[Proposition A Committee on April 10, 2025.]
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CHAIR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S PROPOSITION A COMMITTEE.
THE TIME IS NOW TWO O'CLOCK ON APRIL 10TH, 2025.
AND, UM, I'D LIKE TO GET THE MEETING STARTED.
SO I WANNA WELCOME EVERYONE THAT'S IN ATTENDANCE TODAY, AS WELL AS THOSE THAT ARE WATCHING ON HTV OR ONLINE.
UM, IN THIS COMMITTEE, WE AIM TO FACILITATE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF PROPOSITION A, WHICH WAS OVERWHELMINGLY PASSED BY RESIDENTS IN 2023.
I'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE, UH, VICE CHAIR COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZ HAS JOINED US.
WE HAVE STAFF FROM, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO'S OFFICE STAFF FROM, UM, MARTINEZ'S OFFICE STAFF, FROM COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN'S OFFICE STAFF FROM ER, JACKSON'S OFFICE, AS WELL AS THE DISTRICT G STAFF.
UM, AND THEN WE HAVE, UM, EVAN SHABAZZ'S OFFICE, UH, DOING OUR ELECTRONICS FOR US TODAY.
IS THERE ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE TO SAY, VICE CHAIR, BEFORE WE GET STARTED? NO, OTHER THAN I MADE IT HERE BY THE SKIN OF MY TEETH.
I HAD A JURY DUTY THIS MORNING.
I WAS ATTEMPTING TO DO MY CIVIC DUTY.
THEY DIDN'T PICK ME ALL, BUT I, AND SO IT'S ALWAYS AN EXPERIENCE THOUGH, AND I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW, IT MAY BE YOU OR A FAMILY MEMBER OR, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT NEEDS JUSTICE ABSOLUTELY.
OR, UH, AN IMPORTANT ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE RESOLVED.
AND SO I, I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH IT.
BUT, UH, JUST, UH, LOOKING FORWARD TO SOME DIRECTION REGARDING THE PROP.
A WE KNOW THAT IT HAS BEEN SOMEWHAT CONTROVERSIAL.
WE HAVE USED IT, UH, AND I THINK IT'S BEEN USED WELL.
AND SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO YOUR REPORT.
AND SO TODAY WE HAVE ONE PRESENTATION, UM, TO BE GIVEN BY MR. DANNY NORRIS OF THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT.
UM, AND THEN PUBLIC COMMENT WILL FOLLOW THAT.
SO PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND LET'S GET STARTED.
ONLY DONE THIS ONCE, SO THANK Y'ALL FOR HAVING ME.
I HAVE BEEN, UH, WITH THE CITY.
I WAS IN CONTRACTS BEFORE, BEFORE THIS POSITION WAS CREATED.
I CONTRACTS FOR THE LAST TWO, A LITTLE, UH, A LITTLE OVER TWO YEARS.
UM, GOT HERE IN, UH, SORRY, JUST OVER TWO YEARS.
WENT BEFORE THIS POSITION CAME OPEN.
SO, UH, NOW THAT IT'S OPEN, I GET TO BE THE FIRST THIS POSITION, WHICH MEANS I GET TO WORK WITH YOU ALL ON HELPING SHAPE IT, WHICH IS, UH, PART GREAT.
AND I WILL GO, EXCUSE ME JUST A SECOND.
I THINK THEY'RE HAVING TROUBLE HEARING.
I DON'T KNOW IF THE VOLUME CAN BE CUT.
CAN YOU HEAR ME BACK THERE? OKAY.
I'M, SEE IF I CAN, HOW ABOUT NOW? IS THAT A LITTLE BETTER? OKAY.
I I'M GONNA LEAN OVER JUST, ALRIGHT.
I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA SPEAK UP.
I'M TRYING NOT TO SCREAM AT Y'ALL, BUT I'LL, I'LL SPEAK UP.
AND, UH, BEFORE YOU GET STARTED QUICKLY, WE HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN HERE AND COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ.
SO, DANNY NORRIS, I AM YOUR PROPOSITION A ATTORNEY.
UH, LIKE I SAID BEFORE, I'VE BEEN WITH THE CITY SINCE 2022 IN THE CONTRACTS DIVISION, NOW THAT THIS POSITION WAS CREATED, UH, THANKS TO YOU ALL.
UH, AND, AND I WILL BEEN DOING THAT FOR THE LAST, SINCE THE MIDDLE OF FEBRUARY.
SO, UH, SINCE THEN I'VE GOT A CHANCE TO SIT DOWN WITH EVERYBODY'S OFFICE AT THIS POINT.
UH, SOME, SOME, UH, FORMALLY AT LEAST, IF NOTHING ELSE, YOUR STAFF.
BUT I THINK I PRETTY MUCH MET WITH EVERYBODY AT THIS POINT.
I'VE GOT A CHANCE TO GET A LITTLE BIT OF INPUT.
SO I TRIED TO PUT THAT INTO THIS PRESENTATION TO, UH, THERE WERE SOME QUESTIONS ALONG THE WAY AND I DID TRY TO ANSWER SOME OF THOSE THINGS.
UH, BUT THAT IS THE PURPOSE OF US BEING HERE TODAY.
SO I WILL GO AHEAD AND GO TO IT.
AND I THINK IS IS, WAS COREY IN THE BACK? OKAY.
OH, HE'S ALREADY AT THE NEXT SLIDE.
SEE, HE'S ALREADY AHEAD OF ME.
ALRIGHT, SO, UH, TODAY WE'RE GONNA GO, UH, A LITTLE OVERVIEW.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS I WAS REMINDED WHEN I WAS GIVEN THIS WAS THAT YOU ALWAYS GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO THE DEPARTMENT YOU'RE FROM.
UH, I AM A, A PART OF THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT.
I'LL TALK ABOUT HOW THAT INTERACTS.
UH, I'LL GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ON THE POSITION ITSELF, UH, AND, AND A DESCRIPTION OF THE POSITION, HOW IT'S STRUCTURED.
'CAUSE THAT WAS SOME QUESTIONS THAT CAME UP WHEN I WAS, WHEN I WAS PRESENT, UH, TALKING TO YOU GUYS' OFFICES, UH, HOW THE SUBMISSION PROCESS ITSELF WE'RE GONNA GO.
I'LL GO THROUGH RULE 23 AND 24, SPECIFICALLY HOW IT'S DONE.
UM, AND 'CAUSE THERE WERE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT.
EVEN FOR SOME, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO HAVE ACTUALLY DONE THE PROCESS A COUPLE OF TIMES.
THERE STILL SEEMS TO BE A LITTLE BIT OF CONFUSION, UH, WHAT THE PROCESS HAS BEEN LIKE
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SO FAR AND, AND ANY, UH, AND CHANCE FOR ANY QUESTIONS.YES, I AM IN THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT.
SO, UM, THE GOOD THING, UH, THE GOOD THING TO NOTE ABOUT BEING IN THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT, UH, IS THAT ONE OF THE, AND ONE OF THE REASONS THAT WAS, UH, ENCOURAGED.
'CAUSE SOME, SOME QUESTIONS HAVE BECOME UP, WHETHER, YOU KNOW, THERE SHOULD BE ON YOU GUYS' FLOOR.
SHOULD I BE, YOU KNOW, SPECIFICALLY, YOU KNOW, UH, WITH CITY COUNCIL, BUT ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE, THE COUNCIL MEMBERS MENTIONED THAT WE STILL WANT YOU TO HAVE ACCESS TO THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT.
WE STILL WANT YOU TO HAVE ALL THE RESOURCES.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THINGS ARE LEGAL.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THINGS GO THROUGH.
SO I DO REPRESENT THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT AND WE, WE DO HAVE A NUMBER OF THINGS WE LIKE TO DO.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE WORKING WITH YOU GUYS, UH, BOTH AS ELECTED AND APPOINTED OFFICIALS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO DO YOUR JOB PROPERLY.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE DOING THINGS WITH INTEGRITY, UH, AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE REPRESENTING THE CITY.
THE CITY IS ONE OF THE MOST DIVERSE IN THE COUNTRY.
AND WE, WE LIKE TO REPRESENT ALL INTERESTS, UH, AND ALL PEOPLE.
UH, AND WE'D LIKE TO DO THAT AS WELL.
UH, AND WE ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ABLE TO SOLVE SOME OF THE NOVEL INTERESTS, UH, SOME OF THE NOVEL INTERESTS OF THE CITY AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO ACHIEVE THOSE OBJECTIVES.
ALRIGHT, SO PROPOSITION A SPECIFICALLY.
ALRIGHT, SO, UH, ONE THING THAT, UH, A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND, WE ALL KNOW THAT, UH, AND YOU ALL KNOW THIS, UH, FOR THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW, UH, CITY COUNCIL HAS LEGISLATIVE AUTHORITY.
SO YOU GUYS ARE THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH.
THE, UH, IT'S, YOU GUYS DO THINGS LIKE YOU APPROVE THE BUDGET, YOU APPROVE ORDINANCES, YOU GUYS RULE ON ORDINANCES.
YOU ARE, MAKE SURE THAT, UH, ANY APPOINTMENTS, ANY ENACTMENTS ARE ALL COME THROUGH.
YOU GUYS, YOU ARE THE, UH, THE, THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH OF OUR, OF OUR MUNICIPALITY.
AND THEN IT GOES TO THE ADMINISTRATION TO ACTUALLY CARRY THESE THINGS OUT.
YOU GUYS SAID THIS IS WHAT WE WANT, AND THEN IT'S UP TO THE MAYOR AND THE ADMINISTRATION TO SAY, OKAY, GET IT DONE.
AND IF IT, FOR WHATEVER REASON, IT IS NOT THAT IS, THAT IS A DIFFERENT DISCUSSION.
UH, BUT, UM, BUT THAT IS THE, THE SPECIFIC, UH, AUTHORITY.
UM, ALSO ONE THING TO NOTE THAT, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT BEFORE PROP A, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THAT WAS NOTED THERE WAS ABILITY TO BRING A SPECIAL SESSION, UH, SPECIAL, A SPECIAL MEETING, UH, SPECIAL CALL MEETINGS.
UM, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, THE PROBLEM WITH THAT WAS THAT FORM WASN'T ALWAYS AVAILABLE.
AND THEN BEFORE YOU MAKE ANY RULINGS ON THE, ON ANYTHING THAT'S GONNA AFFECT THE CITY, YOU HAVE TO HAVE QUORUM.
