[00:00:03]
COUNCIL COME TO ORDER.[PRESENTATIONS]
I RECOGNIZE VICE MAYOR PROM PECK, SO PLEASE PRESIDE WHILE WE ADDRESS A COUPLE OF PROCLAMATIONS.IT'S A GREAT DAY TO BE IN HOUSTON.
APPRECIATE IT, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, YOU ALL MAY REMEMBER WHEN THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE DUBBED US AS THE 10 WOMEN OF COUNCIL, THE PINK WAVE BACK IN 2019.
WELL, PREDOMINANTLY LEE CAME AND RAN A GREAT STORY ABOUT THAT HISTORY MAKING ELECTION, AND SHE HAS BEEN MAKING, UH, GREAT STORIES ON FOX 26 FOR 25 YEARS.
AND SHE HAS RECENTLY RETIRED AFTER 30 YEARS OF STELLAR STORYTELLING.
SO I'M VERY HONORED TO PRESENT THIS PROCLAMATION TO HER TODAY AS SHE HAS LEFT FOX 26 AND IS JOINING, UH, THE DA'S OFFICE AND ON HIS COMMUNICATION TEAM.
SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO PRESENT THIS PROCLAMATION TO DOM LEE KEITH TODAY, AND THE PROCLAMATION READS, DOM LEE KEITH, WHOSE PERSONAL MANTRA IS KINDNESS IS CONTAGIOUS, HAS BEEN A BELOVED PRESENCE IN HOUSTON HOMES FOR THE PAST 25 YEARS AS A MEMBER OF THE FOX 26 NEWS TEAM, A TRUE FIXTURE IN THE CITY.
HER WARM SMILE AND ENGAGING PERSONALITY HAVE BRIGHTENED COUNTLESS ROOMS WHILE REPORTING ON THE NEWS AND HIGHLIGHTING THE REMARKABLE PEOPLE AND EVENTS THAT MAKE HOUSTON SPECIAL.
AN EXCEPTIONAL WRITER, INTERVIEWER, AND STORYTELLER.
DOM LEE HAS EXCELLED IN DELIVERING COMPELLING REPORTS THAT INSPIRE, ENCOURAGE, AND POSITIVELY IMPACT THE COMMUNITY.
HER COMPASSION SHINES THROUGH IN EVERY STORY SHE SHARES, AND HER WORK HAS CONSISTENTLY MADE A MEANINGFUL DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF HOUSTONIANS.
IN ADDITION TO HER JOURNALISM CAREER, DOM LEE IS THE ARTHUR OF A GREAT DAY TO LIVE A SUSPENSEFUL NOVEL THAT INSPIRES READERS TO EMBRACE LIFE WITH RENEWED EXCITEMENT AND LIVE EACH DAY TO THE FULLEST OUTSIDE OF HER CAREER.
DOM LEE ENJOYS LAUGHTER BEING A PROUD MOTHER TO HER 18-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER WHO IS A COLLEGE FRESHMAN, STUDYING ABROAD IN EUROPE AND MAKING CHERISH MEMORIES WITH FRIENDS, FAMILIES, AND EVEN STRANGERS.
SHE LIVES BY THE PRINCIPLE OF TREATING OTHERS WITH KINDNESS AND ALWAYS ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO TREAT OTHERS AS YOU WANT TO BE TREATED.
AND IF YOU SEE SOMEONE WITHOUT A SMILE, GIVE THEM YOURS.
AFTER 25 YEARS OF OUTSTANDING JOURNALISM AS A FOX 26 NEWS ANCHOR, DOM LEE RETIRED ON FEBRUARY 21ST, 2025, IN RECOGNITION OF HER DEDICATION, SERVICE, AND SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE HOUSTON NEWS COMMUNITY, THE CITY OF HOUSTON CONGRATULATES DOM LEE KEITH ON THIS MOMENTOUS OCCASION AND WISHES HER MUCH SUCCESS IN HER FUTURE ENDEAVORS.
MAYOR, THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYOR PRO TEM ATU, UH, I WAS THINKING, AS YOU SAID, WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO MEET YOUR NEXT CHALLENGE, YOUR NEXT EMPLOYMENT.
I WAS THINKING MY MESSAGE WAS GONNA BE THANK YOU AND DON'T GO VERY FAR,
IN FACT, WE'LL PROBABLY GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH YOU CLOSER 'CAUSE WE CERTAINLY WORK WITH THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY.
SO IT'S MY HONOR TO THEREFORE I, JOHN WHITMEYER MAYO, THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROCLAIM MARCH 4TH, 2025.
IT'S DOMINANTLY KEITH DAY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
I JUST WANNA THANK EVERYONE FOR ALL OF THE, THE WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT FOR ALL OF THE LOVE, ALL THE SUPPORT, UM, NOT ONLY OVER THE DECADES, BUT SINCE I'VE ANNOUNCED THAT I'M RETIRING FROM TV NEWS, EVEN AS I WALKED IN TODAY, MAYBE 10 TO 15 PEOPLE SHOUTED CONGRATULATIONS OR HUGGED ME.
UM, I'M JUST SO VERY GRATEFUL FOR ALL THE LOVE AND SUPPORT, AND I'M ALSO SUPER GRATEFUL TO GOD THAT HE'S ALLOWED ME TO DO THIS FOR 30 YEARS.
I'VE DREAMED OF BEING A TV NEWS JOURNALIST SINCE THIRD GRADE, SINCE I WAS JUST EIGHT YEARS OLD.
AND, UM, IT'S, IT'S TRULY JUST BEEN A BLESSING FROM GOD.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYOR AND MAYOR, PRO TEM.
THANK YOU, UH, TO THE HOUSTON COMMUNITY.
[00:06:26]
NEXT, THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES VICE MAYOR PRO TEM PECK FOR A PROCLAMATION TO DRESS FOR SUCCESS, HOUSTON TO RECOGNIZE THEIR WORK IN EMPOWERING WOMEN.THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TIM, HOW ARE YOU? I'M VERY EXCITED, UM, TO PRESENT THIS PROCLAMATION TODAY.
WE WERE JUST TALKING BEFOREHAND, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW MANY YEARS WE'VE BEEN DOING, UM, THIS PROCLAMATION IN DISTRICT DAY.
BUT IT'S, IT'S ALWAYS SO EXCITING EVERY TIME WE DO IT BECAUSE THIS IS SUCH A WONDERFUL ORGANIZATION.
WHEREAS DRESS FOR SUCCESS, HOUSTON EMPOWERS WOMEN TO ACHIEVE ECONOMIC INDEPENDENCE BY PROVIDING PROFESSIONAL ATTIRE, CAREER DEVELOPMENT TOOLS, AND A NETWORK OF SUPPORT TO HELP THEM THRIVE IN BOTH THEIR PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL LIVES.
AND WHEREAS THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS WITH OVER 150 LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS DRESS FOR SUCCESS, HOUSTON ASSIST WOMEN BY PROVIDING PROFESSIONAL ATTIRE, INTERVIEW SKILLS, AND CONFIDENCE BUILDING SUPPORT.
CLIENTS WHO SECURE EMPLOYMENT ARE INVITED TO JOIN THE PROFESSIONAL WOMEN'S GROUP AND ONGOING EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM OFFERED BOTH IN PERSON AND ONLINE.
ADDITIONALLY, THE CAREER CENTER SPONSORED BY CHEVRON PROVIDES JOB SEARCH WORKSHOPS TO FURTHER SUPPORT WOMEN IN THEIR CAREER ADVANCEMENT.
THESE PROGRAMS ARE MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE COMMITMENT OF DEDICATED VOLUNTEERS WHO ARE INTEGRAL TO THE ORGANIZATION'S SUCCESS.
AND WHEREAS DRESS FOR SUCCESS USE IN ALSO PROVIDES SPECIALIZED SUPPORT FOR WOMEN VETERANS ASSISTING THEM IN TRANSITIONING FROM MILITARY TO CIVILIAN LIFE THROUGH CAREER WORKSHOPS, MENTORSHIP, AND A NURTURING COMMUNITY.
OVER 1,700 WOMEN VETERANS HAVE BENEFITED FROM THESE SERVICES GAINING CONFIDENCE AND NEW OPPORTUNITIES AS THEY EMBARK ON THE NEXT CHAPTER OF THEIR LIVES.
AND WHEREAS JUST FOR SUCCESS, HOUSTON PROVIDES ITS SERVICES AT NO COST RELYING ON THE GENEROUS SUPPORT OF THE HOUSTON COMMUNITY THROUGH ITS MISSION TO EQUIP WOMEN WITH THE RESOURCES NECESSARY FOR LONG-TERM EMPLOYMENT AND SUCCESS.
THE ORGANIZATION NURTURES THE DEVELOPMENT OF SKILLED LEADERS, THEREBY FOSTERING A CYCLE OF GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY.
AND WHEREAS SINCE ITS FOUNDING IN 1998 DRESS FOR SUCCESS, HOUSTON HAS SERVED OVER 40, 48,000 WOMEN AND POSITIVELY IMPACTED MORE THAN 63,000 CHILDREN IN THE COMMUNITY.
THE CITY OF HOUSTON COMMENDS DRESS FOR SUCCESS, HOUSTON FOR ITS STEADFAST COMMITMENT TO IMPROVING THE LIVES OF WOMEN AND WISHES THE AGENCY CONTINUES SUCCESS IN ITS FUTURE ENDEAVORS.
THANK YOU AND THANK YOU VAST MAYOR PROTE PICK FOR BRINGING THIS OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO THANK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU IN YOUR, IN YOUR VOLUNTEERS.
AND, UH, I WAS JUST LISTENING TO THE HISTORY.
I, MY DAUGHTER, ACTUALLY, PROBABLY 20 YEARS AGO WHEN IN COLLEGE, BROUGHT THE EXPERIENCE TO ME THAT SHE HAD BEEN INVOLVED WITH YOU.
SO IT, IT'S AMAZING THE IMPACT OF NOT ONLY THE RECIPIENTS, BUT THE FOLKS THAT HAVE BENEFITED FROM BEING, UH, CONTRIBUTING AND HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE THIS A BETTER WORLD THROUGH YOUR ORGANIZATION.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH, AND THEREFORE, I, JOHN WHITMEYER MAYOR, THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROCLAIM MARCH 4TH, 2025 IS DRESS FOR SUCCESS.
HOUSTON DAY IN HOUSTON, TEXAS.
I'M PRESIDENT OF DRESS FOR SUCCESS HOUSTON, AND I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF WORKING WITH THIS AS PART OF OUR INCREDIBLE TEAM.
WE'RE A MIGHTY FORCE OF 20, AND THANKS TO NEARLY 500 VOLUNTEERS
[00:10:01]
IN THE HOUSTON COMMUNITY.AS MAYOR WHITMEYER WAS MENTIONING, UM, HIS DAUGHTER WHITNEY HAS BEEN A VOLUNTEER WITH US AND THE SUPPORT OF HOUSTON.
AND I JUST THINK OF, YOU KNOW, THE, THE SCIENCE SAYS THE PEOPLE ARE THE CITY AND WE HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF TRULY REFLECTING THAT BACK TO THE WOMEN THAT WE EMPOWER AND LIKEWISE FOR THEIR FAMILIES.
SO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING A PART OF THE DRIVE THIS MONTH AS WE ARE IN WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT MONTH, UM, AND HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO RECYCLE YOUR SUCCESS WITH THE WOMEN WE SERVE.
AND OF COURSE, GENTLEMEN, WE ALWAYS NEED PORTFOLIOS.
WE'LL KINDLY TAKE YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS.
SO WE HAVE UP TO $20,000 MATCH FROM OUR BOARD AND HOUSTON COMMUNITY SUPPORTERS THE SHELL.
SO OUR GOAL IS TO RAISE 20,000 THIS MONTH WITH THEIR MATCH.
AND THANKS TO CHEVRON BEING A PRESENTING SPONSOR AGAIN THIS YEAR FOR THE 22ND YEAR, UM, WE KNOW WE WILL FULFILL OUR GOALS.
SO THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.
UH, VICE MAYOR PRO TEM PECK, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS FORTH.
AGAIN, I KNOW THAT THIS HAS BEEN A LEGACY PROJECT, UH, FOR DISTRICT A AND ESPECIALLY DURING WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH.
UM, WE ALL KNOW THAT WOMEN LOOK, WHEN WOMEN LOOK GOOD, UH, THEY FEEL GOOD AND THEY INTERVIEW WELL.
UH, AND WHEN WOMEN DO WELL, OUR COMMUNITIES DO WELL.
WHEN OUR COMMUNITIES DO WELL, OUR CITIES DO WELL.
SO THANK YOU FOR THE GREAT WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING THROUGHOUT, UH, HOUSTON AND BEYOND.
[2:00 P.M. – INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE]
CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN FOR THE IMPLICATION.I'D LIKE TO INVITE, UM, SOMEBODY WHO A LOT OF US KNOW, USED TO BE POLICY DIRECTOR FOR DAVID ROBINSON, COUNCIL MEMBER ROBINSON.
HE'S A REAL LIVE EPISCOPAL PRIEST.
UM, I WENT TO HIS ORDINATION IN, AT SAN PEDRO'S IN PASADENA.
AND HE WAS AT, HE WAS THERE AND SERVED.
AND THEN HE'S MOST RECENTLY BEEN AT ST.
MARK'S EPISCOPAL ON BEL AIR BOULEVARD.
UM, AND HE'S ABOUT TO BE THE SPIRITUAL LIFE DIRECTOR AT ST.
JOHN'S SCHOOL WHERE MY KIDS WENT TO SCHOOL.
SO WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL TO HAVE DAVID GOLDBERG.
HE ALSO SERVES ON THE C'S ETHICS COMMISSION, I THINK STILL, RIGHT? UM, SO COME ON DOWN AND GIVE US A PRAYER.
GREAT TO SEE YOU GOTTA RENEW THOSE APPOINTMENTS.
I, UH, LIKE TO BEGIN, I WAS AT, UH, MY FUTURE CURE ST.
JOHN'S SCHOOL, UH, LAST WEEK FOR THEIR SPECIAL RAMADAN CHAPEL.
AND AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, RAMADAN IS, UH, THIS MONTH AND WILL LAST THROUGH THE, I BELIEVE, THE 30TH OF MARCH.
UM, IT ALSO COINCIDES INTERESTINGLY WITH, UH, LENT, WHICH BEGINS TOMORROW.
SO THAT MAKES TODAY STROVE TUESDAY.
SO GO, UM, CONFESS YOUR SINS AND BE SHRIVEN.
UM, BUT THIS, UH, WONDERFUL YOUNG WOMAN SHARED WITH ME, UH, HER REFLECTION ABOUT RAMADAN AND FASTING, AND I THOUGHT I WOULD SHARE THAT WITH YOU.
THE MONTH OF RAMADAN LASTS 29 TO 30 DAYS, AND THE FESTIVAL OF EID CELEBRATES THE END OF RAMADAN DURING RAMADAN MUSLIMS. FAST, MEANING GOING WITHOUT EATING OR DRINKING FROM SUNRISE TO SUNSET, WHICH IS CURRENTLY ABOUT 14 HOURS.
THE GOAL OF THE FAST IS TO BE ABLE TO SYMPATHIZE WITH THOSE WHO HAVE LESS THAN US AND MAINTAIN SELF-CONTROL, STRENGTHENING OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD DURING THIS MONTH.
MUSLIMS TRY TO BE THE BEST VERSIONS OF THEMSELVES THROUGH KINDNESS, FRIENDSHIP, AND
[00:15:01]
SPIRITUALITY.ENCOURAGING CHARITY IS ANOTHER BIG GOAL OF THIS MONTH.
AS A FINAL NOTE, THE MONTH ENDS WITH THE FESTIVAL OF EID, WHICH MARKS A TIME OF CELEBRATION.
SO REMEMBER TO WISH YOUR FELLOW MUSLIM STUDENTS OR FRIENDS, UM, AT THE END OF RAMADAN SUNDAY, MARCH 30TH, HAPPY EID OR EID MUBARAK.
HER REFLECTION WAS ESPECIALLY HUMBLING FOR ME BECAUSE I AM REALLY BAD AT FASTING, UM, AND I BECOME VERY CRANKY, UH, AND GRUMPY.
SO TO SEE AN EIGHTH GRADE GIRL, UH, GIVE THIS TALK, UM, WAS INDEED HUMBLING.
BUT THE BEST LESSON LESSONS IN LIFE ARE HUMBLING.
ALMIGHTY GOD, WE GIVE THE THANKS FOR THIS SEASON OF FASTING AND RENEWAL.
FILL US WITH THY SPIRIT THAT WE MAY BE EVER MINDFUL OF THE NEEDS OF OTHERS.
AND WALK HUMBLY BEFORE THEE CREATE IN US NEW AND CONTRITE HEARTS THAT LAMENTING OUR FAULTS AND SHORTCOMINGS.
WE MAY GROW IN HUMILITY AND WISDOM.
AND AT THE LAST, BRING US IN THY GOOD NAME, THE REWARD WHICH THOU HAS PROMISED UNTO ALL FAITHFUL PEOPLE.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONNAIRE? NO.
I PLEDGE ALL TO THE, THE FLAG OF UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL YOU WANT.
I PROCEDURAL MOTION CHAIR RECOGNIZES MAYOR PROTE, CAST TATUM.
I'D LIKE TO MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO MOVE ROBERT GALLEGOS FROM THE, UH, ONE MINUTE LIST, UH, UNDER RUBEN GARZA.
[ROLL CALL AND ADOPT THE MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING]
CALL THE ROLE FIRST THEN.GOT A LITTLE, THAT'S ALL RIGHT.
PLEASE CALL THE ROLE MAYOR WHITMEYER.
COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER WILL BE ASKED.
COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS PRESENT.
COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN PRESENT.
COUNCIL COUNCILMAN MCC CARTER? YES.
I NEED A MOTION TO ADOPT THE MINUTES OF FEBRUARY 25TH AND 26.
[PUBLIC SPEAKERS]
PRO TEM CASTEX TATUM.I'D LIKE TO MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO MOVE, UH, FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER ROBERT GALLEGOS.
UM, FROM THE ONE MINUTE LIST UNDERNEATH RUBEN GARZA ON THE THREE MINUTE LIST, UH, TO STAY WITH THE, UH, MEMBERS WHO ARE TALKING ABOUT POLK STREET.
UM, FOR ONE MINUTE, I A SECOND.
I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO SUSPEND THE RULES AND MOVE, UM, THEODORE CARRERO TO THE TOP OF THE ONE MINUTE NON-AGENT LIST.
AND GOOD AFTERNOON TO EVERYONE.
I'D LIKE TO MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO MOVE GINA SYLVESTER AND BERT LOUIS TO THE TOP OF THE THREE MINUTE NON AGENDA LIST.
THOSE OPPOSING A MOTION PASSES.
I, UH, WOULD LIKE TO SPIN THE RULES, UH, TO MOVE LISA HUNT FROM THE ONE MINUTE, UM, NON NON AGENDA TO THE BOTTOM OF THE ONE MINUTE, UH, THREE MINUTE NON AGENDA BEHIND ROBERT GALLEGOS FOR ONE MINUTE.
DID YOU GET THE POWER? NOT, WE DIDN'T, WE DIDN'T GET PAULA'S MOTION.
DO YOU NEED HIM TO REPEAT? OKAY.
[00:20:58]
DAVID ESPINOZA.FORGIVE ME, I'M NOT THAT PREPARED YET.
HI, MAYOR COUNCIL, MY NAME IS DAVID ESPINOZA.
I LIVE IN EAST ALDING, NORTHEAST SIDE OF, UH, HOUSTON.
I'M HERE TO TALK TO YOU TODAY ABOUT THE C-D-B-G-D-R MONEY AND SORT OF THE PRINCIPLES THAT WE BELIEVE THAT THE CITY SHOULD BE FOLLOWING WHEN SPENDING THAT MONEY OR INVESTING THAT MONEY.
I BELIEVE THAT THIS ASSISTANCE SHOULD GO TO THE MOST IN NEED AND THAT THE COMMUNITY SHOULD BE A PART OF THIS DECISION MAKING PROCESS.
THEY SAW THE DEVASTATION FIRSTHAND, NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, BARREL TALKING ABOUT, UM, BACK DOWN TO HARVEY BEFORE THAT, ALLISON AND WE WERE THE ONES WHO RESPONDED TO OUR NEIGHBORS FIRST.
WE HAD THE CLEANUP BEFORE THE TRUCK SHOWED UP TO TAKE THAT, UH, ALL THE DEBRIS.
AND THEN BEFORE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SENT A DIME IN EMERGENCY FUNDS SO WE KNOW WHERE THE WATER WAS IN OUR STREETS, BETTER THAN, THAN THE MAPS Y'ALL HAVE.
YOU KNOW, AND WE WANT SURVIVORS AT THAT TABLE SO WE CAN BETTER ADVISE YOU BECAUSE WE WANT TO HELP THAT WILL HELP US.
SO TOGETHER WE CAN PROVIDE THE BEST CHOICES FOR SOME OF THE POOREST AND HARDEST HIT PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO THIS CAN BE DONE EQUITABLY.
SO WE PROTECT OUR POOREST AND HARDEST HIT RESIDENTS WHO COULD STILL BE IN THE WAY OF DANGER WHEN THE NEXT ONE COMES.
WE WANNA GIVE THEM THE CHOICE TO MOVE TO SOMEWHERE SAFE OR TO GET AN APPROVED CONTRACTOR THAT WILL TAKE THE TIME AND THE PATIENCE, DO THE JOB RIGHT, SO THAT HOME CAN HOLD UP FOR SEVERAL YEARS FOR THE NEXT GENERATION EVEN.
AND THIS HELP MUST ALSO COME TO RENTERS AT A PROPORTIONATE RATE, AMBI PROTECTED BY GIVING THEM THE CHOICE TO FIND ANOTHER PLACE TO RENT IN AN AREA THAT IS SECURE FROM FUTURE DISASTERS.
AND A HOME THAT'S STRUCTURALLY SOUND AND NOT FORCED TO CHOOSE BETWEEN LIVING AND WHAT IS ESSENTIALLY COULD BE A SHACK THAT'S SOME SLUM LORD IS CALLING A HOME.
AND JUST OPTIONS THAT THEY CAN AFFORD ON THEIR INCOME, ESSENTIALLY.
AND I FINISH, GO AHEAD AND FINISH.
YEAH, YOU GOT IT RIGHT OUT THERE.
UH, COUNCILMAN THOMAS? UH, THANK YOU MR. MAYOR.
UM, CAN YOU CLARIFY THE, DO YOU HAVE A SPECIFIC ISSUE WITH THE ITEM? BECAUSE THE ITEM THAT'S ON THE AGENDA THAT WE, UM, HOPE TO PASS IS AN ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGE.
THERE ARE ADDITIONAL DOLLARS FROM ALL OF THOSE DR LINES.
AND WHAT WE'RE DOING, WE'RE LOCATING THAT TO HOME REPAIR.
SO YOU HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THAT? YEAH.
WHAT WE SAW ON THAT MEMO, UH, OR THAT, UH, LETTER THAT WAS SENT OUT BY THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, UM, JUST SOME ITEMS THAT WE WERE QUESTIONING WHETHER THEY WERE REALLY IN THE BEST INTEREST IN THE COMMUNITY.
ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT DR 24? ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE, THE ITEM? 'CAUSE WEDNESDAY WE'RE JUST, IT'S AN, WE HAVE ADDITIONAL DOLLARS, LIKE DOLLARS THAT WERE NOT SPENT.
WE'RE LOCATING THAT TO HOME REPAIR OUT OF OUR 1721.
UM, AND THEN WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF DR 21, WHICH WILL BE BARRELL.
SO WE'RE GETTING READY FOR THAT.
THAT'S NOT ON, WE'RE NOT, BUT IT'S YOU THAT WAS JUST APPLIED FOR THIS, UH, THE LAST YEAR.
THE BIDEN HARRIS, WHEN THEY DID THAT AWARD.
SO WE DON'T HAVE, THAT'S NOT ON THE STREET YET.
ARE WE TALKING ABOUT THE SAME THING? YES.
I GUESS THE STUFF THAT WE BE, WE WILL BE PLANNING FOR SURE.
AND WE WOULD LIKE, AS A MEMBER OF OUR COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN WORKING A LOT WITH YEP.
NOT JUST OUR, OUR, OUR NEAREST COMMUNITY WITH OTHER COMMUNITIES CITYWIDE.
AND WE WANNA BE ABLE TO, I GUESS, USE OUR EXPERT OPINION AS SURVIVORS OF THE STORM.
SO, UH, PERFECT TIMING FOR D 24 AS WE PUT THOSE DOLLARS ON
[00:25:01]
THE STREET, UM, AND LOOK AT THE FEMA UNMET NEED.SO, UM, THE PRESCRIPTION IN TERMS OF HOW WE DESIGN THOSE DOLLARS, PUBLIC INPUT IS IMPORTANT.
SO I KNOW Y'ALL SENT OUT A LETTER, UM, WHICH WAS VERY THOUGHTFUL AND, AND SO THIS IS THE RIGHT TIME TO TALK ABOUT DR.
24, BUT JUST FOR THIS ITEM THAT WE'RE GETTING READY TO VOTE ON, THOSE DOLLARS ARE GOING TO HOME REPAIR.
WE HAVE A BACKLOG, AS YOU WOULD KNOW THOSE, YOU KNOW, INDIVIDUALS IMPACTED BY THE STORM ROOF REPAIR, FULL STRUCTURE RECONSTRUCTION.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT THE INTENTION OF THAT ITEM IS.
RIGHT? UM, AND SO I THINK, UM, WE DEFINITELY CAN MAKE SURE THAT Y'ALL ARE INVOLVED IN THE PUBLIC COMMENTS AND, AND, AND REALLY OFFERING TO THE DEPARTMENT WHERE THOSE DOLLARS SHOULD GO AS BY THE FEDERAL REGISTER.
YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
AND JUST, UH, JUST ADD ON THAT.
WE ALSO WANT TO ADD JUST A FEW MORE, I WOULD SAY LIKE SAFE, LIKE SAFETY RAILS, ESSENTIALLY, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, JUST TO HAVE SOME MORE TRANSPARENCY ON THAT PROCESS YEP.
AND THAT WE CAN, UH, GIVE THAT, COMMUNICATE THAT TO THE COMMUNITY.
UH, THAT THEY, THAT THEY, THEY KNOW WHERE THAT MONEY'S GONNA GO.
AND THEY WHAT THE PROCESS WILL BE FOR THEM.
NEXT, MCKAYLA CONRAD TO BE FOLLOWED BY JOHN MARTINEZ ON ROLE MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND FELLOW HOUSTONIANS.
I LIVE ON SOUTH CAPITAL STREET DIRECTLY BETWEEN DUMBLE AND ALTER STREET.
I'VE PLACED APPLICATIONS IN FOR SPEED BUMPS, STREETLIGHTS, AND QUIET ZONE ALONG SOUTH CAPITAL, BOTH IN 2023 AND 2024.
AS A PARENT, I'VE EXPERIENCED FIRSTHAND THE DISRUPTION CAUSED BY EXCESSIVE TRAIN, NOISE AND SAFETY SURROUNDING THE TRAIN.
I'LL NEVER FORGET THE COUNTLESS NIGHTS MY INFANT WOULD STARTLED AWAKE BY THE BLARING SOUND OF A PASSING TRAIN.
WELL ABOVE THE ALLOTTED DECIBEL, LIMIT VEHICLES ALSO SPEED ON SOUTH CAPITAL TO AVOID THE TRAIN.
WHEN I WAS PREGNANT AND ON A WALK WITH MY NEIGHBOR AND MY HUSBAND, I WAS ALMOST HIT BY A SPEEDING CAR.
CARS OFTEN SPEED TO AVOID THE TRAIN.
I OFTEN HAVE ANXIETY ABOUT TAKING MY CHILD FOR A WALK AND FEAR THAT A TRAIN OR SPEEDING CAR MIGHT COME BY.
THE FEELINGS OF EXHAUSTION, FRUSTRATION AND HELPLESSNESS IS SOMETHING NO FAMILY SHOULD HAVE TO ENDURE IN THEIR OWN NEIGHBORHOOD, CAUSED BY A TRAIN FOR AGENDA.
ITEM 33 APPROVING THIS ORDINANCE ISN'T JUST ABOUT QUIETING TRAIN HORNS.
IT'S ABOUT BRINGING RELIEF TO FAMILIES AND PROVING SAFETY AND MAKING THE EAST END A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE.
