[Proposition A Committee on May 27, 2025.]
[00:00:24]
I'M MARY ANNE HUFFMAN, CHAIR OF THE PROPOSITION A COMMITTEE, AND I'D LIKE TO WELCOME YOU.
UM, AND THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
THE TIME IS NINE O'CLOCK ON MAY 27TH, AND I'M GONNA CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER.
I WANNA TAKE A MOMENT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE TO RECOGNIZE AND HONOR THAT YESTERDAY WAS MEMORIAL DAY, THE TIME TO REMEMBER THE BRAVE MEN AND WOMEN WHO WORE THE UNIFORM AND GAVE THEIR LIVES IN SERVICE TO OUR COUNTRY.
THEIR SACRIFICES, THE FOUNDATION OF FREEDOMS WE CHERISH.
AND THEIR COURAGE REMAINS A GUIDING LIGHT FOR ALL OF US.
WE MEAN, MAY WE NEVER FORGET THE COST OF LIBERTY AND ALWAYS STRIVE TO LIVE IN A WAY THAT HONORS THEIR MEMORY.
NOW I WANNA WELCOME EVERYONE IN ATTENDANCE TODAY, AS WELL AS THOSE WATCHING ON HTV OR ONLINE.
IN THIS COMMITTEE, WE AIM TO FACILITATE THE IMPLE IMPLEMENTATION OF PROPOSITION A.
AND I'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE VICE-CHAIR EVAN SHABAZZ FOR ANY REMARKS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.
AND CERTAINLY I CONVEY MY SAME SENTIMENTS REGARDING MEMORIAL DAY.
AND, UM, JUST GLAD TO BE HERE THIS MORNING, THIS WEEK KIND OF POPPED IN ON ME THIS DAY, THIS MEETING, BUT I'M HERE.
BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PROCESS AND FOR, UH, GETTING THIS DONE SO THAT WE CAN DO THE BUSINESS OF THE CITY.
TODAY, IN CHAMBERS, WE ARE JOINED BY COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, VICE CHAIR EVAN SHABAZZ, COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, VICE MAYOR, PRO TIM.
COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ AND STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD'S, OFFICE STAFF FROM MAYOR PRO TEM KASEK TATUM'S, OFFICE STAFF FROM TIFFANY THOMAS'S OFFICE.
AND, UH, ABBY CAYMAN'S OFFICE AND TARSHA JACKSON'S OFFICE.
SO WE'LL CONSIDER SOME IMPORTANT AGENDA ITEMS BROUGHT FORWARD BY SEVERAL COUNCIL MEMBERS TODAY.
FOR EACH ITEM, WE'LL START BY GIVING THE FLOOR TO THE AUTHORING COUNCIL MEMBER TO PRESENT IT.
AND THEN AFTER THAT WE'LL OPEN IT UP FOR COMMITTEE DISCUSSION, FOLLOWED BY PUBLIC COMMENTS FOR THAT ITEM.
AND THEN WE CAN MOVE ON WITH ANY MOTIONS.
SO, UM, THE SECOND ITEM IN THE AGENDA IS THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE TO CREATE AN APARTMENT INSPECTION ORDINANCE.
IS THERE A MOTION TO TAKE UP ITEM TWO SECOND, UH, MOTION MADE AND SECONDED.
AND I WILL GIVE COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER THE FLOOR.
UM, THANK YOU CO-CHAIR EVAN SHABAZZ, MY COLLEAGUES, UH, MANY OF THE STAKEHOLDERS IN THE ROOM TODAY, UM, IN OUR COMMUNITY.
IT IS INCREDIBLY EXCITING THAT I'M ABLE TO PRESENT THIS TO YOU AND HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO.
UM, I'D ALSO WANNA SAY THAT MY CHIEF OF STAFF IN BGI IS HERE.
SHE WILL, UM, BE ASSISTING WITH A LITTLE BIT OF THE DATA, JUST TO GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH IN TERMS OF APARTMENTS.
UM, WE HAVE APART APPROXIMATELY 5,000 APARTMENT COMPLEXES.
ABOUT HALF OF THEM, UM, ARE CONSIDERED COD.
MANY OF THOSE WERE, UH, AFFECTED DURING HARVEY, WHICH MAKES IT CHALLENGING OFTENTIMES FOR LANDLORDS TO MAKE THE REPAIRS NECESSARY.
UM, AND ABOUT 50% OF OUR RESIDENTS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON ARE APARTMENT DWELLERS.
THE PURPOSE OF THIS ORDINANCE IS STRAIGHTFORWARD BUT PROFOUND.
IT IS TO PROTECT OUR RESIDENTS FROM SUBSTANDARD AND DANGEROUS HOUSING CONDITIONS.
THIS ORDINANCE AIMS TO ACHIEVE THROUGH ITS PROACTIVE APPROACH INVOLVING ROBUST ENFORCEMENT, CLEAR REGISTRATION SYSTEM FOR HIGH RISK PROPERTIES AND VITAL SUPPORT PROGRAMS FOR BOTH TENANTS AND LANDLORDS.
THIS IS ABOUT SHIFTING FROM A REACTIVE STANCE TO ONE OF PREVENTIVE CARE TO OUR COMMUNITIES.
AS OUTLINED IN THE ORDINANCE PROPOSALS BACKGROUND SECTION, THE CHALLENGE OF HOLDING OWNERS ACCOUNTABLE FOR UNSAFE CONDITIONS ISN'T NEW.
DESPITE PAST EFFORTS, HABITABILITY COMPLAINTS IN MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING REMAINS FREQUENT.
THERE'S A CLEAR NEED FOR A COHESIVE CITYWIDE MECHANISM TO ADDRESS THESE COMPLAINTS.
CONVERSATIONS TO UPDATE OUR MULTIFAMILY HABITABILITY CODE BEGAN IN 2021 WITH MY BUDGET AMENDMENT.
AND THIS ORDINANCE FORMALIZES THOSE VITAL DISCUSSIONS INTO ACTIONABLE CODE AMENDMENTS.
[00:05:01]
LIMIT THESE RESULTS WHEN IT COMES TO SAFETY OF OUR CONSTITUENTS.DURING 2021, WE MADE THE RECOMMENDATION TO INCREASE THE HEALTH CODE INSPECTORS BECAUSE WE ONLY HAD TWO AT THE TIME.
AND SO WE WERE ABLE TO GET IT, WE TO INCREASE IT BY EIGHT.
SO NOW WE HAVE EIGHT HEALTH CODE INSPECTORS.
AND TO BE CLEAR, THE HEALTH INSPECTORS ARE THE ONLY ONES ACTUALLY ABLE TO ENTER A DWELLING.
ALL OF THE OTHER INSPECTORS INSPECT THE EXTERIOR PORTIONS OF THE DWELLINGS.
NOW I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO MANI AND SHE WILL GO OVER SOME DATA.
SO FOR THIS ORDINANCE, WE ANALYZE NINE YEARS WORTH OF 3 1 1 DATA, STARTING WITH 2016, ALL THE WAY UP TO AND INCLUDING 2024.
UH, ON THIS SLIDE, YOU SEE, UH, THE DATA SUMMARIZED WITH A NUMBER OF REQUESTS RECEIVED PER YEAR BETWEEN 2016 TO 2024.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE DATA, YOU SEE THAT THE REQUEST STAYED FAIRLY CONSISTENT FROM 2016 TO 2021, RANGING BETWEEN ABOUT 360,000 AND 400,000 COMPLAINTS.
HOWEVER, IN 2024 REQUESTS WERE SHARPLY REACHING THE HIGHEST POINT.
SO WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR YOUR INDIVIDUAL DISTRICTS? NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
SO THE 3 0 1 DATA THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE, THE SERVICE REQUESTS, WHAT REQUEST WAS IT SPECIFICALLY? SO THESE ARE ALL THE REQUESTS.
THEY'RE ALL, ALL THE 3 1 1 REQUESTS.
SO ON THIS SLIDE YOU SEE A LINK.
IF YOU HAVE YOUR LAPTOP WITH YOU, YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND CLICK ON THAT LINK.
AND THAT'S GONNA OPEN UP TABLEAU.
'CAUSE WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT SOME OF THE DATA FROM SOME OF THE YEARS IN MORE DETAIL.
AND SO HERE WE HAVE 2024, AND YOU SEE ALL THE DISTRICTS AND ALL THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF SERVICE REQUESTS RECEIVED.
ON THE RIGHT HAND, YOU SEE SOME FILTERS.
SO YOU CAN FILTER THE DATA BY SERVICE REQUEST AND DISTRICT.
OKAY, I'M GONNA GIVE YOU A MOMENT TO LOOK AT IT.
AND YOU CAN H HOVER YOUR MOUSE OVER THE NUMBERS AND IT'LL GIVE YOU SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
BUT THAT'S WHAT WAS RECEIVED IN 2024.
SO NOW I'M GONNA ASK YOU TO CHECK ALL DISTRICTS AND UNCHECK NULL.
AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT MULTI-FAMILY, UH, HABITABILITY FOR, FOR THIS PRESENTATION.
SO HERE WE HAVE THE NUMBERS FOR 2024 ACROSS ALL DISTRICTS, JUST AS AN FYI.
WHEN SOMEBODY CALLS 3 1 1, DEPENDING ON WHO TAKES THE CALL, WHO INPUTS THE DATA, IT CAN BE CODED VERY DIFFERENTLY.
SO YOU CAN RECEIVE A COMPLAINT FROM AN APARTMENT COMPLEX.
IT MIGHT BE CODED UNDER MULTI MULTIFAMILY.
IT COULD BE CODED UNDER FIRE CODE, UH, VIOLATION, OR BUILDING CODE VIOLATIONS.
IT COULD BE A NUMBER OF REQUESTS.
BUT OVERALL, HABITABILITY GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE IN ALL THE DISTRICTS.
WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT ONE MORE VERY QUICKLY.
SO, 2023, AND AGAIN, THAT HAS ALL THE SERVICE REQUESTS BROKEN DOWN BY DISTRICT.
SO WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND CHECK ALL DISTRICTS UNCHECK NULL, AND THEN AGAIN, MULTIFAMILY INHABITABILITY.
SO AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE TWO YEARS THAT WE'VE REVIEWED, THE COMPLAINTS ARE CONS CONSISTENT ACROSS ALL DISTRICTS.
ALL DISTRICTS ARE IMPACTED BY THIS.
SO WHAT DO THESE NUMBERS REPRESENT? THESE NUMBERS REPRESENT INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES WHO CALL 3 1 1 BECAUSE THEY DEEMED THEIR HEALTH AND SAFETY WAS RISK IN THEIR APARTMENT.
NOW, DOES THIS DATA REFLECT THE REALITY OF HOUSTON? PROBABLY NOT, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT SOME PEOPLE CALL 3 1 1, BUT NOT EVERYBODY CALLS 3 1 1.
WE KNOW THAT SOME PEOPLE CALL THEIR DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBERS.
SOME PEOPLE CALL THEIR LARGE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
SOME PEOPLE CALL TENANT ADVOCACY GROUPS.
SOME PEOPLE COME TO PUBLIC SESSION AND SOMETIMES PEOPLE CALL THE MEDIA.
VERY OFTEN IN OUR OFFICE, WE FIND OUT FROM THE MEDIA THAT THERE'S AN ISSUE IN AN APARTMENT COMPLEX.
WHEN YOU GET THE TIME, PLEASE GO THROUGH IT, FILTER THE DATA, LOOK AT THE SERVICE REQUEST, LOOK AT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE IN YOUR DISTRICT BECAUSE THE DA DATA SPEAKS FOR ITSELF.
SO, SO BASED ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, BASED ON STAKEHOLDERS AND THE RESIDENTS THAT WE'VE HEARD, A LOT OF MY COLLEAGUES THAT WERE HERE IN THE LAST, IN THE LAST TERM, MANY OF US HEARD FROM MANY, MANY RESIDENTS COMPLAINING ABOUT THE CONDITIONS THEY WERE LIVING IN.
WE MADE THE DECISION TO CREATE AN ORDINANCE THAT'S DETAILED IN THIS PROPOSAL,
[00:10:01]
THIS AMENDMENT OR THIS ORDINANCE, AMENDS CHAPTER 10 OF THE HOUSTON CODE OF ORDINANCE, SPECIFICALLY TARGETING THE MULTIFAMILY HABITABILITY CODE.IT STRENGTHENS ENFORCEMENT BY CREATING A HIGH RISK APARTMENT INSPECTION PROGRAM, WHICH WE ARE GONNA BE REFERRING IT TO AS HRRB PROGRAM.
IT PROVIDES CLEAR ACTIONABLE DEFINITIONS FOR HABITABILITY, HIGH RISK RENTAL BUILDINGS AND MULTI-FAMILY RENTAL BUILDINGS, RE REMOVING ANY AMBIGUITY.
AND IT FORMALLY AUTHORIZES THE APARTMENT STANDARDS ENFORCEMENT COMMITTEE WE'RE GONNA REFER TO AS ASEC.
THIS COMMITTEE WAS CREATED UNDER MAYOR PARKER'S ADMINISTRATION PER AP SEVEN DASH EIGHT SINCE 2013.
TO COORDINATE THESE CITYWIDE RESPONSES, EFFECTIVELY, THE ORDINANCE REVIVES ASEC.
LET'S DIVE INTO HIGH RISK APARTMENT INSPECTION PROGRAM, A REGISTRATION TRIGGER AS PER SECTION 10 DASH 1 71.
A PROPERTY OWNER WILL BE REQUIRED TO REGISTER AS AN HRRB IF THEY RECEIVE 10 OR MORE HABITABILITY CITATIONS WITHIN 12 MONTH PERIOD.
THIS TARGETS REPEAT SERIOUS OFFENDERS ONLY MANDATORY INSPECTIONS.
ONCE REGISTERED IN THE HRRB, THEY WILL UNDERGO INITIAL AND FOLLOW UP INSPECTIONS BY RELEVANT CITY DEPARTMENTS AS OUTLINED IN SECTION 10 DASH 1 74.
THIS ENSURES FOCUSED ATTENTION WHERE IT'S MOST NEEDED.
AND FINALLY, ENFORCEMENT, WE'RE ALSO STRENGTHENING THE CONSEQUENCES.
THIS INCLUDES MISDEMEANOR FINES RANGING FROM TWO 50 TO 2000 PER VIOLATION PER DAY POTENTIAL REVOCATION OF THE CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY BY HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS AND CIVIL ACTION BY THE CITY ATTORNEY IF THE VIOLATIONS PERSIST, THIS GIVES THIS ORDINANCE REAL TEETH.
AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS THE CITY OF HOUSTON HAS FULL AUTHORITY TO DO THIS.
WE JUST HAVE NOT BEEN IN A POSITION TO DO IT BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T HAD A CODIFIED ORDINANCE TO GIVE US THAT POWER.
THIS ORDINANCE ISN'T ABOUT ENFORCEMENT AGAINST BAD ACTORS.
IT'S FUNDAMENTALLY ABOUT EMPOWERING OUR TENANTS SO THAT THEY CAN ADVOCATE FOR THEMSELVES AS PER SECTION 10 DASH 1 77.
THE BUILDING OFFICIAL IN CONJUNCTION WITH HOUSTON'S PUBLIC WORKS, MAY ESTABLISH A PROGRAM TO PROVIDE TENANTS IN THE HRRB WITH COMPLAINT SUPPORT, ADVICE AND REFERRALS.
SECTION 10 DASH 1 78 MANDATES AND OUTLINE DIRECTORY OF HR BS, INCLUDING CONTACT DETAILS, MAKING INFORMATION ACCESSIBLE AND TRANSPARENT.
THIS ENSURES THAT TENANTS KNOW THEIR RIGHTS AND HAVE A CLEAR PATHWAY TO REPORT UNSAFE CONDITIONS FOSTERING A SAFER ENVIRONMENT FOR EVERYONE.
WE ALSO RECOGNIZE IT'S IMPORTANT OF SUPPORTING PROPERTY OWNERS AND LANDLORDS IN UNDERSTANDING AND MEETING THEIR OBLIGATIONS.
THAT'S WHY SECTION 10 DASH 1 79 ESTABLISHES A LANDLORD TRAINING PROGRAM, WHICH FOR US WOULD BE HPDS BLUE STAR TRAINING PROGRAM.
OWNERS OF HR BS WILL BE REQUIRED TO COMPLETE AT LEAST 10 HOURS OF ANNUAL TRAINING.
THIS TRAINING WILL COVER CRITICAL AREAS, CITY AND STATE HABITABILITY LAWS, BEST PRACTICES FOR PROPERTY MANAGEMENT AND TENANT SAFETY.
AND CONTACT INFORMATION FOR CITY DEPARTMENTS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT CERTIFICATION OF COMPLETION WILL BE REQUIRED WITHIN 30 DAYS OF THE PROGRAM'S REGISTRATION.
THIS IS ABOUT FOLKS FOSTERING RESPONSIBLE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT AND A PROACTIVE COMPLIANCE.
[00:15:01]
IS A REALLY EXCITING PIECE, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE WERE DEALING WITH BUREAU.OUR COMMITMENT TO PROTECTING VULNERABLE POPULATIONS IS PARAMOUNT.
INTRODUCING INTRODUCES A CRUCIAL PROVISION FOR SENIOR LIVING FACILITIES.
WE SAW HOW OUR SENIORS SUFFERED DURING DERECHO AND BARREL.
SO UNDER THIS PROVISION, IN THE EVENT OF AN EXTREME WEATHER EMERGENCY, THESE FACILITIES WILL BE REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN ACCESS TO A COMMON AREA POWERED BY PERMANENT OR TEMPORARY GENERATOR, ENSURE THEIR THEIR AVAILABILITY OF A FUNCTIONAL REFRIGERATOR SUPPORTED BY BACKUP POWER FOR PROPERTY, STRONG STORING TEMPERATURE SENSITIVE MEDICATIONS.
THIS IS A COMMON SENSE MEASURE TO SAFEGUARD OUR SENIORS DURING A CRISIS.
SO LET ME REITERATE THAT IT IS ONE SMALL COMMON AREA AND JUST ONE REFRIGERATOR.
WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR THEM TO PUT A GENERATOR TO, TO HAVE THE ENTIRE PROPERTY MANAGED.
WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT OUR SENIORS CAN GO INTO AN AREA IN THE WARM OR COLD AND MAKE SURE THEIR MEDICATIONS CAN BE, UM, KEPT AT, AT A PROPER TEMPERATURE.
NOW, HOW DOES ALL OF THIS COME TOGETHER? WE CANNOT CONTINUE TO WORK IN A SILO.
THE APARTMENT STANDARDS ENFORCEMENT COMMITTEE OR ASEC, AS DEFINED ON PAGE ONE OF THE ORDINANCE AND AUTHORIZED BY AP SEVEN DASH EIGHT IS A LINCHPIN OF COORDINATION.
ASEC WILL COORDINATE MULTI-DEPARTMENTAL ENFORCEMENT, BRINGING TOGETHER PUBLIC WORKS, H-F-D-H-P-D-H-C-D, LEGAL AND HEALTH.
IT WILL MAINTAIN A CITYWIDE DATABASE OF ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS.
IT WILL HELP PROTECT THE DUE PROCESS RIGHTS OF BOTH THE TENANTS AND THE OWNERS.
AND IT WILL RECOMMEND POLICY IMPROVEMENTS TO THE MAYOR AND TO COUNCIL, ENSURING THIS REMAINS A LIVING EFFECTIVE SYSTEM.
THE STRUCTURE ENSURERS ACCOUNTABILITY AND EFFICIENT USE OF CITIES RESOURCES.
IN THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION, MAN, TURNER CREATED A STRIKE TEAM.
OKAY, SO THIS TEAM ALREADY EXISTS, BUT IT WASN'T VERY SPECIFIC IN TERMS OF HOW OFTEN THEY MET, IF THEY'RE ALL GONNA WORK TOGETHER.
SO AS YOU SEE BY THE DIAGRAM, ASEC IS IN THE CENTER.
ALL OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS ARE STILL WORKING ON HABITABILITY.
THERE, THERE MANY OF THEM ARE IN THE AUDIENCE RIGHT NOW.
THEY ARE WHO WE CALL ALL THE TIME WHEN THERE'S A CHALLENGE.
BUT NOW WHAT WE'RE SAYING IS WE'RE GONNA WORK IN UNISON AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE ONE CENTRAL COORDINATOR.
AND ALL OF THESE, ALL OF THESE STAKEHOLDERS WILL WORK WITH THAT ONE COORDINATOR AND MAKE SURE THAT THESE, THE LANDLORDS AND THE TENANTS ARE SUPPORTED.
WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE REITERATE THAT EVERYONE WILL BE SUPPORTED BY THIS GROUP.
SO WHAT ARE THE EXPECTED BENEFITS OF PASSING THIS ORDINANCE? FIRST AND FOREMOST, IMPROVED HOUSING SAFETY AND QUALITY FOR HOUSTON RESIDENTS.
THIS IS OUR PRIMARY OBJECTIVE.
GREATER ACCOUNTABILITY FOR PROPERTY OWNERS.
THOSE WHO NEGLECT THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES WILL FACE CLEAR CONSEQUENCES.
AND FINALLY, IT ENABLES A DATA-DRIVEN POLICY AND RESOURCE ALLOCATION BY SYSTEMATICALLY TRACKING ISSUES IN RESPONSE THROUGH ASAC.
WE CAN MAKE SMARTER DECISIONS MOVING FORWARD.
AND THAT IS THE END OF MY PRESENTATION.
I WOULD LIKE TO JUST MAKE A COUPLE OF COMMENTS BEFORE WE TAKE QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL, IF THAT'S OKAY WITH YOU.
AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, COLLEAGUES, I'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR A LONG TIME.
IT IS JUST SURREAL THAT I'M SITTING IN FRONT OF YOU TODAY TALKING ABOUT THIS CONVERSATION.
AND WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO DO THAT WITHOUT, UM, CHAIR HUFFMAN.
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION.
WE DID THIS IN A BIT OF REVERSE, BUT IT IN A POSITIVE WAY.
SO WE DEALT WITH IT LEGALLY FIRST BECAUSE WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT LEGAL LOOKED AT THIS.
AND SO THIS PROCESS HAS BEEN COMPLETED FROM A LEGAL PERSPECTIVE.
IT STILL HAS TO GO THROUGH GENERAL COUNSEL, AND AS ALL OF YOU KNOW, THAT'S PRETTY STANDARD.
BUT EVERYTHING THAT YOU SEE IN THE ORDINANCE HAS BEEN VETTED FROM A LEGAL PERSPECTIVE.
WE'VE HAD ALL OF OUR CONVERSATIONS WITH STAKEHOLDERS.
THIS HAS NOT BEEN DONE IN A SILO.
WE HAVE TALKED TO EVERYONE, UM, FROM THE ACTIVIST SIDE, FROM THE APARTMENT, YOU KNOW, ASSOCIATION SIDE.
ALL STAKEHOLDERS HAVE BEEN A PART OF THIS CONVERSATION, AND WE DECIDED TO DO THIS IN THE MOST MIDDLE OF THE ROADWAY TO WHERE NO ONE IS NEGATIVELY AFFECTED BY THIS, BUT OUR RESIDENTS ARE ABLE TO BENEFIT
[00:20:03]
MOVING FORWARD.I WELCOME ANY RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, ANY, ANY AMENDMENTS FROM MY COLLEAGUES TO PLEASE GIVE THOSE TO US BY JUNE THE SIXTH.
OUR GOAL IS TO SUBMIT THIS TO THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, THE AGENDA'S OFFICE, BY THE 10TH OF JUNE TO HOPEFULLY PUT IT ON THE AGENDA BY THE 17TH.
SO WE'RE DEFINITELY OPEN TO THAT.
PLEASE EMAIL ANY QUESTIONS, AMENDMENT CHANGES TO MANIRA.
WE'RE GONNA TRY TO PUT THIS IN A SHAREPOINT LINK SO THAT ALL OF YOU CAN SEE OTHER QUESTIONS THAT MAY BE, SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE THAT MAY BE THE SAME.
SO WE CAN KIND OF, YOU KNOW, EXPEDITE THIS.
MANY OF THESE ISSUES ARE HAPPENING IN MOST, AS YOU SAW THROUGH THE DATA.
I WANNA COMMEND MY CHIEF OF STAFF.
3 1 1 IS NOT INCREDIBLY EASY TO WORK THROUGH, AND SHE WENT THROUGH AND TRIED TO BRING IT.
SO PLEASE PERUSE THAT INFORMATION.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, YOU KNOW, I'M HERE, UM, TO ANSWER ANY OF THE QUESTIONS.
UM, AND THEN FINALLY, I WANT TO REALLY THANK HPD AND PUBLIC WORKS.
I MEAN, THEY ARE HAVE BEEN SO INCREDIBLY SUPPORTIVE WHENEVER WE'VE CALLED THEM WITH ISSUES.
