* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:04] AND TOMORROW, REMIND ME TOMORROW. [PRESENTATIONS] COUNCIL, PLEASE COME TO ORDER. I'M GONNA ASK OUR VICE MAYOR PRO TEM TO PLEAD PRESIDE WHILE I PARTICIPATE IN OUR PROCLAMATIONS, VICE MAYOR PRO TEM PECK, THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO FOR A PROCLAMATION TO THE CENTER FOR PURSUIT TO RECOGNIZE HIS 75TH ANNIVERSARY. ALL RIGHT, GOOD AFTERNOON, COLLEAGUES. TODAY I'M HONORED TO PRESENT A PROCLAMATION FOR PURSUIT CENTER, OR YOU MAY HAVE KNOWN THEM AS THE CENTER FOR PURSUIT, UH, FOR THEIR 75TH ANNIVERSARY. THIS IS AN ORGANIZATION THAT EMPOWERS ALL INDIVIDUALS WITH INTELLECTUAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES TO REACH THEIR FULL POTENTIAL. UM, THEY PROVIDE SERVICES TO OVER A THOUSAND INDIVIDUALS THAT INCLUDE A RANGE OF ACTIVITIES, UM, THAT, UH, ALSO IN, UH, INVOLVE DENTAL SERVICES ON THEIR MAIN CAMPUS, HEALTHCARE SERVICES, JOB SKILL TRAINING, UM, AND THEY SERVE TEENS THROUGH ADULTS. UH, CITY HALL IS ACTUALLY GONNA BE LIT IN THEIR COLORS OF BLUE, WHITE, AND GREEN ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY TO HONOR THEIR 75TH ANNIVERSARY. THEY DO TREMENDOUS WORK IN DISTRICT H. IT'S AN HONOR THAT THEY'RE IN DISTRICT H AND THAT THEY'RE CELEBRATING 75 YEARS. AND SO WITH THAT, I'LL PROCEED WITH THE PROCLAMATION. WHEREAS IN 1950, A GROUP OF VISIONARY PARENTS CAME TOGETHER UNITED BY THEIR STEADFAST BELIEF THAT CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES DESERVE MEANINGFUL, REWARDING, AND DIGNIFIED LIVES. AND WHEREAS PURSUIT CENTER HAS CULTIVATED THESE SEEDS OF HOPE PLANTED BY THE PARENTS DURING AN ERA WHEN INSTITUTIONALIZATION WAS THE STANDARD CHAMPIONING INCLUSION AND OPPORTUNITY FOR MORE THAN SEVEN DECADES. AND WHEREAS PURSUIT CENTER HAS ESTABLISHED ITSELF AS A BEACON FOR EXCELLENCE IN PROVIDING COMPREHENSIVE SERVICES FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH INTELLECTUAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES, ENRICHING OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH INNOVATIVE JOB SKILL TRAINING, SUPPORTIVE EMPLOYMENT, VITAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS PROGRAMS, QUALITY RESIDENTIAL SERVICES, AND DYNAMIC RECREATIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM TRAINING. AND WHEREAS PURSUIT CENTER CONTINUES TO GROW AND INNOVATE AS DEMONSTRATED BY ITS RELOCATION TO HOUSTON'S EAST END, FURTHERING ITS MISSION TO EMPOWER INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES BY CREATING PATHWAYS FOR CHOICE, GROWTH, AND INDEPENDENCE THAT FULLY FOSTER INTEGRATIVE LIVES. AND WHEREAS PURSUIT CENTER MARKS 75 YEARS, YEARS OF UNWAVERING DEDICATION, THE CITY OF HOUSTON CELEBRATES THE ORGANIZATION'S TRANSFORMATIVE IMPACT ON THOUSANDS OF LIVES. ITS PROFOUND CONTRI CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR COMMUNITY, AND ITS STEADFAST COMMITMENT TO BUILDING AN INCLUSIVE SOCIETY WHERE EVERY INDIVIDUAL CAN THRIVE. THE CITY OF HOUSTON COMMENDS PURSUIT CENTER FOR ITS EXTRAORDINARY LEGACY OF SERVICE AND EXTENDS DEEP CONGRATULATIONS ON THIS HISTORIC MILESTONE. THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO FOR BRINGING THIS, UH, SPECIAL OBSERVATION OF THE SERVICE CENTER BY PURSUIT CENTER. IT IS NOT ONLY SERVICE IN THE EAST END AND DISTRICT H, BUT I KNOW FOR A FACT HOUSTONIANS, UH, UNDERSTAND YOUR SERVICES AND IT'S SPECIAL. IT'S NOT IN, UH, PROVIDED ALWAYS BY GOVERNMENT, BUT YOU LIGHT UP SO MANY PEOPLE'S LIVES WITH THE SPECIAL SERVICE THAT OUR GREAT CITY WOULDN'T BE AS GREAT WITHOUT YOU. SO THEREFORE, I, JOHN WHITMEYER, MAY OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROCLAIM APRIL 29TH, 2025 AS PURSUIT CENTER IN THE HOUSTON OF TEXAS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR WHITMEYER, COUNCIL, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, AND THE REST OF THE CITY COUNCIL. UM, 75 YEARS IS A MAJOR MILESTONE, AND WHILE WE CAN TALK ABOUT PURSUIT CENTER, WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO DO WHAT WE DO WITHOUT THE SUPPORT OF THE CITY AND SO MANY OTHER AGENCIES. LIGHTING THE COLORS IS ONE THING, BUT THE HOUSTON, THE CITY OF DISABILITIES IN YOUR OFFICE HAS BEEN A MAJOR HELP OF OURS. CASE IN POINT, GETTING US A DELAYED TRAFFIC LIGHT RIGHT OUTSIDE OUR FACILITY TO ENABLE OUR FOLKS TO CROSS. SO THOSE SMALL THINGS MEAN A LOT. SO WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY AND FOR THE PROCLAMATION. THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. JUST A SECOND, MAYOR. WE HAVE A COUPLE [00:05:01] COUNCIL MEMBERS IN Q COUNCIL MEMBER HOR CONGRATULATIONS. ON 75 YEARS. WHEN I MOVED TO HOUSTON, WHEN I WAS IN THE SEVENTH GRADE, OUR NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR HAD SOME INTELLECTUAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL DIS DISABILITIES. HE WAS PROBABLY ABOUT 10 YEARS OLDER THAN I WAS. UM, HIS LIFE COMPLETELY WAS TRANSFORMED BY THE CENTER. HE GOT JOB TRAINING, HE HAD ALL KIND, I MEAN, WE STAYED CLOSE WITH HIM THROUGHOUT HIS LIFE. AND THE CENTER CHANGED HIS LIFE, AND I KNOW IT CONTINUES TO CHANGE LIVES. THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU'RE DUE. IT'S SO CRITICAL AND SO IMPORTANT. AND I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER STAN SMITH THERE AT THE CENTER. AND SO THANK YOU, 75 YEARS. THANK YOU MA'AM. THANKS FOR THAT, FOR SHARING THAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYOR PER TEMP, CONGRATULATIONS 75 YEARS. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD. I MEAN, HOUSTON, ONE THING THAT MAKES US SO SPECIAL IS OUR INCLUSIVITY AND, AND JUST MAKING SURE THAT EVERY SINGLE PERSON HAS AN OPPORTUNITY. SO THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO AND CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU. MEMBER PLUMBER. FOR A PROCLAMATION TO RECOGNIZE ENVIRONMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS THAT KICK OFF THE 100 DAYS OF PLASTIC FREE CHALLENGE, I HAVE, UM, ENVIRONMENT, TEXAS HOUSTON ZOO HEALTH MUSEUM, AND MY WONDERFUL YOUNG PEOPLE FROM RIVER OAKS. ALRIGHT, COOL. ALRIGHT, WE'RE GONNA MAKE THIS FAST COUNCIL MEMBERS BECAUSE I'VE GOT A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT WANNA SEE A LOT OF REALLY GREAT THINGS. I WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO INTRODUCE THIS NEW INITIATIVE THAT WE ARE LAUNCHING HERE AT THE CITY, THE HUNDRED DAY CHALLENGE TO ELIMINATE SINGLE USE PLASTICS FROM OUR COUNCIL OFFICE CHAMBERS. SO COUNCIL, IF YOU SEE ALL OF YOU HAVE TWO BAGS, UM, COMPLIMENTS OF THE HOUSTON ZOO AND ENVIRONMENTAL TEXAS. AND IF YOU NOTICE, THERE ARE NO WATER BOTTLES ON YOUR DESKS BECAUSE YOU ALL HAVE AN AMAZING YETI FROM ENVIRONMENTAL TEXAS. SO THOSE ARE GIFTS FROM US. AND, UM, AND ALSO THE ZOO ALSO HAS A WATER BOTTLE HERE, HUNDRED DAY CHALLENGE TO REDUCE SINGLE USE PLASTICS KICKOFF. WHEREAS THE CITY OF HOUSTON, UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF COUNCIL MEMBER LETITIA PLUMBER AT LARGE FOUR, WILL LAUNCH THE HUNDRED DAY CHALLENGE TO REDUCE SINGLE USE PLASTICS, BEGINNING ON APRIL THE NINTH, 29TH, 2025, AIMING TO SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE PLASTIC WASTE AND FOSTER SUSTAINABILITY THROUGHOUT THE CITY. AND WHEREAS SINGLE USE PLASTICS POSE A SERIOUS ENVIRONMENTAL THREAT CONTRIBUTING TO POLLUTION, HARMING WILDLIFE DISRUPTING ECOSYSTEMS, AND INCREASING GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS WITH DISPOSABLE PLASTIC ITEMS SUCH AS BOTTLES AND BAGS TAKING CENTURIES TO DEGRADE. AND WHEREAS THE A HUNDRED DAY CHALLENGE INITIATIVE REPRESENTS A PROACTIVE EFFORT BY THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO REDUCE THE CITY'S RELIANT ON SINGLE USE PLASTICS BY AT LEAST 50% WITHIN COUNCIL OPERATIONS, AND SET AN EXAMPLE FOR RESIDENTS, BUSINESSES, AND GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS TO ADOPT SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES. AND WHERE THE A HUNDRED DAY CHALLENGE WILL INVOLVE ACTIVE COLLABORATIONS WITH LOCAL BUSINESSES, COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, AND THE RESIDENTS THROUGH EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH, PUBLIC CAMPAIGNS, AND THE DISTRIBUTION OF REUSABLE CUPS AND GROCERY BAGS, DEMONSTRATING PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS AND TANGIBLE ACTIONS TO COMBAT PLASTIC POLLUTION. AND WHEREAS HOUSTON PROUDLY ACKNOWLEDGES THE EFFORT OF COUNCIL MEMBERS, CITY STAFF, SUPPORTIVE LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS AND BUSINESSES IN CHAMPION AND CHAMPIONING ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP, RAISING PUBLIC AWARENESS AND INSPIRING MEANINGFUL ACTION ACTION TOWARD A CLEANER, HEALTHIER, AND MORE SUSTAINABLE FUTURE. AND WE, AS THE CITY OF HOUSTON, ENCOURAGES ALL HOUSTONIANS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE A HUNDRED DAY CHALLENGE, TO REDUCE SINGLE USE PLASTICS, ADOPT SUSTAINABLE HABITS, REDUCE PLASTIC CONSUMPTION, AND COLLECTIVELY SUPPORT THE CITY'S ONGOING COMMITMENT TO ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITIES AND SUSTAINABILITY. WOW, , WE, WE OFTEN TALK ABOUT HOW ONE PERSON CAN MAKE SUCH A DIFFERENCE. THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS INITIATIVE BEFORE US AND IT SHOWS WHAT AN ELEMENTARY CLASS CAN DO, AND IT ALSO SHOWS OUR, OUR BRIGHT FUTURE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. SO, THANK YOU, UH, COUNCILMAN PLUMMER. UM, I ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE [00:10:01] AND I'M SURE ALL OF OUR COLLEAGUES DO BECAUSE WE WANT THESE YOUNG PEOPLE TO REALIZE THEIR VOICE MATTERS. AND I'VE GOT SOME OTHER ISSUES. I WOULD LIKE TO WORK WITH Y'ALL ON MAY, MAYBE OUR BUDGET, MAYBE OUR, MAYBE OUR BUDGET. BUT THANK YOU TO THE INSTRUCTORS, THE PARENTS, AND EVERYONE THAT, UH, BRINGS US TOGETHER TODAY. SO THEREFORE, I, JOHN WHITMEYER, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROCLAIM APRIL 29TH, 2025 IS 100 DAY CHALLENGE TO REDUCE SINGLE USE PLASTIC KICKOFF DAY IN HOUSTON, TEXAS. WOO. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK COLLEGE. IF YOU'LL ALLOW ME, MAYOR, TO LET A COUPLE FOLKS SAY SOME WORDS. UM, I'M GONNA LET BUSY CELINE, MADDIE AND DORA. CAN Y'ALL CHILL HERE? OKAY. THEY'RE FROM RIVER OAKS ELEMENTARY. HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM, A TOXIC ONE. WE ARE ASKING YOU TO JOIN US IN THE A HUNDRED CHALLENGE. WE MUST TAKE ACTION STARTING NOW. DESERVE WE DESERVE BETTER . WELL, GO AHEAD. OH, GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR. UM, AND MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL, UM, AS THE LEADER OF THE HOUSTON ZOO, I KNOW ONE THING, NEVER FOLLOW ANIMALS OR KIDS , YOU GUYS SAID IT ALL. UM, UH, WE'RE REALLY HONORED TO BE PART OF THIS AS WELL. AND I THINK IF YOU'VE BEEN TO THE ZOO RECENTLY, YOU'VE SEEN HOPEFULLY A LOT OF MESSAGING ABOUT SINGLE USE PLASTICS IN OUR GALAPAGOS ISLANDS EXHIBIT. WE ARE THE FIRST ZOO IN THE COUNTRY TO HAVE GONE COMPLETELY, UH, SINGLE USE PLASTIC FREE. AND THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO EXTEND THAT TO THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY OF HOUSTON. SO CONGRATULATIONS AND THANK YOU. UM, MY NAME'S JOHN ARCH ANO, I'M, UH, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE HEALTH MUSEUM. UH, WE ARE ALSO EXCITED TO PARTNER WITH COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER ON THIS, THE ZOO AND OTHERS. UM, THE HEALTH MUSEUM HAS BEEN AROUND FOR 60 YEARS. WE'RE HERE TO HELP PEOPLE EMPOWER, EMPOWER PEOPLE TO LIVE HEALTHIER LIVES. AND THIS IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT PART OF IT, AND WE'RE EXCITED TO PARTNER WITH THESE YOUNG KIDS, UH, AND WITH THE MAYOR. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR, FOR ALLOWING US TO DO THIS WITH YOU ALL. UH, THANK YOU MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER, UM, LUKE METZGER WITH ENVIRONMENT TEXAS. UH, THIS IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT INITIATIVE TO HELP MAKE SURE THAT OUR BEACHES AND BAYS ARE CLEAN OF LITTER, THAT OUR WILDLIFE ARE PROTECTED FROM THE SERIOUS THREAT, UH, AND THAT OUR HEALTH IS PROTECTED. WE KNOW THAT MORE AND MORE THE MICROPLASTICS THAT COME AND SHED FROM PLASTIC PRODUCTS ARE IMPACTING OUR HEALTH. SO THIS IS A REALLY GREAT INITIATIVE. THANK YOU. IF I COULD JUST DO ONE MORE THING, I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE A COUPLE MORE OF OUR, OUR PARTNERS ON THIS ALLIANCE, DISSOLVE ECO HUB, ETHOS, ENERGY CONSULTING, PUBLIC CITIZEN, AND CLEAN WATER HOUSTON, OUR OTHER PARTNERS. AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD FOR MORE TO JOIN. SO THANK Y'ALL SO MUCH. HE STARTS TODAY AND, UM, AND WE'VE GOT THE NEXT A HUNDRED DAYS OF MAKING SURE THAT WE ELIMINATE SINGLE USE PLASTICS. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYOR. THANK YOU MR. KABODA. COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER. OH YEAH, WE'LL START WITH COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. OKAY. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LEADING THIS INITIATIVE. BUT TO ALL OF THE PARTNERS, I MEAN, ESPECIALLY CELINE, MADDIE, AND DORA, EVERYTHING THAT WE WORK ON NEEDS TO BE FOCUSED ON THEM. AND WHAT WE DO WILL HAVE A LASTING IMPACT ON FUTURE GENERATIONS. THAT INCLUDES PROTECTING AND SAVING THE ENVIRONMENT, REVERSING THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE. SO I AM SO THRILLED ENVIRONMENT TEXAS. THANK YOU FOR AN ADDITIONAL YETI. I BRING ONE, UH, A REUSABLE MUG EVERY SINGLE WEEK TO COUNCIL. SO THE FACT THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE PLASTIC WATER BOTTLES HERE IS FANTASTIC. UH, BUT WE'RE ALSO, FOR THOSE THAT MAY NOT GET HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO REDUCE AND REUSE EVERY PIECE OF TRASH THAT IS GOING INTO OUR LANDFILLS IS CREATING MORE WASTE, WHICH MEANS MORE COST TO TAXPAYERS AS WELL. SO WHILE WE'RE LOOKING AT THE FUTURE, THIS IS ALSO ABOUT THE BOTTOM LINE FOR EACH OF US, BUT IT'S ALSO ABOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT THE RIGHT THING TO DO. SO THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH AND ALL OF OUR PARTNERS, I'M NOT GONNA GO THROUGH THE LIST, BUT YOU ALL ARE INSTRUMENTAL IN KEEPING THIS ISSUE AT THE FOREFRONT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER. THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD. I WILL TELL YOU THAT, UM, WE DID A DRAINAGE PROJECT IN ONE OF THE COMMUNITIES IN MY DISTRICT AND THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT PUT THE CAMERA DOWN IN THE DRAIN AND HALF OF THE DRAIN WAS FILLED WITH WATER BOTTLES. WOW. SO ONLY HALF OF, UH, THE ACTUAL DRAIN WAS ALLOWING WATER, UH, TO PASS THROUGH IN OUR DRAINAGE SYSTEM BECAUSE [00:15:01] THE WATER BOTTLES THAT HAVE BEEN DISCARDED IN OUR STREETS, IN OUR DITCHES HAVE ALL RUN INTO OUR DRAINAGE SYSTEMS AS WELL. AND YOU ALL KNOW WHAT HAPPENS AND PLASTICS DON'T. UM, THEY'RE NOT BIODEGRADABLE AND THEY, AND THEY JUST REMAIN IN OUR DRAINAGE SYSTEM. SO, UH, MAYBE OVER THE NEXT 100 DAYS, WE CAN LESSEN THE NUMBER OF WATER BOTTLES THAT GET INTO OUR, OUR DRAINAGE SYSTEM AND WE CAN KEEP IT UP. UM, SO THANK YOU FOR AMPLIFYING THE IMPORTANCE OF, UM, THESE, UH, WATER BOTTLES AND HOW THEY ARE IMPACTING OUR DAILY LIVES. CONGRATULATIONS TO Y'ALL. THANK YOU SO MUCH. TAKE A PICTURE. SURE. OKAY. [00:20:42] NEXT, THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES MAYOR WHITMEYER FOR A PROCLAMATION TO JULIA MORALES IN CELEBRATION OF HER 13TH SEASON AS THE END GAME REPORTER FOR THE HOUSTON ASTROS. THANK YOU. OH MY GOSH. FIRST, LET ME SAY, UM, MOST ELECTED OFFICIALS WOULD LIKE TO HAVE YOUR NAME ID AND, AND YOUR POSITIVE BRAND BECAUSE YOU'VE CERTAINLY DEMONSTRATED REPEATEDLY YOUR PROFESSIONALISM AND YOUR CAN-DO ATTITUDE AND HAVE REALLY BROUGHT THE SPORTS SCENE TO HOUSTONIANS FOR ALL OF US. BUT, YOU KNOW, FOR A MOMENT, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT YOU, THE PERSON, YOU KNOW, I'LL READ THE PROCLAMATION A MINUTE, BUT I WANNA PERSONALLY RECOGNIZE YOUR FAMILY. YOU'VE HAD SUCH A SUCCESSFUL CAREER, BUT YOU'VE BEEN ABLE TO BALANCE IT WITH YOUR TENDING TO YOUR FAMILY. AND CERTAINLY AS A FATHER OF TWO DAUGHTERS. AND I KNOW WE HAVE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT HAVE TO BALANCE THEIR PROFESSIONAL SERVICE WITH ALSO THEIR FAMILY LIFE. AND YOU'VE CERTAINLY BEEN A ROLE MODEL, YOU AND MATT AND VALERIE, WHICH SHE COULD HAVE BEEN UP HERE WITH THESE YOUNG PEOPLE WE JUST VISITED WITH BECAUSE SHE'S GONNA BE A, A LEADER AS WELL. SO THANK YOU FOR MAKING OUR SPORTS SCENE SO, SO MUCH MORE SUCCESSFUL FOR YOU TO BE ABLE TO COME ON THE AIR AND LET EVEN NON-SPORTS FANS UNDERSTAND THE DYNAMICS OF BASEBALL AND OTHER SPORTS. AND THEN ALSO BRINGING US THE CHAMPIONSHIPS. YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW, BALL, BALL PLAYERS COME AND GO, BUT JULIE IS HERE TO STAY. SO LET ME READ THIS PROCLAMATION. WHEREAS ON APRIL 29TH, 2025, THE CITY OF HOUSTON PROUDLY CELEBRATES JULIE MORALES, A DISTINGUISHED INDIVIDUAL WHOSE VOICE, PASSION, AND DEDICATION AND BECOME AN INTEGRAL AND CHERISHED PART OF THE HOUSTON SPORTS CULTURE AND COMMUNITY LIFE. AND WHEREAS JULIA, UH, IS CELEBRATING HER 13TH SEASON AS A BELOVED IN-GAME REPORTER FOR THE HOUSTON ASTROS, WHERE HER CHARISMA, PROFESSIONALISM, AND STORYTELLING CONTINUE TO CONNECT FANS WITH THE TEAM THEY LOVE. WHEREAS BEYOND THE BALLPARK, JULIA IS A BEACON OF COMPASSION SERVING AS A BOARD MEMBER FOR HOUSTON PETS ALIVE AND GENEROUSLY DONATING HER TIME AND RESOURCES TO A NUMBER OF NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT OUR GREAT CITY. WHEREAS JULIA'S COMMITMENT TO EMPOWERING YOUNG GIRLS AND WOMEN IN SPORTS AND MEDIA IS UNWAVERING, HIGHLIGHTED BY HER TRAILBLAZING ROW AS PART OF THE FIRST ALL FEMALE PLAY BROADCAST OF A BASEBALL GAME IN MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL HISTORY ON MAY 14TH, 2024. WHEREAS AS THE FOUNDER OF SHOP BASEBALL, Y'ALL , JULIE MERGES HER LOVE FOR THE GAME AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP OFFERING FANS A UNIQUE WAY TO CELEBRATE THEIR PASSION FOR BASEBALL. AND WHEREAS JULIA CAN BE FOUND CHEERING ON AND SUPPORTING THE NEXT GENERATION AT LOCAL LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL EVENTS, CONTINUING HER COMMITMENT TO NURTURING YOUNG ATHLETES AND FUTURE REPORTERS ALIKE. WHEREAS JULIA ANNUALLY SHARES HER KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERTISE BY TEACHING A CLASS ON SPORTS JOURNALISM AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON AND REGULARLY VISITS LOCAL HIGH SCHOOLS TO INSPIRE STUDENTS TO PURSUE THEIR CAREERS IN JOURNALISM. WHEREAS JULIE, REMARKABLE JOURNEY FROM HER TIME AS A KILGORE COLLEGE RANGER TO EARNING A JOURNALISM DEGREE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AND ULTIMATELY BECOMING AN ESTEEMED SPORTS BROADCASTER STANDS AS A TESTAMENT TO HER EXCEPTIONAL TALENT, PERSEVERANCE AND DEDICATIONS. THE CITY OF HOUSTON PROUDLY EXTENDS ITS HEARTFELT. CONGRATULATIONS TO JULIE MORALES FOR OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENTS, WISHES, HER CONTINUED [00:25:01] SUCCESS IN ALL OF OUR FUTURE ENDEAVORS. THEREFORE, I, JOHN WHITMEYER, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROCLAIM APRIL 29TH, 2025 IS JULIE MORALES DAY IN HOUSTON, TEXAS. BRING FAMILY UP. YEAH. BRING UP. AND, UH, WHY DON'T WE BRING THE FAMILY UP AND IT COME UP AND THANK YOU. CAN I SAY THANK YOU? NO, I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER AND LET YOU DO IT PLAY BY PLAY I MINUTE . YEAH, WE GOT COUNCIL MEMBERS MAY MAYOR, WE DO HAVE A COUPLE OF COUNCIL MEMBERS IN QII DON'T KNOW IF MS. MORALES WANTED TO SAY ANYTHING. WE CAN START WITH YOUR COMMENTS. OKAY. AND THEN WE'LL MOVE TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS. CAN I, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU. I WAS BORN IN HOUSTON. UH, I GREW UP ELSEWHERE, BUT CAME BACK AS FAST AS I COULD WITH THIS OPPORTUNITY. HOUSTON ASTROS. HOUSTON IS THE GREATEST SPORTS TOWN. I DON'T HAVE TO TELL ANYONE IN THE ROOM THAT, UM, IT'S BEEN SUCH AN HONOR TO BE A PART OF IT. AND I KNOW I HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY AS A FEMALE ON AIR TO, UH, YOU KNOW, TO GROW THE, THE FAN BASE AND TO TELL WOMEN THAT THEY CAN LOVE SPORTS JUST AS MUCH AS ANYONE ELSE. IF THEY WANNA WORK IN SPORTS, THEY CAN. ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE. SO, UM, I JUST WANNA THANK YOU GUYS FOR HAVING ME TODAY. IT'S TRULY AN HONOR. COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER. THANK YOU MAYOR PROTE. JULIA, IT'S SO MUCH FUN TO SEE A FRIEND GETTING RECOGNIZED AND I'M NOT THE ONE RECOGNIZING THEM, THAT THE MAYOR'S RECOGNIZING YOU. I LOVE IT. LOVE IT, LOVE IT. SOME OF MY BEST MEMORIES ARE YOU, WE KIND OF GREW UP WITH IN THE ASTROS FOR THE PAST, I GUESS 10 YEARS IN REBA REBUILDING AND REBRANDING THAT TEAM. AND YOU ALWAYS STEPPED UP ANYTIME YOU WERE ASKED, YOU ALWAYS SAID YES, WHICH IS A, A WONDERFUL AT TRIBUTE TO WHO YOU ARE. BUT, UM, THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO AND FOR BEING THE FACE OF, OF WOMEN IN SPORTS AND JUST LOVE YOU DEARLY AND JUST, I'M SO PROUD OF YOU AND THANK YOU. THANK GOODNESS THE, UH, RANGER ETTES PART CAME UP. 'CAUSE I WAS GONNA HAVE TO SAY, I REMEMBER YOU, YOU WENT BACK FOR THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE RANGER TOURETTES, AND YOU DANCED WITH 'EM, RIGHT? YES, YES. YOU CAN STILL WEAR YOUR UNIFORM, RIGHT? UM, YES. I CAN'T HIGH KICK LIKE THAT ANYMORE, BUT YEAH. , CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU. THANK GO. THANK YOU. CONGRAT GHOST. YES. GHOST THROW. THERE YOU GO. VALERIE AND PARENTS THAT KIND OF MADE ALL THIS POSSIBLE . NEXT THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES MAYOR WHITMEYER FOR A PROCLAMATION TO THE PRO FAMILY FOR THEIR GROUNDBREAKING INVENTION, THE POLARIZER. THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR AND MEMBERS. UH, IT IS INDEED A PLEASURE FOR ME TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO RECOGNIZE THE LER FAMILY. CERTAINLY I'VE BEEN FAMILIAR WITH THE LER FAMILY, MY ENTIRE PUBLIC SERVICE LIFE, AND THEY'RE JUST ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF FAMILIES THAT HAVE MADE HOUSTON THE GREAT CITY THAT IT IS BY BEING INVOLVED IN CIVIC MATTERS, HELPING US WITH THE RECYCLING INDUSTRY AND POLARIZING MAJOR METAL AND OTHER OBJECTS. SO IT'S INDEED A PLEASURE TO HAVE THE FAMILY WITH ME TODAY AND TO SAY THAT, UH, THIS IS A SPECIAL OPPORTUNITY TO SLOW DOWN, TO RECOGNIZE PEOPLE THAT HAVE GONE BEFORE US FOR GENERATIONS TO MAKE THINGS GREAT IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. SO WHEREAS HOUSTON HAS LONG BEEN RECOGNIZED AS AN INNOVATIVE CITY HOME TO A COMMUNITY OF CREATIVE, INNOVATIVE, AND RESOURCEFUL INDIVIDUALS, SINCE ITS FOUNDING IS SHIPPING PORT AT ALLEN'S LANDING. AND WHEREAS THIS LEGACY OF INGENUITY AND INNOVATION IS EXEMPLIFIED BY THE PRO FAMILIES WHOSE FOREBEARER BEN BROER IMMIGRATED TO THE UNITED STATES IN 1910 BY 1922 BEING [00:30:01] ESTABLISHED CITY JUNK AND SUPPLY IN HOUSTON, AND EVENTUALLY INVOLVING SOME SAM IZZY, WHO I WAS FAMILIAR WITH, JAIME JACKIE IN THE BUSINESS. IN 1958, THE PRO STEEL CORPORATION WAS FOUNDED. AND WHEREAS IN 1961, THE PROLO FAMILY PIONEERED AND PATENTED THE FIRST AUTOMOBILE SHREDDING MACHINE IN THE WORLD, WHICH PERMANENTLY TRANSFORMED THE SCRAP INDUSTRY KNOWN AS PRO PROLARIS. THE INVENTION FEATURED A ROAD DOOR EQUIPMENT WITH LARGE ENGINE AND NUMEROUS HAMMERS CAPABLE OF REDUCING THE ENTIRE VEHICLES INTO SMALL FIFTH SIDE FRAGMENTS THAT COULD THEN BE SEPARATED INTO FURIOUS AND NON-INFERIOR MATERIALS, PROVIDING STEEL MILLS WITH HIGHER QUALITY SCRAP RECYCLING. AND SECONDS PRIOR TO THE PROS, FAMILY INTERVENTION AUTOMOBILE RECYCLING WAS A LABOR OF INTENSE PROCESS INVOLVING HANDLING HANDHELD TORCH CUTTERS AND ALLIGATOR SHEAR, AND CONTRIBUTING TO A WIDESPREAD PROGRAM OF ABANDONED CARS IN AMERICA, CITIES AND TOWNS. AND WHEREAS THE PRO RESISTOR NOT ONLY TRANSFORMED THE SCRAP AND RECYCLING INDUSTRY, BUT ALSO PLAYED A PIVOTAL ROW IN CHANGING THE ER STILL INTO A PUBLICLY HELD, GLOBALLY RECOGNIZED CORPORATION, PARALLELING THE GROWTH OF HOUSTON TO ONE OF THE WORLD'S LEADING CITIES. WHEREAS IN NI IN 2024, THE SMITHSONIAN ACQUIRED A POLARIZER AND WILL FEATURE IT IN ITS EXHIBITION ALONGSIDE OTHER PRO FAMILY ARTIFACTS IN THE NATURAL HISTORY WING OF THE SMITHSONIAN IN WASHINGTON DC RECOGNIZING THE PROFOUND IMPACT OF THE PRO FAMILIES IN MENTION ON RECYCLING PRACTICES BOTH IN THE UNITED STATES AND GLOBALLY. WHEREAS THE CITY OF HOUSTON COMMENDS THE PRO FAMILY FOR A CENTURY OF INNOVATION AND CELEBRATES THEIR INVENTIONS. THE POLARIZER FOR ITS REMARKABLE CONTRIBUTIONS TO INDUSTRY HISTORY AND ITS ENDURING POSITIVE EFFECT ON OUR ENVIRONMENT SUSTAINABILITY THROUGH THE RECYCLING OF RESOURCES. THEREFORE, I, JOHN WHITMEYER, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROCLAIM APRIL 22ND, 2025, IS A ER FAMILY AND A ER DAY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. CONGRATULATIONS. HI, CITY OF HOUSTON. I'M RONNIE BROER, SON OF IZZY, GRANDSON OF BEN, BROTHER OF BILL, FATHER OF PRESTON, DAVID, AND RYAN, IT'S AN HONOR TO BE A HOUSTONIAN TODAY. I JUST WANT TO THANK Y'ALL FOR ALLOWING US IN BEING HERE. THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. I APPRECIATE IT. DISTINGUISHED CITY COUNCIL. I WANT TO CONGRATULATE ALL THE OTHER, UH, WONDERFUL PEOPLE THAT, UH, WERE AWARDED PROCLAMATIONS TODAY. OH, UH, IT'S BEEN OVER A HUNDRED YEARS THAT WE HAVE BEEN IN HOUSTON, RECYCLING, RECYCLING MATERIAL. UH, AND MY, IF MY GRANDFATHER WERE HERE TODAY, HE WOULD SAY, WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG? SO WE ARE SO GRATEFUL MY FAMILY IS HERE. UH, AND THE WHOLE FAMILY IS GRATEFUL THAT WE WERE RECOGNIZED NOT ONLY BY THE GREAT CITY OF HOUSTON, BUT ALSO BY THE SMITHSONIAN, WITH THE INVENTIONS OF THE POLARIZER FROM MY UNCLES AND MY FATHER AND GRANDFATHER. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND I APPRECIATE IT. IT'S QUITE AN HONOR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. I'M BETSY LER AND I'M THE MATRIARCH OF THE FAMILY, THE ONLY SURVIVOR OF IT. AND I WILL TELL YOU HOW GRATEFUL WE ARE FOR TODAY AND TO BE IN FRONT OF YOU ALL, WHO GIVE YOUR VERY SPECIAL SELVES TO HELP ALL OF US. AND SO I WANNA THANK YOU PERSONALLY FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO FOR US. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MAYOR MS. THOMAS, COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN WOULD LIKE VERY BRIEFLY, MAYOR, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR RECOGNIZING A FAMILY THAT HAS GIVEN SO MUCH TO HOUSTON. I'LL JUST SAY ON A PERSONAL NOTE FROM MY FAMILY TO YOURS, UH, WE APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT YOU ALL DO FOR OUR CITY AND CONTINUE TO DO, UH, THROUGHOUT THE GENERATIONS OF PROS IN HOUSTON. IT, IT'S INCREDIBLE. THANK YOU. THANKS. AND IT JUST SO HAPPENS THAT OUR CHAIRMAN OF THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, JODY LER, IS HERE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PUBLIC SERVICE AND, UH, LET'S KEEP UP. [00:35:09] YEAH. [2:00 P.M. – INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE] CHAIR RECOGNIZED. COUNCILMAN FLICKINGER FOR THE INVOCATION. THANK YOU, MAYOR. IT'S MY HONOR TO INTRODUCE MRS. MARY VONNER, THE FIRST LADY OF ONE MOVEMENT, BIBLE CHURCH. I DIDN'T KNOW HER UNTIL THE ELECTION AND, UH, GOT TO MEET HER AFTER TAKING OFFICE. AND HER AND HER CHURCH HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN HELPING THE AREA KIND OF IN THE MIDDLE PART OF OUR DISTRICT IN FREEWAY MANOR. UH, IN FACT, WHEN HURRICANE BARRELL CAME THROUGH LAST YEAR, SHE OPENED UP THE CHURCH THAT WE USED AS A DISTRIBUTION POINT WHEN WE DIDN'T HAVE A CITY FACILITY TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT. AND, UH, HAS REALLY BEEN A BLESSING TO US ALL. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MA'AM. THANK YOU PRO TIM. TO THE CITY COUNCIL PERSONS AND TO YOU, MR. FLICKINGER, MY FRIEND. THANK YOU FOR THIS PRIVILEGE. FATHER, I THANK YOU FOR THIS TIME. I THANK YOU FOR THIS GROUP. NOW, I PRAY, GOD, THAT AT THIS TIME YOU GIVE THE EMPOWERMENT TO THIS TEAM TO DEVELOP HOUSTON INTO THE GREATNESS THAT IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE AND THAT IT IS ALREADY. AND EVEN THE MORE, WE BLESS YOUR NAME AND WE THANK YOU IN JESUS WE PRAY. AMEN. THANK YOU, MA'AM. WOULD EVERYONE PLEASE RISE FOR THE PLEDGE TO OUR FLAG, I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG FROM UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, [00:40:03] ONE NATION. [ROLL CALL AND ADOPT THE MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING] MADAM SECRETARY, WILL YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLE MAYOR WHITMEYER. PRESENT, COUNCIL MEMBER PECK HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. COUNCIL MEMBER CAMAN PRESENT COUNCIL EVAN SHABAZZ. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER. HERE. COUNCILMAN THOMAS. HERE. COUNCILMAN HUFFMAN. PRESENT. COUNCILMAN CASTILLO? HERE. COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ? HERE. COUNCIL POLLARD. HERE. COUNCILMAN CASTEX TATUM. HERE. COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ. HERE. COUNCILOR DAVIS. COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER. PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER HERE. AND COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN HERE NEED A MOTION TO, I DON'T KNOW IF WE ADOPT ANOTHER LAND MINUTES TODAY. MOTION TO DELAY THE MINUTES? YES, TAYLOR, MOVE. NEXT. SECOND. MOTION MADE THE SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. UH, [PUBLIC SPEAKERS] MEMBERS AND GUESTS, WE HAVE A VERY LONG LIST OF SPEAKERS TODAY BECAUSE WE HAVE MORE THAN 150 MINUTES WORTH OF SPEAKERS. THE RULES REQUIRE US TO ONLY GIVE EACH OF YOU ONE MINUTE, EVEN IF YOU SIGNED UP FOR MORE. ANY PROCEDURAL MOTIONS? CASTILLO. COUNCILMAN CASTILLO? THANK YOU MAYOR. I MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO MOVE DR. LA MORILLO TO THE TOP OF THE ONE MINUTE AGENDA LIST. SECOND MOTION BEEN MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, WE HAVE TWO HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WHOSE PARENTS WOULD LIKE TO GET THEM TO BACK TO CLASS IF POSSIBLE. I MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO MOVE MIKA AND AVI MOHIT TO THE TOP OF THE ONE MINUTE NON AGENDA. OKAY, SECOND. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. COUNCIL MEMBER CAST TATUM. MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO MOVE JEWEL MCGOWAN TO THE TOP OF THE THREE MINUTE AGENDA TO BE SECOND, TO BE FOLLOWED BY MELANIE MILES AS AN AD AT THE, OKAY. AFTER MS. MCGOWAN TO BE FOLLOWED BY SHARON MAYBERRY. SECOND. Y'ALL HAVE HEARD THE MOTION BY THE MAYOR PROTE. AND A SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND, UM, I'D LIKE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO MOVE RENEE KENNEDY TO THE TOP OF THE NON-AG AGENDA. I'M SORRY. NO, NO, NO. UM, AFTER DAVI, MOHE ON THE THREE MINUTE WELL, UM, NON AGENDA LIST. SHE'S GOTTA GO PICK UP A RED, DO A ROCK DOG RESCUE. SECOND. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSING AYE. MOTION PASSES. COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. THANK YOU MAYOR. MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES AND MOVE AMY ERICKSON AS HIGH AS WE CAN TO THE, TO THE NEAR THE TOP OF THE, UH, ONE MINUTE NON AGENDA. THAT'S PRETTY CLEVER. UH, MEMBERS, YOU'VE HEARD THE MOTION CAPITAL ONE MINUTE NON AGENDA. MOTION. SECOND, SECOND. SECOND. SECOND AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. ANYONE ELSE FOR PROCEDURAL MOTION? IF NOT, MADAM SECRETARY, WILL YOU PLEASE CALL OUR FIRST SPEAKER? DR. LAURA T. LAURA MARILLO. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR COUNCIL MEMBERS. AND I'M GONNA STEAL A COUPLE OF LINES FROM THREE VERY ARTICULATE RIVER OAKS YOUNG LADIES WHO STEPPED UP HERE FIRST. HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM. HOUSTON, WE DESERVE BETTER. I THINK IT IS VERY EVIDENT BASED ON THE BUSINESS OWNERS, ASIANS, HISPANICS, AFRICAN AMERICANS, WOMEN, THAT YOU ARE PRESENTED WITH AN OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE A CLOSE LOOK AT THE FACTS THAT ARE BEFORE YOU, THAT WE REMAIN COMMITTED FROM THAT ORIGINAL EMAIL THAT WE SEND YOU WITH OVER 20 LOGOS OF PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT IN FAVOR WITH THAT DISPARITY STUDY. WE DO NOT AGREE WITH [00:45:01] THE METHODOLOGY, SAMPLE SIZE, ET CETERA. WE ASK THAT YOU DO THE RIGHT THING THAT YOU VOTE TO CONSIDER THE MODIFICATIONS THAT WILL KEEP OUR BUSINESSES, OUR SMALL BUSINESSES WHO HAVE SO MANY CHALLENGES ALREADY. PLEASE DO THE RIGHT THING. FINISH YOUR REMARKS. IT MUST BE UNDERSTOOD THAT WE HAVE HAD SO MANY CHALLENGES TO GET WHERE WE ARE TODAY WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON. AND TO SAY THAT WE HAVE GRADUATED THREE HISPANIC CONTRACTORS HAVE GRADUATED DOES NOT MEAN THAT WE ALL HAVE, AGAIN, PLEASE DO THE RIGHT THING. AND ON BEHALF OF THE HOUSTON HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND COUNTLESS OTHER CHAMBERS LEADERS AND MOST OF ALL ENTREPRENEURS THAT ARE THE FABRIC OF THIS CITY, PLEASE DO THE RIGHT THING. MAYOR, UH, PRO CASTEX TATUM. THANK YOU DR. MARIA FOR BEING HERE TODAY. I KNOW WE'VE HAD SOME CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE DISPARITY STUDY AND YOU'VE, YOU'VE, YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT THE METHODOLOGY AND THE SAMPLE SIZE. TELL ME WHAT ABOUT THE METHODOLOGY YOU DISAGREE WITH? IF SOMEONE IS CONDUCTING A STUDY AND IT IS BEING TOUTED AS A STUDY THAT HAS BEEN DISPERSED TO PEOPLE WHO'VE PARTICIPATED IN THE CITY'S PROGRAM, AND WE'VE ASKED, AND THEY'RE IN THIS ROOM, COUNTLESS OF PEOPLE, WHETHER OR NOT THEY RECEIVED THE STUDY, THEY DID NOT. SO MAYBE PHONE CALLS WOULD'VE BEEN A GOOD IDEA TO MAKE SURE THAT THE RIGHT PEOPLE THAT SHOULD HAVE ABSOLUTELY PARTICIPATED HAVE HAD THAT OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO. AND AGAIN, I THINK THAT AFTERWARD GOING TO THE COMMUNITY AND SAYING, HERE'S OUR DISPARITY STUDY, HERE'S WHAT WE'VE DONE. AGAIN, A LOT OF THAT, MORE OF THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN APPRECIATED. AND AGAIN, WE WANNA BE SOLUTIONS. RIGHT? I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE THAT DID NOT GET IT. BUSINESSES, PEOPLE WHO DO BUSINESS WITH THE CITY SAID WHAT'S WHAT STUDY, WHAT SURVEY, AGAIN, CAN COLLABORATE. SO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE ANECDOTAL SURVEY, BUT THE DISPARITY METHODOLOGY WAS BASED ON THE, THE ACTUAL SPEND OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON BASED ON HOW MUCH MONEY WAS SENT TO EACH BUSINESS. SO ARE YOU SAYING THAT YOU DON'T THINK THE METHODOLOGY OF USING THE ACTUAL SPEND THAT WE PAID TO BUSINESSES IS INCORRECT? I BELIEVE THAT IT IS A FLAWED STUDY. SO MUCH SO THAT HARRIS COUNTY HAS DECIDED NOT TO USE THE SAME FIRM FOR A LOT OF THE FLAWS. AND I DON'T BELIEVE THAT WE ARE HERE AT THIS POINT TO PULL ALL OF THAT APART. LET'S ASSUME THAT THERE ARE CHALLENGES IN COMMUNICATION ON ALL PARTIES. THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET IT RIGHT. THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SAY, WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? THERE'S A LAWSUIT. SO WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO DO FOR US TO DO FROM HERE? WELL, WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO DO IS FOLLOW THE RECOMMENDATION THAT WE HAVE SENT TO THIS BODY SAYING HERE, ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE LOOKING AT THIS ISSUE, WE'D LIKE TO MAKE THESE RECOMMENDATIONS. WE'RE ASKING CAN YOU, CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE? SURE. ONE OF THEM WOULD BE, IF YOU ARE GOING TO REMOVE THREE MINORITY GROUPS AND ONLY ALLOW ONE TO REMAIN, THEN MAYBE THE BEST THING TO DO IS SAY, LET'S DO AWAY WITH IT BECAUSE OF THE LAWSUIT. AND LET'S PUT US ALL INTO A PROGRAM THAT CAN SUSTAIN THE LEGAL CHALLENGES THAT ARE CONFRONTING THE CITY. NO FAULT OF THE CITY MM-HMM . BUT DUE TO A LAWSUIT. AND LET'S LEVEL THAT PLAYING FIELD AND LET'S PUT THINGS IN PLACE THAT WILL ALLOW PEOPLE TO COMPETE. AND AT THE SAME TIME, LET'S FORM AN ADVISORY BOARD WITH KNOWLEDGEABLE PEOPLE THAT UNDERSTAND THE CHALLENGES OF WHAT IS BEING DONE WELL, WHAT NEEDS IMPROVEMENT, AND LET'S LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO BE DIRECTLY IMPACTED SO THAT WE CAN GET FEEDBACK, THE RIGHT FEEDBACK. AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, PROVIDE A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD SO EVERYONE CAN GO IN AND COMPETE. BUT LET'S NOT SAY HISPANICS ARE DOING WELL, ASIANS ARE DOING WELL, AND WOMEN ARE DOING WELL. THAT IS NOT THE CASE. AND IF I AM WRONG, THEN I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE SOMEONE SITTING US DOWN SO THAT ABOUT 75% OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE HERE SO THAT WE CAN BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT PERHAPS WE HAVE MISUNDERSTOOD. RIGHT. I I, I JUST WANNA BE CLEAR. SO I, I WANNA UNDERSTAND THAT YOU ARE SUGGESTING THAT WE MOVE EVERYONE TO AN SBE [00:50:01] PROGRAM REGARDLESS OF THE GRAVE DISPARITIES THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED. SO THE FOURTH LARGEST CITY IN THE COUNTRY, YOU AND THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT YOU HAVE REPRESENTED WOULD LIKE FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO MOVE EVERY BUSINESS OWNER TO AN SBE, REGARDLESS OF DISPARITIES, FOREGO OUR MWBE PROGRAM WITHOUT THAT BEING LEGISLATED, JUST GIVE IT UP. ONE HAS TO PUT ALL OF THAT IN CONTEXT. WE ARE HERE AS A RESULT OF FINDING OUT. AND AGAIN, PERHAPS IT'S A HUGE MISCOMMUNICATION. SO WITH ALL DUE RESPECT TO THOSE OF YOU AROUND THIS HORSESHOE, WHAT WE UNDERSTOOD WAS NOT ACCEPTABLE. AND WHAT WE UNDERSTOOD WAS REMOVE HISPANICS, REMOVE ASIANS AND WOMEN AND KEEP ONE GROUP IN THERE. SO HOW IS THAT ACCEPTABLE? AND THEN WE BEGAN ASKING QUESTIONS, AND THEN WE BEGAN COLLABORATING AND PEOPLE COULD NOT SAY THAT THEY HAD SEEN THE STUDY NOR THAT THEY HAD BEEN CONTACTED. AND WE BEGAN CONTACTING COUNCIL MEMBERS. SO THIS IS NOT SOMETHING WE CAME UP WITH. THIS WAS A RESPONSE TO A LAWSUIT. AND WHAT WE UNDERSTOOD WAS BEING RECOMMENDED. AND SOMEHOW AS BUSINESS OWNERS, WE WERE SUPPOSED TO SAY, OH YES, MOVE US OUT OF THIS PROGRAM, BUT LEAVE EVERYONE ELSE IN. IT IS 2025. AND WE ARE FIGHTING BATTLES THAT WE HAVE BEEN FIGHTING SINCE THE FIFTIES, THE SIXTIES. SO I BELIEVE THERE'S A LOT MORE QUESTIONING TO BE DONE AND CONVERSATIONS TO BE HAD. AND THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM THAT WANT TO BE PART OF A SOLUTION. HOUSTON CAN DO THIS. THANK YOU. YOU ALL INDIVIDUALLY AND COLLECTIVELY HAVE BEEN CHAMPIONS OF THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY. SO LET'S DO THE RIGHT THING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UH, JUST, UH, LAURA, JUST A SECOND. UH, MS. MARIA, UH, COUNCILMAN CARTER? THANK YOU MAYOR. AND I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU FOR COMING AGAIN AND AGAIN, DR. MAYOR, TO ADVOCATE, UM, YOU KNOW, REGARDING THIS TOPIC IN A, IN AN EFFORT TO, TO REALLY TAKE A LOOK AT UNFAIR BARRIERS. WE'VE CREATED A LOT OF DIVISION, UM, YOU KNOW, AND IT'S, IT'S BECOME CLEAR OVER THE PAST FEW WEEKS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HEARD FROM MANY, MANY, MANY DIFFERENT GROUPS. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I COMMEND YOU FOR CONTINUING TO SPEAK UP. AND I THINK THAT, UH, CERTAINLY FROM I AGREE WITH YOU, UM, ON CONVERSATIONS AND BIGGER CONVERSATIONS AND, AND, AND REALLY EXPLAINING TO EVERYONE WHAT THIS REALLY MEANS BECAUSE I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT WITH, YOU KNOW, INTERNALLY, EXTERNALLY. AND THERE'S SO MANY QUESTIONS. SO THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU. KEEP DOING WHAT YOU DO. WELL, THANK YOU FOR ASKING ALL OF THE RIGHT QUESTIONS. AS YOU AND I SPENT SOME TIME CONVERSING, AND I THINK THAT THERE WERE COLLEAGUES HERE AS WELL WHO HAD SOME QUESTIONS AND WE'RE TRYING TO UNDERSTAND. SO THANK YOU FOR ASKING THE PROBING QUESTIONS. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. UH, GOOD TO SEE YOU. THANK YOU, DR. MARILLO. I, UM, YOU'RE, YOU'RE COMFORTABLE NAMING THE OTHER GROUPS. WHAT ARE THE OTHER GROUPS THAT ARE, UM, ABLE TO STAY IN THE GROUP? BECAUSE YOU TALK ABOUT HISPANIC AND ASIAN AND WOMEN. YES. BASED ON THE STUDY, BLACK FOLKS ARE AT THE BOTTOM OF EVERY LIST. SO I THINK YOU RAISED A REALLY GOOD POINT ABOUT WE ARE, IT'S 2025 AND WE ARE STILL FIGHTING BATTLES. MM-HMM. LIKE THAT WE, WE REALLY SHOULDN'T EVEN BE HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS IN 2025. YES. AND BLACK BUSINESSES REALLY PIONEERED THE MWBE PROGRAM IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. YES. WHICH CREATED PATHWAYS FOR ALL COMMUNITIES TO BE ABLE TO THRIVE. I MEAN MM-HMM . THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS BECAUSE OF OUR DIVERSITY. UM, AND THE FACT THAT YOU CAN COME TO THIS CITY AND BE IN THIS CITY AND CREATE BUSINESS AND COMMERCE AND HIGHER. SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE NOT, UM, DISMISS THAT AND JUST SAY OTHER CATEGORIES, OTHER GROUPS, UH, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BLACK BUSINESS, JUST LIKE WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO, UM, AMPLIFY HISPANIC BUSINESSES AND ASIAN BUSINESSES. YES. BECAUSE THAT'S NOT BEEN A PART OF THE CONVERSATION. AND I THINK IN CONTEXT IS SO IMPORTANT. UM, UH, WHEN WE LAY OUT THE STUDY, AND I, I'M GONNA SAY THIS 'CAUSE I KNOW EVERYONE ONLY HAS ONE MINUTE, AND I PROBABLY, I WON'T SAY ANYTHING ELSE FOR THE REST OF THE DAY. OKAY. PROMISE. UM, I TEACH AT A UNIVERSITY, SO I'M VERY CLEAR ABOUT RESEARCH METHODOLOGY. YES. AND ALL OF THAT. IT DOESN'T, THE METHODOLOGY, METHODOLOGY IS NOT CHALLENGED. NOW, THOSE WHO CHOOSE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE STUDY, THAT DOES NOT CHANGE THE RESULTS OF THE STUDY. FOCUS GROUPS, NARRATIVES, COMMENTARY DOES NOT CHANGE THE CONTROLLED [00:55:01] ITEM. THE CONTROLLED ITEM IS THE CHECK, IT'S THE MONEY. AND BASED ON THE MONEY WE ISSUE THE CONTROLLED ITEM. IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT ANYONE SAYS, THAT'S WHERE THE MONEY RESIDES, THAT'S WHERE IT GOES. SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE TALK ABOUT THOSE THINGS AND WE REALLY LAY OUT IN PLAIN LANGUAGE OF WHAT WE ARE LOOKING AT. AND I WOULD ALSO OFFER THAT THE ERNST AND YOUNG STUDY HAD A SIMILAR RECOMMENDATION, AND THIS BODY OVERWHELMINGLY APPROVED THE ERNST AND YOUNG RECOMMENDATION. MM-HMM . SO NOW WHEN THE OFFICE OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY OFFERS SOMETHING SIMILAR, THEN WE QUESTIONED METHODOLOGY, WE QUESTIONED THE LEADERSHIP OF THE FIRM. WE QUESTIONED THESE THINGS BECAUSE IT AIN'T WHAT WE WANT, BUT IT WAS IN ANOTHER STUDY THAT THIS BODY APPROVED. AND SO I THINK MOVING FORWARD AND THAT, I DON'T KNOW HOW WEDNESDAY'S GONNA HAPPEN, BUT I, I THINK THAT'S WHAT'S REALLY BEEN LOST IN THIS WHOLE CONVERSATION, IS THAT THE, WE'RE NOT TELLING THE COMPLETE STORY ABOUT ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING. UM, SO HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE RIGOROUS INFORMATION TODAY IN DEBATE, AND WE'LL DO ALL OF THAT. AND THEN WE'LL BE READY TO VOTE ON, ON TOMORROW MORNING. BUT THANK YOU FOR COMING. I SHOULD ADD, AND THAT IS THE HOPE. AND WE CONTINUE TO WALK HAND IN HAND WITH OUR AFRICAN AMERICAN BROTHERS AND SISTERS AND ASIANS AND WOMEN TO DO THE RIGHT THING FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON. THERE IS QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE INFORMATION THAT WE ARE ASKING YOU ALL TO ADDRESS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT CASEY. THANK YOU, MS. MARIA CASEY CHRISMAN TO BE FOLLOWED BY ELIZABETH TRUJILLO. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS CASEY CHRISMAN. I REPRESENT THE HOUSTON CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION, WHICH REPRESENTS THE HEAVY CIVIL CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY. WE BUILD YOUR WATER AND WASTEWATER SYSTEMS AND YOUR ROADS AND BRIDGES HERE IN THE CITY. UH, WE SUPPORT THE PROPOSED OBO ORDINANCE. SPECIFICALLY, WE STRONG SUPPORT THE REMOVAL OF THE 4% CAP ON SBE PARTICIPATION IN THE CONSTRUCTION CATEGORY. ELIMINATING IT WILL IMMEDIATELY EXPAND THE POOL OF QUALIFIED AVAILABLE FIRMS AND PROVIDE GREATER FLEXIBILITY TO MEET PARTICIPATION GOALS WHILE FOSTERING A HEALTHIER, MORE COMPETITIVE SMALL BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT. UM, THIS ORDINANCE IS A NECESSARY EVOLUTION OF THE MWBE PROGRAM. TRANSITIONING SUCCESSFUL FIRMS INTO THE SMALL BUSINESS ENTERPRISE PROGRAM CREATES A PATHWAY FOR FIRMS THAT HAVE MATURED TO CONTINUE CONTRIBUTING, CONTRIBUTING MEANINGFULLY TO CITY PROJECTS. UM, WE NEED A SYSTEM THAT REFLECTS TODAY'S REALITIES. AND THIS ORDINANCE IS A SMALL, PRACTICAL STEP FORWARD. AND WE RESPECTFULLY ASK FOR YOUR FULL SUPPORT TOMORROW MORNING. COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, CASEY, YOU SAID SPECIFICALLY RIGHT NOW THE 4% CAP MM-HMM . IF, IF THE 4% CAP WAS, WAS DONE, BUT ALL GROUPS WERE LEFT IN, WOULD THAT BE SOMETHING YOU'D BE SUPPORTIVE OF? WE WOULD BE SUPPORTIVE OF IT ACROSS THE BOARD. SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU, UH, CASEY FOR BEING HERE. SO JUST, JUST SO I'M CLEAR, UM, I DON'T KNOW HOW THE VOTE'S GONNA TURN OUT TOMORROW. I DON'T KNOW THAT ANYBODY DOES. BUT, UH, IF IT TURNED OUT THAT THE CITY WENT TO AN ALL SBE PROGRAM AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE, WOULD YOUR ORGANIZATION BE IN SUPPORT OF THAT? YES, WE WOULD BE SUPPORTIVE OF THAT. DO YOU HAVE ANY CONCERNS RIGHT NOW ABOUT, UH, AVAILABILITY OF FIRMS TO DO THE WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE IN THE COMING YEARS? NOT ONLY FOR THE CITY, FOR THE COUNTY, AND EVERY OTHER AGENCY THAT'S GONNA PUT WORK OUT THERE? ABSOLUTELY. UM, JUST THE VAST AMOUNT OF INFRASTRUCTURE WORK THAT'S COMING TO THIS REGION. UM, WHETHER THAT BE THE COUNTY, THE CITY, UM, FLOOD CONTROL, HETRA, TDOT, UM, THERE'S NOT ENOUGH, UM, CURRENTLY CERTIFIED IN SMALL BUSINESS FIRMS TO MEET THE AMOUNT OF, UM, PERCENTAGES THAT ARE SET ACROSS THE BOARD. SO WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THAT. YES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UH, JUST A SECOND CASE. COUNCILMAN KAMAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I'M SORRY, FLICKING. NO PROBLEM. OH, YOU CAN GO AHEAD, . GO AHEAD. APPRECIATE YOU COMING OUT HERE, CASEY. UH, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS. UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, HAS BEEN PRESENTED TO ME BY SEVERAL PEOPLE IS THAT THEY ARE, UH, VERY MUCH IN FAVOR OF WHAT METRO DOES. MM-HMM . UH, YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON THAT? AND, UM, OUR CONTRACTOR MEMBERS PARTICIPATE IN THE SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM AT METRO. UM, IT'S RUN DIFFERENTLY, BUT WE DO, UM, WE'RE SUPPORTIVE OF THAT PROGRAM AND WE WERE SUPPORTIVE WHEN IT WAS IMPLEMENTED. OKAY. THANK YOU. MM-HMM . I'M SORRY. NOW CAYMAN COUNCILOR. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, CAN YOU SAY THANK YOU FOR COMING AND THANK YOU TO EVERYONE FOR COMING AND I DON'T THINK IT IS LOST ON ANYONE AROUND THIS HORSESHOE HOW SERIOUS THIS IS OR THE IMPLICATIONS OF ANY VOTE TOMORROW. AND FOR ME PERSONALLY, I DON'T WANT TO SEE ANY PART OF THE MWBE PROGRAM LOST. UH, IT IS AN IMPORTANT PROGRAM FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON, [01:00:01] AND I BELIEVE IN IT. UH, I'VE BEEN TRYING TO LEARN SOME OF THE HISTORY, THE DIFFERENT ITERATIONS OF WHEN, UH, THIS HAS COME UP BEFORE ON COUNCIL. AND I BELIEVE CASEY, AND AGAIN, WE HAVE NOT SPOKEN ON THIS, SO I'M PUTTING YOU ON THE SPOT, AND IF YOU DON'T KNOW, THAT'S OKAY. BUT I BELIEVE THAT WHITE WOMEN WERE PULLED OUT OF THE MWBE PROGRAM AROUND 2009 OR 2010. YES. AS I UNDERSTAND IT. YES. YES. AND THEN THEY WERE MOVED INTO SBE, HOWEVER, THEIR PARTICIPATION DROPPED SO MUCH, I BELIEVE, TO 50% TO WHERE THE CITY HAD TO ADD THEM BACK IN TO MWBE IS, DO YOU KNOW? THAT'S CORRECT. CORRECT. THE NEXT DISPARITY STUDY DID SHOW DECLINE, THE NEXT DISPARITY STUDY, THE PARTICIPATION. SO I, I THINK WHAT I'M RAISING IS, ONE OF MY CONCERNS, AND AGAIN, I'M NOT PUNTING THIS QUESTION TO YOU, IS WHAT ARE THE SAFEGUARDS IN PLACE IF WE ARE MOVING GROUPS TO SBE, THAT THEY DON'T JUST HAVE TO COME BACK AND BE ADDED IN AGAIN, IT DIDN'T WORK WHEN WE PULLED THEM OUT BEFORE. SURE. SO I'LL SPEAK SPECIFICALLY TO THE HEAVY CIVIL CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY 'CAUSE THAT'S WHO I REPRESENT. UM, BUT OUR MEMBERS, UM, HAVE TRUSTED SUBCONTRACTORS. THEY'VE UTILIZED FOR YEARS, AND IT'S A VERY SMALL NUMBER OF FIRMS THAT PERFORM THE WORK THAT WE PERFORM. UM, AND I WOULD, I CAN IMAGINE, OR I CAN, I WOULD BELIEVE THAT OUR MEMBERS WOULD CONTINUE TO UTILIZE THOSE SUB THOSE TRUSTED SUBCONTRACTORS REGARDLESS OF, UM, A LABEL OF MWBE OR SBE, WHEREVER THEY WERE CATEGORIZED. THANK YOU. BUT AGAIN, JUST, BUT HISTORICALLY, WE HAVE HAD EXAMPLES WHERE WE'VE MOVED OUT OF MWBE AND THEN WE'VE HAD TO BRING BACK IN. CORRECT. MAYOR PROTE, CAST SIX TABLE AND COUNCIL MEMBER CAMAN. I'M GLAD YOU BROUGHT THAT UP BECAUSE THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT A DISPARITY STUDY IS FOR. CORRECT. UM, WE DO THESE DISPARITY STUDIES, UM, SEVERAL YEARS, EVERY COUPLE OF YEARS, SO THAT IF THERE IS A PARTICULAR GROUP THAT IS NOT BEING OVERUTILIZED OR IS BEING UNDERUTILIZED, WE CAN ASSESS THAT AND MAKE THE ADJUSTMENT. THESE PROGRAMS WERE NOT BUILT TO BE USED IN PERPETUITY. CORRECT. THEY WERE BUILT TO BE USED TO HELP BUSINESSES TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ECONOMIES IN OUR, IN, LIKE SPECIFICALLY IN OUR CITY. AND WHEN A SPECIFIC GROUP IS OVERUTILIZED, UM, THAT SPECIFIC GROUP WILL GRADUATE. UM, AND CAN NOW, UM, BASED ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS MOVED TO SPE, WHICH I THINK IS THE MOST INCLUSIVE PROGRAM IN THE ENTIRE CITY OF THAT WE'VE HAD IN THE ENTIRE CITY OF HOUSTON. UM, BASED ON WHAT YOU KNOW, AND FROM YOUR EXPERIENCE IN, IN, IN YOUR INDUSTRY, DO YOU FEEL LIKE THIS DISPARITY STUDY IS MORE INCLUSIVE OR EXCLUSIVE? UM, I'M GONNA SPEAK TO THE, THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE, NOT SPECIFICALLY THE STUDY. SURE. BUT WE, UM, ARE APPRECIATIVE OF THE CREATIVE WAY THAT AN ALTERNATIVE PATHWAY FOR THOSE FIRMS WHO ARE BEING ASKED TO GRADUATE AND TRANSITION OVER HAVE FOUND A WAY TO BE INCLUDED STILL IN THE PROGRAM, SO THAT THEY CAN BE UTILIZED TO MEET THAT FULL PARTICIPATION GOAL ON THE PROJECTS. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU FOR COMING, CASEY, AND CERTAINLY FOR ALL OF THOSE WHO HAVE SPOKEN THUS FAR, THIS ISSUE IS ONE, WELL, FIRST, LET ME ASK YOU THIS QUESTION. DO YOU ACCEPT THE STATUS THAT'S BEING PRESENTED RIGHT NOW IN THIS PRESENT STATE OFFERED BY THE OFFICE OF OBO? DO YOU, YOU SUPPORT THAT? DO, DO WE SUPPORT THE, THE STUDY, THE RESULTS OF THE STUDY? YES. I, I WOULD, UH, DEFER BACK TO THE QUESTION ABOUT THE QUANTITATIVE VERSUS QUALITATIVE DATA. HCAA HAS BEEN, UM, EXTREMELY INVOLVED IN THE STUDY, UM, SINCE IT WAS ORIGINALLY GRANTED AND THEN THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS. SO YES, WE WOULD, WE WOULD AGREE WITH THE RESULTS. YOU WOULD AGREE? OKAY. NOW MY, THAT, THAT'S A DEEP CONCERN FOR ME BECAUSE THE REALITY OF IT IS, I'M LOOKING AT THE ISSUE ABOUT HOW THIS GOT TO WHERE WE ARE, WHICH WAS CREATED BY A LAWSUIT. MY ANGLE IS A SEED. WELL, I DON'T THINK THE DISPARITY STUDY WAS CREATED BY THE LAWSUIT. WELL, NOT THE STUDY ITSELF. OKAY. I MEANING THE, SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT WE ARE HAVING TO DECIDE UPON IN ORDER TO COME TO A CONCLUSION ABOUT THE ACCEPTANCE OF WHAT THE STUDY IS PROVIDING, UH, WAS SPARKED BY THE IDEA THAT SOMEONE FILED A LAWSUIT, WHICH BROUGHT IN THE QUESTION OF OTHERS CONCERNED ABOUT ITS ACTION AND, AND ITS MOVEMENT. WHERE I'M MORE CONCERNED WITH IS HOW DO WE MEET THAT MIDDLE ROAD? HOW DO WE MEET THE OBLIGATION TO WHERE ALL ITS FAIR BASED UPON OUR ACTIONS, WHETHER, WHETHER IT, IT DOES NOT THROW OUT OR IT DOESN'T SEPARATE. DO YOU HAVE A RECOMMENDATION? AND I KNOW I'VE [01:05:01] HEARD THE METRO OFFER, BUT THE REALITY IS THAT CAN BE, I'M NOT SAYING IT, IT WOULDN'T, AND IT MAY BE, BUT ON THE OTHER HAND OF THAT, LET'S SAY THAT WE DON'T A GROUP DECIDE THAT THAT'S NOT WHAT WE WANT BY YOUR RECOMMENDATION. I JUST WANT TO KNOW, I JUST WANT TO KNOW WHERE DO YOU STAND AND WHAT WOULD YOU OFFER AS A RESOLUTION TO MEET THAT? SO I CAN'T, I CAN'T SPEAK TO THE LAWSUIT, BUT WHAT I WILL SAY IS THAT THE 4% SMALL BUSINESS PARTICIPATION THAT'S CURRENTLY ONLY UTILIZED IN THE CONSTRUCTION CATEGORY WAS ALSO ANOTHER CREATIVE WAY THAT THE CITY, UM, OKAY. THE CITY, UH, WAS ABLE TO IMPLEMENT A PATHWAY, UM, FROM A PREVIOUS LAWSUIT. ALL RIGHT. UM, AND EXPANDING THAT TO BE UTILIZED ACROSS ALL CATEGORIES, I THINK IS A GREAT SOLUTION. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK Y'ALL. NEXT, ELIZABETH TRUJILLO TO BE FOLLOWED BY CLAUDIA OTE, ORTEGA HOGUE. HELLO EVERYONE. MY NAME IS ELIZABETH TRUJILLO. I AM A HISPANIC SMALL BUSINESS OWNER. AND OH, I STARTED MY BUSINESS ABOUT A YEAR AGO, AND I'VE BEEN ABLE TO MEET NEW PEOPLE THROUGH IT AND BE ABLE TO DO, UM, DIFFERENT EVENTS WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON AS WELL. AND I WOULD REALLY HATE FOR THAT TO LIKE, STOP FOR ME OR FOR OTHER SMALL BUSINESSES AS WELL. AND I FEEL LIKE EVERYBODY SHOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GROW THEIR BUSINESSES. YEAH. THANK YOU. UH, MAYOR. OH, FIRST OF ALL, UH, COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, ELIZABETH, HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A SMALL BUSINESS AND CERTIFIED WITH THE CITY? UH, I STARTED A YEAR AGO. I, IN, IN THIS, IF WE WERE TO ACCEPT THE DISPARITY STUDY, I HAVEN'T BEEN TOLD OTHERWISE, BUT I THINK ALL HISPANIC, UH, WOMEN UNDER GOODS AND SERVICES WOULD HAVE TO GO TO SPE. UH, IF, AND THAT'S UP TO YOU. WHAT, WHAT IS YOUR, UM, WHAT IS, WHAT IS YOUR ANNUAL REVENUE, IF YOU DON'T MIND? OR DO YOU HAVE ANY EMPLOYEES? NO, NO, IT'S JUST ME. OKAY. YEAH. UH, DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE, WHAT A GRADUATION WOULD LOOK LIKE FOR YOU TO BE GOING TO SBE? UH, HONESTLY, NO. . OH. UM, AND I KNOW WE'VE ASKED THAT QUESTION. THE ONLY, THE ONLY, UM, THE ONLY ANSWER I GOT WAS ON CONSTRUCTION MM-HMM . UH, AND I THINK IT FOR CONSTRUCTION THREE YEARS REVENUE, ABOUT $24 MILLION TO GRADUATE TO SPE. UM, DO YOU ANTICIPATE MAKING $10 MILLION NEXT YEAR? NO. . OKAY. DO YOU SEE YOURSELF STRUGGLING IN A SPE PROGRAM? UH, I KNOW THIS IS NEW TO YOU. YEAH. UM, BUT I, I GUESS WHAT, WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET AT IS, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE PAINTING A BROAD BRUSH, ESSENTIALLY, RIGHT? WE KNOW THAT THERE'S SOME COMPANIES THAT HA SHOULD HAVE GRADUATED OUT, NOT RECEIVED WAIVERS. UM, BUT NOW WE'RE SAYING, YOU KNOW WHAT, LET'S PUT THIS GROUP AND THIS GROUP, UM, OUT OF THIS, UH, BEING ABLE TO DO THIS SERVICE. AND SO TO THAT POINT, I JUST, I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT SITTING ON THIS HORSESHOE, I'M THINKING ABOUT YOU. MM-HMM . SMALL BUSINESSES THAT ARE NOT MAKING 24 FOR THREE YEARS CONSECUTIVELY, OR HAVE MORE THAN 12 EMPLOYEES. UM, AND WANTING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE THINKING ABOUT EVERY BUSINESS, SMALL BUSINESS TO ENSURE THAT EVERY SMALL BUSINESS, UM, HAS AN OPPORTUNITY. SO, JUST WANT YOU TO, UH, I KNOW THIS IS, UM, SOMEWHAT INTIMIDATING TO, YOU KNOW, THINK THAT AFTER A YEAR OF BEING A, UM, WBE FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON POSSIBLY, RIGHT? YES. THAT NOW YOU'RE GONNA BE AN SBE. AND SO JUST KNOW THAT I'M HERE TO ADVOCATE FOR YOU AS WELL. OKAY. THANK YOU. UH, MAYOR PRO TATUM, TELL ME YOUR NAME. ELIZABETH TRUJILLO. ELIZABETH, WHAT KIND OF BUSINESS ARE YOU IN? ARE YOU IN CONSTRUCTION? NO. YOU'RE NOT IN CONSTRUCTION? NO. OKAY. WHAT KIND OF BUSINESS ARE YOU IN? OH, I HAVE MY OWN, LIKE DESSERT BUSINESS. I CATER FOR EVENTS AND, UM, I DO DIFFERENT EVENTS ALSO. SO YOU CATER DESSERTS? YES. HAVE YOU, HAVE YOU DONE ANY CONTRACT WORK FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON BEFORE? NO. NO. OKAY. UM, I DO WANNA TELL YOU, THANK YOU FOR COMING AND SHARING YOUR STORY. MM-HMM . UM, YOU, I WISH YOU THE VERY BEST IN YOUR BUSINESS. UM, AND I HOPE THAT YOU HAVE LOTS OF OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN CITY CONTRACTING. UM, WE ALL ARE ROOTING FOR YOU, UM, THE BIG CONVERSATION THAT WE ARE HAVING ABOUT THOSE HISPANIC BUSINESS, PRIMARILY AROUND CONSTRUCTION. MM-HMM . UM, SO YOU, YOU HAVE JUST AS MUCH OPPORTUNITY TO BE AS SUCCESSFUL IN YOUR, UM, [01:10:01] BUSINESS SELLING DESSERTS. AND WE WISH YOU THE VERY BEST. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT, CLAUDIA ORTEGA HOAG. YES. THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON. GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCIL MEMBERS. MAYOR. UH, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TODAY. MY NAME IS CLAUD ORTEGA HO. I AM THE MAJORITY PARTNER OF SSP ENGINEERING AND INNOVATIVE CONSTRUCTION, TWO SMALL MINORITY WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES BASED HERE IN HOUSTON. UM, AS A BUSINESS THAT WAS RECENTLY CERTIFIED, IT IS INCREDIBLE, INCREDIBLY DISHEARTENING TO HEAR THAT THIS COMMITTEE IS NOW CONSIDERING CHANGES THAT RISK UNDERMINING A VITAL, UM, PROGRAM RATHER THAN BUILDING ON ITS PROGRESS. I FIND IT DEEPLY CONCERNING TO BE GROUPED WITH BUSINESSES THAT HAVE BEEN BENEFITED FROM THIS PROGRAM FOR YEARS. WITHOUT ACKNOWLEDGING THE DIFFERENT STARTING POINTS, I RESPECTFULLY URGE YOU TO VOTE AGAINST ADOPTING ANY RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE BASED ON THE CURRENT DISPARITY STUDY. THE STUDY IS FUNDAMENTALLY FLAWED. IT IGNORES LARGE AMOUNTS OF CRITICAL DATA, AND IT, AND DOES NOT ACCURATELY REFLECT THE CHALLENGES SMALL, THAT SMALL IN MINORITY OWNED BUSINESSES CONTINUE TO FACE IN OUR CITY. MY TEAM AND I HAVE REVIEWED THE PUBLICLY AVAILABLE DATA, AND WE FIND NO COMPELLING EVIDENCE TO JUSTIFY THE TARGETED, TARGETED CHANGES THAT WILL N NEGATIVELY IMPACT HUNDREDS OF SMALL BUSINESSES THAT HAVE NOT YOUR TIME HAS ON THE MWBE PROGRAM. THANK YOU. ONE, UH, SECOND. COUNCILMAN CASTILLO. THANK YOU, MAYOR CLAUDIA, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. CAN YOU TALK MORE ABOUT THE DATA THAT WAS NOT INCLUDED THAT YOU, UM, YOUR TEAM LOOKED AT? OF COURSE. I WILL LOVE MY HUSBAND TO BE HERE. HE'S THE MOST TECHNICAL DATA DRIVEN. SO I, UH, I KNOW THAT OUR TEAM, UH, GOT TO, UH, YOU KNOW, GOT TOGETHER, LOOK AT THE DATA, AND WE, UH, WE DID TESTIFY THE FIRST, MAYBE ABOUT A MONTH AGO, AND I REQUESTED THE RAW DATA FOR US TO EVALUATE IT. SO WE WERE ABLE TO PUBLICLY LOOK AT THAT. AND THE NUMBERS WERE NOT, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY WERE NOT, UH, JUSTIFYING THE REASON OF JUST TARGETING THESE TWO GROUPS. RIGHT. SO, IF I WILL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO GET, UH, YOU KNOW, SIT WITH YOU, I ACTUALLY DID OFFER TO MAKE A PRESENTATION, BREAK IT DOWN, AND HAVE OUR TEAM MAKE A PRESENTATION OF THAT. WE ACTUALLY DID THAT AT HARRIS COUNTY. UH, WE PRESENTED THAT AND WE WERE ABLE TO, UM, PUT A PAUSE ON THAT. SO I'LL HAVE TO, IF IT'S OKAY WITH YOU PRESENT. SURE, SURE. SO, UM, IF Y'ALL WERE TO BE ENGAGED ON THE STUDY PRIOR TO THE RECOMMENDATIONS COMING OUT, WHAT, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE FEEDBACK, UH, WHAT'S SOME OF THE FEEDBACK YOU WOULD'VE SHARED? SO, I MEAN, WOULD THAT BE, WOULD THAT BE AN OPTION FOR US TO BE PART OF THAT? LIKE, UH, IS ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT LIKE MAYBE BEING PART OF A GROUP THAT, UM, WHAT DO YOU CALL IT, LIKE, UH, A COMMITTEE? IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO WELL, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, WE'VE HAD NOW A COUPLE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETINGS MM-HMM . WE'VE HAD SOME PUBLIC SESSIONS AND WE'VE HAD SO MANY FOLKS REPRESENTING ORGANIZATIONS COME TO SPEAK, SIGN UP TO SPEAK, WHO DIDN'T KNOW THE STUDY WAS HAPPENING, OR THAT THERE WAS A OPPORTUNITY TO BE ENGAGED ON THE STUDY THAT WANTED TO SHARE THEIR THOUGHTS, WANTED TO SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCES. MM-HMM . WE OBVIOUSLY HAVE THE, THE DATA, THE DOLLARS, AND WE KNOW THAT THAT TELLS ONE STORY. UM, BUT THE ENGAGEMENT WAS ANOTHER PART OF IT. CORRECT. IT WAS INCLUDED IN THE, IN THE STUDY, AND WE SAW THE RESULTS OF THE LEVELS OF THE ENGAGEMENT THAT WAS DONE. MM-HMM . MM-HMM . AND THEN WE'VE SEEN ALL THE PEOPLE SHOW UP THAT SAID WE WEREN'T CONTACTED OR WE WOULD'VE PARTICIPATED. I SEE. THINK ABOUT WHAT THAT WOULD HAVE GIVEN US IN TERMS OF INSIGHTS, UM, BECAUSE WE'RE DEALING WITH PEOPLE, WE'RE DEALING WITH ORGANIZATIONS, UM, AND THE NUMBERS ARE A PART OF IT, BUT WHAT THE EXPERIENCES ARE ARE ALSO A PART OF IT. AND WE'RE, WE'RE MISSING A BIG CHUNK OF THAT AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS STUDY ITSELF. SO THAT'S WHY I WAS, I WAS ASKING YOU THOSE QUESTIONS. GOTCHA. UM, BUT I WOULD DEFINITELY, YOU KNOW, KNOW, BE WILLING TO HEAR MORE ON, ON YOU FROM THE DATA AND, AND THE EXPERIENCE SIDE. SO I WILL SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, THE DATA THAT WE WERE ABLE TO GATHER THE VOICES, THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH VOICES. AND, YOU KNOW, SPEAKING FROM THE LATINO COMMUNITY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, AND I'M JUST GIVING A RANDOM NUMBER, YOU KNOW, 30,000 VERSUS YOU HAD 600, YOU KNOW, VOICES OUT THERE. SO IT WAS NOT REPRESENTATIVE OF ALL THE OUTREACH FOR, FOR US IT WAS LIKE, SHOW ME THE OUTREACH. WHO DO YOU TALK TO? I'M MEMBER OF MANY OTHER, UH, YOU KNOW, ORGANIZATIONS FROM, WHETHER IT'S THE HOUSTON HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, HHAE, ALL OF THESE OTHER GREAT GROUPS OUT THERE COMING IN, BRI, BRAZIL, LATINOS. AND I DID NOT HEAR ONCE, UH, BE PART OF THIS GROUP. I WOULD LOVE TO BE PART OF THAT AND BE ABLE TO ALSO SPEAK FOR THOSE GROUPS THAT DON'T UNDERSTAND THE SYSTEM. SO I DON'T THINK THAT HAS BEEN, IT WAS A FAIR EQUITABLE OF DOING IT. [01:15:01] AND JUST BY TARGETING THESE TWO GROUPS, IT'S UNFAIR. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT, NEXT. NERA RIS BE FOLLOWED BY GIOVANNI IBARRA. GOOD AFTERNOON, UM, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS NA NATALIA EZ, AND I'M THE PRESIDENT OF THE HOUSTON HISPANIC ARCHITECTS AND ENGINEERS, UH, ON BEHALF OF OUR MEMBERSHIP. UH, OR I URGE YOU TO NOT ACCEPT THE FINDINGS OF THE RECENT OBO STUDY. WE BELIEVE THAT THE PROGRAM CHANGES TO THE MWBE PROGRAM, WHICH REMOVE HISPANIC AND ASIAN REPRESENTATION, WILL BE DETRIMENTAL TO OUR IMPACT, UM, AS A PROFESSIONAL SERVICES COMMUNITY. THE STUDY, THE STUDY LACKED THE ADEQUATE COMMU COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND FAILS TO REFLECT THE CHALLENGES FACED BY OUR MEMBERS. MANY OF OUR MEMBERS, MINORITY OWNED BUSINESSES, HAVE STRUGGLED FOR YEARS TO SECURE CONTRACTS WITH THE CITY. SOME HAVE GOTTEN VERY SMALL PORTION OF THE PIE, AND A LOT OF THEM HAVE NONE OVER THE YEARS. OUR HISPANIC AND ASIAN ARCHITECTS AND ENGINEERS FEAR THIS CHA UH, CHANGES WILL CAUSE THEM TO LOSE OPPORTUNITIES TO WORK WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON, WHICH IS NOT ONLY ANY CITY, BUT IT'S OUR CITY. AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTION IF YOU HAVEN'T, IF NOT ALL OF YOU MIGHT, UM, GOTTEN AN EMAIL FROM HHAE SO WE CAN CONNECT. THANK YOU COUNCIL. COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, NATA, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. I KNOW WE'VE MET, UH, ABOUT A WEEK OR SO AGO. UM, AND JUST, UM, A AS YOU LOOK AT YOUR MEMBERSHIP, UM, AND JUST FROM, FROM, YOU KNOW, MAYBE KIND OF A, YOU KNOW, HIGH LEVEL, HOW MANY OF THOSE ME THAT ARE PART OF YOUR MEMBERSHIP THAT ARE, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE GRADUATION IS FOR, UH MM-HMM . UH, MB FOR, UH, TO AN SBE IN PROFESSIONAL SERVICES. BUT DO YOU, WHAT'S THE AVERAGE, UM, REVENUE THAT YOU WOULD SEE PER YOUR COMPANY? LIKE A SMALL BUSINESS? I CAN SPEAK FOR THE, BUT AS AN OVERALL FOR THE MEMBERSHIP FOR A-H-H-H-A-E WAS FOUNDED BY, UH, SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS. SO I WOULD SAY THAT 75% OF OUR MEMBERSHIP ARE PROFESSIONAL BUSINESSES. UM, AND WBE SOME OF THEM HAVE THANK, THANKFULLY GRADUATED FROM THE PROGRAM, AND THEY'RE TRYING TO REACH OUT TO, UH, NEW SMALL BUSINESSES. SO WOULD YOU, WOULD YOU, DO YOU THINK THAT THERE WOULD BE A HUGE IMPACT IN YOUR MEMBERSHIP IF THEY WERE PUSHED INTO AN SBE PROGRAM? YES. SO MUCH THAT THE FEARED, UH, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE MEMBERS ARE LOOKING AT ME TO ADVOCATE FOR THEM BECAUSE THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY ARE AFRAID. UM, I ALSO LIKE TO ADD THAT ON THE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE CONSTRUCTION, RIGHT? UM, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF WORK WE'VE SEEN IN, WE'VE SEEN A LOT OF WORK CUT DOWN FROM OUR COMPANIES IN TEXAS, FROM THE STATE, FROM, UH, THE, FROM HECTOR. UM, AND THEY ARE AFRAID OF GOING UNDER. UM, THAT'S THE WORD THAT WE ARE HAVING AND HEARING FROM ALL OUR MEETINGS THAT WE ARE HAVING IN A COUPLE LAST WEEKS. AND THAT, UH, AND JUST, THIS IS MY LAST COMMENT, REALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, AFRAID OF BEING GOING UNDER, AND I KNOW WE HAVE DISPARITY STUDIES, RIGHT? UM, WE'RE SUPPOSED TO HAVE 'EM EVERY FIVE YEARS, ROUGHLY. THE LAST ONE WE HAD THAT WE REALLY HAD WAS IN 2006. SO WE'RE ALMOST 20 YEARS LATE, RIGHT? UM, I FEEL LIKE THE CITY HAS CREATED THIS, THIS DISPARITY, RIGHT? AND NOW IS CREATING A, UM, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S NOT AUDITING OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS, NOT MAKING SURE, UH, A ROTATING PROGRAM, YOU KNOW, CREATING SMALLER PACKAGES, ANYTHING THAT WE, WE COULD THINK OF TO REALLY HELP GROW SMALL BUSINESSES. UM, AND, AND AS DO YOU THINK WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS, THIS, UH, DISPARITY STUDY AND, YOU KNOW, LET'S JUST WAIT TWO, THREE YEARS FOR ANOTHER DISPARITY STUDY. DO YOU THINK THAT THERE'D BE SOME COMPANIES THAT WOULD GO UNDER? YES. OKAY. YES. THANK YOU. OF COURSE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. OKAY. GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYBODY. UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. UM, I WAS PLANNING JUST TO LISTEN, BUT I'M, I'M GONNA START SPEAKING. UM, SO YOU SAID SOME OF YOUR MEMBERS IN THE CURRENT LANDSCAPE, IT'S HARD FOR THEM TO GET CONTRACTS AND SOME OF 'EM DON'T EVEN GET CONTRACTS, CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT. AND THAT'S UNDER THE CURRENT M-W-S-B-E PROGRAM. NOW, IF YOU WENT TO A SBE PROGRAM WHERE EVERYBODY IS IN THE SAME POT, REGARDLESS OF SIZE, YOU HAVE ALL THE DIFFERENT MINORITY GROUPS, YOU HAVE GENDER GROUPS, YOU THINK THAT WOULD BE EASIER FOR YOUR MEMBERS TO GET WORK WHEN EVERYBODY IS UNDER THE SAME UMBRELLA? IF YOU'RE, IF YOU'RE, IF YOU'RE, IF YOU'RE GETTING LITTLE WORK NOW AS AN M OR A W, YOU THINK YOU'RE GONNA GET MORE WORK AS A SBE IF EVERYBODY IS IN SBE TOGETHER, AND IT'S [01:20:01] JUST A YES OR A NO, IT, IT WOULD BE A CHALLENGE FOR THEM. THANK YOU. OF COURSE. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? , MR. ATTORNEY? THANK YOU, MA'AM. RAMIREZ. TH THANK YOU, NERA. SO WHAT IF WE HAD AN SBE PROGRAM THAT ACTUALLY LOOKED OUT FOR SMALL BUSINESSES, FOR INSTANCE, WHAT IF THERE WAS A REQUIREMENT THAT THAT, UH, CONTRACTS BE AWARDED ON A ROTATING BASIS SO THAT NOT ALL THE CONTRACTS WENT TO THE SAME TWO OR THREE FIRMS, BUT THEY WENT TO MANY FIRMS. DO YOU THINK THAT WOULD HELP YOU? YES. THE TALKS WERE, UH, ABOUT COMPARING THE METRO SBE PROGRAM, UM, AND HOW IT LIMITS THE PERCENTAGE OR, UH, THE CONTRACTS THAT THEY CAN APPLY. UM, I THINK I COULDN'T ANSWER MORE OTHER THAN A YES OR A NO TO THE PREVIOUS QUESTION, BUT I'LL SAY THAT IT'S SOMETHING THAT IT NEEDS TO BE LOOKING AT, AND WE ARE HERE TO, UH, HELP YOU GUYS AND LOOK AT THE NUMBERS. UM, I THINK IT, IT NEEDS TO BE, YOU KNOW, NOT JUST OKAY, SBE, BUT WHAT ARE THE RULES UNDER THAT SBE? AND THOSE, UH, RULES HAVE TO BE LOOKED AT, UH, FROM OUR ORGANIZATION. WE WERE NOT, UNFORTUNATELY, WE WERE NOT, UM, CON UH, COMMUNICATED ABOUT THIS STUDY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MA'AM. NEXT, GIOVANNI ABARA, THANK YOU. TO BE FOLLOWED BY JEWEL MCGOWAN. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR. UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS GIOVAN VARDA. I AM A THIRD GENERATION, UH, STEEL FABRICATOR WITH MY FATHER'S COMPANY. MY GRANDFATHER STARTED IT BACK IN, UH, 1995. WE JUST CERTIFIED LAST YEAR AS AN SPE. WE ARE JUST BARELY, UM, GETTING WORK, NOT DIRECTLY FROM THE CITY, BUT AS A SUBCONTRACTOR. WE HAVE BEEN IN BUSINESS FOR OVER 20 YEARS, AND UP TO NOW, IT IS PICKING UP. I WOULD SAY IF THIS COMES TO A, A COMPLETE HALT AND EVERYBODY'S UNDER THE SPE PROGRAM, I WILL FEEL LIKE IT WILL BE MORE COMPETITIVE. UH, IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO GET A CONTRACT WITH THE CITY, MY FAMILY WOULD DEFINITELY NOT PROGRESS. I WOULD SAY, UH, MY CHILDREN WILL NOT REALLY HAVE A FUTURE. 'CAUSE AFTER GRADUATING, THEY WOULD NOT KNOW WHERE TO GO, WHAT TO DO IF TO STAY IN BUSINESS WITH ME OR TRY TO FIND ANY OTHER OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO, UH, SUSTAIN ONCE THEY HAVE THEIR, UH, FUTURE CHILDREN. RIGHT NOW, LIKE I SAID IN THE BEGINNING, WORK IS BARELY PICKING UP FOR ME. IT IS HARD ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO COMPETE WITH ALL THESE MAJOR INDUSTRIES, WHICH WE ARE WORKING FOR. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE WANT TO EXTEND OUR HAND TO THE CITY. WE WANT TO PROGRESS WITH THE CITY. WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO HELP IT THE BEST WAY THAT WE CAN. INSPIRED BUILDING MORE SCHOOLS FOR THE CITY, BUILDING MORE UNIVERSITIES, MORE HOSPITALS, WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT THIS CITY NEEDS. BY ALL MEANS. WE WOULD LOVE TO HELP, OKAY? BUT IN THE END, IF THIS GOES TO SHAMBLES, WE CANNOT DO OUR PART AS A HOUSTONIAN, AS A HOUSTON BORN, WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO DO OUR PART. OKAY, THANK YOU. NEXT JEWEL MCGOWAN JEWEL. THAT'S ARGENTINA'S HUSBAND. WE, SHE'S HER HUSBAND TO BE FOLLOWED BY MELANIE MILES. FULFILL THIS, FULFILL THIS TERM. I'D LIKE FOR MY FAMILY TO COME UP. OKAY. THAT'S HER DAUGHTER. SHE'S PRETTY LADY HER AGE, 96. TODAY'S HER BIRTHDAY. HUH? TODAY'S HER BIRTHDAY. TODAY'S BIRTHDAY TODAY. I GOT IT. WE'LL, RECOGNIZE THAT WHEN I GET OUT HERE. [01:25:01] I THINK I'VE GOT IT RIGHT THERE. THAT'S A GOOD IDEA. ALL RIGHT. I CAN SEE YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON. TO THE HONORABLE MAYOR WITH MAYA AND THE MAYOR PRO TEM AND THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. IT'S GREAT TO SEE ALL OF YOU IN PERSON. I SEE YOU ON TV, BUT NOW I SEE WHAT YOU LOOK LIKE IN REAL TIME, RIGHT? I AM JEWEL MCGOWAN, THE WIFE OF ERNEST B MCGOWAN SENIOR, WHO IS A FARMER CITY COUNCILMAN, THE FIRST CITY COUNCILMAN FOR DISTRICT B, AND HE WAS A VICE MAYOR, PRO TEM OF THIS GREAT ORGANIZATION. UM, TODAY I COME BEFORE YOU WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF MY FAMILY TO RESPECTFULLY URGE YOU TO ADOPT THE RECOMMENDATIONS OUTLINED IN THE 2023 M-W-S-B-E DISPARITY STUDY WITHOUT DELAY. ERNEST MCGOWAN WAS THE AUTHOR AND THE CHAMPION OF HOUSTON'S MINORITY BUSINESS ENTERPRISE ORDINANCE CREDITED, CREATED MORE THAN 40 YEARS AGO. WHEN ERNEST FOUGHT TO ESTABLISH THE MBE, HIS VISION WAS CLEAR TO OPEN DOORS THAT HAD BEEN CLOSED TO AFRICAN AMERICANS, OTHER MINORITIES AND WOMEN OWNED BUSINESSES. HE PASSIONATELY BELIEVED THE CITY HAD A MORAL OBLIGATION TO CREATE FAIR AND EQUITABLE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THOSE CITIZENS WHO HAD BEEN HISTORICALLY EXCLUDED. HE AND HIS STAFF WORKED TIRELESSLY TO BUILD A PROGRAM THAT WOULD NOT SIMPLY PROMISE INCLUSION, BUT WOULD DELIVER IT BY REMOVING BARRIERS, PROMOTING INTENTIONAL PARTICIPATION, AND ENSURING ACCOUNTABILITY. IF ERNEST WERE HERE TODAY AND SAW THE, FOUND THE FINDINGS OF THE DISPARITY STUDY, HE WOULD BE DEEPLY DISAPPOINTED. AFTER FOUR DECADES, THE STUDY SHOWED BLACK-OWNED BUSINESSES REMAIN SIGNIFICANTLY UNDERREPRESENTED ACROSS NEARLY EVERY CONTRACTING CATEGORY. HE WOULD BOLDLY REMIND US ALL THAT PROMISES ARE NOT ENOUGH, THAT REAL MEASURABLE ACTION MUST FOLLOW TO ACHIEVE THE EQUITY THAT HE AND HIS FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBERS FOUGHT FOR. ERNEST WOULD STAND HERE, JUST AS I SIT HERE TODAY, URGING YOU TO CORRECT THE COURSE TO PROTECT THE INTEGRITY OF THE PROGRAM, AND TO REAFFIRM HOUSTON'S COMMITMENT TO ECONOMIC JUSTICE FOR ALL ITS CITIZENS. THIS AFTERNOON, AS YOU PREPARE TO TAKE THIS HISTORIC VOTE, I WILL ALSO BE PREPARING TO CELEBRATE MY 96TH BIRTHDAY. THANK YOU. I CAN THINK OF NO BETTER WAY TO MARK THIS MILESTONE THAN BY CONTINUING TO ADVOCATE FOR ERNEST'S LEGACY AND THE FUTURE OF EQUAL OPPORTUNITY, UH, ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL CITIZENS IN OUR GREAT CITY. HONORABLE MAYOR WHITMEYER AND COUNCIL MEMBERS, THE DISPARITIES ARE CLEAR. THE SOLUTIONS ARE IN FRONT OF YOU. NOW IS THE TIME TO ACT WITH URGENCY, WITH BOLD COURAGE, AND WITH CONVICTION. FINALLY, WHEN I GO TO MEET EARNEST IN THE GREAT BEYOND, [01:30:02] I CAN ASSURE HIM THAT HIS CITY, THAT OUR CITY IS IN GOOD HANDS WITH ALL OF YOU. ON BEHALF OF THE MCGOWAN FAMILY AND THOUSANDS OF PETITIONERS WHO SIGNED THE PETITION TO SUPPORT THIS, UH, GREAT, UH, DOCUMENT. WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR SINCERE SERVICE. I, UM, THANK YOU, EACH OF YOU, EACH ONE OF YOU FOR YOUR BOLD LEADERSHIP IN REPRESENTING YOUR DISTRICTS AND THE AT LARGE CONSTITUENCY, UH, OF OUR BELOVED H TOWN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. MCALLEN, COUNCIL, COUNCILMAN PLUMMER. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYOR. AND MS. MCGOWAN, HAPPY BIRTHDAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR, FOR COMING HERE AND REPRESENTING THE LATE, THE LATE ERNEST MCGOWAN. THANK YOU. AND OF COURSE, I WANT THEM TO KNOW THAT YOU ARE ONE OF MY PROUD STUDENTS, THANK YOU, UH, AT THE HIGH SCHOOL FOR HEALTH PROFESSIONS. I'M REALLY PROUD OF YOU. AND THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHERS THAT I KNOW HERE AND HAVE WORKED WITH THROUGH THE YEARS. IT'S GREAT TO SEE YOU, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. UH, COUNCILOR POLLARD. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND I TOO, JUST WANT TO THANK YOU, MS. MCGOWAN AND YOUR ENTIRE FAMILY, UH, FOR YOUR LEGACY OF SERVICE. UH, THIS IS JUST ONE ASPECT OF THE MCGOWAN FAMILY THAT HAS TO BE PRESERVED. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO US AS A BODY DOING JUST THAT. THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU, SIR. THANK YOU, MS. MCGOWAN, UH, MAYOR PROM, EVANS SHABBAT. I'M NOT HEARING, I NO, MAN, DON'T START NO TROUBLE. OKAY. WELL, I HAVE THE PLEASURE OF CALLING YOU ON JEWEL. AND SO CERTAINLY AS, UH, A PERSON THAT THAT KNEW ERNEST MCGOWAN, UNCLE ERNEST, WELL, I KNOW WHAT HE STOOD FOR AND WHAT HE FOUGHT FOR, AND I JUST COMMEND YOU AND YOUR FAMILY FOR STILL COMING AND STANDING UP. AND IT'S REALLY UNFORTUNATE THAT THESE DISPARITIES STILL EXIST, BUT THEY DO. AND BECAUSE THEY DO, I THINK WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO BE ABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE THAT STILL QUALIFY ARE STILL QUALIFIED. AND SO, AGAIN, I WASN'T GONNA, I WAS GONNA WISH YOU HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SO YOU STOLE MY THUNDER. BUT, UH, CERTAINLY IT'S ALWAYS A PLEASURE TO SEE YOU AND YOUR WONDERFUL FAMILY. AND I, I JUST, IT JUST WARMS MY HEART FOR YOU TO BE HERE. SO THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO. TIM CASTEX TATUM. THANK YOU, MAYOR. MS. MCGOWAN, I, I APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE AND TO HEAR THAT YOU ARE 96 YEARS OLD. UM, AND TO KNOW THAT 96 YEARS AGO, WHAT BLACK PEOPLE WENT THROUGH JUST 96 YEARS AGO, YES. THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE 96 YEARS AGO, UM, EVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE, UH, YOU KNOW, WE RECENTLY RECEIVED, UM, TO THINK THAT 40 YEARS AGO WE CREATED AN MWBE PROGRAM, AND 40 40 YEARS LATER, BLACK BUSINESSES ARE STILL SHOWING GRAVE DISPARITIES. YES, IT'S A SAD SONG TO SING, BUT I SEE YOU AND I SEE THAT YOU ARE STILL ON THE BATTLEFIELD. AND I WISH THAT WE WERE SINGING A DIFFERENT SONG, BUT WE'RE SINGING THAT SAME SONG OF BLACK BUSINESSES BEING ON THE BOTTOM. AND WE'VE GOT TO DO A BETTER JOB OF MAKING SURE THAT THE POLICIES THAT WE PUT IN PLACE HELP TO AMPLIFY AND ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE. WE CAN NO LONGER KEEP TALKING ABOUT HOUSTON BEING A GREAT DIVERSE CITY. YEAH. BECAUSE WHAT GOOD DOES IT DO FOR US TO BE DIVERSE IF THE DIVERSE PEOPLE CAN'T PARTICIPATE IN THE ECONOMICS? SO THANK YOU FOR CONTINUING TO ADVOCATE. UM, WE WILL DO OUR BEST, UH, TO CONTINUE TO HAVE A PROGRAM BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT UNFORTUNATELY IN OUR COUNTRY, PROGRAMS LIKE THIS ARE, ARE BEING REMOVED. YES. UM, THEY ARE FORCEFULLY BEING REMOVED IN OUR, UM, COURTHOUSES. UM, I WOULD HATE TO SEE THE CITY OF HOUSTON FOREGO THIS PROGRAM THAT YOUR HUSBAND WORKS FOR AND FOUGHT FOR. I CAN ONLY IMAGINE WHAT IT WAS LIKE FOR HIM TO SIT HERE AND ENCOURAGE HIS COLLEAGUES TO VOTE FOR THIS PROGRAM. ORIGINALLY, I THINK ABOUT WHAT WE GO THROUGH TO VOTE FOR IT TO CONTINUE. BUT WHAT DID HE GO THROUGH TO CREATE THE PROGRAM? SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED ADVOCACY TO YOUR ENTIRE FAMILY. [01:35:01] YOU ARE, UM, PILLARS OF STRENGTH FOR US. UM, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO FIGHT FOR EQUALITY AND FOR EVERY PERSON TO BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN OUR ECONOMY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. AND YOU CAN DO IT. AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. JUST A SECOND. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, MS. MCDON, THANK YOU. I WANT TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY, THE PRIVILEGE TO THANK YOU FOR COMING, UH, AND TO ALL OF THE FAMILY WHO I'VE KNOWN FOR SO MANY YEARS. AND LET ME JUST THANK YOU ALL FOR THE SERVICE OF COUNCIL COUNCILMAN MCGOWAN, BECAUSE NOT ONLY DID HE SERVE AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, BUT AS A PASTOR. AND HE ALSO WAS HISTORICALLY CREATED SEVERAL THINGS, WHICH WAS THE MINISTRY ADVISORY BOARD TO THE MAYOR. HE WAS CONSTANTLY WORKING TO BRING THIS COMMUNITY TOGETHER. AND I JUST WANT TO THANK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU FOR HIS SERVICE AS BEING ALSO AS THE FIRST PASTOR ON THIS COUNCIL, UH, HISTORICALLY, AND AS I FOLLOWED THAT. BUT I DO WANT TO SAY THAT I BELIEVE THAT HIS, UM, HIS LEGACY WOULD SHOW THAT THIS COUNCIL CAN COME TOGETHER AND ALSO THIS NEW COUNCIL IN ORDER TO GRAB A HOLD AND GO FORWARD WITH DOING SOME INNOVATIVE IDEAS. AND I BELIEVE THAT THIS COUNCIL CAN DO IT JUST AS HE DID WHEN HE SERVED. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU, SIR. COUNCILMAN JACKSON. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND THANK YOU, UM, MS. MCGOWAN FOR COMING IN IN THE FAMILY. UM, IT'S AN HONOR TO, UM, JUST HAVE YOU IN OUR PRESENCE. UM, AND I JUST WANNA SAY HAPPY BIRTHDAY. UM, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER MCGOWAN, HIS LEGACY IS STRONG IN DISTRICT B. I HAD SOME BIG SHOES TO, TO FILL. AND SO, UM, JUST THANK YOU FOR COMING IN TO REMIND US, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE ARE VOTING FOR AND WHAT, WHAT OUR COMMUNITIES HAVE, HAVE STRUGGLED WITH, UM, OVER THE YEARS. SO THANK YOU AGAIN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MY COUNCILWOMAN , MR. MCGOWAN. OKAY. SAFE. WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT YEAR ON YOUR BIRTHDAY. NEXT PROCEDURAL MEMBER. OH, I'M SORRY. COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES AND TO ADD DR. SET HILL LITTA TO THE, UH, TOP OF THE, UH, THREE MINUTE AGENDA LIST. OKAY. MOTION MADE. IS THERE A SECOND TO FOLLOW? MOTION MADE. SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. OPPOSED? MOTION TO FOLLOW SHARON MAYBERRY TO FOLLOW SHARON MAYBERRY. SECOND. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED AYE. MOTION PASSES. NEXT, UH, MELANIE MILES SHOULD BE FOLLOWED BY SHARON MAYBERRY. LIRA. OH, SORRY. HOLD ON. OKAY. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR WHITMEYER, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL AND CITY STAFF. MY NAME IS MELANIE MILES BASIL, AND I REPRESENT THE BLACK WOMEN OF GREATER HOUSTON PAC, WHICH IS AN ORGANIZATION OF AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN WHO ARE BUSINESS OWNERS. I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH YOU TODAY, BUT I COME NOT JUST WITH APPRECIATION, I COME WITH CLARITY. THE FINDINGS OF THE 2023 DISPARITY STUDY ARE CLEAR. THE CITY OF HOUSTON CANNOT CLAIM TO BE CHAMPION OF DIVERSITY WHILE IGNORING THE EVIDENCE THAT IS RIGHT IN FRONT OF US. THIS IS NOT AN ABSTRACT ACADEMIC REPORT, IT IS A LEGAL DATA DRIVEN MANDATE. M-G-T-M-G-T CONSULTING CONDUCTED AN EXHAUSTIVE ANALYSIS OVER THE COURSE OF A YEAR, AND WHAT THEY FOUND IS UNDENIABLE. IT WAS BASED ON DOLLARS, AS YOU'VE POINTED OUT HERE TODAY, AND WHERE THOSE DOLLARS WERE SPENT. AND IN EACH PARTICULAR SECTOR, IT WAS NOT BASED ON ARBITRARY, ARBITRARY DATA. AND AS I'VE STATED, THE RESULTS OF THAT STUDY ARE UNDENIABLE. BLACK-OWNED BUSINESSES FACE STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT DISPARITIES IN EVERY MAJOR PROCUREMENT CATEGORY. THANK YOU. MEANWHILE, SOME GROUPS WHICH DO INCLUDE ASIAN AND HISPANIC BUSINESSES, NO LONGER FACE DISPARITIES IN PARTICULAR SECTORS, NOT ALL SECTORS. AND THE STUDY DOES NOT RECOMMEND THAT THEIR REMOVAL OR, OR GRADUATION OR RECLASSIFICATION IN ALL SECTORS. THIS IS NOT AN ATTACK, NOR IS THERE A TARGET ON ANY PARTICULAR GROUP. THIS IS JUST A FACT. AND THE LAW IS CLEAR. UNLESS WE ACT ON [01:40:01] THE DATA, THE ENTIRE MWBE PROGRAM COULD BE WITHDRAWN OUT, COULD BE WITHDRAWN IN COURT. SO THE QUESTION BECOMES, WILL THIS COUNCIL STAND ON PRINCIPLE FACTS AND DATA, OR PLAY POLITICS WITH THE FUTURE OF HOUSTON'S MINORITY BUSINESSES? YOU CANNOT CLAIM TO SUPPORT THE CITY'S DIVERSITY AND CLAIM INCLUSIVENESS, THEN REFUSE TO FOLLOW THE VERY STUDY THAT YOUR OWN EXPERTS PRODUCED. JUST BECAUSE ONE GROUP OR GROUPS ARE UNHAPPY WITH ITS IMPLICATIONS, HOW DO WE JUSTIFY MAINTAINING BENEFITS FOR GROUPS WHERE NO DISPARITY EXISTS IN A SECTOR? WHILE, WHILE BLACK BUSINESSES CONTINUE TO BE SHUT OUT IN EVERY SECTOR AND OUT OF CONTRACTING OPPORTUNITIES, HOW DO YOU DEFEND HELPING THE ALREADY INCLUDED AND IGNORE THOSE THAT ARE EXCLUDED? SO LET'S BE CLEAR. FAILURE TO ADOPT THIS STUDY IS NOT A NATURAL ACT OR A NEUTRAL ACT. IT IS A DECISION, A DECISION TO KEEP THINGS THE WAY THEY ARE WITH BLACK-OWNED BUSINESSES, DISADVANTAGE AND DISENFRANCHISED BY THE CITY'S OWN PROCUREMENT SYSTEM. AND IF YOU ARE CONTEMPLATING THAT, YOU WOULD JUST SIDESTEP THIS ISSUE BY DELAYING OR DILUTING THE ADOPTION. PLEASE CONSIDER THIS WHEN LEGAL CHALLENGES COME AND THEY WILL. HOW WILL THE CITY DEFEND? KEEPING A RACE CONSCIOUS PROGRAM FOR GROUPS WITH NO DEMONSTRATED DISPARITY WHILE IGNORING CLEAR EVIDENCE OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST OTHERS? THE STUDY'S RECOMMENDATIONS, WHICH ARE REFINING GRADUATION POLICIES, EXPANDING THE SMALL BUSINESS ENTERPRISE PROGRAM, ELIMINATING EXCLUSIVITY CLAUSES AND IMPROVING COMPLIANCE ARE NOT CONTROVERSIAL. THEY ARE LEGALLY NECESSARY AND MORALLY JUST FOLLOWING THEM IS HOW YOU PRESERVE THIS PROGRAM PROTECTED FROM LAWSUITS AND ENSURE IT HELPS THOSE WHO NEED IT MOST. NOT JUST THOSE WITH THE LOUDEST ADVOCATES OR POLITICAL CONNECTIONS. THE BLACK WOMEN OF GREATER HOUSTON PAC URGED THIS COUNCIL TO THIS COUNCIL TO ADOPT THE 2023 DISPARITY STUDY AND ALL OF ITS RECOMMENDATIONS WITHOUT DELAY. TO DO THIS OTHERWISE, IS TO PRESERVE INJUSTICE, IGNORE DATA, AND BETRAY THE VERY PRINCIPLES THIS CITY CLAIMS TO UPHOLD. WE ARE WATCHING, OUR COMMUNITIES ARE WATCHING AND HISTORY WILL REMEMBER WHETHER YOU CHOOSE EQUITY OR EXPEDIENCY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT, JEROME MAYBERRY BE FOLLOWED BY DR. SERGIO LIRA. YES. CAN WE BRING THAT UP JUST A LITTLE BIT TO RAISE UP ANYMORE? DONNA VERMEER, PLEASE RAISE THE MIC UP. THE MIC WILL COME UP A LITTLE BIT. ALRIGHT. GOOD AFTERNOON, HONOR, PREMIER MAYOR JOHN WHITMEYER, UH, MAYOR PRO TEMP, MARTHA CASON TATUM, AND ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT SIT AROUND THE HORSESHOE. GOOD AFTERNOON TO YOU ALL. MOST OF YOU'ALL WILL PROBABLY KNOW ME. BEEN IN AROUND THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND WORKING WITH THIS COUNCIL CHAMBER FOR THE LAST 25 PLUS YEARS. I AM A MINORITY. YOU'RE LOOKING AT A KID FROM THIRD WARD, BORN AND RAISED, AND STILL STAY IN THE THIRD WARD COMMUNITY. WENT TO ALL THE SCHOOLS, HID SCHOOLS, THEN THIRD WARD, STARTING AT BLACKSHAW, MY GRADE SCHOOL, RYAN JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL, YATES AND DAD, TEXAS SOUTHERN WITHOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING. AND HERE TO VOTE FOR TODAY OR TOMORROW, I SHOULD SAY, WITHOUT THAT BEING POSSIBLE, THE DISPARITY. I WOULDN'T BE HERE TODAY. I WOULDN'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT HAVE BEEN MADE BEFORE ME TO BE ABLE TO BE HERE. TO SAY THAT I AM NOW A SUCCESSFUL HOME BUILDER HERE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. I, UH, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, THAT AS YOU ALL SIT AROUND AND YOU'RE GIVING THOUGHT TO THOSE SMALL BUSINESSES THAT WILL COME BEFORE US, THEY NEED TO HAVE THE SAME OPPORTUNITIES THAT I HAD. AND QUITE FRANKLY, MAYOR, I BELIEVE IT WAS IN FEBRUARY, I WAS REMINDED THAT YOU AND I SITTING NEXT TO EACH OTHER AND YOU HANDED ME AN AWARD OR YOU WERE PART OF PRESENTING AN AWARD WHERE ME, SHARON MAYBERRY, PRIME CONTRACTOR, UTILIZING THE UTILIZATION PLAN UNDER THE M-W-B-E-S-B-E WAS GIVEN OUT AWARDS TO OTHERS THAT CAME BEHIND ME. WE SURPASSED THE 34% BY WAY OF, I WANNA SAY ABOUT 40, 41%. IF I CAN DO IT, THEN OTHERS CAN TOO. MAYOR. SO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE UNDERSTAND THAT WE CAN'T FOREGO THIS, WE GOT TO TAKE THIS SERIOUS SO THAT THOSE OTHERS THAT WILL COME BEHIND ME WILL ALSO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY AND THEN THEY CAN TAKE AND PAY IT FORWARD. THAT'S WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT. MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE NOT LEAVING THOSE THAT ARE BEHIND THAT [01:45:01] ARE LOOKING FOR AN OPPORTUNITY NOW. I MEAN, I CAN GO BACK AND TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT I'VE HAD AND PERHAPS WOULD'VE MISSED OUT ON NOW TO BE QUITE FRANK ABOUT THAT. MAYOR, IF IT WERE NOT FOR THE OPPORTUNITY OF BEING ABLE TO SAY, HEY, THERE'S A MINORITY WHO GONNA GET ME DOING GOOD BUSINESS, AND THERE ARE THOSE THAT ARE DOING GOOD BUSINESS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN RECOGNIZED. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE'RE CAPTURING THOSE, THOSE FOLKS. SO I'M HERE IN SUPPORT OF, I WANNA MAKE SURE, AND I JUST GOT THE CALL AND NOT SURE HOW I WOULD'VE MISSED IT ON YESTERDAY, ASKING ME IF I WOULD COME BEFORE YOU ALL AND SPEAK. SO ANY QUESTIONS THAT I CAN ASK, I'M HERE TO ANSWER. COUNCILMAN PLUMMER. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND SHARON, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. UM, I JUST, I GET WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. I MEAN, UM, THIS IS MY QUESTION IN YOUR MIND. THERE'S SO MANY OTHER PIECES. I THINK BARRIERS IN TERMS OF THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY IN TERMS OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE SEE IN TERMS OF BOND, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, ESTABLISHING BONDS, RIGHT? BANK LOANS AND RESOURCES AND FIND, YOU KNOW, FINANCIAL SUPPORT THAT WE NEED. OFTENTIMES CITY OF HOUSTON DOESN'T PAY ADEQUATELY, RIGHT? SO WE HAVE CHALLENGES KIND OF FLOATING THOSE, UM, ABSOLUTELY. THOSE EXPENSES, RIGHT? SO I'M FULLY SUPPORTIVE. I GET EVERYTHING YOU'RE SAYING. I WOULD LOVE TO TALK OFFLINE AND FIGURE OUT WHAT DO WE, ONCE THIS HAPPENS, AND HOPEFULLY IT DOES PASS TOMORROW, BUT WHAT'S, HOW DO WE AS AFRICAN AMERICANS COME TOGETHER AND REALLY ANY, I MEAN, I DON'T REALLY CARE WHO, WHO IS A PART OF THE CONVERSATION, RIGHT? BUT HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY IS A FAIR SHOT AND AS A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER, WE HAVE TO GET SOME THINGS IN ORDER, RIGHT. TO CONTINUE TO GRADUATE TO AN SBE PROGRAM AND THEN GRADUATE TO BE A PRIME. THAT'S RIGHT. AND THOSE ARE THE CONVERSATIONS, I THINK AFTER THIS IS, THIS HAPPENS. WE NEED TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS. YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU, YOU TOUCH ON SOMETHING VERY IMPORTANT. I WANNA TAKE IT AND JUST KIND OF JUST PUT A LITTLE BIT OF A SPIN ON THAT. IF NOT FOR THE OPPORTUNITY, YOU WOULDN'T HAVE TO HAVE A BOND TOTALLY. OR HAVE FINANCING. SO WE WANT THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY GET THE OPPORTUNITY FIRST AND THEN GO AND SEE THOSE LIKE MYSELF AND OTHERS THAT CAN SAY, HEY, LET'S PARTNER WITH YOU SO THAT YOU CAN GET THE BONDING CAPACITY THAT YOU NEED. AND THEN BUILD AND THEN BUILD THEIR BUSINESS UP TO WHERE THEY CAN HAVE CAPACITY. SO WE DON'T GO BACK. LET'S, LET'S TAKE YOU OVER TO AMAZON AND BANK SERVE ON THE BOARD NOW. EXACTLY. AND THOSE ARE ARE THE THINGS. LET'S GET YOU SOME FINANCE. YES, EXACTLY. SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE GIVE THEM THAT OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE AND STEP INTO THAT. RIGHT. WE CAN'T GET RID OF IT. YEAH, YEAH. NO, I'M NOT COMPLETELY AGREEABLE. BUT, BUT WHEN WE GET TO THAT POINT, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN FIGURE OUT WAYS TO BE HAPPY TO VISIT YOU. RIGHT. SO I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE THAT DEEPER CONVERSATION WITH YOU. THANK YOU. GOOD COUNCILOR EVANS SHABA. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU MR. MAYBERRY. THANK YOU, UH, FOR COMING AND CERTAINLY FOR PROVIDING BEAUTIFUL HOUSING INDUSTRY. D THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND I AM THANKFUL THAT YOU WERE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY, BUT EVEN MORE IMPORTANTLY, THAT YOU ARE HELPING OTHERS TO BE ABLE TO GET THE SAME OPPORTUNITIES. ABSOLUTELY. UH, SO THAT PERHAPS WE WILL NOT HAVE THIS DISCUSSION OF WHEN THEY HAVE THE NEXT DISPARITY STUDY. RIGHT. SO THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR COMING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU, SIR. MAYOR, THANK YOU. BE SAFE. NEXT, DR. SERGIO LIRA, UH OH. BE FOLLOWED BY EDGAR MILTON. AND GOOD AFTERNOON, HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. I REALLY SHOULDN'T BE HERE TODAY 'CAUSE TODAY'S MY ANNIVERSARY. MY WIFE AND I ARE CELEBRATING 36 YEARS OF BEING MARRIED. BUT THE REASON I'M HERE IS BECAUSE ALL WEEK AND PREVIOUS WEEKS, I, MY PHONE HAS BEEN CALLED AS PRESIDENT OF GREATER HOUSTON LULAC. THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN IN THE FRONT AND CENTER OF THE DEALING AND ADVOCATING FOR OUR COMMUNITY. I'M SURE YOU'VE RECEIVED A LETTER FROM OUR NATIONAL PRESIDENT AND WE ARE ALIGNED WITH HIM. AND LEMME SAY ONE THING, AND I'M JUST GONNA BE, I'M NOT GONNA SUGARCOAT THIS. MY FRIENDS OVER HERE WHO I'VE WORKED WITH, AND I ADMIRE THEIR PASSION, THEIR ADVOCACY FOR THEIR COMMUNITY, AND I RESPECT THAT. BUT ALSO, WE DESERVE THE SAME RESPECT, THE SAME LEVEL OF RESPECT AND ADMIRATION WHEN WE ADVOCATE FOR OUR COMMUNITY, BECAUSE WE ARE THE MAJORITY IN THIS CITY. AND IN TERMS OF DATA AND THE STUDY, I ASK ALL OF YOU TO PLEASE POSTPONE THIS VOTE TOMORROW AND CONTINUE WITH ANOTHER STUDY FOR VALIDITY. I'M A RESEARCHER. ONE STUDY IS NOT SUFFICE. MY UNDERSTANDING THAT HARRIS COUNTY HAS NOT GONE WITH THE SAME FIRM FOR THE SAME STUDY FOR REASONS THEY KNOW. BUT I'M ASKING ALL OF YOU, AS YOU CAN SEE, HOW CONTENTIOUS THIS ISSUE IS IN OUR COMMUNITY. I DON'T WANT TO BE DIVIDED WITH MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS. WE MUST WORK TOGETHER. BUT LET'S JUST PAUSE AND THIS VOTE AND CONTINUE WITH ANOTHER STUDY. ALSO, I WANNA MENTION ONE THING THAT I'VE LEARNED FROM DATA. DATA IS AN OUTCOME. IT'S AN OUTCOME OF DIVERSITY. THE INTERESTING PIECE IS THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS. [01:50:01] HOW DID THIS COME TO BE? LET'S NOT CHANGE THE LANGUAGE BASED ON RACE AND ETHNICITY. LET'S FIX THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS THAT ALLOW IT TO HAVE THOSE RESULTS. THIS IS THE END RESULTS WE'RE REACTING TO THE END RESULT. SO ASK YOU AGAIN TO PAUSE THE VOTE TOMORROW, TO CONDUCT FURTHER STUDIES TO DEMONSTRATE MORE VALIDITY. AND AS THEY WOULD ADVOCATE FOR THEIR COMMUNITY, I WILL ADVOCATE FOR MY COMMUNITY AND I ALSO ADVOCATE FOR THE ASIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND I WISH YOU THE BEST. UH, DR. S UH, DOCTOR, WE HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS. OH, YES. COUNCILMAN FLICKINGER. JUST WANNA SAY HAPPY ANNIVERSARY. OH, THANK YOU, . THANK YOU. THAT'S IT. MARTINEZ. THAT'S IT. THAT'S IT. COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ. THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, DR. LITA, UH, THANK YOU FOR COMING AND, AND BRINGING UP A A VERY GOOD POINT. UM, AND YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAD THE DIRECTOR GO OUT OVER THE LAST THREE WEEKS AND STARTED GETTING FEEDBACK, FEEDBACK FROM SMALL BUSINESSES, UM, SEVERAL MEETINGS AND SOME OF THE FEEDBACKS. AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, MY COLLEAGUE SPOKE TO IT, UH, COUNCILOR PLUMMER. UM, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE THAT YOU KNOW THAT THE ACTUAL PROGRAM IS WORKING, RIGHT? THAT IT'S WORKING FOR EVERYONE. AND, AND YOU MENTIONED THE HOW DO WE GET HERE? AND ULTIMATELY WHAT CAME, WHAT CAME ABOUT FROM MY EXPERIENCE AS A STAFFER, GETTING CALLS FROM SMALL BUSINESSES, NOT GETTING PAID ON TIME. UM, SMALL BUSINESSES, YOU KNOW, NOT, YOU KNOW, TAKING MORE THAN EIGHT MONTHS, 12 MONTHS TO GET CERTIFIED AND JUST BEING, BEING ABLE TO BE AT THE TABLE. I THINK WE HAVE A, A AND, AND I GET IT, THE DIRECTOR IS UNDERSTAFFED. UM, WE'RE THE REGIONAL AGENCY, UH, AGENCY FOR CERTIFICATION FOR THE ENTIRE THIS REGION. SO WE'RE HAVING A LOT MORE WORK DONE. UM, BUT ULTIMATELY WE GOT HERE BECAUSE OF THINGS THAT WE WERE NOT DOING. YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE LIMIT SUBCONTRACTORS TO PRIMES? HOW DO WE CREATE SMALLER PACKAGES TO REALLY SEE WHERE YOU DON'T NEED BONDING CAPACITY, UM, AS, AS SHARON MENTIONED, RIGHT? ACTUALLY LOOKING AT ALL SMALL BUSINESSES TO SEE HOW THEY CAN GET TO A POINT WHERE THERE IS GROWTH. UM, AND I THINK, UM, TO GET TO THE POINT WHERE WE'RE ACCEPTING THIS DISPARITY STUDY, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAD A 2016 DISPARITY STUDY. EVERYBODY APPARENTLY KNOWS WHAT WAS ON IT, BUT IT'S SEALED. WE CAN'T USE IT ANYMORE. UM, AND NOW WE'RE AT THIS ONE 20 YEARS LATER, ALMOST. UH, I THINK ANOTHER STUDY IS, IS DEFINITELY NEEDED TO UNDERSTAND THE VALIDITY OF WHAT, WHAT YOU'RE SPEAKING TO. SO JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR COMING, UH, ADVOCATING FOR ALL COMMUNITIES. UM, AND MY HOPE IS THAT WE COULD, WE COULD SEE SOMETHING WHERE EVERYBODY, EVERYONE, RIGHT? UM, YOU KNOW, AS FORMER COUNCILOR ERNEST MCGOWAN WAS HERE, UH, YEARS AGO. FORMER COUNCILOR BEN REYES WAS HERE. AND I KNOW THEY WORKED TOGETHER ON SEVERAL THINGS. UM, AND WE NEED TO GET BACK TO A POINT WHERE WE CAN SEE EYE TO EYE ON THOSE, THOSE TYPE OF ISSUES. ABSOLUTELY. AND I APPRECIATE THAT SAYING THAT WE, IT WARRANTS ANOTHER STUDY. AND, AND I'M JUST GONNA END WITH MARTIN LUTHER KING'S QUOTE. HE SAID, WE'RE NOT HERE TO FIGHT FOR JUSTICE INEQUALITY FOR SOME LUTHER. WE'RE HERE TO FIGHT FOR ALL AND WE'RE ALL TOGETHER. THANK YOU. UH, MAYOR PRO HAS STATED, I I LOVE THAT. I LOVE THAT YOU USE MARTIN LUTHER KING. YES, MA'AM. UM, BUT MY QUESTION IS, IF YOUR CONCERN IS YOU ARE THE MAJORITY, UM, IS, IS WHAT YOU STATED, UM, IF THE HISPANIC BUSINESSES IN CONSTRUCTION ARE MOVED TO SBE BECAUSE THEY ARE OVERUTILIZED, ARE YOU GLAD THAT BUSINESSES HAVE BEEN OVERUTILIZED? I THINK WE CELEBRATE SUCCESS AND WHAT IT WAS INTENDED TO DO. BUT I THINK THE, THE FLAW IS IN THE PROCESS. HOW DID IT BECOME OVERUTILIZED WHILE NEGATING ANOTHER GROUP? THAT IS THE PROCESS. IN OTHER WORDS, DO NOT PUNISH FOLKS FOR BEING SUCCESSFUL AND TAKEN AWAY FROM THEM TO GIVE OTHERS WHERE IN REVERSE, IN OTHER INSTITUTIONS IN THIS CITY, IT'S THE OPPOSITE. I, I GUESS I'M CONFUSED WITH PUNISHING PEOPLE FOR BEING SUCCESSFUL. SO IF A HISPANIC BUSINESS HAS BEEN OVERUTILIZED AND NOW THEY ARE GRADUATING OR BEING RECLASSIFIED, LEMME GIVE YOU AN ANALOGY. IF IT'S OF OVERUTILIZED OR OVERREPRESENTED, WHAT WOULD YOU DO TO AN INSTITUTION THAT HAS REPRESENTATION AND LESS REPRESENTATION OF LATINOS? WOULD YOU BE IN FAVOR OF THAT? I, I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND [01:55:01] YOUR QUESTION. IT'S A, IT'S A PARALLEL ANALOGY OVER UTILIZATION OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES. OVERREPRESENTATION OF AN INSTITUTION THAT PROVIDES, PROVIDES PATHWAYS TO RESOURCES. IS THAT AN ISSUE TO YOU? I, I DON'T, I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BUT WHAT, WHAT I'M ASKING IS, IF A BUSINESS HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN THE MWBE PROGRAM, YES, THEY'VE BEEN OVERUTILIZED, THE DATA SHOWS THAT THEY HAVE BEEN PAID BY THE CITY OF HOUSTON. A CERTAIN NUMBER OF DOLLARS. OKAY, I GOT YOU. OKAY. UM, THAT MEANS THEY HAVE EARNED MONEY. OKAY. THROUGH THE PROGRAM. OKAY. WHAT THIS PROGRAM WAS DESIGNED TO DO, YES. WAS PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR BUSINESSES TO EARN MONEY. RIGHT? SO YOU HAVE SPECIFIC GROUPS OF HISPANIC BUSINESSES THAT HAVE EARNED MONEY DOLLARS THAT THEY GET TO SPEND HOWEVER THEY LIKE FOR THEIR FAMILIES. THEY HAVE BEEN UTILIZED IN THE PROGRAM. SO NOW WE ARE SAYING, IF THESE BUSINESS HAVE BEEN OVERUTILIZED AND THEY ARE RECLASSIFIED TO SBE, IS THAT SOMETHING TO CELEBRATE? IF A, IF, UM, A LATINO COMPANY HAS BEEN OVERUTILIZED AND YOU CHANGING THE LANGUAGE OF A POLICY THAT WAS CREATED BY FOLKS THAT CAME BEFORE EVERYONE HERE TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES, THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS IS THE ONE RESPONSIBLE FOR NOT CERTIFYING OR RENEWING THAT BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY AS OPPOSED TO CHANGING AND REMOVING LANGUAGE FROM A POLICY THAT IT WAS INTENDED FOR. DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? NO. OKAY. UM, BASICALLY WHAT I'M, I'M ASKING YOU, AND, AND I HOPE THAT EVERYONE WILL UNDERSTAND THESE PROGRAMS, WERE MEANT TO HELP PEOPLE BUILD CAPACITY TO HELP PEOPLE EARN MONEY. YES. WE AS A CITY, I'M PROUD OF WHAT WE'VE DONE FOR HISPANIC BUSINESSES BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY. THEY HAVE BECOME PRIMES. THEY HAVE USED SUBS IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY, AND THEY ARE GRADUATING FROM THE PROGRAM. THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT THESE PROGRAMS ARE MEANT TO DO. RIGHT? AND SO WHY ARE WE UTILIZING THE SUCCESS OF THE ACTUAL PROGRAM AND SAYING, WE'RE TAKING SOMETHING AWAY. YOU ONLY GRADUATE IF YOU MADE MONEY. DOESN'T YOUR POLICY TAKE AWAY TWO LARGE GROUPS OF THE MWBE PROGRAM? I DIDN'T HEAR YOU. SAY IT AGAIN. DID, ISN'T THIS POLICY GOING TO REMOVE THE LANGUAGE? NO. THEY ARE GOING TO RECLASSIFY THOSE BUSINESSES TO AN SBE SO THAT WE CAN MAINTAIN A PROGRAM. SO HOW DO WE ENSURE THESE ARE BUSINESSES THAT HAVE MADE MONEY. HOW DO WE ENSURE THAT THE SAME THING DOESN'T HAPPEN IN THE SBE PRO SB YEAH. SBA PROGRAM. HOW DO WE ENSURE IF THE MECHANISMS ARE STILL IN PLACE TO OVER UTILIZE? IF THEY OVER UTILIZE, SIR, THAT MEANS THEY MADE A LOT OF MONEY. NO, NO. THAT MEANS THAT THE PROCUREMENT STOP, THE PROCUREMENT DEPARTMENT DID NOT PUT ANY STOP GAUGES TO ENSURE THAT THEY'RE NOT BEING RE-CERTIFIED. DOES THAT MAKE, LEMME GIVE AN EXAMPLE. REAL SIMPLE. VERY SIMPLE. NO, THAT'S OKAY. IT'S OKAY. LEMME GIVE YOU A REAL SIMPLE NO, I DON'T, I DON'T, I DON'T WANNA GET AN EXAMPLE. I THINK, I THINK I GET IT. IF I'M GIVING SOMETHING, PLEASE ALLOW. I GET IT. NO, I DO GET IT. PLEASE ALLOW ME THE RESPECT AND TIME THAT WE WERE, THAT WERE GRANTED TO OTHERS. I MEAN, IT WAS MY TIME. I'M SORRY, BUT YES. BUT WE WERE ALSO CITIZENS OF THE CITY. YEAH. SO WHEN IT WAS MY TIME, I, I GUESS I KNOW YOU WERE ELECTED NOT TO ARGUE WITH ME, BUT TO LISTEN TO CONSTITUENTS. AND I'VE LISTENED TO YOU, SIR. OKAY. OKAY. LEMME JUST FINISH WITH THIS EXAMPLE. IF I AM A BUSINESSMAN AND I'M SUB I'M GIVING CONTRACTS TO A SUBCONTRACTOR AND I'M, AND I'M OVER UTILIZING THIS CONTRACT, IT'S INCUMBENT UPON ME NOT TO RECERTIFY IT AND GET BUSINESS TO THE SAME CONTRACTOR. NOT ELIMINATING THE CONTRACT. THAT'S MY SIMPLE EXAMPLE. THAT'S A FINE. IS THAT FAIR? THERE'S OTHER QUESTIONS. UH, COUNCILMAN POLLARD? WE'RE GOOD? I THINK THAT'S IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT EDGAR MELTON BE FOLLOWED BY ARGENTINA. JAMES, GOOD AFTERNOON. HONORABLE MAYOR WHITMEYER. SIR, SIR, CAN YOU STEP IN FRONT OF THE MICROPHONE? I'M SORRY, OVER TO THE MIC. I APOLOGIZE. UM, GOOD AFTERNOON, AUDIBLE MAYOR WHITMEYER MAYOR PRO TEM KASIK TATUM AND ESTEEM COUNCIL MEMBERS. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TODAY ABOUT THE FUTURE OF HOUSTON'S M-M-W-B-S-B PROGRAM. LET'S BE CLEAR, THIS PROGRAM IS NOT ABOUT PREFERENCES, IS ABOUT REMOVING HISTORICAL BARRIERS TO OPPORTUNITY BACKED BY STRONG [02:00:01] DATA, STATISTICAL DATA TESTED IN OTHER PLACES IN THE UNITED STATES, AND KNOWS THAT DATA, LEGAL PRECEDENT AND LIVED EXPERIENCE. THIS, AND I'M TRYING NOT TO GET EMOTIONAL. THIS 2024 DISPARITY STUDY CONFIRMED THAT DESPITE PROGRESS, THE SUBSTANTIAL DISPARITIES PERSISTS, PARTICULARLY FOR NATIVE AMERICAN, ASIAN, BLACK WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESS AND CATEGORIES WITH THE SAME MATH APPLIED HISPANICS IN THE SAME, IN THE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES. NOT JUST CONSTRUCTION DISPARITY WAS SHOWN. THE MATH STILL WORKS. IT HOLDS SUMMER PROPOSED SCRAPING THE PROGRAM ENTIRELY TO RACE NEUTRAL MODEL THAT IGNORES TWO REALITIES. GO AHEAD. THAT IGNORES TWO REALITIES. FIRST, WITHOUT A RACE, RACE AND GENDER CONSCIOUS FRAMEWORK, WE'LL RETURN TO THE PARIS OF EXCLUSION. THAT DATA AND OUR HISTORY MAKES PAINFULLY CLEAR. SECOND, HARRIS COUNTY METRO OFFICE SITE IS AN EXAMPLE, OPERATES UNDER FEDERAL DOT FUNDING. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DEMANDS RACE NEUTRAL. SAME WITH THE PORT. WE MUST NOT THROW AWAY AN IMPERFECT PROGRAM, WHICH I'M PROUD TO BE A PART OF. I SIT ON THE OBO BOARD ADVISORY BOARD FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF BRANDON HARLOW AND WITH OTHER GOOD PEOPLE ON THE BOARD. I WAS DISPLACED BECAUSE OF THE FIRST TARIFFS IN 2018 WHERE I STARTED MY BUSINESS AND I GOT A JOB OFFER OF $78,000 WHERE I WAS MAKING OVER $250,000. I REALIZED THAT THEN I HAD TO GO OUT THERE AND GET IT. AND WHEN I MEAN GET IT, I HAD TO GET IT 'CAUSE I HAD A BABY TO FEED BILLS, TO PAY, STUFF TO DO. SO I SIGNED UP FOR THE VETERAN OWNED SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM. I DID THAT. I FOUND OUT ABOUT THE MBE PROGRAM. I DID THAT H-M-S-D-C, I DID THAT. AND THAT WAS ABOUT THE HELP OF MBDA AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS LIKE PTAC. BECAUSE OF THEM, I WAS ABLE TO GO TO A, TO A PRE-BID MEETING THAT WAS RUN BY A GENTLEMAN BY THE NAME OF ROGER HARRIS. I WAS ABOUT TO LEAVE THAT BECAUSE I DID NOT BELIEVE I WAS QUALIFIED TO BE THERE. REALIZING I HAD BEEN CERTIFIED. I STILL FELT LIKE I WASN'T QUALIFIED TO BE THERE. I WAS ASKED BY JONES LANE LASALLE TO BE THEIR SUBCONTRACTOR, AND I TOLD 'EM NO, 'CAUSE I REALLY DON'T THINK I CAN DO THE JOB BECAUSE I WAS AFRAID. BUT MY GOOD LORD AND SAVIOR SAID, NO. DAVID BLACK REACHED OVER BEFORE RE REASON I STUCK AROUND. THAT'S HOW I WAS ABLE TO SUSTAIN AND GO FROM A NEGATIVE $18,000 TO $40,000 TO $400,000. AND BECAUSE OF THAT CAPACITY, BECAUSE OF THAT FIRST JOB OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, MY SHOT, I WAS ABLE TO NOW EMPLOY 14 PEOPLE, MAJORITY WOMEN, OTHER MINORITIES, TO DO SOMETHING HERE IN THE CITY TO MAKE IT WORK. SO I'M NOT SAYING ANYTHING AGAINST OTHER MINORITIES OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, BUT I'M SAYING BECAUSE YOU DON'T LIKE THE RESULTS AND BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANT TO LOOK AT THE INFORMATION CAREFULLY, OBJECTIVELY, BECAUSE I SERVE ON THE OPIOID, NOT AS A BLACK MAN, NOT AS A BUSINESS OWNER FOR SEVENTH ECHELON, FOR ALL MINORITIES AND WOMEN. AND THAT'S WHY I'M NOT HEARING TODAY, THE PEOPLE AROUND THIS HORSESHOE, THEY SERVE YOU, SERVE ALL OF US, NOT JUST A GROUP. SO LET'S NOT FORGET THAT. AMEN. ALRIGHT. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, ED, UM, FIRST THANK YOU FOR SERVING ON THE OBO BOARD. UM, AND I ENJOYED OUR CONVERSATION THIS WEEKEND. YEAH. I, AFTER LOOKED UP MY, UH, MY, MY PHONE, IT WAS ABOUT AN HOUR LONG. UM, IT WAS, IT WAS A FRUITFUL CONVERSATION BECAUSE JUST 56 MINUTES RIGHT AROUND THERE. YEAH. UH, RIGHT AROUND THERE. UM, IT WAS A FRUITFUL CONVERSATION. AGREED. AND, AND I KNOW THAT AT THE END OF THE CONVERSATION, WE KEEP THE FACTS STRAIGHT. ALWAYS BOTH OF US. RIGHT. ALRIGHT. DO WE AGREED TO DISAGREE, RIGHT? ABSOLUTELY. UM, BUT WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT IS A PROGRAM MW PROGRAM. RIGHT? DISPARITY IS A DISPARITY. AND IT'S THERE SHOWING THROUGH THIS, THROUGH THIS STUDY THAT WAS DONE BY MGT. WE TALKED ABOUT RECOMMENDATIONS. AND YOU HAVE, I I WAITED ON THE EMAIL, BY THE WAY. DIDN'T SEND IT. YEAH. INTENTIONALLY. OKAY. WELL, I WAS WAITING FOR IT AND I WAS CHECKING MY EMAILS EVERY DAY. UM, BUT THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE IMPORTANT. ABSOLUTELY. [02:05:01] AND IF WE WERE TO IMPLEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS AND THE FEEDBACK THAT THE DIRECTOR RECEIVED OVER THE PAST THREE WEEKS, JUST QUESTION, DO YOU THINK THAT WE WOULD BE IN THE SAME SITUATION THAT WE ARE IN RIGHT NOW WITH DISPARITY? I'M SORRY. CLARIFY YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS THAT YOU DID NOT SEND ME YEAH. THAT YOU'RE, I WAS WAITING FOR. UM, AND THE DIFFERENT FEEDBACK THAT THE DIRECTOR RECEIVED OVER THE PAST THREE WEEKS. HOW DO YOU, HOW DO YOU IMPLEMENTATION? OH. SO IF WE WERE TO HAVE DONE THE IMPLEMENTATION OR THOSE IMPLEMENTATIONS 3, 4, 5, 6, 10 YEARS AGO. OKAY. DO YOU THINK WE WOULD BE HAVING THE SAME DISPARITY? I CAN'T SPEAK TO, I KNOW I CAN'T SPEAK TO 10 YEARS AGO. RIGHT. 'CAUSE I WASN'T, YOU KNOW, PART OF THAT. BUT I CAN SPEAK TO NOW IF THAT'S OKAY. YEAH, NO, DEFINITELY. OKAY, COOL. SO A COUPLE OF RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, GRADUATION PROGRAM THAT WOULDN'T ALLOW PEOPLE TO GO ON A CLIFF. 'CAUSE I UNDERSTAND THAT. AND I THINK WE, THE FIRST THING WOULD ACTUALLY HAPPEN, THE DATA WOULDN'T BE COUNTED TO JANUARY ONE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. THREE CLASS. THAT'S A CLIFF. THAT'S EDUCATION. GETTING PEOPLE READY, JOINT VENTURES, ALL THAT TYPE OF STUFF. ALL THE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS I WENT TO WITH P TAC AND BDA, ALL THE THINGS WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON. I DID THAT. ALSO TOO CONTROVERSIAL, BUT I'M GONNA SAY IT ANYWAY. RECLASSIFICATION OF PRIMES MY PRIME. I'VE HEARD PEOPLE HAVE PROBLEMS WITH PAY. MM-HMM . I WAS, MINE WAS JONES LANE LASAL. THEY TREATED ME LIKE A VENDOR. I GOT MY PAYCHECK WHETHER THEY GOT PAID OR NOT. SO I THINK IF A PRIME CAN DO THAT, THAT'S A TOP TIER. PRIME. IF THEY CAN PAY WITHOUT WORRYING ABOUT, AND THEY TAKE CARE OF THAT BALANCE SHEET, MAYBE WE NEED TO LOOK AT, OKAY, WELL MAYBE IF A PRIME CAN PAY SUBCONTRACTORS AND YOU PUT THAT IN THE ROLE, MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN DO. ALSO TOO, A CREDIT FOR SBS TO GO INTO THE SB PROGRAM. A TEMPORARY CREDIT THAT ALLOWS HIM TO COME BACK AND PICK OTHER MBS PAYING IT FORWARD, PULLING FORWARD, GIVING POINTS TOWARD THE NEXT PACKAGE. AND ALSO TOO DIVERSITY WITHIN DIVERSITY. A LATINO FIRM THAT PICKS A LATINO FIRM WILL GET LESS CREDIT. THEN A LATINO FIRM HAD PICKED A BLACK FIRM OR A WOMAN-OWNED FIRM AND VICE VERSA. SO WE COULD FIGURE OUT THE MATH. THIS IS ALL A MATH PROBLEM. MM-HMM . AND IF YOU ACTUALLY WANNA FOLLOW THE MATH, BECAUSE STATISTICS CAN BE WHAT THEY WANNA DO, BUT YOU CAN'T MIX MARKETING STATISTICS. LIKE IF I WANNA BUY SOME CHIPS IN A PARTICULAR REGION, I CAN'T CUT OUT, I'M GONNA CUT OUTLIERS OFF BECAUSE THAT MAKES SENSE. I DON'T WANNA SPEND MONEY ON PEOPLE THAT'S GONNA MAKE ME MONEY. THAT'S A DIFFERENT TYPE OF STATISTIC. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT LARGE NUMERIC STATISTICS. SO, TO MY QUESTION, ED, YES. AND IF YOU CAN JUST SAY YES, NO, MAYBE, I DON'T KNOW. UM, IF WE WERE TO IMPLEMENT THESE RECOMMENDATIONS MM-HMM . TAKE IN THE ADVICE THAT FOLKS WERE GIVING BACK AND ALL THESE SMALL BUSINESS DISCUSSIONS THAT THE DIRECTOR HAD, IF WE WERE TO HAVE, HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT, WOULD THEY BE, WOULD THERE BE ANY DISPARITY? OR YOU WOULD NOW HAVE A PROGRAM THAT WORKS FOR ALL SMALL BUSINESSES, AS YOU MENTIONED EARLIER? UM, I THINK THE PROGRAM WORKS NOW. I THINK THERE'S SOME ISSUES WITH IT, BUT IT WORKS NOW JUST TO CLARIFY THAT POINT. UM, BUT YES, I THINK IF WE IMPLEMENT THOSE, IF YOU ALL ADOPT THIS, WHICH I URGE YOU TO DO WITHOUT HASTE, YES. IMPLEMENTATION IS ON US AND WE CAN, WE CAN, WE CAN FIGURE THAT OUT AS WE GO. BUT I DO THINK THAT THE PROGRAM WILL BE A WHOLE LOT BETTER OFF THAN GOING FROM AN SBE PROGRAM STARTING OVER, WHICH IS GONNA BE PROBLEMATIC. I MEAN, MY GOODNESS. ANYWAY, UM, I JUST THANK YOU, ED. UH, AND I KNOW YOU PURPOSELY DIDN'T SEND IT TO ME, BUT I STILL OH YEAH. CAN HAVE COFFEE. JUST SHOW IT TO ME. YEAH. WE TALK ABOUT IT. ABSOLUTELY. THAT'S WHY I'M STILL WAITING FOR YOU TO COME BY THE HOUSE TO HAVE A DRINK TOO. APPRECIATE IT. YEP. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. YEP. NEXT ARGENTINA, JAMES TO BE FOLLOWED BY GARY WADE, THE MIC. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL AND ALL OF MY FRIENDS, BLACK AND BROWN. GAVIN. MY NAME IS ARGENTINA JAMES, AND I AM, I PROUDLY STAND BEFORE YOU AS A BUSINESS OWNER, AN ADVOCATE, AND SOMEONE WHO HAS DEEP ROOTS IN THE CREATION AND THE PRESERVATION OF THIS CITY'S MWBE PROGRAM. EARLY MY CAREER, I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF SERVING AS A COUNCIL AIDE TO THE LATE HONORABLE ERNEST B MCGOWAN SR. THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR AND CHAMPION OF HOUSTON'S MINORITY BUSINESS ENTERPRISE PROGRAM. THE ORDINANCE IS BECAUSE HE WALKED THE FLOOR AND HE WORKED EVERYONE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE ALL INCLUDED. OVER THE YEARS, I HAVE REMAINED DEEPLY ENGAGED. [02:10:03] I, I WORKED ALONGSIDE COUNCIL MEMBER MCGOWAN AND OTHERS AS THEY TIRELESSLY FOUGHT TO CREATE, DEFEND, AND SUSTAIN THIS PROGRAM, A PROGRAM DESIGNED TO BREAK DOWN BARRIERS AND OPEN REAL DOORS OF OPPORTUNITY FOR MINORITY AND WOMEN OWNED BUSINESSES. GO AHEAD. OVER THE YEARS, I HAVE REMAINED DEEPLY ENGAGED IN SUPPORTING AND STRENGTHENING THIS PROGRAM, WORKING DURING THE ADMINISTRATIONS OF MAYOR KATHY WHITMEYER, MAYOR BOB LANIER, MAYOR LEE P BROWN, MAYOR ANISE PARKER, AND MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER. THEY ALL STOOD 10 TOES, 10 TOES DOWN FOR THIS PROGRAM. THEY FOUGHT IT IN THE COURT, THEY FOUGHT IT AROUND THE SHOEHORN, BUT WE WALKED AWAY WITH A PROGRAM FOR THE, FOR THE PAST 10 YEARS, I HAVE DONATED MY SERVICES TO HELP EMBELLISH AND ENHANCE AND CONTINUE THE CHAMPIONS OF DIVERSITY. AN EFFORT FOCUSED ON UPLIFTING BUSINESSES AND INDIVIDUALS COMMITTED TO ECONOMIC INCLUSION IN HOUSTON. I AM PROUD TO SHARE THAT I WAS A PART OF THE ADVOCACY EFFORTS THAT HELP PREPARE AND SUBMIT THE PETITIONS YOU ALL RECEIVED WITH 100 AND WITH 1,187 SUPPORTERS WHO ARE UNITED IN URGING YOU TO ADOPT THE 2020 3M MSS WB E'S DISPARITY STUDY RECOMMENDATIONS. FULL STOP. I REMAIN COMMITTED TO ENSURING THAT HOUSTON'S MS. M-W-S-B-E PROGRAM CONTINUES UNTIL THERE IS TRUE PARITY ACROSS ALL CERTIFICATION CLASS CLASSIFICATIONS. THE MAIN POINT THAT I REALLY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE UNDERSTAND IS THE PROGRAM HAS ENDURED OVER 40 YEARS BECAUSE OF STRONG LEADERSHIP AND UNWAVERING COM, UH, UNWAVERING COMMUNITY SUPPORT TODAY, WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO HONOR THE LEGACY BY STRENGTHENING THE PROGRAM AND MEETING THE MOMENT THAT THIS 2023 DISPARITY STUDY CLEARLY DEFINES. SECOND, I WANT TO SINCERELY THANK MAYOR PROTE, MARTHA CASTEK, TAM FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP IN HOSTING PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT MEETINGS WHERE FACTS WERE SHARED, QUESTIONS WERE ANSWERED, AND MISINFORMATION WAS RESPECTFULLY ADDRESSED. THESE SESSIONS WERE CRITICAL TO HELPING THE COMMUNITY UNDERSTAND THAT THE SPIRIT, THAT THE DISPARITY STUDY TRULY RECOMMENDS THE WHY THESE REFORMS ARE NECESSARY. THIRD, THE RECOMMENDATIONS PRESENTED TODAY REPRESENT THE MOST INCLUSIVE PROGRAM IN THE HISTORY. AND I CAN SAY THAT THE PROGRAM WAS ONLY IN EXISTENCE FOR FIVE YEARS. WHEN I STARTED WORKING FOR ERNEST MCGOWAN, IT WAS FIRST AN MW IT WAS FIRST AN MBE, THEN IT WAS CHALLENGED. THEN MR. MCGOWAN SAID, OKAY, WE'LL BRING THE WOMEN IN. THEN IT WAS A WOMEN, THEN IT WAS A-M-W-B-E, THEN BOB LANIER WAS CHALLENGED. THEN BOB LANIER SAID, OKAY, WE WILL BRING IN A SBE CLASSIFICATION WHEN WE CAN'T MEET THE MWBE. WHAT WE KEEP CONFUSING AND CONFLATING, AND I'M NOT SURE IF IT'S INTENTIONAL OR WE JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND. THIS RECOMMENDATION DOES NOT PUT ANYONE OUT OF THE PROGRAM. IT UPLIFTS EVERYBODY. IT'S BLACK, IT IS WHITE, IT'S HISPANIC. IS IS ASIAN, IT'S NATIVE AMERICAN. IT'S EVEN VETERANS. IT'S INCLUSIVE. IT IS NOT PUTTING PEOPLE OUT. MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS. IT'S NOT. IT IS ADDING. IT IS GROWING. AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, IF YOU UNDERSTAND OUR PROCUREMENT PROGRAM AT THE CITY OF HOUSTON, THE GOALS ARE SET BASED ON READY, WILLING, AND ABLE CERTIFIED FIRMS. SO IF, IF, IF YOU WERE IN A SMALL BUSINESS CLASSIFICATION, WHICH ALL OF US CAN BE IN IT, ALL OF US THAT HAS, THAT'S NOT NEW, THAT'S BEEN THE CASE. IF THE PROGRAM, IF THE GOALS WERE SET ON A CONTRACT AND THE CONTRACT HAD READY AND WILLING AVAILABLE 15 OR 20% ONLY IN SBE AND FIVE AND BLACK AND NATIVE AMERICAN, GUESS WHAT? THAT WOULD BE THE GOAL FOR THAT CONTRACT. I JUST REALLY WANT TO STOP THE MISINFORMATION AND CONFLATING THE ISSUES. NOBODY SAID THAT A GROUP GRADUATES BECAUSE A GROUP CAN'T GRADUATE. THEY CAN BE RECLASSIFIED. AND [02:15:01] THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING. WE'RE RECLASSIFYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ALL CAN PARTICIPATE. ALL OF US. MY CLOSING. OKAY. THEY EXP THEY EXPAND OPPORTUNITIES FOR BLACK OWNED, NATIVE OWNED WOMEN AND SMALL AND NOW VETERANS OWNED BUSINESSES, WHILE PRESERVING THE PROGRAM'S ORIGINAL PURPOSE, ADDRESSING DISPARITIES THROUGH INTENTIONAL MEASURABLE ACTION. MAYOR WHITMEYER, I HOPE WE CAN COUNT ON YOU. JUST AS PREVIOUS MAYORS HAVE STOOD FIRMLY TO PROTECT AND STRENGTHEN THIS PROGRAM ON BEHALF OF MYSELF, THE THOUSANDS OF BUSINESSES AND FAMILIES WHO BELIEVE IN EQUITY AND THE MEMORY OF THOSE WHO LAID THE FOUNDATION, I RESPECTFULLY URGE THE FULL COUNCIL TO ADOPT THE 2023 M-S-W-B-E DISPARITY STUDY RECOMMENDATIONS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP, YOUR SERVICE, YOUR COMMITMENT TO ENSURING THAT ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES IN HOUSTON REMAINS OPEN AND EQUITABLE FOR EVERYONE HERE, COUNCIL, COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, ARG, THANK YOU FOR COMING. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PASSION AND UH, CERTAINLY FOR ONE WHO WORKED DURING THOSE YEARS IN FRAMING THIS, UH, I WANT TO COMMEND YOU ON IT. AND I WANT TO ALSO COMMEND THE FACT THAT WE, WE HAVE TO BE INCLUSIVE. EVERYBODY. AND YOU BELIEVE THAT THIS DOES JUST THAT AND IT DOES NOT UNFAIRLY EXCLUDE ANYONE. IT RECLASSIFIES ABSOLUTELY. THE CAKE LADY. SHE STILL WOULD BE CLASSIFIED AS A WOMAN. THE OTHER YOUNG MAN OR THE OTHER YOUNG LADY, SHE STILL WOULD BE CLASSIFIED AND PARTICIPATE. NOBODY PUT HER OUT. NOBODY'S THREATENING TO PUT HER OUT. I WANT HER BUSINESS TO GROW. LIKE I WANT MY BUSINESS TO GROW. THE MISINFORMATION IS JUST RAMPANT AND WE HAVE GOT TO STOP. IT IS JUST RAMPANT. SO NO, NO ONE'S BEING EXCLUDED. WE ARE, IN SOME CASES THEY'RE BEING RECLASSIFIED. AND I THINK THAT IS A WONDERFUL THING THAT THIS RECOMMENDATION DID BECAUSE IT COULD HAVE SAID, YOU HAVE NO MORE DISPARITY. OKAY, BYE. BUT WE FIGURED OUT A WAY THROUGH THESE RECOMMENDATIONS TO INCLUDE EVERYBODY AND EXPAND IT. WE DIDN'T TRY TO THROW AWAY ANYONE. WE DIDN'T. AND IT'S INCLUSIVE. AND IF WE KEEP MISREPRESENTING THE TRUTH, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A PROBLEM. BECAUSE GUESS WHAT? IF WE TURN THIS INTO A SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM HERE, THE FOURTH LARGEST CITY IN THIS UNITED STATES, WE HAVE NOW CONSIDERED, WE DON'T HAVE, QUOTE UNQUOTE A DEI PROGRAM, WHICH IS OUR M-S-W-B-E, OUR FELLOW REPRESENTATIVES IN AUSTIN, THEY'VE BEEN GETTING BILLS THROWN AT THEM EVERY DAY BECAUSE GUESS WHAT? THAT HUB PROGRAM THAT WE ALL BENEFIT FROM NOW WILL GO AWAY. OKAY? AND IF YOU THINK WE'VE ALL BEEN INCLUDED AND WE ALL GONNA BE IN, IN, IN A, IN A POT, WE WILL BE IN SUCH A BIG POT. THANK YOU, ARGENTINA. GOOD JOB. NEXT. GARY WADE, GARY WADE, AND GARY WADE. ROGER HARRIS PRESENT TO BE FOLLOWED BY STEPHEN ARONDA. HEY, GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYBODY. SO, UM, I WANTED TO JUST, UH, TALK FOR JUST A MOMENT BECAUSE I'VE HEARD A LOT OF INFORMATION THAT'S BEEN PRESENTED HERE TODAY, AND I WANT TO TALK ABOUT SBE AND THE WAY THAT THE CITY HAS TO FIND WHAT THE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE. FIRST, LET'S SAY THAT THE STUDY IS QUANTITATIVE, RIGHT? SO THE DATA'S THE DATA, WHATEVER THE CITY SPENT WITH THE CERTAIN CONTRACTORS, THAT DATA IS INDISPUTABLE. SO I, I THINK THE CHALLENGE HERE TODAY IS WHAT ARE THE ANECDOTAL ISSUES? WHAT, HOW CAN WE FIX THIS PROGRAM? SO EVERYBODY TALKS ABOUT SBE PROGRAM. SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE WAY THAT THE OBO WILL NOW WILL DO IS THAT THEY WILL PLACE A GOAL FOR THE MINORITY WOMEN AND, UH, AND SMALL BUSINESS ENTERPRISES. SO THERE'LL BE THREE SEPARATE GOALS ON EVERY SINGLE CONTRACT. SO THAT MEANS THAT MINORITIES [02:20:01] WILL STILL HAVE A CHANCE, WOMEN WILL HAVE A CHANCE, SBS WILL HAVE A CHANCE. NOW, COUNCIL MEMBER F INGER, YOU MENTIONED METRO, RIGHT? SO METRO, AND, AND BY THE WAY, I I AND, AND BY BY I HAVE TO SAY THIS, I I FEEL LIKE I'M A SUB EXPERT. I'VE BEEN DOING THIS SINCE 2002. I USED TO WORK FOR THE CITY. I'VE WORKED FOR A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT PROGRAMS. SO METRO HAS TWO SEPARATE PROGRAMS. SO THEY HAVE AN SBE PROGRAM AND THEY HAVE A DB PROGRAM. AND SO BELIEVE, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU UNDERSTAND, BUT THEY DID A DISPARITY STUDY. DID YOU KNOW THAT? AND SO IF YOU FOUND IN THE, IN THE DISPARITY STUDY, THERE WAS A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT AREAS IN THAT DISPARITY STUDY THAT SOME GROUPS HAD REACHED PARITY. AND THE WAY THEY DID THEIR STUDY IS THAT THEY DID IT CONTRACT VALUES. BUT OVERALL THEY FOUND THAT THERE WAS UNDERUTILIZATION FOR AFRICAN AMERICANS AND WOMEN IN PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AND CONSTRUCTION. NOW, DOWN BELOW THERE ARE AREAS AND WHERE, AND I CAN SEND YOU THE STUDY, I CAN SEND YOU THE RESULTS THAT THERE ARE AREAS WHERE AFRICAN AMERICANS WERE ACTUALLY, UH, OVERUTILIZED AND SOME AREAS WHERE HISPANICS WERE UNDERUTILIZED OR OVERUTILIZED. SO JUST HAVING AN SB PROGRAM DOES NOT GUARANTEE THAT YOU'RE STILL GONNA HAVE PARITY. IT JUST DOES NOT. SO AS I CLOSE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN TALK ABOUT PROCUREMENT. SO THESE PROGRAMS ARE REALLY MORE SUBCONTRACTING OPPORTUNITY PROGRAMS. NOW YOU CAN CREATE MAYOR WHITMEYER, YOU CAN CREATE PRIME CONTRACTING PROGRAMS THAT GIVE MORE CREDIT TO THOSE SMALL BUSINESSES. AND YOU CAN CREATE AS, UH, SAN ANTONIO HAS DONE, YOU GIVE POINTS TO SMALL BUSINESSES OR EMERGING BUSINESSES. SO YOU CAN CREATE THESE PROGRAMS AT THE PROCUREMENT LEVEL THAT ARE RACE, GENDER NEUTRAL. SO I URGE YOU, I URGE YOU TO ADOPT THIS STUDY. LET'S COME BACK TOGETHER AND TALK ABOUT WHAT IS ANECDOTAL AND LET'S MAKE SURE EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS THE FACTS OF WHAT'S HAPPENING. AND EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS THAT NO ONE'S BEING PUT OUT OF THE PROGRAM, NOBODY'S BEING PUT OUT. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND, UM, I'LL ENTERTAIN ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE. IF NOT, I WILL, UH, TAKE MY SEAT. THANK YOU. NEXT, STEVEN AND RHONDA TO BE FOLLOWED BY LENORA. SIRO. PULLMAN. GOOD AFTERNOON MAYOR. GOOD AFTERNOON. COUNCIL MEMBERS STEVEN MIRANDA WITH RAY TECH CONSTRUCTION. I'M PROUD GRADUATE OF THE OBO PROGRAM. PROUD TO BE STANDING HERE IN FRONT OF YOU. AS A GRADUATE, I GET TO STEWARD THE, THE CITY'S FUNDS ON OUR CITY PROJECTS, AND I'M PROUD TO DO THAT. WE WORK HAND IN HAND WITH OUR SMALL BUSINESSES AND OUR SUBCONTRACTORS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY MAKE PAYROLL ON FRIDAY. UM, WE DON'T AGREE WITH THE STUDY AND ITS FINDINGS. I DON'T NECESSARILY AGREE WITH THE BROAD APPROACH THAT THE STUDY TOOK. UM, WE'RE CHALLENGED BY THE AMOUNT OF CERTIFIED FIRMS THAT WE GET TO CHOOSE FROM. IN THE HEAVY CIVIL CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY, THERE AREN'T VERY MANY OF THEM. UM, THEY WORK HARD ON BONDING CAPACITY, GETTING PAID TIMELY FINANCING FOR EQUIPMENT JUST TO NAME, JUST TO NAME SOME OF THE FEW. DIVISION IS NOT THE ANSWER. I DON'T WANNA SEE ANYBODY TAKEN FROM THE PROGRAM, ANYONE. WE MUST ENSURE THAT THERE'S A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD BY CREATING A COMPREHENSIVE SBE PROGRAM. WE NEED A SEAMLESS TRANSITION OF FROM MBE TO TO SBE, SO IT DOESN'T NEGATIVELY, NEGATIVELY IMPACT PRIME CONTRACTORS. WE GOTTA CONSIDER STRENGTHENING THOSE POLICIES AND ENSURE THAT OUR SBE PROGRAM IS USED AS INTENT INTENDED PURPOSE KEEPING SMALL BUSINESS AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE PROGRAM, GO AHEAD AND FINISH UTILIZING OUR LOCAL FIRMS, ENSURES THAT TAXPAYER MONEY THAT WE SPEND ON CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON STAYS WITHIN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND SUPPORTS OUR LOCAL ECONOMY. OKAY, UM, MAYOR PRO TATUM, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. AND I, I UNDERSTAND YOU'RE REPRESENTING, UH, RAY TECH AND, UM, GREG. GREG REYES. GREAT GUY. WE ALL LOVE HIM. HE'S DONE SOME INCREDIBLE WORK IN OUR, IN OUR DISTRICT. UM, HE'S A, HE'S A GOOD BUSINESSMAN. HE, HE DEFINITELY WENT THROUGH THE MWBE PROGRAM. WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, UM, THE WAY HE HAS UTILIZED THE MWBE PROGRAM. HE ACTUALLY HAS A PROGRAM WHERE HE REACHES BACK AND HELPS OTHER BUSINESSES TO, UM, BUILD THEIR CAPACITY. UM, I I, I'VE HEARD HIM TALK ABOUT HOW HE HAS HELPED OTHER BUSINESSES WITH THEIR LINE OF CREDIT AND ALL OF THOSE [02:25:01] THINGS THAT I THINK ARE, ARE REALLY IMPACTFUL. SO I GUESS I'M A, I WANNA MAKE SURE I'M UNDERSTANDING WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. ARE YOU SAYING THAT WE SHOULD ALL NOW GO TO SBE? I'M, I'M SAYING THAT THE BROAD STROKE APPROACH OF TAKING OUT THE BAKKER WHO JUST STARTED HER BUSINESS, AND MAYBE SOME OF THOSE WHO ARE ABOUT TO GRADUATE FROM THE PROGRAM MAY NOT BE THE BEST APPROACH, MAY NOT BE THE RIGHT APPROACH FOR ALL BUSINESSES. SO, SO THE YOUNG LA LET'S BE CLEAR. THE YOUNG LADY WHO BAKES GOODS AND CAKES, SHE'S IN THE GOODS CATEGORY. SHE, SHE WOULD NOT BE AFFECTED. SURE. SHE, LET'S JUST SAY A SMALL CONTRACTOR WHO'S DOING SIDEWALKS AND DRIVEWAYS FOR THE CITY, THE PERSON WHO'S GENERATING A HUNDRED THOUSAND OR LESS PER YEAR, I DON'T NECESSARILY AGREE THAT THAT BROAD STROKE SHOULD BE APPLIED TO THAT COMPANY AND THE LARGER BUSINESSES. OKAY. TELL ME HOW, HOW, WHAT YOU WOULD SUGGEST, BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND THAT RAY TECH HAS BENEFITED GREATLY FROM THE MWBE PROGRAM. UM, AND I WANNA GET TO A GOOD SOLUTION, UM, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE THIS IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF A COMPANY THAT HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN THIS PROGRAM. YEAH. SO WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU WERE SITTING IN MY SEAT? I, I THINK YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT THE SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM AND EACH INDIVIDUAL SMALL BUSINESS ITSELF TO CREATE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THOSE SMALL BUSINESSES. THEY'RE NOT ALL GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO AND HANDLE THE SAME CHALLENGES THAT OTHERS MIGHT. I THINK YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S CLEAR. I THINK IT'S, IT'S, AS LONG AS IT'S TRANSPARENT AND THEY'RE GETTING AN OPPORTUNITY TO BID THIS WORK TO THE PRIMES, THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO DO. WE'VE GOTTA GET THEM OPPORTUNITIES TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF. THAT'S WHAT RAY TECH DID COMING UP, AND THOSE OPPORTUNITIES WERE, BECAUSE WE WERE IN THE PROGRAM, AND I UNDERSTAND EVERYONE'S STILL GONNA BE IN THE PROGRAM, WHICH I'M IN FAVOR OF. WE JUST, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES ARE CLEARLY VETTED AND THERE'S A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD. SO THE SUCCESS OF RAY E THROUGH THE MWBE PROGRAM, ARE YOU SAYING NOW WE WOULD HAVE THAT SAME SUCCESS IF EVERYONE WENT THROUGH IT? SBE PROGRAM, EVEN THE COMPANIES THAT ARE SHOWING THE GRAVE DISPARITIES? WELL, I, I'M SAYING THAT THEY, THEY, THEY HAVE TO STAY IN THE PROGRAM. THERE HAS TO BE SOMETHING TO BUILD FROM. RIGHT. OKAY. I APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR HELP TODAY. THANK YOU. NEXT, THE NORRIS RO COLEMAN TO BE FOLLOWED BY DEMETRIUS NAVARRO. LEMME KNOW IF YOU THINK YOU'RE GONNA GO GOOD AFTERNOON COUNCIL MEMBERS. AND I CONSIDER MOST OF YOU ARE MY FRIENDS, AND I HOPE AFTER ALL THIS, WE ARE STILL FRIENDS . AND, UM, I AM, I'M SPEAKING REGARDING THE, UH, AGENDA ITEM 80. AND I'M ASKING YOU TO REJECT THIS FLAW DISPARITY STUDY AND CREATE A GENDER RACE NEUTRAL SMALL BUSINESS ENTERPRISE PROGRAM THAT'S 11 LEVEL PLAYING FIELD FOR EVERYONE. AND WHY AM I ASKING THIS? BECAUSE I KNOW THIS IS GONNA BE A QUESTION THAT SOMEBODY WILL ASK ME, IS, MY THING IS THAT WE AND EVERYONE SAYS WE'RE NOT GONNA BE REMOVED. WE'RE GONNA BE JUST RECATEGORIZE. I'M SORRY. WE'RE GONNA BE REMOVED. AND, AND IF, IF IT WAS THE AFRICAN AMERICANS BEING REMOVED, BELIEVE ME, THEY WOULD BE HERE JUST LIKE WE AS HISPANICS ARE. BUT MY THING IS THAT BECAUSE OUR COMPANY DOES GOOD JOBS, BECAUSE OTHER HISPANIC CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES DO GOOD JOB AND THEY WANT THEM TO COME BACK AND BE THEIR SUBCONTRACTORS AGAIN BECAUSE THEY CAN RELY ON THEM. WHAT YOU'RE SAYING TO ME IS THAT, OH, I'M SORRY. WE WANNA WORK WITH SOMEBODY WHO HAS NOT PROVEN THEMSELVES, WHO WILL NOT, WHO HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO BE THERE AND GIVE AS GOOD OF A WORK AS MY COMPANY OR OTHER HISPANIC COMPANIES HAVE BEEN THERE. GO AHEAD. AND, AND THAT'S, THAT'S ONE OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE BEEN LISTENING TO. BUT THE OTHER THING IS THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT THAT. YES. IS THERE SOME FLAWS IN ALL THIS? YES. WELL, I'M HAPPY TO SAY THAT WITH MRS. MCGOWAN, I WAS HERE WHEN COUNCIL MEMBER MCGOWAN WAS HERE. I CAN SAY I WORKED HERE AT CITY HALL, SO I KNOW HOW IMPORTANT ALL THIS IS. BUT RIGHT NOW IT IS FOR US TO BE REMOVED OR RECATEGORIZE, UH, ON ANOTHER ONE AND HAVE OTHER COMPANIES COME IN WHO HAVE, WHO HAVE BEEN THERE, AND OTHER PEOPLE STANDING HERE WHO HAVE BEEN ON THE OBO BOARD. I'VE NEVER BEEN ON THE O-B-O-B-O BOARD. BUT MY THING IS, WHY HAVEN'T THIS BEEN BROUGHT UP BEFORE? WHY IS IT BEING BROUGHT UP NOW? THEY SAW THE INEQUITIES AT THAT TIME AND BEFORE THEN, BUT [02:30:01] NOBODY HAS SAID ANYTHING NOW THAT IT'S, UH, AFFECTING THE, THEIR COMMUNITY AND THEY WANT TO HAVE ALL THE NUMBERS AND ALL THE MONEY NOW. IT'S A DIFFERENT STORY. I'M SORRY. UH, AT LEAST THAT'S THE WAY I SEE IT UNDER MY EYES. THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND, AND I WANNA WISH YOU HAPPY BIRTHDAY AS WELL. UH, AND YES, WE WILL BE FRIENDS AFTER THIS IS OVER. UM, NOW YOU SAID YOU MADE A STATEMENT SOMETHING ABOUT IF AFRICAN AMERICANS HAD BEEN REMOVED, THAT WHAT, WHAT, COULD YOU REPEAT THAT? NO, I I, AND MAYBE I DIDN'T COMMUNICATE CORRECTLY, BUT IF IT WAS THE AFRICAN AMERICAN OR THE BLANK BLACK, UH, FOLKS BEING REMOVED OR BEING RECATEGORIZED, THIS WOULD BE JUST, JUST THE OPPOSITE. THE HISPANICS WOULD WANT IT TO STAY AND, AND THE AFRICAN AMERICANS SAY, NO, DON'T RECATEGORIZE IT. SO, AND THAT'S WHY I AM SAID, LET'S MAKE IT A CREATE A GENDER RACE NEUTRAL SMALL BUSINESS ENTERPRISE. THAT'S A REASON WHY I'M FOR THAT. SO WOULD YOU SAY BUT FOR THE RECLASSIFICATION FOR LATINAS, WE WOULD NOT BE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION? THAT'S CORRECT. OKAY. I I, THAT'S MY OPINION. YES. OKAY. ALRIGHT. JUST, JUST WANNA BE CLEAR MM-HMM . THAT, YOU KNOW, THE STUDY, THE, THE, THEY SAY NUMBERS DON'T LIE. AND SO THE STUDY DID INDICATE A DISPARITY. AND AGAIN, I LOOK FOR A DAY WHEN WE DON'T HAVE THAT. I DO TOO. BUT, BUT CERTAINLY I APPRECIATE YOU COMING AS, AS WELL AS EVERYONE HERE WHO HAS COME TO SPEAK. BUT WE MUST PUSH FORWARD UNTIL EVERYONE IS NOT ENGAGED IN BUSINESS AND THEY ARE NOT BEING GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY. AND, AND MAY I SAY SOMETHING, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, YES, I UNDERSTAND ABOUT THE NUMBERS AND THE MONEY, UNDERSTAND THAT. BUT AGAIN, IT'S OUR TAX DOLLARS TOO. AND YOU WANNA RA YOU WANNA, UH, UM, UH, SPEND THEM WISELY AND YOU WANT THEM TO BE SPENT ON COMPANIES THAT HAVE DONE A GREAT JOB AND FULFILL THEIR OBLIGATIONS AND COME BACK AND MAKING SURE THAT IF THEY DIDN'T DO SOMETHING RIGHT, THEY'LL COME BACK AND DO IT RIGHT THE NEXT TIME. APPARENTLY, THEY LOOK FOR COMPANIES, MY UNDERSTANDING FROM THE, FROM THE DIRECTOR, THEY, THEY LOOK FOR COMPANIES AND SOME OF THEM CANNOT FULFILL WHAT THE, UH, UH, GENERAL CONTRACTORS NEED AT THE TIME THAT THEY NEED IT. AND OTHER COMPANIES CAN AND HAVE, UM, UH, PROVEN THEMSELVES. THAT'S WHAT I'M JUST SAYING. SORRY. I MEAN, YES, THE MONEY DOES NOT LIE IN THE, THE, THE FIGURES ARE THE FIGURES. BUT THEN WHY WE NEED TO LOOK BEYOND THAT. UH, COUNCILMAN POLLARD, THANK YOU MAYOR, AND ALWAYS GREAT TO SEE YOU. UM, SO WHEN I LOOK AT THE, THE DISPARITY STUDY, I THINK SOMETHING TO CHAMPION AND TO APPLAUD IS WHEN YOU SEE NO DISPARITY YES. THAT, THAT, THAT IS A SIGN THAT THAT NOT ONLY IS THE PROGRAM WORKING, BUT CERTAIN, UH, RACIAL GROUPS OR GENDER GROUPS THAT AT ONE TIME WERE SHOWING DISPARITY OR NO LONGER SHOWING DISPARITY. IF YOU SHIFT AND YOU PUT EVERYBODY UNDER AN SBE, IT WILL CREATE EVEN MORE COMPETITION. SO FOR THE PEOPLE WHO ARE AT THE BOTTOM WHO ARE STILL SHOWING DISPARITY, THEY WOULD GET EVEN LESS OPPORTUNITY. 'CAUSE IF THEY WEREN'T GETTING, IF THEY WEREN'T GETTING OPPORTUNITY AS A M AND THERE'S A-M-W-S-B-E PROGRAM FOR THEM TO GET AN OPPORTUNITY, IF YOU SHIFT ALL THOSE LETTERS TO JUST A S THEN IT'S GONNA CREATE MORE CHALLENGING, UH, WEIGHTS AND PART, UH, PATHWAYS FOR THEM TO GET BUSINESS. SO I DON'T THINK THAT IS THE ANSWER AT ALL. I THINK WE HAVE TO LOOK AT IT AS WELL AS MANY OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE COMING BEFORE US ARE SUBCONTRACTORS, , THEY'RE GETTING WORK FROM THE PRIME. MANY TIMES THESE PRIMES ARE ONLY LOOKING TO GIVE THE WORK TO THE SUBCONTRACTOR BASED ON THE PROGRAM AND THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE PROGRAM. IF YOU START TO SHIFT THE PROGRAM AND TAKE THE PROGRAM AWAY OR MAKE IT MORE COMPREHENSIVE UNDER ONE LETTER, THERE'S REALLY NO INCENTIVES FOR THESE BIG PRIMES TO LOOK AT, UM, ETHNIC MINORITY GROUPS OR GENDER GROUPS, WHICH WILL MAKE IT EVEN HARDER FOR SMALLER MINORITY BUSINESSES TO GET OPPORTUNITIES WITH THE CITY. WHEN YOU LOOK AT [02:35:01] THE, THE, THE FINDINGS OF THE DISPARITY STUDY, AND IT SHOWS THAT THERE IS NO DISPARITY FOR, UM, HISPANICS IN CONSTRUCTION, THAT'S BASED ON THE TOTAL SPEND, THE TOTAL SPEND OF DOLLARS THAT ARE ALLOCATED FROM THE CITY THAT GO TO PEOPLE WHO DO CONSTRUCTION. WHEN THEY LOOK AT WHO'S GETTING THE WORK, IT DOESN'T SHOW DISPARITY FOR THAT ETHNIC GROUP FOR THAT ONE CATEGORY. AND I, IF I THINK WE LOOK AT THE CONTRACTING, THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY DOES OVER OVERWHELMINGLY WELL IN THAT ONE PARTICULAR CATEGORY. SO THE DISPARITY STUDY IS ACTUALLY SHOWING THAT EVEN THOUGH THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY IS GETTING A LOT OF CONSTRUCTION WORK, INSTEAD OF THEM NOT EVEN BEING A PART OF THE PROGRAM ALTOGETHER, GUESS WHAT? WE WILL PUT THEM IN SBE, WHICH IS WHAT YOU'RE IN FAVOR OF AS WELL. YES. BUT YOU'RE ALSO IN FAVOR OF ELIMINATING THE M AND THE W WHEN THERE DOES SHOW DISPARITY AND HAVING THEM GO TO S AS WELL, THAT WOULDN'T BE FAIR IF THE, IF IT SHOWS CLEAR DISPARITY FOR THEM TO HAVE TO SHIFT OVER TO S WITH THE PEOPLE WHO ARE SHOWING THAT THEY'RE GETTING WORK AND STILL GOING TO S SO AS SOME OF THE SPEAKERS SPOKE ABOUT BEFORE, THIS IS REALLY STILL A PRETTY FAIR AND INCLUSIVE STUDY. 'CAUSE IT COULD BE A LOT WORSE. AND IF WE DON'T HAVE THE STUDY AND WE GO INTO A LITIGATION, WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO PRESENT. AND WHEN WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO PRESENT, WE ARE RISKING THE ENTIRE PROGRAM GOING AWAY. AND I THINK MANY OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THE AUDIENCE ARE THEN GONNA LOOK BACK AT COUNCIL AND SAY, WELL, THIS IS WORSE THAN WHAT WE HAD BEFORE. IT'S YOU ALL'S FAULT. AND SO I THINK WE REALLY HAVE TO UNDERSTAND WHERE WE ARE AND UNDERSTAND THAT THIS PROGRAM HAS SURVIVED FOR 40 YEARS. AND AS MS. MCGOWAN SAYS, SHE WISHES THE, THE STUDY CAME BACK AND SHOWED NO DISPARITY FOR BLACKS, BUT IT DID SHOW DISPARITY. BUT THE GOOD THING IS IT DID SHOW THAT SOME RACIAL GROUPS ARE SHOWING NO DISPARITY. AND SO WE'RE HOPEFULLY GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AND EVERYONE CAN CLIMB TOGETHER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT DEMETRIUS NAVARRO BE FOLLOWED BY RAQUEL BOJAN. GOOD AFTERNOON. UH, THANKS FOR HAVING ME. MAYOR WHITMEYER PRO, TIM TATUM AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. FIRST OFF, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR WORK THAT YOU DO, THE SERVICE THAT YOU PROVIDE FOR OUR COMMUNITY AS ELECTED OFFICIALS AND SITTING HERE LISTENING TO ALL OF US TALK AND, AND TRY TO MAKE A POINT THAT WE HAVE. I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. UM, AT AWE, AT TIMES WHEN I GO TO EVENTS AND I SEE Y'ALL ARE OUT THERE, YOU'RE WORKING HARD. NOT ONLY DO YOU WORK HARD DURING THE DAY, BUT YOU WORK HARD AT NIGHT WITH YOUR COMMUNITY. AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT. SO, NAVARRO INSURANCE GROUP, WE HAVE A CONTRACT WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON. WE'VE HAD IT SINCE 2011. I'M AN MWBE, I'M AN SBE, I'M A HUB, I'M ALL THE, I'M ALL THOSE DESIGNATIONS. I WAS BORN AND RAISED HERE IN HOUSTON, TEXAS. I'M A PROUD HOUSTON HOUSTONIAN. I WAS GROWN UP IN THE BARRIO ALONG AT THE GHETTO. I GREW UP EVERYWHERE IN THE PART, THE POOR TOWN OF SOUTHEAST HOUSTON. I'VE BEEN IN INSURANCE FOR ALMOST 40 YEARS AND I'VE HAD MY OWN FIRM FOR 25 YEARS. I GOT CERTIFIED IN MY FIRST YEAR HERE. IT TOOK US MANY YEARS. IT WASN'T SOMETHING THAT WAS EASY FOR US TO GET ANYTHING. IN FACT, WE WORKED WITH METRO. WE ACTUALLY DID WORK FOR METRO WITH NO FEES. OKAY. WE DID BASICALLY FREE OF CHARGE. WE PROVIDED A SERVICE FOR THEIR INTERNATIONAL, UH, EMPLOYEES THAT WERE COMING IN, RELATIVES THAT WE WERE GONNA COVER THEM FOR HEALTH INSURANCE. AND THAT'S WHAT WE DO. WE DO HEALTH INSURANCE AND WE DO COMMERCIAL INSURANCE ALSO. SO WHEN I HEAR THE STUDY AND I CAME UP HERE WITH A DIFFERENT TALK, BUT WE'VE HAD PLENTY OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE TALKED BEFORE ME. OKAY. OKAY. TO KEEP GOING. YEAH, GO AHEAD. AND, AND I AGREE THE NUMBERS ARE THE NUMBERS, BUT WHY ARE THE NUMBERS OUT THERE? WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT CONSTRUCTION AND DISPARITY WITH AFRICAN AMERICANS OR WITH ANY PARTICULAR RACE, IT'S WHY STEVEN, SOME OF THE OTHER CONSTRUCTION PEOPLE, IT'S ABOUT CAPACITY. IT'S ABOUT BONDING. THAT'S A PRETTY TOUGH DEAL. THAT'S ABOUT YOUR CREDIT RATING. IF YOUR CREDIT SCORE IS BELOW 400, YOU'RE NOT GETTING A BOND UNLESS YOU PUT UP CASH, UNLESS YOU HAVE SOME ASSETS. RIGHT? IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE, THE RIGHT INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS, LIKE GENERAL LIABILITY FOR US, WE'RE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES. SO CYBER INSURANCE AND E AND O ARE VERY IMPORTANT. ERRORS AND EMISSIONS. ALRIGHT? SOME OF OUR CONTRACTS, OUR GOVERNMENT CONTRACT WITH, WITH MUNICIPALITIES REQUIRE US TO HAVE $5 MILLION IN CYBER INSURANCE. THAT'S ABOUT $60,000 A YEAR. OKAY? CITY OF HOUSTON REQUIRES MILLION DOLLARS. SO WE, WE, WE'VE HAD RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER SUBCONTRACTORS JUST LIKE US. WE WORK UNDER [02:40:01] THE CARRIERS AND WE WORK AS SUBCONTRACTORS TO CONSULTANTS, RIGHT? SO THE CARRIERS ALONG WITH THE CONSULTANTS REQUIRE US TO HAVE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF COVERAGES. SO IF WE HAVE A MINORITY, WHETHER THEY'RE AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN OWNED, AND WE'VE BEEN IN THOSE SITUATIONS WHERE THEY CAN'T GET THE CAPACITY OR PAY THOSE PREMIUMS, THOSE CONTRACTS AREN'T GONNA GO TO THEM. WE'VE BEEN IN SITUATIONS WHERE WE'RE DOING BONDS FOR PEOPLE WHERE THEY HAVE A JOB FOR $60,000 A JOB AND THEY, THEY'RE REQUIRING A MILLION DOLLARS OF GENERAL LIABILITY AND THEY'RE REQUIRING A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS BOND. WELL, THAT SMALL CONTRACTOR CAN'T BE PROVIDED. I DON'T CARE WHETHER YOU'RE HISPANIC, WHETHER YOU'RE AFRICAN AMERICAN, WHETHER YOU'RE A WOMAN OR WHETHER YOU'RE ASIAN, YOU'RE NOT GETTING THE JOB. AND THOSE ARE REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE BEING ALSO REQUIRED BY PEOPLE LIKE MANHATTAN, TELES. AND THOSE ARE THE PRIME CONTRACTORS. THOSE ARE GENERAL CONTRACTORS. SO WHEN I HEAR THE HEAR THE DISPARITY OF THE CONSTRUCTION, IT'S WHY, WHY IS THERE A DISPARITY? WHY ARE THESE AFRICAN AMERICANS NOT GETTING THE CONTRACTS? CAN THEY NOT GET THE INSURANCE? CAN THEY GET THE BONDS? SO THAT'S A BIG QUESTION. DID THAT COME UP IN THE DISPARITY STUDY? DID THAT COME UP IN THE FOCUS GROUPS? I WASN'T A PART OF THAT SIX WEEKS AGO. KNEW NOTHING ABOUT THE DISPARITY STUDY FROM 2023. I WAS NEVER INVITED. I WAS NEVER INVITED TO PARTICIPATE. I WAS NEVER INVITED TO BE PART OF THE, THE FOCUS GROUPS. I WAS NEVER INVITED TO BE PART OF THE SURVEYS IN THE PAST, SINCE 2006, 2006, I PARTICIPATED IN EVERY, EVERY DISPARITY STUDY, NOT ONLY FROM METRO, THE PORT OF HOUSTON, HARRIS COUNTY, CITY OF HOUSTON, ALL OF THEM, EXCEPT FOR THIS ONE IN 2023. IT'S PRETTY INTERESTING UNTIL NOW. SO I'M OKAY, I'M NOT COMPLAINING, BUT I, I HAVE A VOICE TOO, AND I HAVE A LOT OF EXPERIENCE. OKAY? AND THIS IS ABOUT CAPACITY AND EXPERIENCE IN THE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES. SO IF YOU WERE TO GO TO DIRECTOR CHEEKS AND SAY, OKAY, HEY, DEMETRIUS AND NAVARRO INSURANCE IS GONE. WE WANT YOU TO GO FIND SOMEBODY ELSE THAT DOES THE SAME THING THAT WE DO. AND SHE GOES AND INTERVIEWS AND CAN'T FIND SOMEBODY. BUT I'VE BEEN EXCLUDED FROM THE, FROM THE PROGRAM. I'M JUST LOOKING FOR A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD AND MAKE SURE THAT I'M NOT EXCLUDED BECAUSE OF OUR, BECAUSE OF THE COLOR OF MY SKIN OR BECAUSE OF THE CONTRACT THAT WE'VE HAD FOR SO LONG. I LIKE YOUR IDEA. IT'S CREATIVE. BUT THEN WHAT HAPPENS? YOU ROTATE ME OUT. WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU CAN'T FIND SOMEBODY OF OUR, OF OUR QUALITY? OKAY, DO YOU CALL ME BACK IN, RIGHT? OR DO YOU TAKE LESS? YOU GET WHAT YOUR MO YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR. AND, AND SOMETIMES IN THESE INSTANCES, THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH MR. NAVARRO. NAVARRO, MR. NAVARRO, THEY HAVE SOME QUESTIONS. COUNCILMAN, HELP ME. UH, THANK YOU FOR COMING TODAY. AND I, I THINK YOU SAID SOME REALLY IMPORTANT THINGS. AND SO, UM, HELP ME UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING HERE. SO SAY, UM, YOU GO TO A HOSPITAL, RIGHT? AND THERE'S A THOUSAND FEMALE NURSES AND THERE'S THREE MALE NURSES. UM, ARE THE MALES BEING DISCRIMINATED AGAINST OR ARE WE OR LESS MEN GOING INTO THE NURSING FIELD? YOU KNOW, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE DISPARITY IS. MM-HMM . AND THAT'S KINDA WHAT YOU WERE SAYING, CORRECT? UM, OKAY. PERFECT. THANK YOU. YEP. YEP. ARE THERE ENOUGH PEOPLE THAT DO WHAT WE DO IN THE, IN THE, IN THE FIELD THAT WE'RE IN, THE PROFESSION THAT WE'RE IN THAT CAN DO THE SAME THING? WOMEN, AFRICAN AMERICANS, HISPANIC. THAT'S THE BIG QUESTION. COUNCIL MEMBER, AL AM I, IF I'M IN CONSTRUCTION, IF I'M IN IN, UM, ARCHITECTURE, ARE THERE ENOUGH FIRMS THAT CAN DO THE WORK THAT ARE MINORITY FIRMS? GOT IT. COUNCIL, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE INSOLUTION IS. THANK YOU. YES SIR. THANK, THANK YOU. I SO IF, IF THERE'S NOT CAPACITY WITH A BLACK FIRM, WOULD YOU STILL BE CONSIDERED FOR THE PROGRAM UNDER THE SBE PROGRAM? YES. I MEAN, SHOULD BE SURE IF THERE'S A LACK OF CAPACITY IN ONE, YOU'RE, YOU STILL QUALIFY WITHIN THE SBE, CORRECT? YES. YEAH, I QUALIFY. BUT CAN I DO THE WORK? BECAUSE YOU SAID, YOU SAID, BUT YOU SAID LIKE, I'M OUT OF THE RUNNING BASICALLY. LIKE I I'M NOW GONNA BE OUT OF THE RUNNING BECAUSE I'VE BEEN TAKEN OUTTA THE PROGRAM. BUT YOU'RE STILL IN THE PROGRAM AS THE SBE. AM I UNDERSTANDING THAT CORRECTLY? WELL, YEAH, AND I THINK THAT'S THE CONCLUSION TODAY IS THAT THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF MISCOMMUNICATION. OKAY. SO IF I'VE BEEN MISCOMMUNICATED TO THEN IT NEEDS TO BE CLEAR THAT I'M STILL IN THE GAME, STILL IN, I HAVEN'T GRADUATED STILL IN THE GAME. I WOULD REALLY LOVE TO BE DOING $26 MILLION OKAY. A YEAR. AND I WOULD BE GLAD TO GRADUATE. AND IT WOULD COUNT TOWARDS WHATEVER IT WOULD BE AND IT WOULD COUNT TOWARDS WHATEVER GOAL WAS ON THAT CONTRACT. CORRECT. OKAY. YES MA'AM. THANK YOU. YES, MA'AM. THANK YOU. CUT IT. THANK Y'ALL. NEXT SPEAKER, RAQUEL BOON TO BE FOLLOWED BY SOPHIA GONZALEZ. [02:45:04] HELLO, MS. JOHN, GO AHEAD. HELLO. I BELIEVE THIS PROCESS DOES THE COMPLETE OPPOSITE OF WHAT THE CITY HAS STRIVED TO DO, WHICH IS TO CREATE AN EQUAL PLAYING FIELD WHILE ADVOCATING FOR SMALL BUSINESSES. IT SHOULD BE FAIRNESS FOR ALL OR NOTHING AT ALL. FOR THOSE THAT DON'T KNOW, YOU GET CONTRACTS BASED ON A POINT SYSTEM. AND WHAT IS HAPPENING IS THIS PROGRAM ALLOWS FOR ALL OF US TO BE JUDGED BY THE COLOR OF OUR SKIN, GENDER, AND ETHNICITY. AND FIRST AND FOREMOST, I WANT TO SAY TO ALL MINORITIES, WHEN ARE WE GOING TO STOP PUTTING OURSELVES IN A BOX? WHEN ARE WE GOING TO STOP FIGHTING FOR THE CRUMBS AND BEGIN TO HOLD EVERYONE ACCOUNTABLE? BECAUSE WE DESERVE TO BE LOOKED AT AS EQUALS. I DID NOT BECOME A PRIME CONTRACTOR BECAUSE OF A BOX I CHECKED. I EARNED MY RIGHT BECAUSE OF THE WORK THAT I PUT IN SPEAKING TO THE FACTS OF THE METHODOLOGY. THIS IS BASED ON REVENUE SPEND AND IT IS FLAWED BECAUSE IT GOES DOWN A BLACK HOLE AND DOES NOT TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE REVENUE THAT WAS NOT SPENT ON FIRMS LIKE MYSELF FOR OPPORTUNITIES WHERE I DID NOT WIN THOSE BIDS. I CAN ACTUALLY TESTIFY THAT I ACTUALLY BID A JOB LAST YEAR IN THE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS AND A JOINT VENTURE. AND I COULD TELL YOU THOSE FIGURES WERE NOT TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT IN THIS REPORT. ASIAN WOMEN, HISPANIC WOMEN, AND AFRO HISPANIC WOMEN WERE BEING INTENTIONALLY EXCLUDED OUT OF THE MBE OR GRADUATING. AS THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS CLAIMING I FINISH. GO AHEAD. AS IT WAS PROCLAIMED, THERE WAS NO DISPARITY FOR THIS PARTICULAR POPULATION. IF THAT IS THE CASE, WHERE ARE THOSE FIRMS SO THAT WE CAN CELEBRATE THEM? AT THE CITY OF HOUSTON, THE CITY IS BASED, AGAIN, SOLELY ON REVENUE SPEND. I BELIEVE ADOPTING A PROGRAM LIKE METROS PUTS US IN AN EQUAL PLAYING FIELD AND MAKES MORE SENSE. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO START FROM SCRATCH. ACCORDING TO THE INSTITUTE FOR WOMEN'S POLICY RESEARCH, WOMEN GET PAID 83 CENTS TO THE DOLLAR. AND LATINA WOMEN FACE THE LARGEST GENDER RACIAL WAGE GAP THIS PAST YEAR BEING PAID JUST 59.20 CENTS TO THE DOLLAR WHEN COMPARED TO MEN. AN AMOUNT THAT ACTUALLY GOT WORSE THAN 2022 WHEN THE RATIO WAS 61.40 CENTS THE YEAR PRIOR. THIS IS HAPPENING BECAUSE OF SITUATIONS LIKE THIS WHERE WE ARE PUT IN A BOX. I DON'T NEED A HANDOUT. I EXPECT EQUAL OPPORTUNITY AND FAIRNESS. I NEED YOU TO LOOK AT ME THE SAME WAY, IN THE SAME ELEMENT AS EVERYONE ELSE WHO OWNS A BUSINESS. NOT BECAUSE OF HOW I WAS BORN, BUT BECAUSE I EARNED MY RIGHT. AND I PUT THE WORK IN. THIS PROGRAM WORKS AT METRO. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU VOTE NO BECAUSE ALL OF YOU, THIS VOTE MATTERS FOR OUR CITY, FOR THE FUTURE, AND FOR EQUAL OPPORTUNITY TO ALL SMALL BUSINESSES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR COMING TODAY. NEXT SPEAKER, SOPHIA GONZALEZ. SOPHIA GONZALEZ, NEXT SPEAKER MARY RAMOS. MARY RAMOS TO BE FOLLOWED BY VLADIMIR. NOT RIGHT. GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. I SEE THE MAYOR ALREADY LEFT. UH, I'M NOT HERE FIGHTING FOR ANY BUSINESS BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE A BUSINESS AND I DON'T ASK FOR CONTRACTS. I DON'T HAVE A DOG IN THIS FIGHT. BUT WHAT I DO CARE ABOUT IS BEING DISCRIMINATED AGAINST. AND I REALLY FEEL THAT THIS STUDY WAS NOT DONE CORRECT. LET ME SAY THIS. I COME UP WITH THREE SOLUTIONS, AND I KNOW THEY'RE JUST OUT OF THE BLUE. BUT LISTEN TO THIS. WHY DON'T YOU HIRE SOMEBODY TO RUN THE PROGRAM THAT KNOWS HOW TO BE EQUALLY FAIR TO EVERYONE? THAT'S ONE. LET GO OF THE PEOPLE YOU HAVE THERE. PUT SOMEBODY THAT'S COMPETENT, CAPABLE, COMPETENT, AND QUALIFIED. THAT'S WHAT YOU NEED. I ASK THAT YOU DO AN INDEPENDENT ANALYSIS OF THE 2016, UH, UH, DISPARITY STUDY THAT NOBODY EVEN LOOKED AT. I BECAUSE OF WHAT, UH, COUNCILWOMAN, UH, KB SAID THAT IN 2009, THEY SAID THAT THE WOMEN WERE HAVING 54% OF THE CONTRACTS. SO WHAT THEY DID IS THEY GOT RID OF THE WOMEN , THE WOMEN CONTRACTORS. THEY WERE NO LONGER ALLOWED TO GET CONTRACTS. THEY WENT DOWN FROM THE 54% TO 3%. AND I HEARD, EVEN THOUGH I DIDN'T SEE IT, BUT FROM SOMEONE WHO DID THAT, THE, THE DISPARITY STUDY THAT WAS DONE IN 2016 SAID THE AFRICAN AMERICANS HAD THE MAJORITY OF THE CONTRACTS. SO NOW IT'S, I KNOW BY LAW YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO HAVE THESE DISPARITY STUDIES DONE EVERY FIVE YEARS, BUT THIS CITY COUNCIL [02:50:01] ALL OR BEFORE YOU HAS NEVER DONE IT. SO I'M HERE REPRESENTING LULAC DISTRICT EIGHT, WHICH COVERS 25 COUNTIES. LULAC NATIONAL HAS OVER 250,000 MEMBERS OVER THE UNITED STATES. WE'RE ALMOST TOGETHER 100 YEARS. AND NOW, AND KEEP IN MIND Y'ALL, THAT NOT ONLY AM I A MEMBER OF LULAC FOR 44 YEARS, I'M ALSO A MEMBER OF THE NAACP FOR 30 YEARS. SO IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH COLOR WITH ME. BUT WHAT I DO CARE ABOUT IS FAIRNESS. WOMEN HAVE TO BE INCLUDED. BLACKS HAVE TO BE INCLUDED. HISPANICS HAVE TO BE INCLUDED. ASIANS AND WOMEN, WOMEN, THERE'S A LOT OF WOMEN BUSINESSES THAT ARE OVERLOOKED BECAUSE THEY'RE OF COLOR, WHICH IS STUPID. I, LET ME READ TO YOU WHAT OUR NATIONAL PRESIDENT ASKED ME TO READ TO YOU. AS THE NATION'S OLDEST AND LARGEST HISPANIC LATINO ORGANIZATION THAT HAS WORKED ALONGSIDE OTHER COMMUNITIES TO PURSUE EQUALITY, JUSTICE, AND OPPORTUNITY FOR NEARLY A CENTURY, WE HAVE ADVOCATED FOR POLICIES THAT EXPEND ACCESS TO ECONOMIC ADVANCEMENT, RECOGNIZING THAT THE GREATEST STRENGTHS COMES AND LIES IN UNITY. NOW, THIS IS THE OTHER THING THAT, 'CAUSE HE GAVE ME A LONG LETTER AND I KNEW I WASN'T GONNA BE ABLE TO READ IT ALL. IT SAYS HERE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, IF THE CITY OF HOUSTON SIGNALS THAT LEGAL PRESSURE IS ENOUGH TO DISMANTLE OPPORTUNITY PROGRAMS, IT INVITES A FUTURE WHERE EVERY CHALLENGE IS GOING TO BE MET. NOT WITH DIALOGUE, BUT WITH LITIGATION. LULAC TWO IS NO STRANGER TO THE COURTS. AS YOU KNOW. WE HAVE ONE, TWO, OR THREE IN THE SUPREME COURTS HERE LATELY BECAUSE WE HAVE AN ARM CALLED MALDEF, MEXICAN AMERICAN LEGAL FUND. THOSE ARE OUR ATTORNEYS THAT WORK FOR US. AND IN THE CITY WHERE HISPANICS COMPROMISE COMPRISE THE MAJORITY, IT IS NOT A DIFFICULT DECISION FOR US TO STEP UP AND DEFEND THE RIGHTS OF HISPANIC OWNED BUSINESSES THAT ARE HISTORICALLY BEEN EXCLUDED FROM PROSPERITY OF CITY CONTRACTING. I'M ASKING YOU TO DO THE RIGHT THING. WE NEED TO CONTINUE WITH THE MWBE PROGRAM TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE EQUALITY THERE. VOTE NO. VOTE NO. NOT BECAUSE BULLYING OR NOTHING, BUT BECAUSE IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO. BE FAIR TO EVERYONE. AND THIS IS THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN DO IT. STOP LISTENING TO THESE PEOPLE THAT YOU KNOW IT IS. JUST GIVE THIS ONE AND GIVE THAT ONE. GET SOMEBODY WHO CAN RUN THE PROGRAM THAT CAN DO IT RIGHT. IF YOU HAVE TO DO THAT, DO IT. THANK YOU, MARY. THAT'S ALL. NO QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MAYOR VLADIMIR, THE RUN HO TO BE FOLLOWED BY ALDO IBARRA. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. I AM A BUSINESS OWNER CERTIFIED AS AN MBE AND SBE WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON. I HAVE, I HAVE BEEN IN BUSINESS FOR 20 YEARS AND I HAVE ATTENDED MANY OF THE C PROGRAMS TO GROW MY BUSINESS TO MANY. I REPRESENT A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS. HOWEVER, I HAVE NOT GRADUATED AND I DON'T SEE MYSELF GRADUATING ANYTIME SOON. HOW MANY COMPANIES DO YOU KNOW THAT HAVE CURRENTLY GRADUATED LEGITIMATELY FROM THE SBE PROGRAM OVER THE MBE PROGRAM? HOW MANY COMPANIES HAVE YOU SEEN GRADUATING UNDER THE CURRENT, UH, UH, LAW? SO WE CAN CELEBRATE. WE ARE PROPOSING TO INCREASE THE MWBE GOAL WITHOUT HISPANIC ASIANS ON WOMEN FOR NON-PROFESSIONALS AND INCREASE DSB GOALS. WE ALL KNOW THAT THE CHALLENGES, IF YOU GO INTO AN SBE PROGRAM, WE ALL KNOW THE CHALLENGES. IF WE GO ON THERE, WHAT WE WANT IS A PROGRAM THAT SERVES EVERYBODY. SO THE PROGRAM THAT WE SUGGEST IS IF WE KEEP THE PROGRAM AS IT IS RIGHT NOW, IT'S REALLY SERVING EVERYBODY. IF YOU MOVE IT ALL TO AN SBE, IT SERVES EVERYBODY. BUT DON'T SEPARATE US. THE ISSUE HERE IS THE RECOMMENDATION THAT IS BEING IMPLEMENTED. THE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE BEING RECOMMENDED. I'LL BE GRADUATED TO AN SBE PROGRAMS WHERE THE OPPORTUNITIES WILL BE A LOT MORE LIMITED. IF YOU SEE A UTILIZATION OF HISPANICS AND ASIANS THAT IS GROWING OR WOMEN AND NON-PROFESSIONAL IS GROWING, THAT'S NOT A REFLECTION OF ALL HISPANIC BUSINESSES OR ALL ASIANS THAT ARE BEING GRADUATED BY DOING THIS, YOU'RE KILLING THE DREAM OF ELIZABETH, THE LADY WHO WAS HERE BEFORE WHO SPOKE EARLIER BY MOVING HER TO AN SBE PROGRAM. SHE'S JUST STARTING A BUSINESS [02:55:01] AS A DESERT CATERING AND YOU MOVE HER TO A SMALL BUSINESS. HOW IS SHE GONNA DO BETTER IF THERE IS COMPANIES GRADUATING GRADUATE, THOSE SPECIFIC COMPANIES WHO MADE THE THRESHOLD, LET'S CELEBRATE THEM. LET'S BE FAIR TO THEM. BUT DO NOT ASSUME THAT ALL THE FINDINGS OF THESE DISPAR STUDIES REPRESENT THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY OF HISPANIC ASIANS AND WOMENS AND BUSINESSES. THE CITIZEN SEEMS TO BE PRESSURED BY THIS LITIGATION TO MAKE A DECISION FAST. THERE IS NOT A PRESSURE. IT SHOULD BE TAKEN OUT FOR THAT PRESSURE AND MAKE SURE THAT WE MAKE A DECISION. SMART. JUST THE REASON THAT WE ALL MANY PEOPLE HERE IS BECAUSE SOMETHING IS WRONG. SOMETHING IS WRONG. WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO, OKAY, WRAP IT UP PLEASE. OKAY. IF YOU REJECT THIS RECOMMENDATION, IF YOU REJECT THIS OPTION, WHICH IS WHAT WE RECOMMEND, YOU WILL CONTINUE UNDER, UNDER THE SAME PROGRAM. IT'S AN MWB PROGRAM FOR ALL. AND IT'S IF THERE IS DISPARITY WORK WITHIN THE PROGRAM TO MOVE THOSE WHO ARE DESPAIRED TO A, TO A BETTER ROLE IN THE PROGRAM. THERE IS MANY PROGRAMS IN THE PROGRAM LIKE I'VE BEEN DOING IT THAT I CAN BE GRADUATED, BUT I HAVE, I'M NOT READY TO GRADUATE, BUT I HAVE GONE TO THE PROGRAM BONDING PROGRAMS, FINANCE PROGRAMS, ALL THE KIND OF PROGRAMS. THERE IS TOOLS IN THE SYSTEM TO USE IT. SO LET US ALL BE ON THE MWE OR LET US ALL BE ON DSB. OKAY? THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT OSWALDO IBARRA. HI. GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYBODY. MAYOR, THANKS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME AND REPRESENTATIVE TO HISPANIC PEOPLE OVER HERE IN SBE. WE SUPPORTED SBE BECAUSE I WAS WORKING HARD FOR 30 YEARS ON THIS COUNTRY. AND, UH, THAT'S THE ONLY WAY I HAVE TO BE. AND I'M LOOKING THE BIG OPPORTUNITY TO GROW UP WITH MY, WITH, WITH, UH, MY FAMILY AND MY, MY JOB, MY, MY COMPANY. AND, UH, I SHOW MY MY KIDS HOUSE. WE'RE WORKING HARD. AND, UH, DON'T LET GO TO THE, DON'T LEAVE THE THE SCHOOL TO PREPARE TO BE ADVANCED THROUGH EVERYBODY. SO THEY, WE DON'T WANNA GO AGAIN TO NOBODY. LOOK UP TO US. THAT IS ONLY THING. I HAVE TO BE THE THANK. THANK YOU SIR. THANK YOU. NEXT COUNCIL. PATRICK. SORRY. DAVIS HAS A PROCEDURE. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS HAS A PROCEDURAL. COUNCILMAN DAVIS? YES. THANK YOU MAYOR. I'D LIKE TO MAKE A PROCEDURAL. UM, I LIKE TO ASK THEM TO MOVE, TO SUSPEND THE RULE TO MOVE HELEN, MARLON, MARGO TO THE THREE MINUTE, UH, AGENDA LIST FOLLOWING, UH, MR. BARRA. OKAY, IS THERE A SECOND? WHO RAMIR? YOU WANT A SECOND? FOLLOWING? PATRICK CASTILLO. COUNCILOR RAMIREZ. YOU WANT A SECOND? SECOND. ITS MOTION. SECOND. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. PATRICK CASTILLO. GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. UM, I'M JUST GONNA TALK ABOUT CAPACITY 'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT FOR THE LAST 11 MONTHS, AND THAT'S KINDA WHAT I'M GONNA STICK WITH NOW. UH, WHEN I WAS VOTED INTO THE EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN OF NAMAC, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MINORITY CONTRACTORS BACK IN JUNE, THE FIRST THING I DID WAS REACH OUT TO THE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH CAPACITY IN OUR INDUSTRY. AND I REACHED OUT TO RHCA, REGIONAL HISPANIC CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION, HCA, HOUSTON CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION, A GC ASSOCIATION OF GENERAL CONTRACTORS, A BC, ASSOCIATE OF BUILDERS AND CONTRACTORS. AND WE FORMED A, UH, INCENTIVE THAT EVERYBODY WAS AGREEING UPON, BECAUSE AGAIN, THERE'S NOT ENOUGH CAPACITY THAT WAS GOING AROUND FOR THE SIZE OF PROJECTS THAT WERE GOING ON. THE WAY THE PAST POLICY WAS, IT WAS FOR PROJECTS THAT WERE 20, 30, 40, $50 MILLION. NOW THESE PROJECTS ARE A HUNDRED MILLION, 300 MILLION, HALF A BILLION, 800 MILLION OVER $1.2 BILLION. AND ALL THE PRIMES WERE RAISING THEIR HANDS AND SAYING, HEY, THERE'S NOT ENOUGH CAPACITY GOING ON. THIS PROGRAM'S NOT WORKING. AND SO WE HAD TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE NEEDED TO DO, WHAT WE NEEDED TO COME UP WITH TO KEEP THIS CAPACITY GROWING BECAUSE TO WRAP IT UP AS WE GOT A LOT, SURE, I GOTCHA. AND, UH, THANK YOU MAYOR. AND, UH, SO THAT'S WHAT WE DID TO, WE CAME UP WITH POINTS THAT ARE ACTUALLY ON THIS AMENDMENT PART THAT KEPT EVERYBODY TOGETHER. BONDING SHOULD BE [03:00:01] A FULL REQUIREMENT BECAUSE IT HOLDS ME UP FROM BID ON OTHER PROJECTS. THE PAY APP, THE, THE PRIME SHOULD GET PAID INSIDE THE PAY APP. AND IF THERE'S CONTRACTORS THAT DID THEIR WORK, THEY SHOULD GET PAID. THEY SHOULD MOVE ON, KEEP GROWING THEIR COMPANY. AND IF SOMEBODY DIDN'T HOLD THEIR MONEY BACK, DON'T HOLD EVERYBODY'S MONEY BACK. AND IF THEY DO GET THE WORK DONE, PAY 'EM WITHIN 30 DAYS. I MEAN, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH COMMON SENSE. THAT'S KINDA WHERE WE'RE AT. MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. NEXT. HELEN MALDONADO. THANK YOU MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL FOR HEARING US TODAY. I'M HERE WITH MY SISTER SARAH IVY EDWARDS ON BEHALF OF OUR MOTHER, UH, FRAN IVY, WHO WAS MURDERED 42 YEARS AGO, AUGUST 19TH, 1983. AND WE ARE HERE REALLY TO ASK YOU GUYS TO HELP HPD ENCOURAGE HPD TO MOVE THE EVIDENCE THAT FINALLY THEY WENT AND SENT OFF TO GET DNA DONE. THEY GOT A PROFILE FROM THE NATIONAL DNA LAB IN FLORIDA, AGAIN AFTER 42 YEARS. THIS IS AMAZING. BUT IT IS STALLED AND I DON'T KNOW WHY. WE HAVE HAM LABS RIGHT HERE IN THE WOODLANDS, TEXAS THAT IS SOLVING UNSOLVABLE MURDER CASES ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. WE WOULD LIKE HAM LABS TO GET THE EVIDENCE, UM, EVERY, ALL THE FINDINGS THAT THEY FOUND, ANYTHING THAT THEY CAN GET SO THAT THEY CAN HELP SOLVE THIS CASE WAS TRIPLE IT. A TRIPLE HOMICIDE. I'M SORRY. NO, I APOLOGIZE. GO AHEAD. IT WAS A TRIPLE HOMICIDE. IT WAS OUR MOTHER FRAN IVY, HER REAL ESTATE BROKER, UH, ELIZABETH SHUMATE AND THE OFFICE MANAGER. JOANNE BROWN. YEAH. SO THREE FAMILIES. I'M SORRY TO ASK YOU, WHEN'S THE LAST CONTACT YOU HAD WITH H HI. UM, WHO? P-D-H-P-D. . HPD. UH, LAST MONTH. IT WAS IN, UH, FEBRUARY. I'M SORRY. YEP. FEBRUARY. WHAT? I JUST TALKED TO THIS GUY TOO. MR. CARR? YES. OKAY, WELL THAT'S WHAT I WAS GONNA RECOMMEND. YEAH, WE, I JUST SPOKE WITH HIM AS WELL. ALRIGHT, WELL I WOULD STAY IN CONTACT WITH HIM AND LET HIM, UH, WORK, USE THE PROCESS TO GET YOU THE CONSIDERATION. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK Y'ALL FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UH, MAYOR PROM CAST. THANK YOU MAYOR. I'D LIKE TO MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO ADD ASHLEY ATKINS, UH, BEHIND FLOOR HALL. OKAY, SECOND. ONE SECOND. THANK YOU LADIES, YOU CAN MEET WITH MR. CARR AND WE'LL STAY IN TOUCH. THANK YOU SO MUCH MR. MAYOR. THANK YOU'ALL FOR BEING THANK YOU ALL FOR WAITING. COUNCIL, YOU WANNA RESTATE THE ASHLEY ATKINS? OKAY. WHAT ABOUT HER BEHIND FLO HALL OR H-O-I-L-L? IS SHE ADDING A NAME? ADDING ASHLEY ATKINS. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. COUNCIL PLUMMER. OH, MAYOR WIMAR. I WOULD LIKE TO SUSPEND THE RULES AND ADD CHEAH REYES BEHIND ASHLEY ATKINS. ATKINS. OKAY, PLEASE. A SECOND. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. COUNCIL COULD STEER YOU. NO, THAT WAS MY MOTION. GIVE ONE MOMENT PLEASE. WHO, WHO'S SECOND? THE HARRIS RANK RAMEZ RAMIREZ. OKAY. I SECOND. OKAY. UH, BISHOP JAMES DIXON. NO. ONE SECOND. DID YOU WANNA MAKE A MOTION? NO. COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER MADE THE MOTION. OKAY. VERY GOOD. UH, PASTOR DIXON, BISHOP DIXON TO BE FOLLOWED BY KAREN BERA. GOOD AFTERNOON MAYOR. AND THOSE PEANUT BUTTER CRACKERS. I, YOU COULD SHARE THAT PLEASE. AND TO THE COUNCIL. UH, I AM HONORED TO BE HERE TODAY. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. AND I APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S ATTENTION TO THIS VERY SERIOUS ISSUE THAT WE'VE ALL COME TO DISCUSS TODAY. I WANT TO SAY, AS OTHERS HAVE STATED, OF COURSE, MY NAME IS JAMES DIXON. I'M A BROTHER TO EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM. AND I'VE WORKED AS A PARTNER WITH EVERY COMMUNITY REPRESENTATIVE IN THIS ROOM OVER 40 YEARS. AND, UH, I AM HERE TODAY ON BEHALF OF THE HOUSTON BRANCHES, NACP. UH, TO, UH, AGAIN, [03:05:01] STATE OUR URGING SUPPORT FOR THE COUNCIL TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE OBOS RECOMMENDATIONS AND THE ADAPTING OF THE 2023 STUDY. I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE SAID THAT WE ARE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION BECAUSE OF HISTORIC SYSTEMIC DISPARITIES BASED ON DISCRIMINATION. UH, I WAS SO HONORED THAT MOTHER MCGOWAN WAS HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE HISTORY OF HOW THIS CAME INTO EXISTENCE. AND THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS THE PIE IS STILL TOO SMALL. MM-HMM . AND, AND SO WE FIND OURSELVES FIGHTING OVER THE SMALL PIECES. UH, THAT IS A DISPARITY IN AND OF ITSELF. UH, AND I THINK WE NEED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT, WHICH BRINGS US TO A POINT TO WHERE WE ARE NOW FIGHTING FOR WHAT WE THINK WE HAVE TO HAVE TO SURVIVE. BUT THE REALITY IS WE'VE LIVED WITH STUDIES FOR A LONG TIME AND, UH, I'VE NOT ALWAYS APPRECIATED THE OUTCOMES OF STUDIES. UH, THEY'VE NOT ALWAYS FAVORED US, BUT I'VE RESPECTED STUDIES BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT DATA DOES. UH, WE ARE IN A PREDICAMENT NOW WHERE WE DON'T HAVE A PERFECT PROGRAM. BUT CLEARLY THE PER THE PROGRAM HAS BEEN A PATHWAY TO PROGRESS. AND WE'VE SEEN INDIVIDUALS OR SEEN BUSINESSES PROGRESS AND PROSPER THROUGH THE PRESENT M-W-B-O-B PROGRAM. IT CAN BE BETTER. I THINK THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE MAKE IT CLEAR THAT THE PROGRAM COULD BE BETTER. I THINK A PROGRAM THAT GIVES OTHERS ACCESS NOW TO A PROMOTION TO MOVE TO SBE EXPANDING SBE OPPORTUNITY, THAT'S A GOOD STEP FORWARD. IT'S NOT PERFECT 'CAUSE THERE IS NO PERFECT PROGRAM TO CURE OVER 200 YEARS OF RACISM IN AMERICA. BUT WE HAVE TO MAKE PROGRESS AS PROGRESS IS BEING MADE. I DO BELIEVE THIS, THAT IF I ENDED BOXING AT LIGHTWEIGHT AND I STARTED WINNING AND I GOT STRONG ENOUGH TO HIRE ANOTHER MANAGER AND A TRAINER, AND I GOT STRONG ENOUGH TO GET TO 40 POUNDS HEAVIER, I'M GONNA GRADUATE TO ANOTHER WEIGHT CLASS. I CAN NO LONGER FIGHT IN THE WEIGHT CLASS I ENTERED IN. IF I WALKED OUT HERE TODAY AND YOU AND MY RIGHT FRONT TIRE WAS FLAT, I WOULD PAY ATTENTION TO THAT. THE FLAT TIRE, NOT THE ONES THAT ARE INFLATED. THIS DISPARITY STUDY SHOWS WHICH TIRES ARE STILL DEFLATED. THEN WE NEED TO PUT TI AIR IN THE TIRES THAT ARE DEFLATED BECAUSE THE ENTIRE CAR IS IMMOBILE UNTIL ALL TIRES ARE PROPERLY INFLATED. THIS STUDY SHOWS THAT NOT ONLY AFRICAN AMERICANS, BUT THERE ARE WOMEN, THERE ARE ASIANS, THERE ARE OTHER GROUPS WHO ARE STILL DEFLATED ECONOMICALLY AS IT RELATES TO OPPORTUNITY. THIS IS AN EFFORT TO FIX THE DEFLATED TIRES SO THAT ALL TIES CAN GET INFLATED. AND ULTIMATELY ONE DAY WE SHOULD WALK OUTSIDE IN THE ENTIRE CAR IS SUPPLIED WITH TIRES THAT ARE EQUALLY INFLATED BECAUSE THAT MAKES THE TI THE ENTIRE CAR RUN. WELL, BISHOP, I'LL STOP THERE. COUNCILMAN PLUMMER. ONLY YOU COULD COME HERE AND MAKE IT ALL MAKE SENSE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH, BISHOP, FOR BEING HERE. AND I WISH YOU WENT FIRST 'CAUSE WE COULD HAVE PROBABLY ELIMINATED A WHOLE BUNCH OF THESE CONVERSATIONS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. REALLY APPRECIATE YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER EVANS. THANK YOU MAYOR BISHOP, THAT THOSE WERE GREAT ANALOGIES AND THEY ARE A TESTAMENT TO WHY YOU ARE A GREAT PREACHER. AND SO CERTAINLY, UM, I MEAN, IT MADE IT VERY CLEAR IN WHAT YOU'RE SAYING AND CERTAINLY I'M VERY PROUD OF YOU AS THE LEADER OF THE NAACP. WHY I AM PROUD TO BE THE SECOND VICE PRESIDENT. SO THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR COMING. MY THANK YOU, SIR. THANK YOU. THANKS, JAMES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. BE GOOD. THANK YOU. NEXT, KAREN BERA. KAREN BERA. MUSTAFA TO ME TO BE FOLLOWED BY ARTURO VIVAR. THAT'S NOT ME, MAYOR. UH, MAYOR, UH, MEMBERS A PICTURE OF THE PHONE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TODAY, . I WANNA KEEP MY MARKS VERY BRIEF AND THEN MAYBE ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE. THERE ARE ST THERE, THERE ARE, UM, ISSUES WITH THE DISPARITY STUDY, NOT JUST IN THE QUALITATIVE INFORMATION, BUT ALSO THE QUANTITATIVE INFORMATION. I THINK YOU'VE ASKED SEVERAL TIMES WHAT THEY ARE, SO I'D LOVE TO BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT THAT. I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT WE HAVE TO REMEMBER IS THAT THE STUDY LOOKED AT NON-MINORITY WOMEN [03:10:01] AND IT COLLECTED DATA ON NON-MINORITY WOMEN. IT DID NOT COLLECT DATA ON MINORITY WOMEN. SO WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE PROGRAM IS THAT WE'RE GONNA MOVE HISPANIC WOMEN, WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES, AND ASIAN WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES OUT OF THE MWB PROGRAM OR M OR, OR THE, OR THE CLASSIFICATION, AND MAKE THEM PART OF SBE WITHOUT COLLECTING ANY DATA ON THEM. SO THE ISSUE WITH THE, THE QUANTITATIVE DATA WAS HOW, IT'S NOT HOW IT WAS COLLECTED, BUT THE FACT THAT THEY DIDN'T ACTUALLY LOOK AS A STUDY AS TO WHAT KIND OF DATA SHOULD BE COLLECTED IN THE FIRST PLACE IN A LEGAL CHALLENGE. JUST LIKE THAT, YOU'RE FACING A LAWSUIT TODAY. YOU'LL LIKELY FACE A LAWSUIT FROM LULAC AND OTHER NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS AT THAT POINT. THEY WILL LOOK BACK AT THIS DATA, THEY WILL DO REGRESSION ANALYSIS AND THEY WILL POKE HOLES IN IT BECAUSE THEY WILL FIND THEIR OWN EXPERTS TO DO SO. THE CITY IS IN BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE. THE DECISION WE MAKE SHOULD MAKE A PERMANENT FIX, NOT A TEMPORARY FIX. WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THIS, NOT JUST WHAT THIS IS IN THE COURT OF LAW, BUT IN THE COURT OF A PUBLIC OPINION AND HOW THIS IS BEING PERCEIVED. I THINK A LOT OF GOOD POINTS WERE MADE TODAY WITH A LOT OF GOOD FRIENDS. THERE'S, THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY AGREEMENT ACROSS THAT, BUT WE'RE SOMETIMES LOOKING AT A TREE AND KIND OF MISSING THE FOREST IN THIS. THIS HAS BECOME A DIVISIVE PROCESS AMONGST FRIENDS THAT SHOULDN'T EXIST, BUT IT IS. AND I THINK MOVING FORWARD, WE'VE GOTTA ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS IN AN OPEN WAY. MAKE SURE THAT WE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS DISPARITY STUDY, AFTER SPENDING $900,000, BOTH THE QUALITATIVE AND THE QUANTITATIVE WORK THAT WAS DONE WAS FLAWED. AND IT'S GONNA BE VERY HARD TO DEFEND IT NOT JUST IN THE COURT OF LAW, BUT IN THE COURT OF PUBLIC OPINION. MAYOR, THANK YOU. AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. COUNCILMAN CASTILLO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, THANK YOU MUSTAFA FOR YOUR COMMENTS. I THINK YOU PUT A REALLY GOOD PERSPECTIVE ON WHAT WE ARE FACED WITH AND THE FACT THAT WE ARE IN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE AS A CITY. AND DEPENDING ON OUR ACTIONS TOMORROW, WE'RE CURRENTLY IN A LAWSUIT, WE MAY BE FACED WITH ANOTHER ONE, UH, DEPENDING ON THE VOTE. AND WE'RE SEEING OUR PROGRAM, OUR MWBE PROGRAM PUT IT IN JEOPARDY. UM, FROM YOUR ANALYSIS OF THE STUDY AND THE DATA, YOU TALKED ABOUT THE QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS BEING FLAWED, UM, AND NOT BEING ABLE TO, TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT, UM, CERTAIN DEMOGRAPHICS OF WOMEN. WERE THERE ANY OTHER COMPONENTS, UH, THAT WERE FLAWED THAT YOU NOTICED? LOOK, I MEAN, WITHIN THE SURVEY, I KNOW THAT'S BEEN SPOKEN A NUMBER OF TIMES. THE REASON WHY YOU DO BOTH QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE IS THAT WHEN YOU COLLECT THE QUANTITATIVE INFORMATION, IF IT DOESN'T RECONCILE, IF IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE, THE QUALITATIVE INFORMATION YOU GATHER, THE LIVED EXPERIENCE SHOULD HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHETHER THE QUANTITATIVE INFORMATION MAKES SENSE OR NOT. SO IF YOU DIDN'T COLLECT THE RIGHT INFORMATION TO BEGIN WITH, AND THEN WHEN YOU WENT TO QUALITATIVELY BY LOOKING AT A FOCUS GROUP, BY LOOKING AT COMMUNITY GATHERINGS AND COLLECTING INFORMATION TO SEE IF THE QUANTITATIVE INFORMATION, IF YOU DIDN'T DO THAT PART, THEN THE VALIDITY OF THE STUDY DOESN'T WORK. AND I'M, I, AND, AND CLEARLY, I I AM, I DON'T THINK IN THE 30 YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN PART OF THIS, I'VE EVER STOOD HERE BEFORE AND I COME HERE NOT AS AN ADVOCATE, BUT AS A FRIEND TO THE CITY COUNCIL, YOU WILL FACE MORE LEGAL CHALLENGES. THE LEAD STORIES ON NATIONAL PUBLICATIONS AND ON UNIVISION AND TELEMUNDO WILL BE THE CITY OF HOUSTON, THE FOURTH LARGEST CITY. NOT JUST THE MOST DIVERSITY, BUT THE MOST INCLUSIVE CITY IS CHANGING THE RULES OF THE GAME AND NOT MAKING A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD. THAT IS THE PERCEPTION OF THIS. I THINK, UH, I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT AND I THINK YOU, UM, YOU REALLY SPELLED IT OUT IN A WAY THAT'S EASY TO UNDERSTAND IT WITH RECOMMENDATIONS FROM A STUDY THAT'S FLAWED. WE'RE NOW MAKING DECISIONS OFF OF THAT. UM, AND SO THAT TELLS YOU THAT FUNDAMENTALLY THERE'S AN ISSUE HERE AND WE'RE FACED WITH THIS CHOICE FROM A STUDY THAT WASN'T DONE PROPERLY AND IS PRODUCING RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THAT. UM, SO I, I APPRECIATE YOU COMING HERE AND, AND, UH, SHARING YOUR THOUGHTS. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MUSTAFA. UH, I, I'M, YOU BROUGHT UP THE, THEY DIDN'T LOOK AT, THEY LOOKED AT NON-MINORITY WOMEN, BUT NOT MINORITY WOMEN. AND SO I WANNA, I'M GETTING BACK TO THE BAKER OF THE DESSERTS. SO SINCE SHE QUALIFIED AS A WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS, SHE, SHE'S FOR GOODS, NON-MINORITY WOMEN FOR GOOD. SO, SO, BUT WOULD SHE, DOES SHE STILL QUALIFY UNDER HISPANIC? YEAH. LET ME, LET ME JUST CLARIFY, RIGHT? YES. LET'S LEAVE ASIDE THAT. LET'S LOOK AT THE BULK OF THE, I'VE BEEN WONDERING ABOUT THIS [03:15:01] BAKER ALL DAY. NO, I I GOT IT. LET JUST, BUT IF SHE, I THINK GOODS IS DIFFERENT. IT'S A DIFFERENT CATEGORY, RIGHT? GOODS. GOODS. I SAW THAT. NON-MINORITY WOMEN, NO DISPARITY FOR GOODS, BUT HISPANIC FIRMS DISPARITY, DISPARITY FOR GOODS. BUT IF YOU LOOK AT PROFESSIONAL SERVICES MM-HMM . RIGHT? LET'S SAY IF SHE'S A WOMEN-OWNED ENGINEERING BUSINESS OR WOMEN-OWNED LAW FIRM, OR WOMEN-OWNED, UM, INSURANCE COMPANY, SURE. RIGHT? UNDER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, SHE BE CLASSIFIED AS A HISPANIC AND SHE WOULD BE GRADUATED OUT OF THE PROGRAM. SO IF YOU'RE AN ASIAN AND, AND, AND IF THERE'S OTHERS ON THE TABLE THAT HAVE DIFFERENT INFORMATION LEFT TO TALK BACK AND FORTH ON THIS, RIGHT? IF YOU ARE A ASIAN OWNED, WOMEN OWNED, UM, MWB FIRM THAT HAS BEEN DOING BUSINESS AS AN ENGINEER, YOU ARE NO LONGER GONNA BE IN THAT CATEGORY ANYMORE. YOU'RE GONNA BE IN THE SPE PROGRAM. AND THERE WAS NO DATA THAT WAS GATHERED ON YOUR BEHALF. SO IT'S ALMOST LIKE SAYING YOUR BROTHER DID A GREAT JOB AND HE GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL AND I'M GONNA GRADUATE U2. AND WAS THERE WITHOUT ANY DATA, WAS THERE ANY KIND OF REASON GIVEN FOR WHY THAT CATEGORY WASN'T? NO, BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK AT THE CHART, THERE'S A CHART IN THE STUDY, RIGHT? YES. I'VE BEEN LOOKING AT IT AND IT BASICALLY SAYS NON-MINORITY WOMEN, RIGHT? SO IF YOU'RE NON-MINORITY WOMEN, ANGLO WOMEN, RIGHT? SO IF YOU ARE A HISPANIC WOMAN-OWNED BUSINESS OR AN ASIAN WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESS, THERE'S NO, THERE'S NO DATA BEING GATHERED FOR YOU. SO YOU ARE BEING MOVED TO THE SPE PROGRAM. OKAY? THAT IS, JUST THINK ABOUT THE LAWSUIT THAT YOU WILL GET FROM THIS. AND IF, AND IF I, IF THERE IS A DISAGREEMENT ON THIS, I'D LOVE TO TALK ABOUT IT BECAUSE I THINK WE SHOULD DO IT OPENLY. AND I THINK THAT, LOOK, THERE'S A LOT OF EMOTIONS IN THIS. THIS IS, THIS IS A DEEPLY LIKE SOMEONE LIKE ME, RIGHT? STANDING BEFORE YOU ON THIS WANT, WHY AM I DOING IT? LIKE BUZZ THIS FOR THE CITY. I MEAN, THIS IS HITTING THE CORE OF WHAT WE BELIEVE AS DEMOCRATS AND IN THIS KIND OF A CITY OF DIVERSITY. SO THIS IS NOT AN EASY THING AND NO ONE'S TRYING TO STIR THINGS UP. WE'RE TRYING TO GET TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS BECAUSE IT HAS NOT BEEN DONE. AND NOW WE HAVE A LITIGATION AND WE'RE TOLD THAT YOU'VE GOT TO AGREE TO THIS. OTHERWISE WE CAN'T, WE DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER FOR THE JUDGE CAN. HOW DO WE AGREE TO THIS WHEN THERE'S SOME GAPING HOLES IN THIS? COUNCILMAN POLLARD. THANK YOU MAYOR MUSTAFA. I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS. I, I THINK WHAT YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND, FOR ONE, YOU CAN HAVE STUDY AFTER STUDY AFTER STUDY AND PEOPLE MAY INTERPRET IT HOWEVER THEY WANT TO INTERPRET IT. SOME PEOPLE MAY AGREE, SOME PEOPLE MAY DISAGREE. EVERY RACIAL GROUP AND GENDER BROKEN DOWN BY CATEGORY WAS EXAMINED WITHIN THIS STUDY. YOUR BROTHER AND YOUR SISTER ARE, YOU KNOW, IF, IF IT WAS A MALE OR A FEMALE, YOU'RE BOTH HISPANIC, YOU'RE GOING TO STILL BE LISTED UNDER HISPANIC. OKAY? AGREED. ALRIGHT. SO IF YOU HAVE A PENDING LITIGATION AND THE PLAINTIFFS ARE CHALLENGING THE VALIDITY OF THE PROGRAM IN ITS ENTIRETY MM-HMM . AND YOU HAVE TO DEFEND THE PROGRAM. MM-HMM . YOU HAVE TO PRESENT SOME EVIDENCE THAT THE PROGRAM IS MERITORIOUS. MM-HMM . WHAT WE HAVE NOW IS THIS STUDY MM-HMM . BUT FOR THE STUDY, WE HAVE NOTHING. YES. IF WE GO IN THERE WITH NOTHING, IT GIVES A HIGHER LIKELIHOOD THAT THE ENTIRE PROGRAM WILL POSSIBLY BE DISMANTLED. YES. IF THEIR WHOLE PROGRAM IS DISMANTLED, THEN ALL OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE HERE ADVOCATING ON ITS BEHALF WILL HAVE MUCH MORE UNCERTAINTY THAN THEY DO NOW. AND PROBABLY LET MORE, MUCH MORE LESS OPPORTUNITY. SO WE HAVE TO HAVE SOME BASIS AND WE CAN AGREE TO DISAGREE ON ALL OF THE WAYS IN WHICH THE STUDY WENT FORWARD, BUT WE HAVE TO HAVE SOMETHING TO GIVE OUR ATTORNEYS AMMUNITION TO FIGHT FOR THE PROGRAM. NOW, IF THE BODY WANTS TO SAY WE CAN MAKE IT BETTER AND MAYBE DO A DIFFERENT STUDY WITH DIFFERENT METRICS AND DIFFERENT METHODOLOGY, MAYBE OKAY. THAT'D BE FOR THE BODY TO, TO CONSIDER. BUT TO HAVE OUR LEGAL COUNSEL GO BEFORE A JUDGE AND ARGUE ON BEHALF OF THE VALIDITY OF THE PROGRAM WITHOUT ANYTHING PUTS US IN A WORSE POSITION. AT LEAST THIS STUDY INCLUDES EVERYONE IN SOME DEGREE. BECAUSE EVERYONE WILL STILL BE QUALIFIED FOR SBE. EVEN IF IT SHOWS, UH, NO DISPARITY FOR CERTAIN CATEGORY CATEGORIES. BUT WITHOUT [03:20:01] A PROGRAM AT ALL, THEN THERE WILL BE LESS OPPORTUNITY. AND IF YOU PUSH EVERYONE TO A SBE, EVEN KNOWING AND EVEN SHOWING THAT THERE IS CLEAR DISPARITIES FOR SOME GROUPS, IT WILL CREATE LESS OPPORTUNITY. SO I THINK WE SHOULD GO FORWARD WITH WHAT WE HAVE AND THEN BUILD UPON THAT IN THE FUTURE TO MAKE IT EVEN BETTER. MARY PAT, BECAUSE, 'CAUSE IN ESSENCE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS THAT IF YOU'RE HISPANIC WOMAN OWNED BUSINESS OR AN ASIAN WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS, THAT YOU FACE LESS DESCRIPTION, LESS DISCRIMINATION THAN WHITE WOMEN DO. THAT'S WHAT THE STUDY IS TELLING YOU. SO THAT'S WHAT YOUR PROGRAM'S GONNA GET DESIGNED FOR THAT JUST NO JUDGE IN APPELLATE LEVEL IS GONNA ALLOW THAT TO EXIST. I MEAN, I MEAN THAT, THAT, I MEAN IN ESSENCE, RIGHT? THAT'S, THAT'S CLARITY OF IT. THAT WE HAVE COLLECTED DATA ON NON-MINORITY WOMEN. SO WE HAVE COLLECTED DATA ON WHITE WOMEN DOING BUSINESS WITH THE CITY AND FOUND THAT THERE'S A DISPARITY. NOW WE'RE SAYING, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE DATA, THE ONLY DATA WE HAVE FOR HISPANIC WOMEN AND ASIAN WOMEN IS CONSOLIDATED WITH THE, WITH THE OTHER GENDER. RIGHT? WITH THE MALE GENDER. WE'RE JUST GONNA MOVE THEM ONTO THIS PROGRAM. HOW WILL THAT NOT BE? CHALLENGE, BUT THE ONLY REASON, YOU'RE ONLY REASON YOU'RE LOOKING AT, UH, WOMEN IN GENERAL, NON-MINORITY WOMEN, WHICH WOULD BE WHITE WOMEN IS 'CAUSE THEY ARE CLASSIFIED AS A MINORITY. OKAY? YOU'RE NOT THE ONLY, THE ONLY GROUP THAT'S NOT REALLY BEING, UM, SURVEYED OR LOOKED INTO REALLY ARE WHITE MALES. SO BLACK WOMEN ARE STILL BUNCHED IN WITH BLACK MEN. AGREED. BUT HISPANIC WOMEN AND ASIAN WOMEN ARE NOT. AND THEY'RE HERE. BUT WHAT I'M SAYING, AND THEY'RE FRUSTRATED BECAUSE THEY FEEL LIKE THEY DON'T HAVE THAT REPRESENTATION FROM THE CITY AND THEY'RE GONNA BE IMPACTED BY THE STUDY WHEN YOU ADOPT IT. AND IF THEY'RE GONNA BE IMPACTED BY A STUDY THAT THEY'RE GONNA BE ADOPTED AND THEY'RE NOT GONNA BENEFIT BY BEING IN THIS PROGRAM ANYMORE, WHY WOULD THEY SUPPORT IT? WHY WOULD THEY NOT FIGHT A LAWSUIT THE DAY AFTER? SO YOU SAYING THAT THEY'RE NOT BEING CONSIDERED, EVEN WHEN THEY'RE BEING, UM, THEY'RE IN THE SPE PROGRAM, THEY'LL BE CONSIDERED AS PART OF SPE, BUT WHAT I'M SAYING IS WITHIN THE STUDY, THEY'RE STILL BEING COUNTED WITHIN A RACIAL GROUP. YES, THEY ARE BEING COUNTED IN A RACIAL GROUP. BUT IF YOU'RE COUNTING, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT THAT WHITE WOMEN ARE BEING COUNTED, WHITE MEN ARE NOT HISPANIC WOMEN ARE, ARE NOT BEING COUNTED. THEY'RE BASICALLY NOT SEEN. AND ASIAN WOMEN ARE NOT SEEN ACCORDING TO THE STUDY. WHAT ABOUT BLACK WOMEN? UH, TO YOUR POINT, IT WOULD BE CONSIDERED IN THE AFRICAN AMERICAN SPACE WHERE THEY COLLECTED THE DATA AND THERE'S, AND THERE STILL SHOW DISPARITY ACROSS THE BOARD. SO WHAT I'M SAYING IS THE ONLY, THE ONLY GROUP THAT'S NOT BEING STUDIED ARE WHITE MEN. EVERYONE ELSE, EVERYONE ELSE IS BEING STUDIED OR THEIR DATA BASED ON EITHER YOU BEING A MINORITY BASED ON RACE OR, OR GENDER, WHICH WOULD BE WHITE WOMEN. I THINK THIS IS GONNA BE A VERY DIFFICULT POINT TO PROVE IN COURT. I THINK YOU'RE GONNA SEE MULTIPLE LAWSUITS THAT COME OUT OF THIS. I THINK THAT NO OTHER CITY HAS DONE THIS TO THIS LEVEL. I MEAN, THINK ABOUT IT. IF WE WERE STANDING HERE TALKING ABOUT THIS AND OBO WAS STANDING NEXT TO ME, THEY WOULD'VE TOLD YOU IN FIVE OF THE CITIES THIS HAS HAPPENED IN DIFFERENT WAYS. WHERE HAS THIS HAPPENED? ANY MAJOR CITY HAS DONE IT. NO, I, I MEAN I THINK WE BOTH WANT THE PROGRAM TO EXIST. THE, THE QUESTION IS HOW DO WE ENSURE THAT IT EXISTS AND GROWS? AND RIGHT NOW, WITHOUT HAVING ANY DATA TO PRESENT, I THINK YOU ARE GOING TO GO DOWN A PATH OF NO PROGRAM POSSIBLY. AND THEN WE'LL REALLY MAKE HEADLINES NATIONALLY FOR BEING THE MOST DIVERSE CITY IN A, IN A DEI ERA OF DISMANTLING RACE-BASED PROGRAMS. AND WE WILL BE THE POSTER CHILD FOR HOW TO VOLUNTARILY DO IT OURSELVES. WELL, IT'S, IT'S NOT VOLUNTARY. THERE'S A, THERE'S LITIGATION THAT'S FACING THE CITY. OTHER CITIES HAVE HAD THE SAME TYPE OF LITIGATION. THE, THE, THE QUESTION BECOMES, YOU PROACTIVELY CREATE A PROGRAM THAT IS NOT GONNA BE, THAT, THAT CAN BE DEFENDED IN COURT IN A WAY THAT YOU'RE NOT GONNA FACE OTHER LITIGATION THAT WILL CONTINUALLY PUT US IN A LITIGATION MODE AND CREATE DISRUPTION IN OUR BUSINESS PROCESS. YOU WANT SOMETHING, YOU WANT A SOLUTION THAT'S GOING TO, YOU KNOW, CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE THERE'S A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD AND THAT THERE'S NO FURTHER LITIGATION. AND WE, I DON'T THINK YOU'LL EVER CREATE ENVIRONMENT WHERE THERE'S NO MORE LITIGATION. THIS WILL BE LITIGATED ONE WAY OR THE OTHER. LIKE, WE'RE GETTING LITIGATED NOW BECAUSE SOMEBODY FEELS AS IF THE PROGRAM IS UNFAIR. IT WILL CONTINUE TO BE THAT WAY AT ALL TIMES BECAUSE THESE TYPE OF PROGRAMS ARE ALWAYS GONNA GET CHALLENGED. THAT'S WHY YOU NEED A BODY OF REPRESENTATIVES TO FIGHT FOR IT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER, I I WOULD, I WOULD SAY I WOULD 99% AGREE WITH YOU [03:25:01] ON THIS ISSUE. ON ITS ON WHAT, ON HISTORICALLY WHAT IT MEANS TO ALL OF US, THE CHALLENGES THAT WE ARE FACING, MULTIPLE LITIGATIONS THAT WILL NOW ALLOW THIS KIND OF A PROGRAM TO EXIST. AND EITHER WE CREATE SOMETHING THAT ALLOWS US TO BUILD ON THE PROGRAM AND, AND NOT HAVE DISRUPTIONS OR WE TRY TO THINK OF THE LEGACY OF IT, WHICH HAS MEANT GREAT DEAL TO ALL OF US. AND THEN IN, IN THE, IN THE INTEREST OF NOT CAUSING, IN THE INTEREST OF NOT INJUSTICE TO SOME, WE'RE CREATING INJUSTICE TO OTHERS. AND ONE MORE THING, MAYOR NOT, IS NOT GONNA WORK. I JUST WANT TO GET YOUR, WHAT WOULD BE YOUR, WHAT WOULD BE YOUR SOLUTION THEN? YOU KNOW, MY SOLUTION WOULD BE TO GO CREATE A PROGRAM THAT, THAT YOU CAN LEGALLY DEFEND THIS TIME AND FOREVER. AND, AND MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S A TRANSFER OF THE BUSINESSES IN A WAY THAT IT DOES NOT COST DISRUPTION TO THE CITY. THANK YOU. COUNCILOR PLUMMER. THANK YOU MAYOR AND MUSTAFA. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. LEMME ASK YOU A QUESTION. SO WOULD YOU WANT TO PULL OUT IN CATEGORIES OR RACIAL CATEGORIES, MINORITY WOMEN? LOOK, I THINK THAT IF WE, IF WE ARE, IF WE ARE GOING TO COLLECT DATA, RIGHT, AND IT'S GONNA IMPACT PEOPLE MM-HMM . THEN WE HAVE TO DO IT FOR EVERYBODY IN A WAY THAT'S FAIR. THAT WE CAN JUSTIFY IT. SO PULL OUT ASIAN WOMEN, UM, HISPANIC WOMEN, PULL THAT OUT OF THE STUDY AND HAVE A SEPARATE AND THEN DETERMINE IF THERE'S A CLEAR DISPARITY FOR THEM AS WELL. ABSOLUTELY. BECAUSE HERE'S WHAT YOU'RE GONNA DO, RIGHT? LIKE THIS, THE, THE PROGRAM DEMANDS THAT YOU DO A STUDY EVERY FIVE YEARS. THAT MEANS FOR FIVE YEARS WE'RE GONNA CREATE A DISPARITY FOR ASIAN WOMEN, HISPANIC WOMEN, AND I WOULD SAY PROBABLY ASIAN BUSINESSES AND, AND HISPANIC BUSINESS IN GENERAL. THEN AFTER THOSE FIVE YEARS, YOU'RE GONNA DISCOVER THE DISPARITY AND YOU'RE GONNA PUT THEM BACK INTO THE PROGRAM, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE DOING FOR NON-MINORITY WOMEN RIGHT NOW. SO IT'S LIKE, YOU WANNA GO HURT SOMEBODY AND THEN SAY, NOW THAT YOU'RE HURT AND YOU'VE PROVEN IT, I'M GONNA NOT PUT YOU BACK IN THE PROGRAM. THAT CYCLE CANNOT EXIST. OKAY. JUST FOR CLEAR, BUT I JUST WANNA CLARIFY. JUST, I JUST WANNA CLARIFY. SO YOU WOULD, YOU WOULD RECOMMEND, AND I'M NOT IN DISAGREEMENT, BUT YOU WOULD RECOMMEND PULLING OUT MINORITY WOMEN OUT OF THE, OUT OF, BECAUSE THEY'RE ALL KIND OF LUMPED TOGETHER. MM-HMM . AND THEN SEE WHERE THEY STAND, SEE IF THERE'S A DISPARITY. YEAH. AND, AND, AND I CAN PRETTY MUCH END, NICOLE, TELL YOU THAT YOU WILL SEE A DISPARITY FOR SURE. THERE'S JUST NO WAY YOU WOULD DO A DISPARITY STUDY AND SEE ANGLO WOMEN, UH, BEING DISCRIMINATED ON AND HISPANIC AND ASIAN WOMEN NOT BEING DISCRIMINATED. IT'S NOT POSSIBLE. WELL, I DON'T KNOW. I MEAN, I, I WOULD BE CURIOUS TO SEE WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE. I MEAN, BECAUSE, AND JUST, YOU KNOW, TRUTH BE TOLD, RIGHT? I MEAN, FULL TRANSPARENCY. I MEAN, MANY TIMES PEOPLE CREATE COMPANIES AND THEY PUT THE WOMEN MM-HMM . THERE. SO THE NUMBERS MAY NOT BE THERE. THERE MAY NOT BE, I MEAN, IT'S STILL QUESTIONABLE IF THERE'LL BE A DISPARITY OR NOT, BECAUSE OFTENTIMES PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, THE WAY THIS NO COMPANIES ARE SET UP. ABSOLUTELY. IT'S DONE THAT WAY. RIGHT. BUT I DO SEE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. IF WE, IF WE PULLED OUT THAT FACTOR, IT'D BE INTERESTING TO SEE WHAT THAT NUMBER WOULD LOOK LIKE. THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? YES. OKAY. THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TATUM. THANK YOU, MAYOR MUSTAFA, THANK YOU FOR, FOR COMING AND, AND SHARING, SHARING YOUR THOUGHTS. I'M, I'M CURIOUS TO KNOW, WHEN YOU SAID IF WE DO THIS AND YOU HURT SOMEONE, SO YOU'RE SAYING IF PEOPLE ARE RECLASSIFIED BECAUSE THEY'VE MADE MONEY IN THE PROGRAM BY BEING OVERUTILIZED AND THEY MOVE TO SBE, THAT HURT SOMEONE? SO COUNCILMAN, I THINK, I THINK YOU BRING A VERY GOOD POINT, RIGHT? BUT IF YOU, IF YOU LOOK AT, IF YOU LOOK AT THE NATURE OF THE STUDY THAT SAYS NON-MINORITY WOMEN ARE FACING A DISPARITY IN DISCRIMINATION WHEN THEY DO BUSINESS WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON. HOWEVER, AT THE SAME TIME WE'RE SAYING THROUGH THE STUDY THAT HISPANIC WOMEN THAT OWN BUSINESSES, ASIAN WOMEN, THAT OWN BUSINESSES, DO NOT FEAR A DISPARITY. BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THE STUDY ACTUALLY STATES. AND IT STATES IN BLACKS AND WHITE, AND IT PUTS IT IN A CHART AND IT'S GLARING. IT'S GLARING. RIGHT. AND THAT'S JUST IN PROFESSIONAL SERVICES. WELL, I MEAN, WHEN YOU SAY JUST IN PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, THAT'S A LOT OF BUSINESSES, RIGHT? I MEAN, IT'S THE FASTEST GROWING CATEGORY OF HISPANIC OWNED BUSINESSES IN, IN PROFESSIONAL SERVICES NATIONALLY AND IN THE CITY AND IN THE STATE. SO LET, TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT THIS IDEA, BECAUSE I, I THINK THAT BASED ON WHAT EVERYONE'S SAYING, THAT THERE, THERE IS A SOLUTION. UM, I, I, I DO WANT TO, UM, THANK DIRECTOR HORDE BECAUSE WE REFERRED THIS BACK FOR 30 DAYS. AND SHE HAS TALKED FROM SUNUP TO SUNDOWN TO EVERY BUSINESS OWNER, EVERY GROUP, EVERY ORGANIZATION THAT, THAT WANTED TO ASK QUESTIONS AND REALLY [03:30:01] GET TO UNDERSTAND THE WAY THIS STUDY WAS DONE AND HOW IT WAS DONE. UM, IF THIS STUDY WERE TO PASS, THIS BODY HAS THE CAPABILITY TO CREATE POLICY FOR OBO. WE'VE DONE IT BEFORE. WE'VE DONE IT WITH, UM, CO-OPS. WE'VE DONE IT WITH, UM, BREAKING UP CONTRACTS FROM REALLY BIG CONTRACTS TO BITE-SIZED CONTRACTS SO THAT WE CAN HAVE MORE PRIMES. HOWEVER, IF WE DO NOT PASS THE DISPARITY STUDY, WE RUN THE RISK OF NOT HAVING A PROGRAM AT ALL. AND IT SOUNDS TO ME LIKE PEOPLE ARE SAYING, I'D RATHER RISK IT ALL THAN PASS A STUDY THAT HAS DATA BASED ON THE SPEND AND THEN TRUST THE BODY TO CREATE POLICY, TO DEAL WITH THE ISSUES THAT PEOPLE FEEL LIKE THEY AREN'T MEETING THEIR, UM, GOALS, OR, OR THEY FEEL LIKE THEY AREN'T MAKING MONEY. FOR INSTANCE, IF I'M A HISPANIC COMPANY AND I MADE LESS THAN A MILLION DOLLARS, IF THIS BODY SAID, WHY DON'T WE CREATE A MICRO PROGRAM FOR THOSE ORGANIZATIONS THAT WERE NOT OVER THOSE BUSINESSES, THAT WERE NOT OVERSUBSCRIBED, THERE WERE 84 HISPANIC CONSTRUCTION BUSINESSES THAT DID NOT MAKE OVER A MILLION DOLLARS. WHY COULDN'T THIS BODY CREATE A PROGRAM, A MICRO PROGRAM FOR THOSE COMPANIES? BUT WE STILL HAVE A PROGRAM. IF EVERYONE GOES TO SPE, THE DISPAR, THE GRAVE DISPARITY FOR ALL OF THE BLACK BUSINESSES, THERE IS NO WAY TO CATCH UP. YOU CAN'T TELL PEOPLE TO PULL THEMSELVES BY UP BY THEIR BOOTSTRAPS IF THEY DON'T HAVE BOOTS. YOU, YOU CANNOT CREATE A PROGRAM. WE HAVE TO HAVE A PROGRAM IN ORDER TO CREATE A POLICY TO HELP EVERYONE. AND I DON'T THINK THAT WE HAVE, I MEAN, WHEN I HEAR YOU SAY YOU ARE GONNA HURT SOMEONE, HURT SOMEONE THAT MADE MONEY, THOSE TWO THINGS DON'T CORRELATE TO ME. SO I WANNA, I WANNA, I WANT US TO SAY THE CORRECT THINGS. I DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO LEAVE HERE THINKING THAT ANYONE ON THIS BODY WANTS TO HURT THEIR BUSINESS. BECAUSE OUR GOAL IS TO HAVE A PROGRAM SO THAT BUSINESSES CAN BUILD AND THEY CAN GROW IN CAPACITY, AND THAT EVERYONE HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO THRIVE. BUT I'VE SAT IN MEETINGS AND I'VE HEARD BUSINESS OWNERS SAY, YOU KNOW, BUT FOR THIS PROGRAM, WHITE BUSINESSES WON'T HIRE ME. AND SO WE'RE GONNA FIGHT TO PROTECT THE PROGRAM AND CREATE AVENUES FOR EVERY SINGLE PERSON THAT WANTS TO DO BUSINESS WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO BUSINESS WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON. BUT IF WE DON'T HAVE A PROGRAM, WE CAN'T CREATE ANY POLICY TO DO ANYTHING. YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T DISAGREE WITH YOU ON THE HISTORIC DISCRIMINATION AND THE FINDINGS THAT AFRICAN AMERICANS HAVE DISPARITY IN ALL OF THOSE CATEGORIES. THERE IS NO DISAGREEMENT ABOUT THAT AT ALL. NONE. RIGHT. AND I THINK THAT EVEN AFTER WE WORKED ON THIS PROGRAM, WE WILL STILL CONTINUE TO HAVE THOSE DISPARITIES. IT IT, IT IS UNCONSCIONABLE, BUT IT IS WHAT IT IS. WE ALL UNDERSTAND IT AND, AND AGREE WITH IT. BUT IF YOU SAY THAT THAT EXISTS, AND IN ORDER TO FIGHT THAT AND CHANGE THAT, THAT WE WANT TO TAKE HISPANIC AND, AND I'LL, AND I'LL STICK WITH WOMEN IN THAT SENSE, BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE THE DATA IS LACKING, RIGHT? MM-HMM . HISPANIC WOMEN OWNED BUSINESSES AND ASIAN OWNED WOMEN OWNED BUSINESSES THAT I DIDN'T EVEN COLLECT THE DATA ON YOU TO KEEP YOU IN THIS PROGRAM. THAT'S THE WRONG MESSAGE. IT, IT JUST IS WRONG RIGHT NOW. TO, TO FURTHER ANSWER YOUR QUESTION ABOUT WHAT IF THE PROGRAM DOESN'T EXIST, THEN WHAT IS THE LADDER FOR EVERYBODY? IF THE LATTER YOU WANNA CREATE FOR HISPANIC OWNED BUSINESSES AND, AND, AND WOMEN OWNED HISPANIC BUSINESSES AND WOMEN IN ASIAN BUSINESSES IN THE SBE PROGRAM, THEN THAT SHOULD BE OKAY FOR EVERYBODY. AND THAT IS, AND THAT WOULD ALSO PUT YOU IN A KIND OF A PROGRAM THAT WILL NOT BE LITIGATED ANYMORE. SO I DON'T THINK THAT WE SHOULD SAY THAT IN ORDER TO FIX ONE INJUSTICE, THAT WE WANNA GO CREATE ANOTHER INJUSTICE. 'CAUSE THAT'S, THAT'S NOT GONNA BE BOTH IN THE COURT OF LAW OR THE COURT OF PUBLIC OPINION. THAT'S NOT GONNA STAND. OKAY. OKAY. THANK YOU, MR. THANK YOU. NEXT ARTO, [03:35:01] THIS IS MOTION FROM MARTINEZ. COUNCILOR MARTINEZ PER PROCEDURAL. COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, I, I'D LIKE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO ADD VICTORIA RA ELVIA CANTILLA AND EDDIE MENDOZA AFTER CONTA REYES FOR ONE MINUTE. WE'LL NEED THOSE NAMES AGAIN. VICTORIA RA, ELVIA QUINTANILLA, AND EDDIE MENDOZA. VICTORIA QUINAN. OH, I DON'T ANTONIA. ITS VICTORIA LARA ILLA AND EDDIE MENDOZA IS THERE. I HEAR A SECOND. SECOND, YES. SECOND. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED. NAME. MOTION PASSES. MENDOZA CAN ARTURO VIVAR, ARTURO VIVAR, LAURA HOYLE, ASHLEY ATKINS TO BE FOLLOWED BY CONAH REYES. GOOD EVENING. I'M DR. ASHLEY ATKINS. I'M THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE GREATER HOUSTON BLACK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. AND I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU GUYS FOR HAVING ME THIS AFTERNOON. UM, I DO WANT TO, UM, IN ADDITION TO BEING PRESIDENT AND CEO, I'M ALSO A QUALITATIVE RESEARCHER. SO TO MUSTAFA'S POINTS, HE'S MAKING SOME ACTUALLY REALLY EXCEPTIONALLY VALID POINTS ABOUT QUALITATIVE RESEARCH AS IT RELATES TO RACE, CLASS, GENDER, AND ORGANIZATIONAL THEORY. UM, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO, UM, THANK THE CITY OF HOUSTON, SPECIFICALLY THE OFFICE OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY FOR WORKING WITH THE CHAMBER. UM, AS IT RELATES TO THE DISPARITY STUDIES, WE ARE, I AM WELL AWARE AND SO ARE MANY OF THE, UM, THE CHAMBER MEMBERS OF THE DISPARITIES AT FACE BLACK ON THE BLACK OWNED BUSINESSES FACE. BUT WHAT WE ARE DOING AS AN ORGANIZATION IS ENSURING THAT THEY ARE CONNECTED DIRECTLY TO DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS THAT OFFER SUBCONTRACTING. SO WE ARE, UM, REACHING OUT TO THE, UH, CITY OF HOUSTON, UM, OBO, THE METRO AND PORT OF HOUSTON, TO ENSURE THAT OUR BUSINESSES ARE ABLE TO DIRECTLY INTERFACE WITH THESE ORGANIZATIONS TO ENSURE THAT THEY ARE ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SUBCONTRACTING OPPORTUNITIES. IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE ARE WORKING WITH THE HOUSTON MINORITY SUPPLIER DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL, AND AGAIN, THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TO ENSURE THAT OUR MEMBERS ARE CERTIFIED TO GO AFTER THESE OPPORTUNITIES. UM, AND SO AS THERE ARE CHANGES MADE TO THE, UM, CERTIFICATION, WHETHER IT'S THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SBE PROGRAM OR THE MB UH, W PROGRAM, I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT, UM, THE CITY OF HOUSTON ENSURES THAT THEY ARE WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE, UM, THE, UM, THE COMMUNITY, SPECIFICALLY BLACK-OWNED BUSINESSES, UM, NATIVE AND UM, OR INDIGENOUS BUSINESSES TO ENSURE THAT THEY ARE AWARE OF THE CERTIFICATION PROCESS, HOW TO BECOME CERTIFIED, AND ALSO, UM, HOW TO ENSURE THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO GO AFTER DIFFERENT BID OPPORTUNITIES THAT BECOME AVAILABLE. AND SO, AGAIN, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU GUYS FOR HAVING ME, AND I WOULD LIKE THANK YOU GUYS FOR THE EFFORTS THAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING WITH THE DISPARITY STUDY. BUT AS THE POINT WAS MADE BY MUS, IT IS REALLY IMPERATIVE TO POOL THE INFORMATION AS IT RELATES TO, UM, MINORITY WOMEN. AND SO A PERFECT EXAMPLE IS, UM, UH, THE CONVERSATION ABOUT INTER INTERSECTIONALITY. AND SO IF YOU ASK BLACK WOMEN HERE THIS EVENING, IF THEY'RE FACING DISCRIMINATION AND THEY SAY YES, AND TO VERIFY, IF YOU THEN ASK BLACK MEN AND THEY SAY NO, AND THEN ASK ALL THE OTHER WOMEN, AND THEY SAY NO, THEN IT DOESN'T, IT DOESN'T VALIDATE THE EXPERIENCE OF BLACK WOMEN. SO WHAT HE'S ESSENTIALLY SAYING IS YOU HAVE TO ENSURE THAT YOU ARE PULLING THAT DATA AND THEN MAYBE IN THE FUTURE, DOING A DISPARITY STUDY FOCUSED ON MINORITY WOMEN AS IT RELATES TO, UM, DIFFERENT DISPARITIES THAT THEY FACE, AS YOU KNOW, AS CONTRACTORS. AND SO I'M NOT, YOU KNOW, SUGGESTING AT ALL TO REMOVE THIS PROGRAM. THIS PROGRAM IS WORKING, UM, AS WE SEE IT'S WORKING WITH, UM, VARIOUS DIFFERENT GROUPS. BUT IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU GUYS DO THE WORK TO ENSURE THAT YOU ARE REVIEWING, UM, AND EXAMINING THE DISPARITIES THAT ARE FACED AGAINST INDIVIDUALS WITH INTERSECTING IDENTITIES, SPECIFICALLY, UM, MINORITY WOMEN. THANK YOU ALL. ANY QUESTIONS? NEXT, CONCI REYES. GOOD AFTERNOON. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBERS. I'M HERE TODAY TO READ A LETTER FROM STATE REPRESENTATIVE, UH, JEAN WU FROM DISTRICT 1 37 AS THE STATE REPRESENTATIVE [03:40:01] DISTRICT 1 37 IN SOUTHWEST HOUSTON. I AM WRITING TO EXPRESS MY CONCERN OVER THE SUGGESTED ORDINANCE CHANGES BASED ON THE RESULTS OF 2023 DISPARITY STUDY FROM THE OFFICE OBO, SPECIFICALLY WITH THE RECOMMENDATION TO REVOKE THE MBE STATUS FROM ASIAN AMERICAN PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, HISPANIC PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, AND HISPANIC CONSTRUCTION SERVICES. WHILE I RECOGNIZE THE DIFFICULT POSITION THAT THE CITY IS GIVEN PENDING LITIGATION, I BELIEVE THERE IS A BETTER WAY FORWARD BY INCLUDING THE VOICES OF THOSE WHO WILL BE MOST IMPACTED BY THIS CHANGE. THIS IS WHY I SUPPORT THE PROPOSAL BY THE HOUSTON HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, THE ASIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, AND NUMEROUS OTHER ORGANIZATIONS WHO VOICE THEIR CONCERN AT THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING OVER THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE CHANGE. THE PROPOSAL WILL ENCOMPASS THE CURRENT MWBA PROGRAM WITHIN THE OBOS PROPOSED SMALL BUSINESS ENTERPRISE, WHILE MAINTAINING EQUAL SUPPORT FOR ALL MWBE OWNED BUSINESSES BY TRANSITIONING ALL MBE, THE MW B'S TO PARENTALS TREATMENTS AND ENSURE NO SPECIFIC MINORITY GROUPS ARE EXCLUDED. ADDITIONALLY, I AM SUPPORTIVE OF A WIDE RANGE STUDY AND A DIVERSITY ADVERSITY BOARD TO ENSURE THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS CONNECTING WITH AND LISTENING TO THE MINORITY POPULATION. AND THIS IS FROM COUNCIL, UH, STATE REPRESENTATIVE JEAN WU. ANY QUESTIONS? NO, THANK YOU. VICTORIA LARA TO BE FOLLOWED BY ELVIA QUINELLA. OH, HELLO, MY NAME IS VICTORIA LARA, AND I AM HERE BECAUSE I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE DISPARITY STUDIES FINDINGS. AND I AGREE WITH MUSTAFA THAT THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A DIFFERENT WAY TO CATEGORIZE WOMEN. I AM SOMEONE WHO GREW UP IN A SMALL BUSINESS WHEN WOMEN WHO ADDED BACK TO THE CITY, I WAS ACTUALLY, UH, A STAY AT HOME MOM. AND MY MOM HAS A MAR AND GRANITE BUSINESS, AND I DECIDED TO CERTIFY THE BUSINESS. I GOT INVOLVED AND WE WERE ABLE TO GET SEVERAL CONTRACTS. AND THAT HAS BEEN MORE THAN 12 YEARS AGO. BUT I CAN TELL YOU UP UNTIL NOW, WE ARE NOT OVER THE THRESHOLD OF THE GRADUATION THAT MAYBE SOME OF THE BUSINESSES ARE INTO RIGHT NOW. FOR ME, I WANNA SAY THAT, UM, THE EASIEST WAY FOR US TO CONTINUE IS TO HAVE A SMALL BUSINESS ENTERPRISE PROGRAM. WHILE WE DO AN INDEPENDENT STUDY ON THE DISPARITY STUDY OR A PEER REVIEW, I REALLY WANT US TO DIVE DEEP INTO THE DATA BECAUSE I DO BELIEVE THAT THE DATA IS NOT REFLECTIVE OR ACCURATE. AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IF WE WANT TO HAVE SOME KIND OF PROGRAM, IF EVERYBODY FALLS UNDER THE SPE CATEGORY, MEANWHILE THE CITY DOES AN INDEPENDENT ANALYSIS OR JUST SCRAPES THIS DISPARITY STUDY AND STARTS ANOTHER ONE, WE HAVE TIME TO BUILD A PROGRAM, BUT I WOULD RATHER HAVE A PROGRAM THAN NOT HAVE A PROGRAM AT ALL. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. YOU FINISH. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT ELVIA QUINELLA TO BE FOLLOWED BY EDDIE MENDOZA. HELLO, MAYOR. I AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. I'M ELVIA QUINTANILLA, FOUNDER OF TEXAS TECHNICAL TRADE SCHOOL. I WAS HERE GIVEN THE, UM, AWARD FROM THE MAYOR YESTERDAY FOR COMMUNITY AND EDUCATION. AND I'M JUST REALLY HERE TO PROPOSE AN INQUISITIVE THOUGHT OF, HAVE WE ALREADY THOUGHT ABOUT HOW WE ARE GONNA IMPACT THE ECONOMY WITH THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND THE LACK ALREADY GAP THAT WE HAVE FOR THE APPRENTICESHIPS AND WORKFORCE AND, UM, INTERNSHIPS THAT WE HAVE. WE DON'T ALREADY ALREADY HAVE ENOUGH EMPLOYERS HIRING OUR COMMUNITIES. AND THIS IS ALL COMMUNITIES, BLACK WHITES, HISPANICS, UM, ASIANS. SO TO MY POINT IS, DO WE HAVE A BACKUP PLAN FOR THAT? BECAUSE WE ALREADY DEEP END FOR THAT. AND WE ALREADY SEEN HOW OUR COMMUNITIES ARE AFFECTED WHEN IT'S RECOVERY TIME AND THERE'S NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE TO, TO PERFORM FOR THAT. SO I'M HERE MORE AS AN EDUCATION ADVOCATE ON THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PART AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PART OF THESE HISPANIC CONTRACTORS, ASIAN CONTRACTORS, WOMEN CONTRACTORS ARE EMPLOYING OUR COMMUNITIES, ALL COMMUNITIES. I HAVE DATA TO BACK IT UP. SO THAT IS THE ONLY REASON I'M HERE, IS BECAUSE HOW WE EVEN THOUGHT OF A BACKUP PLAN FOR THAT AND HOW IT'S GONNA AFFECT ALL THE SENIORS GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL THIS SUMMER, ALL THE 17 TO 24-YEAR-OLD. WE ALREADY HAVE ENOUGH INITIATIVES THAT WE'RE TRYING TO WORK TO DO AWAY WITH ALL THOSE PROBLEMS. THIS IS GONNA EVEN FURTHER THOSE INITIATIVES. ALL THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE, IT'S NOT GONNA BE, IT IS JUST PUTTING US BACKWARDS INSTEAD OF FORWARD. I FEEL LIKE WE COULD FIGURE OUT A BETTER APPROACH TO THIS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. [03:45:01] ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU, MA'AM. NO QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. EDDIE MENDOZA BE FOLLOWED BY MOHEKA MOHE. HOW'S IT GOING? UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. UH, COUNCIL CITY MEMBERS, UH, MAYOR WHITMEYER, I APPRECIATE YOU, UH, GIVING ME A MOMENT TO SPEAK. I'M A HOUSTONIAN, BORN AND RAISED. I STARTED MY COMPANY 10 YEARS AGO, 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY, GOT THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, WORK WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON WITH THE AFFORDABLE HOME PROGRAM. SO WHENEVER HARVEY HAPPENED, WE STEPPED UP. WE, WE WORK WITH WOMEN, HISPANICS, BLACKS, ASIANS, WE ALL COME TOGETHER WHEN THE CITY'S IN NEED. IF YOU SEPARATE US AND YOU PUT US IN THE SBE, WE WON'T GET THOSE OPPORTUNITIES. WE GET THOSE OPPORTUNITIES WHENEVER WE GET A CHANCE WITH THE PRIME AND WE DELIVER. SO I DON'T KNOW WHY WE'RE GETTING PENALIZED FOR DELIVERING, FOR BEING RELIABLE, FOR BEING SOMEBODY THAT STEPS UP TO THE PLATE WHENEVER SOMEBODY CALLS OUR NAME. WHENEVER, RIGHT NOW, IF THERE'S A DISPARITY AND LET'S SAY THE BLACKS AREN'T GETTING ENOUGH, LET'S HELP 'EM. IS THERE A WAY THAT WE COULD HELP 'EM AND GET SOME MORE CONTRACTS TO FIX THE PROBLEM INSTEAD OF JUST PUSHING US ALL? I'M NOT, I'M, I HAVEN'T GRADUATED, SO I DON'T DO ENOUGH WORK TO PRETTY MUCH BE ABLE TO GO WITH THE SBE, SO I'M NOT GONNA GET NO MORE CONTRACTS. I CAN'T COMPETE WITH SOMEONE THAT'S $24 MILLION COMPANY. SO WHENEVER YOU PUSH US ALL OUT, WE'RE ALL ON THE SIDELINE NOW. AND IF YOU LEAVE JUST ONE GROUP, SO YOU'RE JUST GONNA LEAVE ONE GROUP THERE AND PUSH US ALL OUT. SO IT'S NOT GONNA BE A MBE, IT'S JUST GONNA BE A BBE. LET'S BE HONEST, LET'S BE TRANSPARENT, OKAY? THAT'S THE TRUTH. AND I JUST WANNA SAY THAT IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM RIGHT NOW, IT'S GONNA BE A DOMINO EFFECT. RIGHT NOW YOU'RE PUSHING HISPANIC WOMEN AND YOU'RE PUSHING, UM, AGENT OUT WHEN YOU THROW IT TO THE SBE. THE SAME PEOPLE THAT ARE COMPLAINING RIGHT NOW FOR SPE, WE'RE GONNA COMPLAIN WHENEVER WE'RE IN SPE, YOU KNOW, SO IT'S JUST A DOMINO EFFECT. LET'S TRY TO FIND A SOLUTION. LET'S WORK TOGETHER. 'CAUSE WHEN SOMETHING HAPPENS, EVERYBODY PITCHES IN. AND I THINK THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH SOLUTIONS HERE TO MAKE IT WORK. UM, OPEN FOR ANY QUESTIONS, BUT I REALLY APPRECIATE THE TIME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT MOJICA MOHI TO BE FOLLOWED BY AVI MOHI. UH, CAN I, HELLO MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS MIHI MUTA AND I'M HONORED TO BE SPEAKING IN FRONT OF YOU ONCE AGAIN. I'M 14 YEARS OLD NOW, AND I GO TO, I ATTEND FRANK BLACK MIDDLE SCHOOL IN THE OAK FOREST NEIGHBORHOOD. UM, I AM ALSO A MEMBER OF DISTRICT C. LET IT BE KNOWN THAT I AM REPRESENTING STUDENTS WHO DID NOT HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME HERE TODAY. MAYOR WHITMEYER, YOU INTERVIEWED FOR PUB FOR HE HOUSTON A LITTLE WHILE BACK AND MADE IT CLEAR THAT YOUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY IS PUBLIC SAFETY. AND PART OF THAT IS INFRASTRUCTURE ON THAT. YOU AND I AGREE. SO IF YOUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY IS INFRASTRUCTURE, THEN WHY DO YOU INSIST ON TAKING AWAY BIKE LANES OR TAKING OFF VALUABLE PROTECTIONS THAT CAN SAVE LIVES? YOU HIGHLIGHT THE FACT THAT BIKE LANE, THAT BIKE LANES IMPAIR HOUSTON'S MOBILITY WHEN IN FACT THEY DO QUITE THE OPPOSITE. I HOLD THE AUSTIN STREET BIKE WAY CLOSE TO MY HEART BECAUSE WHEN I WAS EIGHT YEARS OLD, I CAME HERE TO, TO ADVOCATE FOR THE NEW BIKE LANE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD THAT WOULD GET ME TO THE LIBRARY. NOW, HOWEVER, I DO NOT SPEAK FOR ONLY MY WISHES, BUT FOR THE WISHES OF OTHER CHILDREN'S THAT, OF OTHER CHILDREN THAT WANT TO GET TO THE LIBRARY, BUFFALO BAYOU PARK, THE CHILDREN'S MUSEUM, WHILE SAVING THE ENVIRONMENT AND GETTING EXERCISE IN. YOU SAY THAT BIKE LANES SLOW TRAFFIC, WHEN IN ALL ACTUALITY THERE'S SO MUCH EVIDENCE SUPPORTING THE OPPOSITE. YOU SAY THAT PEOPLE HAVE TO GET TO WORK AND THEY, UH, WHEN YOU SAY THAT PEOPLE HAVE TO GET TO THEIR WORK AND COLLEGE CAMPUSES. BUT I WENT TO THOSE COLLEGE CAMPUSES FOR SUMMER PROGRAMS ON MY BIKE. I RIDE MY BIKE EVERY DAY TO SCHOOL, GO ACROSS 43RD WITH NO PROPER SAFE WAY TO CROSS BATTLE THROUGH FOUR FOOT SIDEWALKS JUST TO GET AROUND A SCHOOL JUST TO GET BACK TO MY HOUSE. IT IS HARD ENOUGH BEING A TEENAGER WITH MIKE MILES RIPPING APART THE EDUCATION SYSTEM AND YOU RIPPING APART SAFE WAYS FOR US TO GET TO PARKS, SCHOOLS, AND HANGOUT SPOTS. I CAN SPEAK FROM EXPERIENCE, SIR. I GOT HIT BY A CAR AND THROWN ONTO THE STREET WHILE RIDING MY BIKE WITH, TO MEET WITH A FRIEND FOR A SECOND. I WAS TERRIFIED THAT THE DRIVER WOULD NOT STOP. I HAD BEEN RIDING ON THE SIDEWALK. WHY? BECAUSE THE ROADS AREN'T SAFE. YOU CANNOT TELL ME THAT YOU FIGHT FOR PUBLIC SAFETY AND THEN TURN AROUND AND REMOVE BIKEWAY AFTER BIKEWAY. I RECOGNIZE THAT AFTER THE [03:50:01] BACKLASH, YOU COMMITTED TO PUTTING BACK THE AUSTIN STREET BIKEWAY A ONE WAY, A ONE WAY BIKE LANE WITH NO PROTECTED BARRIERS. THAT IS YOU ARE IMPAIRING RIDER'S ABILITIES TO MOVE ABOUT A ONE WAY. UH, YOU ARE IMPAIRING RIDERS MOBILITY TO MOVE ABOUT THIS ALREADY CAR DOMINATED AND TRUCK DOMINATED CITY SAFELY. OKAY, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO WRAP IT UP PRETTY QUICK. THANK YOU. YOU MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE LISTENING ON HELLO HOUSTON ARE AWARE THAT YOU HAVE SPOKEN TO FELLOW HOUSTONIANS AND THEY DO NOT WANT BIKEWAYS. THAT IS WHY I TOOK THIS DAY FROM SCHOOL BECAUSE OF THE SHEER NUMBER OF STUDENTS, INCLUDING ME WHO WANT TO GET TO SCHOOL SAFELY. STARBUCKS, OUR LOCAL KROGER. I'M HERE REPRESENTING 300,000 MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WHO EITHER BLK BIKE OR ROLL THEIR WAY TO SCHOOL AND WOULD LIKE TO DO IT SAFELY. OKAY, I WOULD LIKE TO END ON A LIGHTER NOTE. HOWEVER, AS A PERSON WHO HAS ACTUALLY RIDDEN ON COMMISSIONER ELLIS'S BIKE RIDES, I HAVE, THEY HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A PLEASURE AND I GET TO GO SEE THE PARTS OF HOUSTON I WOULD'VE HAVE OTHERWISE EXPERIENCED. I'VE ONLY SEEN CHEERS, HONKS AND WAVES IN RESPONSE TO A GROUP OF RIDERS GOING THROUGH IN NEIGHBORHOOD. SO MAYOR WHITMEYER, I WANT YOU TO BE A PART OF WHAT IS GENUINELY SUCH AN EXPERIENCE AND I EXTEND AN INVITATION TO GO ON ONE OF THESE BIKE RIDES ON WITH ME. LET'S GO SEE HOUSTON, SIR. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. NEXT. OH, I'M SORRY, MA'AM. THANK YOU MA'AM. BE SAFE. NEXT MOJI. MA'AM, WE'VE BEEN HERE SINCE ONE 30, SO LET'S GET BACK TO THE RULES OF A MINUTE OR THEREABOUT. GOOD AFTERNOON CHAIR MEMBERS AND MAYOR. MY NAME IS YBI MOTA AND I'M A JUNIOR AT CARNEGIE VANGUARD HIGH SCHOOL. AND I'M ALSO A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT C. I FIND IT DEEPLY DISHEARTENING THAT I HAVE TO RETURN HERE TODAY BECAUSE BIKE LANES I ADVOCATED FOR SIX YEARS AGO WERE RIPPED APART. UM, I DID HAVE A LONGER SPEECH, BUT I WILL CUT THIS SHORT, UM, IN THE INTERESTS OF TIME. UM, BUT I HAVE, BUT THIS IS NOT JUST ABOUT THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT YOU, UM, HAVE, UH, TORN APART. THIS IS INFRASTRUCTURE IN GENERAL. UM, YOU HAVE DECREASED, UH, THE FREQUENCY OF BUSES, UH, BY CUTTING DOWN METRO PART PROJECTS AND EVEN FAILING TO MAINTAIN PEDESTRIAN SPACES SUCH AS THE, THE LACK OF IMPLEMENTATION OF A SIX FOOT SIDEWALK ON OAK FOREST, ON THE OAK FOREST AREA IN ROSALYN, DESPITE KNOWING THAT MANY STUDENTS, PARENTS AND CITIZENS USE THAT SPACE AS WELL. UM, ADDITIONALLY WE GET THE EXCUSE THAT BIKE LANES INTERFERE WITH EMERGENCY VEHICLES. HOW BIKE LANES DO NOT BLOCK TURNING CARS. WHY WOULD THEY BLOCK EMERGENCY SERVICES? IN FACT, WITH THE NUMBER OF CARS AND TRUCKS PARKED ILLEGALLY IN BIKE LANES, IT SEEMS CLEAR THAT ACCESS TO SIDEWALKS HASN'T BEEN THE REAL ISSUE. OKAY, EVAN SHAVA, COUNCIL MEMBER, SHE'S GOT A PROCEDURE MOTION PROCEDURE. OH, CAN I CONTINUE? OH, OKAY. UM, I ALSO HAVE A FRIEND, UM, SHE DOES GO, SHE GOES TO CARNEGIE WITH ME. UM, SHE HAS TO TAKE THE BUS HOME. HIC WILL NOT PRO PROVIDE HER SERVICES. AND WITH THE REDUCTION IN THE BUSES AND OTHER TRANSPORTATION, SHE'S FINDING IT INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT TO, UM, GET TO HER HOUSE, WHICH IS AN HOUR WALK AND A VERY DIFFICULT JOURNEY, UM, AS SOMEONE WHO DOESN'T HAVE A CAR AND, UM, IS A CHILD OF IMMIGRANT PARENTS. THANK YOU. YOU'VE DONE A GOOD JOB. COUNCILOR EVANS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I WANTED TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO ADD ED PETIT. WE'LL MOVE ED PETIT UP ON THE LIST IF HE COULD SPEAK NOW. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY YES. THOSE POST NA MOTION PASSES. NEXT, ED PETTY GOOD LATE AFTERNOON, UH, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. UM, I'M, IT'S AN HONOR TO BE HERE AS MANY HOURS AS IT TAKES. YOU KNOW, THIS IS A, UH, AN, A PRIVILEGE TO SPEAK TO YOU. TWO MONTHS AGO I CAME BECAUSE WE HAD A MURDER ON THE COLUMBIA TAP TRAIL, UM, AND Y'ALL HELPED US TO RESOLVE THE CLEANUP OF, UH, THE REMAINS OF THE YOUNG MAN WHO WAS SHOT ON HIS MOPED. TO THIS DAY, WE HAVE NO INFORMATION ABOUT THE CAUSE OF THAT OR WHETHER OTHER USERS OF THE TRAIL ARE SAFE OR NOT. AND SINCE THEN, WE'VE [03:55:01] HAD FOUR MORE MURDERS ALONG THAT CORRIDOR, UM, MOSTLY BETWEEN THE AGES OF 18 AND 23. AND THE SILENCE FROM THE SOUTH CENTRAL COMMAND UNDER CAPTAIN WYNN HAS REALLY BEEN DEAFENING. WE HELD AN EMERGENCY COMMUNITY MEETING THIS PAST FRIDAY TO HEAR FROM THE CAPTAIN. UH, HE CAME, BUT INSTEAD OF HIM SPEAKING, ONE OF THE ASSISTANT CHIEFS OF HBD SPOKE, WHO'S NOT OUR DIRECT REPRESENTATIVE AT SOUTH CENTRAL. AND WE HAD SENIORS WALK FROM LAW HARRINGTON AND CUNY HOMES JUST TO HEAR FROM CAPTAIN WYNN. AND HE DID NOT SPEAK AFTERWARDS, HE SAID HE PREFERS TO BE BEHIND THE SCENES. THIS IS TOO SERIOUS OF AN ISSUE TO HAVE A CAPTAIN WHO WANTS TO BE BEHIND THE SCENES PUSHING PAPERS. WE NEED SOMEONE WHO CAN ADDRESS OUR CONCERNS, WHO CAN GIVE US UPDATES ON THESE FIVE NOW MURDERS OF YOUNG MEN IN THIRD WARD, AND HELP US FIGURE OUT A SAFETY PLAN FOR THE COMMUNITY. BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, RESIDENTS DO NOT FEEL SAFE. AND I CAN DEAL WITH PEOPLE I AGREE WITH, I CAN DEAL WITH PEOPLE I DISAGREE WITH. I CANNOT DEAL WITH PEOPLE WHO DON'T COMMUNICATE AND ENGAGE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MEMBER EVAN . THANK YOU, MAYOR. CERTAINLY ED, I ALWAYS APPRECIATE YOU ON THE FOREFRONT. UH, WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO GET A MEETING SCHEDULED, A TOWN HALL MEETING, HOPEFULLY FOR THIS TUESDAY. I DID, UH, REACH OUT TO CHIEF DIAZ WHO CALLED ME BACK AND THEN I CALLED HIM BACK AND HE HASN'T CALLED ME BACK. BUT CERTAINLY WE DO NEED THE POLICE PERSONNEL THERE TO ACTUALLY ADDRESS THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME SERIOUS CONCERNS. I LIVE WITHIN STEPS OF THE COLUMBIA TAP MYSELF. AND SO CERTAINLY, UM, KNOWING THE AREA AND WHAT IS GOING ON DOWN THERE, WE CERTAINLY KNOW THAT THERE WILL NEED TO BE SOME OTHER, UH, IMPLE IN OTHER THINGS IMPLEMENTED. I KNOW THAT THEY HAD SOME, UH, HORSE RIDERS THE OTHER DAY, SOME POLICE ON HORSEBACK, BUT WE NEED SOMETHING CONSISTENT, NOT SOMETHING WHERE THEY'RE GONNA MOVE FROM PLACE TO PLACE. BUT OF COURSE, I'M HOPING THAT CHIEF DIAZ WILL MAKE HIMSELF AVAILABLE AS CERTAINLY AS CHIEF WYNN, BECAUSE WE NEED TO HEAR FROM THE LEADERSHIP. AND I, I HOPE THAT THE MAYOR CONTINUES TO, UM, ACT ON HIS RECOMMENDATION TO INVOLVE TSU POLICE. I THINK THAT'S WISE. THE TRIAL GOES RIGHT THROUGH THE TSU CAMPUS. I HAVE EMAILED THE CHIEF AT TSU POLICE HAVE NOT HEARD BACK. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE HAD ANY BETTER LUCK, BUT I THINK THAT'S STILL A VALID PROPOSAL PLAN TO INVITE THEM AS WELL AS, UM, SMOKEY PHILLIPS, UM, AND, AND THE CONSTABLE'S OFFICE. AND SO FAR, CONSTABLES SMOKE'S BEEN THE ONLY LOGGED AGENCY THAT'S BEEN RESPONSIVE SO THAT WE CAN GET ALL OF OUR, UH, LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL IN ONE ROOM. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. NEXT, RENEE KENNEDY. RENEE KENNEDY, DR. LUKE METGER TO BE FOLLOWED BY JENNIFER HAD GOOD EVENING, UH, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. LUKE MATRAM, NOT A DOCTOR. I'M NOT SURE WHY THAT SAID THAT. UM, WE WANTED TO TALK TO YOU AGAIN, UH, BRIEFLY ABOUT PLASTIC POLLUTION, UH, FROM THE TIME YOU WOKE UP THIS MORNING UNTIL, UH, THE TIME YOU GO TO BED TONIGHT, OUR COUNTRY WILL THROW AWAY ENOUGH PLASTIC TO FILL THE DALLAS COWBOYS STADIUM, THE LARGEST IN THE COUNTRY, TO THE VERY BRIM. AND TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE, MOST OF THAT PLASTIC PROBABLY WON'T GET RECYCLED GLOBALLY. ONLY 9% OF PLASTICS ARE CURRENTLY RECYCLED. IN FACT, 50% OF ALL PLASTIC PRODUCED IS INTENDED TO BE USED ONCE AND THEN THROWN AWAY. AND SINCE MOST PLASTIC TAKES HUNDREDS OF YEARS TO FULLY DEGRADE, ALMOST EVERY BIT OF PLASTIC WILL STILL BE OUT THERE PILING UP IN LANDFILLS, LITTERING OUR STREETS AND VALUES, AND POLLUTING OUR ENVIRONMENT FOR GENERATIONS TO COME. UH, TOGETHER WE CAN TACKLE OUR PLASTIC, WE WASTE CRISIS. AND SO I'M PLEASED TO BE HERE AND, UH, IN SUPPORT OF COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER'S PLASTIC FREE INITIATIVE AND TO CELEBRATE EARTH DAY. UM, YOU KNOW, WE, UM, COUNCIL MEMBERS, WHEN YOU'RE AROUND THIS HORSESHOE, YOU OFTEN HAVE, PEOPLE ARE WATCHING YOU AND WE'RE HAPPY TO PROVIDE THE TUMBLERS FOR YOU TO DRINK WATER OR OTHER DRINKS, UH, INSTEAD OF, UH, REUSE OR PLASTIC DISPOSABLE BOTTLES. UM, THAT REALLY HELPS DEMONSTRATE LEADERSHIP TO THE COMMUNITY. AND IT'S A SMALL THING FOR AN INDIVIDUAL, BUT IT, IT REALLY HELPS, UM, SHOW A HEALTHIER ENVIRONMENT. UM, AM I AT A TIME WE HAVE ANOTHER MINUTE. OKAY. UM, WELL, UH, IT'S MY HOPE THAT THIS EFFORT AND OTHERS WILL HELP THE CITY OF HOUSTON REACH ITS 2040 GOALS TO REDUCE TONS PER CAPITA WASTE DISPOSED BY 25%. UH, SHORTLY AFTER, UH, MAYOR WHITMEYER WAS SWORN IN, I WROTE AN OP-ED FOR THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE THAT POINTED OUT HOUSTON HAS A RECYCLING RATE ABOUT 19%, UH, WHICH IS 15 POINTS LOWER THAN THE NATIONAL AVERAGE OF 34%. AND SO, UM, WE THINK THIS INITIATIVE BY COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO HELP US [04:00:01] BUMP UP THAT NUMBER AS OUR INITIATIVES, UH, BY, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN TO INCREASE COMPOSTING, UH, AND BY, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN TO EXPAND, UH, RECYCLING ON MULTIFAMILY PROPERTIES. AND SO, UH, WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU ALL TO HELP MAKE HOUSTON A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE AND PLAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. PLUMMER. COUNCILMAN PLUMMER, MAYOR. THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. JUST A REALLY QUICK QUESTION. YOU KNOW, GIVEN ON THE STATE'S LAWS, UM, HOW CAN CITIES LIKE HOUSTON STILL TAKE MEANINGFUL ACTION, ESPECIALLY WITHOUT THE ABILITY TO REGULATE PLASTIC BAGS? SURE. WELL, I THINK ONE THING YOU CAN DO IS CONSIDER A SOLID WASTE FEE, UM, WHICH WOULD PROVIDE MORE REVENUE TO EXPAND RECYCLING AND COMPOSTING OP OPPORTUNITIES, AS WELL AS PROVIDE AN INCENTIVE PURDUE FOR PEOPLE TO REDUCE THEIR WASTE. UM, YOU KNOW, MOST MAJOR CITIES IN TEXAS AND AROUND THE COUNTRY HAVE A SOLID WASTE FEE, AND IT'S BASED ON THE SIZE OF THE BIN. AND SO YOU HAVE A FISCAL INCENTIVE TO THROW FEWER THINGS AWAY. SO THAT'S ONE THING. YOUR INITIATIVE IS A GREAT ONE. YOU KNOW, UH, EDUCATING THE PUBLIC ABOUT, UH, HOW IMPORTANT THIS PROBLEM IS AND HOW WE CAN TAKE SIMPLE STEPS LIKE THROUGH REUSABLE BAGS, REUSABLE CUPS, THINGS LIKE THAT. AND THEN WITHIN CITY FACILITIES, YOU KNOW, UM, WE COULD DO AWAY WITH A LOT OF THE PLASTICS THAT ARE BEING USED FOR EVENTS OR, YOU KNOW, VENDING MACHINES AND THINGS LIKE THAT TOO. GREAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. YEAH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT, AMY, COUNCILOR PLUM, THE PROCEDURAL MOTION TO ADD PRIYA SHARMA TO THE WHENEVER , THANK YOU TO THIS LIST. THANK YOU. NEXT. THANK YOU. MOTION MADE AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED MOTION. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ADDING ME, UH, TOWARDS THE END. JUST COULD NOT SIT BACK AND LISTEN TO ALL THIS WITHOUT PUTTING MY 2 CENTS IN IT. UM, UH, I'M A PERFECT EXAMPLE THAT WHAT YOU WANNA DO. I'M A ASIAN WOMEN, UH, BUSINESS OWNER AND READING THAT DISPARITY STUDY END TO END, I KNOW I'M REPRESENTED. NOWHERE BEING CLUBBED IN, UH, WITH OTHER, UH, WITH MY ETHNICITY I DON'T THINK DOES JUSTICE TO ME. I HAVE BEEN IN BUSINESS, UH, FOR THE FIRM'S, BEEN IN IN BUSINESS FOR 32 YEARS. I'VE BEEN AN OWNER FOR FIVE YEARS. I KNOW FOR SURE THE ONLY REASON MY BUSINESS IS SURVIVING IS BECAUSE OF MY M-B-M-W-B-E CERTIFICATION. ANYTIME THERE IS A PROJECT WHERE A PRIME CAN DO WITHOUT THESE NUMBERS OR GETTING, UH, MINORITY BUSINESS IN IT INCLUDED, THEY WILL CERTAINLY DO IT. THE REASON WE EXIST IS BECAUSE OF THESE PROGRAMS TAKING US AWAY, APART FROM THESE PROGRAMS AND HAVING NO REPRESENTATION IS GONNA BE INSTANT DEATH FOR BUSINESSES SUCH AS MINE. I JUST WANTED TO STATE THAT AND I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE YOU GUYS RECONSIDERING THIS VOTE. UH, THE STUDY IS, IS, UM, DOES NOT INCLUDE EVERYBODY, SO PLEASE RETHINK BEFORE YOU VOTE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. JUST REALLY FAST, JUST REALLY QUICK. BRIA. YES. UM, HONESTLY, I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS INTENTIONALLY DONE. I THINK WE HAVE THE DATA FOR THAT. I REALLY DO. I THINK WE HAVE THE DATA. I THINK WE KNOW HOW WOMEN PERFORM. I THINK WE JUST MAY NEED TO JUST RECONSIDER HOW WE CAN PULL THOSE NUMBERS. I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE IT. YEAH. BECAUSE UNLESS I SEE IT, BECAUSE I KNOW THIS NO, I, NO, I UNDERSTAND. WE'VE BEEN HERE LIKE SIX HOURS . I UNDERSTAND. I'M JUST SAYING THAT I DON'T WANT YOU TO FEEL AS IF WE DID NOT, OR YOU'RE NOT BEING CONSIDERED. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT IS THE INTENTION OF OUR MAYOR ADMINISTRATION NOR OUR COUNCIL. OKAY. SO I, I THINK THAT WE NEED TO, I THINK WE'RE ALL LEARNING HERE AND WE'RE ALL KIND OF FIGURING OUT WHAT TO DO AND NOT TO DO, RIGHT? SURE. AND THAT'S WHY WE HAVE THESE PUBLIC SESSIONS. SURE. SO JUST KNOW THAT IT WAS NOT, IT'S NOT DONE INTENTIONALLY. I THINK WE HAVE THE INFORMATION. I THINK WE JUST NEED TO LOOK AT THE INFORMATION A BIT CLOSER. BUT, UM, BUT I DO NOT WANT YOU TO, AND ANYONE, ANY FEMALE MINORITIES ARE INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON. WE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT AND, UM, AND YOU'RE NOT BEING WELL, I APPRECIATE THAT. I WOULD REALLY LOVE TO SEE THOSE NUMBERS, BUT I KNOW FOR SURE IF I'M JUST TAKEN AND PUT INTO THE SBE. YES, I AGREE. AND HAVING TO COMPETE UNDER $25 MILLION COMPANIES, THERE'S NO WAY I CAN COMPETE WITH THAT. NO, I NEITHER IN SIZE, NOR IN NO, NO, NO. I'M A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER, FEMALE BUSINESS OWNER. I, I GET IT. I GET IT. I MEAN, WE DO KIND OF FUNCTION IN A DIFFERENT SPACE. I MEAN, NOT IN EVERY WAY. YEAH. NOT ONLY LENDING, BUT STAFFING AND JUST ALL OF IT. IT IS ALL. SO IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE. SO JUST KNOW THAT WE'RE LISTENING AND WE'RE HEARING YOU AND, UM, I, THAT I DO NOT BELIEVE, I WILL SAY I CAN, I BELIEVE I CAN SPEAK FOR ALL OF US, THAT THAT WAS NOT OUR INTENTION. IT'S NOT OUR INTENTION. AND I MEAN, WE RESPECT OUR MINORITY WOMEN BUSINESS OWNERS INCREDIBLY WELL. OKAY. I APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN [04:05:01] AMY ERICKSON. AMY ERICKSON, THEODORE CARRERO, AND DAIRY BERRY, ALFREDO BLANCO. JENNIFER, HER, BECKY SMITH, GENESIS GALL LARDO, DAVID MCDONOUGH, SABRINA NORMAN, SAMUEL SMITH, YOU, DAVE, JOSH. HELLO, MR. MAYOR. AND, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS. UH, SO I'M ACTUALLY HERE TO, UH, HIGHLIGHT ONE ISSUE REGARDING OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. UH, I LIVE AT 4 0 2 HADLEY STREET, WHICH IS IN MIDTOWN. UH, THAT'S CLOSE TO, UH, LITTLE WOODROW BAR, IF YOU GUYS ARE AWARE. SO WE ARE A GROUP OF SIX TOWN HOMES, WHICH ARE, UH, IN THE COMMUNITY, WHICH FALLS, UH, BETWEEN LITTLE WOOD ROWS. AND THERE ARE SEVERAL BARS IN, UH, IN THE BACKSIDE. SO THERE IS, UH, WONDER BAR AND, UH, ALSO DOGWOOD. SO WHAT HAPPENS IS, UH, UH, I I JUST SHARED THE MAPS WITH YOU. UH, SO WE HAVE BEEN NOTICING A LOT OF, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY RELATED ISSUES. UH, PEOPLE WALK FROM ONE BAR TO ANOTHER AND YOU KNOW, THEY USE THE SIDEWALK NEXT TO OUR TOWN HOMES. UH, WE HAVE SEEN A LOT OF LOITERING. PEOPLE THROW BEER BOTTLES IN OUR, UH, UNITS ON OUR PROPERTY. UH, ALSO, UH, COUNTLESS NUMBER OF TIMES I'VE, UH, SEEN PEOPLE, UH, URINATE, UH, ON OUR FENCE. I MEAN, IT'S REALLY DISGUSTING SOMETIMES. AND, UH, ALSO WE HAVE HAD SOME HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS CAMPING OUTSIDE OUR FENCE. UH, THAT HAS BEEN AN ISSUE TOO. AND, UH, WORST OF ALL, UH, ABOUT A MONTH AGO ACTUALLY, UH, AND I HAPPEN TO WITNESS THIS, UH, YOU GUYS ARE AWARE OF THE, UH, CARJACKING AND, UH, FATAL SHOOTING THAT TOOK PLACE. I ACTUALLY HAPPEN TO SEE THAT FROM MY WINDOW. SO, UH, I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THESE ISSUES. AND ON THE MAP I HAVE, UH, MADE SOME PROPOSALS. UH, IF YOU CAN BLOCK THIS SIDEWALK FOR PUBLIC USE, UH, WHICH IS JUST NEXT TO OUR TOWN HOMES, UH, LEAVING ENOUGH, UH, EASEMENT FOR US TO USE, I THINK THAT WOULD SOLVE THIS ISSUE. AND JUST BLOCKING THESE TWO, UH, PARKING SPOTS RIGHT NEXT TO US. YEP. THANK YOU FOR COMING AND FOR WAITING SO LONG TO STATE YOUR CASE. NO PROBLEM. AND FOR OFFERING SOME SUGGESTIONS. I'LL, I'LL BE SURE. AND GET THIS TO OUR PARKING PEOPLE AND EVERYBODY AND WE'LL, WE'LL RUN THESE SUGGESTIONS DOWN. ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU. ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. SARAH. IVY EDWARDS. ANTONIO HENDERSON, LINDA GAMBLE. SAY DREW. DREW ANTOINE. ANNIE LEE. JIM ODEN. FRANKIE ERMAN. YOUR NAME? FRANKIE. FRANKIE E EMAN. OKAY. I LIVE IN ADORED WARD. UM, DISTRICT G UM, DISTRICT DI RIDE MY BIKE EVERY SINGLE DAY AND I NEED, WE NEED MORE BIKE LANES IN ADORED WARD AND OFTEN FLEET NEED BEAM BIKE LANES TOO, BECAUSE I RIDE MY BIKE EVERYWHERE. MIDTOWN, EVERYWHERE. AND PLEASE BIKE LANES MORE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN? SIR, SIR. COUNCIL CHAIRMAN. EVAN. WELL, GOOD AFTERNOON. GOOD, GOOD TO, GOOD TO SEE YOU HERE TODAY. HOW ARE YOU? [04:10:01] GOOD. GOOD, GOOD, GOOD. UM, I, I'M JUST GONNA SAY THAT THE CONSENSUS OF THAT PARTICULAR COMMUNITY, PARTICULARLY BLO STREET, THEY ARE NOT IN FAVOR OF THE BIKE LANES. I LIVE IN THAT AREA. VERY RARELY DO I SEE ANYBODY ON A BICYCLE USING THOSE LANES. YEAH. IF I SEE A BIKER, THEY'RE GENERALLY RIDING DOWN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET. NOW, I'VE SEEN YOU AT SEVERAL EVENTS. YES. BUT I'VE NEVER SEEN YOU UTILIZE THE BIKE LANES EITHER. I DO, I DO USE BIKE LANES A LOT. OKAY. NOT, NOT ON LOGIC. NO. OKAY. ALRIGHT. JUST, JUST TO BE CLEAR. AND SO, UH, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, THESE LANES CAME UP AND THE COMMUNITY WAS IN AN UPROAR AND THEY STILL ARE. AND THEY'RE STILL TALKING ABOUT THESE BIKE LANES BECAUSE THEY HAVE TAKEN AWAY SPACES THAT ARE BEING USED BY THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE THERE. THEY CAN'T EVEN PUT THEIR TRASH OUT. UH, THEY, THEY FLOOD. I, I COULD GIVE YOU A PLETHORA OF REASONS AND THEN THE, ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS COULD BE THE SAFETY OF THE STUDENTS AT TEXAS SOUTHERN, TRYING TO EVACUATE THEM FROM THE COLLEGE BECAUSE WE DID HAVE A SHUTDOWN JUST THE OTHER DAY AND IT COULD HAVE BEEN A PROBLEM. YEAH. AND SO I CERTAINLY BELIEVE IN BIKE SAFETY AND YOU KNOW, I REALLY, REALLY LIKE TO SEE YOU IN PLACES , EVEN THOUGH YOU TOLD ME YOU WERE GONNA MOVE OUTTA DISTRICT D. YEAH. UH, BUT AT ANY RATE, THANK YOU. I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU COMING, BUT THAT IS REALLY NOT THE CONSENSUS OF WHAT I AM HEARING FROM THE OTHER CONSTITUENTS THAT LIVE IN THE AREA. THANK YOU. NEXT, DO ONE MORE TIME. COUNCIL MEMBER . MARIA MARINO. . MARIA MARINO. ANNIE BRISCOE, AMAL CADRE. TRAYVON NEAL. YOU, DANIEL ZILLA. LAURIE ROBINSON. DOROTHY LINSKY. DO Y'ALL HAVE A CONTACT? ANNIE JOHNSON. HERE. DARREL HARPER. WILL HILL, IKA DAVIS. CHRISTINA DEJE. STEVE WILLIAMS. OH, CHRISTINA DEJE. AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. I'M CHRISTINA CALDWELL DEJE, INDEPENDENT CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. AGAIN, 2028. I'M BORN AND RAISED HERE IN HOUSTON, TEXAS. I RAN FOR MA UH, YEAH, I HAVE, I RAN FOR MAYOR 2015, RAN FOR GOVERNOR 2018. I HAVE RAN FOR GOVERNOR OF HAWAII TWICE. RAN FOR MAYOR OF HONOLULU TWICE, BUT IT BEHOOVES ME 62 YEARS OF AGE BLACK AMERICAN. I COME TO MY HOMETOWN BORN ON THE SAME DAY AS BEYONCE. NINE FOUR. SEPTEMBER THE FOURTH. 20 SEPTEMBER THE FOURTH, 1962. BUT EVERY TIME I SHOW UP I'M HANDCUFFED AND I WOULD LIKE TO GET TO THE BOTTOM OF IT THAT I AM A CANDIDATE FOR 28. AGAIN, INDEPENDENT, ALREADY REGISTERED IN WASHINGTON DC THESE ARE OFFICIAL APPLICATION THAT'S BEEN DOWNSIZED. I'M IN MY HOMETOWN. DEGRADED, HUMILIATED AND TIRED. I REGISTERED FOR THREE MINUTES. I'M VERY SORRY THAT YOU GUYS HAVE RAN OVER TIME, BUT I NEED MY THREE MINUTES 'CAUSE I'VE BEEN ARRESTED, HELD 2012 FOR THREE MONTHS. THE SECOND MONTH OF BEING HELD, I'M ALMOST STRANGLED TO DEATH, LIKE SANDRA BLAND. SO I NEED MY THREE MINUTES. [04:15:01] SO I'M VERY SORRY FOR MY, MY VOICE GETS LOUDER, BUT I'D BE DANG IF I'M GONNA COME TO MY HOMETOWN. HOUSTON, TEXAS. NOT A ROCKET, NOT A ASTRO PLAYER. BUT I AM GOING TO GET RESPECT. YOU ARE OUR NEW MAYOR. I HAVE A DAUGHTER HERE. I HAVE FOUR GRANDCHILDREN THAT WILL NOT LEAVE HERE FOR WHATEVER REASON. AND I HAVE A NEW GRANDDAUGHTER. SO WITH THE RESPECT OF BEING A CANDIDATE AGAIN FOR THE THIRD TIME FOR PRESIDENT OF UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, WHEN I COME TO MY HOMETOWN, HOUSTON, TEXAS, I DO NOT EXPECT TO BE HANDCUFFED. 2024. I'M RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT OF UNITED STATES AND I'M SO GLAD YOU GOT WHAT YOU VOTED DIDN'T VOTE FOR OR WHATEVER. IF YOU DID VOTE FOR IT, YOU HANDCUFFED ME IN THE FRONT OF, OF MY MOTHER'S ESTATE. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED ON CATON STREET. I'M HELD AT MCGREGOR FACILITY FOR THREE WEEKS. EMBARRASSED. SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. I DON'T KNOW. I ASKED FOR A MEETING WITH THE MAYOR IN PERSON, BUT THIS IS WHAT YOU GET. I HAVE TO COME TO A TOWN HALL MEETING TO GET THIS ANNOUNCED OR GET IT OUT IN THE AIR. LET'S GET IT OUT THERE. WHAT IS THE REASON THAT CHRISTINA CALDWELL DEJAN IS BEING HANDCUFFED AND THE PEOPLE THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE HANDLING INTERNAL AFFAIRS WILL NOT DO ANYTHING TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT THAT'S HANDCUFFED ME. WHAT CAN I DO FOR YOU TODAY? 'CAUSE WE, WE, WE, WE ALL HAVE EVENTS TONIGHT. WE HAVE TO RUN TO. YES SIR. I'M, I'M VERY SORRY. WHAT THAT, WHAT CAN I DO FOR YOU AT THIS MINUTE? DO YOU HAVE I'M VERY SORRY ABOUT THAT, MAYOR, BUT I DID, THEY ASKED US ON THE PHONE WHEN WE REGISTERED. SURE. DO YOU WANT THREE MINUTES? TWO MINUTES? I THINK I OR ONE. I SAID THREE. SO THREE MINUTES. ELAPSE? NO, YOU'VE HAD THREE MINUTES. BUT I'M ASKING YOU, WHAT DO YOU NEED RIGHT NOW FROM US RIGHT THIS MINUTE, RIGHT THIS MINUTE. I NEED YOU TO GET THE POLICE CHIEF ON THE PHONE AND FIND OUT WHAT IS THE PROBLEM, OKAY WITH ME, BING. OKAY. GIVE IN MY HOMETOWN. GIVE MS. WILSON OR THIS OFFICER YOUR INFORMATION AND I'LL GET AN UPDATE. AND ALSO, MAYOR, I'M ALSO ASKING FOR A PRIVATE MEETING WITH YOU WITHOUT HAVING TO COME IN AND AIR MY DIRTY LAUNDRY IN THE PUBLIC. ALRIGHT? APPRECIATE IT. GOOD LUCK IN YOUR RACE. DID I, DID I HEAR YOU SAYING WE CAN HAVE A PRIVATE MEETING? NO MA'AM. I DIDN'T SAY THAT. YOU DIDN'T SAY THAT. I DIDN'T SAY THAT. HOW DO WE GET A MEETING PRIVATELY? YOU KNOW, THESE DAYS IT'S A PRETTY BIG CHALLENGE. IN FACT, I STARTED, I THINK I WAS UP AT FIVE 30 THIS MORNING. I HAVEN'T STOPPED. I WAS UP AT THREE. I'M A MISSIONARY BEFORE. I'M A POLITICIAN. OKAY, WELL BE SAFE. STEVE WILLIAMS. JOSEPH AMARI. SHE SAID I'M COME SEE YOU. EDUARDO DURAN, JACOB, THE ASTROS, CLEMENTE, JACOB. OKAY. GOOD EVENING GUYS. IT'S BEDTIME. OKAY. UH, AT, ANYWAY, UM, I'LL BE WITH QUICK. CHRIS COL WAS A SENDING ON THE, THE, THE HOUSTON CRITICAL WAS HOSTING AND YOU COULD TALK TO HIM, WELL NOT TALK TO HIM BUT ASK HIM A QUESTION. AND SO I ASKED HIM A QUESTION DEALING WITH, UH, DEMOCRATS ON OLD SCHOOL AND NEW SCHOOL AND WELL LIKE JOHN WILMAR, MAYOR JOHN WAS A DEMOCRAT BEFORE HE WAS BORN. AND SO, UM, UM, YOU COULD SAY HE'S OLD SCHOOL DEMOCRAT. BUT THEN, UM, UH, THAT WAS ALSO ASKED OF HIM IF HE WAS OLD SCHOOL OR NEW SCHOOL AND HE GOT POLITICAL ON ME. HE SAID THAT HE WASN'T CHRIS COLLINS WAS NOT PHIL COLLINS. OKAY. DEBATE FOR POLITICS JACOB. OKAY, YOU SHOULD COME ONE 30 FOR THAT. IT'S FIVE O'CLOCK. ALRIGHT JACOB, BE SAFE. WAIT, HE'S GOT A AG JOKE. OH, GOT AN IDEA. YOU HEAR ABOUT MAYOR JACOB? IT'S BEEN A LONG DAY. COULD YOU TELL A SNAGGY JOKE? OKAY. ROBERT KENNEDY JR WENT ON TO THE CAMPUS OF A AND M FOR QUESTION. DO YOU KNOW WHY HE THOUGHT HE COULD BENEFIT FROM IT? THAT'S A SNAGGY JOKE. [04:20:01] ROY HIRSCH. JACOB, BE SAFE. BE SAFE. YEAH. MORE SPEAKER. ROY HIRSCH. THE LAST ONE. STICK IT AROUND MAN. A VERY LONG DAY. FOLKS. UM, MAYOR CITY COUNCIL. I'M ROY HIRSCH. I'M WITH THE PEOPLE FOR POLK COALITION. JUST WANT TO MAKE A FEW POINTS ABOUT THE FACT THAT THE JRC PROCESS, PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR POLK STREET WILL END ON MAY 1ST IN TWO DAYS. WE KNOW THAT WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE BEEN, THERE HAVE BEEN AT LEAST 200 CALLS RECORDED THAT HAVE ASKED TO DENY THE ABANDONMENT OF POLK STREET. THIS HAS BEEN THE STRONGEST PUBLIC COMMENT RESPONSE IN THE HISTORY OF THE JRC PROCESS. WHAT EFFECT WILL IT HAVE? WILL THERE, WILL THE, WILL THE EFFECT OF, OF THIS PROCEDURE GOING? WHAT EFFECT WILL THIS HAVE ON THE PROCEDURE GOING FORWARD? IF SO, HOW? IF NOT, WHY NOT? WHAT IS THEIR PURPOSE? A MEANINGLESS GESTURE. WHY EVEN BOTHER? THIS WOULD UNDERMINE THE CREDIBILITY OF GI, THE JRC PROCESS WITH THE PUBLIC MORE SO THIS WOULD COMPLETELY ERODE THE FACE. MANY HOUSTONIANS HAVE IN THEIR CITY GOVERNMENT. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. IS THIS THE BEST WE CAN DO? ONE, IS THIS THE BEST WE CAN EXPECT FOR GOOD CITY STEWARDSHIP? JUST A FEW QUESTIONS TO PONDER GOING FORWARD. THANK YOU. OKAY, [RECESS] THANK YOU. ALRIGHT EVERYONE, TOMORROW WE RECESS TOMORROW TO POSITION NINE OF THE NEAR NORTHWEST MANAGEMENT DISTRICT BOARD OF DIRECTORS. ITEM NINE ORDERS APPROPRIATED $102,864 AND 73 CENTS OUTTA DEDICATED DRAINAGE AND STREET RENEWAL CAPITAL FUND VALOR TAX APPROVING THE AUTHORIZING FIRST AMENDMENT TO CONTRACT WITH TWIN CITY OF HOUSTON AND GERDON ENTERPRISE LP. ITEM 10, RECOMMENDATION FROM DIRECTOR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS FOR APPROVAL OF CHANGE. ORDER NUMBER TWO AWARDED TO GERDON ENTERPRISE LP. THIS ITEM SHALL ONLY BE CONSIDERED AFTER PASSAGE OF ITEM NINE ABOVE ITEM 11. RECOMMENDATION FROM DIRECTOR ADMINISTRATION OF REGULATORY AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT FOR THE DESIGNATION OF A RESIDENTIAL PARKING PERMIT AREA IN THE 2100 BLOCK OF WEST MAIN STREET AND THE 24 TO 2,500 BLOCK OF RUTH STREET. ITEM 12, RECOMMENDATION FROM DIRECTOR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS FOR APPROVAL OF FILING CONTRACT AMOUNT AND ACCEPTANCE WORK ON CONTRACT WITH THE GRAVEL LLC ITEM 13. RECOMMENDATION FROM DIRECTOR OF GENERAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT FOR APPROVAL OF FINAL CONTRACT AMOUNT AND ACCEPTANCE OF WORK ON CONTRACT WITH THE SPA GLASS CONSTRUCTION CORP. ITEM 14, RECOMMENDATION FROM DIRECTOR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS REVIEWED AND APPROVED BY THE JOINT REFERRAL COMMITTEE ON BEHALF OF A LEAF MONTESSORI COMMUNITY SCHOOL. DECLINING THE ACCEPTANCE OF REJECTING AND REFUSING THE DEDICATION OF 60 FOOT WIDE L STREET FROM SIXTH STREET. ITEM 15 ORDINANCE FINDING AND DETERMINING THAT PUBLIC CONVENIENCE AND NECESSITY NO LONGER REQUIRE THE CONTINUED USE OF AN ALLEY FROM INTERSTATE 45 SOUTH PARK PLACE BOULEVARD. ITEM 16, RECOMMENDATION FROM DIRECTOR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS REVIEWED AND APPROVED BY THE JOINT REFERRAL COMMITTEE ON REQUEST FROM PAP FAMILY LIMITED PARTNERSHIP DECLINING THE ACCEPTANCE OF AND REJECTING AND REFUSING THE DEDICATION OF 16 FOOT WIDE ALLEY FROM DOVER STREET TO ERIE STREET. ITEM 17, METRO FIRE APPARATUS SPECIALIST INC. FOR PURCHASE OF PUMPER TRUCKS AND AREA LADDER TRUCKS. ITEM 18 S SILBURY TOYOTA AND CHA TANK ENTERPRISE OF HOUSTON L-L-C-D-B-A CHA TANK FORD FOR PURCHASE OF LIGHT DUTY AND SUPER DUTY VEHICLES. ITEM 19 APPROVED SPRINTING AUTHORITY FOR PURCHASE OF FOUR ELECTRIC FORKLIFTS FOR FLEET MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT THROUGH THE GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION CORPORATE PURCHASING PROGRAM SUPPLIER ATLAS TOYOTA MA MATERIAL HANDLING LLC ITEM 20 APPROVED APPROVED SPINNING AUTHORITY FOR PURCHASE OF 10 HAIL AUTOMATED SIDE LOADERS THROUGH THE BUYBOARD PURCHASING CORPORATE SUPPLIER CHA TANK ENTERPRISE L-L-C-D-B-A CHA TANK FORD ITEM 21 APPROVED SPRINTING AUTHORITY FOR PURCHASE OF NINE. LET TWO DUAL DRIVE 12 CHASSIS WITH THE HAIL 33 YARD DOOR PACK SIDE LOADERS AWARDED TO HOLT TRUCK CENTERS OF TEXAS. ITEM 22 HOLT TRUCK CENTERS OF TEXAS FOR THE FLEET MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT ON BEHALF OF SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT. ITEM 23 [04:25:01] I ORDERED APPROVED SPENDING AUTHORITY FOR PURCHASE OF THREE REAR LOADERS AWARDED TO HOUSTON FREIGHTLINER INC. ITEM 24 APPROVED SPENDING AUTHORITY FOR WASTEWATER SURVEILLANCE SERVICES AWARDED TO WHEEL MARCH RICE UNIVERSITY ITEM 25 FAR WEST ENVIRONMENTAL SUPPLY INC. FOR PURCHASE OF 2 20 25 C CHEVROLET SILVERADO 2,500 HD PICKUP TRUCKS. ITEM 26 CHAST TANK ENTERPRISES HOUSTON L-L-C-D-B-A CHAST TANK FORD INC. FOR PURCHASE OF 2 20 25 FORD F THREE 50 PICKUP TRUCKS. ITEM 27 ABACUS QUALITY SYSTEM SERVICES INC. FOR PURCHASE OF TWO X TOOL LASER CUTTER MACHINES FOR WITH VARIOUS ACCESSORIES. ITEM 28 APPROVED SPRINTING AUTHORITY IN THE AMOUNT FOR WORK-BASED CONTRACT FOR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS WITH OMNIA PARTNERS CONTRACTOR BROWN AND ROOT INDUSTRIAL SERVICES LLC ITEM 29 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENTS INC. TO PURCHASE TWO POLYMER FEED SKID SYSTEMS. ITEM 30, HAROLD BECK AND SONS INC. FOR PURCHASE OF 10 ROTARY ACT ACTUATORS. ITEM 31 APPROVED SPINNING AUTHORITY FOR REPLACEMENT OF FOUR CHEMICAL TANKS AWARDED TO KINETIC MOTORWORKS LLC ITEM 32 KINETIC MOTORWORKS LLC TO FURNISH DELIVER AND INSTALL CHEMICAL TANKS. ITEM 33 APPROVED SPENDING AUTHORITY FOR CONTRACT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM INTEGRATED AWARDED TO GO GOOPS LLC ITEM 34 AMEND MOTION 20 22 26 TO INCREASE SPENDING AUTHORITY AND TO EXTEND THE AWARD FROM FROM AIRGAS U-S-A-L-L-C ITEM 35 RESOLUTION APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING SUBMISSION OF FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE APPLICATION UNDER THE TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD'S STATE WATER IMPLEMENTATION FUND FOR TEXAS PROGRAM. ITEM 36 RESOLUTION APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING NOMINATION OF POWER ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS INC. LOCATED AT 72 32 APPLE AIRPORT BOULEVARD. ITEM 37 ORDINANCE APPROVING AN AUTHORIZING FIRST AMENDMENT TO SUBRECIPIENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND AVENUE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION. ITEM 38 ORDINANCE APPROVING AN AUTHORIZING FIRST AMENDMENT TO CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS OF HOUSTON HARRIS COUNTY. ITEM 39 ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE 20 25 200 REGARDING SECOND AMENDMENT TO LOAN AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND HOUSTON AB HABITAT FOR AMENITY INC. ITEM 40 ORDINANCE APPROVED AND AUTHORIZING REIMBURSABLE MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND US CUSTOMS AND BORDER OF PROTECTION. ITEM 41 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $7,821,168 AND NO CENTS OUT OF AIR FORCE IMPROVEMENT FUND AS ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATION TO PROGRAM MANAGEMENT SUPPORT SERVICES CONTRACTS BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND ONE HOUSTON AVIATION ALLIANCE, A JOINT VENTURE AND TWO PARSONS AND HJ RUSSELL IH TEAM ITEM 42 ORDINANCE MAKING GENERAL APPROPRIATION OF CERTAIN REVENUES OF THE CITY IN SUPPORT OF ANNUAL BUDGETS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025. ITEM 43 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING IN SETTLEMENT OF RELEASE AND INDEMNITY AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND ST. HARLEM CONSTRUCTION LLC AND AMERIFACTORS FINANCIAL GROUP AND THE SETTLEMENT RELEASE AND INDEMNITY AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND VNS CONSTRUCTION LLC ITEM 44 ORDINANCE APPRO AND AWARDING CONTRACT BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND RALPH TILLIS FINANCIAL LLC ITEM 45 ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE NUMBER 2018 AND 10 32 ANOTHER EXCUSE ME TO INCREASE MAXIMUM CONTRACT AMOUNT AND IMPROVING AN AUTHORIZING 30 MEMBER TO EXTEND CONTRACT TERM BETWEEN THE CITY AND ONE ALPHA ICARE ASSOCIATES AT PLLC TWO CHINESE COMMUNITY CENTER. THREE. HOME DELIVERY IN CONTINENT SUPPLIES CO FOUR MERCK MEDICAL SUPPLY FIVE. TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY SIX. UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER AT HOUSTON. SEVEN MPJ AUDIOLOGY CONSULTANT LLC EIGHT INTERFAITH CARE PARTNERS NINE. ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE AND RELATED DISORDERS 10. BAKER RIPLEY 11 DINSMORE MEDICAL SYSTEMS LLC 12 HEARING AND EXPRESS 13. HEIGHT HEARING AIDS LLC 14 PARLY HOME HEALTH 15. SYNERGY KATIE HOUSE SELDEN HOME CARE LLC 16 SYNERGY CONROE MERCER INITIATIVES INC. 17. INIT INIT INC. DBA TITO HEALTH 18 MONTROSE COUNSELING CENTER FOR AGING AND CAREGIVER SUPPORTIVE SERVICES TO [04:30:01] SENIORS SENIOR ADULTS THROUGH HARRIS COUNTY AREA AGENCY ON AGE AGING 46 ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE NUMBER 2009 392 ON CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND CENTRAL SQUARE TECHNOLOGIES LLC ITEM 47 ORDINANCE APPRO AND AUTHORIZING FIRST AMENDMENT TO EXTEND CONTRACT RETURN BETWEEN STATE OF HOUSTON AND CONTINENTAL AMERICAN INSURANCE COMPANY. ITEM 48 ORDINANCE APPRO AND AUTHORIZING FIRST AMENDMENT WITH COCA-COLA SOUTHWEST BEVERAGES LLC FOR SOFT DRINK MARKETING PARTNERSHIP ITEM 49 ORDINANCE APPROV AND AUTHORIZING FIRST AMENDMENT WITH COMPASS GROUP L-U-S-A-L-L-C ITEM 50 ORDINANCE DE APPROPRIATING $11,372,598 57 CENTS OUT OF POLICE CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND AND DE APPROPRIATING 10,700,000 OUT OF CONTRIBUTED CAPITAL PROJECT FUND PREVIOUSLY APPROPRIATED UNDER ORDINANCE 24 20 24 23 APPROPRIATING $12,402,282 OUT OF POLICE CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND AND APPROPRIATING TWO 10,700,000 OUT OF CONTRIBUTED CAPITAL PROJECT FUND AWARDING CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT TO SPA GLASS CONSTRUCTION CORPORATION ITEM 51 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $800,000 IN NO CENTS OUT OF GENERAL IMPROVEMENT. CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND FOR MODERNIZATION AT OF SELECT ELEVATORS AT CITY HALL. ITEM 52 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $303 MILLION IN NO CENTS OUT OF PARKS AND RECREATION DEDICATION FUND AND $919,000 OUT OF PARKS CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND FOR INTERIOR RENOVATIONS AT METROPOLITAN MULTI-SERVICE CENTER. HUNDRED 53 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $110,000 AND OH CENTS OUT OF PARKS CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND AT WATER CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AT RIDGE CONTRACT TO TIMES CONSTRUCTION INC. ITEM 54 ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE NUMBER 20 25 2 68 RELATING TO FISCAL AFFAIRS OF REINVESTMENT ZONE NUMBERS NUMBER 27 CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS ITEM 55 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $1,357,930 AND NO CENTS OUT OF PARKS. CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING AGREEMENT FOR PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND ADVANCED FUNDING. GREG STREET BRIDGE BETWEEN SEA OF HOUSTON AND BUFFALO BIO PARTNERSHIP ITEM 56 ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING THE NORTH AND SOUTH SIDE OF THE 1000 BLOCK OF EAST SEVENTH STREET. ITEM 57 ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING THE NORTH AND SOUTH SIDE OF THE 1000 BLOCK OF EAST SEVENTH AND A HALF STREET BETWEEN NORTH HILL BOULEVARD AND MISHAW STREET. ITEM 58 ORDINANCE CONSENTING TO THE ADDITION OF 0.6170 ACRES OF ATLANTA HARRIS COUNTY MINISTRY UTILITY DISTRICT NUMBER 61 ITEM 59 ORDINANCE CONSENTING TO THE ADDITION OF 15.022 ACRES OF ATLANTA HARRIS COUNTY MINISTRY UTILITY DISTRICT NUMBER 2 85 OR ITEM 60 ORDINANCE CONSENTING TO THE ADDITION OF 2 5 3 0.3 AND THREE ACRES OF LAND TO HARRIS COUNTY MINISTRY. TIPS DISTRICT NUMBER 5 86 ITEM 61 ORDINANCE CONSENTING TO THE ADDITION OF 10.708 ACRES OF ATLANTA NORTHWEST HARRIS COUNTY MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT NUMBER 10. ITEM 62 ORDINANCE FINDING AND DETERMINING THAT PUBLIC CONVENIENCE AND NECESSITY NO LONGER REQUIRE THE CONTINUED USE OF A FIVE FOOT WIDE PORTION OF EAST 20TH STREET BEING ADJACENT TO LOT ONE BLOCK ONE OF THE CHARLESTON HEIGHTS SUBDIVISION SITUATED IN THE JOHN AUSTIN SURVEY. ABSTRACT NUMBER ONE ABANDONING SAID EASEMENT TO MELISSA ASBELL AND JASON ASBELL. ITEM 63 ORDINANCE CONSENTING THE DECON ASSIGNMENT OF ORDINANCE 20 12 9 20 ORDINANCE 20 12 9 21 ORDINANCE 20 13 5 0 5 AND ORDINANCE 20 21 84 AND THE PERMITS GRANTED THEREBY TO CONSTRUCT, OPERATE, MAINTAIN, IMPROVE, REPAIR AND REPLACE CERTAIN PIPELINES IN CERTAIN PORTIONS OF SPECI SPECIFIED PUBLIC STREET RIGHT AWAY TO ONE. OKAY NGL DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM LLC APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING A CONSENT TO ASSIGNMENT BY BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS AND ONE OH KNGL DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM LLC ITEM 64 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING TWO MILLION EIGHT HUNDRED EIGHTEEN THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED THIRTEEN THOUSAND EIGHTY ONE CENTS. ITEM WATER AND SWIFT SYSTEM CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND KAY FREEZE AND ASSOCIATES LLC ITEM 65 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $4,129,734 AND OH CENTS. ITEM WATER AND SEW SYSTEM. CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND APPROVING AN AUTHORIZING PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND AMANI ENGINEERING INC. ITEM 66 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $2,100,000 IN NO CENTS OUTTA WATER AND SEW FROM CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND TRILOGY ENGINEERING SERVICES LLC ITEM 67. ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $39,735,000 AND NO CENTS OUT OF WATER AND SEWER SYSTEM. CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND AWARD AND CONTRACTOR BOYER INC. ITEM 68, ORDINANCE [04:35:01] APPROPRIATING $11,239,461 50 CENTS OUT OF WATER AND SEW SYSTEM. CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND AWARDING CONTRACT TO TEX CODER ENTERPRISES LLC ITEM 69. ORDINANCE GRANTING TO CHING YEE LOW DVAA URANUS SERVICE, A TEXAS SO PROPRIETORSHIP THE WRIGHT S AND FRANCHISE TO COLLECT, HAUL AND TRANSPORT SOLID WASTE AND INDUSTRIAL WASTE FROM COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES LOCATED WITHIN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS. PURSUANT TO CHAPTER 39, CODE OF ORDINANCES, HOUSTON, TEXAS PROVIDING FOR RELATED TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND MAKING CERTAIN FINDINGS RELATED THERE TO FIRST READING THE REST. THE REST OF THESE WILL BE FIRST READING ORDINANCE GRANTED TO ACTION ROLL OFFS INC. AT TEXAS CORPORATION. ALSO FIRST READING 71 ORDINANCE GRANTED TO ASTRO WASTE, INC. A TEXAS CORPORATION. FIRST READING 72 ORDINANCE GRANT TO BAY AREA VACUUM SERVICES. LLCA, TEXAS LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY. FIRST READING 73 ORANGE GRANTING TO DYNASTY ENVIRONMENTAL AND CONSTRUCTION GROUP LLC. ALSO FIRST READING 74 ORANGE GRANTING TO EAGLE PRENTICE, LLCA, TEXAS LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY. FIRST READING 75 ORDINANCE GRANTING TO HAT SERVICES LLCA, TEXAS LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY. FIRST READING 76 ORDINANCE GRANTED TO RA SERVICES INC. A TEXAS CORPORATION ALSO FIRST READING 77 ORDINANCE GRANTED TO MR. SHINE POWER WASH INC. A TEXAS CORPORATION FIRST READING ITEM 78, ORDINANCE GRANTED TO SPECIALIZED MAINTENANCE SERVICES INC. A TEXAS CORPORATION. ALSO FIRST READING, THIS IS THE END OF THE CONSENT AGENDA UNDER NON-CONSENT AGENDA ITEM 79 SET A PUBLIC HEARING DATE TO CONSIDER THE PERMANENT CLOSURE OF CERTAIN NORTHBOUND AND SOUTHBOUND TRAFFIC LANES ON MAIN STREET BETWEEN RUST STREET AND COMMERCE STREET FOR THE MAIN STREET PROMENADE, ACCEPTING THE SOUTHBOUND TRAFFIC LANE OF MAIN STREET BETWEEN FRANKLIN STREET AND CONGRESS STREET. SUGGESTED HEARING DATE 9:00 AM WEDNESDAY, MAY 7TH, 2025. I WON'T BE HERE UNDER THE MATTERS HELD. ITEM 80, ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 15 OF THE CODE OF AVOIDANCES, HOUSTON, TEXAS. DELAY BY MOTION 20 25 2 0 8. THIS WAS ITEM 58 ON AGENDA OF MARCH 26TH, 2025. AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, ITEM 81 APPROVED SPENDING AUTHORITY AND IN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $15,202,369 FOR OFFICE AND CLEANING SUPPLIES FOR VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS AWARDED TO STAPLES CONTRACT IN COMMERCIAL LLC TAMPA. COUNCILMAN ARD. THIS WAS ITEM NINE ON AGENDA OF APRIL 16TH, 2025. THIS COMPLETES THE READING OF THE AGENDA, NOT TO MENTION IT IS MY FINAL AGENDA AS CITY SECRETARY. I WANT TO INVITE YOU TO STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT SESSION OF CITY COUNCIL SCHEDULE TO BEGIN AT 9:00 AM IN THE WORDS, IN MY FINAL WORDS AS CITY SECRETARY, I LIKE TO BID YOU ADO AND WAIT FOR THE CITY COUNCIL SESSION SCHEDULE TO BEGIN AT 9:00 AM HAVE A BLESSED AND FANTABULOUS DAY. THIS HAS BEEN A WONDERFUL 40 YEARS. I BID YOU A DO THANK YOU TO MY FAVORITE CITY SECRETARY. WE'RE GONNA MISS YOU. THANKS FOR COMING TO WORK FOR YOUR VERY LAST DAY. YOU'RE WELCOME. MY NUMBER ONE FAN [RECONVENE] ORDER. [ADMIN REPORT] FIRST ORDER BUSINESS IS THE MONTHLY FINANCIAL REPORT AND I RECOGNIZE CONTROLLER CHRIS HOLLINS AND DIRECTOR OF FINANCE FOR THE ADMINISTRATION, MELISSA DSKY. GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING MAYOR. HONORABLE MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, SORRY, I'M JUST GETTING PUT TOGETHER HERE. ALL RIGHT. THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE IS PROJECTING AN ENDING FUND BALANCE OF $244.7 MILLION OR 9.4% OF EXPENDITURES, LESS DEBT SERVICE AND PAY AS YOU GO FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025. THIS IS $136.1 MILLION LOWER THAN THE PROJECTION OF THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT. THE DIFFERENCE IS DUE TO A LOWER REVENUE AND HIGHER EXPENDITURE PROJECTION THAN FINANCE. THE MOST NOTABLE DIFFERENCE IS THAT OUR NUMBERS ACCOUNT FOR THE A HUNDRED $0.3 MILLION WE'RE REQUIRED TO PUT TOWARDS DRAINAGE PROJECTS FROM THE GENERAL FUND IS FISCAL YEAR. WHILE FINANCES DO NOT. IN ADDITION FINANCE FIGURES PROJECT A TRANSFER OF FUNDS DESIGNATED FOR TURS 24 INTO THE GENERAL FUND. MY OFFICE HAS YET TO RECEIVE REQUESTED GUIDANCE AROUND THE LEGALITY OF THESE TRANSFERS. AND SO WE DO NOT INCLUDE THESE TRANSFERS IN OUR PROJECTIONS. BASED ON OUR CURRENT PROJECTIONS. THE FUND BALANCE WILL BE APPROXIMATELY $50.4 MILLION ABOVE THE CITY'S TARGET OF HOLDING 7.5% OF EXPENDITURES, EXCLUDING DEBT SERVICE AND PAY AS YOU GO AND RESERVE. WE'VE INCREASED OUR REVENUE PROJECTION BY $4.5 MILLION [04:40:02] FROM THE FEBRUARY, 2025 REPORT TO REFLECT THE FOLLOWING. GAS FRANCHISE INCREASED BY $2 MILLION DUE TO HIGHER THAN ANTICIPATED GAS FRANCHISE ACTIVITY. TRANSFERS FROM OTHER FUNDS INCREASED BY $1.3 MILLION DUE TO FISCAL YEAR 2024 DERECHO OVERTIME REIMBURSEMENT SALE OF CAPITAL ASSETS INCREASED BY $1.2 MILLION DUE TO HIGHER THAN ANTICIPATED RIGHT OF WAY EASEMENT SALES. WE'VE DECREASED OUR EXPENDITURE PROJECTION BY $12.2 MILLION FROM THE FEBRUARY, 2025 REPORT TO REFLECT THE FOLLOWING, AN INCREASE OF $11 MILLION IN VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS TO REFLECT COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH VOLUNTARY RETIREMENT AND INCREASE OF $1.8 MILLION IN THE GENERAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT TO REFLECT FUNDING FOR FACILITY SECURITY AND MAINTENANCE SERVICES. AN INCREASE OF $1.4 MILLION IN THE SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT TO REFLECT HIGHER OVERTIME COSTS AN INCREASE OF $1.4 MILLION IN PARKS AND RECREATION TO REFLECT SEWER SERVICE OVERAGE, A DECREASE OF $5.6 MILLION IN VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS TO REFLECT VACANCY SAVINGS, A DECREASE OF $7.9 MILLION IN THE CAPTURED REVENUE TRANSFER TO THE DEDICATED DRAINAGE AND STREET RENEWAL FUND AT VALOREM, REFLECTING THE BUDGETED GENERAL FUND TRANSFER FOR STREET AND DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENT, UH, THAT WAS NOTED IN LAST LAST MONTH'S REPORT, A DECREASE OF $14.2 MILLION IN GENERAL GOVERNMENT REFLECTING THE DELAYED IMPLEMENTATION OF THE OPE TRUST FUND AND A SHIFT IN THE FUNDING SOURCE FOR THE HOUSING NAVIGATION CENTER OPERATION TO THE INITIATIVE TO END STREET HOMELESS FUND. MOVING TO THE CITY'S ENTERPRISE FUNDS IN AVIATION OPERATING EXPENSES INCREASED BY $2.2 MILLION DUE TO COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE VOLUN WITH VOLUNTARY RETIREMENT OPERATING TRANSFERS FROM THE REVENUE FUND TO THE AIRPORT IMPROVEMENT FUND DECREASED BY $2.2 MILLION IN THE COMBINED UTILITY SYSTEM. OPERATING EXPENSES INCREASED BY $2 MILLION DUE TO COST ASSOCIATED WITH VOLUNTARY RETIREMENT. NON-OPERATING REVENUES INCREASED BY $16.1 MILLION DUE TO HIGHER INTEREST INCOME AND LAND SALES. OPERATING TRANSFERS DECREASED BY $19.7 MILLION DUE TO LOWER DEBT SERVICE TRANSFERS AS A RESULT OF HIGHER IMPACT FEE REVENUE AND HIGHER NET SWAP REVENUES. AND THE STORM WATER FUND EXPENDITURES DECREASED BY $2 MILLION DUE TO PERSONNEL SAVINGS FOR OUR COMMERCIAL PAPER AND BONDS. THE CITY'S PRACTICE HAS BEEN TO MAINTAIN NO MORE THAN 20% OF THE TOTAL OUTSTANDING DEBT FOR EACH TYPE OF DEBT IN A VARIABLE RATE STRUCTURE. AS OF MARCH 31ST, 2025, THE RATIO OF UNHEDGED VARIABLE RATE DEBT FOR CONVENTION AND ENTERTAINMENT HAD RISEN TO $10.37 MILLION, WHICH IS STILL WELL BELOW THE 20% THRESHOLD. AND THE RATIO OF UNH VARIABLE RATE DEBT FOR THE OTHER TYPES OF OUTSTANDING DEBT WAS WELL BELOW THAT THRESHOLD AS WELL. MOVING ON TO OUR QUARTERLY INVESTMENT REPORT. AS OF MARCH 31ST, 2025, THE CITY HAD $6.46 BILLION INVESTED IN OUR GENERAL INVESTMENT POOL. THE CHARACTER OF THIS POOL IS THAT OF A SHORT TERM BOND FUND THAT HOLDS INVESTMENTS OF VERY HIGH CREDIT QUALITY FIXED RATINGS, REVIEWS THIS POOL AND ASSIGN THE POOL ITS HIGHEST RATING. AAA, OUR INVESTMENT STRATEGY IS TO MATCH ASSETS AND LIABILITIES FOR A TIME PERIOD OF ONE YEAR INTO THE FUTURE AND TO EXERCISE DISCRETION FOR THE BALANCE OF REMAINING FUNDS. INVESTMENTS ARE $15 MILLION HIGHER THAN LAST YEAR, AND THIS IS PRIMARILY ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE FEDERAL GRANTS FOR NATURAL DISASTER THAT ARE IN THE GRANTS FUND. AS OF MARCH 31ST, 2025. THE GENERAL INVESTMENT POOL WAS YIELDING 3.927%, WHICH IS UP FROM THE 3.815% YIELD IN THE PRIOR QUARTER. IN ADDITION TO THE GENERAL INVESTMENT POOL, WE HAVE TWO SMALL INVESTMENT POOLS THAT TOTAL ABOUT $16 MILLION. THOSE POOLS EXIST TO COMPLY WITH TAX REQUIREMENTS OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. A DETAILED LISTING OF ALL THE SECURITIES OWNED BY THE CITY APPEARS AT THE BACK OF YOUR INVESTMENT REPORT. ALONG WITH OUR INVESTMENT REPORT, WE'VE INCLUDED WITH THIS MOER THE QUARTERLY SWAP REPORT AS IS REQUIRED BY THE CITY'S SWAP POLICY. THE WRITTEN SWAP REPORT THAT APPEARS IN THE MOER OFFERS A COMPREHENSIVE DESCRIPTION OF OUR TWO SWAP POSITIONS. THE CITY HAD A NET PAID FOR THE NINE MONTHS ENDING MARCH 31ST, 2025 FROM ITS SWAPS OF $4.8 MILLION. FAIR VALUE FOR BOTH SWAPS AS OF MARCH 31ST, 2025 WAS NEGATIVE $73 MILLION, WHICH IS A $15 MILLION DECREASE IN VALUE COMPARED TO THE PRIOR QUARTER. THE CITY SWAPS ARE FAIRLY COMPLEX AND AS ALWAYS, IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS REGARDING THAT REPORT, PLEASE CONTACT MY OFFICE, SIR, UH, [04:45:01] NO, SORRY, A MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF COUNSEL. UH, I NEED TO ADDRESS, UH, A MATTER REGARDING THE FUNDS ALLOCATED TOTS 24. DURING FISCAL YEARS 2020 AND 2021, FUNDS TOTALING $17 MILLION WERE SET ASIDE DURING THOSE FISCAL YEARS. UH, FORTS 24 BY DESIGN, THESE TURS DESIGNATED PROPERTY TAXES ARE COLLECTED OUTSIDE THE CITY'S REVENUE CAP, SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE THEY'RE EARMARKED FOR REINVESTMENT IN THE TARGETED NEIGHBORHOODS. YOU ALL ARE FAMILIAR WITH HOW TOURS WORK. THE PURPOSE OF THESE FUNDS WAS CLEAR TO FUEL REVITALIZATION AND STRENGTHEN COMMUNITIES WITHIN THE BOUNDS OF THAT REINVESTMENT ZONE. IT WAS RECENTLY DISCOVERED, HOWEVER, THATT 24 WAS NOT SET UP PROPERLY BEFORE THOSE YEARS. AS A RESULT, WE'VE BEEN MADE AWARE THAT THE FUNDS WERE NOT BEING DIRECTED TO THE TURS AS ORIGINALLY INTENDED. AND SO THAT BRINGS US TO A QUESTION OF HOW TO MOVE FORWARD, WHAT SHOULD HAPPEN WITH THESE FUNDS. NOW, SINCE THESE TAX DOLLARS WERE COLLECTED WITH A SPECIFIC INTENT, THERE ARE TWO PATH FORWARD. ONE, WE ENSURE THAT THE FUNDS ARE EVENTUALLY DIRECTED TO THE TURS AS IT WAS INTENDED. ONCE IT IS PROPERLY STRUCTURED AND SET UP, TWO, WE RETURN THE FUNDS TO HOUSTON TAXPAYERS. WHAT WE CANNOT DO IS REDIRECT THESE FUNDS TO THE GENERAL FUND. DOING SO RISKS VIOLATING THE REVENUE CAP FOR THE YEARS IN QUESTION. AGAIN, FISCAL YEARS 2020 AND 2021, CREATING ADDITIONAL FINANCIAL AND LEGAL COMPLICATIONS. UH, AS I STATED EARLIER, WE HAVE SOUGHT LEGAL GUIDANCE ON THIS MATTER. AT THIS TIME, UH, THAT GUIDANCE IS STILL PENDING, AND WITHOUT IT WE CANNOT TAKE FINAL ACTION. UH, THAT IS THE REASON THAT NO CHANGE WAS NOTED IN, IN THIS MUST REPORT ON OUR SIDE, I WANT TO ASSURE YOU THAT WE'RE COMMITTED TO RESOLVING THIS ISSUE IN A WAY THAT HONORS BOTH THE LETTER AND THE SPIRIT OF THE LAW PROTECTS TAXPAYER TRUST AND REFLECTS THE CLEAR INTENT BEHIND THESE FUNDS. I'LL CONTINUE TO KEEP YOU INFORMED AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH DILIGENCE AND TRANSPARENCY. MAYOR, UH, TODAY I'M ESPECIALLY PROUD TO BE JOINED BY A VERY SPECIAL GUEST, UH, SOMEONE WHO UNDOUBTEDLY REPRESENTS HOUSTON'S FUTURE. UH, MS. GIANNA FOUNTAIN, COULD YOU JOIN ME HERE? GIANNA FOUNTAIN IS A SOPHOMORE AT YOUNG WOMEN'S COLLEGE PREPARATORY ACADEMY, AND TODAY SHE'S SERVING AS HOUSTON'S CONTROLLER FOR A DAY. GIANNA WAS NOMINATED FOR HER OUTSTANDING LEADERSHIP AND SHARP INSIGHT INTO THE CHALLENGES OUR CITY FACES. YOU MAY HAVE SEEN HER FEATURED IN THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE FOR HER WORK, LEADING A STEM PROJECT ADDRESSING CRITICAL HOUSTON CHALLENGES FROM BACTERIAL CONTAMINATION TO DRONE DELIVERIES DURING FLOODS TO EXHAUST FILTRATION FOR 18 WHEELERS THIS YEAR. HER FOCUS WAS SOMETHING DEEPLY PERSONAL TO SO MANY HOUSTONIANS FLOODING. INSPIRED BY HER FIRSTHAND EXPERIENCE LIVING THROUGH HURRICANE HARVEY GIANNA AND HER TEAMMATES EXPLORED HOW DEBRIS CLOGS HOUSTON'S STORM DRAIN SYSTEM POLLUTES OUR BAYOU AND FLOWS DOWNSTREAM INTO THE GULF. GIANNA ISN'T JUST IMAGINING SOLUTIONS. SHE'S DESIGNING THEM. SHE EMBODIES THE SPIRIT OF INNOVATION AND RESILIENCE THAT DEFINES THIS GREAT CITY. I ALSO WANT TO RECOGNIZE ANOTHER REMARKABLE YOUNG LEADER, JAMAL BURNETT, WHO'S A SENIOR AT CASHMERE HIGH SCHOOL. HE SERVED AS CONTROLLER FOR A DAY EARLIER THIS WEEK. HE WAS NOMINATED BY MY BROTHER'S KEEPER HOUSTON, AND HE STANDS OUT FOR HIS COMMITMENT TO LEADERSHIP SERVICE AND LIFTING UP HIS PEERS TO GIANNA AND TO JAMAL. THANK YOU. YOU INSPIRE EVERY ONE OF US IN THIS CHAMBER TO AIM HIGHER, DIG DEEPER, AND KEEP DREAMING BIGGER FOR THE CITY THAT WE ALL LOVE. THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE IS HAPPY TO HAVE YOU WITH US TODAY, GIANNA, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING THE CONTROLLER FOR A DAY PROGRAM FOR YEARS TO COME. THANKS. AND SO GIANNA'S GONNA BE BOSSING ME AROUND FOR THE REST OF THE DAY, BUT WHILE I STILL HOLD THE REINS, I WANNA RECOGNIZE YOU GIANNA AS THE CITY OF HOUSTON CONTROLLER FOR THE DAY, APRIL 