I URGE YOU TO VOTE YES FOR THE MATTER PRESENTED TO YOU TODAY.
UH, COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ, MA'AM.
UM, AND THE APPLICATION THAT YOU'RE SPEAKING TO IS OVER 10 YEARS OLD FOR SURE.
UH, WE ARE AT THAT TAIL END OF THE, OF THE QUIET ZONE PHASE FOR, UH, FOR, THAT'S EASTON THREE ACTUALLY.
AND SO, UM, WITH ITEM 33 PASSING, ESSENTIALLY WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN IS IT'LL ALLOW UNION PACIFIC, THE FRA AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO GO OUT AND, AND VISIT ALL THE DIFFERENT, UH, MODIFICATIONS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN MADE, WHETHER IT WAS CLOSING DOWN SOME STREETS LIKE RUST MAR, UM, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE THAT, UH, CURBS WERE HIGHER AT LOCKWOOD.
AND SO, UM, ONCE THAT SITE VISIT IS DONE, UNION PACIFIC MIGHT COME BACK WITH SOME MINOR CHANGES THAT THEY MIGHT NEED AS FAR AS INFRASTRUCTURE CHANGES.
UH, BUT WE ARE AT THE TAIL END OF IT.
SO WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO FINALLY HAVING THIS QUIET ZONE FOR EASTON THREE, AND THEN ALSO EAST END PHASE, UH, EAST END ONE, PHASE TWO, WHICH IS NORTH OF HARRISBURG, A LONG TERMINAL.
UM, AND THEN JUST TO ADD ON, UH, WE, WE ARE LOOKING AT A, A NEIGHBORHOOD TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT, UH, UH, PROGRAM, UM, FOR THAT AREA ALONG.
RUSS, ONE OF YOUR NEIGHBORS THAT'S HERE, AMY ERICKSON, HAS BEEN ADVOCATING FOR IT.
AND SO, UH, WE SHOULD BE SEEING THAT COME IN FRUITION AS WELL.
SO THANK YOU FOR COMING IN THOUGH.
AND, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, LI LIFTING UP YOUR VOICE FOR, FOR YOUR NEIGHBORS, FOR YOUR CHILD AS WELL.
UH, BUT HOPEFULLY, YOU KNOW, BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR, WE CAN HAVE SOME QUIET AND THEN ALSO, UH, SLOW DOWN SOME CARS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
TO BE FOLLOWED BY ZOE MIDDLETON.
HELLO, I'M HERE TO SPEAK TODAY REGARDING A PREVIOUS SUNDAY WITH THE HUD C-P-G-D-D-R MITIGATION MONEY THAT WAS PASSED DOWN THROUGH PRESIDENT TRUMP DURING HURRICANE HARVEY.
IT DISPLEASED ME TODAY THAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND THE TEXAS GLO HAVE NOT REPAIRED OR RECONSTRUCTED THESE HOMES FEEL HUDS STANDARDS TO BE MORE RESILIENT, LONG-TERM
[00:30:01]
PLANNING AND FUTURE DISASTERS.AS I'M AWARE THAT NEW FUNDING IS COMING TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON, AS WELL AS THE STATE OF TEXAS FROM HURRICANE BE BE, AND THE RETRO, I ALSO DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THERE WAS NO OVERSIGHT, NO UNVETTED PROCUREMENT PROCESS WHEN PICKING THESE SUBPAR CONTRACTORS TO CONSTRUCT THESE HOMES.
JUST MY HOME ALONE WAS BUILT ON A WOOD PILING FOUNDATION WHEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON CLEARLY HAS THE GEO SCIENCE ENGINEERING TEST TO BUILD MY HOME ON CONCRETE FOUNDATION, AS WELL AS STRUCTURAL ISSUE ISSUES AND MOISTURE COMING INTO THE HOME.
I'VE BEEN ADVISED TO ALSO SPEAK TODAY TO BRING THIS TO LIGHT THAT WE ARE WATCHING THE CITY OF HOUSTON, AS WELL AS THE STATE OF TEXAS WITH THESE FUNDS.
AS ADVISED BY HUD SCOTT TURNER, HIS DEPARTMENT SUGGESTED ME TO SPEAK ABOUT THIS AS WELL AS THE DOGE COMMITTEE.
WE WOULD LIKE TO WORK TOGETHER SO THESE FUNDS ARE BEING UTILIZED PROPERLY FOR LOW TO MODERATE INCOME INDIVIDUALS.
I'M ALSO REQUESTING A LETTER FROM THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AS WELL AS THE MAYOR WHO HAS RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE GOVERNMENT TO FIX THIS ISSUE AND A PROBLEM IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
NEXT, ZOE MIDDLETON BE FOLLOWED BY BENJAMIN BROADWAY.
I'M THE ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR FOR ADDRESS CLIMATE RESILIENCE AT THE UNION OF CONCERNED SCIENTISTS.
I'M ALSO A VERY LONGTIME FRIEND OF WEST STREET RECOVERY AND NORTHEAST ACTION COLLECTIVE, UM, ACROSS THESE GROUPS, SORRY.
ACROSS THESE GROUPS, WE, UH, PLAN ON SUBMITTING WRITTEN COMMENT FOR THE C-D-G-D-R FOR BARREL DIRECTION IN THE APRIL STORMS. AND WE KNOW THE UNIVERSAL NOTICE THAT WAS ISSUED WITH THIS POT OF FUNDS REQUIRES THE CITY TO SUBSTANTIVELY RESPOND TO COMMENTS AND CONVENE AN ADVISORY GROUP.
BUT I DON'T WANNA ASSUME THAT THE MAYOR OR COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE GONNA ATTEND ALL OF THOSE ADVISORY GROUP MEETINGS OR READ EVERY SINGLE PUBLIC COMMENT SUBMITTED.
SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE TODAY.
UM, AND I WANTED TO SHARE SOME PRINCIPLES FOR Y'ALL TO KEEP IN MIND AS THE LATEST CGDR PROGRAM HAS DEVELOPED.
AS YOU KNOW, CDGD R'S ALLOWABLE USES FALL UNDER THREE BUCKETS.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, EXCUSE ME, AND PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND BY STATUTE, THOSE FUNDS COME WITH AN OBLIGATION TO BE 70% SPENT, UM, ON LMI COMMUNITIES.
HOWEVER, MANY RECIPIENTS FREQUENTLY SEND WAIVERS, UM, TO REDUCE THAT OBLIGATION, WHICH I SUGGEST THAT THE CITY AVOID.
I WANNA ENCOURAGE THE CITY TO FOCUS ON HOUSING AND ITS RECOVERY PLANS, SPECIFICALLY THE REPAIR, HARDENING OR WEATHERIZATION OF AND CREATION OF MEANINGFULLY AFFORDABLE UNITS FOR BOTH HOMEOWNERS AND RENTERS.
UM, AS YOU KNOW, DESPITE ITS REPUTATION FOR AFFORDABILITY WHEN COMPARED WITH OTHER MAJOR CITIES, HOUSTON IS NOT EXEMPT FROM THE HOUSING CRISIS.
WE CONSISTENTLY RANK IN THE TOP THREE CITIES NATIONWIDE FOR EVICTION FILINGS.
AND OUR AFFORDABLE RENTAL STOCK IS AGING AND VULNERABLE TO EXTREME WEATHER AS YOU DESIGN FOR RENTERS.
ALSO, BEAR IN MIND THAT FEMA UNMET NEEDS IS WELL KNOWN FOR FREQUENTLY UNDERCOUNTING IMPACTS FOR RENTERS, SOMETHING THAT THE AGENCY ITSELF ACKNOWLEDGES BUT HASN'T SOLVED FOR YET.
INCREASED INSURANCE PREMIUMS AND OTHER FACTORS ARE COMPLICATING THE DEVELOPMENT OF MEANINGFULLY AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND HOUSTONIANS WHO OWN THEIR HOMES ARE FACED WITH INCREASING PREMIUMS OR DROPPED POLICIES.
THE UNFIT PROGRAM, UM, ITSELF AS A 18% ANNUAL INCREASE ON A GLIDE PATH WITHOUT ANY AFFORDABLE AFFORDABILITY PROVISIONS.
FOCUSING ON HOUSING CAN HELP ALLEVIATE SOME OF THESE STRAINS THAT HOUSTONIANS ARE FACING.
AND WITH THE FEDERAL, UM, GOVERNMENT'S GENEROUS ALLOCATION, UM, YOU CAN HELP HOUSTONIANS TO REDUCE RISK AS EXTREME WEATHER BECOMES MORE SEVERE AND FREQUENT.
AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO START FROM SCRATCH.
THERE ARE PLENTY OF REPLICABLE PROGRAMS LIKE ALABAMA'S FORTIFIED ROOF PROGRAM OR HUDS GREEN AND RESILIENT RETROFIT INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAM, WHICH HAS BEEN CALLED A LIFELINE FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
THERE ARE ALSO REPLICABLE LEGAL SERVICE AND LEGAL AID PROGRAMS THAT YOU HAVE 10% OF YOUR C-D-P-D-R THAT'S ALLOWED TO BE USED ON PUBLIC SERVICES AND BEYOND INCREASING HOUSEHOLD LEVEL RESILIENCE, WHICH WILL ABSOLUTELY SAVE LIVES AND IMPROVE GENERATIONAL WEALTH, AN EMPHASIS ON HOUSING WILL HELP HOUSTONIANS STAY IN HOUSTON.
THIS DISASTER RECOVERY IS INCREASINGLY POLITICIZED MUNICIPAL BOND MARKETS OR TAKING NOTICE OF POLITICAL VOLATILITY AND CLIMATE RISK.
SO MAKING IN INVESTMENTS IN RESILIENT HOUSING NOW BETTER POSITIONS THE CITY AS A FINANCIAL ENTITY IN THE FUTURE AS WE LOOK AHEAD TO THE CONFLUENCE OF PHYSICAL AND FINANCIAL RISK.
BROADWAY TO BE FOLLOWED BY DORIS BROWN.
MAYOR, WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED AND YOU SAID THAT YOU WERE RUNNING FOR THE MAYOR OF CITY OF HOUSTON, YOU SAID YOU HAD AN OPEN DOOR POLICY.
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MA, I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT VERY SOON BECAUSE YOU HAVE A HOUSTON READY PROGRAM, ROUND TABLE OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT GIVE IDEAS AND THEY INTERACT WITH THE CITY.WHEN ARE WE GONNA HAVE A PROGRAM THAT ACTUALLY INVOLVES COMMUNITY ACTIVISTS AND OTHER COMMUNITY MEMBERS? ALL, UH, ALL THIS MONEY THAT WE'RE SUPPOSEDLY TO BE GETTING MAYOR.
THEY, MAN, THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO PROMISE TO US WHEN YOU FIRST GOT ELECTED, DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN YOU SAID, WE HAVE A FRIEND IN THE GLO, WE AIN'T GOT THAT MONEY YET AND WE STILL HAVEN'T GOTTEN IT.
AND LIKE THE MEMBERS THAT NEED TO BE A PART OF THAT ROUND TABLE, I'M QUITE SURE THAT ALL OF Y'ALL HAVE RECEIVED AN EMAIL OF THE 30 OTHER NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE STANDING BESIDE US, MAN.
AND Y'ALL WANT TO SIT UP HERE AND SAY, Y'ALL DON'T KNOW WHERE THE MONEY NEEDS TO GO.
WHY DON'T Y'ALL ASK COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIE DAVIS, HE SENT HIS STAFF OUT THERE TO STAND 10 TOES WITH US PASSING OUT WATER, FOOD, AND MEALS.
THESE, THESE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE NEED IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
WE WANNA PREPARE INSTEAD OF PREVENT.
THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I KNOW Y'ALL CAN DO BECAUSE Y'ALL DOING IT WITH THE READY HOUSTON PROGRAM.
WE HAVE TO HAVE THE FUNDS PUT TO SOME OF THESE IDEAS THAT ARE COMING OUT OF YOUR ROUND TABLE MAYOR.
AND WE NEED TO ADD MORE NONPROFITS LIKE THE ONES THAT ARE THERE ON THAT LIST.
AND I'M VERY POSITIVE THAT ALL OF Y'ALL HAVE RECEIVED.
SO WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD IN A POSITIVE STEP.
LET'S HAVE THE DOOR OPEN, MAYOR, LIKE YOU SAID OVER.
NEXT DORIS BROWN AFTER AFTERNOON, EVERYONE.
I AM A CO-FOUNDER OF THE NORTHEAST ACTION COLLECTIVE AND CO-DIRECTOR AT WEST STREET.
EVERYONE WANTS A HOME THAT'S SAFE, SANITARY, AND SECURE, BUT THE LOW MODERATE RESIDENTS THAT WERE IMPACTED BY THERA AND BARRELS STILL SUFFER.
WE HAVE HOMES IN HOUSTON THAT ARE STILL IN NEED OF REPAIRS.
THE CITY MUST LEARN FROM PAST MISTAKES THAT NEGATIVELY IMPACTED PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS AFTER HARVEY AND HURRICANE IKE.
THE ONLY WAY TO DO THIS IS TO LISTEN TO SURVIVORS OF THOSE STORMS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS WHO HELPED RESIDENTS NAVIGATE PROGRAMS IN THE PAST.
CREATING AN ADVISORY POUND OF LOW TO MODERATE INCOME SURVIVORS ALONG WITH CITY ADVISORS, WOULD ENSURE THAT SOME MONEY GOES TO VERY LOW INCOME PEOPLE, NOT JUST HOMEOWNERS AND RENTERS WHO ARE THE MOST PRIVILEGED OF THOSE WHO ARE ELIGIBLE.
IT'S NOT TO CITY'S FAULT THAT THE STATE GLOBE PROGRAM INTENTIONALLY FAILED TO REMEDY HOME AND INFRASTRUCTURE REPAIRS IN HOUSTON.
THE C-D-B-G-D-R MONEY MUST BE USED TO SUPPORT IMPACTED HOMEOWNERS AS WELL AS RENTERS.
THE CURRENT UNIVERSAL NOTICE OF DISASTER RECOVERY INCLUDES A REQUIREMENT FOR AN ADVISORY BOARD MADE OF IMPACTED PERSONS AND ADVOCATES.
AND THE CITY SHOULD FOLLOW THE GUIDANCE WHETHER OR NOT THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION RE TRACKS THE GUIDANCE.
AFTER ALL, MAYOR, YOUR PLATFORM, YOUR PLATFORM WAS FOR HELPING ALL OF HOUSTON.
C-B-D-R-C-B-D-G-D-R MONEY MUST BE USED TO EXPAND THE SUPPLY OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND FIXING THE HOMES OF RESIDENTS SO THEIR HOMES CAN BE SAFE, ABLE TO HAVE A BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE, SANITARY, FREE OF SEWER BACKING UP IN THEIR IMPACTING HOMES.
SECURE, NOT AFRAID OF THEIR ROOFS COLLAPSING IN ON THEIR CHILDREN.
NEXT, JULIA ORA TO BE FOLLOWED BY CLAY DIPPLE.
GOOD AFTERNOON MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
MY NAME IS JULIA ORA, SOUTHEAST TEXAS REGIONAL DIRECTOR FOR TEXAS HOUSERS.
I MOVED TO HOUSTON SIX YEARS AGO TO EXPLICITLY FOCUS ON THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
THE COUNTY AND THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE HOME REPAIR PROGRAMS STOOD UP AFTER HARVEY AND RECOMMEND AND TO RECOMMEND HOW
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THESE PROGRAMS COULD BE RUN MORE EFFICIENTLY.I HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING THESE PROGRAMS, INCLUDING THE CDBG MONEY, UH, THAT IS UTILIZED FOR THIS HOME REPAIR BEING THE $6 MILLION THAT IS GONNA BE PUT INTO A HOME REPAIR PROGRAM.
AND I'VE BEEN WALKING ALONGSIDE WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS, GOVERNMENT STAFF, AND VENDORS TO UNDERSTAND THESE PROGRAMS. TEXAS HOUSERS HAS ADVOCATED FOR A JUST RECOVERY SINCE HURRICANE RITA AND OUR ADVOCACY HAS HELPED BRING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO HOUSTON.
OUR INTEREST IS THAT TAXPAYER DOLLARS ARE USED TO THE BENEFIT OF THE COLLECTIVE RECOVERY OF HOUSTONIANS.
WE SHARED TODAY THIS LETTER WITH OVER 30 ORGANIZATIONS FROM HOUSTON SIGNED WITH MANY OF THE BEST PRACTICES IN HOW HOME REPAIR PROGRAMS AND DISASTER RECOVERY PROGRAMS CAN BE IMPLEMENTED FOR ALL HOUSTONIANS TO ACTUALLY RECOVER, INCLUDING PRIORITIZING THOSE WITH CRITICAL NEEDS, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND GOOD STEWARDSHIP OF THESE FUNDINGS AND RESILIENT BUILDING FOR HOMEOWNERS AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING RENTAL HOUSING.
IN MY EXPERIENCE IN WORKING WITH APPLICANTS AND PROGRAMS ADMINISTRATORS, BOTH PARTIES ARE OFTEN BURNT OUT BY A SYSTEM WITHOUT TRANSPARENCY AND PROPER COMMUNICATION.
THESE SYSTEMS NEED A HUMAN CONNECTION, ONE THAT OPERATES IN UNDERSTANDING AND EMPATHY.
THIS MAKES HIRING SURVIVORS AS CASE MANAGERS KEY TO APPLICANT CARE.
THESE SYSTEMS ARE ALSO NEEDING METHODS OF ACCOUNTABILITY AND ENFORCEMENT IN PROGRAM DESIGN TO INTAKE FROM INTAKE TO CONSTRUCTION TO ENSURE THAT THE VENDORS ARE DELIVERING DURABLE, RESILIENT PRODUCTS.
THAT THIS FEDERAL INVESTMENT WILL NOT BE CRUMBLING AFTER THE NEXT HURRICANE.
AND THAT IS WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH THE BARREL AFTER HURRICANE BARREL.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES GRANTED TO OUR CITY SHOULD NOT BE HOARDED BY THE FEW EITHER, BUT OFFERED TO BUILDERS AND CONTRACTORS OF ALL SIZES IN OUR CITY TO BUILD UP THAT LOCAL CAPACITY TO RESPOND.
BUILDING BOTTLENECKS COULD BE SOLVED BY LITERALLY SPREADING THE WEALTH AROUND.
THIS FEDERAL INVESTMENT SHOULD BE COMING TO OUR COMMUNITIES, NOT THROUGH OUR COMMUNITIES AND OUT-OF-STATE.
COMPANIES WHO ARE NOT IN TUNE WITH OUR CULTURE AND OUR NEEDS ARE NOT THE EXPERTS.
YOUR CONSTITUENTS ARE THE EXPERTS.
THEY ARE THE ONES WHO SHOULD BE LISTENED TO, EMPLOYED AND UPLIFTED IN THIS MOMENT, THIS OPPORTUNITY, THIS NEW C-D-B-G-D-R MONEY, THIS $6 MILLION IN HOME REPAIR PROGRAMS, THIS IS THE OPPORTUNITY TO CHANGE THE PACE OF RECOVERY EFFORTS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
WE INVITE YOU TO TAKE THE BRAVE SPACE TO COLLABORATE WITH THE RESIDENTS WHO ARE ASKING FOR A BETTER RECOVERY PROCESS.
AND I AM AVAILABLE TO TALK FURTHER ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND HOW YOUR LEADERSHIP CAN IMPROVE ACCESS TO A DIGNIFIED HOME FOR EVERY HOUSTONIAN.
CLAY DIPPLE TO BE FOLLOWED BY THEODORE CARRERO.
UH, TODAY I'M HERE WITH A MESSAGE TO SAY THANK YOU, UH, FOR SOMETHING THAT HOUSTON IS REALLY DOING RIGHT.
AND, UH, I KNOW COUNCIL DOESN'T ALWAYS GET TO HEAR THE GOOD STUFF, AND THIS IS A GOOD THING.
I SERVE AS VICE PRESIDENT OF THE EASTWOOD CIVIC ASSOCIATION, AND I'M ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN OUR COMMITTEE DEDICATED TO IMPROVING PUBLIC SAFETY AND MOBILITY AROUND TRAINS THAT OFTEN PARK, UH, FOR A FULL STOP FOR HOURS AT A TIME BLOCKING CITY STREETS.
THIS IS MORE THAN JUST AN INCONVENIENCE.
IT'S A CRITICAL SAFETY ISSUE THAT HAS LED TO TWO TRAGIC PEDESTRIAN DEATHS THIS PAST YEAR IN EAST HOUSTON, INCLUDING A MAN IN A WHEELCHAIR AND A 15-YEAR-OLD ON HIS WAY TO SCHOOL WITH SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS AND VOLUNTEER HOURS.
OUR NEIGHBORS HAVE DONE THE HOMEWORK TO DOCUMENT WHAT HAS PROVEN TO BE THE NATION'S WORST DANGER ZONE FOR BLOCK CROSSINGS.
HOUSTON'S SMART SENSOR PILOT PROGRAM, UH, HAS CORROBORATED THOSE FINDINGS AND TAKEN IT TO A WHOLE NEW LEVEL.
UH, THE DETAILED HARD DATA HAS DRAWN BIPARTISAN RECOGNITION FROM LAWMAKERS AT EVERY LEVEL OF GOVERNMENT AS A PROBLEM THAT IS WORTHY OF OUR INVESTMENT, SERIOUS INVESTMENT.
THANKS TO THE COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS OF THIS MAYOR, THIS COUNCIL, DEDICATED COMMUNITY LEADERS CREATIVE MINDS AT HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS, HARRIS COUNTY PRECINCT TWO, HOUSTON METRO EAST END DISTRICT, AND ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES IN STATE AND FEDERAL LEVELS.
WE'VE MADE SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS.
LET'S ALSO ADD MORE HOUSTON VOICES TO THE VACANT POSITIONS ON THE GULF COAST RAIL DISTRICT TO HELP BRING DOLLARS TO OUR AREA OF CRITICAL NEED.
IN JUST THE LAST YEAR, HOUSTON HAS SECURED MILLIONS IN SAFETY GRANTS TO TACKLE THIS PROBLEM.
HEAD ON MAPPING THE WORST CONGESTION POINTS, INTEGRATING REAL-TIME TRAIN DATA THAT MIGHT SOON FEED INTO PLATFORMS LIKE GOOGLE MAPS AND CRITICALLY BUILDING NEW SAFE
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PASSAGES AROUND TRAINS FOR CITIZENS AND FOR FIRE POLICE AND EMS. THIS IS A NON-PARTISAN COMMON SENSE EFFORT THAT'S GAINING MOMENTUM ON AN ISSUE THAT ONCE REALLY TRULY FELT INSURMOUNTABLE.LEADERS OF ALL STRIPES ARE ROWING TOGETHER AND THEY'RE ROWING IN THE SAME DIRECTION, AND IT'S WORKING.
SO THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.
UH, TODAY I ASK FOR YOUR SUPPORT ON A RELATED ISSUE.
TOMORROW'S AGENDA, ITEM NUMBER 33.
WE ARE GRATEFUL THAT QUIET ZONE SUPPORT FROM METRO IN THE ENGINEERING PHASE, UH, CAN OFFER RELIEF TO A MAJOR RESIDENTIAL CORRIDOR IN THE EAST END.
IT'S A REQUEST 12 YEARS IN THE MAKING.
IT WILL GO A LONG WAY TO IMPROVING QUALITY OF LIFE IN A NEIGHBORHOOD LONG BURDEN BY THE ECONOMIC ENGINE THAT CONNECTS HOUSTON'S WORLD CLASS PORT TO THE REST OF AMERICA.
WE KNOW OUR CITY LOGO FEATURES A TRAIN FOR A REASON, BUT WITH THIS FUNDING AND THROUGH REVITALIZATION PROJECTS SUCH AS THE WEST BELT IMPROVEMENT PROJECT AND THE TELEPHONE RAISE GRANT ON TELEPHONE ROAD, WE CAN PROVE TO RESIDENTS THAT PROGRESS IS POSSIBLE.
HOUSTON RIGHT NOW HAS THE POWER TO PLAN SMARTER, BUILD SAFER, AND MINIMIZE DISRUPTIONS.
PLEASE KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK BECAUSE WHEN WE WORK TOGETHER, MAYOR, AS YOU SAY, HOUSTON CAN DO GREAT THINGS AND WE'RE SEEING IT.
UH, CLAY, UM, AS YOU'RE SAYING THANK YOU TO US, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO YOU AND EASTWOOD, UH, BUT FOR Y'ALL, I DON'T THINK WE WOULD'VE SEEN THE, UH, THE, UM, FEDERAL DOLLARS COME IN, UH, FOR SAMSON YORK AND COMMERCE.
UM, YOU KNOW, THIS HAS BEEN AN ISSUE IN THE EAST END.
EVERYBODY KNOWS IT, BOTTLENECKS, UM, ALL THE TRAINS BOTTLENECK BECAUSE OF THE PORT.
AND, UM, AND REALLY, UM, UNTIL Y'ALL ARE ABLE TO HELP ELEVATE THIS CONVERSATION WITH CONGRESSWOMAN GARCIA THAT WE START SEEING REAL TRACTION.
AND SO, UH, I APPRECIATE THE, THE THANKS ON THIS SIDE, BUT REALLY WANNA SAY THANK YOU AND TO LINDSAY AND FOLKS THAT ARE IN THE EAST END EASTWOOD AREA SPECIFICALLY, UH, FOR TAKING UP THIS, THIS CONVERSATION AS WELL.
UH, BECAUSE WE CAN'T DO THIS BY OURSELVES, AND WE DEFINITELY NEED TO SEE, UH, MORE GREAT SEPARATION, WHETHER IT'S LELAND, WHETHER IT'S LOCKWOOD, WHETHER IT'S TELEPHONE, LAWNDALE, WE CAN NAME ALL OF THEM IN THE EAST END.
UM, AND SO JUST, YOU KNOW, KEEP AT IT.
WE'RE HERE, WE'RE, WE'RE HERE TO BE YOUR PARTNERS.
AND, UM, UH, AGAIN, JUST, UH, YOU KNOW, KNOW THAT, THAT WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO SEE, UH, TRY TO WORK TO IMPROVE THE, THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF EASTENDERS.
UH, MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO MOVE CHARMAINE LEBLANC.
UH, TO FOLLOW BURT LOUIS ON THE THREE MINUTE NON AGENDA LIST.
I'M HERE TO SPEAK ON, UH, HISD AS A PARENT, IT SEEMS LIKE THE, UH, UH, AS A PARENT, IT SEEMS THE BUDGET ISN'T BEING PROPERLY ALLOCATED.
UH, THE BOARD IS, THERE'S A BOARD VOTE IN MARCH, 2025.
MY QUESTION TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS IS, WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO PUBLIC SCHOOL IN YOUR INDIVIDUAL DISTRICT? DOES A COUNCILWOMAN OR A COUNCILMAN HAVE ANY SAY IN ANYTHING? UM, I WENT, I WENT THROUGH A WALKTHROUGH OF LANYARD.
SCHOOL HAS AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE.
IT WAS STUDENT LED, BUT YOU KNOW, THERE'S PAINT.
THEY, THEY HAVE A, A $500,000, UH, PROBLEM OF PAINT.
THE PAINT'S NOT PROPERLY DONE.
STAIRCASES HAVE DUCT TAPE ON THEM OUTSIDE OF BRICKS, HAVE MOLD AND ALGAE.
AND WITHIN A COUPLE BLOCKS, IT'S LIKE PROBABLY THE MOST, UH, PRESTIGIOUS HUMAN BEINGS LIVE.
THERE'S MAYBE ABOUT 28 BILLIONAIRES IN HOUSTON.
AND SO, UH, I'M JUST, YOU KNOW, THE QUESTION ONCE AGAIN IS TO OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS, WHAT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY THAT WE HAVE AS PARENTS, AS INDIVIDUALS, EVERYBODY IN HERE, UH, TO HELP, TO HELP OUR, UH, YOU KNOW, OUR BUDGETING SHORTFALLS.
UM, YOU KNOW, AS YOU GUYS KNOW, I'M, UH, I'VE BEEN COMING HERE FOR ABOUT A YEAR.
SO MY CLOSING PRAYER IS THAT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU GUYS COULD, UH, START MAKING IT AROUND YOUR, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND SEE WHAT YOU CAN INDIVIDUALLY DO.
AND HAPPY WOMEN'S APPRECIATION MONTH.