AND I ALSO WANNA, UM, ACKNOWLEDGE NOT ONLY MY COUNCIL MEMBERS, BUT YOUR STAFF BECAUSE YOUR STAFF HAVE ALSO WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH US TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR RESIDENTS ARE LIVING IN A SAFE ENVIRONMENT.
SO WITH THAT, THE PRESENTATION THAT'S, THAT ENDS THE PRESENTATION.
NOW, YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU HAVE SPOKEN WITH OTHER STAKEHOLDERS, ACTIVIST GROUPS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND THEN YOU'VE MENTIONED THAT YOU WORKED WITH PUBLIC WORKS.
UM, HOW MUCH ENGAGEMENT HAS THERE BEEN WITH ANY OF THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE CITED IN THIS ORDINANCE? CONSTANTLY.
I MEAN, I WOULD PROBABLY SAY FIVE OR SIX MEETINGS.
AND THIS HAS GONE OVER TWO DIFFERENT ADMINISTRATIONS.
I MEAN, WE'RE WORKING IN THIS A LONG TIME.
SO MANY OF, MANY OF THE CONVERSATIONS WE HAD, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY UNDER THE TURNOVER ADMINISTRATION.
AND THEN WE OBVIOUSLY TALKED TO THE MAYOR'S OFFICE.
WE MET WITH HIS, HIS, HIS TEAM, AND THEN PUBLIC WORKS.
UM, I MEAN EVERYONE, H-F-D-H-P-D, I MEAN, WE WORK WITH ALL THESE DEPARTMENTS CONSISTENTLY.
AND SO THEY'VE ALL BEEN A PART OF THIS CONVERSATION IN ADDITION TO THE DEPARTMENT, UM, ASSOCIATION.
AND THIS MAY BE A QUESTION FOR LEGAL.
UM, UNDER SECTION 10 DASH 1 73, THE ENFORCEMENT, IT SAYS, UM, ADDITIONALLY, THE OWNER MAY BE SUBJECT TO CIVIL ACTION BY THE CITY ATTORNEY AND REVOCATION OF CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPATION BY THE HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS.
CAN THE CITY, CAN WE NOT ALREADY DO THIS? CAN SO CAN WE DO IT? UH, YES.
I MEAN, IT, IT IS A, UH, IT IS AVAILABLE TO BE DONE.
I GUESS THIS IS, BUT THIS IS SPECIFIC FOR THIS SPECIFIC PROGRAM.
THIS IS THIS, THIS SPECIFICALLY FOR THAT PROGRAM.
SO YEAH, IF THEY'RE IN VIOLATION, YES, THEY CAN BE FINE.
SO IT'S NOT A NEW, IT'S NOT A NEW THING TO BE FINE, BUT YES, THIS IS SPECIFICALLY FOR THE THEIR OKAY.
THIS, THIS SPECIFIC, UM, THIS SPECIFIC ITEM.
AND CHAIR, IF I COULD COMMENT ON THAT AS WELL.
UM, SO YES, WE HAVE FULL AUTHORITY.
THE PROBLEM IS THAT EVERYONE'S KIND OF WORKING IN SEPARATE SPACES.
WHAT ASEC WILL DO IS ALLOW ALL OF THEM TO COMMUNICATE COLLECTIVELY AND KIND OF WORK AS ONE BODY.
RIGHT NOW WE'RE REALLY WORKING IN SILOS.
SO WE HAVE FULL AUTHORITY TO DO IT, BUT WE'RE VERY REACTIVE.
SO WE DON'T DEAL WITH THE APARTMENT COMPLEX UNTIL WE GET A COMPLAINT.
AND THERE ARE MANY ACTORS THAT, IT'S BAD ACTORS IN GENERAL.
I MEAN, HONESTLY, WE'RE NOT GONNA FIND, THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE A LOT OF THEM.
BUT BECAUSE NO ONE, BECAUSE WE, WE HAVE SO FEW INSPECTORS, IT, JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, IT TAKES US FOUR YEARS TO DO A ROTATION OF INSPECTIONS.
AND WHAT THIS ALLOWED US TO DO IS ALLOW US TO SEE HOW MANY BAD ACTORS THEY ARE, PUT THEM IN, PUT THEM INTO SOME TYPE OF, YOU KNOW, IN THE SUPPORTIVE, YOU KNOW, UM, PROGRAM TO GIVE THEM THE TOOLS THAT THEY NEED TO MAKE THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT THEY NEED BY SUPPORTING THEM.
SO REMOVING CERTIFICATES OF OCCUPANCY, THAT IS AN ABSOLUTE LAST RESORT.
I ALSO WANNA MENTION THAT WE WANT THESE LANDLORDS TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
WE DON'T WANNA CREATE ANY HOMELESSNESS.
WE DON'T WANNA SHUT ANYONE DOWN.
WE, THE CITY DOES NOT NEED TO BE A LANDLORD.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THEY LIVE IN A SAFE SPACE.
THIS CODIFIES EVERYTHING THAT WE NORMALLY CAN DO, BUT ALLOWS US TO WORK IN UNISON.
UM, MY MAYOR, VICE PRO TEM PECK.
THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER FOR YOUR WORK ON THIS.
UM, JUST A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS, UM, ABOUT THE ORDINANCE.
UM, WHERE DID THAT NUMBER COME FROM? WAS THAT BASED ON, YOU KNOW, IS THAT LIKE THE MAGIC NUMBER THAT THERE'S NOT COMPLIANCE AFTER YOU GET TO THAT 10 NUMBER? YEAH, WHAT WE FIND, AS MANY OF THEM HAVE LIKE SEVEN OR EIGHT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S KIND OF LIKE AN AVERAGE.
AND OFTENTIMES WE HAVE TO GIVE PEOPLE AN OPPORTUNITY, RIGHT? TO MAKE THE REPAIRS
[00:25:01]
THAT THEY NEED TO.WE FELT LIKE 10 WAS A GOOD NUMBER BECAUSE IT WAS ABOVE WHAT THE AVERAGE WAS.
UM, AND THEN WE THOUGHT IT SO WAS FAIR.
UM, AND WHAT IF THEY DON'T REGISTER AS A HIGH RISK APARTMENT? I SAW IN THERE THAT I THINK THAT THERE'S FINES IF THEY DON'T FIX THINGS AFTER THEY REGISTER.
BUT WAS THERE SOMETHING, AND MAYBE I MISSED IT.
UM, IF THEY DON'T REGISTER AT ALL, OKAY, SO I'M GONNA ASK, UH, ANSWER YOUR FIRST QUESTION FIRST.
THE NUMBER 10 CAME FROM ALL THE ANALYSIS WE DID WITH THE DATA.
THE 3 1 1 DATA, THE DATA THAT WE COLLECTED IN OUR OFFICES, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE RECEIVED, UM, CALLS FROM MEDIA.
SO OVER THE YEARS WE'VE LOOKED AT, THAT NUMBER HAS CHANGED SINCE 2021.
WHEN COUNCIL MEMBER PROPOSED THIS ORDINANCE, ORIGINALLY WE THOUGHT FOUR, WE WENT BACK TO THE DATA, WE CHANGED IT TO SIX, WE WENT BACK TO THE DATA, WE CHANGED IT TO EIGHT, AND THEN REVIEWING EVERYTHING TOGETHER.
WHEN WE DID THE OVERALL PICTURE, 10 WAS A, A NUMBER THAT MEANT THAT WE WEREN'T PUTTING EVERYBODY IN A PROGRAM, RIGHT? BUT THERE WAS ENOUGH IN A YEAR THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO MANAGE.
THE IDEA IS TO CREATE, CREATE A SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT SO THAT THESE LANDLORDS WHO WHO DO HAVE 10 OR MORE COMPLAINTS CAN FIND A SUPPORT SYSTEM WITHIN THE CITY TO RECTIFY THOSE UM, ISSUES.
AND YOUR NEXT QUESTION, SORRY, YOU MAY HAVE TO, WHAT IF THEY DON'T REGISTER AS HIGH RISK? SO AGAIN, THIS IS UP TO ASEC.
THE ASEC IS THERE, WE'RE NOT GONNA MANDATE WHAT THE ASEC CAN AND CANNOT DO.
THAT'S NOT THE POINT OF THIS ORDINANCE.
THE POINT OF THIS ORDINANCE IS TO CREATE THE ASEC AND LET ASEC DECIDE HOW THEY WILL DEAL WITH THE LANDLORDS.
IF WE HAVE SOMEBODY WHO'S PROBLEMATIC, UH, WHO DOESN'T WANNA DO THE REPAIRS, THEN ASEC HAS TO MAKE A DECISION ON WHAT THEY WANNA DO.
IF WE HAVE LANDLORDS, AND WE, AND WE WORK WITH YOUR DISTRICT A LOT, WE HAVE LANDLORDS THAT ARE IN A PROBLEM THAT MAY HAVE 10 CITATIONS AND THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO.
SO THAT'S, AGAIN, ASECS ROLE IS TO ENSURE THAT THEY SUPPORT THOSE LANDLORDS AND WALK THEM THROUGH THE EXAMPLE THAT, UH, WE KEEP ON GIVING TO A LOT OF PEOPLE.
THIS IS LIKE, UH, DEFENSIVE DRIVING PROGRAM.
WE DON'T GIVE DEFENSIVE DRIVING TO EVERYBODY.
UM, WE WOULD GIVE IT TO PEOPLE WHO SPEED AND WHO BREAK, MAYBE BREAK THE LAW.
AND THEN IT'S A PROGRAM THAT SUPPORTS THAT DRIVER, RIGHT? AND WALKS THEM THROUGH AND SAYS, OKAY, THIS IS WHERE YOU WENT WRONG.
THIS IS HOW YOU RECTIFY THE PROBLEM.
THIS IS OUR VERSION OF THE DEFENSIVE DRIVING, UM, PROGRAM.
AND THEN FOR THE SENIOR LIVING FACILITIES, IS THAT GOING TO INCLUDE INDEPENDENT LIVING FACILITIES THAT ARE GEARED TOWARDS SENIOR CITIZENS AND NOT JUST ASSISTED LIVING FACILITIES? I DIDN'T SEE THE DEFINITION.
'CAUSE I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT'S CLARIFIED IN THE ORDINANCE.
AND THEN, SO IN, I KNOW THAT SOME OLDER, UM, SENIOR FACILITIES DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE A COMMON SPACE AREA.
I MEAN, THEY DEFINITELY NEED GENERATORS.
BUT IF, COULD THERE BE SOME KIND OF CLAUSE IF THEY HAVE A BUS THAT'S, YOU KNOW, TAKING PEOPLE TO SOME ANOTHER FACILITY THAT HAS POWER INSTEAD OF THEM GETTING A GENERATOR? 'CAUSE I KNOW THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY AVAILABLE AT EVERY APARTMENT COMPLEX WHERE THERE'S, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THERE'S SOME OTHER AVENUES THAT WE CAN GET PEOPLE TO SAFE, YOU KNOW, TEMPERATURES AND THAT KIND OF THING.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS WE WANNA DO IS, AS LONG AS A LANDLORD SHOWS THAT THEY'RE MAKING AN ACTIVE EFFORT, WE'RE GONNA SUPPORT THEM.
THIS IS FOR PEOPLE WHO AREN'T MAKING AN ACTIVE EFFORT.
IF A A LANDLORD SAYS, HEY, I CAN'T GET A GENERATOR RIGHT NOW, BUT I WILL MAKE PROVISIONS FOR, TO BUST PEOPLE TO A LOCATION, THAT'S ABSOLUTELY FINE.
AND, AND, AND ACTUALLY WE SAW THAT, WE SAW THAT WITH, UM, WITH LUMMI MANOR.
WHEN THEY, THEY'VE BEEN BUSING PEOPLE TO THE, TO THE WARM, TO THE COOLING CENTER.
AND THEN MY LAST QUESTION, UM, SO THIS TALKS ABOUT THE, UM, TAKING AWAY THE CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY, I KNOW BE RIGHT NOW WE'RE KIND OF GOING TOWARDS THE ONE CHAPTER 1 25 ROUTE OF, YOU KNOW, WHEN APARTMENTS ARE REALLY BAD.
IS THE INTENT NOW TO GO TO SWITCH OVER TO CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY RATHER THAN CHAPTER 1 25? OR BOTH? ABSOLUTELY BOTH.
THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR AND THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER.
UH, UH, I DID HAVE A QUESTION REGARDING EXPANDING THAT AS WELL, BUT, BUT YOU, BUT YOU, UH, SPOKE TO THAT.
WELL, YOU KNOW, I, I REALLY HAVE SPOKEN ABOUT GENERATORS, PERIOD, NOT TEMPORARY GENERATORS.
I GET A LOT OF CALLS WHERE, UH, THE SENIORS IN PARTICULAR ARE, THEY'RE TRAPPED WHEN THE POWER GOES OUT.
SO I'M NOT SAYING THAT WE WANNA MAKE THIS, UH, INSURMOUNTABLE, UH, EXPENSE, BUT, AND MAYBE THE, THE, THE CITY CAN COME UP WITH SOME KIND OF DISCOUNTED PROGRAM OR SOMETHING TO HELP PEOPLE, UH, THAT OWN THESE FACILITIES.
BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A PERMANENT GENERATOR, UH, PERIOD IN SENIOR AND ASSISTED LIVING FACILITIES.
[00:30:01]
AND SOMETHING THAT I TALKED ABOUT A LONG TIME AGO, WHICH IS NOT ADDRESSED IN HERE.I'D LIKE TO EVEN SEE CAMERAS IN, UH, APARTMENT COMPLEXES PERIOD, TO HELP, UH, ADDRESS CRIME, UH, TO MAYBE PRECLUDE PEOPLE FROM COMMITTING CRIMES.
AND THAT WOULD CERTAINLY SERVE THE OWNERS TO KNOW THAT THEY ARE PROVIDING AS MUCH PROTECTION AS THEY CAN THAT WILL CERTAINLY INVITE PEOPLE TO COME TO THEIR COMPLEXES.
SO THOSE ARE TWO THINGS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE AT SOME POINT, ADDRESS, MAYBE NOT, MAYBE THIS IS PREMATURE.
AND AGAIN, I'M NOT TRYING TO MAKE THIS, UH, SOMETHING THAT IS INSURMOUNTABLE IN TERMS OF, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT YOU DO, THEY DO HAVE TO PAY FOR THESE THINGS, BUT I JUST THINK IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO HAVE A GENERATOR PERIOD, UH, AT, PARTICULARLY AT, UH, COMPLEXES WHERE PEOPLE ARE CHALLENGED AS WELL AS, UH, MAYBE FLOCK CAMERAS OR SOME KIND OF CAMERA THAT CAN BE PLACED, UH, IN COMPLEXES.
BECAUSE SOMETIMES WHEN PEOPLE FEEL THAT THEY ARE BEING VIEWED BY CAMERAS, THEY DON'T COMMIT CERTAIN CRIMES.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
AND IN TERMS OF THE CAMERAS, THE BLUE IN THE BLUE STAR PROGRAM, THAT IS ONE SUGGESTION THAT THEY MAKE OFTENTIMES.
THERE WAS A GUY, AND HE'S, HE'S SINCE PASSED NAMED PERRY OL.
AND PERRY OL, THAT WAS HIS, HE WENT TO EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER.
THIS WAS YEARS AGO, AND HE HAS PASSED.
BUT I, I PROMISED THAT I WOULD TRY TO CARRY THAT, UH, FORWARD IF I EVER WAS PUT IN THE POSITION TO ASK FOR IT.
AND SO YOU MENTIONED THE BLUE STAR TRAINING PROGRAM, UM, WOULD BE THE ONE TO PROVIDE TRAINING TO OWNERS OF AN HRRB.
UM, AND THAT BLUE STAR TRAINING PROGRAM ALREADY EXISTS.
AND SO, AND, UM, I'M SURE YOU HAVE, BUT, AND HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT IS ON BOARD WITH PROVIDING THAT TRAINING TO, TO THESE HR BS, RIGHT? YES.
AND THEY'RE CURRENTLY DOING TRAINING.
THEY'RE CURRENTLY DOING TRAINING.
SO THIS WOULD BE, LIKE I SAID, THIS WOULD BE MORE PROACTIVE.
UM, AND THE GOOD THING ABOUT THIS AS WELL IS THAT IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE TRAINED TO THE OWNERS.
IT'S TRAINED TO THE MANAGEMENT COMPANY, SO THAT THE MANAGEMENT COMPANIES, AS YOU KNOW, MANY OF THEM, THOSE ARE THE ONES ON THE GROUND, AND SO THEY WILL BE TRAINED AS WELL.
AND SO, LIKE IN SECTION B OF 10 DASH 1 79 WHERE IT SAYS THE OWNER OF AN HRRB SHALL COMPLETE AT LEAST 10, 10 HOURS OF ANNUAL TRAINING, THAT COULD BE OWNER OR AGENT OR MANAGEMENT MM-HMM
AND SO MAYBE SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, IN THE LANGUAGE THERE TO, TO DIFFERENTIATE THAT.
YEAH, MANAGEMENT ALWAYS MAKES SENSE.
UM, BUT SOMETIMES IT DEPENDS ON THE APARTMENT COMPLEX ITSELF.
SO SOME COMPLEXES IN ONE OF OUR COMPLEXES THAT WE WERE DEALING WITH, THEY HAD LIKE SIX PEOPLE CHANGE IN A YEAR.
SO IT WILL, AGAIN, THE ASEC WILL DECIDE WHO IT, WHO'S THE BEST PERSON TO DO THIS TRAINING.
IT COULD BE THE LANDLORD OR IT COULD BE THE MANAGEMENT COMPANY.
COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER, THANK YOU CHAIR.
AND THANK YOU FOR THE GREAT PRESENTATION AND GOOD INFORMATION.
OBVIOUSLY, YOU, YOU ALL HAVE DONE A, A LOT OF RESEARCH OVER THE YEARS.
UM, SO I KNOW WE HAVE FRIENDS FROM THE HOUSTON DEPARTMENT ASSOCIATION, BUT, YOU KNOW, WOULD, WOULD THERE BE A CONSIDERATION TO HAVE THEM AT THE TABLE AS PART OF THE COMMITTEE, A REPRESENTATION? BECAUSE CERTAINLY I THINK THEY REPRESENT OVER 800,000 UNITS.
THEY'LL PROBABLY SPEAK LATER, BUT YOU KNOW, IT SEEMS LIKE THEY HAVE A, A PRETTY SOLID REACH AND SOLID VOICE, AND I'M SURE THAT THEY WOULD LIKE SOME OF THIS BAD BEHAVIOR CLEANED UP AS WELL.
SO IN TERMS OF ASEC, WE'D HAVE TO TALK TO THE ADMINISTRATION BECAUSE THAT GROUP IS SPECIFICALLY CITY OF HOUSTON DEPARTMENTS.
BUT WE DEFINITELY WANT TO, UM, THEY WILL DEFINITELY BE INCLUDED ON THAT AT THE, ON THE BOTTOM.
SO AS PART OF THE ASEC, WE HAVE PROPERTY OWNERS AND TENANTS, SO WE WANT BOTH GROUPS REPRESENTED.
UM, THE HOUSTON DEPARTMENT ASSOCIATION COULD BE ONE OF THOSE, UM, GROUPS BECAUSE THEY DO HAVE THE EXPERTISE.
THE OTHER, UH, YOU KNOW, UM, VICE MAYOR PRO TE PECK TOUCHED ON THIS ABOUT THE, YOU KNOW, NUMBER OF UNITS THAT WOULD DENOTE HIGH RISK.
SO IF YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, A SMALL, UH, COMPLEX THAT HAS MAYBE 50 UNITS, 10 VIOLATIONS WOULD SEEM LIKE A LOT.
BUT WHAT ABOUT SOMEONE THAT HAS MAYBE THREE OR FOUR OR 500 UNITS? AND, UM, WOULD THERE BE A CONSIDERATION FOR PERCENTAGE? YOU KNOW, BECAUSE IF YOU HAVE A SITUATION, YOU KNOW, 10 CITATIONS FOR A REALLY LARGE COMPLEX, IT'S PROBABLY NOT A HUGE DEAL.
SO MAYBE A PERCENTAGE, UM, LIKE KINDA WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT SHORT TERM RENTALS A WHILE BACK MM-HMM
THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S KIND OF, UH, TAKE A LOOK AT THAT AND THEN, UM, THAT'S A GREAT COMMENT.
UM, THEN THE OTHER QUESTION I HAD ON THE BLUE STAR, UM, I'D DONE A LITTLE RESEARCH ON
[00:35:01]
THAT AND ONLINE IT SHOWS THAT HPD IS NO LONGER USING BLUE STAR, THAT THEY'VE PUT A, I MEAN, THERE'S A, A, A NOTE ON, ACTUALLY IT'S ON THE CITY WEBSITE THAT DISCONTINUED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.AND MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING, ARE THEY GONNA RESTART OR NO? WE, THEY'RE CURRENTLY DOING THEM BEFORE.
I BELIEVE WE'VE HAD MORE INSTRUCTORS, SO TO SPEAK, BUT NO, WE, WE ARE CURRENTLY THEY ARE CURRENTLY DOING THEM.
AND TO THAT END, FOR INSTANCE, IF, IF, UM, YOU HAVE SOMEONE WHO'S ON SITE AND IT'S JUST CONSIDERATION, JUST IF YOU HAVE SOMEONE WHO'S BEEN TRAINED, GONE THROUGH THE TRAINING, WHAT IF I'VE GONE THROUGH THE TRAINING, NO LONGER EMPLOYED, WHAT IS THE MECHANISM TO TRIGGER LIKE THAT? I'M NO LONGER TRAINED, BUT WE NEED SOMEONE, YOU KNOW, IS THERE A CHECK AND BALANCE ON THAT AS WELL? YEAH, THEY WOULD, YEAH, THEY WOULD HAVE TO, THEY WOULD HAVE TO GIVE THAT INFORMATION TO ASAC.
AND THEN THE, UH, LAST QUESTION I WOULD HAVE IS, UM, IN TERMS OF ENFORCEMENT, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? THAT'S ALWAYS THE BIG QUESTION.
AND THAT FALLS INTO THE MISS THE MUNICIPAL COURTS.
UM, BUT AS YOU KNOW, I MEAN, WE'VE GOTTA GET ORDINANCES PASSED AND THEN WE WORK THROUGH
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER ALQUAN.
THANK YOU CHAIR, AND THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER, I'VE BEEN SITTING NEXT TO YOU FOR FIVE PLUS SIX YEARS NOW GOING ON, AND I AM SO PROUD OF YOU AND YOUR PASSION FOR THIS ISSUE.
WE DON'T WANT PEOPLE LIVING IN, IN PLACES THAT ARE, ARE, YOU KNOW, UNINHABITABLE.
AND YOU'VE REALLY, UM, NOT LET THAT GO.
AND I REALLY COMMEND YOU AND MANIRA FOR ALL OF YOUR WORK ON THIS, A CITATION.
SO YOU, I KNOW THAT THE DATA'S ALL THERE AND I WAS STARTING TO SCROLL THROUGH, BUT, BUT WHAT, WHEN, SO WHEN WE GO ON OUR REGULAR EVERY FOUR YEAR INSPECTION THINGS, AND, AND YOU GET A CITATION FOR SOMETHING, HOW MUCH DO YOU GET? YOU DO YOU GET A CERTAIN, YOU GET A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME TO, TO FIX IT, RIGHT? SO ARE WE TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION LIKE PEOPLE THAT FIX STUFF REAL FAST OR WHATEVER.
HOW, HOW WOULD, HOW WOULD, LIKE THE 10, THE 10 CITATIONS, ARE THEY JUST CITATIONS, LIKE, KIND OF LIKE A NOISE? YOU KNOW, I THINK ABOUT LIKE, YOU GOT THE NOISE, YOU HAVE TO ADJUDICATE THE WHOLE THING.
IT JUST ON THE PURE CITATION, REGARDLESS OF HOW THEY ATTEMPT TO FIX IT OR WHATEVER.
SO WE LOOK AT CHAPTER 92 OF THE TEXAS, UH, PROPERTY CODE UNDER CHAPTER 92 OF THE TEXAS PROPERTY CODE.
ANYTHING THAT MATERIALLY AFFECTS THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF A TENANT, THE LANDLORD HAS AN OBLIGATION TO FIX IT WITHIN SEVEN DAYS OR A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME.
AND I'M GONNA GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE, WHICH COMES UP A LOT.
UH, SOME OF THE APARTMENT COMPLEXES HAVE ISSUES WITH ELEVATORS.
OKAY? NOW WE'VE HAD COUNCIL MEMBERS COME TO OUR OFFICE AND SAY, HEY, WITH THIS APARTMENT COMPLEX, THERE'S AN ELEVATOR ISSUE.
IT'S BEEN TWO MONTHS, THEY HAVEN'T FIXED IT.
