* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:03] VICE [PRESENTATIONS] MAYOR PRO DIEM CASTEX TATUM TO CHAIR WHILE WE RECOGNIZE OUR GUESTS. THANK YOU. THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN FOR A PROCLAMATION TO JUDGE ANGELA L. GRAVES HARRINGTON HONORING HARRIS COUNTY'S INAUGURAL FAMILY REUNIFICATION CELEBRATION. HI, JUDGE. TODAY I'M EXCITED TO PRESENT THIS PROCLAMATION ON BEHALF OF COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER, TO JUDGE ANGELA GRAVES HARRINGTON HONORING HARRIS COUNTY'S INAUGURAL FAMILY REUNIFICATION, CELEBRATION, AND RECOGNITION OF THEIR CASEWORKERS, ATTORNEYS AND OTHER CHILD WELFARE PROFESSIONALS EFFORTS. SO WHEREAS THE MONTH OF JUNE IS RECOGNIZED NATIONALLY AS FAMILY REUNIFICATION MONTH, A TIME TO HONOR THE DEDICATED PROFESSIONALS WHO WORKED TIRELESSLY TO PRESERVE, STRENGTHEN AND REUNIFY FAMILIES. AND WHEREAS EVERY CHILD DESERVES TO GROW UP AT A SAFE, STABLE, NURTURING, AND FAMILIAR ENVIRONMENT SUPPORTED BY A STRONG NETWORK OF CARING ADULTS FOR CHILDREN WHO EXIT THE CARE OF THE DEPARTMENT, A FAMILY AND PROTECTIVE SERVICES FAMILY, REUNIFICATION REMAINS A SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGE. AND WHEREAS FAMILY REUNIFICATION MAY TAKE MANY FORMS, INCLUDING REUNIFICATION WITH PARENTS, KINSHIP OR FICTIVE KIN PLACEMENTS, AND ADOPTION BY RELATIVES, EACH OUTCOME A TESTAMENT TO THE COLLABORATION, STRENGTH, PERSEVERANCE, AND VISION OF THOSE SERVING IN THE CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM. AND WHEREAS REUNITING FAMILIES SIGNIFICANTLY ENHANCES THE WELLBEING OF CHILDREN IN THE CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM AND THEIR PARENTS AND FOSTERS A HEALTHIER COMMUNITY OVERALL. AND WHEREAS HARRIS COUNTY PROUDLY CELEBRATES ITS INAUGURAL FAMILY REUNIFICATION MONTH CELEBRATION, HOSTED BY THE 2 46 HARRIS COUNTY DISTRICT COURT TO RECOGNIZE THE INSPIRING EFFORTS OF THE CASEWORKERS, ATTORNEYS, LEGAL ADVOCATES, AND CHILD WELFARE PROFESSIONALS WHOSE COMMITMENT MAKES REUNIFICATION POSSIBLE. AND WHEREAS THE CITY OF HOUSTON JOINS THE 200 6246 HARRIS COUNTY DISTRICT COURT LED BY THE HONORABLE JUDGE ANGELA GRAVES HARRINGTON. IN CELEBRATING THE SIGNIFICANCE OF FAMILY REUNIFICATION MONTH, THE CITY COMMENDS ALL JUDGES FOR THEIR TIRELESS EFFORTS TO INCREASE THE RATE OF FAMILY REUNIFICATION AND CHILD WELFARE, WE WELFARE CASES, AND THE INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS WHO EFFORTS UPLIFT FAMILIES AND EXEMPLIFY THE HIGHEST IDEALS OF JUSTICE, EMPATHY, AND COMMUNITY CARE. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN. AND YOUR HONOR, I WISH TIME ALLOWED FOR YOU TO TELL THE WONDERFUL STORIES THAT YOU'VE EXPERIENCED IN THE DIFFERENCE YOU'VE MADE. UH, SO MANY OF US IN DIFFERENT POSITIONS HAVE WITNESSED THE NEED TO REUNIFY NEIGHBORS AND FAMILIES. UH, ACTUALLY AS A YOUNG LAWYER IN THE FAMILY COURTS, I'VE WATCHED SOME TERRIBLE UNHAPPY SITUATIONS WHERE YOU HAVE A CPS CHILD. YOU WANT ME TO HEAR YOU WANT TO HEAR A REAL MIRACLE GENERAL. SO I WAS IN THE COURT IN THE THE CPS CHILD 14, STAYING WITH A FOSTER FAMILY, AND SHE WAS PREGNANT. AND I HAD TO WITNESS A JUDGE TRY TO KEEP THIS 14-YEAR-OLD FROM KEEPING HER CHILD, EVEN THOUGH THE FOSTER FAMILY WANTED TO UNITE THE TWO. SO I DO KNOW THE HEARTACHE AND SO MANY OF US HAVE WITNESSED IT IN OUR RESPONSIBLE POSITIONS, BUT I CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH AND YOU GO ABOUT DAILY MAKING A DIFFERENCE. AND THAT'S WHAT IS SO NICE ABOUT THIS PROCLAMATION. THE CITY OF HOUSTON GETS TO PAUSE AND RECOGNIZE YOU. SO IT'S JUST EXCITING FOR ME TO KNOW WHAT MAKES THIS A GREAT CITY IS PEOPLE LIKE YOURSELF, JUDGE, THAT GO BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY TO HELP OUR RESIDENTS BE THE FAMILIES THEY CAN BE AND THE INDIVIDUALS. SO THANK YOU. AND IT'S I, JOHN WHITMEYER, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROCLAIM JUNE 25TH AS FAMILY REUNIFICATION MONTH IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. AND I WANT TO GO AHEAD AND MENTION BROUGHT TO US BY JUDGE GRAVES HARRINGTON. THANK YOU. HEY, JUDGE, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS? JUST A FEW WORDS? YES. THANK YOU. TAKE YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. HONORABLE MAYOR WHITMEYER, ESTEEMED MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL, DEDICATED COMMUNITY LEADERS, FELLOW CITIZENS, MY MOTHER WHO TRAVELED FROM GULFPORT, MISSISSIPPI TO WITNESS THIS TODAY. [00:05:01] MY SON. WHERE'S YOUR MOM? MY MOM IS RIGHT HERE. , UM, WHO'S JOINING MY HUSBAND DARRELL AND MY SON AIDEN, AND EVERYONE ELSE WHO IS HERE TODAY TO RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS, UM, MONTH. IT IS WITH IMMENSE GRATITUDE AND A PROFOUND SENSE OF HOPE THAT I STAND BEFORE YOU TODAY. ON BEHALF OF THE HARRIS COUNTY FAMILY DISTRICT COURTS, I WANT TO EXTEND OUR DEEPEST THANKS TO MAYOR WHITMEYER AND THE ENTIRE CITY COUNCIL FOR THIS INCREDIBLY MEANINGFUL PROCLAMATION, RECOGNIZING JUNE, 2025 AS OUR INAUGURAL FAMILY REUNIFICATION MONTH HERE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. THIS PROCLAMATION IS MORE THAN JUST A PIECE OF PAPER. IT IS A POWERFUL STATEMENT. IT'S A TESTAMENT TO OUR CITY'S COMMITMENT TO THE FOUNDATIONAL IMPORTANCE OF FAMILY AND THE INCREDIBLE EFFORTS MADE EVERY DAY TO BRING FAMILIES TOGETHER AND SUPPORT THEM IN THEIR JOURNEY TOWARDS HEALING AND WHOLENESS. FOR MANY IN OUR COMMUNITY, THE PATH TO FAMILY REUNIFICATION IS ONE FILLED WITH CHALLENGES, RESILIENCE, AND ULTIMATELY PROFOUND JOY. IT IS ABOUT RESTORING BONDS, REBUILDING TRUST, AND CREATING STABLE LOVING ENVIRONMENTS WHERE CHILDREN CAN THRIVE AND FAMILIES CAN FIND STRENGTH. THIS INAUGURAL FAMILY REUNIFICATION MONTH PROVIDES US WITH A DEDICATED TIME TO SHINE A LIGHT ON THOSE STORIES, TO CELEBRATE THE SUCCESSES, AND TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT THE RESOURCES AND SUPPORT SYSTEMS AVAILABLE. WE BELIEVE THAT STRONG FAMILIES ARE THE BEDROCK OF A COMMUNITY. BY OFFICIALLY RECOGNIZING FAMILY REUNIFICATION MONTH, YOU ARE SENDING A CLEAR MESH MESSAGE THAT HOUSTON VALUES THE HARD WORK, DEDICATION AND LOVE THAT GOES INTO MENDING AND STRENGTHENING FAMILY TIES. THIS RECOGNITION WILL UNDOUBTEDLY INSPIRE MORE INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS FRIENDS OF THE CHILDREN HOUSTON, TO GET INVOLVED, OFFER SUPPORT, AND LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CRITICAL ROLE FAMILY REUNIFICATION PLAYS IN THE WELLBEING OF OUR CITY. WE LOOK FORWARD TO A MONTH FILLED WITH EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES WITH THAT WILL EDUCATE, CELEBRATE, AND INSPIRE. STARTING WITH THE 2 46 6 DISTRICT COURT'S FAMILY REUNIFICATION CELEBRATION ON JUNE 5TH, WE ARE SO GRATEFUL FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND YOUR BELIEF IN THE POWER OF FAMILY. THANK YOU MAYOR WHITMEYER. THANK YOU. CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, YOUR SUPPORT MEANS THE WORLD TO US AND THE COUNTLESS FAMILIES YOU ARE HELPING TO UPLIFT WITH THIS PROCLAMATION. WE ARE EXCITED TO MAKE THIS INAUGURAL FAMILY REUNIFICATION MONTH A RESOUNDING SUCCESS AND WE COULDN'T HAVE TAKEN THIS SIGNIFICANT FIRST STEP WITHOUT YOU ALL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. UH, JUST, JUST A MINUTE, MAYOR. WE DO HAVE COUNCIL MEMBERS IN QUEUE. WE'LL START WITH COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. UH, THANK YOU MAYOR PROAM. UH, MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR THIS PROCLAMATION. JUDGE, I JUST WANNA THANK YOU AND THE ENTIRE FAMILY COURT FAMILY FOR ELEVATING THE NEED AND THE IMPORTANCE OF FAMILY REUNIFICATION. MARY, YOU SHARED YOUR STORY DURING THE 85TH I WAS AT THE STATE LEGISLATURE DEALING WITH THE VERY ISSUE OF OUR FOSTER CARE CRISIS. AND THIS ISN'T A DIG AT OUR CASEWORKERS OR ANYONE, BUT WE KNOW THAT THE STATE SYSTEM IS FAILING US. SO TO HAVE YOU ALL AS JUDGES STEPPING UP TO REALLY ELEVATE THE NEED AND ADVOCATE FOR THESE CHILDREN RIGHT NOW MEANS A LOT. SO AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP JUDGE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, THANK YOU FOR PRESENTING. I KNOW IT'S ALSO ON BEHALF OF COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER, BUT REALLY JUST WANNA LIFT UP THE WORK AND CONGRATS. I THINK Y'ALL GOT A PAY RAISE THANKS TO THE STATE LED YESTERDAY, SO CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN. UH, JUDGE, I'M SO EXCITED TO SEE YOU HERE. WHEN I SAW YOUR NAME ON THE LIST, I SAID, LET ME GET OVER THERE SO I CAN CELEBRATE WITH YOU, UH, MY DEAR SORROW. UH, THE WORK THAT YOU DO TAKES IMMENSE CARE AND KNOWING THAT WE HAVE A JUDGE WHO CARES, UH, A FAMILY WHO CARES, UM, AND A SUPPORT SYSTEM, WHO CARES? I CAN LOOK IN THE AUDIENCE AND SEE THAT YOU DIDN'T COME ALONG WITH JUST YOUR FAMILY. YOU CAME WITH A FAMILY OF JUDGES AS WELL, AND THAT SPEAKS VOLUME. SO CONGRATULATIONS ON THE WONDERFUL STELLAR WORK THAT YOU CONTINUE TO DO FOR OUR GREAT CITY. WE'RE SO VERY PROUD OF YOU AND LOOK FORWARD TO SUPPORTING THIS WONDERFUL INITIATIVE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU'ALL. CONGRATULATIONS. [00:13:33] COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN FOR A PROCLAMATION RECOGNIZING MOM'S DEMAND. ACTION TO HONOR WEAR ORANGE WEEKEND. THANK YOU. HOW ARE YOU? WE'RE GONNA WAIT JUST A SECOND WHILE EVERYONE CLEARS OUT OF THE ROOM. , WE CAN GET YOU THEM. YEAH, I NEED THAT IN THE BIG RED ONE. NEED THE RED TWO. ALL RIGHT, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED. UH, THIS FRIDAY, JUNE 6TH IS THE 11TH ANNUAL NATIONAL GUN VIOLENCE AWARENESS DAY LAUNCHING WEAR ORANGE WEEKEND, WHICH FOLLOWS IT. I'M HERE WITH SOME OF OUR STRONGEST ALLIES IN THE FIGHT TO END GUN VIOLENCE. MOMS DEMAND ACTION, AND WE'RE ALSO JO JOINED BY CARLTON HARRIS, FOUNDER OF THE FORGOTTEN THIRD, FOCUSED ON REDUCING CRIME AND GUN VIOLENCE AMONG YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS IN HARRIS COUNTY [00:15:01] BY HELPING THEM EARN THEIR HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA AND PURSUE POST-SECONDARY EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES. FIREARMS ARE STILL THE LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH FOR CHILDREN IN THE UNITED STATES WITH OVER 2,500, SO 2,500 CHILDREN KILLED IN 2023 AND TEXAS ALONE, AN AVERAGE OF 480 CHILDREN AND TEENS DIE BY GUNS EVERY SINGLE YEAR. I REMEMBER AS CHAIR OF PUBLIC SAFETY IN OUR FIR MY FIRST TERM, WE HAD HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AT THE FIRST COMMITTEE MEETING FROM BEL AIR COME TO TALK ABOUT THE TRAUMA THAT THEY INCURRED BY A STUDENT BRINGING A FIREARM AND ANOTHER ONE OF THEIR STUDENTS TRAGICALLY DYING AS A RESULT. AND THAT WAS JUST ONE INCIDENT. THIS PROCLAMATION SHARES A LOT OF STARTING STARTLING NUMBERS THAT I'M ABOUT TO READ, BUT ONE OF THE CHALLENGES WITH NUMBERS IS IT DOES NOT CONVEY WHO THOSE PEOPLE THAT LOST THEIR LIVES WERE OR THE MILLIONS UPON MILLIONS OF LIVES THAT HAVE FOREVER BEEN IMPACTED BY GUN VIOLENCE. THE NEED HAS NEVER BEEN GREATER TO PRIORITIZE GUN SAFETY IN OUR CITY. MY OFFICE IS PROUD TO PARTNER WITH VOLUNTEERS DEPARTMENTS, INCLUDING HPD AND OUR HEALTH DEPARTMENT ON GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION PROGRAMS. WE'VE DISTRIBUTED FREE GUN LOCKS AND GUN SAFES TO KEEP GUNS FROM FALLING INTO THE HANDS OF PEOPLE THAT SHOULDN'T HAVE THEM, SPECIFICALLY CHILDREN AND CRIMINALS. AND WE'RE MAKING EXCITING HEADWAY ON THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE GUN INJURY DASHBOARD IN THE COUNTRY THAT WILL ALLOW HEALTH-BASED INTERVENTIONS TO BE DRIVEN BY DATA. SO MUCH OF WHAT WE CAN NOW DO AND ARE DOING IS THANKS TO THE ACTION AND THE VOICE OF MOMS DEMAND ACTION. EVERY TOWN FOR GUN SAFETY AND GROUPS LIKE THE FORGOTTEN THIRD. AND WE ARE INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL TO EACH AND EVERY VOLUNTEER WHO DEDICATES THEIR TIME TO MAKING HOUSTON A SAFER PLACE. AND WITH THAT, WHEREAS EVERY DAY, 125 PEOPLE IN THE UNITED STATES ARE KILLED BY GUN VIOLENCE, AND MORE THAN 260 ARE SHOT AND WOUNDED WITH AN AVERAGE OF MORE THAN 19,000 FIREARM HOMICIDES EVERY YEAR. TEXAS HAS APPROXIMATELY 4,330 GUN DEATHS AND APPROXIMATELY 7,726 GUN INJURIES EVERY YEAR. A CRISIS THAT COSTS THE STATE OVER 51 BILLION EVERY SINGLE YEAR, OF WHICH APPROXIMATELY 1.1 BILLION IS PAID BY TAXPAYERS. TEXAS HAS THE 25TH HIGHEST RATE OF GUN DEATHS IN THE UNITED STATES. IN JANUARY, 2013, HADIA PENDLETON WAS TRAGICALLY SHOT AND KILLED AT THE AGE OF 15 THIS YEAR ON THE 11TH NATIONAL GUN VIOLENCE AWARENESS DAY. AND TO RECOGNIZE THAT HADIA WOULD'VE BEEN 28 YEARS OLD, PEOPLE ACROSS THE UNITED STATES WILL WEAR ORANGE ON JUNE 6TH IS A TRIBUTE TO HADIA AND THE MILLIONS OF OTHER VICTIMS OF GUN VIOLENCE AS WELL AS THEIR LOVED ONES. THE IDEA TO WEAR ORANGE WAS INSPIRED BY A GROUP OF HAD IDEA'S, FRIENDS WHO ASKED THEIR CLASSMATES TO WEAR ORANGE, BECAUSE THIS IS THE COLOR THAT HUNTERS WEAR TO ANNOUNCE THEMSELVES TO OTHER HUNTERS WHEN OUT IN THE WOODS. ORANGE IS A COLOR THAT SYMBOLIZES THE VALUE OF HUMAN LIFE AND OF SAFETY, WEARING ORANGE ON NATIONAL GUN VIOLENCE AWARENESS DAY OBSERVED EVERY FIRST FRIDAY OF JUNE WILL RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT GUN VIOLENCE, THE MEMORY OF HADIA, HONOR THE LIVES OF GUN VIOLENCE VICTIMS AND SURVIVORS, AND REMIND ALL ABOUT RESPONSIBLE GUN OWNERSHIP TO HELP KEEP FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES SAFE. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR CAMAN AND IS SUCH A SERIOUS PROCLAMATION, UM, SUCH AVOIDABLE DEATH THAT WE'VE ALL WITNESSED FOR TOO LONG. UH, I GUESS I'LL EMPHASIZE BECAUSE I'VE WORKED IN THE POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH YOU HAVE TO TRY TO HAVE COMMON SENSE LEGISLATION SUCH AS RED FLAG LAWS. SO LET'S, LET'S EMPHASIZE TODAY THAT ELECTIONS MATTER, THAT WE'LL CONTINUE THE EDUCATION PROCESS AND HAVE FAMILIES SAFEGUARD THEIR WEAPONS, BUT LET YOUNG PEOPLE KNOW YOU DON'T RESOLVE DISPUTES LIKE THEY DID WHEN WE WERE GROWING UP WITH FIST FIGHTS. NOW THEY REACH FOR THEIR FIREARMS, WHICH IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE. SO THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO REDEDICATE OURSELF TO GUN SAFETY AND THANK ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS INVOLVED. COUNCILMAN CAYMAN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP. THEREFORE, I, JOHN WHITMEYER, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROCLAIM JUNE 6TH, 2025. IT'S NATIONAL GUN VIOLENCE AWARENESS DAY THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF HOUSTON. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND IT'S MY PLEASURE TO INTRODUCE ISHA ARCHER, KAREN KNAPP, [00:20:01] UH, JULIE, AND THEN CARLTON, OF COURSE, FROM FOUNDER OF THE FORGOTTEN THIRD, JEFF. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR WHITMEYER, COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN AND OTHER CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO ACKNOWLEDGE GUN VIOLENCE AWARENESS DAY, WHICH IS THIS FRIDAY, JUNE 6TH. MY NAME IS AISHA ARCHER AND I'M A VOLUNTEER WITH MOMS MAN ACTION HERE TODAY TO HONOR WEAR ORANGE WEEKEND. I CAME HERE TODAY WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS FROM THE FORGOTTEN I THIRD CARLTON HARRIS. BUT I'M HAPPY TO SEE TODAY 50 50 FATHERS MOVEMENT, COGNITIVE JUSTICE, INTERNATIONAL AND PURE JUSTICE IN THE, UH, IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS TODAY. THAT'S WONDERFUL. ALSO, ENGAGED IN THE WORK OF GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION, WHERE ORANGE AND NATIONAL GUN VIOLENCE AWARENESS DAY COMMEMORATE THE LIFE OF HADIA PENDLETON AND MILLIONS OF OTHER VICTIMS OF GUN VIOLENCE ACROSS THE COUNTRY. HADIA WAS SHOT AND KILLED IN CHICAGO AT THE AGE OF 15 AS COUNCILMAN BECAME IN MENTIONED JUST ONE WEEK AFTER PERFORMING AT PRESIDENT OBAMA'S SECOND INAUGURAL PARADE IN 2013, IT BEARS REPEATING THAT HADIA WAS JUST 15 YEARS OLD WHEN SHE WAS SHOT AND KILLED. I EMPHASIZE THIS BECAUSE IN HOUSTON AND ACROSS TEXAS, WE HAVE A GROWING PROBLEM OF TEEN INVOLVED GUN VIOLENCE. IN FACT, GUN VIOLENCE IS THE LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH FOR CHILDREN AND TEENS IN TEXAS WITH 62% OF THOSE DEATHS BEING BY HOMICIDE AND 33% BY SUICIDE. THIS IS A UNIQUELY AMERICAN PROBLEM COMPARED TO OTHER HIGH INCOME COUNTRIES. AMERICAN CHILDREN AGED FIVE TO 14 ARE 21 TIMES MORE LIKELY TO BE KILLED BY GUNS AND ADOLESCENTS AND YOUNG ADULTS AGE 15 TO 24 ARE 23 TIMES MORE LIKELY TO BE KILLED WITH GUNS. WE WERE ORANGE DURING THIS TIME, NOT ONLY TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT GUN VIOLENCE, BUT TO DEMAND A FEATURE FREE FROM GUN VIOLENCE. AND SO WE WANT TO THANK THE CITY FOR ITS LONGTIME WORK IN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF GANG PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION. AND MAYOR WHITMEYER COUNCIL MEMBERS CAME IN AND CASTILLO FOR BEING GUN SENSE CANDIDATES AND PLEDGING TO GOVERN WITH GUN SAFETY IN MIND. WE'D ALSO LIKE TO THANK THE COUNCIL FOR SOME OF YOUR RECENT WORK FOCUSED ON THE TRAGEDY OF YOUTH GUN VIOLENCE. WE THANK CITY COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIE DAVIS FOR RAISING AWARENESS OF THE PROBLEM OF YOUTH INVOLVED VIOLENCE DURING A FEBRUARY PRESS CONFERENCE ATTENDED BY MAYOR WHITMEYER, CHIEF DIAZ AND OTHER CONCERNED STAKEHOLDERS AND FOR OFFERING LOCAL PASTORS AS INTERMEDIARIES BETWEEN THE COMMUNITY AND LAW ENFORCEMENT. WE ALSO THANK CITY COUNCILMAN NATASHA TASHA JACKSON FOR SPEARHEADING THE FUNDING OF A PILOT CREDIBLE MESSENGER PROGRAM WITH COLLECTIVE ACTION FOR YOUTH. THIS PROGRAM AIMS TO INTERCEPT YOUNG PEOPLE BEFORE VIOLENCE OCCURS THROUGH MENTORSHIP FROM INDIVIDUALS WITH SIMILAR LIVED EXPERIENCES. I KNOW MANY FAMILIES LIKE MINE THAT HAVE TRIED AND FAILED TO REACH A YOUNG PERSON BEFORE THEY DIED BY GUN VIOLENCE. WISH THEY HAD ACCESS TO THE OUTREACH AND CONNECTION PROVIDED BY CREDIBLE MESSENGERS WHO SPEND THEIR DAYS INVESTING IN THE LIVES OF YOUNG PEOPLE, DOING THE HARD WORK OF MAKING BETTER CHOICES AGAINST THE ODDS. AND THANK YOU TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN FOR DISTRIBUTING GUN LOCKS AND SAFES AT SCHOOLS AND OTHER COMMUNITIES EVENTS THROUGHOUT HOUSTON. IN THE PAST DECADE, FIREARM SUICIDE AMONG CHILDREN AND TEENS HAS INCREASED BY 36% NATIONALLY, AND NEARLY 80% OF CHILD GUN SUICIDES INVOLVE A GUN BELONGING TO A PARENT OR A RELATIVE SECURELY STORING FIREARMS CAN PREVENT THESE DEATHS. THIS WHERE ORANGE WEEKEND, WE WILL REMEMBER THE MILLIONS OF LIVES STOLEN OR IMPACTED BY GUN VIOLENCE AND TAKE ACTION IN THEIR HONOR. HERE IN HOUSTON, WE ARE CO-HOSTING THE CHARLES DREW BLOOD DRIVE WITH THE MOON, MOON, MOON, NEW CHAPTER OF OMEGA SCI-FI INC. THIS SATURDAY, JUNE 7TH FROM 11:00 AM TO 5:00 PM AT NEW PLEASANT GROVE BAPTIST CHURCH IN CASHMERE GARDENS. WE INVITE EVERYONE TO TAKE THE LIFESAVING ACTION OF DONATING BLOOD. THANK YOU. AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO ASK CARLTON HARRIS, FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE FORGOTTEN THIRD TO SAY A FEW WORDS IN PARTICULAR ABOUT THE RISK OF, UM, YOUTH GUN VIOLENCE DURING THE SUMMER. THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR COUNCIL MEMBERS. UH, MY NAME IS CARLTON HARRIS. I'M THE FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE FORGOTTEN THIRD, UH, FORMERLY THE YOUTH OF VIOLENCE PREVENTION CITY LEAD FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON. I DID THAT ROLE FOR SIX YEARS. UM, WELL, WE WORK AT, IN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES TO YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS WHO HAVE BEEN IMPACTED BY THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM AS WELL AS BY GUN VIOLENCE. UH, DECEMBER OF LAST YEAR, I LOST A YOUNG MAN IN MY PROGRAM NAMED GIOVANNI CRUZ. IT BROKE MY HEART TWO HOURS BEFORE HE WAS KILLED, I TALKED TO HIM ON THE PHONE. HE WAS MURDERED BY ANOTHER 17-YEAR-OLD. HE NEVER MADE IT TO SEE HIS 18TH BIRTHDAY. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE TALK ABOUT GUN VIOLENCE AND THE THINGS THAT CAN BE DONE TO PREVENT GUNS FROM FALLING TO THE HANDS OF THE WRONG INDIVIDUALS. NUMBER ONE, WE'RE ENTERING INTO A HUNDRED DAYS OF DEADLY SUMMER RIGHT NOW BETWEEN [00:25:02] MEMORIAL DAY AND LABOR DAY, THESE ARE A HUNDRED DAYS THAT ARE VERY DEADLY FOR OUR YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS, NOT JUST WITH DRIVING, BUT ALSO GETTING INVOLVED IN CRIMINAL AND GANG BEHAVIOR BECAUSE THE PROTECTIVE FACTORS OF BEING ENGAGED IN SCHOOL AND MENTORSHIP HAS DIMINISHED AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS HAVE DIMINISHED. SO I REALLY WANT TO URGE THE COMMUNITY AND THE COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR THAT WE CONTINUE TO INVEST IN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES. OUR YOUTH MUST BE HUMANIZED. THEY MAKE BAD CHOICES AT TIMES, BUT IT'S UP TO US TO CORRECT THEM AND GIVE THEM THE TOOLS THAT THEY NEED TO BECOME SUCCESSFUL. AND AGAIN, I WANT TO EMPHASIZE THE SAFETY OF SAFE STORAGE FOR WEAPONS. THE MAJORITY OF WEAPONS THAT FALL INTO THE HANDS OF WRONG INDIVIDUALS ARE STOLEN OUT OF VEHICLES. MAKE SURE YOUR, YOUR WEAPONS IN YOUR VEHICLES ARE PROPERLY STORED, YOUR WEAPONS AT HOME ARE PROPERLY STORED. SO A CHILD IS NOT GETTING AHOLD TO A WEAPON ACCIDENTALLY KILLING THEMSELF, THEIR SIBLING OR PARENT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND MAYOR PATAM, I SEE YOU WEARING ORANGE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. INTENTIONALLY. THANK YOU. RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ FOR A PROCLAMATION TO TO HONOR STEVE TIMS ON THE OCCASION OF HIS RETIREMENT. THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TIM. UM, AND I'M HAPPY TO SEE, UH, STEVE HERE. UM, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, HE, HE REALLY WOULDN'T WANT THIS, BUT I HAD TO. UM, I REMEMBER IN 2014 AS A STAFFER, OUR FIRST, OUR FIRST FEW DAYS, OUR CONVERSATIONS WERE ABOUT TWO THINGS. YOU CAN'T LEAVE ONE WITHOUT THE OTHER. GUS WORTHHAM, UH, RENOVATION OF GUS WORTHHAM AND ALSO THE BOTANIC GARDEN. UH, ULTIMATELY, UH, DISTRICT, I ENDED UP RECEIVING TWO GREAT ASSETS. ONE IN THE, IN, UH, GUS WORTHHAM RENOVATION. UH, BUT IT COULDN'T HAVE BEEN DONE WITHOUT STEVE, HIS LEADERSHIP AND HIS TEAM. UM, ALSO, UM, NOT JUST THE, THE GOLF COURSE, BUT ALSO THE FIRSTT PROGRAM, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT I'M INTIMATELY, UH, INVOLVED WITH. MY 19-YEAR-OLD JOAQUIN WAS A PART OF THE FIRSTT PROGRAM. AND NOW MY 9-YEAR-OLD JULIAN, HE'S A PART OF THE FIRSTT PROGRAM AT FM LAW. SO I, I'M ACTUALLY SUPER HONORED TO HAVE, UH, STEVE HERE. I'M GONNA READ THROUGH THE PROCLAMATION IF EVEN IF WE CAN DO THIS AS WELL. HAVE YOUR WIFE COME UP HERE. SUSAN. UM, WE ALL KNOW THIS, THAT WE CAN'T DO A LOT OF THE WORK THAT WE DO WITHOUT FAMILY. AND SO I REALLY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT SUSAN, THIS IS YOUR PROCLAMATION AS WELL MM-HMM . WHEREAS STEVE TIMS HAS FAITHFULLY SERVED AS, AS PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE HOUSTON GOLF ASSOCIATION. AND FIRST HE GREATER HOUSTON FOR 25 YEARS, DEDICATING HIS CAREER TO THE GROWTH OF YOUTH DEVELOPMENT THROUGH THE GAME OF GOLF. WHEREAS STEVE BEGAN HIS JOURNEY WITH HGA AS A VOLUNTEER IN 1991, EVENTUALLY CHAIRING THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS IN NINE, FROM 95 TO 97 BEFORE BEING APPOINTED PRESIDENT AND CEO IN 2001. WHEREAS UNDER HIS LEADERSHIP, HGA EXPERIENCED SOME OF THE MOST TRANSFORMATIVE YEARS IN ITS HISTORY, ELEVATING ITS STATUS AS ONE OF HOUSTON'S MOST IMPACTFUL NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AND RAISING NEARLY 80 MILLION FOR LOCAL CHARITIES AND COMMUNITY INITIATIVES THROUGH THE THROUGH GOLF. AND WHEREAS STEVE DEDICATED HI TO EXPANDING ACCESS TO GOLF TO THE GAME LED TO THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE MUNICIPAL GOLF INITIATIVE AND THE REVITALIZATION OF GUS WORTHHAM PARK GOLF COURSE, TEXAS OS CONTINUOUSLY OPERATED 18 HOLE GOLF COURSE, TRANSFORMING IT INTO A PREMIER PUBLIC GOLF DESTINATION THAT NOW HOSTS MORE THAN 55,000 ROUND, UH, ROUNDS ANNUALLY AND HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED AS ONE OF HOUSTON'S TOP PUBLIC COURSES BY TEXAS MONTHLY. AND WHEREAS STEVE ALSO SERVED AS PRESIDENT AND CEO OF FIRST T GREATER HOUSTON, A CHARTER OBTAINED BY HGA IN 2004, WHICH IS WHICH HE GREW INTO ONE OF NATION'S LARGEST CHAPTERS NOW SERVING OVER 35, UH, 350,000 YOUTH ANNUALLY ACROSS NINE GREEN GRASS FACILITIES. HOPEFULLY WE CAN INCREASE THAT AROUND THE CITY, UM, INCLUDING ANOTHER ANCHOR SITE AT FM LAW PARK. AND WHEREAS THROUGH ALL HIS, ALL OF HIS ENDEAVORS, STEVE HAS REMAINED STEAD STEADFAST IN HIS MISSION TO CHANGE LIVES AND SERVE COMMUNITIES THROUGH GOLF, LEAVING BEHIND A LEGACY OF EXCELLENCE, INTEGRITY, AND SERVICE THAT WILL CONTINUE TO SHAPE THE FUTURE OF HDA AND THE FIRST TEE GREATER HOUSTON. AND WHEREAS THE CITY OF HOUSTON EXTENDS ITS HEARTFELT THANKS [00:30:01] TO STEVE THAS FOR THIR 25 YEARS OF EXTRAORDINARY LEADERSHIP, TRANSFORMATIVE IMPACT AND DEDICATION TO THE SPORT OF GOLF, AS WELL AS TO THE YOUTH AND COMMUNITIES OF GREATER HOUSTON, AND OFFERS ITS BEST WISHES FOR FULFILLING RETIREMENT AND MORE, AND MANY MORE ROUNDS OF GOLF AHEAD. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ. UH, OUR LAST PROCLAMATION WAS VERY SERIOUS LIFE AND DEATH MATTER. THIS PROCLAMATION IS A CELEBRATION OF A SUCCESSFUL EXPERIENCE FOR ALL OF US BECAUSE OF YOUR LEADERSHIP. I KNOW YOU'VE KIND OF WATCHED MY GAME PROGRESS , AND I DON'T GET TO WORK ON IT LIKE I MIGHT HAVE AT ONE TIME, BUT I HAVE WATCHED THE DIFFERENCE YOU'VE MADE THROUGH THE HOUSTON GOLF ASSOCIATION, THE INVOLVEMENT WITH THE HOUSTON OPEN, BUT PARTICULARLY THE GULF WAR. WITHOUT YOUR PERSISTENCE AND LEADERSHIP, WE WOULDN'T HAVE A CLASSIC GOLF COURSE EARTH IN OUR COMMUNITY ON THE EAST SIDE. AND I'M GLAD YOUR SONS ARE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF IT. BUT ANYWAY, YOU, AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED, YOU SAVED THE GHOST WORTH. YES. AND I'VE BEEN THERE WHEN WE NEEDED TO PAVE THE ROAD OR THE ENTRANCE, AND YOU TOLD ME JUST, WE'RE GETTING THERE. WE'RE GETTING THERE. SO THANK YOU. AND I KNOW YOUR FAMILY HAS PLAYED CERTAINLY A ROLE, BUT REALLY YOU'RE AN EXAMPLE OF HOUSTONIANS THAT GO ABOUT MAKING OUR CITY THE GREAT CITY. IT IS. THANK YOU. WITHOUT A LOT OF RECOGNITION, YOU JUST PLOW AHEAD. SO THANK YOU. AND I KNOW YOU'VE STILL GOT SOME, UH, SOME DUTIES AND ADVENTURES TO GO FORWARD. I KNOW IT'S NOT, PUBLIC SERVICE IS NOT VERY FAR AWAY FROM YOU, SO I'M EXCITED FOR THIS RESOLUTION PROCLAMATION, AND THEREFORE, I, JOHN WHITMEYER, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROCLAIM JUNE 3RD, 2025, IS STEVE TIMS DAY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU MAYOR WHITMEYER AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL, COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ, UM, QUITE AN HONOR. UM, AND THIS HAS BEEN A, AN AMAZING JOURNEY, UM, WITH THE HOUSTON GOLF ASSOCIATION, 35 YEARS VOLUNTEERING AND ALSO IN SERVICE. UM, MY WIFE SUSAN WITH ME ALL THAT TIME. UM, I'M ALSO JOINED BY A NUMBER OF CURRENT HGA BOARD MEMBERS AND SOME FORMER HGA BOARD MEMBERS. UM, MY SUCCESSOR, OUR NEW CEO CLAIRE BAY, OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE FIRST GREATER HOUSTON, BRIAN LADETTE. UM, THEY KNOW THEY STILL HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO, AND I'M HERE TO HELP THEM DO THAT. UM, WE JUST LAUNCHED A CAPITAL CAMPAIGN TO RENOVATE FM LAW PARK, WHICH, UH, IS IN COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ'S DISTRICT, BUT JOAQUIN'S KIDS HAVE, UH, PARTICIPATED DOWN THERE. AND IT REALLY WILL BE JUST LIKE GUS WORTHHAM TRANSFORMATIVE, A TRANSFORMATIVE PROJECT THAT WHEN THAT CAPITAL CAMPAIGN IS COMPLETE, UH, WE'LL, WE WILL HAVE IMPACTED THE COMMUNITY OVER 80 YEARS OF A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS. BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, WE WILL HAVE CREATED REALLY THE PREMIER FIRST TEE CAMPUS, UH, IN THE COUNTRY DEDICATED SOLELY TO YOUTH, UH, WHICH IS REALLY UNHEARD OF. AND HOUSTON SHOULD BE THE OWNER OF, OF THAT KIND OF FACILITY, UH, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE PARKS DEPARTMENT. SO, UH, THERE'S STILL A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE. UM, THESE FOLKS ARE, ARE VERY FOCUSED ON IT. UM, I'M HERE TO HELP. UM, THEY'RE NOT RID OF ME YET. UM, AND IF I CAN HELP SERVE THE COMMUNITY THROUGH HELPING WITH THE GOLF COURSES, GOLF PROJECTS, AND HELPING THE HGA HELP DO WHAT WE DID AT GUS WORTHHAM WITH THIS MODEL THAT IS REALLY THE ENVY OF OTHER CITIES IN THE COUNTRY, UH, THIS NONPROFIT MODEL THAT ALLOWS US TO RAISE PRIVATE FUNDS, PARTNER WITH THE CITY AND IMPROVE CITY ASSETS AND IN THE GAME OF GOLF THAT IS IMPACTING, UH, THE COMMUNITY IN A VERY POSITIVE WAY. SO A LOT OF PEOPLE DESERVE THIS. I'M THE ONE THAT HAPPENED TO BE THE, THE HEAD OF THE ORGANIZATION FOR THOSE YEARS, BUT THERE'S THOUSANDS OF VOLUNTEERS THAT ARE CONTINUING TO GIVE THEIR TIME AND REALLY WITH THE FOCUS ON IMPACTING OUR, OUR YOUTH THROUGH THE GAME OF GOLF. SO I THANK YOU ALL AND I THANK YOU FOR THE RECOGNITION. THANK YOU. [2:00 P.M. – INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE] [00:35:52] CHAIR RECOGNIZES, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS FOR THE INVOCATION. AMEN. UM, WOULD EVERYONE PLEASE BOW YOUR HEADS? DEAR GOD, IT IS AN HONOR TO COME BEFORE YOUR THRONE AND SAY THANK YOU, GOD. YOUR WORD SAYS THAT PROMOTION COMES FROM YOU. SO WE KNOW THAT WE DON'T SIT IN THESE SEATS LIGHTLY, AND WE KNOW BECAUSE YOU HAVE PROMOTED US, YOU CAN ALSO TAKE IT AWAY. SO GOD REMIND US TO DO THE WILL THAT YOU HAVE CALLED US TO DO. REMIND US TO THINK OF THE LEAST. AND THE LOST AND THE HUNGRY REMIND US TO STAND BOLDLY FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS FOR PEOPLE. AND WHEN WE ARE DRUNK OFF OF OUR FAME, AND WE ARE DRUNK OFF OUR PROMOTION, GOD YANK US DOWN. REMIND US THAT WE ARE HERE FOR BUT A PURPOSE AND FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS, BLESS THIS BODY. BLESS EVERY PERSON THAT HAS CHOSEN TO TAKE THEIR TIME AND COME TO THEIR CITY HALL. GIVE AN EXTRA BLESSING TO THOSE THAT HAVE AN ACHE IN THEIR HEART, A COMPLAINT, AN ISSUE THAT IT MAY BE RESOLVED TODAY. AND BLESS OUR MAYOR, THE LEADER OF OUR CITY. GIVE HIM WISDOM. GIVE HIM A DOUBLE DOSE OF LEADERSHIP AND ENHANCE HIS SENSITIVITY TO THE PEOPLE THAT HE REPRESENTS. IF ANYONE WILL DO IT, GOD IT IS YOU. I THANK YOU FOR THE MIRACLES THAT THE CITY HAS TAKEN, HAS EXPERIENCED, AND I THANK YOU FOR WHAT COMES TO THIS CITY IN ADVANCE AT A DOUBLE BLESSING TO THE LISTENERS AND THOSE UNDER THE SOUND OF MY VOICE. AND FOR THOSE IN EVERY CITY DEPARTMENT DOING THE WORK, AND WE MAY NEVER KNOW THEIR NAME, I WANT TO TELL THEM THANK YOU. GOD, SHOW THEM AN EXTRA BLESSING, A MIRACLE THIS WEEK. IN YOUR NAME I PRAY. AMEN. AMEN. THANK YOU. PLEASE STAND FOR THE PLEDGE NEXT, MS. SECRETARY, [ROLL CALL AND ADOPT THE MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING] WOULD YOU CALL THE ROLE PLEASE? MAYOR WHITMEYER. PRESENT, COUNCIL MEMBER PECK HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTEX TATUM. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER. COUNCIL MEMBERS CARTER AND PLUMBER WILL BE ABSENT. COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN HERE NEED A MOTION TO ADOPT THE MINUTES OF MAY 20 AND 20. FIRST. CASTEX TATUM. MOVE I SECOND. MOTIONS MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES NOW FOR PROCEDURAL MOTIONS. NO ONE REQUEST A MOTION. SHABBAT COUNCIL. SHABBAT. THANK MAYOR. TURN YOUR MIC ON PLEASE. OKAY, THANK [PUBLIC SPEAKERS] YOU MAYOR. UH, I'D LIKE TO SUSPEND THE RULES, UH, TO MOVE TO HERE, CHARLES, TO THE TOP OF THE THREE MINUTE AGENDA LIST. VERY GOOD. SECOND MOTIONS MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. ANYONE ELSE? IF NOT, UH, MR. SECRETARY, YOU WANNA CALL THE FIRST SPEAKER? YES, SIR. TOM BRAWLS. THIS MY FIRST TIME. OKAY. 20 MINUTES. 20 MINUTES. . OH, OH, IT'S TWO MINUTES. I GUESS. THAT'S RIGHT. YOU'LL KNOW 'CAUSE NOBODY WILL BE HERE. . OKAY. WELL GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR [00:40:01] AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. I'M TOM BROYLES. I'M HERE REPRESENTING ELIJAH RISING. WE'RE A NONPROFIT. UM, IT'S BEEN FIGHTING HUMAN TRAFFICKING FOR 10 YEARS HERE IN THE GREAT CITY OF HOUSTON. I'M HERE TO VOICE OUR SUPPORT FOR THE BUDGET AMENDMENT PROPOSED BY COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. AND THIS, UM, BUDGET AMENDMENT IS TO FUND TWO ATTORNEYS, UM, TO FIGHT NUISANCE IN HUMAN TRAFFICKING. AND ONE PARALEGAL, I BELIEVE A LITTLE BIT. I'VE GOT SOME EXPERIENCE IN THIS WORK. I SPENT SIX YEARS IN ASIA FIGHTING HUMAN TRAFFICKING BEFORE COMING BACK TO HOUSTON. AND BEFORE I WENT, I WAS A, UM, ADJUNCT PROFESSOR AT UT LAW AND AN ADMINISTRATIVE LAW JUDGE FOR THE STATE OF TEXAS. AND I WAS A LOT LESS NERVOUS WHEN I WAS SITTING OVER THERE THAN I AM SITTING HERE, LET ME TELL YOU. BUT, UM, I THOUGHT I NEEDED TO MOVE TO ASIA TO FIGHT HUMAN TRAFFICKING. AND WHEN I WAS OVER THERE WORKING WITH THE GOVERNMENT, I TRACKED A HUMAN TRAFFICKER BRINGING GIRLS FROM NEPAL RIGHT INTO HOUSTON. I LEARNED THAT HIS WIFE LIVED IN HOUSTON AND RAN THAT SIDE, THE AMERICAN SIDE OF THE BUSINESS. I WAS SHOCKED. UM, I LEARNED THAT HOUSTON IS OFTEN REFERRED TO AS THE WORST CITY IN THE UNITED STATES FOR HUMAN TRAFFICKING. YOU SEE, WE HAVE A SILENT, HIDDEN CRISIS. WE HAVE OVER 300 ILLICIT MASSAGE BUSINESSES THAT WOMEN AND GIRLS ARE SUFFERING IN. IT'S SO SAD THAT PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT. THEY DON'T WANNA KNOW ABOUT IT. BUT WE'VE GOT MORE OF THOSE THAN WE HAVE MCDONALD'S AND STARBUCKS COMBINED. SO WE'RE FIGHTING THESE CRIMINAL ENTERPRISES. IT'S BIG BUSINESS, BILLIONS OF DOLLARS. IT TAKES ALL OF US. IT'S THE DRUG CARTELS RUNNING IT. THEY LEARN THAT THEY CAN SELL DRUGS ONCE, GET OVER THE BORDER, SELL IT ONCE, AND THEY HAVE TO GO BACK FOR RESTOCK. BUT WITH GIRLS, YOU GET 'EM OVER THE BORDER AND YOU JUST SELL 'EM DAY AFTER DAY AFTER DAY AFTER DAY. SO I WOULD ASK THAT YOU SUPPORT THIS AMENDMENT AND UM, I'M HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU TOM FOR BEING HERE. AND THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU AND ELIJAH RISING DO TO STOP THE SCOURGE THAT IS HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN HOUSTON. IT IS SHAMEFUL THAT WE ARE KNOWN AS A HUB FOR, UH, HUMAN TRAFFICKING. AND, UH, I APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT OF THE AMENDMENT. IT IS A SMALL STEP TO TRY TO TURN THINGS AROUND IN HOUSTON AND IT ADDRESSES A NUMBER OF, UH, ENFORCEMENT OF OTHER VIOLATIONS AS WELL. BUT CERTAINLY THIS IS SOMETHING WORTHY OF OUR ATTENTION AND SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO TRY TO CHANGE. I WOULD LIKE TO JUST LET MY COLLEAGUES KNOW. UM, I I WILL BE AMENDING, UH, THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO CHANGE THE FUNDING SOURCE FROM HUMAN RESOURCES TO GENERAL FUND BALANCE AFTER THE SUGGESTION OF THE ADMINISTRATION LAST WEEK. BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND FOR WHAT YOU FOR BEING HERE. WELL, THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND THANK YOU IN PARTICULAR, COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ FOR YOUR HARD WORK ON THIS ISSUE. THANK YOU. NEXT TAHIR. CHARLES? HELLO? HELLO. ANYBODY HEAR ME? ALRIGHT, MY NAME IS TAHIR CHARLES, AND, UM, I AM A ELECTED OFFICIAL DIRECTOR AT WCID 89 WATER CONTROL AND IMPROVED AND IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT RIGHT DOWN THE STREET. AND I WANNA DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT. I'M NOT COMING TO CRITICIZE. I AM COMING TO OFFER OUR BUILDING, UM, IF NEEDED FOR HURRICANE SAFETY. UM, DURING, DURING THE LAST HURRICANE, UH, FOR BERYL, UM, THE, I'M SORRY, UH, RODNEY ELLIS AND HIS STAFF, THEY DONATED SUPPLIES TO OUR LOCATION SO WE COULD PASS OUT, PASS OUR SUPPLIES. THE DAY AFTER THE STORM, NOBODY WAS TURNED AWAY. THERE'S A LOT OF APARTMENT COMPLEXES THAT ARE ACTUALLY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, BUT THE, THESE RESIDENTS, THEY DON'T KNOW WHERE TO COME TO GET THESE SUPPLIES FROM. SO THE DAY AFTER THE HURRICANE, WE WERE DEFINITELY THERE PASSING OUT, UM, SUPPLIES, BOOTS ON THE GROUND. ALSO, I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS A DRAFT POLICY OF THE, UM, IT'S A DRAFT POLICY FOR THE HURRICANE. BUT I DO HAVE A, A COUPLE OF CONCERNS AND I UNDERSTAND AS A DRAFT, THERE'S ROOM FOR CHANGE. THE FIRST CONCERN THAT I HAVE IS THE TIMES IN WHICH PEOPLE COULD COME SPEAK ON, UM, WHAT I NOTICED AND WHAT I SAW. THEY'RE DURING THE DAYTIME, SOME OF THESE COMMUNITIES, THEY'RE, THEY'RE BLUE COLLAR COMMUNITIES. THEY'RE WORKING DURING THE DAYTIME. SO THEY DON'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY. WELL, A LOT DON'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME AND TAKE OFF DURING THE DAY AND MAKE THEIR VOICES HEARD AND KNOWN. AND THE SECOND THING I WANT TO TALK ABOUT IS THE, WHAT IS THE FUNDING GOING FOR, FOR THE HOMELESS? I SAW THERE WAS AN ALLOCATION OF FUNDS [00:45:01] FOR THE HOMELESS POPULATION. I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHAT THAT'S, WHAT THAT'S USED FOR. AND I ALSO, WHAT I DID NOT NOTICE WAS I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING ABOUT HOUSING. I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING RELATED TO HOUSING FOR A HURRICANE. AND THAT'S QUITE CONCERNING TO ME. I NOTICED THAT A LOT OF MONEY WAS GOING TO INFRASTRUCTURE. AND SO IF THIS MONEY, IF THESE FUNDS DON'T GO TO THE INFRASTRUCTURE, WILL, WHERE WILL THE REMAINING FUNDS GO TO? IF I READ THIS, IF I, IF I DIDN'T READ THIS CORRECTLY, PLEASE LET ME KNOW. BUT IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S MONEY GOING TO BUY POLICE VEHICLES AND AMBULANCES AND WHATNOT. SO IS THAT DIRECTLY FOR THE HURRICANE OR IS THAT JUST, JUST TO HELP, HELP THE, THOSE FORCES OUT IN GENERAL. BUT ONCE AGAIN, I'M NOT AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL. I'M NOT HERE TO CRITICIZE. I'M HERE TO OFFER MY SERVICES. I GET IT. I UNDERSTAND BEING IN YOUR POSITION. SO I'M WILLING TO HELP. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN EVAN SHABAZZ. THANK YOU MAYOR. THANK YOU TAHIR. IT IS ALWAYS A PLEASURE. UM, JUST IN CASE YOU ALL MIGHT NOT KNOW, TAHIR TAHIR IS ONE OF THE PEOPLE THAT WAS VERY INSTRUMENTAL IN MAKING SURE THAT THE SUNNYSIDE HEALTH AND MULTI-SERVICE CENTER WAS NOT PLACED ON THE DUMP SITE BECAUSE OF HIS RESEARCH RE REGARDING CONTAMINATION. AND SO I, I CERTAINLY THANK YOU FOR THAT. HE ALSO HAS A FEEDING PROGRAM. HE FEEDS THE HOMELESS ONCE A MONTH, UH, AND PROVIDES SUSTENANCE FOR PEOPLE, SOMETIMES OUT OF, A LOT OF TIMES OUT OF HIS OWN POCKET. YOU KNOW, HE GETS SOME DONATIONS, BUT HE'S OUT THERE COOKING AND, AND REALLY, REALLY, UH, PROVIDING THIS WONDERFUL SERVICE. AND SO I THANK YOU, UH, YOU KNOW, FOR COMING FORTH. AND OF COURSE HE IS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL. I WAS GONNA TELL HIM THAT, BUT I'M GLAD THAT YOU DID 'CAUSE I HAD TO WRITE IT DOWN 'CAUSE IT WAS SUCH A LONG TITLE. OKAY. BUT CERTAINLY, UH, I DO APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND WE WILL TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THOSE THINGS THAT YOU HAVE PRESENTED. OKAY. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. YOU HAVE A GOOD ONE NOW. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT, CRYSTAL CASEY TO BE FOLLOWED BY LAURA. LAURA GALLIER. HELLO, HONORABLE MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. UM, I JUST FIRST WANNA SAY I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE PERSONAL TIME WITH EACH OF YOU, AND YOU ARE ALL AMAZING AND YOU CARE SO DEEPLY ABOUT THIS CITY. UM, AS A THIRD GENERATION FROM DISTRICT CA GRADUATE OF WALTRIP HIGH SCHOOL, UM, I HAD AN UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE WAS A HUMAN TRAFFICKING PROBLEM. AND THEN I WENT ON A VAN TOUR WITH ELIJAH RISING, UM, WHICH I HAVE INVITED. SOME OF YOU HAVE BEEN, BUT IF YOU ARE INTERESTED, WE ARE HAPPY TO SET THAT UP. UM, AND I WAS DEVASTATED LESS THAN, UM, WALKING DISTANCE FROM MY HOME. AND I LIVE NEAR GARDEN OAKS. WERE THREE TRAFFICKING LOCATIONS THAT I DROVE BY EVERY DAY AND HAD NO IDEA THAT THEY WERE THERE. UH, MANY OF YOU HAVE EXPRESSED SUPPORT AND WANT AN INTEREST IN GETTING, GETTING ACTIVE. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ AND YOUR CHIEF OF STAFF, LEAH, HAVE BEEN AMAZING. WE HAVE MONTHLY MEETINGS WITH ELIJAH RISING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE CAN DO AT THE CITY LEVEL TO JUST MITIGATE THIS PROBLEM. THEN IT IS A REALLY, REALLY BIG, DEVASTATING PROBLEM. SO I'M HERE TO SPEAK FOR, FIRST OF ALL, JUST THANK YOU. THANK EACH OF YOU BECAUSE I KNOW IT MEANS SOMETHING TO EACH OF YOU. AND THANK YOU FOR GETTING INVOLVED. COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. AND IN THIS, I KNOW IT'S A SMALL THING, BUT IT'S NOT A SMALL THING TO DEDICATE SOMEBODY THAT CAN LOOK INTO ALL OF THESE COMPLAINTS AND ALL OF THESE INVESTIGATIONS AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO, ESPECIALLY BEFORE THE WORLD CUP GETS HERE. IT'S VITALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ON WHAT'S GOING ON. AND ELIJAH RISING HAS ALSO OFFERED TO, UH, PROVIDE EDUCATION TO ANYONE IN PUBLIC WORKS OR THE CITY THAT IS INTERESTED, JUST SO THEY KNOW THE THINGS TO LOOK FOR. SO I JUST THANK YOU ALL, THANK YOU ALL FOR CARING. THANK YOU ALL FOR THE WAY THAT YOU HAVE RESPONDED. AND, UM, THANK YOU FOR THIS BUDGET AMENDMENT COUNCIL MEMBER AM MAYORS. I'M VERY GRATEFUL AND THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. JUST A MOMENT. COUNCILMAN CAYMAN. THANK YOU. I KNOW WE HAVE A LOT OF SPEAKERS. JUST REALLY QUICKLY, CRYSTAL, THANK YOU FOR JUST BEING SUCH A BEAUTIFUL HUMAN BEING. UH, MANY OF US ON COUNCIL KNOW CRYSTAL'S WORK IN MANY FORMS, BUT YOU HAVE JUST DIVED RIGHT IN ON THIS ISSUE, UM, AS WELL AS MANY OTHERS IN OUR CITY. SO IT'S GREAT TO HAVE YOU AND THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD. THANK YOU MAYOR CRYSTAL, I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU AS WELL, UH, FOR COMING FORWARD, UH, ON THIS TOPIC AND MANY OTHERS. YOU STAY VERY ENGAGED IN OUR CITY. UH, YOUR LEADERSHIP IS INVALUABLE AND I APPRECIATE THE INSIGHT. GOD BLESS YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. THANK YOU MAYOR. THANK YOU CRYSTAL, SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU FOR ARRANGING THAT VAN TOUR. IT OPENED MY EYES TO WHAT'S GOING ON IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS ALL ACROSS THE CITY. UH, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR LOVE FOR THE CITY AND EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO, NOT JUST ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING, BUT ON PERMITTING AND SO MANY OTHER, UH, TOPICS WHERE WE CAN IMPROVE. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. THANK YOU. NEXT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. LAURA GALLAGHER [00:50:03] WILL BE FOLLOWED BY BENJAMIN BROADWAY. MY NAME IS LAURA GALLAGHER. I'M A LONGTIME MEMBER OF PURE JUSTICE AND I'M IN SOLIDARITY WITH THEIR MESSAGE. VOTE NO TO THIS BUDGET. I'M THE THIRD OF FIVE GENERATIONS TO CALL HOUSTON HOME. I'M BLESSED TO LIVE IN THE HEIGHTS WHERE EVERYTHING I COULD HOPE FOR IN A COMMUNITY IS AVAILABLE TO ME WITHIN A FIVE MINUTE WALK. I WANT EVERYONE IN HOUSTON TO HAVE ALL THE RESOURCES I HAVE. THIS BUDGET DOES NOT ALLOCATE ENOUGH TO THE THINGS THAT MAKE HOUSTON A SAFE PLACE TO LIVE. THE CITY HAS CHRONICALLY DISINVESTED IN WHAT THE COMMUNITY REALLY NEEDS TO SURVIVE WITH DIGNITY AND INSTEAD CRIMINALIZES VULNERABLE. PEOPLE WHEN DENIED ACCESS TO RESOURCES, PEOPLE STAY ALIVE IN ANY WAY THEY CAN. AND OFTEN THESE WAYS DON'T MAKE THEM OR ANYONE ELSE SAFE. MANY RESPOND WITH MENTAL ILLNESS AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE DISORDERS, DISEASES OF DESPAIR, HEALTH CONDITIONS WHICH HAVE BEEN CRIMINALIZED. POLICING VULNERABLE PEOPLE DOES NOT MAKE THE COMMUNITY SAFER. IT MERELY CREATES A PERPETUAL JOB PROGRAM FOR POLICE. THIS BUDGET SAYS THAT SURVEILLANCE, POLICING AND INCARCERATION ARE THE HIGHEST PRIORITY OF THE CITY. AND MOST OTHER DEPARTMENTS ARE BEING CUT, LEAVING LARGE PORTIONS OF THE CITY AS SACRIFICE ZONES. THE RESPONSES TO MY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE BUDGET CAME DOWN TO ONE ISSUE. WE COULD SERVE THE CITY BETTER IF WE HAD MORE CITY. THAT PLEA ONLY WORKS FOR THE POLICE. WE REJECT THIS MODEL OF COMMUNITY. INSTEAD, WE'RE ASKING FOR A BOLD VISION TO IMAGINE A COMMUNITY WHERE EVERYONE CAN THRIVE AND EVERYONE HAS ACCESS TO OPPORTUNITY. COMMUNITIES LIKE THIS EXIST, AND WE CAN DO IT HERE TOO, ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING FUNDING CUTS AT THE FEDERAL AND STATE LEVEL. WE REJECT AN AUSTERITY BUDGET IN ALL PARTS OF THE CITY. WE WANT THE FOLLOWING AND MORE PROPER DRAINAGE AND STORM RESILIENCE, CLEAN AIR, SOIL AND DRINKING WATER DUE PROCESS IN ALL LEGAL PROCEEDINGS LIKE EVICTIONS AND ACCESS TO LEGAL ASSISTANCE. PEDESTRIAN BRIDGES OVER TRAIN TRACKS NEAR SCHOOLS AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS, A LIVING MINIMUM WAGE. SAFE SIDEWALKS. RESPITE CENTERS DURING POWER OUTAGES EMPOWER COMPANIES TO FACE REAL ACCOUNTABILITY, ACCESS TO FRESH FOOD, MENTAL HEALTH, MEDICAL ATTENTION AND SUBSTANCE USE TREATMENT, AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND TRANSPORTATION TRAINING FOR GOOD JOBS, SUPPORT FOR SMALL BUSINESS STARTUPS, ENDING OR CLEANING UP ILLEGAL DUMPING REPAIRS TO INFRASTRUCTURE, INCLUDING WATER, PIPES, BRIDGES, STREETS, LANGUAGE ACCESS TO CITY SERVICES, TRAINS BEAUTIFICATION AND CLIMATE REMEDIATION AND CREDIBLE MESSENGERS. WE SAY NO TO ANY INCREASE IN THE LAW ENFORCEMENT BUDGET AND YES TO A BUDGET THAT INVESTS IN THE COMMUNITY. WE ASK YOU TO REJECT THIS BUDGET. THANK YOU MA'AM. NEXT BENJAMIN BROADWAY TO BE FOLLOWED BY MARIE PUSAN. OKAY, THANK YOU. UH, YES. HELLO? UH, GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS BENJAMIN BROADWAY AND Y'ALL KNOW ME AND I KNOW YOU ALL NOW, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY, I WOULD LIKE TO VOTE YES FOR THE AMENDMENTS THAT MS. JACKSON HAS PROPOSED THE CITY BUDGET. UM, IT NEEDS TO BE DECLINED BECAUSE IT'S PUTTING THE CITY INTO DEBT. MAYOR, I'M NOT TRYING TO BE FUNNY, BUT 25 YEARS AFTER YOU'RE GONE, WE'RE STILL GONNA BE PAYING FOR THAT MAN. WE NEED TO WORK ON INFRASTRUCTURE FLOODING AND GETTING SOME OF THESE AREAS THAT WERE HEAVILY HIT DURING FLOODING DURING A LIGHT RAIN MAYOR, A LIGHT RAIN. YOU SAID THAT WE WERE BROKE, BUT YOU FOUND $1.4 BILLION THAT WE'RE GONNA BE PAYING FOR THE NEXT 27 TO 30 YEARS. THAT'S NOT FAIR TO US. AND THEN WE STILL HAVE ONGOING RAINING AND FLOODING ISSUES. MAN, I THINK THAT DISTRICT I, DISTRICT B AND DISTRICT H AT LEAST NEED TO TEAM UP BECAUSE THOSE WERE THE MOST HARDEST HIT ONES TO DECLINE YOUR BUDGET. MAN, I DON'T MIND, MAN. I HAVE FAMILY MEMBERS THAT ARE POLICEMEN THAT ARE FIREMEN, BUT I ALSO BELIEVE THAT FAIR IS FAIR. WE HAVE DITCHES THAT DON'T WORK. WE HAVE GULLIES [00:55:01] THAT DON'T WORK. WE HAVE TRIBUTARIES THAT DON'T WORK, NOT JUST IN DISTRICT B. IT'S ALL OVER THE CITY OF HOUSTON. WHEN I COME HERE TO FIGHT, I FIGHT FOR THE WHOLE CITY OF HOUSTON, NOT JUST DISTRICT B. I STAND UP HERE AND FIGHT FOR THE LITTLE PEOPLE, THE KIDS THAT CAN'T, THAT DON'T HAVE A VOICE. SO WHEN YOU SIT UP THERE AND YOU TALK ON YOUR RADIO SHOW ABOUT HOW WE GET PAID TO COME UP HERE AND CAUSE A RUCKUS. NO, I DO THAT FOR FREE JUST BECAUSE IT'S TO TALK TO YOU TO LET YOU KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON REALLY IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. SO WHEN YOU SIT UP THERE AND YOU SAY THAT WE GET PAID TO DO THIS, I DON'T IF THAT'S THE CASE. WHERE'S MY MONEY FOR THE HOUSTON READY PROGRAM THAT I ATTENDED THAT YOU WERE JUST, THAT WHERE ARE ALL MY MONEY FROM THE DISTRICT B MEETINGS, THE, UH, MEETINGS THAT ASHA JACKSON HELD, THE MEETINGS THAT, UM, MR. JOAQUIN MARTINEZ HELD. MAN, I DON'T DO THAT FOR MONEY. I DO THAT FOR THE KIDS. I DO THAT FOR THE COMMUNITY. WE DO THIS FOR OUR PEOPLE. SO WHEN YOU SIT UP THERE AND SAY THAT WE'RE DOING IT FOR MONEY, WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT MAYOR. WE'RE DOING IT FOR OUR KIDS, FOR OUR FAMILIES, FOR OUR COMMUNITIES. THAT'S WHY WE STAND AND WE SAY THE WAY AND WE DO THE THINGS THAT WE DO. THAT'S WHY I'M HERE NOW, MAN. I'M A DIALYSIS PATIENT. I JUST LEFT HBOI SHOULD NOT BE HERE TRYING TO ARGUE WITH YOU AND TELL YOU WHAT'S GOING ON IN YOUR CITY, MAN. YOU'RE TAKING MONEY FROM US, MAN. YOU'RE RAISING TAXES FOR SOMETHING THAT WE DON'T, MA'AM. AND OUR DITCHES DON'T EVEN WORK. THANK YOU. AND, AND, UH, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. I I CAN'T IMAGINE WHO TOLD YOU THAT. I WOULD SAY YOU'RE BEING PAID TO BE HERE. THAT'S JUST MY SIR. YOU SAID IT ON THE RADIO STATION AND LIVE IN HOUSTON. WHICH RADIO? UH, HU HOUSTON LIVE. NOW I CAN SEND YOU A COPY OF THE CUT OF THE TAPE, SIR. I'LL BE GLAD. I I'VE JUST NEVER SAID IT BECAUSE I DON'T BELIEVE IT AND SOMEBODY MISINFORMED YOU. SO ANYWAY, I'M NOT GONNA DEBATE THE DATE. IT'S JUST OH, THAT'S ALL RIGHT. I'LL SEND YOU A COPY SO, SO MUCH I COULD ADDRESS, BUT I WON'T BECAUSE I RESPECT YOU. BUT THAT'S JUST ONE I COULDN'T LET SLIDE BY BECAUSE I, IT'S NOT EVEN IN MY IMAGINATION THAT YOU WOULD BE PAID TO COME TO CITY HALL 'CAUSE YOU'RE A REGULAR THAT WE VALUE AND I JUST HAD TO ADDRESS AND CORRECT THAT MISINFORMATION THAT YOU RECEIVED. OKAY? YES SIR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. MARIE . HELLO EVERYONE. MY NAME'S MARIE PUSAN. I'M PART OF A FAMILY WITH SEVERAL GENERATIONS WHO'VE CALLED HOUSTON HOME SINCE THE EARLY 19 HUNDREDS. WE LIVE IN COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE EVERYTHING WE NEED TO THRIVE AND BE SAFE. THIS IS NOT THE CASE FOR ALL HOUSTONIANS HOUSTON GENERALLY BUDGETS FOR ITS IDEA OF PUBLIC SAFETY BY FOCUSING ON SURVEILLANCE AND CRIMINALIZATION BY LAW ENFORCEMENT. BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT REALLY MAKES PEOPLE SAFE. I'M WITH PURE JUSTICE AND HAVE BEEN A SUPPORTER FOR SEVERAL YEARS. I STAND IN SOLIDARITY WITH THEIR CALL FOR A DIFFERENT IDEA OF PUBLIC SAFETY. DON'T APPROVE THIS BUDGET. WHY NOT? WITH HPDS NEW CONTRACT, TENS OF MILLIONS ARE BEING DIVERTED FROM NEEDED CITY SERVICES. CITY BUDGETS HAVE HISTORICALLY SPENT DISPROPORTIONATELY WAY MORE ON LAW ENFORCEMENT THAN OTHER DEPARTMENTS. WHAT'S MORE? THE CITY SHOULD NOT USE DISASTER RELIEF DOLLARS TO FUND NEW POLICE VEHICLES OR SEND GENERATORS TO POLICE STATIONS. DISASTER RELIEF MONEY SHOULD SERVE FAMILIES AFFECTED FOR HOME REPAIR AND DISASTER, LIKE THE DERECHO OR BARREL BUDGETS SHOULD ENSURE RESOURCES FOR HOUSTONIANS. HERE'S ONE RESOURCE NEAR AND DEAR TO MY FAMILY. DRAINAGE, IT'S HURRICANE SEASON AGAIN AND I WORRY. I WOKE UP ONE NIGHT, COMPLETELY FLOODED IN MY HOME IN ALLISON. IN 2001, WE QUALIFIED FOR AN SBA LOAN THROUGH FEMA. GOD HELP US NOW. IN 2017, WE HAD WATER UP TO OUR FRONT DOOR FROM HARVEY. BY THEN, WE HAD NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE. BUT MANY OTHERS IN OUR CITY CANNOT AFFORD REPAIRS OR FLOOD OR FLOOD INSURANCE. IN 2010 [01:00:01] BEFORE HARVEY AND IN 2018 AFTER HARVEY, VOTERS TOLD THIS CITY TO PUT OUR TAX DOLLARS TOWARDS STREETS AND DRAINAGE. YET SEVEN YEARS LATER, YOU ESTONIANS STILL DON'T KNOW WHEN AND WHERE THESE DRAINAGE PROJECTS WILL BE DONE. PRIORITIZE SAFETY FOR THOSE VULNERABLE TO FLOODING BY BUDGETING FOR WHAT WE APPROVED ON OUR BALLOTS. I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE WORRIED ABOUT THE NEXT BIG RAIN EVENT IN HOUSTON. OTHER PLACES TO BUDGET FOR THE WELLBEING OF PEOPLE, DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS, MORE MENTAL HEALTH FACILITIES AND DRUG TREATMENT CENTERS. TREATMENT IS A NECESSITY. CRISES ARE PREVENTABLE. MENTAL ILLNESS IS NOT A CRIME. AFFORDABLE, SAFE HOUSING ACCOUNTABILITY FOR LANDLORDS WHO DON'T PROVIDE SAFE HOUSING. CREDIBLE MESSENGER PROGRAMS, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS TIED TO LOCAL JOBS. RELIABLE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION. INCREASED LIBRARY STAFF WHEN COOLING AND HEATING CENTERS ARE NEEDED. BUDGET FOR PEOPLE THRIVING AND YOU WILL ENSURE PUBLIC SAFETY. OH, AND THANK YOU FOR ENDING SHOT SPOTTER AND TRAFFIC QUOTAS. NEXT, CAMERON ADAMS. HEY, UH, THANK YOU FOR OPENING THE FLOOR. MY NAME IS CAMERON ADAMS AND I WORK WITH TEXAS RISING AND THE TEXAS FREEDOM NETWORK. AND I LIVE IN DISTRICT B. I'M LUCKY TO BE A RENTER IN ACRES HOMES FOR OVER FOUR YEARS NOW. UH, I LIVE ON A STREET WITH A FAMILY THAT OWNS SEVERAL HOMES RIGHT NEXT TO EACH OTHER, UH, FAMILY OF MISSIONARIES RIGHT NEXT DOOR. AND, UM, ACROSS THE STREET IS A GRANDMOTHER WHO THROWS PARTIES FOR HER FAMILY IS LIKE WHAT FEELS LIKE MONTHLY, BUT FORTUNATELY IT USUALLY ENDS BY 8:00 PM UM, IT'S HONESTLY MY DREAM NEIGHBORHOOD. BUT WE'RE BASICALLY THE LAST ON THE LIST OF EMERGENCY SERVICES OR ATTENTION FROM THE CITY. UM, IT'S FAIRLY LITERATE IN THE POTHOLES HAVE BEEN THERE FOR YEARS. UH, THE LACK OF PROPER DRAINAGE PUTS MY ELDERLY NEIGHBORS IN DANGER AND IN DEBT EVERY HURRICANE SEASON. UH, DURING THE TORNADO LAST YEAR, WE LOST POWER FOR SEVEN DAYS WHILE OUR FRIENDS ARE IN GARDEN OAKS, LESS THAN FIVE MINUTES AWAY. LOST IT FOR LESS THAN 36 HOURS. WE WERE LUCKY TO BE ABLE TO STAY WITH THEM, BUT EVERY TIME I WENT TO GO CHECK ON OUR ANIMALS, I OBVIOUSLY SAW ALL MY NEIGHBORS JUST SITTING OUTSIDE WAITING. UM, BOTH NEIGHBORS AT THE END OF MY STREET STILL HAVE STORM DAMAGE FROM BARROW. UM, ONE OF MY NEIGHBORS THAT'S A NATIVE ESTONIAN HAS C-P-C-O-P-D. AND, UH, THERE'S TWO OR THREE HOUSES ON THE STREET THAT REGULARLY CHOOSE NOT TO HAVE ELECTRICITY OR AC UH, JUST TO GET THE OTHER BILLS PAID. UM, I'M REALLY LUCKY NOT TO SEE, YOU KNOW, THE CRIME THAT YOU HEAR AROUND BEING DISCUSSED IN N HOMES. UM, BUT I DEFINITELY SEE THE CONSEQUENCES OF POVERTY AND LACK OF EFFECTIVE CITY SERVICES EVERY DAY. UM, LAST MONTH Y'ALL UNANIMOUSLY VOTED TO PASS A ALMOST $900 MILLION CONTRACT WITH HPD DESPITE THE $200 MILLION OPERATING DEFICIT. UH, THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE WITH SO MANY HOUSTONIANS ARE DEALING WITH THE SOCIOECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES OF THE CURRENT E ECONOMIC SITUATION, THE MULTIPLE RECORD BREAKING STORMS THAT WE FACE EVERY YEAR, AND THE IMPROPER HEALTH, UH, HEALTHCARE. UH, WHEN CANCER CLUSTERS ARE SPROUTING IN AND AROUND OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, TENS OF MILLIONS ARE BEING DIVERTED FROM NECESSARY SERVICES TO FUND AN ALMOST 37 TH PERCENT PAY INCREASE FOR AN AGENCY THAT CRIMINALIZES AND HERTZ HOUSTONIANS EVERY DAY. UM, THIS YEAR HAS PERSONALLY BEEN ONE OF THE TOUGHEST YEARS I'VE EXPERIENCED AS AN ADVOCATE IN TEXAS, WATCHING MY NEIGHBORS LOSE FAMILY MEMBERS TO, UM, ICE DEPORTATIONS, UM, WITH HOUSTON POLICE THERE LOSE FEDERAL CAREERS. UM, AND WATCHING MY TRANS FRIENDS FEAR LEAVING THEIR HOUSE HAS BEEN EMOTIONALLY DRAINING. I FEEL THAT WEIGHT ON MY SHOULDERS DAILY, AND I KNOW THAT SOME OF YOU DO TOO. UM, I'VE BEEN HONORED TO BE A HOUSTONIAN SINCE I MOVED HERE ALMOST 10 YEARS AGO BECAUSE I'VE SHOWN UP HERE AND I'VE SHOWN UP AT THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT SPEAKING ABOUT SOMETHING THAT I CARE ABOUT. AND A LOT OF TIMES Y'ALL LISTEN. UM, I'VE SEEN ACTUAL PROGRESS FROM ME AND THE CO MY COLLEAGUES HARD WORK, AND I'VE SEEN LOCAL LEADERS PROVIDE LIFE CHANGING OPPORTUNITIES AND RESOURCES TO THEIR CONSTITUENTS. I'M ASKING YOU TO PLEASE RECONSIDER THE BUDGET, FREEZE IT, AND USE THIS MONEY TO INVEST IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD AND YOURS. THANK YOU, COUNCIL. JUST A SECOND, SIR. OH, UH, COUNCILMAN CAMAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, MR. ADAMS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR FEEDBACK. AND I KNOW YOU'RE NOT IN DISTRICT C, BUT YOU DID BRING UP DISTRICT C WITH GARDEN OAKS AND OAK FOREST. AND I DO WANT, JUST FOR THE RECORD, UH, IT TO BE CLEAR IN GARDEN OAKS AND OAK FOREST AND FOR EXAMPLE, SHEPHERD FOREST HAD SOME OF THE LARGEST AND LONGEST OUTAGES IN THE ENTIRE CITY, UH, UP TO TWO WEEKS. SO I THINK WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER. ABSOLUTELY. UM, I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. I JUST WANTED THE RECORD TO REFLECT, UM, THE IMPACT TO OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS AS WELL THROUGH THIS. MM-HMM . UH, YOU ALSO MENTIONED YOUR NEIGHBORS WERE, [01:05:01] UH, DEPORTED BY ICE. IS THAT CORRECT? I HAVE A NEIGHBOR WHO HAS A FAMILY MEMBER. OKAY. YES. UH, IT JUST, IF YOU HAD ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THAT, I WAS, I WAS INTERESTED IN, IN, IN LEARNING ABOUT THAT. OKAY. YEAH. YEAH. THANK YOU VERY BECAUSE THOSE STORIES NEED TO BE TOLD. YES MA'AM. THANK YOU. THANK, THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. NEXT. TIFFANY RIO. HELLO. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS TIFFANY CHEVERIA AND I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF COLLECTIVE ACTION FOR YOUTH, A NONPROFIT DEDICATED TO COMMUNITY ORGANIZING. I'M ALSO A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT B. I CAME TODAY TO ADD MY VOICE TO THOSE CALLING TO SEE HOUSTON CONTINUE TO BE A CITY OF INNOVATION AND TO SEE HOUSTON GROW TO BE A CITY THAT LEADS THE WAY WHEN IT COMES TO PUBLIC SAFETY. BY THE BUDGET, BY WAY OF THE BUDGET. JUNE OF LAST YEAR, MY ORGANIZATION RECEIVED A GRANT TO PILOT THE CREDIBLE MESSENGERS PROGRAM. IT ALSO ALLOWS FOR A COMMUNITY VIOLENCE INTERRUPTION PROGRAM AS WELL. IT'S GOING EXTREMELY WELL. AND I'M EAGER TO SHARE A FULL UPDATE TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE BECAUSE YOU ALL ARE SO BUSY. I KEEP GETTING BUMPED OFF THE AGENDA, BUT I KNOW IT'S GONNA HAPPEN SOON. AND I'M EXCITED TO SHARE THE BRIGHT SPOT THAT IS THIS PROGRAM. THERE ARE LOCAL AND EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES HERE. THE MAGIC IS HERE IN HOUSTON. THE PASSION IS HERE, AND WE NEED TO SEE MORE RESOURCES GO TOWARDS OUTTA SCHOOL. TIME TO SECOND CHANCE OPPORTUNITIES, CAREER COACHES WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE. I ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO TAKE A LOOK AT EVERY DECISION POINT AND FIND NEW WAYS TO BE STRATEGIC AND BOLD WHEN IT COMES TO THE BUDGET AND PUTTING RESOURCES BACK INTO THE COMMUNITY. LEVERAGE THE POWER OF COMMUNITY WHEN IT COMES TO TACKLING PUBLIC SAFETY. WE'RE HERE, WE'RE KNOWLEDGEABLE, AND WE WANNA WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH YOU ALL. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. THANK YOU MAYOR. I MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO ADD AVERY BEU, ROBERT MICHAELS AND STEVEN MIRANDA TO THE BOTTOM OF THE THREE MINUTE AGENDA LIST. MAIDEN SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES BILL KELLY TO BE FOLLOWED BY GRACIE ISRAEL. YES, SIR. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. GOOD TO SEE YOU. UH, MY NAME IS BILL KELLY. I'M A DISTRICT H RESIDENT, AND HERE TODAY ON BEHALF OF ENVIRONMENT TEXAS, UM, DOESN'T SURPRISE FOLKS. UH, THAT ENVIRONMENT, TEXAS REALLY CARES A LOT ABOUT OUR SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT, UH, AS WELL AS OUR HOUSTON PARKS DEPARTMENT. SO UP HERE, UH, FIRST WANTED TO REALLY THANK COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, AND ALL THOSE WHO WORKED EXTRAORDINARILY HARD ON OUR BUDGET HEARINGS. IT WAS VERY, VERY HELPFUL TO BE ABLE TO GO THROUGH, UM, AND, AND BE ABLE TO, UH, HIGHLIGHT DIFFERENT NUMBERS, UH, WITHIN EACH OF THOSE. HOWEVER, FOR BOTH THE SOLID WASTE AND FOR OUR PARKS DEPARTMENT, THERE WERE, UH, ONE NUMBER IN EACH DEPARTMENT THAT I REALLY HOPE YOU CONSIDER SOME OF THE AMENDMENTS THAT YOUR COLLEAGUES HAVE OFFERED TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS. FIRST OF ALL, IN THE SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT, THE, AND I SAW, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ LOOK UP, UH, THE GOAL, UH, AS STATED FOR FY 26 FOR COLLECTION RATES IS 18%. TO PUT THAT IN CONTEXT, THE NATIONAL AVERAGE IS 34.7. LAST YEAR IT WAS 16. WE'RE WE'RE FALLING BEHIND. UH, I KNOW WE OFTEN TALK ABOUT KICKING THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD. IF WE DON'T INCREASE OUR RECYCLABLE DIVERSIONS, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE ANOTHER LANDFILL THAT IS NOT IN THE INTEREST OF HOUSTONIANS, THAT IS GONNA COST FOLKS A LOT OF MONEY. SO OUT OF ALL THE AMENDMENTS HERE, FRANKLY, COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ IS 14.02, IS PROBABLY MY FAVORITE ONE. IT'S A PAY AS YOU THROW PROGRAM THAT WAS TAKEN FROM THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. AND I'LL REMIND FOLKS, UH, OF COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER, UH, YOUR, UH, COLLEAGUE DAVE MARTIN LOVES THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO BECAUSE OF WHAT THEY DID FOR KINGWOOD POST HARVEY ON BEING ABLE TO COLLECT HEAVY TRASH. SO JUST A SHOUT OUT FOR THAT AMENDMENT. THE ONLY THING I MIGHT OFFER ON THAT COUNCIL MEMBER IS TO ENUMERATE RECYCLING AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS. THAT WOULD HELP. YOU'VE GOT A NUMBER OF THINGS LISTED WITHIN THAT AMENDMENT. THAT'S THE ONLY THING I LOVE. THE OTHER ONES TOO, ABOUT REASSESSING THAT $28 FEE FOR NEW DEVELOPMENTS, UH, AS WELL AS THE, UH, UM, UH, CREATION OF THE ON-DEMAND HEAVY TRASH. I THINK THAT WOULD WORK EXTREMELY WELL. AND THEN WANTED TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO COUNCIL MEMBER PECK FOR HER GREAT AMENDMENT ABOUT REAL TIME, UH, WAITING TIMES FOR OUR, UH, UH, DROP OFF FACILITIES. I THINK THAT MAKES COMMON SENSE AND, AND REALLY WOULD HELP OUT, UH, A NUMBER OF FOLKS. SO THOSE ARE FOUR, UH, SPECIFICALLY ON SOLID WASTE THAT ARE, UH, CONTAINED WITHIN THE WRITTEN INFORMATION THAT CIRCULATED. UH, NEXT DEPARTMENT WE WANNA TALK ABOUT WAS PARKS. UH, AND I KNOW WHEN WE STARTED OFF THAT HEARING COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN HAD, UH, A LOT OF CONCERNS ABOUT MOWING. THAT'S WHY WE'RE PROUD TO SUPPORT HER AMENDMENT AS WELL AS THAT OF COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER ABOUT BEING ABLE TO, UH, LOOK AT WHAT WE'RE [01:10:01] DOING AS FAR AS COORDINATION, UH, BETWEEN PUBLIC WORKS AND ESPLANADES AND PARKS ON OVERALL MAINTENANCE. UH, LOVE TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AND SEE IF, UH, THE CONSOLIDATION OF SOME OF THOSE SERVICES, WHAT WE COULD DO WITH NEW PURCHASING ON ELECTRIC LAWN AND EQUIPMENT. ONCE, UH, THEY COME BACK WITH THAT REPORT WITHIN 90 DAYS PER YOUR AMENDMENT COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN AND COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER, YOUR, YOUR AMENDMENT WAS TERRIFIC BECAUSE WE REALIZE THINGS DON'T GET DONE UNLESS YOU PUT RESOURCES TOWARD IT. YOURS PUT RESOURCES TOWARD IT, BUT DOES NOT RAISE TAXES AT ALL BY BEING ABLE TO HAVE THAT SHIFT FROM THE T FUNDING. SO VERY, VERY PROUD TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THAT, UH, AS WELL AS THE LAST TWO. ANOTHER ONE FROM COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ ON VOLUNTEER WORK WITH OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZATION ON GATE GATE CLOSURES. AND THEN FINALLY, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO'S AMENDMENT ON BEING ABLE TO COORDINATE WITH OUR COUNTY FRIENDS AND BEING ABLE TO LOOK AT ANY RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE. UH, THE NUMBER THAT I, I THINK IS MOST CONCERNING FOR FOLKS ABOUT PARKS, JUST LIKE THAT RECYCLING DIVERSION IS FOR SOLID WASTE IS THE MOWING SCHEDULE. UH, AND I THINK THAT'S REFLECTED IN THE NUMBER OF AMENDMENTS THAT WERE OFFERED. SO HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. COUNCILOR KAMAN. THANK YOU, BILL. UH, I WANTED TO THANK YOU AND ENVIRONMENT TEXAS, UH, FOR LEADING ON SO MANY CRITICAL ISSUES RIGHT NOW. UH, I KNOW, I THINK YOU JUST TOUCHED ON IT, BUT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE LIFT IT UP. UH, WHILE IT'S NOT IN THIS SPECIFIC BUDGET, CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN OUR PARKS DEPARTMENT WHEN IT COMES TO MOWING IN ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY WAYS THAT COULD ALSO END UP WITH COST SAVINGS FOR US? I KNOW IT'S A BIG ISSUE FOR THIS COUNCIL, UH, AND FOR MAYOR WHEN WE WERE, UH, IN 20, UH, EARLY 2020, UM, WHEN WE WERE AT A, UH, PROTEST ABOUT A CONCRETE BATCH PLANT THAT WAS IN A NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE AMOUNT OF PARTICULATE MATTER THAT THAT CONCRETE BATCH PLANT WOULD WOULD'VE DONE RIGHT IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. FOLKS MAY NOT REALIZE HOW MUCH PARTICULATE MATTER IS PUT OUT BY GAS POWERED LAWN EQUIPMENT. IT'S INCREDIBLE. UH, BEING ABLE TO LOOK AT VERY USER-FRIENDLY COST COMPETITIVE ELECTRIC OPTIONS, I THINK IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT. I KNOW THAT'S, UH, HOPEFULLY A TOPIC OF DISCUSSION IF COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN'S AMENDMENT PASSES THAT WE CAN LOOK AT. UM, AND, AND FRANKLY, WHEN YOU WALK INTO A HOME DEPOT, THAT'S THE FIRST THING YOU SEE IS A BUNCH OF ELECTRIC LAWN EQUIPMENT. 