AND I THINK THAT WAS ONE OF THE PROBLEMATIC PARTS THAT, UH, SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS WERE FINDING.
FOR WHATEVER REASON, THE MAYOR DID NOT PUT ANYTHING ON THE AGENDA.
UH, AND, AND IF, IF YOU WANTED TO COME THE, YOU CAN CALL A QUORUM, YOU CAN CALL A, UH, A SPECIAL MEETING.
BUT IF YOU DIDN'T HAVE QUORUM, YOU REALLY COULDN'T TAKE ANY REAL ACTION.
SO THOSE WERE SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT HAPPENED BEFOREHAND.
SO THAT LED TO THE CALL FOR PROP A AND A, A QUICK TIMELINE.
UM, 2023 IS WHEN THIS, THIS WAS APPROVED BY THE VOTERS.
SO THE VOTERS APPROVED IT, UH, IT CHANGED THE CITY CHARTER, UH, GAVE US THE ABILITY, GAVE YOU THE COUNCIL MEMBERS THE ABILITY TO BRING THESE ITEMS DIRECTLY TO A REGULAR, UH, REGULAR AGENDA ON A REGULAR MEETING AGENDA.
UH, SO FROM THAT, FROM NOVEMBER OF 2023 UNTIL, UH, SOMETIME BASICALLY UNTIL LAST THROUGH ALL THROUGH LAST YEAR, EVERYTHING YOU DID PRETTY MUCH CAME FROM YOUR OWN OFFICES.
SO YOU GUYS WERE KIND OF, UH, TRYING TO ADDRESS THESE.
BUT, UH, THE, THE, THE PROBLEM THAT IT SEEMS LIKE YOU RAN INTO WAS THAT AGENDA ITEMS ARE LEGAL DOCUMENTS.
AND WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH LEGAL DOCUMENTS, AS OPPOSED TO JUST SUBMITTING THEM AND HOPING THAT THEY GET APPROVED BY THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT, UM, THEY, UH, THOSE WERE SOME, UH, YOU WERE BASICALLY SUBMITTING 'EM AND HOPING THAT THEY GO THROUGH.
SO SOMEWHERE AROUND, I THINK IT WAS THE JUNE, THE JUNE MEETING IS WHEN YOU GUYS ACTUALLY PUT THIS POSITION IN THE BUDGET, SAID MAYBE, YOU KNOW, IT TOOK, I GUESS IT TOOK TO AROUND JUNE AND SAID, MAYBE WE ACTUALLY NEED TO HAVE SOMEBODY FROM THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT WORKED WITH US ON THESE ITEMS. AND THAT'S WHERE THIS POSITION CAME FROM.
AND FEBRUARY IS WHEN I WAS APPOINTED.
AND SINCE THEN I'VE BEEN KINDA WORKING WITH YOU ALL.
SO THAT'S WHAT BROUGHT US TO TODAY.
ALRIGHT, SO LITTLE BIT OF STRUCTURE.
UH, AND THIS HAS BEEN REVISED A LITTLE BIT.
UM, THAT WAS THE QUESTION BECOMES WHERE, WHERE DOES THIS, LIKE I MENTIONED EARLIER, WHERE DOES THIS POSITION GO? I AM IN THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT.
UM, AND IT'S ACTUALLY, AND, AND SO ONE OF THE QUESTIONS WAS, YOU KNOW, DO YOU, YOU KNOW, DO YOU ANSWER TO DO, ARE YOU GONNA HAVE TO ANSWER TO THE CITY ATTORNEY WHO ANSWERS TO THE MAYOR? THE QUESTION IS, ULTIMATELY WE ALL DIS WE ALL HAVE DISCUSSION, BUT ULTIMATELY, I, I AM SUPPOSED TO BE MORE LIKE OIG WHERE I DO OPERATE.
UM, I, I DO HAVE ACCESS TO THE SO RESOURCES OF THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT, BUT I DO OPERATE AU MOSTLY AUTONOMOUS.
AND TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT THAT WAS DONE, UH, THAT'S ACTUALLY WHY I DID NOT, UH, I THINK AT ONE POINT THE POSITION WAS CONSIDERED TO BE UNDER GENERAL COUNSEL, THEN THEY DECIDED TO MOVE IT OUT OF THAT.
IT WAS CONSIDERED TO REPORT DIRECTLY TO THE CITY ATTORNEY.
BUT AT THIS POINT, THEY DECIDED TO PUT A
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LITTLE BIT OF SEPARATION SPECIFICALLY IN THAT POSITION.AND SO I REPORT, UH, THERE IS A REPORT, THERE IS A, UH, A LITTLE BIT OF A SEPARATION BETWEEN MYSELF AND THE CITY ATTORNEY.
SO THERE WILL BE MYSELF WHO REPORTS TO ONE OF THE FIRST AS, UH, ASSISTANT, FIRST ASSISTANT ATTORNEYS, I'M SORRY, ONE OF THE FIRST ASSISTANTS.
UM, MAINLY TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, IF THERE IS TO FIGURE OUT WHAT RESOURCES ARE NECESSARY FOR PARTICULAR ITEMS THAT YOU GUYS HAVE.
BUT ULTIMATELY NOBODY'S THERE, THERE IS NOT A WHAT'S GOING ON NECESSARILY, UH, FROM THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT.
IT IS, IT IS MEANT TO OPERATE.
I AM MEANT TO OPERATE AND HELP, UH, AND ASSIST YOU ALL AS NEEDED.
UM, ALSO, UM, WITH REGARDS TO, UM, WITH REGARDS TO ANY ITEMS YOU HAVE.
AND I THINK FOR THE MOST PART, YOU ALL KIND OF KNOW THAT I'VE ALREADY SPOKEN WITH PRETTY MUCH EVERYBODY.
YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE ANY ITEMS YOU HAVE OR IF YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT YOU PRETTY MUCH JUST REACH OUT TO ME AND LET ME KNOW AND I WILL WORK ON THEM AND, AND KIND OF GET, YOU KNOW, GET BACK WITH YOU.
A LOT OF TIMES IT'S, SOMETIMES IT'S, UM, AND YOU GUYS KIND OF VARY.
SOME OF YOU ALL ARE VERY INTERESTED AS THERE'S A COUPLE OF CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT HAVE A FEW ITEMS THAT ARE IN MIND, SOME NOT SO MANY.
UH, AND, AND SOME OF YOU'RE IN BETWEEN.
SOME OF YOU'RE LIKE, WELL, I'M THINKING ABOUT SOMETHING WHEN I GET A LITTLE CLOSER.
OR I'M, YOU KNOW, I'M THINKING ABOUT THIS.
COULD YOU, COULD YOU FIND OUT THIS OUT? SO THERE'S A VARIETY.
UH, IT JUST DEPENDS ON THE COUNCIL MEMBER.
UM, ALSO THE, THE, UM, IT WAS ALSO SUGGESTED, ONE OF THE SUGGESTIONS AS I DID MEET WITH YOU ALL WAS TO CREATE A SIMILAR TO OIG, WHERE THEY HAVE A, A POLICY, A SET, A RULE, A SET OF GUIDELINES, UM, THAT, THAT WAS ACTUALLY SPECIFICALLY ASKED.
AND I, I'M WORKING ON THAT AS WELL.
SO THAT WILL BE FORTHCOMING AND I WILL MAKE SURE WHEN IT IS PREPARED, I WILL GET IT TO YOU ALL'S OFFICE SO YOU GUYS CAN HAVE A, A LITTLE BIT MORE CLARITY.
ALRIGHT, YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO I KNOW A, A FEW OF YOU, UH, BEFORE I KNEW A FEW OF YOU BEFOREHAND, FOR THOSE WHO DIDN'T KNOW ME, I, I INTRODUCED MYSELF A LITTLE BIT WHEN I CAME, CAME TO YOU GUYS OFFICE, I DIDN'T BRING MY RESUME.
SO I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS MIGHT WANNA KNOW A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ME.
UM, SO I'VE BEEN PRACTICING LAW SINCE 2007.
I, UM, I, YOU KNOW, I WENT TO ACTUALLY MOST, MOST OF MY FOCUS.
I HAVE A ENGINEERING BACKGROUND.
UH, MY FIRST DEGREE WAS ENGINEERING.
SO I WENT TO LAW SCHOOL TO BE A PATENT LAWYER.
UM, THE, I GRADUATED IN OH 7, 0 8 MARKET.
UH, I FOUND, I FOUND THAT THE MARKET WAS A LITTLE BIT UNSTABLE, FOUND MYSELF, AND THEN I FOUND MYSELF WORKING IN ACADEMIA FOR THE NEXT 12 YEARS.
UM, ACTUALLY, UM, THAT'S THE SECOND POINT.
I ACTUALLY, UH, WORKED IN LAW SCHOOL.
SO I, I TAUGHT AT THE LAW SCHOOL LEVEL.
I HAD A NUMBER OF STUDENTS, UH, ACTUALLY A COUPLE OF 'EM ARE COLLEAGUES WITH ME AT, UH, OVER IN GEN OVER IN THE, UM, OVER IN THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT.
AND SPEAKING OF A LITTLE BIT CLOSER TO HOME, ACTUALLY, WHEN I USED TO TEACH AT TSU, ONE OF, UH, ONE OF OUR ATTENDEES, MR. COLLIER ACTUALLY WAS A UNDERGRAD STUDENT.
SO I, I'VE SEEN A FEW STUDENTS OVER THE YEARS.
UH, SO I'VE GOT A CHANCE TO SEE THE, UH, A NUMBER OF THINGS ON THE ACADEMIC SIDE.
UM, ALSO, UM, BEFOREHAND I MENTIONED TO A NUMBER OF YOU ALL AS WELL THAT I ALSO HELD, UH, ELECTED OFFICE.
I THINK THAT WAS KIND OF THE REASON THAT THEY THOUGHT I MIGHT DO OKAY IN THIS POSITION.
'CAUSE THEY SAID, WELL, YOU'VE BEEN ELECTED OFFICIAL.
YOU MIGHT KNOW HOW TO DEAL WITH ELECTED OFFICIALS.
UH, SO I, I WAS ON THE, UH, COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD, THE HARRIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION FOR FIVE YEARS.
AND I RESIGNED WHEN I RAN FOR STATE REP LAST YEAR.
UM, AND THEN, UH, LIKE I MENTIONED EARLIER, I JOINED THE CONTRACT SECTION IN 20, UH, 2022 AND HAVE BEEN IN THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT EVER SINCE.