RYAN ROUSE, JAMES SUTHERLAND TO BE FOLLOWED BY GINA SYLVESTER.
I HAVE CHARCO MARIE TWO'S DISEASE.
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AND I'M HERE.WE STARTED A PROGRAM BACK IN 1997 TRYING TO FOLLOW A DA WE AIN'T THERE.
I HAVE CALLED AND I HAVE CALLED.
AND ALL I GET IS CRAP FROM PUBLIC WORKS ABOUT WORK THAT HAS BEEN DONE BY THE CITY OF HOUSTON THAT DOES NOT NOT MEET TEXAS ACCESSIBILITY STANDARDS.
INSTEAD OF CALLING IT AN ALTERATION, THEY GIVE IT ANOTHER NAME.
SAY, LET'S, LET'S, LET'S BACK OFF THIS.
LET'S START FOLLOWING THE A DA, THE TEXAS ACCESSIBILITY STANDARDS.
Y'ALL ARE THE OWNERS OF THE RIGHT OF WAYS.
ALL THE LAWS SAY THAT THE OWNERS ARE RESPONSIBLE.
HAVEN'T GOT ALL THE LAWS RIGHT HERE, PRINTED 'EM ALL OUT.
LADY, TWO DOORS DOWN FROM WHERE THEY RESORT.
IT IS SO STEEP, SHE CAN'T GO ACROSS IT.
WHAT ABOUT MEETING A DA? OH, WE DON'T KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THAT.
I MEAN, I COULD GO ON AND ON, BUT IT SAYS HERE, THE SCOPE 1991 STANDARDS AND THE 21 STANDARDS APPLY TO FIXED OR BUILDIN ELEMENTS OF BUILDINGS, STRUCTURES, SITE IMPROVEMENTS, AND PEDESTRIAN ROUTES.
NOW, I HAVE EMAILED THE MAYOR'S OFFICE WITH PEOPLES WITH DISABILITIES.
THEY THROW IT OVER TO COUNCIL.
I'VE CALLED THE CITY COUNCIL'S OFFICE.
THERE'S NOBODY IN PUBLIC WORKS.
AND THEY, WE DON'T HAVE TO DO THAT.
WELL, YOU DO, AND I WILL HELP YOU OUT A LITTLE BIT.
THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE WITH PEOPLES WITH DISABILITIES IS ALSO WATCHING THIS.
AND THE PERSON THAT'S IN CHARGE OF TEXAS ACCESSIBILITY HAS BEEN, KNOWS ABOUT THE SITUATION.
AND THEY'RE GOING, WHAT DO YOU MEAN? THEY, THEY'VE GOTTA BE FAULT.
AND WHEN YOU TALK TO THE EMPLOYEES OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HAVE NEVER BEEN TRAINED ON ANY OF THAT.
I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
THE COST BETWEEN BEING CORRECT AND JUST PUTTING IT IN IS IDENTICAL.
I HAVE BEEN IN CONSTRUCTION FOR OVER 30 YEARS.
I GOT MY PAPERWORK FROM WHERE WE JUST LEFT BAYTOWN THIS MORNING FOR $39 MILLION PROJECT THAT WE CHECK FOR A DAI KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
BUT I WOULD LIKE THE CITY TO SAY, WE'RE GOING TO GET THESE PEOPLE TO WHERE THEY DO IT CORRECTLY.
NOBODY KNOWS ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
THEY JUST LET PUBLIC WORKS CONTINUE TO DO IT.
BUT I'M HERE TODAY GOING, LET'S CHANGE IT.
MY EMAILS, CHECK MY EMAILS WITH MR. PONZI.
I WILL TRAIN EVERY ONE THAT YOU WANT TRAINED FOR FREE.
SOME OF YOU MAY KNOW TIM LINCOLN, WE DID A CLASS FOR HIM.
HE WAS IN PUBLIC WORKS, SAVED THE CITY OVER $5 MILLION IN JUST AN HOUR AND A HALF WORTH THE CLASS.
WE JUST SLAP IT IN AND GO ON IT.
BUT EVERYBODY JUST, NO, WE DON'T DO THAT.
WHEN THEY FIX A DRIVEWAY, WHEN THEY'RE DOING CONSTRUCTION, IT'S CALLED AN ALTERATION.
I'VE SEEN IT IN CONSTRUCTION, I'VE SEEN IT IN POLITICS.
AND THAT WAY WE DON'T HAVE TO FOLLOW THE RULES.
WHAT IS IT? UH, TRUMP JUST CHANGED IT FROM THE GULF OF MEXICO TO THE GULF OF AMERICA SO HE CAN GET AROUND THE RULES.
I'VE TAKEN, I TOOK THE DAY OFF TO AFTER I FINISHED IN BAYTOWN AND I CAME HERE.
I SHOULD BE HOME WORKING, SHOULD BE IN MY OFFICE WORKING.
I GOT PLENTY OF CUSTOMERS WANTING TO MOVE FORWARD, BUT I CAME HERE BECAUSE IT'S GOTTA STOP.
AND I DON'T, WE'VE KICKED THE CAN DOWN FROM 1997 WHEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON SENT ME TO SAN ANTONIO TO LEARN ABOUT THIS.
AND WE JUST CONTINUE TO KICK IT DOWN THE ROAD.
I DEFEND BUSINESSES IN LAWSUITS.
THE BUSINESSES ARE SO COMPLIANT.
THE OLD JEEP, WE DIDN'T KNOW WE WERE, LET'S FIX IT.
THE ONLY PLACE I RUN INTO PROBLEMS WHERE PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO FIX IT IS THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
BUT THAT'S WHAT I CAME HERE TO SAY.
AND I'M, I'M HOPING SOMEBODY CARES.
SO IT'S NOT LIKE WE'RE GOING TO SPEND EXTRA MONEY.
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WE WILLING TO BET 50 BUCKS.WE CAN'T FIND ONE HANDICAPPED CERTIFIED PERSON IN THIS CITY.
EVERYBODY'S BEEN TO A CLASS, BUT THERE ARE NOBODY CERTIFIED.
THAT'S WHAT ME AND MY TEAM DO EVERY DAY.
I MEAN, I CAN READ ALL THESE RULES AND STUFF, BUT I JUST WANNA SEE THE CITY JUST SAY, THAT'S ENOUGH.
AND THANK YOU MR. SUTHERLAND FOR COMING IN AND, UM, SHARING THE ISSUE, THE CONCERN WITH THE SIDEWALKS.
I KNOW THAT THEY, UM, REPAIRED THE SIDEWALKS BUT DID NOT MAKE IT A-D-A-A-D-A ACCESSIBLE TWICE.
THEY PUT IT THE SAME ONE IN THAT DIDN'T COMPLY.
MY OFFICE WILL WORK WITH YOU, UM, AND THE ADMINISTRATION ON TRYING TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO GET THOSE SIDEWALKS.
WHAT ABOUT THE REST OF THE CITY? THAT'S WHAT I'D LIKE.
I I'D LIKE TO SEE THE WHOLE CITY JUST SAY, HEY, IT'S THE RULES BEEN, BEEN THE LAW FOR 30 YEARS.
BECAUSE WE HAD ANOTHER NEIGHBORHOOD IN DISTRICT B THAT WE WERE ABLE TO GET SOME OF THE SIDE OFF.
ANYTIME YOU GOT A PROBLEM, I'LL COME OUT AND HELP YOU, OKAY? OKAY.
I, I TOO WANNA JOIN IN AND JUST SAY YOUR TIME WASN'T WASTED COMING HERE TODAY.
I KNOW YOU HAD TO TAKE TIME OFF OF WORK AND THIS HAS BEEN A FRUSTRATING ISSUE FOR YOU THAT HAS GONE ON FOR SOME TIME.
UH, I DON'T RECALL RECEIVING SOME EMAILS FROM YOU, BUT IF YOU WOULD PLEASE RESEND SOME OF THOSE EMAILS TO ALL OF US SO WE CAN LOOK AT, UH, SOME OF THE EXAMPLES YOU GAVE, AND THEN WE WILL SPEAK, UH, TO THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS AND PASS IT THROUGH THE ADMINISTRATION.
THE MAYOR'S RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU, SO I KNOW HE, HE'S SYMPATHETIC TO YOUR, YOUR CONCERNS.
UH, BUT I DON'T WANT YOU TO FEEL LIKE YOUR, YOUR COMMENTS HAVE FALLEN ON DEAF EARS.
YOU'VE ARTICULATED IT WELL, AND, UH, WE'LL SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO ADDRESS IT.
WELL, THE GOV, THE GOVERNOR'S WAITING TO SEE HOW IT WORKS.
AND IF THAT DON'T WORK, I WILL GO.
I I'M GONNA DO WHATEVER IT TAKES.
I MEAN, WE SHOULDN'T EVEN BE IN THERE TALKING ABOUT IT.
NEXT, GINA SYLVESTER SHOULD BE FOLLOWED BY BERT DREW.
GOOD MORNING, MR. MAYOR, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL.
I COME TO YOU TODAY WEARING SEVERAL HATS, LIKE MOST OF THE GUESTS HERE.
CURRENTLY I'M PRESIDENT OF THE ROBINDALE CIVIC CLUB, WHICH IS AN HOA, THIS IS MY FOURTH TERM.
UH, I'M A PAST PRESIDENT, CURRENT BOARD MEMBER OF THE BRADBURN SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, WHILE ALSO SERVING AS THE CURRENT CHAIRMAN OF THE DISTRICT J PATROL.
AS I SEE AT THE DISTRICT J PATROL AND THE GOOD NEIGHBOR PROGRAMS WE'RE INSTRUMENTAL IN PRESERVING THE QUALITY OF THE LIFE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND I'M HERE TO ASK IF THEY COULD BE REINSTATED.
AS AN ASIDE, MAYOR WHITMEYER, I'D LIKE YOU TO KNOW THAT I ATTENDED THE SEMINAR LAST WEEKEND, UH, BILL KING SEMINAR SO THAT I COULD MORE LEARN MORE ABOUT YOUR VISION FOR HOUSTON.
UM, I VOTED FOR YOU AS A REPUBLICAN, UM, THINKING THAT YOU ARE TRULY THE RIGHT GUY FOR THE JOB.
UH, BUT THIS LATEST ISSUE WITH AND DECISION WITH DISTRICT J PATROL IS WORRISOME TO ME.
UM, TO GET MOST OF YOU UP TO SPEED, ROBINDALE IS BORDERED BY HILLCROFT BEACH NUT BINET, AND RAISED BY YOU.
WE HAVE 612 LOWER MIDDLE CLASS HOMES.
AND AT THE TIME THAT I GOT INVOLVED WITH RHOA, WE WERE LITERALLY THE DIVIDING LINE BETWEEN DISTRICT C AND DISTRICT J, AND WE WERE IN DISTRICT C.
WE ALSO SIT BETWEEN THE SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH NER POLICE PRECINCTS.
IT'S A TOPIC FOR ANOTHER MEETING.
THIS LOCATION HAS BEEN A PROBLEM FOR US AS NO ONE UP TO THAT POINT REALLY RECOGNIZED THAT WE WERE THERE.
I THINK PART OF THE PROBLEM WAS THAT NOBODY FROM OUR NEIGHBORHOOD WAS ASKING FOR HELP.
UM, BUT EVEN BRAY OAKS MANAGEMENT DISTRICT DIDN'T REALIZE UNTIL LAST NOVEMBER WHEN I WAS AT A MEETING AND SHOWED THEM THE MAP THAT WE HAD BEEN IN THEIR DISTRICT FOR 12 YEARS.
UH, SO I HAVE BEEN BEATING THE DRUM FOR ROBINDALE FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS.
ABOUT THE TIME THAT I BECAME PRESIDENT OF THE CIVIC CLUB, THE REDISTRICTING CONVERSATION BEGAN.
AND FOR TWO REASONS, WE DECIDED THAT WE MIGHT BE A BETTER FIT WITH DISTRICT J THAN DISTRICT C.
NUMBER ONE, OUR DISTRICT, OUR DEMOGRAPHICS ALIGNED MORE WITH THOSE IN DISTRICT J.
AND NUMBER TWO, BECAUSE OF OUR NEW RENEWED RELATIONSHIP WITH BRAVER SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD, WE WERE LEARNING MORE ABOUT THE INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS BEING IMPLEMENTED IN DISTRICT J.
THE MORE WE HEARD, THE MORE WE FELT THAT THE MOVE MIGHT FIT US BETTER AND SERVE OUR SPECIFIC NEEDS.
AND AS IT TURNS OUT, IT WAS REALLY A GREAT MOVE FOR US.
PRIOR TO THE MOVE, WE RARELY RECEIVED AN HDPD RESPONSE TO A CALL.
[01:00:01]
IT WAS BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T FIGURE OUT WHICH PRECINCT WAS SUPPOSED TO RESPOND TO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD BECAUSE OF WHERE WE ARE FOR THE LAST SIX MONTHS.HOWEVER, BECAUSE OF DISTRICT J, WE'VE HAD A PATROL CAR IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ALMOST EVERY WEEK WE'VE GOTTEN TO KNOW OUR, OUR PATROL OFFICERS.
THIS WOULD'VE NEVER HAPPENED WITHOUT DISTRICT J PATROL.
WE'VE BEEN DESPERATE TO GET HELP WITH THE BASIC CITY ORDINANCE ISSUES AND WITH DISTRICT J PATROL RESIDENTS ARE BEGINNING TO FEEL, UM, SAFER AND TO PAY MORE ATTENTION TO OUR ORDINANCES.
A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF OUR RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN LIVING IN ROBINDALE FOR OVER 30 YEARS.
THE MAJORITY OF THEM LIVE ALONE NOW AND ARE ON FIXED INCOMES.
THE GOOD NEIGHBOR PROGRAM IS A PERFECT FIT FOR THOSE SENIORS STRUGGLING TO SAY STAY IN THEIR HOMES.
WE JUST STARTED SUGGESTING NAMES FOR THIS PROGRAM WHEN IT WAS STOPPED.
THESE TWO PROGRAMS WERE CREATED, TAKEN THROUGH THE PROPER CITY CHANNELS, APPROVED AND IMPLEMENTED.
AND WE ARE ASKING FOR THEM TO CONTINUE.
NO HOA CAN POSSIBLY AFFORD TO HELP ALL NEIGHBORS THAT NEED ASSISTANCE AND OUR TAX DOLLARS ARE NO LONGER AFFORDING US CONSISTENT CITY SERVICES.
DISTRICT J HAS SIMPLY FOUND A WAY TO HELP US GET THE HELP THAT WE NEED.
AND THESE SIMPLE SOLUTIONS ARE BRIDGING A BIG GAP.
SO IN CLOSING, MAYOR WHITMEYER, I KNOW THAT YOU WILL DO YOUR BEST FOR ALL OF US AND, UH, HOPEFULLY ALLOW THESE PROGRAMS TO CONTINUE.
I HOPE THAT THE DISTRICTS WILL, OTHER DISTRICTS WILL FOLLOW SUIT BECAUSE THESE ARE GREAT PROGRAMS AND THEY MEET SIMILAR CHALLENGES THAT I KNOW YOU ALL HAVE.
ROBINDALE APPRECIATES THE COUNCIL'S TIME AND OUR STAKEHOLDERS LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING THAT YOU HAVE RECONSIDERED YOUR DECISION.
UH, GINA, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR COMING DOWN FOR YOUR TESTIMONY AND FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
NEXT, BARBARA RUIZ BE FOLLOWED BY CHARMAINE LEBLANC.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR WHITMEYER AND, UH, MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL.
I FIRST WANT TO THANK Y'ALL FOR YOUR COMMITMENT AND, UH, SERVICE TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
I'M A LONGTIME RESIDENT, UH, WHO'S LIVED IN GULFTON, ROBINDALE, AND BRADBURN.
UH, I CURRENTLY SERVE AS PRESIDENT OF MY HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION, WHICH IS BRADBURN VALLEY, SECTIONS ONE AND TWO.
AND I'M ALSO CURRENTLY THE PRESIDENT OF BRADBURN SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 30, UM, WHERE I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK CLOSELY WITH ALL OF OUR DISTRICT J COUNCIL MEMBERS OVER THE YEARS.
UM, I FIRST WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS, COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN, WHO HAS, UM, AS WE KNOW, HAS A UNIQUE GEOGRAPHICALLY LAID OUT DISTRICT, UH, PRE PREVIOUSLY REPRESENTED A PART OF OUR SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD BEFORE REDISTRICTING.
SO I WANT TO THANK HER FOR HER EFFORTS DURING THAT TIME.
I ALSO WANNA RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD AND HIS TEAM FOR THEIR ONGOING SUPPORT AND PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR RESIDENTS, UH, IN DISTRICT J.
UM, RECENTLY, RESIDENTS HAVE EXPRESSED CONCERNS, UH, ABOUT POTENTIALLY LOSING PROGRAMS THAT COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD IMPLEMENTED USING DISCRETIONARY FUNDS.
UM, WHEN HE RAN FOR OFFICE, HE WAS VERY CLEAR THAT HE WANTED TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX.
AND HE TAKES, HE TAKES STEPS TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE SERVICES AND PROGRAMS THAT THAT CAN HELP THAT.
UM, THESE PROGRAMS THAT HE'S IMPLEMENTED HELP ADDRESS, UM, CRITICAL SERVICE GAPS THAT THE CITY IS STILL WORKING ON TO RESOLVE.
AND THEIR ABSENCE WOULD BE DEEPLY FELT, UH, IN OUR COMMUNITY.
WHILE I'VE SHARED WITH CITY, UH, WHILE I'VE SHARED WITH COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD THAT I WOULD LOVE TO SEE HIS DISCRETIONARY FUNDS APPLIED SOMEWHERE ELSE, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, UM, HIRING MORE INSPECTORS TO HOLD ACCOUNTABLE.
SO SOME OF OUR ABSENTEE APARTMENT COMPLEX OWNERS THAT ARE IMPACTING QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES FOR THOSE RESIDENTS.
I DO UNDERSTAND THAT, UH, THE IMMEDIATE NEED, UM, COMMUNICATED BY OTHER RESIDENTS IS TO ADDRESS SOME OF THESE SERVICE GAPS.
UM, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, MY, UH, IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, THE CITY ACQUIRED A PROPERTY THROUGH THEIR FLOOD BUYOUT PROGRAM OVER A YEAR AGO.
AND THE PLAN WAS TO DEMOLISH THAT HOME WITHIN THREE MONTHS AND CONVERT THE LAND INTO GREEN SPACE.
YET WE ARE STILL HERE WAITING FOR, FOR DEMOLITION.
AND SINCE THE CITY MAINTENANCE ONLY SCHEDULES TWO TO THREE MOST PER YEAR, IN PARTICULAR WITH THAT LOT, THIS J SUPPLEMENTAL MAINTENANCE TEAM HAS STEPPED IN TO KEEP THAT PROPERTY FROM BECOMING OVERGROWN.
THE SAME HAS BEEN NECESSARY FOR A COMMERCIAL PROPERTY AT 9,100 FRON, WHICH HAS REMAINED UNMAINTAINED UNM MAINTENANCE UNMAINTAINED SINCE THE CITY ACQUIRED IT AFTER HURRICANE HARVEY.
UM, SO THOSE ARE JUST EXAMPLES OF PROGRAMS IN HOW THEY CAN IMPACT, UH, SOME OF THE NEED RIGHT NOW.
AND, AND I AM THANKFUL THAT SOME OF THESE PROGRAMS HAVE ALREADY BEEN APPROVED.
UM, ADDITIONALLY, THE GOOD NEIGHBOR PROGRAM, WHICH I THINK IS STILL BEING, UH, CONSIDERED FOR APPROVAL, UM, PARTICULARLY IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, ASSISTED WITH A RESIDENT WHO WAS DEALING WITH FINANCIAL AND
[01:05:01]
PHYSICAL LIMITATIONS AND COULDN'T REMOVE A DEBT TREE ON HIS YARD, WHICH POSED A RISK TO PEDESTRIANS AND VEHICLES BECAUSE LIMBS WERE STARTING TO FALL OFF THE TREE.UH, THE, THE DISTRICT J PATROL ANOTHER PROGRAM, WHICH, UM, YOU JUST HEARD A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UM, HAS, I'VE SEEN IT STRENGTHENED RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND THE COMMUNITY INCREASING SAFETY AND TRUST.
I THINK IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THERE WERE MANY HOURS VOLUNTEER HOURS 'CAUSE IT'S A VOLUNTEER LED PROGRAM, DISTRICT J PATROL, THAT, THAT REALLY BEEN APPLIED TO THAT PROGRAM.
AND SO WE WANT TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE HOURS VOLUNTEERS HAVE PUT IN FOR THAT.
UM, GIVEN THE IMPACT OF THESE PROGRAMS AND EFFORTS TO COMMUNICATE AND EDUCATE CITIZENS OF THEM, UH, I RESPECT RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT THE MAYOR'S OFFICE RENEW THEM BY THE END OF THIS MONTH IF POSSIBLE, TO ENSURE WE DON'T LOSE PROGRESS WE'VE MADE.
I WANNA THANK THE MAYOR'S OFFICE FOR APPROVING THESE FUNDS AS YOU DID LAST YEAR, AND ASK THAT YOU DO THE SAME THIS YEAR.
I HOPE THAT YOU CAN ALSO ELIMINATE ANY ADMINISTRATIVE BARRIERS PREVENTING US FROM MOVING FORWARD TO HAVING THESE PROGRAMS. AGAIN, I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION.
BUR, I WANNA THANK YOU TOO FOR, UM, TAKING TIME TO COME DOWN HERE TODAY AND FOR SUPPORTING THESE PROGRAMS. APPRECIATE IT.
NEXT, CHARMAINE LEBLANC TO BE FOLLOWED BY MICHELLE LUDWIG.
UH, IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE.
I'M VERY HAPPY TO SEE YOU HERE, WORKING HARD FOR ME AND THE REST OF CITY OF HOUSTON.
MY FIRST TIME TO BE HERE SINCE YOU WERE HERE.
AND, UH, I'M EN ENJOYING LIVING IN HOUSTON.
I WOULDN'T LIVE ANYPLACE ELSE AND IT'S WORTH WORKING ON.
IT'S WORTH, UH, WORKING ON TO, TO BE BETTER.
AND NO MATTER WHO'S IN OFFICE, I SUPPORT YOU AND WILL WORK HARD FOR WHATEVER IT IS YOU ARE TRYING TO PUSH THROUGH.
UM, IN 2018, THERE WAS A, AN ORDINANCE THAT I LEARNED ABOUT CALLED PROHIBITIVE YARD PARKING CALLED HPD CALLS IT PIPPA.
UM, WE CALLED IT, UH, WELL, WE, I CAN'T TELL YOU WHAT WE CALLED IT, BUT IT WAS TO PREVENT UH, SOMEONE FROM PARKING ON THEIR GRASS.
I MEAN, HOW SIMPLE IS THAT? UM, I LIVE IN SHARPSTOWN.
SHARPSTOWN IS AMAZING, AMAZING PLACE.
IT DOES NOT GET A GREAT WRAP, UH, FROM THE MEDIA OR THE CRIME CAPITAL OF THE WORLD ACCORDING TO, UM, THE MEDIA.
BUT PEOPLE PARKING ON THEIR GRASS DOES NOT, UH, PUT FORTH A VERY GOOD LOOK.
SO I LEARNED ABOUT THIS ORDINANCE.
WE CAN GET AN ORDINANCE SO THAT IT, NO ONE CAN DO THAT, RIGHT? WE WORKED FOR A YEAR TO GET ALL 7,000 HOMES SIGNED UP FOR THIS ORDINANCE, AND WE DID IT.
NOW, IT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN ANYMORE, RIGHT? UNFORTUNATELY, WRONG BECAUSE THERE'S NO WAY TO ENFORCE THIS ORDINANCE.
IT IS, UH, WRITTEN THROUGH A STATUTE, THROUGH THE CRIMINAL, UM, SOMETHING OR OTHER.
AND IT MEANS THAT HPD HAS TO ISSUE A TICKET TO THE PERSON WHO OWNS THE CAR.
I DON'T NECESSARILY WANT THEM HAVING TO SPEND THE TIME DOING THAT.
ANYWAY, SO WE WENT TO GENE W AND SAID, GENE WU, GO TO THE STATE AND FIX THIS ORDINANCE FOR US SO THAT IT DOESN'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH.
UH, HPD POLICE, HE WORKED FOR THREE SESSIONS, COULD NOT GET THAT TO PASS.
UM, SO WE CAME BACK TO THE CITY AND SAID, ALL RIGHT, WHAT CAN WE DO? ABOUT THAT TIME, WE GOT A NEW CITY COUNCIL PERSON.
WE SAID, WE, THIS IS A BIG PROBLEM FOR US AND O FOR SHARPSTOWN TO HAVE THAT BE ONE OF OUR BIG PROBLEMS. WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE THAT THAT'S ONE OF OUR BIG PROBLEMS. BUT THERE WAS NO WAY TO REALLY FIX THIS.
AND WHEN THE DISTRICT J PATROL STARTED BEING DISCUSSED, I SAID, COULD THAT BE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WORK ON? WELL, WHY NOT? SO I SPENT MY TIME TO BUILD THE WEBSITE.
I SPENT MY MONEY TO BUILD THE WEBSITE TO ALLOW CITIZENS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS TO GO IN AND ENTER, UH, MY NEIGHBOR'S PARKING ON THE GRASS.
I REALLY DON'T WANNA GO TALK TO 'EM, COULD YOU? AND WE'RE UNDER THE ORDINANCE.
COULD YOU PLEASE HELP US FIX THIS? AND SO IT WENT TO THE LOCAL HPD STATION THAT WOULD NEEDED TO GO OUT AND VISIT THESE PEOPLE.
AND MOST OF THE TIME, ALL THEY HAD TO DO WAS EDUCATE.
BUT IT TOOK THE DISTRICT J PATROL ABILITY AND THE WEBSITE TO GET THAT DONE AS OPPOSED TO GOING TO HPD AND ENTERING A CALL SLIP.
IT'S JUST AN EXAMPLE OF ONE OF THE MANY THINGS THAT WE'RE SORT OF CITIZEN LED.
I'M HOPING THAT THOSE CITIZEN LED KIND OF THINGS THAT ARE REALLY IMPORTANT IN OUR WORLD COULD JUST BE EVALUATED AND HOPEFULLY CONTINUED.
THANK YOU, MAYOR CHARMAINE, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR COMING DOWN ALL YOUR SUPPORT.
THE DISTRICT J PATROL, UH, WOULD NOT BE SUCCESSFUL WITHOUT YOU AND YOUR HARD WORK AND DEDICATION ON THAT WEBSITE.
SO I, I'M REALLY APPRECIATIVE.
HEY, UH, GREAT TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND, AND EXPRESSING YOUR VIEWS.
UH, AND ALSO THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE ON THE SOUTHWEST SIDE OVER THE YEARS.
[01:10:01]
YOU.NEXT, MICHELLE LUDWIG MEMBERS.
I HATE TO LEAVE, BUT I HAVE A, UH, MEETING WITH THE COUNTY JUDGE, DEALING WITH THE MEASLES EPIDEMIC.
SO I MUST EXCUSE MYSELF TO GO TEND TO A SERIOUS MATTER.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALLOWING ME THE TIME TO SPEAK TO YOU TODAY.
I AM HERE IN SUPPORT OF THE PROPOSAL BROUGHT FORTH BY COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO AND COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, TO TRANSITION OUR CITY ANIMAL SHELTER BARK INTO A LIMITED GOVERNMENT PARTNERSHIP, AND TO URGE YOU TO MOVE THIS PROPOSAL BEFORE THE BUDGET AND FISCAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE FOR REVIEW AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
I AM SPEAKING AS A PRIVATE CITIZEN AND AS AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF A LOCAL NEIGHBORHOOD RESCUE ORGANIZATION IN ZIP CODE 7 7 0 1 8 DISTRICT C.
AS I'M SURE YOU'RE AWARE, HOUSTON IS IN THE MIDST OF AN ANIMAL WELFARE CRISIS AND HAS BEEN FOR SOME TIME UNDER THE DIRECTION OF MR. MES SINCE NOVEMBER BARK HAS RECENTLY TAKEN A NUMBER OF POSITIVE STEPS TO ADDRESS THIS COMPLEX ISSUE.
THEY ARE DOING, IN MY OPINION, A REMARKABLE JOB OF DELIVERING SPAY NEUTER SURGERIES, 1300 PLUS MORE THAN LAST YEAR, ADOPTIONS 900 MORE THAN LAST YEAR, AND PARTNERING WITH A LONG LIST OF RESCUES TO GET ANIMALS OUT OF THE SHELTER AND NETWORK THEM FOR ADOPTION AND TRANSPORT.
