* 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.
           
          [00:00:01]
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC. 
          MY NAME IS SALLY ALCORN, AND 
          [Budget and Fiscal Affairs on July 8, 2025.]
I'M CHAIR OF THE BUDGET AND FISCAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE. 
          WELCOME TO OUR JULY 8TH, 2025 MEETING. 
          WE HAVE A GOOD AGENDA TODAY. 
          I'D LIKE TO WELCOME OUR HARRIS COUNTY TAX ASSESSOR COLLECTOR, ANNETTE RAMIREZ, WHO WILL BE PRESENTING LATER. 
          VERY HAPPY THAT SHE'LL BE TALKING THROUGH PROPERTY TAXES, WHICH IS OUR BIGGEST SOURCE OF REVENUE. 
          SO I THINK WE ALL COULD STAND TO LEARN A LOT ABOUT HOW PROPERTY TAXES ARE COLLECTED AND, AND THE TIMING OF ALL OF THAT. 
          SO THAT WILL BE LATER. 
          UM, WE WILL START AS USUAL WITH THE CONTROLLER AND FINANCE DIRECTOR FOR THE MONTHLY FINANCIAL REPORT. 
          BEFORE THEY GET STARTED, I WANT TO WELCOME VICE MAYOR PRO TEM AMY PECK, COUNCIL MEMBER ABBY CAYMAN IS JOINING US VIRTUALLY. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER FRED FLICKINGER, COUNCIL MEMBER TIFFANY THOMAS. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER JULIAN RAMIREZ, COUNCIL MEMBER TWILA CARTER. 
          AND THEN WE HAVE STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER CAROLYN EVAN SHABAZZ, COUNCIL MEMBER MARIO CASTILLO. 
          UH, MAYOR PRO TEM. 
          MARTHA CASTEX. 
          TATUM. 
          AND COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER. 
          SO WELCOME ALL. 
          AND WITH THAT WE WILL START. 
          HI, WILL JONES. 
          NICE TO SEE YOU, DEPUTY CONTROLLER. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, YOU MAY BEGIN. 
          ALRIGHT, UH, GOOD MORNING, MADAM CHAIR. 
          UH, MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL AND STAFF. 
          I'M HERE TODAY TO PRESENT THE MONTHLY FINANCIAL REPORT FOR THE MONTH ENDED MAY 31ST, 2025. 
          IN THE GENERAL FUND, THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE IS PROJECTING AN ENDING FUND BALANCE OF 370.1 MILLION OR 14.3% OF EXPENDITURES, LESS DEBT SERVICE AND PAY AS YOU GO. 
          THIS IS 38.6 MILLION LOWER THAN THE PROJECTION OF THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT. 
          THE DIFFERENCE IS DUE TO A LOWER REVENUE PROJECTION THAN THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT. 
          BASED ON OUR CURRENT PROJECTIONS, THE FUND BALANCE WILL BE APPROXIMATELY 175.8 MILLION ABOVE THE CITY'S TARGET HOLDING OF 7.5% OF EXPENDITURES. 
          EXCLUDING DEBT SERVICE, WE HAVE INCREASED OUR REVENUE PROJECTION BY 16 MILLION FROM THE MAY REPORT. 
          PROPERTY TAX INCREASED BY 13.5 MILLION DUE TO HIGHER THAN ANTICIPATED, UH, COLLECTIONS INTEREST INCOME INCREASED BY 2.3 MILLION DUE TO HIGHER THAN ANTICIPATED INTEREST EARNINGS ON DEPOSITS AND INVESTMENTS ON OUR SALES TAX. 
          WE ARE HOLDING OUR SALES TAX PROJECTION, UH, STEADY, UH, THIS MONTH AT 903 MILLION. 
          UH, WE DID INCREASE OUR PROJECTION LAST MONTH. 
          UH, THE APRIL SALES TAX RECEIVED CAME IN ABOUT 6.2% HIGHER THAN THE SAME MONTH LAST YEAR. 
          MARKING THE SECOND CONSECUTIVE MONTH OF A STRONG PERFORMANCE, UH, LAST MONTH INCREASED BY 7.3%. 
          SO TO REACH OUR 903 MILLION PROJECTION, THE FINAL TWO MONTHS WOULD NEED TO AVERAGE A NEGATIVE, UH, GROWTH OF 3% ON THE EXPENDITURES. 
          OUR PROJECTIONS ARE UNCHANGED, UH, FROM LAST MONTH. 
          SO, MOVING ON TO THE, UH, ENTERPRISE FUNDS, AGAIN, WE ARE PROJECTING NO CHANGES, UH, FROM THE PREVIOUS MONTH IN OUR ENTERPRISE FUNDS FOR OUR COMMERCIAL PAPER AND BONDS. 
          UH, THE CITY'S PRACTICE HAS BEEN TO MAINTAIN NO MORE THAN 20% OF THE TOTAL OUTSTANDING DEBT FOR EACH TYPE OF DEBT IN A VARIABLE RATE STRUCTURE, WHICH IS IN LINE WITH RATING AGENCY'S GUIDANCE OF 25% FROM TIME TO TIME. 
          THE CITY'S ENTERPRISE CREDITS HAVE EXCEEDED THIS THRESHOLD ON AN INTERIM BASIS AS THEY HAVE UNDERTAKEN LARGE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS OR MAJOR EXPANSIONS. 
          UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          AND THAT CONCLUDES MY REPORT. 
          THANK YOU, DIRECTOR. 
          GOOD MORNING. 
          THIS IS THE 11 PLUS ONE FINANCIAL REPORT FOR THE PERIOD ENDING MAY 31ST, 2025. 
          FISCAL YEAR 25 PROJECTIONS ARE BASED ON 11 MONTHS OF ACTUAL RESULTS AND ONE MONTH OF PROJECTIONS FOR THE GENERAL FUND. 
          THE REVENUE PROJECTION IS 96.3 MILLION HIGHER THAN THE ADOPTED BUDGET, AND 27.9 MILLION HIGHER THAN THE PRIOR MONTH. 
          THE VARIANCE FROM THE PRIOR MONTH PROJECTION IS DUE TO A $14.3 MILLION INCREASE IN SALES TAX DUE TO HIGHER THAN ANTICIPATED SALES TAX RECEIPTS, AS WELL AS A $13.6 MILLION INCREASE IN PROPERTY TAX DUE DUE TO HIGHER THAN ANTICIPATED COLLECTIONS. 
          UM, FOR SALES TAX. 
          I KNOW I MENTIONED IN THE LAST COUPLE, UM, MONTHS THAT WE WERE, OF COURSE, WE ALWAYS MONITOR THE SALES TAX ON A MONTHLY BASIS. 
          UM, AND, UH, THIS MONTH WE DECIDED TO INCREASE THE PROJECTION. 
          UM, AS DEPUTY CONTROLLER JONES MENTIONED, THE SALES TAX RECEIPTS FOR APRIL WERE STRONG. 
          THEY WERE AT 75.1 MILLION, WHICH IS SIX POINT, UH, ONE 9% HIGHER THAN THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR, AND ABOUT 6.8% HIGHER THAN BUDGET. 
          SO TO MEET THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT'S CURRENT ESTIMATE OF 907 MILLION, THE REMAINING PERIODS WOULD NEED TO COME IN, UM, FLAT TO THE PRIOR YEAR. 
          ON THE EXPENDITURE SIDE, THE EXPENDITURE PROJECTION IS 61.2 MILLION HIGHER THAN THE ADOPTED BUDGET, AND REMAINS UNCHANGED FROM THE PRIOR MONTH. 
          SO, UH, TOGETHER WITH THE REVENUES AND THE EXPENDITURES, WE'RE PROJECTING THE ENDING FUND BALANCE TO BE 408.7 MILLION, WHICH IS 27.9 MILLION HIGHER THAN THE PRIOR MONTH. 
          AND 15.8% OF ESTIMATED EXPENDITURES NOT INCLUDING DEBT SERVICE AND PAY AS YOU GO. 
          THAT FUND BALANCE 
          [00:05:01]
IS 214 MILLION ABOVE THE TARGET OF HOLDING 7.5%. 
          UM, FOR THE ENTERPRISE SPECIAL REVENUE AND OTHER FUNDS, UH, WE'RE NOT PROJECTING, UM, ANY CHANGES, UH, FOR, UH, FOR, SORRY, FOR THE ENTERPRISE FUNDS. 
          WE'RE NOT PROJECTING ANY CHANGES, BUT FOR THE ASSET FORFEITURE FUND, UH, WE'RE PROJECTING AN INCREASE TO REVENUE, UH, BY $900,000 DUE TO HIGHER THAN ANTICIPATED CONFISCATIONS. 
          UM, AND, UH, THE REPORT ALSO INCLUDES, UH, THE MONTHLY DISASTER REPORT, UM, IN YOUR COPY AND AS WELL AS THE COPY THAT'S ONLINE. 
          UM, AND I DID WANT TO, UH, SHARE A BIT OF GOOD NEWS THAT WE RECEIVED. 
          I THINK IT WAS THE WEEK BEFORE LAST. 
          UM, WE HAD OUR ANNUAL SURVEILLANCE WITH MOODY'S, UH, RATING AGENCY. 
          SO, UM, OVER THE LAST COUPLE WEEKS, WE, UM, WELL ACTUALLY THE LAST COUPLE MONTHS WE'VE BEEN SHARING INFORMATION WITH THE RATING AGENCIES ON THE PROPOSED BUDGET, OUR FIVE YEAR FORECAST, UM, THE ERNST AND YOUNG EFFICIENCY STUDY THAT WE UNDERWENT. 
          AND WE HAVE REGULAR DIALOGUE WITH THE RATING AGENCIES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AS WE EXECUTE BOND TRANSACTIONS. 
          UM, SO, UH, TWO WEEKS AGO WE FOUND OUT, UM, MOODY'S WENT TO THEIR CREDIT COMMITTEE AND MOODY'S HAS AFFIRMED THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S, UM, CREDIT RATING AND KEPT OUR OUTLOOK AS STABLE. 
          SO, UM, KUDOS TO, UM, MY TEAM, THE ENTIRE FINANCE WORKING GROUP THAT HELPS TO EDUCATE THE RATING AGENCIES, UM, WITH OUR, UM, YOU KNOW, OUR FACTS AND THE LATEST INFORMATION THEY DO ALWAYS MONITOR THE MONTHLY FINANCIAL REPORT. 
          UM, AND, UH, DEFINITELY FOLLOW THIS COMMITTEE CLOSELY. 
          UM, SO I DID WANNA GIVE KUDOS TO THE TEAM ON THAT. 
          UM, SO THAT CONCLUDES MY REPORT. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          I DO WANNA WELCOME COUNCIL MEMBER JOAQUIN MARTINEZ, AND COUNCIL MEMBER ED POLLARD TO THE CHAMBER. 
          SO THIS IS GOOD NEWS, INCREASE IN PROPERTY TAX AND I, I KIND OF UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE DOING WITH THE SALES TAX. 
          YOU GUYS DIDN'T REPORT IT 'CAUSE YOU, YOU ALREADY KIND OF, YOU'RE TRYING TO GET TO THAT 9 0 3. 
          UM, BUT ALL GOOD NEWS, AS AS WHEN WE PASSED THE BUDGET, THE, THE ENDING FUND BALANCE, AT LEAST, UM, WAS ABOUT 380 MILLION. 
          NOW WE'RE UP TO, IT'S UP TO $29 MILLION MORE. 
          SO THAT IS GOOD NEWS ON THIS FINANCIAL REPORT. 
          UM, ANY QUESTIONS FROM MY COLLEAGUES? OKAY. 
          SEEING MADAM CHAIR, IF I COULD. 
          YEAH, SURE. 
          I MEANT TO DO THIS AT THE END OF MY REPORT. 
          I DID WANNA RECOGNIZE OUR INTERNS WE HAVE WITH US TODAY HERE IN THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE. 
          SO OUR FUTURE FINANCE LEADERS, IF YOU COULD PLEASE STAND IN. 
          GREAT WELCOME. 
          AND ALSO THANK YOU. 
          AND ALSO, I KNOW THERE'S FINANCE DEPARTMENT INTERNS TOO, SO IF Y'ALL WANNA STAND UP TOO SUMMER ARE HIGH SCHOOL, SOME ARE COLLEGE. 
          EVERYBODY'S LEARNING. 
          I FEEL SAD THAT Y'ALL HAD TO HEAR A MONTHLY FINANCIAL REPORT WITHOUT ANY FIGHTS, WITHOUT ANY, YOU KNOW, OH, WE DO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS. 
          MAYBE THERE'S STILL, MAYBE THERE'S SOME SPARKS TO COME. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER, WE'RE TRYING TO LEAVE A GOOD IMPRESSION. 
          NO, NO FIGHTS. 
          I GOT A QUESTION ON THE FORECASTING. 
          I DID FORECASTING FOR A COUPLE OF DECADES, UH, WAS ALWAYS, UH, TASKED WITH FORECASTING FOR THE ENTIRE YEAR. 
          UH, WHENEVER I SAW TRENDS DEVELOPING, I WOULD MAKE CHANGES TO THE ENTIRE YEAR IF IT WAS GONNA AFFECT THE ENTIRE YEAR. 
          IF I HAD OPERATIONAL ISSUES THAT I KNEW WERE GONNA LAST FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS, THAT THAT WAS FORECAST FOR THE, THE MONTHS THAT IT WOULD STILL ENTAIL. 
          DO Y'ALL DO THE SAME THING? 'CAUSE I KNOW WHEN I LOOK AT SOME OF THESE, IT KIND OF DOESN'T MAKE A LOT OF SENSE TO ME. 
          UH, SO I COULD SPEAK TO THE SALES TAX IN PARTICULAR, UM, AND ALSO PROPERTY TAX. 
          'CAUSE THOSE ARE THE TWO WERE ADJUSTING THIS MONTH. 
          SO FOR SALES TAX, WE DO DEFINITELY MONITOR ON THE MONTHLY BASIS. 
          UM, AND WE RECALCULATE WHAT THE REMAINING MONTHS WOULD HAVE TO COME IN AT AS FAR AS THE REVENUES IN ORDER TO HIT WHATEVER OUR CURRENT ESTIMATE IS. 
          SO THAT'S WHERE YOU HEAR ME SAY, YOU KNOW, FOR THE, UH, BASED ON THE, THE ESTIMATE WE'RE USING FOR THE 900 IT'D TO COME IN FLAT, RIGHT? IT HAVE TO COME IN FLAT, RIGHT? UM, SO WE HAVE DIFFERENT SCENARIOS. 
          IF IT COMES IN 2% HIGHER, THIS IS GONNA BE THE NUMBER. 
          IF IT COMES IN 2% LOWER, THIS IS GONNA BE THE NUMBER. 
          UM, WE DON'T, WE DON'T, WE, WHILE WE MONITOR INTERNALLY, WE TRY NOT TO MAKE SWINGS UP AND DOWN THROUGHOUT THE YEAR IN THE MONTHLY FINANCIAL REPORT. 
          WE TRY TO BE CONSERVATIVE AND AWAIT TO A POINT IN TIME THAT WE FEEL COMFORTABLE TO INCREASE THE ESTIMATE. 
          UM, ON OUR SIDE ON PROPERTY TAXES MONITORING ON A MONTHLY BASIS IS, UH, IT'S NOT QUITE THE SAME. 
          I THINK YOU'RE GONNA HEAR FROM THE TAX ASSESSOR COLLECTOR THAT SINCE THE PROPERTY TAX REVENUE LARGELY COMES IN, UH, ONLY IN A, A FEW MONTHS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GONNA KEEP YOUR SAME ESTIMATE ALL THE WAY UP UNTIL ALMOST THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR. 
          UM, BECAUSE YOU DON'T SEE THOSE COLLECTIONS UNTIL, YOU KNOW, NOW WE'RE IN, UM, YOU KNOW, THE END OF THE YEAR. 
          UM, AND SO WHILE WE MONITOR SALES TAX ON A MORE MONTHLY BASIS, MIXED BEVERAGE TAX ON A MONTH MORE MONTHLY BASIS, PROPERTY TAX, WHICH IS THE LARGEST SOURCE OF GENERAL FUND REVENUE, IT IT'S TOUGHER TO SEE UNTIL YOU GET TO THE END OF THE YEAR WHEN YOU SEE THOSE COLLECTIONS. 
          AND IT MAKES SENSE TO ME THAT ON YOUR SALES TAX YOU'RE FORECASTING FLAT. 
          IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO ME THAT WE WOULD FORECAST NEGATIVE GIVEN THE 10 MONTHS WE'VE ALREADY GOT IN THE BOOK. 
          SO 
          [00:10:01]
ANYWAY, JUST MY 2 CENTS. 
          YEAH, AND, AND I, I, I AGREE WITH DIRECTOR DKI. 
          SO ON THE CONTROL SIDE, WE, IT IS THE SAME SALES TAX WHILE WE'VE SEEN TWO CONSECUTIVE MONTHS OF INCREASE PRIOR TO THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, IT WAS A DECREASE YEAR OVER YEAR. 
          SALES TAX IS VERY VOLATILE. 
          SO WHILE WE MONITOR IT EVERY MONTH, UH, IT, IT WOULDN'T MAKE SENSE FOR US TO CHANGE IT BASED ON, YOU KNOW, THAT MONTH TO MONTH TREND. 
          IT'S BETTER TO LOOK AT IT A QUARTER OR AT LEAST AFTER THE HOLIDAY SALES TAX RECEIPT. 
          THAT'S WHEN WE HAVE REALLY A, A PRETTY GOOD IDEA OF WHERE THINGS ARE HEADED. 
          BUT WE DON'T CHANGE IT EVERY MONTH. 
          BUT WE, WE DEFINITELY, UH, FOLLOW THE TRENDS AND WAIT UNTIL IT MAKES SENSE FOR US TO MAKE THAT CHANGE. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. 
          THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. 
          THIS QUESTION IS TO BOTH PLEASE. 
          UM, I WAS READING AN ARTICLE AND I, I CAN'T RECALL WHERE, BUT IT WAS TALKING ABOUT THE VOLATILE NATURE OF THE BOND MARKET. 
          UM, AND SO, UM, ALTHOUGH WE HAVE, UH, BEEN AFFIRMED AS A STABLE, UH, WITH OUR CREDIT RATING MM-HMM . 
          IT'S, IT'S STABLE. 
          CAN YOU SPEAK TO WHAT WE CAN POSSIBLY, UM, ANTICIPATE WITH THE, UH, BONDS? 'CAUSE I KNOW WE'VE ALREADY, WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF, OF SEVERAL, UM, TRANSACTIONS, SO ANY FEEDBACK ACCORDING TO THAT? SURE. 
          UM, SO FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, THAT'S WHERE, UM, THE CONTROLLER, UH, REPORTS ON A MONTHLY BASIS THE PERCENT OF OUR DEBT THAT'S IN VARIABLE RATE MODE. 
          SO WE THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO KEEP MOST OF OUR DEBT IN A FIXED RATE STRUCTURE, PARTICULARLY OUR LONG-TERM, UM, BONDS. 
          SO FOR OUR PORTFOLIO AT THE CITY, ALL OF OUR BONDS THAT ARE LONG-TERM IN NATURE ARE FIXED RATE, EXCEPT FROM SOME THAT ARE IN A VARIABLE RATE MODE WHERE WE HAVE A, A HEDGE AGAINST THEM. 
          SO THE FIXED RATE MODE WILL MOSTLY PROTECT US FROM THOSE CHANGES IN BOND MARKET. 
          INTEREST RATE CHANGES AS WE GET READY TO EXECUTE A BOND TRANSACTION. 
          UM, IT IS IMPORTANT. 
          WE CERTAINLY MONITOR THE MARKET. 
          WE PAY ATTENTION TO THROUGH OUR FINANCIAL ADVISORS, THROUGH OUR WORKING WITH OUR UNDERWRITER TEAMS, UH, OUR BANKING PARTNERS. 
          WE DO MONITOR OTHER TRANSACTIONS THAT ARE GONNA BE HAPPENING AT THE SAME TIME AS OURS. 
          SO, FOR EXAMPLE, IF WE WANNA COME TO BOND MARKET TO SELL ONE OF OUR TRANSACTIONS, UH, AND THERE'S ANOTHER LARGE TRANSACTION COMING WHERE THOSE INVESTORS MAY WANNA BE, YOU KNOW, PURCHASED IN THE SAME TYPE OF CREDIT, YOU KNOW, WE DEFINITELY TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION WHEN WE TIME OUR TRANSACTIONS. 
          UM, SO I WOULD SAY THAT IT IS VOLATILE, BUT BECAUSE WE HAVE OUR, UM, IT'S ACTUALLY IN THE FINANCIAL POLICIES THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE OUR, OUR FIXED RATE, UM, MOST OF OUR BONDS AS FIXED RATE, THAT REALLY HELPS KIND OF MITIGATE, UH, YOU KNOW, ANY VOLATILITY ON THAT FRONT. 