SO THAT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT ME NEXT A LOT.
SO THE AUTHORITY COMES FROM THE VOTERS.
AND THE VOTERS, WHEN THEY VOTE ON THE MEASURE, THEY BASICALLY ALLOWED, UM, THE, THE CHARTER TO BE CHANGED.
AND THE SPECIFIC CHANGE CAN BE FOUND IN, UH, ARTICLE SEVEN, SECTION OF THREE OF THE CHARTER.
IT BASICALLY GIVES, THE AUTHORITY SAYS THREE OR MORE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO, UH, CAN REQUEST IN WRITING, UH, THAT ANY LAWFUL ITEMS AS SPECIFIED CAN BE PLACED ON THE AGENDA, ON THE REGULAR MEETING, UH, WITH NOTICE OF THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT.
SO, SO BASICALLY THIS, UH, THIS, AND THEN AFTER THAT, IT BASICALLY SAYS AGAIN, THE AMERICAN, THE MAYOR HAS TO PUT ON THE AGENDA ITEM AND IT HAS TO BE CONSIDERED DURING A REGULAR MEETING.
SO THIS IS THE AUTHORITY THAT THAT IS GIVEN IN THE CHARTER.
AND THIS IS THE ABILITY FOR YOU ALL TO BRING ITEMS SPECIFICALLY TO THE REGULAR MEETING AS OPPOSED TO DOING SPECIAL, UH, SPECIAL MEETINGS.
NOW THE, THE PART THAT YOU ALL SHOULD BE FAIRLY FAMILIAR WITH, 'CAUSE YOU GUYS WORKED ON THEM FOR A, A GOOD WHILE, ARE RULES 23 AND 24.
UH, THESE ARE THE ITEMS THAT WERE, THESE ARE THE, THE PROCESS RULES.
THESE ARE THE SUBMISSION GUIDELINES THAT, THAT, THAT YOU CAN, YOU CAN SUBMIT THROUGH.
SO YOU CAN EITHER SUBMIT PROP A ITEMS THROUGH, UH, 23 IF YOU WANNA DO DIRECTLY, OR YOU CAN DO THE COMMITTEE ROUTE, WHICH WE'RE HERE.
SO YOU CAN DO A RULE 23, WHICH IS BASICALLY YOU GET TWO OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS ON YOUR ITEM, UH, AND GOES, OR YOU CAN DO RULE 24, YOU CAN BRING IT TO THE COMMITTEE AND IT GOES.
SO, UH, IT, UH, THAT, THOSE ARE THE TWO, THE TWO ROUTES.
SO WE'LL GO THROUGH, UH, EACH ONE A LITTLE
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BIT.YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
SO WITH REGARDS TO RULE 23, THE BIG THING TO NOTE, UM, THE, THE BIG FOUR REQUIREMENTS, UH, THE BIG FOUR THINGS YOU HAVE TO HAVE TO MAKE SURE IT, IT IS PLACED ON THE ITEM.
SO YEAH, YOU CAN'T JUST, YOU CAN'T JUST, UM, MAKE A PHONE CALL.
UH, IT HAS TO HAVE SIGNATURES OF THREE OR MORE COUNCIL MEMBERS, BUT NO MORE THAN EIGHT.
SO IF IT'S, AND THE REASON THERE'S NO MORE THAN EIGHT, THEY'LL, THAT WOULD BE AN OPEN MEETINGS VIOLATION.
CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS CAN SIGN ONTO IT AS LONG AS YOU GET ANOTHER TWO, YOU, YOU SHOULD BE FINE.
UH, IT MUST BE LAWFUL, UH, WHICH IS THE, THE CHECK THAT WE'LL SEE IN A SECOND.
AND IT MUST HAVE A COPY OF THE DRAFT RESOLUTION ORDINANCE THAT WILL BE CONSIDERED BY COUNCIL.
SO THAT IS THE, THOSE ARE THE ITEMS THAT MUST GO THROUGH.
SO ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WERE ASKED, AND THIS IS, YOU KNOW, AND I JUST, A COUPLE OF PEOPLE JUST MENTIONED THAT TOO.
SO THE QUESTION IS, WELL, YOU ARE THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT.
ARE YOU GONNA DO THE, THE LAWFULNESS MEMO? ARE YOU GONNA DO THE LAWFULNESS CHECK? THE ANSWER IS, I WILL WORK WITH YOU ON THE FRONT END, BUT THE ACTUAL, THERE WILL BE AN OFFICIAL LAWFULNESS CHECK THROUGH GENERAL COUNSEL.
SO MEANING, SO I WILL BE WORKING WITH YOU GUYS ON YOUR DRAFT.
SO AS YOU GUYS COME TO ME AND SAY, HEY, I HAVE THIS ITEM THAT I WANNA PUT BEFORE THE MAYOR, OR I WANT, YOU KNOW, I WANNA PUT ON THE, THE ITEM ON THE AGENDA.
LET'S WORK, I WILL WORK WITH YOU ON IT, BUT THERE WILL BE A FORMAL CHECKOFF VIA GENERAL COUNSEL STILL.
SO, UH, I WAS, YOU KNOW, I HAD THAT DISCUSSION WITH, UH, WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY ABOUT IT ALREADY.
HE, HE, HE SUGGESTED TO AT LEAST HAVE A, UH, IT WILL BE A LITTLE BIT MORE SEPARATION IN THAT REGARD.
SO I WILL WORK WITH YOU ALL ON THE FRONT END, BUT THE ACTUAL MEMO WILL COME FROM GENERAL COUNSEL WHEN IT IS FORMALLY SUBMITTED TO THE AGENDA OFFICE AND TO THE LEGAL OFFICE.
SO THAT, I KNOW THAT WAS A QUESTION FOR A NUMBER OF YOU ALL.
WHO'S GONNA DO THE, WHO'S GONNA DO THE MEMO? WHO'S GONNA DO THE OFFICIAL CHECK? UH, THE IDEA THOUGH IS THAT WORKING WITH THE, WORKING WITH ME ON THE FRONT END SHOULD IDEALLY, UM, KEEP YOU GUYS FROM, YOU KNOW, PURSUING ITEMS THAT WOULD NOT NECESSARILY BE, UM, WORTH YOUR TIME ON THE FRONT END.
THAT THAT'S KIND OF THE PART OF THAT.
SO, BUT YEAH, THE MEMO WILL BE DONE SPECIFICALLY BY GENERAL COUNSEL.
AND THEN WITH REGARDS TO, UH, AGENDA ITEM 23, UH, FOR THE MOST PART, AFTER, AFTER IT IS SUBMITTED AND IT IS DEEMED LAWFUL, IT GOES TO WITHIN THE NEXT TWO REGULAR MEETINGS.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S THE PART, AND YOU GUYS HAVE SEEN A COUPLE OF 'EM SO FAR ALREADY, BUT THAT IS MOST OF WHAT'S GOING ON WITH, WITH, WITH THE, UH, RULE 23.
BUT THE BIG THING, THE ONE, SOME OF THE BIG CONCERNS WAS WHO'S GONNA DO THE LAWFULNESS MEMO? THAT WILL BE GENERAL COUNSEL.
BUT I WILL WORK WITH YOU ALL ON THE FRONT END TO MAKE SURE THAT IT IS TAKEN CARE OF.
AND I THINK THE IDEA IS THAT, YES, THESE ARE LEGAL DOCUMENTS.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UH, A SET OF LEGALIZED HAVE AT LEAST SEEN IT BEFORE YOU SUBMIT IT, AND YOU GUYS WON'T BE COMPLETELY IN THE DARK AND SHOOT.
UH, SOMETIMES I, I'VE HEARD A COUPLE OF COUNCIL MEMBERS FELT LIKE THEY WERE JUST SUBMITTING AND HOPING THAT IT GOES THROUGH.
ALRIGHT, SO THAT, THAT'S RULE 23.
UM, UH, RULE 24 IS BASICALLY THE, THE COMMITTEE, UH, THAT'S, SO IF YOU DECIDED NOT, IF YOU DECIDE TO BRING ITEMS TO THE COMMITTEE, UM, YOU CAN GO ABOUT THAT, THAT ROUTE AS WELL.
UH, SIMILAR TO 23, THERE WILL BE THE, THE, ONCE IT FORMALLY GOES IN, ONCE YOU HAVE FORMALLY HAVE A, UH, A LAWFULNESS CHECK, IT WILL STILL GO THROUGH GENERAL COUNSEL.
AGAIN, I WILL WORK WITH YOU ALL ON THE FRONT END AND I WILL WORK WITH THE, THE COMMITTEE.
UH, FOR ANYBODY WHO'S, WHO'S WORKING WITH ANYTHING ON THE COMMITTEE, I WILL TALK WITH THE COMMITTEE AND WORK WITH THEM ON THE FRONT END AND, AND INFORM THEM OF EVERYTHING.
BUT THE OFFICIAL, THE OFFICIAL CHECK CHECK DOES STILL GO THROUGH GENERAL COUNSEL.
UM, AND IT MUST BE, UH, I THINK SOME OF THE DIFFERENCES IN 23 AND 24, UH, THERE'S SOME NOTICE REQUIREMENTS.
SO MAKING SURE THAT GOES IN, IN ENOUGH TIME.
SO IT HAS TO GO IN 14 DAYS BEFORE THE SCHEDULE MEETING.
UH, AND IT MUST BE, UH, IT MUST BE REVIEWED BY GENERAL COUNSEL STILL.
AND THEN THAT REVIEW HAS TO BE, UM, THAT REVIEW HAS TO BE DONE SOMEWHERE BETWEEN SEVEN TO 14 DAYS, DEPENDING ON THE COMPLEXITY OF THAT MATTER FROM, YOU HAVE TO GET A RESPONSE BACK FROM GENERAL COUNSEL WITHIN A 17, 14, 7 TO 14 DAY PERIOD.
SO AFTER THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, AFTER THAT, THOSE THINGS ARE, ARE WHAT HAPPENS IN THE COMMITTEE.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE COMMITTEE STILL GOES THROUGH THE PROCEDURE.
THERE'S STILL A ROLL CALL, MAKING SURE THERE'S QUORUM.
UM, AND ONCE IF IT GOES THROUGH A COMMITTEE, IT, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE HAS TO BE A CHANCE FOR, UH, THERE, THERE HAS TO BE A CHANCE TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE ARE A, UH, YOU KNOW, REVIEWED THAT THERE'S PUBLIC TESTIMONY AS ALL OPEN MEETINGS MUST BE HERE.
