* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [PRESENTATIONS] [00:00:02] I AM GONNA ASK MAYOR PRO TEM CASTEX TATUM TO PLEASE RESIDE WHILE I JOIN OUR GUESTS, TURN THIS VICE MAYOR PROTO. THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES VICE MAYOR PRO TEM PECK FOR A PROCLAMATION TO BUILDING PROFESSIONALS OF TEXAS JANITORIAL SERVICE AND RECOGNITION OF NATIONAL CLEANING WEEK VICE MAYOR PRO. THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO AND JOIN US. WHEREAS CLEANING WEEK INITIATED BY THE INTERNATIONAL SANITARY SUPPLY ASSOCIATION, THE GLOBAL LEADER IN THE CLEANING AND FACILITY SOLUTIONS INDUSTRY IS OBSERVED NATIONWIDE AT THE END OF MARCH TO COINCIDE WITH THE SPRING SEASON AND THE TRADITION OF SPRING CLEANING. AND WHEREAS CLEAN CLEANLINESS PROMOTES WELLNESS, ENHANCES PRODUCTIVITY, INCREASES CUSTOMER SATISFACTION, AND CREATES OPPORTUNITIES FOR SUSTAINABLE AND EFFICIENT PRACTICES. AND WHEREAS ACCORDING TO THE ISSA CLEANED AND DISINFECTED SERVICES, SURFACES REDUCE VIRUS CONCENTRATION BY 41.7%. AND WHEN COMBINED WITH A PROPER HAND HYGIENE, THIS REDUCTION INCREASES TO 85.4%. AND WHEREAS MANUFACTURERS AND DISTRIBUTORS PLAY A VITAL ROLE IN PRODUCING AND DELIVERING ESSENTIAL CLEANING AND HYGIENE PRODUCTS, WHILE FRONTLINE CLEANING PROFESSIONALS WORK TIRELESSLY TO MAINTAIN THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF OUR SCHOOLS, HOSPITALS, WORKPLACES, AND OTHER SPACES. AND WHEREAS THE CITY OF HOUSTON ENCOURAGES ALL RESIDENTS TO SUPPORT AND PRACTICE IN CLEANING WEEK AN INTERNATIONAL CELEBRATION OF THE CLEANING AND FACILITY SOLUTIONS INDUSTRY, AND TO RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF MAINTAINING CLEAN AND SANITARY CONDITIONS AT WORK, IN SCHOOL AND AT HOME. THEREFORE, I, JOHN WENT, MY MAYOR, THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROCLAIM MARCH 23RD THROUGH MARCH 29TH, 2025 IS CLEANING WEEK IN HOUSTON, TEXAS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. YES. FIRST OF ALL, BEFORE I GET STARTED, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY TO YOU, MAYOR, THANK YOU. AND TO YOU COUNCILMEMBER, THANK YOU, AND TO ALL OF THE, UH, UM, COUNCIL AND STAFF SEND MY SINCEREST CONDOLENCES FOR ME AND MY TEAM. I'VE BEEN A HOUSTONIAN FOR ALMOST 50 YEARS, AND MAYOR TURNER WAS A FANTASTIC HOUSTONIAN AND A GREAT ADVOCATE. AND I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS PROTOCOL IN HERE, BUT JUST A COOL DUDE. AND SO, YOU KNOW, I, I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING HE DID, AND I'M SORRY THAT, UH, WE LOST SUCH A GREAT MAN. BUT BACK TO THIS, THIS IS AN INDUSTRY THAT IS A VERY DIFFICULT JOB TO DO. YOU WALK INTO YOUR FACILITIES EVERY SINGLE MORNING, AND IT MUST BE CLEAN. IT MUST MEET YOUR STANDARDS. AND OUR PEOPLE REALLY WORK HARD TO GET THAT DONE AND TAKEN CARE OF. THESE ARE ALL PEOPLE THAT ARE WORKING A SECOND JOB AT NIGHT, AND THEY ARE TRYING SO HARD TO DO THIS JOB. AND FOR THEM TO BE RECOGNIZED BY YOU, BY US, BY OUR INDUSTRY, THIS WILL HOPEFULLY GET THEM OUT THERE, YOU KNOW, MAKE THEM MORE VISIBLE. SO OUR, OUR INDUSTRY ISN'T LOOKED ON AS, AS KIND OF THE SCOURGE OF THE, OUR FRONTLINE STAFF ARE. THESE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT KEEP US TO WHERE WE'RE ABLE TO DO WHAT WE DO. THAT'S ALL, AGAIN, VERY GOOD. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NO, THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THE CHAIR. NOW RECOGNIZES, COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN FOR A PROCLAMATION TO EQUALITY TEXAS TO CELEBRATE TRANSGENDER DAY OF VISIBILITY. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON. MARCH 31ST IS [00:05:01] RECOGNIZED BY MANY ACROSS THE NATION AS TRANSGENDER DAY OF VISIBILITY, A MOVEMENT STARTED BY ACTIVISTS TO CELEBRATE THE LIVES AND ACHIEVEMENTS OF TRANSGENDER INDIVIDUALS, AND AT THE SAME TIME, RAISE AWARENESS OF THE ONGOING DISCRIMINATION, EXTREME POLITICAL RHETORIC, TARGETED HARASSMENT, AND YES VIOLENCE AGAINST THIS COMMUNITY. TODAY, I AM MORE THAN HONORED, UH, TO BE JOINED BY SOME OF MY FRIENDS TO PRESENT A PROCLAMATION. UH, SOME COULD NOT BE HERE, INCLUDING EQUALITY TEXAS, UH, AS WELL AS THE MAHOGANY PROJECT. BUT WITH ME, WE HAVE AUSTIN WITH THE, THE CAUCUS, WE ALL KNOW WHAT THAT IS, AS WELL AS SHELLY, UH, WITH NORMAL, AN ANOMALY, EXCUSE ME, TO RECOGNIZE ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN ON THE FRONT LINES ADVOCATING FOR EQUALITY, PROVIDING DIRECT SUPPORT TO THE TRANS COMMUNITY AND THEIR FAMILIES IN FIGHTING FOR THE RIGHTS AND VISIBILITY OF TRANSGENDER HOUSTONIAN HOUSTONIANS. AND I'M GONNA PAUSE FOR A SECOND TO INVITE MY COLLEAGUE, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, TO JOIN ME DOWN HERE, IF YOU WOULD. THESE ORGANIZATIONS ARE PART OF TEXAS'S CIVIL RIGHTS HISTORY, AND, UH, MANY, MANY OF THEM CALL DISTRICT C HOME. THE CAUCUS FOUNDED IN 1975 IS THE OLDEST LGBTQ PLUS POLITICAL ORGANIZATION IN THE SOUTH. AND NORMAL ANOMALY FOUNDED IN 2018, UH, MAY BE A LITTLE MORE NEW, BUT STILL THE WORK THAT YOU DO, SHELLY, UH, AND THE ORGANIZATION DOES, IS SAVING LIVES. MY OFFICE IS EXCITED TO UPLIFT AND HONOR THE TRANSGENDER COMMUNITY EVERY CHANCE WE GET, EVERY SINGLE DAY. WHETHER THAT'S HONORING THE LATE GREAT MONICA ROBERTS AND HER WORK, INCLUDING A MURAL THAT WE DEDICATED IN DISTRICT C RIGHT IN THE HEART OF MONTROSE, OR COMING TOGETHER, UH, FOR OUR DISTRICT'S FAMILIES WITH PRIDE FESTIVAL TO OFFER INCLUSIVE SPACE FOR FAMILIES AND L-G-B-T-Q AND TRANS YOUTH. UH, OR, AND I ALWAYS LIKE TO LIFT UP OTHER WORK GOING ON SUPPORT FOR THE TRANSGENDER UNITY BANQUET HERE IN HOUSTON. OR DAYS LIKE TODAY, OUR OFFICE WAS ALSO HAPPY TO HELP SECURE MAYOR WITH THE HELP OF YOUR TEAM, THE COMMEMORATIVE LIGHTING OF CITY HALL, UH, TODAY, EXCUSE ME, THIS MONDAY, MARCH 31ST TO HONOR TRANSGENDER DAY OF VISIBILITY TO SEND A CLEAR MESSAGE THAT HOUSTON STANDS FOR INCLUSION, DIGNITY, AND RESPECT FOR ALL AT A TIME WHEN THE TRANSGENDER COMMUNITY IS UNDER BLATANT ATTACK, THROUGH EXTREME RHETORIC, HARMFUL LEGISLATION AND PHYSICAL VIOLENCE, IT IS CRITICAL FOR ELECTED OFFICIALS TO STAND PUBLICLY WITH COMMUNITIES THAT FACE INJUSTICE. EQUALITY IS NOT NEGOTIABLE. AND WE MUST ENSURE THAT EVERY HOUSTONIAN, REGARDLESS OF BACKGROUND OR GENDER IDENTITY, IS SEEN, HEARD AND PROTECTED. AND IF ANYONE THINKS THAT THEY CAN COME FOR OUR KIDS, THEY WILL HAVE TO GO THROUGH ME AND A VILLAGE OF PEOPLE, INCLUDING THOSE STANDING HERE WITH ME. SO TODAY WE REAFFIRM THAT HOUSTON IS A CITY WHERE EVERYONE BELONGS. WE WILL NOT APOLOGIZE AND WE WILL CELEBRATE THE INDIVIDUALITY OF EACH AND EVERY PERSON WITH RESPECT AND DIGNITY. AND BEFORE I GET TO THE PROCLAMATION, I WOULD LIKE TO DEFER TO MY COLLEAGUE, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, UM, WHO IS A LEADER IN THIS SPACE, AND A, NOT ONLY A FRIEND, BUT A TRUE PARTNER IN THIS WORK COUNCIL MEMBER. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN AND MAYOR FOR THE PROCLAMATION. THIS, UH, AS SHE SAID, IS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL THAT WE ARE STANDING WITH AND SUPPORTING THE L-G-B-T-Q COMMUNITY, PARTICULARLY THE TRANS COMMUNITY. UH, WE ALL SEE WHAT IS HAPPENING, UH, TO THE TRANS COMMUNITY RIGHT NOW, AND WE SEE, UH, FOLKS BACKING AWAY, UH, AND PULLING AWAY THE SUPPORT THAT THEY WANT SHARED. UM, AND IT'S HARMFUL AND IT'S DANGEROUS, AND, AND IT'S WHAT, IT'S THE ABSOLUTELY WRONG THING THAT WE SHOULD BE DOING. AND SO, UM, HAVING ALLIES LIKE COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN, UH, BRING PROCLAMATIONS LIKE THIS TO THE CITY WHERE WE CAN PUBLICLY AFFIRM OUR SUPPORT, UM, IT DOES SO MUCH GOOD. AND IT'S A TREMENDOUS REAFFIRMING OF THE SUPPORT, UM, THAT WE CONTINUE TO HAVE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THEY GET SO BIG. WHEREAS TRANSGENDER, TRANSGENDER DAY OF VISIBILITY MARKS A TIME TO OBSERVE THE STRENGTH AND RESILIENCE AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF TRANSGENDER AND NON-BINARY INDIVIDUALS WHILE RAISING AWARENESS OF THE DISCRIMINATION AND CHALLENGES THEY CONTINUE TO FACE. TRANSGENDER HOUSTONIANS ARE A VITAL PART OF OUR COMMUNITIES CONTRIBUTING TO THE DIVERSITY AND PROGRESS THAT MAKE [00:10:01] HOUSTON A CITY OF OPPORTUNITY. INCLUSIVITY AND INNOVATION ORGANIZATIONS LIKE EQUALITY TEXAS HAVE LED THE FIGHT FOR LGBTQI PLUS RIGHTS IN THE STATE, ADVOCATING FOR EQUALITY THROUGH EDUCATION, COMMUNITY ORGANIZING, AND LEGISLATIVE ACTION, ENSURING THE TRANSGENDER COMMUNITY AND TEXANS WITH THEIR FAMILIES HAVE FULL PROTECTIONS UNDER THE LAW EQUALITY. TEXAS HAS A LONG HISTORY OF COMBATING DISCRIMINATION AND EXPANDING PROTECTIONS FOR LGBTQIA PLUS INDIVIDUALS, AND CONTINUES TO PROVIDE CRUCIAL RESOURCES, SUPPORT, AND ADVOCACY TO TEXANS IN NEED. THEY HAVE HELPED AMPLIFY, ALONG WITH THE ORGANIZATION STANDING HERE, THE VOICES OF TRANSGENDER TEXANS FOSTERING UNDERSTANDING AND ACCEPTANCE BY SHARING THEIR STORIES IN THEIR OWN WORDS. THE CITY OF HOUSTON RECOGNIZES THE TRANSGENDER COMMUNITY ON THIS TRANSGENDER DAY OF VISIBILITY AND THEIR ADVOCACY FOR EQUALITY, DIGNITY, AND RESPECT FOR ALL. THEREFORE, I, JOHN WHITMEYER MAYOR, THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROCLAIM MARCH 31ST, 2025 IS TRANSGENDER DAY OF VIS VISIBILITY IN HOUSTON, TEXAS. CONGRATS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND I WOULD ADD, I KNOW BRAD PRITT COULD NOT BE HERE. HE WAS HAVING SOME BUS CHALLENGES COMING BACK FROM AUSTIN, BUT IT'S MY PLEASURE. AGAIN, I RECOGNIZE YOU ALL. UM, I DEFER FIRST TO AUSTIN, UH, TO SPEAK. UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, MR. MAYOR AS WELL. UM, I'LL KEEP THIS BRIEF. I THINK WE KNOW THAT OUR TRANS SIBLINGS ARE BEING ATTACKED RIGHT NOW AT UNPRECEDENTED LEVELS ACROSS ALL LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT, AT OUR STATE GOVERNMENT, AT OUR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. AND NOW IS A TIME WHERE WE NEED OUR ALLIES IN THIS FIGHT TO REALLY DOUBLE DOWN AND ENSURE THAT TRANSGENDER TEXANS HAVE THE SAME RIGHTS, THE SAME PROTECTIONS AS ANYBODY ELSE WITHIN OUR GREAT STATE. AND SO I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU AGAIN TO COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, AND AGAIN TO MR. MAYOR, UM, FOR THEIR SUPPORT OF THE TRANS COMMUNITY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. UH, THANK YOU AGAIN TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THE MAYOR ON BEHALF OF, UH, THE NORMAL ANOMALY. WE JUST WANT TO SAY YOUR SUPPORT AFFIRMS, UH, THE DIGNITY, THE RESILIENCE AND VISIBILITY OF OUR TRANS COMMUNITY, AND WE ARE DEEPLY GRATEFUL FOR YOUR COMMITMENT TO EQUITY AND INCLUSION. AGAIN, WE THANK THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THE MAYOR. THANK YOU. AND THEN SERENA IS REPRESENTING EQUALITY TEXAS. UH, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY ANYTHING ON BEHALF OF THE ORGANIZATION? ABSOLUTELY. UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCIL MEMBERS, MAYOR, UM, AND EVERYONE HERE TODAY. I'M SERENA ARZU, AND I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF EQUALITY TEXAS TO EXPRESS OUR DEEP GRATITUDE FOR THIS PROCLAMATION RECOGNIZING, UH, TRANS DAY OF VISIBILITY, UM, AT, AT A TIME WHEN OUR TRANS COMMUNITY FACES RELENTLESS ATTACKS. RIGHT? MOMENTS LIKE THESE REMIND US THAT VISIBILITY IS NOT JUST ABOUT BEING SEEN, IT'S ABOUT BEING VALUED, BEING SUPPORTED AND PROTECTED. UM, AND THIS IS A STATEMENT THAT HOUSTON STANDS WITH. ITS TRANS RESIDENTS AND REC ACKNOWLEDGES, EXCUSE ME, THEIR RIGHTS TO EXIST, THRIVE, AND CONTRIBUTE TO THE FABRIC OF OUR CITY. UM, EQUALITY TEXAS ACTUALLY JUST WRAPPED UP OUR ADVOCACY DAY YESTERDAY, UM, THE LARGEST LGBTQ PLUS ADVOCACY DAY IN TEXAS HISTORY BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT ACTION MUST BE TAKEN TO ENSURE THAT TRANS PEOPLE IN HOUSTON AND ACROSS TEXAS HAVE ACCESS TO AFFIRMING HEALTHCARE, SAFE HOUSING AND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES, AND SIMPLY THE RIGHT TO LIVE FREE FROM DISCRIMINATION. UM, EQUALITY TEXAS REMAINS COMMITTED TO FIGHTING FOR THESE RIGHTS, AND WE ARE GRATEFUL TO HAVE ALLIES IN THIS CITY, UM, AND IN CITY LEADERSHIP WHO RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS WORK. UH, THANK YOU AGAIN TO CITY COUNCIL FOR THIS PROCLAMATION AND FOR AFFIRMING THAT HOUSTON IS A CITY FOR EVERYONE. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. WE'LL DO A COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO FOR A PROCLAMATION TO ARTHUR VERONICA CHOPPA IN RECOGNITION OF HER NEW NOVEL MOLLY NAALI. GOOD AFTERNOON, COLLEAGUES. UM, [00:15:01] VERY EXCITED TODAY TO, UH, PRESENT A PROCLAMATION RECOGNIZING THE NOVEL MOLLY NALI. AND, UM, TWO INDIVIDUALS ASSOCIATED WITH IT. TONY DIAZ FROM NO, LARA AND THE AUTHOR OF VERONICA CHOPPA. UM, IT'S A TESTAMENT TO HIGHLIGHTING AND HONORING OUR LATINO CULTURE, OUR ART, UM, AND ALSO TELLING YOUR STORY AND, UH, BEING PROUD TO SHARE THAT AND KNOWING THE IMPACT THAT IT WILL HAVE, UH, BEYOND YOUR LIFE AND, AND THE IMPACTING OF OTHERS. SO WITH THAT, I WILL READ THE PROCLAMATION, WHEREAS ON MARCH 25TH, 2025, LATINOS HAVING THEIR SAY, WILL KICK OFF ITS 27TH SEASON OF LITERARY PRESENTATIONS AT THE HOUSTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE EAST SIDE CAMPUS, FEATURING AUTHOR VERONICA CHOPPA AND HER NOVEL MOLLY NAALI. AND WHEREAS NORA FOUNDED IN 1998 BY PROFESSOR TONY DIAZ, HAS WORKED TIRELESSLY TO PROMOTE LATINO LITERACY, LITERATURE, ART AND CULTURE, BRIDGING WRITERS FROM ACROSS THE NATION AND THE WORLD TO HOUSTON, WHILE INTEGRATING THEIR PRESENTATIONS WITH WORK OF LOCAL HOUSTON WRITERS AND VISUAL ARTISTS. AND WHEREAS MEXICAN AMERICAN WRITER VERONICA CHAPPA AUTHORED MOLLY NALI, A NOVEL THAT BREEDS NEW LIFE INTO THE HISTORICAL WOMAN KNOWN BY MANY NAMES FROM LACHE TO DONYA MARINA, A FIGURE WHO, DESPITE HER SIGNIFICANCE, HAS LONG BEEN MISUNDERSTOOD AND SOMETIMES MALIGNED. AND WHEREAS MOLLY NALI HIGHLIGHTS THE INDIGENOUS ROOTS OF DONYA MARINA SHEDDING LIGHT ON HER HERITAGE AS A NATIVE FIGURE OF THE AMERICAS, WITH THOUSANDS OF YEARS OF HISTORY, CELEBRATING AND HONORING CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE, THE NOVEL DRAMATIZES THE POWER OF A WOMAN AND REINTERPRETS THE STORY OF THE HISTORICAL LACHE USING HISTORICAL RESEARCH, LITERARY CRAFTSMANSHIP, EMPATHY, RHETORIC, SKILL TO OFFER A FRESH UNDERSTANDING OF HER LIFE. AND WHEREAS LARA IS INTRODUCING MOLLY NAALI THROUGH CLASSROOM VISITS AND COLLEGE OUTREACH WITH VERONICA CHOPPA DISTRIBUTING COPIES TO COMMUNITY LIBRARIES AND FEATURING CHOPPA AT THEIR COMMUNITY READING EVENT AT THE HOUSTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE EAST SIDE CAMPUS, THE EVENT WILL ALSO SPOTLIGHT HOUSTON WRITERS AND FEATURING EXHIBITION OF BOOKS BY VISUAL ARTS AND LATINOS. AND WHEREAS THE CITY OF HOUSTON COMMENDS VERONICA CHOPPA FOR THE IMPACT OF MOLLY NALI AND ON THE LATINO COMMUNITY IN HOUSTON AND BEYOND, THE BOOK SERVES AS A POWERFUL REMINDER THAT EVERYONE MUST SHARE THEIR OWN STORIES ON THEIR OWN TERMS, AND TAKE ACTION NOW TO PRESERVE THEIR NARRATIVES FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. THE CITY ALSO CONGRATULATES NO LATINOS HAVING THEIR SAY ON THE 27TH SEASON OF LITERARY SERIES, WISHING ALL ATTENDEES AN IMPACTFUL EXPERIENCE AND A RENOWNED APPRECIATION FOR THE FIGURE OF MOLLY NALI. THEREFORE, I, JOHN WHITMEYER, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROCLAIM MARCH 25TH, 2025, IS MOLLY NEY DAY IN HOUSTON, TEXAS. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOUR WAY. THANK YOU, MAYOR WHITMEYER AND CITY COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVES FOR HONORING MY NOVEL MALIN WITH THIS PROCLAMATION DURING WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH. AND I WANNA THANK MY HUSBAND BRUCE BOYER, WHO IS HERE WITH ME TODAY, PLEASE , UH, MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS, AND MY WRITERS GROUP WHO ARE NOT HERE, BUT HAVE BEEN ON THIS BOOK JOURNEY WITH ME SINCE THE START. AND FINALLY, THANK YOU TO MY EDITOR, MICHELLE RA MULLIGAN AND HER TEAM AT PRI PRESS, WHO BROUGHT THIS BOOK OUT INTO THE WORLD AND TO NORA AND THE WORK THEY DO IN THE LATINX COMMUNITY. MY NOVEL IS A RETELLING OF THE STORY OF ONE OF THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL WOMEN IN MEXICO'S HISTORY AND MYTHOLOGY. IT WAS ALSO KNOWN AS LA MARINA, AN INDIGENOUS WOMAN. MALALI WAS GIVEN TO THE SPANISH CONQUISTADOR HERNAN CORTEZ AS A WAR PRIZE IN 1519, OR ACCORDING TO THE IKA CALENDAR, THE YEAR ONE REED, BECAUSE SHE HAD A STRONG COMMAND OF THREE INDIGENOUS LANGUAGES. CORTEZ USED THIS YOUNG WOMAN WHO IS NO MORE THAN 18 FOR HIS CHIEF INTERPRETER AS HE MOVED THROUGH THE LAND OF WHAT IS MODERN MEXICO. THIS EPIC ENCOUNTER TOOK PLACE OVER 500 YEARS AGO. YET TODAY, PEOPLE STILL BLAME HER FOR THE SPANIARD'S DESTRUCTION OF 10 LAN AND THE COLONIZATION OF MEXICO. FOR YEARS, SHE HAS BEEN SHAMED FOR THE FALL OF AN EMPIRE BECAUSE SHE WAS A WOMAN, BECAUSE SHE OPENED HER MOUTH AND SPOKE UP AS A MEXICAN AMERICAN. IT IS MY LOVE FOR MEXICO THAT DREW ME TO THIS WOMAN'S STORY. MY ANGER AT SEEING HER STRIPPED OF HER HUMANITY AND LABELED A TRAITOR DROVE ME TO WRITE. I STARTED WORKING ON THIS BOOK OVER 20 YEARS AGO. I HAD HEARD THE NAME LACHE GROWING UP. I UNDERSTOOD IT TO MEAN SOMETHING BAD, BUT AS [00:20:01] A LITTLE GIRL, I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHY IN MY LATE TEENS, I READ DITO CASTILLOS, THE CONQUEST OF NEW SPAIN. AND THE IMAGE I COULD NOT GET OUTTA MY MIND WAS OF A WOMAN STANDING BETWEEN HERNAN CORTEZ AND ZUMA INTERPRETING FOR THEM, NOT JUST TALKING TO THEM, BUT FOR THEM AS A SHY MEXICAN AMERICAN WOMAN WITH A SKETCHY GRASP OF SPANISH. I WAS EXCITED AND IN AWE. SHE WAS SO COURAGEOUS, SO STRONG, SO FEARLESS. WHAT PREPARED HER FOR THE ROLE OF INTERPRETER. SHE WAS THE VOICE OF THAT ENCOUNTER. AND YET, AS I EVENTUALLY DISCOVERED WHEN I BEGAN THIS PROJECT, WE KNOW BASICALLY NOTHING ABOUT HER OR HER LIFE. WE KNOW A LOT ABOUT CORTEZ AND MONTEZUMA, BUT MALALI LEFT US NO LETTERS, NO PAPERS OF HER OWN TO HELP US KNOW HER STORY. IT IS EASY TO VILIFY SOMEONE YOU DO NOT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT. EYE WITNESSED ACCOUNTS PERTAINING TO THE CONQUEST AND LIFE IN 16TH CENTURY, MEXICO ARE THIN. SO I READ INDIGENOUS ACCOUNTS PRIMARILY FILTERED TO THE FRANCISCANS AND THE DOMINICANS WHO RACED AROUND YEARS AFTER THE CONQUEST, WANTING TO KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE THEY THOUGHT THE MORE THEY KNEW, THE EASIER THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE WOULD BE TO CONVERT. I READ EVERYTHING I COULD GET MY HANDS ON ABOUT MUSLIM AMERICAN MATRIARCHAL CULTURES, THE WONDROUS CITY OF 10 NOLAN ANTHROPOLOGICAL AND ARCHEOLOGICAL RECORDS AND STUDIES. BUT THIS IS NOT A WORK OF HISTORY. IT IS WORK OF FICTION. I WANTED TO TELL A MALALI STORY. HER LIFE DIDN'T START WITH ERNAN CORTES. I WANTED TO SEE THE WORLD THROUGH HER EYES, RIGHT ABOUT HER WORLD. WHAT DID IT LOOK, TASTE, FEEL, SMELL, AND SOUND LIKE CHICANA, AS A MEXICAN AMERICAN WOMAN, HAVE BEEN CREATING ART AND WRITING POETRY AND ESSAYS ABOUT MALALI SINCE THE SEVENTIES. THIS IS MY INTERPRETATION OF A COMPLICATED WOMAN, A WOMAN WITH A VOICE, A COMMAND OF LANGUAGES, COURAGE AND RESILIENCY. AND AS MANY OF US KNOW, A WOMAN WITH THESE TRAITS CONTINUES TO THREATEN PEOPLE NOW MORE THAN EVER, HER STORY RESONATES. WE'RE LIVING IN A TIME WHEN WOMEN CONTINUE TO BE SCAPEGOATED AND BLAMED. WE'RE LIVING IN A TIME WHEN WOMEN'S RIGHTS ARE BEING STRIPPED AWAY. A PATRIARCHAL MACHISMO SYSTEM APPEARS TO BE WORKING OVERTIME TO PUSH WOMEN BACK AND KEEP THEM SILENT. SYSTEMS ARE MOVING TO TAKE AWAY WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH TO BAN WOMEN'S STORIES FROM OUR LIBRARIES TO BAN HISTORY. THIS EFFORT WILL FAIL. OF COURSE, STORIES ABOUT WOMEN WILL ALWAYS BE TOLD. THEY HELP INSPIRE US AND GUIDE US FORWARD. THEY REMIND US ABOUT WHAT OUR HEART, SPIRITS, SOULS, OUR BLOOD WILL NEVER LET US FORGET. BE STRONG, STAY FIERCE, AND PROTECT YOUR BROTHER AND SISTER. I CELEBRATE MALIN AS A SYMBOL OF STRENGTH AGENCY AND HOPE. THANK YOU FOR EMBRACING THIS BOOK AND CELEBRATING WITH ME IF I COULD. AND I'D LIKE TO PAUSE AND THANK YOU, MAYOR, FOR SUPPORTING ART AND CULTURE BECAUSE IN THIS DAY AND AGE, THERE ARE A LOT OF FORCES AT WORK THAT ARE TRYING TO GET BOOKS OUT OF OUR COMMUNITY, SILENCING VOICES BY ANYTHING FROM DEFUNDING LIBRARIES TO ACTUALLY BANNING BOOKS. I AM PROUD THAT YOU ARE SUPPORTING OUR COMMUNITY. I'M PROUD THAT YOU'VE ALSO SUPPORTED THE HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE FOR MORE FUNDING, WHICH IS HUGE. AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, I THANK ALL OF YOU. I WANNA THANK COUNCILMAN CASTILE FOR LEADING THE COMMITTEE ON ARTS. I WANT TO THANK YOU COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ, FOR ALSO SUPPORTING US. NOW, I WANNA THANK YOU, JOAQUIN, FOR ALWAYS BEING THERE FOR MANY YEARS. ALSO HAD A CHANCE TO MEET WITH, UM, UH, WITH YOU AS WELL, BECAUSE WE ACTUALLY ARE IN YOUR DISTRICT NOW, TOO. BUT I WANNA SAY THIS, THIS IS THE KICKOFF OF OUR 27TH YEAR. I WANNA MAKE ONE THING CLEAR. THIS IS DIFFICULT TO DO, BUT IT'S VITAL. AND TODAY, TONIGHT, OUR COMMUNITY IS GONNA CELEBRATE ONE OF THE LEADING WRITERS IN THE COUNTRY THAT WOULD NOT HAVE COME TO HOUSTON OR NOT FOR THIS, FOR US TOMORROW. MY STUDENTS IN COLLEGE AT LONE STAR COLLEGE WILL CELEBRATE THIS AUTHOR, AND THEY'RE GONNA RECEIVE THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF EDUCATION. 'CAUSE I'M NOT JUST GIVING 'EM THE THEORY. THEY'RE LEARNING HOW TO LEAD, AND THEY'RE LEARNING HOW TO WRITE, AND THEY'RE LEARNING FROM THE BEST. SO FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEARTS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE SUPPORT AND GET READY FOR MORE WRITERS AND READERS IN HOUSTON, TEXAS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO. TAM, I'LL BE BRIEF. I KNOW Y'ALL ARE READY TO TAKE A PICTURE TALKING. I, I'LL BE BRIEF. NOT AT ALL. THANK YOU. NO, NO, NO. I KNOW I GOT A PICTURE TO TAKE CARE, UH, TAKE CARE OF AS WELL. I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO CUSTOMER CASTILLO MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR HONORING VERONICA AS WELL, UM, AS A SON, A BROTHER TO SIX SISTERS, AND A FATHER, HUSBAND, UH, TO A DAUGHTER. [00:25:01] UM, JUST WANNA SAY THAT I'M INTERESTED IN THIS STORY SO I CAN SHARE WITH MY DAUGHTER. UM, IT, IT'S SOMETHING THAT, UM, TO YOUR POINT, RIGHT? IT'S, THERE'S, IT'S BEEN VILIFIED, BUT I REALLY WOULD LOVE TO SHARE, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS IT, WHAT IS IT LIKE THROUGH THOSE LENSES THAT YOU, THAT YOU'RE PORTRAYED? AND SO, UH, JUST WANT TO SAY, UH, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS TO OUR ATTENTION. AND, UH, YOU GOT THE SUPPORT. AND OF COURSE, TONY, UH, AS WELL ALONG WITH MR. RA FOR DOING THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. CHAIR [2:00 P.M. – INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE] RECOGNIZES, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER FOR THE INVOCATION. DEAR HEAVENLY FATHER, WE COME TO YOU TODAY THANKING YOU FOR THE GREATNESS OF OUR PEOPLE WHO SERVE OUR CITY. LORD, WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR EVERY OPPORTUNITY GIVEN. WE HOPE THAT EVERYONE SURROUNDING THE HORSESHOE CAN LISTEN OPENLY TO THOSE WHO HAVE COME TO SPEAK TO US TODAY. AND WE HOPE TO ADDRESS THEIR NEEDS IN THE WAY THAT WE CAN BEST SERVE OUR CITY. WE ARE GRACIOUS LORD FOR ALL WHO SERVE OUR COUNTRY AT HOME AND ABROAD. AND AS ALWAYS, I PRAY FOR THE SHUT-INS. KEEP THEM SAFE AND LET THEM KNOW THEY'RE LOVED. IT'S IN YOUR HOLY SON'S NAME, I PRAY. AMEN. AMEN. WILL YOU PLEASE RISE FOR THE PLEDGE? I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO [ROLL CALL AND ADOPT THE MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING] MAY IAM YOUR SECRETARY. WILL YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? MAYOR WHITMEYER. PRESENT. COUNCILMAN P HERE. COUNCILMAN JACKSON? HERE. COUNCILMAN KAMAN. PRESENT. COUNCILMAN EVAN CHABA. HERE, COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER WILL BE ABSENT. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. COUNCILOR HUFFMAN. PRESENT, COUNCILOR MC CASTILLO. HERE. COUNCILOR MARTINEZ. HERE. COUNCIL POLLARD. COUNCILOR CASTEX TATUM. HERE. COUNCILOR RAMIREZ. HERE. CONSTABLE DAVIS. HERE. CONSTABLE CARTER. PRESENT. CONSTABLE PLUMMER HERE. AND CONSTABLE ALCORN. HERE, WE NEED A MOTION TO ADOPT THE MINUTES OF MARCH 18TH AND 19TH. CAST. NEXT TABLE. MOVE. SECOND. MOTIONS IS MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. PROCEDURAL [PUBLIC SPEAKERS] MOTIONS. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, I HAVE TWO MOTIONS. FIRST, I MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO ADD MR. CAMERON ARMSTRONG TO FOLLOW JOHN GEIS ON THE ONE MINUTE PREVIOUS SPEAKERS LIST. OKAY, SECOND. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. NEXT SECOND, I MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES. TO MOVE ANDREW SNEAD TO FOLLOW JACOB CUEVAS. UNDER THE THREE MINUTE NON AGENDA, THEY'LL BE SPEAKING ON THE [00:30:01] SAME SUBJECT. VERY GOOD. SECOND. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. NEXT. ANYONE ELSE FOR PROCEDURAL MOTION? IF NOT, COUNCILOR CASTILLO. COUNCILOR CASTILLO. THANK YOU MAYOR. I MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO ADD DAVID EICHMAN TO THE BOTTOM OF THE THREE MINUTE. UM, I'M SORRY, THE TOP OF THE THREE MINUTE NON AGENDA LIST. MO MOTION MADE AND SECONDED. THOSE IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NA. MOTION PASSES. ANYONE ELSE? NOT MADAM. SECRETARY OF YOUR CALL. FIRST SPEAKER, LAURA MARILLO. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR COUNCIL MEMBERS HERE TO SPEAK AGAIN ABOUT THE MWE PROGRAM. I WANT TO IN ADVANCE SAY THANK YOU TO EACH OF YOU, YOUR STAFF, ESPECIALLY THE MAYOR'S OFFICE AND HIS TEAM FOR LISTENING FOR THE TRANSPARENCY ON THIS CONVERSATION. AND WE ARE REQUESTING, ONCE AGAIN, THAT YOU DELIBERATE UNTIL YOU OBTAIN ALL OF THE FACTS REGARDING THIS VERY IMPORTANT TOPIC, WHICH IS THE MWBE PROGRAM. WE KNOW DISPARITIES STILL EXIST AND WE ALSO KNOW THAT. BUT FOR THIS PROGRAM, MANY SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS COULD NOT DO BUSINESS WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON. AND WITHOUT A PROPER STRUCTURE, JUST ROLLING THEM INTO ANOTHER PROGRAM, THEY WILL ABSOLUTELY GET LOST, WILL NOT BE ABLE TO COMPETE WITH MORE ESTABLISHED COMPANIES IN THIS CITY WHO HAVE ACCESS TO CAPITAL, WHO HAVE RELATIONSHIPS, AND MUCH LARGER TEAMS. AND SO ON BEHALF OF THE HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND ALL THE GROUPS THAT WE HAVE COLLECTED TO HEAR AND LISTEN TO, WE ASK THAT YOU DO THE SAME, TO GIVE IT GREAT THOUGHT AND CONSIDERATION BEFORE DOING SOMETHING THAT COULD SET BACK OUR SMALL BUSINESSES IN THIS GREAT CITY. THANK YOU. AND I'M OPEN FOR ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTARY YOU MAY HAVE. THANK YOU. MAYOR . MAYOR PROTE, CASICK TATUM IS RECOGNIZED. THANK YOU. DR. MARIA. THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING IN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE, UH, MEETING LAST WEEK. WE HAD QUITE A FEW OF THE MEMBERS OF THE HISPANIC CHAMBER THAT WERE PRESENT AND HAD COMMENTS. UM, MY QUESTION IS, ARE THERE ANY PARTICULAR SUGGESTIONS THAT THE CHAMBER WOULD LIKE TO OFFER, UM, TO THE COMMITTEE OR TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AS WE ARE LOOKING AT THE SUGGESTIONS THAT WERE, UM, AMPLIFIED THROUGH THE DISPARITY STUDY? YES. AND WE HAVE SENT A LIST OF THOSE TO THE ADMINISTRATION IN SOME PARTICULAR ORDER. AND ALL OF THOSE ARE THERE FOR YOU ALL TO CONSIDER. THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT WE AGREE THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME TYPE OF A GRADUATION, IF YOU WILL. I BELIEVE YOU BROUGHT THAT UP LAST TIME. WE BELIEVE IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO. SO THAT WOULD ABSOLUTELY BE ONE OF THEM. AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, THAT IT'S EQUITABLE. AND MOST OF ALL, PEOPLE JUST WANT TO BE LISTENED TO MAYOR PRO TEM, AND THEY FEEL THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE OR CONTRIBUTE THEIR EXPERIENCES. AND SO THE FIRST THING WOULD BE TO BE ABLE TO CALL TOGETHER THESE GROUPS AND IF YOU WANTED A FOCUS GROUP OR MORE INFORMATION THAT YOU ALLOW THIS CHAMBER AND MANY OTHER GROUPS THAT ARE OFFERING TO SIT SO THAT YOU ALL CAN ASK QUESTIONS THAT ARE SPECIFIC AND YOU CAN HEAR FROM THEM THE WAY WE HAVE. AND I'M HAPPY TO FORWARD THOSE SUGGESTIONS DIRECTLY TO YOU AS WELL THAT WE'VE RECEIVED FROM ARCHITECTS, ENGINEER, PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, PEOPLE WHO ARE CONTRACTORS, ENGINEERS AND SUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I REALLY WOULD APPRECIATE IF YOU WOULD SEND THOSE OVER TO OUR OFFICE AS WELL. AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR ENGAGEMENT. ABSOLUTELY. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, AND TO OUR MAYOR PROAM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP, UH, THE ROBUST CONVERSATIONS AS WE GRAPPLE WITH THE IMPORTANT POINTS THAT YOU AND OTHERS HAVE RAISED. DR. MARIA. SO JUST TO BE CLEAR, 'CAUSE THE CITY IS IN LITIGATION YES. AT THE MOMENT ON THIS ISSUE. SO I WANNA MAKE SURE FOR THE RECORD, WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS THAT, UH, THERE ARE ASPECTS OF THIS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN CONSIDERED OR REVIEWED, AND YOU ARE ASKING THE CITY FOR ADDITIONAL TIME TO CONSIDER TO COME UP WITH THE APPROPRIATE PROGRAMS TO SO THAT WE DO NOT, UM, HAVE AN UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCE OR, UH, DIMINISH OPPORTUNITY FOR THOSE THAT STILL, UH, DO NEED THAT SUPPORT, THAT HELP. THAT IS ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. LET'S SLOW THIS DOWN. LET'S DELIBERATE, LET'S BE TRANSPARENT. LET'S COMMUNICATE SO THAT WE CAN DO THE RIGHT THING. AND WE DO UNDERSTAND THE LITIGATION AS PART OF THIS, BUT I BELIEVE THAT TOGETHER COLLECTIVELY, THAT WE CAN COME UP WITH A SOLUTION. AND [00:35:01] I'VE BEEN VERY IMPRESSED SINCE THIS CONVERSATION HAS BEGUN JUST HOW FAR BOTH SIDES OF THIS HAVE COME. SO WE CAN DO THIS, HOUSTON, I KNOW WE CAN. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ. THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, DR. MARIA, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR YOUR, YOUR, UH, INVOLVEMENT OVER THE LAST WEEK OR SO. AND I THINK TO THAT POINT, I KNOW THAT THERE'S, THERE WAS A LOT OF FOLKS THAT JUST FELT THAT THEY HADN'T BEEN TOUCHED. I KNOW THAT THERE WAS, UH, ABOUT A 30,000, UH, REACH, AND THEY'VE REACHED PROBABLY ABOUT TWO TO 3% ULTIMATELY. AND SO, UH, THIS PAUSE IS IMPORTANT. UM, THE SAME INFORMATION THAT YOU'RE GONNA SHARE THAT YOU'VE SHARED WITH THE ADMINISTRATION AND TO THE MAYOR PRO TAM, IF YOU COULD SHARE THAT WITH ALL MY COLLEAGUES, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE ALL GET THAT INFORMATION TO REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS SHOULD BE. UM, UH, YOU KNOW, WITHOUT DIVING TOO MUCH INTO THOSE THREE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WERE SHARING, I THINK THERE'S, THERE'S STILL WORK TO BE DONE TO ENSURE THAT, UM, THERE IT IS EQUITABLE FOR, FOR EVERYONE THAT IS PARTICIPATING. NOT JUST THE MAJOR ONES, THE MAJOR, UH, UH, THE FOLKS THAT ARE GETTING MORE OF THE CONTRACTS, RIGHT? UH, I THINK IT'S, IT'S KNOWN THAT THERE'S A SMALL PERCENTAGE THAT IS REPRESENTING THIS BIG NUMBER OF SPEND. AND SO AGAIN, THE MORE INFORMATION THAT EVERYONE KNOWS, I THINK IT'S HELPFUL TO MAKE A, A CLEARER DECISION AT THE END OF THE DAY. THANK YOU. ABSOLUTELY. AND THAT THE METHODOLOGY DOES MATTER AND THE SAMPLE SIZE OF THIS MATTER, AND ONCE AGAIN, WE'RE HERE TO HELP PROVIDE SOLUTIONS. YOU ALL HAVE WORKED WITH US FOR A VERY LONG TIME, AND THIS CHAMBER'S HERE TO PROVIDE AND BRING TOGETHER PEOPLE SO THAT TOGETHER WE CAN DO WHAT IS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF BUSINESS AND THIS CITY. THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? OKAY. THANK YOU, DR. MARIA. THANK YOU, MAYOR MARVIN ANSLEY TO BE FOLLOWED BY DIANE ANSLEY. I ACTUALLY THOUGHT MY WIFE WOULD BE SPEAKING FIRST. UM, COUNCIL MEMBERSHIP. I, I'VE GOT A NO, IT'S OKAY. WE'LL, WE'LL WORK IT OUT. UH, I'VE GOT A BRIEF SYNOPSIS I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU AND THE MAYOR IF I COULD, BECAUSE WE ARE CERTAIN TO, TO FORGET SOME THINGS. I GUARANTEE YOU. AND THIS WILL MAKE, MAKE OUR POINTS EASIER TO CONVEY YES. TO OUR COUNCIL MEMBER ALONG WITH THE MAYOR. PLEASE. UH, LOOK, I'M, I'M, I'M TIRED, REALLY TIRED, AND I DON'T WANT TO BE HERE, BUT I AM, UH, SEVERAL MONTHS AGO, ABOUT SIX MONTHS AGO, WE WERE SCHEDULED TO APPEAR BEFORE YOU MAYOR, TO COMPLAIN ABOUT A DITCH IN THE BACK OF OUR PROPERTY. UH, THIS DITCH IS OVERGROWN, SMALL TREES AND LOTS OF BRUSH AND, UH, IT IMPACTS US IN TWO WAYS, PRIMARILY. UM, WE'RE VISITED FREQUENTLY BY THE CRITTERS, POSSUMS, RACCOONS AND SUCH. UH, ESPECIALLY DURING, UH, THE SEASONS WHEN THEY HAVE THEIR, THEIR LITTLE ONES. THEY, UH, THEY GET UP INTO THE ATTIC, WHICH WE SEAL THAT OFF NOW. AND WE DON'T HAVE THAT PROBLEM THAT MUCH. BUT MOST RECENTLY, WE, UH, JUST EXPERIENCED LAST MONTH, UH, AN EPISODE WHERE A CREDIT WHO WE LATER IDENTIFIED AS A POSSUM. 'CAUSE WE WERE ABLE TO TRAP HIM, TRAP HER, EVENTUALLY HAD PLACED, UH, HER LITTER BENEATH THE HOUSE AND GOTTEN INTO THE WALLS SOMEHOW. I DON'T KNOW IF SHE COULDN'T GET 'EM OUT OR JUST WHAT HAPPENED, BUT, UH, IT WAS A NIGHTMARE. IT WAS A NIGHTMARE FOR SEVERAL WEEKS. OUR DEAR GREAT GRANDCHILDREN WHO LOVE TO CAMP OUT, THEY'RE FRIGHTENED, THEY'RE AFRAID TO BE IN THE HOUSE NOW. AND, UH, IT'S JUST TERRIBLE. BUT THE OTHER WAY THAT WE ARE IMPACTED ISN'T ANY BETTER. IF THAT THING THAT, THAT, THAT DITCH BACK THERE, IF IT ISN'T PROPERLY MAINTAINED OR EVEN HALFWAY MAINTAINED FOR THAT MATTER, IT GETS TO THE POINT WHERE WHEN WE HAVE THESE HEAVY RAINS OR THESE, UH, HURRICANES AND STUFF, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WE'VE SEEN OUR WASHER DRYERS FLOATING DOWN IN THE BASEMENT DUE TO HARVEY. AND I THANK GOD AND MY FAITH IN GOD THAT I WAS, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. YOU CAN, YOU CAN GO AHEAD. I PRAYED SO HARD OVER THIS, THIS MOST RECENT FLOODING INCIDENT, AND WATCHED AS THE WATER WALKED UP OUT OF THAT DITCH INTO MY BACKYARD AND PRACTICALLY OVER TO WHERE IT WOULD THEN PROCEED TO FIT [00:40:01] TO THE BASEMENT. WE HAVEN'T GOT OLD NOW. I CAN'T FIGHT THESE STORMS AND ALL THAT STUFF. BUT BOTTOM LINE IS THIS, FOR YEARS AND YEARS, AND SOME OF YOU WON'T REMEMBER THIS, BUT I, I THINK THE MAYOR WILL, THERE WAS A TIME WHEN THEY BROUGHT, UH, GUYS WHO HAD MISDEMEANOR CONVICTIONS, WHO THEY TRUSTED, AND THEY MAINTAINED THAT DITCH BACK IN THE SIXTIES. THAT IS BOTH MY WIFE AND I ARE NOW 73. SHE'S GONNA TELL YOU MORE ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THAT HOUSE BECAUSE WE, WE KNOW THE HISTORY AND WE KNOW HOW LONG THE CITY HAS MAINTAINED IT. CAN I, UH, INQUIRE WHO ACTUALLY OWNS THE RAVINE BEHIND YOUR HOUSE? I TELL YOU WHAT, BECAUSE THE CITY, THE CITY REPORT SAYS, SAYS THAT THE CITY DOESN'T MAINTAIN IT. OKAY. I'M WILLING TO CHALLENGE THAT ON YOUR BEHALF. IF YOU COULD TELL ME WHO ACTUALLY OWNS THE RAVINE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND ALSO MAYBE THE HISTORY, IF THERE IS ONE OF THE CITY OR SOMEONE MAINTAINING IT, THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR THAT QUESTION. IT'S VALID. WE HAD TO DO THIS BEFORE. THIS IS LIKE DEJAVU, MY GRANDDAUGHTER'S NOW 21. SHE WAS FOUR THEN. I GUESS THAT'S ABOUT 17 YEARS AGO. WE APPEARED BEFORE THEN. MAYOR BILL WHITE, WHO LOOKED AT ME IN THE FACE JUST LIKE YOU ARE DOING NOW, AND SAID, IF I FIND THAT THIS IS THE CITY'S RESPONSIBILITY AND I'M QUOTING DIRECTLY, WE WILL HANDLE IT. THE CITY OF HOUSTON DOES NOT TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS THAT WAY. TWO DAYS LATER, OMI SAID THAT, HEY, WE GOT YOU. WE'LL HANDLE IT. AND THEY'VE BEEN HANDLING IT EVER SINCE. ALTHOUGH THEY NEVER DID SET UP A SCHEDULE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. THEY USUALLY COME WHEN IT GETS SO BAD THAT WE CALL AND SAY, HEY, WITH NATURE, SUDDENLY HERE, JUST UNDER YOUR ADMINISTRATION, THEY'VE ALL OF A SUDDEN STOPPED, START FABRICATING THE OLD STORIES ABOUT, OH, IT AIN'T OUR RESPONSIBILITY. YOU SEE? AND THAT'S WHY I'M HERE, BECAUSE MY COUNCIL MEMBER HAS DONE, I GUESS ALL THAT SHE COULD. AND IT'S JUST GOTTEN TO THE POINT WHERE I HAD TO RESCHEDULE AND I HAD TO COME AND LOOK AT YOU AND TELL YOU WHAT'S GOING ON. AND THAT'S FOR YOU HERE. WELL, PUBLIC WORK SAYS IT'S NOT THE CITY RESPONSIBILITY, BUT YOU CAME DOWN HERE IN GOOD FAITH AND WE'LL SEE THAT IT GETS TAKEN CARE OF. BUT WE NEED A PLAN GOING FORWARD. ABSOLUTELY. BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY ABSOLUTELY. IF IT'S NOT THE CITY RESPONSIBILITY, THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ADDRESSING IT. OH, THEY'VE BEEN ADDRESSING IT. WELL, BUT THEY'RE ADDRESSING THE CITY, LACK OF ADDRESSING. THEY'RE ADDRESSED IT BY, BY SUBCONTRACTING OUT. WE WE'RE GOING TO, I'VE GOT YOUR ADDRESS. WE'RE GONNA GET WITH PUBLIC WORKS, WE'LL GET IT TAKEN CARE OF IN THE SHORT TERM, BUT WE NEED A LONG TERM TERM PLAN WITH YOU AND YOUR FAMILY. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. YEAH, MAYOR. WELL TO US, UH, COUNCILMAN SHABAZZ, EVAN SHABA. THANK, THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU MARVIN. MR. YOU MARVIN, MR. LEY. WHAT, WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS, IS GET, UH, MS. DIANE, HIS WIFE, TO COME UP AND SPEAK, AND THEN I WANNA ADDRESS SOME ISSUES REGARDING THIS, UH, PARCEL. THANK YOU. YES, MS. ANSLEY, YOU'RE WELCOME TO SPEAK. I THINK WE'VE GOT A SOLUTION RIGHT NOW. OKAY. I JUST, BUT, BUT THE FLOOR IS YOURS. LET ME, LET ME GIVE YOU A, UH, BRIEF HISTORY OF THE HOUSE. I WAS RAISED IN THE HOUSE AND IT WAS PASSED ON FROM MY PARENTS. AND, UH, THE THING IS, IS THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE THIS PROBLEM WHEN THE CITY, QUOTE UNQUOTE, THOSE WHO MAY KNOW IT WAS CALLED THE P FORM INMATES WAS DOING IT. SO WHEN I MOVED BACK IN, AFTER MY MOTHER PASSED AWAY, NO, BEFORE, I'M SORRY. BEFORE SHE PASSED AWAY, WE STARTED HAVING THE PROBLEMS. NOW IF WE SITTING ON OUR DECK, WE CAN'T SEE ACROSS TO THE MOSAIC APARTMENTS. THAT'S, MY HOUSE IS DIRECTLY BEHIND THAT. OKAY. RIGHT NOW WE CAN SEE BECAUSE THE WEEDS IS, IS DEAD. SO THE THING IS IS THAT WE'VE HAD ROY BAR BARBER, ERIC DOGEN, STEVEN JAMES, AND DORA LEWIS. I EMAILED AARON WHEN WE CAME DOWN AND TALKED TO, UH, BILL WHITE, BILL WHITE, I'M SORRY, BILL WHITE BEFORE WE COULD GET HOME. THAT WAS 10 PEOPLE IN OUR DRIVEWAY OBSERVING THIS. AND THEY GOT ON IT LESS THAN TWO WEEKS. WE WENT BACK AND FORTH BEFORE WE STARTED THIS, AND THEY SAID, NO, IT'S THE, IT IS YOURS. IT'S THE COUNTY, IT'S THIS, THAT, AND THE OTHER. IT'S NOT OURS, IT'S THE CITIES. YOU GOT THIS BIG EASEMENT OR CITY, COUNTY. CAN I ASK YOU, WHAT ABOUT YOUR NEIGHBORS? MY NEIGHBORS? WHAT ABOUT THE RAVINE AS IT GOES THROUGH THE NEIGHBOR, WHO IS WELL, I, I HAVE, UH, NOW THERE'S FOUR CONDOS ON MY RIGHT. OKAY. ONE HOUSE ON MY LEFT THAT JUST GOT SOLD AND BOUGHT. THEN I HAVE THE, UH, GALA OF NORTH MCGREGOR. I'M SORRY, NOT [00:45:01] NORTH MCGREGOR, GALA OF MCGREGOR. THAT WAS JUST BUILT, IT'D BE TWO YEARS. HAS THE FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT EVER SHOWN ANY INTEREST OR THE COUNTY? I MIGHT GO AHEAD AND THROW EVERYBODY, THROW EVERYBODY IN THE COUNTY SAID IT WAS THE CITY. UNDER, UNDER, THEY FINALLY RESOLVED IT BY SAYING THAT IT WAS THE CITIES. BUT WHEN THEY WERE GOING BACK AND FORTH, BACK AND FORTH, WE'LL RESOLVE THAT REAL QUICK TOO. I, I CAN'T TELL YOU THERE'LL BE 10 PEOPLE IN YOUR DRIVEWAY, BUT WE, BUT IF THEY RING THE DOORBELL AND LET US KNOW, THEY THERE, WE CAN, YOU KNOW, WALK 'EM RIGHT DOWN. THE LAST CONTRACTOR THAT CAME OUT IN 23, WE HAVE BIG WHITE ROCKS IN THE, IN THE, ON THE, ON THE BANK THAT KEEP THE WATER FROM KIND OF COMING UP IN OUR YARD. YES, MA'AM. THEY PLACED THERE AND THEY LEFT THE, LIKE, FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT OUGHT TO TAKE AN INTEREST. OKAY. AND WE ALSO KNOW THAT, AND THE COUNTY, THEY, UH, AND THE CITY, I THINK WHEN MY NEIGHBOR, WHICH SHE JUST PASSED LAST MONTH, SHE FILED A LAWSUIT IN ONE. THAT'S WHEN THEY STOPPED. THEY WAS LIKE, OKAY, WE HAVE A, UH, A LAWSUIT WITH THE CITY. AND, YOU KNOW, IT WAS A BACK AND FORTH THING. AND I'M, I'M NOT FINN TO GO THROUGH ALL THAT AND I CAN'T SLEEP. I'M THINKING SOMEBODY UPSTAIRS IN THE AT AND WE DO HAVE A BASEMENT AT OUR HOUSE. OKAY. WELL, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. IT'S BEEN PRODUCTIVE. AND I'LL RECOGNIZE YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, COUNCILOR EVAN SHABA. AND SHE ASKED, THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND, AND JUST TO BE VERY TRANSPARENT, I'VE KNOWN THE ANSLEYS ALL MY LIFE. UH, AND SO I KNOW THAT, THAT DIANE DID LIVE THERE. UM, HER MOTHER LIVED THERE PRIOR TO HER. BUT THIS IS THE PROBLEM FOR ME. UH, THIS PROPERTY HAS BEEN MAINTAINED FOR DECADES. AND THEN, UH, UNDER I THINK YOUR FIRST TERM AND ALL THE WAY BACK, AND CERTAINLY WHY ALL OF A SUDDEN NOW IN 2023 THERE IS, WHEN THERE'S BEEN A CLEAR PRECEDENCE OF MAINTENANCE, WHY IS IT ALL OF A SUDDEN NOT BEING DONE? ANOTHER POINT IS THAT IT WAS KIND OF RECLASSIFIED. IT WAS KNOWN AS A DRAINAGE EASEMENT, AND THEN IT WAS LATER CLASSIFIED AS A NATURAL RAVINE. I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT PROCESS, UH, TOOK PLACE, BUT CERTAINLY, UH, THERE'S CLEAR DOCUMENTATION PROVING THAT THIS AREA WAS ALWAYS A NATURAL RAVINE AND WAS NEVER A LEGALLY RECOGNIZED DRAINAGE, UH, EASEMENT. UM, BUT MY PROBLEM IS IF IT'S BEEN MAINTAINED AND THEY ARE HAVING, THEY HAVE RACCOONS AND, UH, I THINK THERE WAS A DEAD BODY OR SOMETHING THAT WAS FOUND THERE. I DON'T WANNA INTERRUPT YOU, BUT I DON'T THINK THEY'VE SAID IT. IT'S BEEN MAINTAINED. WE DID SAY IT WELL, YEAH. I THINK IT'S BEEN MAINTAINED UP UNTIL 2023. IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING. YES, SIR. AND, UH, COREY HAS WORKED EXTENSIVELY ON THIS. HE MAY HAVE EVEN SPENT THE NIGHT AT YOUR HOUSE LAST NIGHT. I SAW HIM. THEY BUY CONTRACTORS. I SAW HIM TRACKED ALL THE WAY TO YOUR HOUSE, AND I NEVER SAW HIM LEAVE. BUT ANYWAY, . BUT NO, UH, ACTUALLY, IT, IT IS JUST ALL OF A SUDDEN. AND, AND, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THE SHORT TERM SOLUTION IS MAYBE TO GO DO SOMETHING, BUT THEY NEED A LONG-TERM SOLUTION. UH, AND IF IT'S THE CITY'S RESPONSIBILITY AND THEY HAVE SHOWN THAT THEY HAVE DONE THAT, I THINK THAT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO CONTINUE. THANK, THANK YOU. SO MAYBE IF YOU COULD LOOK INTO IT A LITTLE BIT MORE EXTENSIVELY, UH, THERE HAVE BEEN CONTACTS WITH PREVIOUS EMPLOYEES OF THE CITY THAT HAVE INDICATED THAT IT WAS MAINTAINED. AND SO NOW, UH, I THINK AFTER A LAWSUIT, IT STOPPED. IT DID. UH, AND THE, THE PERSON PASSED AWAY. YES. UH, DIED. AND, AND SO NOW THERE IS NO LEGAL DISPUTE. BUT, UH, I, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THEM TO GET A PERMANENT RESOLUTION TO THIS. WE'LL, WE'LL DEFINITELY WORK WITH YOU. I GOT HERE IN 24, SO IT'S THE FIRSTLY ONE'S BROUGHT IT TO MY ATTENTION. SO I'LL LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU AND WE WILL RESOLVE THE MATTER. AND THIS AGAIN, AND I THINK YOU CAN DEPEND ON THAT. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, THAT WE'VE BEEN KINDA HOLDING THEM BACK TO KEEP THEM FROM COMING. BUT NOW THAT THEY ARE HERE ALL BACK, THIS IS FRONT. WELL, WE WERE TRYING TO RESOLVE IT THAT'S RIGHT. PRIOR TO NOW. AND SO NOW WE ARE AT THIS IMPASSE. AND SO THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR IT JUST GOT RESOLVED, TAKING YOUR PERSONAL ATTENTION. THANK YOU, MA'AM. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK Y'ALL. BE SAFE. APPRECIATE YOUR TIME. YOU BET. NEXT ED DUO DURAN. HEY, EDO DURAN, RACHEL ADAY. RACHEL ADAY, LAURA CONLEY TO BE FOLLOWED BY CHRISTINA ROTENBERG. GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. UM, I'M HERE TODAY AS A FOUNDER OF URBAN PATHS, A WALKING WELLNESS COMPANY. AND I'M HERE TODAY WITH AN INVITATION RATHER THAN AN ASK. UM, COMING UP NEXT WEDNESDAY IS NATIONAL WALKING [00:50:01] DAY, AND THIS WILL BE THE SECOND YEAR THAT HOUSTON IS TAKING PART IN THIS NATIONAL EVENT. UH, LAST YEAR I CAME BEFORE YOU AND I WAS HAPPY THAT TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS WERE ABLE TO GET OUT. THAT WAS, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, MARTINEZ, I BELIEVE, AND COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, OH BUDDY. DIDN'T I WRITE IT DOWN? UM, ANYWAY, I'M GLAD THAT YOU WERE, SOME, SOME OF YOU WERE ABLE TO COME OUT LAST YEAR. IT'S NEXT WEDNESDAY. THERE'LL BE WALKS ALL OVER TOWN. YOU'RE GETTING A LETTER. I'M OFFICIALLY INVITING YOU ON BEHALF OF URBAN PATHS BUFFALO BAYOU PARTNERSHIP IN FIT HOUSTON THROUGH THE HEALTHY CITIES INITIATIVE. AND WE KNOW THAT WALKING NOT ONLY PROMOTES, UM, HEALTHY YOUR BODIES, MENTAL HEALTH, PHYSICAL HEALTH, BUT IT ALSO IS A WAY TO INCREASE SAFETY FOR EVERYONE WITHIN HOUSTON AND BOOST ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY GROWTH. SO I HOPE THAT YOU WILL COME OUT, THAT YOU WILL GO WALK WITH YOUR CONSTITUENTS AND SEE WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO BE WALKING MEMBERS OF OUR CITY. UM, IT'S WONDERFUL HAVING BEEN IN THE CITY FOR 40 YEARS TO SEE IMPROVEMENTS IN WALKABILITY. IT'S EASIER TO TAKE THE BUS NOW. WE HAVE A LONG, LONG WAY TO GO, BUT I ENCOURAGE YOU TO COME OUT ON THIS, UH, POSITIVE DAY, UM, TO, UH, TO BE WITH US. I KNOW IT WAS, UH, IT WAS COUNCIL MEMBER ELKHORN ALSO THAT WAS OUT LAST YEAR WITH THE GROUP. SORRY FOR NOT SAYING YOUR NAME EARLIER. UM, BUT I HOPE THAT ALL OF YOU WILL COME OUT. YEAH, YOU SHOULD SPEAK FOR SPEAK FOR YOURSELF. AND, UH, JOAQUIN MARTINEZ WAS OUT THIS YEAR. I'LL BE LEADING A WALK FOR A BUFFALO BAYOU PARTNERSHIP DOWNTOWN AT LUNCHTIME. SO IF YOU FIND YOURSELF DOWNTOWN NEXT WEDNESDAY, UM, I'LL BE LEADING A WALK HEADING OUT FROM ALLEN'S LANDING, COMING THROUGH THE HOUSTON THEATER DISTRICT AND AROUND DOWNTOWN. BUT THERE'S WALKS GOING ON FROM MONTROSE BOULEVARD TO ALE TO ALL, ALL, ALL STREETS IN BETWEEN IN PARKS. THERE'LL BE WALKS AT MEMORIAL, THERE'LL BE WALKS AT MCGREGOR PARK, UM, ALL THROUGHOUT TOWN. WE HOPE THAT EVERY YEAR THIS WILL JUST CONTINUE TO GROW AND GIVE THOSE PEOPLE WHO DON'T WALK ON A DAILY BASIS LIKE I DO THE, UM, THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE, UM, JUST HOW GREAT HOUSTON IS, FIRST OF ALL, AND TO SEE WHERE WE CAN MAKE, UH, STRIDES GOING FORWARD. SO AGAIN, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO COME OUT. YOU HAVE THE LETTER. IF YOU NEED MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE REACH OUT TO EITHER BUFFALO BAYOU PARTNERSHIP TO FIT HOUSTON OR TO MYSELF THROUGH, UM, URBAN PASS. THAT'S ALL I HAVE. I'M HERE WITH AN INVITATION INSTEAD OF AN ASK TODAY. YOU GOT IT. COUNCILMAN CAYMAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. MAYOR, LAURA, THANK YOU SO MUCH. UH, YOU CONTINUE TO BRING SO MUCH POSITIVITY, UH, AND AWARENESS AND I, I JUST AM VERY GRATEFUL. UH, I DID WANNA JUST PROMOTE, 'CAUSE YOU GAVE US THIS GREAT FLYER. UM, THERE'S A HASHTAG, SO ANYONE PARTICIPATING, IT'S HASHTAG NATIONAL WALKING DAY. AND THEN YOU ALSO HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT, UH, YOU CAN TAG TO KINDA LIFT UP AND PROMOTE. IS THERE A SPECIFIC WEBSITE THAT YOU RECOMMEND PEOPLE GO TO? SO IF THEY GO TO THE FIT HOUSTON WEBSITE, WHICH THE LINK WILL BRING YOU, UM, JUST TO JOIN UP, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO GET MORE INFORMATION, BUT YOU CAN REACH OUT TO ANY OF THE ORGANIZATIONS INVOLVED. IT'S A GREAT EVENT AND WE JUST, LIKE I SAID, WE HOPE TO GET, MAKE IT BIGGER AND BIGGER AND TO COME FORWARD FROM THE WALKING COMMUNITY WITH A POSITIVE ASK. UM, I FEEL GREAT TO BE HERE TODAY. SMILING NOT, NOT, NOT. THANK, THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MA'AM. NEXT, CHRISTINA ROLLENBERG TO BE FOLLOWED BY DAVID EICHMAN. I GUESS THANK YOU LAURA, FOR PUTTING A SMILE ON MY FACE, WHICH I ALWAYS APPRECIATE WHILE I'M HERE. UM, SO HELLO MAYOR WHITMEYER AND CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME'S CHRISTINA ROTENBERG. I'M A BOARD MEMBER WITH THE NONPROFIT, A TALE OF TWO BRIDGES, WHICH IS A LOCAL NONPROFIT FOCUSED ON CONNECTING PEOPLE AND PLACES IN THE CITY. I'M ALSO ONE OF THE ORGANIZERS OF THE I LOVE 11 STREET FESTIVAL, AND I'M HERE TODAY TO DISCUSS STREET SAFETY IN THE HEIGHTS. SO THE FIRST ITEM I WANNA ADDRESS IS THE RECENT REMOVAL OF THE ARMADILLOS ALONG HEIGHTS BOULEVARD BETWEEN I 10 AND WASHINGTON. WE ARE VERY HAPPY TO HEAR THAT THE ADMINISTRATION IS NOT REMOVING THE BIKE LANES. THANK YOU. UM, THAT SAID, GIVEN THE VOLUME OF TRAFFIC, UM, WE REALLY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE ARMADILLOS ARE REPLACED WITH OTHER PROTECTIVE BARRIERS. SOMETHING THAT'S EITHER, EITHER EQUAL OR GREATER TO THE ARMADILLOS THAT WERE, THAT WERE TAKEN AWAY. THE SECOND THING IS THAT I'M REALLY HOPING YOU CAN ALLAY OUR FEARS. SO WITH THE RECENT INSTALLATION OF THE HAWK SIGNAL AT THE INTERSECTION OF 11TH STREET AND NICHOLSON, THERE'S ALL OF A SUDDEN A LOT OF CONCERNS IN THE COMMUNITY ABOUT WHAT THIS MEANS FOR 11TH STREET AND WHETHER THIS MEANS THAT THE ADMINISTRATION IS GONNA REMOVE THE SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS THAT WERE ADDED A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO. WE, SO I'M REALLY HOPING TODAY TO HEAR WHAT THE ADMINISTRATION'S PLANS ARE. I CAN TELL YOU THAT THE HEIGHTS, THAT THE SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS ARE WORKING, THEY'RE DOING THEIR JOB, THEY'RE ALLOWING FOR SAFE CROSSINGS, THEY'RE SLOWING SPEEDS, AND THEY ARE BEING USED. AND THE [00:55:01] HEIGHTS, WE DO NOT WANT MORE CONSTRUCTION. AND WE ALSO, IF THE ADMINISTRATION WANTS TO FOCUS ON SAFETY IMPROVEMENT, LET'S FOCUS ON SIDEWALKS, CROSSWALKS, SOMETHING THAT'S NOT DESTRUCTIVE, WHICH SPENDING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS ON REMOVING THE BIKE LANES WOULD BE, IT WOULD BE DESTRUCTIVE. EARLIER THIS YEAR, A TALE OF TWO BRIDGES PARTNERED WITH THE CITY ON A PROPOSAL TO ADD SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS FOR PEDESTRIANS TO HEIGHTS BOULEVARD. AND WE WOULD REALLY LOVE TO CONTINUE WORKING ON THIS TYPE OF CONSTRUCTIVE SAFETY ELEMENT FOR THE CITY. AND AGAIN, I'M GONNA CLOSE CONCLUDE WITH ASKING YOU TO CONFIRM WHAT THE ADMINISTRATION'S PLANS ARE FOR 11TH STREET. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. UH, I'M, I'M HAPPY TO DEFER TO YOU, MAYOR FIRST IF YOU WANTED TO RESPOND. BEG YOUR PARDON? I SAID I'M HAPPY TO DEFER TO YOU FIRST IF YOU WANTED TO RESPOND. NO, I'M FINE. THANK YOU. I'M RECOGNIZING YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I APPRECIATE THAT. UM, CHRISTINA, I DID WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR COMING. UM, I, WE HAVE SINCE, UH, THE SAFETY BARRIER WAS REMOVED, UH, RECEIVED OVER 69 EMAILS, UH, ALONE. THAT'S EXCLUDING CALLS, BUT I DO WANNA SAY THAT, UH, OUR OFFICE IS CONTINUING, UH, TO RECEIVE THAT INPUT. WE ARE DOING OUR BEST TO STAY ON TOP OF THINGS WHILE WE'RE NOT GETTING NOTICE OF SOME OF THESE MODIFICATIONS AND REMOVALS. UH, I, I APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE. AND, UH, MAYOR, WE'LL CONTINUE TO SUBMIT QUESTIONS AND INQUIRIES. WE STILL ARE NOT RECEIVING ANYTHING BACK, UH, FROM THE ADMINISTRATION WHEN WE'RE ASKING JUST BASIC QUESTIONS ABOUT TIMELINE OR WHAT'S NEXT OR THE COST AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. SO, UH, WOULD VERY MUCH JUST APPRECIATE, UH, ADDITIONAL DIALOGUE AND ENGAGEMENT, ESPECIALLY ON BEHALF OF THE COMMUNITY. UH, WE'RE HEARING FROM A LOT OF RESIDENTS RIGHT NOW. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, MA'AM. NEXT, DAVID EICHMAN, BE FOLLOWED BY JACOB QUAVIS. GOOD AFTERNOON, MR. MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS DAVID EICHMAN AND I BRING YOU GREETINGS FROM CALIFORNIA, SPECIFICALLY THAT 1.9 SQUARE MILE CITY CALLED WEST HOLLYWOOD, WHERE I HAVE SERVED AS A TRANSPORTATION COMMISSIONER FOR 30 YEARS. FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOU FOR STEPPING UP AND SERVING YOUR COMMUNITIES. CONSTITUENTS ARE OFTEN QUICK TO CRITICIZE, BUT LAVISH PRAISE SPARSELY. OVER THE YEARS, I'VE GOTTEN TO KNOW FORMER MAYORS, PARKER AND TURNER, AS WELL AS A FEW OF YOUR COUNCIL MEMBERS. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. UM, AND I USUALLY COME TO HOUSTON FOR THE ANNUAL GREEK FEST IN OCTOBER THIS YEAR. I'M HERE IN MARCH TO ATTEND THE ROSES FOUNDATION FUNDRAISER TOMORROW AT THE RIVER OAKS COUNTRY CLUB, WHERE ONE OF MY LAW SCHOOL CLASSMATES AND FRIENDS, MARIA WYKOFF BOCE IS BEING HONORED. MARIA GREW UP HERE IN HOUSTON, I THINK ACTUALLY COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, I KNOW KNOWS HER. UM, AND, UH, SHE HAD A VERY SUCCESSFUL LAW CAREER WITH SEVERAL OF YOUR BIG LAW FIRMS. SHE LIVES IN, UH, RIVER OAKS WITH HER HUSBAND BILL BOYCE. AND I CAN'T VI VISIT HOUSTON WITHOUT ATTENDING A COMMUNITY EVENT. SO I WILL BE HELPING COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO WITH THE MOODY PARK CLEANUP ON SATURDAY. I'M, AND I JUST ALSO WANNA SAY HOW MUCH I APPRECIATE YOUR PROCLAMATION FOR TRANSGENDER DAY OF VISIBILITY, WEST HOLLYWOOD. WE HAVE A MAJORITY LGBT COUNCIL, SO OF COURSE THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE FOR US. AND IT'S GREAT TO SEE OTHER TOWNS AND CITIES TAKING A STAND. THIS IS WHERE THE ALLIES ARE CRUCIAL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU CA EXCUSE ME, SIR. COUNCIL CASTILLO. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND, UH, DAVID, THANK YOU FOR COMING BY TO SEE US HERE, UH, AT PUBLIC SESSION. I KNOW YOU ALWAYS TRY TO PACK A LOT INTO YOUR VISITS. UM, AND SO THANKS FOR, FOR, UH, COMING BY THE TRASH BASH ON SATURDAY. WE'RE GONNA, THERE'S A LOT OF WORK TO DO OUT THERE AT MOODY PARK, SO GREATLY APPRECIATE YOUR HELP AND IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO SEE YOU. GREAT, THANKS. THANK YOU, SIR. NEXT, JACOB QUAVIS TO BE FOLLOWED BY ANDREW SNEAD. GOOD AFTERNOON CITY COUNCIL. IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE ABLE TO, TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK TODAY. UH, LET ME BEGIN BY SAYING THAT I'VE NEVER BEEN MORE DISAPPOINTED IN A MAYOR OF THIS CITY UP UNTIL THIS POINT, MAYOR WHITMEYER, YOU'VE PREACHED TRANSPARENCY YOUR ENTIRE TERM AND HAVE BASHED THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION NONSTOP. BUT ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS. YOU'VE BEEN THE LEAST TRANSPARENT AND HAVE MADE MOVES IN THE DARK, COMPLETELY DISREGARDING OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS. [01:00:02] YOU'VE CONTINUED TO ATTACK WHAT LITTLE PROGRESS THIS CITY HAS TRIED TO MAKE TO BECOME MORE WALKABLE AND BIKE FRIENDLY. IT'S INTERESTING THAT LOCAL NEIGHBORHOOD, CIVIC CLUBS, NEIGHBORHOOD TIERS, THE GREATER HOUSTON PARTNERSHIP, HAC AND EVEN TDOT, RECOGNIZES THAT YOUR CONSTITUENTS WANT A SAFER, MORE PEDESTRIAN CITY, BUT FOR SOME REASON YOU DON'T. AND INSTEAD OF LISTENING TO YOUR CONSTITUENTS AND THE YEARS OF INPUT THEY'VE PROVIDED, YOU'VE SOUGHT ADVICE FROM CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVEN'T REPRESENTED HOUSTONIANS IN OVER A DECADE. YOU'VE DISMANTLED PROJECTS LIKE ANTOINE DRIVE, MONTROSE BOULEVARD, WEST ALABAMA, WESTHEIMER, AND NOW I'M HEARING TELEPHONE ROAD, AND THAT'S JUST TO NAME A FEW. AND NOW TODAY, I'M TAKING THE TIME OFF FROM WORK TO FIGHT AND ADVOCATE FOR 11TH STREET. I DRIVE DOWN 11TH EVERY SINGLE DAY DURING THE TWO BUSIEST TIMES OF THE DAY TO TAKE MY SON TO HOG MIDDLE SCHOOL AND TO GO TO WORK. I SEE KIDS BIKE TO SCHOOL EVERY SINGLE DAY AT HOG. IT'S ALSO MUCH EASIER FOR PEOPLE TO CROSS THE STREET NOW THAT IT'S NOT A RACEWAY. I ALSO USE 11TH TO BIKE AND COMMUTE. I'M NOT AN ANTI-CAR ACTIVIST, BUT FOR WHATEVER REASON, YOU DON'T WANT DRIVERS INCONVENIENCED FOR ANYTHING. EVEN IF IT'S FOR THE RIGHT REASONS OF KEEPING PEOPLE SAFE AND MAKING SURE DRIVERS ARE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR ACTIONS, ENFORCEMENT ISN'T GOING TO SOLVE THAT BY ITSELF. STREET DESIGN MATTERS. SO TODAY I'M SPEAKING TO YOU AS A REGULAR EVERYDAY HOUSTONIAN WHO'D SPENT NEARLY 20 YEARS OF MY LIFE TRYING TO ADVOCATE FOR A BETTER CITY, AND I'M BEYOND FED UP AT THIS POINT WITH A BLATANT ATTACK ON PEDESTRIANS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT, ANDREW. ANDREW SNEAD, BE FOLLOWED BY JOHNNY JAR. HI EVERYONE. I WAS HOPING TO COMMENT ON THE PLAN REMOVAL OF THE RACE CROSSWALK. WOULD YOU SPEAK INTO THE MICROPHONE ON WESTHEIMER AT CROCKER? I HAD TWO QUESTIONS IN MY ORIGINAL COMMENTS. WHY DID THE PUBLIC ONLY FIND OUT VIA A RUMOR WHEN WESTHEIMER WAS ALREADY BEING TORN UP? WHAT ELSE IS THE CITY PLANNING TO REMOVE OVER THE WEEKEND? I LEARNED OF ANOTHER RUMOR THAT THE 11TH STREET SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS WERE BEING TARGETED. AGAIN, I HAVE NO DETAILS ON WHICH ASPECTS ARE AT RISK, BUT I'D LOVE TO KNOW, AGAIN, I ASK WHAT ELSE IS THREATENED. I ALSO DOUBT THE CITY'S REASONING IN A NEWS ARTICLE ABOUT THE CROSSWALK, AN OFFICIAL SAID IT COULD POTENTIALLY CAUSE TRAFFIC TO DIVERT INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD. I CHALLENGED THE CITY TO PROVIDE EVIDENCE THAT THAT IS HAPPENING. IN THAT CASE, IT'S A SCENARIO THAT IS NOT REALISTIC GIVEN THE LAYOUT OF THOSE STREETS. IN THE CASE OF 11TH STREET, HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS FOUND THAT THERE WAS NOT A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT TO CAR TRAVEL TIMES, BUT THE NEW DESIGN CONTRIBUTED TO REDUCTION AND SPEEDING. THE COMPLETE ELIMINATION OF INJURY CRASHES WITHIN THE STUDY PERIOD AND AN INCREASE IN PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS AT TWO INTERSECTIONS. THE PROJECT WAS EXTRAORDINARILY SUCCESSFUL AT ALLOWING THAT STREET TO DO MORE, USING THE SAME SPACE IN A WAY THAT IS PROFOUNDLY SAFER WITH MINIMAL DOWNSIDES. BOTH PROJECTS WERE BUILT AFTER A PERIOD OF RESEARCH, A PERIOD OF DESIGN DISCUSSIONS BETWEEN THE RESIDENTS, LOCAL BOARDS, ENGINEERS IN THE CITY, AND A PROCESS OF REVIEW AND APPROVAL. COMPARE THAT TO THE MESSAGING OF LATE SUCH AND SUCH. DESIGN DECISION WAS MADE IN LINE WITH THE GUIDING MOBILITY PRINCIPLES. THIS IS AN ADMISSION CONSIDERATION OF THE NEEDS OF ALL USERS WAS NOT DONE. INSTEAD, WE ARE BUILDING A PROJECT THAT CHECKS A BOX. IF THE CITY CANNOT PROVIDE EVIDENCE-BASED JUSTIFICATIONS FOR INFRASTRUCTURE CHANGES, AND IF THE CITY MAKES THESE CHANGES THROUGH ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESSES WITH LESS OVERSIGHT AND PUBLIC SCRUTINY, THE PUBLIC HAS NO WAY OF KNOWING THAT THESE THINGS ARE BEING DONE IN GOOD FAITH. IF THE CITY TAKES THE TIME TO EXAMINE THE REAL IMPACTS OF THE PROJECTS THEY SEEK TO TEAR OUT, THEY MAY FIND THAT THOSE PRO PROJECTS DON'T IMPACT TRAFFIC MEANINGFULLY, BUT THEY PROVIDE BETTER SAFETY AND CONNECTIVITY FOR OTHER USERS. IN THE CASE OF THESE TWO PROJECTS AND POSSIBLY OTHERS, THE CITY SHOULDN'T THROW SCARCE MONEY AT THEIR REMOVAL WHEN HOUSTONIANS STAND TO LOSE SO MUCH FOR POTENTIALLY NO GAIN. THAT'S ALL I HAVE. THANKS. VERY WELL, THANK YOU. NEXT, JOHNNY JARA. JOHNNY JARRAH. KATHLEEN CURRAN [01:05:02] TO BE FOLLOWED BY TASHA ROBINSON. FIRST OFF, I APOLOGIZE FOR NOT BRINGING ENOUGH HANDOUTS. I WAS TOLD SIX WERE ENOUGH. UH, MY NAME IS KATHLEEN CURRAN. I AM THANKING YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH YOU TODAY. I LIVE AT FIVE 16 SOUTH POST OAK LANE, PINE OAKS ESTATES TOWN HOME. AND I'VE LIVED THERE SINCE 2002. UM, I'M HERE BECAUSE 50 50 WOODWAY, WHICH BACKS UP TO MY PROPERTY, HAS JUST INSTALLED THIS MASSIVE CHILLER SYSTEM. AND IT'S 10 FEET, LITERALLY 10 FEET FROM MY HOME. AND IT'S MADE MY LIFE A LIVING HELL. IT'S UGLY, AS YOU WILL SEE IF YOU GET THIS PICTURE. IT'S VERY UNSIGHTLY. I CAN MANAGE THAT. WHAT I CAN'T BEAR IS THE INCESSANT NOISE. THE PULSATING DIRECT HIGH BO HIDE A LOUD NOISE AND IT MUST BE BLOCKED. IT'S 24 7 NONSTOP. I, I WAS GONNA BRING MY COMPUTER TO GIVE YOU A SAMPLE OF THE SOUND TODAY, BUT I DIDN'T. BUT DESPITE THIS DECIBEL NOISE, IT'S JUST CAUSING ME REALLY DAMAGE TO MY HEALTH. ALWAYS, ALWAYS DIZZY BECAUSE OF THAT RIGHT OUTSIDE MY WINDOW, I CAN HEAR IT IN MY HOUSE. I HAVE TO WEAR NOISE CANCELING HEADPHONES INSIDE. IT'S HARD TO SLEEP. I WAKE UP WITH PANIC ATTACKS, LITERALLY, BECAUSE I'M THINKING, HOW CAN I LIVE WITH THIS FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE? IT IS NONSTOP 24 7. I'M, I'M 71. WHERE AM I SUPPOSED TO GO? SO I ALSO FEEL SO MUCH STRESS, TENSION, AND EVEN DEPRESSION BECAUSE IT'S, I FEEL HELPLESS. UM, HERE'S WHAT I'VE TRIED SO FAR. FIRST, I HAVE CONTACTED THE CITY COUNCIL AND THEY'VE SHOWED A LOT OF EMPATHY AND HAVE, UH, SENT THE POLICE TO DO SOUND READINGS. BUT I THINK IT WAS INACCURATE BECAUSE THEY CAME BEFORE THE, THE EQUIPMENT WAS FULLY OPERATIONAL AND THEY ALSO CAME ANOTHER TIME TO TAKE READINGS. BUT FROM OUTSIDE MY, MY PROPERTY LINE, BUT OUTSIDE FROM WHERE I SHARED THE BORDER WITH 50 50 WOODWAY. SO IT'S LITERALLY 10 FEET FROM ME, AND THE SOUND IS JUST DOWN ATTACKING ME. THAT'S WHAT IT FEELS LIKE. UM, THEY'VE ALSO, UH, SUGGESTED I TALK TO THE, TO CALL A NON, UM, EMERGENCY LINE, WHICH I HAVE, I'VE CALLED THAT MANY TIMES AND MADE COMPLAINTS AND ASKED FOR MORE SOUND READINGS. BUT THEY'VE TOLD ME, ACTUALLY ONE PERSON TOLD ME THIS IS NOT A POLICE ISSUE AND THEY WEREN'T SHOWING UP. SO I HAVE TRIED NOW TO CONTACT, UM, 50 50 WOODWAY DIRECTLY. AND YOU SEE IN WHAT I'VE GIVEN YOU, THE RESPONSES WE'VE RECEIVED TO THE REQUEST TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT A SOLUTION. ONE, THEY REFUSE. SECONDLY, THEY IGNORE, AND I'M, I'M EVEN BEEN PREPARED TO HAVE A DISCUSSION WITH THEM TO SHARE COST FOR A SOUND BARRIER. IT'S HARD TO, FOR ME TO AFFORD. BUT THEY HAVE JUST IGNORED. AND BECAUSE THEY SAY WE DID NOT ALLOW THEM, OUR HOMEOWNERS DID NOT ALLOW THEM TO, UM, BRING THEIR HEAVY EQUIPMENT WITH A CRANE AND SWING THOSE TONS, MULTIPLE TONS OVER OUR HOMES IN ORDER TO INSTALL THEM. WE THOUGHT THE RISK WAS TOO HIGH. SO I'VE TAKEN ALL THESE STEPS AND I'M JUST GOING IN CIRCLES. SO WHAT I NEED FROM YOU IS HELP. I NEED SOUND BARRIERS INSTALLED AT THE NOISE SOURCE. AND WHAT I NEED FROM YOU ESPECIALLY IS YOUR HELP TO HELP ME FIND A SOLUTION. THANK YOU. DO YOU HAVE A, UH, HOMEOWNER ASSOCIATION OR A CIVIC CLUB? WE DO HAVE A HOMEOWNER'S ASSOCIATION. AND I WAS ON THE HOME. I GUESS YOU Y'ALL DISCUSSED IT AS A NEIGHBORHOOD. YES. ESPECIALLY THE HOMES THAT ARE DIRECTLY IMPACTED. ONE, THE EQUIPMENT IS SO HUGE AND OUR STREET IS QUITE FEEBLE, SO IT WAS, WE DIDN'T WANT THE HEAVY EQUIPMENT. I GOT THAT. SO IF YOU HAVE A HUGE NUISANCE, I'M TRYING TO SEE IF COLLECTIVELY THE NEIGHBORHOOD COULD HAVE AN ATTORNEY TALK TO 'EM. I MEAN, THEY'RE OBVIOUSLY VIOLATING THE SOUND ORDINANCE AND WE'LL CHECK ON THAT. BUT IT, IT'S ALMOST, UH, WOULD REQUIRE LEGAL ACTION TO GET THEIR ATTENTION. I, UM, THAT'S WHAT I'M ASKING FOR. I NEED SOMEBODY TO TALK WITH. IF, IF THAT'S WHAT I HAVE TO DO. OUR HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION ON WHICH I AM PART. UM, AND I WAS A DUAL VOICE IN COMMUNICATING WITH [01:10:01] 50 50 WOOD WAY BECAUSE AS A, AS A HOA, UM, OFFICER, I WAS REPRESENTING THE HOMEOWNERS WHO SAID, NO, NO, NO, NO. TOO BIG OF A RISK. BECAUSE IF WE, WE EVEN CONSULTED WITH CRANE EXPERTS TO SAY, WHAT IS THIS POSSIBLE TO DO TO SWING THESE TONS? YOU DECIDE, I GOT THAT. I'M IN IN, YES, THE TONNAGE IN THE SWING OVER YOUR HOUSE IS A DANGER, BUT I'M TRYING TO ADDRESS THE ONGOING NOISE. MM-HMM . AND THAT'S WHERE I BELIEVE THE NEIGHBORHOOD COULD COME TOGETHER. AND, UH, BUT I AM SORRY TO TO BE TO THE OWNERSHIP. YES. BUT TODAY, I'M SORRY TO SAY YES, BUT, BUT NO ONE ELSE IS IMPACTED AS MUCH AS ME. SO THERE, THE HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION IS NOT INTERESTED ANYMORE WHEN IT WAS A COMMUNICATION. WELL, UNFORTUNATELY THE HIGH RISE GOT A, A BUILDING PERMIT FROM THE CITY YEARS AGO. AND UNFORTUNATELY SOMEONE DID NOT TAKE THAT IN CONSIDERATION. THANK YOU FOR COMING. I'LL PUT CON CONTINUE. WHAT SHOULD I DO NEXT? BEG PARDON? WHAT SHOULD I DO NEXT? I WOULD GET AN ATTORNEY AND, AND I WOULD APPEAL TO THE NEIGHBORS. 'CAUSE THERE'S STRENGTH IN NUMBERS AND, WE'LL, AND I'LL, I'LL RUN IT BY MY LEGAL, BUT THE CITY'S LEGAL, NOT BY THE CITIES, BUT I REALLY THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD AS A, AS A GROUP, UH, IS GOING TO HAVE TO APPEAL TO THE MANAGEMENT. UH, I'M LOOKING AT PHOTOS OF IT AND, UH, LOOKS LIKE WHEN THEY GOT THE PERMIT, THEY CONSTRUCTED IT. THEY ANTICIPATE PUTTING THEIR POWER PLANT RIGHT NEXT TO YOUR HOUSE, WHICH IS UNFORTUNATE. AND THEY DID INFORM US OF THAT. THERE USED TO BE AN OLDER CHILLER. IT WAS THERE SINCE 2002 THAT I'VE BEEN THERE, THAT WAS OUTSIDE OF THE, MY PROPERTY LINE. AND, UH, WAS, IT WAS A SILVER THING THAT STUCK OUT ABOVE OUR FENCE, BUT IT WAS ALL POINTED UPWARD. AND IT, THEY SAID, OH, WE WANT TO, UH, DISASSEMBLE THAT AND INSTALLED TWO SMALLER, QUIET, QUIETER. YES, I'M, I'M SORRY. I DON'T SEE A READY SOLUTION. SOMEONE CALL IT, UH, A READY SOLUTION ABOUT THE CITY. BUT, UM, I, THERE AGAIN, I WOULD JOIN WITH THE NEIGHBORS AND, UH, DISCUSS LEGAL ACTION. OKAY. THANK YOU MR. HUFFMAN. COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN. THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU FOR COMING TO COUNCIL. I APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE. I'M SURE THAT IS EXTREMELY FRUSTRATING. NOW, UM, I KNOW HPD WENT OUT THERE, BUT YOU SAID IT WAS PRIOR TO THE FULL INSTALLATION, IS THAT RIGHT? YES. WHEN WAS IT FULLY INSTALLED? IT PROBABLY WOULD'VE BEEN THE END OF FEBRUARY. OKAY. MAYBE BEGINNING OF MARCH. OKAY. AND SO IT LOOKS LIKE WHEN HPD WENT OUT THERE, THEY'VE BEEN OUT THERE FOUR DIFFERENT TIMES BETWEEN FEBRUARY 19TH AND FEBRUARY 28TH. AND THOSE WERE, I UNDERSTAND IT WASN'T FULLY INSTALLED YET, BUT THOUGH IT REGISTERED UNDER THE SOUND METER. SO MAYBE IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO TRY TO GET SOMEONE ELSE OUT THERE. AND I, AND I'D LOVE TO COME AND VISIT AND, AND SEE THE, THE NOISE FROM YOUR BACKYARD AND, UM, YOU KNOW, AND THEN BRAINSTORM ABOUT SOLUTIONS. THAT WOULD BE EXCELLENT TO THIS, THAT WOULD BE EXCELLENT. THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I WANT IS SOMEONE TO ACTUALLY HEAR AND SEE WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. BECAUSE I CAN SAY THIS, AND YES, IT'S TERRIBLE, BUT UNTIL YOU'RE THERE AND IT'S IN YOUR FACE, YOU DON'T SEE. AND SO I GUESS MAYBE MY DATES ARE EVEN OFF. IT WAS PROBABLY MORE IN MARCH BECAUSE I KNOW I HAVE PHOTOS THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE INSTALLATION AND THAT'S WHY I DISAGREE WITH THE READINGS AS WELL. OKAY. SO, OKAY. CAN I TALK TO YOUR OFFICE THEN? ABSOLUTELY. SO I'LL HAVE MY OFFICE REACH BACK OUT TO YOU. I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, ORIGINALLY YOU WERE KIND OF IN CONTACT WITH THEM, UM, WHEN HPD WENT OUT ORIGINALLY, BUT WE'LL SET SOMETHING UP. SO, UM, I CAN GO OUT THERE AND JUST KIND OF, YOU KNOW, SEE WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT. AND NOW THAT THE CONSTRUCTION IS FINISHED OR IT'S FULLY INSTALLED, SEE WHAT THE NOISE LOOKS LIKE THERE. AND, AND WE WILL, WE'LL WORK FOR A SOLUTION. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH EVERYONE. COUNCILOR ALOR. THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN FOR THAT. THANK YOU FOR COMING, MA'AM. I, I, UH, I REALLY AM AM GLAD THAT YOU CAME, YOU DID THE RIGHT THING. WHEN YOU GET TO WHERE THE END OF THE ROPE, YOU GOTTA COME AND TALK TO US AND ASK FOR HELP. AND WE, WE WANT TO HELP. I HAVE NOT WORKED ON THIS SPECIFIC ONE, BUT I HAVE WORKED ON ANOTHER CHILLER IN A NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, RIGHT OFF OF WESTHEIMER. AND I WENT OUT THERE, MAYOR AND I LISTENED TO A CHILLER. IT'S A, IT'S A PROFESSIONAL BUILDING, BUT THEY DO A LOT OF MRIS IN THERE AND THEY HAVE TO HAVE THIS CHILLER. AND SO, YOU KNOW, YOU GET OUT THERE AND YOU DO HEAR THIS CONSTANT, I MEAN, IT IS RIGHT BY THE HOUSES. AND IT'S THIS CONSTANT HUMMING, SAME THING. SENT POLICE OUT THERE. IT'S UNDER THE, YOU KNOW, IT'S 65 DURING THE DAY, 58 AT NIGHT. NOBODY'S, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE REALLY COMING AT NIGHT, 'CAUSE FOR SURE THESE ARE OVER 58. UM, WE DUG IN AND, [01:15:01] AND HAVE FOUND OUT THAT THEY WEREN'T LOT, MUCH OF THE EQUIPMENT AT THIS BUILDING WAS PERMITTED, BUT THIS PARTICULAR CHILLER WAS NOT. SO WE'RE, WE'RE DIGGING INTO THAT. AND I DON'T KNOW, THIS IS A RECENT INSTALLATION, SO YOU WANNA GO DOWN THE TRAP OF, OF PERMITTING AND MAKE SURE EVERYTHING WAS, WAS PROPERLY PERMITTED. 'CAUSE THIS OTHER ONE THAT I'M DEALING WITH WAS NOT, AND THERE MIGHT BE SOMETHING WE CAN DO. I THINK THAT, UM, MOST REASONABLE, UH, YOU KNOW, AND, AND, AND I KNOW THIS HIGH RISE, THIS IS LIKE THE EARLIEST HIGH RISE IN HOUSTON OR SOMETHING. AND YOU KNOW, I AM SORRY THAT YOU'VE BEEN UNABLE TO GET COOPERATION, BUT I FEEL LIKE MOST BUSINESSES AND PLACES DO WANNA BE GOOD NEIGHBORS. AND IF THERE'S A WAY WE CAN WORK TO GET SOME KIND OF SOUND MITIGATION WITH THE CITY, I MEAN, WE NEED TO TRY THAT. BUT, BUT I APPRECIATE BRINGING THE, THIS, THE CHILLERS. I DIDN'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT CHILLERS, BUT THEY'RE SAME. THEY'RE OBNOXIOUS. AND, AND, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR COMING AND I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN WILL GET OUT THERE AND, AND WE'LL DO EVERYTHING YOU, WE CAN TO HELP YOU. SIGN ME UP FOR JOINING IN TO ADVOCATE FOR YOU. UH, WE DON'T WANT YOU TO HAVE TO WEAR HEADPHONES IN YOUR HOUSE. THANK YOU. I EVEN SAW THE WATER IN THE TOILET TREMBLING. VERY GOOD. COUNCILOR POLLARD, SAY WHAT? YES, THANK YOU MAYOR. AND, UH, GOOD AFTERNOON TO EVERYONE. I WANNA, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR COMING FORWARD AS WELL. UH, THE PRESENTATION THAT YOU HAVE PROVIDED AS WELL AS COMMUNICATED WAS VERY CLEAR. UM, AND I'LL DEFER TO YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER 'CAUSE I, I KNOW SHE'S ON TOP OF IT, BUT WHEN I LOOK AT THESE DECIMAL METER RATINGS, THEY SHOW, UM, A VIOLATION OF THE NOISE, NOISE ORDINANCE OVER AND OVER. SO THIS IS, AS YOU SAID, CONTINUOUSLY HAPPENING. SO THIS IS A HABITUAL OFFENDER OF THE NOISE ORDINANCE. SO ONE, THERE NEEDS TO BE ENFORCEMENT ON THAT, RIGHT? AND IF THERE, IF IT'S CONTINUOUSLY GOING, THEN WE NEED TO SEE HOW, HOW OFTEN CAN YOU CITE FOR A NOISE ORDINANCE? IS IT EVERY 15 MINUTES? IS IT HOW MANY TIMES A DAY? BUT THERE HAS TO BE A, UM, A, A ECONOMIC IMPACT TO, TO THIS BUSINESS. AND THEN TWO, IF, IF THERE ISN'T ANYTHING ON THE BOOKS RIGHT NOW, THEN WE NEED TO CONSIDER, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE DEAL WITH A MACHINERY THAT IS CONSISTENTLY AN ONGOING VIOLATING THE NOISE ORDINANCE, RIGHT? AND HOW DO WE ADDRESS THAT, WHETHER IT IS THROUGH FINANCIAL PENALTY OR THROUGH, UM, REMOVAL. BUT THERE'S NO WAY THAT WE SHOULD ALLOW MACHINERY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, NEAR RESIDENTIAL AREAS THAT ARE CONSTANTLY VIOLATING THE NOISE ORDINANCE. AND THEN WE DON'T DO ANYTHING BUT TELL A PERSON TO GO AND GET A PRIVATE ATTORNEY. I MEAN, THAT, THAT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE. SO WE, WE HAVE TO DO BETTER AS A BODY TO FIGURE OUT HOW DO WE ADDRESS THIS BECAUSE THIS, THIS ISN'T ROCKET SCIENCE. THIS IS ENFORCEMENT. AND FINDING SOMETHING THAT WE CAN UTILIZE, UH, TO GO AFTER, UM, THE COMPANY THAT HAS INSTALLED THIS. SO WHATEVER MY OFFICE CAN DO, I KNOW THIS IS NOT FAR FROM MY DISTRICT AS WELL. UH, YOU CAN LEAN ON ME. THANK YOU, MAYOR PROTO. MAYOR PROTE, CAST STADIUM. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND I'M SORRY THIS IS HAPPENING TO YOU. BUT, UH, UH, A, A QUICK GOOGLE SEARCH, UH, TO MITIGATE NOISE FROM CHILLERS. EFFECTIVE SOUND BARRIERS CAN BE IMPLEMENTED, INCLUDING ACOUSTIC ENCLOSURE, SOUND BLANKETS, BARRIER WALLS, AND ACOUSTIC LOUVERS, WHICH CAN BE DESIGNED TO REDUCE REVERBERATION AND NOISE TRANSMISSION. SO THERE ARE SOLUTIONS, I KNOW , UM, NOW IT IS A MATTER OF WHO WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR, UM, THE PURCHASE OF THESE ACTUAL SOUND BARRIERS THAT COULD HELP TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE AT YOUR HOME. SO I THINK THERE DEFINITELY NEEDS TO BE SOME CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN WHOMEVER GOT THE PERMIT TO GET THIS CHILLER. AND THEN MOVING FORWARD AS A CITY, IF WE KNOW THAT THESE CHILLERS ARE CREATING THIS TYPE OF EFFECT ON OUR RESIDENTS, THAT WE NEED TO, WHEN WE INSTALL THESE AND ALLOW FOR PERMITS, MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE ALSO HAVING SOUND BARRIERS IN THESE BLANKETS AND THESE, UM, SOLUTIONS THAT ARE LISTED, UM, AS WELL. UM, BECAUSE I MEAN, WE LIVE IN HOUSTON, WE'VE GOT TO FIND WAYS TO DWELL TOGETHER. AND IF THAT REQUIRES MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE PROCESSES IN PLACE SO THAT THE CHILLER CAN BE THERE FOR THE NEEDS OF THE CHILLER, AND THEN ALSO MAINTAINING THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR HOUSTONIANS, UM, WE NEED TO DO THAT. SO YOUR TESTIMONY HERE TODAY IS HELPFUL FOR US AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH POLICYMAKING. UM, BUT IN THE MEANTIME, WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT WHO WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR GETTING THIS TYPE OF NOISE, UM, CANCELING SOLUTIONS FOR YOU AND YOUR NEIGHBORS. THANK YOU. IT'S EXACTLY WHAT I WAS HOPING FOR TODAY. I'LL HAVE TO SAY THANK YOU MS. KERN. YES. MY, MY NOTES IN THE FILES SAY THAT 50 [01:20:01] 50 WOODWAY HAS HAD DISCUSSION WITH YOUR NEIGHBORS AND THEY COULDN'T GET ACCESS TO MEASURE FOR THE SOUND BARRIERS. OH. SO IT'S KIND OF IN MY OFFICE, WE CALL IT THE REST OF THE STORY. , YOU'RE HAVING A REAL COMMUNICATION PROBLEM BETWEEN YOU AND YOUR NEIGHBORS IN 50 50 WOODWAY. SO IF I WAS YOU, I WOULD HIT THE RESTART BUTTON BECAUSE IT'S DOCUMENTED HERE THAT THEY'VE TRIED TO INSTALL AND, AND HAD ACCESS TO THE LOCATION AND THEY HAVEN'T BEEN SUCCESSFUL. SO WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE. YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER AND OTHERS ARE GOING TO JOIN YOU. I'LL BE PRESENT, BUT WE NEED TO WORK WITH 50 50 WOODWAY IN TERMS OF THEIR EFFORTS OF WORKING WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD. YES. OKAY. COUNCILOR KAMAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I TOO, JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR COMING BECAUSE, UH, SOME OF US HAVE BEEN GRAPPLING WITH THE SOUND ORDINANCE, THE NOISE ORDINANCE FOR YEARS. UH, NOT IN A, FOR OTHER TYPES OF COMMERCIAL USES THAT ARE ABUTTING RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, IN A CITY WITH NO ZONING. RIGHT. AND VOTERS HAVE STRUCK DOWN, UH, THE, THOSE EFFORTS TO CREATE ZONING SEVERAL TIMES. COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, YOU MAY HAVE MENTIONED THIS AND I MAY HAVE MISSED IT. UM, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE, SIMILAR TO WHAT THE MAYOR PRO TEM SUGGESTED OF WHAT CAN WE PROACTIVELY DO TO REQUIRE CERTAIN TYPES OF BUSINESSES FROM ERECTING, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE EXPENSIVE, BUT AN ADDITIONAL WALL WHEN IT'S ABUTTING OR NEAR RESIDENTIAL AREAS. I GO BACK TO, AND Y'ALL HEAR ME TALK ABOUT THIS ALL THE TIME, THE BARS IN THE ADMINISTRATIVE HEARING AFTER WE'VE CITED AND CITED AND CITED AND WE'VE CREATED THIS ADMINISTRATIVE HEARING, ONE OF THE MITIGATIONS THAT A BAR CAN DO IS CREATE A WALL. AND ONE OF THE BARS ARE DOING THAT, BUT WE DON'T REQUIRE THAT UP FRONT. AND THEN WE CREATE ALL THIS WORK, ALL THIS HEADACHE. HPD HAS TO BE OUT THERE SITING, RESIDENTS AREN'T GETTING SLEEP. IT'S IMPACTING EVERYONE AND IT'S IMPACTING THE BUSINESSES TOO. UM, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE SOMETHING WHERE WE'RE ACTUALLY REQUIRING ADDITIONAL MEASURES PUT IN PLACE WHEN WE KNOW THAT SOUND OF A CERTAIN LEVEL IS GOING TO BE EMITTED UPFRONT. SO, AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING CONTEXT. IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT BARS. UM, AND NOT ALL BARS ARE BAD . WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SOME BAD ACTORS THAT JUST AREN'T, UH, BEING GOOD NEIGHBORS. SO, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND, AND I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW, MAYBE YOU CAN SHARE, UM, WITH, WITH, UM, COUNCILMAN HUFFMAN, UM, WHERE'S THE GOOGLE INFORMATION ABOUT, WE DIDN'T GIVE THEM ACCESS TO TAKE MEASUREMENTS. I'M, I'M JUST GOING FROM THE, THE NOTES IN THE FILE, MA'AM. OKAY. THAT. SO I WILL WORK WITH COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN AND, AND TRY TO CREATE SOME DIALOGUE BETWEEN YOU AND THE, UH, MANAGER AND OUR OWNERS OF 50 50. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU ALL FOR THIS SO MUCH TIME. NEXT, TASHA ROBINSON. I SEE THEY HAVE BAD TASHA ROBINSON, TAMARA RIO, RICHARD BRO, TO BE FOLLOWED BY ROY MORALES. GOOD AFTERNOON. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR TIME. UM, I'M HERE HOPING YOU CAN HELP ME OUT WITH AN ISSUE I'M HAVING WITH A PROPERTY THAT I OWN. SO I PURCHASED THIS HOUSE, IT WAS SEVERELY DILAPIDATED BACK IN 2023. AND WITH THE INTENT OF REMODELING THE PROPERTY AND FIXING IT UP AND SELLING IT, UM, SOON AFTER, PURCHASE A FRIEND. WELL, WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A FRIEND OF MINE, I HIRED TO BE THE CONTRACTOR SOON AFTER WE PUT A ROOF ON IT. AND, BUT DUE TO MARKET CHANGES, FINANCIAL SITUATIONS, WE WEREN'T ABLE TO COMPLETE THE REMODEL IN 2023. AND THEN EARLY IN 2024, UH, WE GOT A NOTE FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOOD SAYING THIS WAS ON THEIR RADAR AS A, AS AN ISSUE. AND THAT WAS COMPLETELY, I HAD NO IDEA THAT THAT WAS ON THAT RADAR WHEN I PURCHASED THE PROPERTY. AND APPARENTLY IT HAD BEEN ON THE RADAR FOR YEARS, QUOTE UNQUOTE. SO, UM, THEN THERE WAS A, WE GOT NOTICE OF A HEARING THAT NEEDED TO TAKE PLACE THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS. AND MY CONTRACTOR SAID HE HAD, YOU KNOW, IT WAS ALL ABOUT DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS. THIS WAS A NON-ISSUE. WENT, HE WAS GONNA GO, GO TO THE HEARING, DEAL WITH IT, DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT. SO I DIDN'T. AND THEN COME INTO, YOU KNOW, SAY MID LATER, 2024, I JUST, WHAT THE MARKET WAS, I JUST TRIED TO SELL IT AS IS A BUYER CAME UP AND, AND OFFERED TO BUY IT. I SAID SURE. BUT AS WE GOT DOWN TO CLOSING, TURNS OUT THE DEPARTMENT NEIGHBORHOODS HAD PUT A HOLD ON THE PROPERTY. SO I CAN'T [01:25:01] LEGITIMATELY SELL IT. 