          YEAH, AND, AND JUST TO ADD, UM, WHEN IT COMES TO THE, THE RATINGS, THAT IS ABSOLUTELY GREAT NEWS THAT THEY, THEY CAME BACK WITH A STABLE OUTLOOK. 
          UM, AND WE'LL, WE'LL STILL NEED TO, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GONNA BE LOOKING NEXT YEAR, YOU KNOW, IS THE DEFICIT GROWING OR IS IT SHRINKING? ARE WE, UM, SPENDING DOWN OUR RESERVES? ARE WE COMING UP WITH, YOU KNOW, RECURRING REVENUES AND, UH, RECURRING, UH, YOU KNOW, EFFICIENCIES? UM, AND SO, UH, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, KUDOS TO, TO EVERYONE ON THIS PAST BUDGET. 
          'CAUSE I DEFINITELY HELPED, UH, WITH KEEPING THAT RATING STABLE. 
          WE JUST GOTTA BE VIGILANT GOING FORWARD THAT WE ARE, YOU KNOW, PUTTING IN RECURRING, UH, SOURCES OF REVENUE AND THAT WE'RE NOT, WE DON'T CONTINUE TO DIP HEAVILY INTO OUR, OUR RESERVES. 
          THANK YOU. 
          ON, ON THE EY CONTRACT SPEND, THAT, IS THAT WORK GOING ON RIGHT NOW? HAS THAT STARTED? YES. 
          SO THE, UM, THE, THE WORK THAT THEY'RE STARTING ON RIGHT NOW, THE CATEGORY MANAGEMENT INITIATIVE, SO THAT WAS ONE OF THE BUDGETARY, UH, SAVINGS ITEMS IN THE BUDGET, RIGHT? SO RNT YOUNG STARTED THEIR WORK, I WANNA SAY ABOUT A MONTH AGO NOW. 
          OKAY. 
          SO THEY ARE HERE, UM, AT SIX 11 WALKER, WORKING WITH THE TEAM, UH, EXAMINING ALL THE CONTRACTS, IDENTIFYING WHICH ONES WE CAN, UM, RENEGOTIATE FOR THE MOST SAVINGS. 
          SO THEY ARE HERE WORKING. 
          OKAY. 
          SO, UH, ON THE QUARTERLY REPORTS, WE'RE GONNA GET SOME INFORMATION ON KIND OF THAT ONGOING WORK. 
          YES. 
          OKAY, GREAT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          OKAY. 
          SEEING NO OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS IN THE QUEUE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATIONS. 
          AND WE WILL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM, WHICH IS OUR HARRIS COUNTY TAX ASSESSOR COLLECTOR ANNETTE RAMIREZ. 
          SHE WILL PROVIDE HER PRESENTATION ON PROPERTY TAX AS IT RELATES TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON. 
          SO, WELCOME TA. 
          WHAT, WHAT DO PEOPLE CALL YOU? WELCOME TAX ASSESSOR COLLECTOR, ANNETTE RAMIREZ. 
          , I MEAN, DISCUSSION , HONORABLE. 
          WELCOME. 
          HONORABLE. 
          YOU REFER TO ME AS ASSESSOR. 
          OKAY. 
          ASSESSOR COLLECTOR RAMIREZ. 
          IS THAT BETTER? THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE. 
          YOUR, YOUR PRESENTATION IS LOADED. 
          JUST SAY NEXT SLIDE, WHENEVER YOU WANNA MOVE ON. 
          AND, UH, THE FLOOR IS YOURS. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          UM, GOOD MORNING. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, CHAIRWOMAN, UH, ALCORN FOR THE INVITATION AND FOR THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND THE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT ARE HERE TODAY. 
          UM, WE APPRECIATE THE INVITATION AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO COLLABORATING WITH YOU ALL SINCE WE DO COLLECT, UM, THE MAJORITY OF YOUR REVENUE. 
          UM, 
          [00:15:01]
AND SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO THAT. 
          I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE SOME OF OUR STAFF THAT ARE HERE WITH ME TODAY WHO HELPED PUT THIS GREAT PRESENTATION TOGETHER. 
          UH, SO I DO HAVE MY CHIEF OF OPERATIONS, ELIZABETH DOSS, YOU WANNA STAND UP? I KNOW YOU DON'T WANT TO. 
          UH, AND WE HAVE, UM, OUR NEW, UH, CFO, UH, SONA ATMI. 
          I WANNA MAKE SURE I PRONOUNCE THAT CORRECTLY. 
          UM, AND THEN WE HAVE OUR EXTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS TEAM WHO HELPED, UM, QUITE A BIT WITH THIS PRESENTATION. 
          UM, ERICA, UH, HERNANDEZ LOBOS AND ARCHIE ROSE. 
          SO WELCOME ALL. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          ESPECIALLY SABRINA . 
          OH, SO, OH, YEAH. 
          WELL, YOU ALL KNOW SABRINA, SO I APOLOGIZE. 
          SABRINA, SHE'S OUR SPECIAL, UM, ADVISOR TO TAX ASSESSOR, AND I DID STEAL HER FROM THIS BODY, SO, UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          SORRY ABOUT THAT. 
          I APOLOGIZE. 
          ALRIGHT, SO ANYWAY, I'M REALLY GRATEFUL TO BE HERE TODAY TO PRESENT TO YOU GUYS. 
          UM, PROPERTY TAXES IN GENERAL CAN BE VERY, UM, A CONFUSING AND COMPLICATED TOPIC. 
          UM, AND SO I'M EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO BE HERE TO, TO HOPEFULLY MAKE IT MORE, UM, SIMPLE FOR YOU ALL TO UNDERSTAND. 
          AND, UM, I KNOW OUR OFFICE DOES MORE THAN JUST PROPERTY TAXES. 
          SO JUST A REALLY QUICK OVERVIEW, UH, BECAUSE WE DO ALSO SERVE YOUR CONSTITUENTS WHEN IT COMES TO, UM, VEHICLE REGISTRATION. 
          SO WE DO DO A LITTLE BIT LESS THAN 4 MILLION TRANSACTIONS A YEAR WHEN IT COMES TO TITLING AND REGISTERING VEHICLES. 
          WE ARE THE VOTER REGISTRAR, SO WE MAINTAIN A VOTER REGISTRATION ROLE OF A LITTLE OVER 2 MILLION REGISTERED VOTERS FOR THE COUNTY, HARRIS COUNTY. 
          UM, AND OF COURSE, WE MAINTAIN THAT VOTER REGISTRATION ROLE ON THE PROPERTY TAX SIDE. 
          UH, WE DO MANAGE 1.7 MILLION PROPERTY TAX ACCOUNTS, UM, AND WE COLLECT FOR NOT ONLY HARRIS COUNTY, BUT ALSO, UM, 80 OTHER TAXING JURISDICTIONS INCLUDING THE CITY OF HOUSTON. 
          WE CAN GO AHEAD AND MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE, AND THEN WE CAN, I TALKED THROUGH THAT ONE ALREADY. 
          WE DO GENERATE ABOUT ONE POINT OR $113 MILLION IN AUTO SERVICES REVENUE FOR THE COUNTY OF THE PROPERTY TAXES THAT WE COLLECT. 
          10.5 BILLION FOR ALL THE 80 JURISDICTIONS. 
          2 BILLION OF THAT, UM, STAYS WITH THE COUNTY. 
          UH, THE HOTEL AND OCCUPANCY TAX WE COLLECT FOR THE COUNTY IS A LITTLE OVER 95 MILLION, AND WE DO HAVE 16 BRANCH LOCATIONS IN ADDITION TO OUR DOWNTOWN, UH, LOCATION TO ASSIST, UM, TO ASSIST OUR CONSTITUENTS. 
          AND THEN OF COURSE, WE HAVE THE, THE VOTER ROLL, WHICH ACTUALLY HAS INCREASED TO 2.6 MILLION. 
          THAT'S GREAT. 
          NEXT, SO I WANNA START WITH JUST GIVING YOU GUYS AN OVERVIEW OF THE LIFECYCLE OF PROPERTY TAXES, UM, AND WHERE THAT STARTS IN THE YEAR. 
          UH, SO BETWEEN JANUARY AND MAY, UM, YOU WILL GET, PRIMARILY IN JANUARY, YOU WILL SEE A LOT OF COMMUNICATION COMING FROM THE HARRIS COUNTY APPRAISAL DISTRICT. 
          UM, AND THEY ARE STARTING THEIR APPRAISAL OF, OF ALL THE PROPERTIES. 
          UM, AND SO THAT THIS IS DONE YEARLY BETWEEN JANUARY AND MAY. 
          UM, ONCE, UM, ONCE THAT HAPPENS, THEN BETWEEN MAY AND JULY WE'RE GONNA BE DOING THE EQUALIZATION PHASE. 
          AND FOR THOSE OF YOU GUYS, UH, MOST THAT AREN'T AWARE, EQUALIZATION IS JUST ANOTHER FORM OF PROTEST. 
          SO BETWEEN MAY AND JULY, YOU WILL SEE THE PROTEST PHASE. 
          UM, AND THEN BETWEEN JULY AND OCTOBER, THAT IS THE ASSESSMENT PHASE. 
          SO THAT IS, ONCE THE ROLE AND THE VALUES HAVE BEEN DETERMINED, AND THE MAJORITY OF PROTEST HAVE BEEN COMPLETE, ALL OF THEM WILL NOT HAVE BEEN COMPLETED BY THEN. 
          UM, BUT THE MAJORITY OF THEM ARE, UH, THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT WILL THEN GIVE EACH OF THEIR TAXING JURISDICTIONS THE VALUES SO THAT THEY KNOW WHAT THEIR ROLE IS WORTH VALUE, THAT, AND THEY CAN DETERMINE THEIR TAX RATE. 
          SO THAT IS WHAT'S HAPPENING BETWEEN JULY AND OCTOBER. 
          ONCE THE EACH, UM, GOVERNING BODY DETERMINES THEIR TAX RATE, AND THEY LET THE TAX ASSESSOR KNOW THAT IS WHERE THE ASSESSMENT PORTION COMES IN. 
          WE ARE GONNA GO AHEAD AND TAKE YOUR TAX RATE. 
          WE'RE GONNA TAKE THE VALUE THAT WE'VE BEEN, WE'VE RECEIVED FROM HCAD, WE'RE GOING TO PUT IT ON A TAX BILL, AND WE'RE GONNA SEND OUT THE TAX BILLS, UM, STARTING IN NOVEMBER, NORMALLY IS WHEN THOSE GO OUT. 
          UM, AND THEN WE WILL COLLECT THOSE, THEY'RE DUE BY JANUARY 31ST, AND WE WILL, UM, WE WILL START THAT COLLECTION PHASE FROM FEBRUARY ONE TO JULY, AND THEN IT STARTS ALL OVER AGAIN, RIGHT? SO THAT, THAT IS YOUR, YOUR LIFE CYCLE, UM, OF, SO WE CAN GO ONTO SLIDE NUMBER FOUR. 
          SO, SO THIS IS REALLY AN IMPORTANT PHASE FOR OUR PROPERTY OWNERS TO UNDERSTAND, UM, IS THIS PROTEST PHASE. 
          UH, SO MUCH OF IT, UM, DETERMINES, UH, WHAT OUR ROLES ARE GONNA LOOK LIKE, UM, TOWARDS THE END OF THE SUMMER. 
          AND 
          [00:20:01]
SO WE WORK REALLY CLOSELY WITH THE HARRIS COUNTY APPRAISAL DISTRICT. 
          UH, WE COORDINATE WITH THEM THROUGHOUT THIS PHASE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE EDUCATING OUR PROPERTY OWNERS, UM, ON HOW IT WORKS, UM, AND HOW BEST THEY CAN MINIMIZE THEIR PROPERTY TAX BURDEN, RIGHT? THIS IS WHAT WE'RE MOST CONCERNED ABOUT. 
          UM, BUT ALSO MAKING SURE THEN, THEN THEY UNDERSTAND, UM, WHAT THEY NEED TO DO AFTER THIS DAYS. 
          AND SO THERE'S, THERE'S MULTIPLE DAYS THAT, UM, HCA ALLOWS PROPERTY OWNERS TO PROTESTS. 
          AND SO THE FIRST OPTION, OF COURSE IS YOU CAN FILL OUT YOUR PAPERWORK, YOU CAN MAIL IT INTO THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT, AND THEY'LL, THEY'LL SET, SET A MEETING, AND THEN THEY'LL, YOU KNOW, YOU GO IN IN PERSON AND YOU DEAL WITH AN A RB UM, UM, BOARD. 
          THERE'S ANOTHER OPTION, OPTION TWO, WHICH IS ACTUALLY THE MAJORITY OF HOW THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT MANAGES THEIR PROTESTS NOW. 
          UH, AND SO YOU CAN DO AN ELECTRONIC, I FILE, MOST HOMEOWNERS DO THIS. 
          IT'S, UH, USED HIGHLY BY RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY OWNERS. 
          UM, AND THEN HA, UH, WILL COME BACK TO YOU WITH WHAT THEY CALL, I SETTLE. 
          SO IT'S A SETTLEMENT OFFER, AND YOU CAN EITHER DECLINE OR ACCEPT THAT OFFER. 
          AND ONCE YOU DO THAT, IF YOU DECLINE IT, THEN YOU'LL GO TO AN A RB COMMITTEE HEARING. 
          AND IF YOU ACCEPT IT, THEN THEY'RE DONE AND THEY, THEY, YOU ACCEPT THE VALUE THAT THEY'VE, UM, OFFERED YOU. 
          AND THAT PROTEST PROCESS IS COMPLETE FOR THE HOMEOWNER. 
          UM, YOU CAN MOVE ON TO SLIDE NUMBER FIVE. 
          I I WILL SAY ON THE PROTEST SIDE, UM, THOSE, THERE'S, THERE'S A DEADLINE, AND I WANT PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT FOR MOST ACCOUNTS, THAT DEADLINE IS MAY 15TH, SO YOU NEED TO PROTEST BY MAY 15TH. 
          HOWEVER, SOME OF THOSE, UM, NOTICES, UH, FROM HCA COME A LITTLE BIT LATER. 
          AND SO I WANT OUR PROPERTY OWNERS AND EVERYBODY HERE TO UNDERSTAND THAT THEY ACTUALLY HAVE 30 DAYS FROM THE DAY THAT HCA MAILS THE NOTICE VALUE TO PROTEST. 
          SO IT'S EITHER GONNA BE THE LATER OF THOSE TWO. 
          IT'S NOT THE DAY THAT PEOPLE RECEIVE IT, IT'S THE DAY THAT HCA MAILS IT 30 DAYS FROM THAT DAY. 
          UH, SO WE ALL KNOW WE HAVE ISSUES WITH THE POST OFFICE, AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE EDUCATING OUR HOMEOWNERS SO THAT THEY UNDERSTAND THAT THEY STILL, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THEY RECEIVE THAT, THEY STILL HAVE 30 DAYS TO, TO PROTEST THAT VALUE. 
          WE ALSO WORK WITH HCA HAD MENTIONED EARLIER ON PROPERTY TAX WORKSHOPS, UM, WHERE WE'RE EXPLAINING TO FOLKS WHAT THE DEADLINES ARE AND HOW TO DO THAT. 
          BUT WHAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT IS WE HAVE, UM, PARTNERED WITH HCA, WE'VE DONE A FEW PRESS CONFERENCES. 
          THERE ARE, UM, SOME SCAMS OUT THERE. 
          THEY CHARGE OUR FOLKS TO, TO FILE PROTESTS FOR THEM. 
          UM, AND SO WE ENCOURAGE HOMEOWNERS AND WE EDUCATE THEM. 
          WE LET THEM KNOW THAT IT'S ACTUALLY A FREE PROCESS. 
          UM, THEY DON'T NEED TO PAY ANYBODY TO DO THAT. 
          THEY CAN FILE THOSE PROTESTS ON THEIR OWN. 
          UM, AND SO, UH, WE'D LIKE TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE AWARE, UM, THAT THAT CAN BE DONE FOR FREE. 
          UM, ALSO, WHEN APPRAISAL DISTRICTS HAVE UNTIL JULY 25TH, THEY NEED TO GIVE YOU AN ESTIMATED ROLE VALUE BY JULY 25TH, AT THAT JULY 25TH, UM, DEADLINE, THERE'S STILL ABOUT 10% OF YOUR ROLE THAT HAS NOT BEEN VALUED. 
          THOSE ARE STILL GONNA BE IN LITIGATION. 
          AND SO THOSE ARE GONNA COME TO YOU LATER, RIGHT? UM, AND SO THOSE STILL ARE REMAINING TO BE NOTICED, BUT IT'S NORMALLY 10% OR LESS BY THE END OF JULY, BY JULY 25TH. 
          SO HERE'S A BIG PICTURE FOR ON SLIDE NUMBER FIVE FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON. 
          UM, AND THE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES. 
          THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS THE SECOND LARGEST TA OTHER THAN HARRIS COUNTY, THE SECOND TA LARGEST TAXING ENTITY THAT WE COLLECT FOR, YOU'LL HAVE, UM, A ROLL VALUE OF ABOUT $324 BILLION THAT, THAT YOU, SO THIS LIKE CITY OF HOUSTON ONLY, RIGHT? THIS IS THE CITY OF HOUSTON ONLY. 
          GOT IT. 
          YES. 
          UM, WE DID TRY TO BREAK OUT ONLY CITY. 
          UH, WE TOOK COUNTY OUT. 
          SO AS YOU CAN SEE, THE MAJORITY, UM, OR THE LARGEST PERCENTAGE ON THIS IS RESIDENTIAL, UM, FOLLOWED BY COMMERCIAL AT, UH, 29.48%. 
          AND WE CAN MOVE ON TO SLIDE NUMBER SIX. 
          THIS IS A FIVE YEAR HISTORY ON YOUR VALUE FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND WHAT IT'S DONE SINCE TAX YEAR 2020. 
          AND SO YOU SEE THAT IT'S, UM, IT'S GONE UP. 
          HOWEVER, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE ORIGINAL VALUE THAT WAS GIVEN BY HCAD, AND THEN WHEN YOU SEE WHAT WAS ACTUALLY CERTIFIED, UM, IT, IT GOES DOWN LESS THAN 5% BETWEEN WHAT WAS SENT TO YOU, WHICH WAS WHAT, AND WHAT'S BEEN CERTIFIED BASED ON, UM, DIFFERENT, UM, CHANGES TO THE, TO THE ROLE OR WHETHER OR NOT THEY'VE BEEN LATE CERTIFIED. 
          AND WE'LL, WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT IN A MINUTE. 
          YOU ALL END UP LOSING A LITTLE BIT OVER 4% OF YOUR, UM, CERTIFIED VALUE. 
          YOU CAN GO ON TO SLIDE NUMBER 
          [00:25:01]
SEVEN. 
          SO THIS IS THE TAX COLLECTION LIFECYCLE SO THAT WE UNDERSTAND HOW, HOW WE, HOW WE MOVE THROUGH THIS IN OUR OFFICE. 
          SO TAX BILLS GO OUT NORMALLY IN EARLY NOVEMBER, AND, UM, PEOPLE CAN START CHOOSING TO PAY AT THAT TIME. 
          UM, WE ALSO DO TAXPAYERS HAVE THE OPTION TO SIGN UP FOR AN EBILL. 
          SO IF THEY SIGN UP FOR EBI, WE ARE REQUIRED TO SEND THEM THEIR TAX BILL ELECTRONICALLY SO THEY CAN CHOOSE TO PAY IT THAT WAY. 
          UH, AS WE COLLECT, DISBURSEMENTS ARE REQUIRED TO BE MADE EVERY FIVE DAYS. 
          SO OUR OFFICE DISBURSES TWICE A WEEK TO ALL THE TAXING ENTITIES THAT WE COLLECT FOR. 
          YOU MAY NOT ALWAYS RECEIVE A DISBURSEMENT TWICE A WEEK IF WE DIDN'T RECEIVE ANY TAXES. 
          IF WE DIDN'T COLLECT ANY TAXES FOR ANY PARTICULAR ENTITY. 
          TAXES ARE DUE BY JANUARY 31ST. 
          THEY DO GO DELINQUENT ON FEBRUARY 1ST. 
          BETWEEN THE TAX DELINQUENCY AND THE COLLECTIONS, THAT WOULD BE, UH, FEBRUARY ONE TO JUNE 30TH. 
          THAT IS WHEN OUR OFFICE IS WORKING DILIGENTLY WITH OUR TAXPAYERS TO TRY AND GET THEM ON A PAYMENT SCHEDULE. 
          UH, WE WANT THEM, WE WANT TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO AVOID WHAT HAPPENS ON JULY ONE, WHICH IS A 20% COLLECTION PENALTY GETS ADDED TO EVERY SINGLE DELINQUENT ACCOUNT IN THE CITY. 