MY FIRST QUESTION IS, HAVE THEY ORDERED PARTS? IF THEY HAVE ORDERED PARTS AND THEY SHOW YOU A RECEIPT, AND THEY HAVE SHOWN THAT THEY ARE ACTIVELY WORKING ON THIS, THEN FOR THE CITY, THAT'S GOOD ENOUGH.
UM, ELEVATORS, UH, THERE'S A SHORTAGE, PARTS OF THEIR IN SHORTAGE, SO IT'S GONNA TAKE SOME TIME.
YOU CAN'T, UM, CITE A LANDLORD FOR MAKING AN EFFORT.
BUT IF THEY'RE NOT MAKING AN EFFORT AND THEY PASS THAT SEVEN DAYS AND THERE'S NOTHING, THEN YES.
SO IT'S, IT'S, THEY COUNTED AS A CITATION AFTER THE DAYS.
AND THEN YOU SAID THERE'LL BE A, A WAY TO LOOK UP AT THE, THEY HAVE TO REGISTER NOW, EVERY APARTMENT REGISTERS, RIGHT? AS IF YOU'RE AN APARTMENT, YOU REGISTER SOMEWHERE WITH THE, SO WE KNOW TO COME TO YOU EVERY FOUR YEARS AND INSPECT YOU.
SO DO WE JUST KEEP A LIST OR THERE, THERE'S A SEPARATE RE REGISTRATION FOR THEM? OR DO WE JUST KEEP LIKE A, A LIST OF 'EM THAT WE'RE GONNA NOW INSPECT MORE PROACTIVELY? THERE'S A, THERE'S A SEPARATE REGISTRATION PROCESS AGAIN, AND THIS GOES BACK, I THINK, TO WHAT, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER PECK WAS SAYING, YOU KNOW, IF THEY'RE, IF THEY'RE KIND OF A REPEAT OFFENDER, YOU KNOW, CHANCES ARE MAYBE THEY'RE NOT GONNA DO THE REGISTRATION.
BUT DO, DO WE HAVE TO EVEN HAVE THAT? 'CAUSE WE KNOW WHO THEY ARE.
LIKE, CAN WE JUST PUT 'EM ON THE WEBSITE AND STUFF? YEAH.
BUT THE PURPOSE OF THAT ALSO IS FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO LIVE, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THEM TO KNOW IF THEY'RE LOOKING RIGHT.
I MEAN, WE'LL KEEP THAT LIST AND WE'LL KEEP A WEBSITE WITH THAT.
AND THEN HOW, HOW DO YOU GET OFF THE LIST WHEN THEY HAVE, WHEN THEY FINISHED ALL OF THE HAS REQUIREMENTS, OKAY, THEY PASS ALL OF THE, THEY'VE REPAIRED EVERYTHING.
I SEE A YEAR, A YEAR TIMEFRAME.
SO YOU CAN'T GET OFF THE LIST, UM, EARLIER THAN ONE YEAR.
OR CAN YOU, IF YOU DO FIX EVERYTHING, I BELIEVE THAT WE COULD MAKE SOME, SOME CONSOLATION THERE, HONESTLY.
SO THE IDEA IS THAT THEY JUST FIX THE PROBLEM.
THE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE WON'T HAVE TO STAY WITH IT.
UM, FOR A YEAR, ASEC WILL DETERMINE IF THEY'VE MADE THE GOOD FAITH EFFORT, THEY'VE, THEY'VE SHOWN THAT THEY'VE
[00:40:01]
FIXED THINGS, THEN ASEC CAN DETERMINE IF THEY NEED TO STAY ON THAT LIST FOR A YEAR OR IF THEY CAN COME EARLIER.SO ASEC WILL HAVE THE ABILITY TO TAKE YOU OFF OR SOONER IF YOU GET EVERYTHING DONE.
'CAUSE I THINK THERE SHOULD BE SOME KIND OF INCENTIVE, LIKE PEOPLE ARE GONNA ONE OFF THAT LIST.
SO I MEAN THAT, I LIKE THE IDEA OF THE LIST AND THEN, YOU KNOW, GETTING OFF THE LIST IF YOU, IF YOU'VE DONE EVER, IF YOU'VE MADE EVERYTHING HAPPEN.
THANK THIS YOU COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, THANK YOU CHAIR AND THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER FOR ALL YOUR WORK ON THIS, ON THIS ISSUE.
I APPRECIATE YOUR SPECIAL PROVISION FOR SENIOR, UH, LIVING FACILITIES.
HOW DOES THAT LINE UP WITH LEGISLATION WE'VE SEEN AT THE STATE AROUND, UH, REGULATION FOR BACKUP POWER AT SENIOR LIVING FACILITIES? SO I KNOW THE STATE, UM, THERE WERE BILLS FILED TO INSTALL, UM, YOU KNOW, TO MAKE APARTMENT, UH, LANDLORDS INSTALL GENERATORS.
BUT WE, AS A GOVERNING BODY, THE CITY OF HOUSTON CAN, UH, WITHIN REASON PUT THINGS INTO THE ORDINANCE.
AND THAT'S WHY WE PUT THIS IN.
AND IT SHOULDN'T BE AN ISSUE BECAUSE THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS A GOVERNING BODY.
THE STATE IS A, A GOVERNING BODY.
WE HAVE THE POWER TO PUT ORDINANCES IN PLACE TO HELP OUR CONSTITUENTS.
AND SO THIS PROVISION SHOULDN'T BE AN ISSUE.
I KNOW THE BILLS FAILED AT THE STATE LEVEL, BUT IT REALLY ISN'T.
WE'RE NOT ASKING ANYBODY TO COME UP WITH A, UM, A GENERATOR THAT'S GONNA POWER 360 UNITS.
IT'S A REASONABLE SMALL ROOM, UM, AND A SMALL REFRIGERATOR TO HELP THE SENIORS.
IF IT'S GONNA MATERIALLY AFFECT THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF THOSE CONSTITUENTS, THEN WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO PUT THAT IN OUR ORDINANCE.
AND I'M, I'M GLAD Y'ALL TOOK ALL THAT INTO CONSIDERATION WHEN, WHEN COMING UP WITH THOSE PROVISIONS.
AND, AND ALSO KEEP IN MIND, EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IT IS UNDER CHAPTER 92.
SO WE'RE NOT DOING, AS WE ALL KNOW, STATE ALWAYS SUPERSEDES LOCAL.
AND SO WE WERE VERY SENSITIVE ABOUT THAT.
SO EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE DOING IS NOT ANY DIFFERENCE FROM WHAT CHAPTER 92 STATES.
AND ALSO GOING BACK TO THE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE LIST.
SO WOULD EVERYBODY BE ON THEIR OWN TIMELINE? LIKE ONCE YOU HIT 10 VIOLATIONS, THEN THAT TRIGGERS THE ONE YEAR FOR THAT PROPERTY INSTEAD OF BEING LIKE, FROM FISCAL YEAR TO FISCAL YEAR.
UM, CONGRATULATIONS ON BRINGING THIS FORWARD, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER.
UH, FOR ME, UM, I THINK THE BUILDING CODE STUFF IS SUPER IMPORTANT, BUT THE OTHER THING THAT HAPPENS AT THESE APARTMENTS, AND SOME OF IT HAS IS, UH, IS DIRECTLY BECAUSE OF THE MAYBE NO LIGHTING, MAYBE FENCES DOWN.
UM, IS THERE A WAY WHERE WE CAN START ADDING IF THEY'VE REACHED CERTAIN AMOUNT OF CRIME? I KNOW WE HAVE CHAPTER 1 25, BUT, UM, ACTUALLY PUT THEM ON THE LIST IF THERE'S, YOU KNOW, ROBBERY, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE MORE, UM, MORE AGGRESSIVE TYPE OF CRIME IN THE ORDINANCE.
SO THE APARTMENT ENFORCEMENT UNIT, UM, HAS A LIST OF THEIR OWN AS WELL.
AND USUALLY THOSE ARE PROPERTIES WITH HIGH CRIME, BUT ADDITIONALLY PART OF THE 10, IT COULD BE ANY OF THE, UM, ISSUES.
IF, IF ASEC BELIEVES THAT THESE 10 COMPLAINTS ARE HABITABILITY, THEY'RE, UH, HFD VIOLATIONS, UM, THEIR BUILDING VIOLATIONS PLUS CRIME, THEN THEY CAN DETERMINE THAT THIS NEEDS TO GO ON.
UM, THEY NEED TO GO ON A LIST.
WE'RE GIVING THE POWER TO ASEC BECAUSE ASEC WILL, YOU KNOW, OUTLIVE ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND EVERYBODY ELSE.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S ASEC THAT DETERMINES, UH, THE RULES.
UM, IF, AND, AND I GUESS IT'LL BE ACCUMULATED IN THE 10, BUT IF WE CAN JUST LOOK AT CRIME ALONE AND WE WAS JUST FIVE CRIME RELATED.
THAT, UH, THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, PRETTY, PRETTY, UH, UM, LIKE WE'VE HAD MURDERS, STUFF OF THAT SORT.
IF WE CAN ADD THAT TO, TO THIS, UH, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
I THINK FIVE FIVE WOULD WHAT? I JUST THREW OUT A NUMBER, BUT I DON'T KNOW.
I THINK HPD WOULD DEFINITELY HAVE A BETTER SENSE OF, OF WHAT SOME OF THOSE, AND THEN THE TYPE OF CRIME AS WELL.
VICE CHAIR, VICE CHAIR, EVAN SHABA.
UM, HOW WILL THIS ORDINANCE ADDRESS THE INSPECTION PROCESS FOR INDIVIDUAL UNITS? CURRENTLY, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT CAN ONLY INSPECT A UNIT IF THE TENANT GRANTS PERMISSION AND A TIME IS SCHEDULED FOR ENTRY.
UH, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF COMPLEXES IN THE AREA THAT, UH, CIVIC ASSOCIATIONS HAVE INDICATED ARE HEALTH HAZARDS.
AND SO, UH, WITHOUT A, A DIRECT REQUEST FROM THE TENANT, UM, TYPICALLY INITIATED THROUGH 3 1 1, THE DEPARTMENT IS UNABLE TO ACCESS THE UNIT OR RESPOND TO POTENTIAL ISSUES LIKE MOLD OR OTHER HEALTH CONCERNS.
SO WILL THIS ORDINANCE PROVIDE ANY NEW AUTHORITY OR PROCESS TO IMPROVE ACCESS AND ENFORCEMENT IN CASES SUCH AS THIS? UNFORTUNATELY, COUNCIL MEMBER, THE ONLY WAY TO ENTER AN APARTMENT COMP AN APARTMENT IS BY THE AUTHORITY
[00:45:01]
OF THE TENANT.AND SO THEY HAVE TO CALL 3 1 1.
NOW, ONE THING THAT I BELIEVE WE COULD TRY TO DO, AND WE DO NOW, OR MORE ANONYMOUS CALLS ON 3 1 1, THE RESIDENTS NEED TO KNOW THAT WE FOUND THAT MANY PEOPLE ARE SCARED TO MAKE COMPLAINTS BECAUSE THEY'RE, THEY'RE WORRIED THAT THE MANAGEMENT COMPANY IS GOING TO RETALIATE.
MANY OF THEM MAY NOT BE DOCUMENTED, ET CETERA.
THERE ARE MULTIPLE REASONS WHY PEOPLE DON'T COMPLAIN.
SO UNFORTUNATELY, TO DIRECTLY ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, UM, THIS ORDINANCE WOULD NOT ALLOW US TO ENTER A DWELLING WITHOUT THE APPROVAL OF A TENANT, NOT FROM A HEALTH, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I KNOW IN A LOT OF CASES TENANTS ARE FRA AFRAID OF RETALIATION, CERTAINLY, AND THEY MAY NOT GRANT ACCESS, UH, TO THE, TO THE UNIT.
AND SO, UM, AND, AND IF THE COMPLEXES THE, THE COMPLEX OWNER IS UNCOOPERATIVE, THEN UH, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT'S HANDS ARE EFFECTIVELY TIED AND SO THAT, THAT'S A CONCERN AS WELL.
SO UNDER CHAPTER 92, UM, THERE'S A REQUIREMENT THAT THERE HAS TO BE PERMISSION.
AND THE, THE WAY THE CITY GATHERS PERMISSION IS THROUGH THE UNIT NUMBER.
SO WHETHER IT'S A 3 1 1 REQUEST OR A COUNCIL OFFICE CALLS, UM, A DEPARTMENT AND SAYS, HERE'S THE UNIT NUMBER AND HERE'S THE ISSUE, PLEASE.
UM, YOU KNOW, SEND AN INSPECTOR.
NOW THE GOOD THING ABOUT ASEC IS, AND THIS IS WHY WE DON'T WANT PEOPLE WORKING IN SILOS, IF THERE ARE HABITABILITY ISSUES, THERE ARE GONNA BE OTHER ISSUES THAT ARE OUTSIDE THE BUILDING.
NOW, IF, IF THERE'S A REPORT ABOUT SEWAGE BACKUP OUTSIDE, THEN WE DON'T NEED TO SEND, IT'LL BE SOMEBODY FROM HPDS, UM, UNIT THAT WILL GO OUT THERE TO DO THAT TESTING.
AND SO WE'RE RIGHTFULLY WE CAN BE ON THAT PROPERTY, BUT IF WE'RE TRYING TO GET LOOK AT RAT INFESTATION IN UNIT ONE, UM, ONE B, THAT WE ARE GONNA HAVE TO HAVE PERMISSION FROM, UH, UNIT ONE B TO BE ABLE TO, UM, GO IN.
AND COUNCILLOR, WHAT I WOULD SAY TO, TO OUR, OUR CIVIL, YOU KNOW, TO OUR, OUR GROUPS AND OUR NEIGHBORHOOD CLUBS, IS THAT THERE CAN ALWAYS BE AN ANONYMOUS CALL TO THREE ONE ONE.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO STATE YOUR NAME.
AND THAT WOULD GIVE US THE AUTHORITY TO AT LEAST GET ON THE PROPERTY AND SEE WHAT'S GOING ON.
BUT I DO UNDERSTAND THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE VERY FEARFUL.
AND THAT'S ONE THING THAT I BELIEVE THIS ORDINANCE SHOULD DO IS MAKE PEOPLE FEEL LIKE SOMEONE ELSE IS WATCHING.
NOW SOMEONE ELSE IS KEEPING TRACK AND NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, WE HAD ONE RESIDENT, THEY WENT TO AN APARTMENT.
I MEAN, THE REFRIGERATOR DOES EVERY, THE WAY THAT, THAT THAT PERSON WAS KEEPING THEIR APARTMENT WAS NOT CONDUCIVE OF A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT.
BUT WE WERE ABLE TO ADVISE HER AND SAY, LISTEN, YOU HAVE TO KEEP YOUR REFRIGERATOR CLEAN.
YOU'VE GOTTA CLEAN AROUND YOUR AREAS.
IF YOU DO THAT, THEN YOU'LL SEE THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU WON'T SEE RODENTS AND THINGS OF THAT SORT.
WE'RE GUIDING THEM THROUGH THE PROCESS.
TENANTS HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY IN THE SAME WAY THAT LANDLORDS DO.
AND I BELIEVE THAT THIS ORDINANCE GIVES EVERYONE THE SECURITY THAT WE'RE NOT ATTACKING ANYONE OR TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, REMOVE THEM FROM LIVING THERE OR TAKE A, AN APARTMENT COMPLEX FROM A LANDLORD.
BUT WE'RE JUST GIVING THEM THE SUPPORT THAT THEY NEED TO MAKE THE RIGHT DECISIONS.
AND YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A VERY LONG AGENDA TODAY, SO WE'RE GONNA KIND OF MOVE THROUGH THIS SO WE CAN GET TO PUBLIC SESSION.
BUT COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, DID YOU WANNA NO.
UH, STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ'S OFFICE.
I WAS WONDERING IF YOU COULD GIVE US A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL WITH REGARD TO, UM, THE COMPOSITION OF ASEC AND ANY BUDGETING, UH, UH, MODELING YOU MAY HAVE DONE WITH REGARD NOT ONLY TO THE, UH, UH, TO THE CREATION OF A NEW, UM, ENTITY, BUT, UH, THE HOW MUCH, UH, OTHER DEPARTMENTS MAY NEED TO BUDGET TO COORDINATE WITH, WITH ASEC.
SO AS OF RIGHT NOW, AND WE'LL GO AHEAD AND SUB SUBMIT THOSE QUESTIONS.
AND THEN, UM, GET BACK BECAUSE YOU KNOW, AND THIS IS GREAT, THIS IS KIND OF THE, THE IDEA OF THE PROPOSITION A COMMITTEE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HEARD A LOT OF INFORMATION RIGHT NOW, AND SOMETIMES WHEN YOU READ AN ORDINANCE UNTIL THERE BECOMES A DISCUSSION ABOUT IT, YOU KNOW, QUESTIONS COME UP.
AND SO, UH, SO THIS IS GREAT AND I KNOW THAT AFTER THIS MEETING WE WILL ALL TAKE A DEEPER LOOK AT IT AND SUBMIT ALL THOSE QUESTIONS BECAUSE WE WANNA GET IT RIGHT WHENEVER WE CREATE THESE ORDINANCES.
BUT LET'S GO AHEAD AND JUMP TO, UH, PUBLIC SPEAKERS AND THAT ARE SPECIFICALLY ON THIS ISSUE.
SO I KNOW WE HAVE OTHER ITEMS ON THE AGENDA, BUT SPECIFICALLY TO THE, UM, APARTMENT ISSUE.
AND LET'S START WITH, UH, MATT SIMON WITH HPD AND COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER, IF YOU'LL JUST BE AVAILABLE FOR HELLO.
SO JUST TO ANSWER SOME OF YOUR QUESTIONS.
COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ, YOU ARE CORRECT.
UH, I WILL DISCUSS IT HERE IN A SECOND.
CONCERNING, UH, APPLICABILITY OF VARIABLES RELATED TO CRIME, WHAT, UH, PICK A, IF YOU'LL HAVE A SEAT AND PICK A MIC SO THAT WAY WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT THE AUDIO IS, IS COMING THROUGH ON HTV.
AND COUNCIL MEMBER SHABBAT, UH, TO HER ORIGINAL QUESTION, YES, THERE IS A WAY IF A, UH, APARTMENT MANAGEMENT SAYS, HEY,
[00:50:01]
YOU MAY NOT ENTER WHETHER WE WANNA LOOK AT DUMPSTERS OR SO FORTH, OR JUST THE BACK OF THE COMPLEX, UH, SECTION ONE DASH TWO PROVIDES AN OFFICER TO PERFORM AN INSPECTION OR ABATEMENT WARRANT, WHICH I WORK QUITE OFTEN WITH.I'M NOT SURE IF ANYBODY'S HERE FROM PUBLIC WORKS, BUT THE SERVICE OF DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOOD WARRANTS, INSPECTION OF BABY WARRANTS, UH, SOLID WASTE, HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS, I FACILITATE THOSE.
I RECENTLY TOOK OVER THE APARTMENT OF ENFORCEMENT UNIT THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT TOOK OVER APPROXIMATELY 90 DAYS AGO.
IT'S MYSELF AND FIVE OFFICERS RIGHT NOW.
UH, NOT ONLY ARE THEY GOING THROUGH RETRAINING, BUT THEY'RE ALSO BEING TASKED WITH A MORE PERFORMATIVE FIELD PRODUCT, UH, REGARDING THIS ORDINANCE.
AND I'M GONNA EXPLAIN WHY I THINK COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER'S, WHAT SHE'S TALKING ABOUT, COLLABORATIVE EFFORT WORKING TOGETHER.
NOT ONLY IS IT APPLICABLE WHEN WE SERVE WARRANTS, BUT IT'S APPLICABLE.
SHOULD THOSE INSPECTORS GO TO AN APARTMENT COMPLEX, THEY GO TO A MANAGER AND SAY, HEY, YOU HAVE A, B, C, D, AND E WRONG.
AND THAT MANAGER SAYS, I DON'T WANNA GET MY ID.
I NOW WHAT? THAT'S WHERE THE POWER OF AN ARREST SEARCH, EXCUSE ME, THE POWER OF AN OFFICER WITH THE ARREST SEARCH AND SEIZURE COMES INTO PLAY.
UM, SO FOR SOME HISTORY, 2006, HOUSTON PASSED THE APARTMENT ENFORCEMENT ORDINANCE, EXCUSE ME, SECTION 28 2 81.
SO WHAT THAT ORDINANCE DID IS IT PROVIDED TO POLICE DEPARTMENT INSTRUCTIONS TO CREATE A LIST THROUGH CRIME STATISTICS, PART ONE, PART TWO, AND THEN FAST ELIGIBLE CRIMES, WHICH IS CHAPTER 1 25 OF A CIVIL PRACTICE IN RED LAKES CODE.
SO IN THEORY, WHAT I'M SUPPOSED TO DO CURRENTLY AS I'M SUPPOSED TO REGISTER ALL APARTMENT COMPLEXES, DETERMINE THEIR POPULATION AND CROSS THAT BETWEEN THE CRIMES COMMITTED.
SO WHERE I GET A LARGE DATA SET, AND THEN THIS IS WHAT'S GETS EVEN MORE COMPLICATED THROUGH STANDARD DEVIATION, DETERMINE WHICH ONES OR WILL IT COMES TO ABOUT THE TOP 17 PERCENTILE.
THEN THEY FALL UNDER SECTION 28, 2 8 2, WHICH IS A REMEDIAL ACTION ELIGIBLE PROPERTY.
AND, AND AGAIN, THE NOMENCLATURE IS GONNA CHANGE.
'CAUSE WHEN I ASK ANYBODY WHY IS IT BLUE STAR? NOBODY KNOWS.
WHY IS IT NOT ORANGE TRIANGLE, PURPLE SQUARE? NOBODY KNOWS
SO I THINK I'M JUST GONNA CALL IT A CRIME PREVENTION ASSESSMENT.
'CAUSE THAT'S ORIGINALLY WHAT IT WAS DESIGNED FOR.
HEY, THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT RAN NUMBERS.
YOU UNFORTUNATELY FALL ON A NAUGHTY LIST.
WE ARE GONNA GO TO YOUR APARTMENT COMPLEX.
YOU WILL DO A, B, C, D, AND E SPECIFICALLY THROUGH OUR CRIME PREVENTION ASSESSMENT.
IF YOU FAIL TO, WE WILL ISSUE CITATIONS.
OKAY? THAT BLUE STAR IN THE PAST.
AND I, UH, ANSWERING YOUR QUESTION, UH, COUNCILMAN CARTER, IN THE PAST, THAT BLUE STAR WAS APPLIED TO EVERYTHING.
I HAD OFFICERS THAT WERE PERFORMING BLUE STAR INSPECTIONS TO APARTMENTS THAT DID NOT MEET THAT CRIMINAL CRITERIA.
OBVIOUSLY, THAT, UH, WITH ME TAKING OVER THAT WAS THAT IDEOLOGICAL SHIFT.
WHY ARE WE GOING OUT HERE PERFORMING BLUE STAR INSPECTIONS ON APARTMENTS THAT DON'T MEET THE STATUTORY DEFINITION OF REQUIRING BLUE STAR INSPECTIONS? UH, THAT AND WITH A MORE PERFORMATIVE FIELD PRODUCT, I MADE THE DECISION TO ONLY APPLY IT TO APARTMENT COMPLEXES THAT MEET THE STATUTORY DEFINITION.
THE TENETS OF IT IN IDEOLOGIES ARE STILL THERE.
'CAUSE AGAIN, NOBODY CAN TELL ME WHY IT'S BLUE STAR, BUT THE NAME'S GOING TO CHANGE.
BUT I ALSO WANT TO INCORPORATE IT IN COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMBERS.
SO WITH THAT IN MIND, HER ORDINANCE, WHICH IS GREAT, AND I LOVE IT.
IT CREATES TOO MANY LISTS FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
I HAVE A REMEDIAL ACTION LIST.
AND I MUST FACILITATE TRAINING, REGISTRATION, ATTENDANCE, UH, AND ENSURE COMPLIANCE FOR ALL OF THEM.
SO MY PERSONAL OPINION LOVER ORDINANCE, BUT THEN MY ASK WOULD BE TO GET RID OF SECTION 28, 2 81 BECAUSE SECTION 28, 2 81 STATISTICAL DATABASE, HER THRESHOLD.
NO STANDARD DEVIATIONS, NO PERCENTILES.
STEPHANIE GRAVES NEXT SPEAKER.
OKAY, CASEY MORGAN, GOOD MORNING.
I'M THE CEO OF THE HOUSTON APARTMENT ASSOCIATION, AND I'M GLAD TO BE HERE WITH YOU THIS MORNING.
WE, UH, ISSUED A DOCUMENT TO ALL OF YOUR OFFICES YESTERDAY THAT OUTLINES SOME OF OUR QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS ON THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE AND PROPOSAL THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING TODAY.
