMICAL KNOWN TO MAN, WHICH IS DIOXIN. TCDD. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. CAN I GET THIS? COUNCILMAN JACKSON? THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU, UM, MS. PAMELA AND SANDRA FOR BRINGING THIS, UM, YOUR FINDINGS TO OUR ATTENTION. I WOULD LOVE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT IT. UM, I KNOW YOU'RE GONNA GIVE THE MAYOR THE, THE, UM, CARD OF THIS AGENCY. I WOULD LOVE TO SIT DOWN AND TALK WITH THEM TO FIND OUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY'VE FOUND OUT ABOUT THAT PARTICULAR AREA. I KNOW WE'RE DOING A LOT OF WORK OVER IN THE, UM, CASHMERE FIFTH COURT AREA ON THE CANCER CLUSTERS. UM, BUT REALLY WANNA HONE IN ON WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT SO THAT WE DON'T LET IT GET, GET AWAY FROM US. OKAY. AND THEN ALSO THERE WILL BE, UM, UM, SANDRA, YOU KNOW, THAT THERE'S GONNA BE AN UPDATED MEETING, A MEETING AROUND THE CANCER CLUSTER ON THE 30TH, UM, WHERE WE'LL BE UPDATING THE COMMUNITY ON PROGRESS AND JUST, YOU KNOW, ANSWERING ANY QUESTIONS THAT THE COMMUNITY MIGHT HAVE, UM, WOULD LOVE, I MEAN, I'M SURE YOU'LL BE THERE, YOU INVITED, UM, BUT AGAIN, WE WOULD LIKE TO CONNECT WITH YOU ON THAT. ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU. ABSOLUTELY. YES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I'LL GIVE ONE OF YOUR CARDS FOR HIM TOO. COUNCILMAN CARTER. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, PAM BONTA. I'M SORRY, MS. BONTA. I, I WAS LISTENING ABOUT MS. EDWARDS. UM, MY CHIEF OF STAFF IS BACK, BACK IN THE BACK. IF YOU'VE GOT AN EXTRA CARD, WE'D LOVE TO CONNECT WITH YOU AS WELL, WORKING, UM, WITH COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON ON SOME THINGS IN THAT AREA, AND CERTAINLY WOULD LOVE TO TALK TO YOU, NICK, IF, IF YOU COULD, UH, SEE MS. BONTA. THANK YOU. OKAY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT RONNIE MOORE. I SURE COULD USE IT NOW. ADAM CONTRARIES. [01:20:01] GOOD AFTERNOON, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. CITY OFFICIALS, CITY OF HOUSTON. IT'S AN HONOR TO BE HERE. MY NAME IS ADAM CONTRERAS. I LIVE BY EISENHOWER HIGH SCHOOL, THE SAME SCHOOL THAT PUT ON THAT BEAUTIFUL PERFORMANCE EARLIER. I'M HERE TO DISCUSS A ISSUE WHICH, UH, DIRECTLY IMPACTS MY AREA ON BEHALF OF THE COMMUNITY. I'M HERE TO ADDRESS A GLARING ISSUE, WHICH HAS PERSISTED, UH, TOO LONG. THE CRUMBLING INFRASTRUCTURE. THESE ARE NOT MINOR INCONVENIENCES, THEY'RE HAZARDS THAT JEOPARDIZE THE SAFETY OF RESIDENTS. I'VE MADE REPEATED CALLS TO 3 1 1, UH, TO FIX DAMAGED POTHOLES. MANHOLE COVERS, UH, MANGLED SPEED CUSHIONS. AND YET HERE WE ARE MONTHS LATER WITH NO PROGRESS. WHAT'S WORSE IS THESE CASES ARE OFTEN IGNORED OR PREMATURELY CLOSED BY 3 1 1 WITH BASELESS EXCUSES. IT'S NOT A MATTER OF TIMELY REPAIR, IT'S JUST A MATTER OF EQUITY. THE NEIGHBORHOODS AFFECTED ARE PREDOMINANTLY COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, LOWER INCOME COMMUNITIES, AND IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES. AND I WONDER, WOULD THESE BE TOLERATED IN THE WEALTHIER PARTS OF THE COMMUNITY IN THE CITY, UH, THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR THESE DELAYS OR FAILING AT THEIR JOB AND THEY'RE ROBBING THE TAXPAYERS OF THEIR RIGHTS? HOUSTONIANS EXPECT BASIC MAINTENANCE. IF THE CITY WORKERS ARE UNWILLING TO UNFULFILL THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES, IT'S TIME TO BRING IN PEOPLE THAT WILL. AND THERE'S COUNTLESS QUALIFIED INDIVIDUALS WHO WOULD LOVE TO SERVE THE CITY, NOT JUST FOR A PAYCHECK, BUT FOR THE HONOR IT WOULD BRING. THE CITY MUST DO BETTER, NEGLECTING INFRASTRUCTURE REPAIR AS NOT JUST POOR GOVERNANCE. IT'S PREJUDICE IN DISGUISE, FIXING POTHOLES. YOU KNOW, YOU NEED TO FIX THE POTHOLES, FIX THE MANHOLE COVERS, FIX THE SPEED CUSHIONS, AND, UH, FIX THE BUSTED PIPES. I PLEAD WITH THE CITY TO STOP DELAYING AND START DELIVERING. THANK YOU VICE, VICE MAYOR PRO TE PECK. SIR, MR. CONTRERAS, UM, THANKS FOR COMING. MY STAFF DID TRY TO REACH OUT TO YOU SEVERAL TIMES, BUT THEY WERE UNSUCCESSFUL GETTING THROUGH. PERHAPS WE HAVE THE WRONG PHONE NUMBER OR SOMETHING FOR YOU, BUT PLEASE CONTACT MY OFFICE WITH ANY OF THOSE CONCERNS. WE ARE HAPPY TO HELP WITH ANY OF THOSE ITEMS. ALWAYS CALL ANY OF THOSE ISSUES INTO 3 1 1 FIRST, AND THEN SEND US THE SERVICE REQUEST NUMBER AND WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT IT GETS ROUTED TO THE RIGHT DEPARTMENT. SO WE'RE HAPPY TO HELP. PLEASE REACH OUT TO US. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT GRACE CLARK, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. UM, I'M A LITTLE NERVOUS, SO PLEASE ALLOW ME TO JUST BE MYSELF. SO I GUESS I'LL JUST SAY, HOWDY EVERYBODY. UM, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO PRESENT MYSELF BECAUSE I NORMALLY WORK OUTSIDE. I'M AN EQUIPMENT TECHNICIAN FOR PUBLIC WORKS. I'M VERY ANXIOUS AT THIS TIME BECAUSE ON DECEMBER 19TH, I WAS ASSAULTED WHILE I GOT OFF WORK ABOUT 15, UH, MINUTES AGO IN MY WORK UNIFORM. SO I BELIEVE I HAVE THREE MINUTES, BUT I'M GONNA TRY BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE I'M ABOUT TO HAVE A PANIC ATTACK. UM, FIRST OF ALL, ME AND MY HUSBAND, LARRY CLARK, WE HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH THIS SITUATION WITH, UM, HPD. WE'VE BEEN CALLING BABIES. CAN Y'ALL PLEASE GIVE THEM A PACKAGE? I DON'T KNOW. THIS COULD PROBABLY HELP YOU GUYS. I'M NOT SURE IF I'M ALLOWED TO GIVE YOU GUYS CONTENT OR SOMETHING TO LOOK AT BABIES. CAN Y'ALL PLEASE JUST HELP OUT? BUT I AM A LITTLE NERVOUS. I'M LITERALLY TREMBLING RIGHT NOW. BUT I THOUGHT THAT I'M GONNA BE FINE. BUT, YOU KNOW, EVERYONE'S TALKING, YOU KNOW, IN GOOD CANDOR. BUT RIGHT NOW, I CAN'T. I'M JUST BEING MYSELF AT THIS TIME, BUT I'M A LITTLE NERVOUS AND SCARED. BUT JUST TO GET STRAIGHT TO THE POINT. ON THE 19TH, I GOT ATTACKED BY A PRIVATE CITIZEN. UM, I DON'T KNOW HER NAME. IT'S PROBABLY LYNETTE ANETTE. SHE'S A PARISHIONER THAT'S IN YOUR DISTRICT. UM, MS. HARSHER JACKSON, UM, GREATER FAITH BAPTIST CHURCH. UM, HER, I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT HER LAST NAME IS, BUT SHE, UM, SHE, UM, TALKS WITH MY HUSBAND'S EX-GIRLFRIEND. AND IT'S JUST SO WEIRD BECAUSE I THOUGHT THAT I WAS GONNA DIE IN A DITCH THAT WAS DONE BY THE CONTRACTORS. I REGRADE DITCHES. AND SO THE IRONY IS I DID MELBOURNE, BUT ON KING STREET, THAT'S WHERE THAT ASSAULT HAD HAPPENED. UM, CURRENTLY RIGHT [01:25:01] NOW I'M SUSTAINING, UH, A SPRAINED LEFT ANKLE. AND I'M LITERALLY HYPERVIGILANT ALL THE TIME. AND, UH, I JUST DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS INCOMPETENCE OR IF IT'S CORRUPTION OR IF IT'S BASICALLY JUST DON'T WANT TO DO THEIR JOB. BUT IF YOU COULD SEE THE PACKETS, YOU COULD SEE HOW MANY TIMES I'VE LITERALLY HAD TO CALL. MY HUSBAND IS A SENIOR CITIZEN, OKAY? WE ARE BOTH PUBLIC SERVANTS. WE ARE TIER ONE, OKAY? AND I HAD TO USE MY LITTLE INCOME THAT I BARELY, WE BARELY MAKE ENOUGH MONEY, OKAY? ON THE 19TH, I'M TRYING TO GET MY THOUGHTS TOGETHER. EVERYBODY'S ALL PREPARED. WE'RE TYPED UP STUFF. BUT ON THE 19TH, I CAN JUST RECALL THE DAY, NO, LET ME JUST START ON THE 18TH. SO, TAMMY ANDERSON, LITERALLY, I DON'T KNOW HOW SHE DOES IT, BUT I DON'T WANT TO CRITICIZE THE WOMAN, BUT SHE STALKS, SHE CALLED ME AND ON, ON THIS THUMB DRIVE. I DIDN'T SEE YOU MAYOR, BUT I'M JUST GONNA BE HONEST. I WAS GONNA GIVE IT TO MY REPRESENTATIVE, DR. SHABAZZ. BUT, UM, I DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES TO GIVE EVERYBODY A COPY. BUT ON HERE, IT'S ALL THE PHONE CALLS, THE HARASSMENT, EVERYTHING. THANK GOD THAT IPHONE ALLOWS US TO BE ABLE TO RECORD. BUT LIKE I SAID, I WAS DEALING WITH THIS SITUATION. I REPORTED IT TO HPT SEVERAL TIMES. THEY KNOW ME AT LAY STREET. I'M PRETTY SURE THEY SICK AND TIRED OF SEEING ME AND MY HUSBANDS, THEY HAVE WELL, BODY CAM RECORDINGS AND EVERYTHING. BUT I FELT LIKE IF I'M GONNA GIVE UP THE GHOST, AT LEAST LET ME BE ABLE TO SAVE MY SIDE. SO I'M A VICTIM OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. AS A MATTER OF FACT, I'M A SURVIVOR. MY HUSBAND IS, HE'S A SENIOR CITIZEN AS WELL AS A PUBLIC SERVANT. AND THE WHOLE REASON WHY I'M HERE IS HOW HAS THAT HAPPENING? YOU KNOW, WE ARE PUBLIC SERVANTS, WE ARE FIRST RESPONDERS BECAUSE IF AN EVENT THAT THE FIREFIGHTERS NEED US WHEN IT'S A HURRICANE, THEY NEED US TO BE ABLE TO HELP THEM TO USE OUR DUMP TRUCKS TO GO AND HELP PEOPLE THAT ARE STRANDED OR ARE, UM, DISPLACED BECAUSE OF HIGH WATER RESCUES. MY MAIN JOB AND MY MAIN FOCUS IS LITERALLY FOOT MITIGATION. THAT'S ALL ME AND MY HUSBAND DO. I DO HOMES AND HE DOES BUY USE. THAT'S ALL WE THINK. IF YOU LOOK IN OUR CLOSET, GOD FORBID SOMETHING WAS TO HAPPEN, MY WHOLE CLOSET IS FULL OF PUBLIC WORKS UNIFORMS. I DON'T HAVE A LIFE BECAUSE 'CAUSE OF THIS JOB, ALL I'M ASKING IS FOR ACCOUNTABILITY. I WANT ME AND MY HUSBAND TO MAY BE MADE WHOLE. AND I WANT SOME TYPE OF NOTABILITY WHEN IT COMES TO AT LEAST US PUBLIC WORKS EMPLOYEES, ESPECIALLY THE ONES THAT OPERATE MACHINERY. AND OUR JOB IS JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WATER FLOWS. IT'S JUST THAT SIMPLE. ALL YOU GUYS HAVE A JOB THAT'S ALL ME AND MY HUSBAND DO. IT'S JUST LOOK AT DITCHES ALL DAY. IT'S JUST WEIRD. HE LOOKS AT VALUES. I LOOK AT DITCHES AND, UM, THAT'S ALL WE DO. AND TO BE AFRAID. NOW, I'M GONNA TRY MY BEST TO BE FOCUSED TO GO BACK TO WORK, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S A, A PRIVATE CITIZEN IS GONNA BE OUT THERE TO ATTACK ME. IN FACT, TAMMY D ANDERSON WASN'T THE ONE TO DO IT. SHE HAD A PRIVATE CITIZEN TO DO IT. SO I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS MY TIME UP, WHAT IS NEXT FOR ME AT THIS POINT, BUT I FELT LIKE, LET ME TRY ONE MORE LAST TIME. ME AND MY HUSBAND, WE DON'T MAKE ENOUGH MONEY TO GET ATTORNEYS. THEY WANT $5,000 OFF THE RIP. AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE NOT ONLY AM I A PUBLIC, PUBLIC SERVANT, BUT I MEAN THE RESOURCES ARE SUPPOSED TO BE HERE. THE DAY THAT I GOT ATTACKED, I WENT TO THE PUB, UH, POLICE STATION RIGHT HERE ON 1200 TRAVIS. THEY TOLD ME THE ATTORNEY EXPIRED. THERE'S NOTHING THEY COULD DO. AND THAT I HAVE TO GO AND GET LIFELOCK. I CANNOT AFFORD LIFELOCK 'CAUSE I'M TOO BUSY TRYING TO PROTECT MYSELF FROM PAYING LATE FEES FROM THIS WOMAN HACKING MY ACCOUNTS, CANCELING CHARGES THAT I MADE. IT IS A LITERAL NIGHTMARE. SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE I NEED TO SAY, BUT CAN SOMEONE PLEASE LIKE, MAKE A COPY OF THIS? BECAUSE THEN MY, MY NEXT ROUTE IS THAT I'M, I'M GONNA HAVE TO POST ON SOCIAL MEDIA BECAUSE I'M AFRAID FOR MY LIFE. THANK, THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I DID SPEAK BRIEFLY WITH MS. CLARK, AND I DON'T SEE OFFICER CARR HERE, UH, WHO COULD PERHAPS SPEAK WITH HER. I DO SEE OFFICER ANDERSON. OH, WELL, WELL WONDER, OH, YOU GOT, YOU GOT A BARGAIN. EITHER ONE OF THESE GENTLEMEN, DR. SMITH. THANK YOU. UH, SO IF YOU COULD SPEAK WITH, UM, OFFICER ANDERSON, UH, HE, HE MIGHT BE ABLE TO, UH, ASSIST YOU. OKAY. OKAY. THANK YOU. NEXT, STEVE [01:30:01] WILLIAMS. STEVE WILLIAMS, LY MONTOYA REVIS. UH, GOOD AFTERNOON. UH, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND MAYOR WIMAR. UM, MY TOPIC TODAY WILL BE, UH, TERRORISM. I SPOKE TO, UH, RON PIERO FROM BUSH AIRPORT AND TO ONE OF THE ATTORNEYS ARE IN COMMUNICATION. AND THE PROBLEM THAT WE'RE HAVING IS THAT THERE ARE NO SCREENING PEOPLE OR HAVING IN CONTACT WITH THE FBI AND OTHER AGENCIES. THIS IS MY NATURALIZATION. SO BASICALLY WHAT WE'RE REQUESTING FOR AUSTIN, IF YOU HAVE THE CONNECTIONS, IS FOR THEM TO REPLACE IT. ANYBODY CAN TAKE THE PICTURE, PUT IT IN, AND HAVE TO HAVE THE SEAL. AND THEN AT THIS TIME, IF THEY'RE INSIDE THEIR PER, UH, UH, SYSTEM OR ANY, UH, WORKERS SAYING THAT THEY ARE WORKING FOR, UH, ANY GOVERNMENT AGENCY, BASICALLY, IF THEY WERE NOT SCREENED PROPERLY, UH, WE HAVE THEM, UM, HERE AND WE ARE TRYING TO FIND THEM. UH, BECAUSE THERE ARE LIABILITY FOR OUR CHILDREN ON OUR GRAND BABIES WITH, IN MY CASE, EVEN THE MEXICAN CONSULATE, THE SCREENS PEOPLE, THEY GIVE THEM, UH, BIRTH CERTIFICATES TIME. YOU HAVE TO SHOW THE NEW ONE, THE OLD ONE. AND WE'RE ASKING YOU TO PLEASE STAY IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE AIRPORT SYSTEM. UNFORTUNATELY, AFTER YOU FIRED ME FROM YOUR CAMPAIGN, I DON'T HAVE TO, UH, RELEASE ANY KIND OF INFORMATION UNLESS, UH, THEY PAY ME. THANK YOU. NEXT IVAN MOORE. WHAT SHE TALKING ABOUT HAVING NEW YEAR MAYOR TO THE CITY COUNCIL. UM, FOR THE PAST FEW MONTHS, WE'VE BEEN, UM, PICKING UP ILLEGAL DUMPINGS AND HEAVY TRASH. UM, FOR THIS ENTIRE MONTH WE'LL BE IN SUNNYSIDE. WE MEET AT BRICKER PARK ON BRICKER STREET AT ONE 30, AND THEN FROM TWO TO 5:00 PM THEN THE FOLLOWING MONTH WILL BE IN DISTRICT B AND FIFTH WARD. AND WE'LL GO THROUGH EVERY DISTRICT. WHEN I'M ASKING FOR THE CITY, I NEED HELP WITH GETTING A VOUCHER TO SHOW SOLID WASTE WHEN WE GO TO A DUMP SITE. BECAUSE WE'RE DOING THIS ALL AT OUR COST. I'M TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, NOT HAVE TO SPEND MONEY TO BE DUMPING WHERE WE'RE HELPING THE CITY. AND SO THAT'S WHY I CAME TODAY TO ASK FOR HELP TO GET A VOUCHER FOR OUR ORGANIZATION. I'D LIKE TO THANK ANDREW BEAVER. I'D LIKE TO THANK BRITTANY ROSE FROM WOMEN IN REAL ESTATE. I'D LIKE TO THANK RAYMOND, UM, PRYOR FOR BLACK. UM, UM, BUILDING WEALTH WHILE BLACK AND ALL THE VOLUNTEERS THAT SHOW UP. I'M A PERSON THAT BELIEVES IN DO FOR SELF, BUT I KNOW THAT THERE HAS TO BE PRIVATE CITIZENS THAT PARTNER WITH THE GOVERNMENT. AND SO I'M JUST ASKING THAT WE CAN GET A VOUCHER TO HELP US. 'CAUSE WE'LL BE DOING THIS EVERY SUNDAY. I LEARNED FROM THE MAYOR TO HAVE A CAN-DO ATTITUDE AND SO I'M JUST DOING SOMETHING. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. THANK YOU COUNCILOR JACKSON. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU MR. MOORE FOR WHAT YOU, UM, DOING TO ADDRESS THE LEGAL DUMPING. IT'S A LOT IN DISTRICT B, SO IT, WHEN YOU DECIDE TO COME TO DISTRICT B, WE WOULD LOVE TO PARTNER WITH YOU. UM, SO JUST REACH OUT TO THE OFFICE AND WE'LL COORDINATE AND KIND OF SUPPORT, UM, WHATEVER YOU'RE TRYING TO DO TO GET, KEEP IT CLEAN. OKAY? ALRIGHT. THANKS COUNCIL. COUNCILMAN EVAN SHIBA. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU MR. MOORE. I ECHO THE SENTIMENTS OF MY COLLEAGUE. WE NEED THE HELP. AND IF YOU COULD REACH OUT TO US TO SEE HOW WE CAN FACILITATE, UH, YOU GETTING THIS DONE, WE REALLY WOULD APPRECIATE IT. OKAY? OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I HAVE A CLUE. THANK YOU. WE STAY IN RECESS AT NINE O. TANYA. ASHLEY, TANYA ASHLEY. TANYA. ASHLEY, TANYA. [RECESS] THAT COMPLETES THE LIST OF SPEAKERS. YEAH, WE STAY IN RECESS AT NINE O'CLOCK. THANK VERY MUCH. JANUARY 14TH, 15TH, 2025. WE HAVE THE REPORT FROM THE CITY CONTROLLING THE CITY ADMINISTRATION REGARDING THE CURRENT FINANCIAL STATUS OF THE CITY. ITEM ONE IS AN ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $355,980 AND 31 CENTS OUTTA WATER AND SEWER SYSTEM. CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND AS AN ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATION TO CONTRACT BETWEEN CD HOUSTON AND HARPER BROTHERS CONSTRUCTION, LLC ITEM TWO, RECOMMENDATION FROM DIRECTOR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS FOR APPROVAL OF CHANGE. ORDER NUMBER 14 A AWARDED TO HARPER BROTHERS CONSTRUCTION LLC. THIS ITEM SHALL ONLY BE CONSIDERED AFTER PASSAGE OF ITEM ONE ABOVE. ITEM THREE, RECOMMENDATION FROM CHIEF OF INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS FOR ADOPTION OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, LEGISLATIVE [01:35:01] PRINCIPLES FOR THE 89TH SESSION OF THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE. ITEM FOUR, RECOMMENDATION FROM DIRECTOR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS FOR APPROVAL OF THE FINAL CONTRACT AND ACCEPTANCE. WORK ON CONTRACT WITH THE DGLOVER UTILITIES LLC ITEM FIVE, RECOMMENDATION FROM CITY ATTORNEY TO DEPOSIT THE AMOUNT OF THE AWARD OF SPECIAL COMMISSIONERS INTO THE REGISTRY OF THE COURT AND PAY OUR COST OF COURT IN CONNECTION WITH ANY DOMAIN PROCEEDINGS STYLE. CITY OF HOUSTON VERSUS HUGO AND CHRISTINE RODRIGUEZ FOR THE NORTH SIDE HIGH SCHOOL AREA. DRAINAGE AND PAVING PROJECT. ITEM SIX APPROVED. SPENDING AUTHORITY FOR PROFESSIONAL CONSULTING SERVICES TO ANALYZE AND RECOMMEND IMPROVEMENTS TO THE CITY'S N-M-W-B-E CERTIFICATION APPLICATION PROCESS. AWARDED TO LANDING ADVISORS LLC ITEM SEVEN, STRYKER SALES LLC, FORMERLY KNOWN AS STRYKER SALES CORPORATION FOR PURCHASE OF POWER PRO XT AMBULANCE COTS. ITEM EIGHT MUSTANG MACHINERY COMPANY LLC FOR CA TWO CA CATERPILLAR ASPHALT PAVERS IN CENTRAL TEXAS. HEAVY EQUIPMENT CODE FOR ONE LAMORE STREET SWEEPER. ITEM NINE APPROVED SPIN AUTHORITY FOR PURCHASE OF AERIAL IMAGERY FOR THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT. THE WATER TO HOUSTON GALVESTON AREA COUNCIL ITEM 10 HAWKINS INC. FOR SOLE SOURCE PURCHASE OF NAPCO TWO 14 PHOSPHATE BLEND. ITEM 11, THE NEW YORK BLOWER COMPANY TO FURNISH VARIOUS TYPES OF FANS AND MOTORS ASSEMBLIES. ITEM 12 T KNOCK DISTRIBUTION LLC AND COBURN SUPPLY COMPANY TO FURNISH FIRE HYDRANTS. ITEM 13, GARDEN SPECIALTIES, D-B-A-G-S-I. HIGHWAY PRODUCTS TO FURNISH, GUARDRAILS AND BRIDGE MAINTENANCE MATERIALS. ITEM 14 APPROVED SPENDING AUTHORITY FOR PURCHASE OF VARIOUS GOODS AND PRODUCTS FOR VARIOUS CITY DEPARTMENTS. THROUGH THE CHOICE PARTNERS COOPERATIVE CO CONTRACTOR AMAZON.COM SERVICES LLC ITEM 15 HAS BEEN PULLED AND WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. ITEM 16 ORDINANCE ADOPTING CITY OF HOUSTON HOME BUYER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM GUIDELINES FOR HURRICANE HARVEY RECOVERY ITEM 17, ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING EXECUTION OF COMPROMISE, SETTLEMENT RELEASE AND INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT BETWEEN MCKENZIE CHANDLER AND CITY OF HOUSTON. ITEM 18 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING FINAL SETTLEMENT RELEASE AND INDEMNITY AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND ABUM ENVIRONMENTAL AND INFRASTRUCTURE LLC ITEM 19. ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING 734,008 $788 OUT OF PARKS CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND ON CONTRACT WITH PROJECT WONG ARCHITECTS, LLC ITEM 20 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING FIRST MEMBER TO CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND HOUSTON COMMUNITY TWO BANK ITEM 21 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND HELICOPTER SERVICES INC. ITEM 22, ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING SERVICESHIP AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND MCMASTER. STRATEGIES. ITEM 23, ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING IN A LOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND TEXAS A AND M ENGINEERING EXPERIMENT STATION ITEM 24 ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING THE NORTH AND SOUTH SIDE OF THE 600 BLOCK OF BAYLIN AVENUE BETWEEN NORTHWOOD STREET AND REAGAN STREET. ITEM 25 ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING THE NORTH AND SOUTH SIDE OF THE 800 BLOCK OF BAYLOR AVENUE BETWEEN JULIAN STREET AND WATSON STREET. ITEM 26 ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING THE NORTH SIDE OF THE 900 BLOCK OF BAYLOR AVENUE BETWEEN MISHAW STREET AND JULIAN STREET. ITEM 27 ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE 3,200, THE 3,300 BLOCKS OF PROSPECT STREET, NORTH SIDE BETWEEN SAMPSON AND BEHEAD STREET AND THE NORTH SIDE OF THE 3,300 BLOCK OF PROSPECT STREET BETWEEN SAWER AND BEHEAD STREET. ITEM 28 ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING THE NORTH SIDE OF THE 3,200 BLOCK OF PROSPECT STREET BETWEEN SAMPSON STREET AND SAWYER STREET. ITEM 29 ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING PORTIONS OF NORTH NORTH HILL SUBDIVISION. ITEM 30 ORDINANCE RENEWING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NORTH AND SOUTH SIDE OF THE 600 BLOCK OF WENDELL STREET. 