AND THEN, UH, AND THEN NEXT SLIDE, YOU GUYS ARE ABLE TO DO YOUR REPORT.
SO YOU WANT TO, IF YOU GUYS DECIDE TO TAKE AN ACTION FROM THAT, IF YOU DECIDE TO, UM, IF YOU DECIDE TO TAKE NO ACTION, IF YOU DECIDE TO GO AGAINST IT, THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF UP TO, UP TO THE COMMITTEE.
UH, FROM WHAT I'VE HEARD SO FAR FROM, FROM MEETING WITH YOU ALL, IT SEEMS LIKE MOST, UH, MOST MEMBERS, UM, IF THERE, IF THERE'S A VARIETY OF PEOPLE, I THINK THE, THE OTHER THING ABOUT THE COMMITTEE IS THAT THERE HAS TO BE A QUORUM AS WELL.
LIKE I MENTIONED EARLIER, SIMILAR TO SPECIAL MEETING, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A QUORUM TO, TO MAKE ACTION.
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SEEMS LIKE, FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN SO FAR, AND YOU GUYS CAN, CAN CLARIFY IF YOU, IF YOU FEEL DIFFERENT, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE AS FAR AS THE COMMITTEE ARE CONCERNED, SOME MEMBERS WILL FEEL LIKE THAT WOULD BE MAYBE MORE COMPLEX ITEM IF THEY NEED, OR IF THEY NEED MORE, YOU KNOW, MORE, UH, INPUT.AGAIN, SIMILAR TODD, I SAID EARLIER, SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE A FEW THINGS IN MIND.
BUT FOR THOSE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN DOING COMMITTEE, THEY, THEY'RE, THEY'RE THINKING THOSE ARE THE BIG, BIG ITEMS. THOSE ARE THE ITEMS THAT ARE, THAT'S BEEN THE, AT LEAST THAT'S BEEN THE, THE SENTIMENT SO FAR.
AND LIKE I MENTIONED BEFORE, IT IT, IT DOES VARY BY COUNCIL MEMBER.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, AND, AND WE ARE STILL FAIRLY, FAIRLY EARLY IN THIS PROCESS.
I MEAN, WE, WE ARE, YOU KNOW, THE CITY'S 170 PLUS YEARS, SORRY, 187 PLUS YEARS OLD, AND WE'RE LESS THAN TWO YEARS INTO THIS PROP A, SO WE ARE STILL FAIRLY, THIS IS STILL FAIRLY NEW GROUND.
UM, SO, BUT ALSO THE, THE BIG THING TO NOTE THOUGH IS THAT THIS, THE PURPOSE OF THIS IS TO WORK FOR YOU ALL.
SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT'S, IF THERE IS NOTHING ELSE TO NOTE THAT, UH, THAT THE FAR AS THE PROCESS IS CONCERNED, IF THIS PROCESS IS WORKING FOR YOU ALL, I'M GLAD TO KEEP, CONTINUE MOVING FORWARD WITH THE PROCESS.
IF THE PROCESS IS NOT WORKING FOR WHATEVER REASON, LET ME KNOW.
I WILL WORK WITH THE, YOU KNOW, THE COMMITTEE AND, AND WHOEVER ELSE TO MAKE SURE THE PROCESS IS A LITTLE BIT SMOOTHER.
I WILL, YOU KNOW, REVISE WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER GUIDELINES, UM, YOU KNOW, I'M ABLE TO COME UP WITH.
I WILL REVISE THOSE AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO, TO, UH, BETTER SUIT, SUIT THE NEEDS OF THIS BODY.
'CAUSE THAT'S, THAT'S THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF THIS, IS TO MAKE SURE IT SUITS YOU ALL AND YOUR NEEDS.
SO WITH THAT, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
UH, YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU'RE GONNA COME UP WITH A SET OF GUIDELINES, UM, I GUESS TO KIND OF GIVE SOME OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, SO, AND I KNOW YOU DON'T HAVE THEM YET, BUT HELP US UNDERSTAND WHAT SOME OF THOSE GUIDELINES MAY LOOK LIKE.
WELL, I, I THINK IT, IT'S MORE OF A, UM, THE IDEA IS TO, TO HAVE, SO TO HAVE THE PROCESS, ESPECIALLY, YOU KNOW, FOR IF, IF, IF YOU'RE TRYING TO SUBMIT, I THINK, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS PRESENTATION'S SUPPOSED TO BE A PART OF THAT PROCESS TO HELP MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT MORE A CLEAR, BUT I THINK IT COULD BE DONE EVEN MORE.
LIKE IT CAN BE FILE THIS, HAVE YOU FILED MAYBE A CHECKLIST AND THINGS LIKE THAT TO SAY, OKAY, HAVE YOU DONE THESE THINGS? HAVE YOU DONE THESE THINGS BEFORE YOU GOT TO, BEFORE YOU GET TO THE POINT OF SUBMITTING? OR HAVE YOU DONE THESE THINGS? HAVE YOU NOT DONE THESE THINGS? SO I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF THE IDEA, IS TO MAKE SURE IT IS VERY, YOU KNOW, VERY SIMPLE.
WHENEVER YOU'RE READY FOR THAT PROP A YOU CAN, YOU CAN SUBMIT IT, UM, AND WITH, YOU KNOW, AND HAVE YOUR GUIDELINES AND SAY, OKAY, WE HAVE THOSE THINGS.
WE CHECKED OFF ALL THOSE BOXES, WE'RE READY TO GO.
VERSUS WE'RE THINKING ABOUT IT.
LET'S, LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT FURTHER WITH IT.
AND WHEN DO YOU THINK THOSE GUIDELINES WILL BE IDEALLY DISTRIBUTED TO COUNCIL? I MEAN, IDEALLY WITHIN THE NEXT, UH, WITHIN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS OR SO, I AM STILL, STILL, UM, PROCESSING SOME OF YOU GUYS, YOU KNOW, REQUESTS SO FAR.
AND I'M STILL, YOU KNOW, SEEING YOU GUYS PROCESS A LITTLE BIT MORE.
UH, I WAS TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, SO I'M JUST TRYING TO GET MORE OF A HANDLE ON THE PROCESS BEFORE I KIND OF TOLD YOU WHAT THE PROCESS IS GONNA BE.
UH, SO THAT'S KIND OF THE, THAT WAS KIND OF THE TIMEFRAME.
IT'S KIND OF, OKAY, LET ME MAKE SURE I HAVE THE PROCESS DOWN A LITTLE BIT BETTER, AND THEN I CAN ACTUALLY TELL Y'ALL HOW TO, THE BEST WAY TO SUBMIT AND MOVE FORWARD ON THOSE ITEMS. AND SO I KNOW THAT THERE WERE TIMELINES MM-HMM
PUT IN PLACE FOR THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT TO CONDUCT THEIR LAWFULNESS REVIEW MM-HMM
BUT PRIOR TO GOING TO THAT LAWFULNESS REVIEW, IF THERE'S AN ITEM THAT WE'RE THINKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU THINK YOU WOULD NEED ON THE FRONT END? UM, ARE THERE GONNA BE ANY TIMELINES LIKE THAT IN THE, IN THE GUIDELINES? YEAH.
WELL, IT, IT, IT COULD, SO IT DEPENDS.
SO, OKAY, I KNOW THIS IS A VERY LAWYER ANSWER, SO IT DEPENDS.
UM, SO IT, IT DEPENDS ON, IT DEPENDS ON YOUR ITEMS. SO SOME ITEMS ARE, IF YOU'RE SAYING, HEY, YOU KNOW, WE WANNA DO THIS, AND THIS IS JUST A MATTER OF, OKAY, UH, IF YOU WANNA CHANGE THE ORDINANCE AND YOU JUST WANNA CHANGE THAT LANGUAGE, THAT THAT SHOULDN'T TAKE, YOU KNOW, HARDLY ANY TIME.
IF YOU'RE TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, UM, DO A MATTER THAT'S GONNA REQUIRE, YOU KNOW, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT OR, OR THESE, ALL THESE OTHER, OTHER ENTITIES TO BE INVOLVED, THAT MAY REQUIRE ME TO, TO ACTUALLY REACH OUT TO A FEW PEOPLE AND, AND, AND GET MORE INFORMATION.
SO IT JUST DEPENDS ON WHAT THE, WHAT THE ITEM IS.
TYPICALLY, I TRY TO HAVE, I TRY TO HAVE A RESPONSE TO YOU ALL WITH WITHIN ABOUT, WITHIN ABOUT A, YOU KNOW, WITHIN A FEW DAYS, IDEALLY.
UM, I'M STILL GETTING USED TO IT AT THIS POINT, BUT TYPICALLY WITHIN A FEW DAYS, I SHOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE AT LEAST A SOLID ANSWER FOR MOST OF YOUR BASIC QUESTIONS ON ITEMS. BUT, UM, IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING THAT'S MORE COMPLICATED, YES, IT WAS, IT'S GONNA TAKE A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME.
AND I WOULD IDEALLY JUST KIND OF KEEP YOU UPDATED.
THIS IS WHERE WE ARE WITH THIS, AND THIS IS HOW MUCH I'VE GOTTEN SO FAR.
[00:25:01]
GET MORE INFORMATION, I WILL, YOU KNOW, GET IT TO YOU.BUT TYPICALLY WITHIN A FEW DAYS, I SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET AN ANSWER BACK TO YOU FOR MOST OF YOUR, MOST OF THE QUESTIONS I'VE HEARD SO FAR.
AND WITH THE, UM, YOU KNOW, SAY A COUNCIL MEMBER HAS AN IDEA MM-HMM
ARE YOU GOING TO WANT THE COUNCIL MEMBER TO COME WITH TO YOU WITH THE LANGUAGE? SO, OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU WOULD DRAFT TYPICALLY? I CAN, I CAN, I WILL DO IT AT SOME POINT.
UM, NOW TYPICALLY, YOU OR YOUR CHIEF OF STAFF A LOT OF TIME JUST TELLS ME WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO.
IT'S LIKE, TELL ME WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO AND I WILL CRAFT IT INTO SOME VERSION THAT WILL, THAT WILL HELP, YOU KNOW, BE BE READY TO SUBMIT TO THE AGENDA OFFICE AND TO THE, TO THE COUNCIL FOR THE, FOR THE CHECKOFF.