AND, UM, I, I THINK IF WE COULD GET THOSE QUESTIONS ANSWERED, WE WOULD BE IN A MUCH, UH, MORE COMFORTABLE PLACE
[00:55:01]
TO MOVE FORWARD WITH SOME OF THE SUGGESTED CHANGES BECAUSE IT IS OUR PRIORITY FOR OUR MEMBERS TO PROVIDE SAFE HOUSING.AND, UH, WITH THAT, WE KNOW THAT COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER'S ACTIONS ARE VERY WELL INTENTIONED AND HAVE GREAT MERIT.
UM, WE DID SEE THIS PROPOSAL JUST A FEW DAYS AGO, SO I THINK THAT WE WOULD APPRECIATE MORE TIME TO, TO FULLY VET, UM, SOME OF THESE QUESTIONS AND GET GREATER CLARIFICATION ON A NUMBER OF ISSUES.
FOR EXAMPLE, SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS FURTHER DEFINING OWNER IN THE ORDINANCE PROPOSAL, UM, WHETHER THEY'RE RECEIVING CITATIONS, WHO ON SITE IS RECEIVING THAT CITATION IN ORDER TO YIELD THE BEST COMPLIANCE? SOMETIMES, UM, OWNERS ARE MULTIPLE LLCS AND THEY MAY NOT EVEN BE LOCATED IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
SO IF YOU'RE ISSUING A FINE, WHO DOES THE CITY FIND IN THAT SITUATION? AND THEN ALSO ON BIGGER TICKET ISSUES, LIKE THE BLUE STAR TRAINING PROGRAM, WHICH WE HAVE TALKED A LOT ABOUT.
AND IT IS TRUE THAT PROGRAM HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED.
OUR MEMBERS WHO WERE PARTICIPATING AND IT WAS A POPULAR PROGRAM AND VOLUNTARY, UM, THEY RECEIVED NOTICE IN FEBRUARY THAT HPD LACKED THE FUNDING AND PERSONNEL TO CONTINUE.
AND AT THIS TIME IT WAS GOING UNDER A REORGANIZATION.
BUT I DO WANNA NOTE THAT PROGRAM FOCUSES MORE ON CRIME PREVENTION AND NOT SO MUCH HABITABILITY ISSUES.
SO WE'RE SORT OF FUSING THOSE TWO TOGETHER IN THIS ORDINANCE, AND I THINK THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD TRY TO, UH, PROVIDE GREATER CLARIFICATION ON.
ONE OF THE THINGS SO THAT WE REALLY LIKED ABOUT THIS PROPOSAL WAS THE, UM, CREATION OF THE APARTMENT STANDARDS ENFORCEMENT COMMITTEE.
AND WE WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE REPRESENTATION, INDUSTRY REPRESENTATION ON THAT COMMITTEE JUST TO PROVIDE EXPERTISE ON BEST PRACTICES, UH, IN ORDER TO YIELD GREATER COMPLIANCE.
WITH THIS PROPOSAL, I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN A NUMBER OF, UM, PROCESSES WHERE WE AMENDED, UM, ORDINANCES AND, AND SOME AROUND THE TABLE.
PROBABLY REMEMBER CHAPTER 42, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN AND COUNCIL MEMBER PECK, WHEN YOU WERE STAFF MEMBERS HERE.
AND WE DID THAT THROUGH A STAKEHOLDER GROUP THAT INCLUDED, UM, INDUSTRY REPRESENTATIVES, IT INCLUDED NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS, IT INCLUDED HEADS OF DEPARTMENTS.
AND ULTIMATELY WE WERE ABLE TO FIND, UM, SOME AGREEMENT ON CHANGES THAT I THINK WOULD ACTUALLY RESULT IN POSITIVE DIFFERENCES.
AND ULTIMATELY WE WERE ABLE TO MOVE THAT FORWARD DURING THAT COLLABORATIVE PROCESS.
AND WE WOULD JUST APPRECIATE THE SAME OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT AGAIN WITH YOU.
UH, OH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN'S OFFICE.
I JUST WANTED TO SEE IF YOU NEEDED ANY OF MY TIME AS YOU WERE WRAPPING UP.
UM, I, YOU KNOW, ONE COMMON, I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, YOU ASKED A QUESTION ABOUT ADDRESSING THE SENIOR LIVING FACILITIES AND, UM, THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF ATTENTION ON THAT DURING THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
SO I, UM, I THOUGHT YOUR RECOMMENDATION WAS A GOOD ONE.
I KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT SENATOR ALVARADO HAS HAD SOME SUCCESS IN MOVING LEGISLATION FORWARD THAT WOULD ADDRESS SOME OF THESE CONCERNS.
I THINK THE CITY OF HOUSTON HAS PARTNERED WITH HER ON THOSE EFFORTS.
SO MY RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE TO, UM, TO COMPLIMENT, UM, THAT WORK THAT SHE HAS ALREADY STARTED, BECAUSE I DO THINK AS OF SEPTEMBER WE WOULD SEE SOME CHANGES WITH, UM, REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE APPLIED TO THOSE PROPERTIES.
NEXT SPEAKER, CAESAR ESPINOZA.
FAYE KU, THANK YOU FOR INVITING EVERYBODY TO COME AND SPEAK TODAY.
UM, MY NAME IS FAYE K AND YOU MAY HAVE MET ME BEFORE.
UM, I'VE BEEN STOOD IN FRONT, IN FRONT OF THE COUNCIL TO LET YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENED AT THE UVALDE RANCH APARTMENTS, UH, LAST YEAR AFTER THE HURRICANE BARREL.
AND, UM, I HAVE BEEN MOVED SINCE TO KD, TEXAS, BUT I CONTINUE TO BE THE CHAIR OF ECONOMIC JUSTICE AT THE HOUSTON PEACE AND JUSTICE CENTER.
AND, UM, I'M, I FEEL THAT I'M AN ACTIVIST AT LARGE, MUCH LIKE OUR COUNCILWOMAN IS, UH, THE COUNCIL MEMBER AT LARGE.
UM, SO I'M HERE BECAUSE, UM, I WANTED TO REPRESENT THE POOR PEOPLE OF THE, OF OUR COMMUNITIES AND ALSO THE YOUNG PEOPLE.
I WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH THE SUNRISE MOVEMENT, HOUSTON AS WELL.
AND, UM, NO, NONE OF OUR FRIENDS COULD BE HERE TODAY BECAUSE THEY'RE POOR, BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO WORK BECAUSE THEY'RE DISABLED.
THEY CAN'T HANDLE THE TRAFFIC.
THERE'S NO TRANSIT TO GET PEOPLE HERE.
[01:00:01]
WE HAVE SO MANY ISSUES AND HOUSING IS AT THE BASE OF EVERYTHING.IT, I, MY FRIENDS HAVE BEEN, UM, I'VE, I'VE TAKEN IN MY HOMELESS, UH, VETERAN FRIEND MULTIPLE TIMES THIS YEAR, EVEN THOUGH I CAN ONLY HAVE, UM, SOMEBODY STAY IN MY APARTMENT VERY SHORT PERIODS, UH, DUE TO ALL SORTS OF LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS.
UM, AND A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE HOUSING PRECARIOUS.
SO WHAT'S HAPPENING FOR US IS, UM, MOVING IS TERRIFYING BECAUSE LAST YEAR WHEN I MOVED, IT COST ME $2,300.
UM, I DIDN'T HAVE PEOPLE TO HELP ME, EVEN THOUGH I'M AN ACTIVIST WITH A LOT OF CONNECTIONS IN THIS CITY BECAUSE ALL MY FRIENDS ARE ELDERLY, PEOPLE ARE POOR, THEY DON'T HAVE A TRUCK.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, BUT I HAD TO MOVE BECAUSE WE HAD MOLD IN OUR APARTMENT, AND THE APARTMENT COMPLEX WAS PAINTING OVER THE MOLD AND JUST LEAVING THE MOLD THERE.
SO, UM, I IMAGINE THIS IS HAPPENING TO A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE.
AND, UM, I WAS CONCERNED THAT, UH, PEOPLE WILL NOT REPORT MUCH LIKE, UM, THE COUNCILWOMAN FROM DISTRICT D HAD MENTIONED BEFORE.
THE MOST DANGEROUS THING FOR US IS THAT WE DON'T TRUST OUR GOVERNMENT.
AND IN ORDER TO BUILD THAT TRUST WITH TENANTS, WE HAVE TO FEEL LIKE THE GOVERNMENT IS OUR STRENGTH BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE MONEY TO BE OUR STRENGTH.
MONEY IS A STRENGTH FOR THE LANDLORDS, AND WE ARE PASSING OUR MONEY TO THE LANDLORDS.
AND, AND THAT'S WHAT I WANNA SEE, UM, YOU KNOW, AS A PRIORITY WHEN WE GO FORWARD INTO THIS.
AND I THINK THAT, UM, THIS IS A REALLY WONDERFUL STARTING POINT.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WOULD LIKE YOU TO CONSIDER, IF YOU CAN STILL MAKE AMENDMENTS BEFORE IT'S FINALIZED, IS TO TAKE THE FINES THAT YOU MIGHT, UH, GET, UM, AND PUT IT INTO SOME SORT OF FUND FOR THE PEOPLE TO ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO MOVE, BECAUSE THAT WOULD, REAL FINANCIAL SUPPORT IS HOW YOU GET PEOPLE TO TRUST YOU.
OKAY? BECAUSE IF I SAY TO SOMEONE, UM, GO AHEAD, YOU CAN WRAP UP.
IF I SAY TO SOMEONE, UH, YOU KNOW, IF YOU GO AHEAD AND REPORT THIS, BUT THEY'RE THINKING TO THEMSELVES, WELL, WHAT ARE THE, WHAT IS THE OUT LIKELY OUTCOME OF THIS? UH, I'M ALREADY DEALING WITH SOMEONE WHO IS, IS NOT, UM, WHO'S ALREADY IN THE HIGH RISK, YOU KNOW, VERY, VERY NOT, NOT BEHAVING WELL OR NOT ABLE TO FIX THIS, UH, SITUATION.
SO, UM, EITHER, YOU KNOW, SUPPORT FOR GETTING THE REPAIRS DONE OR SUPPORT FOR PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO MOVE WILL, YOU KNOW, GIVE US THAT SAFETY NET OF IF WE END UP HAVING TO MOVE.
BUT MOST PEOPLE DON'T WANNA MOVE BECAUSE MOVING IS VERY, VERY STRESSFUL.
AND, AND IT'S, UH, YOU KNOW, TEARING UP YOUR LIFE AND, UH, MAYBE MOVING YOU FAR AWAY FROM YOUR WORK OR WHATEVER IT IS YOU NEED TO BE CLOSE TO.
I MEAN, MOVING ALWAYS TAKES TWICE AS LONG AS YOU THINK IT'S GONNA TAKE, IT COSTS TWICE AS MUCH AS YOU BUDGETED FOR.
UM, WE HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING AND WE APPRECIATE YOU COMING TODAY.
UM, DOMINIC MAZO IS NEXT SPEAKER.
SO I'LL WAIT FOR HIS, UH, PRESENTATION OF THAT.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, MY NAME IS TAYLOR LAREDO AND I WORK AS THE COMMUNITY NAVIGATOR IN THE HOUSTON OFFICE OF TEXAS.
HOUSERS, AND I COME HERE TODAY TO SPEAK IN STRONG SUPPORT OF THE APARTMENT INSPECTION ORDINANCE.
THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE WOULD BE NOTHING SHORT ABOVE A GAME CHANGER FOR THE MAJORITY OF HOUSTONIANS, 58%, WHO ARE RENTERS ENSURING THAT THEIR HOMES ARE SAFE AND DECENT.
IN MY WORK WITH RENTERS ON THE GROUND, I'VE SEEN FIRSTHAND THE IMPACTS TO TENANT'S MENTAL HEALTH AND THEIR PHYSICAL WELLBEING, LIVING IN CONDITIONS THAT ARE INHABITABLE.
AND THE ANSWER IS NEVER AS SIMPLE AS JUST MOVE OR JUST CALL AND REPORT THE CONDITIONS.
TENANTS LIVING IN PROPERTIES WITH SUBSTANDARD CONDITIONS ARE OFTEN AND RIGHTFULLY SO, FEARFUL OF RETALIATION AND EVICTION FOR REPORTING POOR CONDITIONS.
AND THEY MAY NOT HAVE THE OPTION TO MOVE FROM THEIR PROPERTY DUE TO ITS AFFORDABILITY, ITS LOCATION, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF THEIR CHOICE, OR AS YOU HEARD FROM MS. COO, THE GENERAL DISRUPTIVENESS OF MOVING THE LEGAL PROCESS FOR TEXAS TENANTS TO HOLD THEIR LANDLORDS ACCOUNTABLE FOR INCOMPLETE REPAIRS AND UNSAFE CONDITIONS IS BLUNTLY PUT, ARCANE AND UNNECESSARILY BURDENSOME FOR WORKING CLASS RENTERS.
AND THIS PROPOSED ORDINANCE IS A CRITICAL FIRST STEP TO RECTIFY, UH, THAT STOP GAP, UM, IN THE LAW.
AND BY HOLDING PROPERTY OWNERS ACCOUNTABLE TO THEIR CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS TO PROVIDE HOUSING THAT IS DECENT FOR LIVING AN OBLIGATION THAT'S, UH, SADLY NEGLECTED BY PROPERTY OWNERS WHO SOMETIMES FAVOR PROFIT OVER PEOPLE.
WE OFFER OUR SUPPORT FOR THE PROPOSED ORDINANCES WRITTEN AS IT PROVIDES A COMMON SENSE AND DATA-DRIVEN SOLUTION TO THE ACCOUNTABILITY DEFICIT FOR HABITABLE CONDITIONS, UM, THROUGH
[01:05:01]
THE CREATION OF THIS HIGH RISK APARTMENT REGISTRY, FOLLOW UP INSPECTIONS AND NEW MECHANISMS FOR, UH, ESCALATING ENFORCEMENT IF NECESSARY.UM, WE ALSO SUPPORT THE REVIVAL OF THE APARTMENT STANDARDS ENFORCEMENT COMMITTEE TO ENSURE THAT KEY STAKEHOLDERS ARE ACTIVELY WORKING TOGETHER IN COORDINATING IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS PROGRAM AND PROVIDING RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVEMENTS.
WE OFFER THE FOLLOWING RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, FOR IMPROVEMENTS AS IT'S CURRENTLY WRITTEN IN THE INTEREST OF FURTHERING OPPORTUNITIES FOR TENANT PARTICIPATION AND INCLUSION IN THE PROGRAM.
WE'D LIKE TO SEE AT LEAST ONE TENANT REPRESENTATIVE ON ASEC, UM, ENSURING THAT THE TENANT ADVOCACY PROGRAM AS NOTED IN SECTION TEN ONE SEVENTY SEVEN, IS ROBUST, UM, OFFERING RESOURCES, COORDINATING OUTREACH AND EDUCATIONAL, UH, EVENTS TO ENGAGE TENANTS ABOUT THIS PROGRAM AND THEIR RIGHTS IN GENERAL.
AND EXPLORING THE ADDITION OF, YOU KNOW, ADDITIONAL SAFEGUARDS TO REALLY PROTECT TENANTS AGAINST RETALIATION AS IT AS A HIGH CONCERN, UM, FOR REPORTING CODE VIOLATIONS.
UM, WE WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SEE THAT, UH, THE CITY WORK TO ENSURE THAT TENANTS CONCERNS IS REPORTED THROUGH 3 1 1 OR ADDRESSED AND FOLLOW UP ON IN A TIMELY MANNER, AS WE'VE HEARD, SOMETIMES THOSE SLIP THROUGH THE CRACKS.
AND ALSO CONTEMPLATING THE CREATION OF AN ANTI-DISPLACEMENT FUND, UM, FOR TENANTS WHO MIGHT BE DISPLACED DUE TO CODE VIOLATIONS.
AND IN THE INTEREST OF EXPANDING THIS PROGRAM IN THE FUTURE, UM, WE'D LIKE TO SEE EVENTUALLY THE ESTABLISHMENT OF JUST A RENTAL REGISTRY FOR ALL PROPERTIES IN THE CITY, PUBLICLY AVAILABLE, UH, FOR MULTIFAMILY, UH, PROPERTIES, UH, BASED ON THE DEFINITION ESTABLISHED IN THIS TEXT.
NOW, YOU MENTIONED, UM, JUST, YOU KNOW, RENTERS IN GENERAL, AND THIS ORDINANCE SPECIFICALLY ADDRESSES MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING, BUT ARE YOU SAYING THAT YOU THINK THAT ALL RENTAL PROPERTIES SHOULD BE INCORPORATED IN THIS ORDINANCE OR STICK WITH THE MULTI-FAMILY AT THIS POINT AND LOOK AT OTHER OPTIONS LATER? UH, YEAH.
UH, ESSENTIALLY SAYING THAT LIKE THIS PROGRAM, YOU KNOW, IN THE CURRENT, IT FOCUSES ON THOSE HIGH RISK UNITS IN THE FUTURE, I THINK HAVING A REGISTRY FOR ALL MULTIFAMILY, MULTIFAMILY PROPERTIES, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANNA BE TOO BURDENSOME ON SMALL LANDLORD, SINGLE FAMILY, UH, YOU KNOW, YOUR MOM AND POP TYPE, UH, BUT FOR MULTIFAMILY, ALL MULTIFAMILY IN THE FUTURE.
MY NAME IS DONNA RICKENBACKER AND I AM A DEVELOPER OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING HERE IN HOUSTON, PRIMARILY, ACTUALLY EXCLUSIVELY THROUGH THE, UH, HOUSING TAX CREDIT PROGRAM.
AND, UM, I JUST FOUND OUT ABOUT THIS, UH, TWO DAYS AGO, AND I DID REACH OUT TO SEVERAL OTHER STAKEHOLDERS, IF YOU WILL, THAT DO AFFORDABLE HOUSING AS WELL.
AND THEY WERE UNAWARE OF THIS, UH, ORDINANCE.
I FIRST WANNA SAY, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER, THIS IS LONG OVER DO.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S HAPPENED OVER, YOU ALL KNOW THIS BETTER THAN ME OVER MANY YEARS, IS SOME OF THESE FORMERLY MARKET RATE, IF YOU WILL, APARTMENT COMMUNITIES HAVE JUST BEEN, YOU KNOW, IN TOTAL DISREPAIR.
THEY'RE USUALLY OWNED BY OUTTA STATE, SOMETIMES OUT OF COUNTRY, UH, OWNERS, AND THEY'RE JUST GETTING WORSE AND WORSE AND WORSE.
SO TO ESTABLISH CRITERIA FOR DEALING WITH THESE COMMUNITIES IS FABULOUS.
THAT BEING SAID, THERE IS A POTENTIAL TRICKLE DOWN IMPACT, IF YOU WILL, FOR THIS ORDINANCE THAT I WANT TO BRING TO EVERYBODY'S ATTENTION.
I DO AGREE WITH THE COMMENTS MADE BY, UH, TAA REPRESENTATIVE, AND I WON'T REPEAT THOSE, BUT A COUPLE OF THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND.
HABITABILITY COMPLAINTS 3 1 1, IT'S LIKE CALLING 9 1 1.
THEY, THEY JUST WILL CALL AND COMPLAIN ABOUT ANYTHING.
SO THAT OPERATOR, IF THEY TAG IT AS A HABITABILITY COMPLAINT, YOU KNOW, THOSE, THOSE 10 COMPLAINTS, THAT MAY SOUND LIKE A BIG NUMBER, BUT IT REALLY IS NOT, WHEN YOU'VE GOT A COUPLE OF RESIDENTS THAT, AGAIN, THEY CAN BE ANONYMOUS WHEN THEY MAKE THESE PHONE CALLS, UM, CALL THREE ONE ONE ON A REGULAR BASIS.
SO I, I WANT YOU ALL TO KIND OF TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION IN TERMS OF HABITABILITY IS A PRETTY BROAD DEFINITION BASED ON WHAT I'VE READ SO FAR.
AND I JUST WANT YOU ALL TO UNDERSTAND KIND OF HOW THAT 3 1 1 MAY IMPACT SOME DEVELOPERS AND, AND THEIR COMMUNITIES THAT DO THEIR BEST, UM, TO MAINTAIN A GOOD QUALITY, UH, AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT.
UM, AND THEN ALSO, AND I HAVE LOTS OF OTHERS, BUT I HOPE WE WILL BE GIVEN THE TIME TO COME UP WITH, UM, OTHER COMMENTS BY THE LARGER, I KNOW YOU ARE READY TO GO.
YOU HAVE EVERY REASON TO BE READY TO GO WORKING ON THIS SINCE 2021.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE GET IT RIGHT WITH SEVERAL OF THE OTHER STAKEHOLDERS THAT ARE INVOLVED IN THIS, THAT DO AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WHICH BY THE WAY, HAS VERY HIGH STANDARDS WORKING THROUGH T-D-H-C-A COMPLIANCE
[01:10:01]
OBLIGATIONS AND EVERYTHING ELSE THAT WE'VE GOT TO, TO DEAL WITH.SO, UM, I, AGAIN, I HOPE YOU ALL WILL WORK WITH US ON THAT.
AND THEN IN TERMS OF GENERATOR POWER AND SENIOR COMMUNITIES, FIRST, I'M A SENIOR.
I, I'M A LIKE A BIG HIGH SENIOR, UNFORTUNATELY.
UM, SO I, I UNDERSTAND THE NEED, BUT WHEN YOU TAKE SOME OF THESE OLDER SENIOR PROPERTIES, HOW DO YOU PAY FOR IT? FIRST OF ALL, IT'S MORE THAN JUST BUYING A GENERATOR AND, AND STICKING IT AND PLUGGING IT IN.
YOU'VE GOT TO DO ALL THE WIRING AND EVERYTHING ELSE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT GENERATOR.
SO I'M NOT QUITE SURE HOW YOU GET THERE.
UM, AND QUITE FRANKLY, I THINK, UH, GENERATOR POWER SHOULD BE AVAILABLE TO ALL APARTMENT COMMUNITIES BECAUSE IT'S MORE THAN JUST SENIORS THAT ARE IMPACTED WHEN POWER GOES OUT IN SOME OF THESE OLDER COMMUNITIES.
SO, ANYWAY, THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS.
AND PAUSE JUST FOR A SECOND, UH, VICE CHAIR.
SHE'S GIVEN SO MUCH TO MY DISTRICT.
SO I WAS GONNA GIVE HER MY TIME, BUT I THINK SHE DOES, SHE DOES A FABULOUS JOB.
BUT SPEAKING OF HER DISTRICT, I MEAN, WE HAVE A COMMUNITY AND IT IS IN AN AREA OF OUR CITY THAT IS, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S CRIME THAT'S HAPPENING.
WE'VE GOT SECURITY, WE'VE GOT MONITORING SERVICES, WE'VE GOT EVERYTHING ELSE, AND STILL THINGS HAPPEN.
YOU CAN ONLY DO SO MUCH, AND WE'RE DOING THE BEST WE CAN.
UM, BUT JUST PLEASE BE SENSITIVE TO THAT NUMBER AND WHAT ULTIMATELY CONSTITUTES HABITABILITY, UH, COMPLAINTS.
UM, THAT ENDS THE LIST OF PEOPLE WE HAVE SIGNED UP.
IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE HERE IN THE ROOM THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS ISSUE? OKAY.
AND, UH, JUST TO RECOGNIZE THAT WE'VE BEEN JOINED BY COUNCIL MEMBER INGER.
I'M, UH, BRIAN LER FROM A PRECINCT CHAIR FROM, UH, 52 OVER MAGNOLIA GROVE.
AND I FOUND OUT ABOUT THIS THIS MORNING.
UM, I LIVE IN AN APARTMENT COMPLEX THAT, UH, I, WHICH IS STEPHANIE GRAVES WAS HERE.
'CAUSE THE ONLY REASON I'M STAYING AT THE APARTMENT I'M IN, I'M IN NOW IS BECAUSE OF STEPHANIE GRAVES, WHO'S THE, UH, CEO OF Q 10, THE MANAGED COMPANY WHO TOOK OVER MY BUILDING.
UH, I LIVE IN A BUILDING, UH, BAYOU PARK.
WE'RE ON THE BORDER OF RIVER OAKS.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND RIGHT BEHIND SAN THOMAS HIGH SCHOOL, 688 UNITS.
UH, LOTS OF AFGHAN RESETTLEMENTS PEOPLE.
THEY HAVE ENOUGH STRESS RIGHT NOW DEALING WITH ICE THAT WAS THERE THIS MORNING.
UM, UH, IT'S BECOME A VERY POOR COMMUNITY, I'D SAY.
BUT I'M STILL, I'M STAYING THERE BECAUSE, UM, I CAN'T AFFORD TO MOVE DOWN THE STREET IF I NEED TO IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE RENTS ARE CRAZY.
UM, WHAT YOU SEEN THESE DAYS IS THESE NEW OWNERS ARE NOT CIVIC MINDED PEOPLE.
UM, SOME OF THESE CONSOLIDATORS, THE ONE THAT BOUGHT US IS A NAMED MEDINA SHEIK.