30TH, 2025. YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU WANNA SAY? , THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. UM, FINALLY, I WANNA EXTEND MY HEARTFELT THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO JOINED US MONDAY NIGHT FOR OUR TOWN HALL ON THE BUDGET PROCESS. UH, WE WERE IN DISTRICT J AND COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD JOINED AS WELL. UM, OF COURSE WE KNOW THAT THE BUDGET IS BEING ISSUED NEXT WEEK, SO THIS WAS INFORMING HOUSTON AREA RESIDENTS ABOUT HOW THEY CAN INVOLVE THEMSELVES IN THE BUDGET PROCESS. IT WAS A POWERFUL REMINDER OF WHY THIS WORK MATTERS, AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK OPENLY WITH HOUSTONIANS ABOUT HOW WE'RE PRIORITIZING RESOURCES AND CREATING LACK LASTING IMPACT IN OUR COMMUNITIES. THE QUESTIONS AND IDEAS AND PERSPECTIVES THAT WE RECEIVE CONTINUE TO GUIDE THE CITY'S WORK, AND THEY REMIND US WHAT'S AT STAKE AND WHAT WE'RE CAPABLE OF ACHIEVING TOGETHER. UH, WE ENCOURAGE HOUSTONIANS TO REACH OUT TO YOUR MEMBERS OF COUNCIL TO SHARE YOUR PRIORITIES FOR THE CITY BUDGET, TO ATTEND BUDGET WORKSHOPS BEGINNING ON TUESDAY, MAY 13TH, TO LEARN DETAILS ABOUT DEPARTMENT BUDGETS AND PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT [04:50:01] AND TO ATTEND THE PUBLIC HEARING THAT I BELIEVE IS SCHEDULED ON MAY 21ST AS WE ENTER BUDGET SEASON. UH, KNOW THIS, WE'RE PREPARED. WE'LL LEAD WITH TRANSPARENCY, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. WE WILL MAKE DECISIONS ROOTED IN PRINCIPLE NOT POLITICS, AND WE WILL KEEP OUR FOCUS WHERE IT BELONGS, WHICH IS ON BUILDING A STRONGER, MORE SECURE FUTURE FOR EVERY HOUSTONIAN. THANK YOU. AND THAT CONCLUDES MY REPORT. NOW BACK TO WHY WE'RE HERE. I RECOGNIZE THE FINANCE DIRECTOR. GOOD MORNING. THIS IS THE NINE PLUS THREE FINANCIAL REPORT FOR THE PERIOD ENDING MARCH 31ST, 2025. FISCAL YEAR 25 PROJECTIONS ARE BASED ON NINE MONTHS OF ACTUALS AND THREE MONTHS OF PROJECTIONS FOR THE GENERAL FUND. ON THE REVENUE SIDE, OUR PROJECTION IS 68.4 MILLION HIGHER THAN THE ADOPTED BUDGET, AND 27.7 MILLION HIGHER THAN THE PRIOR MONTH. THE VARIANCE FROM THE PRIOR MONTH PROJECTION IS PRIMARILY DUE TO THE $26.4 MILLION INCREASE IN TRANSFERS FROM OTHER FUNDS, WHICH IS COMPRISED WITH THE TAX INCREMENT REINVESTMENT ZONE 24 TRANSFER, AS WELL AS REIMBURSEMENT, UH, FOR POLICE OVERTIME DUE TO THE DERECHO DISASTER. WE'RE ALSO INCREASING THE REVENUES BY 1.2 MILLION FOR AN INCREASE IN SALE OF CAPITAL ASSETS DUE TO HIGHER ANTICIPATED SALE OF EASEMENTS FOR SALES TAX PERFORMANCE. UH, WE'RE NOT MAKING ANY ADJUSTMENTS TO THE PROJECTION AT THIS TIME, BUT THE SALES TAX RECEIPTS FOR THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY WE'RE 66.2 MILLION, WHICH IS ABOUT 2% LOWER THAN THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR. IN ORDER TO MEET THE CURRENT ESTIMATE, THE REMAINING PERIODS NEED TO COME IN ABOUT 1.4% BELOW PRIOR YEAR, UH, TO HIT THE CURRENT ESTIMATE. SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THOSE TRENDS. MOVING OVER TO THE EXPENDITURE SIDE FOR THE GENERAL FUND, THE EXPENDITURE PROJECTION IS 61.2 MILLION HIGHER THAN THE ADOPTED BUDGET AND 3.9 MILLION LOWER THAN THE PRIOR MONTH. THE VARIANCE FROM THE PRIOR MONTH PROJECTION IS PRIMARILY DUE TO A $14.2 MILLION DECREASE IN THE GENERAL GOVERNMENT TO REFLECT A DEFERRED PAYMENT TO THE OPE TRUST, AS WELL AS THE TRANSFER OF THE HOUSING NAVIGATION CENTER OPERATION FUNDS TO THE NEWLY CREATED, UH, INITIATIVE TO END STREET HOMELESSNESS FUND. WE'RE ALSO REFLECTING A $5.6 MILLION DECREASE IN VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS TO REFLECT VACANCY SAVINGS AS WELL AS AN 11 POINT, UH, SORRY, $11 MILLION INCREASE IN VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS. TO REFLECT THE VOLUNTARY RETIREMENT PROGRAM, WE'RE PROJECTING A $1.8 MILLION INCREASE IN GENERAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT TO REFLECT ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR FACILITY SECURITY AND MAINTENANCE SERVICES AND A $1.4 MILLION INCREASE IN THE SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT TO REFLECT ADDITIONAL OVERTIME NEEDED. UH, WE'RE ALSO REFLECTING $1.4 MILLION INCREASE IN PARKS TO REFLECT SEWER SERVICE, UH, OVERAGE IN ADDITION TO WHAT WAS ASSUMED AT THE TIME OF THE BUDGET. WITH ALL OF THOSE CHANGES, WE'RE CURRENTLY PROJECTING THE ENDING FUND BALANCE TO BE 380.8 MILLION, WHICH IS 31.6 MILLION HIGHER THAN THE PRIOR MONTH, AND REPRESENTS 14.7% OF ESTIMATED EXPENDITURES, LESS DEBT SERVICE AND PAY AS YOU GO. THAT FUND BALANCE IS $186 MILLION ABOVE THE TARGET OF HOLDING 7.5%. SO MOVING OFF OF THE GENERAL FUND ONTO THE ENTERPRISE SPECIAL REVENUE AND OTHER FUNDS, UH, THE AVIATION OPERATING FUND INCREASED BY 2.2 MILLION, UH, DUE TO THE VOLUNTARY RETIREMENT PLAN. COMBINED UTILITY SYSTEM EXPENDITURES INCREASED BY $2 MILLION DUE TO THE VOLUNTARY RETIREMENT PLAN AND NON-OPERATING REVENUES INCREASED BY 16 MILLION DUE TO HIGHER THAN ANTICIPATED INTEREST. AND THE STORM WATER FUND EXPENDITURE DECREASED BY 2 MILLION DUE TO PERSONNEL SAVINGS. AND, UH, SINCE WE TALKED ABOUT THE SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS YESTERDAY, I WILL BE BRIEF ON THOSE. UM, WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT THE, UH, HOUSTON ECONOMIC INDICATORS YESTERDAY AND THE BUDGET AND FISCAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE. UM, THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THAT ARE THAT THE EMPLOYMENT, UH, THE MOST RECENT EMPLOYMENT REPORT, UM, SHOWS THAT OUR, UM, OUR NON-FARM EMPLOYMENT NUMBERS ARE ABOUT FLAT COMPARED TO THE PRIOR MONTH, AND THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IS ROUGHLY THE SAME AS IT WAS THE PRIOR MONTH AS WELL. SO, TOUCHING ON THE DISASTER REPORT, UM, AS OF MARCH 30TH, WE HAVE PAID $94.2 MILLION IN INVOICES RELATED TO DEBRIS REMOVAL, AND WE'VE RECEIVED ABOUT $99.7 MILLION IN FUNDING, WHICH INCLUDES $77 MILLION FROM FEMA AND 22.7 MILLION IN STATE REIMBURSEMENT. UH, THAT WAS ABLE TO BE SECURED THROUGH OUR COLLABORATION WITH OUR PARTNERS AT THE STATE. UM, SO I WOULD LIKE TO TOUCH ON THE TOURS 24, UM, ITEM, UH, SINCE WE TALKED ABOUT IT, UH, QUITE EXTENSIVELY YESTERDAY AT THE BUDGET AND FISCAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE MEETING, UM, THE ITEM THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WITH THET 24 TRANSFER, I WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT THE AMOUNT OF MONEY AND WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS RELATED TO PROPERTY TAXES AND A TAX RATE THAT WAS SET BACK IN FISCAL 21 AND FISCAL YEAR 22. UM, AT THAT TIME, AND I THINK WE HAD A LOT OF DISCUSSION YESTERDAY AT THE COMMITTEE MEETING WITH COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO'S [04:55:01] QUESTION ON THIS, UM, IS THAT THE INCREASE IN THET PARTICIPATION FROM 5% TO 75%, UM, WHICH IS WHAT ALLOWED US USING ALL THE INFORMATION THAT WE HAD AT THE TIME. UH, THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT WAS WORKING WITH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OFFICE AT THAT TIME, WORKING WITH CITY LEGAL AND WORKING WITH THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE AT THAT TIME AS WELL, TO CERTIFY THOSE TAX RATES THAT CITY COUNCIL ULTIMATELY ADOPTED IN FISCAL YEAR 21 AND 22. UM, SO THOSE FUNDS BECAUSE, UM, WHAT WE'VE COME TO FIND OUT SINCE THAT TIME IS THAT, UM, THE REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY THAT THE CITY NEEDED TO ESTABLISH WAS NOT SET UP UNTIL FISCAL YEAR 23. SO BASED ON THAT INFORMATION, WHAT CITY LEGAL HAS DETERMINED IS THAT THOSE FUNDS SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN SET ASIDE FOR THE TS IN FISCAL YEAR 21 AND FISCAL YEAR 22. UM, WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME YESTERDAY AT THE COMMITTEE TALKING ABOUT THE PROPERTY TAX CAP PROP ONE, WHAT THE LANGUAGE SAYS. UM, PROPOSITION ONE IN THE CHARTER IS VERY CLEAR. IT TELLS US THE AMOUNT OF REVENUE THAT WE'RE LIMITED TO COLLECT. UH, WHEN WE HAVE OUR INFORMATION ABOUT THE TAXABLE VALUE ROLE AT THE TIME WE SET THE TAX RATE, WE USE ALL OF THE ASSUMED, UM, VARIABLES THAT GO INTO SETTING A TAX RATE. THEY INCLUDE, UH, COLLECTION RATE PERCENTAGE. UH, HOW MUCH IN DELINQUENT TAXES DO WE THINK PEOPLE ARE GONNA PAY? HOW MUCH IN REFUNDS DO WE THINK WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO ISSUE? WHAT IS THE VALUE LOSS GOING TO BE DUE TO HEARINGS? AND THOSE ARE ALL ASSUMPTIONS, AND WE USE THE BEST INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE AT THE TIME WHEN WE SET THE TAX RATE. WHAT ULTIMATELY HAPPENS BY THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR IS, OF COURSE, COLLECTION RATE MIGHT BE SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT. THE NUMBER OF REFUNDS MIGHT, MIGHT BE SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT. VALUE LOSS DUE TO HEARING MIGHT BE SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT. AND SO EVERY YEAR, UM, WHEN YOU SEE WHAT WE ULTIMATELY, ULTIMATELY COLLECT IN PROPERTY TAX, IT COULD BE A SLIGHT VARIATION FROM WHAT WE THINK IT'S GOING TO BE AT THE TIME WE SET THE TAX RATE. SO IT'S NOT A NEW CONCEPT THAT WE HAVE TO USE THE ASSUMPTIONS AND THE BEST INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE AT THE TIME. WHAT IS UNIQUE ABOUT THE CIRCUMSTANCE THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW IS THAT LEGAL HAS ADVISED US, AND I KNOW THE CONTROLLER SAYS HE DOESN'T HAVE THE INFORMATION FROM LEGAL, BUT WE HAD QUITE A FEW CALLS LAST WEEK THAT THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE WAS ON, INCLUDING THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT, INCLUDING THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OFFICE, TO, UM, TALK THROUGH THIS INITIATIVE, EXPLAIN WHAT WE'RE SEEING ON OUR SIDE, AND IF THE CONTROLLER HAS PENDING QUESTIONS, WE'LL DEFINITELY BE GLAD TO TO GET WITH HIM ON THAT. UM, BUT BASED ON THE GUIDANCE FROM LEGAL, THIS IS THE RECOMMENDATION THAT WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH FOR, UM, FOR THE ESTIMATES FOR THE REVENUE FOR FISCAL YEAR 25. SO THE PORTION THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FOR FISCAL YEAR 21 AND FISCAL YEAR 22 THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN SET ASIDE FOR THE TS, IS PART OF THE PROJECTION THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE. THE OTHER COMPONENT OF IT IS FUNDS THAT WERE SET ASIDE FOR FISCAL YEAR 23, FISCAL YEAR 24, AND FISCAL YEAR 25, THAT WE ARE PROPOSING TO BRING BACK TO THE GENERAL FUND TO REIMBURSE THE GENERAL FUND FOR THE PAYMENT OF THREE 80 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS INSIDE THE BOUNDARY OFT 24. SO THE POINT OF THREE 80 AGREEMENTS IS TO SPUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. THE POINT OF CREATION OF A TURS IS TO SPUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE AREA. AND SO WE BELIEVE THAT THOSE GOALS ALIGN AND THAT IT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE THREE 80 AGREEMENTS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ARE TOTALLY WITHIN THE BOUNDARY OF TURS 24. SO THAT'S THE SECOND COMPONENT OF THIS $25 MILLION THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. UM, AND WE HAVE A BREAKDOWN OF ALL THOSE FIGURES. WE WILL BE HAPPY TO, UM, TO SHARE THAT THAT'S BEEN SHARED WITH THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE AND I KNOW THEY'RE LOOKING AT THAT AS WELL. SO THAT I THINK CONCLUDES MY REPORT. COUNCILMAN, COUNCIL MEMBER CAMAN. GOOD MORNING. UH, THANK YOU BOTH FOR YOUR REPORTS. UH, IF GIANNA IS STILL IN THE ROOM, CONGRATULATIONS TO HER, UH, AS WELL. UH, DIRECTOR DEBOWSKI, UH, THE INCREASE OF THE 11 MILLION, UH, TO REFLECT THE VOLUNTARY RETIREMENT PROGRAM, I THINK THAT IS COMING TO A CLOSE MAYOR, THAT OPTION FOR, UH, EMPLOYEE EMPLOYEES, IS THAT THE FINAL NUMBER OR DO WE EXPECT TO SEE A LITTLE BIT MORE THERE? SO THIS IS AN, IT'S AN ESTIMATE. SO WHAT WE DID IS WE TOOK THE EMPLOYEES THAT HAD SIGNED UP AS OF LAST WEEK, UM, BROKEN DOWN BY DEPARTMENT AND BY FUND TO PROJECT HOW MUCH ADDITIONAL FUNDING EACH DEPARTMENT NEEDS. AND WE DID DO A BIT OF A PROJECTION, UM, BASED ON THE BEST INFORMATION WE HAD AT THE TIME BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THE PERIOD THE SIGNED UP, UH, WAS YESTERDAY. SO WE HAD TO HAVE THESE NUMBERS PREPARED AHEAD OF TIME. SO, UM, WE BELIEVE THAT THIS IS, IS CLOSE TO A FINAL NUMBER, BUT WE WILL CERTAINLY TRUE IT UP ONCE. UM, ALL THE, BECAUSE REALLY THE OFFICIAL RETIREMENT DATE IS NOT UNTIL MAY 1ST. SO THIS IS AN ASSUMPTION BASED ON THE, THE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE GONNA COME UP AND ELECT THAT VOLUNTARY OPTION. TERRIFIC. AND DO, BASED [05:00:01] ON THE JOINT, UH, COMMITTEE MEETING, THAT MEETING THAT WE HAD PREVIOUSLY, GETTING THOSE, NOT JUST FINANCIAL NUMBERS, BUT KIND OF THE TOTAL BREAKDOWN OVERALL WILL BE VERY HELPFUL TO US, UM, AS THE, THE OPTION TO VOLUNTARILY RETIRE COMES TO A CLOSE WITH THAT, WHICH IS A, A GREAT BENEFIT PACKAGE THAT WAS PUT TOGETHER FOR THAT. UM, AS IT RELATES TO, UH, POTENTIAL MARKET VOLATILITY MOVING FORWARD, UH, INTO THE SUMMER MONTHS, WHETHER IT'S MATERIALS INCREASES DUE TO TRADE WARS, UH, POTENTIAL SALES TAX DECREASES, THINGS REVENUE GENERATION FROM SALES TAX DECREASES, DO WE HAVE THOSE TYPES OF PROJECTIONS? ARE WE TAKING THOSE FACTORS INTO ACCOUNT? AND I BELIEVE PREVIOUSLY, UH, I HAD RAISED, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOSING FEDERAL GRANTS. UH, WE, WHICH MEANS LESS PERSONNEL TO FUND THOSE. DO WE HAVE ANY UPDATE ON, UH, THE IMPACTS THAT THE CITY IS INCURRING DUE TO, UH, THOSE DRASTIC MEASURES AND CUTS THAT WE'RE FACING? SO, UM, AND I'M MAYBE GETTING A LITTLE AHEAD OF WHAT'S GONNA BE IN THE FY 26, BUT UM, ON THE TARIFFS WE ARE GOING TO BE, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE FLEET DEPARTMENT AND WITH, UM, STRATEGIC PROCUREMENT DIVISION, UH, SPD AND FINANCE TO LOOK AT THE VEHICLE SPECIFICALLY ON VEHICLE COSTS, UM, WITH THE FLEET PERTAINING TO INCREASED, UM, PRICES PER UNIT. SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GONNA BE LOOKING TO FUND IN THE CIP. UM, YOU'LL SEE, UH, WE WILL TALK ABOUT WHEN WE PROPOSE THE CIP, THE EXACT AMOUNT THAT WE'RE PROGRAMMING FOR THAT ESCALATION. UM, ON THE SALES TAX SIDE, UM, WE ARE, UM, WORKING WITH DR. GILMER, WHO IS A, UH, PROFESSOR AT UU OF H THAT HELPS US, UH, DO HIS OWN INDEPENDENT PROJECTION OF SALES TAX COLLECTION, UH, ESTIMATES IN ADDITION TO OUR INTERNAL REGRESSION MODEL THAT WE RUN. UM, WE ARE STILL PENDING A, UH, UPDATED REPORT FROM HIM OF WHAT THE IMPACT OF THE TARIFFS COULD MEAN TO THE EXACT DOLLAR AMOUNT. UM, BUT WHAT HE HAS INDICATED TO US, AND ONCE WE HAVE THE FINAL REPORT, WE ALWAYS SHARE IT WITH THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE SO THEY CAN HAVE IT FOR THEIR TRENDS REPORT AS WELL. UM, IS THE, THE IMPACT TO THE TARIFFS COULD RESULT IN AN INCREASE IN INFLATION. INFLATION IS SORT OF A DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD WITH SALES TAX, RIGHT? BECAUSE YOU ARE GOING TO COLLECT MORE SALES TAX REVENUE BECAUSE PRICES ARE HIGHER, BUT PEOPLE MAY BUY FEWER GOODS BECAUSE THINGS ARE MORE EXPENSIVE. SO AT LEAST INITIALLY WHAT HE HAS IS THINKING, UM, HE HAS INDICATED TO US IS THAT THOSE MAY OFFSET AND THAT IMPACT WE MAY SEE IN THE SHORT TERM. BUT AGAIN, IT'S, SO IT DEPENDS ON WHAT HAPPENS AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, RIGHT? UM, BUT WE ARE DEFINITELY LOOKING INTO THAT AND WILL, UM, FACTOR THAT INTO OUR CALCULATIONS FOR THE PROPOSED BUDGET. TERRIFIC. AND WITH THE PROPOSED BUDGET COMING FORWARD, UH, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO HAVE AN ANALYSIS OF, OR AT LEAST A, A SUMMARY OF HOW MANY DOLLARS IN GRANTS WE HAVE LOST, UM, BY DEPARTMENT. 'CAUSE I KNOW FOR SOME DEPARTMENTS THEY'VE BEEN HIT PRETTY HARD WITH THIS. UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UH, CONTROLLER, AND YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO SPEAK TO THIS RIGHT NOW, AND I WANNA RESPECT THAT. UH, YOU MAY BE CONTINUING TO WORK THINGS THROUGH WITH LEGAL, BUT I THINK TWICE YOU HAD SAID, AND I MISSED AT THE VERY BEGINNING, THAT YOU'RE, UM, SEEKING LEGAL GUIDANCE ON CERTAIN QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE. UH, THAT'S CORRECT. AND ARE, IS THAT WORKING WITH CITY LEGAL? YES. AND ARE YOU GETTING RESPONSES BACK? IS THAT, ARE WE STILL WORKING THROUGH THINGS OR HAS THAT COME TO A HEAD? I BELIEVE WE'RE STILL WORKING THROUGH THINGS AT THIS MOMENT. OBVIOUSLY IT WASN'T RESOLVED AHEAD OF, UH, TODAY OR YESTERDAY OR THE ISSUANCE OF THE MOER. UH, WE HAD A CALL LATE LAST WEEK. WELL, LEMME TAKE A STEP BACK. IN MOST CASES WHEN FINANCE COMES WITH A CHANGE IN A PROJECTION, PARTICULARLY AROUND EXPENDITURES OR TRANSFERS, YOU KNOW, IT JUST, WE CHECK THE BOX AND WE MOVE ON. UH, THIS ONE WAS SO OUTTA THE ORDINARY OF WHERE IT SAID HELP, YOU KNOW, WE HELP US UNDERSTAND THIS HOW MONEY FROM AURS, OBVIOUSLY WE KNOW WE WERE OPERATING WITH A REVENUE CAP IN 20 AND 21. UH, SO MONEY WENT AROUND THE REVENUE CAP TO AURS. HOW COULD THAT FIND ITS WAY TO THE GENERAL FUND? RIGHT. UM, THE QUESTION THAT WE HAD WAS VERY, VERY CLEAR. UH, IN MY OPINION, WE HAD A CALL ON EITHER THURSDAY OR FRIDAY. UM, ONE OF, UH, THE CITY ATTORNEY'S REPORTS WAS ON THAT CALL, UM, WAS NOT HELPFUL, DID NOT ANSWER THE QUESTION. UH, WE WERE ON THE CALL FOR OVER AN HOUR, DID NOT RESOLVE THE QUESTION. UM, AND WHAT WE AGREED WAS THAT WE WOULD RECONVENE, UH, AT A POINT THAT WAS, YOU KNOW, CONVENIENT FOR EVERYBODY. OF COURSE, WE'VE BEEN AVAILABLE THAT RECONVENING HAS NOT TAKEN PLACE. UH, SO THAT'S ABOUT THE 20 AND 21. ON THE [05:05:01] THREE EIGHTIES WE HAD QUESTIONS, NOT, I THINK AS SERIOUS QUESTIONS, BUT WE STILL NEEDED TO GET LEGAL UNDERSTANDING. UH, GIVEN THAT WE SPENT THE HOUR PLUS ON THE PHONE CALL GOING OVER THESE VARIOUS ISSUES. UH, WE DIDN'T GET TO THE THREE 80, SO THAT WOULD BE PART OF THE RECONVENING. WE AGREED THAT THAT WOULD BE THE CASE, AND WE SIMPLY HAVEN'T GOTTEN THERE. I DON'T FORESEE AN ISSUE ON THE THREE EIGHTY'S AS OF THIS MOMENT, BUT WE DO NEED TO UNDERSTAND IT FULLY BEFORE WE, UH, PUT OUR STAMP ON IT. ON THE, THE BROADER ISSUE ON THE $17 MILLION POT OF MONEY. UH, STILL NOT UNDERSTANDING THE LOGIC OF HOW MONEY THAT GOES TO A TURS, WHICH BY DEFINITION IS MONEY OUTSIDE THE REVENUE CAP, UM, COULD FLOW BACK INTO THE GENERAL FUNDS. SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE WORKING WITH, THAT'S OUR CURRENT UNDERSTANDING. UH, WE REMAIN, UH, AVAILABLE TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION AND BE BROUGHT UP TO SPEED. THANK YOU. I IF I COULD FOLLOW UP ON THAT. YEAH, PLEASE. SO MY UNDERSTANDING THAT IN THE CALL THAT HAPPENED LAST THURSDAY OR FRIDAY, UM, THAT THE CONTROLLER WAS ON AND THE CITY LEGAL REPRESENTATIVE WAS ON THAT THERE WAS A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT PROPOSITION ONE, THE LANGUAGE OF PROPOSITION ONE AND, UM, HOW, AND ALSO A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW ULTIMATELY THE TAX RATE IS CALCULATED. THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE AND THE CONTROLLER KNOWS BECAUSE HE CERTIFIED THE TAX RATE LAST YEAR, ALL OF THE DIFFERENT VARIABLES THAT GO INTO CALCULATING THE TAX RATE BASED ON ASSUMPTIONS THAT WE KNOW AT THE TIME. WE ALSO, ON THAT CALL, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THEY TALKED ABOUT PROPOSITION ONE AND DOES THE LANGUAGE OF PROPOSITION ONE TALK ABOUT A TRUEUP MECHANISM OR A REFUND MECHANISM? AND IT'S VERY CLEAR IT DOES NOT. WE USED THE BEST INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE AT THE TIME, AND AGAIN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FISCAL YEAR 21 AND FISCAL YEAR 22, UM, THAT WE USED THE BEST INFORMATION THAT WE HAD AT THE TIME. I SAY WE, THE ADMINISTRATION AT THAT TIME, UH, USED THE BEST INFORMATION THAT THEY HAD AT THE TIME WHEN THEY SET THE TAX RATE. AND I THINK ASSERTING THAT IT WAS SOMETHING OTHER THAN THAT IS INSULTING. UM, IN NO WAY DO, I MEAN TO BE INSULTING. UM, JUST TO GO A LITTLE BIT FURTHER INTO THE CALL, WHEN WE ASKED THE LAWYER WHO WAS ON THE LINE FOR, YOU KNOW, PLEASE EXPLAIN TO US WHY THIS IS OKAY. UM, INSTEAD OF GIVING A PRESENTATION THAT WAS SIMILAR TO WHAT MS. DEBOWSKI JUST LAID OUT, WHAT THEY TOLD US WAS FINANCE SAID IT WAS OKAY. AND I SAID, WELL, FINANCE ISN'T THE LAWYER, YOU'RE THE LAWYER. CAN YOU GIVE US YOUR LEGAL ANALYSIS OF THIS? AND IT WAS NOT PROVIDED. UM, I SHARED THE DETAILS OF THAT CONVERSATION, UH, YESTERDAY WITH MEMBERS OF THE MAYOR'S TEAM. UM, FROM THAT CONVERSATION TO TODAY, NO ATTEMPT HAS BEEN MADE TO PROVIDE LEGAL ADVICE. UH, AGAIN, NOT, I WASN'T INTENDING TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION RIGHT NOW. SO IT'S NOT LIKE I'M TRYING TO THROW BLAME THAT WE HAVEN'T HAD THE CONVERSATION YET. AND I'M, AND I'M NOT TRYING TO PUT ANYONE ON THE SPOT, HAVEN'T BEEN PROVIDED THE LEGAL ADVICE. AND SO UNTIL WE WERE PROVIDED LEGAL ADVICE, THEN WE CAN'T MAKE AN ACTION WITH CONFIDENCE THAT, YOU KNOW, THESE NUMBERS ARE CORRECT. AND JUST FOR CLARITY, BOTH THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE DOES NOT HAVE LEGAL COUNSEL. SO BOTH DEPARTMENT RIGHT. WHETHER IT'S THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE OR THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT ARE ALL RELYING ON THE CITY ATTORNEY FOR LEGAL GUIDANCE, CORRECT? SAY THAT ONE MORE TIME. YEAH. BOTH THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE AND THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT ARE RELYING UPON THE CITY ATTORNEY FOR LEGAL GUIDANCE. I BELIEVE THAT'S THE CASE. YES, THANK YOU. AND, AND I WOULD REFER YOU AND, AND A CONTROLLER TO GWEN TILLERSON WHO ORCHESTRATED THE CREATION OF THE TURS 24 AND EVERY FINANCE DECISION. UH, SHE'S INVOLVED AND I WOULD CONSIDER HER THE EXPERT. SHE'S, SHE'S TERRIFIC. AND SHE WOULD BE AVAILABLE CERTAINLY TO THE CONTROLLER IF THERE'S ANY CLARIFICATION NEEDS TO TAKE PLACE. SHE, SHE WAS ON THE CALL LAST WEEK. MA BEG PARDON? GWEN TILLSON WAS ON THE CALL LAST WEEK. YEAH. MAYOR, HEAR HER VERSION OF THE CALL BECAUSE IT'S, UH, SHE'S AN EXPERT THAT WE DEPEND ON. I KNOW ALL OF Y'ALL ARE FAMILIAR. WE'RE SO FORTUNATE TO HAVE HER. SHE WAS NUMBER TWO FOR SO LONG AND, UH, I DISCOVERED HER AND I THINK SHE'S THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST. AND I WOULD REALLY URGE YOU, MR. CONTROLLER TO, TO CONSULT WIND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, ABOUTT FINANCES OR CREATION OR WHAT THEIR PURPOSE IS. AND WE'VE, WE'VE SPOKEN TO GWEN AND I, I TOO THINK VERY HIGHLY OF GWEN. SURE. UH, I LOOK FORWARD TO SPENDING MORE TIME WITH GWEN. I LOOK FOR, GWEN IS NOT PART OF CITY LEGAL AND SO WHEN WE'RE LOOKING FOR LEGAL ADVICE, I CAN'T ASK GWEN FOR THAT LEGAL ADVICE. I HAVE TO ASK CITY LEGAL. I'LL GIVE YOU FULL ACCESS TO GWEN. SHE'S A ASSET TO, UH, MY ADMINISTRATION AND AND YOU'RE WELCOME TO CONSULT HER. AND IF YOU HAVE ANY, UH, CONCERNS ABOUT THE RESPONSIVENESS OR LACK OF OF ASSISTANCE CITY ATTORNEY, YOU LET US KNOW. AND, AND ARTURO WOULD BE THE FIRST PERSON THAT WE SHOULD TALK TO, BUT I UNDERSTAND, SHARE THAT DIRECTLY TO THE CHIEF OF STAFF MAYOR. YOU KNOW, COMMUNICATION IS A KEY TO SO MUCH OF THE THINGS WE DO, BUT GWEN WOULD BE REALLY SOMEONE [05:10:01] THAT, UH, UNDERSTANDS THE INS AND OUTS OF, UH, TERMS 24 REITERATE. I AGREE THAT GWEN IS FANTASTIC. SURE. UH, WE'RE ASKING FOR LEGAL ADVICE. SURE. AND SO WE NEED THAT FROM CITY LEGAL. OUR CONCERNS ABOUT THE ADVICE THAT WE DID NOT RECEIVE HAVE BEEN RELAYED TO YOUR CHIEF OF STAFF DIRECTLY AND CLEARLY YOU'RE, YOU'RE WELCOME TO TALK TO MY STAFF DIRECTLY ANYTIME YOU WANT TO. THANK YOU. IN FACT, I, I THINK YOU SHOULD MATTER OF FACT, COUNCILMAN POLLARD. THANK YOU, MAYOR. GOOD MORNING TO YOU BOTH. UM, YOU ALL HAVE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES ON FUND BALANCE ABOVE THE 7.5. RIGHT? UM, THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE HAS IT AT PROJECTED AT 50.4 MILLION ABOVE 7.5 AND DIRECTOR, YOU HAVE IT AT 186 MILLION ABOVE THE 7.5. THOSE, THOSE ARE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. AND I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE MOST CRITICAL, UM, ASPECTS OF THE BUDGET THAT WE HAVE TO LOOK AT. RIGHT. CAN YOU ALL KIND OF GIVE US A LITTLE MORE CLARITY ON HOW YOU'RE SO FAR APART? AND IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU BELIEVE WILL, WILL BE RECONCILED TO BE CLOSER BY THE TIME WE SEE THE BUDGET OR THE NEXT TIME WE SPEAK? BECAUSE THE, THE, THE GAP SEEMS TO BE LARGE EVERY MONTH THAT, THAT WE SPEAK WITH YOU ALL. YEAH. THE, THE TWO SUBSTANTIAL PIECES, I MEAN, WE'RE ALWAYS, WE ALWAYS HAVE A DIFFERENCE. AND IT'S USUALLY BASED ON ASSUMPTIONS AROUND SALES TAX REVENUE. SO IT'S COMMON TO SEE 10 $20 MILLION DIFFERENCE. CORRECT. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WE WAIT TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS IN REAL LIFE. THE TWO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES THAT ARE DRIVING THE LARGE GAP RIGHT NOW ARE THE TURS ISSUE, WHICH WE JUST, UH, HAD A DISCUSSION ABOUT AS WELL AS THE ISSUE REGARDING THE THE DRAINAGE LAWSUIT. UM, WE ARE IN CONVERSATIONS ABOUT BOTH OF THOSE. AND THE, THE HOPE IS TO, UH, RESOLVE THOSE IN A TIMELY FASHION. SO LAST WEEK WE HEARD FROM THE PLAINTIFFS REGARDING THAT LAWSUIT, AND IT SEEMED AS IF A, UH, SETTLEMENT COMPROMISE, UH, WAS NEARING OR WAS REACHED. UM, DOES THAT PLAY A ROLE NOW INTO HOW YOU ALL ARE PROJECTING THE ENDING FUND BALANCE SPECIFICALLY FOR THE CONTROLLER WHEN YOU HEARD, UH, THE DISCUSSIONS BASED ON THE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT THAT THE CITY HAD REACHED WITH THEM? NOT AT THE MOMENT. UH, WE ARE OBVIOUSLY AWARE OF IT. UH, WE, OUR JOB IS TO BE CONSERVATIVE, RIGHT? WHICH IS WHY WE'RE ALWAYS GONNA TEND TO BE LOWER THAN WHERE FINANCE IS. UH, CONSERVATISM IN THIS RESPECT MEANS, LET'S SEE SOMETHING FROM A JUDGE THAT SAYS THIS IS OKAY. AND ONCE WE SEE THAT, THEN, UH, THEN WE WILL REFLECT IT OBVIOUSLY AS BEING THE LAW, RIGHT? RIGHT NOW, UH, THE BELIEVING THE SETTLEMENTS TO BE MOVING FORWARD IN GOOD FAITH AND HAVING AN UNDERSTANDING. AND LET ME BE VERY CLEAR ALSO BELIEVING THAT THE SETTLEMENT IS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE CITY AND OUR FINANCES, BECAUSE THESE ARE BIG NUMBERS IF THE SETTLEMENT DOESN'T TAKE PLACE. UM, KNOWING ALL THAT, WE STILL DON'T HAVE ANYTHING FROM THE APPEALS COURT, WHICH SAID VERY CLEARLY, YOU MUST PUT THIS AMOUNT OF MONEY INTO, UH, DDS RF AD VALOREM NO IF ANDS OR BUTS. UH, WE HAVEN'T EVEN HAVEN'T SEEN ANYTHING YET THAT WOULD MAKE THAT UNTRUE OR MAKE THAT NOT THE LAW THAT WE HAVE TO FOLLOW. SO WE'RE WAITING FOR THAT TO TAKE PLACE. UM, AGAIN, WE'RE, WE'RE BEING KEPT REASONABLY ABREAST, I WOULD SAY, OF WHAT'S HAPPENING AT A HIGH LEVEL. UM, AND THE, THE ASPIRATION THAT THAT SETTLEMENT WOULD BE FINALIZED AND THAT IT WOULD GO BEFORE A JUDGE AND BE APPROVED. SO, UM, IF AND WHEN THAT TAKES PLACE, THEN WE, WE WOULD OBVIOUSLY MAKE THE CHANGE AT THAT POINT. SIMILARLY, ON THE TURS ISSUE, UH, ONCE WE RECEIVE LEGAL ADVICE TO WHERE WE UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON THERE, UM, AND HOW THAT MONEY COULD GO INTO THE GENERAL FUND, INSTEAD OF EITHER REMAINING WITH THE TURS OR BEING RETURNED TO VOTERS A PARDON ME TO HOUSTONIANS, THEN, THEN WILL WE, WE WOULD MAKE THAT CHANGE AS WELL. WE HAVEN'T RECEIVED THAT LEGAL ADVICE AS OF TODAY. YOU COULD, YOU COULD PUT ME BACK IN THE QUEUE. YOU COULD PUT ME BACK IN THE QUEUE. THANK YOU. UH, COUNCILMAN AL. THANK YOU MAYOR. CONTROLLER, YOU MENTIONED A, A DELAY IN THE OP E UM, IMPLEMENT DELAYED IMPLEMENTATION OF THE OPEG TRUST FUND, UM, BACK IN JANUARY OF 22. UM, DIRECTOR DE BASKET, REMEMBER WE PUT D PUT FORTH ALL THOSE REFORMS TO OPE, WHICH REALLY SIGNIFICANTLY AIMED TO BRING DOWN OUR, OUR UNFUNDED LIABILITY. AND THEN IN THE FY 24 BUDGET, WE ESTABLISHED AN OPEG [05:15:01] TRUST, UH, $10 MILLION WITH STARTED OUT MONEY WITH THAT TO ESCALATE EACH YEAR. CAN YOU JUST GIMME AN UPDATE ON WHERE WE ARE WITH THE OPEP TRUST AND, AND I'M LOOKING AT PAGE 49 OF THE MOER WHERE IT SAYS, ARE THE ACTUARIALLY PRESENT VALUE OF TOTAL PROJECTED BENEFITS IS 3 BILLION. IS THAT, THAT SEEMS QUITE A BIT LOWER THAN WHAT WE HAD PROJECTED OPEP. SO HAVE THEY REALLY COME DOWN THAT MUCH? 'CAUSE BACK, BACK WHEN WE DID THE OPEP TRUST, IT WAS, IT, WE WERE AIMING TO, IT WAS ABOUT A, A 4.5. WE WERE AIMING FOR THE, WITH THE REFORMS TO BRING THE PROJECTED OPED LIABILITY FROM 9 BILLION TO 4.5 BILLION. AND NOW I SEE, IS THIS AS, IS THIS A 3 BILLION? ARE THE, I'M GETTING, I'M CONFUSED ABOUT THESE NUMBERS. SURE. UM, SO I THINK WHAT THE PAGE ON THE THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT TALKS ABOUT THE LIABILITIES AS OF THE MOST RECENT MEASUREMENT DATE, WHICH THESE ARE THE, UH, NUMBERS THAT WOULD'VE BEEN REFLECTED IN THE MOST RECENT ACT FOR THE, THE CONTROLLER, UM, FINALIZED IN DECEMBER OF LAST YEAR. UM, WHEN THE ACTUARIES CALCULATE THE LIABILITY FOR OPEP, AND IT'S THE SAME THING WITH PENSIONS. THEY MAKE, UM, ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT, UM, RETIREMENT DATE, UM, LIFE EXPECTANCY, UM, HOW MUCH BENEFITS ARE GOING TO COST. AND THEY RECALCULATE THEIR LIABILITY ON AN ANNUAL BASIS. UM, SO THE NUMBERS THAT YOU SEE HERE ARE GOING TO CHANGE FROM YEAR TO YEAR BASED ON ASSUMPTIONS. ONE OF THE MAJOR ASSUMPTIONS THAT THE ACTUARIES USE, UM, PERTAINS TO A DISCOUNT RATE THAT THEY APPLY WHEN THEY CALCULATE THE, UM, THE, THE VALUE OF THE LIABILITY OVER THE LONG TERM. UH, SO THAT'S A LARGE DRIVER OF THE NUMBERS. BUT IN TERMS OF THE BENEFIT REFORMS, ALL OF THOSE ARE STILL IN PLACE THAT WE TALKED ABOUT IN JANUARY OF 22. UM, AND TO TOUCH ON THE OPEP TRUST ITSELF, UM, WHAT WE DID IS WE BUDGETED TO START THE OPEP TRUST, BUT WE HAVE YET TO BRING A CONTRACT TO COUNCIL TO FORMALLY START THE TRUST. THE MONEY HAS BEEN BUDGETED BUT HAS NOT YET BEEN SPENT AS WE ARE GOING THROUGH THE CONTRACT PROCUREMENT PROCESS. UM, AT THIS POINT IN TIME, WE DON'T PROJECT THAT THAT CONTRACT IS GONNA COME TO COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL IN THIS FISCAL YEAR, WHICH IS WHY, UH, WE IN THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE ARE PROJECTING A DECREASED EXPENSE IN THIS YEAR. UM, BUT I CAN, I CAN FOLLOW UP WITH YOU ON THE LIABILITY CALCULATION AND WE CAN DISCUSS MORE BECAUSE YEAH, I, I MM-HMM . I WANNA KNOW WHAT THE CURRENT LIABILITY IS. 'CAUSE BECAUSE IF WE WERE PROJECTING TO BRING IT DOWN TO 4.5 AND NOW WE'RE SAYING IT'S THREE, I MEAN, THAT DOESN'T JUST 'CAUSE DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO ME. OKAY. WE, WE CAN TALK MORE ONLINE ABOUT ALL THE THINGS THAT THE ACTUARIES PUT INTO THE NUMBER. OKAY. AND THEN, YEAH, SO WE DON'T HAVE AN OPEP TRUST BECAUSE WE NEVER REALLY ESTABLISHED ONE. CORRECT. WE BUDGETED FOR IT, BUT THERE WAS NEVER AN ORDINANCE THAT WENT TO COUNCIL TO ESTABLISH IT. DO WE PLAN TO HAVE AN OPEP TRUST? I REMEMBER THAT WAS KIND OF A BIG DEAL THAT THE, THAT WE PUSHED FOR. WE DON'T PLAN TO HAVE IT IN THIS FISCAL YEAR. UM, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT WITH ALL OF THE, UM, EXPENDITURES WE HAVE AT THE CITY. THE REVENUE LIMITATIONS THAT WE'RE UNDER, EVALUATING HOW WE WANT TO SPEND THE DOLLARS. THAT'S ONE OF THE ITEMS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT. OKAY. WELL WE CAN TALK MORE ABOUT IT. AND, AND I'M REALLY INTERESTED ABOUT THE OVERALL, I MEAN, I CAN SEE IF THE OVERALL NUMBER HAS REALLY COME DOWN BECAUSE OF THE REFORMS MM-HMM . THAT IT MIGHT NOT BE AS URGENT. BUT IF WE ARE STILL LOOKING AT, I MEAN, THAT WAS ONE OF THE BIG THINGS MAYOR THAT WE LOOKED AT FOR THE STRUCTURALLY BALANCED BUDGET WAS, WAS THE OPE TRUST TO HELP US. UM, 'CAUSE WE'VE ALWAYS DONE IT AS A PAY AS YOU GO. AND WE WEREN'T ADDRESSING THE OVERALL LONG-TERM LIABILITY. SO JUST WOULD LIKE TO TALK MORE ABOUT THAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UH, MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABBAT. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND GOOD MORNING. UM, I JUST WANTED TO ASK IN LIGHT OF WHAT, UH, DIRECTOR HOLLAND, EXCUSE ME, CONTROLLER HOLLAND SAID ABOUTT 24. I'D LIKE, UH, THE DIRECTOR TO BRIEF MY OFFICE, UM, ON THE ISSUE, UH, REGARDING THE FINANCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, OF COURSE. OKAY. THANK YOU. UH, NOT HERE. RAMIREZ. COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND GOOD MORNING, UH, DIRECTOR AND CONTROLLER. GOOD MORNING. UM, DIRECTOR, CAN YOU BRIEFLY EXPLAIN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN A TURS AND A REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY? SURE. THIS TURS 24 IS UNIQUE, UM, IN THAT THIS TURS WAS CREATED INITIALLY AS A COUNTY TURS. THE CITY HAD TO AUTHORIZE IT, AUTHORIZE ITS CREATION, UM, [05:20:01] UNDER THE STATE STATUTE. UM, WHEN THET WAS INITIALLY CREATED, THE CITY WAS PARTICIPATING AT ONLY 5%. UM, AND THE REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY WAS CREATED, IT WAS A COUNTY REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY. SO AT THE TIME THAT THE TOUR 24, UM, THE CITY CHOSE TO INCREASE THE TOUR 24 PARTICIPATION UP TO 75%. UM, THAT ACTION WAS TAKEN IN FISCAL YEAR 21. AND AT THE TIME WHEN WE INCREASED IT TO 75%, WE, THE ADMINISTRATION, I KEEP SAYING WE, THE ADMINISTRATION AT THE TIME BELIEVED THAT THEY HAD COMPLIED WITH ALL THE LEGAL REQUIREMENTS TO, UM, ASSUME THAT THE 20, THE CHURCH, 24 70 5% PARTICIPATION WAS IN PLACE. SUBSEQUENT TO THAT CITY LEGAL ADVISED THAT WE NEEDED TO CREATE A CITY REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY IN ADDITION TO THE COUNTY REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY BECAUSE OF THE, UM, UM, HISTORY OF THE TS, GIVEN THAT IT WAS INITIALLY ONLY A COUNTY TS. UM, AND SO SINCE THE SECOND REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY NEEDED TO BE CREATED, BUT THAT WASN'T DONE UNTIL FISCAL YEAR 23, THAT'S WHAT HAS NECESSITATED THIS CONVERSATION. OKAY. AND JUST, UH, I GUESS THE, THE BASIC POINT IS THAT IN ORDER TO HAVE A FUNCTIONING TURS, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY TO OPERATE IT AND HANDLE THE FINANCES AND ALL THAT. CORRECT. AND TYPICALLY, YOU KNOW, AS YOU SAID, 24 IS DIFFERENT. UH, THE OTHER TS ARE ALL CITY TS AND WE ALWAYS CREATE A REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY THE SAME TIME WE CREATE THE T SO IT CAN OPERATE THET, IS THAT RIGHT? YEAH. YES, SIR. BUT IN THIS INSTANCE, THERE WAS A COUNTY REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, BUT NOT A CITY REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY? CORRECT. OKAY. AND, UM, HAS THIS EVER HAPPENED BEFORE IN YOUR EXPERIENCE? TO MY KNOWLEDGE, NO OTHER TOURS STARTED OFF AS ONLY A COUNTY PARTICIPATING TOURS. TO MY KNOWLEDGE, ALL THE OTHER TOURS WERE CREATED BY THE CITY. OKAY. AND BUT IMPORTANT POINT IS YOU GUYS ARE TRYING TO WORK THROUGH IT AS BEST YOU CAN. YES. ALRIGHT. AND ALL OF THIS HAPPENED UNDER THE PRIOR ADMINISTRATION, NOT UNDER THIS ONE, IS THAT CORRECT? THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UM, IN FISCAL YEAR 21 AND 22, YES. THAT WAS UNDER THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION. WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT REIMBURSING THE CITY FOR THREE 80 AGREEMENTS THAT SPAN THE PREVIOUS AND THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? IF NOT, COUNCIL MEMBER? POLLARD? YEAH, POLLARD. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. UM, BACK TO THE, UM, THE SAVINGS FROM RETIREMENT. YES. SO YOU SAY, UM, YOUR ESTIMATION RIGHT NOW IS ABOUT 11 MILLION. SO THE, LET ME BE CLEAR. SO THE EARLY RETIREMENT PROGRAM, SORRY, NOT EARLY RETIREMENT, VOLUNTARY RETIREMENT MM-HMM . UM, INCENTIVE COST FOR FISCAL YEAR 25 IS ES THE COST, NOT THE SAVINGS IS ESTIMATED TO BE 11 MILLION. THAT $11 MILLION INCLUDES TERMINATION PAY. OKAY. THAT THE EMPLOYEES HAVE AS WELL AS, UM, A PORTION OF THE INCENTIVE, THE THREE MONTH INCENTIVE. SO WHEN WE CALCULATED THE NUMBER, SINCE IT'S A THREE MONTH INCENTIVE, BUT THOSE EMPLOYEES ARE GOING TO COME OFF PAYROLL STARTING MAY 1ST, WE LOOKED AT THE THREE MONTH INCENTIVE AND SAID, OKAY, WELL IT'S REALLY ONLY A ONE MONTH IMPACT BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT GONNA HAVE A SALARY FOR MAY AND JUNE. SO THAT COVERS THE INCENTIVE FOR MAY AND JUNE. SO THE 11 MILLION REPRESENTS BASICALLY ONE MONTH OF SALARY. THAT IS, UH, ONE THIRD OF THE INCENTIVE PLUS THE TERMINATION PAY. THE ESTIMATE OF WHAT WE'RE GOING TO SAVE IN THE FOLLOWING FISCAL YEAR BASED ON THIS IS ROUGHLY $30 MILLION ON AN ANNUAL BASIS FOR THE GENERAL FUND EMPLOYEES. AND THIS IS JUST THE GENERAL FUND ONLY THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. OKAY. AND THAT'S WHAT I WAS TRYING TO GET AT BECAUSE I, I BELIEVE YOU'RE QUOTED, UM, IN SAYING THAT IF 25%, UM, TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THE RETIREMENT PROGRAM, WE WOULD SAVE AROUND 26 MILLION. CORRECT. IF 50% TOOK ADVANTAGE, IT WOULD LEAD TO ABOUT 52 MILLION. YES, SIR. AND IF 75% DID IT, IT COULD LEAD TO ABOUT 78. AND SO YOU'RE SAYING THAT YOU BELIEVE BASED ON, UM, THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE OPTED IN, THAT IT'LL BE ABOUT A $30 MILLION SAVINGS YES. TO THE GENERAL FUND? CORRECT. OKAY, COOL. FOR FY 26. SO THAT'S AN ANNUAL FULL YEAR NUMBER. COOL. AND, UM, LASTLY ON THE, ON THE TURS ISSUE, BECAUSE THAT, THAT DOES SEEM VERY, UM, DIFFERENT. UM, AND MAYOR, YOU WOULD KNOW THIS SERVING IN THE LEGISLATIVE LEGISLATURE FOR ALL THOSE YEARS THAT YOU ALWAYS LOOK AT [05:25:01] LIKE LEGISLATIVE INTENT OR ORIGINAL INTENT. SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE DOLLARS AND WHAT WERE THE ORIGINAL INTENT OF THE DOLLARS, WHY WERE THEY PAID, WHY WERE THEY CAPTURED? WHERE WERE THEY SUPPOSED TO BE DIRECTED? IF THEY WERE, IF THE ORIGINAL INTENT WAS FOR THOSE DOLLARS TO BE FOR THE TURS, WHY WOULDN'T THOSE DOLLARS STILL BE ALLOCATED TO TOWARDS THE TURS FOR THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THAT THE TAXPAYERS IN THAT AREA PUT FORTH? WHY WOULD THEY EVER COME BACK TO THE GENERAL FUND IF THE ONLY REASON THAT THEY'RE PAYING THOSE DOLLARS WAS TO GO TO THE TURS? BECAUSE THAT'S THE INTENT. THAT WAS THE ORIGINAL INTENT OF THE DOLLARS IN THE FIRST PLACE. I, I HEAR YOUR POINT, BUT I HAVE TO DEFER TO CITY LEGAL ON INTENT VERSUS WHAT THE LAW SAYS WE OKAY. DO, I WOULD LIKE TO GET CLARIFICATION ON THAT, UH, EVENTUALLY, UH, ARTURO AS WELL. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SIR. SIX TATUM, IF, IF I UNDERSTOOD IT CORRECTLY, IS THE, THE REIMBURSEMENT FOR A THREE 80, BECAUSE THE THREE 80 AGREEMENT IS PART OF WHAT THE CITY'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT DID, AND THAT IS, UM, A FUNCTION OF THE TURS THAT ALLOWS US TO REIMBURSE THE CITY FOR THE THREE 80 AGREEMENTS, WHICH STILL PROVIDES INFRASTRUCTURE REPAIRS IN THE TURS MM-HMM . CORRECT. SO, SO THE THREE 80 AGREEMENTS WERE ENTERED INTO, UM, OVER THE COURSE OF MANY YEARS, OR IT'S A FEW DIFFERENT THREE 80 AGREEMENTS THAT ARE INSIDE THE BOUNDARY OF THAT TURS, BUT THE, THE, THE POINT OF A THREE 80 AGREEMENT IS TO SPUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, RIGHT? AS IS THE POINT OFTS TO SPUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. AND SO, UH, IN LOOKING AT IT, WE FEEL THAT THERE IS CERTAINLY A NEXUS THERE, UM, THAT, THAT MAKES SENSE AND IS, UM, ALLOWABLE WITHIN THE LAW. SO DO YOU THINK THE AMOUNT OF THE REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE THREE 80 AGREEMENTS, IS THAT, IS THAT GONNA HAVE ANY IMPACT ON OUR GENERAL FUND? I WOULD THINK IT WOULD BE AN EXCHANGE OF MONEY THAT WENT OUT. MONEY COMING IN? CORRECT. SO THE THREE 80 AGREEMENTS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, ARE CURRENTLY PAID FROM THE GENERAL FUND. SO FOR FISCAL YEARS, 23 THROUGH 25, UM, IT TOTALS ABOUT $7 MILLION FOR THOSE THREE 80 AGREEMENTS INSIDE THE BOUNDARIES OF TOUR 24 THAT THE GENERAL FUND PREVIOUSLY PAID FOR. OKAY. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, AND I WAS GONNA ASK SIMILAR QUESTIONS, RIGHT? WHEN IT COMES TO THE THREE 80 AGREEMENT AND WHATEVER OTHER REIMBURSEMENTS, UH, AND JUST FOR MY COLLEAGUES TO, TO BE AWARE. SO IF YOU DRIVE NORTH OF 45 JUST WEST OF CULLEN, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY IS NOW HAS THEIR FACILITIES THERE, THERE'S A FEW PADS THAT HAVE BEEN BUILT OUT BECAUSE OF THIS TURS. UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, TO HAVE THIS, UH, THREE 80 AGREEMENT, UM, AND WHAT IT'S USED FOR, I THINK IT'S, IT, YOU CAN SEE IT TANGIBLY VISUALLY THERE IF YOU, IF YOU DRIVE IN THAT AREA. SO THE EXPANSION THAT HAPPENED, UM, BACK IN 20, UH, THAT INCLUDED THAT SPECIFIC PART OF THE TURS, THIS IS YOUR PROBABLY OUR ONLY NON-CONTIGUOUS TURS, UH, WHEN WE WERE NOT A PART OF THE TRI-PARTY AGREEMENT AGREEMENT INITIALLY. UM, WE'RE ALREADY SEEING DEVELOPMENT THERE IN THAT AREA. SO, UM, AGAIN, I APPRECIATE, YOU KNOW, Y'ALL LOOKING THROUGH THIS, DOING YOUR DUE DILIGENCE AND UM, OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, WITH THE GUIDANCE OF THE CITY ATTORNEY, YOU KNOW, IT'D BE GREAT TO GET REIMBURSED FIRST AND FOREMOST, BUT THEN ALSO SEE HOW THIS TUR UH, I THINK JUST TO RECOGNIZE THAT THIS TUR HAS BEEN DOING ITS JOB AS WELL. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. GOOD. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND JUST FOR MY UNDERSTANDING, THE THREE 80 AGREEMENT IS, IS NOT THE SAME DOLLARS AS AS THE AVALOR. THOSE ARE TWO COMPLETELY DIFFERENT POTS OF MONEY AS IT PERTAINS TO THE TURS THREE 80 AGREEMENTS. THE CITY'S THREE 80 AGREEMENTS ARE PAID FROM A VARIETY OF SOURCES. CORRECT. BUT WHAT I'M SAYING IS WHEN, WHEN IT COMES TO DOLLARS THAT WILL GO BACK TO THE GENERAL FUND. MM-HMM . THE, THE TUR DOLLARS THAT ARE PROPERTY TAXES, THE TURS DOLLARS THAT ARE PROPERTY TAXES, THOSE, THOSE ARE THE DOLLARS THAT I THINK, UH, COULD BE LOOKED AT AS SKETCHY AS COMING BACK TO THE GENERAL FUND BECAUSE THEY WERE, THE ORIGINAL INTENT OF THOSE PROPERTY TAXES WERE TO GO INTO THE TURS FOR TURS PURPOSES. I CAN CLARIFY THAT. CASE MEMBER, UH, INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND MY NAME IS GWEN CHELSEA BELL. I'M THE CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER. YOU WERE HERE 2022 AND YOU PROBABLY HELD THIS SAME DISCUSSION YES. WITH PEOPLE THAT WERE HERE. YES. BUT LET'S TRY ONE MORE TIME AND HELP ALL OF US UNDERSTAND. I DON'T THINK WE HAD THIS DISCUSSION IN 21, 22. WE HAD, WE HAD SOME DISCUSSIONS REGARDING THE, THE COMPLEXITY OF TS [05:30:01] 24, WHICH IS VERY UNIQUE. BUT TO ANSWER THE QUESTION ABOUT THREE 80 AGREEMENTS, THE ISSUE WITH THE THREE 80 IS THAT THE, AT THE TIME THAT THE THREE 80 AGREEMENTS WERE EXECUTED, THE CITY WAS ONLY PARTICIPATING AT 5%. THAT 5% CAME BACK TO THE CITY AND ADMINISTRATION FEES. SO TECHNICALLY PROPERTY TAXES FROM THE T WAS NOT BEING USED. IT WAS COMING FROM THE GENERAL FUND BECAUSE THE CITY WASN'T PARTICIPATING IN THET. WE BEGAN PARTICIPATING IN THE TOURS IN 2020. AT 2020 YOU HAVE ONE PROPERTY TAX REVENUE STREAM, BUT YOU'VE GOTTA GO INTO TWO DIFFERENT SOURCES. YOU'VE GOTTA GO INTO THET AND YOU'VE GOTTA GO TO PAY ALL THE DOIS. YOU CAN'T USE PROPERTY TAX TO U TO TWO DIFFERENT DISTRIBUTIONS. AND BECAUSE IT'S WITHIN THE BOUNDARY OF A TURS, THE RIGHTFUL FUND TO PAY THAT OBLIGATION IS THET FUND. SO IT'S SHIFTED FROM A GENERAL FUND OBLIGATION TO THET FUND OBLIGATION AT THE TIME THE CITY STARTED PARTICIPATING IN THE S SO IT'S A TIMING ISSUE. SO WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE REIMBURSING THE GENERAL FUND FOR OBLIGATIONS THAT SHOULD RIGHTFULLY SO AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE T 24 OBLIGATIONS LONG TERM. SO THIS IS A UNTIL THAT THOSE DLI AND OTHER OBLIGATIONS ARE MET. DOES THAT HELP? THANK YOU. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. ANYONE ELSE? THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. JUST, UH, ONE TO YOUR POINT. UM, AND THANK YOU GWEN. THANK YOU. UH, THIS DISCOVERY WAS MADE JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO. UM, AND SO IT WAS NOT DISCUSSED SEVERAL YEARS AGO. NOT AT ALL. THIS IS SKETCHY AT THIS THANK YOU'ALL. GOOD JOB. COUNCILMAN ALCO. I MOVE TO ACCEPT THE MONTHLY FINANCIAL REPORT DATED MARCH 31ST, 2025. MOTION MAY CASTILE. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. THANK YOU. THANK Y'ALL. [MAYOR'S REPORT] WOW. QUICK ON THE, UM, THINGS TO ANNOUNCE IS OUR PARADE FOR CINCO DE MAYO AT 10 O'CLOCK SATURDAY OR ENCOURAGE EVERYONE, UH, SHOULD BE AN EXCITING TIME. UM, ONE OTHER THING I'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT ON OUR AGENDA TODAY IS 30 VEHICLES FOR SOLID WASTE. THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IS BEEN BADLY NEEDED FOR I'D SUGGEST YEARS. AND WE'RE NOT BUYING, BUYING THE USED VEHICLES, WHICH WAS THE PRACTICE BEFORE I GOT HERE. AND SO WE'RE HAVING 30 NEW VEHICLES FOR SOLID WASTE. UM, MOST EXCITING THING I CAN BRING UP IS A DEDICATED PUBLIC SERVANTS RECOGNITION, UH, OR CITY SECRETARY AFTER 41 YEARS AFTER BECOMING THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN CITY SECRETARY IN ABOUT NO FOREVER, BUT I'M TALKING ABOUT IT HAPPENED IN WHAT? 21, 22. SHE WAS INTERIM AND SOMEONE SAW , THE GOOD MERITS OF MAKING YOU PERMANENT. AND WE DON'T WANT TO LOSE YOU, BUT I UNDERSTAND YOU WERE PLANNING TO SPEND MORE TIME WITH YOUR FAMILY. SO LET US ALL APPLAUD YOUR PUBLIC SERVICE. WOO. YOU GO AHEAD AND SIGN THAT. AND I'M GONNA SIGN YOUR PROCLAMATION, RECOGNIZING YOUR, YOUR MANY YEARS OF SERVICE AND DECLARE THIS DAY. UH, HERE FOR I, JOHN WHITMEYER, THE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROCLAIM APRIL 30TH, 2025 IS PAT JEFFERSON. DANIEL DAY IN HOUSTON, TEXAS. I'LL BE GLAD TO YIELD TO YOU. I KNOW YOU . SPEECH, SPEECH, SPEECH, SPEECH. SPEAKING OF MICROPHONE, PLEASE MAKE YOURSELF AT HOME. SIT DOWN . IT IS BEEN A LONG JOURNEY AND I WAS IN THIS OFFICE WHEN I WAS, I GUESS 23. WOW. MY CHILDREN WERE TWO AND FOUR AND THEY'RE NOW 44 AND 42. I SAID I WAS GONNA STAY FOR TWO YEARS AND HERE I AM. THOSE TWO YEARS TURNED INTO 41. UH, [05:35:01] I'M JUST THANKFUL. THANK YOU MONIQUE. I UNDERSTAND YOUR STAFF IS HERE. YES, AND I WOULD CERTAINLY YIELD TO STAFF MEMBERS. GOOD MORNING. UH, I'M GONNA TRY TO HOLD IT TOGETHER, BUT THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU COUNSEL, FOR ALLOWING US TO COME BEFORE YOU. OUR STAFF IS HERE. STEPH, WHAT'S YOUR ALL RISE? THANK YOU. AS WE HONOR OUR CITY SECRETARY, PAT J DANIEL. AFTER 40 YEARS OF SERVICE TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON, OUR BELOVED CITY SECRETARY WILL OFFICIALLY RETIRE ON TOMORROW, MAY 1ST, 40 YEARS IN THE SAME OFFICE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR KNOWLEDGE THAT YOU HAVE SHARED WITH ALL OF US. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO EXPLORE AND GROW. AND THANK YOU FOR NOT ONLY BEING OUR BOSS, BUT BEING OUR FRIEND. YOU HAVE ALLOWED US TO CONFIDE IN YOU, WHETHER IT WAS BUSINESS OR PERSONAL. YOU HAVE DRIVEN SOME OF US HOME. WE NEEDED A RIDE. YOU HAVE ALWAYS HAD IMPROMPTU LUNCHES WHERE WE, IT ALLOWED US TO HAVE FOOD, FUN AND FELLOWSHIP, OKAY? YOU HAVE ALWAYS BEEN HERE FOR US, AND WE THANK YOU AND IT'S WITH GREAT SADNESS THAT YOU ARE LEAVING. BUT WE FIND JOY IN KNOWING THAT YOU HAVE SERVED THE CITY WELL. AND FOR THAT, WE ARE GRATEFUL. WE HOPE AND PRAY THAT YOU ENJOY THIS NEXT CHAPTER IN YOUR LIFE CALLED RETIREMENT TO THE FULLEST. WE KNOW THAT YOU PLAN TO SIT IN YOUR BREAKFAST, SIP YOUR COFFEE, AND WATCH YOUR NEIGHBORS GO TO WORK EVERY DAY. , NO WORRIES. WE WILL CALL YOU EVERY DAY FOR THE FIRST MONTH. WE HAVE TO. WE OURSELVES, WE ALL KNEW THIS DAY WOULD COME, BUT I DON'T THINK WE FULLY PREPARED OURSELVES, AND AT LEAST I HAVEN'T. I KNOW THAT TOMORROW WILL BE A VERY EMOTIONAL DAY FOR ALL OF US AS WE NAVIGATE THIS NEW JOURNEY WITHOUT YOU. ON A PERSONAL NOTE, THIS IS DIFFICULT FOR ME. NOT ONLY HAVE YOU EMBRACED ME WITH SO MUCH LOVE, BUT YOU HAVE SO, SO MUCH LOVE TO MY DAUGHTERS. SO MUCH SO THAT THEY CALL YOU GRANNY, AND TO YOU, THEY ARE YOUR GRANNY BABIES. ALTHOUGH RYAN CANNOT BE HERE BECAUSE SHE'S STILL AWAY AT COLLEGE, YOUR OTHER GRANNY BABY COULD NOT LET THIS DAY GO WITHOUT, GO BY WITHOUT BEING HERE. ALL YOUR FLOWERS YOU WANNA GO AFTER PAT, ON BEHALF OF YOUR STAFF AND THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE, WE LOVE YOU AND WE WILL MISS YOU DEARLY. WE'VE GOT A COUPLE OF COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO WANT SURE. I'M GONNA LET IT GO UP TO THE MIC. YOU WANT TO? YEAH, YEAH, YEAH, YEAH. TAKE PICTURES. PAT SENT YOUR FLYERS DOWN ON THE, UH, PODIUM IF YOU'D LIKE TRYING. YOU WERE A NAPKIN. YOU WANT GO DOWN THERE WITH YOUR PROCLAMATION? GIVE MY NAME WHAT YOUR PROCLAMATION SCOOT DOWN A LITTLE BIT. . THEY LIKE, UM, SCOOT DOWN, . [05:40:06] I KNOW A COUPLE OF MEMBERS WOULD LIKE. DO YOU WANNA GO NOW? MI, MS. PAT, WE DO HAVE SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS YOU. I'LL START WITH, UM, MADAM SECRETARY, 41 YEARS. YOU HAVE DEDICATED STELLAR SERVICE TO THIS CITY. UH, I KNOW THAT THIS NEXT SEASON OF LIFE WILL BE ENJOYABLE FOR YOU. UM, I'VE SEEN HOW MY PARENTS HAS HAVE TRANSFORMED IN RETIREMENT. UM, YOUR ABILITY TO MOVE INTO A SOFTER, SLOWER LIFE. UH, I WISH YOU THE VERY, VERY BEST, AND I HOPE THAT YOU ENJOY SITTING ON YOUR PATIO, SIPPING YOUR COFFEE AND WATCHING ALL OF YOUR NEIGHBORS GO TO WORK. UM, BUT I DO WANT TO TELL YOU THAT YOU HAVE BEEN MOST ENJOYABLE TO WORK WITH. YOU ARE ALWAYS SMILING. YOU, YOU LEAD WITH COMPASSION. AND THAT'S EVIDENT BY, UM, YOUR STAFF AND HOW MUCH I KNOW THAT THEY WILL MISS YOU. YOU HAVE SEEN A LOT OF COUNCIL MEMBERS AND MAYORS COME AND GO. UH, AND SO WHILE YOU'RE AT HOME, IF YOU DECIDE TO WRITE A BOOK, UH, I THINK IT WOULD BE A BESTSELLER, , BUT CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU AND WE WISH YOU THE VERY BEST. AND THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR STELLAR SERVICE TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON, COUNCIL MEMBER SHABAZZ. THANK YOU, UH, MAYOR PRO, AND CERTAINLY, UH, WELL, FIRST AND FOREMOST, UH, YOU'RE CERTAINLY GONNA BE MISSED. UH, AND OF COURSE, SHE'S JY FOR LIFE, Y'ALL. SO, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS TO ME. ACTUALLY, HER BROTHER AND I WERE CLASSMATES AT JACK YATES . I'M JEFF, OF COURSE. RIGHT? RIGHT. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, I'M CONNECTED. I'M CONNECTED. BUT CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, SHE HAS SUCH A BEAUTIFUL SPIRIT. AND I MET HER MOTHER SOME YEARS AGO, AND I CAN CERTAINLY SEE WHERE THAT BEAUTIFUL SPIRIT COMES FROM. AND SO, CERTAINLY, I WISH YOU WELL. AND, UH, YOU ARE A RESIDENT OF THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION, SO HOPEFULLY I WILL SEE YOU. BUT I'M GONNA GIVE YOU JUST A LITTLE ADVICE. AND THAT IS, YOU CAN'T JUST SIT ON THE PATIO. YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO GET BUSY, WALK AROUND THE BLOCK OR DO SOMETHING. 