'CAUSE THAT'S WHERE THE MARKET'S MOVING TO. SO BEING ABLE TO LOOK AT PROCUREMENT GOING FORWARD, I THINK MAKES A LOT OF SENSE. WELL, I WOULD CERTAINLY SUPPORT THAT, AND THANK YOU FOR BRINGING UP ABOUT THE NEED, CRITICAL NEED OF WASTE DIVERSION. UH, SPECIFICALLY RECYCLING. WE HAVE LAUNCHED THE MULTI-FAMILY RECYCLING PILOT, BUT I DO WANNA SEE US MOVING, FOLLOWING THIS PILOT TO A MULTI-FAMILY RECYCLING ORDINANCE WHERE RIGHT NOW HALF OF HOUSTONIANS DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO RECYCLING. AND AS YOU SAID, OUR LANDFILLS, UH, I JUST SPOKE TO SOMEONE IN, UH, OUR, THE WASTE INDUSTRY SEVEN TO 10 YEARS, WE'RE COMING UP ON THE LIFESPAN END OF LIFE FOR ONE OF OUR LANDFILLS AS WE SPEAK. THAT IS A LOT OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS THAT WILL HAVE TO GO INTO A NEW LANDFILL. AND, AND COUNCIL MEMBER, TO YOUR POINT, GETTING MULTIFAMILY AS AN OPTION FOR, UH, BEING ABLE TO RECYCLE THAT WAY. THE ONUS ISN'T ON JUST HOMEOWNERS TO PAY THE FEE TO DO THE RECYCLABLE DIVERSION. MULTIFAMILY SHOULD DO IT TOO. I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S JUST A KIND OF AN OVERALL EQUITY DEAL. YOU GOT IT. THANK YOU, BILL. YOU GOT IT. THANK YOU. MAYOR GRACIE IS ISRAEL. GOOD AFTERNOON COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS GRACIE ISRAEL AND I'M WITH TEXAS RISING. I'M A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT 38 AND LIVE IN UPTOWN BY THE GALLERIA. I'M HERE TODAY TO ADDRESS THE CITY BUDGET BECAUSE I'M SICK OF WATCHING THIS CITY POUR MONEY AND TO POLICING WHILE IGNORING THE REAL ISSUES OUR COMMUNITY SPACE. I WANT TO ADDRESS DIFFERENT PROGRAMS OUR COMMUNITY'S ASKING FOR AND ADDRESS HOW IRRESPONSIBLE THIS BUDGET IS. RIGHT BEFORE HURRICANE SEASON, JUST WEEKS BEFORE HURRICANE SEASON, YOU ALL JUST APPROVED A $832 MILLION CONTRACT WITH HPD. KNOWING THIS CITY RA HAS A $200 MILLION DEFICIT, THAT'S A SLAP IN THE FACE. SAY EVERY HOUSTONIAN STRUGGLING TO MAKE ENDS MEET, WAITING ON BASIC CITY SERVICES, TRYING TO STAY AFLOAT SOMETIMES, LITERALLY. AND WHERE WILL THIS MONEY COMING FROM? COME FROM? WILL YOU RAISE OUR TAXES, OUR WATER AND SEWAGE FEES? DURING HURRICANE BARREL, MY APARTMENT CEILING HAD A TERRIBLE LEAK. MY LIVING ROOM FLOODED. THERE WEREN'T ENOUGH WORKERS TO RESPOND, SO I WAITED OVER TWO WEEKS FOR REPAIRS, MAINTENANCE REQUESTS PILED UP ACROSS THE CITY. AND BY THE TIME SOMEONE GOT TO MY APARTMENT, BLACK MOLD HAD ALREADY SPREAD. I GOT MOLD POISONING AND HAD TO MOVE OUT ENTIRELY. THAT'S JUST ONE OF THE THOUSANDS OF HARDSHIPS HOUSTONIANS FACED AFTER BARREL. MY STORY IS SMALL COMPARED TO WHAT SO MANY OTHERS WENT THROUGH, BUT IT'S A DIRECT RESULT OF A CITY THAT FAILS TO INVEST AND CARE. AND IT'S [01:15:01] THAT FAILURE I CARRY WITH ME INTO THIS NEXT HURRICANE SEASON. SO I WANT YOU GUYS TO STOP FUNDING POLICE INVEST IN WHAT ACTUALLY KEEPS PEOPLE HEALTHY AND SAFE. SAFETY ISN'T POLICE ON EVERY CORNER. IT'S FUNCTIONING DRAINAGE, MODERN INFRASTRUCTURE, ELECTRICITY THAT STAYS ON HOMES THAT DON'T FLOOD. IT IS A CITY THAT PLANS AHEAD INSTEAD OF SCRAMBLING AFTER THE FACT. PEOPLE IN THE CITY AREN'T JUST ASKING FOR SAFER INFRASTRUCTURE TO PREPARE FOR HURRICANE SEASON. THEY'RE ASKING FOR AFFORDABLE CLINICS, YOUTH PROGRAMS, AFFORDABLE MENTAL HEALTHCARE, FLOOD PROTECTION, AND RELIABLE TRANSIT. THESE ARE LIFESAVING SERVICES. INSTEAD, WE GET MORE HELICOPTERS IN THE SKY AND MORE HARASSMENT ON THE STREET. LET'S CALL THIS WHAT IT REALLY IS. NOT PUBLIC SAFETY, BUT A POWER GRAB AND A FAILURE OF PRIORITIES. YOU'RE CHOOSING TO FUND BLOATED SALARIES AND EXPANDING SURVEILLANCE SET OF PROGRAMS THAT ACTUALLY KEEP US SAFE. ISN'T JUST BAD BUDGETING. IT'S DANGEROUS 'CAUSE SAFETY ISN'T MORE COPS WITH HIGHER SALARIES. SAFETY IS STABLE HOUSING, CLEAN WATER, HEALTHCARE YOU CAN'T AFFORD. SAFETY MEANS HAVING A CITY THAT PRIORITIZE THE NEEDS OF ITS PEOPLE. WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR POLICE MORE POLICE ENGAGEMENT OR NEW COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS. WE'RE SAYING NO MORE MONEY TO HPD. PERIOD. CAN I FINISH? I CAN FINISH. THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU. ARE ARE YOU FINISHED? I HAVE A COUPLE MORE SENTENCES IF THAT'S OKAY. GO AHEAD. SURE. OKAY. THEIR VIOLENCE THERE, MEANING HPD ISN'T DECREASING. IT'S GETTING WORSE. CIVILIAN SHOOTINGS BY HPD MORE THAN DOUBLED IN TWO YEARS FROM 65 AND 2021 TO 1 57, 20 23, WHERE OTHER CITY DEPARTMENT COULD FAIL THIS BADLY AND STILL GET A RAISE. YOU WERE ELECTED TO SERVE THE PEOPLE. SO PLEASE STOP GIVING INTO POLICE PRESSURE AND START LISTENING TO THE COMMUNITIES THAT PUT YOU IN THOSE SEATS. IF YOU KEEP INVESTING IN PUNISHMENT AND POLICING INSTEAD OF PROTECTION, YOU ARE FAILING HOUSTON, YOU'RE FAILING US. WE ARE NOT DISPOSABLE. THANK YOU GUYS. NEXT, LAYLA KALI TO BE FOLLOWED BY KAVANAUGH IN WEEZY. HELLO, MY NAME IS LAYLA AND I'M A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT A. I WANNA START BY SAYING THAT I'M REALLY DISAPPOINTED IN HOW THIS BUDGET PROCESS HAS UNFOLDED AND IN HOW THIS BODY IS TREATING THE PEOPLE WHO'VE DONE THE WORK TO ST TO STUDY THE BUDGET AND SHOW UP TO ENGAGE. IT HASN'T BEEN TRANSPARENT, IT HASN'T BEEN ACCESSIBLE, AND IT FEELS LIKE WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE GRATEFUL FOR THE BARE MINIMUM EFFORT TO INCLUDE US. BUT YOU SHOULD BE GRATEFUL THAT WE'RE HERE AND ORGANIZED AND FIGHTING FOR THE CITY THAT WE DESERVE. REMEMBER THAT YOU WORK FOR US. SO I'M URGING YOU DO NOT VOTE FOR THIS BUDGET TOMORROW. NOT BECAUSE IT'S IMPERFECT, BUT BECAUSE IT'S HARMFUL. IT CUTS MILLIONS FROM CRITICAL SERVICES AT A TIME WHEN PEOPLE ARE STRUGGLING TO MAKE ENDS MEET. AND HURRICANE SEASON IS NOW UPON US. DESPITE WHAT THE HEAD OF FEMA THINKS, THE MAYOR CLAIMS THIS BUDGET IS ABOUT EFFICIENCY AND WON'T HURT, WON'T HURT CITY SERVICES. IN REALITY, IT FORCES FRONTLINE DEPARTMENTS TO OPERATE WITH FEWER PEOPLE AND FEWER RESOURCES. A HIRING FREEZE. AND EARLY RETIREMENTS MEAN FEWER WORKERS TO REPAIR ROADS, MAINTAIN DRAINAGE, KEEP LIBRARIES AND PARKS OPEN, OR PROVIDE TRANSIT, HOUSING AND HEALTH SERVICES. BRANCHES WILL CLOSE, POOLS WON'T OPEN, FLOOD RISK WILL RISE. VULNERABLE RESIDENTS WILL BE LEFT WITHOUT RESOURCES. AND THESE AREN'T LUXURIES. THEY ARE ESSENTIAL CITY SERVICES. GUTTING THEM DOESN'T MAKE THE CITY LEANER, IT MAKES IT WEAKER. AND YET, EVEN WHILE ESSENTIAL SERVICES ARE BEING SLASHED, POLICE SPENDING IS INCREASING. DESPITE NO EVIDENCE THAT MORE POLICING MAKES US SAFER. REAL SAFETY COMES FROM STABLE HOUSING, WORKING INFRASTRUCTURE, ACCESSIBLE HEALTHCARE, WHILE STAFFED LIBRARIES, MAINTAINED PARKS AND SUPPORT FOR THE ARTS AND CULTURE THAT BRING OUR COMMUNITIES TOGETHER. IF YOU VOTE FOR THIS BUDGET, YOU'RE NOT JUST GETTING YOUR PRIORITIES WRONG, YOU'RE HELPING DISMANTLE THE FOUNDATION OF A LIV, A LIVABLE AND VIBRANT CITY. THIS ISN'T JUST BAD POLICY, IT'S UNDEMOCRATIC. I'M REPEATING WHAT'S BEEN SAID BEFORE BECAUSE IT BEARS REPEATING. THE CITY HAS BEEN LEGALLY DIVERTING DRAINAGE FUNDS FOR OVER A DECADE, IGNORING TWO CITYWIDE VOTES AND A TEXAS SUPREME COURT RULING MANDATING COMPLIANCE, THE BUDGET SHORTCHANGES DRAINAGE BY $93 MILLION, RELYING INSTEAD ON A CLOSED DOOR DEAL THAT LEAVES ALL HOUSTONIANS MORE VULNERABLE TO FLOODING AND DEFIES THE WILL OF THE VOTERS. THIS IS NOT JUST A BUDGETING ISSUE, IT IS A BETRAYAL. ALL THIS IS HAPPENING UNDER AN INSCRIPTION IN THIS VERY ROOM THAT READS, THE PEOPLE ARE THE CITY. [01:20:01] SO WHY ARE THE PEOPLE BEING SIDELINED? WHY ARE PUBLIC SERVICES PUBLIC WORKERS BEING PUSHED OUT? SERVICES CUT AND DEMOCRATIC MANDATES IGNORED? IF YOU APPROVE THIS BUDGET, YOU ARE TELLING EVERY CITY WORKER IN HOUSTON THAT THEY DO NOT MATTER. YOU'RE TELLING EVERY FAMILY WHO RELIES ON PUBLICLY FUNDED SERVICES, THAT THEY'RE ON THEIR OWN. YOU'RE TELLING FUTURE GENERATIONS THAT THE CITY THEY INHERIT WILL BE LESS PREPARED, LESS EQUITABLE, AND LESS VIBRANT BECAUSE YOU CHOSE AUSTERITY AND POLICING OVER CARING COMMUNITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. WE NEED YOU TO STAND UP FOR US AND DO WHAT IS RIGHT FOR THE WORKERS WHO POWER THE CITY, FOR THE FAMILIES WHO CALL IT HOME AND FOR OUR FUTURE, WHERE SAFETY IS NOT JUST A SLOGAN, BUT A LIVED REALITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. NEXT SPEAKER, KAVANAUGH N WEEZY, KAVANAUGH, AND WEEZY TO BE FOLLOWED BY AIDEN PEREZ. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS KAVANAUGH WEE. I, I AM A CITIZEN OF DISTRICT D. AND WHILE I WAS THINKING ABOUT HOW TO COME AND SPEAK TO YOU ALL ABOUT HOW TO SAY NO ABOUT THE BUDGET, A PARTICULAR SONG KEPT PLAYING IN MY HEAD AND I'M A BIG PRINCE FAN. AND THEN I WAS LIKE, UM, IT'S A SONG HE HAS CALLED ILLUSION, UH, EXCUSE ME. UH, EXCUSE ME. IT'S CALLED ILLUSION, COMA, PIMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE. AND AS I LISTENED TO IT, I STARTED TO FEEL IT. IT'S ABOUT THE SONG AND THE BAD RELATIONSHIP. AND I FEEL THAT THIS BUDGET IS FORCING THE CITY, THE CITIZENS OF MY, OF THIS DISTRICT, OF THIS CITY INTO A RELATIONSHIP WITH A BAD BUDGET. IT'S PLAN IS SIMPLY UGLY. AND I KNOW YOU ALL ARE VERY CAPABLE HUMAN BEINGS AND AND ARE VOTED AND ARE HERE TO REPRESENT US. AND YOU KNOW THAT WE NEED MORE THAN JUST POLICE, MORE POLICE IN OUR COMMUNITIES. UM, UM, AS A, AS A CITIZEN OF YOUR UH, DISTRICT, I ASK YOU AND I IMPLORE YOU TO VOTE, TO USE YOUR VOICE TO SAY NO TO THIS BUDGET. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD, I ADMIT, I ADMIRE YOUR WORK AND WHAT YOU'VE DONE ON THE THIS AND THAT STRIP AND YOUR WORK IS A TESTIMONY TO SHOW THAT WE NEED MORE THAN JUST POLICE, MORE POLICE PRESENCE IN THESE COMMUNITIES AND ALL. AND I'M PRETTY SURE ALL OF YOU UNDERSTAND THIS AND NUMEROUS OF OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS HAVE CAME AND TO REPEAT THE SAME THING. SO PLEASE SHOW ME THAT THIS, UH, CIRCUMSTANCE, OR AT LEAST THIS PRESENTATION IN THIS FORM, IS NOT JUST AN ILLUSION THAT YOU ARE HERE TO ACTUALLY LISTEN TO US AND SAY NO TO THIS BUDGET. I APPRECIATE YOU REPRESENTING US AND VOICING OUR, UH, OPINION OR TAKING OUR OPINIONS INTO CONSIDERATION IN THIS MATTER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. NEXT SPEAKER, AIDEN PEREZ. HI, CITY COUNCIL. UM, MY NAME IS AIDEN PEREZ. UM, I'M NOT COMING ON BEHALF OF NO ORGANIZATION. UM, I AM 19 YEARS OLD. I SPECIFICALLY AM TRYING TO COME TALK FOR THE YOUTH. UM, OBVIOUSLY THAT IS NOT IN THE CITY HALL AT ALL. UM, I AM VERY UPSET AS A 19-YEAR-OLD. I HAVE JOAN OVER AN HOUR JUST TO COME AND TRANSFER MY FRUSTRATION TO Y'ALL. UM, IT'S HARD NOT TO BE UPSET AND EMOTIONAL ABOUT THE BUDGET CUT GOING TO THE POLICE WHEN I KNOW ALL THE MONEY COULD GO TO MULTIPLE DIFFERENT THINGS. PUBLIC EDUCATION. THERE'S NO ART CENTERS THAT ARE PUBLIC TO US. AND ON QUEER MONTH, I DON'T KNOW IF THE CITY MAYOR IS HERE, BUT HE HAD RECENTLY POSTED A, UM, PRIDE MONTH CELEBRATION POST. AND I JUST WANNA CALL THAT PERFORMATIVE ACTIVISM. WHY IS THERE NO MONEY GOING TO ART CENTERS THAT LIBERATE THE THE QUEER YOUTH? ME, I'M A DANCER. THAT HAS BEEN MY FIRST LOVE. I HAVE GONE INTO MUSIC WRITING, TO MUSIC PRODUCING AND DJING. THERE IS NO ART CENTERS THAT CAN NURTURE US AND SAID, YOU ARE SCARING US AWAY FOR BEING NURTURED IN THE CITY. YOU ARE GIVING MONEY TO THE POLICE WHO HAVE SPECIFICALLY VIOLATED OUR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS HISTORICALLY FOR THE PAST GENERATIONS TO COME, SPECIFICALLY QUEER AND PEOPLE OF COLOR, YOU ARE SCARING THE YOUTH AWAY FROM GROWING. YOU ARE NOT LISTENING, PLEASE. I'M SPEAKING BEYOND THE YOUTH. THIS IS NOT A POLITICAL ISSUE. THIS IS A HUMAN RIGHT ISSUE. THIS IS A HUMAN RIGHT ISSUE. IT'S NOT ABOUT BEING A DEMOCRAT OR REPUBLICAN. TAKE THE EGO OUT OF THINGS. LEAD WITH YOUR HEARTS. IF A 19-YEAR-OLD HAS TO COME WITH A TABLE FULL OF 40 TO 60 YEAR OLDS TO TELL THEM HOW TO LEAD THE CITY, YOU ARE BASICALLY, YOU ARE DESTRUCTING OUR FOUNDATION. YOU ARE NOT NURTURING THE YOUTH OR THE ARTISTRY THAT HAS BEEN PIONEERED IN HOUSTON, LIKE CHOPPED AND SCREWED MUSIC HAS BEEN HERE. WE HAVE CURATED SUCH ICONS SUCH AS BEYONCE. WE HAVE THIS BECAUSE WE HAVE LIBERATION IN THE CITY, BUT Y'ALL ARE TAKING AWAY FROM IT. IF Y'ALL SEE ANY YOUTH, IF Y'ALL SEE ANY NEPHEWS, NIECES IN ME [01:25:01] THAT Y'ALL CAN RELATE, RELATE TO, PLEASE LISTEN TO US. INSTEAD, Y'ALL ARE GIVING THE MONEY TOWARDS METRO SYSTEMS WITHIN DOWNTOWN. WHY IS THERE HUNDREDS OF METRO BUSES IN DOWNTOWN? BUT THERE'S NO METRO BUSES TO GET YOU FROM, UM, LET'S SAY CONROE TO HOUSTON TO SUGAR LAND FROM HOUSTON TO MISSOURI TO HOUSTON. WHY THERE'S NO PUBLIC TRANSPORTING. BUT YET Y'ALL WANNA PUT ALL THE PUBLIC TRANSPORTING IN DOWNTOWN WHERE ALL THE FINANCIAL DISTRICTS ARE AND RIVER OAKS AND POST OAK. Y'ALL WANNA DO THAT THOUGH. AND THEN THERE'S Y IS SO DISHEARTENING. AS A 19-YEAR-OLD, Y'ALL SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELF ASHAMED. IF I HAVE TO COME AND DRIVE AN HOUR JUST TO TALK TO PEOPLE WHO ARE DOUBLE TIMES, THREE TIMES AS OLD AS ME. Y'ALL ARE UN UN AS UNEDUCATED AS US. Y'ALL HAVE REALIZED Y'ALL ARE SCARED, ARE TALKING ABOUT THE YOUTH AND THE ANTI-INTELLECTUALISM LEVELS IN THE YOUTH. MAY I PLEASE FINISH? MAY I PLEASE FINISH? GO AHEAD AND WRAP IT UP. Y'ALL ARE TALKING ABOUT THE ANTI-INTELLECTUALISM AND THE YOUTH. IT'S BECAUSE THE PEOPLE THAT ARE RUNNING THE YOUTH IS AS DUMB AS THE YOUTH. Y'ALL ARE AS DUMB AS US. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENT. Y'ALL CANNOT NOT LEAD WHEN Y'ALL DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT Y'ALL ARE DOING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENT. NEXT SPEAKER, REBECCA SALE. REBECCA SALE TO BE FOLLOWED BY SELENA HARBOR. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME'S REBECCA SELL. BECKY SELL. I WORK AT WEST STREET RECOVERY AND ORGANIZED WITH THE NORTHEAST ACTION COLLECTIVE. I'VE SEEN Y'ALL OVER THE LAST EIGHT YEARS AS WE'VE BEEN HERE TO TALK ABOUT EXACTLY THE SAME THING. AND EVERY YEAR WE'RE PROMISED THAT Y'ALL ARE GONNA MAKE THIS PROCESS MORE TRANSPARENT. YOU'RE GONNA WORK WITH US, YOU'RE GONNA IMPROVE CITY SERVICES, ET CETERA, ET CETERA. AND YET HERE WE ARE AGAIN AND WE'RE ASKING Y'ALL TO, TO SHOW YOUR TRUE COLORS. SHOW US IF YOU ACTUALLY MEAN THAT OR NOT BY YOUR VOTE TOMORROW. OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, WE'VE HAD SOME WINS FOR DRAINAGE. THESE ARE TINY WINDS COMPARED TO WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE MONEY THAT'S BEEN SPENT IN THE WRONG PLACES. FARTHER ALL THOSE CHANGES AND SMALL VICTORIES WE'VE HAD HAVE BEEN DESTROYED THIS YEAR. Y'ALL KNOW ABOUT THE VOLUNTARY RETIREMENT EARLY RETIREMENT PROGRAM AND HIRING FREEZE. AND THAT IS BEING SOLD AS SAVING MONEY IN THE BUDGET, RIGHT? THAT MEANS NONE OF THOSE PEOPLE ARE GONNA BE REHIRED. HOW CAN YOU SAVE MONEY IF YOU'RE GONNA HIRE THEM AGAIN? SO PUBLIC WORK WAS HIT THE HIGHEST CAN. CAN YOU RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU THINK OUR TRACK SERVICE IS, IS GOOD, IS WHERE IT SHOULD BE? CAN YOU RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU THINK OUR DRAINAGE IS ADEQUATE? CAN YOU RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU THINK WE DON'T HAVE TOO MANY WATER LEAKS? CAN YOU RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU THINK OUR RESPONSE TO DISASTERS AND GETTING TREES OFF OF PEOPLE'S HOUSES IS ADEQUATE? GUYS, THAT'S WHAT PUBLIC WORKS DOES. OKAY. HOW ARE YOU NOT GONNA PUT MORE MONEY THERE? DO YOU KNOW? IT ALSO TAKES PEOPLE TO DO THAT WORK. HEY, Y'ALL THAT ARE ON YOUR PHONES. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING LIKE REAL SERIOUS RIGHT NOW. IF YOU CARE ABOUT THIS AT ALL, CAN YOU PUT IT DOWN AND LOOK, YOU DON'T RESPOND TO OUR EMAILS WITH REAL ANSWERS. YOU DON'T RESPOND TO US HERE WITH REAL ANSWERS. YOU JUST KEEP SAYING, WE'RE SMARTER THAN YOU. WE'RE GONNA FIGURE IT OUT. YOU DIDN'T FIGURE IT OUT. THAT'S WHY WE'RE ALL STILL HERE. I'M GONNA READ A A QUOTE. THE COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD, PUT OUT THE MAYOR IS PROMISING EFFICIENCY AND THAT NO SERVICES WILL BE COMPROMISED. BUT I, ALONG WITH OTHERS IN MY COMMUNITY AND MULTIPLE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS DON'T BELIEVE THAT. DOES ANYONE HERE AGREE WITH COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD? TIFFANY THOMAS? I THINK YOU AGREE. YOU SAID SIMILAR THINGS. SHE'S NOT HERE. SORRY, . OKAY. WE'RE ASKING Y'ALL TO VOTE NO TOMORROW UNLESS THERE'VE BEEN CHANGES TO THE BUDGET THAT ARE GONNA MAKE OUR CITY ACTUALLY HELP THE PEOPLE. IF YOU VOTE YES, IT SHOWS WHERE YOU STAND OR Y'ALL NEED TO BREAK IT DOWN. 'CAUSE APPARENTLY THE ANSWER IS THAT WE'RE JUST TOO DUMB TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S HAPPENING. NEED TO BREAK IT DOWN FOR US, HOW THE CURRENT CITY BUDGET AND EVERYTHING MOVING IS ACTUALLY GONNA MAKE THINGS HAPPEN. ARE YOU FINISHED? THANK YOU. UH, WHILE I'M UP HERE, CAN WE HAVE, UH, ASKED FOR MACKENZIE TATE TO BE MOVED UP IN THE SPEAKER? SHE'S A 12-YEAR-OLD WITH US, UM, BEHIND JUDITH. HANG ON ONE SECOND. COUNCIL MEMBER KAMATH? NO, I I I'M HAPPY TO MAKE THE MOTION TO MOVE MACKENZIE TATE TO YOU SAID MACKENZIE [01:30:01] TATE? YES. TO FOLLOW THE NEXT SPEAKER. UH, AND I, WE'VE HEARD FROM A FEW SPEAKERS THAT I'M NOT SURE WHO IS SAYING THIS, THAT THE SPEAKERS ARE NOT EITHER INTELLIGENT ENOUGH OR I THINK THE WORD YOU USED WAS DUMB AND DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT'S HAPPENING. I CERTAINLY DO NOT BELIEVE THAT, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT I KNOW WHERE THAT IMPRESSION WAS GIVEN, UH, PREVIOUSLY. SO AGAIN, I, I THINK I SPEAK FOR THE MAJORITY, IF NOT ALL OF COUNSEL IN THOSE SITTING HERE, THAT THAT IS NOT BY ANY MEANS WHAT WE VIEW OR PERCEIVE OF OUR PUBLIC SPEAKERS THAT HAVE BEEN HERE AND THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN PARTICIPATING DAY IN AND DAY OUT WITH THE BUDGET. I THINK, I THINK IT'S OUR OPTIMISTIC READ OF WHAT'S HAPPENING. AND Y'ALL MIGHT NOT USE THE WORDS, YOU ARE DUMB, BUT WE COME UP HERE, SAY THINGS THAT MAKE TOTAL SENSE. YOU NOD ALONG AND THEN EITHER YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT PEOPLE, SO YOU'RE FINE WITH ALL THESE SERVICES BEING CUT, OR YOU THINK THERE'S LIKE SOME SMARTER PLAN AND SOME OTHER THEORY HERE ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON. SO IT'S, WE COME, WE ASK REALLY GOOD QUESTIONS AND WE DON'T, WE DON'T GET GOOD ANSWERS. AND THEN THINGS DON'T CHANGE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. COUNCIL MEMBER G. YOU MADE YOUR MOTION. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. IT'S BEEN MOVED IN SECOND. ANY, UH, DISCUSSION IF NO DISCUSSION? ITEM PASSES. NEXT SPEAKER. SELENA HARBOR. SELENA HARBOR. HELLO, MS. HARBOR. HELLO. HOW YOU DOING? UM, HELLO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND MAYOR TIP PRO TEMP. UM, MY NAME IS SELENA HAR FROM, I'M A COMMUNITY OUTREACH COORDINATOR FOR PW IN GREATER HOUSTON AREA. I'M HERE TODAY TO SPEAK ABOUT THE BUDGET ON THE AGENDA. ITEM 37. UM, I'M A NATIVE HOUSTONIAN WHO LIVED IN, WHO LIVES IN DISTRICT B. I'M AWARE THAT THERE IS $832,000,832 MILLION CONTRACT WITH H WITH HPD FOR PUBLIC SAFETY. I UNDERSTAND THAT THE BUDGET IS THERE TO INCREASE HPD OFFICERS ON THE STREET AND INCREASE THEIR PAY, AND, BUT I BELIEVE THAT YOU SHOULD RECONSIDER ALLOCATING THESE FUNDS. I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT NOT PUTTING THE MONEY IN AREAS THAT NEED IT THE MOST, LIKE HOUSING, LIKE HIV, HOUSING, HOUSING, UM, HOMELESS HOUSING, UH, CITY HEALTH SERVICES, UM, MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES AND INFRASTRUCTURE. WHEN I MEAN INFRASTRUCTURE, I MEAN KEEPING THE ELECTRICITY ON FOR MILLIONS OF, OF HOUSTONIANS, INCLUDING THE EL ELDERLY AND THE DISABLED. ALSO TO FIXING THEIR HOMES OF, UH, FROM THE H FROM THE HURRICANES FROM THE LAST, UM, THREE HURRICANES FROM THE LAST NUMBER OF YEARS, UM, YEARS AGO. MY MOM'S HOME FLOODED OVER 10 YEARS AGO, AND YET MY FAMILY IS STILL WORKING ON GETTING HER HOME BACK TO NORMAL BECAUSE OF, UM, JUST LACK OF SERVICES AND, UM, STILL AND STILL IN THE PROCESS GETTING HER HER HOME NORMAL AGAIN. AND SHE'S ELDERLY. YOU KNOW, SHE'S ELDERLY AND, UH, SHE HAS MENTAL ISSUES. SHE HAS OTHER, YOU KNOW, JUST A LOT OF INTER INTERSECTIONAL THINGS GOING ON. OKAY? UM, AND SECOND OF ALL, OUR STREETS ARE CURRENTLY IN BAND OF REPAIR. AND I'M A PROUD HOUSTONIAN WHO LOVES HOUSTON. I BELIEVE IN THE SAFETY OF HOUSTON, YET I ALSO BELIEVE IN OUR WELLBEING AND OUR QUALITY OF LIFE AS A WHOLE. ALSO, INCREASING THE POLICIES, THE THIS, THIS BUDGET ONLY INCREASES HIGHER SURVEILLANCE OF BLACK AND BROWN INDIGENOUS PEOPLE OF COLOR, INCLUDING TRANS COMMUNITIES AND THE L-B-G-T-Q COMMUNITIES. NOW, IF YOU REALLY LOVE HOUSTON, LIKE I LOVE HOUSTON , I WOULD, UM, MAY YOU, YOU SHOULD CONSIDER THIS BUDGET RECONSIDER PIECE. CONSIDER. THANK YOU, MS. HARPER. I HAD A QUESTION FOR YOU. YES. UM, YOU SAID THAT YOUR MOM'S HOME WAS STILL IN DISREPAIR. DID SHE APPLY FOR THE HOME REPAIR PROGRAM THROUGH THE CITY OF HOUSTON? SHE DID. I HELPED HER APPLY FOR IT SEVERAL TIMES, AND THEY CAME IN AND FIXED, KIND OF FIXED IT HALFWAY. UM, SHE STILL HAVE HOLES IN HER, IN HER HOME TO WHERE, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE HAD TO FIX OURSELVES, PUT PLANKS WHERE HER, WHERE, WHERE THEY TOOK OUT THE, UM, HAVE HER HOME HALF THE WALLS AND THEY DIDN'T, THEY DIDN'T COME BACK TO REPAIR. SO YEAH, HER HOME IS STILL IN DISARRAY. WHO, SO, OKAY, LET, LET ME, LET ME FIND OUT WHICH ONE IS YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER AND WE CAN FOLLOW UP WITH YOU ON THAT. OKAY? YES. THANK YOU. THANK [01:35:01] YOU. ON WEST 34TH, NEXT SPEAKER MACKENZIE. TATE MACKENZIE TATE IS HIS DISTRICT DI THINK. HELLO AND GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR WHITMEYER AND ALL THE MEMBERS OF CITY SAY SOMETHING. HELLO? YEAH. TALK A LITTLE LOUDER. HELLO. YEAH. AND GOOD. A GOOD AFTERNOON. MAYOR WHITMER AND ALL THE MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS MACKENZIE J TATE. I'M A RESIDENT OF THE CITY GAS, TEXAS SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 49 50. I'M SO EXCITED TO, TO BE HERE TO ASK YOU NOLL TO THE NEW CITY'S BUDGET. MY PARK IS THE HOBAR TAYLOR, AND MY LOCAL COMMUNITY CENTER IS THE NORTHWEST SIDE, O-Y-M-C-A. PLEASE BELIEVE ME WHEN I TELL YOU I LOVE THOSE PARKS AND I NEED THE CITY'S BUDGET TO GO TOWARDS THE, THE CONTINUED SUPPORTING OUR POOLS. MAINTENANCE AND SERVICE, PLEASE. AT HOBAR TAYLOR, THERE IS A SWIMMING POOL THAT I'M DYING TO USE. THE BUDGET COULD HELP MAINTENANCE AND PUT IT BACK IN SERVICE. AND YES, MY, ME AND MY COMMUNITY LOVE TO SWIM EVERY DAY ON MY WAY TO SCHOOL, I PASS BY THE OLD YMCA ONTO WELL AND NORTHWEST SIDE. IAII SEE ALL MY NEIGHBORS WALKING AND ENJOYING THE TRAILS AND THE COMMUNITY CENTER. PLUS THEY HAVE A SWING POOL TO AS, AS WELL AS WE CAN'T USE EVEN USE. PLEASE CAN YOU USE THE CITY'S BUDGET TO BRING OUR POOLS SERVICE BACK TO MY COMMUNITY? MAYOR, I'M ACTUALLY BOLD ENOUGH TO COME DOWN HERE ON MY SUMMER BREAK TO ASK YOU TO PUT MY COMMUNITY POOLS BACK IN SERVICE THAT WILL REALLY MEAN YOU REALLY CARE ABOUT MY COMMUNITY AND ALL OUR MEMORIES THAT WE COULD BY HAVING OUR POOL PRIVILEGE BACK AGAIN. THANK YOU MAYOR FOR LISTENING TO ME, AND I'M AVAILABLE FOR MORE DIALOGUE ANYTIME. SIGN UP. MCKENZIE, JT. THANK YOU, MACKENZIE. WE DO HAVE A COUPLE OF COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS YOU. WE'LL START WITH COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN MCKENZIE, IS THIS YOUR FIRST TIME COMING TO COUNCIL? NO, IT'S MY SECOND. YOUR SECOND. WELL, YOU ARE DOING SUCH A BEAUTIFUL JOB. NOT ONLY ADVOCATING FOR YOURSELF, BUT, UH, YOUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY. WHAT POOL DID YOU SAY AGAIN WAS CLOSED RIGHT NOW? HOBAR TAYLOR. AND DO YOU THINK IT'S CLOSED ALL SUMMER? I KNOW THAT SOME OF THEM HAVE NOT OPENED YET, AND IF YOU DON'T KNOW, THAT'S OKAY. WE CAN LOOK INTO IT. OKAY. WAS IT OPENED LAST YEAR? I THINK SO. OKAY. WELL, WE'LL LOOK INTO IT, BUT AGAIN, I JUST WANTED TO SAY CONGRATULATIONS. ARE YOUR EITHER OF YOUR PARENTS HERE? YES, MY MOM. I KNOW YOUR MOM'S VERY PROUD. GOOD JOB MOM TOO. COUNT MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ. THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TEM. I'M JUST SO IMPRESSED AND, AND IT'S SO HEARTWARMING TO SEE YOU HERE. IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT PARENTS TEACH THEIR CHILDREN THAT THEY NEED TO BE INVOLVED IN THIS PROCESS. AND YOU HAVE DONE A FANTASTIC JOB. AND SO CERTAINLY FOR THANK YOU FOR GIVING UP YOUR SUMMER BREAK TO COME AND, AND GIVE US YOUR OPINION, WHICH IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT. AND THANK YOU FOR JUST BEING HERE. AND THIS IS YOUR SECOND TIME. MM-HMM . WELL, EVENTUALLY YOU MAY OCCUPY SOME OF THESE SEATS, AND SO CERTAINLY IN BEING A, IN A POSITION TO MAKE SOME OF THESE DECISIONS. THANK YOU. YOU ARE WELCOME. HAVE A FUN SUMMER. WE'RE GONNA LOOK UP AND SEE, UH, WHEN THAT POOL'S GONNA OPEN OR IF THERE'S A PROBLEM AT THE POOL. AND WE'LL LET YOU KNOW BEFORE YOU LEAVE. YES, MA'AM. OKAY. NEXT SPEAKER. JUDITH REVELS. JUDITH REBELS. HI, ARE YOU JUDITH? WE'RE READY TO HEAR FROM YOU. GO AHEAD. YOU CAN COME UP WITH HER. WHAT DO I DO? SAY YOU READ YOUR SPEECH. YOU READ IT LOUD, CLEARLY INTO THE MICROPHONE. SPEAKING, STARTING NOW. GOOD AFTERNOON, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS JUDITH REVO AND I LIVE IN EAST HOUSTON. I'M 10 [01:40:01] YEARS OLD, AND WHILE I MAY NOT UNDERSTAND EVERY PART OF THE CITY BUDGET, I DO KNOW WHEN SOMETHING ISN'T FAIR AND THIS BUDGET DOESN'T FEEL FAIR TO MY COMMUNITY. EAST HOUSTON FLOODS ALL THE TIME AND HAS NEVER GOTTEN THE SUPPORT IT NEEDS TO STAY SAFE FROM FLOODING, AND THIS BUDGET STILL DOESN'T FIX IT. RECENTLY I DID A BOOK REPORT ON ROSA PARKS. I LEARNED HOW BRAVE SHE WAS TO STAND UP FOR WHAT WAS RIGHT, EVEN WHEN IT WAS HARD OR UNPOPULAR. SHE DIDN'T LET FEAR STOP HER. TODAY I'M ASKING FOR YOU TO BE BRAVE LIKE ROSA PARKS TO STAND UP FOR WHAT'S RIGHT AND VOTE NO ON THIS CITY BUDGET. THIS BUDGET PUTS MORE MONEY INTO POLICING, BUT IT CUTS MONEY FROM THINGS PEOPLE REALLY NEED, LIKE PUBLIC WORKS, LIBRARIES AND PARKS. MY FRIENDS AND I WANT TO GROW UP ENJOYING HOUSTON SUMMERS, NOT WORRYING ABOUT IF THE HEAT WILL BE TOO DANGEROUS OR IF OUR STREETS WILL FLOOD AGAIN. WE NEED A BUDGET THAT PROTECTS OUR COMMUNITIES, NOT LEAVES THEM BEHIND. PLEASE BE BRAVE. SAY NO TO THIS BUDGET. SAY YES TO KIDS LIKE ME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER. SONNY MATA. SONNY MATA, SONNY. NEXT SPEAKER. BEN AKINOLA. BEN AKINOLA. HELLO, BEN. YOU CAN RAISE THAT MICROPHONE UP. THERE YOU GO. YES, HI TO YOU AS WELL. UM, IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE I'VE BEEN UP HERE TO SEE ALL OF YOU. UH, ONCE AGAIN, UH, MY NAME IS BEN. BEN AKINOLA. I'M THE FOUNDER OF 50 FATHERS MOVEMENT, CREDIBLE MESSENGER. USA. ONE OF THE THINGS WE WANTED TO COME TO AND TALK ABOUT AND JUST HIT A KEY ABOUT HIS AGENDA 37. AND YES, A LOT OF THE PEOPLE ARE SPEAKING THEIR HEARTS. UH, THE YOUNGSTER CAME UP HERE. I LIKED HOW HE DID THAT. THAT WAS ALL RIGHT. REMINDED ME OF WHEN WE WERE ADVOCATES BACK THEN AND WE HAD THAT PASSION LIKE THAT. BUT THE THING IS, WE, IS THAT MONEY GOING TO, AND WHERE IS IT COMING FROM? IF THEY'RE GONNA GIVE MONEY TO POLICE FOR WHAT THEY'RE ALREADY DOING AND THE INADEQUACIES OF WHAT THEY'RE ALREADY CAPABLE OF DOING, WHY NOT GIVE IT TO ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS OURS, 50 FATHERS MOVEMENT, CREDIBLE MESSENGERS, USA GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONS LIKE OURS THAT DEAL WITH THE MESS-UPS, THAT DEAL WITH THE CLEANUPS, THAT DEAL WITH THE AFTERMATHS. TODAY, I CAME IN HERE AND I WITNESSED A FAMILY UNITY PROCLAMATION. THAT WAS A MIRACLE THAT I PRAYED FOR BEFORE. BUT WE'RE GOING TO BE FUNDING THE SAME ORGANIZATIONS THAT DESTROY FAMILIES. MAKE THAT MAKE SENSE. SO IF WE'RE GONNA BE GIVEN MONEY, IF WE'RE GONNA BE ALLOCATING FUNDS, WHY NOT DO IT TO GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONS WHO ARE DOWN HERE ON THE FLOOR? WE HAVE TO GO INTO THE HOMES, WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE FAMILIES. I WAS HERE LAST BEFORE AND I WASN'T AS ORGANIZED BEFORE, BUT NOW I'M ALIGNED. AND WE'RE ALIGNED WITH ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS MOMS DEMANDS ACTION ORGANIZATIONS LIKE BLACK, UM, UM, BLACK, UH, ASSOCIATION ENFORCEMENT, BLACK LEAGUE ASSOCIATION ENFORCEMENT. UH, WE'RE ALSO ALIGNED WITH, UM, TEXAS FEDERATION OF THE PEOPLE. POP, UH, HOUSTON IN ACTION. UM, FORGOTTEN THIRD. THERE ARE SO MANY ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE'VE ALIGNED WITH BECAUSE WE KNOW POWER, VOTING POWER AND PEOPLE POWER. WE ARE THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT PUT COUNCIL MEMBERS IN SEATS. WE ARE THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT PUT JUDGES IN SEATS. PARTICIPATORY DEFENSE LED BY JOY DAVIS OF PEER JUSTICE. WE ARE THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT GO INTO THE COURTROOMS. WE ARE THE ONES THAT SIT THERE AND MAKE SURE AND ENSURE THAT EVERYONE HAS A FAIR CHANCE. WE'RE THE ONES THAT GO INTO THE HOMES AFTER THEY'VE BEEN ASSAULTED OR AFTER THEY'VE HAD POLICE VIOLENCE. WE ARE THE ONES WHO GET THE THE WORD. AND WE ARE THE ONES WHO ARE ON THE STREETS, BOOTS ON THE GROUND. WE ARE CONNECTED TO OVER 400 ORGANIZATIONS HERE IN OUR CITY. AND WE DO NOT GET FUNDING FROM OUR CITY. THIS IS 50 FATHERS MOVEMENT IN CREDIBLE MESSENGER. USA. WE DON'T GET FUNDING FROM THIS CITY. AND WE DO EVERYTHING WE CAN FOR OUR CITY WITH WHAT WE HAVE. SO WE ALIGN, WE BUILD, WE COALITION. I REMEMBER LAST TIME I WAS SPEAKING WITH YOU, BROTHER EDWARD, AND YOU A REAL ONE BECAUSE YOU WERE PART OF THIS. SO YOU'VE SEEN IT ALL HAPPEN. YOU'VE SEEN THE PROGRESS. LAST TIME I WAS HERE IN 2022, I TOLD YOU I NEEDED HELP WITH MY DAUGHTER BECAUSE I NEEDED TO GO SEE HER. AND I DIDN'T HAVE FATHER RIGHTS. THE DAY THAT I LEFT HERE IN 2022, ON FEBRUARY 14TH, WHICH WAS VALENTINE'S DAY, I WENT TO THE HOSPITAL TO SEE MY DAUGHTER. THAT WAS THE VERY LAST DAY THAT I SAW MY DAUGHTER. SHE PASSED AWAY ON THE 15TH. I NEVER CAME BACK HERE SINCE THE 2022 TO SPEAK AND TO SAY THAT THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED. 'CAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE MY FATHER RIGHTS. THEY DIDN'T WANT ME IN A ROOM. [01:45:01] AND EVENTUALLY THE MOTHER, SHE HAD MY DAUGHTER CREMATED AGAINST MY WILL BECAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE FATHER RIGHTS TO SAY I WANT IT. OTHERWISE. THAT'S WHAT TRANSPIRED FROM THE LAST TIME WE WERE HERE. NOW I ALIGN. I BILL AND I PROVIDE ASSISTANCE FOR FATHERS WHO GO THROUGH THE SAME THING FOR MEMBERS OF THE CITY WHO HAVE TO ENDURE THE SAME TYPE OF TREATMENT. NOW, A LOT OF TIMES I WON'T SAY, OH, POLICING IS BAD. BUT I WON'T SAY WE GONNA DEFUND THE POLICE 'CAUSE THAT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN. BUT WHAT WE CAN DO IS WE CAN WORK TOGETHER. WE CAN STOP TALKING ABOUT, OH, Y'ALL OVER THERE AND WE OVER HERE. LET'S MAKE THIS THING HAPPEN TOGETHER. 50 FATHERS MOVEMENT. CREDIBLE MESSENGER. USA. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS AND FOR YOUR PASSION. UM, MY CONDOLENCES ON THE LOSS OF YOUR DAUGHTER. UM, BUT I DO, UM, I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING AND I I DO WANT YOU TO KNOW THERE ARE SOME OTHER AVENUES FOR FUNDING FOR PROGRAMS LIKE YOURS. UM, I'M NOT SURE IF YOU'RE, YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH OUR CASE FOR CASE FOR KIDS AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMMING AND THEN ALSO THE, UM, AVENUE OF RECEIVING FUNDING THROUGH OUR COUNCIL DISTRICT SERVICE FUNDS, UM, THROUGH, UM, POTENTIALLY YOUR YOUR COUNCIL DISTRICT OFFICE. SO, UM, JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU, YOU HAD THAT INFORMATION, UM, TODAY AS WELL AS, UM, ALLOWING US TO HEAR YOUR STORY. THANK YOU. I DIDN'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION BEFORE. THANK YOU. AND I JUST WANNA SAY IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU UP HERE. YOU, MR. SECRETARY, MIKE SECRETARY, AND I WILL SAY YOU THE GURU. YOU'VE BEEN HERE, YOU'VE SEEN HIM COME AND GO EVERY TIME WHEN IT'S COME TIME TO SPEAK OR SIGN UP FOR THIS, GOTTA COME THROUGH YOU. A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW YOU AND YOU'VE MADE A MARK ON A LOT OF PEOPLE. I JUST WANT, I'M GLAD TO SEE YOU IN YOUR LANE, BROTHER. THAT'S IT. COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ. THANK YOU MAYOR PROAM. BEN. UM, I I ALSO WANNA SHARE MY CONDOLENCES AS WELL FOR YOUR, FOR YOUR DAUGHTER. UM, AND I WANNA REACH OUT TO YOU. UH, WE'VE, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH A FEW OTHER GROUPS THAT ARE WORKING WITH JUVENILE JUSTICE, UH, RIGHTS. AND SO I WANT TO, YOU KNOW, KIND OF SIT DOWN AND SEE WHAT, SEE WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND SEE HOW WE COULD POSSIBLY HELP. UM, SAYS THAT YOU'RE IN MANCHESTER AREA, SO YES. DISTRICT I, DISTRICT I, SO EVEN MORE SO I WOULD WANNA SIT DOWN YES. TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN CONNECT. SO, SO IF YOU DON'T MIND, WE CAN MEET OUTSIDE. I'D APPRECIATE IT. AND WE HELP WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS. UH, OTHER CREDIBLE MESSAGES. UNITED COLLECTIVE ACTION FOR YOU. WE'RE ALSO A PART OF THEIR TABLE. UH, THE HIHA, WHAT WE'VE DONE IS REALLY TRULY CONSOLIDATE AND BUILD A COALITION WITH HOUSTON SO THAT WE'RE ALL CONNECTED. YEAH. SO WE'RE NOT JUST SAYING, OKAY, WE ARE DOING THE WORK TO PUT YOU IN OUR VOTER. OUR GET OUT TO VOTE INITIATIVE WAS IN THE MILLIONS, OUR PRIMARY NUMBERS WAS SKY ROOF. SO THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING WITH THE LITTLE THAT WE HAVE CAN BE EXPANDED. AND THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING TO YOU. WE ALL TOGETHER IN THE CAHOOTS AND UNDERSTANDING THAT, LOOK, IF YOU'RE GONNA GIVE MONEY TO A CERTAIN ORGANIZATION, WHY NOT SPREAD THE WEALTH SO THAT WE CAN ALL BE TOGETHER IN THIS COUNCIL MEMBER? POLLARD, HANG ON. THANK, THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TIM, AND, UM, MY CONDOLENCES AS WELL. BUT IT IS GLAD TO SEE YOU BACK HERE IN THE CHAMBERS. UM, I, I THINK THE WORD THAT YOU MENTIONED, WHICH RESONATES MOST WITH ME IS BALANCE. AND, UM, THERE, THERE SHOULD BE DOLLARS ALLOCATED TO POLICE TO KEEP US SAFE IN OUR COMMUNITIES, BUT THERE ALSO SHOULD BE DOLLARS TO LOOK AT ROOT CAUSES FOR WHAT CAUSES CRIME IN SOME OF OUR COMMUNITIES. MM-HMM . WHEN YOU LOOK AT EDUCATION, WHEN YOU LOOK AT HOUSING, WHEN YOU LOOK AT JOB OPPORTUNITIES, TRAINING, WHEN YOU LOOK AT DISCIPLINE, MENTORSHIP, UM, THOSE ARE THE ROOT CAUSES THAT CAN CAUSE UH, FOR POLICE TO NEED TO BE IN OUR COMMUNITIES TO REACT TO A CIRCUMSTANCE OR A SITUATION THAT THEY'RE CALLED UPON. AND SO THE BALANCE HAS TO BE THERE AND WE HAVE TO RECOGNIZE THAT THE BALANCE IS NECESSARY AND THE BALANCE IS REAL. UH, YOU CAN'T PUT EVERYTHING TOWARDS ONE, UM, ASPECT AND THINK THAT WILL BE A CURE-ALL. IT HAS TO BE A, THINK A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH. AND, UH, YOUR WORDS WERE INSIGHTFUL. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I JUST WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR HAVING THESE DIVERSE, UH, PROGRAMS. 'CAUSE I REMEMBER THE YEARS THAT WE WERE SPEAKING ABOUT, CAN WE GET SOME DIVERSITY PROGRAMS? CAN WE GET SOME PROGRAMS TO, UH, STOP PEOPLE FROM GOING TO JAIL? SO WE WERE PART OF THE, UH, UH, THE MISDEMEANOR, UM, BAIL REFORM. REMEMBER THOSE YEARS SO THAT WE COULD JUST STOP PEOPLE FROM JUST GOING TO JAIL. WE ALL FELT LIKE, YOU KNOW WHAT? OUR VOICES MATTER. AND I JUST APPRECIATE THE TIME THAT Y'ALL SPEND LISTENING AND THE TIME THAT Y'ALL ACTUALLY SPEND ALLOWING US TO HAVE THESE VOICES. UH, WE'LL SEE Y'ALL AT OUR NEXT FORUMS. WE'LL SEE Y'ALL AT OUR NEXT, UH, SESSIONS, BROTHER WILLIE. GOTCHA. NOW, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. NEXT SPEAKER, MICHAEL SCHAFER. MICHAEL SCHAFER TO BE FOLLOWED BY MANUEL COHEN. [01:50:10] HELLO, MR. SCHAEFFER. GOOD AFTERNOON. I HOPE TO ADDRESS MAYOR WHITMEYER HIMSELF. I WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT THE FIRST TIME I'VE BEEN IN A SITUATION LIKE THIS. MADAM PRO TAM, I TRUST THAT YOU'RE A VERY WORTHY SIT IN FOR HIM AND THAT YOU'LL PASS MY WORDS ONTO HIM. MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL, OTHER EXCUSE ME, AND OTHER DISTINGUISHED PERSONS. MY NAME IS MICHAEL SCHAFER. I'M A RETIRED PLASTIC SURGEON. ALL MY PRACTICE YEARS WERE IN CHICAGO. WE MOVED TO HOUSTON 10 YEARS AGO, AND ONE OF THE BEST THINGS WE DID WAS TO JOIN THIS AMAZING GROUP OF, OF CARING AND BUSY PEOPLE CALLED PURE JUSTICE. I'M HERE NOW TO ASK RESPECTFULLY THAT THIS LARGE SUM OF MONEY BEING DISCUSSED AND DEBATED AT THIS TIME IS SPENT IN MAKING COMMUNITIES SAFER AND MORE SUSTAINABLE. AND TO ENSURE THAT ALL HOUSTONIANS GET A FAIR SHAKE, I'M GOING TO MAKE MY PLEA TO YOU ON A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT TONE. NOW, I DON'T HAVE A LOT OF DATA AND A LOT OF FACTS. WELL, I WOULDN'T SAY I DON'T HAVE FACTS, BUT I DON'T HAVE A LOT OF DATA. UM, I'M GOING TO COMPARE THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO OURSELVES. THE HUMAN PERSON WITHOUT EXCEPTION, HAS TWO SIDES. ONE IS THE EAGLE DRIVEN SIDE THAT WE PRESENT TO THE WORLD. IT HAS TO DO WITH WHO WE ARE IN SOCIETY, OUR JOBS, AND MAKING A LIVING, RAISING A FAMILY, MAKING A NAME FOR OURSELVES AND BEING SUCCESSFUL. THE OTHER SIDE IS REFERRED TO IN PHILOSOPHICAL TERMS AS THE SHADOW SIDE. IT IS THAT SIDE OF US THAT WE DON'T OFTEN CAN'T OR OFTEN DON'T WANT TO CONFRONT BECAUSE IT IS SO ANTITHETICAL TO THE IMAGE WE WANT TO PORTRAY. THIS IS A SIDE THAT ADMITS TO OUR IMPERFECTIONS, NON-VIOLENCE, WEAK WEAKNESS AND SYMPATHY. OUR VERY MUCH A PART OF THAT SHADOW SELF. NOW, I WOULD LIKE TO EQUATE THE CITY OF HOUSTON WITH OURSELF. THAT IS, THERE IS A BRIGHT SIDE TO OUR CITY WHERE THE LIGHTS ARE ON, THE STREETS ARE CLEAN, HOUSING IS SECURE, PEOPLE HAVE JOBS AND THERE'S FOOD ON THE TABLE. THE KIDS GO TO GOOD SCHOOLS AND MOST GO ON TO COLLEGE. IT IS NOT EXPECTED THAT ANY OF THEM WILL GO TO JAIL. AND IF SOMEONE IS MENTALLY ILL, IT'S KEPT QUIET. BUT USUALLY THEY GET HELP. THEN THERE'S THE SHADOW SIDE OF TOWN, OR JUST THE OPPOSITE IS THE WAY OF LIFE. PEOPLE ARE HOMELESS OR CAN'T WRITE RENT OR BUY HOMES BECAUSE THEY HAVE A RECORD. PEOPLE HAVE NO FOOD, SO THEY STEAL FOR THEMSELVES OR FOR THEIR KIDS. THERE ARE NO JOBS AVAILABLE TO THEM FOR WHO KNOWS HOW MANY REASONS THEY HAVE BEEN BORN INTO POVERTY AND HAVE LITTLE CHANCE OF EVER DIGGING OUT. AND THEIR WORST NIGHTMARE IS BEING CONFRONTED BY A MEMBER OF THE HPD OR SOMETHING THEY DID OR DID NOT DO PROPERLY. IT MAY EVEN HAVE BEEN BAD OR WRONG, NOT HAVE BEEN BAD OR WRONG, BUT THEY'RE PULLED OVER, HANDCUFFED, TOSSED TO THE GROUND AND TROTTED OFF TO JAIL. JUST FINALLY, I BELIEVE THAT UNTIL WE TAKE CARE OF THE LA THE LEAST OF OUR PEOPLE, THIS CITY WILL NEVER REALIZE THE FULL POTENTIAL FOR WHICH IT WAS DESTINED. BY DOING SO BY TAKING CARE OF OUR PEOPLE, PERHAPS WE CAN MAKE HOUSTON THAT PROPHETIC CITY WRITTEN ABOUT BY STEPHEN KLEINBERG, THE SOCIALIST SOCIAL SCIENTIST FROM RICE UNIVERSITY, LET US BECOME PERHAPS A MODEL FOR OTHER CITIES BY TAKING CARE OF THE LEAST OF OUR PEOPLE. THANK YOU MR. SCHAFFER. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR COMMENTS TODAY. I WANTED TO MAKE ONE FINAL COMMENT. SURE. I THINK YOU'RE SEEING THE OTHER EXTREME OF THE AGE SPECTRUM HERE TODAY IS DELIGHTFUL THAT DELIGHTED TO YOUNG WOMEN THAT, THAT, UH, CAME BEFORE ME AND NOW I DOUBT IT'LL BE ANYBODY OLDER THAN I. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE ON THAT SIDE. NEXT SPEAKER, MANUEL COHEN. MANUEL COHEN. MANUEL COHEN. YOU GOOD AFTERNOON. UH, MY NAME IS MANUEL COHEN AND I LIVE IN DISTRICT D THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION. AND I'M WITH RECALL HOUSTON . I'M HERE TODAY BECAUSE THIS BUDGET WORSENS THE FISCAL HEALTH OF HOUSTON, AND I'M URGING Y'ALL TO VOTE AGAINST IT. [01:55:01] UPON A CURSORY READING, YOU'LL FIND THAT IT FAILS TO MEET THE DEFINITION OF A BALANCED BUDGET. THE EXPENDITURES ARE HIGHER THAN THE REVENUES TO MAKE UP FOR THE SHORTFALL. THE BUDGET PULLS A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT FROM THE GENERAL FUND BALANCE. THIS ONE TIME FIX PLACES HOUSTON'S CREDIT RATING AT RISK OF A DOWNGRADE AND IS SOMETHING THAT THE CITY CONTROLLER HAS CONFIRMED. THE CLAIM THAT THIS BUDGET PRESERVES SERVICES THAT ARE FACING CUTS IS SIMPLY NOT TRUE. THE CUTS THAT THESE DEPARTMENTS ARE FACING ESSENTIAL DEPARTMENTS ARE SIGNIFICANT TO WHERE THERE WILL BE A REDUCTION IN SERVICES. WE WILL SEE THE QUALITY OF PARKS OF DRAINAGE GO DOWN BECAUSE OF THIS BUDGET. SEVERAL OF THE SAVINGS MENTIONED IN MAYOR WHIT MEYER'S BUDGET SEEMINGLY COME WITHOUT EXPLANATION. THIS IS A BUDGET THAT WORSENS THE FISCAL HEALTH OF THE CITY AND WORSENS THE QUALITY OF OUR SERVICES. THIS IS JUST A BAD BUDGET. THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT MAYOR WHITMEYER COULD HAVE AVOIDED HAD HE TAKEN UP CONTROLLER HOLLAND'S OFFER TO FORM A BUDGET TASK FORCE WITH ALL OF Y'ALL TO ACTUALLY PLACE HOUSTON ON THE PATH OF FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY AND PROTECT OUR KEY SERVICES. I CANNOT IMAGINE WHY THE MAYOR WOULDN'T WANT TO COLLABORATE WITH THE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER OF THE CITY ON THE ISSUE OF THE BUDGET. AND HIS REJECTION OF THAT OFFER BY ACCUSING THE CONTROLLER OF PLAYING POLITICS WITH THAT ISSUE JUST MAKES THIS MORE CONFUSING. HOW IS IT PLAYING POLITICS WHEN THE CONTROLLER WANTS TO WORK WITH YOU? IT FEELS LIKE THE OPPOSITE. MAYOR, WHIT MEYER'S OPAQUE CREATION OF THIS BUDGET AND GENERALLY MORE OPAQUE STYLE OF GOVERNANCE, PLAYS POLITICS WITH THE BASIC ISSUES THAT HOUSTON IS FACING. I APPRECIATE THE AMENDMENTS THAT MUCH OF Y'ALL ON THE CITY COUNCIL PUT FORWARD TO PROTECT SOME OF THESE SERVICES AND TO ADDRESS THE DRAINAGE PROJECTS. THERE'S STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. HOWEVER, THE FISCAL RISKS OF THE BUDGET CREATES DOUBTS AS TO WHETHER THE CITY CAN ACTUALLY FINANCE THOSE PROJECTS. I WOULD URGE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO PLACE MORE SCRUTINY ON MAYOR WHIT MEYER'S ACTIONS. THE CITY COUNCIL DOES NOT HAVE TO ACCEPT THIS BUDGET COUNCIL MEMBERS. YOU HAVE THE POWER TO DRAFT THE BUDGET. YOU CAN REJECT WHAT MAYOR WHITMEYER IS FORCING ON THE CITY AND CREATE A BUDGET THAT IS ACTUALLY REPRESENTATIVE OF WHAT THE CITY WANTS AND PROTECTS OUR FISCAL HEALTH. TOMORROW THE CITY COUNCIL SHOULD VOTE AGAINST MAYOR WHIT MEYER'S BUDGET AND PROPOSE A NEW ONE THAT PUTS HOUSTON ON THE PATH TO FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY THAT FUNDS OUR ESSENTIAL SERVICES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. NEXT SPEAKER, AVERY BEU. AVERY BEU TO BE FOLLOWED BY ROBERT MIC MICHAELS. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR PRO TEM AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS AVERY BELU. I AM THE CEO OF THE MONTROSE CENTER. FOR FOLKS WHO DON'T KNOW WHO THE MONTROSE CENTER IS, WE ARE AN SOCIAL SERVICES ORGANIZATION WITH THE MISSION TO EMPOWER OUR COMMUNITY TO LIVE HEALTHIER AND MORE FULFILLING LIVES. WE'VE BEEN SERVING THE HOUSTON COMMUNITY SINCE 1978 AND WE'RE PROUD TO SERVE OVER 6,500 CLIENTS A YEAR ACROSS A SPECTRUM OF CLINICAL SERVICES, AN ADDITIONAL 48,000 HOUSTONIANS A YEAR THROUGH OUR PUBLIC HEALTH EVENTS AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMMING, BOTH AT OUR CENTER IN THE MONTROSE NEIGHBORHOOD AND AT OUR LAW HARRINGTON SENIOR LIVING FACILITY IN THE THIRD WARD. THE MONTROSE CENTER SERVES ALL HOUSTONIANS AND HAS A SPECIAL FOCUS ON SERVING L-G-B-T-Q INDIVIDUALS AND THEIR FAMILIES. I WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO YOU ALL FOR THE WAY THAT YOU SUPPORT THE L-G-B-T-Q COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY DURING PRIDE MONTH AND THE WAYS THAT YOU SUPPORT THE MONTROSE CENTER. UH, AS WE HEARD IN THE COMMENTS TODAY, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S STILL A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE. I'M PLEASED TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF MARIO CASTILLO'S SUPPORT, UH, UH, PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO FUND A PILOT L-G-B-T-Q, ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT COORDINATOR. OUR WORK WITH L-G-B-T-Q HOUSTONIANS HELPS US TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE L-G-B-T-Q COMMUNITY FACES SIGNIFICANT ECONOMIC CHALLENGES, INCLUDING HIGHER RATES OF POVERTY AND UNEMPLOYMENT WORKING ACROSS THE LIFESPAN AS WE DO FROM YOUTH ALL THE WAY TO SENIORS. WE SEE EVERY DAY THE UNIQUE CHALLENGES AND THE VULNERABILITIES THAT BOTH OF THESE GROUPS ESPECIALLY FACE. IN OUR HOLISTIC APPROACH TO OUR WORK, WE UNDERSTAND THAT ACCESS TO ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY IS ACTUALLY A HEALTHCARE ISSUE. IT'S A HEALTH AND WELLNESS ISSUE. IT'S A KEY SOCIAL DETERMINANT OF HEALTH. THIS PILOT PROGRAM WILL LAY THE GROUNDWORK FOR A MORE INCLUSIVE HOUSTON AND PROVIDE MUCH NEEDED TARGETED SUPPORT, ESPECIALLY TO YOUTH AND SENIORS THAT WILL MAKE A MEANINGFUL IMPACT ON THE LIVES OF L-G-B-T-Q HOUSTONIANS AND THEIR FAMILIES. ALL HOUSTONIANS, I'M SURE YOU ALL WOULD AGREE, WOULD DESERVE ACCESS TO HOUSTON'S THRIVING ECONOMY AND THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE THROUGH OUR CITY. THE CREATION OF THIS PILOT WILL SEND A SIGNIFICANT AND IMPORTANT MESSAGE TO A VULNERABLE GROUP OF HOUSTONIANS THAT WE MATTER, THAT THE CITY FULLY AND PROACTIVELY [02:00:01] WELCOMES ALL, AND THAT OUR LEADERSHIP IS INVESTED IN REMOVING BARRIERS TO OUR SUCCESS. I HOPE THE CITY COUNCIL WILL AFFIRM ITS COMMITMENT TO THE HEALTH AND WELLBEING OF OUR LGBTQ PLUS COMMUNITY WITH YOUR SUPPORT OF THIS AMENDMENT, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND HAPPY PRIDE MONTH. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. OH, JUST A SECOND. WE DO HAVE SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS IN QUEUE. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TEM AVERY, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE AND FOR SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF THE AMENDMENT. YOU KNOW, THE MONTROSE CENTER DOES SO MUCH TREMENDOUS, IMPACTFUL, VITAL WORK IN HOUSTON FROM YOUTH TO SENIORS. AND SO THIS POSITION, UM, CAN DIRECTLY SUPPORT THE WORK THAT Y'ALL ARE DOING. AND THE PERSPECTIVE THAT YOU BRING, UH, AROUND IT IS, IS CRUCIAL, UH, BECAUSE YOU KNOW, THROUGH THE PROGRAMS THAT Y'ALL HOUSE, UM, WHERE THE GAPS ARE AND WHERE THE NEEDS ARE. AND, AND JUST LIKE YOU SAID, YOU KNOW, IT IS A, A HEALTH ACCESS HEALTHCARE ISSUE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY. AND SO, UM, I HOPE THAT THAT THIS CAN COME TO FRUITION AND I GREATLY APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE TO SUPPORT IT. UH, I KNOW THIS IS A BUSY TIME OF YEAR, UH, FOR THE MONTROSE CENTER, UH, BUT Y'ALL CONTINUE TO STEP UP AND SHOW UP FOR THE COMMUNITY AND, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH. IT'S MY PLEASURE. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. THANK YOU, UH, AVERY. FIRST AND FOREMOST, HAPPY PRIDE. UH, I WANT TO THANK THE MONTROSE CENTER, UH, FOR EVERYTHING Y'ALL DO, THE VOICE THAT YOU PROVIDE, THE COMMUNITY THAT YOU CREATE, UH, BUT THE WORK THAT YOU DO, LITERALLY SAVING LIVES EVERY SINGLE DAY. SO PLEASE PASS ALONG MY APPRECIATION, UH, ESPECIALLY DURING PRIDE MONTH, BUT ALSO GIVEN THE CONTEXT OF WHAT IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW AND THE ATTACKS ON THE COMMUNITY, PLEASE RELAY MY GRATITUDE AND APPRECIATION. I COULDN'T THINK OF ANY OTHER HOME THAN IN THE HEART OF DISTRICT C, UH, FOR THE MONTROSE CENTER. UH, AND I DO WANNA THANK YOU FOR COMING TODAY IN SUPPORT OF COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO'S AMENDMENT. UM, EARLY ON, I THINK MY FIRST OR SECOND YEAR, WE WORKED REALLY HARD TO GET THE L-G-B-T-E CERTIFICATION WITHIN OBO. AND THAT WAS THE FIRST STEP. BUT TO SEE THE STRIDES THAT HAVE BEEN MADE, BUT STILL HOW MUCH MORE WE HAVE TO GO IS ALSO IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT. THANK YOU. WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE TODAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER, ROBERT MICHAELS. ROBERT MICHAELS. HI. THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TEM AND THE CITY COUNCIL. UH, THIS IS MY FIRST TIME SPEAKING, SO I HOPE I DON'T BUDGET IT. UH, I AM ALSO IN SUPPORT OF THE, UH, PILOT FOR THE LGBT COORDINATOR. UH, BEING A BUSINESSMAN MYSELF, AN MBA AND HAD PROFESSIONAL TRAINING, I HAD MANY PRIVILEGES AS A CHILD AND AS AN ADULT, I KNOW WHAT THE MANTRA CENTER DOES 'CAUSE I VOLUNTEER FOR THEM AND MANY OTHER ORGANIZATIONS. AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT THE YOUTH ARE UNCERTAIN RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY CAN DO IN THEIR OWN COMMUNITIES. AND WE ALSO HAVE SUPPORT HERE. BUT ACCESS TO RESOURCES DOES NEED TO BE GIVEN A SLIGHT TWINGE, A TOUCH, AN ADJUSTMENT TO HOW YOU EXPLAIN THINGS. THE YOUTH DO NOT EXACTLY UNDERSTAND HOW TO ACCESS THESE THINGS. AND I'VE HAD TO, AND A FEW TIMES BEING EXPERIENCED IN RESEARCH HOW TO EXPLAIN THINGS AND TRY TO ACCESS. BUT EVEN AS A CITIZEN, A REGULAR CITIZEN, I FAIL OFTEN TO BE ABLE TO EXPLAIN THIS AND TO HAVE SOME AVATAR THAT CAN COME IN AND SAY TO THE CH TO THE YOUTH AND EVEN TO THE ELDERLY THAT WILL SOMEHOW AGE OUT OF THE WORKFORCE AND NO LONGER HAVE NORMAL ACCESS TO THE THINGS WE TAKE FOR GRANTED. IT'S IMPORTANT, AND I ADVOCATE FOR THIS BECAUSE WHEN I FIRST SAW THIS, I CRIED BECAUSE I CAN'T IMAGINE NOW THAT WE HAD GONE SO LONG WITHOUT THIS. HAVING SOMEONE THAT CAN BE INTERFACED TO US AND ACTUALLY WE CAN TALK TO AND EXPLAIN AND BUILD THE TRUST, GOES A LONG WAY. AND I KNOW THE MANTRA CENTER DOES SOME GREAT WORK AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS DO AS WELL, BUT THIS IS ONE THING THAT OTHER CITIES WILL LUCK OUT AND THEY ALSO EMULATE. I WANT US TO BE MORE INCLUSIVE AND I WANT US TO ALSO HELP BUILD THE NEXT I'M ECONOMIC POWERHOUSE AND I'M HOPING THIS DOES A LOT OF GOOD. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TEM. ROBERT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING DOWN HERE TO SPEAK, UH, AND SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS. I KNOW YOU, UM, MENTIONED THE MONTROSE CENTER AND YOU SERVE ON THE GOVERNING BOARD FOR HRC. UM, SO I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK THERE. I KNOW Y'ALL JUST HAD A, A BIG EVENT THIS PAST WEEKEND AND WE DO HAVE WORK TO [02:05:01] DO AS A CITY WHEN IT COMES TO OUR, UM, OUR EQUALITY, OUR, AND, AND YOU THINK ABOUT THE HR HRC EQUALITY INDEX SCORE THAT MUNICIPALITIES GET. UM, WE HAVE WORK TO DO THERE. THIS IS A WAY TO HELP MEET THAT NEED AND IN A, A STATE THAT HAS BEEN HOSTILE TO THE LGBTQ PLUS COMMUNITY AND SUPPORT OUR YOUTH AND SUPPORT OUR SENIORS WITH RESPECT TO ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY AND ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT. AND SO, UM, I APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT, THE WORK THAT YOU DO FOR THE COMMUNITY AND, AND THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND YOU DID A GOOD JOB ON YOUR FIRST TIME. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, STEVEN MIRANDA. STEVEN MIRANDA TO BE FOLLOWED BY KELLY CATHERINE. GOOD AFTERNOON. FOR THOSE OF YOU WHOM I'VE NOT MET, MY NAME IS STEVEN MIRANDA AND I AM THE CHAIR OF THE BOARD OF THE GREATER HOUSTON LGBTQ PLUS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. WE ARE THE FIFTH LARGEST CHAMBER IN THE CITY AND SECOND LARGEST DIVERSE CHAMBER WITH 548 MEMBERS AND 67 CORPORATE PARTNERS. OUR CEO TAMMY WALLACE REGRETS THAT SHE CANNOT BE HERE TODAY AS SHE'S CURRENTLY AT A FLAG RAISING CEREMONY FOR PRIDE MONTH. AND YES, HAPPY PRIDE. I HOPE TO SEE YOU AT OUR PRIDE AND BUSINESS LUNCHEON THIS FRIDAY. I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF THE CHAMBER TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO'S BUDGET AMENDMENT PROPOSAL TO PILOT AN LGBTQ PLUS ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT COORDINATOR FOR HOUSTON. WHILE THERE'S INCOMPLETE RESEARCH TO DEFINE THE FULL STATISTICS OF THE DISPARITY IMPACT OUR COMMUNITY FACES, WHICH IS SOMETHING WE AIM TO FIX AS A CHAMBER, HOPEFULLY IN CONJUNCTION WITH THIS COORDINATOR, WE SEE THE CHALLENGES THAT OUR CHAMBER AND OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS FACE EVERY DAY. SPECIFICALLY FROM A SMALL BUSINESS LENS, WE CONTINUE TO SEE OUR MEMBERS LEFT OUT OF CONTRACTING AND PROCUREMENT OPPORTUNITIES, BOTH PRIVATE AND GOVERNMENT THAT ARE STRATEGICALLY OFFERED TO OTHER MINORITY DEMOGRAPHICS. WE SEE PUBLICLY FUNDED LOAN PROGRAMS CREATED TO PROVIDE LOW COST CAPITAL TO MINORITY BUSINESS OWNERS IN THE REGION THAT DO NOT INCLUDE OUR COMMUNITY. THESE PROGRAMS ARE TARGETED AND HAVE FUNDING TO REACH THESE CONSTITUENTS, AND THE RESULTS ARE TRACKED FOR FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES. YET WE ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THESE EFFORTS. FROM A WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PERSPECTIVE, WE KNOW THAT THE BEST WAY TO PROTECT AND ADVANCE OUR COMMUNITY IS VIA EMPLOYMENT. 'CAUSE IF YOU HAVE A GOOD JOB, YOU CAN AFFORD BASIC NEEDS LIKE FOOD, HOUSING, AND TRANSPORTATION, AND YOU'LL LIKELY HAVE ACCESS TO HEALTH INSURANCE. IT'LL COVER YOUR MEDICAL NEEDS THAT ARE SPECIFIC TO L-G-B-T-Q PEOPLE AND THEIR FAMILIES, WHETHER THAT'S GENDER AFFIRMING CARE, FAMILY PLANNING, ET CETERA, SO THAT NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS TO FEDERAL BENEFITS OR MEDICAID, THEY WILL BE COVERED. AND AS A COMMUNITY THAT FACES HIGHER POVERTY AND UNEMPLOYMENT RATES, THIS IS A WAY WE CAN TANGIBLY CHANGE THOSE STATISTICS IN HOUSTON. AND WHAT BETTER PARTNER THAN THE CITY AND OBO, WHICH ALREADY HAS TARGETED MINORITY PROGRAMS LIKE ACCELERATE LATINX? THERE ARE A LOT OF GREAT SERVICES BEING PROVIDED BY THE CITY AND HAVING A LIAISON AND AN ADVOCATE TO HELP OUR COMMUNITY GET ACCESS AND TRACK THE PROGRESS WILL BE TRANSFORMATIVE. IN 2023, CLEVER REAL ESTATE RESEARCH TEAM PUT OUT A STUDY OF THE MOST LGBTQ PLUS FRIENDLY CITIES IN THE US REVIEWING OF THE 50 MOST POPULOUS METRO AREAS. AND HOUSTON RANKED 49 OUT OF 50. NOW, THAT'S NOT TO SUGGEST THAT OUR LEADERSHIP IS NOT LG BT Q FRIENDLY, BUT IT REALLY DOES HIGHLIGHT HOW MUCH WORK WE HAVE TO DO TO MAKE THIS A BETTER AND MORE EQUITABLE PLACE FOR LGBTQ PLUS PEOPLE TO LIVE AND WORK. AND I THINK THAT THIS AMENDMENT IS A TERRIFIC STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION THAT'LL MAKE A PROFOUND IMPACT. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. STEVEN, I WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR COMING, UH, ON BEHALF OF THE CHAMBER FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP IN THE CHAMBER. EARLIER WHEN I TALKED ABOUT L-G-B-T-E CERTIFICATION, THAT IS WHAT THE CHAMBER HAD CHAMPIONED. UH, AND Y'ALL PARTNER WITH US FOR FAMILIES WITH PRIDE THERE. THERE'S SO MANY THINGS THAT THE CHAMBER DOES NOT ONLY UNDER TAMMY'S LEADERSHIP, BUT THE STAFF, THE VOLUNTEERS, THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY DOES, UH, TO SUPPORT. SO AGAIN, I I WANNA APPRECIATE THE TIME YOU'VE TAKEN TODAY, BUT ALSO THE WORK THAT YOU ARE DOING EVERY SINGLE DAY, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT THE LGBTQI PLUS COMMUNITY IS REPRESENTED. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TEM, AND STEVEN, THANK YOU AND THE CHAMBER FOR THE WORDS YOU'VE OFFERED TODAY. YOU KNOW, I'M GLAD YOU, YOU TALKED ABOUT THE, THE DATA SIDE OF THIS BECAUSE THERE IS A LACK OF DATA AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT I KNOW THE CHAMBER'S BEEN WORKING ON. I KNOW THAT'S SOMETHING THAT OBO WISHES THEY HAD MORE OF. AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THIS COORDINATOR CAN DIRECTLY WORK ON, UH, WITH EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS LIKE THE CHAMBER WITHIN, UM, OUR OWN ORGANIZATION [02:10:01] HERE AT THE CITY. AND THAT'S A VITAL PIECE. UH, IT'S A VITAL PIECE TO SHOW US WHERE THE GAPS ARE AND WHAT IT WILL TAKE TO ADDRESS THEM SO THAT WE'RE NOT RANKED 49TH OUT OF 50, UH, IN TERMS OF LGBTQ PLUS, YOU KNOW, FRIENDLINESS AS A CITY BECAUSE WE ABSOLUTELY NEED TO DO BETTER THERE. UM, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR RESIDENTS DESERVE THAT. SO, UH, I HOPE WE CAN CONTINUE TO WORK ON THIS TOGETHER AND, AND ABSOLUTELY APPRECIATE ALL THE CHAMBER DOES AND THE SUPPORT. WELL, AND, AND I'LL JUST SAY THERE, IN HAVING SOMEONE TO PUT THE PIECES TOGETHER, THE CITY HAS A LOT OF THOSE PIECES, RIGHT? WE HAVE OBO, WE HAVE THIS L-G-B-T-P-E CERTIFICATION THAT HASN'T GONE FAR ENOUGH. AND SO I THINK THAT THAT REALLY SPEAKS TO THE VALUE PROPOSITION. SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER, KELLY CATHERINE. ELI JONES. ELI JONES. NEXT SPEAKER. FREDERICK TYRE. FREDERICK MAT. NEXT SPEAKER, OBIE GOME, ARE YOU DOING? HELLO, MR. GONI. MY NAME IS, UH, UH, OBIE GONI. I'M A, UH, NATIVE AND UH, UH, I HAVE A DISPUTE WITH, UH, UH, MY NEIGHBOR, UH, MELISSA TAN. SHE GOT THE PROPERTY ON THE LEFT SIDE OF ME AND THE RIGHT SIDE OF ME, AND I'M IN THE MIDDLE AND, UH, SHE WANT, UH, GET MY PROPERTY, BUT SHE DON'T WANT TO PAY. SHE GOT HER TREES AND STUFF GROWING ALL OVER THE PLACE, OR DAMAGING MY PROPERTY, DAMAGING MY FENCE AND STUFF. AND I TELL YOU, HEY, WHY DON'T YOU JUST CUT YOUR TREES DOWN? BUT SHE WON'T DO IT. AND, UH, UH, SHE DOING EVERYTHING TO ME TO STOP ME FROM BUILDING MY PLACE, STOPPING THAT SHE HAD NO BUSINESS OR, OR WORRY ABOUT. THAT'S MY PROPERTY. BUT SHE DOING ALL SHE CAN TO TRY TO STOP ME FROM, UH, UH, BUILDING MY PROPERTY. I WANNA MOVE BACK HOME TO TAKE CARE OF MY DAD. MY DAD NINE YEARS OLD, HE'S SICK. HE GOT COLD DEMENTIA. WELL, WE, I COULD BE MORE CLOSER TO HIM, AND SHE DOING EVERYTHING THAT SHE CAN TO STOP THAT. AND I, SHE WOULD LEAVE ME ALONE AND SHE WOULD CUT HER TREES DOWN HER TREES, ABOUT AS TALL AS WHAT THE CEILING IS WHEN YOU GET A STORM OR SOMETHING. IT, IT CAUSED A LOT OF DAMAGE TO MY HOUSE. IT CAUSED DAMAGE TO MY FENCE. AND THEN SHE DON'T WANT TO PAY FOR IT. SHE, UH, GAVE ME PERMISSION TO GO CUT HER TREES DOWN. I WENT, CUT HER TREES DOWN. SHE DIDN'T SAY NOTHING ABOUT MOVING THEM, SO I JUST CUT 'EM DOWN. THEN SHE WANTED ME TO MOVE. SAID, NAH, YOU DIDN'T SAY NOTHING ABOUT MOVING. SO SHE HIRED SOMEBODY TO THROW HER TREES IN MY YARD, AND THEN I HAD TO HIRE SOMEBODY TO PUT THE TREES OUT ON THE STREET. AND THEN SHE SENT ME A BILL FOR $850. AND I SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T AGREE ON THIS. SO, SO I SAID, IF YOU PAY ME FOR THE DAMAGE TO MY PLACE, I PAID FOR THE DAMAGE TO YOURS, SHE OWED ME ABOUT LIKE 20,000. I'D BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO PAY $850 IF SHE WOULD JUST, UH, LEAVE ME ALONE AND KEEP HER TREES ON HER SIDE. AND I, I HAVE A LOT OF PICTURES IF YOU WANT TO SEE 'EM. MR. GONER, WE'RE HAPPY TO LOOK AT THE PICTURES, BUT I DO WANT TO TELL YOU THAT WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE THE JURISDICTION TO DETERMINE BETWEEN NEIGHBOR TO NEIGHBOR. UM, I DO WANT YOU TO, I DO WANT YOU TO, UM, TALK TO OFFICER, OFFICER CARR, AND, AND HE CAN, HE CAN HELP YOU. UM, IF YOU AND YOUR NEIGHBOR ARE UNABLE TO, UM, SETTLE THE DISPUTE, UH, YOU, YOU MAY CONSIDER GOING TO, UM, JP COURT. UM, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S UNFORTUNATELY NOT AN ISSUE THAT WE CAN RESOLVE AS A CITY COUNCIL BETWEEN NEIGHBOR AND NEIGHBOR. UH, I WISH Y'ALL WOULD'VE, UH, DO SOMETHING TO, UH, UH, TO MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT BETTER. UH, WELL, ME AND HER DON'T HAVE TO BUTT HEADS WITH EACH OTHER, RIGHT? SHE, UH, UH, THE NEIGHBORHOOD BULLY TO ME, AND I WISH [02:15:01] SHE WOULD STOP. SHE KEEP CONSISTENTLY CALLING THE CITY ON ME. MM-HMM . AND THEY SHUTTING ME DOWN WHEN I'M TRYING TO BUILD, UH, MY HOUSE. RIGHT? MY HOUSE DOES NOT HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH HER AT ALL. RIGHT? AND THEN SHE CALLED THE POLICE ON ME AND SAID, I'M TRESPASSING. BUT PEOPLE WALKED THROUGH A YARD ALL THE TIME GOING TO THE STORE, AND SHE DON'T SAY NOTHING TO THEM. SO SHE PUT UP A CAMERA, SAY, I GOT A CAMERA UP HERE. DON'T Y'ALL CROSS, UH, THROUGH MY YARD? BUT, AND SHE CONSISTED, JUST WATCH WHAT I'M DOING. SHE BROKE IN MY CONTAINER, LOOKING IN THERE THINKING SHE GONNA FIND SOMETHING ILLEGAL UP IN THERE. ALL THE STUFF IN MY CONTAINER GOES TO MY HOUSE. MM-HMM . TO BUILD MY HOUSE. I AIN'T NOTHING IN THERE ILLEGAL. THAT'S NOT SUPPOSED TO BE UP IN THERE. SHE MESSED WITH MY WORKERS GETTING THEIR LICENSE PLATES, GETTING THEY NORMALS AND STUFF, YOU KNOW, DISTURBING THEM. WHEN SHE THREW HER TREES IN MY YARD. WE HAD TO, I HAD TO STOP. I COULDN'T EVEN WORK THAT DAY. THOSE, THOSE WHEN HER TREES HIT MY HOUSE, IT'S A LOT OF TREES, AND I WISH SHE WOULD STOP. I DO WANT YOU TO, UM, VISIT WITH OFFICER CARR, AND WE CAN TRY TO HELP GET YOU IN THE RIGHT PLACE TO TRY TO GET THIS RESOLUTION, UH, BETWEEN YOU AND YOUR NEIGHBOR. I WISH YOU THE BEST WITH IT. UM, HOPEFULLY Y'ALL CAN WORK IT OUT AND NOT HAVE TO GO TO JP COURT, BUT IF NOT, I, I'M GOING TO MAYBE SUGGEST THAT MAY BE THE NEXT STEP. UM, BUT I DO WISH YOU THE BEST AND OFFICER CARR CAN CAN VISIT WITH YOU. OKAY. I'LL PASS THOSE DOWN. JESUS. NEXT SPEAKER, MARK ROD. MARK RODRIGUEZ. MARK RODRIGUEZ. MY NAME'S MARK RODRIGUEZ. UH, I'M THE PRESIDENT OF OAKLAND FULLERTON CIVIC ASSOCIATION, ALSO THE PRESIDENT OF AFA EARLY START, UH, CHILDHOOD CENTER. I WANNA FIRST BY THANKING, UH, HONORABLE MAYOR, UH, WHITMEYER, ALONG WITH, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER, COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ, AND COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER. I ASKED FOR THE ZOO TICKETS. AND BECAUSE OF ALL OF Y'ALL, Y'ALL MADE A REALLY MEMORABLE ZOO TRIP FOR OUR PRE-K THREE AND PRE-K FOUR SCHOOL. AND, UM, I SENT SOME OF Y'ALL PICTURES AND THANK YOU CARDS THAT CAME FROM THE KIDS IN THE SCHOOL FOR THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO HELPED ME, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE IT. I DON'T KNOW, I, I TRIED SINCE AUGUST TRYING TO SET UP OUR SCHOOL TO GO TO THE ZOO, AND, AND IN AUGUST WHEN WE STARTED SCHOOL, THEY SAID, OH, WE'RE ALREADY BOOKED UP FOR THE YEAR. AND I APPRECIATE THE TICKETS. BUT I THINK WE, US AS A CITY BEING THE FOURTH LARGEST CITY OF THE UNITED STATES, WE NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB AT MAKING THE ZOO MORE ACCESSIBLE TO CHILDREN AND THE SCHOOLS, UH, ALONG WITH THE CHILDREN'S MUSEUM. I MEAN, DO Y'ALL REALIZE IT COSTS $50 FOR AN ADULT TO GO TO THE ZOO? $27 PER A CHILD? IMAGINE IF YOU WERE THE HUSBAND AND WIFE AND THREE KIDS, THAT'S $200 JUST TO WALK IN THE DOOR. AND YET THEY DO OFFER SOME, UH, DISCOUNTS. BUT I DO ENCOURAGE Y'ALL TO TRY TO WORK WITH THE HOUSTON CITY ZOO TO MAKE IT MORE ACCESSIBLE FOR CHILDREN. AND I DIDN'T EVEN WANT TO TOUCH ON THE, UH, MAYOR'S BUDGET THING, BUT I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND TOUCH ON IT BECAUSE I WANTED TO MAKE THIS A POSITIVE THING. AND I DO APPRECIATE EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER WHO HELPED US WITH THE ZOO TRIP PUBLIC SAFETY. I'M FOR MAYOR WITT MEYER'S. BUDGET. PUBLIC SAFETY TO ME MEANS A LOT. IT MAKES ME FEEL THAT MY WIFE AND CHILD CAN GO TO THE STORE WHILE NOT HAVING TO WORRY ABOUT SOMEBODY HARASSING THEM OR SOMEBODY, YOU KNOW, STEALING FROM THEM. PUBLIC SAFETY. IT TOOK A LOT FOR ME TO GET HPD TO GO PATROL IN FRONT OF OUR SCHOOL. WE NEED MORE COPS. AND, AND I THINK WE, WE COULD DO A BETTER JOB. AS FOR THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT INFRASTRUCTURE. THERE'S FEDERAL FUNDS THAT HELP WITH THE FLOODING, NOT JUST THE CITY FUNDS. AND I THINK WE NEED TO GET WITH OUR PEOPLE IN CONGRESS TO TRY TO GENERATE MORE MONEY FOR, FOR THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF THE COMMUNITIES, BECAUSE FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S GOT, YOU KNOW, A LOT TO HELP WITH. UM, AND I DO APPRECIATE HPD BECAUSE THEY DO NEED A RAISE ALONG WITH THE FIREMEN. THEY GOT IT ALONG. AND I THINK OUR COUNTY COMMISSIONERS NEED TO WORK ON THE COUNTY PART, ALONG WITH EVEN METRO PD TO MAKE IT, YOU KNOW, WHERE ONE AGENCY AIN'T GETTING THAT MUCH MORE THAN THE OTHER. BUT I REALLY WANT TO THANK ALL OF Y'ALL WHO MADE THIS ZOO TRIP A POSITIVE THING. AND I WANTED TO THANK MAYOR WHITMEYER, OF COURSE, ALL THE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT HELPED ME. [02:20:01] AND ACTUALLY, UM, MEMBER MARTINEZ, HE HELPED US WITH TWO SCHOOLS, UH, ALSO WITH LANTRIP ELEMENTARY, NOT JUST A NEED FOR EARLY START. AND THE PRINCIPAL WANTED ME TO PERSONALLY THANK YOU TO COUNCIL MEMBER ALONG WITH COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO HELPING US TO GET OUR THING. AND I WORKED DILIGENTLY WITH HIS OFFICE, GETTING THE SCHOOL ZONES DOWN. UM, EVERY, A LOT OF THINGS THAT I WORK WITH HIS OFFICE ON, ON, DO NOT ENTER SIGNS AROUND THE SCHOOL. UH, BUT I APPRECIATE COUNCIL MEMBER AND YOUR STAFF. THANK YOU'ALL AGAIN, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TEM. AND MARK, THANKS FOR COMING DOWN AND, AND, YOU KNOW, SHOWING US THE, THE KIDS WHO HAD A GREAT TIME AT THE ZOO. UM, I KNOW YOU, YOU DO A LOT FOR OUR SCHOOLS AND APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR FEEDBACK ON THEIR EXPERIENCE AND, AND YOU KNOW, YOUR THOUGHTS AROUND THE, THE ACCESSIBILITY AND, AND HOW WE CAN HELP IMPROVE THE ZOO SO MORE, MORE KIDS AROUND THE CITY CAN EXPERIENCE IT. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, CONTA REYES. I, GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS CONTA REYES. I'M AN ADVOCATE WITH DECADES OF EXPERIENCE WORKING ACROSS THE TABLE. I'M HERE TODAY WITH A SERIOUS CONCERN ABOUT HPV DECISION TO DECENTRALIZE THE OFFICE OF COMMUNITY AFFAIRS. FOR OVER EIGHT YEARS, I VOLUNTEER UNDER THE MUNICIPAL CULTURAL AFFAIRS WITH CADETS IN POLICE ACADEMY, TOURING THEM INTO THE NEIGHBORHOODS, INTRODUCING THEM TO THE COMMUNITY DYNAMICS, AND SHARING THE HISTORY OF HOW DIVERSE GROUPS INCLUDING THE LATINO COMMUNITY, HAVE MADE HOUSTON THEIR HOME. HOUSTON IS THE THIRD LARGEST CITY WITH 145 LANGUAGES, AND OVER 90 NATIONS REPRESENTED IT. SO WHY DISMANTLE THE ONE DIVISION THAT CONNECTS HPD DIRECTLY TO THE COMMUNITIES? THESE LIAISONS HAVE SPENT YEARS BUILDING TRUST AND NETWORKS. THIS ISN'T A PART-TIME ROLE, IT IS A FULL-TIME COMMITMENT. HOW CAN THESE OFFICERS BE EXPECTED TO PATROL AND ALSO SERVE AS LIAISONS ACROSS A CITY? THIS LARGE WASN'T THE GOAL OF HPD CONTRACT TO RETAIN, RECRUIT, AND COMMIT COMPETE, AND YET WE'RE SHRINKING ONE OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE DIVISIONS WE HAVE FOR THE COMMUNITY OUTREACH. THE MUSLIM LIAISON POSITION IS STILL VACATED. WHY ARE WE WAITING FOR A TRAGEDY LIKE BOULDER, COLORADO TO REMIND US WHY THESE ROLES MATTER. LET'S NOT FORGET JOE CAMP POST TORES MURDER AND THE MOODY PARK RIOT RIOT. THOSE TRAGEDIES ARE EXACTLY WHAT CREATED THE OFFICE OF COMMUNITY AFFAIRS IN THE FIRST PLACE. MAYOR RECENTLY, A WOMAN STOOD HERE HEARTBROKEN ASKING FOR HPD TO CATCH HER SON'S KILLER. YOU REFERRED HER TO THE LIAISON IN PRESENT. WELL, GUESS WHAT? NEXT TIME THAT LIAISON MIGHT BE OUT ON PATROL DECENTRALIZING THIS DIVISION REMOVES A VITAL SOURCE THAT PEOPLE LIKE ME DEPEND ON KEEPING COMMUNICATIONS WITH BETWEEN HPD AND THE PUBLIC. NOT EVERYONE CAN BUILD RELATIONSHIPS, RESOLVE CRISIS, OR BUILD A BRIDGE THAT TAKES YEARS OF TRUST AND CONSISTENCY. AND IF YOU THINK, AND IF YOU THINK THIS ISN'T , LOVE IT WHEN PEOPLE TEXT YOU RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF A CONVERSATION, . AND IF YOU THINK VITAL, UH, ASK YOURSELF, WHY IS SHERRA GONZALEZ MODELING THIS COMMUNITY AFFAIRS DIVISION AFTER HPD? WHY DID HE RECRUIT ONE OF THE HPDS OWN LIAISONS? EVEN WITH A SMALLER BUDGET, HE UNDERSTANDS THE VALUE OF A CENTRALIZED COMMUNITY AFFAIRS DIVISION. ERNST AND YOUNG'S REPORT MAY SAY ONE THING, BUT IT DOESN'T MEASURE THE HUMAN ELEMENT. THE HOUSTON ELEMENT, YOU ALL KNOW MUCH WORK GOES INTO EVENTS LIKE NATIONAL NIGHT OUT, THAT KIND OF COORDINATION WILL SUFFER UNDER DECENTRALIZATION. THIS IS NOT ABOUT POLITICS, IT'S ABOUT PEOPLE. AND I WILL NOT STAND BY WHILE THIS DIVISION WILL, WHICH HAS SERVED OUR COMMUNITY SO WELL, IS DISMANTLE. ONE LAST POINT. WHEN I REGISTERED TO SPEAK TODAY, I LEFT THE SUBJECT LINE, VAGUE LACK OF COMMUNITY RESOURCES BY 4:00 PM YESTERDAY. I RECEIVED CALLS FROM DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS AND DIVISIONS ASKING IF IT WAS THEIR ISSUE. GUESS WHO WAS MAKING THOSE CALLS? THE LIAISON TO THOSE DEPARTMENTS AND DIVISIONS. I HOPE THAT ILLUSTRATES MY POINT. CLEARLY, THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY AND COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN FOR BRINGING THIS ISSUE TO LIGHT. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. GOOD TO SEE YOU. I'M RIGHT THERE. ALL RIGHT. ALWAYS. LISTEN, I WANT TO, EXCUSE [02:25:01] ME, ADDRESS THE, THE ISSUE AROUND COMMITTEE AFFAIRS MM-HMM . WHICH IS A DEFINITELY CONCERN. I'VE ALREADY PUT IN SOME, UH, QUESTIONING ABOUT IT BECAUSE BEING THE DIVERSE CITY THAT WE ARE VERY DIVERSE AS, AS THE WORLD KNOWS THAT ALSO WITH SOME OF THE IMPLEMENTATIONS OF WHAT WE NEED TO DO IN OUR COMMUNITIES OVERALL IS ESSENTIAL. AND SO I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THAT BECAUSE SOME OF THE CRIME ISSUES THAT I'VE INTRODUCED IS VERY VITAL WHEN I TALKED ABOUT THE PROGRAM WITH THE POLICE PASTORS AND PEOPLE MM-HMM . WHICH IS ALL A PART OF COMMUNITY FAIR FAIRS PROJECT. ALSO BECAUSE WE KNOW, UH, AS WE INTRODUCE THE DATA ON TEENAGE CRIME IN OUR CITY AND HOW THAT NUMBER'S GOING UP. UM, AND NOT ONLY IS I HEARD EARLY AS THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT GUN VIOLENCE, AND, BUT IT'S ALSO, AND THAT'S TRUE, BUT IT'S ALSO ESSENTIAL ABOUT GANG VIOLENCE. MM-HMM . YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO LOOK AT ALL OF THE THINGS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THAT TYPE OF CRIME. SO IT'S ESSENTIAL THAT WE LOOK AT THIS ISSUE OF DECENTRALIZING THE OFFICE OF COMMUNITY AFFAIRS BECAUSE IT CAN BE DETRIMENTAL. AND THE PASTORS MINISTRY ADVISORY BOARD OF PREACHERS HAVE STEPPED UP AND MADE THAT ONE OF THE ESSENTIALS. SO WE WANT TO PARTNER WITH THOSE GROUPS IN ORDER TO HELP ALL OF US BE INVOLVED. SO, OH, ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR, YOUR CONCERN WITH THAT. IT IS ONE THAT CERTAINLY NEED A LOT OF ATTENTION TO. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER. MM-HMM . THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PAULINE CHEATHAM. PAULINE CHEATHAM. GOOD AFTERNOON. CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS ON BEHALF OF, UH, DISTRICT B WITH TASHA JACKSON. I HAVE SOME COMMUNITY PROBLEMS WITH, UH, OVER WEEDED PROPERTIES THAT'S NOT BEING CARED FOR, A GARBAGE BEING DUMPED. AND, UH, I'VE SENT YOU SOME PICTURES FOR THE MAYOR'S OFFICE. AND MS. JACKSON'S OFFICE 2301 HAS BEEN CITED SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE YEARS, AND SHE DOESN'T KEEP HER PROPERTY UP. AND IT'S ENCROACHING OVER ON MY PROPERTY IF I'M 75 AND I CAN GET OUT AND CUT MY YARD, SURELY SHE CAN KEEP THAT PROPERTY UP AND SHE'S CREATING A DUMPING GROUND. THEN THE FRIDAY, THE GARBAGE PEOPLE CAME THROUGH AND HE DUMPED ABOUT SIX GARBAGE CANS IN THE DITCH INSTEAD OF LANDING THEM UP. RIGHT. SO I HAD TO REACH OVER AND PULL MY GARBAGE CAN OUT OF THE DITCH. THERE'S, UH, CARS AND TRUCKS, UH, THAT'S NOT RUNNING ON THE PROPERTY AT 2304 THROUGH 2312 STEVENS AT THE ROYAL HOUSES. AND THE, UM, MR. LITE NEIGHBORHOOD PROTECTION HAS BEEN OUT AND, UH, ABOUT THREE MONTHS AGO, AND THEY SAID IT WAS GIVING 'EM TWO WEEKS. THOSE CARS HAVE BEEN SITTING THERE FOR ABOUT THREE YEARS. EVERY TIME THEY COME OUT AND SAY THEY'RE GONNA DO SOMETHING, NEIGHBORHOOD PROTECTION ISN'T DOING WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DO. AND I WANTED TO KNOW HOW IS 2301 STEVENS STREET, HOW IS SHE GETTING AWAY WITH UNKEMPT PROPERTY LIKE SHE DOES? AND AS I CUT MY FENCE LINE, THEN HERS IS COMING OVER POISONING IVY. WE HAVE POSSUM RATS, THE RACCOONS, IT, IT'S PITIFUL. AND SO I WANNA SEE WHAT THE CITY'S GONNA DO ABOUT THAT, BECAUSE IN THE STREETLIGHTS, THEY HAVE TWO STREETLIGHTS OUT AT 2314, THERE'S A NEW POLE, BUT THEY DIDN'T PUT UP LIGHT THERE. AND AT THE BACK END OF 2301 STEVENS AT CAMPBELL STREET, THAT LIGHT I REPORTED AT THE CENTER POINT ABOUT THREE MONTHS AGO, AND THEY HAVE YET TO REPLACE THAT LIGHT, AND IT'S DARK. AND WITH THE OVERGROWN WEEDS, IT'S JUST A SAFETY HAZARD. SO I'M WANTING TO KNOW, WHAT ARE YOU ALL GONNA DO ABOUT 2301 ALI RIGHT NEXT DOOR. AND YOU CAN SEE I KEEP MY PROPERTY UP REALLY WELL, AND I, I, I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO YOU ALL SEEING THAT SHE, UH, DOES WHAT SHE'S SUPPOSED TO DO AS THE REST OF US IN THE COMMUNITY. MS. CHEATHAM, I, I KNOW THIS IS VERY FRUSTRATING FOR YOU, UM, ESPECIALLY WHEN, UH, YOUR NEIGHBORS ARE NOT KEEPING THEIR YARDS UP THE WAY YOU KEEP YOURS UP. UM, I KNOW THAT YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER IS NOT HERE TODAY, BUT HER STAFF IS HERE. UM, AND HE, HE CAN TALK TO YOU. UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE, UM, IS, UH, PARKING MANAGEMENT CAN DO A SWEEP IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. WE DONE IT IN TWO NEIGHBORHOODS IN THE LAST MONTH. UM, AND THEY COME OUT AND THEY GIVE THEM THE CITATIONS, AND IF THEY DO NOT, UH, REMOVE THE CARS, THEY WENT BACK OUT AND TOLD 'EM. [02:30:01] UM, SO I THINK THAT, THAT THAT CAN BE AN OPTION FOR THE, THE CARS THAT ARE, UM, INOPERABLE IN THE COMMUNITY AS FAR AS THE TRASH CANS THAT ARE, UM, PUT IN THE, IN THE DITCH AFTER THE, UM, TRUCKS HAVE GONE BY. WE CAN DEFINITELY, UM, EXPRESS YOUR CONCERN TO THE SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT TO SEE IF WE CAN DO A BETTER JOB OF MAKING SURE THOSE TRASH CANS LAND UPRIGHT, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY'RE USING THOSE, UM, UH, AUTOMATIC ARMS. SOMETIMES THAT MAY BE DIFFICULT, ESPECIALLY IF WE HAVE NEW DRIVERS. BUT WE WILL DEFINITELY EXPRESS YOUR CONCERNS TO THE SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT AS WELL. BUT I DO, THE DISTRICT B UM, STAFF IS HERE. DO YOU WANT TO, UH, MEET WITH, WITH HER? AND, AND HE CAN HELP YOU WITH THE OTHER CONCERNS YOU HAVE IN THE DISTRICT. AND WE CAN, UM, GET THE DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS TO ASSIST AS WELL. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR YOU'RE VERY WELCOME, LISTENING TO MY CONCERNS. I WISH YOU THE BEST. UH, THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. MARJORIE SMITH. MARJORIE SMITH. MARJORIE SMITH. NEXT SPEAKER. ENRIQUE NAVARRO. ENRIQUE NAVARRO. HELLO, ENRIQUE. HI. ACTUALLY, I'M DIEGO NAVARRO. ENRIQUE IS MY DAD. HE'S SITTING OVER THERE. HE DOESN'T SPEAK ENGLISH, SO, UM, MOVED TO SUSPEND THE RULES. TELL ME YOUR NAME. DIEGO NAVARRO. DIEGO? MM-HMM . MOVED TO, IT IS BEEN MOVED. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. IT'S BEEN MOVED. AND SECOND TO, UH, SUBSTITUTE DIEGO NAVARRO FOR ENRIQUE NAVARRO. UH, ANY DISCUSSION IF NO DISCUSSION ITEM PASSES. OKAY, SO, PARDON OF MY ENGLISH . IT'S OKAY. UM, A CHEF BUSINESS OWNER AND I LEASE A PROPERTY ON THE CORNER OF SHEPHERD DRIVE AND FIGAN STREET ON 2018. WE OPENED ON, UH, APRIL, 2019, AND THEN COVID HIT, UH, WE DIDN'T GET ANY FUNDS OR HELP. UH, WE STOOD BY AND THEN THE ROADWORK STARTED ON 2021, AND IT LASTED TWO YEARS. WE LOST A, A LOT OF, UH, BUSINESS BECAUSE OF THAT. AND THEY TOOK FROM THREE LANES TO, NO, FROM FOUR LANES TO THREE, AND THEY ADDED A BIKE LANE. AND THEY TOOK A LOT OF, UH, FOOTAGE FROM OUR PROPERTIES, UH, FOR THE BIKE LANE. SO WE LOST LIKE EIGHT PARKING SPACES. AND THOSE PARKING SPACES WERE WHERE, UH, VERY IMPORTANT FOR US, FOR OUR BUSINESS. AND SINCE THEN, A LOT OF PEOPLE DRIVE BY AND THEY JUST DON'T WANNA, UH, COME BY BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH PARKING SPACES. UH, WE'VE BEEN STRUGGLING BECAUSE OF THAT. AND I'M JUST HERE, UH, FOR YOUR HELP TO RECOVER THOSE PARKING SPACES. AND THE ENGINEER IN CHARGE OF THAT PROJECT WAS STEVE CAMPANA. AND AFTER THAT, HE RETIRED. SO HE'S NO LONGER WORKING FOR THE CITY. AND, UH, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT, WHAT ELSE TO DO, UH, TO GET MORE BUSINESS. AND I'M HERE FOR YOUR HELP SO WE CAN GET MORE, UH, CREATE MORE JOBS, GET MORE BUSINESS, AND WE JUST DON'T WANT TO CLOSE BECAUSE OF, UH, THE LACK OF PARKING SPACES. AND WE'RE ALSO AWARE OF, UH, FAMILY OWNED BUSINESS. SO WE'RE JUST HERE, UH, FOR HELP. THANK YOU, DIEGO. COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN. THANK YOU. UM, DIEGO, THIS IS, UH, RELATING TO DISTRICT C. UM, WE HAVE TRIED TO REACH OUT TO YOUR OFFICE, UH, BUT WE, I MEAN TO OUR OFFICE HAS TRIED TO REACH OUT TO YOU, BUT WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN A CALL BACK. SO IF YOU CAN, UH, I DON'T THINK I HAVE STAFF. I THINK THEY'RE IN THE BACK DEALING WITH THE, THE DISTRICT EMERGENCY THAT JUST CAME UP. BUT WE WILL TRY TO REACH OUT TO YOU AGAIN. NO PRIVATE SPACE WAS TAKEN DURING, UH, THE DURHAM SHEPHERD RECONSTRUCTION. NOW, IF THERE WERE ILLEGAL ENCROACHMENTS ON CITY PROPERTY, THAT WAS ABSOLUTELY ADDRESSED. BUT THE, THE WIDER SIDEWALKS AND IMPROVED INFRASTRUCTURE CAME FROM THE STREET ITSELF. AND THEN, UH, THE REASON YOU SEE THREE LANES WHEN THE TRAFFIC HAS NOT DECREASED, UH, I'M SORRY, TRAFFIC JAMS HAVE ACTUALLY DECREASED IN TRAFFIC IS FLOWING SMOOTHER. WE HAVE SAFER TURNS AND CROSSES, AND A LOT OF BUSINESSES ARE ACTUALLY SEEING MORE. WE ABSOLUTELY WANNA HELP YOU, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE YOU KNOW, [02:35:01] THAT NO PRIVATE PROPERTY WAS, WAS TAKEN IN ANY WAY DURING THIS. NOW, IF THERE WERE ILLEGAL ENCROACHMENTS, THOSE WERE DRESSED JUST LIKE IN ANY OTHER CITY PROJECT AND CONSTRUCTION THAT OCCURS. YOU CAN ALSO, AND WE'LL MAKE SURE YOU GET THE INFORMATION, REACH OUT. I THINK WHO YOU'RE REFERRING TO IS NOT A CITY ENGINEER, BUT ACTUALLY A TS ENGINEER. THE, THE, THE HEIGHTS TURS MANAGE THIS PROJECT. MM-HMM . AND YOU CAN GO ON THEIR WEBSITE AND REACH OUT TO THEM DIRECTLY, OR WE CAN HELP FACILITATE, IS THAT, THAT AS WELL, TO MAKE SURE THAT YOUR QUESTIONS GET ANSWERED. OKAY. UH, THANK YOU. DURING THE PREVIOUS, UM, GOVERNMENT, WE, WE, UH, RE TRIED TO REACH THE ENGINEERS AND NOTHING HAPPENED. AND WELL, ON MY CORNER, A LOT OF PEOPLE JUST CRASH THEIR CARS WITH A BIKE LANE. AND YEAH, I, WE WILL LOOK AT THE CRASH AGAIN. LET'S TALK OFFLINE. UM, THIS HAS ACTUALLY CREATED ADDITIONAL SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS. THERE'S STILL ONGOING CONSTRUCTION, BUT WE WANNA MAKE SURE, UM, THAT YOU'RE GETTING ALL YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED. SO AGAIN, UM, I'M GOING TO SEND A NOTE TO MY STAFF RIGHT NOW TO COME MEET YOU TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE THE RIGHT NUMBER. UH, BUT PLEASE REACH OUT TO OUR OFFICE SO WE CAN GET YOU THE RIGHT CONTACT INFO. THANK YOU. ALSO, IN THE AREA WHERE THEY, UH, DUG UP INSIDE THE PROPERTY, THEY IT, BUT IT WAS LIKE VERY POORLY DONE, AND IT'S CRUMBLING DOWN AND IT'S CREATING A LOT OF GARBAGE. OKAY, WE'LL, WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT THE TURS IS AWARE OF THAT. AGAIN, ALL THE UTILITIES, SO IMPROVED DRAINAGE WENT IN. UTILITIES WERE, UH, SO BADLY INSTALLED BEFORE THE CONSTRUCTION THAT EVEN CARS OR HEAVY EQUIPMENT WAS HITTING GAS LINES. SO ALL THE UTILITIES WERE REDONE IN THAT. BUT WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT WE CONNECT YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. LINDA GAMBLE. LINDA GAMBLE. HELLO, MS. GAMBLE. GOOD AFTERNOON, UH, MAYOR PROTI AND COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND THANK YOU AGAIN FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK THREE MINUTES THIS WEEK AND FOR ALLOWING ME ONE MINUTE FOR THE REST OF THE TUESDAYS IN THIS MONTH, I WANNA MAKE A CORRECTION ON YOUR SCHEDULE. THE ADDRESS IS 1619 WILBERFORCE. I'LL SAY THAT AGAIN. 1619 WILBERFORCE. I'M HERE REPRESENTING MY 95-YEAR-OLD MOTHER. ON MY WAY HERE, I SAID A PRAYER TO GOD, AND I ASKED HIM TO ORDER MY WORDS AND STEPS THAT THEY WOULD BE RECEPTIVE. I'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET A CASE NUMBER AND TRYING TO GET HELP WITH THIS MATTER. EVER SINCE AUGUST OF LAST YEAR, THE CITY IS TELLING ME THAT IT'S A CIVIL MATTER. THIS IS A CRIMINAL AND A CIVIL MATTER. A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, I SPOKE AT THE COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S COURT TO GET THIS DEAD BODY OFF OF MY MOTHER'S PROPERTY. IT'S GOING TO TAKE A JOINT EFFORT BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE COUNTY. I CAN'T DO THIS BY MYSELF. MY SISTERS CAN'T DO THIS. WE'RE SPENDING FUNDS, WE ARE PAYING FOR LAWYERS, BUT I DO NEED HELP. 16, 19 WILBERFORCE IN DISTRICT B COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON IS NOT HERE. SHE'S NOT REACHED OUT TO ME. I LIVE IN DISTRICT A EVERY TIME I SHOW UP, MY COUNCIL MEMBER IS CONCERNED ENOUGH TO CALL ME, TO CHECK ON ME, AND TO OFFER ANY TYPE OF SUPPORT SHE CAN GIVE ME. MY 95-YEAR-OLD MOTHER WAS BORN IN HOUSTON. SHE WAS MARRIED IN HOUSTON. SHE RAISED HER FAMILY IN HOUSTON. SHE AND MY FATHER HAD BUSINESSES IN HOUSTON. AND I'M BEGGING FOR ANY KIND OF ASSISTANCE FOR SOMEONE FRAUDULENTLY FILING DEEDS AT THE COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE, WHICH IS CRIMINAL. AND I'M ASKING FOR SOMEONE FROM HPD TO HELP US GET ON OUR PROPERTY. WE ARE LOCKED OUT OF OUR PROPERTY. WE CAN'T GO ON BECAUSE THEY'RE ARMED PEOPLE THERE, THEY'RE RELATIVES. AND MY AUNT WHO PASSED, HER DAUGHTER OWNS A FUNERAL HOME. MY AUNT'S DEATH CERTIFICATE SAYS SHE'S PROCLAIMED THIS PROPERTY AS A CEMETERY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON WITHOUT FILING FOR ANY PERMITS. EVERY TIME I CALL THE PERMITS [02:40:01] DEPARTMENT, I'M PUT ON HOLD. I'M ASKING FOR SOME ASSISTANCE. I DON'T CARE IF IT'S AN AT LARGE COUNCIL MEMBER, BUT CAN SOMEONE PLEASE ASSIST US? WE HAVE ANOTHER EVICTION COURT DATE LATER IN THE MONTH, BUT WE CAN'T DO THIS BY OURSELF. AND IT IS CIVIL, BUT IT IS ALSO CRIMINAL, AND IT WILL TAKE A JOINT EFFORT FROM THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND FROM HARRIS COUNTY. THE POPULATION IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S THE FOURTH LARGEST IN THIS COUNTRY. HARRIS COUNTY IS THE THIRD LARGEST COUNTY IN THE UNITED STATES. AND SOMEONE CAN WALK INTO A COUNTY OFFICE AND FILE A FRAUDULENT DEED AND THEN DECIDE TO TAKE THEIR BUSINESS LICENSE AND BURY A BODY IN A LAND GRAB. AND I'M, I HAVE COMMITTED MYSELF TO ADDRESSING THIS ISSUE EVERY WEEK UNTIL I GET SOME ACTION. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, VICE MAYOR, PRO TEM PAC, THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TEM, MS. CAMPBELL, LET'S GO TALK OUT IN THE HALL AND LET'S SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO GET THIS RESOLVED FOR YOU. OKAY, THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU FOR LISTENING. BEST WISHES TO YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, NANCY HIGGS. NANCY HIGGS. NANCY HIGGS. NEXT SPEAKER. CHRIS TYLER. CHRIS TYLER. CHRIS TYLER. CHRIS TYLER. NEXT SPEAKER. LILY PHILLIPS. LILY PHILLIPS. LILY PHILLIPS. NEXT SPEAKER. DOUGLAS RIPLEY. DOUGLAS RIPLEY. NEXT SPEAKER. JOHN NICKS. JOHN NICKS. I'M HERE. HELLO, JOHN HOWDY. UH, MAYOR PRO TEM AND CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS JOHN NICKS, I LIVE OVER IN THE HEIGHTS AND THE AWESOME DISTRICT C OF COURSE, I CAYMAN COUNCILWOMAN. I CAYMAN IS MY CITY COUNCIL MEMBER. I AM KIND TO, UH, MY MAIN TOPIC IS TODAY THAT I WANNA SEE THE TALK Y'ALL DO IS TO BRING BACK A HERO 2.0 FOR ANY OF YOU THAT REMEMBER BACK 10 YEARS, ACTUALLY, 10 YEARS AGO OR SO, WE HAD THE USED RIGHT ORDINANCE THAT WAS VOTED DOWN BY, UH, BY REPUBLICANS. AND THAT MADE A WHOLE BIG MESS OF IT. AND I'VE REALIZED, YOU KNOW, HOUSTON HAS GOTTEN A LOT MORE PROGRESSIVE. I BELIEVE THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S TIME NOW. IT WOULD BETTER PROTECT, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, GIVE US EQUAL PROTECTIONS, YOU KNOW, FOR LIKE, PEOPLE LIKE MYSELF THAT DO FACE DISCRIMINATION, YOU KNOW, AS, AS A CITY, AS A CITY RESIDENT, NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, THE LGBT, BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, IF IT FOCUS, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE LIKE MYSELF, IT ISN'T JUST THE BATHROOM BILL, YOU KNOW, I BELIEVE IT'S TIME AND IT'S TIME LIKE THAT. I DO ALSO SUPPORT THE AMENDMENT WITH THE BA, THE LGBT AMENDMENT. WE NEED TO DO MORE PROTECTION WITH THE LBGT AS WELL. AND ON THE OTHER THING TOO, WE DESPERATELY NEED TO FIND SOME SORT OF MONEY TO REPLACE THIS CARPET. IT IS HORRIBLE FOR PEOPLE IN MY WHEELCHAIRS. IF YOU EVER WANT TO, I'LL MOVE TO A CHAIR AND YOU CAN TRY TO MANEUVER IN MY, IN MY WHEELCHAIR TO SEE HOW AWFUL IT IS. AND JUST, THE CITY HALL HAS A LOT OF ISSUES TOO, TO GET AROUND ON THAT ISSUE. AND I COULD GO ON AND ON ABOUT ISSUES WITH THE CITY BEING THAT IT COULD DO BETTER FOR DISABILITIES ON THAT ISSUE AND THAT THE CITY COULD DO BETTER AS A RESIDENT, OF COURSE, THAT THE CITY COULD DO BETTER ON IT. AND I'M DISAPPOINTED THAT MAYOR TURNER'S HERE, BUT I HOPE HE'S DOING BETTER WHEREVER HE'S AT AND THAT HE GETS TO HEAR MY SPEECH. AND I HOPE Y'ALL ENJOY AND GET TIME TO HEAR MY, AND THAT Y'ALL HAVE TIME. I KNOW Y'ALL ARE VERY TIRED AND I HOPE Y'ALL HAVE A GREAT DAY. THAT'S ALL I'M GONNA HAVE. OH, YEAH. ONE OTHER THING. WE NEED TO JUST TO BREAK THE FIRE EMS AWAY FROM THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. IT TAKES CRAZY HOW LONG YOU HAVE TO WAIT FOR EMS SERVICE IN THE CITY. EMS SERVICE IN THE CITY, ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE DOWNTOWN AND THEY SEND SOMEONE FROM ACRES, ACRES, HOMES, OR IF YOU'RE IN THE HEIGHTS AND THEY SEND SOMEONE FROM LIKE, FAR, FAR AWAY, IT'S RIDICULOUS. WE NEED TO SEPARATE IT. THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY. HAVE A GREAT DAY, DAY. THANK YOU. MR. NICKS, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR COMING. I KNOW THAT, UH, MAYOR WHITMEYER HAD OFFERED TO DO A TOUR WITH THE CITY HALL AT THAT. YES. AND HE SAID, COME BACK IN TWO WEEKS, WHICH I DID, AND HE DIDN'T. IS HE'S NOT HERE. OKAY. AND, AND I, I'M, I, I SEE SOME STAFF NODDING. I HOPEFULLY WE'LL GET THAT SCHEDULED. THE ONLY REASON I BROUGHT IT UP WAS TO MAKE SURE Y'ALL LET ME KNOW WHEN IT IS SO I CAN JOIN YOU. I DID SPEAK WITH THE, [02:45:01] UM, WITH DIRECTOR PON SAY, UH, RIGHT ABOUT THE CARPET AND THE ISSUES THAT YOU RAISED RELATED TO A DA ACCESSIBILITY AT SEA HALL. RIGHT? SO, AGAIN, I APPRECIATE IT AND I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT RIGHT. AND I'M GONNA LIVE, HE SAID TWO WEEKS, WHICH I DID, YOU KNOW, I PAID THE APPOINTMENT TO SEE HIM AND HOPEFULLY THAT I COULD GRAB HIM AND THEN THAT HE WILL, HE'S NOT HERE. OKAY, WELL, WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL MAKE SURE I, I SEE A THUMBS UP FROM HIS STAFF WHO I KNOW IS WORKING REALLY HARD, SO WE'LL ALL, 'CAUSE I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WHO TO REACH OUT TO, TO PHONE HIM TO PHONE CALL OR WHO TO EMAIL OR ANYTHING. SO I JUST, YOU KNOW, MADE AN APPOINTMENT, YOU KNOW, MADE A THING TO REGISTER, TO SPEAK ON THE SAME TOPICS AREA. I APPRECIATE. SO I THINK THERE'S, THERE'S STAFF, UH, AS SOON AS YOU'RE DONE, UH, THEY'LL GET WITH YOU, BUT MAKE SURE I'M INCLUDED. OKAY? THANK YOU AND HAVE A GREAT DAY AND GOD BLESS TEXAS. AND GO TEAM WITH WHATEVER TEAM YOU'RE IN FOR AND HAVE A GREAT DAY. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO AND . HANG ON ONE SECOND. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. THANK YOU MAYOR PROTE. JOHN, THANK YOU FOR COMING DOWN HERE AND FOR YOUR COMMENTS AROUND THE, UM, ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT COORDINATOR POSITION AND FOR HIGHLIGHTING THE RANGE OF CLASSES THAT WERE PROTECTED, UH, UNDER THE OLD HERO ORDINANCE, UH, AND FOR YOUR CONTINUED ADVOCACY. THANK YOU. RIGHT? BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS TOO. I MEAN, I'VE BEEN DISCRIMINATED AGAINST, YOU KNOW, AS A DISABLED INDIVIDUAL. I LIVE IN, UH, MY APARTMENT'S NOT A, IN THE VEST OF CONDITION, YOU KNOW, AND IT, IT'S IMPORTANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT. THANK YOU. RIGHT? AND ALL THE REPUBLICANS WANNA DO IS JUST CALL IT THE BATHROOM BILL AND THEN GET IT ON THE BALLOT. AND THEN THAT'S ALL THEY WANNA DO IS JUST TRY TO DO IT CRAZY. OF COURSE, YOU, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M MY VOTING RECORD AND WHAT I'M PROUD TO BE. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. NO PROBLEM. HAVE A GREAT DAY. AND GO TEAM AND YHA. ALRIGHT, NEXT SPEAKER. WILLIE DAVIS. WILLIE DAVIS. WILLIE WILLIE DAVIS. IS THERE ANOTHER WILLIE DAVIS IN THE ROOM? . NEXT SPEAKER. MUSTAFA. S NEY. MUSTAFA SNI. NEXT SPEAKER LEE PERRY. LEE PERRY. LEE PERRY. NEXT SPEAKER LISA BROWN. LISA JENKINS BROWN. GOOD EVENING TO THE MAYOR PRO TIM. I WAS HOPING TO MEET JOHN WHITMEYER, MAYOR JOHN WHITMEYER BECAUSE THIS IS MY FIRST TIME COMING THIS YEAR, UHHUH, TO ADDRESS THIS MATTER. I'M LISA JACKSONS, I'M AN AUTHOR AND I AM A CEMETERY PRESERVATIONIST. I HAVE BEEN DOING THIS WORK FOR 20 PLUS YEARS. UH, MY MISSION IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE HISTORIC PLACES AND RESOURCES ARE FOR GOD NO MORE. UM, WITH THOMAS JEFFERSON SAID, HISTORY IS A THING RARE. THAT IS ALWAYS VALUABLE HISTORY. THIS IS JUNETEENTH. IT IS A MONTH THAT OUR HISTORY SHOULD BE TOLD. WE ARE DEDICATED THAT SHARING OUR HISTORY FROM THE GRAVE, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT. MY CONCERNS TODAY, I GUESS WITH THE BUDGET CUTS, THE AROUND THE CEMETERY USED TO BE CUT BY THE COUNTY, THE OUTER PERIMETERS. BUT NOW THAT THEY'VE TAKEN THAT AWAY, IT IS IN DISARRAY. WE HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THE MEDIUM AND I'M NOT GONNA ADDRESS THAT UNTIL YOU GET THE REPORT FROM THE ARCHEOLOGIST. THE MEDIAN IS WHERE THOSE BODIES WAS LEFT THERE WHEN THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO BE REMOVED DURING THE 1950S. AND I HAVE, WE HAVE DONE EXTENSIVE RESEARCH AND I HAVE ALL THE RESEARCH. I HAVE TEAMED UP AND BROUGHT PROFESSIONALS TOGETHER FROM UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON WHO ARE ARCHEOLOGISTS, ANTHROPOLOGISTS AND GEOPHYSICS. AND WE'VE DONE THESE, UH, DEEP RESEARCH IN THIS AREA. AND WHAT WE NEED, WHAT I'M COMING HERE TODAY IS TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM THAT IS OVERGROWN ON THE PARAMETERS. WHAT USED TO HELPED US, BECAUSE WE GET NO FUNDING, OUR FUNDING COMES FROM VOLUNTEERS AND IN KIND DONATIONS WE HAVE HAD SOMEONE DO AN IN KIND DONATION WITH A PERIMETER FENCE. THAT'S WHERE THE LINDA CARE SHEFFIELD'S FOUNDATION AND THAT WAS THE KEY VIOLATORS OUT OF THAT PLACE. OUR GOAL IS TO MAKE THIS A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE CAN COME AND IT'S LOCATED IN THE GREATER FIFTH WARD WHERE THEY CAN COME AND LEARN ABOUT THE COMMUNITY. ALSO, MEL TURNER, WHEN HE WAS HERE, HE HELPED AND DONATED THAT BRICK FENCE THAT COST THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. WE DON'T WANT IT DESTROYED. SO WE ARE TRYING TO MAINTAIN AND KEEP THAT UP. WE ARE COMING TO REQUEST TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU CONTINUE, YOU THE CITY, START CUTTING THAT PERIMETER BECAUSE [02:50:01] THAT BELONGS TO THE CITY. THROUGH OUR RESEARCH, THE MEDIAN IS OVERGROWN TALL AS ME, IT BELONGS TO THE CITY. AND ALSO WITH THE COUNTY STOPPING AND HELPING US CUT ONCE A MONTH. AND THAT'S ONE OF THE MAINTENANCE. IT'S OVERGROWN AND WE HAVE NO FUNDING. WE USE VOLUNTEERS. SO THAT IS MY REQUEST. BUT IN THE MEDIAN, THOSE REMAINS HAVE BEEN DISTURBED YEAR, UH, SEVERAL YEARS AGO. IT STARTED IN THE 1930S, IF YOU LOOK BACK IN HISTORY OF THAT. AND THE CEMETERY ACQUIRED THAT MEDIAN AND THE 1958 TO 1960 TO WIDEN LOCKWOOD. SO WE FEEL THAT HISTORY IS IMPORTANT. WE FEEL THAT OUR ANCESTORS ARE IMPORTANT. IT IS JUNETEENTH MONTH AND EVERY DAY IS HISTORY. SO WE WOULD LIKE TO ASK YOUR HELP AND CONTINUING TO PRESERVE THIS HISTORIC PIECE OF PROPERTY FOR NOT ONLY FOR US TODAY, FOR MANY YEARS TO COME THROUGH OUR YOUTH AND TEACHING THEM. AND WE'LL DISCUSS THE MEDIUM 'CAUSE THAT IS A BIGGER STORY. AFTER YOU GET THE REPORT FROM THE ARCHEOLOGIST, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO COME. GOD BLESS YOU. AND I HOPE, AND ALSO IF YOU, SINCE THEY'VE STOPPED, I JUST WANT TO REQUEST MAYBE YOU CAN GIVE US SOME ZERO TURN LAWNMOWER, SOME EQUIPMENT OURSELVES THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO WORK. THANK YOU. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TIM. THANK YOU MS. BROWN. LET ME ASK A QUESTION CONCERNING HOW MANY, YOU NAMED SEVERAL CEMETERIES YOU SAID THAT YOU WERE WORKING ON, IS IT MORE THAN ONE? YES. IN THE PAST WE USED TO WORK ON HARRISBURG AND I ADMIRE WITH THE CITY COUNCILWOMAN AND THE PEOPLE IN THAT AREA HAVE TAKEN ON THE OWNERSHIP OF THE HARRISBURG CEMETERY. MM-HMM . WHERE THEY'RE HELPING THEM PRESERVE THAT PIECE OF PROPERTY. OKAY. OKAY. SO, SO THIS ONE THAT YOU'RE SPEAKING ABOUT, THIS PARTICULAR ONE IS LOCATED WHERE? IT'S LOCATED ON MARKET BETWEEN MARKET AND LOCKWOOD. OKAY. IT'S IN THE GREATER FIFTH WARD RIGHT OFF OF I 10. OKAY. IT'S A EVERGREEN NEGRO CEMETERY. OKAY. BUT THERE ARE SEVERAL CEMETERIES ALSO. OAK PARK, WHEN THE HURRICANE CAME, YEAH, IT WAS DESTROYED. SO WE, I'VE BEEN DOING THIS 25 PLUS YEARS. I'M HELPING PEOPLE IN JASPER AROUND THE STATE AND PRESERVING THESE HISTORIC PROJECTS. SO IS THERE ORGANIZATION THAT YOU LEAD TO DO THIS? YES. OKAY. THE ORGANIZATION THAT I STARTED WITH IN THE NINE WAS PROJECT RESPECT WITH DR. W JONES. OKAY. NOW THE ORGANIZATION, WE HAVE COLLABORATED WITH THEM 'CAUSE A LOT OF THEM HAVE PASSED AWAY. OKAY. IS WHY NOT LEGACY, INHERITANCE? ALL OF US ARE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION. GOOD. OKAY. AND I'M LEADING PER DR. JONES 'CAUSE HE'S STILL HERE. HE JUST CAN'T COME OUT LIKE HE USED TO. MM-HMM . AND HIS PERMISSION TO WRITE, IT'S TO CONTINUE SINCE I'VE BEEN WITH HIM SINCE THE BEGINNING. CONTINUE THE EFFORTS OF THESE CEMETERIES. OKAY. WELL I'D LIKE TO, I'D LIKE TO MEET WITH YOU, UM, IF BRIEFLY AND UH, SEE IF WE CAN GET SOME PEOPLE WHO CAN VOLUNTEER. 'CAUSE YOU WERE ASKING FOR PEOPLE VOLUNTARILY TO COME OUT AND YEAH, I'M, I'M ASKING FOR VOLUNTEERS, BUT NOT ONLY, I WANT THAT AROUND THE MEDIUM. SURE. ALL OF THAT. CUT. SURE. AND WHEN WE, UM, WHEN AFTER THIS RESEARCH IS DONE, BECAUSE THE MEDIUM, THERE'S A BIG PROBLEM. GOOD. AND YOU'LL HEAR ABOUT THE PROBLEM. ALRIGHT. THE CITY OWNS THAT MEDIUM. OKAY. AND THEY BOUGHT THE BODIES. AND THERE ARE SEVERAL BODIES STILL THERE. YES MA'AM. OKAY. OKAY. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. YOU'RE WELCOME. NEXT SPEAKER. DARL HARPER. DARL HARPER. DARL HARPER. NEXT SPEAKER. EDUARDO DURAN. EDUARDO DURAN. EDUARDO DURAN. NEXT SPEAKER STEVE WILLIAMS. STEVE WILLIAMS. NEXT SPEAKER SARAH REMAN. SARAH REMAN. SARAH REMAN. NEXT SPEAKER, CAESAR ESPINOSA. CAESAR ESPINOSA. UM, HELLO. UH, I'M BACK. UH, BASICALLY, UM, I GOT A CALL, UH, ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO FROM THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE, UH, WITH STARTLING NEWS THAT THEY WERE DISMANTLING, UH, THE COMMUNITY LIAISON PROGRAM AT HPD OR DECENTRALIZING IT. PEOPLE ARE ALREADY SCARED OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. PEOPLE IN HOUSTON ARE ALREADY SCARED OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT AND IF WE DON'T DO MORE TO REACH OUT TO THE COMMUNITY, LET THEM KNOW THAT HPD IS THERE FOR THEM, THAT H THAT THEY SHOULD CALL HPD, THEN PEOPLE ARE GONNA BE FURTHER SCARED OF HPD. AND THAT DOESN'T ONLY PUT COMMUNITIES OF COLOR AT RISK, BUT THAT PUTS ALL OF US AT RISK. AND [02:55:01] I, I REALLY WANT THERE TO BE SOME DEEPER IN THOUGHT BECAUSE THE PERCENT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE PART OF THIS LIAISON PROGRAM ARE 0.007% OF HPD. THE NUMBERS SHOULD ACTUALLY BE, IN MY OPINION, A LOT BIGGER. AND I ALSO DON'T BUY INTO THE NOTION THAT ALL, ALL POLICE OFFICERS ARE LIAISONS. AND THAT'S NOT BECAUSE I HATE POLICE OFFICERS 'CAUSE I'VE BEEN ON RIDEALONGS WITH HPD AND THOSE OFFICERS HAVE ENOUGH TO WORRY ABOUT TO AFTER THEIR SHIFT, GO OUT AND DO RADIO SHOWS OR TRANSLATE OR GO OUT INTO SPECIFIC CRIME SCENES AND DO THE WORK THAT SOME OF THESE LIAISONS DO. SO REALLY, REALLY, REALLY RECONSIDER. THANK YOU SO MUCH. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN? NO, I CESAR I WANTED JUST MAKE SURE YOU HAD ENOUGH TIME TO COMPLETE YOUR REMARKS. I THINK YOU DID, BUT THANK YOU. YES, THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, JOY DAVIS. JOY DAVIS. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS JOY DAVIS AND I'M THE SENIOR FIELD ORGANIZER AND VOTER ENGAGEMENT ORGANIZING MANAGER OF PURE JUSTICE, WHERE WE TURNED OUT 47,912 HOUSTONIANS TO VOTE. UH, MY FAMILY HAS BEEN HERE SINCE THE 18 HUNDREDS. I'M A PROUD HOUSTONIAN AND I'M ALSO A CONSTITUENT OF DISTRICT HI STAND BEFORE YOU TODAY AS A MOTHER, A DAUGHTER, AND A WOMAN WHO HAS LIVED AND LIVES IN AREAS WITH HIGH LEVELS OF POVERTY. I ALSO LOVE MY COMMUNITY VERY MUCH. PEOPLE BELIEVE THE FALSE NARRATIVE THAT MORE POLICE MAKE US SAFER. BUT THE TRUTH IS INCREASED POLICING IN OUR COMMUNITIES, HAVING BROUGHT US MUCH PEACE. IN FACT, IT HAS BROUGHT FEAR EVERY MORNING WHEN I WOULD LEAVE TO GO TO WORK, TRAFFIC WOULD BE AT A STANDSTILL BY BURBANK ELEMENTARY. WHEN THE NEWS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT WAS IN OUR AREA, THE TRAFFIC THAT NORMALLY FILLED THE STREETS IN THE MORNINGS AND THE MANY STUDENTS GOING TO SCHOOL WERE NO LONGER AS PACKED AS THEY ONCE WERE. IT WAS SO ODD BECAUSE FOR YEARS THAT AREA WAS ALWAYS CROWDED IN THE MORNINGS. IT WASN'T SUMMER SCHOOL AND THE AREAS WERE BARE. PEOPLE WERE IN FEAR OF BEING DEPORTED WHILE TAKING THEIR KIDS TO SCHOOL. PARENTS WERE IN FEAR OF BEING STOPPED, FEAR OF THEIR CHILDREN BEING STOPPED, OF THEIR LOVED ONES BEING TREATED AS SUSPECTS AND OF THEIR SCHOOLS POSSIBLY BEING RATED. DO YOU NEED SOME MORE TIME? YES. . UH, FOR FAR TOO LONG, UM, PEOPLE HAVE BELIEVED THAT OUR VOICES, OUR NEEDS AND OUR HUMANITY ARE INVISIBLE TO THOSE IN POWER. THIS ALSO IMPACTS VOTER APATHY WHEN VOTERS WATCH AND FEEL LIKE THEY AREN'T BEING LISTENED TO AND ELECTED OFFICIALS ARE GOING TO KEEP CONTINUING TO DO WHAT THEY WANT TO DO ANYWAY WITHOUT ADDRESSING THE CONCERNS OF THEIR CONSTITUENCY. SO MUCH IS SPENT ON POLICING. YEAH. OUR NEIGHBORHOODS LACK AFFORDABLE HOUSING QUALITY AFTERSCHOOL AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN AND TEENAGERS TO ACTUALLY KEEP THEM SAFE AND OUT TROUBLE. THERE'S ALWAYS A NEED FOR FUNDING FOR MENTAL HEALTH CARE. THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT KEEP US SAFE, NOT MORE OFFICERS ON THE STREET. VOTE ON THE BUDGET. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. NEXT SPEAKER O MAYOR AMED O MAYOR AMED. NEXT SPEAKER SSA LEGETT TEASER LEGETT MAYOR PRO. TIM, I KNOW THIS IS A DANGEROUS SPOT TO BE IN BECAUSE IT'S RIGHT TIME TO GO HOME AND BEAT THE TRAFFIC RIGHT NOW, SO I'LL MAKE SURE TO KEEP IT AT A MINUTE IF THAT'S OKAY. ALRIGHT, YOU'RE FINE. SO I'M ADDRESSING YOU TODAY NOT AS A DISGRUNTLED FORMER EMPLOYEE, BUT AS A NEW DISTRICT H HOUSTONIAN, SOMEONE WHO MOVED TO THE CITY TO SERVE FOR A JOB. I NO LONGER HAVE COUNCIL MEMBERS, ALCORN AND CASTILLO. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ROLLING FOR THE ROLLING BUDGET TOWN HALLS. AND I NEED Y'ALL TO HEAR ME THOUGH RIGHT NOW. NOT WITH POLITICS, BUT WITH PURPOSE IN YOUR HEART. I COULD BE SILENT RIGHT NOW, BUT I CHOOSE TO SERVE AS A FORMER DIVISION MANAGER IN SOLID WASTE. I WANT ENVIRONMENT TEXAS. I THINK THEY LEFT ALREADY TO KNOW THAT WE WERE ABSOLUTELY WORKING ON RECYCLING EDUCATION. THAT WORK HAS BEEN CUT. PROACTIVE COMMUNICATIONS FOR INACCURATE INADEQUATE OPERATIONS. UM, INADEQUATE OPERATIONS WITH ABSOLUTELY INADEQUATE. AND COUNCIL CASTILLO ASKED THE QUESTION AND HE ASKED ABOUT PROACTIVE COMMUNICATIONS, BUT REACTIVE RESPONSES WITH CUSTOMER SERVICE WAS THE RESPONSE NOT BEING FORTHCOMING WITH THE RESIDENTS OF HOUSTON. MANY OF THE AMENDMENTS THAT YOU ALL TALKED ABOUT WITH SOLID WASTE CAME FROM UNDER THE PREVIOUS DIRECTOR. AND ACTUALLY I SUPPORT THEM. UM, AND I ALSO SUPPORT THOSE WHO ARE SPEAKING AGAINST THIS BUDGET BECAUSE WITHOUT TRANSPARENCY, THERE'S NO DEMOCRACY. AND AT THE BUDGET HEARING, YOU HEARD A LOT OF SMOKE AND MIRRORS. LAST YEAR'S BUDGET WAS APPROXIMATELY 97 MILLION. THIS YEAR'S BUDGET IS 101 MILLION. HOWEVER, WITH RISING COST FOR PERSONNEL, INSURANCE DISPOSAL SERVICES AND CONTRACTORS, WHAT YOU EFFECTIVELY [03:00:01] DID WAS AUTHORIZE LEADERSHIP TO CUT STAFF LIKE MYSELF. THAT'S HOW THEY FOUND THEIR SAVINGS. AND ESSENTIALLY THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR'S ROLE IS NOW VACANT DESPITE BEING LABELED CRITICAL. AND YOU HAVE A CITY'S A CITYWIDE HIRING FREEZE COLLECTION, DELAYS ARE GONNA RISE. WORKERS ARE BLAMED FOR A SYSTEM THAT IS FAILING AND IT'S CAUSED BY SHRINKING RESOURCES. STORM SEASON IS HERE, Y'ALL AND THE DEPARTMENT'S NOT, IS NOT PREPARED. ASK FOR THEIR EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN. EMAIL THEM RIGHT NOW. I DARE YOU. ASK THEM RIGHT NOW, WHAT IS YOUR EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN? 'CAUSE I DON'T THINK THERE IS ONE. I WAS ON THE COMMITTEE FOR THAT TOO. CITY WORKERS LEAN IN. YOU DESERVE BETTER. HOUSTONIANS DESERVE BETTER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. NEXT SPEAKER. ALFREDO DOMINGUEZ. ALFREDO DOMINGUEZ. I THINK I'M LAST SO I'LL TRY TO BE BRIEF, BUT, UM, I I WANNA LEAVE YOU OUT WITH A, WITH A COUPLE OF NUMBERS. UH, MY NAME'S ALFRED DOMINGUEZ. I AM AN EMPLOYEE OF PEOPLE'S COUNCIL AND ALSO A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT JI THINK, UM, SOMETHING I'M CONTINUALLY THINKING ABOUT AS I THINK ABOUT THIS BUDGET I IS WHAT WE'RE KIND OF CONSIGNING OURSELVES TO AS A CITY. NOT JUST WHAT HOUSTONIANS ARE CONSIGNING THEMSELVES TO. IF, IF THIS BUDGET DOESN'T EVENTUALLY GO THROUGH BOARD ELECTED OFFICIALS AND ALL OF YOU THAT WILL CONTINUE TO SIT ON COUNCIL AND EVENTUALLY WILL RUN AGAIN FOR OFFICE. I'M SURE SOME OF YOU'LL RUN FOR MAYOR ARE CONSIGNING YOURSELVES INTO FOR THE FUTURE. HOUSTON IS GETTING DANGEROUSLY CLOSE TO BEING BELOW THE AMOUNT THAT IT'S REQUIRED TO HAVE IN ITS READY DAY FUND AT ALMOST SITTING, I THINK AT A 220 MILLION AFTER THE DEFICIT OF THIS YEAR. THIS YEAR'S DEFICIT IN THE BUDGET IS THE SECOND BIGGEST DEFICIT ONLY BEHIND THE DEFICIT OF THE BUDGET FROM LAST YEAR. WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO THINK ABOUT HOW WE'RE GONNA CONTINUALLY INCREASE A POLICE BUDGET, WHICH WE KNOW BASED ON STATE LAW IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO REDUCE ANY, ANY INCREASES THAT WE'RE GIVING TO THE POLICE NOW WILL BE ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO TAKE AWAY. EVEN AS THE CITY FACES CONTINUING BUDGET CONSTRAINTS IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE'RE GIVING A HPD, WE JUST GAVE THEM $832 MILLION OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT FIVE YEARS TO INCREASE THEIR SALARIES. THESE NUMBERS ARE NOT MAKING SENSE. CREDIT AGENCIES, TWO OF THE THREE MAJOR CREDIT AGENCIES HAVE ALREADY DOWNGRADED HOUSTON'S LIKE LONG-TERM CREDIT HEALTH OUTLOOK. WE'RE VERY CLOSE TO GETTING A FULL DOWNGRADE WHERE WE'RE MAKING IT ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE FOR US TO GET NEW DEBT. THESE ARE THE QUESTIONS WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO THINK ABOUT AS WE CONTINUE TO THINK ABOUT HOW ARE WE GONNA FUND THE CITY AND HOW IS THE CITY GONNA WORK IN THE FUTURE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS TODAY. NEXT SPEAKER, THIS COMPLETES THE LIST OF SPEAKERS COUNCIL MEMBERS. [RECESS] WE STAND IN RECESS UNTIL TOMORROW MORNING AT 9:00 AM IN URBAN DEVELOPMENT FOR COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING. CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPIN AWARD UNDER THE HOOD ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE. ITEM 20 ORDINANCE APPROVED AND AUTHORIZED A MODIFICATION TO LOAN BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND MCGREGOR GROCERY LLC ITEM 21 ORDINANCE APPROVED AND AUTHORIZING DIRECTOR OF CITY OF HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT TO ACCEPT GRANT AWARD FROM THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION FOR THE STRENGTHENING VACCINE PREVENTABLE DISEASE PREVENTION AND RESPONSE GRANT. APPLICATION ITEM 22, ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $2,164,879 20 CENTS AWARD AND CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT TO INTEX UNITED INC. FOUR TERMINAL C GARAGE SIGNAGE AND WAY FINDING AT GEORGE BUSH INTERCONTINENTAL AIRPORT. ITEM 23 ORDINANCE APPRO AND AUTHORIZED AN AMENDMENT TO INCREASE SPENDING AUTHORITY FOR TOWER LICENSE AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS AND CROWN COMMUNICATION LLC ITEM 24 ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE NUMBER 2018 DASH FIVE 11 TO INCREASE MAXIMUM CONTRACT AMOUNT AND APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING SECOND AMENDMENT TO CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND BIO AQUATIC TESTING INC. ITEM 25 ORDINANCE DE APPROPRIATING $5 MILLION PREVIOUS APPROPRIATED UNDER ORDINANCE 2023 DASH 8 0 7 AND APPROPRIATING $5 MILLION FOR THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT PARAPET, DEMOLITION AND RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT ITEM 26, ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $888,386 37 CENTS APPRO AND AUTHORIZING PROFESSIONAL ARCHITECTURAL SERVICES CONTRACT WITH RD LR ARCHITECTS. ITEM 27 ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING THE NORTH AND SOUTH SIDES OF THE 1900 BLOCK OF CANTERBURY STREET BETWEEN STAFFORDSHIRE [03:05:01] BOULEVARD AND CAMBRIDGE STREET AS A SPECIAL MINIMUM LOT SIZE BLOCK PURSUANT TO CHAPTER 42 OF THE COURT OF ORDINANCES. ITEM 28 ORDINANCE RENEWING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE 400 BLOCK OF SOUTH SIDE AND THE 500 BLOCK NORTH AND SOUTH SIDES OF EUCLID STREET BETWEEN NORTHWOOD AND FLORENCE STREETS. AND THE 500 BLOCK OF WOODLAND STREET SOUTH SIDE BETWEEN NORTHWOOD AND HELEN STREETS WITHIN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS AS A SPECIAL MINIMUM LOT SIZE BLOCK PURSUANT TO THE CODE OF ORDINANCES. ITEM 29 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $2,234,629 APPROVED AND AUTHORIZING PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND BROWN AND CALDWELL. ITEM 30 ORDINANCE APPROVED AND AUTHORIZING CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND COROLLA ENGINEERS INC. ITEM 31 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $3,690,085 35 CENTS APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND LJA ENGINEERING INC. ITEM 32 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $3,374,549 85 CENTS APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND IDS ENGINEERING GROUP INC. ITEM 33 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $262,967 APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING SECOND AMENDMENT TO PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND CANAL INC. ITEM 34 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $3,340,348 AWARD AND CONTRACT TO CSI CONSOLIDATED LLC DOING BUSINESS AS AMES COMPANIES. ITEM 35, ORDINANCE WARDEN CONTRACT TO TEX COTA ENTERPRISES LLC FOR MISCELLANEOUS SMALL DIAMETER WATERLINE FIRE HYDRANT VALVE REHAB AND REPAIRS. ITEM 36, CONSIDERATION OF PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO ITEM 37. ITEM 37 ORDINANCE RELATED TO THE FISCAL AFFAIRS OF THE CITY APPROVING THE ANNUAL BUDGETS OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026. ITEM 38, ORDINANCE RATIFYING THE ADOPTION OF FISCAL YEAR 2026 ANNUAL BUDGETS RAISING MORE REVENUE FROM AVALOR AND PROPERTY TAXES. AND THIS WAS ITEM WAS TAGGED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN WAS ITEM 13 ON THE MAY 28TH AGENDA. ITEM 39, ORDINANCE APPRO AND AUTHORIZING PAYMENT TO ETHAN HEALTH LGC FOR FULL FISCAL YEAR 2026 OPERATING EXPENSES. THIS ITEM SHOULD BE ONLY CONSIDERED AFTER PASSAGE OF ITEM 37, ITEM 40 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING PAYMENT TO HOUSTON RECOVERY CENTER LGC FOR FULL FISCAL YEAR 2026 OPERATING EXPENSES. THIS ITEM SHALL ONLY BE CONSIDERED AFTER PASSAGE OF ITEM 37. ITEM 41 ORDINANCE APPROVED AND AUTHORIZING PAYMENT TO HOUSTON FORENSIC SCIENCE CENTER, INC. FOR FULL FISCAL YEAR 2026 OPERATING EXPENSES. THIS ITEM SHOULD BE ONLY CONSIDERED AFTER PASSAGE OF ITEM 37. THIS CONCLUDES THE READING OF THE CAPTIONS OF THE AGENDA FOR JUNE 3RD AND JUNE 4TH, 2025. STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT SECTION, NEXT COUNCIL SESSION TO BEGIN AT 9:00 AM AND WITH THAT I WISH EVERYONE A VERY BLESSED WEDNESDAY. [REPORT FROM CITY CONTROLLER AND THE CITY ADMINISTRATION REGARDING THE CURRENT FINANCIAL STATUS OF THE CITY including but not limited to, a revenue, expenditure and encumbrance report for the General Fund, all special revenue funds and all enterprise funds, and a report on the status of bond funds ] NOW FOR THE MONTHLY FINANCIAL REPORT, WE RECOGNIZE OUR CONTROLLER, CHRIS HOLLINS AND THE FINANCE DIRECTOR MELISSA DEBOWSKI. GOOD MORNING MAYOR. HONORABLE MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. I'M HERE TODAY TO PRESENT TO YOU THE MONTHLY FINANCIAL REPORT FOR APRIL, 2025. THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE IS PROJECTING AN ENDING FUND BALANCE OF $354 MILLION OR 13.7% OF EXPENDITURES LESS DEBT SERVICE AND PAY AS YOU GO FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025. THIS IS $26.8 MILLION LOWER THAN THE PROJECTION OF THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT DUE TO A LOWER REVENUE PROJECTION THAN FINANCE. BASED ON OUR CURRENT PROJECTIONS, THE FUND BALANCE WILL BE APPROXIMATELY $159.7 MILLION ABOVE THE CITY'S TARGET OF HOLDING 7.5% OF TOTAL EXPENDITURES, EXCLUDING DEBT SERVICE AND PAY AS YOU GO IN RESERVE. WE HAVE INCREASED OUR REVENUE PROJECTION BY $17.3 MILLION FROM THE MARCH, 2025 REPORT TO REFLECT HIGHER THAN ANTICIPATED SALES TAX RECEIPTS. WE HAVE REDUCED OUR EXPENDITURE PROJECTION BY $92 MILLION FROM THE MARCH, 2025 REPORT TO REFLECT A LOWER [03:10:01] CAPTURED REVENUE TRANSFER TO THE DEDICATED DRAINAGE AND STREET RENEWAL FUND AT VALOREM, RESULTING FROM COURT APPROVAL OF THE DRAINAGE SETTLEMENT LAST WEEK. MOVING TO THE CITY'S ENTERPRISE FUNDS DEDICATED DRAINAGE AND STREET RENEWAL FUND AT VALOREM REVENUES DECREASED BY $92 MILLION DUE TO LOWER TRANSFER FROM THE GENERAL FUND RESULTING FROM THE DRAINAGE SETTLEMENT. WE'RE PROJECTING NO CHANGES FROM THE PREVIOUS MONTH'S AMOUNTS IN THE AVIATION OPERATING FUND, CONVENTION AND ENTERTAINMENT OPERATING FUND, STORMWATER FUND, AND THE OTHER DEBT AND THE OTHER DEDICATED DRAINAGE AND STREET RENEWAL FUNDS FOR OUR COMMERCIAL PAPER AND BONDS. THE CITY'S PRACTICE HAS BEEN TO MAINTAIN NO MORE THAN 20% OF THE TOTAL OUTSTANDING DEBT FOR EACH TYPE OF DEBT IN A VARIABLE RATE STRUCTURE, WHICH IS IN LINE WITH RATING AGENCY GUIDANCE OF 25% FROM TIME TO TIME. THE CITY'S ENTERPRISE CREDITS HAVE EXCEEDED THIS THRESHOLD ON AN INTERIM BASIS AS THEY HAVE UNDERTAKEN LARGE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS OR MAJOR EXPANSIONS AS OUR CONVENTION CENTER IS DOING RIGHT NOW, AS OF APRIL 30TH, 2025, THE RATIO OF UNAGED VARIABLE RATE DEBT FOR CONVENTION AND ENTERTAINMENT WAS 13.77%. AND FOR THE OTHER FUNDS, UH, THOSE RATES ARE WELL BELOW THE 20% THRESHOLD. MAYOR MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. AS WE NEAR THE END OF WHAT IS MY SECOND BUDGET PROCESS AS THE CITY'S CONTROLLER AND THE SECOND GO AROUND FOR MANY OF US HERE, I WANNA REFLECT ON WHERE WE'VE BEEN, WHERE WE ARE, AND HOW THIS PROCESS CONTINUES TO FALL SHORT OF WHAT HOUSTONIANS DESERVE AS THE CITY'S INDEPENDENTLY ELECTED FINANCIAL WATCHDOG WHOSE JOB IT IS TO ENSURE THAT YOU AND THE PUBLIC HAVE A TRUE UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE CITY'S FINANCES. IT'S CONCERNING THAT MY OFFICE RECEIVED THE DRAFT BUDGET JUST TWO WEEKS BEFORE MY PRESENTATION TO YOU ALL AND ONLY A FEW WEEKS BEFORE YOUR FIRST OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE ON IT. IN MOST INSTANCES, THAT'S NOT NEARLY ENOUGH TIME FOR THOUGHTFUL REVIEW, COLLABORATION, OR PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT. AND THERE'S NO SUCCESSFUL PRIVATE COMPANY IN THE WORLD WHO WOULD HOLD ITS CFO OUT OF THAT PROCESS FOR THAT LONG OR WOULD HOLD THIS BOARD, WHICH IS YOU ALL OUTTA THAT PROCESS FOR THAT LONG LAW. THIS BUDGET HAS BEEN PROMOTED AS BALANCED WITH NO ADDITIONAL TAXES OR FEES AND SOME MEDIA OUTLETS HAVE REPORTED IT AS SUCH. BUT HERE ARE THE FACTS. THE BUDGET IS OF COURSE NOT STRUCTURALLY BALANCED. IT CONTAINS A PROJECTED SHORTFALL OF OVER A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS TO BE COVERED BY SPENDING DOWN THE CITY'S SAVINGS ACCOUNT TO NEAR OUR RESERVE THRESHOLD. THE BUDGET ALSO INCLUDES A PROPERTY TAX RATE INCREASE AND A WATER RATE HIKE. WITH THE LIMITED TIME WE WERE GIVEN, MY OFFICE DID WHAT HOUSTONIANS ELECTED ME TO DO. WE GOT TO WORK TO BRING TRANSPARENCY TO THE PROCESS. WE HELD FOUR COMMUNITY TOWN HALLS ACROSS HOUSTON AND WE PUBLISHED 10 HARD TRUTHS ABOUT THE PROPOSED BUDGET, WHICH PROVIDES CLEAR FACTUAL INSIGHTS TO HELP HOUSTONIANS UNDERSTAND WHAT'S AT STAKE FOR OUR CITY TODAY AND FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. ONE OF THE HARD TRUTHS HAS BEEN ADDRESSED FOLLOWING THE COURT'S APPROVAL OF THE DRAINAGE FEE SETTLEMENT. THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT STEP FORWARD AND I'M GRATEFUL THAT IT HAPPENED. BUT AS ONE TRUTH WAS TACKLED, ANOTHER CHALLENGE EMERGED. THE STATE LEGISLATURE PASSED A PENSION BILL HB 2 2 6 8 8, WHICH WAS SHROUDED IN SECRECY AND IT COULD CON AND IT COULD SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACT HOUSTON'S LONG TERM FINANCES. EXCUSE ME. MY OFFICE HAD NO NOTICE ABOUT THE BILL'S EXISTENCE. AND I ASSUME THAT INDIVIDUAL COUNCIL MEMBERS WEREN'T MADE AWARE EITHER. THIS IS A HUGE ISSUE WITH BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN POTENTIAL FINANCIAL IMPACT THAT COULD AFFECT NOT ONLY OUR CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN, BUT ALSO HARDWORKING POLICE AND FIREFIGHTERS WHO DESERVE SECURITY IN RETIREMENT. WHEN HOUSTON MADE SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES TO PENSIONS IN THE PAST, THE PROCESS WAS DELIBERATE AND INCLUSIVE. CITY COUNCIL WAS INVOLVED. THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE WAS AT THE TABLE. THE GREATER HOUSTON PARTNERSHIP, THE URBAN LEAGUE, THE ARNOLD FOUNDATION AND THE HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE WERE ENGAGED JUST TO NAME A FEW. AND COUNCIL VOTED IN FAVOR OF TAKING ACTION. ONLY THEN DID THE CITY, ALONG WITH EARLY SUPPORT FROM EACH OF THE THREE PENSIONS GO TO THE LEGISLATURE FOR APPROVAL. THERE'S STILL A PUBLIC CITY WEBSITE UP FROM THAT TIME AND I HOPE IT STAYS UP. THAT DETAILS THE ANALYSIS AND THE COLLABORATION THAT LED TO THOSE REFORMS. THE PROCESS REQUIRED REAL COMPROMISE AND SACRIFICE BY EVERYONE INVOLVED AND ULTIMATELY IT REDUCED THE CITY'S UNFUNDED PENSION LIABILITIES BY OVER $6 BILLION. THIS TIME AROUND, I SUSPECT THAT MOST OF YOU AROUND THIS HORSESHOE WERE NOT CONSULTED. MY OFFICE WASN'T. WE FOUND OUT ON A RANDOM THURSDAY THAT THE BILL WAS ON ITS WAY TO BECOMING STATE LAW WITH THE MAYOR'S SUPPORT. THAT'S NOT TRANSPARENCY. MORE IMPORTANTLY, WE AS A CITY HAVEN'T EVEN [03:15:01] CONDUCTED OUR OWN ANALYSIS TO UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH THIS BILL WILL COST US AND WILL COST FUTURE GENERATIONS. NOW WE'VE SEEN THIS MOVIE BEFORE IN THE LATE NINETIES. THE CITY INCREASED BENEFITS BASED ON PROJECTIONS FROM FUND ACTUARIES WITHOUT CONDUCTING INDEPENDENT ANALYSIS. THE RESULT WAS AN $8.2 BILLION UNFUNDED LIABILITY THAT NEARLY BANKRUPTED THE CITY. NOW WE COULD SEE A SEQUEL TO THAT MOVIE. AND I WANNA BE CLEAR, I TAKE NO COMFORT IN STATEMENTS THAT, YOU KNOW, ACTUARIAL PEOPLE HAVE SAID THAT THIS BILL IS COST NEUTRAL. WE'VE SEEN HOW THOSE ASSUMPTIONS CAN UNRAVEL. IF MARKET RETURNS ARE JUST HALF A PERCENT LOWER THAN WHAT'S BEING PROJECTED, HOW MUCH WILL OUR UNFUNDED LIABILITY GROW? RIGHT NOW WE HAVE NO IDEA 'CAUSE WE HAVEN'T DONE THE WORK. THAT'S WHY A THIRD PARTY ACTUARIAL REVIEW IS ESSENTIAL. IT MUST INCLUDE RIGOROUS STRESS TESTING FOR MARKET VOLATILITY, DEMOGRAPHIC TRENDS, AND INFLATION. SO WE UNDERSTAND THE FULL RISK AND THE IMPACT TO THE CITY AS WELL AS OUR RETIREES. CITY COUNCIL NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPLICATIONS AND HAVE A VOICE IN IMPROVING ANY CHANGES TO THIS CRITICAL ASPECT OF CITY GOVERNMENT BEFORE A LAWMAKER IN LUFKIN OR ODESSA MAKES BILLION DOLLAR DECISIONS ON OUR BEHALF. MAYOR, I URGE YOU TO LEAN ON YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE GOVERNOR TO HOLD OFF ON SIGNING THIS BILL INTO LAW UNTIL THE THIRD PARTY ACTUARIAL REVIEW IS COMPLETE AND HOUSTONIANS AND THIS COUNCIL TO HAVE BEEN GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO WEIGH IN. NOW, THE OTHER HARD TRUTH STILL REMAIN, YET WE'VE HEARD LITTLE TO NO EXPLANATION, AND IN MY OPINION, ONLY LIMITED PUBLIC CONCERN FROM THIS BODY. THAT'S ESPECIALLY TRUE FOR THOSE WHO OFTEN SPEAK ABOUT FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY. IF THERE WERE EVER A TIME TO SHOW IT, THAT TIME IS RIGHT. NOW, SINCE TIME IS SHORT AND YOU HAVE A BUSY DAY AHEAD, I'LL FOCUS ONLY ON THE PROPERTY TAX INCREASE. THE BUDGET YOU'RE VOTING ON TODAY IS BASED ON A 9% INCREASE IN PROPERTY TAX REVENUE. WHILE PROPERTY VALUATIONS AS OF NOW ARE ONLY EXPECTED TO RISE BY ABOUT 2%, THAT GAP MEANS A TAX RATE HIKE OF AT LEAST FIVE TO 8% WOULD BE REQUIRED TO MAKE THE MATH WORK. LAST YEAR, COUNCIL ALSO PASSED A BUDGET THAT WOULD'VE REQUIRED A TAX INCREASE TO REACH REVENUE PROJECTIONS, BUT YOU ULTIMATELY HELD THE TAX RATE STEADY. THOSE DECISIONS COUPLED TOGETHER RESULTED IN INCREASING THE CITY'S BUDGET DEFICIT BY $50 MILLION. SO WHEN YOU RETURN TO YOUR COMMUNITY AFTER TODAY'S VOTES, RESIDENTS MAY ASK YOU, DID YOU JUST VOTE FOR A TAX INCREASE? OR DID YOU JUST VOTE TO FURTHER INCREASE THE CITY'S DEFICIT? AND I'M NOT BEING FLIP HERE, AND BETTER INTAX PROCESS WOULD GIVE YOU AND THE PUBLIC THE TIME TO WEIGH THESE IMPLICATIONS THOUGHTFULLY AND TRANSPARENTLY. YOU HAVEN'T HAD THAT TIME, BUT THAT'S HOW SOUND BUDGETING AND TRUST IN GOVERNMENT IS BUILT. NOW, WE'RE GONNA HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVISIT THIS CONVERSATION IN THE SPRING OF NEXT YEAR WHEN WE TRUE UP THE BUDGET. MY HOPE IS THAT BY THEN WE HAVEN'T SEEN A CREDIT DOWNGRADE OR BEEN FORCED TO COURSE CORRECT, BECAUSE PROJECTIONS THAT ARE IN THIS BUDGET PROVE TO BE TOO OPTIMISTIC. I REMAIN COMMITTED TO WORKING WITH EACH OF YOU TO DESIGN A BETTER PROCESS, ONE ROOTED IN ACCOUNTABILITY, TRANSPARENCY, AND RESPONSIBILITY. BUT WHAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE, AIN'T IT. THANK YOU. THAT CONCLUDES MY REPORT BOARD. GOOD MORNING. THIS IS THE 10 PLUS TWO FINANCIAL REPORT FOR THE PERIOD ENDING APRIL 30TH, 2025. FISCAL YEAR 25 PROJECTIONS ARE BASED ON 10 MONTHS OF ACTUAL RESULTS IN TWO MONTHS OF PROJECTIONS FOR THE GENERAL FUND, OUR REVENUE PROJECTION IS 68.4 MILLION HIGHER THAN THE ADOPTED BUDGET, AND REMAINS UNCHANGED FROM THE PRIOR MONTH. I'LL JUST TOUCH ON SALES TAX PERFORMANCE, ALTHOUGH WE'RE NOT MAKING A CHANGE IN OUR PROJECTION. THE SALES TAX RECEIPTS FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH WERE 85.4 MILLION, WHICH IS ABOUT 5.8 MILLION OR 7% HIGHER THAN THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR, AND ABOUT 1.5% HIGHER THAN WE BUDGETED. SO TO MEET THE CURRENT ESTIMATE, THE REMAINING PERIODS NEED TO COME IN ABOUT 4.6% BELOW THE PRIOR YEAR. SO WE FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THE PROJECTION AND WILL, UH, MOST LIKELY INCREASE THE PROJECTION IN FUTURE PERIODS FOR THE EXPENDITURES. OUR EXPENDITURE PROJECTION IS 61 MILLION HIGHER THAN THE ADOPTED BUDGET, BUT REMAINS UNCHANGED FROM THE PRIOR MONTH. SO WITH THOSE CHANGES, UH, WE'RE PROJECTING THE ENDING FUND BALANCE TO BE 380 MILLION, WHICH REMAINS UNCHANGED FROM THE PRIOR MONTH AND REPRESENTS 14.7% OF ESTIMATED EXPENDITURES, LESS DEBT SERVICE AND PAY AS YOU GO. THAT FUND BALANCE IS 186 MILLION ABOVE THE TARGET OF HOLDING 70, UH, 7.5% OF EXPENDITURES, EXCLUDING DEBT SERVICE AND PAY AS YOU GO. UM, I WANTED TO ADDRESS THE CONTROLLER'S 10 HARD TRUTHS DOCUMENT THAT HE CIRCULATED. UM, ONE OF THE THINGS HE DIDN'T PUT ON HERE, BUT HE ADDRESSED TODAY WAS THE PUBLIC [03:20:01] ENGAGEMENT PROCESS FOR THE BUDGET. UM, WE HAD WHEN THE BUDGET WAS RELEASED OVER A TWO HOUR PRESENTATION WITH THIS BODY, UM, ON A SPECIAL CALL BUDGET AND FISCAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE MEETING WHERE I WENT THROUGH THE FIVE YEAR FORECAST FOR THE BUDGET. AND THAT WAS FOLLOWED UP BY A WEEK PERIOD OF TIME FOR BOTH THE PUBLIC AND THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, TO REVIEW THE PROPOSED BUDGET BEFORE THE DEPARTMENT BUDGET WORKSHOPS BEGAN. UH, WE ADDED THAT EXTRA WEEK AT THE REQUEST OF, UM, SOME OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AS WELL AS THE PUBLIC THAT WANTED ADDITIONAL TIME TO REVIEW THE BUDGET BEFORE THE WORKSHOP STARTED. SO WE HAVE BUILT MORE TIME INTO THE PROCESS COMPARED TO THE PREVIOUS YEAR. AND THOSE BUDGETARY WORKSHOPS OCCURRED. EVERY SINGLE DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR WAS HERE, UH, ABOUT 20 DIFFERENT BUDGET WORKSHOPS OVER THE COURSE OF TWO WEEKS. UM, WE ALSO PARTICIPATED IN COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, UH, HOSTED BUDGET TOWN HALLS, UM, BOTH IN THE COMMUNITY AND VIRTUALLY THAT WE ATTENDED AND PARTICIPATED IN. UM, AND YOU SAW THE, UM, THE BUDGET SURVEY THAT, UH, RESULTS THAT COUNCIL MEMBER ALCO AND, AND HER STAFF INITIATED. UM, THOSE RESULTS WERE YESTERDAY. SO I THINK TO SAY THAT THERE'S NOT ENOUGH PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT IS DISINGENUOUS. UM, WE'VE BEEN IMPROVING ON THAT AND WE SEEK TO IMPROVE ON IT IN THE FUTURE. UM, SOME OF HIS OTHER, UM, ITEMS THAT HE PUT IN HIS HARD TRUTHS DOCUMENT, UM, HE STATED THAT INSTEAD OF CUTTING SPENDING OR IDENTIFYING SUSTAINABLE REVENUE, THE PROPOSAL IS TO DRAW DOWN FROM THE FUND BALANCE. THAT'S NOT TRUE. UM, WE CERTAINLY ARE DRAWING FROM FUND BALANCE TO CLOSE THE REMAINING BUDGETARY GAP. BUT WHAT HE FAILED TO MENTION IS THAT THIS PROPOSED BUDGET ACTUALLY IS A DECREASE FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR OF A 2% EXPENDITURE DECREASE, UM, THAT WE ACHIEVED THROUGH ALL THE EFFICIENCY SAVINGS, THE PROPOSED IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ERNST AND YOUNG STUDY, THE VOLUNTARY RETIREMENT PROGRAM, UM, THE CONSOLIDATION AND THE EFFICIENCIES THAT WE'RE GONNA BE WORKING ON THROUGH THE YEAR. UM, HE MENTIONS THE PROPERTY TAX INCREASE. HISTORICALLY, WE HAVE ALWAYS PROPOSED A BUDGET AND ADOPTED A BUDGET BASED ON THE PROPOSITION ONE CAP. UH, WE DO GET A ESTIMATE FROM THE APPRAISAL DISTRICTS OF WHAT THEY THINK THE APPRAISED VALUE WILL BE AT THIS POINT IN TIME, BUT WE DON'T KNOW THAT FINAL APPRAISED VALUE UNTIL IT'S TIME TO SET THE TAX RATE. AND SO THE, THE BUDGET IS ALWAYS BASED ON PROPOSITION ONE. UM, TO SAY THAT IT'S GOING TO BE A TAX RATE INCREASE AT THIS POINT IN TIME IS INCREDIBLY PREMATURE. UM, THE TIMING OF OUR FISCAL YEAR AND THE TIMING OF WHEN WE SET THE TAX RATE, WHICH IS DICTATED BY STATE LAW, UM, DEFINITELY CREATES A SITUATION WHERE WE DO THE BEST WE CAN WITH THE BUDGET AS WE ALWAYS HAVE BUDGETED WITH THE PROP ONE CAP AND WILL TRUE UP. UM, THE ESTIMATE AT THE POINT IN TIME WHEN WE SET THE TAX RATE AS WE HAVE IN THE PAST, UM, HE TALKS ABOUT A WATER RATE INCREASE OF 6%. UM, WHAT HE DOESN'T MENTION IS THAT THIS RATE INCREASE WAS APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL BACK IN 2021 THE LAST TIME WE DID A WATER RATE STUDY. AND REALLY HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ANYTHING THAT'S HAPPENING CURRENTLY OTHER THAN WHAT THE WATER RATE STUDY STUDIED ALMOST FIVE YEARS AGO. UM, HE MENTIONS THAT THE BUDGET QUIETLY REDUCES SERVICES. I DISAGREE. EACH DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR SAT HERE IN FRONT OF YOU ALL AND DISCUSSED, UM, WHAT WAS GOING ON IN THE BUDGET, THE EFFICIENCIES THAT THEY HAVE FOUND, UM, AND HOW THEY'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO, UM, PERFORM THE SERVICES WHILE FINDING THE EFFICIENCIES AND THE SAVINGS THAT'S REASONABLE. UM, HE MENTIONED THAT IT INCLUDES SAVINGS FROM A, AS YET COURT APPROVED SETTLEMENT. WELL, WE ADDRESSED THAT AS WE'VE BEEN TALKING FOR THE LAST COUPLE MONTHS, THAT WE WERE IN NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE PLAINTIFFS AND CAME TO A, UH, AGREEMENT THAT NOT ONLY INCREASES DRAINAGE FUNDING IN THE FUTURE AND IS GOING TO, UH, IMPROVE THE DRAINAGE AT THE CITY. UM, HE MENTIONS THAT THERE'S VAGUE SAVINGS WITH NO EXPLANATION. UM, HE MUST HAVE MISSED WHEN WE ROLLED OUT THE ERNS AND YOUNG CITYWIDE DEFICIENCY EFFICIENCY STUDY. YOU SKIPPED OVER. OKAY, I SKIPPED OVER. THANK, THANK YOU. UM, HE MENTIONS AN OVERTIME MISCALCULATION. UM, I DISAGREE WITH THAT AS WELL. UM, HE MENTIONS THAT IT'S OVERTIME CHANGE IS ACHIEVABLE IF THERE'S MEANINGFUL OPERATIONAL CHANGES. WELL, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH THE DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVE, UH, OVERTIME, UM, BOTH OF THOSE DEPARTMENTS FOR POLICE AND FIRE. UM, AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET, ARE PROPOSING TO, UH, RECRUIT AND RETAIN ADDITIONAL STAFF AS THOUGH, UH, WE'VE ALREADY SEEN AND HEARD FROM THE DEPARTMENTS THAT MORE PEOPLE, AND YOU SEE IT IN THE NEWS THAT MORE PEOPLE ARE COMING TO SIGN UP TO WORK AT THE CITY OF HOUSTON. AND AS YOU INCREASE HEADCOUNT AS A RESULT, OVERTIME WILL DECREASE. WE'RE ALSO WORKING AND YOU SEE IN THIS PROPOSED BUDGET, UM, THE WAY THAT WE BUDGET FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IS GOING TO BE BUDGETED BASED ON SHIFT SO THAT THERE'S MORE VISIBILITY INTO WHERE THE OVERTIME IS OCCURRING. AND WE'RE MAKING, UH, WORKING WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO MAKE MORE DATA AVAILABLE TO THEM WHERE [03:25:01] THEY CAN SEE AND BETTER TRACK WHERE THE OVERTIME IS OCCURRING. UM, BACK ON HIS POINT NUMBER SEVEN, UM, HE MENTIONS VAGUE SAVINGS WITH NO EXPLANATION. UH, WE ROLLED OUT THE ERNST AND YOUNG CITYWIDE EFFICIENCY STUDY AND THAT STUDY IDENTIFIED, UH, SEVERAL INITIATIVES, ONE OF THEM BEING THE CATEGORY MANAGEMENT INITIATIVE. AND THROUGH THAT CATEGORY MANAGEMENT INITIATIVE, UH, WHAT ARNT AND YOUNG HAS SEEN IN THE PAST IS A SAVINGS OF ANYWHERE BETWEEN FIVE AND 15% SAVINGS. WE'RE BUDGETING ON THE CONSERVATIVE SIDE WITH 5%, AND WE HOPE TO IMPROVE UPON THAT IN FUTURE YEARS. UM, HE MENTIONS A CO REPEATING COSTLY MISTAKES WITH UNFUNDED LIABILITIES FOR THE CITY AND THE PENSIONS. UM, THE REDUCTION IN THE PENSION CONTRIBUTION IS A RESULT OF THE, OF THE REFORMS FROM 2017. WE'RE FOLLOWING THE COST CORRIDOR MECHANISM. UH, SINCE THE CITY HAS BEEN PUTTING IN ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO THE PENSION PLANS OVER THE YEARS, THE FUNDED, UH, RATIO HAS BEEN IMPROVING FOR ALL THOSE PLANS. AND THE CONTRIBUTION RATES THAT ARE IN THIS BUDGET ARE IN LINE WITH STATE STATUTE AND THE REFORMS ARE WORKING AS EXACTLY AS THEY WERE DESIGNED. WHAT ABOUT OPED? THIS IS MY TIME CONTROLLER. OKAY. THE CONTROLLER WANTS TO KNOW ABOUT OPEP. WE UNDERWENT OPEP REFORM BACK IN 2022 WHERE WE LOOKED AT BUDGETARY, UM, HOW IT IMPACTED THE BUDGET AND ALSO THE FUTURE LIABILITIES, THE OPEP TRUST, WHILE NOT FUNDED IN THIS PROPOSED BUDGET, I BELIEVE, I KNOW THAT THERE'S GONNA BE AMENDMENT OFFERED BY ONE OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND THE ADMINISTRATION IS IN SUPPORT OF THAT AMENDMENT. HE MENTIONS SHIFTING COURT SERVICES TO WATER BILLS LIKE CODE ENFORCEMENT. I THINK HE IS CONFUSED ABOUT THE DETAILS BECAUSE CODE ENFORCEMENT IS NOT BEING FUNDED IN COMBINED UTILITY SYSTEM. IT'S BEING FUNDED BY THE BUILDING INSPECTION FUND, WHICH IS A FUND THAT ALSO HANDLES CODE ENFORCEMENT FOR MULTIFAMILY. HE SAYS, ADMIT THAT RISKS A CREDIT RATING DOWNGRADE BASED ON ONE-TIME FIXES AND DEFERRED OBLIGATIONS AND QUESTIONABLE ASSUMPTIONS. I DON'T KNOW WHAT QUESTION QUESTIONABLE ASSUMPTIONS HE MEANS, BUT ON OUR SALES TAX SPECIFICALLY, WHICH IS A VOLATILE REVENUE SOURCE, OUR SALES TAX REVENUE ASSUMPTION IS ACTUALLY LOWER THAN EVEN THE PESSIMISTIC, UH, RANGE THAT WE GET FROM OUR CONSULTANTS. WE HAVE OUR INTERNAL, UM, OUR INTERNAL MODEL WHERE WE MODEL OUT, UM, SALES TAX AND WE'RE MAKING A CONSERVATIVE APPROACH. WE'RE ONLY SHOWING A 1% INCREASE FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR. AND ADDITIONALLY, WE HAVE OUR ANNUAL SURVEILLANCE MEETING WITH MOODY'S COMING UP IN THE NEXT COUPLE WEEKS. UH, WE'VE SHARED THE SSON YOUNG STUDY WITH THEM. WE'VE SHARED THE FIVE YEAR FORECAST WITH THEM, AND WE CONTINUE TO HAVE DIALOGUE WITH ALL THE RATING AGENCIES ABOUT THE FINANCIAL STATUS OF THE CITY. UM, I WANNA TOUCH A LITTLE BIT MORE ON THE PENSIONS SINCE HE MENTIONED, UM, HOUSE, THE HOUSE BILL THAT, UH, IS PENDING THE GOVERNOR'S SIGNATURE. UM, THAT HOUSE BILL, WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IT AT THE BUDGET AND FISCAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE YESTERDAY. UM, WHAT THAT BILL IS DOING IS NOT UNDOING THE PENSION REFORMS. THE COST CORRIDOR IS NOT BEING TOUCHED BY THAT BILL AT ALL. UM, IT'S OPENING, UM, THE DROP PROGRAM, THE REVISED POST REFORM DROP PROGRAM, THE WAY IT FUNCTIONS TO A NEW GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS. UM, WE TALKED ABOUT HOW THAT DROP PROGRAM, THE WAY IT IS CURRENTLY IS VERY DIFFERENT FROM THE PRE 2017 DROP PROGRAM. UM, AND THE ACTUARIAL ANALYSIS IS BEING CONDUCTED BY THE CITY'S ACTUARY. SINCE THIS WAS NOT A CITY INITIATED BILL. WE HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING IT THROUGH THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS. IT HAS CHANGED. IT WAS TWO BILLS, ONE FOR FIRE, ONE FOR POLICE. UH, WITHIN THE LAST WEEK OR SO OF SESSION, UH, THERE WAS A REVISED BILL PUT FORWARD AT THE LEGISLATURE. WE ENGAGED OUR ACTUARY AS SOON AS WE RECEIVED A COPY OF THE BILL AND THE ACTUARY IS COSTING IT OUT. I HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR ACTUARY WHO'S THE SAME ACTUARY THAT WE HAD DURING 2017 REFORMS. UH, I TALKED TO HIM AS RECENTLY AS YESTERDAY. UH, THEY'RE STILL WORKING ON THE ANALYSIS, BUT THEY BELIEVE THAT IT'S GOING TO BE COST NEUTRAL, NO INCREASE TO THE UNFUNDED LIABILITY, AND NO INCREASE FROM A BUDGETARY STANDPOINT AS FAR AS WHAT WE HAVE TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE PENSION SYSTEMS. AS SOON AS WE HAVE THAT ACTUARIAL ANALYSIS, WE'LL ABSOLUTELY SHARE IT WITH THIS BODY. UM, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO FURTHER CONVERSATIONS. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN MAYOR ALCORN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. ON, ON THE DROP BILL. SO I THINK WHAT, WHAT CONCERNED SOME OF US IS IN 2017, THAT WAS SUCH A BIG LIFT AND IT DID SO MUCH GOOD BEFORE 2017, ALL WE TALKED ABOUT WAS PENSIONS. I MEAN, ALL WE TALKED ABOUT WAS PENSIONS, CROWDING OUT OTHER CITY SERVICES. AND IF WE DIDN'T DO SOMETHING ABOUT PENSIONS, WE [03:30:01] WERE IN BIG TROUBLE. WE BROUGHT OUR PENSION LIABILITY, THE REFORMS PLUS REALLY GOOD INVESTMENT RETURNS OVER THE YEARS HAVE BROUGHT OUR PENSION LIABILITY DOWN TO $1.3 BILLION, WHICH WAS WAY LESS THAN WHAT IT WAS, $8 BILLION LESS THAN WHAT IT WAS. SO WE GET A LITTLE, YOU KNOW, PTSD WHEN WE HEAR ABOUT DROP AND WE HEAR ABOUT CHANGES TO THE PENSION SYSTEM IN ANY WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM. SO EXPLAIN TO ME ON IF, IF WE HAVE TO CONTRIBUTE SEVEN AT AT LEAST 7% OVER A FIVE YEAR PERIOD, THE THE ASSUMED RATE OF RETURN OF 7%, IF, IF THE DROPS BELOW 7%, IS THAT WHEN WE ARE AT RISK OF, OF, AND WILL THERE BE WARNING? I MEAN, HOW WILL THAT PLAY OUT? MM-HMM . SO PART OF THE PENSION REFORMS IN 2017 WAS YOU, UH, LOOKING AT A FIVE YEAR SMOOTH AVERAGE OF THE RETURNS. RIGHT? UM, THAT WASN'T IN PLACE PRIOR TO THE REFORMS. THAT'S NOT BEING TOUCHED WITH THIS CURRENT LEGISLATION. SO WE'RE STILL GOING TO BE LOOKING AT THE FIVE YEAR SMOOTH AVERAGE OF RETURNS. UM, THOSE RETURNS WE ALREADY HAVE, BECAUSE THERE HAS BEEN GOOD PERFORMANCE OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS. THE PENSION SYSTEMS HAVE WHAT THEY CALL DEFERRED GAINS, UM, IN THE PLAN SO THAT IF WE DO SEE, UH, WHERE THE PLANS EARN LESS THAN THE 7%, WE HAVE DEFERRED GAINS FROM THE PRIOR FOUR YEARS TO PROVIDE A CUSHION. UM, AND THAT WAS A BIG PART OF THE REFORMS. OKAY? AND THAT'S NOT CHANGING WITH THIS STATUTE. OKAY. AND THE CONTRIBUTIONS, IT'S AGAIN, 65 INTEREST INVESTMENT EARNINGS 65 GOES TO INTO THE PERSON'S DROP ACCOUNT. 35 GOES INTO FUND THE OVERALL PENSIONS. RIGHT? SO, UM, PRIOR TO PENSION REFORM BEFORE 2017, UM, THERE WERE SEVERAL DIFFERENT COMPONENTS OF FUNDING THAT WENT INTO DROP ACCOUNTS. POST 2017, THE ONLY, UH, AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT'S GOING INTO THE DROP ACCOUNT IS WHAT THE EMPLOYEE WOULD HAVE RECEIVED AS THEIR PENSION CHECK, RIGHT? SO THE MEMBER'S CONTRIBUTION, UH, IN THE CASE OF FIRE AND POLICE, 10.5% OF PAY GOES TO THE BENEFIT OF THE PENSION SYSTEM TO PAY DOWN UNFUNDED LIABILITY. THE CITY'S CONTRIBUTION RATE, WHICH WHETHER FOR POLICE OR FIRE, ABOUT 26% OF PAY OR 27% OF PAY, GOES TO THE BENEFIT OF THE PENSION PLAN FOR THE DROP ACCOUNT. WHATEVER IS EARNED ON THAT, UH, AMOUNT OF MONEY, THAT'S THE EMPLOYEE'S, UH, PENSION CHECK WHAT THEY WOULD'VE RECEIVED. 65% OF THE INVESTMENT EARNINGS IS RETAINED IN THE ACCOUNT, AND 35% OF THE EARNINGS GOES TO THE PLAN TO PAY DOWN THE UNFUNDED LIABILITY. SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT HOW CAN IT BE COST NEUTRAL, IT'S BECAUSE PART OF THE INVESTMENT EARNINGS OF THE DROP ACCOUNT IS GOING TO THE PENSION PLAN. IF THAT DROP ACCOUNT WASN'T THERE, IF, OR IF THAT PERSON WASN'T ELIGIBLE FOR DROP, THE PENSION PLAN WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO RETAIN SOME OF THOSE INVESTMENT EARNINGS TO PAY DOWN THE PLAN. AND THAT'S A, A HUGE COMPONENT THAT WAS NOT IN PLACE BEFORE 2017. THAT WAS A BIG PART OF THE REFORMS. AND THAT'S STILL IN PLACE, UH, BASED ON THIS PROPOSED LEGISLATION. AND, AND WHEN WE GET THE ACTUARIAL DATA, WILL IT HAVE, WILL IT RUN ALL THE SCENARIOS? GOOD, BAD, WORSE? I MEAN, SO, AND WHEN IT, AND WHEN WILL WE GET IT? SO AS I MENTIONED, I TALKED TO HIM YESTERDAY. OKAY. UM, HE SAID IT WILL BE SOMETIME THIS WEEK. OKAY. UM, AND AS SOON AS WE HAVE IT, WE'LL, WE'LL PROVIDE IT. OKAY. BUT IT, DOES IT RUN DIFFERENT SCENARIOS OR IS THERE IT JUST MORE LIKE A, WE, THERE ARE SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS THAT ARE PERFORMED, UH, ANNUALLY IN THE RSVS, WHICH YOU CAN, UM, SEE AS PART OF THE ACT FOR ANNUALLY. UM, AND I, THEY ABSOLUTELY CAN INCLUDE THAT IN THERE. OKAY. BUT I MEAN, ABSOLUTELY IF YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN SEE IN THE RSVS AND THE ACT FOR EVERY YEAR, IF YOU MAKE 1% MORE, 1% LESS, THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS TO THE UNFUNDED. UM, AGAIN, WE STILL HAVE THE FIVE YEAR SMOOTHING RATE OF RETURNS, AND WE ALSO STILL HAVE THE COST CORRIDOR MECHANISM IN PLACE. OKAY. SO EVEN IF THE UNFUNDED LIABILITY WERE TO INCREASE, UM, WHICH THIS BASED ON THIS STATUTE IS NOT PROJECTED TO DO SO, UM, AND, AND I COULD SAY THAT THE PENSION SYSTEMS COULD ACHIEVE LESS THAN A 7% RATE OF RETURN WHETHER WE HAD THIS, UH, STATUTE OR NOT. THAT'S RIGHT. YEAH. BUT BECAUSE WE HAVE THE PENSION REFORMS AND THE COST CORRIDOR IN PLACE FROM 2017, IF THE UNFUNDED LIABILITY GOES UP AND THE CITY'S CALCULATED CONTRIBUTION RATE IS SUPPOSED TO GO UP, THE STATUTE IS VERY PRESCRIPTIVE. IT SAYS, YOU SHALL DO THIS, SHALL MEAN SOMETHING IN STATE STATUTE. IT DOESN'T MEAN MAY, IT MEANS YOU SHALL, YOU MUST DO IT. YOU MUST GO AND LOWER THESE BENEFITS OR INCREASE, UM, THE MEMBER'S CONTRIBUTION RATE TO COVER THE COST. AND THE CITY'S RATE CANNOT GO ABOVE THIS AMOUNT THAT'S SET BY THE CORRIDOR. THANK YOU. I WOULD, I WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS. NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER THAN THE TRUTH THAT IT WAS HIDDEN FROM ANYONE THAT CAN HEAR MY VOICE THE WAY THE LEGISLATURE WORKS. YOU START OUT IN THE HOUSE AND SENATE AS YOU WELL KNOW, AND YOU BUILD A CONSENSUS AND A COMPROMISE [03:35:01] TOWARD THE END OF THE SESSION. EARLY ON WHEN I WAS APPROACHED, I SAID, I'M BY THE, BY THE PENSION FUNDS, BOTH IN MY OFFICE. I SAID, I HAVE A FULL PLATE. I'M FOCUSING ON BENEFITS SALARIES, WHICH WILL TAKE LESS EMPHASIS FROM THE RETIREMENT BENEFITS. THEY UNDERSTOOD THAT THEY TOOK OFF ON THEIR OWN. IT WASN'T ON OUR LEGISLATIVE AGENDA. AND THE LAST TWO WEEKS OF THE SESSION, AS OFTEN HAPPENS, THE PARTIES GOT TOGETHER. AND LET ME TELL YOU WHO WAS IN CHARGE. SENATOR JOAN HUFFMAN, A REPUBLICAN FROM HOUSTON, CHAIRMAN OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE WHO DID THE 2017 REFORMS. SHE IS THE PROTECTOR OF THE REFORMS OF 2017. AND SHE ALSO DID THE HPD IN 2004, WHICH WAS A REFORM OF DROP AS FAR BACK AS 2004. SO, AND THE SLAVE PROCESS THINGS EVOLVED. THEY CAME UP WITH A COST NEUTRAL PACKAGE THAT SENATOR HUFFMAN, AGAIN, THE CHAIRMAN OF FINANCE FROM HOUSTON, WHO PASSED THROUGH FORMS IN 2017, WHICH I SUPPORTED. AND I APPLAUD THE CITY AND THE LEADERSHIP OF MAYOR TURNER TO BRING THOSE REFORMS FORWARD. NO ONE WOULD JEOPARDIZE 'EM FURTHEST FROM THE TRUTH THAT IT WAS HIDDEN. IT WAS A LAST MINUTE DECISION BY THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE. I HEARD ABOUT IT, ABOUT THE TIME THAT THE MEMBERS HEARD ABOUT IT. WE DID OUR DUE DILIGENCE. THE PENSION REVIEW BOARD IN AUSTIN APPROVED IT AS COST NEUTRAL TO HOUSTON. MELISSA CAN, NO ONE CAN BE MORE PROTECTOR, PROTECTIVE OF THE CITY'S FINANCES THAN MELISSA. IT HAD TO GET BY HER REVIEW. SO WE'RE DOING OUR JOB AND IT'S TOO SERIOUS A THING TO PLAY POLITICS YET NO ONE HID ANYTHING. THE ISSUE IS IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO RUN A DEPARTMENT WITH TWO LEVELS OF BENEFITS OR RETIREMENTS FOR THE SAME DEPARTMENT, DIFFERENT LEVEL OF OFFICERS. SO THE PENSION FUNDS, POLICE AND FIRE LOCAL WERE UNDER PRESSURE TO TRY TO LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD. THEY KNEW THEY COULDN'T GET IT BY THE LEGISLATURE, AUSTIN, US, IF IT JEOPARDIZED THE CITY'S FINANCES. I TOLD THE PRESS THAT IT WAS A WIN-WIN IN TERMS OF IT DOESN'T COST THE CITY ANY MONEY, NO COST EXPOSURE. AND NUMBER TWO, IT'S GONNA RETAIN OFFICERS, WHICH WE ALL KNOW IS SO CRITICAL. SO THE MISREPRESENTATION AND THE POLITICIZING PEOPLE'S LIVES AND CAREERS IS UNFORTUNATE. THANK YOU FOR MELISSA. THANK YOU TO THE LEGISLATURE. IF THEY CAN IMPROVE THE WORKING CONDITIONS IN RETIREMENT FOR OUR FIRST RESPONDERS AND BE COST NEUTRAL, IT IS A WIN-WIN. IT WAS NOT ON OUR LEGISLATIVE AGENDA. I WAS SURPRISED AS ANYONE THAT HAVING SPENT A CAREER THERE, I KNOW HOW LAST MINUTE AGREEMENTS ARE MADE. SOME OF THE BEST ARE MADE AT THE LAST MINUTE BECAUSE THE STAKEHOLDERS HAVE STAKED OUT THEIR POSITION AND THEN SOMETHING BRINGS THEM TOGETHER. SO WE OUGHT TO RECOGNIZE THE BENEFITS AND CUT OUT THE POLITICS DEALING WITH PEOPLE'S LIVES, AND QUITE FRANKLY, THE HIGH STAKES OF THE CITY FINANCES. COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD, THANK YOU MAYOR, AND THANK YOU BOTH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. AND I, AND I KNOW PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE ARE PASSIONATE, BUT, UH, WHEN YOU WAIVE THOSE, UH, PIECE OF PAPER IS HARD FOR US TO HEAR, SO I JUST WANT TO ASK IF YOU ALL CAN RAISE 'EM, BUT NOT WAIVE 'EM. 'CAUSE IT IS VERY HARD FOR US TO HEAR UP HERE WITH THAT. AND I, I APPRECIATE YOU ALL. UM, AS IT PERTAINS TO YOU ALL'S PRESENTATION, I THINK THAT THE BIG THING THAT I HAVE BEEN FOCUSING ON, AND I'VE MENTIONED THIS WITH SOME STAKEHOLDER GROUPS, IS DIRECTOR, WHEN YOU PRESENTED THE FIVE YEAR FORECAST AND THE FIVE YEAR FORECAST, IF AT A BASELINE LEVEL, UH, COULD SHOW THAT THERE'S A POSSIBILITY OF US HAVING A $500 MILLION BUDGET DEFICIT, WHICH IS AM IN MY ESTIMATION, VERY ALARMING. UM, THE ISSUE THAT I THINK I HAVE WITH THIS PARTICULAR LEGISLATION THAT WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING TODAY IS THAT, UM, THERE WAS REALLY NO NOTICE TO US AT ANY POINT IN TIME DURING THE STATE LEGISLATIVE SESSION. AND EVEN [03:40:01] TODAY, WE'RE SPEAKING ABOUT RUNNING THE NUMBERS. SO WE STILL DON'T HAVE A FULL, UH, THE FULL FEEDBACK ON WHAT THOSE NUMBERS WILL PROJECT AND HOW THAT WILL, UM, EITHER HELP OR NOT HELP THE CITY'S FINANCES GOING FORWARD. AND MANY OF THE DECISIONS THAT WE'RE MAKING TODAY, IT SEEMS AS IF WE'RE FOCUSED ON TODAY, UM, BUT NOT A LOT IS BEING DISCUSSED ABOUT HOW THESE DECISIONS TODAY WILL AFFECT TOMORROW. AND THAT FIVE YEAR FORECAST THAT YOU PUT OUT, I THINK WAS THE MOST EYE-OPENING FOR ME BECAUSE LAST YEAR YOU ALSO SHOWED A FIVE YEAR FORECAST THAT SHOWED NUMBERS THAT COULD POSSIBLY GO IN THE WRONG DIRECTION. AND I THINK THOSE NUMBERS ARE STILL TRENDING IN THE DIRECTION THAT I'M UNCOMFORTABLE WITH. UM, I THINK WHAT WOULD, WHAT WOULD BRING SOME EASE IS IF THERE WAS A STATED PLAN ON HOW ARE WE GOING TO, UH, ADDRESS THIS LARGE POSSIBLE BUDGET DEFICIT THAT 3, 4, 5 YEARS DOWN THE LINE, UH, WE WILL, WE WILL HAVE TO DEAL WITH. RIGHT? AND LAST YEAR, WE WERE TOLD THAT THERE'S A PLAN IN PLACE FOR THAT. AND I'M SURE THAT WILL BE DISCUSSED TODAY THAT THERE'S A PLAN IN PLACE FOR THAT. AND I, I CAN SAY, MAYOR, YOU AND YOUR TEAM, I, I'M SURE YOU ALL HAVE DONE AN EXTRAORDINARY AMOUNT OF EFFORT AND WORK TO TRY TO GET THIS TO WHERE IT IS TODAY. AND I, I DO APPRECIATE THAT. BUT IT STILL IS ALARMING TO SEE THAT FIVE-YEAR FORECAST WHAT IT IS. AND, UH, DIRECTOR, YOU AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT THIS AND I EXPRESSED MY CONCERNS. AND I THINK FROM A BUDGET STANDPOINT, WE REALLY HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THE DECISIONS THAT WE'RE MAKING TODAY AND HOW THAT'S GONNA IMPACT, YOU KNOW, THE FUTURE. AND FOR ME, THE FUTURE IS, I THINK, PARAMOUNT, RIGHT? WE CAN SATISFY THE DAY ALL WE WANT. UM, BUT IF IT PUTS US IN PERIL GOING FORWARD, UH, THEN I THINK PEOPLE WILL LOOK BACK AT US ON THE DECISIONS WE MADE TODAY AND SAY, YOU'RE THE REASON WHY WE'RE IN THIS MESS IN THE FIRST PLACE. SO, UM, I WANT TO THANK YOU BOTH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. YEAH. COUNCIL, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD, I, UH, APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR CANDID REMARKS AND YOUR LEADERSHIP. ONLY THING I LEFT OUT A MOMENT AGO IS THIS PIECE OF LEGISLATION SPONSORED BY A HOUSTON STATE REP, AND PROBABLY THE MOST POWERFUL SENATOR IN THE SENATE FROM HOUSTON CHAIRMAN OF FINANCE WHO DID THE REFORMS IN 2017. IT PASSED UNANIMOUSLY OUT OF BOTH THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE COMMITTEES. EVERYBODY FROM HOUSTON HARRIS COUNTY VOTED FOR IT. IN FACT, EVERYONE BUT ONE PERSON IN THE LEGISLATURE VOTED FOR IT BECAUSE THEY LISTENED TO THE PENSION REVIEW BOARD. NONE OF THE SO-CALLED EXPERTS THAT WERE QUOTED IN THE PAPER YESTERDAY APPEARED IN THE COMMITTEE. THE TIME TO OPPOSE LEGISLATION IS WHEN IT'S GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS. NOT A ONE OF 'EM SAID A WORD. THEY'RE JUST PLAYING BACK TO THEIR BIAS FROM 2017, WHICH BROUGHT ABOUT A GOOD PRODUCT. BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST REMARKABLE HOW I'M WORKING ON SO MANY ISSUES. AND NEXT THING YOU KNOW, WE HEAR ABOUT A PENSION FUND THAT AT THE LAST MINUTE WAS PASSED BY THE TEXAS HOUSE IN SEP, IN THE TEXAS SENATE. AND ALL OF A SUDDEN PEOPLE START DRILLING US ABOUT WHAT DID YOU KNOW? AND WHEN DID YOU KNOW IT? WE KNEW ABOUT IT WHEN IT CAME OUTTA THE COMMITTEE AND PASSED BY EVERYONE. BUT ONE PERSON I THINK FROM MONTGOMERY COUNTY WHO HAS A STANDING NO ON EVERYTHING. SO I LOOKED TO THE LEADERSHIP, I LOOKED TO JOAN HUFFMAN, I LOOKED TO THE PENSION REVIEW BOARD, I LOOKED TO OUR FINANCE DIRECTOR, AND IT PASSED THE CHECKS AND BALANCES THAT WE ALWAYS PUT THINGS THROUGH. SO, UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR OBSERVATION. THE FIVE YEAR FORECAST IS VERY CHALLENGING. IT WAS PROBABLY WHEN YOU GOT HERE FOUR YEARS BEFORE I GOT HERE. IT'S BEEN A CHALLENGE AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER GOING BACK TO BOB LANIER WHEN HE GOT $500 MILLION FROM METRO TO BALANCE THE BOOKS. IT'S BEEN ON THE BOOKS FOR A LONG, LONG TIME. SO I SHARE THE RESPONSIBILITY WITH YOU TO SEE WHERE WE'RE GOING FORWARD, BUT NO ONE THOUGHT WE COULD DO THIS YEAR'S. IN FACT, THE CONTROLLER SAID A YEAR AGO BEFORE HE SAW ANY NUMBERS, THAT HE COULDN'T CERTIFY THE BUDGET. AND THE HAS ALWAYS BEEN WHAT MODEL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? WE'VE GOT A NEW MODEL FOR EFFICIENCIES FOR CITY GOVERNMENT THAT'S IMPROVING OUR SERVICES. WE'RE PUTTING $50 MILLION MORE THIS YEAR INTO DRAINAGE THAN WE DID LAST YEAR. SO WE GOT A LOT OF WORK TO DO, BUT WE'VE ALSO ACCOMPLISHED [03:45:01] A LOT IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER, COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD, UM, YOU ASKED ABOUT THE, THIS PENSION PROCESS. NOW THE FACT THAT THE MAYOR WAS EXPLAINING TO YOU ALL COUNCIL, JUST NOW WHAT HAPPENED IN THIS PROCESS TELLS ME THAT YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THIS BEFORE NOW. RIGHT? SO IN TERMS OF YOU BEING ENGAGED APPROPRIATELY ON THIS, LIKE, LET'S BE CLEAR THERE, THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN SEVERAL VOTES IN THE HOUSE IN THE SENATE ON APPROVING THIS. GUESS WHO DIDN'T VOTE ON THIS? YOU ALL? ALRIGHT, UM, ON TOP OF THAT, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THE CITY TRACKED THIS LEGISLATION OVER THE COURSE OF THE SESSION. NOW, I'M NOT A LEGISLATIVE EXPERT. THE MAYOR WAS THERE FOR, FOR OVER 50 YEARS. UH, BUT I DO KNOW THE CITY HAS SEVERAL LOBBYISTS WHO WE PAY TO DO STUFF LIKE THIS. AND THE MAYOR DESCRIBED THIS LEGISLATION AS CRITICAL. IF IT WAS CRITICAL, WHY WERE WE NOT TRACKING IT OR IF WE WERE TRACKING IT AGAIN, WHY DID YOU NOT KNOW ABOUT IT THERE? THERE'S ONLY, IT CAN ONLY BE ONE OF THOSE. EITHER WE WERE TRACKING IT OR WE WEREN'T, AND THEY'LL BE PAYING THE LOBBYISTS TO DO THEIR JOB OR, OR WE'RE NOT. AND EITHER THIS IS CRITICAL OR IT'S NOT, BUT IT CAN'T BE ALL THOSE THINGS TIED INTO ONE AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THIS IS OKAY. NOT KNOWING ABOUT THIS IN ADVANCE IS, IS A BIG DEAL. AND YOU ALL, AND THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE AND OTHER CITY STAKEHOLDERS NOT HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE IS ALSO A BIG DEAL. UM, THE MAYOR MENTIONED, UH, A COMMENT ABOUT ME TALKING ABOUT CERTIFICATION. UH, I WAS CLEAR ON THE RECORD THAT WHAT BROUGHT CERTIFICATION INTO REAL QUESTION WAS THE COURT'S RULING. IN MARCH, THERE WERE $180 MILLION IN CONTRIBUTIONS ON THE BOOKS FOR FFY 2025 AND FY 2026 THAT IF WE HAD TO MAKE THEM ACCORDING TO THAT MARCH JUDGMENT, WE WOULD'VE HAD SEVERE CHALLENGES. AND I WAS CRYSTAL CLEAR ABOUT THAT. AND SO, AND I SAID, IF THIS, IF THIS RULING STAYS LIKE THIS, IF THE COURT DOESN'T APPROVE THE SETTLEMENT, WE GOT A PROBLEM. IF THE COURT APPROVES THE SETTLEMENT, THEN WE HAVE NO ISSUE CERTIFYING IT. ALTHOUGH WE HAVE OTHER ISSUES WITH THE BUDGET AS SOON AS THE COURT APPROVED THAT SETTLEMENT, WE CERTIFIED IT. OBVIOUSLY YOU'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO CONSIDER THAT TODAY. SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THOSE FACTS ARE ON IT. SO WHEN YOU ALL LOOKED AT THE, UM, WHAT THE EXPERT SAID ABOUT, UM, THEIR VIEW ON, ON ON DROP AND SOME OF THE CHANGES TO OUR PENSION SYSTEM DIRECTOR, WHAT, WHAT WAS YOUR, WHAT WAS YOUR THOUGHT, UM, WHEN YOU HEARD SOME OF THEIR FEEDBACK THAT YOU CAN GIVE US YOUR IDEA ON WHY YOU MAY CHALLENGE THEIR, THEIR TAKE ON WHY THEY WERE MIND BOGGLED BY THE, UM, THE MOVE? ONE OF THE EXPERTS THAT WAS QUOTED IN THE ARTICLE, UM, ACTUALLY SPOKE OUT AGAINST THE PENSION REFORMS IN 2017. SO I THINK THAT INDIVIDUAL, UM, IS JUST A, A NAYSAYER IN GENERAL. UM, I THINK THAT, UM, SOME OF THE OTHER EXPERTS IN THE ARTICLE, UM, TALKED ABOUT, WELL, IF YOU DO THIS FOR DROP, IT'S GONNA CRACK THE DOOR OPEN. WELL, THAT'S NOT WHAT'S IN THE STATUTE. THAT'S NOT WHAT'S IN THE PROPOSED LEGISLATION, UM, THAT WOULD REQUIRE FUTURE LEGISLATIVE CHANGE THAT IS NOT PART OF THIS BILL. UM, AND SO I THINK THAT THEY'RE, UM, I THINK THAT THEY'RE RIGHT TO BE, UM, SKEPTICAL OF WHAT THE PENSION SYSTEMS ACTUARIES SAY. RIGHT? UM, AND I THINK THAT'S WHY IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S CRITICAL THAT FOR US FROM OUR UNDERSTANDING, YOU KNOW, IN MY DISCUSSIONS WITH OUR CITY'S OWN RETAIN ACTUARY, AND AGAIN, IT'S, IT'S THE SAME, UH, ACTUARY THAT HELPED US COST OUT THE 2017 REFORMS, WHICH WE SEE AS COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN MENTIONED, BROUGHT THE UNFUNDED LIABILITY FROM 8 BILLION DOWN TO NOW IT'S BELOW 2 BILLION. I CERTAINLY TRUST HIS JUDGMENT. UM, AND HIM AND HIS TEAM HAVE, YOU KNOW, RUN THE INITIAL ANALYSIS WITH ACTUARIAL ANALYSIS. THEY REPLICATE THEIR WORK INSIDE THEIR OWN FIRM. THEY HAVE ANOTHER ACTUARY RUN THE NUMBERS, THEY CHECK IT. SO THEY'RE IN PROCESS OF THAT RIGHT NOW. THEY DON'T HAVE THE FINAL REPORT READY BECAUSE OF THEIR, UM, YOU KNOW, REPLICATION OF THEIR OWN WORK AND CHECKING. BUT BASED ON MY CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM, IT, IT GOES TO THIS 65% RATE OF RETURN, UM, THAT'S CREDITED TO THE DROP ACCOUNTS AND THE, THE, THE RETAINING OF ALL THE OTHER CRITICAL REFORMS, RIGHT? THE CORRIDOR, THE FACT THAT THE, UM, YOU KNOW, ADDITIONAL FUNDING IS NOT GOING INTO DROP ON TOP OF WHAT IS HAS BEEN, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, PUT INTO PLACE POST 2017. SO BASED ON THOSE CRITICAL COMPONENTS, THAT'S WHERE OUR ACTUARIES, YOU KNOW, FEEL COMFORTABLE THAT BASED ON WHAT THEY, THEY'RE, THEY HAVE ALREADY RUN THE NUMBERS IN THEIR SOFTWARE, UM, AND THEY'RE JUST CHECKING THEM AND FINALIZING THE REPORT COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, [03:50:01] I DON'T WANNA DEBATE WHAT EXPERTS SAY IN THE NEWSPAPER. UM, I, I DID READ THE REPORT. UM, I, I RECOGNIZE ONE OF THE NAMES. I DON'T RECOGNIZE THE OTHER, SO I DON'T HAVE AN OPINION ON WHAT THEY SAID OR DIDN'T SAY. UH, I WANNA REITERATE THAT. AND, AND THIS IS TO YOUR POINT, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, AND THIS ANALYSIS THAT WE HAVE OUR ACTUARY DUE THERE HAS, WE HAVE TO LOOK AT SCENARIOS. WE HAVE TO LOOK AT MARKET VOLATILITY. WE HAVE TO, I, I BELIEVE THE RETIREMENT AGE WAS IMPACTED. WE HAVE TO LOOK AT ASSUMPTIONS AROUND RATES OF RETIREMENT AND ATTRITION AND HOW THAT ULTIMATELY IMPACTS THE CITY. UM, AND, AND WE SHOULD URGE THAT THE GOVERNOR NOT PUT HIS SIGNATURE ON THIS TO MAKE IT LAW UNTIL WE HAVE COMPLETED THAT ANALYSIS. COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER. THANK YOU MAYOR. THANK YOU TO BOTH OF YOU FOR THE PRESENTATIONS. UM, WHILE WE'RE SPEAKING ON PENSIONS, UH, I'VE GOT A QUESTION. ONE OF YOUR HARD TRUTHS WAS THAT THIS BUDGET CREATES LARGE UNFUNDED PENSION LIABILITIES. CAN YOU GIVE US SOME MORE DETAILS AROUND THAT? NO, I I, IT, I HAVE IT RIGHT HERE. YOU WANT ME TO READ IT? IT SAYS IT DELAYS FUNDING OUR FUTURE OBLIGATIONS. THE BUDGET, ONCE AGAIN, DEFERS FULLY FUNDING OUR PENSION AND RETIREE HEALTHCARE OBLIGATIONS. THIS IS HOW CITIES DIG FINANCIAL HOLES FOR THEMSELVES. AND IT'S REPEATING A MISTAKE HOUSTON MADE UNTIL SIGNIFICANT REFORMS WERE PASSED IN 2017. OKAY. WHAT I'M READING IS POINT NUMBER EIGHT, IT REPEATS THE COST MISTAKE THAT CREATED LARGE UNFUNDED LIABILITIES FOR THE CITY IN THE PAST. YES. SO WE TALK, WE, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS FOR A MOMENT HERE. THE PENSION MISTAKES THAT WE MADE IN THE NINETIES OF, OF HAVING LOFTY ASSUMPTIONS OF NOT PUTTING ENOUGH MONEY INTO PENSION FUNDS, UH, IS A, IS A MISTAKE. HERE WE ARE REDUCING, UH, FUNDING GOING INTO PENSIONS. THAT'S, THAT IS A FACT. THAT'S NOT DEBATABLE. WE'RE REDUCING THE MONEY THAT IN THIS BUDGET FROM LAST YEAR, WE'RE PUTTING LESS IN THIS YEAR FROM PENSIONS, AND WE'RE PUT IN LAST YEAR. UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, IN THE FISCAL YEAR, 2025 YEAR ACTUALLY JUST IN THE CONTINUING APPROPRIATION, WE ZEROED OUT MONEY THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO GO TO OPEP, RIGHT? THAT YOU ALL HAD PREVIOUSLY APPROVED IN LAST YEAR'S BUDGET. AND IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET IN ITS INITIAL FORM, HAD $0 GOING TO OPEP AT THE TIME THAT THIS WAS WRITTEN. NOW, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN HAS OFFERED, UH, A, AN AMENDMENT THAT WOULD PUT SOME MONEY BACK INTO OPAB. IT DOES NOT PUT IN THE MONEY FROM LAST YEAR, RIGHT? BUT IT DOES PUT SOME, YOU KNOW, IT PUTS MORE THAN ZERO IN THERE, WHICH IS ON PAR A POSITIVE STEP. I THOUGHT THE, THOSE ARE EXAMPLES OF PASSING EXPENSES ON TO OUR CHILDREN INSTEAD OF COVERING THEM RIGHT NOW. AND WHEN IT COMES TO STARTING THE YO P TRUST AND LOOKING AT THAT LIABILITY, THAT LIABILITY RIGHT NOW IS UPWARDS OF $2 BILLION FOR OPEP. RIGHT? THE PLAN THAT WAS PUT IN PLACE WITH, UH, SOME OF OUR PREDECESSORS, I WASN'T HERE AT THE TIME, SOME OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WERE, WAS TO BEGIN THIS TRUST TO START PUTTING MONEY INTO IT CONSISTENTLY. THAT OVER TIME THOSE COMPOUNDED RETURNS WOULD BRING THE UNFUNDED LIABILITY DOWN TO $1.1 BILLION BY THE YEAR 2048. I THINK THAT'S CORRECT, BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, IT WAS A LONG-TERM PLAN THAT IF YOU PAY CONSISTENTLY, BUT IN SMALLER AMOUNTS, YOU WOULD BRING THAT, THAT THAT LIABILITY DOWN BY ABOUT A BILLION DOLLARS OVER THE COURSE OF LIKE 25 YEARS. BUT IF YOU DON'T PUT THAT MONEY IN, THEN YOU GOT YOURSELF A PROBLEM 'CAUSE YOU'RE NOT GETTING THE COMPOUND RETURNS AND THEN YOUR MATH STOPS WORKING. IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE REDUCTION IN THE PENSION CONTRIBUTION WAS PRESCRIBED FROM THE REFORMS. IS THAT NOT CORRECT DIRECTOR? IT'S CERTAINLY LEGAL. UM, I'M, I'M NOT, I'M NOT ARGUING HERE THAT IT'S ILLEGAL, BUT IT IS A, IT IS A REDUCTION IN OUR CONTRIBUTION. AND AT THE CURRENT MOMENT, OUR MATH SAYS THAT, AND BY I SAY OUR, I MEAN THE CITY'S MATH, THE ACTUARY'S MATH, NOT CHRIS HOLS OR THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE'S MATH, NONE OF OUR PENSIONS IS FULLY FUNDED AS OF TODAY. OKAY. I WASN'T SAYING THAT YOU SAID IT WAS ILLEGAL. I WAS SAYING THAT IT WAS PRESCRIBED FROM THE REFORMS DIRECTOR. IS THAT CORRECT? CORRECT. RIGHT. SO THE, THE CHANGE IN THE PENSION RATE CONTRIBUTION IS IN ALIGNMENT WITH STATE STATUTE AND WE'RE FOLLOWING THE PRESCRIBED STEPS IN STATE STATUTE, UM, AS WE HAVE BEEN IN, YOU KNOW, SINCE THIS REFORMS PASSED BACK SINCE FISCAL YEAR 18. AND THE OPEP UNFUNDED LIABILITIES AND THE PENSION UNFUNDED LIABILITIES BEFORE THE REFORMS WERE APPROXIMATELY HOW MUCH THE PENSION REFORMS, UH, PENSION LIABILITY BEFORE REFORMS WAS ABOUT 8.2 BILLION, AND NOW IT'S AROUND 1.8 BILLION. AND, AND THE OPEP, THE OPEP, UH, THE PROJECTED OPEP LIABILITY BY, BY YEAR 30 WAS PROJECTED TO BE ABOUT 9 BILLION BASED ON THE REFORMS PUT IN PLACE IN 22, IT WAS CUT IN ABOUT HALF TO ABOUT FOUR AND A HALF BILLION. [03:55:01] UM, AND RIGHT NOW TODAY IT STANDS CLOSE TO AROUND 2 BILLION. OKAY. SO WE'VE REDUCED THAT BY ABOUT 70%, AND THEN THE PENSION LIABILITIES WE'VE REDUCED BY ABOUT 80%. IS THAT CORRECT? BALLPARK? WITHOUT BALLPARK, WITHOUT CHECKING YOUR NUMBERS, WE'VE SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED THEM. YES. OKAY. THANK YOU. I WOULD SAY THAT YOUR PREDECESSORS COUNCIL'S STATEMENT AGREE. DIDN'T HEAR WHAT YOU SAID. I'M SORRY. I SAID I WOULD SAY THAT YOUR PREDECESSORS, WELL, SOME OF YOU WERE HERE, YOUR PREDECESSORS REDUCED THOSE LIABILITIES. YEAH. AND, AND I APPRECIATE THAT. I, I DON'T THINK, UH, MAYOR TURNER GETS ENOUGH CREDIT FOR REDUCING PENSION LIABILITIES OVER $7 BILLION IN SAVING OUR CREDIT RATINGS AT THE TIME. SO I APPRECIATE THAT. GIVE CONTROL OF BROWN HIS CREDIT TOO. NOW. SORRY, I SAID GIVE CONTROL OF BROWN HIS CREDIT TOO. NOW YOU PART OF THAT PROCESS. THE ENTIRE CITY OF THE ENTIRE CITY OF HOUSTON. AND THAT WAS BEFORE MY TIME. THE, I HAD ONE QUESTION. I DON'T THINK THE CITY ATTORNEY IS IN HIS CHAIR, MAYOR. SO I'LL ASK A FEW QUESTIONS, BUT THEN I WOULD LIKE TO GO BACK TO THE CITY ATTORNEY JUST FOR AN OUTSTANDING QUESTION RELATED TO WHAT WAS PASSED AT THE STATE LEGISLATURE. 'CAUSE AS COUNSEL, AT LEAST I CAN SPEAK FOR MYSELF, I WAS NOT AWARE OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING. UM, AND YOU'VE WORKED IN THE LEGISLATURE, YOU CERTAINLY KNOW HOW IT WORKS. I, I DO. AND SOMETIMES NO ONE DOES UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE BREAK COMPLETELY. IT'S SIMPLY A CONTRACTUAL UNDERSTAND INQUIRY. AND AGAIN, I GET THAT SOMETIMES WE DON'T KNOW. FOR EXAMPLE, YOU AND I STOOD TOGETHER JUST YESTERDAY TALKING ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF RED FLAG LAWS, AND THEN I WENT, RAN BACK IN CHAMBERS BECAUSE WE LEARNED OF A SENATE BILL THAT PASSED PREEMPTING RED FLAG LAWS, WHICH COULD POSE A SIGNIFICANT DANGER IN THE COMMUNITY. WE WERE SPEAKING YESTERDAY. WE WERE NOT AWARE OF IT. CORRECT. IF YOU UNDERSTAND THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS, YOU REALIZE IT'S PRETTY INEXACT SCIENCE THAT, THAT THE AGREEMENTS ARE MADE IN CONFERENCE COMMITTEE IN THE BUDGET, AND PEOPLE COME TOGETHER COULD CALL THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS. THAT COULD BE. UM, I DO THOUGH FROM A LEGAL PERSPECTIVE HAVE SOME QUESTIONS. IN THE MEANTIME THOUGH, UM, YOU KNOW, BOTH CONTROLLER AND DIRECTOR, I'VE SPOKEN, IT'S NO SURPRISE THROUGHOUT THE BUDGET HEARINGS ABOUT MY CONCERNS PRIMARILY IN TERMS OF DISASTER PREPAREDNESS. AS IT STANDS TODAY, I'M GOING TO THE RAINY DAY FUND OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON. WE, OUR PLAN THIS YEAR IS TO ONLY FUND IT UP TO 12 MILLION. IS THAT CORRECT? WE'RE ADDING AN ADDITIONAL 12 MILLION. SO THE AMOUNT IS ABOUT 14.2 MILLION FOR, SO 14.2 MILLION IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S RAINY DAY FUND. UM, AND I, AS I'VE ASKED QUESTIONS OF DEPARTMENTS, THEY HAVE NOT, WE DO NOT BUDGET WITHIN DEPARTMENTS FOR DISASTER RESPONSE OR EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS. WE RELY HEAVILY EITHER ON FUND BALANCE FOR IMMEDIATE RESPONSE OR FEDERAL AND STATE REIMBURSEMENT TO RECOUP COSTS. IS THAT CORRECT? WE CERTAINLY RELY ON FEDERAL AND STATE REIMBURSEMENT, THE BUDGET STABILIZATION FUND. AND THEN, UM, OF COURSE WE HAVE A PROPERTY INSURANCE POLICY SHOULD WE HAVE DAMAGES TO OUR FACILITIES FOR, FOR CER FOR CITY FACILITIES. BUT THAT'S NOT FOR RESPONSE OUT IN THE FIELD ASSISTANCE TO RESIDENTS? CORRECT. OKAY, THANK YOU. AND REGARDING OVERTIME, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN HAS BEEN REALLY GREAT ASKING SOME VERY CLEAR AND CONCISE QUESTIONS. UM, BECAUSE OUR OVERTIME, SPECIFICALLY FOR PUBLIC SAFETY, BOTH CLASSIFIED UM, AND CIVILIAN, UH, IS OUR ESTIMATES FROM THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR TO WHAT THE ACTUARY WAS OR ACTUALS WERE FAR AS THERE'S A BIG GAP THERE, CORRECT? CORRECT. AND THE, FOR THIS UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR, OUR OVERTIME BUDGET IS SIMILAR TO WHAT WAS ESTIMATED THIS YEAR, NOT WHAT WE ACTUALLY SPENT, WHICH IS PRETTY MUCH DOUBLE IN MILLIONS. IS THAT CORRECT? IT IS. AND WHEN I, I GUESS WHAT I, UM, CAN REITERATE, I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT IT A COUPLE MONTHS AGO, IS THAT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE FISCAL YEAR 25 BUDGET, WHEN IT WAS PROPOSED, THE FUND BALANCE WAS AROUND 10% OF EXPENDITURES LESS DEBT THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. WE MAKE, UM, ADJUSTMENTS TO BOTH EXPENDITURES AND REVENUES. UM, AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHERE THE FISCAL YEAR 25 FUND BALANCE STANDS TODAY, IT'S AROUND, I BELIEVE 14% OF EXPENDITURES, LESS DEBT, UM, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN. RIGHT. AND THE FUND, I'M SORRY. AND SO THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, THROUGHOUT THE YEAR WE MAKE ADJUSTMENTS AND IF IN CERTAIN AREAS WE HAVE TO, UH, YOU KNOW, INCREASE EXPENDITURE PROJECTIONS, UM, IT MAY NECESSITATE DRAWING FROM FUND BALANCE OR WE MAY BRING ADDITIONAL REVENUES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. SO IT'S LIKELY WE COULD HAVE TO DRAW EVEN MORE FROM FUND BALANCE FOR CRITICAL NEEDS. WE ALWAYS NEED TO FUND PUBLIC SAFETY, BUT IT IS POSSIBLE, RATHER LIKELY THAT WE WILL HAVE TO DRAW DOWN FROM FUND BALANCE FOR OVERTIME AT CERTAIN POINTS. I, I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S TRUE. I MEAN, I THINK THAT AS YOU SAW WITH FISCAL YEAR 25 BUDGET, WE ACTUALLY ENDED UP, ALTHOUGH OUR OVERTIME, UM, ESTIMATES, OUR OVERTIME ACTUALS YEAR TO DATE EXCEEDED [04:00:01] THE BUDGET WE ACTUALLY ADDED TO THE FUND BALANCE THIS YEAR COMPARED TO AT THE TIME OF THE PROPOSED BUDGET. UNDERSTOOD. BUT AGAIN, WE ARE WITH OVERTIME OVER, UM, CAN, UH, JUST TO BE CLEAR, WE WRAPPED UP FISCAL YEAR 2024 WITH A FUND BALANCE OF 567 MILLION. IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, I'M PROJECTING 354 AT THE END OF THE YEAR, FINANCE IS PROJECTING 380. SO FROM 5 67 TO EITHER 3 54 OR THREE 80 IS NOT AN INCREASE IN THE FUND BALANCE. OKAY. OKAY. I WASN'T TALKING ABOUT AN INCREASE YEAR TO YEAR. I WAS TALKING ABOUT AN INCREASE FROM WHAT WE THOUGHT THAT PROPOSED THE, BASED ON THE ADOPTED BUDGET, THE FUND BALANCE AT THE END OF FY 25 WAS GOING TO BE $274 MILLION OR 10%, ALMOST 11% BASED ON OUR CURRENT PROJECTION. THAT FUND BALANCE IS 380 MILLION OR ABOUT 14.7%. UNDERSTOOD. AND, BUT AGAIN, IT'S WHETHER WHAT WE'RE ESTIMATING OR PROJECTING VERSUS ACTUALS MM-HMM . AND WE TALKED ABOUT THIS YESTERDAY, BUT FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE ENTIRE COUNCIL, I POSED A QUESTION RELATED TO, UM, ASSESSED PROPERTY VALUES MM-HMM . UH, AND THE TAX RATE MM-HMM . AND IN OUR FISCAL YEAR, AND WE'VE HAD THIS DISCUSSION BEFORE, I HOPE WE CAN GARNER SOME SUPPORT IN THE FUTURE. UM, OUR FISCAL YEAR IS SET AT A TIME WHEN WE DON'T HAVE THE ACTUAL ASSESSED VALUES. IS THAT CORRECT? YES. WE HAVE AN ESTIMATE FROM THE APPRAISAL DISTRICTS THAT, UM, THIS YEAR OUR ASSESSED VALUES AS A CONTROLLER MENTIONED, WILL BE A 2% INCREASE FROM THE PRIOR YEAR. LAST YEAR AT THIS TIME, WHEN THE APPRAISAL DISTRICTS GIVE US A PREVIEW OF THE ESTIMATE, THEY THOUGHT THAT THE APPRAISED VALUE WOULD GO UP, WOULD BE FLAT. IT TURNED OUT THAT THEY WENT UP BY ABOUT 3%. SO IN MY EXPERIENCE IN THE PAST, THEY'RE ALWAYS CONSERVATIVE ON THEIR ESTIMATE. SO I DON'T, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THE 2% WILL HOLD. I BELIEVE IT MAY EXCEED THAT, BUT WE DON'T KNOW THAT UNTIL WE GET TO, WHEN WE GET THE ACTUAL INFORMATION FROM THEM AT THE END OF JULY. SO WE HAVE TO, AFTER OUR FISCAL YEAR, WE HAVE TO TRUE IT UP. AND IF WE'RE OFF AGAIN ON A PROJECTION, THEN WHAT HAPPENS? WE WOULD EITHER HAVE TO ADJUST THE TAX RATE ACCORDINGLY, COULD BE A DECREASE. NINE OUTTA THE LAST 11 YEARS, WE'VE DECREASED THE TAX RATE. UM, IT COULD NECESSITATE, LIKE YOU SAW LAST YEAR, TO COLLECT THE PROP ONE AMOUNT OF REVENUE YOU MAY NEED TO ADJUST THE TAX RATE UPWARD. OR IF THE BODY CHOOSES TO LEAVE THE TAX RATE THE SAME, WE WOULD REDUCE OUR ESTIMATE OF PROPERTY TAX. OKAY. CONTROLLER, DID YOU HAVE A A THOUGHT ON THAT TOO? I'VE ASKED THE DIRECTOR A LOT OF QUESTIONS. I WANNA AFFORD YOU THE SAME OPPORTUNITY. UM, NO, I MEAN, I, I, I LAID IT OUT ALREADY, RIGHT? IF, IF, IF YOUR PROPERTY TAX VALUE IS 2%, AGAIN, THAT'S THE BEST WE KNOW RIGHT NOW. WE'LL LEARN MORE IN A COUPLE OF MONTHS, AND YOU'RE TRYING TO INCREASE REVENUE BY 9%, YOU GOTTA RAISE A TAX RATE TO ACHIEVE THAT NUMBER. UNDERSTOOD. AND AGAIN, I'LL JUST SAY I THINK IT'LL BE A LOT BETTER FOR THE CITY AS A WHOLE IF WE ARE SHIFTING OUR FISCAL YEAR TO ALIGN WITH THOSE NUMBERS, UH, WHICH A LOT OF OTHER JURISDICTIONS DO, UH, TO FOLLOW A DIFFERENT CALENDAR YEAR FOR OUR FY UH, CITY ATTORNEY. UH, I HAD ONE QUESTION PREVIOUSLY. WE WERE, COUNSEL WAS HAVING A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE LEGISLATION THAT JUST PASSED, UH, PERTAINING TO DROP, UM, OUR, OUR PENSION SYSTEMS AND FUNDS FOR, UH, OUR, OUR BRAVE MEN AND WOMEN IN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND PUBLIC SAFETY, UM, REGARDING CITY CONTRACTS THEMSELVES. AND THE REASON I ASK THIS IS IN, IN ONE OF OUR CITY CONTRACTS, IT SAYS, AND I QUOTE, BOTH PARTIES AGREE TO NOT FILE OR SUPPORT ANY LEGISLATIVE EFFORT THAT AFFECTS THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE CONTRACT THAT HAS NOT BEEN MUTUALLY AGREED UPON BY BOTH PARTIES. THAT IS VERY BROAD LANGUAGE THAT BASICALLY SAYS WE CAN'T SUPPORT ANYTHING THAT ISN'T MUTUALLY AGREED UPON, UH, WITHIN OUR CONTRACTS. DOES THE STATE LEGISLATION IMPACT CLAUSES WITHIN THE, IN OUR CONTRACTS, INCLUDING, UM, RETIREMENT CLAUSES THEMSELVES? AND THE REASON I ASK THIS IS IT'S IN, IT'S INTERESTING TO HEAR YOURSELF TALK, RIGHT? I HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK. GENERALLY IT DEALS WITH CONDITIONS OF WORK AND COMPENSATION RATHER THAN LONG-TERM BENEFITS. BUT I'D HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT AND GET BACK TO YOU. OKAY. I WOULD APPRECIATE THAT. AGAIN, I'M NOT FINGER POINTING, IT'S JUST SIMPLY A LEGAL INQUIRY BECAUSE IN OUR CONTRACT WE DO TOUCH ON RETIREMENT OPTIONS AND WE HAVE A CLEAR LINE THAT AGAIN SAYS WE CANNOT GO DO ANYTHING OR SUPPORT ANYTHING. EITHER PARTY CANNOT. SO NOT JUST THE CITY OF HOUSTON, EITHER PARTY CANNOT WITHOUT THE EXPLICIT EXPRESS CONSENT AND AGREEMENT OF BOTH [04:05:01] PARTIES. SO I WOULD LIKE AN ANSWER ON THAT. THANK YOU PRO TIM. CASTING STATE, THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. DIRECTOR AND CONTROLLER. UM, YOU, YOU DEFINITELY, I THINK EVERYONE AROUND THE HORSESHOE WOULD UNDERSTAND THE ANXIETY WHEN WE START TALKING ABOUT, UM, PENSION REFORM. AND, UM, FROM THE CHANGES THAT WE HAD IN 2017, WHAT STOOD OUT TO ME WAS THE TERM COST NEUTRAL FOR THE CITY. WHAT MAKES, UH, WHAT WAS PASSED COST NEUTRAL FOR THE CITY? TO ME, COST NEUTRAL MEANS WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE AN INCREASED BUDGETARY IMPACT. SO SINCE THE CORRIDOR MECHANISM IS IN PLACE, SINCE I, I'M HAVING A HARD TIME, I'M SORRY. SINCE THE CORRIDOR MECHANISM IS IN PLACE FOR PENSIONS, WE ARE NOT GOING TO HAVE TO CONTRIBUTE ANY MORE THAN WE'RE PLANNING TO IN THE BUDGET. UM, ADDITIONALLY, COST NEUTRAL MEANS FROM A LONG-TERM PERSPECTIVE, THE UNFUNDED LIABILITY IS NOT GOING TO GO UP. AND I, I UNDERSTAND THAT Y'ALL DON'T HAVE THE ACTUARIAL REPORT IN FRONT OF YOU FROM THE CITY'S RETAINED ACTUARY, BUT IN MY CONVERSATIONS WITH HIM, UH, THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE SEEING IS THAT THE UNFUNDED LIABILITY WILL NOT INCREASE AS A RESULT OF EXPANDING THE DROP PROGRAM TO THESE ADDITIONAL, UH, FIREFIGHTERS AND POLICE OFFICERS. OKAY. CONTROLLER HOLLANDS, IT, IT, I MEAN, BECAUSE IF, IF IT IS COST NEUTRAL FOR THE CITY, IS IT REALLY COST NEUTRAL FOR THE CITY? OR IS THAT THE PROJECTION THAT IS GOING TO BE COST NEUTRAL FOR THE CITY? I DON'T HAVE AN OPINION ON THAT BECAUSE I HAVE NOT SEEN ANY ANALYSIS WHATSOEVER. UH, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ASKING TO SEE. BUT AGAIN, THAT ANALYSIS DOESN'T NEED TO JUST LOOK AT BASE CASE BELIEFS. IT NEEDS TO LOOK AT SOME SCENARIOS INCLUDING SOME DOWNSIDE SCENARIOS, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO, TO LOOK AT THOSE SCENARIOS, RIGHT. THIS IS WHY WE HAVE A DISASTER FUND, ET CETERA. UM, AND IN ADDITION TO JUST THE CHANGE OF HOW THE PENSION WORKS ITSELF, THE, THE LEGISLATION I BELIEVE ALSO CHANGED RETIREMENT AGE FOR POLICE AND FIREFIGHTERS, ALLOWING PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, WHO BEGAN WORK AT 22 TO RETIRE AT 42 AND THEN GET A PENSION FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES. RIGHT? AND SO WE NEED TO LOOK AT THOSE TERMS IN ADDITION TO, UM, THE VARIOUS SCENARIOS OF MARKET RETURN AND INFLATION AND ALL THE OTHER THINGS THAT YOU WOULD LOOK AT. AGAIN, IT'S, IT'S THEIR PROFESSION, BUT WE NEED TO HAVE THAT LOOK AND, AND IT CAN'T BE THE, YOU KNOW, THE ROSE COLORED GLASSES. LOOK. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN ALCORN. DIRECTOR ON THE, YOU EXPLAINED THE, THE ASSUMED RATE OF RETURN, THE SMOOTHING OUT THAT THAT COULD BE ANY DIPS COULD BE ADDRESSED WITH DEFERRED GAINS. CAN YOU, CAN YOU KIND OF DRILL DOWN A LITTLE BIT? I'M, I'M NOT SURE I FOLLOWED THAT EXACTLY. DEFERRED GAINS CAN HELP YOU REGAIN THE, THE, THE MARKET VOLATILITY OR HOW DOES THAT WORK IN TIMING? SURE. SO WHEN THE ACTUARIES DO THEIR ANALYSIS, THEY LOOK NOT JUST AT THE PRECEDING YEARS INVESTMENT RETURN. SO THAT'S WHAT WAS HAPPENING BEFORE 2017. BEFORE 2017 WHEN THE PENSION SYSTEMS ACTUARIES DID THEIR REPORT. AND THE CITY'S ACTUARIES HAD NO SAY, SO WE DIDN'T GET THE DATA, WE DIDN'T GET TO RUN OUR OWN REPORTS, NOTHING. WE HAD TO GO BY WHAT THE PENSION SYSTEM SAID. THEIR ACTUARIES RAN THE REPORT, SET THE CITY'S CONTRIBUTION RATE BASED ON WHATEVER RETURN THEY HAD THE YEAR BEFORE. UM, SO IF THEY LOST 20% IN ONE YEAR, THAT WAS GONNA INCREASE THE CITY'S CONTRIBUTION RATE. IF THEY MADE 20% IN ONE YEAR, THAT MIGHT DECREASE THE CITY'S CONTRIBUTION RATE. SO WHAT YOU SAW IS THIS HUGELY VOLATILE CONTRIBUTION LIKE THIS, THE CORRIDORS WAS THE KEY TO THAT WHOLE THING. SO IT GIVES ME GREAT COMFORT THAT THE CORRIDOR IS STILL IN PLACE. CORRECT. WHAT I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND IS IF YOU DIP, DIP DOWN AND YOU'RE SAYING DEFERRED GAINS, LIKE I, I SURE I WAS A FINANCE MAJOR 1984, BUT LIKE, HELP ME OUT HERE. SO, UM, LET'S SAY, UM, THE PENSION SYSTEM LAST YEAR MADE A 10% RETURN. OKAY? THE LONG-TERM ASSUMPTION IS A 7% RATE OF RETURN. SO THAT EXTRA 3% THAT THEY MADE LAST YEAR BASICALLY GETS BANKED AND THEY USE THE BANK FROM THE PREVIOUS FOUR YEARS TO HELP BUFFER THE CUSHION WITH WHATEVER HAPPENS IN THE MOTION MOTION YEAR. SO IS IT LIKE ROLLING DEFERRED? IT'S A ROLLING FIVE YEARS. OKAY. YES. OKAY. THANK YOU. THAT HELPS. MAYOR POLLARD. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND SO WE, WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING THIS AS YOU ALL HAVE BEEN TALKING. UM, BUT, BUT WHAT IF YOU HAD A NEGATIVE FOUR, NEGATIVE THREE NEGATIVE TWO FOR THREE YEARS IN A ROW DIRECTOR? LIKE WHAT, WHAT IF THE, YOU WOULD HAVE DEFERRED LOSSES, BASICALLY? YEAH. SO YOU'LL HAVE THESE DEFERRED LOSSES MM-HMM . AND IF YOU AVERAGE IT OUT OVER FIVE YEARS AND IT'S UNDER 7%, DOES THAT IMPACT US OR THE PENSION PLAN THAT WOULD IMPACT THE PENSION PLAN WHETHER OR NOT THIS [04:10:01] HOUSE BILL EXISTED? UNDERSTOOD. BUT DOES THIS IMPACT IT MORE IN ANY WAY? NO, BECAUSE I'M, WHEN YOU SAY COST NEUTRAL, WHEN 65% IS IN ONE BUCKET, 35% IS IN THE OTHER, AND I WAS A POLITICAL SCIENCE MAJOR, SO I I'M REALLY FAR BEHIND ON THIS. UM, WOULDN'T IT BE A 50% IN ONE, 50% IN THE OTHER FOR IT TO BE A COST NEUTRAL? LIKE, EXPLAIN TO ME HOW YOU CAN HAVE, UM, YOU CAN HAVE MULTIPLE DOWN YEARS IN A ROW THAT MAY TAKE YOU BELOW THE 7%. AND HOW, HOW BEFORE THIS LEGISLATION, UH, IT WOULD IMPACT THE CITY AND THEN AFTER THIS LEGISLATION, HOW WOULD IMPACT THE CITY? I WOULD SAY THERE'S NO CHANGE BEFORE AND AFTER THIS LEGISLATION. OKAY. THE LEGISLATION DOESN'T, UM, TOUCH ANYTHING WITH THE FIVE YEAR AVERAGE. IT DOESN'T TOUCH THE CORRIDOR. SO WHATEVER STEPS PRESCRIBED BY THE CORRIDOR WHEN THE INVESTMENT RATE OF RETURNS MAY NOT MEET THE 7%, THE SAME STEPS ARE GONNA HAPPEN TODAY. EVEN WITH THIS PROPOSED LEGISLATION. I'M POINTING AS IF I HAVEN'T THE PROPOSED LEGISLATION. AND SO WE'RE, WE CAN MAKE THOSE OBSERVATIONS EVEN WITHOUT THE FINAL ANALYSIS FROM THE ACTUARY THAT YOU'VE BEEN WORKING WITH. UM, THE OBSERVATIONS AS FAR AS, CAN YOU REPEAT THE FISCAL IMPACT OF, OF THE LEGISLATION? SO THE FISCAL IMPACT OF THE LEGISLATION, AND, AND AGAIN, I DON'T, I DON'T TAKE MUCH COMFORT IN WHAT THE PENSION SYSTEMS ACTUARIES SAY, RIGHT? WE HAVE TO DO OUR OWN INDEPENDENT ANALYSIS. UM, THE PENSION REVIEW BOARD AT THE STATE LEVEL DID ALSO DID REVIEW WHAT THE PENSION SYSTEMS ACTUARIES SENT TO THEM. UM, SO THEY'RE REVIEWING IT AND OUR ACTUARY IS LOOKING AT IT. I'M NOT SURE THAT ANSWERED YOUR QUESTION, BUT I THINK, I THINK ONCE WE HAVE THAT ACTUARIAL REPORT FINALIZED AND WE SHARE IT WITH YOU ALL, I I HOPE THAT'LL ANSWER A LOT OF YOUR QUESTIONS. BUT YOU, YOU'RE, YOU'RE FINE WITH IT. I AM. AND I, COUNCIL MEMBER ALKER MENTIONS PT, NO ONE HAS MORE P-T-S-D-I-I THINK THAN I DO ABOUT PENSIONS. THAT'S SO TRUE. YEAH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN POLL, UH, JACKSON. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU ALL FOR THE, UM, PRESENTATION. I JUST HAVE HAVE, UH, UH, ONE QUESTION. SO WITH THE JONES WATSON, UM, SETTLEMENT, HOW MUCH CAN YOU JUST CONFIRM HOW MUCH IS GOING INTO THE BUDGET OR HOW MUCH ARE WE GETTING ON THAT? SURE. SO FOR, SO FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR, THE FY 26 PROPOSED BUDGET, WE'RE INCREASING THE TRANSFER TO D-D-S-R-F BY ABOUT $50 MILLION COMPARED TO FY 25. UM, AND THEN THE JONES WATSON SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT UM, LAYS OUT ADDITIONAL FUNDING IN, UM, FUTURE YEARS, UH, HOW WE'RE GOING TO, UM, BASICALLY EASE INTO GETTING TO THE 11.80 CENT FULL BY FISCAL YEAR 28. SO NEXT YEAR WE'RE GONNA PUT IN AN ADDITIONAL, UM, I SAY NEXT YEAR FY 27, THERE'S AN ADDITIONAL 47 MILLION ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT WE WOULD'VE DONE. AND THEN BY FISCAL YEAR 28, THE FULL AMOUNT. OKAY, BUT 2026 IS 16 MILLION. WELL, IT'S 16 MILLION ABOVE WHAT WE OTHERWISE WOULD HAVE DONE. BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE PREVIOUS YEAR, IT'S $50 MILLION MORE THAN FY 25 COUNCIL MEMBER. WITHIN THE SETTLEMENT ITSELF, THERE'S A TABLE THAT HAS ALL THE NUMBERS MM-HMM . FISCAL YEAR BY FISCAL YEAR MM-HMM . SO WE CAN FORWARD THAT TO YOU FOR A QUICK REFERENCE. IT SHOWS THE TOTALS AND IT SHOWS THE SOURCES OF WHERE THOSE FUNDS ARE COMING FROM. YEAH. OKAY. AND ON THAT TABLE, YOU WILL SEE THE 16 MILLION. UM, I CAN, I HAVE THE, THE DATA YEAR OVER YEAR WHERE YOU CAN SEE THE, 'CAUSE THE 16 MILLION TALKS ABOUT WHAT WE, WHAT WE WOULD HAVE DONE, UM, YOU KNOW, IF WE WERE BASING IT ON THE 11.80 CENT EQUIVALENT MM-HMM . IT'S 16 MILLION MORE THAN THAT. BUT EVEN ABSENT THE, THE JONES AND WATSON SETTLEMENT, BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN PAYING DOWN THE DEBT SERVICE OVER TIME, EVERY YEAR THERE'S AN INCREASED TRANSFER TO D-D-S-R-F. AS WE PAY DOWN MORE DEBT, THERE'S MORE MONEY AVAILABLE FOR THE PAY-AS-YOU-GO PROJECTS. OKAY. UM, SO ACCORDING TO RANDY, UM, WELL WE HAVE 20 MILLION IN SWAT, SO I WANTED TO GET THE BREAKDOWN. 20 MILLION IN SWAT, 13 MILLION IN LDP AND 25 MILLION IN DITCH. IS THAT HOW IT'S DIVVIED, DIVVIED UP? UH, IT SOUNDS ROUGHLY ACCURATE TO ME. MM-HMM . IF, UH, I CAN CONFIRM THE NUMBERS. OKAY. YEAH. ALRIGHT. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU COUNCILOR FLICKINGER. THANK YOU. GOING BACK TO THE PREVIOUS EXAMPLE OF MULTIPLE YEARS OF NEGATIVE RETURNS, WOULDN'T WE HAVE A NEGATIVE IMPACT BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA HAVE A LARGER POOL OF PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THE PENSION SINCE WE HAVE EMPLOYEES THAT ARE ACTUALLY STILL WORKING, THAT ARE IN THE PENSION, PLUS THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE RETIRED AND LEFT. I THINK IF WE HAVE MULTIPLE YEARS OF NEGATIVE RETURNS THAT, THAT THAT'S GONNA IMPACT THE PENSION SYSTEM, WHETHER OR NOT THIS PROPOSED LEGISLATION EXISTS? I'M NOT SURE I UNDERSTAND YOUR QUESTION. WELL, I I'M SAYING THAT THE IMPACT WOULD BE GREATER BECAUSE YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A GREATER NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN THE PENSION. [04:15:01] I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE, UM, THERE, THERE ARE STILL DIFFERENCES IN THE PENSION BENEFITS THAT, UM, INDIVIDUALS HIRED FOR POLICE OFFICERS HIRED BEFORE 2004 AND AFTER 2004, AND FIREFIGHTERS HIRED BEFORE 2017 AND AFTER 2017. UM, THIS LEGISLATION ONLY TOUCHES ON THEIR DROP ELIGIBILITY. IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE CONTINUATION OF ANY PENSION PLAN TO HAVE, UM, UM, ACTIVE MEMBERS PAYING INTO THE PLAN. YOU DON'T WANT A SITUATION WHERE YOUR PLAN IS A WHOLE BUNCH OF RETIREES GETTING PENSION CHECKS AND NOT ENOUGH ACTIVE PEOPLE ON THE PAYROLL PAYING INTO THE PLAN. YEAH, I WOULD AGREE WITH, I WOULD AGREE WITH DIRECTOR DEBOSKEY'S REMARKS THAT, YOU KNOW, ADDING TO THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE IT COULD ADD TO THE BENEFITS IF THE PLAN IS SET UP PROPERLY. OR IT COULD ADD TO THE PROBLEM IF THE, IF THE PLAN, YOU KNOW, HAS SOME ISSUES. RIGHT? THERE ARE PENSION PLANS ACROSS AMERICA, RIGHT? ADDING MORE PEOPLE TO THEM DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN A GOOD THING. UM, BUT IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN A BAD THING EITHER. THERE, THERE ARE OTHER TERMS THAT, THAT ARE MORE RELEVANT HERE. AS AN EXAMPLE, WE HAVE EARLY RETIREMENT ELIGIBILITY, RIGHT? AND SO, UM, NOW OBVIOUSLY WE'RE HOPING THAT FIREFIGHTER RAISES AND POLICE RAISES AND OTHER THINGS KEEP PEOPLE ON THE JOB A LITTLE BIT LONGER. UM, BUT LOWERING THE RETIREMENT AGE COULD HAVE MORE PEOPLE RETIRE. AND THEN THAT'S MORE PEOPLE WHO ARE NOW OBLIGATED TO, WHO ARE NOT PUTTING IN MONEY. SO AGAIN, THE SCALE OF PEOPLE IN THE PROGRAM OUTTA THE PROGRAM, IT'S NOT IRRELEVANT, BUT IT'S REALLY THE OTHER UNDERLYING, UH, ISSUES OR THE UNDERLYING SORT OF SETUP OF THE PLAN THAT'S GOING TO DICTATE IF ADDING MORE PEOPLE IS A GOOD THING OR IF ADDING MORE PEOPLE IS A BAD THING. THANK YOU. ANYTHING ELSE? THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN PROBE. THANK YOU. YOU'RE BOTH, UH, FINE JOB COUNCIL MEMBER I MOVE TO ACCEPT THE MONTHLY FINANCIAL REPORT DATED APRIL 30TH, 2025. SECOND MOTIONS MADE AND SECONDED. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. MR. SECRETARY, WOULD YOU PLEASE PROCEED TO THE CONSENT [CONSENT AGENDA] AGENDA UNDER THE MISCELLANEOUS CATEGORY? ITEM ONE NEEDS A MOTION CAST. STATE A MOVE MOTION SECOND MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES UNDER THE ACCEPT WORK CATEGORY ITEMS TWO, THREE, AND FOUR. NEED A MOTION CAST? STATE A MOVE. MOTION MADE AND SECONDED. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES UNDER THE PURCHASING AND TABULATION OF BIDS. CATEGORY ITEM EIGHT HAS BEEN REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. NEED A MOTION ON THE BALANCE TO MOVE. SECOND MOTIONS MADE AND SECONDED. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES UNDER THE ORDINANCES CATEGORY ITEMS 16, 20, 28, 30 AND 34 HAVE BEEN REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. AGAIN, THOSE NUMBERS ARE 16, 20, 28, 30, AND 34. NEED A VOTE ON THE BALANCE? ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. GOOD MORNING. UH, COLLEAGUES, UH, WE JUST PASSED. UM, AN ITEM RELATED TO THE HERITAGE HOUSE. UH, THANK YOU FOR THE PERSONAL POINT OF PRIVILEGE. I WANT TO INTRODUCE IN THE AUDIENCE, MR. AND MRS. CLEVELAND. WESLEY, CAN YOU STAND UP THE DESCENDANTS OF WALTER RASMUS? UM, I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE, UH, THE SUPPORT OF FIRST DISTRICT J COUNCIL MEMBER. COUNCIL MEMBER MIKE LASTER, COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD, UM, AND OUR CONGRESSWOMAN, LIZZIE FLETCHER. UM, AFTER REDISTRICTING IN 2021 PINEY POINT, THE UH, COMMUNITY THAT I REPRESENTED, I ONLY HAD THE NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD HAD THE CHURCH IN THE PARK. UH, WE MADE THAT NEIGHBORHOOD WHOLE AND WORKING WITH OUR CONGRESS, UH, UH, CONGRESSWOMAN LIZZIE FLETCHER, WE WERE ABLE TO IDENTIFY THIS FEDERAL EARMARK THAT WILL STAND UP A PUBLIC, UH, MEETING HOUSE THAT RESEMBLES, UH, THE OLD RASMUS HOUSE RIGHT THERE IN RASMUS PARK, THE NAMESAKE. SO, I JUST WANNA THANK YOU FOR YOUR ADVOCACY, REPRESENTING THE FRIENDS OF PARK, THE PINEY POINT, COMMUNITY, PILGRIMS REST, AND THE HERITAGE IN THAT COMMUNITY. AND THANK YOU COLLEAGUES FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF THIS ITEM ON CONSENT AGENDA. THANK YOU MUCH, MAYOR. THANK YOU, MAYOR. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN POLLARD. COUNCILMAN POLLARD. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND, AND AS YOU'RE THANKING US, WE WANT TO THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER BECAUSE THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR A LONG TIME. IT'S GOOD TO SEE THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS HERE. UH, BUT IT STARTED UNDER [04:20:01] MIKE LASTER, UH, THROUGH MY, MY TERM IN REPRESENTING THAT, THAT PART, UH, BUT IT'S UNDER YOUR LEADERSHIP THAT WAS ABLE TO GET IT DONE. UH, SO LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING THE NEXT STEPS AND, UH, UM, CONGRATULATIONS TO THE COMMUNITY AS WELL. GOOD TO SEE YOU ALL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU COUNCILMAN. UH, MR. SECRETARY, ITEM EIGHT. ITEM EIGHT NEEDS A MOTION. CASTEX, SAY A MOVE SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY YES. COUNCILMAN VICE MAYOR PROTE PECK. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I KNOW THIS ITEM WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO HFD, SO I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT IT. UM, IT'S INSTRUMENTS THAT ARE GRANT FUNDED, CAPABLE OF IDENTIFYING OVER 23,000 CHEMICALS. THEY, I WILL IDENTIFY SOLID AND LIQUID CHEMICALS AS WELL AS EXPLOSIVES AND NARCOTICS. SO, UM, I KNOW IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO DO THEIR JOB, SO I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR THAT ITEM. VERY GOOD. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 16 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES FOR 16. FOR 16. SORRY. COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN. COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN. THANK YOU MAYOR. VERY QUICKLY, I TOO WANNA RECOGNIZE CONGRESSWOMAN FLETCHER. THIS IS THE ACCEPTANCE OF, UH, LONG AWAITED DOLLARS, UH, FROM PREVIOUS CONGRESSIONAL CYCLES, UH, FOR REPAIRS TO SOME OF THE PLUMBING AT WEST GRAY MULTI-SERVICE CENTER. SO, MAYOR, APPRECIATE THE GOVERNMENT RELATIONS TEAM, BUT ALSO BIG PROPS TO CONGRESSWOMAN FLETCHER FOR CONTINUING TO WORK WITH OUR OFFICE. UH, WE HAVE NOT GOTTEN, UM, THE NEW ROUND OF CONGRESSIONAL FUNDING BECAUSE AGAIN, THAT WAS REMOVED FROM THE CONTINUING RESOLUTION. SO ALL OF THE COMMUNITY BASED FUNDING THAT WE HAVE REQUESTED WAS NOT INCLUDED. AND I WANNA POINT THAT OUT 'CAUSE THERE'S STILL SUCH A SIGNIFICANT NEED THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF HOUSTON, UH, AS IT PERTAINS TO CONGRESSIONAL FUNDING. THANK VERY GOOD. THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP. COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ. THANK YOU, MARY. I ALSO WANT TO, UH, SHARE, UH, A THANK YOU TO CONGRESSWOMAN, UH, SYLVIA GARCIA. SO WE'RE RECEIVING SOME HUT DOLLARS AS WELL FROM MASON PARK. UH, WE'VE SPOKEN AROUND ABOUT THIS. UH, WE'VE HAD RESIDENTS COME IN AND MASON ABOUT SPEAK TO MASON PARK AND THE NEEDS. AND SO WE'RE, WE'RE HAPPY TO SEE THE MASTER PLAN, CONTINUING TO SEE, UH, DOLLARS, UH, INFUSED INTO IT. AND LOOKING FORWARD TO, UM, CONSTRUCTION ACTUALLY BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR ON THE COMMUNITY CENTER, WHICH WE'RE GONNA BE, UH, THESE DOLLARS ARE GONNA BE ALLOCATED TO. SO THANK YOU MAYOR AND YOUR TEAM. AND OF COURSE CONGRESSMAN GARCIA AS WELL. YOU BET. COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. WITH REGARD TO MASON PARK, I WANT TO GIVE KUDOS TO MY COLLEAGUE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ, FOR FIGHTING FOR THOSE DOLLARS. AND, UH, IT'S REALLY GONNA MAKE AN IMPACT AT MASON PARK, WHICH IS A BEAUTIFUL PARK. IT HAS A REALLY NICE, UH, COMMUNITY CENTER, OR WILL HAVE A NICE COMMUNITY CENTER ONCE THIS, UH, PROJECT IS COMPLETE. AND SO, THANK YOU. THAT'S ALL. THANK YOU. STILL NEED A VOTE? NO, WE, ITEM 20 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR. CYE RAMEZ. YES, EXCEPT COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ. SELECTED. THANK YOU MAYOR. ONCE AGAIN. UH, THIS IS THE, UH, MCG MCGREGOR GROCERY, UH, LOAN ITEM BACK ON THE AGENDA. AND I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THIS IS, UH, WHAT CAN HAPPEN WHEN OUR STAFFS, UH, AND WE DIG DEEP ON AN ISSUE? THIS WAS GOING TO PASS EARLIER, A COUPLE MONTHS AGO. UH, IT WOULD'VE RESULTED IN THE CITY LOSING ALMOST $7 MILLION. UH, WE, WE LOOKED AT THIS AGAIN AND, UH, CONVINCED HOUSING DEPARTMENT TO LOOK AT IT AGAIN. AND THE RESULT WHEN WE PASS THIS WILL BE THE CITY WILL EVENTUALLY BE PAID BACK ON THIS LOAN TO MCGREGOR GROCERY, UH, TO THE TUNE OF ALMOST, UH, $7 MILLION. AND IN THESE TIGHT BUDGET TIMES, THIS IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. SO I WANNA GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO MY CHIEF OF STAFF, LEAH AL, FOR HER WORK ON THIS, DIGGING DEEP ON IT, AS WELL AS DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, EVAN SHABAZZ FOR LISTENING, UH, TO THE DETAILS ON THIS AND SUPPORTING, UH, THE REVISED DEAL. AMY CONNOLLY FROM HOUSING, UH, FOR TAKING A SECOND LOOK AT THIS. AND COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER FOR TAGGING THIS EARLIER AND ENSURING THAT WE CAN SAVE THE CITY THIS MONEY. THANK YOU, ALCORN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR DUE DILIGENCE. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ TO YOU AND TO LEAH WOLF. THOUGHT THIS WAS A BIG DEAL AND WE WERE KIND OF BEATING UP ON YOU, LIKE, NO, WE WANT ME TO DO IT. UM, YOU DUG IN AND YOU FOUND MONEY THAT'S GONNA COME BACK TO THE CITY TO BE PUT IN OTHER FOOD DESERT PROJECTS, AND I DON'T WANT ANY OF US TO THAT TO GET LOST ON US. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER. UM, EVAN SHABAZZ TOO, FOR GETTING ON BOARD. THAT WAS GOOD COUNCIL WORK. AND THAT WAS MONEY THAT WE, WHEN THE HEB DEAL WENT THROUGH, IT WAS TOUTED AS THERE'LL BE PROGRAM INCOME TO COME BACK AND BE USED IN OTHER FOOD DESERT AREAS FOR OTHER PROJECTS. SO, PROPS TO YOU. VERY GOOD COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABA. [04:25:03] THANK YOU, MAYOR. I WAS GONNA COMMENT, BUT I'M GONNA DEFER TO THE COMMENTS OF MY COLLEAGUES. I'M GLAD THAT THIS WORKED OUT, UH, FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE COMMUNITY AS WELL AS THE BENEFIT OF THE CITY. SO THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. JUST NEED A VOTE. 20. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 28 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 30 IS, GO AHEAD. YOU WANT 28? ITEM 30 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. YOU WANT 28. COUNCILOR FLICKINGER. JUST WANTED TO COMMENT ON 28. THIS HAS KIND OF BEEN A LONG TIME COMING FOR THE RESIDENTS OF CLEAR LAKE. UH, WE DON'T HAVE MUCH FOR CITY, UH, FACILITIES OUT THERE AT ALL. WHETHER IT BE, UH, A LIBRARY, COMMUNITY CENTER OR ANYTHING, UH, THE, UH, RESIDENTS OUT THERE ARE GONNA BE GREATLY APPRECIATIVE OF THIS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. COUNCILMAN KAMAN? UH, I'M SPEAKING ON ITEM 30. OKAY, THANK YOU. UH, COLLEAGUES. THIS IS AN ITEM FOR $5 MILLION, UH, FOR MANAGEMENT OF WATERLINE LEAKS AND WATER LOSS. SO WE DUG INTO THIS A LITTLE BIT AND I FULLY SUPPORT THE INTENT OF THIS. AND THE ENGINEERING FIRM THAT WAS SELECTED IS EXTREMELY REPUTABLE. HOWEVER, A $5 MILLION ALLOCATION IS BEING PLANNED, BASICALLY, UH, TO STUDY HOW WE CAN IMPROVE WATERLINE LEAKS. THIS FALLS IN LINES WITH COUNCIL APPROVED POLICIES. BUT SOMETHING OF THIS MAGNITUDE FOR AN ISSUE THAT WE CONTINUE TO DEAL WITH, THAT THIS HASN'T COME TO COMMITTEE. ONE OF THE CHALLENGES OF NOT HAVING AN INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE IS THE FACT THAT WE'RE NOT GETTING SOME OF THIS INFORMATION. I WOULD FEEL MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE TAGGING THIS, UM, TO GET MORE INFORMATION. 'CAUSE AGAIN, THIS IS TO STUDY AND ANALYZE HOW WE CAN MITIGATE AS A CITY WATERLINE BREAKS. BUT AT $5 MILLION, I WOULD HOPE THAT COUNCIL CAN GET MORE INFORMATION. AND MAYOR, I DON'T KNOW IF IT CAN GO TO A COMMITTEE LIKE GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS AND SERVICES. UH, I CERTAINLY DON'T WANNA HINDER WORK, BUT FIVE MILLION'S, A BIG PRICE TAG FOR SOMETHING TO NOT HAVE THAT MUCH INFORMATION ON. DO YOU WANT TO TAG IT OR NOT? I AM TAGGING IT. THAT'S FINE. AND THE REQUEST IS THAT IT COME TO A COMMITTEE. YOU'RE CERTAIN AND WELCOME TO. THANK YOU. GIVE YOU AN EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY TO TALK TO RANDY. 34. ITEM 34 IS IN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE POST NAY MOTION PASSES. NOW WE'RE AT BUDGET. DO WE TAKE FIVE MINUTES? MEMBERS, UH, MR. STAND RE ADJOURN FOR RECESS. RECESS AT EASE FOR FIVE. FOR FIVE MINUTES. SO PLEASE COME TO ORDER AT THIS [MATTERS HELD] TIME. WE'LL TAKE UP, UH, ITEM 36, FISCAL YEAR 2026. BUDGET AMENDMENTS AND RECOGNIZE THE CHAIR. COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ. THANK YOU MAYOR. HAPPY TO START OFF WITH, UH, BUDGET AMENDMENTS TO THIS, UH, FY 26 BUDGET. MAYOR I, UH, LAST WEEK HAD FILED, UM, TOTAL OF SEVEN AMENDMENTS. TAKING THEM UP IN ORDER NUMBER 1.01, I'D LIKE TO SUBSTITUTE FILE A SUBSTITUTE AMENDMENT THAT WOULD CHANGE THE SOURCE OF THE FUNDING FOR THESE NEW POSITIONS THAT WOULD BE CREATED UNDER THIS AMENDMENT. UM, OKAY. I'M LED TO BELIEVE THAT REQUIRES A SECOND. SO THE FUNDING, UH, WOULD CHANGE FROM COMING OUT OF THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT TO COMING OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND BALANCE IN AN AMOUNT OF 8 870 $5,000. OKAY. ANY DISCUSSION? COUNCILMAN KAMAN? I HAD A PROCEDURAL MOTION. I'LL HOLD TILL WE'RE DONE WITH THIS, THIS ITEM. OKAY. HAVING RECEIVED A SECOND, UH, MAYOR, HAPPY TO LAY THIS OUT AT THIS TIME OR, UH, TAKE UP PROCEDURAL MOTIONS OR, OR WHAT HAVE YOU, WHATEVER'S REQUIRED AT THIS POINT. GO AHEAD. ALRIGHT. SO THIS, THIS AMENDMENT SEEKS TO BEEF UP ENFORCEMENT OF CITY ORDINANCES AND CITY CODES. ONE OF THE MOST COMMON COMPLAINTS THAT EACH ONE OF US RECEIVES HAS TO DO WITH THE, THE LACK OF ENFORCEMENT OF A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT THINGS THROUGHOUT THE CITY. WE HAVE THREE DEPARTMENTS IN PARTICULAR, LEGAL DEPARTMENT, [04:30:01] ADMINISTRATION AND REGULATORY AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT, AND, AND NOW OUR PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT THAT ARE ENGAGED IN ENFORCEMENT OF VARIOUS THINGS THAT AFFECT OUR QUALITY OF LIFE, UH, VIOLATIONS THAT AFFECT OUR QUALITY OF LIFE IN A NEGATIVE WAY. UM, IN LOOKING AT THE BUDGET, UH, MAYOR, AND IN SPEAKING TO FOLKS IN THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT, WE'VE COME TO FIND OUT THAT THEIR SECTION THAT HANDLES, UH, NUISANCE VIOLATIONS, WHICH IS THEIR, UM, NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES GROUP, IS OVERWORKED. SO THIS SECTION IS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT. IT PROSECUTES NUISANCES AND VIOLATIONS THAT NEGATIVELY AFFECT, UH, THE PRESERVATION AND PROTECTION OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND SEEKS TO ENHANCE THE GENERAL QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE COMMUNITY. SPECIFICALLY, THEY GO AFTER CRIME BASED NUISANCES. THEY ENFORCE DEED RESTRICTIONS WHERE POSSIBLE UNDER STATE LAW. THEY, UH, ENGAGE IN DANGEROUS BUILDING ABATEMENT AND TABC PROTEST, BUT THEY ARE OVERWHELMED BY THEIR WORKLOAD AT THIS TIME. SO THIS AMENDMENT WOULD ADD TWO ATTORNEYS TO THIS SECTION, ONE OF WHOM HOPEFULLY WOULD BE DEVOTED FULL-TIME TO WORKING ON, UM, THE TYPES OF ESTABLISHMENTS THAT ENGAGE IN HUMAN TRAFFICKING, INCLUDING MASSAGE PARLORS AND SEXUALLY ORIENTED BUSINESSES. IN SPEAKING WITH THE SECTION SECTION CHIEF, HE'S INFORMED ME THAT, UH, ONE FULL-TIME LAWYER, UH, COULD BE ADDED TO HELP ADDRESS THESE ITEMS. BUT, UH, THIS, THIS AMENDMENT WOULD ADD TWO ATTORNEYS AND ONE PARALEGAL TO THIS SECTION AT A COST OF $375,000. UH, SALARY AND BENEFITS INCLUDED. SO THAT'S ONE PART OF IT. THE SECOND PART, MAYOR WOULD ADD TWO FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES TO THE ADMINISTRATION AND REGULATORY AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT, WHICH HANDLES COMPLIANCE INVESTIGATIONS, PERMIT PROCESSING, AND FEE COLLECTION ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATED WITH MORE THAN 65 DIFFERENT PERMITS THAT THE CITY ISSUES INCLUDING, UH, THE RECENTLY PASSED SHORT-TERM RENTAL ORDINANCE. WE SPENT THE LAST AT LEAST TWO YEARS WORKING ON A SHORT-TERM RENTAL ORDINANCE. A LOT OF WORK WAS PUT INTO IT, A LOT OF STAKEHOLDERS WERE ENGAGED, AND THE COMMENT WAS MADE BY A NUMBER OF US AT THIS TABLE, INCLUDING COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER, THAT ENFORCEMENT IS REALLY BEHIND A, A LOT OF THE NEED FOR IT. UH, I SPOKE OUT AND SAID THAT WE CAN PASS THIS ORDINANCE, WHICH IS A GOOD FIRST STEP DEALING WITH SHORT TERM RENTALS, BUT UNLESS WE ENFORCE IT, THEN PEOPLE ARE NOT GONNA BE HAPPY. AND IN LOOKING AT THE, THE PERSONNEL LISTED FOR A RA, THIS SECTION IN THE BUDGET, IT SHOWED A DECREASE OF TWO FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES, EVEN THOUGH WE HAD ADDED THE SHORT-TERM RENTAL ORDINANCE TO THEIR BUCKET. AND SO MY PROPOSAL WOULD ADD, RE PUT BACK THOSE TWO FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES TO THIS SECTION, WHICH HANDLES, IN ADDITION TO THE SHORT TERM RENTAL ORDINANCE PERMITS AND SUCH IN VIOLATIONS, IT HANDLES DANCE HALLS, GAME ROOMS, SEXUALLY ORIENTED BUSINESSES, AND ALSO ANOTHER AREA OF COMPLAINT THAT WE COMMONLY GET SOUND AND NOISE RELATED EQUIPMENT PERMITS. SO VERY IMPORTANT SECTION, UH, THAT NEEDS, NEEDS TO BE BEEFED UP A LITTLE BIT, OR AT LEAST, UH, NEEDS TO STAY WHERE IT IS IN TERMS OF ITS, UH, UH, UH, ENFORCEMENT CAPABILITY. THE THIRD AREA WHERE, UH, THIS AMENDMENT WOULD ADD TWO FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES IS TO THE AREA THAT WOULD ENFORCE, OR THE, THE, THE PART OF THE, THE CITY GOVERNMENT THAT WOULD ENFORCE, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD COMPLAINTS FORMERLY HANDLED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS, WHICH IS NOW GONNA BE UNDER IN THIS FISCAL YEAR. PUBLIC WORKS. THIS SECTION RESPONDS TO NEIGHBORHOOD COMPLAINTS RELATED TO BANDIT SIGNS IN THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY. AND I WOULD NOTE THAT THROUGH RECENTLY PASSED LEGISLATION, UM, WE SHOULD BE SEEING MORE ACTIVITY IN THIS REGARD. ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS, UH, THE CITY WILL BE ABLE TO, UH, TO GO AFTER SOME OF THESE BUSINESSES THAT ARE LISTED ON THESE BANDIT SIGNS. AND SO WE'LL NEED THE PERSONNEL TO DO THIS. IT ALSO HANDLES OVERGROWN LOTS DANGEROUS AND VACANT BUILDINGS, ILLEGAL DUMPING JUNK MOTOR VEHICLES, AND PROHIBITED YARD PARKING. PROHIBITED YARD PARKING IS SOMETHING THAT PREVIOUSLY HAD BEEN UNDER THE PURVIEW OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. HOWEVER, IN TALKS WITH, UH, POLICE DEPARTMENT LEADERSHIP, I'VE COME TO UNDERSTAND THAT UNLESS A PROHIBITED YARD PARKING VIOLATION HAS AN ADDITIONAL [04:35:01] CRIMINAL NEXUS, UH, THEY'RE NOT GONNA HANDLE THIS. UH, AND GOING FORWARD, THIS WILL BE UNDER THE CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES THAT ARE NOW GONNA BE UNDER, UNDER PUBLIC WORKS. UH, SO MAYOR, I'D ASK FOR COLLEAGUES, I'D ASK FOR A PASSAGE OF THIS AMENDMENT, WHICH SEEKS TO BEEF UP ENFORCEMENT IN A LOT OF AREAS, UH, IN CITY GOVERNMENT. VERY GOOD. DO I HAVE QUESTIONS ON THIS AMENDMENT? PLUMMER. COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER IS, THIS IS, UM, MULTIFAMILY. SO MULTIFAMILY NUISANCES IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, TRASH ISN'T BEING PICKED UP PROPERLY. UM, WOULD THIS, WOULD THIS FALL, WOULD THAT FALL INTO THIS CATEGORY AS WELL? WELL, IT COULD, IF WE CAN BUILD A CASE TO, UH, PROSECUTE A VIOLATION UNDER SECTION 1 25, THE STATE NUISANCE LAW, THEN UH, WE COULD, UH, GO AFTER SOME OF THOSE MULTIFAMILY ESTABLISHMENTS. OKAY. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD. I TOLD MYSELF I WASN'T GONNA CHIME IN A LOT TODAY, BUT I'M, I'M ON THE FIRST ONE. I THINK THIS IS, UM, WELL THOUGHT OUT. AND I THINK IT, IT, YOUR INTENTIONS ARE IN THE RIGHT PLACE. BUT MY, MY CONCERN IS WHEN WE ADD ONLY A FEW EMPLOYEES FOR SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU WANT TO ADDRESS FOR A CITY THAT'S ALMOST 700 SQUARE MILES, I DON'T KNOW IF TAKEN FROM THE FUND BALANCE WILL ACTUALLY GET US TO BANG FOR OUR BUCK THAT WE DESIRE. BECAUSE IN THESE 11 DISTRICTS, I DON'T SEE FORESEE A WAY IN WHICH TWO PEOPLE WILL BE ABLE TO SATISFY SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT WE HAVE, AND WE'LL BE FIGHTING OVER THOSE TWO PEOPLE DAY IN AND DAY OUT. AND IF WE'RE TAKEN FROM THE FUND BALANCE, I THINK WE HAVE TO HAVE A PRACTICAL APPROACH TO IT. AND I'M, I'M JUST SAYING THAT ALTHOUGH THE THINGS YOU'RE SAYING I AGREE WITH, I DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE GONNA FEEL THE IMPACT. AND I THINK WE HAVE TO FEEL THE IMPACT IF WE'RE GONNA DRAW DOWN FROM THE FUND BALANCE THAT'S ALREADY PRETTY STRICT AND, UH, RESTRICTIVE AT THIS POINT. THANK YOU. UH, NO, THANK YOU FOR THAT. BUT WE WON'T KNOW UNLESS WE TRY. RIGHT? AND, UH, NOT SAYING THIS IS A SOLUTION TO OUR PROBLEMS, BUT IT'S AN EFFORT TO, TO TRY TO ADDRESS THE MANY, MANY COMPLAINTS WE GET ALL OVER THE CITY. YOU KNOW, NOT JUST IN DISTRICT J, BUT, BUT, UH, THE AT LARGES CAN TELL YOU, WE SEE THESE COMPLAINTS COME IN FROM ALL 11 DISTRICTS AND, AND THIS IS AN EFFORT TO TRY TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER, THANK YOU MAYOR, AND THANK YOU, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD. UM, I KIND OF ECHO UH, COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD'S STATEMENT. YOU KNOW, IN A TIME WHERE WE'VE DONE AN EFFICIENCY STUDY AND WE'VE, WE'VE CUT STAFFING TO KINDA REVAMP AND TAKE A LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, SUPERVISORS AND KIND OF LAY IT OUT, I THINK TO TAKE A HUNDRED AND TO TAKE, TO TAKE THE 8 75 FROM THE GENERAL FUND TO ADDRESS THIS. IT'S, IT'S, IT'S GOOD IN PRACTICE, BUT IS IT PRACTICAL? BECAUSE WHEN WE'RE BEEFING UP, YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE ADDRESSED HPD, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE MUNICIPAL COURTS, AND I THINK THE ENFORCEMENT WITH HPD AND REALLY, I THINK IT'S KIND OF WHAT'S THE OUTCOME AND HOW DO WE MEASURE THE OUTCOME? SO, YOU KNOW, JUST MY 2 CENTS WORTH. BUT I, YOU KNOW, I, I, AND YOU KNOW, IT'S A GOOD IDEA. I THINK IT'S A, A GOOD EFFORT. BUT I TOO QUESTION WILL WE SEE THE IMPACT AND WHEN WE'RE IN A SITUATION WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO CUT FUNDING IS SHOULD WE LOOK AT HPD AND, AND LEAN MORE ON THEM NOW THAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE BROUGHT THEIR SALARIES UP AND, AND, AND LOOKING AT HIRING MORE OFFICERS. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN FLICKINGER. KIND OF FOLLOWING UP ON COUNCIL MEMBER'S QUESTIONS, WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE IF WE USED ONE OR TWO OF THESE PEOPLE EXCLUSIVELY FOR SHORT TERM RENTAL ENFORCEMENT TO USE HOT TAX RATHER THAN GENERAL FUND? NO, YOU CAN'T. YEAH, YOU CAN'T USE HOT TAX. IT'S VERY, IT'S PRETTY RESTRICTED. AND I, AND THIS IS NOT ONE OF THE CATEGORIES. I DON'T LEAVE COUNCILMAN CAYMAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, COUNCILOR RAMIREZ. I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THIS AMENDMENT. AGAIN, WE'RE ADDING TO THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT, A RA AND DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS. IS THAT CORRECT? YES. AND, UH, I WILL SPEAK FOR DISTRICT C. WE'VE ALREADY HAD IN THE PAST FEW WEEKS ALONE, HAD TO FILE, THAT TOOK YEARS TWO CHAPTER ONE 20 FIVES, AND THEY SHOULD NOT HAVE TAKEN YEARS. IT IS HORRIFIC THE CONDITIONS IN SOME OF THESE APARTMENTS, UH, INCLUDING FROM AN INSPECTION PER PERSPECTIVE. AND COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER, TO YOUR POINT, AND [04:40:01] I APPRECIATE US TRYING TO BE AS FISCALLY, UH, DISCIPLINED AS POSSIBLE, BUT PART OF THE PROBLEMS WE HAVE HAD IS I AM FUNDING HPD OVER TIME AT THESE LOCATIONS. HPD IS BEING ASKED TO DO SO MUCH, INCLUDING SOME OF THE HIGHEST CALL VOLUMES TO THESE SINGULAR PROPERTIES. IT'S A STRAIN ON LAW ENFORCEMENT. AND THEN LAW ENFORCEMENT IS TRYING TO SUBMIT TO LEGAL THE CASE OF EVIDENCE, THE PACKAGE OF EVIDENCE TO FILE A CHAPTER 1 25, WHICH HAS TO COME FROM THE CITY LEGAL DEPARTMENT WITHOUT THE ATTORNEYS AVAILABLE TO REVIEW WHAT IS A HIGHLY COMPLEX, UH, CASE TO BUILD IN A TIMELY FASHION. WHAT HAPPENS IS, IF IT'S DELAYED TOO MUCH, THAT EVIDENCE HAS TO BE, TECHNICALLY, THIS ISN'T THE FORMAL TERM, BUT THROWN OUT. AND THEN HPD HAS TO GO BACK OVER AGAIN AND REFILE, REGATHER DATA THAT IS MORE UPDATED. SO THE FEWER ATTORNEYS WE HAVE, AGAIN, I AGREE WITH EFFICIENCIES, BUT THERE ARE CITY ROLES THAT REQUIRE EYES AND EARS ON THE GROUND THAT REQUIRE AN INSPECTOR TO GO OUT AND TO DOCUMENT. AND WITHOUT THE ABILITY IN DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS TO DO THAT. UM, AND EVEN IN OVERGROWN LAWNS, RIGHT? HOW MANY OF US IN DISTRICTS ARE HAVING THOSE COMPLAINTS TOO? UH, SO I I, COUNCIL MEMBER, YOU, YOU'VE PERSUADED ME ON THIS. I WASN'T GONNA BE VOTING FOR MANY AMENDMENTS, BUT GIVEN WHAT DISTRICT C HAS JUST BEEN PUT THROUGH RECENTLY, AND MAYOR, YOU'VE HAD TO STEP IN ON ONE OF THESE APARTMENT COMPLEXES, UH, WE NEED THE STAFF CAPACITY TO ADDRESS THIS THROUGHOUT THE CITY AND IT NOT TAKE YEARS. GOOD. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN DAVIS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, TO, TO, TO YOUR, I CAN APPRECIATE COUNCILMAN YOUR CONCERN DEEPLY WITH THIS, BUT YOU ASKING FOR TWO IN NUMBER TWO AND NUMBER THREE, YOU ARE ASKING FOR TWO FTES CORRECT? EACH, EACH AREA? CORRECT. YOU'RE ASKING FOR TWO FOR THE A RA? CORRECT. AND YOU ARE ASKING FOR TWO ADDITIONAL FTES IN THE, UH, PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, CORRECT? CORRECT, MM-HMM . OKAY. I, I WOULD JUST SAY THAT I, I DON'T THINK COMING FROM THE FUND, THAT WOULD BE, IT WOULDN'T BE SOME, THE INTENTIONS ARE GOOD AND WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE TO ENFORCE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE PASSED ON, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO THE, UH, SHORT TERM RENTALS AND OF COURSE THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT AS WELL. BUT I DON'T, I COULDN'T SEE US ADDING FOUR ADDITIONAL WITH WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO IN REGARDS TO, UH, WHAT'S ALREADY BEING DONE IN CUTTING DEPARTMENTS. UM, IT JUST SEEMS TO BE AN OVER STRETCH. SO I WOULD THINK THAT IT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT MAYBE NEED TO BE RECONSIDERED IN OPINION. THANK YOU COUNCIL A ALCORN. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. UH, I'M GONNA SUPPORT THIS AMENDMENT, UH, AFTER CHAIRING THE REGULATORY NEIGHBORHOOD AFFAIRS COMMITTEE AND, UM, LAST TERM AND DEALING WITH THE ISSUE THAT WE HAVE SOME PRETTY GOOD RULES ON THE BOOKS, BUT OUR ABILITY TO ENFORCE THEM IS VERY LIMITED. UH, I THINK, YOU KNOW, YEAH. TWO PEOPLE I THINK IN LEGAL THAT REALLY HELPS TWO PEOPLE. 'CAUSE A LOT OF TIMES THE HOLDUP IS, IS LEGAL. AND ESPECIALLY, I, I WAS AT CRESTMONT PARK LAST NIGHT AND DISTRICT UP DESTINATION COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ, AND THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT A, THEY HAD, THE DON REP WAS THERE AND, AND TALKING ABOUT A HOUSE THAT, YOU KNOW, BEEN RED TAGGED AND RED TAGGED, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, JUST FOREVER. IT'S JUST A CONSTANT PAIN POINT IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. AND, YOU KNOW, WE JUST NEED MORE ACTION ON THESE THINGS. NEIGHBORHOODS WANNA SEE MORE ACTION. SO I'M, I'M SUPER PROTECTIVE OF THE FUND BALANCE. UM, AND, AND I DON'T LIKE GOING AFTER THE FUND BALANCE FOR MANY REASONS THAT'LL BE DISCUSSED LATER. BUT I THINK THIS IS A GOOD USE OF FUNDS THAT, UH, THAT WILL REALLY MAKE AN, UH, A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT IN NEIGHBORHOODS THAT WANNA SEE SOME CHANGE AND SOME MORE ACTION. WE GET SO MANY PEOPLE COMPLAINING, JUST DO SOMETHING AND, AND THIS'LL GIVE US MORE PEOPLE TO HOPEFULLY DO SOMETHING. COUNCIL MAYOR CASTILLO. THANK YOU MAYOR, AND THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ FOR THIS AMENDMENT. YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE THINGS YOU LISTED, DISTRICT H IS IMPACTED BY SIGNIFICANTLY FROM THE LOUD NOISES TO THE SHORT TERM RENTALS, TO THE NUISANCE PROPERTIES, TO THE NUISANCE MULTIFAMILIES. HPD DOES A A GREAT JOB WITH THE RESOURCES THEY HAVE. THEY'VE ACTUALLY RATED A, A NUISANCE MASSAGE PARLOR IN THE DISTRICT TWICE. AND THAT NUISANCE MASSAGE PARLOR IS STILL OPEN TODAY. UM, I HAD A MEETING WITH HPD AND LEGAL TO DISCUSS CHAPTER 1 25, AND THEY SAID THE BEST THING THAT CAN BE DONE TO HELP US AT THE MOMENT IS MORE RESOURCES. AND FROM THE LEGAL STANDPOINT, BECAUSE THERE IS SUCH A BACKLOG. AND THEN YOU, YOU TALK ABOUT THE ADDITIONAL SUPPORT ON THE SHORT TERM RENTAL SIDE, WHERE [04:45:01] WE KNOW THEY'RE RESPONDING TO A NUMBER OF, OF CASES, AND THESE ARE NUISANCE QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES. THEY'RE IMPACTING NEIGHBORHOODS DIRECTLY. UH, AND SO I'M GONNA SUPPORT THE AMENDMENT. UH, I KNOW THE NUMBER OF FTES MAY SEEM SMALL, BUT IT IS GONNA MAKE A DIFFERENCE, AND IT IS GONNA MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE DEALING WITH THESE ISSUES EVERY SINGLE DAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILLOR RAMIREZ. I, I'LL DEFER TO ANY OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT HAVE COMMENTS. YEAH, SURE. CLOSE. UH, MAYOR PROTE, CAST SIX ATU. THANK YOU, MAYOR. WOW. THIS IS THE FIRST ONE. UM, FIRST ONE ALWAYS GETS EXACTLY, UH, I, I WOULD BE, UM, INTERESTED IN US GOING THROUGH THE ENTIRE LIST OF AMENDMENTS BEFORE WE DECIDE TO PULL FUNDING FROM THE FUND BALANCE. UM, BECAUSE THE ONES THAT ARE ON THE LIST, I THINK WE'RE GONNA, WE ARE GOING TO SEE THAT IF WE TALK ABOUT IT FIRST, IT'LL PROBABLY GET MORE, UM, INTEREST IN, IN PASSING. AND THEN AS WE GO ALONG, THERE'LL BE MORE THAT PEOPLE WILL BE INTERESTED IN PASSING. AND WE NEED TO BE COGNIZANT OF THE FUND BALANCE. AND THEN MY OTHER POINT IS, UM, FOR YEARS I'VE BEEN ASKING FOR AN INSPECTOR IN EVERY DISTRICT. UM, AND IF WE HAD AN INSPECTOR IN EVERY DISTRICT, UH, THE ENFORCEMENT WOULD BE BETTER. AND SO I'M NOT, UM, AS PRONE TO THE TWO FTES OR, UM, PIECEMEALING THIS, BECAUSE IF WE WANT TRUE ENFORCEMENT, WE HAVE TO HAVE SOMEBODY THAT IS ACCOUNTABLE IN EACH DISTRICT. AND UNTIL WE HAVE SOMEBODY ACCOUNTABLE IN EACH DISTRICT, WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO PIECEMEAL IT. BUT MY SUGGESTION WOULD BE IF THERE IS A, A, AN APPETITE TO PULL FROM THE FUND BALANCE THAT WE DISCUSS IT, DISCUSS ALL OF THE AMENDMENTS FIRST, AND THEN, UM, MAKE THE VOTE ON THE ONES. 'CAUSE I THINK WHEN WE GET TO THE BAR AMENDMENTS AND THE OTHER AMENDMENTS THAT PULL FROM THE FUND BALANCE, WE NEED TO MAKE ALL THOSE DECISIONS SIMULTANEOUSLY. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR MARTINEZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, AND YOU KNOW, COUNCILOR RAMEZ, I APPRECIATE THE INTENTION OF WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO, BECAUSE QUITE FRANKLY, I THINK IF YOU SPEAK TO MOST DISTRICT OFFICES, WE, THESE, THESE ARE CHALLENGES, RIGHT? AND CHAPTER 1 25 IS NOT A, IT'S NOT AN EASY PROCESS. YOU HAVE TO HAVE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF CRIME, CERTAIN TYPES OF CRIME. UM, BUT FOR ME, I THINK, UM, IF WE'RE PULLING FOR, WHICH I DON'T WANNA PULL FROM FUND BALANCE EITHER, UH, BUT IF WE'RE PULLING FROM FUND BALANCE AND WE'RE INCREASING EXPECTATIONS AND COSTS, UH, AND THERE'S NO CONVERSATIONS ABOUT REV CAP FEES, TRASH, YOU KNOW, FOR ME SPECIFICALLY, THEN, UM, THEN IT'S HARD FOR ME TO SUPPORT SOMETHING LIKE THIS BECAUSE WE CAN ALL ASK FOR MORE MONEY, RIGHT? UH, BUT IF WE'RE NOT SPEAKING THE HARD, HONEST TRUTH WITH COMMUNITY ABOUT WHAT IT COSTS TO ACTUALLY, UM, PROVIDE CITY SERVICES, SPECIFICALLY CORE SERVICES, MY RECYCLE IS PROBABLY GONNA FINALLY GET PICKED UP EITHER TODAY OR TOMORROW. IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN PICKED UP TUESDAY. AND THAT'S IN EAST END. HOBBY NORTHEAST, I'VE GOTTEN CALLS ALL, ALL WEEK LONG. AND SO FOR ME, UM, I WOULD NOT BE SUPPORTIVE OF THIS BECAUSE THERE IS NO REVENUE GENERATING THAT CAN ACTUALLY, UH, IDENTIFY TO FUND THE 8 75. AND, AND THAT'S GONNA BE MY POSITION FOR PRETTY MUCH MOST, MOST AMENDMENTS THAT COME TO THE TABLE. UNLESS YOU CAN IDENTIFY WHERE THE MONEY'S COMING FROM OR BRING IN DOLLARS TO PAY FOR IT, IT'S HARD TO MAKE THOSE CONSISTENT DECISIONS THAT HAVE, WE'VE BEEN MAKING FOR DECADES OF SETTING THESE HIGH EXPECTATIONS OF, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A MENU OF TRASH SERVICES, BUT WE DON'T, WE CAN'T EVEN PICK UP YOUR RECYCLE, UM, WITHIN THREE, FOUR DAYS. UM, MOWING, MOWING THE GRASS, SOMETHING, THE CORE SERVICE FOR PARKS DEPARTMENT, WE CAN'T EVEN COMPLETE THAT. THEN HOW CAN WE CONTINUE TO SAY, HEY, WE WANNA DO MORE FOR YOU? AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, THESE ARE HARD CONVERSATIONS WITH FOLKS OUT IN THE, IN THE, UH, OUT IN THE CHAMBERS AS WELL, RIGHT? IF YOU REALLY WANNA HAVE A SUCCESSFUL CITY, THEN WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO YOU? UH, WHAT'S IMPORTANT? UM, BUT RIGHT NOW, JUST CONTINUE TO SAY, HEY, LET'S PUT MORE MONEY FROM THE FUND BALANCE. UH, THAT'S, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I JUST CAN'T SUPPORT RIGHT NOW. SO, UH, AGAIN, I, I WOULDN'T BE SUPPORTING THIS OR ANY OTHER AMENDMENT THAT WE'LL BE PULLING FROM FUND BALANCE AS MAYOR PROTE PECK. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND, UM, THANK YOU, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER FOR THINKING ABOUT THE ISSUES THAT WE FACE IN OUR DISTRICTS. UM, FOR THE, UM, LEGAL DEPARTMENT, ABSOLUTELY WE DO NEED MORE, MORE PEOPLE TO ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES. BUT I DO ALSO WANNA THROW OUT THERE THAT HOWEVER, WE CAN WORK WITH THE COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AS WELL, THEY ARE DOING THE SAME CASES, THE CHAPTER 1 25 CASES AS WELL, AND SOMETIMES DOING IT FASTER THAN WE ARE DOING HERE IN THE CITY JUST BECAUSE OF STAFFING. AND I KNOW THAT SOME MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS, UM, EVEN CONTRACT OUT WITH, UM, THE COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. SO THAT COULD BE A SOURCE OF REVENUE TOO. IF WE LOOK AT HOW WE CAN CONTRACT OUT MAYBE WITH THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT AND SOME MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS, EVEN HERS, IS TO SEE HOW WE CAN KIND GENERATE SOME OF THAT REVENUE BACK TO PAY FOR THE, THE, UM, THE EMPLOYEES AS WELL. AND THEN WHEN IT COMES TO, [04:50:01] UM, CODE ENFORCEMENT, I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH MAYOR PRO TEM THAT WE NEED TO HAVE INSPECTORS IN OUR DISTRICTS THAT UNDERSTAND THE ISSUES HAPPENING IN OUR DISTRICTS AND THE PLACES THAT CONTINUOUSLY HAVE THE SAME ISSUES OVER AND OVER AGAIN. UM, AND ONE SUGGESTION TO PAY FOR THAT TOO IS TO LET US USE OUR COUNCIL DISTRICT SERVICE FUNDS TO HIRE AN INSPECTOR THAT COULD STILL BE UNDER PUBLIC WORKS. THEY DON'T NEED TO BE PART OF OUR OFFICE, BUT JUST TO USE SERVICE FUNDS TO PAY FOR THE SALARY OF SOMEONE. SO THAT WAY THEY'RE ADDRESSING THE ISSUES IN OUR DISTRICT. VERY GOOD. COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND, UM, COUNCILOR RAMIREZ, DO YOU BY CHANCE KNOW HOW MANY VACANCIES BEFORE THE F BEFORE THE EFFICIENCY STUDY WAS DONE, HOW MANY VACANCIES WE HAD IN LEGAL A RA AND HBWI? I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE ARE ANY VACANCIES IN THOSE AREAS. OKAY. BUT I CAN'T SWEAR TO THAT. I, I'M NOT AWARE OF ANY VACANCIES IN THOSE AREAS. OKAY. AND THEN, UM, WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO ADD SOME LANGUAGE IN HERE REGARDING MULTIFAMILY? UM, WELL, I GUESS IT WOULD DEPEND ON WHAT IT IS. I, I THINK THAT, THAT, UM, THE WAY THE SYSTEM IS SET UP, THESE EMPLOYEES COULD DEAL WITH SOME OF THE VIOLATIONS AT MULTIFAMILY. UM, BUT I'M, I'M NOT, NOT SURE EXACTLY WHAT YOUR, WHAT LANGUAGE YOU'D BE REFERRING TO. OKAY. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. THANK YOU. UM, ONE, I'D REMIND COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER, TO YOUR POINT, AND I'M TRYING TO GO BACK THROUGH THE ENTIRE BINDER OF QUESTIONS WE ASK, BUT IN ALL OF THESE DEPARTMENTS, WE ARE SEEING CUTS FOR INSPECTIONS FOR, UH, ATTORNEYS, THINGS OF THAT NATURE. SO WHEN WE'RE DISCUSSING ADDING NEW POSITIONS, WE'RE NOT ADDING ON TOP OF WHAT WE HAVE. WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE UP SOME OF WHAT WE MAY LOSE THAT WILL FURTHER BURDEN THE SYSTEM. UH, BUT TO COUNT TO MAYOR PROM'S POINT, UM, I FULLY SUPPORT A REVIEW OF ALL OF ALL BUDGET AMENDMENTS UNDER THIS ITEM BEFORE WE GET TO THE MAIN ITEM. UH, BUT ALL BUDGET AMENDMENTS AND THEN GO BACK THROUGH. WOULD THAT REQUIRE A MOTION OR HOW PROCEDURALLY, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE FOR THAT? AND I, I'D BE HAPPY TO, TO SECOND THAT. WELL, I THINK IF WE, IF WE PASS IT, UH, THE ADMINISTRATION WILL WORK ON MULTIFAMILY LOCATIONS AND WE'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE CUTS OF APARTMENT INSPECTIONS. HPD HAD THEIR APARTMENT INSPECTION ENFORCEMENT GROUP THAT'S STILL GONNA BE MAINTAINING THAT, UH, WORK. SO, CORRECT. ANYWAY, I'M JUST, SO COUNCILOR PLUMMER, I'M NOT SURE IF YOU'VE HEARD, THE MAYOR'S ADMINISTRATION HAS COMMITTED THAT THEY WILL ALSO INCLUDE MULTI-FAMILY IN THOSE ADDITIONAL ENFORCEMENT OPERATIONS. UM, AND THEN IN TERMS OF THE MOTION, UH, COUNCILOR RAMIREZ, ARE YOU HAPPY TO DEFER, ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO DEFER CONSIDERATION? OR HOW WOULD THAT, IF, IF THAT'S WHAT THE COUNCIL WANTS, THAT'S FINE. I, I WOULD LIKE SOME TIME AT THE END OF THIS DISCUSSION TO SORT OF ADDRESS SOME OF THE POINTS THAT HAVE BEEN RAISED. YEAH. YEAH. HE'S LAST ONE IN THE QUEUE. SO IS THE MOTION ON THE FLOOR? NOT YET. OKAY. YOU WANT, YOU WANNA GO FORWARD? SURE AM MAYOR. ALRIGHT. SO, UH, TO NO, I, I WAS FIXING CALL A VOTE IF YOU OH, CALL A VOTE TOO. WHAT, WHAT'S THE VOTE ON EXACTLY? TO DEFER? TO DEFER. BUT THE MOTION WILL, WELL, DEPENDS ON WHAT HE WANTS TO DO. HE WAS TALKING ABOUT PULLING IT BACK AND WORKING ON IT LATER. WOULD YOU LIKE TIME TO ADD MULTIFAMILY FACILITIES? WELL, OR I TOLD COUNCILOR PLUMMER THAT COULD CERTAINLY BE A POLICY WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT. UH, I'M WILLING TO, UH, OFFER AN AMENDMENT AT THIS TIME TO ADD THAT LANGUAGE. UH, I, I HEARD THE ADMINISTRATION TO SAY WE WOULD WORK TO INCLUDE MULTIFAMILY ENFORCEMENT IN THIS AS WELL. SO YEAH, ALL OF YOUR AMENDMENTS PLUMBER, YOUR, IT WAS YOUR ISSUE, WHICH IS A GOOD ONE. I MEAN, I WOULD LIKE IF, IF I, I MEAN, I LIKE THE ITEM. I DO AGREE. ALSO, THOUGH, YOU KNOW, PULLING FROM THE FUND BALANCE IS A CHALLENGE JUST BASED ON WHERE WE ARE FINANCIALLY AGREE. BUT I WOULD, UM, I WOULD LIKE, IF WE'RE VOTING ON THIS, I WOULD LIKE MULTIFAMILY ADDED TO BEFORE WE VOTE. OKAY, FINE. UH, THAT'S FINE. WHY DON'T WE AMEND IT TO MULTIFAMILY? OKAY. WE, WE'LL AMEND IT TO ADD MULTIFAMILY. THANK YOU. MAY I LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO REVIEW, UH, THE ENTIRE 2026 BUDGET AMENDMENT MATRIX BEFORE WE VOTE ON ANY ITEMS THAT WILL PULL MONEY FROM THE FUND BALANCE. SECOND POINT, POINT OF ORDER. OKAY. MOTION MADE. SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. A POINT OF ORDER. MAYOR, BEFORE WE VOTE, WE WON'T PULL MONEY OUT [04:55:01] OF THE MATRIX UNTIL WE FINISH. YES, MA'AM. THE REGARD, THE MAYOR PRO TEMS WORDS WERE WITHIN THE MATRIX, SEVERAL OF US HAVE ADDITIONAL AMENDMENTS THAT ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THE MATRIX, INCLUDING ME. THANK YOU. YES. INCLUDING THE AMENDMENTS. CONTINUE. FINE. SO MOTION HAS BEEN MADE AND SECONDED TO WAIT ON ANY, ON VOTING ON ANYTHING THAT PULLS MONEY OUT OF GENERAL FUND BALANCE. CORRECT. OKAY. DEFER. SO WE'RE GONNA DEFER YOUR LANGUAGE TO LATER, AND IN THE MEANTIME YOU CAN GET THE LANGUAGE THAT ADDRESSES COUNCILMAN PLUMMER ON MULTI-FAMILY ESTABLISHMENTS. ALRIGHT. UM, SO PROCEDURALLY, ARE WE GONNA VOTE ON THAT MOTION TO WAIT THEN? YEAH. OKAY. YES. YEAH, IT'S DONE. IT DOESN'T REQUIRE A MOTION. WE'RE JUST GONNA KEEP GOING. WE JUST PASSED A MOTION THAT WE'RE NOT GONNA PULL MONEY OUT UNTIL WE FINISH TODAY. IN THAT CASE, UH, IF I COULD HAVE JUST A, A SHORT TIME TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE, UH, ISSUES THAT WERE RAISED, UH, WOULD THAT BE OKAY AT THIS TIME? SURE. OKAY. UH, WHILE, WHILE IT'S FRESH IN MY MIND, WE'RE NOT GONNA VOTE TILL LATER AND YOU'LL HAVE TIME TO DO YOUR LANGUAGE, BUT IF YOU WANT RESPOND, RESPOND. WELL, I'LL PROBABLY FORGET SOME OF THESE. YOU WANNA RESPOND, GO FORWARD. YOU WANT, WHAT'S THAT? IF YOU'D LIKE TO RESPOND TO THE CONCERNS, I WOULD. YOU'RE CERTAINLY WELCOME. I WOULD, YEAH, GO FOR IT. OKAY. SO, UH, QUESTION WAS RAISED ABOUT, UH, REVENUE. IT'S NOT REVENUE GENERATING. I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THAT. I THINK THAT IF WE INCREASE ENFORCEMENT OF SOME OF THESE, UH, ORDINANCES AND VIOLATIONS THAT COME WITH FINES, IT COULD ACTUALLY GENERATE SOME REVENUE. I THINK COUNCIL MEMBER PECK WAS MAKING THAT POINT. I, I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE FIGURES ON IT, BUT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT, THAT COULD OCCUR. UM, UH, POINT WAS MADE THAT EACH DISTRICT SHOULD HAVE AN INSPECTOR OR SOME PERSON DEVOTED TO, UH, ADDRESSING, UH, VIOLATIONS OF, OF, OF THESE MANY TYPES. AND, YOU KNOW, MY, MY THOUGHT IS, SURE, IT'D BE GREAT TO HAVE 11, BUT YOU KNOW, TWO IS BETTER THAN ZERO, UM, OR SIX AS THE CASE MAY BE. UM, AND, AND REFERENCE WAS MADE TO THE FACT THAT THE COUNTY DOES SECTION 1 25 NU NUISANCE, UH, UH, PROSECUTIONS AS WELL. THAT'S ACTUALLY MENTION OF THIS IN THE COMMUNITY IS ACTUALLY WHAT PART OF WHAT HAS PROMPTED ME TO OFFER THIS AMENDMENT. AS I TALK TO FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY MORE FREQUENTLY, THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT WHAT THE COUNTY IS DOING UNDER SECTION 1 25. AND I'VE HAD THE THOUGHT, WELL, WHY ISN'T THE CITY DOING MORE UNDER 1 1 25 FOR VIOLATIONS THAT OCCUR WITHIN CITY LIMITS? AND SO THAT'S PART OF WHAT'S PROMPTED ME TO, TO OFFER THIS. UM, AND, AND RESPECTFULLY TO MY COLLEAGUE, COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER, UH, WHO WAS NOT HERE DURING PUBLIC SESSION, BUT WE HAD TWO PEOPLE FROM ELIJAH RISING YESTERDAY SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF THIS AMENDMENT. AND THEY SPOKE SPECIFICALLY ON THE SCOURGE OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN HOUSTON. WE ARE KNOWN AS A HUB OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING, AND PART OF THIS IS TO GET AT THE HUMAN TRAFFICKING THAT OCCURS IN MASSAGE PARLORS THROUGH BEEFING UP OUR LEGAL, UH, SECTION. UM, AND SO, SO THIS IS ONE WAY TO DEAL WITH THAT. WE CAN'T PASS FELONY OFFENSES. WE CAN'T PASS CLASS A OR B MISDEMEANORS. WE CAN PASS CLASS CS AND WE CAN TRY TO BEEF UP OUR, OUR NUISANCE, UH, SECTION IN, IN LEGAL. UM, AND AS, AS MENTIONED HAS BEEN MADE, UH, OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT IS OVERWORKED. THEY WOULD RATHER NOT DEAL WITH SOME OF THESE VIOLATIONS. THEY WOULD RATHER BE OUT INVESTIGATING MURDERS AND ROBBERIES AND SUCH. AND WHEN IT COMES TO THINGS LIKE PROHIBITED YARD PARKING, THEY, THEY BACK AWAY. THEY HAVE TOLD ME THEY'RE NOT GONNA DO ANY MORE PROHIBITED YARD PARKING, UH, VIOLATIONS UNLESS IT HAS A NEXUS WITH, WITH A HIGHER CRIME. AND SO, UH, THIS, THIS IS TO GET AT THOSE THINGS THAT OUR, OUR POLICE ARE NOT DOING, UH, AND, AND MAYBE SHOULD NOT BE DOING GIVEN THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE THINGS THAT THEY HANDLE. AND SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE AT THIS POINT. COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN, THANK YOU. AND I APOLOGIZE, I KNOW WE'RE HASHING A LOT OUT HERE. I MISSPOKE EARLIER. COUNCILMEMBER PLUMMER FOR THESE PARTICULAR DIVISIONS, IT WOULD BE ADDITIONAL FTES ON TOP OF WHAT'S ALREADY BEEN ALLOCATED. THERE WAS NOT A REDUCTION IN THESE PARTICULAR DIVISIONS, UH, FOR THESE TYPES OF INSPECTIONS. SO THERE ARE VACANCIES CURRENTLY THAT NEED TO BE FILLED. AND THEN ON TOP OF THAT, WE WOULD BE ADDING IN TWO MORE. SO I WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT SINCE I HAD TOLD YOU SOMETHING. THANK YOU. BEFORE WE MOVE ON, UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK. IT'S VERY INTERESTING TO ME THE RATIONALE THAT EVERYONE USES TO BE FAR AGAINST. AND THE TRUTH IS, NONE OF [05:00:01] US ARE WRONG. IT IS A DIRE NEED. I THINK WHAT YOU'RE ADDRESSING IS THE LEGAL PROCESS AFTER THE INSPECTORS AND HPD AND OTHERS HAVE DONE THEIR WORK, HAVING SEEN THE REPEAT REOPENING OF AFTER OUR CLUBS, THE NOISE, THE HUMAN, ALL THE ELEMENTS THAT YOU'RE ADDRESSING. IF WE DON'T HAVE THE ATTORNEYS TO PROCESS THE CHARGES, WE PROBABLY ARE WASTING MONEY ON THE INSPECTORS AND THE ENFORCERS. SO I'M NOT SUPPORTING MANY AMENDMENTS AS YOU'VE SEEN, BUT I THINK YOUR RATIONALE IN ADDRESSING A SERIOUS NEED FOR PROCESSING THE ENFORCEMENT WITH ATTORNEYS, UH, JUSTIFIES ADDITIONAL EXPENDITURES. BUT THE, UH, MAYOR PRO TEMS DONE A WISE MOTION TO ALLOW US TO GO THROUGH THE PROCESS, SEE WHAT ELSE CRITICAL NEEDS WE'RE ALL ADDRESSING YEARS OF NEGLECT. WE CAN ALL CERTAINLY AGREE ON THAT. SO AS WE WORK THROUGH THE PROCESS, LET'S BE MINDFUL THAT THERE IS A FINITE AMOUNT AND WE'RE PRIORITIZING THINGS AS BEST WE CAN. AND, UM, MAYBE SOMEDAY IN THE FUTURE, WE WON'T HAVE THIS DISCUSSION BECAUSE WE'LL HAVE SUFFICIENT RESOURCES TO HAVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE THAT WE ALL ARE WORKING TOWARDS. SO THANK YOU AND EVERYONE'S, UH, COMMENTS. COUNCILMAN CAYMAN, YOU AND I, YOU KNOW, WE'VE CLOSED FOUR ESTABLISHMENTS ON WASHINGTON IN ABOUT THE LAST TWO MONTHS, BUT WE GOTTA TAKE 'EM TO COURT AND FOLLOW UP, OR WE ARE REALLY WASTING VALUABLE RESOURCES ON ADDRESSING NOISE AND OTHER, UH, VIOLATIONS. COUNCILMAN CA UH, YOU'RE THROUGH, NO, I'M SORRY. I HAD A PROCEDURAL MOTION, UH, TO ADD IN FOR ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO MAY NOT BE INCLUDED IN THE MATRIX FOR CERTAIN AMENDMENTS. FOR EXAMPLE, I HAVE LAID OUT 8.01 AND 8.02, SO I WOULD MOVE TO INSERT THOSE INTO ITEM 36, SO THAT PER MAYOR PRO TEMS, UH, MOTION, WE CAN CONSIDER ALL OF THOSE AT ONCE. SO I WOULD MOVE TO ADD 8.01 AND 8.02 TO ITEM 36 FOR CONSIDERATION OH EIGHT AND 1.08. ARE YOU JUST DOING, DO YOU WANNA MAKE A MOTION? I'M SORRY. I'M HAPPY TO MAKE A MOTION FOR ALL, UH, AMENDMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN LAID BEFORE FOR DISTRICT C. IT'S 8.01 AND 8.02, BUT ALL, ALL AMENDMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN LAID OUT. THANK YOU. MOTIONS MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NATE. MOTION PASSES. HE'S IN QUEUE TO TALK ABOUT 1.02. OKAY. COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ. UH, DON'T FILIBUSTER 1 0 2. OKAY, . ALRIGHT. ALRIGHT, MAYOR, UH, THIS WILL BE SHORTER. OKAY. SO THIS WOULD TRANSFER $125,000 OUT OF GENERAL FUND BALANCE AS, UH, AS AMENDED AMENDING THE AMENDMENT. SO ORIGINALLY I HAD IT COMING OUTTA HUMAN RESOURCES, AND BY THE WAY, AS I, AS I THE PREVIOUS ONE AND WAS, UH, UH, INFORMED BY, BY YOUR STAFF MAYOR THAT THEY'D RATHER HAVE IT COME OUT OF GENERAL FUND BALANCE INSTEAD OF HUMAN RESOURCES. SO, UH, THAT'S, THAT PROMPTED THE, UH, THE SUBSTITUTE AMENDMENT. SO, SO THIS WOULD TAKE $125,000 AND CREATE ONE FULL-TIME EMPLOYEE POSITION IN DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS TO SUPPORT LANGUAGE TRANSLATION SERVICES FOR NON-ENGLISH SPEAKING HOUSTONIANS. AND SO I DID A LITTLE RESEARCH MAYOR, UH, THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT ISSUE IN THE CITY. UM, ACCORDING TO DATA ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE, 29% OF OUR POPULATION IS FOREIGN BORN. FOUR OF OUR COUNCIL DISTRICTS WITH DISTRICT J HAVING THE MOST, HAVE MORE THAN 30% OF THEIR RESIDENTS FOR, UH, FOREIGN BORN DISTRICT J HAS 45% OF ITS RESIDENTS THAT WERE BORN OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES. WE HAVE MORE THAN 145 LANGUAGES SPOKEN IN THE CITY. AND THIS BECOMES, UM, A CRITICAL SITUATION, ESPECIALLY DURING EMERGENCIES, WHEN THAT LANGUAGE BARRIER CAN BECOME LIFE THREATENING. AND SO THIS AMENDMENT WOULD ADD ONE POSITION, UM, TO THE DEPARTMENT OF OF NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, TO SUPPORT TRANSLATION SERVICES FOR NON-ENGLISH SPEAKING. HOUSTONIANS. VERY FINE, THANK YOU. NEXT, WE'LL COME BACK, WE'LL COME BACK TO THIS AT THE END OF THE DAY. DO THAT. MOVING TO 1 0 3 MAYOR. UM, THIS HAS TO DO WITH THE T THE TAX INCREMENT REINVESTMENT [05:05:01] ZONES AND SPECIFICALLY THE MUNICIPAL SERVICES FEES CALCULATION. SO THE MUNICIPAL SERVICE FEE IS A FEE THAT THE LEGISLATURE ALLOWS THE CITY TO COLLECT FROM THE TURS AFTER THE TURS GETS ITS MONEY TO COVER THE INCREMENTAL COSTS OF PROVIDING MUNICIPAL SERVICES INCURRED AS A RESULT OF THE CREATION OF THE TURS. IN OTHER WORDS, AS A TURS HAS BEEN CREATED AND IS IN OPERATION AND IS RESULTING IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, THAT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UH, PRODUCES AN INCREMENTAL COST FOR THE CITY TO PROVIDE SERVICES, INCLUDING POLICING AND WHATNOT. WELL, THIS MUNICIPAL SERVICES FEE HASN'T BEEN RECALCULATED SINCE 2016. AND I THINK IT'S TIME WE RECALCULATED IT SO THAT THE CITY COULD RECOVER BACK FROM THE S UH, A MORE ACCURATE, UM, MUNICIPAL SERVICE FEE TO COVER THE INCREMENTAL COSTS. AND SO THIS IS, THIS IS WHAT THIS, UH, AMENDMENT WOULD DO. IT WOULD REQUIRE THE CITY TO RECALCULATE THAT MUNICIPAL SERVICES FEE SO THAT WE CAN RECOVER IT FROM THE TSAS VERY WELL. YOU KNOW, THIS IS NOT A BUDGET ITEM, SO WOULD YOU LIKE TO WITHDRAW IT OR AT THE END OF THE DAY? WELL, I'M, I'M HAPPY TO WITHDRAW IT, MAYOR. UM, I, I WOULD LIKE SOME INDICATION THAT, UH, WE WILL RECALCULATE IT SO THAT WE CAN RECOVER, UH, THIS FEE FROM, UH, FROM THE T NO, NO DOUBT WE CAN REVISIT THIS. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. THEN I WILL WITHDRAW 1 0 3. OKAY. 1 0 4 REQUIRES, UH, QUARTERLY REPORTING TO THE BUDGET AND FISCAL AFFAIRS AND LABOR COMMITTEES ON HOW, UM, THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ERNST AND YOUNG STUDY IS GOING, INCLUDING, UH, WHAT THE PERFORMANCE METRICS ARE, UH, AS A RESULT OF THE STUDY. WHAT THE ORGANIZATIONAL, ORGANIZATIONAL SPEND IS CATEGORY MANAGEMENT AND FORENSIC ACCOUNTING, AS WELL AS THE CITY'S EFFORTS TO CONSOLIDATE AND CENTRALIZE ITS WORK. AND WHAT THIS AMENDMENT WOULD DO IS REQUIRE, UH, THE MAYOR'S STAFF TO COME BEFORE THESE, THESE TWO COMMITTEES, UH, MEETING JOINTLY AND, UH, BRING US UP TO DATE ON THE PROGRESS OF IMPLEMENTING THE ERNST AND YOUNG STUDY. YES, GREAT CONCEPT, BUT IT'S NOT A BUDGET AMENDMENT, SO. ALRIGHT. UM, WELL I'M HAPPY TO WITHDRAW IT IF WE CAN GET SOME INDICATION THAT WE'RE TAKING DOWN ALL YOUR IDEAS. OKAY, GREAT. ALRIGHT. WHAT YOU SAY? HE'S TAKING ALL MY IDEAS DOWN. . ALRIGHT. . OKAY. UH, 1 0 5 MAYOR WOULD REQUIRE THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT TO GIVE UPDATES TO THE BUDGET AND FISCAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE ON, UH, OVERTIME USAGE. THIS HAS BEEN A MATTER OF GREAT CONTROVERSY THE LAST FEW WEEKS. UM, THE SIZE OF THE OVERTIME COST, UH, THAT COME OUT OF NOT ONLY THE POLICE AND FIRE, BUT ALSO SOLID WASTE, HOW THOSE OVERTIME COSTS END UP BEING MORE THAN IS BUDGETED ON AN ANNUAL BASIS. AND WE'D LIKE TO SEE SOME IMPROVEMENT IN THAT. AND I'VE, I'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS, I KNOW WITH OUR FIRE CHIEF WHO'S WELL AWARE OF THE, THE SITUATION AND HAS PROMISED TO, TO REDUCE, UH, THE OVERTIME. WHAT THIS WOULD DO IS HAVE, UH, THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT COME TO THE BUDGET AND FI UH, FISCAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE TO REPORT ON A QUARTERLY BASIS ON HOW THAT'S GOING. AND, UM, IN CONVERSATIONS WITH COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, SHE WAS WILLING TO, UH, TO GO ALONG WITH THIS AS WELL. SO THAT A GREAT IDEA. YEAH, BUT NOT A BUDGET ITEM. OKAY. ALCORN ALCORN NOT A BUDGET ITEM, BUT, BUT DO WANNA DISCUSS THE OVERTIME MATTER BECAUSE IT DOES MAKE AN IMPACT ON THIS BUDGET. AND, AND WE ARE GETTING UPDATES AND, AND MELISSA DEBOWSKI HAS BEEN VERY CLEAR ABOUT SHE'LL BE WATCHING THE OVERTIME AS IT COMES. AND SO WE'LL BE, WE'LL BE FOLLOWING UP ON THAT ON THE MONTHLY REPORTS. BUT I WANNA JUST POINT OUT THAT, YOU KNOW, LA WE ARE, WE'RE SPENDING IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT THIS YEAR, 86 MILLION AND WE'RE BUDGETING 43 MILLION THIS YEAR AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT 39, ALMOST 40 MILLION. AND WE'RE BUDGETING 15 MILLION IN SOLID WASTE, 6.8 MILLION AND WE'RE BUDGETING 4 MILLION. NOW I GET IN FIRE IT LOOKS LIKE WHEN THEY DID THE CHART OF, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE 'CAUSE THE ANSWER TO OVERTIMES AND YOU GOT, YOU'VE GOT MORE PEOPLE, YOU'RE NOT HAVING TO HAVE AS MANY OVERTIME SHIPS. AND I KNOW A LOT OF THINGS PLAYED INTO THIS YEAR'S OVERTIME WE HAD DISASTERS. I MEAN, EVERY YEAR'S NOT GONNA BE LIKE THAT I PRAY. AND IN THE FIRE BUDGET, [05:10:01] WHEN YOU LOOKED AT HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE HIRED VERSUS HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE GONNA RETIRE, YOU HAD A NET 190 AND THAT'S PRETTY SIGNIFICANT. SO YOU'RE GONNA WHITTLE AWAY AT THAT OVER, OVER TIME. IN POLICE, YOU HAD A NET 30 THIS YEAR. I KNOW WE'RE BUILDING POLICE, BUT THAT'S A NET 30. SO THAT, THAT, I KNOW MAYOR, WE'VE HAD THESE DISCUSSIONS WHEN WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT OVER TIME, YOU KNOW, A FEW WEEKS AGO THAT, THAT WE, WE WANNA HAVE A KIND OF A REALISTIC PICTURE WHEN WE BUDGET ON OVERTIME. AND THIS SEEMS A LITTLE UNDER, IT SEEMS UNDERSTATED NOW. I DO HAVE FULL CONFIDENCE THAT WE'RE GONNA GET UPDATES AND, AND ALSO WHAT WHAT WAS SAID BY THE FINANCE DIRECTOR WHEN WE WERE HAVING THE OVERTIME DISCUSSION IS WE'VE BEEN ABLE IN THE PAST TO BALANCE DEPARTMENTS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO KIND OF, THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO FUND THE OVERTIME BECAUSE THEY HAD ENOUGH VACANCIES AND THINGS IN THEIR DEPARTMENT TO TO, TO MOVE THAT MONEY FROM VACANCIES TO OVERTIME. AND WE'RE KIND OF WHITTLING AWAY AT THOSE VACANCIES. SO IT, IT'S JUST A CONCERN. I MEAN IT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT I DO THINK WE WILL GET REGULAR REPORTS ON. IT'S NOT A BUDGET AMENDMENT, BUT I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE, UH, A DISCUSSION ABOUT OVERTIME SINCE, SINCE IT'S BASICALLY LAST YEAR IN OVERTIME, 132 MILLION THIS YEAR. SIX WE'RE BUDGETING 63 MILLION. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU POLL. COUNCILMAN POLLARD. THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, A COUPLE THINGS. ONE, I I DO THINK IT'S SMART TO, AS I'VE LEARNED MORE ABOUT HOW WE BUDGET FOR OVERTIME TO KEEP THOSE NUMBERS DOWN IN THE BUDGET. UM, 'CAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO KEEP, WE DON'T WANT, WE DON'T WANNA PUT MORE MONEY IN OVERTIME AND THEN THEY, PEOPLE USE OVERTIME WHEN IT'S NOT NECESSARY. BUT ALSO WE NEED TO STAY ON TOP OF WHATEVER NUMBER WE PUT. THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE NUMBER YOU DO. YOU, YOU, WE, WE DON'T, IF WE, IF WE PUT IT AT 40 MILLION, ONCE 40 MILLION IS DONE, WE, WE HAVE TO REALLY CONSIDER HOW MUCH MORE OVERTIME WE SHOULD BE APPROVING. SO WE, WE REALLY HAVE TO STAY ON BUDGET. LIKE MOST PRIVATE SECTOR, UH, YOU KNOW, COMPANIES DO. SECOND THING IS MAYOR, IF, IF, IF YOUR ADMINISTRATION HAS DEEMED THAT A ITEM IS NOT A BUDGET AMENDMENT BECAUSE IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE ACTUAL BUDGET BUT IT'S MORE POLICY OR ORDINANCE RELATED, UM, ARE WE GONNA CONSIDER ALL OF THOSE BY UH, LAYING THEM OUT OR ARE WE GOING TO JUST UPFRONT SAY, YOU KNOW, CERTAIN ITEMS ARE DEEMED NOT GERMANE TO THIS BUDGET. SO WE WILL BREAK THOSE AWAY AND THEN RECONSIDER THEM AT ANOTHER TIME. YOU KNOW, WE'LL TAKE AS MUCH TIME AS YOU'D LIKE. WE CAN GO THROUGH THOSE. MANY OF YOU HAVE BEEN CONTACTED THAT THEY'RE NOT BUDGET MATTERS. THEY'RE MORE POLICY. IT'S, IT'S A GOOD DISCUSSION. WE CAN GO OVER 'EM THEN YOU CAN WITHDRAW 'EM OR YOU CAN RECOGNIZE THAT THEY'RE NOT BUDGET ITEMS AND WE CAN GET TO THE FINANCIAL PICTURE. BUT YOU KNOW, LORD KNOWS WE COULD SPEND THE REST OF THE DAY TALKING ABOUT HOW WE BELIEVE POLICY WOULD BE BETTER. SO I WILL YIELD TO YOUR EXPERIENCE ME AND YOU ARE TWO FOR TWO FOR TODAY ON A, ON AGREEING ON THINGS. SO LORD HAVE MERCY. ALRIGHT. ALRIGHT. MY GOD. LET'S MOVE ON TO THE NEXT. FIRST OF ALL, WE HAVE THE OVERTIME, WE'VE HAD IT FOR YEARS BECAUSE OF SEVERE UNDERSTAFFING, YOU CANNOT SEVERELY UNDERSTAFF PUBLIC SAFETY AND EXPECT THE CITY TO BE SAFE. SO PREVIOUS CHIEFS HAVE RUN UP SIGNIFICANT OVERTIME. WE'RE DOING SIGNIFICANT RECRUITING, WE'RE ACTUALLY WORKING ON THE RETENTION. SO THE OVERTIME SHOULD GET BETTER IN DUE TIME. BUT HOW MANY OF US EXPECT MORE COVERAGE? SHADY ACRES. I COULD GO AROUND THE HORSESHOE. THAT'S WHAT DRIVES THE OVERTIME. THE DEMANDS OF COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THE PUBLIC. BUT YOU GOTTA HAVE SOMEBODY IN THE FIREHOUSE. WE'RE IMPROVING. BUT CERTAINLY A POLICY OF REPORTING. I'M CERTAIN COUNCILMAN ALCORN WILL ACCOMMODATE YOU ANYTIME IN OUR FINANCE COMMITTEE. WE'RE JUST TRYING TO KEEP THE BUDGET ON PHYSICAL MATTERS SO WE CAN KEEP UP WITH THE ALLOCATIONS. SO WHAT YOU DON'T WANT TO HEAR ALL THE POLICY STATEMENTS. , I'M HERE TO HELP YOU. I'M GONNA FOLLOW YOUR LEAD ON THIS ONE. MAYOR THREE FOR THREE. MY GOD, I THINK [05:15:01] WE CAN DO BOTH. I THINK YOU CAN MAKE REFERENCE TO A POLICY STATEMENT. WE DON'T NEED TO HEAR ALL OF YOUR EXPLANATION, BUT HOW YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE ABOUT LETTING US KNOW ABOUT YOUR POLICY, THEN LET'S MOVE ON TO THE NEXT. YOU OBVIOUSLY HAVE DONE A LOT OF WORK, WE ALL WANT TO HEAR ABOUT YOUR POLICIES BUT THERE'S AMPLE TIME TO DO IT AFTER WE FINISH THE BUDGET. SO IF YOU WANT TO USE YOUR TIME ON POLICY, I AIN'T GOING ANYWHERE, BUT I REALLY THINK AT SOME POINT IN TIME SO WE CAN CONCLUDE AND LET CITIZENS KNOW WHERE ARE WE ON THE FINANCES. IT'S PRETTY IMPORTANT THAT WE SPEND AS MUCH TIME ON THE FINANCIAL ACTUALLY PROBABLY MORE TIME THAN WE DO ON POLICIES BECAUSE WE COULD DISCUSS POLICY THE REST OF OUR LIVES, WHICH IS A GOOD THING. THAT'S WHY I RAN FOR MAYOR. POLICY AND BUDGET. YES. COUNCILMAN CAYMAN. YEAH, I JUST WASN'T SURE IF I WAS IN QUEUE UM, TO COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN'S PORT. GETTING BACK TO THE POINT, GETTING BACK TO THE NUMBERS COUNCIL MEMBER AND THE NUMBERS THAT YOU SHARED WITH US FOR HPD AND HFD FOR THE NUMBERS THAT YOU SHARED WITH US REGARDING HFD AND HPD, WAS THAT FOR CLASSIFIED OR CIVILIAN AND CLASSIFIED? BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT NUMBER GETS THAT, THAT THAT'S BOTH AND THAT THAT IS BOTH IN THE PRESENTATIONS. OKAY. THAT WAS IN THEIR BUDGET PRESENTATIONS. OKAY. APPRECIATE IT. AND YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I THINK MAYOR, THIS IS A VERY HEALTHY DISCUSSION 'CAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT GIVES ME HARTFORD IN THIS, I UNDERSTAND WE WANT TO MINIMIZE UH, WHAT WE'RE GIVING WITH THE IDEA THAT WE CAN DRAW FROM GENERAL FUND IF WE NEED TO. CORRECTION, IT'S JUST CLASSIFIED THAT IN THE ATTRITION NUMBERS. IN THE ATTRITION NUMBERS IT'S JUST CLASSIFIED AND THE OVERTIME NUMBERS, IT WAS BOTH. OKAY. UNDERSTOOD. SO AGAIN, WE ARE PLANNING TO TAKE SOME THEORETICALLY IF NEEDED FROM THE GENERAL FUND BALANCE FOR THAT AND I BELIEVE I UNDERSTAND WHY, BUT THE FACT THAT WE WENT SO FAR OVER WHAT WAS ESTIMATED IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR, WHILE WE ARE CONTINUING TO STYMIE THE IMPACT OF ATTRITION, UH, I'M NOT COMFORTABLE NECESSARILY WITH WHAT WE ARE SAYING WILL BE THE COST RIGHT NOW. AGAIN, I UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S TO LIMIT SO IT'S NOT USING EVERYTHING WE GIVE RIGHT? THERE IS A CHECK ON IT. BUT AGAIN, AS WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE ACTUALLY HAVE IN THE GENERAL FUND, UH, THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THAT HAVING TO GO TO OVERTIME OVER THE COURSE OF THIS FISCAL YEAR, AND LEMME SUGGEST IT'S ALL ABOUT ACCOUNTABILITY. THE CURRENT FIRE AND POLICE CHIEF ARE DOING EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO BE AS EFFICIENT AS POSSIBLE. WE WERE DANGEROUSLY LOW OF STAFFING OVER A YEAR AGO IN JANUARY OF 24. THE CADET CLASS HAD 31 PEOPLE IN IT. THEY WOULD TELL YOU THEY'RE NOT GONNA STAY AFTER THEY GET THEIR CERTIFICATION, THEY WERE GOING TO OTHER JURISDICTION. SO WE KNOW WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO, BUT IT'S HARD TO ARBITRARILY CUT BACK ON THE OVERTIME UNTIL YOU SEE THE DEMANDS AND THE LEADERSHIP. AND ALSO WE NEED TO WORK WITH OUR EMPLOYEE GROUPS TO GET THEM TO ASSIST US IN AS MANY EFFICIENCIES AS POSSIBLE. UNDERSTOOD. WE, WE'VE HAD, IT'S A, IT'S A BIG ITEM. IT'S A BIG ISSUE, AND WE'RE ALL WORKING TOGETHER ON IT. UNDERSTOOD. WE'VE ALWAYS HAD FEWER POLICE OFFICERS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. THAT IS NEEDED, THOUGH. THAT'S NOT A RECENT OCCURRENCE. WE'VE HAD FEWER POLICE OFFICERS THAN WE DID 20 YEARS AGO, BUT WE'RE GROWING AT RAPID RATES AND WE HAVE 700,000 PEOPLE A DAY COME INTO HOUSTON THAT WE GOTTA PROTECT AND SERVE TODAY. 700,000 CAME INTO THE CITY. SO YOU GOTTA FIND THE RESOURCES AND THE STAFFING TO ADDRESS THEM AND THE PUBLIC. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. ALRIGHT. CONTINUING. UH, MAYOR, UH, IN LIGHT OF THE DISCUSSION, I WILL, UH, WITHDRAW 1 0 6 AND 1 0 7. UH, I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE UP 1 0 8, WHICH IS A NEW AMENDMENT. UH, EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE A COPY OF IT. AND IT WAS SENT TO ALL THE CHIEFS OF STAFF YESTERDAY. THIS IS AN EFFORT TO, THIS IS AN EFFORT TO, UM, BRING MORE TRANSPARENCY TO WHAT, UH, PUBLIC WORKS IS DOING REGARDING DRAINAGE PROJECTS. UM, SOMETIMES WE HAVE COMMUNITY MEMBERS WONDER, WELL, WHAT EXACTLY IS BEING DONE? HOW MUCH MONEY IS ACTUALLY BEING SPENT? AND IF WE [05:20:01] HAD ONE SOURCE THAT WE COULD GO TO ONLINE THAT THE PUBLIC COULD GO TO TO SEE WHAT PROJECTS ARE SCHEDULED, WHICH ONES ARE UNDERWAY, WHICH ONES HAVE BEEN COMPLETED, LISTING THEIR LOCATION, THEIR COUNCIL DISTRICT, THE DOLLAR AMOUNT ALLOCATED, UH, WHAT THE STATUS OF IT IS AND WHAT THE FUNDING SOURCE IS. I THINK IT WOULD GIVE THE PUBLIC MORE INFORMATION AND, AND, AND HOPEFULLY LEAD, UH, TO GREATER TRUST IN THIS PROCESS. AND JOINING ME IN, IN SPONSORING, THIS IS MY COLLEAGUE, COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. GREAT IDEA. I THINK YOU SHOULD GET WITH RANDY AND THE POLICY AND WILL ACCOMPLISH THAT. HE'S WILLING TO DO IT, BUT IT'S NOT A BUDGET ITEM. YOU KNOW IT AND I KNOW IT. SO, SO IT'S NOT A BUDGET ITEM. COUNCILOR JACKSON. OKAY. WELL, THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER FOR, UM, ALLOWING ME TO PARTNER WITH YOU ON THIS AMENDMENT. UM, AND I WANT TO THANK PUBLIC WORKS BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THEY MEET REGULARLY WITH THE COMMUNITY. UM, BUT THAT IS, IT IS STILL A ISSUE WHERE SOME PEOPLE ARE NOT PART OF THESE GROUPS. AND SO JUST TO KNOW WHAT PROJECTS ARE ON THE BOOKS, HAVING A, UM, HAVING IT ONLINE WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO RANDY. EXCUSE ME. I INTERRUPT RANDY THIS MORNING. I, I QUESTIONED HIM. HE SAID THEY'RE DOING THAT, SO I THINK, YEAH, NO, I KNOW. THEY'RE MEET, THEY'RE MEETING WITH VARIOUS GROUPS. WE'RE WORKING ON THE EXACT LANGUAGE IN THIS. OF COURSE, WE ALL WANT A REGULAR REPORT. MM-HMM . SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING IT FORWARD. IT'LL GET DONE. IT'S COMING BACK ONLINE. IT'S COMING BACK ONLINE. OKAY. ALRIGHT. MAYOR, WITH YOUR REPRESENTATION THAT WE'RE GONNA DO THIS, UH, I'LL GO AHEAD AND WITH WITHDRAW THAT AMENDMENT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. GOOD JOB. COUNCIL MEMBER. COUNCIL MEMBER. CARTER. PLUMBER. PLUMBER. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MAYOR. I, I WANNA MAKE A COMMENT. I THINK THIS IS, THIS IS REALLY, REALLY GREAT. I THINK THE, THE KEY, THE KEY PIECE IN ALL OF THIS IS, UM, IS THAT WE ALSO, ONCE AGAIN, WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND HOW THE PROJECTS ARE CHOSEN. AND WE DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION. NOT PUBLICLY OR INTERNALLY. WE, WE HAVE A DOCUMENT ON THE WEBSITE. IT SAYS WORST FIRST. IT'S GOT A BIG DRAFT SIGN ON IT. WE HAVE TO KNOW HOW THEY'RE CHOSEN. AND THEN EVERYTHING THAT YOU, Y'ALL HAVE PUT FORWARD WAS BRILLIANT. UM, YOU KNOW, COMES AFTER THAT. BUT WE DO NEED TO KNOW THAT FIRST. AND WE NEED A PUBLIC FACING AND AN INTERNAL DOCUMENT. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN CARTER. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, SO I HAD PUT FOUR, THREE AMENDMENTS. UH, 3 0 1 WAS TO EXPLORE THE FEASIBILITY OF REMOVING. YOU READY? EXPLORE THE FEASIBILITY OF REMOVING THE OFFICE TELEPHONES FROM CITY COUNCIL OFFICES AND REPLACING WITH TEAMS CALLING AND OR FORWARDING TO MOBILE DEVICES. I GOT WITH IT ON THIS AND THEY'VE NOT DEFINED THE COST SAVINGS. UM, BUT, UH, CERTAINLY THAT WOULD, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE HAPPY TO WORK WITH IT AND SEE HOW WE CAN DO THAT ACROSS THE BOARD. VOICEOVER INTERNET PROTOCOL IS PRETTY COMMON NOW IN INDUSTRIES, YOU KNOW, WORLDWIDE. SO I, UH, APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT ON THAT. AND, UH, AS A, AS A, UH, MEASURE OF TIME SAVING, I AM HAPPY TO WITHDRAW 3 0 2 AND 3 0 3 AS REQUESTED BY THE ADMINISTRATION. THANK YOU. OKAY. CLARIFICATION. WE CAN VOTE ON THESE ITEMS IF THEY DON'T AFFECT THE GENERAL FUND. DO YOU WANT TO DO THAT OR WOULD YOU LIKE TO WAIT AT THE END OF THE SESSION AND RUN THROUGH 'EM? WHAT DO YOU SAY, TIFFANY? THERE'S NO, THERE'S NO, THERE'S NO COST TO THE GENERAL FUNDS. WE COULD APPROVE IT. WELL, WE CAN VOTE. I'M, WE'RE JUST ROLLING THE TWO. NO, THE TWO, I MEAN, THE ONLY ONE I GUESS WE NEED THE, UH, VOTE ON IS 3 0 1 ADAM. 3 0 1. ALL ONE IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY FOLKS. NO POLL. NO. I USE MY PHONE. CALL THE ROLL PLEASE. THREE OH ONE TO CLARIFY IF YOU, IT'S, IT JUST TRIES TO ESTABLISH EFFICIENCIES IN THE COUNCIL OFFICES WITH CELL PHONES INSTEAD OF LANDLINES LINES. AND IT'S ONLY A FEASIBILITY STUDY, SO I DON'T KNOW HOW WE WOULD OPPOSE. ARE YOU CALLING THE ROLE MS. SECRETARY MAYOR WHITMEYER? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER PECK? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS? NO. COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTEX TATUM? [05:25:01] YES. COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER? YES. YES. . COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER. YES. AND COUNCIL MEMBER ERICA? YES. 50 AYES. ONE. MOTION PASSES NEXT. SO I WITHDREW 3 0 2 AND 3 0 3. YEAH. 3 0 2 AND 3 0 3 ARE WITHDRAWN. COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER. UM, 4 0 1. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THIS IS, UM, AN AMENDMENT THAT I HAD PRESENTED IN THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION AS WELL. UH, PRIMARILY BECAUSE AFRICAN AMERICANS ARE DIS DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTED BY POLICE INTERACTIONS BOTH LOCALLY AND NATIONALLY. UM, HPD IS GROWING IN TERMS OF DIVERSITY WITH 24% BLACK OFFICERS. AND AS WE TALK ABOUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO DECENTRALIZE COMMUNITY AFFAIRS, UM, I BELIEVE THIS AMENDMENT IS, UM, IS IMPORTANT, AT LEAST TO RECOGNIZE, UM, THE CITY WOULD CONSIDER AN ADDITIONAL ONE TIME, ONE FULL-TIME CLASSIFIED OFFICER. AND THE SPECIFICS ON THIS WOULD BE THAT THIS OFFICER WOULD, UM, FOCUS ON COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAMS, QUALITY OF LIFE PRIORITIES. UM, THE ROLE WOULD BE ON, ON MULTIPLE DEPARTMENT GOALS, INCLUDING ENHANCING OUTREACH TO SPECIAL NEEDS POPULATIONS, FOSTERING COOPERATION FOR VICTIM SUPPORT, INCREASING NON-ENFORCEMENT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, BUILDING TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY. UM, HPD LEADERSHIP, INCLUDING CHIEF, UM, DIAZ, UM, HAS ACKNOWLEDGED THE DEPARTMENT'S LIMITATIONS AND STAFFING FOR CONSISTENT DIRECT LEVEL ENGAGEMENT AND SUPPORTS INCREASED, REALLY NEEDING MORE BOOTS ON THE GROUND. THE FUNDING, THIS IS NOT COMING FROM, THIS WOULD NOT BE COMING FROM THE GENERAL FUND. IT WOULD BE COMING FROM, UH, THE HPD COMMUNITY AFFAIRS, UM, UH, AFFAIRS FUND. I HAVE SPOKEN WITH THE LEADERSHIP. THEY DO BELIEVE, UM, THEY DO BELIEVE THAT THEY CAN WORK WITH CHIEF DIAZ. THEY UNDERSTAND THE COMMITMENT OF THE ADMINISTRATION TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, WE FOCUS ON AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES IN TERMS OF, UM, ALIGNMENT AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT. AND SO WITH THAT, WITH THEIR GUIDANCE, WITH THEIR SUPPORT, UM, I AM GOING TO WITHDRAW THIS AMENDMENT. UM, BUT WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, WE LOOK AND SEE HOW THE COMMUNITY AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT IS GOING TO BE REORGANIZED IN THAT AND ENSURING THAT IT'S SUPPORTING COMMUNITIES OF COLOR. THANK YOU FOR WORK WITH CHIEF DIAZ. NO ONE'S MORE COMMITTED TO THE, UH, DIVERSITY AND THE REPRESENTATION OF A PO AND AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMITTEE, AS WELL AS THE SPANISH SPEAKING OFFICERS, THE ASIAN OFFICERS. SO WE HAVE A VERY DIVERSE DEPARTMENT. WE HAVE A CHIEF THAT IS VERY FOCUSED ON THAT. YES. AND YOU AND I AND THE COUNCIL WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH HIM. THANK YOU. AND APRIL'S REALLY APPRECIATIVE AS WELL, UM, THAT THEY ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO WORK ON THIS AS, AS WELL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. DON'T WITHDRAW. COUNCIL, COUNCIL MEMBER. THANK YOU. I WANNA THANK COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER FOR THIS ITEM. MAYOR, I'VE CONTINUED TO RAISE MY OWN PERSONAL CONCERNS, INCLUDING WHEN CHIEF DIAZ WAS HERE. I HAVEN'T HAD THOSE QUESTIONS ANSWERED. UM, IT'S, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE THIS POSITION, UM, FOR OUR BLACK AND AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY. AS SAID, A LIAISON, UH, OFFICIAL LIAISON. BUT ALSO I WOULD ADD IN, IN ADDITION TO THAT, WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS THE LOSS OF PERSONNEL OR A HISPANIC LIAISON, UH, IN OUR LGBTQ PLUS LIAISON, ASIAN, THERE ARE CRITICAL ROLES WITH LIAISONS WITHIN COMMUNITY AFFAIRS. SO WHILE I UNDERSTAND, BASED ON THIS, UH, AND COUNCIL NUMBER, I WILL DEFER TO YOU IF YOU WANT TO WITHDRAW. HOWEVER, MAYOR, I WOULD RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT WE HAVE A TIMELINE FOR WHEN WE WILL GET UPDATED ON WHAT THIS IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE. 'CAUSE WE'VE HEARD FROM THE COMMUNITY, I BELIEVE RIGHTFULLY SO. SURE. THERE ARE MULTIPLE POSITIONS THAT WE NEED, UH, TO BUILD THOSE BRIDGES AND COMMUNITIES. ESPECIALLY AGAIN, WHEN I BRING UP THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY WITH CONCERNS ABOUT ICE. RIGHT NOW, OUR HISPANIC LIAISON IS ONE OF THE PEOPLE. WE HAVE A HISPANIC CHIEF, AS YOU WELL KNOW. I UNDERSTAND. BUT THAT LIAISON HAS BEEN DOING THIS WORK FOR YEARS. NO, WITH BUILDING WITH YOU BRIDGES AND BEING A PERSON THAT SOMEBODY CAN PICK UP THE PHONE AND CALL, I CANNOT PICK UP THE PHONE AND ALWAYS REACH CHIEF DIAZ. SO TO EXPECT A COMMUNITY MEMBER TO CALL THE CHIEF RATHER THAN OUR LIAISON, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW BY WHEN, UH, WE WILL HAVE A REPORT BACK ON. I'LL FACILITATE THAT. THE CHIEF HAS [05:30:01] THE, UH, COMMUNITY RELATIONS PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY MORE THAN EVER, OUR DIVERSE COMMUNITY. SO I'LL HAVE HIM CONTACT YOU TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT YOU HAVE YOUR, UH, CONCERNS ADDRESSED. I UNDERSTAND. I SHARE 'EM. I, I, AGAIN, I WOULD LIKE A COMMITTEE LIKE THE CHAIR OF PUBLIC SAFETY. SURE. I WOULD DEFER TO HER TO HAVE A COMMITTEE MEETING RELATED TO THIS, UH, WITHIN THE NEXT TWO MONTHS. GREAT RECOMMENDATION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS, CAN I RESPOND? THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CAMAN. UM, AND I COMPLETELY AGREE. UM, WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND HOW COMMUNITY AFFAIRS IS GOING TO BE RESTRUCTURED. AND JUST TO BE VERY CLEAR, UM, I'M WITHDRAWING THIS ONLY AT THE REQUEST OF A POLL BECAUSE THEY HONESTLY BELIEVE THAT CHIEF DIAZ AND THE ADMINISTRATION WILL DO THIS. BUT I AGREE WITH YOU, IT WOULD BE NICE TO INCLUDE, UM, ALL COMMUNITIES OF COLOR SURE. AS, AS WE LOOK AT THIS. BUT I'M VERY SUPPORTIVE TO BRINGING THIS TO COMMITTEE AND HAVING A CONVERSATION. WE HAVE TO HAVE A CLEAR PICTURE. NOBODY WORKS CLOSER WITH APO THAN I DO. YEAH. AND I CAN HAVE A WITNESS TESTIFY THAT. YEAH, NO, ABSOLUTELY. ABSOLUTELY. RIGHT NOW, AND IT DIDN'T. THEY AS MAYOR STARTED AS A STATE SENATOR WHEN OTHER LEGISLATORS ONLY WOULD SEE ONE OF OUR EMPLOYEE GROUPS IN AUSTIN. A O HAD AN OPEN DOOR. AND I HAVE FACILITATED THEM GETTING THE REPRESENTATION EVEN WHEN THEY GO TO AUSTIN THAT THEY HAVEN'T GOTTEN IN PREVIOUS YEARS. WHAT THE CHIEF WILL DO AND WORK WITH YOU IS TO TRY TO GET COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, COMMUNITY RELATIONS OUT OF THE CENTRAL OFFICE AND INTO THE COMMUNITY. IT'S WORKING AND IT'S GOING TO EVEN GET BETTER. BUT CERTAINLY WE'LL WORK WITH A O AND WE'LL HAVE A REPORT TO, UH, THANK YOU PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE. COUNCIL. THANK YOU, COUNCIL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MAYOR COUNCILMAN DAVIS. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND LET ME JUST THANK MY COLLEAGUES AGAIN, BOTH FOR THEIR CONCERN REGARDING THE COMMUNITY AFFAIRS, UM, WHICH IS ALSO, UM, THAT HAS BEEN, YOU KNOW, STATED BY ME EVEN ON YESTERDAY CONCERNING, UM, THE COMMUNITY AFFAIRS AND THE POSITION IT HOLDS. AND LET ME THANK YOU, MAYOR, FOR OPENING UP THE DOOR, AS YOU KNOW, IS ONE OF OUR, MY BIG PUSH WAS HOW WE STRENGTHEN THE COMMUNITY AFFAIRS FOR EVERY COMMUNITY. NOT PARTICULARLY JUST ONE, BUT ALL THE COMMUNITIES. AND THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, I TALKED ABOUT THE APO IN PARTICIPATING WITH THE POLICE PASTORS AND PEOPLE. WE BRINGING THAT TO THE TABLE. SO I WANT TO COMMEND CHIEF DS FOR EMBRACING THAT. AND WE ARE HAVING DISCUSSIONS ON THAT RIGHT NOW BECAUSE IT'S VERY VITAL THAT WE KEEP THAT COMMUNITY AND YOU OPEN THAT DOOR TO US TO GET THAT DONE. SO WE APPRECIATE THAT. SO I'M GLAD THE DISCUSSION IS GOING THAT WAY AND, UH, AND BOTH OUR, MY COLLEAGUES CONCERNS. SO APPRECIATE IT. I DON'T NEED, I DON'T NEED A WITNESS, BUT I WAS SHOCKED JUST ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO AT AN EVENT THAT APO TOLD ME THEY HAD TO USE THEIR DINNER HOUR. THAT'S RIGHT. TO GO TO EVENTS OF HPD. THAT'S RIGHT. AND I FIXED IT REAL QUICK THAT AFTERNOON. 'CAUSE I HAD ACCESS TO THE MAYOR AND THE CHIEF. YES. WHY IN THE WORLD DO THESE FINE OFFICERS REPRESENT THEIR DELEGATION AND OUR COMMUNITY TAKE THEIR SUPPER HOUR WHILE THEY'RE ON PATROL. THAT'S RIGHT. IT WAS ELIMINATED THAT AFTERNOON. AND, UH, WE PUT IT IN POLICY LONG BEFORE I WAS MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON. YES, WE'VE MADE A LOT OF PROGRESS, BUT WE GOT A LOT OF WORK LEFT TO DO. YEAH. ORGANIZATION THAT GOES ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE SEVENTIES. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND ON 5.01, I APPRECIATE THE ADMINISTRATION'S SUPPORT TO, FOR RESTORING THE OPE TRUST. THIS IS COLLEAGUES, AS YOU KNOW, WE, WE PUT THIS IN IN, IN FY 24 AND AGAIN IN FY 25. UM, IT JUST NEVER MATERIALIZED INTO THE TRUST. SO I APPRECIATE MAYOR, YOUR COMMITMENT TO RESTORING THIS FUNDING. AND, YOU KNOW, WE TALK ABOUT THE FUND BALANCE AS WE SHOULD. AND THIS ISN'T AN OPERATING EXPENSE. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT GOES TOWARD OUR STRUCTURAL BALANCE IMBALANCE. SO THIS I THINK IS A GOOD, THE, THE ADMINISTRATION HAS REVISED THE NUMBERS TO INCLUDE THE ENTERPRISE FUNDS AND OTHERS THAT, THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THE OPEP TRUST. THE WAY WE OPERATE OP E AND, AND AS EVERYONE KNOWS, IT'S RETIREE HEALTH BENEFITS, IT'S RETIREE DISABILITY, IT'S RETIREE LIFE INSURANCE. AND THE ACTUARIES PREDICT OUT HOW MUCH THAT'S GONNA COST US OVER THE NEXT 30 YEARS. AND BEFORE WE DID THE OPEP REFORM IN JANUARY OF 2022. THAT COST IN 20 YEARS DROVE UP A A, A UNFUNDED LIABILITY OF ABOUT $9.5 BILLION. AND AGAIN, THESE UNFUNDED LIABILITIES CROWD OUT [05:35:01] OTHER SERVICES BECAUSE THEY GROW EVERY SINGLE YEAR. COMPOUND, COMPOUND, COMPOUND. AND THEY GROW. SO, SO WHAT WE'RE JUST PAY, WE GO ON A PAY AS YOU GO BASIS. WE PAY LIKE A MINIMUM ON YOUR CREDIT CARD THAT YOUR PARENTS TELL YOU NOT TO DO. AND, AND WE PAY WHAT WE OWE THAT YEAR. THIS YEAR IT'S $63 MILLION IN THESE COSTS. NEXT YEAR IT'LL BE MORE. AND, AND, AND THE MORE YOU DON'T ADDRESS THAT BIG PRINCIPLE AMOUNT, THAT BIG UNFUNDED LIABILITY, THE MORE THAT CONTINUES TO GROW. SO WHAT WE DID IN 2022 IS MAKE SOME REFORMS THAT BASICALLY, UM, WE PUT IN THE CITY, PUT IN LESS OF A SUBSIDY DEPENDING ON HOW YOUR LENGTH OF SERVICE FOR EXISTING AND RETIRED AND NEW AND NEW EMPLOYEES. WE, WE LESSENED THE SUBSIDY THAT WE PUT IN. SO THESE REFORMS AND, AND SOME OTHER THINGS THAT WE DID OUR DRIVING DOWN THAT, THAT BALANCE AS DIRECT DIRECTOR OF FINANCE SAID EARLIER, YOU KNOW, DOWN FROM $9.5 BILLION IN 30 YEARS TO FOUR TO ABOUT HALF THAT FOUR AND A HALF BILLION IN 30 YEARS. RIGHT NOW WE'RE SITTING AT A $1.9 BILLION UNFUNDED LIABILITY. I SAY ALL THIS TO SAY WE NEED TO DO MORE THAN JUST PAY THE MINIMUM ON OUR CREDIT CARD. WE NEED TO ADDRESS THAT $10 MILLION IS IS NOT, I MEAN WE WILL HAVE TO GROW THAT SIGNIFICANTLY TO MAKE AN IMPACT. BUT IT'S A GOOD START. I KNOW THIS IS, THIS, THIS ENTAILS SOME GENERAL FUND MONIES IF WE WANT TO DEFER. UM, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE OTHER GENERAL, I MEAN THE OTHER FUND BALANCE ITEMS, YOU CAN ALSO SEE IN THE SUBSTITUTE AMENDMENT FROM THE ADMINISTRATION, THE OTHER, THE AMOUNTS THAT WERE, UM, THAT WERE DEDICATED FROM THE OTHER FUNDS. MY STAFF'S DONE SOME RESEARCH. OEP TRUSTS ARE VERY COMMON IN OTHER CITIES. STATE, FORT BEND COUNTY, THE PORT, ALL KINDS OF PEOPLE DO. I MEAN THIS IS, THIS IS JUST A, A SMART FINANCIAL WAY TO, TO PLAY AND HOPE I CAN GET YOUR SUPPORT ON THIS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP ON THIS ITEM. UM, DEFER, WE CAN DEFER UNTIL WE DEAL WITH THE OTHER GENERAL, UH, FUND BALANCE ITEMS IF YOU'D LIKE THAT WHAT I WAS ASSUMING YOU'D WANT TO DO, UH, ITEM 5.02. NO, I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS FOR ABOUT SIX YEARS. WE DON'T NEED TO TALK ABOUT IT ANYMORE. BUT, UM, SHARE, WE'RE, WE'RE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION ON THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE TWO. THE HARRIS COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH CITY OF HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT. MAYOR, YOU AND I ARE IN AGREEMENT ON THAT. I WILL ADD THAT I'VE BEEN IN, IN TOUCH WITH PEOPLE. THERE IS SOME PRIVATE FUNDING IF IT'S NEEDED TO FOR BENCHMARKING OR ANY KIND OF CONSULTANT HELP, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL. THERE WILL BE SOME PRIVATE FUNDING AVAILABLE FOR THAT BECAUSE YOU KNOW IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN BECAUSE YOU KNOW IT'S GONNA HAPPEN. IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN. I DO KNOW IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN. HARRIS HEALTH AND THE CITY HEALTH DEPARTMENT, UM, 5.03, WE'VE ALL BEEN TALKING ABOUT MOWING THE ESPLANADES AND THERE'LL BE MORE TALK ON THAT LATER. UM, THIS ISN'T REALLY A BUDGET AMENDMENT. THERE'S OTHER BUDGET AMENDMENTS COMING UP ABOUT THIS. WHAT I WILL SAY IS I'VE ALWAYS THOUGHT IT WAS A LITTLE WEIRD THAT, THAT, UM, THE ESPLANADES ARE PART OF THE ROAD. TO ME THAT'S KIND OF ROAD MAINTENANCE. IF THERE'S SOME WAY TO INCORPORATE SOME USE OF, OF PUB UH, MONEY DEDICATED TO PUBLIC WORKS FOR MOWING, I THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL. ESPECIALLY AS PARKS IS LOSING FUNDING AND PEOPLE, BUT ALL WITHDRAWAL, UM, ON 5.04. THIS DOES NOT USE THE GENERAL FUND FUND BALANCE 'CAUSE I JUST SCOURED EVERY LINE ITEM AND I CAME UP WITH EVERYTHING I COULD COME UP WITH TO FUND MY TWO ANIMAL ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS. THEY NEED, THEY NEED 17. I KNOW WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY FOR 17 RIGHT NOW. I WISH WE DID, BUT TWO, I TALKED TO JARED THE OTHER DAY AND HE SAID THEY'LL USE THESE TWO AT NIGHT. THEY DON'T HAVE ANYBODY AT NIGHT AND THEY REALLY CAN USE THESE TWO. IT WON'T REQUIRE ADDITIONAL VEHICLE USE BECAUSE WE ALREADY HAVE THE VEHICLES. 'CAUSE YOU CAN'T HIRE A BUNCH OF PEOPLE AND THEN NOT GIVE THEM THE CARS TO GO GET THE THING. SO WE WON'T NEED ANY MORE CARS. THESE GUYS WILL BE OUT AT NIGHT. THESE ARE LINE ITEMS AND I APPRECIATE THE ADMINISTRATION'S SUPPORT AND, AND UM, YOU KNOW, I CAN GO THROUGH EACH OF THE LINE ITEMS. WE, THESE ARE BASICALLY 1% OR LESS OF OVERALL EXPENDITURES IN THESE CATEGORIES. THEY'RE USED BY VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS. OBVIOUSLY IF THE ADMINISTRATION'S SUPPORTING THIS ISN'T GONNA CRIPPLE ANYBODY'S SERVICES IN ANYBODY'S IN, IN ALL OF THE DEPARTMENTS. UM, SO I WOULD LIKE YOUR SUPPORT ON THIS. WE KNOW THAT, OH, ONE THING I DO WANNA TALK ABOUT, 'CAUSE I'VE BEEN LOOKING AT THIS FOR A LONG TIME. THE THE CITY SAVVY PUBLICATION, WHICH IS GREAT, IT'S AN ONLINE PUBLICATION, BUT THEY PRINT OUT LIKE THOUSANDS OF COPIES THAT END UP ON THE FLOORS IN PEOPLE'S OFFICES. SO WE'RE CUTTING THAT $13,000 COST OUT MAN. AND UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS GO AFTER PAPER AND PRINTING. THAT'S A SMALL AMOUNT AND, AND UM, THERE'S SOME MANAGEMENT, UH, CONSULTING SERVICES, LESS THAN 1% OF PLANNED EXPENDITURES. MOST OF THAT IS IN HR, CENTRAL SERVICE REVOLVING FUND TRAINING. UM, AND THERE'S MISCELLANEOUS SUPPORT [05:40:01] AND SERVICES. I ASK A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT. THAT'S A BIG CATCHALL. SOME OF THAT'S COMING FROM, UH, LEGAL THAT CAN BE REDUCED. AND I'M CONFIDENT IN TAKING FROM THESE FUNDING SOURCES. AND WE KNOW PEOPLE ARE GETTING, I MEAN THERE'S, THERE WAS THE DOG BITE WHERE THE 2-YEAR-OLD WAS KILLED. THERE'S BEEN PEOPLE IN THE HOSPITAL. UM, I THINK HAVING THESE TWO ANIMAL ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS AT NIGHT WILL REALLY HELP. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP. UH, AND PUT THE NEED ON OUR CRITICAL LIST. UH, MARK IS ONLY RESPONDING TO 54% OF ITS DANGEROUS ANIMAL CALLS CODE ONE. ONLY 54% ARE BEING ADDRESSED. SO WE WILL PUT THAT ON OUR CRITICAL NEED LIST. AND IF YOU WANNA MAKE A MOTION FOR THIS ITEM, WE'LL ADDRESS IT. I MOVE TO APPROVE THIS ITEM. MOTION MADE AND SECONDED. IT'S IN WRITING SO IT DOESN'T NEED A SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. GOOD, GOOD JOB. THANK YOU. UH, 5.05 WE'VE ALREADY DISCUSSED ON THE OVERTIME THING, SO I'M DONE. THANK YOU. GOOD JOB COUNCIL MEMBER PECK, VICE MAYOR, PROTEIN PECK 6 0 1. THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, SO THE AMENDMENTS I'M ABOUT TO LAY OUT ARE ALL, UM, ABOUT EFFICIENCIES AND RECOUPING COSTS THAT WE'RE SPENDING. UM, IT'S MEANT TO SUPPLEMENT THE, YOUR BUDGET MAYOR AND I KNOW A LOT OF THESE ITEMS. UM, YOU WANTED TO KIND OF WORK OFFLINE AS NOT BUDGET AMENDMENT ITEMS AND I'M FINE WITH THAT. UM, SO I'LL GO THROUGH SOME OF THESE VERY QUICKLY. UM, BUT THE FIRST FOUR ITEMS, UM, ARE KIND OF TO GIVE OPTIONS ABOUT HOW TO DIRECT, UM, GENERAL FUND MONEY. SO THE FIRST, UM, TWO ARE ABOUT THE, UM, BUDGET STABILIZATION FUND AND THEN THE, UH, THE, UM, NEXT TWO, OR I'M SORRY, THE, THE FIRST ONE IS ABOUT THE BUDGET STABILIZATION FUND. 6.02 IS ABOUT DEFERRED MAINTENANCE AND THEN IT'S DIFFERENT WAYS TO PAY FOR THOSE TWO ITEMS. SO THE FIRST ONE IS TO TAKE 1% OF THE DIFFERENCE OF THE GENERAL FUND. IF WE END UP COLLECTING MORE MONEY THAN WHAT WE'RE EXPECTING. AND IN PREVIOUS BUDGETS, WE HAVE DONE THAT A LOT OF TIMES THIS TIME I'M NOT SURE THAT WE'RE GOING TO COLLECT MORE THAN WHAT WE'RE EXPECTING JUST BECAUSE USUALLY WE'RE, UM, IT'S BECAUSE OF VACANCIES THAT WEREN'T REALIZED. AND THAT'S WHERE WE'RE GETTING THAT MONEY. I DON'T THINK WE'LL SEE AS MUCH OF THAT THIS BUDGET, BUT YOU JUST NEVER KNOW. SO 6.01 IS BASICALLY JUST TAKING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT WE'RE EXPECTING IN THE ACTUAL, UM, GENERAL FUND BALANCE AND TAKING 1% OF THAT FOR THE BUDGET STABILIZATION FUND. SO IT'S JUST A WAY OF DIRECTING THAT MONEY. UM, AND I KNOW, UM, THE MAYOR HAS REQUESTED THAT I WITHDRAW 6.023 AND FOUR. UM, SO I WILL WITHDRAW TWO, THREE, AND FOUR AND THEN I GUESS WE'LL TAKE UP 6.01 WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE, UM, ALL OF THE ITEMS WITH THE GENERAL FUND. OKAY. COUNCIL MEMBER KING, UH, VICE MAYOR PRO TEM, THANK YOU FOR THESE ITEMS SPECIFICALLY ON THE BUDGET STABLE STABILIZATION FUND. UH, FOR THOSE THAT DUNNO, THE BUDGET STABILIZATION FUND IS OUR RAINY DAY FUND. I HAVE TALKED A LOT ABOUT THIS. ONE OF THE AMENDMENTS I'M LAYING FORWARD WILL ALSO ADDRESS THIS. TWO TECHNICAL QUESTIONS FOR YOU PRIOR TO US TAKING IT UP. ONE, WHEN DOES THE CLOCK START? WHEN WE'RE DETERMINING WHAT THE PROPOSED BUDGET IS AND WHAT MAY COME IN AS EXPECTED, WOULD THAT BE AS OF THE TIME OF THE START OF THE FISCAL YEAR? YEAH, I THINK IT'S IS THE BASELINE FOR WHAT WE'RE CALCULATING. YEAH, I MEAN THE PROPOSAL IS BASICALLY WHATEVER THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT IS PROPOSING TO BE THE FUND BALANCE AND THE GENERAL FUND AT THE END OF FY 26 AND THEN HOW MUCH WE ACTUALLY HAVE AT THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR. RIGHT. SO THE BASELINE NUMBER, I THINK WE'RE SAYING THE SAME THING, BUT THE BASELINE LUMP NUMBER THAT WE COMPARE TO WOULD BE, WHAT IS IT THE ADOPTED FY 26 BUDGET ESTIMATE? YES. AS THE, AS THE FUND BALANCE? YES. OKAY, THANK YOU. AND THEN DO YOU HAVE, AGAIN, THAT MAY CHANGE BECAUSE WE MAY PASS SOME AMENDMENTS THAT WE MAY REDUCE THE GENERAL FUND BALANCE, BUT DO YOU HAVE AN ESTIMATE ON WHAT THAT 1% MIGHT LOOK LIKE? I DON'T KNOW BECAUSE IT REALLY JUST DEPENDS ON IF WE END UP, UM, HAVING MORE IN THE GENERAL FUND AT THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR OR SO. I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THAT NUMBER COULD BE. I MEAN, IT COULD BE A LOT OF MONEY. IT COULD BE NO MONEY . SO YEAH, AS YOU SAID, IT MAY NOT LIKELY COME TO FRUITION BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE MORE THAN EXPECTED. THANK YOU. 6.05. SO 6.05 IS, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, THE DEPOSIT DEPOSITORIES FOR THE SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT SHOW IN REAL TIME, UM, WHAT THE WEIGHT IS RIGHT NOW. MANY PEOPLE ARE GOING TO, UM, THE DEPOSIT DEPOSITORIES THINKING THAT'LL BE A QUICK TRIP AND [05:45:01] ONLY TO FIND THAT IT'S AN HOUR LONG WAIT. AND A LOT OF TIMES THEY WILL JUST DUMP THE TRASH SOMEWHERE ELSE INSTEAD BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT TO WAIT. SO IF WE CAN HAVE REAL TIME STATUS, THEY ALREADY KNOW, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU GET UP THERE, THEY, THEY KNOW HOW LONG THE WAIT IS GONNA BE. UM, THEY BEING THE SALT WASTE DEPARTMENT AND THE WORKERS THERE. SO IF THERE'S SOME WAY TO PUT IT ON THE HTX COLLECTS APP, UM, PUT ON THE WEBSITE JUST SO THAT PEOPLE KNOW SO THEY CAN PLAN THEIR TIME ACCORDINGLY. IT MIGHT CUT DOWN ON SOME OF THE, UM, ILLEGAL DUMPING. AND MAYOR, I KNOW YOU WANTED TO, UM, REFER THIS ITEM TO COMMITTEE TO WORK ON IT FURTHER. SO I I'M HAPPY TO REFER THAT ONE. UM, 6.06 UM, IS TO DETERMINE THE FEASIBILITY OF IMPLEMENTING AN OPTIONAL FEE FOR ADDITIONAL GARBAGE HEAVY TRASH AND RECYCLING PICKUP. TO BE CLEAR, THIS IS AN OPTIONAL FEE. THIS IS VOLUNTARY. THIS IS NOT A TRASH FEE. THIS IS IF YOU WOULD LIKE EXTRA TRASH PICKUPS THROUGHOUT THE WEEK TO PAY ADDITIONAL MONEY TO ACCOMPLISH THAT SERVICE. I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE, UM, WANT THEIR TRASH PICKUP MORE THAN, THAN WHAT IS BEING PICKED UP RIGHT NOW AND WOULD PAY ADDITIONAL MONEY FOR THAT SERVICE. SO, UM, I KNOW MAYOR YOU WANTED TO REFER THIS ONE AS WELL, SO I'LL REFER THIS ONE TO COMMITTEE. UM, 6.07 IS, UM, TO ESTABLISH A MANAGED COMPETITION PROGRAM FOR YARD WASTE COLLECTION IN DISTRICT A. UM, I DO WANNA MOVE FORWARD ON THIS ONE, UM, IN COMMITTEE AND WORKING BEHIND THE SCENES WITH YOU MAYOR ON THAT. UM, YARD WASTE, I MEAN ALL, ALL COLLECTION SERVICES IN DISTRICT A WE SEE TIME AND TIME AGAIN, IS JUST NOT GETTING PICKED UP ON TIME. AND I KNOW THAT CITYWIDE NOT JUST IN DISTRICT A, UM, BUT SOMETIMES WE'VE SEEN IN DISTRICT A THAT YARD WASTE JUST ISN'T PICKED UP FOR MONTHS AND MONTHS. AND IF WE COULD FIGURE OUT A WAY TO WORK WITH THE PRIVATE INDUSTRY TO GET SOME OF THAT TRASH COLLECTED, WE FIGURED STARTING WITH YARD WASTE WOULD BE A GOOD, A GOOD PLACE HIRING WORKERS SO THAT, UM, WE WILL REFER TO COMMITTEE AS WELL. AND 6.08 UM, IS, UM, ALSO WITH THE SALT WASTE DEPARTMENT IS TO ESTABLISH A ONE BIN PROGRAM FOR TRASH AND RECYCLING TO BE COLLECTED IN THE SAME BIN, UM, AND SEPARATED IN AN ENVIRONMENTALLY POSITIVE WAY. THERE'S UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S THE TECHNOLOGY OUT THERE THAT YOU PUT ALL THE TRASH IN ONE BIN AND THERE'S WAYS TO SEPARATE THAT AND CUT DOWN ON WASTE AND, UM, PEOPLE NOT RECYCLING THE RIGHT, THE RIGHT ITEMS. AND SO THERE'S UM, THERE'S THAT TECHNOLOGY OUT THERE SO WOULD LIKE TO WORK FURTHER WITH YOU MAYOR ON THAT ONE AS WELL. PEOPLE, UM, 6.09 IS TO DETERMINE THE FEASIBILITY AND POTENTIAL COST SAVINGS OF WORKING WITH OTHER AGENCIES TO TRANSPORT INDIVIDUALS TO THE JOINT PROCESSING CENTER. RIGHT NOW WE HEAR FROM HPD ALL THE TIME THAT, UM, ONCE AN ARREST IS MADE TO GET AN INDIVIDUAL ALL THE WAY TO THE JOINT PROCESSING CENTER SOMETIMES TAKES HOURS, ESPECIALLY, UM, IN MY DISTRICT. UM, AND COUNCILOR THOMAS, I'M SURE IN YOURS AS WELL SINCE WE'RE SO FAR, YOU KNOW, WEST THAT IT'S, IT JUST TAKES A VERY LONG TIME, ESPECIALLY DURING RUSH HOUR. AND THEN THAT'S AN OFFICER WHO'S NOT PATROLLING ANYMORE BECAUSE THEY ARE DRIVING ALL THE WAY TO THE JOINT PROCESSING CENTER. SO IF WE CAN, UM, DETERMINE THE FEASIBILITY OF WORKING WITH OTHER AGENCIES, YOU KNOW, WHETHER THAT'S THE CONSTABLE'S OFFICE, THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT HIRED TO COME IN FOR, SO I WILL SIX POINT 10 NEW LANGUAGE ON SURE. I WANT ON YOUR INSTITUTE LANGUAGE GROUP AND NOT ONLY, UH, CITY, SO CONTROL BURNS AND RISK THE, BECAUSE WE, WHEN WE APPRECIATE REIMBURSE COSTS, THIS LANGUAGE DOES ENSURE THAT WHATEVER IN THE WILDLAND GROUP TO REIMBURSE REMAINDER IS USED IN THE GENERAL FUND MAYOR. SO I DON'T HAVE THE, YOU WOULD, UM, LIKE THIS WITHDRAWN WE SPOKE WITH. UM, WE JUST WANT, UM, THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY FOR THOSE IN NEED GETTING THE, THE EQUIPMENT, [05:50:11] UM, AMENDMENT ACCEPT HERE. ARE WE TAKING A VOTE ON THAT ONE? UH, MOVE TO ACCEPT THE ITEM? THIS IS AMENDED FOR CONSIDERATION. OKAY. UM, SIX POINT 11. UM, THIS IS SIMILARLY, UM, CREATING A SPECIAL REVENUE FUND FOR THE FIRE MARSHALS, UM, OFFICE WHEN THEY ARE, UM, GOING OUT AND ISSUING CITATIONS FOR THAT MONEY TO COME BACK TO THAT SPECIFIC DEPARTMENT. I WILL WITHDRAW THIS ITEM. UM, SIX POINT 12 IS TO REVIEW OPTIONS FOR NEW FUNDING SOURCES FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. UM, THIS IS BASICALLY JUST TO, TO DO A STUDY TO DETERMINE IF IT'S FEASIBLE TO COLLECT MONEY FOR THESE ITEMS. UM, BASICALLY TO CHARGE INSURANCE COMPANIES TO RECOUP COSTS FOR RESPONDING TO UM, ACCIDENTS. UM, AND ALSO, UM, IF SOMEONE IS DRIVING DRUNK AND CAUSES AN ACCIDENT, THE INTENT IS NOT TO INCREASE INSURANCE PREMIUMS ON ANYONE. THAT'S WHY THE STUDY WOULD NEED TO BE DONE TO SEE IF THAT WOULD HAPPEN. UM, AND ALSO TO CHARGE WATER CONSUMPTION CONTAINER, UM, TO CONTAIN WATER CONSUMPTION FEES WHEN THEY'RE, UM, CONTAINING FIRES DUE TO ARSON OR OWNER NEGLIGENCE. SO NOT JUST IN ANY FIRE, BUT IF THERE WAS NEGLIGENCE OR ARSON RELATED. UM, AND THEN ALSO TO RECOUP COSTS FOR, UM, HAZARDOUS MATERIAL CLEANUPS AS WELL. RIGHT NOW WE'RE DOING A LOT OF THOSE CLEANUPS AND NOT GETTING, UM, PAID BACK FOR THAT MONEY. SO, UM, ANOTHER IDEA TOO IS A FIRE FLOW FEE ON PROPERTIES THAT HAVE GONE THROUGH THE ABATEMENT PROCESS. A LOT OF THESE VACANT BUILDINGS ARE SITTING THERE, UM, AND OFTENTIMES HAVE HAVE A LOT OF CONCERNS WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT BECAUSE THERE'S FIRES BEING SET THERE, THERE'S OTHER CONCERNS. AND SO FOR CHARGING THE OWNERS THAT HAVE ALREADY GONE THROUGH THAT PROCESS, NOT JUST ON ANYBODY BUT JUST HAVE GONE THROUGH THAT ENTIRE PROCESS AND CHARGE A FEE FOR THEM. SO MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO WORK WITH YOUR OFFICE FURTHER ON ON EXPLORING THOSE. HOW ABOUT WE REFER TO YOUR COMMITTEE? TO YOUR COMMITTEE? WE'LL REFER IT TO MY COMMITTEE . UM, SIX POINT 13 IS TO, UM, EVALUATE THE POTENTIAL FINANCIAL IMPACT OF HIRING OFF-DUTY FIREFIGHTERS TO WORK AS NINE ONE ONE DISPATCH CALL TAKERS AT THE HOUSTON EMERGENCY CENTER. UM, IT WILL HELP FILL THE VACANCY AT THAT, UM, AT THE HOUSTON EMERGENCY CENTER WITH INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE ALREADY TRAINED TO HANDLE DIFFICULT SITUATIONS. AND UM, I HAVE TALKED TO DIRECTOR CHEEKS ABOUT THIS AND I KNOW THAT WE ARE, ARE LOOKING FURTHER INTO IT. SO I'LL WITHDRAW THIS ITEM, BUT JUST DID WANNA HIGHLIGHT THAT THAT IS, UM, SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE LOOKING AT. SIX, SIX POINT 14, 15 AND 16 ARE ALL, UM, ABOUT RECOUPING COSTS FROM THE STATE FOR DIFFERENT ITEMS. UM, 14 IS, UM, TO RECOUP COSTS FROM TXDOT FOR HOMELESS ENCAMPMENT CLEANUPS UNDER THEIR OVERPASSES. UM, SIX POINT 15 IS ABOUT THE, UM, LIGHTS THAT WE ARE ARE SPENDING MONEY ON FOR ON THE FREEWAYS. AND THEN 16 IS ABOUT, UM, INSPECTIONS AT CONCRETE BATCH PLANTS. AND SO I KNOW THAT, UM, YOU SAID THAT THESE AREN'T BUDGET AMENDMENTS, BUT AS WE COULD WORK THROUGH WITH THE STATE ON THESE ITEMS TO RECOUP SOME OF THESE COSTS, I THINK THAT IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO OUR BUDGET. UM, SIX POINT 17 IS TO REQUIRE THE LIBRARY SYSTEM TO PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT SIGNING UP FOR ALERT HOUSTON TO INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE APPLYING FOR A LIBRARY CARD. A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE APPLYING FOR LIBRARY CARD ARE NEW HOUSTONIANS WHO MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT ALERT HOUSTON, WHICH OF COURSE IS SO IMPORTANT. AND SO I KNOW MAYOR, THAT YOUR OFFICE IS ALREADY WORKING ON THAT. SO IN LIGHT OF THAT I WILL WITHDRAW THAT ITEM AS WELL. UM, SIX POINT 18 UM, IS TO, UH, IS ANOTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUND FOR ALL FINES AND FEES RELATED TO PUBLIC WORKS INSPECTION MATTERS TO [05:55:01] GET REALLOCATED BACK TO THE DEPARTMENT. I KNOW WE'RE TRYING TO GET AWAY FROM SOME OF THESE SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS WITH THESE AMENDMENTS, SO I'LL WITHDRAW IT. BUT I DO THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, IN LOOKING AT SOME OF THE SPECIAL REVENUE FUND IDEAS THAT I'VE LAID OUT, WE DO NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW MUCH MONEY WE'RE SPENDING IN EACH DEPARTMENT AND HOW MUCH BRINGING IN. AND A LOT OF THIS IS JUST GOING TO KIND OF THE BLACK HOLE OF THE GENERAL FUND. AND IT'S NOT ALWAYS LAID OUT ACCOUNTING WISE THAT WE COULD, I KNOW IT IS IN THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT, BUT WE DON'T ALWAYS SEE A DIRECT LINE OF THIS IS HOW MUCH THEY SPENT, THIS IS HOW MUCH THEY RECEIVED AND IT GOING BACK TO THAT DEPARTMENT. SO ANYTHING WE COULD DO TO KIND OF MAKE THAT CLEARER IN THE BUDGETARY PROCESS WOULD BE APPRECIATED. UM, SIX POINT 19 IS BUILDING TO PUBLIC WORKS FOR THEIR WORK, SO I'LL WITHDRAW THAT ITEM AS WELL. UM, SIX 6.20 IS, UM, TO DETERMINE THE BENEFITS OF ELIMINATING OPTION YEARS AND CONTRACTS AND INSTEAD NEGOTIATING LONGER TERMS. AS YOU ALL KNOW, A LOT OF TIMES OUR UM, CONTRACT WILL BE, YOU KNOW, THREE YEARS WITH TWO ONE YEAR OPTIONS AND A LOT OF TIMES WE ARE EXECUTING THOSE OPTION YEARS, BUT WE'RE NOT NEGOTIATING THE PRICE NECESSARILY IN THOSE OPTION YEARS. AND SO, UM, I HAVE TALKED TO THE DIRECTOR ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW CAN WE LOOK AT MAYBE JUST IF WE'RE ALMOST ALWAYS EXECUTING THOSE OPTION YEARS ANYWAY, WOULD IT BE A CHEAPER PRICE IF WE COULD NEGOTIATE JUST A LONGER CONTRACT RATHER THAN THE OPTION YEARS? AND SO I KNOW THEY'RE ALREADY LOOKING AT THAT NOW, SO, UM, WOULD APPRECIATE, UM, AT THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR CHAIR ALCORN, IF WE COULD JUST GET AN UPDATE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, AS THEY ARE LOOKING AT THAT, IF IT REALLY SAVED ANY MONEY TO DO THAT. SO I WILL WITHDRAW THAT, UM, TO GO TO BUDGET AND FISCAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE AT THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR. UM, 6.21 IS, UM, FOR, UM, TO CONSOLIDATE THE REST OF OUR CALL CENTERS. SO, UM, HEALTH DEPARTMENT, DEPARTMENT NEIGHBORHOODS AND BARK ARE THE THREE I BELIEVE THAT ARE NOT CONSOLIDATED WITH 3 1 1. I KNOW THAT COST SAVINGS WERE FOUND WHEN THEY, UM, CONSOLIDATED THE REST OF THE CALL CENTER. SO IF WE THERE WOULD BE, WOULD WANT TO REFER TO WITHDRAW THIS AND ONLY ACCESS AND YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT'S HAPPENING OF THAT. UM, WE HAVE ACCESS TO THIS. WE'VE SEEN, UM, MANY TIMES PEOPLE CALL THROUGH ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION AND THEY'RE ONLY PRETTY PUBLICLY AVAILABLE ON THE GIVING ANY, OR IF IT'S MORE CALL TAKERS DO AN AMAZING JOB. BUT IT MAY JUST BE SO, UM, IF WE COULD WORK, EVERYONE HAS, AND I WILL AND SEE HBD CALL THAT IS THAT THAT IS IS NOT HAPPENING. OUR CALLING THROUGH ONE OR APP APP AND THEY HAVE UM, AND JUST IS AN HPD MATTER AND IT IS NOT HP THERE, THEY'RE OUT AND WE'VE, WE'VE TALKED TO OUR DRT OFFICERS AND WE KNOW THAT THEY ARE NOT GETTING ANYTHING FROM THE 3 1 1 SYSTEM. SO IT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TELLING EVERY ONE TO CALL. IT'S NOT 3 1 1, WE'RE NOT REFERRING THEM OR SENDING IT. SO YOU ON THAT ONE AS WELL AN ITEM COUNCILOR, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR THIS ONE. 'CAUSE AGAIN, RESPONSE TRANSFER CALLS TO THE HP D WE'RE GETTING , [06:00:01] THEY'RE NOT GETTING THAT TO THE LINE, WHICH THEN MAKES LONGER ON HPD NON-EMERGENCY ELEVATE TO MAKE SURE TALK 3 1 1 DATA DEPARTMENT, NOT JUST THE NON-EMERGENCY LINE BECAUSE WE NEED ENFORCEMENT. WE NEED THOSE NUMBERS. MAYOR TWO FOUR IS TO DISCONTINUE THE REQUIREMENT. MILEAGE REIMBURSEMENT REQUESTS. UM, THIS WOULD SAY PRINT OUT BE, I KNOW MY STAFF SPENDS A LOT OF TIME EVERY MONTH. THEY COULD BE, UM, AND I KNOW NEED TO BE THAT WE JUST, YOU KNOW, UM, CONTINUE VERIFYING, PRINT OUT THOSE TO. SO ON THAT, AND I WILL WITHDRAW THAT ITEM, UM, UM, TO ESSENTIAL COST SAVINGS OF CONSOLIDATING THE ESTATE MANAGEMENT. THE DEPARTMENT RIGHT NOW WE HAVE, UM, DEPARTMENTS, STATE ITEMS AND EVERY TIME SOMETHING COMES UP IN OUR OFFICE, WE HAVE TO OFFICE, WE HAVE TO CALL MANY DIFFERENT OFFICES TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT, YOU KNOW, WHO IS IT? IS IT GSD, IS IT LEGAL? IS IT PUBLIC WORKS? AND SO IF WE COULD CONSOLIDATE THOSE, UM, ASPECTS OF IT, I THINK THAT WE WOULD SAVE MONEY, UM, IN THE LONG RUN. I KNOW THAT, UM, MAYOR, YOU'RE CURRENTLY REVIEWING, UM, HOW THE CITY MANAGES REAL ESTATE. SO I WILL WITHDRAW THIS ITEM. CONTINUE WORKING ON THAT ONE AS WELL. UM, 6.26 IS, UM, TO ALLOW, UM, PRIVATE CERTIFIED ENGINEERS TO CONDUCT CERTAIN INSPECTIONS INSTEAD OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON CONDUCTING THOSE, UM, INSPECTIONS. UM, ALSO TO EVALUATE THE IMPACT OF CHARGING A POTENTIAL FEE FOR THIS EXPEDITED SERVICE. SO WHEN, UM, YOU KNOW, THE PRIVATE INDUSTRY IS, UM, SOMEONE IS PUTTING THEIR CERTIFIED SEAL ON A 6.27 IS JUST TO ALLOW, UM, BUILDERS TO SIGN PLOTS ELECTRONICALLY RATHER THAN COMING DOWN IN PERSON. AND IT WOULD SAVE A LOT OF TIME AND MONEY FOR PEOPLE TO JUST, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING ELSE IS DOCUSIGN RIGHT NOW TOO. SO NOT SURE WHY PEOPLE ARE STILL COMING DOWN TO PHYSICALLY SIGN THIS. UM, AND I KNOW THAT PUBLIC WORKS IS WORKING ON THIS AS WELL, SO I WILL WITHDRAW THIS ITEM 6.28 IS TO CREATE A VOLUNTARY FUND AT THE MUNICIPAL COURTS DEPARTMENT WHERE JURORS CAN DONATE THEIR $6 PAYMENT TO EITHER THE HU HOUSTON POLICE FOUNDATION OR THE HOUSTON FIREFIGHTER FOUNDATION. UM, I KNOW YOU SAID YOU'RE OPPOSED TO THIS ONE, AND I WILL DEFER TO YOU ON THIS, BUT I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T NECESSARILY WANNA TAKE THE $6 AND IF THEY DO, THAT'S GREAT, BUT IF THEY DON'T, YOU KNOW, IT MIGHT ADD UP OVER TIME TO HAVE PEOPLE DONATE THIS MONEY AND SEND. AND RIGHT NOW THERE'S NO MECHANISM FOR THAT STATE LAW. STATE LAW. OKAY. AND, AND I'M HEARING NOW THAT IT'S, UM, MIGHT BE A STATE LAW ISSUE THAT WE CAN'T DONATE THAT MONEY. SO WE WILL LOOK INTO THAT FURTHER. THANK YOU MARTA. UM, AND I'LL WITHDRAW THAT. I, ITEM 6.29 IS TO, UM, STUDY THE POTENTIAL REVENUE IMPACT OF OFFERING CONCESSION CONTRACTS WITH VENDORS, UM, AT SWIMMING POOLS DURING THE SUMMERTIME. SO RIGHT NOW, A LOT OF OUR POOLS, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO, THERE'S NOWHERE TO GET ANY KIND OF FOOD OR DRINK OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. AND I THINK A, I THINK A LOT OF VENDORS WOULD LOVE TO STEP UP AND IT COULD BE, UM, REVENUE GENERATING FOR BOTH THE CITY AND SMALL [06:05:01] BUSINESS OWNERS THAT ARE LOOKING TO, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THEY HAVE FOOD TRUCKS OR, YOU KNOW, JUST SMALLER SCALE RESTAURANTS THAT COULD REALLY BENEFIT FROM THIS. SO IT COULD BE WIN-WIN. UM, AND MAYOR, I KNOW YOU WANTED TO REFER THIS TO COMMITTEE, SO I WILL DID, SORRY, COUNCIL, DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING? LET ME, UH, YIELD TO COUNCILMAN CAYMAN ONE, I, I BELIEVE, SORRY, REFER, I WOULD ASK IF IT CAN BE REFERRED TO SERVICE DELIVERY. AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, I WOULD SAY FOR SOME OF OUR PRO SHOPS, FOR EXAMPLE, AT MEMORIAL PARK, UM, THERE'S SOMETIMES A SLOWING SLOW RESTOCKING OR WE'RE NOT OFFERING EVERYTHING WE COULD. SO THERE ARE OTHER WAYS TO WHICH WE CAN BE GENERATING REVENUE, UH, THAT WOULD GO IN TANDEM WITH THIS THAT I WOULD ASK TO ALSO BE CONSIDERED. IT'D BE A GOOD TIME TO MENTION MOST OF OUR POOLS THAT WERE CLOSED LAST SUMMER WILL BE OPEN THIS SUMMER. YEP. AND, AND I WAS REMINDED ALSO TENNIS CENTERS. SO AGAIN, THERE'S A HOST OF WAYS IN WHICH WE CAN BE EXPLORING THIS FOR ADDITIONAL REVENUE, UH, FOR SERVICES THAT RESIDENTS WANT. THANK YOU. GO AHEAD. THANK YOU. AND THEN MY LAST ITEM IS TO WORK WITH COUNTY COMMISSIONERS TO SHARE RESPONSIBILITIES, UM, WHEN AVAILABLE FOR OUR PARKS AND ROAD MAINTENANCE. UM, WHEN COMMISSIONER KAGEL WAS IN OFFICE, HE AND I WORKED OUT A PLAN WHERE EVERYTHING IN HIS PRECINCT, ALL THE STREETS WOULD BE MAINTAINED BY THE COUNTY RATHER THAN THE CITY. AND UNFORTUNATELY IT WAS STOPPED AT THE CITY LEVEL, NOT AT THE COUNTY LEVEL, AND IT WOULD SAVE SO MUCH MONEY. AND ALSO CONSIDERING THAT THE COUNTY A LOT OF TIMES HAVE, UM, THE STAFF TO GET THE JOB DONE, UM, WHETHER IT'S WITH PARKS OR ROADS, JUST ANY KIND OF LEVERAGING OF THOSE FUNDS TOGETHER, WE COULD GET THE JOB DONE A LOT FASTER AND CHEAPER. SO, UM, WOULD, UH, AND IT SAYS THAT YOU ARE ALREADY WORKING ON THIS, I APPRECIATE, UM, ANY KIND OF COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE COUNTY FOR ANY, YOU KNOW, PARKS ROAD MAINTENANCE, ANYTHING WHERE WE'RE OVERLAPPING DUTIES WOULD BE APPRECIATED. VERY GOOD. I'M DONE. LET'S LET, UH, VICE MAYOR PROTE PECK, CATCH HER BREATH AND TAKE A 10 MINUTE RECESS. COUNCIL, COME TO ORDER CHAIR RECOGNIZES PERSONAL PRIVILEGE. COUNCILMAN CAYMAN, A MATTER OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I WANTED TO TAKE A MOMENT TO RECOGNIZE WE HAVE A SPECIAL GUEST TODAY. UH, STATE REPRESENTATIVE SIMMONS, UH, IS IN THE AUDIENCE. THE, THE, THE HANG ON AND I'LL, I'LL ASK. I LOOK, I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE VERY INVESTED. I'LL ASK FOR JUST ORDER COUNCIL MEMBER, EXCUSE ME, REPRESENTATIVE SIMMONS FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR IN THE TEXAS HOUSE. SO THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING. SPEAK UP NOW. COUNCILOR JACKSON, COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. THANK YOU MAYOR. THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, MAYOR AND COUNCIL AS I'M SUBMITTING TWO BUDGET AMENDMENTS, UM, TO INCREASE INVESTMENT IN THE LOCAL DRAINAGE PROGRAM AND THE DITCH REESTABLISHMENT PROGRAM, WE ALL CAN AGREE IN INCREASING THESE INVESTMENTS IS MORE THAN JUST A PRECAUTION AGAINST NATURAL DISASTERS, BUT IT'S A MATTER OF SOCIAL EQUITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND SO ON. UM, BUDGET AMENDMENT NUMBER 7 0 1, I'M ASKING THAT THE CITY SHALL ADD $25 MILLION TO THE LOCAL DRAINAGE PROGRAM, PRIORITIZING THE MOST CRITICAL AREAS. AND SO I KNOW THE ADMINISTRATION REQUESTED THAT I WITHDRAW, UM, THIS AMENDMENT BECAUSE THE JONES AND WASHINGTON WA WATSON SETTLEMENT HAS ALREADY ADDRESSED THIS. AND SO, BUT OF COURSE THE ADMINISTRATION CAME BACK WITH A, UM, COUNTER AMENDMENT TO MY AMENDMENT. AND YOUR AMENDMENT. BASICALLY, THE CITY SHALL ALLOCATE $25 MILLION TO THE LOCAL DRAINAGE PROGRAM, PRIORITIZING THE MOST CRITICAL AREAS. UM, THE HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT SHALL MAKE ALL EFFORTS TO EXPAND THE PROPOSED PHYSICAL YEAR 26 BUDGET AMOUNTS DURING THE, THIS PHYSICAL YEAR. EXPENDITURES OF THE PROPOSED BUDGET AMOUNTS IS CRITICAL TO ENSURE THAT HIGH NEED AREAS REALIZE THE RELIEF THAT THEY DESERVE TO ADDRESS NEGLECT OF THE PAST DECADE. VERY WELL, UH, REALITY. THAT'S OUR AMENDMENT. IT IS AMENDMENT. SO GOOD JOB. GREAT AMENDMENT. I THINK WE ALL SUPPORT IT. MM-HMM . WE WE DON'T HAVE IT. WE DON'T HAVE IT. YOU DON'T HAVE IT? YOU DON'T HAVE A COPY OF IT? NO. WELL, AND THEY DON'T HAVE A COPY OF IT. WE DON'T HAVE A COPY. SHE THIS EXPLAIN, WE'LL GET YOU A COPY BEFORE WE VOTE FOR SURE. IF, IF SHE STARTS ON 7 0 2, I'LL [06:10:01] MAKE A COPY OF THIS AND I'LL DIRECT. SO BASICALLY THE AMENDMENT IS TO ALLOCATE 25 2, THE LOCAL DRAINAGE PROGRAM. YES, MA'AM. PRIORITIZING THE MOST CRITICAL AREAS. GOOD JOB. AND THEN ON 7 0 2, UM, THE CITY SHOULD ALLOCATE 20 MILLION WITHIN D-D-D-S-R-F TO THE DISTRICT ESTABLISHMENT PROGRAM. PRIORITIZING THE MOST CRITICAL AREAS. YOU KNOW, IT'S AMAZING TO ME, HAVING BEEN WATCHING CITY GOVERNMENT FOR MANY YEARS THAT YOU ONLY DID THE DITCH REESTABLISHMENT STARTING LAST YEAR. LAST YEAR. MM-HMM . PRETTY AMAZING. AND I UNDERSTAND THE FRUSTRATION OF OUR RESIDENTS THAT THE CITY ABANDONED DITCHES YEARS AGO AND WAS ONLY RESTORED LAST YEAR. RIGHT. PRETTY AMAZING. THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER CAMAN. COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN. THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, I HAD SEVERAL QUESTIONS FOR COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON OR THE ADMINISTRATION GIVEN Y'ALL WORK TOGETHER ON THIS. UM, FOR 7.01, WE'RE ALLOCATING 25 MILLION TO LOCAL DRAINAGE, BUT THAT'S COMING FROM D-D-S-R-F. SO WE'RE BASICALLY JUST DESIGNATING THAT PORTION OF D-D-S-R-F FOR THAT PURPOSE. WE ARE NOT ADDING ADDITIONAL FUNDS TO IT. IS THAT CORRECT? OKAY, SO SO I CAN, I'M SORRY, YOU'RE NOT ON THE MICROPHONE, MAYOR. YEAH. GET RANDOM. OKAY. HANG, HANG ON. I'M GONNA ASK GUY. A LOT OF US ARE WORKING HARD. I'M JUST ASKING THAT WE ARE ABLE TO HEAR 2020. MARY, YOUR MIC'S NOT ON. I CAN'T, YOUR MIC ISN'T ON. I CAN'T YOU'RE EMBARRASSING YOURSELF UP. SO, 25, I'M SORRY. 25 MILLION MAYOR COMING OUT OF DEI. RANDY, COME EXPLAIN THIS BEST. WHAT, WHAT IS THAT? I WANT CLARIFICATION FOR YOU FROM PUBLIC COURT. OKAY. I APPRECIATE IT. SO WE'RE GETTING A POINT OF CLARIFICATION IN TERMS OF THE FUNDING SOURCE. THAT'S WHAT I, MY QUESTION RELATES TO ON 7.01 YES. AND 7.02 WHAT THE SOURCE OF FUNDING IS, WHETHER OR NOT WE'RE USING MONEY ALREADY SET ASIDE, BUT SAYING IT'S FOR THIS PURPOSE OR IF WE'RE ADDING ADDITIONAL MONEY, UH, INTO THIS BUDGET FOR DRAINAGE. YEAH, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S THE DEDICATED DRAINAGE AND SO IT'S COMING 7.01 IS COMING OUT OF D-D-S-R-F, RIGHT? YEAH. INTO IS TWO TO ADD 25 MILLION. WE ARE ADDING 25 MILLION. SO WE'RE AT RIGHT TO THE PROGRAM OUT OF D-D-S-R-F, THOUGH NOT FROM A NOT ADDITIONAL FUNDING. WE'RE MAKING CERTAIN THAT IT GOES, IF YOU'LL FOLLOW THE LANGUAGE TO THE NEGLECTED AREAS, 80% OF IT WILL BE A NORTHEAST. AND THAT'S WHAT THE LANGUAGE SAYS. I, I UNDERSTAND, MAYOR. I'M JUST TRYING TO CLARIFY AGAIN THAT IT'S OUT OF THE D-D-S-R-F FUNDING THAT'S ALREADY ALLOCATED FOR DRAINAGE PURPOSES. YES. NOT ADDITIONAL NEW FUNDING. YEAH, IT'S, IT'S NOT ADDITIONAL NEW FUNDING. THANK YOU. RIGHT. I DON'T WANT ANY MISUNDERSTANDING AND I'M GONNA LET, I APPRECIATE IT. SO, HUH, I APPRECIATE, SORRY, JEFF. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. SO IT'S ASK HIM, OKAY. OKAY. PLEASE COOPERATE. YOU'RE NOT HELPING THE EFFORT THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH. OKAY. HERE'S THE EFFORT. THIS IS WHY WE DESERVE YOUR OUTSIDE. OKAY. I'M, I'M SERIOUS. AS, AS I CAN BE. YOU'RE NOT HELPING YOURSELVES NOR YOUR COMMUNITY. NO, WE'RE FINE OFFICER. THAT'S OKAY. I I, WE'RE, WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER. BUT CHRIS, DO YOU WANT TO EXPLAIN THE NEW LANGUAGE? ? SORRY, CHRIS, ONE OF YOUR LAST DUTY, ONE OF YOUR LAST DUTIES. GO AHEAD. THE THE QUESTION AGAIN, JUST TO ENSURE I UNDERSTAND IT, PLEASE. Y YES. SORRY TO PUT YOU ON THIS SPOT. FUNDING. FUNDING SOURCE. FUNDING SOURCE. SO THIS IS NOT ADDITIONAL FUNDING. THIS IS D-D-S-R-F FUNDS AND WE'RE SPECIFYING HOW IT'S TO BE USED. IS THAT CORRECT? RIGHT. THAT'S CORRECT. A AS Y'ALL KNOW, D-D-S-R-F CAN FUND A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES WITHIN THE STREETS AND [06:15:01] DRAINAGE CATEGORY FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS AS WELL AS OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE. THE COUNCIL MEMBER'S AMENDMENT AS AMENDED WOULD HAVE FROM THE LARGER D-D-S-R-F FAMILY OF FUNDS TO ALLOCATE THE 25 AND THE 20 RESPECTIVELY FOR COUNCIL MEMBER 7.01 AND 7.02. YEAH. 7 0 1. 7 0 2 GOT THE NUMBERS RIGHT. UM, YEAH. TO THE, THE DITCH REESTABLISHMENT PROGRAM AND THE LOCAL DRAINAGE PROGRAM AS WELL AS I UNDERSTAND IT, UM, ENSURING THERE'S ROLLOVER IN THE DITCH REESTABLISHMENT FUNDING THAT'S, UH, FUNDS THAT WERE NOT SPENT IN PREVIOUS FISCAL YEARS. RIGHT. WHICH WOULD MAKE BRING IT TO 32 MILLION. YES MA'AM. AS I UNDERSTAND YOUR AMENDMENT, UH, YOU ARE, UH, YOUR EXPECTATION AND THE BODIES WERE YOU TO ADOPT, IT WOULD BE THAT PUBLIC WORKS SHALL AVOID USING EVERY MEAN AVAILABLE TO IT, REQUIRING THE ROLLOVER OF ANY FUNDS FROM THIS FISCAL YEAR. THEY WILL EXPEND ON PROJECTS IN FY 26, ALL OF THE BUDGETED FUNDS SO THAT ACTUALS MEET WHAT THE PROPOSED BUDGET WAS. WE'RE NOT LEAVING PROJECTS UNPERFORMED DURING THE FISCAL YEAR. UNDERSTOOD. SO THE ROLE, THAT LAST COMPONENT, JUST TO BE CLEAR AND THANK YOU CHIEF NEWPORT, THERE IS A, NOT ALL PROJECTS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED. YES, SIR. SO STANDARD, TRADITIONALLY THERE'S A ROLLOVER. WE'RE NOT SAYING WE'RE TAKING AWAY THAT MONEY. IT, IT ROLLS OVER FOR THOSE PROJECTS. HOWEVER, WHAT THIS AMENDMENT WOULD DO IS ENSURE THAT THOSE ROLLOVER DAUGHTERS DOLLARS GET EXPENDED. YES MA'AM. EXPEDIENTLY THIS UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR SO THAT THERE IS NO REMAINDER. CORRECT. OKAY. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN. COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU CHRIS. I WOULD LIKE TO SAY, YOU KNOW, I HAVE A BUDGET AMENDMENT COMING UP ALSO ABOUT DRAINAGE BECAUSE EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US, WE ALL HAVE CRITICAL AREAS IN EACH OF OUR DISTRICTS. DISTRICT G WAS HEAVILY IMPACTED BY HURRICANE HARVEY. EVERY TIME IT RAINS, I HAVE RESIDENTS THAT CONTINUE TO FLOOD. I KNOW DISTRICT A DOES TOO. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US DO. AND SO, AND SO I'M ASKING MAYOR THAT WE LOOK AT THE MOST CRITICAL AREAS IN EACH DISTRICT WHEN WE ALLOCATE THIS MONEY. I AGREE WITH YOU. I AGREE WITH YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. UH, THANK YOU MAYOR. AND I, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS QUESTION SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO CHIEF NEWPORT, BUT JUST A QUESTION ABOUT HOW MUCH ARE WE AVERAGING IN ROLLOVER DDSF? UM, UH, BECAUSE MY UNDERSTANDING HAS BEEN THAT THERE'S SEVERAL PROJECTS THAT ARE ALREADY ALLOCATED IN. HISTORICALLY SOME OF THOSE FUNDS HAVE BEEN USED FOR MATCHING DOLLARS FOR FEDERAL GRANTS, UM, THAT WERE REQUIRED IN ORDER FOR US TO MOVE OFF THE LINE. SO IF WE ARE LOCATING 25 MILLION FROM AN EXISTING POT, WHAT'S THE IMPACT OF EXISTING PROJECTS THAT ARE IN THE QUEUE? UM, DO WE HAVE AN ITEMIZATION OF THAT? AND WILL THEY BE ROLLED OVER? WILL THEY BE INCLUDED IN THE L-D-P-L-D-P UH, PROCESS OF PRIORITIZATION? 'CAUSE I, THAT THAT BACKUP HASN'T BEEN, UH, AVAILABLE. UM, BE BECAUSE IF WE'RE TRANSFERRING FUNDS, THERE SHOULD BE SOME IMPACT TO SOMETHING $25 MILLION. IS THAT A WAY THAT OTHER DIRECTOR CAN FROM PUBLIC WORKS CAN PROVIDE THAT? YES, MA'AM. PRIOR TO US MOVING FORWARD ON A VOTE TO THIS, HE'S NOT, HE'S NOT HERE. RANDY IS NOT HERE. HE'S NOT HERE TODAY. HE'S, HE'S, HE'S HAD A MEETING. HE'S HAD A MEETING. WELL, CHIEF NEWPORT CAN COUNCIL MEMBERS, IF I, IF I COULD TAKE YOU BACK TO, UH, A PROVISION THAT HAD THREE PARTS IN THE JONES AND WATSON SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT THAT SPOKE TO, UH, PUBLIC WORKS, UH, AGREEING TO REEVALUATE THE WAY THAT IT MANAGES THE REBUILD HOUSTON PROGRAM AND THE DIFFERENT ELEMENTS THAT ARE, THAT ARE PART OF THAT, THE REASON THE PLAINTIFFS FELT THAT WAS AN IMPORTANT, UM, ELEMENT TO INCLUDE. IT, IT, THOSE OTHER PROVISIONS SPOKE TO, UM, UH, HOW MANY PERSONNEL ASSIGNED, WHAT TYPE OF WORK THAT THEY DO, AS WELL AS HOW PROJECTS ARE PRIORITIZED WHENEVER YOU'RE MAKING FUNDING DECISIONS. THE PLAINTIFFS INCLUDED THAT AND PUBLIC WORKS AGREED TO THAT LANGUAGE BECAUSE THEY AGREED THAT THE PROGRAM HAD NOT BEEN ADMINISTERED AS EFFICIENTLY AS IT MIGHT HAVE. AND ONE WAY THAT YOU SEE THAT MATERIALIZED COUNCIL MEMBER IS THAT THE AMOUNTS THAT ARE BUDGETED AND THAT ARE RECEIVED, THE FUNDS THAT ARE TRANSFERRED DO NOT EQUAL WHAT ARE EXPENDED ON PROJECTS EVERY YEAR. THAT IS WHY IN THE ONE CASE FOR THE, UM, UH, ONE OF THE PROGRAMS, I'M, UH, LD I'M FORGETTING WHICH ONE IS IN 7.01 AND OH TWO, EXCUSE ME. UH, THAT'S WHY YOU SEE THAT THAT ROLLOVER IS, IS ONE EXAMPLE. THERE ARE OTHERS. PUBLIC WORKS DOES NOT BELIEVE THAT THIS AMENDMENT IS GOING TO CAUSE ANY DISPLACEMENT OF OTHER PROJECTS BECAUSE THERE'S SUFFICIENT FUND BALANCE [06:20:01] WITHIN THE REST OF THE PROGRAM. THAT THIS, THESE TWO AMENDMENTS CAN BE ACCOMMODATED WITHOUT DISRUPTING THE PROJECTS SCHEDULE PLAN FOR ANY OTHER DISTRICT OR FOR CITYWIDE PROJECTS. MAY I REPEAT SO I'M CLEAR? YES, MA'AM. AND, AND I SHOULD ADD, PUBLIC WORKS WILL FOLLOW UP TO PROVIDE YOU AN ENUMERATED LIST SO THAT YOU CAN HAVE COMPLETE ABOUT THAT. THE VOTE THOUGH. YES, MA'AM. RIGHT. SO I MAY REPEAT IT JUST SO I, JUST SO I'M CLEAR. SO WE'RE SAYING BECAUSE, SO WE ARE NOW ALLOCATING IN A, A DIFFERENT PROPORTION TO THIS FUND BECAUSE OF THE YES MA'AM. AGREEMENT. SETTLE THE SETTLEMENT. RIGHT. UH, THERE, THERE ARE MORE DOLLARS THIS FISCAL YEAR BECAUSE OF THE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT SETTLEMENT, UM, AND OTHER ACTIVITIES. MELISSA SPOKE TO THAT EARLIER SURE. UM, THAT ARE GOING INTO THE D-D-S-R-F ACCOUNTS GENERALLY THAN OTHERWISE WOULD'VE OCCURRED. SURE. YEAH. THUS CREATING NEW DOLLARS IN THIS FUND, RIGHT? CORRECT. THE NEW DOLLARS THAT ARE IN THIS FUND, THE RECOMMENDATION FROM THE ADMINISTRATION AND COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON, IS TO TRANSFER TO THIS NEW ACCOUNT TO LDP. IT'S AN EXISTING ACCOUNT, CORRECT. YEP. WITH THE NEW DOLLARS BASED ON NEW CALCULATIONS AND AGREEMENTS AND ACTIVITIES. AND THEN THESE DOLLARS THAT HAVE NOT YET BEEN ALLOCATED WILL THEN BE ALLOCATED TO THAT NEW ACCOUNT TO PRIORITIZE WORSE VERSE A, A WAY, UM, THAT I MIGHT TRY TO ATTEMPT THIS MORE TO DESCRIBE THIS MORE CLEARLY IS WE HAVE NEW, UH, NEW SOURCES OF FUNDING, MORE DOLLARS GOING INTO D-D-S-R-F PER THE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT. YES. AND WE HAVE FUND BALANCE YES. FROM PREVIOUS YEARS THAT WERE FUNDED WHERE PROJECTS HAD NOT YET BEEN DELIVERED ON THE TIMELINE THAT WAS EXPECTED. SO THERE'S DO, THERE'S A BALANCE REMAINING. YES. BOTH OF THOSE SOURCES OF FUNDS TOGETHER. TOGETHER. RIGHT. WILL BE USED TO PARTIALLY ALLOCATE 25 MILLION OR 20 TO LDP AND DITCH REESTABLISHMENT PROGRAM AMONGST THE OTHER USES AND PROJECTS THAT ARE DESCRIBED AS PART OF IT. YES, SIR. YES, MA'AM. AND, AND HPW CAN STATE WITH CONFIDENCE THAT ARE NOT GOING TO DISPLACE PROJECTS AS A RESULT OF THESE AMENDMENTS. UM, WHETHER WE HAVE, UM, WHETHER THERE IS, UH, AN ITEMIZED LIST THAT WE CAN HAND YOU RIGHT NOW BEFORE YOU TAKE A VOTE. THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE WE NEED TO ASK FOR A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME TO PRODUCE THAT DOCUMENTATION FOR YOU. BUT WITH CONFIDENCE, UH, THESE AMENDMENTS WILL NOT DISPLACE OTHER PROJECTS. DISCUSS THAT WHEN THIS WAS BEING DRAFTED. COUNCILOR COUNCILMAN PLUMMER. THANK YOU MAYOR AND THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON FOR PULLING, FOR PUTTING THIS FORWARD. UM, I I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU. DO YOU THINK THAT WE COULD HAVE PUBLIC WORKS DO A PRESENTATION FOR US IN COMMITTEE, UM, AND I GUESS GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS MAY BE IN COMMITTEE TO TALK ABOUT THE WORST FIRST AND HOW WE'RE MAKING THE DETERMINATIONS OF WHERE THESE PROJECTS ARE. WOULD YOU BE, YOU THINK YOU'D BE OPEN TO THAT? YEAH. AND THEY CAN ALSO COME TO SERVICE DELIVERY COMMITTEE SINCE IT'S A SERVICE THAT THEY ARE DELIVERING. SO YEAH. BUT I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE, THE MAIN CONCERNS IS KNOWING WHAT PROJECTS IS FIRST, WHAT'S WORSE FIRST. AND SO, UM, THAT DASHBOARD, YOU, I THINK THEY'RE UPDATING THE DASHBOARD THAT WOULD'VE BEEN HELPFUL. UM, BUT, UM, I THINK HAVING THEM COME TO COUNCIL WILL, WOULD KIND OF CLEAR THINGS UP ON HOW THEY, HOW THEY PRIORITIZE AND THE PROJECTS. BUT AGAIN, I'M DISTRICT B, SO YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A LOT OF ISSUES IN DISTRICT B AND SO, UM, HOPEFULLY ABSOLUTELY. YEAH. IF I, IF I MIGHT JUST REMIND EVERY, WHEN WE WERE DISCUSSING THE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT COUNCIL MEMBER BEFORE COUNCIL ADOPTED IT, UH, WE ALSO DISCUSSED AND COMMITTED TO, AGAIN, GOING BACK TO THOSE PROVISIONS THAT I JUST SUMMARIZED, THAT PUBLIC WORKS WOULD NEED TO COME BACK AND BRIEF CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON HOW THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE PROGRAM, HOW THE PRIORITIZATION OF PROJECTS WAS BEING MODIFIED AS A RESULT. WE NEED TO DO THAT TO COMPLY WITH THE AGREEMENT IN ANY EVENT. OKAY. COUNCILMAN CAYMAN, AND I APOLOGIZE, CHIEF, UM, I GOTTA CALL YOU BACK UP. I'M SO SORRY. AGAIN. YOU DID NOT SIGN UP TO BE, UH, IN THE HOT SEAT DURING BUDGET, OTHER SERVICES AS ASSIGNED . THE, SO, BECAUSE YOU'VE REFERENCED NOW ALSO THE DRAINAGE LAWSUIT, AND I'M, I, I SUPPORT THIS AMENDMENT. I WANNA BE CLEAR BECAUSE WE NEED AS MUCH GOING TO DRAINAGE AS POSSIBLE. BUT I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND, OTHER THAN THE, WE'RE SAYING THIS IS THE AMOUNT OUT OF THIS FUND THAT'S GONNA GO TO SPECIFICALLY LDP AND DITCH REESTABLISHMENT, ISN'T [06:25:01] MOST OF THIS AMENDMENT COVERED IN THE SETTLEMENT THAT WE ALREADY APPROVED? NO, MA'AM. NO, MA'AM. STOP PLAYING. NO, MA'AM. IT, THE, THE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT, UH, DID NOT CONTEMPLATE ALLOCATION OF THE FUNDING TO SPECIFIC PROGRAMS, UH, WITHIN D-D-S-R-F. IT DIDN'T GO SO FAR, EVEN AS TO CONTEMPLATE WHAT THE ALLOCATION OF FUNDS WOULD BE BETWEEN CAPITAL PROJECTS AND O AND M, ALTHOUGH WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE THE 25% TEST THAT WE NEED TO MAKE EVERY YEAR. RIGHT. BUT IN TERM, IN TERMS OF INCREASING THE AMOUNT IN THE FUND, NOT THE SPECIFIC LDP FUND, BUT IN, WE'RE GROWING THE, UH, WE'RE GROWING D-D-S-R-F MM-HMM . FUND. THAT'S BEEN, THAT'S WHAT'S ALREADY BEEN ADDRESSED. NOW WE ARE JUST SAYING THE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT, CORRECT? YES, MA'AM. THAT'S CORRECT. NOW WE'RE JUST SAYING, HEY, WITHIN THAT FUND, GO TO LDP PROGRAM IN THESE TWO WAYS. IT'S HOW WE WANNA PROGRAM IT. IT'S NOT A DI. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND, AND, AND THANK YOU TO MELISSA FOR REMINDING ME THE, THE AMOUNT THAT, AND AGAIN, THIS, THIS IS WHY THE PLAINTIFFS, UH, FELT THE NEED TO REQUEST THE, THE REVIEW OF THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE PROGRAM, THE PRIORITIZATION AND WHY DIRECTOR MACKAY READILY AGREED TO THOSE PROVISIONS. UH, THERE IS A VERY HEALTHY FUND BALANCE, WHICH IS TO SAY TOO MUCH, UH, WITHIN D-D-S-R-F, THAT THERE, THERE IS $300 MILLION, UH, OVER THAT IS ACCUMULATED OVER THE LIFE OF THE PROGRAM, UH, THAT HAS NOT BEEN YET DELIVERED IN THE FORM OF PROJECTS. UM, NOW THE, THERE'S FUTURE PROGRAMMING ANTICIPATING THOSE, BUT WITH WHAT WILL BE THE HISTORIC AMOUNT OF FUNDING PER THE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT GOING INTO D-D-S-R-F AND THAT FUND BALANCE, WHICH HAS NOT YET BEEN PROGRAMMED, THE, THE NEW OUT YEARS FROM THE HIGHER LEVELS, THERE IS SUFFICIENT CAPACITY BECAUSE THIS IS NEW CAPACITY CREATED BY THE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT, UM, TO BE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE THESE WITHOUT DISPLACING ANY OTHER PROJECTS. AND MORE PROJECTS OTHER THAN THESE WILL BE PROGRAMMED AND DELIVERED AS A RESULT OF THE HIGHER LEVEL OF FUNDING. NOW, WE'LL STAND HERE, AND I THINK IN ALL FAIRNESS, TO PUT IT IN A CONTEXT THAT SOME OF OUR FRIENDS ARE CONCERNED ABOUT, THIS IS THE LAWSUIT'S BEEN PENDING SINCE 2019. WE WERE GETTING NO MONEY THAT IS NOW BEING DISTRIBUTED TO DITCH AND DRAINAGE AND STREETS. SO THROUGH THE SETTLEMENT THIS YEAR, WE'RE GONNA PUT ALMOST 500 MILLION IN STREETS AND DRAINAGE. UNPRECEDENTED AMOUNTS, 50 MILLION MORE THAN LAST YEAR. AND IF YOU'LL LOOK, AS WE LIKE TO TALK AROUND HERE, THE FOUR YEAR FORECAST, IT'S ONLY GONNA GROW AND GET LARGER EACH AND EVERY YEAR. SO THE LAWSUIT SETTLEMENT ALLOWED IT TO GET STARTED VERSUS STAYING IN THE COURT FIGHTING, ALTHOUGH WE HAD LOST AT THE STATE SUPREME COURT. UH, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT, MAYOR, I, AGAIN, I, I, I SUPPORT THE INTENT OF THIS, BUT WE ALSO GET A LOT OF QUESTIONS TO ADD MORE IN. SO I WANNA BE VERY CLEAR ABOUT WHAT WE'RE VOTING ON FOR THIS PARTICULAR AMENDMENT. MM-HMM. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN THOMAS. THANK YOU. UM, COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON, WOULD YOU, UM, WELCOME A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT TO ADD A DATE FOR PUBLIC WORKS TO RETURN BACK TO COMMITTEE WITH A, A LIST OF PROJECTS? YES. OKAY. I, I'LL MOVE TO AMEND THE ITEM TO REQUEST HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS TO RETURN IN 62 DAYS, WHICH IS TUESDAY BY AUGUST 5TH, 2025 TO PRESENT TO THE SERVICE DELIVERY COMMITTEE. A LIST OF PROJECTS. YEAH, I SECOND. YEAH. MOTION MADE, SECONDED. YES. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. AS OPPOSED TO NAY MOTION PASSES. OKAY. SO THAT, SO WE'VE AMENDMENT THE MOTION NOW WE JUST NEED TO, UM, NOW WE JUST NEED TO VOTE ON THEM. OKAY. 77 0 1 17 0 1 7. UH, WE MAKE A MOTION. YES. MOTIONS MADE IN SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. YES. AND 7 0 2. 7 0 2, WHAT MAY I, SO I HAVE A QUESTION. I DO HAVE A QUESTION. IF WE ARE, IF WE'RE HAVING PUBLIC WORKS, PRESENT THE LIST OF PROJECTS. I'M, I'M, I'M SORRY, Y'ALL. I KEEP ON GOING BACK TO MY WORDS FIRST. NO SAYING, I MEAN, I'M JUST STILL KIND OF FEEL LIKE WE'RE ALWAYS PUTTING THE CART IN FRONT OF THE HORSE. HOW DO WE KNOW THE LIST OF PROJECTS THAT, THAT THEY PRESENT TO US? HOW DO WE KNOW HOW THEY WERE CHOSEN? RANDY IS GONNA FOLLOW THIS AMENDMENT. OKAY. BUT I'M SAYING, BUT WE WOULD BE REALLY CLEAR. SO HE'S GONNA EXPLAIN TO US HOW WE DETERMINE WHAT WORST FIRST IS. THAT'S PART OF, I DON'T KNOW HOW HE EXPLAINS THAT TO US. AND THEN HE PRESENTS THE PROJECTS. I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU DO THAT IN ONE MEETING. YOU'RE GONNA FIND OUT. OKAY, [06:30:01] ON THIS AMENDMENT. THANK YOU. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND ON 7.02. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. THANK YOU. NEXT, NOW WE'RE DOING 8 0 1 FROM COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN. COUNCIL ONE. THANK YOU COLLEAGUES. UM, BEFORE YOU, YOU SHOULD HAVE A PAPER COPY OF 8.01. THIS PERTAINS TO THE BUDGET STABILIZATION FUND, ALSO KNOWN AS THE CITY'S RAINY DAY FUND. AND THE DOLLARS ARE TO BE USED IN THE STABILIZATION FUND IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY, INCLUDING MAJOR DISASTERS, ECONOMIC INSTABILITY, AND OTHER EMERGENCIES. WAY BACK WHEN THE FUND WAS SET, IT WAS SET TO 20 MILLION. THE GREAT, THE, THE GREATER OF 20 MILLION OR 1% OF BUDGET, UH, GENERAL FUND SURPLUS. AND IT ALLOWS THAT STABILIZATION FUND TO BE REPLENISHED IF DOLLARS ARE DRAWN DOWN WITHIN TWO YEARS. BUT WHEN THE CITY SET THIS, WE WEREN'T SEEING BACK TO BACK TO BACK TO BACK EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS. WE HAVE HAD 10 FEDERALLY DECLARED DISASTERS IN THE PAST NINE YEARS. AND THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE HEAT WAVES, WINTER STORM, END ZONE, AND OTHER SIGNIFICANT EVENTS THAT DON'T QUALIFY. SO, AS YOU ALL KNOW, I HAVE BEEN RAISING CONCERNS THROUGHOUT THE BUDGET PROCESS THAT WE ARE NOT FULLY PREPARED FOR THE EXTREME WEATHER AND STORMS THAT ARE COMING. AND THIS AMENDMENT, THIS AMENDMENT WOULD INCREASE THE FUND THE MINIMUM THRESHOLD BY 5 MILLION. SO FROM 20 TO 25 MILLION AND WOULD REQUIRE REPLENISHMENT WITHIN ONE YEAR. AGAIN, OUR FINANCIAL POLICIES CURRENTLY REQUIRE REPLENISHMENT THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF TWO YEARS. AND TO ME, THAT'S CRAZY. WE'RE SEEING INCREASING WEATHER EXTREMES REQUIRING US TO OPEN UP, AS I SAID, HEATING AND COOLING CENTERS TO KEEP PEOPLE SAFE. AND AGAIN, THOSE ARE NOT GENERALLY REIMBURSABLE BY THE STATE OR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. BUT WHAT IS CONCERNING FOR ME IN THIS BUDGET IS WE HAVE NOT INCLUDED EMERGENCY RESPONSE BUDGETED ALLOCATIONS. PLEASE HANG ON, BUDGETED ALLOCATIONS WITHIN OUR DEPARTMENTS. I ASKED EVERY SINGLE DEPARTMENT THIS QUESTION THIS WEEK IS THE START OF HURRICANE SEASON. AUSTIN, AS WE KNOW, JUST GOT SLAMMED WITH A SUPER CELL THAT LEFT OVER 70,000 WITHOUT POWER AND TREES DOWN FOR MILES. SO SIMILAR TO THE DERECHO AGAIN, LAST YEAR WE HAD THE DERECHO, WE HAD BARREL, WE HAD WINTER STORMS. AND WE DON'T KNOW HOW MANY COOLING CENTERS WILL HAVE TO OPEN THIS SUMMER. FEMA IS A MESS. NOAH AND NWS HAVE BEEN GUTTED, AND WE CANNOT COUNT ON ALL OF THE REIMBURSEMENTS THAT WE PREVIOUSLY RELIED ON, AND WE CAN'T, UH, RELY ON THEM EXPEDITIOUSLY. IT IS TAKING LONGER. SO MY POINT IS THAT WE KNOW THE STORMS ARE COMING. WE ON BORROWED TIME. WE DO NOT HAVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE IN PLACE RIGHT NOW TO PROTECT HOMES AND BUSINESSES FROM THE BIG ONE. AND OUR HOUSING CODES DO NOT PROTECT AGAINST CAT FOUR OR FIVE STORMS. AND WE NEED MORE IN THE BUDGET STABILIZATION FUNDS SPECIFICALLY TO BE ABLE TO RESPOND TO THOSE NEEDS ANNUALLY. SO I REQUEST CONSIDERATION OF THIS ITEM. THANK YOU. IT'S NOT A BUDGET ITEM. I THANK YOU. AND I THINK YOU OUGHT TO TAKE IT UP WITH THE FINANCE COMMITTEE. I, I RESPECTFULLY WOULD CONTEST THAT DETERMINATION THAT IT IS NOT A BUDGET ITEM FOR THE REASON THAT IT DOES ADD ADDITIONAL FUNDS THAT ARE REQUIRED TO BE REPLENISHED THIS BUDGET YEAR. I UNDERSTAND INTO, I'LL, I'LL RESTATE WHAT I SAID. I RESPECTFULLY, UH, AND I'M HAPPY TO REFER THIS TO THE CITY ATTORNEY, UH, CONTEST, THE RULING THAT IT IS NOT GERMANE TO THE BUDGET. HANG GUYS, I'M, I'M REALLY ASKING THAT YOU ALLOW US TO, TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS PLEASE. BECAUSE IT SPECIFICALLY ALLOCATES AN ADDITIONAL 5 MILLION. GRANTED THE ADMINISTRATION WAS PLANNING TO BRING IT UP TO 25 MILLION WITHIN TWO YEARS BECAUSE IT WOULD HAVE AN IMPACT ON THIS YEAR'S BUDGET CYCLE. I DO BELIEVE IT IS GERMANE TO THIS BUDGET TO ALLOCATE THE ADDITIONAL 5 MILLION COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN. SO JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, WE, WE'VE DEALT WITH A BUDGET AMENDMENT ALREADY WITH THE BUDGET STABILIZATION FUND. CORRECT. AND THAT WAS TO COUNCILMAN PECK. WE HAVEN'T VOTED IT BECAUSE IT'S A GENERAL FUND AND ENDING FUND BALANCE RELATED ITEM. SO COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN, YOU HAVE BEEN GREAT ABOUT IN EVERY WORKSHOP TALKING ABOUT HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS. [06:35:01] UH, THE AMOUNT OF MONEY WE SET, WE SET FORTH. I WAS INVOLVED IN THE, IN THE FINANCIAL POLICIES WHEN COSTELLO WAS CHAIR, BUDGET AND FISCAL AFFAIRS WHEN WE PUT THOSE TOGETHER. AND THERE WERE, AND I CAN'T REMEMBER EXACTLY WHAT ALL THE, THE CONSIDERATIONS WERE, BUT THERE WERE DEFINITELY CONS, DEFINITE CONSIDERATIONS TO THE TWO YEAR DEAL. IT WAS, IT WAS IMPORTANT TO HAVE THE TWO YEAR DEAL IN THERE. AS I RECALL, THESE, THESE FINANCIAL POLICIES COME TO US EVERY TWO YEARS. AND THEY CAME IN AUGUST OF 2023. THEY'LL COME AUGUST, 2025, I'M ASSUMING. AND, AND I'D FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE IF WE HAD THAT DISCUSSION ABOUT THE TWO YEAR DEAL AND ANY CHANGES TO THE EXISTING POLICIES WHEN, WHEN I'VE GOT ALL THE, 'CAUSE I CAN'T REMEMBER ALL THE CONSIDERATIONS THAT WENT IN. UNDERSTAND, I'M SURE IT WAS LIKE WE NOT, MIGHT NOT HAVE THE MONEY TO PAY IT ALL BACK. THAT WAS PROBABLY THE, A BIGGEST CONSIDERATION IN THE TWO YEARS THING. BUT WOULD YOU BE, UH, I KNOW YOU WANT TO, YOU KNOW, GET SOMETHING DONE TODAY, AND I'M GONNA BE SUPPORTIVE OF ADDING MONEY TO THE BUDGET STABILIZATION FUND FROM THE ENDING FUND BALANCE. BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT I WANNA ADDRESS THE POLICY ITSELF, UM, UNTIL WE HAVE A FULL VETTING OF IT AT COMMITTEE UNDER. UNDERSTOOD. AND IF I MAY RESPOND, SOME OF THE CONSIDERATIONS, ALTHOUGH I WAS NOT HERE, ARE THE DELAY. IT TAKES TIME TO GET REIMBURSED. CORRECT. AND I RECOGNIZE THAT FEMA TAKES A WHILE. THE, HOWEVER, THE, WE CANNOT NECESSARILY RELY ON THAT REIMBURSEMENT. AND THE REASON WHY THE BUDGET STABILIZATION FUND IS, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT TRYING TO SPEAK AT YOU. I'M TRYING TO EXPLAIN THE BUDGET STABILIZATION FUND PROTECTS THOSE FUNDS SPECIFICALLY FOR THE INTENDED PURPOSE. WHEREAS WITH THE GENERAL FUND THAT CAN BE USED FOR OVERTIME, THAT CAN BE USED TO PULL, IF WE HAVE ADDITIONAL WATER LEAKS AND PUBLIC WORKS NEEDS MORE MONEY, WE CAN CONTINUE TO SEE THAT REDUCTION WITHOUT IT HAVING TO COME TO COUNCIL FOR TWO THIRDS VOTE, WHICH IS WHAT THE STABILIZATION FUND REQUIRES. AND HAVING THAT MONEY MOVED OVER WITHIN I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, WHICH IS, WHILE THIS IS A POLICY CONVERSATION, ONE, WHILE THE CITY AND CITY ATTORNEY, I'LL, I'LL, SO SORRY. THE CITY ATTORNEY, THE FINANCIAL POLICIES WE ARE REQUIRED TO REVIEW SHALL REVIEW EVERY TWO YEARS. THAT IS THE LANGUAGE OF THE FINANCIAL POLICIES. BUT THAT DOES NOT PRECLUDE US FROM TAKING UP ITEMS RELATED TO THE FINANCIAL POLICY OF THE CITY IN THE INTERIM. IS THAT CORRECT? THEY'RE, THEY'RE ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES. YOU CAN AMEND THEM IF, IF THERE'S A WILL TO DO SO. OKAY. AND REGARDING THE TWO YEARS, THE REASON WHY I BELIEVE IT'S IMPORTANT TO TAKE UP IS BECAUSE IF IT IS ONE YEAR THAT NEEDS TO BE PLANNED FOR IN THIS BUDGET, AS WE'RE LAYING IT OUT AND VOTING ON TODAY AS IT PERTAINS TO THE 1%, WHICH I ALSO FULLY SUPPORT COUNCIL MEMBER PECK RECOGNIZED. AND I RECOGNIZE THAT THERE MAY NOT BE ENOUGH FOR THAT 1% TO GO ABOVE AND BEYOND TO GO INTO IT. SO WE DON'T HAVE A GUARANTEE. AND AGAIN, WE ARE ONLY PUTTING IN 12 MILLION THIS YEAR. THAT WILL NOT COVER ANYTHING OF WHAT WE NEED. SO I I WILL DEF SO MAYOR, I, AGAIN, YOU HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO DETERMINE THE RULES. I'M LISTENING TO OUR CHAIRMAN OF FINANCE WHO'S BEEN DOING THIS LONGER THAN MOST OF US. AUGUST. I UNDERSTAND. IN TERMS OF PROCEDURE THOUGH, I WILL, SHE'S GONNA ADDRESS IT IN AUGUST. SO I DON'T KNOW WHY WE WOULDN'T HAVE A THOROUGH DISCUSSION AND ALL THE RAMIFICATIONS UNDER HER LEADERSHIP. HE'S PUTTING IT ON YOU. SO I'M, WHAT I'M SAYING IS, I, I PRO I OBJECT TO OR I UNDER PROTEST, DISAGREE THAT THIS IS NOT GERMANE TO THE BUDGET. OKAY. AND I, AND I MAYOR, IF I, IF I MAY, AND, AND I THINK THAT THE BUDGET STABILIZATION FUND AND THE MONEY'S GOING TOWARDS THAT I IS, IS GERMANE IN, IN THAT WE HAVE AN, AN AMENDMENT THAT DEALS WITH INCREASING THAT AMOUNT TO GO INTO IT. BUT TO MAKE A BLANKET CHANGE TO THE POLICY, I DO FEEL LIKE NEEDS OF, OF THOROUGH VETTING REFER TO COMMITTEE. WHY DON'T WE REFER IT TO COMMITTEE AND, AND, AND, AND CONSIDER IT IN A COMMITTEE HEARING. I WOULD RULE, I'M, I WOULD, ONE, I WILL BE BRINGING THIS AS A PROP A, BUT I WOULD ASK FOR A COMMITTEE HEARING IN BFA WITHIN 30 DAYS. AND WITH THE UNDERSTANDING, AND I KNOW THAT THE DIRECTOR OF FINANCE IS HERE OR SHOULD BE LISTENING, THAT I EXPECT THE CITY TO ACCOUNT FOR, AGAIN, THANK YOU. A BUFFER WITHIN THE GENERAL FUND BALANCE [06:40:01] FOR THESE ADDITIONAL DOLLARS TO BE GOING IN. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU. MOVE SECOND. VERY GOOD. SO WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND MOTION MADE. AND SECOND, ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. I'M SORRY. MAYOR PRO TEM. MAYOR PRO TEM. AND BEFORE WE TAKE THE VOTE, I MEAN, WOULD IT NOT BE POSSIBLE FOR US TO PUT THE $5 MILLION FORWARD, BUT TAKE THE TIMING OF THE CHANGING OF THE POLICY OUT FOR COMMITTEE? I, I'M HAPPY TO ACCEPT THAT AMENDMENT WITH THE CONTINUED UNDERSTANDING THAT IS A REVIEW OF THE POLICY. SO ONE, I WOULD MOVE TO AMEND THE A AMEN AMENDMENT OF 8.01 TO REQUIRE AN ADDITIONAL 5 MILLION FROM THE GENERAL FUND BE PLACED INTO THE BUDGET STABILIZATION FUND THIS FISCAL YEAR. THE REVIEW WAS ALREADY SCHEDULED FOR AUGUST. I UNDERSTAND. DO YOU WANT TO PUT THE 5 MILLION IN ANTICIPATION? IT IT'S NOT, IT WOULD NOT BE AN, I THINK THE 5 MILLION WOULD BE FOR US TO VOTE ON IT WHEN WE GO THROUGH ALL OF THE GENERAL FUND BUDGETS. THE 5 MILLION WOULD BE THERE. BUT THE CONVERSATION ABOUT THE CHANGING OF THE TIMING WOULD BE IN AUGUST. I, AND I'M SORRY IT WOULDN'T BE 5 MILLION. THE, THE LOWERING OF THE THRESHOLD FROM RAISING THE THRESHOLD FROM 20 TO 25. WHAT I AM SUGGESTING THEN, BASED ON YOUR AMENDMENT, MAYOR PRO TEM, IS NOT THAT IT WOULD BE TO FULLY FUND UP TO THE 25 MILLION. SO YOU HAVE 12 MILLION. NOW THE REMAINDER OF THAT IS AN AMENDMENT TO GO INTO THE BUDGET STABILIZATION FUND. THERE'S, THERE'S NO PUSHBACK ON THAT. IT WAS, WE WERE TRYING TO BE CONSISTENT OF DEALING WITH FINANCIAL MATTERS AND NOT POLICY, WHICH DEFINITELY NEEDS A POLICY REVIEW. SO IT WOULD BE AN ADDITIONAL 13 AND YOU DO A FINE JOB. 13. AND I, I WANT EVERYONE TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPLICATIONS. IT WOULD BE AN ADDITIONAL 13 MILLION INTO THE BUDGET STABILIZATION FUND FOR THIS FISCAL UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR. FROM THE FUND BALANCE. FROM THE FUND BALANCE. WE'LL VOTE ON THAT LATER. THANK YOU. VOTE. NOW. SO WE HAVE THE, UM, ARE YOU RECOGNIZED? NO, I'M DONE. AND IF I CAN COME AGAIN, I WANT IT TO BE CLEAR AS YOU'RE CONSIDERING THIS, IT WOULD BE $13 MILLION. DAVIS. COUNCILMAN DAVIS. THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, I WANNA REFER BACK WITH THE, WITH COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN'S SUGGESTION AND THE AMOUNT WE, I THOUGHT WE HAD INDICATED EARLIER BY MAYOR PRO TEM, UH, TATUM'S SUGGESTION THAT WE WOULD WAIT TO THE, WHILE EVERYBODY'S CORRECT AMENDMENT IS IN, WE'RE GOING TO, AND THEN WE WOULD MAKE THE DECISION ON WHAT THAT DOLLAR AMOUNT. 'CAUSE THERE ARE OTHERS WHO HAVE THAT. AND I GUESS IN ORDER TO MEET THAT SO THAT WE CAN MEET THE NEED OF COMMUNITY. LET'S, I WOULD, I WOULD LIKE TO REFER BACK, GET TO THE RULING. WE, WE ARE DOING THAT COUNCIL MEMBER. WE, I WANTED EVERYONE TO BE CLEAR GOT IT. ABOUT WHAT THE, THE AMENDMENT IS NOW. THE AMENDMENT TO THE AMENDMENT WOULD BE, WHICH IS TO MOVE 13 MILLION INTO THE BUDGET STABILIZATION FUND. OKAY. AND I WILL, I WILL HAVE FURTHER DISCUSSION WHEN IT COMES BACK UP. LEMME HAVE YOU, YOU WOULDN'T VOTE. YEAH. WE'VE ADOPTED AMENDMENT ON A 30 DAY REVIEW. WE WILL ADDRESS THE FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS WHEN WE DO EVERY, ALL THE OTHER CONSIDERATIONS. OKAY. IS THAT FINE WITH YOU? I, I DIDN'T FOLLOW, BUT I, TRUST ME. NO. NEXT, NEXT, NEXT IS FLICKINGER. COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKER. MAYOR FLICKINGER. THANK YOU MAYOR. THE FIRST AMENDMENT DEALS WITH THE MOWING OF PARKS AND THE MEDIANS, UH, PARKS HAS ALREADY HAD A REDUCTION IN STAFF FROM THE RETIREMENTS AND WE'RE ALREADY KIND OF FEELING SOME OF THAT. I WAS OUT AT, UH, GREENWOOD PARK ON SUNDAY. UH, THEY WERE HAVING A POPUP OUT THERE AND THEY HAD AN ADULT BASEBALL GAME THAT THEY WERE PLAYING. AND ON THE FIELD, GRASS WAS PROBABLY UP TO THEIR KNEES. UM, SO AFTER MEETING WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT YESTERDAY, WE'VE CHANGED THIS TO ALLOCATE THE UNENCUMBERED IKE KIOSK REVENUE AND THE AMOUNT OF 1.3 MILLION TO PARKS TO HELP MAINTAIN CURRENT LEVELS OF MOWING FOR ESPLANADES AND PARKS THROUGHOUT THE CITY. AND AGAIN, THIS IS ONLY THE UNENCUMBERED PORTION OF THAT FUND. UH, THERE'S ALREADY SOME OF THAT FUND THAT IS ALREADY ACCOUNTED FOR. THIS ISN'T CHANGING ANY OF THAT. IT'S ONLY THE, THE UNENCUMBERED PORTION OF IT. SO THAT WAS 10.01. YOU WANNA MOVE THE ADOPTION OF YOUR AMENDMENT AND THEN WE'LL DO THE FINANCIAL VOTE LATER. YES, SIR. MOTIONS MADE AND SECONDED. AMEND 10 0 1 AS EXPLAINED. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE [06:45:01] OPPOSED NAY MOTION PASSES AND WE'LL LOOK AT THE VOTE LATER. NEXT 10.02 WAS TO REDUCE OUR OFFICE BUDGETS BY 2%, WHICH AMOUNTS TO ABOUT $12,000 PER COUNCIL DISTRICT. UH, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD DEPARTMENT AFTER DEPARTMENT THAT IS COMING HERE THROUGHOUT THIS BUDGET CYCLE AND IS ALL HAD TO EXPLAIN TO US WHAT THEY'RE DOING IN ORDER TO MEET THESE REDUCTIONS. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT CITY COUNCIL LEADS BY EXAMPLE, AND I BELIEVE 2% IS A REASONABLE NUMBER THAT WE CAN ALL COME UP WITH. UH, OUR STAFF IS ALL GETTING RAISES DUE TO THE HOPE CONTRACT. UH, DUE TO THE RECENT LEGISLATION THAT JUST PASSED THE STATE, IT APPEARS THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE GETTING NO, WE'RE NOT RAISES AS WELL. NO. IS THAT NOT THE CASE? NO. OKAY. I TAKE THAT BACK THEN. UM, BUT OUR STAFF IS, AND I THINK 2% IS A NUMBER WE CAN ACHIEVE. VERY GOOD. I'LL LOSE IT. I'LL LEAVE IT TO THE, UH, YELLOW OF THE, UH, MEMBERS. I'LL BE DIPLOMATIC ABOUT THAT ONE. COUNCILMAN P*****K. FIRST OF ALL, DID YOU JUST SAY THE LEGISLATURE DID GIVE THE COUNCIL MEMBERS A RAISE? NO. THAT THEY GAVE THE JUDGES INCREASES AND OUR SALARY'S TIED TO THAT KIND OF, OKAY. WE DON'T KNOW. SO WE CAN BE TRANSPARENT. WHEN THE JUDGES GET A SALARY, WE GET A RAISE. NO. IF, IF, IF I CAN CLEAR THE SALARY IS ONE HALF OF A DISTRICT JUDGE, A ABBY PROBABLY KNOWS MORE ABOUT IT THAN I DO, SO I'LL LET HER TALK ABOUT IT. I THINK I'M VERY FAMILIAR WITH IT ANYWAY. THAT'S NOT BEFORE US. NOT BEFORE US, BUT THAT IS NOT NECESSARILY THE CASE. COUNCILMAN POLLARD. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, AND I, I UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU'RE COMING FROM WITH THIS, TRYING TO LEAD BY EXAMPLE. UH, BUT HOW I LOOK AT THIS IS WE ARE 16, 17 REALLY INDIVIDUALLY ELECTED MEMBERS. OKAY? SO WHAT'S GOOD FOR, MAYBE YOUR OFFICE MAY NOT BE GOOD FOR MY OFFICE. MY OFFICE USES EVERY SINGLE DOLLAR TO TRY TO PAY MY STAFF AS MUCH AS I CAN AND PROBABLY UNDERPAY THEM FOR THE WORK THAT THEY DO. AND THEN THAT DOES NOT LEAVE A LOT OF ROOM FOR SUPPLIES AND MISCELLANEOUS THINGS THAT IT TAKES TO RUN, UH, A DISTRICT OFFICE, AS YOU KNOW, WITH OVER 200,000 CONSTITUENTS WITH ONLY THREE OR FOUR EMPLOYEES. SO EVEN THE SLIGHTEST AMOUNT OF REDUCTION OUR OFFICE IS GONNA FILL. NOW, I, I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION, I'LL PUT ONE FORWARD THAT THOSE WHO, THOSE SPECIFIC OFFICES WHO WANT TO TAKE A 2%, UH, REDUCTION CAN DO SO. AND IF THERE ARE ANY AT LARGE MEMBERS WHO HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL DOLLARS AT THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR THAT THEY WILL BE PERMITTED TO CONSIDER GIVING TO OTHER COUNCIL OFFICES, I WOULD BE OPEN TO THAT. BUT I DON'T WANT TO LEGISLATE FROM ONE MEMBER ON ALL OF OUR OFFICES ON THE REDUCTIONS THAT YOUR PROPOSED WITH A 2% DECREASE. OH, COUPLE THINGS. ONE, I UNDERSTAND THE CHALLENGES. MY OFFICE AS A DISTRICT OFFICE HAS THOSE EXACT SAME CHALLENGES. UH, SECONDLY, IT WOULDN'T BE ONE MEMBER, IT WOULD HAVE TO TAKE A VOTE OF THE BODY. CORRECT. SO WHAT I'M SAYING IS I'LL PUT FORTH A MOTION THAT TO AMEND YOUR PROPOSAL TO SAY, WE WILL REDUCE CITY COUNCIL PROPOSED BUDGETS BY 2% BY ALL MEMBERS WHO VOTE FOR THIS ITEM. IT DON'T WORK LIKE THIS COUNCIL. YOU HAVE TO BE. NO, THAT'S NOT ON A DIFFERENT SCHEDULE ALL. WELL, IF I CAN'T BRING THAT, IF I CAN'T VOTE YOUR DISTRICT ALL I GOT IT. SO THEN IF I CAN'T BRING FORTH THAT AMENDMENT, I WOULD SAY, I WOULD REQUEST THAT YOU WITHDRAW THIS AMENDMENT BECAUSE YOU WERE TRYING TO LEGISLATE, UM, TO OTHER MEMBERS ON THIS BODY TO HAVE TO REDUCE THEIR OFFICE FEES, UH, BY 2%. IF NOT, I CALL FOR A ROLL CALL VOTE ON THIS ITEM. WE'LL BE GLAD TO ACCOMMODATE YOU. UH, NEXT COUNCIL RAMIREZ. OH, THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, YOU KNOW, I, THIS IS THE GOOD ARGUMENTS ON BOTH SIDES. HOWEVER, WE HAVE ASKED MOST OF THE DEPARTMENTS TO, TO MAKE CUTS. AND, UM, WE TAKE OUR CALLS, . WE DO, WE DO, WE TAKE, WE TAKE, WE PLENTY CALLS THE AT LARGES, UH, TAKE CALLS FROM EVERY DISTRICT. SO, I MEAN, IT ALL ADDS UP THE CALL. BUT, UM, ANYWAY, YOUR POINT IS WELL TAKEN. GOOD ARGUMENTS ON BOTH SIDES. UM, I, I DON'T THINK 2% IS ASKING, UH, A, A WHOLE LOT IN, IN THE, IN THE GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS WHEN WE'VE ASKED SOME DEPARTMENTS TO CUT UP TO 10% [06:50:02] SOME PERSON COUNCIL PERSON CAYMAN. I WAS, I WAS NOT IN THE QUEUE ON THIS ONE. I, YEAH, NO. COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, VICE MAYOR PRO. JIM CASICK TATUM. THANK YOU, MAYOR. MY QUESTION IS FOR, UM, THE CITY ATTORNEY. I KNOW THAT OUR CHARTER SAYS THAT ALL COUNCIL OFFICES HAVE TO HAVE THE SAME, UH, BUDGET AMOUNT. UM, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT WOULD PREVENT US FROM CHANGING TO CHANGING THE CHARTER TO SAY THAT THE AT LARGEST HAVE A, A LOWER BUDGET THAN THE DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, WOULD HAVE? BECAUSE IT, IT SEEMS THAT, UH, THE ONLY WAY WE CAN DIFFERENTIATE, UM, WOULD BE THROUGH THE, THE DISTRICT BUDGET AND THE AT LARGE BUDGET. CLEARLY, FROM AN EQUITABLE POINT OF VIEW, YOU COULD DO THAT BECAUSE OF THE SIZE. BUT IF IT'S IN THE CHARTER, YOU NEED A VOTE OF THE PUBLIC IN ORDER TO DO THAT. A CHARTER AMENDMENT. LET ME TAKE A LOOK AND, AND SEE IF, IF THAT IS CORRECT OR WHETHER IT'S IN ORDINANCE. OKAY. IT, I, I'D BE CURIOUS TO KNOW IF WE, UM, BECAUSE IF, IF THERE IS AN APPETITE FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS TO TAKE A LOWER, UM, AMOUNT OF THEIR BUDGET, I MEAN, I, I DON'T THINK IT'S, UM, APPLES TO APPLES. WHEN YOU COMPARE A COUNCIL, UH, BUDGET TO A DEPARTMENT BUDGET, UM, A COUNCIL BUDGET, UH, 85, 90% OF THAT IS SALARY. UM, AND WHEN YOU HAVE, UH, SALARIES FOR FOUR OR FIVE EMPLOYEES, THAT IS STILL BELOW, UM, WHAT THE COUNTY AND, AND, AND THE PUBLIC SECTOR IS PAYING THE ABILITY TO KEEP EMPLOYEES BECOMES EVEN, UH, GREATER FOR THESE DISTRICT OFFICES. AND WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT OUR EMPLOYEES GETTING RAISES IN COMPARISON TO OTHER FOLKS GETTING RAISES, WE'RE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A 3% OR 2% AND A 1%. I MEAN, AND TO ASK THEM TO TAKE LESS THAN THAT BY LOWERING OUR $460,000 BUDGET, BY 2%, I MEAN, BASICALLY WHAT YOU'RE ASKING IS FOR OUR EMPLOYEES TO TAKE A PAY CUT OR FIRE SYMBOL OR FIRE SOMEBODY. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I, LET ME, I I WILL DO WANT TO, I DO WANT STATE TO MY FRIEND, FRED, THAT, UH, THE, THE PROPOSAL IS ADMIRABLE IN REGARDS TO THE 2%, UH, BASED ON WHAT IT IS HE'S USING AS AN EXAMPLE. BUT OF COURSE, WE KNOW AS AN AT LARGE, AND THIS IS NOT TO TRY TO DISRUPT THE PROCESS IN REGARDS TO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER DOLLARS THAT EACH DISTRICT GETS THAT LARGE, DON'T GET THOSE DOLLARS. UM, BECAUSE THAT'S JUST NOT AT THIS POINT THE WAY IT'S SET UP. BUT I THINK WITH THAT, WITH ALL THAT WE DO, 'CAUSE WE DO RESPOND AT, AT LARGES TO A LOT OF, UH, AREAS WITHIN THE CITY. 'CAUSE WE REPRESENT THE WHOLE. SO, UM, I, I WOULD, I WOULD THINK THAT THIS WOULD, AT THIS POINT, UH, 2% WOULD NOT BE ACCEPTABLE DUE TO THE FACT OF WHAT WE ALREADY ARE DEALING WITH AND FACING WITH US. NOT THAT IT, SOMETHING COULD BE WORKED OUT, UM, TO MEET THAT. BUT, BUT, BUT AGAIN, WE COULDN'T SEPARATE SOMETHING FROM THE OTHERS. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S A, A POSSIBILITY TO DO IF YOU SPLIT THE BABY. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WOULD, YOU KNOW, COUNCILMAN FIGURE THAT WOULD BE RESOLVED. BUT THAT, I GUESS THAT WOULD'VE TO BE SOMETHING TO HOLD COUNCIL WOULD'VE TO VOTE ON COUNCILMAN PLUMMER. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND I WOULD, I WOULD SAY THAT ANY EXCESS THAT I HAVE IN MY OFFICE, I GIVE THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT. SO IT, IF YOU DO DECREASE THAT, YOU DO ELIMINATE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR AT LARGE MEMBERS TO GIVE MONEY TO DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE TYPICALLY UNDERFUNDED. EVAN, COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABA. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, AS MOST, UH, DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBERS, WE SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS AND PEOPLE THAT COME TO US THAT NEED HELP PEOPLE SUCH AS PEOPLE THAT ARE SITTING OUT THERE. AND SO, I NEVER WANNA BE IN A POSITION THAT I CAN, THAT I HAVE TO SAY, WE DON'T HAVE IT. WE CAN'T HELP YOU. AND, AND SO FOR THAT REASON, I, I CANNOT SUPPORT YOUR AMENDMENT BECAUSE I THINK THAT THOSE FUNDS NEED TO BE USED FOR PEOPLE IN ORGANIZATIONS [06:55:01] WHO ARE REALLY LACKING, UH, WHO NEED THE SUPPORT. SO, I, I CAN'T SUPPORT YOUR AMENDMENT. THAT'S RUTH CARTER. COUNCILMAN CARTER. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, IT'S, I GUESS IT'S ALL BEEN SAID. I'VE CERTAINLY AM SUPPORTIVE AND JUST SUGGEST A ROLL CALL. ANYONE ELSE? MR. SECRETARY, CALL THE ROLE, PLEASE. MAYOR WHITMEYER? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER PICK. NO. COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON? NO. COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN? NO. COUNCIL MEMBER. EVAN SHABAZZ. YOU DON'T WANT ME? I CAN'T CARE. CAN I, I'M JUST SAY NO. . COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS? NO. COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO? NO. COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ? NO. COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD? NO. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTEX TAL? NO. COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS? NO. COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER? NO. AND COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN? NO. THAT'S FIVE. YES. 12 NOS. MOTION FAILS. NEXT. OKAY, THE LAST ONE I HAVE IS TO ELIMINATE THE DECISION MAKING LEAVE THAT IS GIVEN TO AN EMPLOYEE FOR PUNISHMENT THAT IS A PAID DAY OFF. UM, I GOT A QUESTION FOR LEGAL. WE WERE TOLD THAT THE CON UNION CONTRACT WOULD HAVE TO BE AMENDED. UH, I WENT BACK AND REVIEWED THE HOPE CONTRACT, AND I CAN'T FIND WHERE THAT WOULD REQUIRE THAT THE, THE CONTRACT TO BE AMENDED IN ORDER TO SAY THAT WE'RE NOT GONNA PAY YOU AS A DISCIPLINARY ACTION FOR A DAY OFF. I, I BELIEVE WHERE IT, IT WOULD APPLY, UH, YOU'RE CORRECT ABOUT THAT. I BELIEVE THE WORD WOULD APPLY IS THAT THE, UH, THE MEET AND CONFER HAS A PROVISION THAT THE, UM, LABOR MANAGEMENT COOPERATION COUNCIL IS SUPPOSED TO REVIEW ANY CHANGES THAT WOULD AFFECT ITS MEMBERS IN DISCIPLINE. UH, I THINK IT'S A 45 DAY COMMENT PERIOD TO DO THAT. BUT WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IS A MANAGEMENT, RIGHT? SO THAT'S NOT GOVERNED STRICTLY BY THE MEETING CONFER, BUT THE MEETING CONFER DOES REQUIRE THAT THE UNION HAVE, AND ITS MEMBERS HAVE A 45 DAY PERIOD TO PROVIDE A COMMENT ON WHAT'S BEING DONE, BECAUSE THEY WOULD LOOK AT IT AS AFFECTING A CONDITION OF THEIR WORK. OKAY. SO ARE WE ABLE TO DO ANYTHING AFTER THE 45 DAYS? OR IT'S TIED TO THE LABOR CONTRACT? YEAH, I MEAN, I, I THINK THAT IF, IF THAT, IF THE ADMINISTRATION WANTS TO PROPOSE OR THROUGH, UH, THROUGH SOME, THROUGH SOME OTHER MECHANISM, I THINK YOU'D HAVE TO GO TO THE UNION AND GIVE THEM 45 DAYS TO, TO RECEIVE COMMENT FROM THEM IN TERMS OF, OF THAT VIEW. BUT BECAUSE IT'S A MANAGEMENT, RIGHT, IT REALLY IS GOING TO HAVE TO COME FROM THE ADMINISTRATION. OKAY. SO COULD WE DO THAT THROUGH A PROP A THEN, I ASSUME? I BELIEVE SO. CONTRACT. IF IT'S A CONTRACT. OKAY. THANK YOU. WITHDRAW. I WITHDRAW THAT. WITHDRAW. HUFFMAN 1201 COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN ON 1201. THANK YOU. AMENDMENT 1201 SEEKS TO REDUCE THE NON-TRAINING RELATED TRAVEL FOR ALL DEPARTMENTS BY CAPPING THE CUMULATIVE TOTALS TO THOSE THAT WERE SPENT IN THE PREVIOUS FISCAL YEAR. SO THIS AMENDMENT EFFECTIVELY ELIMINATES THE 20.3% INCREASE BETWEEN WHAT WAS SPENT LAST YEAR AND WHAT'S PLANNED FOR FY 26. THIS IS A FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE AMENDMENT THAT'LL SAVE HOUSTON TAXPAYERS APPROXIMATELY $218,000. AND I MOVE FOR ADOPTION. ANY QUESTIONS? UH, I DON'T EVEN UNDERSTAND. COUNCILOR CAYMAN. COUNCILMAN CAYMAN. THANK YOU. UM, AND I, I APPRECIATE THIS AMENDMENT, BUT, UH, I THINK MY QUESTION WOULD BE, ARE THERE ANY, UM, UNINTENTIONAL CONSEQUENCES FOR DEPARTMENTS, UH, AS IT PERTAINS TO TRAVEL? FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN WE DO INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL, UH, TO SECURE MAYOR, I KNOW YOU'RE, YOU'RE THROWING YOUR BROW HERE, BUT WE HAVE SECURED THROUGH, FOR EXAMPLE, WITH UNITED AIRLINES NEW DIRECT FLIGHTS, AND THAT REQUIRES TRAVEL AND NEGOTIATIONS AND WORKING WITH OTHER COUNTRIES, OTHER STATES FOR THOSE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES. UH, I, I DEFER TO THE ADMINISTRATION BECAUSE YOU HAVE MUCH MORE INSIGHT [07:00:01] INTO THOSE EXPENDITURES. BUT ARE THERE ANY UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES PRECLUDING DEPARTMENTS FROM BEING ABLE TO, UH, DO THEIR JOB THE WAY IS INTENDED? IT APPEARS WE CAN ASK THE AUTHOR FOR HER INTENT. IT JUST KEEPS IT AT CURRENT LEVELS. 