* 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. [00:00:08] CHAIR [PRESENTATIONS] RECOGNIZES VICE MAYOR PROTE PECK FOR PROCLAMATION. BUT BEFORE WE DO THAT, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK THE MAYOR PROTE CASTEX TATUM TO PLEASE. PRESIDE CHAIR RECOGNIZES VICE MAYOR PRO TEM PECK FOR A PROCLAMATION TO, KEYS TO FREEDOM, CELEBRATING A DAY OF FREEDOM. THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TEM. UM, I AM HERE WITH ANAYA BROWN. UM, SHE IS WITH KEYS FOR FREEDOM. IT'S A YOUTH FOCUSED INITIATIVE, AND WE WANTED TO RAISE AWARENESS FOR THE GREAT WORK THAT SHE'S DOING. UM, THAT INCLUDES COLLABORATING WITH THE HEARTS OF GRACE FOUNDATION TO RAISE AWARENESS FOR SURVIVORS OF THE FLOOD DISASTER IN KIRK COUNTY TREE PLANTINGS, BACK TO SCHOOL DRIVES AND FREE DENTAL SERVICES. SO WE'RE THANKFUL FOR THE WORK THAT SHE IS DOING. WE KEYS TO FREEDOM IS A COMMUNITY PLATFORM FOUNDED BY ANAYA BROWN, WHICH CHAMPIONS FIVE FUNDAMENTAL VALUES, SAFETY, HEALING EXPRESSION, KNOWLEDGE AND LEADERSHIP AS GUIDING PRINCIPLES TO EMPOWER, UPLIFT, AND PROTECT THE YOUTH OF HOUSTON AND BEYOND PROVIDING ESSENTIAL TOOLS FOR PERSONAL GROWTH, CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT. AND WHEREAS NAYA BROWN ENVISIONS KEYS TO FREEDOM DAY OF KEYS TO FREEDOM'S DAY OF FREEDOM AS A CELEBRATION THAT ENA EMBRACES, UM, THESE FIVE CORE VALUES. UPLIFTS COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE STATE HONORS THE ONGOING STRUGGLE FOR LIBERATION AND REAFFIRMS A COLLECTIVE COMMITMENT TO DIGNITY, JUSTICE AND PROGRESS FOR ALL PEOPLE. SHE HOPES THE DAY WILL BE EMBRACED IN CLASSROOMS, YOUTH ORGANIZATIONS, AND COMMUNITY SPACES THROUGHOUT THE CITY AND BEYOND. AND WHEREAS THE CITY OF HOUSTON STANDS AS A BEACON, BEACON OF DIVERSITY, RESILIENCE, AND CULTURAL PRIDE CHAMPIONING THE VALUES OF FREEDOM, EQUITY, AND JUSTICE FOR ALL KEYS TO FREEDOM'S, DAY OF FREEDOM FOLLOWS THE LEGACY AND SEEKS TO INSPIRE THE NEXT GENERATION WHILE HONORING ALL THOSE WHO PAVED THE WAY TOWARDS FREEDOM AND EQUITY. THANK YOU VAST MAYOR PROTE PECK. AND, UH, IT SOUNDS TO ME LIKE WE WOULD LIKE TO ADD KEYS TO FREEDOM'S DAY OF FREEDOM TO OUR LIST OF HOUSTONIANS THAT WORK DAILY TO HELP US IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL HOUSTONIANS. SO THANK YOU FOR PRESENTING THIS TODAY, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU AS WE GO FORWARD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. AND WE YIELD TO YOU AT THIS TIME IF YOU'D LIKE TO SPEAK. THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. I WANNA START BY SINCERELY THANKING COUNCIL MEMBER PECK AND MAYOR WHITMORE FOR RECOGNIZING KEYS TO FREEDOM AND SETTING THE VALUE OF WHAT THIS INITIATIVE MEANS IN OUR CITY. AS THE FOUNDER OF A YOUTH CENTERED INITIATIVE, I KNOW THAT CREATING LASTING POSITIVE CHANGE REQUIRES AN ACTIVE AND COMPASSIONATE. TODAY'S PROCLAMATION AFFIRMS THE POWER OF WHAT WE CAN ACCOMPLISH WHEN WE WORK TOGETHER. THE CORE BELIEF OF KEYS TO FREEDOM IS WHEN WE GIVE A CHILD A KEY. WE DON'T JUST OPEN DOORS, WE UNLOCK DESTINIES. THAT BELIEF GUIDES OUR WORK FROM PARTNERING WITH LOCAL DENTISTS TO PROVIDE FREE DENTAL CARE, GIFTING LITTLE FREE LIBRARIES SO CHILDREN CAN HAVE ACCESS TO BOOKS AND DONATING BODY CARE ITEMS TO OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND VETERANS EXPERIENCING HOUSING INSECURITY. NOW AND IN THE FUTURE, WE WILL VISIT OUR YOUTH AND LOW INCOME NEIGHBORHOODS OFFERING EDUCATION, ENCOURAGEMENT, AND CONNECTION. THEN WE WILL CONNECT THEM WITH RESOURCES FOR MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT, FINANCIAL LITERACY, AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT. MY HOPE IS THAT A DAY OF FREEDOM BECOMES MORE THAN A PROCLAMATION, BUT IT REMINDS US ALL TO CONTINUE SHARING WHAT WE HAVE, BUILDING BRIDGES FOR OTHERS, AND CREATING OPPORTUNITIES SO THAT OUR YOUTH CAN LEAD SAFE AND EMPOWERED AND SUCCESSFUL LIVES. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE INCREDIBLE HONOR, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BELIEVING IN THE POWER OF COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, VICE MAYOR PRO TEM PECK, THANK YOU FOR INTRODUCING US TO MS. BROWN. UH, THANK YOU FOR HAVING A VISION AND HAVING THE COURAGE TO GO OUT AND, UH, MAKE YOUR VISION A REALITY. WE SAY THIS A LOT AROUND THE HORSESHOE, IS GOVERNMENT CAN'T DO THIS WORK ALONE. WE HAVE TO HAVE PARTNERS JUST LIKE YOU TO HELP US IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL HOUSTONIANS. SO CONGRATULATIONS ON THIS SPECIAL DAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. YOU'RE VERY WELCOME. [00:05:43] YOU PLEASE [2:00 P.M. – INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE] CALL ORDER. OH, WE GOTTA PRAY. BEFORE WE DO ANYTHING, WE DO HAVE TO PRAY FIRST. YES, SIR. WHOSE TURN? ALCORN. COUNCILMAN ALCORN FOR THE INVOCATION. THANK YOU MAYOR AND COLLEAGUES. I'M KIND OF SWITCHING IT UP A LITTLE BIT. I DON'T HAVE A TRADITIONAL PRAYER. WHAT I DO HAVE IS A YOUNG STUDENT, A FIFTH GRADER FROM CON ELEMENTARY, AMAN KI RECENTLY WENT TO THE MENIL COLLECTION FOR THE MENILS WRITERS AND SCHOOLS EVENT. IT'S AN INCREDIBLE EVENT WHERE THESE KIDS FROM ALL AGES COME ON UP, MAN. YOU COME ON UP. AND, UM, THEY, THEY WRITE POETRY AND THEY WRITE BEAUTIFUL PIECES. EVERYONE FROM ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ALL THE WAY THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL. UM, UM, A LOT OF YOU KNOW ABOUT WRITERS IN THE SCHOOLS WITS SUCH AN INCREDIBLE PROGRAM. THEY'VE SERVED OVER 500,000 STUDENTS AND EDUCATORS, AND OVER 400 CLASSROOMS AND WRITERS IN SCHOOLS IS CELEBRATING 42 YEARS OF SERVICE. SO I THOUGHT TODAY WE WOULD HAVE AMMAN K JOIN US TO READ HER POEM ENTITLED OUTSIDE ABOUT THE BEAUTY OF NATURE. PLEASE WELCOME AMMAN HILLS AND HILLS OF SWEET GREEN GRASS, BRAIDS AND BLADES SWAYING IN THE WIND. FLOWERS SPROUTING EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE, THIN, FRAGILE LEAVES AND THE BRIGHT RED OF PETALS STANDING OUT AMONG THE COOL GRASS, LIKE SUDDEN HOT PINK AGAINST GENTLE GREEN TREES SWAYING IN THE WIND, DELICATE BRANCHES HIDING AMONG THE RUSTLING LEAVES WHILE THE THICK TRUNK STANDS OUT IN THE OPEN. GUARDING THE BRANCHES LEAVES FLUFFY CLOUDS IN THE SKY LIKE CHUNKS OF COTTON CANDY, MINIATURE HILLS ALL CLUMPED TOGETHER, BOUNCY AND PLAYFUL LIKE THE FLOWERS COMPARED TO THE SERIOUS WATERFALL WITH HARD ROCK ASH COLORED BARRIER SO THE WATER DOESN'T ESCAPE FLOWING EVERYWHERE. RUSHING LIKE THERE'S NO TOMORROW, BUT CAREFULLY AVOIDING THE PLANTS AND THE BRIGHT SUN WITH JUST A HINT OF YELLOW, A BLUR OF BRIGHTNESS, CREATING A JOYFUL MOOD AND THE VAST SKY. A NEVER ENDING BLUE, JUST THE RIGHT SHADE FOR A DAY LIKE THIS WITH THE HILLS OF GRASS AND THE JOYFUL FLOWERS AND THE FIRM TREE, AND THE BOUNCING CLOUDS, AND THE SERIOUS WATERFALL AND THE BRIGHT SUN. WITH ALL THESE, THE DAY IS COMPLETE. VERY GOOD STAND FOR THE PLEDGE. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO FLAG. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. AND TWO REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS. ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR MR. [ROLL CALL AND ADOPT THE MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING] SECRETARY, WILL YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLE MAYOR WHITMEYER. PRESENT, COUNCIL MEMBER PECK. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER CAMAN. COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ. COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTEX TATUM. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS WILL BE ABSENT. COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER. COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN HERE NEED A MOTION TO ADOPT THE MINUTES OF JULY 8TH AND NINTH. CAST EX MOVE. SECOND. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. PROCEDURAL MOTIONS. COUNCIL HUFFMAN COUNCILLOR HUFFMAN, DO YOU HAVE A PROCEDURAL MOTION? THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO SUSPEND THE RULES AND TO MOVE LAWRENCE BENHAM UP TO THE TOP OF THE THREE MINUTE NON-JUDGMENT LIST. MOTIONS MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. ANYONE ELSE? THAT'S ALL I HAVE. [00:10:02] NO MORE MOTIONS. [PUBLIC SPEAKERS] MS. SECRETARY, ARE YOU CALLING FIRST SPEAKER SABA BLANDING. DAVID VILLAGOMEZ, CHRISTIAN ALEXANDER TO BE FOLLOWED BY ETTE RA. GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYBODY. HOW Y'ALL DOING? UM, MY NAME IS CHRISTIAN ALEXANDER. UH, I'M THE FIRST VICE PRESIDENT OF THE HOUSTON BLACK AMERICAN DEMOCRATS. AND I'M HERE TO SPEAK, UH, FOR THE AMENDMENTS TO THE DRESS CODE ORDINANCE. UH, SO I'M THE FIRST VICE PRESIDENT OF AGE BAD, BUT I'M NOT HERE TODAY JUST IN THAT ROLE. UH, AS A BLACK MAN WHO HAS PERSONALLY EXPERIENCED WHAT THESE AMENDMENTS ARE TRYING TO FIX. I'M TRYING TO BE REAL HERE. SOME CLUBS IN HOUSTON USE THE DRESS CODE AS A TOOL TO KEEP CERTAIN PEOPLE OUT. I'VE BEEN TURNED AWAY FOR WEARING JORDANS AND A SCREEN TEE WHILE SOMEONE ELSE IN THE SAME OUTFIT WAS ALLOWED ACCESS INTO THE CLUB. SO IT'S HAPPENED TO ME A LOT AND THAT'S WHY I DON'T GO TO CERTAIN BARS IN LIKE MIDTOWN AND WASHINGTON AVENUE. IT'S JUST NOT COMFORTABLE. WE WANNA ENJOY THIS CITY. HOUSTON IS ONE OF THE MOST DIVERSE, CREATIVE AND ENTREPRENEURIAL PLACES IN THE COUNTRY, BUT WHEN BUSINESSES USE VAGUE DRESS CODES TO DISCRIMINATE, THEY UNDERMINE THAT. WHEN PEOPLE FEEL EXCLUDED, THEY STOP SHOWING UP. AND THAT MEANS LOST BUSINESS. PLAIN AND SIMPLE. HOUSTON THRIVES WHEN EVERYONE FEELS THEY BELONG. THESE AMENDMENTS ARE NOT HERE TO TELL BUSINESSES HOW TO RUN. THEY'RE HERE TO MAKE THEM RUN FAIRLY. IF BUSINESSES WANT TO BE EXCLUSIVE, THEY CAN GO MEMBERS ONLY. BUT IF YOU'RE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, THE RULES SHOULD BE POSTED AND THAT SHOULD APPLY TO EVERYBODY THE SAME WAY THESE AMENDMENTS ARE COMMON SENSE POST ADDRESS CODE. BE CLEAR, BE CONSISTENT. THAT'S HOW YOU BUILD TRUST AND KEEP THE CITY MOVING FORWARD. THANK Y'ALL. NEXT ETTE, GALORA. COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD. I'M SORRY. COUNCILMAN POLLARD. THANK YOU MAYOR CHRISTIAN, I WAS JUST GONNA, UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT. THANK YOU FOR COMING AND, UH, YOUR LEADERSHIP ON THIS. YES SIR. THANK YOU. MY NAME IS MU OTRA. I AM A FAMILY DOC AND I WORK AT HEALTHCARE FOR THE HOMELESS HOUSTON. AND I RUN OUR STREET MEDICINE TEAM. I AND MY TEAM ARE OUT THERE EVERY WEEK GOING UP NORTH THROUGH FM 1960, DOWN IN SOUTH HOUSTON, OUT IN SOUTHWEST. AND WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME IN THE LOOP TAKING CARE OF PEOPLE WHO ARE HOMELESS. I WANNA START BY SAYING THAT I'M A SIGNIFICANT SUPPORTER OF THE MAYOR'S PLAN TO END HOMELESSNESS. AND I AM AND I AM VERY IMPRESSED WITH ALL THE WORK THIS COUNCIL HAS DONE IN THAT MANNER AND TO TAKE CARE OF THE PATIENTS THAT I HAVE ON THE STREET. THE MAYOR'S PLAN AND TIRELESS EFFORTS LIKE MIKE NICHOLS AND CHIEF SAT CHIEF SATELLITE, EXCUSE ME, REFLECT A BOLD AND COMPASSIONATE VISION FOR OUR CITY. I'M ESPECIALLY GRATEFUL THAT THE CITY IS INVESTING IN EXPANDING OUR STREET MEDICINE EFFORTS. AND I SEE EVERY DAY THE LIFESAVING IMPACT OF THIS WORK. IN THE SPIRIT OF THAT SHARED PURPOSE, I RAISE A CONCERN ABOUT THE PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE CIVILITY ORDINANCE. FROM MY EXPERIENCE ON THE GROUND, I WORRY THAT SUCH CHANGES WHILE WELL-INTENTIONED, MAY INADVERTENTLY CREATE ADDITIONAL BARRIERS AND RESISTANCE FROM THE VERY PEOPLE WE'RE TRYING TO HELP. THERE'S A WOMAN IN HER NINETIES WHO IS ON THE STREET THAT I BELIEVE SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE MET. FOR THE SAKE OF PRIVACY, I'M GONNA CALL HER KATHY. KATHY IS A PATIENT OF MINE AND I'VE WORKED FOR YEARS NOW BUILDING TRUST. ONE VISIT AT A TIME, KATHY, SINCE SHE WAS EVICTED BY OUR OWN HOUSING SYSTEM, AND THEREFORE DEVELOPED A DEEP DISTRUST OF THE SYSTEM AND THEREFORE REPEATEDLY TURNED DOWN ANY FURTHER HELP THE COALITION DOING THE AMAZING WORK THAT THEY DO HAVE FOUND HER AN APARTMENT. AND A WEEK AGO, HER AND I SAT TOGETHER ON THE SIDEWALK AND I SPENT AN HOUR TRYING TO CONVINCE HER TO GO SEE THAT APARTMENT. AT THE END OF THE CONVERSATION, SHE SAID, DOCTOR, I BELIEVE THEY'RE TRYING TO HURT ME, BUT YOU HAVE A KIND HEART. SO I WILL GO LOOK AT THAT APARTMENT. THIS IS A MONUMENTAL STEP FORWARD FOR HER. THAT DECISION WAS A RESULT OF YEARS OF TRUST BUILDING. I HEARD CHIEF SATTERWHITE LAST WEEK, AND I KNOW THE INTENT IS NOT TO ACTUALLY COLLECT MONEY FROM PEOPLE. IT'S NOT TO ACTUALLY ARREST PEOPLE. HOWEVER, IF KATHY HAD EVEN PERCEIVED A THREAT OF CITATION OR ARREST, I'M CONFIDENT SHE WOULD'VE FLED AND WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO FIND HER. WE WOULDN'T EVEN HAVE A PRAYER OF FINDING OF FIND, GIVING HER HOUSING, AND SHE WOULD'VE DIED ON THE STREET. HOUSTON HAS LONG BEEN RECOGNIZED AS A NATIONAL LEADER BECAUSE WE'VE CHARTED A DIFFERENT COURSE, ONE GROUNDED IN PARTNERSHIP, EVIDENCE AND COMPASSION. SO [00:15:01] I RESPECTFULLY HOPE THAT YOU WILL CONSIDER THESE CONCERNS AND CONTINUE INVESTING IN THE PROVEN STRATEGIES THAT HAVE BROUGHT HOUSTON THIS FAR. I AM DEEPLY COMMITTED TO THIS SHARED MISSION AND WOULD BE HAPPY TO MEET WITH ANY COUNCIL MEMBERS TO GO OVER THE EVIDENCE AND PROVIDE ANY OTHER INFORMATION THAT I SEE ON THE STREET. THANK YOU FOR CONTINUED LEADERSHIP AND ENDING HOMELESSNESS. THANKS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. NEXT, JOHN NICKS, I'M HERE, GIMME TIME TO BE FOLLOWED BY EMILY CIRCUS. HOWDY MAYOR AND FELLOW CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS JOHN NICKS FROM THE HEIGHTS. I'M CHAIR, SPEAKER ON SEVERAL TOPICS. I HOPE I DON'T ROUND MY 180 MY THREE MINUTES, BUT I'M ON AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 15. I BELIEVE IT NEEDS TO BE PULLED OUTTA CON PULLED OUT OF THE CONSENT AND VOTED DOWN. IT'S REALLY, REALLY BAD AND I FEEL IT DE DEHUMANIZES AND CRIMINALIZES THE HOMELESS POPULATION IN THE CITY. AND ON, ON ANOTHER FLIP SIDE OF IT IS HOW IT SAYS BY HOW PERSONAL BELONGINGS CAN'T BE ON THE SIDEWALK. I COULD GET FINED BY HAVING MY BACKPACK ON THE GROUND AND NOT ON MY LAP WHILE WAITING ON A METRO BUS. SO THOSE ARE LIKE MY TWO SIDES. WHY YOU SHOULD DO, I VOTED IT OUT. GET OUTTA COMMITTEE ON THAT. OTHER TOPICS I WANNA TALK ABOUT, I WANNA SEE THE CITY DO MORE OF LIKE CODE ENFORCEMENT TO FOREST BUSINESSES TO COMPLY WITH CITY OF HOUSTON. ORDINANCE 40 POINT 83 AND 84. THE, THE ORDINANCE WHERE IT SAYS THAT THE SID, THE PROPERTY OWNER SHOULD MAINTAIN THEIR SIDEWALKS. YOU KNOW, SEND OUT LETTERS, GET PEOPLE KNOCKING, TALKING TO THESE PEOPLE. AND IF THEY'RE NOT IN COMPLIANCE, START FINDING THEM AND THEN FIX IT. AND THEN BUILD, BUILD A PROPERTY OWNER. 'CAUSE THEY ARE SO MANY PLACES IN IN HOUSTON THAT THE SIDEWALK IS LIKE UNUSABLE. AND IT'S LIKE THE CITY'S NOT EVEN ENFORCING GOING AFTER ITS OWN ORDINANCE ON THAT PART. ANOTHER THING TOO IS TO DO SOMETHING MORE TO GO AGAINST SLUMLORDS THAT OPERATE IN THE CITY. ANOTHER TOPIC I CAN GO ON, ON ANOTHER TOPIC IS TO HAVE MORE OF LIKE A GENERAL LIFE BUSINESS LICENSE FOR LIKE CERTAIN THINGS LIKE GENERAL, GENERAL CONTRACTORS, ELECTRICIANS AND PEST CONTROL THAT THEY HAVE TO HAVE, BE LICENSED WITH THE CITY AND HAVE LIKE A SURETY BOND TO GO FOR IT. LIKE YOU HAVE A SURETY BOND TO DO SIDEWALK WORK, SOMETHING OF THAT NATURE AS WELL, TO BETTER PROTECT PEOPLE FROM SHADY CONTRACTORS AND BUSINESSMEN. THEY'RE DOING BUSINESS LIVE IN THE CITY AND NEED TO GET STUFF DONE. SO THOSE ARE KIND OF MY TOPICS THAT I LIKE TO SEE DONE WITH MY CITY. AND I HOPE YOU, LIKE I SAID AGAIN, VOTE DOWN ON 15. IT'S BAD. IT'S IT'S BAD. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. NO PROBLEM. AND THANKS SO MUCH AND HAVE A GREAT DAY AND GOD BLESS TEXAS. AND GO TEAM FOR WHATEVER TEAM YOU'RE ROOTING FOR. . THANK YOU. NEXT, EMILY S. LAWRENCE BENHAM TO BE FOLLOWED BY CARRIE MCCALL. THANK YOU GUYS FOR SEEING ME TODAY. UM, THE MAIN PURPOSE OUT HERE IS FOR WASTE MANAGEMENT AND I OWN AND OPERATE A COMPANY HERE IN HOUSTON AREA THAT WE CLEAN TRASH CANS FOR A LIVING. I KNOW IT'S GONNA SOUND REALLY STRANGE, BUT I'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET IN CONTACT WITH SOMEONE AT WASTE MANAGEMENT TO EXPLAIN THE SITUATION. NOT GOING HOUSE TO HOUSE, BUT GOING TO YOUR DEPOTS. WHERE THE ONE BIGGEST EXAMPLE THAT I CAN USE, REPUBLIC WASTE HIRED US THE FIRST YEAR WE SAVED THEM $1.7 MILLION. AND I THINK WE COULD ALSO DO THE SAME THING FOR THE CITY. I DON'T KNOW YOUR NUMBERS, I DON'T KNOW YOUR RECYCLING BUDGET AND I DON'T KNOW THE LABOR COSTS THAT WE COULD SAVE YOU, BUT I WOULD LIKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH SOMEONE AT WASTE MANAGEMENT. BUT IRONICALLY, WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO SPEAK TO THEM UNLESS WE'RE A IMPROVED VENDOR IN THE CITY. BUT THERE'S NO CATEGORY FOR US TO BE APPROVED, SO THERE'S NO WAY FOR US TO ACTUALLY SPEAK TO ANYBODY AND SHOW THE SAVINGS THAT WE COULD HELP YOU GUYS WITH AT THE WASTE MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT. OKAY, WHY DON'T YOU TALK TO MR. WILSON. CYNTHIA, DO YOU WANNA MEET WITH THIS GENTLEMAN? GET HIS CONTACT AND WE'LL PUT HIM IN TOUCH WITH THE RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MAYOR. RIGHT CONTACT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU, SIR. MAX. CARRIE MCCALL TO BE FOLLOWED BY CHARLES SHAW. MA'AM FIRST SHE'LL GO FIRST AND I'LL OH YEAH, WE PREFER ONE AT A TIME. WHICH [00:20:01] ONE IS CARRIE? CARRIE? YEP. PERSON. OH, OKAY. OKAY. UM, I AM HERE TO TALK ABOUT AN UNDERGROUND WATER LEAK AT THE CORNER OF MCDUCK AND WELCH IN HYDE PARK AND THE STORM WATER INLET. AND I'VE HAD THE, UH, CENTER POINT OUT TO LOOK AT THIS AREA AND THEY'VE SAID IT'S A HAZARD. AND I'M HERE TO TRY AND GET THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO WORK WITH, UM, CENTER POINT TO FIX THIS UNDERGROUND LEAK AND BACKFILL THE DIRT THAT'S UNDERNEATH THE, A GAS MAIN AND ALSO TO FIX THE SIDEWALKS THAT HAVE BEEN DAMAGED DUE TO THE LEAK. SO THIS IS THE, THIS IS THE PROPERTY. Y'ALL CAN SEE THAT. AND THIS IS A STORMWATER INLET. I HAVE SOME BLUE FLAGS HERE SHOWING NOW. RIGHT NOW, THIS UNDERGROUND LEAK HAS CAUSED A SINK HOLE THAT IS, UM, 16 TO 18 INCHES DEEP. AND IT'S CAUSING A HAZARD TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD BECAUSE THE SIDEWALKS ARE CRACKED. THEY HAVE, UM, TWO TO THREE INCH GAPS IN THE SIDEWALKS. THERE'S ALSO THREE TO SIX INCH DROPS IN THE SIDEWALK ITSELF. AND THIS IS A HAZARD TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD. UM, BECAUSE IN MY APARTMENT COMPLEX BUILDING, WE HAVE SENIOR CITIZENS THAT ARE LIVING THERE. UM, THEY'RE IN THE ADJACENT PROPERTIES, THERE'S CHILDREN AND YOU CAN'T GET ANY WHEELCHAIRS. YOU CAN'T GET STROLLERS DOWN THE SIDEWALK. UM, I HAVE HAD CENTER POINT OUT THERE. THEY SAID IT'S A PUBLIC HAZARD, BUT THEY CAN'T FIX IT BECAUSE IT'S ON THE CITY SIDE. AND, UM, I HAVE MY SURVEY HERE TO SHOW YOU IF YOU'D LIKE TO SEE IT, WHERE THE, WHERE THE PROPERTY LINE IS. AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, UM, THE, UH, I'VE TALKED TO 3 1 1 LIKE 12 TIMES IN THE LAST TWO AND A HALF YEARS, AND THEY HAVE NOT FIXED A PROBLEM YET. SO I'M ASKING THE CITY COUNCIL TO PLEASE HELP COORDINATE, UM, THIS, SO THAT WE WILL NOT HAVE THIS HAZARD WITHIN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. MY NOTES SHOW, UH, THAT PUBLIC WORKS IS IN TOUCH WITH YOU. THEY GOT IN TOUCH WITH ME AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS MONTH AFTER I, UH, CONTACTED THE, UH, CITY COUNCIL DEPARTMENT. OKAY. AND, UM, SAID THAT THEY WERE GONNA FIX IT. UM, MY NOTES SHOW THEY'VE, THEY'VE COMMITTED TO FIXING IT ABOUT 7 31. AND MR. SANDOVAL WITH PUBLIC WORKS HERE, I'D SUGGEST YOU MEET WITH HIM AND HE'LL GIVE YOU A DAILY REPORT. OKAY, GREAT. FANTASTIC. SO WE'RE ON IT, BUT THANK YOU. SORRY YOU HAD TO WAIT. THANK SO MUCH MAYOR OVER TWO YEARS, BUT YES, I APPRECIATE IT SO MUCH DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT ATTITUDES. NOW TALK TO MR. SANDOVAL. THANK YOU. NEXT, GRAB MY PHONE, CHARLES SHAW. GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNSEL. MY NAME IS CHARLES SHAW. I'M A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT C AND I'M HERE SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF MYSELF PERSONALLY. WESTHEIMER IS BEING REPAIRED RIGHT NOW, AND WHILE I KNOW THAT IS NOT A CITY OF HOUSTON PROJECT, THAT'S THE METRO HOUSTON, IT IS BEING REPAIRED IN SUCH A WAY THAT I WORRY ABOUT THE STATE OF THAT ROAD, NOT JUST FOR NOW, BUT TWO YEARS DOWN THE LINE. ON JUNE 26TH, I WAS EATING DINNER WITH FRIENDS WHEN I SAW A CAR DRIVE PAST ON WESTHEIMER, THE NEWLY REPAIRED PORTION AND A GIANT PUDDLE OF WATER SLASHED UP. AND THEN I SAW ANOTHER PERSON WALKING BY AND HE HAD A STROLLER WITH A BABY IN IT. HE COULDN'T WALK ON THE CROSSWALK. HE TRIED TO CROSS ALMOND STREET, HAD TO MOVE OUT OF THE WAY OF THE GIANT PUDDLE, WAS FINALLY ABLE TO GET ONTO THE SIDEWALK, AND WATER WENT SPLASHING UP. HE HAD TO RUN WITH HIS CHILD WITH A STROLLER. WHAT MAKES ME SO SAD ABOUT THE SITUATION IS THIS IS THE NEWLY REPAIRED ROAD. IT IS AN ASPHALT ROAD, AND WE KNOW ASPHALT DOES NOT LAST. IF YOU GO LOOK AT COMMONWEALTH AND BLAH, YOU WILL SEE WHAT HAPPENED IN FOUR YEARS. THAT ROAD WAS FINISHED IN 2021, AND NOW IT IS DILAPIDATED. THERE ARE HOLES THROUGHOUT IT. THERE ARE GIANT BUBBLES UP WHERE THE ASPHALT HAS FAILED. AND IF THAT'S WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IN FOUR YEARS, WHAT WILL WESTHEIMER, WHICH IS A MUCH MORE TRAVELED ROAD LOOK LIKE. I WORRY ABOUT PUBLIC FUNDS BEING SPENT IN A WAY THAT THEY SHOULDN'T BE. I WORRY ABOUT PUBLIC FUNDS ACTUALLY CREATING MORE PROBLEMS. THAT WATER HAS BEEN THERE FOR A WHILE. I SUBMITTED MY COMPLAINT TO THE CITY CALLING IT LAKE MONTROSE BECAUSE IT REALLY IS A LAKE THAT HAS ALWAYS EXISTED. IT WAS THERE BEFORE THE CONSTRUCTION, AND IT'S THERE NOW THAT IT'S COMPLETED. PLEASE GO INSPECT THE WORK. GO LOOK AT WHAT WAS DONE. YOU'LL SEE THAT THAT IS NOT SUFFICIENT. IT'S NOT UP TO WHAT THE CITY WOULD WANT. IT IS NOT WHAT OUR CITIZENS NEED. AND ULTIMATELY, I WORRY THAT FOUR YEARS DOWN THE ROAD WE'RE GOING TO SEE ANOTHER REPAIR JOB AT [00:25:01] MORE MONEY AND WE'VE JUST THROWN A LOT OF MONEY DOWN THE DRAIN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT LADERRICK STEELS TO BE FOLLOWED BY ISAIAH LOPEZ. GOOD AFTERNOON. UM, MY NAME IS LADERRICK STILLS. I AM REPRESENTING, UH, ST. DOMINIC VILLAGE. WE ARE A SENIOR LIVING, UH, COMMUNITY LOCATED RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF DOWN, UH, THE MEDICAL CENTER, 24 0 1 HOLCOMB. UM, I AM COMING TODAY BECAUSE, UM, ONE, I HAVE A SOFT SPOT FOR MY SENIORS, UH, ALONE. UH, WE THERE HAVE A IL, WHICH IS THE INDEPENDENT LIVING. THAT INDEPENDENT LIVING IS WHAT'S THERE FOR THOSE SENIORS THAT WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE WITH, THAT, WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE WITH, UH, THEIR INDEPENDENT LIFESTYLE AND, AND WOULD LIKE TO HAVE, UH, OTHER LIKE-MINDED INDIVIDUALS AROUND THEM. UH, THE ASSISTED LIVING IS FOR THOSE, UH, SENIORS THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO KEEP THEIR INDEPENDENCY, BUT THEY, WE ALL KNOW THAT THEY NEED THAT LITTLE EXTRA ROOM OR THAT LITTLE EXTRA BUFFER WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO THE CARE. AND THEN WE HAVE WHAT'S CALLED THE SNF. UH, THE SNF IS THE SKILLED NURSING FACILITY, OR BETTER YET, JUST MORE FOR THE, FOR THE NEIGHBOR, UH, FOR THE COMMUNITY IS THAT THEY CAN COME IN, DO THEIR PHYSICAL THERAPY, OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY, WHATEVER THERAPY THAT THEY REQUIRE, AND THEN GO HOME IF THEY WOULD LIKE, IF THE FAMILY THEMSELVES, IF IT'S TOO MUCH FOR THE FAMILY THEMSELVES, THEN WE HAVE, THAT'S WHERE THE NURSING FACILITY COMES IN AT. THEY CAN STAY WITH US AND THEN THEY DO THEIR REHAB THERE. AND FROM THERE THEY GO HOME. OR IF THEY DECIDE TO STAY LONG TERM. UH, I AM HERE TODAY BECAUSE I WOULD LIKE TO POSITION MYSELF AS A BETTER RESOURCE FOR MY SENIORS. UM, MY, MY GRANDFATHER LIVED BY A MANTRA OF, I, I LIVE WITH IT, I DIE. I DIE WITH IT. UH, AND THE OLDER I GOT, THE MORE I GOT TO RESEARCH IN THAT PARTICULAR SAYING. AND FOR HIM, IT WAS THAT HE FELT LIKE HE COULD DO ALL HE COULD DO. WHEN IT CAME DOWN TO THE HELP THAT HE NEEDED, HE FIGURED THAT WAS ALL THE HELP THAT HE COULD HAVE. AND IN MY POSITION, I KNOW THAT THERE ARE OTHER AREAS OF HELP THAT CAN BE DONE EVEN BEFORE LEAVING HOME AND EVEN COMING TO OUR PARTICULAR FACILITIES. THERE ARE THINGS THAT CAN BE DONE IN HOME THAT CAN HELP KEEP OUR SENIORS OUT OF THESE EMERGENCY ROOMS. AND OUT OF THESE, UH, DIFFERENT SITUATIONS THAT, THAT AREN'T GOOD FOR THEM, UH, WE ARE CONTRACTED WITH HARRIS HEALTH. UH, THEY'RE INDIGENT, UH, PROGRAM. UH, SO WE DO RECEIVE PATIENTS THAT WAY ALSO. BUT I WANTED TO COME TO YOU, MYSELF TO ASK ALSO WHAT OTHER RESOURCES THAT I DON'T KNOW THAT I MAY EDUCATE MY SENIORS ON WHEN IT COME DOWN TO THEM GETTING THE HELP. SO I WANTED TO SEE ONE POSITION MYSELF AS THAT RESOURCE, UH, FOR, FOR THE CITY OR WHATNOT. THAT MEANS YOUR, UH, YOUR HEALTH DRIVES, ANYTHING ELSE YOU MAY HAVE GOING. UM, BUT ON THE OTHER END OF THAT, WHEN YOU HAVE SOMEONE THAT NEEDS THAT INFORMATION, THEY COME TO ME AND I'M ABLE TO HELP THEM THROUGH THAT PROCESS. THANK YOU, MR. STEELS. ALL RIGHT. COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU, MAYOR. SIR. NO, I'M SORRY. QUESTION. YES, SIR. THANK YOU FOR COMING TODAY. I'M VERY FAMILIAR WITH ST. DOMINIC AND IT'S, IT'S CERTAINLY A GREAT RESOURCE. UM, I'M HAPPY TO MEET WITH YOU AND, AND SEE WHAT SOME OF THE NEEDS THAT YOU HAVE AND SEE IF WE CAN ASSIST IN GETTING YOU, UH, SOME OTHER RESOURCES. BUT GREAT WORK THAT YOU DO THERE. I HAD A FRIEND'S MOTHER WHO WAS THERE, AND I JUST REALLY ADMIRE THAT, UH, WORK AT THE FACILITY. SO THANK YOU FOR COMING DOWN. MY OFFICE WILL CONNECT WITH YOU. YES, MA'AM. THANK YOU, MS. CLARK. COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN. THANK YOU MR. STILLS FOR COMING. I LOVE ST. DOMINIC VILLAGE. MY MOTHER-IN-LAW LIVED WITH, WITH, WITH OUR FAMILY IN OUR HOME TOWARDS THE END OF OUR LIFE. AND WHEN WE COULDN'T DO IT ALL ANYMORE, SHE WENT TO ST. DOMINIC'S AND THE NICEST, GREATEST PEOPLE, GREAT STAFF, CUTE. MY KIDS LOVED GOING TO MASS THERE. IT WAS LIKE 25 MINUTES. DAVID DAVID MASS, AND THAT'S ABOUT WHAT IT WAS. THEY'RE LIKE, CAN WE GO VISIT GIGE FOR MASS THIS SUNDAY? YOU KNOW, THEY LOVED IT, BUT, UM, CAN'T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT IT. AND PEOPLE DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT. SO I'M REALLY GLAD YOU'RE DOWN HERE. ALL OF US HAVE EVENTS THAT INVOLVE SENIORS. I, I KNOW I DO IN THE FALL. MANY OF US DO. WE'D LOVE TO HAVE ST. DOMINIC'S PARTICIPATION. HOWEVER WE CAN BE OF SERVICE TO YOU AND, AND ALL THE GOOD WORK YOU DO THERE, UM, FOR THE PEOPLE THERE. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING. YES, MA'AM. THANK YOU COUNCILOR EVAN SHABAZZ, THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR COMING. UH, ST. DOMINIC IS IN DISTRICT D AND CERTAINLY I HAVE PARTICIPATED IN, IN THAT FUNDRAISER AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. BUT WHAT I WOULD RECOMMEND, IF YOU WANNA KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON, WOULD BE TO SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER. I DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU LIVE, BUT WE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE DON'T MIND WHO GETS THE NEWSLETTER. YEAH. UH, AND THEN WE, UH, HAVE POSTINGS OF CERTAIN THINGS THAT WE HAVE GOING ON. AND, UH, JUST WANNA CONNECT [00:30:01] WITH YOU BECAUSE CERTAINLY SENIORS ARE NEAR AND DEAR TO ALL OF OUR HEARTS. AND SO CERTAINLY REACH OUT TO MY OFFICE. I DON'T KNOW IF INGRAM IS IN HERE. OH, THERE'S INGRAM OVER THERE. IF YOU COULD REACH OUT TO HER, THEN CERTAINLY WE COULD PERHAPS SEE IF WE COULD BE A RESOURCE SO THAT YOU COULD CONTINUE TO BE A RESOURCE. SO THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR COMING. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU ALL. MM-HMM . THANK YOU, SIR. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU ALL. NEXT ISAIAH LOPEZ TO BE FOLLOWED BY LEE PERRY. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS ISAIAH, AND I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT TRANSPORTATION CLIMATE AND HOW CUTS TO METRO NEXT AND BIKE AND PEDESTRIAN SAFETY PROJECTS MAKE FOR A VISION OF OUR CITY THAT COMPROMISES ITS FUTURE AND THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF ITS CITIZENS. TRANSPORTATION IS A CLIMATE ISSUE IN THE US. 28% OF GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS ARE ATTRIBUTED TO TRANSPORTATION. AND HOUSTON IS NEARLY HALF CARS AND TRUCKS ALSO ACCOUNT FOR HALF OF NITROUS OXIDE POLLUTION IN HARRIS COUNTY, WHICH ARE, WHICH CONTRIBUTES TO DOZENS OF PREMATURE DEATHS A YEAR. WITH THIS IN MIND, THE PRIOR CITY ADMINISTRATION ADOPTED HOUSTON'S CLIMATE ACTION PLAN OF 2020, WHICH INCLUDES TRANSPORTATION GOALS OF REDUCING VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED PER CAPITA BY 20% BY 2050. METRO NEXT WOULD PLAY A VITAL ROLE IN ACHIEVING SUCH GOALS. IF COMPLETED ESTIMATE ESTIMATES, SAY IT WOULD ELIMINATE 500,000 CAR TRIPS A DAY AND SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS AND AIR POLLUTION, IT WOULD ALSO IMPROVE QUA QUALITY OF LIFE, PROVIDING AN ALTERNATIVE TO BEING STUCK IN TRAFFIC. THE CLIMATE ACTION PLAN ALSO HAS GOALS OF ELIMINATING TRAFFIC RELATED FATALITIES AND BUILDING 500 MILES OF BIKE LANES BY 2030. UNFORTUNATELY, LATELY, THE CITY SEEMS TO BE ABANDONING NOT ONLY ITS COMMITMENT TO CLIMATE ACTION, BUT TO REDUCING TRAFFIC RELATED FATALITIES AS SAFETY PROJECTS ARE CANCELED TO PRESERVE WIDER LANES IN DENSELY POPULATED AREAS, ALL WHILE IGNORING THE SUCCESS OF PROJECTS LIKE THE 11TH STREET BIKE LANE. AT MAY'S METRO BOARD MEETING, THIS WAS CITED AS ONE OF THE CHALLENGES FACING THE GULFTON BRT LINE, THE LATEST METRO NEXT PROJECT THAT IS IN DANGER OF BEING SHELVED. GULFTON IS THE CITY'S DENSEST NEIGHBORHOOD. 12% OF ITS HOUSEHOLDS DO NOT HAVE CARS DOUBLE THE CITY'S AVERAGE. THE NEIGHBORHOOD IS ALSO AN URBAN HEAT ISLAND THAT HAS BEEN RECORDED TO BE 17 DEGREES HOTTER THAN THE COOLEST PARTS OF HARRIS COUNTY. GIVEN THE UNIQUE SITUATION, I'D LIKE TO SEE THE CITY ADMINISTRATION APPROVE WHATEVER METRO NEEDS TO BUILD THE GULFTON BRT LINE, NOT ONLY IS TRANSIT ABOUT CLIMATE, IT'S ALSO ABOUT THE COST OF LIVING. ALONG WITH EVERYTHING ELSE, CARS AND INSURANCE ARE BECOMING MORE EXPENSIVE. HOUSTON DESERVES A RELIABLE AND AFFORDABLE TRANSIT CITY, UH, SYSTEM. IT MAKES AN ENORMOUS DIFFERENCE IN PEOPLE'S LIVES, ESPECIALLY IN PLACES LIKE GULFTON. LASTLY, IN THE PAST YEAR AS VOTER APPROVED METRO, NEXT PLANS HAVE BEEN SHELVED EVOLVE, WHICH NO ONE VOTED FOR, HAS RAPIDLY EXPANDED. TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE, THE SHUTTLE SERVICES ARE NOT A DA COMPLIANT, HAVE NO AIR CONDITIONING AND ARE OPERATED BY NON-UNIONIZED DRIVERS WITH THE CITY'S BACKING. METRO SHOULD EXPAND ITS OWN CURB TO CURB. INSTEAD, EVOLV IS ALSO LED AND FOUNDED BY SHELL AND CENTER POINT EXECUTIVES, INCLUDING THE, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, SIR. NEXT LEE PERRY TO BE FOLLOWED BY JAMES CASTILLO. WELL, UH, Y'ALL PROBABLY KNOW ME BY NOW, LEE PERRY, BUT I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT, UH, HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT. I FILED MY, UH, COMPLAINT BECAUSE I GOT SCAMMED IN SEPTEMBER OF, UH, LAST YEAR. AND NOW, UH, I'M BACK. AND THEY STILL HAVEN'T GOTTEN IT OVER TO THE DA'S DEPARTMENT BECAUSE THEY SAY THAT, UH, IT'S A CIVIL MATTER. NOW, IF YOU GOOGLE, IS IT CRIMINAL TO BUY REAL ESTATE PROPERTY WITH A KIND OF FIT CHECK TO CHECK WITH THE 21,000, YOU TAKE IT TO ANY BANK AND THEY SAY IT AIN'T WORTH ZERO ONE PENNY, BUT YOU GOT THE DEED, NOW YOU GOT A COPY AND YOU EVEN TRY TO GO AND FILE IT WITH THE COUNTY CLERK. BUT THE COUNTY CLERK REJECTED IT BECAUSE IT'S FRAUD. YOU HAVEN'T PAID NOTHING FOR IT. OKAY? SO YOU GO AND GO TO THE COMPANY THAT'S BEEN PAYING ME EVERY MONTH FOR TWO YEARS TO GET THEM TO ACCEPT A FRAUDULENT DOCUMENT. AND THEY EVEN SENT ME A LETTER AND SAID THAT WE GOING TO ACCEPT HIS FRAUDULENT DEED AND QUIT PAYING YOU. AND I'VE BEEN UNDERPAID FOR ABOUT $150,000 BECAUSE THEY HAVEN'T PAID ME IN TWO YEARS. [00:35:01] AND WHEN I GO TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, THEY SAY IT'S A CIVIL MATTER. GOOGLE IT. IS IT CRIMINAL TO FILE TO BUY PROPERTY WITH A COUNTERFEIT CHECK? FIRST OF ALL, IT'S CRIMINAL TO HAVE COUNTERFEIT CHECK FOR THAT MUCH. ANYWAY, THAT'S PRISON TIME, 21,000. AND IT AIN'T WORTH PLUG NICKEL AT ANY BANK. NOW I'M IN CIVIL COURT COURT. THE CIVIL COURT JUDGE TELLS ME YOU NEED TO TAKE THIS MATTER ACROSS THE STREET TO THE CRIMINAL COURT BECAUSE IT'S CRIMINAL. NOW, IF YOU, WHOEVER YOU GOT IN FINANCIAL CRIMES, I DOUBTLY, THEY NEED SOME MORE TRAINING OR SOMETHING, THEY GOT A PROBLEM BECAUSE THEY KEEP SAYING THIS IS A CIVIL MATTER. WHEN IT NOT ONLY IS IT A STATE PULLING A CRIME, IT'S FEDERAL GOOGLE IT. ALL YOU GOTTA DO IS IT CRIMINAL TO BUY REAL ESTATE USING A COUNTERFEIT CHECK. AND IT'S GOING TO POP RIGHT UP AND SAY, YES, IT IS CRIMINAL, BUT YOU STEADY TRY TO TELL ME IT'S A CIVIL MATTER WHAT YOU SAY, YOU SUPPOSED TO JUST BE INVESTIGATING. YOU AIN'T SUPPOSED TO BE MAKING THE FILE DECISION. THE DA SHOULD BE DOING THAT, THAT NEVER, HAVEN'T EVEN GOT TO THE DA YET. SO SOMEBODY, THEY EITHER NEED BOTH TRAINING ABOUT WHAT'S CRIMINAL AND WHAT'S NOT, OR THEY, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. BUT YOU KEEP TRYING TO CONVINCE ME THAT THIS IS ONLY A CIVIL MATTER WHEN THE JUDGE IN CIVIL COURT, INSTEAD OF TELLING ME WE DON'T DO THAT HERE IN CIVIL COURT. YOU GOTTA GO ACROSS THE STREET WITH THAT BECAUSE THAT'S A CRIMINAL MATTER. YOUR YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. JUST A SECOND, SIR. COUNCILMAN P*****K. THANK YOU MAYOR. MR. PERRY, I KNOW, UH, YOU'VE BEEN AT THIS FOR A WHILE NOW. HAVE YOU PERSONALLY GONE TO THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AND PRESENTED YOUR EVIDENCE? YOU CAN'T GO UNTIL YOU GO THROUGH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. SEE, WHEN YOU GET SCAMMED, THE FIRST THING THEY SAY DO IS GO TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, WHICH I'VE DONE THAT. I I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA TALK TO YOU. OKAY. SOMEBODY JUST GET ME TO THE DA. I GOT, LET ME SHOW THE DA THAT, LET ME, UH, LET ME SPEAK TO YOU OFFLINE, OKAY? OKAY. OKAY. YEAH. THANKS. THANK YOU. NEXT, JAMES CASTILLO TO BE FOLLOWED BY NIA TRENT WILSON. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR. GOOD AFTERNOON. COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS CHAPLAIN CASTILLO OUTTA DISTRICT D. SHOUT OUT TO COUNCILWOMAN CAROLYN SHABAZZ. BUT I WILL BE DEFERRING MY REMARKS TO MY BOSS WITH EXCEPTIONAL WELLNESS. SHE SHOULD BE COMING UP SHORTLY. THANK YOU. OKAY. I'M ALSO ON THE LIST SO YOU CAN DISREGARD THE NEXT TWO PEOPLE. UH, MY NAME IS JASMINE FOREMAN. I'M WITH EXCEPTIONAL WELLNESS, LIKE HE MENTIONED. WHAT WE DO IS WE'RE A MENTAL HEALTH AGENCY THAT WORKS WITH BOTH CHILDREN AND ADULTS. WHAT WE DO IS WE WORK WITH THEM TO NOT ONLY ADDRESS THEIR MENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS, BUT THEIR LIFE CONCERNS. SO OUR APPROACH IS WE PROVIDE WRAPAROUND SERVICES. MANY OF YOU ARE ALREADY FAMILIAR WITH THE WRAPAROUND SERVICES THAT THEY OFFER AT SCHOOL, BUT UNFORTUNATELY IT'S NOT BEING EFFECTIVE BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT GETTING ALL OF THE THINGS THAT THEY ACTUALLY NEED. SO WHAT WE DO IS WE WORK WITH THE STU, THE STUDENT, AS WELL AS THE FAMILY. SO THAT MEANS THAT IF THE FAMILY NEEDS SUPPORT IN TERMS OF FINDING RESOURCES, EMPLOYMENT, UM, HOUSING, FOOD ASSISTANCE, WE DO ALL OF THE ABOVE TO EMPOWER THEM TO BE IN A BETTER POSITION. THAT ENABLES US TO BE MORE EFFECTIVE WITH HELPING THE CHILD BECAUSE THE CHILD IS EFFECTIVE, OF COURSE, BY THE PARENT. SO WE APPROACH THINGS FROM THAT APPROACH, AND THAT'S MADE US VERY SUCCESSFUL WITH HELPING PEOPLE. WE ALSO PROVIDE A-Q-M-H-P, WHICH IS WHAT WE CALL AS A CASE MANAGER. THAT PERSON HELPS A LOT OF THE PARENTS WHO ARE OVERWHELMED BY THE STRUGGLES THAT THEY'RE EXPERIENCING FINANCIALLY OR THAT STABILITY, GIVING THEM THAT SUPPORT TO HELP THE CHILD. BUT WE ALSO PROVIDE SKILLS TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT, WHICH ENABLES THE CHILD TO BE ABLE TO CHANGE CERTAIN BEHAVIORAL PATTERNS THAT ARE CAUSING THEM TO HAVE THE PROBLEMS IN CLASS AND CAUSING THEM TO HAVE THE CONCERNS THAT THEY'RE DEALING WITH DUE TO TRAUMAS AND DIFFERENT THINGS OF THAT NATURE. SO WE HAVE THAT QMHP THAT WORKS WITH THEM. WE ALSO HAVE THAT, UH, THERAPIST. WE HAVE A THERAPIST ON STAFF. WE HAVE, UH, LPCS THAT ARE ASSIGNED TO THE EACH CLIENT AS WELL AS WE HAVE THAT ME, UH, THE MEDICATION MANAGEMENT, MEDICATION MANAGEMENT PIECE HELPS OUR KIDS BEING ABLE TO STABILIZE THEIR BEHAVIOR, GET THEM IN A BETTER POSITION, AND CREATE A NEW ROUTINE. MANY OF OUR KIDS DO ARE NOT BAD CHILDREN. THEY JUST ARE NOT GETTING EFFECTIVE SUPPORT. AND SO WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO, BECAUSE WE COVER THE STATE OF TEXAS, EVEN WHEN OUR KIDS ARE IN FOSTER CARE, THEY DON'T HAVE TO LOSE THAT SUPPORT. AND IT EMPOWERS US TO BE ABLE TO TRAIN THEM IN A BETTER FORMAT OF HOW THEY CAN MAKE, HAVE A BETTER LIFE. BUT THEN WE ALSO HELP THE PARENTS TO ENABLE THEM TO HAVE A BETTER CHOICES AS WELL. SO THE THING THAT I THINK TURNS US AS FAR AS THE DISTINCTION THING [00:40:01] WITH US IS WE DO ALL OF OUR TREATMENT PLANS BASED OFF OF THE NEED OF THE ACTUAL CHILD OR THE PARENT. SO THAT MEANS IF WE ARE AWARE AND WE ARE MADE AWARE THAT THAT CHILD IS HAVING CHANGES THAT WE WEREN'T AWARE OF AT THE TIME WE TOOK THEM IN, WE MAKE THE ADJUSTMENT RIGHT THEN VERSUS WAITING UNTIL, OKAY, THIS IS YOUR PLAN AND YOU'RE STUCK WITH THIS PLAN, BUT IT'S NOT APPLICABLE TO YOU. WE ALSO HELP THE WHOLE FAMILY SO NO ONE IS LEFT OUT BECAUSE THAT'S ANOTHER THING THAT CAUSES A LOT OF OUR KIDS BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT GETTING SUPPORT, THEY'RE TRIGGERED, AND WE'RE NOT SEEING RESULTS BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT IN, WE'RE NOT INVOLVED LONG ENOUGH TO MAKE A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE. SO WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO IF FEASIBLE IS GET IN TOUCH WITH EACH EACH DISTRICT BECAUSE WE DO HAVE A CHANCE OF HELPING EVERYONE IF WE'RE ABLE TO FIND OUT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MA'AM. NEXT, NIA TRENT WILSON. K DANIELS, MARCELLA GUIDRY. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS MARCELLA GUIDRY. I AM A RETIRED HOUSTON POLICE OFFICER AFTER SERVING 33 YEARS. MA'AM. SPEAKING WITH MIKE, PLEASE. I'M SORRY. THERE YOU GO. THAT FIRST. CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? YES. YES, MA'AM. OKAY. MY NAME IS MARCELLA GUIDRY. I'M A RETIRED HOUSTON POLICE OFFICER AFTER 33 YEARS OF SERVICE. UM, ON JULY THE EIGHTH, I WENT TO A CITY WIDE PIP MEETING. AND, UM, THE TOPIC WAS SERVING, UH, I'M SORRY, SURVIVING AN ACTIVE SHOOTER. AND THE SPEAKER WAS STEVEN DANIELS. AFTER MR. WHO IS A CIVILIAN, I SHOULD SAY, UH, AFTER MR. ST. MR. DANIELS, UH, HAD TALKED FOR ABOUT A LITTLE OVER 40 MINUTES. UH, HE HAD HIS PAPERS IN HIS HAND, BUT THAT WAS A, A LARGE SCREAM, UH, THAT TOLD US WHAT HE WAS GOING TO SAY. AFTER HE HAD TALKED ABOUT APPROXIMATELY 40 PLUS MINUTES, UH, ALL OF A SUDDEN HE SHOWS THIS PICTURE OF AN OFFICER, AND HE'S SAYING THAT THIS OFFICER GOT A SPECIAL AWARD FOR, UH, AN ACTIVE, UH, SHOOTER, SURVIVING AN ACTIVE SHOOTER. AND HE COULDN'T UNDERSTAND. MR. DANIELS SAID HE COULDN'T UNDERSTAND WHY THIS PARTICULAR OFFICER GOT THIS AWARD BECAUSE ANY OFFICER COULD HAVE DONE WHAT, UH, THIS SERGEANT, UH, HAD DONE. AND HE JUST COULDN'T UNDERSTAND IT. AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN HE SAYS, BUT WHO IS THAT IN THE BACKGROUND? OH, THAT'S BIDEN. AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS KIND OF UNUSUAL FOR ANYBODY, WHETHER HE WAS A CIVILIAN OR A POLICE OFFICER TO MAKE THAT TYPE OF STATEMENT. AND A PERSON SITTING NEXT, UH, NEXT TO ME, UH, WE KIND OF LOOKED AT EACH OTHER AND I LOOKED AROUND TO SEE THE REACTION OF SOME OF THE OFFICERS. I COULDN'T SEE ALL OF THEM, BUT I SAW ONE WHO DIDN'T SHAKE HIS HEAD LIKE THIS, BUT JUST KIND OF, AND HAD HIS HEAD SLIGHTLY DOWN. BUT MR. DANIELS CONTINUED TO SAY, YOU KNOW, I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW HE THIS OFF. THIS PARTICULAR OFFICER GOT THIS AWARD. IN THE MEANTIME, UH, I WAS VERY, WELL, I WON'T SAY VERY UPSET, BUT I WAS UPSET AND SOMEWHAT SURPRISED. AND ON MY WAY OUT AFTER THE MEETING, I SAW ONE OFFICER THAT I KNEW AND I MADE A STATEMENT TO THE OFFICER, I CAN'T BELIEVE YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED, THAT THIS GUY SAID THIS. AND THE OFFICER STATED TO ME, SOME THINGS NEVER CHANGE. AND I DON'T BELIEVE THAT BECAUSE WHEN I WAS A POLICE OFFICER, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF CHANGES. A LOT OF CHANGES, AND ALL OF THEM HAVE BEEN POSITIVE. BUT I WAS VERY DISAPPOINTED. AND THE SECOND [00:45:01] THING THAT I CANNOT UNDERSTAND IS THAT WE HAD APPROXIMATELY 10 PLUS UNIFORM OFFICERS AT THIS PARTICULAR MEETING AND A FEW SUPERVISORS. AND WHY WOULD THEY ASK A CIVILIAN WHO'S NEVER BEEN A POLICE OFFICER, MAKE THAT TYPE OF A SPEECH? I, IT JUST BOTHERED ME. AND, UH, THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY. THANK YOU. I WANNA THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME, UH, TO BE HERE. AND I'M PLANNING ON COMING BACK BECAUSE I HAVE ANOTHER PROBLEM WITH, OKAY. UH, COMMUNITY, NOT COMMUNITY SERVICE. USED TO BE CALLED COMMUNITY SERVICE COMMUNITY OUTREACH. OKAY. MAYOR PROM CA SIX STATE COMING SO SMALL. UH, I THINK THAT'S A BIG MISTAKE, BUT MA'AM, THERE'S A QUESTION, COMMENT FROM OUR MAYOR. PROTE. MS. GIDRICK, THANK YOU FOR COMING DOWN AND, AND SHARING YOUR, YOUR CONCERN. UM, I WA I WAS FOLLOWING YOUR, YOUR TESTIMONY AND I, I, I HAVE AN IDEA OF WHY YOU WOULD BE UPSET. I THINK THAT, UM, IF WE ARE GOING TO HOST A CITYWIDE MEETING, WE, WE DEFINITELY SHOULD VET THE SPEAKERS, UM, TO PREVENT ANY, UM, POLITICAL DISPARAGING REMARKS. UM, AND THAT WE SHOULD STAY ON TOPIC, RIGHT? UM, WHICH WAS, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT THE RESIDENTS WOULD KNOW WHAT TO DO IF THERE WAS A, A THREAT OF AN ACTIVE SHOOTER. UM, WE DEFINITELY HEAR YOU AND WE'LL TAKE THOSE CONCERNS TO THE APPROPRIATE, UM, DEPARTMENT, UH, TO, TO ASK AND LET THEM KNOW THAT YOU WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THAT HAPPENING. WE'VE HAD THE ACTIVE SHOOTER PRESENTATION AT OUR PIP MEETINGS IN THE DISTRICT. UM, WE DIDN'T HAVE, UM, THAT TYPE OF COMMENTARY. IT WAS STRICTLY ABOUT ACTIVE SHOOTERS. AND I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S THE DIRECTION WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE GOING IN WITH THOSE PRESENTATIONS. AND, YOU KNOW, I, I LIKE TO SAY ONE OTHER THING, ANOTHER THING THAT REALLY BOTHERED ME IS BECAUSE MR. DANIELS ACTUALLY SHOWED THE OFFICER'S PICTURE NOT KNOWING IF A FAMILY MEMBER WAS THERE. RIGHT. IF A FRIEND WAS THERE, YOU KNOW, UH, THAT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT YOU DON'T DO. IF YOU WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THE OFFICER MAYBE NOT DESERVING THAT AWARD, THAT'S FINE, BUT YOU DON'T SHOW THE OFFICER'S PICTURE. AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT HE DID, YOU KNOW, BUT, RIGHT. WELL, THANK YOU FOR EXPRESSING YOUR, YOUR CONCERNS ABOUT IT. WE WILL ALSO REITERATE THE, THE CONCERNS THAT YOU'VE RAISED AS WELL ON YOUR OTHER ISSUE. YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER IS HERE, AND I'M SURE THAT HER STAFF WILL BE HAPPY TO MEET WITH YOU TO TALK ABOUT, UH, THE CONCERNS YOU HAVE ABOUT THE COMMUNITY CENTER. OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. NEXT SABA BLANDING TO BE FOLLOWED BY RAY TAYLOR. HEY, GOOD AFTERNOON. FIRST OF ALL, Y'ALL ARE BEING AMAZING AND PUNCTUAL TODAY. APOLOGIES FOR RUNNING LATE. UM, GOOD AFTERNOON. UH, MY NAME IS SABA BLANDING AND I AM A MEMBER OF TRINITY EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN MIDTOWN. I'M HERE SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF MY FAITH, UH, TO CARE FOR THE POOR AS PROVERBS 29 7 TELLS US THE RIGHTEOUS CARE ABOUT JUSTICE FOR THE POOR, BUT THE WICKED HAVE NO SUCH CONCERN. MAKING IT UNLAWFUL FOR PERSONS TO BE SITTING OR LYING ON PUBLIC SIDEWALKS IS NOT A TOOL TO GET PEOPLE THE HELP THEY NEED. IT IS A TOOL TO CRIMINALIZE THE UNHOUSED. IT DOES NOT PROVIDE SERVICES OR SAFETY. IT IS LEGALIZING THE INTERNMENT OF THE UNHOUSED IN COUNTY JAIL. ANY ELECTED OFFICIAL THAT PURPORTS TO CARE FOR THE UNHOUSED MUST VOTE NO ON THE ORDINANCE. THANK YOU. NEXT, OH, JUST A SECOND MA'AM. MM-HMM. THANK YOU. NEXT, RAY TAYLOR, JESSICA DUGAN TO BE FOLLOWED BY BETTINA SMITH. HELLO, MY NAME IS JESSE DUGAN. UH, THIS IS MY FIRST TIME SPEAKING AT CITY HALL. UH, I JUST WANTED TO START WITH AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ABOUT THE TRAGIC LOSS OF LIFE IN CENTRAL TEXAS THAT AFFECTED SO MANY, UH, OF OUR COMMUNITY HERE IN HOUSTON. I REALLY DO GRIEVE FOR ALL THE FAMILIES AND THE LITTLE GIRLS LOST. AND, UM, THANK YOU ALL FOR PUTTING OUT, UH, TIPS ON WHERE TO DELIVER SUPPLIES AND WHERE TO DONATE. UH, I REALLY APPRECIATED THE CITY'S MESSAGING, UH, THESE NE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS. UM, I JUST WANTED TO START WITH A LITTLE STORY ABOUT MYSELF. UM, I AM A, UH, DESIGNER. I WAS A FASHION DESIGNER IN NEW YORK CITY FOR, UH, TORY BIRCH. MAYBE SOME OF THE WOMEN IN HERE KNOW THAT. UM, AND WHEN I MOVED BACK TO HOUSTON WITH MY HUSBAND, I STARTED DESIGNING, UH, FURNITURE AND INTERIORS. AND IN FACT, UH, MR. MAYOR, I DESIGNED YOUR, UH, TABLE FOR, UH, THE BEAUTIFICATION [00:50:01] PRO, UH, PROJECT A COUPLE YEARS AGO, UH, FOR CITY HALL. SO YOUR DINING TABLE AND YOUR LONG 40 FOOT LONG CONFERENCE TABLE, UH, WERE DESIGNED BY ME. THOSE ACTUALLY DON'T BELONG TO ME. THEY DON'T, YEAH. SOMEBODY, SOMEONE ELSE CHOSE THEM FOR THE CITY . YES. BUT THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK. YEAH, YOU'RE, YOU'RE WELCOME. AND, UH, UH, AND JUST A LITTLE PERSONAL NOTE ABOUT THAT PROJECT, UM, THAT PROJECT, UH, HELPED THE WOOD SHOP. I WAS WORKING FOR SMALL INDEPENDENT WOOD SHOP. UH, THEY WANNA BID WITH THAT, UH, WITH MY DESIGN WORK, AND THEY WERE ABLE TO PAY ME. AND THAT MONEY, UH, WENT TO, UM, MY AUTISTIC SON. HE WAS DIAGNOSED, UH, WITH AUTISM A FEW YEARS AGO. I HAD TWINS DURING THE PANDEMIC AND THEN, UH, HE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH AUTISM SHORTLY AFTER. AND, UM, THAT PROJECT HELPED PAY FOR HIS THERAPIES BEFORE WE GOT THE OFFICIAL DIAGNOSIS AND THE INSURANCE KICKED IN. SO, UH, TRULY THAT TABLE HELPED MY SON LEARN HOW TO SPEAK. AND HE'S SPEAKING IN FULL SENTENCES NOW. HE'S DONE GREAT WITH OR EARLY CHILDHOOD INTERVENTION. WITH THAT SAID, UM, I GOT INVOLVED WITH THE FIGHT AGAINST THE HISD TAKEOVER BECAUSE OF THEIR CUTS TO AUTISM SERVICES. UH, RIGHT WHEN THE TAKEOVER BEGUN TWO YEARS AGO, IT WAS ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS TO GO. AND I WAS VERY SAD TO SEE THAT. AND SO I STARTED SPEAKING UP AT BOARD MEETING MEETINGS EVEN BEFORE MY KIDS GOT TO SCHOOL. THEY'LL BE IN KINDERGARTEN AND HISD THIS YEAR. AND, UM, I HAVE LEARNED SO MUCH ABOUT TAKEOVER SINCE THEN. AND I EVEN WENT AND LOBBIED FOR MY FIRST TIME IN, UH, THE STATE HOUSE AGAINST, UH, THE TAKEOVER AND SPOKE OUT AGAINST VOUCHERS AS WELL. WE TOOK THE LARGEST GROUP OF PARENTS THAT HAVE EVER COME FROM HOUSTON TO, UH, FIGHT FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION. SO I WAS REALLY PROUD OF THAT. AND I JUST WANTED TO CHECK BACK IN WITH ALL OF YOU, UH, TO SEE IF THERE WAS A WAY THAT YOU GUYS COULD PULL IN MIKE MILES AGAIN FOR QUESTIONING THIS FALL, SINCE HIS CONTRACT HAS BEEN EXTENDED MUCH TO THE DISMAY OF MANY OF US IN THE COMMUNITY. UM, AND I WILL FOLLOW BACK UP. I WANTED THIS TO BE THE FIRST OF MANY CONVERSATIONS, UH, TO LET YOU GUYS KNOW WHO I AM AND HOW CONCERNED I AM. AND I JUST WANTED TO BE ABLE TO BRING A VOICE TO A LOT OF NEW PARENTS THAT ARE COMING INTO HISD WHO MAYBE HAD KIDS DURING THE PANDEMIC AND EVERYTHING. AND, UH, AND, YOU KNOW, PROVIDE SOME IDEAS THAT I THINK WOULD, YOU KNOW, CITY HALL COULD HELP US WITH. I KNOW THIS IS A STATE ISSUE, BUT, UH, I THINK THERE'S MUCH THAT, UH, YOU GUYS COULD ALSO HELP US WITH AND WE'D LOVE TO BUILD CONNECTIONS. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. UH, MAYOR . THANK YOU, MAYOR. WE APPRECIATE YOU COMING TODAY AND YOUR, AND YOUR COMMENTS. UM, WE DID HOST THE SUPERINTENDENT AT ONE OF OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETINGS. I KNOW THAT HE'S BEEN HOSTING SEVERAL PUBLIC MEETINGS TO TALK ABOUT THE, UM, UPDATES IN HISD AND HOW THINGS ARE GOING. I WAS WONDERING, HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THOSE, IN THOSE MEETINGS THAT HE'S BEEN HOSTING? YES, MA'AM. I'M A PRETTY ACTIVE MEMBER OF THE GROUP, HOUSTON CVPE. UH, AND I'M VERY AWARE OF, UM, ALL OF HIS UPDATES. THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU. WE APPRECIATE YOU COMING IN AND THE GREAT WORK THAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING AND THE ADVOCACY THAT YOU HAVE, ESPECIALLY FOR YOUR CHILDREN. ONE OF MY BEST FRIENDS HAS A, HAS AN AUTISTIC SON. AND I KNOW EXACTLY HOW, UM, CHALLENGING THAT CAN BE AS A, AS A PARENT. UM, I'VE LEARNED A LOT THROUGH WATCHING HER RAISE HER AUTISTIC SON AS WELL. I APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT PATINA SMITH, CLEMENT MATHIS. MICHELLE VAN ZANT. SHELTON MODELLESS. SANDRA ALLEN, COUNCIL MEMBER SHABA EVANS SHABA. THANK YOU MAYOR. I'M OVER HERE DOING THIS. I WANTED TO RECOGNIZE A STATE REPRESENTATIVE, LAUREN SIMMONS, WHO HAS JOINED US TODAY. UH, GLAD THAT SHE CAME. I DON'T KNOW IF SHE WANTED TO SHARE ANYTHING. IF, IF THE MAYOR CAN INDULGE HER. DID YOU WANNA COME UP AND SPEAK? HONOR? THANK YOU. WELL, THANK YOU. WE GOT A BACKLOG HERE, REPRESENTATIVE. JUST A SECOND, PLEASE. GOOD AFTERNOON, CITY COUNCILMAN MAYOR JOHN WHITMEYER. HOW ARE YOU TODAY, SIR? I'M FINE. ARE YOU READY FOR [00:55:01] ME TO SPEAK OR ARE YOU READY FOR THAT PURPOSE? NO, I THINK YOU'RE, YOU COME FIRST. OKAY. WELL THEN I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND SPEAK, SIR. UH, SO I WATCHED YOU ON 4TH OF JULY, TALK TO GINA GASTON ELLIOT, YOU SAID, I'M WITH MY TWO DAUGHTERS TONIGHT. AND, UH, Y'ALL HUG YOUR LOVED ONES, GO HOME AND HUG YOUR LOVED ONES AFTER LEE BRYCE CONCERT. SO I WAS NOT ABLE TO HUG MY LOVED ONE, WHICH IS MY SON, NATHAN ALLEN. I WAS CRYING AND I WAS IN TEARS BECAUSE OF THE DEVASTATION THAT IS GOING ON UP IN THE HILL COUNTRY. AND ALSO I AM A WIDOW, 30 YEARS OF MARRIAGE. MY HUSBAND DIED FEBRUARY THE 12TH OF THIS YEAR, AND I BURIED HIM FEBRUARY THE 28TH. AND THE LAST TIME I SAW MY SON, WHEN I WENT TO GO ASK FORMER MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER NIECE, MS. EDITH TURNER, CAN YOU LET MY SON COME TO HIS DAD'S FUNERAL? AND SHE SAID NO. SO I HAVE NOT SEEN MY SON SINCE FEBRUARY THE 27TH OF 2025. AND IT'S COMING UP ON A YEAR, NEXT MONTH, AUGUST THE FOURTH, 2024 WAS WHEN HE WAS KIDNAPPED. WE BROKE NO LAW GETTING OFF. THE METRO BUS HAD ALREADY WALKED TWO HOURS DOWN HIGHWAY SIX TO HIGHWAY SIX TO CLAY ROAD BEFORE FOUR HPD UNITS PULLED UP AND SNATCHED MY SON. SO I'M ASKING YOU, I'VE ALREADY MET WITH ATTORNEY VALERIE MILL HOLLAND. SHE TOLD ME AND SHE GAVE ME PAPERWORK. HARRIS COUNTY DOES NOT HAVE JURISDICTION OR GUARDIANSHIP OVER NATHAN ALLEN, YOUR HUS YOUR SON. SO I'M JUST WANTING TO LET YOU KNOW THAT. I SAY I DO KNOW THAT. SO I'M ASKING YOU, MR. MAYOR, BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE POWER IN THIS CITY. 'CAUSE YOU SIGNED THESE HPD POLICE OFFICERS PAYCHECK. I NEED YOU TO CALL OVER THERE AND ASK EITHER TURNER AT 7 1 3 518 48 AND HAVE HER TO RELEASE MY CHILD. MY CHILD HAS MISSED HIS GRADUATION FOR 2024. MY CHILD HAS MISSED PROM. MY CHILD HAS MISSED GOING ON OUR FAMILY VACATION EVERY SUMMER TO PENSACOLA, FLORIDA. I CAN'T EVEN HAVE A VACATION. 'CAUSE I WILL NOT BE LEAVING THE STATE OF TEXAS WITHOUT MY CHILD. WE GO THERE EVERY SUMMER AND WE ARE NOT HAVING NO VA I HAVEN'T HAD A VACATION IN TWO YEARS BECAUSE EVERY TIME WE TRY TO LEAVE AND GO ON VACATION, SOMEBODY WANTS TO KIDNAP MY CHILD. WHY? I DON'T KNOW. WE HAVEN'T BROKE NO LAW. WE HAVEN'T BROKE ANY LAWS IN THIS, IN THE, IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. YOU'RE DOING A FINE JOB. MAYOR JOHN WHITMEYER AS WELL AS OUR LOVELY PRESIDENT, MR. DONALD TRUMP, AND AS WELL AS OUR GOVERNOR, GOVERNOR GREG ABBOTT. SO I'M ASKING YOU, I CRY EVERY NIGHT, SIR. I'M, I'M GRIEVING MY HUSBAND AFTER 30 YEARS OF MARRIAGE AND I'M GRIEVING MY SON. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. I CAN'T HUG HIM. MY HEART HURTS. I PRAY TO GOD AND I ASK GOD EVERY NIGHT, OKAY, WE'RE GONNA MY, MY CHILD, WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA FOLLOW UP. REBECCA WILLIAMS, WOULD YOU MEET? I NEED TO SEE MY CHILD. I NEED TO SEE MY SON. OKAY, WE'RE GONNA CALL OVER AND SEE THE STATUS. OKAY? I NEED TO SEE MY SON, MAYOR. YES, EVERYBODY. YOU HAVE TWO DAUGHTERS, EVAN SHA WHAT, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF YOU WAS WALKING AND SOMEONE SNATCHED YOUR TWO BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTERS? I UNDERSTAND COUNSELOR EVAN SHAVA. ONE SECOND. YES, SIR. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND I WANNA OPENLY APOLOGIZE TO YOU BECAUSE I DID NOT SEE YOU STANDING THERE. YOU ARE CERTAINLY SO VERY IMPORTANT AND I, I I JUST KEPT TRYING TO GET THEIR ATTENTION, SO I WAS LOOKING THAT WAY SO I DIDN'T LOOK THIS WAY. SO PLEASE ACCEPT MY APOLOGY AND CERTAINLY, UH, IF YOU COULD SPEAK WITH REBECCA, SHE MAY BE ABLE TO HELP YOU. AND MY PRAYERS ARE WITH YOU. YES. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. GOOD LUCK. I NEED TO SEE MY SON. I NEED TO HUG HIM. I NEED HIM TO COME HOME. OKAY. I WANT HIM TO GRADUATE. OKAY. HE GOT ALL THE WAY UP AS A SENIOR IN HIGH SCHOOL. OKAY. AND HE COULDN'T, BUT I HAVE TO GO BACK TO ALEY ONCE I GET HIM HOME. AND ASK MS. MILLER OVER THERE AT HASTING HIGH SCHOOL, CAN Y'ALL LET HIM BACK IN? AND WE'RE GONNA FOLLOW UP ON IT. WE'RE GONNA START RIGHT NOW. IF YOU'LL TALK TO MS. WILLIAMS. YES. THANK YOU SO MUCH. Y'ALL HAVE A BLESSED DAY. YEAH. THANK YOU REPRESENTATIVE. OH, REPRESENTATIVE. HEY, GOOD AFTERNOON, EVENING, UH, MAYOR, MAYOR, PRO TEM. THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER FOR ACKNOWLEDGING ME. JUST HERE IN MY OFFICIAL CAPACITY, STATE REPRESENTATIVE IN 1 46 [01:00:01] FOR MY CONSTITU, BUT ALSO IN MY FULL-TIME EMPLOYMENT CAPACITY. 'CAUSE YOU KNOW, WE ALL HAVE JOBS. I WORK FOR A BLACK ALLIANCE OF JUST IMMIGRATION, BAJI HOUSTON. AND SO I'M HERE JUST SIMPLY TO OBSERVE AND SEE WHAT Y'ALL HAVE GOING ON. SO, UM, UNFORTUNATELY, UNFORTUNATELY I'LL BE RETURNING TO AUSTIN ON MONDAY FOR OUR SPECIAL SESSION. SO I LOOK FORWARD TO COLLABORATING WITH YOU ALL IF Y'ALL HAVE ANY CONCERNS THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED DURING THAT SPECIAL SESSION. THANK YOU. GOOD LUCK. UH, NEXT, EDUARDO DURAN JACOB WILL BE FOLLOWED BY STEVE WILLIAMS. HEY GUYS. SO, UM, BECAUSE, BECAUSE OF THE, THE KIND OF THINGS THAT I WRITE ABOUT, THE, THE THINGS THAT KIND OF, I, I BRING TO THE TABLE, I, I TALK ABOUT HERE IN CITY COUNCIL AND, UH, GENERALLY THE WAY THAT THE THINGS ARE AT HOME, I'VE ACTUALLY GAINED QUITE A BIT OF PERSECUTION. UM, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, UM, THE ONLY THING THAT I CAN SAY THAT'S HAPPENING AT HOME IS THAT FOR THE, I MEAN, I HAVE A SEVERE CASE OF RHABDOMYOLYSIS BECAUSE, UH, I HAD A, UH, SEVERE GOUT ATTACK AT THE END OF THE YEAR. AND, UH, MY KIDNEY SHUT DOWN AND I HAD A FULL, FULL BODY CRAMPS AND EVERYTHING. AND, UH, WAS TAKEN TO THE, THE HOSPITAL, UH, KIDNEYS THAT SHUT DOWN. AND I HAD SEVERE LYSIS. AND THE DOC, THE PSYCHOLOGY TEAM, NOT, NOT THE DOCTORS PSYCHOLOGY TEAM, WANTED TO GO AHEAD AND PUT ME ON INTRAMUSCULAR INJECTIONS, EVEN, EVEN THOUGH I'M THERE TELLING THEM. AND THE NURSES ARE TELLING THEM, YOU SHOULDN'T DO THAT. AND THIS WAS ALL FOR LIKE TWO DAYS. SO, UM, AFTERWARDS, UH, THEY TOOK ME OUT AND BECAUSE THE INITIAL PSYCHOLOGIST WHO SAW ME WHENEVER I CAME IN, UM, I TOLD HER I WAS FASTING FOR THREE OR FOUR DAYS OR TWO OR THREE DAYS AFTER CHRISTMAS, THREE OR FOUR DAYS. AND SHE GOES AHEAD, PUTS ON THERE THREE OR FOUR MONTHS ON AND OFF. SO BECAUSE OF THAT, SHE COMES BACK AND IT'S LIKE, I'M UNDER EDO WITH THE JUDGE AND IT'S LIKE, OH WAIT, WAIT A MINUTE. I JUST GOT HERE. I JUST WENT ONLY ONCE. AND IT'S LIKE I SEE ON THERE, SHE PUT THREE OR FOUR MONTHS AND IT'S LIKE, I TRY TO SAY SOMETHING AND SHE GOES AHEAD AND JUST, UH, STARTS TO YELL OVER ME AND SLUM SLUMPS OUT, OUT, OUT OF THE ROOM. UM, SO I'VE BEEN DEALING WITH SEVERE LYSIS AND THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED. UM, AFTER I GOT HOME IN JANUARY, I HAD A NEW NEIGHBOR AND PRETTY MUCH STARTED EVERY TIME THAT I WOULD GO AHEAD AND TRY TO DO ANYTHING AT ALL THAT HAS TO DO WITH MY WORK, TRYING TO GET BETTER, PRAYING, ANYTHING BUT THE SLEEPING ANYTHING, RIGHT? JUST GO AHEAD, START BANGING UP AGAINST THE WALL, MOVING WHATEVER YOU CAN. IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? THIS IS BEYOND, YOU KNOW, JUST A, A COINCIDENCE OR, OR INCONCLUSIVE. I MEAN, IT'S LIKE, LIKE, I MEAN, YEAH. AND, UH, I HAD TO CALL THE POLICE AFTER LIKE TWO MONTHS OF THIS AND HE DIDN'T WANNA ANSWER THE DOOR. YOU KNOW, I TALKED TO THE OFFICE MULTIPLE TIMES, MULTIPLE TIMES. THEY DON'T WANT TO ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE LIKE, YOU KNOW, SO AND SO FORTH. AND, UH, I MEAN, THE WHOLE REASON WHY I'M NOT ABLE TO GO AHEAD AND ESCAPE THESE KIND OF THINGS BECAUSE I ALREADY HAVE SO MANY PHYSICAL INJURIES AND, AND PROBLEMS WITH MY BODY BEING ABLE TO BREATHE. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. INTRACRANIAL HYPERTENSION, HERNIATED DISC IN MY BACK, WHICH EVEN WHENEVER I WAS, EVEN UNTIL NOW, A LOT OF THIS HAS, HAS GONE WITHOUT ANY ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. AND ALSO, I WAS TAKING DMSO FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS, WHICH IS A SUPPLEMENT EASILY AVAILABLE ON THE, ON AMAZON. AND, UH, IT HAS, HOW DO YOU CALL IT? UM, IT, IT INCREASES, IT PERMANENTLY INCREASES THE PERMEABILITY OF THE CELLS AND CAUSE IT CELLULAR TOXICITY ACROSS THE CELLULAR LANDSCAPE OF THE CELLULAR MEMBERS. LET ME ASK YOU A QUESTION. YOU AND I HAVE MET IN THE WARMING CENTER, FONDE CENTER. NO. WHAT YOU AND I MET, IF YOU RECALL, IN THE FONDE CENTER. I, DURING THE WARMING, I SAW ONE OF YOUR, YOUR REPRESENTATIVES OVER AT, UH, RIGHT THERE IN FRONT OF THE GALLERIA. YEAH. WHERE DO YOU STAY? I STAY A COUPLE OF BLOCKS FROM THERE? NO. IN A AN APARTMENT YOU HAVE AN APARTMENT. YEAH. YEAH. AND I MEAN, BECAUSE OF THE KIND OF THINGS THAT I, I TALK ABOUT, I WRITE, I BRING HERE, I MAKE VIDEOS, ET CETERA. HOW DO YOU SUPPORT YOURSELF? BECAUSE I'VE HAD A NUMBER OF PHYSICAL INJURIES, THEN MY MOM HAS HAD TO TAKE CARE OF ME. THE ONLY THING IS THAT, [01:05:01] UH, EVER SINCE SHE GOT A, YEAH, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH IT. ALRIGHT, WELL, BEST OF LUCK. THANK YOU. UM, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT Y'ALL CAN DO? BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, UM, WE'RE FINE. THAT, I MEAN, I, I, I SAW, I STILL HAD TO WRITE THINGS LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, THIS. AND THE THING IS THAT IT HAS TO DO WITH PRETTY MUCH THEM CONSTANTLY DOING WHATEVER THEY CAN TO END MY LIFE. AND, UH, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S BEEN ONE PERSON, AFTER THEY GOT THE, THE ATTENTION OF THE POLICE, HE MOVED OUT AND JUST HAD SOMEONE ELSE MOVE IN TO CONTINUE THE ABUSE. OKAY. UH, IF I CAN JUST GO AHEAD AND, AND GIVE YOU THIS, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, AND, AND IF YOU CAN PLEASE READ IT. THIS IS WHAT I WAS ACTUALLY TRYING TO WRITE AND THEY'RE NOT LETTING ME BECAUSE I'M UNDER PERSECUTION. OKAY. I'LL LET YOU GIVE 'EM TO MY STAFF. OKAY. OKAY. I JUST, FOR 10 SECONDS. THE CLANDESTINE INTERNATIONAL DRUG GRAY AREA MARKET, UH, 1960 TO 2000 TENS. EVERYTHING FROM BEING ABLE TO ORDER DRUGS ON GRAY AREA WEBSITES, NOT THE DARK WEB, TO THE ADVERTISEMENT FOR PRIVATE ORDER IN THE FIFTIES AND SIXTIES IN DRUG CELEBRATION MUSIC FESTIVAL, 1950S THROUGH, THROUGH PRESENT THE SEXUAL REVOLUTION, PSYCHOLOGY, OPERATION PARADIGM IDEOLOGY DEVELOPMENT, AND ITS LIEUTENANT GOALS, SEXUAL REVOLUTION, GENETIC REVOLUTION. POSTHUMANISM FOCUSED THE WORK OF ALFRED KINSEY, JOHN MONEY, AND JULIAN HUXLEY, AND WHERE THEIR WORK LEADS. OKAY. DISPENSARIES, TRANSPARENCY OF POSSIBLE SALE OF REPLACEMENT, CANNABIS PRODUCTS OF SEMISYNTHETIC NATURE, AND POSSIBLE EXPOSURE TO THE MASS POPULATION, TO UNSET GENETIC MODIFICATION. THIS WOULD INCLUDE NO TRANS, NO TRANSPARENCY ON YOUR TIME'S UP. THANK YOU. ABNORMAL ABNORMALITIES ON VIDEO AND AUDIO FORMAT, ET CETERA. THANK YOU. I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND GIVE THIS, THESE ARE THE CHAPTERS THAT I WAS TRYING TO WRITE. AND THE THING IS, I COME UP UNDER MAJOR PERSECUTION EVER SINCE I STARTED TRYING TO DO A LOT OF THESE THINGS. BE, BE SAFE. THANK YOU. STEVE WILLIAMS WILLIAMS. NEXT SPEAKER. STACEY FAIRCHILD. STACEY FAIRCHILD. NEXT SPEAKER. EARL HIRSH. EARL HIRSH. EARL HIRSH TO BE FOLLOWED BY JOSEPH AMARI. HELLO, MR. HIRSCH. HEY, IT'S GOOD TO BE BACK. SO, LAST WEEK I SANG THE PRAISES OF, UH, PARKS PUBLIC WORKS LIBRARY IN 3 1 11. SO I GOT TWO MORE. OKAY, LET'S TALK ABOUT RECYCLING. SO, BACK WHEN I WAS IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, I REMEMBER THE FIRST EARTH DAY, APRIL, 1970. OKAY. EVER SINCE THEN, I'VE BEEN A TOTAL NUTCASE ON RECYCLING. I'LL PICK UP THE PLASTIC BAG, I'LL PICK UP ALL THAT STUFF ON THE GROUND AND RECYCLE IT. SO, WHAT I HEARD LAST WEEK AT SOLID WASTE WAS REALLY INTERESTING WHEN THEY TALKED, AND, AND WHAT I KNOW ABOUT RECYCLING AT THE SOLID WASTE LEVEL FOR MUNICIPALITIES IS THAT WHEN THE STUFF GOES INTO CAN THAT'S NOT SUPPOSED TO BE THERE, IT COULD ABSOLUTELY RUIN THE ENTIRE LOAD. SO, I'LL PUT OUT THIS, I THINK THE ISSUE IS FOR MYSELF, I DON'T HAVE A LITTLE PLOT THAT THAT SIGN ANYMORE 'CAUSE IT'S ALL WORN OFF ON MY GREEN. CAN I PROPOSE? MAYBE, MAYBE IT HAPPENS WITH THE, UM, UH, SUPER NEIGHBORHOODS. JUST PUT NEW DECALS ON THERE. I WOULD GO OUT AND PUT THREE. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. IF YOU WANT ME TO TALK ABOUT SOLID WASTE, I COULD TALK ABOUT THAT. IF I'M BEING YOUR, YOUR, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED, BUT WE'RE DEFINITELY MORE THAN, UH, WILLING TO HEAR. IF YOU, IF YOU HAVE, UM, SOMETHING THAT YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH US VIA EMAIL, WE'D, WE'D LOVE TO READ IT. WELL, I WANNA PUT OUT THAT THIS IS ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT WHAT YOU ALL HAVE DONE FOR PLASTICS, ALL PLASTICS AND A PLASTIC BAG THAT INCLUDES YOUR STUFF THAT YOU HAVE FOR, FOR STYROFOAM AND, AND STUFF THAT YOU GET FROM ALL KINDS OF PLACES. ABSOLUTELY. BRILLIANT. WELL, WE AGREE THAT WE NEED A BETTER COMMUNICATION PLAN AS WELL, AN EDUCATION PLAN. SO THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT. NEXT SPEAKER, JOSEPH AMARI TO BE FOLLOWED BY LSA MARRON, UH, MR. MAYOR AND, AND CITY COUNCIL. I, I HATE TO REPORT THIS TO YOU, BUT SOMEBODY DOWN THAT, UH, CITY ADMINISTRATION, DOWN CITY SECRETARY DOWN THERE IS PRACTICING SOME RACISM DOWN THERE. UH, TOLERABLE RACISM. YOU KNOW, I LOOK AT THIS CITY SIDE AND SAY THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY, FREEDOM, EQUALITY, AND JUSTICE. FOR SOME REASON, I'M NOT GETTING THAT RIGHT HERE IN YOUR CITY ADMINISTRATION. I SIGNED UP FOR THREE MINUTES. I KEEP GETTING ONE MINUTE. LAST WEEK I SHOWED UP FOUR WEEKS. 1, 2, 3, 4, 4, 3 MINUTES. I COME BACK. HE HAD ME SIGN UP FOR ONE MINUTE. I GO, OKAY THEN, WELL, WE HAVE TO VOTE FOR 4TH OF JULY OFF. OH, THAT MEANS WE GOT SPEED. EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE OR THIS FEW MINUTES. I SAID, OKAY, NO PROBLEM. NO PROBLEM, NO PROBLEM. I SIGN UP FOR THREE MINUTES. THAT WAY I SHOW UP THIS WEEK. I'M STILL ON A ONE MINUTE LIST. HOW DO I KEEP BEING ON A WOMAN MINUTE LIST WHERE I SUPPOSED TO BE ON THE FEMALE LIST? YOUR TIME [01:10:01] HAS EXPIRED NOW. I WORK ON A RECORD TODAY. YES. YEAH. I SURE HATE TO CUT YOU OFF. I, TODAY THAT I SPEAK TO ONE MINUTE AND I SHOULD BE THREE MINUTES. WHY DON'T I UP 15 MINUTES. I'LL GIVE YOU A MINUTE. GO FOR IT. HUH? I'LL GIVE YOU A MINUTE. YOU DON'T MESSED UP MY RULE, MAN. I'LL GIVE YOU TWO MINUTES. NO, NO, YOU DON'T. MESSED UP. YOU DON'T MESS. SWAG. YOU MESSED UP A THREE. YOU DON'T MESSED UP A REAL, WE'RE WE'RE WORKING ON OUR SISTER. MY PROMISE. YOU MESSED UP A RHYTHM. HE, YOU KNOW, HE MESSED UP RHYTHM. SEE, I SAID, I DON'T WANNA COME BACK. I, I'M TELL YOU, FIRST OF ALL, I DON'T WANT YOU TO SEE ME ALL DAY. I DON'T WANT TRY TO BE, I AIN'T TRYING TO BE POPULAR. I DON'T WANT, BUT SOMEBODY DOWN THERE IN THAT OFFICE DOWN THERE HAD SOME, I HAD THIS PROBLEM LAST TIME WAS YL TAYLOR WAS HERE. OKAY? IT DID A PSYCHO STILL, STILL DOWN THERE IN THE OFFICE. WHO STILL DOING THE SAME THING WITH THE ONE MEN THING. WE, YOU SUPPOSED TO GET THREE MEN THINGS, NOT THE WOMAN THING, WHICH SAY FOUR WEEKS. ME NEXT WEEK, FOUR WEEKS. OKAY. YOU GET THE FOUR MEN, YOU GET THE THREE MEN THING, NOT THE WOMAN THING. WE'RE WORKING ON IT, I PROMISE. WELL, I'M SIGNED UP AGAIN, BUT THREE MEN THING. I HOPE I DON'T END UP ON A WOMAN'S THING BECAUSE I'M SAYING YOU, I'M GONNA GIVE YOU, I'M GONNA GIVE YOU THREE MINUTES PLUS. THANK YOU SIR. SIR, THANK YOU. NEXT HE LS AIA. OKAY. SESSION , JACOB CLEMENTIS, COME KNOCK IT OUTTA THE PARK. , TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME. OH, THANK YOU. AND THEN RATE I'M THE AA MEANS NOT ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, BUT, UH, AUSTIN. ADVOCACY. THAT'S WHAT I'M GOING TO DO THIS MONDAY. I'M WELL, I SUNDAY AFTER I GOT OFF OF WORK AND, UM, MY WORK, I'M GOING TO TRAVEL VIA BUS TO AUSTIN TO ADVOCATE FOR ISSUES THAT I REALLY BELIEVE IN. SUGGEST SENATE BILL 3, 2, 8 8 0. AND WELL, UM, LOOK WHAT I'M GONNA GIVE, UH, TO ROYCE WEST, THAT SENATOR, BUT BLACK AND PRO-LIFE IN AMERICA. AND THEN I, I'M GOING TO GIVE TO YOLANDA JONES. AND THIS BREAST CANCER IS LINKED TO ABORTION AND BIRTH CONTROL PILL. NOW LET'S TIME FOR THE AGGIE JOKE. YOU KNOW HOW THE AGGIE INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING MAJOR SAID HIS CODE NAME WAS BREAKER? BREAKER AS IN CB RADIO TALK BREAKER BREAKER. WELL, HE DECIDED TO ENGINEER IN LAND DEVELOPMENT. AND HERE HIS CODE NAME BECAME BROKER, BROKER OUT. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU JACOB. BE SAFE IN YOUR TRAVELS. ALRIGHT, THIS COMPLETES THE LIST OF SPEAKERS. ALRIGHT. AMEN. WE [RECESS] STAND RECESS UNTIL NINE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING. [RECONVENE] COME TO ORDER STARTING WITH MAYOR'S REPORT. [MAYOR'S REPORT] FIRST, REMEMBER WE HAVE THE MAYOR'S REPORT. I'M GLAD WE HAVE A SMALL AGENDA TODAY BECAUSE THE MAYOR'S REPORT IS GOING TO CONSUME SOME OF OUR TIME. FIRST OF ALL, I'D LIKE TO ASK EVERYONE TO CONTINUE TO REMEMBER THE VICTIMS IN THE KERRVILLE DISASTER TRAGEDY. WE'RE EXPERIENCING MEMORIAL SERVICES AND FUNERALS. SO AS WE REMEMBER, THE VICTIMS FROM ACROSS THE STATE, CERTAINLY OUR HOUSTON FAMILIES AND THEIR CHILDREN. LET'S ALSO REMEMBER AN ICON THAT PASSED AWAY. DAVID ATS PASSED AT THE AGE OF 98. HE LEFT, UH, A RECORD OF BRINGING HOUSTON TOGETHER WITH HIS STATUTES THAT WE LOVE HOUSTON, WHICH IS WIDELY CIRCULATED HIS STATUTES TO SAM HOUSTON. AS YOU GO INTO HUNTSVILLE, OUR PRESIDENT'S ON OUR ROADS AND FREEWAYS. SO HE'S A LOST. SO LET'S REMEMBER HIS FAMILY. AS WE PAUSE FOR A MOMENT TO REMEMBER THE HEARTACHE THAT IS SURROUNDING US WITH THE CONSTANT REMINDER OF THE LOSS OF OUR YOUNG CHILDREN AT CAMP IN KERRVILLE. SO ASK, [01:15:01] I ASK YOU TO PAUSE FOR A MOMENT. THANK YOU. UH, OFTEN WHEN I HAVE TO REMEMBER INDIVIDUALS REMIND PEOPLE THAT GOD DOES NOT ALLOW US TO CHOOSE WHEN WE LOSE OUR LOVED ONES, BUT HE DOES ALLOW US TO CELEBRATE. SO OBVIOUSLY, THE YOUNG PEOPLE WERE TAKEN TOO SOON AND MR. ATS HAD A LONG, PRODUCTIVE LIFE. LET'S REMEMBER THESE INDIVIDUALS AND CELEBRATE THEIR LIVES. TODAY I HAVE A LIST OF THINGS I WANTED TO MENTION. SOME YOU'LL READ ABOUT, SOME YOU WON'T. WE OPENED A CENTRAL POLICE STATION THIS WEEK, LONG OVERDUE. IT'S GOING TO IMPROVE PUBLIC SAFETY IN THE CENTRAL BUSINESS AND NEIGHBORHOODS, EVEN WASHINGTON EMANCIPATION. AND THE POLICE OFFICERS ARE EXCITED. THANK YOU. CAPTAIN KENNEDY THAT IS OVERSEEING THIS. THEY PARTNERED HPD WITH PUBLIC WORKS, WHICH WILL OCCUPY SOME OF THE SPACE, CERTAINLY FOR THE PERMITTING CENTER PARKING. SO THAT'S A REAL ADVANCE TO OPEN A CENTRAL POLICE STATION. ANOTHER THING THAT'S GOTTEN A LITTLE DISCUSSION, BUT MEMBERS, YOU OUGHT TO SEE HOW WELL IT'S WORKING. THE PILOT PROJECT OF DOING RESIDENTIAL PERMITS IN 30 DAYS IS BEING SUCCESSFUL, IS GONNA ALLOW US TO SHOW WHAT CAN BE DONE WITH OTHER APPLICATIONS. WE HAD A GENTLEMAN THE OTHER DAY, GOT HIS PERMIT IN FIVE DAYS TO BUILD A HOUSE, UNHEARD OF. SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE OUGHT TO RECOGNIZE AS WE GO FORWARD, OBVIOUSLY ON THE SCHEDULE, IS TO HEAR FROM OUR SOLID WASTE INTERIM DIRECTOR. AND HE'S GOT AN OUTSTANDING REPORT TO SHARE WITH YOU. BUT BEFORE WE GET TO THAT IMPORTANT BUSINESS, I WANT MIKE NICHOLS AND CHIEF SATTERWHITE TO COME UP BECAUSE I'D LIKE TO CLEAR UP ONCE AND FOR ALL THE PURPOSE OF THE CIVILITY ORDINANCE. WE'VE DISCUSSED IT, WE'VE HAD INDIVIDUAL BRIEFINGS, BUT THERE'S STILL CONCERN, WHICH I RESPECT AND MISINFORMATION, WHICH WE NEED TO STOP. AND AS I WAS TRAINED AS A YOUNG LEGISLATOR BY THE LEADERS, BILL HOBBY BOB BULLOCK AND OTHERS SAID, IF YOU DON'T LIKE THIS PLAN, WHAT IS YOUR PLAN? MIKE? CHIEF SAT, COME FORWARD, TWO OF THE MOST COMPASSIONATE EXPERTS IN AMERICA, MIKE RUNNING THE HOMELESS COALITION AND CHIEF SAT RUN IN HPD AND FORMULATED THE TEAM THAT WOULD INTERACT WITH THE HOMELESS. NO ONE IS CRIMINALIZING THE CIVILITY ORDINANCE, ALLOWING PEOPLE TO BE TAKEN OFF THE STREETS LIKE A CRIME. THEY'RE BEING HANDLED COMPASSIONATELY. IT'S A PLAN THAT'S BEEN WELL THOUGHT OUT. I DON'T KNOW WHY ARE THE PEOPLE THAT QUESTIONING WOULD SUPPORT THE STATUS QUO WHEN YOU LEAVE HERE DAILY AND SEE THE SICK, PARTICULARLY THE MENTAL ILL LIVING UNDER BRIDGES. AND IN OUR PARTS, THERE'S A PLAN. NO ONE'S GONNA BE TAKEN OFF THE STREETS UNLESS THERE'S A BED AND A PLAN TO GET A MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES. PROBABLY A HIGH PRIORITY WILL BE THE HARRIS CENTER. I URGE EACH OF YOU TO VISIT IT. THERE'S BEDS THERE THIS MORNING. THE ALTERNATIVE IS TO LET PEOPLE DIE ON THE STREETS AS THEY HAVE BEEN FOR YEARS. CHIEF , I KNOW YOU'RE FRUSTRATED THIS MORNING. WE'VE MET WITH THESE GENTLEMEN, THESE LEADERS THIS MORNING. I KNOW THEY'VE BEEN TALKING TO Y'ALL SPECIFICALLY SPEAK TO THE INTERACTION AND THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF GETTING THESE INDIVIDUALS. MANY DO NOT EVEN KNOW THEIR CIRCUMSTANCES TO A SHELTER TO RECEIVE CARE. AND THEN MIKE, YOU CAN SPEAK TO THE HOLISTIC APPROACH. MEMBERS, WE TALK DAILY, WE HAVE PLANNED COUNCILMAN CARTER IS IN THE MEETINGS WITH THE NONPROFITS, THE KINDERS, HOUSTON ENDOWMENT, BROWN SERAFIN. WE HAVE A PLAN TO GET THEM IN A SAFE, [01:20:01] HUMANE LOCATION. CHIEF S WHITE SPEAK SPECIFICALLY TO RECOMMENDATIONS THAT SOME HAVE MADE ABOUT ADDITIONAL SAFEGUARDS. TELL THE PUBLIC IN THIS COUNCIL, WE HAVE 'EM IN PLACE, AND YOUR OFFICERS ARE TRAINED TO LOOK FOR MENTAL HEALTH. I YIELD TO YOU. I THANK YOU MAYOR, AND THANK YOU COUNCIL FOR HAVING ME AND MIKE HERE. UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR DECADES, UH, NOT JUST IN HOUSTON, BUT ACROSS THE NATION. UH, AND WE KNOW WHERE IT IS. I MEAN, WE RIGHT HERE IN OUR AREA, WE LOSE HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE EVERY YEAR ON THE STREETS. WHEN YOU SAY LOSE THEM, YOU MEAN THEY DIE? LOSE THEIR LIVES. THEY DIE. THEY DIE UNDER BRIDGES. THEY DIE ON OUR SIDEWALKS. THEY DIE ROLLED UP IN BLANKETS, UH, AND IN CLOTHING. AND THEY, AND, AND IN THEIR OWN HUMAN WASTE, AFTER THREE OR FOUR WEEKS WITHOUT EVER HAVING CHANGED, AND LONGER THEY DIE AND WE LOSE THEM. RIGHT NOW, OUR SIDEWALKS ARE OUR WAITING ROOM FOR A LOT OF HELP OUT THERE. THAT'S WHERE IT IS, BECAUSE WE NEED MORE BEDS AND WE NEED MORE INVESTMENT. BUT THE, BUT THE SIMPLE FACT IS, IS THAT WHAT WE ALLOW, WE ENCOURAGE, I DID 34 YEARS ON THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT, DEALT WITH THIS CHALLENGE FOR A LONG TIME. WE'RE NOW DOING IT IN THIS JOB. AND WE HAVE TO DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY IF WE WANT TO ACTUALLY SOLVE THE PROBLEM. HOUSTON CAN BE THE ONE, THE CITY THAT SOLVES THE PROBLEM. BUT IT, IT TAKES INNOVATION. IT TAKES A LOT OF WORK. IT TAKES SLEEPLESS NIGHTS, AND IT TAKES, AND IT TAKES COURAGE BECAUSE WE'RE SAYING WE WANT, WE NEED TO DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY. WHEN I WAS THE CAPTAIN OVER DOWNTOWN AND SPECIAL OPERATIONS, WE ALWAYS RAN UP AGAINST THE WALL, WHICH WAS WHEN WE WERE TRYING TO GET PEOPLE TO TAKE OUR HELP AND EVERYTHING ELSE. MOST OF MY OFFICERS WOULD SAY, CHIEF, WE DO EVERYTHING. OR CAPTAIN AT THE TIME, WE DO EVERYTHING. BUT AT 11 O'CLOCK, THEY KNOW THEY CAN LAY DOWN ANYWHERE, ROLL UP A BLANKET AND GO TO SLEEP. NOW THEY'RE GONNA BE FOR HOURS AT A TIME. VULNERABLE, EXPOSED TO THE ELEMENTS, EXPOSED TO PREDATORS, ALL THE THINGS THAT HAPPEN OVER OUR NIGHTS. AND WE LOSE THEM. WE LOSE 'EM TO VIOLENCE. WE LOSE THEM TO, UH, YOU KNOW, ILLNESS BECAUSE IT'S A VERY UNHEALTHY LIFE. WE LOSE THEM ONE MORE TIME. WHEN YOU SAY YOU LOSE THEM, WE DIE. THEY DIE ON THE STREETS OF HOUSTON. THEY DIE UNDER THE CURRENT CIRCUMSTANCES. YEAH. THEY SOMETIMES THEY'RE THE VICTIM. SOMETIMES THEY'RE THE, THE, THE, UH, THE SUSPECT IN THE END, THE LIFE LEADS TO ALL OF THESE THINGS. IT DOES NOT SOLVE ANY PROBLEMS. AND IT IS, IT IS NOT WHERE WE ARE AS A CITY AND AS A, AS A REGION, WE CAN DO BETTER. BUT IT TAKES THIS KIND OF MOVE ALL WE ARE ASKING TO DO, BECAUSE I ASSURE YOU, UH, WE ARE ONLY ABLE TO MOVE AT THE SPEED OF THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE. WE ARE ONLY ABLE, WE, WE PICK OUT AREAS TO GO AND WORK BASED ON THE NUMBER OF BEDS WE HAVE ON HAND, SO THAT WHEN WE GO IN TO AN AREA TO WORK IT, WE ARE OFFERING REAL HELP. AND TO BE SURE THIS IS A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT. I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH THANKS TO KELLY YOUNG AND THE COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS AND ALEXIS LOVING FOR, FOR AT, AT AT SEARCH AND ALL OUR NONPROFITS. WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER, MIKE. WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER. WE HAVE A PROCEDURE, A POLICY OF A WAY, OF