'CAUSE IF YOU DON'T DO THAT, YOU MIGHT WAKE UP DEAD. AND WE DON'T WANT YOU TO DO THAT. SO, I MEAN, I, I'M JUST TELLING YOU, Y'ALL, YOU CAN'T JUST GO HOME AND SIT DOWN. TRUST. REMEMBER THOMAS ? LET, LET'S MOVE ON IN THE NEXT YEAH, WE'RE GONNA THANK YOU AND THANK YOU. WE'RE GONNA YEAH. AND WE'RE GONNA GO ON. THANK YOU. DO WHATEVER YOU WANT THROUGH . YEAH. YEAH. BUT NO, SERIOUSLY, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, I RETIRED FROM ANOTHER LIFE AND DIDN'T HAVE SINCE ENOUGH, I GUESS, TO GO SIT DOWN. BUT THIS IS MY, MY PASSION, AND I HOPE THAT YOU CAN DO THE THINGS THAT ARE ON YOUR BUCKET LIST THAT WILL KEEP YOU BUSY AND VIBRANT AND KEEPING THAT BEAUTIFUL SMILE. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THIS COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS BRING A LITTLE JOY INTO GEE WHIZ. UH, SISTER SELFISHLY, I, UH, WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO, UH, BE HERE UNTIL I TRANSITION OUT, UH, OF THIS SEA. BUT I KNOW THAT, UH, THIS IS, A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO CHOOSE WHEN THEY GET TO LEAVE. UM, AND I THINK FOR SOMEONE THAT HAS HAD THE, THE PRIVILEGE AND THE BLESSING OF SERVING THIS CITY FOR 40 YEARS, UM, YOU DESERVE THE CHOICE TO CHOOSE WHEN YOU GET TO LEAVE. AND SO, I'M EXCITED ABOUT YOU. HOPEFULLY I AM, UH, UH, BLESSED TO CHOOSE WHEN I MOVE ON, UH, IN, IN MY LIFE. AND SO, UM, I THANK YOU FOR, UH, LAUGHING AT MY JOKES. UH, AND, UH, AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT, TAMING ME DOWN. Y'ALL THOUGHT I WAS A FIRECRACKER FOR REAL. BUT SHE WAS NEXT TO ME, SO I WAS A LITTLE CALM. SO NOW THAT SHE AIN'T IN THE SEAT, GET READY. OKAY. UM, MR. SECRETARY. OKAY, MR. SECRETARY, GET READY. BUT I'VE ENJOYED YOU AND I'VE ENJOYED YOUR MOTHER WATCHING, UH, YOU ALL THE TIME ON, ON, ON TV AND SITTING WITH YOU EVERY WEDNESDAY AT EIGHT 30 AS YOU READ THE CITY AGENDA. SO, I'M JUST EXCITED FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY. UH, AND I, I JOINED WITH YOUR COLLEAGUES IN THE, IN THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE FOR ALL THEIR SUPPORT AND THEIR WORDS THAT THEY GAVE TO YOU. SO, CONGRATULATIONS. YOU DESERVE IT. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN, MS. PAT, IT HAS BEEN SUCH A PRIVILEGE AND A PLEASURE, UH, TO WORK ALONGSIDE YOU. I WANT TO RECOGNIZE, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE SOME OF YOUR FAMILY HERE, BUT YOU ARE ALWAYS, ALWAYS, YOU BEAM WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT YOUR FAMILY, AND THEY BEAM WHEN THEY TALK ABOUT YOU. AND IT'S NOT JUST YOUR PERSONAL, YOUR RELATIVES. AND I WANNA THANK THEM FOR THE SACRIFICE THAT THEY MAKE SO THAT YOU COULD BE HERE DOING WHAT YOU DO. BUT IT'S ALSO THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE THAT IS A TRUE FAMILY. AND WE HAVE SEEN THAT THROUGH AND THROUGH. UH, YOU COME FROM YOU, YOU PICKED UP A TORCH. [05:45:01] UH, AND WHAT I LOVE TO SAY IS A, A STRONG LINE OF FIERCE, STRONG WOMEN THAT HAVE SAT IN THAT SEAT. UH, AND YOU HONORED, UH, CITY SECRETARY RUSSELL'S MEMORY, AND YOU ALSO MADE IT YOUR OWN. AND I KNOW SHE WOULD BE JUST AS PROUD OF YOU AS WE ALL ARE. UH, WE ARE LOSING TWO, ACTUALLY, VERY EXCEPTIONAL WOMEN THAT HAVE SERVED THIS CITY THIS WEEK, UH, INCLUDING OFFICER GREEN. UH, AND I'M PLANNING TO TALK ABOUT HER AND POPOFF RIGHT NOW. IT'S YOUR TIME. BUT I JUST WANNA THANK YOU FOR THE GIFT THAT YOU HAVE GIVEN ALL OF US IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. UH, I, YOUR SMILE IS CONTAGIOUS. UH, IT'S A WE ARE GOING TO MISS YOU, BUT I HOPE THAT YOU ENJOY EVERY SECOND OF WHAT COMES NEXT, BECAUSE YOU HAVE EARNED IT. COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD. THANK YOU, MAYOR PROTON. I'M DEFINITELY GONNA MISS YOU. I'M GONNA MISS YOU, UM, CALLING ME SHORTY , I'M GONNA, I'M, I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA MISS, YOU KNOW, YOUR DEMEANOR. I, I, I WATCH YOU FROM A DISTANCE. I WATCH EVERYBODY FROM A DISTANCE, BUT I WATCH YOU FROM A DISTANCE AND, AND YOU'VE TAUGHT ME TO GO AT YOUR OWN PACE. YOU DON'T LET PEOPLE SPEED YOU UP. UH, YOU'RE ALWAYS COMPOSED. UM, AND ON A PERSONAL NOTE, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR SOMETIMES REACHING OUT TO ME PERSONALLY, TEXTING ME, CALLING ME, UM, YOUR WORDS, YOUR ENCOURAGEMENT MEAN A LOT. I'LL CONTINUE TO LEAN ON THAT EVEN IN RETIREMENT. SO, UM, THIS IS NOT A GOODBYE. UH, THIS IS JUST A TALK TO YOU SOON. TAKE CARE. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS, THANK YOU, UH, MAYOR PRO TEM, MADAM SECRETARY, WE JUST ARE SO EXCITED FOR YOU IN YOUR RETIREMENT. GOD BLESS YOU. I WANT TO JUST SAY TO, I THINK ALL OF HOUSTON IS GRATEFUL FOR YOUR SERVICE TO THIS CITY. I'M SURE ALL THE MAYORS ARE, AND I'M JUST GRATEFUL TO GOD THAT YOU WERE STILL AROUND WHEN I CAME ON. I'M SO USED TO WATCHING YOU, UH, FROM OUTSIDE OF CHAMBER, BUT IT IS NOW A BLESSING FOR YOU TO RETIRE. AND NOW YOU GET A CHANCE TO WATCH EVERYBODY ELSE FROM HOME ON HT V. BUT GOD BLESS YOU AND ENJOY YEAH. AND ENJOY, UH, YOUR RETIREMENT. GOD BLESS YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. THANK YOU, MADAM SECRETARY. I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE YOU RECORD MY VOTE ACCURATELY. IT'S, NO, I DON'T WANT YOU TO RETIRE, , BUT THAT WOULD BE A VERY SELFISH VOTE. YEAH. I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR MANY YEARS OF SERVICE AND, UH, IT'S BEEN A PRIVILEGE WATCHING YOU AND YOUR PERSONAL TOUCHES. THE ADVICE YOU GIVE AFTER YOU READ THE AGENDA, THE FACT THAT YOU DON'T TAKE ANY GRUFF OFF, OFF OF ANYBODY. UH, I WILL MISS WORKING WITH YOU, BUT I WANT YOU TO KNOW YOU CAN WATCH US ON TV AND, AND IF YOU WANT, I'LL SEND YOU THE AGENDA SO YOU CAN READ 'EM AT HOME. COUNCIL MEMBER PECK, UH, VICE MAYOR PRO TEMP PECK. THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO. TIM, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR YEARS OF SERVICE TO THE CITY. UM, IT HAS BEEN SUCH A PLEASURE TO WORK WITH YOU FOR THE LAST 11 YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN HERE. I'LL NEVER FORGET, UM, WHEN I WAS A STAFFER, SOMETIMES WEDNESDAY MORNING EARLY, UM, THERE WOULD BE MORE ITEMS TO SQUARE AND I'D RUN TO YOUR OFFICE AND SAY, I HAVE MORE ITEMS THAT HAVE TO BE SQUARED, AND YOU WOULD ALWAYS HELP ME WITH THAT. AND I'VE ALWAYS BEEN SO APPRECIATIVE. UM, AND IT'S BEEN SUCH A PLEASURE ALSO TO REPRESENT YOU AS MY FORMER CONSTITUENT. I KNOW YOU'VE MOVED, BUT, UM, IT HAS BEEN AN HONOR TO REPRESENT YOU. SO THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER. THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO, TIM, CONGRATULATIONS. THIS IS SO GREAT. I, YOU KNOW, I LIKE COUNCILMAN POLLARD SAID, YOU KNOW, WE KIND OF WATCH YOU FROM, I HAVE A PERFECT VIEW OF, OF WHERE YOU ARE. AND I KNOW OFTENTIMES IT'S LIKE HERDING CATS AND MAKING SURE THAT WE ALL ALIGN AND STAY IN LINE. AND YOU DO SUCH A GREAT JOB DOING THAT. AND YOU'RE ALWAYS SMILING ABOUT IT. UM, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO RUSH YOU. YOU DON'T, YOU DON'T LET US RUSH YOU. YOU JUST KIND OF TAKE YOUR TIME AND, AND YOU MAKE SURE WE'RE IN THE RIGHT PLACE. AND IT'S, IT'S, IT'S REALLY NICE HAVING SOMEONE WITH YOUR KIND OF, UM, DISPOSITION TO DO THAT. SO, I'M GLAD YOU'RE RETIRING NOW, SO THAT YOU HAVE A WHOLE NOTHER CHAPTER OF YOUR LIFE TO ENJOY MM-HMM . AND, UM, JUST ENJOY YOURSELF. IT'S WELL DESERVED. AND CONGRATULATIONS, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, PAT, MAN, , I LOVE YOU. I WILL MISS YOU THE WAY YOUR STAFF SPOKE ABOUT YOU, KIND OF SAYS IT ALL ABOUT YOU. UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR 41 YEARS OF DISTINGUISHED SERVICE TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON, COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER. THANK YOU, MAYOR PROTI. I JUST WANTED TO SAY CONGRATULATIONS. ANYONE WHO SURVIVED CITY OF HOUSTON FOR 41 YEARS, , I ADMIRE THE OTHER, IGNORE MY NEIGHBOR. YOU DO WHAT YOU WANNA DO, SIT ON YOUR PORCH. BUT, UH, UH, FINALLY, YOU'RE ALWAYS SMILING. I DON'T KNOW YOU WELL, BUT I'VE WATCHED YOU ACROSS THE ROOM AND I WATCH YOU AROUND THE BUILDING AND YOU NEVER STOP SMILING. AND THE OTHER THING IS, IN RETIREMENT, SOMETIMES PEOPLE DO OTHER THINGS. I RETIRED AND I ENDED UP HERE, SO RUMOR HAS IT. DISTRICT D MIGHT BE UP FOR GRABS HERE PRETTY SOON, , [05:50:01] SO YOU MIGHT WANNA LOOK INTO THAT. ANYWAY, YOU'D BE A PERFECT FIT. IS HERE FOR ENJOY YOUR RETIREMENT. CONGRATULATIONS LIVER MARTINEZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO. TE UH, MS. PAT, JUST WANTED TO SAY CONGRATULATIONS AS WELL. UM, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. UH, LAST WEEK I GOT TO SPEND A LITTLE BIT OF TIME WITH YOU AND YOUR FAMILY AND SOME OF YOUR OTHER COLLEAGUES THAT ARE, HAVE ALSO LEFT. AND, AND JUST WANNA RECOGNIZE THEM AS WELL. LUIS GONZALEZ AND MS. CARRIE ROBERTS AS WELL. UM, YOU KNOW, Y'ALL ARE A GREAT, GREAT TEAM, GREAT STAFF. APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT YOU DO. JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU KNOW THAT WE LOVE YOU, UM, AND WE WISH YOU THE BEST IN YOUR RETIREMENT. CONGRATULATIONS. BEST WISHES TO YOU, MS. PAT. HAPPY RETIREMENT ON TOMORROW. IT WOULD BE VERY INTERESTING TO LOOK UP WHAT THE POPULATION OF HOUSTON WAS 40 YEARS AGO. , I KNOW FOR A FACT, CITY GOVERNMENT WAS DIFFERENT, THE CITY WAS DIFFERENT. AND YOU HAVE HELPED US TRANSITION INTO THIS GREAT CITY THAT WE HAVE A VERY DIVERSE CITY. AND ON BEHALF OF 2.3 MILLION HOUSTONIANS AND THE 700,000 THAT COME TO WORK HERE EACH DAY FROM THE SUBURBS, UH, WE APPRECIATE YOUR PUBLIC SERVICE. YOU KNOW, YOU GO QUIETLY ABOUT YOUR JOB AND, AND PEOPLE JUST DON'T REALIZE THE SIGNIFICANCE OF OUR CITY EMPLOYEES. AND CERTAINLY WITH YOUR SENIORITY, YOU'VE LED THE WAY. SO, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. YOU READY? PAT? [CONSENT AGENDA] UH, THE CONSENT PLEASE. AGENDA UNDER THE MISCELLANEOUS CATEGORY, ITEMS FIVE AND EIGHT HAVE BEEN REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION ITEMS. 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 10, AND 11. NEED A MOTION. CASTEX STATE MOVE I SECOND. MOTIONS, UH, MADE AND SECONDED. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. ITEM NINE IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES UNDER THE ACCEPTABLE CATEGORY. ITEMS 12 AND 13 HAVE BEEN REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION UNDER THE PROPERTY CATEGORY. ITEM 14 HAVE BEEN REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. ITEM 1516. ITEM 15 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED TO VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 16 NEEDS A MOTION CAST. STATE A, MOVE I SECOND. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES UNDER THE PURCHASING AND TABULATION OF BIDS. CATEGORY ITEMS 20, 21 AND 25 REMOVED. SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. THE REST NEEDS THE BALANCE. NEEDS A MOTION CAST ATE A MOVE, I SECOND. MOTION IS MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSING NAY. MOTION PASSES UNDER THE RESOLUTION CATEGORY. ITEM 36 REMOVED. SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. ITEM 35 NEEDS TO VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES UNDER THE ORDINANCES CATEGORY. ITEM 42 AND 43 HAVE NOT BEEN RECEIVED AND WILL BE CONSIDERED IF THEY ARE RECEIVED BEFORE THE END [05:55:01] OF THE MEETING. ITEM 62, 64 AND 67 HAVE BEEN RECEIVED ITEMS REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. 37, 39, 40, 44, 45, 46, 50, 52, 54, AND 55. THOSE NUMBERS AGAIN ARE 37, 39, 40, 44, 45, 46, 50, 52, 54, AND 55. HAVE YOU REMOVED? SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. NEED A VOTE ON THE BALANCE? ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. WE'RE IN THE WORLD. ARE WE [CONSIDERATION OF MATTERS REMOVED FROM CONSENT AGENDA] Y'ALL? ITEM REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. ITEM FIVE NEEDS A MOTION. CASTEX TATUM, MOVE I SECOND. MOTIONS MADE AND SECONDED. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. ITEM EIGHT. NEEDS A MOTION. HAS STATE A, MOVE I SECOND. MOTION MADE AND SECONDED. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 12 NEEDS A MOTION. CASTEX TATU, MOVE. SECOND. MOTION MADE AND SECONDED. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED AND NAY. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 13 NEEDS A MOTION. CASTEX TATU. MOVE AND TAG. SECOND. SECOND. CAN WE GET A SECOND? SECOND, YEAH. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. AND IS HEREBY TAGGED BY MAYOR PRO. KIM CASTEX. TATU. ITEM 14. LEMME SEE WHERE I'LL BE WITH IT. OH, ITEM 14 NEEDS A MOTION. THOMAS TAG. ITEM 14, TAG BY COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. ITEM 20 NEEDS A MOTION CAST. STATE A MOVE. SECOND. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. COUNCILMAN CAMAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, ITEMS 20 AND 21 ARE, UH, DESPERATELY NEEDED, UH, GARBAGE PICKUP TRUCKS. MARY, YOU REFERENCED THIS IN YOUR REPORT. UH, SO I'M NOT GOING TO BE TAGGING OR DELAYING THIS ITEM, BUT I DO WANNA POINT OUT THAT IN THE, UH, INFORMATION THAT WAS PROVIDED, UH, IT SAID THESE TRUCKS WILL BE IN ADDITION TO HOUSTON'S FLEET OF ECO-FRIENDLY VEHICLES. THAT WAS WHAT WAS IN THE PACKET. UM, THEY WERE DEEMED ECO-FRIENDLY BECAUSE THEY HELPED PICK UP TRASH. UH, I WOULD RESPECTFULLY ASK, AND WE WORKED WITH FLEET. THEY DO A GREAT JOB. BUT, UH, LET'S NOT LABEL THEM AS ECO-FRIENDLY. LET'S JUST SAY WHEN THEY'RE STANDARD, THAT THEY'RE STANDARD, WHEN THEY'RE ECO-FRIENDLY. LET'S, LET'S LIFT THAT UP. BUT AGAIN, I'LL BE SUPPORTING THIS, BUT FOR THE RECORD, THESE ARE NOT ECO-FRIENDLY UNDER THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S POLICY. OKAY. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. ADAM 21 NEEDS A MOTION. CASTEX, TA MOVE. SECOND. MOTIONS MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 25 NEEDS A MOTION. CASTEX, TATU, MOVE. SECOND. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 36 IS A RESOLUTION. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY, COUNCILMAN FLICKING. SIR. TAG, UH, RELEASE FOR DISCUSSION. DO YOU WANT TO LIFT IT FOR DISCUSSION, PLEASE? CERTAINLY. UH, PENDING THE TAG. COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, YOU AND, AND, UH, MY COLLEAGUE AND I HAD CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS IN THE BACK, UM, CHAMBERS, UH, JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT FOLKS UNDERSTAND, AND, AND THIS IS, THIS, THIS CONVERSATION HAS BEEN LIVELY DURING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AS COMMITTEES AS WELL. BUT YOU KNOW, THIS, UH, TAX, UH, ENTERPRISE ZONE. UM, WE'RE LOOKING AT SALES TAX THAT ARE COMING BACK. SO FROM THE STATE, UH, WHAT WE'RE DOING ESSENTIALLY IS, UM, YOU KNOW, REALLY SHARING WITH, WITH, UH, HOUSTON COMMUNITY, UH, BUSINESSES THAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS HERE TO HELP SUPPORT, UM, WITH ANY KIND OF INCENTIVES THAT COULD HELP EITHER INCREASE JOB, UM, MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE STILL, STILL STAY COMPETITIVE WITHIN THE STATE. UM, AND JUST FOR CLARIFICATIONS, YOU KNOW, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO ALLOW THEM TO APPLY FOR THIS AT THE STATE LEVEL. UH, NOT, NOT ANY CITY PROPERTY TAX. [06:00:01] UM, SEVERAL OTHER CITIES ARE GONNA WORK TOWARDS THIS APPLICATION AS WELL. AND SO WE JUST, I FEEL LIKE WE SHOULD BE, UH, SUPPORTING ANY SMALL BUSINESSES OR BUSINESSES ALTOGETHER, UH, IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. UH, SO I RESPECT YOUR TAG, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, BUT MY HOPE IS THAT WE COULD, UH, ULTIMATELY HELP SUPPORT ANY BUSINESSES IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON BE COMPETITIVE AT THE STATE LEVEL. COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I, I, I, I RESPECT, UH, MY COLLEAGUES' COMMENTS. UM, HOWEVER, I WOULD NOTE A LOT OF THESE ABATEMENTS THAT THE CITY ENTERS INTO, UM, ARE FRANKLY NOT NEEDED. RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT IN THIS CASE, UM, POWELL IS A 75 YEAR COMPANY. IT'S A GLOBAL COMPANY, AND, UH, FRANKLY, IT'S NOT GOING ANYWHERE. UH, WE'VE SEEN OTHER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEALS THAT HAVE BEEN APPROVED, UH, THAT, THAT ARE, THAT ARE NOT NEEDED AND ARE NOT, UH, GOOD USES OF THE TAXPAYER'S MONEY. SO, I, I WOULD JUST ASK, UH, OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TEAM GOING FORWARD THAT WE LOOK AT THESE WITH A LITTLE MORE CRITICAL EYE. YES, SIR. MAYOR PROTE TATUM. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I THINK THAT, UH, MY COLLEAGUES WHO BELIEVE THAT THESE ITEMS ARE NOT NEEDED SHOULD PROBABLY TAKE THAT UP WITH THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE BECAUSE THEY ALLOW FOR THESE, UM, BUSINESSES TO APPLY FOR THESE, UH, TAX CREDITS. UH, THE CITY OF HOUSTON HAS AN ALLOWABLE NINE, UM, COMPANIES THAT WE CAN PUT FORTH, AND THEN THEY WILL BE APPROVED AT THE, AT THE STATE LEVEL. I THINK THAT THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TEAM DOES A GOOD JOB OF VETTING THOSE. UM, THE JOB CREATION, SPECIFICALLY THE HIRING, UM, THAT'S DONE, UM, IN PARTICULAR AREAS WHERE, UM, SOME OF THESE BUSINESSES ARE LOCATED IS AN INCENTIVE FOR THESE BUSINESSES. UM, WHETHER OR NOT YOU BELIEVE THEY NEED IT OR NOT, THE LAWS PROVIDE FOR THEM TO APPLY FOR IT. UM, IF, IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU THINK THAT THEY SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO DO, THEN THAT PROBABLY SHOULD BE SOMETHING THAT YOU WOULD TAKE UP WITH THE STATE LEGISLATURE. COUNCILMAN INGER. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, TO COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ'S POINT, UH, I ABSOLUTELY AGREE THAT THESE ARE TOOLS IN THE TOOLBOX. UM, BUT LIKE ANY TOOL, YOU NEED TO FIND THE RIGHT TOOL FOR THE JOB. UH, DURING THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE HEARING, THEY TALKED ABOUT, UH, THEY WERE GONNA BE REPLACING THE HVAC SYSTEM FOR THEIR AIRPORT ADDRESS. UH, THEY WERE GONNA BE ADDING MACHINERY, UH, AND THEY WERE GONNA HIRE, I BELIEVE IT WAS 19 PEOPLE. SO THERE'S GONNA BE 19 ADDITIONAL JOBS. POWELL CURRENTLY HAS A BACKLOG OF 12 TO 14 MONTHS. SO THEY HAVE GOT A LOT OF BUSINESS THAT THEY NEED TO HIRE ADDITIONAL PEOPLE. THEY NEED TO HAVE MACHINERY. UH, THE HVA SYSTEM FOR THE AIRPORT LOCATION, UH, THAT IS AN AIR SYSTEM. IT'S NOT A WATER CHILLER. THE LIFE EXPECTANCY OF THOSE IS 10 TO 15 YEARS. IT'S 13 YEARS OLD. SO ESSENTIALLY WE'RE GIVING THEM MONEY TO DO SOMETHING THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE DOING ANYWAY, WHETHER THEY GET THE TAX ABATEMENT OR NOT. I JUST THINK THAT WE NEED TO FIND COMPANIES THAT THESE INCENTIVES ARE SOMETHING THAT GETS THE COMPANY OVER THE HURDLE OF DOING SOMETHING THAT THEY WOULDN'T BE DOING OTHERWISE. OR IT'S BRINGING IN INDUSTRY THAT WE REALLY WANT TO BE, UH, HAVE COME INTO THE CITY OF HOUSTON, THAT TYPE OF THING. UH, YES, IT'S SALES TAX MONEY. IT'S NOT MONEY OUT OF THE CITY COFFERS. I ABSOLUTELY AGREE WITH THAT AND, AND, UH, CONCEDE THAT. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I THINK WE NEED TO BE GOOD STEWARDS OF THE COMPANIES THAT WE'RE PUTTING FORTH WITH THIS, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE FACT THAT THERE'S A LIMITED NUMBER OF COMPANIES FROM HOUSTON THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY ABLE TO PUT FORWARD ON THIS. YES, SIR. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND, AND YOU DID BRING SOME CLARIFICATION. 'CAUSE INITIALLY YOU SAID, UH, WE SHOULDN'T BE GIVING, UH, THESE TAX BREAKS, RIGHT? UM, AGAIN, THIS IS STATE SALES TAX, UM, THAT WE'RE NOW GONNA GONNA CREATE A BARRIER TO THIS COMPANY AT THE STATE LEVEL WHEN AUSTIN, SAN ANTONIO, EL PASO, EVERYBODY ELSE IS GONNA BE APPLYING FOR THIS, UH, THIS INCENTIVE. AND AGAIN, IT, IT DOES ALSO, YOU KNOW, PUT OUT THERE TO THE, TO THE WORLD THAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS NOT GONNA BE GIVING YOU ANY INCENTIVES, UM, FOR SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU ASKED FOR, RIGHT? TO PUT SOMEBODY OVER THE HURDLE. IF WE'RE SAYING THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO, UH, BE SUPPORTIVE OF THIS, UH, THIS PROGRAM, THEN OTHER FOLKS THAT WE COULD EVENTUALLY GET OVER THE HURDLE WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT? THEY'RE PROBABLY NOT GONNA BE INTERESTED IN IT. SO I THINK IT'S JUST FOR CLARITY PURPOSES. AGAIN, THIS IS, UH, AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO, UH, APPLY AT THE STATE LEVEL, COMPETE AT THE STATE LEVEL. AND WHETHER IT'S, UH, SUCCESSFUL OR NOT, IT'LL ULTIMATELY BE ON THEM. UM, AND IT SELLS TAX FROM THE STATE. IT'S NOT COMING FROM OUR COFFERS, AS YOU MENTIONED EARLIER. SO, AGAIN, JUST FOR CLARITY, AND I THINK WE SHOULD BE AS MUCH, UH, YEAH. UH, SUPPORTIVE OF ALL BUSINESSES IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON BE SUCCESSFUL. I, I AGREE. BUT AGAIN, I THINK WE NEED TO USE IT A [06:05:01] LITTLE MORE SELECTIVELY IN HOW WE DO IT. AND WE NEED TO FIND ONES, THE COMPANIES THAT THEY WOULDN'T BE DOING THIS, THAT THIS GETS 'EM OVER AND DOING IT. I MEAN, ALSO THEY'VE GOT FACILITIES IN OHIO, ILLINOIS, CANADA, AND THE UK. I'M PRETTY SURE HOUSTON IS GONNA BE THE LOW COST AREA THAT THEY HAVE. AND HOUSTON IS GONNA BE THE PLACE THAT THEY LOOK TO EXPAND THEIR BUSINESS AT. THEY ALSO JUST RECENTLY BOUGHT PROPERTY NEXT TO THEIR MOSLEY FACILITY, SO THEY'RE LOOKING TO EXPAND HERE. THANK YOU. ADAM. 36 IS TAGGED BY COUNCIL MEMBER. LOOKING TO NEXT. ITEM 39 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. COUNCIL CASTILLO, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. ARE WE ON 37? 39. 39. OH, I DID 37. YOU NEED 37. IS IT 37? YOU SAID 39? IT SHOULD BE 30. IT SHOULD BE 37. LEMME GET IT. LET ME GET IT. YEAH. ONE MOMENT. ITEM 37 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED TO VOTE. COUNCIL MEMBER. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THIS, UH, COLLEAGUE, THIS ITEM IS, UH, GRANT FUNDS FOR AVENUE CDC TO PROVIDE HOUSING, EDUCATION AND COUNSELING TO LOW TO MODERATE INCOME RESIDENTS. THIS IS SOMETHING THEY DO. UM, WELL, THEY'VE DONE IT IN THE NEAR NORTH SIDE AND OTHER PARTS OF DISTRICT H. UM, THIS WILL IMPACT APPROXIMATELY 345 INDIVIDUALS, UH, WITH SOMETHING THAT'S CRITICAL IN TERMS OF HOUSING. SO I WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT FOR THIS ITEM. OKAY, THAT'S ALL. JUST A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. NOW. ITEM 39 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED TO VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 40 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 45 ISN'T ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR, COUNCILOR RAMIREZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I'M, I'M GONNA VOTE YES ON THIS. THE ITEM HAS, UH, 18 SEPARATE CONTRACTS, PUBLIC SERVICE CONTRACTS, UH, IN ONE AGENDA ITEM. MY UNDERSTANDING IS, UH, THE MONEY MAY HAVE ALREADY RUN OUT ON A NUMBER OF THESE. UH, I'D ASKED ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THERE WERE ADEQUATE PERFORMANCE METRICS, WHETHER WE ARE LOOKING AT, UH, OUTCOME METRICS INSTEAD OF OUTPUT. AND I'VE BEEN ASSURED THAT WE ARE. AND SO I'LL BE FOLLOWING UP TO SEE EXACTLY WHAT THE METRICS ARE ON THESE, ON THESE CONTRACTS. UM, JUST JUST AN OBSERVATION. IT SEEMS LIKE SINCE WE'VE ADDED THE NUMBER OF BREAK WEEKS, WHEN WE COME OUT OF BREAK WEEKS, WE, WE KIND OF GET SLAMMED. LIKE THIS AGENDA HAS 80 PLUS ITEMS ON IT. THE LAST TIME WE HAD A BREAK WEEK, WE HAD FIVE TURS BUDGETS ON IT. AND THAT WOULD SEEM LIKE A GOOD TIME FOR, UH, THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS TO GIVE THE COUNCIL A LITTLE MORE TIME TO LOOK AT SOME OF THESE THINGS. BUT INSTEAD, THE OPPOSITE OCCURS, UH, AND THE, THE WORKLOAD IS INCREASED, AND WE HAVE A VERY SHORT TIME WINDOW WITH WHICH TO EVALUATE THESE. SO, SO I WOULD JUST ENCOURAGE DEPARTMENTS TO GIVE US AS MUCH TIME AS POSSIBLE TO, TO ADEQUATELY LOOK AT THESE AND DO THE HOMEWORK. THANK YOU. VOTE. OKAY. COUNCIL PLUMMER. COUNCILMAN PLUMMER. I JUST WANNA MAKE A COMMENT. UM, THESE ARE REALLY IMPORTANT ITEMS, AND THESE ARE GRANT FUNDED ITEMS, AND THEY SHOULD BE ALL BE ON ONE. I JUST WANNA BE REALLY CLEAR. UM, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT OUR SENIOR COMMUNITY AND AGING AND, AND CAREGIVER SUPPORTIVE SERVICES, UM, WITH ALL OF THE ISSUES THAT WE'RE SEEING WITH MEDICARE AND MEDICAID EXPANSION, I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO SUPPORT ITEMS LIKE THIS AND, UM, AND ENSURE THAT THEY HAVE THE SERVICES THEY NEED. SO, I'M GLAD, I'M REALLY HAPPY TO SEE THIS. AND, UM, AND I, AND I HOPE THAT WE DO MORE WORK LIKE THIS. COUNCIL RAMIREZ. COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. YEAH. LEMME SAY AGAIN. I'M VOTING YES ON THIS. UH, THESE APPEAR TO BE GREAT PROGRAMS. I'M, I'M TOTALLY IN FAVOR OF SUPPORTING OUR SENIORS. HOWEVER, THESE ARE THE KINDS OF ITEMS THAT COULD COME BEFORE A COMMITTEE THAT WE CAN, UH, DELVE INTO A LITTLE MORE DEEPLY AND EVALUATE, UH, MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE SPENDING OUR TAX DOLLARS WISELY. BUT YES, I, I, I AGREE WITH YOU, UH, MY COLLEAGUE, AND WE'LL BE SUPPORTING THESE PROGRAMS FOR SENIORS. OH, NO. OKAY. OKAY. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. I HAVE TO GO BACK. I SKIP. ITEM 44 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. NO, I WANTED TO TAG THAT. 44. 44. OH. HE, THE NERDY SLAMMED THE HAMMER [06:10:01] MOTION TO RECONSIDER. HE THE NERDY SLAMMED THE HAMMER. I WANT TO TAG THAT ONE. WE'LL RECONSIDER FOR YOU. THANK YOU. DO YOU WANNA TAKE A FIRM TAG? I'M NOT FIGHTING. WE HAVE A MOTION TO RECONSIDER WITH A SECOND. SECOND. OKAY. ITEM 44. THANK YOU. MOTION. MOTION TO RECONSIDER ITEM 44. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE SAY NAY. IS THIS ON THE MOTION OR THE ITEM ITSELF? THE MOTION TO RECONSIDER. MOTION TO RECONSIDER. IT'LL BE BEFORE US. NOW. 44 IS BEFORE US. YES. TAG PLEASE. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS TAGS. ITEM 44. WHO WAS THE MOTION TO RECONSIDER NEXT? YEAH. MOTION TO READ. NEXT. ITEM 46 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 50 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE VOTE 50 IS TAGGED BY THE MAYOR PRO CASTEX POTATO. NEXT, ITEM 52 IS AN ORDER. 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. COUNCILMAN CAMAN. I I WANTED TO EXPLAIN AND LAY OUT THIS ITEM AND WHAT WE JUST VOTED ON. UH, THE ITEM PREVIOUSLY THAT WE VOTED ON WAS $3 MILLION, UH, FOR URGENT IMMEDIATE REPAIRS THAT ARE NEEDED FOR WEST GRAY MULTI-SERVICE CENTER THAT CAME OUT OF, UH, PARK SECTOR FUNDING. UH, AND THE ITEM BEFORE US IS MAYOR. SOMETHING YOU AND I WORKED ON, UH, THAT I, I WANTED TO BRING ATTENTION TO. UH, THERE WAS A REQUEST THAT I HAD MADE TO AMEND THE FISCAL YEAR BUDGET, UM, FOR THE MONTROSE TOUR THAT CAME BEFORE US. AND IT WAS IMPORTANT TO PASS IT AT THAT TIME. UH, BUT THERE WERE, AGAIN, THROUGH NO ONE'S FAULT OF THEIR OWN. AND MAYOR, AS YOU SAID, DIRECTOR TILLSON AND HER TEAM DO AN AMAZING JOB. BUT BECAUSE OF THE SIGNIFICANT TIME LAPSE, UH, BETWEEN WHEN THE ORIGINAL BUDGET HAD PASSED THE BOARD, AND WHEN IT CAME TO COUNCIL DURING THAT TIME, A LOT HAD CHANGED IN THE SCOPE OF THAT BUDGET. UH, VARIOUS COSTS HAD CHANGED AS WELL AS THE, THE SCOPES OF THE ACTUAL INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS. IT ALSO DIDN'T INCLUDE, UH, $25,000 THAT MY OFFICE HAD PREVIOUSLY ALLOCATED TO THE TURS, UH, FOR THE SAFE SIDE, SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL PROGRAM THAT WAS REALLY NEIGHBORHOOD DRIVEN. UH, SO MAYOR, I WANNA THANK EVERYONE THAT WORKED ON THIS FOR THEIR DILIGENCE, THEIR PARTNERSHIP, UH, TO ENSURE THAT WE AS COUNCIL CAN VOTE NOW ON AN ACCURATE DOCUMENT. BUT THIS ITEM ALSO DOES SOMETHING TRANSFORMATIONAL. UH, WE ARE REALLOCATING OR DESIGNATING $11.5 MILLION IN THE T'S BUDGET FOR THE MASTER PLAN OF WEST GRAY MULTI-SERVICE CENTER. AND THIS IS A HUGE STEP TO ADDRESS, UH, WHAT OUR URGENT NEEDS, BUT ALSO LONG-TERM NEEDS THAT OUR CITY, UH, WANTS TO INVEST IN. WHILE WE ARE FACING SIGNIFICANT BUDGETARY CONSTRAINTS AS A CITY, UH, WE HOSTED A COMMUNITY TOWN HALL LAST WEEK. HUNDREDS OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS CAME TO WEST GRAY TO PROVIDE THEIR INPUT, AND THIS WAS SO WELL RECEIVED. UH, IT MEANS A LOT TO SO MANY. AS YOU ALL KNOW, WEST GRAY IS CRITICAL FOR RECREATIONAL SPORT AND HEALTH-BASED SERVICES FOR OUR DISABILITY COMMUNITY AND THEIR FAMILIES. IT'S HOME-BASED FOR NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS AND CIVIC CLUBS. IT'S A HAVEN, ONE OF THE LARGEST, UH, HEATING AND COOLING CENTERS, UH, THAT THE CITY DOES. AND IT'S ALSO THE LARGEST POLLING LOCATION IN ALL OF HARRIS COUNTY. AND THE MAJORITY OF THE DOLLARS THAT THE TURS HAS NOW REALLOCATED, ARE EXPECTED TO GO TO THIS MASTER PLAN PROJECT. SO, YES, THERE ARE URGENT NEEDS IN SOME OF THE DOLLARS THAT WE JUST VOTED ON AND IN HERE, WE'LL BE GOING TO THAT. BUT MAYOR, THANKS TO YOUR COMMITMENT, WE ARE ALSO SEEING THE MASTER PLANNING PROCESS MOVE FORWARD. UH, AGAIN, THIS IS THE ONLY PUBLIC FACILITY OF, IT'S KIND OF THE COUNTRY. IT'S NOT JUST FOR DISTRICT C, IT'S FOR THE ENTIRE REGION. I SPOKE TO ONE WOMAN WHO UTILIZES TRANSPORTATION. SHE COMES AN HOUR AND A HALF EV NOT EVERY DAY, BUT PRETTY MUCH EVERY WEEK TO COME USE THE FACILITY. THAT'S HOW MUCH IT MEANS TO HER. UH, PARK STAFF. I WANNA THANK THEY'RE DOING EVERYTHING THEY CAN, BUT THE BUILDING IS [06:15:01] IN DISREPAIR, AND WE'RE BURSTING AT THE SEAMS THERE. UH, QUITE FRANKLY, HOUSTON DESERVES A BUILDING THAT REFLECTS THE DIGNITY AND THE RESPECT OF THE PEOPLE THAT COME THROUGH ITS DOORS EVERY SINGLE DAY. UH, SO WE HAVE THIS VISION MAYOR IN PARTNERSHIP, UH, MOPD DIRECTOR PONSE IS DOING AN INCREDIBLE JOB. UH, GSD UNDER DIRECTOR MESSIAH, UH, HOUSTON PARKS UNDER DIRECTOR ALLEN, AND THE STAFF AT WEST GRAY, DIRECTOR TILSON IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. AND NOW THE MONTROSE TOURS ARE ALL COMING TOGETHER. AND THIS IS GOING TO ALLOW US TO GO OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY TO SHOW THAT HOUSTON IS INVESTING, AND NOW IT'S TIME FOR THE COMMUNITY, UH, OUR OUR PARTNERS IN THE COMMUNITY TO ALSO STEP UP TO BRING TOGE COME TOGETHER TO FIND THE ADDITIONAL FUNDS THAT WE NEED. SO, WE'RE NOT GONNA STOP, BUT I WANTED TO TAKE A MOMENT BECAUSE THIS IS SO TRANSFORMATIONAL. AND MAYOR, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE, THE COLLABORATION ON THIS. AND I WANNA THANK THE TS AS WELL, UH, FOR COMING UP TO BAT. LET ME SAY THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP. UH, THE WEST GRAY MULTI SERVICE CENTER IS SPECIAL, UH, CERTAINLY FOR THOSE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS, AND IT'S THE ONLY POOL FOR THOSE WITH DISABILITIES FROM AROUND HOUSTON AND THE REGION HAVE PROGRAMS THERE. SO THANK YOU. AND WE'RE NOT THROUGH, BUT THIS IS ONE HUGE STEP FORWARD. AND I, I THINK ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS, UH, WELL, I, AGAIN, I APPRECIATE YOU. I, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY IT'D BE NICE SINCE IT'S IN HARRIS COUNTY, THAT WE COULD GET SOME COLLABORATION THERE, AND WE'LL JUST KEEP ON STRIVE. I KNOW, UH, THE CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION IS LOOKING AT GETTING US A LINE ITEM, UH, LIZZIE FLETCHER'S WORKING WITH US. SO YEAH, NO, THANK, IT'S A, IT'S A CERTAINLY A, UH, EXAMPLE OF COLLABORATION AND YOU'VE GOT THE BALL ROLLING. SO, AND, AND THANK YOU FOR RECOGNIZING CONGRESSWOMAN FLETCHER. SHE DID SECURE SEVERAL, UH, MILLION FOR URGENT NEEDS. I KNOW SHE'S CONTINUING TO GO OUT AND FIGHT THERE. BUT AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR, UH, LISTENING TO MY WILD AND CRAZY IDEA ON THIS AND GREAT BEING ABLE TO RUN WITH IT. THANK YOU. UH, VOTE 54. 54. ALL IN FAVOR. SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NIGHT MOTION PASSES. ITEM 55 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED TO VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. [NON-CONSENT - MISCELLANEOUS] ITEM 79 IS THE MOTION TO SET A HEARING. CASTEX TATU, MOVE TO SET THE PUBLIC HEARING DATE FOR 9:00 AM WEDNESDAY, MAY THE SEVENTH, 2025. I SECOND. WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. JUST NEED ALL IN MOTION. MAIDEN. SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED. A MOTION PASSES. [MATTERS HELD] ITEM 80 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. CHAIR RECOGNIZES, UH, MAYOR PROTE, CASTEX TATUM. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS, YOU, YOU WILL REMEMBER THAT WHEN WE FIRST, UM, HAD THE DISPARITY STUDY ON OUR AGENDA, WE REFERRED THIS BACK FOR 30 DAYS TO THE ADMINISTRATION, UM, BECAUSE WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, RESIDENTS AND BUSINESS OWNERS AND ALL OF OUR STAKEHOLDERS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY EXPRESS ANY CONCERNS THAT THEY HAD, UM, GIVE US ANY FEEDBACK THAT THEY HAVE, UM, ANY SUGGESTIONS THAT THEY HAD. AND I DO WANT TO MAYOR, UH, GIVE A SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO DIRECTOR HORDE FOR HER, UM, INTENTIONAL DEDICATION TO THIS OVER THE LAST 30 DAYS. UM, IF YOU HAVE FOLLOWED HER, SHE HAS BEEN TO ALMOST EVERY STAKEHOLDER MEETING THAT IS POSSIBLE. UM, WE HOSTED AN EVENT AT THE ION THAT WAS, UM, SPIRITED TO SAY THE LEAST. UM, AND I WILL TELL YOU TO SEE HER STEADY HAND. UM, AND JUST REALLY PRESENTING THE FACTS, UM, HOW KNOWLEDGEABLE SHE WAS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE STAYED THERE. WE ANSWERED EVERYBODY'S QUESTION. SHE ACCEPTED THE FEEDBACK, UM, AND REALLY CAME BACK AND, AND, AND MET WITH YOUR TEAM, UM, TO DISCUSS HOW DO WE FIND THE WIN-WIN IN THIS SITUATION. UM, ON YESTERDAY, WE HEARD FROM, UH, A MYRIAD OF OUR STAKEHOLDERS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. UH, WE HAVE A LOT OF BUSINESS OWNERS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON THAT ARE VERY, UM, INTERESTED IN, IN HOW THIS WILL PLAY OUT. THEY'VE PROVIDED US WITH, UM, PETITIONS, LETTERS OF SUPPORT LETTERS, UM, THAT [06:20:01] ASK US NOT TO VOTE FOR IT. UM, SO WE'VE SEEN THE GAMUT, AND I KNOW THAT ALL OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE VERY VESTED IN HOW WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS. UM, AFTER HEARING SO MANY OF OUR, OUR STAKEHOLDERS ON YESTERDAY, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE GOT TOGETHER WITH OUR, OUR ATTORNEY, UM, AND REALLY TALK THROUGH HOW DO WE FIND THE WIN-WIN IN THIS SITUATION. UM, WE, WE'VE COMBED THROUGH SOME REALLY GOOD RECOMMENDATIONS FROM, UM, OUR BUSINESS OWNERS. AND WE SAY THIS ALL THE TIME, THAT THE PEOPLE CLOSEST TO THE ISSUE A LOT OF TIMES HAVE THE SOLUTIONS. UM, AND WE, AND WE FOUND THAT WITH THE DIRECTION OF THE DIRECTOR, UH, THE, THE MAYOR'S ADMINISTRATION, THE FEEDBACK FROM OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS, THE FEEDBACK FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS, THE QUESTIONS ASKED OF COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND, UM, THE REAL DESIRE TO MAKE THIS A BIG WIN FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON. I THINK THAT, UM, PEOPLE WILL BE PLEASED WITH, UM, THE PATH FORWARD. UM, I DO WANT TO, UM, MAKE A MOTION TO REFER, REFER THIS ITEM BACK FOR ONE WEEK. UM, BUT PRIOR TO DOING THAT, I WANT TO ASK ARTURO IF HE WILL JUST KIND OF LAY OUT THE PATH FORWARD. AND THIS IS KIND OF WHAT WE, UM, TALKED ABOUT AS A TEAM WITH THE DIRECTOR, WITH THE MAYOR'S TEAM, UM, WITH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, MAR MARTINEZ, UM, AND, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS WAS IN WITH US. AND WE JUST REALLY, UM, WANTED TO FIND THE WIN. AND I THINK WE'VE DONE A GOOD JOB. AND COUNCIL MEMBERS, I'M INTERESTED, UM, IN, IN YOUR, YOUR FEEDBACK AS WELL, ONCE ARTURO LAYS THIS OUT AND HOW WE CAN, UM, MOVE FORWARD WITH THE, THE DATA FROM THE DISPARITY STUDY, HOW WE CAN SATISFY WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS COURT DECISION. UM, BUT THEN TAKE OUR TIME TO DO WHAT'S RIGHT FOR OUR HOUSTON BUSINESS OWNERS. THAT SECOND FLOOR. YEAH. NO, NOT YET. WE'LL LET ARTURO DO HIS THING AND THEN I'LL, I'LL I'LL REFER IT BACK. OH, THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TEM. AS YOU'VE SAID, THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMBER OF EFFORTS LATELY BY COUNCIL MEMBERS, BY OBO TO ENGAGE STAKEHOLDERS, ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY. OBO AND LEGAL HAVE SPENT TIME SPEAKING WITH THE MGT, THE CONSULTANTS. WE ENGAGE IN THIS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE, THE STUDY TO BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT OUR OPTIONS ARE, UM, IN THESE PROGRAMS. IT'S AN ONGOING REVIEW. AND THE LAST TIME WE ADOPTED A STUDY, THE CITY IN 2012, IT TOOK AN ENTIRE YEAR BEFORE THERE WAS FULL IMPLEMENTATION. WE'RE DOING THIS ON A MORE EXPEDITED BASIS. SO I THINK TAKING THE TIME IS WELL WORTH IT, SO PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHAT THEIR OPTIONS ARE, WHAT CAN BE DONE, AND WHAT THEY CAN DO TO INCREASE PARTICIPATION. WE CAN PREPARE THE ORDINANCE THAT, THAT, THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, BUT THERE WILL STILL BE ONGOING WORK TO DO. THE ORDINANCE WILL DO, UH, A COUPLE MAJOR THINGS. ONE, WE ARE GOING TO ADOPT THE DATA THAT'S IN THE STUDY. WE NEED THAT DATA BECAUSE THE COURT IS WAITING ON WHETHER THE CITY IS GOING TO TAKE ACTION OR NOT. UM, IN THE ABSENCE OF ADOPTING THIS, OUR LAST FULL COMPREHENSIVE STUDY DATA IS 2006 THAT WILL NOT BE HELPFUL TO US IN COURT. WE NEED TO ADOPT THIS. UH, WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IN THE, UH, IN THE INTERIM IS KEEP THE EXISTING CATEGORIES OF THE MINORITY GROUPS WOMEN IN THE ORDINANCE AS IS RIGHT NOW. THAT IS GOING TO ALLOW TIME FOR, UM, UH, FOR IMPLEMENTATION. WE'LL HAVE MODIFIED GOALS BASED ON THE DATA THAT WE HAVE, AND THOSE WILL CONTINUE DURING THE IMPLEMENTATION PERIOD. AND SOME MAY PERHAPS CONTINUE AFTER THAT. AN AN IMPORTANT ASPECT OF THIS, AS YOU'VE SEEN IN THE ORDINANCE, ARE THE RACE NEUTRAL MEASURES, WHICH ARE NEEDED TO SHOW THAT THE PROGRAM IS NARROWLY TAILORED. AND SO, UH, NOT ONLY ARE THE ONES YOU'VE SEEN THERE, BUT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE, UH, ADDITIONAL ENHANCED PROGRAMS. SO THERE'S GOING TO BE A TRUE MENTOR PROTEGE PROGRAM WITH INCENTIVES FOR THE PRIME TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS. WE'RE GONNA PARTNER WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR ON GRADUATION PROGRAMS. WE'LL CREATE A SMALL BUSINESS HUB WITH MORE, UH, MORE EMPHASIS ON INDUSTRY AND BUSINESS TO BUSINESS PARTNERSHIPS. AND WE'LL EXPAND SMALL CONTRACTOR ROTATION PROGRAMS TO INCREASE, UH, PRIME OPPORTUNITIES FOR CERTIFIED FIRMS. AND EVERYTHING IS ON THE TABLE, INCLUDING, UH, EXPEDITED PAYMENT, UH, BONDING CAPACITY, UH, THINGS TO RAISE CAPACITY THAT, THAT SHOULD HELP PROVIDE MORE OPPORTUNITIES. WE'RE GOING TO ESTABLISH A VETERAN AND DISABLED. WE, UH, VETERAN CATEGORIES. THERE'S GOING TO BE A CLEAR TIMELINE FOR THIS EDUCATION AND PREPARATION, UH, WHILE WE KEEP THIS PRO THE EXISTING PROGRAM [06:25:01] GOING. BUT, UH, INCORPORATING THE NEW DATA. UM, SO WE'RE GOING TO ENTER A PERIOD OF EDUCATION AND IMPLEMENTATION WHERE WE'LL HAVE MORE TIME TO HEAR THE CONCERNS, TAKE 'EM IN, UM, ADDRESS THEM AS TIME GOES ON. AND I THINK THIS WILL ALLOW THE EXISTING, UH, OUR EXISTING STAKEHOLDERS TO CONTINUE PARTICIPATING AT WHAT WE EXPECT TO BE, UH, A SATISFACTORY LEVEL TO THEM. WE'LL STILL CONTINUE TO HEAR THEIR CONCERNS. UM, UH, DIRECTOR HORDE WILL COME BACK WITH A PRESENTATION AND PROBABLY PERIODIC PRESENTATIONS ON HOW WE'RE DOING UNDER THIS, WHAT'S WORKING, WHAT ISN'T, WHAT CAN BE IMPROVED. UM, I CAN SPEAK FURTHER ON THE AMENDMENTS, BUT I OUTLINE THE BIGGER PARTS. IT MAY BE MORE PRODUCTIVE TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS ONCE YOU SEE A DRAFT, BECAUSE I CAN PROBABLY SPEAK MORE FULLY BECAUSE OF THE IMPENDING COURT CASE. IF WE CAN, WE CAN SPEAK PRIVATELY AND THEN WE'LL HAVE PUBLIC DISCUSSION WHEN IT COMES BACK TO COUNCIL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND I, AND THIS WEEK, I HOPE THAT, UM, COUNCIL MEMBERS, IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS THAT YOU WOULD, UM, MEET WITH, UH, DIRECTOR HORDE, UM, WHO WILL, UM, WORK WITH, UH, ARTURO SO THAT NEXT WEEK WE WILL BE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD TO VOTE ON THE DATA, AND THEN WE WILL BE ABLE TO MOVE INTO HER ABILITY TO IMPLEMENT, UM, THE PROGRAMS THAT, I THINK WHAT WE HEARD FROM OUR STAKEHOLDERS IS JUST A FEW THINGS THAT THEY DIDN'T, DIDN'T AGREE WITH THE MAJORITY OF THE DATA PEOPLE THOUGHT WAS GREAT AND A GOOD DIRECTION FOR US TO MOVE TOWARDS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. BUT THERE ARE A FEW TOPICS THAT I THINK WE'LL EXPAND UPON. UM, AND SHE, SHE HAS SOME GREAT SOLUTIONS. WE GOT THAT FEEDBACK FROM OUR BUSINESS OWNERS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. UM, AND SO WE WILL, UM, GET ALL THAT FEEDBACK AND, AND, AND COME UP. SHE WILL COME UP, UH, WITH, WITH OUR ASSISTANCE AS NEEDED AND, UH, LEGALS ASSISTANCE, UM, WITH SOMETHING THAT I THINK THAT WE CAN ALL BE PROUD OF AND OUR BUSINESS OWNERS WILL BE ABLE TO COMPETE AND, UM, DELIVER FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON. SO, UH, WITH THAT, WE DO HAVE A COUPLE PEOPLE IN THE QUEUE, SO SPEAK, UH, COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, AND I WANT TO THANK YOU AND YOUR ADMINISTRATION, YOUR TEAM DIRECTOR, HOARD AS WELL, UM, FOR, FOR REALLY HELPING US TO TAKE A PAUSE, RIGHT? UM, TO, YOU KNOW, I KNOW 30 DAYS, IT WAS A LOT FOR YOU. UM, BUT I THINK IT STILL WAS RUSHED FOR SO MANY FOLKS, AND I THINK WORKING THROUGH THIS, UH, YOU KNOW, AND THE WAY WE'RE MOVING FORWARD, IT ALLOWS US TO BUILD SOME TRUST, UH, WHICH IS IMPORTANT. UM, IT ALSO, UH, AT THE CORE OF IT BRINGS MORE THAT ENGAGEMENT THAT, THAT YOU HAVE HAD OVER THE LAST MONTH, UH, TO THE TABLE WHEN WE START TALKING ABOUT IMPLEMENTATION. AND WHAT DOES A SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM, JUST GENERALLY RIGHT, AS EVERYBODY'S A SMALL BUSINESS AT THE END OF THE DAY. AND SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UM, THAT WE'RE NOT LEAVING ANYBODY BEHIND AS WELL AS WE TRY AND FIX CERTAIN DISPARITIES, WE'RE NOT CREATING OTHER DISPARITIES. AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I WOULD, UM, ENCOURAGE, UH, FOLKS TO STAY ENGAGED. UM, I, I LOOK FORWARD TO STAYING ENGAGED AS WELL TO ENSURE THAT, UM, EVERYBODY HAS AN OPPORTUNITY HERE AT THE CITY OF HOUSTON AT THE END OF THE DAY. AND SO, UM, ONCE IT'S REFERRED, I'M HAPPY TO SECOND THAT RE UH, THAT REFERRING BACK TO ADMINISTRATION, COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND, AND I JUST WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE, UM, DR. UM, DIRECTOR HORDE, OBO, MAYOR, MAYOR, PRO TEM, UM, COMMUNITY BUSINESS OWNERS, STAKEHOLDERS, AND REALLY COUNCIL, UM, AND THE ADMINISTRATION FOR REALLY LISTENING. UM, I WAS PREPARED TO PUT FORWARD AN AMENDMENT, UM, AND REALLY FOCUSING ON THE DISPARITY STUDY, UM, THE USEFUL DATA AND ITS RECOMMENDATION TO REMOVE CERTAIN RACIAL AND ETHNIC GROUPS, SPECIFICALLY WOMEN, UM, SUCH AS HISPANIC WOMEN AND ASIAN WOMEN, UM, FROM MWB PROGRAMS BECAUSE IT FAILS TO ACCOUNT, UH, FOR THE NUANCED DISPARITIES FOR WOMEN THAT CONTINUE TO FACE AND INCLUDING THOSE WITHIN THEIR OWN RACIAL AND ETHNIC COMMUNITIES. WOMEN BASED BUSINESSES AND OWNERS, ALL OF ALL BACKGROUNDS, OFTEN ENCOUNTER SYSTEMIC AND CULTURAL BARRIERS, INCLUDING, UM, LIMITED ACCESS TO CAPITAL EXCLUSION FROM MALE DOMINATED INDUSTRIES AND DISCRIMINATION AND CONTRACTING OPPORTUNITIES, AND REMOVING THEM FROM THE PROGRAM WOULD, WOULD ELIMINATE THE VERY PROTECTIONS THE MWBE, UM, PROGRAM IS ASSIGNED TO WITHHOLD. SO, YOU KNOW, WITH SAYING THAT I, I WOULD LIKE TO JUST READ MY AMENDMENT. I'M OBVIOUSLY WITHDRAWING THE AMENDMENT, BUT I WANT TO JUST MENTION, UM, IN LISTENING TO A LOT OF THE WOMEN THAT SPOKE YESTERDAY, UM, THAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON SHALL CONTINUE TO INCLUDE ALL WOMEN OWNED BUSINESSES REGARDLESS OF RACE, ETHNICITY, UM, IN THE CITY'S MINORITY WOMEN AND SMALL BUSINESS ENTERPRISE PROGRAM. AND THIS INCLUDES, BUT NOT LIMITED TO CAUCASIAN WOMEN, HISPANIC AMERICAN WOMEN, AND ASIAN WOMEN. NO GROUP OF WOMEN SHALL BE REMOVED OR GRADUATED FROM THE MWBE PROGRAM BASED SOLELY [06:30:01] ON THE FINDINGS OF DISPARITY STUDY. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY AS A MINORITY BUSINESS OWNER, IT IS CHALLENGING. AND, UM, AND I KNOW THAT WE ARE DOING SUCH A GREAT JOB IN TERMS OF ANALYZING THE DATA AND, AND ADOPTING THE DATA. UM, AND I JUST HOPE THAT THIS WILL BE A CONSIDERATION AS WELL WHEN WE, WHEN WE, UM, COME UP WITH OUR FINAL ANSWER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. SO THIS IS WITHDRAWN. YES. YES. I AM WITHDRAWING MY AMENDMENT. PRIME AMENDMENT IS WITHDRAWN. COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND, UM, I SUPPORT A MOTION TO REFER BACK AND, UH, WE'LL AWAIT WHAT, UH, COMES BEFORE US WHEN IT DOES COME BEFORE US. I WILL NOTE THAT, UH, UM, AT THE OUTSET, THERE WAS A FEELING ON THE, A PART OF A LOT OF FOLKS THAT THERE, THAT THIS PROCESS WAS NOT VERY TRANSPARENT, AND THEY DID NOT HAVE INPUT ON THE INITIAL PROPOSAL THAT WAS PUT FORTH. UM, I UNDERSTAND DISCUSSIONS HAVE BEEN HAD. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THOSE DISCUSSIONS LOOK LIKE OR WHAT THE RESULT WAS, BUT I HOPE THAT GOING FORWARD, UH, THIS PROCESS WILL BE TRANSPARENT AND, UM, THAT THE PUBLIC WILL HAVE A CHANCE TO LOOK AT AND REVIEW WHATEVER PROPOSAL COMES FORWARD. UM, BECAUSE AT THIS POINT, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE. WE'VE HEARD SOME BROAD PARAMETERS, BUT, UM, IN, IN ORDER FOR STAKEHOLDERS TO BE ABLE TO PROPERLY EVALUATE IT, UH, THEY NEED NOTICE AND THEY NEED TO BE ABLE TO SEE IT AS WELL. UH, THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. THANK YOU, YOU MAYOR. UM, I DO WANT TO, UM, SAY THAT I'M GLAD THAT WE ARE AT LEAST AT THE TABLE FOR NEGOTIATIONS AND LOOKING AT THIS FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT. 50% OF PERCEPTION IS REALITY. AND SO THERE'S A LOT OF PERCEIVED ATTITUDES ABOUT THIS PROCESS THAT WAS DONE BY OFFICER OBO. AND I WANT TO THANK YOU, MAYOR AND YOUR STAFF, AND OF COURSE, MAYOR PRO TEM, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE NEGOTIATING AND TRYING TO COME TO AN HAPPY MEDIUM, THAT'S BEEN MY PRAYER THAT WE COULD DO THIS, THAT EVERYBODY WOULD LEAVE HERE WITH A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE, UH, AND A, A UNIFIED PERSPECTIVE, I SHOULD SAY, IN TERMS OF HOW WE GO FORWARD. WE'D WANT ANYONE, I KNOW I DON'T, AND I DON'T THINK OTHER COLLEAGUES WOULD TO SEE, UM, UH, A DIVIDE, ESPECIALLY IN THE BUSINESS SECTOR. BUT I THINK THE COMMENTS THAT WE'VE HEARD HAVE BEEN VERY VALID, AND I THINK EVERYBODY HAD SOME GOOD, UH, THOUGHTS. BUT, UH, I CERTAINLY WOULD HOPE GOING FORWARD THAT WE GET MORE INFORMATION, YOU KNOW, IN REGARDS TO THIS PROCESS AND THAT THE STUDY WOULD BE APPRECIATED BY WHAT THE STUDY IS, BUT IF THERE ARE ANY ERRORS OF FLAWS THAT NEED TO BE BROUGHT FORTH AS WELL. SO I JUST WANT TO COMMEND OUR MAYOR, PRO TEM MAYOR, YOU AND YOUR STAFF AT LEAST COMING TO SOMETHING THAT ALL OF US, UH, CAN AGREE ON, AND HOPEFULLY THE STAKEHOLDERS ALL WILL BE SATISFIED. THANK YOU. YOU COUNCILMAN POLLARD. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I THINK ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF WHAT THE CITY ATTORNEY BROUGHT FORWARD JUST NOW WAS, UM, THAT THE CITY WILL ACCEPT THE DATA AND THE DATA COMES FROM, FROM OUR CD DEPARTMENTS. UH, AND THE CONSULTANT USES THAT TO BE ABLE TO ANALYZE. THERE WERE SOME DISCUSSIONS OVER, UM, THE CONSULTANT NOT BEING ACCURATE OR THE DATA OR INFORMATION BEING FLAWED. UM, SO WE HAVE NOW COME TO A CONSENSUS BASED ON, UH, THE CITY ATTORNEY'S ASSERTION THAT THAT WILL BE ACCEPTED. THOSE NUMBERS ARE WHAT THEY ARE. AND I DO AGREE THAT HAVING FURTHER DISCUSSION, UM, WE CAN FIND MORE WAYS IN WHICH TO, UH, INCLUDE MORE INDIVIDUALS AND MORE SMALL BUSINESSES THAT WANT TO BE A PART OF THE PROGRAM. UM, BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT IT IS SOMETHING TO APPLAUD WHEN NO DISPARITY IS SHOWN THERE. THERE ARE MANY BUSINESSES THAT WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN COMMUNITIES AND INDUSTRY THAT WOULD LIKE TO SEE NO DISPARITY BECAUSE IT SHOWS BASED ON THE TOTAL SPEND THAT, UH, YOU ARE GETTING OPPORTUNITY. UM, I ALSO WANT TO GIVE SOME INPUT ON, UH, THE AMENDMENT THAT YOU WITHDREW, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER, BECAUSE I DO BELIEVE IT WILL, IF WE WERE TO CONTINUE TO BREAK THINGS DOWN INTO SMALLER SUBSETS, IT IT, IT WOULD COMPLICATE THINGS. AND I'M, I DON'T WANT IT TO GET TO A POINT WHERE YOU, YOU BREAK DOWN FOREVER INTO [06:35:01] A POINT TO WHERE YOU'RE JUST TRYING TO FIND DISPARITY. ALRIGHT? UM, I SPOKE WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY EARLIER REGARDING THAT, AND I WANT HIM TO BE ABLE TO GIVE THE BODY SOME INPUT ON WHY THAT WOULD COMPLICATE THINGS, NOT ONLY FROM A PROGRAM PERSPECTIVE, BUT ALSO FROM A LITIGATION PERSPECTIVE. IN HEARING, IN HEARING THE COMMENTS, I ASKED, UM, OUR, OUR LAWYERS TO LOOK AT OTHER STUDIES AND WHAT THEY HAVE DONE, WE WERE NOT ABLE TO FIND ONE IN WHICH THERE WAS A SEPARATE CATEGORY FOR MINORITY WOMEN. IN PART, THIS IS BECAUSE THEY'RE, UH, CLASSIFIED UNDER MINORITY STATUS. SO THERE'S THE ISSUE OF THE DOUBLE COUNT THAT YOU WOULD HAVE TO TAKE OUT OF THAT. THE CITY DOESN'T, UH, READILY KEEP THAT DATA. AND SO THE DISPARITY STUDY DIDN'T LOOK AT IT, BUT I THINK THE, THE OVERRIDING POINT TO MAKE IS THAT THERE WAS A CLASS, THERE WAS A CATEGORIZATION OF WOMEN THAT WAS ONLY CAUCASIAN WOMEN FOR PURPOSES OF THE STUDY, BUT FOR PURPOSES OF BEING ABLE TO BE CERTIFIED AS A WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESS, THAT'S WITH RE WITHOUT REGARD TO RACE OR ETHNICITY, ANYONE WHO MEETS THE, THE REQUIREMENT OF 51%, WHETHER IT'S CONTROL OR OWNERSHIP, WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESS CAN GET, UH, CERTIFICATION AS A WOMAN BUSINESS. COUNCILMAN CAYMAN. I, I, I DO WANNA SAY NOW I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THOUGH, TO RECOGNIZE DISPARITIES FOR WOMEN IN BUSINESS AND MINORITY WOMEN IN BUSINESS, UH, THAT THEY, THAT IS NOT NECESSARILY EQUAL FOOTING. SO I, I KNOW WE WILL SAVE THIS CONVERSATION AND THERE WILL BE A LOT TO LOOK AT. UM, BUT LET'S NOT TO COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER'S POINT, IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO BE LOOKING AT, UH, DIFFERENT FACTORS INVOLVED IN THIS FOR, FOR DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES. UH, I DO WANT TO, I, I'M VERY PLEASED WITH THIS STEP MOVING FORWARD, AND I THINK, UH, EVERYONE INVOLVED FOR FINDING A WAY FOR US TO, UH, WHAT I LOOK AT IS BIFURCATING THE NEEDS OF THE LAWSUITS AND HOW WE PRESERVE THE INTEGRITY OF, UH, THE MWBE PROGRAM AND MOVE IT FORWARD BASED ON CURRENT DATA. UH, MY CONCERN THROUGHOUT THIS ENTIRE PROCESS HAS BEEN WE'RE, UH, NOT RUSHING THE STUDY, UH, TO THE CHAIR'S POINT, BUT RUSHING A DECISION BASED ON THE NEEDS OF A COURT. AND THE LITIGATION, IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE, IS BEING, UH, BACKED AND FUNDED BY SPECIAL INTERESTS, ANTI DEI, RAMPAGE ESQUE STYLE LITIGATION TO DISMANTLE, UH, MEANINGFUL PROGRAMS, NOT JUST IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, BUT THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. SO I DO APPRECIATE THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE SEPARATING OUT THE DATA AND WHAT THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE TO PROTECT THE INTEGRITY AND THE BENEFIT OF THE MWBE PROGRAM OVERALL FOR AS MANY AS POSSIBLE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. UH, RATHER THAN CREATING A DIVISIVE NARRATIVE, BRINGING EVERYBODY TOGETHER TO FIND A SOLUTION. SO I, I REALLY WANNA THANK US FOR, AGAIN, PARSING THESE TWO THINGS OUT AND GETTING THE COURT WHAT IT NEEDS, BUT RECOGNIZING THAT IS NOT WHAT THIS IS ABOUT, NOR SHOULD IT BE AS A CITY AS WE LOOK AT THE MWBE AND SBE PROGRAMS. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UM, UH, MAYOR, YOU KNOW, IT'S, UH, WHEN I'M NOT WITH YOU, I'M VERY VOCAL ABOUT THAT, AND I THINK, UM, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR ME TO BE JUST AS VOCAL WHEN I'M WITH YOUR ADMINISTRATION. AND I, SO I WANT TO THANK, UM, YOU, YOUR CHIEF OF STAFF DIRECTOR HOARD YOUR DEPUTY LEGAL SPD. WE HAVE BEEN DOING RIGOROUS WORK AROUND HOW WE CAN GET A PATHWAY, UH, TO PROMISE, UM, UH, FOR THIS PROGRAM. AND I'M VERY CONFIDENT OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THE CITY ATTORNEY LAID OUT THAT WILL COME BEFORE THIS BODY NEXT WEEK. UM, AND LET ME SAY THAT THE CONVERSATION OVER THE LAST 30 DAYS HAS BEEN REALLY TELLING FOR ME, AND I THINK IT WAS FEEDBACK THAT NEEDED TO BE, UM, LAID BARE, UM, AND SPOKEN OPENLY. SOME OF IT I WAS OFFENDED BY. UM, SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS AND FEEDBACK, UM, WILL BE PRESENTED TO THIS BODY, AND I THINK IT WILL MOVE US, UM, IN THE NEXT, IN THE, TO THE NEXT PLACE. SO I AM, UM, ONE, GRATEFUL FOR MAYOR PRO TEM FOR LEADING THIS EFFORT AND BIRD DOGGING THIS, UM, YOUR EXPERTISE AND, UH, THE COLLABORATION, UM, BETWEEN, UH, THE MAYOR'S LEADERSHIP TEAM AND COUNCIL [06:40:01] OFFICES AND DIRECTOR HALL FOR REALLY BEING OUT FRONT AND MAKING SURE THAT EVERY CONSTITUENCY GROUP WAS INVOLVED WITH THIS CONVERSATION. THAT'S THE TYPE OF ENGAGEMENT THAT THE CITY DESERVES. SO I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THAT. UM, SO I JUST WANNA LEND MY VOICE TO, UH, THE NEXT PHASE OF THIS, AND I'M READY TO SUPPORT MAYOR PRO TEMS MOTION TO REFER THIS BACK FOR ONE WEEK. THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORDS. CAST, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I, UH, I'M ALSO PREPARED TO SUPPORT THE MOTION TO REFER BACK. UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN THE STUDY CAME OUT AND THE RECOMMENDATIONS CAME OUT, THERE WAS A LOT OF ENGAGEMENT AFTER THAT HERE IN THE CHAMBER OUT IN THE COMMUNITY FROM OUR INBOXES, PHONES, TEXTS, YOU NAME IT. WE HEARD FROM A LOT OF STAKEHOLDERS ON ALL SIDES. AND NOW WE'RE PUTTING A PATH FORWARD THAT WILL, BECAUSE OF THAT ENGAGEMENT, INCLUDE SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE HEARD THAT WEREN'T ORIGINALLY A PART OF IT. UM, SO WE WILL LIKELY GET SOMETHING THAT'S A BETTER PRODUCT, UH, THAT'S GOING TO HELP MORE OF OUR SMALL MINORITY OWNED BUSINESSES. AND THAT CAME FROM ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY IN A, IN A WAY, AND, AND TAKING THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS. AND SO I THINK THIS IS A, A GREAT STEP FORWARD. IT WAS A VERY STICKY ISSUE THAT WE HAVE NOW, UH, FIGURED OUT A WAY TO, TO HOPEFULLY, UH, MOVE FORWARD AND, AND DO THAT IN A WAY THAT PRODUCES SOMETHING THAT'S A BETTER PRODUCT, UH, THAN WHAT WE HAD ORIGINALLY. SO I THANK ALL THE PARTIES THAT ARE INVOLVED AND LOOK FORWARD TO THE NEXT, UH, STEP IN THIS PROCESS AND CONTINUING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ENGAGE THOSE STAKEHOLDERS ALONG THE WAY. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN PLUMMER. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND I WANNA JUST COMMENT ON MY, UM, ON MY AMENDMENT, YOU KNOW, UNTIL YOU, SO I RECOGNIZE THAT THE W-N-M-W-B-E IS WOMEN. CLEARLY, I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT UNTIL YOU ARE A WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS, DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE NATURAL DISPARITIES THAT ARE THERE? AND SO, EVEN THOUGH WE MAY NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THEM, UM, IN OTHER, IN OTHER, YOU KNOW, IN OTHER STATES OR CITIES OR WHOEVER ELSE HAS THESE TYPES OF PROGRAMS, WE ARE A PROTECTED CLASS. AND WHEN IT COMES TO BUSINESS, THERE ARE CLEAR CHALLENGES THAT WE EXPERIENCE THAT NO ONE ELSE DOES. AND IT DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE RACE, BUT JUST THE FACT THAT WE HAVE THE SAME CHALLENGES. UM, WE HAVE MANY CHALLENGES WHEN IT COMES TO LENDING, WHEN IT COMES TO A MALE DOMINATED SOCIETY. AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT MEN SHOULD DO BETTER, NOT, I'M NOT SAYING THAT AT ALL. I'M JUST SAYING THAT WOMEN OWNED BUSINESSES IS VERY CHALLENGING TO KEEP IT GOING AND TO DO ALL THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO DO. AND NOT ONLY BECAUSE WE'RE WOMEN, BUT JUST BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MANY OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES THAT WE ARE NOT ABLE TO FOCUS IN THE WAY, OR PEOPLE ASSUME THAT WE AREN'T ABLE TO FOCUS IN THE WAY THAT MEN ARE IN THE WORKFORCE. AND SO, UM, I REALLY HOPE THAT WE LOOK AT HOW WOMEN DO BUSINESS, UM, IN A DIFFERENT WAY. IF YOU PUT, IF YOU PUT AN, UM, AN IF I'M A HISPANIC FEMALE, AND YOU PUT ME IN A CATEGORY WITH ALL HISPANIC MALES, AND YOU DON'T ACKNOWLEDGE AND RECOGNIZE THAT AS A, AS A HISPANIC FEMALE, AND I'M NOT SAYING I'M, I'M USING HISPANIC BECAUSE BLACK WOMEN WERE INCLUDED IN THE DISPARITY. SO WHEN, SO IF I WAS A HISPANIC FEMALE, AND I AM CHUNKED IN WITH ALL HISPANIC MALES THAT ARE DOING THE SAME TYPE OF WORK THAT I'M DOING, I AM SO SORRY. BUT IT IS NOT THIS LEVEL PLAYING FIELD. AND, UM, AND SO THAT'S HOW IT IS. THAT'S THE REALITY OF IT, WHETHER WE ACKNOWLEDGE IT OR NOT, IT DOESN'T MATTER. IT IS THE WAY IT IS. AND I MEAN, THERE HAS TO BE SOME LEVEL OF DATA THAT LOOKS AT THAT SO THAT WOMEN IN INDUSTRY, UM, CAN HAVE THE SAME OPPORTUNITIES AS MEN IN INDUSTRY. AND THIS IS NOT, I'M NOT, YOU KNOW, BEING SPEC KNOW, I'M NOT BEING, UM, I AM BEING, I AM BEING. UM, YEAH, WE ARE INCREDIBLY SPECIAL. WOMEN ARE SPECIAL, AND WE DO INCREDIBLE WORK, AND WE HAVE THE BIG KNOWLEDGE. AND SO THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. THANK YOU, MAYOR AGAIN, TO, UH, TO COUNCILMAN PLUMMER'S, UH, MOVEMENT. I, I, I, I COULD APPRECIATE YOUR EXPRESSIONS REGARDING THAT, BUT FROM THAT AMENDMENT, IT JUST SEEMS AS THOUGH THAT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S A PERSONAL ISSUE WITH YOU, OBVIOUSLY, BUT I DON'T THINK IT CREATES A, A SITUATION AS IT RELATES TO WHAT OBO HAS PRESENTED AS A DISPARITY. IT IS A DISPARITY AMONG WOMEN, AND WE CERTAINLY WANT TO DO THAT, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT WAS, ITS DISREGARDING WOMEN IN THE, IN THE DISPARITY. I DON'T, I DON'T SEE THAT IN THE ORIGINAL ONE AND THE DATA. I THINK NOW YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO INTRODUCE DATA THAT WOULD INCLUDE THAT SUBJECT MATTER. I'M NOT, YOU KNOW, DEFENDING THE FACT THAT IT SHOULDN'T BE. [06:45:01] I'M JUST SAYING THAT THERE NEED TO BE MORE DATA WITH IT, AND WE JUST DON'T WANT TO CREATE ANOTHER ISSUE REGARDING THAT, UH, ASPECT OF WHAT THE, WHAT THE DISPARITY SAYS FROM OBO. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MEMBERS. BEFORE WE VOTE TO REFER BACK, I'M SURE IT WAS PAINFUL FOR YOU YESTERDAY, AS IT WAS FOR ME TO SIT HERE AND LISTEN TO OUR FRIENDS BE SO DIVIDED. I KNOW FOR A FACT PEOPLE THAT WERE VERY EMOTIONALLY OPPOSED BREAK BREAD TOGETHER. THEY CAMPAIGNED TOGETHER THEIR FAMILIES, THEIR FRIENDS. SO I SAT HERE YESTERDAY THINKING, UNACCEPTABLE. WE'VE STILL GOT WORK TO DO. I DIDN'T RUN TO BE MAYOR TO EXCLUDE PEOPLE OR EVEN THE PERCEPTION THAT THEY'RE BEING EXCLUDED. THERE WAS A LOT OF MISINFORMATION YESTERDAY, SOME BY SOME OF MY FRIENDS. WE HAVE TO DO A DISPARITY STUDY AND REPORT IT TO THE COURT. AND YES, WE NEED TO DO IT RIGHT EVEN IF IT TAKES LONGER. BUT THE DATA'S BEEN ACCEPTED. THERE IS DISPARITY AMONG AFRICAN AMERICANS, IRREFUTABLE. I CAN'T SPEAK TO THE TRANSPARENCY OF MGT AND THEIR STUDY, BUT I CAN SPEAK TO OUR TRANSPARENCY. I KNOW FOR A FACT SOME THAT WERE STATING THEY WERE LEFT OUT, HAVE BEEN IN MEETINGS IN CITY HALL FOR WEEKS. WE HAVE BEEN AS TRANSPARENT AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE. IN FACT, THERE'S A STUDY THAT THE CITY DID JUST A FEW YEARS AGO AND SPENT A MILLION DOLLARS ON THAT NO ONE'S SEEN. SO IF YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT A LACK OF TRANSPARENCY, BUT THIS, BECAUSE OF THE PROFESSIONAL HARD WORK OF MS. HORDE, MY STAFF, ARTURO, AND CERTAINLY THOSE THAT ARE ELECTED TO SERVE OUR GREAT COMMUNITY, OUR MAYOR, PROTE, I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT YOUR COMMITTEE HEARINGS. I'VE BEEN IN MEETINGS WITH YOU WHERE YOU'RE SO PASSIONATE ABOUT THE DISPARITY STUDY AND BRINGING EVERYONE TO THE TABLE. AND THAT'S WHAT YOUR MOTION IS GOING TO ALLOW ADDITIONAL ITEMS TO BE INCLUDED. THAT SHOULD ADDRESS THE CONCERNS WE HEARD YESTERDAY. AND OF COURSE, COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ BEING AT THE TABLE EVERY STEP OF THE WAY. SO THIS IS A GOOD DAY FOR COUNCIL TO RECOGNIZE LEADERSHIP, BUT ALSO LET EACH COMMUNITY KNOW THERE IS NO DIVISION IN HOUSTON. HOUSTON IS RECOGNIZED FOR ITS DIVERSITY, AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE DIVERSITY AND COOPERATION GOING FORWARD. WITH THAT SAID, I RECOGNIZE THE MAYOR PRO TEM CAST TATUM MOVE TO REFER THIS ITEM BACK FOR ONE WEEK. SECOND MARTINEZ MOTION BEEN MADE. AND SECOND, ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. THANK Y'ALL. COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMBERS IN THE QUEUE. COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND I JUST WANTED TO, I DON'T WANT TO TO DO A BANTER BACK AND FORTH ON THIS, BUT, UM, IT IS PERSONAL. IT IS PERSONAL BECAUSE THIS IS BECAUSE I'M A WOMAN OWNED BUSINESS AND I EXPERIENCE IT EVERY SINGLE DAY. SO ACTUALLY IT IS PERSONAL. AND, UM, AND I THINK, AND I JUST, AND I WILL CONTINUE TO FIGHT FOR WOMEN, FOR EQUITY, FOR WOMEN IN BUSINESS, AND MAKE SURE THAT OUR VOICES ARE HEARD. 'CAUSE IT IS VERY, VERY PERSONAL. IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT SAYING THAT MEN ARE NOT IMPORTANT IN BUSINESS, BUT, UM, UNTIL YOU WALK IN MY SHOES, YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW PERSONAL IT IS. THANK YOU. NEXT. WELL, THAT'S OKAY. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN, ARE WE READY TO GO? THE NEXT ITEM? AND LET'S GO TO 81. I'M NOT SURE. NEXT ITEM. NEXT ITEM. I'M SORRY. ITEM ITEM 81 NEEDS A MOTION CAST. STATE A MOVE. MOTION MADE. SECOND. SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED. WHO S PICK P. SHE'S OUR SECOND PERSON. ALL IN FAVOR? STATE POINT ORDER ON THE ITEM 81. MY, MY BRIEFING DOCUMENT SAYS 19. ANOTHER ONE SAYS 15. WHAT'S THE ACCURATE AMOUNT? 19. 19. THAT'S WHAT MINE SAYS. 19. MINE ITEM SECOND. YOU HAVE 15. SO IT'S 19. 15, RIGHT? OKAY, I'M CLEAR. THANK YOU. MINE [06:50:01] SAYS 19. YOURS SAYS 19. SAY 19, THE CORRECT AMOUNT. 19. 19. 19. VOTE OUT OF 81. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NA. MOTION PASSES. AND THEN WE GOT ITEM 42 IN. ITEM 42 HAS BEEN RECEIVED. IT WAS NOT IN WHEN I CALLED IT EARLIER, BUT ITEM 42 NEEDS A MOTION. COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD TAG. NOW ITEM 42 IS AN ORDINANCE 40. SAY CALL TAG. CALL TAG. CALL TAG. 42 COLLAR TAGS. 42 GENERAL APPROPRIATION COMPLETES THE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA. NO, ALL, [NON CONSENT - MATTERS TO BE PRESENTED BY COUNCIL MEMBERS] WELL, I'M GONNA SAY SOMETHING BEFORE I RUN BACK TO THE, UH, POLICE CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS. UH, I WANT TO THANK, UH, THE STATE SENATE YESTERDAY THAT PASSED 21 TO 10, RECOGNIZING THE SERVICES THAT HOUSTON PROVIDES OUR TOW ROAD. IT GETS A LOT OF DISCUSSION, A LOT OF MISINFORMATION. FIRST OF ALL, I WILL MEET WITH ANYONE ANYWHERE IF THEY'RE WANTING TO, UH, WORK TO IMPROVE HOUSTON. I'VE MET WITH ALL THE COMMISSIONERS IN RECENT DAYS. HAD BREAKFAST WITH ADRIAN GARCIA A WEEK FROM SATURDAY. SO, UH, ALL WE'RE DOING IS TRYING TO DOCUMENT THE SERVICES AT HOUSTON. THE FIRST RESPONDERS FOR YEARS, 60% OF THE TOLL ROADS MILEAGE IS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. OVER 60% OF THE REVENUE COMES FROM HOUSTON. THIS IDEA WAS BROUGHT TO ME BY HOUSTON. LEGISLATORS, WOULD WE, UH, DOCUMENT FOR THEM WHAT WE PROVIDE? UH, IT PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE 50 YEARS AGO. UH, BUT THIS WAS INTRODUCED BY, UH, LEGISLATORS. BUT I WILL MEET WITH ANYONE ANYWHERE. IT WAS VERY PRODUCTIVE YESTERDAY IN THE SENATE WHERE CAROL ALVARA, UH, LEMME GIVE HER A SHOUT OUT. SENATOR ALVARADO, WHO'S WAS SERVED ON THIS COUNCIL AND WORKED FOR PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS, BROUGHT THE, UM, GOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS PEOPLE TOGETHER. I THINK THE COUNTY HAD ABOUT 40. EVERY COMMISSIONER HAS A LOBBYIST, AND THE COUNTY HAS A GROUP. TOW ROAD HAS A GROUP. BUT ANYWAY, WE HAVE SIX, UH, I THINK LAST SESSION WHEN I, BEFORE I GOT HERE, WE HAD 17 PEOPLE, UH, SERVING THE CITY OF HOUSTON. WE'RE DOWN TO SIX, TRYING TO ECONOMIZE AND BE MORE EFFECTIVE. BUT, UH, THANK YOU TO SENATOR BENTON, COURT. SENATOR ALVARADO BLANCO FROM EL PASO, OSA FROM BROWNSVILLE. IT WAS A BIPARTISAN EFFORT. NOW IT MOVES TO THE HOUSE, BUT, UH, IT APPEARS THAT A CENSUS HAS BEEN FORMED TO, UH, HAVE A GOOD PRODUCT. SO I'M PLEASED. AND, UH, THAT SAID, LET'S, UH, START OUR SHOUT OUT. ANY RESPONSE? COUNCILMAN EVAN SHABBAT. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I BELIEVE YOU SAID YOU NEED TO LEAVE. SO I'M GONNA START WITH A MATTER OF SERIOUS CONCERN, AND THEN I'LL GO ON TO WHAT HAS TRANSPIRED. NO, I'M NOT GOING ANYWHERE. IF YOU HAVE A SERIOUS MATTER. OKAY, WELL, I'LL, UH, LET ME, UM, I'LL START OUT WITH THAT. UH, IN MY DISTRICT, AND I'M, I'M FINDING OUT THAT IT MAY BE HAPPENING IN OTHER PLACES. THE WATER IS BEING CUT OFF WITHOUT ADEQUATE NOTICE TO THE CONSTITUENTS. AND CERTAINLY I HAVE BROUGHT THAT TO THE ATTENTION OF YOUR CHIEF OF STAFF. BUT THIS IS HAPPENING AND NO ONE IS COME AT A RESIDENTIAL SINGLE FAMILY. WELL, IT'S, IT'S EVERYWHERE THAT'S IN THAT AREA. IN FACT, I BELIEVE YESTERDAY AT THE MD ANDERSON BLOOD CENTER, IT WAS CUT OFF FOR THREE HOURS. WAS IT IN? WELL, IT'S IN RELATIONSHIP TO REPAIRS AND YES, BUT CERTAINLY THEY SHOULD. AND, AND I'M TOLD, DO NOTIFY FOLKS. WELL, IN ACCORDANCE TO THE ORDINANCE, I THINK SUPPOSED TO BE 72 HOURS, UNLESS IT'S AN EMERGENCY. BUT NO ONE HAS DEFINED EMERGENCY TO ME BECAUSE THIS, I'M GETTING CONSTANT COMMENTS FROM PEOPLE WHO MAY BE ON DIALYSIS AND OTHER THINGS THAT COULD PUT THEIR LIVES, UH, IN JEOPARDY. AND THEY ARE NOT BEING GIVEN THE ADEQUATE NOTICE. IF THIS IS SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE, THERE'S NO EXCUSE FOR, FOR THESE CONTRACTORS TO NOT GIVE ADEQUATE NOTICE. WE'LL GET ON IT AS SOON AS WE OKAY. ADJOURN. OKAY. THANK YOU. NOW, NOW I'LL GO ONTO THE MORE PLEASANT THINGS. UM, ON SATURDAY, UH, THERE WAS A COMMUNITY WASTE REDUCTION EVENT, UH, WHERE WE PARTNERED WITH THE ALPHA KAPPA ALPHA SORORITY, ALPHA KAPPA OMEGA CHAPTER, AND THE OMEGA PSY FIVE FRATERNITY. ROB BETA, BETA CHAPTER. [06:55:01] UH, I WANT TO THANK SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT AND THE HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY. UH, THERE WAS A DOCUMENT, SHREDDING E CYCLING FOR LATEX PAINT AND TIRE DISPOSAL. AND WE HELPED OUR NEIGHBORS AND CONSTITUENTS, WHOEVER CAME BY ACTUALLY TO RESPONSIBLY, UH, DEAL WITH THE DISPOSAL OF THESE ITEMS. UH, THIS HELPS, UH, CITY SERVICES TO BE MORE ACCESSIBLE AT THE NEIGHBORHOOD LEVEL. UH, THEN LATER ON, THE EMANCIPATION PARK WELLNESS FEST WAS WELL ATTENDED, UH, THAT EMANCIPATION PARK CONSERVANCY AND HOUSTON PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT HAD A SPRING LINE DANCE AND WELLNESS FEST. SO I WENT OUT AND TRIED TO SHAKE A LITTLE TAIL FEATHER, UH, AND LEARNED ALL OF THESE MANY, MANY DANCES THAT THEY HAVE. IT'S UNBELIEVABLE. OF COURSE, I GOT MY FAN AND I'M WHERE MY FAN'S AT AND ALL OF THAT, BUT, UH, OH, YEAH, I GOT ONE. BUT ANYWAY, AND IT HAS EMANCIPATION ON IT NO LESS, BUT CERTAINLY IT WAS A GREAT ENGAGEMENT. AND THEN ON SUNDAY WE HAD POLO AND BOOTS FUNDRAISER, UH, THAT WAS SUPPORTING THE CAREER AND RECOVERY RESOURCES. AND THIS BROUGHT TOGETHER COMMUNITY LEADERS AND SUPPORTERS. AND WE WERE OUT THERE AND HATS AND WHATEVER AT THE POLO CLUB. AND THAT WAS A GREAT EVENT. UH, UPCOMING ON WEDNESDAY, MAY 7TH, PRECINCT SEVEN COMMUNITY TOWN HALL, UH, WITH CONSTABLE JAMES, SMOKEY PHILLIPS AT THE SUNNYSIDE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER FROM SEVEN TO EIGHT 30 FOR A TOWN HALL ON PUBLIC SAFETY AND COMMUNITY PRIORITIES. CERTAINLY, UH, I AM TRYING TO HAVE A TOWN HALL WITH THE, PARTICULARLY THE CONSTITUENTS OF THE THIRD WARD NEAR COLUMBIA TAP HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO CONTACT WITH CHIEF DIAZ OR THE, UH, COMMANDER, UH, BECAUSE THEY ARE VERY, VERY VITAL TO THE QUESTIONS THAT NEED TO BE ANSWERED BY THE COMMUNITY. OF COURSE, WE'VE HAD SEVERAL MURDERS IN THAT AREA, WHICH IS TOTALLY NOT ACCEPTABLE. I LIVE WITHIN FEET OF THE, UH, LITERALLY WITHIN FEET OF THE COLUMBIA TAB. AND SO CERTAINLY COM, YOU KNOW, CONCERNED ABOUT THE WHOLE AREA. BUT IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS GOING ON, THERE NEEDS TO BE ADDITIONAL SAFETY MEASURES THAT ARE BROUGHT INTO PLAY. WE DO HAVE THE, THE HORSEBACK RIDERS, THEY DID COME THROUGH, BUT, UH, WHICH WAS A GREAT SIGHT TO SEE, BUT CERTAINLY IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE GONNA HAVE TO HAVE ONGOING SUPPORT FOR. SO, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK I, I SPOKE TO THE TSU NEW PRESIDENT DAY BEFORE YESTERDAY. WE'RE GONNA COLLABORATE WITH HIS OFFICERS AND HPD. ABSOLUTELY. MAYBE EVEN FULL U OF H OFFICERS IN, RIGHT? WE NEED ALL OF THOSE OFFICERS AS WELL AS PRECINCT SEVEN. YEAH, AS WELL AS OUR HPD EVERYBODY, MAYOR. SO THANK YOU FOR MAKING THAT, UH, SURE. CONTACT WITH THE PRESIDENT AND UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON. THANK YOU. LET ME DIVERT FROM POP OFFICER COUNCILOR POLLARDS RECOGNIZED . I RELEASE MY TAG ON 42 PROGRESS. LOOK AT THAT. TAG'S BEEN REMOVED ON ITEM 42. IT'S A CERTIFICATION OF THE GENERAL APPROPRIATION ITEM. ALL IN FAVORS SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. THANK YOU. THIS CONCLUDES MY PAPA . SEE WHAT CAN HAPPEN WHEN YOU'RE COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. TOMORROW, APPLICATIONS OPEN FOR THE DISTRICT H HORIZONS INTERNSHIP PROGRAM. THIS IS A SIX MONTH PAID INTERNSHIP IN THE DISTRICT H OFFICE THAT WILL RUN FROM JULY ONE THROUGH THE END OF THE YEAR. UM, ANYONE WHO'S INTERESTED, THE ONLY CRITERIA IS THAT YOU LIVE, WORK, OR STUDY IN DISTRICT H AND, UH, ARE ABLE TO WORK 20 HOURS A WEEK. YOU CAN CONTACT MY OFFICE FOR MORE INFORMATION OR CHECK OUT SOCIAL MEDIA TO APPLY. IT IS A A GREAT OPPORTUNITY. WE'VE HAD SOME FANTASTIC FOLKS COME THROUGH THE PROGRAM AND LOOK FORWARD TO TWO NEW INTERNS STARTING IN JULY THAT'LL GO LIVE TOMORROW. THIS PAST SATURDAY, I PARTNERED WITH COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN TO HOST A LISTENING SESSION AROUND 11TH STREET, UH, AND THE SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS DONE ON THAT PROJECT. UM, OVER 150 PEOPLE SHOWED UP TO THIS MEETING AND SHARED THEIR THOUGHTS, UH, AND OPINIONS ABOUT THIS PROJECT. AND I WILL SAY ABOUT A THIRD OF THOSE FOLKS, THIS WAS THEIR FIRST TIME EVER ATTENDING A CIVIC MEETING, WHICH WAS REALLY IMPRESSIVE. UM, AND SO IT GOES TO SHOW YOU, UH, WHAT WHAT WE CAN DO WHEN WE'RE OFFERING TIMES AND VENUES AND, UH, AND DAYS THAT ARE ACCOMMODATING TO THE PUBLIC TO HEAR FROM THEM AROUND WHAT WE'RE DOING AS CITY COUNCIL. UH, THIS COMING SATURDAY, ALMA WILL BE HOSTING A COMMUNITY LISTENING SESSION AROUND, UH, THEIR PROPOSED PLANS FOR A CULTURAL HERITAGE CENTER. THAT'S GONNA BE SATURDAY, MAY 3RD, 2:00 PM AT THE FELIX FRAGA, HCC CAMPUS ON RENAN STREET. UM, I WILL BE THERE [07:00:01] AND, UH, HOPEFULLY A FEW OF MY COLLEAGUES AS WELL WILL BE THERE. I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU THERE. ALSO, I WANNA MAKE A PLUG FOR LIFEGUARDS. UM, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF POOLS IN DISTRICT H. IT'S, UH, SUMMERTIME RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER. AND OUR POOLS WON'T OPEN IF WE DON'T HAVE LIFEGUARDS. SO, UH, IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN APPLYING, THESE ARE PAID POSITIONS. UH, REACH OUT TO MY OFFICE, WE'LL HELP GET YOU CONNECTED. THERE ARE MULTIPLE POSITIONS AVAILABLE FROM A LIFEGUARD TO AN AQUATIC SUPERVISOR, UH, AND OTHERS. AND YOU CAN EARN SOME CASH FOR THE SUMMER. THERE IS AN INCENTIVE IF YOU COMPLETE, UH, THE WHOLE SUMMER AND, UM, YOU CAN HELP MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN GETTING OUR CITY OF HOUSTON POOLS OPEN. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. THANK YOU, MAYOR PROTI. UH, I WANT TO BEGIN BY THANKING ALL OF THOSE. WE HAD A GREAT TURNOUT FOR OUR SPRING BRANCH, UH, UH, TOWN HALL MEETING, APRIL 21ST. I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE WHO HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND OUR PARTNERS FOR SUPPORTING US IN THIS EVENT WHEN WE STARTED TOWN HALL MEETINGS, WHICH WAS ONE OF MY GOALS. AND WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED THAT. WE'VE DONE FIVE STARTING FROM THE YEAR OF, UH, 2024. AND I WANT TO THANK ALL OF THOSE WHO PARTICIPATING. COMMISSIONER TOM RAMSEY, UM, AND THE STAFF AT TRINITY MENDEN HALL. UH, VICE MAYOR, PRO TEM, UH, AMY PEG AND HER STAFF FOR ATTENDING AND PARTICIPATING SPRING BRANCH MANAGEMENT DISTRICT, H-P-D-H-F-D, OFFICE OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY, UH, H-P-W-O-E-M, SOLID WASTE HOUSING LIBRARY PARKS, UH, 3 1 1 OBO PARK. UH, WE ALSO WANT TO THANK THE OFFICE OF VETERAN AFFAIRS, UH, AND MILITARY HEALTH DEPARTMENT, HARRIS COUNTY TAX OFFICE, AND ALSO THE VFW POST 87 90, THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIANCE. UH, WE WANT TO ALSO THANK, UH, THOSE COLLEAGUES, UH, ONE OF THE, UH, REPRESENTATIVE REPRESENTING COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER'S OFFICE WAS ATTENDING. APPRECIATE THAT, UH, STATE REPRESENTATIVE MILO DIALA STAFF FOR ATTENDING. AND LASTLY, WANT TO THANK THE WONDERFUL STAFF FOR PUTTING TOGETHER THIS EVENT. WE PUT A LOT OF EFFORT IN THE TOWN HALL MEETING, BRINGING IT TO THE PUBLIC, GIVING THE PUBLIC AN OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE, BUT ALSO BRING IN THEIR QUESTIONS. UH, WE DO OUR Q AND A. I'D LIKE TO ALSO NOTE TODAY IS THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FALL OF SAIGON. ON APRIL 30TH, 1975, THE VIETNAM WAR ENDED AND TRIGGERED THE REFUGEE CRISIS. THE UNITED STATES TOOK IN MORE VIETNAMESE REFUGEES THAN ANY OTHER COUNTRY. AND HOUSTON AS THE BIGGEST VIETNAMESE UH, POPULATION IN THE ENTIRE UNITED STATES. I WON'T EXPRESS, EXPRESS MY SOLIDARITY WITH OUR VIETNAMESE AMERICAN COMMUNITY AS THEY COMMEMORATE THIS SOLEMN OCCASION, BECAUSE, AS YOU ALL KNOW, UH, I'M ALSO A VIETNAM VETERAN AND PROUD OF IT TO SERVE MY COUNTRY. AND CERTAINLY WE WANT TO COMMEND ALL OF THOSE. AND SPEAKING ALSO, I WANT TO MAKE IT KNOWN THAT, UH, DOC ON MONDAY, UH, THE OFFICE, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF VETERAN AFFAIRS, MILITARY AND VETERAN AFFAIRS, UH, DR. SHONDA JONES, UH, WE HAD A TOWN HALL MEETING. I HOSTED IT WITH HER, PARTNERED WITH HER BECAUSE IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO ME THAT THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO PUT THEIR LIVES ON THE LINE TO GIVE ALL OF US THE FREEDOM THAT WE LIVE BY EVERY DAY, SOMETIMES BE THE ONE WHO ARE LESS RECOGNIZED. I'M SURE KNOW ALL PEOPLE WANT TO BE RECOGNIZED, BUT THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO PUT THEIR LIFE ON THE LINE TO ASSURE THE BENEFITS THAT OTHER OF US, US SHARED ALWAYS OUGHT TO BE A PRIORITY TO EVERYBODY. IT WAS HELD AT THE EMANCIPATION PARK, UH, CONSERVANCY CENTER THAT FOCUS ON VETERANS POPULATION AND THEIR NEEDS. THERE WERE RESOURCES THERE, A Q AND A PANEL WAS ASSEMBLED. AND, UH, WE WANT TO THANK ALL OF THOSE WHO CAME OUT ALONG WITH THE VETERANS ORGANIZATIONS AND THE CITY, COUNTY, AND THE FEDERAL LEVELS THAT SUPPORTED THIS EVENT. LASTLY, I WANT TO USE MY TIME TO COMMEND THE SOUTHWEST DISTRICT BOARD AND STAFF FOR TAKING ELECTED OFFICIALS, INCLUDING MYSELF, OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS, ON A WONDERFUL CULTURE TOUR THIS PAST FRIDAY IN THE SOUTHWEST HOUSTON, THEY TOOK US TO A, ON A, UH, CURATED BUS TOUR, [07:05:01] WHICH STOPS AT THE H MART TO VIEW AN ART MURAL BY LOCAL ARTIST THOMAS TRAN. UH, NEXT WE WENT TO THE HCU HOUSTON, UH, CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY, UH, VIEW THE INDEPENDENCE HALL THAT HAS BEEN BUILT. UH, WE ALSO WENT TO THE RESTAURANT, FONG'S KITCHEN FOR AN AUTHENTIC DINING EXPERIENCE. AND WE WENT TO THE CHINESE COMMUNITY CENTER TO LEARN OF THE PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES THAT THEY OFFER. UH, I BOUGHT, I BUSED TO A, UH, ENDED WITH THE STOP AT RAJA SUITES, THE OLDEST INDIAN BAKERY AND RESTAURANT IN HOUSTON. TIME AND TIME AGAIN, SOUTHWEST DISTRICT HAS GONE OUT THE WAY TO HIGHLIGHT THE RICH CULTURE CONTRIBUTION THAT SOUTHWEST HOUSTON PROVIDES FOR OUR GREATER CITY. UH, WHY WE ARE SUCH A POWERFUL HOUSE AND ATTRACTIVE, UH, HUB. WE ARE AN INTERNATIONAL CITY, AND I THINK IT WAS WONDERFUL FOR THE SOUTHWEST DISTRICT MANAGEMENT TO TAKE US ON A TOUR. UH, IT SEEMS THOUGH WE DIDN'T HAVE TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY TO GET AN INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE, AND THEY'RE CELEBRATING THEIR 25TH ANNIVERSARY LATER THIS YEAR. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO JOINING THEM. LAST THING I WANT TO EMPHASIZE IS THAT OUR NEXT APPROACH OUT OF MY STAFF, AND I WANT TO THANK THEM, THAT WE ARE PUTTING TOGETHER A FINANCIAL SYMPOSIUM. I HAVE ACCOMPLISHED THE TOWN HALLS NOW. I THINK IT'S TIME, ESPECIALLY ON THE ISSUE THAT WE ARE NOW SHARING ABOUT OUR OFFICE OF OBO ECONOMICALLY THAT BENEFITS EVERYBODY. WE ARE GOING TO BE PUTTING TOGETHER AN ANNOUNCEMENTS WILL COME ABOUT A FINANCIAL SYMPOSIUM THROUGHOUT ALL OF HOUSTON. UH, THAT WOULD INCLUDE MANY OF OUR BANKS, UH, FROM THE DAYS OF THE COMMITTEE REINVESTMENT ACT, WHICH HAS BEEN PUT ASIDE. AND SO ALL DOLLARS CAN'T COME FROM THE CITY NOR THE STATE OR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. WE HAVE LOCAL STAKEHOLDERS, STAKEHOLDERS IN BANKS, AND WE NEED TO CALL THEM ON THE CARPET AND HAVE THEM TO PARTICIPATE IN, UH, IN MAKING OUR CITY BETTER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE, TOO. COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKER. THANK YOU, MAYOR PROAM. UH, SATURDAY, WE'RE HAVING AN ELECTRONIC RECYCLING EVENT IN KINGWOOD. UH, IT'S AT THE METRO PARK AND RIDE STARTS AT NINE O'CLOCK, GOES UNTIL THREE O'CLOCK UNLESS WE FILL UP THE TRUCK SOONER. SO GET OUT EARLY AND MAKE SURE YOU, UH, GET YOUR GOODS RECYCLED. UH, ALSO SATURDAY IN KINGWOOD, WE'RE HAVING OUR THIRD MEDIAN MADNESS CLEANUP. UH, WE'LL BE GETTING TOGETHER AT EIGHT 30, HAVE A LITTLE SAFETY BRIEFING, AND THEN CLEANING THE MEETINGS UP UNTIL NOON OVER ON NORTH PARK DRIVE IN WESTLAKE HOUSTON, UH, PARKING IS AT THE KROGER PARKING LOT, SO PLEASE COME AND JOIN US. UH, IF YOU'VE GOT TOOLS THAT YOU WANNA BRING, BRING YOUR TOOLS. CERTAINLY GLOVES, CLOTHES, TOED SHOES, UH, BUT WE'LL HAVE TOOLS THERE FOR EVERYBODY AS WELL. UM, ALSO, UH, LAST NIGHT, UH, ATTENDED A PRISON ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAM. HAD, UH, FOUR COUNCIL MEMBERS JOIN ME, UH, HUFFMAN, ALCORN PECK, AND RAMIREZ. ALSO, THE OFFICE OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY WAS OUT THERE AS WELL. SO IT WAS A REALLY GREAT EVENT AND, UH, HAD A GOOD TIME. AND THEN, UH, LASTLY, ON A COMPLETELY PERSONAL NOTE, MY, UH, YOUNGEST DAUGHTER HAD A SON LAST WEDNESDAY, SO WE GOT AN ADDITION TO THE FAMILY. WHAT'S HIS OR HER NAME? WILLIAM DANIEL LAINA. THAT'S A STRONG NAME. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN. THANKS. THAT'S WONDERFUL. UH, FIRST AND FOREMOST, UH, MS. PAT, OF COURSE. AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. AND I WANTED TO THANK, UM, OFFICER LISA GREEN. UH, SHE HAS SPENT, I BELIEVE, OVER TWO DECADES AT CITY HALL WITH US, UH, IN THE CITY HALL ANNEX. UH, SHE IS BEING, UH, MOVED TO ANOTHER DUTY WITH HPD. UH, AND I, I THINK THAT'S HEARTBREAKING FOR ALL OF US. UH, SHE HAS SPENT HER ENTIRE CAREER PROTECTING US AT CITY HALL. UM, I, I HOPE IF ANYONE IN HPD IS LISTENING, WE CAN TAKE A LOOK AND MAYBE, UH, RECONSIDER HOW THAT IS GOING TO WORK OUT. BUT AGAIN, UH, OFFICER GREEN, THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING, UH, THAT YOU DO FOR US AND FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON. UH, I ALSO WANNA SAY, UM, I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER HAD TO STEP OUT, BUT IT IS VERY PERSONAL FOR HER. UH, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT DISPARITY FOR WOMEN AND EQUITY, UH, BUT IT SHOULD BE PERSONAL FOR ALL OF US. AND, UH, AT A TIME WHEN WE ARE SEEING A RESURGENT OF DISENFRANCHISEMENT, INCLUDING FOR WOMEN, UH, I ASSURE YOU THERE ARE WOMEN BUSINESS OWNERS THAT HAVE BEEN SPEAKING. AND IF WE ASKED THEM IF THEY FEEL THEY ARE ON THE SAME FOOTING AS THEIR MALE COUNTERPARTS, THERE WILL BE A CLEAR AND RESOUNDING NO. AND TO NOT RECOGNIZE THAT DISPARITY, UH, [07:10:01] DOES OUR CITY IN INJUSTICE. SO, UH, I, I, WHILE I AM NOT A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER, I WANT TO VERY VOCALLY SAY, UH, THAT WE MUST CONTINUE AS A CITY TO FIGHT FOR WOMEN, UH, IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. WITH THAT, UH, ON, IN TERMS OF DISTRICT SPECIFIC MATTERS, UH, WE HAD THREE. IT WAS TECHNICALLY A QUOTE UNQUOTE BREAK WEEK. IT WAS NOT A BREAK FOR DISTRICT C. WE HAD THREE DIFFERENT COMMUNITY BASED EVENTS. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP AND THE IDEA OF THE COMMUNITY, UH, LISTENING RECAP SESSION, UH, REGARDING 11TH STREET. WE DID HAVE INCREDIBLE TURNOUT. I WANNA THANK VINEYARD CHURCH, UH, FOR HOSTING US. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD ATTENDED, BUT REALLY THERE WAS AN OUTPOURING FROM THE COMMUNITY, AND I WANNA THANK, UM, THE LARGES THAT HAVE ATTENDED. THIS HAS ALL BEEN COMMUNITY DRIVEN. I'M JUST LIFTING UP THE WORK THAT THE COMMUNITY IS DOING, BUT I BELIEVE A LOT OF FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY HAVE INVITED AT LARGE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND OTHER TO WALK 11 STREET. AND I WANNA THANK THOSE LIKE COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ CARTER, UH, AND PLUMBER FOR TAKING THE TIME COUNCIL OVER ALCORN, OF COURSE, UH, IS VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE ON THE SUBJECT AS WELL. BUT THANKS TO EVERYONE FOR THE TIME AND THE ENGAGEMENT. UH, WE ALSO HAD, AS I HAD MENTIONED, AN INCREDIBLE COMMUNITY INPUT SESSION RELATING TO WEST GRAIN MULTI-SERVICE CENTER IN PARTNERSHIP WITH MOPD, UM, PAGE AND COLLABORATE, UH, H-A-R-G-S-D. UH, THE FEEDBACK WAS NOT ONLY BENEFICIAL, IT I THINK RENEWED A SENSE OF URGENCY FOR REALLY MOVING FORWARD IN A TRANSFORMATIONAL WAY FOR WEST GRAY. SO ANOTHER COMMUNITY INPUT SESSION WILL BE COMING SOON, AND WE HAVE REQUESTED ONLINE OPPORTUNITIES AS WELL FOR FEEDBACK THERE. AND THEN 150 RESIDENTS PICKED UP THEIR RAIN BARRELS FOR OUR ANNUAL RAIN BARREL DISTRIBUTION. UH, A BIG SHOUT OUT TO ANNA IN OUR OFFICE WHO, UH, ORGANIZED AND COORDINATED EVERYTHING. BUT THERE WERE TONS OF VOLUNTEERS. IBEW HOSTED US, UH, AT THEIR UNION HALL. HOPE VOLUNTEERS WITH US EVERY SINGLE YEAR ON THIS, AND WE APPRECIATE THEM. TREES FOR HOUSTON, UH, WAS OUT THERE GIVING AWAY FREE TREES TO, UH, RESIDENTS WHO WANTED THEM HPD, AND OF COURSE, HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS AND RAINWATER SOLUTIONS FOR ALWAYS WORKING WITH OUR OFFICE. I ALSO WANTED TO THANK AND RECOGNIZE THE SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW, BASED ON AN AMENDMENT I HAD PASSED, UH, ONE OF OUR BUDGET CYCLES. UH, WE ARE FINALLY LAUNCHING THE MULTI-FAMILY RECYCLING PILOT PROGRAM. OVER HALF OF RESIDENTS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON LIVE IN MULTIFAMILY AND DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO RECYCLING. UH, WE RECEIVED GRANT FUNDING TO LAUNCH THIS PILOT PROGRAM WITH, I BELIEVE, UP TO 12 DIFFERENT APARTMENT COMPLEXES AROUND THE CITY. DIFFERENT LOCATION, DIFFERENT TYPES OF HOUSING, UH, DIFFERENT SOCIOECONOMIC BRACKETS. AND IT'S GOING TO BE, I SEE STEVE AND DAVID THERE, STEVEN, DATA DRIVEN, UH, IN TERMS OF OUR EDUCATION ON HOW TO RECYCLE, WHAT'S WORKING AND NOT WORKING BEFORE WE IDEALLY LAUNCH A CITYWIDE PROGRAM. NO, IT WILL NOT FALL ON SOLID WASTE TO DELIVER THE END PRODUCT OF RECYCLING. IT WILL FALL ON, UH, THE APARTMENT COMPLEXES WHO ALREADY PROVIDE TRASH SERVICES. BUT AGAIN, THE PILOT IS STARTING, WE ARE SEEING PROGRESS, AND IT WILL END UP SAVING TAXPAYER DOLLARS IN THE LONG RUN. UH, LASTLY, CONSTRUCTION COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHEPPA, UH, MENTIONED WATERLINE CUTOFFS. WE HAVE SEEN NOW FOR OVER A YEAR THE CONSTRUCTION ON WESTHEIMER AND UPPER KIRBY. AND, UH, I'M CONTINUING TO ALSO GET REPORTS, EVEN MULTIPLE TIMES OVER THE WEEKEND OF WATER BEING SHUT OFF WITHOUT NOTICE AND EVEN POWER BEING LOST. UH, SO WE WILL CONTINUE TO ESCALATE THOSE CASES. UH, BUT IN GOOD NEWS WITH CONSTRUCTION, THERE'S A LOT OF PROJECTS COMING TO FRUITION. COTTAGE GROVE, WE FUNDED A MILLION DOLLARS, UH, FOR A STORM WATER DRAINAGE PROJECT, UH, THAT IS SCHEDULED TO START FINALLY, IN THE COMING WEEKS, UH, KELVIN STREET, WE ARE DRIVE, EXCUSE ME, WE ARE IMPROVING FROM BINET TO QUIMBEE. THAT'S UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND A SAFE CROSSING, UH, IN MEYERLAND AT QUEENS LOCK AND ATWELL. UH, THAT WAS LED BY, UH, ONE OF THE CIVIC CLUBS THERE. ALL OF THOSE ARE UNDERWAY. AND LASTLY, A FINAL PUSH. IT'S A LITTLE BIT AWAY, BUT WE WANT FOLKS TO START PREPARING NOW. UH, JUNE 14TH, WE WILL HAVE A DISASTER PREPAREDNESS WORKSHOP, UM, TO HELP RESIDENTS PREPARE, UH, FOR THE UNIMAGINABLE. UH, WE'RE PARTNERING WITH THE TOOL BANK, TEXAS BOAD AND SVP. UH, YOU CAN RSVP ON OUR WEBSITE. UH, BUT THAT'S A FRIENDLY REMINDER. EXTREME WEATHER IS HERE, WHETHER IT'S HURRICANE SEASON OR NOT. SO EVERYONE NEEDS TO PREPARE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR ALL THOSE GREAT UPDATES. COUNCILOR JACKSON. THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TEM. UM, WANT TO AT [07:15:01] FIRST INVITE EVERYONE OUT TO DISTRICT B'S SECOND COMMUNITY RESOURCE BLOCK PARTY EXPLOSION WHILE WE'RE TAKING BACK OUR STREETS, UM, CRIME HAS BEEN INCREASING, UM, IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS ACROSS THE DISTRICT B. AND THIS IS A, A WAY WE'RE AS COMMUNITIES STANDING TOGETHER, UM, AND BRINGING RESOURCES TO THE COMMUNITY. AND SO WE'RE GONNA LET THE BAD ACTORS KNOW THAT WE'RE NOT GONNA SIT BACK AND ALLOW YOU TO DESTROY OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. BUT THEN ALSO FOR THOSE THAT, UM, WANT CHANGE, LET THEM KNOW THAT THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE. SO, WE ASKING SOME FOLKS TO JOIN US TODAY AT 5:00 PM BETWEEN FIVE AND 7:00 PM AT BUSBY PARK, LOCATED AT 20, I MEAN 6,700 HERS STREET. AGAIN, WE HAVE COMMUNITY RESOURCES, NETWORKING, FOOD REFRESHMENTS, DJ MOONWALKS. UM, IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR THE COMMUNITY TO COME TOGETHER AND AGAIN, THOSE BAD ACTORS TO SEE THE COMMUNITY STANDING UP AND TAKING BACK OWNERSHIP AND ACCOUNTABILITY FOR OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. SO I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT. AND ON TOMORROW, WE WILL BE HAVING, HOLDING A PRESS CONFERENCE WITH BARK, UM, IN RESPONSE TO THE RECENT SERIOUS DOG ATTACKS, UM, IN DISTRICT B, INCLUDING A FATAL, A FATAL A FATALITY, RIGHT? UM, SO WE'RE GONNA BE CONTRIBUTING ADDITIONAL $40,000, UM, TO BARK FOR OVERTIME. WE HAD A SENIOR WHO WAS MAULED IN HER BACKYARD, UM, IN HER, IN HER HOME AND, AND AND KILLED. AND SO, UM, VERY DISTURBING. WE ALSO HAD ON FEBRUARY 19TH, FIVE PEOPLE WHO WERE ATTACKED, UM, IN CASHEL GARDEN BY A PACK OF DOGS. AND SO ONE OF THESE WOMEN IS STILL IN THE HOSPITAL IN SERIOUS CONDITIONS. SO THE PRESS CONFERENCE, UM, WILL BE TOMORROW AT 11 8:00 AM IN THE PARKING LOT OF PASTOR CHARLES TURNER'S NEW PLEASANT GROVE BAPTIST CHURCH, LOCATED AT 32 21 BAIN STREET. SO IF YOU'RE AVAILABLE, COME JOIN US. UM, ON MARCH THE, ON MAY THE EIGHTH, BETWEEN 10:00 AM AND 1:00 PM WE WILL HAVE I BE SUCCESSFUL JOB FAIR, UM, AT HELD AT THE JUSTIN ROBINSON SENIOR COMMUNITY CENTER. EXCITED ABOUT THAT. OUR JOB FAIR IN MAY, MEANING IN MARCH, WE HAD OVER 400 PEOPLE SHOW UP. SO REALLY EXCITED ABOUT, UM, THIS PARTICULAR JOB FAIR. AND, AND THE LOCATION ADDRESS AGAIN IS 1422 LUDWICK, HOUSTON, TEXAS, 7 7 0 2 9, AGAIN AT THE COMMUNITY CENTER. IF YOU WANT MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT OUR OFFICE AT 8 3 2 3 9 3 3 0 0 9. AND LASTLY, THE CITY GAS COMMUNITY SYMPOSIUM WILL BE HAPPENING ON FRIDAY, MAY THE SECOND, FROM FOUR TO 8:00 PM UM, TEXAS AM HEALTH SIGN CENTER IS SHARING THE RESULTS OF THEIR ENVIRONMENTAL AND HEALTH STUDY. UM, WE, WE WILL DISCUSS COMMUNITY DRIVEN STRATEGIES AND THE ACTION PLAN LUNCH WILL BE PROVIDED. AND THIS, UM, EVENT IS TAKING PLACE AT HARPER TAYLOR PARK COMMUNITY CENTER, LOCATED AT 8,100 KENTON STREET. LAST BUT NOT LEAST, I WANNA WISH MY WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL DADDY A HAPPY 85TH BIRTHDAY. YES, HAPPY BIRTHDAY. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DADDY. TOMORROW'S HIS BIRTHDAY. MAY THE FIRST. UM, SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO CELEBRATING WITH HIM. AND THEN ON SATURDAY, WE WILL BE CELEBRATING MY, THE, THE, THE LIFE OF MY MOM. I KNOW SOME OF THE RESIDENTS THOUGHT MY MOM JUST PASSED, BUT SHE PASSED AWAY IN 2020 DURING COVID. AND SO WE DIDN'T GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A FUNERAL OR ANY SERVICE. AND SO HER BIRTHDAY IS ON SATURDAY, AND SO WE ARE HAVING A PRIVATE CELEBRATION TO CELEBRATE MY MOM'S LIFE AGAIN. SHE HAD 16 KIDS AND A LOT OF GRANDKIDS. SO, UM, THIS IS OPPORTUNITY FOR THE GRANDKIDS TO SING HER FAVORITE SONGS. AND OF COURSE, WE'RE GONNA HAVE SOME GOOD BARBECUE POTATO SALAD. UM, IF YOU WANT TO JOIN US, WE'RE GONNA BE AT DESTIN FOR EMPOWERMENT AT FO ROAD. THANK YOU. AND EVERYONE HAVE A BLESSED WEEK. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO. TIM, I WANT TO RECOGNIZE, UH, ONE OF THE STAFF MEMBERS OF OUR AT LARGE ONE OFFICE, GLORIA RODRIGUEZ, IS RETIRING, AND I WANT TO THANK HER FOR HER MANY YEARS OF SERVICE TO THE CITY, AND ESPECIALLY FOR THE FAITHFUL SERVICE SHE HAS RENDERED, UM, IN MY TENURE OVER THE LAST YEAR AND FOUR MONTHS. UH, GLORIA, YOU WELL DESERVE YOUR RETIREMENT. I HOPE YOU ENJOY IT. ALTHOUGH I UNDERSTAND YOU MIGHT TAKE UP A, A SECOND CAREER. BUT ANYWAY, KNOW THAT WE LOVE YOU, WE APPRECIATE YOU. WE WILL MISS YOU, BUT LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU, UH, IN, IN OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES. ALSO WANNA MENTION THAT OVER THE WEEKEND, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN A DISTRICT B UNITED TOWN HALL, WHERE TOPICS SUCH AS INFRASTRUCTURE AND FLOODING, CRIME AND EDUCATION WERE DISCUSSED. MANY FOLKS ATTENDED THAT. I WAS PRIVILEGED TO HEAR THEIR VIEWS ON VARIOUS ISSUES CONFRONTING THEM AND, AND SOLUTIONS DISCUSSED. SO I'M THANKFUL FOR THAT OPPORTUNITY. IT WILL MAKE ME A BETTER AT LARGE COUNCIL MEMBER. [07:20:01] AND FINALLY, I WANNA NOTE THAT EARLIER THIS WEEK I WAS IN AUSTIN, UH, AT THE LEGISLATURE ASSISTING OUR LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS TEAM. I CAN ASSURE THE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT THE MAYOR'S LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS TEAM IS WORKING VERY, VERY HARD ON BILLS THAT WOULD AFFECT THE CITY. UH, SO A SHOUT OUT TO THEM. I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH, OH, MAYBE ABOUT 30 LEGISLATORS AND STAFF ON ABANDONED SIGN BILL, WHICH I KNOW IS NEAR AND DEAR TO YOUR HEART, MAYOR PRO TEM. HAPPY TO, HAPPY TO, UH, UH, NOTE THAT IT DID PASS IN THE HOUSE, UH, YESTERDAY. AND HOPEFULLY IN THE FUTURE, OUR CITY WILL BE ABLE TO IMPOSE, UH, CIVIL PENALTIES ON VIOLATORS. BUT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF BILLS THAT ARE, UM, IMPACTING THE CITY. AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE, UH, OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS IF YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO UP AND WATCH OR ASSIST. AND, UH, THAT'S ALL I'VE GOT. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH. UM, I JUST WANNA RECAP. UM, I WAS, UH, ABLE TO STAND WITH LOCAL 23 UNITE HERE LAST WEEK IN SUPPORT OF THEIR CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS. THESE ARE WORKERS, UM, THAT REALLY CREATE THE, UM, ENTERTAINMENT AND HOSPITALITY EXPERIENCE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON WITH THE HILTON, GEORGIA, BROWN AND, AND MARRIOTT. SO LOOKING FORWARD TO CONTINUING STAYING WITH THEM THROUGH THEIR CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS. UM, WAS ABLE TO ATTEND AN EVENT WITH, UH, SENATOR RAPHAEL WARNOCK WAS IN HOUSTON. UM, AND, AND THAT WAS GOOD INFORMATION. IT WAS GLAD THAT, UH, THE GEORGIA SENATOR MADE HIS WAY TO TEXAS. UH, LAST WEEK, I ALSO PARTICIPATED IN THE, IN THE NATIONAL ARAB HERITAGE MONTH AT THE, UM, ARAB CENTER. IN A LEAVE, WE HAD A GREAT DISCUSSION, UM, ABOUT THE FIRST KNOWN ARAB AND AFRICAN EXPLORER OF NORTH AMERICA AND A SERIES OF OTHER EVENTS. WHAT I REALLY WANNA PUNCTUATE ARE A COUPLE OF THINGS. UM, ONE, I MET WITH THE WEST SIDE, HPD, UH, DRT TEAM FOR THE APARTMENT COMPLEX METALS ON THE MUSE, WHICH IS RIGHT THERE OFF OF DAIRY ASHFORD AND WESTHEIMER. THEY ARE INUNDATED WITH CRIME INSTANCES, SQUATTERS, AGGRESSIVE, UH, INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE UNHOUSED AND THE OWNERS ARE DOING EVERYTHING THAT THEY CAN. WHAT'S UNIQUE ABOUT THIS DEVELOPMENT IS THAT EACH APARTMENT UNIT IS ESSENTIALLY OWNED BY AN INDIVIDUAL. AND SO IT'S NOT A TYPICAL MULTIFAMILY, UM, UH, DEVELOPMENT. AND SO WE'RE WORKING HAND IN HAND. I'VE INQUIRED WITH HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS ABOUT INSTALLING A PRIVATE GATE, UM, TO LIMIT ACCESS WHERE A LOT OF THE CRIME, UH, IS, IS GENERATING FROM. AND WESTSIDE, HPD IS WORKING WITH THEM, UM, TO CREATE, UM, SOME SOLUTIONS AS WELL. AND I REALLY WANNA THANK, UH, WEST SIDE FOR THAT. UM, AND SPEAKING OF WEST SIDE, COMMANDER CLINTON IS, UH, LEAVING WEST SIDE. HE WAS RECENTLY APPOINTED, UH, IN 2024, AND HE IS TRANSITIONING TO THE GANG UNIT. SO I JUST WANNA THANK HIM FOR HIS COLLABORATION FROM DAY ONE IN THE WORK THAT WE WERE ABLE TO DO AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO. UM, AND I'M SURE THAT WE WILL INTERFACE, UM, AS A, UM, IN HIS, IN THE GANG DIVISION. AND THEN I ALSO WANNA CONGRATULATE COMMANDER REMETER, WHO'S NO STRANGER TO WEST SIDE. I WANNA WELCOME YOU BACK TO THE WEST. UM, AND I APPRECIATE YOU HAVING, UM, UM, UH, AN EXPERIENCE WITH THAT, UH, COMMAND CENTER IN THE COMMUNITIES THAT WE SERVE. I ALSO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT THE A LEAF YMCA IS CLOSING ON MAY 30TH, UM, WHICH WAS DEFINITELY DEVASTATING NEWS TO THE COMMUNITY. HOWEVER, MOST PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THAT WE DO HAVE ANOTHER YMCA IN DISTRICT F. THE CINCO RANCH LOCATION IS WITHIN OUR FOOTPRINT. AND I'VE HAD, UH, UH, UH, PRELIMINARY CONVERSATIONS WITH YMCA ON, UM, HOW WE CAN CONTINUE PARTNERSHIPS THIS SUMMER TO DO SOME BRIDGE GAPPING WITH THE PROGRAMS, ESPECIALLY WITH MY SWIM SAFETY EVENT. UM, SO STAY TUNED FOR MORE OF THOSE DETAILS. AND I DO WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE OFFICER GREEN. I KNOW WE CELEBRATED HER BRIEFLY YESTERDAY, AND AS I PINNED ON HER CARD, SHE WAS, UH, THERE, UH, UH, AND DAY ONE OF MY TERM. AND IT WAS MY EXPECTATION THAT SHE WOULD BE THERE AT THE LAST DAY OF MY TERM. AND SO I JUST WANNA THANK HER FOR HER SERVICE AND KEEPING US SAFE, CHECKING IN ON US, AND MAKING SURE COUNCIL MEMBER, STAFF AND EVERYONE HAD WHAT WE NEED AND THAT WE WERE SECURE WHILE SERVING THE CITY. UM, AND THEN, UH, LASTLY, I DO WANT TO WISH A HAPPY 96 TO JU MAGOWAN WHO JOINED US, UH, YESTERDAY IN CHAMBERS, THE WIDOW OF ERNEST MCGOWAN, FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER. UM, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, A FUN FACT. HER GRANDDAUGHTER IS MY LINE SISTER. SO, UH, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO HER. AND I KNOW THE FAMILY IS, UH, CELEBRATING WELL, AND I DO WANNA SHOUT OUT AND, AND APPRECIATE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD FOR COMING TO THE WEST SIDE ON SUNDAY, WHERE WE CELEBRATED THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY 50TH, UH, UH, COMM COMMEMORATION OF THE VIETNAM WAR, UM, AND TO THE VIETNAMESE COMMUNITIES OF HOUSTON AND GREATER [07:25:01] VICINITIES, UH, FOR ORGANIZING SUCH A STELLAR CELEBRATION. AND, UH, MEMORIAL AND ALL OF OUR PARTNER WAS THERE FROM THE MANAGEMENT DISTRICT, A LEAF ISD UH, VETERANS REPRESENTATIVES FROM OTHER COUNTRIES THAT SUPPORTED, UH, VIETNAM AND, AND, UH, RECEIVING, UM, UH, THOSE IMPACTED BY THE WAR IN TERMS OF RESETTLEMENT. SO DEFINITELY PROUD TO SHARE MY SUNDAY AFTERNOON WITH YOU. AND THEN LASTLY, SECRETARY PAT. UM, I KNOW YOU'RE CHECKED OUT ON US, BUT WE HAD AN INCREDIBLY LONG MEETING JUST FOR YOU TO EXTEND YOUR TIME HERE TODAY. SO I WISH YOU NOTHING BUT MIRACLES AND BLESSING ON YOUR RETIREMENT. THANK YOU. VICE MAYOR, PRO TEM, PAT, THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TEM. UM, WE STILL HAVE SOME MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE MEETING HERE, SO I'LL UM, REMIND EVERYONE THAT OUR NEXT COMMITTEE MEETING WILL ACTUALLY BE NEXT THURSDAY INSTEAD OF TUESDAY AS A CHANGE SINCE, UM, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE IS DOING THEIR, UM, I BELIEVE THEIR PRESS CONFERENCE FOR THE BUDGET ON TUESDAY. SO WE CHANGED OUR COMMITTEE MEETING TO THURSDAY, SO IT'LL BE THURSDAY, MAY 8TH AT 10:00 AM. TOPICS INCLUDE, UM, HPDS, GREATER HOUSTON POLICE ACTIVITIES LEAGUE, AND THEN A PRESENTATION FROM THE COLLECTIVE ACTION FOR YOUTH, WHICH, UM, OUR VICE CHAIR JACKSON, UM, REQUESTED. SO WE'RE EXCITED TO HAVE BOTH OF THEM. UM, SO PLE, PLEASE JOIN US NEXT THURSDAY FOR THAT COMMITTEE MEETING. ALSO, UM, STAYING ON THE TOPIC OF PUBLIC SAFETY, UM, OUR HPD NORTHWEST DIVISION IS HOSTING A COFFEE WITH A COP EVENT ON FRIDAY MORNING AT 9:00 AM AT THE STARBUCKS ON GESNER. UM, SO PLEASE JOIN US IF YOU WANT TO TALK TO THE NORTHWEST, UM, OFFICERS AND OUR NEW CAPTAIN AS WELL. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TIM. UH, FIRST I JUST WANT TO GIVE EVERYBODY A HEADS UP THAT WE ARE PLANNING OUR TO HOLD OUR THIRD, UH, MEETING FOCUS ON THE GEORGE R. BROWN EXPANSION AND POLK STREET ONCE HOUSTON FIRST HAS A MORE SUBSTANTIVE, UH, SUBSTANTIVE, UH, UM, UPDATES TO SHARE WITH THE COMMUNITY. BUT IN THE MEANTIME, I'M, I AM WORKING ON A MEETING WITH THE COMMUNITY, UH, LEADERS IN HOUSTON, FIRST IN THE COMING DAYS, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CONVERSATION AND ENGAGEMENT CONTINUES. I THINK IT'S, UM, IMPORTANT TO SHARE THAT, UH, THIS WILL BE OUR THIRD MEETING, BUT WE HAVE HAD, AND I'VE SAT DOWN WITH RESIDENTS OVER THE LAST TWO MONTHS, UH, SEVERAL TIMES. SO, UM, THERE HAS BEEN ENGAGEMENT, PLENTY OF ENGAGEMENT, UM, AND WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, THAT WE DO THAT. UM, ALSO JUST WANT TO CONGRATULATE, UH, MY DIRECTOR OF CONSTITUENT SERVICES, UH, JUAN. JUAN PABLO. UH, HE'LL BE RECEIVING HIS MASTERS IN LEGAL STUDIES THIS SATURDAY. UH, WE'RE PROUD OF HIM. UH, JP, YOUR HARD WORK, UH, DEDICATION IS DEFINITELY DOESN'T GO UNSEEN. UM, SO CONGRATULATIONS. WE LOOK FORWARD TO CELEBRATING WITH YOU AS WELL. THANK YOU. THEN I'LL ROUND IT OUT WITH A COUPLE OF ANNOUNCEMENTS. UM, THE LONG AWAITED DEMOLITION OF SPRING VILLAGE APARTMENTS IN WESTBURY COMMUNITY IS SCHEDULED TO BEGIN ON MONDAY, MAY THE FIFTH. UH, THE ABATEMENT PROCESS IS STILL IN PROCESS, UM, BUT THEY WILL START, UH, DEMOLITION ON THE FIRST BUILDING ON MAY THE FIFTH. SO WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO, UH, HAVING SIX ACRE, UH, ACRES OF PROPERTY THERE THAT CAN HELP WITH FLOOD RETENTION IN THE WESTBURY AREA. ALSO, ON MAY THE THIRD, THE HPD SOUTHWEST DIVISION WILL HOLD THEIR BICYCLE RODEO AT THE WESTBURY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH. YOU CAN REACH OUT TO THEM FOR ANY INFORMATION. UH, IF YOU DON'T HAVE A BIKE, THEY'LL HAVE SOME BIKES AVAILABLE FOR THE KIDDOS AS WELL. UH, THE HOUSTON PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT LET US KNOW ABOUT THE TEMPORARY CLOSURE OF MARION PARK COMMUNITY CENTER. REALLY WEIRD OUTAGE HAPPENED BECAUSE A SNAKE CAME IN CONTACT WITH THE, UM, FACILITIES POWER. UH, SO THEY HAVE, THEY HAVE A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER THERE. THE SNAKE DID THAT, UH, . SO WE, WE ARE UNFORTUNATELY HAVING TO RELOCATE SOME OF THE PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES AT MARION PARK AND LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN PREVENT THAT FROM HAPPENING, UH, IN THE FUTURE. UM, THEN FINALLY, I WANT TO, UM, SAY TOMORROW IS MELVIN HOPKINS. LAST DAY IN THE DISTRICT K OFFICE. AND I'M SO SAD. I KNOW MELVIN WILL BE, UH, RETIRING. UH, MANY OF YOU, YOU KNOW, THAT HIS WIFE, UM, DOES HAVE, UH, BREAST CANCER AND, UH, HE WANTS TO TAKE THIS TIME TO SPEND WITH HER AND HELP HER THROUGH HER RECOVERY. SO, ALTHOUGH I UNDERSTAND, I STILL DON'T LIKE IT. UM, AND WE WISH MELVIN THE VERY BEST. UH, HE JOINED THE DISTRICT, A OFFICE ONCE I WAS ELECTED ON JULY THE FIFTH, UH, 2018. AND HE'S BEEN AN INVALUABLE, UH, ASSET TO THE DISTRICT, A TEAM TO OUR COMMUNITY, CLEANUPS AND ALL THAT WE DO IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO WE WISH MELVIN A A VERY HAPPY RETIREMENT. DITTO TO EVERYONE ELSE WHO'S CELEBRATING BIRTHDAYS, RETIREMENTS, AND EVERYTHING ELSE. AND THEN I DO WANT TO LET Y'ALL KNOW THAT WE ARE GONNA CELEBRATE WHEN THE BANDIT SIGNED. BILL [07:30:01] GETS ACROSS THE SENATE . THIS IS THE THIRD TIME WE HAVE TAKEN THIS BILL TO AUSTIN, UM, HOUSE BILL 36 11, PASSED THE HOUSE ON YESTERDAY WITH 129 YESES, 17 NOS AND TWO PRESENTS, NOT VOTING. AND, UM, I DO WANT TO GIVE A SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO REPRESENTATIVE CURRY FOR CARRYING THAT BILL THAT WE'VE BEEN CHAMPIONING FOR THREE YEARS. LOOKING FORWARD TO IT GOING IN THE SENATE. YOU KNOW, UM, UM, SENATOR BORIS MILES CARRIED IT IN THE SENATE. IT PASSED THE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE FIVE TO FOUR, BUT WE'RE HOPING THAT IT WILL MAKE A BIG SPLASH AND END UP ON THE GOVERNOR'S DESK. AND THEN WE'LL BE OUT HERE IN HOUSTON MAKING , MAKING BIG CHANGE. UH, SO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR ATTENTION AND TIME TODAY. UH, WE STAND ADJOURN, MARTA. * 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.