25 LEVELS. RIGHT. SO IT ELIMINATES SO BE CAPPED AT FISCAL YEAR 2025. RIGHT. SO, SO IT JUST HOLDS WHATEVER TRAVEL TOOK PLACE THIS YEAR, IT WOULD BE CONSTANT. SO I THINK IT'S, UM, PERSONALLY, I, I'LL LEAVE IT TO THE WILL OF THE, THE BODY, BUT, AND REALLY THIS AMENDMENT, IT'S NOT DIRECTING THE ADMINISTRATION TO SAY THIS HAS TO BE SPLIT EQUALLY BETWEEN EACH DEPARTMENT. THE ADMINISTRATION STILL HAS THE DISCRETION TO, UM, DECIDE, YOU KNOW, WHERE THOSE NON-TRAINING TRAVEL CUTS COME FROM. SO IF YOU HAVE DEPARTMENTS THAT DO LESS, UM, OR DO MORE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THEY CAN LOOK AT. SO IT'S NOT DICTATING HOW IT'S DONE OR BY DEPARTMENT, UM, SPECIFICALLY THAT WOULD BE STILL LEFT UP TO THE ADMINISTRATION. AND DOES DEPARTMENTS INCLUDE ANY CHANGE TO COUNCIL OFFICE MANAGEMENT POLICY? SO MANAGEMENT POLICY, IT'S, I MEAN, IT WOULD BE THE SAME AS ANY OTHER CITY DEPARTMENT. SO NOT DIRECTING THE ADMINISTRATION HOW TO OR WHERE TO MAKE THE CUTS OR THAT THE CUTS GO TO EVERY DEPARTMENT. IT'S JUST THAT THAT IS THE CAP ON THE NON-TRAINING TRAVEL. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. MY QUESTION, UM, SO FOR CITY COUNCIL OFFICES, THIS AMENDMENT, IF ADOPTED, WILL IT REDUCE OUR OFFICE BUDGETS? IF SO, BY HOW MUCH? AND SO I THINK BECAUSE THIS ISN'T DIRECTING THE ADMINISTRATION TO SAY EVERY DEPARTMENT HAS TO BE CUT EQUALLY, RIGHT. THAT THE ADMINISTRATION CAN DECIDE HOW THOSE CUTS WILL TAKE PLACE. SO IT MAY NOT AFFECT THE CITY COUNCIL BUDGETS. IT COULD, UM, IF THE ADMINISTRATION DECIDES TO DO IT EQUALLY BETWEEN ALL DEPARTMENTS, IT POTENTIALLY COULD. BUT THIS DOESN'T DICTATE HOW THE CUTS ARE MADE. IT'S JUST THAT THIS IS THE CAP. DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? SO THE, THE RESULTING 217,000 IN SAVINGS, THAT'S ACROSS THE BOARD FOR ALL DEPARTMENTS. FOR ALL DEPARTMENTS. BUT OUR, OUR SPECIFIC BUDGETS MAY NOT BE IMPACTED. NO, NO. DOESN'T AFFECT YOU. IT MAY, BUT IT MAY NOT. AND SO THIS AMENDMENT DOESN'T GIVE GUIDANCE TO HOW THE ADMINISTRATION WILL, WILL DO THAT? NO, IT SAYS KEEP THE COST AT CONSTANT 25 LEVELS. SO IF YOU'RE NOT IMPACTED IN 2025, I DON'T THINK YOU CAN ANTICIPATE IT UNDER THIS LANGUAGE. OKAY. THANK YOU. THAT'S ALL. ROLL CALL THE ROW. AND, UH, COUNCILMAN POLLARD WOULD LIKE A ROLL CALL. 1201 MAYOR WHITMEYER? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER PECK? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON? NO. COUNCIL MEMBER KALEY? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ? NO. COUNCIL MEMBER RY? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS? NO. COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO? NO. COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ? NO. COUNCIL MEMBER P*****K? NO. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTEX STATE? NO. COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER? NO. COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN? YES. YOUR PARDON? IT PASSES NINE TO EIGHT PASSES. NINE TO EIGHT. SO LIKEWISE, AMENDMENT 12.02 SEEKS TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT SPENT ON PHOTOGRAPHY SERVICES FOR ALL DEPARTMENTS BY CAPPING THE CUMULATIVE TOTALS TO THOSE THAT WERE SPENT IN THE PREVIOUS FISCAL YEAR. SO THIS AMENDMENT EFFECTIVELY ELIMINATES THE 166.7% INCREASE BETWEEN WHAT WAS SPENT LAST YEAR AND WHAT IS PLANNED FOR FY 26. UM, AND THIS WILL SAVE THE HOUSTON TAXPAYERS APPROXIMATELY $19,500. IT'S NOT A LOT OF MONEY, BUT EVERY SINGLE DOLLAR COUNTS AND I MOVE TO ADOPT $19,000. PECK. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I JUST HAVE A QUESTION. MAYOR, APPROACH PECK. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I JUST HAVE A QUESTION. CAN, ARE WE EXCLUDING LIKE HPD AND HFD FOR THE PURPOSES OF INVESTIGATORY PHOTOGRAPHY? NO. NO. IT DOESN'T SAY THAT. NO. CAN WE THOUGH? I MEAN, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, IF THEY'RE DOING PHOTOGRAPHS FOR, FOR LIKE AN INVESTIGATION, [07:05:01] THAT THIS IS NOT PART OF THAT. MM-HMM. I, I THINK THAT'S A GOOD IDEA. THIS PHOTOGRAPHY SERVICES, NOT INVESTIGATIVE HPD MATTERS. OR HFD. LOOK AT THE DEFINITION. COUNCILMAN CAMAN. THANK YOU. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER. PECK RAISES A GOOD POINT AND NOT TO FURTHER COMPLICATE THINGS, BUT IF DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS HAS TO CATEGORIZE THINGS, IF PUBLIC WORKS HAS TO TAKE PHOTOGRAPHIC OR VIDEOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE OF DRAINAGE, UH, ENGINEERING. SO I, I DON'T THINK WE'RE IN DISAGREEMENT, OR AT LEAST I'M NOT IN, UH, GENERAL PROMOTIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY, BUT I, I'M NOT CLEAR WHAT THE GL 5 2 0 1 13 FUND, IF THAT WOULD IMPACT OTHER CRITICAL SERVICES THAT PERTAIN TO ENFORCEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS OR INFRASTRUCTURE. SO I, I'M, IF YOU WANT TO PAUSE OR UNTIL WE GET ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, NO PROBLEM. BUT I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO SUPPORT IT AS, AND THAT'D BE FINE. IF WE WANT TO GET MORE INFORMATION, I'LL REFER THIS TO A COMMITTEE AND WE CAN EXPLORE THE, THE COST SAVINGS AND THEN BRING IT BACK. WOULD FINANCE BE ABLE TO CLARIFY WHETHER OR NOT HPD AND PARTS USES THAT CATEGORY? MY GUESS IS, OR I DON'T BELIEVE IT'S THE SAME FUND. I THINK HBD HAS ITS OWN RESOURCES. I MEAN, I'LL DEFER TO MELISSA. I GOT IT. BUT I, I AIN'T, I I WOULD DEFER TO COUNCIL MEMBER, EXCUSE ME, CHAIR OF FINANCE. FOR MY QUESTION, I YIELD MY TIME AND I'LL HAVE TO, I'LL HAVE TO GET SOME BACKUP FROM MELISSA DEBOWSKI, BUT WE JUST, CAN WE YIELD TO MELISSA? OH, YES. I'LL YELL TO MELISSA. I HOPE SHE MATCHES MY ANSWER, THOUGH. I'LL FEEL REALLY SMART. . SO IN THIS GL IN PARTICULAR, UH, 5 2 0 1 1 3 PHOTOGRAPHIC SERVICES, UM, THERE'S ABOUT ONLY $20,000 BUDGETED FOR HPD, UM, IN FISCAL YEAR 26. UM, AND THE REMAINDER IS IN PUBLIC WORKS SPEAK PRIOR SO THAT SHE COULD THE REMAINDER'S IN PUBLIC WORKS. AND THE AIRPORT ROUGHLY. SO THE FY 25 ESTIMATE, UM, FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC SERVICES WAS $11,697. AND THE PROPOSED BUDGET HAS 31,200. I DON'T KNOW IF I ANSWERED YOUR QUESTION. GET PROPOSED SO MUCH DIFFERENT THAN THIS YEAR. I CAN. YOU THANK YOU. SO IT WENT FROM LAST YEAR TO PROPOSED HOW MUCH? IT WENT FROM ABOUT 11,000 TO 31,000, REPRESENTING THE 19,000 THAT THE COUNCIL MEMBER HAS IN HER AMENDMENT. AND, AND, UH, AND THEN HPD HAS ITS OWN SEPARATE PHOTOGRAPHY FUND, THE, AS WELL AS THE AIRPORT. OUT OF THE 31,000, I TALKED ABOUT 20,000 OF IT IS FOR HPD, BUT THAT'S IN THE ENTIRE GL. SO THAT LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT OTHER PHOTOGRAPHIC SERVICES FOR INVESTIGATIONS MUST BE IN A DIFFERENT, UH, GENERAL LEDGER ACCOUNT. BUT I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO REFER TO COMMITTEES SO WE CAN FURTHER EXPLORE THOSE. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU. OH, I DON'T WANNA CUT ANYBODY OFF. NO, NO, NO. UH, MY NUMBERS DID MATCH. ALRIGHT. . AND THEN FINALLY, 12.03, UM, SEEKS TO DISTRIBUTE 1% OF THE REMAINING FUND BALANCE EQUALLY AMONG THE COUNCIL DISTRICTS TO ADDRESS EACH DISTRICT'S UNIQUE DRAINAGE CONCERNS AS PART OF THE STORM WATER ACTION TEAM PROGRAM. SHOULD THIS AMENDMENT PREVAIL, EACH COUNCIL DISTRICT WOULD RECEIVE AN ADDITIONAL $289,000 APPROXIMATELY TO PERFORM DITCH MAINTENANCE, REPAIR STORM DRAINS, CURB AND GUTTER RESTORATIONS, OR ANY NUMBER OF SMALL SCALE DRAINAGE PROJECTS THAT CAN HAVE ENORMOUS IMPACTS FOR OUR COMMUNITY WITH INCREASED COSTS EVERY YEAR. WE ARE DOING FEWER AND FEWER PROJECTS BECAUSE OF THOSE INCREASED COSTS. AND SO THIS AMENDMENT WOULD GIVE A FEW MORE DOLLARS TO ALLOW A FEW MORE PROJECTS AND WOULD SAVE HOMES AND KEEP THE STORM WATER MOVING. AND SO I MOVED FOR ADOPTION, WE HAVE TO DEFER. OH, AND WE'LL DEFER. YEAH. 'CAUSE IT'S GENERAL FUND. YES. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN CASTILLO. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND COLLEAGUES. 1301 IS AN AMENDMENT THAT WAS MODELED AFTER AN AMENDMENT ADOPTED LAST YEAR THAT ESTABLISHED THE LANGUAGE ACCESS COORDINATOR POSITION WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS. THIS WOULD SEEK TO ESTABLISH AN LGBTQ PLUS ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT COORDINATOR WITHIN THE OFFICE OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY. WE HEARD FROM A FEW SPEAKERS YESTERDAY. UH, IN SUPPORT OF THIS, WE RECEIVED A LETTER FROM A A RP, WHICH WAS CIRCULATED TO ALL OF Y'ALL, UH, INDICATING THEIR SUPPORT FOR THIS POSITION, WHICH WOULD FOCUS ON YOUTH AND [07:10:01] SENIORS AND EXPANDING THEIR ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES, UH, FROM TWO VULNERABLE POPULATIONS. UM, THIS POSITION HOUSED IN OBO WOULD WORK HAND IN HAND WITH THE OFFICE, WHICH IS IN SUPPORT OF THIS POSITION TO ENHANCE THEIR FUTURE FOUNDERS PROGRAM, UH, WHICH, UH, WOULD HELP 10 TO 13 YEAR OLDS DEVELOP BUSINESS PLANS AND EXPLORE ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND ENSURE L GT Q PLUS YOUTH ARE AWARE AND SUPPORTED IN THESE ACTIVITIES. IT WOULD WORK WITH THE NATIONAL, UH, CERTIFICATION THAT, UH, THE CHAMBER AND COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN WORKED TO SECURE RECOGNITION FOR A COUPLE YEARS AGO AND EXPAND ON THAT. UH, WHICH THEY ADMIT THEY COULD USE SOME HELP, UH, IN THOSE EFFORTS. AND OVERALL, UM, IT HELPS INCREASE OUR LOCAL ECONOMIC POTENTIAL FOR THE CITY. UH, IT WILL HELP GATHER DATA WHERE WE CURRENTLY HAVE A LACK OF, IN TERMS OF WHERE OUR DISPARITIES ARE, WHERE OUR GAPS ARE. UM, AND THE OFFICE OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY IS, IS EAGER FOR THOSE, UM, THOSE EFFORTS TO HELP THERE SO WE CAN WORK TO BETTER ADDRESS OUR, OUR GAPS. UM, WE KNOW WHERE WE RANK ON THE MUNICIPAL EQUALITY INDEX. IT ISN'T VERY HIGH, UH, BUT THAT GIVES US A ROADMAP TO HELP. THIS IS A PILOT PROGRAM. UM, THE LGBTQ PLUS CHAMBER IS IN SUPPORT AND WILL WILL SEEK TO HELP LONG-TERM FUNDING, UH, FOR THIS, GIVEN THAT I'M PROPOSING TO USE SERVICE DOLLARS. AND I UNDERSTAND THAT BECAUSE THERE'S NO OTHER OFFICE DOLLARS ATTRIBUTED TO THIS. IT'S JUST SERVICE DOLLARS. IT ISN'T A QUOTE UNQUOTE BUDGET AMENDMENT, UH, LIKE LAST YEAR WHEN WE AC WHEN WE CREATED THE LANGUAGE ACCESS COORDINATOR. BUT I WOULD INVITE ANY OF MY COLLEAGUES THAT WANNA SUPPORT THE POSITION , UH, TO DO SO. BECAUSE RIGHT NOW IT'S, IT'S PART-TIME, YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT THE BUDGET THAT I'M WILLING TO GIVE INDICATES. BUT, UH, IF OTHERS ARE, ARE WILLING TO SUPPORT, WE CAN, UH, SHORE THAT UP AND EVEN MAYBE EXPAND IT FULL TIME, WHICH WOULD, AGAIN, ALLOW THE WORK TO BE DONE THAT THAT IS NEEDED AND HAS BEEN DEMONSTRATED FROM GROUPS LIKE THE CHAMBER GROUPS, LIKE THE MONTROSE CENTER, UH, GROUPS LIKE HRC AND A A RP. SO WITH THAT, UM, I WILL BE SUBMITTING A-C-D-S-F FOR THIS JULY ONE. AND, UM, HOPE THAT SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES WILL JOIN ME IN THE, IN THE EFFORT AS WELL. SO, I'LL, I'M GONNA WITHDRAW THE AMENDMENT, BUT THIS WILL COME BACK UP IN A FEW WEEKS. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN CASTILLO 1302. NO, NO. COUNCIL MEMBER. MEMBER CAMAN. COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN. COUNCILMAN KAMAN. I'M SORRY. THANK YOU. I WANNA THANK COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO FOR HIS LEADERSHIP ON THIS ITEM. UM, AND OUR OFFICE IS CURRENTLY EXPLORING, UH, WE'VE, WE'VE COMMITTED THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF OUR CDSF FOR THE UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR, BUT WE ARE LOOKING TO SUPPORT IN ANY WAY THAT WE CAN. BUT TO BUILD UPON, AGAIN, IN OBO, THE WORK THAT WE HAVE DONE TO NOW BRING IT TO THE EVEN NEXT LEVEL, UM, IS, IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY AT A TIME WHEN WE ARE SEEING SUCH TARGETED ATTACKS AGAINST THE COMMUNITY. SO, I AGAIN, WANNA THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP IN THIS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN 1302 IS A AMENDMENT FOR AN IT APPLICATION RATIONALIZATION STUDY. UH, WHEN HITS WAS DOING THEIR BUDGET PRESENTATION, UM, YOU KNOW, I ASKED THEM ABOUT THIS, AND A FORMAL ENTERPRISE WIDE STUDY HASN'T BEEN DONE IN A WHILE. AND, UM, I, I GET THAT HITS HAS THE CAPACITY TO DO IT WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT. AND WHAT I WANT TO ENSURE IS THAT WE'RE, WE'RE LEVERAGING OUTSIDE PARTNERS AS WE DO, AS WE LOOK TO THE APPLICATIONS WE'RE USING, THE TECHNOLOGIES WE'RE USING, WE'RE NOT RELYING JUST ON HITS TO DO THAT ANALYSIS. UM, WE'RE LOOKING, WE'RE GIVING FOLKS THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME IN, JUST LIKE WE DID WITH ERNST AND YOUNG, TO LOOK AT OUR, OUR, UM, DEPARTMENTS, TO LOOK AT OUR STRUCTURE, LOOK AT OUR APPLICATIONS, DETERMINE WHERE WE ARE USING TECHNOLOGY THAT DOESN'T MEET THE NEED ANYMORE, COSTS TOO MUCH MONEY. THERE ARE BETTER SYSTEMS OUT THERE. THERE ARE NEW SYSTEMS OUT THERE. THEY ARE MORE EFFICIENT, THEY ARE LESS EXPENSIVE. WE ALL KNOW TECHNOLOGY GETS BETTER WITH TIME. SO TO STILL USE APPLICATIONS AND PROGRAMS FROM THE EIGHTIES THAT WE KNOW THERE ARE BETTER PROGRAMS OUT THERE, UH, WE NEED, WE NEED TO, TO, TO DO THAT BECAUSE THERE'S POTENTIAL TO SAVE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN, IN THIS. AND WE NEED TO BE LOOKING AT THAT AS WE LOOK AT OUR FISCAL PICTURE OVERALL. SO, UM, THIS WILL, I WILL MOVE [07:15:01] TO WITHDRAW THIS ONE, UH, AS WELL. BUT AGAIN, WOULD LIKE THE COMMITMENT THAT WE'RE GONNA DO THE APPLICATION RATIONALIZATION, BUT INCLUDE EXTERNAL PARTNERS AS WELL, UM, SO THAT WE'RE, WE'RE GETTING THE BEST PICTURE OF WHAT WE'RE USING, WHY WE'RE USING IT, AND IF THERE'S SOMETHING BETTER AND CHEAPER OUT THERE. VERY GOOD, THANK YOU. NEXT 1303. THIS AMENDMENT DOES, UH, DRAW GENERAL FUND DOLLARS, SO WE'LL CONSIDER IT, UH, FOR A VOTE LATER. BUT THIS IS THE KENNEL CLEANING SERVICES CONTRACT WITH BARK. SO THIS AMENDMENT WAS OFFERED LAST YEAR, IT WAS, UH, APPROVED. AND WE HEARD FROM DIRECTOR PEZ THE IMPACT THIS HAS ON BARK. UM, WE KNOW THAT THE BARK STAFF DO EVERYTHING THEY CAN AND, AND THEY NEED MORE RESOURCES. THEY NEED MORE HELP. THIS SERVICE ALLOWS THE EMPLOYEES TO FOCUS ON ANIMAL WELFARE TRAINING, OBEDIENCE, AND NOT PULLING THEIR TIME INTO ALSO CLEANING THE KENNELS, WHICH THEY'RE NOT TRAINED TO DO. UH, WHEN YOU HAVE PROFESSIONAL KENNEL CLEANING, YOU CUT DOWN ON DISEASE IN THE SHELTER. THE DOGS HAVE MORE, AND, AND CATS HAVE MORE TIME FOR TRAINING FOR, UH, PLAYTIME. THEY'RE BETTER BEHAVED, THEY'RE LESS AGGRESSIVE. WHEN THEY ARE ADOPTED, THEY'RE NOT RETURNED AS MUCH. UM, AND SO RESTORING THIS WILL ALLOW BARK TO FOCUS ON WHAT THEY'RE TRAINED TO DO, WHICH IS GET OUR DOGS AND CATS, UH, INTO LOVING HOMES. BUT WE ALSO NEED TO BE WORKING TOWARDS THAT LONG-TERM PLAN, UH, BECAUSE THIS IS, THIS IS ONE YEAR FIXES HERE. AND SO I, I WILL PUSH, UH, FOR A VOTE AND, AND ADOPTION WHEN THAT TIME COMES FOR CONSIDERATION OF GENERAL FUND, UH, AMENDMENTS. VERY GOOD. WE'LL VOTE SHORTLY. UH, NEXT. OKAY. 13 FOUR IS ENHANCING PUBLIC SAFETY AND PARKS. THIS AMENDMENT SEEKS TO RESTORE TWO OF OUR PARK RANGER POSITIONS, UH, WHICH WERE, UM, VACATED AND AREN'T SLATED TO BE FILLED. I CAN TELL YOU, UM, AND PROBABLY A LOT OF OTHER DISTRICTS EXPERIENCE SAFETY ISSUES IN THEIR PARKS, FROM HOMELESSNESS TO LOITERING, ENCAMPMENTS, YOU NAME IT. UM, MY PARKS HAVE BEEN SIGNIFICANTLY HIT BY THESE, BY THESE ISSUES. AND THIS WOULD RESTORE TWO OF THE THREE PARK RANGER VACANCIES. UM, AND I, I KNOW THAT THAT MAY NOT SEEM LIKE THE BIGGEST NUMBER 13 CONSOLIDATION. OH, I'M ON THE WRONG AMENDMENT. OH MY GOSH. OKAY. . ALRIGHT. 1304 IS A BARK CONSOLIDATION STUDY, NOT THE PARK RANGER AMENDMENT. UM, SO PIVOTING TO THAT, UH, THIS AMENDMENT 13 0 4, 13 0 5, UM, 1306 AND OH SEVEN, THEY'RE, THEY'RE DEALING WITH CONSOLIDATIONS. UM, I KNOW THAT THE $50,000, UM, AMOUNT WAS DEEMED INSUFFICIENT FOR THE TYPE OF STUDY NEEDED. UM, IT'S REALLY CLOSER TO $250,000. UM, AND WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT IT. YOU KNOW, UH, OTHER AMENDMENTS HAVE BEEN OFFERED. AND I KNOW THAT THE, A ADMINISTRATION IS SUPPORTIVE AND IS LOOKING AT CREATIVE WAYS TO WORK WITH THE COUNTY AND SHARED SERVICES. AND IN OUR LOCAL AGREEMENTS, UM, WE'VE TRIED CONVERTING OR, OR TALKING ABOUT CREATING AN LGC FOR BARK. UM, THAT CONVERSATION HASN'T GONE ANYWHERE. BUT WE DO NEED TO THINK LONG TERM IN HOW WE ADEQUATELY ADDRESS OUR ANIMAL CONTROL ISSUE, BECAUSE IT IS, IT IS A, A QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUE. THIS IS A PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE, AND THE CITY AND THE COUNTY ARE DOING THE EXACT SAME THING. AND, AND WE HAVE A, A, A COUNTYWIDE ISSUE HERE. AND SO, UM, WITH THIS SPECIFIC AMENDMENT, UM, I WOULD LIKE A COMMITTEE TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT SO THAT WE CAN PICK UP THE CONVERSATION WHERE IT STALLED OUT THE CITY AND THE COUNTY. WERE HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS. UH, DIRECTOR PI HAS ALLUDED TO THAT. AND THEN SOMETIME DURING THE PANDEMIC, IT JUST, IT JUST, UH, GOT STALLED. BUT WE DO NEED TO RESUME IT, UM, BECAUSE WE'VE GOTTA FIGURE SOMETHING OUT THAT'S GONNA ADDRESS THE PICTURE AS A WHOLE LONG TERM. UH, BECAUSE WE KNOW WE FUND OUR ANIMAL CONTROL EFFORTS COMPARED TO OTHER CITIES, IT, IT LAGS BEHIND AND WE KNOW OUR, OUR FISCAL CHALLENGES. SO THIS IS A WAY TO ADDRESS IT AND, AND ADDRESS IT IN A MEANINGFUL WAY. THANK YOU. GOOD JOB. NEXT COUNCIL. NO. COUNCIL CARTER. THANK [07:20:01] COUNCILMAN CARTER. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I JUST WANTED TO ADD TO THAT, THAT I THINK CERTAINLY, AND COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO AND I TALKED ABOUT THIS A LITTLE BIT EARLIER. CERTAINLY WHEN WE LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, COMBINING SERVICES, WE, UM, REALLY SHOULD LOOK AT THE NONPROFITS AND LEAN INTO PARTNERING WITH ALL OF THE NONPROFITS TOWARDS THE SOLUTION. NOT MANY SMALL SOLUTIONS, BUT WORKING TOWARDS THAT END GOAL. SO WE'LL WORK ON THAT TOGETHER. THANK YOU. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU. 1305 IS A SIMILAR AMENDMENT, A HEALTH DEPARTMENT CONSOLIDATION STUDY. AGAIN, UM, WE KNOW THAT WE'VE GOT A DIRECTOR WHO'S BEEN INVOLVED IN A SIMILAR, YOU KNOW, OPERATION IN TRAVIS COUNTY. HE DID SOMETHING SIMILAR TO THIS. SO WE KNOW DIRECTOR WILLIAMS HAS SOME EXPERIENCE IN THIS. WE'VE HAD A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS ABOUT COMBINING THE, THE SERVICES I USED TO WORK AT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, THE THINGS WE TRACKED THE DATA. UH, THE COUNTY DID THE SAME THING. WE, WE JUST DID IT IN TWO DIFFERENT GEOGRAPHICAL BOUNDARIES. AND SO, UH, I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN HAS WORKED ON THIS A LOT. AND, UM, I THINK WE JUST NEED TO MOVE BEYOND, BEYOND THE DISCUSSION AND INTO MORE, MORE ACTION SO THAT WE CAN MAKE, MOVE THE NEEDLE ON IT. BECAUSE WE'RE SPENDING THE MONEY. THEY'RE SPENDING THE MONEY, AND WE'RE, WE'RE BOTH DOING THE SAME THING. COULDN'T AGREE MORE. UH, NEXT THIS ONE WILL BE WITH, UH, WE SAY NO. HOUSTON SAYS, NO, YOU CAN'T KEEP SACRIFICING OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. WE CAN'T HAVE MORE, WE CAN'T HAVE MORE FEAR PEOPLE FROM RUNNING FROM ICE. WE WANT LIBRARIES. WE WANT CLEANEST CLEAN WATER, CLEAN STREETS. WE FOR THIS, FOR YEARS. WE'VE BEEN HERE YEAR AFTER YEAR. NO. HE SAY NO. YOU SAY NO, YOU SAY NO. SAYS NO. THANK YOU, NICK. SO FOR 1305, I WOULD LIKE THAT REFERRED TO, UH, GOV OPS AND BUDGET AND FISCAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE. VERY GOOD. WE'LL GET IT DONE. OKAY. 1306. SIMILAR CONCEPT AROUND OUR PARKS. UH, WE'VE ALREADY SEEN A LOT OF COOPERATION FROM THE COUNTY ON OUR PARKS DEPARTMENT. SO, UM, I WOULD ALSO MOVE TO REFER THIS TO GOV OPS AND BUDGET AND FISCAL AFFAIRS. VERY GOOD. 1307. SO THIS WAS THE AMENDMENT I WAS REFERENCING EARLIER AROUND OUR PARK SEC RANGERS. WE'LL WAIT TILL THEY CALM DOWN TO GET ARRESTED. THIS IS MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TOWARDS, OKAY. OKAY. LISTEN, I'VE, I'VE BEEN VERY COOPERATIVE. OKAY? DO YOU THE ROOM, LISTEN, CHRIS, OKAY, YOU'RE, YOU'RE NOT HELPING, YOU'RE NOT HELPING. YOU DO NOTHING FOR US. NOTHING AT ALL. OKAY? YOU OKAY? THE MONEY THAT MARGINALIZES PEOPLE, PEOPLE OF COLOR, PEOPLE OF COLOR UP ON YOU. JUST KNOW THAT PEOPLE THAT LOOK LIKE YOU ARE GETTING AFFECTED THIS BY THIS TOO. NOT JUST THAT. OKAY? THANK YOU. THANK YOU ON PAPER. THANK YOU. THIS IS A SYSTEMATIC OPPRESSION. OKAY? YOU'VE MADE YOUR POINT, TIME OUT. YOU'VE MADE YOUR POINT. PLEASE SIT DOWN. BLOOD STRAIGHT. YOU'VE MADE YOUR POINT. WE'VE BEEN, WE'VE BEEN VERY COOPERATIVE. AND I WOULD ASK THE LEADERSHIP [07:25:01] AND I, YOU KNOW, WHO YOU ARE, THE LEADERSHIP TO PLEASE SHOW SOME LEADERSHIP. WE'RE ALL LEADERSHIP BECAUSE WE'RE LEADERS IN OUR COMMUNITY. YOU EITHER ON YEAR OLD HAVE TO COME, 19-YEAR-OLD, HAVE TO COME AND EXPLAIN THIS TO A 40 TO 17-YEAR-OLD. THIS IS EMBARRASSING. OKAY? WHY DON'T Y'ALL ORDERLY EXCUSE. WHY DON'T YOU ORDERLY EXCUSE YOURSELF. YOU'RE NOT REPRESENTING AT ALL. LET AND THE LEGACY, SIR, SIR, PLEASE SIT DOWN. GONNA BE ON YOUR HANDS. THE UNIVERSE WILL COME BACK TO YOU. WHOEVER WILL COME WAY, WE'LL TAKE A RECESS FOR 10 MINUTES. THE ORDER, MR. MAYOR, COUNCIL, COME TO ORDER. WANNA ORDER MR. MAYOR, I, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD THAT WE JUST ACKNOWLEDGE WHAT HAPPENED. AND I THINK FOR THE, UH, PURPOSE OF THE RECORD, TO, TO SHARE WITH THE PUBLIC WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THOSE THAT WERE ESCORTED OUT SO WE CAN KNOW THE PROCESS OF WHAT THAT CONVERSATION IS OR WHAT THE ACTION IS. ARE THEY BEING ESCORTED OFF OF CITY HALL? ARE THEY BEING ALLOWED TO COME BACK INTO CHAMBERS? LIKE WHAT IS, WHAT IS GOING ON? WHAT'S GOING ON? YOU SAW WITH YOUR, WITH YOUR OWN EYES, AS WE ALL DID, UH, WE COULDN'T CONDUCT OUR BUSINESS FOR OUR GUESTS. AND SO, UH, AT THE URGING OF A NUMBER OF COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, FOR SAFETY AND, UH, ORDER, WE ASKED OUR, UH, INDIVIDUALS TO BE REMOVED BECAUSE THEY FELL TO, AFTER NUMEROUS, NUMEROUS REQUESTS TO LET US CONDUCT OUR BUSINESS. AND IN FACT, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU TO OUR FIRST RESPONDERS THAT SHOWED A LOT OF PATIENCE. PATIENTS. I THINK WE SHOWED A LOT OF PATIENCE. SO, YOU KNOW, I DON'T HAVE TO REALLY DESCRIBE IT. COUNCIL MEMBER, YOU SAT THROUGH IT. WELL, YEAH. NOT TO DESCRIBE IT, BUT I THINK JUST FOR THE, FOR THE RECORD, YOU KNOW THIS, I'M SURE THIS WHOLE, OH, IT IS WELL DOCUMENTED, RIGHT? WILL BE ON EVERY NEWS STATION AND LIVE FEED. AND IT SPEAKS FOR ITSELF. I THINK WHAT'S, I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION FOR ME, TWO QUESTIONS. ONE, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT FOLKS ARE NOT ARRESTED IF THIS IS JUST ABOUT REQUESTING THEM TO LEAVE THIS DISCUSSION. I DID NOT PRESS CHARGES. OKAY. THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND THEN, UM, ALSO, UM, JUST TO COMMUNICATE PUBLICLY ABOUT WHAT HAS HAPPENED, BECAUSE YOU KNOW, THIS IS GONNA HIT THE STREET. WELL, IT'LL BE THE LEAD STORY TONIGHT. OH, I'M POSITIVE ABOUT THAT. UM, TOOK, PROBABLY TOOK THE BUDGET OFF OFF THE NEWS . I'M POSITIVE, I'M POSITIVE ABOUT THAT. BUT I JUST THINK IT'S, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT. AND UNFORTUNATELY I KNOW ABOUT A HALF A DOZEN THAT FOR SIX MONTHS WERE IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE EVERY FRIDAY NIGHT FROM NINE TO 11, UH, RAISING THE, THE GAZA TRAGEDY, UH, DISRUPTING A NEIGHBORHOOD, UNFORTUNATELY. AND SO THE SAME GROUP NOW HAS CHANGED SUBJECTS TO, UH, BEFORE COUNCIL. AND WE WELCOME, IN FACT, I WOULD TELL THEM THEY WERE MAKING PROGRESS. UH, THE MEMBERS WERE LISTENING AND MAKING SOME MODIFICATIONS. AND I ACTUALLY MENTIONED TO HIM MORE THAN ONCE, YOU'RE ONLY HURTING YOUR OWN. CAUSE IF YOU REALLY CARE ABOUT PEOPLE, UM, GIVE US YOUR INPUT, WHICH WE HAD PUBLIC SPEAKING YESTERDAY. UH, RALLY OUTSIDE IF YOU'D LIKE, WHILE WE WERE TRYING TO DO OUR BUSINESS. SO, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK I HAVE TO DESCRIBE IT ANYMORE THAN WHAT EVERYONE WITNESSED. IT'S WELL DOCUMENTED BY THE PRESS. UH, I THOUGHT HPD SHOWED A LOT OF RESTRAINT, WHICH THEY'RE TRAINED FOR. AND SO I THINK WE OUGHT TO GO BACK TO WORK. NO, I APPRECIATE THAT. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, ARRESTS WERE NOT MADE AND THAT NOTHING ESCALATES. WELL, I CAN'T SPEAK TO WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THEY GO OUT. I KNOW, BUT I, I THINK WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY BECAUSE THEY ARE HOUSTONIANS TO JUST CONTINUE TO BE GINGER AND, AND FACILITATE THAT. BECAUSE THIS IS THE PEOPLE CITY HALL SURE IS. RIGHT. AND THEY NEED TO RESPECT BUDGET PASSES. THEY'LL, THEY'LL, THERE'LL BE ANOTHER ISSUE AND THERE'LL BE ANOTHER ITEM. SO WE OPEN THESE CHAMBERS AND WE WELCOME THAT. BUT I JUST THINK WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT AS WE TRANSITION FROM THEM IN THE CHAMBERS TO OUTSIDE OF THE CITY BUILDING, THAT WE JUST REMEMBER THAT THEY ARE STILL OUR NEIGHBORS AND OUR FRIENDS, AND THEY, THEY'RE CARRYING A LOT OF FRUSTRATION. SO I, IT WAS JUST IMPORTANT TO, UM, TO MAKE, TO MAKE THAT REQUEST. AND I, AND I APPRECIATE THE COURTESY OF TIME. THANK YOU. AND [07:30:01] WHAT WAS THE REQUEST TO NO ARREST. ARREST? WELL, I CAN'T SPEAK TO THEIR ACTIVITY. ALL I CAN SAY ON BEHALF OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON FOR DISRUPTING THE COUNCIL, WE DID NOT PRESS CHARGES WHEN THEY GO OUTSIDE AND GET IN THE FACE OF OFFICERS. I'LL PUT IT THIS WAY, NOISE DID NOT GET ANYBODY ARRESTED. DID THEY WANT TO GET PHYSICAL? THAT'S THE JUDGMENT OF, UH, HPD. IF YOU'D LIKE TO SPEAK TO THE PROTESTORS, I, I WILL YIELD TO YOU TO DO IT. I THANK YOU FOR THE COURTESY OF TIME. THANK YOU, MA'AM. RAMIREZ, COUNCIL RAMEZ. COUNCILOR RAMIREZ. YES, MAYOR, I JUST WANT TO, UH, SORT OF CREATE A RECORD HERE AND NOTE THAT WE HAVE EIGHT TO 10 MEMBERS OF THE PRESS WHO ARE IN CHAMBERS, UH, RECORDING, TAKING NOTES, WHAT HAVE YOU. AND WE DO HAVE A FEW MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT ARE IN CHAMBERS WITH US AT THE MOMENT. COUNCILMAN FLICK AND CHAIR MAYOR. JUST WANTED TO SAY, I THOUGHT YOU WERE INCREDIBLY PATIENT AND INCREDIBLY RESTRAINED AND APPRECIATE EVERYTHING YOU DID WITH IT. THANK YOU. 1307. THANK YOU, MAYOR. SO THIS ONE IS GONNA BE WITHDRAWN. 1307 AND 1308 IS THE LIBRARY SYSTEM CON CONSOLIDATION STUDY. SO THIS IS IN LINE WITH THE OTHER CONSOLIDATION STUDY AMENDMENTS THAT I HAVE OFFERED. UM, AND I WOULD LIKE THIS TO BE REFERRED TO THE GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS AND BUDGET AND FISCAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE FOR FURTHER REVIEW AND CONSIDERATION. UH, I SHOULD HAVE ONE MORE. 1309. 1309 IS A LIBRARY PASSPORT, REVENUE REINVESTMENT AMENDMENT. SO, UH, WE HEARD FROM THE LIBRARY SYSTEM, UH, THE REVENUES THAT THEY GENERATE FROM THEIR PASSPORT SERVICES, UM, IS KEPT IN THE GENERAL FUND. UM, THEY ARE EAGER TO EXPAND THEIR OPERATIONS. THEY HAVE SOME POTENTIAL LOCATIONS IN NORTHEAST HOUSTON WHERE THEY COULD DO THAT, UH, GENERATE MORE MONEY. AND I FEEL LIKE RESTORING THIS MONEY TO THE LIBRARY SYSTEM IN A DEDICATED WAY HELPS OFFSET SOME OF THE CUTS THAT WE'VE MADE AND, AND WILL ALLOW THEM TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE SERVICES. I UNDERSTAND THE RULING IS THAT THIS IS NOT A BUDGET AMENDMENT FROM THE ADMINISTRATION. MY QUESTION IS, YOU KNOW, WHAT WOULD MAKE THIS A BUDGET AMENDMENT PRETTY DIFFICULT? I, I WILL, IT'S A VALUABLE SERVICE. AND, AND I WILL TAKE IT UP TO THE LIBRARY DIRECTOR POINT OF INFORMATION, UH, ON THE ITEM COUNSELOR CAME IN. CAN I BE RECOGNIZED? MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. THANK YOU. I, I WAS GONNA ASK IF THE YEAH. DIRECTOR OF FINANCE COULD PLEASE, CAN WE YIELD TO MELISSA? YES, SIR. YOU WANT TO GIVE US YOUR INSIGHT? YES. SO, UM, I WOULD SAY WITH THAT, WITH THIS ONE, UM, MAYBE WE COULD RECOMMEND, UH, LOOKING AT THE FEES THAT ARE CURRENTLY CHARGED TO REASSESS THE FEES, UM, TO SEE IF WE'RE, UH, SETTING THE FEE IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE COST, UH, YOU KNOW, TO COVER OUR COSTS. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT COULD BRING IN, YOU KNOW, SOME MORE RESOURCES IN ORDER TO EXPAND TO THOSE ADDITIONAL LOCATIONS. AND WITH THAT, WITH EXAMINING THE FEES, WOULD THAT ALSO BE THE TIME TO ASSESS WHETHER THAT CAN STAY DEDICATED TO THE LIBRARY SYSTEM, UH, REVENUE STREAM? YES. AND I WOULD SAY THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH THE BUDGET, BOTH THE EXPENDITURES AND THE REVENUES, YOU KNOW, ARE BOOKED INTO THE LIBRARY DEPARTMENT'S, UH, BUDGET AND COST CENTERS. UM, BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, UH, LOOKING AT THE FEES TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S, YOU KNOW, COVERING THE COST OF WHAT IT PROVIDES TO PROVIDE THE SERVICES THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD BE, UM, APPROPRIATE FOR A BUDGET AMENDMENT. I MEAN, WE CAN'T SET A FEE THROUGH A BUDGET AMENDMENT, BUT WE COULD EXPLORE, YOU KNOW, SENDING IT TO A FEE STUDY. OKAY. THEN, UM, I, WOULD I MOVE TO AMEN. THIS ITEM TO EXPLORE? I'M SORRY, COULD YOU REPEAT THE LANGUAGE AGAIN? DIRECTOR SENDING THIS TO BE EVALUATED FOR A FEE STUDY AND THEN MAYBE, YOU KNOW, REFERRING TO A COMMITTEE. OKAY. SO I'LL, I'LL MOVE TO AMEND THE ITEM TO EXPLORE A FEE STUDY FOR [07:35:01] THE PASSPORT SERVICES AND REFERRING IT TO THE BUDGET AND FISCAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE. FINE. COUNCILMAN KAMAN? NO, SIR. MINE WAS A POINT OF ORDER. UM, POINT OF INFORMATION. THANK YOU. YEAH, I THINK DUE DILIGENCE TO SEE WHAT LIBRARIES WOULD HAVE GREATER DEMAND THAN OTHERS WOULD BE VERY BENEFICIAL. UH, BUT YOU'VE MOVED TO AMEND YOUR AMENDMENT. UH, YOU SECOND MOTIONS MADE. AND SECOND. SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. UM, THANK YOU. SO THEN WE JUST NEED TO VOTE ON IT AS AMENDED. HAVE TO VOTE ON IT AS AMENDED. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. THANK YOU. NOW, COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ. COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I THINK WE HAVE A LOT OF BRAIN DRAIN RIGHT NOW. UM, IT'S BEEN REALLY, MAYBE, MAYBE NOT. WELL, I AM, UH, I'M THE LAST ONE TO SUBMIT MY, MY AMENDMENTS . I'M THE LAST ONE TO SUBMIT MY, MY BUDGET AMENDMENTS, AND, AND I WILL BE REFERRING 'EM TO COMMITTEE, BUT I DO WANNA SPEAK TO THEM BRIEFLY. UH, 14.01, 14.02, AND 14.03. ALL DEAL WITH SOLID WASTE. UM, YOU KNOW, THROUGHOUT THIS CONVERSATION TODAY, WE'VE HAD, UH, WE'VE DISCUSSED REDUCTION IN SERVICES, UH, WHETHER IT'S TRAVEL OR WHAT WHATNOT. UH, WE'VE ALSO BEEN DISCUSSING HOW WE'RE GONNA TAKE FROM FUND BALANCE. UM, I WILL CONTINUE TO, UH, HAVE THIS DIFFICULT CONVERSATION WITH THE COMMUNITY. UH, FEES ARE IMPORTANT. YES. UM, WE ALSO NEED TO LOOK AT THE REV CAP. AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE CAN CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THE SERVICES, UM, OR CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THIS HIGH, THIS, UH, FALSE EXPECTATION THAT WE'RE PROVIDING SERVICES, UM, BUT NOT STILL PICKING UP TRASH, YOU KNOW, NOT STILL MOWING, UH, GRASS AT PARKS. AND SO IT'S, IT IS A DIFFICULT CONVERSATION, BUT I, I DO WANT TO THANK THE ADMINISTRATION AS WELL. UM, WE HAVE BEEN A VERY PRAGMATIC, THE, THE PAST YEAR AND A HALF, UH, ON WHAT IS IT THAT WE NEED TO FOCUS ON? CORE SERVICES REDUCTION, UH, OF, OF A DUPLICATION OF SERVICES ADDRESSING IN INEFFICIENCIES. UM, BUT, UH, 14.1, IT IS A, UH, ESTABLISHES A ONE TIME, UH, FEE ON NEW RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT, UH, FOR WASTE SERVICES TO BE PROVIDED BY SOLID WASTE. UH, WE, WE KNOW THAT IN THE LAST THREE TO FOUR YEARS, WE'VE INCREASED CUSTOMER BY 45,000 NEW UNITS. THAT'S 45,000, UH, NEW FOLKS THAT WERE PICKING UP TRASH. UH, WE CANNOT CONTINUE TO DO THE, PROVIDE THESE, THESE SERVICES WITHOUT REALLY FIGURING OUT HOW WE CAN PAY FOR THEM. SO THIS ONE TIME FEE SHALL BE CALCULATED BY MULTIPLYING THE NUMBER OF NEW SINGLE FAMILY DWELLINGS IN THE DEV IN THE DEVELOPMENT BY THE COST INCURRED BY, UH, BY THE CITY TO DELIVER THE NEW REFUSE CONTAINERS. AND THIS IS ACCORDING TO FFY 24, WHICH WAS PASSED BACK THEN, $28. THE FEE SHALL NOT BE APPLIED TO THE DEVELOPMENT, UH, BUT, BUT WITH PRIVATE TRASH SERVICES. SO ALL REVENUE GENERATED FROM THIS ONE TIME SERVICE FEE WOULD BE UTILIZED BY SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT, WHO WE ALL KNOW NEED THE FUNDING TO SUPPORT DEPARTMENT OPERATIONS SERVICES AND PROGRAMMING. I WILL BE REFERRING THAT TO GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS SERVICE DELIVERY. UH, HOPEFULLY, UM, REALLY HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS MORE IN DEBT, AND IT'S REALLY MORE SO, SO THAT WAY THE DIRECTOR WHO'S ONLY BEEN IN THE POSITION FOR EIGHT WEEKS, GIVE 'EM SOME MORE OPPORTUNITY TO, YOU KNOW, DIGEST IN ALL THE INFORMATION THAT THE ADMINISTRATION HAS BEEN SHARING WITH THEM. AND ALSO ALLOW STAKEHOLDERS TO COME, UH, AND SPEAK THEIR PIECE AS WELL. UH, 14.02. IT INCREASES FUNDING FOR THE SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT BY ESTABLISHING A MONTHLY SOLID WASTE USER FEE FOR RESIDENTS WITH SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT TRASH SERVICE. THE USER FEE SHALL BE BASED ON A PAY AS YOU THROW MODEL. WE KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THIS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. WE'RE THE LARGEST, ONE OF THE LARGEST, UH, UNITS PASSED WITHOUT A TRASH FEE. IF YOU TALK TO OUR NEIGHBORS TO THE SOUTH, EAST, WEST, NORTH, EVERYBODY HAS AN AVERAGE OF ABOUT, FROM WHAT I HEAR, ABOUT 2020 $5, UH, MONTHLY FEE. IT'S IN THEIR WATER BILL. THEY HAVE MULTIPLE TRASH PICKUPS, REGULAR TRASH PICKUPS. THEY HAVE, UH, ACCESS TO HEAVY TRASH PICKUP ON CALL AS WELL. AND SO, UH, THIS IS REALLY TO START LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN RIGHTSIZE SOLID WASTE COURSE CORRECT WHAT THEY'VE BEEN DOING FOR THE PAST DECADES. THE USER FEE SHALL BE BASED ON A PAY AS YOU THROW. MODEL REVENUE SHALL BE USED TO ESTABLISH AN ENTERPRISE FUND FOR SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT OPERATIONS, INCLUDING HIRING ADDITIONAL STAFF AND INSPECTORS, PURCHASING EQUIPMENT AND SUSTAINING SERVICES, SUCH AS REMOVING ILLEGAL DUMPING TIRES AND OTHER SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT PROGRAMMING. UH, 14.03. THE CITY OF HOUSTON SHALL REVIEW THE SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT HEAVY TRASH COLLECTION PROGRAM, AND ESTABLISH AN ON-DEMAND SERVICE FOR HEAVY TRASH, UH, WHICH WOULD BE MORE EFFICIENT AND SUSTAINABLE FOR SOLID WASTE AND MORE RELIABLE, RELIABLE, MORE RELIABLE TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE CUSTOMERS. UH, SO RIGHT NOW WE HAVE ABOUT 400,000 CUSTOMERS. AND WHAT WE NORMALLY PICK UP ON AVERAGE IS ABOUT 120,000 [07:40:01] OF THOSE CUSTOMERS THAT ACTUALLY USE BULK WAYS, ABOUT 60,000 USE TREE WASTE. UM, WHAT ON DEMAND WOULD ALLOW US TO DO IS USE LESS, LESS RESOURCES TO MEET THE DEMAND OF THOSE THAT ARE, UH, THAT ARE NEEDING TO GET THE HEAVY TRASH, WHETHER IT'S BULK OR TREE WASTE, PICKED UP AGAIN. THAT ONE WILL BE REFERRED TO, UH, TO THE, UH, COMMITTEE, UH, 14.04. AND THIS ONE'S, UH, IN REGARDS TO PARKS DEPARTMENT, WE, WE KNOW THAT, THAT OUR PARK RANGERS ARE, ARE OVERWORKED. UH, SOME OF Y'ALL THAT HAVE PROBABLY SPOKEN TO THE DIRECTOR, WHEN A PARK RANGER GOES OUT TO A COMMUNITY TO OPEN UP A GATE, UH, BY THE TIME THEY'RE DONE OPENING UP ALL THE GATES IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, IT'S TIME TO START CLOSING THEM. UM, AND WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH STAFF. AND SO, UH, 14.04, IT ESTABLISHES AN ADOPT A GATE PROGRAM, SIMILAR TO AN ADOPT A FIELD WHERE A COMMUNITY CAN MOW DE LITTER, UM, UH, UH, BALL FIELDS, UH, UNDER THE HOUSTON PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT. THIS DEPAR, THIS ADOPTION PROGRAM SHALL ENCOURAGE AND PROVIDE ORGANIZATIONS, HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATIONS, CIVIC CLUBS, AND RESIDENTS IN INTERESTED IN TAKING ON RESPONSIBILITY TO OPEN AND CLOSE PARK GATES DAILY, THE ABILITY TO DO SO. AND THERE THEREBY FREEING UP PARK RANGERS FOR THIS RESPONSIBILITY, UH, FROM THIS RESPONSIBILITY AND ALLOWING THEM TO FOCUS ON PRIORITY RESPONSIBILITIES LIKE SECURITY PATROLS AT CITY PARKS. UM, I WILL BE REFERRING THIS AS WELL TO GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS. UH, NEXT WE HAVE 14.05 AND 14.06. THESE, UH, HAVE TO DEAL WITH OFFICE OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY. UM, I'VE SPOKEN TO DIRECTOR HORDE AND, UH, SHE'S SHARED SOME DATA, BUT I ALSO WANT TO, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, BE MINDFUL OF MY COLLEAGUES AND STAKEHOLDERS. SO I WILL BE REFERRING THESE TO, TO, UH, COMMITTEE AS WELL. I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE AS MUCH CONVERSATION ABOUT, ABOUT THESE, UH, BUDGET AMENDMENTS. UM, AND 14.05 ESTABLISHES, UH, AND ASSESSES A FEE FOR GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES USING THE CITY OF HOUSTON. ISSUED M-W-S-B-E AND CERTIFICATION. THIS FEE SHOULD COVER THE FULL COST INCURRED BY THE CITY TO PROCESS CERTIFICATIONS. REVENUE FROM THIS FEE SHALL BE USED TO ESTABLISH AN ENTERPRISE FUND TO SUPPORT THE OPERATIONS OF OBO OFFICE OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY, INCLUDING THE HIRING OF ADDITIONAL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT COORDINATORS, CONTRACT ADMINISTRATORS, STAFF ANALYSTS, AND OTHER ESSENTIAL POSITIONS, AS WELL AS PURCHASING NECESSARY SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT TO SUSTAIN THE OPERATIONS OF OBO 14.06 ESTABLISHES A FEE FOR M-W-S-B-E CERTIFICATION AND ISSUES, UH, THROUGH CERTIFICATIONS ISSUED THROUGH OBO. THE FEE SHOULD REFLECT ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS INCURRED BY THE CITY TO PROCESS REVIEW AND ISSUE CERTIFICATIONS. REVENUE GENERATED FROM THIS FEE SHALL BE USED TO ESTABLISH AN ENTERPRISE FUND TO SUPPORT THE OPERATIONS OF OBO, INCLUDING HIRING ADDITIONAL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT COORDINATORS, CONTRACT ADMINISTRATORS, STAFF ANALYSTS, AND OTHER ESSENTIAL PERSONNEL. UM, WE DO HAVE NUMBERS, BUT I'D LIKE TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE ARE SHARED PUBLICLY WITH EVERYONE AT THE COMMITTEE MEETING AS FAR AS WHAT THOSE, THOSE APPLICATIONS WOULD COST. UH, I, I WANNA THANK, UM, DIRECTOR HORDE FOR, YOU KNOW, HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS OVER THE PAST, I WOULD SAY EIGHT MONTHS OR SO. UH, ULTIMATELY WE NEED TO IDENTIFY WAYS WHERE WE CAN BRING IN REVENUE. AND THIS IS MY, MY GOAL. THEY'RE HARD DECISIONS. NOBODY WANTS TO PAY MORE IN TAXES. NOBODY WANTS TO PAY A FEE. BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, IF WE'RE GONNA HAVE, UM, SERVICES THAT WE, WE CAN REALLY GIVE COMMUNITY AN EXPECTATION THAT WE CAN COMMIT TO, UM, THEN WE NEED TO ALSO BE ABLE TO MAKE THESE HARD DECISIONS. AND SO I'M REFERRING, UH, 14.1 THROUGH 14.6 COMMITTEE. MAYOR. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND, UH, WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK TOWARDS YOUR GOAL. UH, OKAY. I BELIEVE THAT'S IT MEMBERS. NOW I HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE BEGINNING AND DO THE GENERAL FUND, FUND BALANCE ITEMS. OKAY. STARTING BACK ON PAGE ONE. SO THE FIRST ONE IS, WHICH ONE WE NEED VOTES ON MR. 1 0 1 AND 1 0 2 ARE THE FIRST 1, 1 0 1 MAY MAYOR, UM, IF WE COULD, I, I, I KNOW DIRECTOR DEBOSKY HAS, UM, KEPT UP WITH ALL OF THE GENERAL FUND DOLLARS MM-HMM . THAT HAVE BEEN REQUESTED. IF, IF POSSIBLE, CAN WE JUST DO A QUICK RUNDOWN? I'VE BEEN KEEPING A RUNNING LIST, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, THAT MY LIST AND HER LIST IS THE SAME. BEFORE WE ACTUALLY GET TO THE VOTING OF THESE EXCELLENT IDEAS. MELISSA, YOU WANT TO COME FORWARD AND GIVE US A STATUS REPORT AS BEST YOU CAN. OKAY. I WAS STILL TYPING. MIGHT BE A EASY, INTERESTING QUESTION. DO YOU HAVE A TOTAL FOR WHAT WOULD BE SPENT IF WE WENT TO, LET ME JUST GET MY BINDER REAL QUICK. , THAT'D BE INTERESTING. [07:45:02] OH, YOU'RE DOING IT BY MEMBER. I WAS TRYING TO, OKAY. ALRIGHT. SO, OKAY. SO WE STARTED OFF WITH ABOUT 129 MILLION ABOVE THE 7.5% TALK ONE, HUN. THIS IS WHAT THE, BASED ON THE BUDGET, THE PROPOSED BUDGET WITH THE RED LINE CHANGES, THE FUND BALANCE ABOVE 7.5% IS 129 MILLION. SO WE'RE TAKING FROM, SO BASICALLY TAKING OUT OF THE 1 29 IS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT. SO THE ONES THAT I HAVE CIRCLED THAT NEED A VOTE STILL, SOMEONE ELSE IS GOING TO CHECK ME. RIGHT. I HAVE, UH, RAMIREZ, 1.01 RAMIREZ, 1.02, PLUMBER 4.01. WITHDRAWN. WHO WITHDRAWN? UH, I THOUGHT SHE WITHDREW THAT. THANK YOU. ALCORN 5.01 P 6.01. MM-HMM . AND SIX POINT 10 AS WELL FROM MINE. SIX 10. I DIDN'T SEE THAT THIS WOULD TAKE FROM THE FUND BALANCE THOUGH. NO, BUT REQUIRES A VOTE. OKAY. I THOUGHT THAT PASSED. OKAY. OKAY. CAYMAN 8.01 FLICKINGER 10.01, FLICKINGER 10 10.01 HUFFMAN 12.01 ADDED TO THE, ADDED TO THE FUND BALANCE, HUFFMAN 12.03, WE HAVEN'T VOTED ON YET. CASTILLO 13.03. SO A COUPLE OF THOSE DON'T HAVE, I I WANNA JUST GO OVER THE AMOUNTS TOO. SO, ON RAMIREZ 1.01, I THINK HE MAY WANT TO CALL THE QUESTION ON DIVIDE HIS ISSUE, BUT THAT ONE WAS LIKE AT 8 75. YES. AND THEN 1.02 WAS AT 1 25. YES. AND THEN COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN FOR THE OPEP TRUST, WAS THAT AT 10 MILLION? IT'S 8.5. 8.5 P 6 0 1. I HAVE TBD BECAUSE IT DEPENDS ON HOW MUCH ABOVE THE FUND BALANCE. WHICH ONE IS THAT PECK 6.01. MM-HMM . WOULD THAT, WOULD THAT NOT TAKE AWAY, IT WOULDN'T TAKE AWAY FROM THE 1 29. YEAH. AND THEN P SIX POINT 10 DOESN'T HAVE A FINANCIAL IMPLICATION. CAYMAN 8.01 IS THAT ONE AT 13 MILLION. 10.8. 10.8 MILLION. INGER 10.01. UM, THE, THE KIOSK REVENUE, IF I'M UNDERSTANDING THE AMENDMENT AS AMENDED TO USE THE KIOSK REVENUE, THE KIOSK REVENUE ACTUALLY COMES INTO THE GENERAL FUND FUND BALANCE. YEAH. SO IT WOULD TAKE FROM THE FUND BALANCE. SO 1.7 MILLION, ONLY 1.3 BECAUSE IT WOULD BE THE ONLY, OKAY. 1.3 MILLION [07:50:08] HUFFMAN 12.01. SOME OF THIS COULD BE GENERAL FUNDS, SOME ENTERPRISE FUNDS, BUT IT'S NOT TAKING AWAY FROM FUND BALANCE. SO WE'LL GO PAST IT. HUFFMAN 12.03, UH, 1% OF THE UNASSIGNED GENERAL FUND BALANCE, UM, BASED ON THE RED LINE BUDGET, THAT WOULD BE ABOUT 3 MILLION, 3.2 MILLION. MM-HMM . 12.03 AND CASTILLO CASTILLO 13.03. 350,000. SO I GET ABOUT 25,000,024 MILLION 9 8 9 2 7 5 20 4 MILLION 9 8 9 2 7 5 FROM THE, THAT'S WHAT'S REQUESTED FROM THE 129 MILLION WE HAVE ABOVE THE 7.5%? CORRECT. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. LETS DO IT. LET'S START WITH 1.0 A, A COUPLE OF BIG ITEMS IF I COULD. MELISSA, WHAT HAS BEEN OUR HISTORY ON THE COUNCILMAN'S ALCORN POST-EMPLOYMENT BENEFIT TRUST? I KNOW IT'S IMPORTANT, BUT WHEN'S THE LAST TIME WE PUT ANY MONEY IN IT LAST YEAR, MA'AM? AND THE YEAR BEFORE YOU WHAT? WE, WE PUT IT IN THE BUDGET LAST YEAR AND WE PUT IT IN THE BUDGET THE YEAR BEFORE. IT HASN'T BEEN, BUT IT NEVER HAPPENED. SO TO ME IT'S NOT EVEN RIGHTLY LIKE NEW, A NEW ITEM. IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE VOTED ON AS A COUN, AS A COUNCIL, AS PART OF A, OUR BUDGET ORDINANCE. I DON'T LOOK AT IT AS WE'RE TAKING FROM OUR 129. I FEEL LIKE WE ALREADY DID THAT. AND IT'S, IT'S GOOD SOUND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT. IT'S ADDRESSING OUR UNFUNDED LIABILITY. THERE'S NO DOUBT IT HAS MERIT. I WAS INTERESTED IN THE HISTORY OF HOW LONG YOU'VE BEEN PUTTING MONEY IN THE TRUST. WELL, WE, WE BUDGETED MONEY IN IT FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS. IT JUST NEVER GOT, THE TRUST NEVER GOT CREATED. I THINK THAT'S WHAT I WAS SPEAKING TO. SO IT WOULD, AND YOU CA YOU DON'T WANT TO CALL IT NEW MONEY, BUT IT WOULD BE THE FIRST TIME TO PUT MONEY IN THE TRUST. WHAT, BE THE FIRST TIME TO FUND IT? WELL, I MEAN, WE BUDGETED FOR IT, BUT IF WE REALLY DO IT AND CREATE THE TRUST, THAT'LL BE I BE FIRST TIME . NO, THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO, YEAH, THAT'LL BE THE FIRST TIME. IT'LL BE GREAT. WE'LL HAVE OPEP TRUST CALL CHRIS BROWN. OKAY. ALRIGHT. LET'S GO. LET'S 1.01, 1.01. UH, CAYMAN IS IN THE QUEUE. MAY COUNCILMAN CAIN. UH, THANK YOU. JUST COUNCILMAN ALCORN, IF WE DO NOT FUND THIS, THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT RISKS THAT WE ALSO HAVE. IS THAT CORRECT? IN TERMS OF LIABILITY, BUT ALSO CREDIT RATINGS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE? YEAH, I MEAN, IT ALL PLAYS IN. IT'S JUST, LIKE I SAID, IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST PAYING THE MINIMUM ON YOUR CREDIT CARD. AND IT'S JUST CONTINUING THAT PRACTICE. ALL THE THINGS THAT, ALL THE THINGS THAT GO INTO A, A NON STRUCTURALLY BALANCED BUDGET HAVE AN IMPACT. BUT I MEAN, THE SKY WOULDN'T FALL. WE'VE NEVER DONE IT IN, YOU KNOW, THE HISTORY OF TIME, BUT IT'S STILL, IT'S THE RIGHT TIME. OKAY. 1 0 1. ALRIGHT, MAYOR. UM, IN LISTENING TO THE DEBATE, UM, IT SEEMS LIKE THERE ARE VARYING LEVELS OF SUPPORT FOR EACH ALLOCATION IN THIS AMENDMENT. AND SO WHAT I PROPOSE TO DO IS DIVIDE THE QUESTION INTO THREE SEPARATE VOTES. ONE TO BE TAKEN ON ADDING TWO LAWYERS AND ONE PARALEGAL TO THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT AT A COST OF $375,000. THEN A SECOND SEPARATE VOTE TO ADD TWO FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES TO A RA AT A COST OF $250,000. AND THEN A THIRD SEPARATE VOTE TO ADD TWO, UH, FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES TO PUBLIC WORKS TO HANDLE ENFORCEMENTS FORMERLY HANDLED BY DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS, SUCH AS PROHIBITED YARD PARKING AT A COST OF $250,000. SO, MOVE TO DIVIDE THE QUESTION AND CALL FOR A VOTE ON EACH SEPARATE SEPARATELY. WE HAVE A SECOND FROM HUFFMAN. COUNCILMAN HUFFMAN, WE HAVE A SECOND FROM HER. OH. FIRST AND MAY, UH, FOR DIVIDE THE QUESTION. COUNCILMAN CAYMAN? NO. PLUMBER. PLUMBER. COUNCIL PLUMBER. THANK [07:55:01] YOU MAYOR. AND COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ, DO YOU MIND ADDING MULTIFAMILY? YES. AND, AND LET, LET ME, UH, I PROPOSE THAT, UH, WITH REGARD TO THE FIRST QUESTION ON, UH, THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT, UH, LET'S DO THAT. OKAY. ALRIGHT. BUT, BUT I DON'T, DON'T WANNA INTERRUPT YOU, BUT THE ONLY WAY WE'RE GONNA GET THROUGH IT IF WE BREAK IT DOWN AND START VOTING. YEAH, EXACTLY. THAT'S, I'M SAYING IF WE COULD ADD, IF WE COULD ADD THAT TO THE, THE 3 75, RIGHT. IF, IF I COULD ADD THE LANGUAGE MM-HMM . UH, THAT I, I THINK IT SHOULD READ $375,000 TO THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT, NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES TO SUPPORT TWO ADDITIONAL ATTORNEYS. ONE TO HANDLE GENERAL NUISANCE ACTIONS UNDER SECTION 1 25, THEN ADDING THE LANGUAGE, INCLUDING MULTIFAMILY HOUSING VIOLATIONS, ONE TO TARGET NUISANCE CASES RELATED TO HUMAN TRAFFICKING OPERATIONS, ET CETERA. AND, AND ONE PARALEGAL A SECOND MOVE TO ADD THAT LANGUAGE. I SECOND. OKAY. WHY DON'T YOU MAKE A MOTION ON THE THREE SEVENTY FIVE LEGAL ASSISTANCE. SO CALL THE QUESTION ON, UH, MOTIONS NUMBER ONE AND SECONDED BY HUFFMAN ITEM IS AMENDED, SIR. 375,000 TO LEGAL TO SUPPORT TWO ATTORNEYS AND ONE PARALEGAL AS AMENDED ASD. OKAY. AS AMENDED COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS IS IN THE QUEUE. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. SO IF I UNDERSTAND CORRECTLY, COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ, ARE YOU, YOU ASKING FOR, RATHER THAN VOTING ON THE TOTAL AMENDMENT, YOU WANT TO SEPARATE EACH ONE INTO THREE? THAT'S CORRECT. ALL THREE. OKAY. AND I'LL CALL FOR A ROLL CALL ON IT. HE DIVIDED THE QUESTION. I HAVE A QUESTION. UH, FOR THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT, UM, ATTORNEY ARTURO MICHELLE, UM, IS THIS, IS THIS A REQUEST FROM THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT FOR TWO ADDITIONAL ATTORNEYS AND A PARALEGAL? NO, THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT DID NOT MAKE THE REQUEST IS, DOES THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT NEED TWO ADDITIONAL ATTORNEYS AND A PARALEGAL? UH, WHAT I STATED DURING MY BUDGET PRESENTATION IS ONE OF THE THINGS I WANT TO DO TO STRETCH OUR RESOURCES IS TO USE I IS TO WORK CROSS WITHIN SECTIONS. YOU KNOW, THE WORK THAT'S BEING DONE IS ESSENTIALLY LITIGATION WORK. AND WE HAVE, UH, FOUR OTHER LITIGATION UNITS BESIDES THIS THAT I WOULD TRY TO TRAIN THE OTHER LAWYERS IN DOING THAT. OKAY. OH, FOR NUMBER THREE, I'M SORRY. OKAY. COUNCILMAN FLICKINGER. UH, COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ. I GOT A QUESTION ON THE $250,000 FOR THE ADMINISTRATION REGULATORY AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT. TWO FTES. OKAY. I'M SORRY. COUNCIL, COUNCIL MEMBER. FULL INTEGER. WE'RE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT NUMBER ONE NOW. OKAY. I'LL HOLD OFF ON THAT THEN. RIGHT. ONE IS AMENDED. ONE IS AMENDED. THAT PART OF ONE IS AMENDED? YES. OH, AND, AND CAN I ASK, CAN I ASK A QUESTION OF CI UH, CITY ATTORNEY SINCE, UH, MY COLLEAGUE ASKED A QUESTION? UH, ATTORNEY MICHELLE, IF YOU HAD TWO ADDITIONAL ATTORNEYS IN, IN YOUR NUISANCE SECTION, WOULD THEY HAVE PLENTY OF WORK TO DO? YEAH, THEY WOULD. I'M NOT, I I'M NOT TRYING TO LOOK A GIFT HORSE IN THE MOUTH AT ALL, BUT I MEAN, TO ANSWER THE QUESTION PRECISELY, I, WE DID NOT ASK FOR THIS. AND I'M TRYING TO STRETCH OUR RESOURCES BY HAVING OUR LAWYERS WORK ACROSS SECTIONS. APPRECIATE YOU BEING A GOOD SOLDIER. GOVERNOR DAVIS. DAVIS. COUNCILLOR DAVIS. OKAY. THANK YOU. UM, ATTORNEY. I'M, I'M, I'M, I'M JUST, I'M, I GUESS WHERE I'M COMING FROM IS YOU, YOU SAY YOU DON'T NEED IT, BUT WE NEED ADDITIONAL EFFORTS. UH, MY PLAN WAS TO DO IT WITHOUT INCREASING PERSONNEL. OKAY. THAT IF IT GOES ACCORDING TO MY PLAN, IT WILL EITHER SUCCEED OR NOT, BUT WE'LL GIVE IT A GOOD EFFORT. OKAY. OKAY. SO THEN, IF I UNDERSTAND THIS RIGHT, COUNCILMAN, DID YOU ASK HIM FOR THIS? BASED ON THE ITEM NUMBER TWO AND THREE, YOU ARE ASKING TO ADD THE TWO ATTORNEYS AND A PARALEGAL FOR THE PURPOSES OF NUMBER TWO AND NUMBER THREE? NO, SIR. NO, SIR. DIVIDING THE QUESTION TO THREE. IF YOU, IF YOU LOOK AT YOUR, UH, AT YOUR, AT YOUR WRITING, I'M LOOKING AT IT ONLY THE FIRST PARAGRAPH, UH, AFTER NUMBER ONE. SO THE OTHER TWO DEPARTMENTS WILL HAVE, WE'LL TAKE SEPARATE VOTES ON THOSE. WE'RE JUST VOTING ON THE TWO ATTORNEYS FOR, FOR THE NUISANCE SECTION AND THE PARALEGAL FOR THE NUISANCE SECTION. IF WE, IF WE EVER VOTE, WE WILL YES. CALL THE QUESTION TAR. I, I MEAN, COUNCILMAN JACKSON. I HAVE ONE. I HAVE ONE QUESTION. SO YOU, YOU SAY NUISANCES MM-HMM . UM, FOR HUMAN TRAFFICKING. [08:00:01] AND SO DOES THIS COVER, UM, NEIGHBORHOOD, LIKE IT CERTAINLY DOES. WE HAVE PENDING BUILDINGS AND, UM, FOLKS, TWO POSITIONS. ONE TO HANDLE, HANDLE GENERAL NUISANCE VIOLATIONS SUCH AS , WHICH HAS BUILDINGS. THE SECOND ONE TO HANDLE, UH, NUISANCES RELATED TO HUMAN TRAFFICKING, INCLUDING MASSAGE PARLORS, WHICH ARE IN EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD. OKAY. YEAH. OKAY. THAT'S THE ONE HANDLED. OKAY. PLEASE, LET'S CALL THE ROAD. MR. SECRETARY ON ITEM NUMBER ONE, THE TWO ASSISTANT ATTORNEYS MAYOR? YES, SIR. YES, SIR. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER PECK? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. I DUNNO, IS THAT A YES SIR OR A NO? IT'S A YES. COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ? NO. COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD? NO. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTEX TATUM? YES. DON'T BE COUNCIL MEMBER. COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER. COUNCIL MEMBER PLUM AND COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN. YES. NAVY MAN. SET YOU STRAIGHT. . HE MAY EXPLAINED IT TO YOU. HE CARRIES 15 TO TWO ITEM NUMBER TWO, MAYOR. THIS IS, THIS WILL BE, UH, THE SECOND PART OF THE THREE. THIS, UH, WOULD ADD TWO FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES TO A RA, UH, IN THE AMOUNT OF $250,000 TO HANDLE, UH, THE 65 AREAS PERMIT THAT PERMITS THAT THEY ISSUE, UH, FEE COLLECTIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THOSE, AS WELL AS SHORT TERM RENTAL ORDINANCE, UH, GAME ROOMS, SEXUALLY ORIENTED BUSINESSES, SOUND AND NOISE RELATED EQUIPMENT AND, AND OTHER, UH, MATTERS. SO CALL, CALL THE QUESTION ON THIS ONE AS WELL. ONE MOMENT. COUNCILMAN PLIER. FOR THESE TWO FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES, WE'VE GOT 250,000, SO 125,000 EACH FULLY LOADED. I UNDERSTAND THAT'S GOT BENEFITS AND EVERYTHING ELSE INVOLVED, BUT THAT STILL SEEMS LIKE QUITE A BIT. I MEAN, THESE ARE NOT ATTORNEYS THAT WE'RE HIRING FOR THIS. IS THERE ANY WAY WE COULD MAYBE REDUCE THAT TO 200? UM, PROBABLY FOR THEIR BENEFITS TOO, RIGHT? INCLUDING THE BENEFITS? YES. THE FULLY LOADED, RIGHT? I I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE EXACT FIGURE WOULD BE. I GUESS IT MIGHT DEPEND ON, UM, THE QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE OF WHOEVER THEY HIRED. AND SO THAT'S WHY I, I PUT IT AT $250,000. IF THEY DON'T SPEND ALL THAT WELL, THEN GREAT. I DON'T, I DON'T THINK THEY'RE REQUIRED TO. GOOD ENOUGH. YEAH. WELL, MAYOR, AND ALL DUE RESPECT. WHERE'D YOU GET YOUR NUMBER? THAT'S MY QUESTION. WELL, UM, I GUESS IT STARTED FROM A CONVERSATION I HAD WITH, UM, THE SECTION CHIEF OF THE, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES IN LEGAL AT, UH, WHAT, UH, IT COSTS THEM TO HIRE AN ATTORNEY. SO I WORKED DOWN A LITTLE BIT FROM THAT. SO THESE ARE MORE ATTORNEYS AND, AND ALSO MAYOR, I MEAN, WHAT WE, WHAT WE PAY OUR FOLKS AS WELL. UM, CONSIDER THAT WHAT YOU PAY YOUR FOLKS. WELL, IT VARIES. , WHICH FOLKS YOU TALKING ABOUT? MINUS 2%. OKAY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? UH, MAYOR PROTE. SO THE $250,000 WAS, IS THAT IN CONSULTATION WITH THE A RA PAY SCHEDULE? I HAVEN'T INQUIRED OF THAT, SO I GUESS THAT'S JUST PROBLEMATIC FOR ME BECAUSE IF WE ALLOCATE 250,000 AND THEY MAKE 300,000, THEN YOU GONNA COME BACK AND ASK FOR AN ADDITIONAL 50,000. OR IF THEY, I THINK WE NEED TO KNOW HOW MUCH THEY GET PAID. 200 IF I, I DOUBT THEY'RE GETTING 300,000 FOR TWO, BUT THIS IS A BALLPARK FIGURE. I THINK THAT CAN, CAN ACCOMMODATE HIRING, UH, TWO FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES TO DO WHAT THEY DO THERE. WHO'D YOU TALK? WHO'D YOU TALK TO? CAN WE, CAN WE FIND OUT WHAT THE SALARY IS FOR TWO A RA AVERAGE SALARY FOR TWO A RA EMPLOYEES COUNCIL MEMBER? ALCORN, DO YOU HAVE THE, I I I DIDN'T ASK SPECIFICALLY ABOUT A RA, BUT I ALWAYS ASK WHAT THE ALL IN AVERAGE SALARY FOR A MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEE IS. AND THAT'S 89,761. AND THAT'S AVERAGE. YEAH. AND THAT'S ALL IN, AND THAT'S ALL IN BIG MONEY AT ARA. AND THESE POSITIONS WOULDN'T BE AVERAGE [08:05:01] POSITIONS. THEY WOULD NOT, I I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY, THEY WOULDN'T BE AVERAGE PROFESSIONAL. PROBABLY THAT'S, WE NEED TO ASK. I GUESS WE COULD SAY YOU DON'T HAVE TO SPEND IT. WE COULD DO BOTH. WE, WE, WE COULD DO THAT, OR I'M OPEN TO AN AMENDMENT TO REDUCE IT TO 180,000 IF THAT'S WHAT IT TAKES TO, BUT THAT'S SUCH AN, AN INEXACT SCIENCE. UH, OR JUST CALL THE QUESTION, CALL THE, UH, CALL. WELL WAIT, WE GOT SOME MORE COMMENTS. I, I HAVE A QUESTION. COUNCIL MEMBER, WOULD YOU BE OPEN, WOULD YOU BE OPEN TO REFERRING THAT TO COMMITTEE? AND ONLY I AM SAYING THAT IS BECAUSE WE, A RA ISN'T OPENING UP THE STR PORTAL UNTIL AUGUST AND WE'RE REALLY NOT GONNA KNOW WHO'S REGISTERING. LIKE WE'RE NOT GONNA REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT THE WORKFLOW AND WORK NECESS WHAT'S GONNA BE NECESSARY TO MANAGE IT. WOULD YOU BE OPEN TO REFERRING THAT TO COMMITTEE TO EVALUATE SALARY? AND THAT ALSO GIVES AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE WHAT, WHAT TYPE OF, UM, WORK IS GONNA BE NECESSARY TO BE ABLE TO GET ALL OF THESE STR IN ON THE BOOKS PROPERLY. JUST JUST A QUESTION TO COUNCIL MEMBER. BUNCH OF QUESTIONS IN AREA. WELL, UH, COULD I INTERRUPT IN, IN THE BUDGET QUESTION? IT WAS 75,000 ACCORDING TO MY STAFF. THIS WAS DISCUSSED IN THE HEARINGS AND IT WAS 75,000 PER FTE FOR THIS POSITION. SO YOU MIGHT WANT TO THINK ABOUT AMENDING IT TO 75,000 EACH. ALRIGHT, THEN, OR LOSE YOUR AMENDMENT. I'LL, I'LL MOVE TO AMEND THE DOLLAR AMOUNT TO 150,000 TO A RA TO SUPPORT TWO FTES. OKAY. EVERYONE HEARD THE AMENDMENT? IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND. MOTION MADE AND A SECOND TO LOWER IT TO 75,000 EACH, WHICH WOULD BE A TOTAL OF ONE 50 FOR THE SUPPORT STAFF. MM-HMM . VOTE ON THAT. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. POST NAY CARTER. NO. UH, POLLARD? NO. NO. THE CALL THE ROLL, PLEASE. AND THIS IS A REDUCTION FROM TWO 50 TO ONE 50. MAYOR, MAYOR WHITMEYER? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER P? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN. AYE. , COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS? NO. COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ. NO. COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD? NO. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTEX STATE? NO. COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS? NO. COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER? NO. COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER? YES. AND COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN? YES. BE 11? YES. SIX NOS. THE MOTION PASSES. GONNA VOTE FOR HOW YOU WANNA MOVE ON YOUR ONE 50 FIGURE. ALRIGHT. UM, ON ITEM NUMBER THREE. UH, YEAH. YOU KIDDING? TWO. WE JUST AMENDED IT. 21 DAYS. IT'S ONE 50. IT'S ONE 50 NOW. OKAY. ALRIGHT. MOVE TO CALL THE QUESTION ON NUMBER TWO THEN. $150,000 FOR TWO FTES AND A RA PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. GO. MAYOR WHITMEYER. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER PECK. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS? NO. COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN? NO. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ. NO. COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD? NO. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTEX TATUM? NO. COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS? NO. COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER? NO. COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER? YES. AND COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN? YES. SAME NUMBER. SAME NUMBER? WELL, THAT WAS THE MINUTE. 10 BEING 10 YESES. SEVEN NOS. MOTION PASSES. NOW YOU'RE ON ITEM THREE. NOW. ITEM THREE. AND IT'S BEEN SUGGESTED TO ME THAT, UH, INSTEAD OF PULLING, UH, FROM GENERAL FUND BALANCE THAT WE PULL FROM PUBLIC WORKS VACANCIES INSTEAD THEY HAVE A NUMBER OF VACANCIES THERE. SO, UH, MOVE TO AMEND THIS ITEM. UH, PART THREE, TO PULL 250,000 FROM PUBLIC WORKS, UH, VACANCIES TO FUND TWO FTES TO HANDLE CODE ENFORCEMENTS FORMERLY HANDLED BY DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS [08:10:01] SUCH AS BANDIT SIGNS, DANGEROUS BUILDINGS, VACANT BUILDINGS, ILLEGAL DUMPING JUNK MOTOR VEHICLES, AND PROHIBITED YARD PARKING. SECOND COUPLE SECONDS. OKAY. COUNCILMAN ALCORN. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND I'D LIKE TO TALK JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT THE MAYOR PRO TEM SAID EARLIER ABOUT THE CO BECAUSE THIS IS, THESE ARE THE CODE ENFORCEMENT PEOPLE, AND SHE'S BEEN SAYING THIS AS LONG AS I'VE BEEN SITTING HERE AND ABOUT WHETHER, YOU KNOW, COUNCIL, DISTRICT SERVICE FUNDS COULD BE USED TO FUND, I THINK VICE MAYOR PRO TEM SAID IT TOO COULD BE USED TO FUND A DEDICATED EMPLOYEE TO HANDLE THESE ISSUES. AND, AND I, I JUST, I HAVE TO AGREE THAT THAT'S PRETTY GOOD IDEA. UM, SO, AND I'VE BEEN, I KNOW THE FORMER DON DIRECTOR CAME IN HERE AND TOLD US A MILLION REASONS WHY THAT WOULDN'T WORK, BUT I, I, I WASN'T REALLY CONVINCED. SO I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS A TIME TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION, BUT I THE MAYOR'S SHAKING HIS HEAD NO, BUT, UM, BUT WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA HAVE, I MEAN, IF WE'RE HIRING TWO MORE PEOPLE, I MEAN, I THINK WE ARE TALKING ABOUT IT AND I JUST WOULD LIKE TO GET OTHER DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBERS' OPINION ON THIS. AND, AND, AND, AND WOULD, AND MAYBE YOU DON'T HAVE TO USE YOUR DISTRICT SERVICE FUNDS, YOU KNOW, FOR A PERSON, BUT YOU COULD, DO WE DISALLOW THAT NOW? DO WE DISALLOW IT? WE CAN WE GO AROUND. THE ONLY THING I WOULD CAUTION YOU ABOUT, AND CERTAINLY I KNOW HOW IMPORTANT A DISTRICT IS HAVING COMING OUT OF A DISTRICT AND THIS SITUATION IS WHO ARE THEY GOING TO ANSWER TO? I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD HAVE, BUT WE COULD WORK THROUGH IT. IF WE HAD A HEARING IN PROBABLY YOUR COMMITTEE OR QUALITY OF LIFE, YOU REALLY WANT AN INSPECTOR WORKING DIRECTLY UNDER A COUNCIL MEMBER. THEY, THEY WOULDN'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO WORK UNDER A COUNCIL MEMBER, BUT THEY WOULD BE ASSIGNED TO A COUNCIL DISTRICT. AND SO WE WOULD HAVE ONE DEDICATED PERSON THAT WE ARE RESPONSIBLE TO, AND THAT IS RESPONSIBLE TO THE COMMUNITY. SO WHEN WE HAVE ISSUES, WE KNOW EXACTLY WHO TO TALK TO AND WHO TO SEND THINGS TO AND WHO TO EXPECT A RESPONSE FROM. BECAUSE RIGHT NOW IT COULD BE SEVERAL DIFFERENT PEOPLE OR IT'S A LITTLE MORE AMBIGUOUS ON WHO TO GET THE RESPONSE FROM. UM, AND THAT'S HOW IT WAS WHEN, WHEN I FIRST STARTED WORKING FOR COUNCIL MEMBER GREEN, MELVIN HOPKINS WAS OUR INSPECTOR. AND SO WHEN COMMUNITY MEMBERS HAD ISSUES, WE SENT IT TO MELVIN HOPKINS. MELVIN HOPKINS TOOK CARE OF THE ISSUE. I MEAN, EVERY DISTRICT HAD THEIR OWN INSPECTOR, THEIR OWN PERSON TO HANDLE THE ISSUES. AND IT HELPS WITH EFFICIENCY. IT HELPS BECAUSE THEY KNOW THE COMMUNITY, THEY KNOW THE DISTRICT, THEY KNOW THE, THE LEADERS IN THE COMMUNITY. AND IT JUST WORKS OUT BETTER, IN MY OPINION. WELL, I CERTAINLY, AND YOU AND I HAVE DISCUSSED THIS WITH SAFEGUARDS. I THINK IT'S A GREAT CONCEPT. EARLY IN SOME DISCUSSIONS I HAD WITH MEMBERS, THEY WERE GONNA HAVE IN THEIR OFFICE WORKING UNDER THEIR DIRECTION. I'M JUST SAYING THAT THE, A MISCONCEPTION PERHAPS, BUT I WAS CAUTIONED ABOUT ELECTED OFFICIALS HAVING SOMEONE OUTSIDE THEIR STAFF WORKING FOR ANOTHER DEPARTMENT. I MEAN, WHO'S GONNA HIRE AND FIRE 'EM IN THAT SORT OF SITUATION. SO IT'S A GREAT CONVERSATION TO HAVE AND WE CAN MAKE IT A PRIORITY, BUT I'M NOT SURE TODAY WE'RE GONNA RESOLVE IT. BUT THE, THE RESPONSE I UNDERSTAND, AND IF YOU'RE OVERSEEING THEM, I HAVE TOTAL CONFIDENCE, BUT I THINK THERE OUGHT TO BE SOME, UH, MAKE SURE WE DON'T HAVE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES. I DO AGREE. I I JUST THINK THAT THE ASSIGNMENT IS TO THE PARTICULAR DISTRICT, NOT TO THE ACTUAL COUNCIL MEMBER. OKAY. LET'S WORK ON THAT. CHRIS WAS GOING TO COMMENT. CHRIS, DID YOU HAVE AN ADDITIONAL COMMENT? COME ON, CHRIS, AS IN NEWPORT. YEAH, GO AHEAD, . I KNOW WE'VE KICKED THIS AROUND. CHRIS. WE WE HAVE SIR. AND THE PREVIOUS CONSIDERATIONS THAT I'M AWARE OF FROM, UH, PAST ADMINISTRATIONS AS WELL AS DISCUSSIONS THAT WE'VE HAD RELATED TO THE USE OF CDSF DOLLARS TO FUND FTE POSITIONS IS THE, UM, THE DISCONNECT AND NEED TO PROVIDE FROM A REQUESTING COUNCIL MEMBER A WAY TO CLOSE THE GAP BETWEEN WHAT IS ONE TIME FUNDING IN THE FORM OF CDSF ALLOCATIONS TO A PERMANENT ROLE, [08:15:01] RIGHT. THAT IS NOT GRANT FUNDED, UH, THAT WOULD EXIST, UM, BEYOND THE BOUNDS OF A FISCAL YEAR. SO I THINK, MAYOR, IF, I'M NOT SURE IF THERE'S BEEN A MOTION OR, OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, BUT I'LL LEAVE IT TO YOU SIR, TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT IF THE, IF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT MIGHT REQUEST TO FUND A POSITION LIKE THE MAYOR PRO TEM JUST DESCRIBED, UM, AND GAVE AN INDICATION OF GOOD FAITH THAT WOULD MEET YOUR EXPECTATIONS, THAT A REQUEST IN ONE YEAR TO FUND A POSITION AS DESCRIBED WOULD BE FOLLOWED IN SUBSEQUENT YEARS SO THAT THERE WOULD BE, IT'S NOT A ONE-TIME FUNDING FOR A PERMANENT POSITION THAT, THAT APPEARS LIKE IT, THAT WOULD BE THERE'S ROOM FOR AN AGREEMENT. HOW MANY INSPECTORS DO WE HAVE? DO WE HAVE MORE THAN 11? WE DO HAVE MORE THAN 11. THE THE OTHER THING THAT I THINK IS WORTH POINTING OUT TO EVERYONE IS THAT WE HAVE THE CONSOLIDATION OF THE SINGLE FAMILY, UM, HABITABILITY INSPECTOR, EXCUSE ME, SINGLE FAMILY INSPECTORS FROM DEPARTMENT AND NEIGHBORHOODS INTO THE BROADER TEAM OF MULTIFAMILY HABITABILITY INSPECTORS WITHIN PUBLIC WORKS THAT WILL ALL FALL WITHIN THE PUBLIC WORKS, UM, UMBRELLA AND MANAGEMENT. Y'ALL SHOULD EXPECT TO SEE SOME SCALE HAPPEN AFTER THE INITIAL MONTHS OF SORTING AND SETTLING OCCURS FROM THAT CONSOLIDATION. SO I THINK IT'S REASONABLE FOR COUNSEL TO EXPECT INCREASED CAPACITY BECAUSE WE'RE COMBINING THOSE FUNCTIONS. UM, I DON'T HAVE THE NUMBER OF, UH, AND I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE FORM FIVES UP, BUT THERE ARE MORE THAN 11. THERE CERTAINLY WILL BE MORE THAN 11 IN THE NEW COMBINED ORGANIZATION. BUT IF, IF COUNSEL WERE INTERESTED IN FUNDING THOSE POSITIONS WITH CDSF DOLLARS MAYOR, AND WERE WILLING TO MAKE A COMMITMENT TO YOU THAT THAT WOULD BE OF ONGOING INTEREST IN FOLLOWING YEARS, UM, THAT'D BE SOMETHING THAT, THAT, THAT WOULD BE DIFFERENT THAN THE DISCUSSIONS THAT HAVE HAPPENED PREVIOUSLY WHERE IT'S BEEN LIMITED TO. I'M INTERESTED IN DOING THIS ONE TIME FOR THIS YEAR THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD CHANGE THE CALCULUS. AND I THINK THE MAYOR'S CONSIDERATION, I THINK THAT IF THERE, THERE ARE MORE THAN 11 INSPECTORS. I MEAN, WE, WE'VE PUT FOR THIS FORTH EVERY YEAR IS JUST TO ASSIGN THEM TO A COUNCIL DISTRICT AND, AND NOT RANDY IS NOT HERE. UM, BUT RANDY'S HERE IS HERE. RANDY, RANDY NAME. THIS IS, THIS FALLS WITHIN MANAGEMENT'S PURVIEW OF BEING ABLE TO ASSIGN SOMEONE A GIVEN AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY AND FOR COORDINATION. HOW DO YOU, HOW DO YOU DISTRIBUTE THE SERVICE FOR COMMUNITY? SO, OR PER DISTRICT, EVEN SPECIFIC. SO, SO THE IMPORTANT PART, AND CHRIS MENTIONED THIS, RIGHT, THIS CONSOLIDATION IS A NEW CONSOLIDATION FOR US, RIGHT? PREVIOUSLY TO NOW THE PUBLIC WORKS PART OF INSPECTIONS HAS BEEN FOCUSED ON COMMERCIAL, WHICH INCLUDED MULTI-FAMILY. WHEN YOU START TALKING ABOUT BRINGING IN SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL, THE CONCEPT WAS CAN WE WORK SMARTER, NOT HARDER. IF WE COMBINE OUR SKILLS, WE COMBINE OUR RESOURCES, WE NOW DISTRIBUTE PEOPLE. I MEAN, THE MODEL WAS PREVIOUSLY WE COULD HAVE TWO INSPECTORS, ONE FROM DON, ONE FROM PUBLIC WORKS WORKING ON THE SAME STREET TOGETHER. WHY WOULD WE DO THAT? WE CAN GET THEM OUT THERE NOW. I'M TRYING TO GET THE NUMBER OF HOW MANY TOTAL INSPECTORS WE HAVE, BUT I WILL TELL YOU THIS MUCH. UM, AND, AND THANKS TO THE ADMINISTRATION, UH, YOU KNOW, THE DEPARTMENT HAS AN APPROVED REORGANIZATION PLAN. THE DEPARTMENT HAS AN APPROVED HIRING MODEL. UM, WE ANTICIPATE THAT THERE ARE PROBABLY SOMEWHERE BETWEEN THREE AND 400 POSITIONS THAT NEED TO BE HIRED IN PUBLIC WORKS. AMONGST THOSE, THERE ARE DOZENS OF INSPECTORS THAT WILL HAVE TO BE PART OF THAT MODEL AS WELL. AND, AND WE HAVE A HIGH PRIORITY IN PREMIUM IN DOING THAT AS QUICKLY AS WE POSSIBLY CAN. WHETHER OR NOT WE START ASSIGNING 'EM TO INDIVIDUAL COUNCIL DISTRICTS, IT'S TOO EARLY FOR ME TO SAY, BECAUSE PART OF THAT IS WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CROSS TRAIN FOLKS EFFECTIVELY SO THAT THEY CAN DO IT. BUT I'M CONFIDENT THAT ONCE WE'VE FILL THE NUMBERS AND WE GET THE RIGHT NUMBER OF INSPECTORS OUT THERE, THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO TO, TO CANVAS THE ENTIRE CITY VERY EFFECTIVELY. WE HAVE ENOUGH POSITIONS TO DO THAT AS IT IS ALREADY. UM, I JUST LITERALLY GOT BACK FROM MEETING WITH DIRECTOR CHEEKS AND HER TEAM IN HR ABOUT THE PROCESS THAT WE'LL HAVE MOVING FORWARD. THEY UNDERSTAND THE URGENCY TO FILL THESE VACANCIES IN PUBLIC WORKS RIGHT AWAY. AND IT'S PROBABLY, I'M JUST HAPPY TO BE HERE. MY NAME'S BEEN MENTIONED SO MANY TIMES TODAY THAT, UH, I'M, IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU ALL, BUT I HOPE THAT ANSWERED YOUR QUESTION, MAYOR PROAM. IT DOES. I HAVE A QUESTION FOR SURE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, DIRECTOR, YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THOSE VACANCIES AND MAYBE THIS IS TO CHIEF NEWPORT OR YOU JUST PROCEDURALLY WITH THIS AMENDMENT. IF WE ADD INTO ADDITIONAL, DOES THAT EXPAND THE VACANCIES TO 32 OR ARE WE STILL AT 30 AND WE'RE JUST AT REAPPROPRIATING FUNDING? SO THIS AMENDMENT, YOU'RE JUST ADDING ON TOP OF WHAT ALREADY EXISTS. UM, YOU KNOW, AND, AND I DON'T WANT [08:20:01] TO GET IN COUNCIL MEMBER BUSINESS ON THIS ONE, BUT I'M JUST, I'M, WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY IS I BELIEVE WE HAVE SUFFICIENT VACANCIES TO COVER WHAT THE NEEDS OF THE CITY ARE AT THIS POINT. IF YOU DO ADD ADDITIONAL VACANCIES ON HERE, WHAT THAT DOES MEAN IS THAT I'M PULLING THOSE FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE. RIGHT? SO IF WE WANNA EVEN TALK ABOUT TERMS OF WHAT VACANCY SAVINGS LOOK LIKE, I ANTICIPATE HAVING ZERO VACANCY SAVINGS BECAUSE OUR REORGANIZATION PLAN HAS BEEN DETAILED AND PINPOINTED STRONGLY ENOUGH THAT WE KNOW WHAT WE'VE GOT TO GO AND DO. WE WANT TO FILL EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THOSE POSITIONS. SO IF YOU MOVE SOME FROM THIS BUCKET, THAT MEANS YOU'LL HAVE FEWER OTHER IN ANOTHER BUCKET. AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THREE TO 400 POSITIONS. IT'S A LOT TO, TO CONTEMPLATE. TWO MAY NOT BE TERRIBLY SIGNIFICANT, BUT UM, IT'S MORE WE NEED TO GO FILL AND WE HAVE IT FILLED EVERY CORRECT. OKAY. UH, COUNCILMAN FLICKINGER? YES, MAYOR, I'VE GOT SOME PAST EXPERIENCE IN WHAT MAYOR PROAM IS TALKING ABOUT. UH, WHEN I WAS IN LOGISTICS, I HAD A RECRUITER AND HR MANAGER AND A FINANCE MANAGER THAT WERE ALL ASSIGNED TO MY DIVISION. THEY DIDN'T REPORT TO ME. THEY WERE ALL OUT OF CORPORATE. UH, CORPORATE PAID THEIR SALARIES, CORPORATE WAS THEIR BOSS, BUT YET I WORKED WITH THAT SAME PERSON FOR THOSE THREE FUNCTIONS ALL THE TIME. YOU GOT TO DEVELOP A RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM, UH, THEY GOT TO KNOW WHAT YOU WERE LOOKING FOR, WHAT THE ISSUES WERE, AND IT, IT REALLY WORKED WELL. SO I, I THINK WHAT THE PROAM IS TALKING ABOUT COULD, COULD DO. WELL, I AGREE. WE'RE ON TO SOMETHING, THERE'S NO DOUBT ABOUT IT. UH, WE JUST GOT TO GET THE MODEL. WE'RE LOOKING FOR WORKING WITH THE, UH, MAYOR PRO TEMP COUNCILOR THOMAS, YOU THROUGH. YEAH. COUNCILMAN THOMAS. UH, SURE. THANK YOU. UM, TWO POINTS. UM, TO THE CDSF, I WOULD BE WILLING TO SUPPLEMENT, BECAUSE MY FISCAL 26 ALREADY IS LIKE 80% SUBSCRIBED FOR INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS. WE'RE JUST GETTING READY PREPARED FOR JULY ONE TO SUBMIT THEM. SO I WOULDN'T ALWAYS HAVE TO CHIEF NEWPORT'S POINT THAT COULD CONSISTENT SALARY. I WOULDN'T HAVE THAT BECAUSE I MAY HAVE A PANEL REPLACEMENT THAT MAY BE A QUARTER MILLION DOLLARS AND THEN I HAVE TO MAKE DECISIONS AND I DON'T WANNA DO THAT, BUT I'M WILLING TO SUPPLEMENT. UM, SECONDLY, THE HUD ANNUAL ACTION PLAN THAT WAS PRESENTED TO THIS BODY HAD CODE ENFORCEMENT, UH, ACTIVITIES ELIGIBLE, AND THE DEPARTMENT RECOMMENDED ZERO REMOVING CODE ENFORCEMENT OFF OF CDBG THAT WAS TARGETED TO PARTICULAR CENSUS TRACK AND ZIP CODES BECAUSE OF THE RE THE, THE REQUEST WAS THAT IT WAS COMING OFF THE GENERAL FUND. UM, AND SO WE DON'T SEE THAT, BUT I DO THINK IF THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVISIT THE HUD ANNUAL ACTION PLAN IN THE FUTURE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE KEEP CODE ENFORCEMENT BECAUSE THEIR JUSTIFICATION WAS THAT CODE ENFORCEMENT WAS, UM, PREDATORY IN TERMS OF TICKETING IN LOW INCOME NEIGHBORHOODS. SO IF WE'RE, BUT IF WE'RE THEN SAYING, I NEED A DEDICATED CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER IN EVERY DISTRICT, THEN WHAT'S THE, WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE? SO IF WE HAVE HUD DOLLARS THAT ARE ELIGIBLE, AND I THINK IT WAS MAYBE FIVE ZIP CODES, I THINK COUNCIL MEMBER PECK HAD SOME THAT WERE DEDICATED. D HAD SOME, UH, B FOR SURE HAD SOME, THEY LIFTED THAT OFF THE GENERAL FUND. IF WE CAN RECONSIDER THAT IN THE FUTURE, I THINK THAT WILL BE HELPFUL. SO THEN AS DIRECTOR ACHI MENTIONS IN TERMS OF CAPACITY, WE CAN BE MORE SURGICAL IN SENDING THOSE CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS TO THE REMAINING DISTRICTS. UM, IT'S DEFINITELY A NEED, BUT I THINK THERE'S SOME, I WOULD NEED ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND I WOULDN'T HAVE THE, THE FUNDS LONG TERM TO, TO SUPPORT A SALARY. AND IF I COULD INTERJECT, UH, LISTENING TO RANDY COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ, IT SURE SEEMS LIKE HE BELIEVES HE'S ADEQUATELY STAFFED WHERE YOU'RE TRYING TO ADD TO FTES. UM, I I THINK YOU'VE DONE A PRETTY GOOD JOB. I COVERED GO, I HEARD WHAT HE HAD TO SAY. UH, MAYOR, I WOULD POINT OUT THAT, UM, IN REGARDS TO ESPECIALLY THE PROHIBITED YARD PARKING, WHICH MY UNDERSTANDING IS TRADITIONALLY HAS BEEN HANDLED BY THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. THEY'RE OUT OF THAT BUSINESS UNLESS THERE'S, UH, AN ADDITIONAL CRIMINAL NEXUS TO THE PROHIBITED YARD PARKING. IN OTHER WORDS, THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE ENFORCING MOST OF THOSE. THOSE ARE NOW GONNA BE UNDER THE PURVIEW OF PUBLIC WORKS. SO I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT BECAUSE THERE'S SOME CONFUSION, I THINK, IN, IN, IN, UM, DEPARTMENT AND NEIGHBORHOODS RIGHT NOW AMONGST THOSE PEOPLE WHO STILL THINK THE POLICE ARE GONNA ENFORCE THOSE AND THEY'RE NOT. YEAH, AND AND, AND TO YOUR POINT HERE, UM, ON THAT ONE, I I WOULD JUST SAY WE'RE STILL IN THE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT WHAT THE ENFORCEMENT ASPECT OF THAT'S GONNA LOOK LIKE. UM, WHETHER IT MOVES TO MORE OF A TRIAGE MODEL. UM, I WILL SAY THIS MUCH WHEN IT COMES TO PROHIBITED YARD PARKING, JUNK VEHICLES, ET CETERA, THAT'S ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES [08:25:01] FOR A CIVILIAN CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER TO DO. THAT'S THE TIMES WHEN, IN FACT, IT HAPPENED JUST WITHIN THE LAST MONTH TWICE. WE'VE HAD INDIVIDUALS PULL GUNS ON OUR INSPECTORS OUT THERE. HPD WILL HAVE TO REMAIN INVOLVED WITH IT. WE'RE TALKING RIGHT NOW AMONGST LEADERSHIP ON WHAT THAT MODEL LOOKS LIKE. I, I EXPECT THAT'S PROBABLY GONNA BE MORE OF A PUBLIC WORKS RESPONSIBILITY WILL BE A TRIAGE TO THEN REFER OVER TO HPD WHEN THERE'S SOMETHING THERE. THEIR, THEIR CONCERNS, AS I UNDERSTAND IT WAS PRIMARILY THAT THE VOLUME OF CALLS THAT WOULD COME IN WOULD TURN OUT TO BE NOTHING. RIGHT. SO IT WOULD BE SOMEONE DOESN'T LIKE THE WAY SOMEONE DID SOMETHING IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD, WHICH WASN'T ACTUALLY A CODE VIOLATION. WE WILL THEN SEND INSPECTORS OUT THERE TO DETERMINE THERE IS A VIOLATION. THEN AN HPD COULD THEN ENFORCE IT WHEN, WHEN ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY. BUT I JUST THINK IT'S A LITTLE EARLY FOR US BECAUSE WE HAVE NOT FINAL FINALIZED THOSE CONVERSATIONS ON WHAT THE MODEL WILL LOOK LIKE YET AGAIN, THIS CONSOLIDATION FOR US IS STILL VERY FRESH. GOT, GOT IT. AND, UH, LET ME JUST SAY WE'VE CLEARED THE ROOM, BUT I I I'LL BET THAT THOSE PEOPLE, IF THEY WERE HERE, WOULD WANT YOU TO HAVE MORE POSITIONS, NOT FEWER. SO, AND, AND, AND I'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT WITHOUT YOU GETTING INTO COUNSEL POSITIONS. WAS IT YOUR TESTIMONY THAT YOU BELIEVE YOU'RE GONNA HAVE ADEQUATE INSPECTORS? I, I BELIEVE MY RESPONSIBILITY AS THE DIRECTOR IS TO ENSURE THAT OUR PEOPLE ARE EFFECTIVE ALL ACROSS THE CITY. WE KNEW COMING OUT OF THE EFFICIENCY STUDY THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO DO MORE WITH LESS. WE WOULD HAVE TO BE MORE EFFECTIVE WITH THE WAY THE WORK WAS ASSIGNED AND THE WAY IT WAS HANDLED. AND I BELIEVE THAT WITH THE MODEL THAT WE HAVE APPROVED RIGHT NOW UNDER OUR REORGANIZATION, WE WILL HAVE SUFFICIENT RESOURCES TO DO THAT. OKAY. THANK YOU. VICE MAYOR, PRO VICE, VICE MAYOR PROTE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I THINK HISTORICALLY WE WERE ALWAYS TOLD THAT THE REASON WHY WE COULDN'T, UM, HAVE ONE INSPECTOR FOR EACH COUNCIL DISTRICT, I THINK TO COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS' POINT, WAS THAT THERE WERE, MOST OF THE INSPECTORS WERE HUD FUNDED AND COULD ONLY BE, IT COULD ONLY SERVE IN CERTAIN ZIP CODES, AND THERE WEREN'T ENOUGH INSPECTORS BEING PAID FOR FROM THE GENERAL FUND TO ADEQUATELY GO TO ALL THE REST OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS. AND I THINK THAT'S WHY IT CAME OFF THE HUD PLAN. SO THAT WAY WE'D GO BACK TO THE GENERAL FUND IN THE ATTEMPT THAT WE COULD PUT ONE INSPECTOR IN EACH COUNCIL DISTRICT, BUT THAT NEVER HAPPENED TO ACTUALLY MOVE PEOPLE AROUND. SO IN DISTRICT A, WE, I THINK IT WAS MAYBE IN 2020 OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. SO IT, YOU KNOW, PREVIOUS MAYOR, PREVIOUS DIRECTORS, ALL OF THAT, WE TRIED TO ALLOCATE SERVICE FUNDS FOR AN INSPECTOR NOT TO BE UNDER MY DISCRETION COMPLETELY WITH DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS. UM, THEY WOULD ANSWER TWO DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS AND WE WERE WILLING TO DO IT OVER MULTIPLE YEARS. AND IT WAS JUST NOT THE DIRECTION THAT THE DEPARTMENT WANTED TO GO AT THAT TIME. I THINK THAT ALL OF THE CONCERNS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, PAYING OVER MULTIPLE YEARS, THOSE ARE ALL THINGS THAT WE COULD WORK THROUGH PRETTY EASILY. YOU KNOW, WE SPEND SERVICE FUNDS ON OUR HOT TEAM AND ALTHOUGH THEY'RE TEMP EMPLOYEES, THERE'S NO GUARANTEE THAT THEY HAVE A JOB AFTER THAT AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE'VE ALLOCATED. AND I THINK THAT IT COULD BE DONE IN A SIMILAR FASHION WHERE THEY HAVE A JOB FOR THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE HAVE ALLOCATED TOWARDS THAT POSITION. IT'S JUST LIKE ANY OTHER JOB IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. YOU KNOW, WE'RE EITHER FUNDING IT OR WE'RE NOT FUNDING IT EVERY YEAR BASED ON THE NEEDS. SO I DO THINK THAT THERE, THERE ARE THESE ISSUES THAT WE COULD EASILY WORK THROUGH. SO I KNOW FOR DISTRICT A, IT WOULD BE BETTER FOR US TO HAVE AN INSPECTOR SPECIFICALLY FOR DISTRICT A RATHER THAN JUST HIRING TWO PEOPLE ACROSS THE CITY THAT MAY NOT EVER COME TO DISTRICT A AND SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITY. SO, UM, MAYOR WOULD ASK IF WE COULD CONTINUE WORKING THROUGH THOSE ISSUES TO LET US USE OUR SERVICE FUNDS FOR THOSE POSITIONS. SURE. I, I COMMITTED TO THE MAYOR PRO TEM TALKING, UH, WE'LL, WE'LL PURSUE THIS AND WORK OUT ANY QUESTIONS THAT EVEN I'VE HAD PREVIOUSLY, BUT, UH, IT JUST SOUNDS TO ME LIKE IT'S, IT'S, UH, THE DIRECTOR SEEMS THAT HIS MODEL IS GONNA BE EFFECTIVE WITHOUT TWO ADDITIONAL FTES. TES, MAY I, MAY I BE HEARD ONE LAST TIME, ERIC? ALRIGHT. UM, SO WE, WE, I'M CHAIR OF THE QUALITY OF LIFE COMMITTEE AND, UH, WE'VE BEEN ASKED TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE PROHIBITED YARD PARKING ISSUE SPECIFICALLY, AND I INTEND TO DO THAT, UH, WITH THE ADMINISTRATION'S COOPERATION. SO PERHAPS IT'S BETTER IF WE TAKE THIS UP, THIS ISSUE UP ALONG WITH THE, UH, ADDITIONAL ISSUES AND, UH, I AGREE, I I MOVE TO WITHDRAW IT AND REFER IT TO COMMITTEE SECOND. OKAY. VERY GOOD. ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? IF THE GENTLEMAN IS WITHDRAWN, JOHN POLLARD. I WAS IN THE QUEUE FOR [08:30:01] A LONG TIME, SO I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND GET MY, MY COMMENTS OUT. BUT I, I DO THINK THAT DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBERS SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO USE OUR COUNCIL DISTRICT SERVICE FUNDS TO HIRE PERSONNEL AND THEY SHOULD BE UNDER OUR PURVIEW. UH, WE KNOW OUR DISTRICT'S BEST IF THE MONEY RUNS OUT FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR, THAT PERSON DOESN'T GET A JOB GOING FORWARD. BUT THO THOSE ARE, OUR CITY IS SO BIG THAT IF WE CUT IT UP, UH, I THINK WE'LL BE MUCH MORE EFFICIENT. AND IF A COUNCIL MEMBER HAS THE, HAS THE CAPACITY TO HIRE, WHETHER IT'S A CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER, WHETHER IT'S OVERTIME FOR POLICE TO DO PROHIBITIVE YARD PARKING, THAT'S WHAT MY DISTRICT J PATROL DID. THE OVERTIME PAID FOR THEM TO DO THE PROHIBITIVE YARD PARKING. RIGHT. OUR HOT TEAMS GO OUT THERE ON A TEMPORARY BASIS AND CLEAN UP. SURE. IF, IF THERE WAS MORE LEEWAY GIVEN TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND WE COULD UTILIZE OUR COUNCIL DISTRICT SERVICE FUNDS TO OUTSOURCE, UM, POSITIONS AND PERSONNEL TO GET THINGS DONE THAT WE DIDN'T ALWAYS HAVE TO RUN TO THE DEPARTMENT TO GET THINGS DONE, THINGS WOULD GET DONE MUCH MORE QUICK. AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING IN JAY CITY. AND SO I THINK THE, THE, THE MORE THAT WE DO THIS AND THE MORE THAT WE ALLOW COUNCIL MEMBERS TO UTILIZE THEIR COUNCIL DISTRICT SERVICE FUNDS TO HIRE PERSONNEL, YOU'LL SEE THAT WE'LL, WE'LL GET THINGS DONE MUCH FASTER AND MORE EFFICIENTLY. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN DAVIS. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU, MAYOR. I THINK, UH, COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ ALREADY PULLED IT. HE'S WITHDRAWN HIS AMENDMENT. AND I'VE JUST WANTED TO ADD IN, BUT, UH, RANDY SAID IT BEST, HE'S ALREADY HAS A PLAN THAT IT'S ALREADY IN ACTION. SO I THINK THAT THAT KIND OF SATISFIES WHAT WELL, THERE'S NO QUESTION. I'M GONNA WORK WITH THE, THE DISTRICT, THE, THE MAYOR PRO TIM, AND I'VE HAD THIS DISCUSSION FOR, RIGHT. I WOULD CAUTION THAT YOU DON'T NEED 11 DIFFERENT STANDARDS OF ENFORCEMENT. I DON'T THINK YOU NEED A MEMBER HAVING UNDUE INFLUENCE ON A CITY EMPLOYEE, RIGHT. WORKING FOR THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT. RIGHT. WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE PROPER PROCUREMENT AND NOT ALLOW COUNCIL MEMBERS TO START HIRING AND PURCHASING ON THEIR OWN. I'M JUST LOOKING FOR SOME ACCOUNTABILITY AND SAFEGUARDS, UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES. AND HELL, THEY MAY ACTUALLY BE INTENDED CONSEQUENCES. I JUST THINK WE NEED SAFEGUARDS. YEAH. AND THAT'S WHY I WAS SAYING WITH MA UH, DIRECTOR MACKEY'S PROPOSED THAT HE'S GOT SOMETHING IN PLACE ALREADY AND I THINK WE OUGHT TO SUPPORT THAT. THANK YOU. OKAY. MOTION IS REFER ITEM TWO 50, THE SUBGROUP OF 1 0 1 TO COMMITTEE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. NOW WE'RE ON 1 0 2. 1 0 2 PLEASE. 1 0 2 IS TO CREATE, UH, ONE FTE IN DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS TO SUPPORT LANGUAGE TRANSLATION SERVICES TO NON ENGLISH SPEAKING HOUSTONIANS. I'D MENTIONED EARLIER, 29% OF OUR POPULATION IS FOREIGN BORN. FOUR DISTRICTS, INCLUDING DISTRICT J, WHICH HAS 45%, HAVE MORE THAN 30% OF THEIR RESIDENTS, UH, FOREIGN BORN. SO THIS, UH, POSITION WOULD REPLACE ONE THAT HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM THE FY 26 BUDGET. UH, UM, ACCORDING TO THE BIG BUDGET BOOK, UH, DEPARTMENT NEIGHBORHOODS HAD THREE FTES IN, IN FY 25, UH, IN THE NEW AMERICAN SERVICES SECTION. AND, UH, THE NEW, THE BUDGET AS IT STANDS NOW HAS TWO. SO THIS, THIS POSITION WOULD BE DEVOTED TO PROVIDING AND COORDINATING TRANSLATION AND INTERPRETATION SERVICES FOR CONSTITUENT SERVICES AND COMMUNICATION, AND ALSO EDUCATE AND INTEGRATE NEW AMERICANS ON CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND CURRENT ISSUES AFFECTING THEIR COMMUNICATION. SO IN A CITY WHERE 145 DIFFERENT LANGUAGES ARE SPOKEN, WE DEAL WITH EMERGENCIES DUE TO WEATHER ON A REGULAR BASIS. AND, UH, WE, WE, IT BECOMES A PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE WHEN WE HAVE SO MANY HOUSTONIANS. I THINK WE ALL SHARE YOUR CONCERN. MR. SIMS IS HERE. I KNOW HE IS VERY, VERY SENSITIVE TO LANGUAGE BARRIERS. UM, I WOULD JUST CAUTION AGAINST TRYING TO MICROMANAGE HIS DEPARTMENT OR ANY PARTICULAR DEPARTMENT. OF COURSE. THE LANGUAGE SKILLS YOU NAMED. HOW MANY DID YOU NAME? I'M SORRY, WHAT WAS THAT? HOW MANY LANGUAGES DID YOU NAME? 145 MAYOR. 45 1. 145. OKAY. OKAY. MR. SIMS, CAN YOU, YOU WANNA COME AND ASSURE US OF YOUR SENSITIVITY [08:35:01] OF THE LANGUAGE BARRIERS? I DON'T KNOW. YOU HAVE TO ADDRESS ALL 145, BUT YES SIR. EVERY, EVERY COMMUNITY IS, IS IMPORTANT. YES, SIR. AND I DON'T KNOW THAT ONE WOULD REALLY FACILITATE MUCH MORE THAN WHAT YOU'RE DOING NOW. WELL, RIGHT NOW WE'VE LEVERAGED, UM, THE FUNDS THAT WE DO HAVE WITH, UH, HOUSTON ENDOWMENT GRANT THAT WE RECEIVED FOR TWO YEARS FOR ABOUT $270,000 THAT WE HAVE A LANGUAGE ACCESS COORDINATOR CURRENTLY IN TERRANCE'S OFFICE. BUT THAT'S TEMPORARY. SO LONG TERM WE WOULD NEED AN FTE TO CARRY OUT THIS PROGRAM LONG TERM BECAUSE WE DO HAVE A DIVERSE POPULATION WITH SEVERAL LANGUAGE, EVEN IN THE TOP FIVE LANGUAGES SPOKEN IN THE CITY. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO PUT FORTH A BETTER EFFORT IN GETTING INFORMATION AND DISSEMINATING THAT OUT TO THEM. SO, UM, WE ARE VERY SENSITIVE TO IT. WE DID LOSE AN FTE IN THAT SHOP DUE TO THE, UM, RETIREMENTS. UM, BUT WE ARE MAKING OUR EFFORT TO REMEDY THESE ISSUES. WE HAVE A CONSULTANT ALSO ON, WITH FUNDS FROM THE DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBERS AND COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ, TO HELP US STUDY WHERE WE NEED, WHERE OUR DEFICIENCIES ARE AND WHERE WE'RE STRONG. VERY GOOD. I'M GLAD I ASKED COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN COUNT. JUST A SECOND. HERBERT? COUNCILMAN CAMAN. COUNCILMAN CAYMAN. THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, DIRECTOR, WE DON'T ALWAYS GET YOU UP. HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF HAVING YOU COME SPEAK TO US IN THIS SETTING. SO I THINK, I HOPE WHAT YOU'RE HEARING, AND YOU'LL TAKE BACK TO STAFF IS ALL OF COUNCIL'S SUPPORT FOR OUR DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS AND THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING AND RECOGNIZING THAT EVERYBODY IS WORKING UNDER VERY CONSTRAINED, UM, CIRCUMSTANCES. UH, SO AGAIN, OUR APPRECIATION IS IT RELATES TO THE, UM, THE FTE IS THE AMOUNT THAT THE COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, LAID OUT. I BELIEVE IT WAS, I'M SORRY, 1 25. 1 25. IS THAT WHAT ONE FTE WOULD BE OR WOULD IT BE LESS WITH BASE PAY AND BENEFITS? PROBABLY AROUND 1 25. AND IS THAT AGAIN, SOME OF THE OTHER POSITIONS THAT WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING ARE LESS? IS THAT BECAUSE AT THE CITY OF HOUSTON, WE PAY ADDITIONAL INCENTIVE PAY, UH, FOR WHEN SOMEBODY SPEAKS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE? YOU, YOU WILL PAY BILINGUAL PAY, BUT YOU HAVE ONE FTE COORDINATING AN ENTIRE CITY'S LANGUAGE ACCESS PROGRAM. AND THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO BE COMPETITIVE WITH. 'CAUSE WE DO HAVE CORPORATE ENTITIES THAT ALSO HAVE THESE POSITIONS. AND WE MUST STAY COMPETITIVE IF WE WANT A SOLID LANGUAGE ACCESS PROGRAM. WE'RE ALSO TRYING TO LEVERAGE AI AND OTHER TOOLS THAT WE HAVE, TECHNOLOGIES THAT WE COULD USE TO HELP OUR RESIDENTS. UNDERSTOOD. THAT'S VERY HELPFUL THOUGH. THANK YOU SIR. MASS MAYOR, PRO PECK. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND UM, DIRECTOR OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, ANYTIME SOMETHING REALLY A CONTRACT RELATED TO LANGUAGE ACCESS HAS COME TO COUNCIL. I'VE ASKED ABOUT HOW WE'RE CONSOLIDATING THOSE CONTRACTS BECAUSE KNOW IN THE PAST WE'VE HAD SEVERAL DIFFERENT CONTRACTS ACROSS DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS, AND I'M SURE, UM, YOU KNOW, AS WE'RE LOOKING AT EFFICIENCIES AND, AND CONSOLIDATING THOSE CONTRACTS, THAT'S GOING TO BE PART OF THIS. DO YOU KNOW HOW FAR ALONG WE'VE GOTTEN IN THAT PROCESS OF CONSOLIDATING THOSE CONTRACTS? BECAUSE I WOULD WANT TO SEE WHAT COST SAVINGS WE GET FROM THAT FIRST BEFORE WE HIRE SOMEONE, IF THAT'S NOT, EVEN, IF THAT IS AN ACHIEVABLE ACTION ACROSS MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS. SO WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN THAT FAR, BUT I CAN TELL YOU LANGUAGE ACT, UM, YEAH, LANGUAGE. UM, LINE IS THE LARGEST CONTRACT WE HAVE AT THE CITY OF HOUSTON. WE NO LONGER HAVE THE MASTERWORK CONTRACT. WE PAY THEM, UM, SERVICES AS WE GO. AND YOU ALSO HAVE NIGHTINGALE WITH, UM, PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, BUT THAT IS FOR A A SL, UM, SERVICES. SO THERE PRETTY MUCH HAS BEEN A CONSOLIDATION. NOW, NOW WE DO HAVE MANY DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVE SPENDING AUTHORITY ON THE LANGUAGE LINE CONTRACT, BUT THERE ARE NOT SEPARATE CONTRACTS FOR, FOR THAT ACCESS. UM, HOW, SO THERE ARE THE CLASSIFIED, UM, DEPARTMENTS THAT ALSO MAY HAVE SEPARATE CONTRACTS AS WELL FOR LANGUAGE ACCESS DUE TO TECHNOLOGY. SO THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT THE CONSULTANT WILL LOOK AT IN HOW TO CONSOLIDATE OUR SERVICES TOGETHER WITH MCDH, F-D-H-P-D. THOSE ARE SOME OF THE MAJOR ENTITIES THAT USE OUR LANGUAGE ACCESS SERVICES AND GETTING THOSE INTO ONE CONTRACT. BUT WE, WE ARE JUST GETTING UP AND GOING. UM, WE, HOPEFULLY THIS TIME NEXT YEAR, WE ARE, WE HAVE A LOT OF INFORMATION FOR YOU REGARDING LANGUAGE ACCESS TO THE RESIDENTS OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND COUNCIL MEMBER. I THINK I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT HAPPEN BEFORE WE HIRE SOMEONE. I THINK THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, LANGUAGE ACCESS OBVIOUSLY SO IMPORTANT. UM, AND I'M NOT AGAINST THE CONCEPT IN ANY WAY, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO WORK ON CONSOLIDATING IT AMONGST THE DEPARTMENTS AND THEN FIGURE OUT DO WE NEED ONE FTE? DO WE NEED FIVE FT? I MEAN, WE DON'T, I I FEEL LIKE WE'RE NOT THERE YET TO [08:40:01] FIGURE OUT WHAT WE EVEN NEED BEFORE THE CONSOLIDATION HAPPENS. THAT VALID POINT. UM, WE ALSO ARE COORDINATING WITH EACH DEPARTMENT AND GETTING IN CONTACT WITH EACH DEPARTMENT'S LANGUAGE ACCESS COORDINATOR TO GET EVERYONE ON BOARD. THERE'S ALSO MORE TRAINING FOR OUR EMPLOYEES ACROSS THE CITY. ALRIGHT, APPRECIATE THE DISCUSSION. AND, UH, IN LIGHT OF THAT, UH, I THINK WE ALL REALIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF, OF, UM, MAKING SURE WE'RE SERVING OUR, THE SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF HOUSTONIANS WHO DON'T SPEAK ENGLISH AT ALL OR DON'T SPEAK IT WELL. SO, UH, IN LIGHT OF SOME OF WHAT YOU'VE SAID, I'LL GO AHEAD AND, UM, WITHDRAW THIS AMENDMENT. VERY GOOD. WITHDRAWN, AND WE'LL STAY FOCUSED ON IT. NEXT. THANK YOU MAYOR. I THINK I'VE LIGHT LAID OUT THE OPEP ARGUMENT ENOUGH. READY TO TAKE A VOTE. I MOVE TO MOVE IT FORWARD. MOVES, UH, ADOPTION. UH, SECOND MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. GOOD JOB. NEXT. NEXT IS, WE JUST SPENT 10 MILLION IN YES. IN 30 SECONDS. AND WE SPENT 30 MINUTES ON. NEXT IS 6 0 1. MAYBE SOMETIME LESS MEANS MORE. NEXT IS 6 0 1. 6 0 1 IPEC, VICE MAYOR, PROTON PECK MAYOR PRO TEM PECK. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, AS A REMINDER, THIS IS, UM, ALLOCATING 1% OF THE, UM, THE GENERAL FUND IF THE BALANCE IS HIGHER THAN WHAT WE'RE EXPECTING IT TO BE. SO IT'S NOT A GENERAL FUND DECREASE, IT'S JUST A DECREASE IN UNEXPECTED MONEY THAT, THAT WE WEREN'T COUNCIL, WEREN'T EXPECTING TO GET VICE MAYOR PROTE PECK MOVES THAT 6 0 1 BE ADOPTED. THERE'S A SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. AS OPPOSED TO NAY MOTION PASSES. LESS MEANS MORE. GO AHEAD, KEEP IT GOING. SIX 10. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN ON 8 0 1. UH, I BELIEVE WE'RE ON SIX 10. AND THEN WE HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. BUT I'M SORRY I DEFER MAYOR, WE ACTUALLY DIDN'T VOTE ON SIX POINT 10 WHEN I WAS GOING. SIX POINT 10 WAS AS AMENDED. WE ACCEPTED THE AMENDED LANGUAGE. IT IS JUST TO DIRECT, UH, THE CITY THAT FUNDS RECEIVED BACK FOR REIMBURSEMENT FROM THE WILDLAND DIVISION SHALL BE REDIRECTED BACK, UM, TO WILDLAND DIVISION FIRST BEFORE ANY CLAW BACK OCCURS. OKAY. SORRY ABOUT THAT. ONE SECOND. YEP. SIX 10 CAYMAN AND, AND EIGHT. IT'S VICE 6.10 AND THEN 6 0 8 0.0. 8.02. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED TO A MOTION PASSES. PASSES NOW. 8 0 1 COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN . ALL RIGHT, HERE WE GO. SO, COLLEAGUES, UH, AS AMENDED, I, WE'VE HAD A ROBUST DISCUSSION ON THE BUDGET STABILIZATION FUND AND I APPRECIATE COUNCIL MEMBER PECK'S AMENDMENT THAT COULD POTENTIALLY, UH, ALLOCATE ADDITIONAL DOLLARS. UH, WE ARE PLANNING IN AUGUST TO HAVE A MUCH MORE ROBUST CONVERSATION ABOUT THE FUND ITSELF UNDER THE FINANCIAL POLICIES, INCLUDING THE CRITICAL IMPORTANCE OF REIMBURSING OR REPLENISHING ANNUALLY. AND THE AMOUNT OF THAT, UM, AS THE AMENDMENT STAND STANDS, UH, IT WOULD BE 10.8 MILLION. AGAIN, 10.8 MILLION TO BRING THE AMOUNT IN THIS BUDGET TO 25 MILLION THIS YEAR IN THE BUDGET STABILIZATION FUND. I WOULD OPEN IT UP FOR DISCUSSION. MAYOR, I KNOW THAT THERE HAS BEEN SOME CONVERSATION ABOUT A PREFERENCE TO TAKE UP THIS AMOUNT WHEN WE CONSIDER THE FINANCIAL POLICIES. UH, IT'S ALSO POURING RAIN OUTSIDE RIGHT NOW, RIGHT? IT GIVES ME A LOT OF HEARTBURN THAT, UH, WE'RE NOT COMMITTING TO REPLENISHING FULLY THE BUDGET STABILIZATION FUND THIS YEAR, BUT I'LL DEFER TO MY COLLEAGUES TO ALLOW THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK. [08:45:02] THANK YOU. YOU HAVE THE COMMITMENT THAT WHEN WE TAKE IT UP, WE WILL FULLY FUND IT. MELISSA IS ALREADY FINDING THE RESOURCES, SO I WOULD SUGGEST COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN. WELL, MAYOR, YOU JUST SAID IT. I MEAN, THAT WOULD BE MY PREFERENCE. COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN. ALTHOUGH I FULLY UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF, UH, BEING PREPARED. I THINK THAT WE WILL, WE WILL TAKE THIS UP. THE $10.8 MILLION IS, IS OBVIOUSLY THERE IF WE'RE 129 MILLION OVER RIGHT NOW, MINUS SOME. UM, AND, UM, BUT I THINK WE WILL BE FINE. YOU KNOW, IF WE WAIT UNTIL, UNTIL THAT TIME AND, AND THEN I THINK WE ALL AGREE AS WE JUST VOTED ON, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER PECK'S AMENDMENT THAT WE ALL AGREE WE NEED TO PUT MORE MONEY IN THERE. THANK, THANK YOU FOR RAISING THE ISSUE. YEAH, MAYOR, THANK YOU. I, SO AGAIN, WITH MEDIA HERE, WITH ALL OF US HERE, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THE COMMITMENT IS CLEAR. I KNOW YOUR COMMITMENT TO REVIEW THE POLICIES, BUT THAT WE WILL HAVE AT LEAST THAT 10.8 MILLION INCLUDED IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET. WHILE WE ARE NOT PASSING THIS RIGHT NOW, WE WILL SAFEGUARD THAT 10.8 MILLION FROM THE GENERAL FUND FOR WHEN WE TAKE UP THE POLICIES SO THAT IT IS AT LEAST 25 MILLION FOR THIS YEAR. YES MA'AM. OKAY, WE WILL. THANK YOU. WITHDRAWING WITHDRAW. THANK YOU. UNDER PROTEST, COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER 10 0 1 COUNCILMAN FLICKINGER. JUST WANNA REMIND EVERYBODY THAT THE FUNDS FOR THIS IS COMING FROM THE UNENCUMBERED REVENUE FROM THE KIOSK. UH, AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF MONEY INVESTED IN PARKS. IT'D BE NICE TO HAVE A MOAT WHERE WE COULD GET USE OF THAT MONEY. SO THANK YOU. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION POLL. NO SHOW. COUNCILMAN POLLARD. NO. MOW AND GRASS MOTION PASSES. WHERE WE AT? ALL RIGHT. 1203. NO, 1203. UH, COUNCILMAN HUFFMAN. READY TO CALL THE VOTE? YEAH, WE READY? NO COMMENTS. JUST VOTE. 1203. I'M SORRY. WHAT? THIS TAKES THE MONEY AND DIVIDES IT UP AMONGST THE DISTRICTS. FIRST, FIRST. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. 12.03. YES. ALL IN ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED. MOTION PASSES. 1203 PASSES ABOUT 2 2 89. 1303. HMM. CUSTODY CASTILLO 1303 MARK FUNDING AT 350,000. YES. THANK YOU. MAYOR, DO YOU WANNA MAKE THE MOTION? I THINK WE UNDERSTAND IT. YEP. ALREADY LAID IT OUT. MOVE FOR A VOTE. GOOD JOB. ALL IN MOTIONS MADE. AND SECOND. 1303. 1303. 1303. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED. NAME. MOTION PASSES. ALL. THAT'S IT. THAT'S IT. ALL. THAT'S IT. THAT'S ALL WE HAVE. OH, THEN WE GOTTA PASS THE BUDGET. OKAY. MEMBERS [MAYOR'S REPORT] SO I CAN HAVE YOUR ATTENTION BEFORE WE VOTE. I DIDN'T, UH, USE THE MAYOR'S REPORT THIS MORNING AND QUITE FRANKLY, UH, I JUST WANT TO USE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO THANK EVERYONE, UH, MELISSA. UNBELIEVABLE JOB. UH, YOU'RE THE BEST. WE ALL TRUST YOU. DEPEND ON YOU AND LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU FOR MANY YEARS. COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN. YEAH. AND THANK Y'ALL THAT ATTENDED THE HEARINGS AND, UH, I'M DISAPPOINTED OTHERS DID NOT ATTEND THE HEARINGS, BUT THAT'S YOUR CHOICE. LISTEN, I VOTED ON MANY BUDGETS IN MY CAREER. IT'S ALWAYS EASY TO FIND FAULT. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A PERFECT BUDGET. AND IT'S SO EASY TO BE AGAINST SOMETHING THEN FOR SOMETHING, PARTICULARLY WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE TO OFFER UP ANY SOLUTIONS. ANYONE, ANYONE CAN BE A CRITIC AND POLITICIZE A BUDGET OR OTHER ACTIONS WE TAKE. SO ALL I'M SAYING IS I'M PROUD OF THE BUDGET. WE WERE TOLD WE COULDN'T DO IT. WE COULDN'T BALANCE IT BY POLITICAL CRITICS. WE IGNORED 'EM, WENT FORWARD. WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO. [08:50:01] THIS IS A GIANT STEP, BUT WE NEED TO NOW TALK TO HOUSTONIANS GOING FORWARD ABOUT WHAT TYPE CITY THEY WANT TO LIVE IN. I WILL LEAD, I'LL BE VERY TRANSPARENT. I THINK WE'VE BEEN VERY TRANSPARENT SINCE I GOT HERE ABOUT THE LEVEL OF OUR SHORTFALL. I THINK IT WAS THE SECOND MONTH I WAS HERE. Y'ALL ACT LIKE YOU'D NEVER HEARD IT BEFORE. I SAID WE WERE BROKE. WELL, THAT WAS REALITY AND WE'RE STILL BROKE. BUT WE'VE MANAGED TO PUT A SOUND BALANCE BUDGET TOGETHER, NOT PERFECT THAT THROUGH THE ERNST YOUNG REPORT AND THROUGH EFFICIENCIES, WE'RE GONNA SAVE MONEY AND PLOW IT BACK INTO SERVICES. WE'RE COLLABORATING WITH THE COUNTY AND I CAN'T WAIT TO TELL YOU WHAT WE GOT OUTTA AUSTIN THIS YEAR. ALMOST 250 MILLION ON OUR LONG LIST OF PARKS DREDGING IN KINGWOOD FIXING LAKE LIVINGSTON'S DAM. WE HAVE PARTNERS THAT WANT TO HELP HOUSTON. WE ARE TALKING TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ABOUT OUR WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT, WHICH IT'S AMAZING. I HAVEN'T HEARD ABOUT BEFORE I GOT TO CITY HALL. AND ONLY BECAUSE RANDY INSISTED THAT I GO TAKE A TOUR. AND IN FACT, MOST OF YOU HAVE BEEN INVITED. I WOULD URGE YOU TO GO LOOK AT THE EAST SIDE WATER TREATMENT PLANT FURNISH IS 60% OF HOUSTON'S WATER SUPPLY BUILT IN 1954. YOU LOOK AT IT AND YOU'LL SAY 1954, IT LOOKS LIKE IT. AND UNFORTUNATELY IT'S VERY FRAGILE. IT IS A HOMELAND SECURITY ISSUE. 90% OF THE JET FUEL MILITARY AND DOMESTIC IS PRODUCED ALONG THE GULF COAST, ALONG OUR, OUR REFINERY, OUR CHANNEL. SO LET ME JUST URGE YOU TO CONTINUE TO WORKING TOGETHER. IT'S BEEN A GOOD DAY. IT SHOWS HOW THE PROCESS IS SUPPOSED TO WORK. OBVIOUSLY WE HAD DISTRACTIONS, BUT THAT'S PART OF THE PROCESS TOO. SO LET ME JUST URGE YOU TO VOTE YOUR DISTRICT, I RESPECT YOU, HOWEVER, BUT THIS IS A LIFE AND DEATH MATTER. THIS IS NOT A MARBLES GAME. CAN'T BELIEVE THE CONTROLLER GOES TO AKER'S HOME AND ASKS SENIOR CITIZENS, 24 OF 'EM TO VOTE WITH MARBLES HOW THEY WANT TO SPEND THEIR FUNDS. IT'S MUCH MORE SERIOUS THAN THAT. SO LET'S CUT OUT THE POLITICS, HANG TOGETHER. HOUSTON IS A GREAT CITY, GREAT PEOPLE, BUT WE'RE MEETING OUR CHALLENGES AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE ALL DOWN HERE. WITH THAT SAID, I WILL YIELD TO COUNCILMAN POLLARD. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND I AGREE THAT THIS IS, UH, ALWAYS A CHALLENGING PROCESS. UH, YOUR STAFF AND AND YOUR TEAM HAVE DONE, UH, THEIR WORK AND THEY WERE DILIGENT IN PUTTING FORTH A BUDGET, UH, WITH YOUR LEADERSHIP. UH, THAT BRINGS US TO A BALANCED BUDGET. IT'S NOT A STRUCTURALLY BALANCED BUDGET, BUT IT IS BALANCED AND I CAN RESPECT THAT. THE, THE ISSUES THAT I HAVE WITH IT ARE THAT WE ARE STILL HAVING A BUDGET THAT SHOWS MORE EXPENDITURES THAN REVENUES. AND AS THE FINANCE DIRECTOR LAID OUT IN HER PRESENTATION, IF WE CONTINUE ON THAT TREND, OUR BUDGET DEFICIT CONTINUES TO GROW. AND LAST YEAR WE WERE IN THE SAME PREDICAMENT AND YOU SAID, TRUST ME, I GOT THIS. AND NOW WE'RE HERE AGAIN AND WE HAVE LESS MONEY IN THE, UH, FUND BALANCE. AND YOU'RE SAYING, TRUST ME, I GOT THIS. AND WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IS WHAT IS THE PLAN FOR HOW WE'RE GOING TO ADDRESS THIS FIVE YEAR FORECAST THAT SHOWS POSSIBLY IN FIVE YEARS THAT OUR BUDGET DEFICIT WILL BE AROUND $500 MILLION? SO IF WE WERE SAYING THAT WE'RE BROKE TODAY AND WE WERE SAYING WE WERE BROKE LAST YEAR WITH, WITH LESS OF A DEFICIT, WHAT WOULD THAT MAKE US, YOU KNOW, POSSIBLY FIVE YEARS FROM NOW IF THINGS COME ON TREND. AND THAT'S JUST FROM A BASELINE STANDPOINT, THAT'S NOT FROM A PESSIMISTIC STANDPOINT. AND THESE ARE NUMBERS THAT ARE COMING FROM, YOU KNOW, YOUR OFFICE. SO FOR, FOR ME, THE THE ISSUE IS WITH, WITH THE BUDGET IS ALTHOUGH WE ARE FINDING AS MANY WAYS AS WE CAN TO BE EFFICIENT AND YOU'RE SHOWING, UH, THE STRATEGY AND VISION BEHIND IT, THE NUMBERS STILL SHOW THAT IT IS PROJECTED THAT POSSIBLY FIVE YEARS FROM NOW, WE HAVE A MUCH LARGER DEFICIT THAN WE DO TODAY. AND I DO THINK WE NEED TO BE MINDFUL OF THAT WHEN WE MAKE DECISIONS TODAY, BECAUSE ALTHOUGH WE'RE MEETING OUR NEEDS IN THE MOMENT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S STILL GOING TO BE OBLIGATIONS GOING FORWARD THAT HAVE TO BE MET. AND WITH AND WITHOUT A PLAN [08:55:01] THAT HAS BEEN PUT FORTH TO US TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT AND SEE HOW DO WE ADDRESS THAT MORE THAN SAYING, YOU KNOW, WE'LL GO TO, WE'LL GO TO HOUSTONIANS AND ASK THEM WHAT TYPE OF CITY THEY WANT TO LIVE IN. IT. IT'S GOING TO HAVE TO BE MORE CONCISE AND COMPREHENSIVE. AND UP UNTIL NOW, I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO SEE THAT. AND SO I DON'T WANT TO VOTE ON A BUDGET THAT SATISFIES TODAY, BUT LEAVES US IN PERIL TOMORROW BECAUSE TOMORROW IS WHERE I'M MOST CONCERNED WITH. AND THAT'S WHY I CANNOT SUPPORT THE BUDGET. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN DAVIS. THANK YOU, UH, MAYOR. I, I'D LIKE TO SAY FIRST AND FOREMOST, I'M REALLY VERY APPRECIATIVE TO ALL OF THE COLLEAGUES AROUND THIS HORSESHOE. ONE OF THE THING I WAS SHARING WITH MAYOR PRO TEM, UH, AND I'M JUST SPEAKING FOR ME NOW. I CAME ON COUNCIL AND I CAME TO LOOK, LISTEN, AND LEARN. I'VE LEARNED A LOT FROM EVERYONE AROUND THIS HORSESHOE. UH, I THINK IT'S PRETTY OBVIOUS TO ME THAT ALL OF US LOVE OUR CITY AND GOD KNOWS I DO. AND, UM, I WANT TO SAY THAT NOTHING IS PERFECT AND NONE OF US ARE PERFECT. BUT I WOULD, MY PRAYER WHEN I COME HERE OFTEN AND IS, YOU KNOW, I DON'T TRY TO SPEAK AS MUCH, BUT WHEN I DO, I WANNA SAY SOMETHING THAT'S MEANINGFUL AND, AND CERTAINLY MORAL. AND CERTAINLY COLLECTIVELY, I RESPECT EVERYONE AROUND THIS HORSESHOE. AND I THINK IT'S RIGHTFULLY SO. BUT I DO WANT TO SAY THAT IN MY LEARNING, EXPERIENCING THIS, I WANT TO SHARE WITH EVERYONE, AND THIS JUST FROM MY HEART GOING FORWARD, WE ARE CALLED A COUNCIL. AND A COUNCIL MEANS EVERYONE COUNCIL TOGETHER. AND I UNDERSTAND SOME PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE ON CERTAIN THINGS, BUT LET ME JUST SAY THIS. I, I AGREE WITH YOU COUNCILMAN POLLARD. I DO FROM THE DEATH I DO BECAUSE OUR FUTURE IS A PART OF VISION. BUT THE WORDS TELLS US WHERE THERE'S NO VISION, PEOPLE PERISH. AND WHEN THE MAYOR SAID, TRUST US LAST YEAR WHEN HE CAME IN, WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THE DEBT THAT WE HAVE. IT WAS AN INHERITED DEBT. LET'S DON'T FOOL OURSELVES. WE KNOW THERE ARE THINGS THAT IS PRIORITY TO THIS CITY THAT WE ALL MUST TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION. I'M NOT SUGGESTING ANY OF YOU, BUT I DO KNOW THAT COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN AND ME, MYSELF AND MYSELF, WE DID GO TO THE EAST END WATER TREATMENT PLANT. IT IS HORRENDOUS. IT IS HORRENDOUS. AND WE, THAT'S PART OF OUR FUTURE NOW. AND SO WITH THAT, I, I WANNA SAY, BECAUSE IF THAT THING SHUTS DOWN, WE WOULDN'T HAVE WATER THE LAST TWO DAYS. THAT'S CRITICAL. EVEN IN THE MEDICAL CENTER ALL THE WAY TO THE WEST SIDE OF THE CITY. THE MAYOR HAS MADE THAT CLEAR TO US. AND I WANT TO, I WANT TO SAY IN MY CLOSING THAT THE MAYOR SAY, TRUST ME. I'VE SAID IT PUBLICLY, AND I'LL SAY IT AGAIN. WHEN I CAME ON THIS COUNCIL, I DIDN'T KNOW MAYOR WHITMEYER. HE DIDN'T KNOW ME. I'VE GOT TO KNOW HIM. YOU'VE GOT TO KNOW ME. BUT, YOU KNOW, I'LL SAY THIS, TRUST ALSO EQUATES TO FAITH. SEE IF I CAN TRUST YOU. IF I SAY TRUST YOU, THEN I'M GONNA HAVE FAITH IN WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO. AND I WANT TO COMMEND THE MAYOR. I WANT TO COMMEND HIS STAFF. I WANT TO COMMEND OUR FINANCE, UH, UH, CHAIR. AND FOR EVERYONE HERE THAT I BELIEVE THAT IF WE JOIN AND SEE A BETTER VISION, HAVE FAITH IN OUR CITY AS WE WOULD WANT PEOPLE TO HAVE FAITH IN US. I BELIEVE THAT WE COULD GO FORWARD AND FIX ALL OF THESE THINGS THAT WE HAVE. AND, UH, I, WITH THAT BEING SAID, I AM CERTAINLY ONE THAT, UH, I'M GONNA SUPPORT THIS BUDGET. 'CAUSE I BELIEVE THAT WE CAN BE BETTER. AND I JUST BELIEVE BETTER DAYS ARE AHEAD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU COUNCILOR THOMAS. SURE. UH, THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. UM, THIS HAS BEEN AN INCREDIBLY INTENSE PROCESS, UM, FROM THE BUDGET HEARINGS TO EVEN TODAY. JUST JUST GOES TO SHOW HOW MUCH EFFORT IS PUT INTO, UH, THIS PROCESS AND HOW SERIOUSLY WE ALL TAKE IT. COUNCIL MEMBERS, DEPARTMENT LEADS, AND THE PEOPLE. UM, THANK YOU TO OUR CHAIR AND OUR VICE CHAIR FOR DOING SOMETHING DIFFERENT AND GETTING OUT TO THE PEOPLE ON THE BUDGET PROCESS AND TO ALL THE DIRECTORS. AND SIMILARLY TO COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS, I STILL, AS A SECOND TERM MEMBER, WAS LEARNING IN NEW INFORMATION ABOUT DEPARTMENTS AND, YOU KNOW, FROM CHANGES TO CUTS TO EVEN INVESTMENTS. UM, UM, SO MY PLAN HAS BEEN NOT TO SUPPORT THE BUDGET AND VOTE NO, ONLY FOR A FEW REASONS. AND THIS DOES NOT NEGATE ALL OF THE THOUGHTFUL PROPOSALS YOU PUT TOGETHER, UM, AT VERY THOUGHTFUL BUDGET STABILIZATION, PUBLIC SAFETY AND ALL OF THAT. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SUPPORTING THEM AS THEY COME THROUGH COMMITTEE, AS THEY COME [09:00:01] THROUGH PROP A OR COUNCIL ACTION. YOU HAVE MY SUPPORT, BUT MY, UM, MY RESISTANCE TO SUPPORTING THE BUDGET REALLY LIES BETWEEN THE WORKFORCE REDUCTION AND THE FINANCIAL CUTS TO THE DEPARTMENTS. WHEN I WOULD SEE EVERY DEPARTMENT TALK ABOUT HOW MANY EMPLOYEES THEY LOST, UM, AND THEN THE FINANCIAL DECREASE IN THAT, UM, AND THE DEMAND OF OUR CITY, THE DEMAND OF THE SERVICES IS NOT MINIMIZING. THAT'S WHAT GIVES ME PAUSE IN TERMS OF HOW WE MOVE FORWARD. AND I, AND SO, UM, I TRUST THIS IS THE, THE TYPE OF RIGOROUS WORK WE HAVE TO DO TOGETHER. UM, AND IT'S OKAY TO DISSENT AS WE SAW EARLIER TODAY. AND I, I THINK WE'LL CONTINUE TO BE AT THE TABLE AND WORK THROUGH THAT. SO THAT'S WHERE MY VOTE HAS BEEN WITH, AND MY VOTE WILL REMAIN, UM, WITH THAT. AND SO I STILL INTEND ON VOTING NO, BUT I DO LOOK FORWARD TO SUPPORTING ALL THE PROPOSALS AS THEY COME FORWARD IN THE FUTURE. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN CAYMAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, FIRST AND FOREMOST, I WANNA THANK, UH, OUR CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR FOR AN INCREDIBLE JOB THAT YOU ALL HAVE DONE, UM, AS WELL AS THE FINAL FINANCE DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR, DEBOWSKI AND MAYOR, EVERY SINGLE DEPARTMENT WHO HAS PUT TIME INTO THIS, YOUR STAFF HAS WORKED VERY HARD ON THIS. AND I WANNA RECOGNIZE THAT FOR ME, THERE ARE PROBLEMS WITH THIS BUDGET, UH, FROM CUTS TO THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, UNREALISTIC PROJECTIONS ON OVERTIME SPENDING, DEFICIT SPENDING, FAILING TO ACCOUNT FOR INCREASING COSTS DUE TO TARIFFS. UH, WE'RE STILL CONTINUING TO FUND WASTEFUL PRACTICES OF RIPPING UP INFRASTRUCTURE THAT'S ALREADY IN PLACE. UH, AND THAT'S TO NAME A FEW OF THEM. AND NO BUDGET WE HAVE EVER TAKEN A VOTE ON IS PERFECT, AND I WANNA RECOGNIZE THAT. BUT I WANNA USE MY LIMITED TIME TO SOUND THE ALARM ABOUT THE LACK OF FINANCIAL PLANNING FOR DISASTER PREPAREDNESS FOR MAJOR STORMS AND EXTREME WEATHER, FULLY REPLENISHING OUR RAINY DAY FUND. WHILE I APPRECIATE THE CONVERSATION TODAY, IT IS BEING DEFERRED. UM, ALL DEPARTMENTS, HOWEVER, INCLUDING HBD AND I QUOTE, DO NOT INCLUDE ANY COST FOR EMERGENCY OR NATURAL DISASTER RESPONSE. EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS ARE COMING, THEY'RE MORE FREQUENT AND THEY'RE MORE SEVERE. AND WHETHER INTENTIONALLY OR IN A STATE OF DENIAL, WE ARE NOT RECOGNIZING THE REALITIES OF CLIMATE CHANGE. DEPARTMENT HEADS HAVE TESTIFIED THAT WE WILL RESPOND AS NEEDED REGARDLESS OF WHETHER WE WILL GET REIMBURSED BY THE STATE OR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. AND THAT IS ABSOLUTELY THE CORRECT RESPONSE. AND I WANNA RECOGNIZE THAT BECAUSE WE MUST KEEP HOUSTONIANS SAFE FROM THE EXTREMES. BUT THERE'S NOTHING IN THIS BUDGET THAT ACCOUNTS FOR THAT. CITY DEPARTMENTS, AGAIN, LITERALLY HAVE NOT BUDGETED FOR EMERGENCY OR DISASTER COSTS. THE AMOUNTS BUDGETED FOR PUBLIC SAFETY OVERTIME HAVE BEEN CUT TO NEARLY HALF OF THE AMOUNT THAN WE ACTUALLY SPENT LAST YEAR. AND AGAIN, I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THAT'S A REALISTIC ESTIMATE. WE CAN NO LONGER REASONABLY EXPECT REIMBURSEMENTS, AS I'VE SAID BEFORE, FOR DISASTER RELATED EXPENSES. YET THERE'S NOTHING IN THE BUDGET TO ACCOUNT FOR LACK OF FEDERAL FUNDING OR THE FEDERAL FUNDING WE WILL LOSE AND HAVE LOST. IF OUR BUDGET DOES NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THE NEAR CERTAIN RISK OF SIGNIFICANT EXPENDITURES DUE TO EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS, IT'S NOT A RESPONSIBLE BUDGET. AND IF WE LITERALLY DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO BUDGET FOR THE RISKS, THE ADMINISTRATION OWES IT TO OUR RESIDENTS TO SAY WHAT WILL BE CUT TO PAY FOR THESE DISASTERS WHEN THEY DO HAPPEN. SO I HAVE NEVER VOTED NO ON A BUDGET, UH, BUT I FEEL OBLIGATED TO VOTE NO ON THIS ONE. AND MAYOR, IT'S NOT PERSONAL. I RESPECT YOU. AND AGAIN, THERE IS A LOT OF HARD WORK THAT HAS BEEN PUT INTO THIS BY CITY STAFF, UH, AND I HOPE YOUR ADMINISTRATION WILL NOT SEEK RETRIBUTION AGAINST THE DISTRICT AND OUR RESIDENTS. BUT AGAIN, TODAY, I CANNOT VOTE NO ON THIS BUDGET. COUNCIL MEMBER, VICE MAYOR, PRO PECK, I CAN'T. I WILL BE VOTING. NO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, AND THANK YOU AND YOUR WHOLE TEAM FOR YOUR WORK ON THIS BUDGET. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN AND COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO AND COUNCIL MAYOR CASTILLO, I'M SORRY THAT YOUR BUDGET AMENDMENTS GOT INTERRUPTED. YOU HAD A LOT OF REALLY GOOD AMENDMENTS THERE, AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING MORE WHEN THEY GO TO COMMITTEE. UM, MAYOR, EVERY YEAR THAT I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL, I HAVE PUT FORWARD A BUDGET AMENDMENT, UM, TO BASICALLY DO CITYWIDE EFFICIENCY STUDIES. I CALLED IT SUNSET REVIEW. THIS IS PRETTY SIMILAR WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE NOW, AND IT'S VERY REFRESHING TO NOT HAVE TO OFFER THAT BUDGET AMENDMENT AGAIN. AND I'M SURE MY COLLEAGUES WHO HAVE BEEN WITH ME ARE VERY HAPPY NOT TO HEAR ME SAY THAT EVER AGAIN. , UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HEARD A LOT FROM THE PUBLIC ABOUT HOW WE NEED MORE MONEY FOR LIBRARIES, PARKS, ET CETERA, AND WE ABSOLUTELY DO. UM, BUT I THINK THAT WE'VE SEEN THAT MORE MONEY DOESN'T ALWAYS EQUAL BETTER SERVICES. WE HAVE TO START SOMEWHERE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO [09:05:01] OPTIMIZE OUR SERVICES. WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO WORK WITH OTHER ENER ENTITIES TO LEVERAGE OUR FUNDS, HOW TO STREAMLINE DEPARTMENTS SO THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY GETTING FLOODED, FLOODING MITIGATION PROJECTS MOVING FORWARD. UM, RIGHT NOW WE HAVE A FUND BALANCE AND THOSE PROJECTS AREN'T EVEN MOVING FORWARD. BUT NOW WITH THE WORK MAYOR THAT YOU'VE DONE, THAT DIRECTOR, DIRECTOR MACKAY HAS DONE, WE'RE ACTUALLY SEEING THINGS MOVING FORWARD FOR THE FIRST TIME, WHICH IS GREAT. AND SO I THINK THAT THIS, UM, BUDGET IS REALLY TAKING US TO OUR BASELINE TO GROW FROM HERE. YOU KNOW, WE HAD TO LOOK AT ALL OF THE EFFICIENCIES AND STREAMLINE ANYTHING, EVERYTHING BEFORE WE CAN MOVE FORWARD. SO I THINK THAT THIS BUDGET REALLY MOVES US IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION TO CONTINUE WORKING ON THOSE EFFICIENCIES AND TO CONTINUE, UM, YOU KNOW, PUTTING OUR RESOURCES INTO THE THINGS THAT PEOPLE ARE ASKING US FOR. AND MY DISTRICT, PEOPLE ARE ASKING US FOR MORE POLICE OFFICERS. THEY'RE ASKING FOR MORE FLOODING MITIGATION PROJECTS. AND I THINK THAT THIS BUDGET IS SHOWING US THAT WE ARE PUTTING MONEY INTO THOSE THINGS THAT PEOPLE ARE REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT. SO I INTEND TO VOTE YES ON THIS BUDGET. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND, UH, I JUST WANT TO NOTE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE FOLKS WHO EXPECT EVERYTHING TO BE PERFECT AND RIGHT TWO YEARS INTO THIS TERM, BUT IT TOOK US MORE THAN TWO YEARS TO GET INTO THIS MESS. IT'S GONNA TAKE US MORE THAN TWO YEARS TO GET OUT. I RESPECT ALL THE WORK THAT'S GONE INTO THIS BUDGET. IT'S NOT A PERFECT BUDGET. IT HAS PLENTY OF DEFICIENCIES, BUT IT'S ONE THAT HELPS US MANAGE THE PRECARIOUS FINANCIAL SITUATION THAT WE'RE IN. AND IT PUTS US IN, IN A POSITION, UH, TO BE BETTER NEXT YEAR. AND SO I'LL BE SUPPORTING THIS, THIS BUDGET. I APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT'S GONE INTO IT. UM, MAYOR'S STAFF, I UNDERSTAND MR. NEWPORT IS LEAVING. I DON'T REMEMBER VOTING TO APPROVE THAT, BUT, UM, BE THAT AS IT MAY, UH, YOU'VE GOT A GREAT TEAM AND I APPRECIATE ALL THE HARD WORK Y'ALL HAVE PUT INTO IT. THANK YOU. YOU FLICKINGER. UH, COUNCILMAN FLICKINGER. THANK YOU, MAYOR. FIRST OF ALL, I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU AND YOUR STAFF. I THINK Y'ALL HAVE DONE A BANG UP JOB, UH, ALL OVER THE PLACE, WHETHER THAT BE IN AUSTIN, WASHINGTON, DC OR, OR HERE. UH, ALSO COUNCILMAN ALCORN CASTILLO, OBVIOUSLY THE FINANCE DIRECTOR. YOU KNOW, ALTHOUGH I'VE ONLY BEEN HERE FOR A LITTLE OVER A YEAR, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE THAT I CAN RECALL THE CITY GOVERNMENT ACTUALLY MAKING A CONCERTED EFFORT TO BE MORE EFFICIENT. UM, I, I THINK THAT, UH, WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO REAP BENEFITS FROM THAT GOING FORWARD. I THINK THERE'S STILL A LOT OF MORE EFFICIENCIES THAT WE CAN GAIN. UH, JUST A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO YOU MENTIONED DOWN AT SOLID WASTE AND, UH, BASICALLY KIND OF THE TAILGATING. YOU KNOW, I THINK EVERYBODY NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND THAT YES, FINANCIAL RESOURCES ARE TOUGH TO COME BY. UH, WE DO HAVE SOME SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES THAT ISN'T ANYTHING NEW. IT'S BEEN, YOU KNOW, GOING ON IN HOUSTON FOREVER. UH, AND I JUST REALLY THINK THAT THE IDEA THAT WE'RE GONNA TRANSFORM CITY GOVERNMENT TO MAKE IT MORE EFFICIENT, UH, IS, IS WHERE WE NEED TO BE. WE'RE IMPROVING. AND AS LONG AS YOU'RE CONTINUING TO APPROVE, YOU'RE ON THE RIGHT COURSE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, AND I'LL, I'LL FIRST START OFF BY SAYING THAT I AM GONNA BE SUPPORTIVE OF THIS BUDGET. UM, WE, WE'VE HAD THIS CONVERSATION THE LAST TWO BUDGET CYCLES AS I'VE, I'VE HAD IT THE LAST TWO, UH, BUDGET CYCLES. BUT I'VE HEARD THIS CONVERSATION FOR 10 YEARS PRIOR, AND IT HAS NOT CHANGED. UM, I THINK AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU KNOW, AS WE CONTINUE TO FIND THE INEFFICIENCIES, REDUNDANCIES, AND, AND WORK TO BE, UH, BETTER PROVIDE SERVICES TO C TO OUR COMMUNITIES. AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, THAT'S, THAT'S THE MAIN POINT, IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE SERVING OUR COMMUNITY. UM, IT'S INCUMBENT UPON US, AND I SAID THIS LAST YEAR TO HAVE THESE TOUGH CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHAT, AND I KNOW IT'S, IT'S KIND OF VAGUE. WHAT WHAT DO YOU WANT YOUR CITY TO LOOK LIKE? BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THERE ARE, THERE, THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES TO CONTINUE TO HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS AT CIVIC CLUBS, UM, IN FRONT OF CAMERAS AT SUPER NEIGHBORHOODS. WE CANNOT CONTINUE TO SAY HOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WE NEED MORE MONEY, BUT WE DON'T WANNA SUBMIT ANY AMENDMENTS FOR REVENUE GENERATING, UM, ITEMS. AND SO I, I WOULD CHALLENGE MY COLLEAGUES TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THOSE REVENUE GENERATING AND WE KNOW WHERE THEY ARE. WE KNOW THE REV CAP IS A CHALLENGE. WE KNOW THAT THERE'S DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN RUN, UM, DECADES IN THE SAME WAY. AND WE REALLY NEED TO START COURSE CORRECTING AND RIGHT SIZING THOSE DEPARTMENTS. UM, BUT, UH, UH, I REALLY, UM, APPRECIATE YOUR TEAM, THE DEPARTMENTS FOR, YOU KNOW, YOU HAD TWO OR THREE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENT HEADS THAT ARE SAYING, WE'RE GONNA WORK WITH WHAT WE HAVE AND CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THE SAME SERVICE. UM, I, I'M LEANING INTO THEM. I [09:10:01] APPRECIATE THEIR HARD WORK BECAUSE THEY CARE ABOUT THE CITY AS WELL. UM, I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH FOR, YOU KNOW, FOR THIS ADMINISTRATION TO REALLY START, AND I, I LIKE WHAT MY COLLEAGUE, UH, VICE MAYOR PRO TIM PECK MENTIONED. WE'RE WORKING AT A, HOW CAN WE GET AT A BASELINE AND AT THIS BASELINE, DOES IT REACH THE SERVICES, UH, EXPECTATIONS THAT OUR COMMUNITY NEED? AND IF IT'S NOT, THEN WE NEED TO SAY IT'S GONNA COST MORE MONEY AT THE END OF THE DAY AND NOT BE AFRAID OF AN ELECTION TO HOLD BACK THAT A TRASH FEE IS, YOU KNOW, THAT YOU'RE AFRAID TO TALK ABOUT A TRASH FEE IN FRONT OF FOLKS TO HOLD BACK, NOT WANTING TO TALK ABOUT THE REVENUE CAP THAT WE'VE, WE'VE REDUCED THE TAX RATE INCREASE SERVICES. LET'S, LET'S MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE HAVING THIS VERY TRANSPARENT CONVERSATION WITH COMMUNITY DAY IN DAY OUT. BECAUSE NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET IS GONNA BE TOUGH AS WELL. IT'S GONNA BE REALLY TOUGH. BUT THE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE OVER THE LAST MONTH AND A HALF, SPECIFICALLY WITH, WITH OUR COLLEAGUES AROUND THE HORSESHOE WITH BUDGET WORKSHOPS AND THE LAST YEAR FROM THE ADMINISTRATION AND, AND, AND YOUR TEAM MAYOR, UM, IT'S A HECK OF A JOB. WE ARE CLOSING THIS BUDGET. AND SO, UM, AGAIN, I I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO, UH, VOTING YES ON THIS BUDGET. AND I, I APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT, UH, YOU AND YOUR TEAM HAVE DONE. YOU MAYOR PROTE, CASTEK STADIUM. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I DO WANNA START OFF BY THANKING, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN FOR YEOMAN'S JOB AND, UM, VICE CHAIR CASTILLO AS WELL. UM, I KNOW THAT WE'VE HEARD A LOT FROM CONSTITUENTS THAT HAVE SAID THEY WANTED MORE TRANSPARENCY. I THINK WE HAD AN ADDITIONAL WEEK, UM, ADDED TO OUR AVAILABILITY TO REVIEW THE BUDGET. WE'VE EXTENDED THE NUMBER OF MEETINGS WE'VE HAD IN OUR COMMUNITIES. UM, AND, BUT I I, I JUST BELIEVE THAT EVERY TIME WE RECEIVE THIS TYPE OF FEEDBACK FROM OUR CONSTITUENTS, THAT WE CAN ALWAYS IMPROVE ON OUR BEST. UM, WE HAVE 17 INDIVIDUALS, UH, WITH DIFFERING PERSPECTIVES AROUND THIS HORSESHOE. UM, EVERY YEAR THAT WE GO THROUGH BUDGET SEASON, UH, THE CITY HAS MORE NEEDS THAN WE HAVE DOLLARS. SO THIS IS, THIS IS NOT NEW. UM, EACH ONE OF OUR COLLEAGUES HAS A RIGHT TO VOTE THEIR CONSCIENCE FOR THEIR SPECIFIC REASONS. UM, AND I THINK THAT WE, WE'VE ALL HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPRESS OUR CONCERNS AND WHAT WE'D LIKE TO SEE IN THE FUTURE. UH, WITHOUT AN ADOPTED BUDGET, UH, THE CITY CANNOT LEGALLY AUTHORIZE SPENDING. WE HAVE TO GOVERN. UM, THE GOOD THING IS THIS IS NOT THE END. UH, WE HAVE TO CONTINUE WORKING TOWARDS BRINGING MORE DOLLARS TO OUR CITY, AND WE ALL KNOW THAT. AND WE ALL CAN CONTINUE TO WORK TOWARDS MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE BRINGING MORE DOLLARS TO OUR CITY, UM, TO HELP WITH THIS BUDGET. SO WITH THAT, MAYOR, I THINK THAT WE'VE ALL HASHED OUT WHAT WE WANTED TO SAY AND WHY WE WANTED TO SAY IT. UM, I WOULD MOVE TO CALL THE QUESTION IN A ROLL CALL VOTE SECOND. THANK YOU, MA'AM. THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP. UH, MOTIONS MADE AND SECONDED TO CALL THE ROLE. UH, PLEASE CALL THE ROLE MR. SECRETARY MAYOR WHITMEYER. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER PICK. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN? NO. COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS? NO. COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD. NO. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTEX TAYLOR? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER? YES. AND COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN? YES. 14 THREE. WHAT'S IT GOT? 14. THREE, I MEAN, 14 YESES AND THREE NO'S. MOTION PASSES. ANYTHING ELSE? MM-HMM . WE HAVE A FEW MORE. NO, NOT THAT . NOW WE GOT ITEM 38. IS THAT EVERYTHING? WE GOT A LITTLE MORE BUSINESS MEMBERS WHO, ALMOST, ALMOST ITEM 38. WHO SQUARED 38. LEMME READ THAT IN THE RECORD. IN COMPLIANCE MEMBERS, IF I COULD HAVE YOUR ATTENTION WILL BE TOO SHORTLY IN COMPLIANCE. VOTE FIRST. BEG PARDON, VOTE FIRST AND THEN MAKE THE STATEMENT. YES, PLEASE. ITEM 38 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES IN COMPLIANCE WITH STATE LAW, I STATE THAT THIS BUDGET WILL RAISE MORE REVENUE FROM PROPERTY TAXES THAN IT DID LAST YEAR BY AN AMOUNT OF $76,000,886 916, WHICH IS 5.39% [09:15:01] INCREASE FROM LAST YEAR'S BUDGET. PROPERTY TAX REVENUE TO BE RAISED FROM THE NEW PROPERTY ADDED TO OUR TAX ROLL. THIS YEAR'S 27,323. $397. THAT'S FOR THE RECORD. ITEM 39. ITEM 39 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED. NAME, MOTION PASSES. ITEM 40 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 41 IS AN IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. THIS COMPLETES THE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA. IF I COULD. MEMBERS, UH, I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHO SAID IT WHILE AGO ABOUT CHRIS. YOU KNOW, WE ALL KNOW WE'RE ONLY AS GOOD AS OUR STAFF. OUR STAFF REALLY, REALLY DEFINES US. AND, UH, I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT THE SUPPORT AND WHAT HE BRINGS TO WORK EACH AND EVERY DAY. CHRIS NEWPORT IS A PUBLIC SERVANT. AND, UH, HE'S NOT GOING VERY FAR. THINK ABOUT FLEET WEEK. I'VE GOT ASSIGNMENTS FOR HIM, BUT HE NEEDS MORE TIME WITH HIS FAMILY, WHICH WE ALL UNDERSTAND, APPRECIATE. AND CHRIS, I WANT YOU TO COME ON DOWN FRONT. I KNOW YOU'RE, I'M EMBARRASSING YOU, BUT, BUT THANK YOU. WE, WE COLLECTIVELY WANT TO, I'M GONNA GIVE YOU A STANDING OVATION BECAUSE YOU'RE ONE HELL OF A PUBLIC SERVANT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEGRITY, YOUR WORK ETHIC. YOUR MAMA AND DADDY DID A HELL OF A JOB IN YOUR FAMILY. WE WELCOME YOU TO A FULL-TIME. TAKE CARE OF THE LITTLE LEAGUE COACHING AND ALL THE DUTIES THAT YOU'VE SACRIFICED THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF. AND, UH, I KNOW YOU'RE NOT GOING FAR, AND I'LL SEE YOU AT OAK'S DAD'S CLUB, BUT ALSO WE'RE GONNA HAVE YOU WORKING ON BEHALF OF THE CITY CITIZENS OF HOUSTON. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND I'LL HAVE AN EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT IN THE NEXT, UH, FEW DAYS. BUT TODAY BELONGS TO CITIZENS OF HOUSTON. AND WE WILL MAKE AN EXCEPTION BECAUSE WE'RE GIVEN A SHOUT OUT TO ONE HELL OF A PUBLIC SERVANT. THAT IS, YOU KNOW, I'M SO FORTUNATE TO HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET, HIRE, AND WORK WITH CHRIS FOR THE LAST COUPLE YEARS, AND HE'S NOT GOING FAR. WITH THAT SAID, WE CAN. THANK YOU, SIR. WE CAN START. POPOFF, [NON CONSENT - MATTERS TO BE PRESENTED BY COUNCIL MEMBERS] UH, COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON PASS. PASS. I GOT SOMETHING TO SAY. I'M . SHE PASSES. COUNT. MAYOR PROTE, CAST MAYOR PROTE CASTING STATE PASS PASS. PASS. UH, MAYOR, REALLY QUICKLY, I, I, I TOO WANT TO, UM, I TOO WANT TO THANK, UH, YOUR CHIEF CHRIS NEWPORT FOR HIS SERVICE TO OUR CITY. UH, ONE THING I CAN SAY ABOUT YOU IS YOU ARE VERY WELL PREPARED. NO MATTER WHAT THE QUESTION WAS, YOU HAD AN ANSWER, UH, WHICH TAKES A LOT OF TIME, A LOT OF DILIGENCE, A LOT OF SACRIFICE AWAY FROM YOUR, YOUR FAMILY AND YOUR PERSONAL LIFE. UH, AND SO I WISH YOU WELL IN WHATEVER YOUR NEXT ENDEAVORS ARE. AND I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO OUR CITY. GOD BLESS YOU. YOU DID IT. VERY GOOD. COUNCILMAN ALCORN, A HUGE THANK YOU TO MY STAFF, GEORGE MCGINTY FRAZIER, WHO RUNS ALL THE RUNS, ALL THE MEETING RUNS, ALL THE PIVOT TABLES, KNOWS WHERE EVERY SINGLE DOLLAR IS IN THAT BUDGET, AND IT'S UNBELIEVABLE. AND TO KATIE AND JUSTICE WHO SUPPORT ME AS WELL, CHRIS NEWPORT. I'M GONNA MISS YOU LIKE CRAZY. AND, UM, THANKS TO EVERYONE HERE AND ALL THE DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS AND MELISSA DEBOWSKI, ALMA, PAULA, UM, YOU GUYS ANSWERED A MILLION QUESTIONS FOR ME AND IT WAS A GREAT BREAD PROCESS. I REALLY WANNA THANK MY VICE CHAIR, MARIO CASTILLO, WHO REALLY PUSHED THE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT IN THE TOWN HALLS. THANKS TO ALL THE 1200 PEOPLE THAT FILLED OUT MY SURVEY. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IT WAS A GOOD PROCESS, MAYOR. IT'S, IT'S NEVER PRETTY, IT'S NEVER PERFECT, BUT WE GET THROUGH IT AND WE TO SEE ANOTHER DAY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AND, UH, WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE YOUR LEADERSHIP. COUNCILMAN PLUMMER. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU VICE. THANK YOU CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR. Y'ALL DID AN AMAZING JOB. UM, CHRIS, I'M GONNA MISS YOU TOO. I KNOW YOU, I KNOW WE MAKE YOU CRAZY SOMETIMES, [09:20:01] BUT YOU'VE REALLY BEEN AMAZING AND WE ARE INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL FOR ALL THAT YOU DID AND ALL THE QUESTIONS YOU'VE ANSWERED FOR US AND HELPING US GET THROUGH THIS THIS YEAR. UM, AND I ALSO WANT TO THANK MY TEAM, UM, BEHIND ME. I KNOW, AND MAKE THEM CRAZY TOO. UM, BUT THANKS MAYOR FOR, FOR MAKING THIS HAPPEN. THIS WAS A TOUGH BUDGET SEASON AND, UM, WE JUST HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE'RE LISTENING TO PEOPLE. I MEAN, THAT'S THE BOTTOM LINE. AND I VOTED YES ON THIS BECAUSE OUR JOB IS TO MAKE SURE THE CITY CONTINUES TO WRITE, WRITE CHECKS, AND MAKE, YOU KNOW, GIFT SERVICES AND PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR FOLKS. WE GOT A LOT OF WORK TO DO. IT'S ONLY STARTING NOW. THANK YOU. THANK, THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN CARTER? YES, THANK YOU COUNCILOR EVAN SHABA. CERTAINLY THIS WILL BE A FIRST OTHER THAN TALKING ABOUT BIKE LANES. I'M GONNA SAY THANK YOU EVERYBODY FOR ALL OF THIS GREAT WORK. YOU ALL ARE MAGNIFICENT AND MARVELOUS GROUP TO WORK WITH. AND I'M GONNA PASS BECAUSE I KNOW Y'ALL ARE HANGING ON WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION, BUT I'LL LET YOU KNOW NEXT WEEK. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I, I DO WANT TO THANK, UH, CHRIS NEWPORT FOR HIS SERVICE TO THE CITY. IT'S BEEN, UM, VERY, VERY, WE'RE GONNA MISS YOU. UH, ABSOLUTELY. AND IT'S BEEN A PRIVILEGE TO SERVE UNDER, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN ON THE BUDGET COMMITTEE. SHE DOES A PHENOMENAL JOB. I'VE LEARNED SO MUCH. CONTINUE TO LEARN SO MUCH FROM HER. UM, AND, UH, WANT TO THANK ALL THE ENGAGEMENT FROM THE COUNCIL AS WELL THROUGHOUT ALL THOSE BUDGET WORKSHOPS, 23 OF THEM, UM, AND THE DIRECTOR AND HER STAFF FOR ALL OF THE WORK AROUND, UM, AROUND THE BUDGET. IT'S OVER. IT'S, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'VE ADOPTED IT AND NOW, UH, ONTO MANY OTHER THINGS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SIR. COUNCILMAN DAVIS. THANK YOU MAYOR. COLLEAGUES, I JUST WANTED TO, UH, THANK AGAIN OUR CHIEF OF STAFF, MAYOR'S, CHIEF OF STAFF, CHRIS AND HIS STAFF, UH, AND THE WHOLE TEAM, AND ALSO TO YOU MAYOR. JUST WANNA MAKE, UH, THE MENTION THAT MY GOOD FRIEND, UH, REVEREND DAVE WELCH PASSED ON SUNDAY. HE WAS ONE OF THE GREAT LEADERS IN OUR CITY. I'M GOING TO MISS HIM. HE AND I HAVE BEEN FRIENDS SINCE THE EARLY NINETIES. HE LOVED HOUSTON AND HE LOVED ALL MANKIND. SO WE PRAY FOR HIS FAMILY. THANK YOU. COUNCILOR FLICKINGER. THANK YOU MAYOR. JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY THAT WAS INVOLVED IN THIS PROCESS, AND A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO CHRIS AND GOOD LUCK, SIR. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN CAYMAN. I WANNA THANK CHRIS, ALTHOUGH I'M, I'M GIVING HIM A STARE DOWN. UH, BUT CHRIS, I ALSO WANNA THANK ALLISON AND THE BOYS. UH, SO WE APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT YOUR FAMILY HAS DONE FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON, AND THAT IS A VERY REAL SACRIFICE, NOT ONLY FOR YOU, BUT FOR EVERYBODY THAT YOU LOVE AND THAT LOVES YOU. SO I, I JUST WANNA SAY THAT. AND THEN OF COURSE, UH, WISHING A VERY HAPPY PRIDE TO ALL, UM, AS WE START OFF THIS PRIDE MONTH, WHICH, UH, I THINK IS ONE OF THE MORE IMPORTANT PRIDE MONTHS, UH, IN OUR HISTORY AS A NATION RIGHT NOW. THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? UM, I KNOW Y'ALL ARE GONNA GATHER TO VISIT. I'VE GOT TO SPEAK AT AN ICON'S FUNERAL AT SIX 30 AT THE CATHEDRAL. JOSE GRON, UH, WAS A TRAILBLAZER AND, AND LED THE WAY FOR OTHER, UH, PEOPLE OF COLOR AND BILINGUAL, UH, HOST. AND, UH, WE'RE GONNA MISS HIM. KATHY, OF COURSE, HIS VERY DEDICATED WIFE. UM, OUR PRAYERS ARE WITH THEM. SO WITH THAT SAID, UM, WE STAND ADJOURNED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU ALL. WE. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.