A PRACTICE OF HOW WE DO IT. WE GO IN FIRST WITH NONPROFITS. WE GO IN FIRST WITH MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS. WE GO IN ASSESS. WE OFFER HELP. WE TRY TO GET THEIR NAMES, FIND OUT WHERE THEY ARE. WE DEVELOP A PLAN, AND THEN WE MAKE OFFERS OF HELP TO THOSE AREAS THAT THEY CAN TAKE. AND THANKFULLY, MORE THAN 110, 112 ALREADY HAVE ACCEPTED OUR HELP AND LEFT THE STREET. THAT IS HUGE. AND IT'S BEING FELT IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA BECAUSE I'M GETTING THE REPORTS BACK. IT'S BEING FELT ALONG THE SHARPES CORRIDOR BECAUSE I GET THE REPORTS BACK. MIKE GETS SOME TOO. WE ARE MAKING PROGRESS, BUT WE STILL HAVE A PROBLEM WITH PEOPLE THAT CAN RIGHT NOW LEGALLY SLEEP OVERNIGHT ON OUR SIDEWALK IN PLACES. AND WE'RE NOT ABLE TO GET THEM TO BUY INTO OUR, OUR HELP THAT WE WANT BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW AND THEY DON'T TRUST. AND I UNDERSTAND EVERY BIT OF THAT. THEY'VE BEEN LEFT ALONE FOREVER ON OUR STREETS. PEOPLE WILL JUST STEP OVER THEM. OTHER PEOPLE THAT ARE AFFECTED HAVE TO HAVE TO CALL CONSTANTLY. AND IT'S A CYCLE AND A CHURN. THEY'RE IN AND OUT OF OUR EMERGENCY ROOMS. THEY'RE IN AND OUT OF OUR NEUROPSYCHIATRIC CENTERS. THEY SIMPLY, AND IT'S SOMETIMES I'VE GOT REPORTS OF, OF SOME HITTING ER, FOUR DIFFERENT EMERGENCY ROOMS IN THE MEDICAL CENTER ALONE IN ONE DAY. THINK OF THE COST OF ALL OF THAT. SO WE'RE TRYING TO DO THINGS DIFFERENT, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO MOVE BECAUSE THIS IS A HUMANITARIAN EFFORT. THIS IS NOT A LAW ENFORCEMENT OPERATION. THIS IS NOT AN ENFORCEMENT EFFORT. THIS IS A HUMANITARIAN EFFORT. WE ARE TRYING TO GET IN FRONT OF THEM, BUILD THAT RELATIONSHIP, TELL THEM WE HAVE HELP, [01:25:01] WE HAVE OFFERS OF HOPE WE CAN GET THEM THERE, BUT ALSO HOLD THE LINE BECAUSE WE HAVE TO BE ACCOUNTABLE. OTHERWISE, SOME WILL NEVER TAKE OUR HELP. SOME WILL NEVER TAKE IT ON BECAUSE THEY DON'T TRUST AND THEY'RE MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE IN THE LIFE THAT THEY HAVE, AS OPPOSED TO STEPPING OUT THERE AND TAKING A CHANCE ON SOMETHING BETTER. BUT THAT'S WHAT I'M, THAT'S WHAT MIKE AND I ARE HERE TO ASK FOR IS, IS A LITTLE, A LITTLE BIT MORE HELP IN THE ORDINANCE SO THAT WE CAN 24 7 GO OUT THERE AND SAY, NO, I'M SORRY MR. SMITH. YOU KNOW, WE'RE OFFERING YOU A BED, WE'RE OFFERING YOU ALL THESE THINGS. I DON'T WANT IT. THAT'S OKAY. BUT YOU CAN'T DO THIS. IT'S NOT MOVING PEOPLE. IT'S NOT SWEEPING PEOPLE. MOVING PEOPLE TO OTHER PLACES ONLY MOVES THE PROBLEM. WE WANT TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM, MAYOR. WE WANT TO ACTUALLY GET THEM OUT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MAYOR. SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN WORKING ON THE GOAL OF MAKING HOMELESSNESS, RARE, BRIEF, AND NON-REOCCURRING FOR NOW, GOING ON SEVEN YEARS. I AM VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THIS CIVILITY ORDINANCE. NOT JUST BECAUSE I'M A DIRECTOR OF OF HCD, BUT BECAUSE OF THE WORK WE'VE BEEN DOING. IT IS CONSISTENT WITH THE EFFORTS THAT ARE BEING MADE TO MOVE PEOPLE FROM THE STREETS INTO HOUSING. IT IS CONSISTENT WITH THAT. THE EFFORTS ARE THERE EVERY DAY IN MULTIPLE WAYS, MEANING MOVING PEOPLE INTO PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING FROM THE NAVIGATION CENTER AND FROM THE STREET. THERE ARE DOLLARS THAT YOU'VE APPROVED ALREADY AND THAT YOU'RE APPROVING IN THE NEXT MONTH THAT WILL INCREASE THAT. UM, IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT THERE ARE ALSO, UM, SHELTER BEDS, BOTH PRIVATELY FUNDED, LIKE STAR OF HOPE, GREAT PARTNER, UH, OPEN DOOR MISSION, GREAT PARTNER AND PUBLICLY FUNDED LIKE THE RECOVERY CENTER AND, AND OTHER AREAS. THIS MORNING I RECEIVED, UH, A MESSAGE WHICH I RECEIVED ON A REGULAR BASIS FROM THE, FROM THE HARRIS CENTER, YOUR, UM, AUTHORITY ON MENTAL HEALTH. AND IT SAYS TONIGHT THERE ARE 36 UNRESTRICTED JAIL DIVERSION BEDS. 24 HOSPITAL HOME BEDS THAT HAVE SOME RESTRICTIONS BECAUSE THEY'RE RESERVE FOR HOSPITAL RELEASES AND 32 ADDITIONAL UNRESTRICTED BEDS COMING ON VERY, VERY SOON. THESE GO BACK TO, UH, HPD, BACK TO OUR, UH, OUTREACH FOLKS, SO THEY'LL KNOW HOW MANY BEDS THERE ARE SO WE CAN FIGURE OUT HOW TO MOVE PEOPLE ON THE MOST. THE BIGGEST THING THAT I'VE LEARNED FROM CHIEF SATTERWHITE IN HIS 30 YEARS IS SOMETIMES IT'S NECESSARY TO BREAK HABITS. AND WE HAVE A HABIT IN HOUSTON, WHICH IS LOTS OF PEOPLE COMING DOWNTOWN WHO ARE HOMELESS, WHO ARE DESPERATE BECAUSE THERE'S FEEDINGS GOING ON AND ACTIVITIES. AND WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS BREAK THOSE HABITS. THIS IS NOT CLEARLY, IT'S CLEARLY NOT ABOUT INCARCERATING PEOPLE. SADLY, WE HAVE TOO MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE ALREADY INCARCERATED, WHO ARE HOMELESS AT HARRIS COUNTY JAILS. AND THAT'S A HUGE COST. IT'S ABOUT A VERY DEFINITIVE WAY TO HELPING PEOPLE WITH THEIR ISSUES. AND YES, THERE'S A SERIOUS MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE, AND THAT'S WHY WE DON'T MOVE A STEP WITHOUT OUR PARTNERS AT THE HARRIS CENTER AND, UH, NPC WITHOUT OUR, WITHOUT A STEP, WITHOUT OUR FOLKS, UH, IN MENTAL HEALTH. THIS IS A JOINT WORK AND THE IDEA OF STARTING DOWNTOWN IS THE RIGHT IDEA. NO, IT'S DISAPPOINTING TO SOME FOLKS WHO WOULD LIKE TO DO IT CITYWIDE. WE CAN'T DO THAT. RIGHT? THE RESOURCES AREN'T THERE FOR THAT. IT'S DISAPPOINTING TO SOME PEOPLE THAT THEY DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHERE EVERY PERSON IS GOING TO EVERY NIGHT. WE CAN'T DO THAT. THIS IS A MOVING, UM, UH, UH, A MOVING SYSTEM. I'M A SYSTEMS GUY, I'M A MONIES GUY, AND THIS IS PART OF THE SYSTEM TO MOVE PEOPLE. THANK YOU. FROM DOWNTOWN TO HAL. THANK YOU, MIKE AND LARRY. UH, WE'RE VERY BLESSED TO HAVE YOUR SERVICE. COUNCILMAN KAMAN. GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE. UH, FIRST AND FOREMOST, AS I SAID LAST WEEK, I WANNA THANK, UM, BOTH SO CHIEF SATTERWHITE AND DIRECTOR NICHOLS. UH, AND I, AS I TOLD Y'ALL THIS MORNING, IF I KNEW Y'ALL WERE GONNA BE HERE FOR THE NEXT FOUR DECADES RUNNING THIS PROGRAM, UM, I WOULD BE CONFIDENT, I WOULD BE ASSURED. BUT WE'RE ALSO CREATING AN ORDINANCE, EXPANDING AN ORDINANCE THAT OUTLIVES ALL OF US AND CAN BE USED IN DIFFERENT WAYS. UM, I DO STILL HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT PUSHING INTO OTHER AREAS. UH, I UNDERSTAND WE ARE NOT PREPARED TO DO THIS CITYWIDE. UM, BUT CHIEF I'D LOVE FOR YOU TO TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE. YOU SAY WE'RE GOING TO OFFER THEM A BED MM-HMM . BUT WE ALSO KNOW SOME DON'T WANT IT. RIGHT? SO TALK US THROUGH THEN, WHAT, SO PRACTICALLY, WE, WE, WE, WE TAKE SEVERAL OPPORTUNITIES TO OFFER THROUGH NONPROFIT [01:30:01] FIRST AND THEN THROUGH LAW ENFORCEMENT. AND LEMME JUST SAY AGAIN ABOUT OUR OFFICERS. OUR DEPUTIES OUT THERE. THEY'RE SOME OF THE MOST COMPASSIONATE AND LOVING PEOPLE ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH. THEY TAKE, THEY STEP OUT THERE, THEY GO INTO THE UNKNOWN, THEY DO EVERYTHING ELSE. THEY TRULY WANT TO HELP. AND IN THIS CASE, THEY REALLY WANT TO HELP THEM OFF THE STREET. I MEAN, I AM EVERY DAY MORE AND MORE PROUD OF THEM, AND I CAN'T THANK THEM ENOUGH. BUT YES, THEY WILL. WE WILL START WITH NONPROFIT OFFERS, HELP, ASSESSMENT, YOU KNOW, PROFESSIONALS, MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS TRAINED IN ALL OF THIS. AND THEY WILL DO WHAT THEY DO. AND THEN WE WILL FOLLOW UP BECAUSE WE HAVE BEDS AVAILABLE. WE'VE IDENTIFIED BEDS. AGAIN, WE DON'T GO INTO AN AREA WITHOUT IDENTIFYING ENOUGH BEDS TO TAKE CARE OF EVERYBODY THAT WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO ADDRESS. THAT'S THE REASON THAT I HAVE TO ASK THE PUBLIC FOR PATIENTS, MIKE AND I DO, BECAUSE WE CAN'T GO EVERYWHERE BECAUSE THIS IS NOT JUST TO GO OUT THERE AND EVERYWHERE AND FORCE IN EVERYTHING ELSE BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE BEDS. AND ALL WE'LL DO IS DISPLACE. AND THAT RUINS TRUST. SO WE WANNA BE ABLE TO OFFER THEM SOMETHING BEFORE WE GO IN. BUT LET'S SAY THAT WE GO IN AND WE OFFER AND WE GET THOSE THAT ARE WILLING TO ACCEPT, AND THEN WE ARE LEFT WITH THOSE THAT AREN'T WILLING. WE JUST SIMPLY ADVISE WHICH, WHICH WE'VE HAD, RIGHT? LIKE ALONG YES, CHARTERS AND OTHERS, THERE'S, THERE'S A PERCENTAGE. YES, THERE ARE THOSE THAT WILL SAY, NO, IT'S NOT FOR ME, NOT FOR NOW. THERE'S A LOT OF REASONS THEY DO THAT. TRUST MENTALLY ILL, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT IN CRISIS, BUT THEY ARE SICK AND THEY DON'T EVEN RECOGNIZE THEIR OWN SITUATION TO A LOT IN A LOT OF WAYS. BUT THEY'RE NOT IN TRUE CRISIS AT THAT MOMENT. SO WE HAVE ALL OF THAT. AND SO WHEN THOSE THINGS HAPPEN, OR MAYBE THEY'RE JUST, THEY HAVE A DEPENDENCY ISSUE AND THAT'S WHERE THEY GET THEIR, IN OUR, THEIR DRUGS AND IT'S JUST HAPPENS. THIS IS WHAT'S HAPPENING ON OUR STREETS EVERY DAY. A LOT OF 'EM ARE OUT THERE BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR. THEY'RE LOOKING FOR DRUGS, UM, BECAUSE THEY'RE ADDICTED. SO, SO THEY MAY TURN US DOWN, UM, AND THEN WE'LL JUST ADVISE THEM OF THE LAW. RIGHT NOW, FROM 7:00 AM TO TO 11:00 PM THE ORDINANCES IS IN EFFECT. AND IT'S BEEN IN EFFECT FOR, FOR OVER A DECADE. LONG, LONGER. AND YOU KNOW, THIS, THE, WHEN OFFICERS MIGHT GET A CALL, BECAUSE TYPICALLY WHAT HAPPENS IS OFFICERS RIGHT NOW ARE GETTING A CALL TO AN AREA. SOMEBODY IS OUT IN FRONT OF MY BUSINESS, THEY'RE BLOCKING MY BUSINESS AND ALL THOSE OTHER THINGS. THEY'RE LAYING DOWN, THEY'RE BLOCKING THE DOORWAY AND ALL THOSE OTHER THINGS. THE OFFICERS ARE GONNA SHOW UP AND AT THAT. AND, AND ON A DAILY BASIS, THEY'RE GOING TO SAY, YOU CAN'T DO THIS. YOU GOTTA GET UP, YOU GOTTA MOVE. OR, AND IF THEY REFUSE, THEY MAY BE CITED, THEY MAY BE TICKETED. FOR OUR PROGRAM, WE'RE GOING IN AND SAYING, BECAUSE WE'RE INTENTIONALLY GOING INTO DIFFERENT AREAS. WE HAVE THAT BEDS IDENTIFIED, AND WE'RE GONNA FOLLOW UP BY NONPROFIT AND MAKE THOSE OFF SOME OFFERS. BUT IF THEY REFUSE, THEN ALL WE DO IS SAY, THE LAW SAYS YOU CANNOT BY ORDINANCE, YOU CANNOT LIE DOWN, SIT DOWN OR LEAVE YOUR STUFF ON, ON THE GROUND, ON THE PART, UH, SIDEWALK BLOCK. AND, AND THAT'S YOUR PROGRAM. BUT YOU ALSO JUST CITED TO OFFICERS THAT GET A CALL MM-HMM . AND DO GO OUT AND MAY ISSUE A CITATION ON A ONE-OFF OR MAY AGAIN, NOT BE, UH, THROUGH THE CERT TEAM. THEY'RE RESPONDING TO A CALL UNDER DISABILITY ORDINANCE. AND THE CIVILITY ORDINANCE ITSELF GOES THROUGH A PROCESS, RIGHT. EACH NEIGHBORHOOD HAS TO COME FORWARD. AND WE STILL, I POINTED OUT LAST WEEK, HAVEN'T HAD THE EVIDENTIARY SHOWING. I, I KNOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WE'VE LOST UNHOUSED INDIVIDUALS ON OUR STREETS TO CRIME OR THE ELEMENTS. BUT THE REASON WHY SUBSECTION I AND THE CIVILITY ORDINANCE EXISTS IS TO SEE THOSE NUMBERS PRESENTED TO COUNCIL. RIGHT. AND THAT HAS NOT HAPPENED YET. AND IN ORDER TO EXPAND THE CIVILITY ORDINANCE, HPD IS REQUIRED TO DO THAT. THE, AS IT RELATES TO THE BEDS, AND AGAIN, THOSE ARE FOR SPECIFIC NEIGHBORHOODS, IT'S NOT CITYWIDE. AND I KNOW THE IDEA IS TO WORK CITYWIDE 24 7, BUT AS YOU SAID, WE DON'T HAVE THE BEDS. RIGHT. AND I LOOK THE NAVIGATION CENTER, THE HAIR CENTER, INCREDIBLE PARTNERS. THAT'S WHO IN OUR LAST TERM, WE FUNDED A LOT OF THESE PROGRAMS. WE FUNDED A LOT OF THESE BEDS. MM-HMM . THOSE ARE LOW BARRIER. RIGHT. WE ALSO THOUGH, HAVE SHELTER MODELS WHICH HAVE BARRIERS. FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAVE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE, HAVE ADDICTIONS MM-HMM . SERIOUS, SEVERE LIFE THREATENING ADDICTIONS. BUT IF WE DON'T HAVE BEDS AT THE HARRIS CENTER, RIGHT? WE ONLY HAVE THESE 60 AND WE'RE SAYING, WELL, THERE'S STILL A BED AVAILABLE AT A SHELTER, BUT THEY DON'T PERMIT DRUG USE. RIGHT. WE HAVE NOT PUT THAT PER, WE HAVE NOT STABILIZED THAT PERSON TO GET THEM THE HELP THEY NEED. OR IF THEY HAVE A CART FULL OF ALL OF THEIR BELONGINGS AND THEY CAN ONLY BRING A DRAWER FULL IN, I WOULD NOT WANNA LEAVE EVERYTHING I OWN BEHIND OR A PET. SO WE'RE STILL, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT ONE OF MY CONCERNS IS THAT THERE WE'RE GOING TO BE UTILIZING, UH, AS WE'RE GONNA USE EVERY TOOL WE HAVE AVAILABLE MM-HMM . BUT SOME OF THOSE TOOLS INCLUDE SHELTERS WHO ARE TERRIFIC PARTNERS, BUT ARE STILL HIGH BARRIER [01:35:01] SHELTERS. AND WE'RE SAYING YOU EITHER HAVE TO GO HERE OR, OR THERE'S A CONSEQUENCE. YES, MA'AM. I, I UNDERSTAND. I DO. AND AND YOU'RE RIGHT. WE HAVE, WE HAVE RESIDENCY, NONPROFIT RESIDENCY THAT HAS RULES. AND SOMETIMES THEY ONLY HANDLE CERTAIN, CERTAIN TYPES. I MEAN, SOME ARE STRICTLY TO WOMEN AND CHILDREN AND SOME ARE JUST TO FAMILIES. SO THAT ALL EXISTS. AND FOR THE NON-PROFITS THAT ARE SELF-FUNDED, WE HAVE NO OFFICIAL CONTROL OVER THEM. THEY CAN DO WHAT THEY WANT. ABSOLUTELY. I OPERATE AND WE'RE OPERATING, WE KNOW THAT THAT'S OUT THERE AND WE'RE TRYING TO WORK WITH IT. BUT WE ARE OPERATING ON WHAT WE KNOW WE CAN COUNT ON. IT'S NOT WHAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE ABLE, THAT WE MAY BE ABLE TO GO TO. WE'RE OPERATING ON A NUMBER OF BEDS THAT WE KNOW THAT WE CAN COUNT ON. AND WHEN WE RUN OUT OF THOSE BEDS, THEN OUR OPERATIONS ARE PRETTY MUCH ON HOLD BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A BED TO OFFER. SO WE'RE NOT GOING OUT THERE. AND SO I THINK THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE. UM, BUT AN OFFICER STILL, SORRY, AND I DON'T MEAN TO INTERRUPT, BUT AN OFFICER STILL HAS TO, Y'ALL MAY NOT BE GOING OUT. OUR CITY OF HOUSTON TEAMS MAY NOT BE GOING OUT. RIGHT. BUT IF A RESIDENT CALLS AND SAYS, YES, THERE'S SOMEBODY OR A GROUP OF PEOPLE ON MY SIDEWALK, HPD STILL HAS TO RESPOND. AND IS THAT CORRECT? WELL, YES. SO WHEN YOU CALL FOR THE POLICE OR OTHER AGENCIES ARE DOING THIS, LAW ENFORCEMENT, THEY'RE GONNA RESPOND BECAUSE THAT IS THEIR RESPONSIBILITY. OVERWHELMINGLY. THEY'RE GOING TO RESPOND. THEY'RE GONNA DO WHAT THEIR JOB. RIGHT. THEY'RE GONNA GET, WE APPRECIATE AND THEY'RE GONNA INVESTIGATE. IF THEY ARE WITHIN THE LAW, THEN THEY'RE WITHIN THE LAW. IF THEY'RE NOT WITHIN THE LAW, LET'S SAY THEY'RE DOING OTHER THINGS OR MAYBE THEY'RE BLOCKING DOORWAYS AND OTHER THINGS. BECAUSE IT, AND I PRESUME THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AFTER 11 O' O'CLOCK TO NOW, BECAUSE DURING THE DAY, THEY, THE POLICY IS THE LAW IS THE LAW. I MEAN, EVEN DURING THE DAY, THEY CAN'T LAY DOWN OR SIT DOWN. THEY JUST DO. AND WE SIMPLY DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES. SO IT IS WHERE IT IS. BUT YEAH, WHEN SOMEBODY CALLS TO THE POLICE OFFICERS ARE GONNA SHOW UP AND TRY TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM. AND IT MIGHT BE, HEY, IF THEY'RE WITHIN COMPLIANCE, THEN THEY TELL THE PERSON WHO CALLED, THEY'RE IN COMPLIANCE. THERE'S, YOU KNOW, THIS IS, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE CAN DO NO MORE AT THIS POINT. OR THEY MIGHT ALL TALK TO 'EM AND TRY TO FIND OUT. 'CAUSE THERE MIGHT BE OTHER THINGS GOING ON. 'CAUSE OFFICERS ARE GONNA DO WHAT THEY CAN TO HELP. BUT IF THEY CAN DO NO MORE, THEY CAN DO NO MORE. IF THEY'RE IN THE DOORWAY, THEY CAN SAY, YOU CAN'T BE IN THEIR DOORWAY. YOU CAN'T DO THESE OTHER THINGS. YOU GOTTA SLEEP SOMEWHERE ELSE BECAUSE YOU CAN'T BLOCK THAT. THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN. AND IT'S HAPPENING ALL THE TIME. EVERY DAY HAS BEEN HAPPENING. 'CAUSE I WAS, I'VE BEEN, I'VE DONE THIS JOB A LONG TIME. IT'S BEEN GOING ON FOR DECADES. OFFICERS ARE GONNA SHOW UP AND DO THEIR JOB. BUT I'LL SAY AGAIN, UM, IF WE DON'T START MAKING SOME CHANGES, THEN WE WILL HAVE SOME THAT WILL NEVER, THAT THEIR WAY OFF THE STREET WILL BE ON A, ON A GURNEY. THAT'S JUST THE WAY IT'LL BE. THEY'LL BE, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THAT'LL, YOU KNOW, ONE OF OUR MORS WILL COME AND PICK THEM UP BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE THAT IS IF WE DON'T DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT. RIGHT. AND WE, AND UH, AND BUT TO THE SAFETY POINT, WE TALKED LAST WEEK ALSO, IF THEY GO TO CERTAIN SHELTERS, I'M NOT SAYING ALL, BUT SPECIFICALLY MEN'S ONLY SHELTERS, THOSE CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS AS WELL. YES, MA'AM. AND, AND PEOPLE DO NOT FEEL COM I MEAN, I HAVE SPOKEN WITH PEOPLE THAT DO NOT FEEL SAFE OR COMFORTABLE GOING TO THOSE SHELTERS. SO THERE'S A SAFETY ISSUE OVERALL. AND I DO WANNA THANK OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS. AND ONE OF MY CONCERNS IS THEY'RE ALREADY STRETCHED TOO THIN. RIGHT. AND WE KEEP ASKING THEM TO DO MORE AND MORE. BUT, UH, IF THERE IS A CITATION, IT IS A, REMIND US WHAT CLASS CITATION IS IT AND WHAT'S THE MAXIMUM FINE. IT'S A SPEEDING TICKET OR RUNNING A STOP SIGN TICKET. IT'S A CLASS C OFFENSE. THAT'S ALL IT IS. IT'S AN ORDINANCE. SO IT'S A, IT'S A MISDEMEANOR CLASS C. BUT HOW MUCH IS THAT? IT CAN, THE TOP END IS 500. BUT WE HAVE A HOMELESS COURT, AND I'M GONNA LET MIKE TALK ABOUT THE HOMELESS COURT. BUT WE HAVE A HOMELESS COURT WHERE ALMOST ALL OF 'EM ARE REFERRED AND THEY HAVE ONE TICKET, FIVE TICKETS, 10 TICKETS, 20 TICKETS. THEY CAN'T PAY. WE KNOW THAT THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO PAY. BUT YOU KNOW WHAT WE DO GET AN OPPORTUNITY ON AS WE GET A CHANCE TO OFFER THEM HELP, BECAUSE NOW WE HAVE THEM IN FRONT OF US AND WE CAN SAY, LOOK, YOU NEED HELP YOU, WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT. SO WHILE IT MAY SEEM THAT, YOU KNOW, WELL, WE GOT 'EM A TICKET, THEY CAN'T PAY, WHAT ARE YOU DOING? THEY'RE NOT GONNA PAY THAT TICKET. WE KNOW THAT. BUT THAT IS, THE JUDGE IS GONNA DISMISS THEM. AND THAT'S ALMOST EVERY TIME WHAT HAPPENS. BUT WE ARE GONNA HAVE THAT CHANCE THEN IS TO ACTUALLY OFFER THEM HELP WHILE WE HAVE THEM. AND MAYBE AT A POINT OF CLARITY, BECAUSE WE'VE GOT 'EM THERE, WE CAN ACTUALLY GET THEM TO ACCEPT OUR HELP. IT'S NOT A HORRIBLE THING. THEY'RE ALREADY DYING ON OUR STREETS. THIS IS A BETTER OPTION. SO LET ME, ALLOW ME JUST RESPOND TO TWO ITEMS. ONE IS ABOUT BELONGINGS. UH, THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT HAS A WAREHOUSE RUN BY A BRIGHT YOUNG MAN NAMED NICK ABELS, WHO IS VERY COMPASSIONATE. WHO WHEN PEOPLE NEED STUFF STORED HOME, PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, HE TAKES THEIR STUFF WITHOUT JUDGMENT. [01:40:01] AND IT'S A VERY IMPRESSIVE THING TO WATCH HIM DO THIS. THIS IS REALLY HUMANITARIAN WORK BECAUSE WHAT YOU THINK IS VALUABLE, THEY MAY THINK IS REALLY VALUABLE. THEY EVEN THINK IS UNVALUABLE. SECONDLY, THE HOMELESS COURT, I THINK COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH SCOTT MOORE, WHO IS THE PERSON WHO DEVELOPED THE, UH, HOMELESS COURT. HE'S A PERSON THAT WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE, IT'S A REAL DECENT HUMAN BEING. AND I'M LOOKING AT STATISTICS NOW THAT SHOW THAT THERE'S 17 PROGRAMS REFERRING, UM, NEARLY A HUNDRED CLIENTS, UM, RESOLVING 231 CASES. IT'S A GOOD PROGRAM. IT HOPEFULLY WE WILL EXPOUND, EXPAND IT TO THE COUNTY ALSO. UM, AGAIN, I LOOK AT THIS AS ANOTHER TOOL IN A COMPLEX TOOL CHEST. UM, YOU CAN READ TRACY KIDDER'S BOOK, UH, CALLED ROUGH SLEEPERS ABOUT BOSTON. AND IT'S ALL ABOUT SAVING THAT ONE PERSON. IT'S A FAILURE IN BOSTON. WE HAVE TO HAVE A SYSTEM APPROACH. WE HAVE TO HAVE A SYSTEM APPROACH. THIS IS PART OF THAT SYSTEM. I WOULD, UH, ASK YOU, WOULD IT NOT BE A GOOD SUGGESTION IF SOMEONE'S CONCERNED ABOUT THE TICKETS, WHICH I THINK WILL BE ISSUED VERY RARE, BECAUSE THE GOAL OF THE OFFICER IS TO GET 'EM IN A SHELTER. WHY DON'T WE WORK WITH THE ADMINISTRATION AND JUDGE SANTOS TO HAVE AN EXPEDITED HEARING AND DEAL WITH THE TICKETING, WHICH IS JUST A SMALL ELEMENT OF THE WHOLE SYSTEM. SO, YOU KNOW, HERE'S A COMMITMENT. MM-HMM . IF SOMEBODY GETS A TICKET, WE WILL FOLLOW THAT TICKET AND SEE THAT THEY'RE GETTING THE CARE THEY NEED. THE TICKET IS NOT THE GOAL. YES, SIR. IT'LL BE RARELY USED. YOUR TRAINED OFFICERS THAT YOU'RE SUPERVISING KNOW CASE WORK THAT CAN ENCOURAGE SOMEONE, I DON'T WANNA WRITE YOU A TICKET, JUST LET'S GO TO A SHELTER. MM-HMM . AND NO ONE'S MENTIONED THE RESOURCES THAT ARE ADDRESSED TO THIS ISSUE FROM THE EMS DEPARTMENT. THAT'S RIGHT. THAT'S TRUE. I'VE WRITTEN ON NEW YEAR'S EVE WITH THE POLICE, WE GO TO CALLS AND THE HOMELESS, OR ROUTINELY OR, OR COMMUNITY, UH, AGENTS ARE CALLING ON A ROUTINE BASIS FOR AN AMBULANCE TO GO. I'VE DONE IT AT PAPPAS BARBECUE DOWNTOWN ACROSS THE STREET. YOU COME OUT, YOU CALL EMS TO HELP SOMEONE THAT NEEDS HELP. SO ALL I'D SAY IS WE CAN ENGINEER AROUND ANY LEGITIMATE CONCERN OF CIVIL RIGHTS, HUMAN RIGHTS, BUT AS YOU'VE SAID, THEY'RE DYING ON THE STREETS. SO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S TWO CAMPS THAT, THE CAMPS THAT LIKE THE STATUS QUO, AS THE DOCTOR SAID YESTERDAY, HE'S OUT WORKING AND I APPLAUD HIM, BUT JUST DON'T INTERFERE WITH HIS SERVICE. AND THEN YOU'VE GOT THOSE THAT HAVE SPENT YEARS ADDRESSING THIS CONCERN. THE, THE, THE, THE LACK OF SHELTERS. WE CAN'T TELL YOU EVERYTHING, BUT JUST TRUST THESE GENTLEMEN AND TWA CARTER AND JOHN WHITMEYER. WE ARE IN NEGOTIATIONS TO GET SIGNIFICANT ADDITIONAL RESIDENTIAL CARE FOR THESE INDIVIDUALS. SO IT'S, IT'S JUST FRUSTRATING THAT WE'RE RESPONDING TO THE PUBLIC. MORE RESIDENTIAL DOWNTOWN WORKERS. DOWNTOWN UNITED AIRLINE DID A POLL A COUPLE YEARS AGO TRYING TO GET PEOPLE TO START NOT WORKING AT HOME, COMING DOWNTOWN AT THEIR CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS. WHAT DO YOU THINK THE NUMBER ONE CONCERN WAS? WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE CONTACT WITH THE HOMELESS. SO IT'S AFFECTING THE HOMELESS, IT'S AFFECTING QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES FOR HOUSTONIANS. AND WE'RE RESPONDING. AND IT'S BEEN WELL PLANNED IN TERMS OF AN ORDINANCE. WE PASS ORDINANCES REGULARLY THAT ARE CHANGING PREVIOUS ORDINANCES. WE WILL REDRESS THIS. IT'S ONE OF THE HIGHEST PRIORITIES. IT'S ONE OF THE REASONS I RAN FOR OFFICE, AND I KNOW WE SHARE THE CONCERN. AND PLEASE LET THESE STAKEHOLDERS, THESE GENTLEMEN, USE THEIR EXPERIENCE AND COMMISSION AND PASSION TO ALLOW HOUSTONIANS TO BENEFIT, STARTING WITH THE HOMELESS. I LEAVE HERE LATE IN THE EVENING, AND ALL YOU GOTTA DO IS WALK AROUND THE CORNER OR COME IN BAGBY OFF OF MEMORIAL LIKE I DO EACH MORNING. WE MUST DO BETTER. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTING, MAYOR PROAM, CAST STATE. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU FOR THAT ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. AND I WILL TELL YOU, UM, THAT THERE IS A, THERE IS AN INTERNAL STRUGGLE FOR ME. UM, [01:45:01] BECAUSE WE HAVE WORKED SO HARD TO HOUSE INDIVIDUALS, UM, WE HAVE WORKED HARD TO MINIMIZE CONTACT WITH HPD. UM, THERE IS A FRACTION OF OUR COMMUNITIES THAT ARE SAYING WE DON'T WANT THE INTERACTION WITH THE HOMELESS. IT IMPACTS OUR BUSINESSES. UM, AND THEY WANT US TO PASS THIS CIVILITY ORDINANCE. WE HAVE PETITIONS WITH PEOPLE WHO HAVE SIGNED FOR US TO PASS THIS CIVILITY ORDINANCE. ONE OF THE AREAS IS IN DISTRICT K, THESE RESIDENTS WANT THIS CIVILITY ORDINANCE. AND THEN THERE IS THE, THE GROUP OF FOLKS WHO ARE WANTING US TO, UM, BE EMPATHETIC AND GIVE PEOPLE THE RIGHT TO LIVE THEIR LIVES. UM, AND IT, AND IT, IT'S A, IT'S, IT REALLY IS A, A PUSH AND PULL OF WHAT IS THE BEST WAY FOR US TO MOVE FORWARD. I THINK THE THINGS THAT YOU HAVE SAID THAT STAND OUT TO ME TODAY IS THAT WE, WE CAN ONLY MOVE AT THE SPEED OF OUR RESOURCES. WHEN WE HAD THE CONVERSATION EARLIER, UM, THIS WEEK, YOU SAID THAT THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 200 TO 250 FOLKS IN THESE DESIGNATED AREAS IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA, IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA AREA WHERE WE ARE FOCUSING FOR OUR YES MA'AM. THERE'S OVER 1500 ACROSS THE CITY. RIGHT? RELATIVELY SO, BUT I WANT TO, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT YES MA'AM. THE CIVILITY ORDINANCE. SO IF WE HAVE AN ESTIMATED NUMBER OF 200 TO TWO 50 FOLKS IN THIS DOWNTOWN AREA, UM, AND WE HAVE PLACES THAT WE CAN TAKE THEM OR PROVIDE THE SERVICES THAT THEY NEED, UM, WE ARE MOVING AT THE SPEED OF OUR RESOURCES. YES, MA'AM. SO WHEN WE HAVE A PLAN WITH MORE BEDS AND MORE PLACES TO HOUSE PEOPLE, UM, WE WILL DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT. YES, MA'AM. UM, TODAY WE ARE TALKING ABOUT A PILOT PROGRAM YES, MA'AM. FOR DOWNTOWN HOUSTON. YES, MA'AM. ANY OFM O IS, I'M SORRY, DOWNTOWN. YES, MA'AM. YES. THOSE TWO CIVILITY DISTRICTS. RIGHT. SO THIS PILOT PROGRAM, WE ARE GOING TO RECEIVE UPDATES ON THIS PROGRAM. I THINK WE WERE TOLD EVERY SIX WEEKS ON HOW THIS IS PROS PROGRESSING. YES, MA'AM. UM, THE CONCERNS THAT I'VE HEARD OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS, YESTERDAY I WAS AT AN EVENT AND PEOPLE WERE SAYING, WE NEED YOU TO VOTE FOR THIS. YOU, YOU GOTTA VOTE FOR THIS. UM, BUT THE CONCERNS THAT WE WERE, WERE HEARING WERE MORE OF, BUT ARE WE REALLY GOING TO GIVE HOMELESS PEOPLE CITATIONS? I DON'T THINK PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT HOMELESS COURT. UM, AND HOW THAT WORKS AND THE CITATIONS. AND I THINK WHEN WE SAY WE ARE GIVING PEOPLE CITATIONS, I MEAN, YOU THINK ABOUT THE FRUSTRATIONS OF THE LEGAL SYSTEM MM-HMM . AND HOW, UM, SOMEONE WHO IS ALREADY DOWNTRODDEN, SOMEONE WHO IS ALREADY HOMELESS AND, AND HAVING A DIFFICULT TIME IN LIFE, WHETHER THAT IS DRUG ADDICTION OR WHATEVER REASONS THEY ARE LIVING ON OUR STREETS, UM, HAVING TO GO TO COURT AND DEAL WITH CITATIONS. YOU KNOW, ARE THEY REALLY GONNA GO TO COURT? ARE THEY GOING TO PAY A CITATION? IT SEEMS LIKE THAT IS ADDITIONAL CUMBERSOME ACTIVITY THAT WE ARE PUTTING ON FOLKS THAT ARE ALREADY IN A VERY DIFFICULT SITUATION. AND I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND THE HOMELESS COURT DOCKET AND HOMELESSNESS COURT, MA'AM. UM, I REALLY WANT US TO TALK THROUGH THE HPD OFFICERS. I MEAN, YOU, YOU SAID THAT INITIALLY WE WILL DO, UM, NONPROFITS WILL REACH OUT TO THESE 200 TO 200 FOLKS. YES, MA'AM. THAT'S RIGHT. 250 FOLKS. YES MA'AM. THEY WILL OFFER THE SERVICES AND THEY WILL TRY TO HOUSE PEOPLE IN THE MOST COMPASSIONATE WAYS THAT OUR NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS CAN DO. SO, UM, IF THEY REFUSE TO BE HOUSED, WE, UM, THEN WILL HAVE OUR, UM, HPD OFFICERS, UM, ALSO FOLLOW UP TO PROVIDE THE SERVICES. IS THIS GROUP OF HPD OFFICERS, A SPECIFIED TEAM OF OFFICERS THAT HAVE BEEN TRAINED TO INTERACT WITH OUR HOMELESS, UH, POPULATION, I THINK IS A, IS A REALLY BIG QUESTION THAT PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW. SURE. YES MA'AM. SO ALL OFFICERS ON THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT, I CAN SPEAK TO THIS AND JUST ABOUT EVERY OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY, I'M VERY CONFIDENT, HAVE BEEN TRAINED IN, IN THESE INTERACTIONS AND DEALING WITH PEOPLE THAT MIGHT BE MENTALLY ILL, NOT IN CRISIS, BUT MIGHT BE MENTALLY ILL. 'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. OR MIGHT HAVE DRUG ADDICTIONS. BECAUSE [01:50:02] SADLY, DRUG ADDICTIONS ARE NOT THE SOLE THING FOR HOMELESSNESS. WE HAVE DRUG ADDICTIONS ALL OVER THE CITY, AND A LOT OF PEOPLE AREN'T HOMELESS, BUT THEY'RE DRUG ADDICTIONS. BUT OFFICERS HAVE BEEN TRAINED IN ALL OF THOSE THINGS. THEY'VE BEEN TRAINED IN DEESCALATION, THEY'VE BEEN TRAINED IN CONFLICT RESOLUTION, ALL OF THOSE OTHER THINGS. THEY'RE ABOUT SOLVING THE PROBLEM AND THEY'RE GREAT AT IT. SO I CAN'T TELL YOU THAT EVERY WAIT, THERE, THERE ARE SOME LEVELS AND SOME MORE, MORE REPS WILL SAY IT LIKE THAT. 'CAUSE IF YOU WORK IN THE DOWNTOWN AREAS, DOWN DOWNTOWN PATROL, IF YOU WORK IN, UH, SOUTH CENTRAL OR IF YOU WORK IN CENTRAL, THEN YOU ARE SEEING A LOT MORE OF OUR HOMELESS ON THE STREET AND INTERACTING WITH THEM BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S ONE OF THE MORE COMMON CALLS THAT THE PUBLIC MAKES. AND SO THOSE OFFICERS ARE DEALING WITH A LOT MORE. AND THOSE ARE THE PRIMARY OFFICERS WITH THE HPD. AND AGAIN, I JUST WANNA BE VERY CLEAR, THIS HPD IS HUGE, HUGE PARTNER IN THIS. AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE I COME FROM. BUT I ALSO HAVE METRO MM-HMM . AND THEY'RE AWESOME. AND ALSO HAVE PRECINCT ONE. AND AS WE MOVE INTO DIFFERENT AREAS, WE'RE ADDING OTHER AGENCIES. I'VE TALKED TO PRECINCT SEVEN, CONSTABLE PHILLIPS, I'VE TALKED TO HCC, EVERYBODY, THE MEDICAL CENTER, BECAUSE THERE'S THE MEDICAL CENTER POLICE, THERE'S RICE, UH, THERE'S UT, UH, MD, ALL OF THOSE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES, EVERYBODY'S ON BOARD AND EVERYBODY HAS THAT, UH, THE LEVEL OF TRAINING REQUIRED BY THE STATE T COLE AND THE EXPERIENCE BECAUSE THEY, YOU KNOW, YOU TALK TO THE MEDICAL CENTER, THEY DEAL WITH, UH, OUR HOMELESS POPULATION A LOT BECAUSE THEY'RE IN AND OUTTA THEIR EDS. SO THEY'RE ALL TRAINED, BUT I CAN'T TELL YOU THAT EVERY OFFICER THAT WORKS OUR INITIATIVE HAS SEEN EVERYTHING THAT EVERY OTHER, BUT, BUT AS A RULE, IT'S MOSTLY OFFICERS THAT KNOW THIS, TRAINED TO DO THIS. OUR HOT TEAMS THAT SIGN UP, WE AREN'T PULLING ANYBODY OUT OF PATROL. WE AREN'T PULLING ANYBODY THAT'S ON DUTY. UH, THE MAYOR WAS FOUND SOME RESOURCES THAT WE CAN, WE CAN CARVE OUT AND PAY SEPARATELY, UH, THESE AGENCIES, HPD AND OTHERS, UH, FOR, FOR THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING IN THIS INITIATIVE. SO THEY GO IN NOTE WITH A PLAN, WITH POLICY AND EVERYTHING ELSE. AND I THINK MIKE'S GONNA TALK ABOUT THAT IN JUST A SECOND OF HOW WE'RE DOING THINGS, WHICH IS THOSE OFFERS AND ALL THE RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE AND EVERYTHING ELSE. WE GIVE THEM THAT ALL UP FRONT AS THEY GO IN TO WORK THE AREA. THEY'RE NOT JUST GOING IN BLIND AND NOT KNOWING WHAT TO DO AND JUST FALLING ON NORMAL. THEY'RE ALL, THEY'RE ALL GREAT. THEY KNOW WHAT TO DO. BUT I'M JUST SAYING WHAT WE'RE GIVING THEM THAT EXTRA AS A MATTER OF POLICY GOING INTO EVERYTHING THAT WE DO SO THEY KNOW THOSE RESOURCES. SO THEY HAVE THAT. AND SO FAR TODAY, I DON'T WANNA TELL YOU, UM, WE'VE HAD PROBABLY RUNNING UP CLOSE TO 1800 TO 2000 CONTACTS. SO SINCE WE STARTED THIS INITIATIVE, MAYBE LESS THAN A COUPLE OF HUNDRED THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE BEC UH, DIFFERENT TIMES TO GET 'EM OFF THE STREET. AND IN THAT PROCESS, IN THAT 1800 TO 2000, THEIR TICKETS HAVE BEEN WRITTEN, ARRESTS HAVE BEEN MADE. I DON'T WANT YOU TO THINK THAT THAT DOES NOT HAPPEN. BUT AGAIN, IF WE, IF THAT IS THE LAST RESORT, AND IF THAT IS THE ONLY OTHER WAY BECAUSE THEY'RE IN VIOLATION AND WE GOTTA HOLD SOME ACCOUNTABILITY THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY GET THEM IN FRONT OF SOMEBODY THAT CAN LOOK AT THEM AND SAY, YOU NEED HELP, THEN I'LL TAKE THAT. BECAUSE THE ALTERNATIVE IS TO NOT DO ANYTHING AND JUST LET THEM GO THEIR WAY. AND WE KNOW WHERE THAT LEADS. SO COUNCILMAN, I, I KNOW EVERYBODY'S CONCERNED ABOUT POTENTIALLY OVER CRIMINALIZATION. IT'S NOT THAT IF WE DON'T TAKE A STAND, THEN, THEN, THEN THEY'RE JUST, WE KNOW THE ULTIMATE AS WE LOO, YOU KNOW, THEY DIE. SO, UM, I JUST BELIEVE, AGAIN, I KNOW I'M PROBABLY A LITTLE BIT, YOU KNOW, BUT, BUT THIS IS IMPORTANT. UH, AND I THINK IT'LL MAKE THE DIFFERENCE FOR ALL OF US. WHAT, WHAT, WHAT IS YOUR QUOTE CHIEF ABOUT WHAT WE EXPECT IS WHAT WE GET? WHAT'S THE EXACT QUOTE? YEAH, I'VE ALREADY SAID THAT. . SAY IT ONE MORE TIME. AGAIN. WHAT WE ALLOW, WE ENCOURAGE. SO AS PER, AS A PERSON WHO HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN THIS, I WOULD SAY I'M VERY PLEASED WITH MAYOR WHITMEYER BECAUSE OF THE WAY HE'S ENGAGED PUBLIC SAFETY AND HPD WITH THE HOMELESSNESS SYSTEM IN THE PAST, IT'S BEEN A MORE DIFFICULT PROCESS. I WILL SAY FROM MY EXPERIENCE EARLY ON IN MY WORK, HPD WAS KIND OF LIKE, REALLY, WE, WE DON'T WANT TO GET INVOLVED IN THIS? AND YES, THE INDIVIDUALS THAT WERE INVOLVED, BUT OVERALL IT'S A, LOOK, THIS IS A REALLY DIFFICULT, AND IT IS REALLY DIFFICULT. MM-HMM . SO WHAT THIS DOES IS IT GIVES HPD AND THE INDIVIDUAL OFFICER, UH, UM, UH, A, A WAY OF SAYING, WE'RE GONNA GET INVOLVED AND WE'RE GONNA HELP, WHICH MIKE IS NO DIFFERENT THAN AS WE SIT HERE, IT'S BEING APPLIED. THAT'S RIGHT. MM-HMM . YOU KNOW, LET'S, LET'S, EXCUSE ME FOR INTERRUPTING, BUT LET'S, LET'S EMPHASIZE THIS IS JUST AN EXPANSION OF CURRENT ORDINANCE. THE TICKET WRITING, THE OTHER CONCERNS, THE AVAILABILITY OF RESOURCES. WE'RE OPERATING UNDER THAT RIGHT NOW. THIS JUST [01:55:01] EXPANDS IT PAST 11 O'CLOCK TO GET THE FOLKS OUT OF THE MOST DANGEROUS CIRCUMSTANCES THEY FACE. YOUR PUBLIC WANTS SOMETHING LIKE THIS, THEY WISH THEY COULD DO IT CITYWIDE BECAUSE, AND IT WILL GET CITYWIDE. MM-HMM . RIGHT. OKAY. UH, THE OTHER QUESTION I HAD WAS, ARE WE ALSO IN TALKS WITH T DOT, UM, A LOT OF OUR RIGHT OF AWAYS ARE T DOT RIGHT OF AWAYS. UM, ARE THEY A PARTNER WITH US, WITH, YOU KNOW, ADDITIONAL RESOURCES, UH, SO THAT WE CAN MOVE AT THE SPEED OF OUR RESOURCES? I MEAN, THIS IS, THIS IS A, A, A VERY DIFFICULT PROBLEM AND WE HAVE TO HAVE ALL HANDS ON DECK. AND A LOT OF THE PLACES WHERE WE FIND, UM, YOU KNOW, HOMELESS HOUSTONIANS ARE ON OUR T DOT RIGHT AWAY. I THINK THAT'S A ANOTHER AVENUE THAT WE NEED TO, UM, YOU KNOW, BRING IN YES MA'AM. THOSE EXECUTIVES TO, TO HELP US WITH RESOURCES SO THAT WE CAN MOVE AT THE SPEED OF OUR RESOURCES AND HAVE MORE BEDS SO THAT WE CAN REALLY, UM, PUT MORE EMPHASIS ON HAVING ADDITIONAL BEDS OR ADDITIONAL APARTMENTS OR ADDITIONAL PLACES WHERE WE ARE ACTUALLY HOUSING PEOPLE AS OPPOSED TO, UM, ALLOWING THEM TO STAY ON, ON THE STREETS WITHOUT, UM, SOME TYPE OF SHELTER. AGAIN, THANKS TO THE MAYOR, WE HAVE MET WITH THE COMMISSIONERS AT TEXDOT. THEY ARE ENGAGED, INVOLVED PARTICULARLY ABOUT WHEN THEY HAVE MOVEMENT. AND WE, I THINK IN THAT, I THINK OVERALL THERE'S ADDITIONAL FUNDING AND HELP THAT THEY DO GIVE US, AND THEY'LL CONTINUE TO GIVE US MORE. IT'S AN IMPORTANT PARTNERSHIP TO THIS WHOLE PROCESS. AND THEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A PILOT PROGRAM. ARE THERE ANY PARAMETERS AROUND, UM, WHAT WILL MAKE THIS BE A PILOT PROGRAM? IS THERE, IS THERE, IS THERE A TIMEFRAME? ARE WE LOOKING AT HOW WE, UM, PROGRESS WITH THE 250 INDIVIDUALS? YES, MA'AM. WHAT, WHAT MAKES THIS, UM, A PILOT PROGRAM? THE PILOT NATURE IS THAT WE'RE ONLY STARTING WITH, WITH TWO DISTRICTS, TWO CIVILIAN DISTRICTS. UM, AND WE'RE GONNA LEARN, UH, WE'RE GONNA LEARN FROM ALL OF THIS. I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS THE RIGHT MOVE, BUT THERE ARE, THERE ARE OTHER WAYS WE CAN ALWAYS LEARN AND DO MORE AND, AND BE MORE SUCCESSFUL IN WHAT WE DO. AND SO WE'RE STARTING SMALL AND AGAIN, , WE, WE ARE, WE ARE, WE ARE ONLY MOVING THAT WAY ALSO BECAUSE WE SIMPLY CAN'T DO IT ALL. AND, UM, AND THAT'S WHERE I ASK AGAIN, FOR PATIENTS FROM THE PUBLIC, WE CAN'T DO IT ALL. BUT, BUT THIS, THIS IS A WAY TO MOVE, UH, LEARN EVERYBODY ON BOARD FOR ALL OF YOU TO WHO HAVE OVERSIGHT OVER US CONSTANTLY CAN, CAN JUST AT ANY TIME CALL ME OR MIKE AND WE'LL TELL YOU WHERE WE ARE AND WHAT WE'RE DOING. WE WILL GIVE REPORTS, UH, WITHIN THE, THE ORDINANCE REVISION. THERE'S PROVISIONS FOR REPORTS, I THINK WE SAID EVERY SIX WEEKS. AND, AND THEN THERE'S SOME OTHER THINGS WITHIN THERE. ALL OF IT IS DESIGNED TO BE AS TRANSPARENT AND FORTHCOMING AND LISTEN TO ALL OF YOU AND TO ALL OF THE PUBLIC, UH, FOR IF THERE'S A BETTER WAY. WE DON'T HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS. UH, BUT, BUT WE, WE DO LISTEN AND WE DO LEARN. UH, BUT THIS, THAT'S, THAT'S THE NATURE OF THE PILOT. AS MORE COMES ONLINE AS SUCCESS IS, IS ACHIEVED, WE WILL EXPAND. THERE IS A RULES AND REGULATION PIECE THAT, UH, I THINK IS VERY, VERY UNIQUE. UM, BECAUSE IT REQUIRES, UH, THE HCD, THE DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR, THE CHIEF OF POLICE OF THEIR DESIGNEE AND THE MAYOR'S HOMELAND, UM, OFFICE OF PUBLIC SECURITY AND HOMELAND SECURITY, UH, OR THE DESIGNEE TO PROMULGATE RULES AND REGULATIONS REGARDING THIS ORDINANCE. THERE'S A 10 DAY POSTING PERIOD. AGAIN, IT'S UNIQUE BECAUSE IT HAS ALL THREE OF THOSE DEPARTMENTS WORKING TOGETHER. I THINK IT'S IMPRESSIVE THAT YOU HAVE A ORDINANCE. AND THAT'S WHY I SAY THIS IS NOT A CRIMINALITY ORDINANCE, BECAUSE JUST EVEN IN THAT, HAVING THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT INVOLVED IN THIS, THAT'S DIFFERENT. AND THAT'S, AND THAT'S MEANINGFUL. THANK YOU. WAS WOULD, YOU MENTIONED METRO. LET ME EMPHASIZE, METRO WILL NEVER BE THE SYSTEM THAT IT CAN BE. UH, WE KNOW FOR A FACT THAT THE HOMELESS, CERTAINLY THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN RELEASED FROM THE HARRIS COUNTY JAIL AT MIDNIGHT SEEK SHELTER ON METRO RAIL AND BUSES. SO THIS WILL GO A LONG WAYS TOWARD IMPROVING OUR METRO RIDERSHIP, WHICH NEEDS TO BE EMPHASIZED. COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU BOTH FOR, UM, TRYING TO, UH, GIVE US MORE, UH, UNDERSTANDING OR A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THIS ORDINANCE SEEKS TO DO. I WANTED TO KIND OF BRING IT BACK TO THE TEXT OF THE ORDINANCE SO THAT THE PUBLIC IS, IS INFORMED AND ALL MEMBERS OF COUNCIL UNDERSTAND WHAT THIS IS ABOUT. AND I THINK THE MAYOR REFERRED TO IT EARLIER. WE ALREADY HAVE A CIVILITY ORDINANCE ON THE BOOKS, ISN'T THAT CORRECT? WE ALREADY HAVE A [02:00:01] CIVILITY ORDINANCE. YES, SIR. YES, SIR. THE, THE MAIN FEATURE OF THIS PARTICULAR AMENDMENT, UH, THAT'S ON THE AGENDA THIS MORNING, WOULD EXTEND ENFORCEMENT IN TWO AREAS OF THE CITY CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT AND THE EAST DOWNTOWN MANAGEMENT DISTRICT BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 11:00 PM AND 7:00 AM YES, SIR. THE, UH, FEAR ON THE PART OF SOME FOLKS IS THAT WE'RE CRIMINALIZING HOMELESSNESS. I READ THIS DOCUMENT, I DON'T SEE THE WORD HOMELESS ANYWHERE IN IT. NOW I UNDERSTAND THE APPLICATION WILL, UH, APPLY TO OUR HOMELESS. HOWEVER, WHAT THE ORDINANCE ADDRESSES OR THE, THE CURTAIN OR CURTAIN ORDINANCE ADDRESSES IS SITTING OR LYING DOWN ON A SIDEWALK. IS THAT THAT CORRECT? YES, SIR. UM, THAT'S, THAT'S THE ONLY PUBLIC SPACE THAT'S MENTIONED IN THE ORDINANCE ARE SIDEWALKS. IF I READ THAT CORRECTLY. UM, SUGGESTION WAS MADE THAT, UM, THIS, THIS WILL EXTEND PAST THE, THE TERMS FOR WHICH WE SERVE. AND IT, AND IT MIGHT, BUT THE ORDINANCE WAS ALREADY ON THE BOOKS. THIS IS NOT A CHARTER AMENDMENT, IS IT? NO, SIR. WE DON'T HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO ENACT A CHARTER AMENDMENT AT, AT ONE OF THESE MEETINGS. UM, THE MENTION WAS MADE ABOUT, THIS IS SORT OF A, A, A TRIAL. WE WILL SEE HOW IT GOES. THERE IS A PROVISION IN THIS THAT, UH, THE CHIEF OF POLICE WILL REPORT BACK TO US AFTER 180 DAYS. IT SAYS, SHALL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL ON THE IMPACT OF THE AMENDMENTS TO THE CIVILITY ORDINANCE AND PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS ON FURTHER AMENDMENTS AND ENFORCEMENTS. IS THAT CORRECT? SO, SO THAT WE'LL SEE, WE CAN SEE HOW IT GOES. AND AFTER 180 DAYS, IF WE THINK IT NEEDS TO BE AMENDED, WE CAN AMEND IT AT THAT TIME. IS THAT RIGHT? THAT'S CORRECT. THAT'S CORRECT. IF, IF WE THINK THERE'S BEEN POLICE OVERREACHING, YES SIR, WE CAN ADDRESS THAT. IS THAT CORRECT? YES, SIR. I DON'T THINK ANYBODY HERE WANTS TO CRIMINALIZE HOMELESSNESS. BUT FOR THOSE INSTANCES WHERE SOMEONE ENDS UP IN MUNICIPAL COURT AND THE MAYOR HAS INDICATED THE INTENT IS FOR THAT TO BE A RARE CIRCUMSTANCE WHEN SOMEBODY ENDS UP IN MUNICIPAL COURT, CAN YOU TELL US WHAT, WHAT IS THAT EXPERIENCE LIKE? WHAT HAPPENS? THEY'LL, IF THEY'RE IN MUNICIPAL COURT, THEY'LL GO BEFORE A JUDGE AND THEN OF COURSE THEIR CASE WILL BE HEARD. UM, IN THESE CASES THOUGH, I MEAN, THERE'S, THERE'S, UH, AN ACCEPTED, RECOGNIZABLE ABILITY TO PAY IN SITUATION. MOST OF 'EM ARE INDIGENT. SO FOR, FOR THE CIVILIAN ORDINANCE VIOLATIONS SPECIFICALLY THAT IN INVOLVE HOMELESS. 