JUST THIS PAST WEEKEND, AS I'M SURE YOU'RE AWARE, BARK HAD TO INSTITUTE NEW POLICIES THAT WILL SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASE THEIR KILL RATE FOR PUBLIC SAFETY.
THEY ARE HAVING TO SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASE THEIR STRAY INTAKE, AND AT THE SAME TIME WILL STOP PUBLISHING THEIR EUTHANASIA LIST TO THE PUBLIC.
AND RESCUES WILL ONLY HAVE 24 HOURS TO PULL A DOG AFTER IT IS PUT ON THAT LIST.
THIS MEANS THAT THEY WILL HAVE TO CUT BACK OR CLOSE THEIR SUNDAY OPEN INTAKES DUE TO LACK OF SPACE.
AND IT MEANS THAT RESCUES WILL NOT HAVE ENOUGH TURNAROUND TIME TO SAVE ANIMALS IN URGENT NEED.
I WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT THESE MEASURES ARE PROBABLY NECESSARY GIVEN THE CURRENT SITUATION.
IT IS NOT THE FAULT OF BARK THAT THEY HAVE TOO FAR, FAR TOO FEW RESOURCES TO ADDRESS THIS CRISIS BARK TOOK IN 2000 MORE ANIMALS IN 2024 THAN EVER SINCE 2019.
AND THEY ARE STILL FINDING MORE SUCCESS FOR LIVE RELEASE THAN EVER BEFORE.
THEY ARE DOING THE BEST THEY CAN WITH THE SEVERELY LIMITED RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO THEM.
THEY SIMPLY DO NOT HAVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE REQUIRED TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM.
IN ORDER TO SERVE HOUSTON'S NEEDS, SPARK NEEDS MORE FINANCIAL AND OPERATIONAL AUTONOMY, RESTRUCTURING THEM AS AN LGC WILL PROVIDE THAT OPPORTUNITY, ALLOWING THEM TO FUNDRAISE, BUILD ADDITIONAL STRUCTURES, HIRE ADDITIONAL STAFF, AND BETTER MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
I URGE YOU TO MOVE THIS PROPOSAL FORWARD SO THAT IT CAN BE STUDIED IN DETAIL TO DETERMINE THE BEST PATH FOR IMPLEMENTATION.
IT WILL BE CRITICAL FOR THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS TO HAVE EXPERTISE IN ANIMAL WELFARE.
IT WILL BE IMPORTANT TO SEPARATE THE SHELTER OPERATIONS FROM ANIMAL CONTROL SO THAT THERE'S NOT A CONFLICT OF INTEREST, AND IT WILL BE CRITICAL TO INCREASE SHELTER SPACE AND STAFFING.
IT IS NOT AN EASY FIX, BUT AN LGC IS A VIABLE SOLUTION TO AN OTHERWISE INSURMOUNTABLE CRISIS.
I THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND ATTENTION TODAY TO THIS URGENT MATTER FOR THE WELFARE OF ALL OF OUR TWO-LEGGED AND OUR FOUR-LEGGED HOUSTON RESIDENTS.
COUNCIL MEMBER ALCO, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING AND, AND, UM, I AGREE WITH YOU WHOLEHEARTEDLY, AND THE WAY YOU PLEASE EMAIL THAT TO ME, 'CAUSE THE WAY LAID THAT OUT
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE BEING CONSIDERED FOR THIS POT, THE, TO BE CONSIDERED TO FOR THIS BOARD, BUT YOU, YOU SOUND LIKE YOU MIGHT BE GOOD, GOOD PERSON ON THIS BOARD'S.
SO GET ME A RESUME TOO, AND WE'LL GET THAT OVER.
UM, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT, UM, THIS ISSUE.
IT'S A JOINT COMMITTEE MEETING WITH, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON'S, UM, SERVICE DELIVERY COMMITTEE ON MARCH 17TH AT 10:00 AM YES, MA'AM.
THANK YOU MAYOR PROTE, AND THANK YOU MICHELLE, FOR COMING DOWN HERE TO, TO ADVOCATE FOR THIS.
YOU KNOW, THIS IS, UH, STUDYING A POTENTIAL OPTION, A POTENTIAL SOLUTION, AND WE CAN'T BE AFRAID TO DO THAT.
RIGHT? WE KNOW WE HAVE A VERY BIG CHALLENGE AS YOU LAID OUT, AND WE HAVE AN ORGANIZATION THAT IS DOING A PHENOMENAL JOB WITH LIMITED RESOURCES, YOU KNOW, LIMITED STAFF ON THE ENFORCEMENT SIDE AND LIMITED CAPACITY FOR A SHELTER.
AND SO WE KNOW WE NEED TO, TO CHANGE, AND IT MAY REQUIRE GOING BOLD, BUT THE PROBLEM IS THAT BIG CITYWIDE.
AND SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT COULD BE A SOLUTION AND, AND WE SHOULD BE LOOKING INTO IT, UH, AS WE SHOULD OTHER SOLUTIONS TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO ADEQUATELY, UH, ADDRESS THE PROBLEM.
BUT THANK YOU FOR COMING DOWN AND, AND FOR SHARING YOUR THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS.
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING IN FOR ADVOCATING.
TIM, THANK YOU FOR COMING IN, UH, IN YOUR PRESENTATION, ARE YOU QUESTIONED, ARE YOU, UM, SATISFIED WITH THE AMOUNT OF THE EXPANSION OF THE NEW, UH, BAR FACILITY?
[01:15:01]
WHAT IS YOUR FEELINGS ON THAT? I'M DELIGHTED THAT THEY CAN EXPAND.I DON'T THINK THAT THE RESOURCES THAT THEY HAVE NOW ARE ADEQUATE TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY BY ANY MEANS.
WELL, I'VE HAD SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS WITH SOME CONSTITUENTS CONCERNING IT AND, UH, BECAME MORE EDUCATED ABOUT THAT.
AND OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, WITH THE BUDGET LIMITS AND THINGS THAT WE HAVE.
BUT, UH, I THINK THAT, UH, THE IDEA OF WHAT YOU PRESENTED GIVES MORE INFORMATION TO US TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE BECAUSE WE CERTAINLY WANT TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY AND CERTAINLY FOR THOSE WHO ARE PET OWNERS, AND, UH, AND CERTAINLY TO REDUCE, YOU KNOW, ANIMALS THAT ARE JUST RUNNING LOOSE AND WILD.
AND SO, UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMING AND YOUR TIME.
WILL HILL, WILL HILL NEXT SPEAKER, ANNA HARRIS.
ANNA HARRIS TO BE FOLLOWED BY SHERRY BUTLER.
I WANT TO SHARE A PERSONAL EXPERIENCE THAT HIGHLIGHTS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE IN OUR SENIOR APARTMENT COMPLEX CAMPAN ON JUSTICE PARK DRIVE.
RECENTLY I BATTLED A DIFFICULT ILLNESS ON THE EIGHTH DAY WHEN I NO LONGER COULD MANAGE ON MY OWN.
I REACHED OUT TO DISPATCH HEALTH, A MOBILE URGENT CARE SERVICE.
BUT INSTEAD OF SIMPLY WAITING FOR THEM TO ARRIVE AT MY APARTMENT, I FACED AN UNIMAGINABLE CHALLENGE.
I HAD TO PHYSICALLY CRAWL DOWN TWO HALLWAYS JUST TO UNLOCK THE BUILDING ENTRANCE SO THAT THEY COULD GET INSIDE.
WHY? BECAUSE IN OCTOBER, 2024, OUR BUILDING'S CALL BOXES WERE REMOVED.
BLAZER INSTALLED NOX BOXES INSTEAD.
BUT THERE'S NO GUARANTEE THAT A KEY TO OUR BUILDING WILL BE INSIDE.
AND EVEN IF THERE IS EMS PERSONNEL DON'T ALWAYS RETURN THE KEY AFTER LEAVING AFTER AN EMERGENCY, LEAVING THE NEXT RESPONSE TEAM WALKED OUT WHEN THEY WHEN EVERY SECOND COUNTS.
THERE IS MORE THAN JUST AN INCONVENIENCE.
IT'S A DANGER TO EVERY RESIDENT.
HERE WE ARE A SENIOR COMMUNITY AND MANY OF US LIVE ALONE IN A MEDICAL EMERGENCY.
WE NEED EMS TO HAVE IMMEDIATE ACCESS, NOT TO BE STUCK OUTSIDE SCRAMBLING FOR A KEY THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE THERE.
THE CALL BOXES SERVED AS A RELIABLE BACKUP, ALLOWING EMS MEDICAL SERVICES, DELIVERIES, AND EVEN OUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY TO REACH US WHEN NEEDED.
THEIR REMOVAL HAS LEFT US VULNERABLE.
WE NEED THESE BOXES REINSTATED.
THEY WERE HERE WHEN I MOVED IN, AND THEIR REMOVAL HAS COMPROMISED OUR SAFETY.
HOW MANY MORE CLOSE CALLS? HOW MUCH SUFFERING MUST WIND ENDURE BEFORE ACTION IS TAKEN? I URGE BLAZER TO LISTEN TO US AND TAKE ACTION NOW BEFORE TRAGEDY FORCES THEIR HAND.
UM, AND MS. HARRISON, MS. BUTLER, SPEAKING NEXT.
THANK YOU BOTH FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
UM, WE SPOKE BEFORE THE MEETING AND UM, I'M GOING TO GET YOU SOME ANSWERS ON THE CONCERNS THAT YOU HAVE.
OKAY? SO AS SOON AS I GET THOSE, UM, ANSWERS FOR YOU, WE'LL GIVE YOU A CALL.
IF YOU CAN TALK BEHIND THAT MICROPHONE, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
UM, USUALLY EVERYBODY KNOWS I'M TOO LOUD FOR THE SPEAKERS, BUT I WILL ACT ACCESS THE MICROPHONE.
I JUST WANTED TO TELL THE COUNCIL, THERE'S SOME SPECIFIC PEOPLE THAT WHEN WE CAME IN OCTOBER, AFTER FIVE MONTHS OF NOTHING BEING DONE AFTER THE DICHI IN OUR APARTMENTS IN DESPERATE STATE, SEVERAL COUNCIL MEMBERS ASKED ALL THE RIGHT QUESTIONS.
UH, COUNCILMAN CASTILLO, CARTER PLUMBER, MARTINEZ RAMIREZ, AND OUR SUPERSTAR WILLIE DAVIS, ALL ASKED THE RIGHT QUESTIONS FIVE MONTHS AFTER THE PROBLEM.
SOME OF THESE ISSUES HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED, AND I BELIEVE THEY'VE BEEN ADDRESSED BECAUSE OF YOUR HELPING US RESOLVE THESE ISSUES BECAUSE REBECCA AND JAMES AT THE DIRECTION OF OUR MAYOR, SAID IT WAS IMPORTANT TO HIM TO HELP SENIORS.
AND SO I'M NOT HERE TO COM TO COMPLAIN ABOUT EVERYTHING.
WHAT I AM HERE TO SAY IS I HAVE A KEY FOB THAT ALLOWS GATES
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TO BE OPENED.THAT KEY FOB WORKS AT THE FRONT SO THAT IF A GUEST OR A ANYBODY THAT WE NEED A HOME HEALTHCARE, THEY PRESS ONE OF THESE BUTTONS AND ONE OF THE GATES WILL OPEN AND LET 'EM IN.
THE ISSUE IS ONCE THEY GET INSIDE THOSE GATES, ALL THE BUILDINGS ARE LOCKED.
COUNCIL MEMBER PECK AT THE, WHEN THE DISASTER HAPPENED AND THE MAYOR SENT ALL THE HELP, THE SIXTH DAY AFTER THE DIRETO AND SAW PEOPLE COULDN'T, FIREMEN CAN'T GET IN.
EMS COULDN'T GET IN BECAUSE OF THESE KEYS.
THESE KEYS THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE TO GET IN.
'CAUSE WE DID HAVE AT ONE TIME THE ABILITY TO HIT ONE OF THESE BUTTONS AT THE CALL BOXES THAT WOULD ALLOW YOU ACCESS IN.
AND YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO HAVE A KEY THAT WORKED.
I HAVE TERRIBLE AL TUNNEL AND ARTHRITIS.
EVERY TIME I WENT OUT, I WOULD HIT THE BUTTON, THE CALL BOX WOULD ALLOW ME TO GET IN.
I COULD GET IN SAFELY AND QUICKLY AT NIGHT WHEN IT'S DARK AND THERE'S NOT A LOT OF LIGHTS IN CERTAIN PARTS OF THERE, IT WAS A SAFETY ISSUE.
NOW IT'S BECOME CRITICAL BECAUSE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS TOLD ME THERE'S ONLY ONE KEY LAW WISE, THEY CAN ONLY HAVE TO HAVE ONE KEY IN EMS BOX IN THE NOX BOXES.
THE ISSUE IS THE NOX BOXES AREN'T CLEAR.
WE CAN'T SEE IN THERE IF THERE'S A KEY.
SO IF THE LAST EMS PERSON TOOK THE KEY, WE HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING.
MANAGEMENT IS SAYING THEY CAN'T TOUCH THE CALL BOXES.
IT'S ONLY DONE BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
MAKING SURE THESE CALL BOXES ARE PUT IN.
AND THEN MY HOME HEALTHCARE NURSES, EMS FOR ANNA, WHEN SHE WAS SO SICK, ALL THAT COULD BE RESOLVED BY THESE CALL BOXES.
THAT IS WHAT I'M NOT COMING JUST TO COMPLAINT.
I'M COMING IN APPRECIATION OF SEEING THAT SPEAKING TRUTH TO POWER DOES WORK.
COUNCIL, COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS.
THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TEMP MISS.
YOU OKAY? MISS, MISS, MS. BUTLER, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR COMING.
YOU KNOW, WE WERE OUT AT THE FACILITY, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER PECK AND I AND OTHERS WHO HAVE STEPPED IN TO DO THIS, YOU KNOW, ALWAYS A CONCERN OF ALL OF US HERE AT COUNCIL.
I KNOW PERSONALLY, 'CAUSE MY MOTHER LIVED IN SENIOR CITIZEN FACILITIES.
I WANTED TO ASK THE QUESTION, THAT ABILITY TO GO TO THE BOX, WAS THAT DONE PRIOR? THAT WAS AVAILABLE TO YOU PRIOR? IT WORKED.
IT WORKED UNTIL, THIS WAS BEFORE THE DIRECT CHAIR.
IT WORKED UNTIL ALL OF A SUDDEN ONE DAY IT DIDN'T WORK.
I WENT TO THE OFFICE AND SAID, WHY ISN'T THE BOX WORKING? AND SHE SAID, THE OWNERS AREN'T GONNA PAY FOR THE SOFTWARE UPGRADE TO THOSE BOXES.
I SAID, WELL, THEY HAVE TO PAY TO THE SOFTWARE BOXES FOR THE GATES TO BE OPENED.
IT'S ON THE SAME TYPE CIRCUIT.
AND SHE SAID, WELL, THEY'RE NOT PAYING FOR THE SOFTWARE UPGRADE.
AND I SAID, I NEED THAT FOR MY HANDS.
I WAS, AT THE TIME HAVING TO USE A WHEELCHAIR FOR A HIP ISSUE.
I SAID, I NEED THAT BUTTON TO WORK.
WELL, THEY'RE NOT, THE MANAGEMENT'S NOT PAYING FOR THE SOFTWARE UPGRADE.
THAT WAS WHAT WAS TOLD TO ME BY MANAGEMENT.
SO THAT WAS ACTUALLY BROKEN BEFORE THE DIRECTION TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION.
WELL, I I, I WILL AGAIN, AS WE DID BEFORE, AND THEN I WILL SPEAK TO COUNCIL MEMBER PECK TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH KANE TO PROVIDE FOR THAT.
I NOTICED, UM, WHEN YOU WERE SEATED, UH, THAT YOU HAD TO GET UP DUE TO YOUR HEALTH CONDITIONS AND, AND AS WELL AS, UM, YOU KNOW, AS ANNA EXPRESSED IT.
SO WE, WE HOPE THAT WE CAN GET SOMETHING RESOLVED TO HELP YOU IN THE MATTER.
SERENA ARZU TO BE FOLLOWED BY GALEN KAUFMAN.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MEMBERS OF THE HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL.
UM, MY NAME IS SERENA ARZU AND I AM HERE TODAY ON BEHALF OF EQUALITY TEXAS, THE STATEWIDE ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO SECURING FULL EQUALITY FOR LGBTQ PLUS TEXANS.
RIGHT NOW, WE ARE SEEING RELENTLESS ATTACKS AT THE STATE LEVEL WITH OVER 150 ANTI LGBTQ PLUS BILLS FILED THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION ALONE.
RIGHT? MANY OF THESE BILLS SPECIFICALLY TARGET TRANSGENDER PEOPLE, UM, RESTRICTING THEIR ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE, LIMITING THEIR RIGHTS AND ATTEMPTING TO ERASE THEM ENTIRELY, RIGHT? SO AS ELECTED OFFICIALS,
[01:25:01]
YOU HAVE A DUTY TO PROTECT ALL HOUSTONIANS, AND I AM URGING YOU TO TAKE THAT RESPONSIBILITY SERIOUSLY BY PASSING AN ORDINANCE THAT EXPLICITLY SAFEGUARDS LGBTQ PLUS PEOPLE FROM DISCRIMINATION AND IN EMPLOYMENT, HOUSING, AND PUBLIC ACCOMMODATIONS.HOUSTON IS THE LARGEST CITY IN THE COUNTRY WITHOUT A COMPREHENSIVE NON-DISCRIMINATION ORDINANCE.
I AM AWARE, UH, OF WHAT HAPPENED IN 2015, UM, BUT WHEN THE STATE GOVERNMENT CHOOSES CRUELTY, IT IS UP TO OUR LOCAL LEADERS TO CHOOSE JUSTICE AND TO CHOOSE PROTECTION, TO CHOOSE DIGNITY FOR ALL PEOPLE IN THIS CITY, RIGHT? UM, ALSO, WE ARE LIVING IN UNPRECEDENTED TIMES WHERE IMMIGRANTS TOO ARE BEING SCAPEGOATED AND TARGETED FOR SIMPLY TRYING TO BUILD BETTER LIVES FOR THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILIES.
HOUSTON IS A CITY OF IMMIGRANTS.
I'M, I'M SURE ALL OF Y'ALL MAY KNOW THAT, UM, UNDOCUMENTED PEOPLE CONTRIBUTE TO OUR WORKFORCE, OUR ECONOMY, AND OUR CULTURE.
YET WE ARE SEEING INCREASED PRESSURE TO CRIMINALIZE AND DETAIN THEM.
SO I URGE YOU TO ENSURE THAT HPD DOES NOT COMPLY WITH ICE.
UM, OUR CITY SHOULD NOT BE COMPLICIT IN THE SEPARATION OF FAMILIES OR THE DEPORTATION OF PEOPLE WHO CALL HOUSTON HOME, RIGHT? LGBTQ PLUS PEOPLE AND IMMIGRANTS ARE NOT SEPARATE ISSUES.
MANY EXIST AT BOTH OF THESE INTERSECTIONS, RIGHT? TRANS AND QUEER IMMIGRANTS WHO FACE HEIGHTENED RISKS OF VIOLENCE, DETENTION, AND DISCRIMINATION.
AND WE NEED YOU TO STAND WITH THEM.
UM, I ALSO WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO INVITE ALL OF YOU, UM, AND FELLOW HOUSTONIANS WHO CARE ABOUT THESE ISSUES, TO JOIN US ON MARCH 24TH FOR THE ALL IN FOR EQUALITY ADVOCACY DAY AT THE TEXAS CAPITOL.
UM, THIS IS A CRITICAL OPPORTUNITY TO COME TOGETHER, RAISE OUR VOICES, AND PUSH BACK AGAINST THE HARMFUL LEGISLATION THAT'S THREATENING OUR COMMUNITIES.
UM, IF YOU WANT TO TAKE ACTION AND FIGHT FOR A BETTER TEXAS, WE NEED YOU THERE WITH US.
HOUSTON HAS ALWAYS BEEN A CITY OF RESILIENCE, OF STRENGTH, OF DIVERSITY, BUT RESILIENCE ALONE IS NOT ENOUGH.
WE NEED YOU TO DO EVERYTHING IN YOUR POWER TO ENSURE THAT LGBTQ PLUS PEOPLE AND IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES IN HOUSTON CAN LIVE WITHOUT FEAR.
SO I ASK YOU TODAY, WILL YOU STAND WITH US? BECAUSE OUR SAFETY, OUR FUTURES, AND OUR LIVES DEPEND ON IT.
COUNCIL, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO.
THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TEM, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
I I WANT TO SAY HOW MUCH I APPRECIATE YOU, UH, COMING DOWN HERE AND ALSO FOR ALL THE WORK THAT EQUALITY TEXAS DOES.
UM, I KNOW THAT THERE'S A LOT OF ANTI L-G-B-T-Q LEGISLATION THAT Y'ALL ARE CONSTANTLY, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO FIGHT AND PUSH BACK ON.
UM, AND THAT CAN BE VERY EXHAUSTING DURING THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
UM, IT CAN, YOU KNOW, BE QUITE A BATTLE, BUT IT'S, THE WORK YOU'RE DOING IS VERY VITAL AND IT'S NEEDED, UM, BECAUSE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, HERE LOCALLY.
AND SO THANK YOU FOR THAT AND, UH, FOR ALL THE WORK WITH QUALITY TEXAS IS DOING.
GALEN KAUFMAN TO BE FOLLOWED BY AMY ERICKSON.
AND I'M HERE REGARDING MEDICAL SEPARATION DUE TO THE HARDSHIP THAT I HAVE ENDURED AS, UH, THE RESULT OF THE INCIDENT.
THE SLIP AND FALL THAT OCCURRED ON DUTY WHILE ON DUTY ON AUGUST 1ST, 2022.
I HAVE BEEN AN EMPLOYEE OF CITY OF HOUSTON TRANSPORTATION AND DRAINAGE OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT SINCE, UH, FEBRUARY THE 25TH OF 2019.
AND AS AT THAT TIME, I HAVE EXPERIENCED MANY INCIDENTS, SOME THAT HAS RESULTED IN PHYSICAL INJURY AND OTHERS THAT HAS AFFECTED MY ME MENTALLY.
THESE INCIDENTS INCLUDE GETTING SHOT IN THE CHEST WITH A PAINTBALL BEING STUCK IN A BUCKET LIFT FOR SEVERAL HOURS, HAVING TO BE RESCUED BY THE HOUSTON FIRE AND POLICE DEPARTMENT, MULTIPLE ROBBERIES BY HOMELESS PEOPLE DURING THE NIGHT SHIFT, UH, REPAIRS.
AND LASTLY, A SLIP AND FALL WHILE TRYING TO GET INTO MY CITY OF HOUSTON WORK TRUCK CAUSING ME SERIOUS DAMAGE TO MY LEFT HIP ON AUGUST THE FIRST OF 2022.
[01:30:01]
THIS FALL OCCURRED DURING THIS FALL.HAS THIS FALL OCCURRED DUE TO THE NEGLIGENCE ABSENCE OF PROPER SAFETY EQUIPMENT ON THE WORK TRUCK AND HAS CAUSED SERIOUS PAIN TO ME IN FI FINANCIAL HARDSHIP ONTO MY FAMILY.
THE HIP INJURY THAT HAPPENED AS A RESULT OF NOT HAVING SAFETY STEPS ON MY WORK TRUCK VEHICLE HAS PREVENTED ME TO BE ABLE TO FULFILL MY DUTIES AS AN ELECTRICIAN.
SINCE THE INJURIES, THE CITY OF HOUSTON HAS BEEN GIVING ME THE RUNAROUND AND DENIAL OF RESPONSIBILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY.
DURING THE LAST YEAR, HALF A DURING THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF, I HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY COMPENSATION FOR MY INJURY.
I PAID FOR THE BENEFITS FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
I BELIEVE, I BELIEVE THAT I AM BEING FORCED OUT OF A JOB AND FORCED TO TAKE MEDICAL SEPARATION DUE TO ME ADDRESSING THE UNSAFE PRACTICE OF THE DEPARTMENT.
MEDICAL SEPARATION DOES NOT DO ANYTHING FOR ME.
BUT TO KILL MY FOUR AND A HALF YEARS OF CONTINUANCE SERVICE, I'M SEEKING ASSISTANCE IN THE MATTER.
NOW I AM BEING LABELED AS PHYSICAL, UNFIT, AND MENTALLY UNABLE TO PERFORM MY DUTIES BY THE SAME DEPARTMENT THAT CAUSED THE INJURY OF THE ON THE JOB.
YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED AND PROMISED ME A SAFE PACE TO WORK AT.
AND AT THIS TIME, CITY HAS NOT KEPT HIS PROMISE.
UH, MR. GALEN, ARE YOU EMPLOYED NOW OR YOU'RE ON LEAVE? I'M, THEY TERMINATED ME.
SO YOU'VE BEEN TERMINATED? YEAH, FEBRUARY THE 11TH.
SO WERE YOU ASKED TO TAKE MEDICAL SEPARATION OR YOU WERE TERMINATED? THEY TERMINATED ME 'CAUSE I DIDN'T REFUSE TO TAKE MEDICAL.
YOU REFUSED THE MEDICAL SEPARATION? CORRECT.
UH, VERY SORRY TO HEAR ABOUT YOUR SITUATION AND THE, UH, INJURIES YOU SUSTAINED.
DID YOU CONSULT WITH A PRIVATE ATTORNEY? I DID.
AND THEY TURNED AROUND AND DROPPED ME BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T WANT TO FIGHT THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
THEY SAID IT TAKES TOO LONG AND THEY COULD NOT, UH, GET ANY MONEY OUT OF IT.
WHAT ABOUT THE ATTORNEYS FOR, UH, THE MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES? YES, I DID.
AND, UH, WAS THERE ANY TRACTION WITH THAT? UH, NO.
UH, MOST, UH, I WENT TO THE ADMINISTRATIVE JUDGE WHO RULED AGAINST THE DOCTORS AND MADE HER OWN DECISION TO GO WITH THE INSURANCE AND NOT BE ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE INCIDENT.
WELL, Y YOUR WORK, YOUR YOUR INJURY HAS, HAS A TWO YEAR STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS.
AND I THINK YOU'VE, THAT TWO YEARS IS UP.
UM, YOU SAID AUGUST OF 22? YES.
UH, SO YEAH, WE'RE BEYOND AUGUST OF 24.
UM, I'LL, I'LL SPEAK WITH YOU AFTER TO SEE WHAT OPTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
COUNCIL MEMBER CHAVEZ FOR A PROCEDURAL MOTION.
I'D LIKE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO MOVE ED PETTED UP BEHIND ROBERT GALLEGOS.
IS THERE A SECOND BEHIND LISA HUNT? BEHIND LISA HUNT? IS THERE A SECOND? SOMEONE SECOND.
ALL IN FAVOR? ANY OPPOSED? ITEM PASSES.
AMY ERICKSON, AMY ERICKSON, BE FOLLOWED BY ROY HIRSCH.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR PROAM AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
AMY ERICKSON, EAST END RESIDENT.
I'M ASKED, I'M HERE TODAY TO ASK TWO THINGS OF YOU.
FIRST SUPPORT TOMORROW'S AGENDA.
ITEM 33 FOR QUIET ZONE FUNDING IN THE EAST END, AND OPPOSE THE ABANDONMENT OF POLK STREET.
FOR NEARLY 18 YEARS, MY FAMILY'S RELIED ON POLK AS A VITAL TRANSPORTATION ARTERY.
POLK IS A LIFELINE CONNECTING COMMUNITIES, BUSINESSES ESSENTIAL AND EMERGENCY SERVICES.
PO IS, UM, HOW WE GET TO EDO DOWNTOWN.
[01:35:01]
THE TULIPS AND YMCA PARADES, SPORTING VENUES AND LOCAL BUSINESSES.BUT POLKS IMPORTANCE EXTENDS BEYOND MY FAMILY'S EXPERIENCE.
IT SERVES THOUSANDS OF SECOND, THIRD, AND FIFTH WARD RESIDENTS, H-S-P-V-A AND SOUTH TEXAS COLLEGE OF LAW STUDENTS AND STAFF DEPEND ON THIS ROUTE.
