* 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] TO MAYOR PRO TEM CASTEX STADIUM, PLEASE. PRESIDE [PRESENTATIONS] CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ FOR A PROCLAMATION TO MAGNOLIA FUND, FOUNDED BY ERIC IRA AND MARCELLO OX GARCIA III. THANK YOU, MAYOR PROAM, IF I CAN HAVE ERIC COME UP AND OF COURSE, UH, IF, UM, MARCELO'S FAMILY, UH, MR. MR. GARCIA, YOU CAN COME UP. I'M NOT SURE IF ROSE IS HERE. NO, SHE, OKAY. UM, SO COLLEAGUES AND, AND MAYOR. UM, SO THIS IS A, UH, KIND OF A TWOFOLD, UH, PROCLAMATION. UM, MANY OF Y'ALL KNOW THAT, UH, LAST, LAST NOVEMBER, WE, UH, HAD A FATALITY. UM, WE LOST A, A GOOD PERSON FROM THE EAST END, MARCELO OX, UH, GARCIA. UM, HE WORKED AT STATION 23. UM, AND THE TIMES THAT, UH, THAT, THAT I WAS ABLE TO SPEAK, SPEAK ABOUT, UH, MARCELO, UH, WITH THE UNFORTUNATE TRAGEDY, UM, I SPOKE TO HIS COMMITMENT TO THE EAST END, UM, KNOWN HIM WELL, KNOWN HIS, HIS OLDER SISTER, ERICA. WE SAME AGE GROUP, WE, SHE WENT TO MILBY. I WENT TO AUSTIN, BUT WE GRADUATED SAME YEAR. UH, BUT THERE WAS ALWAYS, UH, THIS YOUNGER COHORT MAYOR OF, OF, UH, FOLKS THAT MARCELLO HUNG OUT WITH ONE OF 'EM, ERIC, ERIC WENT TO AUSTIN HIGH SCHOOL AS WELL. UM, AND A LOT OF WHAT MARCELLO WAS DOING WAS, UH, HIS COMMITMENT TO MAKING SURE THAT THE EAST END CONTINUE TO THRIVE, ESPECIALLY AS A HOMEGROWN EAST ENDER. UH, HE PLAYED FOR THE MAGNOLIA PARK SHARKS, UH, SOMETHING THAT EVERYBODY IN THE EAST END IS WELL WELL AWARE OF, COMMITTED TO. IT'S A LEGACY OF, UH, LITTLE LEAGUE FOOTBALL. HE PLAYED IT IN GROUND UP PARK DIXIE LITTLE LEAGUE. UM, SO MARCE WAS CONTRIBUTING TO A LOT OF WHAT, WHAT WE HAD, UM, IN THE EAST END TO MAKE IT BETTER. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UM, BEFORE HIS, HIS DEPARTURE, EARLY DEPARTURE OF, UH, FROM US WAS THE MAGNOLIA FUND. UM, AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT ERIC, ALONG WITH MARCELLO WERE ABLE TO CREATE. AND SO, UM, TODAY WE WANNA HONOR MARCELLO FOR HIS BIRTHDAY, UM, BUT ALSO HIGHLIGHTING WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE EAST END, SPECIFICALLY WITH THE MAGNOLIA FUND. AND SO I HAVE THE HONOR TO, UM, TO HAVE YOU HERE. UH, MR. GARCIA, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. UM, AND SO I'LL READ THE PROCLAMATION. UM, WHEREAS THE MAGNOLIA FUND HAS SHOWN VISIONARY LEADERSHIP BY LAUNCHING THE FIRST COMMUNITY CENTERED INVESTMENT FUND AIMED AT EMPOWERING LOCAL RESIDENTS, BUSINESS OWNERS, AND STAKEHOLDERS INVESTED IN THE EAST END. AND WHEREAS THE MAGNOLIA FUND WAS FOUNDED IN DECEMBER OF 2023 BY EASTERN ERIC IVARA AND MARCELLO OX GARCIA II, WITH THE EXPRESS PURPOSE OF ENABLING LOCALS AND NEIGHBORS TO INVEST DIRECTLY IN THE EAST END'S ECONOMIC FUTURE AND FOSTERING INCLUSIVE PARTICIPATION IN LOCAL DEVELOPMENT. AND WHEREAS UNITED BY A MISSION OF EQUITY SUSTAINABILITY, THE MAGNOLIA FUND HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN ESTABLISHING A NEW COMMERCIAL KITCHEN TO INCUBATE AND SUPPORT LOCAL FOOD PRODUCTION INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THE UN UNDERREPRESENTED ENTREPRENEURS, ADVANCING ECONOMIC SELF-DETERMINATION AND SERVING AS A MODEL OF HOW RESPONSIBLE VALUES DRIVEN CAPITAL CAN CREATE LASTING IMPACT. WHEREAS THE CITY OF HOUSTON COMMENDS THE MAGNOLIA FUND'S INNOVATIVE SPIRIT COMMITMENT TO GRASSROOTS INVESTMENT AND DEDICATION TO BUILDING A THRIVING, INCLUSIVE FOOD ECONOMY IN THE EAST END. AND WHEREAS THE CITY ALSO RECOGNIZES THE MEMORY AND LEGACY OF MARCELO OX GARCIA III, CO-FOUNDER OF THE MAGNOLIA FUND, WHOSE VISION, LEADERSHIP, AND BELIEF IN THE COMMUNITY POWER WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN LAUNCHING THE FUND, A HOUSTON FIREFIGHTER WHO LOST HIS LIFE IN THE LINE OF DUTY ON NOVEMBER 6TH, 2024. HE WAS THE FUND'S FIRST INVESTOR AND DEEPLY LOVED IN THE EAST END NEIGHBORHOOD. HE LED BY EXAMPLE, INSPIRING OTHERS TO SUPPORT AND GIVE BACK TO THEIR COMMUNITIES AND NEIGHBORS AND STRONGLY BELIEVED IN THE POWER OF FELLOWSHIP. AND WHEREAS THE CITY OF HOUSTON ENCOURAGES ALL HOUSTONIANS TO RECOGNIZE AND CELEBRATE THE POWER OF COMMUNITY-LED INVESTMENT AND THE INSPIRING WORK OF THE MAGNOLIA FUND AND ITS FOUNDERS, ERIC IBARRA AND MARCELLO OX GARCIA III IN UPLIFTING OUR SHARED FUTURE. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ. AND THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO RECOGNIZE MAGNOLIA FUND COMMUNITY INVESTMENT. UH, IT GOES ABOUT ITS BUSINESS OF IMPROVING THE EAST END AND CERTAINLY MAGNOLIA. AND IT'S SO APPROPRIATE THAT WE RECOGNIZED FIREFIGHTER GARCIA BECAUSE AT THE TIME OF HIS UNTIMELY LOSS, THE COMMON MESSAGE WAS HE NEVER LEFT THE COMMUNITY. THAT'S RIGHT. NOT ONLY LIVED THERE [00:05:01] AS A FIREFIGHTER GROWING UP THERE, BUT HE COACHED THE LITTLE LEAGUES HE CONTRIBUTED TO THE MAGNOLIA FUND. SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NEVER READY TO LOSE A LOVED ONE. UH, BUT GOD DOESN'T US CHOOSE THAT, BUT HE ALLOWS US TO CELEBRATE ALIVE. YES. AND THAT'S WHAT WE DID IN NOVEMBER. CERTAINLY WE'RE REMEMBERING HIS CONTRIBUTION TO MAGNOLIA FUND AND HIS LEGACY AND HIS COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY WILL LIVE ON FOREVER. SO IT'S SO APPROPRIATE THAT WE HAVE THIS RESOLUTION, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BRINGING IT, AND THANK YOU FOR, YOU KNOW, WE ALWAYS HATE TO LOSE A FIRST RESPONDER FROM THE LINE OF DUTY. AND THAT WAS A TRAGEDY, BUT THEN THE MAN AND THE LEADER IN THE COMMUNITY WAS JUST REALLY PAINFUL, BUT CELEBRATING HIS LIFE TODAY. YES, SIR. SO THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER. THANK YOU. SURE. GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. I WANNA THANK EVERY, UH, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, OUR DISTRICT, I ESPECIALLY COUNCIL MEMBER JOAQUIN MARTINEZ, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, MAYOR JOHN WHITMEYER, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, AND JUST AS IMPORTANTLY, ALL THE INCREDIBLE STAFF WORKING BEHIND THE SCENES. TODAY'S ABOUT THE HARD WORK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU PUT INTO YOUR NEIGHBORHOODS IN THE EAST END. UH, WE JUST SO HAPPEN TO BUILD A FUND TO ENSURE THAT LOCAL WEALTH GOES BACK TO LONGTIME RESIDENTS AND SMALL BUSINESS. BUT IT'S NOT UNLIKE THE INVESTMENTS BEING MADE THROUGHOUT HOUSTON IN PLACES LIKE THIRD WARD AND FIFTH WARD. THESE ARE OUR NEIGHBORS, WHERE TRUE ECONOMIC PROGRESS IS NOT ONLY FOR THE PEOPLE, BUT BY THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE THERE. SO WE MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR LOCALS TO OWN AND OWN REAL ESTATE, BUT ALSO TO INVEST IN FOOD ENTREPRENEURS. UH, WE'RE LAUNCHING A COMMERCIAL KITCHEN SO THAT FOOD ENTREPRENEURS HAVE ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE KITCHEN SPACE TO GROW AND, AND, AND LAUNCH THEIR FOOD BASED BUSINESS. THESE ARE CATERERS, BAKERS, POPUP VENDORS, AND OTHER FOOD MAKERS WHO ARE THE BACKBONE OF OUR COMMUNITIES. IN OUR LOCAL ECONOMY. UH, WE CAN THINK OF NO BETTER INVESTMENT THAN TO SUPPORT THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO ARE BUILDING THEIR GENERATIONAL WEALTH ON FOOD. AND I'M HONORED TO BE JOINED BY SOME OF OUR NEARLY A HUNDRED INVESTORS TODAY. BUT THEY REPRESENT MORE THAN JUST OUR FUND. THESE ARE FOLKS, UH, FROM ORGANIZATIONS YOU KNOW AND RECOGNIZE IN THE EAST END. THEY'RE THE TEACHERS, SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS, LITERALLY FIREFIGHTERS AND NEIGHBORS WHO LOVE AND CARE FOR OUR COMMUNITY DAY IN AND DAY OUT, LONG BEFORE MAGNOLIA FUND, THEY'VE BEEN PUT IN THE WORK TO SEE THAT OUR NEIGHBORHOOD IS PROTECTED, SAFE, AND PROSPEROUS. ONE OF THESE INVESTORS WHO'S WITH US IN SPIRIT AS MY CHILDHOOD FRIEND, MARCELO OX GARCIA, AS YOU KNOW, WE LOST IN 2024. I'M JOINED BY HIS FATHER, MARCELO, UH, SOME OF HIS, SOME OF OUR CHILDHOOD FRIENDS, AND EVEN FIREFIGHTERS FROM STATION 23 IN THE EAST END. IT'S WHERE OX PROUDLY SERVED. OX WASN'T JUST AN INVESTOR, HE WAS A CO-FOUNDER, AND HE ACTUALLY WAS THE FIRST CHECK INTO THE FUND. WHILE YOU MAY KNOW THE HEROICS OF OX AS A FIREFIGHTER, HE WAS ALSO HERE TO COUNTLESS BOYS AND GIRLS IN THE EAST END AS HE ORGANIZED FUNDRAISERS AND INITIATIVES THAT PUT TOYS UNDER TREES AND FOOD ON TABLES. DURING THE HOLIDAYS, OX WAS THE EMBODIMENT OF WHAT IT MEANS TO CARE FOR ONE'S COMMUNITY. WHEN I FIRST TOLD HIM ABOUT MAGNOLIA FUND, HE DIDN'T WAIT TO BE CONVINCED. HE DIDN'T WAIT FOR A SECOND CONVERSATION. WHEN I ASKED WHAT HE WANTED TO INVEST IN, HE DIDN'T TELL ME A BUILDING, HE DIDN'T TELL ME A PROPERTY, HE DIDN'T TELL ME WHAT KIND OF BUSINESS. HE SAID THE CULTURE. SO WE'RE CELEBRATING COMMUNITY INVESTMENT DAY TO RECOGNIZE OX, HIS FAMILY, FRIENDS, FIREFIGHTERS, AND OUR FUNDERS WHO REPRESENT THIS CULTURE OF INVESTING IN THEIR COMMUNITY. THESE ARE THE TRUE HEROES WHO HAVE BEEN QUIETLY, CA QUIETLY CARING FOR THE COMMUNITY WHO WE GET TO CELEBRATE OUT LOUD. TODAY, I'M HONORED TO BE PART OF THIS COMMUNITY AND TO BE INVESTED IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. WHEN OX PASSED, MY RESULT FOR THIS PROJECT BECAME EVEN MORE CLEAR. LET'S BUILD SOMETHING HE WOULD BE PROUD OF. SO I HOPE YOU'LL AGREE WE'RE BUILDING ECONOMIC PROGRESS THE NEIGHBORHOOD CAN BE PROUD OF. SO, ON BEHALF OF MAGNOLIA FUND, I WANT TO THANK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU, YOUR OFFICES STAFF FOR THIS RECOGNITION. AND WHEN YOU'RE IN THE EAST END, COME SEE US. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THEREFORE, I, JOHN WHITMORE, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROCLAIM JUNE 24TH, 2025, IS A MAGNOLIA FUND COMMUNITY INVESTMENT DAY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU. [00:11:01] RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO FOR A PROCLAMATION TO OUT FOR EDUCATION FOR THEIR UNWAVERING DEDICATION TO EDUCATION AND THE LGBTQ PLUS COMMUNITY. GOOD AFTERNOON, COLLEAGUES. TODAY, AS WE, UH, ENTER THE FINAL DAYS OF PRIDE MONTH, I WANTED TO RECOGNIZE A NONPROFIT THAT HAS HAD A TREMENDOUS IMPACT LOCALLY HERE IN THE LGBTQ PLUS COMMUNITY, SPECIFICALLY WITH OUR YOUTH AND WITH SCHOLARSHIPS. AND SO TODAY, UH, WE'LL BE RECOGNIZING OUT FOR EDUCATION AND ORGANIZATION THAT'S DEDICATED TO HONORING LGBTQ PLUS STUDENTS, UH, WITH EDUCATION, ACCESS AND SUPPORT THROUGH SCHOLARSHIPS. UH, THIS IS AN ORGANIZATION LED BY LGBTQ PLUS EDUCATORS AND PROFESSIONALS. ALPHA EDUCATION UNDERSTANDS THE POWER OF VISIBILITY, REMINDING STUDENTS THAT YOU BELONG AND YOU CAN SUCCEED. LIKE MANY NONPROFITS, THEY THRIVE ON COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS AND SUPPORT FROM FOUNDATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS THAT BELIEVE EQUITY BEGINS WITH ACCESS. AND SO I WANT TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THEM AND THEIR MISSION, UH, THROUGH THEIR WEBSITE, UH, ALPHA EDUCATION.ORG, AND WE WILL PROCEED WITH THE PROCLAMATION. WHEREAS ALPHA EDUCATION HAS EXEMPLIFIED A MISSION OF EMPOWERMENT, INCLUSION, AND OPPORTUNITY FOR 25 YEARS, SUPPORTING LGBTQ PLUS STUDENTS IN THEIR PURSUIT OF HIGHER EDUCATION. AND WHEREAS ALPHA EDUCATION WAS FOUNDED IN 1999 AND BEGAN BY AWARDING FEWER THAN 10 SCHOLARSHIPS, IT HAS SINCE GROWN TO SUPPORT 40 STUDENTS ANNUALLY, PROVIDING MORE THAN $160,000 IN FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE EACH YEAR, MAKING A PROFOUND IMPACT ON THE FUTURE OF LGBTQ PLUS YOUTH IN HOUSTON. AND WHEREAS ALPHA EDUCATION SERVES AS MORE THAN JUST A SCHOLARSHIP PROVIDER, IT STANDS AS A BEACON OF HOPE OFFERING MENTORSHIP, ENCOURAGEMENT, AND MESSAGE OF BELONGING TO STUDENTS WHO TOO FAR, OFTEN HAVE FACED REJECTION, FEAR, OR LACK OF REPRESENTATION. AND WHEREAS WITH MORE THAN 400 SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED, TOTALING NEARLY 3 MILLION OUT FOR EDUCATION, HAS ENABLED RECIPIENTS TO PURSUE CAREERS IN GOVERNMENT, EDUCATION, LAW, AND OTHER FIELDS, DEMONSTRATING THAT REPRESENTATION MATTERS. AND EDUCATION IS A POWERFUL TOOL FOR PROGRESS. AND WHEREAS THE MISSION OF OUT FOR EDUCATION IS CARRIED FORWARD BY A DEDICATED NETWORK OF EDUCATORS, VOLUNTEERS, PROFESSIONALS, AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS WHO UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING SEEN, SUPPORTED, AND CELEBRATED FOR WHO ONE IS, ALPHA EDUCATION EXTENDS ITS SUPPORT NOT ONLY TO LGBTQ PLUS STUDENTS, BUT ALSO WITH TWO CHILDREN OF LGBTQ PLUS PARENTS AND GUARDIANS AFFIRMING THAT FAMILY IS DEFINED BY LOVE. AND WHEREAS DURING THIS PRIDE MONTH, THE CITY OF HOUSTON EXPRESSES ITS GRATITUDE FOR THE DEDICATION AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF OUT FOR EDUCATION TO LGBTQ PLUS STUDENTS IN HOUSTON AND BEYOND. AS THE LGBTQ PLUS COMMUNITY CONTINUES TO FACE SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES, THE CITY OF HOUSTON RECOGNIZES ORGANIZATIONS LIKE ALPHA EDUCATION, WHOSE VISION AND INCLUSIVITY, EQUALITY, AND OPPORTUNITY HELPS BUILD A SAFER, MORE COMPASSIONATE FUTURE FOR ALL. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR, MEMBER CASTILLO. AND, UH, IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO RECOGNIZE AN ORGANIZATION THAT QUITE FRANKLY GOES ABOUT ITS BUSINESS, HELPING OTHERS. CERTAINLY, WE ALL KNOW EDUCATION IS THE KEY TO HOW ABOUT SAYING IGNORANCE, ABOUT LACK OF UNDERSTANDING OF WHO WE ARE AND, UH, RESPECT FOR OTHERS. SO THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO AND YOUR FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION CERTAINLY MAKES [00:15:01] A DIFFERENCE. THEREFORE, I, JOHN WHITMEYER, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROCLAIM JUNE 24TH, 2025. IT'S OUT FOR EDUCATION DAY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. WELL, WE DEFINITELY WANNA THANK, UM, UH, UH, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE THIS, THIS DAY. UM, WE FEEL VERY HONORED TO BE BLESSED WITH THIS PROCLAMATION. THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBERS, ESPECIALLY COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, CASTILLO, UM, WITHOUT ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT, NONE OF THIS WOULD BE POSSIBLE. WE KNOW EDUCATION IS INCREASINGLY, UM, GETTING MORE AND MORE EXPENSIVE AND, UM, THE INDIVIDUALS THAT WE HELP REALLY NEED, UM, THAT SUPPORT AND TO SEE THAT THERE ARE OTHER SUCCESSFUL LGBTQ PLUS INDIVIDUALS IN THIS WORLD. UM, SO JUST HAVING US THERE AS ROLE MODELS HAS BEEN A HUGE IMPACT FOR OUR STUDENTS, NOT ONLY FINANCIALLY, BUT ALSO HELPING THEM ON THEIR JOURNEY TO BE PROFESSIONALS AND ROLE MODELS, UM, IN THEIR COMMUNITY. SO AGAIN, WE JUST WANNA THANK YOU AND ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD MEMBERS, MY NAME IS RYAN F I'M THE BOARD SECRETARY, AND WE HAVE A FEW OTHER BOARD MEMBERS HERE TO ACCEPT THIS PROCLAMATION. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU. UP RECOGNIZES MAYOR WHITMEYER FOR A PROCLAMATION RECOGNIZING SPECIAL OLYMPICS TORCH BEARER. ALEXIS, LEXI CELESTE VIAL FOR HER PERSEVERANCE, ACHIEVEMENT, AND DETERMINATION. THANK YOU MEMBERS. YOU KNOW, I DON'T INTRODUCE A WHOLE LOT OF PROCLAMATIONS BECAUSE I JUST, I DO IT TO EMPHASIZE THE SUCCESS OF FOLKS THAT I BRING BEFORE COUNCIL. AND A LOT OF PEOPLE THOUGHT THAT TODAY I WAS EXCITED TO COME TO WORK 'CAUSE SECRETARY OF HUD WAS VISITING OUR GREAT CITY, BUT THEY DON'T KNOW THE REAL REASON. LEXI, I'VE KNOWN THAT WE WERE GONNA HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO RECOGNIZE YOU FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS. AND OBVIOUSLY I'VE WATCHED YOU AND YOUR FAMILY, UH, BECOME SUCH A, A PART OF OUR COMMUNITY AND NOT LETTING ANYTHING GET IN YOUR WAY. NEVER. IN FACT, IN FACT, YOU'RE A ROLE MODEL. SO I'M PROUD TO READ THIS PROCLAMATION. ANOTHER THING, I DON'T USUALLY EVEN READ EVERY WORD OF PROCLAMATION. I USUALLY SUMMARIZE IT, BUT YOU DESERVE EVERY WORD THAT THIS PROCLAMATION REPRESENTS. THE CITY OF HOUSTON PROUDLY RECOGNIZES OUTSTANDING RESIDENTS WHO DESPITE LIMITATIONS, OVERCOME CHALLENGES WITH DETERMINATION, GRIT, AND RESILIENCE. ALEXIS CELESTE RE, AFFECTIONATELY KNOWN AS LEXI, IS ONE SUCH HOUSTONIAN WHO HAS TRUMPET OVER THE CHALLENGES POSED BY TRISOMY 21, CURRENTLY KNOWN AS DOWN SYNDROME. TRI ME 21 IS A GENETIC DISORDER CAUSED BY THE PRESENCE OF A THIRD TOPIC, CHROMOSOME 21, AND IS TYPICALLY ASSOCIATED WITH DEVELOPMENT DELAYS, INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES, AND DISTINCT PHYSICAL FEATURES. IT AFFECTS APPROXIMATELY ONE IN 700 INDIVIDUALS IN THE UNITED STATES. WHILE THERE'S NO CURE, EDUCATION, SUPPORT AND PROPER CARE CAN SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE. LEXI'S JOURNEY HAS BEEN SHAPED BY LOVING PARENTS, MASSEY AND CINDY VI VIAL, WHOSE DEDICATION AND BELIEF IN HER HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN ACHIEVEMENTS AND IN HER EMPOWERING REDEFINITION OF DOWN SYNDROME AS UP SYNDROME. THAT'S BEAUTIFUL. LEXI HAS ACCOMPLISHED EXTRAORDINARY FEATS, INCLUDING PARTICIPATING IN THE LITTLE LEAGUE WORLD SERIES AS A MEMBER OF THE FIRST COLONY LITTLE LEAGUE DREAM LEAGUE IN 2015, AND CARRYING THE TORCH FOR THE SPECIAL OLYMPICS AS IT PASSED THROUGH HOUSTON. THAT SAME YEAR AT CLEMTON HIGH SCHOOL, LEXI WAS CONSISTENTLY DEMONSTRATED ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE, EARNING THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AWARD IN MAINTAINING HONOR ROLL STATUS FROM 2016 TO 2019. YOU KNOW, [00:20:01] I WAS NEVER ON THE HONOR. ROLL . AND THINK ABOUT IT. YOU'RE SUCH A ROLE MODEL. SHE, SHE LETTERED FOR THREE YEARS AS A MEMBER OF THE CLEMENT STAR DANCE TEAM, ACTIVELY PARTICIPATED IN THE BEST BUDDIES PROGRAM TO FOSTER INCLUSION AND FRIENDSHIP, AND WAS HONORED AS A 2018 HOMECOMING NOMINEE PRETTY, I BET, PRETTY, PRETTY COOL. LEXI IS A PROUD INAUGURAL GRADUATE OF THE TEXAS A AND M AGGIE ACHIEVE PROGRAM, AN INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES PROGRAM EARNING HER DEGREE. DON'T YOU BE PULLING NO AGGIE BEHIND MY BACK . I, I'D I'D BE DOING IT TOO IF I WAS YOU. SHE EARNED HER DEGREE IN 2023, EXEMPLIFYING HER COMMITMENT TO HIGHER EDUCATION AND LIFELONG LEARNING THE SAME YEAR SHE HAD THE DISTINGUISHED HONOR OF WITNESSING GOVERNOR GREG ABBOTT SIGNED HOUSE BILL 4 46, HIGHLIGHTING HER INSPIRING ROLE IN ADVOCACY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IN 2025. LEXI'S OUTSTANDING WORK ETHIC AND DEDICATION WERE FURTHER RECOGNIZED WHEN SHE WAS NAMED OUTSTANDING EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR AT THE MERCEDES-BENZ OF SUGARLAND, DEMONSTRATING HER PROFESSIONALISM AND EXCELLENCE IN THE WORK REPORT IN 2020. LEXIE EMBODIES PERSEVERANCE, ACHIEVEMENT, AND DETERMINATION, AND SERVES AS A SHINING EXAMPLE TO HOUSTONIANS AND BEYOND. THE CITY OF HOUSTON ACKNOWLEDGES AND HONORS ALEXIS LEXI SISE RIO FOR HER ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND URGES ALL RESIDENTS TO CELEBRATE HER INSPIRING STORY OF RESILIENCE. THEREFORE, I, JOHN WHITMEYER, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROCLAIM JUNE 24TH AS 2025 AS ALEXIS ALEXIA CELESTE VERE DAY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. . I'M TRYING TO GET IT ALL OUT AND THANK YOU EVERYONE. THANK I'M HERE, HERE, HERE YOU GO. COME HERE. TAKE YOUR TIME. UM, THANK YOU FOR EVERYONE THANK GIG GIG THEM, GIG THEM. , YOU GIG MAYOR. WE DO HAVE A COUPLE OF COUNCIL MEMBERS IN QUEUE COUNCIL MEMBERS, WE'LL START WITH COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ. THANK YOU MAYOR PRO, TIM LEXIE, CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR DAY. UH, I ASKED YOU EARLIER, UH, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO YOU? YOU SAID YOU CAN DO WHATEVER YOU WANT AND YOU CAN DO THAT FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND FROM YOUR DAD. YOU CAN DO THAT EVERY DAY TOO. SO CONGRATULATIONS ON ALL YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANK YOU FOR BEING A, A ROLE MODEL, A LEADER. UM, AND I THINK YOU KNOW, IT, IT'S DUE TO YOUR LOVING PARENTS AS WELL. I'VE BEEN ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, KNOW YOUR PARENTS, UM, THEY LOVE YOU, THEY SUPPORT YOU. AND I THINK YOU KNOW, THAT AT THE END OF THE DAY IS WHAT REALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, REALLY PROVIDES THAT SUPPORT THAT YOU NEED AS WELL. SO I KNOW YOU LOVE THEM AND YOU HUG THEM AND KISS 'EM EVERY DAY AS WELL. UM, AND, ALRIGHT, , CONGRATULATIONS AND, AND WE'RE, AND WE'RE HONORED TO HAVE YOU HERE TODAY. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TEM LEXI FROM ONE AGGIE TO ANOTHER. CONGRATULATIONS, THIS, THIS WILL ALWAYS BE YOUR DAY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. AND I KNOW YOUR PARENTS MUST BE SO PROUD FOR ALL THAT YOU'VE ACHIEVED AND ACCOMPLISHED. AND I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST IN THE FUTURE AND, AND HOPE YOU'LL CONTINUE TO STRIVE TO ACHIEVE GREAT SUCCESS. THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS TO Y'ALL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. [00:26:03] FRAME, LOCATION. MM-HMM . LET EVERYBODY GET IT WHERE WE PRAYER. MM-HMM . LOUIS, SHUT THAT DOOR. COUNCIL, COME BACK TO ORDER. UH, I DON'T HAVE A PROCLAMATION FOR THIS GROUP, BUT I KNOW HOW IMPORTANT THEY ARE TO OUR CITY'S SUCCESS. I WANT EVERYBODY TO REALIZE THAT UNITED HERE MEMBERS ALLOW US TO BE THE DESTINATION FOR SO MANY CITIZENS FOR AROUND THE US AND THE WORLD. THEY KEEP OUR CONVENTION HOTELS HOSPITABLE. THEY HELP RUN THE AIRPORT. SO THANK Y'ALL FOR BEING HERE. I KNOW YOU'RE GONNA SPEAK LATER, BUT I WANT TO RECOGNIZE, UH, YOU AS A GROUP FOR THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO TO MAKE HOUSTON A GREAT CITY. SO WILL YOU PLEASE STAND AND LET US RECOGNIZE YOU . COUNCILMAN [2:00 P.M. – INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE] MARTINEZ. THANK YOU MAYOR INVOCATION. IF I CAN HAVE REVEREND DR. JACKS D DIN COME UP PLEASE. PASTOR DINKINS AS HE'S COMING UP, I'M GONNA SHARE JUST A QUICK, QUICK BIO ON HIM. PASTOR DINKINS, UH, IS A PROUD HOUSTON NATIVE AND GRADUATE OF JACK YATES HIGH SCHOOL. DR. DINKINS SERVES AS A SENIOR PASTOR AT BLESSED HOPE BAPTIST CHURCH IN THE NORTHEAST PART OF DISTRICT I AND IS A MINISTER TO SENIORS AT WHEELER AVENUE BAPTIST CHURCH, WHERE HE LEADS THE BELOVED SEASON SAINTS MINISTRY. HIS WORK INCLUDES BIBLE STUDY, WELLNESS ACTIVITIES, AND DEMENTIA SUPPORT, AS WELL AS PARTNERSHIPS WITH MEALS ON WHEELS AND SEARCH TO SERVE HOUSTON'S ELDERLY AND UNHOUSED COMMUNITIES. HE'S ALSO A PROFESSOR, MENTOR, AND A DEDICATED HUSBAND AND FATHER. UM, AND JUST, UH, JUST WANTED TO SAY, UH, A HUGE THANK YOU TO DR. UH, DR. DINKINS FOR THE WORK THAT HE'S DOING IN NORTHEAST PART. UH, WE HAD A COFFEE THIS MORNING, , UM, EXCITED ABOUT BEING ABLE TO COALESCE COMMUNITIES OUT IN THE NORTHEAST PART OF HOUSTON WHERE LOTS OF FOLKS FEEL FORGOTTEN AS WELL. YES. UM, AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO WORK WITH YOU, DR. DINKINS. YES, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ TO OUR MAYOR, TO OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS, TO THOSE THAT HAVE GATHERED, IF YOU WOULD, BY YOUR HEADS, OH LORD, OUR LORD, HOW EXCELLENT IS THY NAME AND ALL THE EARTH GOD, WE GATHER AS CHILDREN OF THE MOST HIGH GOD, WE THANK YOU FOR MERCIES THAT WERE MADE NEW THIS DAY. WE DON'T TAKE THE BREATH OF LIFE FOR GRANTED. SO EACH AND EVERY BREATH OF LIFE WE HAVE, WE GIVE YOU THANKS AND PRAISE FOR SO WE THANK YOU FOR THIS DAY. WE THANK YOU THAT YOU'RE THE GOD WHO CONTINUES TO PROVIDE YOU'RE GOD WHO CONTINUES TO PROTECT AND YOU'RE THE GOD WHO PROMISE NEVER TO LEAVE US. NOW FOR THIS MAYOR AND HIS CABINET, HIS COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR THIS CITY, FOR OUR FIRST RESPONDERS, FOR OUR MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS, FOR THOSE WHO EITHER CLEAN OUR STREETS OR TAKE CARE OF THINGS TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS DIVERSE AND MAGNIFICENT CITY CONTINUES TO THRIVE AND FUNCTION. WE PRAY NOW THAT THE WISDOM FROM HEAVEN WOULD BE GRANTED TO THIS COUNCIL AND THIS MAYOR, THAT THEY WILL NOT OVERLOOK THOSE IN THE SHADOWS. AS WELL AS, UH, TAKING CARE OF THINGS FOR THE RICH AND POWERFUL. HELP US BE REMINDED OF WHO OUR NEIGHBOR IS. [00:30:01] HELP US BE REMINDED OF THE GOOD SAMARITAN THAT WE WALK PAST. NO ONE THAT EVERYBODY COUNTS, AND THAT EVERY LIFE IS WORTH BEING SUPPORTED. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR SHOWING US THE DIVERSITY AND OF, AND THE BODY WHICH YOU ARE THE HEAD. SO THY KINGDOM COME, THY WILL BE DONE IN EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN. LET YOUR WILL BE DONE. GOD BLESS US INDEED THAT WE MIGHT DISPENSE THE STEWARDSHIP OF LEADERSHIP IN THIS GREAT CITY TO THE ONE WHO LOOKS AFTER THE LEAST OF THESE, AS WELL AS THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN DOWNTRODDEN. THE NAME THAT IS ABOVE EVERY NAME, THE NAME OF JESUS AND ALL WHO AGREE. AMEN. THANK YOU, PASTOR. PLEASE STAND FOR THE PLEDGE. MS. [ROLL CALL AND ADOPT THE MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING] TER, WILL YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLE MAYOR WHITMEYER. PRESENT COUNCIL MEMBER PICK HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN WILL BE ABSENT. COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ. COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTEX TATUM. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. HERE, COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER WILL BE ABSENT. COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER AND COUNCIL MEMBER ACORN NEED A MOTION TO ADOPT THE MINUTES OF JUNE 10TH AND 11TH. CAST MOVE SECOND. MOTIONS MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. NO PROCEDURAL MOTIONS. JUST NO MOTIONS. SNEAD. [PUBLIC SPEAKERS] UM, YOU WANNA CALL A FIRST SPEAKER, MR. SECRETARY ANDREW SNEAD TO BE FOLLOWED BY JEREMY EUGENE. HI EVERYONE. GO AHEAD. I'M HERE TO, UH, TALK ABOUT WHY I SUPPORT THE AMENDMENTS TO THE CIP PROPOSED BY COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. WHEN CHANGES ARE MADE TO INFRASTRUCTURE, IT'S IMPORTANT TO INVOLVE LOCAL STAKEHOLDERS AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. THIS ALLOWS RESIDENTS TO SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCES AND PREFERENCES AND IT EQUIPS COUNCIL MEMBERS TO SUPPORT THEIR RESIDENTS. THERE'S CURRENTLY A LACK OF CLARITY WHEN IT COMES TO THE OBLIGATIONS OF THE CITY. WHEN INFRASTRUCTURE IS BEING CHANGED OR REMOVED, INCLUDING THE PUBLIC AND PROVIDING INFORMATION TO ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES IS THE BEST WAY TO MAKE SURE THE TRADE-OFFS INVOLVED IN INFRASTRUCTURE DECISIONS ARE BALANCED. IT MEANS RESIDENTS CAN HAVE THE ASSURANCE THAT THEY CAN HOLD THEIR COUNCIL MEMBER ACCOUNTABLE. IF A CHANGE IS JUSTIFIED, IT WILL HAVE NO PROBLEM. MEETING THE CRITERIA OUTLINED IN THE AMENDMENTS AND WHAT IS EXPECTED OF THE CITY WILL BE CLEARLY DEFINED. THAT'S THE BEST WAY TO CREATE TRUST WHEN IT COMES TIME TO MAKE BIG DECISIONS THAT AFFECT PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE IN HOUSTON. THANKS. THANK YOU. NEXT, JEREMY EUGENE. JEREMY. EUGENE. MATTHEW KAUFMAN. MATTHEW KAUFMAN. KEVIN STRICKLAND. GOOD AFTERNOON. UM, I BIKED HERE BECAUSE IT'S BARELY LEGAL AND HAPPY PRIDE, BECAUSE THAT'S ALSO BARELY LEGAL. I'M KEVIN STRICKLAND, PRESIDENT OF THE GREATER HEIGHTS SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD. YESTERDAY I SENT YOU A LETTER OF SUPPORT THAT MY SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD ISSUED IN SUPPORT OF THE CIP AMENDMENTS FROM COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. UH, DISTRICT D. YOU MAY NOT HAVE GOTTEN IT BECAUSE YOUR MAILBOX IS FULL. AS COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ EXPLAINED, UH, HIS AMENDMENTS ARE CREATED TO ADD TRANSPARENCY AND FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY TO INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS, WHICH HAS BEEN COMPLETELY MISSING SINCE JANUARY 1ST, 2024. AS ALWAYS, I BRING MY RECEIPTS. WE'VE IDENTIFIED MORE THAN 45 PROJECTS, WHICH THE MAYOR HAS PAUSED, CANCELED, OR RADICALLY CHANGED WITH NO NOTICE, NO ENGAGEMENT, AND NO FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY. WE KNOW THAT THE MAYOR'S SPECIAL AID, WHO IS NOT IN PLANNING OR PUBLIC WORKS MICROMANAGES THESE PROJECTS. IT STARTED WITH HOUSTON AVENUE IN [00:35:01] FEBRUARY OF 24, AND MOST RECENTLY THE AUSTIN STREET BIKE LANE. SOME RECEIPTS IF YOU WANT TO TAKE NOTES. HOUSTON AVENUE, 1000011TH STREET, 250,000 FOR A USELESS HAWK MONTROSE BOULEVARD, 380,000 BLOSSOM AT WESTCOTT 750 FOR A TRAFFIC SIGNAL. WEST ALABAMA 81,000. IRVINGTON ROUNDABOUT A HUNDRED THOUSAND TO REVERSE REIMBURSE TXDOT FOR THE HSIP GRANT. IF THE EY AUDIT OF THE T DIDN'T UNCOVER THE MONEY WASTED BY T BECAUSE GAFFER HATES SIDEWALKS AND BIKE LANES, THEN WE SHOULD GET A REFUND. A COUNCIL MEMBER HAD TO ASK THE MAYOR NOT TO TAKE REVENGE ON THEM OR THEIR DISTRICT WHEN THEY VOTED NO ON THE BUDGET. OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE SAID THEY DON'T WANT TO BE TARGETED. A COUNCIL MEMBER HAD THEIR DISTRICT FUNDS WITHHELD. WE WANT TO IMPRESS UPON CITY COUNCIL THAT HOUSTONIANS DO NOT LIKE IT WHEN OUR DEMOCRACY IS ABUSED. WHETHER IT'S VIA CIP AMENDMENTS OR PROP A, WE URGE YOU TO VOTE FOR TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY. THANK YOU. NAME FOR SIGNS. HELLO, MY NAME IS NFA SIGNS. MY NAME IS NFA SIGNS. I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE WELLINGTON PLACE SUBDIVISION OVER. I'M NOW IN DISTRICT HI WAS WITH DISTRICT B, BUT I'VE BEEN RESTRICTED. WE ARE VERY BADLY, TERRIBLY FLOODING STILL. WE HAVE BEEN TOLD WE WERE GOING TO GET A-C-I-P-I WAS HERE IN 2016 RIGHT HERE AND I WAS WITH THE, UH, JERRY DAVIS ADMINISTRATION. EVER SINCE THEN I'VE BEEN ADVOCATING TO GET SOME HELP. WE DID GET SOME HELP, BUT IT WASN'T THE HELP THAT WE NEEDED. THIS NEIGHBORHOOD IS VERY, VERY BAD. IT'S IN VERY BAD SHAPE. WE DESERVE ALSO TO LIVE WITH PROPER DRAINAGE, GUTTERS AND SIDEWALKS. WE HAVE NOWHERE TO PUT OUR PO BOXES. THERE'RE FALLING IN THE DITCH BECAUSE THERE'S NO SPACE BETWEEN THE STREET AND THE DITCH. AND EVERY TIME IT RAINS A LITTLE BIT, ALL THIS WATER'S COMING UP INTO MY PROPERTY AND EVERYONE ELSE'S PROPERTY. I'M ON THE CORNER. THERE'S NOWHERE FOR THIS WATER TO GO. WE ASK CAN WE GET A CIP. ALSO, WE DESERVE ONE EVERY OTHER NEIGHBORHOOD OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN. THEY ALL GIVE THE MONIES TO THE SAME NEIGHBORHOODS. AND I'M HERE TO FIND OUT WHY WE HAVE BEEN NEGLECTED THIS WAY. IT'S PROBABLY NO ONE HERE'S FAULT, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHY. AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IF SOMEONE CAN COME AND TAKE A LOOK AT MY NEIGHBORHOOD AND LOOK AT IT PROPERLY ON A FAIR BASIS. COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND, UM, THANK YOU NANCY. YES, MA MA'AM FOR . IT'S LIKE WHAT? NFA YEAH, NFAS. MY I KNOW YOU'RE NOT . WELL, THANK YOU FOR ALWAYS ADVOCATING FOR, UM, THE NEIGHBORHOOD. YES, MA'AM. YOU KNOW, WE, UM, THERE WAS SOME WORK DONE OVER IN, IN THE AREA. YES. UM, BUT A CIP PROJECT IS REQUIRED IN ORDER TO LIKE REALLY ADDRESS THE, TO FIX IT. YEAH. YEAH. AND SO, UM, I DID SUBMIT AN AMENDMENT FOR THAT, BUT THEN I LEARNED THAT YOU'RE NO LONGER IN DISTRICT B AND YOU'RE IN DISTRICT EIGHT. SO I KNOW WE'RE, UM, TRANSFERRED THAT OVER TO YOU, BUT I WILL SUPPORT IT BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS FOR QUITE SOME TIME. AND SO I SURE APPRECIATE IT. I'M THERE. IT'S NO DRAINAGE OVER THERE, THERE'S NO THE WATER TO GO IN THERE. AND SO JUST KNOW THAT YOU HAVE A CHAMPION AND THAT YOUR NEIGHBORS KNOW THAT YOU HAVE A CHAMPION. I WILL CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE FOR YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD. THANK YOU. OKAY, SO MR. CASTILLO, COUNT, I'M GONNA LOOK TOWARDS YOU AND, AND THE MAYOR TO HELP ME. SURE. COUNCILMAN CASTILLO. THANK YOU MAYOR. I WAS, I WAS JUST WAITING TO BE RECOGNIZED. . YES SIR. BUT THANK YOU FOR COMING DOWN HERE. UM, I KNOW THAT YOU'VE REACHED OUT TO THE OFFICE. UM, YES. WE'VE HAD SOME FOLKS OUT THERE TO, TO DO A SITE VISIT AND SEE SOME OF THE IMPACTS THAT HAVE BEEN HAPPENING. YES. UM, BUT I DO AGREE, I THINK THIS NEEDS TO BE ELEVATED BEYOND JUST MY OFFICE GETTING OUT THERE, BUT ALSO BRINGING PUBLIC WORKS OUT THERE AS WELL. UM, COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON DID SUBMIT AN AMENDMENT. I SEE THAT. I DO SUPPORT THAT. UM, SO WE'RE GONNA WORK TO GET THIS CARRIED FORWARD AND, AND GET SOMETHING, SOMETHING GOING. OKAY. BECAUSE THAT IS THE ULTIMATE GOAL. YES. UH, WE CAN TRY AND HELP IN THE INTERIM. 'CAUSE THOSE CIP PROJECTS, THOSE TAKE YEARS. RIGHT? WELL, I I WAS HERE IN 2016. YEAH. WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO, TO WORK WITH YOU, UM, ON SHORT TERM FIXES. BUT THE ULTIMATE GOAL IS A CIP, UH, FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD. [00:40:01] AND THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA BE WORKING TOWARDS. OKAY. AND YOU SUBMITTED THAT, YOU SAID? YEAH. OKAY. OKAY. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. YOU HAVE A GOOD DAY. YOU SAID YOU STARTED COMING DOWN HERE IN 2016. I'VE BEEN HERE, I WAS HERE IN 2016. SORRY, I JUST GOOGLED IT. MM-HMM . I'LL WORK WITH YOUR COUNCIL MEMBERS. THANK YOU. OKAY. I APPRECIATE YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU ALL. ALRIGHT. BE SAFE. NEXT. COUNCILOR MARTINEZ HAS A PROCEDURAL MOTION. COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ. THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, MAYOR, I MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO ADD LESLIE VASQUEZ, KIA HOWARD, AND BRAD PATRI. PATRIA PATAKA. HOPEFULLY I SAID THAT RIGHT. I APOLOGIZE TO THE THREE MINUTE NON AGENDA SPEAKERS LIST FOLLOWING YVONNE SALDANA. SECOND. MOTION MADE. SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED TO NAY. MOTION PASSES. NEXT, REUBEN GARZA. MR. MARIN CITY COUNCIL, THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK. MY NAME IS REUBEN GARZA. I AM A CHAPTER LEAD FOR THE, UH, LOCAL, UH, LOCAL CHAPTER FOR A NATIONAL NONPROFIT CALLED STRONG TOWNS. AND ON BEHALF OF STRONG TOWNS, I WOULD LIKE TO OFFER OUR SUPPORT, UH, FOR THE PROPOSED CIP AMENDMENTS OFFERED BY COUNCIL MEMBER JULIAN RAMIREZ. THOSE WILL BE 1.01, 1.02, AND 1.03. STRONG TOWNS AND STRONG TOWNS. HOUSTON BELIEVES THAT A HEALTHY HOUSTON IS ACCOUNTABLE TO ITS VOTERS AND TRANSPARENT ABOUT ITS DECISIONS, ABOUT ITS DECISIONS. COMMUNITY PROJECTS ARE MADE BETTER WITH COMMUNITY INPUT. UH, SINCE 2024, UH, VOTERS HAVE SEEN MANY PROJECTS IN THEIR COMMUNITY SUBJECT TO DELAY CANCELLATION OR ABRUPT CHANGES, UH, WITHOUT ENOUGH, UH, COMMUNITY INPUT. SO THIS PROCESS HAS CAUSED A, A SLIGHT IF NOT SEVERE DAMAGE AND EROSION OF TRUST IN THE PUBLIC. AND SO THESE AMENDMENTS ARE A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. UH, THEY REQUIRE THE ADMINISTRATION TO PROVIDE ADVANCED NOTICE, UH, AND A VOTE OF COUNSEL BEFORE ANY SUCH CHANGES. AND, UM, EXCUSE ME. AND SO IT WON'T NECESSARILY UNDO ANY OF THE STUFF THAT'S PREVIOUSLY HAPPENED, BUT IT IS A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AND SOMETHING THAT DOES NEED TO BE ENACTED SO THAT WAY THE PEOPLE CAN BE MORE INVOLVED IN THESE CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS. STRONG TOWNS. HOUSTON BELIEVES THAT WE DESERVE A CITY GOVERNMENT THAT TREATS APPROVED PROJECTS AS COMMITMENTS, AND WE'D LIKE TO BE A PART OF THAT, UH, COMMITMENT AND THAT PROCESS. THANK YOU. NEXT, AARON ABRO. AARON AMBROSE. GLADYS BLAIR TO BE FOLLOWED BY MICHELLE BOLDING SMITH. GOOD AFTERNOON. I AM GLADYS BLAIR. I LIVE IN KENNEDY HEIGHTS AND I'M PART OF DISTRICT D. WE CARE ABOUT THE LONG-TERM RECOVERY OF OUR COMMUNITY AND CITY. DURING THE 2024 STORM, I LOST POWER AND ENDED UP HAVING TO STAY WITH MY DAUGHTER BECAUSE SHE HAD A GENERATOR. THEREFORE, I DIDN'T SUFFER AS BADLY AS MANY OTHERS. HOWEVER, MY HOME, WE DIDN'T HAVE POWER AND WE LOST FOOD. MY HOME GOT REVEALED DUE TO THE PRIMARY STATING THAT I HAD ASBESTOS IN MY HOME AND IT TOOK 23 MONTHS INSTEAD OF THREE MONTHS. I MOVED BACK IN MY HOME IN MARCH OF 23. I WAS GLAD TO BE BACK HOME. THEY WANTED ME TO HURRY UP WITH THE PROCESS, SO I SIGNED. YOU DON'T START SEEING ERRORS UNTIL YOU LIVE IN YOUR HOME. AND THEN YOU EXPERIENCED MANY ISSUES. THE BACK PART OF YOUR DOOR WAS PUT IN BACKWARDS AND THE SCREEN FELL OFF. THEY HAVE CORRECTED IT. HOWEVER, I HAVE ONLY BEEN OUT OF THE BACK DOOR ONCE SINCE AS I ASKED THEM TO REPLACE THE STEPS, THEY WILL NOT, THE LIGHT SWITCHES ARE REVERSED. MY ISSUES MAY SEEM MINOR TO SOMEONE. HOWEVER, I AM ELDERLY AND IF I'M EXPERIENCING THIS, I DON'T WANT OTHERS TO HAVE TO DEAL WITH THESE THINGS I'M EXPERIENCING. I FEEL OTHERS SHOULD LIVE IN THEY HOMES BEFORE THEY SIGN OFF ANYBODY OUT HOME REPAIRS OR REHABILITATION OF HOMES BECAUSE THERE ARE MANY SIGNS YOU MISS WHEN A HOME IS FIRST BUILT. LIVING. THESE HOMES ARE TOTALLY DIFFERENT. MY BIGGEST [00:45:01] FEAR IS MY TREES IN THE BACKYARD. IF A STORM BLOW THROUGH AND THE WAY THE WINDS HAVE BEEN BLOWING LATELY, I'M AFRAID A TREE WILL FALL. AND I KNOW THE CITY SEE THE LIMBS THAT GO ACROSS MY YARD AND THE BIO. AND AS FAR AS YOU MAY LOOK DOWN THE BIO IN OTHER YARDS, THE NEIGHBORHOOD ALONG THE BIO, I DISAGREE WITH THE CITY'S PLAN TO ONLY GIVE 50 MILLION TO UNMET HOUSING NEEDS. I BELIEVE THE CITY OF HOUSTON SHOULD USED THE C-D-B-G-D-R FUNDING TO HELP GET, HELP KEEP DEBRIS FROM FALLING AND BIOS AND ARE ON OUR PROPERTY. THANK YOU. JUST A SECOND MA'AM. MA'AM. MAYOR TATUM, THANK YOU FOR COMING. UH, BY I WAS LISTENING TO YOUR LIST OF CONCERNS. I DID SPECIFICALLY WANT TO TELL YOU THAT IF YOU HAVE TREES THAT ARE ON YOUR LINES, UM, THAT YOU CAN CONTACT CENTER POINT, UM, FOR THAT, THE TREE SERVICE THAT THEY ARE DOING ACROSS THE CITY AND THEY CAN COME OUT AND CUT THOSE, THOSE LIMBS THAT ARE, UM, ALONG THOSE, THOSE, UH, THE CENTER POINT EASEMENT. WE HAVE DONE EASEMENT. WE HAVE DONE THAT AND HAVEN'T HAD ANYTHING RESOLVED. OKAY. 'CAUSE MOST OF THE TREES IS ON DISTRICT, NOT IS BEHIND OUR FENCE LINE. SO WE HAVE A A, A CENTER POINT, UM, CONTACT FOR GOVERNMENT RELATIONS. IF YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER CALLS THAT CENTER POINT REPRESENTATIVE, THEY WILL, THEY CAN COME AND GET THOSE TREES. CUT. OKAY. THANK YOU. Q NEXT X. THIS ONE. OKAY. THANK YOU. MICHELLE BOLDING. SMITH LAIA, DO MAPLE JONES. GOOD AFTERNOON. I HAVE A BIT OF A, I HAVE A, I'M VISUALLY IMPAIRED, SO I'LL BE JUST GIVING A COUPLE OF EXTRA MINUTES FOR THE HANDICAP, IF YOU WOULD. I AM, UH, HERE SPEAKING ON DISASTER RECOVERY BECAUSE I AM A DISASTER RECOVERY PERSON SINCE 2017. AND, UM, I DO DISAGREE WITH THE, UH, CITY TO GIVE 50 MILLION TO UNREAD UN UNMET HOUSING NEEDS. I BELIEVE THE CITY OF HOUSTON SHOULD USE THE GDBG DRIVE FUNDING TO HELP OUR HOUSING TO BE BILLED CURRENTLY CORRECTLY AND RESILIENT TO HUD GUIDELINES. THESE FUNDS SHOULD BE SPECIFICALLY FOR WHAT THEY WERE GIVEN FOR AND NOTHING ELSE. WE ARE STILL TRYING TO GET HEALTH AND FUNDS FOR NEWLY BUILT HOMES WITH POOR CONSTRUCTION AND POOR WORKMANSHIP. AND, UM, I AM A LIVING WITNESS TO THAT. MY, UH, HOME WAS BUILT. I'VE BEEN IN MY HOME EIGHT MONTHS AND, UH, I NEED THOSE FUNDS BECAUSE THE WARRANTIES ARE, ARE NOT MET AND THE REPAIRS ARE NOT MET. AND I'VE ONLY BEEN IN THE HOME EIGHT MONTHS. UH, THESE, UH, THINGS START TO BE NOTICED WHEN I WAS IN THE HOME FOR THE FIRST WEEK. AND I HAVE SOME PICTURES I WOULD LIKE FOR Y'ALL TO TAKE A LOOK AT. AND THIS IS THE FIRST WEEK THAT THE, THAT I MOVED INTO THE HOME. IF Y'ALL COULD PASS 'EM AROUND, PLEASE. IS THAT POSSIBLE? AND I SAY WE, I SAY WE NEED THOSE FUNDS BECAUSE I'M GONNA HAVE TO, THEY TOLD ME I WOULD HAVE TO PAINT MY HOME MYSELF. AND, UH, FROM WHAT MY, UH, FORGIVENESS GRANT FROM THE CITY WAS $280,000 HOME AND MY HOME, IF YOU ASK ME HOW MUCH MY HOME WAS BUILT FOR, I WOULD SAY BETWEEN 50 AND $120,000. SO I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE REST OF THE TWO 80 WENT. SO I AM HERE ON BEHALF OF ALL THE SENIORS. UH, I'M 77 YEARS OLD. I DON'T HAVE MONEY TO BUILD A NEW HOME OR REPAIR A NEW HOME. THAT IS WHY I GOT WITH THE PROGRAM. BUT THE PROGRAM IS, UH, THE, I'VE CONTACTED HUD AND THEY'RE NOT BEING COOPERATIVE. THEY'RE SAYING THAT WE JUST HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE WARRANTY, UH, TO TAKE EFFECT. BUT THEY'VE ALREADY INFORMED ME THAT THEY'RE NOT GOING TO DO SOME OF THE WARRANTIES. SO I HAVE TO DO THEM MYSELF. SO WHAT'S THE PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAM? THANK YOU. UH, COUNCILOR THOMAS. UH, THANK YOU, MAYOR. CAN YOU CLARIFY, UM, [00:50:01] THAT THE HOME THAT REPAIRED, YOU SAID 2017, WAS THAT RELATED TO HURRICANE HARVEY? YES, AND, UH, I STARTED THIS JOURNEY IN 2019. I HAD A REHAB DONE BY, UH, HABITAT IN BAKER RIPLEY. YEP. THEN THEY DECIDED THAT IT EXCEEDED THE $65,000 THAT UHHUH WENT TO THE 80,000 YEP. THEN TO THE TEAR DOWN. YEP. BUT IT DIDN'T NEED TO BE TORN DOWN. THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT THEY RIGHT. SO WE RECEIVED THE ALLOCATION FROM HUD THROUGH THE GLO AROUND 20 19, 20 20. THAT'S WHEN THE CITY RECEIVED ITS FUNDING, ALTHOUGH, CORRECT. HURRICANE HARVEY WAS IN 17. CORRECT. UM, AND THEN THE GLO ABSORBED THAT HOME REPAIR, THAT SINGLE FAMILY PROGRAM FROM THE CITY. SO THE CITY, UM, WAS WORKING TO MAKE NEIGHBORHOODS HOME. TO YOUR POINT OF THE GLO WAS WHAT WAS, WAS REQUIRING A COMPLETE TEAR DOWN TO HOMES THAT NEEDED, UH, VARIOUS RECONSTRUCTION OR REPAIR. UM, AND SO THEY ABSORBED THAT PROGRAM. SO HURRICANE HARVEY'S SINGLE HOME REPAIR PROGRAM WAS NOT IN THE, UM, AUTHORITY OF THE CITY. BUT I'M GLAD THAT YOU'RE HERE SPEAKING ON CDBG 24 BECAUSE THE GOOD NEWS IS, IS THAT THIS ALLOCATION IS DIRECTLY TO THE CITY WHICH COULD OPERATE AND MANAGE THAT HOME REPAIR PROGRAM. UM, DIRECTLY. UNFORTUNATELY, UH, WE, THAT PROGRAM WAS STRIPPED AWAY WHERE NEIGHBOR HOMES, HOMEOWNERS THAT HAD THREE BEDROOMS, TWO BATHS, WERE RESTRICTED TO TWO BEDROOMS. UM, AND, UH, QUESTIONABLE WORKMANSHIP AROUND THAT. AND SO YOU'RE NOT THE FIRST PERSON, YOU WILL NOT BE THE LAST THAT HAS RECEIVED A HOME, UM, UH, BY THE GLO THAT HAS COME TO THIS BODY. BUT THE FUNDS THAT, UM, YOU ARE SPEAKING TO IN SUPPORT OF THAT, THERE'S GOOD NEWS. UM, I HOPEFULLY THE ADMINISTRATION IS MOVED TO INCREASE THAT ALLOTMENT SO WE CAN CONTINUE SERVING SENIORS LIKE YOU THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED VARIOUS LEVELS OF DISASTER RECOVERY. YEAH. BUT I I, I ALSO THINK THAT THE, UH, FROM 2017 TO THIS POINT, THE CITY OR THE STATE, THEY CONTINUE THESE PROGRAMS WHEN THEY HAVEN'T PERFECTED THE ONES THAT ALREADY IN THE PROGRAM. LIKE I'M JUST EIGHT MONTHS IN. RIGHT. THEY SHOULD HAVE ALL HAD ALL OF THIS PERFECTED NO MATTER. CORRECT. AND WE ARE ALL ENTWINED TOGETHER. CORRECT. ALL OF THESE HOUSING PROGRAMS. CORRECT. IT'S IT'S ALL IN TOGETHER. CORRECT. SO, UM, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, THAT IT, IT DOESN'T EXACTLY, UH, SPECIFICALLY TALK ABOUT MY PROBLEMS, BUT THEY'RE CONTINUING THE SAME PROBLEMS. IT'S JUST A CIRCLE. IT'S LIKE A MERRY-GO-ROUND AND IT NEVER STOPS. SO WHERE DOES IT STOP? WHY SHOULD I HAVE TO BUILD MY OWN HOME AFTER $280,000 AND I NEED TO PAINT AND I'M 77. I CAN'T PAINT. NO, YOU CAN'T. NO. YEAH. SO, UH, NO, I UNDERSTAND. OKAY. I UNDERSTAND. WELL, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT, ALL MY PICTURES MAY TAKE GONZALEZ. OKAY. OKAY. THANK YOU. TO BE FOLLOWED BY FELICIA LACEY. UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, AND, AND MAYOR. UH, MY NAME IS MATE GONZALEZ AND I'M A MEMBER OF THE TEXAS ORGANIZING, UH, PROJECT. UH, I'M HERE TODAY TO TESTIFY ON MY BEHALF, UH, ON BEHALF OF MY FAMILY AND MY COMMUNITY. UH, LAST YEAR, THE LANDLORD OF THE COMMUNITY WHERE MY FAMILY AND I HAD LIVED FOR MANY YEARS, UM, SORRY, HAD LIVED FOR MANY YEARS, SOLD THE PROPERTY, UH, TO A PRIVATE COMPANY. AND AS A RESULT, UH, WE WERE DE UH, DISPLACED FROM OUR HOME THIS PAST APRIL, RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SCHOOL YEAR. THIS TOOK A SERIOUS EMOTIONAL AND FINANCIAL TOLL ON MY PARENTS. FOUNDING A NEW PLACE TO LIVE, LIVE WAS INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT. WE HAD TO MOVE FAR OUTSIDE OF HOUSTON, AWAY FROM THE CITY THAT WE LOVE BECAUSE IT WAS THE ONLY OPTION WE COULD AFFORD. THIS EXPERIENCE LEFT DEEPLY EMOTIONAL, UH, DEEP EMOTIONAL SCARS ON MY SISTER AND ME. IT WAS HARD TO UNDERSTAND HOW WITH THE SNAP OF A FINGER, SOMEONE CAN TAKE AWAY YOUR HOME. SADLY, OUR STORY IS NOT UNIQUE. HUNDREDS OF FAMILIES IN HOUSTON ARE EVICTED AND DISPLACED EVERY SINGLE DAY. PROGRAMS FOR SAFE AND AFFORDABLE, UH, HOUSING ARE NEARLY NON-EXISTENT, ESPECIALLY IN TODAY'S ECONOMY WHERE FAMILIES LIKE MINE ARE, UM, PRICED OUT OF HOME OWNERSHIP AND EVEN STABLE RENTALS. UM, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS, TODAY WE ARE ASKING FOR YOU TO ALLOCATE A TOTAL OF, UM, 115 MILLION TOWARDS HOUSING DISTRIBUTED, DISTRIBUTED PROPORTIONALLY BASED ON UNMET NEEDS. 