'CAUSE THERE ARE OTHER PEOPLE THAT VIOLATE CIVILIAN WARRANTS. BUT, UH, FOR THOSE THAT CLEARLY ARE HOMELESS AND, AND CAN'T AFFORD TO PAY, UH, THEY, WHAT'S BEEN THE PRACTICE, AND I WOULD, I WOULD ENCOURAGE TO, TO TALK TO SCOTT. UH, THE PRACTICE IS THAT THEY JUST ARE ALL DISMISSED, BUT THERE'S ALSO PROVISIONS THERE TO TRY TO GET THEM SOME SERVICES AND SOME HELP. OH, OKAY. YOU MENTIONED, SO THAT, I MEAN, MUNICIPAL COURT IN A GENERAL SENSE, WE ALL PROBABLY AT SOME POINT IN OUR LIVES, PROBABLY BEEN AT MUNICIPAL COURT. UM, MAYBE. I DON'T KNOW. BUT THE THING IS, IS THAT THAT'S JUST YOUR, IT'S, IT'S A CLASS C VIOLATION TRIAL, UH, BEFORE THE JUDGE, POTENTIALLY BEFORE A JURY. AND YOUR CASE IS ADJUDICATED FOR OUR HOMELESS. THEY'RE SIM THEY'RE PRETTY MUCH ALMOST ALL GOING TO HOMELESS COURT. AND IT IS HANDLED DIFFERENTLY SIMPLY BECAUSE IT'S A DIFFERENT PROBLEM WITH A DIFFERENT SOLUTION. OKAY. SO YOU MENTIONED SCOTT, YOU'RE REFERRING TO A GENTLEMAN NAMED SCOTT MOORE, IS THAT RIGHT? YES, SIR. HE'S WITH THE COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS. SO MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT HE RUNS HOMELESS DOCKETS THREE TIMES A MONTH IN MUNICIPAL COURT. YES, SIR. AND HE TRIES TO OFFER THEM SERVICES. SO AT ANY TIME, DO WE JUST GIVE UP ON TRYING TO HOUSE OUR HOMELESS EVEN WHEN THEY END UP IN MUNICIPAL COURT? DO WE JUST GIVE UP ON 'EM OR DO WE TRY TO HELP 'EM? WE DON'T GIVE UP, SIR. WE NEVER GIVE UP BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA KEEP TRYING AND KEEP TRYING, UH, TO THE CAPACITY THAT WE HAVE. WE'LL OFFER WHAT WE CAN, UH, BUT WE DON'T EVER GIVE UP. NOW, I, I'VE HEARD THAT, UH, THE RECIDIVISM RATE IS QUITE LOW ON THIS DOCKET. DO YOU, DO YOU KNOW, DO YOU HAVE THOSE FIGURES? YOU KNOW WHAT THOSE ARE? UH, IT'S, IT'S IN THE SINGLE PERCENTILE, BUT MIGHT, MAYBE YOU HAVE A LITTLE BETTER. DON'T HAVE IT WITH ME. I APOLOGIZE. UM, SO I APOLOGIZE. I COULD GET THAT FOR YOU. I WAS TOLD IT'S 2%. OKAY. YES, SIR. IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING TOO, IT'S, IT'S LOW. IT'S VERY LOW. SO, SO, UH, REPEAT APPEARANCES ON THIS DOCKET ARE, ARE QUITE LOW. YES, SIR. AND, AND IS THAT IN PART BECAUSE WE TRY TO OFFER THEM SERVICES? YES, SIR. WHEN THEY END, END UP ON THIS DOCKET? YES, SIR. OKAY. NO ONE LIKES TO ISSUE THE CITATION AND BRING THEM COURT. NO ONE LIKES TO MAKE AN ARREST. BUT I SAY AGAIN, IT DOES GIVE US ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO TRY TO GET THEM HELP. [02:05:01] AND SOME OF THEM TAKE IT. IT'S, IT'S WHERE WE ARE. UM, AND YOU, YOU TOUCHED ON PUBLIC SAFETY AND I, I ASKED ABOUT THIS LAST WEEK. UM, IT'S NOT SAFE TO SLEEP ON THE STREETS OF DOWNTOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, IS IT? YES, SIR. UM, A FEW YEARS AGO, I REMEMBER THERE WAS A BODY FOUND IN A STAIRWELL AT THE CO CATHEDRAL. YOU KNOW, THAT'S AN EXAMPLE OF HOW, HOW DANGEROUS IT CAN BE. MM-HMM . FOR PEOPLE TO SLEEP OUT ON OUR SIDEWALKS IN DOWNTOWN. YES, SIR. UH, FOR, FOR SOME IT'S A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH. IT IS. AND WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH THE HOMELESS POPULATION, THERE ARE A LOT OF CRIMES THAT GO UNREPORTED. YES, SIR. 'CAUSE THEY MANY DON'T WANT TO INTERACT WITH THE POLICE. THAT'S CORRECT. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. YOU COUNCILMAN PLUMMER. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS IS NOT PERSONAL. I UNDERSTAND ALL OF THE WORK THAT YOU, I RESPECT BOTH OF YOU, YOUR EXPERIENCE. SO I'M NOT CHALLENGING BY ANY MEANS, UM, WHERE YOU ARE IN TERMS OF YOUR CAPACITY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING THIS THE RIGHT WAY. AND I WANNA ALSO ACKNOWLEDGE THE MAYOR AND THE ADMINISTRATION ON THIS. SO I JUST HAVE QUESTIONS. YES, MA'AM. UM, AND, AND OBVIOUSLY CONCERNS. UM, SO YOU'VE RUN DOWN A LOT OF THE POSSIBILITIES AND THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE HAVE. I, I JUST FEEL LIKE WE'RE STILL A BIT IN A GRAY AREA WHEN IT COMES TO THE ONE SPECIFIC SITUATION I'M TALKING ABOUT IS WHEN THE OFFICER DEALS WITH A PERSON. WELL, LET, LET ME BACK UP. HOW MANY HOURS OF MENTAL HEALTH TRAINING DOES A TRADITIONAL HPD OFFICER HAVE? ACCORDING TO STATE GUIDELINES? YES, MA'AM. AND I, I'M RELUCTANT TO ANSWER THAT BECAUSE T COLE, THE STATE AGENCY, THAT THAT CONTROLS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY ARE CONSTANTLY REVISING THAT, UM, BASED ON WHAT THE NEED IS. SO I'M, I'M RELUCTANT TO TELL YOU EXACTLY HOW MANY HOURS. I CAN TELL YOU THAT ANY, PROBABLY WITHIN OUR TRAINING DIVISION WITHIN AN HPD OR ANY OTHER AGENCY, THEY COULD GIVE YOU THOSE EXACT NUMBERS. SO IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND, I'D, I'D LIKE TO GET BACK TO YOU ON THE ACTUAL NUMBER OF HOURS. THEY ALL RECEIVE TRAINING IN MENTAL HEALTH, DEESCALATION, ALL OF THOSE . I'M SPECIFICALLY REFERRING TO MENTAL HEALTH, THOUGH. UH, THE OTHER PIECE IS HOW DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY HOURS A MCO T TEAM MEMBER OR A CRISIS INTERVENTION TEAM MEMBER WOULD HAVE IN COMPARISON TO AN HBD OFFICER? SO, SO A CRISIS INTERVENTION TEAM OFFICER WILL GET AN EXTRA WEEK, VERY SPECIFICALLY AND, AND MORE, BECAUSE THAT IS THE OFFICER AND THE CLINICIAN PAIRED UP. UH, AND WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY 18 TEAMS RIGHT NOW ACROSS THE CITY, SIR. NOW THEY'RE RESPONDING TO CRISIS SITUATIONS, PEOPLE THAT ARE IMMEDIATELY A DANGER TO THEMSELVES OR SOMEONE ELSE. AND THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE RESPONDING TO. UH, BUT SO THEY HAVE MORE AND MORE EXPERIENCE IN IT BECAUSE THEY'RE DOING IT A LOT MORE OFTEN. BUT AGAIN, THEY'RE LIMITED AND THEY'RE FOCUSED REALLY ON RESPONDING TO THOSE SITUATIONS WHERE TRULY SOMEONE IS IN IMMINENT DANGER. AND ANY OFFICER THAT IS ENGAGED, WHETHER IT'S HPD OR OTHERWISE, IS GETTING TO SOMEBODY WHO'S IMMEDIATELY THREATENING THEMSELVES OR SOMEONE ELSE BY POLICY IS GONNA BE CALLING FOR BACKUP, CALLING FOR HELP IN EVERY WAY, CALLING FOR A SUPERVISOR. THOSE THINGS ARE IN HPD, THEY'RE STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES AND THEY'RE ELSEWHERE. SO IT JUST, I THINK IT DEPENDS ON WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AS A CRISIS. IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SOMEBODY WHO'S A IMMEDIATE DANGER TO THEMSELVES OR OTHERS, OR ARE WE JUST TALKING ABOUT SOMEBODY WHO'S CLEARLY MENTALLY ILL? THEY HAVE, THEY'RE SICK. YOU CAN TELL JUST IN THAT INITIAL CONVERSATION OR, AND, AND THE THINGS OFFICERS CAN ASSESS, BUT THEY'RE NOT IMMEDIATELY IN CRISIS. I MEAN, SO I, I JUST, I MEAN, WE HAVE TO BE, I, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE SAME THING. YEAH, YEAH. NO, NO, ABSOLUTELY. AND I MEAN, NO, EVERYONE IS AWARE. I, YOU KNOW, WE'D LIKE TO PUT FORWARD AN AMENDMENT. AND, AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS BECAUSE THE FACT THAT WE HAVE, THE FACT THAT WE HAVE THE GRAY AREA OF LETTING AN OFFICER THAT DOESN'T HAVE THE LEVEL OF MENTAL HEALTH TRAINING AS AN MCO TEAM OR CT TEAM, UM, EITHER IN PERSON OR VIRTUALLY TO BE ABLE TO, I MEAN, AT THE MOMENT THAT OFFICER SEES OR MEETS AND HAS INTERACTION WITH THAT HOMELESS PERSON, THE OPPORTUNITY OF SOMEONE HAVING EXTENDED TRAINING ON MENTAL HEALTH COULD REALLY BE THE DECISION OF CONVINCING THAT PERSON TO GO WITH YOU TO GET HOUSING. I MEAN, YOU HAVE A VERY SMALL MOMENT OF TIME WHERE THAT COULD HAPPEN. AND IF SOMEONE'S TRYING TO DO SO, I DON'T KNOW WHY WE WOULDN'T USE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE HAVE IN FRONT OF US. AND WE HAVE THAT ACTUAL TOOL IN THE TOOLBOX. AND I UNDERSTAND THAT. UM, WE DON'T WANT TO PUT, YOU DON'T WANT US TO PUT FORWARD THIS AMENDMENT ONLY BECAUSE IT'S CURRENTLY IN YOUR SOPI GET THAT. BUT I DO ALSO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE GRAY AREA WORRIES THE HECK OUTTA ME. AND THE OPPORTUNITY OF EACH OFFICER, THESE OFFICERS YOU HAVE RIGHT NOW, THEY MAY BE COMPASSIONATE, AND I KNOW THEY ARE, THEY [02:10:01] WORK HARD. THEY REALLY DO CARE ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON. BUT THOSE OFFICERS MAY NOT BE THERE IN FIVE OR 10 YEARS. YOU MAY NOT BE THERE HERE IN FIVE OR 10 YEARS. THE CHIEF MAY NOT BE THE SAME LEVEL OF COMPASSION THAT YOU ALL ARE PRESENTING IN THIS PARTICULAR SPACE. UM, MAY NOT BE THERE. AND SO WHAT I'M ALL OBVIOUSLY ASKING IS IF IT'S POSSIBLE TO PUT SOMETHING IN TO WHERE WE CAN BE VERY CLEAR ON THE SYSTEMS AND THE PROTOCOLS. AND THAT PIECE, I THINK IS MISSING. BUT I, I UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW. YES, MA'AM. YOUR, YOUR HESITATION. UM, THE OTHER PIECE IS HOW MANY PEOPLE IN YOUR CURRENT, UM, INTERACTIONS IN THOSE 250 PEOPLE, I MEAN, HOW MANY PEOPLE IN THERE TRULY ARE, I MEAN, HAVE YOU EVALUATED TO SEE HOW MANY ARE TRULY SUFFERING OF MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES? I, I, I WOULD SAY 75 TO 80% PROBABLY HAVE SOME TYPE OF MENTAL ILLNESS. OKAY. AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE PROBLEMS. THERE'S, IT'S A LARGE NUMBER. AND MIKE MAY CORRECT ME ON THAT 'CAUSE, BUT IN TERMS OF, IN TERMS OF CRISIS, LIKE IN TERMS OF THE ONES, RIGHT. THE SO MENTALLY ILL, YEAH. THE ONES THAT ARE SO MENTALLY ILL, DON'T KNOW THEIR OWN SITUATION. MM-HMM. DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ELSE, UH, ARE THE ONES THAT WE HAVE HAD INTERACTION WITH MM-HMM . DOZENS IN SOME CASES HUNDREDS OF TIMES. POLICE, FIRE, THANK YOU MAYOR FOR RECOGNIZING HFD, CHIEF EZ, THEY'VE BEEN A GREAT PARTNER. THE THING IS, IS THAT THERE'S A, WE KNOW THE ONES THAT ARE FIRST TIME, AND WE DO GET ACTUALLY ENGAGEMENTS WITH PEOPLE THAT JUST ARRIVED AND ARE HOMELESS ON THE STREET. AND WE, WE MEET 'EM FIRST TIME. IT'S, THAT HAPPENS. BUT THEN THERE ARE THOSE THAT WE HAVE DEALT WITH MANY, MANY TIMES AND ARE SEVERELY MENTALLY ILL. AND THAT NUMBER MAY BE MORE ALONG THE 10 TO 15% RANGE OF THAT OVERALL NUMBER. MAYBE LET'S SAY 10%. IT'S STILL IN THE HUNDREDS. I SAID A COUPLE OF HUNDRED EARLIER A HUNDRED INTERACTIONS OR A HUNDRED PEOPLE. YOU'RE TALKING PEOPLE THAT, THAT ARE SO SEVERELY ILL. OKAY. SO SEVERELY MENTALLY ILL THAT WE KNOW WHERE THAT PATH IS HEADED FOR THEM. ESPECIALLY, THEY ONLY ACCEPT OUR HELP BECAUSE THEY'RE MENTALLY ILL. THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THEY WANT. THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THEY NEED TO DO. AND THAT'S, THAT IS A WHOLE NOTHER LEVEL, BY THE WAY, COUNCIL MEMBER, BECAUSE WE, WE JUST, THAT IS WHAT WE WENT THROUGH THE STATE ON TO GET THE HEALTH CODES CHANGED AT THE STATE. 5 73, THE HEALTH CODE TO EXPAND IT. AND THE STATE IS ON BOARD BECAUSE EVERY STATE IS ON BOARD NOW ACROSS THE COUNTRY. EVERYBODY'S UNDERSTANDING THIS PROBLEM. AND NOW WE HAVE THE ABILITY FOR THOSE PEOPLE THAT MEET THAT CRITERIA, A HOMELESS, UNABLE TO TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES, DON'T RECOGNIZE THEIR OWN SITUATION, HAVE REPEATED INTERACTIONS WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT, FIRE IN AND OUT OF OUR HOSPITALS DOCTORS. WE CAN NOW TAKE THEM BEFORE A JUDGE AND GET THEM REAL LONG-TERM HELP INSTEAD OF CONTINUING ON THE CYCLE THAT THEY'RE IN FOR 3, 4, 5 HOURS, MAYBE AT THE MOST 48. AND THEY'RE JUST TURNED RIGHT BACK OUT ON THE STREET. OKAY. DIFFERENT GROUP, DIFFERENT POLICY, DIFFERENT LAW. RIGHT. THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH THERE. AND, AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT, SO, SO I'M NOT REALLY SPEAKING OF THOSE PEOPLE. 'CAUSE THEY JUST, THEY'RE, THEY MAY BE DISORIENTED. THEY REALLY DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY ARE. I'M SPEAKING OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE IN THAT IN-BETWEEN STAGE MM-HMM . THE, THE PEOPLE THAT JUST DON'T WANNA GO WITH YOU BECAUSE THEY JUST DON'T WANT TO. RIGHT. AND WE KNOW THEY HAVE MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES. I MEAN, DO YOU GENUINELY BELIEVE THAT IF SOMEONE HAS THAT HAS MORE MENTAL HEALTH TRAINING, CAN'T SPEAK TO THAT PERSON IN A WAY TO WHICH THEY CAN CH WE COULD CHANGE THEIR MIND? DO YOU GENUINELY BELIEVE THAT THAT'S NOT POSSIBLE COUNCIL MEMBER? IT'S ALREADY HAPPENING. OUR TELLING NON-PROFITS, OUR ESPECIALLY TRAINED PEOPLE ARE GOING DOWN AHEAD. THEY'RE NOT YEAH. BUT THEY'RE NOT THERE RIGHT THEN AND THERE AT THE MOMENT OF INTERACTION THAT THAT NONPROFIT ISN'T STANDING WITH THAT OFFICER. YEAH. BUT THEY ARE, THEY, THEY'VE ALREADY TALKED TO THESE INDIVIDUALS. THEY'VE ALREADY BEEN IN THAT AREA. SO THEY'VE ALREADY MADE THAT OUR OFFICERS, IF THEY'RE NOT IN CRISIS, IF THEY'RE NOT IN CRISIS, THEY MAY BE MENTALLY ILL. WE KNOW THAT A LOT OF THEM ARE OKAY. UM, BECAUSE JUST, JUST EXPERIENCE OBSERVATIONS, ALL THOSE THINGS. DOCTORS, ASSESSMENTS, WE HAVE THAT. UH, BUT IF THEY'RE NOT IN CRISIS, THOSE OFFICERS ARE WELL TRAINED TO, TO LOOK AT THAT SITUATION AND EVALUATE AND CALL IN RESOURCES ACCORDINGLY. PUTS AN ADD AND EXTRA ONEROUS PROVISION ON THE OFFICERS WHEN THEY ALREADY HAVE IT IN POLICY AND EVERYTHING ELSE. AND WE HAVE IT. I'M GONNA LET MIKE SPEAK TO THIS. IT, IT'S, IT, IT'S GOING TO REALLY, WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO GET 'EM THE HELP THAT WE NEED TO GET 'EM FOR. I MEAN, THESE OFFICERS KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING. THEY'RE SAYING, SIR, MA'AM. AND AGAIN, IF THEY SAY, NO, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, SUDDENLY THEY'RE, THEY'RE JUST, IF, IF THEY DON'T WANT OUR HELP, THEN IT'S SIMPLY, YOU CAN'T DO THIS, LARRY. THAT'S ALL IT IS. YES. LARRY, WHEN THEY'RE IN CRISIS, THEY CALL EMS. RIGHT. RIGHT. I'VE BEEN THERE ON THE STREETS. AN OFFICER RECOGNIZES IT'S BEYOND HIS JURISDICTION. HE USES HIS DISCRETION AND THEY END IT. BEN TOP WHERE THEY'RE STABILIZED. AND THEN BEN, TOP DOCTORS WOULD TELL YOU THEY LEAVE AT FOUR IN THE MORNING, UH, WITH, KNOW WHERE TO GO. IN FACT, WE HAD A SOUP KITCHEN AT PALMER EPISCOPAL THERE IN HERMAN PARK THAT WAS SHUT DOWN [02:15:01] BECAUSE OF THE HOMELESS. THEY CAME DOWN TO THE BEACON. OF COURSE, I WOULD LIKE TO INTERJECT THIS. AT THIS POINT, IT'S PROPER THAT WE FOCUS ON THE MENTALLY ILL NEED OUR HELP. LET ME GIVE YOU A PROFILE THAT IS REAL, THAT I'VE EXPERIENCED. SOME INDIVIDUALS, ONE GENTLEMAN THAT WAS SLEEPING UNDER THE BAGBY BIO PLACE OVERHANG TOLD ME HE HAD A PO BOX. THAT HE GOT HIS SSI. SO THAT'S WHERE YOU, IN MY JUDGMENT, WOULD APPROPRIATELY START URGING HIM TO CHANGE HIS ROUTINE. OR HE COULD CONCEIVABLY GET A TICKET. IT WILL MOTIVATE HIM TO GET OFF THE STREETS, THE MENTALLY ILL, THE CRISIS, THEY'RE SAFEGUARD AFTER SAFEGUARD SAFETY NETS HARRIS CENTER. BUT WE CANNOT AVOID HAVING A TOOL FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT JUST IN THEIR OWN DECISION MAKING HAVE DECIDED TO SLEEP ON THE STREETS OF HOUSTON. SOME COULD BE AN ECONOMIC CONCERN. I'VE VISITED WITH 'EM THAT HAVE HAD A FALLOUT WITH THEIR FAMILY. THE GOAL WOULD BE TO REUNITE THEM. SO THE TICKET, MAY I, AND ALL YOU GOTTA DO IS TALK TO JUDGE SANTOS. CURRENTLY, NOT EVEN HOMELESS PEOPLE, INDIVIDUALS IN THE MUNICIPAL COURTS ARE GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO NOT HAVE TO PAY FINES BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE THE MONEY. WE DON'T LOCK PEOPLE UP FOR NOT HAVING MONEY. YEAH. BUT MAYOR, I, I WANNA REALLY, SO ALL I'M SAYING IS I WANNA TASK HERE. I UNDERSTAND THE FOCUS IS GOING TO END. WHAT ABOUT THE TICKET WRITING? THAT'S NOT THE GOAL. WELL, THAT WAS, THAT'S MIKE WHERE IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE. LIKE THE GENTLEMAN THAT I'VE MET WITH WHO GETS HIS SSI, BUT HE JUST CHOSE THE, THE TICKET THING, A WHOLE NOTHER CONVERSATION. BELIEVE OR THEY WOULD BE IN THEIR CARS. I, THE TICKET THING, MAYOR IS RESPECTFULLY, IS A WHOLE NOTHER CONVERSATION. I'M NOT REALLY WORRIED. I MEAN, I'M WORRIED ABOUT THAT, BUT I'M FOCUSING RIGHT NOW TO THE CRISIS THAT YOU SAID THEY'RE NOT THERE. YEAH. I'M, THEY CALL EMS IS THE CURRENT. SO, SO ONCE AGAIN, I FEEL LIKE, AND I, AND I'M, I OBVIOUSLY AM PASSIONATE ABOUT C MCO BECAUSE I WAS A VERY BIG PART OF IMPLEMENTING THAT DURING, DURING COVID MM-HMM . UM, SO OBVIOUSLY I, I UNDERSTAND WHAT THE RULES ARE. UM, WE CREATED THOSE TEAMS BECAUSE WE NEEDED THAT CAPACITY AND ADDITIONAL TRAINING. UM, I JUST DON'T, I THINK THAT IT STILL ALLOWS US TO BE IN THIS GRAY AREA TO WHERE AN OFFICER COULD OR COULD NOT ASSIST. WE HAVE A TOOL IN OUR TOOLBOX. IT'S THERE PRESENT FUNDED IN THE ORDINANCE. I'M SAYING IT COULD BE A VIRTUAL INTERACTION. I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, OR PUT SOMETHING IN PLACE, UM, THAT COULD, WILL GUARANTEE NO MATTER WHO'S AT THE HELM OF HPD OR HOUSING, OR THE MAYOR, WHOEVER IT IS, THAT THEY UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN THEY INTERACT WITH A PERSON THAT'S HOMELESS, THAT IS HAVING A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS. EMS IS GREAT. I I LOVE OUR H HP, I MEAN, HPD, I MEAN, UM, HFD, IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S PERFECT. BUT ONCE AGAIN, YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY OF SOMEONE THAT HAS ADDITIONAL TRAINING. THAT IS THE KEY. BUT THE REASON WHY THIS IS DIFFERENT IS BECAUSE THE STATE, BASED ON WHAT YOU JUST MENTIONED, HAS NOW PASSED. WE'VE NOW PASSED A LAW THAT GIVES US A LITTLE BIT MORE OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, DEAL WITH OUR HOMELESS POPULATION IN A DIFF IN A DIFFERENT WAY. THAT'S WHAT MAKES THIS CONVERSATION SO MUCH MORE DIFFERENT THAN THE PREVIOUS CONVERSATIONS. AND THAT'S WHAT'S GIVING PEOPLE A LOT OF PAUSE, BECAUSE NOW THE STATE IS GIVING US A BIT MORE LEVERAGE TO DO SOMETHING MORE, UM, TO THE HOMELESS, WHICH IS A CONCERN FOR, FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE. BUT I UNDERSTAND IT'S WHAT YOU ALL NEEDED TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN. BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE I GET THROUGH ALL OF MY POINTS BEFORE WE, UM, GET TO THIS. UM, WHERE ARE WE WITH, WHERE ARE WE WITH, UM, THE PEOPLE THAT ARE KIND OF, UM, GATHERING AT THE LIBRARY? WHERE ARE WE WITH THAT PIECE? CAN YOU EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE, I MEAN YES. DOES THAT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE CIVIL ORDINANCE? IT, SO I'M GONNA DEF I GOT, UH, OUR CITY ATTORNEY, ARTUR, MICHELLE, AND ALL, I'LL LET MIKE SPEAK. GO AHEAD. WE, WE HAVE AN ISSUE. AND THIS ISSUE IS ABOUT, PARTLY ABOUT THAT, ABOUT NON, ABOUT NONPROFITS AND INDIVIDUALS COMING DOWN TO FEED PEOPLE WHERE THEY THINK THEY'RE HOMELESS PEOPLE. AND IT'S NOT A GOOD SITUATION BECAUSE IT'S NOT ORGANIZED. IT'S NOT SYSTEMATIC. THERE'S NOT PEOPLE PICKING UP THE TRASH AND MAKING SURE YOU'RE GETTING TO THE RIGHT PEOPLE. SO WE'RE TRYING TO STOP THAT. HOWEVER, THERE IS A GROUP, AND THERE'S ONE GROUP. OTHER GROUPS ALWAYS WORK WITH US. AND WHEN WE TALK TO 'EM, THERE'S ONE GROUP THAT USES THIS AS A POLITICAL TOOL THAT IN THE, IN THE COURT CASES, THEY, THEY'VE CITED, THEY'RE NOT INTERESTED IN FEEDING HOMELESS PEOPLE. THEY'RE INTERESTED IN MAKING A POLITICAL STATEMENT. AND THEN THAT'S MORE PROTECTED. THE, UH, CITY ATTORNEY CAN ANSWER THAT QUESTION. BUT OVERALL, [02:20:01] OVERALL, WE'RE TRYING TO GET ALL THE GROUPS TO WORK TOGETHER TO SAY, LET'S GET PEOPLE HOUSED. FEEDING THEM ON THE STREET DOWNTOWN, BRINGING THEM IN IS NOT THE MOST EFFICIENT USE AND EFFECTIVE USE OF YOUR TIME. GO TO WHERE THESE PEOPLE ARE REALLY IN NEED, INSTEAD OF JUST TRYING TO MAKE A POLITICAL POINT AND MAKE YOURSELF FEEL BETTER. WE HAVE MEETINGS ONGOING WITH THESE GROUPS, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THEM, TO PARTNER WITH THEM TO MOVE PEOPLE INTO HOUSING INSTEAD OF HAVING THEM ACCEPT A LIFE ON THE STREET. DR. PALMER, I WANNA MAKE ONE OTHER POINT, WHICH IS THAT, AND I KNOW YOU KNOW THIS FROM YOUR MEDICAL BACKGROUND. WHEN PEOPLE CHANGE, IT'S ALWAYS A SURPRISE AT THE MOMENT THEY CHANGE. MM-HMM . IT COULD BE A TEACHER, IT COULD BE A PARENT, IT COULD BE SOMEBODY ON THE STREET. IT COULD BE A POLICEMAN, IT COULD BE A JUDGE. WE DON'T KNOW THE MOMENT THAT PEOPLE CHANGE, BUT WE WANT TO GIVE AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE A CHANCE TO TALK TO FOLKS ABOUT THE NEED TO CHANGE. AND SOMETIMES, SOMETIMES SOMEONE, AND I BELIEVE THIS IS GONNA BE TRUE, SOMEONE COMING UP TO AN, UH, AN INDIVIDUAL AND SAYING, YOU CANNOT SLEEP HERE TONIGHT. YOU MUST MOVE ON. AND THEY LOOK AND THEY SAY, WE'RE SLEEPING DOWNTOWN UNDER THE LIGHTS. 'CAUSE WE'RE AFRAID. AND THEN YOU SAY, THEN HERE'S A PLACE TO GO. AND THEY MAY NOT BE PERFECT, BUT IT'S A PLACE FOR THEM TO GO, AND THEN THEY START ON THAT ROAD. IT TAKES MANY, MANY TOUCHES TO GET PEOPLE TO CHANGE FROM ANYTHING. AS YOU AND I KNOW FROM OUR OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCE MM-HMM . MM-HMM . NO. AND, AND THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING. I UNDERSTAND THIS IS NECESSARY. I KNOW THAT A LOT OF COMMUNITIES, UM, ARE ASKING FOR THIS. I, I, BELIEVE ME, THIS IS VERY WELL THOUGHT THROUGH. ONCE AGAIN, MY CHALLENGE IS JUST THAT INITIAL INTERACTION WITH THE POLICE OFFICER AND WITH THE PERSON AND NOT BEING ABLE TO GIVE, AS, YOU KNOW, THE SAME WAY WHEN YOU GET PULLED OVER, OR, YOU KNOW, YOU ALWAYS GIVE THE PERSON THE RIGHT TO HAVE AN ATTORNEY. RIGHT. I MEAN, YOU ALWAYS GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO MM-HMM . NOT, NOT PULLED OVER, BUT WHEN THEY, WHEN YOU, WHEN THEY GET ARRESTED, YOU ALWAYS GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE, TO HAVE AN ATTORNEY TO REPRESENT THEM. IN THE SAME WAY IS WHEN YOU SEE SOMEONE THAT'S HOMELESS IS HAVING AN ISSUE, IS IT NOT FROM IS IS YOU, IS THERE, ISN'T THERE HUMILITY IN SAYING WE CAN HAVE YOU TALK TO SOMEONE RIGHT NOW THAT HAS, THAT CAN, THAT HAS A TRAINING TO DEAL WITH ANY CONCERNS YOU MAY HAVE THAT WE KNOW IS EQUIPPED TO DO THAT. WHY AREN'T WE USING THAT? WHY CAN'T WE INCLUDE THAT IN THIS? WHAT, WHAT MY CONCERN IS THAT YOU'LL BE LIMITING, LIMITING THAT INDIVIDUAL OFFICER'S OPPORTUNITY TO DEAL WITH THAT. AND WHAT THEY WILL SAY IS, OUTTA MY HANDS, WE GOTTA CALL SOMEBODY ELSE. AND THAT PERSON STAYS ON THE STREET. THIS IS, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THAT OFFICER TO DEAL WITH THAT PERSON. AND THAT'S WHAT THEY DO. AND THEY, AND TO MY AMAZEMENT, THEY PUT THEM IN THEIR CARS AND THEY TAKE THEM TO 61 60, THEY TAKE THEM TO THE NAVIGATION CENTER, THEY TAKE THEM TO, UM, THE SOBERING CENTER. THE LAST PLACE THEY WANT TO TAKE THEM IS TO JOINT PROCESSING CENTER. YOU KNOW, AND DO THEY WANNA WRITE THEM A TICKET? IT'S NOT GOING TO DO ANYTHING FOR 'EM. I MEAN, THIS, I DON'T WANT YOU TO TIE THEIR HANDS IN SUCH A WAY MM-HMM. THAT THEY'RE GONNA GO NOT MY PROBLEM. THE CHIEF HAS BETTER. WELL, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S A WHOLE NOTHER CONVERSATION. WELL, THAT'S WHAT SHOULD I DO? YEAH, I KNOW, AND I UNDERSTAND. BUT, UM, I, I JUST STILL BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO USE, TO USE TOOLS THAT WE HAVE. AND WE'RE, IN MY OPINION, WE'RE CHOOSING NOT TO DO SO. WELL, COUNCIL MEMBER, MAYBE I COULD SAY IT THIS WAY. THEY, THEY ARE TRAINED TO DO THESE THINGS. THEY ARE TRAINED TO ASSESS AND DECIDE WHAT THEY NEED. BUT IF WE PUT AN AMENDMENT OR ANYTHING ELSE THAT SAYS YOU, IF ANYBODY, THAT YOU ENGAGE OUT THERE, BECAUSE MOST OF THEM ARE MENTALLY ILL TO SOME DEGREE, REMEMBER WE DIDN'T, WE'RE SAYING THE ONES THAT ARE IN CRISIS, WE KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH THEM. THAT'S, THAT'S PROBABLY GONNA BE AN EMERGENCY DETENTION ORDER, AN AMBULANCE RIDE TO THE NOR OR PSYCHIATRIC CENTER OR A HOSPITAL ER. BUT FOR THOSE OTHERS, A LOT OF THEM ARE MENTALLY ILL IN SOME WAY. SO IF WE'RE GONNA SAY, THE MINUTE THEY SAY NO, NOW IT'S OUT OF THE OFFICER'S HANDS AND HE HAS TO CALL AN OCT OR A CERT, WE SIMPLY DON'T HAVE THOSE RESOURCES. IT, THEY'RE TRAINED TO UNDERSTAND EACH ONE, AND WHEN IT CALLS FOR IT, THEY'LL DO IT. BUT WE CAN'T, I AM NOT IN FAVOR OF PUTTING AN EXTRA AMENDMENT THAT WOULD REQUIRE OFFICERS TO THEN TURN AROUND AND SEEK, GO TO MCO. EVERY TIME SOMEBODY SAYS NO, WE GET TOLD NO A LOT. BUT IT'S NOT EVERY TIME THOUGH. IT'S ONLY, BUT YOU, BUT IF YOU SAID, IF THEY'RE MENTALLY ILL AND THEY SAY NO, THEN THEY SHOULD CALL SOMEBODY ELSE. AND, AND THINK ABOUT WHAT THAT DOES TO THAT OFFICER. I, I SPECIFICALLY HAVE THE WORD CRISIS IN HERE, THOUGH. YEAH. BUT AGAIN, IF WE'RE IN CRISIS, THAT'S, WE ALREADY HAVE A POLICY AND PROCEDURE FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE IN CRISIS AND A DANGER TO THEMSELVES OR OTHERS. AND IF THEY'RE NOT IN CRISIS, BUT THEY'RE MENTALLY ILL, THE OFFICERS KNOW HOW TO DEAL WITH THAT. AND IF THEY DO AT SOME POINT, THINK THEY MIGHT, IT MIGHT GROW TO THAT POINT, THEY'RE GONNA DO IT. AND I [02:25:01] UNDERSTAND YOUR POSITION. I DO. I DO. I UNDERSTAND. AND I UNDERSTAND YOUR CONCERN. EVERYBODY IN HERE WANTS TO DO THE RIGHT THING AND WANTS TO TRY TO TAKE CARE OF THIS POPULATION AND MAKE SURE THAT NOT ONE IS MISTREATED. I UNDERSTAND THAT WE, BUT WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO MAKE SURE WE ARE ATTENDING TO EVERY NEED THAT THEY CAN. AND YOU HAVE GOOD MEN AND WOMEN IN UNIFORM. UH, BUT TO ADD AN EXTRA PROVISION THAT'S GONNA BASICALLY, LIKE MIKE SAID, TAKE IT OUTTA THEIR HANDS. NOW, EVERY TIME WHEN WE GET TOLD NO A LOT, THERE'S JUST SIMPLY NOT ENOUGH RESOURCES TO DO THAT. THERE JUST ISN'T. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN CLARK. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND, AND THANK YOU LARRY AND MIKE. UM, LARRY, YOU'VE SAID SEVERAL TIMES WHEN WE GO IN, WHEN WE GO IN, IN THE SPIRIT OF THAT, YOU'RE SPEAKING OF WHEN YOU GO INTO AN ENCAMP IN AN ENCAMPMENT AND OR AN AREA YES, MA'AM. OR AN AREA. AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A COLLECTIVE GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS, TYPICALLY NOT JUST ONE PERSON KIND LYING ON THE SIDEWALK HERE. AND WE'RE, WHEN, WHEN THIS COMES INTO PLAY, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE ELDERLY MAN UNDER THE OVERPASS TELEPHONE ROAD WITH MAGGOTS IN THE OPEN WOUNDS ON HIS FACE. IS THAT PRETTY ACCURATE? YEAH. YES, MA'AM. UH, TO, TO BE ABLE TO SAY HE'S IN A CRISIS IS, HE DOESN'T EVEN KNOW WHERE HE IS AT, LET ALONE THAT HE'S IN A CRISIS TO, SO TO CALL IN A SEPARATE TEAM IS, DOES NOT BENEFIT HIM IN ANY WAY. YOU KNOW, THIS TOOL, FRIENDS IS, IS REALLY ABOUT BEING ABLE TO ADDRESS THIS POPULATION. AND TO THE MAYOR'S POINT IN AN ENCAMPMENT, YOU HAVE, HEY, I DON'T NEED ANYTHING. I GET A SOCIAL SECURITY CHECK, I'M GOOD OUT HERE. AND THE PERSON RIGHT NEXT TO 'EM SAYS, I DON'T HAVE AN ID, I NEED HELP. YOU KNOW, BUT THEN WHEN YOU COME ACROSS THE ONES THAT ARE SO MENTALLY ILL THAT THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW THAT THEIR FACE IS ROTTING OFF, THAT'S A PROBLEM. YES, MA'AM. AND THIS IS WHAT THIS ADDRESSES. IT'S NOT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE'S, YOU KNOW, PASSED OUT ON THE STREET, LIKE THEY ARE OUT HERE AT THE, UH, THE PARK EVERY DAY. AND EMS MAKES FIVE, SIX CALLS ON THE STREET CORNER EVERY SINGLE DAY FOR TYPICALLY THE SAME TWO PEOPLE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ADDRESSING THE ENCAMPMENTS, ADDRESSING THESE INDIVIDUALS AND THESE 250 BEDS. IT'S NOT ABOUT, WELL, WE'VE GOT OUR TWO 50, LET'S KEEP GOING, FORGET IT, WE'RE DONE. IT'S A REVOLVING DOOR. RIGHT. AND THESE PEOPLE ARE MOVING INTO THE PERMANENT HOUSING WITH THE SUPPORTIVE SERVICES. SO IT'S TO GET THEM OFF THE STREETS, TO GET THEM THE ASSISTANCE THEY NEED, THE MEDICATION THEY NEED, THE MENTAL HEALTH CARE THAT THEY NEED AND EVERYTHING TO MOVE THEM THROUGH THE SYSTEM. BUT, BUT AS IT IS RIGHT NOW, THE 90-YEAR-OLD LADY OVER THERE ON, UH, CHARTRES CAN SIT THERE AND DIE THERE MM-HMM . BECAUSE THERE IS NO, NO MECHANISM TO GET HER HELP TO THE, UH, DOCTOR'S COMMENTS YESTERDAY, I UNDERSTAND THAT. AND YES, THAT CONTINUOUS TOUCHPOINT IS NECESSARY. BUT ON THESE REPEATED, YOU KNOW, REPEATED CONNECTIONS WHERE THEY CONTINUE TO REFUSE THE HELP, THE NEXT HELP YOU WILL GIVE THEM IS TO TAKE THEIR BODY TO THE MORGUE. AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ADDRESSING. IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT ABOUT SNATCHING PEOPLE OFF THE STREET BECAUSE THEY'RE SITTING ON, YOU KNOW, SITTING ON THEIR DUFFLE BAG OR SITTING WITH THEIR BACKPACK. AND WE LOOK AT THESE ENCAMPMENTS, AND IT'S A HAVEN FOR DRUG DEALERS. YOU KNOW, THE DRUG DEALERS, THEY THRIVE IN THIS. THEY COME AND THEY, THEY, THEY FEED ON THIS COMMUNITY THAT CAN'T HELP THEMSELVES. AND, YOU KNOW, I OBVIOUSLY, I'M VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT IT, AS YOU ARE A COUNCIL MEMBER, AS EVERYONE AROUND THE TABLE. BUT, YOU KNOW, GO OUT THERE AND LOOK AT WHAT IS ON THE STREETS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE. WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT SOMEONE IN CRISIS. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SOMEONE WHO'S NEAR DEATH AND THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW IT. YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE, THAT'S WHERE THIS TOOL HELPS MOVE THE NEEDLE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR POLLARD. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND GOOD MORNING TO EVERYONE. THANK YOU BOTH FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP ON THIS. UM, AS COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ MENTIONED, WE, WE ALREADY HAVE THE CIVILITY ORDINANCE, UH, IN THE CITY. THIS IS JUST EXPANDING IT. I THINK WE ALL AGREE THAT WE DO HAVE TO FIND WAYS TO MITIGATE OUR HOMELESS, UM, PROBLEMS THAT WE HAVE, AS WELL AS FIND HELP AND RESOURCES FOR OUR MOST VULNERABLE POPULATION. THE CITATION PART OF IT. CITATIONS ARE A CLASS C MISDEMEANOR. YES, SIR. UH, THEY'RE NOT ARRESTABLE, IS THAT CORRECT? WELL, JUST FOR THE CITATION, IT, WELL, IF THEY, I, IT COULD POTENTIALLY TURN INTO A WARRANT. AND THEN IF THEY, IF THEY, IF THEY DON'T APPEAR AND DOING ALL THOSE THINGS WE GET, BUT, SO ON PREMISE, NO, SIR. WE NORMALLY JUST CITE, THERE ARE SOME [02:30:01] THAT HAVE BEEN CITED MANY TIMES AND THEY MAY BE TAKEN INTO CUSTODY. BUT IF SO, I DON'T WANT YOU TO NOT THINK THAT THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN. YEAH. BUT VERY RARELY. BUT IT CAN HAPPEN. MY QUESTION IS, SO TO MY KNOWLEDGE, A CITATION, ONE WAY IT BECOMES ARRESTABLE IS YOU GIVE A CITATION, A PERSON DOESN'T APPEAR. JUDGE, UH, PUTS OUT A WARRANT FOR FAILURE TO APPEAR. NOW IF THERE'S ANOTHER ENCOUNTER WITH THIS INDIVIDUAL, AND THERE'S A WARRANT ON THE, ON THE RECORD, THEN THEY MAY BE ARRESTED. WHAT OTHER INSTANCES, UH, COULD A PERSON BECOME ARRESTED FROM A CLASS C MISDEMEANOR OUTSIDE OF THAT SCENARIO? WELL, THERE ARE A LOT OF CLASS C VIOLATIONS THAT YOU CAN BE ARRESTED FOR. UH, ASSAULT, SIMPLE ASSAULT IT AND THINGS, OTHER THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT CAN OCCUR. UM, SO THERE, THERE ARE, THERE ARE SEVERAL PLACES WHERE YOU MIGHT BE ARRESTED FOR A CLASS C, BUT, UM, SO IT DEPENDS ON WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. SO, BUT THE CITATION THAT WOULD BE GIVEN FOR, UM, NOT ABIDING BY THE CIVILITY ORDINANCE MM-HMM . THERE'S MANY OTHER WAYS IN WHICH IF A PERSON WAS EITHER ASSAULTED OR A ELEVATED LEVEL OF CRIMINALITY THAT THEY COULD BE ARRESTED. YES. AND MY POINT, AND MY POINT IS, WHAT'S THE POINT OF THE CITATION FOR THE CIVILITY ORDINANCE? WHAT, WHAT ARE WE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH WITH A CITATION JUST FOR THAT? NOTHING BEYOND IT WITH ASSAULT OR TRESPASS OR ANYTHING ELSE. JUST FROM THE CIVILITY ORDINANCE. IT, IT MAY, IT COMES DOWN TO ACCOUNTABILITY, SIR. I MEAN, BECAUSE THE REALITY IS, IS THAT IF THEY KEEP SAYING NO, RIGHT? AND WE DO NOTHING ELSE, OKAY, THEY SAID NO. SO WE DON'T DO ANYTHING ELSE, THEN THAT PROCESS WILL CONTINUE AND GROW. AND THAT'LL BE THE NARRATIVE. SO AT SOME POINT, WE HAVE TO HOLD PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE. AND I SAY AGAIN, PEOPLE ARE FOCUSED ON THE CITATION. LIKE IT'S A TERRIBLE THING. IT IS NOT. IF WE HAVE TO WRITE A CITATION, WHICH IS KIND OF TOWARDS THE VERY LAST THINGS WE DO, ARREST IS THE LAST THING WE DO. BUT IF WE EVER WRITE A CITATION, THAT'S GONNA BE ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY, ANOTHER TOUCH POINT FOR THAT INDIVIDUAL SOMEWHERE DOWN THE ROAD. BUT FROM AN ADMINISTRATIVE STANDPOINT, IT DOES THAT JUST TIE UP? I MEAN, AN INDIVIDUAL'S PROBABLY NEVER GONNA SHOW UP TO COURT FOR A LOT OF 'EM DO, BUT FOR THIS, THEY A LOT, A LOT SOME, WELL, MIKE'S ALREADY QUOTED THE NUMBERS THAT THEY, THAT THEY SHOW UP. SO INDIVIDUALS DOWNTOWN WHO ARE GIVEN CLASS C MISDEMEANOR CITATIONS FOR HOMELESS RELATED INCIDENCES ARE SHOWING UP TO OUR COURTS. COULD BE, COULD BE. THEY, THEY, THEY DO. I DON'T KNOW THE NUMBERS. OKAY. AND IT PROBABLY IS LOW. SO IT MIGHT BE AN INTERACTION WHERE THEY MIGHT BE TAKEN INTO CUSTODY. UH, LIKE I SAID, SINCE WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS NOW FOR, SINCE LAST YEAR, I THINK THE NUMBERS AND, AND EXCLUDES OTHER ARRESTS TOO. BUT THE WHOLE TOTAL, TOTAL NUMBER WOULD BE 21. AND I, I, I, I, UM, RESPECT YOU ALL'S LEADERSHIP AND EXPERIENCE IN THIS MATTER. MM-HMM . YOU ALL ARE STANDING BY MM-HMM . THIS AS SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE. ABSOLUTELY. UM, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR LEADERSHIP ON IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SIR. SAY MIKE, WOULDN'T IT ALSO BE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A RECORD COUNCILMAN POLLARD IF FOR NO OTHER REASON, IF THEY NEVER SHOW UP IN COURT, WHICH IS SOME OF THE CURRENT, UH, EXPERIENCE, AT LEAST THE SYSTEM HAS A RECORD OF A DAY LOCATION AND WHAT ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO ASSIST THAT PERSON? SO, RIGHT. I DON'T THINK, AS YOU SAID, THE, THE JUDGE SANTOS AND THE COURTS ARE VERY SENSITIVE, AND COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ POINTED OUT, WE ACTUALLY HAVE DEDICATED PEOPLE TO ASSIST THE HOMELESS THROUGH THE COURT SYSTEM. AND AS I SAID EARLIER, IF THAT'S YOUR CONCERN, LET'S ENGINEER AROUND IT. THAT'S NOT THE GOAL TO WRITE PEOPLE THE TICKETS. IT'S TO, TO HELP 'EM IN A CRISIS WHICH THEY'RE CURRENTLY BEING SENT TO BEN TODD, UH, OR THE PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL. IT COULD ALSO, THE TICKET COULD LEAD TO A CIVIL COMMITMENT. LET'S NOT FORGET THAT TOOL, WHICH WE'RE NOT USING NEARLY ENOUGH TO GET PEOPLE AT THE STATE HOSPITAL FOR LONG-TERM MENTAL HEALTHCARE. IT'S NOT A QUICK TWO OR THREE DAYS, BUT IT'S LIKE 30 DAYS, 90 DAYS TO VERNON OR RUS. SO THE TICKET WRITING WOULD ASSIST US IF WE FILE A CIVIL COMMITMENT MM-HMM . AT THE PSYCHIATRIC COURTS RUN BY HARRIS COUNTY TO DOCUMENT THE CHALLENGES FOR THIS INDIVIDUAL AND GET 'EM SOME LONG-TERM CARE. SO COUNCILMAN FLICKINGER, THANK YOU, MAYOR, AND THANK YOU FOR THE DISCUSSION TODAY. I'M CONFIDENT THAT EVERYBODY AROUND THE HORSESHOE AND EVERYBODY INVOLVED WITH DEALING WITH [02:35:01] THE HOMELESS WANTS THE HOMELESS TO BE DEALT WITH IN AN EMPATHETIC AND COMPASSIONATE MANNER. UH, OBVIOUSLY THE QUESTIONS TODAY ARE AROUND WHETHER OR NOT THIS NEW ORDINANCE, IN FACT, DOES THAT. AND ALTHOUGH I UNDERSTAND THOSE QUESTIONS, I THINK WHAT WE REALLY OUGHT TO BE ASKING IS, IS OUR CURRENT SITUATION EMPATHETIC AND COMPASSIONATE? AND I WOULD ARGUE THAT A LOT OF THE RESULTS THAT WE SEE GOING ON TODAY, AND CERTAINLY COUNCILWOMAN CARTER TALKING ABOUT MAGGOTS GROWING OUT OF AN OPEN WOUND, IS ANYTHING BUT EMPATHETIC AND COMPASSIONATE. SO I THINK THE REALIZATION THAT, YEAH, WE HAVE A PROBLEM, WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING TO TRY AND SOLVE IT. AND I DON'T KNOW WHETHER OR NOT THIS IS THE SOLUTION OR NOT, BUT IF IT'S NOT, WE CAN MAKE ADJUSTMENTS AFTERWARDS. SO I, I THINK WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR THOMAS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. GOOD MORNING, DIRECTOR AND CHIEF SATTERWHITE. I WILL SAVE MOST OF MY COMMENTARY WHEN WE ACTUALLY CALL THE ITEM , UM, FOR A VOTE. BUT I DO, UH, CHIEF, I WANNA GO BACK TO SOME OF YOUR COMMENTS YOU MADE ABOUT THE EXPANSION OF PARTNERSHIPS WITH POTENTIAL FUNDING. YES, MA'AM. WHICH I ASSUME WILL COME BACK TO COUNCIL. SO, UH, UH, YOU MENTIONED HCC, METRO, TMC AND CONSTABLES. ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT FOR THIS PARTICULAR PILOT, OR AS YOU WORKED THROUGH A POSSIBLE EXPANSION THROUGH THE CITY? YES, MA'AM. IT'LL BE AS WE EXPAND. SO THE, THE WAY WE'RE DOING IT IS WHEN A LAW ENFORCEMENT AND, AND EMS FIRE AGENCIES HAVE A, THEY'RE, THEY HAVE OVERLAPPING JURISDICTIONS. MM-HMM . SO THEY ALREADY HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO THIS PROBLEM, THIS CHALLENGE, UH, INCLUDE HPD OBVIOUSLY HAS THE WHOLE CITY, UH, BUT EVEN AS WE GO INTO THE COUNTY, BECAUSE WE'RE EVENTUALLY WE'RE GOING INTO THE COUNTY, HARRIS COUNTY, SAME THING. BUT YEAH, IT'S THE OVERLAPPING. SO WE STARTED IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA. UH, WE STARTED WITH HCC, I MEAN, SORRY, U OF H, UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON DOWNTOWN. BECAUSE OF ALAN'S LANDING, THE CHIEF PARTNERED WITH US, AND WE WENT IN HPD, AND WE WENT IN AND WORKED THAT AREA. AS WE MOVED OVER TO BAGBY, THEN WE ENGAGED PRECINCT ONE BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE DOWNTOWN AREA ALONG WITH HPD AND METRO, WHO HAS A WIDE REACHING JURISDICTION TOO. SO THOSE THREE AGENCIES IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS HAVE BEEN OUR PRIMARY TEAMS THAT HAVE BEEN WORKING IN THE FIELD. BUT AS WE GO INTO MIDTOWN NOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PRECINCT SEVEN AND HCC. AND THEY ARE, THEY HAVE THE SAME CHALLENGE, AND WE'RE TALKING. SO, SO YES, MA'AM. AS WE EXPAND AND THEY HAVE AN OVERLAPPING JURISDICTION, THAT'S WHEN WE'RE TRYING TO ENGAGE AND PARTNER WITH THEM, AND THEN GET THEIR ASSISTANCE AS WE GO FORWARD. UM, YEAH. SO, YOU KNOW, THINK ABOUT ALL THE CON, THERE'S EIGHT DIFFERENT CONSTABLE'S OFFICES SURE. IN THE AREA, THERE'S METRO, THERE'S LOTS OF UNIVERSITY AND MEDICAL TYPE POLICE DEPARTMENTS. ALL OF 'EM ARE GONNA BE PARTNERS. AND I'VE TALKED TO JUST ABOUT EVERY ONE OF 'EM I HAD ON CALL IS LIKE 71 PEOPLE. AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE PLAN, THE INITIATIVE, AND WHAT THE GOAL OF IT IS. AND THEY ARE ALL ON BOARD. UH, PRECINCT TWO, CONSTABLE GARCIA IS DOING GREAT WORK IN HIS AREA. I MEAN, ALL OF, ARE I JUST POINTED OUT AS AN EXAMPLE. SO IS IT THE EXPECTATION THAT THIS PARTNERSHIP WHO'S ACCOUNTABLE TO US BECAUSE, AND THEN WHAT'S THE EXPECTATION OF THE PUBLIC WHEN THEY SEE AN HCC POLICE FORCE OR TMC? IS IT THE ASSUMPTION THAT IF THERE'S AN OCCURRENCE IN THESE TWO DESIGNATED PILOTS, THEY THEY'RE STILL FOLLOWING OUR PROCESS IN TERMS OF SO ROLLING OUT? OR DO WE, IS IT YES. IS IT EVERYONE? YES, MA'AM. SO FOR OUR INITIATIVE, WE ARE GIVING THEM KIND OF THE PRO THE POL THE, THE PLAN AND HOW TO GO ABOUT IT. AND THEY HAVE ALL, THEY ALL KNOW THAT THEY GET THAT UPFRONT, BUT EVERY AGENCY ANSWERS TO THEIR OWN, TO THEIR CONSTITUENCY. AND THAT, AGAIN, THAT'S WHY I SAY OVERLAPPING. YOU WOULDN'T PROBABLY BE USED TO SEEING PRECINCT SEVEN IN THE NORTH SIDE OF HOUSTON, BUT YOU'RE GONNA BE MORE THAN HAPPY. YOU'RE GONNA SEE THEM ALL THE TIME IN MIDTOWN AND THE AREAS THAT THEY PATROL. SO IT SHOULD NOT BE FOREIGN TO ANYBODY TO SEE AN AGENCY WORK IN OUR INITIATIVE, IN THEIR AREA, BECAUSE THEY HAVE OVERLAPPING JURISDICTIONS TO THOSE AREAS. AND SO THAT'S KIND OF THE IDEA. SURE. BUT THE ANSWER TO THEM, THEY ANSWER TO THEIR OWN POLICY AND THEIR OWN. YEAH. MY CONCERN IS JUST MORE ABOUT THE PROCESS, SINCE WE'RE STILL, THERE'S STILL SOMEONE UN UNANSWERED QUESTIONS ABOUT OUR PROCESS AS WE EXPAND. AND I BELIEVE THE PILOT WILL GIVE US MORE INFORMATION ON THAT. YES, MA'AM. TO FINE TUNE. SO I, I APPRECIATE THAT. AND THEN I JUST HAVE A, A COMMENT, I, I, I JUST WANT US TO REMEMBER HOW MANY STAKEHOLDERS, INDIVIDUALS, AND NEIGHBORHOODS ARE DEEPLY INVESTED IN THIS ITEM TODAY. UM, AND THOSE WHO ARE WATCHING, AND I THINK WE SHOULD JUST BE CAREFUL NOT TO, UM, LANGUAGE GROUPS THAT ARE PROVIDING FOOD AND SANITARY ITEMS IN KIND AS THEY'RE JUST DOING IT TO FEEL GOOD. MANY PEOPLE, [02:40:01] UH, FOLLOW SCRIPTURAL TEXTS THAT COMMANDS THEM TO FEED, HOUSE AND CLOTHE THE POOR. SO I, UM, UH, WE JUST, WE COULD BE REALLY GINGER WITH THAT. THEY ARE IN THEIR MINDS AND HEARTS CONTRIBUTING TO WHAT THEY FEEL THEY'RE CALLED TO DO AND HOW THEY'RE LIVING OUT. AND THAT'S WHAT MAKES US SO GREAT AS HOUSTONIANS. UM, BUT I'LL, UH, REFRAIN FOR THE REST OF MY COMMENTARY WHEN WE ACTUALLY CALL THE ITEM. BUT THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING POINTS. JUST, JUST ON THAT NOTE REAL QUICK, YOU ARE CORRECT. WE HAVE FANTASTIC PEOPLE OUT THERE TRYING TO HELP THOSE THEY SEE AS HARD HURTING AND VULNERABLE CHRISTIAN, UH, OTHER FAITHS, ALL OF THEM OUT THERE. WE'RE NOT SAYING STOP, WE'RE SAYING WORK WITH US. BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, YOUR EFFORT, WHICH IS TO BE APPLAUDED, UM, IS IS, IS MAYBE WORKING AGAINST WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO OVERALL. IT ACTUALLY ANCHORS PEOPLE TO AN AREA THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY TRYING TO GET 'EM OUT, YOU KNOW, OFF THE STREETS, OUT THAT AREA, INTO A BETTER PLACE. SO ALL WE ASK IS THAT WORK WITH US, WE WILL LISTEN, WE WILL WORK TOGETHER. WE'RE NOT RUNNING ANYTHING, BUT WE DO NEED THEIR HELP. COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I JUST WANNA THANK BOTH OF Y'ALL FOR THE WORK Y'ALL ARE DOING. UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS DEFINITELY NOT A NEW CONVERSATION. I THINK THERE'S BEEN ALREADY, UH, PREVIOUS, PREVIOUS TO THIS ADMINISTRATION, TWO ADMINISTRATIONS THAT HAVE STARTED THIS CONVERSATION. AND I THINK WHAT WE'VE SEEN TOO IS THERE'S BEEN SEVERAL ITERATIONS OF HOW DO WE CONTINUE TO MOVE, MOVE THE NEEDLE. UM, HOUSING FIRST IS IMPORTANT, UM, WHAT WE'VE SEEN OR HEARD THE LAST THREE, FOUR YEARS, FIVE YEARS, MAYBE THAT NOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HARDEST TO HOUSE. AND SO THIS IS ANOTHER ITERATION OF WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO START ADDRESSING ANOTHER, ANOTHER CHALLENGE. I WANT THANK COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER FOR DIVING IN HEAD FIRST TO BE HELPFUL. BECAUSE QUITE FRANKLY, AS A DOWNTOWN COUNCIL MEMBER AND WORKING THIS, THIS OUTTA THIS OFFICE FOR 10 YEARS PRIOR, UH, WE RECEIVED THE CALLS. AND, AND AS THIS PILOT, UH, MOVES OUT OF DISTRICT, I SPECIFICALLY DOWNTOWN AND EAST DOWNTOWN, I WANT FOLKS TO KNOW THAT MY CONSTITUENTS WANT TO SEE THIS HAPPEN. UM, WE NEED TO FIND ANOTHER WAY TO MOVE FORWARD. WE CAN'T CONTINUE TO DO THE SAME THING THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE AGAIN, WE'RE NOW TALKING ABOUT A DIFFERENT POPULATION. AND IN MY EXPERIENCE, DURING THE PIT COUNT THAT I'VE DONE PRIOR TO BEING A COUNCIL MEMBER, THOSE CONVERSATIONS THAT YOU HAVE, THEY, THEY ARE REAL CONVERSATIONS, UM, ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES, SUBSTANCE ABUSE, SOME OF 'EM AS EASY AS I DON'T HAVE AN ID. AND SO THERE THERE'S DIFFERENT WAYS THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS. I, I DO WANT TO SPEAK TO A LITTLE BIT OF THE BACKGROUND OF THE HOT TEAM. CAN YOU SPEAK TO, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE STAFFING YEARS OF EXPERIENCE, BECAUSE THE OTHER THING, UH, I ALSO WANNA BRING UP IS WE HAD DR. ETTE, UH, GIL RA RA THAT WAS HERE. THIS IS NOT JUST HPD INTERACTION, RIGHT? THERE'S A WHOLE TEAM THAT IS OUT THERE. UM, THERE'S FOLKS THAT ARE FROM THE NONPROFIT SIDE. IN MY EXPERIENCE WORKING IN A NONPROFIT, YOU HAVE TO CHANGE HOW YOU WORK WITH PEOPLE AS THEY EITHER PROGRESS OR IF THEY, WHATEVER OTHER, UH, YOU KNOW, UM, HOWEVER THEY DECIDE TO MOVE FORWARD OR BACKWARDS. UM, YOU KNOW, AND, AND AGAIN, IN, IN NON-PROFIT WORK, YOU GO WHERE THE PEOPLE ARE AND YOU DO WHAT THE PEOPLE NEED. AND I THINK THIS IS, AT THIS POINT, QUITE FRANKLY, THIS IS WHAT WE NEED RIGHT NOW. WE NEED TO FIND THEM, UH, AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET INTO A BED. AND WITHOUT SPEAKING TOO MUCH ABOUT THE LOCATION, UM, WE HAVE, WE HAVE BEDS THAT WE CAN PROVIDE FOR THIS PILOT PROGRAM. YES, SIR. UM, NOW WE'RE SEEING IT ACROSS THE CITY, RIGHT. AND SO MY COLLEAGUES ARE NOW SEEING FOLKS IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS THAT THEY WEREN'T SEEING MAYBE THREE, FOUR OR FIVE YEARS AGO. AND SO I'M, I'M, I'M, I'M GLAD THAT THEY, THEY CAN SEE THIS NOW. I'M, UH, IT'S AN UNFORTUNATE SITUATION. I'M GLAD THEY CAN SEE THIS NOW. BUT THIS IS A CONVERSATION THAT DOWNTOWN HAS HAD FOR DECADES. YES, SIR. AND DECADES AND DECADES. BUT IF YOU CAN SPEAK TO JUST THE HOT, THE HOT TEAM BACKGROUND, THEIR EXPERIENCE, UM, YOU'VE SPOKEN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW THEY INTERACT, BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO JUST SAY, THIS IS NOT A FIRST TIME INTERACTION AND THEN WE'RE GONNA CITE YOU. UM, PLEASE. NO, NO, SIR. SO THE HOT TEAM IS AWESOME. H HP D'S HOT TEAM, WHICH I HAVE THE MOST EXPERIENCE WITH. FANTASTIC MEN. MANY OF YOU, UH, REMEMBER, UH, THE SERGEANT WHO STARTED UP SERGEANT STEVE WICK, AND HE WAS KNOWN AROUND THE COUNTRY, UH, FOR, FOR HIS COMPASSION AND WORK WITH OUR HOMELESS. AND NOW I, I SUSPECT MORE THAN HALF OR THREE QUARTERS OF, YOU KNOW, OFFICER OOD, EVERYBODY KNOWS HE GOOD. AND HE'S OUT THERE AND, AND JUST, AND THERE'S, SO I GET IN TROUBLE 'CAUSE THEM TOO, AND DON'T NAME 'EM ALL. THEY'RE ALL FANTASTIC MEN AND WOMEN. AND THEY'RE, THEY ARE HIGHLY TRAINED. THEY WORK WITH OUTREACH TO DO ALL KINDS OF THINGS. AND, AND THEY'RE WORKING, YOU KNOW, EIGHT HOURS A DAY PLUS THEY WORK OVER AND TO DO ALL THOSE OTHER THINGS. UM, JUST SIMPLY NOT ENOUGH OF THEM, YOU KNOW, FOR THE CHALLENGES. BUT THAT'S, BUT OTHER AGENCIES I KNOW, UM, METRO HAS THEIR CARES UNIT. MM-HMM . AND SERGEANT LGA RUNS THAT ONE. I KNOW HARRIS COUNTY, PRECINCT ONE, ALL THE, ALL THE OTHER SHERIFF'S [02:45:01] OFFICES, THEY ALL HAVE, YOU KNOW, THESE SPECIALIZED TEAMS THAT ARE DOING THIS ON A DAILY BASIS, WORKING TOWARDS RESOLVING THIS ISSUE. SO WE'RE VERY BLESSED TO HAVE THEM, AND THEY DO GREAT WORK. THERE'S MORE WORK THAN WE HAVE PEOPLE TO DO, BUT WE TAKE IT AS WE CAN DO IT. AND, UH, SO I MEAN, AGAIN, I DON'T IF IF THAT'S SATISFACTORY THERE. YEAH. I MEAN, THEY'RE JUST, THEY'RE JUST GOOD MEN AND WOMEN OUT THERE DOING THE RIGHT THING. AND I THINK WHAT I'M TRYING TO HIGHLIGHT REALLY IS THAT IT'S NOT JUST HPD THAT IS ENGAGING WITH THEM. THIS IS A, A WHOLE TEAM OF NONPROFITS THAT HAVE, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF DIRECTOR, UH, PRIOR TO, YOU KNOW, THE WORK THAT Y'ALL ARE DOING. UM, YOU KNOW, AND, AND YOU KNOW, A AS WE CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD, AGAIN, I, I GET IT. WE NEED SOME, WE WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING MM-HMM. WHAT THE NUMBERS ARE AND THAT OVERSIGHT. UH, BUT I, I WOULD ENCOURAGE MY COLLEAGUES TO BE SUPPORTIVE OF THIS PILOT PROGRAM MM-HMM . AND HOLD EVERYBODY ACCOUNTABLE. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, THE END RESULT IS ULTIMATELY PUT PEOPLE IN BEDS AS WELL. CORRECT? YES, SIR. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN EVAN SHABA. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I OBVIOUSLY WOULD NOT HAVE WON JEOPARDY 'CAUSE I AM THE ABSOLUTE LAST SPEAKER IN ALL LIKELIHOOD. BUT CERTAINLY I WANT TO SAY, UM, I'M NOT, OH, I FEEL MUCH BETTER. I DON'T WANT THE HONOR, I DON'T WANT THE HONOR OF BEING THE LAST WORD, BUT CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, I HAVE NEVER BEEN UNHOUSED OR HOMELESS. AND I SAY, THEREBY THE GRACE OF GOD GO, I, BECAUSE WITH SITUATIONS, YOU NEVER KNOW WHERE YOU MAY END UP. UM, NOW I'M SOMEWHAT IN LINE WITH, UH, MY COLLEAGUE REGARDING, NOT NECESSARILY THE SEARCH TRAINING, BUT CERTAINLY A SENSITIVITY TRAINING, UH, FOR PERSONS WHO MAY BE ENGAGED WITH HOMELESS POPULATIONS OR WHICH COULD BE ANY OFFICER. CERTAINLY. UM, BECAUSE SOMETIMES THERE'S A PERVASIVE LACK OF RESPECT FOR THESE HUMAN BEINGS. AND SO EVERYBODY'S NOT GONNA BE AS QUIET AND AS KIND AS YOU GENTLEMEN. AND SO I THINK THAT THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT, UH, THEY, THAT THE OFFICERS OR WHOEVER'S GONNA ENGAGE, UH, ARE, ARE TRAINED IN THIS SENSITIVITY. UM, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, I'M, I'M THINKING, WELL, NOT MORE IMPORTANTLY, BUT I'M WONDERING NOW, BECAUSE ACTUALLY ON THE ELEVATOR, I WAS HAVING A CONVERSATION WITH DIRECTOR NICHOLS AND HE SAYS, WE ARE GETTING, WE ARE GETTING RESOURCES, WE ARE GETTING, SO MY QUESTION IS, BEFORE YOU GET THESE RESOURCES, UH, THESE, UH, PEOPLE THAT ARE IN THIS SITUATION ARE GONNA BE PUSHED TO DISTRICT D AND DISTRICT C, UM, BECAUSE YOU CAN'T OFFER THEM A BED. AND SO I WANNA KNOW, IS THERE A TIMELINE, UH, FOR WHEN YOU BELIEVE THAT YOU MAY HAVE ADEQUATE RESOURCES? BECAUSE I'M, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE EXPEDIENCY OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS, UH, WHILE WE ARE GETTING RESOURCES. SO PERHAPS YOU COULD SPEAK TO THAT. YES, MA'AM. AND I THINK MIKE, LEMME SAY, MIKE, THERE'S CLEARLY A TIMELINE AND, AND THE TIMELINE IS BEING PRESSED HARDER AND HARDER. UH, YOU'RE ALREADY APPROVING AND HAVE APPROVED A NUMBER OF HOUSING, UM, SOURCES FOR DOING THIS. UM, AND THEY WILL BE COMING FAST AND FURIOUS THROUGH TO COUNCIL. UM, BUT THERE IS A TIMELINE. WE HAVE HAD PRETTY LAST DAYS TO TERRIFIC CONVERSATIONS ABOUT SUBSTANTIAL INVESTMENTS INTO THE SYSTEM, NON-PRO, UH, PHILANTHROPIC INVESTMENTS. AND WE ARE UNDER INTENSE PRESSURE TO, AND GOOD PRESSURE TO INCREASE THAT. I FEEL VERY COMFORTABLE THAT YOU WILL HAVE ADEQUATE NUMBER OF BEDS AVAILABLE, AN ADEQUATE NUMBER OF LOW VARIOUS SHELTER BEDS AVAILABLE AS THIS, UM, UH, ORDINANCE IS IMPLEMENTED STREET BY STREET ON AN ONGOING BASIS. SO I'M VERY CLEAR THAT THAT'S HAPPENING. AND, UM, AND, AND IT'S MOVING AT LIGHTNING SPEED. WELL, FOR THE RECORD, CAN YOU PERHAPS SAY, UH, THAT THIS WILL NOT BE IMPLEMENTED IMMEDIATELY, PERHAPS IN 30 DAYS, 60 DAYS WHEN, BECAUSE OF COURSE WE HAVE, UH, THE CIVILITY ORDINANCE IN THE MUSEUM DISTRICT AND IT'S BEEN QUITE EFFECTIVE. BUT AGAIN, I WANT TO MAKE SURE, AND, AND ACTUALLY IT MAY BE SOMETHING TO SAY THAT THERE WILL BE SENSITIVITY TRAINING, NOT SHOULD BE, BUT WILL BE SENSITIVITY TRAINING BECAUSE IT CAN LEAD TO CONFRONTATION, UH, WHEN PEOPLE ARE, ARE NOT VERY SENSITIVE AND THEY'RE JUST BASICALLY GOING IN SAYING, GET YOUR STUFF, GET OUTTA HERE. YOU CAN'T DO THIS, AND LET'S JUST BE REAL. YES, MA'AM. THAT IS SOME OF THE INTERACTIONS AND THE EXPERIENCES OF SOME OF THE UNHOUSED AND HOMELESS. AND SO COULD THAT BE SOMETHING [02:50:01] THAT IS PUT IN THERE IN REGARDS TO TRAINING? MAYBE NOT AS EXTENSIVE AS CER, BECAUSE WE'RE NOT TRYING TO MAYBE DELAY THE PROCESS BECAUSE IT WOULD ENTAIL A LOT OF PAPERWORK OR WHATEVER TO GET PEOPLE THERE IN THAT SITUATION. BUT CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT SPEAKS TO SENSITIVITY TRAINING THAT IS DOCUMENTED THROUGH CERTIFICATION. MM-HMM . OR SOMETHING, UH, TO ALL POLICE OFFICERS, UH, BECAUSE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS IN ALL AREAS. CERTAINLY SOME AREAS THERE ARE, UH, YOU KNOW, MORE PEOPLE. BUT AGAIN, I, I DON'T WANT PEOPLE, AND I WANT THE RESOURCES IN PLACE BECAUSE I DON'T WANT THEM PUSHED TO D AND C, UH, BECAUSE WE CAN'T SAY, OKAY, YOU GET UP, YOU GET OUTTA HERE, YOU CAN'T LAY HERE, BUT WE DON'T HAVE ANY PLACE FOR YOU TO GO. PEOPLE ARE NOT ZOMBIES. THEY HAVE TO HAVE SOMEWHERE TO REST. OR CERTAINLY THAT MENTAL CAPACITY IS GOING TO EVEN GET WORSE. AND SO JUST SOMETHING THAT'S DOCUMENTED ABOUT THE TIMELINE OF IMPLEMENTATION AS WELL AS THE NEED FOR CERTIFIED YES, MA'AM. TRAINING FOR SENSITIVITY FOR OUR OFFICERS. IN TERMS OF THE TIMELINE YOU DID, THE COUNCIL DID JUST APPROVE A LOT OF CONTRACTS THAT ARE GOING INTO EFFECT WHEN AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER FOR OUTREACH THAT'S GONNA BE GETTING HOUSING. SO THAT, THAT WE CAN PROVIDE THAT FOR YOU BECAUSE, UH, MELODY BARR, UH, WHO IS THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR IN HOUSING COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, MADE THAT, UH, PRESENTATION BEFORE COUNSEL IN TERMS OF SENSITIVITY TRAINING. ALL OFFICERS HAVE RECEIVED TRAINING AND DEESCALATION AND UNDERSTANDING DIFFERENT GROUPS, WHETHER IT IS AS FAITH-BASED OR WHETHER IT'S REGIONAL OR YOU KNOW, MAYBE, UH, YOU KNOW, DEPENDING ON, THEY MAY BE FROM ANOTHER PART OF THE WORLD. ALL OF THOSE OTHER THINGS OR THEY HAVE DIFFERENT, UM, UH, DIFFERENT TYPE DIFFERENT, THEY'RE DIFFERENT THAN EVERYBODY ELSE. ALL OFFICERS HAVE THAT TRAINING. IT'S ALREADY INDOCUMENTED COLE, EXCUSE ME, EXCUSE ME. HAS THAT BEEN DOCUMENTED? IT'S BEEN DOCUMENTED BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO TAKE IT THROUGH THE STATE. THE STATE REQUIRES IT, AND THE CITY, YOU KNOW, LIKE THE DEPARTMENT. SO THOSE DOCUMENTS, UH, WOULD BE THAT WE'VE JUST A REQUEST TO LIKE FOR HPD TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF THE TRAININGS THAT THE OFFICERS HAVE ALL RECEIVED. AND SO YOU CAN, YOU CAN BE ASSURED THAT'S ALREADY THERE. UH, AND AGAIN, THEY'RE GOOD MINIMUM. AND I JUST, I AM REAL, I WOULD BE RELUCTANT TO ADD ANY MORE SHALLS OR PROVISIONS IN THIS ORDINANCE BECAUSE THEY ALREADY HAVE THAT AND IT'S GOING TO END UP BEING ONEROUS. AND WE COULD END UP NOT, I MEAN, IT, IT, THEY, THE OFFICERS WERE GONNA END UP THROWING THEIR HANDS UP, OKAY, WHAT ARE WE DOING HERE? WE KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING CHIEF OR, YOU KNOW, UH, JUST IN OTHER WORDS, KIND OF LET US DO WHAT WE DO AND WE DO IT WELL. AND I BELIEVE THAT, SO, I MEAN, WE CAN GET YOU THAT TRAINING. I MEAN, AGAIN, THAT IS, I'M NOT ON THE POLICE DEPARTMENT ANYMORE, SO THAT WOULD BE CHIEF DIAZ AND HIS AS THE CHIEF OF TO, TO, TO OVERSEE THAT. BUT THEY'VE ALL HAD THAT TRAINING. OKAY. THANK YOU. AND THIS, LIKE I SAID, ARE GETTING AS, AS FAR AS, OR GETTING AS ORDINANCE TIMELINE, EXCUSE ME. IT IS, WE HOPE IT IMPLEMENTS IT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, BUT IT WILL BE IMPLEMENTED ON THE STREETS AS WE HAVE BEDS. WE CAN'T MOVE THAT UNTIL WE'RE MOVING AS FAST AS WE HAVE BEDS, WHICH IS PRETTY FAST. BUT YOU'RE NOT GONNA SEE PEOPLE THROWING OFF THE STREETS WHEN YOU DON'T, THEY DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO BEDS. SO THAT IS PART OF THE OPPORTUNITY HERE. BUT IN THE MEANTIME, THEY COULD END UP IN C AND D BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES. SO WE ARE TRYING TO NOT DISPLACE ANYBODY BECAUSE AGAIN, THIS IS NOT A MOVE, THIS IS, YOU CAN'T DO THIS. YOU CAN'T LIE DOWN AND SLOW DOWN AND SLEEP. SO I'M NOT GONNA SAY THEY WON'T END UP IN YOUR DISTRICT . I CAN'T, YOU KNOW THAT. BUT I CAN TELL YOU, WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO AVOID DISPLACEMENT. WE ACTUALLY WANT THEM TO ACCEPT OUR HELP AND IT'S BEHAVIOR. THAT WOULD BE THE ENFORCEMENT, NOT WHERE THEY ARE, UNLESS THEY'RE ON PRIVATE PROPERTY. AND A LOT OF THEM ARE ON PRIVATE PROPERTY. AND Y'ALL ALREADY KNOW. WE HAVE PEOPLE CALL AND SAY, HEY, NO ONE'S SUPPOSED TO BE ON MY PROPERTY. WELL, THAT'S TRESPASS, THAT'S A DIFFERENT THING. BUT IF YOU'RE ON THE SIDEWALK, WE'RE NOT MOVING YOU OFF OF A SIDEWALK. WE'RE SIMPLY SAYING YOU CAN'T DO THIS ON THE SIDEWALK. OKAY. AND IT IS A PILOT. IT IS A PILOT. YES, MA'AM. THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ. THE FIRST TIME I VOTED FOR A CIVILITY ORDINANCE WAS IN YOUR DISTRICT AFTER THE PASSIONATE PLEAS OF YOUR CONSTITUENT ABOUT HELPING OUR COMMUNITY. THIS IS NO DIFFERENT EXCEPT IT APPLIES TO THE RESIDENTS DOWNTOWN AND OUR BUSINESSES. I REMEMBER WHEN WE DID THAT, MARY, YOU DID A FINE JOB. YOU SAID, WE NEED TO HAVE ONE ALL OVER THE CITY. AND SO CERTAINLY YOU'RE, YOU'RE RIGHT. I WAS LEARNING THAT DAY. WE ABSOLUTELY NEED, AND YOU EDUCATE WHATEVER WE CAN TO, UH, PROTECT AND SERVE EVEN THE UNHOUSED AND HOMELESS. AND SO I, I THANK YOU ALL FOR, UH, THIS IS JUST AN EXPANSION OF WHAT YOU CONVINCED ME TO VOTE FOR. . THANK YOU MAYOR. COUNCILMAN CAYMAN. [02:55:01] THANK YOU. UM, FIRST I WANNA, I WANNA SPOTLIGHT 'CAUSE NOT ALL ONE, I WANNA THANK COLLEAGUES AND THE MAYOR FOR THEIR COMMITMENT TO THIS ISSUE. EVERYONE IS PASSIONATE ABOUT IT. AND ONE OF THE AMAZING THINGS ABOUT OUR CITY IS HOW FAR WE HAVE COME SINCE 2011. I WANNA REMIND THE PUBLIC WE HAVE REDUCED HOMELESSNESS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON OVER 66 0%. SO WHAT WE ARE DOING IS WORKING, AND WE STILL HAVE A WAYS TO GO. SO TO SAY WE'RE NOT DOING SOMETHING WHERE THE MODEL THAT WE HAVE ISN'T WORKING IS A FALSE NARRATIVE. DO WE NEED MORE? ABSOLUTELY. AND FOR ME, WHAT WE HAVE FOUND, THE REASON WHY HOUSTON HAS BEEN SO SUCCESSFUL IS BECAUSE OF THE HOUSING FIRST. AND WHEN WE SAY THE BEDS ARE COMING, THE HOUSING IS COMING, I WANT TO SEE THAT. LET'S SEE HOW MUCH HEADWAY WE HAVE MADE, HOW BIG OF A DENT WE HAVE MADE. AND THEN IF WE NEED TO ADD ON STICKS TO THOSE CARROTS, THEN LET'S HAVE THAT DISCUSSION. BUT GOING BACK TO THE CIVILITY ORDINANCE ITSELF, THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 12, UH, I DON'T WANNA MISSTATE THE NUMBER, BUT I BELIEVE IT'S 12 NEIGHBORHOODS THAT FILED PETITIONS THAT WENT THROUGH A PROCESS AND THEN HAD HPD PRESENT EVIDENCE AS TO WHY THIS WAS IMPORTANT AS A TOOL. AND I SUPPORTED THOSE BECAUSE I SUPPORTED THOSE RESIDENTS FOR THE RECORD. IN DISTRICT CI AM GETTING OPPOSITION EMAILS TO THIS ITEM. NOW, I, I DO WANNA SAY THAT BECAUSE CONSTITUENTS ARE OPPOSED IN DISTRICT C, NOT ALL. UM, BUT THERE IS A CONCERN ABOUT PUSHOVER. UM, BUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE CIVILITY ORDINANCE, THERE'S A PROCESS AND A REASON. IT HAS BEEN SAID THAT WE ARE FOCUSING ON PEOPLE AND ENCAMPMENTS. AND THAT IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE AGAIN, THAT'S THE HOUSTON WAY TO BRING IN A COALITION OF WRAPAROUND SERVICES THAT GOES TO A LOCATION AND ADDRESSES THAT ONE INDIVIDUAL AT A TIME, COMPASSIONATELY AND HOLISTICALLY. BUT THE CIVILITY ORDINANCE ITSELF DOESN'T TALK ABOUT THAT OR ADDRESS THAT. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT GOING TO SOME OF THESE ENCAMPMENTS, IT WAS REFERENCED, WELL, SOME OF THESE FOLKS, AND I KNOW 'CAUSE I SEE 'EM, IS NOT JUST DOWNTOWN. IT IS ALL OVER THE CITY. THEY'RE UNDER UNDERPASSES OR THEY'RE IN A PARK OR THEY'RE ON THE BAYOU, BUT THAT'S NOT A SIDEWALK. SO ONE, CAN ONE OF Y'ALL SPEAK TO HOW YOU PLAN TO ENFORCE THE CIVILITY? ORDINANCES, COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ POINTED OUT IS SPECIFICALLY FOR SIDEWALKS. WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT GOING TO UNDERPASSES OR OTHER ENCAMPMENTS THAT ARE NOT ON THE SIDEWALK, SOME OF THEM ARE, BUT CAN YOU PLEASE SPEAK TO THAT? WHAT, IN THIS, WHY DOES THIS CHANGE HELP YOU THERE? SO WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT UNDER OVERPASSES, TYPICALLY THAT'S GOING TO BE TDOT. THEY'RE A PARTNER AND THERE ARE ALREADY, UH, THEY'RE, THEY'RE A PARTNER WITH US IN TERMS OF GETTING THAT RESOLVED. UH, THEY'RE ALSO GOING TO TAKE TRESPASS ON THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE UNDER THERE. DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT LAW, DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT VIOLATION. IT'S TRESPASS, IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ENCAMPMENTS ALONG OUR BAYOU, YOU KNOW, IN PLACES LIKE THAT, MAYBE IT'S IN THE CIVIL ARTS, MAYBE IT'S NOT, BUT THEY'RE USUALLY ON TDOT OR SOME OTHER PROPERTY THEY'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE ON. AND THE STATE HAS THE NO CAMPING BAN ALSO. SO THERE MIGHT BE A DIFFERENT LAW OR PROVISION THAT WOULD BE ADDRESSED BY THAT. THIS SPECIFICALLY, A LOT OF TIMES WE WILL ADDRESS THEY, WHEN THEY'RE ON THE SIDEWALK THAT WE HAVE ALL SEEN, JUST DRIVE OUTTA HERE ALMOST ANY TIME. AND YOU'LL SEE THEM LAID OUT AND, AND YOU KNOW, A LOT OF TIMES ROLLED UP. AND THAT'S WHERE THEY ARE. THAT'S WHAT THIS MIGHT ADDRESS IT. AGAIN, I WILL SAY DURING THE DAY, THAT CAN BE ENFORCED RIGHT NOW FROM 7:00 AM TO 11:00 PM WE JUST DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES AND WE DON'T HAVE THE BED. SO WE'RE DEALING WITH IT AS WE CAN. UNLESS OFFICERS, UNLESS POLICE OFFICERS GET A CALL, THEN THEY'RE GONNA RESPOND AND DEAL WITH THE LAW, ENFORCE LAW. BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 11:00 PM TO 7:00 AM SO THAT WE CAN SAY, AT NO TIME CAN YOU DO THAT HERE. YOU CAN BE HERE, BUT YOU CAN'T DO THESE THINGS HERE. AND AS WE TAKE AND, AND KIND OF CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD AND MESSAGE THAT, THE MESSAGE IS GOING TO BE TAKE THE OFFERS THAT TAKE THE OFFER OF HELP, WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO DO THE THINGS WE'VE BEEN DOING ON OUR, ON THE STREETS OF HOUSTON. WE WANT THEM TO TAKE OUR HELP. THAT'S WHY WE'RE STARTING TO SAY NO TO THESE LOCATIONS. RIGHT. AND AGAIN, I GET, YOU KNOW, THERE MAY BE A REASON WHY FIRST WE'RE STARTING WITH DOWNTOWN AND EDO WITH FIFA COMING, BUT THE, THE QUESTION ABOUT WARRANTS FOR MY KNOWLEDGE, IF THEY DO NOT SHOW UP TO MUNICIPAL COURT, AND I LOVE OUR MUNICIPAL COURT PROGRAMS. THAT'S WHY WHEN THE, WE CUT MUNICIPAL [03:00:01] COURT'S BUDGET 16%, THIS PA THIS YEAR WE CUT THE BUDGET OF MUNICIPAL COURTS. I SAID, ARE WE KEEPING THESE CRITICAL PROGRAMS? BUT IF THEY DO NOT SHOW UP TOUNI MUNICIPAL COURT AND THAT WARRANT IS ISSUED IN OUR WARRANT SYSTEMS, IF SOME, AN OFFICER LOOKS UP SOMEBODY AND IT SHOWS A WARRANT, CAN THEY DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE TYPE OF, UH, CLASS C WARRANT? WHETHER IT'S BECAUSE THEY WERE UNHOUSED AND VIOLATED THE, NOT, MAYBE NOT UNHOUSED, BUT VIOLATED THE CIVILITY ORDINANCE AND DIDN'T SHOW UP TO MUNICIPAL COURT VERSUS, UH, SIMPLE ASSAULT. SO IT'LL PROBABLY, IT'LL SHOW UP WHEN THEY RUN THEM AS A FAILURE TO APPEAR. OKAY. RIGHT. AND SO THE ACTUAL VIOLATION, I'M NOT SURE IF THEY'RE GETTING THE EXACT VIOLATION OF THAT, BUT IF, IF THEY THEN, 'CAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF TIMES OFFICERS ENGAGE WHERE THEY HAVE A WARRANT THAT'S A MISSING MUNICIPAL CLASS C, AND THERE MAY BE NO ENFORCEMENT. HEY, YOU HAVE A WARRANT, YOU NEED TO GET THAT TAKEN CARE OF. THAT HAPPENS BECAUSE THERE'S LIMITED RESOURCES. BUT WHEN THEY DO TAKE THEM INTO CUSTODY, THEY MAY TAKE 'EM BEFORE, AND THEN IT MIGHT BE IDENTIFIED AS, OKAY, THAT'S A MUNICIPAL. I MEAN, THAT'S FOR A CIVILITY. THEY NEED TO GO TO HOMELESS COURT. THEY MAY THEN REDIRECT THEM TO THAT LOCATION. ALMOST EVERY JUDGE THOUGH, WHEN A HOMELESS PERSON COMES BEFORE THEM WITH, WITH THE RAREST OF EXCEPTIONS, BECAUSE THERE MIGHT BE REASONS, OTHERWISE, IT'S, IT'S PROBABLY GOING TO RELEASE 'EM IMMEDIATELY BECAUSE THEY HAVE NO WAY TO PAY. WELL, LET ME JUST RESPOND TO TWO OTHER COMMENTS. ONE COMMENT WAS DOWNTOWN'S CHOSEN BECAUSE OF FIFA. THAT'S NOT ACCURATE. I'M SAYING THAT'S, I'M NOT SAYING THAT'S WHY THAT'S NOT ACCURATE. WHAT'S ACCURATE IS THIS IS WHERE THE MOST PEOPLE WITH SEVERE PROBLEMS HAVE. RIGHT. SECONDLY, LET'S, I'M GONNA SPEAK TO SIDEWALKS. WE HAD A VERY SUCCESSFUL ENCAMPMENT PROGRAM, AND WHEN WE WERE ASKED TO COME DOWNTOWN, WHEN I WAS AT THE COALITION WITH THE HOMELESS, WE SAID, CAN'T DO IT ON THE SIDEWALKS BECAUSE THEY CAN LEGALLY SLEEP ON THE SIDEWALKS. THAT'S THE REASON WE WERE NOT COMING IN DOWNTOWN AND CHANGING THINGS AT 500 FAN AND, AND, AND, AND ON BAGBY, THIS WILL ALLOW US TO MAKE THOSE CHANGES. SO IT'S, IT'S AN APPROPRIATE TIME TO DO THAT. AND AN APPROPRIATE REASON. YOU WANT THE SIDEWALKS MADE WHERE PEOPLE CAN'T SLEEP ON THE SIDEWALKS, JUST LIKE THEY CAN'T SLEEP IN YOUR PARKS, JUST LIKE THEY CAN'T WELL, THEY, THEY CAN LEGALLY SLEEP ON BENCHES THAT'S STILL PERMISSIBLE. CORRECT. IF THEY'RE IN A PARK, YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE IN A PARK OVERNIGHT. SO DURING THE DAY, YES. BUT AT NIGHT, IF YOU'RE IN A PARK, YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE IN A PARK OVERNIGHT. AND THAT'S, UH, CITY PARK RULES. AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHY WHEN WE WENT AND STARTED WORKING THE, THE, THE BAGBY AREA, BECAUSE WE'RE FOCUSED DIRECTLY ON THE PARKS EVERY WAY WE CAN TO GET TO THEM, TO OFFER EM HELP. AND THAT'S HOW OUR INITIATIVE STARTED. BUT YEAH, THIS IS AN EXTENSION WHICH WILL ALLOW US TO DO MORE IN THESE AREAS THAT WE ARE WORKING AND, AND HOPEFULLY GET MORE TO ACCEPT OUR OFFERS OF HELP. RIGHT. AND AGAIN, I WANNA THANK YOU BOTH. UM, AGAIN, NOT HOUSTON CONTINUES TO LEAD AND THE THINGS THAT Y'ALL HAVE IN THE PIPELINE WHEN IT COMES TO THE EXPANSION OF BEDS TO THE COMPASSIONATE CARE, THE PARTNERSHIPS WITH MENTAL HEALTH, STATE OF THE ART, MENTAL HEALTH, I AM CONCERNED BECAUSE OF THE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS IN FEDERAL FUNDING CUTS THAT ARE GOING TO IMPACT SOME OF THOSE CENTERS AS WELL. RIGHT. WE'RE ABOUT TO SEE A MASSIVE SHORTFALL IN MENTAL HEALTH FUNDING FOR THE VERY PARTNERS THAT WE'RE, WE'RE RELYING ON. UM, SO, BUT I WANNA THANK YOU ALL BECAUSE IT IS TRUE TO HOUSTON. UM, I LOVE BOTH OF YOU AND RESPECT EACH OF YOU IN YOUR OWN RIGHTS. I KNOW YOU'RE GIVING THIS EVERYTHING YOU HAVE. UH, SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND COUNCIL MEMBER, THE, UH, HUD HAS ALREADY APPROVED SOME FEDERAL FUNDING FOR OUR PROPOSAL. MIKE, JUST ONE SECOND. I WANT TO ALSO FOLLOW UP. WE ALL APPLAUD THE WAY HOME, BUT THE POPULATION, THIS ORDINANCE WILL ATTEMPT TO ASSIST OR NOT READY FOR A HOME. AND I THINK THAT'S A CLEAR DISTINCTION. WITH THAT SAID, WE'RE VERY BLESSED AS A CITY TO HAVE YOU TWO GENTLEMEN WILLING FOR, FOR MANY YEARS, UH, BE PUBLIC SERVANTS. SO THANK YOU. I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU. THANK YOU ALL. UH, MEMBERS, I THINK IT WOULD BE APPRO WHAT WE JUST WITNESSED, MEMBERS, AND I HOPE WE GET TO IT SOMEDAY, OF HAVING MEANINGFUL COMMITTEE MEETINGS. THIS IS THE PROS AND CONS THAT ARE HEARD IN A COMMITTEE. AND I WOULD SUGGEST PARTICULARLY FOR PROP A ITEMS THAT NEED TO BE VETTED IN A COMMITTEE AND HAVE A HEARING IN A COMMITTEE AND MAYBE A YES OR NO VOTE IN THE HEARING. BUT THAT'S PART OF THE REFORMS THAT WE'LL DISCUSS ALONG WITH SEEING HOW OUR [03:05:01] NIGHT SESSIONS WORK. UH, I THINK IT'D [CONSIDERATION OF MATTERS REMOVED FROM CONSENT AGENDA] BE GOOD SINCE WE JUST HAD THIS IN DEPTH DISCUSSION. GO AHEAD AND CALL THIS ITEM OUT. ORDER. MAYOR PROTE. MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO MOVE TO TAKE ITEM 15 OUT OF ORDER. I SECOND MOTIONS MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. ITEM 15 IS BEFORE WE HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER'S AMENDMENT, WHICH I WOULD URGE COUNCIL MEMBER TO LET US WORK ON YOUR CONCERNS GOING FORWARD. I THINK WE CAN FIND THE LANGUAGE WORKING WITH THESE LEADERS THAT ADDRESSES YOUR CONCERN. I DO THINK AS IT'S CURRENTLY WRITTEN, IT WOULD, UH, HAVE OFFICERS ABANDONING THEIR FIRST CONTACT, WHICH I THINK WOULD KIND OF DESTROY OUR PURPOSE. BUT IT'S YOUR, I RESPECT YOUR, YOUR DECISION. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND I WOULD, UM, I WOULD BE WILLING TO CHANGE THE WORD. SO LET ME FIRST JUST FOR RECORD, READ THE, READ THE, UM, THE AMENDMENT. UM, IN THE INSTANCES WHERE A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER OBSERVES AN INDIVIDUAL APPEARING TO BE EXPERIENCING A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS IN CONNECTION WITH ENFORCEMENT OF THIS ARTICLE, PRIOR TO ANY ENFORCEMENT ACTION, THE OFFICER SHALL ENGAGE APPROPRIATE MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS RESOURCES SUCH AS DISPATCHING A MOBILE CRISIS OUTREACH TEAM, OTT, OR CRISIS INTERVENTION RESPONSE TEAM CERT ENGAGE WITH THESE OR OTHER RESOURCES MAY OCCUR IN PERSON OR THROUGH TELEHEALTH SERVICES. I'M WILLING TO AMEND THIS TO MAY INSTEAD OF SHALL. UM, JUST SO WE HAVE SOMETHING, UM, IN PLACE WITH THAT. SO, UM, I WOULD MOVE TO AMEND MY AMENDMENT TO REMOVE THE WORD SHALL REPLACE IT FOR MAY. OKAY. THE, UH, SO SHE'S MAKING A MOTION, SO WE NEED A SECOND AND THE VOTE. YEAH. MOTION'S MADE AND SECONDED TO AMEND THE AMENDMENT. AMEND THE AMENDMENT. HAVE A SECOND. IS THERE, IS THERE A SECOND TO HER? MOTION? OKAY. YEAH. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND, TO AMEND THE AMENDMENT TO ALLOW IT TO BE MAY INSTEAD OF SHALL. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES NOW BEFORE US, THE AMENDMENT AS AMENDMENT AS AMENDED. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. AND IF I TAKE A COMMENT BEFORE WE TAKE A VOTE, MAYOR, UM, WE UNDERSTAND, BELIEVE ME, I UNDERSTAND THAT. UM, THIS IS A PILOT PROGRAM. IF WE FEEL FOR ANY MOMENT IN TIME THAT THIS IS UNNECESSARY, OR IF IT'S COST PROHIBITIVE, OR WE FIND THAT IT'S, IT'S NOT WORKING IN THE WAY THAT IT'S INTENDED TO WORK, OBVIOUSLY BECAUSE IT'S A PILOT, WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY OF REMOVING IT. SURE. IT'LL BACK BEFORE COUNTY. I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I MENTIONED THAT BEFORE YOU, BEFORE CERTAINLY WORK WITH YOU ON THOSE CONCERNS. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. UM, I'M ON THE A I'M THE ITEM, NOT THE AMENDMENT OF THE AMENDMENT. THANK YOU RAMIREZ. COUNCILOR RAMIREZ ON THE ITEM. OKAY. SO JUST VOTE THE AMENDMENT, THE AMENDMENT AS AMENDED. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. NOW, ITEM 15 IS BEFORE US AS AMENDED. COUNCILOR THOMAS. COUNCILOR THOMAS. WE'RE ON THE ITEM. THE MAIN ITEM. THE, THE MAIN ITEM. OKAY. THANK YOU. UM, SO I, I'M PERSONALLY CONFLICTED ABOUT THIS, BUT I, I UNDERSTAND THE, UH, MAYOR'S ADMINISTRATION AND COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ'S INTEREST IN MOVING THIS FORWARD. UH, I, I THINK A PRELIMINARY DISCUSSION WE HAD IN QUALITY OF LIFE COMMITTEE, UH, WHERE THIS WAS TALKED ABOUT, I INTELLECTUALLY UNDERSTAND IT. UM, AND BECAUSE THIS IS A PILOT AND I'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS AT LENGTH WITH, UM, OUR MAYOR PRO TEM, UM, I AM OKAY WITH NOT HAVING ANSWERS TO ALL OF MY QUESTIONS AS WE MOVE THROUGH. DISTRICT F DOES NOT HAVE ANY CIVILITY ORDINANCES IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. SO THERE IS NOT A DIRECT IMPACT. HOWEVER, ANYTIME WE APPROVE AN ITEM IN THIS BODY, IT IMPACTS ALL OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS ON SOME LEVEL. I, I JUST, I JUST WANNA SHARE SOME OF THE FEEDBACK. I SEND AN EMAIL, A NEWSLETTER OUT TO CONSTITUENTS JUST TO GET THE PULSE OF THE RESIDENTS AND WHAT THEIR INTERESTS, UM, LIE WITH THIS ITEM. AND, UM, THEIR SUPPORT. THERE'S OPPOSITION TO, BUT HERE'S THE, THE OVER OVERARCHING, UH, THEME OF WHAT I LEARNED. AND WE ONLY HAD 24 HOURS TO GET THIS OUT, [03:10:01] AND THEY RESPONDED. AND OVERALL, RESIDENTS UNDERSTAND THAT THE CITY NEEDS A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OF HOMELESSNESS. THEY UNDERSTAND THAT THEY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO WITNESS WHAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO IN THE PAST, AND THEY, THEY KNOW THAT THIS IS IMPORTANT. UM, BUT WHAT THEY'RE SAYING IS THAT THEY, THEY WANNA SUPPORT THIS IF THEY CAN GUARANTEE SUPPORTIVE SERVICES, GUARANTEE HOUSING. SOME PEOPLE HAS MENTIONED DURING THE DISCUSSION ARE, UM, CAUTIOUS ABOUT THE CITATIONS. UM, AND WOULD LIKE TO SEE VALUABLE DOLLARS REDIRECTED IN OTHER AREAS, UM, FOR THIS VOTE, BECAUSE THE COUNCIL MEMBER, A COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ, UM, WANTS THIS TO HAPPEN IN HIS DISTRICT. UM, I WILL SUPPORT THIS MEASURE AND, UM, IT'S A VERY SLIM MARGIN IN DISTRICT F IN TERMS OF WHO SUPPORTS AND WHO IS IN OPPOSITION. UM, BUT I WILL JUST ASK CHIEF SATTERWHITE AND DIRECTOR NICHOLS, AS THIS COMES BACK WHEN WE TALK ABOUT EXPANSION, THAT WE REALLY COME BACK WITH A REAL CLEAR PROCESS FOR ME AS A, A PUBLIC OFFICIAL. I DON'T ALWAYS HAVE THE ANSWERS, BUT WHEN WE COME FROM THIS BODY AND I GO BEFORE THE PUBLIC, I LIKE TO BE ABLE TO ARTICULATE WHAT THIS MEANS, WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT. AND I, I'M UNSURE I'M ABLE TO DO THAT TODAY. SO I'M GONNA LEAN ON COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ'S REQUEST BECAUSE HIS COMMUNITY HAS BEEN ADVOCATING FOR THIS. AND I'M GONNA LEAN ON WHAT Y'ALL HAVE BEEN ABLE TO OFFER IN TERMS OF YOUR INTENTION AND THE REQUEST FOR COMMUNITY TO WORK HAND IN HAND WITH YOU, UM, FOR OUR UNHOUSED, UM, COMMUNITY. AND JUST AS WE CAN CONTINUE TO HAVE THESE ROBUST CONVERSATIONS AS WE EXPAND WITH THE QUALITY OF LIFE COMMITTEE, I THINK THAT WILL BE EXTREMELY HELPFUL AS WE REALLY THINK THROUGH, NOT JUST OUR CHRONICALLY HOUSED, THOSE WITH MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES, BUT ALSO OUR HOUSING INVENTORY, MAKING SURE THAT WE KEEP THAT HOUSING FIRST MODEL, UM, IN PLACE. BUT I WILL TELL YOU, UM, THIS WAS A, A, YOU KNOW, WE, WE REALLY ROLLED THIS ITEM REALLY QUICKLY AND, UH, WAS NOT REALLY ABLE TO GET IN FRONT OF COMMUNITY IN A MEANINGFUL WAY. I KNOW Y'ALL WERE AT NORTHWEST PIP, BUT REALLY TO TALK ABOUT WHAT IS, WHAT THIS MEANS, CITYWIDE, BECAUSE I, I FEAR THAT THERE'S AN EXPECTATION THAT THIS IS HAPPENING CITYWIDE, AND THIS IS LITERALLY JUST HAPPENING IN TWO NEIGHBORHOODS. UM, AND SO THE DEMAND OF THIS TYPE OF RESOURCE WILL OVEREXTEND US. AND SO I WANTED TO SHARE THAT ON THE ITEM. I WILL SUPPORT AN AFFIRMATIVE. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN CASTILLO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I WANT TO THANK DIRECTOR NICHOLS AND SATTER WHITE FOR, UH, THEIR PRESENTATION THIS MORNING AND THE, THE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THEY'VE PROVIDED. UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A, A VERY COMPLEX ISSUE AND THERE ARE A NUMBER OF THINGS TO CONSIDER. AND THEIR WILLINGNESS TO MEET, TO ANSWER QUESTIONS, TO PROVIDE INFORMATION THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS HAS BEEN VERY HELPFUL. I KNOW WHEN YOU LAUNCHED YOUR HOMELESSNESS INITIATIVE, IT FOCUSED ON ALLEN'S LANDING, AND THAT'S IN DISTRICT H. MY OFFICE WAS, WAS VERY INVOLVED IN THE EFFORTS THAT THEY WERE DOING THERE IN THE COORDINATION. AND IT'S, IT'S DIFFICULT AND, YOU KNOW, MORE, MORE TOOLS ARE NEEDED. AND I WANNA ALSO THANK JUDGE SANTOS AND HER TEAM. I MET WITH THEM YESTERDAY AND SCOTT MOORE FROM THE HOMELESS COALITION OR HOMELESS COURT, UH, TO FULLY UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT PROCESS WAS LIKE. IT WAS ONE I WASN'T FAMILIAR WITH, BUT IT DID EASE MY CONCERNS AROUND, UH, THE CITATION COMPONENT, THE TICKETING COMPONENT, UH, THAT I HAD. AND, UH, THE LOW RECIDIVISM RATE WAS VERY IMPRESSIVE. UH, THE WORK THAT THEY DO THERE TO GET FOLKS INTO HOUSING, UM, IS VERY IMPRESSIVE. AND SO I WILL BE SUPPORTING THIS ITEM. I KNOW IT IS ONE THAT, UM, SOME FOLKS HAVE STRONG FEELINGS ABOUT, BUT A LOT OF FOLKS IN DISTRICT H UH, HAVE ASKED FOR MORE HELP AROUND THE HOMELESSNESS ISSUE. AND SO I'M WILLING TO, TO GIVE THE PILOT A TRY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR DUE DILIGENCE. THAT'S THE WAY IT SHOULD BE HANDLED. UH, COUNCILMAN CAYMAN, I, AGAIN, MAYOR, WANNA THANK THE PROCESS, THE ROBUST DIALOGUE THROUGH ALL OF THIS. UM, I WOULD IN THE FUTURE, LIKE TO SEE RED LINE IN IT AT ITS BROUGHT TO COMMITTEE. SO THERE WERE, THERE WAS A JOINT COMMITTEE, BUT IT WASN'T THIS. UM, AND I UNDERSTAND THE ARGUMENT FOR URGENCY. UM, I THINK I'VE, I'VE MADE, AS I'VE GRAPPLED WITH THIS, UM, WHERE I STAND AND WHERE DISTRICT C STANDS WITH CONCERNS ABOUT, UM, THIS BEING PREMATURE AND THAT IT'S GOING TO PUSH POPULATIONS INTO OTHER DISTRICTS. AND, UM, THAT'S NOT TO SAY WE DON'T WANNA TACKLE THIS ISSUE HEAD ON. UM, WE ARE A FULL PARTNER IN IT, AND IT'S NOT THAT WE DON'T HAVE THIS ISSUE RIGHT NOW. UH, MAYOR, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT BEING RELEASED FROM HOSPITALS, YOU GO TO MEMORIAL HERMANN, RIGHT [03:15:01] AT SIX 10 NORTH, UH, IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. AND JUST THE OTHER NIGHT, DAY ON THE CORNER WAS A GENTLEMAN WITH, UH, IVS STILL IN HIM, RIGHT? THERE'S ENCAMPMENTS UNDER THERE. THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT, UM, IMPACTS ALL COMMUNITIES. UH, BUT AGAIN, I WANNA SEE THE HOUSING COME ONLINE, UM, BEFORE WE MOVE TO THAT NEXT STEP. UH, AND I, I WANT TO CONTINUE TO LEAN ON THE FACT THAT HOUSTON DOES THINGS DIFFERENTLY AND IN A VERY IMPACTFUL AND MEANINGFUL WAY, UH, THAT WE ARE REDUCING HOMELESSNESS. AND MAYOR, YOU'VE TAKEN A VERY AGGRESSIVE STANCE ON THIS, UH, WHICH IS IMPORTANT, RIGHT? WE'RE CONTINUING TO SEE THOSE NUMBERS DROP AND MORE AS NEEDED. AND I WANNA THANK ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS, THE NONPROFITS, THE DONORS, UH, WE ARE WORKING TO BRING THOSE ONLINE. AND THAT, I THINK, SHOULD CONTINUE TO BE THE FOCUS. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I'M GONNA VOTE YES ON THIS AND SAY THAT IF I, IF I THOUGHT FOR A MINUTE THAT WE WERE VOTING TO CRIMINALIZE HOMELESSNESS, I WOULD VOTE NO. BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT THIS IS ABOUT. THIS ORDINANCE ADDRESSES BEHAVIOR AND NOT A CONDITION OR A STATUS. WE ARE OBVIOUSLY ALL VERY CONCERNED ABOUT OUR HOMELESSNESS ISSUE, AND WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN TO ADDRESS THAT. I'M CONVINCED OF THAT. I APPRECIATE THE EFFORTS OF, UH, CHIEF SATTERWHITE DIRECT NICHOLS, YOU MAYOR, AND, AND EVERYONE WORKING ON THIS. AND I KNOW WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK ON IT. AND IF THIS ORDINANCE PASSES AND NEEDS TO BE ADJUSTED, WE WILL ACT TO ADJUST IT. WE'LL BE WATCHING AND LISTENING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN PLUMMER. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND I ALSO WANNA JUST, YOU KNOW, THANK EVERYONE FOR ALL THE HARD WORK ON THIS. AND AS WE'RE EVALUATING THIS, TRY TO EVALUATE SOME SPACE IN WHICH WE CAN FEED OUR HOMELESS IN A SAFE, UM, IN A SAFE WAY THAT IS, THAT ALLOWS THEM TO FEEL SECURE AND, UM, AND SUPPORTED. VERY GOOD. ANYONE ELSE? IF NOT, UM, MS. SECRETARY, WOULD YOU CALL THE ROLE ON ITEM 15 AS AMENDED? MAYOR WHITMEYER? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER PECK? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON? NO. COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN? NO. COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTEX TATUM? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER? YES. AND COUNCIL MEMBER ? YES. 14 TWO BEING 14, YES. IS TWO NOS. ITEM 15 AS AMENDED PASSES. PASSING. THANK YOU MEMBERS. UM, WE HAVE A VERY DETAILED REPORT FROM SOLID WASTE NEXT, BUT I WOULD SUGGEST WE TAKE A 10 MINUTE BREAK, COME BACK AT 1120 FOR PART TWO OF THE MAYOR'S REPORT. UM, I ALSO WANT EVERYONE TO KNOW WE'RE WATCHING THE WEATHER VERY CAREFULLY. I'LL LEAVE HERE AT END OF COUNCIL TO GO TO THE EMERGENCY CENTER TO GET AN UP-TO-DATE BRIEFING. IT LOOKS LIKE THE DISTURBANCE IN THE GULF, WE'LL NOT HEAD THIS WAY, BUT WE'LL TAKE NO CHANCES. ALL HANDS ARE ON DECK WATCHING THE, UH, THE MOVEMENT OF THE STORM. SO I HOPE Y'ALL APPRECIATE THESE BRIEFINGS. UH, I UNDERSTAND IT'S NOT ALWAYS BEEN POSSIBLE TO HEAR FROM THE DIRECTORS FOR STATUS REPORTS, BUT I DO THINK SOLID WASTE, UH, DUE TO SOME OF THE CHALLENGES NEED TO COME BEFORE US. WE HAVE A NEW INTERIM DIRECTOR, WHICH CONTINUES THE LIST OF OUTSTANDING INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE RUNNING OUR DEPARTMENTS. UH, MR. HASSAN, IF YOU'LL COME FORWARD, THE, THE REASON THIS IS SO TIMELY IS I WAS VERY DISAPPOINTED LAST WEEK. UM, I'M VERY SUPPORTIVE OF HOPE SONYA GETS INPUT ON MOST OF THE EMPLOYEE DECISIONS. BUT LAST WEEK I SAT HERE AND LISTENED THE COMMENTS THAT I KNEW WERE MISINFORMATION. UH, NO ONE WORKS HARDER THAN MR. HASSON. I ASKED HIM TO COME GIVE YOU A TRUE PICTURE OF WHAT [03:20:01] HE FOUND WHEN HE'D BEEN OUT, WHAT HE BEEN TWO MONTHS, THREE 90 DAYS, 90 DAYS, AND, AND THE CHANGES HE'S MADE. YES, SIR. WE WELCOME EVERYONE BEFORE COUNCIL, CERTAINLY OUR CITY EMPLOYEES, BUT THEY FAILED TO LEAVE OUT THAT THEY'RE UNHAPPY BECAUSE THROUGH EFFICIENCIES AND BY MAKING WEDNESDAY A WORK DAY VERSUS OFF DAY WHEN MR. HASSEN GOT THERE, A COUPLE OF THE WITNESSES OR PUBLIC SPEAKERS HAD MADE OVER $60,000 IN OVERTIME. SO YES, THEY WERE UNHAPPY. SO I WANTED OUR INTERIM DIRECTOR TO COME LET YOU HEAR THE INFORMATION THAT I GET IN TERMS OF ROUTES. WE STILL HAD PEOPLE IN SOLID WASTE WORKING AT HOME. AND I CAN GO ON AND ON WITH THE BROKEN MODEL THAT HE INHERITED, AND HE'S MADE DRASTIC CHANGES. ARE WE WHERE WE NEED TO BE? NO. YOU KNOW, UNFORTUNATELY, AND MAYBE A REMINDER TO ALL OF US, THE VOTES WE TAKE MATTER. THE CITY APPROVED A CONTRACT WITH A SPANISH FIRM TO HANDLE AND RECYCLING, AND IT HAS ONE DROP OFF FOR THE ENTIRE 600 SQUARE MILES. SOME OF THAT OVERTIME IS CAL, UH, ACCUMULATED BECAUSE THEY GO WAIT SEVERAL HOURS TO DROP THE RECYCLING ITEMS AT THE ONE CITY ITEM THAT WAS APPROVED BY THIS COUNCIL IN PREVIOUS YEARS. PREVIOUS YEARS COUNCIL, LEADERSHIP OF THE CITY APPROVED, USED TRUCKS, USED GARBAGE TRUCKS. MR. SIRIUS, LARRY, TELL US HOW MANY WILL BE IN THE REPAIR SHOP. AND SOME FOR ITEMS LIKE, BECAUSE PEOPLE WANNA BUILD UP THE OVERTIME MAY NOT HAVE WINDOW WASH AND FLUID. I KNOW IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE, BUT THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED. THE BACKUP OF RECYCLING, THE TWO HOLIDAYS IMPACTED, BUT WE'VE CAUGHT UP. WE'RE NOT WHERE WE WANT TO BE. WE NEED ADDITIONAL RESOURCES. WE KNOW THAT, CERTAINLY FOR ILLEGAL DUMPING AND HEAVY TRASH. BUT LET ME YIELD AT THIS TIME TO MR. HASSON, WHO CAME HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, WAS WORKING FOR US IN PUBLIC WORKS, AND RANDY STARTED LOANING HIM TO SOLID WASTE. AND IT WAS VERY OBVIOUS HE OUGHT TO BE THE DIRECTOR. SO LET ME YIELD TO YOU, AND PLEASE BE VERY CANDID AND TAKE YOUR TIME. WHAT DID YOU INHERIT, WHAT DID YOU DO THE TRUTHFULNESS OF, OF WHERE YOUR SHOP LIES RIGHT NOW? YES, SIR. GOOD MORNING, MAYOR. I, MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL. I MIGHT, I MIGHT INTERRUPT YOU BEFORE I GET ANYWHERE. LAST WEEK, VERONICA WEATHERSPOON, WHO WORKS IN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE TO TAKE COMPLAINTS AND CITIZENS CALLS. LAST WEEK, SHE GOT THREE CALLS ON SOLID WASTE. ONE OF 'EM WAS A THANK YOU. AND THEN, JUST A MOMENT, JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT. I WENT, THIS IS FROM A CONSTITUENT, AN ANCHOR AND PRODUCER AT CHANNEL 13. WANTED TO SHARE THAT I WENT TO THE WEST PARK RECYCLING CENTER TODAY TO DROP OFF A LOAD OF CARDBOARD BOXES, WHERE MOST TIMES I'VE HAD TO GET OUT AND TRY TO LOAD THEM INTO THE DUMPSTER MYSELF. TODAY, THERE WAS A CREW OF MEN WAITING WITH CARTS READY TO UNLOAD. IT ONLY TOOK ABOUT 30 SECONDS, AND I DIDN'T EVEN HAVE TO GET OUTTA MY CAR AND WORK UP A SWEAT IN MY SUIT. SO THAT WAS A WELCOME SITE AND MADE A NICE DIFFERENCE. PLEASE PASS THIS TO THE EMPLOYEES AND THE FOLKS OVER THERE, JONATHAN BRUCE AND ANCHOR PRODUCER, A B, C NEWS. THESE ARE THE KIND OF INPUT THAT WE NEED AS WE GO FORWARD. AND YOU GET THE CREDIT AND YOUR HARD WORK IN SOLID WASTE. SOLID WASTE, OBVIOUSLY ARE SOME OF THE HARDEST WORKING, UNDERPAID INDIVIDUALS IN OUR CITY. AND WE CONSTANTLY ARE AWARE OF THAT. GIVE US A REPORT. YES, SIR, PLEASE. AGAIN. GOOD MORNING, MAYOR. HONORABLE MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL. I'M LARRY SSEN AND I'M DIRECTOR OF SOLID WASTE. UM, BEFORE I BEGIN, I'LL BE REMISS IF I DON'T ACKNOWLEDGE AND GIVE PRAISE TO THE HARDWORKING MEN AND WOMEN OF THE SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT. UM, THAT TEAM OF INDIVIDUALS COME AND DO THEIR ABSOLUTE BEST EVERY DAY, UH, TO ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR EVERY CITIZEN [03:25:01] IN THE CITY. UM, IT'S BEEN A TRYING 90 DAYS, UM, TO SAY THE LEAST. UM, WE'VE HAD OUR UPS, WE HAD OUR DOWNS, WE HAD OUR CHALLENGES. WE HAVE HAD OUR SUCCESSES. BUT THE ONE THING THAT I WANT EVERYBODY TO KNOW IS THAT WE'RE A DEPARTMENT THAT'S RESILIENT. UH, WE'RE UP TO THE CHALLENGE. UM, WHEN I FIRST BEGAN, UM, MY FIRST DAY, UH, I CAME IN AND THE FIRST THING THAT I SAW, UM, WE HAD SOME EMPLOYEES TO WALK UP TO ME AND SAID, UM, WHAT CHANGES ARE YOU GONNA MAKE? WHAT'S GONNA BE DIFFERENT, WHAT OUR SCHEDULES ARE GONNA BE? I GAVE EVERYBODY A WARM, WELCOMING SPEECH. I TOLD 'EM LIKE, HEY, LET'S BE PATIENT. LET'S SEE WHAT WE CAN ACCOMPLISH TOGETHER AND WE CAN MAKE THE CITY BETTER. UH, FROM DAY ONE, MY FOCUS WAS ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND RESILIENCY. UH, WITHIN THE 30 DAYS BECAME A CLEAR, FULL-FLEDGED PICTURE THAT I NEEDED TO MAKE A COMPLETE OVERALL IN EVERY AREA OF THE DEPARTMENT. THE FIRST THING I WANTED TO DO WAS GET A GAUGE OF THE MORALE, UH, THE PEOPLE, THE EMPLOYEE IS OUR MOST VALUABLE ASSET. I SCHEDULED A, A MEETING WITH NOT ONLY THE LEADERS, BUT ALSO THE STAFF MEMBERS OF THE SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT IN EACH AREA OF THE CITY. I MET WITH THE LEADERSHIP STAFF FIRST AT THE EB CAPE CENTER, GOT A GAUGE ON THE LEADERSHIP QUALITIES. WHAT WAS THE MAIN FOCUS, WHAT WE NEEDED TO GET. AND THE FIRST THING I WAS TOLD BY A PREVIOUS MEMBER IS THAT WE CAN NEVER CATCH UP ON RECYCLING. IT'S GONNA BE FIVE TO EIGHT DAYS BEHIND, AND TRASH IS TWO TO THREE DAYS BEHIND. WE'RE WORKING 12 TO 14 HOURS, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK. MY, MY REBUTTAL WAS, HAVE WE LOOKED AT ANY EFFICIENCIES? WHAT IS THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR OUR EMPLOYEES? EVERYBODY'S NOT ON A HUNT TO CHASE OVERTIME ALL OF THE TIME. I TOO WORKED IN PUBLIC WORKS AND WAS A PART OF A SIX DAY OPERATION WITH THE ONE DAY POTHOLE UNDER MAYOR TURNER'S ADMINISTRATION. THAT TOOK A TOLL ON MY FAMILY. I MISSED BIRTHDAY PARTIES, I MISSED VACATIONS. I MISSED A LOT. WHEN YOU PUT THAT MUCH TIME IN, YOU LOSE VALUABLE MOMENTS THAT YOU CAN'T GET BACK. SO WHEN I WAS TOLD THAT WE WERE WORKING SEVEN DAYS, 12 TO 14 HOURS, THAT RAISED A FLAG. AND ALSO MY FIRST DAY AT COUNCIL, THE CONTROLLER WAS STANDING UP HERE AND IT WAS A BIG OLD SCREEN THAT HAD SOLID WASTE, SPENT A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF OVERTIME. A GENTLEMAN WAS JUST CONGRATULATING ME. THEN HE TAPPED ME ON MY SHOULDER AND LIKE, AND POINTED AT THE SCREEN AND TOLD ME, GOOD LUCK. SO THAT WAS MY INTRODUCTION TO THE INTERIM DIRECTOR POSITION. RIGHT. UM, I KNEW THAT THAT WAS THE FIRST CHALLENGE I HAD, WAS TO BALANCE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR OUR EMPLOYEES. BECAUSE AS WE ALL KNOW, IF YOU GO TO WORK SIX DAYS A WEEK, 12 HOURS A DAY, EVENTUALLY YOU'RE GOING TO SHUT DOWN. THERE'S NO WAY HUMANLY POSSIBLE. SO, WHAT MY STAFF AND MY TEAM DID WAS COME UP WITH A COMPREHENSIVE WAY. WE HAD ROBUST CONVERSATIONS WITH MY EXECUTIVE, UH, TEAM TO COME UP WITH SOLUTIONS ON HOW WE COULD DELIVER THE SERVICE WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY GIVEN THE WORK LIFE BALANCE TO OUR EMPLOYEES, WHICH WE VALUE THE MOST. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. NOW I'M GONNA GET READY TO TAKE YOU INTO THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF SOLID WASTE FOR MY VISION FOR THE PAST 90 DAYS. UH, THE AGENDAS BEFORE YOU. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. OUR DEPARTMENT CONSISTS OF ABOUT 389 EMPLOYEES. WE SERVICE OVER 400,000 HOMES WITH AN ANNUAL BUDGET OF 101, UM, MILLION. IT WAS A CHALLENGE FOR ME WHEN I FIRST CAME IN, BECAUSE WE ARE DOWN 30 EMPLOYEES DUE TO THE WELL DESERVED RETIREMENT INCENTIVE, WHICH TOOK 26, 27 OUT OF MY OPERATION. SO THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IN THE CITY'S HISTORY THAT WE'RE DOWN THAT MANY DRIVERS. UM, AND WHEN I SPOKE WITH FINANCE TO GO OVER SOME NUMBERS TO SEE HOW WE CAN BACKFILL SOME POSITIONS, WE WERE OVERSPENT BY $6 MILLION. SO I'VE ONLY HIRED ONE PERSON SINCE JULY ONE. SO CREDIT TO THE MEN AND WOMEN THAT WORK AT THE SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT WITH THE, BESIDES THE HICCUP, WITH THE, UM, THE HOLIDAY SEASON AND THE AMOUNT OF TRUCKS WE HAD WE'RE TWO TO THREE DAYS BEHIND FROM CATCHING UP ON EVERYTHING THAT [03:30:01] WE HAVE IN THE CITY. THAT'S AMAZING. IF WE'RE 30 PEOPLE DOWN, IT SHOWS THE NEW OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCIES THAT WE PUT IN PLACE OVER THE LAST 90 DAYS HAVE BEEN WORKING. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. WHEN I WALK INTO THE, NOT LEAVE BEFORE YOU GET THROUGH, HOW YOU MADE UP FOR THAT 30 THAT RETIRED YEAH, YEAH. YES. THE TRAINING OF THOSE THAT WEREN'T ALLOWED TO BE DRIVERS. YES, SIR. SO YOU COVER THAT BECAUSE I CAN OKAY. I CAN TELL YOU THE, THE FACT THAT YOU'RE DOWN 30 IS STICKING. YEP. BUT YOU MADE ADJUSTMENTS AND EFFICIENCIES. YES, SIR. WHICH WAS THE DESIGN YES, SIR. FOR YOU TO GO FORWARD. YEAH. IT WAS COMING LATER, BUT I CAN TELL YOU NOW, . SO ONE THING THAT WE DISCOVERED, UH, WHEN I LOOKED AT THE ROSTER BEING DOWN 30 EMPLOYEES, WE KNOW WE HAD TO MAKE A CHANGE. 'CAUSE ONE THING ABOUT THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS THAT WE ARE A RESILIENT CITY. I TAKE PRIDE IN, UM, IN THE WORK THAT WE DO. I TAKE PRIDE IN BEING A CITY OF HOUSTON EMPLOYEE. I HONESTLY FEEL LIKE WHEN WE GO TO CONFERENCES AND, AND, AND, AND IT'S, IT SHOULD BE US LEADING IN EVERY CATEGORY. UM, I HAD A GENTLEMAN AND HE, HE'S SITTING IN AN AUDIENCE ONE DAY. HE, HE DOESN'T KNOW THIS, BUT HE LET A FUEL, HE LET A FIRE UNDER ME THAT IT CAN'T BE PUT OUT BASED ON THE OLD MODEL. IT WAS DESIGNED FOR US NOT TO SUCCEED. IT WAS DESIGNED FOR, THEY BASICALLY TOLD ME WHEN I GOT THERE THAT YOU NEEDED TO WORK SEVEN DAYS, 14 HOUR SHIFTS. NOBODY GAVE ME ANY LOGISTICS. NOBODY GAVE ME ANY OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCIES TO ADJUST. THEY JUST TOLD ME THAT'S THE WAY IT IS. AND A GENTLEMAN STOPPED ME. WE WERE IN THE HOPE MEETING. HE LOOKED AT ME AND SAID, YOU ANSWERED ALL THE QUESTIONS THAT I, I I ASKED YOU, BUT I I GOT ONE QUESTION FOR YOU. AND I, I SAID, I SAID, GO AHEAD, SHOOT. HE SAYS, HOW DO YOU GET UP EVERY MORNING AND STAY MOTIVATED WHEN YOU GOTTA FACE A SYSTEM THAT'S DESIGNED FOR YOU TO FAIL? I MADE IT MY POINT, AND I TOLD THIS GMA, AND HE CAN ATTEST. I SAID, I DON'T PUT MYSELF IN THE MIND OF A, OF A FAILURE. WE DON'T LOSE. WE MIGHT HAVE LOST, AND WE LEARNED FROM OUR MISTAKES, BUT WE DON'T LOSE. I GUARANTEED HIM THAT I WOULD COME UP WITH A PLAN TO BE MORE OPERATIONALLY EFFICIENT WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY REDUCING THE MINOR OVERTIME AND PRODUCTIVITY. SO WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT THE, THE DOWN, THE 30 EMPLOYEES, I HAD TO FIND A WAY, WHICH WE DID SOMETHING OPERATIONALLY THAT WAS EFFICIENT. AND WE LOOKED AT OUR ROSTER FOR THE PAST SEVEN TO EIGHT YEARS. WE HAVE A POSITION THAT'S ENTITLED SIDE LOADER, AND OUR REPERTOIRE, IF YOU WILL, OUR SIDE LOADERS. WERE NOT DRIVING SIDE LOADERS. I ASKED THE PREVIOUS CHIEF OF OPERATIONS, WHY AREN'T WE USING THIS POSITION TO DRIVE AUTOMATION? I WAS TOLD THAT IT WASN'T DESIGNED FOR THEM TO DRIVE AUTOMATION. IT WAS DESIGNED FOR THEM TO DRIVE A REAR LOADER. I LITERALLY TOLD THEM, THAT MAKES ABSOLUTELY NO SENSE. IF THE TITLE IS SIDE LOADER, THAT'S THE ONLY POSITION IN THE CITY THAT'S ENTITLED TO SIDE LOADER. WHY AREN'T THEY OPERATING A SIDE LOADER? HE'S LIKE, OH, THEY GOTTA HAVE A YEAR OF EXPERIENCE. I WAS LIKE, WELL, HOW DID THEY GET THE TRAINING? HE'S LIKE, OH, WE SWITCH 'EM OVER. I SPOKE WITH HR. HR CONFIRMED THAT THEY WERE HIRED AS A SIDE LOADER TO OPERATE AUTOMATION. SO LAST WEEK I GOT IT CONFIRMED. NOW WE HAVING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ALL OF THE SIDE LOADER POSITIONS NOW TRAINING TO OPERATE THE AUTOMATION. SO WE HAD ALL THE TOOLS IN PLACE. THEY WERE JUST NEVER TAPPED IN AND USED TO MAKE THE OPERATION MORE EFFICIENT. THE ONLY THING THAT WAS TOLD WAS IT WAS JUST LIKE THE, THE CAN KEEPS GETTING KICKED DOWN THE ROAD. THERE WERE NO OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCIES. THERE WAS NO UPTODATE STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. WHEN I WALKED IN TO SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT. THERE WAS NOTHING HAS CHANGED IN THE LAST 10 TO 12 YEARS. OPERATIONALLY, PERSONNEL WISE, AS FAR AS WHO DOES WHAT, IT WAS THE SAME THING. YES, SIR. THE ROUTES HAVEN'T BEEN UPDATED IN 10. IT'S ON THIS SLIDE TOO. MAYOR , THE ROUTES HAVEN'T BEEN UPDATED IN 10 YEARS. UM, WE STEPPED INTO A ROLE THAT WE, WE TOOK A HIT IN THE VERY BEGINNING BECAUSE COMING FROM PUBLIC WORKS, EVERYTHING IS AUTOMATED. WE USE THE NEWEST, LATEST, GREATEST TECHNOLOGY AS FAR AS ROUTING EFFICIENCY WORK ORDER SYSTEM. WHEN I GOT TO SOLID WASTE, WE HAD NEITHER, [03:35:01] UH, WE'RE ALL LEARNING THE CHRIS SYSTEM. WE HAD SOME, UH, PARTIAL TRAINING IN HPW, BUT A WORK ORDER SYSTEM IS WHAT WE WERE USED TO DEALING WITH. AND ALSO, UM, THE ROUTING SOFTWARE. WHEN WE GOT THERE, THE ROUTING SOFTWARE WAS ONLY USED ABOUT 65, 70% OF IT. SOME QUADRANTS WERE USING IT, SOME WEREN'T. SO WHEN WE TRIED TO IMPLEMENT IT AND GO LIVE, WE RAN INTO A STUMBLING BLOCK BECAUSE THE SOFTWARE WASN'T LOADING EVERY ROUTE. UM, AND IT WAS CAUSING POCKETS TO BE MISSED, SAY, FOR RECYCLING FOR MOSTLY BECAUSE TRASH IS OUR MAIN PRIORITY. SO I WANNA MAKE SURE I GET THAT OUT TO THE PUBLIC. TRASH WILL ALWAYS BE OUR MAIN PRIORITY. UM, AND EVERYTHING ELSE FALLS IN LINE AFTER THE MIS, THE MIS TRASH. UM, I'M SORRY TO GET THE TRASH TO COVER, UM, THE RECYCLING ROUTES. SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO PULL PEOPLE OFF RECYCLING ROUTES TO ENSURE THAT THE TRASH IS PICKED UP. SO WE NOW UNCOVERED 32 POSITIONS THAT WE WERE NOT USING IN SOLID WAYS TO DRIVE AUTOMATION THAT WE'RE STARTING TO USE NOW FOR THE FIRST TIME. OKAY. UM, BACK TO THE DIRECTOR'S OFFICE. I, IIII GET THERE. UM, WE WERE HAVING MEETINGS AND I NOTICE THE FLOOR IS PRETTY EMPTY ON FRIDAYS AND OTHER DAYS. SO I HAD, UM, A SENIOR STAFF ANALYST GET ME THE SCHEDULE OF ALL OF THE PEOPLE ON THE FLOOR. AND WHEN I GOT THE SCHEDULE, I WAS ALARMED AT WHAT THE SCHEDULES WERE SAYING. WE HAD PEOPLE, UM, I STARTED, UH, BACK IN PUBLIC WORKS IN MARCH. AND IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING, UH, THAT, UH, YOU MAY WHITMEYER RECANTED THE TELEWORK, THE WORK FROM HOME POLICY IN FEBRUARY, WHILE I STILL HAD PEOPLE WORKING FROM HOME IN MARCH. UM, INTERNAL POLICIES AND PROCEDURES WERE CREATED TO ALLOW CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS TO WORK FROM HOME FROM, FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES, FOR JUST DIFFERENT PURPOSES. AND WHEN I ASKED THEM ABOUT IT, THEY, THEY WAS LIKE, OH, I WAS GRANTED THE ABILITY TO WORK FROM HOME. AND, AND I, I DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT. SO, UM, WE NEEDED STRUCTURE IN THE DEPARTMENT THAT, THAT, THAT HAS NEVER BEEN THERE BEFORE, FROM TOP TO BOTTOM. NEXT SLIDE. UM, ADMINISTRATION, UH, IMPROVEMENTS IN, IN REFORM. UM, ONE THING THAT I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THAT WAS, THAT'S GETTING A LOT OF CALLS AND COMPLAINTS. NOW IN EACH OPERATION, I'M GOING TO DETAIL EACH NEW STRUCTURE THAT WE PUT IN, WHAT WE IMPLEMENTED, THE BENEFITS THAT WE EXPECT TO COME FROM IT. THE REPLACEMENT OF CANS, RIGHT, IS A, IS A HUGE PROBLEM THAT WE HAVE SIMPLY BECAUSE OUR CODE ENFORCEMENT, UH, GOT BEHIND. SO WE ARE, WE, I'M, I'M ESTIMATING THAT WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY 10 TO 12,000 EXTRA CANS THAT ARE OUT IN OUR RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS. SIMPLY BECAUSE YOU COULD, FOR AN EXAMPLE, YOU MIGHT HAVE A NEIGHBOR THAT LIVED IN A RESIDENCE. THEY MOVED, THE NEIGHBOR TOOK THE CAN AND PUT IT IN FRONT OF THEIR HOUSE. OR SOMETIMES WE WERE ALL, WE WERE OUR OWN WORST ENEMY. SOMEBODY CALLED FOR A CAN REPLACEMENT. WE DIDN'T PICK UP THE OLD CAN, WE DIDN'T REPLACE IT. WE JUST DROPPED OUT A NEW CAN. THERE WAS NO INVENTORY OF CANS. SO THE CANS WERE SPREAD OUT ALL OVER THE CITY. SO WHAT WE DID OVER THE LAST 90 DAYS, WE CONSOLIDATED ALL OF THE CANS TO ONE LOCATION, ASSIGNED PERSONNEL OVER IT. SO WE CAN KEEP ACCURATE COUNT ON WHAT CANS ARE ISSUED, KEEPING UP WITH THE COUNT OF CANS, AND TO MAKE SURE THAT IF A CAN NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. WE HAVE A TEAM OF INDIVIDUALS THAT WILL REPLACE THE CANS. SO OUR CAN PROGRAM WAS NONEXISTENT FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS, OTHER THAN US JUST GOING ON A BACKWARD PICKUP TRUCK, DROPPING 'EM OFF, AND WE'RE NOT KEEPING RECORD OF IT. SO THAT'S A, A, A NEW IMPLEMENTATION THAT WE PUT IN. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. SO NOW WE, GETTING DOWN TO THE ACTUAL QUADRANTS, AND I KNOW EVERYBODY HEARD ABOUT THE FIVE DAY NEW SCHEDULE THAT WE HAD. SO WE WERE SPLIT INTO FOUR QUADRANTS IN THE VERY BEGINNING. UH, WITH THE, THE REDUCTION IN STAFF DUE TO THE, THE RETIREMENT. I KNEW THAT WE HAD TO DO SOMETHING TO ENSURE THAT WE PUT THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF RESOURCES ON THE STREETS EVERY DAY. SO INSTEAD OF HAVING FOUR QUADRANTS, WE CONSOLIDATED TO TWO TO THE NORTH AND SOUTH AGAIN, TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH TRUCKS TO COVER THE ROCKS THAT WE HAVE. UM, [03:40:05] OUR FLEET RIGHT NOW, UM, IS A PROBLEM. WE ARE TRYING TO COME UP WITH A SOLUTION. WE'RE AVERAGING, LIKE TODAY WE HAVE 57 TRUCKS DOWN. UM, DOWN WE HAVE 57 TRUCKS DOWN. HOW MANY? 178. YOU NEED 178 TO COVER THE CITY. I'M SORRY, LET ME, LET ME, BUT HOW MANY DO YOU HAVE TOTAL THAT YOUR INVENTORY THAT YOU CAN PULL FROM, I'M SORRY, 200 AND SOMETHING? WE HAVE 218 TOTAL. WE HAVE 57 DOWN. SO WHEN WE GIVE THE QUOTES AND THE INFORMATION TO THE PUBLIC, I'M GIVING THE INFORMATION BASED ON MY LINEUP NUMBER THAT I NEED TO OPERATE, WHICH IS 178 TRUCKS. UM, I NEED 178 TRUCKS DAILY. THE PROBLEM THAT WE'RE HAVING IS THAT, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, WE HAVE A RODENT PROBLEM. UM, WHEN YOU DON'T CLEAN OUT YOUR TRUCKS, RODENTS COME IN AND RATS ARE CHEWING THE WIRES IN THE TRUCKS. THESE MEN AND WOMEN GO OUT EVERY SINGLE DAY TO TRY TO DO A JOB, AND THEY HAVE TO TAKE A HESITATION TO OPEN UP THEIR TRUCK TO MAKE SURE THAT NO ONE'S SLEEPING THEIR TRUCK THE NIGHT BEFORE. THAT'S UNWANTED GUESS. UH, WE HAVE 13 WASH BAYS. NONE OF THEM ARE IN OPERATIONAL AT THE MOMENT OTHER THAN COLD WATER. UM, IN ORDER TO CLEAN OUR TRUCKS OUT PROPERLY, THEY HAVE TO HAVE HEAT TO GET THE GREASE OUT. WE HAVE MAGGOTS IN THE BACK OF OUR TRUCKS. THEY WERE NOT BROUGHT UP TO SPEED. WE HAVE LOCATIONS WHERE WE HAVE RAW SEWAGE COMING UP IN THE, IN THE FACILITIES THAT THE EMPLOYEES HAVE TO DEAL WITH. WE, WE HAVE TO DO A BETTER JOB TO ENSURE THAT THE QUALITY OF WORK FOR OUR EMPLOYEES GETS MUCH BETTER. AND THAT'S WHAT MY STAFF AND I ARE COMMITTED TO DO. UM, THE QUADRANTS HAVE SHOWN TO BE VERY, VERY PRODUCTIVE AS FAR AS PRODUCTIVITY ONCE WE COMBINE THEM. BECAUSE IF ONE QUADRANT TAKES A HIT AND LOSES 30 PEOPLE, THAT'S ALMOST A WHOLE QUADRANT OUT BECAUSE IT'S ONLY LIKE 60 PEOPLE AT A QUADRANT TOGETHER. SO THIS HAS BEEN, THIS HAS BEEN A, A TRUE SUCCESS AND, UM, EFFICIENCY IS SOLD FROM THIS OPERATIONAL UPDATE. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. ROUTE MANAGEMENT. WHEN WE GOT THERE, UH, WE LOOKED AT ALL THE ROUTES. SO THE STANDARD INDUSTRY OF ROUTES PER HOME, PER ROUTE IS 900 ROUTES PER TRUCK. 23 OF THOSE PERCENTS WERE 23% OF ALL ROUTES. WERE UNDER 1,051 ROUTES. WERE OVER 1300 HOMES. WITHOUT THE ROUTES BEING BALANCED, YOU'RE BASICALLY SENDING INDIVIDUALS OUT EVERY SINGLE DAY. THERE'S NO WAY THAT THEY CAN ACCOMPLISH GETTING EVERYTHING PICKED UP WITHOUT ROUTE OPTIMIZATION AND ROUTE BALANCING. OUR TEAM CAME IN AND LOOKED AT THE ROUTES, BALANCED THEM OUT AS BEST AS WE COULD. WE STILL GOT SOME WORK TO DO, BUT THE NUMBERS HAVE DECREASED. UM, RECYCLING COLLECTION ROUTES OVER 1300 HOMES, 74 ROUTES, 24%. AND THE INDUSTRY STAFF IS 1100 HOME ON THE ROUTE. UH, AGAIN, OUR AGE OF FLEET, WE HAVE 32% OF OUR FLEET VEHICLES OVER SEVEN YEARS OLD. THAT MEANS 32% OF OUR FLEET ARE NOT EVEN BEING USED AS SMALLER MUNICIPALITIES. IT IS A CHALLENGE TO GET UP AND PLAN AND TO SET A GOAL TO BE SUCCESSFUL WHEN YOU HAVING 40 AND 50 TRUCKS BREAKING DOWN EVERY SINGLE DAY. AS MUCH AS WE WANT TO GET UP, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THIS CREW, THESE CREWS, THESE MEN AND WOMEN AT WORK, THEY WATCH THE NEWS TOO. THEY TAKE PRIDE IN WHAT THEY DO. WE, WE GOTTA DO A BETTER JOB IN GETTING THEM EQUIPMENT THAT THEY NEED TO SUCCEED ON A DAILY CALL ON A DAILY BASIS. UM, OUR FLEET DIRECTORS DOING EVERYTHING THAT HE POSSIBLY CAN. IT'S JUST THE FACT THAT WE INHERITED A PROBLEM THAT THE FLEET WAS NOT MAINTAINED PROPERLY, UH, THROUGHOUT THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION. SO NOW WE'RE FEELING THE EFFECTS OF IT. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. UH, ROB BALANCING IS WHAT I MENTIONED EARLIER. SO ANOTHER MAIN PIECE OF THE RECYCLING PORTION IS THAT YES, WE'RE IN A CONTRACT, IN MY OPINION, JUST MY OPINION. IT IS A REALLY, REALLY TOUGH CONTRACT THAT WE'RE IN. UM, WHEN YOU HAVE ONE PLACE TO TAKE RECYCLING, THAT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO CONQUER IN [03:45:01] THE CITY OF HOUSTON. UM, MOST OF OUR TRUCKS SPEND AN ABUNDANCE OF TIME IN THE, JUST WAITING AT THE, UH, RECYCLING CENTER. UH, THIS GRAPH JUST SHOWS DURING THE TIME OF DAY THE AVERAGE WAIT TIME. YOU KNOW, IF, IF, IF IT'S ON A GOOD DAY, WE CAN GET OUT THERE IN 45 MINUTES. AND WE, WE HAVEN'T HAD A GOOD DAY SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE IN 90 DAYS. SO WE'RE AVERAGING ABOUT A HOUR AND A HALF EACH TIME WE GO OUT THERE TO TRY TO TAKE RECYCLING WITH THE AMOUNT OF TRUCKS THAT WE GOT GOING DOWN. LOGISTICALLY, ONCE WE GET TO THE RECYCLING CENTER, THEIR DAY IS PRETTY MUCH SUMMED UP BY THE TIME THEY GET THERE, ESPECIALLY IF THEY COMING FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CITY. UM, BUT OUR HOPE IS NOT LOST. UH, WE CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR EFFICIENT WAYS. I TRY TO, WHEN I ACT, WHEN I BRING A PROBLEM, I HAVE A SOLUTION THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S BACKING IT UP. THE GREAT NEWS IS I FOUND THAT WE HAVE A TOTAL OF FOUR, UM, TRANSFER STATIONS THAT WE OWN. TWO OF THEM ARE OPERABLE AND TWO OF THEM ARE NOT. WE HAVE ONE COMING ONLINE AT THE END OF NOVEMBER, BEGINNING OF DECEMBER, I SAT DOWN AND MET WITH FCC, WHO WAS OUR RECYCLING VENDOR, EXPLAINED OUR CHALLENGES, TOLD HIM OUR WINS OR THEIR WINS, OUR LOSSES OR THEIR LOSSES. WE WORKED OUT A DEAL. MY PLAN IS TO BRING THAT NEW TRANSFER STATION ONLINE, HAVE RECYCLING DUMPED THERE SO WE CAN CREATE OUR OWN SECOND PLACE TO BRING RECYCLING WITHOUT RELYING HEAVILY ON THE CONTRACTOR. IF WE DON'T HAVE A SECOND OR THIRD PLACE TO DUMP, THERE'S NO WAY THAT WE CAN IMPROVE EFFICIENCY. WE HAD TO LOOK AT EVERYTHING WITHIN OUR DEPARTMENT TO SEE WHERE IT WAS, WAYS TO BE MORE EFFICIENT AND MOVING THE CITY FORWARD AND DELIVERING THE TYPE OF SERVICES THAT OUR RESIDENTS DESERVE. SO FOR THE FIRST TIME, THE CITY WILL BE OPERATING THEIR OWN TRANSFER STATIONS. THAT'S NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE. IT'S A POSSIBILITY THAT WE CAN HAVE A REVENUE STREAM BECAUSE WE'RE BASICALLY PAYING SOMEBODY TO OPERATE OUR TRANSFER STATIONS THAT WE OWN. THEY CHARGE US AND THEN MAKE US GET IN LINE. SO WE'RE GONNA TAKE OVER WHAT THE CITY OWNS, OPERATED, BECAUSE WE HAVE THE MEN AND WOMEN THAT CAN TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL AND WE CAN GET OUR TRUCKS BACK ON ROUTE TO BE MORE EFFICIENT. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. SO THIS IS JUST A EXAMPLE OF WHAT THE, THE RECYCLING ROUTES LOOK LIKE. IT'S VERY SHOCKING ONCE WE LOOKED AT IT. WE'RE GONNA USE THIS ONE AS BASICALLY THE NORTHEAST, UH, ROUTES. THE NORTHEAST IS REALLY NOT THE NORTHEAST BECAUSE THE NORTHEAST ROUTES RUN INTO SOUTHEAST AND NORTHWEST AT SOME POINTS. SO WHEN WE LOOKED AT IT, WHEN THE ROUTING SOFTWARE DIDN'T WORK, I WAS LIKE, JUST USE THE MAPS. SO WHEN THEY BROKE OUT THE MAPS AND WE LOOKED AT IT, I WAS LIKE, THAT'S NOT NORTHEAST HOUSTON. SO THEY WERE RUNNING DOWN AND I ASKED, WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME THIS ROUTE, THESE MAPS WERE UPDATED AND THEY, NOBODY CAN GIVE ME AN EXPLANATION. IT WAS LIKE, HEY, WE LOOKED AT 'EM ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO. WE DIDN'T DO NOTHING ELSE. I THINK IT WAS 10 YEARS BEFORE THEY LOOKED AT IT. SO, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. THIS IS WHAT THE NEW PROPOSED ROUTE BALANCE WILL LOOK LIKE. NORTHEAST WILL BE IN THE NORTHEAST QUADRANT. NORTHWEST WILL BE IN THE NORTHWEST. SOUTHEAST WOULD BE IN THE SOUTHEAST. SOUTHWEST WILL BE IN THE SOUTHWEST TO GIVE US WHAT THE ADDITIONAL TRANSFER STATION ONLINE THAT WE OPERATE. WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO GET OUR TRUCKS BACK ON ROCK, EVEN WHEN 30 OR 40 TRUCKS GO DOWN. THAT GIVES US A FIGHTING CHANCE TO STILL DELIVER SERVICE THAT OUR CITIZENS DESERVE. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. ACTION ITEMS. ONE THING THAT, UM, THAT WE NEEDED TO GET BETTER AT WAS CUSTOMER SERVICE. MOST OF THE COMPLAINTS THAT I HEARD WAS LIKE, OH, JUST SAY SOMETHING. GIVE US SOMETHING. SOLID. WASTE DIDN'T DO A GREAT JOB IN RESPONDING TO CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS, COUNCIL CONCERNS, NOBODY. THERE WAS NOBODY THERE. UM, THE MEN AND WOMEN THAT WERE SUPPOSED TO BE HANDLING THOSE CALLS, THEY WERE WORKING FROM HOME. SO IF THEY DIDN'T GET THE CALLS, IF THEY WERE NOT ACTUALLY IN OFFICE, THERE WAS NOBODY. WE LOOKED YESTERDAY. WE HAVE SR STIMULATING BACK FROM 2023. IT'S OVER A HUNDRED PLUS THOUSAND SERVICE REQUESTS FROM TWO YEARS AGO THAT HAVE NOT BEEN ADDRESSED. NOT BEING CLOSED, NOT BEEN ANYTHING. SO, UM, WE JUST [03:50:01] HIRED THE ONLY PERSON WE WERE ABLE TO HIRE. WE HIRED AN ADMINISTRATIVE COORDINATOR THAT'S GOING TO SPEARHEAD THE CUSTOMER SERVICE TEAM. HER AND HER TEAM IS WORKING DILIGENTLY. UH, THIS WAS THEIR SECOND WEEK. THE CLOSED WORK ORDERS. WE HAVE AN INTERNAL PROCESS THAT WE'RE GONNA IMPLEMENT FOR CUSTOMERS INSTEAD OF CALLING YOU. WE'RE GONNA, FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, I KNOW THIS IS GONNA BE A LEAP OF FAITH. WE'RE GONNA HAVE A NUMBER AND A LIVE AGENT FOR CUSTOMERS TO CALL US TO GET AN ANSWER BACK TO OUR CONSTITUENTS, TO LET THEM KNOW WHERE WE ARE WITH EVERYTHING. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. SO, ADDRESS THE BIG ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM. MISS RECYCLING. UH, THIS HAS MADE ME FAMOUS IN MY LITTLE SMALL TOWN OF LOUISIANA. . UH, MY GRANDMOTHER, WHO WAS 93, REACHED OUT. AND THAT HAS, I HAD TO SAY THAT, MAYOR, I'M SORRY, BUT THAT'S A, THAT'S A HIGHLIGHT OF MY CAREER. UH, 'CAUSE MY 93-YEAR-OLD GRANDMOTHER REACHED OUT AND SHE SAID, HEY, BABY. I SAID, HEY MAMA. SHE SAID, YOU WAS ON THE NEWS. AND I FROZE. SHE LIVES IN THE BACKWOODS OF LOUISIANA. AND I'M LIKE, I KNOW YOU DON'T WATCH HOUSTON NEWS. AND MY DAD, WHO IS, I LOVE HIM. THAT'S ALL I'M GONNA SAY. MY DAD SAID, YOUR GRANDSON ON THE NEWS. HE BIT RECYCLING . SO, UM, THAT KIND OF STRUCK A NERVE WITH ME, UH, THAT MY GRANDMOTHER SAY, WELL, YOU NEED TO PICK UP THAT RECYCLE. I SAY, YES MA'AM, I'M GONNA GET TO . SO I ASKED, UM, OUR TEAM TO DO A HISTORY OF MISS RECYCLING BECAUSE I'VE NEVER BEEN FAMOUS BEFORE. THIS IS A BLESSING. MAYOR, COUNCILOR, THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY. UM, THE NEWS CAMERA, I REALLY, I WAS IN THE FIELD. THAT'S THE DAY I DISCOVERED THE NEW DEPOSITORY THAT WASN'T UP. AND THE NEWS CAMERA WAS ON MY FLOOR. AND WHEN I WALKED IN, THEY HAD LEFT A MESSAGE AND SAID, THE NEWS IS HERE. I HAD ALL MY INTERNS, THEY WERE EXCITED. IT WAS LIKE THE NEWS CAME. I WAS LIKE, THEY DID, THEY WERE LOOKING FOR YOU. I WAS LIKE, FOR ME. SO, UM, AFTER I DID THE INTERVIEW, UM, I HAD OUR TEAM. I, I WANTED TO DO SOME RESEARCH. HOW LONG HAS THIS BEEN GOING ON? AND ON THIS SLIDE, THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR SIX YEARS. THIS WAS A PROBLEM THAT MAYOR WHITMEYER YOU INHERITED. I INHERITED THE PROP. WHAT WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN IS WE STOP KICKING THE CAN DOWN THE LINE. TODAY IS THE DAY THAT WE END. IT WON'T BE A 2026 STORY ON MIS RECYCLING. WE HAVE TO DO A DEEP DIVE IN MY OFFICE. I CHALLENGED EACH ONE OF MY EXECUTIVES. WE, WE WERE AT 11. WE'RE ONLY DOWN TO FOUR NOW. SO WE ARE, WE, WE, WE, WE WE'RE A SCARCE TEAM. BUT I CHALLENGE EACH ONE OF OUR EXECUTIVES TO GO ABOVE AND BEYOND. WE'RE WORKING LATE HOURS TO FIGURE OUT A SOLUTION ON HOW WE CAN BETTER SERVE OUR CITIZENS WITHOUT USING OVERTIME AS EVERY EXCUSE POSSIBLE. IT'S OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCIES THAT WE CAN ADJUST AND MAKE BETTER TO GIVE UP A GREAT PRODUCT, SERVE A, A, A GREAT PRODUCT TO OUR CITIZENS, AND ALSO HAVE THE WORK-LIFE BALANCE THAT OUR EMPLOYEES DESERVE. SO IT IS TIME FOR US TO STOP PASSING ALONG THE BOOK AND COME UP WITH SOLUTIONS IN WHICH I FEEL LIKE I'M VERY CONFIDENT IN THE NEW DISCOVERIES THAT I'VE HAD OVER THE LAST TWO WEEKS THAT WE CAN HONESTLY, UH, NIP THIS IN THE BUD. I LOVE BEING FAMOUS FOR THAT SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, BUT I WOULD LIKE FOR IT TO BE A LOT MORE POSITIVE THE NEXT TIME I GO INTO MEETING. WELL, YOU'RE GONNA GET A CHANCE TO TALK SOME MORE. FIRST OF ALL, YOU'RE DOING AN OUTSTANDING JOB. THANK YOU, SIR. AND YOU'RE DEMONSTRATING THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF THE ERNST AND YOUNG REPORT. YES, SIR. TO ARRIVE AT A MORE EFFICIENT SYSTEM BEFORE WE JUST THROW MONEY AT IT. YES SIR. OF COURSE YOU NEED RESOURCES AND YOU'RE GONNA GET RESOURCES. BUT TO THROW MORE MONEY AT THE BROKEN SYSTEM, IT'S BEEN ALLOWED FOR WAY TOO MANY YEARS, WOULD'VE BEEN A HUGE MISTAKE. AND WE WOULDN'T, MIGHT NOT EVEN BE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION ABOUT YOUR TRANSFORM TRANSFORMATION OF AN ENTIRE DEPARTMENT, BUT THE ABUSES THAT HAVE BEEN ALLOWED TO HAPPEN. AND LET ME APPLAUD YOU FOR REFERRING 'EM TO THE INSPECTOR GENERAL IF IT APPEARS THERE'S A CONFLICT. YES, SIR. KEEP ON KEEPING ON IS ALL I CAN SAY. YES, SIR. BECAUSE I LIVE IN A NEIGHBORHOOD. I HEAR COMMENTS, GRANDKIDS, KIDS LIVE IN GARDEN OAKS. WE'VE GOT OUR HAND AND FINGER ON THE PULSE OF THE COMMUNITY. SO WHATEVER HAPPENED IN JUNE [03:55:01] WITH YOUR TRANSITION AND YOU TOLD ME YOU DEPENDED ON SOMEONE WHO GAVE YOU BAD INFORMATION. YES, SIR. IN TERMS OF OPERATIONS, THE TWO HOLIDAYS YOU'VE PULLED OUT OF THAT. AND I WOULD SUGGEST YOU'RE ON THE RIGHT ROAD. SO DON'T HESITATE TO LET US KNOW. WE'LL HAVE YOU BEFORE COUNSEL ROUTINELY, BECAUSE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT MUST BE ADDRESSED. YES, SIR. COUNCILMAN KAMAN, I YIELD TO YOU. OH, FIRST, UH, FIRST DIRECTOR, I WANNA THANK YOU. UM, YOU HAVE COME IN WITH A COMMITMENT, A DEDICATION, AND A TEAM BEHIND YOU, UM, THAT IS COMMITTED TO SUPPORTING THE PEOPLE OF HOUSTON IN THIS CITY, SIR. UH, AND I, I KNOW WE HAVE OUR HOPE, SOME OF OUR HOPE MEMBERS IN THE AUDIENCE AS WELL. AND I WANNA RECOGNIZE Y'ALL AND THANK Y'ALL. UM, AS THE MAYOR SAID, OUR SOLID WASTE EMPLOYEES ARE SOME OF THE HARDEST WORKING IN THE CITY. UH, WE ALSO HAVE A SPECIFIC AND UNIQUE CHALLENGE TO HOUSTON. ONE, UH, 640 SQUARE MILES. NOW, NOT ALL OF THOSE MILES ARE, ARE PUBLICLY SERVICED, BUT WE HAVE A LOT MORE LANE MILES THAN PRETTY MUCH ANY OTHER CITY. YES. YES MA'AM. UH, IN THE COUNTRY. AND WE'VE HAD HOW MANY DISASTERS AND WITH EVERY DISASTER THE WEAR AND TEAR ON OUR TRUCKS, UH, RAMPS UP OR, OR SHORTENS THE LIFE EXPECTANCY OF THOSE TRUCKS. UH, I ALSO APPRECIATE THE FOCUS ON RECYCLING. THAT HAS BEEN A HEADACHE. BUT I THINK IT'S IN THE CONTEXT OF WHEN WE HAVE TRUCKS BREAK DOWN. CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG. UH, WITH STANDARD TRASH PICKUP, WE HAVE TO DIVERT RECYCLING TRUCKS. YES MA'AM. 