'CAUSE THEN NOW THE OTHER PERSON, THE BUYER'S NOW STUCK WITH THIS, WITH THIS HOLD. SO I APPEALED TO THE DEPARTMENT ONCE I REALLY UNDERSTOOD THE SITUATION. I APPEALED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS. UM, KIND OF WORKED THROUGH THE SYSTEM UP TO, UM, MR. HARRIS ASSISTANT DIRECTOR EMAILED, CALLED RESPECTFULLY, OF COURSE, ZERO RESPONSE. UM, REAL ESTATE AGENT THAT, THAT WAS HELPING ME OUT. SHE CALLED MULTIPLE TIMES, WAS ABLE TO GET THROUGH, UM, ONLY TO BE TOLD THAT THE PROPERTY I OWNED WAS COVERED IN GRAFFITI AND, UH, UNSAFE. WHICH, AND, AND THAT HE HAD TALKED TO ME PERSONALLY AND TOLD ME SUCH. HOWEVER, I NEVER HAD ANY COMMUNICATIONS WITH HIM. THE HOUSE IS NOT COVERED IN GRAFFITI. AND I PASSED ALL OF THESE PHOTOS ON TO DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS, MR. HARRIS. AND THEN EVENTUALLY A FEW WEEKS BACK, I REACHED OUT TO THE MAYOR'S ASSISTANCE OFFICE WITH, UH, MR. JAMES, RON HAY. AND INSTANTLY HE WAS ABLE TO KIND OF DELVE INTO THE SITUATION, FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS GOING ON, UNDERSTOOD THE HISTORY, AND THEN, UM, RECOMMENDED I, I REACH OUT TO YOU GUYS TO HOPEFULLY AVOID DEMOLITION OF THE PROPERTY. 'CAUSE NOW I'M IN A SITUATION WHERE I HAVE CONTRACT NEW CONTRACTORS READY TO GO TO GET IT FIXED UP. LIKE IT'S NOT IN A STATE THAT NEEDS TO BE DESTROYED. IS IT IN THE CITY? YES, SIR. YUBA? YES, SIR. OFF OF 2 49. UH, IT'S OFF OF 45. AND, UH, LIKE CROSS TIMBER. IT'S JUST, JUST OUTSIDE THE LOOP ON THE NORTH SIDE THERE. OKAY. YOU LIVE IN TOMBALL? YES SIR. YES. AND WHAT KIND OF CONDITION WAS IT IN? I MEAN, FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD DEPARTMENT TO GET CONCERNED? SOMEONE'S CALLED IT IN. YEAH. AND I GUESS THEY HAD CALLED, THEY HAD BEEN, COME TO FIND OUT, GO AHEAD. COME TO FIND OUT IT HAD BEEN ON THEIR RADAR SINCE LIKE 2018 OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. BUT WHEN I PURCHASED IT, I HAD NO IDEA BECAUSE THERE'S NOTHING ENTITLED THAT WOULD SUGGEST THAT IT'S, IT'S GOING WHAT, WHAT KIND OF CONDITION IS IT IN? IS IT BOARDED UP? IT'S BOARDED UP NOW. IT WAS, IT WAS, IT WAS, IT WAS WAY WORSE WHEN I BOUGHT IT WHEN WE FIRST GOT IT. WENT THROUGH AND CLEANED IT ALL UP AND WE GOT ALL THE NASTY STUFF OUT OF THERE AND THEN BOARDED UP TO SECURE IT PER REGULATIONS AND PUT THE NEW ROOF ON IT. UM, BUT NOW FIX IT UP, REMODEL IT, COMPLETELY REMODEL THE PROPERTY COMPLETELY SINCE 2023. MID 23. SO YOU'RE A RECENT OWNER? YES SIR. IT'S JUST THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOOD THING THAT HAS KIND OF THROWN ME FOR A LOOP AND WE'LL CHECK WITH 'EM. BUT SOUND LIKE THERE'S A LACK OF COMMUNICATION OR WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TWO SEPARATE PROPERTIES FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD DEPARTMENT TO GET CONCERNED. SOMEONE CALLED IT IN AND THEY WENT BY AND SAW IT WAS LOW STANDARDS. YOU'RE WANTING TO FIX IT SO SOMEBODY'S WRONG. YES SIR. TRY. OKAY. LET US LOUIS, YOU WANT TO CHECK WITH NEIGHBORHOODS AND GET A REPORT ON THAT PIECE OF PROPERTY BECAUSE I KNOW, I KNOW THE CITY'S INTENT IS NOT TO GO TEAR DOWN PROPERTIES THAT DON'T NEED TO BE TORN DOWN. IT'S NOT THE HABIT OF THE CITY TO DO IT. THERE'S A LOT THAT NEED TO BE TORN DOWN THAT THEY HAVEN'T GOTTEN TO. SO, YEAH. AND I, AND I AND I THINK THIS IS IN THAT LIST TO BE GOTTEN TO. WE'LL SEE. YES SIR. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. SO HOW, AT THIS POINT, WHO DO I REACH OUT TO FOR THAT YOUNG MAN? RIGHT THERE IS GONNA TAKE YOUR CASE AND WE'RE GONNA CHECK WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD DEPARTMENT AND LET YOU KNOW, JAMES. OKAY. WHAT, WHAT THEIR OPINION IS. I'M SORRY. YEAH. OKAY. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, LOUIS. MS. WILSON. REBECCA , WHO WENT OUT, SEE THAT THEY TALKED TO THE DEPARTMENT AS, AS WE TALK, LOUIE PUT HIM IN CONTACT WITH THE DEPARTMENT WHILE HE'S HERE. THANK YOU. NEXT. EVAN SHAVA. I'M SORRY. COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHAVA. THANK YOU MAYOR. I WANNA MAKE A MOTION TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO MOVE CYNTHIA FARMS. NEXT ON THE THREE MINUTE LIST. UH, AND ALSO THE SECOND MOTION WOULD BE TO MOVE TRAVIS MCGEE UP ON THE THREE MINUTE LIST TO THE NEXT TWO SPEAKERS. CALL THE SECOND FIRST MOTION. CALL THE SECOND. SECOND. MOTION. FIRST AND SECOND MOTION HAVE BEEN MA MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. NEXT. CYNTHIA FARMS. GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCIL MAYOR. THANK YOU ALL FOR ALLOWING ME BEING HERE TODAY. UH, MY NAME IS CYNTHIA FARMS. I AM THE VICE PRESIDENT [01:30:01] OF SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL 72. AND I'M ALSO, UH, THE PRESIDENT OF PRECINCT 2 39 NEIGHBORHOOD CIVIC CLUB. AND I'M ALSO A COMMUNITY ADVOCATE. I'M HERE TODAY 'CAUSE WE CAME HERE BACK IN SEPTEMBER ABOUT, UH, EDGEWOOD PARK. HI, COUNCILMAN. UH, I'M HERE BECAUSE OUR PARK, WE WANTED TO GET AN UPDATE ON, UH, EDGEWOOD PARK BECAUSE WE, WE WERE TOLD THAT IN FEBRUARY THAT WE WERE GONNA GET AN ARCHITECT TO COME OUT AND, AND, AND THAT WE WOULD HAVE BE ABLE TO HAVE SOME COMMUNITY INPUT, BUT WE HAVEN'T HEARD FROM ANYONE YET. UH, AS FAR AS THAT. AND UH, ALSO, JUST TO GIVE Y'ALL A QUICK SYNOPSIS OF EDGEWOOD PARK. WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR OUR MONEY SINCE 2007. WE CAME HERE BACK IN SEPTEMBER WHEN I SPOKE ABOUT IT BEFORE, WE'VE BEEN SINCE COUNCIL MEMBER WANDA ADAMS WAS IN OFFICE. OUR MONEY WAS MOVED AROUND BACK IN 2007. WE HAD LIKE 25 OR 26 MILLION. WE ARE DOWN TO $6 MILLION. THAT'S WHAT WE ARE TOLD THAT WE ARE GETTING NOW $6 MILLION. WE ARE FILING OUR DOLLARS, WE ARE FILING THE MONEY. SO THE MONEY FROM WHEN SHE WAS IN OFFICE WAS MOVED TO, UH, A LIBRARY ON THE SOUTHWEST SIDE. THEN WHEN OUR COUNCIL MEMBER DWIGHT BARKIN GOT IN OFFICE, I THINK IT WAS A DEAL MADE WITH HIM AND, UH, FORMER MAYOR, MAY HE REST IN PEACE, UH, TO GIVE MONEY OVER TO SAGE MONTH. AND THEN WE WOULD GET SOME ADDITIONAL DOLLARS BACK ON OUR END. WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN ANYTHING YET. AND I SAW THAT YOU ALL VOTED ALL BUT COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ TO GIVE LEVY PARK $8 MILLION. I'M DISAPPOINTED EVEN IN MY OWN COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT YOU ALL VOTED FOR THAT WHEN WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING. I MEAN, MY SHIRT SAY THE LEAST, THE LOSS AND THE LAST, WE ARE THE LEAST, THE LOSS AND THE LAST, BECAUSE WE HAVE 250 KIDS THAT PLAY AT THAT PARK EVERY DAY. LITTLE LEAGUE FOOTBALL, WE HAVE A AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM THERE. UH, WE MEET THERE FOR, FOR OUR CIVIC MEETINGS, UH, EVERY MONTH WE DESERVE BETTER. AND WE WOULD LIKE OUR CENTER BE MIRRORED LIKE THE ONE IN A LEAF. WE SHOULDN'T BE CUT SHORT. WHERE IS OUR MONEY? WHERE IS OUR CENTER? AND I THINK COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ, I CALLED HIM. HE CAME OUT AND MET WITH ME BECAUSE I WANTED HIM TO SEE THE DIS DISPARITIES OF OUR PART, THE CENTER, THE INSIDE AND OUT. HE DID WALK THE WHOLE GROUND. UH, AND THEN I WANT TO THANK ALL OF OUR MEMBERS FOR OUR CIVIC CLUB THAT'S HERE TODAY. UH, SOME OF OUR MEMBERS THAT'S HERE, WE HAVE ON A GOOD DAY, 40 MEMBERS WITH PRECINCT 2 39 NEIGHBORHOOD CIVIC CLUB AND COUNCIL, UH, THE PARKS DIRECTOR SAID THE SERVICES ANTICIPATED TO BE APPROVED APRIL 25TH. SO ON APRIL 25TH, WHAT DOES, I'M JUST, I'M JUST READING THE NOTES THAT THE DEPARTMENT FIRST PRE 2025. YEAH, I MEANT 2025. 2025 NEXT MONTH. SO THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE GONNA, WHAT'RE SUPPOSED TO BE THE ARCHITECT COMING OUT? YES, MA'AM. OKAY. ALRIGHT. I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ON THE, HE'S BRINGING IT TO COUNCIL IN APRIL, 2025 FOR APPROVAL. SO IT ALREADY BEEN APPROVED? NO, HE'S GONNA BRING IT TO OUR AGENDA NEXT MONTH. OH, BRING TO COUNCIL TO BE APPROVED. OKAY. THAT'S, THAT'S THE BEST INFORMATION I CAN GIVE YOU THE NEXT CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL. NO, WE WERE TOLD IT WAS ALREADY APPROVED AND THEN THEY WAS GONNA BREAK. I'M JUST TELLING YOU MA'AM, THAT'S WHAT THE PARKS DIRECTOR WHO'S GOT HIS SCHEDULE RIGHT HERE TO LET YOU KNOW IT'S, UH, APRIL, 2025. OKAY. SO WE'LL HOLD HIM ACCOUNTABLE. OKAY. OKAY. BUT I WANNA THANK COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ FOR COMING OUT ASSESSING THE PARK AND ALSO DR UH, UH, SERGIO O'LEARY, UH, WHO'S ALSO HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS THAT WE ARE HAVING. WE HAVE, WE HAVE A LOT OF PARKS IN DISTRICT D 18 PARKS THAT'S IN DISREPAIR. SO TO GIVE ANOTHER PARK $8.5 MILLION IS LUDICROUS THAT HAVE A MARGARITA. WHAT'S YOUR DOCTOR PLACE WHERE YOU CAN GET DRINKS AND DOG PARK DOGS GETTING SOMETHING BEFORE US AND, AND THE, UH, STEAKHOUSE, WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING. I MEAN, WE JUST ASKING THAT Y'ALL, PLEASE CONSIDER WE'VE BEEN WAITING LONG ENOUGH. WE ARE ASKING FOR HELP FOR [01:35:01] OUR, OUR, OUR CHILDREN AND OUR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I SAW THE GOOD DOCTOR ON TV AND THAT'S, UH, WENT A LONG WAY TO START GETTING SOME ACTION. YES. AND ALSO ONE MORE THING. VAS ROAD, I DID TWO PARK THAT HE SPOKE OF. YES. ONE MORE THING. VASSAR ROAD. I TALKED TO Y'ALL ABOUT VASSAR ROAD BEFORE. THE GRASS STILL NEEDS TO BE CUT ON A REGULAR BECAUSE OUR KIDS WALK TO SCHOOL. THAT, BUT THE TRASH ON THAT STREET IS, IS, IS TERRIBLE. AND IF IT RAIN OR FLOOD THAT THE WHOLE STREET AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD IS GONNA FLOOD. IF WE CAN GET SOMEBODY OUT TO, ON A REGULAR OR SOMEBODY OUT TO CLEAN THOSE SIDES OVER THERE, IT WOULD BE, IT WOULD HELP US OUT A WHOLE LOT. AND THEN, UH, WHEN I SPOKE ABOUT THE CUPBOARDS BEING CLEANED ON, UM, BETWEEN MARTIN LUTHER KING AND, AND MACKAY ROAD, SOMEBODY DID COME OUT AND THEY DID CUT THE, THE, THE, UH, THE GRASS WHERE THE COVERS WAS, BUT IT WAS SO MUCH TRASH, THEY JUST CUT OVER THE TRASH. AND TRASH WAS JUST EVERYWHERE, ALL OVER OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. I DON'T SEE THEM DOING THAT IN OTHER PARTS OF TOWN. SO I JUST ASK THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT Y'ALL HELP US OUT. WE REALLY NEED HELP. WE ARE BEGGING FOR YOUR HELP FOR EDGEWOOD PARK. YES, MA'AM. COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAS. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU MS. FARMS. SHE IS ABSOLUTELY CORRECT FROM 2007 TO 2025. AND I UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES MONEY IS MOVED AND I THANK THIS COMMUNITY FOR COMING OUT AND I THANK YOU FOR CONTINUING TO BE THE SQUEAKY WHEEL BECAUSE WE HAVE TRIED TO GET THIS TO MOVE FORWARD. AND AS YOU SHARED, UM, THERE WILL BE A, A VOTE FOR APPROVAL FOR THE CONSTRUCTION MANAGER, UM, IT APRIL OF 2025. AND SO IT HAD IT BEFORE ME. I THINK IT JUST, I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED, IT JUST KIND OF DROPPED. BUT CERTAINLY WE HAVE BEEN ENGAGED AND CERTAINLY, UH, UNDERSTAND THAT THIS HAS TAKEN FAR TOO LONG AND WE ARE GOING TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO EXPEDITE IT FROM THIS POINT FORWARD. AND I THANK YOU FOR COMING. THANK YOU MA'AM. UH, COUNCILMAN POLLARD. THANK YOU MA'AM. AND CYNTHIA, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR COMING FORWARD. I'VE ACTUALLY SPOKEN TO SOME INDIVIDUALS IN YOUR COMMUNITY REGARDING THIS TOPIC, BUT I DO WANT TO, UM, BE ABLE TO CONVEY TO YOU THAT THE VOTE FOR LEVY PARK WAS WITH T DOLLARS. AND I'M SURE YOU'RE AWARE OF THAT AS WELL. THOSE DOLLARS WERE NOT GENERAL FUND DOLLARS. THOSE DOLLARS COULD NOT BE SPENT ON ANYTHING BUT FOR WITHIN THOSE GEOGRAPHIC BOUNDARIES BASED ON WHAT THAT BOARD AND THAT COMMUNITY WANTED TO DO. SO THERE COULD BE ANOTHER DISCUSSION ON T AND HOW, UH, THEY MAY IMPACT AND THE PROS AND CONS OF HAVING THEM IN CERTAIN AREAS OF TOWN AND NOT IN OTHER AREAS OF TOWN. THAT'S ANOTHER DISCUSSION. YES. YES. UH, AND I'M SURE YOU KNOW ALL ABOUT IT MM-HMM . BUT THE VOTE THAT I MADE AND, AND, AND THE BODY MADE WAS FOR DOLLARS THAT WERE DESIGNATED FOR THAT PARTICULAR, UM, AREA AND WHAT THEY WANTED TO DO WITH IT AND NOT, YES, IT DID GO TOWARDS A PARK, UH, AND THE EXTENSION OF A REALLY GOOD PARK THAT ALREADY EXISTS, BUT IT'S NOT LIKE WE COULD HAVE USED THOSE DOLLARS IN ANY OTHER AREA OF THE CITY. AND SO, UM, THAT'S A BIGGER CONVERSATION TO HAVE. UH, BUT I DID WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE WAS CLARITY ON THAT, THAT WE WEREN'T PICKING, YOU KNOW, THAT PARK OVER EDGEWOOD PARK BECAUSE I DO THINK WE NEED TO DO ALL WE CAN, UH, THAT ALL AREAS OF THE CITY HAVE GOOD AMENITIES AND WELL-MAINTAINED COMMUNITIES. SO THANK YOU FOR COMING. OKAY. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. THANK YOU MAYOR CYNTHIA, GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN. SEE YOU. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND ALL OF THOSE IN, IN WHICH PART, UH, WHAT COUNCILMAN POLLARD JUST EXPLAINED IS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED IN THE VOTE TOWARD THE DESIGNATED DOLLARS THAT TURNS. AS FOR ONE, AS YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN OUT TO EDGEWOOD SEVERAL TIMES DURING THE 2007 AFTER THAT, DURING THE YEARS OF DWIGHT WAS THERE AT YOUR MEETINGS. AND EVER SINCE THEN, EVEN NOW. SO WE RESPECTED THAT AS AT LARGE, YOU KNOW, I RESPECT THE DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBERS TO DO THE PART THAT NEED TO BE DONE. YOU CAME BACK HERE PREVIOUSLY AND EXPRESSED THAT. YES. SO AS AT LARGE, I RECENTLY TAGGED AS A GULF GATE DEVELOPMENT TOURS IN YOUR COMMUNITY. AND ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I HAD OUR STAFF LOOK AT IT, BECAUSE THEY ARE THERE, THEY COULD BE USED AS A CHURCH DOLLARS ON SOME OF THOSE THINGS. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU FAMILIAR WITH THEM, IF YOU KNOW THEM, GO AHEAD. I DID, I SPOKE WITH TRACY STEVENS. GOT IT. WHO'S ON THEIR TERRORIST BOARD OVER THERE. AND HE SAID THAT I THINK BECAUSE OF THE, UH, DRAINAGE AND INFRASTRUCTURE OR SOMETHING THAT [01:40:01] THEY COULDN'T USE THE FUNDS FOR THAT RIGHT NOW AND BECAUSE OF THE RETENTION. SO WE DON'T KNOW. BUT I DID ASK THAT QUESTION. OKAY, GOOD DEAL. WELL, I'D LIKE TO, I'D LIKE TO LET YOU KNOW AS OF TODAY, I'M GLAD YOU CAME. I'M GLAD THAT YOU BROUGHT IT BEFORE US. IT'S ALREADY BEEN STATED AS TO WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT MONTH. I WILL FOLLOW UP TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS GOES FORWARD. IT'S BEEN TOO LONG. AND THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY THE INVESTIGATIONAL TERRORS ARE GOING ON NOW BECAUSE OF THE VERY ISSUES, BECAUSE ALL OF THEM ARE NOT EQUAL IN REGARDS TO THEIR AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR HEIRS OF BLIGHT. SO I WILL FOLLOW UP WITH IT AND WE WILL ASSURE YOU IT'S ALREADY BEEN STATED, IT WILL COME BEFORE COUNSEL AND WE'LL TAKE IT FROM THERE. THANK YOU. YOU ARE WELCOME. COUNCILMAN PLUMMER. COUNCILMAN PLUMMER. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND CYNTHIA, I ALSO WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE YOU AND, UM, AND THE IMPORTANT, AND I UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF THE PARK. CAN I ASK YOU TWO QUESTIONS? DO YOU KNOW IF THIS PARK WAS A PART OF THE 50 50 PARKS THAT THE PREVIOUS MAYOR HAD PUT IN PLACE? I DON'T KNOW. I DON'T. OKAY. AND DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE TOTAL FUNDING AMOUNT WAS NECESSARY TO DO WHAT Y'ALL WANTED TO DO AT THAT PARK? UH, IT WAS 25 OR 26 MILLION BACK IN 2007. OKAY. BUT I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY, YOU KNOW, WE HAD AN OLD PLAN THAT'S STILL THERE THAT'S ON THE WALL. SO, UH, NOW WE DON'T KNOW UNTIL WE GET WITH THE ARCHITECT TO SEE WHAT, WHAT WE GOING, WHAT WHAT WE, WHEN WE PUT OUR COMMUNITY INPUT IN ON WHAT WE WANT. OKAY. ONE SUGGESTION, I THINK, UM, UM, REPRESENTATIVE NIA THOMPSON WORKED REALLY CLOSE WITH COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON WHEN THEY WERE WORKING ON THAT PARK FROM FEDERAL MONEY. I MEAN, SORRY, FROM STATE MONEY. HAVE YOU TALKED TO THE STATE REPRESENTATIVE IN THAT, IN THAT AREA TO SEE IF THEY, NO, BUT SHE'S, REPRESENTATIVE THOMPSON IS A GOOD FRIEND OF MINE. I'LL REACH OUT TO HER. YEAH. 'CAUSE SHE DID A REALLY GREAT JOB WITH THE POOL SITUATION IN THAT DISTRICT. SO I'M JUST, I'M JUST KIND OF JUST GIVING US IDEAS THAT IF WE COME, IF WE FALL SHORT SOMEWHERE, WHAT OTHER OPTIONS WE MAY HAVE. OKAY. BUT I'LL, I'LL, I'LL ASSIST, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER, CHAZ, IN WHATEVER IS NECESSARY TO MAKE SURE YOU THANK YOU. WE KEEP YOU AT THE TOP OF THE LIST. THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU. JUST A SECOND. COUNCIL MEMBER. MARTINEZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, CYNTHIA, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. UH, AND JUST SOME MORE INFORMATION BECAUSE I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR YOU. AND OF COURSE SERGIO TO ALSO KNOW THIS, UM, THE TURS MEETINGS ARE THE THIRD WEDNESDAY EVERY MONTH AT THREE 30 AT THE BOTANIC GARDEN. UH, 2015, WE EXPANDED THE GULF GATE TOURS TO INCLUDE, UH, YOUR AREA. UM, AND THERE'VE BEEN A LOT OF PROJECTS WEST OF MACAU, A LOT OF PROJECTS. UM, AND THERE'S A PARK MASTER PLAN THAT'S BEEN DONE AS WELL FROM THE GULF GATES THAT YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE AWARE OF. CULLEN AND PARK. IT'S ALREADY IN DESIGN. WE'RE GONNA SEE SOME IMPROVEMENTS THERE. SOMETHING THAT I'VE BEEN WORKING ON SINCE AS A STAFFER, UH, QUITE, QUITE FRANKLY. AND SO THE MORE YOU KNOW, DEFINITELY IT'S GONNA BE ABLE TO ARM YOUR, YOU YOURSELF, BUT ALSO YOUR COMMUNITY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING. THERE ARE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING. I WANTED YOU TO REST ASSURED, YOU TALK ABOUT VASSAR. UH, THERE'S A COUPLE OTHER, UH, THERE'S A NEW PARK OUT IN THE SUNNYSIDE AREA THAT'S BEING CREATED BECAUSE OF THIS TURS. AND SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU AND YOUR, AND YOUR, AND YOUR NEIGHBORS, OF COURSE, SERGIO AS WELL, TO ATTEND THESE TURS MEETINGS. UM, QUICK, QUICK FACT. WE WERE GONNA PASS THE PROJECT PLANS, THE BUDGETS ALL LAST WEEK, BUT IT WAS TAGGED THAT DELAY SOME OF THESE PROJECTS AS WELL, JUST AS AN Y OKAY. BUT, SO I, BUT AGAIN, JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT INFORMATION. THIRD WEDNESDAY OF EVERY, OF EVERY MONTH AT THREE 30 AT THE BOTANIC GARDEN. JUST REMEMBER YOU WERE TELLING ME ABOUT NEW PROJECTS WE'RE THE LEAST THE LAST AND THE LOST. YEAH. SO THE NEW PROJECTS IS NOT GONNA HELP US WHEN WE ARE THE LOST PROJECTS RIGHT NOW. SO A HUNDRED PERCENT I REPRESENT THE HOBBY AREA, AT LEAST THE LAST AND LOSS AS WELL. I'M JUST EAST OF MACAU. OKAY. SO I RECOGNIZE THAT. UH, UM, ANDOVER, UH, WE HAVE SEVERAL NEIGHBORHOODS, GARDEN VILLAGES THAT HAVE NOT SEEN, SEEN ANY, UH, GULF PRESS AS, AS YOU MENTIONED, SERGIO AS WELL HAS NOT SEEN ANY PROJECTS. UM, AND SO WE ARE WORKING ON THE LEASE AND THE LAST, AND THE LOSS. UM, I CALL 'EM NEW PROJECTS BECAUSE THEY JUST NEVER WERE PROJECTS. RIGHT. OKAY. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MM-HMM . COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS, THANK YOU. UH, YOU'RE POPULAR TODAY. UH, UH, WELCOME TO YOUR CITY HALL. AND I KNOW, UM, YOUR COMRADES, YOU'RE PROBABLY TIRED OF STANDING IN SOLIDARITY, BUT WE ALL WANNA ADDRESS AND ACKNOWLEDGE YOU. I'M GLAD THAT YOU RAISED THE POINT ABOUT A LEAF. UM, THAT'S A $60 MILLION PROJECT THAT TOOK 32 YEARS TO GET ON THE LINE. SO I, I, I KNOW YOUR FRUSTRATION, UM, YOUR ADVOCACY IS NOT IN VAIN. UM, BECAUSE, BECAUSE OF YOUR ADVOCACY AND THE PEOPLE ON THE WEST SIDE, WE WERE CALLED THE FORGOTTEN DISTRICT, SO I UNDERSTAND THE LEAST IN THE LA IT WAS A JOKE TO BE FORGOTTEN, RIGHT? UH, BUT THOSE PEOPLE WERE STEADFAST AND EV REGARDLESS OF WHO WAS IN THE SEAT, THEY CONTINUED TO PUSH AND, AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY GOT WHAT WAS WHAT THEY, SO, UM, YOU HAVE, UH, COMPLETE SUPPORT AROUND THIS HORSESHOE. THANK YOU. UM, COMPLETE SUPPORT. AND A LOT OF TIMES, YOU KNOW, THE, UM, IT'S A BIG CITY. MONEY IS SCATTERED ALL THROUGHOUT IN DIFFERENT WAYS. BUT THANK YOU FOR COMING UP HERE AND KEEPING THIS AT [01:45:01] THE TOP OF THE LINE. YOU ABSOLUTELY DESERVE TO HAVE A PARK, GOOD QUALITY OF LIFE, INVESTMENTS, PUBLIC SAFETY, ALL OF THE INVESTMENTS THAT OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS ARE HAVING. YES. AND SO, HOWEVER I CAN SUPPORT YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER AND OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT ARE ADVOCATING ON YOUR BEHALF, PLEASE ALLOW ME TO DO SO. AND THANKS FOR COMING TO YOUR CITY HALL. THANK YOU ALL. UH, COUNCILOR RAMIREZ. THANK YOU MAYOR AND CYNTHIA, THANK YOU AND YOUR NEIGHBORS FOR BEING HERE THIS AFTERNOON. GOOD PARKS IN EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD ARE SO IMPORTANT HERE IN HOUSTON. AND IT'S PRETTY OBVIOUS THAT WE HAVE A WAYS TO GO BEFORE WE ARE EQUITABLE IN OUR SPENDING ON PARKS. THERE ARE SO MANY PARKS IN HOUSTON THAT ARE IN NEED OF ATTENTION. AND I ENJOYED MEETING WITH YOU AND VISITING THAT PARK AND THE OTHER PARK IN THE AREA. I JUST WANNA SAY, YOU KNOW, THE, THE TURS SYSTEM IS, IS A CONTROVERSY RIGHT NOW. AND, AND IF THAT IS AN OBSTACLE TO EQUITABLE SPENDING ON PARKS THROUGHOUT THE CITY, THEN WE NEED TO CHANGE IT. THAT'S RIGHT. THAT IT'S NOT ACCEPTABLE. THAT'S, I AGREE. WHAT'S GOING ON RIGHT NOW. AND, UH, I WILL SAY THAT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ'S STAFF WAS VERY HELPFUL IN, IN THE FOLLOW UP FROM OUR MEETING. I APPRECIATE THAT. GOOD THINGS ARE COMING TO EDGEWOOD PARK THIS YEAR. I'M HAPPY TO SAY FINALLY AND, AND HASN'T BEEN MENTIONED YET. BUT THERE'S A, THERE'S A, AN IMPORTANT DETENTION PROJECT THAT'S GONNA BE LOCATED THERE AT THE PARK AS WELL, WHICH WILL HELP FLOODING CONCERN IN, IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD AS WELL. SO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE. UH, WE ARE, ARE HEARING WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY AND WE WILL ALL WORK HARDER, UH, TO SERVE YOU BETTER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU ALL AGAIN. OKAY, ONE SECOND. HAVE A GOOD DAY. COUNCILOR SHABA, I JUST WANNA KIND OF GIVE AN UPDATE. UH, HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS IS CONDUCTING A CON A DETENTION PROJECT AT THE SITE CURRENTLY. AND JUST FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT DON'T KNOW, UH, THE PROJECTED CONSTRUCTION TIMELINE IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN IN SUMMER OR FALL OF 2025. UH, CAN WE SHOUT, UH, THIS PROJECT WILL INCLUDE A 12,000 SQUARE FOOT COMMUNITY CENTER WITH AN INDOOR GYMNASIUM, MEETING, ROOMS, WARMING, KITCHEN OFFICE SPACE, RESTROOMS, AND OTHER AMENITIES. IT WILL ALSO INVOLVE DEMOLITION WORK, PARKING LOT IMPROVEMENTS, WHICH ARE GREATLY NEEDED. NEW SIDEWALKS, LANDSCAPING AND SECURITY MEASURES. THE FACILITY WILL BE DESIGNED TO MEET LEAD AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY STANDARDS. SO WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS, CONTINUE TO SQUEAK AND WE ARE GONNA MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN TRY TO MOVE THIS FORWARD. AND I THANK MY COLLEAGUES FOR THEIR ASSISTANCE. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU. NEXT MAX, TRAVIS MCGEE TO BE FOLLOWED BY ROY MORALES. GOOD EVENING. I'M THE PRESIDENT OF THE SOUTH PARK 72 SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD AS WELL AS THE, UH, CIVIC PRESIDENT FOR SUNNYSIDE GORDON BY YOUR STATE CIVIC CLUB. ALRIGHT, UH, I AGREE WITH MY, UH, VICE PRESIDENT FOR THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD THAT WE ARE IN THE CITY OF THE HALF AND A HALF NOTS. I'M 51 YEARS OLD, BUT I'VE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO WALK TO THE BACK OF A PARK AND GET A NICE MARGARITA A, UH, AND STUFF LIKE THAT. AND THEN GO TO THE PARK AND GET THE GO, GO TO THE FRONT AND GET A STEAK, UH, UH, TILL WINE, STUFF LIKE THAT. IF I DON'T FEEL LIKE WALKING MY CAR CAN GET VALET PARK, . THEY EVEN HAVE PARKING SPOTS FOR THESE FOOD TRUCKS OVER THERE. THEY HAVE A DOG PARK WHEN WE AS ONE HOUSE STRAIGHT DOGS PICKED UP. SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, AND I UNDERSTAND WHAT Y'ALL SAYING ABOUT THE TOURISTS, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, IF I HAD TO CHOOSE BETWEEN THE INFRASTRUCTURE AROUND THE RICHMOND AREA AND GIVING ANOTHER PARK $8 MILLION, I WOULD'VE VOTED TO GIVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE THE MONEY AND VOTED NO FOR THE PARK BECAUSE EVERYBODY IS NOT BEING TREATED THE SAME HERE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. I WAS HERE IN THESE SAME CHAMBERS 17 YEARS AGO WHEN THEY SAID THIS PARK WAS GONNA GET BUILT. THEN WHEN THE SUNNYSIDE MULTI SERVICE THING CAME ABOUT, THEY TRIED TO COMBINE BOTH AND THEN THE MONEY JUST DISAPPEARED. SO, AND WHAT THEY'RE SAYING NOW, $6 MILLION, $6 MILLION IS NOT GONNA FIX THE DRAINAGE AROUND EDGEWOOD PARK. IF WE JUST ELEVATE EDGEWOOD PARK, THEN WE'RE GONNA PUSH THE DRAINAGE SOMEWHERE ELSE INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD. THAT'S THE PROBLEM WITH THAT. SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT, WHICH I THOUGHT ALL OF YOU ALL PROBABLY LOOKED AT, THE FIRST THREE PARKS ON THE LIST IS IN DISTRICT D, 10 OF THE 18 PARKS ON THE LIST IN DISTRICT D. UM, LEVY PARK CAME DEAD LAST MINUTE. THEY DIDN'T NEED ANYTHING. SO THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO REASON TO GIVE THEM MORE MONEY FOR AN EXPANSION. WHEN SOME OF OUR PARKS DON'T EVEN HAVE TRASH CANS. WE DON'T EVEN HAVE PO POTTIES, SOME OF 'EM DON'T HAVE SWINGS. THEY GETTING VALET PARKING WHEN WE DON'T EVEN HAVE PROPER PARKING LOTS. AND WHEN IT RAINED, IT LOOK LIKE A OCEAN IN THE PARKING LOT. [01:50:01] SO ALL I'M SAYING, SOMETIMES WE, WE GOT THE BOAT JUST LIKE THAT, THE HALF AND THE HALF NOTS, AND SOMETIME WE GOT THE VOTE WITH COMMON SENSE JUST BECAUSE, BECAUSE I DOUBT IF THEY DIDN'T HAVE A TOURIST, IT STILL WILL LOOK AT EXACT SAME WAY. UPPER KIRBY HAS NEVER BEEN BLIGHTED, IT'S NEVER BEEN UNDERSERVED, IT NEVER BEEN UNDERDEVELOPED. BUT YOU HAVE SO MANY AREAS IN NEIGHBORHOODS WITHIN THE CITY OF HOUSTON THAT ARE UNDERDEVELOPED, HAVE NOT HAD ANYTHING. MOST OF THE THINGS WE ASK THEM FOR ARE JUST BASIC THINGS. WE CAN'T EVEN GET PARTY POTTIES AT SOME OF OUR PARKS. WE CAN'T EVEN GET THE GRASS CUT AT SOME OF OUR PARKS. BUT WHEN YOU GO OVER HERE TO LEVY PARK, YOU SEE ALL THESE GREAT THINGS. IT DOESN'T, I'M NOT SAYING THEY NOT SUPPOSED TO HAVE GREAT THINGS, BUT WE SHOULD HAVE 'EM ALSO, WE NEED 'EM TOO. SO WE NEED A START DATE AND A COMPLETION DATE ON OUR PART. THAT'S HOW CAPTAIN IMPROVEMENT USED TO WORK. WHEN WE USED TO PUT IN HEART, THEY'D GIVE YOU A START DATE AND A COMPLETION DATE BECAUSE WE'LL BE HERE ALL AGAIN ON ANOTHER ADMINISTRATION GOING THROUGH THIS ALL OVER AGAIN. COUNCILMAN POLLARD. THANK YOU MAYOR TRAVIS, I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR COMING DOWN. UH, YOU REALLY LAID IT OUT VERY WELL FOR US AND YOU MADE SOME VERY, UH, SOLID POINTS FOR US TO CONSIDER. AND SO I WANT TO THANK YOU, UH, FOR YOUR ATTENTION AND YOUR, YOUR ADVOCACY, UH, FOR YOUR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHIVA. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND, AND THANK YOU MR. MCGEE FOR COMING. CERTAINLY. I ALSO WANNA THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING IN TRYING TO KEEP THE AREA CLEAN. I'VE, I'VE HEARD THAT YOU'VE GIVEN SOME GREAT SUGGESTIONS REGARDING THAT. I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND CERTAINLY YOUR CONCERNS ARE VALID AND, BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO REALIZE THAT OTHER AREAS HAVE OTHER DONORS. AND SO SOMETIMES IT APPEARS AS IF THE MONEY IS GOING TO CERTAIN PLACES, BUT, BUT IT'S NOT COMING FROM THE POT THAT YOU'RE THINKING THAT IT'S COMING FROM. BUT I CONCUR THAT THESE THINGS NEED TO BE DONE. I KNOW THAT THERE, UH, HAVE BEEN SOME CONCERNS ABOUT PORTA CANS AND THERE'S SOME CERTAIN GUIDELINES FOR THOSE. BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO BE COGNIZANT OF SOMETIMES WHEN WE PUT THESE PORTA CANS, WE ARE GONNA HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE MAINTAINED AND THAT SOMEBODY'S THERE TO MAYBE WATCH THEM. 'CAUSE I KNOW THAT A COUPLE PARKS, THEY HAVE BEEN DESTROYED BY PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THAT AREA, WHICH IS REALLY TERRIBLE BECAUSE IT'S THE CHILDREN AND THE PEOPLE WHO GO TO THESE PARKS THAT ARE REALLY SUFFERING FOR THIS. BUT I JUST WANNA LET YOU KNOW THAT AS, AS MY COLLEAGUE SAID, YOU DID LAY THIS OUT VERY WELL AND, UH, WE DO APPRECIATE WORKING WITH YOU AND, UH, YOU KNOW, STAY, STAY ON TOP OF US BECAUSE WE CERTAINLY DON'T WANT TO CONTINUE TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION. AND AS I'VE BEEN TOLD, THIS IS SUPPOSED TO START SUMMER AND FALL OF 2025, SO WE SHOULDN'T BE HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS ANY LONGER THAN THIS YEAR FOR CERTAIN, RIGHT? SO THANK YOU FOR COMING. COUNCILMAN PLUMMER. THANK YOU TRAVIS FOR BEING HERE. RIGHT? JUST A HUGE ADVOCATE FOR THE COMMUNITY. I JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE YOU. ALRIGHT? AND THANK YOU FOR THIS INFORMATION. ALRIGHT. UH, IF YOU LOOK AT THE 28 TOURIST, CURRENT TOURIST, HOW MANY REALLY FIT THE CRITERIA TO BE A TOURIST? THAT IS A, THAT IS A VERY BIG PROBLEM, MAN. UH, THE, THE CRITERIA FOR TOURISTS WAS UNDERSERVED, UNDERDEVELOPED BLIGHT. BUT LOOK AT THE 28 ON THE LIST AND IT NEED TO BE LIKE, SOMEWHAT LIKE THE ROBIN HOOD METHOD. TAKE FROM THE RICH GIVE TO THE HOOD. THAT'S THE ONLY WAY WE'RE GONNA GET THINGS DONE. BECAUSE IF WE CONTINUE TO EMPOWER THE CHURCH, THE HALVES ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO GET MORE, AND THE HALF NOW'S GONNA CONTINUE TO GET LESS. SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT'S STILL TAXPAYER'S MONEY AND IT'S STILL MONEY THAT WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO, TO PUT IN WORST CASE FIRST SCENARIOS, EVEN IF SOME OF THE TOURISTS HAVE TO, UH, BE THE BIG BROTHER TO SOME OF THESE PARKS THAT'S ALREADY EXIST HERE, BUT IT JUST DON'T MAKE ANY SENSE. I, AND I ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO GO AROUND TO SOME OF THESE NEIGHBORHOODS AND LOOK AT THE CONDITIONS OF THESE PARKS. SEE, DO YOU FEEL SAFE THERE? SEE WHERE YOU TAKE YOUR GRANDKIDS THERE. BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHEN WE WANT A PORT POTTY AND WE CAN'T GET A PORT POTTY, BUT THEY HAVE A RESTROOM, THEY HAVE A YOGA STATION, THEY HAVE WATER PASS FOR THE DOGS, AND WE JUST WANT ALL, WE JUST WANT THE SCRAPS PICKED UP IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. SO WE JUST GOT TO MAKE SOME COMMON SENSE. A LOT OF STUFF THAT'S TAKING PLACE HERE IN THE CITY, HOUSTON, IT, IT IS JUST NOT RIGHT. AND THAT'S WHY WE KEEP SAYING IT'S THE HAVE AND THE HAVE NOTS BECAUSE THEY HAVE EVERYTHING THEY ALREADY NEED OVER THERE AND WE CAN'T GET THAT THEY WANT AND WE CAN'T GET THE THINGS THAT WE NEED IN OUR AREAS. I RODE THE PARKS TODAY. SOME OF THOSE PARKS BEEN AT, SOME OF THEM SIGNS, BEEN AT THE PARK SINCE THE SEVENTIES. [01:55:01] I'M 51 YEARS OLD. SOME OF THOSE BASKETBALL GOALS BEEN UP THERE SINCE I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL. SO WE JUST NEED TO TREAT EVERYBODY THE SAME. IF THAT MEANS VOTING NO FOR SOMETHING AND NOT GIVING THEM MORE WHAT THEY WANTS VERSUS GIVING US SOME OUR NEEDS, THEN THAT'S JUST GONNA HAVE TO BE A NO FORM. AND THEN WHEN YOU GO AND LOOK AT THE PROPERTY THAT THEY'RE FINNA BUY ON EAST SIDE IN RICHMOND, IT'S SAYING SOMETHING ABOUT COMMERCIAL SPACE AND A PRIVATE WINE BAR. THAT DOESN'T MAKE MUCH SENSE. COUNCILOR EVAN SHIVA. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND I WANT TO ASK, PERHAPS IN THE INTERIM, THERE CAN BE AN ASSESSMENT OF PORTA CANS, UH, WHILE THE, UH, BUILDING IS BEING BUILT. AND I ARE YOU SPECIFICALLY SPEAKING OF EDGEWOOD OR, OR SEVERAL OTHER PARKS? I'M, I'M FOR THE, FOR THE PORT OF CANS. I TALKING ABOUT ALL OF OUR, ALL OF OUR PARKS AROUND THERE. OKAY. MAYBE WE CAN GET AN ASSESSMENT AND, BUT OF COURSE WE HAVE TO HAVE THE COMMUNITY TO BUY IN THAT THEY'RE GONNA HELP US TO REPORT WHEN PEOPLE COME AND TURN 'EM OVER. I HEARD A COUPLE OF 'EM WERE BURNED DOWN AND SO, UH, WE WILL NEED SOME ASSISTANCE WITH THAT. BUT IF MAYOR, IF WE COULD MAKE AN ASSESSMENT OF, UH, THE NEED FOR PORTA CANS IN SOME OF THESE AREAS, AND I KNOW THAT MS. FARMS WALKED AWAY, UH, REGARDING VASSAR ROAD, YOU KNOW, WE DO RESPOND TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY ABOUT THE TRASH. SO IF YOU JUST MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE ALL OF THOSE SERVICE REQUEST NUMBERS, WE CAN TRY TO MOVE FORWARD WITH TRYING TO ABATE THAT AS WELL. AND, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. NEXT ROY MORALES. GOOD AFTERNOON MAYOR COUNCIL MEMBERS, MY NAME IS ROY MORALES AND I'M HERE TODAY TO PROVIDE INFORMATION ON A PUBLIC SAFETY OPPORTUNITY. I WAS MADE AWARE OF A COMPANY IN LOUISIANA THAT PROVIDES A WHOLE TER ALTERNATIVE TO PUBLIC SAFETY RESPONSES TO AUTO ACCIDENTS. RIGHT NOW THEY'RE ENGAGED IN NEW ORLEANS AND IN MARYLAND, AND BASICALLY WHAT THEY DO IS THAT THEY PROVIDE TEAMS THAT GO OUT TO THE CI THEIR CITY THAT RESPOND TO NON-INJURY ACCIDENTS. WHAT THAT DOES, IT RELIEVES OUR POLICE OFFICERS TO MORE IMPORTANT PRIORITIES, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, COLLECTING THE INFORMATION THAT THEY NEED FROM A CAR ACCIDENT, PROVIDING IT TO AN INDIVIDUAL WITHIN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT THAT DOES THE INVESTIGATIONS JUST LIKE THEY WOULD. THEY ALSO UPLOAD THAT INFORMATION TO INSURANCE COMPANIES. SO WHAT THIS DOES, IT SPEEDS UP THE WHOLE PROCESS OF GETTING THAT INFORMATION, ONE TO THE RESIDENT THAT'S BEEN IN THE ACCIDENT, GETS THE INFORMATION TO THE POLICE ORGANIZATION THAT NEEDS IT. AND AT THE SAME TIME, AS WE KNOW IN HOUSTON FOR YEARS, GOING ALL THE WAY BACK TO BILL WHITE WHERE WE TRIED TO GET VEHICLES OFF THE ROAD, THEY WEREN'T AWARE OF THAT, BUT I AM THAT WE WANNA GET THOSE ACCIDENTS OFF AND RELIEVE THE TRAFFIC CONGESTION AS WELL. SO I KNOW I HAVE A MR. KEVIN JOHNSON HERE THAT'S GONNA FOLLOW ME. I CAN TAKE QUESTIONS NOW OR WE CAN ALLOW HIM TO SPEAK AND HE CAN ANSWER QUESTIONS. NO QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBERS. YOU BET. NEXT, KEVIN JOHNSON. THANK YOU COUNCILMAN MAYOR FOR ALLOWING US TO A BRIEF TIME HERE TO SPEAK. I'M NOT GONNA BE REDUNDANT HERE AFTER, UH, MR. MORALES'S DEAL. I'M JUST GONNA BRIEFLY RUN THROUGH HERE. UM, I'M KEVIN JOHNSON. I'M A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ORGANIZATION OF ON SCENE SERVICES AS A GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS FIRM IN TEXAS. WE HAVE PROVIDED INFORMATION TO SOME OF THE MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL AND HOPEFULLY OTHER MEMBERS HAVE RECEIVED THE INFORMATION REGARDS TO ON SCENE SERVICES AND HOPEFULLY HAS SOME QUESTIONS TO FURTHER THIS DISCUSSION ON SCENE SERVICES PROVIDES A POLICE FORCE MULTIPLIER SOLUTION THROUGH CALL DIVERSION PROGRAMS, PROVIDING A QUICK RESPONSE TO REPORT ON NON-FATAL ACCIDENTS, PROVIDING SAVINGS AND ALLOWS OFFICERS TO FOCUS ON KEEPING THE CITY OF HOUSTON THE GREAT CITY. IT IS. THIS PROGRAM IS BEING RECOGNIZED AS A CURRENT SUCCESS IN CITIES SUCH AS NEW ORLEANS, BALTIMORE, AND HOPEFULLY SOON THE CITY OF AUSTIN. AS WE ARE SEEING GREAT PROGRESSIVES THERE WORKING THROUGH THE, THE LEGALITIES AND OF COURSE, STATE AND CITY, UM, CODES, UH, ON SCENE SERVICE PROVIDES A PROFESSIONAL SERVICE SOLUTION WITH COST SAVINGS TO THE MUNICIPALITY. WE ARE LOOKING BASICALLY COUNCIL AND MAYOR, WE'RE LOOKING FOR A PATHWAY TO FUTURE MEETINGS OR WORKSHOPS, [02:00:01] DISCUSS HOW THIS PROGRAM CAN BENEFIT THE CITIZENS OF HOUSTON. UH, I HAVE THE FOUNDER AND PRINCIPLES OF OSS HERE, IF THERE MAY BE ANY DETAILED QUESTIONS TODAY. AND AGAIN, WE'RE HERE TODAY TO SEE HOW WE CAN PROGRESS OUR DISCUSSIONS AND MOVE THIS THING, UH, FORWARD AS AFTER EXPERIENCING COVID. AND WITH ALL THE BUDGET CUTS SHORTAGE OF POLICE OFFICERS NOT ALLOWING THEM TO DO THE JOBS THAT THEY'RE THERE TO TAKE CARE OF THE CITIZENS OF HOUSTON AND NOT FOCUSING ON PARKING LOT FENDER BENDERS. AND I, I KNOW THAT, UH, THAT THERE'S, THERE'S OPTIONS OUT THERE FOR INDIVIDUALS HERE IN HOUSTON IF THEY DO GET IN MINOR ACCIDENTS TO BE ABLE TO GO TO A LOCATION TO REPORT THAT ON SCENE SERVICE. I ASK THIS, THIS COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR TO REALLY LOOK INTO THIS BECAUSE THIS IS GOING TO BE THE NEW WAVE OF SAVINGS. WE CAN PUT, UH, PEOPLE ON THE STORE, PROVIDE AUTOMOBILES AND DO IT VERY EFFICIENT, ALLOWING THE, UH, HPD TO ALLOW THEM TO USE THEIR BUDGET IN MORE PROGRESSIVE WAYS THAN DEALING WITH MINOR ACCIDENTS. THANK YOU. COUNCIL POLLARD. THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, THANK YOU SIR FOR COMING FORWARD. UH, A COUPLE QUESTIONS FOR YOU. UM, WHO, WHO COMES TO THE SCENE, UH, OF THESE MINOR ACCIDENTS FOR YOU ALL? UH, ON SCENE SERVICES PROVIDES THE, UH, THE TRAFFIC PERSON, WHICH COMES IN OUR OWN VEHICLES. WE PROVIDE OUR OWN VEHICLES AND I'M NOT GONNA GET, TRY TO GET MYSELF IN TROUBLE HERE. YEAH. I DON'T KNOW IF, IF THIS FORM WILL ALLOW, UH, ONE WELL, LEMME ASK YOU SOME QUESTIONS. SURE. C, CAN THEY GIVE A CITATION FOR FAULT? THEY DO NOT DO CITATIONS. WHAT? SO THEY CANNOT GIVE A CITATION FOR FAULT. THERE IS, THERE HAS BEEN REQUEST BY SOME OF THE OTHER MUNICIPALITIES THAT, UH, THAT ON SCENE SERVICES VISIT WITH, AND I'M, HOPEFULLY, I'M NOT INCORRECT ON THIS, BUT I KNOW BALTIMORE HAS ASKED IF THEY CAN ACTUALLY PROVIDE, IT SEEMS LIKE ONCE THIS PROGRAM STARTS, IT IT, IT GENERATES ITS OWN LIFE. YEAH. UH, BECAUSE IT'S SO SUCCESSFUL THAT, WELL, WITHOUT, WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO CITE SOMEONE, HOW, HOW CAN YOU DETERMINE WHO'S AT FAULT? THEY DO A FULL POLICE, A FULL REPORT, UH, THE SAME REPORT THAT, UH, ANY POLICE OFFICER CITY OF HOUSTON DOES. AND THEN THAT IS ACTUALLY REPORTED THEN TO THE, UH, HPD, WHICH WILL HAVE AN INDIVIDUAL THAT REVIEWS ALL THE REPORTS AND MAKES THOSE TYPE OF DECISIONS. AND THEY WILL MAKE THEMSELVES AVAILABLE TO TESTIFY AT ALL THE TRIALS. THEY WILL BE PRESENT AT ANY TRIALS, COURT HEARINGS. UM, IT, THERE'S A, THERE'S A LOT OF BENEFITS TO THIS PROGRAM. UH, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, YES. OKAY. WELL, I, I CAN TELL YOU WITHOUT, WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO GIVE CITATIONS, MOST INSURANCE COMPANIES ARE GONNA DENY CLAIMS. THEY, THEY LOOK AT, I DO THIS EVERY DAY. THEY, THEY LOOK AT THE POLICE REPORT AND THEY'RE GOING TO TRY TO ASSESS FAULT BASED ON CITATION WHEN THERE'S NOT A CITATION. UH, MANY TIMES THE, THE TWO PARTIES ARE GOING TO HAVE CONFLICTING STATEMENTS AND THEN THERE'S GONNA BE BECOME A, HE SAY, SHE SAY, WHEN IT BECOMES A, HE SAY, SHE SAY EACH PARTY IS GONNA HAVE TO THEN, UH, REPORT IT TO THEIR OWN INSURANCE COMPANY, AND THEN THEY ARE GOING TO, UH, THEN THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR OWN PROPERTY THEMSELVES. UM, ONE OF THE BENEFITS OF HAVING AN OFFICER GET THERE AS WELL AS EVEN WHEN THERE IS A MINOR ACCIDENT, UM, SOMETIMES, UM, PEOPLE CAN GET HEATED AND THERE CAN BE ARGUMENTS AND, UH, YOU, YOU WANT TO HAVE THE PROPER, UH, LAW ENFORCEMENT THERE TO BE ABLE TO AID IN, IN A, IN A, IN A TESTY, SOMETIMES FRUSTRATING CIRCUMSTANCE. AND SO, YOU KNOW, I I'M NOT SAYING THAT WHAT YOU ALL PROVIDE, UH, SHOULDN'T BE AT LEAST CONSIDERED OR AT LEAST PRESENTED, BUT I, I CAN TELL YOU THAT ANYTIME I HEAR OF SERVICES THAT, UH, GET AWAY FROM THE POLICE SHOWING UP TO ACCIDENTS NO MATTER HOW MINOR AND NOT ABLE TO GIVE A CITATION, WHICH I THINK IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT OF THE REPORT, UM, IT STARTS TO HAVE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES FOR THE DRIVERS AND THEN UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES FOR THEIR PREMIUMS THAT THEY WILL HAVE TO PAY FOR THEIR INSURANCE CLAIM. SO, UH, I WILL, I WILL, DO YOU ALREADY EMAILED US THIS INFORMATION FOR US TO LOOK AT? YES. OKAY. I'LL DEFINITELY TAKE A LOOK AT IT. UH, BUT I DO ENCOURAGE THE PUBLIC, UH, TO ALWAYS CALL THE POLICE, UH, FOR ANY ACCIDENT. I DON'T CARE HOW BIG OR SMALL, AND DO NOT GO TO THE, THE POLICE SUBSTATION TO MAKE YOUR REPORT REQUEST THAT THEY COME DIRECTLY TO YOU. DON'T MOVE YOUR CAR. THANK YOU. GREAT, GREAT QUESTION. IF I CAN ANSWER IT REAL QUICK, WE, I THINK WE CAN PROVIDE THE INFORMATION THAT WOULD REMOVE SOME OF YOUR, SOME OF YOUR QUESTIONS THERE. 