UH, HE'S WITH MCCAIN INVESTMENT GROUP.
AND, UM, HE BOUGHT THE PROPERTY AND DID EXACTLY NOTHING FOR THREE, HE BOUGHT THREE YEARS AGO.
NOT ONE SECURITY CAMERA WORKS, NOT ONE GATE WORKS.
IF WE HAD A RECORD NUMBER OF, UH, CAR THEFTS, UH, 13 PARTS WERE STOLEN OUT HERE.
UH, AND THAT'S JUST THE ONES THAT REPORTED.
UH, AND, AND YOU PULL THE COMPS AND THE OTHER BUILDINGS AROUND US, ONE OR TWO.
UH, WE HAD THE HIGHEST SEXUAL ASSAULT RATE RIGHT OFF THE BAT.
UM, BUT WHEN THERE'S NO SECURITY, WHEN I MOVED INTO THE COMPLEX GUYS, WE HAD, UM, A FULL-TIME GARDENER.
WE HAD A FULL-TIME GYM TRAINER, A FULL-TIME, UH, TENNIS COACH, AND THE PROPERTY WAS, HAD THREE POOLS.
WHEN THESE GUYS MOVE IN, THEY'RE DOING ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.
UH, AS FAR AS THEY FIRE ALL THE SECURITY.
UH, THEY DON'T HAVE A 24 HOUR LINE.
YOU, YOU CAN'T CALL TO COMPLAIN IF THERE'S A PROBLEM.
AND THAT'S CAUSING A NUMBER, HUGE NUMBERS, AMOUNT, NUMBER OF, UH, OF PEOPLE HAVING TO COME IN THE HHPD AND FIRE PEOPLE.
THE BUILDINGS, UH, HAD NO NUMBERS ON THAT.
UM, IF YOU'VE EVER SEEN, WANNA SEE EMS TRY TO FIND A, A, A, AN APARTMENT BUILDING WITH, WHEN THERE'S, UM, A HUGE PROPERTY, IT TAKES AN EXTRA 20, 30 MINUTES TO FIND PEOPLE IN THE BUILDING AT, AT TIMES, THIS GUY AFTER BUYING BODY PARK, UH, WHICH IS, UH, UH, IS IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S VERY VALUABLE.
WE KNOW WE LIVE IN UN STORIED.
ON, ON, ON A, ON, YOU KNOW, WHO KNOWS.
BUT THE FIRST OWNER OF BA BOBBY PARK, HIS ESTATE JUST GAVE, UM, HOUSTON, HOUSTON, UH, CHARITIES $47 MILLION.
THE SECOND OWNER WAS TOM F JOE JUNIOR.
UH, YOU, EVERY TIME YOU DRIVE DOWN MEMORIAL, UNDERNEATH THAT BRIDGE, THE FIRST BRIDGE YOU PASS, HE BUILT IT.
HE DONATED TO THE CITY, CIVIC-MINDED.
THE THIRD OWNER WAS WARREN BUFFET.
THE FOURTH OWNER WAS ALLISON AT A LOT OF, A LOT OF ADVENTURES.
UH, DURING HARVEY, SHE WAS IN, IN APARTMENTS, PULLING CARPET UP EIGHT HOURS A DAY.
SHE WORKED $60 MILLION, I'M SURE.
UH, SHE HAD WAITERS ON POUR CARPET, AND EVERYBODY KNEW.
EVERYONE KNEW THERE KNEW HER BY FIRST NAME.
SO THIS NEW NEW OWNER IS A GUY WHO'S PROMISING GENERATIONAL WEALTH TO HIS, UM, INVESTORS.
BUT, UM, A LOT OF THESE, THESE COMPANIES ARE OWNED BY, UM, UH, THESE CONSOLIDATORS, WHICH THEY MAKE THE MONEY REGARDLESS.
THEY'RE, UM, PEOPLE GIVE, GIVE THEM MONEY AS WELL WHEN YOU ARE, UH, DOING THIS TYPE OF ORDINANCE BECAUSE THEY'RE LOSING ALL THEIR MONEY.
UH, WE DON'T EVEN KNOW WHO THE OWNER IS RIGHT NOW IN MY BUILDING.
[01:15:01]
RIGHT NOW BECAUSE IT'S CHANGED HANDS.A LOT OF 'EM ARE ARBOR ROYALTY CLIENTS, UH, APPLE'S WAY.
BUT, UH, HE WAS, YOU KNOW, HE CLAIM TO BE AN INDUSTRY TITAN NEPHEW, YOU BY ONE IN ONE BUILDING AND YOU DO NOTHING, UH, WHEN NOBODY ONE'S EVER SEEN THE GUY.
AND, UH, IF IT WASN'T, WASN'T FOR STEPHANIE GRAVES GROUP THAT CAME IN TO TAKE OVER THE PROPERTY, I THINK PROBABLY AT THE, AT THE BANK'S DIRECTION, UH, WE'D ALL BE GONE.
AND I'M HERE TODAY FOR ALL THE PEOPLE WHO ARE SCARED TO COME AND SHOW UP AND, AND TESTIFY BECAUSE, UH, THERE'S A LOT OF 'EM.
YOU KNOW, I JUST HEARD ABOUT THEY, THEY'VE NEVER HEARD OF 3 1 1.
THEY'VE NEVER HEARD OF A CIVIC CLUB.
PLUMBERS OFFICE, AND HER STAFF IS ALSO ABBY'S STAFF WHO'VE BEEN INCREDIBLE AT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
ONE TIME, WE, WE, THE POOL WAS A, ONE OF THE POOLS THAT WAS THE ONLY ONE WAS OPEN.
THE POOL'S BEEN CLOSED FOR A YEAR NOW.
UM, THERE WAS A NASTY COLOR, AND ALL THE KIDS ARE SCREAMING, HAVING THE POOL CALLED THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
THEY'RE UP THERE IN 15 MINUTES ON OUR FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND CLOSED THE THING.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S RESPONSE, GUYS.
BUT WE NEED TO DO MORE, BECAUSE IF THERE'S SECURITY CAMERAS IN THE BUILDING, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THEY'RE WORKING.
UH, WHEN, WHEN PEOPLE TRYING TO FIND SOME INFORMATION WHO STOLE THEIR TRUCK, YOU GO TRY TO, YOU KNOW, UH, TO GET SOME INFORMATION FROM THE APARTMENT COMPLEX.
WELL, THEY DON'T, THEY, THEY, LITTLE BIT, OH, NONE OF THEM WORK.
LAST TIME WE HAD OUR PACKAGES WHERE, OR WHEN THE, UH, TRANSFORMERS BLEW, UH, THEY WOULDN'T REPLACE THEM.
UH, OUR PARCELS WERE OUT FOR 70 DAYS, HAD MEDICATIONS IN THERE, AND THAT WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN FOR THE CONSTABLE AND SOME PEOPLE THAT CAME OUT.
'CAUSE WE WERE GONNA CORRECT OUT THEM OUT THE NEXT DAY.
AND, UH, JUST TO PAUSE, WE HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER IN THE QUEUE.
UH, DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY? YEAH.
UM, IT SOUNDS LIKE THE LIVING STANDARDS AND THE COMPLEX IS DETERIORATED, GREATLY DETERIORATED, CHANGED.
I'M HAPPY TO SHARE ALL THE PHOTOS LEFT THAT HAVE CONTEMPLATED MOVING.
AND MY, MY BUILDING'S GOT A NUMBER OF 40 YEAR RESIDENCE, 20 YEAR RESIDENTS, 30 YEAR RESIDENTS.
WE, WE, WE, WE WANT TO LIVE THERE.
A LOT OF PEOPLE LIVE THERE BY CHOICE.
I MEAN, I'VE LIVED IN 11 CITIES, ALWAYS, ALWAYS OWN HOMES.
BUT I DIDN'T IN HOUSTON BECAUSE I, I SHOULD HAVE BOUGHT A HOUSE.
I WAS A LITTLE, UM, BUT, UH, BACK WHEN I MOVED HERE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE YEARS AGO, I'VE BEEN THERE 15 YEARS.
I'M NOT, I'M, I'M, I WAS AVERAGE FOR A WHILE.
AND TO FORCE THOSE PEOPLE WHO THOUGHT THEY WERE, UM, GONNA STAY FOR, YOU KNOW, QUITE A WHILE.
THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S A LOT OF STRESS.
UH, THIS GUY'S EVICTING US VETERANS AND THEIR DOGS WHO END UP AT A PARK NEXT DOOR IN CLEVELAND PARK, WHO MY NEIGHBORS HELPED, YOU KNOW, SUPPORT THE GUY FOR, FOR MONTHS BECAUSE, UH, HE EVICTED THIS GUY OVER SOME KIND OF PAPERWORK ISSUE.
AND, AND YET HE'S OFFERING EB FIVE VISAS TO A NEW PROPERTY IN PARA LAND.
WELL, IF YOU'RE GONNA BUILD A BRAND NEW 140 MILLION PROPERTY IN PARA LAND, YOU CAN FIX A PROPERTY THAT YOU OWN IN, IN THE CITY THAT'S JUST GONE TO HELL.
I MEAN, IT'S IN, IT WAS IN SUCH TERRIBLE SHAPE.
I WOULDN'T HAVE A FRIEND OVER TO, TO VISIT.
UH, THEY UPROOTED A LOT OF LIVES THERE.
SO YEAH, YOU CAN SAY, YEAH, YOU KNOW, UM, AND, AND I, I PLAN ON STAYING, YOU KNOW, IF, AND IT'S TOTALLY CHANGED, TURNED AROUND BECAUSE THIS NEW MANAGEMENT COMPANY, IF THESE, IF THESE OWNERS ARE, ARE, ARE MANAGING THE COMPANIES THEMSELVES, THAT IS A HUGE, UH, RED FLAG GUYS.
WELL, AND THANK YOU FOR COMING, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
AND PLEASE SEND THOSE PICTURES TO COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER'S OFFICE AND UPDATE HER WITH, WITH ALL THAT INFORMATION.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE IN THE ROOM THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS TOPIC? OKAY.
SO IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'VE HEARD A LOT OF INFORMATION.
THERE'S BEEN SOME REALLY GOOD IDEAS THAT HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED, UM, THROUGH THIS.
UM, AND I KNOW THAT YOU ARE LOOKING, YOU SAID COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER, JUNE 6TH.
YOU'RE HOPING TO HAVE, UM, QUESTIONS OR, OR COMMENTS IN GO AHEAD, CHAIR, ACTUALLY, UM, JUST BECAUSE I'VE HEARD SO MANY REALLY GREAT SUGGESTIONS, I'D LIKE TO, UM, MOVE THAT DATE TO JUNE 13TH.
GIVES EVERYBODY ANOTHER ADDITIONAL WEEK TO, TO GET ALL THE, IN THE PUBLIC AS WELL.
AND THEN THAT WAY WE CAN REFINE EVERYTHING AND THEN MOVE FORWARD FROM THERE.
AND SO, WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO TABLE THIS ITEM? NO.
I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO HAVE THIS COMMITTEE REFER THIS, THE APARTMENT INSPECTION ORDINANCE TO THE FULL CITY AGENDA WITH FAVORABLE CONSIDERATION.
AND SO, UM, SECOND MOTION MADE AND SECONDED.
SO WITH YOUR JUNE 13TH DEADLINE, IF WE VOTE TO RECOMMEND IT TO COUNSEL WITH FAVORABLE CONSIDERATION, THAT WOULD COME TO THE 18TH, THE MEETING ON THE 18TH? IS THAT HOW THIS WOULD WORK? 13TH? IT WOULD BE THE, THE 13TH IS A FRIDAY, SO IT'LL BE THE 18TH.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, VICE P TIM PECK.
AND MY QUESTION IS, SO I MEAN, THERE ARE GOING TO BE POSSIBLE CHANGES.
UM, SO WHAT EXACTLY WERE WE PUTTING ON THE COUNCIL AGENDA? IS THAT WITH A, YOU KNOW, CHANGES? OKAY.
[01:20:01]
MOVING THE CONCEPT BASICALLY FORWARD AT THE, OKAY.I THINK THIS, THIS VOTE, OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, AND, AND BACK IN THE DAY, I'VE BEEN HERE SO LONG, WE DID VOTE AT COMMITTEES A LOT.
AND ALL IT MEANT WITH FAVORABLE CONSIDERATION MEANT LIKE WE, OVERALL, LIKE THIS CONCEPT, WE KNOW IT'S GONNA UNDERGO SOME CHANGES.
THIS DOESN'T MEAN YOU'RE AN AUTOMATIC YES.
VOTE ON THE, ON THE ORDINANCE.
IT JUST MEANS THIS COMMITTEE HAS FAVORABLE CONSIDERATION OF THIS ORDINANCE.
AND WE'LL SEE IT AGAIN ON THE 18TH.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ, THANK YOU CHAIR.
AND THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER FOR YOUR WORK ON THIS.
I KNOW YOU AND NER HAVE BEEN WORKING ON IT FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.
UM, I, I, I LIKE THE CONCEPT OF HOLDING APARTMENT COMPLEXES TO ACCOUNT AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WORKED ON THAT LAST YEAR, UH, ON INDIVIDUAL, UH, ISSUES AS WELL.
UM, I NO PROBLEM CON TAKING THIS UP WITH, WITH THE FULL COUNCIL IN JUNE.
I, I JUST, UH, WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ENGAGING ALL THE CITY DEPARTMENTS THAT NEED TO BE INVOLVED.
I'M SORT OF GETTING THE IMPRESSION FROM A COUPLE THAT, UM, THEY HAVEN'T HAD A, A CHANCE TO FULLY VET IT.
AND, AND I JUST WANT MAKE SURE THAT WHEN IT DOES COME TO COUNCIL, UH, DEPARTMENTS HAVE BEEN GIVEN A FULL OPPORTUNITY TO WEIGH IN SO THAT WE END UP WITH THE BEST POSSIBLE PRODUCT.
SO, THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER, SINCE WE'RE SAYING THERE'S GONNA BE CHANGES TO IT, ARE WE NOT ABLE JUST TO VOTE IT, PUT IT ON THE AGENDA WITHOUT SAYING IT'S FAVORABLE? SINCE WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE VOTING ON, I REALLY WANT TO MAKE, HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET THE COMMENTS FROM WHAT PEOPLE HAVE SAID.
AND SO, AS, AS COUNCILMAN ALCO SAID, THIS IS JUST SAYING THAT WE ALL AGREE ON THE CONCEPT, BUT I WANT TO TAKE EVERYTHING INTO, INTO CONSIDERATION, WHICH I THINK WE SHOULD MM-HMM
EXCEPT, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW.
I, I HATE TO SAY YES, I'M FAVORABLE TO THIS ONE.
I REALLY DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT IT IS.
I, I MEAN, FINE WITH PUTTING IT ON THE AGENDA.
I MEAN, THAT, THAT MAKES SENSE TO ME.
SO, COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ, THANK YOU, CHAIR.
AND I JUST WANNA, UH, CLARIFY, YOU DID SAY THAT IT HASN'T GONE TO GENERAL COUNSEL YET.
IT HAS GONE TO LEGAL, HAS COMPLETELY VETTED THIS, BUT AS EVERYONE KNOWS, IT HAS TO GO TO GENERAL COUNSEL FOR FINALIZATION.
SO EVERYTHING THAT YOU SEE HAS TO GO TO GENERAL COUNSEL FIRST BEFORE IT'S FINALIZED.
SO MAYBE I SHOULD ASK YOU, WHEN, WHEN WILL WE BE ABLE TO SEE THAT? PRIOR TO THE 18TH? I'M ASSUMING SO, SO, AND THIS IS, THIS IS FOR THIS ITEM ACTUALLY FOR EVERYBODY'S ITEM.
SO, UH, WHEN I, WHEN I PRESENTED LAST MONTH, I MENTIONED THAT GENERAL COUNSEL'S, THE FINAL, I KNOW IT SAYS LEGAL AND I'M LEGAL.
UH, AND I WORK WITH YOU ALL ON YOUR, ON YOUR ITEMS. BUT GENERAL COUNSEL'S THE ONE THAT ACTUALLY FORMALLY STAMPS FROM THE ADMINISTRATION'S POINT OF VIEW.
SO IT, I'LL WORK WITH YOU ALL ON THE ITEMS. AND I'VE WORKED WITH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER ON THIS ITEM.
GENERAL COUNSEL IS THE ONE THAT ACTUALLY WILL GIVE THE FINAL, THEY HAVE TO GET A FINAL APPROVAL NOW.
IT WILL HAVE TO GET, UH, THEY WILL HAVE TO GET A FINAL VERSION.
THEY DO HAVE THE CURRENT VERSION.
UH, BUT, AND, AND THEY, AND IT SOUNDS LIKE ONCE IT'S CHANGED, THEY'LL HAVE TO GET THAT VERSION AND, AND GO THROUGH THAT AS WELL.
SO, UH, FOR THIS, FOR THIS, I GUESS, UH, SO I'M IN FAVOR OF, OF MOVING FORWARD, BUT IS IT PREMATURE TO PUT IT ON THE AGENDA IF IT'S HASN'T GONE THROUGH GENERAL COUNSEL TO SEE WHATEVER'S BEEN APPROVED OR, I DON'T KNOW, DANNY, WE CAN ANSWER IT.
SO, UM, SO IT, IT, IT, SO NO, UH, SO, SO IT CA IF THERE IS AN ISSUE FOR WHATEVER REASON, IF THERE HAPPENS TO BE AN ISSUE, IF THERE IS A CHANGE OR SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS THAT HAPPENS TO HAVE AN ISSUE THAT MAY DELAY IT.
SO IF THERE, IF THERE IS A CHANGE, AND IF THERE IS A, IF THERE IS A, THIS WILL NOT, IF THERE'S, FOR WHATEVER REASON AND THERE'S A CHANGE IN THIS ONE AND THAT THIS NEXT VERSION GOES ON OR WHATEVER VERSION AND, AND GENERAL COUNSEL HAS AN ISSUE, WE WILL LET, WE WILL LET, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER KNOW WE WILL, WE WILL KIND OF GO FROM THERE AND THE SAME.
AND IT'S, IT WILL BE THE SAME THING FOR THE OTHER THREE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT HAVE ITEMS TODAY.
UH, WE ARE, UH, ACTUALLY TOMORROW WE'RE GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT OUR PROCESS.
'CAUSE I THINK IT'S A LITTLE BIT CONFUSING.
UH, WHEN, WHEN YOU GUYS WROTE THE RULES, THERE WAS NO PROPER POSITION.
SO WHEN YOU GUYS GIMME THINGS, YOU GUYS ARE LIKE, LEGAL HAS IT, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE WORKED OUT AND, AND, AND LEGAL, THAT GENERAL COUNSEL WAS THE ONE THAT ACTUALLY WILL GO, 'CAUSE THEY GIVE A DEEPER ANALYSIS.
A LOT OF TIMES, I'LL JUST MAKE SURE YOU GUYS ARE NOT VIOLATING STATE LAW, BUT THEY'LL SAY IT'S, THIS IS NOT ONLY NOT VIOLATING STATE LAW, BUT THIS ALSO, UH, DOESN'T ADDRESS, THIS DOESN'T CONFLICT WITH ANOTHER ORDINANCE AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO THEY GIVE A DEEPER DIVE ONTO ON THE, THE LEGALITY.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER PALM'S REFERRING TO.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S A, THAT'S A PROCESS WE ARE STILL TINKERING WITH BECAUSE THIS IS STILL, STILL FAIRLY NEW.
DID I ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? I THINK IS IT OKAY TO CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD, I GUESS IS WHAT I'M SAYING? COULD WE PUT IT ON THE AGENDA FOR THE 18TH KNOWING THAT IT HASN'T GONE TO GENERAL COUNCIL YET? SO YEAH, SO YOU, YOU CAN, AND IF THERE IS AN ISSUE, WE WILL, WE WILL ADDRESS IT AT THE, WE WILL, WE WILL.
IF IF THERE HAPPENS TO BE AN ISSUE,
[01:25:01]
WE WILL, WE WILL, WE WILL ADDRESS IT AND POSSIBLY DELAY IT IF, IF NE IF NEED BE VICE PPAC.AND I THINK THAT WE'RE NOT MEETING ON THE 18TH BECAUSE IT'S CONSOLIDATED ON THE 17TH.
SO IT WOULD NEED TO BE THE 17TH INSTEAD THE 18TH.
AND ALSO TOO, BECAUSE THERE IS A LOT OF DISCUSSION AND TO KEEP THE PUBLIC INFORMED, YOU KNOW, THIS COULD BE AN ITEM ALSO THAT WE COULD HEAR IN THE QUALITY OF LIFE COMMITTEE TOO, IF, YOU KNOW, IF THERE NEEDED TO BE MORE DISCUSSION AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO, UM, DO YOU WANNA GO AHEAD AND HAVE THE VOTE FAVORABLY? I DO.
IF YOU, UH, THERE'S MOTION A SECOND.
I'M SORRY I WAS A LITTLE, I WAS A LITTLE DISTRACTED.
AND I KNOW THAT THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS SUPPOSED TO BE COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO'S, UM, PROPOSITION A ITEM.
HOWEVER, I THINK THERE'S SOME VETERANS IN THE AUDIENCE THAT NEED TO LEAVE.
IS THERE ANY WAY IS, UM, CAN I GET A MOTION TO MOVE ITEM FOUR UP TO ITEM TWO? IS THAT OKAY WITH YOU COUNSEL? SURE, THAT'S FINE.
THIS, UH, NEXT AGENDA ITEM IS ABOUT, UM, IT'S A PROPOSAL TO ALLOW DISABLED VETERANS TO PARK FOR FREE AT ANY OFF STREET CITY OWNED PARKING FACILITY.
UM, WE'VE HEARD FROM DISABLED VETERANS IN MY DISTRICT WHO HAVE SAID THAT THE CITY'S POLICY ISN'T CLEAR.
AND THIS ITEM WOULD ELIMINATE CONFUSION AND CREATE A STREAMLINED UNIFORM APPROACH ACROSS ALL APPLICABLE CITY OWNED FACILITIES.
IMPORTANTLY, IT EXEMPTS AIRPORT FACILITIES, WHICH ALREADY OPERATE UNDER THEIR OWN ESTABLISHED POLICIES.
THIS IS A COMMON SENSE STEP TOWARDS HONORING OUR VETERANS AND ENSURING CONSISTENT ACCESS ACROSS THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
IT SHOULD NOT BE THE CASE THAT WE TURN VETERANS AWAY OR MAKE THEM PAY JUST BECAUSE, UM, THEY FORGOT OR DON'T HAVE THEIR CREDENTIALS UNDER THIS ORDINANCE CHANGE.
IF THEY HAVE THEIR PROPER STATE ISSUED DISABLED VETERAN LICENSE PLATE, THEN THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO PARK AT THE CITY FACILITIES.
UM, AT THIS TIME I'D LIKE TO ASK DR. JONES TO COME UP TO ANSWER A FEW QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS.
UM, AND DR. JONES, PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND JUST FOR THE PUBLIC, LET EVERYBODY KNOW WHO YOU ARE.
I'M WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON MAYOR'S OFFICE OF VETERAN MILITARY AFFAIRS, UM, WHERE IT IS OUR ROLE, OUR JOB TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ADVOCATING FOR THE 300,000 VETERANS, UH, THAT ARE HERE IN THE LOCAL HOUSTON HARRIS COUNTY AREA.
NOW, I KNOW THAT MY OFFICE HAS RECEIVED SOME CALLS ABOUT CONFUSION SURROUNDING, UH, THIS DISABLED PARKING ISSUE.
UM, IS THERE ANYTHING HAVE YOU HEARD OF, OF ANYTHING SIMILAR? SO WE GET, UH, THESE EMAILS AND PHONE CALLS ALL THE TIME ABOUT, UH, IT NOT BEING CLEAR WHETHER IT'S, UH, THE HOBBY GARAGE, WHETHER IT'S CITY PARKING, WHETHER IT'S THE HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM.
UM, SO THERE'S NO REALLY CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF, UH, WHAT'S ALLOWED AND WHAT'S NOT ALLOWED.
SO I'VE ALWAYS SUGGESTED THAT THERE BE SIGNAGE SO THAT WE WOULD KNOW PRIOR TO GOING IN, NOT UPON EXIT, BUT PRIOR TO GOING IN WHAT THE, UM, WHAT THE RULES AND REGULATIONS ARE.
AND SO THIS WOULD ALLOW DISABLED VETERANS IF THEY HAVE THE PROPER LICENSE PLATES TO BE ABLE TO PARK AT CITY MANAGE? ABSOLUTELY.
SO IT WOULD BE, UH, SPECIFICALLY FOR DISABLED VETERANS.
AND THE WAY THAT YOU GET THAT DESIGNATION, OF COURSE, IS THROUGH THE VETERANS ADMINISTRATION.
UM, SO THEY, YOU ARE GIVING, UM, A, A, A RATING AND IT HAS TO BE 50% OR HIGHER.