800 BLOCK OF SLEDGE STREET NORTH SIDE OF THE 2002 2000, 100 BLOCKS OF WHITE OAK DRIVE EAST SIDE OF THE 2300 BLOCK OF WATSON STREET, SOUTH SIDE OF THE 700 BLOCK OF HOUSTON STREET EAST AND WEST SIDES OF THE 2,600 BLOCK OF GREENLEY STREET AND THE WEST SIDE OF THE 2,600 BLOCK OF THELMA DRIVE. ITEM 31 ORDINANCE RENEWING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE EAST AND WEST SIDE OF THE 1100 BLOCK OF CORDON STREET BETWEEN EAST 11TH AND EAST 12TH STREET. ITEM 32, ORDINANCE RENEWING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NORTH SIDE OF THE 1100 BLOCK OF CORD STREET BETWEEN EAST 11TH STREET AND EAST 12TH STREET. ITEM 33, ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING 3 290 $2,533 AND NO CENTS OUT OF DEDICATED DRAINAGE. AND SHE RENEWAL CAPITAL FUND AT VALOREM TAX AS AN ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATION TO PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND TRW ENGINEERS, INC. D-B-A-T-S-C ENGINEERING ITEM 34, ORDINANCE [01:40:01] APPROPRIATING $669,323, $823 AND 30 CENTS OUTTA WATER AND SEWER SYSTEM. CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND AS AN ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATION TO PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND CIVIL TECH ENGINEERING INC. ITEM 35 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $52,500 AND NO CENTS OUTTA WATER AND SEWER SYSTEM. CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING PROFESSIONAL CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT AND INSPECTION SERVICES. CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND FCM ENGINEERS. PC ITEM 36, ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $42,000 AND NO CENTS OUTTA WATER AND SEW SYSTEM. CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND APPROVING AN AUTHORIZING PROFESSIONAL CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT AND INSPECTION SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND LLOYD SMITHER AND ASSOCIATES. LLC ITEM 37 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $5,778,725 IN THOSE CENTS OUTTA WATER AND SEWER SYSTEM. CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND AWARDING CONTRACT TO CFG AND INDUSTRIES. LLC ITEM 38. ORDINANCE GRANTED TO AMBI PAR RESPONSE. TEXAS LLCA TEXAS LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY, THE WRIGHT PRIVILEGE AND FRANCHISE TO COLLECT, HAUL AND TRANSPORT SOLID WASTE AND INDUSTRIAL WASTE FROM COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES LOCATED WITHIN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS. PURSUANT TO CHAPTER 39, CODE OF ORDINANCES, HOUSTON, TEXAS PROVIDING FOR RELATED TERMS AND CONDITIONS. FIRST READING, ALL OF THESE ARE FIRST READING ORDINANCE ITEM 39, ORDINANCE GRANTING TO ARROW SERVICES 1, 2 3 INC. A TEXAS CORPORATION IS IT ALSO FIRST READING ITEM 40 ORDINANCE GRANTING TO AZTEC PORTER CANS AND CONTAINERS. LTDA TEXAS LIMITED PARTNERSHIP. FIRST READING ITEM 41 ORDINANCE GRANTING TO BIG R TRUCKING, LLCA TEXAS LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY. AGAIN, FIRST READING ITEM 42, ORDINANCE GRANTING TO JACK ENVIRONMENTAL, LLCA TEXAS LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY. AGAIN, FIRST READING ITEM 43, ORDINANCE GRANTING TO NATION WASTE INC. A TEXAS CORPORATION. AGAIN, FIRST READING ITEM 44, ORDINANCE GREENING TO TEXAS PRIDE DISPOSAL SOLUTIONS, LLCA, TEXAS LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY. FIRST READING ITEM 45, ORDINANCE GREENING TO TWISTER WASTE INC. A TEXAS CORPORATION. THE FIRST READING. THIS IS THE END OF THE CONSENT AGENDA UNDER THE NON-CONSENT AGENDA. ITEM NUMBER 46, REVIEW ON THE RECORD AND MAKE A DETERMINATION RELATIVE TO THE APPEAL FROM THE DECISION OF THE GENERAL APPEALS BOARD UPHOLDING SIGNED ADMINISTRATION ISSUANCE TO TWO NOTICES OF VIOLATION FOR AN ON-PREMISE SIGN LOCATED AT 10,700 NORTH FREEWAY FILED BY RICHARD L ROTHFELD ON BEHALF OF JAVIER MARCOS UNDER THE MATTER SALE CATEGORY. ITEM 47 WAS A RECOMMENDATION FROM DIRECTOR OF HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS, REVIEWED AND APPROVED BY THE JOINT REFERRAL COMMITTEE ON REQUEST FROM JOSEPH COHEN OF DAVIS COHEN INTEREST LLC DECLINING THE ACCEPTANCE OF REJECTING, REFUSING THE DEDICATION OF A 12 FOOT WIDE ALLEY. THIS WAS TABLE COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. THIS WAS ITEM 10 ON AGENDA OF JANUARY THE EIGHTH, 2025. ITEM 48 WAS A RESOLUTION OF CITY COUNCIL OF CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS, ACCEPTING RESULTS OF AUDIT OF ACTUARIAL VALUATION STUDIES AND REPORTS FOR CITY'S THREE PENSION SYSTEMS. TAB BY COUNCIL MEMBER ALQUAN. THIS IS ITEM 26 ON AGENDA OF JANUARY THE EIGHTH, 2025. THIS COMPLETES THE READING OF THE AGENDA FOR THE CITY COUNCIL SESSION OF JANUARY 15TH, 2025. STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT SESSION OF HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL SO THAT YOU BEGIN AT 9:00 AM AND THE WORDS OF OUR CURRENT CITY SECRETARY, PAT JEFFERSON. DANIEL, I WOULD LIKE TO LEAVE YOU WITH THIS. ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS TREAT EVERYONE THE WAY YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE TREATED. HAVE A BLESSED AND FANTABULOUS DAY. [RECONVENE] GOOD MORNING. WE GOT SOME BUSINESS. 10 TO THIS MORNING [ADMIN REPORT] I WILL RECOGNIZE, UH, CITY CONTROLLER CHRIS HOLLINS IN, UM, MELISSA DEBOWSKI. UM, RESPECTFULLY OUR CITY CONTROLLER AND MY FINANCE DIRECTOR. Y'ALL WILL COME FORWARD WITH OUR FINANCIAL REPORT. UH, CONTROLLER HOLLINS BE RECOGNIZED. GOOD MORNING MAYOR. HONORABLE MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. UH, HAPPY NEW YEAR AGAIN TO ALL OF YOU. THE MONTHLY FINANCIAL REPORT FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON FOR NOVEMBER, 2024 IS AS FOLLOWS IN THE GENERAL FUND, THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE PROJECTS AN ENDING FUND BALANCE OF $344.2 MILLION FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025. THAT $17.6 MILLION LOWER THAN THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT'S PROJECTION DUE TO A LOWER REVENUE PROJECTION THAN FINANCE. BASED ON OUR CURRENT PROJECTIONS, THE FUND BALANCE WILL BE $154.8 MILLION ABOVE THE CITY'S TARGET OF HOLDING 7.5% OF TOTAL [01:45:01] EXPENDITURES, EXCLUDING DEBT SERVICE AND PAY AS YOU GO IN RESERVE. AS YOU ALL ARE AWARE, THE CITY'S CURRENT BUDGET INCLUDES A $230 MILLION STRUCTURAL SHORTFALL. THE NEXT BUDGET HAS TO MAKE SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS IN CLOSING OR ELIMINATING THIS GAP TO AVOID DROPPING BELOW OUR TARGET FOR FINANCIAL RESERVES. AND IT'S ESSENTIAL THAT THE MAYOR AND C AND COUNCIL MAP OUT AN EFFECTIVE AND REALISTIC APPROACH TO ACHIEVING STRUCTURAL BALANCE WITHOUT SACRIFICING THE LEVEL OF SERVICE DELIVERY THAT THE CITY PROVIDES TO HOUSTONIANS. I STAND BY MY COMMITMENT TO WORK WITH EACH OF YOU IN WHATEVER WAY IS HELPFUL. THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE'S REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE PROJECTIONS HAVE NOT CHANGED FROM WHAT WE NOTED IN THE OCTOBER, 2024 REPORT IN THE CITY'S ENTERPRISE FUNDS. WE ALSO PROJECT NO CHANGES FROM THE PREVIOUS MONTH'S REPORT AND FOR THE CITY'S COMMERCIAL PAPER AND BONDS, THE CITY'S PRACTICE HAS BEEN TO MAINTAIN NO MORE THAN 20% OF THE TOTAL OUTSTANDING DEBT FOR EACH TYPE OF DEBT IN A VARIABLE RATE STRUCTURE. AND AS OF NOVEMBER 30TH, 2024, THE RATIO OF UNH VARIABLE RATE DEBT FOR EACH TYPE OF OUTSTANDING DEBT WAS WELL BELOW THAT THRESHOLD. UH, FINALLY, I HAVE A SHORT REPORT FOR YOU TODAY, MAYOR. FINALLY, I WANT TO NOTE THAT MY OFFICE FILED THE CITY'S ANNUAL COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL REPORT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024 IN MID-DECEMBER. IT WAS A TOTAL TEAM EFFORT TO PRODUCE AND I AGAIN, WANT TO RECOGNIZE THE EFFORT OF THE CONTROLLER'S, OFFICE'S FINANCIAL REPORTING TEAM, OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT, AND THE OUTSIDE AUDITING TEAM AT THE FIRM OF MCCONNELL JONES AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE CONTROLLER STAFF FOR THEIR HARD WORK DEDICATION. THE FER IS AN IMPORTANT TOOL FOR ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY, AND IT PROVIDES A DETAILED AND COMPLETE PICTURE OF HOUSTON CITY GOVERNMENT'S FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES, POSITION, AND OVERALL FISCAL HEALTH. THE FULL REPORT IS AVAILABLE ON THE CITY CONTROLLER'S WEBSITE@HOUSTONTX.GOV SLASH CONTROLLER. THERE YOU CAN CLICK ON THE FINANCIALS TAB AND LOOK AT THE CURRENT ACT FOR AS WELL AS THOSE GOING BACK SEVERAL YEARS. UH, AS ALWAYS, MY OFFICE WILL BE AVAILABLE TO YOU TO ANSWER ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. AND THAT CONCLUDES MY REPORT. SURE, UH, MELISSA. OKAY, GOOD MORNING. THIS IS THE FIVE PLUS SEVEN FINANCIAL REPORT FOR THE PERIOD ENDING NOVEMBER 30TH, 2024. FISCAL YEAR 25 PROJECTIONS ARE BASED ON FIVE MONTHS OF ACTUAL RESULTS AND SEVEN MONTHS OF PROJECTIONS FOR THE GENERAL FUND. OUR REVENUE PROJECTION IS 15.7 MILLION LOWER THAN THE ADOPTED BUDGET, BUT REMAINS UNCHANGED FROM THE PRIOR MONTH FOR SALES TAX PERFORMANCE. THE SALES TAX RECEIPTS FOR OCTOBER, WHICH IS OUR, UH, MOST RECENT PERIOD THAT WE HAVE RECEIPTS FOR, WERE 74.2 MILLION, WHICH IS ABOUT 5% HIGHER THAN THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR, AND ABOUT 3.7% HIGHER THAN IS BUDGETED. SO WE ARE CURRENTLY ON TRACK TO MEET THE CURRENT ESTIMATE OF 893 MILLION FOR, UM, SALES TAX REVENUE, BUT WE'LL CONTINUE TO MONITOR. ON THE EXPENDITURE SIDE, OUR EXPENDITURE PROJECTION IS 3.9 MILLION LOWER THAN THE ADOPTED BUDGET AND ALSO REMAINS UNCHANGED FROM THE PRIOR MONTH. WE'RE CURRENTLY PROJECTING THE ENDING FUND BALANCE TO BE 361.8 MILLION, WHICH IS 47.8 MILLION HIGHER THAN THE PRIOR MONTH, AND REPRESENTS 14.3% OF ESTIMATED EXPENDITURES, LESS DEBT SERVICE AND PAY AS YOU GO. AND ALTHOUGH THE REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE PROJECTIONS ARE UNCHANGED FROM THE PRIOR MONTH, THE REASON THAT THE PROJECTION OF THE FUND BALANCE IS HIGHER IS DUE TO THE FINALIZATION OF THE 2024 ANNUAL COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL REPORT. AND THAT CHANGES PRIMARILY DUE TO THE COLLABORATION WITH METRO ON THE PREVIOUSLY UNDRAWN DOWN FUNDS. UH, THAT IS ASSISTING WITH THE ELECTRICITY FOR THE STREETLIGHTS AND THE TRAFFIC SIGNALS AS WELL AS THE HPD. SO THAT FUND BALANCE THAT WE'RE PROJECTING NOW FOR FY 25 IS 172.3 MILLION ABOVE THE TARGET OF HOLDING 7.5% OF EXPENDITURES, EXCLUDING DEBT SERVICE AND PAY AS YOU GO. WE'RE NOT PROJECTING ANY CHANGES TO THE ENTERPRISE SPECIAL, UH, OR OTHER FUNDS. AND I DID GIVE A, A BRIEF UPDATE ON THE DISASTER REPORT FOR OUR DISASTER RELATED EXPENDITURES AND MONDAY'S COMMITTEE MEETING, AND THEY'RE INCLUDED IN THE WRITTEN REPORT. THAT CONCLUDES MY REPORT FOR TODAY. VERY GOOD. ANY QUESTIONS, MR. CAMAN? COUNCILMAN CAMAN? THANK YOU, MAYOR. GOOD MORNING. AND THE FIRST REPORTS, UH, OF THE YEAR. SO THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. AND THERE WAS A VERY PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATION, UH, AT OUR FINANCE COMMITTEE THE OTHER DAY. I HAD ONE FOLLOW UP QUESTION FROM THAT. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT DISASTER RECOVERY, IT WAS ANNOUNCED OVER A WEEK AGO, UM, THAT THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION AND CONGRESS HAD, UH, SECURED FOUR HOUSTON AND HARRIS COUNTY 382 MILLION IN CDBG DOLLARS. UH, IS THAT INCLUDED IN HERE? AND HOW DOES THAT IMPACT OUR BUDGET? NO, THAT'S NOT INCLUDED IN THIS FINANCIAL REPORT. SO THOSE WOULD BE RESOURCES ON TOP OF THIS. OKAY. SO CAN YOU SAY THAT AGAIN? IN TERMS OF THE DOLLARS THAT THE CITY IS WORKING WITH, WHAT POSITION DOES THAT PUT THE CITY IN? [01:50:01] RIGHT. SO, UM, SO THOSE RESOURCES, THE GRANT FUNDING WOULD BE ON TOP OF THE GENERAL FUND DOLLARS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY. AND DO WE HAVE AN IDEA YET OF THE SPLIT BETWEEN HOUSTON AND HARRIS COUNTY? YES, I THINK SO. I THINK THE, UM, THE AMOUNT FOR HOUSTON, AS YOU MENTIONED, IS IN THE $300 MILLION RANGE. AND HARRIS COUNTY WAS, I BELIEVE BETWEEN 60 AND 70 MILLION. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ANYONE ELSE? IF NOT, I HEAR A MOTION TO ACCEPT A REPORT. I MOVE TO ACCEPT THE MONTHLY FINANCIAL REPORT ENDING NOVEMBER 30TH, 2024. SECOND CASTILLO MOTION MADE AND SECOND TO ACCEPT FINANCIAL REPORTS. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSING A MOTION HAS IT. THANK YOU, FRIENDS. UH, GOOD JOB. THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU. [MAYOR'S REPORT] NOW, THE MAYOR'S REPORT, I'M GOING TO, UH, INCLUDE SEVERAL ITEMS THIS MORNING, BUT ONE OF THE IMPORTANT ONES IS OUR AGENDA. ITEM 16, DEALING WITH DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE FOR FIRST TIME HOMEOWNERS. UH, AT THE BEGINNING OF MY ADMINISTRATION AND THE APPOINTMENT OF MIKE NICHOLS AS THE HOUSING, UH, DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR, WE MADE IT VERY CLEAR AFFORDABLE HOUSING WAS ONE OF OUR HIGHEST PRIORITIES. AS WE DEAL WITH, UH, DISPLACED INDIVIDUALS FROM HARVEY AS WE DEAL WITH THE HOMELESS POPULATION AND REALLY JUST LOW INCOME AND MIDDLE INCOME HOUSTONIANS, HOME OWNERSHIP IS A VERY HIGH PRIORITY OF, UM, MY ADMINISTRATION AND, AND I KNOW THIS COUNCIL. SO WE HAVE SOME GOOD NEWS, UH, AND I'M GONNA ASK MIKE NICHOLS, OUR DIRECTOR OF HOUSING, TO COME FORWARD AND ADDRESS THE MERITS OF ITEM 16. THE, UH, THE CLOCK IS RUNNING ON THE USE OF THOSE FUNDS COMING FROM THE LAND COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE, WHICH QUITE FRANKLY, BEFORE I WAS SWORN IN, HAD NO RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON, A TOTAL BREAKDOWN AND A WORKING RELATIONSHIP. AND AS YOU ALL WITNESSED FIRSTHAND, IT WAS PRETTY HISTORIC, NOT REALLY COVERED VERY EXTENSIVELY, BUT IT MADE A DIFFERENCE THAT WE HAD THE LAND COMMISSIONER, A STATEWIDE OFFICIAL COME, UH, MAKE A PRESENTATION BEFORE THE COUNCIL. SO AS A RESULT OF THAT RENEWAL, UH, COLLABORATION, UH, PROBABLY HISTORIC BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE LAND COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE, WE'RE GONNA GET SOME REAL ASSISTANCE FOR FIRST TIME OWNERS WITH A DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. MIKE, I, UH, APPRECIATE YOUR WORK AND LEADERSHIP AND THE COLLABORATION THAT YOU'RE SHOWING WITH THE LAND COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE. SO I YIELD YOU TO GIVE US A, UH, DISCUSSION OF THE MERITS OF ITEM 16 THIS MORNING. THANK YOU. AND IF, IF I COULD HAVE JUST A PERSONAL POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE HERE TO RESPOND A LITTLE BIT TO COUNCILWOMAN CAYMAN ON THE BIG PICTURE WHEN YOU, WHEN I LISTENED TO THE CONTROLLER AND THE DIRECTOR OF FINANCE ABOUT GENERAL FUND DOLLARS, THERE IS A ON TOP OF THAT, THAT'S GOING TO BE, AND WE'RE FORTUNATE FOR IT, STATE AND FEDERAL DOLLARS THAT ARE USEFUL. THE ONE THING AS WE THINK ABOUT THAT IS PARTICULARLY FEDERAL DOLLARS ARE SIGNIFICANTLY LIMITED ON HOW THEY CAN BE USED AND WHAT THEY'RE USED FOR. IT'S NOT JUST ANOTHER POT OF MONEY. AND I WOULD SAY MUCH DIFFERENT, MUCH DIFFERENT FROM THE COVID FUNDING OF THE PAST. THIS MONEY IS VERY SPECIFIC, SO IT CAN'T BE USED AS, AS, UH, AS IN PART OF GENERAL FUNDS. IT HAS TO BE VERY SPECIFIC. IT CANNOT SUPPLANT THOSE FUNDS JUST IN GENERAL. BUT WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE, MAYOR, BECAUSE OF THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE THAT HAS REALLY CHANGED THE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE. YESTERDAY, THE, WE HAD OUR QUARTERLY REVIEW IN OUR OFFICES WITH GLO AND IT WAS A EXTREMELY BOTH FRIENDLY AND SUPPORTIVE REVIEW. UH, WE ARE TEAMWORK WORKING TO EXPEND THE END OF THE DR 17, THE HARVEY DOLLARS AND SPEND THEM WELL AND TRANSPARENTLY THAT WE GO THROUGH VERY CAREFULLY, UH, AND DOING THAT ON TOP OF THAT, BEFORE I GO TO THE ITEM 16, UH, THERE IS FUNDING COMING FROM HUD THROUGH THE DR 21, THE WINTER STORM, IKE, WHICH YOU'LL SEE, UH, THAT FUNDING WILL BE USED MAINLY FOR TWO PURPOSES TO PUT GENERATORS INTO MULTI-SERVICE CENTERS, AND PARTICULARLY TO DO WHAT IT WAS SET OUT TO DO, WHICH IS TO ABOUT 45 MILLION TO DO HOMEOWNER REPAIRS. UM, ITEM 16 IS, IS VERY IMPORTANT AND REALLY IS A PART OF THE ISSUE OF THIS IMPROVED RELATIONSHIP WITH THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE. AS YOU MAY REMEMBER, WHEN, UH, HURRICANE HARVEY CAME IN, THERE WAS [01:55:01] AN ESTIMATE OF ABOUT $1.2 BILLION COMING INTO THE REGION. UM, THE CITY ENDED UP WITH ABOUT 625 MILLION. AGAIN, HARD TO USE DOLLARS UNDER A VERY SHORT TIMELINE THAT WERE RUNNING TO THE END OF IT. IN WORKING THROUGH SOME OF THE ISSUES, WE WERE ABLE TO REALLOCATE ABOUT $18 MILLION. AGAIN, THANKS TO THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE TO HOMEOWNER ASSISTANCE. UM, THAT COMES IN THE FORM OF ITEM 16, WHICH IS THE HOMEOWNER ASSISTANCE 2.0 PLAN. UM, SINCE 2017, UH, ABOUT 500 HOUSTONIANS HAVE BECOME HOMEOWNERS. UM, AS A RESULT OF THIS EARLIER PROGRAM, UH, THE NEWLY IMAGINED 18 MILLION PLAN WILL AGAIN REINFORCE THIS ISSUE. UH, BUT TIMES HAVE CHANGED SINCE 2017. THE AVERAGE HOME PRICE IN HOUSTON IS ABOUT 335,000, WHICH PUTS THAT COMPLETELY OUT OF TOUCH, OUT OF REACH FOR MANY LOW TO MODERATE INCOME FAMILIES. THE NEW PROGRAM IS A PROGRAM THAT WILL OFFER BETWEEN 150, BETWEEN 50 AND 125,000 IN FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO ELIGIBLE HOUSEHOLDS, UM, HOPEFULLY AND EFFECTIVELY BRIDGING THAT AFFORDABILITY GAP. UM, AGAIN, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO FOR SAFEGUARDS IS WE REQUIRE THE HOMEOWNER TO MAINTAIN THAT HOUSING AFFORDABILITY FOR UP TO 10 YEARS. SECURING THE LONG-TERM BENEFITS OF THAT. THIS PROGRAM IS LIMITED TO LOW TO MODERATE INCOME BUYERS. UH, IT HAS TO BE TIED TO, UH, PEOPLE WHO WERE HERE DURING HARVARD, THEN COMES THROUGH DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE, INTEREST RATE REDUCTIONS, CLOSING COST ASSISTANCE, AND AGAIN, IN GENERAL, ENSURING BROADER ACCESS TO HOME OWNERSHIP. UM, THE PROGRAM, AND THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF THIS, UH, PARTICULARLY TO ME AND, AND THE UNDER THE DIRECTION, THE MAYOR AND THE ADMINISTRATION, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THIS PROGRAM IS RUN TRANSPARENTLY AND FAIRLY AND THE PROCESS IS STREAMLINED SO WE CAN GET THESE HOMES INTO THE HANDS OF, OF INDIVIDUALS. AGAIN, THE PROGRAM HAS TO HAVE A MANY COMPONENTS. WHEN AN INDIVIDUAL BRINGS A OPPORTUNITY TO THIS PROGRAM, THEY HAVE TO HAVE A MORTGAGE IN PLACE. SO THAT MEANS THEY HAVE TO MEET ALL THE GUIDELINES, NOT ONLY OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND THE STATE GOVERNMENT, BUT ALSO OF THE LENDER. UM, I HOPE THAT YOU WILL VOTE FOR THIS. I THINK THIS IS A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION THAT YOU'LL SEE CONTINUALLY OVER THE NEXT YEARS OF MOVING HOUSTON TO BECOMING ONE OF THE MOST AFFORDABLE CITIES IN THE UNITED STATES AND IN SOLVING OUR SIGNIFICANT PROBLEMS OF, UM, KINDER INSTITUTE SAID WE WERE ONE OF THE LOWEST IN THE COUNTRY WHEN IT CAME TO AFFORDABILITY FOR ANY KIND OF HOUSING FOR PEOPLE IN THE 30% BELOW A MI. UM, BUT AGAIN, THIS IS SOMETHING WE'RE WORKING ON EVERY DAY AS WE TALK TO, UM, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, AS THEY BEGIN TO REORGANIZE AND RESTRUCTURE WHAT THEY'RE DOING. AND AS WE WILL SPEND TIME WITH THE INCOMING, UH, HUD, UM, SECRETARY TO MAKE SURE THEY LOOK AT THESE ISSUES, THERE ARE ANSWERS TO THESE ISSUES. THESE ARE SOLVABLE PROBLEMS. UM, AND WE'RE GONNA BE IN THE FRONT OF THIS NATIONALLY TO BRING MORE AFFORDABILITY TO HOUSTON. THIS IS A SMALL STEP. IT WILL IMPACT ABOUT 