DOWNTOWN WORKERS RELY ON METRO'S 40 AND 41 ROUTES.
POLKS GRADE SEPARATION IS CRUCIAL, PROVIDING A PATH FOR MOTORISTS AROUND THE 30 DAILY TRAIN ACTIVATIONS ON UPS WEST BELT.
CONSIDER THE DIVERSE USERS OF POLK STREET.
UBER DRIVERS SHUTTLING PASSENGERS TO THE GRB HILTON AND MARRIOTT PHYSICIANS AND PATIENTS AT ST.
AND KELSEY SEABOLD, HPD OFFICERS TRAVELING BETWEEN SOUTH CENTRAL AND HEADQUARTERS PARISHIONERS ACCESSING DOWNTOWN PLACES OF WORSHIP, CYCLISTS GETTING TO WORK OR USING HOUSTON BIKEWAYS TO CONNECT BRAISE IN BUFFALO BAYOU.
THIS STREET IS A LIFELINE OF MOBILITY FOR TENS OF THOUSANDS, WHICH IS MY EDUCATED GUESS BECAUSE ZERO TRAFFIC STUDIES HAVE BEEN MADE AVAILABLE TO DATE.
WHEN WE LOOK AT THE PROPOSED FIGURE, UH, CLOSURE AND FIGURE ONE'S JUST 700 FEET OF ROADWAY, IT MIGHT SEEM INCONSEQUENTIAL, BUT THIS NARROW VIEW MASKS A DEEPER AND TROUBLING NARRATIVE.
OUR CITY'S TRANSPORTATION HISTORY IS FRAUGHT WITH DECISIONS THAT HAVE SYSTEMATICALLY DISCONNECTED MAR MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES.
AS REVEREND HUNT POIGNANTLY NOTED LAST WEEK, TRANSPORTATION IN THE FORTIES AND FIFTIES DELIBERATELY SEPARATED AND SEGREGATED COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, CLOSING THEM OFF FROM OPPORTUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
TODAY WE STAND AT A SIMILAR CROSSROADS.
WILL WE, WILL WE BE COMPLICIT IN REPEATING THOSE HISTORICAL MISTAKES? FIGURE TWO'S.
EVOLUTION OF EAST WEST CONNECTIVITY IN DOWNTOWN TELLS US STARK STORY.
FROM 1978 TO 2017, WE'VE WITNESSED A STEADY EROSION OF MOBILITY.
EACH MAJOR DEVELOPMENT, GRB DAIKIN PARK, TOYOTA CENTER, SHELL ENERGY STADIUM RESTRICTED OUR ACCESS.
WHILE THESE PROJECTS BROUGHT VALUE, THE EAST END HAS CONSISTENTLY SHOULDERED A DISPROPORTIONATE BURDEN, COUPLED WITH THE LACK OF RAILWAY INFRASTRUCTURE SOLUTIONS FOR A HUNDRED PLUS.
AT GRADE CROSSINGS, WE FEEL THE WALLS ARE CLOSING IN.
FIGURE THREE ON THE BACK PAN OUT TO HIGHLIGHT OUR LACK OF CROSS DOWNTOWN ACCESS TO NEIGHBORHOODS WEST OF DOWNTOWN.
THE CURRENT JRPC PROCESS HAS BEEN WOEFULLY INADEQUATE.
I SEE HOW THE PROCESS WOULD FIT AN ALLEYWAY OR A DEAD END, BUT PROPOSING THAT A MAJOR THOROUGHFARE DEAD END DEMANDS A BETTER PROCESS, PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT HAS BEEN MINIMAL.
THE SIGNS ERECTED ON FEBRUARY 1ST PROVIDE A PHONE NUMBER THAT LEADS TO AN INDIVIDUAL'S VOICEMAIL.
COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ, YOU CAN HAVE MY TIME.
UM, UM, NEIGHBORS WERE HESITANT TO LEAVE A VOICEMAIL 'CAUSE THEY THOUGHT THEY REACHED IT IN ERROR.
THEY DIDN'T WANNA LEAVE A MESSAGE AND HARASS SOME, UH, CITY EMPLOYEE.
THE SIGNS THAT, UM, ARE UP ALSO DO NOT CAPTURE THE ATTENTION OF METRO RIDERS AS THEY'RE LIKELY SCROLLING ON THEIR PHONES.
THE ATTENTION OF CYCLISTS AS THEY'RE BEING VIGILANT FOR TRAFFIC AND SIGNALS.
THE ORIGINAL, ORIGINAL PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD WAS DUE TO CLOSE YESTERDAY ON MARCH 3RD WITH HOUSTONIANS AND COUNCIL STILL IN THE DARK.
AS TO HOUSTON FIRST PLANS, I PROPOSE A COMPREHENSIVE SOLUTION, A MORATORIUM TO PROVIDE TIME FOR A HOLISTIC MOBILITY STUDY INVOLVING ALL STAKEHOLDERS.
TDOT, CITY OF HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS, METRO RAILROAD COMPANIES, THE COUNTY AND MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS.
WE NEED A COLLABORATIVE APPROACH THAT PRIORITIZES DEVELOPMENT AND ENSURES EQUITABLE ACCESS.
WE DEMAND PROGRESS WITH ACCESS.
PLEASE OPPOSE THE ABANDONMENT OF POLK STREET AND LISTEN TO THE VOICES OF THOSE WHO DEPEND ON THIS VITAL TRANSPORTATION LINK.
UM, AMY, UH, I, I APPRECIATE THIS ILLUSTRATION.
UM, I BORN 1980, SO I KNOW 89 FROM THEN.
UM, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE A GEORGIA BROWN THAT WAS BUILT, THEN YOU HAVE BASEBALL STADIUM, SOCCER STADIUM.
AND, AND THIS TIMELINE WITH THE VISUAL REALLY SHOWS WHY IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE EAST WEST CONNECTION.
UM, AND THEN WE'VE HAD, YOU KNOW, YOU MENTIONED ITEM 33 AS WELL, UM, WITH THE EAST WEST CONNECTION, THE LACK OF, THEN WE ALSO HAVE, UH, UH, OR AREAS WHERE WE NEED GREAT SEPARATION AS WELL.
UM, I GREW UP PRETTY MUCH IN THE EAST END, A BLOCK AWAY FROM A, A TRAIN TRACK, AND SO I KNOW IT PRETTY INTIMATELY.
UM, AND SO, UH, I, I THINK, UM, THE CONVERSATION TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S PAUSED, WHICH WE'VE EXTENDED THE COMMENT PERIOD, UM, I THINK TILL EARLY APRIL.
UM, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE ADMINISTRATION.
I I WAS IN THE MAYOR'S EAR THIS, THIS AFTERNOON AT LUNCH, UM, AND MENTIONING THE IMPORTANCE OF EAST WEST CONNECTION AND GREAT SEPARATION.
AND, UM, HE, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT HE IS, HE IS, UH, FOR AS WELL.
[01:40:01]
UM, I WANNA CONTINUE TO ECHO THE WORK, THE WORK THAT Y'ALL ARE DOING AS A NEIGHBORHOOD TO ELEVATE THIS SO THAT WAY MY COLLEAGUES CAN UNDERSTAND WHY WE NEED TO SEE LELAND, PEACE COMMERCE, FRANKLIN, UH, MORE OF THESE, UH, BLUE ARROWS, UM, ON THE BACK OF THE SHEET, RIGHT? MM-HMMSO AGAIN, JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR, UH, YOUR COMMITMENT TO THE, TO THE EAST END, UM, AND, AND BRINGING YOUR VOICE TO COUNCIL.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
COUNCILMAN RIVERA, I CALLED HIM AND HE GAVE HER HIS TIME.
WE DO HAVE SOME OTHER SPEAKERS ON THAT SAME TOPIC.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANTED IT TO, JUST SPECIFIC.
I WON'T SPEAK AFTER EACH ONE, BUT I DID WANT TO THANK AMY FOR, FOR COMING FORWARD YOUR ADVOCACY AND THIS, UH, BRILLIANT, UH, DISPLAY, WHICH SHOWS THAT SINCE 1978, WE'VE EFFECTIVELY BUILT A WALL BETWEEN WHERE WE ARE HERE IN DOWNTOWN AND THE EAST END.
THAT'S ABOUT NOW ABOUT 12 BLOCKS LONG.
IN 78, BEFORE WE HAD THE BALLPARK, BEFORE WE HAD GEORGE R. BROWN, BEFORE WE HAD TOYOTA CENTER, UH, THERE WAS FREE AND EASY ACCESS.
BUT SINCE THEN, UH, IT'S BEEN PROBLEMATIC.
AND, AND, UM, I HAVE SHARED WITH THE ADMINISTRATION MY VIEW THAT, UM, I DON'T WANNA STAND IN THE WAY OF PROGRESS.
UH, I THINK THE EXPANSION OF THE GEORGE R. BROWN WOULD, WOULD BE A GOOD THING FOR THE WHOLE CITY.
BUT IT'S THE WAY IT'S BEEN LAID OUT, UH, VERY DETRIMENTAL TO THE EAST SIDE.
AND I THINK IF WE'RE GOING TO ABANDON POKE, THEN WE NEED TO HEAR FROM THE ADMINISTRATION WHAT THE REST OF THE PLAN IS.
WE CAN'T JUST CLOSE THAT STREET AND SAY, WELL, WE'RE GONNA STUDY THIS, OR WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT IT AND WE'LL DEAL WITH IT LATER.
I THINK WE NEED TO HEAR NOW HOW THE CITY'S GONNA DEAL WITH THIS.
BECAUSE I GO TO THE EAST SIDE VERY FREQUENTLY, I KNOW HOW DIFFICULT IT IS TO GET OVER THERE, AND ONCE YOU'RE THERE, I KNOW HOW DIFFICULT IT IS TO GET AROUND.
AND SO I SYMPATHIZE WITH ALL THE RESIDENTS, UH, ON THE EAST SIDE AND, AND, UM, WAITING TO HEAR SOME ANSWERS FROM THE CITY.
SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND YOUR ADVOCACY.
YES, SIR, WE'RE READY FOR YOU.
MAYOR PROTE, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL, POLK STREET CURRENTLY SERVES AS A MAJOR ARTERY FROM DOWNTOWN TO THE EAST SIDE OF HOUSTON.
HOUSTON FIRST S ABILITY TO CLOSE A MAJOR THOROUGHFARE THROUGH THE JRC PROCESS WITHOUT ANY COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SHOWS HOW INSUFFICIENT THIS PROCESS IS AT HANDLING A MATTER OF THIS MAGNITUDE AT THE INTERSECTION OF WHAT IS LEGAL AND WHAT IS ETHICAL.
IT IS SAID THAT JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO DO SOMETHING DOES NOT MAKE DOING IT RIGHT.
LET ME OFFER OBSERVATIONS CONCERNING THE SOURCE OF PUBLIC OUTCRY AND PUSHBACK REGARDING THE POLK STREET ISSUE.
ESSENTIALLY SOMETHING WE HAVE A STREET WITH UNHINDERED VEHICULAR TRAFFIC THAT CONNECTS DOWNTOWN TO THE COMMUNITIES.
EAST AND SOUTH WILL BE TAKEN AWAY, AND THERE IS NOTHING IN PLACE AT THE PRESENT TIME TO MITIGATE THE MOBILITY IMPACT OF THIS ACTION.
THERE WILL BE ASSURANCES, WILL BE GIVEN PROMISSORY MEASURES WHICH ARE YET TO BE RENDERED AND TO BE PUT INTO SERVICE AT SOME UNKNOWN FUTURE TIME.
THIS IS ESSENTIALLY A BIRD IN THE HAND VERSUS TWO IN THE BUSH.
IT MUST ALSO BE NOTED THAT THERE HAS BEEN LITTLE PERTINENT INFORMATION AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC ABOUT ANY OF HOUSTON FIRST PLAN FOR POLK AND THE GRB, THE PUBLIC COMMENTS PERIOD, WHICH BEGAN ON JANUARY 31ST AND, AND WOULD HAVE ENDED BEFORE THE GRAND REVEAL ON THURSDAY, MARCH 6TH.
UM, AND, AND YET, IN SPITE OF THE PUBLIC COMMENTS PERIOD BEING EXTENDED, HOUSTON FIRST IS STILL PROCEEDING WITH THE, WITH THE BIG REVEAL EVENT.
IS THAT A SIGN? IS THIS A SIGN OF A DONE DEAL? IS THIS A SIGN OF A FOREGONE CONCLUSION? DO THE PUBLIC COMMENTS EVEN MATTER?
[01:45:04]
THE THIS ONLY ADDS TO THE APPEARANCE OF GROSS NEGLIGENCE, WILLFUL INDIFFERENCE, OR FOR HEAVEN FORBID, A TRANSACTIONAL DYNAMIC.IF ANY OF THESE PROVE TO BE TRUE, IT WILL BE A BLATANT BETRAYAL OF THE PUBLIC TRUST.
THESE ARE THE REASONS TO DENY THE ABANDONMENT OF POLK STREET.
THIS MATTER SHOULD BE UNDER A DEMOCRATIC PROCESS WITH MEANINGFUL PUBLIC INPUT AND PUBLIC REVIEW.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
THANK YOU, MAYOR TIM, ARE YOU DONE, ROY? YES, I AM.
I WANT TO EXTEND SOME TIME OTHER THAN THANKING, OTHER THAN THANKING THE COUNCIL.
MARCY INGER TO BE FILED BY RUBEN GARZA.
I LIVE IN EDO AND SERVE AS HOA PRESIDENT AT LIVE OAK LOFTS, WHICH IS ON THE CORNER OF LIVE OAK AND POLK STREET.
MY DOWNTOWN COMMUTE IS ALREADY VERY CHALLENGING DUE TO EAST WEST ROADBLOCKS LIKE TOYOTA CENTER, GRB, DAIKIN CENTER, AND DYNAMO STADIUM.
HULK STREET IS THE BEST REMAINING EAST WEST ARTERY.
UNFORTUNATELY, PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT ON THIS PLAN IS NEARLY NON-EXISTENT.
AS YOU HEARD EARLIER, IT REALLY AMOUNTS TO STREET SIGNS ONLY WITH A LIMITED CAPACITY AND LIMITED TIME FOR FEEDBACK.
ALSO, HOUSTON FIRST'S APPLICATION TO PUBLIC WORKS CAPITAL PROJECTS INCLUDED NO MAPS SHOWING POLKS PROPOSED CHANGES OR ITS EFFECTS.
THIS IS NOT TRANSPARENCY, WHICH LEADS ME TO WONDER, IS THAT INTENTIONAL? PLEASE DENY THE ABANDONMENT OF POLK STREET, AT LEAST FOR NOW.
ALLOW PROPER PUBLIC INPUT AND ALLOW ASSESSMENT OF MOBILITY AND EMERGENCY ACCESS FOR THOSE OF US THAT LIVE IN THE EAST END AND POINTS FURTHER EAST, NORTHEAST, AND SOUTHEAST.
UH, MARCY, THANK YOU FOR COMING.
UM, AND, AND WE'VE HAD THIS CONVERSATION WITH THE GROUP JUST OVER THE PAST THREE WEEKS ALREADY.
UM, THE CONVERSATION STARTED LATE WITH THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND SO UNDERSTANDING WHAT ROY JUST SAID, YOU KNOW, WE EXTENDED THE PUBLIC COMMENT.
WE ARE HA HOSTING A MEETING WITH HOUSTON FIRST, UM, AT, UH, THE EBK CENTER ON MARCH THE 17TH.
UM, THIS IS ALL BEFORE THE GRC UH, PROCESS WILL BE VOTED OR BROUGHT TO COUNCIL.
UM, YES, WE ARE, THEY ARE COMING LATE, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UM, THOSE, THOSE OPPORTUNITIES TO HAVE THEM IN FRONT OF THE COMMUNITY, THE COMMUNITY CAN BE VERY VOCAL, UM, TO WHAT IS IT THAT THAT IS NEEDED.
AND I THINK, UM, AT THE, AT THE, AT THE TOP OF EVERYTHING, FOR ME, IT'S ALWAYS BEEN, UH, EAST WEST CONNECTION.
HOW CAN WE MAKE SURE WE HAVE THAT ACCESS FOR FOLKS VEHICULAR, UH, BUT THEN AGAIN, ANY OTHER MULTIMODAL TYPE OF TRANSPORTATION AS WELL.
UM, AND, AND THEN ALSO, UH, BECAUSE IT'S BEEN SAID BEFORE THAT YOU CAN PRETTY MUCH DRIVE FROM POLK, FROM WAYSIDE ALL THE WAY INTO DOWNTOWN.
WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE FOR LELAND? IF THAT'S A PROPOSED EAST WEST STREET GOING INTO, INTO TOWN, UM, WHEN YOU HAVE GRADE, UH, AT GRADE CROSSINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, PREVENT RESIDENTS FROM BEING ABLE TO MOVE ABOUT, ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE TRAINS THAT ARE THERE FOR HOURS.
AND SO, UM, AGAIN, MARCH 17TH, YOU KNOW, DEFINITELY PLEASE BE THERE.
UM, HOUSTON FIRST WILL BE THERE.
MICHAEL HECKMAN, THE PRESIDENT OF HOUSTON FIRST WILL BE THERE.
THE FOLKS THAT ARE COMING WITH, WITH, UH, WITH THE SCHEMATIC DRAWINGS AS WELL, WILL BE THERE.
UM, AND, AND I WOULD, UH, ENCOURAGE EVERYONE, YOU KNOW, TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, THAT THEY VOICE THEIR CONCERNS.
UH, AND THEN ALSO IDENTIFY WAYS WHERE, UM, WHETHER POLK IS GONE OR NOT.
WE INCREASE EAST WEST CONNECTION.
RUBEN GARZA GARZA ABOUT ROBERT GALLEGOS.
I'D LIKE TO THANK THE CITY COUNCIL FOR ALLOWING ME A BRIEF MOMENT TO SPEAK ON THESE, ON THIS IMPORTANT ISSUE.
UH, I UNDERSTAND MANY PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY VOICED THEIR CONCERNS ABOUT POLK STREET, AND I'D LIKE TO JOIN IN THAT EFFORT AS A RESIDENT OF, UH, DISTRICT B, UM, IN THE FIFTH WARD AREA.
UH, I FIRST ASK THAT WHEN THIS COMES TO A VOTE, IT HASN'T COME TO A VOTE YET, BUT WHEN IT DOES, CITY COUNCIL OVERWHELMINGLY VOTE NO TO ABANDON POLK STREET.
UH, AS THE CITY AND THE PEOPLE OF HOUSTON KNOW POLK STREET IS CRITICAL TO MAINTAINING EASTWEST CONNECTIVITY INTO THE CITY.
UH, CONNECTING IDO AND DOWNTOWN EASTWEST CONNECTIVITY
[01:50:01]
IS ALREADY AN ISSUE WITH ONLY A HANDFUL OF STREETS SERVING THAT PURPOSE.UH, AS THE MEDIA COVERAGE ON POLK STREET IS GONNA DEVELOP, YOU'LL START TO HEAR A LOT MORE STORIES OF PEOPLE HAVING THEIR PERSONAL CONNECTIONS WITH POLK STREET.
I KNOW MY WIFE AND I, UH, TRAVELED USING POLK STREET BETWEEN DOWNTOWN AND EDO WHEN OUR HOME IN FIFTH WARD LOST POWER DUE TO THE DERECHO AND HURRICANE BARREL.
SO I'D LIKE TO ADD MY OWN STORY TO THAT AS WELL.
UH, MANY PEOPLE AND BUSINESSES RELY ON EAST WEST CONNECTIVITY FOR PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL REASONS.
SO POLK IS CRUCIAL TO A STRONG HOUSTON.
UH, ADDITIONALLY I'D LIKE TO COMMENT ON THE LACK OF TRANSPARENCY WITH THE POLK STREET ABANDONMENT PROCESS.
THE HOUSTON FIRST LAST PUBLICLY AVAILABLE PLAN WAS SUBMITTED, I BELIEVE IN DECEMBER OF 2011.
SO IT'S BEEN OVER 10 PLUS YEARS SINCE ANY PEOPLE IN HOUSTON HAVE HAD ANY IDEA WHAT HAS BEEN GOING ON WITH THE DEVELOPMENT AND THIS, UM, AND THIS ABANDONMENT PROCESS AS WELL AS THE JRC APPROVING THE APPLICATION TO ABANDON THE ABANDON POLK STREET WITH LITTLE TO NO PUBLIC INPUT.
AND OF COURSE, I'D LIKE TO THANK THE COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ FOR EX, UH, AND THE CITY COUNCIL FOR EXTENDING THE COMMENT PERIOD.
BUT THAT ONLY CAME AFTER PUBLIC OUTCRY.
THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE IN THE FIRST PLACE.
UH, SO HOUSTON FIRST HAS ESSENTIALLY LEFT HOUSTONIANS IN THE DARK FOR OVER 10 PLUS YEARS ABOUT WHAT TO DO WITH POLK STREET.
AND OBVIOUSLY MAINTAINING THAT EASTWEST CONNECTIVITY IS VITAL.
SO WHEN THIS DOES COME FOR A VOTE, I WOULD LIKE, UH, TO SEE THE CITY COUNCIL OVERWHELMINGLY VOTE NO TO A ABANDON POLK STREET OR SUPPORT SOME SORT OF MORATORIUM UNTIL WE HAVE A BETTER PICTURE OF WHAT IS GOING ON.
UH, RUBEN, THANK YOU FOR COMING AND REPRESENTING THE FIFTH WARD.
UM, I REPRESENT A MAJORITY OF THE EAST END AND OF COURSE MY COLLEAGUE MARK CASTILLO'S SECOND WARD PART, WHICH IS THE NORTH SIDE OF THE CONVENTION CENTER.
UH, BUT YOUR VOICE IS IMPORTANT AS WELL.
UM, AT ONE OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD MEETINGS IN THE EAST END, UH, YOU HAD SOME OF YOUR NEIGHBORS FROM THE FIFTH WARD TO ATTEND.
AND I KNOW WE HAVE ED PETIT WHO'S HERE FROM THE THIRD WARD.
AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO, UM, MAKE SURE THAT YOUR NEIGHBORS ALSO ARE INVITED TO THAT, UH, MARCH 17TH, UH, MEETING BECAUSE IT DOES INTIMATELY IMPACT THE EAST END.
BUT AS YOU JUST STATED, YOU KNOW, UH, YOU KNOW, FOLKS DON'T UNDERSTAND BOUNDARIES, RIGHT? AND, AND, UH, FOLKS USE A LOT OF THESE E EASTERN, UH, CONNECTIONS INTO DOWNTOWN, WHETHER YOU'RE IN THE THIRD WARD OR FIFTH WARD.
AND SO I, I APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING THAT VOICE TO THE TABLE AS WELL.
UM, AND HOPE THAT YOU CAN INVITE SOME OF YOUR FIFTH WARD NEIGHBORS TO THAT MARCH 17TH MEETING.
AND THANK YOU TO THE COUNCIL NEXT SPEAKER, ROBERT GALLEGOS, TO BE FOLLOWED BY LISA HUNT.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR PROAM, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND FORMER COLLEAGUES, THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.
I'M HERE TODAY AS A LIFELONG RESIDENT OF THE EAST END.
I'M SPEAKING FOR MYSELF AND AS THE VICE PRESIDENT OF HOUSTON COUNTRY CLUB PLACE CIVIC CLUB ON BEHALF OF MY CIVIC CLUB, TO STATE THAT WE OPPOSE THE ABANDONMENT AND CLOSURE OF POLK STREET.
FIRST, WE WERE SHOCKED TO BE NOTIFIED BY STREET SIGNS PLACED ON LONG POLK THAT POLK STREET WILL BE ABANDONED AND CLOSED, THAT THERE'S A 30 DAY PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD ASKING INTERESTED PARTIES TO CALL THE NUMBER ON THE SIGNS.
AS A FORMER DISTRICT I COUNCIL MEMBER REPRESENTING DOWNTOWN HOUSTON IN THE EAST END, THESE CONS CONSTITUENCIES ARE IMPORTANT DUE TO A MAJOR JOB CENTER AND EAST END PRIDE IN ITS PROXIMITY TO DOWNTOWN COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ AND COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, MANY OF OUR RESIDENTS, YOUR CONSTITUENTS LIVE IN THE EAST END DUE TO THE PROXIMITY TO THEIR JOBS IN DOWNTOWN AND ENJOY DOWNTOWN'S, ENTERTAINMENT AND SPORTS EVENTS BY USING POLK STREET COUNCIL MEMBER SHABAZZ, COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON AND COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER.
IT'S NOT JUST EAST END RESIDENTS, IT'S ALSO YOUR CONSTITUENTS, RESIDENTS WHO LIVE IN THE THIRD WARD.
MAY I HAVE MORE TIME? PLEASE GO AHEAD.
UH, FLICKINGER IS NOT JUST EAST END RESIDENCE, IT'S ALSO YOUR CONSTITUENTS, RESIDENTS WHO LIVE IN THE THIRD WARD, FIFTH WARD, AND RESIDENTS WHO LIVE IN OR NEAR MEADOW CREEK, WHO GO TO AND FROM WORK IN DOWNTOWN OR ENJOY DOWNTOWN'S ENTERTAINMENT BY USING POLK STREET TO AVOID THE CONGESTED GULF FREEWAY.
IN I 10 THOUSANDS OF OUR RESIDENTS USE POLK STREET DAILY BY DRIVING ON IT, RIDING THEIR BIKES OR ON IT, OR TAKING THE BUS ROUTES THAT GO DOWN POLK STREET.
BY CLOSING POLK STREET, YOU ARE ADDING, UH, COMMUTE TIMES TO GET TO AND FROM THEIR DESTINATIONS AND TAKING PRECIOUS PERSONAL TIME AWAY FROM THEM THAT THEY CAN SPEND WITH THEIR FAMILIES.
OF COURSE, THE EAST END AND THE COMMUNITIES I MENTIONED STAND TO LOSE THE MOST WITH THE CLOSURE OF POLK STREET.
OUR CITY'S TRANSPORTATION HISTORY PROVES THAT OVER THE PAST DECADES, WE HAVE BEEN LOSING STREET CONNECTIVITY TO AND FROM DOWNTOWN.
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USED TO BE NINE STREETS THAT PROVIDED CONNECTIVITY TO AND FROM DOWNTOWN AND THE EAST END.AND TODAY WE ARE DOWN TO FOUR STREETS.
BY LOSING POKE, WE WILL BE DOWN TO THREE STREETS.
WITH TDOT'S, MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR PROJECT, WHICH HAS STARTED THE REALIGNMENT OF I 45 AND THE WIDENING OF 69, FORMERLY 59, HAPPENING ALL BEHIND.
THE GRB ONLY ADDS TO THE FEAR OF LOSING MORE CONNECTIVITY, IF NOT ALL, OUR STREET CONNECTIVITY TO AND FROM DOWNTOWN IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT MAKES THE EAST END SO SPECIAL IS ITS PROXIMITY AND CONNECTIVITY TO DOWNTOWN HOUSTON.
IT WILL MAKE NO SENSE IF WE RESIDENTS OF THE EAST END AND OUR COMM, OTHER COMMUNITIES WHO WILL BE IMPACTED BY THIS MAJOR TXDOT PROJECT.
IF WE HAVE TO GET ON I 10 AND THE GULF FREEWAY TO GET IN AND OUT OF DOWNTOWN, THAT'S WHY I AND MY CIVIC CLUB OPPOSE THE ABANDONMENT AND CLOSURE OF POST STREET.
THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS.
WE KNOW THAT YOU'RE CLOSE TO THE ISSUE AND WE APPRECIATE YOU COMING IN AND SHARING YOUR CONCERNS WITH US TODAY.
ELISA HUNT THREE, FOLLOWED BY EDWARD PETTY.
HOW, HOW ARE MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL? I'M WELL THANK YOU, UH, FOR ALLOWING ME TO COME BACK TO SPEAK WITH YOU.
UM, WE'RE ORGANIZING PEOPLE FOR POLK STREET.
UH, OUR NEIGHBORS IN THE THIRD, FIFTH AND SECOND WARDS ARE GETTING TOGETHER TO SHARE WITH YOU THEIR CONCERNS ABOUT THIS MAJOR ARTERIAL, UH, CONNECTOR FOR US.
WE KNOW THAT ON THURSDAY, UH, MAYOR TURNER, UM, MAYOR TURNER BOY, WAS THAT A FREUDIAN SLIP? MAYOR MEYER, UH, WILL BE
UH, MAYOR MEYER AND MEMBERS OF HOUSTON FIRST WILL BE DOING THE BIG UNVEIL OF THE TRANSFORMATIONAL PROJECT OF GEORGE R. BROWN.