'CAUSE THE SUCCESS, WE DO HIRE RETIRED POLICE OFFICERS THAT HAVE HAD A VERY GOOD SUCCESS RATE WITHIN THE MUNICIPALITY THAT [02:05:01] IS USUALLY RECOMMENDED EITHER BY THE CHIEF OF POLICE OR WHATEVER ENTITY WAS TO REFER THEM. SO IT'S, IT'S A VERY, VERY SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM. UH, I THINK WE'VE RESPONDED IN, IN THE, IN NEW ORLEANS TO OVER 30,000 CALLS, VERY FEW ACCIDENTS. AND WHEN, WHEN OUR, WHEN OUR FIRM SHOWS UP AT THESE ACCIDENTS, IF FOR ANY WAY THEY SEE A, A SITUATION TO WHERE THERE'S A POSSIBILITY OF DUI DRUG USE OR ANYTHING, THEN IMMEDIATELY THEY ACCESS THE SITUATION AS VERY, AS, LIKE I SAY, EXPERIENCED AND TRAINED POLICE OFFICERS TO CALL IN. WE WORKED, YOU KNOW, WE ARE MONITORED AND ALL OF OUR COMPUTERS ARE TIED IN THESE OTHER AREAS DIRECTLY INTO THE MUNICIPALITY, INTO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, SO THAT THEY CAN IMMEDIATELY EXPEDITE AN EMERGENCY CALL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION. THANK YOU, SIR. NEXT COUNCIL MEMBER, MEMBER DAVIS, PROCEED. NO, WE'RE FINE. WE'RE FINE WITH YOU, SIR. OH, I'M SORRY. THANK YOU. SOMETHING ELSE? GO AHEAD. THANK Y'ALL. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I, I WANNA MAKE A MOTION MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULE TO ADD, UH, DR. SERGIO LIRA, MY FRIEND FOR, UH, THE THREE MINUTE, UH, SPEAKING LIST TO SPEAK NEXT. YES, SPEAK NEXT. SPEAK NOW. OKAY. WHAT YOUR MAIDEN SECOND ALL. DO WE GET A SECOND? SECOND, SECOND. YEAH. ALL FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. SGIO LIRA, DR. LIRA, SERGIO LIRA. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR. GOOD AFTERNOON. MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, I WAS NOT PLANNING TO SPEAK TODAY. I, OF ALL THE DAYS OF THE YEAR, I LEFT MY PHONE AT HOME. I WAS SO EXCITED TO COME TODAY TO HEAR SOME OF THE FOLKS ON THE ISSUE OF THE PARKS. AND, UM, MAYOR, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR THE GREAT WORK THAT YOU DO IN OUR CITY. YOU ARE A CAN-DO MAYOR. I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT. AND WE REALLY DO APPRECIATE THAT. WHAT I'M HEARING TODAY, IT'S, UM, MUSIC TO MY EARS. IT'S BEEN LONG OVERDUE TO START TO SHED A SPOTLIGHT ON SOME OF THE AREAS THAT HAVE BEEN BLIGHTED AND NEGLECTED FOR A VERY LONG TIME. AND I TRULY BELIEVE THAT THIS COUNCIL IS GONNA TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AND IT'S GONNA REALLY LOOK HARD TO, TO LOOK AT THE SCOPE OF OUR CITY AND SAY, HEY, THESE FOLKS NEED SOME PLAYGROUNDS. SOME KIDS NEED SOME RESOURCES HERE. UH, EVEN THOUGH THE PERCEPTION IN THE TURF SYSTEM, I DO UNDERSTAND THAT. BUT, UH, OF COURSE, IF IT PERPETUATES INEQUITIES, WE, WE HAVE THE, UM, WE CAN TRY TO DO IS REFORM THAT SYSTEM LITTLE. BUT THAT'S ANOTHER DISCUSSION AS COUNCILMAN ARD SUGGESTED EARLIER, I DO WANT TO ALSO, UH, ADVOCATE FOR THE MWBE PROGRAM TO ENSURE THAT THE HISPANICS AND ASIANS ARE NOT EXCLUDED FROM THAT ORDINANCE. BUT I JUST WANNA SAY ONE THING, MAYOR, MY RESEARCH HAS SHOWN RECENTLY, AND I JUST SAW I LEFT MY PHONE AT HOME. BUT IF YOU HAVE NICE PARKS IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, IT REDUCES CRIME. AND WE KNOW THAT CRIME IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST ISSUES IN OUR CITY. SO IF WE HAVE NICE PARKS, WE WOULD HAVE LESS CRIMES. AND ALSO IT INCREASES POPULATION GROWTH. AS WE KNOW IN OUR CITY POPULATION, GROWTH TESTS REMAIN STAGNANT. SO IN ORDER TO, UM, REBUILD POPULATION IN SOME OF THE AREAS OF OUR CITY, NICE PARKS IS A HUGE INCENTIVE. BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, CRIME. AND I'M JUST GONNA SAY SOMETHING PERSONALLY, MAYOR, I WAS GONNA REACH OUT TO SOME FOLKS THIS PAST WEEKEND. MY WIFE WAS THREATENED AND BY A MAN WHO HAD A SCREWDRIVER. AND I THINK HE WANTED TO STEAL HER, HER SUV THIS PAST SUNDAY. SHE WAS LITERALLY TWO HOURS NOT ABLE TO GET TO HER HOUSE BECAUSE OUR NEIGHBORHOOD HAS BEEN NEGLECTED, IMPLIED. AND WE HAVE FOLKS, YOU HAVE SEEN THE PICTURES IN THE INTERVIEW, FOLKS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, THAT HAVE ARBITRARILY BEEN DISPLACED, BUT THEY FILTER INTO OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, FOLKS THAT COMMIT CRIME OR OUT THERE. MY WIFE'S NOT HERE TODAY 'CAUSE SHE REALLY IS DISTRAUGHT AND WE MUST DO EVERYTHING TO ENSURE THAT OUR NEIGHBORHOODS ARE WELL KEPT. IF YOU'VE BEEN TO MY NEIGHBORHOOD AND CONSUMING MARTINEZ, YOU HAVE BEEN THERE. AND, AND I APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT YOU DO, AND I APPRECIATE MASON PARK GETTING ITS UPLIFT. BUT OUR WORLD IS MUCH BIGGER. OUR COMMUNITY IS BIGGER THAN MASON PARK. AND YOU'RE RIGHT. GULF GATE TUR, UH, I'LL ATTEND THE MEETINGS I UNDER, I UNDERSTAND HOW IT WORKS, BUT PLEASE SHARE WITH US WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN IN THE TIMELINE BECAUSE I CAME HERE 10 YEARS AGO WITH THE SAME DISCUSSION. AND YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE FOLKS HAVE SAID, THIS IS LONG OVERDUE. AND I APPRECIATE ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE, AND I MET WITH SOME OF YOU AND THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU ALL AND MAKE SURE OUR PARKS ARE EQUITABLE. THANK YOU, AND GOD BLESS ALL OF YOU. THANK YOU COUNCIL. UH, COUNCILMAN DAVIS, MY GOOD FRIEND. DR. IT IS GOOD TO SEE YOU. GOLD MUSTANGS. GOLD MUSTANGS. WE BOTH MUSTANGS. LET ME JUST PUT IT OUT [02:10:01] THERE FOR THE RECORD. UH, I'M, I'M, I'M THE THIRD WARD EAST END GUY, AND, UH, MY GOOD FRIEND DR. LEE, THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION TODAY AND YOU, AND WHAT YOU DO FOR THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE. WE'VE KNOWN EACH OTHER FOR A LONG TIME. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT. I DO BELIEVE THAT SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT WE HAVE WILL GET RESOLVED. I BELIEVE THEY WILL BE RESOLVED SO THAT THERE'S NO CONFLICT OR CERTAINLY NO APPEARANCE OF DIVISION IN OUR CITY. THAT'S SO IMPORTANT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE WORD OF GOD SAYS, YOU KNOW, VOID THE VERY APPEARANCE OF EVIL, WHICH WOULD BE DIVISION. ANYONE THINKING THAT ONE IS BETTER THAN THE OTHER. BUT I THINK THERE'S A PROCESS WE ALL RESPECT, BUT I THINK THAT WE HAVE, UH, MY COLLEAGUES AROUND THIS HORSESHOE ARE VERY, VERY SMART, INTELLIGENT PEOPLE AND WE'LL SOLVE IT. WE HAVE A MAYOR THAT'S CONCERNED ABOUT ALL OF US, SO I JUST DO BELIEVE THAT WE'LL GET TO THE POINT OF DOING THAT. BUT THANK YOU FOR COMING. THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO IN A LOT OF AREAS THAT MOST PEOPLE DON'T KNOW ABOUT, BUT I KNOW ABOUT IT. YES, SIR. SO GO MUSTANG. YES, SIR. THANK YOU. AND, AND WAS, AND LISTEN ON THIS NOTE FOR THE HARVEST IS GREAT AND THERE'S FEW IN THE LABOR. ALL OF YOU ARE THE FEW IN THE LABOR. THANK YOU JOSEPH AMARI. UH, FIRST I'D LIKE TO WANNA CONGRATULATE, UH, WELL, MAYOR WILMA, UH, WIN THE ELECTION AND BECOME THE MAYOR OF CITY OF HOUSTON. THE PROBLEM WITH RACISM, DIGITAL HARASSMENT AND HOUSTON LIBRARY EXISTED BEFORE, UH, HE BECAME THE MAYOR. USUALLY I TRY TO STAY AWAY FROM HOUSTON POLITICS AND CITY COUNCIL, BUT IT HAS BECOME SO BAD ON REPORTING. ENLARGED MY COMPLAINT TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON, REPORTING THE SAME COMPLAINT THAT I REPORTED TO HARRIS COUNTY PRECINCT COUNCIL, SEVEN HPD HARRIS COUNTY DA OFFICE, AND TEXAS COUNTY GENERAL OFFICE. WELL, NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE AS OF YET. IT'S NOT BECAUSE I HOPE IT'S NOT BECAUSE I'M THIS FIRST DESCENDANT OF THE FIRST GENERATION OF AFRICAN SLAVES AND BLACK AMERICAN MEN. I THINK I BECAME AN AUTISTIC ENEMY OF SOME BLACK AMERICAN, UH, COMMUNIST PARTY, UH, MANAGED ON THE COMMUNIST CODE. THESE INDIVIDUAL I MET POS, A DEMOCRATIC PARTY, POLITICAL SUPPORTERS AND CANDIDATES, THIS TYPE OF RACISM, DID HARASSMENT, DIDN'T EXIST IN HOUSTON, TEXAS LIBRARY WHILE LEE BROWN, BILL WHITE AND EAST PARKER. AND THE MAYOR WAS MAYOR HOUSTON. IT SHOWED UP UNDER THE ACT OF, OF PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA MILITARY MARSH LAW AND LA SYLVESTER TURNER, WHO'S NO LONGER WITH US BLACK AMERICAN POWER POWER BROKERS, REVEREND WOMEN LAWS LAWSON, SHEILA JACKSON LEE, AND ERIC BROWN WAS NO LONGER WITH, WITH EITHER. I'M JUST WONDERING WHY TEARS SUFFERING THIS BLACK ON BLACK RACISM, DIGITAL HARASSMENT, SAME SEX HARASSMENT, COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT, INTELLECT PROTEST, TERRORIST AGAINST ME AND MY FAMILY. MY MOTHER IS A KIDNAPPED BUSINESS BY, BY MY SUSPECTED AKA BIG SISTER AIN'T PER SCRUBS. I'VE BEEN ILLEGAL EVICTED SEVERAL TIMES BY SIX EIGHT HOUSING VOUCHER BY SSI. BY SDI HAVE BEEN STOLEN. I CAN'T GIVE A DRIVER'S LICENSE AND MY SOCIAL SECURITY CARD UNDER MILITARY MARTIAL LAW. I'VE BEEN CALLING FROM PULLING POST FROM LIBRARY TO LIBRARY. I CAN'T SIT DOWN LIBRARY COMPUTER WITHOUT THEM ASKING ME FOR MY CELL PHONE NUMBER. THIS OLD SOVIET UNION STYLE, SOUTH AFRICAN APARTHEID TYPE GOVERNMENT AND LEAKED UP, ALL LEAKED UP AND LANDED THE BLACK AMERICA, FOLLOWED ME AROUND LIKE I'M A RUNNING RAISED SLAVE ON THE MILITARY. MARTIAL LAW FOLLOWED ME FROM EMAIL TO EMAIL, FROM TELEPHONE PHONE, TELEPHONE PHONE ALL THE WAY TO MY BANK ACCOUNT, ROBBING ME MY WAY OF LIFE, AND MY PURSUIT OF HABITS. I WON A LOT OF SELF LAWSUITS AT WON AND LAWSUIT AT THE SAME TIME. EVEN I WON AND LOST MY FUNERAL RIGHT THERE BECAUSE AT HARRIS COUNTY FAMILY COURT, I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW YOU, HOW THEY CAN EXPLAIN TO YOU WHEN YOU WIN OR LOSE A CASE IN HOUSTON, TEXAS. YES, I'M A BLACK AMERICAN CITIZEN. HAVE THE RIGHT TO SUE THIS GOVERNMENT WITHOUT REPRISAL OR RETALIATION. LEMME TELL YOU, LAST THING HAPPENED. I ALL YOU WHO A BUSINESSMAN WHO WORK UP YOUR $3 MILLION DEAL AND SOMEBODY SIT DOWN IN YOUR COMPANY, STEAL YOU $4 MILLION DEAL FROM YOU AND GET YOU A $4 MILLION DEAL WITH SOME OF THE SAME COMPANY WITHOUT YOU GETTING A DEAL OR THE MONEY. OF COURSE, THE AVERAGE BUSINESS PERSON WOULD GET UPSET AND WANNA GO TO BLOW TO THEIR PEOPLE. THIS PEOPLE THIS. MY SPORTS UNIFORM DEAL IS A $4 MILLION DEAL THAT WAS STOLEN BY A BILLION DOLLAR CORPORATION IN A FOREIGN GOVERNMENT. I'M SENDING OUT A WARNING TO HOUSTON, TEXAS, THAT AMERICAN PEOPLE, WE ARE FACING SOME THREAT COMING TO THREAT BY PEOPLE WHO LOOK LIKE US. WE PUTIN SOVIET UNION CONNECTION COME TO AMERICA, MERGING WITH THE BLACK AMERICAN COUNTER PARTY TRYING TO ATTACK A BLACK AMERICAN CAPITALISM. DEMOCRACY IS NOT FREEDOM. I'VE BEEN AFFECTED. I'VE BEEN A VICTIM OF FINANCIAL ECONOMIC TERRORISM BY A FINANCIAL STOCK UNKNOWN TO ME. BLACK AMERICANS WILL NOT TOLERATE OR STAND FOR BLACK AMERICAN GRANDMOTHERS OR SENIOR SISTER BEING KIDNAPPED WITHOUT CRIMINALS BEING PUNISHED FOR THE CRIME. EVEN IF THEY [02:15:01] FAMILY MEMBER, ACCORDING TO THE BLACK AMERICAN CHRISTIAN BIBLE AND RELIGION, THESE KIND OF PEOPLE SHOULD BE PUT UP. THANK YOU. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. THANK YOU. NEXT RAQUEL NEY, COUNCILOR EVANS SHABA. THANK YOU MAYOR. I WANTED TO MAKE A PROCEDURAL MOTION BEFORE THE NEXT SPEAKER COMES UP. I WANTED TO, UM, SUSPEND THE RULES, UH, TO ADD IT PETTED FOR HIM TO MOVE UP NEXT AS A NEXT SPEAKER AFTER THE ONE THAT COMES UP. OKAY, MOTIONS MADE. AND SECOND, WE HAVE A SECOND MOTION MADE. AND SECOND FAVOR, SAY YES, THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. MY NAME IS RAQUEL HERNANDEZ BOJO AND I'M HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT THE MBE CERTIFICATION REVAMPING PROGRAM. I AM A PROUD LATINA WHO IS FOR FAIRNESS FOR ALL OR NOTHING AT ALL. UM, I'M GONNA HOLD UP SOME SIGNS I WANT EVERYBODY TO SEE. NO ASIANS ALLOWED, NO WOMEN ALLOWED. HOW ABOUT NO HISPANICS ALLOWED? NOBODY. SHOCKING, ISN'T IT? IT'S, UH, SIGNS. THESE ONES REPRESENT THE ORDINANCE THAT IS BEING CONSIDERED TO PASS REGARDING THE MBE CERTIFICATION. FOR YEARS, THERE WERE SIGNS SIMILAR TO THESE THAT WOULD BE HUNG AROUND PUBLIC PLACES ALL THROUGHOUT THE NATION. THEY LOOK SOMETHING SIMILAR TO THIS VERBIAGE THAT ARE WITHIN THE ORDINANCE THAT IS BEFORE THE CITY. TODAY, I ONLY REPLACED THE CITY'S WORDS OF REMOVED WITH THE WORD ALLOWED THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964, WHICH ENDED SEGREGATION IN PUBLIC PLACES AND BANNED EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATION ON THE BASIS OF RACE, COLOR, RELIGION, SEX, OR NATIONAL ORIGIN IS CONSIDERED ONE OF THE CROWNING LEGISLATIVE ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT. THIS ORDINANCE REINFORCES AND WORKS AGAINST EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE FOUGHT FOR, WHICH IS FAIRNESS AND EQUALITY. I UNDERSTAND THERE IS CONSIDERATION FOR POSTPONEMENT AND THE REVISED WRITTEN PROGRAM TO BE FORMULATED, BUT I WAS APPALLED TO HEAR THAT LESS THAN A FEW STAKEHOLDERS HAVE BEEN A PART OF THE FORMULATION OF WRITING THIS PROPOSED REVISED PROGRAM. THERE ARE WHISPERS AT SOME OF THE FIRMS THAT ARE HELPING TO TRANSITION FROM MBE, WHO HAVE SO-CALLED GRADUATED TO THE SBE DUE OVER A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS IN ANNUAL REVENUE WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND ARE CURRENTLY CONTRACTED. I CONGRATULATE THEM FOR CONGRATULA CON FROM GRADUATING FROM THIS PROGRAM. BUT IT IS SMALL BUSINESSES AND THE PEOPLE IT SUPPORTS THAT ARE THE FOUNDATION AND FABRIC OF OUR CITY'S SUCCESS. AND THEY SHOULD BE THE PRIMARY FOCUS FOR REFORMULATING THIS PROGRAM. WE NEED TO STOP LEVERAGING THIS LITIGATION THAT HAS BEEN ONGOING FOR YEARS TO SUDDENLY ADOPT AN ORDINANCE THAT GOES AGAINST EVERYTHING THAT WE STAND FOR WITHOUT INCLUSIVENESS OF ALL. THERE IS NO INNOVATION. AND ON BEHALF OF ALL AMERICANS WHO WANT TO STOP THE HATE, WE ARE TIRED, BUT WE ARE STILL STRONG. CREATE A PROGRAM THAT SUPPORTS ITS ORIGINAL INTENT, WHICH WAS TO SUPPORT SMALL QUALIFIED FIRMS BASED ON EXPERIENCE AND MERIT, BUT WE'RE UNDERUTILIZED DUE TO LACK OF OPPORTUNITY. ARE WE REALLY WANTING TO GO BACK TO THE 1960S BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT THIS ORDINANCE DOES? AND WHY ARE WE NOT FOCUSED ON LOOKING TO THE FUTURE? I AM A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS WOMAN WHO DOES OWN A CONSTRUCTION COMPANY AND HAS FOR 16 YEARS. AND I AM APPALLED. I UNDERSTAND THIS STUDY DOES NOT HAVE ALL OF THE WELL, OUT OF 30,000 PEOPLE SURVEYED, ONLY 800 RESPONDED. AND THIS PARTICULAR CONSULTANT WHO WAS ENGAGED, NOT EVEN IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, RECEIVED QUITE A BIT OF SUM OF MONEY, WHICH IS TAXPAYER MONEY. AND NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN, THE TIMELINE IS THERE BECAUSE THE SUPREME COURT IS ASKING FOR A DEFENSE. AND THE ANSWER IS, IS THAT WE HAVE ONLY A HALF TRUTH. ONE, THE INFORMATION DOES NOT SUPPORT WHAT THIS CITY REPRESENTS. AND IT IS NOT A TRUE REFLECTION OF WHO WE ARE AS THE MOST DIVERSE CITY IN THE UNITED STATES. I AM ASKING FOR ALL OF YOU WHO WERE ELECTED TO HOLD THIS FIRM ACCOUNTABLE, BUT ALSO TO GET THE TRUE INFORMATION. THERE'S PLENTY OF PUBLIC INFORMATION WITH CORRECT DATA ON NATIONAL CENSUS, AND THERE'S PLENTY OF PROOF THAT WOMEN, HISPANICS, BLACK AMERICANS, STILL HAVE A DI UM, A DISPARITY. SO I JUST, AGAIN SAY FAIRNESS FOR ALL ARE NOTHING AT ALL, AND DO MORE THAN JUST POSTPONE ACTUALLY PROVIDE A REAL ANSWER. AND I KNOW, MAYOR, YOU'RE AGAINST CORRUPTION AND I KNOW YOU WANNA GET TO THE BOTTOM OF REFORMULATING SOMETHING THAT WORKS FOR THE CITY AND WITH A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS GUARANTEE [02:20:01] FOR INFRASTRUCTURE AND CONSTRUCTION. I HOPE THAT YOU WILL, YOU WILL ADVOCATE FOR THAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN POLLARD HAS A QUESTION. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, THANK YOU FOR COMING FORWARD AND, UM, LETTING US HEAR YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON THIS. UH, WHERE WE, WHERE WE DO AGREE IS THAT THE MBE PROGRAM INITIALLY STARTED BECAUSE, UH, THERE WERE, UH, MANY MINORITY AND SMALL BUSINESSES, UM, THAT WERE UNDERUTILIZED WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON. AND OVER TIME THAT, THAT MBE PROGRAM HAS GROWN TO A-M-W-B-E PROGRAM TO A-M-W-S-B-E PROGRAM. AND IT HAS PROVIDED, UH, OPPORTUNITY FOR MORE VENDORS TO BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE. UM, AS IT PERTAINS TO THIS CURRENT STUDY, UM, WHAT WAS REALLY LOOKED AT WAS THE TOTAL SPEND, THE TOTAL SPEND ACROSS THE BOARD AND WHAT, WHICH ETHNIC GROUPS WERE GETTING, UM, CERTAIN AMOUNTS OF MONEY BASED ON WHETHER IT WAS CONSTRUCTION OR GOODS AND SERVICES OR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES. UM, AND ALL WE DID WAS LOOK AT THE TOTALS, OR ALL THE CONSULTANT DID WAS LOOK AT THE TOTALS. NOW, WHEN IT CAME TO, UM, LET'S SAY CONSTRUCTION WITH HISPANICS, IT SHOWED 105% ABOVE THE THRESHOLD, RIGHT? THE THRESHOLD IS ONLY 80%. SO EVEN IF YOU TAKE OUT THOSE BIG FIRMS THAT WERE GETTING SOME OF THE LARGE CONTRACTS, IT STILL SHOWED NO DISPARITY BECAUSE IT, IT, THE TOTAL SPAN WAS OVER THE 80% THRESHOLD. SO, ALTHOUGH YOU SAY ONLY 800 VENDORS WERE SURVEYED OUT OF THE 30,000, THOSE VENDORS THAT WERE SURVEYED WERE JUST FOR VENDOR COMMENT THAT DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE OVERALL DISPARITY. THE DISPARITY IS BASED ON TOTAL SPEND. AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE TOTAL SPEND, IT IS, IT'S BASICALLY JUST NUMBERS. AND IF THAT ETHNIC GROUP HAS BEEN RECEIVING, UM, A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF WORK, THEN IT CAN SHOW THAT THERE IS NO DISPARITY WITH THAT GROUP, WITH THE OVER TO, WITH THE OVERALL TOTAL SPEND. SO AFRICAN AMERICANS WERE REALLY THE ONLY RACIAL GROUP, MAYBE NATIVE AMERICANS AS WELL, THAT SHOWED DISPARITY ACROSS THE BOARD, EVEN THOUGH AFRICAN AMERICANS HAVE MORE CERTIFICATIONS THAN ANY OTHER ETHNIC GROUP IN THE CITY. BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE TOTAL SPEND, YOU CAN'T REALLY DISCRIMINATE ON THAT. SO WHEN YOU'RE HOLDING UP SIGNS SAYING THAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS GOING BACKWARDS OR THAT WE'RE GOING TO THE SIXTIES, OR THAT, UH, WE'RE DOING THINGS THAT ARE DISCRIMINATORY IN NATURE, THAT'S NOT ACCURATE BECAUSE THE TOTAL SPEND TELLS YOU THE ENTIRE STORY. AND IF THE TOTAL SPEND IS ABOVE THE THRESHOLD, WHICH IS 80%, EVEN WHEN YOU TAKE OUT THE BIG FIRMS THAT MAY BE GETTING THE BULK OF, UH, NOT THE BULK, BUT A LOT OF THE WORK, THEN YOUR ARGUMENT IS FLAWED WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, ASSERTING THAT WE'RE DOING ANYTHING INAPPROPRIATE OR IN YOUR WORDS, CORRUPT. SO I WOULD, UM, SUGGEST THAT YOU LOOK AT THAT TOTAL SPEND AND ASK YOURSELF, ASK YOURSELF, ARE THOSE ETHNIC GROUPS ACTUALLY GETTING UNDERUTILIZED? AND IF YOU BELIEVE THEY ARE, WHY CAN I RESPOND TO THAT WITH SOME FACTUAL INFORMATION? OR AM I NOT ALLOWED TO? I'M SORRY, WHAT CAN I RESPOND TO THAT? SURE. SO ON PAGE 80 OF THE REPORT, FIVE BLACK AMERICAN FIRMS ACTUALLY RECEIVED A THIRD OF THE ENTIRE SPEND, AND THREE HISPANIC FIRMS RECEIVED A THIRD OF THE ENTIRE SPEND. AND YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT, IT WAS EVALUATED BASED OFF OF REVENUE. BUT WHAT MAKES THE DATA INACCURATE WHEN YOU ARE SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF AN ENTIRE MUNICIPALITY WHEN YOU, REGARDING THE SPEND, IS THAT YOU CANNOT SAY THAT IF THERE WAS 58 CERTI, 5,800 CERTIFIED FIRMS. 'CAUSE I BELIEVE THAT'S THE TOTAL AMOUNT THAT ARE CERTIFIED WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON, FOR WHICH IT ALSO TAKES NINE MONTHS TO GET APPROVED. SO ONCE THIS ORDINANCE CHANGES, IF THERE IS NEW FIRMS THAT WANT TO GET CERTIFIED, IT'S A VERY LONG, LENGTHY PROCESS. BUT IN ADDITION TO THAT, UM, IT'S NOT ACCURATE BECAUSE HOW CAN YOU CALCULATE A TRUE DISPARITY BASED OFF OF YOUR ETHNICITY IF ONLY LIKE FIVE BLACK AMERICAN FIRMS GOT A WHOLE THIRD AND THREE HISPANIC FIRMS GOT A WHOLE THIRD. AND THEN IN ADDITION TO THAT ON THE REFORMATION, I WAS ON THAT, THAT MEETING YESTERDAY, WHICH WAS NOT COMPLETELY OPEN TO EVERYBODY AND ALL STAKEHOLDERS, UH, THE PEOPLE THAT ARE GONNA BE GRADUATING FROM MBE TO SBE WERE PROBABLY THE THREE FIRMS THAT GOT A THIRD OF THE ENTIRE SPIN DOING A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR IN REVENUE WITH OVER 450 EMPLOYEES. SO WHAT I'M ASKING FOR IS FAIRNESS IN EQUALITY. AND I DO THINK LIKE THE WRITING IN THE ORDINANCE ACTUALLY DOES SAY HISPANICS TO BE REMOVED, ASIANS AND [02:25:01] WOMEN TO BE REMOVED. AND I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD, THAT IF YOU SAW SOMETHING THAT SAID BLACK AMERICANS TO BE REMOVED, THAT YOUR POPULATION TOO WOULD BE NO, VERY, VERY, I WOULD VERY UPSET. I WOULD NOT LOOK AT IT FROM A BLACK, WHITE HISPANIC, UH, STANDPOINT. I WOULD LOOK AT THE NUMBERS TO SEE, TO, I WILL LOOK AT THE NUMBERS TO SEE WHAT THE UTILIZATION WAS BASED ON THE TOTAL SPEND AND EVEN WHICH WE DON'T DO. BUT EVEN IF WE WANTED TO CONCEDE AND TAKE OUT THE OUTLIERS, WHAT I'VE BEEN TOLD AND HAVE BEEN SHOWN IS IT STILL, UH, MEETS THE 80% THRESHOLD, UH, TO SHOW EITHER DISPARITY OR NONS DISPARITY. AND SO I, I REFUTE YOUR, UH, INTERPRETATION OF, UH, THE, THE WAY YOU'RE ANALYZING THOSE NUMBERS AND WOULD ASK YOU TO LOOK BACK AND SEE HOW MUCH WORK CERTAIN ETHNIC GROUPS ARE GETTING BASED ON, UM, THE CATEGORY THAT THEY'RE IN. AND THERE SHOULD NOT BE ANY DOUBT BASED ON THE NUMBERS, IF THERE IS A DISPARITY OR NOT. NOW, YOU MAY WANT TO LOOK AT A A DIFFERENT METHOD METHODOLOGY AND, AND THAT'S FINE. BUT IF YOU JUST GO BASED ON TOTAL SPEND ALONE, IT'S GONNA MEET THE THRESHOLD. AND I THINK AS A CITY, WE HAVE TO BE FAIR ACROSS THE BOARD. AND IT'S A GOOD THING IN SOME INSTANCES WHEN YOU'RE ABLE TO SHOW THAT SOME ETHNIC GROUPS ARE ACTUALLY BENEFITING FROM THE PROGRAM, GETTING MONEY AND BEING ABLE TO GRADUATE, THAT THAT IS A SUCCESS. THE, THE DOWNFALL IS THERE'S CER UH, THERE ARE CERTAIN GROUPS, SPECIFICALLY AFRICAN AMERICANS, WHO HAVE THE MOST CERTIFICATIONS AND ARE STILL SHOWING DISPARITY ACROSS THE BOARD. SO I KNOW WE COULD PROBABLY GO BACK AND FORTH ON THIS FOREVER. UH, I WILL GIVE YOU, CAN I JUST ASK WHAT, I'LL GIVE YOU MY CONTACT INFORMATION SO WE COULD TALK OFFLINE. UH, UH, CAN I JUST ASK ONE QUESTION AND THANK YOU FOR COMING FORWARD. DOESN'T THE COMMITTEES DECIDE WHO GETS AWARDED THOUGH? DOESN'T THE CITY OF HOUSTON OBO OFFICE DECIDE LIKE THEY VOTE ON WHO GETS SELECTED THESE CONTRACTS AS PRIME? IT'S JUST LOIS BIDDER, THE PROCUREMENT DEPARTMENT, RIGHT? BUT THE PROCUREMENT DEPARTMENT SELECTS CITY OF HOUSTON EMPLOYEES TO VOTE. SO IF BLACK AMERICANS ARE NOT BEING SELECTED, THEN I WOULD SAY LOOK WITHIN THOSE COMMITTEES WHO ARE SELECTING WHO IS GETTING WORK AND WHO'S NOT, BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE THE REAL DISPARITY IS. AND I STILL STAND BY MY COMMENTS. I JUST WANT EQUALITY AND FAIRNESS BASED OFF OF MERIT AND QUALIFICATION. COUNCILOR MARTINEZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, AND RAQUEL, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. AND, AND YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE WORDS THAT WAS BEING MENTIONED, UH, WAS METHODOLOGY. UH, THERE WAS A 2016 STUDY. APPARENTLY THE METHODOLOGY WAS NOT GOOD, WASN'T RELEASED TO THE PUBLIC EITHER. IT WAS NOT RELEASED TO THE PUBLIC. AND SO THAT BRINGS QUESTIONS, YOU KNOW, FOR ME. UM, AND WHEN WE START, UH, LOOKING AT WHAT THESE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE, I'VE ALREADY ASKED QUESTIONS TO LEGAL. UM, WE HAD THE DISPARITY STUDY, UH, BACK IN NOVEMBER, DECEMBER IN THE COMMITTEE MEETING, BUT THE RECOMMENDATIONS WERE JUST GIVEN TO US A FEW WEEKS AGO. SO I'M INTERESTED INTO, IN, IN KNOWING WHO GAVE THESE RECOMMENDATIONS. UH, THE GOOD THING ABOUT IT IS THOUGH, UM, THE MEETING THAT YOU WERE ON, UH, YESTERDAY, IT WAS AN ONLINE, IT WAS VIRTUAL, UM, THAT I ATTENDED IN PERSON WAS THE, UH, OBO ADVISORY BOARD, SUBCOMMITTEE TO PUBLIC, UH, POLICY AND ADVOCACY. UM, THEY'RE STILL TAKING RECOMMENDATIONS AT THAT MEETING. THEY WERE TAKING RECOMMENDATIONS. SO WHAT I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU AND EVERYONE ELSE TO DO IS TO SUBMIT THESE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE ADMINISTRATION, SUBMIT 'EM TO EACH COUNCIL MEMBER'S OFFICE AS WELL. UH, BECAUSE AGAIN, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT METHODOLOGY, UM, 2016, UH, UM, UM, DISPARITY STUDY, THE METHODOLOGY WAS WRONG PER THE TIME. UH, YOU KNOW, THE ADMINISTRATION, UH, THE, UH, THE DEPARTMENT AT THAT TIME. AND SO I, I JUST WANNA KNOW WHY WAS IT, WHAT, WHAT WAS THE DIFFERENCE IN THE METHODOLOGY THEN COMPARED TO NOW? AND IS A METHODOLOGY NOW THAT WAS SUBMIT, THAT WAS, UH, LAID, LAID DOWN THE PATH, THE PATH FORWARD. I WANNA KNOW WHAT THAT METHODOLOGY, UH, UH, GUIDELINES WERE AS WELL TOO. SO, AND WHY WASN'T IT PUBLIC? THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT ED PITTED. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR. GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNSEL. UH, I'M HERE AS PRESIDENT OF FRIENDS OF COLUMBIA TAP TO THANK EVERYONE FOR THEIR SUPPORT FOR OUR FOURTH ANNUAL THIRD BOARD ON TAP FESTIVAL, WHICH WE JUST HELD THIS PAST SATURDAY. IT WAS A GREAT SUCCESS, BEAUTIFUL WEATHER. OVER 300 ATTENDEES CAME, ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS BIKE RIDES. I WANTED TO THANK ALL OF THE CITY DEPARTMENTS THAT CAME TOGETHER TO SUPPORT THIS, THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS, THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF SPECIAL EVENTS, [02:30:01] DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS, DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION. IT TOOK A HUGE TEAM EFFORT. I ALSO WANNA THANK COUNCIL MEMBER SHABAZ FOR SPEAKING AT THE EVENT. I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ WAS THERE IN SPIRIT. HE HAD ANOTHER GREAT EVENT AT MASON PARK THAT DAY. WE HAD DIRECTOR ANGELA BLANCHARD OF THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF RECOVERING RESILIENCE GIVE VERY INSPIRING REMARKS. AND RASHAD CAVE CITY COUNCIL LIAISON, THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS, ALSO SENT WISHES FROM THE MAYOR'S OFFICE AND THE CITY. UM, I WANTED TO SAY WE HAD A GREAT DEMONSTRATION PROJECT OF A PROJECT I HOPE TO SEE KICKED OFF IN THIS NEXT YEAR BEFORE FIFTH ANNUAL FESTIVAL, WHICH IS THE, UM, CLOSING OF THE ELGIN MEDIAN UP UNTIL THE TRAIL, UH, THAT THROUGH STREET OF VELASCO DOES NOT CONTINUE, AND THE U-TURNS BEING MADE THERE ARE NOT NECESSARY. THIS WOULD BE A GREAT WAY TO CREATE A SAFER ENVIRONMENT FOR CYCLISTS AND DRIVERS WITHOUT IMPACTING ANY OF THE VEHICULAR LANES. AND SO WE BELIEVE THIS IS IN LINE WITH THE ADMINISTRATION, IS ALSO IN LINE WITH YOUR 2018 TOOL DESIGN STUDY OF THE COLUMBIA TAP TRAIL. AND IT'S IN LINE WITH THE WORK THAT HOUSTON SOUTHEAST IS DOING WITH THEIR MOVE SOUTHEAST PLAN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU COUNCILOR. EVAN SHAMA. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU ED. ED CAN THROW A PARTY. I'M TELLING YOU. IT WAS REALLY, REALLY NICE. AND I ALSO WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, THAT WE THANK, UH, CONSTABLE SMOKEY PHILLIPS WHO PROVIDED THE SECURITY FOR THE EVENT BECAUSE IT WAS SOMEWHAT OF A CHALLENGE, BUT HE MADE A COMMITMENT AND HE TOOK CARE OF THAT. SO THANK YOU, ED, FOR ALL OF YOUR HARD WORK. YEAH. AND HIS CONSTABLES, HE FIRST, HE SENT MORE CONSTABLES THAN WE REQUESTED, AND THEY STAYED TO THE END AND EVEN HELPED US LOAD UP OUR SUPPLIES AT THE END. SO THEY WENT ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY. COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ. THANK YOU MAYOR. I, I WAS THERE IN SPIRIT ED. WE DID HAVE A, UH, MASON PARK, UH, COMMUNITY MEETING THAT WAS A SUCCESS AS WELL. CONGRATULATIONS ON THIS EVENT, AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING THE COLUMBIA TAP BEING JUST SEAMLESS FROM EAST DOWNTOWN TO THE THIRD WARD AREA AS WELL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. NEXT CLEMENT MATHIS. CLEMENT MATHIS SHELTON, MODELIST SHELTON MODELIST. BRUCE FERRAR. GOOD AFTERNOON MAYOR. MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL, THE MIC. IS THIS THE MIC? OH, SORRY. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR, MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS BRUCE FERRAR AND I AM HERE. I LIVE AT 39 17 DALLAS STREET, THE OLD SECOND WARD. I'M A MEMBER OF THE PEOPLE FOR POLK STREET. I COME TO URGE YOU TO VOTE AGAINST THE ABANDONMENT OF POLK STREET. I'M A SENIOR CITIZEN WHO REGULARLY USES THE NUMBER 40 BUS, WHICH GOES DIRECTLY ON PULP TO DOWNTOWN AND THEN ONTO THE HEIGHTS WHERE I MEET WITH MY FRIENDS ON SATURDAY MORNINGS TO TALK AND PRAY ON SUNDAYS. I USE THE SAME NUMBER 40 BUS TO GET DOWNTOWN TO CATCH THE NUMBER 82 BUS TO TAKE ME TO AND FROM MY CHURCH, WHICH IS LOCATED IN THE MONTROSE AREA. I UNDERSTAND THE DESIRE OF HOUSTON FIRST TO REFURBISH THE GEORGE R. BROWN CONVENTION CENTER. IT NEEDS IT. I'M A RETIRED LIBRARIAN. I'VE BEEN TO A LOT OF LIBRARY CONVENTIONS OVER THE DEC DECADES, AND I'VE SEEN AND TREKKED THROUGH A NUMBER OF CONVENTION CENTERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, THREE OF THEM, WHICH ARE IN TEXAS BY EXPERIENCES THAT THE GRB IS THE MOST USER HOSTILE AND DIFFICULT TO NAVIGATE OF ANY OF THEM. SO I COMMEND THE EFFORT TO SPRUCE IT UP. I AM NOT, HOWEVER, IN FAVOR OF CLOSING OFF POLL IN FIVE OTHER STREETS BETWEEN DOWNTOWN AND THE EAST END. TO DO THIS, I'M FRANKLY A BIT PUZZLED AS TO WHY A MAYOR WHO CAMPAIGNED ON IMPROVING HOUSTON ROADS WOULD WANNA GO WITH CLOSING SIX STREETS TO VEHICULAR TRAFFIC. I'M DISAPPOINTED THAT THESE STREETS, SOME OF WHICH PEOPLE CAN NOW WALK, BIKE, OR DRIVE TO GET DOWNTOWN, ARE GONNA BE TORN UP AND REPLACED WITH THREE LINES OF AN UNLI LIT CONCRETE CAP. EFFECTIVELY GHETTOIZING THE EAST END FROM DOWNTOWN OVER THE NEXT DECADE OR SO, IT'S ABOUT AS WELCOME AS THE BERLIN WALL. I'VE, I'VE SEEN SOME SLICK PLANS AND PROMISES OF A PEDESTRIAN PARK AND BIKEWAY ON THIS CAB, [02:35:02] BUT ABSOLUTELY NO PLANS TO PAY FOR THIS. THIS PARK IS AN EMPTY PROMISE. SO MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL, I URGE YOU AS GOOD NEIGHBORS TO VOTE NO WITH COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ ON THE ABANDONMENT OF POLK STREET. THANK YOU. NEXT SCOTT SINGLETON. I GOOD AFTERNOON AND THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS MAYOR AND COUNCIL. MY NAME IS SCOTT SINGLETON, AND I HAVE LIVED IN SECOND WARD FOR 21 YEARS. I'D LIKE TO BRING TO COUNCIL'S ATTENTION THE ECONOMICS OF CONVENTIONS GENERALLY AND THE IMPACTS ON EAST END BUSINESSES, LIVELIHOODS AND LIVES. SPECIFICALLY, I'VE BEEN IN MANY CONVENTION CENTERS ACROSS THE US AND ABROAD AS BOTH AN ATTENDEE AND AN EXHIBITOR. THE STATISTICS BEING USED BY HOUSTON FIRST AND OTHER CONVENTION CENTERS TO RATIONALIZE THEIR COSTLY EXPANSIONS ARE EXTREMELY OPTIMISTIC FOR CITIES IN THE ARMS RACE TO BUILD BIGGER CONVENTION CENTERS. IT IS AN OUTDATED AND BROKEN REVENUE MODEL IN A DWINDLING ZERO SUM GAME. COMPANIES NO LONGER MARKET THAT WAY. BACK TO THE IMPACT ON THE EAST END, WE ARE STILL REELING FROM THE WAY TDOT HAS DEVASTATED THE G B'S READY BUILT, ALREADY EXISTING ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT OF EDO. IT'S ALREADY BEEN DESTROYED. MY FAVORITE COFFEE SHOP DID NOT RENEW ITS LEASE AND ACCLAIMED BARBECUE JOINT MOVE TO CYPRUS. AND VENERABLE KIM'S SON WILL BE DEMOLISHED AMONG MANY OTHER BUSINESSES TO DISAPPEAR. ALL LOCAL BUSINESSES ALL GONE OR SOON WILL BE OTHER. RECENTLY OPEN NEIGHBORHOOD BUSINESSES ARE AT IMMEDIATE RISK AND INVESTORS ARE NO LONGER COMING TO THE EAST END. THEIR ENTREPRENEURIAL IDEAS AND ENERGY THAT BROUGHT JOBS EVEN DURING COVID WILL GO ELSEWHERE, AS WILL THEIR MONEY CLOSING. POLK STREET WITHOUT A FUNCTIONAL SOLUTION IS ONLY SPEEDING THAT UP, NOT JUST FOR EDO, BUT FOR THE WHOLE EAST END. ANOTHER IMPACT IS WHO WILL WORK AT ALL THE NEW VENUES IN HOUSTON FIRST ENTERTAINMENT PLAZA, CUTTING OFF POLK STREET WILL CUT THE EXPANDED GB GRB OFF FROM PRECISELY THE WORKING DEMOGRAPHIC TO POPULATE THE THOUSANDS OF MINIMUM WAGE JOBS PROMISED. HOW WILL THEY GET TO WORK IF THE BUS LINE'S CARRYING 5,000 PEOPLE A DAY NO LONGER RUN EMPLOYMENT? WHERE IT WILL COME FROM AND HOW IT WILL GET THERE IS A CRITICAL ECONOMIC FACTOR THAT HAS BEEN IGNORED BY ABANDONING POLK STREET. HOUSTON IS ABANDONING THE EAST END AND PERPETUATING HOUSTON'S DECADES OLD REPUTATION FOR MAKING AWFUL URBAN DESIGN DECISIONS THAT BAKED IN REPUTATION DOES NOT MAKE IT ANY EASIER TO ATTRACT VISITORS OR BOOK CONVENTION OR HOTEL ROOMS. I ENCOURAGE COUNSEL TO DENY THE APPLICATION TO ABANDON POLK STREET SO THAT THOSE ALTERNATIVES CAN BE CONSIDERED. THANK YOU FOR THE TIME. ONE SECOND. COUNCILMAN CASTIO. THANK YOU, MAYOR SCOTT, WERE YOU, UH, DONE WITH YOUR REMARKS? YES. OKAY. WELL, I MISSED A PARAGRAPH I RAN OVER. UM, WELL, I APPRECIATE YOU COMING DOWN HERE. YOU KNOW, I, I SHARE SOME OF THE CONCERNS YOU RAISED HERE ABOUT, UH, POLK STREET AND, UM, YOU KNOW, APPRECIATE ALWAYS WHEN A DISTRICT H CONSTITUENT WILL COME DOWN TO SHARE THEIR THOUGHTS. THANK YOU. COUNCIL RAMIREZ, SIR, THANK YOU FOR COMING. APPRECIATE YOUR WELL-REASONED REMARKS. UM, I FOCUSED ON FUNCTIONAL SOLUTION AND, UM, I KNOW IT'S PROPOSED TO SUBSTITUTE, UM, LELAND FOR POKE AND, UH, THERE'S STILL QUESTIONS SURROUNDING THAT AND, UH, I'M, I'M NOT SURE HOW IT'S ALL GONNA SHAKE OUT. AND SO I'VE BEEN ENCOURAGING PUBLIC WORKS IN HOUSTON FIRST TO LOOK TO OTHER STREETS IN, IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA, UH, TO SEE IF THEY CAN BE CONVERTED TO TWO WAY IN ORDER TO MAKE, UH, THE EAST END MORE ACCESSIBLE. UM, I'VE BEEN FOLLOWING VERY CLOSELY THE DISCUSSION AND, AND I APPRECIATE, UH, YOUR REMARKS AND, AND THOSE WHO, WHO, UH, SHARE YOUR VIEW. AND, UH, I'M CONCERNED AS WELL. AND HOPEFULLY BEFORE IT COMES TO A VOTE, WE'LL HAVE MORE DETAILS, UM, AND MORE SPECIFICS ABOUT WHAT ELSE CAN BE DONE. WHETHER IT INCLUDES MAKING TEXAS [02:40:01] TWO-WAY OR FRANKLIN TWO WAY, OR, OR SOMETHING ELSE THAT, THAT I'M NOT THINKING OF. BUT I HOPE THAT HOUSTON FIRST AND PUBLIC WORKS ARE, ARE THINKING SERIOUSLY ABOUT WHAT ELSE CAN BE DONE IN ADDITION TO OPENING UP LELAND TO TWO-WAY TRAFFIC. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SIR. NEXT, SEAN KINGSLEY. GOOD AFTERNOON, HONOR MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL. UM, I MOVED TO HOUSTON IN 2004 FROM DETROIT, MICHIGAN. UM, AND I'M A CHEF. THAT'S WHAT I DO. THAT'S WHAT I LOVE TO DO AND I LOVE THIS CITY. WHEN I MOVED HERE, I LIVED AT ST. GERMAIN. I LIVED AT HAWK PALACE, ALL THE OLD BUILDINGS THAT WERE RENOVATED BY RANDALL DAVIS. SO WHEN I SOUGHT OUT A RESTAURANT, I THOUGHT TO DO IT IN DOWNTOWN HOUSTON, AND I FOUND AN 85-YEAR-OLD BUILDING TO DO IT IN. AND WHILE IT WAS A DREAM, IT'S BECOME A NIGHTMARE BECAUSE IN THE TIMEFRAME THAT I'VE BEEN THERE, I'VE HAD ABOUT FIVE INSPECTIONS. AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT IS UNDERSTAFFED, OVERWHELMED, AND UNDERTRAINED TO HANDLE A BUILDING THAT'S 85 YEARS OLD. UM, SO INSTEAD OF ME DOGGING THEM OUT OR PUTTING THEM DOWN, I ASK THAT YOU SHINE SOME LIGHT ON THEM, UM, BECAUSE THEY NEED THE HELP. BUT I WANNA ADDRESS SOMETHING ELSE BEFORE WE GO ANY FURTHER. I WANNA ADDRESS PRAIRIE STREET BETWEEN FANON AND SAN JACINTO. UM, WHAT HAS BEEN DONE THERE, AND WE ALWAYS EQUATE IT BACK TO YOU, SIR, THAT IT'S A HUGE TRANSFORMATION FROM WHAT IT WAS. UM, IN THE MORNING, I GET UP AS A CHEF AND I CLEAN THE DEFECATION OFF OF THE BACK OF MY BUILDING BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE THE HOMELESS RELIEVED THEMSELVES. UM, AFTER THAT, I GO OUT FRONT OR I'M HEADED TO THE GROCERY STORE AND I'M CALLING THE DOWNTOWN DISTRICT WHO I HAVE THEM ON SPEED DIAL, BUT WHENEVER I CALL, THEY ANSWER. AND WHEN THEY CLEAR AWAY THAT CORNER, I CALL THEM BACK BECAUSE I'M THANKFUL FOR WHAT THEY'VE DONE IN ALL OF THIS. WHAT I'M SAYING IS, I LOVE THIS CITY, BUT I NEED THE CITY TO LOVE ME BACK. AND I NEED THERE TO BE SOME SORT OF INCENTIVE FOR SMALL BUSINESSES LIKE MYSELF, A FIVE STAR, TO COME INTO DOWNTOWN AND CREATE A CULTURE BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE COMING HERE AND THEY'RE LOOKING FOR THINGS TO DO. I'VE HAD PEOPLE COME FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD IN THE ONLY SIX MONTHS THAT I'VE BEEN OPEN, AND I'M A FIVE STAR CHEF. I MEAN, I'M A FIVE STAR RATED RESTAURANT AND THEY LOVE IT. THEY WRITE ABOUT IT, THEY CALL, I JUST NEED YOU TO SHED SOME LIGHT ON HOW DIFFICULT IT IS TO OPEN UP A BUSINESS IN DOWNTOWN HOUSTON IN AN OLDER BUILDING AND MAYBE A LITTLE BIT OF MONEY TOWARD THE CITY OF HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT. UM, BECAUSE THEY JUST DON'T HAVE IT. AND I KNOW THAT THEY THOUGHT, 'CAUSE I TOLD THEM IN ALL THEIR, THE HELP THAT THEY'VE GIVEN ME AND PUTTING MY PLANS TOGETHER AND ALL THAT, THAT I WAS GONNA COME HERE. AND I'M SURE THEY THOUGHT I WAS GONNA SAY SOMETHING REALLY DEROGATORY OR BAD ABOUT THEM, BUT I JUST NEED TO SEE THEM BE BETTER, DO BETTER, AND HAVE MORE SO THAT I CAN HAVE MORE. SO WITH THAT, I APPRECIATE YOU ALSO BECAUSE I HOSTED YOUR, UM, YOUR WATCH PARTY AS WELL AS YOUR INAUGURATION DAY LUNCHEON. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT. COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ. THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, SEAN, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. AND I, I NOW SHARE MORE OF DOWN RIGHT HERE. I NOW SHARE MORE OF DOWNTOWN WITH MY COLLEAGUE, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, AND I THINK NOW NORTH OF TEXAS. UH, I THINK YOU'RE HIS CONSTITUENT, BUT I WANTED TO GET SOME CLARITY AS TO THE LOCATION OF THE BUILDING IN DOWNTOWN. I STILL COVER ABOUT 80% OF IT, AND SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IF IT'S IN MY DISTRICT, THAT I CAN COME AND HELP BE AS AS HELPFUL TO YOU AS POSSIBLE. I WOULD LOVE THAT. IT'S 1111 PRAIRIE STREET. IT USED TO BE THE OLD HUBCAP GRILL, AND AFTER THAT IT WAS, UH, CAMPESINO COFFEE HOUSE. IT'S BEEN OWNED BY THE SAME GREEK FAMILY, UH, FOR 85 YEARS. IT DATES BACK TO BEFORE 1950. UM, LIKE I SAID, I I, I WANNA SAY THIS IS PROBABLY GONNA BE IN DISTRICT H NOW, BUT, UM, HOWEVER I COULD BE OF ASSISTANCE, UH, PLEASE KNOW THAT YOU CAN LEAN, LEAN INTO MY OFFICE AS WELL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. Y'ALL HAVE A GREAT EVENING. JUST A SECOND, SIR. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CASICK STADIUM. THANK YOU MAYOR. MR. KINGSLEY, UM, YOU, YOU MADE SOME COMMENTS ABOUT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT. YOU WANTED THEM TO DO BETTER AND BE BETTER. WHAT EXACTLY DO YOU NEED FROM THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT? I NEED THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE MEETING YOUR NEEDS. I NEED THEM TO BE AWARE THAT THEY'RE NOT WALKING INTO NEW CONSTRUCTION. THIS IS OLD CONSTRUCTION. UH, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR IN THERE DON'T EXIST BECAUSE THEY WERE DONE A DIFFERENT WAY. THIS BUILDING WAS BUILT AS A FRUIT STAND. SO ALL OF THE AIR SUPPLY FOR THE SINKS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY DON'T BACK UP, THEY'RE BUILT OUTSIDE THE BUILDING. IT'S, IT'S THE PCP [02:45:01] PIPE AND IT'S PAINTED THE COLOR OF THE BUILDING SO YOU DON'T NOTICE IT. BUT THAT'S WHAT GETS THE AIR INTO THE SYSTEM. NOW, MODERN SYSTEMS, THEY HAVE A FLOOR SINK AND THAT SINK OF COURSE PROVIDES THE AIR TO YOUR THREE COMPARTMENTS. BUT I'M HAVING TO INSTALL A NEW SYSTEM AND AN 85-YEAR-OLD BUILDING THAT PEOPLE BEFORE ME WHO JUST LEFT AT SAY A MONTH AGO, DIDN'T HAVE TO INSTALL. I'VE HAD TO DRAW UP PLANS ON THIS BUILDING THAT NO ONE HAD EVER DRAWN UP BEFORE. AND SO IN DOING SO, I'VE HAD TO DO A WHOLE LOT OF WORK AND JUMP THROUGH A LOT OF HOOPS. AND I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING IF IT'S CURRENT POLICY THAT'S BEING ENFORCED NOW BECAUSE MAYBE THERE WAS A LACK SORT OF ENFORCEMENT BEFORE. BUT FOR ME RIGHT NOW, HAVING TO TAKE THE BRUNT OF WHAT WAS NOT DONE BEFORE DOESN'T FEEL VERY GOOD. YOU KNOW? SO MAYBE IF THEY WERE AWARE AND ABLE TO WORK WITH ME, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE GONNA DO TONIGHT, WE'RE HAVING A STUCCO PARTY, WE'RE SCRAPING THE STUCCO OFF OF THE CEILING BECAUSE ALL CEILINGS OVER KITCHENS HAVE TO BE SMOOTH SURFACE AND SOMEONE PUT STUCCO UP THERE. I CAN'T AFFORD TO DROP THAT CEILING. SO WE'RE GOING TO TAKE ALL OF THAT, UH, TEXTURE OFF OF IT. UM, BUT IF THE PERSON BEFORE ME HAD NOT PUT THAT UP THERE AND HOW DID THEY GET APPROVED FOR THAT, YOU KNOW, SO THAT'S MY CONCERN. LIKE IF IT'S CONSISTENT, I DON'T HAVE TO FEEL LIKE I'M BEING UNSELECTED. DO YOU HAVE A PARTICULAR CONTACT PERSON THAT YOU'RE WORKING WITH IN THE DEPARTMENT? UM, THE MOST IMPRESSIVE PERSON I'VE WORKED WITH WAS CONRAD, DENNIS AND ABI FAILS. THEY HAVE BEEN INCREDIBLY AMAZING WITH ASSISTING ME ON WHAT MY PLANS NEED TO LOOK LIKE AND HOW TO MOVE FORWARD. YEAH. OKAY. THANK YOU SIR. BEST WISHES TO YOU. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. GOOD SEC. ONE SECOND. YES SIR. GUEST TO YOU. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING DOWN HERE. IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO SEE YOU, SEAN. YES SIR. LIKEWISE. UM, I CAN TELL YOU THAT IF YOU'RE PLANNING ON TRYING TO OPEN A A RESTAURANT IN HOUSTON, IT WOULD BE A HIT, UH, 'CAUSE FOR BOTH TIMES, UH, YOUR FOOD WAS, WAS A HIT, UM, WHEN WE, YOU KNOW, WORKED TOGETHER, UM, ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL. UM, I WILL SAY THAT I DO HAVE SOMEBODY HERE WHO WILL COME AND MEET WITH YOU FROM MY TEAM. OH, AWESOME. UH, ONCE YOU'RE DONE, UH, UP HERE ON THE PODIUM AND, UH, MY OFFICE WILL WORK WITH YOU, UH, TO HELP NAVIGATE, UH, THE ISSUES WITH THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND, YOU KNOW, UTILIZE THIS AS A, AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO POTENTIALLY IMPROVE SOME OF THE PROCESSES. UM, BECAUSE YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A LOT OF OLD BUILDINGS IN DOWNTOWN. YES WE DO. AND UH, YOU KNOW, WHILE IT MAY BE, UH, A SLOWER EXPERIENCE FOR YOU, UM, THIS COULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO HELP OTHERS THAT COME AFTER. UM, AND SO JUST KNOW THAT I'LL BE HERE TO HELP. I APPRECIATE THAT. I WANNA SAY THIS AND IT MAYBE, MAYBE I DON'T WANNA CREATE ANY ISSUES, BUT WE DID OPEN UP BEFORE RECEIVING OUR INSPECTION BECAUSE SOMEBODY DROPPED THE BALL. AND SO WE HAVE HAD RAVE REVIEWS AND WE WERE OPEN FOR SEVERAL MONTHS BEFORE THEY CAUGHT UP WITH WHERE THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO BE WITH REGARD TO US. AND SO THAT'S WHY IT FEELS REALLY WEIRD TO HAVE TO BE CLOSED FOR THIS AMOUNT OF TIME AFTER HAVING BEEN OPEN. SO, BUT I'M GLAD TO HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE'S ANOTHER PLACE IN THE WORLD WHERE YOU CAN JUST STAND IN FRONT OF CITY COUNCIL AND UH, WHILE YOU ALL ARE SCARY, MY MOM IS A LOT SCARIER. SO , I THANK YOU ALL SO VERY MUCH. THANK YOU . JUST A LITTLE BIT. YEAH. THANK YOU. NEXT. JOSHUA WILLIAMS. HELLO MAYOR. MY NAME IS JOSHUA WILLIAMS. I'M HERE TO POINT OUT THE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES FOR MEN. FIRST OF ALL, THE LADY AT THE UM, THE LITTLE SECURITY LADY, SHE'S BEING COMBATIVE. WE NEED TO CHANGE THIS THING. WHEN YOU COME INTO THESE FRONT DOORS, PEOPLE LIKE THIS LADY JUST MADE A, YOU KNOW, THEY NEED TO START CHANGING THIS. THESE PEOPLE HAVE NO QUALIFICATIONS, HAVEN'T BEEN TRAINED TO DEAL WITH THIS. THAT'S THE PROBLEM, MAYOR. THEY'RE GIVING THESE PEOPLE NO JOB. I MEAN THESE JOBS WITH NO QUALIFICATIONS TO DEAL WITH MENTAL HEALTH PEOPLE. THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO ASSESS A THREAT FROM JUST A PROBLEM. A PERSON WHO'S JUST GOING THROUGH SOMETHING RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, IT'S NO FUNDING MAYOR. IT'S NO FUNDING. NOWHERE. EVEN A HOUSING PLACE, THEY HAVEN'T ACCEPTED APPLICATIONS IN 90 DAYS. I'M GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS NOW. THEY WANT ME TO BE HOMELESS ON THE STREETS ONE YEAR. HOW YOU EXPECT A HOMELESS MENTAL PERSON TO BE ON THE STREETS ONE YEAR TO GET SERVICES? IT'S THE TRUTH. AND THEN WE GO IN THESE PLACES TO, PEOPLE AT THE FRONT DESKS HAVE NO EDUCATION. THEY HAVEN'T BEEN TRAINED. YOU KNOW, THEY COMBAT IF THEY THINK THEY'RE BETTER THAN YOU. IT'S SAD. DUDE. IT'S SAD. THE PRIME EXAMPLE OF THAT LADY DOWNSTAIRS. HEY, WHAT DID YOU WANT THE RESTROOM? NO, I HAVE A MEETING WITH THE MAYOR AT TWO O'CLOCK. THEN I TOLD HER THAT. THEN SHE STARTED TO GET NICER AND NICER. YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN NICE UP FRONT. IT'S SAD. IT'S NO FUNDING. THE PEOPLE AT THE SEARCH HAVE NO FUNDING LAWS OF THE STREETS. IT'S NO FUNDING FOR THESE PEOPLE. Y'ALL. THEY CANNOT SERVE AND HELP PEOPLE WITH NO FUNDING. AND THE MAYOR, I WOULD LOVE FOR HIM TO COME WITH ME TWO, THREE DAYS. [02:50:01] BE HOMELESS. YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE IN FEAR 'CAUSE I WILL PROTECT YOU. I WANT HIM TO SEE FOR HIS OWN EYES WHAT WE GO THROUGH. YOU KNOW, LET HIM SEE IT. STEADY. PEOPLE GOING IN. LIKE SOME GUY TOLD ME WHERE HE AT? HE GONE NOW ABOUT THESE PLACE AND SHELTER. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU WENT AND WALKED ON THEM STREETS? AS SOON AS YOU WALK OUT OF THIS BUILDING, THERE'S 30 HOMELESS MEN RIGHT THERE. WE NEED HELP MAYOR. WE NEED HELP. THESE PEOPLE HAVE NO FUNDING AND THEY VOTED YOU IN AND I FEEL LIKE YOU NOT DOING WHAT YOU SUPPOSED TO DO BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY WHEN YOU CLOCK IN, MAYOR, IT'S NOT ABOUT THE MONEY MAN. THEY PAYING YOU. YOU KNOW, DO IT FOR THE LOVE YOUR HEART, THE PASSION. THAT'S WHAT YOU KNOW AT THE END OF THE DAY, Y'ALL LEAVING CHRONICALLY HOMELESS PEOPLE ON THE GROUND. WHAT WE SUPPOSED TO DO? AND I TAKE MEDICATION, SEROQUEL, IT PUTS ME TO SLEEP AT NIGHT. WHERE AM I SUPPOSED TO FEEL SAFE AT TO TAKE THAT MEDICATION AND GO TO SLEEP? I CAUGHT BEDBUGS TWO TIMES FROM THESE SHELTERS. THEY WANT ME TO KEEP COMING BACK AND GETTING BEDBUGS. HOW ABOUT YOU GO LAY IN A BED WITH BEDBUGS AND SEE HOW YOU ITCH AND SCRATCH. IT'S THE TRUTH MAN. I'M JUST TIRED OF THIS. SOMEBODY HAS TO STAND UP. SOMEBODY HAS TO BE A VOICE. THANK YOU. A LOT OF THESE PEOPLE GOT THESE POSITIONS WHERE IT'S NOT ABOUT THE MONEY 'CAUSE THERE'S NO FUNDING. USE YOUR POSITION NOW. BUT SO MANY PEOPLE ARE SCARED TO STEP UP. DUDE. DO YOU UM, HAVE FAMILY? I'M FROM LOUISIANA. I'VE BEEN HERE 13 YEARS. YOU'VE BEEN HERE 32 YEARS? 13. SIR, YOU'RE NOT LISTENING. 13 YEARS I'VE BEEN IN HOUSTON. WHAT WERE YOU DOING FIVE YEARS AGO? UM, WELL THE LAST THREE YEARS I WAS WORKING AT GOLFING PACIFIC SEAFOOD. AND MY, THE PERSON WHO OWNS THE PLACE, HE WANT ME TO REMARK STRENGTHS. YOU ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE REMARKING STRENGTHS, SIR. HE FORCED ME TO DO THAT. I LOST MY JOB. I'M FILING FOR UNEMPLOYMENT. THEY DENIED ME. I HAVE A JOB NOW. I WORK AT WASHINGTON. CHILL. YOU DO NOW? YES. I WAS ONLY EMPLOYED FOR LIKE 43 DAYS. MAN. SO YOU HAVE A JOB AND I'M 43 DAYS. ALL OF THESE PEOPLE LOOKED DOWN ON ME. UNDERSTAND. THOUGHT I WASN'T GETTING DO WITH UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU, WHERE DO YOU STAND NOW? WHERE I WHERE WHERE WERE YOU LAST NIGHT FOR INSTANCE? I SLEPT AT KIRBY IN BUFFALO SPEEDWAY, RIGHT THERE BY FASHION HOUSE. YOU KNOW WHERE THAT AT? RIGHT THERE BY THAT LITTLE, UM, WHAT'S THE RESTAURANT CALLED? I THINK IT'S CALLED THE RONDA'S. THAT'S WHERE I SLEEP AT. I SLEEP NEXT TO THAT BIG OLD TRUCK RIGHT THERE WHERE I CAN HAVE A LITTLE SPACE FOR SHELTER. YOU KNOW? SURE. I PUT THE THINGS UP IN MY WINDOW SO PEOPLE WON'T RIDE BY AND ME LOOKING. WHEN DO YOU WORK? YOU SAID YOU HAVE A JOB? I WORK AT WASH AND CHILL. I HAVEN'T GOT MY FIRST PAYCHECK YET. OKAY, SO IS IT A DAY JOB? IT'S JUST A LITTLE TEMPORARY JOB. I WORK LIKE, I WORKED 20 HOURS. NOT LAST WEEK, WEEK BEFORE THAT. THIS PAST WEEK I WORKED 30 HOURS. IF, IF WE FOUND YOU A SHELTER, WOULD YOU STAY? I DON'T WANT TO GO TO THE SHELTER. THEY KEEP, WELL SEE THERE'S A PROBLEM. I'M TRYING TO HELP YOU. HOW YOU GOING? AND I CHIEF SATTERWHITE OVER HERE AND HE WILL TAKE YOU TO A SHELTER. SEE, THIS IS, SEE THIS IS THE PROBLEM. BUT IF YOU WON'T GO, WHAT DO WE DO THEN? SEE SIR, THIS IS THE PROBLEM RIGHT HERE. I TOLD YOU I'VE BEEN TO THESE SHELTERS. COME WITH ME AND CATCH THEM BED BUGS AND SEE HOW YOU WOULD BE LIKE, I DON'T WANT TO STAY. NO, I UNDERSTAND. I UNDERSTAND. I'M TRYING TO HELP YOU. MAKE ME UNDERSTAND. WE WILL FURNISH YOU A SHELTER AND FOOD TONIGHT IF YOU WILL GO AND STAY THERE. I CAN GET MY OWN FOOD. I HAVE FAMILY THAT LOVE ME, DUDE. I DO THE SAME DAY. WELL SEE THERE'S A PROBLEM. REMEMBER THERE'S WHAT'S THE, THERE'S OUR CHALLENGE RIGHT THERE. IT'S NOT A CHALLENGE. WE'RE TRYING TO BE COMPASSIONATE AND PROVIDE FOR YOU AND YOU WON'T COOPERATE. WELL COME WITH ME FOR THREE DAYS AND YOU'LL SEE WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. I UNDERSTAND ABOUT THIS COMBATIVE WITH THESE PEOPLE. I UNDERSTAND MENTALLY HEALTH PEOPLE ARE BEING LEFT ON THE STREETS. ARE YOU? HE, ME, MAYOR. THIS IS NOT ABOUT ME. I'M STANDING UP TO BE THE VOICE FOR PEOPLE. 'CAUSE THEY DON'T WANT TO. WELL, WE COME, WE GOT A REAL ACTIVE PROGRAM OF HELPING PEOPLE. WHAT KIND OF PROGRAM? 'CAUSE I GOT A LOT OF PEOPLE. I'M OFFERING IT TO YOU. THEY'VE BEEN OFFERING IT FOR ME. I TELL YOU WHAT, WHAT TIME IS IT RIGHT NOW? IT'S 20 AFTER FOUR. YEAH, AT FIVE O'CLOCK. IF YOU'LL HAVE YOUR BELONGINGS ON BAGBY, WE'LL GET YOU TO A SHELTER. NAH, I URGE YOU, YOU TO DO THAT. WHAT THEY GOING TO DO FOR ME AT THE SHELTER? OKAY. I GET A SHOWER WITH THIS LADY. SHE'S A GOOD LADY. SHE COMES AROUND AND SHE SHOWERS PEOPLE. DUDE, I GO TO HER MONDAY, TUESDAY, AND WEDNESDAY. OKAY? THAT'S A GOOD LADY. I I WISH YOU, I WISH YOU THE BEST. HEY, I WISH YOU THE BEST, BUT AT FIVE O'CLOCK NEED TO WAKE UP AS THE MAYOR. DUDE, YOU TRASH TRASH AT FIVE O'CLOCK. GOD, THERE'S NO FUNDING. YOU TRASH. YOU NEED TO WAKE UP TO REALITY. DUDE, YOU AND THAT GOVERNOR, Y'ALL NEED TO COME OPEN. Y'ALL EYES UP TO THIS. WE'RE OKAY MA'AM. OKAY? ALRIGHT. GOOD LUCK TO YOU. I HOPE YOU'LL TAKE US UP ON OUR OFFER. IT'S THE TRUTH, SIR. HE TRASH, HE TRASH. MAYOR BRO, THESE PEOPLE VOTED YOU IN, BRO. I, I RESPECT YOU NEXT. LEE PERRY. [02:55:09] MY NAME IS LEE PERRY. UH, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ALL REMEMBER ME, BUT I WAS THAT SOLDIER THAT DID THE FIRST WATER TEST FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON IN 1974 WHEN THEY PASSED THE SAFE DRINKING WATER ACT. NOW THAT WAS IN 74. LET'S MOVE FORWARD TO RIGHT NOW. I'M HERE RIGHT NOW BECAUSE I WAS SCAMMED. I'M A SENIOR CITIZEN. I'M 74 YEARS OLD AND MY BIGGEST CHECK THAT HAD BEEN RECEIVING FOR YEARS, ALL OF A SUDDEN I DON'T RECEIVE ANYTHING BECAUSE I GOT SCAMMED OUT OF MY PROPERTY. NOW I FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT BECAUSE SEE, FIRST OF ALL, ON THAT SCAM, THEY SEND YOU A CHECK. MY CHECK WAS FOR $42,000 TO PURCHASE MY MINERAL RIGHTS. AND I SAID, OKAY, THAT SOUNDED LIKE A DEAL. I SIGNED THE, I SIGNED THE, UH, DEED AND UH, TOOK THE CHECK TO THE BANK. IT'S COUNTERFEIT AIN'T WORTH FOR DIME. NOW YOU DONE ALREADY SIGNED. SO NOW THEY GO TO THE COUNTY CLERK AND FILE IT. AND NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU GOTTA FIGHT TO TRY TO GET, BECAUSE THEY GONNA COME BACK TO TRY TO GET YOUR PROPERTY BACK. BUT THEY'LL COME BACK TO YOU AND SAY, WE'LL GIVE YOU HALF OF WHAT WE OFFERED ON THAT CHECK. NOW LOOK, IF YOU WASN'T PLANNING ON PAYING ME THAT AMOUNT, WHY YOU SEND IT TO ME IN THE FIRST PLACE? THAT'S THE WHOLE KEY. SO I REFUSED TO TAKE THAT AMOUNT. NOW, THE OIL COMPANY THAT HAD BEEN PAYING ME ALL THESE MANY YEARS, UH, THEY TOOK THAT DEED TO THE COUNTY CLERK, ELECTED OFFICIAL, JUST LIKE ALL OF YOU ALL. AND THE COUNTY CLERK'S DUTY IS TO NOT ACCEPT ANY FRAUDULENT DOCUMENTS. THEY REJECTED THE DEEDS FOR IT WAS FRAUDULENT AND THAT COMPANY DECIDED TO TAKE IT TO THE OIL COMPANY. ANYWAY, THE OIL COMPANY DECIDED TO OVERRIDE THE COUNTY CLERK AND ACCEPT THAT AND TAKE MY PROPERTY AND GIVE IT TO THE COMPANY THAT SENT FRAUDULENT CHECK. AND RIGHT NOW, I'M NOT GETTING ANYTHING. THEY SAY WE NOT PAYING ANYBODY, BUT THEY NOT, BUT WE NOT GETTING ANYTHING. BUT MY POINT IS, IT'S A FELONY CRIME TO SCAM A SENIOR CITIZEN. I'M 74 NOW. I FILED THIS WITH THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THEY GOT ON HERE, UH, FRAUD COUNTERFEIT. NOW THIS WAS IN SEPTEMBER 6, 20, 24. EIGHT MONTHS LATER, I'VE BEEN UP THERE FOUR OR FIVE TIMES ASKING THEM, HAVE YOU DONE ANYTHING? AND LAST TIME WAS JUST LAST WEEK. HAVE YOU DONE ANYTHING WITH THIS? WE GOING TO CALL YOU. I HAVEN'T GOTTEN A CALL IN EIGHT MONTHS. I'VE GONE UP THERE SEVERAL TIMES. AND, UH, IT'S AS IF EVEN US FELONY TO SC SENIOR CITIZEN, YOU ACT LIKE IT AIN'T NOTHING. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, YOU WON'T EVEN CALL ME. YOU WON'T EVEN SAY ANYTHING. SEE NOW, IF I PAID FOR REAL ESTATE WITH A FRAUDULENT CHECK, I'D BE IN JAIL RIGHT NOW. TELL YOU WHAT, TALK TO OFFICER CARR. HE'LL GIVE YOU A STATUS REPORT. YEAH, GENTLEMAN RIGHT THERE. YOU KNOW, HEY, DON'T JUST THROW US UNDER THE BUS. TALK TO GENTLEMAN. IT'S BEEN EIGHT MONTHS NOW. IT AIN'T NOBODY SAID NOTHING OR DONE THAT COUNT, SIR. COUNCILMAN EVIDENCE BOSS. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU MR. PERRY. IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO SEE YOU. MR. PERRY HAS BEEN ON THE BATTLEFIELD TRYING TO HELP A LOT OF PEOPLE AND A LOT OF SENIOR CITIZENS FOR MANY, MANY YEARS. AND SO IF OFFICER CARR CAN GIVE YOU SOME ASSISTANCE, THAT'LL BE GREAT. AND IF NOT, IF YOU COULD REACH OUT TO MY OFFICE, WE'LL SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO HELP YOU TO NAVIGATE THIS. BUT I IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO SEE YOU, YOU AND MY BROTHER, MARK, WE'RE TOP FRIENDS AND I THANK YOU FOR COMING. THANKS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OH, I WAS HERE ONCE BEFORE BECAUSE I NEEDED SOME HOUSING AND I WANT TO THANK YOU, YOU ALL BECAUSE I DO HAVE SOME HOUSING NOW UNDER THAT V PROGRAM, VETERANS AND THEY COMBINED WITH THE HOUSES. I DO HAVE ONE NOW, SO I APPRECIATE THAT. TAKE IT EASY. AND HE'S BRILLIANT TOO, BY THE WAY. MAYOR NEXT. JACOB CLEMENT. HI GUYS. HELLO, JACOB. NO, NO. HEY. AND THEN WHEN I, WELL, WHAT WAS IN TOWN WAS, BUT THE RODEO AND HEY, THINK OF WAR ROGERS AND DELL EVANS. UH, PICTURE [03:00:01] L TO YOU UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN. BUT HEY, DO YOU KNOW WHAT'S COMING UP NOW? BASEBALL SEASONS. I MEAN, TOO BADS IN HERE. SHE COULD GO. YEAH. BUT, UM, I GOT SOMETHING FROM MR. POLLARD AND THAT IS, UH, A BULLETIN FROM THE SECOND HEART. I MEAN THE ST. FRANCIS CATHOLIC COMMUNITY WHERE THEY TALK ABOUT THIS CATHOLIC FAITH AND FAMILY UNITED BENEFITING THE STEPS FOR STUDENTS. AND, UM, WELL, UH, I FOUND THIS IN THE BULLETIN. I SURE CAN. AND, UH, THERE'S ALSO A BASKETBALL GAME APRIL 4TH, BUT I'M GOING BE WORKING AT A SM THAT DAY. BUT I'M GOING TO GIVE THIS TO YOU. UM, UH, NOW IT'S TIME FOR DAGGY JOKE. OKAY? DAGGY JOKE IS THIS, UH, I I AN AGGIE DRIVING A CAR, PICKED UP TWO, UM, UH, UH, TRACON. YOU KNOW WHY HE, HE, HE EXPLAINED THAT THEY HE NEEDED NEW AMPLIFIERS. YEAH. YOU KNOW, A CIRCLE AT THE TOP END AND THEN THE BIG CIRCLE AND AMPLIFIES THE VOICE. , GOOD JOB. YEAH. UH, UM, I HAVE SOME STUFF IN THE BACK FOR YOU. I'LL GIVE TO YOU LIKE A BOOK, UH, ABOUT THE, ABOUT THE CITY OF HOUSTON. AND YOU WILL, WILL. I HOPE YOU LIKE IT. OH, AND UH, HERE. THERE YOU GO. THANK YOU JACOB. JACK. GOT IT. WHOOP ALL. THANK YOU JACOB. BE SAFE. COUNCIL MEMBER. EVAN SHABAZZ, THE ANSLEY'S DITCH RAVINE HAS BEEN CLEANED UP WHILE WE SAT HERE. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND CERTAINLY I WANTED TO CORRECT SOMETHING. I SAID YOUR FIRST TERM. IT WAS THE OTHER WHITMEYER, SO YOU ARE NOT IN ANY WAY A PART OF THIS. OKAY. I WANTED, I'M GLAD YOU BROUGHT IT BACK UP, BUT THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. WELL, YOU SAID IT WAS BEFORE YOU, SO I KNEW AT AM SURE HAD TO BE BEFORE, BEFORE ME , BUT I'M NOT GONNA ARGUE WITH YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR. YOU, I, I STAND CORRECTED. THANK YOU. NO MISSION ACCOMPLISHED. WE'LL DO A LONG TERM PLAN FOR IT. UH, NEXT STEVE WILLIAMS, WHAT I DON'T SEE IN THE AUDIENCE. DANIEL ARAGON. UH, HELLO. UH, FINALLY, I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR A FEW HOURS, BUT, UM, SO I'M A RESIDENT OF HOUSTON. I'VE BEEN HERE MY ENTIRE LIFE. LAST TIME I ADDRESSED THIS, CANCELED WAS LAST SUMMER WHEN METRO DECIDED TO CANCEL THE UNIVERSITY LINE. AND SINCE THEN THEY'VE CANCELED INTER KATIE, THEY'VE GOTTEN RID OF THE BIKE SHARE, THEY'VE GOTTEN RID OF METRO NEXT. AND NOW WE'VE, WE HAVE A WATERED DOWN VERSION, BASICALLY METRO NOW. UH, IT'S AS, AS SOMEONE WHO, WHO DOESN'T DRIVE, WHO WALKS, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S SAD TO SEE WHAT'S GOING ON. UH, MR. ME, WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, LAST TIME I WAS HERE, I SAID THAT YOU HAD AN INDIFFERENCE TOWARDS PEOPLE WHO, WHO BIKE, WHO WALK. BUT AT THIS POINT, I THINK IT'S A FACT THAT FOR WHATEVER REASON, YOU ABSOLUTELY HATE, UH, PEDESTRIAN MOBILITY, UH, CYCLING BIKE LANES. THE REASON I'M HERE IS 'CAUSE I HEARD, UM, YESTERDAY THAT TUR 23, UH, TELEPHONE PROJECT FROM LAWNDALE TO, UH, POLK. UH, THE ORIGINAL PLAN WAS TO SHRINK THE, UH, DRIVING LANES FOR BETTER PEDESTRIAN SAFETY, BIKE SAFETY. AND NOW THAT, UH, THAT PROJECT HAS BEEN CHANGED TO MAKE SURE THERE'S THE LANES DON'T REDUCE. AND NOT JUST THAT, BUT EVERY DAY, I, I I CLICK THE NEWS SOMETHING HAPPENING, RIGHT? THE RACE CROSSWALKS ON MONTROSE IS GONE. UH, UH, I MEAN ON WEST TIME ARE GONE. THE MONTROSE TOURIST BOARD GONE BECAUSE THEY DON'T AGREE WITH THE MAYOR'S PLAN TO MAKE IT SAFER FOR PEDESTRIANS. I JUST, I DON'T UNDERSTAND MR. MAYOR, WHY YOU, WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, WHY ARE YOU STUCK IN THE PAST? YOU KNOW, MAYOR TURNER, A GREAT MAYOR, HE UNDERSTOOD THAT THINGS COULDN'T BE THE SAME, RIGHT? WE CAN'T JUST REPAVE ROADS. WE NEEDED BUILT SAFER STREETS. AND IT'S, IT'S FRUSTRATING AS SOMEONE WHO WALKS, I'VE WALKED YOU, IT IS DANGEROUS. . I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO BE SCARED. AM I GONNA MAKE IT HOME WHEN I WALK? RIGHT. [03:05:01] EVEN WHEN I'M CAREFUL, YOU KNOW, I USE SIDEWALKS. I CROSS WHERE I'M SUPPOSED TO CROSS. IT IS, IT'S DANGEROUS. I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OF YOU USE METRO, HOW MANY OF YOU WALK? UM, BUT IT'S, IT'S JUST SAD TO SEE THAT SOME PEOPLE WANT TO TAKE US BACK. YOU KNOW, WE'RE JUST, WE'RE ASKING FOR SAFETY FOR PEDESTRIANS AND, AND I DON'T KNOW WHY. AGAIN, WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, MAYOR, IT'S CLEARLY THAT YOU, YOU HATE, I MEAN, THERE'S NO, NO OTHER, OTHER, OTHER WAY TO DESCRIBE IT. UM, YOU KNOW, I I'VE BEEN TO, I DON'T LIVE IN, IN, IN THE HEIGHTS, BUT I'VE BEEN TO THAT AREA, THE, THE SHEPHERD PROJECT, UH, THE PARTS THAT ARE COMPLETE. I'M LIKE, WHY CAN'T OUR CITY LOOK LIKE THIS? WHY CAN'T OUR DISTRICT LOOK LIKE THIS? IT, IT'S SO FRUSTRATING TO SEE, AND ESPECIALLY WITH METRO. IT NO, NO, THE NO, NO VISION, NO, NO BIG PICTURE. IT'S, IT'S SAD, RIGHT? METRO'S JUST SPENDING MONEY NOW ON ROAD REPAYMENTS. UM, JUST ONE OF MY, I WISH COUNCIL MEMBERS SPEAK UP. IT'S CRAZY. AND ANOTHER REASON I'M ALMOST DONE. UH, WE, EVERY I ALSO, EVERY TIME I TURN ON THE NEWS, SOMEONE DIES GETTING HIT BY A CAR. CHILDREN HAVE DIED. THIS IS A PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY. AND MR. MAYOR, YOU SAY A LOT ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY. I 100% AGREE. I LOVE SEEING POLICE OFFICERS ON THE STREETS, ON THE BUSES. MAKES ME FEEL SAFER. BUT PUBLIC SAFETY IS ALSO BEING ABLE TO WALK WITHOUT GETTING HIT BY A CAR. UM, SO I WISH MORE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO SPEAK UP, IT'S CRAZY THAT SOME PEOPLE JUST WANT TO TAKE US BACK. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT, LAURA GALLAGHER. HELLO. UH, THEY TOLD ME DOWNSTAIRS, I ONLY HAVE ONE MINUTE, SO PLEASE FORGIVE ME, UM, FOR BEING DIRECT. UM, I SPOKE TO YOU LAST WEEK AND I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHO THINKS HOUSTON IS SAFER WHEN HPD STOPS MOVING VEHICLES FOR NON-SAFETY RELATED VIOLATIONS. AND I'M JUST GONNA ASK YOU, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON, DO YOU, DO YOU THINK HOUSTON IS SAFER WHEN HPD STOPS MOVING VEHICLES FOR NON-SAFETY RELATED VIOLATIONS LIKE WINDSHIELDS? LET ME INTERVENE. WHY DON'T YOU JUST SPEAK TO US ALL AT ONE TIME AND INSTEAD OF ASKING QUESTIONS. OKAY, GO AHEAD. THE FLOOR, THE FLOOR IS YOURS. I JUST DON'T THINK IT'S APPROPRIATE TO START DRILLING MEMBERS, BUT, OKAY. WELL, CAN ANYBODY TELL ME HOW STOPPING SOMEBODY FOR A CRACK IN THE WINDSHIELD MAKES THE CITY SAFER? OBVIOUSLY WE WEREN'T AT THE SCENE AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO, UH, PASS JUDGMENT TODAY. SO IF YOU HAVE A SPECIFIC INCIDENT AND WOULD LIKE TO FILE A COMPLAINT, I'LL REFER YOU TO OFFICER CARR. OKAY. THEN I'LL JUST MAKE A MORE GENERAL COMMENT. UM, SO THE, THE VEHICLE THAT I'M TALKING ABOUT WAS DRIVEN BY JOSE ARMANDO ESTA SURE. HE HAD A CRACKED WINDSHIELD. UM, HE WAS PULLED OVER FOR THAT. UM, MY HUSBAND AND I BOTH HAVE CRACKED WINDSHIELDS AND HAVE HAD FOR YEARS. OKAY. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. NEXT, JOSEPH BALLARD, DON GEIS, AFTERNOON MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. I'M HERE TODAY TO SPEAK ABOUT A COUPLE OF PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUES. I'VE HEARD OF PLANS TO REMOVE THE RAISED CROSSWALK ON LOWER WESTHEIMER, WHICH NOT ONLY GIVES KA DELI CUSTOMERS A SAFER PATH TO AND FROM THE PARKING LOT ACROSS WESTHEIMER, BUT ALSO HELPS TO CONTROL THE EXCESSIVE SPEED OF VEHICLES ON THAT STRETCH OF ROAD, WHICH HAS HEAVY PEDESTRIAN USE. I WELCOME THE PLAN FLASHING LIGHTS IN THE RESIGN, BUT I THINK THE COR RAISED CROSSWALK SHOULD BE RETAINED. AND THE ASSERTION THAT CARS TRAVELING ON THAT STRETCH OF WESTHEIMER DETOUR AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD STREETS TO AVOID THE RAISED CROSSWALK MAKES NO SENSE THAT CROSSWALK WAS INSTALLED AFTER MUCH DISCUSSION WITH COMMUNITY LEADERS AND THE DISTRICT THREE OFFICE AND HAS MUCH SUPPORT. AND I ALSO WANTED TO COMMENT ON THE RECENT REMOVAL OF THE BIKE LANE ON MODELO'S ON HEIGHTS BOULEVARD. I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE REASON WAS FOR THIS, BUT AS AN AVID CYCLIST HAS USED THAT PROTECTED BIKE LANE, IT IS NOW MUCH LESS SAFE. AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET IT BACK TO BEING A SAFE LANE FOR CYCLISTS. MAYOR, I WAS JUST WONDERING IF YOU COULD COMMENT ON WHY THEY WERE REMOVED NEXT. NOT AT THIS TIME. [03:10:01] CAMERON. ARMSTRONG. GOOD AFTERNOON, MR. MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. I'M HERE TO REPRESENT THE OWNERS OF 2041 NORFOLK STREET ON SHEPHERD DRIVE. CITY COUNCIL IS REVIEWING A 2011 SMLS ORDINANCE, WHICH MISTAKENLY RESTRICTED THE PROPERTY TO RESIDENTIAL USE DESPITE CLEAR EVIDENCE THAT AT THE TIME IT WAS OPERATING COMMERCIALLY AS AN ART CENTER AND GALLERY. THIS IS PROVED BY NUMEROUS DOCUMENTS, INCLUDING LETTERS FROM THE RICH WOOD PLACE, HOA, OFFICIALS OF THE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS HOUSTON, AND THE MENIL COLLECTION, AS WELL AS THE ART CENTER. IN DECEMBER, THE PLANNING COMMISSION REVIEWED THE FACTS, TESTIMONY AND DOCUMENTS SURROUNDING THAT ERROR AND VOTED OVERWHELMINGLY 12 TO TWO TO RECOMMEND CORRECTING IT. THE INTENTION IS TO ALIGN THE 2011 SMLS ORDINANCE WITH CHAPTER 40 TWO'S CLEAR AND PLAIN LANGUAGE, WHICH STATES THAT PROPERTIES USED FOR NON-RESIDENTIAL PURPOSES WHEN AN SMLS IS APPLIED FOR ARE NOT RESTRICTED AND NOT TO BE RESTRICTED. WE RESPECTFULLY REQUEST YOUR SUPPORT ON THIS MATTER MEASURE. THANK YOU. GOOD. THANK YOU. THANKS, KYLE ROGERS. HELLO, COUNSEL. UH, FIRST I'D LIKE TO RETORT SOMETHING THAT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ SAID BEFORE HE LEFT. UM, WE WERE, UH, THIS IS CONCERNING THE ABANDONMENT OF POLK STREET, THE POTENTIAL ABANDONMENT. UM, HE MENTIONED THAT THERE IS A POSSIBILITY OF TURNING LELAND INTO A TWO-WAY AND ADDITIONALLY TEXAS, AND I THINK HE SAID PRAIRIE. AND AS MY COUNCIL MEMBER KNOWS, JOAQUIN, UM, IF YOU'RE SOUTH OF HARRISBURG, THAT'S NOT GONNA HELP YOU. UH, WE'RE WE'RE WAITING ON MULTIPLE GRADE SEPARATION PROJECTS FOR THE RAILROAD. SO WITH THAT IN MIND, I'D LIKE TO READ MY COMMENT. IN RECENT WEEKS, OUR MARRIAGE, OUR MARRIAGE TRANSPORTATION STRATEGY HAS SHOWN CRITICAL CONTRADICTIONS THAT DEMANDS IMMEDIATE COUNSEL AND PUBLIC SCRUTINY. WHILE THE MAYOR HAS VOCALLY CHAMPIONED ROAD LANE PRESERVATION AS A CORE PRINCIPLE OF URBAN MOBILITY, THE PROPOSED ABANDONMENT OF POLK STREET REPRESENTS A FUNDAMENTAL DEPARTURE FROM THIS STATED COMMITMENT. THE PROPOSED POLK STREET ABANDONMENT DIRECTLY UNDERMINES THE CITY'S. THANK YOU. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. THANK YOU, SIR. MARTINEZ, CAN I HAVE SOME MORE TIME OR IS THAT IT? MARTINEZ, YOU GO, PROCEED. OKAY. THANK YOU. THE PROPOSED POLK STREET ABANDONMENT DIRECTLY UNDERMINES THE CITY'S INFRASTRUCTURE INTEGRITY AND CONTRADICTS THE MAYOR'S OWN RHETORIC ABOUT MAINTAINING CRITICAL TRANSPORTATION CORRIDORS BY POTENTIALLY ELIMINATING THE KEY URBAN ROADWAY, THIS KEY URBAN ROADWAY, THE CITY RISK DISRUPTING, ESTABLISHED TRAFFIC PATTERNS, REDUCING EMERGENCY SERVICE OF ACCESSIBILITY, AND CREATING UNNECESSARY LOGISTICAL CHALLENGES FOR RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES ALONG THIS CORRIDOR, MAYOR WHITMEYER ROAD, UH, ROAD LAND PRESERVATION PLANS, WHICH HAVE BEEN REPEATEDLY EMPHASIZED AS ESSENTIAL STAND AND START CONTRAST TO THIS SELE SELECTIVE STREET APP ABANDONMENT, FOR EXAMPLE, LOOK AT TELEPHONE ROAD, A PROJECT WHICH WAS STOPPED DUE TO ISSUES WITH LANE REDUCTION. THIS INCONSISTENCY RAISES SERIOUS QUESTIONS ABOUT THE COHERENCE, COHERENCE OF THE CI, THE ABOUT THE COHERENCE OF THE CITY'S TRANSPORTATION PLANNING, AND THE MAYOR'S COMMITMENT TO MAINTAINING ROBUST URBAN INFRASTRUCTURE STAKEHOLDERS AND CITIZENS DESERVE A TRANSPARENT EXPLANATION OF HOW THIS PROPOSED STREET ABANDONMENT ALIGNS OR FAILS TO ALIGN WITH A BROADER VISION OF ROAD LANE PRESERVATION. THE POTENTIAL LONG-TERM IMPLICATIONS FOR TRAFFIC FLOW, PROPERTY VALUES, AND URBAN COMMITMENT CONNECTIVITY CANNOT BE UNDERSTATED. THANK YOU. SAY ONE, ONE LAST THING. YOU ARE AWARE THAT THE CITY IN TDOT AGREED TO DO THIS THREE YEARS AGO? THAT'S NOT TRUE, SIR. YES, THERE. POLK STREET HAS NEVER BEEN ABANDONED IN THE TDO LAND. IT WAS GONNA CLOSE TO CREATE THE CAP, BUT ANYWAY, I'M NOT GONNA ARGUE WITH YOU. IT'S DOCUMENTED. THAT'S NOT TRUE. OKAY. THANK YOU. HAVE A GOOD EVENING. NEXT. ROY HIRSCH. THANK YOU MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR, UM, GIVING ME THIS TIME. IF I COULD CALL YOUR ATTENTION TO THE SUPPLEMENT, [03:15:01] UM, HANDOUT. OKAY. THE, UH, ON THE PAGE TITLED, THE GRB NEEDS POLK. OKAY, THIS IS SCENARIO ONE. ACCORDING TO THE CURRENT N-H-H-I-P PLAN, UM, WE HAVE, WITH POLK OPEN, YOU CAN SEE DIRECT ACCESS TO THE CONVENTION DISTRICT AND FUTURE, UH, FROM THE FUTURE FRONTAGE ROADS. WHEREAS IN SCENARIO NUMBER TWO, WITHIN N THE N-H-H-I-P ACCESS MODIFIED WITH POLK STREET CLOSED FUTURE ACCESS FROM THE FRONTAGE ROADS, FRONTAGE ROADS WILL TRAVERSE 16 INTERSECTIONS. IF LELAND IS MADE TWO WAY, THAT NUMBER IS REDUCED TO 14. ULTIMATELY, WE ARE LOOKING AT A $2 BILLION CUL-DE-SAC. PLEASE, YOU MUST VOTE NO ON THE ABANDONMENT OF POLK. I THANK THE MAYOR AND THE COUNCIL FOR THIS TIME. THANK YOU, SIR. NEXT, LISA HUNT MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU TODAY. I'M CALLING. I'M HERE TODAY TO, UM, URGE A HOLISTIC VIEW OF URBAN PLANNING AND CONNECTIVITY, UH, FOR THE EAST END TO DOWNTOWN. UM, THE EAST END HAS DONE ITS WORK WORKING WITH FEDERAL OFFICIALS AS WELL AS WITH OUR TOURS AND MANAGEMENT DISTRICT TO HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE VISION AND PLAN FOR TELEPHONE ROAD, WHICH IN HOUSTON MANOR, UH, WE ALSO NEED TO REALIZE THAT THAT IS LELAND STREET. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAS BEEN PROPOSED, UH, WITH THE ABANDONMENT OF POLK IS MAKING LELAND A TWO-WAY STREET. I WOULD SUBMIT TO YOU THAT THAT'S A VERY SHORTSIGHTED AND MYOPIC PERSPECTIVE. UM, THERE'S ALREADY BEEN APPROPRIATED $35.5 MILLION FOR TELEPHONE ROAD. WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY HERE IF YOU'RE INSISTING ON CLOSING POLK STREET, WHICH I DO NOT ADVOCATE, BUT IF LELAND IS THE ALTERNATIVE, WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT IT IN A COMPREHENSIVE WAY AND MAKE IT MULTIMODAL NOW. THANK YOU COUNCILOR MARTINEZ. MA'AM, AS A QUESTION. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, LISA, WERE YOU DONE? YES. YES, I WAS. SO I JUST WANNA, AND THERE ARE SEVERAL FOLKS THAT SPOKE TO POLK, UM, AND JUST WANT TO CONTINUE TO THANK Y'ALL FOR YOUR ENGAGEMENT. UM, AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE HAVE BEEN BRINGING HOUSTON FIRST TO THE TABLE, UH, MAKING SURE THAT WE DO FIND, UH, A SOLUTION AND UNDERSTANDING THAT WE ARE STILL WAITING FOR WHAT, WHAT THE TRAFFIC PLAN WILL BE, UM, FOR POLK ONCE IT'S, IF IT WERE TO BE CLOSED AND OR AFTER THE, THE EXPANSION OF 59 45. UM, AS WE GATHER THAT INFORMATION, WE ARE PLANNING TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT WE GO BACK OUT TO THE COMMUNITY. SO I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT, THAT WE, WE'LL CONTINUE TO HAVE THIS DIALOGUE IN THE COMING WEEKS, MONTHS. UM, FOR THOSE THAT ARE TALKING ABOUT THE VOTE FOR POGUE, UM, YOU KNOW, IT IS STILL GOING THROUGH THE JRC PROCESS. WE'VE EXTENDED THE COMMON PERIOD AGAIN, UH, MAKING SURE THAT FOLKS CAN, YOU KNOW, SHARE THEIR, THEIR INPUT. UM, I THINK I WANNA MAKE SURE IT'S VERY CLEAR. YOU KNOW, THIS IS PROBABLY THE MOST, UM, ENGAGED JRC PROCESS EVER, EVER. ON AVERAGE. IT'S ABOUT TWO TO THREE FOLKS THAT CALL IN. SO RIGHT. WE'LL CONTINUE THIS PROCESS AND I APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING. I WOULD ALSO JUST SUBMIT WITH A PROJECT OF THIS SCALE AND SCOPE AND IMPACT, THE JRC PRIZE PROCESS IS WOEFULLY INADEQUATE FOR PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT, IN MY OPINION. YEAH, NO, AND I'LL AGREE. I'LL AGREE TO THAT. I THINK, UM, NOT EVERY JRC PROCESS SHOULD BE DONE THE SAME. AGREE. UH, THERE'S SOME THAT ARE JUST CLOSING A, A DEAD END, RIGHT? BUT IN THIS CASE, UH, DEFINITELY MORE ENGAGEMENT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT, THIS COMPLETES THE LIST OF SPEAKERS. ANYONE ELSE? UH, WE [RECESS] RECESS TO NINE IN THE MORNING. I AM ABOUT TO READ THE DESCRIPTION OF CAPTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL AGENDA FOR THE WEEK MARCH 25TH AND 26. 2025. ITEM ONE IS THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THE PROPOSAL TO USE APPROXIMATELY 19,700 SQUARE FEET OF S RODRIGUEZ PARK EAST FOR A 20 FOOT STRIP OF PERMANENT PARK PROPERTY. ITEM TWO IS THE RECOMMENDATION FROM THE DIRECTOR GENERAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT FOR APPROVAL TO FINAL A CONTRACT AMOUNT AND ACCEPTANCE OF WORK ON CONTRACT WITH PMG PROJECT MANAGEMENT GROUP. ITEM THREE IS APPROVED SPENDING AUTHORITY FOR PURCHASE OF TECHNOLOGY RELATED PRODUCTS AND SERVICES. ITEM FOUR IS APPROVED SPRINTING AUTHORITY FOR PURCHASE OF AIRPORT TERMINAL FURNITURE THROUGH THE INTERLOCAL PURCHASING SYSTEM, COOPERATIVE SUPPLIER OCONUS INC. ITEM FIVE, [03:20:01] HALLADAY TECHNOLOGIES INC. TO PURCHASE RUNWAY FRICTION METERS. ITEM FIVE, AMEND MOTION 20 24 4 4 TO INCREASE SPENDING AUTHORITY AND EXPAND THE SCOPE OF WORK TO INCLUDE ENTERPRISE RISKS ASSESSMENT CONSULTING SERVICES WITH ERNST AND YOUNG. ITEM SEVEN, APPROVED SPINNING AUTHORITY FOR PURCHASE OF AN ALIGNMENT MACHINE FOR THE FLEET MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT THROUGH THE SOURCE WELL, COOPERATIVE SUPPLIER MOHAWK LIFTS LLC ITEM EIGHT AT FOOD SPRINGING AUTHORITY FOR PURCHASE OF MORE AND GROUND MAINTENANCE EQUIPMENT REPAIR SERVICES THROUGH THE BY BOARD SUPPLIER PROFESSIONAL TURF PRODUCTS. LP ITEM NINE, THE SUMITS GROUP LLC FOR PURCHASE OF VISA GIFT CARDS. ITEM 10 APPROVED SPENDING AUTHORITY FOR PURCHASE OF AUDIO AND VIDEO EQUIPMENT THROUGH THE WHITEBOARD COOPERATIVE PURCHASING PROGRAM. SUPPLIER ROMEO MUSIC LLC ITEM 11, TAPE WORKS TEXAS INC. DBA TWIST EAST, A PURCHASE OF STUDIO CAMERAS AND VARIOUS AUDIO VISUAL PARTS, ACCESSORIES AND EQUIPMENT. ITEM 12, AMEND MOTION 20 23 6 91 TO INCREASE SPENDING AUTHORITY FOR PER FOR EMERGENCY PURCHASE ORDER FOR MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR BUILT FUEL PRESSES AWARDED TO ALPHA LAVAL INC. ITEM 13 CUBIC, ITS INC FOR PURCHASE OF BASE PEDESTAL TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS. ITEM 14 E, WORLD INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS LLCC TO FURNISH AND DELIVER GALVANIZED BUYER PIPES AND FITTINGS. ITEM 15 APPROVED SPENDING AUTHORITY FOR ONGOING MONITORING AND SUPPORT SERVICES RELATED TO THE CITYWIDE ENTERPRISE ASSESSMENT AND STRATEGIC SOURCING. AND, EXCUSE ME, AN IMPLEMENTATION OF A CATEGORY MANAGEMENT PROGRAM WITH ERNST AND YOUNG LLC ITEM 16, OR IS AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTION OF AN AMENDMENT TO EXTEND THE CREDIT AGREEMENT RELATING TO THE CITY'S GENERAL OBLIGATION COMMERCIAL PAPER NOTES SERIES E TWO PROGRAM ITEM 17 ORDERS DENYING THE APPLICATION OF CENTER FOR ENERGY HOUSTON ELECTRIC LLC ITEM 18 ORDERS SUSPENDING 45 DAYS THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE INTERIM RATE ADJUSTMENT FILING PERTAINING TO THE RETAIL GAS UTILITY RATES BY CENTER PORT ENERGY RESOURCES CORP, DBA SINGAPORE ENERGY INEX. AND ITS AS CENTER PORT ENERGY, TEXAS GAS ITEM 19 ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING A SUBSTANTIAL AMENDMENT TO THE HOUSTON ACTION PLAN FOR DISASTER RECOVERY. ITEM 20, ORDINANCE APPROVING AN AUTHORIZING DIRECTOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENTS TO ACCEPT A GRANT AWARD FROM THE US DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION. ITEM 21 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $3,838,564 AND OH CENTS OUT OF AIRPORTS APPROVEMENT FUND APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE TO LEASE AGREEMENT WITH HOUSTON AVIATION PARTNERS, LLC ITEM 22 ORDINANCE APPRO AND AUTHORIZING REIMBURSEMENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION FOR ENGINEERING DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION SERVICES. ITEM 23, ORDINANCE OF MANY ORDINANCE 20 24 7 52 TO INCREASE THE MAXIMUM CONTRACT AMOUNT FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND HO BLACKWELL. LLP ITEM 24 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $400,000 AND OH CENTS OUT OF LIBRARY SPECIAL REVENUE FUND. ITEM 25 ORDINANCE APPRO CAN AUTHORIZING LEASE AGREEMENT BETWEEN 2,500 FAN AND LP LANDLORD AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON WAS PLACED AT 2,500 BANNON. ITEM 26 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING SECOND AMENDMENT TO CONTRACT BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND TEXAS A AND M ENGINEERING EXTENSION SERVICE. ITEM 27 ORDINANCE, SUBMITTING ORDINANCE 2022 DASH OH OH OH FOUR AUTHORIZING FIRST AMENDMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND SERENITY CARE HOME HEALTHCARE SERVICES INC. ITEM 28 ORDINANCE RELATING TO FISCAL AFFAIRS OF HARDY NEAR NORTH SIDE REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY ON BEHALF OF VESTMENT ZONE NUMBER 21, CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS HARDY, NEAR NORTH SIDE ZONE ITEM 29, ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $1,800,000 AND NO CENTS OUT OF EQUIPMENT ACQUISITION. CONSOLIDATED FUND FOR BODY ARMOR AND RIFLE PLATE REPLACEMENT. ITEM 30 ORDINANCE APPRO AND AUTHORIZING SUBMISSION OF AN APPLICATION FOR AND ACCEPTANCE OF GRANT FUNDS FROM THE OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR FOR THE FY 2026 NORTHEASTERN WEST SIDE HOUSTON VIOLENT GANG CRIME SUPPRESSION GRANT. ITEM 31 ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING [03:25:01] THE NORTH AND SOUTH SIDE OF THE 3,100 BLOCK OF OAKDALE STREET. ITEM 32 ORDINANCE CONSENTING TO THE ADDITION OF 14.64 ACRES OF LAND TO BRIDGESTONE MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT. ITEM 33 ORDINANCE CONSENTING TO THE ADDITION OF 1 5 9 POINT 20 ACRES OF LAND TO HAVE COUNTY MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT NUMBER FOUR 90 ITEM 34 ORDINANCE CONSENTING TO THE ADDITION OF 64.383 ACRES FOR LAND TO HARRIS COUNTY MINISTRY UTILITY DISTRICT NUMBER 5 76 ITEM 35 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING PURCHASING SALE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS SELLER, ANDREA G MARY, AND JAN D SMALLY. PURCHASER ITEM 36, ORDINANCE APPROVING AN AUTHORIZING AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS CITY OF HOUSTON, AND THE TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD. ITEM 37 ORDINANCE APPROVING THE ACCEPTANCE OF GRANT FUNDS THROUGH A GRANT AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND THE TEXAS DIVISION OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT. ITEM 38 ORDINANCE APPRO AND AUTHORIZING FIRST MEMBER TO THE UNTREATED WATER SUPPLY CONTRACT BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND AIR PRODUCTS A LLC ITEM 39 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $2,523,688 AND OH CENTS. ITEM WATERING. SO SYSTEM CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND CIVIL TASK ENGINEERING GROUP, INC. ITEM 40 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $326,477 81 CENTS OUT OF PARKS CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND A GHA ENGINEERING LLC ITEM 41 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $5,500,000 IN NOTICE OUT OF DEDICATED DRAINAGE AND STREET RENEWAL CAPITAL FUND DRAINAGE CHARGE AWARDING CONTRACT TO GROVEL LLC ITEM 42. ORDINANCE AWARDING CONTRACT TO CSI CONSOLIDATED L-L-C-D-B-A AIMS COMPANIES FOR SEWER STORAGE, CLEANING AND TELEVISION INSPECTION. X ITEM 43, ORDINANCE 20 25, 1 79, PAST SECOND READING MARCH 19TH, 2025, ORDINANCE GRANTED TO CITY WASTE LP AT TEXAS LIMITED PARTNERSHIP. THIRD AND FINAL READING. ALL OF THESE ARE A MATTER OF FACT. ON THE THIRD AND FINAL READING, THIS WAS ORDINANCE 20 25 180 PAST SECOND READING ORDINANCE GRANTING TO CLEAN WAVE SOLUTIONS LLC ITEM 45, ORDINANCE 20 25, 181 PAST SECOND READING ORDINANCE GRANTING TO CPM VENTEC, LLC ITEM 46, ORDINANCE 20 25 180 2 PAST SECOND READING ORDINANCE GRANTING TO CTJ VACUUM SERVICE LLC ITEM 47, ORDINANCE 20 25 180 3 PAST SECOND READING ORDINANCE GRANTING TO THE FOG LLC ITEM 48, ORDINANCE 20 25 180 4 PAST SECOND READING ORDINANCE OF GRANTING TO DANIEL WAYNE HOLDEN, DBA MR. PUMPER SEWER SERVICE ITEM 49, ORDINANCE 20 25 180 5 ORDINANCE GRANT INTO DTK FACILITY SERVICES, LLC. THIS IS THE END OF THE CONSENT AGENDA UNDER THE NON-CONSENT AGENDA, PURCHASING TABULATION ABUSE ITEM 50, RECOMMENDATIONS FROM CHIEF PROCUREMENT OFFICER TO MAKE THE FOLLOWING AWARDS FOR VETERINARY SUPPLIES, MEDICATIONS, VACCINES AND EQUIPMENT FOR THE ADMINISTRATION AND REGULATORY AFFAIRS DEPARTMENTS, BULK ANIMAL SHELTER. THIS IS UNDER THE MATTERS HEALTH CATEGORY. ITEM 51, ORDINANCE PROOF AND AUTHORIZING MODIFICATION TO THE LOAN BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS, AND MCGREGOR GROCERY LLC TAGGED BY COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. THIS WAS ITEM 29 ON AGENDA MARCH 19. ITEM 52 ORDERS RELATING TO FISCAL AFFAIRS AND MEMORIAL HEIGHTS RE DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY ON BEHALF OF REINVESTMENTS ZONE NUMBER FIVE, TAGGED BY COUNCIL MEMBERS RAMIREZ AND DAVIS. THIS IS ITEM 43 ON AGENDA OF MARCH 19. ITEM 53 ORDERS RELATING TO FISCAL AFFAIRS OF GOV. GAVE DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY ON BEHALF OF REINVESTMENTS. ZONE NUMBER EIGHT TO COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ. THIS IS ITEM 44 ON AGENDA OF MARCH 19, ITEM 54, ORDINANCE, MEETING ORDINANCE 2024 FOR 8 78 RELATED TO PHYSICAL AFFAIRS AND MEMORIAL CITY REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY ON BEHALF OF REINVESTMENT ZONE. NUMBER 17, TAB BY COUNCILMAN MEMBER RAMIREZ AND DAVIS. THIS IS 45 ON AGENDA OF MARCH 19, ITEM 55, ORDINANCE RELATING TO FISCAL AFFAIRS OF HARRISBURG REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY ON BEHALF OF REINVESTMENT. ZONE NUMBER 23. THIS IS TAGGED BY COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO RAMIREZ AND DAVIS. THIS WAS ITEM 46 ON AGENDA OF MARCH 19TH. ITEM 56 IS THE ORDINANCE RELATING TO FISCAL AFFAIRS OF REINVESTMENT, HONOR NUMBER 27. THIS WAS ALSO TAB BY COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ AND DAVIS. THIS WAS ITEM 47 ON AGENDA OF MARCH 19 AND ITEM 57, ORDINANCE ADMITTING ORDINANCE NUMBER 20 11 8 67. THIS WAS TAB BY COUNCIL MEMBER PECK. THIS WAS ITEM 49 ON AGENDA OF MARCH 19TH. THIS COMPLETES THE READING OF THE AGENDA FOR THE WEEK, MARCH 25TH [03:30:01] AND 26. STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT SESSION OF HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL. SCHEDULED TO BEGIN AT 9:00 AM IN THE WORDS OF OUR RECURRING 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. THANK YOU MADAM SECRETARY. YOU'RE WELCOME. MY NUMBER ONE FAN COUNCIL, COME TO ORDER PLEASE. [RECONVENE] UH, FIRST [1.  