200, A LITTLE OVER 200, UH, UH, FAMILIES. WE'LL PUT THEM IN HOUSING. BUT IT'S A BIG STEP NOT ONLY FOR THOSE FAMILIES, BUT ALSO FOR THE DIRECTION THAT WE WANT TO MOVE. AND THANK YOU. AND YOU'VE EMPHASIZED THAT HITTING THE RESTART BUTTON AND WORKING WITH THE LAND COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE SO CLOSELY FOR THE BENEFIT OF HOUSTON'S. I THINK IT'S WORTHWHILE TO POINT OUT THAT SHE IS AN OUTSTANDING REPUBLICAN WORKING WITH A DEMOCRATIC ADMINISTRATION HERE AT THE CITY, WHICH POINTS OUT POLITICS SHOULD NOT MATTER WHEN WE'RE SOLVING HOUSTON'S PROBLEMS. PUT PARTY LABELS ASIDE, HAVE THAT COLLABORATION AND GET THE MOST BENEFITS FOR THE MOST PEOPLE. SO THANK YOU. I KNOW YOU'VE ALSO BEEN MEETING WITH, UH, SENATORS AND WE'LL DISCUSS HOMELESSNESS IN A MOMENT BEFORE I, I LET YOU GO BACK TO WORK. I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN GETTING VERY ENCOURAGING, UH, SUPPORT FROM STATE SENATE COMMITTEES ABOUT RESOURCES TO ADDRESS OUR HOMELESS ISSUE. BUT FIRST, I HAVE A NUMBER OF MEMBERS THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO, UH, THIS, UH, DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM STORM WITH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD. THANK YOU MAYOR, AND GOOD MORNING TO EVERYONE. DIRECTOR, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. UM, WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE PERSON OR THE FAMILY GETS THE HOME FOR THE SUBSEQUENT YEARS? SO THEY GET THE DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE, THEY'RE ABLE TO AFFORD THE HOME AT THE INITIAL PRICE, UH, BUT IF THE HOME GOES UP IN VALUE OR DOES IT GO UP IN VALUE? AND IF SO, THEY WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THOSE [02:00:01] PROPERTY TAXES. NOW, IF THEY'RE, IF THEY'RE BARELY ABLE TO GET THE HOME, BUT FOR THE HOMEOWNER'S ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, THEN THE PROPERTY TAXES ON THE HOME, IF IT DOES INCREASE OVER TIME, THEY WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THOSE AS WELL. SO DOES THAT KEEP IT AFFORDABLE FOR THEM OR IS THAT, OR DOES THAT START TO PUT AN ADDITIONAL BURDEN ON THEM THAT THEY DID NOT MAYBE ANTICIPATE, UH, THAT THEY WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR? AND ARE THEY REQUIRED TO STAY IN IT FOR 10 YEARS? AND IF THEY ARE REQUIRED TO STAY IN IT FOR 10 YEARS, WHAT HAPPENS AT YEAR FIVE? IF THE HOUSE IS DOUBLED IN VALUE, WHAT HAPPENS IN THAT SCENARIO? SO AGAIN, UH, TWO COUPLE OF CLARIFICATIONS. THE, UM, WAY THIS PROGRAM WORKS IS THAT IT'S COULD BE FROM FIVE TO 10 YEARS, DEPENDING ON THE AMOUNT THAT IS BORROWED, UH, THAT, EXCUSE ME, THAT IS, THAT IS PUT IN PLACE. SO IF IT'S A $50,000 AMOUNT, WHICH WAS THE OLD ONE WOULD, WOULD BE FIVE YEARS. UM, THIS IS A BALANCING ACT. TWO THINGS TO THE HOPE THAT MAKES YOU A LITTLE MORE COMFORTABLE WHEN ONE OF THESE BUYERS GET A MORTGAGE, THAT MORTGAGE THAT BANKER, THAT MORTGAGE HOLDER'S LOOKING AT, CAN THEY SUSTAIN THIS, UH, HOUSING, WHICH MEANS TO BE ABLE TO PAY TAX AND INSURANCE TODAY? SADLY, IT CONTINUES TO GO UP, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S PART OF IT. UM, AND THAT, SO THEY LOOK AT THAT. SO THAT'S WHY IT IS NOT, THIS PROGRAM IS NOT RIGHT FOR EVERYBODY. IT'S RIGHT FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE VERY, UM, MINIMUM INCOME, NO DEBT AND ENOUGH, UM, SUSTAINABILITY TO HANDLE THIS. THE HOLDING PERIOD, WHAT IT WOULD, WHAT IT'S MEANT TO BE IS TO GET PEOPLE TO HOLD THOSE, THOSE HOUSE HOMES AND, UH, FOR A WHILE AND NOT JUST FLIP THOSE HOMES. SO AGAIN, IF IT INCREASES, THEY CAN SELL THAT, BUT THEY MAY HAVE TO REPAY PART OF THESE DOLLARS OUT OF THE RESULT OF THE INCREASE IN VALUE THAT THEY RECEIVE. 'CAUSE THERE'S A LIEN ON THAT HOME THAT SAYS YOU NEED TO HOLD IT FOR 10 YEARS, BUT THEY CAN SELL IT IF THEY NEED TO. WE THINK THIS IS A GOOD COMPROMISE THAN INDIVIDUALS WHO WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT BEING REQUIRED TO BE HELD LONGER. UM, BUT WE THINK IT'S A GOOD COMPROMISE. WE DO PARTNER, UH, IN THESE PROGRAMS WITH THE LAND TRUST, THE LAND BANK THAT HAVE DIFFERENT KINDS OF PROGRAMS AS YOU GO THROUGH THAT WILL ALLOW THIS TO BE A LESS EXPENSIVE ISSUE. BUT AGAIN, IT'S VERY, TO ME, IT'S THOUGHTFULLY DONE BECAUSE WHEN PEOPLE GET THESE MORTGAGES, THEY'RE LOOKING OUT FIVE IN 10 YEARS. BUT YOUR, YOUR ISSUE IS REAL. AND AGAIN, AS YOU KNOW, THE LEGISLATURE'S LOOKING AT THIS SIGNIFICANT INSURANCE ISSUE ALSO. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR ALCO. THANK YOU. THE, THIS IS $18 MILLION TWO YEAR PROGRAM, RIGHT? YES, MA'AM. DO WE ALREADY HAVE KIND OF A WAIT LIST OR PEOPLE IN THE HOPPER? WE DO. WE HAVE 47 PEOPLE WHO ARE READY TO GO RIGHT NOW. GREAT. UH, WE HAVE A GOOD PLAN IN PLACE. AGAIN, THERE IS, IT IS COMPLEXITY BECAUSE THESE PROGRAMS HAVE TO BE APPROVED BY THE COUNCIL. SURE. HAS TO BE APPROVED BY GLO, WHICH WE'VE GOTTEN. UM, DO WE HAVE TO DO SEPARATE GUIDELINES FOR THIS ONE? LIKE WE, WE DO. OKAY. UH, BUT WE FEEL GOOD ABOUT IT AND WE'RE MOVING QUICKLY AND WE FEEL LIKE WE CAN GET THIS DONE. PART OF THE REASON IT'S THIS PROGRAM COUNCILWOMAN, IS THAT WE CAN GET THIS DONE IN TWO YEARS. THE G OS UNDER FAIR GUIDELINES WITH US BECAUSE THEY RECOGNIZE IF WE DON'T GET THIS DONE, THAT ONLY GIVES THEM A YEAR TO SPEND THE MONEY ON SOMETHING ELSE. RIGHT. AND, AND YOU MENTIONED, UM, D 21, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS IS DR. 17 KIND OF MONEY THAT WE PAID, REMEMBER THE STELLA LINK THING OR WE GAVE TO TO THAT'S RIGHT. TO THE GLO. AND THAT'S COMING BACK FOR THIS PROGRAM THAT IS A RESULT OF, OF THAT PROGRAM. WE, UH, WE ARE, HAVE WE PAID THAT BACK TO GI O AND THEN THEY'RE GIVING THAT BACK TO US. UH, AGAIN, I I WILL SAY, AND I'M SMILING, THE COMPLEXITY IN FEDERAL SPENDING YEAH. IS, IS INCREDIBLE. AND PART OF IT IS YOU HAVE TO CONTINUE TO MEET DIFFERENT GUIDELINES. NOT ONLY THE GUIDELINE FOR SPENDING, BUT THE GUIDELINES FOR COMMITMENT. AND THEN OF COURSE THE GLO RIGHT. RIGHTFULLY SO, HAS BENCHMARKS FOR US TO MAKE SURE WE'RE SPENDING, SO AT THE END, WE DON'T END UP JUST GIVING THE MONEY BACK. OKAY. THANK YOU, MARTINEZ. THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, CONGRATULATIONS. DEFINITELY ON, ON, ON THIS, UH, UM, REALLY IMPORTANT, UH, HOUSING, UH, CHALLENGE THAT WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO ADDRESS FOR SOME TIME. UM, I, I WANT TO ASK A FEW QUESTIONS FIRST AND FOREMOST. SURE. I WAS TOLD ABOUT, ABOUT ALMOST 500 HOME BUYERS WERE ASSISTED PREVIOUSLY. UM, BUT WE'RE NOT, WE DON'T HAVE ANY DATA AS FAR AS WHAT DISTRICTS. I'D LOVE TO TRY AND GET THAT INFORMATION. THANK YOU. YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT WE'VE ALWAYS HAD CONVERSATIONS WHERE FOLKS WANT HOME BUYER ASSISTANCE, BUT THERE WAS NEVER FUNDING OR NOT ANY MORE FUNDING. IT'S, IT'S DRIED UP. UM, ARE Y'ALL GOING TO WORK OFF AN OFF, OFF OF A EXISTING LIST OR WILL THERE THIS BE OPEN TO THE COMMUNITY FROM HERE ON OUT? IT, [02:05:01] IT IS AN OPEN LIST, BUT AGAIN, WE HAVE PEOPLE IN THE QUEUE WHO ARE HOLDING THEIR MORTGAGES READY TO GET THIS DONE. AND THEY WOULD BE, IF THEY'RE IN THE QUEUE, THEN THEY WILL BE FIRST. WILL Y'ALL BE REVISITING THAT LIST, UH, THAT EXISTING LIST TO SEE IF THEY'RE STILL IN NEED OR IF THEY'RE STILL ABSOLUTELY AROUND? ABSOLUTELY. UM, BECAUSE, AND SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH US AS WELL. SURE. UM, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, THAT MY OFFICE IS, IS, UM, WORKING CLOSELY WITH YOU TO MAKE SURE OUTREACH IS IMPORTANT. UM, WE'VE, WE, I I FEEL LIKE DISTRICT I HISTORICALLY HAS NOT SEEN, UH, A SIGNIFICANT ASSISTANCE WHEN IT COMES TO THIS PROGRAM. AND SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT RESIDENTS IN DISTRICT, I ALSO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY THAT OTHERS AROUND THE CITY OF HOUSTON AS, UH, HAVE AS WELL. UM, BUT I'M EXCITED ABOUT THIS. THIS IS A, A, A GREAT STEP FORWARD. I THINK WE'VE ALL SEEN INCREASE IN H HOUSING COSTS, UH, JUST NOT EVEN INSIDE OF THE LOOP, BUT OUTSIDE OF THE LOOP AS WELL. AND SO, UM, I'M, I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT BEING ABLE TO HELP HOUSTONIANS WITH THIS. THANK YOU. WITH, UH, COUNCILMAN WITH SOME FEAR ABOUT CONFUSING PEOPLE. UM, THE, UH, WE SENT OUT OUTREACH THROUGH THE WATER BILLS ON DR 21, WHICH IS REPAIRS FROM, UH, WINTER STORM URI. SO SOME OF YOUR CONSTITUENTS WILL BE CALLING YOU ABOUT THAT. SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT. BUT OUTREACH IS IMPORTANT TO US BECAUSE AGAIN, THIS IDEA OF TRANSPARENCY THAT THE ADMINISTRATION IS VERY COMMITTED TO, AND I'M COMMITTED TO, WE WANT TO DO THAT. WE WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW THESE PROGRAMS EXIST. I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO DOUBLING THOSE EFFORTS WITH YOU AS WELL. THANK YOU, SIR. UH, MAYOR PRO CAST SIX TATUM. THANK YOU, MAYOR. DIRECTOR NICHOLS. UM, I'M EXCITED TO SUPPORT ITEM 16. UM, AS A COUNCIL, WE ALL ARE AWARE OF THE INCREASE IN OUR HOUSING, UH, COSTS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. UH, WHEN YOU GO ACROSS THE COUNTRY, EVERY CITY IS TALKING ABOUT AFFORDABILITY. UM, AFFORDABILITY IS A BIG ISSUE ACROSS THE COUNTRY, UM, NOT JUST FOR HOUSTON, BUT FOR, UM, CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. AND IT'S PROGRAMS LIKE THIS. UM, ALTHOUGH YOU SAY IT'S ONLY FOR 200 PEOPLE, FOR THOSE 200 PEOPLE, WE HAVE CHANGED THEIR LIVES. THAT'S RIGHT. MOST PEOPLE CAN AFFORD TO PAY THE MORTGAGE. IF THEY QUALIFY FOR THE MORTGAGE, THEY CAN PAY THE MORTGAGE. WHAT WE ARE DOING IS REMOVING THE BARRIER INTO HOME OWNERSHIP BY ALLOWING THEM TO HAVE ADDITIONAL DOLLARS FOR THE DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE FOR THE DOWN PAYMENT, UM, THAT THEY STRUGGLE TO GET. WHEN YOU ARE A WORKING FAMILY, IT'S HARD TO SAVE, UH, 50, A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR THAT DOWN PAYMENT, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE COST OF HOMES CONTINUE TO RISE. SO THIS PROGRAM, IN ADDITION TO THE OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD THE SINGLE FAMILY HOMES, IT IT, IT DOES US NO GOOD TO HAVE DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE AND NOT HAVE HOMES ON THE GROUND FOR PEOPLE TO BUY. SO WHAT WE HAVE DONE, UH, WE SEE NOW COMING TOGETHER ARE THE ACTUAL HOMES THAT WE'LL BE AVAILABLE FOR HOUSTONIANS. AND NOW THIS DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE WILL ALSO BE A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION FOR THESE FAMILIES, BUT IT'S A COMPREHENSIVE EFFORT. IT'S, IT'S EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE MEETING THE TIMELINES AND THE GUIDELINES, UM, AND FOR THESE RESIDENTS WHO, UM, WILL GO THROUGH THE PROCESS, GET, GET A MORTGAGE, UM, AND, AND BALANCE THE TIMING OF IT ALL. UM, AND I, YOU KNOW, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ MENTIONED THIS, SO MANY RESIDENTS CALL FOR HOME BUYER ASSISTANCE, AND WE ALWAYS HAVE TO SAY THERE ARE NO DOLLARS AVAILABLE FOR DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE. UM, SO NOW THAT WE DO HAVE SOME DOLLARS AVAILABLE, I THINK WE NEED TO TOUT IT. WE NEED TO, UM, LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT WE HAVE PUT THIS PROGRAM IN PLACE AND THAT IT IS AVAILABLE. AND GRANTED, YOU KNOW, I KNOW WE'LL HAVE MORE THAN 200 FAMILIES THAT ARE LOOKING FOR THIS TYPE OF ASSISTANCE. UM, BUT WE'LL HAVE A FEW H HOMES ON THE GROUND AND WE CAN MAKE THIS WORK FOR THOSE RESIDENTS. UM, I, I DO WANT TO ADD THAT HOUSTON IS DEFINITELY ON THE RADAR IN THE COUNTRY. UM, I, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OF YOU KNOW, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS HAS SERVED ON, UH, NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES AND IS IS SPEAKING, UH, ACTUALLY AT A PANEL, UM, ON HOUSING. MANY PEOPLE ARE LOOKING AT WHAT WE ARE DOING, UH, WITH OUR, OUR HOUSING STOCK AND, UH, OUR HOMELESSNESS INITIATIVES IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP. THANK YOU FOR HEEDING THE, UH, VOICES OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS. UM, WHEN WE ARE SHARING WHAT OUR CONSTITUENTS ARE ASKING FOR IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND MAYOR, UM, WHEN YOU FIRST CAME INTO OFFICE, ONE OF THE STATEMENTS YOU MADE WAS, WE WANT HOUSTON TO BE, UH, ONE OF THE MOST AFFORDABLE, WELL, I THINK YOU SAID, THE MOST AFFORDABLE. THAT'S RIGHT. UH, CITY IN, IN THE COUNTRY. AND IT'S PROGRAMS LIKE THIS THAT GET US THERE. SO THANK YOU FOR, UM, DISCUSSING THIS TODAY SO WE CAN AMPLIFY THE GREAT WORK THAT WE'RE DOING IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. UH, TWO ITEMS ON THAT. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE COMMENTS. AGAIN, WITH THE MAYOR'S FOCUS ON THIS, IT [02:10:01] IS CLEARLY SOMETHING THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT. UM, WE'VE GOT MEETINGS, AS I SAID, SET UP WITH THE INCOMING HU SECRETARY, THANKS TO THE MAYOR AND HIS TEAM, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK ON THAT. UH, ITEM TWO IS, THIS IS A SMALL NUMBER, BUT WE WILL, WE WILL FIND OTHER WAYS TO SOLVE THESE PROBLEMS. AND IMPORTANT WAY IS WORKING WITH AND MAKES THIS PROGRAM REALLY BETTER WORKING WITH A NUMBER OF OTHER PARTNERS. AGAIN, I MENTIONED THE LAND TRUST, BUT I WILL PUT WITH THAT HABITAT FOR HUMANITY AND OTHERS THAT HELP US MAKE SURE THESE HOMES ARE NOT ONLY HAVE THE DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE, BUT ARE QUALITY AND ARE TOTALLY AFFORDABLE. ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU AGAIN. THANK YOU. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, BROTHER DIRECTOR, THANK YOU FOR, UH, THIS LEADERSHIP AND THIS PROGRAM. AND THANK OUR MAYOR FOR TAKING THE, UH, DIVISION TO TAKE THIS FORWARD. WE GET ASKED OFTEN ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND ASSISTANCE ALL THROUGHOUT THE, UM, CITY AND CERTAINLY AT OUR TOWN HALLS. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO PUTTING THIS TOGETHER AS OUR CHAIR, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, TIFFANY THOMAS AND LEADERSHIP IN THAT FOR HOUSING. AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS A MAJOR ISSUE AND FOR YEARS WE'VE SAW, UH, OUR CITY FALL BEHIND IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING IF WE'VE BEEN KEEPING RECORD. SO THIS IS A WELCOMING, UH, PROCESS AND, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SUPPORTING THIS BECAUSE IT'S NEEDED, BECAUSE RENTAL, YOU KNOW, COSTS HAS GONE UP SKYROCKET, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY IN EVERY CITY IN AMERICA. BUT TO, TO SEE THE MAYOR BRING FORTH THIS PROGRAM IS SOMETHING THAT THE CITY REALLY, REALLY NEED AND ASSISTANCE IN THAT. AND I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND, UH, HELPING THIS PROCESS GO FORWARD. AND AGAIN, I WHAT MAY, AND I'M GONNA KEEP SAYING THIS 'CAUSE IT'S NOT JUST ME, I WOULD SAY THE MAYOR'S TIES TO YES, FOLKS IN AUSTIN HAVE BEEN QUITE REMARKABLE. AGAIN, NOT ONLY WITH GROUPS LIKE T-D-H-C-A AND GLO, BUT ALSO IN THE HOUSE AND SENATE. YES. THANK YOU FOR THEM, YOU KNOW, WORKING WITH US AND, AND FOLLOWING AND SUPPORTING THE MAYOR IN HOUSTON IN THIS EFFORT. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, DIRECTOR NICHOLS. I WANNA SAY CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU AND TO MAYOR WHITMEYER FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND ESTABLISHING BETTER RELATIONS WITH THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE. SOMETHING WE HAVEN'T SEEN HERE IN A WHILE, BUT, UH, GLAD THAT WE'RE ABLE TO, UH, WORK AS PARTNERS WITH THEM AND IT WILL BENEFIT HOUSTON RESIDENTS. UM, GREAT IDEA TO HELP HOUSTON FAMILIES, UH, BUY HOMES AS PART OF THE AMERICAN DREAM AND POSSIBLY ESTABLISH GENERATIONAL WEALTH. WOULD LOVE TO SEE THIS PROGRAM GO EVEN FARTHER BY USING PARTNERS LIKE YOU JUST MENTIONED, THE LAND TRUST. LAND TRUST TRANSACTIONS ARE ONES IN WHICH, UM, THE BUYER DOESN'T PURCHASE THE LAND. IT'S HELD IN TRUST, WHICH REDUCES THE SALES PRICE SUBSTANTIALLY AND WOULD ALLOW THOSE DOLLARS TO GO FURTHER. UM, WE HAVE SO MANY FAMILIES IN NEED OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING, HUNDREDS, IF NOT THOUSANDS IN HOUSTON. AND, UH, I'M NOT SURE HOW MANY FAMILIES WE HELP WITH THIS PROGRAM. I'VE HEARD 40 TO 70, THEN I HEARD 200. WHATEVER IT IS. I, I JUST HOPE WE TAKE THE STEPS NECESSARY TO MAKE THESE DOLLARS GO AS FAR AS WE POSSIBLY CAN, UH, SO THAT WE CAN HELP AS MANY FAMILIES AS POSSIBLE. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP ON THIS. I, I'M IN CONCERT WITH YOU TO SEE, MAKE SURE THAT IT GOES AS FAR AS POSSIBLE, WHICH MEANS THE NUMBER OF FAMILIES. THAT'S CORRECT. THANK YOU. COUNCILOR PLUMMER. THANK YOU, MAYOR, AND CONGRATULATIONS. THIS IS REALLY GREAT NEWS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THE CREATIVITY. I HAVE A COUPLE QUICK QUESTIONS. UM, IF I NEED TO GET BACK IN QI CAN, UM, TO THE POINT OF, OF COUNCILOR POLLARD, AS YOU KNOW, OUR PROPERTY TAXES ARE INCREASING AND THIS IS GONNA CHANGE. UM, IS THERE ANY FINANCIAL PLANNING OPPORTUNITIES, UM, THAT, THAT WILL BE DONE, UH, FOR THESE POTENTIAL BUYERS? UH, THE ANSWER IS YES. I WILL COME, I WILL BRING YOU BACK WITH THE DETAILS. OKAY. I KNOW OUR STAFF WORKS WITH A NUMBER OF ORGANIZATIONS AND TO BRINGING FINANCIAL PLANNING TO THE COMMUNITY, BUT I'LL COME BACK TO YOU IN DETAIL. OKAY. THAT'S WONDERFUL. THANK YOU. UM, ALSO, YOU MENTIONED THE LAND TRUST. ARE THESE PARTICULAR, ARE THESE, WILL THIS BE LAND OWNERSHIP OR IS THIS A LAND LEASE ON, ON, AGAIN, FOR MOST OF THESE PROPERTIES, IT WILL BE OWNED BY THE INDIVIDUAL, WHICH WILL BRING, ALLOW THAT TO BRING GENERATIONAL WEALTH MORE QUICKLY TO THEM. THAT WE WILL TRY TO WORK WITH THE LAND TRUST AND THAT WOULD ALLOW CERTAIN PEOPLE TO HAVE, ALLOW THIS MONEY TO GO FURTHER. OKAY. BUT THAT'S THE BALANCING ACT, UM, AND A BALANCING ACT ON, ON THE GOAL OF THIS TOO, WHICH IS, AS MENTIONED EARLIER, GROWING GENERATIONAL WEALTH IS SOMETHING THAT'S IMPORTANT AND THAT I KNOW I PERSONALLY HAVE BENEFITED FROM IN MY LIFE, AND I HOPE OTHER PEOPLE CAN TOO. NO, NO, NO. THAT'S WHY I ASKED THAT QUESTION. UM, BECAUSE A LOT OF THESE FAMILIES, THEIR, THEIR INVESTMENT AND THEIR SAVINGS [02:15:01] IS IN THEIR HOMES, AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S GREAT. UM, IS THERE A SPECIFIC LENDER THAT WILL BE UTILIZED? NO, IT'S A, IT'S GENERALLY ACROSS THE BOARD. OKAY. AND THEN HOW ABOUT BUILDERS? ARE THE SPECIFIC BUILDERS ARE OPEN AS WELL? NO SPECIFIC BUILDERS OR AREAS? EITHER. OKAY. AND WOULD PEOPLE, WOULD THEY BE ALLOWED TO REBUILD? LET'S HYPOTHETICALLY SAY THAT, UM, A HOME WAS NEVER REPAIRED PROPERLY DURING THE, DURING, DURING, UM, HARVEY, WOULD ANYONE BE ABLE TO TEAR DOWN THEIR HOMES AND REBUILD ON THEIR OWN PROPERTY? IS THAT AN OPTION OR NOT WITH THESE FUNDS? OKAY. THERE ARE OTHER DISASTER RELIEF FUNDS. AND AGAIN, LIKE THE DR 21 FUNDS, THAT IS FOR HOME OWNER REPAIR. AND THAT WOULD BE FOR THAT, FOR THAT STORM. THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE WHO OWN THEIR HOMES AND WHERE THERE'S SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE, UH, THEY CAN DO RECONSTRUCTION, WHICH SOMETIMES MEANS REBUILDING. REBUILDING. OKAY. WONDERFUL. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND CONGRATULATIONS. THIS IS GREAT NEWS. THANKS. COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU DIRECTOR. I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT KIND OF, UH, AS I WAS SITTING HERE LISTENING THIS TIME LAST YEAR, UH, ONE OF THE FIRST BRIEFINGS I HAD WAS FROM THE GLO, AND THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CITY, WHICH, YOU KNOW, I CAME AWAY FROM THAT MEETING KINDA LIKE, WHAT, HOW, WHAT, WHY, HOW COULD THIS BE POSSIBLE THAT, THAT WE'RE NOT WORKING WITH THE STATE OF TEXAS. AND THEN ON THE OTHER, YOU KNOW, I GUESS THE REST OF THE CONVERSATION WAS LEARNING THAT WE HAD TO PAY THEM BACK, GIVE THEM THE FUNDS BACK. AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANKS FOR YOUR WORK AND THANKS FOR YOUR EFFORTS TO, IT'S, IT'S A TERRIBLE THING TO HAVE TO REFUND MONEY, AND ESPECIALLY TO THE MAGNITUDE THAT THAT WAS. AND, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, KUDOS TO YOU AND YOUR TEAM AND WORKING WITH THE MAYOR TO GET THIS BACK TO OUR CITY BECAUSE THERE IS MONEY AVAILABLE. WE JUST HAVE TO USE IT WISELY AND KNOW HOW TO USE IT. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO, AS YOU SAY THAT, I JUST WANNA SAY, WE ARE WORKING ON ANOTHER PROJECT CURRENTLY WHERE THEY, THEY, THE GLO HAD ORIGINALLY REJECTED A A $22 MILLION REIMBURSEMENT. WE FEEL VERY GOOD THAT UNDER THIS NEW RELATIONSHIP, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO CHANGE THAT AND WE THINK WE WILL GET THAT REIMBURSEMENT. THESE ARE, THESE ARE DETAILED OP OPPORTUNITIES FOR US, BUT COME FROM BOTH THE GLO THAT'S REALLY INTERESTED IN HELPING US AND HELPING ALL OF YOU AND THE MAYOR. AND IN A STAFF THAT HAS NOW TAKEN A DIFFERENT VIEWPOINT OF THE GLO. THEY, OUR, OUR, OUR PARTNERS. AND YES, THEY, THEY ALSO DO OUR COMPLIANCE, BUT THEY'RE ALSO OUR PARTNERS. THAT'S WONDERFUL. THANK YOU. IT'S, IT'S GOOD NEWS FOR HOUSTON. COUNCILMAN KAMAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR, DIRECTOR. UM, THANK YOU FOR THE REPORT AND FOR ALL OF THE HARD WORK THAT YOU AND YOUR TEAM ARE DOING. UH, MAYOR, THIS IS A TERRIFIC STEP FORWARD. UH, MY HEARTFELT APPRECIATION, AGAIN IS A DISTRICT, UH, MOST HEAVILY IMPACTED BY REPETITIVE FLOODING. I KNOW THAT THIS IS IMPORTANT THROUGHOUT THE CITY, UH, BUT OUR HEARTFELT APPRECIATION TO ALL THE WORK GOING INTO BUILD THAT BRIDGE WITH THE GLO AND OF COURSE TO DON BUCKINGHAM FOR, UM, KIND OF RIDING THE WAY WE WERE GOING THERE AND REALLY WORKING ON THAT RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CITY AND OUR GOOD FAITH EFFORT AS WELL. UM, THIS WILL GO, AS YOU SAID, AND THERE'S BEEN A LITTLE MENTION OF IT KEEPING PEOPLE FROM THE CLIFF OF HOMELESSNESS AND BEING UNHOUSED AND THAT WE'RE ABLE TO INTERVENE AND GET THEM INTO HOUSING, HOPEFULLY KEEPS MORE PEOPLE FROM FACING. UH, AGAIN, WHAT WE'VE BEEN SEEING IN HEADLINES, AND I KNOW THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF HEADLINES, UH, BUT I WANTED TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY DIRECTORS, WE, UH, ALSO TACKLE HOMELESSNESS HEAD ON YOUR TEAM. IF YOU'LL RECALL, UH, IF COUNCIL RECALL, THERE WERE TWO MEN THAT CAME BEFORE COUNCIL LAST WEEK, UH, IN DISTRICT C, UH, THAT WERE STRUGGLING WITH, WITH HOMELESSNESS. AND THANKS TO YOUR TEAM, UH, SPECIFICALLY NICK ABELS IN PARTNERING AND WORKING WITH OUR OFFICE AND THE COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS. UM, BOTH OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS HAVE NOW BEEN PLACED IN HOUSING. SO AS WE WORK TOWARDS THIS, I DID WANNA TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO THANK YOUR TEAM BECAUSE OF THE RESULTS THAT WE ARE SEEING ADDRESSING THIS ISSUE FROM BOTH SIDES, RIGHT. SECURING HOUSING AND TAKING CARE OF THOSE THAT ARE IN NOW THAT VULNERABLE POSITION. SO MY THANK YOU. UH, THANK YOU. AND AGAIN, WORKING FOR MAYOR WHITMEYER AND HIS TEAM, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF COMFORT IN OUR PAST HISTORY. WE ARE JUST TRYING TO KEEP MOVING FORWARD. AND IT, AND COUNCILWOMAN IT IS THE COMPLEXITY OF WE'RE TRYING TO SOLVE INDIVIDUAL PROBLEMS LIKE THE PEOPLE YOU MENTIONED. AT THE SAME TIME, WE'RE TRYING TO SOLVE THESE PROBLEMS AT SCALE, WHICH IS REALLY THE GOAL. AND I THINK YOU'LL CONTINUE TO SEE A GOOD PROGRAMS AND WELL USED DOLLARS AS WE SOLVE THESE PROBLEMS. AND ONE OF THE THINGS I'M EXCITED ABOUT GOING FORWARD IS EXPANDING THE NUMBER OF AFFORDABLE APARTMENTS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, [02:20:01] WHICH REALLY GOES MORE DIRECTLY TO THOSE ISSUES. ABSOLUTELY. AND, BUT THE, THE INDIVIDUAL APPROACH, WHILE YOU'RE ADDRESSING THE SYSTEMS, I MEAN, Y'ALL EVEN WORKED WITH EK AT THE LIBRARIES TO GET ONE OF THE YOUNG MEN IN ROOM SO THAT THEY COULD TAKE A JOB INTERVIEW. THAT'S RIGHT. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OKAY. UH, COUNCILOR JACKSON. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND, UM, DIRECTOR REP, UM, NICHOLS, WANTED TO SAY CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU AND MAYOR FOR THIS, UM, THESE DOLLARS. AND I KNOW I'VE SAT DOWN WITH YOU AND YOUR, UM, TEAM SEVERAL TIMES ABOUT THE NEED FOR DOWNSTATE DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE MONEY. UM, MY OFFICE WORKED CLOSELY WITH NACA AND WE WAS TRYING TO GET, UM, DOLLARS TO PAY DOWN, UM, THE PRICE POINTS. AND SO I'M JUST CURIOUS, CAN THIS MONEY BE USED TO PAY DOWN THE PRICE POINTS OR IS IT JUST FOR DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE? I'M, I WAS LOOKING AT MY NOTES. IT CAN BE USED FOR THAT. OKAY. I KNOW THE DIRECTION IS FOR DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE. OKAY. BUT IT CAN BE USED FOR THAT. OKAY. YEAH. WELL, I'M HAPPY TO HEAR ABOUT THIS DOLLARS AND SO, CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU. AND AGAIN, TO ALL OF YOU WHO, THIS IS A MAJOR ISSUE, WE, WE HAVE HEARD YOU, WE WISH WE COULD MOVE FASTER. OKAY. THANK YOU. OH, ONE MORE THING. ARE YOU GONNA HAVE ADDITIONAL STAFF? BECAUSE I KNOW THAT, UM, THE PROCESS TO GET FOLKS APPROVED FOR THE DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE HAS BEEN TAKEN, YOU KNOW, SOME TIME. SO ARE WE GONNA HAVE A DIFFERENT ADDITIONAL STAFF? STAFF? WE THINK WE HAVE ADEQUATE STAFF AT THIS POINT, UHHUH, UM, AND WE CONTINUE TO LOOK AT THAT, BUT AT THIS POINT WE HAVE, THINK WE HAVE ADEQUATE STAFF. MM-HMM . AS YOU KNOW, IT'S A LIMITED AMOUNT OF ADMINISTRATIVE DOLLARS THAT COME WITH EACH OF THESE PROGRAMS. OKAY. AND, UH, I THINK THIS WEEK YOU'LL HAVE SOME OPPORTUNITIES TO LOOK AT THAT FOR US ALSO. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. BUT AGAIN, WE THINK WE HAVE CONGRATULATIONS STAFF. THANK YOU. THANKS. VERY GOOD. COUNCILMAN PLUMMER. THANK YOU, MAYOR. ONE MORE JUST QUICK QUESTION. UM, REGARDING INSURANCE. AS WE KNOW INSURANCE IS EXPENSIVE, WINDSTORM, FLOOD, INSURANCE, ET CETERA, IS THERE GONNA BE ONE SPECIFIC COMPANY THAT WILL ASSIST? OR DOES THE HOME BUYER HAVE TO FIND THEIR OWN INSURANCE? UH, THE HOME BUYER WILL FIND ITS OWN INSURANCE. THAT'S, IT'S AN OPEN PROGRAM. BUT AGAIN, WE KNOW THAT THAT'S AN ISSUE AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THAT. AND THE SAME THING WITH LENDER, UH, WHERE WE HAVE LENDERS WHO KNOW HOW TO USE THIS PROGRAM, WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE AVAILABLE, BUT IT IS AN OPEN PROGRAM. OKAY. AND IF I COULD MAKE A REQUEST SURE. IF WE COULD INCORPORATE THE INSURANCE PIECE, UM, INTO THE FINANCIAL LITERACY MM-HMM . UM, I'VE JUST PERSONALLY HAD AN EXPERIENCE TO WHERE I DID AN AUTORENEW ON MY HOMEOWNER'S INSURANCE AND DIDN'T LOOK AT THE FINE PRINT AND IT DOUBLED MY HOMEOWNERS. I WAS ABLE TO, HAD A WINDOW TO GO IN. BUT SOMETIMES WE JUST DON'T KNOW. WE THINK WE'RE GETTING THE SAME POLICY WE DID BEFORE, AND IT JUST HAPPENS IN OUR BUSY LIVES. SO IF WE CAN INCORPORATE, UM, THE INCREASES OF INSURANCE AND MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE KNOW THAT YOU CAN CHOOSE SOMETHING DIFFERENT EVERY YEAR AND THEN SOMETIMES AUTO RENEWS. IF YOU DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN INCLUDE THAT IN THAT FINANCIAL LITERACY, I'D APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, COUNCILOR THOMAS. SAVING THE BEST FOR LAST , THE CHAIR OF THE HOUSING COMMITTEE. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. UH, THANK YOU, UH, MR. MAYOR. GOOD MORNING, COLLEAGUES. I LOVE TO TALK ABOUT THE PROCESS. WHEN I PURCHASED MY HOME, UM, WHEN I PURCHASED MY HOME, MY DOWN PAYMENT, I WAS REQUIRED TO BRING $2,500 TO THE TABLE. THE DATA SHOWS THAT PRIOR TO 2011, IT TOOK TWO YEARS TO SAVE FOR A DOWN PAYMENT. I THINK WE ALL CAN RECALL THAT AFTER THE PANDEMIC, THAT THAT NUMBER HAS CHANGED TO 11 YEARS. SO IMAGINE, UH, ATTEMPTING TO PARTICIPATE IN THE MARKET. AND YOU CAN'T BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE A DECADE AND A YEAR TO DO THIS. UH, A FAMILY RECEIVING UP TO A HUNDRED AND TWENTY FIVE, SEVENTY 5,000 IS PIVOTAL. UM, AND IF I WAS A RECIPIENT, I WOULD STAY IN THAT HOUSE FOR A VERY LONG TIME. SO I DON'T THINK WE'RE GONNA, UM, HAVE TOO MUCH CONCERNS ABOUT PEOPLE, UH, LEAVING THOSE HOMES TOO QUICKLY. THIS IS A HUGE DEAL FOR THE CITY, AND I HOPE THE MEDIA REALLY TAKES, UM, INTEREST IN THIS STORY BECAUSE THIS PUTS HOUSTON ON THE NATIONAL MAP, WHICH, UH, ALLOWS US TO MEET OTHER MAJOR CITIES THAT ARE ALREADY INVESTING IN DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE AT THIS LEVEL. UM, SO WE HAVE TWO YEARS TO DO THIS. WE HAVE INDIVIDUALS IN THE QUEUE THAT UNFORTUNATELY WERE UNABLE TO PARTICIPATE IT, UM, RIGHT POST HARVEY, UM, BECAUSE OF THE MARKET AND BECAUSE OF THE, UH, THE, THE FINANCIAL COMMITMENT, THE INVENTORY, UH, THE FINANCIAL OBLIGATION THAT THEY HAD. AND SO THIS IS PIVOTAL. THIS IS A REALLY GOOD THING. AND THE DEPARTMENT, THEY HAVE BEEN WORKING ON SOME MARKETING MATERIALS. COUNCIL MEMBERS SHOULD BE RECEIVING THAT FAIRLY SOON. YES. ON TUESDAY AT THE HOUSING COMMITTEE, THEY'RE GONNA TALK IN DEPTH ABOUT THIS PROGRAM. SO YOU'LL HAVE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO, TO, UM, TEASE OUT ADDITIONAL DETAILS. BUT FOR MEMBERS, AS YOU GO OUT INTO YOUR, YOU KNOW, YOUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND, AND, AND CIVIC CLUBS AND SUPER NEIGHBORHOODS, THIS IS A WONDERFUL THING TO SHARE ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY, UH, FOR THEM TO STAY AND CHOOSE YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD. 'CAUSE THEY CAN PURCHASE WITHIN YOUR DISTRICT, PURCHASE WITHIN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD OF THEIR CHOICE. UM, AND THE CITY WILL BE THEIR PARTNER IN DOING THAT. AND DIRECTOR, I WOULD LOVE TO, UM, EN ENVISION, UH, UH, KEY CEREMONIES WITH THESE INDIVIDUALS, UH, THAT BENEFIT FROM [02:25:01] THIS PROGRAM, UH, WHERE THE DEPARTMENT IS WALKING HAND IN HAND WITH THEM AND, AND CAPTURING THOSE STORIES. UM, BECAUSE THIS IS A PATHWAY OF ECONOMIC, UH, ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT AND EQUITY AND CLOSING A GAP. AND WE WANT PEOPLE TO STAY IN HOUSTON. THERE'S ALWAYS A CONVERSATION ABOUT, YOU KNOW, ARE WE GROWING AND WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH OUR NUMBERS? AND WE WANNA KEEP PEOPLE IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS. AND SO, UM, I'M EXCITED THAT THIS HAS FINALLY MADE THE AGENDA. I KNOW THERE'S BEEN SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS AT THE COMMITTEE LEVEL, DILIGENT WORK FROM YOUR TEAM IN TERMS OF WORKING WITH THE GLO, MAKING SURE, UH, THAT WE ARE IN AGREEMENT IN PER, YOU KNOW, IN PRINCIPLE ABOUT WHAT THIS DEAL IS. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SEVERAL, MANY SUCCESSES THAT COME FROM THIS PROGRAM AND MOVING FORWARD. HOPEFULLY IT'S A MODEL ON HOW WE REORGANIZE OUR OWN DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE TO KEEP THIS LEVEL MOVING FORWARD, UM, FOR FUTURE HOUSTONIANS. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, FOR THIS. UH, AND, AND THEN, AND, AND MAYOR, UH, WHEN APPROPRIATE, I WOULD, UH, LOVE TO MOVE THIS ITEM UP IF YOU WOULD ENTERTAIN A MOTION IN THE FUTURE. EXCELLENT IDEA. AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP. AND MIKE, WHILE WE, UH, HAVE SPENT, UH, QUALITY TIME TALKING ABOUT HOME OWNERSHIP AS ONE OF OUR GOALS AND OUR ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS, LET'S TALK ABOUT THE HOMELESS FOR A MOMENT. YES, SIR. BECAUSE I KNOW YOU AND, UH, AS DIRECTOR OF THE DIRECTOR OF THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT PARTNERING WITH, UH, HOMELAND SECURITY, CHIEF SATTERWHITE HAVE BEEN SPENDING MANY, MANY HOURS ON THE STREETS AND IN OUR WARMING CENTERS. UH, YOU, HAVING BEEN THE DIRECTOR OF THE HOMELESS COALITION BRINGS SUCH PASSION AND EXPERTISE. UH, LET'S TALK BRIEFLY, UH, ABOUT OUR EFFORTS THE LAST TWO WEEKS, ACTUALLY A WEEK AGO FRIDAY, UH, TO GET PEOPLE IN THE SHELTERS. UH, I KNOW STARTING A WEEK AGO LAST FRIDAY, GETTING THROUGH LAST WEEK'S, UH, BITTER COLD WEATHER. UH, WE HAD OUTREACH TEAMS ON THE STREET WORKING WITH HPD, THE HOMELESS COALITION, OTHER CHARITIES TO GET EVERYONE THAT WE COULD POSSIBLY GET INTO THE SHELTERS. UH, THE ONLY ONES THAT WOULD NOT GO WERE THOSE THAT, UH, DENIED HELP, WHICH IS A SERIOUS AND COMPLEX ISSUE. BUT I DO KNOW THAT THE FONDE CENTER, UH, WAS AVAILABLE WHEN IT BECAME WET. BUT BEFORE THAT, UM, WE HAD A REALLY AGGRESSIVE INITIATIVE TO GET PEOPLE OFF THE STREET. I MIGHT MENTION, AND, AND YOU CAN ADDRESS IT, UH, OR I'LL JUST CLEAR UP ANY MISUNDERSTANDINGS. WE DIDN'T ESTABLISH LAST WEEK A, UH, THRESHOLD OF 24 DEGREES THAT WAS PASSED IN 2020 BY THE PRIOR ADMINISTRATION. UM, OBVIOUSLY WORKING WITH SOME OF OUR CURRENT COUNCIL MEMBERS. SO WE DID NOT GOVERN BY THAT. THAT IS JUST ON THE RECORD, UH, AS HOUSTON'S THRESHOLD. AND THERE WAS MUCH WRITTEN ABOUT, LIKE IT WAS JUST DISCOVERED. UH, IT WAS A 2020 POLICY THAT WE WORKED AROUND TO GET PEOPLE. UH, NO ONE WAS, UH, DENIED SHELTER DURING THIS RECENT WEATHER. NOW, FAST FORWARD BUILDING ON OUR SUCCESS, WE'RE MEETING THIS AFTERNOON WITH BRIAN MASON AT THE EMERGENCY CENTER TO GET PREPARED FOR THE NEXT, UH, COLD FRONT THAT'S SUPPOSED TO COME IN THIS WEEKEND. UH, WE'LL HAVE ALL HANDS ON DECK. WE WILL HAVE THE WARMING CENTERS. NO ONE WILL BE ON THE STREETS IF THEY WANT A SHELTER. AND, AND, AND FOR THE RECORD, THE TRAGEDY OF THE INDIVIDUAL THAT, UM, PASSED, HAD LOST HIS LIFE AT THE TRANSIT LOCATION, UH, THERE IS WELL DOCUMENTED THAT OUR TEAM BEGGED HIM TO GO TO THE SHELTER. HE WAS TAKING HIS CLOTHES OFF. IT WAS OBVIOUSLY A MENTAL HEALTH CASE, AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO DEAL WITH, UH, STATUTORY, UH, MEASURES THAT WILL ALLOW US TO REMOVE THAT PERSON, UH, AGAINST HIS WILL IF, IF, UH, NECESSARY. WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN. SATURDAY NIGHT, WHEN I WAS ON MARKET SQUARE, WALKING THE STREETS WITH THE CHIEFS, WE ENCOUNTERED A HOMELESS INDIVIDUAL. HE ASKED FOR ASSISTANCE. WE ASKED ON THE RADIO. THE, THE OUTREACH TEAM WAS TWO MINUTES AWAY. AND, UM, WE ASSURED HIM WE WOULD GET HIM INSIDE A SHELTER HE RAN FROM US. SO FOLKS, IT'S A VERY COMPLEX, SAD SITUATION, BUT THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S GOT ONE OF THE MOST AGGRESSIVE, UH, HOMELESS PROGRAM AND WARMING SHELTERS, UM, IN THE NATION. SO WE'LL BE PREPARED FOR THIS NEXT FRONT. AND IF YOU WOULD JUST, UM, I GUESS SHED SOME LIGHT ON IT OR RATIFIED THE, THE DESCRIPTION OF OUR OPERATION. WE ARE MEETING THIS AFTERNOON WITH [02:30:01] THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO DEAL WITH FOLKS, BUT IT IS A HUGE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE, HUGE CRIMINAL JUSTICE ISSUE. WE ARE STILL RELEASING PEOPLE FROM HUNTSVILLE AND OUR COUNTY JAIL WITH NOWHERE TO GO. SO WE HAVE A REENTRY PROGRAM AT THE CITY. WE NEED TO ENHANCE IT TO INCLUDE HOUSING. WE HAD AN OUTSTANDING, UH, REENTRY JOB FAIR TWO WEEKS AGO, THAT GREAT RESULTS. BUT NOW WE'VE GOT TO FOCUS ON NOT TURNING PEOPLE, LEAVING THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM TO OUR STREETS WITH NOWHERE TO GO. BUT THE WARMING CENTERS WILL BE AVAILABLE, THE SHELTERS WILL BE AVAILABLE AS WE GO FORWARD AND IMPLEMENT YOUR COMPLETE INITIATIVE OF REMOVING THE HOMELESS FROM OUR PUBLIC SPACES. SO, WOULD YOU ADDRESS, I KNOW YOU AND I, I WILL, CHIEF SAT HAVE WORKED MANY HOURS, AND I THANK YOU HOUSTONIANS, AND CERTAINLY THE HOMELESS POPULATION. THANK YOU. I, I I WILL, I WILL SPEAK TO THAT. THIS, THAT WAS A VERY DIFFICULT TIME, DIFFICULT WEEKEND FOR ALL OF US AS WE SAW THE REALITIES OF A, A SYSTEM THAT STILL HAS HOLES, THAT THANKS TO THE TEAM THAT YOU'VE PUT TOGETHER, SAT WHITE NICHOLS, WAYNE YOUNG, FROM THE HARRIS CENTER, KELLY YOUNG, FROM THE COALITION, THAT TEAM IS FILLING THOSE HOLES. AND AGAIN, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WILL HAPPEN THIS AFTERNOON IS WE'LL BEGIN TO TALK, DISCUSS WHAT WE CAN DO DURING THIS NEXT FREEZE FOR THOSE PEOPLE HAVE THIS SEVERE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE. UM, IT IT, IT IS A, IT IS A DIFFICULT, COMPLEX SITUATION. UM, WAYNE YOUNG HAS TAUGHT ME A GREAT DEAL. THERE'S A, UH, LARGE GREEK WORD THAT I'M NOT GONNA PRONOUNCE THAT'S A MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE, THAT IF YOU HAVE A MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEM AND REFUSE TO RECOGNIZE IT, THAT IS A, UH, A SERIOUS ISSUE ALSO TIED TO, UH, SCHIZOPHRENIA AND OTHER, AND OTHER ISSUES. UM, WE WILL HAVE TO WORK THROUGH THAT. THE LEGISLATURE'S GONNA HAVE TO CHANGE THAT, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, IF YOU'RE NOT A DANGER, IMMEDIATE DANGER TO YOURSELF OR OTHERS, THERE'S REALLY NO FORCED COMMITMENT. UH, THIS MAN WHO WAS TAKING OFF HIS CLOTHES WASN'T IMMEDIATE DANCER, BUT HE WAS A DANGER TO HIMSELF, BUT HE WAS A DANGER TO HIMSELF. AND WE'RE GONNA WORK THROUGH THOSE ISSUES. I THINK WE'VE GOT A BETTER IDEA GOING FORWARD ABOUT HOW TO HANDLE THE WARMING CENTERS. UM, WE ARE A BIG CITY WITH A LOT OF MILES. UM, AND LAST IS, IT IS CLEAR, UH, MAYOR, THAT, UM, THE ANSWERS, AND I PUT IT PLURAL, THAT YOU'VE PUT TOGETHER ARE, ARE, ARE OUR SOLUTIONS. BECAUSE PEOPLE NEED TO BE IN HOUSING FIRST. THEY NEED TO HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO BE OFF THE STREET. UH, AND WHERE THERE'S MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS, WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO FILL THOSE MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS. THOSE ARE SOLUTIONS, PLURAL, TO THIS COMPLEX PROBLEM. WE ARE GONNA CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD. I'M GRATEFUL FOR THIS COUNCIL. AS WE MOVE MONIES INTO THIS PROGRAM, YOU'LL SEE THAT, WHICH MEANS WE CAN MOVE IT FASTER AND FASTER TO THOSE SOLUTIONS. AND THAT'S HAPPENING. AGAIN, A LOT OF THANKS TO THE STATE GOVERNMENT AS WE DO THAT. UM, WE ACTUALLY, WE TALKED ABOUT GLO. WE'RE WORKING WITH THEM TO MOVE $10 MILLION INTO THIS HOMELESSNESS PROGRAM FROM THEIR FUNDING. SO AGAIN, I WISH IT WAS EASIER, BUT IT'S NOT. AND PUTTING TOGETHER THE MONEY IS COMPLEX, BUT WE HAVE A GOOD PLAN WITH EXCELLENT LEADERSHIP. SO THANK YOU. AND AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP. AND AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HELPING INDIVIDUALS, I'D LIKE TO TURN MY ATTENTION TO THE CITIZENS OF CALIFORNIA, THE LOS ANGELES REGION, UH, AND THANK OUR HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT, WHO HAS A DETAIL THAT LEFT WITH A LOCAL DEPLOYMENT GROUP MADE UP OF FIREFIGHTERS FROM HOUSTON, BAYTOWN, CONROE NEEDHAM IN NORTH MONTGOMERY COUNTY, LEFT OVER THE WEEKEND. THEIR PRESENT WILL BE THERE 14 TO 21 DAYS. I'D LIKE TO THANK THE LEADERSHIP OF CHIEF MUNOZ AND OUR RANK AND FILE AND, UM, ASK EVERYONE TO KEEP THEM IN YOUR PRAYERS AND CERTAINLY THE RESIDENTS OF CALIFORNIA. UM, I WOULD CLOSE BY JUST SAYING I EMPATHIZE WITH THEM. I KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO LOSE EVERYTHING EXCEPT THE CLOTHES ON YOUR BACK. WHEN I WAS IN THE SIXTH GRADE, MY FATHER HAD ME ON A VISITATION WEEKEND. MY MOTHER HAD REMARRIED AFTER THEY DIVORCED HERE IN HOUSTON. SHE MARRIED A GENTLEMAN IN RURAL TEXAS. SO I WAS A FARM CHILD FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. AND SO MY FATHER HAD ME FOR THE WEEKEND AND DROVE UP INTO OUR RURAL SETTING NORTH OF WACO AND DIDN'T HAVE CELL PHONES. NO ONE HAD BEEN ABLE TO CONTACT US IN A, THE HOUSE HAD BURNED TO THE GROUND. SO FIRST YOU, YOU'RE SHOCKED, YOU THINK SOMEONE'S, YOU'VE LOST A LOVED [02:35:01] ONE. DURING THE NIGHT, HE WAS TAKING ME BACK TO MY MOTHER'S RESIDENCE