'CAUSE UNDER LAW WE HAVE YES MA'AM. HEALTH SAFETY, WE HAVE TO PICK UP TRASH. SO THEN RECYCLING SUFFERS. BUT THE IMPORTANCE OF RECYCLING, NOT JUST THAT IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO, BUT WHEN WE ARE ABLE TO DIVERT WASTE AWAY FROM OUR LANDFILLS YES MA'AM. WE ARE EXTENDING THE LIFE OF THOSE LANDFILLS SAVING DOLLARS. UM, AND THAT'S IMPORTANT TOO 'CAUSE WE GOT A BIG OLD BILL DOWN THE ROAD WHEN OUR LANDFILLS ARE TOO FULL. AND I KNOW WE'RE WORKING ON THAT AS WELL. BUT I WANNA THANK YOU AGAIN. UM, TWO REQUESTS, UH, THAT OUR OFFICE HAS RECEIVED. OKAY. ONE IS WE'RE RE MODIFYING TRACKING. I KNOW THAT THE ADMINISTRATION HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN WORKING ON, UM, ACCESSIBLE TRACKING OF ROUTES FOR TRASH PICKUP. IS THAT GOING TO HAPPEN OR IS THAT HAPPENING WITH RECYCLING ROUTES AS WELL? SO RESIDENTS CAN FOLLOW AND KNOW? WE'RE CURRENTLY LOOKING AT ALL OPTIONS BECAUSE ONE THING THAT WE WANT TO HAVE IN THE, ONE OF THE MAIN COMPLAINTS WE'RE BEGINNING IN OUR OFFICE IS THAT RESIDENTS WANT TO KNOW WHERE THE TRUCKS ARE. SO WE'RE WORKING DILIGENTLY TO LOOK AT THE SOFTWARE THAT WE'RE USING. WE, WE'VE RAN INTO A FEW STUMBLING BLOCKS. UH, WE WERE TOLD THAT THE SOFTWARE CAN OPERATE IN CERTAIN CAPACITIES AND WE'VE YET TO SEE THE CAPACITIES BEING SHOWCASED. SO THAT'S OUR PLAN TO, TO GO LIVE ON THE APP WHERE RESIDENTS CAN SEE WHERE OUR TRUCKS ARE SO THEY CAN KNOW, OKAY, THEY'RE THREE STREETS OVER, FOUR STREETS OVER. JUST GIVE THE INFORMATION. WE'RE WORKING ON BEING AS TRANSPARENT AS WE POSSIBLY CAN. APPRECIATE IT. AND THE SECOND REQUEST, WHEN WE HAD HAD THIS CONVERSATION, I BELIEVE IT WAS TWO WEEKS AGO, UM, THERE WAS A, ACTUALLY IT WAS WHEN HOPE CAME FORWARD AND WAS TALKING ABOUT THE CHALLENGES THAT OUR INDIVIDUAL TEAMS FACE WHEN THEY'RE OUT IN OUR COMMUNITIES, THINGS RESIDENTS CAN DO. YES, MA'AM. TO HELP. AND ONE OF THE REQUESTS WE HAD WAS, UH, MESSAGING AND PACKAGING THAT WE CAN HELP SET. SO AGAIN, RELAYING THAT REQUEST SO THAT WE CAN DO OUR PART. YES, MA'AM. BUT I DO THINK HOUSTONIANS WANNA HELP. YES, MA'AM. UM, AS IT RELATES TO FLEET, DO WE CURRENTLY KNOW WHEN, I'LL ASK, DOES SOLID WASTE HAVE ITS OWN FLEET AND MAINTENANCE DIVISION WITHIN SOLID WASTE OR IS IT THE FLEET MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT? IT'S THE FLEET MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT. AND THAT SAME FLEET MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT. AND THOSE FOLKS HAVE BEEN THERE THROUGHOUT THIS ENTIRE TIME GOING BACK. I'M NOT SURE HOW LONG THEY'VE BEEN THERE, BUT THEY YES MA'AM. I'M, I'M, I'M NOT SURE. OKAY. UM, DO WE KNOW HOW MANY TRUCKS HAVE BEEN BACK ORDERED? 'CAUSE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE BREAKDOWNS YES, MA'AM. I'D LIKE TO KNOW ONE, HOW LONG TRUCKS HAVE BEEN SITTING THERE, HOW LONG WE HAVE KNOWN ABOUT THE MAINTENANCE ISSUES. BUT IT'S ALSO, AGAIN, GOING BACK TO COVI AND SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES. YES, MA'AM. THERE WE HAVE PARTS ISSUES. SO I, I HAVE MORE QUESTIONS FOR FLEET, UNFORTUNATELY, DIRECTOR THAN YOU BECAUSE YES, MA'AM. YOU KNOW, WITH US ORDERING USED TRUCKS, I DON'T KNOW WHEN THE TIMELINE FOR THOSE ORDERS THOUGH. I DO KNOW WE HAVE ORDERED NEW TRUCKS. YES, MA'AM. YES, MA'AM. YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR. SO ARE THOSE DELAYED? DID WE PIVOT TO USED TRUCKS BECAUSE, UH, WE NEEDED TO GET SOME FASTER AND THAT WAS WHAT WAS AVAILABLE IN LIGHT OF SUPPLY? I DON'T KNOW. I'M YES MA'AM. I'M POSTURING A LOT OF QUESTIONS THAT I KNOW YOU CAN'T ANSWER, MA. BUT AGAIN, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT HOW MANY TRUCKS ARE DOWN, HOW [04:00:01] MANY MILES WE HAVE TO COVER, I LOVE THE EFFICIENCIES THAT ARE BEING BROUGHT FORWARD. YES MA'AM. AND I APPRECIATE THAT. I THINK IT'S GREAT FOR THE CITY, IT'S GREAT HOPEFULLY FOR OUR DRIVERS. UM, BUT WHEN IT COMES TO OUR FLEET AND OUR MAINTENANCE TEAM, WHY ARE, WHY IS IT TAKING SO LONG? IS IT A PARTS ISSUE? IS IT AN EXPERIENCE ISSUE? ARE WE NOT ABLE TO MAINTAIN THEM? ARE WE NOT KEEPING UP WITH THEM? BUT AGAIN, THIS DIDN'T HAPPEN OVERNIGHT. RIGHT. BUT WE STILL HAVE HAD TRUCKS OUT FOR A VERY LONG TIME. I'M ASSUMING MORE THAN THAT. THAT'S CORRECT, MA'AM. IF, IF, YOU KNOW, PLEASE, I CAN ANSWER THAT. UM, WHEN YOU HAVE TRUCKS IN SERVICE FOR SEVEN DAYS, YOU MISS YOUR VITAL PM SERVICES FOR THE MECHANICS TO CHECK ON THE BELTS AND THINGS THAT YOU NEED TO DO YOUR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE ON. SO THESE TRUCKS HAVE BEEN IN OPERATIONS FOR SEVEN DAYS FOR YEARS. UH, RIGHT NOW, I JUST SENT, UH, DIRECTOR GLASSCOCK AN EMAIL STATING THAT WE DON'T WORK ON SUNDAYS RIGHT NOW. WE, WE'VE, WE'VE SHRUNK IT TO DOWN TO SIX DAYS. UM, AND HE HAS THE ABILITY TO COME IN AND WORK ON SUNDAYS IF GIVEN PERMISSION TO DO SOME ROUTINE MAINTENANCE ON. BUT UP UNTIL TWO WEEKS AGO, THOSE TRUCKS ARE IN SERVICE SEVEN DAYS A WEEK. RIGHT. AND I KNOW WE'RE SHIFTING, WE TALK A LOT ABOUT PEOPLE HAD WEDNESDAYS OFF. MY UNDERSTANDING, BUT PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, IS WEDNESDAY WAS A ONE WE HAD BEEN AT, UH, FOUR TENS. RIGHT. SO FOUR DAY, 10 HOUR SHIFTS. RIGHT NOW WE'RE ON FIVE EIGHTS. NOW WE'RE AT FIVE DAYS. SO IT IS SPREAD OUT MORE. WE ALSO HAVE A NEW, WHICH I SUPPORTED AND DO SUPPORT NEW HOPE CONTRACT AND THERE'S NEW OVERTIME TRIGGERS. SO THAT HAS, UH, WE'VE TRUNCATED HOURS YES. THAT WE ARE TRYING TO AVOID. SO WE DON'T GO INTO OVERTIME. YES, MA'AM. BUT THE WEDNESDAYS, FOR EXAMPLE. YES MA'AM. MY UNDERSTANDING, BUT PLEASE CORRECT ME, WAS, UH, I DON'T WANNA SAY MAKE UP DAY, BUT IF THERE WERE MISSED ROUTES RIGHT. THAT WAS THE DAY TO GO BACK. RIGHT. IF THERE WERE MAINTENANCE ISSUED THAT WEDNESDAY WAS THAT DAY FOR CORRECTIVE YES MA'AM. COURSES OF ACTION. IS THAT CORRECT? YES, MA'AM. YES, MA'AM. UM, THE REASON WHY WE PUT IT MADE IT A STANDARD DAY BECAUSE IT WAS, WE, WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO HAVE OUR ENTIRE STAFF ON THERE DURING THE WEEK, AND IT'S A REGULAR DAY INSTEAD OF PAYING OVERTIME AND MISSING EMPLOYEES BECAUSE THAT IS A DAY BASED ON THE NUMBER OF FLEET THAT WE HAVE THAT WE CAN DEPLOY DAILY. THAT WEDNESDAY IS THE MAKEUP DAY FOR US FOR RECYCLING. RIGHT. AND, AND I'M, I'M NOT SUGGESTING THAT'S A BAD MOVE. UH, I, I'M WILLING TO DO ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING WE CANAM TO MAKE THIS SAFER AND MORE EFFICIENT, NOT ONLY FOR OUR EMPLOYEES, BUT FOR THE CITY. RIGHT. YES, MA'AM. UM, BUT I, I WANTED TO BE CAREFUL WITH THE LANGUAGE WE USE ABOUT OFF DAYS. I KNOW THAT THE WORD TAILGATING'S BEEN THROWN AROUND AND WHEN, UH, I HEAR TAILGATE, I'M LIKE, OH, TEXANS GAME. SOME GOOD BARBECUE . AND THE PUBLIC MAY NOT KNOW. RIGHT. WHAT THOSE SIX 30 CHECK-INS ARE. YES, MA'AM. NOW I KNOW THAT THOSE ARE BECOMING MORE EFFICIENT. YES, MA'AM. WHICH IS GOOD TOO. RIGHT? SO THAT WE'RE USING OUR TIME EFFICIENTLY. YES, MA'AM. BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE ALL, UM, ON THE SAME PAGE AND THAT I HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF HOW HARD OUR EMPLOYEES ARE WORKING. YES, MA'AM. HOURS THEY'RE DEDICATING. 'CAUSE YOU SAID 12 TO 14 HOURS, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK. YES, MA'AM. SO I, I, AGAIN, I APPRECIATE IT, UH, VERY MUCH. AND AGAIN, MAYOR, I THINK HAVING A CONVERSATION ABOUT FLEET SPECIFICALLY, UM, IS VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE A LOT OF THESE ISSUES STEM FROM THAT. AND THAT'S A MUCH MORE NUANCED CONVERSATION AS WELL THAT I THINK DESERVES SOME ATTENTION. THANK YOU, COUNCIL. THAT'S MAYOR PROTE. P THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU DIRECTOR. THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK. YOU INHERITED A MESS. I MEAN LITERALLY FIGURATIVELY A MESS IN, IN THE DEPARTMENT. AND I HAVE CHAMPIONED YOUR WORK IN OUR COMMUNITY. UM, EMAILS, PHONE CALLS, SOCIAL MEDIA MEETINGS WITH CONSTITUENTS. I'M TELLING PEOPLE, GIVE HIM SOME TIME. HE'S HEADED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. IT'S GONNA TAKE SOME TIME TO STEER THIS DEPARTMENT TO WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE. AND I KNOW THAT HE'LL DO IT BECAUSE I KNOW THE MAYOR WILL MAKE SURE OF IT. . YES MA'AM. BUT IN THE INTERIM, WHILE YOU'RE WORKING ON THAT, WE HAVE TO PICK UP THE TRASH RIGHT. AND IT'S NOT HAPPENING RIGHT NOW IN DISTRICT, A RECYCLING WAS OVER TWO MONTHS BEHIND AND NOW IT WAS COLLECTED AND NOW WE'RE BEHIND AGAIN. RIGHT. HEAVY TRASH IS DELAYED YARD WASTE, COULDN'T EVEN TELL YOU. IT'S NOT EVEN BEING PICKED UP IN DISTRICT A. BUT NOW, REGULAR TRASH ALSO THERE, WE'VE SEEN SOME DELAYS IN THAT TOO. PICKING UP TRASH IS THE MOST BASIC SERVICE THAT WE [04:05:01] CAN OFFER TO OUR CITIZENS. AND IT'S, IT'S NOT HAPPENING. EITHER PEOPLE HAVE TRASH OR THEY'VE DRIVEN THROUGH HOUSTON AND THEY'VE SEEN THE TRASH SITTING OUT THERE. IT'S NOT A GOOD LOOK FOR OUR CITY. OKAY. SO IN THE INTERIM, WHILE I KNOW YOU'RE FIXING EVERYTHING RIGHT, WE HAVE TO PICK IT UP. SO WHETHER THAT'S HIRING OUTSIDE CONTRACTORS, WHETHER THAT'S SUSPENDING RECYCLING SERVICES OR YARD WAY SERVICES OR SOME SERVICE, UNTIL WE CAN GET IT RIGHT. OKAY. I THINK THAT WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE NEED TO DO IN THE INTERIM TO PICK THIS ALL UP. YES, MA'AM. UM, MAY I ASK A QUESTION? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER, YOU SAID YEAH, GO AHEAD. 'CAUSE I WANT TO ASK WHERE, BECAUSE THAT'S NOT HIS DATA IS SHOWING THAT. YEAH. I, I, I, I'VE, THAT'S THE FIRST TIME I'VE BEEN MADE AWARE THAT WE RECYCLING, I KNOW THAT WE'RE TWO TO THREE DAYS BEHIND, BUT TRASH, I WAS NOT AWARE THAT WE MIS YEAH. WE'VE HAD A FEW NEIGHBORHOODS. 7 0 4 3. YEAH, THANK YOU. 7, 7 0, 4 3. ZIP, ZIP CODE. THE ENTIRE SEVEN SEVEN ZIP. ZIP HAS BEEN DELAYED FOR REGULAR TRASH SERVICES. AND I BELIEVE WE SENT THAT TO YOUR OFFICE AS WELL. BUT WHATEVER WE DO AS FAR AS IN THE INTERIM, I'M GLAD TO HEAR YOU SAY ABOUT COMMUNICATION, BECAUSE THAT HAS BEEN THE BIGGEST HURDLE WHEN WE'RE TRYING TO COMMUNICATE WITH OUR CONSTITUENTS ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT. AND DESMOND AND VERONICA ARE GREAT, THEY'RE SO HELPFUL, BUT THE INFORMATION THAT THEY'RE GETTING FROM THE FIELD IS NOT ACCURATE. IT'S NOT REFLECTIVE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING IN DISTRICT A WHEN THEY'RE BEING TOLD THAT, OH, RECYCLING IS TWO DAYS BEHIND AND WE'RE TWO WEEKS BEHIND IT, WE LOSE ALL CREDIBILITY WITH THE PUBLIC WHEN WE'RE TRYING TO GIVE THEM THAT INFORMATION. SO THE THING THOUGH THAT IT REALLY BOILS DOWN TO, IN MY OPINION, IS TECHNOLOGY. AND I, WE'VE HAD THIS CONVERSATION ABOUT THE, UM, ROUTING SYSTEMS, AND I'M JUST SO INCREDIBLY MAD THAT RUBICON NOW WASTE TECH CORPORATION, THAT WE'VE SPENT ALMOST $4 MILLION ON A PROGRAM THAT WE'RE REALLY NOT EVEN USING. UM, IN 2022, WE SPENT, UM, IT WAS THE FIRST CONTRACT, UM, $993,000, AND THEN SUBSEQUENTLY CAME BACK TO COUNCIL, EXCUSE ME, THREE TIMES. EVERY TIME WE'VE ASKED THE QUESTIONS, HOW ARE YOU USING IT IN THE DEPARTMENT? AND THIS WAS BEFORE YOUR TIME, OF COURSE, WE'VE SEEN THAT PEOPLE WERE STILL USING PAPER MAPS. WE KNEW PEOPLE WERE USING THE PAPER MAPS. WE'VE TALKED TO PEOPLE IN THE FIELD. OH, YEAH, YEAH, YEAH. WE'RE STILL USING PAPER MAPS EVERY TIME WE ASK THE QUESTIONS ABOUT IT. OH, NO. IT'S JUST CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS. WE'RE, OF COURSE, WE'RE USING THIS NEW ROUTING SYSTEM TO SPEND $4 MILLION ON A PROGRAM THAT WE'RE NOT EVEN USING. WE HAVE JUST WASTED THE PEOPLE'S MONEY. WHEN WE COULD HAVE BOUGHT ABOUT NINE NEW VEHICLES FOR THE SALT WASTE DEPARTMENT, WE COULD HAVE HIRED PEOPLE TO ACTUALLY DELIVER NEW AND REPLACEMENT CANS, WHICH IS AT LEAST THREE MONTHS BEHIND RIGHT NOW. SO WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO. AND I KNOW THIS IS ALL STUFF THAT YOU ARE WORKING ON, SO YES, MA'AM. I'M MAD ABOUT IT. NOT AT YOU. I'M JUST MAD AT THE SITUATION. YES, MA'AM. THAT WE SPENT $4 MILLION ON A PROGRAM THAT WE ARE NOT EVEN USING. YES, MA'AM. MA'AM. SO IN THE FUTURE, AS WE START LOOKING AT TECHNOLOGY AND WE NEED TECHNOLOGY, YES. WE NEED TO LOOK AT HOW WE ARE ACTUALLY GOING TO IMPLEMENT IT, RIGHT. MOVING FORWARD. YES, MA'AM. YES, MA'AM. ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILOR ALCORN. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU DIRECTOR FOR YOUR WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE IN THE LAST 90 DAYS. THANK YOU. I KNOW THAT MOST OF THE COMPLAINTS LATELY HAVE BEEN AROUND THE RECYCLING, UM, DELAYS. AND I'VE SPENT SOME TIME ON THAT FCC CONTRACT. WE'RE IN THE EIGHTH YEAR OF THIS 15 YEAR CONTRACT, $38 MILLION CONTRACT. AND, UM, I'VE A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT BORE OUT IN YOUR PRESENTATION. THERE'S LONG LINES AT THE THING. I LOOK BACK AT THE CONTRACT AND THERE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE AMPLE, UH, ROOM FOR THE CITY TRUCKS TO GET INTO THE BAYS, UM, WITHOUT INTERRUPTING TRAFFIC. UM, THERE WA THERE IS THE ABILITY OF FCC TO REJECT OUR LOADS. IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING A LOT OF OUR LOADS HAVE BEEN, ARE BEING REJECTED. THEY CAN DO THAT FOR CONTAMINATION OR WHATEVER, AND THEN THEY TAKE IT TO THE LANDFILL. WE PAY FOR THEM TO TAKE IT TO THE LANDFILL, OR WE GO GET IT AND TAKE IT TO THE LANDFILL, OR WE NEVER GET IT OFF THE TRUCK AND TAKE IT TO THE LANDFILL. DO YOU HAVE ANY NUMBERS ON, ON PERCENTAGES OF WHAT'S BEING REJECTED AND WHAT, WHAT WE ARE RESPONSIBLE NOW FOR TAKING TO THE LANDFILL? THAT'S ON THE RECYCLING SIDE. I, I DON'T HAVE THOSE NUMBERS, BUT I CAN GET, GET BACK WITH YOU ON THAT. OKAY. UM, OKAY. THAT WOULD BE GREAT. ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS, ONE OF THE BIG REASONS BACK WHEN THE BEST AND FINAL OFFERS WERE DONE ON THIS CONTRACT WAS AN EDUCATION PIECE THAT FCC WAS GOING TO BE INVOLVED HEAVILY IN EDUCATION, UH, OF OUR RECYCLING. SO, SO THERE'S NOT CONTAMINATED LOADS. UM, THEY WERE BUILT TO BUILD A $1.5 MILLION EDUCATION CENTER, WHICH I UNDERSTAND HAS BEEN BUILT. UM, THEY WERE TO OFFER TOURS REGULARLY. UM, I'D LIKE TO GET SOME METRICS ON, ON ARE WE DOING THAT? ARE ARE, ARE THEY SPENDING THE FUNDS THAT THEY HAVE SAID IT'S $20,000? I THINK ON EDUCATION. I HAVE NOT SEEN AN FCC PERSON. I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE WITH OUR PEOPLE TRAINING THEM TO GO TO THE COMMUNITIES, BUT IT, THE CONTRACT ACTUALLY SAYS THAT THEY ARE TO BE INVOLVED IN COMMUNITY EDUCATION ON RECYCLING. I WANNA MAKE SURE FCC IS DOING THAT. YES, MA'AM. AND IF THEY'RE NOT, ARE THEY TRAINING OUR, OUR PEOPLE? [04:10:01] UM, AND THEN ARE THEY DOING TOURS? ARE THEY TAKING SCHOOL GROUPS OUT? ALL THAT WAS IN THEIR BEST AND FINAL OFFER, ALL OF THAT INFORMATION. YES, MA'AM. ALL THAT EDUCATION WAS A BIG PART OF IT. SO INFORMATION ON THE REJECTION, INFORMATION ON, UM, ON EDUCATION. UH, WE PAY BASICALLY THE DELTA OR WHEN THE, WHEN WE DID THE CONTRACT, IT'S AN $87 AND 5 CENT PROCESSING FEE PER TON. UH, WE'VE WERE TO PAY THE DELTA IN THE MARKET PRICE AND THAT NOT TO EXCEED $19. BASICALLY, THERE'S NO MARKET FOR RECYCLING OR VERY NEGLIGIBLE. WE MADE ABOUT $150,000 IN RECYCLING REVENUE LAST YEAR. SO WE'RE PAYING THE $19. AND THAT'S STEADY THROUGHOUT THE CONTRACT, CORRECT? YES, MA'AM. THROUGHOUT THE FIF THE WHOLE 15 YEARS, IT WASN'T THE LOWEST PROCESSING COST, BUT IT WAS THE, THE LOWEST CAP. IT WAS THE LOWEST CAP. I MEAN, THAT WAS, THAT WAS BASICALLY HOW THIS CONTRACT WAS SOLD. $19. WE WERE PAYING LIKE 50 AT THE TIME. $19 WAS WAY LOWER. SO THAT, THAT WAS BASICALLY WHAT WE WERE, WHAT WE WERE DEALING WITH. AND THERE WAS A WHOLE LOT OF OTHER THINGS INVOLVED. THE TRANSFER STATIONS ARE KEY. OBVIOUSLY. WE'VE GOT ONE FACILITY IN NORTHEAST TEXAS. YES, MA'AM. AND I DON'T THINK I NEED NORTHEAST HOUSTON. I, I DON'T THINK ANYBODY AT THE TIME REALLY BROUGHT UP, HOW THE HECK ARE WE GONNA GET ALL THOSE TRANSFER STATIONS? YOU SAID WE'RE BRINGING ON TWO? YES MA'AM. NEW ONES? YES, MA'AM. AND WE HAVE, WE HAVE ZERO TRANSFER RECYCLING STATIONS NOW. ZERO. YES, MA'AM. OKAY. SO WHEN YOU REFER TO THESE NEW ONES WILL BE OPERATED BY US, NOT BY OTHERS. WERE YOU TALKING ABOUT TRANSFER STATIONS FOR REGULAR TRASH? YES. OKAY. THE NEW ONE WILL BE RECYCLING AND RECYCLING ONLY. OKAY. UH, THE OTHER ONES WILL BE TRASH. OKAY. YES, MA'AM. WHAT I DID NOT SEE IN THE CONTRACT, IS THERE AN ABILITY FOR THE CITY TO ENGAGE ANOTHER, UH, RECYCLING VENDOR OR CONTRACTOR? I MEAN, COULD WE SPLIT THIS SOMEHOW WITH ANOTHER VENDOR IF, IF NEEDED, I UNDERSTAND WE TAKE ANOTHER CONTRACT, BUT IS THAT, IS THAT ALLOWABLE? IT'S ON THE TABLE AND WE'RE MEETING WITH OUR CHIEF PROCUREMENT OFFICER TO FIND OUT THE LOGISTICS OF IT. OKAY, GREAT. I DIDN'T SEE ANY RESTRICTIONS ON THAT. I, THAT IS PART OF THE PLAN. OKAY. OKAY. UM, YOU KNOW, I WAS GONNA BRING IT UP, MAYOR, BUT YESTERDAY AT, AT HOUSTON GALVESTON AREA COUNCIL, WE APPROVED A CONTRACT WITH BURNS AND MCDONALD TO DEVELOP A RECYCLING IMPR NEEDS ASSESSMENT TOOL. THIS CAME, IT WAS A DISCUSSION AT THE HOUSTON GALVESTON AREA COUNCIL. THEY'RE DEVELOPING THIS TOOL TO HELP TO HELP, UH, LOCAL JURISDICTIONS IN THE 13 COUNTY REGION THAT ARE RECYCLE. SO OF COURSE, THAT TRIGGERED MY MIND TO THINK, OKAY, WHAT HAPPENED TO THIS $176,600 CONTRACT THAT WE APPROVED IN MAY OF 2024 THAT LISTS MANY OF THE THINGS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DEVELOPING THE COST. WHAT IS THE COST OF SERVICE IN 2020 FOR, FOR A HOUSEHOLD IN 2023? WHEN I ASKED THE QUESTION, IT WAS $28 A HOUSEHOLD. DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS NOW? NO, NO, MA'AM. I DON'T HAVE THOSE NUMBERS. OKAY. SO THAT, THAT'S A DELIVERABLE IN THE BURNS AND MCDONALD REPORT. THAT'S AN ACTUAL DELIVERABLE THAT WE PASSED. THEY ARE TO DEVELOP OUR COST OF SERVICE BECAUSE WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT OUR EXACT COST OF SERVICE IS. THEY WERE ALSO TO DELIVER A FIVE YEAR FORECASTED COST OF SERVICE. THEY WERE ALSO SUPPOSED TO BENCHMARK AGAINST OTHER CITIES. THEY WERE ALSO SUPPOSED TO LOOK AT HOW WE WOULD DEVELOP AN ENTERPRISE FUND. RIGHT. I DON'T, I'M NOT, I I KNOW I'VE BEAT THIS BURNS A MCDONALD HORSE LONG ENOUGH, BUT, BUT WHEN I'M SPENDING $177,000 OF TAXPAYER MONEY, AND WE HAD THESE DELIVERABLES, I THINK THEY COULD HELP YOU. RIGHT. I THINK THEY COULD HELP YOU. AND, AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT AND YOU SAID KIND OF BAD INFORMATION WAS GIVEN TO THEM. RIGHT. SO YOU GOT KIND OF A BAD REPORT BACK. RIGHT. BUT WE, THEY STILL OWE US SOMETHING. RIGHT. SO I, I'D LIKE TO SEE IT. YES, MA'AM. UM, ON ROUTES, YOU MENTIONED THAT WE NEED 181 TRUCKS TO MAKE IT DONE EVERY DAY IN 2023 FY 2023. I ASKED THE QUESTIONS ABOUT ROUTES. WE HAD A HUNDRED AND IT WAS 181 ROUTES. WE HAD 39 RECYCLE ROUTES, 89 TRASH, 26 YARD WASTES, 27 HEAVY TRASH. AT THAT TIME, IT WAS NOTED THAT 10%, WE NEEDED 10% MORE. YES. WELL, 180 ONE'S, NOT REALLY 10% MORE, BUT, BUT HAVE YOU, DO YOU THINK 181 GIVES US GREAT COVERAGE? AVERAGE COVERAGE? BARE MINIMUM COVERAGE. BARE MINIMUM COVERAGE. OKAY. BARE MINIMUM COVERAGE. OKAY. UH, I THINK I HAVE ONE MORE IN HERE. HOLD ON. MAINLY JUST PONTIFICATING NOT ASKING QUESTIONS. , BUT UH, BUT YOU, YOU SEE WHERE I'M GOING? YES, MA'AM. UM, OKAY. I GUESS THAT'S IT. JUST GET BACK TO ME ON THE, ON THE REJECTION RATES AND THE ED AND WHAT THEY'RE DOING AS FAR AS AS EDUCATION. THANK YOU. YES, MA'AM. THANK YOU MAYOR PROTE . THANK YOU, MAYOR. I WANT TO KIND OF WRAP MY ARMS AROUND ALL THE THINGS THAT WERE SAID AND [04:15:01] WHAT WAS, WHAT WAS GIVEN. YES, MA'AM. UM, HOW MANY DRIVERS DO WE HAVE AND DO THEY DRIVE FOR TRASH PICKUP AND RECYCLING? YES, MA'AM. BOTH THE DRIVERS DO DO TRASH AND RECYCLING. HOW MANY DO WE HAVE? I DON'T HAVE THE EXACT NUMBER IN FRONT OF ME, BUT I CAN GET IT TO YOU. OKAY. I'D LIKE TO KNOW HOW MANY WE HAVE AND HOW MANY WE NEED. YES, MA'AM. FOR AN OPTIMAL DEPARTMENT TO BE RUN. RIGHT. HOW MANY WE HAVE? YES, MA'AM. AND HOW MANY WE NEED. YES, MA'AM. UM, YOU TOLD US ABOUT HOW MANY TRUCKS WE HAD VERSUS HOW MANY WERE, UM, NOT OPERABLE. UM, DO WE KNOW HOW MANY WE ARE CURRENTLY PURCHASING? YES, MA'AM. WE'RE CURRENTLY PURCHASING UP TO 30 VEHICLES. UM, THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION ASKED FOR MORE REAR LOADERS. UH, I DON'T THINK IT'S NECESSARY TO KEEP BUYING REAR LOADERS. WE NEED, UH, AUTOMATION TRUCKS. SO WE WOULD, UH, I SWITCHED THE, UH, ORDER. SO WE SHOULD GET 30, 27 AUTOMATION TRUCKS AND THREE REAR LOADERS TO HELP OUT AS BACKUPS, BECAUSE THOSE AUTOMATION TRUCKS, UH, DO RUN INTO, UH, PROBLEMS EVERY NOW AND THEN. SO, UM, AGAIN, 27 AUTOMATION. SO WE WE'RE GETTING 27 AUTOMATION TRUCKS. YES, MA'AM. AND, AND HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE BEFORE THOSE ARE ON THE GROUND READY? YES, MA'AM. FOR SOMEBODY TO GET INSIDE AND DRIVE 'EM. SO THE VENDORS STOPPED BY TWO WEEKS AGO AND SAID THAT OUR TRUCKS WOULD BE NINE OF THEM. HIS PORTION OF THE BID THAT GOT SPLIT BETWEEN DIFFERENT VENDORS, HIS PORTION OF VEHICLES WILL BE ON THE GROUND READY TO ROLL IN OCTOBER. NINE TRUCKS. NINE OF THE 27TH? YES, MA'AM. OKAY. AND THEN I'VE NOT HEARD FROM THE REMAINING TRUCKS FROM THOSE VENDORS. SO I I, SO THE SOONEST WE EXPECT TO GET NINE AUTOMATED TRUCKS IS OCTOBER. YES, MA'AM. WE EXPECT TO GET NINE. YES, MA'AM. OKAY. AND THEN IN DECEMBER OF 2022, WE PASSED THE PURCHASE OF THE GMER SITE IN DISTRICT K FOR A TRANSFER STATION. WHERE, WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THAT? AND ARE WE STILL GOING PLANNING TO USE GMER AS A, A TRANSFER STATION? THE BIDS CAME IN FOR, UH, THE PREVIOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT WAS ON OPERATING IT. UH, I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED. THEY VACATED THE PROPERTY. UH, DIDN'T KNOW. I DON'T HAVE THE LOGISTICS OF IT, BUT IT IS OUT FORBID RIGHT NOW, THE GASMAN LOCATION, WE JUST HAVEN'T AWARDED IT TO A VENDOR BECAUSE I HAD THE IDEA OF IF WE BRING IT ONLINE OURSELVES, WE COULD OPERATE IT FOR OUR, OUR OWN USE. SO I THOUGHT WE, I THINK WE AWARDED THAT GSMA STATION. WE, WE DID AWARD THAT GSMA STATION. I'M, I'M, I'M SORRY MA'AM. I'M NOT AWARE. DO YOU REMEMBER THAT WE AWARDED THAT GSMA STATION? IT, I MEAN WE PURCHASED, WE PAID A COUPLE MILLION IN 2022 AND WE WENT OUT FOR BID AND A ORGANIZATION WAS AWARDED, UM, THE, THE BID FOR THE GSMA STATION. 'CAUSE I REMEMBER WE WERE ALL VERY EXCITED THAT IT WAS GONNA TAKE TIME OFF OF PEOPLE HAVING TO, UM, GO BACK TO THE ORIGINAL, UH, LOCATION AND THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO GO RIGHT TO GSM AND THEN GET BACK ON THE ROUTE. RIGHT. THAT'S NOT THE INFORMATION I RECEIVED. I COULD DO, I COULD CHECK INTO IT SO IT, SO IT DIDN'T HAPPEN. SO WE NEED TO FIGURE, FIGURE THAT OUT BECAUSE I THINK CAN, CAN YOU JUST WALK ME THROUGH AGAIN WHAT THE PROCESS IS FOR THE TRANSFER STATIONS? BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S KEY. SO WE DID A, A FIELD SURVEY OF TRANSFER STATIONS THAT WAS OPERATED BY THE VENDORS THAT WE CURRENTLY USE. WAIT, SAY IT AGAIN. I'M SORRY. I'M, I'M SORRY. WE, UH, DID A FIELD STUDY ON HOW THE OPERATIONAL PIECE OF THE TRANSFER STATION WORKED. WE LOOKED AT THE EQUIPMENT THAT WAS USED, LOOKED AT THEIR OPERATION IN ITS ENTIRETY. UM, IT IS 100% FEASIBLE TO DO INTERNALLY WITHOUT HAVING TO PAY A CONTRACTOR TO COME IN AND RUN IT FOR US. SO IF WE RUN OUR OWN TRANSFER STATIONS AND WE HAVE RECYCLING COMING TO SEVERAL STATIONS, WHERE WILL THAT RECYCLING END UP? YES MA'AM. WHERE MA'AM, WHERE WILL IT GO MA'AM? WILL WE TAKE IT TO ONE PARTICULAR PLACE RIGHT. OR WILL IT STAY AT ALL FOUR OF THOSE LOCATIONS? YES, MA'AM. WHERE WILL IT GO, MA? THAT, THAT, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. OUT OF THE NEW, OUT OF ALL TRANSFER STATIONS, WE HAVE THE ONE THAT OUR NEWLY CONSTRUCTED ONE THAT'S ON, UH, KELLY AT THE KELLY LOCATION. THAT ONE WOULD BE ONLY FOR RECYCLING. I'VE MET WITH THE FCC REPRESENTATIVES. FCC WOULD HAVE A HAULING COMPANY. THEY COME AND PICK THE RECYCLING UP AND TAKE IT BACK TO THE FACILITY. AND I GUESS I'M A LITTLE LOST THOUGH. WHO WOULD PAY FOR THE [04:20:01] TRANSFER FROM THE TRANSFER STATION TO THE FINAL LOCATION? WELL, FCC WE'RE WORKING THE LOGISTICS OUT. IT IS ACTUALLY, IT WOULD BE THE ONLY FEE WE SHOULD PAY IS TO HA HAVE IT HAULED TO THEM. YES, MA'AM. SO WE WOULD TAKE IT TO A TRANSFER STATION AND THEN WE WOULD TAKE IT FROM THE TRANSFER STATION TO THE FINAL LOCATION. YES. YES MA'AM. AT FCC. AND THEN HOW WOULD WE GENERATE INCOME FROM THE RECYCLABLES? BECAUSE IT, I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT $150,000 IS WHAT WE MADE OFF OF OUR RECYCLABLES. IS THAT A A ACCURATE NUMBER? I WOULD'VE TO CHECK THOSE NUMBERS. I, I'M CURIOUS TO KNOW THAT. 'CAUSE IF WE ONLY MADE 150,000 OFF OF RECYCLABLES, THAT'S NOT VERY SUSTAINABLE. I MEAN, THAT'S NOT A LOT OF MONEY TO SAVE. NOT A DEAL. THAT'S NOT A DEAL. A HUNDRED, THE 150,000 THAT WE SAVED WAS ON OVERTIME FOR THE MONTH. THAT'S WHAT YOU LOOKED AT IN THE PACKET. IS THAT THE NUMBER YOU'RE REFERRING TO? NO RECYCLING REVENUE LAST YEAR. OKAY. OKAY. I'M TALKING ABOUT REVENUE. I'M CURIOUS TO KNOW ABOUT OUR REVENUE YES, MA'AM. THAT WE ARE GETTING FROM THE RECYCLABLES VERSUS WHAT IT'S GOING TO COST. RIGHT. TO HAVE FOUR TRANSFER STATIONS. RIGHT. AND THEN WE TAKE IT TO THE TRANSFER STATION AND WE GET PEOPLE'S RECYCLING PICKED UP A LITTLE FASTER. RIGHT. BECAUSE THAT JUST EFFICIENCY THERE. BUT IF IT'S GONNA COST US TO THEN TAKE IT TO THE FINAL LOCATION RIGHT. WHERE WE GENERATE THE INCOME, RIGHT. I FEEL LIKE THERE HAS TO BE SOME KIND OF COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS AND WE GET TO BREAK DOWN ON THAT. YES MA'AM. OKAY. UM, ALSO WANNA LET YOU KNOW THAT THE 7 7 0 4 5 ZIP CODE, THE HEAVY TRASH. YES, MA'AM. YOU KNOW, AND, AND, AND WE, WE'VE BEEN SENDING THOSE THINGS IN. UH, I KNOW THAT WE TALKED ABOUT ON DEMAND TRASH SERVICE. YES MA'AM. I'D LOVE FOR US TO ABSOLUTELY FIGURE OUT A TIME FOR US TO REALLY FLESH THAT PROCESS OUT. YES MA'AM. UM, I THINK DIFFERENT COUNCIL MEMBERS CAN KIND OF LOOK AT THEIR DISTRICTS. AND I KNOW, AND I, I SAID THIS TO THE MAYOR AND WE, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS. WE CAN GO THROUGH OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND TELL YOU THIS GENTLEMAN REPAIRS, ACS, THIS GENTLEMAN PUTS IN CARPET. THIS GENTLEMAN IS A PLUMBER. HE HAS FOUR TOILETS OUT EVERY OTHER MONTH AND HE HAS A TWO BATHROOM HOME. UM, THIS, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW THE CONTRACTORS ARE PUTTING OUT MORE DEBRIS YES MA'AM. THAN ALLOWABLE, BUT WE CONTINUE TO PICK IT UP. YES MA'AM. AND IT IS BECOMING OVERWHELMING ON THE SYSTEM AND IT REALLY TAKES AWAY FROM THE, THE EVERYDAY RESIDENT WHO JUST PUTS OUT A ONE THING FOR HEAVY TRASH EVERY OTHER MONTH. YES MA'AM. SO I THINK THAT WE REALLY NEED TO LOOK AT THE ON DEMAND. YOU HAD SOME NUMBERS ABOUT THE PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE THAT WERE ACTUALLY PUTTING OUT TRASH EVERY MONTH. WHEN I RIDE AROUND THE DISTRICT, I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE PUT OUT HEAVY TRASH. BUT YOU TOLD ME ONLY LIKE 20%. YES MA'AM. OF PEOPLE ARE PUTTING OUT HEAVY, HEAVY TRASH. YES MA'AM. CAN YOU KIND OF TALK THROUGH THAT PROCESS? BECAUSE I REALLY WANT US TO TRY TO RIGHT. PILOT THAT ON DEMAND PROCESS. YES, MA'AM. UH, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. COUNCIL MEMBER. SO WE DID A, A, A STUDY OF THE ROUTES THAT WE RIDE, UM, TO GO OUT AND LOOK TO SEE WHAT'S ACTUALLY OUT ON THE STREET. AND IN CERTAIN AREAS IT IS ONLY ABOUT 20% OF PEOPLE UTILIZING THE HEAVY TRASH. UH, AND MOST OF THE TIME WHEN WE GET THERE, IT'S OVER THE EIGHT CUBIC YARDS THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY PICK UP. SO WE'VE BEEN GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND SENDING MULTIPLE CREWS TO PICK IT UP JUST TO, TO CLEAN UP THE NEIGHBORHOODS. BUT WE GOTTA DO A BETTER JOB IN ENFORCEMENT, UH, BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF IT. WE GO IN RESIDENTIAL AREAS. IT'S EXACTLY LIKE YOU SAID, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE GOT ACS OUT THERE TOILETS AND YOU CAN DEFINITELY TELL THERE'S A CONSTRUCTION DUMP SITE. UH, WE, WE JUST HAVE TO DO A BETTER JOB IN ENFORCING, UH, THE CODE AND MAYBE ISSUING OUR CITATIONS. SO HOW SOON DO YOU THINK THAT WE WILL PILOT THE ON DEMAND SERVICE? I MEAN, BECAUSE THAT'S GONNA BE A BIG COMMUNICATION. YES. UM, ABSOLUTELY. LIFT. YES MA'AM. UH, AND WE NEED TO ALL BE ABREAST OF, YOU KNOW, IN JANUARY, 2026, THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS GOING TO ON DEMAND. YES MA'AM. HEAVY TRASH. YES. AND WHAT THE SPECIFICS OF THAT WOULD BE? I MEAN, DO YOU THINK WE'LL BE READY FOR IT BY JANUARY OF 2026? YES, MA. THE ONLY ISSUE THAT I, I HAVE CURRENTLY IS BECAUSE SOLID WASTE, WE DON'T HAVE A WORK ORDER SYSTEM. I'M USED TO DEALING WITH WORK ORDERS COMING IN AND ISSUING THEM OUT. WE'RE DEALING WITH IT THREE ONE ONE'S ABSOLUTELY GREAT, BUT I ONLY HAVE A STAFF OF TWO PEOPLE MONITORING THOSE SERVICE REQUESTS AND WE HAVE A BACKLOG. SO I WOULD SAY AROUND JANUARY WE SHOULD BE WHERE WE NEED TO BE TO AT LEAST KICK OFF THAT PILOT PROGRAM IN YOUR COUNCIL DISTRICT. FOR SURE. ALRIGHT. THAT'S WHY I LIKE TO HEAR. WELL, WE, WE ARE WILLING TO BE THE TEST DISTRICT , UM, FOR, FOR THE [04:25:01] PROGRAM. I, I MEAN, I, AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS TO CONSIDER IF WE DON'T PICK IT UP, WILL PEOPLE START ILLEGALLY DUMPING EVEN MORE IN OUR DEAD ENDS? YES, MA'AM. I MEAN, I THINK THAT THAT IT'LL, IT'LL BE A A WE HAVE TO HAVE ENFORCEMENT. ABSOLUTELY. ABSOLUTELY. YES MA'AM. I AGREE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR EFFORTS. THANK YOU. AND I'VE GOT NOTES THAT THE CITY PURCHASED FROM WASTE MANAGEMENT, THE GME SITE, BUT IT WAS JUST NEVER OPENED. RIGHT? IT WAS, IT WAS WHAT NEVER OPENED. OKAY. BY PREVIOUS, I THINK THEY HAD TO RE US TO NEVER HAPPENED. RECITE. YEAH. OKAY. COUNCILMAN POLLARD. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I'M GONNA TRY TO MAKE THIS BRIEF, 'CAUSE THESE PRESENTATIONS BACK TO BACK, I THINK IS NOT THE SMARTEST WAY TO GO ABOUT THINGS, BUT I DO APPRECIATE YOUR LEADERSHIP AND THE FIRST 90 DAYS THAT YOU'VE COME ON. UH, THANK YOU, SIR. LAST WEEK WE HEARD FROM SOME OF THE SOLID WASTE EMPLOYEES, THEY, THEY, UH, TOLD US THEIR CONCERNS, THEIR PERSPECTIVES. I DID GO OUT TO THE SOUTHWEST SERVICE CENTER YES, SIR. ON MONDAY AND SAW THE COMPLETE OPERATIONS. UM, A FEW THINGS YOU MENTIONED OPENING UP ADDITIONAL TRANSFER STATIONS YES, SIR. THAT THE CITY WOULD BE ABLE TO OPERATE. YES, SIR. HOW DO WE GET THE MONEY FOR THAT, TO DO THAT, WHERE THE EMPLOYEES COME FROM? IF WE'RE ALREADY STRETCHED THIN, WHAT'S, WHAT'S, WHAT'S GONNA BE THE COST ON THE CITY? YES, SIR. AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER THAT TODAY. YES SIR. MAYBE YOU CAN JUST NOTATE THAT TO GET BACK TO ME. YES, SIR. UM, WHEN WE GET ALL THESE NEW VEHICLES THAT COME IN. YES, SIR. ONE, ONE THING I WAS TOLD, UH, WHEN I WAS OUT THERE WAS WHEN WE GET NEW VEHICLES AND THE NEW VEHICLES BREAK DOWN, OUR MECHANICS CAN'T REALLY TOUCH 'EM BECAUSE THEY'RE UNDER WARRANTY. SO WE HAVE TO SEND THEM SOMEWHERE ELSE. THEY CAN'T BE DONE IN-HOUSE. IS THAT CORRECT? IT DEPENDS ON WHAT, WHAT IS THE REPAIR. OKAY. SOME REPAIRS WE CAN WORK ON INTERNALLY. SOME WE SENT TO OUTSIDE SERVICES. OKAY. SO WHEN I WAS TOLD WHEN THEY GET SENT TO OUTSIDE SERVICES, IT'S KIND OF OUTSIDE OF OUR HANDS ON HOW QUICKLY WE CAN GET IT BACK. SO THAT'S THE ISSUE. YES, SIR. SO EVEN THOUGH WE'RE GETTING NEW TRUCKS, SOMETIMES THE NEW TRUCKS PRESENT AN UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCE OF BEING OUT FOR A LONG TIME TOO, AS OPPOSED TO A TRUCK THAT'S NOT UNDER WARRANTY THAT WE CAN GET INTO OUR SHOP, GET IT FIXED, AND, UH, BACK ON THE STREETS QUICKLY. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT WE ARE, UM, NOT AT THE CAPACITY WE NEED TO BE FOR THE, UH, AMOUNT OF MECHANICS THAT WE HAVE WORKING A DAY SHIFT AND A NIGHT SHIFT. AND IF WE ARE UNDERSTAFFED THERE, I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE FIRST PLACES THAT WE NEED TO FIND ADDITIONAL HIRES SO WE CAN GET THE TRUCKS BACK ON THE STREET. BECAUSE THE EMPLOYEES ARE SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, IF WE HAVE WORKING EQUIPMENT, WE CAN GET THE JOB DONE. THE ISSUE IS JUST THAT WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH WORKING EQUIPMENT. AND YOU SAID EARLIER THAT WE HAVE ABOUT 50 TRUCKS DOWN. YES, SIR. SO IT WOULD THINK THAT WE WOULD PRIORITIZE THE MECHANICS. I WAS TOLD THAT SOME OF OUR GOOD MECHANICS ARE GETTING SENT OVER TO, UH, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO WORK IN, IN THEIR, ON THEIR, UH, MECHANIC ISSUES. IS THAT TRUE? UH, I, I, I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT, SIR. . OKAY. SO I WOULD LIKE TO GET AN ANSWER FOR THAT BECAUSE I, I DON'T WANT TO, YOU KNOW, IF, IF WE HAVE CERTAIN MECHANICS THAT ARE DOING A GOOD JOB WITH SOLID WASTE, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE KEEP 'EM WITH SOLID WASTE. UM, I'M NOT SURE WHY WE WOULD, IF, IF YOU'RE DOWN 30 EMPLOYEES FROM THE, THE VOLUNTARY LAYOFF, IF, IF, IF POLICE AND FIRE DIDN'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH THAT AND WE KNOW THIS IS THE CRITICAL, CRITICAL DEPARTMENT, WHY DO WE HAVE THAT, UM, ELIGIBLE FOR THEM? 'CAUSE NOW YOU'RE DOWN 30 EMPLOYEES WHEN WE BARELY CAN GET THINGS DONE WITH THE AMOUNT OF EMPLOYEES YOU HAD BEFORE. AND THE LAST THING I'M GONNA SAY IS I DON'T WANT YOU TO GET INTO THE HABIT OF THIS DOOM AND GLOOM, THE LAST ADMINISTRATION. YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE NEW HERE, YOU'RE IMPRESSIVE. THINGS HAPPEN IN A BIG CITY. CORRECT. OKAY. UM, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE IN SIX YEARS, THAT WE'VE GOTTEN THIS LEVEL OF CALLS. SO THE DISTRICT MEMBERS, WE KNOW WHAT HAPPENS WITHIN OUR, WHEN OUR, WITHIN OUR DISTRICTS. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IN SIX YEARS THAT WE'VE GOTTEN THIS LEVEL OF CALLS FOR, FOR SERVICE NOT BEING PICKED UP. SO YOU HAVE A HEAVY RESPONSIBILITY TO GET THAT BACK IN SHAPE. BUT I CAN TELL YOU IN THE PAST ADMINISTRATION, UM, THINGS WERE WORKING ADEQUATELY. THINGS WEREN'T ALWAYS PERFECT, BUT THEY WERE WORKING ADEQUATELY. AND YOU HAVE TO IMPROVE UPON THAT. THANK YOU. COUNCILOR MARTINEZ. THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, INTERIM DIRECTOR. APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING. UM, AND THIS IS DEFINITELY NOT A, A NEW CONVERSATION. RIGHT. UM, AND THIS GOES BACK, NOT JUST A PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION, IT GOES BACK DECADES REALLY, UH, ONCE WE STARTED DOING HEAVY TRASH, BULK ENTRY WASTE. UM, THE ONE THING THAT I WANNA ALSO BRING TO, TO THE ATTENTION IS, UH, WE'VE BEEN INCREASING SERVICES. UM, I'VE, THE NUMBER'S ABOUT 45,000, AND YOU CAN CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, IN THE LAST THREE TO FOUR YEARS THAT WE'VE INCREASED, UH, NEW HOMES. AND SO WE, WE REALLY NEED TO START [04:30:01] TACKING ON WHAT AN ACTIVATION FEE WOULD LOOK LIKE. YES. FOR NEW HOMES AND NEW DEVELOPERS COMING IN, UH, TO BE PUT ONLINE. UM, RECENTLY I'VE, I'VE, I'VE FOUND THAT, UH, FOLKS, WHEN THEY'RE MOVING INTO THE CITY OF HOUSTON, THEY CALL THROUGH ON ONE, HEY, I WANNA ACTIVATE MY TRASH FEE. AND THEY FIND OUT, HAPPILY, WE DON'T HAVE A TRASH FEE. UM, EVERY NEIGHBORING CITY HAS A TRASH FEE. AND I APPRECIATE THE APPROACH THAT YOU'RE TAKING. I APPRECIATE THE ADMINISTRATION WORKING ON OPERATIONAL, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, EFFICIENCIES. I, I THINK, UM, WE ALL KNOW THAT THAT NEEDS TO BE, UH, BE LOOKED AT, UH, MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT, RIGHT. STAFFING, BUT ULTIMATELY THAT ALL COSTS MONEY AS WELL. YES, SIR. UM, THE ON DEMAND HEAVY TRASH, I WANNA PILOT IT IN DISTRICT I, BY THE WAY. ABSOLUTELY. NOT JUST IN, NOT JUST IN DISTRICT K. UM, AND WHAT I'LL SAY IS, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE START LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS, AND WE DID A NON-SCIENTIFIC SURVEY OUTTA DISTRICT I OFFICE IN 22, UH, WE GOT ABOUT 300 PLUS RESPONSES. WE FOUND THAT ON REGULAR, NO ONE WAS PUTTING OUT, UH, BULK WASTE MORE THAN FOUR TIMES A YEAR. REALLY? OKAY. UH, TREE WASTE NO MORE THAN TWO TIMES A YEAR. YES, SIR. REALLY? UM, BUT THEN, UH, SOME OF THE NUMBERS THAT, UH, THAT I'VE, I'VE RECEIVED IS OUTTA THE 400, UM, HOUSEHOLDS, ABOUT 120,000, WHICH IS ABOUT 30 THOU, 30% OF THE HOUSEHOLDS USE HEAVY TRASH. UH, AND THEN OUT OF THAT, UH, 400,000, 60,000, WHICH IS 15% OF THE HOUSEHOLDS USE TREE WASTE, UH, SERVICE, UH, WHAT WE CAN DEFINITELY SEE IS COST SAVINGS IF WE ARE NOT HAVING TO GO OUT AND COMB EVERY STREET TO SEE IF THERE'S HEAVY TRASH. YES, SIR. SO, HEAVY TRASH ON DEMAND, UH, AS WE'RE WORKING THROUGH, UM, FACILITIES, EQUIPMENT, STAFFING, THE OPERATIONAL SIDE, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE DEFINITELY NEED TO TARGET AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. YES, SIR. IT IS A HEAVY LIFT ON COMMUNICATION. 