          AND SO WE, WE, WE ARE, ARE DOING QUITE A BIT BETWEEN FEBRUARY AND JUNE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE GETTING OUR TAXPAYERS ON, UM, THOSE PAYMENT SCHEDULES TO AVOID THAT 20%, UH, COLLECTION PENALTY. 
          UM, IT'S VERY PUNITIVE AND IT'S VERY DIFFICULT FOR OUR TAXPAYERS TO GET OUT FROM UNDER, UM, THOSE ADDITIONAL FEES ONCE THEY GO DELINQUENT AND THEN THEY CONTINUE TO GO DELINQUENT. 
          AND WE CAN GO ON TO SLIDE NUMBER EIGHT. 
          SO WE, WE'D LIKE TO EXPLAIN TO OUR TAXPAYERS, I KIND OF WENT OVER THIS ALREADY EARLIER IN MY PRESENTATION, BUT WE TAKE THE TAXABLE VALUE THAT WE'VE RECEIVED FROM HCA, WE MULTIPLY, WE DIVIDE THAT BY A THOUSAND, WE MULTIPLY BY THE TAX RATE, AND THAT IS WHERE OUR PROPERTY OWNERS, UM, RECEIVE. 
          AND THE, THE TOTAL AMOUNT THAT'S DUE FOR EACH OF THE TAXING ENTITIES, UM, FOR WHICH WE COLLECT. 
          MOVE ON TO SLIDE NUMBER NINE. 
          SO I HAD MENTIONED EARLIER, UM, THAT MY OFFICE IS COMMITTED TO MAKING SURE THAT WE WORK WITH TAXPAYERS TO MINIMIZE THEIR TAX BURDEN. 
          AND SO WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ON SEVERAL DIFFERENT INITIATIVES. 
          UM, AND ALTHOUGH THE OFFICE HAD DONE MANY OF THESE THINGS PREVIOUS, UH, WE ARE TRYING TO BUILD A MORE ROBUST OUTREACH SIDE TO OUR OFFICE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE REACHING AS MANY TAXPAYERS AS WE CAN. 
          UM, AND NOT ONLY IS IT IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE EDUCATE OUR PROPERTY OWNERS ON HOW PROPERTY TAXES WORK, UM, BUT IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT THAT I BRING IN THE REVENUE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE FOR ALL THE TAXING ENTITIES, UM, FOR WHICH WE COLLECT. 
          AND SO I'M GONNA START WITH PAYMENT PLANS. 
          WE DO CURRENTLY OFFER PAYMENT PLANS, UM, UP TO 36 MONTHS FOR PROPERTY OWNERS TO BE ABLE TO PAY THEIR DELINQUENT TAXES. 
          SO THE DI THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PAYMENT PLANS, UM, AND PREPAYMENT PLANS I'LL GET INTO IN A MINUTE. 
          UM, OUR PAYMENT PLANS, WE ARE WORKING, UM, WITH A NEW, UH, WITH SOME NEW TECHNOLOGY IN OUR OFFICE THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY IN, IN THE STAGES OF IMPLEMENTING RIGHT NOW. 
          AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, OUR OFFICE, UM, IS VERY BUSY MOST OF THE YEAR. 
          AND SO IT'S REALLY HARD FOR US TO IMPLEMENT, UM, ANY TYPE OF HIGH LEVEL PROJECT. 
          'CAUSE WE, ANYTHING WE DO, WE HAVE TO DO VERY QUICKLY, RIGHT? WE ONLY HAVE FROM ABOUT APRIL TO SEPTEMBER TO OVERHAUL TECHNOLOGY. 
          THAT'S WHAT WE'RE CHOOSING TO DO BECAUSE BY END OF SEPTEMBER, WE HAVE TO BE READY TO START SENDING OUT TAX BILLS. 
          AND, AND WE, WE DON'T HAVE REALLY A WHOLE LOT OF WIGGLE ROOM. 
          UH, BUT WE ARE WORKING RIGHT NOW. 
          WE CURRENTLY DO NOT HAVE THE OPTION FOR OUR TAXPAYERS TO DO AN A CH WITHDRAWAL FROM THEIR CHECKING ACCOUNT TO PAY THEIR TAXES. 
          AND SO WE ARE WORKING WITH THEM WITH THIS, THIS NEW COMPANY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO THAT. 
          ONE OF THE THINGS I'M MOST EXCITED ABOUT IS THE ABILITY FOR OUR TAXPAYERS TO PREPAY THEIR TAXES. 
          SO WHAT A LOT OF FOLKS DON'T UNDERSTAND IS THAT THEY'RE, WE HAVE A LOT OF TAXPAYERS THAT DON'T ESCROW THEIR PROPERTY TAXES FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER. 
          EITHER THEIR HOMES ARE ALREADY PAID AND THEY DON'T HAVE A MORTGAGE, OR THEY WERE NEVER REQUIRED TO ESCROW IN THE FIRST PLACE. 
          AND SO WE'RE THE ONLY LARGE ENTITY IN THE STATE OF TEXAS THAT DOESN'T ALLOW OUR PROPERTY OWNERS TO ESCROW THEIR PROPERTY TAXES IN ADVANCE. 
          AND SO, STARTING WITH TAX YEAR 2026, WE ARE GOING TO ALLOW OUR PROPERTY OWNERS TO ESCROW THEIR PROPERTY TAXES WITH THE TAX OFFICE. 
          AND SO ESSENTIALLY WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE IS THEY WILL, THEY ARE ABLE TO DECIDE HOW MANY PAYMENTS THEY WOULD LIKE TO SPREAD THEIR ESTIMATED 2026 TAX BILL OVER. 
          SO WHETHER IT'S SIX MONTHS 
          [00:30:01]
OR WHETHER IT'S 10 MONTHS, THEY, THEY ARE THEN ABLE TO GO INTO OUR SYSTEM, SET UP A, UM, A PAYMENT PLAN WITH, AGAIN, A CH SO THAT EVERY MONTH THEIR PAYMENT IS TAKEN OUT AND THEY CAN BUDGET THEIR PROPERTY TAXES INTO THEIR MONTHLY LIVING EXPENSES. 
          THEY WILL THEN HAVE, THEIR LAST PAYMENT WILL BE AN ESTIMATED PAYMENT, WILL BE THE FINAL PAYMENT, MAYBE DIFFERENT THAN THE OTHERS. 
          THEY SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED THEIR VALUE FROM HCA AT THAT POINT. 
          THEY WILL KNOW WHAT THEIR TAX BILL IS FOR CERTAIN, AND THEN THAT LAST PAYMENT WILL PAY OFF THAT TAX BILL. 
          SO THE HOPE IS THAT BY THE END OF 2026, SHOULD THEY CHOOSE TO PREPAY THEIR TAXES, THEY WILL NOT HAVE, EXCUSE ME, THEY WILL NOT HAVE A TAX PAYMENT IN JANUARY OF 26. 
          THEY WILL HAVE PAID IT ALREADY. 
          WE KNOW THAT OUR PROPERTY OWNERS ALREADY HAVE A LOT OF OTHER EXPENSES IN JANUARY, RIGHT? THEY HAVE THEIR TAXES, THEIR FEDERAL INCOME TAXES. 
          IF THEY HAVE AN HOA, THEY PROBABLY HAVE AN HOA FEE. 
          UM, IF THEY HAVE KIDS IN COLLEGE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE STARTING TO PAY THE, THOSE FIRST SEMESTER FEES, THEIR FIRST PAYMENT ON THEIR, THEIR TUITION AND FEES. 
          AND SO THERE'S A LOT THAT COMES OUT IN JANUARY. 
          I'M HOPING THAT THAT WILL RELIEVE A LITTLE BIT. 
          THIS WILL DECREASE OUR DELINQUENCIES OVER TIME AS WE ALLOW PEOPLE TO BUDGET IN ADVANCE WHAT THEIR PROPERTY TAXES ARE GOING TO BE. 
          UM, AND THEN NOT ONLY THAT, BUT THE TAXING ENTITIES WILL ALSO HAVE THEIR REVENUE ALREADY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, SO I AM VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT. 
          WE ARE WORKING ON THAT RIGHT NOW. 
          UM, AND WE'RE, WE SHOULD BE ROLLING IT OUT BY THE END OF SEPTEMBER, EARLY OCTOBER. 
          ABOUT WHAT PERCENT DON'T, DON'T ESCROW. 
          OH, THAT I DON'T KNOW. 
          I'M NOT SURE IF WE HAVE THAT DATA. 
          DO WE KNOW HOW MANY DON'T ESCROW? WE DON'T REALLY KNOW. 
          YOU CAN GUESS ABOUT EIGHT ONE WITHOUT A MORTGAGE. 
          YEAH, ANYONE WITHOUT A MORTGAGE. 
          BUT I JUST WONDERED IF YOU KNEW IT'S NOT IMPORTANT, JUST MOVE ALONG , WE CAN GET IT LATER THAT WE CAN GET THAT DATA FOR YOU. 
          UM, I DON'T KNOW OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD. 
          UM, SO ALSO OF COURSE, UM, E-BILL ARE ALWAYS AN OPTION. 
          WE DO ENCOURAGE OUR PROPERTY OWNERS AND, AND WE WILL BE DOING A LOT MORE OUTREACH, UM, TO ENCOURAGE, UM, ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO, UM, MAKE IT EASIER FOR OUR PROPERTY OWNERS TO PAY. 
          AND, UH, WE NEED TO USE THE TECHNOLOGIES THAT'S AVAILABLE TO US RIGHT NOW TO DO THAT. 
          AND SO E-BILL IS SOMETHING ELSE THAT, UH, WE WOULD LIKE TO, TO WORK WITH WITH THE TAXPAYERS TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF TAXPAYERS THAT DO, DO USE E-BILL. 
          UM, IN TRANSITIONING OVER TO AN TO ALLOW PREPAYMENT PLANS, THERE WILL BE A LARGE MARKETING PUSH, UM, THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY THAT YOU WILL SEE THAT WILL ENCOURAGE TAXPAYERS TO SIGN UP AND GET A USERNAME AND BE ABLE TO USE THE SYSTEM. 
          UM, AND ONE OF THE BENEFITS OF THEM DOING THAT IS THAT THEY CAN ALSO SIGN UP FOR TEXT MESSAGES TO REMIND THEM TO PAY THEIR PROPERTY TAXES, UH, AND FOR THE, REMIND THEM TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE, MAKE, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT MONTHLY PAYMENT IS COMING. 
          UM, AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO HARNESS AS MUCH TECHNOLOGY AS WE CAN TO NOT ONLY MAKE IT EASIER FOR THE TAXPAYERS, BUT TO BE ABLE TO COLLECT THE REVENUE QUICKER FOR OUR TAXING ENTITIES, UM, AND TO HOPEFULLY EASE THE BURDEN IN OUR OFFICES. 
          UM, IF YOU ALL EVER SPEAK TO, TO ANYBODY THAT WORKS AT ANY OF OUR OFFICES, WE HAVE VERY LONG WAIT TIMES. 
          UM, AND WE HAVE SOME VERY BUSY BRANCHES 'CAUSE WE JUST HAVE A LOT OF FOOT TRAFFIC IN ALL OF OUR BRANCHES. 
          AND THEN OF COURSE, I'D MENTIONED BEFORE THE WORKSHOPS THAT WE, UM, THAT WE PARTNER WITH HCAD, UM, AND WE ARE MORE THAN HAPPY TO PARTNER WITH ANY OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS' OFFICES, UM, AT ANY EVENTS, UM, THAT YOU GUYS ARE HOLDING ANY TOWN HALLS. 
          UM, ANY, ANY WORKSHOPS, WE ARE HAPPY TO SHOW UP. 
          WE HAVE A GREAT TEAM OF FOLKS THAT KNOW HOW TO EXPLAIN PROPERTY TAXES AND SIT DOWN WITH SOMEBODY AND REALLY HELP THEM UNDERSTAND WHAT THE ISSUES ARE. 
          AND IF THERE ARE MORE COMPLICATED ISSUES, WE HAVE A DIFFERENT TEAM OF FOLKS THAT CAN ALSO SIT DOWN WITH PEOPLE AND WORK THROUGH MORE COMPLICATED PROPERTY TAX ISSUES WITH THEM. 
          SO WE CAN MOVE ON TO SLIDE NUMBER 12. 
          IS THAT 12? OH, IT'S 10. 
          I'D ALREADY PUT MY PAGE. 
          SO, SO THESE ARE THE, UH, THE, THE PROPERTY TAX WORKSHOPS THAT WE HAD MENTIONED. 
          UM, WE DO PROBABLY 10 OR SO PROPERTY TAX WORKSHOPS A MONTH OR DIFFERENT EVENTS WHERE OUR OUTREACH TEAM IS. 
          SO, SO PLEASE FEEL FREE TO REACH OUT TO US. 
          WE WORK THROUGH DIFFERENT ISSUES WITH THEM, MAKING SURE THEY'RE APPLYING FOR EXEMPTIONS. 
          NOW, I WILL SAY THAT THE DEADLINE TO APPLY FOR EXEMPTIONS IS APRIL 15TH. 
          HOWEVER, YOU CAN AL HOMEOWNERS CAN ALWAYS APPLY FOR TAX EXEMPTION YEAR ROUND. 
          UM, BUT HC LIKES TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE IN THERE BY APRIL 15TH TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S REFLECTED IN THEIR FALL BILL WHEN THEY RECEIVE IT. 
          OTHERWISE, THEY RUN THE RISK THAT THEY MIGHT RECEIVE A BILL THAT'S NOT REFLECTIVE OF THEIR HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION. 
          AND THEN THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO EITHER ESTIMATE WHAT THAT IS OR WAIT FOR AN ESTIMATE FOR A NEW BILL WITH THAT'S REFLECTIVE OF THAT HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION. 
          SO WE CAN MOVE ON TO, UM, 1211. 
          THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE SLIDES EVER, UM, THAT WE 
          [00:35:01]
GO THROUGH WITH, UM, WITH OUR HOMEOWNERS. 
          AND WE LIKE TO EXPLAIN TO THEM THE IMPORTANCE OF THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION. 
          AND IN THIS CASE ALSO FOR OUR OVER 65, UM, FOLKS THAT ARE ABLE TO GET AN OVER 65 EXEMPTION. 
          AND SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS SLIDE, AND WE, WE DID TWO DIFFERENT HOUSE VALUES. 
          ONE AT 400, ONE AT 250,000, UM, WITH NO EXEMPTIONS, WITH NO HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION, YOU ARE LOOKING AT A TAX OF ANY AROUND $8,000 FOR A $400,000 HOME. 
          UM, AND ALMOST $5,000 FOR A $250,000 HOME. 
          AND THAT TAX LIABILITY IS, IS DROPPED BY MORE THAN $2,000 ON A $400,000 HOME IF THEY GET THEIR HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION. 
          BUT OUR OVER 65 FOLKS, IF WE CAN GET THEM TO UNDERSTAND HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO REQUEST THAT OVER 65 EXEMPTION THERE ARE LOWERING THEIR TAX LIABILITY BY A LITTLE OVER $5,000 A YEAR, UH, AND THAT THAT'S SIGNIFICANT ON A $250,000 HOME, THEIR OVERALL LIABILITY GOES FROM A LITTLE LESS THAN $5,000 TO $738. 
          AND SO FOR THOSE WHO ARE ON A FIXED INCOME, UM, THIS IS, THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT, UM, FOR THEM TO UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH THEY CAN BENEFIT. 
          AND YOU'D BE SURPRISED HOW MANY OVER 65 HAVE NOT APPLIED FOR THEIR HOMESTEAD. 
          THEIR OVER 65 EXEMPTIONS. 
          SLIDE NUMBER 12. 
          SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT COLLECTIONS, THIS IS WHAT, WHAT HAPPENS IN OUR OFFICE BETWEEN, UH, FEBRUARY ONE AND UM, JUNE. 
          AND SO SLOWLY YOU CAN SEE WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT IS A FIVE YEAR OVERVIEW OF OUR CURRENT COLLECTIONS FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON. 
          AND MOST OF YOUR PROPERTY TAXES ARE COLLECTED CLOSE TO 96% ARE COLLECTED BY JUNE 30TH. 
          AND SO YOU ARE LOOKING AT FOUR, FOUR AND A HALF PERCENT THAT ENDS UP BEING HANDED OVER TO THE TAXING ENTITIES ON JULY ONE. 
          SO WE DO COLLECT THE MAJORITY OF THAT, OF, OF YOUR ROLE, UM, BY JUNE 30TH. 
          MOVE ON TO SLIDE NUMBER 13. 
          AND ON YOUR FINAL SLIDE, THIS IS THE CITY OF HOUSTON DELINQUENT COLLECTION. 
          SO THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS BETWEEN, OR I'M NOT EVEN GONNA GIVE IT A, AN ENDING DATE, IT'S JUST WHAT HAPPENED STARTED ON JULY ONE. 
          'CAUSE IT'S, IT'S, IT'S AN ONGOING BASIS. 
          THEY'RE NOT ALL GONNA GET COLLECTED IN A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME. 
          SO YOU ARE, YOU ARE COLLECTING, UM, STARTING JULY ONE FOR ANYTHING THAT STILL REMAINS DELINQUENT, UM, IN THE CURRENT YEAR. 
          AND I DO WANT TO EXPLAIN THAT THE THIRD, UM, COLUMN ON EACH OF, ON THIS BAR GRAPH, YOU'LL SEE THAT IS IN THE NEGATIVE. 
          AND SO, UH, WHAT THIS REPRESENTS ARE THE REFUNDS THAT ARE HAPPENING AT THIS TIME OF YEAR FROM THE LITIGATED VALUE FROM THE LITIGATION. 
          THAT'S RE YOU KNOW, THAT'S RESULTING FROM PEOPLE PROTESTING THEIR PROPERTY TAXES THAT MAY GO LITIGATE WITH THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT. 
          WE HAVE TO ISSUE A REFUND. 
          AND SO AT CERTAIN TIMES OF THE YEAR, WE ARE ISSUING MORE REFUNDS THAN WHAT YOU'RE RECEIVING IN PROPERTY TAX REVENUE. 
          SO THAT, THAT IS, THAT IS WHAT, UM, WHAT THAT NEGATIVE NUMBER REFLECTS. 
          EVENTUALLY IT'S NOT NEGATIVE ANYMORE 'CAUSE WE'VE COLLECTED ENOUGH OF THE REVENUE. 
          BUT THAT IS WHERE YOU SEE THAT NEGATIVE COMING IN. 
          I WANNA MAKE SURE, UM, THAT EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS WHAT THAT IS. 
          UM, AND THEN WHEN, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT REFUNDS OR AT, AT THIS TIME OF THE YEAR, THE REFUNDS ARE FROM PROPERTY OWNERS WHO HAVE FILED A LATE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION APPLICATION SO THAT THEY'VE PAID THEIR PROPERTY TAXES, THEY FILE THEIR HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION, AND THEN THEY'RE ENTITLED TO A REFUND ONCE THOSE THAT EXEMPTION'S BEEN APPLIED TO THEIR ACCOUNT. 
          AND THE OTHER, UM, REFUND THAT I'M TALKING ABOUT ARE LITIGATED REFUNDS FOLKS THAT ARE IN LITIGATION WITH THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT, THEY HAVE PAID A MAJORITY OF THEIR, THEY'VE EITHER PAID ALL OF THEIR PROPERTY TAX OR THEY HAVE PAID WHAT THEY CONSIDER AN UNDISPUTED PORTION OF THEIR PROPERTY TAX, WHAT THEY BELIEVE THE VALUE OF THE PROPERTY IS. 
          UM, AND THEN ONCE THAT LITIGATION IS SETTLED, IF THERE'S A DIFFERENCE, WE ARE HAVING TO REFUND THAT, UH, THAT AMOUNT TO THEM. 
          AND WE CAN MOVE ON TO THE LAST SLIDE. 
          AND SO I, AGAIN, I'M HERE, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, I AM ABLE TO EXPLAIN PROPERTY TAXES TO YOU IN A WAY THAT'S UNDERSTANDABLE, UM, AND HOW OUR OFFICE CAN PARTNER WITH EACH OF YOUR OFFICES, UM, AND YOUR CONSTITUENTS. 
          IF ANYONE HAS ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME, I AM, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM. 
          UM, AND IF I CANNOT, I HAVE SOME FABULOUS STAFF MEMBERS WHO CAN. 
          GREAT. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          EXCELLENT PRESENTATION. 
          WE'LL START WITH COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. 
          OH, I DO WANNA WELCOME COUNCIL MEMBER MARYANNE HUFFIN TO THE CHAMBER. 
          THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR. 
          AND COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIE DAVIS. 
          THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. 
          UM, GOOD MORNING, MADAM ASSESSOR. 
          GOOD MORNING. 
          UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND YOUR WILLINGNESS TO WORK WITH 
          [00:40:01]
US TO, TO WITH THE, UH, BFA COMMITTEE TO SHARE ALL OF THIS IMPORTANT DETAIL. 
          TWO THINGS I WOULD LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT. 
          UM, UH, ONE, UM, I WANNA GO BACK TO THE, UH, PROPERTY TAX WORKSHOPS THAT YOUR OFFICE OFFERS. 
          AND, UH, WE'VE HAD SEVERAL IN, UH, THE DISTRICT. 
          I ACTUALLY HAVE A CERTIFICATE FOR PARTICIPATING IN ONE MYSELF. 
          I JUST WANNA BRING ATTENTION TO HEIRS PROPERTIES OR TANGLED TITLES OR INHERITED PROPERTIES, HOWEVER, IT'S LANGUAGE AT THE COMP CONTROLLER'S OFFICE. 
          UM, IF WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT THAT IS HIGHLIGHTED, THAT IS AN ISSUE IN THE CITY WHERE A LOT OF, UH, FOLKS WHO ARE HEIRS TO PROPERTIES, UM, WHEN IT'S TIME FOR REDEVELOPMENT FROM JUST A, YOU KNOW, HOLISTIC CITY PERSPECTIVE, THAT ALSO TIES OUR HANDS BECAUSE TITLES ARE NOT CLEAR. 
          ONE. 
          UM, SECONDLY, WHEN IT'S TIME, IT ALSO CREATES BLIGHT IN NEIGHBORHOODS WHICH OVEREXTENDS THE CITY'S RESOURCES. 
          AND THEN THIRDLY, UM, HUD IS THE ONLY FEDERAL AGENCY THAT DOES NOT ACKNOWLEDGE HEIRS PROPERTIES. 
          FEMA DOES USDA DOES. 
          SO WHEN WE ARE IN DISASTER AND A, UH, HEIRS PROPERTY IS IMPACTED BY STORM, THEY CANNOT QUALIFY FOR REPAIR OR RECONSTRUCTION WITHOUT A CLEAR TITLE. 
          SO I THINK IF WE CAN ALSO, AS WE ADVANCE PROPERTY TAX, JUST REGULAR HOMESTEAD EXEMPTIONS, IF WE CAN TALK ABOUT THE HEIRS PROPERTY PIECE. 
          UM, 'CAUSE MY BROTHER AND I ARE AN HEIR TO A PROPERTY, I AM HEIR TO 50 ACRES, RIGHT? THIS IS, UM, UM, SOMETHING THAT'S DEEPLY PERSONAL, I THINK IT WOULD, WOULD BE HELPFUL. 
          AND IF YOU CAN, UM, HAVE MS. SABRINA JUST SHARE WITH ALL OF OUR OFFICES, US THE MENU YOU HAVE AROUND THOSE WORKSHOPS, I THINK THAT WOULD BE EXTREMELY HELPFUL SO WE CAN GET THAT TO OUR RESIDENTS. 
          SECONDLY, I JUST WANNA HIGHLIGHT THAT AS YOU, I'M SO EXCITED ABOUT, UM, THE PAYMENT PLAN SYSTEM AND WHAT THAT WILL ALLOW, UH, PEOPLE TO DO FOR THEIR FINANCES. 
          AS FINANCES ARE TIGHT FOR EVERY HOUSEHOLD, RIGHT? UM, BUT, UM, AS WE IMPROVE OUR SYSTEM, SO DO SCAMMERS AND ESPECIALLY WITH SENIOR CITIZENS AND RECENT NEWS REPORTS ABOUT, UH, YOU KNOW, DEEDS BEING TAKEN, PROPERTY BEING TAKEN, ALL OF THIS, THEY CAN GET A TEXT MESSAGE. 
          THE SCAM IS SO GOOD THAT THEY BELIEVE IT'S THE SAME. 
          IF YOU CAN JUST CONSIDER SOME OF THOSE PROTECTIONS. 
          SO WHEN OUR SENIOR CITIZENS, THOSE WITH DISABILITIES ARE JUST EVERYDAY PEOPLE WHO ARE MOVING QUICK THAT WE KNOW WHAT'S, WHAT'S TRUE AND WHAT THEY COULD, WHAT THEY NEED TO LOOK, BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR. 
          UM, SO IT, WE DON'T HAVE RUN INTO A SITUATION OF I PAID MY TAXES, I THOUGHT I DID, AND NOW MY HOUSE IS IN FORECLOSURE OR IT'S NOW BEING TAKEN BY SOME LAW FIRM. 
          SO IF YOU CAN JUST, UH, IF WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT THAT IS AT THE FRONT OF THAT CONVERSATION AS WELL, WOULD LOVE TO WORK WITH YOU AND YOUR TEAM AND I'M SURE ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES WOULD AS WELL. 
          BUT JUST THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP, YOUR PRESENCE TODAY, AND THIS VERY HELPFUL INFORMATION. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UH, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS, UM, I'M GONNA SPEAK TO THE AIR PROPERTY, SO IF YOU'RE AWARE OF WHAT THE COUNTY MIGHT BE DOING IN THAT REGARD. 
          UM, THEY DID, UM, A YEAR OR SO AGO, UH, MAYBE, OH, IT MIGHT BE TWO YEARS NOW, UH, APPOINT A PUBLIC PROBATE ADMINISTRATOR. 
          UM, AND SO I HAVE WORKED FOR WITH HIM IN A PREVIOUS, UM, LIFE, UM, ON IDENTIFYING ACCOUNTS THAT, THAT WERE POSSIBLY AIRSHIP PROPERTIES. 
          THERE IS A WAY, IT'S, IT'S NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT, BUT THERE IS A WAY TO IDENTIFY SOME ACCOUNTS THAT ARE, UM, AND WORK WITH HIM TO FIND THOSE HEIRS TO WORK THROUGH THOSE PROPERTY TAXES. 
          AND SO THERE IS, UM, AN EFFORT ON THE COUNTY SIDE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING THAT. 
          UM, BUT THERE ALSO NEEDS TO BE SOME EDUCATION AROUND. 
          AND I KNOW THAT THERE ARE WORKSHOPS WITH THE COUNTY ATTORNEY, WITH, WITH THE PUBLIC PROBATE ADMINISTRATOR'S OFFICE, UM, AND WE'LL GET PLUGGED INTO THOSE ON MAKING SURE FOLKS UNDERSTAND HOW TO RESOLVE THOSE HEIRSHIP ISSUES SO THAT THEY CAN GET AHOLD OF THE PROPERTY TAXES. 
          UM, UNFORTUNATELY WHAT I HAVE SEEN A LOT IS THAT YOU HAVE HEIRS THAT ARE LIVING IN THE PROPERTY AND BECAUSE, UM, THEY ARE NOT THE OWNER OF RECORD, THEY ARE NOT ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ALL OF THESE THINGS, THESE, UM, HOMESTEAD EXEMPTIONS AND WAYS TO MINIMIZE THEIR PROPERTY TAXES AND THEY'RE AT RISK OF LOSING THEIR PROPERTY. 
          SO YES MA'AM. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN. 
          THANK YOU. 
          AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. 
          I KNOW THAT I'M VERY INTERESTED IN HOSTING A TOWN HALL OUT IN DISTRICT G, SO I'LL HAVE MY OFFICE, YOU KNOW, CONTACT YOUR OFFICE. 
          YOU MENTIONED, UM, VOTER REGISTRATION. 
          AND SO WHAT ROLE OR WHAT STEPS DOES YOUR OFFICE TAKE TO HELP ENSURE THE VOTER ROLLS ARE ACCURATE? JUST CURIOUS. 
          YEAH, SO WE, WE FOLLOW A LOT TO THE T, RIGHT? SO, SO WE HAVE A GREAT VOTER REGISTRATION TEAM. 
          I JUST BROUGHT IN ALSO, UM, A NEW CHIEF OF CIVIC ENGAGEMENT. 
          UM, HIS NAME IS DJ YADA. 
          UM, AND I WILL SAY HE'S AN EXPERT ON VOTER REGISTRATION. 
          AND SO WE ARE, UM, AUDITING ALL OF OUR, OUR VOTER ROLLS. 
          UM, ESPECIALLY MAKING SURE AS WE HAVE ELECTIONS COMING UP, WE DID IT FOR THE MAYOR ELECTION. 
          [00:45:01]
UM, WE ARE ALSO DOING IT AHEAD OF THE NOVEMBER ELECTION WORKING WITH EACH OF THOSE ENTITIES TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE, UM, FOLLOWING WHAT IS REQUIRED BY US TO DO BY LAW, RIGHT? TO MAKE SURE. 
          SO AS WE RECEIVE DIFFERENT NOTIFICATIONS FROM THE SECRETARY OF STATE, UH, WE ARE MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE CLEANING UP OUR VOTER REGISTRATION RULE. 
          UM, AS WE RECEIVE NOTIFICATIONS, WE HAVE TO SEND OUT STATEMENTS OF RESIDENCY TO OUR RESIDENCY IF FOR SOME REASON THEY BELIEVE THAT THEY ARE. 
          SO THERE'S DIFFERENT THINGS THAT TRIGGER A STATEMENT OF RESIDENCE, RIGHT? UM, IF WE RECEIVE BACK, UM, A VOTER REGISTRATION CARD IN THE MAIL, WE NEED TO SEND OUT A STATEMENT OF RESIDENCY TO CONFIRM WHERE THEY'RE LIVING. 
          IF, UM, A CITIZEN SHOWS UP TO, UH, JURY SERVICE AND THEY SAY THAT THEY DON'T LIVE IN HARRIS COUNTY, WE'RE GONNA GET A SEPARATE LIST FROM THE DISTRICT CLERK. 
          SO WE WE'RE WORKING ALL OF THOSE LISTS, WE'RE VERIFYING THAT. 
          UM, AND IF FOR SOME REASON WE DO NOT RECEIVE A RESPONSE BACK FROM SOME OF THOSE STATEMENTS OF RESIDENTS, THEN WE'RE REQUIRED TO PUT AN, UH, VOTER ON A SUSPENSE, THE SUSPENSE ROLE. 
          UM, THEY'RE STILL ALLOWED TO VOTE, BUT WHEN THEY SHOW UP TO VOTE, UM, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO VERIFY THEIR RESIDENCY. 
          UM, WE'RE ALSO MONITORING, WE MONITORED VERY CLOSELY DIFFERENT LEGISLATION THAT WAS COMING DOWN FROM LEGISLATURE THIS PAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION. 
          UM, AND THERE ARE A FEW, UM, BILLS THAT DID PASS THAT WE ARE WORKING WITH THE COUNTY CLERK. 
          WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH THE COUNTY CLERK. 
          UM, 'CAUSE OUR DUTIES ARE REALLY INTERTWINED. 
          UH, SO WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH HER TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, WE ARE COMMUNICATING WITH HER ALL THOSE CHANGES IN OUR ROAD OF REGISTRATION ROLE, UH, SO THAT, UM, EVERYBODY THAT'S ELIGIBLE TO VOTE IS REGISTERED AND IS ABLE TO VOTE WHEN THEY SHOW UP. 
          GREAT. 
          UM, ONE OTHER QUESTION. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, THE CITY OF HOUSTON, WE HAVE PUBLIC FACILITY CORPORATIONS OPERATING IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. 
          SOME ARE NEW PROPERTIES, SOME ARE ACQUIRED PROPERTIES, AND AS LONG AS THEY'RE PROVIDING AFFORDABILITY AND TURNING IN CERTAIN REPORTS, THEN THEY'RE POTENTIALLY, YOU KNOW, TAX EXEMPT. 
          HOW, UM, HOW IS YOUR OFFICE MONITORING THAT AND HAS THERE BEEN A SITUATION WHERE, UM, WE'VE GONE BACK AND RECLAIMED TAXES BECAUSE EITHER AFFORDABILITY WASN'T BEING PROVIDED OR, YOU KNOW, REPORTS WEREN'T SUBMITTED? SO THE FUNCTION OF OUR OFFICE DOESN'T MONITOR, UM, EXEMPTION STATUSES. 
          OKAY. 
          SO, BUT I, I DO SIT ON THE HCA BOARD AND I AM A VOTING MEMBER OF THAT BOARD. 
          AND HCA IS THE ENTITY THAT ACTUALLY MONITORS THOSE ENTITIES. 
          AND SO IT HAS BEEN A, A VERY HOT TOPIC OF CONVERSATION, UH, PFCS AND HFCS, WHICH WERE DEALT WITH IN THIS MOST RECENT LEGISLATION. 
          AND SO THERE WAS AN ISSUE, UH, PREVIOUSLY WITH PFCS THAT WAS DEALT WITH IN THE LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION, UM, WHERE THEY'RE TRAVELING. 
          I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS ARE FAMILIAR WITH THOSE. 
          OKAY. 
          SO WE HAD THE SAME ISSUE ISSUE WITH HFCS AND THOSE WERE DEALT WITH, UM, IN THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION. 
          BOTH HFCS AND PFCS HAVE REQUIREMENTS TO HAVE A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING. 
          UM, T-D-H-C-A, THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY AFFAIRS IS THE ENTITY THAT'S ACTUALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR MONITORING AND ENSURING THAT THOSE ENTITIES RE MONITOR REPORT YEARLY, UM, AS TO WHAT THEIR RENTAL RENTALS LOOK LIKE. 
          AND THEN DO THEY CONTACT YOUR OFFICE? SO SAY THE REPORTS HAVEN'T BEEN DONE OR THEY, THEY REALLY FIND OUT THEY COORDINATE WITH THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT. 
          RIGHT. 
          OKAY. 
          BUT THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT DOESN'T HAVE MUCH AUTHORITY OVER IT. 
          RIGHT. 
          SO, AND UNDER PFCS THEY ARE REQUIRED, THE PFCS ARE REQUIRED TO SEND THEIR YEARLY REPORTS TO NOT ONLY THE T-D-H-C-A, BUT ALSO THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT. 
          FOR HFCS, THEY'RE ONLY REQUIRED TO SEND THEIR REPORT TO T-D-H-C-A. 
          AND SO THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT IS WORKING THROUGH HOW TO WORK WITH T-D-H-C-A TO MONITOR THOSE, UM, THOSE AUDITING REPORTS. 
          THERE HAS NOT BEEN A YEAR YET SINCE THIS LEGISLATION HAD STARTED WHERE THOSE REPORTS ARE REQUIRED. 
          T-D-H-C-A CONTINUES TO GIVE THE PFCS AND HFCS EXTENSIONS ON THE REPORTS. 
          AND SO WE HAVE NOT REACHED A END OF A REPORTING PERIOD YET ON WHAT THOSE LOOK LIKE AND HOW, AND WHO THE ENTITY THAT COULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR REMOVING, REMOVING THE EXEMPTION. 
          BECAUSE THE WAY THAT THE LEGISLATION IS CURRENTLY DRAFTED, IT GIVES T-D-H-C-A THE AUTHORITY TO REMOVE THE EXEMPTION, BUT THEY'RE NOT THE BODY WHO GRANTED IT. 
          MM-HMM . 
          AND THEN YOUR OFFICE SAY IT WAS, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO LONGER AN EXEMPTION, THEN YOUR OFFICE WOULD COLLECT THE CORRECT. 
          SO WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IS THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT WOULD UPDATE THAT ROLE. 
          THEY WOULD, THEY SENT US, NOT ONLY DO THEY SEND US A, A, A ROLE AT THE END OF THE SUMMER AROUND JULY, AUGUST, UM, BUT THEY ALSO SEND US MONTHLY SUPPLEMENTAL ROLES. 
          'CAUSE THERE'S SO MANY CHANGES HAPPENING ALL THE TIME. 
          AND SO THEY WOULD SEND US A SUPPLEMENTAL ROLE THAT WOULD HAVE REMOVED THAT EXEMPTION. 
          THEY CAN GO BACK X NUMBER OF YEARS DEPENDING ON WHAT THE REPORTS SAY, REMOVING IT, PUTTING THAT TAXABLE VALUE BACK ON THE ROLL. 
          AND WE WOULD SEND OUT A, A BILL ONCE WE RECEIVED THAT, THAT SUPPLEMENTAL ROLE 
          [00:50:01]
VALUE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER KIND OF PICK UP ON M ANN'S DISCUSSION. 
          UM, I WAS TOLD THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE PFCS HAS NOT FILED THE REQUIRED PAPERWORK. 
          THAT'S CORRECT. 
          I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT HAS THE AUTHORITY TO REMOVE THEIR TAX EXEMPTION. 
          THERE IS SOME DISAGREEMENT ON THAT, ON WHO HAS THE AUTHORITY TO REMOVE IT. 
          UM, FOR PFCS, I BELIEVE THAT THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT MIGHT, BUT HFCS, THEY DEFINITELY DO NOT, OR THAT'S THE, THAT'S HOW THEY READ IT RIGHT NOW. 
          OKAY. 
          SO WE HAVE ALL THESE ENTITIES THAT HAVE NOT FILED THE REPORTS TO TELL US THAT THEY'RE ACTUALLY DOING CORRECT WHAT THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO DO IN ORDER TO EARN THE TAX ABATEMENT, YET NOTHING IS BEING DONE TO REMOVE THE TAX ABATEMENT. 
          YES. 
          'CAUSE LEGISLATION AS IT MOVED THROUGH, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO GO BACK AND ADDRESS OTHER ISSUES WITH THE PFC IN THE NEXT LEGISLATIVE SESSION. 
          UM, AND HFCS WERE DEALT WITH. 
          NOW, I WILL SAY THAT IN PFCS, UM, THOSE THAT ALREADY HAD EXISTING EXEMPTIONS, THEY WERE GRANDFATHERED IN FOR THE TRAVELING EXEMPTIONS. 
          UH, FOR HFCS. 
          THEY WORKED AROUND THAT AND THEY HAVE TWO YEARS TO GET EITHER THE CITY OR THE COUNTIES THE GOVERNING, UH, TAXING ENTITY FOR THOSE TO GET THEIR APPROVAL FOR THOSE HFC EXEMPTIONS. 
          AND IF THEY DON'T GET THAT APPROVAL, THEN THOSE EXEMPTIONS WILL BE REMOVED FROM THE ROLE. 
          UH, BUT IF, IF THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT DOESN'T HAVE THE DATA FROM T-D-H-C-A, THEN THERE'S NO WAY FOR US TO JUSTIF OR FOR THEM TO JUSTIFY REMOVING AN EXEMPTION FOR THE PFCS. 
          AS THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT SENT LETTERS TO THESE ENTITIES SAYING, WE DON'T HAVE YOUR REPORT, THE REPORT IS PAST DUE, GET IT TO US IMMEDIATELY. 
          THE REPORT DOESN'T CO IT'S COPIED TO HCA, BUT THE GOVERNING BODY IS T-D-H-C-A. 
          IT IS NOT HCA FOR THE PFCS AS WELL, CORRECT? BOTH OF THEM. 
          OKAY. 
          THE CH THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PFC AND HFC IS THAT UNDER THE PFC LEGISLATION, THEY WERE REQUIRED TO SEND COPIES TO THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT AND TO SEND IT TO US, AND THEY'RE NOT REQUIRED TO DO THAT ANYMORE UNDER HFCS. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, YOU TALKED ABOUT THE REPORT THAT COMES OUT IN JULY, THAT 10% IS STILL IN LITIGATION. 
          YES, SIR. 
          DO WE HAVE THE VALUE, IS WHAT IT'S BEEN ASSESSED FOR ON THAT REPORT, OR IS IT JUST A WHOLE THAT YOU DON'T HAVE ANYTHING? IT'S JUST NO VALUE. 
          SO SOMETIMES YOU'LL LOOK UP AN ACCOUNT AND IT, THE 2025 VALUE IS STILL PENDING. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, ALSO, I'VE GOT SEVERAL HOMES IN MY DISTRICT, UH, THAT TYPICALLY THE SCENARIO IS IT'S AN OLDER NEIGHBORHOOD. 
          UM, A LOT OF THE HOMES HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN PAID OFF, SO THERE'S NO MORTGAGE. 
          THE, UH, OWNERS OF THE HOMES ARE ELDERLY AND PASS AWAY WITHOUT ANY HEIRS OR A WILL. 
          AND THESE HOMES GO WITHOUT TAXES BEING COLLECTED 5, 10, 15 YEARS. 
          IS YOUR DEPARTMENT RESPONSIBLE FOR ACTUALLY COLLECTING THOSE TAXES IN A TAX SALE OR, SO WE WORK WITH THE LAW FIRMS THAT EACH TAXING ENTITY HAS CONTRACTED WITH. 
          AND SO EACH, UM, EACH TAXING ENTITY HAS THEIR AGREEMENT WITH THE LAW FIRM. 
          I BELIEVE, UM, THAT THE CITY USES LINEBARGER AND PURDUE JUST BASED ON WHERE THOSE PROPERTIES ARE. 