9:00 A.M. PUBLIC HEARING DATE on the proposal to use approximately 19,700 square feet of Sylvan Rodriguez Park east for a 20-foot strip of permanent park property for construction and future maintenance and a 30-foot strip of temporary park property for construction for the 54-Inch Water Line Project portion of Southeast Transmission Line Program - DISTRICT E - FLICKINGER ] WE HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING FROM SYLVAN RODRIGUEZ PARK. RECOGNIZE PUBLIC WORKS AND PARKS TO, UH, PRESENT THIS ITEM. YOU MIGHT GO AHEAD AND IDENTIFY YOURSELVES FOR THE RECORD. THANK YOU. UH, GOOD MORNING, UH, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, TODAY, UH, I WOULD BE BRIEF MAKING A BRIEF PRESENTATION ON CHAPTER 26 PUBLIC HEARING. YEAH, PULL THAT MIC OVER. GET A LITTLE CLOSER TO THE MIC. UH, TODAY I'LL BE MAKING A BRIEF PRESENTATION ON THE CHAPTER 26 HEARING. I'M PK, I'M ONE OF THE MANAGING ENGINEERS FROM HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS. AND, UH, TODAY I'M REQUESTING, UH, TO USE 0.17 ACRE OF SILVER RODRIGUEZ PARK, UH, FOR THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF LARGE DIAMETER WATER LINES. UH, THE SILVER RODRIGUEZ PARK IS LOCATED IN COUNCIL DISTRICT E AT PAUL OH ONE CLEAR LAKE CITY BOULEVARD, HOUSTON, HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS. THE NECESSITY OF THIS PROJECT IS, UH, TO REPLACE THE EXISTING 42 INCH WATER LINE, WHICH IS AGING. THAT IS ALONG HIGHWAY THREE, AND THAT IS AT THE END OF ITS SERVICE LIFE. AND, UH, THE NEED IS TO REPLACE IT WITH A 54 INCH TRANSMISSION LINE. UH, THE REQUESTED USE IS 0.17 ACRE, WHICH IS APPROXIMATELY 7,404 SQUARE FEET, UH, OF, UH, FOR A 20 FEET WIDTH OF WATERLINE CORRIDOR OF THE SILVER RODRIGUEZ PARK. SO HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS HAS MADE A PLAN TO MINIMIZE HARM TO THE PARK. UH, THE RECOMMENDED ALIGNMENT OF THE A CTL OR THE SOUTHEAST TRANSMISSION LINE IS IN AN UNDEVELOPED AREA OF THE PARK. WITH NO CURRENT PLANS FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT, THE ALIGNMENT HAS BEEN PLACED AS CLOSE TO THE SOUTHWESTERN BOUNDARY OF THE PARK AS POSSIBLE TO MINIMIZE IMPACTS TO POTENTIAL FUTURE PARK DEVELOPMENT, WHILE ACCOUNTING FOR MINIMUM REQUIRED CLEARANCES WITH EXISTING PIPELINES AND UTILITIES NEAR THE VICINITY. AS SUCH, UH, WE'VE TRIED TO FIGURE OUT ANY ALTERNATIVES OTHER THAN USING, UH, THE PORTION OF THE SILVER RODRIGUEZ PARK, UH, INADEQUATE SPACE CONSTRAINTS, CONSTRAINTS TO CONSTRUCT THE PROPOSED WATER 54 INCH WATERLINE OUTSIDE OF THE TEXT DOT RIGHT OF WAY. NECESS STATED THE ALIGNMENT TO CROSS ALONG SOUTHWESTERN BOUNDARY OF THE SILVER RODRIGUEZ PARK. AS SUCH, THERE IS NO PRUDENT A ALTERNATIVE, UH, TO USE OF PORTION OF SYLVAN RODRIGUEZ PARK. AND, UH, IF I GO TO THE LAST SIDE, UH, IT'LL SHOW CLEARLY, UM, THE COMPLEXITIES IN, UH, DESIGNING AND CONSTRUCTING THIS WATER LINE, UH, OTHER THAN GOING THROUGH A PORTION OF SOUTHWESTERN BOUNDARY OF S RODRIGUEZ PARK. SO IT'S AN UNDERGROUND INFRASTRUCTURE WITH NO IMPACT TO THE PARK. UH, AND IN ADDITION TO, IT'S LOCATED ON THE UNDERDEVELOPED PORTION OF THE SOUTHWEST. SO, UH, SOUTHWESTERN BOUNDARY OF S RODRIGUEZ PARK. SO THE IMPACT IS MINIMAL OR ZERO TO THE PARK ITSELF, AND THE ACREAGE OF USAGE IS 0.17 ACRES, WHICH IS APPROXIMATELY 0.2% OF THE WHOLE TOTAL ACREAGE OF S RODRIGUEZ PARK. HPW HAS CORROBORATED WITH PARKS AND REC, PARKS AND REC DEPARTMENT, UH, TO MINIMIZE THE IMPACTS TO THE PUBLIC. AND AS SUCH, UH, THIS WILL BE CORROBORATED AND CONFIRMED, UH, BY OUR COLLEAGUE, MR. MIKE YVO, THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF PARKS AND REC DEPARTMENT. I WILL TAKE HIM THE LEAD TO MAKE THE PRESENTATION FOR VERY GOOD. NEXT, UH, GOOD MORNING MAYOR, UH, MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS MICHAEL EVANS. I AM THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF FACILITIES MANAGEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT FOR THE HOUSTON PARKS DEPARTMENT. UH, IN THE INTEREST OF BEING BRIEF, I'M HERE IN SUPPORT OF THE HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS SOUTHWEST TRANSMISSION WATERLINE PROJECT ACROSS SYLVAN RODRIGUEZ PARK. UH, THE 1.7 ACRE WATERLINE CORRIDOR WILL CROSS THE PARK ALONG HIGHWAY THREE FOR APPROXIMATELY 372 FEET AND WILL NOT ADVERSELY AFFECT THE PARK. THERE ARE ANY, ANY QUESTIONS. WE'LL BE GLAD TO ANSWER. THANK YOU. GOOD JOB. NEXT MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL. UH, MY NAME IS MARK S SWAIN. I'M WITH LEGAL AND I'M JUST HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE REGARDING THE CHAPTER 26 PROCEDURE. VERY GOOD. ANY QUESTIONS? YOU HAVE NOT? THANK YOU, GENTLEMEN, FOR BEING PRESENT. IS ANYONE ELSE PRESENT THAT WOULD LIKE TO TESTIFY ON THIS MATTER? [03:35:01] CHAIR HEARS NONE. IS THERE A MOTION TO CLOSE THE HEARING CAST T TO MOVE TO CLOSE THE HEARING? I SECOND. MOTION IS MADE IN SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. MEMBERS, UH, ON THE MAYOR'S [MAYOR'S REPORT] REPORT, I'M GONNA YIELD MY TIME TO THE SPORTS AUTHORITY ADMINISTRATION. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT IF, UH, BRIAN, IF YOU AND JUAN AND YOUR TEAM WOULD COME FORWARD. UH, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE MONITOR OUR PREPARATION FOR THE WORLD CUP AND OTHER OPERATIONS AT THE, UH, SPORTS AUTHORITY. I'M VERY PLEASED WITH THE LEADERSHIP. LAST FALL, I WAS HEARING CONCERNS FROM STAKEHOLDERS, HAD MY OWN CONCERN. THE COUNTY JOINED US IN A TRANSITION TO THESE OUTSTANDING MEMBERS THAT ARE BEFORE US TODAY. SO I THINK IT WOULD BE TIMELY FOR THE CHAIR AND HIS TEAM TO GIVE US A PROGRESS REPORT. I'M HEARING GREAT THINGS. THE COLLABORATION WITH OUR PARTNERS AT THE COUNTY'S NEVER BEEN BETTER. AND JUAN, I THINK YOU GET A LOT OF THE CREDIT FOR THAT BECAUSE YOU'RE A CONSENSUS BUILDER. AND THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. WELL, THANK YOU MAYOR, AND THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBERS, FIRST OF ALL FOR THE CONFIDENCE AND SUPPORT, UH, AND, AND MUCH OF THAT, UH, OBVIOUSLY CREDIT WILL GO TO THE SENIOR LEADERSHIP THAT YOU'LL HEAR FROM IN JUST A MINUTE. BUT ALSO THANK YOU FOR AN OPPORTUNITY TO BRIEFLY UPDATE YOU ON THAT POST-TRANSITION, UH, MISSION OF THE FINANCING OF THE AUTHORITY OF OUR MAJOR SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT VENUES, ALONG WITH THE MISSION OF BRINGING MAJOR SPORTING EVENTS HERE TO THE CITY TO HELP SUPPORT THOSE VENUES AND HAVE AN ECONOMIC IMPACT ON OUR CITY AND OUR COUNTY. AS THE MAYOR MENTIONED, PART OF OUR MISSION AND THE FOCUS, UH, SINCE THAT POST TRANSITION WAS TO FOCUS ON THREE KEY AREAS. AND ONE OF THAT IS A GREATER ACCOUNTABILITY, UH, GREATER ACCOUNTABILITY TO THE CITY, THE COUNTY, OUR CITIZENS, AND TO OUR STAKEHOLDERS HERE, UH, IN THE HOUSTON AREA. ALSO, AN AREA OF TRANSPARENCY. WE WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW WHAT WE ARE DOING, UH, HOW WE'RE DOING IT, AND TO ANSWER QUESTIONS THAT, THAT THE COUNTY, THE CITY MAY HAVE AND HOW WE'RE DOING IT. AND FINALLY, TO BE MORE COLLABORATIVE. MORE COLLABORATIVE WITH THE STAKEHOLDERS, INCLUDING THE MAJOR SPORTS TEAMS, OUR CITIZENS, AND ALSO THE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE THAT SAME GOAL OF IMPACTING OUR AREA. LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, UH, HOUSTON FIRST, THE GREATER HOUSTON PARTNERSHIP, THE CORP THERE. SO WE ARE WORKING COLLABORATIVELY WITH ALL OF THOSE. UH, IN AN EFFORT TO DO THAT TODAY, YOU'LL MEET OUR SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM. THEY ARE FULFILLING THAT MISSION OF, OF BRINGING TRANSPARENCY, UH, ACCOUNTABILITY AND COLLABORATIVE TO, UH, THE AUTHORITY. AND SO YOU'LL HEAR FROM THEM. AND YOU'LL ALSO GET AN UPDATE ON FIFA, UH, WHICH WILL BE THE GREATEST SPORTING EVENT THAT THE CITY HAS EVER SEEN. UH, WE'LL HAVE IT FOR 39 DAYS HERE, EVEN THOUGH WE'RE ONLY HAVING SEVEN GAMES, BUT IT'S GONNA BE A TREMENDOUS AREA. AND WE'VE DONE SO MUCH, UH, SINCE THIS POST-TRANSITION TO GET READY FOR IT. WE'RE EXCITED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT WE'RE DOING. AND SO WITH THAT, I WANT TO INTRODUCE AND BRING UP OUR QUARTERBACK, GENERAL MANAGER, WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL HIM, OUR CEO RYAN WALSH. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. UH, GOOD MORNING. RYAN WALSH, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF THE HARRIS COUNTY SPORTS AUTHORITY. UH, THANK YOU MAYOR WHITMEYER AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND ALLOWING US TO UPDATE YOU ON THE STATE OF THE SPORTS AUTHORITY TODAY. WHEN MAYOR WHITMEYER ENTRUSTED ME WITH LEADING THIS ORGANIZATION FOUR MONTHS AGO, THE CHARGE WAS CLEAR, BRING FRESH PERSPECTIVE, DRIVE MEANINGFUL CHANGE, AND REALIGN OUR CORE VALUES AND MISSION. IT WAS EVIDENT THAT WE NEEDED STRONG LEADERSHIP AND STRATEGIC DIRECTION TO FULFILL OUR MISSION, TO OVERSEE WORLD CLASS SPORTS VENUES, AND POSITION HOUSTON AS THE PREMIER DESTINATION FOR EVENTS THAT DRIVE ECONOMIC GROWTH AND ENHANCE RESIDENTS QUALITY OF LIFE. TO BE THE MOST INNOVATIVE, EFFICIENT, AND TRUSTED SPORTS AUTHORITY, WE MUST LEAD WITH ACCOUNTABILITY, TRANSPARENCY, AND COLLABORATION. HOUSTON SPORTS VENUES ARE MORE THAN JUST STADIUMS. THEY ARE ECONOMIC ENGINES AND THE FOUNDATION OF OUR REPUTATION AS A SPORTS DESTINATION. TO KEEP HOUSTON AT THE TOP, THE SPORTS AUTHORITY MUST OPERATE AT THE HIGHEST LEVELS. THAT'S WHY WE'VE LAUNCHED A TOP TO BOTTOM REVIEW, TO STREAMLINE OPERATIONS, ELIMINATE INEFFICIENCIES, REDUCE REDUNDANCIES, AND ENSURE EVERY DOLLAR IS INVESTED WISELY. WE'RE STRENGTHENING OVERSIGHT, IMPLEMENTING BEST PRACTICES, AND ENHANCING OUR KEY TEAM AND A KEY MILESTONE. FOR THE FIRST TIME. THE SPORTS AUTHORITY WILL HAVE A, AN IN-HOUSE GENERAL COUNSEL AND CHIEF LEGAL OFFICER, WHICH IS A MAJOR STEP TOWARDS STRONGER GOVERNANCE, INTEGRITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY. WE'VE REENGAGED WITH THE TEAMS THAT MANAGE THESE FACILITIES 'CAUSE THEIR VOICES MATTER. OUR COMMITMENT IS CLEAR. HOUSTON SPORTS VENUES WILL REMAIN [03:40:01] WORLD-CLASS DESTINATIONS FOR YEARS TO COME. SINCE 1997, THE SPORTS AUTHORITIES PAID OVER $1.5 BILLION IN DEBT SERVICE THROUGH HOTEL OCCUPANCY AND MOTOR VEHICLE RENTAL TAXES. OUR FINANCIAL OUTLOOK REMAINS STRONG, ALLOWING US TO SUPPORT OUR VENUES AS THEY PLAN FOR THEIR FUTURE. AND AS WE FINALIZE OUR STRATEGIC PLANS, WE WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THIS BODY REGULAR UPDATES. AND OUR COMMITMENT IS CLEAR. HOUSTON SPORTS VENUES WILL REMAIN A WORLD CLASS AND THE SPORTS AUTHORITY WILL BE A TRUSTED STEWARD OF THEIR FUTURE AND A TRULY COLLABORATIVE PARTNER FOR ALL. AND AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO ASK HOLLY KESTEREN, OUR NEWLY APPOINTED CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, TO FILL YOU IN ON HOW WE SUPPORT THAT CORE FUNCTION AND MI MISSION THROUGH OUR SPORTS MARKETING EFFORTS. THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING. I'M EXCITED TO BE HERE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT OUR BIDDING AND MARKETING EFFORTS. AS RYAN SHARED AND AS JUAN SHARED, OUR COMMITMENT IS THROUGH COLLABORATION. AND WE KNOW THAT HOUSTON SPORTS IS MADE UP OF SO MANY PARTNERS. IT'S NOT JUST US. IT'S NOT JUST THIS ENTITY. IT'S CITY PARTNERS, COUNTY PARTNERS, OUR TEAMS, OUR VENUES, PARTNERS LIKE HOUSTON, FIRST, THE CORE AND GHP, BUT ALSO OUR, OUR EVENT PARTNERS. THAT'S LOTS OF LOCAL ENTITIES, LOTS OF NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ENTITIES THAT MAKE THIS POSSIBLE AS WELL AS OUR UNIVERSITY PARTNERS. SO MANY PEOPLE MAKE HOUSTON SPORTS WHAT IT IS. SO MANY PEOPLE CONTRIBUTE TO THAT. AND US BEING A COLLABORATIVE ENTITY AND PARTNER IS WHAT CONTINUES TO MAKE THAT POSSIBLE AND DRIVE US FORWARD. SO OUR FOUR OBJECTIVES AND CORE AREAS OF FOCUS AS WE LOOK TO STRATEGIZE, PRIORITIZE OUR MISSION IS REALLY SIMPLE. KEY STAKEHOLDER RESOURCES. WE NEED TO BE A RESOURCE TO OUR PARTNERS HERE IN THIS MARKET AS WELL AS OUR PARTNERS OUTSIDE OF THIS MARKET, THROUGH RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT WITH OUR CLIENTS, OUR VENDORS, OUR CITY AND COUNTY ENTITIES, AND SO MANY OTHERS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ON MISSION, WE'RE PRIORITIZING THE KEY ECONOMIC GROWTH THAT WE NEED FOR OUR VENUES. AND THAT CYCLICAL PROCESS CONTINUES. IN ADDITION, OUR JOB IS TO DRIVE MAJOR EVENTS TO THIS REGION, BUT IT'S NOT JUST THE BIG CITYWIDE PROJECTS, IT'S THE SMALL AND MEDIA SIZED PROJECTS THAT HELP OUR DIVERSE COMMUNITY ENGAGE WITH OUR VENUES AND OUR SPORTS. BUT ALSO IT HELPS SET THE PRIORITIES IN REGARDS TO BUILDING THE RESOURCES WE NEED IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO DO THE BIG THINGS, STRENGTHENING OUR TEAM AND REFINING OUR SKILLS IN ORDER TO DO THOSE BIG EVENTS. AND ALSO SETTING THAT RELATIONSHIP STANDARD AND TRUST WITH OUR CLIENTS. SO SMALL, MEDIUM AND LARGE EVENTS HAVE TO BE PRIORITIZED AND HAVE TO BE DONE RIGHT IN ORDER FOR US TO BE SUCCESSFUL ON THE BIGGEST STAGE. THEN WHEN WE GET INTO OUR ACTION PLAN, AND AS WE MOVE FORWARD, WE'RE LOOKING AT OUR, BOTH OUR SHORT TERM AND LONG-TERM PRIORITIES FROM A SHORT TERM STANDPOINT. WE HAVE A LOT OF EVENTS ON THE DOCKET IN THE NEXT YEAR AND A HALF. THAT INCLUDES AN AAU, JUNIOR OLYMPIC GAMES, WHICH IS 15,000 KIDS IN THEIR FAMILIES COMING INTO OUR MARKET. ALMOST AN $80 MILLION ECONOMIC IMPACT ON THAT PROJECT. WE'VE DONE THAT EVENT THREE OTHER TIMES BECAUSE HOUSTON AND HARRIS COUNTY DO THAT EXTREMELY WELL. WE HAVE WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE ASTROS AND HOUSTON FIRST, WHICH WILL COME IN THE SPRING OF NEXT YEAR. UM, CONCACAF GOLD CUP, WHICH CONTINUES TO COME BACK BOTH AT NRG AND SHELL ENERGY STADIUM. IT'S A, IT'S BECOME A CONSISTENT PIECE HERE IN OUR MARKET. AND THEN NCA AND THE MANY EVENTS THEY HAVE, WE HAVE A REGIONALS AT, UM, TOYOTA CENTER FOR BASKETBALL HERE IN THE SPRING NEXT YEAR. ALL EVENTS THAT CONTINUE, BOTH SMALL, MEDIUM AND LARGE TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE ECONOMIC IMPACT. AND THEN OF COURSE, THE BIG ONE, WE'RE ALL LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT SUMMER WITH WORLD CUP. SO A LOT OF THINGS, WHEN WE TALK SHORT TERM, THERE'S A LONG LIST OF THINGS IN THAT WINDOW, BUT THEN WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO PRIORITIZE OUR LONG TERM STRATEGY. AND THAT INCLUDES CONTINUAL STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS, ENGAGING ALL OF THE PARTNERS HERE LOCALLY TO MAKE US EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT, ENSURING THAT WE'RE CONTINUOUSLY ON THAT LARGE CITYWIDE CYCLE FOR MAJOR EVENTS. AND OF COURSE, ENGAGING WITH THE U-S-O-P-C, THE UNITED STATES, OLYMPIC AND PARALYMPIC COMMITTEE FOR NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL EVENTS. OUR COLLEGIATE, COLLEGIATE PARTNERS WITH NCAA AND MANY, MANY MORE, AS WELL AS THOSE NATIONAL LEVEL EVENTS. ALL OF THESE HAVE TO BE PART OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN, A PART OF OUR STRATEGIC ALLIANCE, AND CONTINUED TO BE PRIORITIZED AS WE LOOK AT DRIVING ECONOMIC IMPACT TO THIS MARKET TIME. AND AGAIN, SO AS YOU CAN SEE, WE'VE GOT A LOT TO DO. WE'VE GOT A LONG LIST OF THINGS ON OUR DOCKET ALREADY, BUT THE CENTER POINT IS CONTINUING TO REFINE OUR STRATEGY, MAKE SURE WE'RE IMPACTFUL, REALLOCATE RESOURCES APPROPRIATELY SO THAT WE'RE HAVING AN IMPACT FOR NOT JUST OUR PARTNERS, BUT OUR VENUES. AND THEN CONTINUING TO GROW THE MISSION AND PRIORITIZE BEING TRANSPARENT THROUGH THAT PROCESS. SO A LOT TO DO, A LOT IN FRONT OF US, AND WE'RE OBVIOUSLY EXCITED THAT THE WORLD CUP IS A BIG PART OF THAT. SO AT THIS TIME, LET ME RECOGNIZE THE MAYOR PRO TIC STADIUM. I, I THINK HE, CHRIS, WASN'T IT? CHRIS STILL HAS SOME, BUT THAT I'LL TURN IT OVER TO CHRIS. NO, I I THOUGHT YOU WANTED TO ASK HER. NOT UNTIL THE DAY. OKAY. EXCUSE ME. UH, WE'LL RECOGNIZE CHRIS AT THIS TIME FOR UPDATE. GOOD MORNING, EVERYBODY. MY NAME'S CHRIS TI. I'M THE PRESIDENT OF THE HOUSTON 2026 WORLD CUP HOST COMMITTEE, WHICH MEANS I'M IN CHARGE OF ALL THINGS WORLD CUP. IT'S GOOD TO BE BACK HERE TODAY TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON THE WORLD CUP. IT'S BEEN A WHILE. UH, SO LET [03:45:01] ME REFRESH SOME MEMORIES. THIS IS THE LARGEST SPORTING EVENT IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD, AND WE ARE FORTUNATE TO HAVE IT COMING TO HOUSTON NEXT YEAR. IT'S BEING HELD IN THREE COUNTRIES BETWEEN THE US, MEXICO, AND CANADA. THERE ARE THREE CITIES IN MEXICO, TWO IN CANADA, AND 11 IN THE US. AND HOUSTON WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH BACK IN JUNE OF 2022 TO BE AWARDED ONE OF THE HOST CITIES FOR THIS PRESTIGIOUS EVENT. THERE'S GONNA BE 48 NATIONS COMPETING IN THIS TOURNAMENT, AND 104 MATCHES ACROSS THE TOURNAMENT OVER 39 DAYS FROM JUNE TO JULY OF 2026. AND AGAIN, HOUSTON WILL BE HOSTING SEVEN OF THOSE 104 MATCHES HERE AT NRG STADIUM. WE'VE GOT THE THIRD MOST MATCHES OUT OF ALL OF THE 16 HOST CITIES IN NORTH AMERICA, WHICH, WHICH SPEAKS VOLUMES ABOUT HOUSTON AND ITS ABILITY TO PUT ON MAJOR SPORTING EVENTS. THE ECONOMIC IMPACT TO THIS, UH, OF THIS EVENT TO OUR REGION IS LIKELY TO EXCEED, UH, NORTH OF $1.5 BILLION. THE SUPER BOWL IN 2017 HAD AN ECONOMIC IMPACT OF $347 MILLION. THAT WAS ONE GAME, ONE WEEK'S WORTH OF EVENTS. WE HAVE SEVEN MATCHES OVER THE COURSE OF 39 DAYS. SO IT'S EASY TO SEE HOW YOU CAN CALCULATE, UH, UH, ECONOMIC IMPACT ON SUCH A GRAND SCALE. AND, UH, AS AMERICANS, WE TEND TO THINK THAT THE SUPER BOWL IS THE LARGEST SPORTING EVENT, UH, THAT WE KNOW OF. BUT IT IS THE WORLD CUP. AND TO HELP PUT THAT IN PERSPECTIVE, THE MATCHES THAT ARE BEING PLAYED IN HOUSTON WILL BE VIEWED BY 190 MILLION PEOPLE WORLDWIDE. EACH MATCH THE SUPER BOWL IS VIEWED BY 125 MILLION PEOPLE WORLDWIDE. SO EVERY SINGLE MATCH HERE IN HOUSTON HAS A BIGGER VIEWERSHIP THAN THAN THE SUPER BOWL. UH, THAT'S OVER 1.3 BILLION EYEBALLS ON HOUSTON. OVER THE COURSE OF THESE, UH, SEVEN MATCHES, WE WILL HAVE PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD COMING TO HOUSTON, UH, TO CELEBRATE THIS EVENT OVER THE COURSE OF THE 39 DAYS. UH, ASIDE FROM THE SEVEN MATCHES DOWN AT NRG PARK, WHICH AGAIN IS LIKE HOSTING SEVEN SUPER BOWLS OR MORE OVER THE COURSE OF 20 DAYS, WE WILL HOST A FIFA FAN FESTIVAL, UM, WHICH IS A, A LARGE SCALE EVENT, THE MAJOR ANCILLARY EVENT, WHICH IS ANTICIPATED TO DRAW NORTH OF 300,000 PEOPLE TO EDO. UH, WE, WE APPRECIATE WORKING WITH YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ, UH, ON THAT. UM, THE FAN FEST WILL BE A CELEBRATION OF THE SPORT AND ANOTHER ECONOMIC DRIVER OF THIS EVENT. UM, SO WE ARE VERY FOCUSED ON, UH, WORKING TOGETHER WITH ALL OF THE VARIOUS STAKEHOLDERS IN OUR COMMUNITY, UH, AND PULLING THIS OFF. AND, UH, SO FAR, UH, THINGS HAVE BEEN GOING VERY, VERY WELL. AS WE SIT HERE TODAY, A LITTLE OVER A YEAR OUT, WE'RE NOT FACING ANY MAJOR CONCERNS, ANY MAJOR SETBACKS, UH, FIFA, UH, WHO IS THE ORGANIZER IN THE PROMOTER OF THIS EVENT FROM TIME, TIME AND TIME AGAIN AS, UM, RECOGNIZED HOUSTON ON HOW WELL WE'RE DOING WITH OUR ORGANIZATION. AND WE'RE CLEARLY MOVING IN A RIGHT DIRECTION. UH, SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT ALWAYS COME UP ARE AROUND TRANSPORTATION, UH, AND SAFETY AND SECURITY. AND I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT WE HAVE COMMITTEE COMMITTEES THAT HAVE BEEN FORMED IN EACH OF THESE AREAS WITH DOZENS AND DOZENS OF STAKEHOLDERS, UH, WHO ARE EXPERTS IN THEIR FIELD, IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND IN OUR MARKET, AND ENSURING THAT THE SAFETY AND SECURITY PORTION IS TAKEN CARE OF. UH, AND AS WELL AS THE TRANSPORTATION PIECE. UH, AT THE SAME TIME, WE'RE ALSO VERY COGNIZANT OF WORKING WITH SMALL BUSINESSES AND RESPONSIBLE CONTRACTING EFFORTS, UH, IN, IN ENSURING THAT, UH, OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES ARE ABLE TO REAP THE BENEFITS OF ALL THIS ECONOMIC IMPACT THAT THIS EVENT WILL BRING. AND THEN LASTLY, UM, WE'RE VERY, VERY FOCUSED ON LEGACY. WHILE THE ECONOMIC IMPACT WILL BE TREMENDOUS, AND IT'LL BE GREAT FOR HOUSTON TO RECEIVE BILLIONS AND BILLIONS OF WORLDWIDE IMPRESSIONS FROM THIS EVENT, UH, WHAT WE'D LIKE TO SAY IS THAT AFTER THE FINAL WHISTLE BLOWS AND EVERYBODY GO HAS GONE HOME, HOW HAVE WE LEVERAGED THE POWER OF THIS EVENT TO HELP MAKE HOUSTON A BETTER PLACE? SO WE'RE VERY FOCUSED ON HOW WE CAN GROW THE GAME, AND THAT INVOLVES A LOT OF INNER CITY YOUTH ACTIVITIES, UH, AND HOW WE CAN ALSO FOCUS ON THINGS AROUND SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY. AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, USE THIS WORLD CUP, UH, SO THAT HOUSTON EMERGES IN A BETTER PLACE. SO, UH, THAT IS A VERY QUICK UPDATE, UM, ON A VERY BIG EVENT, UH, OVER THE COURSE OF A FEW MINUTES. SO I'LL PAUSE THERE. VERY GOOD. CHRIS, THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP. UH, AT THIS TIME, A COUPLE OF MEMBERS HAVE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS. MAYOR PROTE, CASTEX TATUM. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU TO THE ENTIRE FIFA TEAM. UM, VERY EXCITED ABOUT FIFA COMING TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON. FOR ALL OF THE REASONS THAT YOU HAVE EXPRESSED, UM, YOU HAVE TO IMAGINE THAT THE FOLKS THAT LIVE NEAR NRG IN DISTRICT K, UM, ALTHOUGH THEY MAY BE EXCITED ABOUT FIFA, THERE'S ALSO A LEVEL OF ANXIETY BASED ON, UM, THEIR PERCEPTION OF TRAFFIC, UM, POTENTIAL, UM, BLOCKING THEM IN AND OUT, KIND OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE EXPERIENCED WITH THE RODEO. UM, I HAVE TO SAY, THIS YEAR FOR RODEO THERE, WE DIDN'T RECEIVE ANY CALLS ABOUT BUSES BLOCKING THE ENTRYWAYS, UM, INTO THEIR APARTMENT COMPLEX TOWN HOME COMPLEXES. SO THE TRANSPORTATION TEAM WAS EXTRAORDINARY. I [03:50:01] ANTICIPATE THAT WE WILL HAVE THAT LEVEL, IF NOT MORE, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT THE RESIDENTS THAT LIVE NEAR NRG, UM, AREN'T IMPACTED. UM, OR THE IMPACT IS, IS, IS AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE. UM, I I'D LIKE TO, UM, HEAR WHAT THE, IF YOU CAN SHARE ANY OF THAT. I KNOW THERE'LL BE HEADS OF STATES AND CONSULATES AND FOLKS COMING IN AND STREETS CLOSED, AND, UM, WILL WE HAVE MAPS TO KIND OF SHOW HOW THE FOLKS THAT LIVE IN THAT AREA SHOULD, UM, TRAVEL, UH, AROUND THAT AREA DURING THE MATCHES? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. IT'S A, IT'S DEFINITELY A PRIMARY CONCERN THAT WE SHARE. UH, WE DO HAVE A TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE THAT'S MADE UP OF DOZENS OF PEOPLE LED BY, BY BRIAN MASON. UH, THIS COMMITTEE IS WORKING, UH, DAILY, UH, WITH ALL OF THE KEY STAKEHOLDERS FROM METRO AND, AND THE, YOU KNOW, H-P-D-N-R-G PARK AND OTHERS TO ENSURE THAT THE CONCERNS THAT THAT, THAT YOU HAVE AND YOUR RESIDENTS HAVE ARE MET. UH, I CAN TELL YOU THAT FIFA WAS IN TOWN A WEEK AGO THIS PAST WEEKEND, UH, TO VISIT THE RODEO, TO LOOK AT THE TRANSPORTATION, UH, IN AND OUT, AND CAME BACK, UH, THOROUGHLY IMPRESSED WITH THE SYSTEMS THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE HERE IN HOUSTON. OF COURSE, THE WORLD CUP IS, RUNS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN THE RODEO. SO IT'S ABOUT TAKING THE BEST PRACTICES THAT WE'VE USED HERE AT THE RODEO AND OTHER EVENTS AND IMPLEMENTING THEM AROUND THE FIFA WORLD CUP TO ENSURE THAT, UH, TRAFFIC IS NOT AN ISSUE FOR OUR RESIDENTS. WE, WE EXPECT, BY THE WAY, UM, MOST OF THE PEOPLE ATTENDING THE MATCHES TO BE USING METRO. SO WE'RE GONNA BE PUTTING A BIG BURDEN ON METRO. UM, AND THAT IS, UH, WE'RE NOT EXPECTING A LOT OF VEHICULAR TRAFFIC IN AND OUT OF THE, THE STADIUM. THERE WILL BE A LOT OF PRIVATE CARS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE AS WELL. UH, BUT CERTAINLY OUR TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE IS, IS FOCUSED ON THIS. AND EVENTUALLY WE WILL HAVE A FULL FLEDGED PLAN THAT WE WILL HAVE ON OUR WEBSITE AND MAKE PUBLIC WITH, WITH VARIOUS ANNOUNCEMENTS AND MEETINGS. AND THEN THE OTHER QUESTION THAT I RECEIVED ARE BUSINESSES IN HOUSTON, WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT THE $1.5 BILLION ECONOMIC IMPACT. UM, THE, THE LOCAL BUSINESSES IN HOUSTON WANNA KNOW, HOW CAN I GET ON THE LIST OF PREFERRED GOODS AND SERVICES SO THAT MY BUSINESS CAN, UM, PROVIDE GOODS OR SERVICES TO FIFA WHILE THEY ARE IN TOWN. UM, SO WE CAN HAVE, UM, IMPACT FOR OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES. CERTAINLY, YEAH, THE HOST COMMITTEE WILL BE PUTTING OUT LOTS OF DIFFERENT CONTRACTS TO BID. AND, UH, WE HAVE A, A PROGRAM RIGHT NOW CALLED BY HOUSTON, BY HOUSTON, WHERE BUSINESSES CAN REGISTER. THEY CAN GO TO OUR WEBSITE, UH, TO, TO REGISTER, AND ONCE REGISTERED, THEY BECOME AWARE OF ALL OF THE DIFFERENT CONTRACT OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE GOING OUT TO BID. SO AT THE SAME TIME, WE WILL BE ISSUING PRESS RELEASES AND DOING OTHER THINGS TO CREATE AWARENESSES AWARENESS FOR BUSINESS ON THE BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE UPCOMING OVER THE COURSE. AND THEN MY FINAL QUESTION IS, HOW MANY VOLUNTEERS ARE WE GOING TO NEED, UH, TO PULL OFF, YOU KNOW, SEVEN GAMES IN, IN THIS AMOUNT OF DAYS? I MEAN, THAT, THAT'S A, I THINK ABOUT HOW MANY VOLUNTEERS WE USE FOR RODEO. UM, THIS IS EVEN BIGGER. HOW MANY VOLUNTEERS ARE GOING TO, WELL, WE'RE NOT GONNA USE QUITE AS MANY AS THE RODEO . UH, THAT'S QUITE A, THAT'S QUITE A TASK. BUT WE WILL PROBABLY NEED SOMEWHERE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF FIVE TO 10,000 VOLUNTEERS. WE'RE BUILDING THAT PROGRAM OUT RIGHT NOW IN COORDINATION WITH FIFA. THE VOLUNTEERS WILL BE AT THE AIRPORTS, AT THE HOTELS, AT THE FAN FEST, AT THE STADIUM, AT THE MEDIA CENTERS. THEY'LL BE SPREAD OUT ACROSS HOUSTON, UH, SERVING VARIOUS PURPOSES. SO, BUT WE WILL BE FULLY ANNOUNCING THE VOLUNTEER PROGRAM AS WELL, PROBABLY IN THE SECOND HALF OF THIS YEAR. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO IT. ONE MORE THING I SHOULD ADD, TOO, 'CAUSE THIS QUESTION ALWAYS COMES UP AND I FORGOT TO MENTION, IS PEOPLE WOULD ALWAYS WANT TO KNOW WHICH TEAMS ARE GONNA BE PLAYING IN HOUSTON. UM, DECEMBER OF THIS YEAR IS WHEN THE, UH, THE TEAMS WILL BE ANNOUNCED THROUGH, UH, A SELECTION PROCESS. UH, WE'RE LIKELY TO HAVE 14 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES HERE, WHICH IS OUTSTANDING, WHICH WILL DRIVE MORE VISITORSHIP AND, UM, TOURISM INTO THE MARKET. SO RYAN JUST HANDED ME THIS AS A REMINDER. YOU SEE OVER HERE, UH, THIS IS THE HOST CITY POSTER. THIS WILL BECOME AN ICONIC VISION ASSOCIATED WITH THE HOUSTON 2026 WORLD CUP. AND IT IS JUST GOT ANNOUNCED, I THINK, 20 MINUTES OR SO AGO, RIGHT? SO IT'S OFF, FRESH OFF THE PRESSES. AND WE'VE PUT A LITTLE POSTCARD IN FRONT OF EACH OF YOU SO YOU CAN NOW BE AWARE OF THE, THE 2026 HOUSTON HOST CITY POSTER, WHICH WAS DESIGNED BY A LOCAL ARTIST. UM, SO, UH, WE HAD A CONTEST, UH, NUMEROUS ARTISTS, UH, ENTERED, AND, UH, THIS IS THE WINNING ENTRY. NICE. CHRIS, LET ME HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE, UH, AREAS THAT YOU MENTIONED ON FIRST TRANSPORTATION, AND DEPENDING ON METRO, I UNDERSTAND THEY RECENTLY UNVEILED A EXPRESS, UH, SHUTTLE FROM THE AIRPORT TO THE GALLERIA NONSTOP. SO IT WILL ALSO USE A NONSTOP SHUTTLE FROM THE AIRPORT TO THE GEORGE BROWN IN CONVENTION HOTELS. ALSO, THE AIRPORT IS HAVING A DESIGNATED AREA FOR FIFA TO HELP PROCESS OUR FOREIGN GUESTS. AND SO I KNOW ALL HANDS ON DECK AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND THE SPORTS AUTHORITY. I DO WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT THERE WILL BE SOME INCONVENIENCES, AND I [03:55:01] REGULARLY TELL OUR WORKING GROUPS THAT WE NEED TO ACT LIKE EVERY DAY IS A WORLD CUP DAY FOR HOUSTONIANS. SO WE DON'T NEED TO JUST CLEAN UP AND MAKE METRO SAFE FOR A MAJOR EVENT. WE NEED TO DO IT ON A DAILY BASIS. SO THE MESSAGE HAS BEEN GIVEN THAT, UH, WE'RE GONNA HOLD EVERYBODY ACCOUNTABLE. AND IT STARTS THIS MORNING WITH YOUR TEAM. AND, UM, FIFA HAS TOLD ME WE'RE WAY AHEAD OF MOST MAJOR CITIES. SO THANK YOU AND HOLLY, AND RYAN AND JUAN. IT'S, IT'S AMAZING WHAT THE DIFFERENCE GOOD LEADERSHIP MAKES. UH, LET ME YIELD TO, UH, COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, AND JUST TO PIGGYBACK OFF OF THAT, I JUST WANT TO THANK, UH, CHAIRMAN GARCIA, RYAN AND HOLLY FOR A QUICK SNAPSHOT OF, UH, WHAT'S GOING ON AT THE SPORTS AUTHORITY, AND LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING MORE ABOUT HOW WE CAN CONTINUE TO GET THAT KIND OF TRANSPARENCY HERE AROUND THE HORSESHOE. UM, AND THEN JUST TO SPEAK TO, UH, FIFA, UM, I'M EXCITED. UH, I WANT TO, UH, THANK RYAN AND, AND, UH, CHAIRMAN GARCIA FOR THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'VE BEEN HAVING. UH, WHEN IT COMES TO EAST DOWNTOWN, UM, AS HAS BEEN NOTED, SEVEN GAMES WILL BE AT NRG, BUT 39 DAYS WILL BE IN, IN THE EAST DOWNTOWN AREA. AND SO, UH, THAT SEVEN TIMES, YOU KNOW, FOUR, UH, FIVE, SIX RIGHT, IS WHAT WE'RE GONNA BE SEEING IN THE EAST DOWNTOWN AREA. AND SO, UM, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO HAVE MORE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT TRANSPORTATION, UH, IN, IN AND OUT OF EAST DOWNTOWN, SPECIFICALLY AROUND RESIDENTIAL, UH, UH, FOLKS THAT, UH, THAT LIVE IN EAST DOWNTOWN. NOW, HISTORICALLY IT WAS A WAREHOUSE, UH, DISTRICT. NOW WE HAVE A LOT MORE FOLKS THAT ARE LIVING IN EAST DOWNTOWN. AND SO THE IMPACT THAT'S GONNA, UH, BRING TO THEM, UM, AND, AND, UH, AND SO AGAIN, JUST WANNA SAY, UH, THIS ONGOING CONVERSATION, I KNOW WE'RE A LITTLE BIT LESS THAN A YEAR OUT, UH, BUT THIS PLANNING, UH, IS IMPORTANT. EAST DOWNTOWN MANAGEMENT, DISTRICT EAST, DOWNTOWN TUR IS, IS ALL HANDS ON DECK AS WELL. SO AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR INCLUDING THEM. UM, AND THEN ON THE ECONOMIC IMPACT, UH, WANNA GIVE A QUICK SHOUT OUT TO MARIA DURAN. UH, SHE HAS BEEN AT SEVERAL OF THESE DIFFERENT, UH, EVENTS ALREADY PROMOTING FIFA. UM, AND SO, UH, WE'LL CONTINUE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HELP, UH, BE A SOUNDING BOARD FOR HER AND FOR YOU ALL TO ENSURE THAT SMALL BUSINESSES, UH, DO FEEL THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF WHAT'S, WHAT'S COMING, UH, TO HOUSTON NEXT YEAR. UM, AND THEN JUST TO CLOSE OFF ON THE LEGACY PROJECT, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK WE'VE SEEN A, A SHIFT. UH, I GREW UP PLAYING LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL, UM, AND WE USED TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, 10 TEAMS IN OUR DIVISION. NOW THERE'S LIKE TWO OR THREE TEAMS, AND NOW THERE'S A SHIFT IN SOCCER, RIGHT? AND, AND SO WE'VE SEEN A, A, A MORE MINI PITCH, UH, UH, GOING ON, GOING ON AROUND THE, AROUND THE CITY. UM, AND SO I'D LOVE TO TALK TO YOU ALL ABOUT, AND I KNOW Y'ALL PROBABLY SPOKEN TO A FEW FOLKS ABOUT THE GO PARK AND, AND, UH, RIGHT OUTSIDE OF, UH, BBVA OR NOW, IS IT STILL BEING SHELL, SHELL, I GET, I GET CONFUSED WITH ALL THE NAME CHANGES, UM, WHAT OUTSIDE OF SHELL STADIUM, BUT THEN ALSO JUST THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE CITY, UM, HOW WE CAN CONTINUE TO INCREASE THAT CAPACITY WHEN IT COMES TO SOCCER AS WELL. SO, UH, AGAIN, JUST THANK YOU, UH, EXCITED ABOUT THIS AND LOOKING FORWARD TO MAKE SURE WE GET THIS INFORMATION OUT TO COMMUNITY AS WELL. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER CAMAN. GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE. UH, THIS IS ALL VERY EXCITING. AND, UH, CHRIS, WOW, WHAT A LONG TIME YOU HAVE BEEN WORKING, UH, TO GET THIS TO TODAY, UH, TO JUAN, CHRIS, HOLLY, THANK YOU ALL FOR STEPPING IN IN THE WORK THAT YOU CONTINUE TO DO. ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS ABOUT, UM, HAVING FIFA HERE, IN ADDITION TO THE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO LIFT UP AND CELEBRATE HOUSTON, NOT JUST ON A NATIONAL, BUT A GLOBAL LEVEL, IS THE PARTNERSHIPS THAT ARE CREATED, UM, THAT HAVE A VERY HOUSTON, UH, FLAVOR TO THEM. FOR EXAMPLE, I BELIEVE Y'ALL ARE WORKING RIGHT NOW, UM, WITH THE MAYOR'S CLEAN CITY COMMISSION, UH, TO FORMULATE PARTNERSHIPS THERE. CHRIS, AS YOU TALKED ABOUT, UH, ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE EFFORTS AS WELL IN INCORPORATING THAT. ONE QUESTION I HAD FOR YOU. UM, CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT EFFORTS AS IT RELATES TO ADDRESSING, UM, HUMAN TRAFFICKING, UH, DURING WHAT IS A GLOBAL EVENT THAT'S NOT JUST A HOUSTON ISSUE, RIGHT? THAT'S A INTERNATIONAL ISSUE, BUT ESPECIALLY HAVING FIFA HERE AT THIS TIME. CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UH, BOTH THE SECURITY AND SAFETY MEASURES, BUT ALSO WHAT WE ARE DOING, UM, TO MOVE THE BALL FORWARD TO END HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND SEX TRAFFICKING? ABSOLUTELY. SO, UH, WE HAVE A, A SUBCOMMITTEE ON, ON HUMAN RIGHTS, WHICH COVERS, UH, SIX DIFFERENT MAIN BUCKETS AND PRIORITIES. AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING IS ONE OF THEM. SO ANYTIME YOU HAVE A, A LARGE MAJOR SPORTING EVENT THAT COMES TO TOWN, THE, THE ISSUES AND CONCERNS AROUND HUMAN TRAFFICKING ARE ELEVATED. SO WE HAVE A GROUP OF PEOPLE, PROBABLY SOMEWHERE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF A HUNDRED STAKEHOLDERS WHO ARE VERY FOCUSED ON THIS ISSUE. UM, HOW WE CAN CREATE AWARENESS AROUND IT DURING THE EVENT, AND HOW, HOW ALL THE DIFFERENT PARTNERS AND STAKEHOLDERS FROM HOTELS TO AIRPORTS, TO TRANSPORTATION, UH, TO OTHERS, UH, CAN BE INVOLVED IN KNOCKING OUT AND, UM, ENSURING THAT WHEN WE BRING THIS EVENT HERE, WE'RE NOT BRINGING MORE HARM TO OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH THIS DIFFICULT ISSUE. SO A LOT OF [04:00:01] WORK BEING DONE ON THAT. I'D BE HAPPY TO FOLLOW UP WITH YOU OR YOUR TEAM TO, TO SHARE MORE OF THE DETAILS. ABSOLUTELY. AGAIN, IT'S SO EXCITING TO SEE THIS COME TO FRUITION. I REMEMBER IN OUR FIRST TERM, UH, MAYOR HAVING THESE UPDATES, UH, EVEN GETTING ONE OF THE, THE SCARFS FOOTBALL SCARFS THAT WE STILL HAVE HANGING IN OUR HOUSE. UH, WE'RE ALL REALLY AMPED FOR THIS. CONGRATULATIONS ON THE PROGRESS. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK, THANK ALL OF YOU. THIS EVENT IS, UH, AMAZING. IT'S GONNA BE SO BENEFICIAL FOR THE CITY, AND YOU GUYS ARE ALL INTEGRAL TO WHAT'S GOING ON. SO THANK YOU ALL FOR THE SERVICE YOU'VE PUT IN, UH, FOR ALL THE RESIDENTS OF HOUSTON. ONLY THING, UH, I'D, UH, LIKE TO KNOW IS, WOULD YOU BE KIND ENOUGH TO SHARE THAT SLIDE DECK WITH US? ALRIGHT. SURE. ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. AND, UH, MAYOR, UM, WHEN, WHEN THIS IS OVER, I'LL HAVE A POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE BEFORE MR. GARCIA LEAVES THE ROOM. THANK YOU. ABSOLUTELY. COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANKS FOR THE GREAT PRESENTATION. I LIKE THE DIRECTION THAT THE SPORTS AUTHORITY IS GOING AND THE, THESE WORKING GROUPS ARE AMAZING. WE PARTICIPATED IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL ONE, WE'RE GONNA COMPOST AT THE, AT THE WORLD CUP. WE'VE BEEN REALLY INVOLVED IN ALL THOSE MEETINGS, AND WE'RE NOT THROWING ANY OF THAT FOOD WASTE IN THE LANDFILL. AND, UM, ONE THING ON TRANSPORTATION, UH, I'M JUST GONNA THROW THIS OUT THERE. I'M ALL FOR GETTING THE, THE RIDE SHARE NOW THAT WE'VE LOST OUR RIDE SHARE BIKES, YOU KNOW, THE, THE BIKE SHARE DEAL, I'M ALL FOR. WELL, YOU GO TO OTHER MAJOR CITIES, I'VE RIDDEN THE LIME BIKES, THE BIRD BIKES, ALL THOSE BIKES. AND I THINK PEOPLE ARE GONNA EXPECT, ESPECIALLY IN EDO TO, TO GET AROUND ON THOSE KIND OF BIKES AND SCOOTERS AND STUFF. AND I, I SAY BRING IT ON. WE'RE GONNA NEED EVERY BIT OF TRANSPORTATION WE CAN GET. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, ONE QUESTION. GREAT INFORMATION. EVERYBODY'S EXCITED ABOUT FIFA AND IT'S CERTAINLY, UH, GOOD TO HEAR. I JUST HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE FAN FEST. HOW MUCH OF THE AREA DOWNTOWN IS THE, IS THE, UH, FESTIVAL IS GOING TO COVER? YEP. SO, UH, AS I TALK ABOUT THIS IN A VERY PUBLIC FORUM, WE STILL HAVEN'T OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCED IT. SO, UH, OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT IS COMING UP SOON. BUT, UM, SO BASICALLY IN THE EAST DOWNTOWN DISTRICT, UM, JUST SOUTH OF SHELL ENERGY STADIUM, WHERE THE DYNAMO STADIUM IS UHHUH, WHERE A LOT OF THE BARS AND THE RESTAURANTS ARE, WE'RE BASICALLY TAKING UP, THERE'S A GREEN SPACE THERE. UM, AND THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT PARKING SPACES, PARKING LOTS THERE THAT WE'RE TAKING OVER TO BASICALLY CREATE A VENUE. UH, WHAT THE FIFA FAN FEST IS, IS ESSENTIALLY A LARGE VIEWING PARTY. THE SOCCER FANS LIKE TO GATHER IN MASSES TO WATCH THE MATCHES. SO THERE'LL BE A BIG SCREEN AND A STAGE, AND YOU WILL HAVE LITERALLY THOUSANDS OF FANS GATHERING IN THESE, THESE EMPTY SPACES THAT WE'RE CREATING A VENUE OUT OF TEMPORARY VENUE. MM-HMM. UM, AROUND THESE BARS, THE CONCEPT IS GOING TO BE KNOWN AS FOOTBALL FIESTA. AND WE WANT, WE WANT FANS TO COME DOWN TO FOOTBALL FIESTA, VISIT A BAR, A RESTAURANT IN THE DISTRICT, UH, GO TO THE OFFICIAL FIFA FAN FEST, WHICH IS WITHIN THE, THE FOOTBALL FIESTA. UH, COME IN AND OUT. IT'S GONNA BE HOT, RIGHT? WE'RE GONNA NEED PEOPLE TO GO INSIDE AND OUTSIDE, UH, TO STAY COOL AND STAY SAFE. SO IT'S REALLY THIS, THIS REALLY TIGHT FOOTPRINT, UM, JUST SOUTH OF DYNAMO STADIUM. OKAY, SOUNDS GOOD. UM, WELL, WITH THAT BEING SAID, DID THAT COVER, YOU'D SAY YOU DON'T REALLY HAVE IT AS OF NOW IN TERMS OF YOU ARE IN DETAIL, YOU'RE TRYING TO DETAIL IT OUT AS YOU SPEAK. WE DO HAVE PRETTY GOOD DETAIL, SO I COULD SHARE, YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T BRING THAT HERE TODAY TO PRESENT, BUT WE'VE GIVEN TIME CONSTRAINTS, BUT WE'RE HAPPY TO SHARE THOSE DETAILS. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ'S STAFF HAS, HAS BEEN IN A RECENT MEETING WE HAD WITH STAKEHOLDERS, SO, UM, WE HAVE THAT DETAIL. WE'RE HAPPY TO SHARE THAT WITH ANYBODY WHO WOULD LIKE, YEAH, YEAH, WE'D LIKE TO GET THAT AS, AS WELL. IT WOULD STILL WORK IN PROGRESS A YEAR OUT, BUT WE HAVE A GENERAL CONCEPT. GOOD, GOOD. WONDERFUL. WELL, WITH A SOCCER PLAYER, I'LL PROBABLY SPEND A LOT OF TIME DOWN THERE. 'CAUSE I HAVE ONE IN MY HOUSE, SO. GREAT. BE GOOD TO KNOW. AWESOME. THANK YOU. AWESOME. COUNCILMAN DAVIS, YOU PROBABLY NEED TO GO TO SPRING TRAINING COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. RECOGNIZE. YES. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, IF, IF WE'RE DONE WITH SPORTS AUTHORITY, CAN WE MOVE TO JUST THE RODEO BRIEFLY, AND I'D ASK, UH, JUAN GARCIA TO COME UP. UH, JUAN WEARS MANY HATS. HE'S NOT WEARING, UH, A COWBOY HAT TODAY. HE JUST PUT THAT AWAY WITH THE RODEO, CONCLUDING FOR THIS YEAR, UH, IN ADDITION TO BEING, UH, UH, VERY SUCCESSFUL ATTORNEY AND, UH, CHAIRMAN OF THE SPORTS AUTHORITY, HE'S ALSO THE FIRST LATINO MEMBER OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE RODEO. AND I WAS WONDERING IF YOU COULD MAYBE JUST TAKE A MINUTE AND SHARE SOME, SOME STATS WITH US ON, ON HOW THIS, UH, THIS RODEO WENT. SURE. UH, THANK YOU. FIRST OF ALL, I WAS HAPPY TO HEAR THE, THE TRANSPORTATION ISSUES THAT WERE NONE, UH, FOR, FOR YOU COUNCIL MEMBER. I WILL TELL YOU THAT AS I WAS DRIVING AROUND DURING THAT TIME PERIOD, YOU'VE NOTICED SIGNS GOING UP IN FRONT OF BUSINESSES, ENTRANCES, WHERE [04:05:01] THE RODEO SAYS, DO NOT BLOCK THESE ENTRANCES, BECAUSE WE TAKE THAT SERIOUSLY AT THE HOUSTON LIVESTOCK SHOW AND RODEO TO MAKE SURE OUR COMMUNITY, UH, IS ABLE TO GET IN AND OUT IN TRANSPORTATION. AND I WILL TELL YOU, DESPITE THAT WE HAD THE MOST ATTENDANCE EVER THIS YEAR AT THE HOUSTON LIVESTOCK SHOW. OVER 27 MILLION PEOPLE ATTENDED IN THAT 20 PLUS STATE PERIOD, UH, NRG PARK, INCLUDING THE BARBECUE AND OUR 20 DAYS OF RODEO, INCLUDING THE SECOND SATURDAY THAT HAD CLOSE TO 200,000 PEOPLE ON THE GROUNDS. UH, AND SO WE HAD A TREMENDOUSLY SUCCESSFUL, UH, RODEO. UH, OUR NUMBERS WERE UP, WE'RE ABLE TO COMMIT ALMOST OVER $28 MILLION IN SCHOLARSHIPS TO OUR YOUTH OF TEXAS AS A RESULT OF THE SUPPORT OF OUR COMMUNITY, INCLUDING, UH, THE SUPPORT OF OUR CITY AND, AND THOSE THAT ATTEND. SO WE HAD A TREMENDOUS EVENT. UM, THE, THE PUBLIC LOVED IT. IT WAS ONE OF THE BEST LINEUPS THAT I THINK, UH, WE'VE HAD IN A VERY LONG TIME. AND IN FACT, LATER ON TODAY, UH, WE HAVE A WRAP UP MEETING TO KIND OF DISCUSS, UH, MORE DETAILS ON THE YEAR END AND TO START PLANNING FOR NEXT YEAR. UH, SO IT'S, UH, IT'S A MAJOR EVENT, OBVIOUSLY IN HOUSTON TAKE PRIDE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF A SUPER BOWL. THE RODEO HAS ABOUT A $363 MILLION ECONOMIC IMPACT EVERY YEAR IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. AND SO WE'RE PROUD OF THAT. WE'RE SUPPORT THE, WE'RE PROUD TO SUPPORT THE YOUTH OF TEXAS, OUR COMMUNITY, AND, AND, AND EVERYTHING ELSE THAT GOES ALONG WITH IT SO TREMENDOUSLY. AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT OF THE CITY AND EVERYBODY HERE. WELL, THANK YOU. AND THANK ALL THE VOLUNTEERS WHO MAKE THE, THE RODEO. WHAT IT IS. THIS, THIS EVENT IS WHAT MAKES HOUSTON, HOUSTON ONE OF THOSE THINGS. AND SO APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT Y'ALL DO, UH, TO ENTERTAIN US AND, UH, FOR EDUCATIONAL AS WELL. AND JUST THANK YOU. YEAH, NO, AND THANK YOU. THE 35,000 VOLUNTEERS HERE IN, IN, IN HOUSTON, HARRIS COUNTY AND THE SURROUNDING COUNTIES. WE OBVIOUSLY COULD NOT DO IT WITHOUT THE SUPPORT OF THAT. WE HAVE COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD TO COME TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE DO IT, AND WE TELL 'EM WE DO IT BECAUSE WE HAVE 35,000 VOLUNTEERS AND THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE TO START. UH, AND, AND IT'S JUST THE HEART OF THE PEOPLE HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT ARE WILLING TO GIVE US THEIR TIME, TREASURE, AND THEIR TALENT THAT MAKE THE HOUSTON LIVESTOCK SHOW AS SUCCESSFUL AS IT IS. YOU TRUE. ONE FINAL NOTE ON THE SPORTS AUTHORITY. THE TOUGHEST THING THAT SENATOR WHITMEYER DID IN HIS 50 YEARS IN LEGISLATURE WAS PASSED THE LEGISLATION, CREATING THE SPORTS AUTHORITY. TO GIVE YOU A PERSPECTIVE, WE HAD NO DAIKIN PARK. WE HAD LOST THE OILERS. WE WERE ABOUT TO LOSE ASTROS, ROCKETS WERE PLAYING AT THE SUMMIT. SO THE IDEA WAS TO CREATE A REVENUE STREAM AND AN ADMINISTRATION THAT COULD PROTECT OUR SPORTS TEAMS AND VENUES. VERY CONTROVERSIAL. THEN PATRICK HAD A RADIO SHOW, SO HE ATTACKED IT DAILY. PAUL BENTON COURT WAS ATTACKED, SUCCESSOR ATTACKED IT DAILY, BUT THROUGH A LOT OF HARD WORK AND COLLABORATION, WE PASSED IT. ONE OF THE CONDITIONS FOR ME TO CARRY IT WAS THAT THEY WOULD BUILD A BALLPARK EAST OF MAIN STREET. THE FIX WAS ON TO GO BACK TO THE DOME SITE, WHICH HAD NOT HAD AN ECONOMIC IMPACT IN ITS 25 YEAR PRESENCE. SO I, IT'S VERY GRATIFYING THIS MORNING TO SEE THAT THE SPORTS AUTHORITY IS DOING SUCH GREAT WORK AND HAS BROUGHT SO MUCH TO OUR CITY. NRG TOYOTA, THE SUMMIT, NOW THE DYNAMO. SO THAT'S WHY WE RUN FOR OFFICE AND HOUSTONIANS ECONOMIC IMPACT AND JOB OPPORTUNITY AND SMALL BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES. SO, THANK YOU. Y'ALL ARE DOING AN EXCELLENT JOB. AND, AND IT'S VERY, UH, IT'S VERY REWARDING TO WATCH FOR SOMEONE THAT HAD TO BATTLE SO HARD TO EVEN CREATE USING USER FEES. THERE'S NO PROPERTY TAXES WHATSOEVER GO TOWARD THIS OPERATION. IT'S NAME AND RIGHTS, HOTEL OCCUPANCY, CAR RENTAL LICENSE FEES FOR THE SEATS. SO THANK Y'ALL. THE, UM, YOUR LEADERSHIP IS REALLY MAKING A DIFFERENCE AND WE GET EXCITED ABOUT THE FUTURE. SO THANK Y'ALL FOR BEING HERE. THANK Y'ALL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU EVERYONE. MADAM SECRETARY, IF YOU'LL PROCEED [CONSENT AGENDA] WITH THE CONSENT AGENDA UNDER THE ACCEPT WORK CATEGORY. ITEM TWO NEEDS A MOTION CASTEX. TITLE MOVED. I SECOND MOTIONS. MADEN. SECONDED. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY YES. THOSE [04:10:01] OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES UNDER THE PURCHASING AND TABULATION OF BS CATEGORY. ITEMS NINE, 11, AND 15 HAVE BEEN REMOVED. SEPARATE. SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. NEED A MOTION FOR ITEMS THREE THROUGH 8, 10, 12, 13, AND 14. CAST TAYLOR, MOVE. SECOND. MOTION MADE IN SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NA. MOTION PASSES UNDER THE ORDINANCES CATEGORY ITEMS, REMOVE SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. 17, 18, 23, 33, AND 36. THOSE NUMBERS AGAIN ARE 17, 18, 23, 33, AND 36. NEED A VOTE ON THE BALANCE? ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 50. I'M SORRY. I'M SORRY. ITEM [CONSIDERATION OF MATTERS REMOVED FROM CONSENT AGENDA] NINE NEEDS A MOTION. CASTEX TAYLOR, MOVE SECOND. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. OPPOSED? OPPOSED. NAY. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 11 NEEDS A MOTION. CAN I SAY A MOVE? SECOND. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND I'M SUPPORTIVE OF THIS ITEM. I JUST WANNA TAKE A MINUTE TO SAY JUST HOW LUCKY WE ARE TO HAVE HTV. THEY DO SUCH AN INCREDIBLE JOB FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON, FOR THE COUNCIL MEMBERS. UM, AND I'M EXCITED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS ITEM JUST BECAUSE THEY ARE. FANTASTIC. VERY GOOD. MM-HMM . THANK YOU. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NA. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 15 NEEDS A MOTION CAST. STATE, STATE MOVE. SECOND. MOTION MADE AND SECONDED. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED. NAME. THOMAS. NO. SO COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. NO. MOTION PASSES. POLLARD. NO. TWO. SHOW COUNCIL MEMBER. POLLARD VOTED NO. I'M SORRY. HUFFMAN'S? YES. ON THAT ONE. NO. ONE 16 A YES. ONE 16 ALSO. YES. WE'RE ON 15. WE'RE ON 15. SO THOMAS AND POLLARD VOTING. THOMAS IS A NO ON ITEM 15. POLLARD IS A NO ON 15. YES. COUNCILMAN POLLARD AND THOMAS. VOTING NO ON 15. ITEM 17 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 18 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 23 IS AN ORDER. JUST NEED TO VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. HUFFMAN. NO. SHOW COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN VOTING. NO. MOTION PASSES. I MEAN MM-HMM . ITEM 33 IS AN ORDER. JUST NEED TO VOTE. COUNCIL COUNCILMAN KAMAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I WANTED TO JUST SPOTLIGHT THIS ITEM. USUALLY I VOTE NO ON, UH, MUDS THAT ARE, THIS ONE, FOR EXAMPLE, IS 98.2% IN THE 100 YEAR FLOODPLAIN. UH, AND TRADITIONALLY I WILL VOTE NO ON THESE, BUT I THINK THIS IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF WORK BEING DONE AND THE SCRUTINY BEING DONE TO MITIGATE FLOODING. UH, SO MAYOR, I WANTED TO LIFT THIS UP. ACCORDING TO THE DRAINAGE IMPACT ANALYSIS, UH, THE TRACK WILL BE REMOVED FROM THE FLOOD PLAIN. AND ADDITIONALLY, THE APPLICANT IS GOING TO COMPLETE A LETTER OF MAP REVISION BASED ON FILL TO FEMA THAT MAKES IT PUBLIC RECORD AND ENSURES THE COMMUNITY WILL MAINTAIN ANY MODIFICATIONS THAT ARE MADE. UH, THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY THE DRAINAGE IMPACT ANALYSIS THAT IS DONE FOR MUDS IS SO IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY HAVING IT DONE BEFORE THEY COME TO COUNSEL. SO, AGAIN, I'LL BE SUPPORTIVE OF THIS PARTICULAR ITEM AND APPRECIATE THE WORK DONE ON IT. THANK YOU. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. NEXT. ITEM 36 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION [04:15:01] PASSES. MOVING RIGHT ALONG. ITEM [NON CONSENT AGENDA - NUMBERING] 50. OKAY. NEEDS A MOTION FOR? NEEDS A MOTION FOR THE, UH, WITHDRAW. WE NEED A MOTION FOR THE FIRST PART. WE NEED A MOTION FOR THE, UH, TO ACCEPT THE AWARD. TO DRAW A LOT. TO BREAK THE TIE, WE NEED A MOTION FOR THE FIRST PART, WE DON'T NEED A MOTION FOR THE TIE BIDS. WE NEED A MOTION FOR THE, UH, AWARD TO VETERINARY SUPPLIES, MEDICATIONS, VACCINES, AND EQUIPMENT. WE NEED A MOTION FOR THE FIRST PART. AND THEN WE NEED TO DRAW A LOT FOR, OKAY. VERY GOOD. CASTEX TO MOVE. MOTION MADE AND SECONDED ON ITEM ONE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NA. NOW WE HAVE A, NOW WE NEED TO DRAW A LOT FOR THE TIE B FOR ITEMS 24, 28, AND 29. OKEY DOKE. WE ARE GOING TO LET COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS DRAW. THIS IS FOR ITEM 24, 28, AND 29. WE HAVE A TIE BIDS FOR PATTERSON VETERINARY SUPPLY AND HSB VETERINARY SUPPLY. THESE ARE THE TWO RIGHT HERE. WE'RE GOING TO DO THEM THE SAME. KEEP AN EYE ON THOMAS . TURN MY BACK IN THE ENVELOPE TOGETHER. I TRIED TO FOLD THE WE GO. OKAY, NOW YOU CAN PICK. NO, I'M NOT. AND IT IS HSB VETERINARY SUPPLIES. VERY WELL. THANK YOU. COUNCILOR THOMAS. MY PLEASURE. MOTION FOR THAT? NO. YOU WANT TO READ INTO THE RECORD AGAIN? WHO WON THE DRAWN THE LOTS WERE DRAWN FOR HSB VETERINARY SUPPLIES FOR ITEM NUMBERS 24, 28, AND 29 ON ITEM 50. OKAY. THANK YOU. NEXT [MATTERS HELD] ITEM 51 IS AN ORDINANCE YOU NEED TO VOTE. COUNCIL RAMIREZ. COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, THIS, THIS ITEM, UH, DATES BACK TO 2017 WAS PART OF AN ECONOMIC, UH, DEVELOPMENT DEAL. THIS ITEM PERTAINS TO THE FORGIVING OF A LOAN, UH, ON THE PART OF MCGREGOR GROCERY, WHICH IS, UH, ESSENTIALLY HHFC, HOUSTON HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION. UH, WE'VE ASKED SOME QUESTIONS AND HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT IS WORKING WITH US TO GET US ANSWERS AND WITH THEIR CONSENT. MAYOR, UH, I MOVE THAT THIS ITEM BE REFERRED BACK TO THE ADMINISTRATION FOR 30 DAYS. OKEY DOKE. IS THERE A SECOND? NO. SECOND. ABOUT ONE SECONDS. WE HAVE A MOTION. SECOND. JUST NEED A VOTE. COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ IS IN THE QUEUE. COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ. WE'RE ON THE MOTION. YOU WANT 30 DAYS OF REFERRAL. JUST REFER BACK. 30 DAYS IS WHAT HOUSING SUGGESTED. UM, CONVERSATIONS WITH, UH, THEIR CHIEF OF STAFF. AMY MCC CONNOLLY, WHO RECOMMENDED THAT? CHIEF OF STAFF HOUSING. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. CHIEF OF STAFF. OKEY. DO COUNCIL MEMBER SHABAZZ. WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE RECOGNIZED? EVAN SHABAZZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, I GUESS I'M A LITTLE CONCERNED BECAUSE, UH, FIRST AND FOREMOST I WAS INVOLVED IN THIS HEB PROJECT FROM THE VERY BEGINNING WHEN I WAS THE BOARD CHAIR AT, UM, HOUSTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE. AND SO WE HAVE HAD SOME CONVERSATIONS, UM, JUST REALLY KIND OF PUZZLED AS TO WHY WE'RE ASKING TO DELAY THE ITEM. AND, UH, PERHAPS YOU COULD ENLIGHTEN ME A COUNCIL [04:20:01] MEMBER REGARDING THAT. WELL, A LITTLE BIT OF THE HISTORY, IF I MAY, UH, AND THIS IS FROM CONVERSATIONS WITH A NUMBER OF PARTIES. UM, THIS INVOLVED, UM, THE PURCHASE OF SOME LAND FROM THAT WAS OWNED BY THE CITY AND, UM, HOUSTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE BY THE HOUSTON HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION. UH, IT WASN'T AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEAL, SOMETHING THAT TYPICALLY THEY DON'T DO. BUT THEY WERE CONVINCED BY THE CITY'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS ON THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE PROPERTY WOULD BE TAX EXEMPT, THAT THEY WOULDN'T HAVE TO PAY PROPERTY TAXES ON IT BECAUSE, UH, THEY DO AFFORDABLE HOUSING. WELL, UH, HCA TOLD THEM YOU CAN'T HAVE A TAX EXEMPTION ON THE PROPERTY 'CAUSE IT'S NOT AFFORDABLE HOUSING. YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO PAY TAXES ON IT. AND, UH, THAT MADE THE DEAL ACCORDING TO HHFC UNPROFITABLE FOR THEM. UM, PART OF THE WAY THEY, THEY PURCHASED THIS LAND WAS THEY GOT TWO, TWO LOANS THAT WERE ORIGINALLY, UH, MONEY FROM HUD. UM, ONE WAS CALLED A A 1 0 8 LOAN, THE OTHER IS AN EDI LOAN. UM, AND, UH, OVER TIME THEY FOUND THAT THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO MAKE, UH, THE TAX PAYMENTS ACCORDING TO THEM AND PAY OFF THE TWO LOANS. UH, SO THEY CLAIM TO BE LOSING MONEY ON THE DEAL, AND THEY HAVE COME TO THE CITY AND ASKED THAT WE FORGIVE THE EDI LOAN IN ORDER TO MAKE IT, UH, WORK FOR THEM. UM, WE HAVE BEEN ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT THE CASHFLOW ACTUALLY IS FOR MCGREGOR, WHICH IS HHFC. WE WERE GIVEN SOME INFORMATION WHICH PAINTED A PARTIAL PICTURE, NOT AN ENTIRE PICTURE. AND SO, UM, EVEN OUR HOUSING COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT NOW WANTS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, UM, SO THAT THEY CAN UNDERSTAND THE, THE FULL RAMIFICATIONS BECAUSE THIS ESSENTIALLY WOULD BE GIVING UP, UM, THIS REVENUE STREAM THAT COMES BACK TO THE CITY, UH, AND HHFC IS ALLOWED TO KEEP THE, THE PROPERTY. AND SO THAT'S ESSENTIALLY WHY, UM, I'M MOVING TO REFER BACK WITH THE CONSENT OF OUR HOUSING DEPARTMENT SO THAT WE CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CASH FLOW SITUATION AND, AND HOW THIS DEAL IS ACTUALLY WORKING AND WHETHER IT IN FACT WILL BENEFIT THE CITY. SO LET ME SEE YOUR POINT OF VIEW. FIRST OF ALL, WE WERE ASKED BY THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT TO PUT IT ON THE AGENDA, AND YOU'RE REPRESENTING THAT NOW, THEY'RE ASKING YOU TO SEND IT BACK. THAT'S CORRECT, SIR. YES, THAT'S CORRECT. MAYOR. OKAY. SO WHAT DO YOU WANT TO ACCOMPLISH WHEN WE REFER IT BACK? THAT'S MY, I'M SITTING HERE THINKING THAT IF THERE'S CONCERNS, YOU OUGHT TO HAVE A COMMITTEE HEARING AND LET THE CONCERNS BE EXPRESSED IN PUBLIC. SO IF, IF THE SUGGESTION IS, I WOULD LIKE TO SEND IT, UH, TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND LET THE PARTIES, UH, BE, IT'S A HOUSING ITEM THAT CAME UP. THESE ARE, OH, I'M SORRY. HOUSING AUTHORITY. IT SOUND LIKE ECONOMICS TO ME, BUT, UH, IT'S ALREADY GONE DOWN. IF WE'RE GOING TO SEND IT BACK, I THINK IT SHOULD BE FOR THE PURPOSE OF, UH, ENHANCING THE PROCESS. SO, UH, I I DON'T HAVE AN OBJECTION VOTE, AND THEN THE CHAIRPERSON CAN DECIDE WHETHER SHE WANTS TO TAKE IT UP TO CLEAR UP ANY, UH, MISUNDERSTANDINGS OR MISREPRESENTATIONS. I, I DON'T HAVE AN OBJECTION TO REFERRING IT TO THE HOUSING COMMITTEE TO BE TAKEN UP THERE. MAYOR, WE WERE STILL WITH EVAN . YEAH, WE'RE STILL ON COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. MAYOR, YOU STILL ON THE, IF, IF I COULD, I'D LIKE TO TAG THIS ITEM. OKAY. COUNCIL MEMBER EVIDENCE ABOUT, I'D LIKE TO TAG THIS ITEM. UH, I AM VERY CONCERNED THAT WE ARE NOT TRYING TO RENEGOTIATE. THAT MIGHT ACCOMPLISH THE SAME. YEAH. IN FACT, I WAS WONDERING. NO, I WAS ASKING. I DON'T WANT, AND COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ TAG IT, BUT I, I TAGGED IT LAST WEEK, MAN, LAST WEEK I DID CA AND TAGS. I WAS NOT PRESENT LAST WEEK, NOR WAS I. OKAY. OKAY. EVAN SHABAZZ WOULD LIKE TO TAG, I'D LIKE TO TAG THE ITEM, BUT I'D LIKE TO LIFT THE TAG TO JUST SAY A COUPLE OF THINGS. I HOPE THAT WE ARE NOT TRYING TO RENEGOTIATE THIS CONTRACT IN ANY WAY. THIS THIS STORE HAS BEEN, UH, JUST STELLAR IN THE COMMUNITY. IT HELPED US THROUGH COVID AND THEY EMPLOY OVER 450 EMPLOYEES. MOST OF 'EM ARE YOUNG PEOPLE, SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT COMMENT PRIOR TO THAT, MOVING IT TO THE TAG. MAY I, UH, MAY COUNCILMAN DAVIS? ARE YOU TOO, MA'AM? COUNCILMAN COUNCILMAN DAVIS? YES. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I, I, I, MY, MY CONCERN IS TO COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ AS TO YOUR CONCERNS REGARDING THIS, THIS, THIS PROJECT, UM, WHICH WAS [04:25:01] PUT ON THE, ON THE AGENDA BY HOUSING. AND THEN THAT, UH, YOUR REFERENCE OF NOT GETTING ANY INFORMATION FROM THE COUNCIL MEMBER IN WHICH THIS IS DONE IN HER DISTRICT. AND, UM, THAT'S MY BIGGEST CONCERN. AND TO DELAY IT FOR 30 DAYS. UM, I WOULD AGREE LESS REFERRED BACK TO THE HOUSING COMMITTEE, AND THEN WE GO FROM THERE. BUT I DON'T SEE THE NEED OF US, UH, PURPOSELY, YOU KNOW, WITHOUT ANY CONSULTING WITH THE DISTRICT COUNCIL PERSON WHO COULD, COULD HAVE GIVEN YOU MORE INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT IT IS THAT YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT. THANK YOU. OKAY. COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I JUST GOT A QUICK QUESTION. OBVIOUSLY I WASN'T HERE WHEN THIS WAS INITIALLY DONE. AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RENEGOTIATING THE DEAL. WAS THE ORIGINAL DEAL TO FORGIVE THE LOAN? NO. FOR THEM TO BE TAX EXEMPT? YOU MEAN THE ORIGINAL WHEN IT, THE CONTRACT WAS NEGOTIATED? YEAH. NO. OKAY. SO NOW WE'VE CHANGED IT AND WE'RE GONNA FORGIVE THE LOAN IF WE APPROVE IT, CORRECT? CORRECT. OKAY. AND ALSO, I FORGOT TO INDICATE THAT HEB HAS BEEN PAYING THE TAXES, UH, ON THIS PROPERTY FOR THE DURATION. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. ALRIGHT. UH, THANK YOU. I WAS GONNA SHARE THAT AS WELL. HEV UH, PAYS THE TAXES FOR THIS PROPERTY. UM, IT'S CUSTOMARY IN OUR WORK TO DO FOR THE GABLE LOANS, PARTICULARLY WITH HUD FUNDS. UM, ONE OF THE REASONS WHY AND THE JUSTIFICATION FROM THE ADMINISTRATION IS BECAUSE THAT, UM, LOCATION HAS GENERATED JOBS. IT'S, UH, REVITALIZED THAT AREA. IT'S BECOME AN ASSET DRIVER IN THAT COMMUNITY. AND ONE OF THE POINTS THAT, UM, SHOULD BE TEASED OUT IS, UH, THIS, THE RIBBON CUTTING THE OPENING WAS DECEMBER OF 23. UM, COVID WAS, NO, I'M SORRY, OF 19, 20 19. AND COVID WAS MARCH, STARTED MARCH, 2020. AND WITHOUT THAT GROCERY STORE, THOSE RESIDENTS WOULD NOT HAVE DIRECT ACCESS TO FOOD. UM, SO I, I DO THINK WITH THE TAG, IT'LL ALLOW, UM, THE QUESTIONS THAT COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ HAS RAISED, BUT ALSO SOME CLARITY FOR ALL OF US AT THE TABLE. BECAUSE HEB IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THOSE TAXES, IT'S CUSTOMARY FOR, UM, UM, THOSE, THOSE DOLLARS TO BE FORGIVEN. UM, HUD DOLLARS, UM, THE SECTION 1 0 8 LOAN WE LOANED AGAINST OUR OWN ESSENTIAL EQUITY FOR THE CITY FROM HUD TO ALLOW THEM TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS DEAL. UM, SO I THINK WE DO NEED SOME CLARITY, AND I'LL DEFER TO COUNCIL MEMBER SHABAZZ ON HOW SHE WANTS TO PROCEED. AND HOWEVER YOU'RE COMFORTABLE WITH THAT. COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND I JUST, YOU KNOW, I, I CLEARLY RESPECT WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ IS DOING, BUT YOU KNOW, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT PROFITABILITY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. I MEAN, THERE'S A LOT OF WASTE THAT WE DO ON GEN IN GENERAL AND US THE OPPORTUNITY OF JUST THE THOUGHT OF LOSING A GROCERY STORE AND CREATING ANOTHER FOOD DESERT IN THAT COMMUNITY IS DEVASTATING. HEB KROGER, I MEAN, I MEAN, EVERYBODY, NO ONE COMES TO OUR COMMUNITIES. WE DON'T SELL STEAKS FOR $50 AND HAVE THIS HUGE, THIS HUGE PROFIT MARGIN, THESE GROCERY STORES. I MEAN, THAT GROCERY STORE, IF WE LOSE THAT IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM, IT IS GONNA BE A HUGE, HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT TO THE COMMUNITY. WE CANNOT, WE HAVE TO FIGURE THIS THING OUT. I MEAN, I WANNA VOTE RIGHT NOW AND GET IT DONE, BUT WE CANNOT HAVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT CLOSING THE ONLY GROCERY STORE THAT SERVES THAT ENTIRE REGION. THEY CLOSE THE ONE OFF OF OST TO OPEN THIS ONE. UM, IT'S BEEN A CHALLENGE FOR THE COMMUNITY. UM, WE JUST NEED TO FIGURE THIS ONE OUT. MAYOR FOOD DESERT. IT'S A FOOD DESERT. AND TO SUPPORT YOUR COMMENTS, THE MICRO TRANSIT, WHICH IS OPERATING IN THIRD WARD, WHERE DO YOU THINK ITS NUMBER ONE DESTINATION IS? IT'S GOING HEB. ABSOLUTELY. I THOUGHT IT WOULD FOR CERTAIN BE CHURCH OR THE DOCTOR, RIGHT? THE NUMBER ONE DESTINATION YES. FOR A UBER TYPE SYSTEM RUN BY METRO AND THIRD WARD, THE NUMBER ONE DESTINATION IS AT HEB. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. AND MAYOR, LEMME ASK COUNCIL MEMBER, THERE'S NO, THERE'S NOT A MOMENT. I LIVE, I LIVE RIGHT THERE. THERE'S NOT A MOMENT WHERE THAT PARKING LOT IS NOT FULL. YES. VERY GOOD. COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN. THANK YOU MAYOR. COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ, I APPRECIATE YOUR QUESTIONS. I TOO ASKED A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS DEAL. I THINK THE CRUX OF IT IS HHFC REPRESENTED THAT THEY WOULD BE GIVING BACK SOME PROGRAM INCOME, UM, THAT COULD BE USED ON FUTURE FOOD DESERT, UM, PROJECTS, YOU KNOW, THOSE FIRST COSTS GETTING IN THESE AREAS. THAT'S WHY WE NEED THESE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE LOANS. THAT'S WHY THEY GOT THAT LOAN. I MEAN, THAT'S WHY THAT, THAT WAS SO IMPORTANT TO THOSE FIRST COSTS ARE SO IMPORTANT FOR A BRICK AND MORTAR GROCERY STORE GETTING IN. SO THOSE WERE GIVEN, THEY REPRESENTED THAT THEY COULD GET THE TAX EXEMPTION, WHICH WOULD ALLOW THEM TO PAY BACK AND [04:30:01] PROVIDE SOME PROGRAM INCOME. THEY DIDN'T GET THAT TAX EXEMPTION. THAT'S, THAT'S THE CRUX OF IT. AND SO, AND SO THEY'RE ASKING FOR US TO FORGIVE THAT PART, WHICH I'M FULLY IN SUPPORT OF, BECAUSE THAT, THAT WAS THE IMPETUS FOR GETTING THAT, THAT STORE THERE. IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT WE'RE NOT GETTING PROGRAM INCOME TO DO MORE ON IT FROM THAT LOAN, BUT THAT'S KIND OF THE, THE CRUX OF IT AS I SEE IT. THANK YOU, MA'AM. COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I, I WANNA THANK COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS FOR HIS COMMENTS BECAUSE THIS IS IN, IN A DISTRICT, DISTRICT D UM, AND DISTRICT D HAS A LOT OF INFORMATION ON THIS ITEM. SO IN ADDITION TO HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH THE DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER, I WOULD ALSO ENCOURAGE IF THERE WERE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT AND A RECOMMENDATION FOR ACTION AT THE HORSESHOE BY THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT AS RELAYED BY COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ, THAT THAT SHOULD ALSO HAVE BEEN COMMUNICATED TO THE DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER AHEAD OF TIME. UH, SO I WOULD, I WOULD ENCOURAGE THE DEPARTMENT TO BE IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER AS WELL ON THIS. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ. YES, THANK YOU. APPRECIATE ALL THE COMMENTS. BUT, BUT LET'S STEP BACK A MINUTE AND TO YOUR, UH, CONCERN COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER, I ASSURE YOU THIS IS NOT ABOUT LOSING THE H-E-B-H-E-B IS NOT GOING ANYWHERE. THEY HAVE A LONG-TERM LEASE, UH, FORGIVING OR NOT FORGIVING. THE EDI LOAN WILL NOT AFFECT HE B'S PRESENCE AT THE LOCATION. THE ITEM IS ABOUT FORGIVING THE EDI LOAN. THE REPRESENTATION ORIGINALLY THAT WAS MADE WAS THAT MCGREGOR WAS PAYING THE TAXES, BUT BECAUSE WE ASKED QUESTIONS, MEETINGS WERE HELD, NOW WE FIND OUT HEB ACTUALLY PAYS THE TAXES. SO WE'RE NOT GETTING ALL THE INFORMATION THAT WE NEED TO IN ORDER TO MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION ABOUT THIS ITEM. BUT IT'S NOT ABOUT LOSING THE HEB. THE HEB DOES GREAT BUSINESS. I WAS IN THEIR PARKING LOT YESTERDAY, MIDDAY. IT WAS FULL. WONDERFUL. HE B'S NOT GOING ANYWHERE. THE QUESTION IS, IS THIS FORGIVING OF THE EDI LOAN, A GOOD DEAL FOR THE CITY? AND WE DON'T KNOW THAT BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE FULL AND COMPLETE INFORMATION THROUGH OUR HOUSING DEPARTMENT ABOUT HOW THIS DEAL ACTUALLY WORKS. THAT'S MY POINT. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I'D LIKE TO LIFT THE TAG AND VOTE ON THE ITEM. JUST TAG, TAG. I'M HAPPY TO LET THE ITEM YOU SORRY FOR CLARIFICATION. WOULD LIKE TO VOTE ON THE MOTION THAT WAS BEFORE US TO REFER BACK. OKAY. UH, CAYMAN REMOVES THE TAG. SO, ON THE TABLE NOW IS THE MOTION TO REFER BACK. OKAY. COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER IS IN THE QUEUE. COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER FLICKINGER TAGS. SIR, I TAG. OKAY. LOOK AT YOUR TAGS. MOTION'S BEEN TAGGED. GIVE EVERYONE AN OPPORTUNITY THAT'S NOT, HE TAGGED THE MOTION. OKAY. NEXT TO STAY OUTTA ACTION. ACTION. YOU WANT YOUR TAG BACK? IS HE TAGGING THE MOTION? YEAH, HE, HE TAGGING THE ITEM. TAGGING THE ITEM. THE ITEM. THE ITEM. WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO ABOUT THE MOTION YOU WANT WITHDRAW YOUR MOTION SO THE TAG CAN PROCEED. WELL, UH, MAYBE WE GET SOME CLARIFICATION, UH, FROM THE CHAIR. UM, WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR. THE ITEM'S BEEN TAGGED. WHAT'S, WHAT DOES THAT DO TO THE MOTION? DOES IT GO AWAY? DOES IT HAVE TO BE WITHDRAWN? DOES IT GET VOTED ON? NO, HE'S GONNA LIFT HIS, I'LL LIFT FOR VOTE ON THE MOTION. HE TAGGED THE ITEM, BUT BEFORE IT IS THE MOTION. MOTION. SO WE GOTTA RESOLVE THE MOTION. MOTION. IF YOU'LL WITHDRAW YOUR MOTION, ASSUME HE WOULD TAG THE, UM, ITEM AND YOU'D GET YOUR TIME. YOU'RE LOOKING FOR. ALRIGHT, I, I'LL WITHDRAW THE MOTION IN VIEW OF THE FACT THAT IT'S BEEN TAGGED AND, AND THAT WILL DELAY FOR A WEEK. OKAY. MOTION. WITHDRAWN. IT'S BEEN TAGGED. AND LET'S TAKE UP THE NEXT ITEM, WHICH YOU NEED TO CLARIFY, BECAUSE THE HOUSING AUTHORITY CHIEF OF STAFF ASKED TO HAVE THIS, IT WAS PREPARED BY THEM TO GO FORWARD. NOW, SHE'S ASKING YOU TO, BY TIME, I UNDERSTAND NOT TO RE RE NEGOTIATE, BUT IT'S NOT CLEAR WHAT HER IN, WHAT HER INTEREST IS. BUT WHY DON'T YOU FIND OUT IN THE TIMEFRAME THAT THE TAG WILL ALLOW. OKAY. THANK YOU. NEXT, ITEM 52 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. MOTION PASSES. I'M SORRY. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, THIS IS FOR THE BUDGET FOR THE MEMORIAL HEIGHTS, UH, TS, UH, IN SEVERAL OF OUR DISTRICTS. I JUST WANNA THANK THEM, UH, AND, UH, DIRECTOR TILSON AND HER TEAM FOR ALL THE AMAZING WORK THEY'RE DOING. UH, THIS BUDGET INCLUDES THE CONTINUATION OF THE DURHAM SHEPHERD RECONSTRUCTION, UH, NEW PEDESTRIAN BRIDGES, STREET IMPROVEMENTS, AND THIS NORTH CANAL PROJECT, WHICH IS IMPERATIVE FOR, UH, FLOOD MITIGATION FOR OUR ENTIRE CITY. [04:35:01] SO, UH, EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE NEW PARTNERSHIPS COMING UP IN THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR WITH THEM, INCLUDING ADDITIONAL FUNDING FROM OUR OFFICE, BUT REALLY APPRECIATE THE WORK OF THIS TURS. THANK YOU. NEXT, NEXT. ITEM 53 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 54 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 55 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 56 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. COUNCIL MEMBER CAN. COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I'M GONNA BE TAGGING THIS ITEM FOR FURTHER REVIEW, BUT I DID WANNA LAY A FEW THINGS OUT, UH, TO ASK LEGAL. I DO NOT EXPECT LEGAL TO HAVE AN ANSWER TODAY, BUT I WOULD LIKE A RESPONSE BACK ON THIS. UH, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, DIRECTOR TILLSON, UH, AND HER TEAM HAVE BEEN VERY RESPONSIVE, DILIGENT IN DOING WHAT THEY DO BEST. HOWEVER, THIS MONTROSE TURS BUDGET, UH, WAS CONSIDERED BY THE TURS BOARD OVER SEVEN MONTHS AGO, BACK IN AUGUST OF LAST YEAR. AND THAT WAS UNDER DIFFERENT BOARD MEMBERS. SO IT IS, IT IS SAT WAITING FOR A VOTE HERE. AND IN THAT TIME, THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF CHANGES THAT HAVE BEEN MADE TO THE BUDGET ITSELF. UH, SO AGAIN, WHEN THE BUDGET WAS PREPARED, I BELIEVE IT WAS ACCURATE. BUT THERE ARE NOW DISCREPANCIES THAT WE ARE CLOSELY REVIEWING. UH, FOR EXAMPLE, MONTROSE BULL MONTROSE BOULEVARD, PHASE ONE, AND THE BUDGET HAS AN ALLOCATION OF 14.5 MILLION, BUT THE COST DUE TO DELAYS IN REDESIGN, UH, HAS NOW BALLOONED TO AN ADDITIONAL 3.4 MILLION THAT IS NOT REFLECTED IN THIS BUDGET, EVEN THOUGH THE MONTROSE TOURS BOARD HAD APPROVED AN OVERALL 17.9 MILLION. UH, IT ALSO LISTS VARIOUS SCOPES OF WORK THAT HAVE BEEN SIGNIFICANTLY ALTERED, UH, NOT JUST MONTROSE BOULEVARD, BUT WEST ALABAMA AND OTHERS. AND SO, ONE OF MY QUESTIONS FOR LEGAL IS GIVEN WE ARE VOTING ON A SPECIFIC ITEM WITH SPECIFIC DETAILS AND SCOPES OF WORK. WHEN COUNCIL AUTHORIZES THOSE SCOPES OF WORK, WHAT IS THE REQUIREMENT THAT THEY COME BACK TO COUNCIL? BECAUSE WE HAVE HAD EXAMPLES IN THE PAST WHERE WE HAVE VOTED ON SCOPES OF WORK AND NOTHING AGAIN THAT WE AUTHORIZED AND VOTED WITH THE INTENTION OF THOSE SCOPES OF WORK. AND THOSE, THOSE WERE CHANGED EVEN THOUGH COUNSEL HAD FUNDED IT FOR A SPECIFIC PURPOSE. SO I'D LIKE TO SPEAK WITH LEGAL MORE ON THAT. UM, AND COUNSEL'S AUTHORITY THERE. UH, IN ADDITION TO THAT, THERE'S 11.5 MILLION LISTED FOR THE DECOMMISSIONING OR THE DECOMMISSIONED FREED LIBRARY. UH, THAT'S A BIG CHUNK OF MONEY. UH, IT ALSO DOES NOT INCLUDE THE SAFE ROUTES UNDER SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL. A PROGRAM WE WORKED ON, UH, THATT HAS BEEN DOING A GREAT JOB ON, BUT WE HAD ALLOCATED C-C-D-S-F DOLLARS TO THAT SEVERAL YEARS AGO. THE TURS, THE NEW BOARD, WAS NOT AWARE THAT WE HAD PROVIDED THOSE FUNDS, AND I DON'T BELIEVE THAT IS INCLUDED. SO, UH, I WILL BE TAGGING THIS ITEM FOR ANOTHER WEEK, UH, BUT WOULD APPRECIATE, UH, SIT DOWN WITH LEGAL TO TALK ABOUT, UH, SOME OF THESE DISCREPANCIES AND HOW WE MODIFY THEM. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. WERE YOU RELEASED FOR DISCUSSION? HAPPY TO RELEASE FOR DISCUSSION. YES. THANK YOU. I'LL JOIN THAT TAG. UM, I ASKED SOME QUESTIONS, UH, ABOUT THIS TOUR. I DID GET SOME ANSWERS. I AM ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT THE 11 AND A HALF MILLION FOR THAT LIBRARY WHEN WE HAVE LITERALLY A LIBRARY RIGHT DOWN THE STREET. NOW THAT'S, THAT'S NEW. VERY GOOD. ADAM'S TAGGED ADAM 57 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. CAYMAN TAGGED, TAGGED. NEXT [SUPPLEMENTAL POSTING] ITEM 58 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR? DO YOU NEED A MOTION FROM COUNCIL MEMBER? MOTION MEMBER MAYOR VICE MAYOR PRO. COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ. COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ. UH, MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO DELAY THIS FOR 30 DAYS. UM, THE PAST FEW WEEKS WE HAVE, UM, WE'VE HAD, UH, SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS. WE HAD A COMMITTEE. WHOA, WHOA, WHOA, WHOA, . I HAD TO GO TO THE PAST. COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ, WILL YOU YIELD TO YES, I'LL, I'LL YIELD TO MAYOR PRO CHAIR. UH, THANK YOU MAYOR. JUST WANTED TO, UM, KIND OF TALK ABOUT WHAT WHAT HAS TRANSPIRED WITH ITEM 58. WE DID HAVE A PRETTY ROBUST ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETING ON LAST WEEK. UH, WE HAD LOTS OF, UH, PARTICIPATION FROM BUSINESS OWNERS IN THE CITY. WE HAVE HAD EXTENSIVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE DISPARITY STUDY, AND I THINK THAT, UM, [04:40:01] IN LIGHT OF SOME OF THE DECISIONS THAT WE ARE LOOKING TO MAKE AS FAR AS OUR CHANGES IN CHAPTER 15, CODE OF ORDINANCES, THAT, UM, WE NEED TO HAVE SOME MORE CONVERSATIONS. I KNOW THAT YOUR ADMINISTRATION HAS STARTED HAVING MEETINGS WITH STAKEHOLDERS. THERE WAS A MEETING ON MONDAY WHERE SOME OF THE STAKEHOLDERS WERE ABLE TO COME IN AND GET SOME CLARIFICATION ON THE DISPARITY STUDY AND THE RECOMMENDATIONS. UM, WE DO WANT TO KEEP HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS. UH, WE DO WANT TO KEEP IN MIND THAT WE DO HAVE, UH, SOME, UH, LEGAL ITEMS PENDING. UH, BUT AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED, I WOULD LIKE FOR THIS AGENDA ITEM TO BE DELAYED, UM, FOR UP TO 30 DAYS WITH THE ADMINISTRATION, HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO BRING THIS FORWARD, UH, SOONER IF WE DETERMINE THAT WE HAVE SOME TYPE OF CONSENSUS OR A BETTER, UH, SWEET SPOT FOR OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS AS WELL AS, UH, THE DIRECTION YOU'D LIKE TO GO. MAYOR, UH, FOR THE ADMINISTRATION. SECOND. COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ? YES, I'D SEC. I SECOND THE DELAY. UH, OKAY. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THE QUEUE POLL CAST. I'M SORRY. UH, MARTINEZ IS, UH, SPOKEN. COUNCILMAN POLLARD. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I JUST WANT TO, UM, GET CLARIFICATION FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY THAT THIS DELAY, UH, WON'T IMPACT THE TIMELINE THAT YOUR OFFICE HAS RELATED TO, UH, THE UPCOMING LITIGATION. AND, UH, THE MOTION IS FOR UP TO 30 DAYS. UM, IS, IS THERE ANY ISSUE IF IT GOES BEYOND 30 DAYS OR, OR TELL US WHAT, WHAT WE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT, UH, DELAYING THIS ITEM FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE? WELL, IT, IT WOULD COME BACK TO COUNSEL WITHIN 30 DAYS. IF WITHIN THOSE 30 DAYS, THERE'S A NEED TO MOVE SOMEWHAT QUICKER BECAUSE OF THE COURT CASE. I THINK THE WAY THE MOTION, UH, IS STATED, IT GIVES US THAT FLEXIBILITY. SO WE COULD RESPOND TO, UH, ANY COURT INQUIRY OR ANY, ANY COURT HEARING. AND IF THERE'S ANY, UM, FURTHER ACTION TO DELAY FOR MORE THAN 30 DAYS SUBSEQUENT TO THIS MEETING, WHAT, WHAT MAY, WHAT IMPACT MAY THAT HAVE ON YOUR, YOUR LITIGATION? UH, WELL, I, I THINK THAT WOULD ONLY HAPPEN IN THE EVENT THAT THE COURT WOULD, UM, WOULD ALLOW MORE TIME, FOR EXAMPLE, A MEDIATION. OKAY. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I DO SUPPORT THIS, UH, MOTION TO DELAY THE ITEM AND HAVE MORE DISCUSSION. YOU KNOW, HEARING FROM ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS AT THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE HEARING SHOWED THAT WHILE THE DATA THAT WAS COLLECTED PROVIDED A SNAPSHOT, A LOT OF STAKEHOLDERS, FOR WHATEVER REASON, WEREN'T A PART OF THAT PROCESS AND HAD IDEAS TO SHARE THAT WE NEED TO CONSIDER AS WE THINK ABOUT THESE RECOMMENDATIONS. WE HEARD A LOT ABOUT BONDING CAPACITY. WE HEARD A LOT ABOUT THE GRADUATION PROGRAM. AND THESE ARE THINGS THAT CAN MAKE THESE RECOMMENDATIONS MORE ROBUST WITH MORE TIME TO TAKE THOSE IDEAS AND, AND TURN THEM INTO, UM, THINGS WE CAN ACT ON. AND SO THIS DELAY WILL GIVE THOSE STAKEHOLDERS THAT OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE FOR US TO TAKE THE, THE FEEDBACK AND, AND BRING SOMETHING BACK TO THE COUNCIL THAT'S MORE COMPREHENSIVE. UM, SO I'LL BE VOTING TO SUPPORT THE DELAY. THANK YOU. VERY GOOD. CAYMAN COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN, I, I DO WANNA THANK EVERYBODY THAT HAS, UH, PARTICIPATED. I WANNA RECOGNIZE YOU, MADAM CHAIR, UH, FOR RUNNING SUCH A THOROUGH COMMITTEE MEETING AND WORKING THROUGH THIS PROCESS, UH, AS WELL AS THE OPPORTUNITY FOR MORE TO PARTICIPATE AND TO ENGAGE AND TO DO THIS THE RIGHT WAY, UM, SO THAT WE ARE NOT DOING SOMETHING THAT IS GOING TO HAVE, UH, UNINTENTIONAL CONSEQUENCES. AND I APPRECIATE COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD, YOUR INQUIRY ABOUT LITIGATION. WE ALWAYS HAVE TO CONSIDER THE IMPACTS OF LITIGATION. UH, BUT HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THIS AND MAKE SURE, UH, THAT WE ARE NOT HARMING, UH, THOSE THAT HAVE A, A HISTORY OF NOT HAVING A SHOT, UM, AT CITY BUSINESS TO LIFT THOSE COMMUNITIES UP AND CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THOSE SMALL BUSINESSES, UH, IS ABSOLUTELY IMPORTANT. IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO. SO AGAIN, I WILL BE SUPPORTING THIS, BUT I WANNA THANK THE, UH, EXTENSIVE ENGAGEMENT THAT HAS TAKEN PLACE IN THE PAST FEW WEEKS, UH, BECAUSE THAT IS THE TYPE OF WORK THAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS KNOWN FOR, FOR THE ENGAGEMENT IN THE COMMUNITY. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MAYOR RAMIREZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I SUPPORT THE, UM, [04:45:01] THE DELAY TAKING A LITTLE MORE TIME TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL STAKEHOLDERS WHO WANT TO WEIGH IN HAVE BEEN CONSULTED. THE ENGAGEMENT ON THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN LESS THAN IDEAL, AND, UH, IT'S ONLY, IT'S ONLY RIGHT FOR US TO TAKE A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME BEFORE WE VOTE ON SUCH AN IMPORTANT ISSUE. THANK YOU. VERY GOOD. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I TOO SUPPORT THIS DELAY BECAUSE IN THE SPIRIT OF, OF, UH, UNDERSTANDING AND CLEAR QUALIFICATIONS ABOUT THIS PROCESS, I THINK IT'S NECESSARY IN US GOING FORWARD THAT WE DO NOT CARRY A CLOUD OVER THIS MATTER. UH, WHICH, UH, GETTING MORE INFORMATION FROM MY PERSPECTIVE AS TO WHAT HAS BEEN DONE OF PAST IN REGARDS SURROUNDING THE LITIGATIONS AND THESE, UH, THIS, UH, STUDY. I THINK IT WOULD BE, UH, WISE FOR US TO, UH, TAKE A STEP BACK AND DELAY IT. SO I DO SUPPORT THE DELAY. VERY GOOD. MAYOR PROTE, CASTEX STATE, THANK YOU COLLEAGUES FOR THE SUPPORT OF THE, UM, DELAY. UH, ALSO WANTED TO JUST ADD THAT, UM, DIRECTOR HOR HAS PUT TOGETHER A ONE PAGE FAQ THAT I KNOW IS BEING REVIEWED BY LEGAL THAT EVERYONE SHOULD RECEIVE AS SOON AS THAT'S DONE. AND THAT'S BASED ON THE, THE QUESTIONS THAT CAME FORTH DURING THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETING THAT COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, POSED AS WELL AS, UH, OUR BUSINESS OWNERS, UH, POSED. SO THAT, UH, FAQ SHOULD GO OUT, UM, EITHER TODAY OR TOMORROW, AS SOON AS WE GET THE OKAY, UM, FOR YOU TO, UM, ACCESS THE ANSWERS TO THOSE QUESTIONS THAT WERE POSED DURING THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETING. UM, AND THEN IF THERE ARE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS OR FROM STAKEHOLDERS, UM, WE ARE LOOKING, UM, FOR YOUR SUGGESTIONS, WE WANT TO HEAR, UH, FROM YOU, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO TAKE YOUR SUGGESTIONS, UM, TO THE PROCESS. UH, THE ACTUAL DISPARITY STUDY HAS BEEN AUDITED. UM, IT CAME TO DIRECTLY FROM SAP. UM, THERE IS OPPORTUNITY FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS TO ASK WHATEVER QUESTIONS THEY HAVE ABOUT THAT ACTUAL STUDY. UM, I THINK THAT AFTER WE'VE REVIEWED THE EY STUDY AND WE SEE THE DISPARITY STUDY, THERE ARE SOME THINGS IN THE EY STUDY THAT CONFIRMED WHAT'S IN THE DISPARITY STUDY, THAT THERE ARE CERTAIN, UM, BUSINESSES THAT HAVE A LARGE PORTION OF OUR SPEND. UM, SO I THINK THAT THESE STUDIES, UM, ARE KIND OF VALIDATING EACH OTHER. UH, SO PLEASE FEEL FREE TO REACH OUT TO US. THIS IS ANOTHER ASK FOR YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS. UM, BUT THESE PROGRAMS WERE NOT MEANT TO BE PROGRAMS IN PERPETUITY. AND I THINK THAT WE HAVE TO BE REASONABLE, UM, AS WE ARE LOOKING FOR POTENTIAL CHANGES TO CHAPTER 15 CODE OF ORDINANCES. AND THIS IS OUR TIME NOW FOR US TO CONTINUE THE ENGAGEMENT. THE MAYOR'S TEAM IS OPEN TO HAVING STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS. THEY'VE ALREADY STARTED DOING THAT. UM, THERE WAS A MEETING ON MONDAY FROM SOME OF THE STAKEHOLDERS. WE ARE OPEN TO HOSTING MORE MEETINGS WITH THE CHAMBERS OF COMMERCES, WITH THE OTHER STAKEHOLDER GROUPS. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERY BUSINESS OWNER IN HOUSTON THAT HAS A CONCERN OR WOULD LIKE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROCESS HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO. WELL, LET ME THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP. THIS IS THE WAY THE PROCESS SHOULD WORK. MY OFFICE WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE ROUND TABLE DISCUSSIONS. I COULD SEE POSSIBLY THE NEED FOR AN ADDITIONAL COMMITTEE HEARING, BUT I'LL LEAVE THAT TO YOUR DISCRETION. UH, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S A LOT OF MISINFORMATION, AND AS YOU MENTIONED, WE'RE ASKING FOLKS NOT JUST TO BE CRITICAL, BUT TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS. AND CERTAINLY I THINK WE NEED TO REVIEW THE WAIVER SYSTEM. MM-HMM . WHICH YOU AND I HAVE DISCUSSED, HAS PROBABLY BEEN ABUSED THROUGH THE YEARS. WITH THAT SAID, UH, ALL IN FAVOR OF THE DELAY, SAY YES, THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. NEXT MATTER. SECRETARY, THIS COMPLETES THE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA. OKAY, LET'S DO OUR POP [NON CONSENT - MATTERS TO BE PRESENTED BY COUNCIL MEMBERS] OFF. COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, TODAY I AM EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE THE RELAUNCH OF MORE JOBS HOUSTON.COM, AN INNOVATIVE NEW WEBSITE DESIGNED TO STREAMLINE THE JOB SEARCH PROCESS FOR HOUSTONIANS AND PROVIDE EASY ACCESS TO EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES, CAREER RESOURCES, AND VITAL SUPPORT SERVICES. THE LAUNCH COMES AS HOUSTON [04:50:01] IS RANKED AS THE NUMBER ONE MOST FINANCIALLY DISTRESSED CITY IN AMERICA, ACCORDING TO WALLET HUB AND THE 12TH MOST MISERABLE CITY IN THE COUNTRY FOR WORKERS. ACCORDING TO FINAL ROUND AI ANALYSIS, MORE JOBS HOUSTON.COM ARRIVES AS A TIMELY TARGETED SOLUTION. THE PLATFORM SERVES AS A ONE STOP HUB WHERE RESIDENTS CAN EXPLORE THOUSANDS OF JOB OPENINGS ACROSS MULTIPLE INDUSTRIES, FROM ENTRY LEVEL JOBS TO POST GRADUATE CAREERS ALONGSIDE REGULAR UPDATES ON JOB FAIRS, CAREER TRAINING PROGRAMS, AND OTHER RESOURCES. THIS ISN'T JUST ABOUT JOBS, IT'S ABOUT CREATING A BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE. FOR OUR CITY, WE KNOW THAT WHEN PEOPLE ARE EMPLOYED IN MEANINGFUL WORK, IT REDUCES CRIME, LOWERS HOMELESSNESS, SUPPORTS MENTAL HEALTH, AND BRINGS MORE MONEY TO OUR LOCAL ECONOMY. MORE JOBS. HOUSTON.COM IS ABOUT USING TECHNOLOGY TO HELP HOUSTONIANS ACCESS OPPORTUNITIES QUICKLY AND EASILY, RIGHT FROM THEIR PHONE OR LAPTOP. CURRENTLY MORE JOBS HOUSTON.COM FEATURES NEARLY 2000 JOBS ACROSS A WIDE RANGE OF INDUSTRIES. THE SITE IS UPDATED WEEKLY AND IS FULLY AUTOMATED TO PULL IN OPPORTUNITIES FROM ACROSS THE REGION. IN ADDITION TO JOB LISTINGS, USERS CAN ACCESS TIPS AND RESOURCES TO HELP THEM BUILD RESUMES, PREPARE FOR IN, PREPARE FOR INTERVIEWS, AND CONNECT WITH UPCOMING AND ONGOING JOB FAIRS AND TRAINING EVENTS. THE PLATFORM BUILDS ON THE SUCCESS OF AN EARLIER INITIATIVE, DISTRICT J JOBS AND IS NOW EXPANDING TO SERVE ALL OF HOUSTON. IT REFLECTS A COMMITMENT TO HARNESSING TECHNOLOGY TO MEET PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE WITH ACCESSIBLE AND EFFICIENT TOOLS DESIGNED FOR REAL LIFE NEEDS. SO I ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO CHECK OUT MORE JOBS HOUSTON.COM TODAY TO EXPLORE OPPORTUNITIES, ACCESS RESOURCES, AND TAKE THE NEXT STEP TOWARDS OUR BRIGHTER AND BETTER FUTURE IN HOUSTON. THANK YOU. ALCORN PASS. COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT MONDAY TURNS 18 HOSTED A, UH, KIND OF A COMMUNITY RIDE ALONG, UH, PASTOR, UH, HARVEY CLEMENS AND, AND KATHY PEYTON AND I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEND TIME, UH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS WAS ON THAT AS WELL. AND, AND WE WERE JOINED BY COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS AND MIDWAY, AND IT WAS HOSTED BY DISTRICT B. AND IT WAS A, A REALLY GOOD EDUCATION ON THE TOURS. AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE ANYONE OUT THERE TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TRY TO COORDINATE YOUR TOURS, TO, TO REALLY BRING THAT TO THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE IT WAS NOT ONLY A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH THE LEADERSHIP, BUT REALLY TO SEE WHAT THEY FOCUSED ON AND THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN THE COMMUNITY. SO THAT, AND THEN SECONDLY, YOU KNOW, UM, HAVING TAKEN OFFICE BACK IN JANUARY A YEAR AGO, WHICH SEEMS LIKE A LONG TIME AGO, SOMETIMES YOU HIT THESE UNEXPECTED, UM, SCENARIOS. AND AS I TOOK OFFICE, LITTLE KNOWN FACT, MY CHIEF OF STAFF WAS CONFRONTED WITH A, A, UM, DIAGNOSIS THAT NO ONE EVER WANTS TO HEAR. AND SO WITH THAT DIAGNOSIS CAME, UH, AN ABSENCE IN MY OFFICE. AND, UM, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY LATE IN THE FALL TO BRING IN NICK HELLER. AND I WANT TO PUBLICLY THANK HIM FOR UPHOLDING MY OFFICE FOR THE LAST FIVE MONTHS IN A WAY THAT, AS THOSE OF YOU WHO KNEW, YOU KNEW, IT WAS, UH, IT WAS VERY EMOTIONAL, UH, YOU KNOW, VERY UPSETTING, UH, PERSONALLY, BUT ALSO FOR THE OFFICE. BUT I JUST WANNA TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SAY WELCOME BACK, HUGO MOJICA, UH, MY CHIEF OF STAFF TO CITY HALL, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO MOVING FORWARD IN A BIG WAY. AND AGAIN, THANKS. JUST THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART TO NICK HILLIER FOR STEPPING IN AND STEPPING UP. Y'ALL HAVE A GOOD DAY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR REMARKS. COUNCILMAN MEMBER EVANS SHAVA. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I WANNA SAY LAST THURSDAY AHEAD OF FANTASTIC TIME AT THE HOBBY CENTER. UM, WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE HAMILTON AND I WANT TO THANK THE CEO OF THE HOBBY CENTER. MARK FOLKS, AND MS. VENITA JONES, WHO HELPED TO COORDINATE US ALL. AND A A HUGE THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO ATTENDED, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO SANG ALL 22 SONGS. YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE, RIGHT? MOST OF 'EM CAME FROM YOUR OFFICE, MAYOR. UH, AND, AND WE HAD A GREAT TIME AND THEY BROUGHT A LOT OF ENERGY. UM, ON YESTERDAY, THE HOUSTON AREA WOMEN'S CENTER HAD A RIBBON CUTTING FOR 136 UNITS. WANNA THANK EMILY WHITEHURST FOR HER LEADERSHIP, AND CERTAINLY MAYOR, UH, FOR YOU COMING FOR THAT RIBBON CUTTING. AND OF COURSE, WE LOOK FORWARD TO A DAY WHERE WE DON'T NEED TO EXPAND SHELTERS, UH, FOR WOMEN WHO ARE BEING ABUSED. AND SO THAT, THAT'S THE OBJECTIVE. BUT IN THE MEANTIME, THEY HAVE SOME WONDERFUL, UH, OPPORTUNITIES THERE FOR ANYONE THAT'S BEING ABUSED. IT'S NOT ALWAYS A WOMAN, BUT THIS IS A WOMEN'S CENTER. UH, [04:55:01] AND CERTAINLY, UM, I THANK THEM FOR THEIR EFFORTS. I WANNA TAKE A MOMENT TO RECOGNIZE THEOLA PETWAY, WHO IS RETIRING AS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AT AT TOUR SEVEN. HER LEADERSHIP AND DEDICATION HAVE MADE A LASTING IMPACT AND WE, UH, CELEBRATED HER THE OTHER DAY, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO CELEBRATE HER YEARS OF SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY. I WANT TO SAY A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO MICHAEL, A JOHNSON, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS. ANYTIME WE REACH OUT ABOUT WATER LEAKS AND DISTRICT D MICHAEL IS ON IT, ENSURING ISSUES ARE RESOLVED QUICKLY AND EFFICIENTLY, AND HIS RESPONSIVENESS IS TRULY APPRECIATED. AND OF COURSE, I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE JOHN RICHARDSON, CALVIN BATESON, JAMES BENNETT, SENIOR SUPERINTENDENTS OF SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT. THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO TO KEEP OUR CITY CLEAN AND RUNNING SMOOTHLY. AND YOUR HEART WORK DOES NOT GO UNNOTICED AND GRATEFUL TO YOUR SERVICE. AND MAYOR, I WANNA CERTAINLY THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND SWIFTLY ADDRESSING THE SITUATION AT THE ANSLEYS YESTERDAY. PUBLIC WORKS WAS OUT THERE LAST NIGHT, AND, UH, THEY CERTAINLY APPRECIATE YOUR PROMPT RESPONSE. THEY HAVE BEEN TRYING TO GET THIS DONE FOR QUITE SOME TIME. AND THANK YOU FOR SHOWING OUR CONSTITUENT THAT THIS GOVERNMENT LISTENS AND WORKS AND THAT WE ARE COMMITTED TO TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS FOR OUR COMMUNITIES. ON TOMORROW, THE HER HERMAN PARK CONSERVANCY'S ANNUAL HAT LUNCHEON WILL BE AT 11:30 AM AT THE MCGOVERN CENTENNIAL GARDENS, A SPRING ATTIRE AND HATS HIGHLY ENCOURAGED. UH, THEN ON A SAD NOTE, THE CELEBRATION OF LIFE MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR MRS. VIVIAN L HARRISON WILL BE HELD ON TUESDAY, APRIL 1ST AT WHEELER AVENUE BAPTIST CHURCH. THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TEM FOR ACKNOWLEDGING HER. SHE WAS MY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, UH, TEACHER, UH, MUSIC TEACHER. HER HUSBAND WAS MY MIDDLE SCHOOL JUNIOR HIGH. I MEAN MY JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL BAND TEACHER. SO SAY I'M WELL ROUNDED, UH, . UH, BUT HER SERVICES, UH, WILL BE, UH, AT 11:00 AM AND CERTAINLY WE HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE HOUSTON COUGARS. THEY ARE IN THE SWEET 16, AND THEY WILL PLAY PURDUE ON FRIDAY EVENING AT 9 0 9 GO COUGS. AND THAT CONCLUDES WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MA'AM. COUNCILMAN CASTILLO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I WANT TO INVITE EVERYONE ON SATURDAY TO COME OUT AND PARTICIPATE IN THE TRASH BASH THAT IS HAPPENING THIS WEEKEND. IT'S A YEARLY EVENT IN DISTRICT H. UH, IT'S PUT ON BY THE GREATER NORTHSIDE MANAGEMENT DISTRICT IN CONJUNCTION WITH FRIENDS OF MOODY PARK. AND SO WE'RE GONNA BE OUT AT MOODY PARK, UM, FROM 8:00 AM FOR REGISTRATION AND, AND SAFETY TALKS. AND THEN, UM, AT NINE WE'LL START THE CLEANUP. AND, UH, THEY'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO BE PROVIDING LUNCH AND SOME DOOR PRIZES TOO AFTERWARDS. SO, UH, IT'S A GREAT WAY TO GET OUT, GET UP, UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH ONE OF OUR PARKS, HELP, UH, KEEP IT SAFE AND CLEAN, UM, AND MEET FELLOW NEIGHBORS WHO, UH, WANT TO HELP PARTICIPATE IN, IN GETTING INVOLVED IN THEIR COMMUNITY. UM, SPEAKING OF TRASH, YOU KNOW, I KNOW WE HAVE OUR, OUR STRUGGLES WITH SOLID WASTE. UM, I WENT OUT AND SPENT SOME TIME WITH SOLID WASTE RECENTLY, AND, UH, VISITED ONE OF THE, THE FACILITIES RODE ALONG, UH, SIDE ONE OF THE TRUCKS AND SHOWED THEM A HOMELESS ENCAMPMENT ALONG LITTLE WHITE OAK BAYOU THAT HAS BEEN GROWING IN RECENT WEEKS. AND, UH, I WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO THEM BECAUSE SHORTLY THEREAFTER, UH, THEY WERE OUT THERE CLEANING UP SOME OF THAT ENCAMPMENT AND SOME OF THE TRASH THAT HAD JUST BEEN COLLECTING ALONG THE BAYOU. AND, UM, IT'S A BIT TRICKY OUT THERE. WE'VE GOT FLOOD CONTROL, WE'VE GOT TDOT, UH, WE'VE GOT CITY OF HOUSTON, A LOT OF JURISDICTIONS. UM, AND NOBODY WANTS TO PICK UP OTHER PEOPLE'S TRASH, BUT THEY WERE OUT THERE. THEY, THEY KNEW EXACTLY WHERE THE CITY LINE WAS. THEY WERE CLEANING UP THE TRASH IN A TIMELY MANNER. UM, AND THEY'VE BEEN WORKING WITH OTHER JURISDICTIONS AS WELL TO TRY AND GET THAT SITUATION REMEDIED BECAUSE, UH, THAT ENCAMPMENT WAS, WAS, WAS GROWING. UH, WE HAD HAD SOME FIRES OUT THERE AS WELL RECENTLY. UM, IT'S NEAR A PARK, IT'S NEAR HOMES. IT'S ABSOLUTELY A, A, A PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE. UH, BUT I DO WANT TO COMMEND THEM FOR GETTING OUT THERE, GETTING INTO LITERALLY THE WEEDS WITH ME OUT THERE AT THE, AT THE SITE, AND THEN GOING OUT SHORTLY THEREAFTER, UH, AND CLEANING IT UP. SO, THANK YOU. SOLID WASTE FOR, FOR THE RESPONSE. AND, UM, EVERYBODY ELSE HAVE A GREAT DAY, DAY. THANK YOU, SIR. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I DO ALSO WANT TO, UH, EXTEND THE GRATITUDE UNTIL TOURS, UH, 18 ALONG WITH COUNCILMAN CARTER. WE HAD A CHANCE TO TOUR THE COMMUNITY, AND I THINK FOR BEST PRACTICES AND CONCERNS ABOUT OUR TOURS, UH, [05:00:01] IT WOULD BE GOOD. UH, YOU KNOW, IT IS GOOD FOR ME AND I WOULD RECOMMEND FOR OTHERS TO DEFINITELY GET A DIRECT PARTICIPATION IN THE TOURS. UH, I WANT TO SEE, UM, CERTAINLY OUR SUPPORT TOURS, BUT I ALSO WANT TO SEE BEST PRACTICES IN REGARDS TO OUR CITY AS A WHOLE AND SOME OF THE, UH, AREAS THAT MAY BE, THINGS CAN BE CHANGED. BUT I CERTAINLY APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY WITH THE TOUR. IT WAS VERY WELL, UM, NEEDED AND, UH, WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE AREAS THAT WAS A CONCERN AND, UH, HOW IT BETTER FITS THE, AS A WHOLE. ALSO, I, I WAS REALLY, UH, THANKFUL TO BE A PART OF HAWK, UH, TO WHEN THE MAYOR SPOKE AT THE HOUSTON AREA WOMEN'S CENTER AND, UH, AND COUNCIL MEMBER CHABA AND COUNCILMAN KAMAN ALL PARTICIPATED. IT WAS JUST A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY TO SEE AN ORGANIZATION, UH, EXPAND ITSELF IN SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HAD DONE. IT IS A PHENOMENAL PLACE DOWN EL CAMINO. AND, UH, HOPE AND PRAY THAT WE GET MORE AND MORE DOLLARS IN ORDER TO HELP THIS ORGANIZATION. 'CAUSE IT'S CERTAINLY NEEDED WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, PARTICULARLY TO, UH, OUR WOMEN AND, UH, CERTAINLY TO ALL THOSE WHO ARE IN NEED OF ASSISTANCE AND HELP. AND, UH, MAYOR, I WANT TO COMMEND YOU, UH, FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION IN THAT AS YOUR LONGSTANDING YEARS AS A LEGISLATURE, AS A LOT OF STUFF THAT WE ARE SEEING TODAY IS THE RESIDUAL OF YOUR EFFORTS TO SEE THESE TYPE OF THINGS GO FORTH. SO WITH THAT, THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, YESTERDAY WAS SPACE DAY AT THE CAPITOL, AND, UH, I WAS ASKED TO GO UP THERE AND KIND OF ASSIST THE TEAM, AND WE MADE THE ROUNDS. AND, UH, OBVIOUSLY HOUSTON HAS BEEN VERY INVOLVED IN SPACE EXPLORATION SINCE THE 1960S. IT BECOME SYNONYMOUS WITH IT. UM, OBVIOUSLY NOW WITH, UH, THE PRIVATE SECTOR GETTING MORE INVOLVED, UH, THERE'S SOME HUGE OPPORTUNITIES AND THINK IT CAN REALLY BE, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE, THE STOOLS OF THE ECONOMIC GROWTH OF HOUSTON FOR QUITE SOME TIME. SO IT, IT WAS GREAT TO BE OUT THERE. ALTHOUGH MAYOR, UM, OBVIOUSLY I'M KIND OF NEW TO GOING UP TO THE CAPITOL, UH, GET LOST QUITE EASILY. UH, LUCKILY YOUR DAUGHTER WAS THERE TO KIND OF GUIDE ME BACK TO WHERE I NEEDED TO GO WHEN I WAS LOST. AND SHE MENTIONED THAT YOU WERE IN SPRING TRAINING YOURSELF WITH YOUR GRANDSONS GETTING READY FOR THE FIRST PITCH. SO ONLY ADVICE I CAN SAY IS MAKE SURE YOU DON'T BOUNCE IT. YEAH, AIM FOR THE CATCHER'S MI IS WHAT I WAS TOLD. THANK YOU COUNCILOR KAMAN. WE HAD A LOT OF DISTRICT, UH, UPDATES TO SHARE GREAT WORK THAT IS HAPPENING, BUT, UH, IN LIGHT OF SOME EVENTS YESTERDAY, I FEEL COMPELLED TO SPEAK TO AND SPOTLIGHT AND LIFT UP, ESPECIALLY AS WE ENTER, UH, THE CLOSING OF WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH. TWO OF MY COLLEAGUES, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ. YESTERDAY WHEN I WAS WITH YOU, YOU SHARED OF YOURSELF IN A WAY TO THE PUBLIC THAT NOT MANY WOMEN HAVE THE COURAGE TO DO. UH, AND YOU DID THAT TO INSPIRE OTHER WOMEN. AND IT IS AN HONOR AND A PRIVILEGE TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH YOU, AND YOU HAVE AN ENTIRE VILLAGE BEHIND YOU. BUT THANK YOU FOR WHO YOU ARE AND GIVING OF YOURSELF TO THIS CITY AND TO THE PEOPLE OF THIS CITY. YESTERDAY MORNING BEFORE WE WERE TOGETHER, UH, A NEW YORK TIMES ARTICLE CAME UP AND I HAD TO CALL MY BEST FRIEND IN THE WORLD TO WARN HER THAT, UH, HER COUSIN'S TESTIMONY AS A HOSTAGE AND THE ASSAULT THAT SHE EXPERIENCED, UH, WAS COVERED HER PERSONAL TESTIMONY THAT SHE HAD TO SHARE BECAUSE FOR SOME REASON, WE STILL DO NOT BELIEVE WOMEN. AND FOR SOME REASON IT IS OKAY TO CONTINUE TO PUSH THE BURDEN ON PROOF ON WOMEN TO DEFEND THEMSELVES AND TO SAY THAT SOMETHING REALLY HAPPENED TO THEM. THEN YOU FAST FORWARD TO LAST NIGHT, AND I GOT WORD THAT ANOTHER ONE OF OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO I LOVE, RESPECT, ADMIRE, AND APPRECIATE, SUFFERED AN UNCONSCIONABLE AND UNJUST ANTI-SEMITIC ATTACK AND THREATS MADE TO HER OWN FAMILY AND TO HER CHILDREN. THIS HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH TRAGIC EVENTS OVERSEAS. THIS IS POINT BLANK ANTISEMITISM. AND IF THIS WAS ANY OTHER TYPE OF ISM OR PHOBIA, THESE INDIVIDUALS WOULD NOT BE GETTING A PASS. SO AMY, I WANNA SAY TO YOU, AND I THINK IT'S AN IMPORTANT [05:05:01] REMINDER TO THE PUBLIC, THAT ON COUNCIL AN ATTACK AGAINST ONE OF US, AN ATTACK OR THREATS MADE TO OUR FAMILY IS AN ATTACK MADE AGAINST ALL OF US. AND THIS IS A PART-TIME POSITION FOR WHICH WE GIVE OURSELVES TO THE COMMUNITY, AND YOU DEDICATE YOURSELF TO YOUR DISTRICT IN THIS CITY. YOU WORK EVERY SINGLE DAY AND WE SEE YOU. BUT IT IS INCUMBENT UPON ALL OF US TO SPEAK OUT. AND I AGAIN, REITERATE THAT THIS, IF THIS WAS ANY OTHER TYPE OF ISM OR PHOBIA, NOBODY WOULD BE GETTING A PASS FOR THIS. SO AMY, I AM WITH YOU. I STAND WITH YOU. YOU HAVE A VILLAGE BEHIND YOU. BUT THIS WAS NOT ACCEPTABLE. AND IT NEEDS TO BE PUBLICLY CONDEMNED. AND I'M NOT GONNA GO INTO THE DETAILS BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THESE INDIVIDUALS WANT. THEY WANT THIS ATTENTION. BUT THAT LAST NIGHT, WHAT HAPPENED WAS FLAT OUT ANTISEMITIC. AND THAT IS NOT WHAT OUR CITY IS ABOUT. I WANNA THANK LAW ENFORCEMENT FOR QUICKLY ACTING AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE SAFETY AND SECURITY FOR COUNSEL. I'M SORRY THAT IT HAPPENED. IT NEVER SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED, BUT IT DOES NEED TO BE CALLED OUT. AND IT IS NOT JUST ON YOU TO CALL IT OUT. COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. AMEN. UM, GOOD MORNING. UM, SO FIRST I WANNA GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO MY DISTRICT, UM, MEMBERS, SOME OF THE MEMBERS IN MY DISTRICT WHO PARTICIPATED IN LOBBY DAY, UM, A FEW WEEKS AGO. UM, I TOOK A VAN OF CONSTITUENTS DOWN TO TALK TO OUR LEGISLATORS, UM, BOTH REPUBLICAN AND DEMOCRAT ABOUT THE ISSUES THAT'S IMPACTING DISTRICT B. AND UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO GIVE HIM A SHOUT OUT FOR TAKING THE TIME TO SPEND THE DAY WITH US. UM, KATHY TER DE SHOWER GOS, UM, FRED WOODS, RAIN EATON, UM, MEDIA FOR TEXAS FED US. AND SO THAT WAS, UM, GREAT. THEY HAD A, UM, EXHIBIT ON THE LAWN TO HELP FOLKS UNDERSTAND MORE ABOUT TELEVISION AND FILM AND THE JOBS THAT ARE, THAT COMES ALONG WITH TELEVISION, TELEVISION AND FILM. SO IT WAS GREAT. UM, GOT A CHANCE TO, UM, JUST REALLY DIVE IN AND IS THE, ON THE ISSUES THAT'S IMPACTING DISTRICT B AND, UM, LOOKING FORWARD TO DOING IT AGAIN. UM, THE NEXT LEGISLATIVE SESSION. UM, STEPHEN DAVID WANT TO THANK HIM TOO FOR COORDINATING WITH OUR OFFICE, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GOT THOSE VISITS, UM, SET UP. AND THEN LAST, UM, THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER AND DAVIS FOR, UM, JOINING US ON THE TOUR. UM, THE TOUR TOUR. I THINK IT WAS VERY HELPFUL TO, UM, SO THAT PEOPLE CAN SEE EXACTLY THE WORK, UM, THAT THE TOURISTS HAS BEEN DOING OVER THE, UM, PAST YEARS. YOU KNOW, UM, THE DELUXE THEATER, MEOW WOLF, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF, UM, NEGATIVITY AROUND TOURISTS, BUT THIS TOUR GOT FOLK GAVE PEOPLE A CHANCE TO SEE HOW THE FIFTH WARD TOURS IS OPERATING, HOW THEY'RE TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE KEEP AFFORDABLE HOUSING WITHIN OUR COMMUNITIES AND, UM, UPGRADING THE PARKS AND SO FORTH. SO THANK YOU GUYS FOR TAKING THE TIME TO, UM, SHARE WITH US. AND IF YOU WANT MORE INFORMATION, SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER, UM, DISTRICT B@HOUSTONTX.GOV OR 8 3 2 3 9 3 3 0 0 9 IF YOU HAVE ANY ISSUES. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN ALCO, IT WAS GOOD TO SEE YOU IN AUSTIN AS WELL. YEAH. COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN HOUSE COUNCIL RAMIREZ, THANK YOU MAYOR. AND TO COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN'S, UH, POINT, UM, I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY THE DETAILS OF WHAT HAPPENED TO, UH, OUR COLLEAGUE, BUT, UH, WE SUPPORT YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER PECK IN, UH, THIS LATEST ROUND OF WHAT HAPPENED. UH, IT'S NOT RIGHT AND, UH, WE'LL, WE'LL BACK YOU 100%. UH, THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO SAY WAS, UH, NEXT WEEK ON THE AGENDA WE'LL HAVE, UH, THE SHORT TERM RENTAL ORDINANCE FOR CONSIDERATION. SO, UH, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, YOU HAVE ANOTHER WEEK, UH, PERHAPS TWO IF IT'S, IF IT'S TAGGED, UH, TO WEIGH IN ON THE ORDINANCE, IT'S AVAILABLE FOR YOU TO, TO READ. A NUMBER OF PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY WEIGHED IN, UH, CITIZEN RESIDENTS AND STAKE OTHER STAKEHOLDERS ALIKE. SO WE WELCOME THOSE ADDITIONAL COMMENTS. I WANT TO COMMEND A RA AND OUR LEGAL DEPARTMENT FOR THE HUNDREDS OF HOURS OF WORK THEY'VE PUT ON IT, IN ON IT. IT'S THE CULMINATION OF A NUMBER OF YEARS WORK. WE APPRECIATE YOU AND LOOK FORWARD TO THE DISCUSSION WE'RE GONNA HAVE. THANK YOU. THOMAS. THANK YOU. UH, FRIDAY, I, UH, PRESENTED A PROCLAMATION AND JOINED 50 PLUS ONE INTERNATIONAL, UM, DURING THEIR KICKOFF OF THE THIRD INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS. IT WAS FOUNDED IN MEXICO. 50 PLUS ONE INTERNATIONAL EMPOWERS WOMEN AND GIRLS BY CONNECTING PROFESSIONALS ACROSS, UH, VARIOUS FIELDS, UH, TO ADVANCE LEADERSHIP AND DECISION MAKING, UH, PRIORITIES. [05:10:01] UH, OUR COUNCIL GENERAL OF MEXICO, UH, MARIA ATLANTA ORANTES IS ALSO THE PRESIDENT OF 50 PLUS ONE INTERNATIONAL. AND WE HAD A TIME, UH, LATINAS FROM ACROSS THE GLOBE JOINED US IN THE LEGACY ROOM AND AT THE GEORGIA BROWN FOR A FANTASTIC WEEKEND. AND I WILL JUST ADD THAT THE TEQUILA WAS ON POINT AS WELL. SO I LOOK FORWARD TO CELEBRATING WITH YOU NEXT YEAR. I WANNA ENCOURAGE RESIDENTS AND ALL THAT ARE WATCHING COUNCIL TODAY. UM, I BELIEVE IT'S AT TWO O'CLOCK, THE SERVICE AND DELIVERY COMMITTEE. THEY'RE GONNA, UH, WILL HOST A CONVERSATION AROUND, UM, AUTO MECHANIC SHOPS. AND JUST TO REMIND YOU, WE'VE BEEN HAVING THIS CONVERSATION WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND PARK HOUSTON FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS AROUND, UM, HOW THEY'RE DISRUPTING RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD, PARTICULARLY IN PINEY POINT, UM, WHERE SOME OF THOSE AUTO MECHANIC SHOPS ARE ACTUALLY OPERATING ON RESIDENTIAL LAND THAT WAS NEVER, UM, A, A TRANSITION TO COMMERCIAL LAND USE. SO, UM, JOIN US. WE'VE REACHED OUT TO RESIDENTS TO, UH, PARTICIPATE ON PUBLIC COMMENTS. YOU CAN WATCH LIVE ON HTV OR ON FACEBOOK LIVE, BUT I JUST WANNA SHOUT OUT TO IMPERIAL POINT, ASHTON VILLAGE, BEL AIR WEST, AND OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE DEALING WITH THE SAME ISSUE TO PLEASE PARTICIPATE, UM, AND, AND SHARE YOUR CONCERNS AND MAKE YOUR VOICES KNOWN. AND I'LL BE TRAVELING, BUT I'LL BE WATCHING, UM, IN, IN TRANSIT. UM, I JUST WANNA THANK MY COLLEAGUES ON THE CONSENT AGENDA. WE APPROVED A $326,000 FROM THE PARK PARK CONSOLIDATED FUND. UH, THIS IS FOR OUR, UM, MULTI-USE TRAIL CONNECTING OFF THE STORY PARK. THIS WAS A CIP ITEM ON LAST YEAR'S CYCLE. AND SO THERE WAS A COMMUNITY MEETING HELD, I BELIEVE, WITH PRECINCT FOUR IN PARKS HOUSTON. AND SO THIS IS MOVING FORWARD. SO I JUST WANNA THANK YOU PUBLICLY FOR YOUR SUPPORT. UH, LASTLY, TWO WEEKS AGO, A DISTRICT F RESIDENT, UM, NEAR BINETTE AND KIRKWOOD WAS DETAINED BY ICE AND HELD IN CUSTODY DE DESPITE HAVING A VALID WORK PERMIT. UM, HE'S THE SOLE PROVIDER FOR HIS MOTHER WHO'S PARTIALLY VISUALLY IMPAIRED. UM, MANY OF OUR SPANISH STATIONS PICKED THIS INCIDENT UP. UH, THIS IS THE TYPE OF CHILLING EFFECT THAT'S HAPPENING, NOT JUST ON THE WEST SIDE, BUT ALL THROUGHOUT OUR CITY AND OUR NATION BECAUSE OF THE CONVERSATION AROUND, UH, IMMIGRATION POLICIES AND HOW DANGEROUS THAT IS. UM, AND SO WE'RE FOLLOWING THAT. WE ARE PROVIDING INFORMATION TO OUR RESIDENTS. AND SO, UM, CONTINUE TO FEEL SAFE SHARING THOSE DETAILS WITH OUR OFFICES, OUR OFFICES AND STAFF. UM, AND WE'LL DO WHATEVER WE CAN TO ADVOCATE ON YOUR BEHALF. AND THEN IN SPEAKING OF IMMIGRATION, MY OFFICE IS WORKING WITH THE SAID INSTITUTE. LARGELY BLACK IMMIGRANTS HAVE BEEN LEFT OUT OF THE CONVERSATION OF IMMIGRATION. SO WE'RE WORKING TOGETHER WITH OUR BLACK IMMIGRATION IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY TO TALK ABOUT, UM, HOW THEY CAN KNOW THEIR RIGHTS, PARTICULARLY AROUND HAITI, UH, WEST NI, UH, WEST AFRICA, AND ALL, UM, ALL OF OUR OTHER COMMUNITIES. UM, 'CAUSE THERE IS A, UH, A FEAR AND THERE'S A, A, A INFORMATION THAT IS NOT BEING PASSED AND SHARED TO THOSE COMMUNITIES. SO WE ARE WORKING TOGETHER, UH, AGGRESSIVELY TO PRESENT IT, UM, A, A CONVERSATION WHERE THEY CAN BE SAFE TO KNOW THEIR RIGHTS, HAVE SHARED RESOURCES, AND REALLY GET BACK TO SOME, UM, ONE-ON-ONE TRADITIONAL, UH, CONNECTING WITH COMMUNITY AND PROTECTING OURSELVES IN, IN A TIME OF NEED. I ALSO WANNA SHOUT OUT, UH, SHANNON BUGS, WHO'S NO LONGER THE DIRECTOR OF WHO'S DEPARTED THE CITY OF HOUSTON, NO LONGER THE DIRECTOR, UH, FOR COMPLETE COMMUNITIES. AND, UM, I WAS, UM, TAKEN ABACK BY THE LEVEL, THE LACK OF DEPTH IN THE ARTICLE, UM, TALKING ABOUT HER DEPAR, HER, HER DEPARTURE, AND THE LACK OF DEPTH GIVEN TO THE IMPACT OF COMPLETE COMMUNITIES. UM, UH, UH, KATHY BLUFORD DANIELS SAID SOMETHING AT THE H BAD LUNCHEON. SHE SAID BEFORE YOU CAN TALK ABOUT MATTHEW, MARK, AND LUKE. YOU HAVE TO TALK ABOUT GENESIS. AND I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE HISTORY BOOK HAS TO REFLECT, UM, THAT COMPLETE COMMUNITIES WAS, IT IS AN INSTRUMENTAL, UH, TOOL, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT TOOL, UM, THAT REALLY EMPOWERED RESIDENTS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. ALTHOUGH SHE'S DEPARTED. I WANNA REMIND HOUSTONIANS THAT YOU'RE STILL THE CITY. UH, THE ACTION PLANS THAT YOU SHOWED UP TO EVERY MONTH OVER YEARS TO CREATE YOUR PRIORITIES ARE STILL VERY VALID. AND ALTHOUGH THERE MAY NOT BE A FORMAL OFFICE SAY, THAT'S CALLED COMPLETE COMMUNITIES, PLEASE CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE FOR THE THINGS THAT YOU KNOW THAT YOU DESERVE. WITH COMPLETE COMMUNITIES, WE WERE ABLE TO DIRECT RESOURCES FROM A GLOBAL PANDEMIC, AUTHOR, POLICE REFORMS, DIRECT FINANCIAL RESOURCES, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, BECAUSE THE PEOPLE CHOSE TO STAND UP AND SAY, WE ARE HERE. AND SO, ESPECIALLY WHEN NEIGHBORHOODS IN HOUSTON HAVE BEEN HISTORICALLY DECENTRALIZED, THEY WERE NOW CENTRALIZED IN THE PART OF THE CONVERSATION. I WANNA THANK HER AND EVERYONE ASSOCIATED WITH COMPLETE COMMUNITIES FOR THEIR TIRELESS, TIRELESS EFFORT, UM, THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON RICE, THE PHILANTHROPIC COMMUNITY, EVERYONE THAT STOOD WITH PEOPLE ARM IN ARM TO GIVE THEM THE VERY BEST. AND AS SOMEONE THAT TEACHES COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, I UNDERSTAND HOW CENTRAL THESE INITIATIVES ARE IN LOCAL MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT, UM, IN THE CURRENCY. IT GIVES PEOPLE TO GIVE THEM A VOICE. SO I WANNA THANK HER FOR HER SERVICE AND I WANNA THANK EVERYONE WHO CONSISTENTLY SHOWED UP AND TRUSTED THE [05:15:01] WORK OVER THE LAST EIGHT YEARS. THANK YOU, MAYOR PROTE, CASTEX, STATE OF THANK YOU, MAYOR. HAVE A COUPLE OF ANNOUNCEMENTS. THE HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT WILL BE HOSTING COMMUNITY MEETINGS, HIGHLIGHTING THE 2025 TO 2029 CONSOLIDATED PLAN AND THE 2025 ACTION PLAN. THE FIRST MEETING IS VIRTUAL TOMORROW, UM, FROM THREE TO 5:00 PM AND THE IN-PERSON MEETING WILL BE ON WEDNESDAY, APRIL THE SECOND, FROM SIX TO EIGHT AT THE HARM CLARK MULTI-SERVICE CENTER IN DISTRICT A. UH, IF YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, YOU CAN, UM, GO TO THE HOUSING SOCIALS OR CONTACT OUR OFFICE ABOUT THAT MEETING. THAT WILL TAKE PLACE AT THE HARM CLARK MULTI-SERVICE CENTER. AND THEN WE HAVE HAD, UM, SEVERAL DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THE SHORT TERM RENTALS. UM, I WILL BE HOSTING, UH, THE PRESIDENT'S ADVISORY COUNCIL THIS SATURDAY, UH, MARCH THE 29TH FROM NINE TO 11:00 AM AT OUR, UM, STATE OF THE ART, DR. SHANNON WALKER, NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARY. UH, WE WILL BE DISCUSSING SHORT TERM RENTALS. UH, THE STAFF FROM A RA AND LEGAL WILL BE ENGAGING WITH THE PRESIDENTS OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, UM, OUR CIVIC CLUBS, OUR SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD PRESIDENTS, UM, AND ALL OF THE PRESIDENTS THAT MAY HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THE SHORT TERM RENTALS AND THE ACTUAL, UM, CHANGES, POTENTIAL CHANGES. WE ARE ASKING THEM TO PLEASE BE PRESENT ON SATURDAY, UH, FROM NINE TO 11 AT THE SHANNON WALKER LIBRARY. AND THEN, UM, MAYOR YESTERDAY WE HAD THE GROUNDBREAKING AT UNITED, UM, FOR THEIR GROUND SERVICE EQUIPMENT FACILITY AND THE CEO OF UNITED, SCOTT KIRBY WAS THERE, KELLY FROM THE HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM, AND, UH, HOST OF THEIR EMPLOYEES IN THE COMMUNITY. IT WAS A GREAT EVENT. UM, REALLY WANTED TO JUST AMPLIFY THE CONTINUED INVESTMENTS AT OUR AIRPORTS. UM, AND THANK UNITED FOR THEIR PARTNERSHIP IN THE CITY, UM, ON BEHALF OF THE ENTIRE COUNCIL AND, UM, THE ADMINISTRATION. UM, AND THEN OF COURSE, COUNCIL MEMBERS, Y'ALL KNOW, THIS IS THE THIRD TIME WE HAVE, UM, PUT FORTH OUR BANDED SIGN LEGISLATION. UH, WE ARE MAKING GREAT PROGRESS. UM, I THINK THIRD TIME MAY BE THE CHARM. UM, BUT I DID HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO TESTIFY BEFORE THE SENATE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE. UM, THE GR TEAM, UM, HAS BEEN WORKING DILIGENTLY ON, UM, GETTING, GAINING, UH, SUPPORT. UH, AND WE WILL HAVE A HEARING IN THE HOUSE PRETTY SOON. UM, SO HOPEFULLY I'LL REPORT BACK THAT WE GOT THIS LEGISLATION OVER THE FINISH LINE TO, UM, INCREASE THE FINES ON THE FOLKS THAT CONTINUE TO PREY ON OUR COMMUNITIES AND BLANKET OUR COMMUNITIES WITH THIS VISUAL SPAM. BE KIND TO EACH OTHER, MAKE IT A GREAT DAY. THANK YOU. UH, COUNCILMAN PECK, BEFORE I RECOGNIZE YOU, I WANT TO EXPRESS MY SUPPORT FOR COUNCILMAN'S CAYMAN'S REMARKS. OBVIOUSLY, I WAS NOTIFIED DURING THIS CRISIS, UM, HPD AND THE CHIEF RESPONDED ACCORDINGLY. I EMPATHIZE WITH YOU. I'VE HAD THAT SAME GROUP IN MY FRONT YARD EVERY FRIDAY NIGHT FROM NINE TO 11 WITH THEIR THREATS SURROUNDING OUR CAR, UH, EVERY FRIDAY NIGHT FROM NINE TO 11. SO, I UNDERSTAND THE FEAR FACTOR. MY DAUGHTERS WERE NOT PREPARED FOR IT AS YOU WEREN'T. AND, UH, I DON'T WANNA DISCUSS SOME MEASURES THAT HPD ARE TAKING, BUT, UH, THE CHIEF IS PERSONALLY HANDLING THE THREATS TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY. SO I HESITATE TO BRING IT UP THIS MORNING 'CAUSE I DON'T WANNA GIVE THE GROUP ANY MORE ATTENTION THAN NECESSARY. BUT IT IS THE REALITY THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH, THAT PEOPLE CROSS THE LINE, UH, AND THEY'RE GONNA BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE WHEN THEY VIOLATE THE LAW. BUT, UH, THIS IS NOT FREEDOM OF SPEECH. IT'S, IT'S OFFENSIVE AND ASSAULTIVE, AND YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE TO BE SUBJECTED TO SUCH PUBLIC THREATS. AND, UH, I'M JUST, I, I'M THANKFUL THAT IT HAD, UH, EVERYONE'S ATTENTION AND, AND WE'LL MONITOR IT CERTAINLY GOING FORWARD. I'M A PHONE CALL AWAY AS WELL AS THE CHIEF AND HPD I'M TOLD THEY GOT THERE IN TWO MINUTES. SO YOU'RE A HIGH PRIORITY. YOU'RE PUBLIC SAFETY, AS ARE NO HOUSTONIANS SHOULD HAVE TO DO THIS. EVERYONE'S ENTITLED TO THEIR OPINION AND JUST PERSONALLY, 'CAUSE I WOULDN'T GET INVOLVED IN A FOREIGN AFFAIRS MATTER AS, UH, AS YOU ENCOUNTERED YESTERDAY. SO, UH, LISTEN TO HPD AND, AND YOUR COLLEAGUES SUPPORT YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I APPRECIATE THAT. UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR, UM, CLEAR AND STRONG POSITION ON THIS. THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN, ALSO FOR YOUR BEAUTIFUL WORDS AND FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND TO MY COLLEAGUES AS WELL. MAYOR. I ALSO DIDN'T WANNA ADDRESS [05:20:01] THIS TODAY, UM, BUT I HAVEN'T REALLY ADDRESSED IT HERE AT COUNCIL. AND AFTER WHAT HAPPENED LAST NIGHT IN THE LINE THAT THEY CROSSED, I FEEL LIKE I DO NEED TO ADDRESS IT, UM, THEY BASICALLY WENT TO A PRIVATE EVENT AT A PRIVATE RESTAURANT, UM, SURROUNDED MY CAR, WOULD NOT LET ME LEAVE SHOUTED SLURS, YELLED AT MY HUSBAND, CALLED OUT THREATS TO MY FAMILY, NAMING MY CHILDREN. UM, AND THEY MADE IT CLEAR THAT THAT WAS NOT GOING TO BE THE LAST STOP OF THE NIGHT THAT THEY MADE WITH ME. UM, I DO WANNA THANK HPD. I THINK IT COMES AT NO SURPRISE TO ANYONE HERE THAT THEY HANDLED THIS JUST WITH SO MUCH CARE AND GOT US OUT SAFELY. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH TO THEM. UM, THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR A WHILE NOW. UM, IN THESE CHAMBERS, COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN AND I HAVE RECEIVED MANY DEROGATORY REMARKS FROM THE PUBLIC BECAUSE OF OUR FAITH. BUT THIS IS PUBLIC SPACE WHERE PUBLIC SERVANTS, UM, WE CAN AND SHOULD HOLD DEBATE ON PUBLIC POLICY. WE CAN DISAGREE EVEN PASSIONATELY ABOUT WORLD EVENTS. BUT WHEN POLITICAL ACTIVISM TURNS INTO PERSONAL HARASSMENT AND SINGLES OUT INDIVIDUALS, AND BECAUSE OF THEIR IDENTITY, IT CROSSES A DANGEROUS LINE AS IT DID LAST NIGHT. POLITICAL VIOLENCE HAS NO PLACE IN HOUSTON, AND IT MUST NOT BE TOLERATED. I WILL NOT BE INTIMIDATED. I WILL NOT BE SILENCED. I WILL CONTINUE TO WORK ON THE ISSUES THAT MY CONSTITUENTS ELECTED ME TO DO, LIKE PUBLIC SAFETY, QUALITY OF LIFE, INFRASTRUCTURE, AND FINANCES. I WILL CONTINUE TO STAND FOR THE VALUES THAT MAKE OUR CITY STRONG, RESPECT DEMOCRACY AND THE FUNDAMENTAL DIGNITY OF EVERY PERSON, NO MATTER THEIR BACKGROUND OR BELIEFS. AND I'M GOING TO DO SO WITH THE STAR OF DAVID AROUND MY NECK AND A SMILE ON MY FACE BECAUSE THANK GOD WE LIVE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, WHERE THE MAJORITY OF US EMBRACE DIVERSITY AND STAND UP FOR ONE ANOTHER NO MATTER OUR DIFFERENCES. THANK YOU. THANK, THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, DEFINITELY WELL SAID. UH, AND, AND YOU, YOU HAVE OUR SUPPORT, YOU HAVE OUR SUPPORT. UM, JUST WANTED TO SHARE A FEW THINGS. UH, WE ARE HAVING AN ETHICS AND GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE MEETING TO, UH, TOMORROW, UH, THURSDAY THE 27TH AT 10:00 AM UH, TWO TOPICS ARE GONNA BE DISCUSSED. ONE OF 'EM IS, UH, SHARING FOR CITY OFFIC, SHARING FOR CITY OFFICIALS UNDER THE TPI, UH, A PRESENTATION DONE BY DANIELLE FOLSOM WITH CITY LEGAL. THE SECOND ONE WILL BE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO CHAPTER 15 AND 18, PRESENTED BY, UH, STEVEN DAVID. UM, WE'VE HAD SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS. I DO WANNA MAKE IT PRETTY CLEAR, UH, PRIOR TO ME TAKING ON THIS POSITION AS A CHAIR FOR GOVERNANCE AND ETHICS, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS VERY LITTLE TO NO MEETINGS. UM, AND SO WE, ALONG WITH THE ADMINISTRATION, THE MAYOR, WE DO TAKE, UH, THIS, THIS SERIOUSLY. AND SO WE DO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ADDRESSING SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN NOT LOOKED AT, WHETHER IT'S CONTRACTS, UH, DONE WITH, UH, CITY, YOU KNOW, WITH CITY EMPLOYEES AND, AND RELATIONSHIPS AND STUFF OF THAT SORT. AND SO WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS. UM, LOOKING FORWARD TO TOMORROW'S, UH, ETHICS AND GOVERNOR'S MEETING AND, UH, COMMITTEE MEETING. AND I HOPE TO HAVE, UH, COLLEAGUES HERE AS WELL. UM, WE WILL BE CELEBRATING CESAR CHAVEZ, UH, BIRTHDAY WITH THE MARCH ON SUNDAY, MARCH THE 30TH AT 12:00 PM IT'LL START AT CESAR CHAVEZ AND CANAL MARCHING TOWARDS ALDO PARK. MANY KNOW SESAR CHAVEZ WAS A KEY FIGURE IN THE CHICANO, UH, MOVEMENT, UH, DURING THE LATE SIXTIES, EARLY SEVENTIES. UM, AND ALSO, UH, A STRONG LEADER IN LABOR RIGHTS, UH, MOVEMENT AS WELL. AND SO I LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING FOLKS OUT IN THE EAST END, BUT QUITE FRANKLY, ALL ACROSS THE CITY TO JOIN US, UH, UH, AT THIS MARCH ON SUNDAY. UH, AND THEN LAST, UH, BUT NOT LEAST, UH, THERE'S, UH, AS MY COLLEAGUE, UH, COUNCILOR CASTILLO MENTIONED TRASH BASH IS THIS, UH, UH, SATURDAY, MARCH THE 29TH. IT'S SPONSORED BY THE H-G-H-G-A-C AND THE TEXAS CONSERVATION FUND. THERE'S THREE LOCATIONS IN DISTRICT. I, THE FIRST ONE'S AT GLENBROOK PARK OFF OF, IN OFF OF, UH, SIMS BAYOU MASON PARK, AND, UH, BRACED BAYOU. AND THEN THE COLEMAN GULLY IN, IN THE SOUTHEAST PART OF, UH, OUR DISTRICT. UH, IT BEGINS AT 8:00 AM UH, IF YOU WANNA VOLUNTEER, YOU CAN GO TO WWW.TRASHBASH.ORG. UH, AND FROM THERE YOU CAN, YOU CAN FIND OUT WHERE IS THE CLOSEST, UH, TRASH BASH SITE FOR YOU. UH, THANK YOU AND HAVE A GOOD DAY. VERY WELL. ANYTHING ELSE, MEMBERS? THANK YOU FOR A VERY WELL CONDUCTED SESSION THIS MORNING. WE STAND ADJOURNED TILL NEXT WEEK. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.