SO THEN YOU'RE ALLOWED TO ACTUALLY GO AND GET YOUR PLATES THAT SAYS DV, WHICH IS DISABLED VETERAN PARKING.
UH, AND ALSO IF YOU HAVE TO HAVE A HANDICAP, UH, PLACARD OR THE HANDICAP ISA, UH, SYMBOL, THEN YOU'RE ALLOWED TO ADDITIONALLY PARK IN THE, UM, DESIGNATED HANDICAP PARKING AREA.
AND IS THE VETERAN AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT IN SUPPORT OF THIS ORDINANCE? ABSOLUTELY.
UM, AND THE REASON WHY, UM, SPECIFICALLY OUR OFFICE, UM, IS IN SUPPORT OF THIS IS BECAUSE SOME, SOME OF THE NUMBER ONE COMPLAINTS THAT I RECEIVE WHEN WE HAVE EVENTS DOWNTOWN IS THAT, HEY, I DON'T LIKE TO COME DOWN THERE BECAUSE I CAN'T FIND PARKING.
OR WE HAVE VETERANS THAT SAY, HEY, I TRIED TO COME DOWN
[01:30:01]
BUT I COULDN'T FIND ANY PARKING.AND WHEN YOU ALREADY HAVE A HIGH LEVEL OF ANXIETY, WHEN YOU ALREADY HAVE PTSD, YOU GET FRUSTRATED.
AND SO AFTER YOU'VE CIRCLED IT TWICE, YOU LEAVE.
AND WE DON'T WANT THAT WHEN YOU'RE ALREADY DEALING WITH, UH, CERTAIN TYPES OF ISSUES.
UH, PTSD ISSUES, YOU WANNA BE ABLE TO KNOW.
'CAUSE VETERANS, WE, WE PRETTY MUCH DO A LOT OF RECON.
SO WE KNOW WHERE WE'RE GOING AND WE KNOW EXACTLY HOW TO GET THERE.
AND IF WE'RE NOT GETTING THERE, THEN WE KIND OF GET A LITTLE FRUSTRATED.
UM, AND SO ONE OF THE NUMBER ONE ISSUES, I THINK THAT IF THEY HAVE DESIGNATED PARKING, THEN THOSE WHO HAVE MOBILITY ISSUES, WE HAVE SOME VIETNAM VETERANS HERE TODAY.
IF YOU HAVE MOBILITY ISSUES, YOU WANNA BE ABLE TO BE CLOSE TO THE VENUE, CLOSE TO THE EVENT SO THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO, TO WALK TOO FAR TO GET TO, TO WHERE YOU'RE TRYING TO GO.
AND AT THIS TIME, UM, I'LL OPEN THIS UP FOR ANY QUESTIONS FROM ANY COUNCIL MEMBERS ABOUT THIS ORDINANCE.
AND AT THIS POINT, I GUESS WE WILL, THERE'S NO QUESTIONS IN QUEUE.
UH, WE'LL OPEN IT UP TO THE, UM, PUBLIC SESSION, UH, PORTION.
UM, I'D LIKE THE FIRST SPEAKER IS JOHN GONZALEZ.
MY NAME IS JOHN GONZALEZ AND I HAVE THE PLEASURE OF SERVING AS SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS, UH, FOR HOUSTON FIRST CORPORATION.
I'M HERE TODAY TO DISCUSS THE DISABLED VETERANS ORDINANCE BEING PRESENTED TO THE PUBLIC DURING TODAY'S PRO PROPOSITION A COMMITTEE MEETING AT HOUSTON.
FIRST, WE CONSISTENTLY STRIVE TO BE A GOOD STEWARD OF THE ASSETS WE MANAGE, INCLUDING THE PARKING FACILITIES WE OPERATE.
WE'RE ALSO EXTREMELY PROUD TO SUPPORT OUR ACTIVE DUTY MILITARY AND VETERANS.
I'M A NATIVE HOUSTONIAN AND VETERAN MYSELF, AND VERY PROUD OF ALL THE CITY OF HOUSTON DOES TO HONOR AND CELEBRATE THE SERVICE OF THE UNITED STATES MILITARY SERVICE MEMBERS.
WE ABSOLUTELY SUPPORT DISABLED VETERANS HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARK FREE IN OUR FACILITIES.
WE THINK THIS IS A SMALL WAY WE CAN CONTINUE TO THANK THEM FOR THEIR SERVICE.
HOWEVER, WE, WE ALSO MUST ENSURE THAT THIS PRIVILEGE IS NOT BEING ABUSED AS IT IS SOMETIME HAS BEEN IN THE PAST.
THE PARKING PRIVILEGE SHOULD EXTEND TO THE INDIVIDUAL DISABLED VETERAN THEMSELVES AND NOT THEIR FAMILIES OR OTHERS DRIVING A VEHICLE WITH TAG PLATES AND THE VETERAN NOT PRESENT.
WE ASK THAT THE VETERAN BE PRESENT IN THE VEHICLE AND ABLE TO SHOW THEIR GOVERNMENT ISSUED, UH, ID OR A COPY OF THEIR DD TWO 14 AS WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST.
UH, CURRENTLY, IF THERE IS A VETERAN, DISABLED VETERAN IN A VEHICLE AND IT DOES NOT HAVE PLATES PARKING WITHIN THE HOUSTON FIRST FACILITIES, WE ALLOW THAT TO, TO TAKE PLACE.
SO, UM, WHAT WE'VE NOTICED IN THE PAST, AT TIMES, DURING HIGH PROFILE MAJOR EVENTS, UH, THAT TAKE PLACE IN OUR FACILITIES, THAT THERE MAY BE A FAMILY MEMBER OR A FRIEND WHO'S DRIVING THE VEHICLE OF A DISABLED VETERAN.
THE VETERAN IS NOT IN THE CAR WHEN ASKED TO PRESENT THE ID, IT'S NOT AVAILABLE.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, TAKE SOME SPACES THAT, THAT REALLY ARE, UH, IMPACTING THOSE IN NEED OF, OF THOSE SPACES.
UM, AT TIMES, DUE TO OUR PARKING FACILITIES BEING BEING COMPLETELY AUTOMATED, UH, WE MAY NOT HAVE PARKING ATTENDANCE PRESENT UPON ENTRY.
THIS WOULD REQUIRE THE DISABLED VETERAN TO VISIT OUR PARKING OFFICE LOCATED IN THE GARAGE TO RECEIVE PARKING VALIDATION.
WE DO HAVE PARKING OFFICES IN EVERY GARAGE THAT'S UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF HOUSTON FIRST CORPORATION.
WE BELIEVE THIS VERIFICATION IS A FAIR APPROACH TO ENSURING, UH, WE ARE INDEED HONORING OUR VETERANS WHILE ALSO MAINTAINING OUR BUSINESS OPERATIONS FOR HOUSTON.
AND, UM, AND WE CAN SUBMIT SOME OF THESE QUESTIONS FOR LATER ON, AND YOU PROBABLY DON'T HAVE THIS NUMBER OFF THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD, BUT DO WE KNOW HOW MANY DISABLED VETERANS ATTEMPT TO PARK IN THESE CITY GARAGES EACH YEAR? SO CURRENTLY FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON, WE HAVE 38 CITY OF HOUSTON, UH, EMPLOYEES WHO PARK IN, IN THE GARAGES HERE.
UM, WITH, THAT'S AN ESTIMATED VALUE OF $96,000 A YEAR.
NOW THOSE VETERANS DO NOT HAVE TO PRESENT THEIR CARD.
WE ISSUE THEM A PARKING TAG TO, UM, TO GET IN AND OUT OF ALL THE PARKING FACILITIES THAT ARE THROUGH THE CITY.
UM, HOWEVER, UH, THOSE WHO ARE NOT CITY EMPLOYEES, UH, WE'VE ESTIMATED THAT NUMBER IS AROUND 2,800 TO 3,500, UM, THAT PARK, UH, TO ATTEND, UH, EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER PUBLIC SPEAKERS THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS TOPIC? OKAY.
IF NOT, THEN WE'LL GO AHEAD AND CLOSE THE PUBLIC, UM, PUBLIC SPEAKER PORTION DUE TO THE LACK OF QUORUM ACTION GOING FORWARD.
UM, WE'LL CONTINUE TO PRESENT, TAKE PUBLIC COMMENT.
AND, UM, I'VE BEEN INFORMED THAT DUE TO THE LACK OF QUORUM RIGHT NOW, WE CAN'T TAKE ANY, UM, ACTION OR VOTE ON THIS.
[01:35:01]
WILL CONTINUE TO WORK ON THIS ORDINANCE AND MOVE FORWARD TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE, UM, EVERYBODY'S INTERESTS, UM, LOOKED AT AND TAKEN CARE OF.AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS BECAUSE WE THINK IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT ORDINANCE.
ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE TO ADD, DR. JONES? YES.
IF I CAN, UH, REQUEST THAT THERE'S SIGNAGE.
SO PRIOR TO GOING IN AGAIN, UM, WE WILL KNOW, UH, IF IT'S FIVE HOURS, IF IT'S UP TO 12 HOURS.
I'VE DONE SOME RESEARCH ON SOME OTHER CITIES AND IT'S, UH, PER WHERE I THINK IT WAS EL PASO OR SAN ANTONIO, IT'S 12 HOURS OR LESS.
SO WE CAN HAVE SOME ACTUAL SIGNAGE.
UH, 'CAUSE THAT'S ALWAYS THE ISSUE THAT WE HAVE.
THE HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM, THERE'S NOTHING THAT SAYS AS YOU'RE GOING IN THAT ACTUALLY SAYS, UM, WHAT THE, WHAT THE STANDARD IS.
SO, UH, IF THERE'S LIKE A QR CODE OR SOMETHING THAT SAYS, HEY, PLEASE SCAN THIS QR CODE TO GET MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE PRIVILEGE, THE PRIVILEGES OR, OR ALL THE, UH, THE, THE INFO OR MORE DETAILED INFORMATION SO THAT THE VETERAN WILL KNOW SO THEY'RE NOT PARKING THERE FOR EIGHT HOURS WHEN IT'S ONLY FIVE TO SIX HOURS.
AT THIS TIME WE WILL MOVE TO, UH, ITEM NUMBER TWO ON OUR AGENDA IF COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO WOULD LIKE TO, UM, GUIDE US THROUGH.
UM, THANK YOU CHAIR AND COLLEAGUES.
UH, THIS ITEM IS TO PROPOSE EVENING AND POTENTIALLY OFFSITE PUBLIC SESSIONS.
UM, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT A NUMBER OF, UH, Y'ALL HAVE EXPRESSED SOME FORM OF SUPPORT FOR.
AND EVEN THE MAYOR HAS MENTIONED A NUMBER OF TIMES, UM, THAT THIS IS SOMETHING WE SHOULD CONSIDER.
SO MUCH SO THAT, UH, HIS STAFF HAS DONE SOME DIGGING INTO THIS IDEA.
AND, UM, STEVE AND DAVID IS, IS HERE TO SHARE SOME OF THOSE FINDINGS.
YOU KNOW, I THINK OVERALL THIS IS SOMETHING THAT A LOT OF FOLKS WOULD SUPPORT, UH, BUT MAY NOT OFTEN RISE TO THE LEVEL OF PRIORITY OF ACTION BECAUSE WE'RE ALL DEALING WITH SO MANY DIFFERENT THINGS.
UH, AND I THINK THIS COMMITTEE IS THE, THE RIGHT SPOT TO TALK IT OUT AND TO GET FEEDBACK, ANSWER QUESTIONS, AND BRING SOMETHING TO COUNCIL THAT WE CAN ALL SUPPORT AND, AND REALLY GET BEHIND.
UM, I'VE HAD A NUMBER OF TOWN HALLS MYSELF ACROSS THE DISTRICT.
AND THE PUBLIC MEETING THAT WE DID A FEW WEEKS AGO AROUND THE 11TH STREET IMPROVEMENTS HAD SO MANY FOLKS THERE THAT WERE FIRST TIME ATTENDEES TO A CIVIC MEETING, UH, ABOUT ONE THIRD OF THE ROOM RAISED THEIR HAND, AND IT WAS ON A SATURDAY.
IT WAS AT A CHURCH AND THE COMMUNITY.
AND THAT REALLY CRYSTALLIZE THIS, AS WE'VE HEARD FROM PEOPLE AS WELL.
THEY WANT TO BE ABLE TO, TO ADDRESS US SOMETIME OUTSIDE OF 2:00 PM ON A TUESDAY.
UM, AND SO THIS IDEA WOULD MOVE THE LAST SESSION OF THE MONTH TO THE EVENING HERE AT CHAMBERS WITH THE DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER ON A ROTATING BASIS, HAVING THE ABILITY TO HOST IT IN THEIR DISTRICT.
UM, AND, AND THERE ARE LOGISTICAL THINGS THAT WE WANT TO CONSIDER AROUND THAT AND, AND WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT, UM, WITH THE COSTS THAT INCUR THAT OFFSITE MEETING BEING ABSORBED BY THE DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER.
AND SO, UM, THE, THE START TIME WOULD BE 6:00 PM INSTEAD OF 2:00 PM.
UH, IF PRESENTATIONS WERE DONE, THAT WOULD BE FIVE 30, YOU KNOW, JUST, IT WOULD FOLLOW THE SIMILAR FORMAT, BUT IT WOULD BE DONE IN THE EVENING.
AND, AND THIS WOULD GIVE FOLKS A CONSISTENT OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS US OUTSIDE OF THAT 2:00 PM ON A TUESDAY, UH, WINDOW, AND THEN POTENTIALLY DO IT IN, UH, IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND I THINK THAT THAT HELPS US BE BETTER CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, BECAUSE IT WILL, UH, TAKE US ALL TO THE KINGWOOD, YOU KNOW, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD OR CLEAR LAKE OR WEST HOUSTON AND HEAR FROM FOLKS AND, AND SEE WHAT THEY'RE, WHAT THEY'RE DEALING WITH OUT THERE.
SO, UM, WITH THAT, I KNOW STEVEN HAS SOME, SOME THINGS TO SHARE AND REALLY APPRECIATE HIM BEING HERE AND, UM, SHARING WHAT THEY HAVE FOUND, UH, AROUND THIS IDEA.
UH, APPRECIATE ALL OF Y'ALL BEING HERE.
UH, WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS WALK YOU THROUGH VERY QUICKLY.
I ONLY HAVE TWO SLIDES, UH, DISSIMILAR FROM PREVIOUS PRESENTATIONS OF MINE,
UH, WHAT I WANTED TO WALK YOU THROUGH WAS THE CONSIDERATIONS THAT HAVE TO BE MADE.
UM, ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE HYPOTHETICAL IN NATURE, RIGHT? WHAT WE DID WAS WE RAN THE TRAPS WITH THE CITY LEGAL DEPARTMENT, UM, BUT WE ALSO INCLUDED, UH, A NUMBER OF OTHER DEPARTMENTS AND DIVISIONS IN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE BECAUSE IT ISN'T JUST, UH, A LAWFULNESS CHECK, UH, TO RUN THESE COUNCIL MEETINGS AS Y'ALL ARE WELL AWARE.
UM, SO IF WE COULD GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
WHAT I WANTED TO WALK YOU THROUGH WAS, UH, THE MECHANISMS. I THINK ALL OF YOU COULD RECITE BY HEART WHEN AND WHERE YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE ON TUESDAY AFTERNOONS
[01:40:01]
AND WEDNESDAY MORNINGS, BUT THE MECHANISMS ARE NOT ALWAYS FAMILIAR TO EVERYONE.SO, UH, ON THE LEFT SIDE, WITHIN THE CITY CHARTER, ARTICLE SEVEN, SECTION THREE ACTUALLY STATES THE TIME OF THE FIRST MEETING OF CITY COUNCIL IN A YEAR.
SO THIS IS THE INAUGURATION YEAR, UM, THAT WE TALK ABOUT, OR EXCUSE ME, EVERY EARLY JANUARY.
AND THEN IT SPECIFICALLY SITES THAT THEY SHALL MEET AT CITY HALL AND THEREAFTER, UH, ALL MEETINGS OF COUNCIL SHALL BE HELD IN THE CITY HALL AT SUCH TIMES.
WHAT THIS STIPULATES IN THE CHARTER IS THE WHERE, UM, WHICH IS A VERY IMPORTANT THING.
IF YOU NOTICE THE LANGUAGE IN HERE IS SHALL, UH, THE NEXT SECTION ON THE RIGHT IS CODE OF ORDINANCES, SECTION TWO DASH TWO.
AS A REMINDER, THIS IS WHERE ALL OF Y'ALL'S RULES ARE.
THIS IS EVERY SINGLE RULE INCLUDING THE, UH, THE GOVERNING RULES FOR THE PROPOSITION A COMMITTEE, UM, WERE ADOPTED BY CITY COUNCIL.
UH, BUT IN PARTICULAR, THIS ONE IS TWO DASH TWO A, WHICH IS THE COUNCIL RULES OF PROCEDURE.
AND WHAT IT SAYS IS THE CITY SHALL CONDUCT ITS REGULARLY WEEKLY MEETING IN TWO DAILY SESSIONS.
UH, ONE CON COMMENCING AT 1:30 PM ON TUESDAY, THE OTHER AT 9:00 AM RESPECTIVELY.
SO THIS IS WHAT WE ALL LOVINGLY KNOW AS COUNCIL, UH, PUBLIC SESSION, AND THEN THE COUNCIL MEETING ITSELF WEDNESDAY MORNINGS.
SO WHAT WE HAD TO, UH, THE CHALLENGE THAT WE RECEIVED FROM THE MAYOR ABOUT THE MIDDLE OF LAST YEAR WAS HOW CAN WE MAKE CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS MORE ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC WHO CANNOT MAKE A 1:30 PM OR 9:00 AM MEETING AND AND COUNCIL MEMBER, TO YOUR POINT? EXACTLY RIGHT.
WE HEAR FROM PEOPLE ALL THE TIME SAYING, I WISH I COULD GO, BUT I HAVE TO WORK AT 9:00 AM UH, LIKE, LIKE MOST OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, OR HAVE TO BE AT WORK AT 1:30 PM.
UM, AND SO IT, IT CREATES, UH, IN THE MAYOR'S PERSPECTIVE, AND IT SOUNDS LIKE COUNCIL MEMBER FROM YOURS AS WELL, SOMEWHAT OF A BARRIER, UM, FOR CIVIC ENGAGEMENT.
AND SO WITH THAT CHALLENGE FROM THE MAYOR, WHAT WE BEGAN TO UNDERSTAND IS, UH, LEGALLY WHAT DO WE HAVE TO DO TO MAKE IT HAPPEN? AND THEN OPERATIONALLY, WHAT DO WE HAVE TO DO TO MAKE IT HAPPEN? BECAUSE TO PUT THESE THINGS ON, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY LOOKS GREAT ON CAMERA, IT TAKES A LOT OF WORK.
UM, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT GUIDE US, NOT JUST GOOD SENSE AND OPERATIONS, BUT ALSO LAWS, UH, REQUIREMENTS FOR ACCESSIBILITY.
SO WHAT I WANNA DO IS WALK YOU THROUGH A LITTLE BIT OF IT, UM, GIVE YOU JUST WHERE WE'RE AT, WHAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED, UM, ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE, AND THEN, UH, LET Y'ALL KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE HAVE DONE THIS WORK, THE MAYOR IS, IS GENERALLY SUPPORTIVE OF MAKING SURE THAT WE CAN HAVE THOSE EVENING MEETINGS.
SO THE FIRST IS TIME, TIME IS ACTUALLY GONNA BE THE EASY PART, UM, WITH THIS.
SO CHANGING THE TIME OR A CITY COUNCIL MEETING WOULD REQUIRE AN ORDINANCE CHANGE TO TWO DASH TWO.
UM, AND WE DRAFTED THE LANGUAGE, BUT EFFECTIVELY, ONCE A QUARTER COUNCIL MEMBER, YOURS IS ONCE A MONTH, AGAIN, THIS IS ALL SORT OF HYPOTHETICAL LANGUAGE, BUT ONCE A QUARTER DURING THE CALENDAR YEAR, UH, CITY COUNCIL SHALL COMMENCE NOT LESS THAN ONE OF THE MEETINGS AT 6:30 PM RIGHT? THIS GIVES YOU THE OPPORTUNITY, THIS IS JUST A TWO DASH TWO CHANGE.
AGAIN, SECTION TWO DASH TWO, UH, HOUSES THE WIN, UH, NOT THE WHERE, UM, IT COULD APPLY TO BOTH PUBLIC SESSION, IT COULD APPLY INDIVIDUALLY TO PUBLIC SESSION.
IT COULD APPLY INDIVIDUALLY TO VOTING.
WE COULD HAVE A CONSOLIDATED MEETING STARTING AT 6:30 PM UM, I WOULD SAY THAT THE LOGISTICAL SIDE OF THAT, RIGHT, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T HAVE, WE WOULDN'T, UH, I THINK PREFERENCE OF EVERYBODY AROUND THE TABLE WOULD BE, WE DON'T HAVE SOMETHING SUPER CONTROVERSIAL TO REQUIRE A FIVE HOUR MEETING, UH, STARTING AT 6:30 PM BUT, UH, WE WOULD DEFER TO THE GUIDANCE OF THE COMMITTEE AND, AND COUNSEL THE BODY.
THE SECOND IS LOCATION, WHICH BECOMES A LITTLE BIT MORE CHALLENGING, NOT CHALLENGING IN THE SENSE OF, UH, BEING ABLE TO GET PAST THAT HURDLE, BUT CHALLENGING IN THE FACT THAT IT'S THE CHARTER.
AND AS Y'ALL REMEMBER, ANY CHANGE TO THE CHARTER HAS TO BE DONE THROUGH THE VOTERS.
IT CAN ONLY BE DONE ONCE EVERY TWO YEARS.
AND, UH, BECAUSE THERE WAS A CHARTER PROVISION, IN FACT, THE ONE THAT CREATED THIS VERY COMMITTEE, UH, WE CANNOT DO ANYTHING TO THE CHARTER UNTIL 2026.
SO TO BE ABLE TO IMPLEMENT THIS IN DUE HASTE, UH, WHAT WE, UH, A POTENTIAL SOLUTION THAT, UH, GENERAL COUNSEL RAN THROUGH AND BELIEVES IS, UH, GENERALLY, UH, VALID AND DEFENSIBLE, UM, IN THE SENSE OF, IN THE LOW RISK, BUT RISK NONETHELESS, THAT WE WOULD GET SUED, UM, FOR NOT HAVING SOMETHING AT CITY HALL.
UH, IS THAT WE, UH, COULD RATIFY THE ACTIONS OF THE OFFSITE MEETING AT THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING.
IN EFFECT, SAYING WHAT WE DID IS WHAT WE'RE, WE'RE RATIFYING IT AT THIS MEETING.
UH, WE BELIEVE THAT THAT IS A, A VALID WORKAROUND, UM, IN LIEU OF CHANGING THE CHARTER TO REDEFINE WHAT CITY HALL COULD BE.
THERE WERE IDEAS THAT WE TOSSED AROUND OF WHAT IF WE CHANGED CITY HALL FOR A DAY, RIGHT? WHAT IF WE MADE IT THE ACRES HOMES MULTI-SERVICE CENTER OR THE SOUTHWEST MULTI-SERVICE CENTER? UM, IT WOULD BE CHALLENGING.
COUNCIL MEMBER PECK, I KNOW THIS IS A, A MUCH TO YOUR CHAGRIN, YOU HAVE NO MULTI-SERVICE CENTERS WITHIN YOUR DISTRICT.
AND SO, UH, IN SCENARIOS LIKE THAT, DO WE HAVE A PUBLIC FACILITY THAT COULD HOUSE, UM, THE AMOUNT OF FOLKS THAT WE WOULD EXPECT TO RECEIVE? UM, I THINK FOR THE PURPOSES OF, OF OPERATIONALLY, UM, IT WOULD BE VERY IMPORTANT FOR US TO RECOGNIZE THAT THE FIRST ONE, BECAUSE IT WOULD BE NOVEL, WOULD BE VERY, VERY WELL ATTENDED.
UM, MEANING WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE GOT A LOT OF SPACE.
THERE ARE GREAT MULTI-SERVICE CENTERS ACROSS THE HOUSTON THAT HAVE SPACES THAT COULD HOLD MAYBE 50, MAYBE A HUNDRED PEOPLE.
IS THAT ENOUGH? DO WE THINK THAT WE WOULD GET MORE PEOPLE THAN THAT? I KNOW WE WOULD HAVE MORE MEDIA FOR SURE.
WE WOULD MAKE IT A BIG THING AS BIG AS SPLASHY A THING AS WE POSSIBLY COULD.
SO WOULD WE BE ABLE TO HOUSE ALL THOSE FOLKS? AND THAT DIVES INTO THE OPERATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR THIS ITEM.