          AND YOU GUY IN YOUR AGREEMENT WITH THEM, THERE SHOULD BE METRICS AND FACTORS THAT ARE TAKEN TO AN ACCOUNT FOR WHEN THEY FILE A LAWSUIT TO COLLECT THOSE TAXES. 
          CAN YOU PUT ME BACK IN THE QUEUE? SURE. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. 
          THANK YOU ASSESSOR FOR YOUR VERY INFORMATIVE PRESENTATIONS. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, DON'T GET ME STARTED ON PFCS. 
          UM, THE SO SPOT LEGISLATURE HAS, UH, GOTTEN INTO THIS, UH, ARENA, IF YOU WILL, A COUPLE SESSIONS AGO. 
          THEY, THEY PASSED, UH, LEGISLATION THAT NOW REQUIRES THOSE TO COME TO CITY COUNCIL. 
          AND IT'S INCUMBENT ON US TO REALLY EVALUATE, UH, WHETHER THOSE DEALS ARE AFFORDABLE OR NOT. 
          AND CLEARLY MORE WORK NEEDS TO BE DONE IN THE LEGISLATURE, UH, TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE PROVIDING AFFORDABLE HOUSES. 
          BUT I'M, I'M GLAD THAT YOU'RE AWARE OF THE SITUATION AND HOPE THAT LEGISLATURE GIVES YOU A LITTLE MORE AUTHORITY GOING FORWARD. 
          UH, LET ME SAY AS WELL, I'M, I'M VERY HAPPY, UH, THAT YOU GUYS ARE EMBARKING ON A PREPAYMENT OPTION FOR PROPERTY TAXES. 
          UM, I THINK ALL OF US WHO PAY PROPERTY TAXES GET THIS BIG BILL AT THE END OF THE YEAR, AND IT MIGHT NOT BE THE BEST TIME TO PAY A BIG BILL, BUT SPREADING IT OUT, UH, IS, IS GREAT. 
          IT ALSO HAS THE ADVANTAGE OF ENSURING THAT, UH, OUR PROPERTY TAXES ARE MOSTLY PAID DURING THE YEAR. 
          AND THEN IT'S NOT AN ISSUE OF DEDUCTING THOSE, THOSE TAXES 
          [00:55:01]
OFF OF, UH, UH, YOUR, YOUR INCOME TAXES, RIGHT, . 
          BECAUSE IF YOU MISS THAT DECEMBER 31ST CUTOFF, THEN YOU'RE NOT ABLE TO DEDUCT, UH, THE PROPERTY TAXES. 
          THAT'S TRUE. 
          UH, IN THAT, IN THAT SAME YEAR. 
          SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. 
          UH, NO, THAT'S NOT AN EASY ENDEAVOR. 
          IT'S PROBABLY A REALLY BIG UNDERTAKING GIVEN ALL THE ACCOUNTS THAT WE HAVE. 
          SO I APPLAUD YOU FOR THAT. 
          SO I HAD A COUPLE QUESTIONS ABOUT, UM, THE SLIDES ON SLIDE SEVEN. 
          UM, I THINK YOU WERE GONNA GO BACK TO THIS, BUT THIS SHOWS CERTIFICATION VERSUS CERTIFICATION TO DATE. 
          CAN YOU SORT OF, UH, WALK US THROUGH THAT, WHAT THAT SHOWS? IS THAT SLIDE? SLIDE SIX. 
          SLIDE SIX. 
          SORRY. 
          SLIDE SIX. 
          SO, SO THESE ARE GONNA BE, SO, SO HCA SENDS YOU A CERTIFIED ROLE, UM, AND FOR VARIOUS REASONS IT DECREASES. 
          AND THOSE, THOSE ARE GONNA BE EITHER LATE FILED HOMESTEAD APPLICATIONS THAT I HAD MENTIONED EARLIER. 
          UM, AND SO, OR LITIGATED VALUES. 
          SO PROPERTY OWNERS WHO RECEIVED THEIR VALUE, THEY MAY HAVE PROTESTED, THEY WEREN'T HAPPY WITH THE PROTESTS, THEY THEN FILED A LAWSUIT AGAINST HCAD, UM, AND IT'S IN LITIGATION. 
          AND MANY OF THOSE TAKE ONE OR TWO YEARS TO GO THROUGH THE SYSTEM. 
          AND AS IT GOES THROUGH THE, GOES THROUGH THE COURT SYSTEM, YOU ARE ALSO ADDING ADDITIONAL YEARS, UH, THAT HAVE COME DUE SINCE THEN INTO THAT SAME LAWSUIT. 
          UH, AND SO THOSE LITIGATED VALUES ACCOUNT FOR MORE THAN JUST THE CURRENT TAX YEAR. 
          AND THEN THERE, THERE MIGHT BE OTHER VALUE REDUCTIONS. 
          THERE ARE, UH, WHAT ARE CALLED 25 25 CORRECTIONS, UM, THAT HCA DOES FOR, FOR VARIOUS REASONS, PROPERTY OWNERS HAVE REQUESTED WHETHER THEY'RE CLOSING A TAX ACCOUNT AND THEY CAN GO BACK UP TO, TO FOUR YEARS OR FIVE TO CLOSE AN ACCOUNT. 
          UH, AND SO YOU MIGHT SEE SOME OF THOSE COMING OFF BECAUSE THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT HAS, HAS CLOSED THOSE ACCOUNTS OR LOWERED VALUES. 
          OH, OKAY. 
          THANK YOU FOR THAT. 
          I'LL GO BACK IN THE QUEUE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          ON SLIDE, I THINK IT WAS 13, IT WAS LIKE THE LAST ONE OR THE ONE WITH ALL THE DELINQUENT ACCOUNTS. 
          I WANNA MAKE SURE I'M UNDERSTANDING THIS RIGHT. 
          SO THE FIRST, THE FIRST BAR IS WHAT'S DTR DELINQUENT TAX OPENING. 
          TAX ROLL. 
          OKAY. 
          SO THE A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS, IF YOU LOOK AT TAX YEAR 2023, THAT'S JUST WHAT'S DELINQUENT ON JULY ONE. 
          THAT IS WHAT'S DELINQUENT AND IT'S CUMULATIVE CU OF ALL THE YEARS OF ALL THE YEARS OF ALL THE YEARS CUMULATIVE ALL THE YEARS. 
          SO ON REAL PROPERTY, YOU CAN GO BACK 20 YEARS. 
          OKAY. 
          YES. 
          SO THERE'S PROBABLY, AT ANY GIVEN YEAR, THERE'S AROUND A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS JUST OUT THERE SOMEWHERE. 
          CORRECT. 
          THE TURNOVER. 
          EXPLAIN WHAT THAT IS. 
          TURNOVER'S THE AMOUNT THAT WE HANDED OVER TO THE LAW FIRMS FOR COLLECTION, WHATEVER ENTITY, WHATEVER LAW FIRM YOU HAVE CONTRACTED WITH, THAT IS THE AMOUNT THAT HAS BEEN HANDED OVER TO THEM FOR COLLECTION. 
          THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO COLLECT AT THE MOMENT. 
          SO WHAT, WHAT, WHAT ARE THE ACCOUNTS THAT ARE DELINQUENT THAT AREN'T TURNED OVER? THEY COULD BE IN A PAYMENT SCHEDULE WITH OUR OFFICE. 
          OH, GOT IT. 
          OKAY. 
          OR, UH, THEY'RE OVER 65 TO SAY SO, OR MAYBE THEY'RE DEFERRED ACCOUNTS. 
          SO THERE IS A DELINQUENT AMOUNT ON A DEFERRED ACCOUNT, BUT IT'S NOT BEING HANDED OVER TO COLLECTION. 
          'CAUSE WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO, TO TAKE ACTION TO COLLECT THOSE. 
          GOT IT. 
          I GOT THE NEGATIVE ONE. 
          YOU EXPLAINED THAT. 
          AND THEN THE GROSS LEVY PAID. 
          THAT'S JUST WHAT WE ARE COLLECT WHAT WE'VE COLLECTED IN THAT SO FAR. 
          YEAR. 
          YES. 
          OKAY. 
          OKAY. 
          GREAT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. 
          THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR. 
          UM, THANK YOU TEXAS FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. 
          VERY INFORMATIVE AND GOOD, UH, INFORMATION. 
          THANK YOU. 
          APPLAUD YOU. 
          KUDOS. 
          UH, KUDOS FOR SOME OF THE CHANGES THAT YOU'RE MAKING, WHICH I THINK ARE VERY GOOD. 
          I'D LIKE TO ASK THE QUESTION ABOUT WHAT IS IT GONNA LOOK LIKE FOR THE, UM, YOU SAID YOU'RE GOING TO INCLUDE THE HCH PROCESS. 
          SO WHAT, WHAT IS THAT GOING TO LOOK SINCE IT HADN'T BEEN DONE BEFORE? SO WHAT IS THAT GONNA LOOK LIKE FOR THE TAXPAYER, UH, GOING FORWARD NOW, THE ONES THAT WOULD HAVE THAT BENEFIT? SO WHEN TAXPAYERS ARE WANTING TO GET ON A PAYMENT PLAN WITH OUR OFFICE, THEY'RE GONNA REACH OUT TO US. 
          UM, WE ARE GOING TO, UH, GIVE THEM THE PARAMETERS OF A, OF A PAYMENT SCHEDULE. 
          MM-HMM . 
          UM, LET THEM CHOOSE THE LENGTH OF THE PAYMENT SCHEDULE, DEPENDING ON THE SITUATION, HOW LONG, HOW MUCH IS DELINQUENT, UH, OR, YOU KNOW, THE DOLLAR AMOUNT OR THE NUMBER OF YEARS. 
          UH, AND THEN THEY'LL BE ABLE, WE'LL SET A PAYMENT SCHEDULE UP FOR THEM IN THE SYSTEM AND THEY WILL CREATE A LOGIN, A USERNAME, AND A PASSWORD. 
          AND THEY WILL GO IN AND ACTUALLY SET UP THE PAYMENT PLAN ON THE DAY THAT THEY, SO THE NUMBER OF MONTHS THAT, THAT WE AGREED TO OKAY. 
          UM, ON DELINQUENCY, UH, WHAT THAT DOLLAR AMOUNT WOULD LOOK LIKE EVERY MONTH. 
          AND THEN THEY WOULD INPUT THEIR BANK ACCOUNT INFORMATION. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, SO THAT IT, AND THEN THEY CAN PICK A DAY OF THE MONTH. 
          'CAUSE THE, THE DOLLAR AMOUNT IS THE SAME WHETHER YOU PAY IT ON THE FIRST, THE 15TH OR THE 30TH. 
          RIGHT. 
          RIGHT. 
          SO, SO THEY'RE GONNA PUT IN INPUT THE DOLLAR AMOUNT, THE DAY OF THE MONTH THAT THEY WANT IT WITHDRAWN 
          [01:00:01]
FROM THEIR ACCOUNT. 
          UM, AND THEN THAT'S GONNA GET SET UP AND IT'LL WITHDRAW FOR AS MANY MONTHS AS THE AGREEMENT IS. 
          SO THEY GET THE, SO THEY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO CHECK, TO CHOOSE HOW THEY WANT TO PAY IT, WHETHER IT'S ONCE A MONTH OR TWICE A MONTH, OR NORMALLY IT'S ONCE A MONTH. 
          I HADN'T CONSIDERED MORE THAN ONCE A MONTH, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S ACTUALLY SOMETHING WE COULD, WE COULD MAKE SURE WE ASK TO SEE IF THAT'S GONNA BE AVAILABLE. 
          YEAH. 
          BECAUSE THOSE OF US THAT DO IT, IT, YOU KNOW, IT MAKES A, IT DOES, IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE, YOU KNOW. 
          I AGREE WITH YOU. 
          YES. 
          SO, UM, YEAH, BUT THAT, THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S GOOD TO KNOW. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          SURE. 
          ABSOLUTELY. 
          CO COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMANS, I THINK. 
          ANNA, THANK YOU CHAIR. 
          UM, FIRSTLY JUST A COMMENT FROM, UH, THE COUNCIL MEMBER IS STILL ONLINE. 
          UM, BASED ON THE TIMELINE PRESENTED, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN CONTINUES TO BELIEVE THE CITY SHOULD CONSIDER AN ADJUSTED FISCAL YEAR BUDGET TIMELINE THAT FALLS IN LINE WITH THE TIMELINE PRESENTED TODAY. 
          UM, SO IT WAS JUST A COMMENT, BUT, UH, ASSESSOR RAMIREZ, UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. 
          UH, FIRSTLY AS A COUNCIL MEMBER IS ONLINE, SHE WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE AND OUR CONTINUING TO DO TO IMPROVE SERVICES FOR HOUSTONIANS. 
          IT'S GREAT TO SEE YOU HERE. 
          UM, FIRSTLY, YOU MENTIONED, UH, SOME OF THE TECHNOLOGY, UH, YOUR TEAM WILL BE USING, UM, FOR THIS PREPAYMENT PLAN. 
          WHAT IS THE, IS THERE, DO YOU KNOW THE NAME OF THE TECHNOLOGY? DO YOU HAVE THAT SET UP YET? SO, SO WE HAVE, UH, ENGAGED FOR THE VENDOR, UH, BY THE NAME OF PAY IT. 
          UM, THAT IS RELATIVELY NEW TO TEXAS. 
          HOWEVER, UM, THEY ARE WELL-ESTABLISHED IN OTHER STATES THAT USE THEM TO PAY THEIR PROPERTY TAXES. 
          THEY'RE NOT ONLY A PROPERTY TAX, UH, SOFTWARE. 
          THEY ACTUALLY ARE MORE OF, UM, UM, A PLATFORM TO COLLECT ALL TYPES OF REVENUE, UH, THAT A, A GOVERNMENT ENTITY, UM, HAS TO COLLECT. 
          AND SO THE GOAL IS TO NOT ONLY USE THEM FOR PROPERTY TAXES, BUT TO USE THEM SO THAT OUR, OUR CONSTITUENTS IN HARRIS COUNTY HAVE A ONE STOP SHOP. 
          UH, AND SO THEY GO AND THEY LOG IN AND THEY WILL SEE, FOR INSTANCE, UM, IF, IF IT'S A COMMERCIAL PROPERTY OWNER, THEY WILL SEE ALL THEIR 10 PROPERTY TAX ACCOUNTS IN ONE PLACE, THEIR 10 BUSINESS PERSONAL PROPERTY ACCOUNTS IN ONE PLACE. 
          UM, AND THEY WILL BE ABLE TO PAY ALL OF THEM AT ONE TIME, AND THEY ALL SHOW UP ON ONE SCREEN. 
          AND HOPEFULLY, UM, AS WE, UM, IF THE COUNTY CHOOSES TO EXPAND THE SERVICE, THEY MIGHT ALSO BE ABLE TO PAY THE TOLL ROAD ON THE SAME SCREEN, UM, OR PAY A, A TICKET OR PAY COURT COSTS OR ANY OTHER TYPE OF FEE THAT THEY NEED TO PAY TO THE COUNTY. 
          AWESOME. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, YOU MENTIONED A LARGE MARKETING PUSH IN YOUR SLIDES. 
          HOW IS YOUR OFFICE PLANNING TO ENGAGE WITH PROPERTY OWNERS TO DRIVE UP THE USE OF PAY IT OR THE SOFTWARE THAT Y'ALL ARE USING? AND WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP MORE SPECIFICALLY? THANK YOU. 
          SO, UM, LUCKILY THE WAY, UM, THE AGREEMENT WORKS WITH PAY IT IS THEY ACTUALLY, UH, TAKE ON ALL THE MARKETING. 
          UH, THEY'LL COLLABORATE WITH US TO SEE WHAT IT IS WE WANT DONE. 
          UM, BUT, UH, THEY'VE BEEN KNOWN TO WRAP BUSES TO DRIVE ENG, YOU KNOW, TO DRIVE ENGAGEMENT, TO GET FOLKS, UM, TO, TO SIGN UP FOR THIS SERVICE, UH, BILLBOARDS, GOOGLE ADS, UM, DIGITAL WHATEVER, UM, WHATEVER WOULD BE REQUIRED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN DRIVE, UM, FOLKS TO SIGN UP. 
          SO THE GOAL IS TO GET MORE AND MORE FOLKS ON THIS TECHNOLOGY. 
          UM, SO NOT ONLY IS IT EASIER FOR THEM TO PLAN, BUT IT ALSO LESSENS FOOT TRAFFIC, UM, IN OUR OFFICES. 
          UM, AND IT MAKES THE BACKEND EASIER FOR OUR STAFF, UM, TO FOLLOW. 
          AMAZING. 
          THANK YOU COUNCIL. 
          ALL GREAT STAFF FROM STEVEN JAMES WITH COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ. 
          THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. 
          GOOD MORNING. 
          GOOD MORNING. 
          UH, ASSESSOR RAMIREZ, AND THANK YOU TO YOU AND YOUR TEAM. 
          HI, SABRINA , UH, FOR BEING HERE TODAY. 
          UH, COUNCIL MEMBER EVER SHABBAT WOULD LIKE TO EXTEND AN INVITATION TO YOU AND YOUR TEAM TO JOIN US IN AUGUST OR SEPTEMBER FOR A WORKSHOP PERFECT. 
          AT ONE OF OUR MULTIPURPOSE CENTERS. 
          AS YOU MAY WELL KNOW, DISTRICT D AS MANY OF OUR, UH, UH, DISTRICTS HAS A LARGE SENIOR CITIZEN COMMUNITY OKAY. 
          MANY IN THEIR SEVENTIES, EIGHTIES, AND NINETIES, AND IT'S DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO UNDERSTAND THEIR TAX BURDENS. 
          IT'S WONDERFUL TO HEAR THAT YOU HAVE THESE NEW TECHNOLOGIES COMING OUT, BUT AS YOU WELL KNOW, THAT PARTICULAR COMMUNITY IS NOT COMPUTER SAVVY. 
          RIGHT. 
          UH, WE'D LIKE TO WORK WITH YOUR TEAM TO ASK THAT YOU MAY BE ABLE TO CUSTOMIZE YOUR PRESENTATION MORE, OF COURSE, TO THAT GROUP. 
          AND AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR TODAY'S PRESENTATION. 
          WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOU JOINING US. 
          THANK YOU. 
          HAPPY TO DO THAT. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER. 
          THANK YOU. 
          KIND OF TO FOLLOW UP ON WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT. 
          SURE. 
          WITH THE PAST DUE TAXES, WE HAD ONE HOME THAT WE HAD ISSUES WITH SQUATTERS IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS. 
          THE NEIGHBORS WERE ALL UPSET DOWN ON FREEWAY MANOR. 
          UM, AND 
          [01:05:01]
THE ACTUAL ADDRESS IS 1 0 4 2 5 A STREET. 
          UM, WHEN WE FIRST BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION, IT'S A PROBLEM, WE WENT AND CHECKED INTO IT AND WE FOUND OUT IT WAS ON THE TAX SALE. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, GREAT, THIS IS GONNA BE TAKEN CARE OF. 
          UH, THE TAX SALE COMES UP. 
          AND I THINK THE DAY BEFORE THAT SALE WAS PULLED, CORRECT? UH, I BELIEVE WE SPOKE TO SOMEBODY AT YOUR OFFICE THAT TOLD US THE REASON FOR IT WAS THAT THE COUNTY JUDGE HAD HAD A DIRECTIVE DURING COVID TO AVOID SELLING HOMES AT TAX SALES. 
          UM, SO WE SAID, HEY, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NOBODY LIVING HERE. 
          UH, THERE'S NO CONCERN WITH THE TENANT. 
          THERE'S NO LANDLORD, THERE'S NO TENANTS, THERE'S SQUATTERS. 
          UH OH, OKAY. 
          WE'LL GET IT BACK ON FOR THE TAX SALE THE NEXT MONTH OR QUARTER, WHATEVER IT IS. 
          UM, DAY BEFORE PULLED AGAIN. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, I'VE GOT THESE CONSTITUENTS SCREAMING ABOUT THESE SQUATTERS, AND I'M TELLING 'EM, OH, IT'S GONNA BE SOLD, GONNA BE SOLD. 
          AND THEN THE RUG'S JERKED OUT FROM UNDERNEATH OF US AND NOT NOW. 
          WE'RE CURRENTLY GOING TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT NOW SAYING, HEY, IF THE COUNTY WON'T DO THIS, MAYBE WE CAN GET THE SCHOOL DISTRICT TO DO IT. 
          UH, I'VE GOT IN THAT HOME. 
          THE TAXES HAVE NOT BEEN PAID ON THAT HOME, AT LEAST FOR 25 YEARS. 
          WE DON'T HAVE RECORDS BEYOND THAT. 
          RIGHT. 
          BUT AT A MINIMUM, THEY HAVE NOT BEEN PAID FOR 25 YEARS. 
          UH, I'VE GOT ANOTHER HOME, 1 3, 1 1 5 CONLIN LANE, NO TAXES HAVE BEEN PAID SINCE 2004. 