AT EIGHT O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING, AND THERE WAS NOTHING BUT A CHIMNEY. SO YOU FIRST DISCOVER THAT NO ONE WAS, LIFE WAS LOST, BUT THEN YOU HAVE NO CLOTHING AND THEY TAKE YOU INTO A SMALL RURAL TOWN AND GIVE YOU OPEN UP THE DRY GOOD STORE, WHICH WOULD, TODAY WE'D CALL CLOTHING STORE, UH, AND GIVE YOU TWO OF EVERYTHING. TWO PAIR OF SOCKS, TWO PAIR OF JEANS, TWO SHIRTS, AND THEN YOU AND YOUR FAMILY FOR THE YEAR, LIVE IN A ONE ROOM, UH, APARTMENT. UH, BEING VERY GENEROUS. IT WAS A SHACK INSIDE THE SMALL TOWN. SO I EMPATHIZE WITH THEM. WHAT HAPPENS IS YOUR LIFE HAS CHANGED FOREVER. FOR YEARS, YOU'LL BE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING THAT YOU LOST IN THE FIRE FOR YEARS. YOU LOOK FOR YOUR FAVORITE SHIRT OR EVEN A BALL GLOVE THAT YOU WANT TO USE, AND YOU HAVE TO BE REMINDED THAT IT WAS LOST IN THE FIRE. SO I NEVER SEE THE LOSS OF A HOUSTON FAMILY TO A FIRE TO NOT REALIZE THAT IT'S DEVASTATING. AND NOW TO WATCH THE, UM, CALIFORNIA EXPERIENCE, IT'S JUST, IT'S, YOU HAVE TO SEE IT TO BELIEVE IT. SO THE LEADERSHIP COMING OUT OF HOUSTON TO ASSIST THEM IS VALUABLE. AND I THINK THE COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR REALIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF OUR HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT, THEY, UH, I RANK AND FILE IN THE LEADERSHIP. THE MORALE IS AT AN ALL TIME HIGH IN OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT. THE RECRUITING IS, UH, MAKING RECORD NUMBERS. AND, UH, WE ACTUALLY ARE REHIRING FORMER HFD FIREFIGHTERS THAT WANT TO COME BACK AND BE A PART OF OUR TEAM. SO THANK EVERYONE FOR, UM, RECOGNIZING THAT, UM, OUR FIREFIGHTERS ARE SPECIAL, INCLUDING ALL OF OUR FIRST RESPONDERS IMS AND CERTAINLY OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT COMPONENT. WE COULDN'T DO IT WITHOUT THEM. I'LL YIELD A COUNCIL MEMBER. MARTINEZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I SHARED, UH, IN MY PRAYERS AS WELL WITH, UH, WITH CALIFORNIA AS, UH, MAYOR AS WELL. UM, I WANNA KIND GO BACK TO THE WARMING CENTERS AND, AND THIS THAT'S COMING UP. UM, YOU KNOW, WE, UH, MY TEAM AND I, WE ACTUALLY WENT OUT TO HARRISBURG, UH, FOR ABOUT TWO DAYS STRAIGHT, COUPLE HOURS EACH. AND WE ALSO CAME IN CONTACT WITH SEVERAL UNSHELTERED INDIVIDUALS THAT, UM, UNFORTUNATELY DID NOT WANNA, UH, YOU KNOW, HEED, UH, A WARMING CENTER AS WELL. UH, IT'S UNFORTUNATE TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS. UH, YOU JUST KIND OF HIT THE REALITY AS TO SOME OF THE, THE BARRIERS. UH, SEVERAL, SEVERAL OF THEM WERE COUPLES. AND SO THERE WAS ONLY MEN WARMING CENTERS OR WOMEN WARMING CENTERS. UH, SOME OF 'EM WANTED TO STAY TOGETHER. SOME OF 'EM DON'T WANNA LOSE THEIR ITEMS. AND SO, UM, AS, AS Y'ALL START, UH, THIS PLANNING PROCESS, MAYOR, UM, I, I WOULD URGE THAT, UM, WHEREVER THERE IS HIGH CONCENTRATION OF THOSE THAT ARE UNSHELTERED, SPECIFICALLY AROUND THE HARRISBURG CORRIDOR, WE CAN SEE THE MAGNOLIA MULTI-SERVICE CENTER OPEN UP, UH, DISTRICT GUY, UM, HAD TWO INDIVIDUALS THAT, THAT, UH, THAT DIED BECAUSE OF THE, THE CODE. UM, ONE WAS AT TRANQUILITY PARK AND THE OTHER ONE WAS THE ONE AT ON CANAL AND, UH, CESAR CHAVEZ. UM, AND SO I, I WOULD, I REALLY WANNA CONTINUE TO WORK WITH YOUR TEAM. I APPRECIATE WHAT, WHAT YOU AND DIRECTOR AND HOMELESS OUTREACH TEAM, UH, THE REST OF THE NONPROFITS. UH, WE'RE DOING THAT FRIDAY, UH, STARTING THAT FRIDAY TO START TALKING TO FOLKS. UM, UH, AS DIFFICULT AS, UH, CONVERSATION MIGHT BE, I THINK AS, AS LONG AS WE GO OUT THERE AND DO OUR PART. UM, BUT AGAIN, I THINK WE ALSO NEED TO BE VERY STRATEGIC ABOUT WHERE WE HAVE THESE, UH, WARMING CENTERS. UM, YOU KNOW, YESTERDAY I, I WAS ABLE TO GO TO, TO THE OPENING DAY FOR LEGISLATIVE SESSION. AND ONE OF OUR PRIORITIES FOR DISTRICT I THAT'S IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE, WITH, WITH THE CITY'S PRIORITIES IS, UH, HOMELESS, UM, YOU KNOW, LEGISLATION THAT'S, THAT'S SURROUNDING THE SUPPORTING WITH RESOURCES. AND SO WHEN WE STARTED SPEAKING TO THAT, UM, HOUSING IS IMPORTANT, BUT THEN WE NEED TO REALLY LEAN ON, ON, ON THE STATE FOR MENTAL HEALTH DOLLARS, SUBSTANCE ABUSE, ABUSE DOLLARS. WE HAVE A, UH, SOBERING CENTER. IT'D BE GREAT TO START TALKING ABOUT A DETOX CENTER AS WELL. UM, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY NEED TO BE, MAKE SURE THAT, UH, WE BRING EVERY, EVERYTHING TO THE TABLE TO PROVIDE THAT ASSISTANCE, THAT THOSE THAT ARE UNSHELTERED, UH, REALLY NEED. UM, AND, AND AGAIN, JUST, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU ALL OVER THE NEXT COUPLE DAYS TO MAKE SURE THAT FOLKS DO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES TO, UH, YOU KNOW, TAKE IN A WARMING CENTER. UM, AND SO WE'LL BE WORKING WITH YOU AS WELL, DIRECTOR AND, AND THE MAYOR'S TEAM OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. UH, BUT AGAIN, I JUST STRONGLY URGE THAT MAGNOLIA MULTI-SERVICE CENTER IS OPEN. UH, WE DO KNOW THAT THERE'S A HIGH CONCENTRATION ALONG THE HARRISBURG CORRIDOR. UM, AND SO ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO HELP, PLEASE LET ME KNOW. UH, I WANNA MENTION, YOU MENTIONED, UH, PEOPLE WHO ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS AND, AND THEIR BELONGINGS, WHICH ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO THEM, THE CITY. AND WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL FOR. THIS HAS A WAREHOUSE WHERE THESE BELONGINGS CAN BE BROUGHT. UM, WE HAVE TEAMS TO BRING THEM THERE, AND THEN THOSE PEOPLE CAN PICK THOSE BELONGINGS UP ON A REGULAR BASIS. [02:40:01] UH, ONE OF MY STAFF MEMBERS DOES THIS AS A PART OF HIS PERSONAL OUTREACH, UH, AND WORKS WITH PEOPLE WITH THEIR BELONGINGS. AND IT'S SOMETIMES, UH, DIFFICULT FOR US TO THINK ABOUT THIS, BUT THAT'S ALL THEY HAVE. YEAH. AND SO I THANK THE CITY FOR THAT FUNDING. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. JUST, UH, YOUR WORDS ABOUT LOSS DUE TO FIRE ARE VERY ELOQUENT. AND, UH, JUST WANNA SAY, I'M GLAD THAT OUR FIREFIGHTERS ARE HELPING OUT, HELPING TO END THE DEVASTATION GOING ON IN CALIFORNIA. UM, DIRECTOR NICHOLS, YOU MENTIONED THE HOMELESSNESS PLAN THAT'S, UH, BEING PUT INTO PLACE. AND SO I JUST WANTED TO REMIND FOLKS THAT IN THE NEXT QUALITY OF LIFE COMMITTEE MEETING ON JANUARY 23RD AT 10:00 AM IN THIS ROOM, UH, WE WILL TAKE UP THE HOMELESS, TAKE UP THE HOMELESSNESS PLAN, AND HEAR MORE DETAILS ABOUT IT FROM YOU AND OTHERS WORKING ON THAT. SO JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SIR. DAVIS, COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, I DO WANT TO IDENTIFY DIRECTOR NICHOLS AS THE MAYOR BRINGING THIS ISSUE UP. AND YOU RECALL ON LAST YEAR WHEN WE HAD THIS ISSUE DURING THE FREEZE, THE RECREATION THAT WE DID WITH THE MINISTER ADVISORY BOARD TO THE MAYOR. AND THE OBJECTIVE OF THAT WAS TO GET MANY OF OUR CHURCHES TO BECOME WARMING CENTERS AS WELL AS DISTRIBUTION PLACES, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE HAD TO GO BEYOND THE CITY JUST TO GET ICE BACK. LAST YEAR, MAYOR, YOU DID A YEOMAN'S JOB AND GOING THAT FAR. NOW WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH THAT, AS WE SPEAK, WE'RE WORKING WITH MS. WILLIAMS IN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE WITH A LIST OF OVER A HUNDRED PASTORS WHO ARE WILLING AND READY. WE ARE LISTING OUT THE ONES WHO'S GOING TO OPEN UP THEIR DOORS. WE DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH WARMING CENTERS LAST YEAR. AND IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A TASK. AND MAYOR, LET, LET ME SAY TO YOU AND BROTHER, UH, NICHOLS, WHAT A, A GREAT JOB YOU'RE DOING, BUT IT'S A LARGE TASK. AND SO WITH THAT, I'M WELCOMING AND I WANT TO THANK PUBLICLY THE PASTORS WHO ARE STEPPING UP AND AGREEING TO OPEN UP THEIR FACILITIES AS WARMING CENTERS. BECAUSE IF YOU GET 'EM BY LOCATION, A LOT OF THEM DON'T, THEY'RE NOT NEAR THOSE LOCATIONS. AND WE ARE ALSO ASKING THE PASTORS, MANY OF THEM THAT HAVE TRANSPORTATION, LIKE VANS AND OTHERS THAT WOULD TAKE THE PEOPLE, PICK 'EM UP, YOU KNOW, AND TAKE THEM TO THOSE CENTERS. SO THIS IS AN EFFORT BECAUSE IT IS GOING TO BE EXTREMELY, UM, UH, UH, UH, A HUGE TASK. AND SO, MAYOR, I WANT TO AGAIN, UH, COMMEND YOU FOR TAKING THIS EFFORT, BECAUSE TO BE PROACTIVE IS BETTER THAN TO BE REACTIVE. AND SO, UH, I JUST WANT TO THANK THE CHURCHES AND PASTORS WHO ARE WILLING TO STEP UP, UH, AND ASSIST THE CITY IN HELPING US, BECAUSE IT'S A, IT'S A TALL TASK FOR YOU, BROTHER NICHOLS, AS WELL AS, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, HOMELAND SECURITY, UH, DIRECT THE SADDLE WHITE. AND, UH, WE WANT TO DO ALL THAT WE CAN TO HELP OUT. SO, VERY GOOD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP. COUNCILMAN CARTER. THANK YOU, MAYOR. JUST WANTED TO REMIND EVERYONE THAT THE, UH, POINT IN TIME COUNT WITH THE COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS IS THE WEEK OF THE 27TH. AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE EVERYONE AROUND THIS HORSESHOE AND YOUR ENTIRE STAFF TO SIGN UP, SHOW UP AND PARTICIPATE ON THAT. EVEN IF YOU DECIDE YOU'RE GOING TO STICK CLOSE TO HOME AND, AND SURVEY YOUR OWN NEIGHBORHOOD, BECAUSE TRUST ME, EVERY SINGLE AREA IN THIS CITY HAS HOMELESS, A HOMELESS POPULATION. AND IT'S, IT'S EASY TO TALK ABOUT IT, BUT WHEN YOU GO OUT AND YOU SEE IT FIRSTHAND, IT, IT'S AN IMPACT THAT, THAT YOU WILL NEVER FORGET. AND ALSO, TOO, IT, I THINK IT HELPS EVERYONE TO BETTER ADDRESS IT. I KNOW THAT MY TEAM AND I WILL BE OUT THERE AGAIN, BECAUSE I'M VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT THAT COUNT AS DIRECTOR NICHOLS KNOWS. SO THANK YOU FOR COUNCILWOMAN. THANK YOU. BUT 450 VOLUNTEERS LAST YEAR PARTICIPATED. WE NEED THE COALITION NEEDS THOSE VOLUNTEERS. THAT'S WHAT MAKES IT SUCCESSFUL. UM, IT IS A VERY EDUCATIONAL, UH, TIME FOR YOU. IT'S MORE WELL ORGANIZED. IT'S NOT ANYTHING FEARFUL. UM, BUT I DO RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF DOING THAT, UH, TO YOU. COUNCILMAN DAVIS, THANK YOU. FOR THE MINISTERS, IT IS CLEARLY RECOGNIZED THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT CAN'T BE DONE JUST BY GOVERNMENT. IT TAKES THIS COLLABORATION. UM, AND EVEN, EVEN, YOU KNOW, THE, THE SILVER LINING TO THE FREEZE IS WE'RE ABLE TO DO ASSESSMENTS FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVEN'T BEEN ASSESSED BEFORE. AND THAT'S STILL THE GOAL, IS TO GET PEOPLE IN HOUSING. AND THAT WILL BE OUR, THAT'S THE BEST USE OF THE MONEY, THAT'S THE MOST EFFICIENT. UM, BUT THIS TEAMWORK WITH THE GROUPS WHO WANT TO DO FEEDING WITH THE GROUPS WHO ARE HELP, WANT TO DO WARMING CENTERS, THIS IS SO KEY TO THE SUCCESS. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN CASTILLO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, I [02:45:01] DO WANT TO ALSO EXPRESS, UH, MY GRATITUDE TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, UH, FOR GOING OUT AND HELPING, UH, THE LOS ANGELES AREA. YOU KNOW, HOUSTON IS NO STRANGER TO DISASTERS. UM, AND WE'VE BEEN, UH, GRACIOUS TO RECEIVE ASSISTANCE FROM CITIES AND COUNTRIES, UH, DURING OUR MANY TIMES OF NEED. AND SO IT'S GOOD TO SEE, UM, OUR FIREFIGHTERS, UH, GO OUT AND HELP OTHERS, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY'RE IN A TIME OF NEED. UM, I'M ALSO GLAD THAT, THAT THE CITY'S MEETING, UH, TO PREPARE FOR THE UPCOMING COLD WEATHER, UM, IT'S GONNA BE QUIET, COLD, UH, IN A FEW DAYS COLDER THAN LAST WEEK. UM, AS INFORMATION COMES AROUND WHERE THOSE LOCATIONS ARE GONNA BE, UH, PLEASE LET US KNOW SO WE CAN SHARE THAT OUT WITH OUR CONSTITUENTS. UM, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF, OF RESIDENTS IN MY DISTRICT THAT ARE, UH, PROACTIVE AND THEY CARE A LOT ABOUT OUR UNHOUSED INDIVIDUALS. AND THEY WERE OUT ON THE STREETS AS WELL LAST WEEK, UH, TRYING TO HELP FOLKS, UH, WITH BLANKETS AND, AND GETTING THEM INFORMATION. SO WE'LL SHARE THAT OUT, UH, BECAUSE THEY'RE GONNA BE OUT AGAIN. AND I, I WILL ALSO ENCOURAGE OUR, OUR WARMING CENTERS TO BE SET UP TO ACCEPT PETS, UH, BECAUSE WE KNOW THERE ARE FOLKS OUT THERE ON THE STREETS THAT HAVE PETS. AND, UH, WE DON'T WANT THAT TO BE A BARRIER TO THEM BEING ABLE TO, TO STAY WARM AND, AND SEEK REFUGE FROM THE COLD. VERY WELL. MIKE, HAVE I TOLD YOU, HOW RECENTLY HAVE I TOLD YOU HOW, WHAT A WONDERFUL PUBLIC SERVANT YOU ARE AND A GREAT HUMAN BEING. OKAY. YOU'RE, YOU'RE VERY GRACIOUS. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I DEEPLY APPRECIATE THOSE LATE NIGHT TEXTS THAT SAYS MIKE IS A HOMELESS PERSON IN THIS . I GET, I GET BOTH OF THOSE. WE'RE VERY THANK YOU, SIR. WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE YOU. AND BEFORE I CONCLUDE THE MAYOR'S REPORT, 'CAUSE WE DO HAVE AN AGENDA, UM, LET ME GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO HPD AND OUR CHIEF DIAZ, WHO IS DOING SURGES IN HOT SPOTS. WE WERE DOWNTOWN LAST, UH, SATURDAY NIGHT. IT WAS SO EXCITING TO GO TO ROLL CALL AT NINE O'CLOCK AND SEE AN ADDITIONAL A HUNDRED OFFICERS MADE UP OF THE COLLABORATION FROM SURROUNDING AGENCIES METRO, THE CONSTABLES, TABC WAS THERE, A CLUB WAS SHUT DOWN ON MARKET SQUARE THAT DID NOT HAVE A LICENSE. SO THE ENFORCEMENT OF LIQUOR LAWS, SOUND ORDINANCE, WE HAD 20 DPS TROOPERS THERE. SOME WERE PLAIN CLOTHES THAT WERE WORKING, UH, THERE ON MAIN STREET FOR PUBLIC SAFETY. SO IT'S EXCITING TO SEE. AND THE GOAL WOULD BE TO TAKE THAT GROUP OF OFFICERS CITYWIDE. AND ONCE WE GET THE RECRUITMENT ACCOMPLISHED, WE HAVE A CLASS GRADUATING TOMORROW THAT'LL MAKE 400, 400 NEW POLICE OFFICERS SWORN IN SINCE I TOOK OFFICE LAST JANUARY, UH, A YEAR AGO. SO THERE'S JUST A LOT OF THINGS THAT I ENJOY TALKING ABOUT, 'CAUSE WE'RE DEFINITELY MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. WITH THAT SAID, I [16.  ORDINANCE adopting City of Houston Homebuyer Assistance Program Guidelines for Hurricane Harvey Recovery ] WILL, UM, YIELD TO COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS FOR A PROCEDURAL VOTE. UH, THANK YOU MR. MAYOR. I MOVE THAT WE, UH, TAKE UP ITEM NUMBER 16 AT THE TOP OF THE AGENDA, SECOND MOTIONS MADE, AND SECOND TAKE UP ITEM 16, WHICH IS THE DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. UH, THOSE OPPOSED NAY. HEARING ALL THE YAYS AND NONE OF THE NAYS, THE MOTION IS UNANIMOUSLY OF THE PAST. THANK Y'ALL. SHE'LL CALL 16. BEG YOUR PARDON, CALL 16. YEAH, WE JUST DID IT. WE JUST DID IT. I'LL YIELD A POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE AT THIS TIME TO, UH, COUNCILMAN CARTER. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND, UH, TO, UH, I GUESS, UH, DOVETAIL OFF THE NEEDS THAT PEOPLE HAVE WHEN THERE'S A TRAGEDY OR THERE'S A LOSS. UM, I'D LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO RECOGNIZE SOME FRIENDS AND YOUR SUPPORTERS IN THE AUDIENCE TODAY. WE'VE GOT KINGWOOD WOMEN'S CLUB. WOULD Y'ALL STAND UP? SAY HELLO. SO KING'S WOMEN, KINGWOOD WOMEN'S CLUB WAS FOUNDED IN ABOUT 19 84, 85, AND CURRENTLY THERE ARE OVER 140, 150 MEMBERS. AND THIS GROUP HAS SERVICE PROJECTS THAT ANNUALLY THEY SUPPORT WITH VOLUNTEER HOURS, UM, ON THEIR WEBSITE SHOWS THAT THEY VOLUNTEERED ABOUT 13,000 HOURS LAST YEAR. UM, PROJECTS INCLUDE HELPING, YOU KNOW, THOSE WHO ARE IN, WHO HAVE FOOD INSECURITIES, SCHOOLS, MEDICAL NEEDS, THERE'S, I MEAN, IT'S, I THINK, 12 MAJOR SERVICE PROJECTS, AND THEY DO A COUPLE OF FUNDRAISERS ANNUALLY. AND, UH, I THINK YOU ALL HAVE THEIR MARDI GRAS BALL COMING UP. THEY WANNA INVITE EVERYBODY. UM, BUT YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE, THE LIVES IMPACTED BY THESE LADIES AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS [02:50:01] AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT'S COUNTLESS, YOU CAN'T REALLY, CAN'T REALLY ADD UP THE, THE VOLUNTEER HOURS AND HOW THAT REALLY IMPACTS TOTAL STRANGERS AND WILL FOR GENERATIONS TO COME. AND MAYOR, THEY WANTED TO COME DOWN TODAY BECAUSE THERE'S HOPE IN KINGWOOD. NOW. YOU SEE, WE'RE SEEING THINGS ARE GETTING DONE. COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER HEART AT WORK FOR OUR COMMUNITY. AND, AND CERTAINLY MAYOR, YOU ARE, AND YOU'VE EXPRESSED THAT, THAT KINGWOOD IS, IS ON THE RADAR AS PART OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON. AND I CAN PERSONALLY SAY WE'RE GLAD FOR THAT, AND I KNOW THESE LADIES CAN TOO. SO THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING DOWN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU LADIES. AND KINGWOOD IS VERY HIGH PRIORITY FOR ALL OF US. WE HAD A RIBBON CUTTING TWO WEEKS AGO FOR THE NEW IMPROVED, UH, HOUSING FOR OUR FIREFIGHTERS. WE'RE CERTAINLY LOOKING FORWARD TO A POLICE FIRE, UH, MODERN STATION LOCATED, AND WE'RE CERTAINLY FAMILIAR WITH YOUR NEEDS FOR INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENT AND CERTAINLY ROUTINE, SOLID WASTE, GARBAGE RECYCLING, TRASH PICKUPS. SO, UH, WE'RE PLAYING CATCH UP WITH KINGWOOD. IT'S BEEN NEGLECTED TOO LONG, AND IT WON'T BE STARTING ABOUT A YEAR AGO. IT'S BEEN A HIGH PRIORITY. SO THANK Y'ALL FOR BEING HERE THIS YEAR'S CITY HALL. PLEASE RETURN FREQUENTLY. THANK YOU. NOW THIS [CONSENT AGENDA] MADAM SECRETARY WILL, UH, PROCEED TO THE CONSENT AGENDA UNDER THE MISCELLANEOUS CATEGORY. I WAS WANTED TO HAVE NOT BEEN RECEIVED AND WILL BE CONSIDERED IF THEY'RE RECEIVED BEFORE THE END OF THE MEETING. ITEM THREE HAS BEEN REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION UNDER THE ACCEPT WORK CATEGORY. ITEM FOUR HAS BEEN REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION UNDER THE PROPERTY CATEGORY. ITEM FIVE, NEEDS AND MOTION CAST. NEXT ITEM, MOVE SECOND. MOTIONS MADE IN SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES UNDER THE PURCHASING INTERATION OF BIDS CATEGORY. ITEM 15 HAS BEEN PULLED AND WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. ITEMS REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. SIX, 13 AND 14. THE NUMBERS AGAIN, ARE SIX, 13, AND 14. NEED A MOTION ON THE BALANCE CAST TAYLOR, MOVE A SECOND. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES UNDER THE ORDINANCE CATEGORY. ALL ITEMS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED. ITEMS REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION ARE 17, 18, 20, AND 34. THOSE NUMBERS AGAIN ARE 17, 18, 20, AND 34. AS YOU KNOW, WE HAVE ALREADY DONE ITEM 16, 17, 18, 20, AND 34. NEED OF VOTE ON THE BALANCE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES, ITEMS [CONSIDERATION OF MATTERS REMOVED FROM CONSENT AGENDA] REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. ITEM THREE NEEDS A MOTION CAST MOVE. SECOND. MOTIONS MADE. AND SECOND. COUNCILMAN P*****K. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, LOOKING AT THE LEGISLATIVE PRINCIPLES, WHICH I THINK ARE GOOD OBJECTIVES FOR US TO HAVE AND IT UPCOMING SESSION, UM, WHAT I DID NOT SEE, AND WHAT I HAVE NOT SEEN, IS IF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE, UH, INDEPENDENT OUTSIDE CONSULTANTS OR LOBBYISTS TO REPRESENT THE CITY IN AUSTIN, AS YOU KNOW, UH, WITH 150 MEMBERS, I THINK IN THE HOUSE, THEY HAVE OVER 35 NEW MEMBERS, UM, WITH 31 PEOPLE IN THE SENATE WITH EVERY OTHER CITY AND EVERY OTHER CORPORATE ENTITY AND ADVOCACY GROUP HAVING CONSULTANTS AND LOBBYISTS. UM, I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO PROTECT OUR INTERESTS WITH INDIVIDUALS THAT CAN BE THERE, UH, FULL TIME FOR US THAT ARE OUTSIDE THE ADMINISTRATION. SO WANTED TO, UH, UNDERSTAND FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE IF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE, UM, A LOBBY TEAM, IF SO, UH, WHEN WE WOULD BE PRESENTED WITH THOSE INDIVIDUALS. UM, USUALLY THAT TEAM IS VERY DIVERSE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE, UM, AND DO A GREAT JOB FOR US TO ENSURE THAT, YOU KNOW, HOUSTON IS HEARD. UM, SO AS WE PUT FORTH THESE PRINCIPLES, UM, HOW WE GET THESE OBJECTIVES ACCOMPLISHED AND WHAT TEAM WILL WE BE USING? VERY GOOD. COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ. UH, THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER YESTERDAY, I, I ATTENDED THE OPENING DAY, UH, OF THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION. AND, UH, I WAS ABLE [02:55:01] TO MEET WITH SEVERAL OF THE MEMBERS ON THE HOUSE AND SENATE, UH, IN, AND NOT JUST IN THE ONES THAT, UH, REPRESENT DISTRICT I, BUT ALSO, UH, SENATOR HUFFMAN'S OFFICE, UH, LACEY HALL'S OFFICE AS WELL. AND SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE CONTINUE TO KEEP OUR EYE ON THE, ON, ON THE PRIZE AS FAR AS, UH, WHAT OUR PRIORITIES ARE HERE AT THE CITY OF HOUSTON. I WAS HAPPY TO SHARE, UH, THE, UM, PRIORITIES THAT, THAT YOUR TEAM SHARED WITH US LAST WEEK WITH A LOT OF THESE OFFICES, ALONG WITH DISTRICT I SPECIFIC PRIORITIES. UM, AND A LITTLE BIT TO, UH, TO MY COLLEAGUES, UH, QUESTION. I WAS ABLE TO MEET SEVERAL OF THE, THE, UH, THE TEAM THAT, THAT, THAT IS GOING TO BE OUT THERE, THE LOBBYING TEAM. SO, UM, AND SPEAKING WITH THEM, IT'S, IT IS DIVERSE. I'M EXCITED TO SEE THEM ALREADY OUT AT, AT THE, UH, AT AUSTIN AND, AND WORKING. AND SO I LOOK FORWARD TO REMAINING ENGAGED, UH, DURING THIS SESSION TO CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE, UH, FOR FUNDING, UM, AND LEGISLATION THAT IMPROVES OUR COMMUNITIES. THANK YOU, MAYOR. VERY GOOD. UH, MAYOR PROTE, CAST STATE, THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND I REALLY, UM, DID LOOK THROUGH OUR PRIORITIES. UM, AND I WANTED TO JUST KIND OF TOUCH BASE BECAUSE I MEAN, FOLKS THAT HAVE BEEN ON THE COUNCIL, Y'ALL KNOW HOW I FEEL ABOUT BANDIT SIGNS. UM, I'VE TRIED TO PASS BANDIT SIGNED LEGISLATION FOR TWO, UM, SESSIONS. UH, WE HAVE GOTTEN IT THROUGH THE SENATE AND NOT THROUGH THE HOUSE TWICE. UM, I'M HOPING THAT THIS THIRD TIME WILL BE A CHARM AND THAT, UM, WE CAN REALLY INCREASE THE FINES FOR FOLKS THAT CONTINUE TO BLANKET OUR COMMUNITIES WITH THESE PREDATORY SIGNS. AND SO MANY PEOPLE DON'T EVEN REALIZE THAT THESE SIGNS, UM, ARE, HAVE SUCH PREDATORY NATURE. I MEAN IT, WHEN YOU RIDE THROUGH A COMMUNITY AND THERE ARE ABANDONED SIGNS THAT SAY WE BUY DIABETIC STRIPS AND FOLKS WHO, UM, ARE TRYING TO MEET THEIR BILLS, AND THEY SEE THESE SIGNS AND THEY SAY, OH, I MEAN, I'M A DIABETIC, BUT I'VE GOT SOME DIABETIC STRIPS, BUT I COULD USE A LITTLE EXTRA MONEY. AND THEY SELL THEIR DIABETIC STRIPS AS, AS OPPOSED TO ACTUALLY USING THEIR STRIPS TO HANDLE THEIR MEDICAL SITUATION. I MEAN, THESE, THE, AND, AND THAT'S NOT THE ONLY ONE, BUT THAT'S THE ONE THAT REALLY CHOPS MY HIGH BECAUSE I KNOW THE IMPACT AND I SEE THEM BLANKETED PRIMARILY IN MINORITY COMMUNITIES. UM, WE HAVE TO DO A BETTER JOB OF MAKING SURE THAT THIS VISUAL SPAM, UM, DOES NOT CONTINUE TO BLANKET OUR COMMUNITIES. THESE SIGNS ARE IN OUR WATERWAYS, THEY'RE IN OUR DRAINS. UM, AND, YOU KNOW, OUR HOT TEAMS ARE SPENDING TIME AND EFFORT TO PICK THESE UP. UM, THE FINE IS SO NOMINAL, UM, WHEN WE TALK TO PEOPLE ABOUT THESE BANDIT SIGNS AND ASK THE COMPANIES TO PLEASE STOP PUTTING THESE BANDIT SIGNS OUT. THEY SAY IT'S JUST THE COST OF DOING BUSINESS TO PAY THE FINE. WE HAVE CERTAIN PEOPLE WHO CONTINUE TO DO IT THAT PAY THREE TO $500,000 A YEAR IN FINES, BECAUSE IF THEY BUY, UM, HOMES FROM PEOPLE, WE BUY UGLY HOMES, THEY, THEY DON'T GIVE THEM THE TRUE VALUE OF THE HOUSE. UM, AND THEY TAKE THESE, THESE FAMILY PROPERTIES, THEY GIVE THEM LESS MONEY. UM, IT, THERE'S A MYRIAD OF PREDATORY SIGNS THAT ARE BEING BLANKETED IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO I HOPE THAT THE, THE LOBBY TEAM THAT IS IN PLACE WILL, UM, HELP TO TRY TO GET THIS OVER THE THRESHOLD THIS TIME. UM, WE WANT TO INCREASE THE FINES SO THAT THERE IS, UM, SOME TEETH IN OUR LEGISLATION, UM, AND IN OUR ORDINANCE. SO, UH, THANK YOU TO, UM, EVERYONE THAT'LL BE WORKING ON THIS. I DO PLAN TO TRY TO GO TO AUSTIN TO TESTIFY ON SOME THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON. I KNOW OVER 2,500 BILLS HAVE ALREADY BEEN FILED. UM, AND AS A BODY, WE NEED TO BE COGNIZANT OF ANY BILLS THAT WILL, UM, PREEMPT WHAT WE DO HERE, UM, LOCALLY, UM, AS WE ARE THE BODY CLOSEST TO THE PEOPLE. AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE DECISIONS THAT WE CAN MAKE TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR OUR CONSTITUENTS, THAT WE HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY AND ABILITY TO DO THAT VERY WELL. COUNCILMAN P*****K. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, I ASKED YOU A PREVIOUS QUESTION, NOT SURE IF YOU DIDN'T HEAR IT OR NOT, BUT WANTED TO GET CLARIFICATION ON WHO OUR LOBBY TEAM WOULD BE AND IF WE'RE HAVING ONE OUTSIDE OF JUST THE ADMINISTRATION'S OFFICE. WELL, FIRST OF ALL, YOU KNOW WHERE I'VE BEEN FOR THE LAST 50 YEARS ON OPENING DAY OF THE LEGISLATURE. SO WE WERE VERY WELL CONNECTED. UH, I WANTED TO BE THERE YESTERDAY, BUT I WANTED TO BE HERE MORE. UH, THE SENATE HAD ITS REGULAR BLACK TIE, UH, EVENT LAST NIGHT. I WANTED TO BE THERE, BUT I WANTED TO BE HERE MORE. SO LET ME JUST ASSURE YOU WE'RE WELL [03:00:01] COVERED. THE MAIN ISSUE, UH, IN THE LEGISLATURE IS GONNA BE, WELL, THE CITY SHOULD EVEN HAVE LOBBYISTS AND WHAT WOULD BE GONNA BE A MAJOR TOPIC. AND I WOULD PROBABLY THINK THIS YEAR, CITY OUTSIDE LOBBYISTS AND GOVERNMENT RELATIONS WILL BE PREVENTED, UH, WITH THE USE OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS. AND I COULD ARGUE EITHER SIDE OF THAT ARGUMENT FOR YOU, BUT I JUST WANT YOU TO ASSURE YOU, ONE, WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE 17 MEMBERS AS YOU VOTED ON TWO YEARS AGO. UH, THAT'S WHAT'S CREATING AN ISSUE IN AUSTIN, THAT SOME CITIES LIKE HOUSTON GO OUT AND HIRE 17 OUTSIDE LOBBYISTS MOST IDENTIFIED AS FRIENDS OF THE MAYOR. SO WE'RE GOING FAR, PROBABLY SIX VERY CAPABLE, DIVERSE, QUALIFIED OUTSIDE ASSISTANCE, WHICH QUITE FRANKLY, WE WERE WAITING TO SEE WHO WAS ELECTED SPEAKER YESTERDAY TO CONFIRM THAT OUR TEAM IS, IS DIVERSE AND CONNECTED AS IT NEEDS TO BE. SO I'LL BE GLAD TO PUT YOU IN CONTACT WITH JOSH SANDERS, WHO'S HANDED UP THAT TEAM. AND, UH, QUITE FRANKLY, I'M ON THE PHONE, IF NOT DAILY, SEVERAL TIMES A WEEK WITH THE LEADERSHIP. AND I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT HOUSTON IS GONNA HAVE BETTER COVERAGE AND REPRESENTATION IN AUSTIN, UM, NOT JUST FROM ITS LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION BEING SENATE IN HOUSE, BUT CERTAINLY VOICES FROM, FROM THE CITY. SO THANK YOU SPEAKING. WELL, I APPRECIATE THAT YOUR CONCERN. I THINK YOU'LL BE REAL IMPRESSED WITH OUR TEAM. I APPRECIATE THAT, UM, BECAUSE IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO BE HEARD IN AUSTIN. SURE. MANY OF THE OTHER CITIES, UH, WILL HAVE REPRESENTATION. METRO HAS THEIR REPRESENTATION. HARRIS COUNTY WILL HAVE THEIR REPRESENTATION. SURE. SO IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE CITY TO AS WELL. AND WITH A LEGISLATURE AS LARGE AS WE HAVE, AS YOU KNOW, THAT ONLY MEETS EVERY OTHER YEAR AS YOU KNOW. UM, HAVING INDIVIDUALS THAT CAN SPEAK ON OUR BEHALF AND NOT BE BURDENED WITH HAVING THE, UH, A CAPACITY ISSUE WITH LEAVING THAT UP TO JUST A FEW INDIVIDUALS IS VERY IMPORTANT. AND AS THE STATE CONSIDERS, UH, PREVENTING MUNICIPALITIES, UH, FROM HAVING OUTSIDE LOBBYISTS, THEY ALSO NEED TO CONSIDER THAT FOR PRIVATE ENTITIES AND CORPORATIONS AS WELL, BECAUSE THEY ARE VERY WELL REPRESENTED AND THEY HAVE THEIR OWN INTERESTS THAT AFFECT THE TAXPAYERS HERE IN HOUSTON. AND IT SHOULD BE A FAIR PLAYING FIELD FOR EVERYONE. SO I'M NOT OPPOSED TO NOT HAVING OUTSIDE LOBBYISTS, BUT I DO BELIEVE IF THE CITY IS REQUIRED NOT TO HAVE THEM, THEN THE CORPORATIONS AND THE ADVOCACY GROUPS SHOULD BE REQUIRED AS WELL. IT SHOULD BE A, A FAIR PLAYING FIELD. AND, UH, I JUST WANT TO ENSURE THAT ONCE WE PUT FORTH THESE PRINCIPLES THAT WE'RE VOTING ON TODAY, UH, THAT WE'LL HAVE INDIVIDUALS IN PLACE, UH, JUST LIKE EVERY OTHER, UH, ENTITY IN THE STATE, UH, TO REPRESENT OUR INTERESTS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THAT'S ALL. ANYONE ELSE JUST NEED TO VOTE ON NUMBER THREE? ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. ITEM ITEM FOUR NEEDS A MOTION. CASTEX TA MOVE I SECOND. MOTION TAYLOR. THANK YOU. UH, COUNCIL BACK IN FY 22 PASSED A BUDGET AMENDMENT AUTHORED BY COUNCIL MEMBER PECK AND MYSELF TO ALLOW FOR MINOR SMALL SCALE DITCH MAINTENANCE AND REPAIRS WHEN REQUESTED THROUGH OUR DISTRICT SERVICE FUNDS. AND, UH, ONE OF THESE LOCATIONS IS ACTUALLY THE FINAL CONTRACT AMOUNT, UH, IN DISTRICT C BASED ON THAT WORK THAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING, AGAIN, THROUGHOUT THE CITY. BUT I KNOW THAT FOR MY DISTRICT AND COUNCIL MEMBER PECK'S DISTRICT, AMONG A FEW OTHERS, THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT PROGRAM. UH, AGAIN, BASIC DITCH REHAB IS A TOOL, ONE OF MANY THAT'S NEEDED TO ADDRESS FLOOD MITIGATION IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. AND AS THE CITY STARTS TO TAKE OVER THAT DITCH MAINTENANCE, AGAIN, THAT'S A MULTI-YEAR IMPLEMENTATION. AND DISTRICT SERVICE FUNDS ARE NEEDED TO KEEP UP WITH WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. IN THE MEANTIME, UH, WE HAD BEEN WAITING ON A NEW CONTRACT THAT WOULD BE BETTER SUITED FOR THESE SMALLER SCALE PROJECTS. UH, BUT WE WERE INFORMED THAT THAT MAY NO LONGER BE HAPPENING. AND I, I WAS ON THE PHONE WITH DIRECTOR MACKAY. I APPRECIATE HIS SUPPORT AND MAKING SURE THAT WE DO HAVE THIS, BUT I WANNA IMPRESS UPON THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING ABLE TO GO IN QUICKLY, UH, WITH DISTRICT DOLLARS TO DO THIS WORK IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. SO WE'LL BE FURTHER WORKING WITH PUBLIC WORKS, WITH COUNCIL MEMBER PECK'S OFFICE, UM, TO SEE HOW WE CAN [03:05:01] GET, UH, THIS CONTRACT MOVING AGAIN. BUT I DID WANNA BRING THIS UP BECAUSE AGAIN, WE'RE SEEING THE WORK AND HOW IMPORTANT IT IS, BUT BEING INFORMED THAT THAT'S NOT GONNA MOVE FORWARD ANYMORE, UM, JUST ISN'T WORKABLE FOR OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AT THE MOMENT. COUNCIL MEMBER PECK. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND I AGREE. WHATEVER WE COULD DO TO MOVE, UM, A CONTRACT FORWARD FOR DITCH MAINTENANCE IN DISTRICT A, WE ALLOCATE A LOT OF MONEY OF OUR SERVICE FUNDS, UM, FOR DITCH MAINTENANCE. AND MAYOR, AS YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES MAINTAINING A DITCH CAN BE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SOMEBODY'S HOME FLOODING AND NOT, OR NOT FLOODING. SO WHATEVER WE CAN DO TO SUPPORT MOVING THOSE, UM, CONTRACTS FORWARD, WE WOULD APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. ITEM SIX NEEDS A MOTION. CASTEX TATUM, MOVE MOTIONS MAIDEN. FIRST OF ALL, UH, DID YOU WANNA BE HEARD NOW? UH, VICE MAYOR PRO? NO, NO, SHE IS FOR THE LAST, I'M SORRY, YOU WERE STILL ON THE SCREEN. COUNCIL MCC CARTER TAG. OKAY, ITEM SIX IS TAGGED BY COUNCILMAN MCCARTER. NEXT, ITEM 13 NEEDS A MOTION. CASTEX TA MOVE. NEXT SECOND. MADE IN THE SEGMENT. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED HUFFMAN. COUNCILMAN HUFFMAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THIS IS AN ITEM THAT I'M EXCITED ABOUT. WE HAVE A LOT OF BRIDGES CLOSE TO CROSSWALKS, UM, IN DISTRICT G, WHERE WE HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN MAKE THEM SAFER. SO, UM, HOPEFULLY THIS WILL ADDRESS SOME OF THE SAFETY CONCERNS, AND I AM SUPPORTIVE OF THIS ITEM. THANK YOU. VERY GOOD. I, I SHARE YOUR COMMENTS. THERE'S A LOT OF NEGLECT ACROSS THE CITY OF GUARDRAILS, LIGHT POLES THAT HAVEN'T BEEN ATTENDED TO. I COME IN MEMORIAL DRIVE EVERY DAY. THE GUARDRAIL MEMORIAL DRIVE PROBABLY HADN'T BEEN TOUCHED SINCE IT WAS BUILT IN THE FIFTIES. UH, YOU'D THINK RUST, THE COLOR RUST IS WHAT THEY USED TO. UH, CONSTRUCTIVE GUARDRAILS. BUT WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA GET THERE. WE ALSO ARE PARTNERING WITH TXDOT TO DO A LOT OF GUARDRAILS IN OUR REGION. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. UH, WE NEED A MOTION JUST TO VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 14 NEEDS A MOTION CAST. STATE A MOTIONS MADE. AND COUNCIL, COUNCIL MEMBER PAYMENT TAGS. ITEM 14. ANN JACKSON. ANN JACKSON. UH, NEXT. YES, MA'AM. ITEM 17 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NA. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 18 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YE YES, EXCEPT COUNCILMAN CASTILLO. I'M GONNA TAG THIS MAYOR. OKAY, FINE. THIS ITEM TAG BY 18 IS TAGGED BY COUNCILOR CASTILLO. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO TAG ITEM 18. ITEM 20 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. VICE MAYOR PRO VICE MAYOR, PRO PECK. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THIS IS, UM, OUR CONTRACT WITH THE HOUSTON TOOL BANK. I'M EXCITED TO SEE SO MANY, UM, JUST OTHER DISTRICT OFFICES JOINING IN ON THIS. I THINK THAT EVERYONE KIND OF KNOWS, UM, THE HARD WORK THAT THE TOOL BANK DOES IN OUR CITY. AND I THINK NANCY FROM THE TOOL BANK IS HERE IN THE AUDIENCE. HI NANCY. THANKS FOR BEING HERE. UM, MAYOR, THIS IS ONE OF THOSE CONTRACTS THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE IN PLACE, BUT WE HOPE THAT WE NEVER HAVE TO EXECUTE. UM, BUT WE DID, UM, SEE THEIR GREAT WORK IN THE LAST COUPLE OF DISASTERS IN THE AFTERMATH. UM, THEY WERE ABLE TO GET EQUIPMENT, UM, AND EVERYTHING THAT WE NEEDED TO KIND OF HELP OUR DISTRICTS AFTER THE STORMS. SO JUST WANTED TO THANK THE HOUSTON TOLL BANK FOR ALL OF THEIR WORK AND THEIR PARTNERSHIP. KAMAN. COUNCILMAN CAYMAN. THANK YOU. UM, I TOO WANTED TO ECHO MY APPRECIATION. I KNOW NANCY'S HERE ON BEHALF OF THE TOOL BANK. UM, BUT MARLEY AND THE TEAM THERE WILL TAKE OUR CALLS DAY OR NIGHT, UM, IN THE MIDST OF AN EMERGENCY. WE HAD TOOL BANK BOARD MEMBERS COME OUT TO HELP US, UH, DELIVER GENERATORS TO SENIOR CENTERS, UH, MAYOR TO SET UP JUST COOLING [03:10:01] ROOMS. AGAIN, YOU'VE BEEN TACKLING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH A LOT OF FOLKS, ADDRESSING THE NEEDS IN OUR SENIOR CENTERS, BUT IN THOSE TIMES OF NEEDS. SO THIS EXPANDED CONTRACT WITH A LOT OF OUR OFFICES PARTICIPATING IN, UM, IN ADDITION TO THE TRADITIONAL MUCKING EQUIPMENT, GENERATORS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE THAT WE HAD BEEN PLANNING FOR DURING STORMS. UH, THIS ALSO NOW INCLUDES FOR DISTRICT C, SOLAR POWERED GENERATORS, UH, HANDHELD BATTERY, BATTERY OPERATED FANS IN CASE RESIDENTS NEED THOSE SPACE HEATERS. UH, MORE PORTABLE AC UNITS. SO EVERY DISTRICT OFFICE CAN SPEAK TO HOW THIS PROGRAM IS BENING BENEFITING THEM. BUT I REALLY WANT THE PUBLIC TO KNOW, UM, HOW SERIOUSLY ALL OF OUR DISTRICT OFFICES ARE TAKING EMERGENCY AND DISASTER RESPONSE, UH, SO THAT WE ARE PREPARED AND READY TO GO TO STEP IN. SO AGAIN, THANK YOU TO THE TOOL BANK FOR THIS PARTNERSHIP. BUT THE WORK AT THE CITY IN THE COORDINATED EFFORTS, UM, TO PREPARE FOR THE WORST HOPE FOR THE BEST, UM, IS, IS MOVING FORWARD IN A, IN A REALLY IMPACTFUL WAY. AND BEFORE I MOVE ON FROM ALL THE WORK WE'RE DOING, I WANT TO GIVE, UM, METRO A SHOUT OUT DURING THE FREEZING WEATHERS. NOT ONLY LAST WEEK, BUT THIS WEEK WE'LL HAVE A MOBILE WARMING CENTER. WE'LL PROBABLY HAVE MORE NEXT WEEK. UM, IT'S A HECK OF A HECK OF A, UH, SERVICE THAT METRO PROVIDES FOR THOSE THAT JUST NEED SOME TIME IN A WARMING, UH, SETTING. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. THANK YOU MAYOR. I WANT TO THANK THE TOOL BANK AS WELL, UH, FOR THEIR PARTNERSHIP. AND, UH, FOR THIS ITEM, I'LL BE USING SOME OF MY COUNCIL SERVICE FUNDS TO STATION, UH, SUPPLIES THROUGHOUT DISTRICT H AT, AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS. AND I KNOW THE, THE NEIGHBORHOODS ARE VERY EXCITED. UH, TO HAVE THESE READILY, UH, AVAILABLE IF THEY NEED THEM. HOPEFULLY THEY DON'T. UH, BUT THIS HAS BEEN, UH, A PROCESS TO GET THROUGH TO THIS POINT, AND, AND THEY'RE, UH, LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS MOVING FORWARD. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND I ALSO WANNA SHARE MY APPRECIATION TO THE TWO BANK AS WELL. UM, LAST YEAR I WAS A FIRST, UH, YEAR COUNCIL MEMBER, SO WE DIDN'T HAVE ACCESS TO THIS, UH, RESOURCE. AND SO, UM, WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT ROLLING THIS OUT IN DISTRICT. I, UM, UH, AND SO WE DEF DEFINITELY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UH, DISTRICT I RESIDENTS, UH, ARE IN THE LOOKOUT FOR HOW WE'RE GONNA BE, UH, ROLLING OUT OUR RECOVERY EFFORTS. AGAIN, HOPEFULLY WE DON'T NEED THEM, BUT WE ARE GONNA BE PREPARED, UH, IF ANYTHING DOES COME, UH, UH, AND, AND, UH, AND, YOU KNOW, CAUSES ANY KIND OF DANGER OR HARM IN OUR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. VERY WELL. VOTES ON, UH, ITEM 20. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. NEXT ITEM 34 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY YES. COUNCIL MEMBER CAMAN. COUNCIL MEMBER CAMAN. AFTER THE VOTE. AFTER THE VOTE. SO, ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. COUNCIL MEMBER CAMAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, THIS IS A WATER WATERLINE, UH, PROJECT FOR BOTH DISTRICT C AND DISTRICT H, UM, CALLED THE MONTROSE AREA, UH, UH, WATERLINE REPLACEMENT. THERE'S A TON OF WORK GOING ON IN MONTROSE RIGHT NOW, SO I DO WANT RESIDENTS TO BE AWARE THAT THERE IS A PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT SCHEDULE, UM, THAT WILL GO OUT FOR THIS PROJECT. THAT WILL INCLUDE NOT ONLY BRIEFINGS WITH MY OFFICE, BUT, UM, WEBSITE ACCESS AND A DESIGNATED PAGE. AND THAT, UH, PRIOR TO CONSTRUCTION, THERE WILL BE A COMMUNITY MEETING. SO WANT RESIDENTS TO BE FULLY ALERT AND AWARE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THEIR AREA. VERY GOOD. NEXT, UH, ITEM FIFTH 46. ITEM 46 NEEDS A MOTION. CASTEX, TA MOVE SECOND. MOTION'S MADE AND SECONDED. UH, AND IT NEEDS TO BE A MOTION TO, ACTUALLY, HAS TO BE A MOTION TO UPHOLD THE DECISION OF THE GENERAL APPEALS BOARD. IS THAT YOUR MOTION? CASTEX T TATUM. MOVE TO UPHOLD THE DECISION OF THE APPEALS BOARD. I SECOND. VERY GOOD. MOTIONS MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. THANK YOU. WHAT ELSE? ITEM 47. 47. WE HAVE A MOTION. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 48 IS THE RESOLUTION. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. THIS COMPLETES THE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA. VERY GOOD. MORNING MEMBERS START WITH JACKSON. COUNCIL [NON CONSENT - MATTERS TO BE PRESENTED BY COUNCIL MEMBERS] MEMBER JACKSON. JACKSON. JACKSON. THANK YOU. HAPPY NEW YEAR COLLEAGUES. I MISSED YOU GUYS. GOOD TO SEE EVERYBODY. BEAUTIFUL BASIS. UM, I HAVE ONE ANNOUNCEMENT OF, UM, FOR OUR RESIDENTS AND DISTRICT D. THE DISTRICT [03:15:01] B BRIEFING, UM, WILL BE HAPPENING ON JANUARY THE 25TH AT 10:00 AM AT THE CASHEL GARDEN MULTIPLE SERVICE CENTER. UM, YOU'LL HEAR FROM HPD, DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS, PUBLIC WORKS HEALTH DEPARTMENT. YOU GET A CHANCE TO LEARN ABOUT THE DISTRICT B IMPLEMENTATION PLAN AND MUCH MORE. I ENCOURAGE YOU TO COME ON OUT, COME EARLY. WE HAVE BREAKFAST, BREAKFAST WAITING FOR YOU. UM, SO LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOUR FACES AGAIN. DISTRICT B BRIEFING, JANUARY THE 25TH, 10:10 AM AT THE CASHEL GARDEN MULTI SERVICE CENTER. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER HELPIN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. YOU KNOW, LIKE MANY OF YOU THIS WEEK, I WAS SHOCKED TO LEARN ABOUT THE EGREGIOUS AND EXCESSIVE SPENDING HABITS OF THE FORMER EXECUTIVES OF THE HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY, THANKS TO AN INVESTIGATION BY KPRC AND AMY DAVIS, THIS INVESTIGATION, DETAILED TRIPS, PARTIES, MASSAGES, AND DINNERS AT SOME OF OUR CITY'S MOST LAVISH RESTAURANTS, UM, ALL IN THE TAXPAYER'S DIME. WHILE I MAY HAVE BEEN SHOCKED TO LEARN THE SPECIFICS, I WAS SADLY NOT SURPRISED. UM, I'VE HAD CONCERNS ABOUT THE HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY SINCE 2022, UM, AND HAVE CONTINUALLY QUESTIONED WHAT WAS GOING ON OVER THERE. MAYOR, I'M VERY MUCH, UM, I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THAT ONE OF YOUR FIRST MAJOR INITIATIVES WHEN YOU ASSUMED OFFICE LAST YEAR WAS TO OVERHAUL THE BOARD OF THE H-H-H-H-A. UM, BUT WE CAN'T ASSUME THAT THE JOB IS BEING DONE. AND SO I'D LIKE TO ASK THAT THE HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY CHAIRMAN BE INVITED TO MAYBE AN UPCOMING COUNCIL MEETING, UM, TO ADDRESS SOME OF THESE ISSUES AND PROVIDE ASSURANCES THAT THINGS LIKE THIS WON'T GO ON. HOPEFULLY, THAT'D BE SOMETHING EXCELLENT SUGGESTION. AND, UH, WE'LL DO IT AS SOON AS, UH, HIS SCHEDULE AND I'LL DO IT RIGHT AWAY. GREAT. THANK YOU. I'D LOVE TO HEAR IT MYSELF. I'M IN CONTACT WITH HIM. HE STILL HAS VERY TOUGH, UH, JOB DEALING WITH THE, UH, MIDDLE STREET PROJECT THAT'S UNDER INVESTIGATION, BUT THOSE EXPENDITURES BY, UH, PREVIOUS LEADERSHIP HAS HAVE ENDED. UH, LET ME TELL YOU HOW PROUD I AM A LER, WHEN THEY DID THE MIDDLE STREET PROJECT IN PREVIOUS YEARS, HE GOT UP AND RESIGNED HIS POSITION ON THE HOUSING AUTHORITY. AND THAT'S A KIND OF BOLD, HONEST, TRANSPARENT LEADERSHIP THAT WE HAVE CHAIRING THE AUTHORITY NOW. SO, UM, I SHARED YOUR, YOUR SHOCK AND CONCERN ABOUT THE WAY THEY'D BEEN SPENDING MONEY ON THEIR ENTERTAINMENT AND MEALS. THAT'S COME TO A COMPLETE HALT, BUT THEY STILL HAVE CHALLENGES TO GET BACK TO THEIR CORE MISSION OF PROVIDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING. SO TRANSPARENCY'S GONNA REALLY SERVE THE PUBLIC, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO THAT PARTICULAR GOVERNMENT, UH, BODY. SO I COULDN'T AGREE WITH YOU MORE, AND I'M PROUD OF THE BOARD THAT'S CURRENTLY, UH, MAKING THOSE DECISIONS. CHAIRED BY MR. LER, WHO WE'LL HAVE OVER HERE FOR A STATUS REPORT. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ. I'LL PASS THIS WEEK. MAYOR COUNCILMAN THOMAS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I, I WANNA START OFF WITH, UH, WELL WISHES STEPHANIE NICOLE TTA IN MY OFFICE. TODAY IS HER LAST DAY. YOU SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED AN EMAIL FROM ME EARLY THIS MORNING. SO IMMEDIATELY AFTER COUNCIL, I WANT TO INVITE YOU TO JOIN US FOR A SLICE OF CAKE. UM, SHE IS MOVING ON TO A BIG GIRL JOB WITH THE HARRIS COUNTY TOW ROAD AUTHORITY, WHERE SHE WILL, UH, LEAD COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS. AND SO WE'RE PROUD OF HER CONTRIBUTION AND PUBLIC SERVICE TO THE RESIDENTS ON THE WEST SIDE, AND WE WISH HER WELL. I ALSO WANT TO, UM, GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO MY SOROS OF DELTA SIGMA THETA. WE CELEBRATED 112 YEARS OF SISTERHOOD SERVICE, A SCHOLARSHIP AND SOCIAL ACTION. UH, WE WERE THE FIRST BLACK GREEK LETTER ORGANIZATION TO PARTICIPATE IN THE WOMEN'S MARCH WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE MARCH, UM, EVEN WHEN WE HAD TO MARCH IN THE BACK. UM, SO ALL OF MY SORA OF DELTA SIGMA THETA THROUGHOUT THE CITY OOH, FOR YOU. UM, AND AS AN ASIDE, I WANT TO SHOUT OUT, UH, MEMBERS OF KAPPA ALPHA. TODAY'S THEIR, THEIR FOUNDERS' DAY AS WELL, UH, TO ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES ON THE HORSESHOE. UM, LAST NIGHT I WAS AT WELLINGTON HOMES. WE HAD A, A, A GREAT, UM, BUT SMALL COMMUNITY MEETING WHERE WE TALKED ABOUT, UH, A WELLINGTON DRIVE STREET RECONSTRUCTION. WE ARE CONTRIBUTING $461,000 TO THIS LONG AWAITED PROJECT. OTHERWISE, IT WOULD'VE BEEN SLATED FOR A CIP, WHICH WOULD'VE TAKEN 10 YEARS. UM, SO THEY HAVE ZEROED OUT THE COUNCIL DISTRICT SERVICE FUNDS, BUT WE ARE EXCITED TO GET THIS IN THE QUEUE. UM, PUBLIC WORKS HAS BEEN WORKING WITH US HAND IN HAND. UM, TO GET THIS TO THE FINISH LINE, I ALSO WANNA, UM, OFFER A BIG SHOUT OUT TO THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT AND THE SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT, UM, FOR WORKING WITH MY OFFICE SINCE THE TOP OF THE YEAR. WE, UH, A HOME WAS A DILAPIDATED HOME THAT WAS IMPACTED BY HURRICANE HARVEY. WAS IDENTIFIED BY MY OFFICE FROM THE WEST PA, WEST PARK VILLAGE SUBDIVISION. [03:20:01] UH, WHAT WE THOUGHT WOULD BE MINOR REPAIRS IS TURNING OUT TO BE A FULL RECONSTRUCTION, UM, TO A RESIDENT. SO IT'S GONNA BE TRANSFORMATIONAL WE'RE WE ARE PRESERVING, UM, HOUSING STOCK, UM, AND, AND STABILIZING HER. SO MORE, MORE TO COME ON THAT. WE JUST APPRECIATE THEIR PARTNERSHIP AND GETTING THIS DONE FOR OUR RESIDENTS. UH, ALSO I MENTIONED, UH, MAYOR PRO TIMM MENTIONED, UM, A HOUSING PANEL. I'M ACTUALLY FLYING OUT TO WASHINGTON, DC TODAY, UM, TO REPRESENT THE CITY OF HOUSTON, UH, TO HAVE A DISCUSSION AROUND HOUSING, UH, POST-ELECTION CONVERSATION AROUND HOUSING, AND REALLY WHERE, UH, THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS SITUATED, UH, AROUND DISASTER AND INVENTORY. AND SO I'M EXCITED ABOUT THAT. UH, AND THEN LASTLY, AS I MENTIONED LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS, THE DISTRICT F ANNUAL REPORT, UM, IS LIVE. WE HAVE A FEW COPIES FOR OUR STAKEHOLDERS AT, UM, OUR CIVIC CLUBS, UM, AND OUR, OUR FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS THAT SHALL RECEIVE A COPY OF THIS. UM, LOTS OF HARD WORK. UM, YOUR WORK IS HIGHLIGHTED IN THIS, SO PLEASE CHECK YOUR MAILBOXES, UM, BY THE END OF THIS WEEK. THAT CONCLUDES MY COMMENTS. THANK YOU MUCH. THANK YOU, COUNCIL, UH, MAYOR PROTE CA STADIUM. THANK YOU, MAYOR. A COUPLE OF ANNOUNCEMENTS. OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETING WILL BE HELD TODAY HERE IN CHAMBER. UH, AIRPORT DIRECTOR CESAC WILL GIVE US AN ECONOMIC UPDATE ON THE HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM. IF YOU'RE UNABLE TO BE HERE, UM, TUNE IN. I THINK YOU'LL BE, UH, VERY PLEASED WITH HOW, UH, THE AIRPORTS PERFORMED OVER THE HOLIDAY SEASON. WE ALWAYS, UM, ARE VERY CONCERNED WHEN WE HAVE SO MANY PEOPLE FLYING INTO OUR, IN AND OUT OF OUR, OUR CITY. UM, THE AIRPORT TEAM, UH, DID A PHENOMENAL JOB OVER THE HOLIDAYS WITH THE NUMEROUS AMOUNT OF PEOPLE COMING IN AND OUT OF OUR CITY. UM, SO WE WILL GET AN UPDATE, UH, FROM HIM TODAY AT THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETING. AND THEN ON SATURDAY, JANUARY THE 18TH, UH, SIMON MENTIONED PARK. UH, WE WILL FINALLY BE HOSTING OUR COMMUNITY CELEBRATION, UH, WITH THE HOUSTON PARKS BOARD AND SOUTH POST OAK REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY. UH, THIS WAS A GREAT INVESTMENT INTO ONE OF THE, UM, VERY, UM, A PARK THAT JUST HAD A LOT OF CHALLENGES. UM, SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE IMPROVEMENTS AND HOW WE ARE MOVING FORWARD WITH MAKING SURE THAT ALL OF HOUSTONIANS HAVE PARKS WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE FROM THEIR HOMES. SO THIS WILL BE ON SATURDAY, UH, JANUARY 18TH FROM 11:00 AM TO 1:00 PM HOPE YOU WILL JOIN US THERE. AND WE ARE REALLY AMPLIFYING UP OUR, UM, SIDEWALKS AND PANEL REPLACEMENTS AND MAKING SURE WE ARE, UM, GETTING ALL OF OUR USE FROM OUR COUNCIL DISTRICT SERVICE FUNDS. UM, WE'VE GOT A NEW PROJECT COMING TO, UH, CHASEWOOD COMMUNITY. THE CONSTRUCTION CREWS WILL BEGIN REPLACING AND INSTALLING NEW SIDEWALKS, DRIVEWAY APRONS, WHEELCHAIR RAMPS ALONG THE NORTH SIDE OF CHASEWOOD DRIVE FROM CHASE DRIVE, ALL THE WAY TO STEEPLECHASE ROAD. SO RESIDENTS IN FORT BEND, HOUSTON, AND CHASEWOOD CAN EXPECT THAT WORK TO BE COMPLETED BY THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2025. HAPPY DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY ON MONDAY, JANUARY THE 20TH. I HOPE THAT WE WILL ALL MAKE IT A DAY OF SERVICE, UH, HONORING DR. KING'S LEGACY, UM, BY COMING TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY TO VOLUNTEER, GIVE BACK, AND MAKING POSITIVE IMPACTS. AND THEN FINALLY, WANT TO, UH, WISH THE, UH, MY SOROS ON COUNCIL, A HAPPY FOUNDER'S DAY AND ALL OF MY SORORITY SISTERS. A HAPPY FOUNDER'S DAY TO THE MEMBERS OF ALPHA KAPPA ALPHA SORORITY. HERES TO 117 YEARS OF SERVICE TO ALL MANKIND. MAKE IT A GREAT DAY AND BE KIND TO EACH OTHER. I'M THE THANK YOU VICE MAYOR, PROTEIN PECK. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I WANT TO INVITE EVERYONE, UM, TOMORROW NIGHT AT 6:00 PM TO ATTEND THE, UM, NEIGHBORHOOD CONNECTION FORUM FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS. THEY ARE HOSTING A FORUM, UM, TO TELL EVERYONE ABOUT HOW CITY DEPARTMENTS ADDRESS ISSUES LIKE ILLEGAL DUMPING, ABANDONED HOMES, ABANDONED VEHICLES, NUISANCE ISSUES, DE RESTRICTION ENFORCEMENTS, UM, CRIME, ALL KINDS OF THINGS. SO WE HOPE TO SEE EVERYONE TOMORROW AT 6:00 PM AT TRINITY MINDEN HALL. UM, 1 4 1 4 WT ROAD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. VICE MAYOR PRO TEM PECK, WE'LL MOVE TO COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TEM. I WANT TO CONGRATULATE, UH, FRANCIS CASTANA DAZ ON HER APPOINTMENT TO THE CHAIR, TO CHAIR THE PILOTS BOARD. UM, SHE'S SOMEONE FROM THE COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO MORE IMPORTANTLY, SOMEBODY WITH EXPERIENCE AND, AND, UH, QUALIFICATIONS TO BE ABLE TO SERVE ON THAT BOARD. UM, IN ADDITION TO RICK AMPO ON HIS REAPPOINTMENT TO THE HOUSTON PORT AUTHORITY, I'M CONFIDENT THAT BOTH FRANCIS AND RICK'S LEADERSHIP WILL CONTINUE TO STEER THE, THE PORT IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AND LOOK FORWARD TO, UH, WORKING WITH THEM TO ENSURE WE REMAIN LEADERS IN THE INDUSTRY, AND THAT THE COMMUNITY AND RESIDENTS BENEFIT FROM THE RIPPLE EFFECTS OF THIS ECONOMIC ENGINE IN OUR BACKYARD. UH, ALSO WANT TO INVITE FOLKS TO, UH, THIS FRIDAY, JANUARY 17TH [03:25:01] AT NINE 30, UH, AT THE MAGNOLIA MULTI-SERVICE CENTER FOR A KNOW YOUR RIGHTS RESOURCE FAIR. UH, WE'LL HAVE LEGAL EXPERTS AVAILABLE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT RENTERS RIGHTS, IMMIGRATION RIGHTS, AND MORE. FOR MORE INFORMATION, YOU CAN CONTACT MY OFFICE AT 8 3 2 3 9 3 3 0 1 1 C. YOU THERE. UH, AND THEN FINALLY, I'VE MENTIONED A FEW TIMES I WAS AT THE, UH, OPENING DAY. UH, WHAT I REALLY JUST WANNA STRESS IS THAT THE COMMUNITY ALSO STAY ENGAGED WITH YOUR LEGISLATIVE, UH, ELECTED OFFICIALS AS WELL AT THE STATE. UM, A LOT OF THE TIMES, UH, WE, WE ARE HERE TO ADVOCATE FOR OUR COMMUNITY, UH, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, AS YOU PUT THOSE INDIVIDUALS IN OFFICES, YOU ELECT THEM AS WELL. UH, WE REALLY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT HOUSTONIANS CAN FIND WAYS TO, UH, UH, MAKE THEIR WAY TO AUSTIN. UH, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO HOPEFULLY TAKING SOME DISTRICT EYE RESIDENTS WITH ME TO CONTINUE TO PUSH ON OUR PRIORITIES, UH, THAT, THAT STRETCH FROM H UH, HOMELESSNESS, HOUSING INFRASTRUCTURE, PUBLIC SAFETY AS WELL. AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, JUST, UH, STAY ENGAGED. YOU GOT SIX MONTHS TO, UH, TALK TO THESE ELECTED OFFICIALS, THEIR OFFICES HERE IN HOUSTON, BUT ALSO, UH, IN AUSTIN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ, WE'LL MOVE TO COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD. THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TIMM. LOTS OF EXCITING UPDATES AND NEWS HAPPENING IN JC CITY. I ENCOURAGE, UM, EVERYONE TO SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER. UH, YOU CAN ALSO REACH OUT TO OUR OFFICE FOR MORE INFORMATION AT DISTRICT J@HOUSTONTX.GOV. UM, I TOO WANT TO TAKE TIME TO MAKE SURE THAT WE REFLECT ON THE MEANING OF MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY HOLIDAY, UH, THAT IS UPCOMING ON THE 20TH. UH, TAKE TIME TO REFLECT WITH YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS ABOUT THE PROGRESS THAT WE'VE MADE, HOW MUCH FURTHER WE HAVE TO GO, THE CIVIL RIGHTS THAT WERE SACRIFICED, AND, AND NOW WE, UH, HAVE, UM, BEEN ABLE TO ACHIEVE, UH, BASED ON THE, UH, SACRIFICE OF MANY, UH, THAT SURROUNDED DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, UH, AND THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT HOLIDAY. I LOOK FORWARD TO BEING IN THE PARADE AND CELEBRATING THAT, UH, WITH YOU ALL. UM, ALSO, HAPPY FOUNDER'S DAY TO ALL THE RSRS AROUND THE, UH, THE, THE BOY SHOE, ALL MY, MY GREEK SISTERS. AND ALSO, UM, THERE'S BEEN SOME CHATTER ABOUT, UH, COUNCIL BREAK, AN ADDITIONAL, UM, EITHER VACATION DAYS OR GOING TO EVERY OTHER DAY ON COUNCIL. UM, THAT'S SOMETHING I WOULD BE OPPOSED TO IF, IF, IF IT COMES UP TO A DISCUSSION THAT WE WANT TO, UM, HAVE AMONGST THIS BODY. UH, I THINK THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS THE FOURTH LARGEST CITY IN AMERICA. WE HAVE A MYRIAD OF ISSUES ON A WEEKLY BASIS THAT WE HAVE TO TACKLE. UM, THE MORE BREAKS THAT WE TAKE, THE, THE MORE TIME THAT WE'RE NOT ABLE TO PUSH CERTAIN AGENDA ITEMS FORWARD. UM, THERE ARE 17 OF US AROUND THIS HORSESHOE. EVERYONE HAS A BUSY SCHEDULE, SO EVERYONE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO MAKE IT ALL THE TIME, BUT FOR THE MOST PART, WE SHOULD HAVE, UM, ENOUGH PEOPLE HERE ON, UH, A VAST MAJORITY OF THE TIME TO GET THE BUSINESS DONE. AND SO TO, TO ADD MORE BREAK WEEKS, I THINK WOULD BE A INJUSTICE TO THE CONSTITUENTS. UH, IT WILL CAUSE, YOU KNOW, LONGER, UM, DAYS THAT WE DO HAVE COUNSEL. AND I THINK WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT SOME OF THE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES OF, UH, THOSE ACTIONS. AND SO I WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF TRYING TO KEEP AS MANY DAYS, UM, ON THE CALENDAR THAT WE ARE HERE IN AS MANY WEEKS THAT WE ARE WORKING ON BEHALF OF THE PEOPLE WHO ELECTED US, AND TO REFRAIN FROM TRYING TO ADD ANY MORE ADDITIONAL BREAK WEEKS THAT I FIND MAY BE UNNECESSARY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN. THANK YOU. UH, I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT SOMETHING THAT I KNOW, UH, MANY OF US HAVE BEEN WORKING ON, UH, THAT'S COME IN THE NEWS LATELY IS THE PROPERTY ROOM AND THE DRUGS AND ALL OF THAT IN MOVING. I WON'T TALK ABOUT THE RATS, EVEN THE DRUGS, BUT APPARENTLY THAT WAS THE BIG STORY. BUT, BUT WE'VE KNOWN THAT THE KEEPING THOSE DRUGS UP ON UP ON IN 1200 TRAVIS HAS BEEN A BIG DISASTER. SO I'M GLAD TO SEE MOVEMENT ON, UM, NOT JUST THE DRUGS, BUT PROPERTY THAT WE'RE KEEPING, UH, FROM, YOU KNOW, DECADES AGO THAT DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE, THE, THE THING'S ALREADY BEEN ADJUDICATED OR MAYBE NEVER WILL. SO, UH, GLAD TO SEE MOVEMENT ON THAT. I ALSO WANNA TALK ABOUT THE MARATHON COUNCIL MEMBER PECK, AND I'LL BE DOING THE HALF MARATHON THIS WEEKEND. IT'S GONNA BE COLD. UM, TO PUT THIS IN PERSPECTIVE, UH, SOME OF THE ELITE RUNNERS WILL RUN THE FULL MARATHON. THE MEN'S IN ABOUT, UH, RECORD, I THINK IS TWO HOURS, SIX MINUTES. WOMEN'S 2 23, UH, WE'LL BE COMING IN THE HALF MARATHON WAY PAST THOSE . THEY'LL BE DONE WITH THE FULL MARATHON BEFORE WE'RE DONE WITH THE HALF MARATHON. UM, THE MARATHON STARTED HERE IN HOUSTON IN 1972 WITH A, UH, A BIG HUNDRED AND 13 RUNNERS. NOW WE HAVE ABOUT 30,000 RUNNERS, UH, GREAT TRADITION FOR HOUSTON. AND HOPE Y'ALL WILL COME OUT THERE AND SAY, GO SALLY, GO AMY. , [03:30:01] COUNCIL MEMBER, ALCORN, UH, I'LL BE THINKING WARM THOUGHTS, UH, ON MY COUCH, COUCH, BUT THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO TRACK THE RUNNERS, SO I'LL TRACK YOU TO MAKE SURE Y'ALL CROSS THE, THE, THE TRACK YOU TO MAKE SURE YOU CROSS THE FINISH LINE. INTERESTING FACT, THOUGH, UM, ONLY 1% OF THE COUNTRY HAS RUN A FULL MARATHON. 0.01% OF THE GLOBAL POPULATION HAS RUN A FULL MARATHON. UM, HAPPY TO BE IN THAT 1%. I DID DO A FULL MARATHON IN 2014. UM, MINE WAS 1999. SO WISHING ALL OF THE CHEVRON PARTICIPANTS THE VERY BEST. AND ON SATURDAY, IT'S GONNA BE A GREAT RACE. IT'S, IT'S SO INCREDIBLE. IF I TELL PEOPLE ALL THE TIME, IF YOU'RE HAVING A BAD DAY OR YOU ARE FEELING SAD, YOU SHOULD GO STAND AT THE FINISH LINE OF A MARATHON. IT IS THE MOST EXHILARATING EXPERIENCE TO WATCH PEOPLE WHO HAVE JUST RAN 26.2 MILES OR 13.1 MILES, OR REALLY ANY TO WATCH THEM CROSS A FINISH LINE. SO WE ARE WISHING YOU BOTH THE VERY BEST, UM, IN THE RACE, UH, COMING UP. WE'LL MOVE TO COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER. YEAH, I'LL, I'LL JOIN YOU IN TRACKING . UM, HAVE YOU FOUND A DATE OF MY SARS ON THE, ON THE HORSESHOE AND TO ALL OF MY SISTERS SISTER AKS IN THE NATION, IN THE WORLD COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER. THANK YOU MAYOR PROAM. THE ONLY TIME I'LL BE RUNNING THESE DAYS IF SOMEBODY'S CHASING ME, BUT I'LL BE TRACKING YOU, SO DON'T WORRY. RUN, SALLY, RUN, RUN, AMY, RUN. LET'S GO TAKE TAKE TWO FOR THE TEAM THERE. UH, JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT, I, YOU KNOW, WE CERTAINLY, IT'S BEEN A LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR ME ON PUBLIC SESSION TO LISTEN TO THE RESIDENTS WHO, WHO COME AND THEY BRING THEIR ISSUES. AND, AND SOME YOU SHAKE YOUR HEAD AND WONDER IF YOU CAN HELP THEM AND OTHERS, YOU, YOU REALLY DECIDE. YOU KNOW, I THINK THEY DO NEED SOME HELP. AND, UM, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY THIS PAST FRIDAY TO ATTEND A, A MUNICIPAL COURT HEARING, UH, FROM OUR, FOR A SITUATION OVER IN DISTRICT B. AND 10 COMMUNITY MEMBERS SHOWED UP FOR THAT 10, WHICH, OF COURSE, THE DEFENDANT WAS A NO-SHOW. BUT WHEN YOU SEE, YOU KNOW, TO BE AT, AT MUNICIPAL COURT AT 8:00 AM TO STAND IN THE LINE THAT'S WRAPPED AROUND THE BUILDING, THERE'S A PASSION THERE AND THERE'S A CONCERN. AND, AND YOU DON'T DO THAT JUST BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT NOTHING BETTER TO DO. UM, SO FOR THE NORTH NORTHEAST ACTION COMMITTEE MEMBERS WHO YOU SEE IN THEIR YELLOW SHIRTS, THOSE PEOPLE ARE PASSIONATE AND, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY REALLY WANT, UH, THEY WANT TO SEE THAT SOMEONE'S TAKING CARE OF IT. AND COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON, CERTAINLY YOUR TEAM WAS THERE AS WELL. AND, UH, IT'S JUST REALLY GREAT TO SEE THE PASSION BEHIND THE CONSTITUENTS IN THE COMMUNITY. AND, AND, UM, I, I WAS IMPRESSED. I'VE CERTAINLY DISAPPOINTED THAT THE DEFENDANT DIDN'T SHOW, BUT, YOU KNOW, IMPRESSED NONETHELESS. BUT ANYWAY, UH, HAPPY MLK DAY COME MONDAY AND PRAY FOR OUR COUNTRY, UH, AS WE, UH, FACE INAUGURATION DAY, UH, WITH A NEW PRESIDENT, UM, TAKING LEADERSHIP ON MONDAY AND, UM, ONWARD AND UPWARD 2025. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. COUNCIL MEMBER EVANS SHABAZZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TEM. UH, I ACTUALLY THOUGHT I WAS IN A MARATHON EARLIER AND MY DOGS WERE IN DANGER AND I HAD TO RUN OUT, BUT I TELL YOU, I COULD HAVE BEAT ANYBODY ON HERE TRYING TO SAVE MY DOGS. BUT AT ANY RATE, THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. UH, LAST WEEK WE HELD A ILLEGAL DUMPING TOWN HALL, AND I WANNA TAKE A MOMENT TO THANK EVERYONE WHO PARTICIPATED AND SUPPORTED THIS IMPACTFUL EVENT. SPECIAL THANKS TO COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS FOR ATTENDING AND SHOWING HIS COMMITMENT TO ADDRESSING THIS PRESSING ISSUE. I'D ALSO LIKE TO RECOGNIZE OUR EXHIBITORS AND PARTNERS WHO BROUGHT VITAL RESOURCES TO OUR RESIDENTS, VETERANS AND MILITARY AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS, HPD, ENVIRONMENTAL INVESTIGATION UNIT CRIME STOPPERS, SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT 3 1 1. AND A SPECIAL THANKS TO THE HONORABLE OSWALD JAMES SCOTT MUNICIPAL JUDGE WHO CAME AS WELL TO SHARE A WEALTH OF INFORMATION WITH US. AND TOGETHER WE ARE MAKING PROGRESS, AND WE HAVE TO SHIFT THESE MINDSETS RIGHT ALONG WITH ALL OF THESE SERVICES, BECAUSE THAT'S THE ONLY WAY WE'RE GONNA KEEP OUR ENVIRONMENT CLEAN. UH, YESTERDAY I HOSTED AN ENGAGING AND PRODUCTIVE MEETING WITH THE SENIORS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS AT THE SUNNYSIDE PARK. I WANNA THANK PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT AND HONORARY MAYOR SANDRA HINES FOR JOINING US AND HELPING FACILITATE MEANINGFUL DISCUSSIONS ABOUT ENHANCING PROGRAMS AND OPPORTUNITIES AT THE PARK. IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE PROGRAMS AND THAT THEY ARE ACCESSIBLE, AND THAT THE BUILDINGS ARE IN WORKING ORDER FOR OUR SENIORS AND OUR CHILDREN AND THE COMMUNITY TO COME OUT AND PARTICIPATE AND, UH, MAKE ATTEMPTS TO STAY HEALTHY. AND EVEN IN HIS [03:35:01] ABSENCE. I WANT TO THANK, UH, MAYOR JOHN WHITMEYER FOR ITEM 19. UH, HE KEPT HIS WORD AND ENSURE THE ADMINISTRATION PRIORITIZED, FINALIZING THE EDGEWOOD PARK AGREEMENT. THEY HAVE WAITED FOR QUITE A LONG TIME, AND AFTER YEARS OF DELAYS, IT IS HAPPENING, AND THE COMMUNITY IS INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL. I WANNA THANK DR. WILSON, LISA JOHNSON AND ENIT HOWARD FOR THEIR DEDICATION AND EFFORT FOR MAKING THIS A REALITY. ON, UH, WE ARE STILL DEALING WITH DEED RESTRICTIONS. WE HAVE A DEED RESTRICTION WORKSHOP ON THIS SATURDAY FROM 10:00 AM TO 12 NOON AT THE SUNNYSIDE HEALTH AND MULTI-SERVICE CENTER, 44 10 REED ROAD. PLEASE COME OUT SO THAT YOU CAN HELP PROTECT YOUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND HAVE DOCUMENTATION TO STOP CERTAIN THINGS FROM GOING ON IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOODS. UH, I THINK PART HOUSTON PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT AND THE LONE STAR LEGAL AID. AND THEN THE COLUMBIA TAP TRAIL CLEANUP IS GONNA BE A MARTIN LUTHER DAY, UH, OF ACTION. MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY OF ACTION ON SUNDAY, JANUARY THE 19TH, FROM TWO TO 6:00 PM AT THE COLUMBIA TAP IN THIRD WARD, AND CERTAINLY COME OUT AND JOIN US IN DURING THOSE HOURS. I, UM, CERTAINLY WANT TO THANK, UM, THE LA BURGERS AND DAIQUIRIS AND WING QUARTERS FOR THEIR WONDERFUL BREAKFAST THIS MORNING. THANK THEM TOO. UM, I, I, I KNOW Y'ALL GREAT BREAKFAST. WE STEPPED UP AND Y'ALL GOTTA STEP UP TOO. OKAY. THANK YOU. UH, KERIK AND ADRIAN HENEY, UH, THEY ARE THE OWNERS. PLEASE PATRONIZE THOSE ESTABLISHMENTS. THE LA BURGERS AND DAIQUIRIS. WE DIDN'T HAVE THE DAIQUIRIS THIS MORNING, JUST TO MAKE SURE Y'ALL KNOW, BUT WE DID HAVE A, A WONDERFUL MEAL. AND SO I CERTAINLY WANT TO, UH, AND THAT'S COMMEMORATING CERTAINLY FOUNDER'S DAY OF MY SO RAW AS THE ALPHA KAPPA ALPHA SORORITY. AND I'M GONNA SAY, IN CLOSING THAT, YOU KNOW, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER POLL, TELL US HOW YOU REALLY FEEL. OH, HE, HE'S GONE. I WANTED HIM TO STAY HERE, , I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT I DON'T WANT THE PUBLIC TO PERCEIVE THAT IF WE GET A COUNCIL BREAK, THAT WE ARE NOT WORKING. THIS IS A 25 8 JOB. UH, YOU SEE A FACE TO FACE HERE. THIS IS A CULMINATION OF SOME WORK, BUT IT'S CERTAINLY NOT THE WORK THAT IS BEING DONE. AND I DON'T LOOK AT IT AS BEING A VACATION. SOME OF US UP HERE DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT A VACATION IS. I'M TELLING YOU, WE TAKE CALLS AND, AND, AND DEAL WITH THINGS 25 8. AND SO CERTAINLY, I HOPE THAT IT DOES COME TO A COUNCIL DECISION, AND I CERTAINLY SUPPORT IT. THANK YOU. AND THAT CONCLUDES WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION. THANK YOU SO MUCH. UH, WE'LL MOVE TO COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TEM. I WANT TO, UH, FIRST THANK EVERYONE WHO CAME OUT TO THE DENVER HARBOR TOWN HALL THIS PAST SATURDAY, INCLUDING, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS ALCORN, UM, RAMIREZ AND CARTER TO HEAR FROM THE DISTRICT H CONSTITUENTS, UH, ABOUT, UH, A NUMBER OF ISSUES AND QUESTIONS THAT THEY FACED AND, AND ALL THE CITY DEPARTMENTS AND, AND OTHER RESOURCES THAT WERE PRESENT. I KNOW THE NEIGHBORHOODS REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. UM, FOR THOSE WHO WEREN'T ABLE TO ATTEND, WE WILL BE HOLDING ANOTHER ONE ON SATURDAY, JANUARY 25TH AT WOODLAND PARK, UH, AT THE WOODLAND COMMUNITY CENTER. AND, UH, YOU CAN ALWAYS REACH OUT TO THE DISTRICT H OFFICE FOR ANY DETAILS. UM, I WANT TO CONGRATULATE, UH, OUR STATE REPS AND STATE SENATORS THAT WERE SWORN IN YESTERDAY, UH, FOR THE 89TH LEGISLATIVE SESSION, I WAS ABLE TO GO UP THERE AND, AND WITNESS THEIR OPENING, UH, SESSION, AND ALSO, UH, VISIT WITH A NUMBER OF REPRESENTATIVES, UH, AND SHARE PRIORITIES ABOUT, UH, DISTRICT H AND, AND WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING TO WORK ON IN THIS UPCOMING SESSION. UM, THERE WAS A LOT OF ENERGY AND EXCITEMENT, AND, UH, I LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO WORK FOR THEM ON BEHALF OF MY CONSTITUENTS. UM, AS WE GET READY FOR ANOTHER ROUND OF COLD WEATHER, UH, I DO WANNA REMIND FOLKS, UH, TO TAKE CARE OF PEOPLE, PETS, PIPES, AND PLANTS. AND ALSO, UH, DON'T WAIT FOR THE WEATHER TO ARRIVE. UH, GET AHEAD OF IT AND START TO PREPARE NOW. UM, AND CHECK ON YOUR NEIGHBORS, UH, ESPECIALLY, YOU KNOW, YOUR SENIORS, UH, MAKE SURE THEY'VE GOT WHAT THEY NEED AND, AND THEIR HOMES ARE IN GOOD SHAPE. UM, WE'RE GONNA BE PUTTING OUT UPDATES AND RESOURCES, UH, AROUND, UH, WARMING CENTERS AND, AND THINGS THAT, AND SHELTERS THAT ARE AVAILABLE. UM, AND COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS, IF YOU SHARE YOUR LIST OF, OF CHURCHES, INDIAN DISTRICT H WE WILL BE SURE TO, TO HIGHLIGHT THOSE AS WELL FOR FOLKS WHO, WHO NEED A PLACE TO GO. UH, BUT THAT IS COMING IN A FEW DAYS, AND EARLY PREPARATION CAN MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE. UM, FINALLY, I WANT TO, UH, SAY THANK YOU TO MY SPECIAL PROJECTS DIRECTOR, SABRINA SALTS. FRIDAY IS GONNA BE HER LAST DAY IN THE DISTRICT H OFFICE. SHE'S MOVING ON TO THE TAX ASSESSOR COLLECTOR'S OFFICE, UH, TO DO, UH, GREAT THINGS. AND I WANNA THANK HER FOR ALL HER CONTRIBUTIONS, UH, IN MAKING [03:40:01] MY FIRST YEAR ON COUNCIL A SUCCESS. SHE WAS A PART OF SO MUCH OF THE GREAT THINGS THAT WE DID, UH, STARTING NEW INITIATIVE, ORGANIZING A LOT OF OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EVENTS, UH, HELPING OUT WHEREVER IT WAS NEEDED. UH, SHE PLAYED A CRITICAL ROLE IN ACCOMPLISHING, UH, WHAT WE DID AS A TEAM. AND, AND I COULDN'T HAVE HAD AN IMPACTFUL, UH, AS A YEAR WITHOUT HER. SO I WISH HER ALL THE BEST MOVING FORWARD. AND, UH, THE COUNTY IS LUCKY TO, TO HAVE HER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TEM. LET ME START OFF BY SAYING TO COUNCILMAN CASTILLO THAT WE WILL FURNISH, UH, YOU KNOW, GET THE INFORMATION TO YOU AS TO ALL OF THE CHURCHES AND ALL OF OUR DISTRICT. WE WILL POST IT ON OUR WEBSITE AS THE CHURCHES AND DISTRICTS THAT ASSOCIATED, UH, WITH ALL AND EVERYONE ABOUT WARMING CENTERS. I THINK THIS IS GOING TO BE A, UM, A START OF SOMETHING BIG, BECAUSE THE WARMING CENTERS IN LOCAL COMMUNITIES, I THINK IS VERY IMPORTANT. SO WE CERTAINLY WANT TO INFORM ALL OF US, OUR AT LARGE COUNCIL MEMBERS, AS WELL AS THE DISTRICTS. UH, I WANT TO THANK THOSE WHO WERE PARTICIPATING WITH US IN THE, UH, MAYOR'S OFFICE OF VETERAN AFFAIRS, UH, VETERANS AND MILITARY AFFAIRS, AND OUR PRESS CONFERENCE ON, UH, ON EARLY IN THE WEEK IN TERMS OF, UH, IDENTIFYING THE MENTAL ILLNESS ISSUE THAT IS SO, SO PRESSING IN OUR COMMUNITY. I WANT TO THANK COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN FOR COMING AND, AND ALSO HER LEADERSHIP IN THE, IN THE LOCKS REGARDING, UH, WEAPONS. AND, UH, WE CERTAINLY KNOW THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE AS WELL. AND, AND THANK OUR PRESENCE AT THE PRESS CONFERENCE AND THE THANKING THE MAYOR FOR ALLOWING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE THIS ISSUE FOREFRONT, UH, BEFORE US, BECAUSE IT IS A VERY, VERY SERIOUS ISSUE. BUT WE WANT TO LET ALL OF OUR VETERANS KNOW. AS A VETERAN, MANY OF YOU KNOW, UH, IT'S DEAR TO MY HEART, AND I CERTAINLY WANT TO ALWAYS BE A PART OF GOING FORWARD IN THAT EFFORT. I WANT TO THANK COUNCIL MEMBER SHABA FOR SUCH AN EXCELLENT, UH, TOWN HALL GATHERING IN REGARDS TO, UH, DUMPING, ILLEGAL DUMPING AND FAMILY GOD. AND TO ALL OF THE PEOPLE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, ILLEGAL DUMPING IS A MAJOR ISSUE. PLEASE DON'T PLAY IT DOWN. A LOT OF US IN COMMUNITIES, PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO SEE IT. IT'S A, A VERY UGLY SITE, AND IT LOOKS BAD, AND WE CERTAINLY WANT TO MAKE SURE, UH, OF COURSE, UH, COUNCILMAN SHABAZZ'S TEAM, UH, REALLY BROUGHT FORTH AN A, A PRESENTATION, UH, THAT I THINK WAS WELL WORTH IT. IT WAS EDUCATIONAL, IT RESOURCEFUL, AND THEY HAD ALL THE STOCKHOLDERS THERE. UH, WE CERTAINLY WANT TO, UH, ELEVATE MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY COMING UP THIS MONDAY. UH, WE WILL, AND THE PARADE, UH, THE, AND THE GRAND PARADE, UH, I WILL BE PARTICIPATING IN, AND CERTAINLY WE HOPE AND PRAY THAT ALL PEOPLE RECOGNIZE THAT MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY IS A RECOGNITION OF AMERICA. NOT JUST BLACK AMERICA, BUT ALL AMERICANS, OTHER PEOPLE THAT BENEFITED, UH, AND ASSOCIATED WITH THAT. AND I HOPE THAT MANY OF US WOULD TAKE THAT VERY SERIOUS AND THAT WE WILL APPRECIATE THE, THE LIFE WORK THAT, UH, THAT REVEREND DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING DID TO OUR NATION, AND MAKING US AWARE OF SOME OF THESE AREAS. IT'S DEAR TO, UH, MANY OF US, UH, THAT WE COULD CELEBRATE THAT DAY. AND, UH, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO, UH, HOPEFULLY A VERY SAFE, COLD WINTER WEEKEND COMING. AND WE, UH, WE PRAY THAT, UH, EACH OF US WILL STAY WARM. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, WE'LL MOVE TO COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER. THANK YOU, MAYOR PROAM. UM, FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO THE KING WOMEN'S CLUB, WHO'S DOWN HERE. UH, I UNDERSTAND THIS YEAR'S 40TH ANNIVERSARY. SO, UH, GREAT TO SEE EVERYBODY DOWN HERE. I KNOW IT'S, UH, QUITE A TRIP. WE MAKE IT REGULARLY. UH, DISTRICT E IS GOING TO HAVE ANOTHER, UH, PROJECT TO KIND OF REMOVE UNDERBRUSH FROM THE MEDIANS. UH, WE CALL IT OUR MEDIAN MADNESS. UH, WE DID THIS LAST YEAR IN NOVEMBER, HAD 50 VOLUNTEERS. UH, PARKS DEPARTMENT WAS OUT THERE. THE POLICE HELPED WITH TRAFFIC CONTROL. WE'RE GONNA BE DOING THE SAME THING. PLEASE, UH, EMAIL DISTRICT E@HOUSTONTX.GOV TO SIGN UP. UH, WE'D LOVE TO HAVE AS MANY PEOPLE OUT THERE AS POSSIBLE. UH, WE'RE ALSO GOING TO TRY AND PUT TOGETHER THE SAME THING DOWN IN CLEAR LAKE. SO AGAIN, IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN HELPING OUT WITH THIS, PLEASE SIGN UP AT DISTRICT E HOUSTON TX.GOV. THANK YOU. I LIKE THAT MEDIAN MADNESS. I SAW IT ON YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA, AND I WAS THINKING WE GOT SOME MEDIAN MADNESS THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN IN DISTRICT K, TOO. SO CONGRATULATIONS ON THAT. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. [03:45:01] THANK YOU. UH, FIRST, I DO WANNA THANK, UH, THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION AND CONGRESS FOR THAT DIRECT ALLOCATION OF LOCAL FUNDING. I KNOW, AGAIN, WE WON'T BE GETTING THAT, UM, UNTIL, UH, 2026, BUT TO HAVE THAT 300 MILLION PLUS DIRECTLY ALLOCATED TO THE CITY IS SOMETHING THAT, UH, IT, I WORDS CANNOT CONVEY HOW IMPORTANT THAT DIRECT ALLOCATION IS. AND, UH, MAYOR PROTE, AS YOU KNOW, UH, WORKING WITH NLC, UM, OVER 400 LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIALS SIGNED ONTO LETTERS ASKING FOR THOSE LOCAL DIRECT ALLOCATIONS. WE HAVE BEEN WORKING THROUGH NLC, UM, AND APPRECIATE THEIR WORK, UH, TO SEE THIS THROUGH. I DO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT RESIDENTS ARE AWARE. IF YOU HAVEN'T EXPERIENCED THE TRAFFIC ALREADY, UH, TDOT'S CONSTRUCTION HAS BEGUN ALONG. I 10, UH, PLEASE EXPECT SIGNIFICANT DELAYS. I WAS JUST THINKING THIS MORNING, UM, IT LOOKS WORSE THAN, UH, SIX 10 BY THE GALLERIA RIGHT NOW. UH, IT'S I ON I 10. UH, WE'RE REDUCING LANES IN THE HEIGHTS AREA, NOT WE, TDOT FIVE LANES IS NOW GOING DOWN TO THREE LANES FROM TAYLOR STREET TO THE HEIGHTS THROUGHOUT CONSTRUCTION. UM, WE, WE MAY NEED TO LIVE WITH THIS, UH, FOR SEVERAL YEARS, UH, THROUGH, I THINK CONSTRUCTION IS EXPECTED THROUGH 2028. UH, BUT WANT, AGAIN, NOT JUST THOSE IN DISTRICT C TO BE AWARE, TO PLAN ACCORDINGLY, BUT ANYONE COMING THROUGH AND INTO DOWNTOWN, UH, IT IS NOT PRETTY. I WANNA EXPRESS MY HEARTFELT APPRECIATION, UM, IN DISTRICT C, THE TIRELESS EFFORTS OF HPD CITY, LEGAL DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, BUT ESPECIALLY ALSO HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT. UM, THERE WAS A FIRE AT A HOME THAT WE HAD BEEN TRYING TO DEMO, UM, ON YALE STREET. UH, YOU ALL AT COUNCIL HAVE BEEN FAMILIAR WITH THIS ISSUE. IT HAS BEEN A TRAGIC SITUATION. UM, BUT THE HOME ACTUALLY CAUGHT ON FIRE. UH, WE HAD STATIONS 11 2 15 6 3 1 9 16, 30 62 17, AND HEAVY RESCUE 11 ALL RESPONDING, UM, OVERNIGHT TO THIS FIRE. UH, BUT I WANNA THANK DIRECTOR SIMS, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR REGGIE HARRIS, CITY LEGAL INERTIA, AND DAMON, THE HARRIS COUNTY'S, UH, ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, MS. LONGORIA, ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES, SPECIFICALLY JAMES, UH, OLA, UH, AND ALL THE RESIDENTS THAT HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH MY OFFICE TO TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT THE RESIDENTS THAT WERE IN THIS HOME ARE SAFE, UH, AND THAT WE ALSO ADDRESS A VERY, VERY DANGEROUS PROPERTY. UH, SO AGAIN, MY HEARTFELT APPRECIATION TO EVERYONE THAT HAS BEEN WORKING ON THIS ISSUE, UM, AND WE APPRECIATE ALL OF OUR FIRST RESPONDERS. IN ADDITION TO THAT, UH, ECHOING WHAT EVERYONE ELSE HAS SAID, THANK YOU TO THE HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT. I WANNA GIVE A SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO OUR WILDLAND DIVISION, UM, WHO IS IN LA IN CALIFORNIA RIGHT NOW, OUR WILDLAND DIVISION. Y'ALL HAVE HEARD ME TALK ABOUT IT BEFORE. UM, IS THE BEST IN THE BUSINESS NATIONWIDE. WE RESPOND TO FIRES ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY, ALL ACROSS TEXAS. UH, BUT OUR HEARTS ARE WITH EVERYBODY IMPACTED BY THE FIRES. AND WE THANK HFD FOR ANSWERING THE CALL. I WANNA WISH A VERY SPECIAL HAPPY BIRTHDAY, UH, TO JACKIE BOSTIC, UH, THE GREAT, THE GRANDDAUGHTER, EXCUSE ME, OF JACK YATES. SHE IS TURNING 87. WE WILL BE CELEBRATING HER THIS WEEKEND. WE LOVE HER AND APPRECIATE ALL THAT HER FAMILY DOES. UH, I ALSO WANNA REMIND RESIDENTS TO PLEASE STAY SAFE DURING THE FREEZE, MONITOR THE WEATHER, FOLLOW TRUSTED SOURCES, WHETHER THAT'S THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE, I ALWAYS DO MY PLUG FOR SPACE CITY WEATHER, BUT, UH, IT MAY BE WET, WHICH MEANS DANGEROUS CONDITIONS. WE DON'T KNOW. AND WE ARE WORKING AND IN COMMUNICATION WITH OUR UTILITY COMPANIES, UH, WITH STATE AGENCIES TO MAKE SURE, FINGERS CROSSED, UH, THAT THE LIGHTS STAY ON THIS TIME. BUT ALL THAT BEING SAID, I'M ASKING DISTRICT C RESIDENTS TO PREPARE AND BE READY. UH, WITH THAT, GOOD LUCK FOR THE HOUSTON MARATHON. GO, SALLY AND AMY. UH, , I WILL NOT BE RUNNING WITH YOU. UH, BUT FOR RESIDENTS AND DISTRICT C, WE DO HAVE A LOT OF CLOSURES RELATED TO THE MARATHON. SO PLEASE GO TO, UM, CHEVRON HOUSTON MARATHON, UH, WEBSITE TO CHECK THOSE ROAD CLOSURES. UH, VERY HAPPY MLK DAY AND APPRECIATE ALL THE TEAMWORK THAT WE'RE SEEING THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT. THANK YOU FOR THOSE COMMENTS. TODAY. WE DO HAVE A COUPLE OF COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT HAVE GOTTEN BACK IN THE QUEUE. YES. UH, GO TO COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TEM. UM, I, I HAVE A QUESTION FOR ATTORNEY MICHELLE, BUT BEFORE I, UM, ASK THIS QUESTION, I WANT TO THANK THE AT LARGEST FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP. UM, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN PLUMMER, CARTER RAMIREZ. DAVIS IS REFRESHING TO HAVE [03:50:01] THAT SUPPORT. YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU HAVE A DISTRICT THAT HAS SO MANY ISSUES AND YOU'RE TRYING TO HONE IN ON ALL THESE ISSUES, JUST HAVING THAT EXTRA SUPPORT TO HANDLE IT. AND I KNOW YOU LOVE IT, BUT WE LOVE YOU FOR SUPPORTING US. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. UM, UM, UM, ATTORNEY MICHELLE ON THE GOLD STAR, UM, MEDAL, GIVEN THE FACT THAT THEY DIDN'T COME TO COURT, UM, THAT WAS A WARRANT ISSUE. CAN WE SHUT 'EM DOWN? UM, LIKE TODAY, LIKE RIGHT NOW, UM, I MEAN THE, THE PROCESS, ANY SHUTDOWN INVOLVES A LEGAL PROCESS, WHICH MEANS WE HAVE TO GO TO THE COURT IN ORDER TO DO THAT. OUR MECHANISM IS TYPICALLY JUST FINE. SO, UH, WE'LL PRIORITIZE IT AND SEE WHAT, WHAT CAN BE DONE ON THAT. BUT YEAH, WE'RE SOMEWHAT LIMITED IN OUR, IN WHAT WE HAVE AS OUR CAPABILITIES, AND THAT IS ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT FOR ANY LEGISLATIVE CHANGES THAT CAN BE MADE TO MAKE IT EASIER, QUICKER TO BE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH THESE GOALS. OKAY. SO, AND I KNOW, UM, COUNCILMAN MCC CARTER, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR, YOU KNOW, SHOWING UP. YOU ARE LIKE A GOOD PARTNER. UM, BUT WHAT CAN WE DO SINCE THE RESIDENTS THEY SHOOT SHOWED UP TO COURT AGAIN EARLY IN THE MORNING, UM, JUST HOPING FOR SOMETHING TO HAPPEN, AND GIVEN THE FACT THAT THEY DIDN'T SHOW UP, WHAT CAN THE CITY DO RIGHT NOW, UM, TO KIND OF MITIGATE THIS ISSUE WITH THIS HAZARD IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, IN OUR BACK DOOR? I MEAN, THERE'S THE, I MEAN, CLEARLY IT'S GONNA BE RESET. UH, IF, IF THERE ARE MORE VIOLATIONS, IF HE, IF HE DIDN'T SHOW THERE'S, UM, THERE'S LIABILITY RIGHT THERE. BUT AGAIN, THE REMEDIES THAT WE HAVE FOR CLASS C MISDEMEANORS IS LIMITED. I THINK THE REAL FOCUS IN ORDER TO HAVE THESE REAL PROBLEMS IS TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A CIVIL LAWSUIT WITH INJUNCTIVE RELIEF. AND I THINK, UH, I WILL LOOK AT THIS PARTICULAR SITUATION TO SEE IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT CAN BE DONE IMMEDIATELY, YOU KNOW, UNDER THE EXISTING LAWS. BUT FRANKLY, WE NEED MORE HELP IN THAT AREA. OKAY, THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER. I THANK YOU. I JUST WANTED TO ADD TO THAT, UM, ASIDE FROM THE, THE, UH, NO-SHOW, THEY PREVIOUSLY HAD CITATIONS AND RED TAGS, BUT THE CITATIONS, YOU KNOW, STATE THAT THEY COULD BE FINE, COULD BE UP TO $6,000 PER CITATION. I'M SURE THAT'S ONE OF MANY THAT HAVE MULTIPLE CITATIONS AND SUCH. YOU KNOW, TO ME THAT'S A HUGE GAP IN REVENUE RIGHT THERE. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, KIND OF SITTING OUT THERE, THERE'S A POT OF GOLD SOMEWHERE. BUT, UM, THANK YOU, UH, ATTORNEY AND ALSO COUNCIL MEMBER, WE'LL FOLLOW UP ON THIS BECAUSE I'VE JUST RECEIVED SOME FURTHER INFORMATION TOO. SO THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TEM. I JUST FAILED TO MENTION, UH, EARLIER, WE ALSO WITH THE OFFICE OF, UH, VETERANS AND MILITARY AFFAIRS, WE HAVE A BOX THAT'S OUT IN, UH, THE COLLECTION OF THOSE ITEMS FOR WARMING, BLANKETS, SOCKS, ALL THAT YOU CAN GIVE. UH, WE WANT TO GET THAT TO THE VETERANS THAT ARE OUT THERE AS WELL AS OTHERS. UM, AND, UH, IF YOU WOULD DO IT THROUGHOUT THIS WEEK, WE HAVE UP UNTIL FRIDAY, IF ANY OF YOU HAVE CLOTHING OF THAT SORT, IF YOU WOULD BRING IN A DROP OF THAT BOX. WE ARE GOING TO GET IT TO THE VETERAN FAIRS OFFICES. I'M ALSO COLLECTING AT OUR CHURCH. AND, UH, THAT WOULD BE A GREAT HELP, UH, FOR US BECAUSE OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE EXPOSED TO THESE CONDITIONS. AND WE CERTAINLY WANT TO, UH, LET YOU KNOW THAT AS SOON AS WE GET NUMBERS AND NAMES, UH, MANY OF THE NAMES OF THE CHURCHES WHO ARE WILLING TO OPEN UP, WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF THE DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBERS AS WELL AS THAT LARGE PEOPLE GET THAT INFORMATION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBERS. JUST A QUICK REMINDER ON, UH, NEXT WEEK DUE TO THE MLK HOLIDAY, OUR NEXT COUNCIL MEETING WILL BE A CONSOLIDATED ONE. UM, AND THAT SESSION WILL BE ON JANUARY THE 22ND AT 9:00 AM IF THERE'S NOTHING FURTHER, WE STAND ADJOURNED. * 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.