SO WHATEVER YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER IT IS, VIA, WHETHER IT BE EMAIL OR WHATEVER, YOU CAN, YOU CAN TELL ME WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO OR IF, IF YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, UH, BUT I WILL, THE PLAN IS TO WORK WITH YOU ON DRAFTING THAT.
SO, UM, IF YOU, IF YOU WANT, I COULD DRAFT IT FROM SCRATCH AND I CAN SUBMIT IT TO YOU AND LET YOU SEE IT.
OR IF YOU HAVE SOME VERSION OF IT, YOU, YOU WANNA SEND IT TO ME AND I CAN DOCTOR IT UP.
WHICHEVER'S MOST COMFORTABLE TO WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, YOUR OFFICE IS GREAT.
UH, WE HAVE A FEW COUNCIL MEMBERS IN THE QUEUE, AND BEFORE WE GET TO THEM, I'D LIKE TO WELCOME, UH, VICE MAYOR PRO TEM PECK, UH, HAS JOINED US IN CHAMBERS AS WELL AS, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS.
UM, AND THE FIRST PERSON WE HAVE IN THE QUEUE IS COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN.
UM, I'LL SAY WE, WE GO WAY BACK, DANNY, SO FORGIVE ME FOR SAYING DANNY, MR. NORRIS, UM, ONE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, AND CHAIR, THANK YOU FOR HEARING THIS.
YOU KNOW, THIS CAME OUT OF, UM, LAST YEAR'S BUDGET PROCESS WHERE I PUT FORWARD AN AMENDMENT AND WE CAME TO AN AGREEMENT ABOUT THE CREATION OF THIS POSITION.
AND I'M, I'M GLAD IT'S BEEN FILLED, UH, GLAD YOU ARE WHERE YOU ARE, AND THAT THIS DID NOT ADD ADDITIONAL EXPENSE, UH, ON OUR, OUR ROLES.
RIGHT? WE FILLED THIS POSITION WITH A VACANCY IN THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT.
UH, I APPRECIATE AND WOULD BE INTERESTED IN, UH, AGAIN, THIS, THIS POSITION SERVES A VERY IMPORTANT ROLE IN TERMS OF PROPOSITION A, IT WAS ALSO INTENDED IN THE SPIRIT OF GIVING COUNSEL GREATER ACCESS.
UH, AND THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT DOES A GREAT JOB, RIGHT? BUT THEY HAVE THEIR HANDS FULL.
AND AT TIMES WE NEED OUR OWN CONVERSATIONS AND COUNSEL AND TO WEIGH THINGS OUT.
SO IN ADDITION TO PROP A REASON, SO THE LEGISLATIVE PERSPECTIVE OF THIS, DANNY, IT WAS OUR UNDERSTANDING YOU WOULD ALSO BE ABLE, AT TIMES WE STILL UTILIZE OTHER COUNSEL SERVICES, RIGHT? SO WHEN WE'RE WORKING ON SHORT TERM RENTAL, WE'RE WORKING WITH OTHERS IN THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT ON THAT.
BUT YOU'RE ALL, THIS IS NOT SOLELY FOR PROPOSITION A.
IS THAT CORRECT? SO FAR AS I'M FAR AS I UNDERSTAND, I THINK IT IS THE PRIMARY FOCUS IS PROP A, UH, BUT I AM TO SERVE AS YOU ALL'S COUNSEL.
SO, AND I DO UNDERSTAND HOW THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE ARE A LOT OF ITEMS THAT, AND I KNOW WHEN I SAY PROP A, THERE ARE A LOT OF ITEMS THAT, THAT, THAT, UH, SPUR IDEAS.
EVEN FOR PROPPE, YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE HAVING A, IF YOU'RE HAVING A PARTICULAR, IF YOU'RE HAVING A PARTICULAR, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE SOMETHING THAT'S TRYING TO GO THROUGH AND YOU'RE SAYING, WELL, WAIT A MINUTE.
YOU KNOW, WHY IS THAT, WHY IS THAT SO, YEAH.
SO I, I'LL SAY IT ANOTHER WAY, JUST TO MAKE IT EASY, WHEN THERE'S CERTAIN ITEMS ON AGENDA, AND WE WANNA TALK THROUGH SOME OF THE LEGAL PARAMETERS OR WHY WE MAY DISAGREE WITH RESPECTFULLY WITH WHAT GENERAL COUNSEL IS SAYING, AND, UH, THE CITY ATTORNEY DIRECTLY REPORTS TO THE MAYOR, RIGHT? AND WE RESPECT THAT THAT'S AN ADMINISTRATIVE FUNCTION OF THE MAYOR.
BUT DO YOU ALSO SERVE AS GUIDANCE FOR US WHEN WE HAVE LEGAL QUERIES, UH, ABOUT THE VARIOUS INTERPRETATIONS? YOU, SO YOU, YOU CAN, UM, I, I, I AM, SO MY, MY, MY OBJECTIVE IS TO BE, AND YOU ALL'S, YOU KNOW, TO BE A REGULAR, UM, REGULARLY PROBABLY ON YOUR, YOU ALL'S FLOOR, IF YOU HAPPEN TO SEE ME AND YOU HAVE A QUESTION, I'M ALWAYS OPEN FOR ANY QUESTIONS.
UM, ULTIMATELY, UM, ULTIMATELY, YOU, YOU KNOW, I, I CAN, I, I THINK THE PURPOSE IS TO INFORM YOU GENERALLY.
I THINK THAT'S, SO I THINK IF YOU ARE, IF YOU HAVE A, IF YOU HAVE A PARTICULAR QUESTION YOU CAN ASK, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE IDEA THOUGH IS TO MAKE SURE THAT IT IS, YOU ALL ARE, YOU ALL HAVE GUIDANCE IN THIS REGARD.
I THINK THE IDEA IS TO GIVE YOU GUYS GUIDANCE, ESPECIALLY FOR PROP A.
SO I THINK THAT IS THE, SO PRIMARY FUNCTION IS LEGISLATIVE IN TERMS OF DRAFTING AND CRAFTING WHEN COUNCIL CHOOSES TO UTILIZE THIS NEW MECHANISM VEHICLE AT THE CITY.
BUT YOU ARE AVAILABLE FOR THOSE OTHER TYPES OF DISCUSSIONS.
[00:30:01]
QUESTION WITH THE GUIDELINES YOU'RE PROPOSING.I WOULD ALSO BE INTERESTED, I THINK WE HAD TALKED ABOUT THIS, UH, AND ENVISIONING THIS IS VERY SIMILAR TO THE OIGS OFFICE, WHERE THERE IS A WALL, UH, OF COURSE YOU ARE WITHIN EMBEDDED IN THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT, BUT THERE'S A WALL I WOULD LIKE TO SEE, UH, IF POSSIBLE.
MADAM CHAIR, UH, KIND OF OIG FOLLOWS RULES AND PROCEDURES.
SO I'D LIKE TO UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BIT MORE ON THE INTERNAL PROCESS AS WELL.
THE GUIDANCE TO US IS VERY HELPFUL.
HOW DO YOU WANT US TO WORK WITH YOU? AND I GET THAT MAY TAKE SOME TIME AS YOU'RE WORKING IT OUT, AS WE GO ALONG.
'CAUSE WE'VE NEVER HAD ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE.
I WOULD ALSO THOUGH, LIKE TO SEE WHAT THOSE BEST PRACTICES ARE, SO THAT AS COUNSEL, WE HAVE A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT IS, UM, FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD, ATTORNEY CLIENT PRIVILEGED, OR WHAT IS SHARED, NOT SHARED.
CAN WE COME WITH CERTAIN THINGS? SO WHAT ARE THOSE INTERNAL OIG LIKE PROCESSES THAT YOU ALL ARE, THAT YOU ARE FOLLOWING AND THAT WE HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF SO THAT THERE'S JUST A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT YOU CAN AND CANNOT DO.
AND THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS YOU CANNOT DO.
SO, AND 'CAUSE I, THAT WAS A QUESTION THAT DID COME UP OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT, IF AT SOME POINT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO SHARE IT, BECAUSE YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO AT LEAST SHARE IT WITH TWO OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS BEFORE YOU CAN EVEN GET IT FOR THE AGENDA.
SO THAT'S, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO SHARE IT AT SOME POINT.
UM, IF YOU ARE EARLY ON IN THE PROCESS, YOU'RE NOT READY TO, EVEN WITH YOUR OTHER COLLEAGUES, THAT'S FINE.
YOU COULD, YOU JUST NEED TO LET ME KNOW ON WHERE YOU ARE.
IF YOU'RE READY AT SOME POINT, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO, TO PUT IT BOTH BEFORE AT LEAST TWO OTHER COLLEAGUES AND THE AGENDA OFFICE.
SO THAT IT WILL BE, THAT'S GONNA BE THAT.
BUT IF YOU ARE IN A PROCESS WHERE YOU ARE, LET, LET'S WAIT ON THIS.
I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S REALLY, IT'S, IT'S REALLY UP TO YOU ALL TO LET ME KNOW AT WHAT, YOU KNOW, AT, IF THIS IS, WE'RE GONNA WAIT ON THIS AND SIT ON THIS, DO NOT, DO NOT, DO NOT LET THIS GO OUT.
YOU JUST NEED TO LET ME KNOW ON WHAT ITEMS THOSE ARE.
BUT TYPICALLY, I, I TYPICALLY, GENERALLY, IF I, WHEN I AM, UM, WHEN I AM CONSULTING WITH, UM, SOME OF THE COLLEAGUES, SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES ON THINGS LIKE LAWFULNESS OR WISH DEPARTMENT OR THINGS LIKE THAT THERE, YOU KNOW, I, I, I DON'T TYPICALLY SAY IT, IT'S COMING FROM X, Y, Z COUNCIL MEMBER.
I'M JUST SAY, YOU KNOW, IF, IF A IF THIS IS HAPPENING, YOU KNOW, NO.
AND, AND I APPRECIATE THE SENSITIVITY AGAIN, JUST SO THAT WE'RE ALL OPERATING ON THE SAME RULES AND I THINK OUR OTHER ATTORNEYS AROUND THE HORSESHOE KNOW WHAT I'M, UM, GETTING AT AND JUST SOME FRAMEWORK FOR WHAT THIS ROLE SPECIFIES AND HOW IT'S UNIQUE COMPARED TO OTHER POSITIONS IN THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT.
SO JUST HAVING THAT LAID OUT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL, I BELIEVE.