          HOW DO WE GO ABOUT GETTING THESE HOMES SOLD? YOU KNOW, I'VE GOT ANOTHER ONE ON AIDS, OR I'M SORRY, ON HEIN STREET THAT TOOK A TON OF HPD RESOURCES, CONSTABLE RESOURCES, THIS WAS AN ABSOLUTE DISASTER WHAT THESE SQUATTERS WERE DOING, UH, DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS, THE WHOLE BIT STILL ON THE TAX ROLLS, EVEN THOUGH WE'VE GOTTEN THE SQUATTERS OUT AND HAVE STOPPED THE HEMORRHAGING, BUT YET THEY'RE NOT GETTING SOLD ON THE TAX ROLLS. 
          SO WE'RE EXPENDING RESOURCES. 
          WE'RE NOT COLLECTING THE TAXES. 
          I MEAN, IT'S LIKE A 14 POINT TURNAROUND, GOING THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. 
          SO, SO I'LL ADDRESS THAT. 
          UH, THERE IS AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT, UM, THAT THE TAX OFFICE DOESN'T CONTROL BETWEEN THE COUNTY AND THE CITY AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. 
          AND, AND THEIR AGREEMENT STATES THAT IF ANY ONE OF THOSE ENTITIES DOES NOT WANT TO SELL A PIECE OF PROPERTY, THEN IT WILL NOT BE SOLD IF THE INSPECTORS THERE, THERE ARE INSPECTORS THAT GO OUT TO EACH OF THESE PROPERTIES. 
          IF THEY BELIEVE SOMEBODY IS LIVING THERE, THEY WILL NOT SELL IT. 
          SQUATTERS ARE LIVING THERE. 
          CORRECT. 
          UM, I, UM, I HAVE ADDRESSED, I AM WORKING TOWARDS, SO I'M NOT SURE WHAT AGREEMENT AND HOW YOU ENGAGE YOUR COUNSEL FOR IDENTIFYING PROPERTIES AND HOW QUICKLY THIS BODY WANTS THEM TO FILE A LAWSUIT TO COLLECT. 
          SO WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT THOSE THAT ARE UP TO 20 YEARS DELINQUENT, THOSE ARE YOUR DELINQUENT ATTORNEYS AND THE AGREEMENT THAT YOU HAVE WITH THEM ON WHAT FACTORS THEY NEED TO LOOK AT TO FILE SUIT. 
          SO YOU DO HAVE BOTH LINEBARGER AND PURDUE THAT ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR FILING ON THOSE, AND THEY SHOULD BE FILING RELATIVELY QUICKLY, BUT THE TAX ASSESSOR DOESN'T CO DOESN'T CONTROL HOW QUICKLY PURDUE OR LINEBARGER FILES ON A, ON ON BEHALF OF THE CITY. 
          I CAN, I'M, I WORK WITH, UH, THE LAW FIRMS THAT REPRESENT THE COUNTY TO MANAGE OUR ROLE AND HOW QUICKLY THEY FILE LAWSUITS. 
          UM, BUT I, I DON'T HAVE CONTROL OVER THE CITIES. 
          UM, ALTHOUGH I'M HAPPY TO ALSO IN THE SAME MEETING ALSO MANAGE FOR THE CITY. 
          I'M HAPPY TO TALK ABOUT THOSE ACCOUNTS AS WELL. 
          UM, I HAVE VISITED WITH, UM, THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR SALES. 
          AS I FOUND OUT WHEN I CAME INTO OFFICE, THE RULES AROUND WHAT WAS POOLED, UM, FOR SALE EVERY MONTH. 
          UM, I BELIEVE THAT THEY NEED, THOSE RULES NEED TO BE LOOKED AT AGAIN. 
          UM, MY PLAN BETWEEN NOW AND THE END OF THE SUMMER IS TO SPEAK WITH EACH INDIVIDUAL COMMISSIONER ON REVISITING WHAT THOSE RULES ARE, UM, AND GOING BACK AND CREATING A NEW POLICY AROUND WHAT NEEDS TO BE FORECLOSED ON AND WHAT'S NOT FORECLOSED ON. 
          THANK YOU. 
          IT LOOKS LIKE WE NEED TO DO THE SAME. 
          WE NEED TO LOOK AT THOSE AGREEMENTS AND, AND OUR POLICIES SURROUNDING THOSE. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. 
          THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR. 
          AND ASSESSOR, I WANTED TO ASK YOU ABOUT SLIDE FIVE. 
          THIS BREAKS DOWN, UH, TAXABLE VALUE BY CATEGORY AND LOOKING AT MULTIFAMILY, UH, WHICH IS THE SECOND ENTRY THERE, MULTIFAMILY TAXABLE VALUE. 
          AND THIS IS WITHIN THE CITY, IF I UNDERSTOOD YOU CORRECTLY, 48 AND A HALF BILLION DOLLARS VALUATION MULTIFAMILY PROPERTIES. 
          IS THAT 
          [01:10:01]
RIGHT? THAT'S CORRECT. 
          CAN YOU TELL US, DOES THIS FIGURE INCLUDE THOSE TAX EXEMPT PROPERTIES THAT WE WERE SPEAKING OF EARLIER, LIKE THE PFCS AND THE HFCS AND THE HA'S? THEY DO NOT ANY, ANY PROPERTY THAT'S EXEMPT IS NOT GONNA BE, THEIR VALUE WON'T BE REFLECTED IN THESE NUMBERS. 
          OKAY. 
          AND, UH, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE OF MY COLLEAGUES BROUGHT THIS UP, AND I'M GLAD THEY DID BECAUSE LAST YEAR I ASKED OUR OWN FINANCE DEPARTMENT WHAT IS THE TAXABLE VALUE OF THOSE PROPERTIES THAT ARE EXEMPT, THAT ARE PFCS HFCS AND HA'S, AND LAST YEAR AT WHEN I ASKED THE ANSWER WAS $2.359 BILLION, UH, PROPERTY VALUE THAT IS EXEMPTED, UH, AS PFCS HFCS AND HA'S, WHICH RESULTS IN A LEVY LOSS TO THE CITY OF $12.2 MILLION. 
          AND SO, UH, IT'S, IT'S A BIG DEAL WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THESE ABATEMENTS AND EXEMPTIONS. 
          AGREE? YES SIR. 
          IT'S AN ISSUE. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          AND, ALRIGHT, ASSESSOR RAMIREZ. 
          THAT'S IT. 
          THAT'S IT. 
          THAT WAS IT. 
          UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          YOU CAN TELL BY THE ENGAGEMENT THAT THIS PRESENTATION WAS GREAT AND VERY WELL RECEIVED, AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR HARD WORK, UM, AND WHAT YOU DO TO COLLECT THAT MONEY SO WE CAN GET IT ON OVER HERE TO THE CITY. 
          I APPRECIATE THE INVITATION. 
          I'M ALSO HAPPY TO, TO FOLLOW UP WITH THIS COMMITTEE ONCE THE RULES ARE REVISED AROUND FORECLOSURES TO LET YOU KNOW HOW, WHAT DIRECTION THE COUNTY IS MOVING IN. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          APPRECIATE YOU AND YOUR TEAM. 
          THANK YOU EVERYBODY. 
          I APPRECIATE THE TIME. 
          WE WILL NOW, COLLEAGUES MOVE TO OUR FINAL AGENDA ITEM, A BRIEF UPDATE ON DR 24 FUNDING. 
          I HAVE HOUSING DIRECTOR MIKE NICHOLS, AND ASSISTANT DIRECTOR ANGELA SIMON. 
          AND STEVEN DAVID. 
          THANK YOU MADAM CHAIRWOMAN. 
          UM, I THOUGHT WE'D START WITH STEVEN DAVID, UH, HE HAS SOME COMMENTS TO MAKE AND THEN WE WILL GO THROUGH OUR PRESENTATION. 
          WE THANK YOU FOR HAVING US BACK FOR A SECOND TIME. 
          SEE HOW WE DO THIS TIME. 
          STEVEN, THANK YOU. 
          DIRECTOR, CHAIR, VICE CHAIR. 
          OH, NO. 
          VICE CHAIR'S NOT HERE. 
          CHAIR COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER STAFF. 
          THANK Y'ALL FOR BEING HERE. 
          THANK YOU FOR LETTING US, UH, HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME BACK FOR A SECOND TIME TO PRESENT. 
          WHAT I WANTED TO DO BEFORE MIKE KICKS OFF THE PRESENTATION AND ANGELA COMES AND TAKES MY SPOT, IS I WANTED TO SORT OF, UH, REFRESH Y'ALL ON WHAT'S HAPPENED TO DATE. 
          UM, LAST TIME THAT I SAT IN FRONT OF Y'ALL, I WALKED YOU THROUGH SORT OF THE POINT IN TIME UNDERSTANDING, UH, DURING THE KINGWOOD FLOOD, DURING DICHO, DURING HURRICANE BARREL, WHAT THE CITY EXPERIENCED. 
          I'M NOT GONNA DO THAT AGAIN, BUT WHAT I WILL DO IS START AS A REMINDER ABOUT, UH, THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE HAD, UH, BEGINNING OCTOBER OF LAST YEAR, UM, WITH, UH, THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION AND THEN THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION'S, UH, AND THEN WHAT WE WERE REQUIRED TO DO, WHAT WE HEARD, AND THEN WHAT WE ARE BRINGING BACK TO YOU. 
          SO AS A, AS A REFRESHER, UM, CONVERSATIONS THAT WE STARTED HAVING WITH THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION OCCURRED A LITTLE BEFORE OCTOBER OF 24. 
          UM, THIS, UH, WAS A CONVERSATION AROUND, WE WANT TO GIVE Y'ALL MONEY AND, UH, HERE'S SOME OF THE PERSPECTIVE AND EXPERIENCE THAT WE HAVE WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND HOW THEY'VE SPENT DISASTER DOLLARS, UH, IN THE PAST. 
          AND THIS IS THE ADVICE WE'RE GONNA GIVE YOU. 
          AND THE ADVICE THAT THEY GAVE WAS, UH, PICK THINGS THAT YOU CAN SPEND MONEY ON QUICKLY. 
          UM, AND SO THAT ALLOWED FOR US TO DEVELOP THE FIRST ASK THAT WENT TO CONGRESS AND THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION. 
          UH, THE REQUEST WAS FOR 305 MILLION. 
          THEY AWARDED US 315. 
          UM, AND THAT PERSPECTIVE, UH, WAS REFLECTED WITHIN THAT ASK. 
          UM, WE WERE ASKING FOR $151 MILLION TOWARDS GENERATORS. 
          WE ASKED, UH, TO PUT MONEY TOWARDS THE MAYOR'S HOMELESSNESS PLAN. 
          WE WANTED TO PURCHASE POLICE VEHICLES AND, AND FIRE VEHICLES, HIGH WATER RESCUE VEHICLES, THINGS THAT WERE ALL NEEDED. 
          AND WE HAD A SHORTAGE OF DURING THE DISASTERS. 
          UM, WHAT WE DID NOT INCLUDE WAS HOUSING. 
          AND THAT WAS THE ADVICE THAT THEY GAVE US. 
          THEY SAID THE CITY OF HOUSTON, UM, HAS HAD A HISTORY OF SLOW SPEND OF, OF HOUSING. 
          AND SO THAT WAS THE ADVICE WE TOOK, AND THAT WAS HOW IT WAS REFLECTED IN THE ASK. 
          UM, FAST FORWARD CONVERSATIONS, UH, AFTER THE ELECTION CONVERSATION SLOWED DOWN GREATLY WITH THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION TRANSITION BEGAN. 
          UH, SO EARLY JUNE, JANUARY OF 25 THIS YEAR, WE BEGAN THE CONVERSATIONS, UH, WITH THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION, THE NEW TRUMP HUD UNDER SECRETARY TURNER. 
          UM, AND WHAT WE, UH, RECEIVED FROM THEM IS MORE ADVICE OF ROUGHLY THE SAME, UH, AS Y'ALL KNOW, UH, DURING PRESIDENTIAL TRANSITIONS, UM, THEY CLEARLY PUT IN THEIR OWN CABINET, UH, THAT CABINET PUTS IN THEIR OWN LEADERSHIP. 
          UH, BUT IN LARGE PART, AT LEAST FOR, UH, THE TEMPORARY FUTURE STAFF TENDS TO REMAIN THE SAME. 
          SO THE STAFF, THE SAME STAFF UNDER THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION, THE BUREAUCRATS UNDER THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION WERE THE SAME UNDER THE 
          [01:15:01]
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION. 
          THEY GAVE US ALL THE SAME ADVICE, UM, SPIN STUFF QUICKLY, PICK THINGS THAT YOU WANNA SPEND QUICKLY. 
          UH, AND THEN THEY REFRESHED US ON A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT THINGS. 
          ONE WAS THAT, UH, THE UNIVERSAL REGULATIONS, UH, THAT APPLY TO THESE THINGS ARE REGULATIONS THAT CAN RECEIVE WAIVERS. 
          UM, AND SO WE BEGAN HAVING A CONVERSATION OF AROUND WHAT IFS, UM, COULD WE DO SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE, UH, INTERESTING, HENCE THE GENERATOR REQUESTS THAT CAME THROUGH. 
          THERE ARE WAIVERS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT. 
          BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, WHAT THEY REMINDED US OF WAS THAT THERE IS A REQUIRED AND MANDATED, UH, THOROUGH CONVERSATION THAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO HAVE WITH THE PUBLIC. 
          UM, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, UH, HAVE AT LEAST THREE, UM, PUBLIC HEARINGS. 
          UM, AND THEN, UH, TAKE THAT ADVICE, UM, LISTEN TO WHAT YOUR PEOPLE HAVE, AND THEN SUBMIT THE PLAN TO US. 
          AND AS A REMINDER, THE LANGUAGE THAT YOU'RE GONNA HEAR MIKE TALK ABOUT AND ANGELA TALK ABOUT, IS THAT THIS IS WHAT'S CALLED AN ACTION PLAN. 
          AND IN ITS CURRENT STATE, IT IS NOT SUBMITTED. 
          IT IS NOT THE SUBMITTED ACTION PLAN. 
          IT IS THE DRAFT ACTION PLAN. 
          SO WHAT WE PRESENTED TO Y'ALL, UH, A MONTH OR SO AGO, A LITTLE OVER A MONTH AGO, UH, WAS THE FIRST DRAFT OF THE ACTION PLAN. 
          SO THE ONLY FEEDBACK THAT WE'D RECEIVED FROM ANY, UH, ANY, THE ONLY GUIDANCE THAT WE'D RECEIVED WAS AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL OF THE ADVICE THAT I JUST TALKED ABOUT. 
          UM, AND SO THE PLAN WAS PUT THIS DRAFT ACTION PLAN FORWARD AND ALLOW THE PUBLIC TO RESPOND TO IT. 
          UM, AND SO WHAT WE, WE DID WAS WE HAD THREE, UH, THREE HEARINGS. 
          WE HEARD FROM A LOT OF FOLKS WHO CAME AND TESTIFIED SAYING THAT WE NEED A FOURTH AND WE NEEDED TO BE AT NIGHTTIME. 
          SO WE ADDED A FOURTH, AND WE HAD IT AT FIVE O'CLOCK FROM FIVE TO 7:00 PM UH, AND WE MADE IT AS ACCESSIBLE AS POSSIBLE. 
          IT WAS IN PERSON AS WELL AS ON TEAMS. EXCUSE ME. 
          IT WAS ON TEAMS. UM, AND THEN WE ALSO HAD THE PRESENTATION HERE AT THIS COMMITTEE. 
          AND THEN WE ALSO HAD OPPORTUNITY AT PUBLIC SESSION FOR PEOPLE TO COME GIVE FEEDBACK IN PERSON. 
          UH, ADDITIONALLY, UM, WHAT WE HEARD, UH, WAS FROM THE COMMUNITY WAS THAT THERE IS A NEED FOR HOUSING. 
          UM, I, I KNOW THAT THERE WERE A TON OF PEOPLE WHO CAME AND, AND TALKED ABOUT THIS, UH, IN VERY PASSIONATE TERMS. A LOT OF PEOPLE SAYING THEY NEED THEIR HOME REPAIRED. 
          A LOT OF PEOPLE INDICATING THAT THEIR HOMES HADN'T BEEN REPAIRED FROM WINTER STORM URI. 
          UM, IN WHICH THE, UH, ABOUT A MONTH AGO, I BELIEVE, OR TWO WEEKS AGO, Y'ALL APPROVED, UH, THE FIRST SET OF FORMS THAT PEOPLE CAN FILL OUT AND PUT THEIR NAMES IN LINE TO RECEIVE THAT WINTER STORM URI MONEY. 
          UM, SO WHAT WE HAVE DONE IS WE'VE TAKEN THE FEEDBACK THAT WE RECEIVED FROM ALL OF YOU, AS WELL AS FROM THE PUBLIC. 
          AND WE ARE BRINGING FORWARD A NEW PLAN IN WHICH THERE'S GOING TO BE A PROPOSED ALLOCATION OF $50 MILLION TOWARDS HOUSING, $20 MILLION TOWARDS SINGLE FAMILY HOME REPAIR, $30 MILLION TOWARDS MULTIFAMILY REPAIR. 
          UM, A THING THAT I WOULD, UH, CAUTION YOU ON IS THAT, UM, WE TRY NOT TO BE SPECIFIC IN THESE ACTION PLANS. 
          AND THE REASON WHY IS BECAUSE THIS IS A PLAN PUT FORWARD. 
          ONCE THEY APPROVE IT EFFECTIVELY, WHAT THEY'RE SAYING IS, WE'RE NOT GONNA GIVE YOU THE MONEY, WE'LL REIMBURSE YOU WHEN YOU SPEND THE MONEY YOURSELF. 
          AND SO WE HAVE TO BUILD THESE PLANS MOVING FORWARD. 
          WE HAVE TO BUILD THE PROCESS, WE HAVE TO BUILD ALL OF THESE THINGS. 
          AND SO WE TRY AND BE AS HIGH LEVEL AS POSSIBLE. 
          AND SO WHAT THEY WERE, ARE GOING TO WALK YOU THROUGH IS THE DETAILS OF HOW WE GOT TO THAT $50 MILLION. 
          WHAT I'LL, WHAT I'LL SAY, UM, AND ALLOW THEM TO BE SPECIFIC, AND I'LL TRY AND KEEP IT HIGH LEVEL, IS, UM, THE QUESTION THAT WE RECEIVED IS, WHERE DID YOU FIND THAT 50 MILLION BUCKS, RIGHT? YOU JUST PULLED IT OUTTA THIN AIR? WELL, THERE WERE TWO BUCKETS THAT WE HAD. 
          UM, ONE WAS, UH, AN 8.8 $0.8 MILLION ALLOCATION THAT, UH, WAS, UH, GOING TO BE A REIMBURSEMENT FOR LOCAL MATCH, WHICH IS AN ALLOWABLE USE OF FUNDING. 
          WE DID NOT BUDGET FOR THAT IN FY 26. 
          IT WAS GOING TO BE, UH, SOMETHING THAT WAS JUST GONNA BE EXTRA. 
          AND ON TOP, WE DECIDED THAT WE'RE GONNA DEFER THAT FOR OURSELVES AND PUT THAT TOWARDS HOUSING. 
          ADDITIONALLY, AND AGAIN, THIS IS, UH, UH, SORT OF THE REASON WHY I'M EMPHASIZING DRAFT ACTION PLAN. 
          WHEN WE SUBMITTED THIS REQUEST TO, UH, TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IN OCTOBER OF 24, THERE WAS A DIFFERENT SITUATION, UH, IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON WITH REGARD TO POLICE VEHICLES, FIRE VEHICLES. 
          UH, SINCE THEN, WE'VE ACTUALLY ACQUIRED, UH, A WHOLE BUNCH OF POLICE VEHICLES. 
          UM, NOT ENOUGH, BUT MORE THAN WE WERE EXPECTING. 
          AND MORE, MORE TO THE POINT, UH, THE STATE OF TEXAS LEGISLATURE HAS HAPPENED. 
          AND WE RECEIVED THANKS TO, UH, SENATOR JOAN HUFFMAN IN A LAST MINUTE LIGHT ITEM. 
          WE RECEIVED $10 MILLION FOR 200 POLICE CARS, 200 THAT WE WERE UN NOT EXPECTING AND NOT PLANNING FOR IN OCTOBER OF 24. 
          AND SO, UH, THE REMAINDER, THE DELTA BETWEEN 50000008.8, UH, OF DEFERRING, UH, OF US DEFERRING THE, UH, REIMBURSEMENT FOR OURSELVES, UH, COMES FROM THOSE, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY VEHICLE ALLOCATIONS. 
          BECAUSE WE CAME INTO VEHICLES WE WEREN'T EXPECTING, WE'RE PULLING MONEY AWAY FROM IT. 