UH, MY NEIGHBORS AND I ARE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY AND THE CREATIVITY THAT THIS PLAN DEMONSTRATES FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
BUT WE'RE DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE PROCESS BY WHICH THIS, UH, PLAN CAME TO FRUITION.
UM, ONE OF THE ISSUES WITH THESE LEGAL STRUCTURES, WITH PRIVATE PUBLIC PARTNERSHIPS IS THERE'S VERY LITTLE REQUIREMENT FOR RESIDENTIAL, UH, INSIGHT BECAUSE NEIGHBORS WHO ARE LIVING IN THE SECOND, THIRD AND FIFTH WARD KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO GO IN BETWEEN.
WHAT WE'RE MOSTLY CONCERNED ABOUT TODAY, AND I WILL SHUT UP BECAUSE I'VE BEEN HERE BEFORE, UM, IS ACCESS.
WE ARE GOING TO BE SUBJECT TO 12 YEARS OF ROAD CONSTRUCTION ONCE YOU FACTOR IN THE GEORGE R. BROWN, THE 59.
UM, AND THEN WHATEVER'S GOING TO HAPPEN TO MAKE UP FOR THE CLOSURE OF POLK, OUR BUSINESSES ARE GONNA SUFFER.
OUR NEIGHBORS ARE GOING TO SUFFER.
WE ARE GOING TO SUFFER IF POLICE AND FIRE AND AMBULANCES CAN'T GET TO US.
AND HEAVEN FORBID THERE BE ANOTHER HURRICANE WHERE WE'RE NEEDING TO GET TO THE GEORGE R. BROWN.
WE'VE NOT SEEN A MOBILITY STUDY THAT IS COMPREHENSIVE WITH RAIL PED, UM, BIKE, UH, BUS AS WELL AS VEHICLES.
AND I SUSPECT NEITHER HAVE YOU.
AND I THINK YOU NEED TO DEMAND THAT BEFORE YOU VOTE YES TO ABANDONED POLK.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME TODAY.
THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TEM, AND THANK YOU LISA.
AND TO EVERYONE WHO CAME TO TO SPEAK ABOUT POLK STREET.
UM, IT'S A STREET THAT'S IN DISTRICT I, BUT IT NO DOUBT IMPACTS DISTRICT H UH, BY ITS PROXIMITY AND THE PERCEIVED CHANGES IN TRAFFIC PATTERNS, UH, IF IT IS ABANDONED.
SO, UH, YOUR ADVOCACY AND THE ADVOCACY OF THE COMMUNITY AROUND THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT.
UH, I WANT TO ENCOURAGE YOU, Y'ALL TO STAY ENGAGED THROUGHOUT THE EXTENDED COMMENT PERIOD THROUGHOUT THE JRC PROCESS.
UM, A LOT OF YOUR POINTS AND CONCERNS I SHARE AND MY CONSTITUENTS SHARE AS, AS THEY'VE REACHED OUT TO ME.
UM, I HAVE ASKED FOR A BRIEFING ON THIS FROM HOUSTON FIRST.
HAVEN'T RECEIVED IT YET, BUT I LOOK FORWARD TO IT.
UM, AND I'M GONNA CONTINUE TO, UH, CHASE DOWN SOME ANSWERS AND, AND GET FACTS OUT TO, TO MY CONSTITUENTS.
UM, AND I WANT TO ENCOURAGE Y'ALL TO CONTINUE TO STAY ENGAGED.
THANK YOU MAYOR TIM, AND THANK YOU LISA.
I DID RESPOND TO YOUR EMAIL, BUT I KNEW I WOULDN'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO HAVE AN IN-PERSON MEETING, BUT I'M GLAD THAT YOU ARE HERE AND CERTAINLY THERE.
POLK STREET IS A CONCERN FOR ME, UH, BECAUSE THAT IS THE WAY THAT I GET TO THE, UM, HILTON.
THAT'S HOW I GET TO, UH, THE TOYOTA CENTER JUST STRAIGHT UP, YOU KNOW, EXIT, POKE AND MAKE THAT LEFT TURN.
SO IT'S GOING TO, UH, CREATE A, A
[02:00:01]
PROBLEM, UH, FOR THOSE PEOPLE THAT ARE TRAVELING FROM DISTRICT D.I JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT, WHAT OPTIONS ARE OF.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT THE COUNCIL, YOU WERE READY FOR THAT.
UM, I THINK THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT REALLY IS A MISSING LINK AS WE THINK ABOUT TRANSIT AND TRANSPORTATION IS, IS THE, UM, IS DEMANDING AND ENCOURAGING INTEGRATION AMONGST THESE ENTITIES THAT ARE DOING TRAFFIC WORK.
AND RIGHT NOW THE PROPOSAL IS TO, TO THROW, UM, THE TRAFFIC OFF ON WHAT WILL ESSENTIALLY BE A FEEDER ROAD OFF OF 59.
AND WE'VE HEARD NOTHING ABOUT TRAFFIC CALMING, AND YET WE'RE GOING TO BE ASKED TO WALK AND RIDE BIKES AND GET THE BUS ADDING.
UM, I THINK, UH, HOUSTON FIRST FOLKS SAID IT WOULD BE A MILE THAT WOULD BE ADDED ON A VERY BUSY STREET.
SO I THINK AS WE THINK ABOUT, I THINK THAT THAT STREET CANNOT BE LIKE A FEEDER ROAD ALL OVER HOUSTON.
IF WE'RE GOING TO BE EXPECTING MULTIMODAL, UH, TRAFFIC ON THAT FEEDER ROAD, IT NEEDS TO BE CALMED AND IT NEEDS TO BE SAFE.
OR WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO BE ONE OF THE CITIES THAT LEADS THE NATION IN PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE DEATH.
UM, AND SO I THINK WE REALLY NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO THOSE DETAILS.
AND I ALSO THINK THAT THE TIMING ON THIS PROJECT IS 12 YEARS THAT CAT PARK THAT'S BEING PROPOSED HAS NO FUNDING AND IT WILL BE IN THE FINAL PHASE OF THE 59 EXPANSION.
UM, AND THEY'RE ASSUMING MAGIC.
I THINK WE'VE YET TO SEE ANY DETAIL ON HOW TRANSPORTATION WILL, UH, BE, UH, ALLOWED OR CREATED IN THE INTERIM.
UM, SO I REALLY THINK PAUSE MIGHT BE THE WORD I GET THE TRAIN'S LEAVING THE STATION, BUT I THINK THAT THIS WOULD BE A TERRIBLY MISSED OPPORTUNITY, UH, IF WE DON'T LOOK MORE COMPREHENSIVELY AND TAKE TIME TO REALLY DRILL DOWN ON THE DETAILS.
'CAUSE WE KNOW THAT'S WHERE THE DEVIL LIVES.
TIM LISA, UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED VOICE AS WELL.
UM, SO AT THAT MARCH 17TH MEETING, WE ARE PLANNING TO HAVE T OUT THERE.
WE ARE PLANNING TO HAVE METRO THERE.
WE ARE PLANNING TO HAVE PUBLIC WORKS, UM, NOT JUST THE REAL ESTATE SIDE, BUT ALSO, UH, THE TRAFFIC SIDE AS WELL.
SO WE CAN DISCUSS SOME OF THESE DETOURS.
UM, NOT JUST TO, UM, YOU KNOW, NOT JUST FOR POPE, BUT JUST IN GENERAL, AS YOU MENTIONED, THERE'S A A, A BIG PROJECT COMING IN THAT'S GONNA BE YEARS, UM, IN THE, IN THE MAKING AND IN IN PROCESS THAT WE DEFINITELY NEED TO MAKE SURE THERE'S A, THERE'S ALWAYS A TRAFFIC, UM, UH, PLAN THAT'S SUGGESTED WHENEVER WE HAVE ANY KIND OF MAJOR RECONSTRUCTION OR, YOU KNOW, AND SO THOSE, THOSE THINGS NEED TO BE AT THE TABLE AS WELL.
AND SO, UM, MARCH 17 FOR ME IS, IS IMPORTANT.
SO THAT WAY EVERYBODY RECOGNIZES WHO'S GONNA BE AT THE TABLE WHEN WE HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS, LONGER, LONG-TERM CONVERSATIONS ABOUT CONNECTION, UM, GREAT SEPARATION AND ALSO WHAT, WHAT IS, WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE DURING CONSTRUCTION AS WELL.
AND I WANNA THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER FOR, UH, YOUR ACTIVISM.
I'M PULLING THE PLAYERS TOGETHER.
WOULD IT BE MOST HELPFUL IF THE COMMUNITY PULLS TOGETHER QUESTIONS FOR THOSE DIFFERENT GROUPS PRIOR TO THE 17TH? YEAH.
AND THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO SHARE WHO'S ALL GONNA BE THERE.
SO I SO APPRECIATE THAT METRO, I APPRECIATE ALL OF YOU FOR ALL THE WORK AND, AND TIME THAT YOU GIVE TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
EDWARD PETIT TO BE FOLLOWED BY DEREK WILLIAMS. HELLO, MR. PETIT.
AS VICE PRESIDENT OF THIRD WARD SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD AND FRIENDS OF COLUMBIA TAP, I FIRST WANTED TO ADD MY VOICE TO THE FOLKS ADVOCATING FOR POLK STREET.
IT'S ALSO THE ONLY, THE ONLY PROTECTED BIKE LANE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE COLUMBIA TAP TRAIL IN DOWNTOWN.
AND IT'S THE PATH THAT ALL OF THE STUDENTS COMMUTING BY BICYCLE TO AND FROM, UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON, DOWNTOWN, UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON, MAIN CAMPUS, AND TEXAS SOUTHERN USED TO GET TO AND FROM DOWNTOWN.
UM, I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY.
TWO SUNDAYS AGO, WE HAD A CLEANUP ON THE COLUMBIA TAP TRAIL EARLY MORNING.
UH, ON THE WAY THERE, OUR VOLUNTEERS CYCLED THROUGH A PUDDLE OF BLOOD FILLED WITH PIECES OF FLESH AND BRAIN MATTER THAT HPD HAD SPRINKLED A CAN OF, UH, COMET ON, AND THEN THROWN THE CAN OF COMET INTO THE DITCH.
THERE WAS ANOTHER MURDER ON THE COLUMBIA TAP TRAIL.
I TRIED TO FOLLOW UP WITH COMMANDER WYNN AND ASKED, ARE PEOPLE STILL IN DANGER? ARE THE COVERS OUT THERE? WHAT'S GOING ON? HE SAID HE COULDN'T DISCLOSE ANY INFORMATION.
UM, IN TWO WEEKS, WE HAVE OUR FOURTH ANNUAL FESTIVAL ON THE COLUMBIA TAP TRAIL, AND I REACHED OUT TO COMMANDER GWEN AGAIN SAYING, AS IN THE PAST THREE YEARS, CAN
[02:05:01]
YOU PROVIDE TWO OFFICERS FOR THE EVENT? I WANT TO READ HIS RESPONSE.AND I QUOTE, I CANNOT, CAN I HAVE MORE TIME? GO AHEAD.
I CANNOT PULL TWO MARKED POLICE UNITS AND OFFICERS OFF THE STREET TO WORK YOUR EVENT WHEN OUR RESOURCES ARE EXTREMELY LIMITED.
WHEN MAYOR WHITMEYER TOOK OFFICE AND SAID THAT HE COULDN'T BELIEVE THE COLUMBIA TAP TRAIL WAS NEGLECTED, THAT PUBLIC SAFETY WAS HIS PRIORITY.
HE WAS GOING TO TALK TO TSU POLICE, GET THEM TO DO PATROLS, HE WAS GONNA TALK TO UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON, GET THEM INVOLVED.
I USE THE TRIAL EVERY DAY AND MAYBE IT'S A HUGE COINCIDENCE, BUT I HAVEN'T SEEN ONE HPD OFFICER PATROLLING THE TRAIL BY BICYCLE, BY HORSE, YOU NAME IT, ALL OF LAST YEAR.
SO, SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENED WITH THIS PRIORITY FOR PUBLIC SAFETY, BUT WE AREN'T SEEING IT.
THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TIM, AND THANK YOU ED.
LET'S SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO HELP PROVIDE, UH, SOME SECURITY, UH, BECAUSE THAT IS A, A CRITICAL AREA AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE IS SAFE.
THANK YOU, UH, ED, IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
AND JUST WANNA THANK YOU FOR YOUR ADVOCACY ON A NUMBER OF IMPORTANT ISSUES FROM THE MIDTOWN TURS TO THE COLUMBIA TAP TRAIL TO POLK STREET.
THESE ARE ALL, UH, VERY IMPORTANT ISSUES THAT, UM, THAT WE NEED TO DEAL WITH.
AND IT SEEMS LIKE YOU'RE ALWAYS, UH, IN THE MIDDLE OF, UH, VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE.
SO JUST THANK YOU FOR YOUR ADVOCACY.
UM, WHERE'S THE EVENT GONNA BE IN DISTRICT D OR I, PART OF THE COLUMBIA TAP? IT'S GOING TO BE IN DISTRICT D.
UM, AS WE DID THE FIRST YEAR OF THE EVENT, WE'RE CLOSING OFF VELASCO BETWEEN HOLMAN AND ELGIN, AND THERE'S ACTUALLY GOING TO BE A SHOWCASE OF YOUTH PERFORMANCES FROM WORKSHOP HOUSTON, WHICH IS RIGHT THERE AT THE INTERSECTION OF THE TRAIL AND HOLMAN.
AND SO THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF SPECIAL EVENTS REQUIRES US TO HAVE, UM, OFFICERS ON HAND, AND YOU KNOW, WE'VE ALWAYS HAD THEM PROVIDED BY SOUTH CENTRAL BACK WHEN IT WAS UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF COMMANDER CARLETTA JOHNSON.
AND SO THIS WAS A SHOCK TO US THAT SOUTH CENTRAL WAS NO LONGER GOING TO PROVIDE THOSE OFFICERS.
SO I'LL, I'LL LEAN INTO MY COLLEAGUE, UH, HOW SHE WANTS TO MOVE FORWARD.
BUT, YOU KNOW, NORMALLY IF HPD IS UNDERSTAFFED AND WE USUALLY LEAN ON PRECINCT SIX, UM, OR OTHER PARTS OF THE DISTRICT, I LIKE PRECINCT TOO.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE CAN, UH, I'M GONNA, I'LL TALK TO MY COLLEAGUE AND SEE WHAT, WHAT THE BEST WAY FOR IT IS.
YOU NEXT SPEAKER DERRICK WILLIAMS. DERRICK WILLIAMS. DERRICK WILLIAMS. NEXT SPEAKER, HODA FELL, HODA FELL.
HODA FELL TO BE FOLLOWED BY TJ OERS.
OKAY, GOOD AFTERNOON, CITY COUNCIL.
MY NAME IS HODA AND I'M HERE TODAY AS A MOTHER WHOSE WORST NIGHTMARE BECAME REALITY.
MY DAUGHTER AT AGE THREE WAS SEXUALLY ASSAULTED AT A DAYCARE PLACE.
BUT WHAT'S WORSE IS THAT JUSTICE WAS DENIED TO HER.
SHE WAS TOO SCARED TO GO THROUGH A FORENSIC INTERVIEW.
AND BECAUSE OF THAT, THE POLICE DROPPED THE CASE.
INSTEAD OF FIGHTING FOR HER, THEY TOLD HER TO GO TO THERAPY AND LET HER RAPIST WALK FREE.
THE DAYCARE IS STILL OPEN, THE PREDATOR IS STILL OUT THERE AND ABLE TO HURT MORE, ABLE TO HURT MORE CHILDREN.
MY DAUGHTER IS LEFT WITH TRAUMA WHILE THE SYSTEM DID NOTHING.
MY DAUGHTER IS NOT THE SAME LITTLE GIRL SHE WAS BEFORE THIS HAPPENED.
SHE IS TRAUMATIZED, SHE'S SCARED.
THIS HAS CHANGED HER IN MANY WAYS.
NO CHILD SHOULD HAVE TO EXPERIENCE.
I SEE IT IN HER EVERY SINGLE DAY, AND IT BREAKS ME AS A MOTHER KNOWING THAT THE PERSON WHO DID THIS TO HER IS STILL FREE.
HOW IS THAT FAIR? HOW MANY CHILDREN HAVE TO SUFFER BEFORE WE ACT? I'M HERE TODAY DEMANDING JUSTICE FOR MY DAUGHTER.
THE WOMAN SHOULD BE CHARGED AND SENT TO JAIL FOR WHAT SHE DID BECAUSE IF SHE WERE A MAN, SHE WOULD ALREADY BE BEHIND BARS.
THERE SHOULD NOT BE A DOUBLE STANDARD WHEN IT COMES TO PROTECTING OUR CHILDREN.
HER DAYCARE NEEDS TO BE SHUT DOWN IMMEDIATELY BEFORE ANOTHER CHILD IS HARMED.
MY DAUGHTER DESERVES JUSTICE AND I'LL NOT STOP FIGHTING UNTIL SHE GETS IT.
WE NEED TO, WE NEED STRONGER PROTECTIONS IN DAYCARE FACILITIES, STRICTER BACKGROUND CHECKS, BETTER OVERSIGHT, MA, BETTER OVERSIGHT, MANDATORY SURVEILLANCE, REAL ACCOUNTABILITY.
WE NEED A SYSTEM THAT DOES NOT GIVE UP ON A CHILD VICTIMS JUST BECAUSE THEY ARE TOO SCARED TO SPEAK.
I'M ASKING, UM, DEMANDING ACTION.
SHE DESERVES TO SEE HER ABUSER HELD ACCOUNTABLE.
THANK YOU FOR, UM, COMING THAT I KNOW THAT THAT'S A VERY
[02:10:01]
DIFFICULT SITUATION.UM, SERGEANT CARR IS, UM, HERE, YOU SAID YOU, THERE IS A, A POLICE REPORT MM-HMM
UM, AND THAT HPD DROPPED THE CASE.
I'M GONNA ASK IF YOU WOULD, WOULD TALK TO HIM.
UM, WE DO HAVE A COUNCIL MEMBER IN THE QUEUE, BUT I'M GONNA ASK IF YOU WOULD TALK TO SERGEANT CARR AND HE CAN MM-HMM
LOOK AND SEE IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE WE CAN DO, UM MM-HMM
TO TRY TO HELP YOU THROUGH THIS SITUATION.
AND MA'AM, I'M VERY SORRY TO HEAR, UH, WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR CHILD.
AND, UM, I'M CONCERNED AND WOULD LIKE TO VISIT WITH YOU AFTER YOU SPEAK TO SERGEANT CARR.
NEXT SPEAKER, DR. KATHERINE CLARK.
KATHERINE CLARK, DR. KATHERINE CLARK TO BE FOLLOWED BY JOJO WILLIAMS. MY NAME IS DR. CATHERINE CLARK, AKA CATHERINE, HUMBLE.
I AM ALSO KNOWN AS CRAZY CRYING.
CATHERINE, MY FIRST AND MOST IMPORTANT STATEMENT THAT I'M GOING TO MAKE IS THAT THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN SUFFERS VIOLENCE AND THE VIOLENT, WE MUST TAKE IT BY FORCE.
I AM A SEX HUMAN TRAFFICKING VICTIM IN HOUSTON, TEXAS, HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT.
JOHN WHITMEYER KNOWS EXACTLY WHO I AM.
HE KNOWS EXACTLY WHO I AM, AND I'M EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED THAT HE WALKED OUT OF HERE BECAUSE HE, BECAUSE HE STATES HE HAD A MEETING.
HOUSTON IS NUMBER ONE IN THE NATION FOR SEX TRAFFICKING.
CONGRESSWOMAN SHEILA JACKSON LEE CONSPIRED WITH BISHOP ATTORNEY FRANK, A RUSH IN A MULTITUDE OF OTHER INDIVIDUALS.
AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON SOLD ME TO HIS EXCELLENCY AMBASSADOR, JONATHAN ODA, WHO I CALL A NIGERIAN ROACH FROM THE DELTA STATE, HE IS THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED PEACE AND GOVERNANCE COUNCIL AND FOUNDER OF CITY LIGHTS.
A NEXT GENERATION AI TECHNOLOGY AF IN MAY OF 2024.
CITY LIGHTS PUT ME IN THE DARK BY COMPLETELY ERASING ME FROM SOCIAL MEDIA.
I HAD BEEN ACTIVE ON FACEBOOK FOR OVER 14 YEARS TO MY ADVANTAGE.
I HAD TWO CELL PHONES IMMEDIATELY MY SIXTH SENSE KICKED IN, AND I PLACED BOTH PHONES IN A FARADAY BAG.
AFTER BEING IN THE DARK FOR THREE DAYS, I REALIZED WHAT WAS TRANSPIRING.
WALKED ABOUT THREE BLOCKS AND CREATED A NEW FACEBOOK ACCOUNT.
IMMEDIATELY I CRIED OUT TO HELP VIA SOCIAL MEDIA.
MAY 25TH, 2024, I CRIED OUT FOR HELP TO THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE WITH ABSOLUTELY NO RESPONSE.
IN JUNE, 2024, I BECAME A COMPLETE PEST TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON, INITIATING JUNE AS INTERNATIONAL WORSHIP MONTH AND NOT NATIONAL PRIDE MONTH, AND INITIATED HASHTAG ARC COVENANT PRIDE REPRESENTING THE ARC OF THE COVENANT AND NOT GAY PRIDE.
IN ADDITION, BECAUSE I WAS IN THE KNOW OF HIS EXCELLENCY AND HOUSTON, TEXAS DONKEYS CONSPIRING TO TRAFFIC ME HASHTAG TRUMP AND HOUSTON AND HASHTAG FETUS KILLER KAMALA WERE BIRTHED.
SUBSEQUENTLY, IT IS SUBSEQUENTLY, THERE IS AN ARRAY OF INDIVIDUALS AND ENTITIES AWARE OF MY EXTREME CIRCUMSTANCES AND CHOOSE TO SIT BACK AND WATCH AND SEE HOW THIS PLAYS OUT.
CAN I FINISH? PLEASE GO AHEAD AND WRAP IT UP.
2024 IN JULY OF 2024, GLISA 2024, WHICH IS A GLOBAL LEADERSHIP INVESTMENT SUMMIT AND AWARDS TOOK PLACE IN LEAGUE CITY JULY 28TH THROUGH THE 31ST, WHERE HIS EXCELLENCY AMBASSADOR WAS PRESENTED WITH A LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT PRESIDENTIAL AWARD FROM JOE BIDEN AND ALSO KAMALA HARRIS.
NOT TO LEAVE OUT THAT SHEILA JACKSON, LEE HOUSTON, TEXAS MASTERMIND SEX TRAFFICKER DIED AT THE END OF JULY.
SORRY, NOT SORRY FOR THE SPIRITUAL CONSEQUENCES OF OUR ACTIONS AFTER CAUSING SO MUCH TROUBLE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AND AN ATTEMPT ON MY LIFE, I WAS MOVED TO FORT WORTH, TEXAS AND SENT TO A MENTAL INSTITUTE FOR APPROXIMATELY NINE DAYS AFTER BEING DISAPPOINTED, LIED ON SEVERAL TIMES BY PERSONS WHO WERE ALSO TO BLAME.
AT THAT TIME, I WAS TOLD TO LEAVE THE HOSPITAL AND FIND MYSELF IN SO MANY WORDS.
FROM SEPTEMBER TO NOVEMBER, PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP WAS
[02:15:01]
IN VIGOROUS NEGOTIATIONS WITH HIS EXCELLENCY CONCERNING ME AND MY EXIT FROM THE CITY OF HOUSTON.AS ARE BEING DONE IN SECRET, CURRENTLY DUE TO THE CITY LIGHT'S, NEXT GENERATION, GEORGE JETSON CARTOON, AI CLARK THE ENEMY COMES TO KILL, STEAL, AND DESTROY AND MANIPULATE BY DR. CLARK.
WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA ASK YOU TO, TO GO AHEAD AND, AND GET TO YOUR LAST SENTENCE, DR. CLARK.
I, THE HOUSTON WILL PAY AND ALL INVOLVED PARTIES BEFORE AND AFTER THE FACT ARE TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE AND RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR PARTICIPATION IN ANY FASHION.
AS FAR AS ME BEING SEX TRAFFICKED IN THIS CITY AND THIS BEING CITY, BEING NUMBER ONE IN THIS NATION, SOMEBODY NEEDS TO HEAR ME.
I WANT SOMEBODY TO HEAR MY VOICE AND SOMEBODY NEEDS TO FIND OUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN REGARDS TO SEX TRAFFICKING AS FAR AS I AM CONCERNED.
I KNOW THAT WAS DIFFICULT FOR YOU TO SHARE YOUR STORY.
JOJO WILLIAMS. I'M GOING TO MARK THIS NOT A QUESTION FOR ME FROM ANYBODY IN REGARDS TO WHAT'S GOING ON.
WE'RE GONNA TALK TO YOU WHEN THIS IS OVER.
AND I'M TELLING YOU, HOUSTON IS NUMBER ONE IN THE COUNTRY FOR SEX TRAFFICKING.
AND Y'ALL ARE LOOKING AT SOME NEXT GENERATION SEX TRAFFICKING GOING ON IN THIS CITY.
OIL AND GAS CITY, IN ADDITION TO THIS CITY HAS MASSIVE HOUSTON IS TE TECHNOLOGY.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
JOJO WILLIAMS, JOJO WILLIAMS, JOJO WILLIAMS, KEITH HENRY, KEITH HENRY, KEITH HENRY ALFONSO SMITH, JR.
NEXT SPEAKER, MAJOR RANDY ABRAMS, MAJOR RANDY ABRAMS. NEXT SPEAKER, DARRELL HARPER.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, MARISSA.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.
I'M MARISA DOHERTY WITH THE NORTH SHEPHERD DISTRICT.
I LIVE AND WORK IN DISTRICT H AND I HAVE ONE MINUTE, SO I'LL MAKE IT QUICK.
BARK HAD OVER 21,000 ANIMAL INTAKES IN 2024, AND IT'S LIKELY THAT NUMBER WILL RISE THIS YEAR WHILE HOUSTON ADDRESSES OUR COMMUNITY SAFETY ISSUES.
HOUSTONIANS NEED HELP NOW AND BARK IS WORKING WITH LIMITED RESOURCES.
THE PROPOSAL TO TURN BARK INTO A LOCAL GOVERNMENT CORPORATION IS AN INNOVATIVE SOLUTION, AND HOUSTON'S CHALLENGES WILL ONLY GROW THE LONGER WE WAIT.
KANSAS CITY CONVERTED THEIR ANIMAL SHELTER INTO AN LGC IN 2011, BUT BASED CHALLENGES BECAUSE BOTH THE SHELTER AND ANIMAL CONTROL WERE MANAGED BY THE SAME NO KILL IDEOLOGY LGC BOARD.
THIS CONFLICT OF INTERESTS AND IDEOLOGIES DID NOT SERVE KANSAS CITY RESIDENTS.
BUT I BELIEVE HOUSTON CAN IMPROVE UPON KANSAS CITY'S ATTEMPTS.
PLEASE ALLOW THE BARK LGC PROPOSAL TO MOVE FORWARD.
SO OUR CITY SHELTER IS BETTER EQUIPPED TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE CITY THAT DESPERATELY NEEDS OUR HELP.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS AND FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
NEXT SPEAKER, BERNADETTE KIKI.
THAT COMPLETES THE LIST OF SPEAKERS.
COUNCIL, WE, IT LOOKS LIKE SOMEBODY WALKED IN.
MA'AM, ARE YOU ON THE SPEAKER'S LIST? I SUPPOSED, BUT I'M NOT.
CAN SOMEBODY MOVE, MAKE A MOTION TO ADD DANIELLE? SHE'S ON THE LIST.
WE, WE MIGHT HAVE CALLED YOU WHILE YOU WERE OUT, DANIELLE.
SHE'S AFTER MAJOR RANDY ABRAMS. GO AHEAD, DANIELLE.
OKAY, SO WHAT INSPIRED ME TO COME HERE TODAY IS, UM, THE HARRIS PETS OR HARRIS COUNTY PETS, UH, ANIMAL SHELTER.
I ORDER, UH, UH, SHE ON YOUR LIST.
TIM, CAN YOU MOVE, MOVE TO, UH, MOVE TO ADD.
DANIELLE, WHAT'S YOUR NAME? RIVERA.