AND WE'RE, AGAIN, VERY EXCITED.
I KNOW YOU HAVE HIT THE GROUND RUNNING.
UH, I'M SURE A LOT OF US HAVE BEEN COMING TO YOU ALREADY.
SO THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE AND THE WORK THAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE DOING.
UM, I'VE ALWAYS BEEN ONE TO SAY THAT THIS PROCESS WAS NOT DESIGNED TO HAVE A GATEKEEPER, BUT THERE IS THE WORD LAWFUL INSERTED IN HERE.
SO I THINK THAT IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO HAVE LEGAL GUIDANCE.
UH, AS FAR AS THE COMMITTEE, IF YOU LOOK AROUND THIS DAYISH, YOU'LL STILL BE VERY HARD TO GET A CORPS.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WOULD BE THE AVENUE THAT MOST OF US WOULD TAKE, BUT CERTAINLY I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU ARE INCLUDED IN THE PROCESS BECAUSE WE NEVER WANT ANYTHING TO GO FORWARD THAT IS NOT LEGAL.
AND SO I WOULD PROBABLY SURMISE THAT MOST PEOPLE WILL CHOOSE, UH, RULE 23 AS OPPOSED TO RULE 24, BECAUSE IT'S GONNA BE VERY DIFFICULT TO GET PEOPLE TO COME, UH, ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT ARE REALLY OPPOSED TO THE COMMITTEE EXISTING.
SO I JUST WANTED TO TELL YOU THANK YOU, UH, BECAUSE THE GUIDANCE IS NEEDED AND NECESSARY AND YOU ARE VERY ASTUTE IN BEING ABLE TO CARRY THAT OUT.
AND MAY I CALL YOU DANNY? ABSOLUTELY.
I APPRECIATE YOUR STEPPING INTO THIS ROLE.
AND I JUST WANTED TO FOLLOW UP ON A FEW THINGS.
SO, WAS THIS, UH, AN OPEN POSITION THAT WAS ADDED TO THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT? OR WAS IT FILLED FROM, UM, YOU KNOW, ARE THE, THE STAFF AS IT AS IT WAS LAID OUT BEFORE? SO TECHNICALLY SOMEBODY RETIRED FROM GENERAL COUNSEL AND THE ORIGINAL THOUGHT WAS TO BE A PART OF GENERAL COUNSEL BECAUSE THEY'RE THE ONES WHO, WHO HAVE BEEN, UH, WHO HAVE BEEN APPROVING, UH, HAVE BEEN DOING THE LAWFULNESS CHECK FOR PROP A.
THEN THEY DECIDED, WELL, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT WAS BECAME, THAT BECAME THE THING OF HOW IT'S GONNA BE STRUCTURED.
BECAUSE THE QUESTION IS WHO DO YOU ANSWER TO? DO YOU ANSWER TO THE PERSON WHO ANSWERS TO THE PERSON WHO ANSWERS TO THE MAYOR? UM, THAT'S, SO IT, IT CAME OUT OF GENERAL COUNSEL.
[00:35:01]
IT THEN IT, IT THOUGHT, IT WAS THOUGHT TO JUST REPORT DIRECTLY TO THE CITY ATTORNEY.BUT THEN AGAIN, THE THOUGHT WAS THEY HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF SEPARATION.
SO THAT'S HOW IT ENDED UP WHERE IT WAS.
BUT ORIGINALLY IT, THE POSITION ORIGINALLY SAT IN GENERAL COUNSEL AS ONE OF THE GENTLEMAN WHO RETIRED, I THINK AT SOME POINT, UM, AT SOME POINT TOWARDS THE END OF LAST YEAR.
AND THAT'S WHERE THE ACTUAL, THAT'S WHY IT DIDN'T COST US ANYTHING.
'CAUSE THE CITY HAD ALREADY HAD THAT LINE ITEM IN THE BUDGET BECAUSE IT, IT WAS ALREADY AT POSITION THAT WAS EXISTING.
AND FOLLOWING UP ON, ON SOMETHING, COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN TOUCHED ON, WHO DO YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE A DUTY OF CONFIDENTIALITY TOWARDS? AS, AS A, AN ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEY ASSIGNED TO THIS POSITION? YOU GUYS AS COUNCIL MEMBERS? SO YOU, YOU ALL ARE, YOU ALL ARE MY CLIENTS, SO TO SPEAK.
SO IN JULIE OR AS A GROUP AS WELL? BOTH.
IN OTHER WORDS, IF I COME TO YOU AND I SAY, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS, COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN, AND I, WE WANT TO PUT FORTH THIS IDEA MM-HMM
BUT WE WOULD RATHER YOU NOT TALK TO ANYBODY ELSE ABOUT IT AT THIS TIME UNTIL WE GET IT FINALIZED.
WOULD YOU OWE A DUTY OF CONFIDENTIALITY TO US, OR, OR WOULD YOU FEEL, UH, THAT YOU'D BE ABLE TO TALK TO OTHERS IN THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT OR OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS? WELL, IF YOU, IF YOU SAY THOSE THINGS SPECIFICALLY, AND THEN YES, I WILL KEEP, I WILL KEEP YOUR, I I WILL NOT BRING UP ANYTHING, UH, THAT COMES FROM, SO MY DUTY IS TO YOU ALL AND TO, SO MY DUTY IS TO YOU AND YOUR, AND, AND YOUR INFORMING YOU SPECIFICALLY THAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THIS POSITION IS TO INFORM YOU ALL TO MAKE, HAVE YOU MAKE THE BEST DECISIONS THAT YOU ARE PURSUING PROP A SO TO YOUR, TO YOUR SPECIFIC QUESTION, MY DUTY WOULD BE TO YOU ALL.
IF YOU ALL ARE TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE SAYING THESE, IT'S THE THREE OF US THAT ARE GONNA GONNA BRING THIS ITEM, THE THREE OF US ARE GONNA BRING THIS ITEM, OR WE ARE, WE ARE SPECIFICALLY, YOU KNOW, WANTING TO, TO NOT BRING THIS UP.
UH, WE DON'T SPECIFICALLY WANT TO THIS TO BE PUBLIC UNTIL WE BRING IT DIRECTLY TO THE AGENDA, THAT'S FINE AS WELL.
UM, SO IT, IT UL AND LIKE I SAID BEFORE, TYPICALLY, UM, MY, YOU KNOW, MY, MY QUESTIONS ARE GENERAL ANYWAY.
SO TYPICALLY THE GUIDANCE SO FAR OF, OF BEFORE IN, IN MY PROCESS OF ADVISING SO FAR HAS MAINLY BEEN, I'VE HAD A COUPLE DISCUSSIONS WITH SOME PEOPLE IN THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT.
IT'S NEVER THIS COUNCIL MEMBER'S TRYING TO DO X, Y, Z.
IT'S ALWAYS, IF, YOU KNOW, IF THIS WERE TO BE DONE, THEN WHAT IT IS, IT IS NOT TO SAY LOOK OUT FOR THESE COUNCIL MEMBERS EVER.
UH, LET ME, LET ME ASK YOU ABOUT SLIDE NUMBER FIVE.
IT'S TITLE PROPOSITION, A BACKGROUND.
DO YOU, YOU SEE THAT AT THE TOP IT SAYS CITY CHARTER NOTES COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE LEGISLATIVE POWER ONLY.
AND THEN THE FIRST BULLET POINT THERE IS USE THIS POWER TO APPROVE ANNUAL BUDGET ORDINANCES AND APPOINTMENTS BY THE ADMINISTRATION.
AND SO MOST PEOPLE, I THINK WHEN THEY THINK OF A LEGISLATURE, THEY THINK OF A LEGISLATURE AS WRITING LAWS.
UH, BUT THE BULLET POINT SAYS, APPROVE, WHICH IS USUALLY THE EXTENT OF OUR ROLE IN THESE MEETINGS IS TO APPROVE, UM, ITEMS THAT ARE PUT BEFORE US.
IT'S A RARE THING WHEN THE COUNCIL REJECTS VOTES DOWN, UH, A MEASURE.
I THINK WE, THAT HAPPENED, UH, RECENTLY, LAST WEEK, I THINK, UM, WE VOTED ONE DOWN, WHICH IS EXTREMELY UN UN UNUSUAL.
SO I VIEW THIS PROP A AS AN ATTEMPT TO GIVE COUNSEL SOME OF THAT REAL LEGISLATIVE POWER THAT THE CHARTER SPEAKS TO.
'CAUSE OTHERWISE, I MEAN THE, THE, THE CHARTER SAYS WE HAVE ZERO ADMINISTRATIVE POWER AT ALL.
AND THAT HAS BEEN MADE CLEAR TO ME AT DIFFERENT TIMES, YOU KNOW, IN, IN, IN THE SHORT TIME I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, THIS PROP A POWER IS SIGNIFICANT AND, UM, I'M GLAD THAT, UH, THE CITY IS, IS HAS YOU IN THIS POSITION, YOU KNOW, TO GIVE US A, A CHANCE TO, UH, REALLY, UH, USE THIS POWER.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, AS YOU CAN SEE, WE DO HAVE, WE DO HAVE QUESTIONS.
'CAUSE I THINK THERE WAS ANOTHER SLIDE, UH, SLIDE 13 SAYS RULE 23, AGENDA ITEMS SUBMITTED BY THREE PLUS CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
THE BULLET POINT THERE SAYS, PROP A ATTORNEY WILL ASSIST WITH THE PREPARATION OF ALL RULE 23 PROP A SUBMISSIONS.
SO THIS BULLET POINT, IS IT GONNA BE PART OF GUIDELINES THAT WILL DESCRIBE YOUR POSITION AND YOUR ROLE WITH CITY COUNCIL? YES.
SO I AM DEFINITELY HERE TO ASSIST ON ALL THE MATTERS.
[00:40:01]
NO MATTER WHAT PHASE YOU'RE IN, IF YOU'RE ON THE, I'M THINKING ABOUT A STAGE OR IF YOU'RE IN THE, WE ARE READY TO DRAFT SOMETHING STAGE, I AM TO WORK WITH YOU ON THAT UNTIL IT IS FORMAL, UNTIL IT IS FORMALLY SUBMITTED TO THE AGENDA OFFICE FOR, FOR FOR CONSIDERATION.AND, UH, AND, AND AS COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ ASKED, UH, IT'S NOT MEANT TO BE A GATEKEEPER, SO I'M JUST WONDERING IF THREE OF US THREE OR MORE HAVE AN ITEM, DO WE HAVE TO WORK THROUGH YOU OR, UH, CAN CAN WE SUBMIT IT, UH, INDEPENDENT OF YOU OR HOW WOULD THAT WORK? WELL, YOU CAN, YOU, YOU CAN, YOU TECHNICALLY SURE YOU CAN.