30, UH, 38.64 MILLION FOR MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING AND 62.261 MILLION FOR SINGLE FAMILY HOUSING CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. [00:55:01] REMEMBER, HOUSING IS A HUMAN RIGHT AND EVERY FAMILY IN HOUSTON, INCLUDING MINE, DESERVE TO LIVE IN A SAFE, STABLE, AND DIGNIFIED, UH, HOME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT FELICIA LACEY TO BE FOLLOWED BY PERLA GARCIA. GOOD EVENING. UH, MY NAME IS FELICIA LACEY AND I LIVE IN SUNNYSIDE, UM, TEXAS HARRIS COUNTY DISTRICT D. AND, UM, WE NEED A SOLUTION. UH, WE'RE, YOU KNOW, UH, IT'S AN UN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITY. UM, YOU GO TO THE CITY AND TELL 'EM YOU NEED HELP, THEY TEAR YOUR HOUSE DOWN. I HAD MY HOUSE TORN DOWN IN 2015 AFTER HARVEY, THEY REBUILD THE HOUSE AND SAID, HEY, YOU KNOW, Y'ALL NEED TO SEND OUT THE WARRANTY PEOPLE BECAUSE SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT. OH, YOUR WARRANTY WORN OUT. THE AIR CONDITIONING UNIT WENT OUT. UM, THEN THEY CAME AND SAID, OH, YOUR HOUSE NEED TO BE RE-LEVEL. AND SO MOVING FAST FORWARD, UM, I CALLED THEM. I WAS LIKE, LOOK, IT'S RAINING IN THE WINDOW. THIS IS A NEW HOUSE. WHY IS IT RAINING? OH, WELL, YOU KNOW, WELL THE, THEY COVERED EVERYTHING TO THE T WE DON'T KNOW WHY IT'S RAINING. THEY OUT THERE SCRATCHING THEIR HEAD AND I'M LIKE, YOU KNOW, THIS IS FEDERAL MONEY THAT Y'ALL ARE TAKING AND Y'ALL ARE GETTING THESE CONTRACTORS FROM HOME DEPOT OR WHEREVER Y'ALL GETTING FROM. BUT THE WOOD IS BOW. UM, IT, IT, IT'S JUST HORRIBLE. I MEAN, THE HOUSE I STAYED IN WAS STRUCTURED A LITTLE BIT BETTER THAN WHAT I STAY IN. NOW, I'M NOT SAYING THAT I'M NOT GRATEFUL, BUT I'VE BEEN TRYING TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE. IT MESSES WITH MY ANXIETY. UH, MY GRANDKIDS HAVE TO DEAL WITH, UH, BREATHING PROBLEM BECAUSE OF THE MOLD. AND, UM, WE, WE NEED THAT MONEY. WE NEED THE MONEY TO CONTINUE TO WORK, BUT WE NEED SOME KIND OF STRUCTURE BEHIND THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN THEY SEND OUT THESE INSPECTORS THAT THEY'RE NOT JUST PASSING THIS ALONG AND SAYING, OH YEAH, BECAUSE WE ARE TRYING TO GET THE MONEY. IT NEEDS TO BE, WE, WE DESERVE A SAFE ENVIRONMENT TOO. YOU KNOW, WE DESERVE THE SAME THING THAT OTHER COMMUNITIES GET. AND I FEEL LIKE WE ARE JUST GETTING LEFT OUT. THAT'S IT. SHABA COUNCILOR EVAN SHABA. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU MS. LACEY. CERTAINLY IT'S A CONCERN TO ME THAT THE HOUSES ARE BEING INSPECTED, SAYING THAT THEY ARE COMPLETE AND THEY'RE NOT IN A GOOD ORDER. SO THAT, THAT'S A PROBLEM. AND SO I CAN SEE HOW YOU FEEL THE WAY THAT YOU DO. UH, DO YOU HAVE ANY SPECIFIC ASKS RIGHT NOW IN REGARDS TO YOUR OWN HOME? THE RAIN THAT'S COMING IN THE WINDOW EVERY TIME IT RAIN. I MEAN, WE ARE IN HURRICANE SEASON AND EVERY TIME IT RAIN, THAT'S THE KID, THAT'S THE ROOM MY GRANDKIDS SLEEP IN. OKAY. SO I HAVE TO GIVE THEM BREATHING TREATMENTS, YOU KNOW, TRY TO SPRAY THE WALL. IT SHORTED OUT THE ELECTRIC IN THAT ROOM BECAUSE FOR WHATEVER REASON IS GOING ON. AND, UM, THAT'S, THAT'S MY MAIN CONCERN RIGHT NOW. OKAY. COULD YOU SEE THE LADY RIGHT THERE IN THE RED JACKET? OKAY. SHE CAN PERHAPS HELP YOU AND MAYBE WE CAN NAVIGATE YOU TO SOME OF THIS, UH, GETTING REPAIRED. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU FOR COMING. THANK YOU. THANK Y'ALL. ONE MORE. COUNCILMAN. MA'AM? MA'AM? YES SIR. COUNCILMAN PLUMMER. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND MS. LACEY, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE YOU. AND ALSO MS. JONES, DO YOU BY CHANCE KNOW WHO THE BUILDER WAS? DO YOU, YOU DO. WHAT'S THE NAME OF THE BUILDER? THE FIRST BUILDER WAS SSLS OUT OF GALVESTON. OKAY. AND THE SECOND BUILDER THAT THEY CAME AND SAID THEY NEEDED TO LEVEL THE HOUSE BUT THEY DIDN'T FIX THE CRACKS OR ANYTHING, WAS, UH, P-M-G-P-M-G? YES MA'AM. AND I JUST THINK THEY SHOWED IT IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. 'CAUSE IF THEY FIXED IT RIGHT FROM THE BEGINNING, WE WOULDN'T HAVE HAD TO GET SOME MORE MONEY AND PUT ANOTHER, YOU KNOW, TAG ON THE HOUSE. SO THAT'S JUST, OKAY. GOT IT. AND THEN, UM, AND THEN I'LL ASK MS. JONES IF SHE KNOWS THE NAME OF HER BUILDER AS WELL. OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I APPRECIATE IT. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU MS. PLUM. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU COUNCIL. UH, NEXT PERLA GARCIA TO BE FOLLOWED BY ALICIA PIPER. [01:00:05] SHE JUST SAID, UH, GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. GARCIA TEXAS ORGANIZING PROJECT. HELLO, MY NAME IS, UH, GARCIA WITH TEXAS ORGANIZING PROJECT. SHE'S HERE TO SPEAK TO THE, UH, THE, UH, DISASTER RECOVERY DOLLARS, UH, THAT ARE COMING UP HERE. UH, ALRIGHT, I THINK THEY GOT YOU. NOW. UH, LAST YEAR WE HAD A, A, UH, GET TOGETHER, UH, INVOLVING FIFTH WARD. UH, UM, THE COMMUNITY WAS GREATLY, UH, THIS COMMUNITY WAS GREATLY A AFFECTED BY HURRICANE BARREL. UH, THE, THE MOST PAINFUL SITUATION, UH, THAT WE ENCOUNTERED WAS THAT THE HOMES IN THIS AREA, THE, THE CONDITIONS BECAME DEPLORABLE AND THE, UH, THE FAMILIES, UH, WERE IN SITUATIONS THAT WERE FELT INHUMANE. AND, AND THE FAMILIES WHO ARE LIVING IN THOSE AREAS ARE, UH, BECOMING DISPLACED BY NEW DEVELOPMENTS THAT ARE ARISING IN THAT AREA. THIS IS WHY I ASK OF YOU TODAY THAT BEFORE, UH, YOU COME UP WITH A STRATEGY OR A PLAN, UH, TO ALLEVIATE THE SITUATION THAT YOU, YOU INCLUDE, UH, THESE, THESE FAMILIES IN YOUR THOUGHTS. I'M ASKING FOR THE ALLOCATION OF $150 MILLION, UH, TO BE, UH, MOVED FORWARD TOWARD THESE HOUSING PROGRAMS. AND, UH, WE ARE, WE ARE TIRED OF THE SITUATION THAT KEEPS COMING BACK, BACK AROUND WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO FUNDS. UH, WE'RE ASKING THAT FAMILIES, UH, RECEIVE AND THEY DESERVE, UM, UH, JUSTICE, UH, AND SECURITY. UM, AND WE ARE ASKING THAT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE IMPOVERISHED BE FOCUSED ON, AND WE'RE TIRED OF THE EXCUSES AND WE'RE ASKING FOR, FOR SOLUTIONS. AND WE WILL NEED, UH, STRONGER COMMUNITIES. . THANK YOU. NEXT. ALICIA PIPER. ALICIA PIPER, RODNEY RICHARDSON, OSCAR THOMAS. SURE, SURE. CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? YEAH. UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR. COUNCIL MEMBERS, MY NAME IS OSCAR THOMAS. I AM THE HARRIS COUNTY POLITICAL ORGANIZER FOR TEXAS ORGANIZING PROJECT. AND I'M HERE TODAY TO SPEAK ON THIS, UH, RECOVERY AMENDMENT. UM, AND I THINK IT'S APPROPRIATE THAT WE EXTEND OUR GRATITUDE THAT THE AMOUNT WAS INCREASED FROM 6,000 TO 10,000, THOUGH WE FIND THAT THE FINAL AMOUNT REALLY FALLS ADEQUATELY SHORT OF THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY. UM, BECAUSE THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY ARE VAST. AND WE BELIEVE THAT [01:05:01] REALLY THE AMOUNT SHOULD BE INCREASED FROM 50 TO 115 MILLION GOING TOWARD THE COMMUNITIES. BECAUSE WHEN COMMUNITIES ARE VIABLE AND HEALTHY, THAT MEANS THAT YOU, YOU, YOU HAVE OPPORTUNITIES THAT PEOPLE CAN RELY ON. YOU HAVE RESOURCES THAT THEY CAN GO TO TO FEND OFF THOSE, THOSE NEGATIVE THINGS THAT THEY ENGAGE IN. BUT, YOU KNOW, I'M REMINDED ABOUT WHAT DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING SAID 63 YEARS AGO WHEN HE GAVE THE SPEECH ABOUT POVERTY AND HOUSING AND INJUSTICE OF THE OPPRESSED. AND HE SAID THAT STATEMENT WAS MADE 63 YEARS AGO. AND IT RINGS TRUE TODAY AS WE SEE THE MARGINALIZATION AND THE ASSAULT ON HEALTHCARE AND THE POOR AND THE OPPRESSED ALL ACROSS THE LAND. BUT HE SAID THIS 63 YEARS AGO, AND I QUOTE, AND HE SAID THAT, NOW IS THE TIME TO MAKE REAL THE PROMISE OF DEMOCRACY. NOW IS THE TIME TO OPEN THE DOOR OF OPPORTUNITY TO ALL OF GOD'S CHILDREN. WE'VE HEARD A PRAYER TODAY. ARE WE REALLY REALIZING THE TRUE DREAM OF GODLINESS IN PEOPLE'S LIVES? IT SAYS, EMPHASIZING THAT TRUE DEMOCRACY REQUIRES ADDRESSING ECONOMIC INEQUALITY, THAT INCLUDING HOUSING ALONGSIDE CIVIL RIGHTS, THE INTERCONNECTEDNESS OF RACIAL AND ECONOMIC JUSTICE, ASSERTING THAT CIVIL RIGHT GAINS WERE INSUFFICIENT WITHOUT ADDRESSING POVERTY AND ANY, ANY AND ECONOMIC INEQUALITY. THUS, HOUSING IS A CRUCIAL ASPECT OF ECONOMIC JUSTICE. IT'S ON THE RIGHT. IT'S A HUMAN RIGHT TO HAVE A DECENT PLACE TO LIVE. I MEAN, WHY DO PEOPLE HAVE TO BEG TO HAVE A ROOF OVER THEIR HEAD THAT AIN'T LEAKING WATER IN THEIR BEDROOM? I MEAN, COME ON. I DIGRESS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TATUM. THANK YOU MAYOR. MR. THOMAS, UM, ARE YOU, UH, SEEKING HOME REPAIRS FOR YOUR PROPERTY? NO. HAVE YOU BEEN ON THE LIST TO, UM, GET HOME REPAIRS? ARE YOU ADVOCATING FOR THE PROGRAM? I'M ADVOCATING, I'M ADVOCATING FOR THOSE THAT ARE SEEKING, UH, RECOVERY. OKAY. I, I, I SAW THAT YOU WERE FROM DISTRICT K, I WANTED TO MAKE SURE IF I NEEDED TO STEP IN AND HELP YOU TO, UH, DO SOMETHING FOR YOUR PROPERTY. BUT, UM, I, I DO APPRECIATE YOUR PASSION AND I APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE AND WE'LL DO ALL THAT WE CAN. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. YES, CATHERINE, THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND, UM, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU OSCAR, AND ALL THE TOP MEMBERS FOR YOUR CONTINUED ADVOCACY FOR, UM, HOME REPAIR. YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT'S WHAT TOP IS GOOD FOR IS MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE HAVE SAFE HOMES THAT THEY CAN LIVE IN AND QUALITY NEIGHBORHOODS. AND SO JUST TO SEE YOU HERE NOW, YOU POLITICAL DIRECTOR. YES, YES. FROM MEMBER TO POLITICAL. PROUD OF YOU. SO KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO, YOU KNOW, PARTNER WITH YOU ON TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ABLE TO GET MORE RESOURCES. I KNOW YOU GUYS WANT MORE. UM, IT'S 50 RIGHT NOW AND I THINK YOU SAID YOU WANT 115. 115, YEAH. OKAY. SO, UM, YEAH, THAT'S GOOD. I THINK THAT'S FAIR. OKAY. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU DAMARI GONZALEZ TO BE FOLLOWED BY ZOE MIDDLETON. GOOD AFTERNOON, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS AMARI GONZALEZ AND I AM A COMMUNITY ORGANIZER WITH THE TEXAS ORGANIZING PROJECT. I STAND BEFORE YOU TODAY TO ADVOCATE FOR MY COMMUNITY, A COMMUNITY THAT IS FACING URGENCY CHALLENGES DUE TO TO OF, TO CRITICAL LACK OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING. LAST YEAR IN THE AFTERMATH OF HURRICANE BURROW, I WALKED THE STREETS ON FIFTH WARD. AND WHAT I SAW WAS NOT SHORT OF HEARTBREAKING. FAMILIES ARE LIVING IN INHUMANE CONDITIONS, STRUGGLING TO SURVIVE HOMES THAT ARE, UM, FIT FOR HUMAN INHABITATION, BUT THE SITUATION IS GETTING WORSE. INSTEAD OF RECEIVING RELIEF, MANY FAMILIES ARE BEING EVICTED FROM THEIR HOMES TO MAKE ROOM FOR NEW DEVELOPERS THAT DO NOTHING TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN THERE FOR GENERATIONS. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH OR FAMILIES SHOULD NOT HAVE TO LIVE IN POVERTY. THEY DESERVE ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING. MAYOR WHITMEYER RECENTLY MENTIONED THAT HE WANTS TO ALLOCATE $50 MILLION FOR HOUSING PROGRAMS. WELL, [01:10:01] I APPRECIATE THIS COMMITMENT. I MUST TELL YOU THAT 50 IS SIMPLY NOT ENOUGH. IT DOES NOT COME CLOSE TO COVERING THE IMMENSE NEED THAT WE FACE IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO TODAY I'M HERE TO ASK EACH OF YOU TO CONSIDER THIS. WE NEED TO ALLOCATE 150 MILLION FOR HOUSING PROGRAMS OR FAMILIES. HOUSTONIANS DESERVE BETTER THAN TEMPORARY FIXES, HOW, AND, AND HAVE HARD SOLUTIONS THEY DESERVE HOMES WHERE THEY CAN LIVE IN PEACE, WHERE THEIR CHILDREN CAN GROW UP WITH THE FEAR OF DISPLACEMENT AND WHERE THEY CAN FEEL SECURE. LET'S WORK TOGETHER TO ENSURE THAT NO ONE IS LEFT BEHIND OR CITY MUST PRIORITIZE THE HEALTH, SAFETY, AND DIGNITY OF ITS RESIDENTS. AND THAT STARTS WITH PROVIDING THE BASIC RIGHT TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING. THANK YOU SO MUCH, NICK. GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. MY NAME IS ZOE MIDDLETON. I'M THE ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR FOR JUST CLIMATE RESILIENCE AT THE UNION OF CONCERNED SCIENTISTS. AND I'M HERE AGAIN, UH, TO DISCUSS C-D-B-G-D-R FUNDING. I'VE LIVED THROUGH STORMS IN DISTRICTS B, C, D, AND F, SO I'LL MOSTLY ADDRESS MY COMMENTS TO THOSE COUNCIL MEMBERS. IN ADDITION TO THE MAYOR, UM, SO FAR IN THIS C-D-B-G-D-R 24 PROCESS, UM, THERE'S BEEN MENTION OF PREVIOUS DR ALLOCATIONS AS A JUSTIFICATION FOR THE INITIAL ALLOCATION OF ZERO TOWARDS HOME REPAIR. BUT LIKE OTHER SPEAKERS, MAYOR, I'M GLAD YOU NOW ACKNOWLEDGE THE IMPORTANCE OF HOUSING. AND I THINK EVEN TODAY, HAVING HEARD ABOUT PEOPLE'S DIFFICULTY WITH PAST PROGRAMS, WE CAN ALL AGREE THAT IT'S TIME TO GET HOUSING RECOVERY. RIGHT? IN HOUSTON, THERE IS A 51%, UM, PROPOSED SLASHING OF HOUSING PROGRAMS IN THE FEDERAL BUDGET. AND THIS IS THE TIME. AND C-B-G-D-R 24 IS THE MONEY TO GET HOUSING RECOVERY RIGHT WITH, THERE MIGHT NOT BE OTHER MONEY COMING OUR WAY THAT WE CAN RELY ON. HOUSING IS THE LARGEST UNMET NEED AFTER LAST YEAR'S STORMS. UM, POST POST HOUSING STORM NEEDS ARE ESTIMATED ALMOST $230 MILLION, BUT 50 MILLION IS A DROP IN THE BUCKET. UM, SO I'M HERE TODAY WITH OUR PARTNERS TO, UH, DEMAND AN INCREASE IN THE HOUSING ALLOCATION TO $115 MILLION. AND THAT $115 MILLION IS IMMINENTLY REASONABLE FEDERAL GUIDANCE FROM HUD, WHICH IS DIFFERENT FROM THE GUIDANCE OR THE ADVICE THAT HUD GAVE TO THE ADMINISTRATION WHEN IT SAID THAT IT WOULD NEED WAIVERS TO GET EXCEPTIONS TO SPEND THIS MONEY ON THINGS OTHER THAN HOUSING. BUT THE ACTUAL FEDERAL GUIDANCE ABOUT HOW TO SPEND T-D-B-G-D-R OVERALL RECOMMENDS THAT PROGRAM DESIGN IS PROPORTIONAL TO UNMET NEED. SO ONCE YOU TAKE OUT ADMIN AND PLANNING EXPENSES, THE CITY HAS $298 MILLION TO WORK WITH $115 MILLION INVESTMENT IN HOUSING AND HOME REPAIR FOR SINGLE AND MULTIFAMILY STILL ALLOWS FOR THE POWER GENERATION PROGRAM TO MOVE FORWARD AT WATER SITES. IT ALLOWS YOU TO PRIORITIZE COMMUNITY CENTERS WITH CLEAN AND RENEWABLE, UM, POWER, BACKUP POWER, UM, AND ALLOWS YOU TO MAKE INVESTMENTS IN HOME REPAIR. AND I REALLY HOPE TO SEE THAT NUMBER REFLECTED IN THE AMENDED PLAN THAT HCD IS BRINGING FORWARD. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. MITCH EUGENIO MESA TO BE FOLLOWED BY CECILIA ANO AL. HI, MY NAME IS AND I'M HERE WITH THE TEXT ORGANIZING PROJECT. UM, I'M HERE, UH, TO COME AND, UH, GIVE INFORMATION ON, UM, ON THE SITUATION THAT I EXPERIENCED DURING HURRICANE BARREL. UM, AND I AM ASKING FOR THE ALLOCATION OF THE, OF THE FUNDING. MY MOBILE HOME, UH, SUFFERED, UH, DAMAGES, UH, DUE TO HURRICANE BARREL AND, AND I HAD TO SPEND THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN, UH, REPAIRS DIRECTLY FROM MY POCKET. AND I DID NOT RECEIVE ANY FUNDING FROM FEMA. AND HOW YOU CAN IMAGINE THIS WAS, THIS PUT A GREAT STRAIN ON MY FINANCES. IN APRIL, [01:15:01] UH, THE OWNER OF THE, UH, TRAILER, UH, THE TRAILER PARK WHERE I WAS RESIDING, DECIDED TO, TO SELL. AND, AND NOW I, AND ME ACCOMPANIED WITH ANOTHER 153 FAMILIES, UH, BECAME DISPLACED HOUSTON. AND I HAD TO MOVE OUTTA HOUSTON. UH, MR. MAYOR AND, UH, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL. I LIVED IN THAT COMMUNITY FOR WELL OVER 20 YEARS. AND THE CONDITIONS THAT WE SUFFERED DURING THOSE TIMES WERE VERY SEVERE. AND AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, UH, MOVING HAS BEEN A, A STRESSFUL SITUATION. AND THE ANY RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE HAVE BEEN VERY SCARCE. AND WITH THIS PACKAGE FOR, UH, DISASTER RELIEF, AND I KNOW WE CAN COUNT ON $50 MILLION FOR HOUSING, BUT WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR IS FOR IT TO BE RAISED OVER 115 MILLION, $115 MILLION, THE HOUSTON, SO THAT THE RESIDENCE OF HOUSTON CAN MAKE THOSE REPAIRS FOR THE SITUATIONS THAT THEY HAVE ENDURED AND SO THAT THEY CAN FEEL, UM, A LOT HAPPIER IN THOSE HOMES. UH, THIS IS A, UH, THIS IS GONNA BE AN INVESTMENT TOWARDS THE, TOWARDS THE CITY AND TOWARDS ITS RESIDENCE TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE. LET'S DO THE RIGHT THING AND HAND IT OUT TO THE, UH, MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY WHO REALLY NEED THOSE FUNDINGS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. NEXT. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS CECILIA, LAST NAME. FUN TO KNOW THE T IS SILENT. HELLO, MAYOR AND MEMBER OF CITY COUNCIL. AGAIN. MY NAME IS CECILIA FONTANO AND I LIVE IN SOUTH PARK. I BELONG TO THE COUNTY LEADERSHIP TEAM OF THE TEXAS ORGANIZING PROJECT. I'M HERE TODAY TO SPEAK AS A CONCERNED LONGTIME CITIZEN. WITH THIS DISASTER RECOVERY MONEY, IT'S ABSOLUTELY IMPERATIVE THAT AN ADEQUATE AMOUNT GO TOWARD HOUSING. WE WENT FROM $0 TO 50 MILLION. I BELIEVE WE CAN DO MUCH BETTER, WHICH IS CERTAINLY AN IMPROVEMENT, BUT WE NEED TO BE MORE IN THE BALLPARK OF $115 MILLION PLUS RECOVERY PACKAGE FOR HOUSING TO GET CLOSER TO REALISTICALLY ADDRESSING THE CITY'S UNMET HOUSING NEED. IT HURTS ME TO SAY THIS, BUT IT'S THE SIMPLE TRUTH. TENS OF THOUSANDS OF HOUSTON FAMILIES ARE STILL LIVING WITH DAMAGE FROM HURRICANE BUR IN 2024 DICHO WITH SEVERAL FACING, LEAKING ROOF STRUCTURAL HAZARDS AND MOLD FOR MANY, THE NEXT SEVERE STORM COULD BRING EVEN MORE DESTRUCTION BECAUSE REPAIRS AND WEATHERIZATION HAVEN'T HAPPENED. WE NEED TO ALLOCATE THESE FUNDS WISELY AND BE THINKING OF THESE COMMUNITY [01:20:01] MEMBERS, MR. MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL. SPEAKING OF MOLD, I HAVE HOPE MOLD IN MY HOME, WHICH IS ATTACKING MY CLOTHING, MY FURNITURE, AND YOU NAME IT. HIRE MORE INSPECTION INSPECTORS THAT CAN DO A BETTER JOB THAN WHAT THEY ARE DOING NOW. AND IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE IT, EACH ONE OF YOU IS WELCOME TO COME TO MY HOME IN 2022. I MOVED IN MY HOME THROUGH THE HARVEY HOPE PROGRAM. GO AHEAD AND FINISH. THANK YOU. IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A FRESH START. AS I AM A SENIOR CITIZEN OF 75 YEARS OLD. THIS, I SHOULD BE LIVING MY BEST LIFE. BUT WHAT AM I DOING? AM I GONNA LIVE TO BE ANOTHER FIVE YEARS OLD? I DON'T THINK SO. AS I STATED, MOLD IS A HAZARDOUS TO YOUR HEALTH. ONE OF YOU IS WELCOME TO STAY IN MY HOME FOR SIX MONTHS AND SEE HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT IT. , AND I'M NOT JOKING. I HAVE HAD CRACKS IN THE CEILING, CRACKS IN THE WALL. I HAVE HAD ONE OF THE INSPECTOR, GREGORY SIMON, HEY, DO NOT COME BACK TO MY HOUSE. 'CAUSE YOU ARE, THE PAYCHECK THAT YOU ARE EARNING IS NOT JUSTIFIED. THIS HOUSE SHOULD NEVER HAVE PASSED. INSPECTION. NEVER. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, DO THE RIGHT THING. I BRING THAT UP BECAUSE JUST AS OUR COMMUNITIES NEED MORE MONEY IN THIS RECOVERY PACKAGE FOR HOUSING, WE NEED TO BE THINKING ABOUT FUNDING FOR QUALIFIED BUILDERS AND INSPECTORS. LET'S GET IT DONE AND DELIVER A WIN FOR HOUSTONIANS. STILL REELING FROM LAST YEAR'S STORM. LET'S SECURE THAT $115 MILLION PLUS FOR FOLKS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. AND IF I'VE TALKED TOO LOUD, IT'S BECAUSE I'M DEALING WITH AN EAR INFECTION RIGHT NOW. I THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABA. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU MS. FUN TO NOTE. I JUST, UH, ALWAYS, I, I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR ADVOCACY, BUT I KNOW THAT YOU AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT SOME, SOME THINGS IN REGARDS TO YOUR OWN HOME. AND I DO AGREE THAT THE INSPECTORS NEED TO REALLY BE ON TOP OF THIS AND NOT JUST BE CHECKING ON A CHECKLIST AND MOVING FORWARD WITHOUT MAKING SURE THAT THESE THINGS ARE CERTAINLY, UH, REPAIRED AND OPERATING PROPERLY. BUT IN REGARDS TO YOUR OWN NEEDS, IF YOU COULD SEE THE LADY RIGHT THERE IN THE RED JACKET, WE'LL SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO TRY TO HELP YOU AS YOU ARE ALWAYS TRYING TO HELP OTHERS AND TO SEE IF WE CAN HELP YOU. NOW, YOU KNOW, MS. AU, I COULDN'T LIVE IN YOUR HOUSE SIX MONTHS. WE WOULDN'T GET ALONG. BUT ANYWAY, I, BUT I DO, I DO APPRECIATE THE INVITATION. , YOU WOULDN'T LIVE, MA'AM. I, COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. HELLO, CECILIA. HELLO. IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU. GOOD TO SEE YOU AS WELL. THANK YOU FOR ALWAYS ADVOCATING FOR WHAT'S BEST FOR YOUR COMMUNITY. 'CAUSE AS YOU KNOW, FOR A LONG, LONG TIME ON MANY DIFFERENT PROJECTS AND CONCERNS THAT WE HAVE WORKED TOGETHER ON, AND I WANTED TO ASK WHAT, YOU KNOW, IS YOUR IMMEDIATE, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW THOSE LIST OF THINGS. WHAT ARE THE IMMEDIATE THINGS THAT YOU NEED FOR YOUR PARTICULAR HOME? I NEED FOR THE BUILDER TO PUT ME UP IN A HOTEL. MM-HMM . AWAY FROM THE MOLD, BECAUSE EVENTUALLY THAT MOLD'S GONNA HIT MY LUNGS. YES, MA'AM. SO THAT'S WHAT I NEED RIGHT NOW. THAT'S TRUE. NOW, AS FOR THE CRACKS IN THE WALLS AND THE CRACKS IN THE CEILING, I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY GONNA FIX THAT. SURE, SURE. OKAY. ALRIGHT. WELL, GOOD. [01:25:01] WELL, YOU KNOW, COUNCILMAN, UH, SHABAZZ HAS DESIGNATED A PERSON ENGLAND TO COME OUT AND WE WILL ALSO FOLLOW AND, AND ENSURE YOUR SERVICE. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. GOD BLESS YOU. NEXT CHRISTOPHER JENKINS AFTERNOON, EVERYONE. UM, HAPPY JUNETEENTH BY THE WAY. I CELEBRATE. WE CELEBRATE JUNETEENTH ALL MONTH. SO THAT'S JUST ME. UH, MY NAME IS CHRISTOPHER JENKINS. I'M THE CEO IN FONDO FUTURE HOOD ORGANIZATION, CLT AT TOP. I'M SPEAKING ON ITEM AGENDA 10 FOR DISASTER RECOVERY. THIS IS COMMON FOR ME BECAUSE I'VE BEEN THROUGH MANY DISASTERS. I'M A NATIVE HOUSTONIAN FROM ACRES HOME. I HAVE FAMILY IN FIFTH WARD AND CATCHME GARDEN NOW RESIDE ON THE SOUTH SIDE. AND BECAUSE OF PAST NATURAL DISASTERS THAT'S BEEN UNDER, UNDER EVALUATED AND AND UNDER ASSIST, THERE'S AN URGENT NEED FOR HOUSING AND HOME REPAIR. IT IS ON RECORD THAT FUNDED FOR THE HOMELESSNESS WILL BE RAISED BY PRIVATE ENTITIES, MR. MAYOR. BUT ONCE AGAIN, WE HAVE BEEN MISLED AND MISINFORMED. ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF LACK, LACK OF TRANSPARENCY. I'VE BEEN A UNION MEMBER SINCE 98 AND A COMMUNITY ORGANIZER SINCE THE LATE EIGHTIES. I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT WE CAN'T COME UP WITH COMPREHENSIVE AND SIMPLE PLANS TO HELP UPLIFT THE CITIZENS OF THIS COMMUNITY. NOW, FOR YEARS, WE HAVE BEEN NEGLECTED BY GLO HOOD AND THE SENATE. SO I HAVE A QUESTION THOUGH. HOW CAN WE USE PROPER MITIGATION TECHNIQUES AND ASSESS A SITUATION TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES IF WE DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT DATA? I STARTED IT PREP IN 88. I HAVEN'T BUILT A WEBSITE, SERVER DATABASE IN OVER 10 YEARS, SO I KNOW A LOT ABOUT IT, RIGHT? I HAVEN'T HAD NO HACKS, NO BOTTLENECKS, NO BREACHES, OR I HAD TO HAVE TO CONFIGURE ANY OF MY SYSTEMS. THEY STILL STAND TODAY. THAT'S FOR BEING IT AND UNION. THE CITY DID NOT HAVE A CONTINGENCY PLAN AND LACKS RETENTION, WHICH IS HORRIBLE BECAUSE WE CAN'T ADDRESS THE UNMET NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY WHERE OUR, UH, PROPER PROTOCOLS SET IN PLACE. 50 MILLION IS JUST NOT ENOUGH. SO LISTEN TO SOMEONE THAT HAS BEEN PART OF THE PROCESS TO HELP BUILD A PART OF HOUSTON, BUILD HOSPITALS AND POWER PLANTS. CITY POINT HAD DIDN'T DO THEIR PART. ERCOT IS NOT HOLDING ONTO THEIR STANDARD HEAD, AND FEMA ARE REAL NATURAL DISASTERS. RIGHT NOW, I DON'T HAVE REPRESENTATION IN CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT GATE TEAM SHOULD HAVE BROUGHT MONEY TO HOUSTON, RATHER. DIRECTOR HAD CENTER POINT ON CAPITOL HILL. WHERE'S THIS INFORMATION? WHERE'S THE TRANSPARENCY AT? BEHIND THAT SAME PEOPLE WE VOTED FOR IS THE SAME ONES. THEY'RE LETTING THE PEOPLE DOWN. UM, I WAS AT AGERS HOME THIS WEEKEND AND JUST AFTER THE PARADE AND EVERYTH EVERYTHING OUT THERE FOR JUNETEENTH, I TALKED TO LIKE 200 SOMETHING PEOPLE. THAT'S DISTRICT B, DISTRICT D. I'M ALWAYS TALKING TO DIFFERENT INDIVIDUALS. AND THE HOME REPAIR THING GOES ALL THE WAY BACK, ESPECIALLY SINCE IKE. SO IF YOU HAVE PEOPLE THAT'S BEEN NEEDING HELP FOR 10, 15 YEARS, JUST IMAGINE HOW MUCH THAT INCREASES THE VALUE AND THE QUALITY THAT THEY NEED TODAY. IT IS JUST UNBELIEVABLE. A GUY THAT HELPED BUILD NASA, WELL, THE, THE PERSON THAT TAUGHT ME BUILT NASA, BUT I CAME UP UNDER NASA, WHICH IS TECH PREP DARS, ALL THE INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT. AND SO I JUST WANNA ENCOURAGE YOU GUYS TODAY TO MAKE A BETTER DECISION. AND WHAT WE DO HAVE YOU GUYS, I HAVE BEEN SEEN OUT IN THE COMMUNITIES WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY. THE OTHER HALF, I'M STILL LOOKING FOR. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN DAVIS. COUNCILMAN EVANS SHAVA. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU MR. JENKINS. I DIDN'T KNOW IF YOU HAD ANY IMMEDIATE NEEDS OR WHETHER YOU'RE JUST HERE ADVOCATING ON REGARDS TO, IN REGARDS TO THE ITEM. DO YOU HAVE ANY IMMEDIATE NEEDS YOURSELF IN REGARDS TO THIS? WELL, MY IMMEDIATE ME, MY IMMEDIATE NEED, UM, UH, FOR A SMALL BUSINESS IN KER HOME, THOSE WERE SOME OF THE THINGS I WAS WORKING ON WITH SHEILA AND SYLVESTER BEFORE THEY PASSED AWAY. DISTRICT D LET ME BE, LEMME BE RIGHT, RIGHT. SO, SO I DON'T HAVE A IMMEDIATE NEED IN DISTRICT D, BUT FROM KER HOME AND I GOT DISPLACED. THAT'S HOW I END UP IN DISTRICT D. WELL, THAT WAS A GOOD PLACE. DIDN'T END UP IN DISTRICT DESTINATION. WELL, I'M JUST SAYING I MISS MY COMMUNITY. I'M, AS A MATTER OF FACT, I'M TEASING. I'M TEASING. NO, IT'S OKAY. I I LOVE DISTRICT D. COME ON, MRS. WISE. ALL RIGHT. UH, BUT I DO HAVE A CONCERN BECAUSE THE LAST FEW MONTHS, PEOPLE OUT HELPING TO FIGHT, GET THEIR HOMES REPAIRED, PASSED AWAY. THERE'S BEEN TO FOUR FUNERALS IN THE PAST TWO MONTHS OF SENIORS. THEY'VE BEEN WAITING FOR HELP FOR MANY YEARS FROM PAST STORMS. AND IT'S VERY HEARTBREAKING BECAUSE YOU'RE TRYING TO HELP 'EM. AND NOW THEIR FAMILY END UP WITH THE HOME AND THEY GOTTA START A WHOLE NOTHER PROCESS OVER, WHICH DOESN'T EVEN QUALIFY FOR WHAT THEY WERE FIGHTING FOR IN THE FIRST PLACE. ABSOLUTELY. [01:30:01] BECAUSE THEY WERE SENIORS AND THEY WAS LIKE, YOU GOTTA HAVE THIS PAPERWORK. THEY PAPERWORK. ONE OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WAS WITH, UH, THE HOUSTON REBUILD PROGRAM, FIRST OF ALL, IT LUNCH SLOW, THEN IT RAN OUT OF FUNDING. AND THEN IF YOU WAS A, YOU COULDN'T GET UNLESS YOU WAS A SENIOR OR SOMEONE WITH DISABILITY. AND SO, YOU KNOW, I FEEL LIKE JLO'S BEEN LETTING US DOWN FOR A VERY LONG TIME. UH, RIGHT NOW IT'S A NEW ADMINISTRATION WITH HOOD. WE DON'T KNOW HOW THAT LOOKS, UH, BECAUSE THE, THE DIRECTOR'S NOT THERE ANYMORE. AND SO IT, IT IS JUST A REAL CONCERN BECAUSE NOW IT'S NOT, WE'RE FIGHTING OVER DISASTER RELIEF, BUT I'M PREPARING JUST IN CASE A STORM COME. SO IT'S ALL ABOUT THE STORM IN THIS SEASON FOR ME. SO I DON'T HAVE A IMMEDIATE NEED, YOU KNOW, UH, DURING THE DIRECTOR, AND I WAS IN DISTRICT D THANK GOD METRO WAS RUNNING BECAUSE I WAS ABLE TO DROP OFF HOT MEALS. I WAS DROPPING OFF HOT MEALS IN FIFTH WARD, CAST MILL GARDEN AT HOME, BECAUSE IN THE HOOD YOU GOT PECAN TREES. LUCKILY, YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M SAYING? SO I, I, THAT'S THE ONLY WAY I COULD SURVIVE IS HAVING PECAN TREES AND BE ABLE TO FIX HOT MEALS FOR THE DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES. WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING IN. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ADVOCACY AND YOUR ASSISTANCE TO OTHERS. I MEAN, THIS IS MY PEOPLE AND MY FAMILY. I'VE BEEN BORN IN HOUSTON. ALL RIGHT, ALL THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR. JEREMY EUGENE. HELLO. GOOD AFTERNOON. UH, I AM JEREMY EUGENE. I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF, UH, STRONG TOWNS HOUSTON. WE ADVOCATE FOR AND STRIVE TO CREATE A STRONG AND RESILIENT, UH, HOUSTON THROUGH DEVELOPMENT, UM, AND THROUGH FINANCES. UM, AND I LIVE IN CYPRUS. UM, I, I'M SORRY I MISSED MY INITIAL CALL. UH, DROVE OVER AN HOUR TO GET HERE, UM, TO SPEAK TO Y'ALL TODAY. UM, BECAUSE I WANTED TO ADVOCATE ON BEHALF OF THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS AMENDMENTS, UH, ONE, TWO, AND THREE. UM, AND TO GIVE A BIT OF AN EXAMPLE OF WHY THEY ARE NECESSARY, UM, I TEACH IN CYPRESS FAIRBANKS, ISD, UM, AND LAST YEAR THEY MADE THE DECISION TO CUT BUS ROUTES. UM, AND SO A NUMBER OF CHILDREN WERE WALKING TO SCHOOL, UM, THAT USED TO HAVE BUSES. AND, UH, THE RESULT OF THAT NEXT, UH, AS OF RIGHT NOW, UM, OVER 20 CHILDREN HAVE GOTTEN HIT BY CARS. UM, THEY MADE THAT DECISION BECAUSE THEY WERE LOOKING AT THE PROGRESSION OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN HOUSTON. UM, AND SO THE DECISIONS THAT YOU ALL MAKE, UM, ARE AFFECTING PEOPLE THAT ARE OUTSIDE OF YOUR AREAS AS WELL. UM, PEOPLE ARE LOOKING TO Y'ALL TO DECIDE WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO NEXT. AND IF YOU HAVE A PLAN, UH, THAT YOU DECIDE TO SWITCH UP ON, UM, IT ENDS UP HAVING RIPPLE EFFECTS THAT CAN SERIOUSLY, UH, CAUSE PROBLEMS, SERIOUS PROBLEMS FOR, UM, EVERYBODY IN THESE SURROUNDING AREAS. UM, AND, UH, YESTERDAY, UM, FAIR, ISD DECIDED TO REINSTATE BUSES. UH, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE COUNCIL MEMBER OR ONE OF THE BOARD MEMBERS SAID, UH, SHE REGRETS THAT DECISION THAT THEY MADE, UM, THAT IF THEY HAD SOUGHT OUT COMMUNITY INPUT, THEY WOULD'VE MADE A DIFFERENT DECISION. UM, AND SO THAT'S ANOTHER REASON THAT I'M ADVOCATING ON BEHALF OF, UH, OF THESE AMENDMENTS. THANK YOU, UH, TO MR. RAMIREZ FOR SUGGESTING THAT, UH, WE, INSTEAD OF HAVING, UM, UH, THE MAYOR MAKE THESE DECISIONS, UM, ULTIMATELY THAT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS CAN DECIDE TO COME TOGETHER AND PUT IT TO A PUBLIC HEARING. UM, THAT'S WHAT, UM, STRONG TOWNS ADVOCATES FOR. AND, UH, THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU ALL TODAY. ERIC MOHAMED KASHIF TO BE FOLLOWED BY DANIEL WILLIAMS. GOOD AFTERNOON, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THE MAYOR. MY NAME IS MOHAMMED KASHIF, AND I'VE BEEN WORKING IN THE SOFTWARE IT INDUSTRY FOR THE LAST 15 YEARS. I'M HERE TO INTRODUCE A COMMUNITY FOCUSED INITIATIVE THAT I BELIEVE ALIGNS WITH THE CITY'S COMMITMENT FOR YOUTH EMPOWERMENT AND EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY. PERSONALLY, IN MY EXPERIENCE, I'VE SEEN THAT THE FRESH GRADUATES, THAT THEY JUST GRADUATE FROM THE COLLEGE, THEY HAVE A LOT OF DIFFICULTY IN LANDING INTO A JOB. THIS IS BECAUSE THERE IS A HUGE GAP BETWEEN THE SKILLS THAT THEY LEARN IN COLLEGE VERSUS WHAT WE NEED TO LAND INTO A JOB. SO TO OVER OVERCOME THIS PROBLEM, UH, LIKE I, I'M WORKING ON AN INITIATIVE WHERE WE ARE PARTNERING WITH FEW UNIVERSITIES. WE HAVE SIGNED MOU WITH FEW UNIVERSITIES, AND WE ARE CONDUCTING A FREE IT BOOTCAMP FOR STUDENTS AND EARLY CAREER PROFESSIONALS WHO CAN BE A PART OF THIS. [01:35:01] THROUGH THIS INITIATIVE, THEY WILL GET HANDS-ON TRAINING FOR SKILLS-BASED TRAINING PROGRAMS SO THAT THEY CAN, UM, IMPROVE THEIR SKILLS AND LAND INTO A JOB. THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE IT MIGHT ALSO HELP THEM GETTING A CREDIT. OUR TRANSFER ELIGIBILITY FOR PARTNERING UNIVERSITIES, OUR BOOT CAMPS ARE, BY THE WAY, OUR BOOT CAMPS ARE COMPLETELY FREE OF COST. AND WE'RE TRYING TO CONNECT WITH SOME NONPROFITS, ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS AND YOUTH ORGANIZATIONS TO HELP AND ENSURE THAT THE OPPORTUNITY REACHES SERIOUS AND MOTIVATED LEARNERS. I WOULD REQUEST THE CITY COUNCIL TO COLLABORATE WITH US, OR HELP US, OR ENDORSE US TO HAVE, UH, THIS PROGRAM CREATE A SUCCESSFUL AND A STRONG PIPELINE. AND, UM, AND THEN LET'S, UH, FOR, FOR OUR SUCCESS O OVERALL AS A COMMUNITY. UM, I'M HERE FOR A FEW MINUTES, UM, AND IF SOMEONE WANTS TO CONTACT ME OR HELP ME OR GUIDE ME, I'M MORE THAN WELCOME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. SURE. MAYOR PRO CASY STATEMENT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR COMING BY AND TALKING ABOUT THE IT BOOTCAMP. WE DO KNOW THAT, UM, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO BRIDGE THE DIGITAL DIVIDE ACROSS THE ENTIRE CITY, RIGHT? I'M CURIOUS TO KNOW, ARE YOU WORKING WITH ANY ORGANIZATIONS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON? ARE YOU PARTNERING WITH ANY ORGANIZATIONS IN THE CITY? SURE. THERE IS A UNIVERSITY CALLED NORTH AMERICAN UNIVERSITY. WE HAVE AN MOU WITH THAT UNIVERSITY. UH, SO I PERSONALLY HAVE CONDUCTED A FEW SESSIONS THERE. UM, AND I, LIKE, I'M WORKING WITH, UM, A GROUP THAT IS CLOSELY IN COLLABORATION WITH THAT UNIVERSITY AND WE ARE EXPLORING MORE OPTIONS. LIKE I'M A PART OF A FEW, UM, ORGANIZATIONS RELATED TO IT. UH, FOR EXAMPLE, THE INTERNATIONAL, UH, ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONICS ENGINEERS, UM, IEE. SO I'M A SENIOR MEMBER OF THAT, UH, ORGANIZATION. SO YES, WE ARE WORKING WITH, UH, FEW UNIVERSITIES AND ORGANIZATIONS. SO WE ALSO HAVE, UM, THE HARRIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION HAS A PROGRAM CALLED CASE FOR KIDS. OKAY. WHERE THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES FOR AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS. UM, I WOULD LOOK INTO, UM, THAT PROGRAM FOR SOME, UM, AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMMING AND FUNDING AND MAYBE PARTNER WITH AN ORGANIZATION THAT DOES AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS, BECAUSE I DO THINK THAT, UM, THE SERVICE OF MAKING SURE THAT WE CAN BRIDGE THE DIGITAL DIVIDE ACROSS THE COUNTRY IS VALUE ADDED. EXACTLY, YES. THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR GUIDING ME. TAKE CARE. GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M DANIEL WILLIAMS. I'M A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER. AND CAN YOU STEP IN FRONT OF THE MICROPHONE? EITHER ONE. OKAY. I'M DANIEL WILLIAMS. I'M A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER AND RETIRED NOW. AND, UH, MY CONCERN IS ABOUT THE RECYCLING IN SPRING BRANCH SPECIFICALLY. AND WE'VE HAD TWICE SO FAR THIS YEAR THAT THEY COMPLETELY DIDN'T PICK UP EVERY OTHER WEEK, JUST LEFT THEIR RECYCLE CANS OUT FOR THREE WEEKS. AND I HAD A COUPLE OF NOTES. UM, OKAY. BEING A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER, I WOULD ASSIGN THE GUYS, I DO 20 KITCHENS A WEEK, REMODELING, AND I WOULD ASSIGN JOBS. AND WHEN THEY DIDN'T COME THROUGH, THEY'D CALL ME AT 10 O'CLOCK TO TELL ME THAT THEY DIDN'T GET THERE AT EIGHT 30 LIKE THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO. I SAID, WELL, WHEN DID YOU REALIZE THAT? AND SO, IN DOING A LITTLE INVESTIGATION, I FOUND OUT THAT YOU'VE LOST A THOUSAND EMPLOYEES IN THE RECYCLED PROCESS AND THERE'S A HIRING FREEZE. I JUST DIDN'T UNDERSTAND HOW COULD THAT POSSIBLY BE THAT THESE PEOPLE JUST ALL TOGETHER GET, AND THEY'RE GONNA RETIRE? YOU DIDN'T HAVE ANY IDEA. AND WHY WOULD YOU CONTINUE A HIRING FREEZE WHEN YOU JUST LOST A THOUSAND PEOPLE IN ONE CATEGORY? UH, I'M SORRY, I NEED TO PUT MY GLASSES ON. AND THEN, UH, WHEN DO YOU FIND OUT AND WHAT DO YOU DO ABOUT IT? AND, UH, WHEN YOU DON'T PICK UP TRASH, THERE'S 400. WELL, LEMME SEE HERE. THERE WAS 420 TONS, WHICH IS LAST YEAR IN RECYCLING, WHICH IS ALMOST A MILLION POUNDS OF RECYCLING. AND IF YOU MISS PICKING UP IN ONE, TWO WEEK PROCESS, WHAT, YOU KNOW WHAT MY NEIGHBORS TELL ME WHAT THEY DO WITH THEIR RECYCLE STUFF, THEY THROW IN THE TRASH. SO WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU THROW IN THE TRASH, YOU PUT IT IN THE LANDFILL AND YOU DON'T GET TO RECYCLE IT. AND THERE'S SOME VALUE IN THE RECYCLING, BUT THERE'S NO VALUE. AND THERE'S ACTUALLY A COST AND EXPENSE LIKE THAT. AND [01:40:01] I JUST WAS GONNA OFFER MY, I HAVE SOME IDEAS ON WHAT YOU CAN DO TO INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY, DECREASE COST. MY SON, UH, WAS A WARRANT OFFICER IN THE ARMY, AND HE CAME UP WITH A PROCESS OF HOW TO RECYCLE, UH, THE LITTLE NIGHT VISION LENSES. AND HE SAVED THE ARMY MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. AND HE GOT, YOU KNOW, ACCOMMODATIONS FOR THAT. BUT I'M JUST SAYING THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT CAN BE DONE. UM, THE NEIGHBORHOODS LOOK BAD. YOU HAVE TO REARRANGE YOUR, AND THE GARBAGE IS SUPPOSED TO BE PICKED UP ON FRIDAY, NOT SET, NOT SATURDAY, NOT NOW. IT'S WEDNESDAY, TWO WEEKS LATER, AND CARS ARE PARKED AND, YOU KNOW, NOBODY PULLS THE CAN OUT TO, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU PARK IN FRONT AND THEN IT'S YOU RIGHT BY AND YOU MISS YOUR THING. SO, UH, IT'S VERY DISRUPTIVE TO NEIGHBORHOODS WHEN YOU'RE, AND I UNDERSTAND IF THEIR HOLIDAY THAT WEEK, LIKE 4TH OF JULY IS COMING, WELL, YOU DON'T PICK IT UP ON THE FOURTH, YOU PICK IT UP ON THE FIFTH OR HOWEVER THE SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS WORK. UM, ANYHOW, I JUST WANNA KNOW, UH, WHEN YOU SAVE THE MONEY, BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE TO SPEND IT ON THE EMPLOYEES TO, 'CAUSE THEY'RE ALL GONE, DOES ANY OF THAT COME BACK TO THE PEOPLE OR IS THAT JUST A ONE TIME? WELL, I MEAN, I CAN'T RUN MY BUSINESS LIKE THAT. SO, UH, I JUST WANTED TO OFFER SOME SUGGESTIONS. I DON'T KNOW WHO IS OVER RECYCLING OR IN SPRING BRANCH RECYCLING OR HOW YOU DIVIDE IT OUT. 'CAUSE THIS IS MY FIRST TIME BEING HERE. SO WHO WOULD I WANT TO READDRESS LATER ON? I'LL TELL YOU WHAT. I'LL MAKE A DEAL WITH YOU. GIVE LOUIE YOUR NUMBER AND HE'LL GIVE YOU MY NUMBER. IF IT'S NOT BETTER IN A WEEK, YOU CALL ME. OKAY? I WILL. BECAUSE, BECAUSE THE DIRECTOR SAID THIS WEEK HE'D BE CAUGHT UP. WE HAVE A NEW DIRECTOR. PART OF THE PROBLEM IS THE, UH, CITY HAS A CONTRACT WITH A RECYCLING COMPANY THAT ONLY HAS ONE, ONE RECYCLING LOCATION. THAT CONTRACT IS LONG TERM WITH A SPANISH COMPANY. I ONLY SAY SPANISH BECAUSE IT'S NOT ONLY OUTTA STATE, BUT IT'S OUT OF THE COUNTRY IN TERMS OF THE, UH, EMPLOYEES, UH, THE SAVINGS IS GOING INTO GREATER SERVICES. SO WE'RE ON TOP OF IT. I'M SORRY, I LIVE IN HOUSTON. I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GOING THROUGH, BUT I'M, I'M NOT HERE TO COMPLAIN SOME MUCH. THANK YOU. NO, YOU'RE FINE. FREE TIME, BUT, BUT IF YOU'LL EXCHANGE WITH LOUIE, I'LL STAY IN TOUCH WITH YOU. OKAY. BECAUSE THE NEW DIRECTOR IS SUPPOSED TO BE CAUGHT UP THIS WEEK. AND, UH, WE'LL LET YOU BE A CASE STUDY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. HOLD ON, SIR. COUNCILMAN PECK. SORRY. THANK YOU MR. WILLIAMS FOR BEING HERE TODAY. UM, YOU'RE RIGHT, IT IS A BIG PROBLEM IN SPRING BRANCH AND CITYWIDE. WE HAVE SOME, UM, NEIGHBORHOODS MAYOR THAT THEY HAVEN'T BEEN PICKED UP IN TWO MONTHS AND MORE THAN TWO MONTHS. AND SO, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE GONNA FINISH BY THE END OF THIS WEEK BECAUSE WE STILL HAVE SO MANY NEIGHBORHOODS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN PICKED UP. UM, BUT YOUR, UM, CONCERN ABOUT PEOPLE RETIRING AND THEN THE FREEZE. I THINK IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE NEW DIRECTOR IS COMPLETELY RESTRUCTURING THE DEPARTMENT. SO WE NEED TO, UM, FIRST FIGURE OUT HOW MANY EMPLOYEES WE ACTUALLY NEED. YOU KNOW, IF WE HIRED MORE PEOPLE, WE DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE THE TRUCKS TO SUPPORT THAT TOO. RIGHT? SO I KNOW A LOT OF CHANGES ARE COMING. UM, I'M REALLY ENCOURAGED BY THE CHANGES THAT HE'S IMPLEMENTING, UM, AND THAT THE MAYOR'S IMPLEMENTING. AND SO IT, YOU KNOW, WITH A DEPARTMENT THAT BIG, IT DOES TAKE SOME TIME TO RESTRUCTURE THAT WHOLE DEPARTMENT. SO, UM, BUT WE HAVE YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION AND WE'LL STAY ON TOP OF IT AS WELL, MAYOR, TO MAKE SURE THAT IT GETS COLLECTED. THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF STUFF BEHIND THE SCENES THAT WE NEVER SEE. AND SO THANK YOU FOR REACHING OUT AND THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE A HELP INSTEAD OF A HURT. THANK YOU. NICK. AMY THOMAS, PRINCESS STUBBLEFIELD TO BE FOLLOWED BY JACK VALINSKI. HELLO. HI. UM, PULL. OKAY. HI, MY NAME IS PRINCESS STUBBLEFIELD AND I HAVE BEEN HOMELESS FOR ABOUT A YEAR. AND BEFORE THAT ABOUT FOUR YEARS. I CURRENTLY HAVE BEEN AT THE STAR OF HOPE, BUT I HAVE, UH, EXPERIENCED DISCRIMINATION TOWARDS ME BECAUSE OF MY DISABILITY. I HAD TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL ONE DAY BECAUSE I KEPT FAINTING AND THE AMBULANCE BROUGHT ME BACK ON THE STRETCHER. THEY WOULDN'T ALLOW ME IN OR TO STAY AT, UM, STAR OF HOPE IF I, UH, THEY WOULDN'T LET ME STAY IF I COULDN'T WALK, IS WHAT THE STAFF SAID TO ME. SO I SUFFER FROM PSYCHOSIS AND ANXIETY. AND I, I'VE ALSO, UH, BEEN ANEMIC. I'VE BEEN WAITING ON [01:45:01] MY DISABILITY CHECK, BUT THEY STILL HAVE IT IN DECISION. I AM ALSO, UM, I WANTED TO BE ABLE TO SAVE UP MONEY, BUT THEY WON'T ALLOW YOU TO WORK AT STAR OF HOPE. AND, UM, ONCE YOU'RE DONE WITH A PROGRAM THAT THEY SAID THAT THEY WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO JUST HOUSE ME OR GIVE ME HOUSING. AND SO I WAS REALLY CONCERNED. I WISH THERE WAS SOMETHING AVAILABLE FOR SOMEONE LIKE ME. I SEPARATED. I'M SEPARATED FROM MY SON AND FAMILY, SO I HAVE NO HELP. THEY RESIDE IN SPRING, TEXAS, AND THAT'S A LITTLE FAR RIGHT NOW. AND I HOPE TO FIND HELP. AND I HOPE TO BE NEAR MY SON AND FAMILY. AND IT'S BEEN REALLY HARD FOR ME TO FIND SHELTER. I HAD TO SLEEP ON THE STREET AT TIMES AND AT BUS STOPS. I THOUGHT THAT THE STAR OF HOPE WOULD HELP. BUT THEY JUST REALLY GIVE YOU A TIME OF STAY AND THEY, THEN YOU BACK ON THE STREETS. IF I CAN FIND HELP, I MADE A PROMISE TO MYSELF TO HELP OTHERS AND GO BACK TO SCHOOL. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. LET ME SEE IF I CAN GET YOU SOME, WHAT, WHERE DID YOU STAY LAST NIGHT? UM, I RESIDE AT THE STAR OF HOPE, BUT IT'S ONLY BY LUCK BECAUSE THEY REALLY WANTED ME OUT BECAUSE, UM, UH, MY, MY, I HAD TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL 'CAUSE I KEPT FAINTING AND I FOUND OUT I WAS ANEMIC AND I HAD TO HAVE A BLOOD TRANSFUSION. AND SO THEY SAID THEIR PROGRAM IS NOT FIT FOR PEOPLE LIKE THAT. AND SO I WAS LIKE, WELL, WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT'S NOT FIT FOR PEOPLE LIKE THAT? UM, SO I, I JUST, I REALLY NEED HELP. SO I DON'T KNOW. OKAY. SO THAT WAS LAST NIGHT. LAST NIGHT I STAYED AT STAR. YOU WERE AT STAR HOPE? YES, SIR. AS OF THIS MOMENT, WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'LL BE TONIGHT? UM, I THINK I WILL BE STILL AT THE STORE OF HOPE BECAUSE OF THE WAY THAT I, I ACTUALLY HAVE TO PUSH MYSELF TO GET UP AND DO THEIR PROGRAMS AND THEIR CLASSES. BUT IF I HAD TO, IF I WASN'T FEELING GOOD ONE DAY BECAUSE OF, UH, MY PSYCHOSIS, THEN THEY, THEY WOULD KICK ME OUT. SO THEY ALREADY SAID THAT. WHERE'S, WHERE'S THE FAMILY AND SON LOCATED? MY, MY FAMILY, WELL, MY SON AND MY, MY MOM ARE IN SPRING, TEXAS OFF OF 1960. AND I WANNA BE CLOSE BY THEM BECAUSE THAT'S THE, LIKE, THE ONLY HELP THAT I WOULD HAVE. AND MY MOM'S, SHE'S RETIRED, SO SHE, SHE TAKES CARE OF MY SON AND I DON'T HAVE, I DON'T, SHE DON'T HAVE ROOM WHERE SHE STAYS BECAUSE SHE STAYS WITH SOMEONE. SO I JUST KIND OF DON'T WANNA BOTHER HER ABOUT IT. YOU CAN'T STAY WITH HER? NO. HOW COME? BECAUSE SHE STAYS WITH SOMEONE. SHE STAYS WITH SOMEONE. MM-HMM . SO YEAH, SHE STAYS WITH SOMEONE. OKAY. OKAY. HOW OLD'S YOUR SON? MY SON'S 18. IS HE IN SCHOOL? UM, HE JUST GRADUATED, SO, UM, WE HAD A CHANCE TO SEE HIM WALK, UH, LAST TWO SUNDAYS AGO. OKAY, GOOD. WHERE'D YOU GROW UP? I GREW UP IN KER HOME. KER HOME? YEAH. OKAY. REBECCA, DON'T I SEE YOU OUT THERE? LOUIS? LET REBECCA VISIT WITH THIS PERSON, THIS LADY, AND WE'LL SEE WHAT WE CAN DO AS OF GOING FORWARD. OKAY. PASTOR, JUST A SECOND. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. THANK YOU MAYOR. HOW YOU MA'AM? HI, WONDERFUL. LOVE. I HAVE MY CONSTITUENT SERVICE GUY RIGHT HERE. MM-HMM . IS LONG WIND. THE GENTLEMAN WALKING DOWN. HE'S GOING TO MEET YOU OUTSIDE. OKAY. AND, UH, AND WE ARE GOING TO WORK WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE AND SEE IF WE CAN'T ACCOMMODATE YOU. 'CAUSE I'M INTERESTED IN THE CIRCUMSTANCE THAT YOU'RE HAVING AT THE STAR HALL. YEAH, I, I REALLY AM. I I'M REALLY OUTTA, YOU KNOW, OKAY. OPTIONS. GOOD. OKAY. WELL, I, I WOULD LIKE TO TALK TO YOU CONCERNING THAT MM-HMM . AND THEN ALSO AN ALTERNATIVE OKAY. FOR YOUR SITUATION THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, KIND OF PROLONG IT ON. SO HE'S GONNA BE OUT THERE AND I'LL MEET YOU OUT THERE. THANK YOU. OKAY? SURE. THANK YOU NICK. JACK VALINSKI, MAYOR, COUNCIL, LAST TIME I WAS HERE, I WAS KICKED OUT. , PLEASE DON'T KICK ME OUT THIS TIME. SO, I HEARD A RUMOR THAT THEY WANT TO CHANGE THE CITY LOGO TO THE GREEN TRASHMEN BECAUSE WE SEE IT ALL OVER THE CITY. I, IN THE PAST TWO CYCLES, PUT IN OVER A HUNDRED THREE, ONE, ONE, UH, NOTICES, REQUESTS ABOUT THIS. I COULD HAVE EASILY DONE 500 IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD TODAY, THE 15TH DAY MY TRASH WAS PICKED UP, BUT I THINK THERE'S A BIGGER PROBLEM. CHANNEL 11 DID A STORY. NOBODY FROM THE DEPARTMENT RESPONDED. CHANNEL 26 DID A STORY AND IT WAS A PARAGRAPH FROM THE DEPARTMENT. YOU KNOW, I'M A GRADUATE OF SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY, AND I TOOK SOME CLASSES ON DISASTER MANAGEMENT. WE'RE NOT DOING THIS VERY WELL. UH, I KNOW WE GOT BROKEN TRUCKS. I KNOW PEOPLE TOOK THE, ABOUT 30 PEOPLE TOOK THE EARLY BUYOUTS. WE HAVE A HIRING FREEZE AND THERE'S ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS LESS IN THE [01:50:01] BUDGET, BUT WE KEEP HEARING IT'S GONNA BE FIXED. AND IT'S BEEN 10 YEARS AND IT'S LONG BEFORE YOU GOT HERE. BUT WHAT I THINK WE REALLY WANT TO KNOW IS WHAT IS THE PLAN? I WOULD REALLY SUGGEST YOU BRING YOUR DEPARTMENT HEAD HERE NEXT TIME THERE'S COUNCIL, AND LET HIM EXPLAIN IT TO THE COUNCIL AND TO THE PUBLIC. YOU KNOW, I SENT AN EMAIL TO EVERY ONE OF YOU COUNCIL MEMBERS. I GOT SOME RESPONSE BACK, BUT NO, NO PLAN. WHAT IS GOING ON? ARE WE GONNA, I KNOW WE ORDERED THE TRUCKS. I KNOW THE TRUCKS ARE GONNA TAKE A WHILE, BUT THE REALITY IS, HOW ARE WE GONNA DO THIS WITH LESS PEOPLE? HOW ARE WE GONNA DO THIS WITH LESS MONEY? AND IT JUST LOOKS REALLY BAD TO SEE THESE CANS OUT THERE FOR WEEKS AND WEEKS. I MEAN, I'M READING, PEOPLE ARE RESPONDING TO ME SAYING, I'M GOING TO PUT IT IN THE BLACK CAN, OR I'M JUST GONNA LEAVE MY CANS OUT THERE BECAUSE NOTHING CHANGES. IT JUST STAYS OUT THERE ALL THE TIME. ESPECIALLY IN NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE PARKING IS TIGHT. AND I GOT A CLUB THAT'S VERY CLOSE TO ME, AND ON SUNDAY WHEN I PUT MY CANS OUT, THEY ROLLED THEM ONTO THE SIDEWALK, WHICH MEANS SOMEBODY CAN PARK THERE WHEN THE TRUCKS COME BY. I KNOW THIS IS NOT AN EASY FIX. UM, THERE'S ALWAYS THE TRASH FEE OPTION, BUT IT REALLY DOESN'T LOOK GOOD FOR PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE, FOR PEOPLE WHO COME HERE AND VISIT TO SEE THESE CANS ALL THE TIME ON THE STREETS. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN POLLARD. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND, UM, GOOD AFTERNOON TO EVERYBODY. UH, JACK, I UNDERSTAND YOUR FRUSTRATION. I THINK ALL OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, ESPECIALLY THE DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBERS, HAVE BEEN RECEIVING CALLS FROM CONSTITUENTS. UM, I CAN SAY FROM MY DISTRICT, UH, I, I WOULD AGREE WITH YOU THAT THERE HAS TO BE MORE TO WHAT WE CAN DO, UH, TO MITIGATE SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT WE HAVE. UM, MAYOR, WE HAVE SUGGESTED TO YOUR SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT TO ALLOW, UM, THE VENDORS WITHIN JAY CITY WHO DO SOME OF OUR SUPPLEMENTAL SERVICES TO HELP WITH, UM, CERTAIN SITUATIONS, ESPECIALLY DELIVERING, UM, REPLACEMENT CANS, UH, TO MANY OF THE RESIDENTS WHO ARE JUST WAITING FOR CANS TO EVEN BE DELIVERED SO THEY CAN PUT TRASH IN THEM. UH, AND THAT'S BEEN ON, UH, A BACKLOG, BUT WE HAVE VENDORS THAT CAN SUPPLEMENT THIS WORK, UM, THAT WANT TO DO THE WORK. UM, BUT WE HAVE NOT GOTTEN APPROVAL FROM THE SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT TO DO SOME OF THESE THINGS. AND I THINK WE JUST HAVE TO BE MUCH MORE EFFICIENT, UM, WITH THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE. AND MANY TIMES THE RESIDENTS WHO ARE CLOSEST TO THE ISSUE HAVE IDEAS ON HOW TO SOLVE THEM THEMSELVES, AND WE NEED TO IMPLEMENT THAT. SO, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE, UM, ESPECIALLY IN JAY CITY, FOR US TO BE ABLE TO USE OUR SUPPLEMENTAL PROGRAMS TO ASSIST, UH, WITH THE SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT MORE TO RECTIFY THESE ISSUES. AND IF YOU ALL HAVE ANY FURTHER IDEAS THAT YOU ALL WANT US TO CONSIDER AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, BRING THEM FORWARD TO US SO WE CAN TRY TO GET THEM, UH, OVER TO THE ADMINISTRATION AS WELL. THANK YOU. YOU KNOW, WE CAN DO A THREE WEEK CYCLE, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, WHAT IS THE PLAN FOR THE FUTURE? ARE WE GONNA HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM IN SIX MONTHS, IN NINE MONTHS, UH, IN TWO YEARS? IS IT GONNA GET FIXED? AND I KNOW THAT TAKES A LOT OF WORK, BUT WE WANNA KNOW WHAT THE PLAN IS. WE'D LIKE TO MAKE IT, YOU KNOW, PLEASE MAKE IT PUBLIC. MAKE IT PUBLIC TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS SO THAT THEY KNOW I'D BE HAPPY TO, HELL OUT, HELP OUT WITH THE SOCIAL MEDIA AND SAYING, HEY, IT'S GONNA TAKE SIX MONTHS AND IT'S GONNA BE DONE AND WE WANNA WORK WITH YOU. AND THE GOOD THING ABOUT IT IS WE, WE HAVE HEARD UPDATES THAT, UH, WE'RE SUPPOSED TO GET EVERYTHING ADDRESSED BY THE END OF THIS WEEK, BUT THE QUESTION IS, AFTER THIS WEEK, WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? YOU KNOW, IS IT GOING TO BE RELIABLE GOING FORWARD? OR IS WE, ARE WE JUST GETTING CAUGHT UP IN TO GO BACKWARDS AGAIN AND WE GOT A HOLIDAY COMING UP NEXT WEEK? MAYOR PROAM. THANK YOU MAYOR JACK, I FOLLOW YOU ON SOCIAL MEDIA. I KNEW YOU HAD, UM, YOUR RECYCLING OUT FOR 15 DAYS AND, UM, GOT YOUR MESSAGES. I'M CURIOUS TO KNOW, IS YOUR TRASH BEING PICKED UP ON TIME, THE TRASH AND IS JUST YOUR RECYCLING TRASH IS PICKED UP ON TIME? ABSOLUTELY. OKAY. AND I, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING AND I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE PRIORITIZING THE REGULAR TRASH. OKAY. SO THE BIG ISSUE IS, IS THE RECYCLING THAT, THAT WE'RE HAVING. WELL, AND IT'S ALSO YARD WASTE. OKAY. UM, FROM MY, AS A SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD PRESIDENT, I'VE BEEN GETTING MESSAGES, I HAVE AN INVITE TO THE SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT TO COME TO OUR MEETING TONIGHT. I HAVEN'T GOT A RESPONSE, A POSITIVE RESPONSE IF THEY'LL BE OUT THERE. BUT ONE OF THE THINGS ALSO IS WHEN WE GET A RESPONSE FROM A CITY PERSON, AND I DON'T WANT TO POINT ANYBODY OUT, IS THAT THEY SAY SOMETHING. I SAYS, OKAY, IS IT IN WRITING FROM THE DEPARTMENT? YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE MORE OR LESS IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S JUST A RUMOR THAT WE'RE NOT PICKING UP YARD WASTE ANYMORE. I WANT, I'D LIKE TO SEE IT IN WRITING. I'D LIKE TO SEE IT ON THE WEBSITE. OKAY. WE'LL WORK ON THAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU NICK [01:55:03] Z CHIN. HI. GOOD AFTERNOON, UH, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS CHEN. I'M A HOMEOWNER AND A FULL-TIME NURSING STUDENT BALANCING MY EMT, UH, TRAINING AND CLINICALS. UH, FIRST I WANT TO SINCERELY, UH, THANK MAYOR OFFICE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER, AS WELL AS THE CHANNEL TO WHO HAVE ALREADY GIVEN ME THEIR REGULAR BALL TIME TO LISTEN TO MY ONGOING, UH, WATER ISSUE. UH, I'M HERE TODAY BECAUSE I HAVE EVIDENCE THAT I'VE BEEN PAYING FOR MY NEIGHBOR'S WATER FOR OVER TWO YEARS. IT APPEARS THE PROBLEM IS DUE TO A CONSTRUCTION ERROR, UH, THAT PASSED THE CITY INSPECTION. DESPITE RAISING THE INTEREST MULTIPLE TIMES, I'M STILL BEING BILL FOR WATER THAT I DID NOT USE. I'M NOW LIVING WITHOUT, UH, STABLE RUNNING WATER. UM, AND THIS, THE, UM, SO HERE IS WHY I HAVE DISCOVERED MY HOME UNIT A AND MY NEIGHBOR'S HOME UNIT B WERE BOTH BUILT BY THE SAME BUILDER. BASED ON MY OBSERVATIONS AND EVIDENCE, I HAVE GATHERED, I HAVE CONCLUDED THAT THE WATER LINES ARE SHARED. MY UNITS WAS CONSTRUCTING FIRST AND ERP IS THE BUILDERS CONNECTED BOTH HOMES AND WATER LINES TO MY METER. LATER WHEN UNIT B WAS BUILT, THEY ADD A SEPARATE METER FOR THAT PROPERTY. BUT IT SEEMS THAT THEIR OWN GENERAL SHARE LINES WAS NEVER DISCONNECTED. AFTER I MET WITH HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS ON JUNE 3RD, I BELIEVE THEY QUIETLY TURNED ON MY NEIGHBOR'S METER WIFE. AND FOR THEIR FIRST TIME, HER USAGE BEGAN RESING. BUT BECAUSE THE ORIGINAL CONNECTION HAS WAS NEVER PHYSICAL, MOVE HER HOME SLING THROUGH BOTH METERS. IF I SHUT OFF MY MAN, SHE JUST WATER FROM HER METER. BUT IF I LEAVE MY OWN, SHE CAN STILL PULL WATER FROM MY SIDE. UM, SO I'M HERE TO ASK FOR YOUR HELP, UH, IN THREE CRITICAL AREAS. FIRST, PLEASE PAUSE OR REDUCE MY WATER BILLS, UH, BECAUSE IT IS NOT FAIR THAT I'M BILLING, UH, BY FOR SOMEONE ELSE'S USAGE. WHY THIS MATTER DEMANDS UNRESOLVED. UH, SECONDLY IS A PHYSICAL, UM, A FULL PHYSICAL INSPECTION. PLEASE HELP REQUEST A COMPREHENSIVE PHYSICAL INSPECTION BY HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS. THIS NEEDS TO INCLUDE PROPER DIAGNOSIS, TESTINGS, UH, LIKE, UH, UH, DIET TEST LINE CHASING AND PRESSURE TESTING, AS WELL AS THE ASSETS THROUGH BOTH HOMES, WHICH ONLY THE CITY CAN ENFORCE. THIRD, UH, ACCOUNT ACCOUNTABILITY. I WILL, I ALSO ASK THAT YOU INVESTIGATE HOW THIS PAST THE CITY INSPECTION AND PERMITTING IN THE FIRST PLACE AND HOW, HOW THE BUILDER ACCOUNTABILITY ACCOUNTABLE. THIS IS NOT JUST ABOUT MY SITUATION, IT'S ABOUT ENSURING OTHER FAMILIES ARE NOT PUT THROUGH THIS. THERE IS MIRROR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. I'M TRYING TO BUILD A FUTURE WHERE I CAN CARE FOR OTHERS. I TRULY NEED A C HELP TO RESOLVE THIS SO I CAN GET BACK TO FOCUSING ON MY EDUCATION AND MY FUTURE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND ATTENTION. WHEN'S THE LAST TIME? UH, I'VE GOT A LETTER DATED JUNE 24TH. WHEN'S THE LAST TIME YOU HEARD FROM PUBLIC WORKS? 'CAUSE THEY'VE BEEN TO YOUR LOCATION, HAD INSPECTORS THERE, AND IT HAS TO DO WITH YOUR CONSTRUCTION. THEY'VE REPLACED YOUR WATER METER. SO THEY SAY THEY'RE ACTIVELY WORKING WITH YOU. YEAH, BUT THEN I'M STILL LIKE GETTING BILL, YOU KNOW, FOR MY NEIGHBOR'S USAGE. SEE, THAT'S A PROBLEM APPARENTLY WHEN YOUR CONTRACTOR BUILT YOUR, IS IT A CONDO? OH, IT'S A SINGLE. IT PUT YOUR NEIGHBOR'S WATER BILL ON YOUR METER AS WELL. YES. SO IT'S A MESS. EVERYBODY RECOGNIZES THAT. AND PUBLIC WORKS IS DEALING WITH YOUR BILLING. SO YEAH. BUT THEN IT IS LIKE, UM, SO THE, THE BUILDER IS TRYING TO BLEND THAT TO THE CITY BECAUSE THEY HAVE ALL THE PROOFS THAT THEY PASSED THE CITY INSPECTION. THEY SAY THERE'S NOTHING WRONG ON THEIR END. WELL, UNFORTUNATELY, YOUR BUILDER IS PROBABLY NOT BEING CANDID WITH YOU. I MEAN, I'VE GOT A LETTER HERE WHERE, AND WE'LL KEEP WORKING WITH YOU THAT THERE'S TWO WATER USAGES GOING TO YOUR BILL, SO WE GOTTA GET THAT CLEARED UP. YEAH, I'M, I'M NOT SURE LIKE WHOSE FAULT IS LIKE, BUT I'M HERE BECAUSE UH, I'M STILL GETTING BILL FOR SOMEONE ELSE USE IT. I UNDERSTAND. WELL, WE'RE HERE AND NOW I'M LIKE LIVING WITHOUT STABLE RUNNING WATER. YEAH. AND MY OLDER MOTHER LIKE IS GOING TO, YOU KNOW, LIKE, UH, VISITING ME. SO I'M TRYING TO GET THIS, THIS RESOLVED. OKAY. WE'LL CHECK WITH THE WATER DEPARTMENT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. YOU'RE WELCOME. NEXT, [02:00:02] I'M SORRY, COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. NO, NO, NO PROBLEM. MAYOR. THANK YOU MS. SHIN. THANK YOU FOR COMING. UH, I JUST WANT TO BRING THAT UP, MAYOR. SHE NOTIFIED, UH, OUR OFFICE LAST WEEK AND WE HAD A CHANCE TO TALK AND IN DEPTH ABOUT THE VERY ISSUE THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. IT IS THE BUILDER, UH, IN THIS SITUATION AND THIS, AND MATTER OF FACT, THAT WAS A STORY DONE WITH HER WITH NBC CHANNEL TWO BELIEVE. CHANNEL TWO. YES. YEAH, ABOUT A YEAR AGO, TWO YEARS. WAS IT BEEN ABOUT A YEAR AGO? IT WAS A, UH, COUPLE WEEKS AGO. YEAH. ABOUT, YEAH, ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO. I MEANT TO SAY. YES. SO, BUT, BUT YOU THE FOLLOWING WHAT MARY JUST SAID IN FOLLOWING THE ISSUE. 'CAUSE IT GOES A LITTLE DEEPER INTO THE SITUATION IN TERMS OF SHE'S PAYING FOR BOTH FOR HER AND HER NEIGHBOR. YEAH. HOW, HOW OLD IS YOUR, UH, RESIDENCE? WHEN DID THE BUILDER BUILD IT? HOW LONG AGO? UH, THERE WAS, IT HAS BEEN TWO YEARS. TWO YEARS. YEAH. IT'S A NEW CONSTRUCTION AND THEY BUILD THAT. AND I PURCHASED THE HOUSE LIKE TWO YEARS AGO AT THE SAME TIME. HAVE YOU SPOKEN TO THE BUILDERS SINCE THE CITY SAID IT'S YOUR BUILDER? THEY BROUGHT MY NUMBER. THEY WHAT? THEY BROUGHT MY CONTACT. THEY DID NOT RESPOND TO MY TEXT MESSAGE AND EMAIL REQUEST. RIGHT. DO YOU HAVE A LAWYER? IT'S A AND THEY TRYING TO SUE MY LAWYER. SHE STARTED WITH A LAWYER. MAYOR. UH, THERE IS, SHE DID HAVE ONE AND THEY, SHE INDICATED THAT THEY TRIED TO GO BACK AND THEY'RE BRANDING THIS ON THE CITY. WELL, WE CAN DOCUMENT AS THE COUNCIL MEMBER JUST DID THAT. IT'S A CONSTRUCTION PROBLEM. YEAH, BUT THEY SAY THEY HAVE ALL THE PROOF AND THEY PASSED THE CITY INSPECTION. YEAH. WHO TOLD YOU THAT? THIS IS THE BUILDER. SEE, THAT'S THE PROBLEM. WE'RE DEALING WITH A BUILDER THAT IS CONSTRUCTED SOMETHING AND PUT YOUR NEIGHBOR'S METER AND WATER LINES ON YOURS. RIGHT. SO WE'LL GET WITH PUBLIC WORKS, WE'LL ASK THEM TO REVIEW IT, BUT IT SOUNDS TO ME LIKE YOU NEED TO GO AFTER THE BUILDER, BUT I CANNOT GO AFTER THEM BECAUSE THEY'RE PROTECTED BY THE CITY. THEY HAVE ALL DOCUMENTATION FROM THE CITY, PROTECTED BY CITY PROTECT. THEY'RE PROTECTED BY THE CITY AT THIS MOMENT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THEY SAY THEY HAVE ALL PROOF FROM THE CITY. OKAY. THEY, THEY DID NOT DO ANYTHING WRONG. I'M, I'M GONNA, I'M GOING TO, UH, RECOMMEND THAT YOU LET A LAWYER REVIEW THE DOCUMENTS, LOOK AT THE CITY'S DOCUMENTS, AND I'M OF A STRONG OPINION. IT'S YOUR BUILDER AND NOT THE CITY. THEY, I, I DON'T KNOW WHOSE FAULT IS. I KNOW I'M SOLID. YOU'RE FRUSTRATED AND YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH THIS. BUT THE CITY'S BEING VERY, UH, WORKING WITH YOU ON THE WATER BILLS AND WE'LL CONTINUE. BUT YOU GOTTA FIX THE CONSTRUCTION PROBLEM. AND THAT'S NOT GONNA BE THE CITY THAT CAN DO THAT. IT'S YOUR BUILDER. NO, PARTICULARLY, PARTICULARLY IF YOUR BUILDER'S NOT ANSWERING YOUR PHONE, THAT, UH, THAT ITSELF SHOULD INDICATE TO YOU, YOU NEED TO GET AFTER HIM OR HER WITH A LAWYER. BUT SINCE THEY HAVE THE PROOF, LIKE THEY, THEY HAVE THE PERMITS FROM THE CITY. SURE. AND WHEN, YOU KNOW, I ASKED THE LAWYER TO SUE THEM FOR IT. SURE. BUT THEY ARE, THEY HAVE, THE LEGAL DOCUMENTATION CANNOT. WELL THAT WOULD BE PART, I CANNOT, THE LAWSUIT OF THE LEGAL, THAT WOULD EXCUSE ME, FUNERAL. THAT WOULD BE PART OF THE LEGAL REVIEW. SEE IF HE HAD A PERMIT. HE MAY JUST BE TELLING YOU THAT. BUT, BUT THE FACTS ARE, YOU'RE GETTING TWO WATER USAGES ON ONE BILL CITY'S BEEN OUT THERE. IT'S BEEN REVIEWED AND NOW YOU NEED TO TRY TO RESOLVE IT AND IT'S NOT GONNA PROBABLY BE UNLESS SOMEBODY BRINGS YOUR BUILDER INTO THE DISCUSSION. OKAY. YEAH. I IF FROM MY TIMELINE SHEET, YOU CAN SEE I HAVE DONE EVERYTHING I CAN ON MY, I I'M SORRY THAT YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH THIS, BUT IT'S JUST DON'T KNOW HOW LONG IT WILL TAKE FOR THIS TO GET RESOLVED. AND IT IS NOT GONNA GET RESOLVED UNLESS YOU GET SOMEONE WITH SOME AUTHORITY TO TALK TO THE BUILDER. YEAH. AND I NEED THE CITY AUTHORITY LIKE TO HELP ME, LIKE TO, THE CITY'S DOING ITS JOB. IT'S BEEN OUT THERE SEVERAL TIMES. NO, THEY HAVEN'T, LIKE FISCALLY BE AROUND MY AREA. OKAY. YEAH. THEY, I I WILL NEED THE CITY TO LIKE DO A THOROUGH INSPECTION SO THAT TO YOU KNOW, TO OKAY, I'LL MAKE SURE THAT THEY DO DO, I'VE GOT THE LETTER. I'VE GOT THEIR REPORT. COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ, WHO'S AN ATTORNEY. GO AHEAD SIR. YES. THANK, THANK YOU MAYOR. AND, AND, UH, MS. CHEN, I KNOW YOU'VE REACHED OUT TO MY OFFICE AND I'M SORRY I CAME IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS. I WAS IN A CONFERENCE, UH, IN THE BACK. HOWEVER, I'D LIKE TO SIT DOWN WITH YOU AND GO OVER SOME OF THIS. UH, I HAVE A COUPLE OF IDEAS. MAYBE WE CAN MAKE SOME PROGRESS. OKAY. THANK [02:05:01] YOU SO MUCH. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. YOU'RE GONNA HAVE OUR DOCUMENT NEXT. ROCKY JACKSON, ROCKY JACKSON, WILLIAM GONZALEZ. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL. UM, MY NAME'S WILLIE GONZALEZ. I'M THE SECRETARY TREASURER FOR UNIT UNITED HERE, LOCAL 23. OUR UNION REPRESENTS OVER 3000 HOSPITALITY WORKERS HERE IN HOUSTON. UM, AS YOU KNOW, LAST YEAR THE CITY BROKE A RECORD FOR TOURISM. TOURISM GENERATED NEARLY $23 BILLION FOR THIS CITY. AND NOW WE'RE EXPANDING THE CONVENTION CENTER. WE'RE TRYING TO BRING IN MORE TOURISM, MORE CONVENTIONS, AND WE SUPPORT THAT. THAT IS A VERY GOOD THING. BUT UNFORTUNATELY, THE PEOPLE THAT MADE THAT TOURISM INDUSTRY A SUCCESS, HAVE BEEN LEFT BEHIND. THEY'VE BEEN FORGOTTEN. THEIR VOICES ARE NOT BEING HEARD. THOSE ARE THE WORKERS THAT CLEAN THE BEDS FOR THE GUESTS THAT COME TO THIS CITY IN TOURISM. THOSE ARE THE WORKERS THAT DEAL WITH AN ANGRY PATRON AT THE AIRPORT WHOSE FLIGHT GOT DELAYED AND SIT THERE AND MAKE THEM FEEL GOOD ABOUT THE CITY. THOSE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT MAKE THEM THEIR DRINKS, THAT CARE FOR THEM WHEN THEY'RE LOST IN THE CITY AND TELL THEM WHERE TO GO. THESE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT GIVE THEIR LIVES. SO THE GUESTS IN OUR CITY FEEL GOOD ABOUT COMING TO OUR CITY AND COME BACK. BUT UNFORTUNATELY TOO MANY OF THEM ARE LIVING CHECK TO CHECK AND NOT MAKING IT. AND EVEN MORE ARE LIVING IN POVERTY. AND THAT IS A CRYING SHAME. THAT IS NOT $23 BILLION WORTH OF INVESTMENT IN THE WORKERS THAT MAKE THIS INDUSTRY GREAT. SO IN OUR LABOR MOVEMENT, WE KNOW IF YOU WANNA BE HEARD, THERE'S A COUPLE THINGS YOU DO. YOU STAND UP AND YOU SPEAK UP AND YOU STAND TALL. SO NOW WE HAVE COME TOGETHER, AND YOU'LL HEAR FROM MANY OF THESE WORKERS THIS YEAR. OUR UNION WILL BE IN NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE HILTON AMERICAS THIS YEAR WE'LL ALSO BE IN NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE MARRIOTT MARQUEE, THE TWO LARGEST HOTELS IN THIS CITY THIS YEAR. WE WILL ALSO BE IN NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE FOOD AND BEVERAGE WORKERS AT THE GRB CONVENTION CENTER. THIS YEAR WE WILL ALSO BE IN NEGOTIATIONS WITH OTG AND HMS HOSTS, WHICH ARE THE TWO LARGEST CONCESSIONAIRES AT IAH AIRPORT. THIS YEAR WE'LL BE IN NEGOTIATIONS WITH FLICK AND U REST THAT COVER THE LOUNGES FOR AMERICAN AND UNITED AIRLINES AT THE AIRPORT. AND THE IMPORTANT THING TO UNDERSTAND IS, THE OTHER WORD OUR UNION KNOWS IS SOLIDARITY. WE ARE STANDING HERE TOGETHER TO SAY THAT THE INDUSTRY THAT HAS BENEFITED $26 BILLION WORTH OF THEIR BLOOD, THEIR SWEAT, THEIR TEARS, THEIR HARD WORK, THEIR NOW NEEDS TO HEAR THEM. THEY NEED TO BE HEARD AT THROUGH THE INDUSTRY AND THE CITY. SO AS WE MOVE FORWARD IN THIS CAMPAIGN, WE WANNA BE CLEAR. WE WANT, YOU'RE GONNA HEAR FROM THESE WORKERS TALKING ABOUT HOW HARD A LIFE THEY LEAD. SO WHEN HOUSTON FIRST PUTS OUT A PRESS RELEASE AND SAYS HOW GREAT THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY IS DOING, THEY FORGOT TO MENTION WHAT THE LIVES OF THOSE WORKERS ARE LIKE. THEY NEED TO MENTION THAT THAT NEEDS TO BE PART OF WHAT THEY TALK ABOUT. THAT NEEDS TO BE PART OF THE AGENDA FOR THEM. SO AS WE SAID HERE TODAY, YOU WILL HEAR FROM MANY OF OUR MEMBERS TALKING ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE GOING THROUGH. BUT YOU ALSO HERE FOR MORE PEOPLE, NOT JUST THE PLACES. WE'RE IN NEGOTIATIONS TODAY. WE ARE JOINED BY OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS, THE FOOD SERVICE WORKERS OF THE NRG. WE'RE JOINED BY OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS, THE FOOD SERVICE WORKERS OF THE TOYOTA CENTER. WE'RE JOINED BY OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS, THE FOOD SERVICE WORKERS OF MEN, AND MADE IN SHELL. AND THERE ARE MORE TO COME. 'CAUSE FOR TOO LONG THIS INDUSTRY HAS IGNORED THESE PEOPLE WHO WORK EVERY DAY TO MAKE IT A SUCCESS. SO NOW WE'RE STANDING UP AND SAYING WE WILL BE HEARD. THANK YOU. REALLY. THANK, THANK YOU FIRST WILLIE, THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU AND YOUR MEMBERS DO. UH, CERTAINLY I'M AWARE AND I'M SURE MY COLLEAGUES ARE AWARE THAT WE LITERALLY COULD NOT BE THE GREAT CITY WE ARE WITHOUT YOUR MEMBERS [02:10:01] AND, UH, THEIR COLLEAGUES. WE HAVE A COUPLE MEMBERS WHO WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT. COUNCILLOR MARTINEZ. THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, WILLIE, THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP. THANK YOU TO UNITE HERE MEMBERS, THANK YOU TO THOSE THAT, UH, ARE HERE STANDING IN SOLIDARITY. UM, I'M WITH YOU. UM, I'M THANKFUL THAT THE MAYOR HAS PUT ME ON HOUSTON FIRST, AND THIS IS REALLY ONE OF MY MAIN PRIORITIES THERE. UH, MAKING SURE THAT THOSE THAT ARE, UH, MAKING SURE THAT THOSE THAT ARE WORKING WITHIN THE SERVICE INDUSTRY ARE TREATED FAIRLY PAID WELL. BECAUSE AGAIN, TO YOUR POINT, NONE OF THE HOSPITALITY THAT IS HAPPENING, UH, THE GREAT HOSPITALITY THAT IS HAPPENING CAN BE DONE WITHOUT YOU ALL AT THE HOTELS, AT THE AIRPORTS. UM, UM, UM, I'M HERE WITH Y'ALL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. THANK YOU WILLIE. GOOD TO SEE YOU. I WAS JUST GONNA GIVE YOU THE REMAINDER OF MY TIME IF YOU HAD A ADDITIONAL REMARKS. I LOOK FORWARD TO STANDING WITH YOU DURING YOUR NEGOTIATIONS. STOOD WITH YOU DURING THE, UH, WHEN THE HEALTHCARE WAS CANCELED DURING THE PANDEMIC. YES. AND LOOK FORWARD TO MAKING SURE THAT YOU'RE NOT JUST ASKING FOR WHAT'S FAIR, BUT YOU'RE ASKING FOR WHAT IS RIGHT. UH, MANY OF THE MEMBERS DON'T HAVE THE DISCRETIONARY INCOME TO LEAVE THE CITY DURING A HURRICANE. UM, IF THEY LOSE ALL OF THEIR FOOD THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE A MEDICAL SCARE OR CRISIS, IT TAKES THEM OVER FINANCIALLY. SO, UM, ASK FOR WHAT IS RIGHT. ASK FOR WHAT YOU DESERVE AND NOT JUST WHAT'S FAIR. BUT, UM, YOU HAVE MY SUPPORT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, COUNCILMAN, COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING. PEOPLE ARE REALLY IMPORTANT AND I DON'T EVER WANT PEOPLE TO LOSE SIGHT OF THE FACT THAT PEOPLE ARE WORKING REALLY HARD AND WE THINK THAT THEY'RE INVISIBLE SOMETIMES AND THEY ARE NOT. AND THEY HAVE CERTAIN NEEDS LIKE WE ALL DO. AND SO I CERTAINLY SUPPORT, YOU KNOW, HEALTHY, SAFE ENVIRONMENTS, UM, MEDICAL CONDITIONS THAT SOME PEOPLE HAVE, SOME PREEXISTING CONDITIONS AND THINGS THAT THEY NEED TO BE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD. AND SO I'VE ALWAYS SUPPORTED THIS ORGANIZATION AND IT MAKES MY HEART VERY WARM WHEN I GO IN CERTAIN PLACES AND THEY SAY, WE REMEMBER YOU, WE REMEMBER YOU. BUT CERTAINLY I'M NOT HERE FOR YOU TO JUST REMEMBER ME. I'M HERE TO STAND WITH YOU AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN MOVE FORWARD SO THAT EVERYONE CAN HAVE A SAFE, HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT WITH COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU MR. GONZALEZ FOR BEING HERE. I'M HAPPY TO SIT DOWN WITH YOU AND TAKE A MEETING TO SEE HOW, UH, WE CAN HELP YOU AS WELL. UH, IF YOU WOULD TALK TO MY CHIEF OF STAFF WHO IS HERE. LEAH, WOULD YOU STAND UP? THERE WE GO. UH, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND GETTING WITH HER, WE'LL, WE'LL SET SOMETHING UP IF YOU'D LIKE. AND I'M HAPPY TO SIT DOWN WITH YOU, SEE HOW WE CAN HELP YOU. COUNCIL, MAYOR PLUMMER. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I JUST WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE YOU ALL AS WELL. I'M TELLING YOU, THE SEA OF RED RIGHT NOW REALLY WARMS MY HEART. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BINDING TOGETHER, SPEAKING WHAT YOU'RE WANTING, ASKING, ACTUALLY MAKING THE ASK FOR WHAT YOU NEED. UM, WE ARE LISTENING TO YOU. I'M LISTENING TO YOU. AND, UM, I'M JUST SO GRATEFUL THAT FOR ALL OF YOU, FOR WHAT YOU'VE ALL DONE AND HOW YOU, WHAT YOU'VE BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH IS, UM, IS EXTRAORDINARY. SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND THANK YOU FOR HAVING ONE VOICE TODAY. WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN CASTILLO. THANK YOU MAYOR. I WANT TO ECHO EVERYTHING THAT'S BEEN SAID BY MY COLLEAGUES AND JUST MAKE SURE YOU KNOW AS WELL THAT YOU HAVE MY SUPPORT AND IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT I CAN DO TO BE HELPFUL, DON'T HESITATE TO REACH OUT. THANK Y'ALL. [02:15:01] MAYOR PROTE. THANK YOU MAYOR WILLIE, THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND FOR BEING HERE AND SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF SO MANY OF THE MEMBERS OF UNITE HERE. I KNOW WE'LL HEAR, WE'LL HEAR FROM, UH, SEVERAL MEMBERS, UH, THAT ARE LISTED ON OUR AGENDA TODAY. UM, AND JUST SEEING THE MEMBERS HERE IN CHAMBER AND HEARING WHAT YOU SAID TODAY, WE KNOW THAT MANY OF OUR HOSPITALITY EMPLOYEES NOT ONLY WORK ONE JOB, UH, BUT MANY OF THEM WORK TWO JOBS. UH, AND AS A CITY, OUR VALUE PROPOSITION IS TO MAKE SURE THAT UH, THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN OUR CITY HAVE GOOD WAGE PAYING JOBS WHERE THEY CAN WORK, THEY CAN TAKE CARE OF THEIR FAMILIES AND THRIVE IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. UM, SO PLEASE KNOW THAT, UM, WE ARE LISTENING. WE ARE HERE, UH, FOR YOU SUPPORTING EACH ONE OF YOU AND KNOWING THAT, UM, AS VISITORS COMING TO INTO OUR CITY, UM, IT IS, BUT FOR THE PEOPLE THAT MAKE SURE THEY HAVE WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITIES IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. AND WE SHOULD ALSO MAKE SURE THAT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE PROVIDING THOSE SERVICES AND LIVING IN OUR CITIES CAN HAVE A WONDERFUL QUALITY OF LIFE. SO BEST WISHES AND NEGOTIATIONS AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING ALONGSIDE EACH OF YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL. THANK YOU. NEXT MARCELLA TOYOTA. SHE, UH, HELLO. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS MARTA. I'M A COOK IN THE TOYOTA CENTER SHELL STADIUM AND DAIKIN PARK. I HAVE WORKED, UH, SINCE 2016 IN TOYOTA CENTER AND SHELL, UM, AND THIS IS MY FIRST SEASON IN DAIKIN PARK. UH, I WORK IN THE SUITES AREA AT EACH STADIUM. OKAY. UM, TILL NOW I HAVE EIGHT YEARS WORKING IN THE STADIUMS IN THE SUITE AREA AND I MAKE 1450 RIO. UH, WITH THAT WAGE, I CANNOT HAVE A DIGNIFIED LIFE FOR MY KIDS. I SEE THAT THE PRICES KEEP GOING UP INSIDE THE STADIUMS FOR THE FOOD, BUT YET, UM, OUR PRICE, OUR WAGES DO NOT GO UP. I'M IN CHARGE OF MAKING THE FOOD IN THE SUITES, WHICH IS THE MOST EXPENSIVE FOOD, UM, IN THE STADIUMS. I ALSO WANNA MENTION A FEW OTHER ISSUES, UH, THAT ARE HAPPENING INSIDE THE STADIUMS. UM, EVERYBODY'S LIKE PRICE OR WAGE IS NOT THE SAME FOR EVERY, UH, NOT EVERYBODY HAS EQUAL WAGES. IF YOU ARE A FRIEND WITH MANAGER OR A RELATIVE OF A MANAGER, UM, YOUR, YOUR WAGES ARE GONNA BE ESSENTIALLY HIGHER THAN UH, FOLKS THAN THE OTHER FOLKS THAT DON'T HAVE THOSE CONNECTIONS. I'M FIGHTING FOR A $23 WAGE, UM, SO THAT ME AND MY FAMILY CAN LIVE A DIGNIFIED LIFE. UM, BETWEEN MY THREE JOBS, I'M JUST TRYING TO SURVIVE. UM, I EVEN HAVE A SIDE BUSINESS WHERE I MAKE FOOD, UM, TO MAKE BASICALLY ENDS MEET. [02:20:10] UM, THANK YOU FOR GIVING US THE TIME TO BE HERE TODAY AND SPEAK AND FOR, UH, FOR YOU TO LISTEN TO OUR STORIES BECAUSE UP UNTIL TODAY, LIKE NO ONE HAS EVER REALLY LISTENED TO US. . THANK YOU. SHE HAS TO RUN TO WORK. YEAH, SHE HAS TO GO RUN TO WORK. LOVE YOU. BUT THANK YOU. NEXT CLAUDIA BARIENTOS. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS CLAUDIA BARIENTOS. I'M A FOOD ATTENDANT AND THE UNITED LAUNCH AT THE SEA NORTH AND THE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT HOUSTON, I HAVEN'T BEEN WORKING FOR CLICK FOR NEAR FOUR YEARS. I MAKE IT LIKE 1715 AN HOUR BECAUSE I'M ONLY MAKING LIKE 1750. I RENT A ROOM IN A HOUSE FOR A STRANGER AND I WENT, I HAVE ASKING FOR SOME IMPROVEMENTS BE MADE. I HAVEN'T BEEN TOLD THAT I DON'T LIKE MY LIVING SITUATION. I CAN LEAVE. I AM CURRENTLY DRIVING AROUND WITH HALF OF MY POSITION IN MY CAR AND I'M FENCING THE PROSPECT NOT HAVING A PLACE TO LIVE. I'M PREPARING TO BUY TO A BETTER JOB AND A BETTER LIFE. SO I AM ASKING CITY COUNCIL SUPPORT OR PUSH FOR LIVE. LIVE ABLE. THE WAITS AND THE AIRPORT AND THE HILTON, MARRIOTT, MARCUS AND DOWNTOWN AND ON AND, AND THE STADIUMS. WE HAVE A NO ALTERNATIVE, BUT TWO DEMANDS THAT OUR EMPLOYERS DO BETTER. . THANK YOU. NEXT. RUBY GARZA. HELLO C COUNCIL PEOPLE. I JUST CAME. MY NAME IS RUBY GARZA. I'M A BEER VENDOR AT NRG STADIUM. I WORK FOR AMARK. I HAVE WORKED AT NRG MORE THAN 20 YEARS SINCE IT WAS RELIANT STADIUM. I MAKE LESS THAN $11 AN HOUR. I LIVE WITH MY SON AT HIS HOUSE AND MY GRANDSON. WE STRUGGLE TO PAY BILLS ON TIME. I DON'T KNOW, DON'T KNOW. WE DO IT HOW WE DO IT TIME SOMETIMES, BUT WE MAKE ENDS MEET. SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO BUY LESS GROCERIES THAN WHAT WE NEED BECAUSE OF THE MONEY IS TIGHT. IF I CAN MAKE A LIVABLE WAGE, I CAN MOVE OUT ON MY OWN AND HAVE MY OWN HOME WHERE PEOPLE CAN COME AND VISIT ME. IF WE MAKE A FAIR WAGE, MAYBE MY COWORKERS COULD COME GIVE THEIR KIDS SOME MORE OF THE THINGS THEY DESERVE. THE PRICES OF THE DRINKS AT NRG ARE INCREDIBLY HIGH AND I THINK WE ARE MORE THAN JUSTIFIED JUST ASKING FOR A LIVING WAGE RESPECT FOR OUR SENIORITY AND THE RIGHTS TO ORGANIZE, ORGANIZE A UNION. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. VERY GOOD. WILLIE, COULD I ASK YOU TO COME SHARE SOME INFO WITH US? WILLIE, YOU TELL ME WHO YOU'RE ACTUALLY NEGOTIATING WITH. YOU'VE GOT THE MARQUE AND YOU GOT THE HILTON, BUT THE LADY JUST YEAH, THE WORKER BROUGHT UP UP ARAMARK. SO IF SHE'S AT NRG WORKING FOR ARAMARK, WHO IS THE, WHO'S THE NEGOTIATING AGENT? WELL, IT WOULD BE AT THE NRG, IT WOULD BE ARAMARK AND AT THE TOYOTA CENTER. BE LEVY'S AT MINUTE MA. AND THE SHELF STATING WOULD BE ARAMARK. NOW THESE WORKERS DON'T HAVE THE UNION YET. THEY WHAT? THAT'S WHY THEY'RE MAKING, THEY DON'T HAVE A UNION YET. THEY'RE FIGHTING TO GET THEIR UNION. THAT'S WHY THEY'RE MAKING $14 AN HOUR NINE. THAT I WAS ASKING QUESTION BECAUSE YOU AND I HAVE TALKED NUMEROUS TIMES ABOUT THE UNJUST [02:25:01] AMOUNT THAT THEIR CURRENT CONTRACT YEAH. AMOUNTS TO. SO I WAS THINKING IT WAS 15. SO NOW THIS LADY SAYS 11. SO NOW I WANTED TO CLEAR IT UP FOR THE MEMBERS 'CAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE A UNION. SO THEY'RE EVEN LOWER SO THEY'RE, THEY DON'T HAVE A UNION, BUT THEY'RE HERE WITH UNITED. WELL, WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO ORGANIZE THEM SO THEY CAN A UNION TOO. OH, OKAY. SO THEY'RE JUST YOUR COLLEAGUES NOW. YEAH. AND YOU'RE TRYING TO SUPPORT THE GROUP, BUT I WAS CORRECT IN THAT IT'S HOUSTON FIRST. YEAH. THE HILTON AND THE MARQUEE WHO HAS THE CONTRACT? YEAH, THE CONTRACT WOULD BE WITH HOUSTON. IT'S THE HILTON, BUT IT'S THROUGH HOUSTON FIRST. YEAH. IT'S NOT HOUSTON FIRST, BUT IT'S THEIR, UH, SO HOUSTON FIRST OVERSEES THE HILTON AND THE CONVENTION CENTER. SURE. SO WE NEGOTIATE WITH THE CONTRACTORS, BUT THEY HAVE TO GET IT APPROVED BY HOUSTON FIRST AT THOSE TWO LOCATIONS. SO THE HOTEL OBVIOUSLY IS HILTON. YEAH, THE GEORGE BROWN IS LEVY'S. OH. BUT, BUT THEY, THEY BASICALLY, THE BASICALLY WILL TELL YOU WHEN THEY NEGOTIATE, THEY SAY IT'S GONNA DEPEND WHERE HOUSTON FIRST IS 'CAUSE OKAY. DO YOU HAVE AN AMOUNT IN A CONTRACT THAT APPLIES TO ALL YOUR MEMBERS? ARE WE FIGHTING FOR THAT OR DO WE NO, NO, NO. OR IS IT DETERMINED BY WHERE YOU'RE WORKING? LIKE WOULD THE HILTON HAVE A DIFFERENT RATE THAN THE MARQUEE OR DOES YOUR UNION CONTRACT COVER? THEY'RE VERY SIMILAR. GENERALLY THE HILTON AND MARQUEE ARE EXTREMELY SIMILAR. SURE. THEY PROBABLY TALK. YEAH. AND THE G B'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT 'CAUSE OF THE NATURE OF WORK. UM, AND THEN THE AIRPORT IS A SEPARATE ENTITY 'CAUSE WE DEAL WITH THE CONTRACTORS THERE. WHO, WHO'S THE CONTRACTOR AT THE AIRPORT? OTG IS THE BIGGEST. SO THEY CONTRACT WITH UNITED 'CAUSE, UNITED CONTROLS THE MAJORITY OF TERMINALS. OKAY. BUT I IRONICALLY, AND YOU'LL HEAR SHORTLY THAT UNITED AND OTG HAVE GIMMICK AND I WILL SAY THAT WORD, THEIR WAY OUT OF THE EXECUTIVE ORDER LIVING WAGE. BECAUSE OTG, WHILE IT IS BY FAR THE BIGGEST CONCESSIONAIRE, THEY'RE NOT PAYING THE LIVING WAGE BECAUSE THEY SAY, WELL, WE'RE A CONTRACTOR TO UNITED. THAT APPLIES TO UNITED AND NOT US. SO FOR INSTANCE, AT OTG, THAT IS PROBABLY FOUR TO FIVE TIMES BIGGER THAN ANY OTHER CONCESSIONAIRE. THE TIPPED EMPLOYEES ARE MAKING SIX OR $7 AN HOUR LESS. THAT'S HOW BIG A DIFFERENCE THAT IS. AND, AND THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE IT MAKES. 'CAUSE THEY'VE TRIED TO SCHEME THEIR WAY OUT OF THE LIVING WAGE. THERE WE'RE IN A FIGHT FIGHT. DOES, DOES YOUR CONTRACT COVER THAT? I'M SORRY? DOES YOUR CURRENT CONTRACT COVER THE TIP EMPLOYEES? YES, BUT WE COULDN'T GET THEM COVERED UNDER THE LIVING WAGE. YEAH. WHICH WOULD'VE RAISED THEIR WAGE. YEAH. BECAUSE THEY SAID, WELL, SINCE WE'RE A SUBCONTRACTOR TO UNITED UNITED'S THE ONE THAT'S RESPONSIBLE, NOT US. OKAY. OKAY. AND AT NRG, IT'S ARAMARK? YES. AND THAT WOULD BE A SEPARATE CONTRACT? THAT WOULD BE WITH, YEAH. WITH ARAMARK THE CONTRACT. OKAY. BUT I THINK THAT GOES UNDER THE SPORTS ENTITY AND ALL THAT. 'CAUSE THOSE CONTRACTORS WILL TELL YOU WE HAVE TO GET THE OKAY. FROM THESE ENTITIES TO SIGN THE CONTRACT. SURE, SURE. OKAY. WE'LL STAY IN TOUCH. I LOOK FORWARD TO LISTENING. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. NEXT COUNCILOR PLUMMER. OH, PLUMMER. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYOR. THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION. WILLIE, CAN I ASK YOU ONE MORE QUICK QUESTION? CAN YOU EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT, UM, WHY ARAMARK IS NOT A PART? YOU SAID THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO UNIONIZE NRG WELL, WE'RE ORGANIZING ALL THE STADIUMS. OKAY. ALL THE STADIUM WORKERS, WHETHER THEY'RE ARAMARK LEVY, WHOEVER WE'VE, WE'RE TRYING TO GET THEM ALL LABOR PIECE, WE'RE LABOR PIECES SO THAT THE COMPANY WILL SET BACK AND SAY, WELL, WE'LL RESPECT THEIR RIGHT TO ORGANIZE. OKAY. SO WHAT'S, WHAT'S THE PROBLEM? WHY CAN'T, WHY, WHY IS IT, WHAT, WHAT'S THE CHALLENGE? WELL, I THINK THE CHALLENGE IS THEY'RE GETTING TO PAY $9 AND $14 AN HOUR NOW. AND THEY WANT TO FIGHT NOT TO PAY MORE LIKE THE UNION SHOTS WILL PAY. OKAY. SO WHAT, WHAT CAN, WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP WITH THAT? I THINK I WOULD SAY DEALING WITH THE SPORTS AUTHORITY WITH HOUSTON FIRST. THAT IT'S UNDER NOW THEY NEED TO HEAR FROM HOUSTON FIRST THAT SAYS, WE WANT YOU TO SIT DOWN AND COME UP WITH A FAIR PROCESS FOR THOSE WORKERS TO ORGANIZE. IF YOU SAID THAT, THEN THAT WOULD BE PART OF IT. WELL, BUT HOUSTON FIRST ISN'T THE PROBLEM THOUGH. 'CAUSE HOUSTON FIRST YOU'RE ALREADY ORGANIZED. RIGHT. 'CAUSE THAT'S, THAT'S MARRIOTT AND HILTON. WELL, BUT HOUSTON FIRST I THINK OVERSEES SOME OF THE STADIUMS NOW. NO, NO, NO, NO. OR AM I WRONG? NO. SPORTS AUTHORITY DOES NRG DIFFERENT SPORTS AUTHORITY. SPORTS AUTHORITY. SO HAVE Y'ALL, HAVE Y'ALL MET WITH, WITH THE SPORTS AUTHORITY? UM, WE'VE HAD SOME MEETINGS BECAUSE THAT'S THE COUNTY BY THE WAY. YEAH, YEAH. OKAY. [02:30:01] AND, BUT THAT'S THE COUNTY. AND THEN I THINK THE TOYOTA CENTER TOYOTA CENTER IS AND MENA MAID DIFFERENT. OUR, THE SPORTS AUTHORITY WILL NOT BE THE ONE THAT YOU CONTRACT WITH, BUT THEY CAN INFLUENCE THE, UH, THE FRANCHISES THAT THE BALL, THE BALL CLUB. OKAY. WOULD YOU, THE BALL CLUB IN THEIR CONCESSIONAIRE. MM-HMM . IS THE ONE THAT'LL BE NEGOTIATING. WHAT YOU CAN DO, WHAT ALL OF US CAN DO IS TALK TO OUR CONTACTS. RIGHT, RIGHT. COULD YOU DO ME A FAVOR? COULD YOU WRITE A LETTER OR GIVE ME, OR GIVE US SOME TYPE OF FORMAT OF A LETTER OF WHAT A LETTER OF SUPPORT WOULD LOOK LIKE? ABSOLUTELY. AND EMAIL THAT TO OUR OFFICES. WE CAN GET THAT FOR YOU. OKAY. 'CAUSE I WILL DEFINITELY GET THAT OUT FOR YOU. ABSOLUTELY. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. WILLIE CO FLICKINGER. OH, I'M SORRY. WILLIE COUNCIL. FLICKING , WHAT IS THE PROCESS TO ORGANIZE? UM, THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT PROCESSES. UM, BUT IT ULTIMATELY, THEY ALL COME DOWN TO THE MAJORITY OF THE WORKERS MAKING A DECISION. OKAY. SO THE MAJORITY OF WORKERS HAVE NOT DECIDED THEY WANNA BE IN UNION? WELL, THE PROCESS IS, THE, THE THING IS, WHEN YOU ORGANIZE, LOOK, BE VERY FRANK, WHEN YOU HAVE AN ORGANIZING CAMPAIGN, IF THE EMPLOYER COMES OUT IN A HOSTILE WAY, YOU LEAD TO A BIG FIGHT. YOU HAVE FIRED WORKERS. SO I'LL, I'LL GIVE YOU THIS EXAMPLE. UNDER THE CURRENT LABOR LAW, UNDER THE CURRENT LABOR LAW, UM, IF YOU FIRED A WORKER FOR ORGANIZING, IT COULD BE MORE THAN A DECADE BEFORE THAT WORKER GETS TO HAVE THEIR FINAL HEARING. WELL, TEXAS IS AN AT WILL STATE, RIGHT? YEAH. SO I MEAN, THEY BASICALLY SAY, WE DON'T WANT YOU THERE. THEY DON'T HAVE TO GIVE A REASON OR ANYTHING. THEY JUST SAY, WE NO LONGER WANT YOUR EMPLOYMENT. RIGHT. WELL, WELL THIS IS THE TRICK. THE AT WILL IS SEPARATE FROM THE ORGANIZING. THAT'S A SEPARATE POINT. THE ORGANIZING, WHAT HAPPENS IS IF YOU GO ORGANIZE, OKAY, WHEN YOU'RE ORGANIZING, WHAT HAPPENS IS THE LABOR LAW IS BROKEN. SO IF, I'LL GIVE YOU THIS EXAMPLE. IF YOU OR WE, WE ORGANIZED A HYATT HOTEL IN AUSTIN, THEY FIRED WORKERS. IT'S BEEN MORE THAN A YEAR. WE'VE NOT EVEN HAD THE FIRST PART. IT'S ALL BLOCKED UP. YOU CAN TAKE YEARS. OKAY. SO THE COMPANIES HAVE UNION BUSTERS AND THEY HIRE THEM AND THEY TELL THEM, WELL, IF THESE WORKERS ARE ORGANIZING, YOU CAN FIRE THEM. AND IT COULD BE 10 YEARS BEFORE THEY GO THROUGH THE WHOLE PROCESS. SO WHAT WORKER'S GONNA BE ABLE TO HOLD OFF FOR 10 YEARS? AND THEN IF YOU WIN THAT CHARGE, IF YOU WIN THAT CHARGE, THE THE BACK PAY IS 10 YEARS MINUS INTERIM EARNINGS. SO A WORKER CAN'T JUST NOT WORK FOR 10 YEARS. SO THEN IN ESSENCE, THEY DON'T GET VERY MUCH MONEY BACK. SO THAT'S WHY THESE WORKERS ARE SEEKING A FAIR PROCESS. OKAY. WITHOUT INTIMIDATION, LET THE WORKERS DECIDE. IF THE WORKERS DECIDE TO BE UNION, THEY'LL BE UNION. SO OUR POINT IS NOT THAT WE FORCE THEM TO BE, THE WORKERS DECIDE TO BE UNION. OUR POINT IS LET THE PROCESS BE NEUTRAL. 'CAUSE WHEN YOU GO VOTE, WHEN WE JUST HAD AN ELECTION, IT, IT WOULD BE INTERESTING IF SOMEONE SAID, WELL IF YOU DON'T VOTE THIS WAY, I'M WILLING TO FIRE YOU. THAT WOULD INFLUENCE YOUR VOTE. AND THAT'S WHAT THEY DO. SO ALL WE'RE SAYING IS THAT THESE WORKERS SHOULD HAVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE THE DECISION THEMSELVES FREE OF INTIMIDATION OR COERCION. THAT'S ALL. AND IF THEY DON'T DECIDE TO BE UNION, THAT'S THEIR RIGHT. SO WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO GET A VOTE? I'M SORRY. WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO GET A VOTE? WELL, I THINK WE CAN TALK THE WHOLE PROCESS. 'CAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF SCENARIOS HERE AND I DON'T WANT TO GET INTO ALL OF THEM HERE 'CAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF SCENARIOS. WHAT WE'RE SAYING IS THOSE WORKERS NEED TO HAVE THEIR RIGHT RESPECTED TO ORGANIZE A UNION, LET IT BE THEIR DECISION. THAT'S ALL IT IS. THIS IS AMERICA. PEOPLE GET TO VOTE FREELY, LET IT BE THEIR DECISION. WHO'D YOU JUST HAVE A VOTE WITH? I'M SORRY, WHAT VOTE DID WE HAD A VOTE WITH A HYATT PLACE IN AUSTIN. OH, AUSTIN. NOT, NOT LOCALLY. YEAH. OKAY. I'M SORRY. NO, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. LET'S LISTEN TO OUR, UH, GUEST. OKAY. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, NEXT. JORDAN URDO. MARRIOT MARQUE. UH, GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYBODY. MY NAME IS JORDAN ORTA AND I WORK AT THE MARRIOTT MARQUEE HOUSEKEEPING. I WORK IN THE DEPARTMENT OF HOUSEKEEPING AND I STARTED WORKING AT THE MARRIOTT FEBRUARY OF 2023. UH, RIGHT NOW I EARN 1650 AN HOUR, [02:35:02] ET CETERA. UM, LIKE EVERYBODY, I HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY TO PLAY APARTMENT BILLS, ET CETERA. I ALSO, UH, HAVE TO COVER THE EXPENSES FOR MY TWO NIECES. I'M RESPONSIBLE FOR, FOR THEM AS WELL. AND, AND ALL THAT. WITH JUST 1650 AN HOUR IN VENEZUELA, I CANNOT, UH, AFFORD TO SEND MONEY BACK HOME TO MY MOM AND MY, UH, GRANDMA IN VENEZUELA. SIMPLY BECAUSE, UH, THE MONEY IS NOT ENOUGH. I'VE HAD TO ASK FOR EXTENSIONS TO PAY MY BILLS. OUR WORKLOAD, UH, RISES. UH, OUR WORKLOAD GOES UP. BUT YET OUR OUR SALARIES STAY THE SAME. IF I, UH, GAINED A BETTER WAGE, I WOULD BE ABLE TO SUSTAIN MY FAMILY, PAY MY BILLS ON TIME, AND SAVE MONEY FOR MY FUTURE. WE ARE IN A CAMPAIGN FOR JUST WAGES AND WORKLOADS THAT ARE MORE, UH, HUMANE AND FAIR. MARQUE HILTON, AMERICAS DEL. AND WE'RE FIGHTING FOR DIGNITY FOR ALL WORKERS AT THE MARIO MARQUE, THE HILTON AMERICAS, THE GRB CONVENTION CENTER, THE AIRPORT, AND ALL THE STADIUMS IN HOUSTON. THANK YOU FOR EVERY THANK YOU. NEXT AL DE NEELY. OLIVEA. OLIVERO. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS RA. MY FRIEND CALLED ME NELLY, ME WORKING IN THE HILTON AMERICA. THE 2022, UH, THE COOK ME WORKING ATLO BAR RESTAURANT IT ROOM SERVICE. ME LOST MY JOB OR CAN SPEAK SPANISH. MY MANAGER TOLD ME CANNOT POSSIBLE CAN ME SPEAK SPANISH AND MY JOB THIS TIME. ME, MA ME GO MY HOUSE. I TOLD YOU THE LADY CAN ME TERMIN IN MY JOB, BUT CANNOT POSSIBLE CAN. MY MANAGER TOLD ME CANNOT SPEAK SPANISH. AND MY JOB, EVERYBODY SPEAK SPANISH FOR CAN ME WORKING. ONLY ONE PERSON WILL SPEAK SPANISH. GO MY HOUSE. MY DAUGHTER TOLD ME, NO, IT'S POSSIBLE. CAN YOU LOST YOUR JOB OR NOT SPEAK SPANISH? ME MAKING ONE LETTERS EMAIL. I TOLD YOU I WANTED MY JOB BACK. NO PASS 24 HOURS. ASK ME MY JOB BACK. THE LADY NO RESPOND AS NINE DAY LATE TOLD ME YOU LOST YOUR JOB. THAT YOU NOT CAME BACK MORE AT YOUR JOB IT ME HERE, BUT TOLD YOU EVERYBODY CANNOT POSSIBLE. CAN NOBODY TOLD YOU. YOU AND YOUR JOB CANNOT SPEAK IN SPANISH IN ME. HERE ADA. ME HAVING EVERYBODY SEE YOU. MY MANAGER TOLD ME NOBODY, EVERYBODY TOLD YOU BE QUIET. QUE NO ONE LOST THE JOB. NO ONE LOST THE JOB. ME HAVING ONE LADY SIGN IT, EVERYBODY CAN CAN BUY MY JOB. THE LADY CAME WORKING RECORD SU MANO TOLD ME JUNO CAN BUY YOUR JOB. YES. THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING IT. NEXT, NEXT SPEAKER. YVONNE SALANA. YVONNE SALANA. HELLO EVERYONE. HELLO. MY NAME IS YVAN SALENA AND I AM 22 YEARS OLD. I WORK AS A BARISTA AT THE HILTON AMERICAS AND I WORKED THERE FOR A YEAR. AND I CURRENTLY LIVE DOWNTOWN. I MAKE 1650 AN HOUR AND I STRUGGLE TO PAY ALL MY BILLS, GROCERIES, AND MY CAR PAYMENT. IT'S ALSO BEEN HARD FOR ME TO TAKE ADDITIONAL DAYS OFF OF WORK. SOMETIMES I HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN PAYING MY RENT ON TIME OR MY CAR BILL ON TIME. SO MY CAR BILL GETS PAID LATE. . UM, [02:40:01] IF I GOT PAID A LIVABLE WAGE, MY QUALITY OF LIFE COULD IMPROVE. I COULD AFFORD TO MAKE CO-PAYMENTS TO GET MEDICAL CARE I NEED AND AFFORD TO TAKE A LITTLE TIME OFF TO, YOU KNOW, VISIT FAMILY MEMBERS, UM, AND NOT LIVE WITH THE CONSTANT WORRY OF BARELY MAKING ENDS MEET. I'M IN THE FIGHT SO I CAN LIVE LIKE A NORMAL RESPONSIBLE 22-YEAR-OLD. THANK YOU ALL FOR TAKING THE TIME TO LISTEN TO ME. I REALLY APPRECIATE IT. COUNCIL MEMBER LUM. THANK YOU MAYOR PRI UM, ARE YOU WORKING 80 HOURS A WEEK? UM, MAY I PAY PERIOD 40 SOMETIMES I WORK 40 A WEEK. IT JUST DEPENDS. WHENEVER THEY CUT HOURS, I DON'T REALLY GET ALL MY HOURS SOMETIMES. SO YOU DON'T ALWAYS KNOW HOW MANY HOURS YOU'RE GONNA WAIT. NO MA'AM. AND HOW OFTEN DO YOU WORK UNDER 40 A WEEK? UM, PRETTY OFTEN. WHENEVER WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE COMING IN, LIKE ENOUGH GROUPS FROM DIFFERENT PLACES COMING IN, WE DON'T REALLY GET THOSE 40 HOURS. SO. AND HOW OFTEN, HOW, HOW, UM, HOW MUCH ADVANCE NOTICE DO YOU HAVE? OH NO, WE DON'T, WE DON'T REALLY GET AN ADVANCE NOTICE. WE JUST GET TOLD EVERY THURSDAY FOR OUR SCHEDULE. OH YEAH, WE'RE GETTING OUR HOURS CUT AND WE'RE LIKE, OH, OKAY. TIME TO ADAPT. INTERESTING. YEAH. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. OF COURSE. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. NEXT SPEAKER. LESLIE VASQUEZ. UM, SO MY NAME IS LESLIE. I WORK AS A BANQUET SERVER AT THE GRB CONVENTION CENTER. UM, I RECOGNIZE A LOT OF YOUR FACES. UM, UM, SO WE ARE, UH, UH, OUR NEW CONTRACT IS UP THIS YEAR. WE'RE NEGOTIATING A NEW CONTRACT THIS YEAR. UM, AND THE WAGES ARE DEFINITELY A BIG, UM, ITEM IN OUR, ON OUR MINE. UM, UP TO NOW. UM, YOU KNOW, WE ARE USED TO GETTING 25 CENTS, UH, RAISE FOR THE NEXT YEAR. SO EVERYBODY, I MEAN, YOU ALL KNOW HOW MUCH THE COST OF LIVING HAS GONE UP. WE'RE ALL CONSUMERS. WE ALL BUY, UM, BUY THINGS AND WE'VE SEEN HOW, UM, EXPENSIVE THINGS HAVE GOTTEN. UM, SO WE SEE HOW MUCH HOUSTON HAS GROWN, UH, OVER THE YEARS. UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GROWN TO A NATIONAL STAGE TO EVEN A GLOBAL STAGE. UM, SO WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE PAYING ATTENTION TO THAT, UM, HOW MUCH HOUSTON HAS HAS GROWN. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. SO THANK YOU FOR BEING THE LEADERS THAT YOU ARE AND LISTENING TO US. UM, AND, YOU KNOW, WE LOOK FORWARD TO, TO FIGHTING TOGETHER WITH YOU ALL. NEXT KIA HOWARD. HELLO [02:45:01] EVERYONE. COUNCILMAN MAYOR. UM, MY NAME IS KIA. I'M A CASHIER AT OTG. I'VE BEEN THERE NEARLY FOUR YEARS. UM, I'VE BEEN THERE NEARLY FOUR YEARS. MY SON CHARLES WORKS THERE AND TWO OF MY DAUGHTERS HAVE WORKED THERE AS WELL. BUT DESPITE OUR DEDICATION, I ONLY MAKE 1450 AN HOUR. LITERALLY. I AM HERE TO SOUND THE ALARM. THAT IS NOT ENOUGH. RENT IS GOING UP, FOOD IS GOING UP. EVERYTHING IS GOING UP EXCEPT OUR WAGES. I'VE HAD TO MOVE OUT OF MY HOME TO MOVE IN WITH MY YOUNGEST SON BECAUSE I CANNOT AFFORD THE COST OF LIVING ON MY, ON MY OWN WITHOUT WORKING TWO JOBS. I'VE ACTUALLY HAD TO QUIT WORKING TWO JOBS BECAUSE I'M STARTING TO HAVE MIGRAINES AND IT'S FROM STRESS AND I KNOW IT'S FROM STRESS. SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, I JUST FEEL LIKE AS A COMMUNITY, THAT WE ALL LOOK OUT FOR EACH OTHER. WE SHOULD BE THINKING ABOUT OUR FELLOW WORKERS, OUR FELLOW PEERS AND COMMUNITIES THAT WE'RE SUFFERING OUT HERE. WE'RE NOT MAKING A LIVABLE WAGE FOR US TO LIVE. WE WONDER WHY A LOT OF OUR KIDS ARE IN TROUBLE. WE ARE WONDERING WHY A LOT OF OUR KIDS ARE SUFFERING. YOU KNOW WHY? 'CAUSE MOST PARENTS ARE WORKING TWO JOBS. THEY HAVE TO BE AT WORK. SO THE KIDS ARE RAISING THEMSELVES AND WE WONDER WHY WE HAVE SO MUCH DISRUPTION WITH OUR KIDS BECAUSE OUR PARENTS, THE PARENTS ARE TRYING TO WORK AND MAKE A LIVING. WE NEED BETTER WAGES. WE WORK AT AN AIRPORT THAT MAKES BILLIONS OF DOLLARS AND WE ARE THE FIRST FACE UC. MY CONCERN IS HOW DO WE AS A COMMUNITY LIVING HERE, CONSIDER OUR OURSELVES TO HAVE A WORLD STAR CLASS AIRPORT LIVING OFF OF POVERTY WAGES? I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW, HOW DOES THAT WORK? BILLIONS OF DOLLARS COME THROUGH THAT AIRPORT DAILY. ONE DRINK OF WATER IS $5, ALMOST $4 AND 36 CENTS. THAT'S RIDICULOUS. BUT I MAKE $14 AND 50 CENTS AND I LOVE WHAT I DO. LET'S NOT MAKE THAT A MISTAKE. I LOVE GREETING PEOPLE. I LOVE BEING THE FIRST FACE YOU SEE, BECAUSE THAT TELLS ME ONE THING. OUR CITY IS THRIVING. AND WITH THE PEOPLE THAT ARE COMING HERE, WE SHOULD BE MAKING A BETTER WAGE. WE, OUR LIVING SHOULDN'T BE. WE DECIDE IF WE'RE GONNA PAY A BILL, IF WE'RE GOING TO EAT, WE SHOULDN'T BE DECIDING IF WE'RE GONNA PAY RENT OR PAY A CAR NOTE. AND A LOT OF MY COWORKERS DON'T HAVE VEHICLES. THEY RIDE THE BUS AND A LOT OF THEM STAND OUTSIDE UNDER THESE, AT THESE BUS STOPS WITH NO CO, WITH NO NOTHING OVER 'EM. THEY'RE JUST STANDING THERE. IT'S BEEN A MANY DAYS. I GET, I'M GOING TO WORK INTO MY CAR AND I SEE MY COWORKERS AND I STOP AND PICK 'EM UP. NOT BECAUSE I HAVE TO, BECAUSE I KNOW HOW IT FEELS NOT TO HAVE A VEHICLE. I KNOW HOW IT IS TO FEEL, TO HAVE TO FEED YOUR KIDS AND HAVE TO DECIDE IF I'M GONNA PAY THIS BILL, IF I'M GONNA FEED MY CHILD. AND THAT'S NOT WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING HERE. WE MAKE A LOT OF MONEY IN THIS CITY, ONE OF OUR BIGGEST CITIES, ONE OF THE BIGGEST, BIGGEST CITIES IN HOUSTON. WHY ARE WE NOT MAKING THE MONEY? WHY ARE OUR PEOPLE SUFFERING? WE HAVE HOMELESS PEOPLE SITTING OUT ON THE ROAD. WHY ARE THESE PEOPLE NOT IN A SITUATION WHERE WE ARE THRIVING? BUT WHEN YOU COME TO OUR CITY, IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE JUST NOT THERE. I'M GONNA SAY THIS TO THE MAYOR AND TO THE CITY COUNCILMEN. I'M GONNA USE YOUR WORDS. WE'RE FIRED UP. WE ARE. AND WE NEED YOU GUYS HELP. WE EXPECT YOU GUYS HELP. AND WE'RE NOT GONNA STOP COMING TO YOU GUYS BECAUSE WE NEED THIS. WE NEED A BETTER, BETTER WAY OF LIVING BECAUSE OUR QUALITY OF LIFE MATTERS. WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO DECIDE IF WE GONNA GO TO THE DOCTOR, IF WE GONNA PAY A BILL, BECAUSE GUESS WHAT? OUR HEALTH MATTERS. SO WE NEED A BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE FOR WAGES. WE NEED RESPECT AND DIGNITY ON OUR JOBS AS WELL, BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GETTING THAT. WE'RE NOT INVISIBLE, BUT WE FEEL INVISIBLE. AND THAT HURTS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT, BRAD PATRIARCHAL. HELLO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. UM, MY NAME IS BRAD PATRI AND I'VE WORKED FOR OTG AS A BARTENDER FOR SEVEN YEARS. AND I'VE BEEN AT THE AIRPORT FOR 19 YEARS AS A BARTENDER FOR OTG. WE GET PAID TWO 13 AN HOUR PLUS TIPS. UM, DURING THE PAST COUPLE YEARS HAS BECOME INCREASINGLY CLEAR THAT OTHER CONCESSION COMPANIES IN THE AIRPORT HAVE GIVEN SUBSTANTIAL PAY INCREASES TO WHERE COMPETITORS OTG ARE PAYING 9 88 AN HOUR PLUS TIPS. AND OTG HAS NOT GIVEN A RAISE TO MATCH THIS PROCESS, EVEN THOUGH WE ALL DO THE SAME JOB. OTG IS THE BIGGEST CONCESSION FOOTPRINT [02:50:01] IN THE AIRPORT IN BOTH SIDES OF OPERATIONS IN YOUR WORKFORCE. AND I'M NOT BOTHERED TO EXPLAIN TO US WHY WE PAID SO POORLY IN REGARDS TO THE COMPETITION. WE ONLY THINK IT'S FAIR AND JUST THAT OTG START RESPECTING A LIVING WAGE EXECUTIVE ORDER, WE'RE SIMPLY SEEKING QUALITY OF PAY AT THE CITY OWNED FACILITY. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SPEAK AND SOUND THE ALARM. UM, AS ORGANIZING ACTIVITY AS PICKED UP. UH, WE GET READY TO BEGIN NEGOTIATIONS IN OCTOBER FOR OUR NEXT CONTRACT. OTG HAS ENGAGED IN CAMPAIGN TERMINATING EMPLOYEES AND NOT SHOWING JUST CAUSE OTG HAS SIGNED A CONTRACT, WHICH THEY AGREE TO ONLY DISCIPLINE FOR JUST CAUSE AND HAVE THUS FAR. MOST CASES FAILED TO EXPLAIN THE REASONS FOR THE TERMINATION AND DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS. WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF ATTEMPTING TO RESOLVE THESE ISSUES THROUGH THE GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE, BUT WOULD HAVE BEEN MET WITH RESISTANCE BY OTG. UH, WE ASKING THAT OTG RESPECTED LEGALLY AB BIDDING CONTRACT THEY HAVE SIGNED WITH THE WORKERS THIS AIRPORT. HELP ME UNDERSTAND THE, UH, TWO POINT 13 SOUNDS OB YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY TOO LOW. HOW DOES THAT BALANCE WITH THE TIPS? THE TIPS I GUESS VARY FROM, FROM DAY TO DAY? YES, THEY DO. UM, AND WE'VE KIND OF, YOU KNOW, RUN COMPARISON. YEAH. I DON'T WANT TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT, BUT I'M JUST TRYING TO HELP MM-HMM . MYSELF AND OTHERS UNDERSTAND. MM-HMM . UH, OBVIOUSLY YOU CAN'T LIVE ON 2.2 0.13 YOU SAID MM-HMM . UH, BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW TO FACTOR IN THE TIPS, WHICH WE'LL SIT DOWN AND, AND DISCUSS WITH YOUR LEADERSHIP AND GET A BETTER FEEL. BUT I'M JUST LETTING YOU KNOW, UM, I NEED MORE INFORMATION AND WILL, YOU'LL FURNISH IT. SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. MAYBE PUT SOME CLARITY ON THAT. UM, I WOULD SAY THAT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT THE COMPETITORS WHO ARE ALSO UNION PAY VERSUS WHAT WE GET PAID IS $16,000 MORE A YEAR. UM, THAT'S HOUSING, THAT'S INSURANCE. THAT'S CARN. SURE. SURE. UM, SO YEAH, IT'S A HUGE, THAT'D BE A HUGE LIFT FOR OF OTG IN THE AIRPORT. OKAY. THANK YOU. JUST A SECOND. COUNCILMAN PLUMMER. THANK YOU MAYOR. I, I THINK BOTH OF US ARE LIKE, OUR HEADS ARE TURNED . THIS IS LIKE NOT MAKING ANY SENSE. IS THERE ANY WAY THAT WE COULD CHECK WITH, WHILE YOU'RE DOING YOUR DUE DILIGENCE, MAYBE CHECK WITH CITY LEGAL AND SEE IF WE HAVE AN EXECUTIVE ORDER AT $15 AN HOUR. IS THERE ANY WAY THAT WE CAN MODIFY THAT EXECUTIVE ORDER TO WHERE SUBCONTRACTORS HAVE TO DO IT TOO? 'CAUSE THAT'S HOW THEY'RE WIGGLING OUT OF THIS. I I THINK THAT'S WHY THEY HAVE A CONTRACT, BUT WE'LL, WE'LL LOOK AT LEGAL AND SEE, IN FACT, WILLIE MIGHT CONSENT AND SEE IF THAT'S POSSIBLE. WELL, THEY'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF A CONTRACT NEGOTIATION AND THAT WOULD BE OBVIOUSLY THE PROPER PLACE. I DON'T KNOW THE IMPACT OF THE EXECUTIVE ORDER. OBVIOUSLY IT DIDN'T WORK. OKAY, WELL IT'S ONE, ONE MORE THING THAT, THAT I WANT TO POINT OUT. YEAH. WELL, EXECUTIVE ORDER $15 AND NOBODY'S DOING IT. SO ANYBODY THAT WANTS TO HOLD UP AN EXECUTIVE ORDER IS SOMETHING THEY REALLY DID WELL. MAYBE UP IN THIS GENTLEMAN. NO, I THINK, NO, WELL I'M HELPING HIM BECAUSE HE'S THE OTG, BUT I THINK THAT ACROSS THE BOARD IT IS KIND OF WORKING. IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S PUTTING THEM, BUT OTG IS SAYING THAT THEY'RE SUBCONTRACT UNITED AND THAT'S REALLY COME THE MATTER OF THAT. THERE'S PLENTY OF HOUSEKEEPERS I KNOW ARE NOT MAKING $15. SO I DON'T KNOW WILLIE, WHAT THE EXECUTIVE ORDER APPLIED TO, BUT IT DIDN'T APPLY TO MOST OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE HERE TODAY. IT APPLIED TO THE AIRPORT. I THINK THE POINT, THE AIRPORT, IT WAS AIRPORT. AND I THINK THE POINT I'D LIKE TO MAKE HERE IS, AND UNITED IS INVOLVED IN THIS BECAUSE OTG UNITED COVERS THREE AND A HALF OF THE FIVE TERMINALS. THREE AND A HALF OR SO ARE UNITED. THEY LEASE 'EM FROM THE CITY. THEY RUN THE TERMINAL, THE CITY DOESN'T RUN IT. AND YOU'RE SAYING THE EXECUTIVE ORDER DID REQUIRE UNITED TO PAY THEIR EMPLOYEES. YEAH. SO BUT UNITED NOT THE OTG, NOT THE SUBCONTRACT, NOT THE SUBS. RIGHT. AND SO, AND, AND THE ISSUE HERE IS ALSO AN ISSUE OF FAIRNESS FOR THE CITY AND THE AIRPORT BECAUSE THE OTHER CONCESSIONAIRES IN THE AIRPORT, BECAUSE OF THE WAY THE LIVING WAGE IS, THEY ROSE THE TIP SALARY UP. BUT THEN OTG TOOK ADVANTAGE AND SAID, WE'RE A SUBCONTRACTOR. WE DON'T HAVE TO DO IT. SO EVERYBODY ELSE IS PAYING IN. RIGHT. BUT UNITED, WHICH RUNS THE AIRPORT AND THEIR CONCESSIONS 'CAUSE THEY GET THE MONEY, A LOT OF THAT MONEY FROM THE CONCESSIONS, THEY'RE NOT PAYING IT. SO IN ESSENCE, I WOULD SAY IT'S, IT'S OTG AND IT'S ALSO UNITED TO HAVE THIS AROUND. SO, AND IT'S NOT FAIR, LIKE BRAD WAS SAYING, THOSE TIP WORKERS, YOU GO RIGHT NEXT DOOR AND THE OTHER PEOPLE ARE MAKING NINE, $9 AND THEY'RE DOING THE RIGHT THING. BUT OTG UNDER UNITED, WHICH SHOULD BE THE ONE SETTING THE STANDARD. 'CAUSE THEY HAVE 70% OF THAT AIRPORT. LET ME ASK THIS. WHO IS OTG? THEY'RE A, ARE THEY CALLED THE NATIONAL? WHAT'S, WHAT'S THE THEY ARE NATIONAL. THEY'RE IN, UM, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF CHALLENGES WITH THEM. UM, BUT THEY'RE IN HOUSTON, THEY'RE IN NEWARK AND THEY'RE IN PHILLY AND [02:55:01] THEY'RE IN MINNEAPOLIS. THEY'RE IN A FEW AIRPORTS ARE NOT, ARE TIED. ARE THEY TIED TO UNITED? I'M SORRY? ARE THEY A SUBSIDIARY? ARE THEY TIED TO UNITED? THEY'RE THEY'RE NOT, BUT THEY HAVE, THEY ARE, IN ESSENCE, THE WAY UNITED DOES IT AT THE AIRPORT. SO UNITED HAS THE THREE AND A HALF TERMINALS THAT THEY RUN. SO UNITED PRETTY MUCH DEALS EXCLUSIVELY WITH OTG. AND THEN THEY GET, OBVIOUSLY THEY GET REVENUE FROM THE CONCESSIONS. SO BY HAVING OTG PAY WAY LESS PER HOUR, UNITED ULTIMATELY ALSO GETS MORE MONEY FROM THOSE CONCESSIONS. SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE SAYING HERE IS WE'RE NOT EVEN TALKING FOR THE, FOR THE WORKERS AT OTG, WE'RE NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT RACE, WE'RE JUST TALKING ABOUT EQUALITY. WE'RE JUST SAYING YOU SHOULD BE THE SAME. YOU'RE THE BIGGEST CONCESSIONAIRE. IT WOULD BE ALMOST LIKE A SUPER EIGHT HOTEL PAYING MORE THAN THE HILTON. YOU WOULD BE LIKE, HOW'S THAT HAPPENING? THAT'S IN ESSENCE WHAT'S HAPPENING AT THE AIRPORT. WHO CHOOSES OTG? UNITED. UNITED. OKAY. THEY CONTROL THE THEY CONTROL THIS. YEAH. YEAH. OKAY. WE'RE GETTING THERE. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER NEXT. THANK YOU. ERROL REYES. RAMONA WILLIAMS. ANNA MCNA. CATHERINE MINARD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SIR. CATHERINE MINYARD, MICHAEL CURRY. THIS IS MY, UH, FIRST TIME SPEAKING BEFORE COUNSEL. SO BEAR WITH ME A MINUTE. MAYOR AND COUNCIL, FELLOW CITIZENS, I REPRESENT A WELL ESTABLISHED AUTO REPAIR SHOP, WHICH STARTED IN 1952. THE PROPOSED CLOSURE OF POLK STREET WOULD BE DETRIMENTAL TO MY BUSINESS. WE STAND TO LOSE BETWEEN 30 AND 35% OF OUR BUSINESS. WE DEPEND ON OUR CUSTOMERS, AND OUR CUSTOMERS DEPEND ON US. WE ARE ADMIRED BY OUR CLIENTELE FOR OUR HONESTY AND INTEGRITY. WE HAVE EVEN THIRD AND FOURTH GENERATIONS COMING TO US. THE AUTO REPAIR INDUSTRY IS PLAGUED WITH DISHONESTY. FOSTER'S AUTOMOTIVE, WHICH IS ESTABLISHED IN 1952, IS AN EXCEPTION TO THAT RULE. CLOSING POLK STREET WOULD CUT OFF EASY ACCESS, ESPECIALLY FROM MY DOWNTOWN CLIENTS BECAUSE IT WOULD TAKE A MUCH LONGER TO GET TO MY FACILITY. MAJORITY OF MY CUSTOMERS ARE LIVING WITHIN TWO, THREE MILES OF MY FACILITY. POLK IS THE ONLY STREET THAT HAS DIRECT LINK TO THE EAST END, WHICH IS STILL EXPERIENCING GROWTH. CLOSING. POLK WOULD SEIZE THAT GOOD GROWTH AND SAID THE CITY NEEDS TO CONCENTRATE ON FIXING THE EXISTING STREETS AND ROADS THAT WE, THAT ARE IN DESPERATE NEED TO REPAIR. AND I COULD TELL YOU MANY TIMES, MANY OF MY CUSTOMERS THAT COME TO ME, THEY HAVE BUSTED THEIR CONTROL ARMS, THEIR BALL JOINTS AND OTHER SUSPENSION PARTS, WHICH END UP COSTING SOMETIMES 1200, $1,500 IN REPAIRS, SOMETIMES IN VERY REAL, VERY, VERY LATE MODEL CARS. SO, UH, I THINK WE NEED TO RECONSIDER THE, THE CLOSURE OF POLK. WE WERE GIVEN VERY LITTLE NOTICE, HARDLY ANY NOTICE. THE ONLY REASON THAT I FOUND OUT ABOUT THE CLOSURE OF POLK WAS THE GREAT PEOPLE FROM PEOPLE FROM POLK. I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE Y'ALL, Y'ALL DID A GREAT JOB. AND, UH, WE NEED TRANSPARENCY. THAT'S, THERE'S A BIG MOVEMENT TODAY THAT WE'RE TIRED OF THE LIES. WE WANT TRANSPARENCY IN GOVERNMENT. THANK YOU. AND, UH, I, I APPRECIATE YOU GUYS WHAT Y'ALL DO EVERY DAY AND HPD, ESPECIALLY WHAT Y'ALL HAVE TO WORK WITH. UH, AND YOU'VE GOT A GREAT BOSS, X TEXAS RANGER NUMBER ONE OF MY BOOKS. ANY QUESTIONS? NO, SIR. THANK YOU. NEXT, IAN SCHNEIDER TO BE FOLLOWED BY LYDIA REEN. HELLO, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THIS TIME. I WANNA SHARE A PERSONAL CONFLICT THAT I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE CITY QUIETLY [03:00:01] STRUGGLE WITH. SO I LOVE CHICK-FIL-A, THE FOOD, THE SERVICE, IT'S A PART OF OUR CULTURE, BUT EVERY TIME I EAT THERE, I FEEL GUILTY BECAUSE I KNOW WHERE THE MONEY GOES. IT GOES TO CAUSES AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT HURT THE LGBTQ PLUS COMMUNITY. AND I THINK TO MYSELF, BY EATING AT CHICK-FIL-A, AM I SUPPORTING THESE CAUSES? ALSO, AM I COMPLICIT IN THIS? AND THAT GUILT, THAT QUIET MORAL DISCOMFORT IS SOMETHING THAT A LOT OF US HERE IN HOUSTON CARRY. EVEN THOUGH IT'S PRIDE MONTH, CHICK-FIL-A HAS REMAINED LARGELY UNTOUCHED BY IT. AND BECAUSE OF THAT, WALKING INTO THAT RESTAURANT STILL FEELS LIKE BETRAYING OUR OWN VALUES, JUST SO WE CAN EAT A CHICKEN SANDWICH. BUT IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THIS WAY. THAT'S WHY I'M HERE TO PROPOSE A SOLUTION TO ALL OF THIS. NATIONAL CHICK-FIL-A DAY CELEBRATED EVERY YEAR ON JUNE 30TH. BASICALLY, ON THIS DAY, EVERYONE IN THE CITY VISITS CHICK-FIL-A IN RAINBOW COLORS. THE GOAL IS, ON THIS DAY, CHICK-FIL-A WILL BE A PLACE NOT OF DISCRIMINATION, BUT OF ONE OF INCLUSION. NOT WITH ANGER, NOT WITH SHAME, BUT JOY AND PRIDE. IT TURNS OUT A LOT OF CHICK-FIL-A EMPLOYEES AREN'T ACTUALLY HOMOPHOBIC. MOST OF THEM ARE JUST TRYING TO PAY RENT, MAKE PEOPLE SMILE AND HAND OUT NUGGETS. BUT THE BRAND'S REPUTATION OVERSHADOWS THAT. SO THIS HOLIDAY ISN'T ABOUT PUNISHING CHICK-FIL-A. IN FACT, IT'S ACTUALLY ABOUT CREATING SOMETHING JOYFUL, INCLUSIVE, AND FORWARD MOVING. CHICK-FIL-A GAY DAY IS ABOUT CELEBRATION AND A CHANCE TO MAKE EVERYONE FEEL WELCOME, SEEN, AND PROUD TO WALK THROUGH THOSE DOORS. THE CITY HAS THE CHA YEAH, THIS CITY HAS THE CHANCE TO BE THE FIRST NATION, THE FIRST IN THE NATION TO OFFICIALLY RECOGNIZE IT. AND NOW I WANNA CLEARLY LAY OUT WHAT I'M ASKING FOR FROM THE COUNCIL. FIRST, PASS THE CITY RESOLUTION OFFICIALLY RECOGNIZING JUNE 30TH AS OFFICIALLY CHICK-FIL-A DAY. HELP PROMOTE THE DAY THROUGH CITY COMMUNICATIONS, SOCIAL MEDIA, OR EVEN SYMBOLIC PARTICIPATION. AND LASTLY, SET A PRECEDENT THAT OTHER CITIES CAN FOLLOW, BECAUSE ONCE THIS CITY LEADS, OTHERS WILL JOIN. SO I WOULD NOW LIKE TO TURN IT OVER TO YOU FOR ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE FOR ME SO WE CAN GO FORWARD WITH MAKING THIS AN OFFICIAL HOLIDAY. NO QUESTIONS. NO QUESTION. THANK YOU. NEXT. NO QUESTIONS, LADY. OH. UM, I HOPE THAT THIS SONG CAN SHOW YOU GUYS WHAT WE'RE THINKING. THIS WAS NEVER THE WAY I PLAN, NOT MY INTENTION. I GOT SO BRAVE. DRINKING HAND LOST MY DISCRETION. IT'S NOT WHAT I'M USED TO. JUST WANNA TRY YOU OUT. I'M CUR US FOR YOU GOT MY ATTENTION. I KISSED A GIRL AND I LIKED IT. THE TASTE OF HER CHERRY CHAPSTICK. I KISSED A GIRL JUST TO TRY IT. HOPE MY BOYFRIEND DON'T MIND IT. OKAY. I HOPE WE CAN GET NATIONAL CHICK-FIL-A DAY FOR PRIDE. THANK YOU. NEXT, SOME PEOPLE SAY DING GAYDOS AND BELONG IN PLACES LIKE CHICK-FIL-A. AFTER HEARING THAT SONG, I THINK WE CAN ALL AGREE THAT. OKAY. THANK YOU. LONG. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. HAVE A GOOD DAY. ZACHARY IBDA. DID I SPEAK IN THE VIS MIC? OKAY. GOOD EVENING, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND FELLOW HOUSTONIANS. MY NAME IS ZACH, AND TODAY I'M HERE WITH A VISION THAT'S BOLD AND REFRESHENING, FRANKLY OVERDUE. I PROPOSE THAT WE TRANSFORM BUFFALO BAYOU INTO A CLEAN, ACCESSIBLE, LAZY RIVER FOR PEOPLE OF HOUSTON. NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT THE HEAT. HOUSTON ISN'T JUST HOT, IT'S RELENTLESS. OVER A HUNDRED DAYS, A YEAR OF 90 DEGREES WEATHER, INCLUDING HUMIDITY, THE HEAT IS DEADLY. LAST YEAR, HARRIS COUNTY HAD OVER 60 HEAT RELATED DEATHS. PEOPLE WERE QUITE LITERALLY DYING OFF TO COOL OFF LOCAL HOSPITALS KEEP SEEING SURGES DURING HEAT WAVES. AFTER HURRICANE BARREL LAST SUMMER, HOUSTON ERS HANDLED OVER 300 HEAT RELATED ILLNESSES, TRIPLE OF USUAL AMOUNT. 2019 TO 2023, HARRIS COUNTY HAD 80 DEATHS FROM HEAT ILLNESS GROWTH. OVER 329% PROOF THAT HEAT ISN'T JUST RISING, IT'S WREAKING HAVOC. PEOPLE ARE LITERALLY DYING. WHAT IF WE GAVE HIM A WAY TO COOL OFF SAFELY AND RIGHT IN THE HEART OF A CITY? I CRUNCHED THE NUMBERS [03:05:01] AND ASKED CHAD G BT, EVERY DAY THIS PROJECT WOULD ONLY COST ABOUT $2.5 MILLION. WHY ARE WE WASTING OUR TAX MONEY ON UNNECESSARY HIGHWAY EXPANSIONS? MY HOMIE EDGAR IN KNOWS HOW TO FILTER DIRTY WATER AND HAS BEEN WORKING WITH POOLS SINCE HE WAS JUST A JET. IF ANYONE CAN FIX HIS PROBLEM, IT'S EDGAR. I PROPOSE THAT WE KICK OFF AN ANNUAL FLOAT FEST AND POTENTIALLY A HUGE BENEFIT FOR THE ECONOMY. FOR $20 PER ENTRY, A CLEANED UP FILTERED BUFFALO BAYOU TURNED INTO A LAZY RIVER, COULD OFFER REAL MAJOR RELIEF, INCLUDING FAMILIES FLOATING PEACEFULLY, SMALL BUSINESSES THRIVING ALONG THE BANKS, TOURISTS, TUBING PAST. WE CAN TURN HOUSTON INTO THE NEXT MIAMI BEFORE YOU SAY THAT'S CRAZY, I'D ARGUE IT'S CRAZY TO LET ONE OF OUR CITY'S MOST VISIBLE LANDMARKS STAY A GLORIFIED DITCH. LET'S TURN A PROBLEM INTO A PARADISE. LET'S MAKE THIS BAYOU LAZY IN THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE AT PARADISE OF PEOPLE HAVING FUN CELEBRATING THE HEAT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. AND JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, I BROUGHT MY SWIM TRUNKS IN THE CAR IN CASE Y'ALL PROVIDED A PILOT FOR THE PROGRAM TONIGHT. THANK YOU. JUST A SECOND. COUNCILMAN CASTILLO. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND ZACHARY, YOU BRING UP SOMETHING THAT'S IMPORTANT TO THE CITY. YES, PETE? UH, WE DEAL WITH IT EVERY YEAR. WE DEAL WITH IT FOR MORE DAYS AND WE DEAL WITH IT FOR INCREASING TEMPERATURES AS THEY ARE GETTING HOTTER. UM, NOT SURE EXACTLY IF BUFFALO BY BECOMING A LAZY RIVER IS THE BEST WAY TO APPROACH IT. YEAH. BUT WE DO NEED TO APPROACH IT AND WE HAVE TO START SOMEWHERE. AND SO, UM, I WANT TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO, TO KEEP FINDING SOME IDEAS, FINDING SOME WAYS THAT WE CAN, CAN TRY AND TACKLE THE ISSUE. MM-HMM . IT'S SOMETHING I'M LOOKING AT IN MY DISTRICT, UM, BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF NEIGHBORHOODS THAT DON'T HAVE SHADE, THEY DON'T HAVE TREE CANOPY. THEY DEAL WITH THIS EVERY YEAR. IT'S HARDER TO COOL THEIR HOMES. IT'S, YOU KNOW, THEY CAN'T WALK THEIR DOG IN THE SUMMER BECAUSE OF THE PAVEMENT. SO, AND WE KNOW IT'S ONLY GONNA GET WORSE, BUT I APPRECIATE, UH, PEOPLE THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX TO TRY AND BRING CREATIVE SOLUTIONS TO US, UH, BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO, TO ADDRESS IT AT SOME POINT. MM-HMM . YES, SIR. I WAS DRIVING THE OTHER DAY ACTUALLY AROUND HOUSTON, AND THERE'S LOTS OF AREAS WHERE THERE USED TO BE FOUNTAINS FOR PEOPLE TO WALK THROUGH IN PUBLIC, LIKE WATER PARKS AND STUFF. AND THEY'RE ALL CLOSED AND IT JUST, IT'S REALLY SAD TO SEE ALL THE HOMELESS PEOPLE SWEATING OUT ALL SHIRTLESS AND ALL THE TONS OF, DOZENS OF PEOPLE JUST DEALING WITH THE CONSEQUENCES OF A HEAT. SO YEAH. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. NEXT. LAUREN KIVA. SHE'S NOT HERE. GLENDA GARCIA. HELLO, MY NAME IS GLENDA GARCIA. I GREW UP, GREW UP IN THE 7, 7 0 5. OKAY. YES. GLENDA GARCIA. I GREW UP IN THE 7 7 0 5 1, UH, ZIP CODE DISTRICT, UH, 35 7 7 WILMINGTON. MY MAIDEN NAME IS GUILLORY. UH, MY TOPIC IS TERRORISM IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. AND I KNOW IN TERMS OF, UM, THIS WAS WAY BEFORE JOAN MEYER'S TIME, HE'S JUST COME IN. BUT I, I FORESEE THIS AS SOMETHING THAT HAS OCCURRED WAY BEFORE IT, WAY BEFORE HIS TIME. AND, UM, I'M GONNA SAY SOME THINGS ABOUT SOME DIFFERENT OCCUPATIONS, BUT I HAVE NOTHING AGAINST POLICEMEN, BELIEVE IT OR NOT. I ONCE WANTED TO BE A POLICEMAN IN 76 WHEN, YOU KNOW, THE, UH, IT WAS OPEN FOR FEMALES COME IN FOR, UH, POLICE OFFICERS, EVEN FIRE, UH, FIRE WORKERS, YOU KNOW, SO I HAVE NOTHING AGAINST THEM. BUT, UH, IN TERMS OF THE TERRORISM, LIKE I SAID, THERE'S THE INDIVIDUAL, UH, THAT CAME INTO THE COMMUNITY, UH, MARRIED, UH, A VERY PROMINENT, UH, MINISTER. UM, A REVEREND JONES THAT GREW UP ON ASHEVILLE AND HAD A CHURCH ON ASHEVILLE IN ROSE HAVEN. SO INDIVIDUAL, UH, PROBABLY HIS SECOND OR THIRD WIFE WHO HE MARRIED OR WHATEVER, HOWEVER THAT CAME ABOUT. BUT SHE BASICALLY HAD A, A PERSONAL VENDETTA AGAINST ME. NOW THROUGH THESE YEARS OF COMING UP, SHE HAS FORMED SOMEWHAT AND BEEN A PART OF, AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED, THIS IS MY OPINION. OKAY. PART OF, UH, A MALICIOUS GROUP OF TERRORISM THAT FOCUSED ON, UM, HOSTILITY, AGGRESSION, INTIMIDATION, EXTORTION, [03:10:01] ROBBERY, AND PROPERTY STEALING. UM, LIKE I SAID, IN TERMS OF THAD, I HAVE BEEN, UM, OVER THE YEARS, IN SOME CASES ILLEGALLY ARRESTED, UH, USE OF SOME OF MY FAMILY MEMBERS THAT GOES ALONG WITH THE INTIMIDATION. SO I KNOW THEY HAVE TO BE POWERFUL IN TERMS OF HAVING THEM LIE AND SAY I WAS HOSTILE OR, UH, GOT AGGRESSIVE WHEN THAT WASN'T THE CASE. I WAS, UH, PUT IN MENTAL HOSPITALS. UM, THE LATEST ONE OCCURRED, UH, LET'S SEE HERE, ON TEN TWO TWENTY TWENTY FOUR. AND INVOLVED AN INDIVIDUAL BY WESLEY NAMED WESLEY HARRIS. HE WORKS FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON ON CULLEN, THE OFFICE. GO AHEAD, MA'AM. YOU CAN FINISH. OKAY. UM, LET ME ASK YOU SOMETHING. WHERE DO YOU LIVE? I STAY ON, UM, AT 37 0 6. OKAY. YOURSELF? UH, BY MYSELF. YES SIR. DO YOU HAVE FAMILY? I HAVE FAMILY. UM, THEY STILL STAY ON 35 17, BUT AS I STATED, THE INDIVIDUAL MM-HMM . HAS, UH, SURROUNDED US WITH INSTRUCTION INDIVIDUALS, ONE AT 37 0 2 THAT ACTUALLY, UH, PICKS UP MONEY. HOW DO YOU, LET ME ASK SOMETHING. YES, SIR. THEN I'LL LET YOU GO. HOW DO YOU SUPPORT YOURSELF AT WELL, I'M, I'M DISABLED AND I DID WORK FOR MANY YEARS FOR, UM, YOU GET SSI? YES, SIR. OKAY. AND ALSO GET, UM, SOMETHING FROM, UM, A PENSION. OKAY, GOOD. YES, SIR. WELL, WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE. OKAY. ? YES SIR. THANK YOU. IT WAS A PLEASURE MEETING YOU IF NOTHING ELSE. ALRIGHT. BE SAFE. THANK YOU. YES, SIR. UH, CAN I ASK YOU ONE QUESTION BECAUSE THE PHONES HAVE BEEN COMPROMISED AND USUALLY CALLS DON'T GET OUTSIDE OF, UH, 7 7 0 5 1. I JUST WANNA ASK YOU, HOW DO YOU GET, UH, TO GET IN TO SEE THE DA OTHER THAN GOING THROUGH THE POLICE OFFICERS? PRETTY DIFFICULT, SIR, BUT I'M SURE THEY HAVE A INTAKE DIVISION THAT I'M SURE YOU COULD CONTACT. UH, INTAKE YES, MA'AM. WHERE THEY TAKE COMPLAINTS AND, AND INQUIRIES. OKAY. BUT I, BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, UM, MAYOR, THE PHONE CALLS DON'T GET OUTSIDE OF YEAH. 7, 7 0 5 1 I'VE CALLED. I CAN'T EVEN BASICALLY GET INTO CITY HALL OR YOU ALL, OR EVEN ON THE DOCK FOR THAT MATTER. SO I'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET TO, UH, FIND OUT HOW I GET TO THE DA AND LIKE I SAID, THE PHONE CALLS DON'T GET OUT. I THINK I'LL BE TALKING TO MY INDIVIDUALS CALL FROM, CALL FROM MY FAMILY OF MY FAMILY AND I DON'T TALK TO, UH, THEM. THEY SOUND LIKE 'EM, BUT THEY'RE NOT MY FAMILY MEMBERS. TRY ONE OF YOUR FAMILY'S PHONES COMPROMISED. YEAH. OKAY. THANK YOU. YES, SIR. NEXT, STEVE WILLIAMS. DON'T SEE LINDA GAMBLE. ELLIE MONTOYA. RIVAS. THEODORE CARRERO. JACOB CLEMENT. OH NO. JACOB. JACOB, YOU'RE ON A TIGHT TIMEFRAME. OKAY? WE'VE BEEN HERE ALL DAY. OKAY. I'M GONNA PUT YOU ON A ONE MINUTE ONE JACOB TIME . ONE MINUTE . IT, IT IS NOW 2 0 6 AT COMMISSION'S COURT IS BACK IN ORDER FOR THE PRIMARY PURPOSE OF LETTING JACOB SPEAK. YEAH. THAT POWER AND PURPOSE OF LETTING ME SPEAK. I WANTED TO, I WANT TO SHOW YOU THIS, I WANT TO SHOW YOU THIS, SOMETHING THAT I'M PROUD OF. DAMN PAINTING. BE HONEST. AND SHE WAS FUN ENOUGH TO AUTOGRAPH IT FOR ME. SHE SAID, YOU JACOB, THANK YOU FOR MAKING OUR COMMUNITY A BETTER PLACE. AND THAT SOUNDS A LOT. SHE'S A COMMISSIONER. HE'S A GREAT, ALMOST A GREAT COMMISSIONER. LIKE, UH, MR. GRAHAM. OKAY, TOM, FOR AGGY JOKE. WELL, DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE AGGIE 12TH MAN? HE'S TRYING TO EXPLAIN AMERICAN FOOTBALL AND THE SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN IT AND SOCCER. I MEAN FOOTBALL AND THE, UM, WELL, THE AGGIE 12TH MAN SAID, WELL, BOTH OUR FOUR AND 10. AND, UM, WELL, UH, FOUR DOWNS AND 10 YARDS THEN IS AN OKAY JOB. NOW FOR SOCCER, FOR FOOTBALL, [03:15:01] IT'S UH, FOUR UP AND 10 METERS. THAT'S VERY GOOD. FOUR DOWNS. FOUR UPS. YEAH. 10 YARDS. 10 METERS. OKAY, JACOB, GOOD JOB. GOOD JOB, JACOB. NEXT, ROY HURST, MAYOR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, THERE IS NO COMPELLING BENEFIT TO JUSTIFY THE JRCS RECOMMENDATION TO ABANDON POLK STREET TO HOUSTON. FIRST, EXCUSE ME. WHILE HOUSTON FIRST HAS DONE SOME OUTREACH, IT HAS BEEN MINIMAL AND INSUFFICIENT. THERE HAS BEEN NO TRAFFIC STUDY, NO PUBLIC INPUT GATHERED, NO ANALYSIS OF ALTERNATIVES, NO INDEPENDENT ECONOMIC STUDY TO PROVE THAT CLOSURE BENEFITS, UH, THAT CLOSURE BENEFITS OUTWEIGH THE PERMANENT LOSS OF STREET CONNECTIVITY. THE ABSENCE OF THESE CRITICAL EVALUATIONS MAKES IT CLEAR THIS RECOMMENDATION IS PREMATURE AND NOT IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST. ON SATURDAY, WE HELD A PUBLIC MEETING ATTENDED BY ABOUT 70 RESIDENTS AND INCLUDED THREE COUNCIL MEMBERS STAFF FROM TWO ADDITIONAL COUNCIL OFFICES AND STAFF REPRESENTING STATE SENATOR CAROL ALVARADO. WHAT WE HEARD WAS STRONG, CONSISTENT OPPOSITION TO THE CLOSING OF POLK STREET. WE URGE YOU PLEASE TO VOTE NO ON THIS MEASURE. MAYOR COUNCIL MEMBERS, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT, AMY ERICKSON. GOOD AFTERNOON MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. TODAY I SPEAK IN FAVOR OF CIP AMENDMENTS, 1.01 THROUGH 1.03. THEY REPRESENT GOOD GOVERNANCE THROUGH TRANSPARENCY, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND INFORMED DECISION MAKING. THESE AMENDMENTS EQUIP YOU OUR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES WITH NECESSARY INFORMATION TO SERVE EFFECTIVELY. MONTHLY REPORTING KEEPS DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBERS INFORMED ABOUT NEIGHBORHOOD PROJECTS. THE OBJECTION PROCESS PROVIDES MEANINGFUL OVERSIGHT WHEN CHANGES DO ARISE. MOST IMPORTANTLY, THESE AMENDMENTS GIVE RESIDENTS UP TO DATE INFORMATION ABOUT INFRASTRUCTURE WORK IN OUR COMMUNITIES. THE PUBLIC HEARING REQUIREMENTS FOR TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS ENSURE OUR VOICES ARE HEARD BEFORE WORK BEGINS. THE PARK STREET SITUATION ILLUSTRATES WHY WE NEED THESE SAFEGUARDS. THESE AMENDMENTS COULD HAVE ADDRESSED COMMUNITY CONCERNS BEFORE THEY BECAME CONTROVERSIES. LIKE ROY SAID, LAST SATURDAY, WE HAD A TOWN HALL I'D LIKE TO THANK AT LARGE OFFICES, ONE AND TWO FOR ATTENDING AS WELL AS DISTRICT OFFICES, HJ AND I, UM, ALSO IN ATTENDANCE WHERE TEXAS LEDGE OFFICES SD SIX AND HD 1 45 FOR ME. ONE STRIKING REVELATION WAS THAT THE AREA BUSINESSES KNEW ABOUT THE N-H-H-I-P PROJECT, BUT WERE UNAWARE OF THE GRB STREET ABANDONMENTS. THEY WERE POLLED AT THE POTENTIAL DETRIMENT OF A POLK ABANDONMENT. UM, THE AMENDMENTS STRENGTHEN DEMOCRACY BY KEEPING RESIDENTS INFORMED AND COUNCIL ENGAGED. I URGE YOUR SUPPORT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT, LISA HUNT. GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M LISA HUNT AND I'M A RETIRED EPISCOPAL PRIEST. I SERVED AS RECTOR OF ST. STEVENS EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN THE MONTROSE FOR 18 YEARS. OVER A DECADE AGO, I JOINED SUE LOVELL, ELLEN COHEN, AND OVER 200 OF MY NEIGHBORS AT A MEETING TO DISCUSS THE ANNEXATION OF MONTROSE INTO THE MIDTOWN TOURS. I HAD NO IDEA AT THE TIME WHAT A TOURS WAS, BUT I KNEW THAT SUCH A DECISION SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN WITHOUT INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY. WE HELD PUBLIC MEETINGS TO LEARN ABOUT THE FUNCTIONS. OFT IS AND DEBATED WHETHER MONTROSE SHOULD PARTICIPATE IN THIS STRUCTURE. MANY OF US WERE OPPOSED TO THE CREATION AND ANNEXATION BECAUSE T KEEP MONEY OUTTA THE CITY'S GENERAL BUDGET AND THEY'RE THUS INEQUITABLE. ONE OF OUR FRIENDS CONTEMPLATED THE WISDOM OF BEING ANNEXED INTO MIDTOWN AND MOVE, WHICH WAS SEEN AS ENHANCING THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF MIDTOWN, BUT NOT ADDRESSING THE CONCERNS OF OF MONTROSE. THE REVENUE CAP WAS UNDERSTOOD TO BE A MAJOR HINDRANCE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CITY AND THE QUALITY OF LIFE IT OFFERED. I ENDED UP SERVING ON THAT TOURS BOARD BECAUSE I THOUGHT CITIZENS [03:20:01] NEEDED TO HAVE A GREATER VOICE IN THE DIRECTION AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN OUR CITY. AND I SHARE THAT BACKGROUND STORY TO SAY, UM, I KEEP COMING HERE BECAUSE I THINK CITIZENS MATTER IN THE DIRECTION OF THE CITY, AND I WANNA SUPPORT, UH, THE AMENDMENTS, UH, 1.01, 1.02, AND 1.03 AS A MEANS TO GIVE GREATER ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY TO OUR CITY. I APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK YOU DO. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT, THIS COMPLETES THE LIST OF SPEAKERS. YES. [RECESS] ANYTHING ELSE? RECESS, STAND RECESS, RECESS UNTIL NINE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING. PLEASE COME TO [RECONVENE] ORDER. UH, THE [MAYOR'S REPORT] MAYOR'S REPORT THIS MORNING WILL PROVIDE US WITH A LEGISLATIVE WRAP UP REPORT AND REVIEW BY, UH, JOSH SANDERS. JOSH, YOU COME FORWARD. I'M VERY PLEASED. UH, THE TEAM WE HAD IN AUSTIN, I THINK, UH, WENT BEYOND EXPECTATIONS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SESSION, WORKING ACROSS THE AISLE WITH THE LEADERSHIP. UH, I COULD, I COULD, I COULD GIVE MY OWN LEGISLATIVE REPORT. IT'S SO EXCITING THE IMPACT IT'S GOING TO HAVE ON THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF HOUSTONIANS. AND, UH, ONCE AGAIN, COLLABORATION, RELATIONSHIPS DO MATTER. SO THIS TIME, JOSH, YOUR TEAM DID AN EXCELLENT JOB. UM, I GET REPORTS REGULARLY BY Y'ALL'S EFFECTIVENESS AND, UH, I MIGHT EMPHASIZE YOU DID IT WITH WHAT, 16 MEMBERS? SIX. TOTAL OF SIX. LAST SESSION. THE CITY HAD 17 INDIVIDUALS. 