RIVERA AT THE END OF THE AGENDA.
ANY OBJECTION AS FOR NONE? UM, ALL IN FAVOR? ANY OPPOSED? I PASS.
UM, SO WHAT INSPIRED ME TO COME HERE TODAY IS THE HARRIS, UH, COUNTY PETS ANIMAL SHELTER.
[02:20:02]
UM, AND WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE IS THAT THEY HAVE A LOT OF THE SAME ISSUES AS BARR HAS.THEY HAVE BEEN, UM, EXTRAORDINARILY OVERCROWDED AND OVERPOPULATED SINCE 2000.
UM, WELL, THE, UH, IT, ACCORDING TO THEIR WEBSITE, IT'S BEEN SINCE 2023, BUT I'M SURE IT'S BEEN PRIOR TO AS WELL.
UM, AND THEIR EUTHANASIA RATES HAVE BEEN CONSISTENTLY EX EXTREMELY HIGH.
AND THAT'S UNFORTUNATELY WHERE EVERYBODY'S TAX MONEY IS GOING, AND IT SEEMS JUST LIKE AN ENDLESS CYCLE.
AND THERE ARE STILL STRAY ANIMALS EVERYWHERE, ALL OVER HOUSTON.
STARVING, INJURED, SUFFERING FROM PREVENTABLE DISEASES.
UM, WHAT ASTOUNDED ME WAS I HAD SEEN IN 2022 THAT THERE WAS A CASE OF A, A CHILD THAT HAD RABIES THAT THAT SHOULD NOT BE NOT HERE.
AND SO I'M REALLY HOPING THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT SOMETHING CAN BE DONE FOR THE SHELTERS, ESPECIALLY, UH, HARRIS PETS BECAUSE IT'S NOT A WELL-KNOWN SHELTER.
SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE EXTREMELY HIGH OVERCROWDED ON TOP OF THE FACT THAT THEY'RE NOT A WELL-KNOWN SHELTER.
I'VE SEEN THE BILLBOARDS, BUT AS ANYTIME I BRING IT UP TO ANYBODY ELSE, ESPECIALLY ON REDDIT WHERE I FREQUENT TO TRY TO HELP AND RESCUE THESE DOGS, NOBODY EVEN KNOWS WHAT IT IS.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, THANKS FOR COMING.
UM, MARCH 17TH WILL BE TALKING ABOUT BARK AND I'VE ALWAYS SAID THAT THE CITY AND COUNTY SHOULD KIND OF MERGE THESE ACTIVITIES.
UM, THEY'VE GOT A SHELTER, WE'VE GOT MONEY AND A BOND FOR A NEW SHELTER.
I MEAN, IT'S JUST, IT'S SOMETHING I THINK THAT WE COULD END UP OPERATING MORE EFFICIENTLY AND IN A BETTER WAY.
BUT LOTS OF DISCUSSION ON BARC ON MARCH 17TH AT 10:00 AM I HOPE, UM, YOU CAN COME JOIN US THEN.
WHAT ABOUT HARRIS PETS THOUGH? HARRIS PETS? IS THAT THE SAME? IS THAT THE COUNTY SHELTER? SEE WHAT I MEAN? WHAT'S HARRIS PETS? NO, IT'S, IT'S OFF CANINO ROAD.
NO, THAT'S BARK BARK'S ON CANINO ROAD.
ISN'T IT? WAIT, WAIT, WHAT'S WHAT STREET? NO, NO.
HARRIS COUNTY PETS THING IS ON CANINO HARRIS COUNTY BECAUSE I'VE BEEN THERE.
WHAT'S THE NAME OF THE STREET THAT BARKS ON? CAR, CAR, CAR.
WE GOT A LOT OF WORK TO DO AND, AND I, I, I MEAN MERGE 'EM.
WELL HOPE TO SEE YOU AT THE MEETING ON THE 17TH.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
[RECESS]
MEMBERS, WE STAND IN RECESS UNTIL TOMORROW MORNING AT 9:00 AMITEM ONE IS A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE PROPOSAL TO USE APPROXIMATELY 0.0390 ACRES OF WAGNER PARK FOR A 20 FOOT WIDE UTILITY CORRIDOR FOR STORM SEWER INFRASTRUCTURE.
ITEM TWO, REQUEST FROM MAYOR FOR CONFIRMATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF JOHN LEWIS JR.
TO POSITION ONE OF THE BOARD OF PILOT COMMISSIONERS FOR HARRIS COUNTY PORTS.
ITEM THREE, RECOMMENDATION FROM DIRECTOR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS FOR APPROVAL OF FINAL CONTRACT AMOUNT AND ACCEPTANCE OF WORK ON CONTRACT WITH FIVE COMPANIES.
ITEM FOUR, RECOMMENDATION FROM DIRECTOR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS FOR APPROVAL OF FINAL CONTRACTOR MOUNT AND ACCEPTANCE OF WORK ON CONTRACT WITH CENTER GROVE OF TEXAS CDR INC.
ITEM FIVE, RECOMMENDATION FROM DIRECTOR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS, EXCUSE ME, FOR APPROVAL OF FINAL CONTRACT AMOUNT AND ACCEPT TO WORK ON CONTRACT WITH GROVE LLC ADAM SIX.
RECOMMENDATION FROM HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS FOR APPROVAL OF FINAL CONTRACT AMOUNT AND ACCEPTANCE TO WORK ON CONTRACT WITH CSA CONSTRUCTION INC.
ADAM SEVEN MIDWEST EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURING INC.
TO FURNISH A MOBILE HYDRAULIC HAMMER.
ITEM EIGHT, BRUSH TRUCK CENTERS OF TEXAS LP DBA BRUSH TRUCK CENTER FOR PETERBILT TRUCK REPLACEMENT PARTS AND REPAIR SERVICES.
ITEM NINE, APPROVED PRINTING AUTHORITY FOR PURCHASE OF VARIOUS FURNITURE PRODUCTS THROUGH THE BUYBOARD CORPORATE PURCHASING CONTRACT SUPPLY AFMA INC.
I ATTENDED POOL SPENDING AUTHORITY FOR RENEWAL OF APPLICATION AND SOFTWARE SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES FOR THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF HOMELAND SECURITY THROUGH THE OMNIA PARTNERS
[02:25:01]
CORPORATE PURCHASING PROGRAM.SUPPLIER CDW GOVERNMENT LLC ITEM 11 APPROVED SPREADING AUTHORITY FOR PURCHASE OF SPECIALIZED ADVANCED LAW ENFORCEMENT.
RAPID RESPONSE TRAINING ALERT KITS THROUGH THE BY BOARD PURCHASING COOPERED SUPPLY OF FAR WEST ENVIRONMENTAL SUPPLY INC.
ITEM 12 APPROVED SPENDING AUTHORITY FOR PURCHASE OF HELICOPTER INSPECTION, SERVICE MAINTENANCE REPAIRS AND PARTS THROUGH FROM THE SOLE SOURCE SUPPLY.
MD HELICOPTERS LLC ITEM 13:00 AM G SUPPLY INC.
FOR PURCHASE OF BANDING TOOLS.
ITEM 14, COBURN SUPPLY COMPANY INC.
AND FERGUSON ENTERPRISES LLC TO FURNISH FIRE HYDRANT PARTS AND TOOLS.
ITEM 15, CONSOLIDATED TRAFFIC CONTROLS INC.
FOR PURCHASE OF TRAFFIC CONTROL EQUIPMENT.
ITEM 16 APPROVED SPRINTING AUTHORITY FOR PURCHASE OF RAYMAN CAGE MILL FLASH DRYER PARTS FROM ION PROCESS SOLUTIONS LLC ITEM 17, FISHER SCIENTIFIC COMPANY LLC FOR A IONIX ION CHROMATOGRAPHY SYSTEM THROUGH THE OMNIA PARTNERS CORPORATE PURCHASING PROGRAM.
ITEM 18, KINETIC MOTOR WORKS LLC FOR CHEMICAL TANK DECONTAMINATION REMOVAL AND DISPOSAL.
ITEM 19, AMEND MOTION 20 24 25 TO EXTEND AWARD AND TO INCREASE RENTING AUTHORITY FOR PURCHASE OF CAUSTIC SODA CHEMICAL.
AWARDED TWO UNIVAR SOLUTIONS, USA INC.
ITEM 2021 AND 22 HAVE BEEN PULLED AND WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.
ITEM 23, ORDINANCE APPRO AND AUTHORIZING SUBMISSION OF SUBSTANTIAL AMENDMENT TO 2020 ANNUAL ACTION PLAN 2021 ANNUAL ACTION PLAN 2022 ANNUAL ACTION PLAN AND 2024 ANNUAL ACTION PLAN TO THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT.
ITEM 24 ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING SECOND AMENDMENT TO LOAN AGREEMENT BETWEEN CD, HOUSTON AND HOUSTON.
JOINED BY ROBINS LANDING LLC ITEM 25 ORDINANCE DECLARING SURPLUS AND AUTHORIZING PURCHASE AND SALE AGREEMENT BETWEEN CD HOUSTON, TEXAS SELLER AND NE FAMILY INVESTMENTS.
ACCORDING APPROPRIATING, $12 MILLION AND NO CENTS OUT OF AIRPORTS RENEWAL AND REPLACEMENT FUND AND APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING FIVE JOB ORDER CONTRACTS BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND BROWN AND ROOT INDUSTRIAL SERVICES.
LLC HORIZON INTERNATIONAL GROUP LLC JAMIL AND SMID CONSTRUCTION, LP INDY CONSTRUCTION PARTNERS LLC AND SDB INC.
D-B-A-S-D-B CONTRACTING SERVICES INC.
ITEM 27 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND HOLLAND AND KNIGHT LLP FOR BOND COUNCIL SERVICES.
ITEM 28 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING CONTRACT BETWEEN C OF FUTURE AND DENALI WATER SOLUTIONS LLC ITEM 29 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING CONTRACT WITH FH ARC ABATEMENT LLC ITEM 30 ORDINANCE APPROV WE AND AUTHORIZING CONTRACT WITH THE O DOTTY HOLDING LLC ITEM 31 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING SUBMISSION OF APPLICATION TO HARRIS COUNTY PRECINCT TWO FOR THE IN GRANDO PARK REVITALIZATION PROJECT ITEM 32 ORDINANCE CONSENTING TO THE ADDITION OF 7.0542 ACRES OF LAND TO NORTHWEST HARRIS COUNTY MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT NUMBER 15.
ITEM 33 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $88,000 AND NO CENTS.
ITEM METRO PROJECTS CONSTRUCTION D-D-S-R-F FUND APPROVING AN AUTHORIZING REIMBURSEMENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN CEDAR HOUSTON AND UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD COMPANY.
ITEM 34 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $210,630 AND OH CENTS OUT OF DEDICATED DRAINAGE AND STREET RENEWAL CAPITAL FUND ADD TAX FOR ADVANCED FUNDING AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION.
ITEM 35 ORDINANCE APPRO AND AUTHORIZING ADVANCED FUNDING AGREEMENT FOR HIGHWAY SAFETY IMPROVEMENT PROJECT.
OFF SYSTEM PROJECT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION FOR WARD DRIVE AND HEIGHTS BOULEVARD AT FIGAN STREET ELDRIDGE PARKWAY AT DAIRY ASHFORD ROAD AND NORTH MCGREGOR WAY AND SOUTH MCGREGOR WAY EAST OF SOUTH STATE HIGHWAY 2 88 LOCATIONS.
ITEM 36 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $158,235 AND NO CENTS OUT OF DEDICATED DRAINAGE OF STREET RENEWAL CAPITAL FUND VALOR TAX FOR AN ADVANCED FUNDING AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION.
ITEM 37 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING ADVANCED FUNDING AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION FOR HIGHWAY SAFETY IMPROVEMENT PROJECT ITEM 38 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING JOINT PARTICIPATION IN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT AMONG CITY OF HOUSTON AND TEXAS, HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS AND CITY PARK REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY.
ITEM 39 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING ONE HUNDRED SIXTY FOUR THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED TEN THOUSAND TEN CENTS.
ITEM METRO PROJECTS CONSTRUCTION, D-D-S-R-F APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING AND LOCAL AGREEMENT FOR MILITARY SERVICE, MOBILITY AND SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS BY IN BETWEEN CITY
[02:30:01]
OF HOUSTON, TEXAS AND LEADING WOODS REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY.ITEM 40 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING 1,100,000 AND NO CENTS NOW DOLLARS AND NO CENTS OUTTA METRO PROJECTS CONSTRUCTION D-D-S-R-F AND APPROVING PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN CEDAR OF HOUSTON AND ALLY GENERAL SOLUTIONS LLC ITEM 41 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $300,000 AND OH CENTS OUT OF DEDICATED DRAINAGE AND STREET RENEWAL CAPITAL FUND CHARGE AND $800,000 AND OH CENTS OUT OF METRO PROJECTS CONSTRUCTION D-D-S-R-F APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND WALTER P. MOORE AND ASSOCIATES INC.
ITEM 42 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $525,570 AND 51 CENTS OUTTA WATER AND SEWER SYSTEM.
CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND W-S-P-U-S-A INC.
ITEM 43 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $118,627 AND 69 CENTS.
ITEM WATER AND SEW SYSTEM, CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND AS ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATION TO PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND ARCADE US INC.
ITEM 44 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $52,500 AND NO CENTS OUTTA WATER THROUGH SYSTEM CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND, PROVING AND AUTHORIZING CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT AND INSPECTION SERVICES.
CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF FE AND KCI TECHNOLOGIES INC, EXCUSE ME.
ITEM 45 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATED $9,992,467 AND 23 CENTS AT A DEDICATED DRAINAGE AND STREET RENEWAL CAPITAL FUND AT VALOREM TAX AWARD AND CONTRACTED GRAVEL LLC ITEM 46 ORDINANCE GRANTING TO CITY WASTE LPA TEXAS LIMITED PARTNERSHIP, 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.
ALL THE REST OF THESE ARE FIRST READING ORDINANCE GRANTING TO CLEAN WAVE SOLUTIONS.
IT TAKES LIMITED TO LIABILITY COMPANY ITEM 48, ORDINANCE GRANT TO CPM VAN VTECH, LLC.
IT TAKES LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY.
ITEM 49 ORDINANCE GRANTING TO CTJ VACUUM SERVICE LLC.
IT TAKES LIMITED TO LIABILITY COMPANY ITEM 50 ORDINANCE GRANTED TO DATE THE FOG LLCA TEXAS LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY.
ITEM 51 ORDINANCE GRANTED TO DANIEL WAYNE HOLDEN, D-B-A-M-R, PUMPER SEWER SERVICE.
A TEXAS LI A TEXAS SOLE PROPRIETORSHIP AND ITEM 52 ORDINANCE GRANTED TO DTK FACILITY SERVICES, LLC TEXAS LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY.
THIS IS THE END OF THE CONSENT AGENDA UNDER THE MATTERS HEALTH CATEGORY.
ITEM 53, ORDINANCE OF APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING
THIS WAS TAB BY COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ.
THIS WAS ITEM 42 ON AGENDA OF FEBRUARY THE 26TH, 2025.
THIS COMPLETES THE READING OF THE AGENDA FOR THE WEEK MARCH 4TH AND FIFTH, 2025.
STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT SESSION OF HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL.
SCHEDULED TO BEGIN AT 9:00 AM IN THE WORDS OF OUR CURRENT CITY SECRETARY PAT JEFFERSON.
DANIEL, I'D LIKE TO LEAVE YOU WITH THIS.
ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS TREAT EVERYONE THE WAY YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE TREATED.
HAVE A BLESSED AND FANTABULOUS DAY.
[RECONVENE]
COME TO ORDER.IT'S MY DUTY AS THE, UH, MAYOR TO CONFIRM THAT CONGRESSMAN, UH, SYLVESTER TURNER, OUR FORMER MAYOR, STATE REPRESENTATIVE FOR 24 YEARS PASSED AWAY LAST NIGHT.
HE WAS WORKING IN WASHINGTON AND, UH, WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL AND HE PASSED.
I'VE ASKED, UH, FLAGS AT CITY HALL, ALL CITY BUILDINGS AND ENCOURAGED FLAGS ACROSS HOUSTON TO BE LOWERED HALF MASSED.
THIS COMES AS A SHOCK TO EVERYONE.
I WOULD ASK HOUSTONIANS TO COME TOGETHER, PRAY FOR HIS FAMILY, JOIN US IN CELEBRATING THIS REMARKABLE PUBLIC SERVANT, CELEBRATE HIS LIFE, WHICH WE WILL BE DOING.
YOU KNOW, NOT MANY PEOPLE KNOW HOW CLOSE SYLVESTER I WAS.
UH, I WAS IN THE SENATE 40 YEARS.
HE WAS A STATE REPRESENTATIVE IN MY DISTRICT FOR 24.
[02:35:01]
NO ONE'S INTRODUCED ME MORE IN PUBLIC THAN SYLVESTER TURNER.NO ONE'S INTRODUCED HIM MORE IN PUBLIC THAN JOHN WHITMEYER.
WE'VE BEEN TOGETHER IN GOOD TIMES AND BAD TIMES.
HE ASKED ME TO SPEAK AT HIS MOTHER'S FUNERAL.
I WAS THERE WHEN ASHLEY WAS BORN.
HE WAS THERE WHEN WHITNEY AND SARAH WERE BORN AS RECENTLY AS TWO WEEKS AGO.
WE WERE TOGETHER AS FRIENDS, AS PUBLIC SERVANTS INSTALLING FM WILLIAMS II IN AKER'S HOME WEEK AGO SUNDAY.
WE MADE SURE THAT WE WERE BOTH IN THE SAME PICTURE WITH THE FAMILY.
WE HAD TREMENDOUS INFLUENCE ON EACH OTHER AS WE WERE YOUNG ELECTED OFFICIALS.
WE LOVED TEXAS AND THIS GREAT COUNTRY.
AND THE REASON NO ONE KNOWS HOW CLOSE WE ARE IS THE MEAN POLITICS OF OUR SYSTEM.
WE NEVER TOOK OUR DISAGREEMENTS PERSONALLY.
I'D RUN OVER TO THE HOUSE 'CAUSE HE WAS SUCH A GOOD OF STATE REPRESENTATIVE AND HE WAS ALWAYS ON THE CONFERENCE COMMITTEE.
THAT'S FIVE INDIVIDUALS OUTTA THE HOUSE THAT WRITE THE FINAL VERSION OF THE STATE BUDGET.
AND I WAS A LONGEST SERVING SENATOR, BUT I NEEDED SOME ITEMS IN THE BUDGET AND I KNEW WHERE TO GO AND IT WAS USUALLY ACCOMPLISHED.
SO I'VE LOST A, A PERSONAL FRIEND ADVISOR AND WE'VE LOST AN OUTSTANDING PUBLIC OFFICIAL EXPERIENCE MATTERS FOLKS.
NO ONE WILL BE ABLE TO STEP INTO SYLVESTER'S SHOES AND CARRY ON HIS DUTIES BECAUSE THERE'S ONLY ONE SYLVESTER TURNER GROWING UP, GROWING UP IN AKER'S HOME IN POVERTY, HE WAS SO PROUD OF HIS FAMILY.
HIS MOTHER BEING A HOUSEKEEPER AT THE RICE HOTEL, HIS FATHER A LABORER TWO BEDROOM APARTMENT, UH, HOUSE.
SO I'M GONNA ASK COUNSEL TO RECESS FOR AN HOUR TO GIVE US ALL AN OPPORTUNITY TO REFLECT, BUT IT JUST SHOWS HOW VULNERABLE LIFE IS.
AND AS WE WORK TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF HOUSTONIANS, LET'S REMEMBER THAT WE NEED TO HUG PEOPLE WE LOVE AND RESPECT, THANK THEM ON A REGULAR BASIS, COME TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY.
BUT SYLVESTER TURNER IS A REMARKABLE PUBLIC SERVANT THAT IS IMPACTED, QUITE FRANKLY, MILLIONS OF PEOPLE.
HE ROSE FROM POVERTY TO MEET WITH PRESIDENTS AND KINGS AND QUEENS.
BUT HERE'S WHAT I WANT EVERYBODY TO REMEMBER.
HE NEVER FORGOT WHERE HE CAME FROM.
YOU KNOW, HE WAS VALEDICTORIAN AT KLEIN.
24 YEARS IN THE STATE HOUSE AID AS MAYOR CONGRESS, AND HE WAS A PUBLIC SERVANT RIGHT UP TILL HE TOOK HIS LAST BREATH.
SO IT'S A PERSONAL LOSS FOR ME.
AND, UH, I JUST HOPE WE'LL ALL COME TOGETHER, REALIZE WE HAVE SO MUCH MORE IN COMMON THAN WE DO WITH OUR DIFFERENCES.
BUT, UM, I HAD TO CONSIDER WHETHER WE CONDUCT CITY BUSINESS TODAY IN CONSULTATION WITH SYLVESTER'S FAMILY AND HIS TEAM.
THEY SAID, MAYOR, HE WOULD WANT YOU TO CONDUCT THE CITY'S BUSINESS TODAY BECAUSE HE CARES THAT MUCH ABOUT HOUSTONIANS.
SO I, UH, I'M GOING TO ASK COUNCIL TO STAND AND RECESS FOR AN HOUR TO ALLOW
[02:40:01]
EVERYONE TO GATHER THEIR THOUGHTS.WE'LL COME BACK, HAVE A SHORT AGENDA.
WE'LL BE IN CONTACT WITH FAMILY AND SYLVESTER'S TEAM MEMBERS TO SEE HOW THEY WOULD RECOMMEND PROCEEDING.
BUT IT'S A TERRIBLE LOSS FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
IT'S, IT'S A PERSONAL LOSS FOR ME.
HE SAW HIM SATURDAY AT THE RODEO, BRADEN.
UH, WE WERE FRIENDS ADVISORS ONE ANOTHER.
I'D LIKE TO THINK I WAS THE FACE OF HIS CAMPAIGN THE FIRST TIME HE RAN.
CERTAINLY HAD THE HONOR OF INTRODUCING HIM ON ELECTION NIGHT.
AND HE AND I ALWAYS KNEW WHERE WE STOOD.
IT WAS THE MEAN POLITICAL CONSULTANTS,
I AM GRIEVING WITH EVERYONE TODAY AND I WOULD ASK HOUSTONIANS TO, UH, TO CELEBRATE HIS LIFE.
BUT LET'S NOT FORGET BECAUSE HE DEFINITELY IS A ROLE MODEL FOR SO MANY, SO MANY YOUNG PEOPLE ACROSS THIS CITY.
JUST LOOK WHERE HE, THE CHALLENGES HE HAD.
BUT, UH, I WILL, I WILL MISS HEARING HIS ORATORY.
IN FACT,
HE WILL BRING OUT THE BEST IN YOU IN PUBLIC SERVICE.
I'M GONNA ASK, UH, REVEREND DAVIS, DO YOU WANT TO CLOSE BEFORE WE RECESS IN A MOMENT OF, OF, OF PRAYER AND UH, YES MA'AM.
HEAVENLY FATHER, WE THANK YOU FOR FIRST LIFE, THE LIVE LIFE.
WE ALL HAVE THE PRIVILEGE TODAY TO SPEAK, TO MOVE, TO TALK THE MAIN MAINLY TOGETHER.
THIS IS A VERY SAD MOMENT FOR FRANKLY OUR NATION.
OUR STATE, OUR CITY, ITS COUNTY, THE LOST SURVIVOR, BELOVED BROTHER CONGRESSMAN MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER.
WE PRAY FOR STRENGTH FOR ALL OF US.
OUR HEARTS ARE BOTHERED AND HURT, BUT WE KNOW AS A SCRIPTURE TEACHES US JOY COMETH IN THE MORNING.
WE THANK YOU FOR THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF OUR MAYOR, OF HIS FRIEND AND BROTHER.
WE PRAY FOR OUR COLLEAGUES AND ALL OF THOSE WHO SERVE IN RELATIONSHIP TO MAYOR TURNER DURING HIS TIME OF SERVICE TO THIS CITY.
WE PRAY NOW, GOD, THAT YOU WILL STRENGTHEN US FOR THE REST OF THIS DAY THAT WE HAVE, BUT THAT WE WILL LAY ASIDE EVERY WEIGHT, WHETHER IT BE PHYSICAL WEIGHT OR POLITICAL WEIGHT.
LAY IT ALL ASIDE, PUT ALL OF OUR DIFFERENCES AND EVEN THOSE THINGS THAT WE MAY NOT ALWAYS AGREE ON.
BUT TODAY IT'S ABOUT A SERVANT WHO SERVED US WELL.
WE PRAY OUR STRENGTH FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON AS WE GO THROUGH THIS TIME OF GRIEVING WILL BE SO KIND AND CAREFUL TO GIVE YOU THE PRAISE, THE HONOR AND THE GLORY.
IN JESUS CHRIST'S NAME WE PRAY.
WE STAY IN RECESS AT 10 O'CLOCK.
COUNSEL, PLEASE COME TO ORDER.
[1.
9:00 A.M. PUBLIC HEARING on the proposal to use approximately 0.0390 acre (1,701 square feet) of Wagner Park for a 20’ wide utility corridor for storm sewer infrastructure, Parcel No. VY22-005 - DISTRICT C - KAMIN
]ITEM ONE IS A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE WAGNER PARK.MADAM SECRETARY, WILL YOU PLEASE CALL UP ITEM ONE.
ITEM ONE IS A PUBLIC HEARING OF WAGNER PARK.
WE HAVE SAM HABIBI FROM PUBLIC WORKS AND DEPUTY DIRECTOR MICHAEL EVANS FROM PARKS HERE TO PRESENT.
GENTLEMEN, IF YOU'LL COME FORWARD.
[02:45:01]
MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL HOUSTON PARK PUBLIC WORKS IS REQUESTING TO USE APPROXIMATELY 1,701 SQUARE FEET OF WAGNER PARK FOR A 20 FEET WIDE UTILITY CORRIDOR TO INSTALL A CONNECTION OF 24 INCHES STORM PIPE FROM THE DEAD END OF HUNTINGTON STREET TO CONNECT TO WAGNER STREET.THE PROJECT WOULD CONNECT WAGNER STREET AND EAST STREET MAIN TRUNK LINE INTO HICK STREET AND PROVIDE MUCH NEEDED DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS AND HELP TO ELIMINATE PONDING IN THE AREA.
SECTION 26 0 0 1 OF TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE CODE PROVIDES THAT A CITY MAY NOT APPROVE ANY PROGRAM OR PROJECT THAT REQUIRES THE USE OR TAKING OF LAND DESIGNATED AND USED AS PARKLAND.
UNLESS AFTER NOTICE AND PUBLIC HEARING, ITS GOVERNING BODY DETERMINES THAT FIRST OF ALL, THERE IS NO FEASIBLE AND PRUDENT ALTERNATIVE TO THE USE OR TAKING OF THE PARKLAND.
AND SECOND, THE PROGRAM OR PROJECT INCLUDES ALL REASONABLE PLANNING TO MINIMIZE HARM TO THE PARKLAND.
THE ALTERNATIVE WOULD BE TO REDIRECT THIS FLOW INTO THE CENTER STREET SYSTEM.
HOWEVER, THIS WOULD NOT BE PRUDENT OR FEASIBLE SINCE IT WOULD CHANGE THE EXISTING DRAINAGE PATTERN.
AND THE FULL LINE AT THE DRAINAGE SYSTEM IN WAGNER STREET ALSO DOES NOT COME ACCOMMODATE THE REROUTE OF THE FULL LINE INTO THE SYSTEM.
THIS SOME PUBLIC WORKS AND THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT HAVE WORKED TOGETHER TO ENSURE THAT THE PROJECT HAS A MINIMAL IMPACT ON THE PARK.
THE STORM SEWER INFRASTRUCTURE WOULD NOT IMPACT ANY TREES IN WAGNER PARK.
ANY DISTURBED SURFACES WITH THE PARK FROM THE USE OF THE 20 FOOT WIDE UTILITY CORRIDOR WOULD BE RESTORED TO ITS ORIGINAL CONDITION OR BETTER, SUCH AS ANY IMPACTED TURF SERVICES, UH, TREES, FENCES, OR ANY OTHER PERS WITHIN THE PARK SITE.
CASTRATION MUST BE INSPECTED AND APPROVED BY THE PARKS DEPARTMENT.