I, I DON'T, I DON'T THINK THAT, I THINK THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF THIS POSITION IS TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO.
'CAUSE LIKE I SAID EARLIER, YOU, AS YOU, YOU KNOW, COUN UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, THESE ARE LEGAL DOCUMENTS AND THESE ARE SO, YOU KNOW, IT IS, IT IS ALWAYS, UH, THE, MY PURPOSE IS TO GIVE COUNSEL AS YOU ARE PREPARING THESE DOCUMENTS.
UH, SO I I, YOU KNOW, IF YOU DECIDE NOT TO USE ME, THAT IS, I, YOU KNOW, I I WOULD HIGHLY SUGGEST THAT YOU, YOU KNOW, YEAH, YOU USE MY SERVICES.
THAT'S THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF THIS POSITION.
AND NO, AND I APPRECIATE THAT.
AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT I INTEND ON BYPASSING YOU, BUT I WAS JUST WONDERING IF THAT'S GONNA BE THE GUIDELINE THAT ALL PROP A SUBMISSIONS HAVE TO HAVE TO GO THROUGH YOUR, YOUR POSITION.
UM, AND, AND YOU'RE SAYING NO.
AS I UNDERSTAND THAT I'M NOT, I AM NOT MEANT TO BE A GATEKEEPER.
I'M MEANT TO BE A, UH, A RESOURCE YEAH.
SO I'M, INSTEAD OF THE GATEKEEPER, I GUESS CONSIDER ME MORE OF THE FERRY ACROSS THE BRIDGE, SO TO SPEAK.
I, I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S MORE OF THE I APPRECIATE THAT.
AND I APPRECIATE THE QUESTIONS.
COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ, UH, JUST FOR SOME CONTEXT, LIKE IN THE STATE LEG, WHEN IT RELATES TO CLIENT ATTORNEY-CLIENT PRIVILEGE, SO TO SPEAK, FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD, IN THIS CONTEXT, WHICH IS QUASI LEGISLATIVE, UM, AT THE STATE LEGISLATURE, THEY HAVE LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL THAT HELPS EVERY OFFICE DRAFT LEGISLATION.
UH, THEY ARE A POOL OF EXPERTS, AND THEY'RE THE ONES YOU SAY, I WANNA DO THIS, THIS, THIS, AND THIS.
THEY WHIP UP THAT BILL, THAT LANGUAGE, THEY WORDSMITH IT WITH YOU, THEY SEND IT BACK.
UH, AND THEN THAT'S WHAT THE OFFICE SUBMITS.
AND THAT LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, IT'S ALSO AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL TOO.
UH, THEY DON'T SPEAK TO ANYONE ELSE ABOUT WHAT THAT BILL IS.
THERE'S A, THERE'S A, RIGHT THERE, THERE'S A RE IT'S A INTERESTING RELATIONSHIP.
'CAUSE THEY SERVE MULTIPLE, RIGHT AT THE STATE LEGISLATURE ON THE HOUSE SIDE, IT'S, IT'S HUNDREDS.
UM, BUT THEY'RE WORKING WITH THOSE INDIVIDUAL OFFICES AND THEY'RE NOT SHARING THAT INFORMATION WITH OTHER OFFICES WITHOUT THE EXPRESS COM PERMISSION.
IT'S INCUMBENT UPON THOSE LEGISLATIVE OFFICES TO WORK WITH THE OTHER MEMBERS, UH, ON THAT.
SO AGAIN, I'M NOT SPEAKING TO HOW THIS IS TURNING OUT, JUST IN TERMS OF WHAT I HAD ENVISIONED WITH THIS.
IT'S THAT LEGISLATIVE SUPPORT AND, UH, TO COUNCIL MEMBER SHABAZZ, YOUR, YOUR POINT.
WE HAVE THE COMMITTEE PROCESS, BUT DANNY, WE CAN ALSO WORK WITH YOU AND THEN HAVE, I GUESS SOMETHING THAT IS, WILL, IS FORMATTED THE RIGHT WAY, PASSES, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE WOULD SAY, LEGAL MUSTER, AND THEN WE CAN SUBMIT IT DIRECTLY TO THE ADMINISTRATION TO BE PLACED ON THE AGENDA WITH THOSE THREE SIGNATURES.
SO WE CAN STILL USE YOUR SERVICES EVEN IF WE'RE NOT PLANNING TO GO THROUGH THE COMMITTEE PROCESS.
SO THAT'S, THAT WOULD BE THE, THE RULE 23 ROUTE.
SO YES, YOU CAN, YOU CAN COME, UH, DIRECTLY TO ME.
AND THEN PART OF THE GUIDELINES TOO.
I THINK THE IDEA IS THAT'S, WHETHER IT BE, IS WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE CONFIDENTIALITY, THAT IS A, A CONCERN.
YOU KNOW, THAT CAN BE PART OF THE INTAKE FORM, AS IN LIKE, DO YOU, DO YOU WANT THIS TO BE CONFIDENTIAL OR NOT? THAT, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION UPFRONT TO SAY IF, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE OKAY WITH THE WHOLE WORLD KNOWING, I MEAN, NOT, NOT THE WHOLE WORLD, BUT YOU, YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M SAYING? IT'S LIKE, IF YOU DON'T WANT ANYBODY ELSE TO KNOW THIS, YOU CAN JUST SPECIFY THAT RIGHT FRONT.
IT'S ONLY FOR ME IN MY OFFICE RIGHT NOW, AND THEN I'M GONNA GRAB TWO OTHER PEOPLE TO HELP SIGN THIS THING.
AND WE'RE GOING TO, THE REST OF THE WORLD WILL KNOW ONCE IT GETS SUBMITTED TO THE AGENDA OFFICE.
THAT'S, IT'S REALLY HOWEVER, HOWEVER COMFORTABLE YOU FEEL AMONGST YOUR, YOU KNOW, COLLEAGUES ON THIS, ON THIS PROCESS.
IT'S WHATEVER, IT'S WHATEVER YOU DECIDE HOW, HOW YOU WANNA PROCEED IN THAT REGARDS.
BUT IT'S UP TO YOU HOW, HOW FREE OR UN YOU KNOW, OR, OR, UM, CONFIDENTIAL YOU WANNA BE ON THESE MATTERS.
AND IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING TOO THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE'RE WORKING OUT THESE IDEAS, WHETHER OR NOT YOU THINK THE IDEA IS A GOOD IDEA OR A BAD IDEA, THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY YOUR ROLE.
IT'S TO HELP THE COUNCIL MEMBERS FORMULATE THE LANGUAGE, MAKE SURE THAT IT'S LAWFUL, UM, AND, UM, AND JUST TO BE VERY THOUGHTFUL ABOUT THAT PROCESS.
BUT YOU'RE NOT A PROPONENT OR AN OPPONENT OF ANY IDEA THAT COMES THROUGH THE OFFICE, CORRECT? CORRECT.
YES, I AM, I'M HERE TO ADVISE.
[00:45:01]
YOU, IF YOU EVER USED LEGAL SERVICE FROM ANYBODY AS LAWYER OR THE, THE LAWYERS ON THE ON ON THE COUNSEL WILL SAY YOU, YOU'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE NOT THERE TO, TO MAKE THE DECISION FOR THE CLIENT, WHICH WILL BE YOU ALL.I'M NOT HERE TO MAKE THE DECISION FOR YOU, WHATEVER YOU DECIDE TO PROCEED WITH.
MY, MY OBJECTIVE IS ALWAYS TO ADVISE YOU PROPERLY.
SO IF YOU'RE SAYING, I WANNA DO THIS, BUT IT'S NOT LAWFUL, LIKE BEFORE YOU EVEN SUBMIT IT AND FIND OUT IT'S NOT LAWFUL, IT'D BE GOOD TO KNOW THAT UPFRONT.
UH, OR IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT THAT'S GONNA RUN INTO, RUN INTO X, Y, Z ISSUES BECAUSE OF THE CITY CHARTER OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THAT WOULD BE GOOD TO KNOW ON THE FRONT END BEFORE YOU TAKE THE TIME TO DRAFT THE LANGUAGE AND SUBMITTED IT JUST TO GET SHOT DOWN.
SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT I'M, I'M HERE TO HELP YOU WITH ON THE FRONT END TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE ADVISED AND ABLE TO PROCEED, UH, IN, IN AN INFORMED MANNER.
AND I THINK TOO, THAT, YOU KNOW, THE CONFIDENTIALITY, THAT WAS A GOOD POINT THAT COUNCIL, UH, MEMBER CAYMAN BROUGHT UP, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THERE MAY BE A SITUATION THAT TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE INDEPENDENTLY MAYBE WORKING ON SIMILAR ORDINANCES MM-HMM
UM, AND SO IF IT, YOU KNOW, WAS NOT CONFIDENTIAL, THEN IT MAY BE A SITUATION WHERE IT'S LIKE, WELL, COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN IS WORKING ON SOMETHING SIMILAR.
MAYBE YOU TWO GET TOGETHER, UM, BECAUSE MAYBE WE HAVEN'T COMMUNICATED.
SO, UM, BUT I THINK IT'S GOOD TO KNOW ON THE FRONT END WHETHER OR NOT A COUNCIL MEMBER WANTS THE INFORMATION TO BE RELEASED AT THAT TIME OR IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT THEY'RE STILL JUST KIND OF WORKING ON.
UM, NO, I, I, I COMPLETELY AGREE.
AND, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I THINK THE INTERNAL PROCESSES AND PROCEDURES WILL GO A LONG WAY BECAUSE WE DO WANT YOU TO BE ABLE TO LEVERAGE ALL OF THE KNOWLEDGE BASE IN CITY LEGAL, RIGHT? THERE ARE FOLKS THAT HAVE BEEN THERE FOR DECADES AND ARE THE MASTERS IN LAND USE OR DEED RESTRICTIONS OR WHAT OTHER ISSUES.
SO WE CERTAINLY WANT THAT TO BE AVAILABLE AND AT THE SAME TIME HAVE THE ABILITY TO OPERATE, UM, AS A COUNCIL INDEPENDENT, UH, FOR THIS NEW, UH, LEGISLATIVE OPPORTUNITY BEHALF.