          WE'RE GONNA BE REFOCUSING THAT ON AMBULANCES. 
          I THINK ALL OF Y'ALL KNOW WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH AMBULANCES IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. 
          UM, BUT WHAT I WANTED TO DO WAS, AT A HIGH LEVEL, REMIND Y'ALL THE, THE LANGUAGE THAT WE STILL HAVE HERE IS THAT THIS IS THE DRAFT ACTION PLAN. 
          UM, ONCE, UH, THIS IS GOING TO BE THE, UH, THE CLEARING THRESHOLD FOR US TO SUBMIT IT, UH, FOR US TO COME BACK TO Y'ALL, UM, FOR APPROVAL, ONCE YOU APPROVE IT, THEN WE WILL SUBMIT IT TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, UM, AND THEY WILL PROCESS IT. 
          THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF A DELAY, DELAY IN TIMELINE ORIGINALLY. 
          UM, BECAUSE ORIGINALLY WE WERE EXPECTING A SEPTEMBER APPROVAL ROUGHLY. 
          UM, BUT AFTER HEARING THE FEEDBACK AND THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT 
          [01:20:01]
HAD TO GO AWAY AND, AND DO THE WORK THAT THEY DO TO BUILD THESE ACTION PLANS, UH, WE EXPECT SOMEWHERE AROUND OCTOBER, UH, FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO GIVE US THE GO AHEAD FOR THIS PROGRAMMING. 
          BUT, UH, ALL I WANTED TO SAY IS I'M ALSO VERY GRATEFUL FOR THE, UH, THE STAFF, UH, THE HARD WORK THAT CAME OUT OF THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT, AS WELL AS DIRECTOR NICHOLS BEING, UH, SORT OF A LEADER IN THIS. 
          UH, THIS HAS BEEN A VERY DIFFICULT PROCESS. 
          YOU KNOW, I THINK ALL OF Y'ALL KNOW THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS LOADED WITH BUREAUCRACY. 
          UM, BUT WE APPRECIATE THE PARTNERSHIP. 
          SECRETARY TURNER CAME DOWN TO HOUSTON, UH, TO ANNOUNCE THE GENERATOR PLAN AND THE COLLABORATION. 
          WE'VE, WE HAVE A VERY COLLABORATIVE RELATIONSHIP RIGHT NOW WITH, UH, HUD AND WE'RE APPRECIATIVE OF THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING. 
          UM, MIGHT NOT ALWAYS AGREE, UH, I'M MOVING FORWARD, BUT WE REALLY DO LOVE THE FACT THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO GIVE HOUSTON 315, 300 $15 MILLION. 
          UM, SO HAVING SAID THAT, THANK ALL OF YOU. 
          UM, I'M GONNA STOP TALKING AT Y'ALL AND LET YOU HEAR THE COOL PEOPLE TALK. 
          STEVEN AND DAVID, THANK YOU. 
          I THINK YOU'VE DONE A GREAT JOB EXPLAINING IT. 
          I'M GONNA TAKE IT A LITTLE SLOWER THROUGH THAT. 
          WE'LL GO THE FIRST SLIDE. 
          AND THE, UH, FIRST I'M GONNA INTRODUCE ANGEL SIMON, WHO'S OUR ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR PLANNING AND GRANT REPORTING. 
          UH, THAT'S A DIVISION OF HCD. 
          AND SHE'S REALLY BEEN THE PERSON PUTTING, PUSHING AND PULLING THESE NUMBERS AND PAPERS TOGETHER TO GET THEM THROUGH HUD. 
          UH, THE, THERE REALLY THREE PARTS OF THE PRESENTATION. 
          ONE IS WHAT THE CHANGES ARE FROM THE OLD PLAN. 
          THE SECOND IS, UH, HOW WE'RE GONNA GET THIS DONE. 
          AND THE THIRD IS TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE COMFORTABLE THAT, YOU KNOW, AS DECISIONS ARE MADE, THE COUNCIL IS INVOLVED AND HAS TO APPROVE THOSE DECISIONS. 
          I KNOW THIS FRUSTRATION AS I'VE TALKED TO SEVERAL OF YOU, THAT WE SHOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHERE EVERY DOLLAR IS GOING AT THIS POINT. 
          THAT'S NOT THE BEST IDEA. 
          STEVEN SAID, WE WANT TO BE AS GENERAL AS POSSIBLE, BUT WE WILL BE BACK TO YOU FOR APPROVAL ON THE SPECIFICS. 
          UM, THE FIRST IS, YOU SEE IS THE $314 MILLION THAT WAS GRANTED BY THE CITY. 
          SLIDE THREE, PLEASE. 
          UM, AND THIS IS WHERE THE, THIS IS WHERE THE HARD WORK GETS DONE. 
          ALLOCATING LIMITED LONG-TERM RECOVERY RESOURCES WHEN UNMET NEEDS FAR SUR SURPASS AVAILABLE FUNDING IS CHALLENGING. 
          MANY FACTORS FROM VARIOUS ASSESSMENTS AND AVAILABLE DATA. 
          HELP US GUIDE THESE DECISIONS, INCLUDING FEEDBACK RECEIVED, UH, FROM OUR PRIOR PRESENTATION TO THIS COMMITTEE ON JUNE THREE, AS WELL AS RECEIVED DURING THREE VIRTUAL MEETINGS JUNE 10TH, 12TH, AND 17TH. 
          I WAS VERY IMPRESSED WITH THE VIRTUAL MEETINGS. 
          327 PEOPLE ATTENDED THESE MEETINGS. 
          UM, DURING THE PUBLIC HEARING PORTION OF THE CITY RECEIVED 39 COMMENTS. 
          UM, AMONG THEM, AGAIN, AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND HOME REPAIR WITH A GREAT MAJORITY. 
          AT 26, INFRASTRUCTURE HAD SIX COMMENTS. 
          ENGAGEMENT THREE, HOMELESSNESS TWO, BUDGET TWO. 
          UH, IN ADDITION, DURING THE Q AND A SEGMENT OF THE MEETINGS, THE CITY RESPONDED TO 52 QUESTIONS. 
          AGAIN, 20 OR, UM, THANK YOU. 
          20 ARE FROM ABOUT HOUSING, 28, 9 HOUSING. 
          AGAIN, 372 PEOPLE WERE AT THESE, UH, VIRTUAL MEETINGS. 
          UH, IN THE BUDGET SHOWN IN THE SLIDE, THIS IS THE KEY THING. 
          YOU'LL NOTE THIS, THAT THERE HAS BEEN A REDUCTION OF $41.2 MILLION IN EMERGENCY RESPONSE, PUBLIC SAFETY BUDGET LINE ITEM, AND 8.8 MILLION IN FEMA. 
          PUBLIC ASSISTANCE HAS BEEN ELIMINATED. 
          THIS WILL ALLOW $50 MILLION FOR HOUSING PROGRAMS. IN RESPONSE TO THE STRONG FEEDBACK ON THE NEED TO ADDRESS HOUSING WITH THE ACTION PLAN FOR DISASTER RECOVERY. 
          THE REMAINING BUDGET REMAINS THE SAME. 
          UM, SO TAKE A MINUTE TO LOOK THROUGH THAT AGAIN. 
          UH, 50 MILLION FOR HOUSING REPLACES 38 MILLION. 
          AND, AND I MEAN, EXCUSE ME, 8,000,040 1 MILLION, UH, THAT'S BEEN TAKEN AWAY. 
          ITEM FOUR, SLIDE FOUR. 
          AGAIN, THE, UH, THE OTHER BUDGETS REMAIN THE SAME. 
          200 MILLION, 200,000, EXCUSE ME, FOR BUDGETING PLANNING ACTIVITIES, 15.7 MILLION FOR ADMINISTRATION. 
          AGAIN, IF ALL OF THAT'S NOT USED, THAT WILL BE TURNED INTO OTHER PROGRAMS. 30 MILLION FOR MULTIFAMILY HOUSING REHABILITATION. 
          THIS REALLY ANSWERS THE QUESTION FOR, NOT, DOESN'T SOLVE THE WHOLE QUESTION, BUT THE QUESTION OF PEOPLE WHO WERE RENTERS DURING THIS TIME WHO WERE HARMED. 
          SLIDE FIVE 20 MILLION FOR SINGLE FAMILY HOME REPAIRS. 
          UH, COST FOR THIS PROGRAM MAY INCLUDE REPAIR, REHABILITATION, AND OR RECONSTRUCTION RELATED EXPENSES FOR THE PRESERVATION OF SINGLE FAMILY HOMES. 
          UH, THE BIG NUMBER, 151 MILLION REMAINS BUDGETED FOR POWER GENERATION RESILIENCE. 
          UH, I THINK, UH, CHASE IS IN THE AUDIENCE REPRESENTING ANGELA BLANCHARD 
          [01:25:01]
IF WE HAVE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ON THAT. 
          AND 15.3 MILLION IS BUDGETED FOR EMERGENCY RESPONSE AND PUBLIC SAFETY PROGRAMS. THEN THAT INCLUDES AMBULANCES, HIGH WATER VEHICLES, COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT, AND ACTIVITY DELIVERY. 
          UH, SLIDE SIX, UM, 41 MILLION IS BUDGETED FOR HOMELESSNESS SERVICES PROGRAM. 
          THE HOMELESS POPULATION, PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE DURING TIMES OF DISASTER. 
          NIGHTLY, MORE THAN 3000 INDIVIDUALS FACE HOMELESSNESS. 
          1100 OF THOSE ARE UNSHELTERED. 
          HOUSTON STRIVES TO HELP, STRIVES TO HELP OUR HOMELESS NEIGHBORS WITH IMMEDIATE ACCESS TO SUPPORTIVE SERVICES, ENSURING THAT NO ONE IS WAITING ON THE STREET. 
          THE FUNDING WILL SUPPORT THE CITY'S GOALS TO EXPAND OUTREACH, SHELTER, AND STREAMLINED HOUSING ACCESS FOR HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS. 
          AND MOVING ALL REMAINING INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING UNSHELTERED IN STREET HOMELESSNESS, INTO HOUSING WITH SUPPORTIVE SERVICES. 
          UH, THESE COSTS MAY INCLUDE PUBLIC SERVICES SUCH AS SHELTER, OPERATIONS, CASE MANAGEMENT, RENTAL ASSISTANCE, AND ACTIVITY DELIVERY. 
          UH, 32 MILLION REMAINS BUDGET FOR DEBRIS REPOSITORY PROGRAMS, AGAIN, TO MOVE THE CITY MORE QUICKLY AFTER A DISASTER. 
          AND 8 MILLION FOR VEGETATION MANAGEMENT AND DEBRIS REMOVAL PROGRAM AS A, UH, AS A PREPARATION IN, IN LIEU, IN CASE THERE ARE FUTURE DISASTERS. 
          I SLIDE SEVEN. 
          I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT AGAIN TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT AND THE MAYOR'S OFFICE ARE STILL VERY, VERY FOCUSED ON HOUSING. 
          SINCE 2008, THE CITY HAS ALLOCATED MORE THAN 80% AND NEARLY $775 MILLION INTO HOUSING RELATED PROGRAMS FROM AWARDED DISASTER FUNDING. 
          THIS INCLUDES 20 MILLION IN DR 17 FUNDING FOR HOME BUYER ASSISTANCE, UM, THROUGH THE, UH, HOME BUYER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM 2.0 AND 40 MILLION IN D 21 FUNDING FROM THE WINTER JOIN YURI SINGLE FAMILY REPAIR PROGRAM, BOTH OF WHICH KICKED OFF LAST WEEK. 
          UH, THIS IS IMPORTANT. 
          WE ARE HAPPY TO REPORT THAT HBA, THE H UH, THE HOME BUYER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM 2.0, UH, HAS ALREADY ISSUED. 
          124 APPLICATION AND THREE HAVE ALREADY BEEN APPROVED. 
          UM, AND FOR THE WINTER STORM URI, WE HAVE 56 APPLICATIONS INSIDE AND WE HAVE ONE COMPLETED APPLICATION. 
          THE CITY EXPECTS DEMAND FOR THESE PROGRAMS TO BE HIGH, AND WE ENCOURAGE YOUR CONSTITUENTS TO APPLY. 
          THE CITY ESTIMATES THAT FOR OTHER FEDERAL FUNDING, INCLUDING APPROXIMATELY 50% OF THE CDBG AND 90% OF ITS HOME ALLOCATIONS ARE ESTIMATED TO CONTRIBUTE OF ANOTHER 106 MILLION TO HOUSING RELATED PROGRAMS OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS. 
          UH, AS Y'ALL KNOW, WE HAVE THE, UM, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, WE HAVE A $50 MILLION CHOICE NEIGHBORHOOD INFORMATION IMPLEMENTATION GRANT TO SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF AFFORDABLE RENTAL HOUSING AT CUNY HOMES AND SPURRING INVESTMENT IN THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY. 
          THE CITY WILL CONTINUE TO SEEK OPPORTUNITIES FOR COLLABORATION AND LEVERAGING TO PRIORITIZE HOUSING NEEDS, AS IT MAKES DECISION ON HOW BEST TO USE THE LIMITED FEDERAL FUNDS THAT THE CITY RECEIVES. 
          WE'RE IN CONSTANT CONTACT WITH HARRIS COUNTY ABOUT HOW THEY'RE USING THEIR FUNDS, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO PARTNERING WITH HARRIS COUNTY AND GLO FOR THAT. 
          KEY UPDATES. 
          SLIDE EIGHT KEY MILESTONES AND DEADLINES. 
          A REVISED BUDGET WILL, IS, IS PRESENTED TODAY. 
          UH, THE SUBMITTED THE CITY WILL SUBMIT A PUBLIC SERVICES CAP WAIVER TO HUD ON THE 18TH OF JUNE. 
          UH, THE CITY ALREADY SUBMITTED A 30 DAY SUBMISSION DEADLINE ON JUNE 20TH, AND THIS IS IMPORTANT AS REQUIRED. 
          THE CITY APPLICATION FOR DISASTER RECOVERY FUNDING MUST HAVE CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL PRIOR TO SUBMISSION TO HUD. 
          THIS ITEM IS EXPECTED TO COME BEFORE YOU ON JULY 23RD OR JULY 30TH. 
          UH, PER THE CITY'S EXTENSION, THE NEW HUD SUBMISSION DEADLINE WOULD BE AUGUST 19TH. 
          ONCE THE ACTION PLAN IS SUBMITTED TO HUD, HUD WILL HAVE 45 DAYS TO REVIEW AND APPROVE IT. 
          AND BASED ON THE REVISED SUBMISSION DEADLINES, THIS WOULD BE IN EARLY OCTOBER, 2025. 
          NOFA AND RFP DEVELOPMENT IS ALREADY UNDERWAY, AND THE CITY IS TAKING STEPS TO MINIMIZE THE TIME TO IMPLEMENT PROGRAMS. ONCE THE ACTION PLAN IS APPROVED BY HUD PROGRAM, GUIDELINES WILL BE DEVELOPED FOR EACH PROGRAM, AND THAT MUST BE, AGAIN, SUBMITTED TO CITY COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL. 
          SO, ALTHOUGH I KNOW THIS FRUSTRATION THAT WE DON'T KNOW EVERY DETAIL NOW IT BEFORE IT IS IMPLEMENTED, THAT DETAIL MUST BE APPROVED BY THIS BODY. 
          UM, 
          [01:30:01]
THE CITY IN, UH, SLIDE NINE, THE CITY OF HOUSTON CONTINUOUSLY COMMITTED TO A TRANSPARENT AND INCLUSIVE RECOVERY PLANNING PROCESS. 
          WE CAN'T MAKE EVERYBODY HAPPY ALL THE TIME, UM, BUT OUR RESIDENT AND AGENCY SURVEY IS STILL OPEN, AND WE ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCE AND INSIGHTS TO PARTICIPATE IN OUR RESIDENT AGENT SURVEY. 
          YOU CAN SCAN THE QR CODE DISPLAYED HERE, AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THE PHONE, THE THE SURVEY IS AVAILABLE ON OUR CITY'S DISASTER RECOVERY WEBSITE, HOUSTON TX SLASH HC DISCOVERY. 
          UM, I'LL ADD ONE MORE THING. 
          OBVIOUSLY, WITH THE TRAGEDY IN THE HILL HILL COUNTRY THIS WEEK, IT'S, UH, SADDEN. 
          ALL OF US IS, IT'S TOO CLOSE TO HOME IN SO MANY WAYS, AND SO MANY OF US HAVE BEEN TOUCHED BY THIS TRAGEDY. 
          UM, AS YOU LISTEN TO THE, UM, COMMENTARY, WE AS YOU AS ELECTED OFFICIALS, ME AS A CITY DIRECTOR KEEP ASKING MYSELF, HOW CAN WE DO BETTER? UH, WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO BETTER? IT'S A COMMON QUESTION. 
          IT DOESN'T SOLVE FOR THE SADNESS THAT THIS TERRIBLE EVENT HAS, BUT WE DO LOOK AT THIS NOW. 
          I HEARD FROM THE POINT OF THE COMMENTS ON THE RADIO THIS MORNING WAS A PERSON SAID THAT THERE'S A MILITARY STORY THAT SAYS, IN THE MILITARY, WE ALWAYS PREPARE FOR THE LAST WAR INSTEAD OF THE NEXT WAR. 
          WHAT WE'VE TRIED TO DO HERE IS PREPARE FOR THE NEXT DISASTER. 
          AND IT'S, AND IT'S HARD. 
          IT'S, AND IT IS. 
          IT'S A QUESTION OF WHERE FUNDING GOES. 
          AND YES, THERE ARE PEOPLE IN NEED, AND YES, THERE ARE ROOFS THAT STILL HAVE BLUE TARPS ON IT. 
          UM, BUT I THINK WHAT WE'VE DONE WITH THIS BUDGET IS TO PREPARE, PREPARE, SOLVE PROBLEMS FOR THE PREVIOUS DISASTER, BUT REALLY PREPARE FOR FUTURE DISASTERS. 
          AND I, I, IT'S DIFFICULT TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS, BUT THAT'S WHERE WE ARE TODAY. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH, DIRECTOR. 
          I APPRECIATE YOUR PRESENTATION AND FOR YOUR, UH, LISTENING TO THE PUBLIC, UM, DURING ALL OF THOSE SESSIONS AND ALL OF THE COMMENTS THAT CAME IN. 
          UM, ANY QUESTIONS FROM MY COLLEAGUES? COUNCIL MEMBER, FLICKINGER, JUST A COMMENT, WANTED TO COMPLIMENT Y'ALL ON THE PLAN. 
          I, I THINK THE IDEA THAT WE'VE GOTTA HAVE OUR FIRST RESPONDERS AVAILABLE TO RESPOND TO NEEDS, AND Y'ALL ADDRESS THAT. 
          I, I THINK YOU ACTUALLY HIT IT. 
          WELL, THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU, SIR. 
          AGAIN, IT'S, YOU KNOW, DID WE WISH WE HAD TWICE AS MUCH MONEY? ABSOLUTELY. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD. 
          THANK YOU CHAIR, AND GOOD MORNING TO EVERYONE. 
          THANK YOU BOTH FOR THE PRESENTATION. 
          UM, YOUR, YOUR LAST COMMENT DIRECTOR SAID, YOU KNOW, THESE, THIS PLAN IS TO ENSURE THAT YOU ALL ARE ANTICIPATING FOR WHAT MAY HAPPEN NEXT. 
          UM, A PART OF THE CRITERIA THAT YOU ALL ARE GIVEN TO SELECT HOW YOU PUT FORTH THIS PLAN. 
          IS THAT WEIGHTED, OR IS THE MONEY SUPPOSED TO BE SPECIFICALLY FOR DAMAGES BASED ON THE STORM THAT WE FACED? SO WE FACED THE STORM, YOU KNOW, THE CITY AND PEOPLE, UH, HAD DAMAGES AS A RESULT. 
          AND NOW THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS GIVING US MONEY TO ADDRESS THOSE DAMAGES. 
          SO ARE WE USING THE MONEY TO ADDRESS THE DAMAGES FROM THE STORM, OR ARE WE'RE USING MONEY TO ANTICIPATE WHAT MAY HAPPEN NEXT? AND, AND I DON'T HAVE THE ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION, IS THAT A PART OF THE CRITERIA THAT, THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WANTS US TO USE THE MONEY FOR, FOR, FOR ANTICIPATED EVENTS OR THE MONEY SO SOLELY SHOULD BE FOR THE DAMAGES BASED ON THE EVENTS THAT WE HAVE ALREADY EXPERIENCED? I, I THINK WHAT I, WHAT I THINK IT'S FOR BOTH, BUT WHAT I, WHAT WE HEAR FROM HUD IN BOTH, IN BOTH THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION, THIS ADMINISTRATION, IS DO WHAT WE THINK THE LOCAL ENTITY WANTS TO DO. 
          AND THAT'S WHAT WE SHOULD DO. 