SO IF IT WAS TO BE CONDUCTED OFFSITE, THE THINGS THAT ARE DECIDED
[01:45:01]
EVERY DAY AROUND HERE ON THE, IN THE BACKGROUND, RIGHT? THIS IS THE STUFF THAT MARTA HELPS RUN.THIS IS THE STUFF THAT TED WITH HTV HELPS RUN.
THIS IS THE STUFF THAT ANGEL CE WITH, UH, UH, PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES OFFICE THINKS ABOUT, IS WHAT ACCESSIBILITY FEATURES DO WE HAVE EVERY DAY? YOU SEE CLOSED CAPTIONING IN FRONT OF YOU.
UM, THERE ARE SPEAKERS, THERE'S A BIG BUNCH OF SPEAKERS STRAIGHT ABOVE ME THAT ALLOW PEOPLE BACK HERE TO HEAR IT.
UM, WE'VE GOT TELEVISIONS THERE AND THERE, WHICH ARE A REQUIREMENT, BUT ALSO WE'VE GOT YOUR TELEVISIONS, WHICH ARE EFFECTIVELY YOUR MONITORS TO BE ABLE TO SEE THE PRESENTATIONS IN WHICH YOU DON'T HAVE IT IN FRONT OF YOU.
UM, AND ALSO OTHER CONSIDERATIONS LIKE TEAM'S CAPABILITY.
DO WE WANT PEOPLE, IF WE'RE GONNA BE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY, DO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE COULD DIAL IN? DO WE WANT TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS TO, TO DIAL IN AS WELL? UM, SO BROADCASTING CAPABILITIES ARE GONNA BE A STRONG CONSIDERATION.
WE'VE RUN THROUGH ALL OF THOSE TRAPS.
WE BELIEVE WE COULD DO IT, BUT IT'S AT A COST.
AND I THINK COUNCIL MEMBER, IT WAS VERY, UH, IT WAS VERY PRESCIENT OF YOU TO THINK ABOUT, UM, THE, THE COST AND, AND A COUNCIL MEMBER ABSORBING IT.
I DON'T NECESSARILY KNOW IF THAT WOULD BE A REQUIREMENT FOR THIS ITEM TO PASS, BUT THE, WE HAVE PUT CONSIDERATIONS INTO IT.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE COST TO, UH, DO OFF HOURS SECURITY.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT POLICE OFFICERS THAT TYPICALLY SIT HERE AND HERE.
UH, WE ALSO HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING SCREENINGS DOWN IN THE, UH, FIRST FLOOR.
AND ON Y'ALL SIDE, ON THE ANNEX AT THE GROUND LEVEL, THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE BEING, THEIR DRIVER'S LICENSE IS BEING TAKEN.
THEY'RE BEING, UH, YOU KNOW, SCANNED AND WAND DOWN, X-RAYED AND WANDERED DOWN.
SO DO WE NEED TO RECREATE THOSE SCENARIOS INSIDE OF OUR MULTI-SERVICE CENTERS? I WOULD THINK FOR SAFETY, WE WOULD WANT TO DO THAT.
UM, WE PRICED OUT THE COST OF DOING SECURITY.
SO IT'S NOT EXORBITANTLY EXPENSIVE, BUT AGAIN, IT'S A THING THAT MUST BE CONSIDERED.
SO THERE WILL BE A COST TO, UH, MOVING THIS OFFSITE.
UM, ADDITIONALLY, UH, WE NEED TO DO THINGS LIKE TRANSLATION SERVICES.
AS YOU KNOW, RENEE WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS, HE HELPS TRANSLATE INTO SPANISH.
WE ALSO HAVE OTHER EMPLOYEES ACROSS THE CITY OF HOUSTON WHO HELP TRANSLATE INTO OTHER LANGUAGES IN WHICH PEOPLE, UH, HAVE A NEED AS IT DESIRES.
IT'S NOT AN OFTEN USED THING, BUT IT IS USED.
UM, SO WE WOULD NEED TO MAKE SURE, AND WE WOULD HAVE TO ASSUME THAT AS WE HAVE A VERY, UM, ATTRACTIVE MEETING IN THE EVENING IN WHICH, UH, PEOPLE CAN EASILY GET THERE, UM, WE WOULD WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE TRANSLATION SERVICES AVAILABLE.
ADDITIONALLY, UH, ALL THINGS A DA ACCESSIBILITY, YOU KNOW, THIS IS NOT A, A SURPRISE, UH, TO Y'ALL, UM, GO NO FURTHER THAN MUNICIPAL COURTS, ALTHOUGH WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF, OF, YOU KNOW, BEING ABLE TO REPLACE MUNICIPAL COURTS, BUT IT IS NOT AADA A COMPLIANT OR IT WHERE IT IS, IT IS A VERY INCONVENIENT SET OF COMPLIANCES.
UM, SO WHAT FACILITIES DO WE WANNA HIGHLIGHT? UM, DO WE WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THE LACK OF A DA ACCESSIBILITY WITHIN SOME OF OUR FACILITIES, BECAUSE UNFORTUNATELY THEY'RE THERE.
UM, AND THEN ADDITIONALLY, UH, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S NOT JUST SEATING FOR Y'ALL.
UH, YOU, WE HAVE REALLY AWESOME GREEN CHAIRS.
I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE, THEY'RE TRANSPORTABLE, UH, BUT Y'ALL WILL BE SITTING A LONG TIME.
AND COMFORT IS, UH, IS A THING THAT'S IMPORTANT.
SO WHAT CHAIRS DO WE HAVE IN PLACE FOR COUNCIL? UM, AND FOR EVERYBODY THAT WOULD SUPPORT Y'ALL, AND WE'RE GONNA EXPECT Y'ALL STAFF TO STAND.
UM, UH, WE, WE DO THAT SOMETIMES, BUT THEN THEY ALL GO BACK THERE AND WE, WE DO SERIOUS BUSINESS BACK THERE.
AND THEN, UH, AND THEN FINALLY, WHAT SEATING DO WE HAVE FOR THE PUBLIC, RIGHT? ARE WE THINKING A HUNDRED PEOPLE, 200, 500? UM, DUNNO THE ANSWERS TO ANY OF THOSE THINGS.
THESE ARE ALL THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN CONSIDERING.
UH, WE HAVE THE LEVERS THAT WE'RE READY TO PULL, UM, WITH OUR DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS.
THE LAST THING THAT I'LL, I'LL SAY IS A CONSIDERATION.
UM, BUT WHAT OPPOR OPPORTUNITIES FOR TRANSPORTATION DO WE WANNA PROVIDE TO PEOPLE? AS YOU KNOW, DURING DISASTERS, WE DO Z TRIPS.
UM, AND THAT ALLOWS FOR POINT TO POINT SPECIFIC THINGS.
DO WE WANNA OFFER PEOPLE Z TRIPS TO GET TO AND FROM? DO WE WANT TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH METRO TO WHERE WE SAY, IF YOU GO TO THIS FACILITY, UH, IT'S SIX 30.
IF IT'S OFFSITE, UM, YOU GET A FREE BUS RIDE, UM, TO GET THERE AND GET BACK.
UM, SO WHAT OPPORTUNITIES FOR ACCESSIBILITY DO WE HAVE FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION AS WELL? AND SO ALL OF THOSE THINGS LED TO SAY, UM, AND, AND THIS IS, I PROMISE THE LAST LITTLE POINT THAT I'M GONNA MAKE AND THEN I'LL SHUT UP.
UH, WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS IN A WAY THAT MAKES IT THE MOST SUCCESSFUL VERSION OF WHAT IT COULD BE.
AND SO THE THOUGHT THAT WE HAD, UH, ENDING OUT LAST YEAR, UH, BEFORE WE DOVE INTO SORT OF REAL TIME BUDGET AND REALLY GETTING THE BUDGET OFF THE GROUND WAS WHY WOULDN'T WE START AT 6:00 PM OR 6:30 PM HERE, RIGHT? WE ALREADY HAVE ALL THE THINGS THAT WE NEED.
ALL OF THOSE OPERATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS WOULD BASICALLY EVAPORATE WITH THE EXCEPTION OF DOING SECURITY OFF HOURS.
UM, AND SO THE FIRST ONE COULD BE HERE WE ALLOW FOR A SET OF LEARNED LESSONS.
WE GET THE NOVELTY OF IT OUT OF, OUT OF THE WAY AND ALLOW FOR PEOPLE, UM, TO, TO COME IN THE TIME THAT THEY WANT TO COME, BUT MAYBE MINIMIZE THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF PEOPLE SO WE DON'T CREATE SITUATIONS WHERE PEOPLE ARE HAVING TO STAND WHEN THEY SHOULDN'T BE STANDING.
PEOPLE WHO HAVE A DA REQUIREMENTS, UH, AREN'T ABLE TO, UH, TO FIND THAT SEAT FOR THEM.
SO BE ABLE TO, TO GET IT AS A, AS A LEARNED LESSON AND BEGIN TO INCREMENTALLY BUILD ON IT.
UM, SO HAVING SAID ALL OF THAT, THIS IS, I'M VERY EXCITED THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS.
I THINK PERSONALLY THIS IS ONE OF THE COOLEST THINGS THAT CITY COUNCIL COULD DO IS GO OUT, YOU KNOW, YOU HEAR ABOUT ALL THESE OTHER CITIES THAT, THAT ARE ABLE TO DO THIS.
WE ARE BY FAR, UH, OF THE MAJOR CITIES, THE ONE WITH THE BIGGEST SPRAWL.
LA IS SECOND WITH REGARD TO THAT.
WE'RE 650 SQUARE MILES, UH, HOUSTONIANS OF ALL WALKS OF LIFE, LIVE EVERYWHERE ACROSS THE CITY.
[01:50:01]
IS, I THINK OUR, THIS CHAMBER IS BEAUTIFUL.I THINK THIS BUILDING IS WONDERFUL.
UH, BUT WE DON'T HAVE AS MUCH PARKING AS WE'D LIKE TO HAVE, AND SOMETIMES THE ACCESSIBILITY OF CITY HALL, UH, LACKS WITH REGARD TO GOING OUT STRAIGHT INTO, INTO A COMMUNITY.
SO I'M VERY EXCITED THAT Y'ALL ARE CONSIDERING THIS, AND THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME RAMBLE AT Y'ALL.
AND IF YOU'LL JUST STAY RIGHT THERE TO ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS, I THINK YOU BROUGHT UP SOME GOOD POINTS.
UM, OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, WE WANNA BE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY.
WE WANNA GIVE PEOPLE DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES TO COME, MAYBE NOT JUST DURING THE WORKDAY, BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS TO CONSIDER, LIKE THE SECURITY ASPECT OF IT ALL, THE CLOSED CAPTIONING, THE, THE TECHNOLOGY CAPABILITIES THAT WE HAVE HERE.
UM, AND THEN THE DISTRICTS THAT DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE MULTI-SERVICE CENTERS OR HAVE A PLACE TO, TO HAVE THESE MEETINGS.
UM, WHEN WE LOOK AT THE TIME CHANGE, SO CHANGING THE TIME OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING, UM, COULD WE POTENTIALLY HAVE A CITY COUNCIL MEETING HERE AT CITY HALL AT 6:30 PM WITHOUT AN ORDINANCE CHANGE? YOU KNOW, SAY WE COME AND WE GAVEL IN AT, YOU KNOW, ONE 30 OR TWO O'CLOCK AND THEN RECESS UNTIL 6:30 PM UM, THAT MAY BE, UM, BECAUSE WHAT IF WE TRY THIS FOR A LITTLE BIT AND IT DOESN'T WORK, RIGHT? RIGHT.
WE'VE GOT, WE WENT AHEAD AND WE ALREADY CHANGED THE ORDINANCE.
AND SO MAYBE THINKING ABOUT SOME THINGS, MAYBE WE TRY THIS FIRST A COUPLE OF TIMES, YOU KNOW, PRE ORDINANCE CHANGE AND THEN, UM, AND IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S WORKING, COME BACK, UH, HAS, HAVE, HAS YOUR OFFICE THOUGHT AT ALL ABOUT ANYTHING LIKE THAT, THAT IS QUITE CLEVER.
AND NO, WE DID NOT TALK ABOUT THAT UH, I'LL SAY THAT THE, THAT WAS BECAUSE I PUT A LIMITED SCOPE ON WHAT WE DID.
I, I PRESUPPOSE TO THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT, UH, AN ORDINANCE CHANGE.
LET ME LET, LET ME HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH GENERAL COUNSEL ABOUT THAT.
UM, I THINK THERE'D HAVE TO BE SOME PRETTY, PRETTY HEAVY MESSAGING AROUND IT TO MAKE SURE THAT NOBODY SHOWS UP AND THEY'RE LIKE, UH, IT'S TWO O'CLOCK.
WHAT'S GOING ON? BUT YEAH, I, THAT'S, I LIKE THAT IDEA.
UH, VICE PRO 10 PAC, THANK YOU CHAIR.
AND, UM, THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD.
I REALLY LIKE THE IDEA OF, UM, MAKING SURE THAT MORE PEOPLE ARE INCLUDED IN PUBLIC SESSION.
UM, ONE IDEA TO KIND OF THROW OUT IS INSTEAD OF, UM, TO KIND OF ALLEVIATE SOME OF THESE ISSUES, AT LEAST AT FIRST WHILE WE WORK THROUGH THEM, INSTEAD OF US GOING TO THE COMMUNITY, IS MAYBE HAVING A COMPUTER SET UP IN EACH DISTRICT OR ONE DISTRICT PER, YOU KNOW, MEETING WHERE PEOPLE CAN KIND OF CALL IN VIRTUALLY BY GOING TO THAT COMMUNITY CENTER TO THAT LOCATION.
WE DID THAT ONCE, UM, DURING THE CIP PROCESS WHEN WE WERE HYBRID.
WE, UM, HAD OUR CONSTITUENTS GO TO, UM, A COUNTY FACILITY.
'CAUSE LIKE YOU SAID, WE DON'T HAVE MULTIPURPOSE CENTERS IN DISTRICT A, UH,
AND WE, UM, BASICALLY SET UP A COMPUTER AND ALLOWED PEOPLE TO COMMENT, UM, ON THE CIP ITEM.
AND SO THAT MIGHT, AT LEAST AT FIRST WHILE WE WORKED THROUGH SOME OF THIS, TO JUST, YOU KNOW, HAVE PEOPLE PARTICIPATE BUT NOT COME ALL THE WAY DOWN TO CITY HALL.
SO LIKE A COUNCIL DISTRICT OVERFLOW, LIKE A GEOGRAPHICALLY SPECIFIC OVERFLOW.
UM, I, YOU KNOW, THE MAYOR'S BEEN TALKING OFF AND ON FOR THE PAST YEAR AND A HALF, ABOUT HALF NIGHT, YOU KNOW, MEETINGS.
I THINK THAT CERTAINLY, UM, LOGISTICALLY JUST THE COMMUNICATION TO THE CONSTITUENTS MM-HMM
OF CHANGING LOCATIONS, YOU KNOW, ANYTIME THERE'S A CHANGE AND PEOPLE ARE LIKE, OH, WHERE, WHAT, YOU KNOW, I JUST THINK THAT PIECE OF IT WOULD BE REALLY IMPORTANT.
UM, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALL CREATURES OF HABIT A BIT AND CERTAINLY GETTING OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY IS, IS IMPORTANT.
AND I UNDERSTAND THE FOCUS AND THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, BUT I'M, I'M ALL FOR NIGHT, YOU KNOW, THE NIGHT MEETING.
BUT I THINK THE, THE COST AND, AND REALLY TO DO IT RIGHT THERE IS A COST, BUT ALSO TO, UH, THERE'S A COST THAT WE CAN'T REALLY DEFINE BECAUSE THOSE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES, AS WE ALL SAY SOMETIMES ARE BIGGER PRICE TAG THAT WE PAY.
SO I'M ALL FOR NIGHT MEETINGS, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO TAKE THE TIME TO TAKE A FURTHER LOOK AT, AT, UH, VARIOUS LOCATIONS.
I DO LIKE COUNCIL MEMBER PECK'S, UH, IDEA ABOUT THE, UM, YOU KNOW, KIND OF THE REVERSE AND HAVING THAT MONITOR THAT SOMEONE COULD CALL IN FROM.
AND NOW YOU MENTIONED IT WAS ABOUT, UH, THE COST WOULD BE ABOUT $700 FOR SECURITY, JUST FOR SECURITY.
AND I THOUGHT I READ IN THE ORIGINAL PROPOSED ORDINANCE THAT THE COUNCIL MEMBER WOULD ABSORB THE COST FOR THOSE MEETINGS MM-HMM
AND SO THAT WOULD BE THE COST OF SECURITY OR THE COST OF SETUP TO HAVE THE MEETING.
DO WE KNOW BESIDES THE 700 BUCKS FOR SECURITY, WHAT OTHER COSTS WOULD BE ASSOCIATED? SO WHAT WE PRICED IT OUT WAS, UH, THE WAY THAT WE PRICED IT OUT TO LOOK FOR MAXIMUM, THIS IS GONNA BE, UH, I'M ABOUT TO GET SUPER NERDY, SO THINK, BEAR WITH ME PLEASE.
[01:55:01]
RIGHT.THERE'S, THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY COST, UH, WITH STAFF, BUT STAFF TIME IS NOT DIRECT COST SAVINGS.
RIGHT? IF I SPEND EIGHT HOURS OF MY DAY DOING SOMETHING, THE CITY STILL PAYS ME FOR EIGHT HOURS.
IT'S JUST WHAT DID I DO? WHAT DID I NOT DO TO DO THE THING FOR EIGHT HOURS? SO WHAT WE WANTED TO PRICE OUT WAS NOT WHAT IT WOULD COST IN STAFF TIME, BUT WE WANTED TO SEE WHAT WOULD IT COST TO OUTSOURCE THE ENTIRE FUNCTION.
AND SO WHAT WE DID WAS WE LOOKED AT, WE WORKED WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF SPECIAL EVENTS TO UNDERSTAND TABLE RENTALS, CHAIR RENTALS, PEOPLE COMING AND SETTING UP, BREAKING IT DOWN, ALL THAT STUFF.
WE ALSO WENT TO, UM, A COUPLE OF, A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT VENDORS.
WE DID AN INFORMAL BID THROUGH CHAD, UM, TO WORK WITH, UM, FOLKS THAT HAVE DONE WORK WITH US BEFORE IN DOING AV STUFF.
SO THIS WOULD BE HTV NOT DOING ANYTHING OTHER THAN THE BROADCASTING, WHICH IS WHAT THEY STAND DO TYPICALLY.
UM, AND SO THIS IS PEOPLE WHO ARE SETTING UP CAMERAS AND LIGHTING AND SPEAKERS AND MONITORS AND ALL THAT STUFF.
SO WE DON'T HAVE TO BUY OUR OWN.
WE JUST WE'RE DOING IT THROUGH THE COST THAT CAME OUT TO ABOUT 25 TO $30,000 PER MEETING.
CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A LONG TIME COMING IN REGARDS TO ACCESSIBILITY.
UM, YOU KNOW, HISD USED TO MEET ON RICHMOND MM-HMM
AND NOW THEY'RE WAY, WAY, WAY
SO THAT DOES PRESENT A PROBLEM.
BUT I, I DO BELIEVE THAT THE LOGISTICS COULD BE A NIGHTMARE.
UM, WHAT'S CONVENIENT FOR ME IS NOT CONVENIENT FOR MAYBE COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER CONSTITUENTS.
AND SO I THINK THIS IS A GREAT LOCATION.
WE HAVE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, RIGHT, DOMINIC? YEAH.
THAT, THAT HELPS PEOPLE TO GET HERE.
BUT I THINK IF WE START MOVING THIS MEETING AROUND, IT'S GONNA BE A NIGHTMARE BECAUSE ALL OF THE AGENDA ITEMS ARE NOT PERTAINING TO ONE PART OF THE CITY.
IF THAT WERE THE CASE, THEN THAT WOULD BE DIFFERENT, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A DIVERSE AGENDA.
AND SO TO START MOVING IT, I THINK WOULD BE A PROBLEM, BUT CERTAINLY, UH, TO HAVE IT IN THE EVENING AND THEN GETTING TO KINGWOOD AT SIX O'CLOCK IN THE EVENING.
NO, IT WOULD BE HELL, IT WOULD BE HOB
IS THAT WHAT THEY CALL DOUBLE HOCKEY STICKS? ANYWAY, BUT, BUT CERTAINLY I DO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS WOVE BECAUSE WE ALWAYS WANNA BE AS ACCESSIBLE AS POSSIBLE, AND CERTAINLY YOUR IDEA IS GOOD AS WELL.
TO YOUR POINT, I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING UP HISD.
ONE OF THE WAYS IN WHICH WE ENVISION DRIVING THE COST DOWN, ALTHOUGH IT WOULD REQUIRE A LITTLE BIT OF LEGAL WORK BECAUSE WE'D HAVE TO DO IT IN A LOCAL AGREEMENT, IS TO GO TO THOSE PARTNERS, UM, HISD, WHAT, WHAT ORGANIZATIONS, WHAT PUBLIC ORGANIZATIONS OUT THERE, UM, HAVE, UH, PUBLIC MEETING REQUIREMENTS ANYWAYS, RIGHT? SO I'M THINKING LIKE THE HCS, THE, UM, ISDS, THE HCCS, THE DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE PUBLIC MEETINGS, HAVE POSTING REQUIREMENTS, AND THAT WOULD BE A WAY TO DRIVE DOWN COST.
IT DOESN'T ADDRESS AT ALL YOUR CONSIDERATION ABOUT TRAFFIC AND TIME AND, YOU KNOW, THINGS LIKE THAT.
I WASN'T TRYING TO THROW THAT OUT FOR CONSIDERATION.
THANK YOU CHAIR AND THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, YOU'VE DONE A GREAT JOB.
I KNOW IN YOUR DISTRICT, HAVING TOWN HALLS AND REALLY ABOUT INCREASING PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT, AND, AND I LOVE THIS BECAUSE YOU'RE JUST TRYING TO INCREASE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT.
WE DID HAVE, UM, DURING COVID THE OPPORTUNITY FOR, UH, PEOPLE TO PARTICIPATE IN PUBLIC SESSION VIA TEAMS, UM, THAT KIND OF RAN ITS COURSE.
AND THERE WAS ONE PARTICULAR MEETING WHERE THERE WAS A WHOLE BUNCH OF SPEAKERS FROM OUT OF STATE AND MAYOR TURNER WAS JUST LIKE, I'M DONE WITH THIS.
SO I SEE THE PITFALLS, BUT I ALSO THINK THAT IT'S, IN THIS DAY AND AGE WHEN WE ALL ARE REALLY USED TO TEAMS, I KNOW, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO AND I JUST DID A BUDGET TOWN HALL VIA TEAMS. WE HAD A LOT MORE PARTICIPATION THAN WE DID AT OUR IN-PERSON TOWN HALL.
I'M ALL ABOUT THE EVENING MEETING.
I THINK WE SHOULD DEFINITELY DO THAT ONCE A MONTH OR WHATEVER THAT, WHAT YOUR PROPOSAL IS.
I DO UNDERSTAND THE LOGISTICS AND COSTS CONSIDERATIONS, UM, FOR MOVING IT AROUND, ALTHOUGH I DON'T WANNA TOTALLY RULE THAT OUT.
BUT, BUT I, I THINK AS A, AS A STARTING POINT, THE EVENING MEETINGS AT CITY HALL WOULD BE THE BEST STARTING POINT.
BUT I ALSO, UM, WITH SET WHATEVER PARAMETERS THE ADMINISTRATION AND AND COUNCIL WANTS TO COME UP WITH FOR TEAMS PARTICIPATION IN PUBLIC SESSION, I THINK IS A WAY TO REALLY, IF OUR GOAL HERE IS TO ENGAGE MORE, MORE OF THE PUBLIC, I THINK THAT'S, UM, AN EASY, CHEAP WAY TO DO IT.
[02:00:01]
I DO LIKE THE IDEA OF DOING THIS INITIALLY HERE IN THE EVENING.I MEAN, IT SEEMS LIKE THE EASIEST THING TO DO AND MAKES A LOT OF SENSE.
I WOULD ALSO SUGGEST AND SET IT STARTED IT, UH, AT SIX 30, MAYBE STARTED AT FIVE 30 SO PEOPLE WORKING DOWNTOWN CAN GET OFF WORK COME DIRECTLY OVER HERE.
I THINK IT'D BE A LOT MORE CONVENIENT FOR THEM.
AND I THINK IT'S A GREAT IDEA.
THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO FOR, FOR BRINGING THIS OPPORTUNITY FORWARD FOR US.
PEOPLE REALLY DON'T WANT TO MAKE THE DECISION OF HAVING TO LEAVE WORK EARLY, NOT BEING ABLE TO DEAL WITH THEIR CHILDREN AND STILL WANNA BE ENGAGED CIVICALLY.
SO, UM, I LOVE THE EVENING MEETING HERE AND, UM, AND TEAMS REALLY WORKED WELL.