AND, AND I APPRECIATE THE POINT THAT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CAME AND BROUGHT UP REGARDING, UM, THE WAY THINGS WORK IN THE LEGISLATURE WITH THE LEGAL COUNSEL THAT ARE ASSIGNED.
AND, AND IF THAT'S GONNA BE PART OF IT, I HOPE THAT GETS WRITTEN INTO THE GUIDELINES AND, AND MADE CLEAR AND, YOU KNOW, UH, WE HAVE, WE HAVE THIS DISCUSSION ABOUT ATTORNEY-CLIENT PRIVILEGE.
UM, AND THAT'S AN INTERESTING TOPIC AS IT RELATES TO A GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY, RIGHT?
BUT WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT BECOMES A MORE, UH, YEAH, UH, FUNKY, IF YOU WILL, AMORPHOUS SITUATION, UH, THAT MAYBE WE NEED TO, UH, UH, THINK ABOUT A LITTLE MORE.
BUT ANYWAY, I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
AT THIS TIME, I DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS OR STAFF IN QUEUE.
AND SO, UH, WE'LL MOVE TO THE PUBLIC SPEAKERS LIST.
FIRST UP, WE HAVE DOUG SMITH AND MR. NORRIS, WE'D ASK IF YOU'D JUST STAY IN CASE THERE'S QUESTIONS.
UH, THIS HAS BEEN VERY INTERESTING.
I'M PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN THIS BECAUSE I WORKED REALLY HARD TO GET THIS PROP PASSED, AND WHEN I CAME TO THE FIRST MEETING THAT YOU CHAIRED THAT I HAD TO LEAVE BECAUSE IT WENT ON FOR SO LONG, I LEFT WITH THE IMPRESSION, MAYBE THIS IS THE COMMITTEE WHERE IDEAS GO TO DIE.
AND THAT'S NOT THE CASE NOW WITH WHAT I'M HEARING TODAY.
AND, UH, I'M VERY GLAD TO HEAR THAT.
AND THE COMMENT THAT WAS MADE ABOUT THE, UH, ATTORNEY, LEGISLATIVE ATTORNEY REALLY TURNED ON A LIGHT FOR ME, BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S WHAT THE MAYOR IS TRYING TO SET UP HERE.
UH, YOU, YOU WILL HAVE AN ATTORNEY TO HELP YOU, UH, WITH QUASI LEG LEGISLATIVE THINGS.
YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE, UM, ACCORDING TO THE CHARTER, YOU HAVE ADMINISTRATIVE DUTY, BUT NOT LET, EXCUSE ME, THE NOW I, I AM CONFUSED.
UH, IN ANY CASE, UH, YOU WILL HAVE HELP IN TRYING TO, UH, DRAFT THESE ORDINANCES.
AND I, I, I'M JUST REALLY GLAD TO HEAR THIS.
WELL, AND ALSO REGARDING, UH, RULE 23 VERSUS RULE 24.
IN LOOKING AT RULE 24, UH, IF I WERE SOMEBODY THAT WANTED TO DO SOMETHING, THAT'S THE LAST PLACE I WOULD GO TO, TO TRY TO GET IT DONE.
IT LOOKS SO COMPLICATED WHEN YOU CAN GET THREE OF YOU AND GET HELP TO DRAFT WHAT YOU WANT TO DO.
AND FINALLY, THE COMMENT WAS MADE THAT, UM, THREE WITH A MAXIMUM OF EIGHT, AND I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THE ANSWER AS TO WHY IT WAS A MAXIMUM OF EIGHT.
IT, IT WENT BY QUICKLY, QUICKLY.
AND I'M JUST IN INTERESTED IN THAT.
[00:50:01]
IT'S, SO, UM, BECAUSE IF WE ARE, IF WE GET MORE PEOPLE ON BOARD THAN EIGHT, THEN IT BECOMES, UM, WE'RE VIOLATING THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT.BECAUSE WE'RE DISCUSSING THINGS NOT IN THE PUBLIC, YOU KNOW, OUTSIDE OF CHAMBERS.
MAZA, I'M IN THE ROOM, SO HERE I GO.
I HAD SOME OTHER THINGS TO DO IN DOWNTOWN.
ANOTHER, YOU CAN'T TAKE METRO TO CITY, CITY, AND IN COUNTY COURT, YOUR, YOUR JURY SUMMIT IS A BUS PASS TO GET THERE AND THEN WHEN YOU LEAVE, THEY'LL GIVE YOU ANOTHER UH, PASS TO GET OUT.
UH, ONE THING WITH PROP A IM FOR PROP A CONSIDERING OUR CITY CHARTER IS A ANTEBELLUM DOCUMENT.
I THINK IT WAS OUR CITY CHARTERS FROM 18 6 6.
I THINK THAT'S ONE THING MAYBE THIS COMMUNITY NEEDS TO LOOK AT IS MAYBE WE NEED TO GO A FINE TUNED COMB TO SEE IF THE CITY OF CHARTER IS GOOD ENOUGH FOR HOUSTON.
NOW, MAYBE WE NEED TO LOOK AT SOMETHING LIKE, UH, WHAT MR. POLLARD IS DOING IN J TOWN OR, AND I THINK MARIO'S DOING THE SAME THING IN, IN MY DISTRICT, BRINGING DECENTRALIZED CITY HALL, BRINGING OUT TO THE PEOPLE.
AND ONE THING ABOUT THE COMMUNITY MEETINGS, I WOULD LIKE TO, FOR Y'ALL TO CHANGE, AND I WAS AT THE MISTRO, UM, UH, PUBLIC HEARING TODAY ABOUT THE ROOT CHANGES.
I THINK WITH THE TOWN, WITH THE COMMUNITY MEETINGS, THE THING WOULD BE LET THE PEOPLE PRESENT THEIR ISSUE.
YOU KNOW, THE, THE DEPARTMENT HEADS PRESENT THEIR ISSUES AND MAYBE AFTER THAT THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE SIGNED UP FOR THAT PARTICULAR ISSUE SPEAK.
'CAUSE A LOT OF TIMES AT METRO, A LOT OF TIMES SOMEBODY WILL BRING UP SOMETHING AND THEN THE CUSTOMER WILL BRING IN SOMETHING NOBODY ELSE EVER THOUGHT OF.
AND ACTUALLY Y'ALL WORKED FOR ME.
I THINK THE GENTLEMAN I SAID, HE WAITED FOR HOURS AND COULDN'T TALK AND THIS WAS HIS BABY.
SO I THINK MAYBE THE THING TO DO WITH OUR MEETINGS IS THE MEETINGS IS YOU HAVE THE, THE, THE, THE, THE PRESENTATIONS.
AND BEFORE Y'ALL GET INTO DISCUSSING THE THING, LET THE CITIZENS TALK.
BECAUSE SOMETIMES WE, AGAIN, YOU NEVER KNOW IF SOMEBODY'S GONNA HAVE AN IDEA, A CONCEPT THAT NOBODY EVER FOUGHT.
AND I, AND I THINK TOO, UH, MORE PEOPLE WOULD COME TO THESE MEETINGS, PARTICIPATE EITHER BY, AND ANOTHER THING TOO, I THINK THESE MEETINGS NEED TO, SHOULD BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE.
CITY COUNCIL AS WELL AS, AS WELL AS THESE COMMITTEE MEETINGS USING THE PHONE OR ZOOM.
THERE'S EXCUSE PEOPLE THAT CAN'T COME DOWN HERE BECAUSE THEY'RE WORKING, THEY'RE SICK.
THEY MAY BE IN A NURSING HOME.
WE NEED TO GET GOVERNMENT BACK DOWN TO THE PEOPLE.
AND I THINK THAT'S A REALLY, WHEN YOU LOOK AT PROP A, YOU LOOK AT DETERRED, YOU LOOK AT THE, THE MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS.
MAYBE THAT IS A WORK AROUND WHEN YOU REALLY THINK ABOUT IT, THAT WE REALLY NEED TO GET GOVERNMENT BACK TO THE PEOPLE, DOWN TO THE COUNCIL LETTER, COUNCIL PERSONS AREAS.
I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING BEYOND, AND I THINK THIS COMMUNITY IS, WOULD BE PRIME FOR THAT TO HAPPEN WITH THAT, NO OTHER COMMENTS? THANK YOU.
I THINK THAT THAT IS, UH, SOME GREAT POINTS THAT YOU MADE THERE.
AND YOU KNOW, WHERE I SEE THIS PROP A COMMITTEE GOING IN THE FUTURE IS YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE EVERYTHING WORKED OUT BEFORE IT COMES TO THE PROP A COMMITTEE.
THIS COMMITTEE IS A SOUNDING BOARD.
IF YOU HAVE IDEAS OR, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU WANNA BRING OTHER PEOPLE IN, MAYBE YOU WANNA TALK TO MORE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAN JUST THREE OR EIGHT.
BUT WE NEED TO DO IT IN A PUBLIC SETTING.
AND SO AS A SOUNDING BOARDS, WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE ARE EITHER CREATING NEW ORDINANCES OR REVISING OTHER ORDINANCES, THAT WE'RE DOING IT THOUGHTFULLY AND THAT WE HAVE THOUGHT OF EVERYTHING.
AND THE PUBLIC SOMETIMES DOES HAVE THE BEST IDEAS.
AND MA'AM, ONE OTHER THING I WOULD SUGGEST FOR COMMITTEE MEETINGS AND CITY COUNCIL, WHEN THE MEETINGS GAVELED IN AND GAVELED OUT, EVERYBODY SAYS THE PEOPLE ARE THE CITY.
SO WE KNOW EXACTLY WHY WE'RE HERE.
AT THIS TIME, WE DON'T HAVE ANYONE ELSE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.
IS THERE ANYBODY HERE THAT DIDN'T SIGN UP BUT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK OR MAKE A COMMENT ON THIS? OKAY, IF NOT, THEN I WOULD LIKE TO THANK MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES, UM, THE STAFF, OF COURSE, MR. NORRIS, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION AND, AND BEING HERE AS A RESOURCE FOR THE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UM, AND OF COURSE THE PUBLIC'S PARTICIPATION IN THIS MEETING.
SO THIS COMMITTEE WILL MEET AGAIN NEXT MONTH ON MAY 27TH AT 10:00 AM AND WITH THAT, THE MEETING IS ADJOURNED.