THE STORM SEW INFRASTRUCTURE WOULD NOT IMPAIR THE FUNCTION OF WAGNER PARK AS A WHOLE AND WOULD HAVE MINIMAL IMPACT ON THE CONTINUOUS USE OF THE SURFACE OF THE PARK.
AT A LATER DATE, UH, CITY COUNCIL WILL BE ASKED TO CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE MAKING THE FINDINGS NECESSARY FOR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS TO USE A PORTION OF THE PARK FOR THE PROJECT.
WE CURRENTLY ASK FOR YOUR SUPPORT ON THIS PROJECT.
I'M DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOR PARKS AND RECREATION FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
UH, THE CITY OF HOUSTON ACQUIRED WAGNER PARK IN 2015.
THE PARK IS LOCATED AT 1406 WAGNER STREET, UH, IN HOUSTON AND CONSISTS OF APPROXIMATELY 0.611 ACRES OF GREEN SPACE WITH AMENITIES SUCH AS BENCHES, BIKE RACKS, GRILL PICNIC TABLES, NONE OF WHICH ARE LOCATED WITHIN THE PROPOSED UTILITY CORRIDOR.
THE PARK RE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT HAS WORKED WITH HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS TO DETERMINE THAT THEY ARE, THERE ARE NO FEASIBLE AND PROVEN ALTERNATIVE TO THE USE OF THE PORTION OF THE PARK FOR CONSTRUCTION OF THE STORM PIPE AND TO MINIMIZE THE PROJECT'S IMPACTS TO THE PARK.
THE HOUSTON PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT SUPPORTS USING A PORTION OF WAGNER PARK FOR THE PROJECT.
I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
ANY QUESTIONS? UH, COUNCILMAN KAMAN.
UH, JUST TO VERIFY WHAT'S ON THE SLIDE, UH, BECAUSE WE'LL HAVE A LOT OF RESIDENTS THAT ASK THIS, THAT ANY DISTURBANCE TO THE PARK WILL BE PUT BACK AS IS.
SO THERE'S NO LOSS OF PARK, UH, SPACE.
ONLY DURING CONSTRUCTION WILL THERE BE DISRUPTION AND THEN IT BASICALLY, IT'S LIKE THE RESIDENTS WON'T KNOW THAT THERE WAS ANYTHING PUT IN UNDER, IS THAT CORRECT? CORRECT.
DO WE HAVE A TIMELINE ON, UH, HOW LONG CONSTRUCTION WILL TAKE? WELL, UH, IT'S, UH, IT NORMALLY TAKES A FEW DAYS, BUT RIGHT NOW WHERE WE ARE, THEY'RE PRETTY MUCH DONE, SO WE DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT IT.
ANYONE ELSE? THANK YOU GENTLEMEN.
UH, WE HAVE TWO SPEAKERS THAT HAVE SIGNED UP.
MADAM SECRETARY, WOULD YOU CALL IT FIRST? THANK YOU.
[02:50:09]
GOOD MORNING MAYOR AND COUNSEL.I'M HERE AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE WAGNER PARK NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE WANTED TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE PLANS FOR THE PARK.
WE APPRECIATE THE CARE THAT'S BEING TAKEN TO ENSURE THAT THE PARK WILL BE MAINTAINED FOR THE RESIDENTS.
THIS PARK IS THE HEART OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
IT'S A COMMUNITY GATHERING SPACE AND WE APPRECIATE YOU PRIORITIZING, KEEPING IT THAT WAY.
WE HAVE YOUR INTEREST IN MIND.
UH, I WAS JUST ECHOING THE SENTIMENTS JUST EXPLAINED BY MS. BONE THAT WE TAKE YOUR, WE APPRECIATE Y'ALL'S KAREN CON CONCERN ABOUT THIS AND I'LL TO YIELD THE REST OF MY TIME.
ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO TESTIFY? SEEING NO ONE ELSE IS OR MOTION TO CLOSE THE HEARING.
CASTEX TATUM, MOVE TO CLOSE THE HEARING.
SECOND MOTIONS MADE AND SECOND TO CLOSE THE HEARING.
[CONSENT AGENDA]
MA'AM.SECRETARY, WOULD YOU PLEASE PROCEED WITH THE CONSENT AGENDA? JUST A SECOND.
UNDER THE MISCELLANEOUS CATEGORY, ITEM TWO, NEEDS OR MOTION CASTED A MOVE.
MOTION PASSES UNDER THE SEPARATE CATEGORY, ITEMS FOUR, FIVE, AND SIX HAVE BEEN REMOVED.
ITEM THREE NEEDS A MOTION CAST TATE A, MOVE.
ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES AS OPPOSED TO NAY.
MOTION PASSES UNDER THE PURCHASING TABULATION OF BIDS.
CATEGORY ITEM SEVEN THROUGH 19.
MOTIONS HAS BEEN MADE AND SECONDED.
MOTION PASSES UNDER THE ORDINANCES CATEGORY ITEMS 20, 21 AND 22 HAVE BEEN PULLED AND WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.
33 AND 42 HAVE NOT BEEN RECEIVED AND WILL BE CONSIDERED IF THEY'RE RECEIVED BEFORE THE END OF THE MEETING ITEMS REMOVED.
23, 24, 26, 35, 36, 37 AND 39 HAVE BEEN REMOVED.
NEED A VOTE ON THE BALANCE? ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES.
[CONSIDERATION OF MATTERS REMOVED FROM CONSENT AGENDA]
ITEMS REMOVED.MOTIONS HAS BEEN MADE AND SECONDED.
CAN I STATE MOVE I SECOND MOTIONS MADE.
TAGGED BY COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON JACKSON.
ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES AS OPPOSED NAY.
MOTION PASSES AND ITEM 53 IS AN ORDINANCE.
UM, I WANTED TO JUST HIGHLIGHT ON NUMBER TH 39.
UM, THAT ITEM IS A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE LELAND TURS.
UM, AND SO WE, I'M USING SOME OF THE DISTRICT SERVICE FUNDS TO, UM, GET SOME OF OUR, UM, THE CROSSWALKS AND THE INTERSECTION AND THE, UM, THE PAINTING OF THE,
[02:55:01]
THE STRIPING OF THE, UM, THE STREETS AND, UM, GETTING SOME, UM, UM, TRAFFIC LIGHTS REPAIRED AND SIGNAGE REPAIRED.AND SO, UM, I APPRECIATE THEM FOR WORKING WITH OUR OFFICE, UM, TRYING TO MOVE SOME OF THOSE PROJECTS FORWARD.
I KNOW PUBLIC WORKS IS DOING EVERYTHING THAT THEY CAN, BUT IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO BE ABLE TO PARTNER WITH, UM, OTHER ENTITIES TO HELP, UM, KIND OF EXPEDITE, UM, MUCH NEEDED PROJECT.
SO JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT.
[MATTERS HELD]
VOTE ON 53.COMPLETES THE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA
[NON CONSENT - MATTERS TO BE PRESENTED BY COUNCIL MEMBERS]
TO START.POPOFF IS VICE MAYOR PRO TEM PECK.
UM, THIS HAS BEEN A HARD COUNCIL SESSION, I THINK FOR ALL OF US.
IN LIGHT OF, UM, CONGRESSMAN TURNER'S, UM, NEWS, I THINK MANY PEOPLE KNOW THAT HE AND I DIDN'T ALWAYS SEE EYE TO EYE AT THIS, UM, TABLE.
UM, BUT THERE WAS A LOT OF RESPECT THERE AND IT'S EASY SOMETIMES I THINK IN THIS JOB, UM, TO MAKE THINGS LIKE THAT PERSONAL.
I THINK WE BOTH KNEW THAT WE WERE WORKING FOR WHAT WAS BEST FOR OUR CONSTITUENTS, AND I ALWAYS APPRECIATED THAT ABOUT HIM.
UM, HE DEFINITELY DID NOT MAKE MY FIRST TERM IN OFFICE EASY AT ALL.
UM, HE GAVE ME A HARD TIME ABOUT MY BUDGET AMENDMENTS AMONG OTHER THINGS.
UM, BUT I KNOW IN A LOT OF WAYS IT MADE ME BETTER AS A COUNCIL MEMBER BECAUSE HE DIDN'T JUST ALWAYS SAY YES TO EVERYTHING WE ASKED FOR IN DISTRICT A.
IT WAS, UM, SUPER FRUSTRATING SOMETIMES CONSIDERING HE WAS A DISTRICT A CONSTITUENT.
UM, BUT HE, UM, HE REALLY MADE US WORK FOR, FOR WHAT WE, UM, WERE GETTING IN DISTRICT A IN A LOT OF WAYS THAT THAT MADE ME A BETTER COUNCIL MEMBER.
SO I ALWAYS APPRECIATED, UM, HIM PUSHING ME.
UM, HE AND I ALWAYS HAD AN ONGOING JOKE WHERE I WOULD GIVE HIM LITTLE REMINDERS ABOUT ALL OF THE PROJECTS IN DISTRICT A THAT WE NEEDED FUNDING FOR.
UM, ONE TIME I MADE HIM HIS FAVORITE JELLY CAKE AND I PUT LITTLE FLAGS IN THE CAKE WITH ALL OF MY PROJECTS ON IT, UM, JUST SO THAT HE WOULD REMEMBER ALL OF THEM.
I THINK HE KNEW ALL OF OUR PROJECTS IN DISTRICT A BY HEART BECAUSE WE JUST TALKED ABOUT THEM SO OFTEN.
UM, WHEN HE WON HIS CONGRESSIONAL SEAT, I SENT HIM A MESSAGE AND SAID THAT NOW HE CAN GET US THE FEDERAL FUNDING FOR ALL OF THOSE PROJECTS.
SO IT WAS JUST AN ONGOING, UM, THING BETWEEN THE TWO OF US THAT I KNOW.
IT ALWAYS MADE HIM LAUGH EVERY TIME I SAW HIM AND SAID, WHERE'S THE MONEY FOR OUR PROJECTS IN DISTRICT A? UM, THE TWO THINGS I WILL REMEMBER THE MOST ABOUT HIM FIRST IS HOW AMAZING OF A SPEAKER HE WAS.
UM, I DIDN'T ALWAYS AGREE WITH WHAT HE SAID, BUT SOMETIMES HE ALMOST CONVINCED ME WITH HOW WELL HE SAID IT.
UM, AND I KNOW HE SAID EVERYTHING SO WELL BECAUSE OF HIS PASSION FOR HOUSTON, WHICH IS THE OTHER THING I'LL REMEMBER THE MOST ABOUT HIM IS JUST HOW MUCH HE CARED ABOUT THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND HOW HE DEDICATED HIS LIFE TO SERVING.
I'LL JUST SAY HOW, HOW LUCKY I WAS TO HAVE WORKED WITH A PUBLIC SERVANT.
COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER THE SAME.
AND, AND, AND LIKE COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, MAYOR, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR PER TEM SAID, UM, HIS PASSION JUST RESONATED AT ALL TIMES.
AND EVEN THOUGH HE SEEMED LIKE HE WAS FUSSING AT ALL OF US, HE WASN'T REALLY FUSSING AT US.
HE JUST REALLY GAVE A CRAP ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED IN THIS CITY AND WHAT HAPPENED IN THIS DISTRICT.
AND, UM, AND HE'LL DEFINITELY REMEMBER.
AND, AND I, I'M JUST SO HONORED TO BE, AS A FIRST TIME ELECTED OFFICIAL TO BE ABLE TO SERVE WITH HIM.
I LEARNED MORE IN THAT SHORT CENT OF TIME THAN I EVER HAD.
SO I'M GRATEFUL TO AT LEAST BEEN ABLE TO BE AND SPEND THAT TIME WITH HIM.
AND I SEE MY DEEPEST CONDOLENCES TO HIS FAMILY AND TO THE AIR DISTRICT AND EVERYONE THAT CARED AND LOVED HIM.
I UNDERSTAND COUNCILOR CARTER.
SO WHILE I DIDN'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE WITH, UH, MAYOR TURNER, I CERTAINLY WORKED ON THE OTHER SIDE WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR DURING HARVEY.
WE WORKED TOGETHER QUITE A BIT AND, UH, I AFFECTIONATELY REFERRED TO HIM AS ST AND HE ALWAYS LAUGHED.
UM, BUT PROBABLY ONE OF MY FONDEST MEMORIES.
UH, HE WOULD COME TO OUR ASTROS GALA AND HE AND I WERE BOTH GREAT FANS OF DIANA ROSS.
AND, AND THERE'S ACTUALLY A GREAT VIDEO OUT THERE OF THE TWO OF US SINGING.
HE WAS VERY SERIOUS ABOUT HIS WORK.
HE WAS A GREAT PUBLIC SERVANT.
AND CERTAINLY WHILE WE DIDN'T ALWAYS AGREE, WE WOULD KIND OF HAVE THESE EMAIL, I MEAN THESE TEXTS BATTLES BACK AND FORTH.
UM, BUT, UM, HE WAS A, CERTAINLY, HE WORKED FOR THE PEOPLE.
HE WAS FOCUSED ON MAKING, UH, THE CITY
[03:00:01]
A BETTER PLACE, MAKING THE STATE A BETTER PLACE.AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IT CERTAINLY MY CONDOLENCES TO HIS FAMILY AND FRIENDS AND, AND, UH, CERTAINLY A GREAT LOSS FOR, FOR OUR CITY AND OUR COMMUNITY IN GENERAL.
UH, LIFE IS FILLED WITH, WITH TRANSITION.
CERTAINLY HE GAVE SERVICE TO THE VERY END AND HE ALWAYS CALLED ME THE CHURCH CLERK.
AND SO I'M GONNA MAKE IT SHORT JUST FOR YOU TODAY.
UM, CONGRESSMAN TURNER, BUT I'M GONNA REMEMBER YOU SAYING COUNCIL MEMBER, LET'S MOVE ON FROM THOSE BIKE LANES.
MAYOR, CONGRESSMAN, I LOVE YOU AND MY CONDOLENCES TO YOUR FAMILY.
I WANT TO JOIN MY COLLEAGUES IN MOURNING THE PASSING OF CONGRESSMAN TURNER.
IT WAS JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO THAT HE WAS IN THE INDEPENDENCE HEIGHTS COMMUNITY AT, UH, ONE OF MY TOWN HALLS ADVOCATING FOR THE INDEPENDENCE HEIGHTS PHASE TWO AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECT.
AND SHORTLY AFTER THAT PROJECT MOVED FORWARD WITHOUT DELAY AS AS INTENDED.
AND I THINK THAT HE PLAYED A HUGE ROLE IN SEEING THAT THROUGH.
AND THE COMMUNITY IS GOING TO BENEFIT FROM THAT FROM YEARS TO COME.
AND THAT'S ONE EXAMPLE OF MANY OF, UH, HOW HE IMPACTED THE STATE HOUSE DISTRICT, THE CITY, THE CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT THAT, UH, HE REPRESENTED THROUGHOUT HIS CAREER.
AND THIS IS A, A BIG LOSS FOR THE CITY.
UM, AND, UH, I'M GONNA SEND MY CONDOLENCES TO HIS FAMILY.
THANK YOU MAYOR, FOR FIRST OF ALL, ALLOWING ME TO OFFER THE PRAYER ON BEHALF OF COUNCIL AND, AND TO ALL OF US IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON FOR THIS GREAT, UH, BELOVED SERVANT.
AND, UH, THERE CONGRESSMAN TURNER.
AND CERTAINLY JUST WANTED TO GIVE MY CONDOLENCES AS WELL.
UH, I'VE KNOWN SYLVESTER FOR MANY YEARS PRIOR TO MY SERVING ON THIS COUNCIL.
I'VE KNOWN HIM IN MANY ASPECTS.
WE'VE BEEN INVOLVED MUCH IN MY FIRST CHURCH I SERVED.
HE WAS ONE OF MY, UM, TITLE COMPANIES THAT I USED TO WORK IN REGARDS TO OUR CHURCH AT THE GREATEST ST.
SO I'VE KNOWN SYLVESTER FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.
AND SO, UH, TODAY WE CERTAINLY GIVE OUR CONDOLENCES.
UH, I'VE SEEN HIM RECENTLY IN BOTH FUNCTIONS.
I WAS ATTENDING THE TOWN HALL MEETING IN DISTRICT H AS WELL AS WE WERE AT THE GALA HILL RECENTLY AT THE, UH, TOP 50 PROFESSIONALS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS.
AND, UH, JUST WANTED TO SAY, UM, THAT WE ARE CERTAINLY SAD, BUT WE WILL, UH, MOVE ON, GET OVER IT, AND GOD WILL BLESS US ALL AND BE THANKFUL FOR YOU.
THANK YOU COUNCILOR FLICKINGER.
JUST WANNA OFFER MY CONDOLENCES TO EVERYBODY.
UM, I NEVER WORKED WITH SYLVESTER, UH, DIDN'T REALLY KNOW HIM PERSONALLY, BUT IT'S OBVIOUS FROM THE REACTIONS HERE OF SO MANY DOWN AT CITY HALL THAT HE HAD A HUGE IMPACT ON A LOT OF PEOPLE'S LIVES.
SO, ONCE AGAIN, JUST WANT TO OFFER CONDOLENCES.
THE TEST OF A TRUE LEADER IS NOT WHAT IS DONE WHEN THINGS ARE EASY.
IT'S HOW ONE RISES TO MEET UNPRECEDENTED CHALLENGES.
AND DE DESPITE THE FACT THAT CONGRESSMAN TURNER SERVED OUR CITY UNDER MORE FEDERALLY DECLARED DISASTERS IN HOUSTON THAN YEARS HE SERVED DESPITE WHATEVER CAME HIS WAY.
HE NOT ONLY LED OUR CITY, BUT UNITED IT, AND HE'S NOT KNOWN FOR THOSE EVENTS.
HE'S KNOWN FOR HOW MUCH WE ACCOMPLISHED DESPITE THEM.
MANY OF US ARE HEARTBROKEN AT THE PASSING OF CONGRESSMAN TURNER.
AND MY HEART GOES OUT TO HIS DAUGHTER, ASHLEY, HIS GRANDSON, AND HIS ENTIRE FAMILY.
THIS IS A MAN THAT GAVE HIS LIFE FOR OUR CITY, HIS LOVE OF HOUSTON, AND GAVE HIS LIFE FOR OUR COUNTRY.
MAY HIS MEMORY FOREVER BE A BLESSING AND A LEGACY FOR ALL OF THOSE THAT LOVED HIM.
OBJECTION, COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON.
UM, I ECHO MY COLLEAGUES IN SENDING, UM, MY DEEP CONDOLENCES TO, UM, CONGRESSMAN TURNER AND MAYOR TURNER.
I KNOW AS MAYOR TURNER, UM, FAMILY AND STATE REPRESENTATIVE TURNER.
HE WAS MY STATE REPRESENTATIVE.
UM, MET HIM LIKE IN 2003 WHEN I STARTED ADVOCATING
[03:05:01]
FOR, UH, MY SON.AND, UM, THE PASSION THAT HE SHOWED AS I ADVOCATED FOR MY SON WHEN I FIRST CAME INTO THE MOVEMENT.
HE SHOWED THAT SAME PASSION WHEN I BECAME A COUNCIL MEMBER.
WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO GET A LOT DONE, UM, ACCOMPLISHED, UM, IN DISTRICT B, UM, UNDER HIS LEADERSHIP FROM FLOOD MITIGATION PROJECTS TO UPGRADING OUR PARKS, UM, PROJECTS THAT THE COMMUNITY HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR, FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
SO HE WOULD BE DEEPLY MISSED TO THE RESIDENTS IN DISTRICT B.
HE ALWAYS SHOWED UP AND SHOWED OUT, UM, FOR OUR RESIDENTS, UM, AND DISTRICT BEING ACROSS THE CITY, AND SO HE WOULD BE DEEPLY MISSED.
UM, AND AGAIN, HEART THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS GO OUT TO THE FAMILY.
UH, I JUST WANNA OFFER MY CONDOLENCES TO THE FAMILY OF CONGRESSMEN, MAYOR, REPRESENTATIVE, UH, SYLVESTER TURNER, AND ESPECIALLY TO MY COLLEAGUES AND TO YOU MAYOR, UM, WHO ARE GRIEVING AT HIS PASSING.
UH, I KNOW HE TOUCHED MANY, MANY LIVES AND, UH, TO A NUMBER OF YOU ON THE COUNCIL, HE WAS A MENTOR, A FATHER FIGURE, AND SOMEONE WHO, UH, GREATLY TOUCHED YOUR LIFE.
AND SO TODAY I'M MOURN WITH YOU ALL.
I DON'T HAVE ANY, UM, ANYTHING ELOQUENT TO SAY.
HE WAS THE PEOPLE'S MAYOR, AND HE LOVED WHAT HE DID, AND HE LOVED WHO HE DID IT FOR.
FOR ME, I, I KNOW WHAT I'M LOSING, BUT MY HEART GOES TO HIS FAMILY.
I JUST TALKED TO HIM FOUR DAYS AGO AND I'M GONNA MISS HIS COLLABORATION.
HE HAS HELPED ME DO MORE ON THE WEST SIDE OF TOWN DEC FOR DECADES.
I'M GONNA MISS HIS CORNY JOKES.
HE WAS A POLITICAL COVERING FOR ME, AND WHEN I CALLED HIM AT MIDNIGHT, HE WOULD ANSWER THE PHONE, SORRY.
AND MY PRAYER IS THAT HIS SOUL RESTS DAMN THE PHONE.
AND THAT WHEN HE GREETS THE GATE OF HEAVEN, THAT GOD SAYS A FAITHFUL SERVANT.
IT'LL BE A HARD ONE FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE.
SO FORGIVE ME IF I'M NOT A ROBOT.
THIS WILL TAKE SOME TIME FOR ME.
THANK YOU FOR HOLDING THE SPACE FOR US TO TALK ABOUT MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE RECOGNIZED? THANK YOU, MAYOR.
AND, UM, GOOD MORNING TO EVERYONE.
A SAD, A SAD MORNING FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
IT'S A SAD MORNING FOR OUR COUNTRY.
UM, MY DEEPEST CONDOLENCES, UH, TO HIS DAUGHTER ASHLEY, HER HUSBAND JIMMY, HIS FORMER WIFE, CHERYL, THEIR ENTIRE FAMILY, SYLVESTER TURNER WAS A GIANT OF A MAN.
HE WAS A, HE WAS A GIANT FIGURE.
HE WAS A GIANT PUBLIC OFFICIAL.
WHEN HE WALKED IN THE ROOM, YOU FELT HIS PRESENCE, UH, YOU FELT THE SHIFT OF ATTENTION, UM, TREND HIS WAY.
UM, IT WAS A HUGE INFLUENCE FOR MANY.
REGARDLESS IF YOU AGREE WITH HIM OR NOT ON SOME OF HIS IDEOLOGY, YOU COULD NOT DENY THAT HE WAS NOT ONLY A GIANT OF A MAN, A BUT HE WAS A HUGE FIGURE WITHIN THIS CITY.
MY FIRST RECOLLECTION OF, OF BEING AROUND HIM, I WAS FIVE YEARS OLD.
[03:10:01]
OUT FRONT OF THE GEORGE R. BROWN CONVENTION CENTER.THIS IS WHEN HE WAS RUNNING FOR MAYOR IN THE 1991, UH, CAMPAIGN.
AND I WAS PASSING OUT, UM, BUTTONS, THE BUTTONS THAT YOU USED TO PUT ON YOUR SHIRT THAT SAID TURNER FOR MAYOR.
AND I, I DIDN'T REALLY KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON, BUT MY FAMILY HAD ME OUT THERE.
AND, UH, I KNEW HE WAS IMPORTANT.
I KNEW HE WAS SOMEONE, UH, SOMEONE OF IMPORTANCE.
AND AS THE YEARS WENT BY, I GOT TO KNOW HIM MUCH MORE.
AS I WAS DRIVING HERE TODAY, I WAS GOING DOWN LOUISIANA.
I REMEMBER IN HIGH SCHOOL I USED TO GO UP TO HIS LAW FIRM, WHICH WAS THERE ON LOUISIANA ON ONE OF THE HIGHER UP FLOORS.
AND I COULDN'T BELIEVE THAT THERE WAS A, A LAWYER WHO WAS AFRICAN AMERICAN WHO WAS ABLE TO GET TO THIS LEVEL OF SUCCESS.
UM, BUT HE HELPED PAY FOR MY, UH, LAW SCHOOL PREP CLASSES.
HE GOT ME MY FIRST INTERNSHIP WITH THE COUNTY ATTORNEY VENT RYAN'S OFFICE, UM, AS A POLITICIAN WHEN SERVING IN THE, THE HOUSE, YOU KNOW, HE WAS ON THE CONFERENCE COMMITTEE.
HE WAS THE VICE CHAIR OF APPROPRIATIONS.
HE WAS THE SPEAKER PRO TIM AND A REPUBLICAN CONTROLLED LEGISLATURE.
NOT ONLY AS A DEMOCRAT, BUT AS A BLACK MAN THAT WAS BEYOND IMPRESSIVE.
AND TO SEE HOW HE LED THIS CITY, UH, THROUGH MANY CHALLENGES AS MAYOR, UM, THROUGH THE NATURAL DISASTERS, THROUGH THE WINTER STORMS, THROUGH THE PANDEMIC.
UM, HE WAS AT THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME TO LEAD WHEN WE NEEDED HIM MOST.
AND AS A CONGRESS PERSON, UH, HE NEVER STOPPED SERVING HIS COMMUNITY, NEVER STOPPED SERVING HIS CITY.
AND HE WAS A PUBLIC OFFICIAL UNTIL HIS FINAL BREATH.
AND HE WENT OUT ON HIS OWN TERMS. AND, UM, WE WERE ALL BETTER FOR KNOWING HIM.
OUR CITY IS BETTER FOR HIM BEING IN LEADERSHIP AND LET US ALL CONTINUE TO DO THE WORK THAT HE WOULD WANT US TO DO TO FORWARD HIS LEGACY.
HOUSTON WON'T BE THE SAME WITHOUT MAYOR TURNER.
I'M SO GLAD THAT THE 18TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT WILL HOLD HIS NAME TOO.
THAT'S A DISTRICT THAT HAS SOME GIANTS ON THE ROSTER.
AND SYLVESTER TURNER WILL ALSO BE ON THAT ROSTER.
UM, MANY OF US SAT AT THIS DESK AND MAYOR TURNER WOULD GO TO CHEMO AND THEN HE WOULD COME HERE AND HE WOULD GOVERN THIS CITY.
A LOT OF PEOPLE DIDN'T KNOW HE HAD JUST LEFT CHEMO.
AND HE WOULD COME HERE AND HE WOULD GOVERN THIS CITY.
AND WE WOULD ALL ASK HIM, WHY DON'T YOU GO HOME? WHY DON'T YOU GET SOME REST? AND HE WOULD SAY, I'M OKAY.
BECAUSE HE TOOK HIS PUBLIC SERVICE SO SERIOUS.
HE LEANED IN ON HIS FAITH, WHICH I LOVE TO SEE.
HE WAS A FRIEND, HE WAS A MENTOR.
HE WAS AN INCREDIBLE FAMILY MAN.
AND HE WAS AN A REMARKABLE FATHER TO ASHLEY.
AND I LOVED WATCHING THEIR RELATIONSHIP.
WHEN HE WAS SICK, MY MOM MADE HIM SOME SOUP AND HE CALLED AND SAID, TELL YOUR MOM THAT SOUP SAVED MY LIFE.
SO Y'ALL KNOW, MY MOM WAS HAPPY ABOUT THAT SOUP.
UH, AND SHE SAID, TELL HIM ANYTIME HE NEEDS SOME SOUP, I'M GONNA MAKE HIM SOME SOUP.
UH, THE DAY THAT I WON THE SPECIAL ELECTION AFTER LARRY DIED, HE CAME TO THE WATCH PARTY THAT NIGHT AND SAID, LET'S MEET TOMORROW.
WE MET IN HIS OFFICE THE VERY NEXT DAY AND HE SAID, COUNCIL MEMBER, WHAT ARE YOUR THREE PRIORITIES? I WANNA MAKE SURE YOU'RE SUCCESSFUL SO THAT YOUR DISTRICT CAN BE SUCCESSFUL SO THAT THIS CITY CAN BE SUCCESSFUL.
HE WAS A MAN, HE WAS A LEADER THAT DIDN'T LOOK FOR FOLLOWERS.
HE WAS A LEADER THAT WANTED TO MAKE MORE LEADERS.
WE ADJOURN IN HONOR OF, UH, MAYOR CONGRESSMAN SYLVESTER TURNER.
[03:15:03]
I.