17 ON THEIR LOBBY TEAM THIS YEAR WE DID IT WITH SIX. AND, UH, GOT GREAT RESULTS. I YIELD TO YOU JOSH. UH, THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, GOOD MORNING, MAYOR WHITMEYER AND MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. UH, AS MAYOR SAID, MY NAME IS JOSHUA SANDERS AND I'M THE CHIEF OF INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS. AND I HAVE HERE WITH ME ALEXA ARGONNE, WHO'S OUR DEPUTY CHIEF OF INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS. UH, IT'S ALEXA AND I THAT TRAVELED TO AUSTIN TO ADVOCATE ON BEHALF OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON DURING THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION. SO WE BEGAN, UH, JANUARY 13TH OF THIS YEAR HEADING TO AUSTIN. AND WE'RE UP THERE ALMOST THE MAJORITY OF THE 140 DAYS THAT ARE REQUIRED. AND SO SIGNY DIE WAS JUNE 3RD OF THIS YEAR. UH, THE GOVERNOR'S VETO PERIOD JUST ENDED THIS PAST SUNDAY. AND SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE DOING THIS REPORT NOW, IS WE WANTED TO GIVE THAT OPPORTUNITY AND THE GOVERNOR TO WEIGH IN ON WHAT LEGISLATION HE WAS PLANNING ON MOVING FORWARD AND WHAT APPROPRIATIONS HE WAS PLANNING ON MOVING FORWARD. UH, WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK MAYOR AND COUNCIL FOR UNANIMOUSLY ADOPTING OUR LEGISLATIVE PRINCIPLES THAT HELP DIRECT AND GUIDE US. UH, DURING OUR TIME DURING SESSION. I'D ALSO LIKE TO THANK, UM, SOME SPECIFIC MEMBERS FROM OUR TEAM. AND MAYOR, IF YOU ALLOWED ME, UH, WE'VE GOT SOME FOLKS HERE IN THE AUDIENCE THAT PLAYED A VERY IMPORTANT ROLE. PLEASE DO. UM, SO FIRST I WANT TO THANK WITH ALEXA, YOU MIGHT LET HER ALSO EMPHASIZE SHE'S PART OF OUR TEAM, A FAMILY TEAM. YES. SHE'S GOT HER HUSBAND HERE IN THE AUDIENCE AS WELL. SYSTEM THAT ANGEL ALLOWED HER TO BE EFFECTIVE IN AUSTIN. SO IF I'M GONNA ACKNOWLEDGE HIM, I NEED TO ACKNOWLEDGE MY OWN WIFE AND HER PATIENCE WITH ME. . UM, YEAH, I DIDN'T MEAN TO START ANYTHING. YEAH, I REALLY JUST WANTED TO SHOW TEST TO ALL THE LEFT. A REAL COMMITMENT OF PUBLIC SERVICE BY THIS COUPLE AND, AND ALL THE FAMILIES I KNOW ARE IMPACTED BY THE ABSENCE AND THE TRAVEL. AND, UH, WE DO THINK YOUR WIFE THANK YOU AND ALL THE FAMILIES INVOLVED AND THE CHILDREN. THANK YOU MAYOR. WE DEFINITELY APPRECIATE OUR SPOUSES BECAUSE WITHOUT THEIR SUPPORT BACK HOME THAT WE COULDN'T DO WHAT WE DO. AMEN. UH, BUT I ALSO WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE TWO SPECIFIC MEMBERS OF THE IGR TEAM THAT ARE HERE WITH US THAT REALLY PLAY SUCH AN IMPORTANT ROLE AT GETTING US PREPARED. AND THAT'S ANDY MATAY AND CARLA EY. UM, I, I WANT TO KIND OF SINGLE OUT OUR HEAD COACH, ANDY MATAY. UM, ANDY HAS BEEN WITH THE CITY, UH, FOR ALMOST 30 YEARS. SHE HAS DONE THE LEGISLATIVE PREP AND, AND EXECUTION EVERY SESSION THAT SHE'S BEEN HERE. UM, OUR SYSTEM IS SO COMPLETELY FLAWLESS. IT IS THE ENVY OF THE OTHER MUNICIPALITY. WHEN I SAY THAT THEY CHECK WITH US CONSTANTLY TO SEE WHERE WE'RE AT AND WHAT POSITIONS WE HAVE AND WHAT INFORMATION WE HAVE ON BILLS. UH, THAT WHOLE PROCESS IS DRIVEN FORWARD BY ANDY AND HAVING CARLA JOIN THE TEAM, UH, THIS YEAR. SHE PLAYED A VERY IMPORTANT ROLE IN SUPPORTING THAT. AND SO I WANT TO THANK THEM BOTH SPECIFICALLY. I ALSO SEE, UH, MS. BROOKS IN THE AUDIENCE YEP. VERY ACCOMPLISHED GOVERNMENT RELATIONS PERSON AND [03:25:01] EVEN KEVIN. KEVIN, THANK YOU AND MS. BROOKS FOR BEING HERE. IT WAS A VERY BALANCED TEAM. MADE UP VERY COMPETENT INDIVIDUALS. NOT POLITICAL APPOINTMENTS, DIDN'T GET ANYWHERE NEAR 17 FRIENDS AND OTHERS. IT WAS VERY COMPETENT. SIX DIVERSE TEAM. YES, SIR. UM, WE HAVE IT HERE IN THE AUDIENCE TODAY WITH US, REALLY THE, THE, THE LIFE OF WHAT WE DO IN AUSTIN. AND, AND I WANT ALL OF OUR LEGISLATIVE LIAISONS FROM EVERY DEPARTMENT TO PLEASE STAND TO HELP PUT THEIR WORK INTO PERSPECTIVE AND THIS ENDEAVOR INTO PERSPECTIVE. ANDY PULLED TOGETHER SOME STATISTICS FOR US ABOUT THE BILLS THAT IMPACT CITY OPERATIONS, UH, THE CITY LEGISLATIVE TEAM. AND THESE ANALYSTS ANALYZED OVER 2,289 BILLS. MOST OF THESE BILLS ARE ANALYZED BY SEVERAL DEPARTMENTS. AND THEN THE IGAR TEAM TAKES THOSE ANALYSIS AND FILES A POSITION ON OUR INTERNAL TRACK OF THAT. WE ACTUALLY TRACKED ABOUT 1700 BILLS THAT WE HAD A POSITION ON. UM, BUT I JUST CAN'T SAY ENOUGH GOOD THINGS ABOUT THIS GROUP OF PEOPLE. UM, THEY START IN NOVEMBER WHEN BILL FILING BEGINS. UH, THEY HAVE A PRETTY HEAVY LOAD AND THEY'RE WITH US ALL THE WAY TILL THE END. SO EVERY COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE EVERY AMENDMENT. WHEN I SAY THAT WE CAN SEND THEM SOMETHING AND GET AN ANSWER WITHIN AN HOUR, WE CAN. AND THAT IS JUST A MASSIVE ADVANTAGE FOR US. AND, AND IT REALLY EQUIPS US TO BE ABLE TO DO OUR JOBS EFFECTIVELY. AND SO, JUST ONE MORE TIME, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU FOR YOUR, YOUR TIME AND DEDICATION TO SUPPORTING THE CITY OF HOUSTON. SO OUR IGR TEAM PUT TOGETHER A MORE COMPLETE BRIEFING BOOK. UM, AND THIS BOOK WE'LL GO INTO DETAIL ABOUT THE DIFFERENT BILLS, WHAT THOSE BILLS DO, OUR DIFFERENT EFFORTS, LIKE TESTIMONY, LINKING THAT TO OUR WEBSITE. IT'LL BE MADE AVAILABLE ON THE HOUSTON TX SLASH GOVT RELATIONS WEBSITE, UM, LATER TODAY. SO I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT. BUT TODAY WE DON'T HAVE TIME TO GO OVER 80 PAGES OF REPORTS. SO WE PUT TOGETHER A FEW HIGHLIGHTS. YEAH. AND JUST REAL QUICK, I ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE YOU POINTED SOME OUT. WE ARE SOME FANTASTIC MEMBERS OF OUR CONTRACT LOBBY TEAM. AND THAT'S JERRY BROOKS WHO'S SITTING BEHIND US. UH, JOSE MEDRANO, MICHAEL WARNER, JACOB SMITH, CLARK MILLER, JAIME MERCADO. AND THEN WE'VE GOT PUBLIC WORKS, SCOTT, CLAY POPE AND CLIFF JOHNSON. AND WE WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH HOUSTON FIRST AND THEIR CONTRACT LOBBYISTS. AND THAT'S ONE OF THOSE IS KEVIN VAL OF LAURA WENDLER AND, UH, ROBERT MILLER AND HIS TEAM. SO I JUST WANT TO GIVE A BIG THANK YOU TO THEM, UH, FOR HELPING SUPPLY US WITH EXTRA CAPACITY, UH, WHILE WE'RE UP AT THE LEGISLATURE. ALRIGHT, FIRST SLIDE. AND FIRST BILL. UM, SOME OF Y'ALL HAVE HEARD ABOUT THIS BILL ALREADY, BUT WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT SB 1164, WHICH IS DEALING WITH MENTAL HEALTH AND INVOLUNTARY COMMITMENT. THIS BILL WAS BY SENATOR JUDITH SINI, AND IT CLARIFIES IN, UH, SIA, IT'S A WORD NONE OF US CAN PRONOUNCE, UH, BUT AS ONE OF THE SYMPTOMS WHEN EVALUATING THE NEED OF AN EMERGENCY DETENTION ORDER FOR INVOLUNTARY COMMITMENT. AND SO WHAT THESE ARE, THESE ARE INDIVIDUALS, UM, THAT REALLY DON'T KNOW AND CAN'T RECOGNIZE THEIR CURRENT MENTAL HEALTH AND STATE. YOU KNOW, THEY'VE GOT SUCH MENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH ISSUES THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE HAVE HOMELESSNESS, OUTREACH TEAMS GO AND ENGAGE WITH THEM. THEY COULD BE ENGAGED 10 TIMES, 20 TIMES, UM, AND REALLY NOT BE ABLE TO TAKE THE HELP THAT THEY NEED. AND SO THIS BILL WAS SOMETHING THAT WE WORKED WITH A PRETTY BROAD COALITION OF INDIVIDUALS. I WANNA SPECIFICALLY SINGLE OUT CHIEF LARRY SATTERWHITE AND DIRECTOR MIKE NICHOLS, UH, FOR THEIR WORK WITH OUR TEAM AT GETTING UP THERE. UH, CHIEF SATTERWHITE CAME AND TESTIFIED IN BOTH THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE COMMITTEE, UH, FOR THIS. AND THEY WERE VERY INSTRUMENTAL AT HELPING US PUSH THIS FORWARD. UH, SO THIS IS A BILL THAT, UH, WE'RE VERY MUCH LOOKING FORWARD TO BEING PUT INTO PRACTICE. AND IT SHOULD HELP GET FOLKS, COMPEL FOLKS INTO THE TREATMENT THAT THEY NEED. AND THESE ARE SOME OF THE FOLKS, LIKE I SAID, THAT, YOU KNOW, WE COULD PUT THEM IN A HOUSE, WE COULD PUT THEM IN AN APARTMENT, WE COULD GIVE THEM EVERYTHING, BUT THEY ARE TO THE POINT WHERE THEY CAN'T EVEN RECOGNIZE THAT THEY NEED HELP. AND SO, UH, THIS WAS A VERY PIECE, IMPORTANT PIECE OF LEGISLATION THAT FIT WITHIN OUR HOMELESSNESS, UH, PRIORITIES AND IS OBVIOUSLY IN LINE WITH THE MAYOR'S EFFORTS TO END STREET HOMELESSNESS. UH, THE NEXT BILL, I'M GONNA GIVE A SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO MAYOR PRO TEM MARTHA CASTEX TATUM ON THIS. IT'S HOUSE BILL 36 11, AND IT'S DEALING WITH BANDIT SIGNS. UM, THIS IS A BILL THAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON HAS TRIED TO PASS MULTIPLE SESSIONS, UH, SIX YEARS WE WERE WORKING ON THIS BILL. UM, WE COULD GET IT PASSED THROUGH THE SENATE. AND I WANT TO THANK SENATOR BORIS MILES FOR CARRYING THIS AGAIN. UH, BUT WE WERE ABLE TO WORK WITH REPRESENTATIVE PAT CURRY, AND THIS IS ONE OF THE BILLS THAT JERRY BROOKS WORKED EXTREMELY HARD ON. UH, BUT PAT CURRY WAS ABLE TO GET A NUMBER OF [03:30:01] HOUSE MEMBERS TO CO-SPONSOR THIS BILL. AND WHAT IT DOES IS IT'S INCREASING CIVIL PENALTIES FOR UNAUTHORIZED SIGNS PLACED IN THE RIGHT OF WAY OF PUBLIC ROAD. UM, THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT WE HAVE HAD TO COMBAT IN MANY OF OUR COMMUNITIES. IT'S, IT'S BLIGHT AND SOMETIMES IT'S OFTEN PREDATORY, UM, WITH THE MESSAGING AND ITEMS THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO PITCH. AND SO BEING ABLE TO PASS THIS BILL, HB 36 11 WAS A VERY KEY LEGISLATIVE VICTORY FOR US. UM, AND I WANT TO THANK, UH, MAYOR PRO TEM CASTEX TATUM FOR COMING UP AND TESTIFYING ON IT. AND WE ALSO HAD, UH, TWO, UM, CODE INSPECTORS FROM DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS COME UP AND DO TESTIMONY AS WELL. AND I MIGHT POINT OUT IS YOU HAVE THAT THE MAYOR PRO TEM ASKED THE MAYOR TO MAKE CALLS IN THE SENATE WHEN IT, WHEN IT APPEARED TO STALL OUT. SO YES, YOU KNOW, THANK YOU. IT ALMOST GOT CAUGHT UP IN THE END OF THE SESSION LOG JAM. BUT IT, IT DID. WE WERE ABLE, WE GOT UNITED AND, AND MADE IT HAPPEN AND IT WILL IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE. THANK YOU, MA'AM. AND, UH, SHOWS EXPERIENCE AND COLLABORATION AND TEAMWORK WORKS. WE WERE ABLE TO FLIP A, A SENATE COMMITTEE FROM A FIVE FOUR VOTE TO A UNANIMOUS VOTE TO PASS THIS OUT. SO IT WAS A COLLECTIVE TEAM EFFORT AND SOMETHING THAT I THINK WE'RE VERY PROUD OF. SO WE DIDN'T JUST DO BENNETT SIZED, WE ALSO DID DREDGING. UM, SO HOUSE BILL 1532 BY REPRESENTATIVE CUNNINGHAM AND SENATOR BETTEN COURT, UH, CREATES A DREDGING DISTRICT FOR LAKE HOUSTON. THE DISTRICT IS EMPOWERED TO ISSUE BONDS, BUT THERE ARE NOT ALLOWED TO DO TAXES. UM, THIS ENSURES THAT ALL THE REVENUE CREATED BY THIS DISTRICT IS USED TO GO RIGHT BACK INTO DREDGING. SO ANY REVENUE THAT'S CREATED FROM DREDGING GOES BACK INTO DREDGING AND ANY BONDS THAT THEY DO ARE BACKED BY THOSE FUNDS. UM, OUR HOPE IS THAT THESE DREDGING EFFORTS WILL HELP TO CREATE SOME MORE CAPACITY IN THE LAKE AS WELL AS ALLEVIATE SOME FLOODING FOR THOSE NEIGHBORS RIGHT AROUND THE LAKE HOUSTON. AND A BIG THANK YOU GOES TO COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER FOR BEING OUR STRONGEST ADVOCATE ON THIS BILL. AND ON THIS ISSUE, HE WAS CALLING THE STATE REPS. HE MADE SURE THAT THE FOLKS ON THE COMMITTEE KNEW WHERE HE STAND. HE CAME DOWN TO TESTIFY. AND WE JUST REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR COLLABORATION AND PARTNERSHIP COUNCIL MEMBER. UM, AND THIS BILL IS PASSED AND EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY. AND ANOTHER ITEM ON PUBLIC SAFETY SIDE IS SENATE BILL 1620 BY CHAIRWOMAN HUFFMAN AND CHAIR AND CHAIRMAN BONIN. THIS CREATES THE NATION'S FIRST FORENSIC SCIENCE APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM THAT'S FUNDED BY THE STATE AND BACKED BY THE STATE WHILE TEXAS LEADS THE NATION IN FORENSIC SCIENCE, UH, EDUCATION. AND, UH, WITH SAM HOUSTON AND UUNT, UH, UNT DENTON, UH, WE ARE FACING A MASS EXODUS OF FORENSIC ANALYSTS IN TEXAS THAT ARE GOING FROM PUBLIC SECTOR GOING TO THE PRIVATE SECTOR. UM, AND I WANNA GIVE A BIG, STRONG SHOUT OUT TO CEO OF THE HOUSTON FORENSIC SCIENCE CENTER, DR. PETER STOUT, BECAUSE HE HAS BEEN SOUNDING THE ALARM FOR YEARS, AND HE REALLY DID THE LEGWORK ON THIS BILL. IN THE INTERIM SESSION, WE WENT OUT AND EDUCATED OUR DIFFERENT LEGISLATORS, OUR DELEGATION, TO SHARE WHAT THE IMPACTS ARE TO FORENSIC SCIENCE. A LOT OF TIME WHEN PEOPLE TALK ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY, THEY THINK ABOUT POLICE, THEY THINK ABOUT THE FIRE, THEY THINK ABOUT THE COURT SYSTEM, BUT THEY DON'T THINK ABOUT THE ANALYSTS THAT ARE THERE HOURS AND HOURS LOOKING AT THE EVIDENCE SO THAT, UM, THE COURT SYSTEM CAN FUNCTION PROPERLY. SO, I WANTED TO THANK A BIG THANK YOU TO DR. PETER STOUT, AS WELL AS THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND THE TEXAS FORENSIC SCIENCE COMMISSION FOR THEIR PARTNERSHIP. THIS WILL CREATE LONG TERM SUSTAINABLE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT IN TEXAS, WHERE WE CAN SHARE IN THE COST OF TRAINING THESE FORENSICS ANALYSTS, SO THEY'RE READY TO GO TO COURT. THE NEXT BILL WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT IS SENATE BILL 22, UH, BY CHAIRWOMAN HUFFMAN. AND THIS IS THE FILM AND SENATE PROGRAM FOR THE STATE OF TEXAS. UM, THIS BILL WILL NOW CREATE A FUNDING STREAM FOR $300 MILLION EVERY TWO YEARS TO SUPPORT FILM AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WITHIN THE STATE OF TEXAS. ONE OF THE NEAT THINGS THAT IT'S PUT INTO IT IS A RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT FOR CREW MEMBERS. SO IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO DRAW DOWN THESE FUNDS, THE, THE FIRST PERCENTAGE OF CREW MEMBERS THAT HAVE TO BE TEXAS RESIDENTS IS 35%. SO TO EVEN QUALIFY, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A LOCAL ECONOMIC IMPACT, AND YOU HAVE TO HIRE LOCALLY. UH, THAT SCALE MOVES UP TO 50% BY THE YEAR OF 2031. UM, SO THIS IS GONNA BE SOMETHING THAT IS REALLY, HOPEFULLY GONNA SUPPORT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WITHIN THE STATE OF TEXAS AND WITHIN HOUSTON. YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD INTEREST FROM LARGE SCALE PRODUCTION STUDIOS, AND WE HAVE MANY SMALL BUSINESSES THAT PRODUCE, FILM AND VIDEO CONTENT THAT ARE LOCATED RIGHT HERE IN HOUSTON. AND THIS WILL BE SOMETHING THAT HOPEFULLY BENEFITS ALL OF THOSE PARTIES. UH, WE WANT TO ESPECIALLY THANK HOUSTON FIRST COUNCIL MEMBER TARSHA JACKSON, COUNCIL MEMBER SALLY ALCORN AND MAYOR PRO TEM CASTEX TATUM, UH, FOR COMING TO AUSTIN TO ADVOCATE ON [03:35:01] THE, THE, ON BEHALF OF THE PASSAGE OF SB 2020, UH, SB 22. UH, SO THIS IS ANOTHER BIG VICTORY, UH, WE THANK FOR THE STATE OF TEXAS, AND SPECIFICALLY FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON. UH, THE NEXT ONE, HJR SEVEN, A WATER CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT BY REPRESENTATIVE HAR UH, HARRIS. AND, UH, SENATOR PERRY. UH, WATER WAS A VERY LARGE AND KEY ISSUE DURING THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION. UH, THERE'S BEEN A CONSTANT CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT NEEDS TO BE PUT IN PLACE TO ALLOW TEXAS TO MAINTAIN ITS ITS LEAD IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR THE REST OF THE, THE COUNTRY. UM, AFTER WINTER STORM URI, THE LEGISLATURE FOCUSED TREMENDOUSLY ON POWER SUPPLY AND OUR GRID STABILITY. UH, WE'VE DONE A GOOD JOB OF PUTTING TRANSPORTATION DOLLARS FROM A PERMANENT FUNDING SOURCE. AND SO THE NEXT MOVE WAS NATURALLY FOR THE LEGISLATURE TO LOOK AT WATER AND WHAT WE COULD DO TO SUPPORT LONG-TERM WATER PROJECTS AND SUPPLY HERE WITHIN THE STATE OF TEXAS. UH, THERE WERE TWO VERY DISTINCT BILLS BETWEEN SENATOR PERRY AND REPRESENTATIVE HARRIS. AND AT THE END OF IT, WE GOT WHAT WE THINK IS A PRETTY GOOD COMPROMISE AND WILL ALLOW THE CITY OF HOUSTON, UH, TO HAVE MUCH GREATER FLEXIBILITY WHEN APPLYING FOR FUNDING FROM THE TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD. UH, YOU KNOW, WE WENT UP THERE AND, AND STARTED THE PROCESS EARLY HERE IN HOUSTON ABOUT TALKING ABOUT OUR NEEDS FROM OUR WATER UTILITIES PERSPECTIVE. YOU KNOW, THE MAYOR ENCOURAGED US AND HOUSTON WATER TO REALLY BE OPEN AND HONEST ABOUT THE CHALLENGES THAT WE ARE FACING AS A UTILITY WHEN IT COMES TO AGING INFRASTRUCTURE. UM, THINGS LIKE LEAKY PIPES WE'VE ALL TALKED ABOUT, RIGHT? WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE EAST WATER PURIFICATION PLANT AND THE UPGRADES THAT ARE NEEDED THERE. WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE LYNCHBURG PUMP STATION, WHICH WE'LL GET TO LATER. UM, SO HJR SEVEN ESTABLISHES, UH, THE WATER SUPPLY CONVEYANCE COORDINATION OFFICE. UH, THIS OFFICE IS ENCOURAGED, UH, INTENDED TO ENCOURAGE THE DEVELOPMENT OF LARGE AND REGIONAL WATER SUPPLIES. UM, SO IT ALSO EXPANDS THE DEFINITION OF NEW WATER TO INCLUDE WATER AND WA WASTEWATER REUSE PROJECTS, THE ACQUISITION OF WATER OR WATER RIGHTS FROM OUT STATE, OUT OF STATE AND RESERVOIR PROJECTS. IT DEFINES BRACKISH GROUNDWATER. AND THERE ARE SOME SIGNIFICANT FUNDING ALLOCATIONS. WE ARE GOING TO HAVE OVER A BILLION DOLLARS A YEAR PLACED INTO THIS FUND. THE FUNDING WILL BE SPLIT 50 50 HALF FOR WATER SUPPLY PROJECTS AND HALF FOR DISCRETIONARY FUNDS FOR THE WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD ON EXISTING, UH, FUNDING PROGRAMS. SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THINGS LIKE SWIFT, UM, SRF FUNDING AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN ADVOCATING FOR. UM, THIS HOPEFULLY WILL ALLOW US TO BE ABLE TO TAP INTO MORE ACCESSIBLE FUNDING FOR THINGS LIKE FIXING OUR LEAKY PIPES. UM, SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED AND ENCOURAGED THAT THE LEGISLATURE IS NOW GOING TO PROVIDE A BILLION ANNUALLY, STARTING IN 20 20 27. UH, THEY'LL DO THAT FOR 10 YEARS, AND THEN THE LEGISLATURE WILL HAVE THE OPTION TO RENEW THIS PROGRAM AGAIN. UH, SO THIS IS A MASSIVE STEP FORWARD TO SUPPORT THE CONTINUED GROWTH IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND IT'S MORE IMPORTANTLY TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE OUR RESIDENTS WITH CLEAN WATER. NEXT, WE HAVE HOUSE BILL 1584 BY REPRESENTATIVE HULL. THIS MANDATES ELECTRIC UTILITIES COORDINATE WITH MUNICIPALITIES TO MAINTAIN AND CREATE A LIST OF PRIORITY FACILITIES WHEN GOING BACK AND RESTORING POWER. THIS LIST ENSURES THAT CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THE PROTECTION OR MAINTENANCE OF PUBLIC SAFETY, SUCH AS HOSPITALS, POLICE, FIRE STATION, WATER TREATMENT PLANS, RECEIVE PRIORITIZED RESTORATION DURING POWER OUTAGES. I WANNA THANK, UH, OEM, OUR OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT FOR ALREADY HAVING THIS PARTNERSHIP WITH CENTERPOINT HERE IN HOUSTON, BUT WOULD ALSO LIKE TO THANK REPRESENTATIVE HU TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS PARTNERSHIP IS NOW CODIFIED AND IN LAW. THIS IS, THIS IS ESPECIALLY FOR CRITICAL FOR HOUSTON, WHERE MAINTAINING POWER IS ESSENTIAL FOR SERVICES DURING EMERGENCIES AND EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS. JUST LIKE WE FACED LAST YEAR, THE LARGEST IMPACT IS TO PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY AND THE PROLONGED POWER OUTAGES CREATE EXACERBATING AND SECONDARY AND TERTIARY ISSUES FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON. AND WE KNOW THAT THIS IS, THIS BILL IS THE GOING IN THE RIGHT STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION TO ENSURE THAT ELECTRIC UTILITY PRIORITIZES CRITICAL HIGH IMPACT FACILITIES WHEN RESTORING POWER. ALRIGHT, UM, THE LAST ONE THAT'S ON THIS LIST, AND IT WASN'T A BILL THAT WAS PASSED, BUT I DO THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD, WELL, WE'RE GETTING THERE. IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD, UH, BRING ATTENTION TO. AND THAT IS, UH, THE CITY OF HOUSTON WAS INVITED TO GO AND PRESENT BEFORE THE, UH, DELIVERY OF GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY OR, UH, COMMITTEE AT THE TEXAS HOUSE, UM, CHIEF OF STAFF NEWPORT AND DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF DAVID, UH, WERE ABLE TO PRESENT THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S EFFICIENCY STUDY. AND IT, IF YOU HAVEN'T HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO WATCH THAT COMMITTEE HEARING, I, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU DO, AND WE CAN SEND THAT OUT AFTERWARDS. BUT THE RESPONSE THAT WE GOT FROM THE LEGISLATURE ON THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S EFFORTS TO, TO LOOK AT HOW WE OPERATE, TO FIND [03:40:01] EFFICIENCIES, TO RESTRUCTURE GOVERNMENT, AND TO DO IT IN A MANNER WHERE WE WEREN'T JUST LAYING PEOPLE OFF, UH, WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS NOT ONLY LAED AND TOUTED BY THIS COMMITTEE, BUT IT ACTUALLY SPUN OFF, UH, SEVERAL DIFFERENT PIECES OF LEGISLATION THAT, UM, ONE OF THEM THAT PASSED BY, UH, CHAIRMAN, UH, GEO CAP LEONE, WHO WAS CHAIR OF THE DOGE COMMITTEE, WAS A BILL THAT IS GOING TO REQUIRE SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO PERFORM THE SAME TYPE OF EFFICIENCY STUDY THAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON DID. UH, SO OUR WORK WAS RECOGNIZED, UM, IN THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE, UH, FOR BEING INNOVATIVE AND FOR TAKING AN HONEST LOOK AT HOW WE OPERATE. UM, SO THERE IS GOING TO BE, I THINK, MORE EFFORTS AT THE STATE WITHIN THEIR OWN DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES TO PERFORM A SIMILAR TYPE OF STUDY, UH, AND ANALYSIS. AND SO I WANTED TO JUST HIGHLIGHT THAT AND THANK OBVIOUSLY DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF, STEVEN DAVID, UH, FOR HIS TESTIMONY AND OUR FORMER CHIEF OF STAFF, CHRIS NEWPORT. THEY DID A FANTASTIC JOB UP THERE. UH, NEXT SLIDE. SO NOW, NOT EVERY BILL THAT WE ENGAGE WITH DURING THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION IS OBVIOUSLY POSITIVE, RIGHT? THERE'S SEVERAL BILLS THAT WILL HAVE A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON THE CITY, AND WE WERE VERY PROUD TO BE ENGAGED AND BEING ABLE TO AMEND A LOT OF THESE BILLS. UH, OUR APPROACH DURING THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION WAS REALLY ONE OF COLLABORATION. YOU KNOW, WE HEAR THE MAYOR TALK ABOUT COLLABORATING WITH OTHER LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT ALL THE TIME, RIGHT? AND SO WE TOOK THE APPROACH OF GOING AND OBVIOUSLY TALKING TO BILL AUTHORS IMMEDIATELY BEFORE WE TOOK A PUBLIC POSITION ON IT. WE WOULD TRY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE ORIGINATION IS OF THE LEGISLATION, WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO SOLVE. IS THIS SOMETHING WITHIN YOUR DISTRICT THAT'S HAPPENING? UM, AND THEN WE REALLY, WITH THE HELP OF OUR LEGISLATIVE LIAISONS, WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE THOSE LEGISLATORS WITH FACTS, INFORMATION, A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE, RIGHT? AND WE WERE ABLE TO AMEND A, A LOT OF LEGISLATION THAT ULTIMATELY WOULD'VE HAD A VERY NEGATIVE IMPACT ON THE CITY OF HOUSTON. UM, SO WE WORKED COLLABORATIVELY, AND BY THE END OF THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION, WE WERE VERY MUCH A TRUSTED RESOURCE FOR THE MAJORITY OF THE LEGISLATURE. AND SO, I'M, I'M VERY PROUD OF THAT FACT. UH, BUT THE FIRST BILL THAT WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT IS HP 24 77, AND THIS IS A BILL BY SENATOR BETTENCOURT AND REPRESENTATIVE JARED PATTERSON. THIS IS CHANGING OFFICE BUILDINGS INTO MIXED USE RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENTS. SO THE CONVERSION OF OFFICE COMMERCIAL INTO RESIDENTIAL. UM, OBVIOUSLY THIS IS A GOOD AND NOBLE EFFORT TO ADD MORE HOUSING OPTIONS IN, IN, THROUGHOUT OUR CITIES IN TEXAS. UH, BUT UNFORTUNATELY, THE ORIGINALLY FILED BILL DID NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE IMPACTS THAT THIS WOULD HAVE ON CITY INFRASTRUCTURE. SO IF YOU THINK ABOUT CONVERTING A 20 STORY OFFICE BUILDING THAT MAYBE HAS A SET OF RESTROOMS BY THE ELEVATORS, AND TURNING THAT INTO A FLOOR WITH MAYBE 20 DIFFERENT APARTMENT UNITS ON IT, THAT'S NOW 20 DIFFERENT WATER CONNECTIONS THAT YOU'VE NOT ONLY GOT YOUR DISHWASHER, YOUR SINKS, YOUR SHOWER, AND EVERYTHING ELSE, UM, BUT THAT'S GONNA REQUIRE AN INVESTMENT IN THE WATER INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE UTILITY AROUND THAT DEVELOPMENT FOR THAT TO BE ABLE TO OCCUR. UM, SO WE WERE ABLE TO WORK WITH REPRESENTATIVE JARED PATTERSON TO GET AN AMENDMENT OFFERED ON THE HOUSE FLOOR THAT ALLOWS CITIES TO PLACE IMPACT FEES OR WORK WITH DEVELOPERS OR REQUIRE UPGRADES AND INVESTMENTS TO THE WATER INFRASTRUCTURE WHEN ONE OF THESE PROJECTS IS DONE. UH, SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO, TO BE ABLE TO GET THAT BECAUSE WE DO THINK THAT IT'S A GOOD POLICY. IT JUST NEEDED SOME INPUT AND REFINEMENT TO BE ABLE TO BETTER REFLECT WHAT THE NEEDS OF THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES ARE WHEN THESE TYPES OF PROJECTS OCCUR. HOUSE BILL 30, RIGHT. REPRESENTATIVE TRUCKS CLEAR ALLOW CERTAIN TAXING UNITS AFTER AN AFFECTED AND DECLARED DISASTER TO ADJUST THEIR VOTER APPROVAL TAX RATES TO INCLUDE DEATH DISASTER RELIEF COSTS. THIS BILL, UM, STARTED OFF WITH ONLY ALLOWING US TO RECOVER COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH DEBRIS REMOVAL. AND HERE IN HOUSTON, WE UNDERSTAND THAT DISASTERS ARE NOT JUST ABOUT DEBRIS, UH, ABOUT DEBRIS REMOVAL. DIRE DERECHO AND BARREL DID MORE THAN KNOCK DOWN OUR TREES. IT CAUSED A BIG IMPACT ON OUR PUBLIC SAFETY, OUR TRAFFIC LIGHTS, OUR EMS STANDING THERE OUTSIDE OF THE HOSPITALS WAITING FOR FOLKS TO COME IN. DISASTERS ARE MORE THAN JUST KNOCKDOWN TREES. THEY REALLY ARE A HOLISTIC APPROACH BECAUSE HERE AT THE CITY OF HOUSTON, WE UNDERSTAND THAT WE MUST RESPOND NO MATTER THE COST FOR LIFE AND SAFETY. SO, I'D LIKE TO THANK OUR OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT. OUR FINANCE TEAM AND PUBLIC WORKS FOR PUTTING TOGETHER A REAL, AN A REALISTIC LOOK AT WHAT ALL THOSE COSTS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH A DISASTER. WE WERE ABLE TO COLLABORATE WITH REPRESENTATIVE TR CLAIRE AND CHAIRMAN BETTENCOURT TO HELP EDUCATE THEM AND UNDERSTAND THAT A LOT OF THESE COSTS WILL BE REIMBURSED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, BUT THEY DO HAPPEN, AND THEY DO IMPACT THE WAY THAT WE OPERATE DURING [03:45:01] DISASTER. SO BECAUSE OF THAT, WE WERE ABLE TO AMEND THE LEGISLATION TO INCLUDE A LOT OF, UM, COSTS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED. THESE INCLUDE EMERGENCY SHELTERING OF INDIVIDUALS OVERTIME FOR POLICE, FIRE, EMS, WATER TESTING AND TREATMENT, THE PROVISION OF ESSENTIAL SUPPLIES, SECURITY MEASURES IN SERVICES AND OTHERS. SO BEING ABLE TO INCLUDE THIS IN THE DISASTER RELIEF RATE ALLOWS US TO RECUPERATE THOSE COSTS THAT HAPPEN IF WE WERE DECIDE TO INCREASE OUR PROPERTY TAX RATE, UM, WITHOUT HAVING TO GO TO THE VOTERS BE ABLE TO RESPOND QUICKLY AND THEN BE REIMBURSED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. THIS BILL IS, WAS PASSED AND GOES INTO EFFECT JANUARY 1ST, 2026. UH, THE NEXT BILL IS GONNA BE SENATE BILL 38, AND THIS IS BY SENATOR BETANCOURT AND REPRESENTATIVE ANGIE CHIN BUTTON, UH, SENATE BILL 38 STARTED OUT AND WAS FRAMED AS AN ANTIS SQUATTERS BILL. UH, BUT IT WAS MORE ABOUT SPEEDING UP THE EVICTION PROCESS FOR INDIVIDUALS AND TENANTS. UH, THIS WAS ONE OF THE BILLS THAT REALLY DREW A LOT OF ATTENTION. UH, THERE WAS A BIG CHRONICLE ARTICLE ABOUT IT, UH, BUT IT'S, IT WOULD REFORM TEXAS'S EVICTION PROCESS BY CLARIFYING COURT PROCEDURES DURING APPEALS AND STRENGTHENING LANDLORD PROTECTIONS WHEN GOVERNMENT RENTAL ASSISTANCE IS INVOLVED. UM, THE IGR TEAM WORKED WITH OTHER MAJOR CITIES, TENANTS RIGHTS GROUPS, AND SOME KEY CONSERVATIVE MEMBERS OF THE TEXAS HOUSE TO AMEND SB 38 TO REFLECT MORE OF THE SPIRIT OF IMPACTING INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE ACTUALLY OCCUPYING PROPERTY LEGALLY, AND NOT JUST A TENANT WHO'S MAYBE A, A WEEK BEHIND ON THEIR RENT. UM, I WANT TO GIVE A SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO REPRESENTATIVE GARY GATES AND ACTUALLY REPRESENTATIVE RICHARD HAYES, WHO'S THE FATHER OF COUNCIL MEMBER MARIAN ANNE HUFFMAN. UH, THEY JUMPED IN AND REALLY TOOK CONTROL OF THIS PIECE OF LEGISLATION IN THE PROCESS AND MADE SOME VERY KEY CHANGES THAT MADE THIS BILL A LOT MORE PALATABLE. AND IT, IT REALLY IS. IT'S, IT'S SO MUCH BETTER FOR TENANTS, UM, FROM THE WORK THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO DO ON THIS BILL. NEXT, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. SO, THERE WERE SOME PIECES OF LEGISLATION THAT WE WERE SUCCESSFUL IN DEFEATING, UM, THESE BILLS. AS, UH, JOSH MENTIONED, WE'VE TRIED TO AMEND COLLABORATE, AS IS OUR MANTRA HERE IN THE HOUSTON IGR OFFICE. BUT SOME OF THESE, THESE TWO BILLS IN PARTICULAR WERE PASSED BEING AMENDABLE. UM, IF THEY WOULD'VE PASSED IN ANY FORM WOULD'VE BEEN DETRIMENTAL TO CITY OF HOUSTON OPERATIONS, UM, AND TO OUR PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY. THE FIRST BILL IS DUBBED SUPER PREEMPTION. IT SENT A BILL 28 58 BY SENATOR CREIGHTON. THIS ASSERTS THIS WOULD'VE ASSERTED BROAD STATE PREEMPTION OVER MUNICIPAL AND COUNTY REGULATIONS IN TEXAS, AND ANYTHING THAT THEY WOULD CALL FIELD PREEMPTION. THIS IS AN EXPANSION OF HB 2127 FROM LAST SESSION. UM, AND I WANNA GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO THE CITY SOLICITOR GENERAL COLIN PETTY. SHE HAS BEEN LEADING THE CHARGE IN THE LAW, THE HOUSTON'S LAWSUIT AGAINST HB 2127 THAT WAS FILED, UH, TWO YEARS AGO. UM, THIS, THE COURT HAS RULED THAT THIS BILL IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL. HB 2127 IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL, SO SB 28 58 WOULD'VE ADDED ONTO SOMETHING THAT WAS RULED UNCONSTITUTIONAL. SO IT'S IMPORTANT ON US TO ENSURE THAT THIS BILL DID NOT PASS, UM, SO THAT WE DID NOT KEEP ADDING ON DIFFERENT CODES TO THIS PIECE OF LEGISLATION, UM, THAT WERE UNENFORCEABLE BY THE CITY OF HOUSTON. THE STATE DID APPEAL, UM, THE, THE COURT'S, UH, A DECISION, AND IT'S STILL MOVING THROUGH THE PROCESS TODAY. COLIN PETTY WAS UNABLE TO TESTIFY IN THE SENATE VERSION, I MEAN, IN THE SENATE COMMITTEE BECAUSE SHE WAS ACTUALLY IN COURT DEFENDING OUR POSITION ON HB 2127. SHE DID, UM, VISIT US IN AUSTIN FOR THE HOUSE COMMITTEE, AND SHE AND I WOULD GIVE HER A SHOUT OUT. AGAIN, SHE IS A FIGHTER FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON. SHE STAYED WITH US TILL 11:00 PM THAT NIGHT, SITTING IN THE HOUSE GALLERY, WAITING FOR THE COMMITTEE TO RECONVENE IN ORDER TO TESTIFY ON THE CITY'S POSITION AND HOW THIS WOULD HURT US AND ALL CITIES IN TEXAS. AND I THINK THAT THEY WERE A LITTLE SCARED OF COLIN PETTY AND AS THEY SHOULD BE, BECAUSE, UH, THE CHAIRMAN DID CANCEL AT 1130 THE REST OF THE HEARING, AND SHE AND OTHERS WERE UNABLE TO TESTIFY. SO, THANK YOU, COLIN, FOR STICKING IT OUT WITH US. THANK YOU FOR DEFENDING US IN COURT, UM, AND WE APPRECIATE YOU AND ALL TEXAS CITIES. APPRECIATE YOU. UH, THE NEXT ONE IS SB 10 65, WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY A GUNS IN PUBLIC PLACES. BILL. UH, THIS WOULD BE RELATING TO REQUIRED PROVISION IN CERTAIN GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY CONTRACTS REGARDING THE CARRYING OF FIREARMS. BY LICENSE, UH, BY LICENSE HOLDERS. UH, THIS BILL WOULD'VE PREVENTED PRIVATE CONTRACTS FOR CONVENTIONS, SPORTING EVENTS, CONCERTS, AND OTHER LARGE EVENTS FROM BANNING FIREARMS INSIDE THE VENUE, WHICH THEY HAVE AN AGREEMENT WITH. SO THINK ABOUT WHEN, WHEN SOMEBODY DOES A CONVENTION AT OUR CONVENTION CENTER AT THE GRB, THEY HAVE A PRIVATE CONTRACT, THEY GET TO SET THE TERMS OF THE USE FOR THAT CONVENTION CENTER. SAME THING IF A CONCERT'S [03:50:01] HAPPENING AT THE TOYOTA CENTER OR SOME OTHER PLACES. UH, THIS BILL WOULD'VE SAID THAT YOU WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO PRECLUDE HAVING FIREARMS WITHIN THE CONVENTION CENTER WITHIN THE TOYOTA CENTER WITHIN NRG. UM, SO WE, WE HEARD FROM OBVIOUSLY HOUSTON FIRST, UH, WHO RUNS AND OPERATES OUR CONVENTION CENTER. WE HEARD FROM THE MAJOR SPORTS TEAMS, THE RODEO, UM, JUST ANYBODY THAT DOES LARGE EVENTS IN TEXAS. AND, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAD BROUGHT UP DURING DISCUSSION, YOU KNOW, HOUSTON IS SET TO HOST THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION IN 2028. UH, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT REQUIRES CERTAIN PARAMETER OR PARAMETERS AROUND THE CONVENTION CENTER TO BE A GUN-FREE ZONE TO ALLOW NO FIREARMS IN IT. SO THIS LAW WOULD'VE PUT US IN DIRECT CONFLICT, UH, WITH THAT EVENT AND PROBABLY MANY OTHERS. AND SO, UH, WE WERE, YOU KNOW, VERY FOCUSED AT MAKING SURE THAT THIS PIECE OF LEGISLATION DID NOT PASS BECAUSE IT WOULD'VE HAD A MASSIVE IMPACT ON MAJOR EVENTS THAT DO GET A CHANCE TO COME TO HOUSTON AND THE STATE OF TEXAS. UM, LASTLY, WE'RE GONNA MOVE TO APPROPRIATIONS. UM, SO IN THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE A LOT OF POLICY ISSUES AND LAWS, UH, THAT ARE WRITTEN TO CHANGE STATE CODE, BUT YOU ALSO HAVE THE BUDGET, WHICH IS PASSED, UM, EVERY TWO YEARS. AND THIS WAS ONE OF OUR BIG FOCUSES IS, IS TRYING TO DRAW DOWN AS MANY FUNDS FROM THE STATE OF TEXAS AS WE CAN TO RETURN THEM HERE TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON. IT'S THE SAME APPROACH WE TAKE WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. UM, SO WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WATER EARLIER, AND I JUST WANT TO KIND OF SAY WHAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON DID OVER THE PAST YEAR, YEAR AND A HALF. UH, AS I MENTIONED, THE MAYOR WAS VERY ADAMANT ABOUT US TALKING ABOUT OUR WATER UTILITY SYSTEM AND THE CHALLENGES THAT WE FACE. SO ACTUALLY LAST MARCH IN 2024, THE IGR TEAM BEGAN COORDINATING WITH HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS AND HOUSTON WATER, THE GREATER HOUSTON PARTNERSHIP AS WELL, AND OTHER BUSINESS INDUSTRY GROUPS TO WHERE WE HOSTED, UH, DELEGATIONS FROM THE TEXAS COMMISSION ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY, THE TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD. WE HAD STATE LEGISLATORS FROM THE HOUSE, STATE LEGISLATORS FROM THE SENATE ALL COME DOWN AND TOUR OUR WATER FACILITIES. UM, IN THE INTERIM, LEADING UP TO SESSION, WE WERE VERY OPEN AND TRANSPARENT ABOUT THE FINANCIAL CHALLENGES THAT WE'RE HAVING AND THE COST ASSOCIATED WITH SOME OF THESE PROJECTS, YOU KNOW, AND WE WENT UP TO THE LEGISLATURE AND ASKED FOR A LOT. UM, YOU KNOW, WE WERE CERTAINLY DREW SOME ATTENTION UP THERE BECAUSE OF THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE WERE ASKING FOR. I BELIEVE WE ASKED FOR OVER $700 MILLION FOR FOUR SPECIFIC WATER PROJECTS. THOSE FOUR WERE LEAKY PIPES. SO WE ASKED FOR $510 MILLION FOR LEAKY PIPES. WE HAD 29 MEMBERS OF OUR HOUSE DELEGATION SIGN, A BUDGET RIDER THAT WAS AUTHORED BY A REPRESENTATIVE ARMANDO WALLY. UH, WE ALSO ASKED FOR $170 MILLION FOR THE LYNCHBURG PUMP STATION. UH, REPRESENTATIVE MANO DE AYALA AND SENATOR PAUL BETTENCOURT PUT THOSE FORWARD. UM, AND, UH, SENATOR ALVARADO WAS ON THE LEAKY PIPES AS WELL. AND THEN WE HAD AN EMERGENCY WATER SUPPLY FOR THE TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER AND OUR 69TH, UH, STREET WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT. UM, SO AS WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER, THE LARGER, BROADER DISCUSSION ON WATER FUNDING AND H HJR SEVEN, UM, OUT OF THAT PROCESS CAME SOME VERY GOOD RESULTS FOR US. UM, SO THE FIRST ONE WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT THAT WAS DONE THROUGH THE SUPPLEMENTAL BUDGET. HB 500 IS THE A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS FOR THE LYNCHBURG PUMP STATION. UH, THE LYNCHBURG PUMP STATION, IF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW, IS, IS ESSENTIALLY A KEY CORNERSTONE AND KIND OF THE, THE HUB AND, AND THE HUB AND SPOKE MODEL FOR OUR HOUSTON WATER SUPPLY. IT'S WHAT TAKES ALL THE RAW WATER FROM THE TRINITY RIVER, AND IT PUMPS IT DOWN THE NORTH SIDE OF THE SHIP CHANNEL AND HAS ONE PIPE THAT GOES UNDERNEATH THE SHIP CHANNEL TO PUMP WATER DOWN THE ENTIRE SOUTH SIDE OF THE SHIP CHANNEL. BUT IT ALSO FEEDS OUR EAST WATER PURIFICATION PLANT AND OUR SOUTHEAST WATER PURIFICATION PLANT. SO THE LYNCHBURG PUMP STATION PROVIDES OVER 60% OF THE DRINKABLE WATER, UH, IN A RAW FORM TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON IN OUR REGION. UM, HOUSTON WATER PROVIDES WATER IN SEVEN COUNTIES. WE HAVE OVER 5.6 MILLION CUSTOMERS. UH, SO WE ARE NOT JUST THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S WATER UTILITY. WE REALLY ARE THE REGION'S WATER UTILITY SYSTEM. AND THE LYNCHBURG PUMP STATION PLAYS A VERY KEY ROLE IN GETTING THAT WATER TO NOT ONLY THE ENTIRE PETROCHEMICAL INDUSTRY DOWN THE SHIP CHANNEL, WE SERVICE IN OUR WATER PROVIDERS FOR OVER 600 PETROCHEMICAL, REFINING, UH, MANUFACTURING FACILITIES ALONG THE SHIP CHANNEL. BUT LIKE I SAID, IT ALSO HELPS PROVIDE OVER 60% OF THE WATER THAT'S TURNED INTO DRINKING WATER FOR THE HOUSTON REGION. SO THIS A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS WILL ALLOW US TO REPLACE ONE OF THE MAIN PUMPS PUMP A, IT WILL ALSO GIVE US THE ABILITY TO BUILD REDUNDANCY AND PROVIDE AN ADDITIONAL PIPE UNDERNEATH THE SHIP CHANNEL. UH, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT SOME RISKS THAT ARE, ARE VERY LARGE, AND THIS [03:55:01] APPROPRIATION WILL HELP US ALLEVIATE THOSE. UH, THE SECOND BIG ONE WAS, UM, IN TWO PREVIOUS SESSIONS, WE WERE ALLOCATED MONEY FOR LAKE HOUSTON. IN THE 87TH LEGISLATIVE SESSION, WE WERE ALLOCATED $50 MILLION FOR, FOR DREDGING LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION. WE WERE ALLOCATED ANOTHER $50 MILLION FOR REPAIRS OF THE LAKE HOUSTON DAM. UM, THOSE ARE LARGE PROJECTS THAT OBVIOUSLY TAKE TIME, ESPECIALLY THE LAKE HOUSTON DAM. UH, WE'VE ALREADY DONE A LOT OF THE DREDGING, UH, BUT THAT WAS ONLY APPROPRIATED FOR THE PREVIOUS TWO YEARS. SO THE LEGISLATURE, THROUGH THIS EFFORT CONTINUED THAT APPROPRIATION IS GOING TO ALLOW US TO SPEND DOWN THOSE FUNDS ON THE LAKE HOUSTON DAM. SO WE'RE VERY THANKFUL FOR THAT. UH, WE ALSO RECEIVED, AND IT'S A LITTLE BIT FURTHER DOWN THE LIST, UH, WE DIDN'T DIRECTLY RECEIVE IT, BUT THE TRINITY RIVER AUTHORITY RECEIVED $60 MILLION FOR THE LAKE LIVINGSTON DAM IMPROVEMENT IN REHABILITATION PROJECT. THAT IS IMPORTANT AND KEY BECAUSE THE CITY OF HOUSTON ACTUALLY PROVIDES AND, AND COVERS THE COST OF 100% OF THE OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE OF LAKE LIVINGSTON AND THE LAKE LIVINGSTON DAM. WE HAVE AN AGREEMENT WITH THE TRINITY RIVER AUTHORITY TO OPERATE IT, BUT WE DO COVER ALL OF THEIR COSTS. SO, I DON'T KNOW IF Y'ALL REMEMBER ABOUT A YEAR AGO DURING THE ACTUAL KINGWOOD FLOODING, THERE WAS SO MUCH PRESSURE PUT ON THE LAKE LIVINGSTON DAM THAT IT ALMOST HAD A COMPLETE FAILURE. UH, THERE WAS EMERGENCY REPAIRS THAT HAD TO BE DONE TO THE DAM AND, AND HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS WORKED WITH THE TRINITY RIVER AUTHORITY TO GET THOSE REPAIRS FUNDED AND TO PUT US IN A POSITION TO POTENTIALLY RECOUP AND, UH, FEDERAL COST FOR THAT PROJECT. SO GETTING THE $60 MILLION, UH, TO DO THIS IMPROVEMENT FOR THE DAM IS SOMETHING, LIKE I SAID, THAT IS, IS VERY KEY FOR OUR OVERALL WATER SYSTEM. UM, LET'S MOVE TO PARKS. UH, I, I, THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE TO THANK ON THIS ONE. FIRST OF ALL, YOU KNOW, THE MAYOR ANNOUNCED, UH, SEVERAL MONTHS AGO HIS INITIATIVE OF LET'S PLAY HOUSTON. AND THAT IS A COLLABORATION BETWEEN OUR HOUSTON PARKS DEPARTMENT AND THE HOUSTON PARKS BOARD TO FOCUS ON 25 KIND OF NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS, RIGHT? SO, NOT OUR LARGER PARKS, BUT OFTEN THE PARKS THAT ARE RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF A COMMUNITY THAT MAYBE DON'T GET THE ATTENTION THAT THEY DESERVE. UM, SO WE, UH, WORKED WITH OUR PARKS DEPARTMENT AND THE HOUSTON PARKS BOARD TO IDENTIFY A LIST OF THESE PARKS TO GO AND SOLICIT AND, AND ASK OUR HOUSE MEMBERS, UH, TO FILE WHAT'S KNOWN AS A BUDGET WRITER. A BUDGET WRITER IS A DESIGNATION WITHIN THE BUDGET THAT TAKES AN ALREADY APPROPRIATED FUND, AND IT ESSENTIALLY CARVES OUT A, A PORTION OF THAT FUND FOR A SPECIFIC USE. UM, WE DO HAVE SOME MEMBERS FROM THE HOUSTON PARKS BOARD HERE TODAY AND OUR PARKS DEPARTMENT, SO IF YOU GUYS CAN WAVE OR STAND UP, UM, WE, WE WERE ABLE TO HAVE, UM, THE CEO OF THE PARKS BOARD, BETH WHITE, THEIR CHAIR, DR. CULLEN GEISELMAN MUSE, UH, JUSTIN SCHULTZ, THE CHIEF PROGRAM OFFICER, AND LISA HERNANDEZ, THE MANAGER OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, JOIN US ONE DAY IN AUSTIN TO GO AND ADVOCATE FOR THIS FUNDING FOR THESE PARKS. UM, SO IT WAS A VERY COLLABORATIVE EFFORT, OBVIOUSLY SUPPORTED BY OUR HOUSTON PARKS DEPARTMENT. UH, BUT WE THINK THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE A GREAT START TO THIS INITIATIVE. THESE ARE ALSO PARKS THAT HAVE IDENTIFIED FUNDING AND MATCHING FUNDS FROM THE HOUSTON PARKS BOARD. SO WITH THE NUMBERS I'M GONNA READ TO EVERYBODY, UH, THERE IS ADDITIONAL MONEY ALSO AVAILABLE FOR THESE. AND WE TRIED TO GET ONE IN EVERY COUNCIL DISTRICT. WE WEREN'T SUCCESSFUL, SO PLEASE FORGIVE ME IF WE DIDN'T GET YOUR DISTRICT OUT OF THIS LIST, UH, BECAUSE WE ALL ARE ALSO SUBMITTING THESE FOR COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. UH, BUT THE FIRST ONE IS MELROSE PARK IN DISTRICT H, UH, REPRESENTATIVE OR CHAIRMAN ARMANDO WALLY WAS ABLE TO SECURE US $2 MILLION FROM MELROSE PARK. SECOND ONE IS DYLAN DUNCAN MEMORIAL SKATE PARK IN COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER DISTRICT, UH, THAT WAS BROUGHT TO US BY REPRESENTATIVE CUNNINGHAM. SECOND ONE, HAYDEN PARK IN DISTRICT A FROM LACEY HOLE. UH, THAT'S ANOTHER MILLION DOLLAR APPROPRIATION. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE TO ANDOVER PARK, OR AGNES MOFFITT PARK, EXCUSE ME. UH, ANOTHER ONE IN DISTRICT A BY REPRESENTATIVE HU THAT'S ALSO GONNA GET A MILLION DOLLARS. UM, ANDOVER PARK IN DISTRICT. I IS GOING TO GET A MILLION DOLLARS. AND THAT WAS HELPED BY REPRESENTATIVE JOLANDA JONES. UH, MONTY BEACH PARK IN DISTRICT H IS SOMETHING THAT REPRESENTATIVE CHRISTINA MORALES HELPED US GET A MILLION DOLLARS FOR. UH, MEADOW CREEK VILLAGE PARK AND DISTRICT E IS SOMETHING THAT REPRESENTATIVE MARYANNE PEREZ HELPED US GET. UH, BUT THEN WE'RE ON ZLI SCALES PARK IN DISTRICT D. UM, AND THAT WAS REPRESENTATIVE LAUREN SIMMONS. UH, THEN, UH, REPRESENTATIVE THOMPSON GOT US $3 MILLION FOR TIDWELL PARK IN DISTRICT B. UM, WE HAVE ANOTHER ONE, WARREN PARK AND DISTRICT H [04:00:01] UH, THAT WAS ANOTHER ONE FROM CHAIRMAN ARMANDO WALLY. AND THAT'S FOR $2 MILLION. UH, THEN WE'VE GOT ONE IN DISTRICT J EL CRANE PARK REPRESENTATIVE JEAN WU HELPED US GET THAT. AND THEN THE LAST ONE ON THE PARKS LIST IS BORDERS PARK, WHICH WAS ANOTHER ONE THAT REPRESENTATIVE THOMPSON HELPED US GET FOR DISTRICT B, AND THAT'S FOR $2 MILLION. SO OVERALL, THAT, THAT'S A, A GOOD AND A VERY IMPRESSIVE SHOWING OF BEING ABLE TO DRAW DOWN FUNDING FOR OUR LOCAL PARKS. AND WE JUST WANT TO THANK, UH, AGAIN, OUR PARKS DEPARTMENT, THE HOUSTON PARKS BOARD, AND THEN ALL OF THESE REPRESENTATIVES WHO PUT THEIR NAME ON THAT BUDGET RIDER AND SUBMIT IT ON BEHALF OF US. UH, WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT. WE DID HAVE TWO PUBLIC SAFETY ITEMS THAT, UH, RECEIVED APPROPRIATIONS. THE FIRST IS, UH, $10 MILLION FOR 200 POLICE VEHICLES, UM, IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. SO THANK YOU, UH, CHIEF JESSICA ANDERSON AND THE REST OF THE, UM, UH, POLICE DEPARTMENT'S LEGISLATIVE TEAM. THEY WORKED WITH US, WALKED THE HALLS WITH US, AND VERY COLLABORATIVE, UM, BECAUSE AS JUST AS THE CITY RECEIVES A LOT OF BILLS, THEY RECEIVED JUST AS MANY ON THE PUBLIC SAFETY SIDE AND HELPING EDUCATE OUR, OUR DELEGATION ABOUT THE IMPACT THAT ADDITIONAL VEHICLES WOULD, WOULD MAKE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL. AND THE SECOND ONE IS A CONTINUATION OF THE REENTRY SERVICE PILOT PROGRAM. UM, THIS IS $5 MILLION FOR BOTH THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND THE CITY OF DALLAS TO, UH, CREATE AND MAINTAIN A REENTRY PROGRAM. AND THE LAST SECTION WE HAVE IS ON PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, SPECIFICALLY ROAD AND ROADWAY, UM, AND GRADE CROSSING SEPARATION. WE ALSO WANT TO THANK, UM, CHAIRMAN NICHOLS, UH, FOR CREATING, WE DIDN'T GO OVER HERE, BUT THERE'S A BILL THAT CREATES, UM, ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR, UH, RAILWAY SEPARATION AND RAILROAD CROSSINGS. OUR PUBLIC WORKS ACTUALLY WAS INVOLVED IN CONVERSATIONS WITH THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR AND THE CHAIRMAN TO SEE HOW ADDITIONAL DOLLARS IN A GRANT PROGRAM WOULD BE IMPACTED AND BE IMPLEMENTED HERE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. SO A COUPLE OF, UM, JUST REAL QUICK, UH, $10 MILLION FOR THIS, THE GIO, IVAN RODRIGUEZ MEMORIAL PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE PROJECT, $5 MILLION FOR THE RAILROAD GRADE CROSSING BRIDGE AND PROJECT AT LITTLE YORK ROAD AND HIRSCH ROAD. THANK YOU REPRESENTATIVE, UM, THOMPSON. AND LASTLY, ALSO BY REPRESENTATIVE THOMPSON IS THE RAILROAD GRADES CROSSING BRIDGE PROJECT AT TIDWELL AND HIRSCH ROAD. UM, $5 MILLION THERE AS WELL. UM, BUT THANK YOU. ON THE APPROPRIATION SIDE, WE WANT TO ESPECIALLY THANK CHAIRWOMAN HUFFMAN, UH, CHAIRMAN BONIN, UM, OUR, OUR CHAIR, ARMANDO WALLY AND THE REST OF THE DELEGATION FOR ADVOCATING ON THE HOUSTON'S NEEDS. AND THERE'S A COUPLE MORE PROJECTS LISTED ON THIS APPROPRIATION SHEET THAT AREN'T NECESSARILY, THEY'RE NOT GIVEN TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON, BUT MAYBE THEY'RE FLOOD CONTROL OR THE CITY OF BEL AIR. BUT JUST TO SHOW YOU THE AMOUNT OF ADDITIONAL FUNDS THAT ARE GONNA BE COMING DIRECTLY INTO OUR COMMUNITY THAT ARE GONNA HELP DEAL WITH FLOODING AND DRAINAGE AND WATER QUALITY ISSUES. UM, THAT IS THE END OF OUR PRESENTATION, AND OBVIOUSLY WE'RE OPEN TO TAKING ANY SORT OF QUESTIONS. UH, BUT I JUST WANTED TO CLOSE WITH, UH, WE PUT SOME PHOTOS UP HERE. UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAD COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ COME UP AND TESTIFY ON A CABLE FRANCHISE FEE BILL, UH, THAT WOULD'VE REALLY CUT REVENUE AND ALLOWED CABLE COMPANIES AND STREAMING SERVICES TO UTILIZE OUR RIGHT OF WAY WITHOUT ANY SORT OF PAYMENT TO THE CITY OR THE CITIZENS. UH, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. UM, AND SO IT'S, WE HAD JUST, YOU KNOW, COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ WAS UP THERE. UH, WE HAD A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT INDIVIDUALS COME UP AND, AND LEND US A HAND DURING THE PROCESS. UM, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO WAS ALSO UP THERE. I JUST DIDN'T RECEIVE A PICTURE IN TIME FOR THE PRESENTATION. , MAKE SURE YOU CAN, BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S NOT AN EASY PROCESS. THE LEGISLATURE, YOU GO INTO THE LEGISLATURE WITH AN IDEA AND A GAME PLAN, AND THAT GOES OUT THE WINDOW RIGHT AT THE BEGINNING, AND YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT OR WHAT'S GONNA BECOME THE HOT ISSUE OR HOW PEOPLE ARE GONNA FEEL ABOUT CERTAIN THINGS. UM, SO YOU JUST HAVE TO BE UP THERE AND BE CONSISTENT, RIGHT? YOU HAVE TO BE PRESENT AND YOU HAVE TO BE ENGAGED. YEAH. UM, AND MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR THE TRUST THAT YOU PUT IN OUR TEAM, UH, ALLOWING US TO GO UP THERE. I'LL BE HONEST, YOU KNOW, YOU BEING A 50 YEAR VETERAN OF THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE, I WASN'T QUITE SURE HOW ENGAGED OR HOW MUCH OF THE THUMB YOU'D HAVE ON TOP OF THE TEAM AND YOU KNOW, WHAT WOULD BE GOING ON. BUT SIR, YOU, YOU GAVE US THE FREEDOM AND THE FLEXIBILITY TO GO GET OUR JOB DONE AND THE SUPPORT TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT. AND SO, AND, AND THIS COUNCIL, UH, SAME THING. YOU KNOW, WE COULD CALL ON YOU GUYS AT A MOMENT'S NOTICE, UH, TO GET YOU ENGAGED AND SUPPORTING ON OUR ISSUES. AND SO WE WANT TO THANK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU GUYS, UH, FOR HELPING US OUT AND FOR HELPING MAKE THE CITY OF HOUSTON SUCCESSFUL DURING THE 89TH LEGISLATIVE SESSION. AND IF WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, JUST AS A, JUST A LITTLE FUN, UM, IT'S JUST A GLIMPSE IN THE LIFE, UH, THAT JOSH AND I HAVE, AND THANK YOU JOSH, FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP, UM, IN THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL [04:05:01] RELATIONS TEAM. YOU REALLY TOOK IT, UM, BY THE HELM AND, AND, AND GUIDED US THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION AND HAS BEEN BROUGHT IN NEW LIFE, A NEW DIRECTION TO THE TEAM. AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOU FROM ME, ANDY, AND CARLA, FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU DO. UM, AND REAL QUICK THANK YOU TO ALL THE OTHER TEXAS CITIES THAT WE COLLABORATED WITH ALL OF OUR PARTNERS. WE HAD MANY MORE PICTURES, BUT WE COULDN'T FIT 'EM ON THIS SLIDE. THE CITY OF HOUSTON WAS SUCCESSFUL BECAUSE THE REGION WORKS TOGETHER FROM GHP HOUSTON FIRST AND OTHERS TO, TO ADVOCATE ON THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY. UM, AND WE JUST REALLY APPRECIATE ALL OUR PARTNERS. AND I'LL JUST, YOU KNOW, I, I CAME INTO THIS POSITION, OBVIOUSLY, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE WORKED AT THE CITY IN, IN FOREIGN ADMINISTRATION, AND IT WAS MY FIRST SESSION IN THIS POSITION. I COULD NOT HAVE INHERITED A BETTER TEAM AND GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS. AND I NEED TO GIVE ALEXA HER FLOWERS BECAUSE, UH, WOW. JUST, SHE'S AMAZING. UM, WHEN I SAY THAT OUR TEAM WAS LEADING EVERYBODY IN ALL CITIES, UH, ALEXA WAS RIGHT AT THE CENTER OF ALL OF THAT, GIVING PEOPLE MARCHING ORDERS, SETTING OUR AGENDA FOR THE DAY, KEEPING UP WITH THINGS. UM, SO SHE'S JUST BEEN AN AMAZING PARTNER TO WORK WITH, AND I FEEL VERY FORTUNATE THAT I'M ABLE TO HAVE HER ON MY TEAM AND IN MY CORNER. LET ME, UH, I TELL YOU, I'M IMPRESSED. AFTER SPENDING 50 YEARS IN THE LEGISLATURE BEING HOUSTON'S GO-TO LEGISLATURE, CHAIRING THE LOCAL INTER GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE IN 1991. THIS IS THE MOST IMPRESSIVE, UH, RESULTS IN THE TEAM. IT'S, IT'S, IT'S ALMOST A, NOT ALMOST, IT'S A BLESSING TO SIT HERE AND WATCH Y'ALL'S CHEMISTRY AND, UH, THE DIRECTION THAT YOU TOOK US. OF COURSE, I HAD VISION AND SUBJECTS. I DIDN'T HESITATE TO CALL SOMEONE WHEN YOU ASKED ME TO. LIKE HUFFMAN. I KNEW IN THE CONFERENCE COMMITTEE AT THE LAST MINUTE SHE COULD GET US 200 POLICE CARS. BUT I, I JUST CAN'T TELL YOU HOW PROUD I AM. AND YOU INCLUDED ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THE LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION. IT'S REALLY THE WAY IT WORKS. AND YOU'RE VERY EFFECTIVE. AND, UH, I COULDN'T BE MORE PROUD. AND, UH, AGAIN, PEOPLE ASK ME, WHAT'S ONE OF YOUR GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENTS? IT'S THE TEAM. IT'S THE TEAM THAT I'VE PUT IN PLACE. AND JOSH SEEMED LIKE JUST YESTERDAY I'D BE SITTING IN MY SENATE OFFICE AND YOU'D WALK IN AND WE'D HAVE A CUP OF COFFEE, AND I'D SAY, WHAT'S GOING ON? ? AND YOU WOULD RATTLE OFF THE ACTIVITY AND THE CAPITAL AND THE POLITICS OF THE, OF THE TIME. SO ANYWAY, IT IS JUST GREAT, GREAT. IT, IT'LL DEFINITELY IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF HOUSTONIANS. AND WE CAN'T FIX OUR CHALLENGES WITHOUT THIS TYPE OF COLLABORATION. AND IT'S ONLY GONNA GET BETTER BECAUSE NOW THE LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION FROM HOUSTON BIPARTISAN KNOW THAT WE'RE DEPENDING ON THEM. AND THE PARTS ALONE IS SUCH AN OUTSTANDING RESULT. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH, AND I'M EXCITED TO RECOGNIZE OUR, OUR MAYOR APPROACH HIM WHO I KNOW, EVEN WHEN YOU WERE A LEADER IN THE MUNICIPAL LEAGUE, YOU WERE WORKING ON SOME OF THESE SUBJECTS AND CERTAINLY YOUR SIGN ORDINANCE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I, I DO BELIEVE THAT YOU SHOULD BE PROUD. I THINK THAT THIS, UM, LEGISLATIVE SESSION WAS A GREAT SUCCESS FOR HOUSTON. UH, AND WHAT WE REALLY HAVE JUST WITNESSED FROM THIS PRESENTATION IS THE IMPORTANCE OF RELATIONSHIP CAPITAL. UH, THE IMPORTANCE OF BIPARTISAN SUPPORT, THE IMPORTANCE OF KNOWING HOW TO COMPROMISE WITHOUT COMPROMISING YOUR VALUES. MM-HMM . THE IMPORTANCE OF WORKING TOGETHER FOR THE PEOPLE THAT WE REPRESENT. SO I WANTED TO SAY CONGRATULATIONS TO THE TEAM. UH, GETTING A BILL PASSED IN AUSTIN IS HARD. IT IS HARD. UH, A SIMPLE BILL, WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A SIMPLE BILL, A BANDIT SIGN, BILL, BANDIT SIGN LEGISLATION, I, WE ALL CAN AGREE WE DON'T WANT THEM IN OUR CITY RIGHT OF WAYS. WE DON'T WANT THEM IN OUR WATERWAYS. UM, AND ALL OF THE, THE NEGATIVE, UM, THINGS THAT HAVE COME FROM THE PREDATORY BANDIT SIGNS, UM, I THOUGHT THAT WOULD BE A SIMPLE LIFT. UM, FOR THREE LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS, WE WORKED ON THIS BILL. THE FIRST ONE, UM, IT DIDN'T GET THROUGH THE HOUSE. THE SECOND [04:10:01] ONE, IT DIDN'T MAKE IT TO THE CALENDAR. UM, THIS TIME, UH, AND I WANNA GIVE A SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO JERRY BROOKS AND MICHAEL AND THE TEAM THAT, THAT WERE ASSIGNED TO THE BAND SIGNED LEGISLATION ALONG WITH SCENIC HOUSTON AND ALL OF THE PEOPLE THAT PLAYED A PART IN THIS. AND ALTHOUGH IT MAY SEEM LIKE A SMALL THING, IT REALLY IS A BIG THING BECAUSE WHAT WE HAVE DONE IS HOPEFULLY DETER PEOPLE WHO ARE PREYING ON RESIDENTS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON WITH THESE SIGNS THAT SAY WE BUY DIABETIC STRIPS. UH, THESE SIGNS THAT ARE LURING PEOPLE TO DO THINGS THAT THEY SHOULDN'T DO. UH, I CALLED THE SIGN THAT SAID, EARN $4,000 A WEEK. AND I SAID, I SAW YOUR SIGNS IN MY DISTRICT. HOW CAN I EARN $4,000 A WEEK? AND THE PERSON ON THE OTHER END OF THE PHONE SAID, FIRST, WE NEED TO GET YOUR BANK ACCOUNT NUMBER SO WE CAN DEPOSIT THE CHECK IN YOUR BANK. COME ON. THOSE SIGNS SHOULD NOT BE IN OUR CITY RIGHT OF WAYS. UM, BUT THIS ALLOWS US TO DETER THAT TYPE OF PREDATORY BEHAVIOR, BEHAVIOR. UH, MAYOR, WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO PUTTING FORTH A TASK FORCE BECAUSE NOW THAT WE HAVE THE LEGISLATION, WE'VE GOT TO WORK ON THE ENFORCEMENT. UM, WE'VE GOT TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN PEOPLE RECEIVE THESE CITATIONS AND THE INCREASED FINES THAT THEY DON'T GET TO GO DOWN TO MUNICIPAL COURTS AND NOT PAY THE ENTIRE FINE. MM-HMM . UH, AND WE WANT OUR JUDGES, WE WANT EVERYONE INVOLVED TO KNOW THE ENTIRE PROCESS SO THAT THE WORK THAT WE DID FOR SIX YEARS TO GET THIS LEGISLATION PASSED CAN ACTUALLY, UM, BEAR FRUIT. SO THANK YOU TO THE ENTIRE TEAM. I'M VERY PROUD OF THE APPROPRIATIONS THAT ARE, ARE COMING FORWARD. UM, I THINK THAT THIS ALLOWS US TO, UM, ADD TO WHAT WE ARE DELIVERING FOR THE PEOPLE OF HOUSTON. SO, UM, CONGRATULATIONS TO THE PARKS DEPARTMENT. IT'S ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR ITEMS WE HEAR FROM CONSTITUENTS. WE WANT MORE MONEY FOR OUR PARKS. WE WANT TO IMPROVE OUR PARKS. AND I WILL TELL, UH, I TALKED TO THE DIRECTOR, I SAID, AS SOON AS WE STARTED TALKING ABOUT IMPROVING ONE OF THE PARKS IN THE DISTRICT, WE GET A FLOOD OF EMAILS. WHAT ABOUT MY PARK? SO THERE ARE ENDLESS PARKS THAT NEED IMPROVEMENTS. UM, 200 POLICE CARS. I MEAN, WE TALK ABOUT OUR NEED FOR, UM, ADDITION TO PUBLIC SAFETY, ADDITIONAL DOLLARS FOR PUBLIC SAFETY. UM, I THINK THIS IS AN APPROPRIATE PLACE TO GET THE FUNDING, UM, TO ALLOW US TO CONTINUE TO, UM, BE SAFE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND MAKE SURE OUR POLICE OFFICERS HAVE WHAT THEY NEED WHEN THEY ARE PATROLLING THE STREETS OF HOUSTON. SO WE CAN'T SAY IT ENOUGH. UM, THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DID, THE HARD WORK THAT YOU DID. UM, I WAS THERE ONE DAY THERE. THIS IS SO FUNNY TO ME. UH, AND JERRY GAVE ME THE SCHEDULE OF THE DAY, AND WE PROBABLY TALKED TO 30 MEMBERS IN THAT ONE DAY IN A COUPLE OF HOURS. AND IF YOU'VE NEVER HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO WALK THE TEXAS CAPITOL, YOU BETTER HAVE ON SOME GOOD WALKING SHOES, UH, AND, AND BE IN GOOD SHAPE. . IT, IT IS, IT IS, IT IS TOUGH WORK. SO THANK YOU FOR, UM, ALL OF THE GREAT WORK THAT YOU DID. AND I THINK THAT THE PEOPLE OF HOUSTON WILL SEE THE BENEFITS OF THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION, UM, FOR YEARS TO COME. THANK YOU. VERY, VERY WELL SAID. VICE MAYOR PROTE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I JUST WANNA THANK THE WHOLE IGR TEAM. THIS WAS SUCH A SUCCESSFUL SESSION FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON. I'VE WORKED FOR EITHER THE STATE OR THE CITY IN SOME CAPACITY FOR, GOSH, OVER 18 YEARS NOW. AND I DON'T REMEMBER ANOTHER SESSION THAT WAS SO POSITIVE FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON IN TERMS OF MEANINGFUL LEGISLATION AND FUNDING. AND I GET WHY IN THE PAST, UM, YOU KNOW, MAYBE AT THE STATE THEY DIDN'T WANT TO WORK WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON AS MUCH, CONSIDERING A LOT OF TIMES IT WAS JUST US BEING AGAINST LEGISLATION. BUT I REALLY THINK THAT THIS IS WHAT A TRUE PARTNERSHIP LOOKS LIKE. AND THAT'S, UM, A TRUE TESTAMENT MAYOR TO YOUR LEADERSHIP AND THE WHOLE IGR TEAM. UM, I WANTED TO, UM, SAY THANKS TO REPRESENTATIVE HULL FOR THE $1 MILLION FOR, UM, AGNES MOFFITT PARK, $1 MILLION FOR HAYDEN PARK, AND $5 MILLION FOR THE SPRING SHADOWS, DRAINAGE AND PAVING PROJECTS. THAT'S GONNA BE SO AMAZING. SO WE'RE SO EXCITED AND THANKFUL FOR THOSE PROJECTS. AND CONGRATULATIONS TO, UM, MAYOR PERAM KASEK TATUM ON THE BANDIT SIGN. UM, BILL, THAT'S GREAT TOO. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. THANK YOU. UM, I ECHO, UM, MY COLLEAGUE. CONGRATULATIONS. UM, COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, TATUM ON YOUR BAND OF SIGNS. [04:15:01] THAT'S A BIG DEAL. UM, ALSO THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU'VE GOT YOU GUYS DID DURING THIS LEGISLATION SESSION. UM, I WAS REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE, THE RAILROAD GRADE CROSSINGS, UM, UH, ON TIDWELL AND LID YORK. AND THANKS TO COUNCIL MEMBER, NOT COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, REPRESENTATIVE THOMPSON FOR, UH, MOVING THIS FORWARD. SO A QUESTION ON THAT, IS THIS, DOES THIS REQUIRE A MATCH? UM, 'CAUSE I KNOW IT'S 5,000 FOR TIDWELL AND LID YORK, SO THIS TOTAL OF 10,000, IS IT A MATCH REQUIRED TO USE THOSE? YEAH, SO NO, THERE'S, THERE'S NO MATCH REQUIRED FOR THESE FUNDS, BUT THESE PROJECTS ARE OBVIOUSLY GONNA COST A LOT MORE THAN $5 MILLION. RIGHT. AND SO WHAT THESE WILL DO, AND, AND EVEN WITH THE SPRING SHADOWS, UH, STUFF, IS IT WILL ALLOW US TO START A LOT OF THE PRE-ENGINEERING STUFF MM-HMM . SO WE CAN LOOK AT DESIGN AND BE ABLE TO PRICE AND COST THESE, THESE PROJECTS OUT. BUT WE ARE GONNA BE REQUIRED TO MORE THAN LIKELY GET ADDITIONAL FUNDING EITHER FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OR POTENTIALLY EVEN THIS NEW STATE GRANT PROGRAM THAT ALEXA HIGHLIGHTED THAT, UH, CHAIRMAN NICHOLS PUT INTO PLACE. OKAY. UM, SO IT DOES NOT REQUIRE US TO, TO MATCH IT, BUT IT, IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GONNA OBVIOUSLY HAVE TO FIND A FUNDING STACK TO BE ABLE TO COMPLETE THIS, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE VERY THANKFUL FOR, FOR DEAN THOMPSON, YOU KNOW, PUTTING THESE INTO THE BUDGET AND HELPING US GET STARTED ON THE PROCESS OF ADDRESSING THESE TWO RAIL CROSSINGS. YEAH. BECAUSE IT'S SOMETHING THAT THE RESIDENTS OVER IN THE NORTHEAST HAS BEEN, THEY'VE BEEN ASKING FOR, FOR QUITE SOME TIME. SO I'M HAPPY TO SEE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE STARTING THE PROCESS OF GETTING SOME GRADE SEPARATIONS OVER THERE, UM, ON THE TIDWELL PARK. AGAIN, THANKFUL FOR THE ADDITIONAL DOLLARS. JUST ONE PERSON ON THAT. I KNOW WE RECEIVED APPROXIMATELY WHAT, 11 MILLION ABOUT, UM, TWO YEARS AGO TO, FOR THE, FOR THE POOL. FOR THE POOL, YEAH. AND SO IS THIS 3 MILLION FOR, THIS IS JUST GENERAL FOR THE PARK. IT DOESN'T HAVE A SPECIFIC DESIGNATION ON WHAT YOU HAVE TO SPEND IT ON. IT'S JUST AN ADDITIONAL $3 MILLION THAT WE GET TO SPEND INSIDE THAT PARK. FOR THIS PARTICULAR PARK. YES, MA'AM. OKAY. YEAH. AND, UM, YEAH, AND AGAIN, THE, UM, THE, UM, I WANT TO THANK, UM, MEDIA FOR TEXAS. WE WORK CLOSELY WITH THEM ON THE, ON THE FILM BILL, UM, AND KENDRICK SAMPSON AND SRA, I WANT TO THANK THEM FOR COMING OUT AND ON OUR LOBBY DAY, UM, TO ADVOCATE FOR, UM, FOR AN INCREASE IN INCENTIVES FOR FILM. SO EXCITED ABOUT THAT AS WELL. SO THANK YOU GUYS FOR YOUR, YOUR GREAT WORK. THANKS FOR COMING UP AND HELPING US OUT. COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU JOSH AND ALEXA AND THE WHOLE TEAM. UM, I WAS UP THERE A COUPLE TIMES AND GOTTA SEE HOW HARD Y'ALL WORK. LONG HOURS, LONG DAYS. UH, I WAS, I WAS VERY IMPRESSED AND GRATEFUL THAT WE'VE GOT SUCH TALENTED, HARDWORKING FOLKS WORKING FOR US DURING THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION. SHOUT OUT TO JERRY BROOKS. I HAD THE SAME EXPERIENCE AS OUR MAYOR PRO TEM. JERRY GAVE ME MY MARCHING ORDERS ONE MORNING, AND THEN, UH, I SPOKE WITH ABOUT 30 LEGISLATORS AND STAFF MEMBERS, AND WE DID SOME GOOD ON THE BANDIT SIGN BILL ON A BILL THAT WOULD'VE KILLED, DEVASTATED, UH, THE NAVIGATION SERVICES WE OFFER TO THE HOMELESS, UM, AND THE BILL THAT WOULD'VE, UM, TAKEN AWAY SOME OF OUR FRANCHISE FEES. SO, VERY IMPORTANT THINGS GOING ON IN AUSTIN. UH, AND JUST SO IMPRESSED WITH ALL OF YOU GUYS. KEVIN CHEVAL, I KNOW, WORKED REAL HARD, UH, FOR THE CITY. I SAW, UM, UH, GREATER HOUSTON PARTNERSHIP HERE, HANNA COBB EARLIER. SO IT'S A TEAM EFFORT. YOU PUT IT ALL TOGETHER VERY NICELY, AND, AND YOU DID A LOT OF GOOD UP THERE AND WANT TO, TO MENTION, UM, IT HADN'T BEEN TALKED ABOUT ENOUGH, BUT YOU GUYS WERE ABLE TO LEVERAGE THE CONTACTS, UH, THAT MAYOR WHITMEYER HAD MADE OVER THE YEARS UP THERE, UH, TO OUR BENEFIT. AND SO, UH, THAT THAT WAS HUGELY IMPORTANT AS WELL. AND IT BENEFITS ALL THE RESIDENTS OF HOUSTON. SO JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, JOSH, I'VE TOLD YOU SEVERAL TIMES PRIVATELY, I THOUGHT YOU GUYS HIT IT OUT OF THE PARK. JUST WANNA SAY PUBLICLY, YOU AND YOUR TEAM, EVERYBODY DID. UM, I WAS UP THERE SEVERAL TIMES THIS YEAR. I'D NEVER BEEN INVOLVED WITH THAT BEFORE. IT WAS QUITE A LEARNING EXPERIENCE. UH, I THOUGHT A LOT OF THE SUCCESS WE GOT WAS ALSO DUE TO THE FACT THAT IT SEEMED LIKE THE LEGISLATORS WERE VERY HAPPY WITH WHAT WAS HAPPENING WITH HOUSTON AND WHAT WAS GOING ON HERE. I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY, UH, THEY ALL SPOKE HIGHLY OF THE MAYOR. UH, HIS RELATIONSHIPS GO BACK FOREVER. UH, BUT I, I REALLY THOUGHT A LOT OF IT WAS JUST THEY THOUGHT THAT WAS WHAT WAS GOING ON IN HOUSTON WAS GOOD. AND I THINK THEY WERE MUCH MORE WILLING TO SUPPORT US. AND SIMILAR TO THE MAYOR PRO TEMS COMMENTS, UH, THE LEGISLATION FOR THE DREDGING, UH, IT'S THE THIRD SESSION NOW THAT WE'VE TRIED TO GET THAT THROUGH. UH, IN FACT, UH, THE FORMER STATE REP, DAN HUBERTY, [04:20:01] INITIALLY STARTED THAT AND, AND, UH, COULDN'T GET IT OVER THE GOAL LINE. AND CHARLES CUNNINGHAM WAS ABLE TO, AND, YOU KNOW, TALK ABOUT LEARNING. I HAD NO IDEA THE LEGISLATURE WORKED ON MEMORIAL DAY, UH, AND HERE, ME AND YOU WERE ON THE PHONE MEMORIAL DAY TRYING TO, TO ROUND UP THE VOTES TO GET THE PASSED OUT OF THE SENATE COMMITTEE. AND IT WAS, UH, LIKE I SAID, IT WAS QUITE THE LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR ME. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE JOB YOU GUYS DID. THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP. COUNCILOR MARTINEZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, AND JOSH, SAME THING TO YOU AND YOUR TEAM. JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK YOU'VE DONE. UH, I KNOW INITIALLY GREEN SPACE WAS NOT ON THE PRIORITY LIST, BUT I APPRECIATE, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU THE MAYOR AND REALLY FOCUSING ON THOSE TYPES OF PROJECTS. QUALITY OF LIFE CONTINUES TO BE A, AN IMPORTANCE, AND THAT'S ONE WAY THAT WE CAN IMPROVE COMMUNITIES. I ALSO WANNA, UH, DEFINITELY GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO SENATOR ALVARADO FOR HELPING WITH GREAT SEPARATION, UH, SPECIFICALLY THE ONE NEAR MILBY. UM, BUT JUST GENERALLY JUST TO BE ABLE TO HIGHLIGHT WHAT, WHAT, UH, THAT DOES TO COMMUNITIES SPECIFICALLY IN THE EAST END. UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, JUST GREAT WORK. I ALSO WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO, UH, REPRESENTATIVE WALLY, UM, SOMEONE THAT DOES NOT OVERLAP MY DISTRICT, BUT HE'S A LEADER THERE AT IN AUSTIN. AND SEVERAL TIMES HE HAD COMMUNICATED WITH ME SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HE WAS DOING TO HELP PUSH, UH, PUSH, UH, HOUSTON'S UM, UM, PRIORITIES. AND SO, UH, THANK YOU TO THE TEAM, THANK YOU MAYOR, FOR REALLY, UH, COALESCING A, UH, YOU KNOW, A TEAM THAT COULD SEE RESULTS FINANCIALLY FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON AS WELL. SO, UH, JUST GREAT SHOUT OUT FOR EVERYBODY. THANK YOU. VERY WELL, COUNCILOR POLLARD. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I TOO WANT TO THANK YOU ALL, NOT ONLY FOR THE PRESENTATION, UH, BUT ALL THE HARD WORK, YOU AND YOUR ENTIRE TEAM, UM, THAT CAN BE A MARATHON OF, OF, OF A SESSION. UM, THEY START OUT KIND OF SLOW AND THEN YOU WAIT FOR THE COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS. AND IT SEEMS LIKE THE LAST SEVERAL WEEKS, IT'S, IT'S NONSTOP. UH, SO, UM, THE PRESENTATION, UH, LEAVES US VERY OPTIMISTIC ABOUT OUR FUTURE. AND I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR THE WORK. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. THANK YOU MAYOR AND JOSH TO YOU AND YOUR TEAM. A BIG CONGRATULATIONS, UM, FOR THE SUCCESSFUL SESSION. YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF BIG PRIORITIES, AND THOSE PRIORITIES OFTENTIMES COME WITH BIG PRICE TAGS. AND, UH, Y'ALL BROUGHT SOME DOLLARS THAT WILL HELP IN A BIG WAY FOR CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE TO OUR PARKS. UM, AND YOU KNOW, THERE'S THREE OF THOSE PARKS YOU LISTED. WE'RE IN DISTRICT H. UH, I KNOW THAT THOSE PARKS ABSOLUTELY ARE GOING TO, YOU KNOW, NEED THAT, THAT MONEY TO HELP. UM, AND I WANT TO THANK REPRESENTATIVE MORALES AND WALLY FOR WORKING WITH Y'ALL, UH, TO GET THOSE ACROSS THE FINISH LINE. SO BIG KUDOS. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MAYOR PLUMMER, THANK YOU MAYOR. AND I WANNA THANK Y'ALL AS WELL. I KNOW HOW HARD IT CAN BE SOMETIMES TO CONVINCE OTHER PEOPLE THAT DON'T LIVE IN THE AREA, UM, HOW IMPORTANT THESE ISSUES ARE. AND, UM, AND WE CAN'T DO THIS BY HERSELF. HOUSTON CANNOT, UM, FIX ALL THE PROBLEMS THAT WE HAVE ON OUR OWN. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR HARD WORK AND YOUR DILIGENCE, YOUR PERSISTENCE, THANK YOU TO THE TEAM, UM, THAT MADE IT HAPPEN AS WELL. AND, UM, SO CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR ALCORN. I DIDN'T WANNA BE THE ONLY ONE NOT TO SAY ANYTHING, BUT, UH, IT MIGHT SEEM LIKE I WAS UNGRATEFUL, BUT YOU GUYS DID A GREAT JOB. CARLA HALSEY, BIG SHOUT OUT. SHE WAS MY GUIDE AROUND THE CAPITOL THAT DAY, AND WE HAD A GREAT TIME. UM, KUDOS TO TASHA JACKSON ON REALLY WORKING THIS FILM THING. THAT WAS A FUN DAY. THAT WAS MEDIA FOR TEXAS. UM, ONE OF THE FOUNDERS OF THAT GROUP IS ACTUALLY A GOOD FRIEND OF MY DAUGHTERS, AND THEY JUST, THEY JUST KILLED IT. I THOUGHT DOING THAT WHOLE, THEY LINED UP THE WHOLE CAPITOL GROUNDS WITH EVERY JOB THAT WAS ASSOCIATED WITH MAKING FILMS OR MAKING ANY KIND OF TV OR COMMERCIAL OR ANYTHING IN THE STATE, FROM TRANSPORTATION TO MAKEUP, TO CASTING TO EVERYTHING, AND HOW MUCH MONEY THAT COULD BRING. THEY HAD THE FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS, PEOPLE OUT THERE DOING A SCENE. IT, IT WAS, IT WAS GREAT. GREAT JOB. AND I, I GOT TO DELIVER THANK YOU NOTES TO THE COMMITTEE, THE EFFICIENCY COMMITTEE, UM, UH, TESTIMONY. AND THAT WAS, IT WAS JUST FUN GOING AROUND EVERYBODY AND, AND, AND, AND URGE PEOPLE TO VOTE ON THESE WATER INFRASTRUCTURE BILLS. UH, YOU GUYS HAVE A BIG JOB AND YOU DID A GREAT JOB. AND I DIDN'T WANNA SEEM UNGRATEFUL OVER HERE BEING QUIET. SO, , COUNCILOR DAVIS, THANK YOU, MAYOR JOSH, TEAM. GREAT JOB. WONDERFUL. I'M JUST ADDING MY LITTLE TWO BIT IN, BUT I TELL YOU, IT, IT REALLY SHOWS, IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE WHEN YOU HAVE PROFESSIONAL LEADERSHIP, PROFESSIONAL LEGISLATURE IN, UH, IN THE MAYOR. AND KUDOS TO YOU, MAYOR, BECAUSE YOU HAD TO PUT A TEAM TOGETHER. VISION, I SAY TO PEOPLE, WHETHER FOLK, OR BELIEVE IT OR NOT, WORD OF GOD SAYS, WHERE THERE'S NO VISION, PEOPLE PERISH. AND THAT'S A FACT. BUT YOU DON'T HAVE ANY VISION, THEN YOU CAN'T LEAD ANYBODY NOWHERE. YOU'RE JUST TAKING A WALK. SO I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU GUYS. IT WAS AWESOME TO SEE, AND PARTICULARLY [04:25:01] WHEN IT COME TO THE WATER, AND I DON'T KNOW IF PEOPLE REALLY UNDERSTAND THE SERIOUSNESS OF IT, THAT WATER TREATMENT PLANT AND THE EFFORT OF THAT, BECAUSE I HOPE TO SEE MORE COMING WITH THAT. 'CAUSE PEOPLE DO NOT KNOW WHAT KIND OF DISASTER THIS CITY WILL UNDERGO IF THAT WATER PLANT DON'T SUPPLY THE WATER. AND MY LAST STATEMENT I TOOK, I WAS WITH LIKE 17 HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AT THE COCA-COLA PLANT OUT THERE IN ALDEN. AND THE, SO WHAT MOST PEOPLE DON'T KNOW, THE PEOPLE THAT WE SUPPLY WATER TO COCA-COLA TO SELL, THEY THE SUN OF WATER, THAT'S HOUSTON'S WATER. YEAH. THAT PEOPLE ARE BUYING OUT OF THE STORE. OKAY? SO I THINK PEOPLE NEED TO REALLY UNDERSTAND THE VISION OF WHAT THE MAYOR IS DOING, AND I WANT TO COMMEND ALL OF YOU FOR, FOR THAT. AND SO LOOKING FORWARD TO MORE GREATER LEGISLATION, BECAUSE CERTAINLY WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING BY THE YOUNG TEENAGERS AND WEAPONS AND KILLING AND ROBBING. THAT'S ANOTHER PIECE THAT WE NEED TO START DEALING WITH. SO THANK Y'ALL SO MUCH. THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? UH, BEFORE WE CLOSE, THE DIRECTORS, THANK YOU. YOUR LIAISONS WERE SO VALUABLE. SO THANK, THANK THE DIRECTORS IN YOUR LIAISONS. UH, MAYOR, I JUST HAVE ONE MORE THING TO ADD. UM, I, I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH WONDERFUL THINGS ABOUT THE LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION FROM THE CITY OF HOUSTON. UM, WE ARE BY FAR THE LARGEST DELEGATION WHEN IT COMES TO THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE. WE HAVE CLOSE TO 30 STATE REPS. WE'VE GOT, I THINK SEVEN OR EIGHT SENATORS. NINE, NINE, EXCUSE ME. UM, BUT YOU HEAR ALL THE TIME FROM PEOPLE IN THERE THAT THERE'S THIS CONSTANT SAYING THAT YOU COULD HAVE YOUR OWN LEGISLATIVE SESSION. JUST TO WORK ON THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S ISSUES. UM, WE HAVE FROM OUR DELEGATION, WE'VE GOT CHAIRMAN OF CAUCUS OF CAUCUSES, POLITICAL CAUCUSES. WE HAVE HAVE CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEES, CHAIRWOMEN OF COMMITTEES, WE'VE GOT LEADERS IN BOTH PARTIES, AND WE ARE A VERY BIPARTISAN COLLABORATIVE CAUCUS. UM, AND FOR, WITHOUT THE SUPPORT OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS WORKING TOGETHER AND PULLING IN THE SAME DIRECTION FOR OUR BENEFIT, WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO BE GIVING THIS PRESENTATION IN SUCH A POSITIVE LIGHT TODAY. UM, SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE GIVE A VERY BIG SHOUT OUT AND, AND VERY STRONG THANK YOU TO THE LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION FROM THE CITY OF HOUSTON IN OUR SURROUNDING AREA. VERY WELL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. GO TO WORK NOW. , LET'S GO TO WORK. . MS. [CONSENT AGENDA] SECRETARY, WOULD YOU PLEASE MOVE TO THE CONSENT AGENDA UNDER THE MISCELLANEOUS CATEGORY? ITEMS ONE AND TWO NEED A MOTION CAST TO MOVE SECOND MOTIONS, MOTIONS MADE, AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES UNDER THE ACCEPT WORK CATEGORY. ITEMS THREE AND FIVE HAVE BEEN REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. NEED A MOTION ON ITEM FOUR, CAST TATUM, MOVE MOTIONS MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES UNDER THE PURCHASING AND TABULATION OF BIDS CATEGORY ITEM SIX AND SEVEN. NEED A MOTION. CASTEX TAYLOR, MOVE SECOND. ALL MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES UNDER THE ORDINANCES CATEGORY ITEMS 9, 10, 16, 25, 26, AND 31 HAVE BEEN REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. AGAIN, THOSE NUMBERS ARE 9, 10, 16, 25, 26, AND 31. NEED A VOTE ON THE BALANCE? ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. ITEM THREE IS [CONSIDERATION OF MATTERS REMOVED FROM CONSENT AGENDA] A MOTION. UM, ITEM THREE NEEDS A MOTION. CASTEX, TATUM, MOVE. SECOND. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. ITEM FIVE NEEDS A MOTION. CASTEX TATUM, MOVE SECOND. MOTIONS MADE AND SECONDED. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED TO NAY. MOTION PASSES. ITEM NINE IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE, I'M SORRY. COUNCIL MEMBER [04:30:01] EVAN SHABA. I'M SORRY MAYOR, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE A COMMENT. UM, CAREER AND RECOVERY RESOURCES HAS BEEN JUST A TREMENDOUS HELP TO US IN MY DISTRICT AND CERTAINLY FOR HOMELESSNESS. AND SO I CERTAINLY SUPPORT THE ITEM, UH, AND JUST WANT TO GIVE THEM A SHOUT OUT. AND KUDOS FOR THE KIND OF COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP THAT THEY HAVE DONE THAT HAS CHANGED LIVES, INDUSTRY D. AND SO I WANTED TO PUBLICLY THANK THEM AND LET EVERYONE KNOW THAT I AM SUPPORTING THIS AMENDMENT. THANK YOU. I MEAN THIS ITEM. THANK YOU MAYOR COUNCILMAN. MARTINEZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I JUST ALSO WANNA SHOW MY SUPPORT FOR, UH, CAREER AND RECOVERY AS WELL. UM, THIS, THIS AGREEMENT WAS ACTUALLY STARTED OUT OF DISTRICT, UH, B AND DISTRICT I ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO, AND I WAS HAPPY TO WORK WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, THE COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON'S CHIEF OF STAFF AT THAT TIME. SO, UH, JUST TO, UH, YOU KNOW, KIND OF PIGGYBACK OFF OF COUNCILOR SHABAZ, UH, CAREER AND RECOVERY HAS BEEN DOING A GREAT JOB. UH, THEY CONTINUE TO BE SUPPORTIVE, NOT, NOT JUST, UH, ON THE DAY-TO-DAY, BUT ALSO IN DISASTER RECOVERY. AND SO, UH, ALSO JUST A QUICK SHOUT OUT AND, AND LOOK FORWARD TO PASSING THIS AS WELL, IF I COULD. COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABA. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND, AND JUST BECAUSE PEOPLE MAY NOT KNOW, CAREER RECOVERY PROVIDES JOB TRAINING, EMPLOYMENT SUPPORT, AND SUBSTANCE, UM, ABUSE INTERVENTION. AND SO, UH, AGAIN, THEY'RE A TREMENDOUS PARTNER, BUT A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY DO. AND SO I THOUGHT, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT YOU KNOW HOW IMPORTANT THAT ORGANIZATION IS, UH, NOT JUST FOR DISTRICT D, BUT FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON. THANK YOU. THAT'S ALL. VOTE ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 10 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE BEFORE WE VOTE. I WANT EVERYONE TO REALIZE THE IMPACT OF THIS VOTE. UM, IT'S ACTUALLY RAISING THE AMOUNT OF HOME REPAIR LIMITS FROM SIX TO 10,000. BUT ALSO I WANT EVERYONE TO REALIZE THIS GOES BACK TO 2021 FREEZE URI. IT'LL SPEND 40 MILLION ON HOME REPAIRS. AND CERTAINLY WE'VE, AS WE FOCUS ON HOME REPAIRS, WE CAN CELEBRATE THIS PASSAGE TODAY. BUT IT ALSO AMPLIFIES THE PROBLEM THAT HUD HAS IN OUR CURRENT RECOVERY FUND DISCUSSION. BECAUSE THIS, THIS HAS GO BACK TO 2021 STORM. IT'S BEEN DELAYED FOR WAY TOO LONG. WE'VE GOTTA COME UP WITH A SYSTEM OF TRANSPARENCY AND, AND EXPEDITING MATTERS. UH, BUT IT ALSO SHOWS THE CITY'S COMMITMENT TO HOME REPAIRS. AND IT, IT'S UNFORTUNATE THE MISINFORMATION THAT GOES OUT ABOUT THIS BODY IN MY ADMINISTRATION IN TERMS OF COMMITMENT. OF COURSE, WE'D LIKE TO REPAIR EACH AND EVERY HOME, BUT HERE'S A LIVING EXAMPLE OF HOW CUMBERSOME IN THE PAST, LACK OF TRANSPARENCY. AND WE'RE TRYING TO REPAIR A RELATIONSHIP WITH HUD TO SHOW THAT WHEN WE ASK FOR MONEY AND RECEIVE IT, WE PUT IT TO GOOD USE. SO HERE'S LIVING EXAMPLE OF THE BENEFITS WE'RE PROVIDING AND ALSO THE CHALLENGES TO USE THE MONEY PROPERLY. IT IS A SHAME THAT IT'S JUST NOW BEING APPROVED AND PROCESSED, GOING BACK TO 2021. AND THERE ARE OTHER EXAMPLES. AND WHILE I'M TALKING ABOUT CREDIBILITY IN REPAIRING DAMAGE WITH HUD, THE SECRETARY YESTERDAY WAS VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE FACT THAT SOMEONE GOT MONEY FOR AIR CONDITIONING AT CUNY HOMES AND NEVER INSTALLED THEM. AND THAT WE GOT A COMPLEX ON MIDDLE STREET THAT OUGHT TO BE HOLDING 400 FAMILIES. AND IT'S STILL UNOCCUPIED BECAUSE OF THE CONFLICTS OF INTEREST, THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS, AND THE LACK OF CREDIBILITY OF PREVIOUS DECISION MAKERS. AND THEY DID TAKE NOTICE THAT WE HAVE REPLACED THE ENTIRE BOARD OF THE HOUSING AUTHORITY AND THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT. WITH THAT SAID, LET'S GET ON WITH OUR WORK OF PROVIDING THESE RESOURCES FOR WHAT THEY WERE INTENDED. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. [04:35:03] ITEM 16 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 25 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE BY COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON, BY COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. ITEM 26 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 31 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES THE TIME'S. ALL THIS TAKING PLACE, 10 30. ITEM 34 IS A MOTION TO SET A PUBLIC HEARING DATE. CASTEX TATUM MOVED TO SET THE PUBLIC HEARING DATE FOR 9:00 AM WEDNESDAY, JULY 9TH, 2025. I SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NATE. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 35 [MATTERS HELD] ARE THE PROPOSED CIP AMENDMENTS. I'LL JUST START WITH 1 0 1. NUMBER 1 0 1, COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ. THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, EXPLAIN, SORRY. EXPLAIN AMENDMENTS 1 0 1, 1 0 2 AND 1 0 3. THESE ARE MEASURES THAT SEEK TO INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF INFORMATION ABOUT CHANGES TO INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS IN THE CIP, UH, FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS TO GET MORE TIMELY INFORMATION SO THAT THEY CAN USE IT, UH, MORE EFFECTIVELY TO REPRESENT THEIR CONSTITUENTS. THESE ARE ATTEMPTS TO IMPROVE TRANSPARENCY AND TRUST IN OUR GOVERNMENT. 1 0 1 WOULD REQUIRE THE ADMINISTRATION TO PROVIDE COUNCIL MEMBERS WITH A MONTHLY REPORT DETAILING CHANGES TO CIP PROJECTS ALREADY APPROVED BY COUNCIL. COUNCIL MEMBERS COULD THEN EVALUATE THE INFORMATION AND BETTER EXPLAIN TO THEIR CONSTITUENTS WHY CHANGES WERE BEING MADE. IF THREE OR MORE COUNCIL MEMBERS OBJECTED TO THE CHANGES, THEY COULD UNDER AMENDMENT 1 0 2 BRING THE PROPOSED CHANGE TO THE FULL COUNCIL FOR A VOTE TO APPROVE OR DISAPPROVE. AMENDMENT 1 0 3 WOULD ALLOW A COUNCIL MEMBER TO REQUEST A PUBLIC HEARING ON A PROPOSED INFRASTRUCTURE CHANGE. THIS WOULD ALLOW CONSTITUENTS TO LEARN ABOUT CHANGES IN ADVANCE SO THAT THEY COULD WEIGH IN WITH THEIR THOUGHTS. I WANNA POINT OUT AMENDMENTS 1 0 1 AND 1 0 2 BUILD ON WORK THAT WAS ALREADY STARTED BY COUNCIL MEMBERS CAYMAN AND CASTILLO, AND ALSO THAT COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN, UH, WHO IS ABSENT TODAY IS A CO-SPONSOR OF 1 0 1 AND 1 0 2. NOW, SINCE THESE AMENDMENTS WERE FILED 12 DAYS AGO, I'VE HAD TWO HIGH LEVEL MEETINGS WITH YOUR STAFF MAYOR, DURING WHICH THE ADMINISTRATION EXPRESSED A COMMITMENT TO WORKING WITH THE COUNCIL TO DESIGN A MECHANISM FOR SHARING INFORMATION MORE TIMELY ABOUT INFRASTRUCTURE CHANGES BEFORE THEY ARE MADE SO THAT COUNCIL MEMBERS CAN EFFECTIVELY REPRESENT THEIR CONSTITUENTS. THESE DISCUSSIONS HAVE BEEN VALUABLE BECAUSE WE'VE ALSO TALKED ABOUT SOME FLAWS IN THE GENERAL CIP PROCESS AS A WHOLE. WE DISCUSSED FORMING, CONVENING A COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE WHERE THESE ISSUES CAN BE DISCUSSED AND DEBATED AND, UH, MORE PRACTICAL ISSUES SURROUNDING. UM, THE CIP CAN BE DISCUSSED BY COUNCIL AS WELL. THE ADMINISTRATION HAS PROPOSED CONVENING A COUNCIL COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE, CHARGED WITH CRAFTING NOT MERELY AMENDMENTS TO THIS YEAR'S CIP THAT WOULD ONLY BE EFFECTIVE FOR THIS YEAR, BUT AN ORDINANCE THAT WOULD MAKE THESE SORTS OF TRANSPARENCY MEASURES PERMANENT AND DO SO IN A WORKABLE FASHION. THE ADMINISTRATION HAS PROPOSED CONVENING THIS COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE, AND I'M GONNA MOVE THAT THIS COMMITTEE MEET WITHIN 30 DAYS TO BEGIN TO DISCUSSING THESE TYPES OF MEASURES. UM, SUCH A COMMITTEE SETTING WOULD ALLOW EACH COUNCIL MEMBER TO STUDY AND WEIGH IN AND ALLOW DEPARTMENT HEADS TO SHARE PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS AS WELL. AND ALSO CONDUCT IN PUBLIC VIEW, UH, OUR DELIBERATIONS AND ALLOW FOR THE PUBLIC TO COMMENT ON WHAT WE ARE DOING WITH THIS SHARED VISION IN MIND. MAYOR, I MOVE TO REFER THESE MEASURES TO A COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE TO BE CONVENED WITHIN 30 DAYS. WELL, LET ME, [04:40:01] UM, THANK YOU FOR, FOR BEING SO ACTIVE ON THIS, ON THIS MATTER. I DO THINK THE REASON WE NEED TO ALL BE ENGAGED IS I THINK THERE WAS SOME MISUNDERSTANDING. CERTAINLY IT WAS REPORTED, UH, INCORRECTLY BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN'S CONCERNS ABOUT TS PROJECTS THAT ARE BEING REVIEWED AND LISTENING TO THE PUBLIC AND DECISIONS BEING MADE TO IMPROVE THOSE PROJECTS WITH COMMUNITY INPUT VERSUS YOUR INTENT, I BELIEVE TO HAVE THE CIP PROJECTS REVIEWED. AND WHAT WE NEED TO HAVE IS A GOOD DIALOGUE AMONG ALL THE MEMBERS, REALLY ABOUT THE CIP PROCESS. I'M SURE YOU'RE AWARE THERE, THERE ARE ITEMS ON THE CIP LIST THAT HAVE BEEN ON THEIR 10 AND 15 YEARS MEMBERS. WE GOTTA REVIEW THAT. IF WE WANT THE PUBLIC AND IF WE WANT THE CREDIBILITY WITH THE PUBLIC AND THE PEOPLE THAT COME DOWN HERE AND MAKE REQUESTS, WE GOTTA LET 'EM KNOW WHAT IT REALLY MEANS. AND I'VE HEARD MORE THAN ONE MEMBER SAY IT'S ESSENTIALLY A WISH LIST. SO WHAT YOU OR HAVE PROPOSED BEFORE THIS POINT IS THAT WE LOOK AT THE PROCESS AND PROGRESS OF THE CIP ITEMS AND THERE'S NO PLANS FOR 'EM BEFORE US, AND THERE WON'T BE UNTIL THEY GET ACTIVATED. SO I CAN'T BELIEVE, YOU KNOW, I RAN FOR MAYOR TO FIX MATTERS. SO YOU GOT THE PUBLIC AND YOU GOT THE ENERGY FOR A CIP LIST, AND THERE'S ITEMS BEEN ON THERE LONGER THAN SOME OF Y'ALL THAT ARE INCUMBENTS 15, 10 YEARS. WHAT, WHY ARE WE OPERATING LIKE THEM? SO THAT'S WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO INCLUDE BASED ON YOUR WORK AND AND MESSAGING. AND CERTAINLY COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN, AND I FORGET WHO THE THIRD WAS. I THINK COUNCIL MEMBER PECK CASTILLO, UM, CASTILLO, UH, FOLKS, WE CAN'T CONTINUE TO HOLD OUT A-C-C-I-P LIST IS IS A POSSIBILITY OR, OR GOING TO HAPPEN, WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ON THERE LONGER THAN ANYONE IN THE HORSESHOES EVEN BEEN IN COUNCIL. IT'S JUST NOT FAIR. IT'S NOT GOOD GOVERNMENT. AND I THINK WE CAN DO BETTER AND WE MIGHT LESS IF WE'RE GONNA HAVE A CIP LIST, LET'S GIVE REPORTS. AND THE PORTS REPORTS SAYS WE DON'T HAVE ANY PLANS FOR 'EM. THEY'RE JUST CONVERSATIONS AT THIS POINT THAT INVOLVE LARGE EXPENDITURE OF FUNDING. BUT THERE'S NO MONTHLY REPORT TO GIVE BECAUSE YOU GOTTA GO FIND THE ONES THAT WERE PUT ON THERE 15 YEARS AGO. YOU WANT A MONTHLY REPORT ON IT? I'LL TELL YOU, IT'S BE PRETTY INCORRECT. ANYWAY. THANK YOU. RIGHT. AND MAY I ADD MAYOR? UH, NO, I APPRECIATE THOSE, APPRECIATE THOSE COMMENTS. AND, AND I'M JUST AS TRANSPARENT, RANDY ALREADY, HE'S SITTING OUT THERE AN AUDIENCE. ANY REPORT ON ANY PROJECT YOU WANT MONTHLY, WEEKLY, YOU CAN HAVE NOW. I THINK WE NEED TO BE MINDFUL. THEY GOT A LOT OF WORK TO DO, BUT THE REPORTS ARE VERY ESSENTIAL TO US REPRESENTING OUR DISTRICTS. BUT THE TS THEIR MEETING, LISTENING TO THE PUBLICS, MARLENE'S WORKING WITH THEM, WE HAVE INPUT WITH THEM, WE MAKE WISE DECISIONS AND WE GO FORWARD. SO I'M SORRY IF I CUT YOU OFF. NO, NO, YOU, THAT'S FINE. UH, I APPRECIATE ALL THAT, MAYOR AND, AND, UH, I REALIZE THE CIP IS LARGELY ASPIRATIONAL, RIGHT? THAT'S A GOOD TERM. BUT, BUT WHEN, WHEN WE PASS A CIP WITH DEFINED PROJECTS ON IT, THAT CREATES AN EXPECTATION ON THE PART, NOT ONLY OF COUNCIL MEMBERS, BUT THE PUBLIC. SURE. AND AFTER A WHILE, THEY WONDER, WELL, WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT PROJECT THAT WAS ON THE LIST THAT YOU TOLD ME THE CITY WAS GONNA GET COMPLETED? AND, UM, WE NEED TO BE MORE TRANSPARENT WITH OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THE PUBLIC. AND THAT WAS REALLY THE WHOLE IMPETUS BEHIND THIS. SURE. BUT, BUT THEN THE OTHER THING I WANNA MENTION TOO IS, AND, AND I'M NOT SAYING THIS ADMINISTRATION HAS BEEN GUILTY OF IT, BUT THERE HAVE BEEN, NOW, LET'S SAY THIS ONE HAS NOT BEEN, HAS NOT BEEN ALRIGHT. THERE, THERE HAVE BEEN ADMINISTRATIONS THAT WOULD PUNISH COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, FOR NOT SUPPORTING ONE THING OR ANOTHER, THAT THAT ADMINISTRATION WAS PUSHING THIS ADMINISTRATION HASN'T DONE THAT. HOWEVER, I'D LIKE TO END UP WITH A, WITH A PRODUCT THAT YEAH. THAT, THAT ENSURES THAT WON'T [04:45:01] HAPPEN GOING FORWARD. WHOEVER THE MAYOR IS, AND I JOIN YOU IN THAT. THANK YOU. AND, AND THE THE LAST THING I WOULD SAY IS I'VE HEARD FROM MANY, UH, MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY WHO SUPPORT THIS IDEA AND WANNA SEE IT MOVE FORWARD. AND SO, UH, TO TO THOSE OF YOU, I SAY WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT GIVING UP, WE'RE NOT WAVING THE WHITE FLAG ON THIS. WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE PUTTING IT IN A SETTING WHERE WE CAN PASS A MORE PERMANENT ORDINANCE THAT WILL APPLY NOT JUST TO THIS YEAR'S CIP, BUT GOING FORWARD AND, AND, AND NOT JUST TO CIP PROJECTS, BUT TO INFRASTRUCTURE, INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS AS WELL. AND SO, WE'LL, WE'LL DISCUSS THESE ISSUES AND END UP HOPEFULLY WITH, WITH A GOOD PRODUCT THAT EVERYONE WILL LIKE. WELL, I APPLAUD YOU. I DO SAY AGAIN, AS WE GO FORWARD, DISTINGUISH THE CIP PROJECTS VERSUS THE ONGOING IMPROVEMENT THAT DETERS ARE UNDERTAKING AND GOING FORWARD WITH. AND FOR ANYONE TO EVEN CONCEIVE THAT I'VE USED REPRISALS OR ANY TYPE PRESSURE, IT JUST HASN'T EXISTED. YOU KNOW, THAT I HAVE AN OPEN DOOR, THE DIRECTORS ARE HERE. YOU KNOW, PREVIOUS MAYORS THAT YOU REFERENCED WOULDN'T EVEN LET COUNCIL MEMBERS TALK TO THE DIRECTORS. IT WAS HIS DIRECTORS. THESE DIRECTORS ARE OUR DIRECTORS, THE PUBLIC'S DIRECTORS, AND YOU CAN HAVE AS MUCH ACCESS AND INFORMATION AS YOU WANT. AND THAT'S BEEN THE CASE, BUT IT CAN ALWAYS BE IMPROVED. I, SINCE I GOT HERE, HAVE BEEN CONCERNED ABOUT THE ACCURACY OF THE CIP LIST AND CERTAINLY THE PUBLIC'S UNDERSTANDING. IT'S LONG OVERDUE. SO I APPLAUD YOUR WORK. I THINK WE'LL HAVE A GOOD DIALOGUE WITH ALL THE MEMBERS AND WE'LL HAVE A BETTER PRODUCT. AND I APPRECIATE THE COLLABORATION. BUT SOMEBODY OUGHT TO DO A REVIEW. OUR FRIENDS IN THE PRESS GO BACK AND SEE THE LONGEST PROJECT, THE PROJECT THAT'S BEEN ON THE CIP LIST THE LONGEST. AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO SEE ANYTHING ELSE. THEY'RE 15 YEARS OLD, SO I ASSUME YOU WANT TO UPDATE ON ALL OF THOSE. BUT ANYWAY, WE'RE GONNA GET A WORK PRODUCT OUT HERE. COUNCILMAN POLLY. THANK YOU, MAYOR. IT, IT IS INTERESTING THAT WE, WE TALK ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE SOME OF YOU ALL WERE HERE, BUT I, I DON'T REMEMBER A TIME WHEN COUNCIL MEMBERS COULDN'T GO TO A DEPARTMENT HEAD AND SPEAK TO THEM DIRECTLY ABOUT SOMETHING. I THINK THERE'S ALWAYS BEEN A OPEN LINE OF COMMUNICATION. UH, THE CIP HAS OVER TIME VERY MUCH MORPHED INTO SOMETHING THAT IS VERY ASPIRATIONAL. I THINK THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE DO NEED TO CHANGE. UM, BUT I DON'T WANT IT TO PUT OUT TO THE PUBLIC THAT WE WERE IN SOME SORT OF, UM, WORLD WHERE WE COULD NOT AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, ADDRESS DEPARTMENT HEADS OR GET CERTAIN INFORMATION. THAT'S NOT TRUE. MANY OF THE MEMBERS THAT, UH, CAME FORWARD AND HAVE SPOKEN TO ME ABOUT THIS AMENDMENT, WHICH I DON'T REALLY THINK IS A TRUE CIP AMENDMENT, UH, I THINK IT'S MORE OF A POLICY CHANGE IS BASED ON PROJECTS THAT WERE ON THE BOOKS, UH, OVER THE PAST YEAR OR TWO THAT HAVE CHANGED OR HAVE, UH, EITHER BEEN REVISED OR STOPPED, UH, WITHOUT PROPER NOTICE TO THE DISTRICT MEMBERS. AND THERE WAS, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO'S PROJECT WHEN HE FIRST GOT ELECTED. THERE WAS ALL THESE CONVERSATIONS IN ABBEY'S DISTRICT. I KNOW THERE'S BEEN SOME IN MIND. SO THAT'S WHERE THE CONVERSATION CAME FROM. CONVERSATION HAS COME FROM LACK OF TRANSPARENCY AND NOTICE WHEN WE HEAR LAST MINUTE ABOUT CHANGES TO ONGOING PROJECTS. YEAH. UM, THAT MANY TIMES MAY NOT EVEN BE ON THE CIP SPECIFICALLY, UM, BUT COULD BE UNDER PUBLIC WORKS OR COULD BE UNDER HERS OR WHATEVER. SO I DO WANNA, UH, GIVE YOU MY PERSPECTIVE ON THAT SINCE I WAS HERE, UM, IN A PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION COUNCIL MEMBER. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IF, IF YOU WANT TO SPEAK MORE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW I VIEW THINGS, THEN, UM, SO THAT, THAT YOU CAN HAVE A, A, A GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF HOW WE OPERATE IT THEN AS OPPOSED TO NOW, AND I'M NOT SAYING ONE WAY IS BETTER THAN THE OTHER, BUT YOU, YOU, YOU CONTINUOUSLY REFERENCE, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE YOU WERE HERE. SURE. AND, UM, YOU CAN SPEAK TO, YOU KNOW, MANY OF US THAT WERE HERE KIND OF MAY NOT AGREE TOTALLY WITH, WITH YOUR, WITH YOUR, WITH YOUR SENTIMENT. SO I DO WANT TO THROW THAT OUT THERE AND REALLY GET DOWN TO THE REAL REASON WHY I BELIEVE THE PUBLIC [04:50:01] HAS BEEN CALLING ALL OF OUR PHONES AND SENDING, SENDING US ALL OF OUR EMAILS BASED ON, UH, THE AMENDMENT THAT YOU PROPOSED. THANK YOU. WELL, THANK YOU. I RESPECT YOUR, YOUR VIEWS, BUT YOU CAN'T REWRITE HISTORY. PEOPLE DID WATCH THE VIDEO TAPES, AND I HAVE TALKED, AND IT'S DOCUMENTED TALKING TO SOME OF OUR EXISTING DIRECTORS AND THOSE THAT HAVE LEFT THE CITY. UH, IT WAS VERY CLEAR, UH, THE DIRECTION THAT COUNCIL MEMBERS AND DIRECTORS RECEIVED AND IT'S DOCUMENTED ON COUNCIL MEETINGS. I'LL JUST GIVE YOU MY, MY PERSPECTIVE AS OKAY. AND IT'S REAL, YOU KNOW, AND I WAS ADDRESSING COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. THANK YOU. WELL, I'M JUST RESPONDING TO YOUR THROWING OUT SOMETHING AS YOU REFER IT. UH, MAYOR PROTE STATE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I DO THINK THAT IT IS IMPORTANT THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH DIRECTORS. I I HAVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH EVERYBODY THAT WE WORK WITH IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. AND I FEEL LIKE I CAN PICK UP THE PHONE AND CALL ANY DIRECTOR AND TALK TO ANY PERSON, UM, IN THE CITY BECAUSE I WAS DULY ELECTED BY THE PEOPLE TO REPRESENT THEM. AND, UM, MAYOR, I KNOW THAT, UM, YOU HAVE SAID THAT COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE ACCESS TO DIRECTORS. UM, I DON'T FEEL LIKE COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE FELT LIKE THEY DID NOT HAVE ACCESS TO DIRECTORS. IT'S BEEN MY EXPERIENCE THAT IF WE CALLED THEY ANSWER, UM, AND IT WOULD, I WOULD HOPE THAT THAT WOULD CONTINUE, UM, BECAUSE THAT'S HOW WE REPRESENT THE PEOPLE OF HOUSTON. UM, BUT WHAT I WANTED TO SAY ABOUT CIP OVER THE YEARS, THAT PROCESS HAS CHANGED BECAUSE IT DEFINITELY WAS VERY ASPIRATIONAL PROJECTS WOULD GET ON THE CIP LIST, BUT THERE WAS NOT ACTUAL FUNDING FOR THOSE PROJECTS. AND SO THAT'S WHY WE MOVED FROM THE MEETINGS IN EVERY COUNCIL DISTRICT THAT WE USED TO DO CIP MEETINGS IN EVERY COUNCIL DISTRICT, THE PUBLIC WOULD COME AND THEY WOULD TALK ABOUT, THESE ARE THE PROJECTS I WANNA SEE IN MY DISTRICT. AND, AND, AND THE POLITICAL, UM, CONVERSATIONS THAT WOULD HAPPEN IN EVERY SINGLE DISTRICT. WE WOULD COME UP WITH THIS LIST OF PROJECTS THAT MADE IT TO THE CIP LIST. AND UNFORTUNATELY, THOSE PROJECTS WERE NOT, THERE WAS NO MONEY FOR THOSE PROJECTS. AND SO AT SOME POINT WE HAD TO STOP THAT BECAUSE WE WERE CREATING UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS FOR HOUSTONIANS. AND SO THAT'S WHERE WE ARE, WHICH IS PLAYING CATCH UP TO THE PROJECTS THAT ARE ON THE CIP LIST BECAUSE THERE ARE PROJECTS ON THE LIST NOW THAT HAVE BEEN ON THE LIST FOR A LONG TIME, BECAUSE EVERY YEAR THAT WE CONTINUE TO HAVE THOSE MEETINGS, WE WOULD EITHER ADD OR MOVE PROJECTS. UM, SO WE'VE GOT TO PLAY CATCH UP ON THE PROJECTS THAT ARE ON THE LIST, AND THEN ALSO REALISTICALLY, UM, LOOK AT HOW MUCH MONEY WE HAVE TO SPEND AND HOW MUCH MONEY THESE PROJECTS ACTUALLY COST SO THAT WE ARE CREATING REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS FOR HOUSTONIANS. UM, SO I THINK THAT IT'S BEEN SEVERAL ADMINISTRATIONS THAT WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT PROJECTS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON THAT NEED TO BE DONE. AND I DON'T THINK THAT EVEN AFTER, YOU KNOW, YOUR TERMS ARE DONE, MAYOR, THAT THAT WILL CHANGE. WE HAVE MORE NEEDS THAN WE HAVE MONEY. AND SO IT'S ABOUT PRIORITIZING AND MAKING SURE THAT WE SET REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS. AND I THINK THAT A LOT OF, UM, PEOPLE REALLY DON'T REALIZE HOW MUCH THESE PROJECTS COST AND HOW LONG IT TAKES TO GET FROM DESIGN TO ACTUALLY DIGGING DIRT ON AN ACTUAL PROJECT. AND SOMETIMES THAT, UM, TAKES LONGER THAN WE ARE HERE. UM, BECAUSE SOME OF THESE PROJECTS THAT ARE JUST NOW, UM, HAPPENING IN DISTRICT K, UH, WERE PROJECTS WHEN DISTRICT K WAS DISTRICT D. SO IT, IT, THE, THE SHIP DOESN'T MOVE FAST. AND ALTHOUGH WE WANT TO, UM, GET THE UPDATES, I AGREE THAT WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET UPDATES. BUT I MEAN, TO, TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT TO GIVE US A MONTHLY UPDATE ON A DESIGN IT, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT DESIGNED YET. THAT'S THE UPDATE , IT'S NOT DONE YET. I MEAN, I MEAN, GOOD POINT. I I DO THINK THAT IT, IT, IT MAKES SENSE FOR US TO GET THE UPDATES, UM, BUT I ALSO FEEL LIKE THIS, THIS, UM, AMENDMENT HAS TAKEN A TURN, UM, TO BECOME WHAT IT IS. AND, AND WE, WE DO NEED TO WORK ON POLICY FOR THE UPDATES, BUT I HOPE THAT PEOPLE WILL, UM, I WANNA SAY THIS THE RIGHT WAY, BE CIVIL CALL AND GET YOUR UPDATE AND WORK ON [04:55:01] THE PROJECTS THAT PEOPLE WANT TO SEE US DELIVER AS HOUSTONIANS. UM, I I I WOULD HATE FOR A DIRECTOR TO NOT NOT GIVE A COUNCIL MEMBER THE INFORMATION THAT THEY NEED. SURE. AND, UM, I THINK THE PEOPLE OF HOUSTON ARE DEPENDING ON US TO BE ABLE TO, UH, WORK TOGETHER TO DELIVER FOR THEM. I'M SURE YOU'RE AWARE RANDY RANDY'S THE MOST ACCOMMODATING AVAILABLE PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR IN ANYONE'S MEMORY. I MEAN, HE'S SUCH A GREAT PUBLIC SERVANT AND KNOWS WHO HE WORKS FOR HOUSTONIANS, AND YOU'RE THE VOICE, WE'RE THE VOICE OF HOUSTONIANS, AND YOU CAN GET AN UPDATE FROM HIM DAILY. HE'S GOT PEOPLE ASSIGNED TO PROVIDE THAT. SO, UH, IT IS THE TRANSPARENCY AND, AND REPORTS ARE VALUABLE AND EXPECTED. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I WANTED TO GO BACK TO THE POINT THAT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD, UH, INDICATED THAT, YOU KNOW, WHETHER THIS, WHERE'S THIS GOING? IS THIS MORE ABOUT AN AMENDMENT OR A POLICY CHAIN? EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER KNOWS WHAT, WHAT'S IN THEIR DISTRICT AND WHAT'S GOING ON OVER THE YEARS ABOUT PROJECTS. CIP UH, I'VE BEEN TO MANY CIP MEETINGS OF PRESENT ADMINISTRATIONS, YOU KNOW, BUT THIS IS JUST KIND OF TAKING IT TO A WHOLE NOTHER LEVEL, YOU KNOW, AND TO ME IT'S STRETCHING IT OUT. EVERY CONSTITUENT, IF THEY'RE CONCERNED ABOUT PROJECTS WITHIN THEY DISTRICT, THEY CAN, THEY CAN NOTIFY THEIR COUNCIL MEMBER AND FIND OUT, I DON'T, I, I SEE THIS AS PROBABLY MAYBE ONE INDIVIDUAL HAS A PROBLEM WITH THEIR PROJECTS GETTING MOVED. WE GO FROM BUDGET TO BUDGET TO BUDGET. AND AS MAYOR PRO TEM SAID, A LOT OF TIMES THESE PROJECTS IS JUST, THERE'S NO MONEY. JUST THE DOLLARS ARE NOT THERE. UM, THE, THE POINT THAT, UM, THE PARK THAT WAS IN, UH, DISTRICT DEED THAT MANY HAVE COME UP IN COUNCILMAN CHABON'S DISTRICT ABOUT THE CRESTMONT PARK. HEY, DOLLARS HAVE CHANGED. AND BY AND LARGE IT GOES FROM ONE BUDGET TO ANOTHER. SO I, I JUST THINK THAT THIS, WE JUST NEED TO MAKE UP OUR DECISION ABOUT WHETHER THIS SATISFIES AN AMENDMENT CHANGE OR POLICY CHANGE. SO I DON'T, I DON'T REALLY YEAH, YOU'RE, YOU'RE ON TO SOME, THIS IS PROBABLY NOT A PROPER AMENDMENT FOR CIP, IT'S MORE A POLICY, BUT OUTTA RESPECT FOR THE WORK THAT COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ HAS DONE, UH, WE'RE GOING FORWARD IN TRYING TO, UH, CREATE A BETTER PRODUCT. YEAH. AND CERTAINLY THE ONGOING PROJECTS BY THE TURS, WHICH I KNOW SOME MEMBERS WON'T DAILY MONTHLY REPORTS, UH, WE, WE CAN ALWAYS ACCOMMODATE THOSE. THAT'S ALL MARLENE DOES, IS WORK WITH THE TURS AND BRING US BACK INFORMATION. THAT'S ALL RANDY DOES. SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A APPLE'S AND ORANGES DISCUSSION THAT KIND OF BECAME THE ITEM BE BEING DISCUSSED. BUT MM-HMM . UH, THE CIP REPORTS, UH, THERE'S NOT EVEN A PLAN FOR MOST OF 'EM. SO I THINK THE EXPERIENCE OF, OF THE MAYOR PROM JUST SAYING THE REPORT WOULD BE THERE IS NO PLAN. RIGHT. BECAUSE MANY OF 'EM HAVE BEEN PUT ON THE LIST THAT PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MEMBERS KNEW THERE WAS NO MONEY AVAILABLE. YEAH. BUT THEY WANTED TO BE ABLE TO SHOW THAT THEY GOT SOMETHING ON THE LIST. AND I JUST DON'T THINK THAT'S GOOD GOVERNMENT. SO, WE'LL, WE'LL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP IT. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND I APPRECIATE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ'S AMENDMENTS, UH, BECAUSE I, I DO THINK THE MORE INFORMATION THAT DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE, THE MORE TRANSPARENCY WE HAVE WITH OUR CONSTITUENTS, THAT'S JUST GOOD GOVERNMENT. UM, AND A LOT OF GOOD QUESTIONS HAVE BEEN RAISED. AND, AND SO A COMMITTEE SOUNDS LIKE THE RIGHT PLACE TO GET THOSE QUESTIONS ANSWERED, TO HAVE A MORE IN DEPTH DISCUSSION. UM, AND THE CIP PROCESS AS A WHOLE, IF WE'RE LOOKING AT THE TRANSPARENCY COMPONENT, THEN LET'S LOOK AT THE CIP PROCESS AS A WHOLE AND MAKE REVISIONS THERE SO THAT WE COME UP WITH A BETTER PRODUCT FOR OUR CIP AND WE COME UP WITH A BETTER POLICY FOR TRANSPARENCY. UM, I'M NOT SURE IF YOU HAVE A SECOND FOR YOUR MOTION, BUT, UH, IF NOT, I'LL SECOND IT. WELL SAID. COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, SO WE'VE DISCUSSED ABOUT POLICY AND GOVERNANCE. I'M HAPPY TO TAKE THIS ON THE ETHICS AND GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE, UM, IN THE NEXT MONTH OR SO. UM, THE, THE OTHER ASPECT OF IT IS REALLY EDUCATION. AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE ARE, ARE MORE, UH, SENIOR COUNCIL MEMBERS HERE UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS. WE WENT THROUGH A, UH, [05:00:01] WORSE FIRST ABOUT, UH, 8, 9, 10 YEARS AGO, THAT THAT THEN BUMPED A LOT OF PROJECTS BACK RIGHT OFF AND THEN PRIORITIZE OTHERS THAT PROBABLY WEREN'T ON THE CIP. AND I THINK THAT CONVERSATION NEEDS TO BE HAD AND, AND AS, UH, AS A DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER. YEAH. I, I, I'VE, I'VE FOLLOWED, I'VE TRACKED THE LAST 11 YEARS OF, OF CIP PROJECTS. I'M SEEING WHAT'S HAPPENED AS WELL. HARVEY HAPPENED THAT BUMPED A LOT OF PROJECTS. UM, YOU KNOW, WE STARTED FOCUSING ON JUST DRAINAGE PROJECTS. AND I THINK, AGAIN, I I THINK IT'S MORE OF, OF AN EDUCATIONAL PROCESS THAT WE NEED TO HAVE MAYBE, AND I'M HAPPY TO TAKE IT, ETHICS AND GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE, UH, TO REALLY HAVE COMMUNITY UNDERSTAND THIS AS WELL. UM, YOU KNOW, I, I AGREE WITH PARAPRO, TIM, THE EXPECTATIONS, UH, SETTING, UH, REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS IS IMPORTANT. UM, AND SO, UM, OFFERING THE COMMITTEE, I THINK NOT ONLY FOR OURSELVES, SOME OF US THAT HAVE JUST JOINED ON AND MIGHT NOT UNDERSTAND THE CIP PROCESS, IT'S A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN ABOUT IT, UM, DIVE INTO IT. AND WHAT IT USED TO BE, BECAUSE 15 YEARS AGO, FOLKS WERE ABLE TO SUBMIT A PROJECT AND THEY WEREN'T BASED ON DATA. AND THOSE PROJECTS WERE BEING DONE. NOW WE ARE BASING PROJECTS, SPECIFICALLY INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS ON DATA, UM, YOU KNOW, WHERE THE WORST, WORST FIRST COMES INTO PLAY. UH, THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, WE HELP EDUCATE COMMUNITY WHY A PROJECT MIGHT HAVE BEEN, YOU KNOW, BUMPED OFF OR PUT OFF OF, UH, FURTHER YEARS. AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I KNOW YOU'VE SECONDED ALREADY, UH, COUNCILLOR CASTILLO, BUT I'M HAPPY TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE IT MORE SPECIFIC AND SAY, LET'S BRING IT TO THE ETHICS AND GOVERNANCE TO DISCUSS THE POLICY, DISCUSS THE GOVERNANCE OF, OF CIP, MAYOR PROTE. THANK YOU. UM, I THINK IT WAS A, A COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE, I KNOW THAT ALL OF THE, UM, COUNCIL MEMBERS WILL BE, UM, PRESENT AT THE COMMITTEE, I THINK WAS THE RECOMMENDATION TO DO A COMMITTEE OF THE, OF, OF THE HALL. YEAH. MINE IS A COMMITTEE OF THE, OF THE HALL AS WELL. OKAY. UM, BUT I WANTED TO ASK COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ, I KNOW YOU SAID 30 DAYS, WE'VE GOT A HOLIDAY COMING UP, AND I THINK THIS IS A, A BIG ISSUE, AND I THINK THE ADMINISTRATION SUGGESTED 90 DAYS. WOULD YOU BE OPEN TO 60 DAYS? I WOULD, UH, MAYOR PRO TEM. THE OTHER THING I WOULD ADD TO YOUR POINT ABOUT COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE IS THAT, UH, WE'VE HAD SOME DISCUSSIONS ABOUT DOING A JOINT BUDGET FINANCE COMMITTEE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETING OF THE WHOLE TO FACILITATE THIS AND THAT, THAT WOULD BE, UH, THAT WOULD BE FINE WITH ME. I THINK IT'S APPROPRIATE TO DO IT IN THAT SETTING. AND, UH, A 60 DAY TIMELINE, UH, WOULD WORK AS WELL. THANK YOU FOR US, AS REFER, YOU WANT TO COMMITTEE OF THE, REFER TO THE COMMITTEE, THE WHOLE RAMIR RAMIREZ. YOU WANNA MAKE YOUR MOTION TO THE COMMITTEE AS A WHOLE AND INCLUDING, UH, JOINT COMMITTEE WITH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UH, AND BFA AND HAVE A HEARING OR REPORT IN SIX JUNE. INTEND FOR A REPORT TO BE BACK IN 60 DAYS OR HOLD THE HEARING IN 60. I THINK YOU'D NEED TO HOLD, HOLD A COMMITTEE MEETING. YEAH. HOLD THE MEETING AND, AND LET'S SEE WHAT IT GENERATES. UM, AND THAT PROCESS AND HAVE TIMELY RETURN. I'LL CERTAINLY DO EVERYTHING I CAN TO EFFECTUATE THAT. UM, MEMBERS, YOU'VE HEARD THE MOTION. SECOND CASTILLO MOTION MADE AND SAY, ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. GOOD. GOOD JOB. UH, NOW ON PECK 6 0 1 COUNCIL MEMBER [NON CONSENT - MATTERS TO BE PRESENTED BY COUNCIL MEMBERS] PECK. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I HAVE FOUR AMENDMENTS. 6.01 IS RELATING TO THE HPD NORTHWEST STATION. UM, WE HAVE A TIME SENSITIVE OPPORTUNITY, UM, FOR, UM, SOME ABATEMENT AT A PROPERTY TO MOVE THE STATION TO. AND SO I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS MONEY AVAILABLE FOR THE $2 MILLION TO, UM, MOVE IT TO THIS FISCAL YEAR. SO I MOVED TO USE THE SUBSTITUTE LANGUAGE THAT IS PROVIDED ON EVERYONE'S MATRIX FOR $2 MILLION TO BE MOVED TO, UM, FISCAL YEAR 2026. UM, JUST NOTE ON 6 0 1 SUBSTITUTE. OKAY, WE NEED TO TAKE A VOTE ON 6 0 1. ALL IN FAVOR? WAIT, HOLD ON A SECOND. THIS IS SUPPORTED BY THE ADMINISTRATION FOR THE SUBSTITUTE. ALL IN FAVOR? ANY OPPOSED? ITEM PASSES 6.02. UM, MAYOR PERAM, IF IT'S OKAY, I'M GOING TO SKIP TO 6.03 BECAUSE I WOULD LIKE FOR THE MAYOR TO BE BACK FOR 6.02. OKAY. [05:05:01] UM, 6.03 IS, UM, SO IN 2022, WE HAD A CITY BOND. AND IN THAT BOND I HAD AN AMENDMENT TO FOR $10 MILLION FOR AGNES MOFFITT PARK. AND THAT WAS PASSED BY CITY COUNCIL AND IT WAS, UM, APPROVED BY THE VOTERS FOR THE 2022 BOND. AND AS OF YET, WE HAVE NOT, UM, HAD THAT ALLOCATED TO THE PARK. AND SO WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY WITH, UM, COMMISSIONER RAMSEY, WHO IS REDOING, UM, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY, UM, THE BASEBALL FIELDS AT THE PARK. UM, REPRESENTATIVE LACEY HULL WAS ABLE TO SECURE A MILLION DOLLARS, UM, FOR THE POOL, UM, FOR A PUBLIC SAFETY INITIATIVE THAT WE ARE WORKING ON MM-HMM . UM, AND SO WE JUST NEED THE REST OF THAT $10 MILLION TO FULFILL THE REST OF THE IMPROVEMENTS AT THAT PARK. SO AGAIN, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WAS APPROVED BY COUNSEL AND THE VOTERS IN 2022 FOR THIS BOND. MAYOR, PRO MAYOR PROTO, I, I JUST HAD A QUESTION. UM, IT WAS APPROVED IN THE 2022 BOND. UM, IS THERE A PARTICULAR REASON THAT THAT 10 MILLION DIDN'T MAKE IT TO THE PARK? IT JUST, THE BOND JUST HASN'T BEEN LET YET, SO WE JUST HAVEN'T, UM, AND MAYBE DIRECTOR VAS COULD PROVIDE SOME MORE CONTEXT HERE, BUT THE MONEY JUST HASN'T BEEN, SO IS THE MONEY THERE? YES. MELISSA, DIRECTOR COULD, COULD ASK MELISSA, THE FINANCE DIRECTOR TO ADDRESS THIS. IT IS BEING CURRENTLY ACTIVELY WORKING WITH PRECINCT THREE AND IS EVERY INDICATION IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN. AND MELISSA, YOU SPEAK TO WHETHER THIS IS NECESSARY? SURE. SO THE, UM, IN TERMS OF HOW THE, THE VOTER AUTHORIZED BOND WORKS, UM, IT WAS INCLUDED ON THE BOND ELECTION LIST BACK BACK IN 2022. AND TYPICALLY WHAT HAPPENS IS WHEN WE HAVE THE VOTER AUTHORIZED, UM, BONDS APPROVED BY THE PUBLIC, WE THEN, UM, ALLOCATE THOSE FUNDS THROUGH THE EXISTING CIP BASED ON AVAILABLE REVENUES THAT WE HAVE. SO YOU CAN KIND OF THINK OF THE BONDING CAPACITY, LIKE YOUR CREDIT CARD LIMIT, AND THE AMOUNT OF PROJECTS WE PROGRAM IN THE CIP BASED ON WHAT YOU CAN ACTUALLY AFFORD BASED ON YOUR INCOME, YOUR REVENUE YOU HAVE COMING. SO, UM, WITH THIS PROJECT BEING ON THE BOND ELECTION LIST, IT HASN'T YET BEEN PROGRAMMED IN THE CIP BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE AVAILABLE REVENUES NECESSARILY TO FUND THE PROJECT. UM, SO THAT'S WHERE THE COLLABORATION HAS BEEN ONGOING WITH THE PRECINCT, WITH THE STATE, UM, TO GET THE, GET THE PROJECT MOVING AT THE PARKS USING THOSE, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, OTHER ENTITIES THAT WE'RE COLLABORATING WITH. SO IN ORDER FOR, YOU KNOW, ANY ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO BE ALLOCATED OUT OF THE BOND FUNDING IN THE CIP, WE WOULD HAVE TO IDENTIFY ANOTHER PROJECT IN THE CIP TO OFFSET, UH, TO FREE UP THE, THE $10 MILLION. I REALLY THINK WE CAN WORK WITH TOM RAMSEY AND GET THIS DONE IF THERE'S, SINCE THERE'S NO, NO FUNDS AVAILABLE UNLESS YOU IDENTIFY ANOTHER SOURCE. AND, UM, THIS WAS PUT ON THE 22 CIP, THIS WAS THE 2022 BOND INITIATIVE. SO, UM, MAYOR, IF I MAY RESPOND TO THAT, UM, AND, AND I COMPLETELY AGREE, YOU KNOW, IT, IT IS NOT PROGRAMMED IN THE CIP, BUT THAT IS WHY I HAVE THIS AMENDMENT TO GET IT PROGRAMMED INTO THE CCIP WAS SOMETHING THAT THE VOTERS VOTED ON. THEY OBVIOUSLY WANT THIS TO HAPPEN, AND THE MONEY FROM COMMISSIONER RAMSEY AND FROM REPRESENTATIVE HULL FROM THE STATE WILL ADDRESS A BIG PIECE OF THE PARK, BUT NOT THE WHOLE THING. SO WE STILL HAVE A WALKING TRAIL AND ALL KIND DRAINAGE, ALL KINDS OF OTHER, UM, THINGS. IT'S A 40 ACRE PARK. SO THIS IS A BIG PROJECT, UM, AND WE DO NEED TO CONTINUE WORKING ON IT. AND MAYOR, IF, UM, I CAN GET A COMMITMENT THAT WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK ON THIS AND TRY TO, YOU KNOW, WORK ON GETTING THAT MONEY SOONER RATHER THAN LATER, I WOULD APPRECIATE THAT. WE, WE WILL, AND YOU AND I WORK SO WELL TOGETHER. UM, WE'LL, WE'LL FIND IT THROUGH WORKING WITH TOM RAMSEY IF NECESSARY. WE'LL GO BACK AND GET SOME LEGISLATIVE ASSISTANCE. SO YES, IF YOU WANNA WITHDRAW IT, OKAY, IN LIGHT OF THAT, I WILL WITHDRAW THIS ITEM. VERY GOOD. LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING THAT MONEY SOMETIME SOON. THAT'S A COMMITMENT. UM, MARY, YOU GO BACK TO OH TWO. YES. I HAD TO STEP OUT FOR A MOMENT. YES. UM, SO 6.02 IS ABOUT THE SPRING SHADOWS DRAINAGE AND PAVING PROJECT. UM, WHICH, YOU KNOW, AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, MAYOR, THIS PROJECT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE DONE IN 2018, AND HERE WE ARE IN 2025, STILL TALKING ABOUT IT. IT'S A VERY COMPLICATED PROJECT WITH THE ENGINEERING AND FINDING AREAS, UM, FOR DRAINAGE. UM, WE'RE VERY LANDLOCKED THERE. AND SO I APPRECIATE, UM, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR MACKAY, UM, FOR PUBLIC WORKS ENGINEERING THE PROJECT, AND THEN RE-ENGINEERING THE PROJECT AND THEN RE-ENGINEERING THE PROJECT AGAIN NOW THAT WE'RE [05:10:01] WORKING WITH, UM, HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL AND COMMISSIONER RAMSEY. AND SO IT'S, IT'S A VERY COMPLICATED PROJECT AND I RECOGNIZE THAT. UM, BUT WE NEED A BIGGER POT OF MONEY TO PULL FROM TO GET THIS PROJECT DONE BECAUSE AS WE CONTINUE TO PIECEMEAL THIS, PEOPLE ARE FLOODING, STRUCTURAL FLOODING IN THEIR HOMES NINE PLUS TIMES, EVERY TIME IT RAINS PEOPLE ARE FLOODING. SO I'M PROPOSING THAT WE USE SOME OF THE MONEY FROM THE FUND BALANCE IN D-D-S-R-F TO PAY FOR THIS PROJECT EVERY SINGLE YEAR. I KEEP BRINGING UP THE FACT THAT WE ARE NOT SPENDING ALL OF THE MONEY IN OUR D-D-S-R-F AND I RECOGNIZE THAT SOMETIMES PROJECTS GET DELAYED AND SO THERE'S, YOU KNOW, ADDITIONAL FUNDING IN THERE. UM, WE DO HAVE TO SAVE MONEY FOR UPCOMING PROJECTS THAT ARE BIGGER, BUT THE BEGINNING FUND BALANCE FOR DSRF, JUST FOR THE DRAINAGE CHARGE IS $217 MILLION. OUR PLANNED ENDING FUND BALANCE IS $217 MILLION JUST IN THAT ONE POT OF MONEY ALONE. SO WE ARE SAYING THAT WE KNOW THAT $200 MILLION IS NOT GOING TO GET SPENT OUT OF THIS FUND THIS FISCAL YEAR. AND AGAIN, I RECOGNIZE THAT WE NEED TO SAVE SOME MONEY FOR UPCOMING PROJECTS, BUT WE HAVE PROJECTS THAT ARE SHOVEL READY. SO WE NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB OF SAYING, OKAY, WE'RE NOT ABLE TO DO THIS PROJECT THIS FISCAL YEAR, LET'S GO TO THE NEXT ONE IN THE QUEUE AND GET THIS PROJECT MOVING. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT OPTIMIZING SERVICES FOR CONSTITUENTS, I'VE LONG SAID, YOU KNOW, WE NEED EFFICIENCY. WE NEED TO RESTRUCTURE, REORGANIZE. AND THAT'S HOW WE GET THERE. WHEN IT COMES TO INFRASTRUCTURE, THIS IS THE ONE PLACE WHERE REALLY WE JUST NEED FUNDING, RIGHT? AND YOU NEVER REALLY HEAR ME SAY THAT. I'M ALWAYS LIKE, LET'S NOT SPEND MONEY WHEN IT COMES TO INFRASTRUCTURE. WE NEED TO SPEND THE MONEY ON THESE PROJECTS, AND THIS IS THE ONLY DEPARTMENT WHERE WE ACTUALLY HAVE A GIANT POT OF MONEY THAT WE ARE NOT SPENDING. SO WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN START MOVING SOME OF THESE PROJECTS THAT ARE MORE SHOVEL READY AHEAD AND WHILE WE CONTINUE TO ENGINEER OTHER PROJECTS THAT ARE NOT READY. I'D LIKE TO SAY $200 MILLION FOR TION YOU NOT BEEN MEETINGS WITH TOM RAMSEY, AND IT'S A HIGH AND TOP PRIORITY OF HIS AS IT IS OURS. UH, I RESPECTFULLY WOULD SAY WE DON'T HAVE A BIG POT OF MONEY THAT'S NOT SPOKEN TO. WE ARE VERY CHALLENGED TO PAY AND BALANCE THE BOOKS GOING FORWARD, WHICH WE WILL. BUT IT'S A CHALLENGE. AND UNLESS, WOULD YOU SPEAK TO WHAT THIS WOULD POTENTIALLY DO OR WILL DO TO THE CIP LIST? I MEAN, IF WE START CHIPPING AWAY ON OUR RESERVES, UM, WE WON'T HAVE RESERVES. AND I UNDERSTAND YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB FOR YOUR DISTRICT, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK, UH, CURRENTLY AT THE PROGRESS THAT'S BEEN MADE AND THE AVAILABLE FUNDING MM-HMM . BUT I DO KNOW, AND YOU KNOW, TOM RAMSEY, UM, HAS MADE IT A HIGH PRIORITY AND HE HAS, UH, ACCESS TO THE FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES TO FUND THIS DETENTION MATTER, MELISSA. SURE. SO IF I COULD SPEAK ON THE D-D-S-R-F FUND BALANCE, SO, UM, THE, THE FUND BALANCE THAT COUNCIL MEMBER MENTIONS WITH D-D-S-R-F IN TERMS OF FUNDING THAT WE HAVE, BUT WE'RE NOT TAPPING INTO SINCE D-D-S-R-F FUNCTIONS AS A PAY AS YOU GO, UM, SYSTEM, THE FUNDS THAT ARE IN D-D-S-R-F AND THE FUND BALANCE ARE GOING TO, UH, ARE THERE BECAUSE THEY NEED TO BE USED TO PAY BILLS ON PROJECTS THAT ARE ALREADY ONGOING IN THE QUEUE, CONTRACTS AGAINST THEM AND APPROPRIATED. UM, SO IT'S NOT AS THOUGH THE MONEY IS THERE AND NOT BEING SPENT, IT'S ALREADY EARMARKED FOR, UH, OTHER ONGOING PROJECTS BECAUSE OF THE PAY AS YOU GO NATURE OF THE D-D-S-R-F FUND. SO, YEAH, AND, AND I WOULD ECHO, UH, DIRECTOR DEBOWSKI ON THAT. THE, IT IT, IT LOOKS LIKE THERE IS A BIG POT OF MONEY THERE. I PROMISE YOU THAT'S REALLY NOT THE CASE. UH, JUST BECAUSE THE FISCAL YEAR TICKS OVER DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WITH $200 MILLION THERE. THAT $200 MILLION IS ACTUALLY ALREADY SPENT ON PROJECTS THAT ARE AND HAVE ALREADY COMMENCED AND THAT ARE ALREADY MOVING FORWARD. SO IF WE WERE TO TRY AND REALLOCATE FROM THAT FUND, NOW THAT MEANS THAT THERE IS A BILL THAT IS COMING DUE THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO PAY THAT SOME OTHER WAY, WHICH WOULD AFFECT NEARLY EVERY DISTRICT AND CERTAINLY THE CITY AS A WHOLE. CORRECT. SO, UM, IN ALL DUE RESPECT, I DON'T SEE HOW YOU WOULD PULL THAT VAST AMOUNT OF, OF MONIES THAT RANDY JUST MENTIONED IS COMMITTED, UH, TO YOUR DISTRICT, IS AS CRITICAL AS THAT SUBJECT IS AND THAT PROJECT, WHICH I KNOW YOU IN ASKING FOR FOR YEARS, BUT I DON'T THINK WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO DO IT ALL AT ONE TIME. AND CERTAINLY WE NEED TO COORDINATE WITH COMMISSIONER RAMSEY [05:15:03] VICES. MAYOR PROAM. THANK YOU MAYOR, AND THANK YOU FOR THE EXPLANATION. AND YOU KNOW, EVERY YEAR WE GET KIND OF A DIFFERENT ANSWER ON THAT MONEY AND DIRECTOR. I, I THINK THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT WE MAYBE HAVE HEARD FROM YOU ON THAT MONEY. SO I APPRECIATE YOUR RESPONSE ON THAT. AND DIRECTOR, I KNOW THIS IS THE ONE OF THE FIRST TIMES THAT WE'VE, YOU KNOW, DISCUSSED THIS, SO I APPRECIATE YOUR ANSWERS. AND SO THIS IS NOTHING AGAINST SAY EITHER OF YOU HAVE SAID, BUT IN THE PAST WE HAVE GOTTEN A DIFFERENT ANSWER EVERY SINGLE YEAR ABOUT HOW THAT MONEY IS BEING USED AND WHY THERE IS SUCH A BIG AMOUNT OF MONEY EVERY SINGLE TIME. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE, UM, PROPOSED FY 26 BUDGET, IT SHOWS THAT THAT $207 MILLION IS RESTRICTED BUT NOT COMMITTED OR ASSIGNED. SO TO ME, THAT SHOWS THAT IT'S RESTRICTED TO THIS ACCOUNT, BUT THERE'S NO PLANS FOR THAT MONEY. UM, SO THAT IS THE CONFUSION THERE. AND I GET THAT WE HAVE BILLS THAT WE HAVE TO PAY, BUT IT SURE SEEMS LIKE WHEN WE HAVE A HUGE BEGINNING FUND BALANCE EVERY SINGLE YEAR THAT THERE'S MONEY THAT WE ARE NOT SPENDING WHEN WE HAVE SHOVEL READY PROJECTS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH. YEAH. AND, AND VICE MAYOR PROAM, I I TOTALLY RESPECT YOUR, UH, PAST EXPERIENCE ON THAT. THESE ARE THE SAME SORTS OF QUESTIONS. IN FACT, I'VE ASKED AS I'VE COME INTO THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE DEPARTMENT ON THESE SAME PRINCIPLES IS HOW DO WE DEFINE THESE SORTS OF THINGS? HOW DO WE DEFINE THE MONEY THAT'S THERE? UM, ONE OF THE BEST WAYS THAT IT'S BEEN EXPLAINED TO ME, AND THAT I UNDERSTAND IT, IS WE DON'T NECESSARILY PUT IT DOWN THERE AS BEING ALLOCATED TO SOMETHING YET BECAUSE WE'RE WAITING FOR THE BILL TO COME. SO THERE'S NOT NECESSARILY A SPECIFIC BILL TO ATTACH IT TO, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE DON'T KNOW THAT THAT BILL IS COMING. SO, FOR INSTANCE, THE PROJECT HAS TAKEN PLACE AND THERE ARE ALL SORTS OF DIFFERENT PHASES WITHIN IT FROM THE DESIGN WHAT FROM THE PROCUREMENT TO THE DESIGN, TO THE ENGINEERING, TO THE CONSTRUCTION, TO THE, UH, SUBSTANTIAL COMPLETION TO THE PROJECT CLOSEOUT. AND ALL OF THOSE CAN TAKE PLACE OVER LONG PERIODS OF MONTHS. I JUST HAD A MEETING WITH THE HOUSTON CONTRACTOR ASSOCIATION YESTERDAY, AND THEY'VE EXPRESSED A LOT OF THEIR FRUSTRATIONS THAT THEIR MEMBERS HAVE ABOUT THE FACT THAT THE LAST 1% OF RETAINAGE THE CITY IS SOMETIMES HOLDING ONTO FOR 12 TO 14 MONTHS AFTER THE PROJECT'S COMPLETED. AND THAT'S WHERE YOU FIND A LOT OF THAT MONEY IN WHAT LOOKS LIKE A FUND BALANCE IS A LOT OF THAT IS 1% RETAINAGE ISSUES. WE ARE COMMITTING TO THE, TO THE CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION, TO ALL OF THE OTHER FIRMS EVERYWHERE THAT WE CAN, THAT WE'RE CLOSING OUT PROJECTS FASTER, WHICH MEANS THAT WHILE YOU'RE NOT GONNA SEE IT RIGHT AWAY IN FUTURE YEARS, YOU'RE NOT GONNA SEE A HUGE FUND BALANCE SITTING THERE ANYMORE BECAUSE WE HAVE DONE OUR DILIGENCE TO GET IT CLOSED OUT. A LOT OF THIS IS INTERNAL PROCESS DEFICIENCIES THAT THE CITY'S EXPERIENCED FOR MANY YEARS THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO WORK THROUGH. I'M COMMITTED TO WORKING THROUGH THAT WITH OUR TEAM. WE'RE WORKING CLOSELY WITH FINANCE SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT AS WE PRESENT THE FINANCIAL INFORMATION TO EACH OF YOU RELATED TO THESE PROJECTS, THAT IT IS VERY CLEAR, UM, THE MAYOR'S HALLMARK, OF COURSE, BEING TRANSPARENT THAT THAT TRANSPARENCY IS NOT JUST CLEAR, BUT IT'S ALSO CONSISTENT IN OUR EXPLANATIONS MOVING FORWARD. COUNCILMAN O COUNCILMAN ALCORN. THANK YOU. AND I WANNA COMMEND THE VICE MAYOR PRO TEM FOR ADVOCATING FOR SPRING SHADOWS FOREVER. IT IS A PROJECT THAT MUST GET DONE. UH, SHE HAS BEEN A HUGE ADVOCATE FOR THIS PROJECT AND ALSO SHE KEEPS BRINGING UP THIS FUND BALANCE IN THE D-D-S-R-F AND SHE'S DEFINITELY ONTO SOMETHING. WHEN CHRIS NEWPORT SAT THERE AND TALKED TO US ABOUT THE JONES WATSON AGREEMENT, HE SAID ONE OF THE SOURCES OF FUNDS WAS THE D WAS THE D-D-S-R-F FUNDS FUND BALANCE. SO THERE'S MORE TO THE STORY HERE AND, AND, AND ON FUND BALANCES, WE HAVE SPECIFIC POLICIES IN THE GENERAL FUND FUND BALANCE. I'M SURE IF THEY'RE NOT POLICIES GOVERNING THE D-D-S-R-F FUND BALANCE, WE NEED 'EM. BUT MELISSA, I THINK THERE ARE, IS THERE ANY KIND OF POLICY ABOUT A PERCENTAGE OF PROJECTS AND, AND TO, TO THE VICE MAYOR PRO TEMS POINT, IF IT'S UNCOMMITTED, YOU KNOW, IT'S UNCOMMITTED, IT'S NOT SITTING THERE FOR SOME CONTRACTORS, 1% THAT'S COMMITTED. SO, SO I'M NOT CONVINCED THAT, I MEAN, I, AND WE DO HEAR THIS ROLLING. IT ROLLS. YOU GOTTA PAY THE BILLS. I DON'T WANT ANYBODY'S BILLS NOT TO BE PAID. I WANNA UNDERSTAND IT BETTER. AND I WANNA UNDERSTAND IF WE HAVE POLICIES GOVERNING THIS FUND BALANCE. AND IF WE DON'T, WE SHOULD. NOW THAT WE HAVE, WE DO HAVE POLICIES ABOUT FUND BALANCE, UM, IN OTHER FUNDS BESIDES THE GENERAL FUND, I HAVE TO LOOK SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THIS SPECIAL REVENUE FUND THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. UM, BUT I THINK TO YOUR POINT, I THINK WE NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB OF RESTRICTED VERSUS COMMITTED BECAUSE EVERY TIME WHEN YOU SEE A PROJECT COME TO COUNCIL APPROVAL ON AN RCA AND IT REFERENCES THESE FUND 40, 42, 40 46, 40 40, THE OTHER D-D-S-R-F FUNDS THAT'S ENTERING INTO A CONTRACT AGAINST THOSE FUNDS, NOT NECESSARILY SPENDING THAT CASH DOWN. SO WE COULD HAVE A CONTRACT, WE [05:20:01] HAD ITEMS ON COUNCIL TODAY USING THESE FUNDS. IT COULD BE A $30 MILLION CONTRACT FOR A PROJECT UNTIL THE BILLS ARE PAID ON THAT PROJECT. THAT $40 MILLION OR 30 MILLION, WHATEVER THE CONTRACT IS FOR IS SITTING IN DDS OR A FUND BALANCE UNCOMMITTED. SO I THINK WE NEED TO, AS IN, IN AN UNCOMMITTED PART, NO, I DON'T THINK IT'S UNCOMMITTED, RIGHT. I MEAN, IT'S SET FOR THAT PROJECT, RIGHT. THAT'S IN, IN PLACE. AND SO I THINK WHAT WE CAN DO A BETTER JOB ABOUT IS, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENTIATING BETTER BETWEEN RESTRICTED COMMITTED AND YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I'D LIKE TO SEE. OKAY. IT SOUNDS ME LIKE TERMINOLOGY AND, AND, AND ACCURACY WOULD PLAY A ROLE AND I YOU COULD OBVIOUSLY TAKE THAT UP IN YOUR COMMITTEE. YEAH, I MEAN, WE CAN DISCUSS THIS WHEN WE'RE DISCUSSING, AND I, I DON'T THINK WE HAVE TO HAVE A, A MISUNDERSTANDING THIS MORNING. I MEAN, WE'RE HEARING FROM THE FOLKS THAT ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT RESERVE OR UNENDED, AND THEN YOU HAVE A COUNCIL MEMBER DOING HER JOB AND MM-HMM . WE NEED A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING AND, AND I URGE YOU TO HAVE A COMMITTEE HEARING OR A COMPLETE DIALOGUE ON THIS MATTER. OKAY? YEP. WE'LL GET IT ON THE AGENDA. THANKS, MAYOR. UM, YES, I MEAN, WE DO NEED A BETTER BREAKDOWN OF THAT FUNDING. AND TO YOUR POINT EARLIER ABOUT, UM, PREVIOUSLY NOT GETTING INFORMATION FROM DEPARTMENTS THAT WE ARE SUPPOSED TO GET, I THINK THAT IS A CLEAR EXAMPLE OF WHAT USED TO HAPPEN WHERE WE DID NOT GET INFORMATION. LITERALLY EVERY YEAR I WOULD GET A DIFFERENT RESPONSE ABOUT HOW THAT MONEY IS BEING USED AND WHY THAT MONEY IS SITTING THERE EVERY SINGLE YEAR. UM, BUT WITH GREAT RESPECT FOR BOTH DIRECTORS AND YOU MAYOR, FOR, UM, HOPEFULLY HAVING THAT TO BE THE CLEAR ANSWER ON WHERE THAT MONEY IS AND IN LIGHT OF THE, UM, BFA COMMITTEE TO REALLY LOOK AT THAT FURTHER AND MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ACCOUNTING FOR EVERY DOLLAR IN THAT. UM, I WILL WITHDRAW THIS AMENDMENT. 'CAUSE I REALIZE THAT I'M SURE COUNCIL WILL NOT VOTE FOR $200 MILLION TO GO TO DISTRICT AI. GET THAT, BUT, UH, IT WAS A GOOD TRY THOUGH. . I HAD TO TRY. I HAD TO TRY. I, I, I WAS FOLLOWING YOU FOR A WHILE. I WANNA RECONSIDER TAKING THIS VOTE. UM, YOU WERE LEADING ME DOWN THE PATH , BUT MAYOR, I WOULD LIKE YOUR COMMITMENT PLEASE FOR THE SPRING SHADOWS PROJECT. I KNOW WE'RE NEARING. NO, I UNDERSTAND THE END OF ENGINEERING AND WE'VE HAD TO RE-ENGINEER IT SO MANY TIMES. I GOTCHA. BUT COULD WE PLEASE GET THIS DONE THIS YEAR AND HOLD THAT PUBLIC MEETING? 'CAUSE THE PUBLIC IS ASKING EVERY TIME I'M IN SPRINGSHOT, I UNDERSTAND WHAT IS THE STATUS OF THIS PROJECT. KEEP TELLING I REPRESENT THE COMMUNITY. I UNDERSTAND. I KNOW YOU AND YOU DID IN THE SENATE TOO, AND YOU'VE HEARD FROM PEOPLE WHO HAVE FLOODED NINE TIMES IN THEIR HOMES. BUT I CANNOT KEEP TELLING PEOPLE, WELL, THE PRE-ENGINEERING IS ALMOST DONE. ONLY NEED GO BACK MONTHS LATER AND SAY, WELL, WE HAD TO GO BACK AND NOW IT'S ALMOST DONE AGAIN. WE CAN'T KEEP DOING THAT. I TOTALLY AGREE. OKAY. THANK YOU MAYOR. WELL, GREAT JOB. I'LL WITHDRAW ON THAT AMENDMENT THEN. UM, AND THEN MY LAST AMENDMENT, 6.04 IS TO ESTABLISH A WORKING GROUP TO EVALUATE THE CIP PROCESS TO DETERMINE A FAIR WAY OF ALLOCATING STORM DRAINAGE AND STREET AND TRAFFIC FUNDING BASED ON DATA. UM, PREVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, DISTRICT A WAS NOT GETTING ANY KIND OF FAIR SHARE. UM, WHEN IT CAME TO THE DOLLARS ALLOCATED FOR THOSE TWO FUNDS, WE WERE GETTING ALMOST NO PROJECTS. I HAD TO GO TO THE STATE AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND YOU KNOW, THE COUNTY TO GET ANY PROJECTS MOVING FORWARD. AND WE HAVE NEEDS IN DISTRICT A JUST LIKE EVERY DISTRICT HAS AS WELL, WHEN IT COMES TO FLOODING AND INFRASTRUCTURE CONCERNS. SO THERE HAS TO BE A MORE FAIR WAY OF ALLOCATING THOSE DOLLARS BASED ON DATA AND NEEDS, UM, WHERE EVERY DISTRICT IS GETTING SOME KIND OF PROJECT EVERY YEAR, UM, THAT'S NEEDED FOR A CONSTITUENTS. SO I KNOW MAYOR, THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO REFER THIS TO THE COMMITTEE, UM, AS WELL. AND I WOULD LIKE TO REFER IT SO WE CAN REALLY WORK ON THIS TO FIGURE OUT HOW SURE WE CAN FAIRLY ALLOCATE THESE DOLLARS GOING FORWARD. WELL, I'M SORRY YOU'VE HAD THAT EXPERIENCE. I'M VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE WAY YOU WERE TREATED AND RESPECTED. THAT'S NOT THE CASE CURRENTLY. ABSOLUTELY. AND UH, WE'LL WORK WITH YOU AND IF YOU WANT TO REFER IT TO A COMMITTEE, I CERTAINLY YES. AND MAYOR, TO BE CLEAR THIS YEAH. IN YOUR ADMINISTRATION, I'VE SEEN, YOU KNOW, AL MONEY ALLOCATED ACROSS THE BOARD TO DIFFERENT DISTRICTS THAT HAD NOT RECEIVED FUNDING BEFORE. SO THIS IS NOTHING TO DO WITH YOUR ADMINISTRATION AT ALL, BUT NO, NO, I UNDERSTAND. YOU KNOW, JUST GOING FORWARD, THERE HAS TO BE JUST A FAIR WAY OF ALLOCATING THESE DOLLARS. SO I'D LIKE TO REFER IT TO COMMITTEE. SOUNDS GOOD. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, OKAY. COLLEAGUES. I HAVE A TOTAL OF FIVE, UM, BUDGET AMENDMENTS. UM, AMENDMENT NUMBER 7 0 1 IS THE LAKEWOOD NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARY. UM, THAT LIBRARY WAS DESTROYED DURING HURRICANE, UM, HARVEY AND HAS YET BEEN, UM, REPAIRED. [05:25:01] AND SO ONE OF THE REASONS WHY IT'S NOT REPAIRED IS BECAUSE, UM, THE FEAR OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD FLOODING AGAIN, BUT THE WHOLE CITY , YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALL AT RISK OF FLOODING AND SO WOULD LOVE TO, UM, WE WOULD APPRECIATE IF THE ADMINISTRATION CAN COMMIT TO RESTORING THE LAKEWOOD LIBRARY. THE AREA OVER THERE IS BOOMING. UM, IT'S A LOT OF NEW DEVELOPMENT AND THIS WAS THE NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARY, ONE OF THE LIBRARIES I FREQUENTLY AS A KID. AND SO, UM, WOULD LOVE TO SEE THIS BACK ON, NOT BACK ON, BUT ON, UM, THE CIP WELL, AND IT'S 18 MILLION COMING OUT OF I UNDERSTAND THE, UM, LIBRARY, CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND, THE MONEY SPOKEN TO. WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO TAKE OFF THE LIST TO FUND THIS? NO, I DON'T WANNA TAKE ANYTHING OFF THE LIST. WELL, MELISSA, I KNOW, I KNOW THAT'S, YOU KNOW, BUT YEAH, WE CAN NO, I UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS YOU'RE GOING THROUGH, BUT YOU KNOW, ALSO THE PROCESS IS IF YOU WANT TO ADD, YOU GOTTA SUBTRACT SOMEWHERE. SO, AND WHAT WE CAN DO IS AGREE TO CONTINUE TO FIND RESOURCES, BUT WE DON'T HAVE 'EM THIS MORNING. MM-HMM . OKAY. OKAY. I'LL WORK WITH YOU ON THAT, MA'AM. I SAID I WORK WITH YOU ON THAT. YEAH. WITHDRAW. YEAH. MORE RESOURCES. YOU GONNA HELP FIND MORE RESOURCES? YES, YES, YES. I'M ON BOARD. OKAY, WELL THANK YOU. YOU WITHDRAW. OKAY, SO I WILL WITHDRAW 7 0 1, UM, AND 7 0 2. KEEP, KEEP GOING. , IT'S SIM SIMILAR. UM, OF COURSE, I KNOW THIS WAS ON THE CIP LAST YEAR. UM, WE HAD APPROVED THIS IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN. AND SO, UM, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WAS COMMITTED, UM, TO THE COMMUNITY IN ACRES HOMES. SURE. AND WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS BACK ON THE LIBRARY, THE NORTH REGIONAL LIBRARY, UM, AT VICTORY DRIVE BACK ON THE CIPI COMMIT TO WORKING WITH YOU, FIND FUNDS AND HOPEFULLY, AND YOU'RE MAKING A POINT, WE, IF WE PUT THINGS ON THE LIST, IT OUGHTA MATTER AND IT HASN'T PREVIOUSLY. AND I WOULD LIKE TO CHANGE THAT PROCESS. YEAH. AND I APPRECIATE THE CONVERSATION 'CAUSE MAKES IT TOO DIFFICULT. MM-HMM . AND I REPRESENT . I'M VERY FAMILIAR WITH IT. HAVING REPRESENTED THE AREA IN THE SENATE. IT'S JUST NOT GOOD GOVERNMENT AND, AND COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ HIGHLIGHTED THIS, WE GOTTA GET AWAY MEMBERS FROM PUTTING IT ON A LIST MM-HMM . UNLESS WE'RE GOING TO FOLLOW THROUGH. AND I DON'T MEAN 10 AND 15 YEARS, I'M TALKING ABOUT LIKE IMMEDIATE WITH THE MONIES THAT WE'VE GOT AVAILABLE. SO WE DON'T HAVE THAT PROCESS IN INSTALLED TODAY. MM-HMM . I THINK THE HEARING WILL HIGHLIGHT IT AND WILL COME TOGETHER AND MAKE A HUGE IMPROVEMENT ON THE CIP PROCESS. OKAY. BUT I ALL DUE RESPECT. I KNOW, BUT THESE TWO LIBRARIES AND RESPECT WHAT YOU'RE DOING. THE LIBRARIES ARE IMPORTANT. MM-HMM . THE FLOODING PROJECTS ARE IMPORTANT. MM-HMM . BUT WE DON'T HAVE THE FUNDING. RIGHT. AND HAVEN'T EVEN WHEN IT WENT ON THERE ORIGINALLY MM-HMM . OKAY. WE'RE JUST BEING REAL TRANSPARENT WITH YOU RIGHT NOW. OKAY. WELL, I APPRECIATE THE CONVERSATION. SO 7 0 1, 7 0 2, I'LL WITHDRAW THAT. 7 0 3. I'M PASSING THAT TO COUNCIL MEMBER. UM, CASTILLO, UM, I KNOW THAT THAT'S YOUR DISTRICT AND I CAN ELABORATE IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS WHEN THAT COME UP ON, UM, WHEN YOU COME ON STAGE WITH THAT ONE. YEAH. UM, 7 0 4, WHICH IS WILLOW RUN SUBDIVISION AND WILLOW RUN SECTION SIX. UM, IT'S A NEIGHBORHOOD WIDE IMPROVEMENT THAT'S NEEDED FOR DRAINAGE. UM, THIS PROJECT WAS ACTUALLY PART OF A SWAT AND OF COURSE WHEN THE STUDIES CAME BACK, IT BASICALLY INDICATED THAT IT NEEDED TO BE A CIP AND, UM, YEAH. WE REALLY NEED THIS PROJECT MADE AM MAYOR. I KNOW, YOU KNOW, THE NORTHEAST SIDE FLOODS A WHOLE LOT, UM, AND HAS BEEN AS LONG AS ANYONE CAN REMEMBER. EXACTLY. BUT I'M HAPPY THAT WE HAVE STUDIES DONE NOW, SO WE KNOW EXACTLY WHAT WE NEED TO DO. SURE. UM, TO FIX THE PROBLEM. AND SO THIS IS A PROJECT THAT, UM, THIS PROJECT IN THE OH FIVE AND OH SIX, WHICH IS HIDDEN VALLEY AND CYNIC WOOD, UM, MY HOPE IS THAT WE CAN, THE DOLLARS THAT WE HAD ALLOCATED FOR, UM, D-D-S-R-F IN THE BUDGET THAT WE CAN USE THOSE RESOURCES IN FOR THIS PARTICULAR PROJECTS. OKAY. WE'LL WORK ON THAT IN THE BUDGET. WE, WE PUT 38 MILLION THERE FOR YOU IN THE FLOODING, SO, RIGHT. SO, SO IT'S FOR THESE PROJECTS. SURE. OKAY. I'M NOT WITHDRAWING. YOU WANT ME TO WITHDRAW? YEAH, NO, I CAN'T WITHDRAW 'EM. WE HAVE TO VOTE ON THEM. WITHDRAW. YEAH. I WANNA VOTE ON, TAKE THESE TO VOTE. 7 0 4. 7 0 4. 7 0 5 [05:30:01] AND 7 0 6. YEAH. MEMBERS, WE, WE JUST DON'T HAVE THE FUNDS. SO COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ. NO, THIS IS A HUGE PART OF THE DISTRICT. COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ, LIKE LITERALLY COUNCIL. YEAH. THANK YOU MAYOR AND, AND COUNCILOR JACKSON. I, I APPRECIATE THE ADVOCACY. I THINK WE ALL HAVE THESE TYPES OF PROJECTS HISTORICALLY, AND I, AND I DON'T THINK WE'VE HAD, WE DIDN'T HAVE IT LAST YEAR OR THIS YEAR, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, USUALLY WE'D SIT DOWN WITH, UH, THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS MAYOR TO, BEFORE THE CIP WAS COMING UP TO JUST GET A BRIEF OF WHAT'S HAPPENING WHERE THEY ARE. IF SOMETHING WAS GONNA BE PUSHED OFF, UM, I, I'D RECOMMEND, AND I THINK THIS WILL HELP WITH THIS PROCESS A BIT MORE, UM, RECOMMEND THAT WE HAVE THAT, AND IT COULD BE A COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE AS WELL, JUST TO DISCUSS IT. UM, WE, WE WOULD HAVE THESE INDIVIDUALLY. UM, BUT YOU KNOW, IF YOU CAN'T, IF YOU CANNOT IDENTIFY ANOTHER PROJECT, AND I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, EVEN AS A DISTRICT COUNSELOR WITHIN MY OWN DISTRICT TO SHIFT, TO PRIORITIZE SOMETHING ELSE THAT MIGHT BE NEEDED, IT DOES BECOME DIFFICULT TO SUPPORT SOMETHING LIKE THIS BECAUSE THEN IT ULTIMATELY IT WILL TAKE, TAKE AWAY FROM SOMEONE ELSE'S DISTRICT. AND SO, UM, I APPRECIATE YOUR ADVOCACY, COUNCILOR JACKSON, BUT WITHOUT KNOWING WHERE THE FUNDING SOURCE IS, IT'S SOMETHING I JUST COULD NOT SUPPORT. MAYOR PROAM. UH, THANK YOU, MAYOR. I THINK THAT THIS IS JUST ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF, YOU KNOW, IF WE ALL VOTED AND SAID YES AND IT GOT ON THE CIP, IT WOULD BE ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF BEING ON THE CIP WITHOUT FUNDING, UM, SETTING THE EXPECTATION FOR HOUSTONIANS WITH NO FUNDING. AND SO I, I, I, I UNDERSTAND COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON, BECAUSE I HAVE, I'M IN MY DISTRICT TOO THAT I'D LIKE TO SAY. NO, WE, I WANT US TO TAKE A VOTE AND BECAUSE WE'RE ALL FRIENDS, Y'ALL WOULD VOTE FOR IT AND IT WOULD GET ON THE CIP THAT'S RIGHT. IT WOULD GET ON THE CIP, BUT THERE WOULD BE NO FUNDING FOR IT. AND SO WE WOULD SET THE EXPECTATIONS FOR THE CONSTITUENTS YET AGAIN, THAT, HEY, MY PROJECT MADE THE CIP LIST, AND THEY WOULD WAIT AND WAIT AND WAIT BECAUSE THE FUNDING IS NOT THERE. SO UNFORTUNATELY, I DON'T WANT TO, UM, SET THE EXPECTATIONS FOR THE CONSTITUENTS BY PUTTING IT ON THE CIP LIST AND THERE'S NO FUNDING FOR IT. SO I KNOW THAT, UM, WE ARE REQUESTING, THE ADMINISTRATION IS REQUESTING WITHDRAWAL. UM, IF YOU WANT PUSH TO A VOTE, UNFORTUNATELY, BECAUSE I HAVE THE SAME SITUATION IN MY DISTRICT, UM, I WOULD HAVE TO VOTE AGAINST IT. UM, JUST BECAUSE I DON'T WANNA SET THE UNREALISTIC EXPECTATION FOR HOUSTONIANS. AND I'LL REITERATE 7 0 1 AND 7 0 2, WE PUT 38 MILLION IN YOUR AREA FOR, FOR DRAINAGE. RIGHT. AND SO YOU'VE DONE A, AN EXCELLENT JOB. BUT I ECHO THE REMARKS OF OUR COLLEAGUES THAT UNLESS, AND I CAN GET MELISSA UP HERE AND GIVE US SOME OPTIONS TO WHAT WE'RE GONNA CUT, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT'S VERY FAIR EITHER. SO THE DOLLARS THAT WAS APPROPRIATED FOR DOING THE BUDGET, SO DID THOSE DOLLARS CANNOT BE USED TO MOVE THESE PROJECTS FORWARD. YES, MA'AM. IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? YES, MA'AM. OKAY. YEAH. THIS IS CIP WE PUT MONEY IN THE BUDGET TO ADDRESS THE 38 MILLION OF DRAINAGE, WHICH YOU MADE AN EXCELLENT CASE FOR. AND WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE YEARS OR YEARS AND NEGLECT, AND WE'RE GETTING THERE. THEY CAN GET THIS WAY OVERNIGHT. WE'RE NOT GONNA FIX IT OVERNIGHT. MM-HMM . SO, COUNCIL, COUNCILMAN FLICKINGER MAYOR, I WOULD ASSUME ALTHOUGH THE MONEY IN THE BUDGET CAN'T BE USED NECESSARILY TO FUND THE CIP PROJECT, I WOULD THINK THAT IT'S QUITE POSSIBLE THAT THAT MONEY IS GONNA BE DOING SOME OF THE WORK THAT IS IN THE CIP PROJECTS. I MEAN, NOT AS A WHOLE, BUT CERTAINLY PART OF IT. MM-HMM . SURE. CORRECT. YES, SIR. SO CAN WE ASK MELISSA, EVEN LIKE ON CENIC WOOD, Y'ALL KNOW I'M, I, IT'S HARD FOR ME TO LET GO. SO, CENIC WOOD, WHICH IS $5 MILLION, DO WE HAVE $5 MILLION THAT WE CAN APPROPRIATE FOR CYNIC WOOD? FIRST OF ALL, , UNLESS YOU CAN IDENTIFY PROJECTS OR OUT YEAH. WELL, WE NEED ALL OUR PROJECTS. WE'RE AT ATE. YOU'RE DOING GREAT JOB. YOU'VE DONE A GREAT JOB THROUGH THE WHOLE BUDGET CYCLE. YOU GOT 38 MILLION. AND SO I'M NOT PREPARED TO START CUTTING, [05:35:02] UH, PROJECTS BECAUSE THAT'S UNFAIR TO THE OTHER MEMBERS. RIGHT. SO IF YOU JUST INSIST ON A VOTE, WE'LL VOTE. I, I'M NOT SURE. IT'S, IT'S, IT'S YOUR CHOICE. YOU TAKE A, HUH? OKAY. CALL. I'M GONNA CALL THE VOTE. JUST CALL THE VOTE. YEAH. OKAY. MR. SECRETARY, CALL THE VOTE. DO YOU WANNA ROLL CODE OR JUST TURN? YEAH. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO. YES. MOTION FAILS. THANK Y'ALL. BUT WE LOVE YOU. BUT THAT WAS FOR 7 0 4 OF WHICH ONE? 7 0 5 AND 7 0 6. OKAY. ALRIGHT. WELL, THANK YOU GUYS. I SAID YES. YEP. PLUMBER. YES. I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I'M NOTED ON THERE. YES. SO WE'LL LET KN KNOW THAT PLUMBER, SUB PLUMBER VOTING YES. MM-HMM . MM-HMM . NO PLUMBER SAID YES. UH, NEXT. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, CERTAINLY I HAVE PROPOSED SOME VERY IMPORTANT AMENDMENTS, SUCH AS MY COLLEAGUES, BUT I'VE HAD SOME DISCUSSION, UH, AND I WILL WITHDRAW MY PROPOSED AMENDMENTS IN FAVOR OF WORKING WITH THE ADMINISTRATION. UH, BUT I AM ASSURED THAT THESE ITEMS ARE ON YOUR RADAR. YES, MA'AM. AND SO, IN CLOSING, I'LL JUST SAY, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER IT'S CIP OR GOD, THE PEOPLE WANT THOSE BITE LANES REMOVED ON BLOT. THANK YOU. YOU BETTER DEPEND ON GOD. DO I NEED TO REPEAT THAT? MAYOR? THANK YOU. REGARDLESS OF CIP OR GOD, WE WANT THOSE BIKE LANES REMOVED ON BLOT. AMEN. PER THE CONSTITUENTS IN THE DISTRICT THAT ARE REALLY, REALLY, UM, YOU GOT ONE IN A QUANDARY BECAUSE THEY CAN'T DO CERTAIN THINGS. THAT I WON'T CONTINUE TO DISCUSS. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. BEST ONE, WHAT NUMBER ARE YOU? I'M 1601 OR 1602. MM-HMM . CHAIR RECOGNIZES, UH, MAYOR PRO TEM, UM, 1601. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THIS, UH, CIP PROJECT IS ONE THAT, UM, MY COLLEAGUES HAVE HEARD ME TALK ABOUT, UM, TIME AND TIME AGAIN FOR THE ALAMEDA PROJECT. ALAMEDA PLAZA DITCH, UH, RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT. UM, WE DID, UH, LAST YEAR, UM, GO TO A DESIGN CONCEPT REPORT. UM, I DID HAVE AN UPDATE FROM DIRECTOR MCKAY THAT, UH, IN ABOUT FOUR WEEKS, WE SHOULD, UM, HAVE THE COMPLETION OF THIS, THIS DESIGN CONCEPT FOR THE ALAMEDA PLAZA DITCH. Y'ALL HAVE ALL HEARD ME TALK ABOUT THIS DITCH, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. THIS IS ONE THAT YOU AND I CAN HANG OUR HATS ON BECAUSE WE JUST KNOW HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS FOR THOSE COMMUNITIES. UM, SO, UH, WITH KNOWING THAT WE ARE IN THE DESIGN CONCEPT AND THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE A REPORT READY FOR US FROM PUBLIC WORKS WITHIN FOUR TO SIX WEEKS, UM, WE, I WILL WITHDRAW 1601 AND AWAIT THAT, UM, DESIGN CONCEPT REPORT FROM PUBLIC WORKS TO SEE HOW WE CAN, UH, LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS ALAMEDA PLAZA DITCH AND HOW WE CAN MOVE FORWARD VERY WELL. THANK YOU. UH, 16.02 IS A CIP TO ADD A CIP PROJECT. UM, THIS IS FOR THE WESTWOOD SUBDIVISION DRAINAGE ANALYSIS. THIS NEIGHBORHOOD HAS, UM, SOME SEVERE FLOODING PROBLEMS. UH, WE HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR A CIP PROJECT. UM, VERY HAPPY THAT THE ADMINISTRATION WILL SUPPORT 16.02 A VOTE ON IT. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YOU WANNA MAKE THAT MOTION? SURE. A MOTION TO SUPPORT 16.02. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. OKAY. SO NOW, MR. SECRETARY, YOU WANT TO LAY OUT THE, UH, RECENTLY RECEIVED AMENDMENTS? COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN HAS ONE. UH, IF YOU WANNA LAY THAT OUT IN FRONT OF US, DO THE MEMBERS HAVE IT? RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THIS IS, UH, TO [05:40:01] PURCHASE A SECOND LANE STRIPING MACHINE. MY, MY TEAM AND I HAVE WENT OUT TO THE STR TRAFFIC AND DRAINAGE OPERATIONS A COUPLE WEEKS AGO AND TALKED WITH DEREK OUT THERE AND ERIC, WHO WE SAW THE ONE THAT WE HAVE. THEY'RE HUGE. THEY'RE HUGE. THIS THING IS HUGE. AND IT, IT'S A HALF MILLION DOLLARS, TAKES FOUR PEOPLE ON IT. AND WE'RE, WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAVE 16,000 LANE MILES OF STREETS, AS YOU WELL KNOW, RANDY, AND Y'ALL HAVE HEARD ME TALK ABOUT LANE STRIPING FOR YEARS. YOU CAN'T SEE, WELL, YOU CAN'T SEE THE LANES. IT'S SCARY TO DRIVE, ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT RAIN, WHATEVER. AND WE, WE DEAL WITH CONSTITUENTS ALL THE TIME THAT WENT THERE. LANE STRIPED. WE'RE TWO YEARS BEHIND ON STRIPING OUR STREETS. VERY BASIC CITY SERVICE. WE DO CONTRACT OUT. WE HAVE A CONTRACT WITH A FOUR YEAR CONTRACT WITH PROFESSIONAL TRAFFIC CONTROL, THREE YEAR CONTRACT WITH AN OPTION. WE HAVE TWO, TWO YEAR OPTIONS. BUT I'M, I'M PROPOSING USING THAT FOURTH YEAR OPTION MONEY FROM THE CONTRACT TO ACTUALLY PURCHASE ANOTHER LANE STRIPING MACHINE. THE PEOPLE IN PUBLIC WORKS. I KNOW IT WASN'T YOU RANDY, BUT YOUR GREAT PEOPLE OVER THERE, THEY WERE LIKE, WE'D LOVE ANOTHER ONE. WE COULD, COULD GET SO MUCH DONE. WE WORK FASTER THAN THE CONTRACTOR. WE'RE CHEAPER THAN THE CONTRACTOR. AND, AND I'VE DONE ALL THAT HOMEWORK. WE'VE GOT, WE, WE HAVE, UM, IT'S 86 PER CENTS PER LINEAR FOOT, UH, FOR THE CONTRACTOR. 56 7 CENTS PER LINEAR FOOT FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON CREW. WE SUPPORT IT. . RIGHT ON. LOVE IT. I LOVE WHEN THINGS LIKE THIS HAPPEN. , RANDY, YOU WANNA SPEAK TO IT? DON'T, DON'T FILIBUSTER. UH, NO. WOULD BE, WE'RE ABOUT READY TO APPROVE IT IF WE DON'T MESS IT UP. NO. SO, AND I, I, I APPRECIATE THIS TREMENDOUSLY. COUNCIL MEMBER. UH, I ACTUALLY DIDN'T, I, WE HAD BEEN PLANNING TO PURCHASE TWO OF THOSE MACHINES THIS YEAR, WHICH WOULD, WHICH WOULD BRING THREE FOR USS. THE ONE THAT YOU SAW IS A BRAND NEW MACHINE WE JUST RECEIVED IN THE THIRD QUARTER OF LAST YEAR. AND SO WE JUST ACTUALLY, OUR TEAM HAS JUST FINISHED THEIR TRAINING ON IT. UM, THE, OF COURSE, I DON'T WANT EVERYONE TO GET TOO EXCITED. IF I GOT MACHINES TOMORROW, WE'RE NOT GONNA BE RUNNING THREE MACHINES RIGHT AWAY, BECAUSE IT DOES TAKE SOME TIME TO TRAIN THE OPERATORS AND GET 'EM GOING ON IT. BUT THESE NEW MACHINES ARE TREMENDOUS. THEY'LL ALLOW US TO DO A LOT REALLY FAST. THESE ARE MACHINES THAT, UH, ALLOW OUR, OUR CREWS TO GO AND DO LANE STRIPING WITHOUT CLOSING DOWN LANES OF TRAFFIC. THEY'RE ABLE TO APPLY THE STRIPES WITH OTHER VEHICLES ALREADY ON THE ROAD. THERE'S NO OVER SPRAY. THEY'RE ABLE TO DO IT AT SPEED. SO IN OTHER WORDS, THEY CAN DO IT, YOU KNOW, 30, 40, 50 MILES AN HOUR. SO IT'S VERY EXCITING. I'M VERY SUPPORTIVE. THANKS. AND I APPRECIATE THE THANKS, RANDY. AND THE GARAGE IS BIG. THERE'S ROOM FOR ANOTHER, I CAN SEE WHERE THE OTHER ONE COULD FIT. RIGHT IN THERE, THERE IN THE GARAGE. OKAY. I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT, MAYOR. UM, THIS THANK YOU. GREAT NEWS FOR ALL LANE STRIKE APPLICANTS. COUNCIL AMENDMENT. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. MAYOR COUNCILOR RAMIREZ. UH, I DON'T KNOW IF, I DON'T KNOW IF IT NEEDS A SECOND, BUT I'LL SECOND IT. AND, YOU KNOW, THIS IS REALLY, WE'RE TRYING TO PASS IT. IT'S IN WRITING SO IT DOESN'T NEED A SECOND. GET IT. BUT, BUT THIS IS, THIS IS A LIFESAVING MATTER. I MEAN, I, I KNOW IT'S ON BOARD. YOU'RE ON BOARD. , WE WANNA FILIBUSTER IT. YEAH, WE'RE DELAYING THE PURCHASE SO LONG AS WE TALK ABOUT IT. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED TO AINT. MOTION PASSES. GOOD JOB. NEXT PAGE. COUNCILMAN CASTILLO. COUNCILMAN CASTILLO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. COLLEAGUES. I'VE SUBMITTED 13.01, UH, IN WRITING. IT'S A PROPOSED CIP AMENDMENT FOR WELLINGTON PLACE. COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON REFERENCED THIS EARLIER. UM, THIS AMENDMENT CALLS FOR A DESIGN CONCEPT REPORT FOR WELLINGTON PLACE. THEY HAVE EXPERIENCED REPEATED FLOODING. THIS USED TO BE IN DISTRICT B PRIOR TO REDISTRICTING. THE DISTRICT B IS WELL AWARE OF, UH, ALL THE ISSUES. AND, UH, WE DON'T HAVE A PROJECT TO, TO ADDRESS IT. SO THIS IS A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION TO HOPEFULLY BRINGING A CIP PROJECT, UH, TO THE TABLE FOR WELLINGTON PLACE. UM, AND THERE'S NO FISCAL, UH, COMPONENT TO THIS AS WELL. VERY GOOD. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. AWESOME. NOW WE NEED A MOTION ON, UH, VOTE ON THE MAIN ITEM AS AMENDED. ITEM 36. ALL IN FAVOR OF ITEM 36. WHAT NUMBER? 36. 36 AS AMENDED. PLEASE SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. NUMBER 37. ITEM 37 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. COUNCILMAN CASTILLO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I TAGGED 37 AND 38 LAST WEEK. UM, SEEKING SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AROUND, UH, ALL THE PRODUCTS THAT INTEGRATE WITH OUR SAP SYSTEM. I, I UNDERSTAND THE CIRCUMSTANCES AROUND QUESTIONS NOT BEING ANSWERED THIS WEEK. [05:45:01] UM, BUT THESE ARE NOT NEW QUESTIONS. YOU KNOW, THESE ARE QUESTIONS I HAVE ASKED FOR MONTHS. AND WE ARE GONNA BE ASKED, UM, THIS YEAR TO CONSIDER A NEW SAP CONTRACT FOR 20 SOMETHING MILLION DOLLARS. AND SO I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE FULL SCOPE AND BREADTH OF EVERYTHING THAT INTEGRATES INTO SAP THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF HOUSTON. UM, I DO SUPPORT THIS ITEM. IN PRINCIPLE, IT'S MIGRATING FROM A LEGACY SYSTEM, MOVING TO NEW TECHNOLOGY CLOUD-BASED. IT'S WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING. UM, BUT THE BIGGER PICTURE IS SOMETHING THAT I'M TRYING TO GET AHOLD OF AS WE DO HAVE SOME SIGNIFICANT, UH, FINANCIAL, UH, CONSIDERATIONS THAT WE'RE GONNA BE ASKED TO VOTE ON, UH, IN THE COMING MONTHS. SO, I WILL NOT BE SUPPORTING THIS ITEM. VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY OPPOSING PASSES. SIR RAM RAMIREZ IS A NO. CASTILLO AND CASTILLO NO. NEXT. OKAY, ITEM 38 NEEDS A MOTION. CASTEX ITEM, MOVE. SECOND. MOTIONS MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED, NAY OPPOSED. CASTILLO PASSES. COUNCILOR CASTILLO VOTING. NO. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO VOTING NO. ITEM 39 IS IN ORDINANCE. JUST ME TO VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY YES. WAIT, COUNT. MAYOR, PER MAYOR PROTI. UH, MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO HAVE SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS ITEM. UM, ME TOO BEFORE I TAG IT. UM, I KNOW WE HAD A HEARING ON THIS. I'M CONCERNED THAT, UM, WE ARE LOOKING AT MAKING SURE THAT WE ALLOW OPPORTUNITY FOR HOUSTONIANS TO ADDRESS THEIR GOVERNMENT. UH, RIGHT NOW WE HAVE PUBLIC SESSION EVERY WEEK. IT IS MIDDAY. I'M SURE THAT DOES, UM, CAUSE PROBLEMS FOR FOLKS THAT CAN'T GET HERE MIDDAY. UM, WE ARE LOOKING AT MOVING THIS TO ONCE A MONTH, UH, HAVING A PUBLIC SESSION AT 6:00 PM UM, I WATCHED THE, UM, COMMITTEE HEARING. THERE WERE ZERO PUBLIC SPEAKERS AT THE PROP, A COMMITTEE ABOUT SPEAKING DURING THE EVENING. I'D LIKE TO, UM, HEAR FROM HOUSTONIANS THAT THEY WANT TO COME AT 6:00 PM TO PETITION THEIR GOVERNMENT. AND THAT'S TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION, UM, THE TRAFFIC THAT IT TAKES TO GET HERE AT 6:00 PM. ALSO, TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION THAT, UM, A TRADITIONAL PUBLIC SESSION FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS DURING THE WEEK IS THREE HOURS. UH, IF WE HAVE PUBLIC SESSION ON TUESDAYS FOR THREE HOURS, UH, THAT WOULD BE, UM, UNTIL 9:00 PM UH, WE HAVE AN EIGHT O'CLOCK MEETING WITH THE MAYOR ON WEDNESDAY MORNINGS. UM, I'M, I'M CONCERNED THAT I HAVE NOT HEARD FROM HOUSTONIANS ENOUGH TO SEE THE MERIT IN MOVING THIS TO 6:00 PM. UM, IF HOUSTONIANS SAY, COUNCIL MEMBERS, WE WANT PUBLIC SESSION AT 6:00 PM I'M WILLING TO DO THAT. THE FACT THAT WE HAD A COMMITTEE HEARING, UM, MAYBE HOUSTONIANS DIDN'T KNOW WE WERE HEARING IT AT COMMITTEE. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ISSUE WAS, BUT THERE WERE ZERO PUBLIC SPEAKERS AT THE PROP. A COMMITTEE SAYING, I WANT TO HAVE A MEETING. I WANT TO BE ABLE TO COME TO SPEAK TO CITY COUNCIL AT 6:00 PM. UM, SO I'M NOT READY TO TAKE A VOTE ON THIS. UH, DEFINITELY WANT HOUSTONIANS TO REACH OUT TO THEIR ELECTED OFFICIALS AND UTILIZE OUR OFFICE, OUR OFFICE HOURS, UM, TUESDAY NIGHTS OR OUR PIP MEETINGS. UH, I GO TO PIP MEETINGS ON TUESDAY NIGHTS. MY STAFF GOES TO PIP MEETINGS ON TUESDAY NIGHTS. CIVIC CLUB MEETINGS ARE HELD ON TUESDAY NIGHTS. UM, I GO TO A LOT OF CIVIC CLUB MEETINGS. UM, I KNOW THE, UH, AT LARGE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS, I SEE THEM AT MY CIVIC CLUB MEETINGS ON TUESDAY NIGHTS. THE MAJORITY OF OUR, UM, CIVIC CLUBS AND HOAS MEET ON TUESDAY NIGHTS. UM, SO I I I FEEL LIKE THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME MORE [05:50:01] DISCUSSION BEFORE WE TAKE A VOTE ON WHETHER OR NOT WE ARE GOING TO HAVE ONCE A MONTH THAT WE WAS IT, IS IT ONE YEAH, ONCE A MONTH. THE LAST TUESDAY OF THE MONTH THAT WE HAVE PUBLIC SESSION AT 6:00 PM UM, I'M CURIOUS TO HEAR FROM OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS WHAT, WHAT YOUR THOUGHTS ARE. UM, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK ANYONE WANTS TO DISENFRANCHISE HOUSTONIANS FROM PETITIONING THEIR GOVERNMENT. UM, THE, THE PROCESS THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE NOW, IT, IT'S MIDDAY. UM, AND I KNOW IT CAN BE TOUGH. UM, BUT I ALSO ENCOURAGE MY CONSTITUENTS, CALL US, EMAIL US, UM, SEND LETTERS. WE'LL MEET YOU AT YOUR CIVIC CLUB MEETINGS. I MEAN, AND THAT'S PART OF THE TUG THAT I'M HAVING NOW, IS WE DO GO TO A LOT OF CIVIC CLUB MEETINGS. AND UNFORTUNATELY, THEY, THEY DO FALL ON TUESDAY EVENINGS. UM, SO I'D LIKE TO DISCUSS THIS A LITTLE MORE BEFORE WE TAKE A VOTE. THERE'S A NUMBER OF FOLKS. WHAT, WHAT CONCERNS ME? UH, AND YOU'VE PROBABLY HEARD ME CERTAINLY ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL ADVOCATE FOR SUCH, UH, THE LEGISLATURE MEETS IN THE EVENING SOMETIME ALL NIGHT. OF COURSE, THEY ONLY MEET EVERY OTHER YEAR FOR 140 DAYS. UH, I THINK THERE OUGHT TO BE A MECHANISM IF WE CHOOSE TO GO THIS WAY, TO HAVE A SUNSET, UH, OF IT. OF COURSE, YOU CAN ALWAYS CHANGE THE ORDINANCE, BUT I'M NOT SURE THAT'S A PARTICULAR EASY VOTE FOR ANYONE ONCE WE, IF WE CHOSE TO PASS IT, UH, CONCERNED ABOUT UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES FOR OUR CONSTITUENTS. BUT IT'S ONE THING. WE WERE HERE AT FIVE O'CLOCK YESTERDAY, FOUR OF US. SO IF WE'RE GONNA GO TONIGHT AND ASK FOLKS TO COME OUT AND EXPRESS HIMSELF, I THINK WE'VE GOT TO PUT LANGUAGE IN THERE, STRICT ENFORCEMENT OF A QUORUM. IT, IT NOT ONLY IS GOOD GOVERNMENT, BUT IT'S DOWNRIGHT DISRESPECTFUL WHEN WE'RE DOING THE PEOPLE'S BUSINESS. AND THERE'S FOUR OF US HERE AT FIVE O'CLOCK, SO IF YOU WANNA START AT SIX, UH, THAT'LL BE THE WILL OF THE BODY. I DO SUPPORT THE MAYOR PRO TEM. WE NEED TO SOMEWAY URGE HOUSTONIANS TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES. I'VE ACTUALLY, COUNCIL MEMBER, YOU'VE HEARD ME SAY, MAYBE WE OUGHT TO TAKE CITY GOVERNMENT TO THE ACRES HOME MULTI SERVICE CENTER, OR TO DENVER HARBOR OR TO REAGAN, UH, NORTH SIDE HIGH SCHOOL. UH, I UNDERSTAND THAT WOULD EVEN BE EVEN A BIGGER CHALLENGE. BUT I THINK WE HAVE THE CONVENIENCE OF THE PUBLIC WOULD WITH TRAFFIC, PARKING, COST, PUBLIC SAFETY. BUT I, YOU KNOW, EVERY ONE OF US WOULD SIGN A LETTER FOR BEING MORE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC. I DO THINK THAT THAT'S A PROCESS OF CERTAINLY DISTRICT MEMBERS AND AT LARGE TO BE AVAILABLE. BUT I THINK THE CONCEPT SURE DOES SOUND GOOD. BUT I, I WOULD LIKE TO MAYBE HAVE A COMMITTEE LOOK AT YOUR, ARE THERE ANY OTHER LEGISLATIVE BODIES, MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT THAT DOES SOMETHING LIKE THIS? OUR FRIENDS OVER AT THE COUNTY ONLY ONLY MEET ONCE A MONTH. SO SMALLER JURISDICTIONS. I'M SURE I ALREADY SEE Y'ALL CHATTERING OVER THERE. , YOU KNOW, MAY, MAYBE, MAYBE MISSOURI CITY MEETS AT NIGHT. I DON'T KNOW. YEAH. BUT I THINK, UH, ALL I'M SAYING IS I THINK SOME DIALOGUE WITH THE PUBLIC MM-HMM . WOULD BE BENEFICIAL. BUT CERTAINLY I'LL, I'LL RESPECT THE WILL OF THIS BODY. COUNCILOR CASTILLO. COUNCIL CASTILLO. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND I THINK BOTH YOU AND THE MAYOR PRO TEM RAISED SOME VERY VALID QUESTIONS. YOU KNOW, THE PROPOSAL THAT I SUBMITTED TO THE PROP, A COMMITTEE INCLUDED POTENTIALLY OFFSITE PUBLIC SESSION, UM, AND THE COMMITTEE DISCUSSION, UH, TALKING TO, UH, STEVE AND DAVID, YOU KNOW, THERE'S COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT. AND SO THAT NEEDED TO BE FLESHED OUT SOME MORE. UM, THAT'S WHY THIS IS JUST AN EVENING PUBLIC SESSION HERE AT 6:00 PM UM, WE HAVE HEARD FROM FOLKS WHO HAVE COME TO ADDRESS US AND SAID, I HAD TO TAKE OFF WORK TO BE HERE. I'VE GOTTA GET TO THE BABYSITTER. CAN YOU MOVE ME UP? YOU KNOW, SO WE KNOW IT'S INCONVENIENT FOR SOME. UM, AND I THINK THAT WE GENERALLY, UM, HEAR FROM PEOPLE WHO TALK TO US AT CIVIC CLUBS OR TALK TO US THAT, UH, WHEN WE'RE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, THAT SAY THEY CAN'T MAKE PUBLIC SESSION OR, OR PUBLIC SESSION, TIMING DOESN'T WORK. THAT'S WHERE THIS CAME FROM. [05:55:01] YOU KNOW, UH, HEARING FROM OUR CONSTITUENTS IS A, A CORE FUNCTION OF OUR JOB. AND AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, WE RUN, WE SIGN UP FOR THIS, THIS IS PART OF IT, PUBLIC SESSION. AND SO GIVING PEOPLE AN OPTION TO ADDRESS THIS AT A TIME THAT'S MORE CONVENIENT, THAT WORKS FOR MORE CONSTITUENTS, UH, I THINK IT'S SOMETHING WE CAN FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE WORK. AND IF IT'S, LET'S TRY THIS FOR SIX MONTHS AND IF IT'S NOT WORKING, YOU KNOW, WE CAN REVISIT IT OR TWEAK IT OR, OR GO BACK TO THE WAY IT WAS. UM, I THINK THAT'S VERY REASONABLE TO PILOT THIS BECAUSE IT IS A BIG CHANGE. IT'S A BIG CHANGE FOR US TOO. UH, WE ALL HAVE, YOU KNOW, FAMILIES AND WE HAVE COMMITMENTS AND YES, PIPS, CIVIC CLUBS, SUPER NEIGHBORHOODS, THOSE THINGS HAPPEN IN THE EVENING. UM, AND I DON'T THINK WE'RE GONNA FIND A PERFECT DAY WHERE, WHERE NONE OF THOSE CONFLICTS ARE GONNA OCCUR. BUT I DO THINK WE DO NEED TO DO SOMETHING, UM, AND, AND SEE WHAT THAT IS. AND I, I DON'T HAVE ANY ISSUE WITH TAKING A COUPLE WEEKS, UH, GETTING SOME MORE ENGAGEMENT FROM THE, THE COMMUNITIES AND FROM THE CONSTITUENTS TO SEE WHAT THEIR THOUGHTS ARE, UM, AND, AND HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC SOME MORE ABOUT THAT. BUT, BUT I AM CONFIDENT WE CAN FIGURE SOMETHING OUT. WE COULD HYPOTHETICAL THIS ALL DAY ABOUT WHY WE SHOULDN'T DO IT. BUT I THINK THE PUBLIC IS GONNA EXPECT US TO DO SOMETHING THAT GIVES THEM MORE ACCESS TO THEIR, TO THEIR CITY GOVERNMENT. FLICKINGER, COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER, WHO ALMOST LIVES IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY. SO I'M THINKING ABOUT, THINKING ABOUT YOU TRAVELING HOME AT NIGHT. ACTUALLY, I HAVE TO DRIVE THROUGH MONTGOMERY COUNTY TO GET HOME. SO YOU'RE, YOU'RE CORRECT. UM, TO THE MAYOR, PRO TEMS POINT, I HAVEN'T HEARD A LOT OF PEOPLE CLAMORING TO HAVE EVENING. I HAVE HEARD A LOT OF PEOPLE COMPLAINING THAT THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY DOWNTOWN IS INCONVENIENT, ESPECIALLY FOR MY DISTRICT, WHERE A LOT OF THE CONSTITUENTS ARE IN KINGWOOD OR CLEAR LAKE. UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK MAYBE IF WE DO THIS, WE LOOK AT ONCE A QUARTER INITIALLY. SURE. UM, TO TAKE A LOOK AND SEE HOW IT DOES. I ALSO THINK THAT MAYBE WE SHOULD START AT FIVE O'CLOCK SO THAT, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY THAT WORKS HERE COULD COME STRAIGHT, YOU KNOW, FROM THEIR OFFICE OVER HERE FOR IT. SO, I DUNNO, I THINK THERE'S A COUPLE THINGS MAYBE WE COULD TWEAK, BUT, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK IT'D BE A GOOD IDEA TO TRY AND, AND SEE HOW IT WORKS. YEAH, MAKES SENSE. WHY, WHILE WE'RE, WE PROBABLY OUGHT TO HAVE A COMMITTEE, I'VE, SINCE I GOT HERE, NOTICED SEVERAL THINGS THAT I THINK COULD BE AN IMPROVEMENT FOR THE PUBLIC. THE IDEA THAT YOU'VE GOTTA SIGN UP BY THREE O'CLOCK ON MONDAY TO TALK ON TUESDAY AIN'T MAKING OURSELF AVAILABLE. IF PEOPLE WAKE UP ON TUESDAY MORNING, THEY EITHER READ HERE OR NOW SEE THAT THEY'RE FREE TO COME TO THE PUBLIC SESSIONS. YOU KNOW, I KNOW WE CAN SUSPEND RULES, BUT IT SURE IS A CHILLING FACTOR WHEN, WHEN YOU GOTTA KNOW 'EM MONDAY AFTERNOON IF YOU WANT TO COME TALK TO YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS ON TUESDAYS. SO ANYWAY, I DON'T WANT TO DIVERT ATTENTION FROM WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, BUT WE PROBABLY AT SOME POINT, OUGHT TO HAVE A COMMITTEE JUST LOOK AT THE POSSIBLE REVISIONS OF HOW WE WANNA MAKE CITY GOVERNMENT MORE AVAILABLE AND EFFICIENT. BUT, UH, SEE, YOU'RE MENTIONING THE FIVE O'CLOCK IDEA THAT WOULD AT LEAST GET A LITTLE AHEAD OF THE TRAFFIC. AND A LOT OF PEOPLE COME STRAIGHT FROM WORK. BUT ANYWAY, THAT'S, THAT'S GONNA BE THE BENEFIT OF TALKING ABOUT IT MORE. MM-HMM . UM, PLUMMER, COUNCILMAN PLUMMER. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND, UM, AND I, I REALLY COMMEND YOU COUNCILOR MC CASTILLO TO, TO BE OUTSIDE THE BOX THINKING ABOUT THIS. UM, AS A LARGE MEMBER, I DO HEAR FROM ALL OVER THE CITY IN TERMS OF THE ACCESSIBILITY AND OF US BEING HERE. UM, I THINK A MONTHLY MEETING IN THE EVENING IS, IS A, IS A REALLY GOOD IDEA. I MEAN, I EVEN QUARTERLY SOUNDS GOOD AS WELL. UM, I THINK THAT AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, I THINK IF WE PLAN OUR DAYS AND WE KNOW THAT WE KEPT THAT WE HAVE TO BE HERE AND, 'CAUSE YOU'RE RIGHT, MAYOR. I MEAN, OFTENTIMES WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE GOING AT FIVE O'CLOCK AND THERE'S A COMMUNITY EVENT OR SOMETHING WE HAVE TO ATTEND, WE DO HAVE TO LEAVE OUT SOMETIMES, WHICH I THINK IS UNFAIR. UM, AND, UM, BUT I DO THINK THAT IF WE HAVE IT ON OUR SCHEDULES, WE KNOW WE HAVE TO BE HERE. I, I BELIEVE THAT WE'LL HAVE MORE ENGAGEMENT. I THINK MORE PEOPLE WILL BE HERE TO, TO JOIN US. IF YOU'RE WORKING AND YOU HAVE TO LEAVE FOR YOUR LUNCH BREAK, BE HERE AT TWO O'CLOCK AND THEN GO BACK TO WORK. THAT'S ALSO SOMETHING WE HAVE TO CONSIDER THAT OUR RESIDENTS HAVE TO DO. BUT DOING A SIX O'CLOCK OR EVEN A FIVE O'CLOCK NOW THEY'RE JUST LEAVING AT FOUR AND THEY'RE COMING HERE SO THEY'RE NOT HAVING TO GO BACK TO WORK. I THINK IT, IT WORKS FOR THEM AND THEIR FAMILIES. UM, BUT I THINK THAT IT'S, I THINK IT'S CREATIVE AND, UM, I'M WILLING TO GIVE IT A SHOT, LIKE YOU SAID. I MEAN, WE, WE CAN THINK OF 10,000 REASONS AND WHY WE DON'T NEED TO DO IT, BUT WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT THE REASON [06:00:01] HOW TO MAKE IT HAPPEN. AND, UM, AND MAYOR, I THINK THAT YOU'VE BEEN INCREDIBLY ACCESSIBLE. UM, AND I THINK THAT PEOPLE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON KNOW THAT. AND I THINK THIS WOULD BE A REALLY GOOD, UM, WAY OF AT LEAST TRYING IT OUT TO SEE IF IT WORKS. IT DOESN'T WORK. SURE. WHAT DO YOU, UH, WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE COUNTY ONLY MEETS ONCE A MONTH? YEAH. YOU KNOW, ONE PROBLEM AT A TIME. HEY, I'M MESSING WITH YOU. ONE PROBLEM AT A TIME. . CAN YOU BELIEVE, I THINK TO OUR, AS LARGE AS COUNTY IS, COUNTY GOVERNMENT IS IN HARRIS COUNTY. THEY MEET ONCE A MONTH. YEAH, NO, I, I I WITH SOME VERY TIGHT TIME LIMITS ON SPEAKERS. BUT ANYWAY, ANOTHER DAY. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, THAT'S MY CONCERN ABOUT THAT IS THE FACT THAT IT'S A PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE AS WELL AS A COST ISSUE IN MY PERSONAL OPINION. UM, ADMIRABLE OB OBJECTIVE. BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, WE DID TOWN HALL MEETINGS. I HEARD HIM TALK ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO OUR CONSTITUENTS AND NO ONE IS HINDERING ANY COUNCIL MEMBER FOR HOLDING A MEETING WITHIN ANY AREA. WE HAVE SERVED THE CITY THROUGHOUT FOR THE PAST YEAR AND WE'VE DONE ALMOST GONE ON OUR EIGHTH. OKAY. AND SO THE IDEA IS GREAT. I, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY COULD SEE THE IMPORTANCE OF IT, BUT THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS WE TAKE ALL THE DEPARTMENTS TO THE TOWN HALL, PEOPLE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK, THEY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO RESPOND, UH, AND TALK ABOUT THEIR ISSUES. SO ON THE BASIS OF THE COST AND THE PUBLIC SAFETY AROUND IT, IT WOULDN'T BE SOMETHING I WOULD SUPPORT EVEN IF YOU DID IT ONCE A MONTH MAYBE. BUT LIKE I SAY, YOU KNOW, AND I'M NOT SUGGESTING PEOPLE OUGHT TO TAKE MY APPROACH TO IT, BUT I WAS, HAVE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL. ALL THE DEPARTMENT HEADS HAVE BEEN THERE, YOU KNOW, AND WE FIND WAYS IN ORDER TO ACCOMMODATE THE PEOPLE. YOU KNOW, IF WE AS A LARGE, WE DON'T GET CONSTITUENT FUNDS DOLLARS TO SUPPORT WHAT WE DO, BUT WE TAKE IT OUT THERE BECAUSE THAT'S OUR OBLIGATION TO MAKE SURE THAT THE COMMUNITY IS INFORMED ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT GOES ON HERE. SO, UM, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAY, I THINK IT'S A GREAT IDEA, BUT THERE'S SOME PEOPLE WHO DON'T EVEN COME HERE WHEN THEY SUPPOSED TO BE HERE. AND SO THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS, WHAT WOULD YOU DO IT THEN? SO THAT, THAT, THAT'S SOMETHING I THINK WE NEED TO CONSIDER GREATLY. BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, NOT SOMETHING I WOULD THINK WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, I JUST THOUGHT OF SOMETHING. I WONDER HOW MANY PEOPLE, COUNCILOR AND CASTILLO THAT'S ASKED YOU TO CONSIDER THIS ARE ACTUALLY THE SAME PEOPLE THAT COME DURING THE DAYTIME. 'CAUSE I COULD START NAMING THEM . ABSOLUTELY. AND YOU AND I KNOW SOME OF THE FOLKS THAT COME ON A REGULAR BASIS ARE NOW ASKING YOU FOR AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME AT NIGHT. AND I JUST WONDER WHAT WOULD BE THEIR CHOICE. BUT ANYWAY, THERE'S PROBABLY SOME OF THAT. BUT I KNOW THERE'S BEEN COMMUNITY MEETINGS. ASK JACK OR JACOB. JACOB WOULD LOVE TO BE DOWN HERE. THERE HAVE BEEN MEETINGS WE'VE HAD WHERE, WHERE FOLKS HAVE BEEN THERE, AND WE'LL ASK WHO'S, WHO'S HERE FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, YOU KNOW. SURE. MM-HMM . AND THEY RAISE TWO THIRDS, RAISE THEIR HAND, THEY SAY, WELL, THIS TIME I CAN ACTUALLY, I CAN BE PRESENT. RIGHT. SO MAYOR COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I, I SUPPORT THE IDEA. UM, I HEAR PLENTY OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE TWO O'CLOCK MEETING TIMES. AND EVEN WHEN I'M OUT IN THE COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, I'LL HEAR FROM TIME TO TIME PEOPLE COMPLAIN THAT THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO COME TO THE PUBLIC SESSION MEETINGS, BUT THEY'RE FREE IN THE EVENINGS. YOU KNOW, OTHER ENTITIES MEET IN THE EVENINGS, SCHOOL BOARDS MEET IN THE EVENINGS. YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN DISCUSSION ABOUT TOWN, TOWN HALLS BEING HELD IN THE EVENINGS AND PEOPLE COME OUT TO THOSE. SO, SO I THINK THIS IDEA CAN WORK AND, AND IT'S INNOVATIVE. I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE, WE SHOULD TRY. YEAH. IF WE DO IT FOR A WHILE AND FIND IT, IT DOESN'T WORK WELL, THEN WE CAN GO BACK TO, UH, THE, THE WAY WE'VE BEEN DOING THINGS. BUT, UH, I SUPPORT IT. VERY GOOD. Y'ALL KNOW, THIS TIME IS COUNTING AS Y'ALL'S POP OFF. THAT'S FINE. YEAH, JUST KEEP TALKING. WE WON'T HAVE A POPUP. COUNCILMAN ALCORN. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. I WAS HAPPY TO SUPPORT THIS PROPE THAT WE, WE ALL CAMPAIGN ON THIS. WE ALL SAY, WHY DO WE HAVE PUBLIC SESSION AT TWO O'CLOCK? THAT'S DUMB. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T DO ANYTHING. SO YOU ACTUALLY DID SOMETHING. AND, YOU KNOW, I SUPPORT PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT IN ALL OF OUR PROCESSES AND IF THIS HELPS INCREASE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT, IT'S A GOOD THING. AND LOOK FORWARD TO WHAT WE COME UP WITH. VERY GOOD COUNCIL, VICE MAYOR BECK. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, UM, FOR PUTTING THIS FORWARD. I WAS HAPPY TO SIGN ON IT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, ANYTIME WE CAN HAVE MORE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT, LIKE COUNCIL MEMBER ALQUAN SAID, I THINK IS A GOOD THING. UM, BUT MAYOR PRO TEM BROUGHT UP SOME GOOD POINTS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE CIVIC CLUB MEETINGS NOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE MISSING. SO I DO THINK THAT MAYBE WE COULD WORK ON SOME BALANCE THERE WHERE, UM, YOU KNOW, MEETING ONCE A QUARTER, PUTTING IN A SUNSET [06:05:01] CLAUSE WHERE WE'RE JUST SEEING IF IT WORKS. WE ALSO HAVE TO CONSIDER THE COST TO THE CITY FOR ALL OF THE EMPLOYEES THAT ARE GOING TO HAVE TO WORK EXTRA TIME NOW. AND SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT THERE'S SOMETHING THAT WE COULD LOOK AT WHERE WE ARE STILL ENGAGING THE PUBLIC AND STILL DOING THESE MEETINGS, BUT MAYBE BALANCING OUT ALL OF THE OTHER CONCERNS THAT WERE BROUGHT UP TODAY. UM, I ALSO THINK THAT THIS IS A GOOD OPPORTUNITY, UM, IN THIS CONVERSATION TO LOOK AT TWEAKS WE CAN MAKE, UM, WITH TECHNOLOGY IN THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE WHERE PEOPLE CAN SIGN UP ELECTRONICALLY AND ALSO TAKE THEIR NAMES OFF OF THE LIST ELECTRONICALLY REMOTELY WHEN THEY REALIZE THEY CAN NO LONGER COME. WE WASTE A LOT OF TIME CALLING NAMES OF PEOPLE WHO, YOU KNOW, THEIR ISSUES GOT ADDRESSED AND NOW THEY'RE NOT HERE AND NOT SHOWING UP. UM, ALSO WHERE THEY COULD SEE WHERE THEY ARE IN THE QUEUE, UM, SO THAT WAY THEY CAN PLAN THEIR TIME BETTER AND MAYBE NOT SIT HERE ALL AFTERNOON IF THEY REALIZE THAT THEY'RE AT THE VERY END OF THE LIST. UM, AND SO I THINK THAT WILL HELP WITH PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT TOO. IF, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE, UM, REALIZE THAT THEY'RE NOT GONNA HAVE TO SIT HERE ALL AFTERNOON, UM, EVERY TUESDAY WHEN THEY WANNA TALK TO US ABOUT SOMETHING. I THINK IT'S ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT THE RULES OF, UM, PUBLIC SESSION AND HOW WE CAN MAYBE OPTIMIZE THAT, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE GETTING PEOPLE IN AND OUT. WE WANT PEOPLE TO TALK TO US, RIGHT? BUT WE ALSO DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO HAVE TO SIT HERE FOR HOURS AND HOURS JUST TO GET THEIR, THEIR VOICES HEARD. SO I THINK THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE RULES TOO, UM, AND HOW WE CAN ENFORCE THOSE RULES TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE COMING AND TALKING AND, AND TALKING TO US, BUT ALSO GETTING TO THROUGH TO THE NEXT PERSON AS WELL. THANK YOU VERY WELL, MAYOR PRO. UH, MAYOR PROTE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND I'M GLAD WE'RE HAVING THIS DISCUSSION, UM, BECAUSE CLEARLY, YEAH, I'M VERY GLAD WE'RE HAVING THIS DISCUSSION. UM, BECAUSE I, I WANT HOUSTONIANS TO TELL US THAT WHEN THEY WANNA MEET, I, I MEAN, DURING COVID WE HAD HYBRID MEETINGS AND PEOPLE SPOKE, UM, TO US FROM THEIR HOMES. UH, I THINK TECHNOLOGY IS A, A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO MAKE A AVAILABLE, UM, THE OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO PETITION THEIR GOVERNMENT. UM, AND I DON'T THINK THAT THERE IS JUST ONE ANSWER TO THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE. UM, SO I, I HOPE THAT THE COMMITTEE OR THE, UM, THE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT BROUGHT THIS PROP A FORWARD, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US, UM, HAVE SOME MORE ENGAGEMENT. UM, I WAS VERY SURPRISED THAT THERE WERE ZERO PUBLIC SPEAKERS AT THE COMMITTEE TALKING ABOUT THIS. GRANTED, WE DO HAVE, UM, WE HAVE HEARD PEOPLE SAY THAT IT WASN'T CONVENIENT, BUT I, IF WE HAVE IT AT TWO OR AT SIX, IT'S GOING TO BE INCONVENIENT FOR PEOPLE. UM, IT'S JUST LIKE EVERY OTHER MEETING THAT WE HAVE, THERE ARE ALWAYS GOING TO BE PEOPLE THAT CANNOT ATTEND. SO WHAT I LIKE TO DO, IF EVERYONE HAS, UM, HAD THEIR OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK, IS I WOULD LIKE TO TAG IT AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US GET MORE PUBLIC, UM, INFORMATION OR PUBLIC INPUT FROM HOUSTONIANS ON. WHEN IS THE BEST TIME, UM, FOR THEM TO PETITION THEIR GOVERNMENT. WE'VE, UH, HAD IT AT 2:00 PM UH, IT'S WORKED FOR SOME PEOPLE AND I THINK A LOT OF IT IS ISSUES DRIVEN, DEPENDING ON WHAT ISSUES WE ARE TALKING ABOUT, UM, WEEK TO WEEK. UM, YOU KNOW, WE SEE MORE PEOPLE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, UM, PARTICULAR ISSUES AND WE MORE PEOPLE FROM PARTICULAR DISTRICTS WHEN THERE'S A SPECIFIC ISSUE IN THEIR, THEIR DISTRICT. SO THERE ARE A LOT OF FACTORS, UM, THAT WOULD WEIGH INTO WHEN PEOPLE WOULD COME, WHEN THEY WON'T COME, HOW THEY MAKE THEIR WAY TO GET HERE. UM, SO, SO WE NEED TO, UM, I WANT TO HEAR FROM HOUSTONIANS AS TO WHAT WOULD BE, UM, OPTIMAL FOR THEM BEFORE WE DECIDE TO MAKE A CHANGE. YOU KNOW, YOU JUST GAVE ME AN IDEA WHEN YOU SAY NO ONE ATTENDED THE COMMITTEE HEARING WHERE IT WAS DISCUSSED, WHY DON'T YOU HAVE A COMMITTEE HEARING AT 6:00 PM TO CONSIDER IT? I HAVE A, A COMMENT ON THAT. SO , WE HAD PEOPLE HERE TO SPEAK ON IT. 'CAUSE THE ITEM WAS COMING TO PROP A AND I SAY THIS WITH LOVE COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER'S, UH, PRESENTATION TOOK ABOUT AN HOUR AND A HALF AT THAT MEETING. AND THEN WE TOOK UP, I BELIEVE, UH, A VETERAN'S, UH, PROPOSAL BECAUSE THE VETERANS HAD LE OKAY. SO BY THE TIME THE ITEM CAME UP, WE LOST QUORUM AND HALF THE ROOM, INCLUDING THE PEOPLE THAT WERE THERE TO SPEAK. WHY DON'T YOU DO ONE AT SIX? WHAT WAS THE, WHAT WAS THE SUGGESTION? DON'T YOU HAVE A HEARING AT SIX O'CLOCK? LET'S HEAR FROM A PUBLIC HEARING AND INVITE THE PUBLIC TO COME EXPRESS HIMSELF. SURE, WE CAN DO THAT. AND, AND YOU CAN ACTUALLY CHAIR IT AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED. YEAH. ANYWAY, Y'ALL HEARD, WELL, I, I'LL TAG IT, I'LL TAG THE ITEM AND THEN WE HAVE CHANCE TO MAYBE SEND IT TO A COMMITTEE IN THE EVENING. MM-HMM. UM, AND LET'S ASK HOUSTONIANS, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT, [06:10:01] WHAT IS THE OPTIMAL TIME THAT YOU WANT TO PETITION YOUR GOVERNMENT? AND I HOPE, AND EVERYONE HAS A RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE, BUT I HOPE IT'S REFLECTIVE OF HOUSTONIANS THAT ARE RESIDENTS THAT ARE IMPACTED. I WON'T EVEN GO THERE AND NOT PEOPLE. WE HAVE TO CLEAR THE CHAMBER 'CAUSE THEY'RE DISRUPTORS. I WOULD THINK THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING TO WEIGH TO. I'M SORRY, WHAT? WE HAVE A FEW TWO. YEAH. YOU, YOU WANT TO RELEASE YOUR TAG SO WE CAN HAVE COMMENTS? ANYBODY ELSE NEED TO MAKE A COMMENT? MARTINEZ, YOU WANNA NO, I DON'T WANNA RELEASE . I AM JUST KIDDING. COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ. BUT THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, AND I APPRECIATE THE CONVERSATION AROUND THIS. I'M ALSO IN AGREEMENT THAT WE DEFINITELY NEED TO FIND WAYS TO CONTINUE TO INCREASE THE ENGAGEMENT. UM, I'M HAPPY TO JUST TO KIND OF, KIND OF SET A PATHWAY TOWARDS THIS IS HOSTESS AT, AT A LATER TIME, UH, 6:00 PM AT A COMMITTEE MEETING FOR GOVERNANCE AND ETHICS. SO, UM, I KNOW YOU WANT, YOU STILL WANT TO TAG, BUT WE, AT LEAST WE HAVE A, A PATHWAY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT, WHEN THAT CAN HAPPEN. CUSTODY OF YOU. OH, CASTILLO. COUNCILMAN DAVIS. YEP. JUST JOINED THE TAG. COUNCILMAN CASTILLO CASTILLO T STREET. ALL RIGHT. MEMBERS. OH, OKAY. UH, GREAT, GREAT SESSION THIS MORNING. SEEMED LIKE WE STARTED LONG TIME AGO. , [MATTERS TO BE PRESENTED BY COUNCIL - Council Member Thomas first] COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS, WHO'S NOT PRESIDENT. MAYOR PROTE TATUM PASS PASS. VICE MAYOR PROTE. I MAYOR PROTE. PASS. PASS. MARTINEZ. COUNCILOR, I WON'T PASS. I JUST WANT, I NEED A JUST, UH, ONE THING I WANNA MAKE SURE FOLKS KNOW THAT OUR DISASTER PREPAREDNESS WORKSHOP IS, UH, THAT IS HAPPENING ON, UM, THIS WEEKEND AND IT'S IN PARTNERSHIP WITH COUNCILOR DAVIS AND COUNCILOR CARTER. IT'LL BE AT THE MAGNOLIA MULTI-SERVICE CENTER FROM NINE TO 11. THAT'S AT 70 37 CAPITAL. UM, IF YOU KNOW ANYBODY THAT NEEDS ANY ASSISTANCE, WE'LL BE GIVING AWAY SOME ITEMS AS WELL, SO THAT WAY FOLKS WILL BE PREPARED. THANK YOU. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, JUST A BIG SHOUT OUT TO THE MAYOR PRO TEM ON THE BANDIT SIGNED BILL. OH, THANK YOU. I MEANT SAY THAT EARLIER. AMAZING. THANK YOU. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER EVANS CHAVE. THANK YOU MAYOR PROTE. VERY QUICKLY, UH, THERE'S A COLUMBIA TAP LISTENING SESSION TONIGHT AT 6:00 PM AT THE PILGRIM CONGREGATION COMMUNITY CENTER, 31 18 BLO STREET, UH, HOSTED BY EAST DOWNTOWN AND GREATER SOUTHEAST MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS TO GATHER COMMUNITY INPUT ON FURTHER ENHANCEMENTS TO THE COLUMBIA TAP TRAIL. UM, ON TOMORROW AT 6:00 PM THE CHOICE NEIGHBORHOOD, CUNY HOMES AND THIRD WARD MEETING WILL TAKE PLACE AT ONE EMANCIPATION CENTER ON THE SECOND FLOOR, 31 31 EMANCIPATION AVENUE. THIS MEETING WILL PROVIDE RESIDENCE WITH AN UPDATE ON THE CHOICE NEIGHBORHOOD CCI PROCESS AND HOW IT CONNECTS WITH BROADER REVITALIZATION EFFORTS IN CUNY HOMES AND THE THIRD WARD. AND FINALLY, UM, THE PLAQUE DEDICATION AND FARMER'S MARKET WILL BE SATURDAY, JUNE 28TH AFTER MANY RESCHEDULED OPPORTUNITIES AT THE PARK AT PALM CENTER, WHICH IS RIGHT ON OFF OF GRIGGS AND, UH, BEEKMAN, WE WILL JOIN NEIGHBORS FOR THE UNVEILING OF A COMMEMORATIVE PLAQUE AT PALM CENTER AND THE CELEBRATION OF OUR LOCAL FARMERS' MARKET. AND CERTAINLY THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO RECOGNIZE PALM CENTER'S LASTING LEGACY AND SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY WELLNESS IN THE THIRD WARD. AND JUST AS A REAL CONCERN, AND THIS IS NOT A HOUSTON CONCERN, BUT WE NEED TO GET WITH TDOT SO THAT THEY CAN FIX THOSE SIGNS ON THE, THE FREEWAY. WE CAN'T READ THOSE SIGNS. I KNOW. GOING TO CALL DANNY PEREZ ON 59, YOU CAN'T SEE 'EM. CALL DANNY PEREZ ATTOC, I'LL DO THAT. UM, AND CERTAINLY I, I WANNA WISH MY MOTHER A HAPPY HEAVENLY BIRTHDAY. AIR BIRTHDAY WOULD'VE BEEN YESTERDAY, BUT SHE SORELY MISSED, BUT SHE TAUGHT ME A LOT TO BE ABLE TO GIVE TO OTHERS. AND I, FOR THAT, I CAN WALK IN MY CALLING. THANK YOU. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOUR MOM. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TEM. I WANT TO CONGRATULATE, UH, WENDY AND BRADLEY. THEY'VE BEEN OUR TWO DISTRICT H HORIZONS INTERNS FOR THE PAST SIX MONTHS. THEIR INTERNSHIP ENDS AT THE END OF JUNE, AND, UH, THEY'VE BEEN, UH, GREAT ADDITIONS TO THE OFFICE. I HOPE THIS EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN, UM, A MEMORABLE ONE FOR Y'ALL AND YOU'VE BEEN ABLE TO LEARN AND GROW. UM, I ALSO WANT TO CONGRATULATE WENDY, WHO IT WILL BE JOINING THE DISTRICT H OFFICE, UH, IN JULY AS THE NEW CONSTITUENT ENGAGEMENT COORDINATOR. SHE'S DONE A FANTASTIC JOB AND WILL MAKE A GREAT ADDITION TO THE TEAM. DISTRICT H IS GONNA HOST OUR DISASTER PREPAREDNESS WORKSHOP ON WEDNESDAY, JULY 2ND, 6:00 PM AT CLARK PARK WITH THE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY [06:15:01] MANAGEMENT AND THE HOUSTON TOOL BANK AT THE CLARK PARK COMMUNITY CENTER. HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE. AND ONE OF THE PROJECTS THAT WAS IN THE CIP THAT I WANNA HIGHLIGHT THAT, UH, WAS ADOPTED TODAY AND HAS PROGRESSED THROUGH THE YEARS, IS THE EAST SUNSET HEIGHTS PARK. UH, THIS IS A OLD METRO TRANSIT CENTER THAT THE CITY ACQUIRED IN 2019 AND HAS BEEN WORKING THROUGH THE SYSTEM. UH, WE'RE NOW SLOWLY THROUGH THE PERMITTING AND, AND MOVING FORWARD. I KNOW THE NEIGHBORHOOD HAS BEEN PATIENTLY WAITING, UH, FOR THIS OLD TRANSIT CENTER TO BECOME A PARK, TO BECOME A, A COMMUNITY AMENITY. UM, AND SO IT'S, IT'S GOING TO REALLY BE, YOU KNOW, A REALLY NICE PLAYGROUND SPRAY, GROUND WALKWAY, GREAT LANDSCAPING BENCHES. UM, AND SO I WANT TO COMMEND THE PROJECT AND, AND THE TEAM THAT ARE WORKING ON IT, UH, TO CONTINUE TO MOVE IT FORWARD. AND I KNOW THE NEIGHBORHOOD IS LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEXT STEPS. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER. YES. WE HAD OUR FIRST COFFEE WITH A COP IN DOWN IN CLEAR LAKE ON MONDAY. AND, UH, WE'VE GOT ONE IN KINGWOOD THIS COMING FRIDAY. AND JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS. UH, THEY CAME OUT LAST NIGHT, UH, ROMAN, UH, LED A MEETING, UH, HAVING TO DO WITH THE COMMUNITY, UH, MATCHING GRANTS AND, UH, HAD GREAT ATTENDANCE OUT THERE FOR IT. AND, UH, LOOKING FOR GOOD STUFF TO BE GOING ON. SO, THANK YOU. DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. THANK YOU. I'M GONNA START OFF BY GIVING A SHOT OUT TO BARK. UM, WE JUST COMPLETED OUR DISTRICT B SWEEP, UM, WHICH STARTED MAY THE 16TH. MAY THE SIXTH. AND WE JUST ENDED JUNE 17TH AND OUT OF THE SWEEP, WE WERE ABLE TO GET 330 DOGS, UM, OUT OF DISTRICT B 171 OF THOSE DOGS WERE, UM, BASICALLY PICKED UP, UM, DURING OVERTIME. AND SO I WANT TO THANK THEM FOR THE PARTNERSHIP AND FOR, UM, WORKING WITH US TO KIND OF GET RID OF THESE STRAY DOGS THAT'S RUNNING THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND TERRORIZING, UM, THE RESIDENTS. UM, ALSO ON TOMORROW AT THE HCC AT 6:00 PM UM, WE WILL UNVEIL THE DISTRICT B UM, STRATEGIC PLAN, ENCOURAGING ALL THE RESIDENTS, UM, CIVIC CLUB SUPER NEIGHBORHOODS TO SHOW UP. UM, SO THAT WE CAN JUST SHARE WITH YOU GUYS THE DIRECTION THAT DISTRICT B, UM, WE'LL BE MOVING BASED UPON COMMUNITY, UM, INPUT AND, UM, PREVIOUS STUDIES. UM, I WANT TO ENCOURAGE THE RESIDENTS OVER IN, UM, FIFTH WARD IN CASHIER GARDEN TO GO TO TOUGHLEY POOL. IT'S OPEN, , IT'S OPEN. UM, IT'S BEEN UNDER CONSTRUCTION FOR A, A COUPLE OF YEARS NOW. AND SO NOW IT'S OPEN WITH LIFEGUARDS. ENCOURAGE YOU TO BRING YOUR KIDS ON OUT AND ENJOY OUR UPGRADED POOL, UM, AT TUFFLEY PARK. AND THAT'S IT. EVERYONE HAVE A, UM, BLESSED WEEK COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. THANK YOU MAYOR TEM. I JUST WANT TO, UH, GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO ONE OF OUR LOYAL INTERNS WHO WILL BE LEAVING SOON. DANA OMED IS HERE. WOULD YOU STAND UP, DANA? SHE HAS BEEN WORKING WITH US SINCE OCTOBER, DOING GREAT WORK, LEARNING ABOUT HOW CITY GOVERNMENT ACTUALLY WORKS AND WILL BE GOING ON TO BIGGER AND BETTER THINGS, UH, FULL-TIME STUDENT AT U OF H THIS FALL. SO THANK YOU DANA, AND UH, BEST OF LUCK IN THE FUTURE. ALRIGHT, THAT'S ALL I'VE GOT. THANK YOU. IF NOTHING FURTHER, COUNCIL MEMBERS, WE STAND ADJOURNED. JUST, UM, NOTE THAT NEXT WEEK IS BREAK WEEK AND WE WILL BE BACK ON JULY THE EIGHTH. * 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.