          UM, AS YOU KNOW, WE'LL HAVE TO HAVE SOME WAIVERS FOR THIS, AND WE EXPECT THOSE WAIVERS TO BE APPROVED. 
          BUT I THINK WE HAVE A BALANCING ACT HERE. 
          UM, AS YOU SAW IN DR 21, ALL THE MONEY, UM, NOT ALL, BUT, UH, A ALMOST 85% OF IT WENT TO REPAIRS. 
          THAT'S HISTORICALLY WHAT WE'VE DONE FOR THIS INSTANCE. 
          WE'VE MADE A DECISION TO BALANCE IT OUT, TO DO SOME THINGS FOR THE FUTURE AND SOME FOR THE REPAIRS. 
          ANGELA, WOULD YOU LIKE TO COMMENT ON THIS? 'CAUSE YOU'VE BEEN IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS FOR SO MANY YEARS. 
          UM, I JUST, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT A HARD AND FAST RULE WITH REGARD TO THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE ACTION PLAN 
          [01:35:01]
FOR DISASTER RECOVERY. 
          YES, WE ARE REQUIRED TO LOOK AT DATA. 
          WE ARE LIKE, LOOK AT UNMET NEEDS. 
          THAT DATA INCLUDES SPECIFIC FEMA DATA THAT HUD USES TO DETERMINE UNMET NEED, BUT IT ALSO LOOKS AT A LOCAL NEEDS. 
          IT LOOKS AT PREEXISTING NEEDS PRIOR TO THE STORM. 
          AND THE REQUIREMENTS ALLOW THE FLEXIBILITY OF PROVIDING JUSTIFICATION FOR HOW THE FUNDING WILL BE USED, WHETHER THAT ALIGNS WITH THE PROPORTIONS OF UNMET NEED OR WHETHER THERE ARE OTHER IDENTIFIED NEEDS. 
          SAME WITH THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT IS FLEXIBLE IN TERMS OF BRINGING IN OTHER PIECES OF INFORMATION. 
          SO HOPE THAT HELPS. 
          YES, IT, IT HELPS. 
          UM, YOU CAN PUT ME BACK. 
          OKAY. 
          IN THE, IN THE, IN THE PAST, I THINK WHAT HELD UP, UM, THE MOVEMENT OF DOLLARS FOR HOME REPAIR WAS THE CITY DID NOT RECEIVE THOSE DOLLARS FOR THE TOTALITY OF THE PROGRAM. 
          AND SO IT WAS DIFFICULT FOR THE CITY TO HAVE AS MUCH DISCRETION AND FLEXIBILITY ON HOW TO PUSH THOSE DOLLARS FORWARD FOR A, A, A ROBUST HOUSING PROGRAM, BECAUSE THE STATE WAS ALSO INVOLVED IN THIS PARTICULAR INSTANCE, THE MONEY IS GONNA FLOW STRAIGHT TO THE CITY. 
          SO WOULD IT BE SOMETHING TO CONTEMPLATE TO SAY, OKAY, WE KNOW IN THE PAST IT HAS BEEN DIFFICULT TO SPEND THE MONEY QUICKLY BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT FED THE FEDS WANT US TO DO. 
          BUT SINCE THE MONEY IS COMING DIRECTLY TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON, NOW WE CAN PUT TOGETHER OUR PROGRAM AND HAVE COMPLETE CONTROL OVER THE DOLLARS. 
          SO IF WE WANTED TO PUSH IT AT A CERTAIN PACE, WE COULD. 
          AND, AND WHAT'S YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT? OBVIOUSLY WE'RE OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE $50 MILLION TO MOVE THAT QUICKLY. 
          UM, BUT IT WILL TAKE SOME TIME BECAUSE OF THE, UH, NEEDS FOR RESPONSE, FOR TRANSPARENCY, FOR NOFA, FOR RFPS. 
          IT WILL TAKE SOME TIME ON THE HOUSING, BUT WE WANT TO MOVE THAT $50 MILLION MORE QUICKLY THAN WE'VE HAD IN THE PAST. 
          UM, I FEEL GOOD ABOUT THAT. 
          IT IS STILL MANY HOOPS TO JUMP THROUGH TO GET THAT DONE. 
          THE OTHER THING IS, UH, WHEN WE HAVE DOLLARS LIKE THIS, WHAT WE LIKE TO DO, UH, COUNCILMAN POLLARD IS TO COLLABORATE AND PARTNER WITH OTHER ENTITIES. 
          SO AS YOU SAW IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD WITH THAT BEAUTIFUL BUILDING, WE WENT TO VISIT TOGETHER. 
          UM, THIS WAS A COLLABORATION. 
          SO THE FOUR OR $5 MILLION THAT THIS CITY PUT IN, THAT MADE UP TO A $60 MILLION BUILDING. 
          UH, AND THAT TAKES TIME TO GET DONE. 
          'CAUSE WE WANT TO USE TAX CREDITS, WE'RE GONNA USE TAX EXEMPTIONS. 
          ALL THAT TAKES TIME TO DO. 
          BUT WE STILL WANT TO DO IT. 
          IT IS NOT LIKE JUST DOLING OUT MONEY. 
          IT'S STILL VERY COMPLICATED TO DO IT EFFECTIVELY AND EFFICIENTLY. 
          I, I CAN TELL YOU ALL PUT A LOT OF THOUGHT INTO THIS AND I, I DO WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR DILIGENCE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. 
          THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR. 
          UH, THANK YOU DIRECTOR FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. 
          YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING THAT CENTERS AROUND THESE TYPE OF SCENARIOS, IT'S A BALANCING ACT BECAUSE YOU ALWAYS GOING TO HAVE MORE NEEDS THAN YOU HAVE MONEY. 
          SO I WANT TO COMMEND YOU, YOU AND YOUR TEAM FOR THE PLAN YOU ROLLED OUT, EVEN THOUGH YOU HAD TO GO BACK AND MAKE SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO IT BECAUSE OF THE, THE CONCERNS OF THE COMMUNITY, WHICH IS WHAT IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE. 
          UM, AND OF COURSE, THE STATEMENT THAT MY COLLEAGUE COUNCILMAN POLLARD INDICATED BEFORE THE MONEY ISSUES BETWEEN CITY AND STATE WAS A DILEMMA, UH, FOR THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION. 
          BUT NOW THIS MONEY COMES DIRECTLY. 
          SO IT'S EASIER NOW TO HAVE A PLAN SORT OF TO SAY AT LEAST A PLAN, WHATEVER THAT PLAN IS IN ORDER TO DO IT. 
          BUT I ALSO LIKE THE IDEAS I STATE ALL THE TIME, WE HAVE TO START GOING TO OTHER POTS AND OTHER ENTITIES TO GET THESE DOLLARS. 
          MOST OF US IN THE CITY PREVIOUS, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE RECORD IS OF OUTSIDE DOLLARS AND ENTITIES COMING IN, BUT I THINK IT WOULD BENEFIT ALL OF US IF MANY OF US, EVEN ON COUNCIL, WOULD ADVOCATE TO OTHERS TO HELP AND ASSIST WITH THOSE DOLLARS. 
          AND, UH, WE HAD ADMINISTRATION WHO REACHED OUT AND COLLABORATE. 
          COLLABORATION IS ALWAYS GOOD. 
          THAT'S RIGHT. 
          YOU KNOW, AND WHEN YOU COLLABORATE, YOU CAN. 
          SOMETIME YOU COME UP WITH MORE THAN WHAT YOU THINK YOU CAN GET. 
          SO, LOOKING AT THIS, I JUST WANT TO COMMEND YOU GUYS TO MAKE AN ADJUSTMENT ON THE MULTI-LEVEL AS WELL AS THE SINGLE FAMILY, UH, HOUSING PROCESS. 
          [01:40:01]
SO THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR EFFORTS. 
          UH, 'CAUSE I HAPPENED TO BE THERE IN DC AT THE TIME WHEN THE ASK WAS DONE. 
          AND, UM, SO CONGRATULATIONS ON THAT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK, THANK YOU, SIR. 
          AND, AND, AND AGAIN, IT IS, IT IS VERY MUCH ABOUT, IT IS VERY MUCH ABOUT COLLABORATION AND VERY MUCH ABOUT, UH, HOW WE CAN MAKE THIS MONEY GO THE FARTHEST. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, AS A BUSINESSMAN, IT'S OFTEN ABOUT LEVERAGE. 
          AND THIS IS ABOUT LEVERAGING DOLLARS. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          I SEE NO OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS IN THE QUEUE. 
          WE WILL GO. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. 
          THANK YOU MS. SIMON FOR YOUR WORK ON THIS TOO. 
          AND WE WILL MOVE TO PUBLIC SPEAKERS. 
          WE HAVE LAURA GALLAGHER IN PERSON. 
          HELLO. 
          HELLO. 
          UH, TODAY ON THE ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF BARRELL AND DAYS AFTER THE HEARTBREAKING LOSS OF LIFE IN THE HILL COUNTRY, UM, THE CDBG NEEDS TO BE REALLOCATED AWAY FROM POLICE GENERATORS TO BETTER SERVE THE PEOPLE OF HOUSTON, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO WERE DIRECTLY IMPACTED BY THE DERECHO AND BARREL PEOPLE WHO WERE AND MAYBE STILL ARE DISPLACED FAMILIES AND ELDERS WHO STILL CAN'T AFFORD TO REPAIR THE DAMAGE TO THEIR HOMES AFTER REFILLING THEIR REFRIGERATOR MULTIPLE TIMES. 
          NEIGHBORHOODS THAT HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR FLOOD CONTROL FOR YEARS OR DECADES, SUCH AS THE DR 17 AND DR. 
          21 THAT KICKED OFF LAST WEEK, FOUR TO EIGHT YEARS AFTER THE DISASTER. 
          WE DON'T NEED TO USE THIS MONEY FOR FIXED GENERATORS INSTALLED AT POLICE STATIONS. 
          HPD RECEIVED AT LEAST 10 MILLION FROM THE STATE LEGISLATURE ON TOP OF ITS HISTORIC BUDGET INCREASE AND MULTIPLE GRANTS FROM OTHER SOURCES. 
          NO WAIVERS USED THE MONEY FOR ITS INTENDED PURPOSE. 
          CENTERPOINT HAS 15 LARGE MOBILE GENERATORS VALUED AT 800 MILLION, WHICH WE PAID FOR THROUGH OUR LIGHT BILLS DEMAND THAT THESE BE DEPLOYED WHEN THE LIGHTS GO OUT. 
          TODAY'S CHRONICLE REPORTS THAT A NEW STATE LAW KILLED THE CITY'S BACKUP POWER MANDATE FOR OUR ELDERS IN NURSING CARE AND ASSISTED LIVING. 
          IF THE CITY IS GONNA BUY OR LEASE GENERATORS, THEY NEED TO BE MOBILE AND PRIORITIZE THE NEED. 
          THE LIVES OF THE MOST VULNERABLE WATER MOVES WHEN THE CITY RECEIVES ADDITIONAL FUNDS. 
          THE FIRST THOUGHT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE POLICE. 
          IT HAS TO BE WHAT PROMISES EXPLICIT OR IMPLIED HAVE BEEN DEFERRED OR DENIED TOO LONG. 
          HERE'S A PARTIAL LIST OF BUDGET AMENDMENTS THAT Y'ALL ASKED FOR AND WERE DENIED BECAUSE THERE ISN'T ENOUGH MONEY. 
          HAVE A DISASTER PREPAREDNESS PLAN. 
          FIXED DRAINAGE PROBLEMS OF LONG-TERM DURATION, CLEAN KENNELS AT BARK, FUNDING PENSION OBLIGATIONS IN A TIMELY MANNER. 
          PICK UP RECYCLING AND TRASH ON TIME. 
          FORESTALL A LANDFILL REACHING CAPACITY. 
          ENFORCE NUISANCE LAWS. 
          HIRE ENOUGH LEGAL STAFF, HIRE ENOUGH INSPECTORS, PROVIDE ADEQUATE LANGUAGE ACCESS, PROVIDE SUPPORT REQUESTED BY THE BLACK HISPANIC AND LGBTQIA PLUS COMMUNITIES. 
          ELIMINATE WAIT TIMES AT THE LANDFILL SO THAT PEOPLE DON'T RESORT TO ILLEGAL DUMPING. 
          DO ALL THE THINGS ANIMAL CONTROL NEEDS TO DO. 
          FUND AN ADEQUATE RAINY DAY FUND, ENFORCE SHORT TERM RENTAL LAWS, REMOVE BANDIT SIGNS, MOW OVERGROWN LOTS, ESPLANADES AND PARKS IN A TIMELY MANNER. 
          I WROTE THESE DOWN FROM THE BUDGET DISCUSSION. 
          I GOT TIRED OF WRITING IT DOWN. 
          YOU GOT THE IDEA. 
          WE'VE GIVEN HPD ENOUGH THIS YEAR. 
          THE CDBG GRANT NEEDS TO BE SPENT TO CARE FOR YOUR CONSTITUENTS. 
          LASTLY, WHERE IS THE CDBG SURVEY BEING PUBLICIZED? THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR CONTINUED ADVOCACY. 
          ON YOUR LAST QUESTION, THE SURVEY, UM, INFORMATION DIRECTOR, DO YOU HAVE, UH, OR QR CODE RIGHT THERE, THE QR CODES THERE? AND THEN WILL RESULTS OF THE SURVEY BE PUBLICIZED PLAN? WE HAVE INFORMATION ABOUT THAT PLAN. 
          OKAY, FOR THOSE OF YOU WATCHING AND COULDN'T HEAR, MAYBE THE RESULTS FROM THE SURVEY WILL BE INCORPORATED INTO THE FINAL ACTION PLAN. 
          BUT MY QUESTION IS, WHERE IS IT BEING PUBLICIZED SO THAT THE PUBLIC KNOWS TO 
          [01:45:01]
COMPLETE THE SURVEY? OH, TO COMPLETE THE SURVEY, UM, IF YOU COULD ADDRESS THAT, UH, ON OUR WEBSITE. 
          COME ON UP TO THE MIC. 
          SO, I'M SORRY. 
          YEAH, THANKS. 
          ON OUR, ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE AND OUR, OUR DISASTER RECOVERY REP WEBSITE OF BLACK BACK , TRY ONE MORE TIME SLASH UH, HCD RECOVER. 
          AND SO THAT IT'S ON THE WEBSITE. 
          WEBSITE SOCIAL MEDIA AS WELL. 
          YES, WE HAVE POSTED IT ON SOCIAL MEDIA ON OUR, UH, HC OKAY. 
          AND WE CAN CERTAINLY HELP PUSH THAT OUT AS WELL. 
          THREE DAYS OR TWO DAYS. 
          YES, WE DO HAVE ONLY A FEW DAYS. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING. 
          I APPRECIATE IT. 
          NEXT WE HAVE FELIX KAPO. 
          HE IS ONLINE. 
          FELIX, I SIX TO UNMUTE FELIX, WE SEE YOU ON THERE. 
          ALRIGHT, I'LL MOVE ON TO BECKY SMITH. 
          GOOD DAY. 
          THIS MICROPHONE SEEMS A LITTLE CLEARER, I THINK. 
          UH, MY NAME IS BECKY SMITH. 
          I'M THE TEXAS DIRECTOR FOR CLEAN WATER ACTION. 
          SO WE ARE A, A NONPROFIT ADVOCACY GROUP REPRESENTING ABOUT 10,000 MEMBERS IN TEXAS, UM, FOUNDED IN 1972 TO HELP PASS THE ORIGINAL CLEAN WATER ACT. 
          OUR MISSION IS ABOUT PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT, NATURAL RESOURCES, PUBLIC HEALTH, AND QUAL COMMUNITY QUALITY OF LIFE. 
          UM, SO I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF MY MEMBERS AND WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY. 
          UM, I HAVE A COUPLE OF CONCERNS, NOT A WHOLE LOT OF FORMAL COMMENT HERE. 
          UH, APPRECIATE THE REVISIONS MADE. 
          UM, CERTAINLY TO DIRECT MORE FUNDING TOWARDS HOUSING AS WE SEE REALLY AS A REALLY IMPORTANT PRIORITY. 
          UH, YOU HEAR WATER IN OUR NAME WHEN I SEE MORE FUNDING DIRECTED EVEN TOWARDS ADDITIONAL AMBULANCE PURCHASES FOR DISASTER RECOVERY. 
          UM, THIS SEEMS LIKE LITERAL CART BEFORE THE HORSE. 
          UM, WHEN PEOPLE HAVE SAFE HOUSING DURING STORMS, ROUTINE MEDICAL CONCERNS DO NOT GET ELEVATED TO EMERGENCIES. 
          UM, I WAS REALLY CONFOUNDED AND DISAPPOINTED TO SEE TODAY'S CHRONICLE STORY ABOUT THE STATE BLOCKING OUR EFFORTS HERE TO REQUIRE GENERATORS, UM, FOR SENIOR ASSISTED LIVING. 
          UM, AND I KNOW THERE ARE MULTIPLE CATEGORIES OF SENIOR HOUSING, UM, THAT ARE TREATED DIFFERENTLY. 
          UH, BUT THE, THE ARTICLE DOES A REALLY GREAT JOB OF LAYING OUT WHAT ARE ROUTINE CARE CONCERNS FOR SENIORS FOR ONE CATEGORY THAT GET ELEVATED TO EMERGENCIES BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT IN SAFE HOUSING WITH PROPER COOLING, FOR INSTANCE. 
          UM, WE DON'T NEED THAT MANY AMBULANCES IF FOLKS ARE IN SAFE HOUSING, IS MY POINT. 
          SO I REALLY APPRECIATE ESPECIALLY, UM, YOUR QUESTIONS. 
          UM, COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD, UM, AND, AND MY FRIEND AND COLLEAGUE LAURA TALKING ABOUT THE, THE BRINGING UP THE, WE'RE WE'RE ASKING FOR WAIVERS AND THERE'S A REASON THAT, UM, THE PUBLIC HAD CAME BACK WITH, YOU KNOW, GREAT CONCERN THAT WE SAW HERE IN THIS CHAMBER. 
          UM, THAT THERE NEEDS BE ANSWERED. 
          SO PLEASE JUST CONSIDER AS WE HEAR THE MORE DETAILED ROLLOUT OF THIS PLAN. 
          UM, UH, ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT WHY WE'RE USING WAIVERS. 
          UM, I'M CURIOUS TO KNOW, I KNOW WE, WE SURVIVE ON GRANT FUNDING, SO I KNOW THERE'S OVERHEAD TO EVERY PROJECT. 
          I SEE ABOUT 15 MILLION DEDICATED TO ADMINISTRATION. 
          THAT'S NOT A HUGE PERCENT OF THIS TOTAL FUND, BUT I ALSO ASSUME THERE'S GONNA BE SOME ADMINISTRATION AND OVERHEAD FUNDING FOR EACH OF THOSE SORT OF LINE ITEM PIECES. 
          YOU KNOW, MULTIFAMILY HOUSING, SINGLE FAMILY HOUSING, ALL OF THOSE WILL HAVE OVERHEAD AS WELL. 
          SO WE'RE JUST CURIOUS, YOU KNOW, FROM A, UM, PUBLIC CURIOSITY, UM, TO SEE THOSE NUMBERS ALSO SORT OF MADE PUBLIC, UM, AS THE FINAL AND MORE DETAILED BUDGET ROLLS OUT. 
          UM, SO I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S IT FOR ME. 
          UM, BUT JUST CONSIDER THAT ANALOGY, UM, OR, OR REALITY THAT WE DON'T, WE DON'T HAVE AS MANY EMERGENCIES WHEN FOLKS ARE HOUSED SAFELY DURING, UM, EMERGENCIES. 
          AND THAT'S WHAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT INTENDED THESE FUNDS FOR. 
          AND I THINK THAT WE OWE IT TO HOUSTONIANS TO EXAMINE WHERE EVERY DOLLAR WILL GO. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR COMMENTS. 
          APPRECIATE YOUR COMING. 
          ANY OTHER PUBLIC SPEAKERS, YOU RAISE HIS HAND. 
          FELIX, I THINK WE SEE YOU RAISING YOUR HAND. 
          I APOLOGIZE FELIX, WE 
          [01:50:01]
ARE NOT HEARING YOU IN THE CHAMBER. 
          IF YOU WANT TO, YOUR, YOUR HAND'S GOING UP, BUT WE CANNOT HEAR YOU. 
          YOU ARE WELCOME TO EMAIL YOUR COMMENTS AND I'M, I WILL PLEDGE TO GET THEM TO ALL OF THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE. 
          I APOLOGIZE IF IT'S A TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY ON OUR END. 
          UM, SO THAT CONCLUDES OUR MEETINGS, OUR MEETING COLLEAGUES BEFORE WE ADJOURN. 
          THE NEXT BFA ME MEETING IS SCHEDULED FOR JULY 29TH, 2025 AT 10:00 AM THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED.
* 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.