'CAUSE THERE'S HABITS THAT WE'VE ALREADY CREATED. YES, SIR. AND UNFORTUNATELY THERE ARE, UM, FALSE EXPECTATIONS OF, UH, TRASH SERVICE THAT WE'RE QUITE FRANKLY NOT GIVING FOLKS. UM, I, I'M VERY HONEST WITH COMMUNITY WHEN THEY TALK ABOUT, UM, ISSUES, WHEN I'M IN THE, IN CIVIC CLUBS, I JUST SAY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT DOING A GOOD JOB. RIGHT. WE HAVEN'T BEEN DOING A GOOD JOB. AND IT'S NOT JUST THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF. IT HAS BEEN, I I WANNA SAY ANECDOTALLY AS A STAFFER, WHEN I WAS HERE, UM, HARVEY HAPPENED AND WE RAN THOSE TRUCKS 24 7. RIGHT. WE PROBABLY SHOULDN'T HAVE DONE THAT. UH, BUT WHEN WE DID THAT, THAT'S WHEN OUR TRASH SERVICES REALLY STARTED TO TANK, UH, FOR THE MOST PART. UM, SO I APPRECIATE THIS, THIS, UH, THIS, THIS APPROACH. I WANNA TACKLE ALL THE OPERATIONAL, I'M NOT SAYING LET'S JUST TACK ON A, A FEE, BUT I ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, THAT WE WE'RE REAL WITH, WITH THIS CONVERSATION. YES, SIR. RIGHT. AND IT'S NOT A POPULAR THING TO TALK ABOUT. I GET IT. I GET IT. UM, BUT IT IS THE RIGHT THING TO, TO START DISCUSSING RIGHT NOW. BECAUSE AS WE WORK TO CHANGE HABITS, UM, AND UNFORTUNATELY HABITS THAT WE CREATED AS A CITY, UH, FOR OVER A DECADE, UM, THEN WE NEED TO ALSO TAKE ON THAT RESPONSIBILITY OF WHAT IS IT TO REALLY RIGHT SIZE A DEPARTMENT. YES, SIR. HOW DO YOU COURSE CORRECT WHAT Y'ALL HAVE BEEN DOING. AND I I JUST WANT TO, UH, LET YOU KNOW THAT I'M COMMITTED TO CONTINUE TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION DIRECTLY WITH COMMUNITY. UH, WE KNOW THAT THE KINDER INSTITUTE IS, YOU KNOW, WITH, WITH, UH, TWO, YOUR 2 CENT, UM, SURVEY, 66% ARE OKAY WITH A TRASH FEE. OKAY. AS LONG AS THERE, THERE ARE SOME, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING HAPPENING YES, SIR. THAT SERVICES THAT ARE, THAT FOLKS CAN TOUCH ON, UM, EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE INVESTED, WHETHER IT'S, IT HAS BEEN, UM, YOU KNOW, SOME, SOME FACILITY UPGRADES OR SOME EQUIPMENT, UH, YOU KNOW, THE TECHNOLOGY, UM, AS YOU'RE REVISITING ALL THAT, UM, AND REPORTING BACK, I THINK WE ALSO NEED TO LAY OUT A PLAN, UH, WHERE THE, WE CAN TALK TO FOLKS, UH, AT THE TOP LEVEL AND FOLKS AT THE GRASSROOTS LEVEL. AND THEN HOPEFULLY US AS A, AS A COUNCIL CAN BE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY AND REALLY BRING THAT INFORMATION TO COMMUNITY AND BEING REAL ABOUT IT. YOU KNOW, WHEN WE START TALKING ABOUT WHAT THE EQUIPMENT LOOKS LIKE AND THE FACILITIES YES, SIR. THE MAGGOTS AND LIKE, IT'S ALL REAL STUFF. YES, SIR. AND NOBODY'S, NOBODY REALLY GETS TO SEE THAT. BUT PAINTING THAT PICTURE IS IMPORTANT AS WELL. YES, SIR. UM, SO I'LL, I'LL JUST END WITH THIS. THAT, UM, LET'S KEEP MOVING ON THE OPERATION SIDE. YES, SIR. BUT LET'S NOT FORGET WHAT THE END, END GOAL IS AND THAT WE CAN ALLEVIATE DOLLARS THROUGH AN ENTERPRISE FUND FROM THE GENERAL FUND. YES, SIR. AND THEN UTILIZE SOME OF THOSE, THOSE SAVINGS TO, UH, THAT ARE BACK IN THE GENERAL FUND FOR OTHER THINGS. JUST BRING SOME OF THOSE, THOSE FUNDS BACK INTO SOLID WASTE TO REALLY RIGHT SIZE THE DEPARTMENT. YES, SIR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP. AND YOU'VE BEEN HERE LONGER THAN ANY COUNCIL MEMBER DUE TO YOUR SIR BEING A STAFF STAFFS. AMY SAFFY. AMY AND I HAVE BEEN HERE AT THE SAME TIME. YEAH. , I WAS TALKING ABOUT OUR NEW COUNSELOR. SO, YOU KNOW, IT DIDN'T START 90 DAYS AGO OR EVEN A YEAR AND A HALF AGO. IT'S BEEN, QUITE FRANKLY, AS LONG AS ANYONE CAN REMEMBER, UH, CERTAINLY OBSERVATIVE AS A CITIZEN. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP. COUNCILMAN THOMAS. YES. UH, DIRECTOR. UM, GREAT JOB. GREAT REPORT. UM, I AGREE WITH COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD, YOU, YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PIONEER A DIFFERENT TYPE OF OPERATIONS. [04:35:01] YES, MA'AM. THAT MOVE FORWARD. I'VE RARELY MENTIONED MY, MY PREDECESSORS IN MY ELECTED OFFICE, BUT MY COMMENTS ARE MORE SO DIRECTED AT THE MAYOR. MAYOR. WHICH COMMENTS DID YOU HEAR THAT YOU WERE DISMAYED? UM, ABOUT WHEN SOLID WASTE CAME TO THE CHAMBERS? UH, LAST WEEK, BECAUSE IF YOU TALKING AROUND ME, YOU SHOULD TALK ABOUT ME BECAUSE I'M THE ONLY ONE THAT OFFERED AND WAS VERY CLEAR THAT THE VOTES THAT WE MAKE IN THIS CHAMBER ARE INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT. WE CANNOT VOTE TO APPROVE A REDUCTION IN WORKFORCE AND FUNDING FOR DEPARTMENTS. AND WHEN EMPLOYEES COME TO US AND TALK ABOUT THE CHALLENGES THAT THAT, UH, IMPACTS THEM, AND THEN WE ACT LIKE IT'S BRAND NEW. SO YES, I SAID THAT, AND I'LL CONTINUE TO SAY THAT. AND I DON'T, AND I SUPPORT SOLID WASTE. UM, I DON'T CARE IF IT'S SOLID WASTE, PUBLIC WORKS HOUSING DEPARTMENT, GSD OR HOUSING. RIGHT. WE CANNOT HAVE THE LEVEL OF DEMAND IN THIS CITY AND THEN LIMIT THEIR RESOURCES AND THEN ACT SO SURPRISE WHEN THEY SAY, I'M WORKING, THE ONLY WAY I'M ABLE TO DO THIS IS DOING 12 HOUR SHIFTS. I DON'T THINK THAT IT'S FAIR, AND I DON'T, I THINK IT'S DISINGENUOUS. SO, UM, YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE, UH, QUESTIONS ABOUT MY COMMENT AND MY EXPERIENCE BECAUSE OF MUNICIPAL WORKERS, IF THEY WERE ACTIVE IN HOPE OR NOT DURING THAT TIME, FOUND ME IN EVERY, UH, MEDIUM. AND THEY EXPRESS FRUSTRATION, FEAR ABOUT WHAT THIS MEANT FOR THEIR EMPLOYMENT BECAUSE IT WASN'T CLEARLY COMMUNICATED. AND SO, UH, MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES ARE FIRST RESPONDERS ON MANY LEVELS. SOME OF THE INDIVIDUALS WE SEE ON AN EVERYDAY BASIS. I WILL NOT STOP. I'M NOT ASHAMED OR AFRAID TO CONTINUE TO TALK ABOUT AND MENTION THE FACT THAT MUNICIPAL WORKERS MATTER AND THE DECISIONS THAT WE HAVE MADE IN THIS HORSESHOE HAS IMPACTED OUR INFRASTRUCTURE AND OPERATIONS. I HAVE COMPLETE TRUST IN YOUR LEADERSHIP THAT YOU WILL RIGHTSIZE THIS. YOU HAVE EVERY EXTENSION OF GRACE IN SIX MONTHS AND A YEAR TO GET TO THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE SUCCESS. SUCCESSFUL AS YOU NEED. ANYTIME YOU COME TO THIS BODY, I'M GONNA SUPPORT TO APPROVE THAT I ITEM. I JUST THINK THAT IT'S, IT'S DISINGENUOUS. AND SO IF MR. MAYOR, IF YOU HAVE, UH, QUESTIONS ABOUT MY EXPERIENCE AND THEN WHAT I'M HEARING FROM MUNICIPAL WORKERS, MORE THAN WILLING TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH YOU. BUT I I, I DON'T APPRECIATE, LIKE IF YOU SNEAK IN ME, WE DON'T HAVE TO DO THAT BECAUSE WE CAN HAVE CLEAR COMMUNICATION ABOUT WHERE WE DISAGREE AND HOW WE SEE, UH, MUNICIPAL WORKERS IN THE, IN THE ROLE THAT THEY PLAY IN DEPARTMENTS. COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. UM, DISTRICT G ALSO IS STILL GETTING CALLS ABOUT RECYCLING. WHEN WILL THE PROPOSED BALANCED RECYCLING ROUTES GO INTO EFFECT? UH, WE'RE STILL WORKING ON THOSE ROUTES. UH, WITH THE NEW SOFTWARE THAT WE'RE BRINGING ONLINE. UM, WE'RE LOOKING ANYWHERE BETWEEN THE NEXT, UH, 30 TO 60 DAYS OH. TO TRY TO BALANCE 'EM OUT. WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING AT, AT RAPID PACE. WE'RE NOT SITTING ON ANYTHING WAITING FOR LIKE A YEAR. UM, WE'RE MEETING WITH THE, UH, ROUTING SOFTWARE AT LEAST TWICE A MONTH RIGHT NOW. THEY'RE WORKING ON BALANCING THE ROUTES A ACTIVELY RIGHT NOW. THANK YOU. AND, UM, THIS ISN'T A QUESTION NECESSARILY FOR TODAY, BUT SOMETHING FOR YOU JUST TO KIND OF THINK ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, HOW IS SOLID WASTE GOING TO PLAN TO PREPARE FOR THE UPCOMING HOLIDAYS? AND I'M TALKING ABOUT SPECIFICALLY FROM THANKSGIVING TO NEW YEAR'S, UM, WITH HOLIDAYS, TRASH GETS SKIPPED, THEN WE'RE ALWAYS BEHIND. AND SO, UM, MAYBE SOLID WASTES COULD CONSIDER RUNNING ADDITIONAL ROUTES EITHER BEFORE OR AFTER SOME OF THESE HOLIDAYS, SO, RIGHT. JUST KEEP THAT IN MIND. YES, MA'AM. THEY, THEY GAVE ME THE WARNING WHEN I FIRST GOT HERE ABOUT THANKSGIVING TO CHRISTMAS. SO WE'RE TRYING TO DEVISE A PLAN RIGHT NOW. ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU MA'AM. COUNCILOR RAMIREZ. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU DIRECTOR FOR TAKING ON THIS CHALLENGE. YOU GOT YOUR WORK CUT OUT FOR YOU. YES, SIR. YEAH. BUT YOU GOT A GREAT ATTITUDE. I APPRECIATE THAT. ABSOLUTELY. I'M SO GLAD THE ADMINISTRATION IS FOCUSING ON INEFFICIENCIES. YES, MA'AM. IN SOLID WASTE. UH, AND LOOKING FOR AREAS TO, TO, TO SAVE. AND IT LOOKS LIKE THERE ARE PLENTY OF AREAS TO SAVE. YES SIR. AND MONEY TO BE SAVED. WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT, UH, ROUTE MISMANAGEMENT, I'LL CALL IT, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT A RECYCLING PROGRAM THAT DOESN'T WORK. UM, TO ME, WE START CHARGING PEOPLE A GARBAGE FEE AND WE PUT IT INTO A DEPARTMENT WITH SO MUCH INEFFICIENCY, WE'LL BE WASTING A LOT OF MONEY. YES, SIR. IS IS THE WAY I LOOK AT IT. YES, SIR. SO I APPLAUD THE ADMINISTRATION FOR DOING A DEEP DIVE AND FINDING WHERE WE CAN SAVE, UH, A LOT OF MONEY. YES, SIR. AND AGAIN, NONE OF THIS IS YOUR FAULT. YOU JUST CAME ON BOARD. RIGHT. I DID WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT INFORMATION ON SLIDE NUMBER FIVE, TITLE ADMINISTRATION, KEY DISCOVERIES. UH, ONE OF THE CATEGORIES HERE IS, OR BULLET POINTS IS FUND MISMANAGEMENT. APPARENTLY, UM, Y'ALL FOUND SOME SUSPECTED FRAUD. YES, SIR. UH, PURCHASING P CARD FRAUD, PURCHASING CARD FRAUD, AND OVERSPENDING BY $6 MILLION. THAT, THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY. YES, SIR. IS THIS, IS THIS REVEALED IN THE BURNS AND [04:40:01] MCDONALD'S STUDY? OR HOW, HOW IS THIS FOUND? GOT, WE HAVEN'T GOT THE BURNS AND MCDONALD'S STUDY BACK YET. UM, THESE WERE BASED ON WHAT FINANCE? OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT. UH, IT WAS ON PERSONNEL BECAUSE, UH, OF OVERTIME MAINLY MM-HMM . WE SPENT OVER THE ALLOTTED BUDGET. THEY WERE YOUR PERSONAL FINDINGS? YES. OUR PERSONAL FINDINGS. YES, SIR. OKAY. IT RAISED A RED FLAG. AND YOU SENT TO THE INSPECTOR JONES? YES. ALRIGHT. OVERSPENDING, WHICH IS SEPARATE FROM THE, UH, PURCHASING CARD FRAUD. YES. I'D LIKE TO KNOW. UM, ARE ANY OF THE FOLKS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SUSPECTED P CARD FRAUD OR THE OVER OVERSPENDING ATTORNEY? UH, STILL, STILL WITH THE DEPARTMENT. HAVE HAVE ANY CHANGES BEEN MADE? YES, SIR. CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE. OKAY. OIG IS LEADING THAT, THAT CHARGE, BUT CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE. CAN CAN YOU SPEAK TO, UH, AT, AT LEAST IN BROAD TERMS ABOUT WHAT CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE? UH, THE, THE EMPLOYEES NO LONGER WORK FOR THE CITY. AND HOW MANY ARE WE TALKING ABOUT? OH, IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE? ONE, UM, IT'S ONGOING INVESTIGATION ABOUT THE SECOND. ALRIGHT. AND DO YOU KNOW, HAS IT BEEN REFERRED TO THE DA'S OFFICE? I, IF, IF I'M NOT, I'M NOT SURE SIR. OKAY. YES, SIR. ALRIGHT. AND THEN, UM, ON THAT SAME SLIDE, IN THE THIRD CATEGORY, NON-ESSENTIAL ACTIVITIES, PARTICIPATION IN ENTERTAINMENT PRODUCTIONS, UH, NETWORK SHOWS. YES, SIR. TEXANS ADS TRAVEL. CAN YOU, CAN YOU TALK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT? YES, SIR. UM, IT WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION, UM, ON THE SECOND DAY. I REALLY THOUGHT IT WAS A JOKE TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, BECAUSE THE HOUSTON TEXANS CALLED AND THEY ASKED FOR ME SPECIFICALLY. AND I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST TO SAY CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR NEW INTERIM POSITION. BUT IT WAS ACTUALLY TO, UH, RENEW A SPONSORSHIP THAT WE HAD WITH THE HOUSTON, TEXAS, WHERE WE RECEIVED, OUR DEPARTMENT RECEIVED, I THINK SIX HOME GAME TICKETS. UH, 'CAUSE WE HAD AN INDIVIDUAL TO COME AND ASK, UH, WERE THEY ABLE TO GET THE TICKETS AGAIN. AND, UM, I, I WASN'T AWARE OF, UM, A AD WITH THE TEXANS. SO, UM, THAT'S WHAT THAT WAS ABOUT. ALRIGHT. UH, AND AGAIN, I'LL ASK YOU THAT SAME QUESTION. HA, HAVE ANY CHANGES BEEN MADE PERSONNEL WISE RELATED TO THESE NON-ESSENTIAL ACTIVITIES? YES, SIR. THEY HAVE. OKAY. CAN AND CAN YOU SPEAK BROADLY TO THAT AS WELL? UH, THE EMPLOYEE, UH, THAT EMPLOYEE RESIGNED. ALRIGHT. OKAY. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. COUNCILOR PINGER, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. YES, SIR. JUST KIND OF WANTED TO DOVETAIL ON THE COUNCILWOMAN ALCORN'S COMMENTS ABOUT THE CONTAMINATED RECYCLING. UH, I THINK SOME EDUCATION IS SORELY NEEDED IN THE PUBLIC. UM, RIGHT. WE HAVE, UH, RECYCLING EVERY WEEKEND UP AT THE METRO FACILITY IN KINGWOOD. AND I'LL GO UP THERE REGULARLY IN, IN THE STUFF THAT I'LL SEE ACTUALLY PUT INTO RECYCLING IS JUST SHOCKING. UH, IT'S IN NO WAY, SHAPE OR FORM RECYCLABLE. UH, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF PEOPLE FROM KINGWOOD GREEN THAT KIND OF POLICE IT FOR US, BUT, UH, IT, IT IS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING WHAT, WHAT PEOPLE WILL DUMP IN THERE. AND, AND I DIDN'T KNOW THAT THERE WAS EDUCATION AVAILABLE THROUGH, UH, THE RECYCLING COMPANY. I THINK THAT'S A GREAT IDEA. WE NEED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT. UH, I MEAN, 'CAUSE THE COST OF THESE CONTAMINATED LOADS IS HUGE. YES, SIR. UM, YOU KNOW, NOT, NOT JUST FROM THE FINANCIAL STANDPOINT, BUT ALSO THE RESOURCES THAT YOU'RE USING. AND OBVIOUSLY THERE'S A COST ASSOCIATED WITH THAT. RIGHT. SO, UH, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE REALLY NEED TO HIT ON. YES, SIR. ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU. COUNCILOR PLUMMER. COUNCILOR PLUMMER. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU SO MUCH, DIRECTOR. UM, I, I DO WANNA BRING UP ONE POINT. YES MA'AM. YOU KNOW, I KNOW IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT INEFFICIENCIES. YES, MA'AM. AND, AND OBVIOUSLY THAT'S WHERE WE START. UM, BUT THE LOSS OF PERSONNEL AND THE, THE ABILITY TO NOT, UM, PAY THEM WAGES THAT ARE IMPORTANT, I THINK IT ALL SHOULD BE CONSIDERED. YES, MA'AM. YOU KNOW, AS WE'RE, AS WE'RE REVAMPING, BECAUSE ABSOLUTELY. IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE THESE FOLKS THAT ARE WORKING INCREDIBLY HARD YES, MA'AM. UM, ARE NOT CAUGHT, UM, IN THE MIDDLE OF I AGREE. IT'S INEFFICIENT TO PAY THEM FAIRLY. YES, MA'AM. SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO YOU. YES, MA'AM. ALSO, I WANTED TO ASK A QUESTION REGARDING, UM, THE RECYCLING. OKAY. UM, WE HAD AN MOU THAT HAD NOT BEEN EXECUTED BY EXXON THAT WAS DOING MECHANICAL, UM, WE'RE SORRY. THEY WERE DOING CHEMICAL RECYCLING YES. VERSUS, UM, MECHANICAL CYCLING. DO YOU KNOW IF THAT MOU HAS BEEN EXECUTED OR HAVE THERE BEEN ANY OTHER FURTHER CONVERSATIONS IN THAT? UH, WE MET WITH THEM RECENTLY. I DON'T KNOW IF IT HAS BEEN COMPLETELY EXECUTED, BUT I CAN GET THAT ANSWER AND GET BACK WITH YOU. OKAY. I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO HAVE A CONVERSATION. YES, MA'AM. BECAUSE IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO [04:45:01] YES, MA'AM. GET THE, HAVE THE RECYCLING DONE FROM A MECHANICAL PERSPECTIVE ABSOLUTELY. VERSUS THE CHEMICAL. JUST FROM AN ENVIRONMENTAL PERSPECTIVE. YES, MA'AM. SO I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION, UM, WHENEVER YOU GET THE INFORMATION. ABSOLUTELY. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MA'AM. COUNCILMAN CAYMAN. . SORRY. BLAME IT ON MARTA. ANY ANYONE ELSE? LET'S NO PROBLEM. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. EXCELLENT JOB. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK. YES, SIR. CONTINUE TO BE VERY CANDID. PUT THE RESPONSIBILITY WHERE IT LIES. YES, SIR. AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEGRITY. YES, SIR. CLEAN IT UP. ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU. AND I'LL BE IN TOUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU ALL, MR. [CONSENT AGENDA] SECRETARY. LET'S GO TO THE CONSENT COMMENT UNDER THE MISCELLANEOUS CATEGORY, ITEMS ONE AND TWO NEED A MOTION CAST SIX TA, MOVE SECOND. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. THANK YOU TO THE PEOPLE WHO WANT TO SERVE ON THE YEAH. THAT THEY'RE HERE ANYMORE. THAT'S FINE. UNDER THE RIGHT PURCHASING AND TABULATION OF BIDS, CATEGORY ITEMS ONE, I'M SORRY. ITEMS THREE THROUGH 13 NEED A MOTION CAST TA MOVE MOTIONS MADE IN SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES UNDER THE RESOLUTIONS CATEGORY. ITEM 14. OH, UNDER THE RESOLUTIONS CATEGORY. ITEM 14 NEEDS A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES UNDER THE ORDINANCES CATEGORY ITEMS 17, 18, 19, 25, 26, AND 28 HAVE BEEN REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. AGAIN, THOSE NUMBERS ARE 17, 18, 19, 25, 26, AND 28. NEED A VOTE ON THE BALANCE? ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE POST NAY MOTION PASSES, ITEMS REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. ITEM 17 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. COUNCILOR INGER. YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO INTUITIVE MACHINES, UH, AND EVERYTHING THAT THEY'RE DOING DOWN THERE AT THE SPACEPORT. THRILLED TO HAVE THEM, UH, EXPANDING DOWN THERE. AND IT'S REALLY GETTING TO A CRITICAL MASS DOWN IN SPACEPORT WHERE A LOT OF THE SPACE INDUSTRY WANTS TO BE THERE BECAUSE EVERYBODY ELSE IS THERE. SO THAT'S A GOOD THING. THANK YOU. TOTALLY AGREE. NEXT, JUST NEED TO VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 18 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED. NAME. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 19 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED. NAME. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 25 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ. TAG EVAN SHABA. COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ. YOU, YOU TAGGED IT JOINS EVAN SHABAZZ. ITEM 26 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. CALL COUNCILMAN PLUMMER. COUNCILMAN PLUMMER. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS ON THIS, MAYOR. THIS, THIS PARTICULAR, UM, PROPOSED ANNEXATION IS IN 64% OF IT, OF THE LAND LIES IN A HUNDRED YEAR PLANE, FOOT FLOOD PLAIN. UM, AND IT DRAINS INTO THE LANHAM CREEK AND EVENTUALLY INTO THE ATS RESERVOIR. AND THE ATTIC'S RESERVOIR AREA IS EXPERIENCING SEVERE FLOODING DURING HURRICANE HARVEY. AND WHILE THIS ORDINANCE NOTES THAT ALL INFRASTRUCTURE MUST BE APPROVED BY THE CITY, UM, WE WANTED TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE CHECKING. UM, WE'RE NOT JUST CHECKING THAT BOX. AND MY QUESTION WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, WHAT SPECIFIC FLOOD MITIGATION MEASURES WILL BE IN PLACE BEFORE ANY PERMITS ARE ISSUED? UM, WILL THE DISTRICT BE REQUIRED TO CONSTRUCT A DETENTION BASIN OR ELEVATE STRUCTURES? UM, WILL THEY SUBMIT A COMPREHENSIVE DRAINAGE PLAN? UM, AND, AND JUST FOLLOWING, FOLLOWING THE RESILIENCE AND FLOOD PREVENTION, UH, PROTOCOLS [04:50:01] THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE. I KNOW THIS. I'LL BE MORE THAN GLAD TO WITHDRAW THIS AND OKAY. AND LET YOU HAVE AMPLE TIME TO ASK THE STAKEHOLDERS. THAT'D BE GREAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. SO THANK YOU. MOTION TO REFER ADMINISTRATION. YOU MAY MAKE A MOTION. YES. I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO REFER ITEM NUMBER 26 BACK TO THE ADMINISTRATION. SOUNDS GOOD. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED A SECOND. MOTION PASSES. THANK I'M SORRY. WHAT? COUNCIL MEMBER KIN CAME AND WANTED TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM. REFER BACK. ANYONE WANNA SPEAK? YEAH, I, I WAS IN QUEUE BEFORE THE MOTION PASSES. I WANTED TO THANK THE COUNCIL MEMBER. UM, WHEN MUDS COME UP, WE CONSISTENTLY ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE IN THE FLOODPLAIN AND WHAT MITIGATION. THERE WAS A FORMAL PROCESS THROUGH WHICH THE CITY WOULD VET. THAT PROCESS HAS CHANGED SOMEWHAT, BUT FOR ITEMS 26 THROUGH 28, I DID WANNA SHARE IN OUR NOTES WE HAVE THAT THE PROPOSED ANNEXATION TRACKS WILL NO LONGER BE IN THE FLOOD PLAIN AFTER MITIGATION FACTORS. UH, SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT MY OFFICE ALSO VERY CAREFULLY LOOKS AT. I SUPPORT THE MOTION TO REFER BACK. UM, USUALLY I WILL VOTE AGAINST AN ITEM, WHETHER IT'S IN THE ETJ OR AN IN-CITY MUD, IF THAT MITIGATION IS NOT, UM, IN PLACE. THANK YOU VICE MAYOR . THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, AND COUNCIL MEMBER, IF YOU WANT MORE TIME TO LOOK AT IT. I FULLY SUPPORT THAT THIS, UM, IS NOT IN DISTRICT A, BUT IT'S CLOSEST TO DISTRICT A. AND WE'VE PASSED MANY OF THESE, UM, ALSO WITH THE LANHAM CREEK, UM, THAT, THAT WILL FLOW INTO LANHAM CREEK. AND WE'VE WATCHED IT VERY CLOSELY TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE ACTUALLY, UM, BUILDING MORE DETENTION THAN IS WHAT, WHAT IS NEEDED IN THESE PROJECTS. SO, UM, BUT AGAIN, I'M HAPPY TO WAIT ON THAT. I MEAN, IT'S NOT IN DISTRICT A, BUT WE'VE BEEN WATCHING IT CLOSELY. SO NEXT ITEM 28 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. [MATTERS HELD] NEXT ITEM 43 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED TO VOTE. COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD. COUNCILMAN POLLARD. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, THE DRESS CODE ORDINANCE IS A PROP, A, UH, AMENDMENT THAT I BROUGHT FORWARD WITH COUNCIL MEMBERS, CAROLYN, EVAN SHABAZZ AND LETITIA PLUMMER. UM, THE DRESS CODE ORDINANCE WAS PUT FORTH IN A SPIRIT OF FAIRNESS AND TRANSPARENCY. UM, IT BASICALLY STATES THAT, UH, IF YOU DO HAVE A DRESS CODE FOR A NIGHTCLUB OR, OR DANCE HALL, THAT YOU NEED TO, UH, HAVE THAT DRESS CODE POSTED FOR THE PUBLIC TO SEE NEAR THE ENTRANCE. I THINK IT ONLY MAKES SENSE SINCE IT'S ONLY REASONABLE THAT IF YOU HAVE A POLICY THAT GOVERNS ENTRY AND YOU'RE A PUBLIC ESTABLISHMENT, THE PUBLIC SHOULD BE AWARE OF WHAT THAT POLICY FOR ENTRANCE IS. UH, THIS DOES IN NO SHAPE TELL THE, UH, BUSINESS WHAT THE DRESS CODE MUST BE. IT JUST SAYS THAT IF YOU HAVE ONE, IT NEEDS TO BE POSTED. AND IF YOU DON'T POST IT, IT WILL BE INTERPRETED THAT YOU DO NOT HAVE ONE. WE HAVE REACHED OUT AND HAVE BEEN IN COMMUNICATION WITH, UH, THE RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION WHO HAS SOME QUESTIONS INITIALLY. UH, THEY, UH, NO LONGER HAVE, UH, SOME CONCERNS. UM, THIS HAS GOTTEN A LOT OF MEDIA COVERAGE, MANY ONLINE COMMENTS FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE STATED THAT THIS IS AN ISSUE. IT'S BEEN HAPPENING FOR YEARS AROUND THE CITY, AND IT'S GOOD THAT WE'RE FINDING A WAY TO REMEDY IT. AND I AM ASKING FOR YOU ALL SUPPORT. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR HELP. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND, UM, THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD, FOR BRINGING THIS AND, UM, I RESPECT YOU. UM, HOWEVER, I'LL BE VOTING AGAINST THIS ORDINANCE. UM, THIS ORDINANCE EXEMPLIFIES THE TYPE OF UNNECESSARY GOVERNMENT OVERREACH THAT'S MADE SO MANY OF OUR RESIDENTS FRUSTRATED WITH CITY GOVERNMENT. UM, PRIOR TO THIS ITEM BEING PLACED ON THE COUNCIL AGENDA, I CAN'T RECALL A TIME THAT SOMEBODY HAS SHOWED UP A PUBLIC SESSION OR COME BEFORE THIS BODY AND, UM, HAS, YOU KNOW, EVEN TALKED ABOUT THIS ISSUE. YOU KNOW, BARS AND RESTAURANTS WHILE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, THEIR PRIVATE ESTABLISHMENTS THAT SHOULD HAVE THE FREEDOM TO COMMUNICATE THEIR DRESS CODE IN A MANNER THAT BEST ALIGNS WITH THEIR NEEDS. AND A FREE MARKET. BUSINESSES THAT CHOOSE TO NOT COMMUNICATE THEIR DRESS POLICIES WILL FACE NATURAL CONSEQUENCES SUCH AS LOSING PATRONS OR REVENUE OR DAMAGE TO THEIR REPUTATION. UM, ALL WITHOUT CITY COUNCIL'S INTERFERENCE. UM, THE REALITY IS THAT GOOD BUSINESS OWNERS ARE ALREADY DOING THIS, AND THE BAD ACTORS ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO IGNORE THIS ORDINANCE KNOWING THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES TO ENFORCE IT. SO BEFORE VOTING ON THIS, I THINK WE SHOULD ASK OURSELVES, IS THIS A PROBLEM THAT CAN BE SOLVED WITHOUT THE GOVERNMENT STEPPING IN? OR, YOU KNOW, WOULD THE CITY RESOURCES BE BETTER, UM, TO ADDRESS THE FUNDAMENTAL CONCERNS FROM OUR COMMUNITY THAT WE CAN IMPACT? SO I BELIEVE [04:55:01] OUR TIME TODAY WOULD BE BETTER SPENT ADDRESSING THE NUMEROUS INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, PROBLEMS, FINANCIAL, OPERATIONAL PROBLEMS, AND THE PUBLIC SAFETY CONCERNS THAT OUR RESIDENTS PLEAD FOR OUR ASSISTANCE WITH EVERY DAY. UM, RATHER THAN MICROMANAGING HOW PRIVATE BUSINESSES COMMUNICATE THEIR INTERNAL POLICIES. SO WE'RE A BIG CITY WITH A LOT OF PROBLEMS. UM, BUT IN MY OPINION, THIS IS ONE THAT DOESN'T NEED TO BE ADDRESSED TODAY. AND SO FOR THAT REASON, I'LL BE RESPECTFULLY VOTING NOW. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ. THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, WE'LL RECALL LAST WEEK, I, I TAGGED THIS, UH, FROM BASED ON CONCERNS THAT SOME OF THE RESTAURANTS, UM, HAD ABOUT IT IN THE, IN INTERIM. UM, THEY'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH THE DIRECTOR OF A RA AND, UH, COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THEY'LL BE ABLE TO WORK OUT CONCERNS ABOUT THE DETAILS AND IMPLEMENTATION WITH THE DIRECTOR OF A RA IN THE, UH, RULEMAKING PROCESS THAT THEY, THAT THEY, UH, GO THROUGH. AND SO I JUST WANTED AN UPDATE ON THAT. THANK YOU SHABA COUNCIL, MAYOR SHABA. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, YOU KNOW, WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, UM, THERE ARE A LOT OF ISSUES THAT PEOPLE FACE THAT THEY DON'T BRING TO COUNCIL. AND CERTAINLY ONE WHERE THERE IS NO POST-IT ORDINANCE, THEY WOULD NOT THINK THAT THEY SHOULD COME TO COUNCIL. I THINK THAT THIS IS A VERY GOOD ORDINANCE. UH, IT CUTS DOWN ON THE POSSIBILITY OF CONFRONTATION WHEN IT'S VERY, VERY CLEAR, UH, NOT TO GOVERN WHO AND WHAT PEOPLE SHOULD WEAR. THAT'S CERTAINLY THE BUSINESS OWNER'S OPPORTUNITY. I WOULD THINK AS A GOOD BUSINESS OWNER, YOU WOULD WANT TO HAVE SOMETHING THAT GIVES CONSISTENCY. AND SO CERTAINLY I AM SUPPORTING THIS, UH, THIS ITEM. BUT I, I KIND OF WANNA SAY, YOU KNOW, UNLESS YOU WALK IN THE SKIN OF POSSIBILITY OF DISCRIMINATION, YOU MAY NOT UNDERSTAND, UH, WHY THIS IS A ISSUE. BECAUSE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT REALLY HAPPENS TO A LOT OF, PARTICULARLY AFRICAN AMERICAN MALES. AND I THINK THAT IF WE ARE VERY CLEAR AND CONSISTENT AND GOOD BUSINESS OWNERS, WE SHOULD WANT THAT CONSISTENCY. SO CERTAINLY, UH, NOT ONLY AM I A CO-SPONSOR OF IT, I CERTAINLY SUPPORT IT. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR. IN CLOSING, I JUST WANT TO STATE THAT, UM, YOU'RE RIGHT. I THINK THAT MANY OF THE GOOD ACTORS ARE ALREADY DOING THIS, AND THAT'S WHY I THINK IT'S PRUDENT FOR US TO PUT IN SOMETHING IN PLACE FOR THE BAD ACTORS WHO ARE NOT DOING IT, BECAUSE THE ORDINANCE WILL NOW GIVE THE PUBLIC AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE, UH, A LEGAL REMEDY AGAINST THE BAD ACTORS. AND I THINK THIS IS GOOD FOR NOT ONLY THE PUBLIC, UH, BUT THE BUSINESS OWNER AS WELL. SO, UH, ASK FOR A ROLL CALL, VOTE ON ADAM 43. MR. SECRETARY, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. MAYOR WHITMEYER. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER P. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER INGER? NO. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN? NO. COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTEX TATUM? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER. COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER? YES. AND COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN? YES. 11 TO TWO. 11 TO TWO. ITEM 43 PASSES. [NON CONSENT - MATTERS TO BE PRESENTED BY COUNCIL MEMBERS] NEXT, THIS COMPLETES THE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA. APPRECIATE IT. PAUL F WILL BEGIN WITH DRS. MAYOR PRO. TIM PECK. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, JUST REAL QUICK, I WANTED TO REMIND EVERYONE THAT OUR PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE MEETING, THE NEXT ONE WILL BE ON MONDAY. UM, SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THIS NEXT TIME. WE USUALLY HAVE IT ON TUESDAYS. NEXT, UM, WEEK. IT WILL BE ON MONDAY AT 10:00 AM WE WILL HAVE CRIME STOPPERS AND OEM WILL DISCUSS OUR EMERGENCY RESPONSE SYSTEM. SO PLEASE JOIN US AT THE COMMITTEE MEETING ON MONDAY. THANK YOU, TINA. THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TEMP. JUST BRIEFLY, UH, LAST WEEK I RAISED CONCERNS ABOUT SCOOTERS AND ATVS AT DISCOVERY GREENS SPECIFICALLY, BUT DOWNTOWN, UH, OVERALL, UH, MANY OF Y'ALL HAVE BEEN INVITED BY HOUSTON FIRST TO, UH, THIS FRIDAY AT THE GROVE RESTAURANT ON AT DISCOVERY GREEN, UH, TO SEE THE ISSUE FIRSTHAND. UM, I'LL BE THERE. IT'S FROM EIGHT TO 10 AT ON FRIDAY AT THE GROVE RESTAURANT. UM, PLEASE. RSVP WITH TRACY PRINCE, WITH OR MY OFFICE. AND LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU ALL THERE. COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD. THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TIM. UM, I JUST WANT TO GIVE A HUGE SHOUT OUT TO SOME OF OUR SUMMER INTERNS THAT ARE HERE. UM, WE HAVE THEM SHIFTING IN AND OUT THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER. UH, I HAVE FOUR OF 'EM, UH, WITH ME RIGHT NOW. GUYS, RAISE YOUR HANDS. LET'S GIVE THEM A ROUND OF APPLAUSE. UH, JUST WANNA THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE. I KNOW THIS WAS A MARATHON SESSION. UH, THEY'RE USUALLY NOT THIS LONG, BUT I THINK YOU GOT TO SEE A LOT OF GOOD [05:00:01] DIALOGUE AND, UH, WE'LL GET BACK TO WORK WHEN I SEE YOU IN THE OFFICE. COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, I, I'D JUST LIKE TO REQUEST THAT WE KEEP THIS CONVERSATION ON THE SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT GOING, AND I DON'T, I'M NOT SURE WHICH COMMITTEE IT IT GOES TO, BUT, UM, I THINK PROBABLY QUALITY OF LIFE. HUH? QUALITY OF LIFE. UM, SERVICE DELIVERY. SERVICE DELIVERY. DELIVERY. ANYWAY, I THINK THAT THIS WAS JUST THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG OF, OF DISCUSSIONS THAT CITY COUNCIL NEEDS TO HAVE ON SOLID WASTE. AND I THINK WE, WE, IT'S MY, IT'S MY FEELING THAT THE MAYOR LIKES US TO WORK THINGS THROUGH COMMITTEE. LET'S START WORKING THIS THROUGH COMMITTEE. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER EVANS CHAVEZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR PROTI. JULY HAS BEEN A FULL AND ACTIVE MONTH IN DISTRICT D WITH MOMENTS OF CELEBRATION, RECOGNITION AND CONTINUED COMMUNITY COMMITMENT ON SATURDAY, JULY 12TH, THE BEA BLACK EXCELLENCE AWARDS HONORED THE TOP 50 INFLUENTIAL BLACK MEN AND WOMEN, RECOGNIZING TRAILBLAZERS WHO CONTINUE TO INSPIRE, UPLIFT, AND PAVE THE WAY IN OUR COMMUNITIES. THE EVENING FEATURED RED CARPET INTERVIEWS, BUSINESS NETWORKING, AND A POWERFUL AWARD CEREMONY, CELEBRATING EXCELLENCE AND LEADERSHIP ACROSS HOUSTON. ON THIS PAST SATURDAY, THE DISTRICT IN THE DISTRICT, UH, WAS ALSO A CELEBRATION OF THE JUNETEENTH AT EMANCIPATION PARK IN JULY, HONORING FREEDOM, CULTURE AND RESILIENCE, COMMUNITY MEMBERS GATHERED FOR PERFORMANCES, HISTORY AND FELLOWSHIP, AND A SPACE ROOTED IN LIBERATION AND LEGACY. IT WAS A MOMENT TO REFLECT, CELEBRATE, AND RECOMMIT TO THE PROGRESS AHEAD. AND OF COURSE, UH, I NEED TO GIVE A SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO TUCKER TO IN MY OFFICE WHO CELEBRATED HIS BIRTHDAY. UH, HE'S MY YOUNGEST STAFF MEMBER, BUT HE CONTRIBUTES SO GREATLY, UH, TO THE, NOT ONLY THE CLIMATE, BUT TO GETTING INFORMATION OUT TO THE COMMUNITY, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE HIM. UPCOMING EVENT, UH, COMMUNITY MEETING CHOICE NEIGHBORHOOD AT CUNY HOMES, PLUS THIRD WARD, WHICH WILL BE THURSDAY THE 17TH FROM SIX TO 8:00 PM UH, AT THE EL DORADO BALLROOM. 2310 ELGIN STREET, HOSTED BY THE HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY AND THIRD WARD SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 67. THE THIS CCI PRIORITIZATION WORKSHOP AS PART OF THE CHOICE NEIGHBORHOOD IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAM. AND WE'LL GATHER COMMUNITY INPUT FOR, FOR THE CRITICAL COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT PLAN. THE FOCUS IS ON SUPPORTING THE FUTURE REDEVELOPMENT OF CUNY HOMES AND ENSURING THE SURROUNDING THIRD WORLD COMMUNITY IS CENTERED IN PROGRESS. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH THAT IN, IN PROCESS, RATHER. UH, THANK YOU. THAT CONCLUDES WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. UH, I'LL SAVE MY PROJECT, UH, OUR DISTRICT UPDATES FOR NEXT WEEK FOR THE SAKE OF TIME, BUT I DO WANNA ENCOURAGE ALL RESIDENTS TO REMAIN WEATHER AWARE GOING INTO THIS WEEKEND. UM, WHILE WE DON'T EXPECT THE MAIN TROPICAL, UH, DEPRESSION TO COME TO HOUSTON, THERE WILL BE SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL THAT IS EXPERIENCED, UH, HEAVIEST, I BELIEVE AS OF NOW, THANKS TO, UH, STEVEN'S GREAT UPDATES IS FRIDAY, BUT GOING INTO THE WEEKEND AS WELL. SO, AGAIN, PLEASE REMAIN WHETHER AWARE WE HAVE A LOT OF RESIDENTS SUBMITTING THERE VIDEOS AND PHOTOS OF DRAINAGE CONCERNS ALONG WITH THEIR 3 1 1 CASES TO OUR OFFICE. UH, PLEASE CONTINUE TO KEEP DOING THAT. THAT IS HOW WE ARE ABLE TO ESCALATE THOSE ISSUES THROUGH PUBLIC WORKS AND GET EVEN MORE, UM, DRAINAGE FOR OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. SO, REMAIN WEATHER AWARE, STAY SAFE, AND, UH, CONTINUE TO REPORT ISSUES. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. UH, THANK YOU, UH, MADAM CHAIR. SO, FOLLOWING UP ON WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ MENTIONED ABOUT SCOOTERS, WE WILL BE CONSIDERING A, AN ORDINANCE ON MOTORIZED SCOOTERS VERY SOON. WE'RE GONNA TAKE THIS UP IN THE QUALITY OF LIFE COMMITTEE MEETING TO BE HELD NEXT THURSDAY, JULY 24TH AT 10:00 AM. SO HOUSTONIANS, IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, ANY STAKEHOLDERS AS WELL INVITE YOU TO COME DOWN, OFFER PUBLIC COMMENT OR WATCH ONLINE AND, UM, HAVE SOME INPUT. ALSO, UH, HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY EARLIER THIS WEEK TO HELP KICK OFF LATIN RESTAURANT WEEKS FOR THE SEVENTH YEAR HERE IN HOUSTON. SO FOR THE, FOR THE REST OF THE MONTH, UH, WE'LL HAVE SOME SPECIAL DEALS AND WONDERFUL FOOD IN RESTAURANTS THAT PARTICIPATE IN THIS, UH, EVENT. IT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT'S A PRETTY DIFFICULT TIME FOR OUR RESTAURANTS RIGHT NOW, WHAT WITH, UM, TARIFF ISSUES, UH, SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES AND WORKFORCE ISSUES. AND SO, UH, ENCOURAGE HOUSTONIANS TO, TO GO OUT, UH, TO EAT AND, UH, SUPPORT OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES. THIS WILL BE FOLLOWED UP IN AUGUST BY OUR HOUSTON RESTAURANT WEEKS, WHICH IS THE LARGEST FUNDRAISER FOR THE HOUSTON FOOD BANK. SO SPECIALS WILL BE OFFERED DURING THAT PERIOD AS WELL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER. AND I'LL ROUND US OFF. UM, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETING IS TODAY AT [05:05:01] 2:00 PM UH, IN A FEW MINUTES, UH, IN THE CHAMBER. UH, WE WILL HAVE A DISCUSSION ON THE TAX INCREMENT REINVESTMENT ZONE NUMBER 24 AND THE REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY STRUCTURE. SO HOPE THAT COUNCIL MEMBERS CAN JOIN US IN A FEW MINUTES. UH, THE HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS, C-D-B-G-M-I-T, UH, VIRTUAL COMMUNITY MEETING IS THURSDAY, JULY 17TH AT 5:30 PM UH, YOU CAN, UH, GET THE INFORMATION ON ENGAGE HOUSTON.ORG. I THINK RESIDENTS IN THE CAMBRIDGE VILLAGE PARK RAMBLEWOOD, UH, AREA WILL BE, UH, MOST, UH, INTERESTED IN WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE. AND ALSO THE SPELMAN DETENTION BASIN PROJECT THAT WILL PROTECT THE BRAY OAKS COMMUNITY FROM FUTURE FLOODING WILL BE THE TOPICS OF DISCUSSION. SO HOPE THAT RESIDENTS WILL TUNE IN. UH, HPD SOUTH GASNER IS HOSTING A BACK TO SCHOOL DRIVE. UH, THAT WILL BE ON FRIDAY, JULY THE 18TH FROM 9:00 AM UNTIL THE SUPPLIES, UH, RUN OUT. SO HOPE THAT YOU WILL PARTICIPATE WITH THE HPD SOUTH GASNER DIVISION. UH, IF YOU'RE NOT RECEIVING OUR NEWSLETTER, YOU SHOULD . WE STAND ADJOURN. OH, WAIT. UM, MANY OF YOU KNOW THAT MELVIN HOPKINS IN MY OFFICE, UH, TOOK THE PACKAGE AND, UM, IS, UH, NO LONGER WITH US, AND WE HAD TO HIRE A NEW DIRECTOR OF CONSTITUENT SERVICES. UH, LIKE TO INTRODUCE MR. ERIC GOODWIN, UH, WHO IS OUR NEW DIRECTOR OF CONSTITUENT SERVICES IN THE DISTRICT, A OFFICE. HE IS A US ARMY VETERAN, HAS EXTENSIVE COMMUNITY, UM, SERVICE, UH, BACKGROUND. HE HAS DONE LOTS OF CONSTITUENT WORK. UM, HE EVEN, UH, WORKED WITH, UM, THE FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER FROM DISTRICT B ON HER, UM, TRASH PICKUP. SO Y'ALL KNOW WHEN HE SAID THAT IN THE INTERVIEW. MM-HMM . I WAS LIKE, HMM, . UH, HE, AND HE ALSO HAS, UH, WORKED WITH, UM, SOME FORMER CONGRESS FOLKS AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOU BRINGING YOUR EXPERIENCE TO JOIN OUR INCREDIBLE DISTRICT K TEAM AND WELCOME TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON COUNCIL MEMBERS. WE STAND 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.