I MEAN, WE DO HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE NOT LIVING LIKE IN ALASKA OR SOMETHING, BUT, BUT I DO THINK THAT, UM, IF IF THEY COULD HOP ON VIRTUAL, I THINK THE ENGAGEMENT WOULD BE AMAZING.
ONE THING THAT I'LL, I'LL ADD AND COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, THIS WAS A A POINT THAT POPPED INTO MY HEAD THERE.
THERE IS A, UM, THERE IS, UH, THE LANGUAGE IS ALREADY THERE.
UH, I THINK IT'S ABOUT THE ENFORCEMENT OF IT, UH, WITHIN ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IT STATES IS TO BE A PUBLIC SESSION SPEAKER, YOU SHALL BE A CITIZEN OF HOUSTON, RIGHT? IT VERY SPECIFICALLY STATES IT.
AND I THINK THAT WITH TEAMS NOT APPLYING IT TO TEAMS DOES SEEM LIKE A CHALLENGE, RIGHT? WE, WE PUT REQUIREMENTS THE CITY SECRETARY THROUGH THE GUIDANCE OF Y'ALL.
AND, AND MAYOR WHITMEYER CITY SECRETARY NO LONGER PUTS PEOPLE'S PHONE NUMBERS OUT PUBLICLY.
RIGHT? BUT YOU DO, YOU ARE REQUIRED TO PUT WHERE YOU LIVE.
UM, AND THERE ARE OF COURSE FOLKS WHO COME FROM SPRING AND HUMBLE.
WE'VE SEEN SOME OF THE, UH, THE OTHER CITIES THAT PEOPLE WILL COME, COME FROM AND THEY STILL GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.
BUT FOR, FOR WHATEVER REASON, THAT SORT OF, I REMEMBER, REMEMBER THOSE MEETINGS AND IT'S SORT OF EVAPORATED WHEN WE CAME TO THE TEAM'S PRESENCE.
AND SO THAT WOULD ABSOLUTELY BE A CONSIDERATION WE WOULD HAVE TO MAKE, WHICH IS WHY I DO THINK COUNCIL MEMBER PECK'S IDEA OF HAVING, UM, SORT OF MANNED STATIONS AT COMMUNITY CENTERS IN WHICH PEOPLE CAN COME UP AND SPEAK.
WE CAN STILL RUN THE SAME PROCESS THAT THE CITY SECRETARY NORMALLY RUNS.
WOULD THERE BE A WAY TO FILTER BY TEAMS LIKE BY VPN OR IP ADDRESS TO SEE IF PEOPLE ARE IN THE CITY? UM, MAYBE THAT'S TOO TECHNICAL.
IT'S NOT, UH, NO, BUT WHAT YOU COULD DO IS WE COULD PUT A STIPULATION ON, UM, YES, YOU COULD.
UH, THERE'S A TECHNICAL CONFIGURATION THAT'D BE PRETTY I IMPORTANT.
AND IF THEY DO HAVE A VPN, THEY CAN SORT OF SPOOF WHERE THEY ARE.
UM, THE, UH, I WASN'T EXPECTING TO TALK ABOUT THIS TODAY.
UH, WHAT WHAT YOU CAN DO IS, UM, YOU CAN HAVE A ONE FOR ONE REQUIREMENT.
YOU HAVE TO SIGN UP PUBLICLY TO SPEAK, AND YOU HAVE TO USE THE NAME THAT YOU SIGNED UP WITH, OTHERWISE YOU WON'T BE RECOGNIZED.
AND WE CONTROL DOWN WHO CAN, WHO CAN GO ON AND OFF MUTE.
WE SELECT WHO THEY ARE AND YOU UNMUTE A PERSON AND SAY, HEY, IT'S YOUR TURN TO SPEAK.
COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, THANK YOU CHAIR AND THANK YOU COLLEAGUES FOR ALL THE, UH, FEEDBACK, INPUT, RECOMMENDATIONS TO USE ONE OF YOUR ANALOGIES FROM THE ARTS AND CULTURE COMMITTEE.
THE IDEA IS TO CRAWL, THEN WALK, THEN RUN
FIRST ONE WITHOUT REALLY HAVING THE, THE WHEREWITHAL TO UNDERSTAND ALL THOSE IMPLICATIONS.
AND SO, UM, BEING ABLE TO, BY DEFAULT HAVE AN EVENING MEETING HERE ON A CONSISTENT BASIS IS, IS REALLY THE CRUX OF THIS.
UM, YOU WANT TO ALWAYS KIND OF SWING FOR THE FENCES AND THAT'S THE AMBITIOUS, BEING ABLE TO DO THIS IN THE COMMUNITY.
BUT I DO THINK IT'LL TAKE TIME TO GET THERE MM-HMM
AND REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT ALL THAT IS GOING TO TAKE.
UM, BUT STARTING WITH AN EVENING MEETING HERE TO HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC, UH, IS IS THE GOAL.
IT'S ABSOLUTELY THE FUNDAMENTAL GOAL.
AND SO, UM, I REALIZE WE DON'T HAVE A QUORUM HERE, UM, BUT YOUR FEEDBACK, YOUR INPUT WILL, WILL GO INTO SOME REVISIONS THAT WILL, UM, COME BACK SOON.
UH, THAT IS EVERYONE THAT WE HAVE IN THE QUEUE AND I'D LIKE TO OPEN IT UP NOW TO PUBLIC SPEAKERS.
UH, THE FIRST PUBLIC SPEAKER, DOMINIC MAZAK.
NOW I AM AND I'M DONE WITH MAZA IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBER.
UH, THE PRESENTATION BEFOREHAND I THINK, UM, COVERED A LOT OF THE ISSUES THAT I HAD WITH, WITH WHAT WAS GOING ON.
BUT MY THING IS, AND UM, THE COUNCIL MEMBER HAS LEFT, BUT SHE WAS ASKING ME ABOUT METRO ACCESSIBILITY TO THIS BUILDING.
THE ONLY PROBLEM IS WHEN YOU GO TO THE CITY COUNCIL SITE, THERE'S NO INFORMATION THERE LINKING YOU TO METRO HOW TO GET HERE.
AND I THINK, AND IT'S ALL THROUGHOUT THE CITY, UH, WEBSITE.
THERE'S NO INDICATION ANYWHERE ON A CITY COUNCIL OR ANY DEPARTMENT OF CITY HOW TO GET TO
[02:05:01]
A MEETING OR A ROOM OR ANYTHING ON METRO.I THINK THAT IF Y'ALL WANT US TO GET ON THE BUS OR TAKE THE TRAINS DOWN HERE, I THINK THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN.
AND I GUESS I WAS THE ONE THAT ACTUALLY GOT THIS THING STARTED.
'CAUSE I THINK THERE WAS A MEETING ABOUT A A AND I THINK ANOTHER THING TOO THAT NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT IS THE PUBLIC HEARINGS.
YOU HAVE PUBLIC HEARINGS WITHIN, EMBEDDED IN A CITY COUNCIL MEETING ON NINE O'CLOCK ON A WEDNESDAY.
AND I THINK THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING ELSE TO CONSIDER.
MAYBE WE NEED TO PULL OUT THE, UM, THESE PUBLIC HEARINGS OUTTA THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING AND MAKE IT OF ITS OWN.
I KNOW WE GOTTA TAKE THIS OPEN MEETING LAW AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
YOU CAN HAVE ONE HERE AND YOU CAN HAVE IT THROUGHOUT THE AREA.
I THINK THOUGH, I THINK THE IDEA OF WHAT IS BEING PRESENTED TODAY IS GOOD, BUT I THINK AGAIN, UH, WE DON'T HAVE TO RUSH THIS.
WE NEED TO MAKE THIS, WE'RE GONNA DO THIS.
AND TWO OTHER GROUPS THOUGH, THAT USES TEAMS OR ZOOM FOR THEIR MEETINGS IS METRO, BOTH WITHIN THE BOARD MEETINGS AND THE, UH, COMMITTEE MEETINGS.
THERE'S, AND ALSO TOO, THE H D'S, UH, TRANSPORTATION POLICY COUNCIL.
YOU CAN COME TO THE BRIEF MEETING AND SIGN IN AND HAVE YOUR THREE MINUTES, OR YOU CAN CALL IN OR YOU CAN USE TEAMS. AND SALLY, YOU'RE, YOU'VE, YOU'VE ACTUALLY BEEN THERE WHEN IT WAS VERY COLD OR THE WEATHER WAS BAD.
AND I SAID, IT'S NOT Y'ALL, IT'S JUST FOR MY SAFETY.
IT WAS BETTER FOR ME TO COME IN.
AND ANOTHER THING TOO, WE GOT A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE CITY, AGAIN, WHO ARE THERE, WHO HAVE ISSUES WITH THE HEAT OR THEY CAN'T MOVE AROUND, THEY'RE BED BOUND.
AND I THINK BY USING TEAMS ZOOM OR CALL IN, WE CAN GET THESE PEOPLE ACTIVE.
YOU KNOW, THEY CAN MAKE THEIR SAY SO UNFORTUNATELY THEY CAN'T COME HERE, BUT AT LEAST THEY COULD BE PART OF THE SYSTEM.
WE'VE GOT THIS WONDERFUL THING CALLED THE INTERNET, AND I THINK WE, WE SHOULD USE IT.
BUT AGAIN, WE HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL AND WE DON'T ALIENATE ANYBODY.
WE DON'T VIOLATE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS LAW.
BUT, UM, I AM GLAD TO SEE WE ARE LOOKING AT OPENING UP OUR MEETINGS TO MORE OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE TO SEE.
AND THANK YOU FOR, I'M GONNA SAY ONE THING, AND I'M GONNA BE QUIET.
I THINK WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT THIS.
I THINK WHEN A MEETING O GAVELS IN AND GALS OUT THE HORSESHOE AND ALL OF US SAY THAT TOGETHER.
'CAUSE IF IT, IF WE ARE NOT THINKING ABOUT THIS, WE SHOULDN'T BE HERE.
IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK, UM, SPECIFICALLY ON THIS ISSUE? I WOULD.
AND STATE YOUR NAME AGAIN FOR THE RECORD.
COMING BACK AGAIN, JUST AS A CITIZEN.
I JUST WANNA SAY BRIEFLY THAT I SUPPORT THIS MEASURE AND I WOULD LOVE TO SEE IT IMPLEMENTED.
IT'S HONESTLY A PRIVILEGE THAT I GET TO SIT IN FRONT OF YOU GUYS HERE, UH, TODAY.
AND I, I RECOGNIZE THAT IT'S A PRIVILEGE, IT'S A BLESSING.
A LOT OF FOLKS IN THE CITY DON'T HAVE THAT PRIVILEGE AND BLESSING.
AND SO AS SOMEONE WHO'S A BIG BELIEVER IN DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT BEING MOST EFFECTIVE, WHEN THE MOST PEOPLE ARE PARTICIPATING, ESPECIALLY THE PEOPLE WHO ARE OFTEN INTENTIONALLY OR UNINTENTIONALLY DISENFRANCHISED, UM, I WOULD HOPE THAT THIS WOULD COME TO PASS, THAT THOSE FOLKS WOULD HAVE A MEANINGFUL CHANCE TO ENGAGE IN THE CIVIL DIALOGUE THAT HAPPENS IN THIS BUILDING.
YOU KNOW, WE HAD A GREAT DISCUSSION TODAY ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, HOW WE CAN MAKE THIS WORK AND HOW WE CAN GET MORE PEOPLE ENGAGED.
AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THIS COMMITTEE'S HERE TO DO, JUST TO KIND OF, UM, FLESH OUT SOME OF THESE IDEAS.
UM, THE LAST ITEM ON THE AGENDA, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THOSE WHO HAVE CONTINUED TO STAY, IS, UM, THE ORDINANCE, THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE ABOUT STANDING AND WALKING ON ROADWAY MEDIANS.
UM, WITHOUT OBJECTION, I'D LIKE TO SUBMIT AN EVENT, AN AMENDED VERSION OF ITEM FIVE, WHICH TAKES INTO ACCOUNT CONCERNS THAT WE'VE RECEIVED FROM THE COMMUNITY.
UM, WE'LL NOW CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE CHANGE THAT WOULD CREATE AN OFFENSE TO STAND OR WALK ON MEDIANS.
AND THIS NEW VERSION, UM, THERE WILL BE EXEMPTIONS FOR CROSSING THE STREET FOR RENDERING AID OR PERFORMING AUTHORIZED WORK IN THE MEDIANS.
UM, THIS IS THE FIRST AND FOREMOST OF PUBLIC SAFETY MEASURE.
RESIDENTS FREQUENTLY RAISE CONCERNS ABOUT INDIVIDUALS ON THE MEDIAN, ESPECIALLY ON BUSY ROADS WHERE VISIBILITY AND REACTION TIMES ARE LIMITED.
AND BY ADDRESSING THIS ISSUE, WE'RE GIVING HPD ANOTHER TOOL TO HELP PROTECT BOTH PEDESTRIANS AND MOTORISTS AND REDUCE THE RISK OF, UM, PREVENTABLE ACCIDENTS.
I KNOW THAT A LOT OF THESE MEDIANS, UM, THAT WE HAVE IN THE
[02:10:01]
CITY OF HOUSTON, THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE NOT WALKWAYS, THEY'RE NOT SIDEWALKS.THESE ARE TO DIVIDE TRAFFIC, RIGHT? SO THE ORIGINAL INTENT WAS SAFETY TO DIVIDE TRAFFIC.
AND WHEN PEOPLE ARE STANDING ON THESE, WE HAVE HAD PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN HIT BY CARS, UM, THAT HAVE BEEN STANDING ON THESE MEDIANS.
SOMETIMES PEOPLE LEAVE ANIMALS ON THE MEDIAN, THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND SO THIS ORDINANCE WOULD SPECIFICALLY ADDRESS THAT.
NOW, I KNOW THAT WE HAVE, UM, HPD HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS OR TO KIND OF GIVE SOME, UH, FEEDBACK ABOUT THIS ORDINANCE CHANGE.
UM, WOULD HPD LIKE TO COME UP FIRST AND GIVE FEEDBACK? MATT? SIMON, THANKS AGAIN.
UH, JUST REAL QUICK TO THE SPONSORS OF THE ORDINANCE, I JUST WANT TO DRAW A CONTRADICTION.
UH, SECTION 40 DASH 27 IMPEDING USE OF THE ROADWAY.
IF YOU PASS THIS ORDINANCE AS IS, UH, I WILL HAVE, IF AN OFFICER RESPONDS TO A SCENE OR I'M A DEFENDANT, I WOULD SAY, HEY, OFFICER, YOU ISSUED ME A CITATION FOR VIOLATION 26.
HOWEVER, SECTION 40 DASH 27 SAYS, I MAY STAND IN THE ROADWAY SO LONG AS I DO NOT IMPEDE THE ROADWAY, UH, TO MAKE IT UNREASONABLY DIFFICULT OR DANGEROUS.
ROADWAY, ACCORDING TO 40 DASH 27 MEANS ANY PORTION OF THE STREET IMPROVISED DESIGN ORDINARILY USE FOR VEHICLE TRAFFIC, WHICH INCLUDES MEDIANS AND RAISED, PAVED SERVICES WITHIN THE ROADWAY.
MY SUGGESTION BEING MODIFY BOTH NICK'S ONE, BUT IF YOU PASS ONE, IT CONTRADICTS WITH IT WITH THE OTHER.
UM, ANY OTHER COMMENTS THAT YOU HAVE ABOUT, UM, ABOUT HPD AND SAFETY? IS THIS A CONCERN THAT HPD CS, UH, HALL CON CONCERNING TRAFFIC, STATISTICS AND, AND SAFETY AND SO, SO ON? YES, CORRECT.
I KNOW OUR VEHICULAR CRIMES DIVISION WOULD HAVE MORE STATISTICS REGARDING THAT AND CAN ATTEST TO MORE OF THOSE, UH, UH, UH, CORROBORATING VARIABLES.
SERGEANT HALL, IF YOU'D LIKE TO ADDRESS THAT.
UNFORTUNATELY I DON'T WORK IN CRASH DIVISION, THANK YOU.
I SUPERVISE THE, UH, CRASH RECONSTRUCTION UNIT, VEHICULAR CRIME.
SO BY SQUAD WE DO ALL THE, UH, THE HIGH PROFILE FATAL, WHERE THE CITY HAS TONS OF LIABILITY, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
THEY CALL US THE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS.
BUT LO, LONG STORY SHORT, JUST MY OPINION, UH, YES, ALLOWING PEOPLE TO BE IN THE MEDIAN AND NOT JUST CROSSING THE STREET, JUST JUST CAUSES A HAZARD.
UH, WE GET TWEETED ABOUT 90 AND A HUNDRED PEDESTRIAN FATALITIES, UH, A YEAR IN THE CITY, WHICH YOU GUYS ALREADY KNOW.
AND, UH, IT, IT JUST GIVES THE OFFICERS THE ABILITY TO MOVE PEOPLE ALONG.
JUST REAL QUICK EXAMPLE, AND I'M OUTTA HERE ON MY WAY TO WORK THIS MORNING AT GULF BANK IN 45.
AS I APPROACHED THE STOPLIGHT, THERE WAS A GUY PANHANDLING FROM THE MEDIAN, AND, UH, HE WAS ASKING FOR MONEY AND THERE WAS A CAR, TWO CARS IN FRONT OF ME WAS GIVING THE GUY MONEY.
AND BECAUSE OF THAT TRANSACTION, I MISSED A TRAFFIC LIGHT.
AND YOU GUYS ALL KNOW THAT PEOPLE, SOMETIMES PEOPLE GET FRUSTRATED WHEN THEY MISS TRAFFIC LIGHTS TODAY.
SO IF, IF I'M MISSING THAT TRAFFIC LIGHT, THAT MEANS THAT I CAN'T MOVE THE TRAFFIC LIGHT BEHIND ME.
THREE TRAFFIC LIGHTS BEHIND ME, IT SLOWS DOWN TRAFFIC ALL OVER THE CITY.
SO IF WE HAVE THAT ABILITY, YOU KNOW, KNOW WE CAN GET PEOPLE MOVING.
AND, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER, I JUST WANTED TO SAY, I THINK IT'S WONDERFUL, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD, BECAUSE SOMETIMES IT'S NOT JUST AN ADULT THAT'S PANHANDLING.
THERE'S A, A COUPLE AND THEY HAVE THEIR CHILDREN.
YOU KNOW, AND PETS, I MEAN, IT'S LIKE, AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, YOUR HEART HURTS FOR THEM, BUT ALSO TOO, YOU KNOW, YOU TURN YOUR BACK AND THERE'S A CHILD IN THE STREET, YOU KNOW, LIKE IT'S EXTREMELY DANGEROUS.
SO I'M, I AM IN FAVOR OF THIS CERTAINLY BECAUSE IT GIVES HPDA LITTLE MORE LEEWAY TO MAKE THINGS HAPPEN.
I THINK IT'S A, I THINK IT'S GREAT.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THERE IS A CHILD AND THE DOG? I MEAN, WHAT HAPPENS TO THE PERSON? ARE THERE, IS THE PERSON ARRESTED OR ARE THEY JUST ASKED TO MOVE? OR KIND OF WHAT'S THE, THE WAY IN WHICH THEY'LL BE HANDLED? JUST CURIOUS AGAIN, MATTHEW SIMON AGAIN, THE THIRD TIME.
UH, MOST IMPORTANT, WE CAN'T FIND A MOM OR A GUARDIAN.
SO, YEAH, OPERATIONALLY, UH, I UNDERSTAND THE FRUSTRATION AND I'VE SEEN IT PERSONALLY.
UM, WHEN ENFORCEMENT IS INBOUND, UH, THE BEHAVIOR TO ABANDON CHILDREN MM-HMM
AND THE PARENTS GO ELSEWHERE, BUT CORRECT.
[02:15:01]
UH, WE ALREADY HAVE POLICY AND PROCEDURE ON HOW TO HANDLE THOSE SITUATIONS.NO DIFFERENT THAN IF IT WAS A FAMILY VIOLENCE, DWI.
I, IN THIS CASE, IT'S JUST A SCENARIO OF THE STREET.
AND WILL THIS BE A A, A FIRST OFFENSE OR WOULD THEY HAVE A GOOD A WARNING? HOW DOES THAT PART WORK? I MEAN, I KNOW WE'RE WORKING THROUGH ALL OF THIS, BUT, SO TO THE CURRENTLY PROPOSED ORDINANCE CHANGE, CHAPTER 26, THERE IS NO OBLIGATION FOR WARNING.
HOWEVER, 40 DASH 27, WHICH I MENTIONED, IT DOES HAVE A PREREQUISITE FOR A WARNING.
IF I CAN ARTICULATE THAT YOU'RE IMPEDING THE ROADWAY TO SUCH AN UNSAFE STANDARD.
I HAVE TOO MUCH LIKE SITTING RELYING ON THE SIDEWALK.
I HAVE TO PROVIDE SOME TYPE OF WARNING.
IT SHOULD BEHAVIOR CONTINUE CONSTITUTES AN OFFENSE.
AND THAT WILL, THAT'S WHY IT'LL BE GOOD TO LOOK AT THOSE TWO ORDINANCES TOGETHER TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY DON'T CONFLICT OR THAT THEY CORRECT.
DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU WANTED TO ADD ABOUT THAT SERGEANT HALL? HE, HE WAS JUST HERE FOR HERE FOR MORE SUPPORT.
UM, BRENT TAYLOR, WOULD, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE TO ADD ABOUT THIS ORDINANCE? HEY GUYS.
BRENT TAYLOR WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
UM, YOU HAD, UH, REACHED OUT ABOUT INTENDING TO GET SOME DATA.
UH, I'M STILL WORKING ON THE DATA, THE NUMBERS ON, UH, PEDESTRIAN COLLISIONS.
UH, WE, WE RAN INTO A BIT OF AN ISSUE WHERE THE WAY THAT IT'S MAINTAINED RIGHT NOW DOESN'T SPECIFY MEDIAN VERSUS MAIN LANE.
I MEAN, IT, IT'S, IT'S IN THE NARRATIVE SOMETIMES, BUT IT'S NOT ALWAYS IN A PLACE THAT'S EASILY, UH, PARABLE FOR, FOR, FOR US TO PULL A REPORT.
AND AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, PULLING DATA FOR, UM, PEDESTRIAN INCIDENTS ACROSS THE ENTIRE CITY OF HOUSTON OVER HOWEVER MANY YEARS IS GONNA BE A PRETTY DAUNTING TASK.
SO WE ARE STILL WORKING ON THAT, UH, GETTING THAT INFORMATION FOR YOU.
UH, STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN'S OFFICE.
WE GOT SOME QUESTIONS FROM RESIDENTS EARLIER THIS MORNING AND THEY WERE RELATED TO, UM, PEDESTRIANS THAT WERE CROSSING.
AND I SEE THERE'S SOME EXEMPTIONS HERE, BUT I WAS WONDERING AS WE'RE CONNECTING BACK WITH THEM, IS THE CITY ENGINEER'S OFFICE OR PUBLIC WORKS GONNA REVIEW THIS AS WELL? NO, THIS IS JUST, THIS IS RIGHT.
AND UM, AND AGAIN, THAT WAS JUST A RE A QUESTION WE GOT FROM A RESIDENT, SO NO PROBLEM.
AND AGAIN, WE'RE STILL IN THE DISCUSSION PHASE, UH, FOR THIS ORDINANCE AND WE ALSO WANNA LOOK THAT UP, TAKE A LOOK AT THE OTHER ORDINANCE AS WELL.
JUST, I PULLED UP JUST, JUST A COUPLE NUMBERS.
UM, LONG STORY SHORT, UH, WE HAVE IN 2025, JUST YEAR TO DATE, WE'VE HAD 161 PEOPLE, UM, THAT HAVE BEEN HIT THAT ARE AT FAULT FOR JUST FAILURE TO YIELD RIGHT AWAY AT 2024.
IN REGARDS TO, UH, FATALITIES, WE HAD, UH, 117 LAST YEAR, 98, THE YEAR BEFORE IN 23.
AND, UH, THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW.
JUST BEEN ABLE TO PULL UP THE NUMBERS THAT WE HAD WITHOUT REALLY COMBING THROUGH THE NUMBERS SPECIFICALLY, WHICH WOULD TAKE A WHILE TO DO.
IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE HERE IN THE ROOM THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS ORDINANCE? OKAY, GREAT.
THANK Y'ALL SO MUCH FOR STICKING WITH US.
FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT IT WAS A LONG MEETING.
UM, WE HAD A LOT OF GOOD DISCUSSION TODAY.
AND, UH, WITH THAT WE WILL, UH, CLOSE THE MEETING.
I WOULD LIKE TO THANK, UM, EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE.
AND THE COMMITTEE WILL MEET AGAIN NEXT MONTH ON JUNE 24TH AT 10:00 AM THANK YOU.
AND THE PEOPLE ARE THE CITY AND THE PEOPLE ARE CITY