* 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. [00:00:17] TRAVIS LEMONS BACK AGAIN WITH ANOTHER EPISODE OF CITY POLLS, THE PROGRAM TO HIGHLIGHT THE MAYOR'S OFFICE AND CITY DEPARTMENTS COMING UP ON THE PROGRAM. WE HEAD TO PLEASANTVILLE TO SEE A PLAYGROUND EDITION, AND WE LOOK BACK AT THE ONES WHO MADE THIS GEORGE FREEDOM OVER TEXAS. A MAJOR HIT. TO KICK THINGS OFF, LET'S CHECK OUT THE NEW HOME OF THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENTS CENTRAL STATION. YEAH, SO WE JUST HAD THE GRAND OPENING FOR THE NEW CENTRAL POLICE COMPLEX, RIGHT, WHICH IS WHERE WE TOOK 105 YEAR OLD BUILDING, COMPLETELY GUTTED IT, RENOVATED IT TO BE THE NEW HOME FOR OUR CENTRAL POLICE STATION AND OUR SPECIAL OPERATIONS DIVISION. THIS IS A STATEMENT OF WHAT COLLABORATION HARD WORK CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. THIS IS A BIG DEAL IN A CITY BECAUSE IT SHOWS THE VIBRANCE OF THE CITY, THE HEALTH OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, HOW A, AN ORGANIZATION CAN GROW AND HAVE OUTSTANDING FACILITIES FOR THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO DO THIS JOB TIRELESSLY EVERY SINGLE DAY. WHAT YOU'VE NOTICED TODAY IS ANOTHER ONE OF THE MODELS THAT YOU SEE UNDER THE WHITMEYER ADMINISTRATION. IT'S OF THE COLLABORATION AND THE ABILITY FOR ALL OF US TO COME TOGETHER TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE OUR RESOURCES WORK BETTER FOR OUR GOOD. RECRUITING HAS NEVER BEEN HIGHER. WE GO TO WORK EACH AND EVERY DAY TO MAKE THIS A SAFER CITY, AND WE COULD NOT DO IT WITHOUT THE MEN AND WOMEN IT BLEW. THANK YOU FOR SACRIFICING YOUR RESOURCES THAT WE WILL ENSURE TO BE GOOD STEWARDS OF. THANK YOU FOR BEING PUBLIC SERVANTS. WE'RE JUST SO PROUD TO, TO BE ABLE TO COLLABORATE TOGETHER, TO WORK TOGETHER, TO LITERALLY, UH, BE HOUSED TOGETHER. WE'RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK. IF WE WORK TOGETHER, STAY FOCUSED AND GO TO WORK, THIS CAN EVEN BE A GREATER SITTER. HOUSTON IS A GREAT CITY WITH GREAT PEOPLE, AND THE BEST IS YET TO COME. DENVER HARBOR IS ABOUT TO EXPERIENCE AN EXTREME GREEN MAKEOVER. MAYOR WHITMEYER AND PARKS AND REC WERE ON HAND TO BREAK GROUND AT SELENA NIA PARK AND SHOW WHY HOUSTON IS THE MODEL FOR GREEN ACRES THREE AND FLIP. I AM KENNETH ALLEN. I'M THE DIRECTOR OF THE HOUSTON PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT, AND IT'S TRULY A PLEASURE TO BE HERE AND IT'S AN HONOR TO OVERSEE THIS PARK ALONG WITH 381 PARKS THROUGHOUT THIS CITY. YOU KNOW, AS WE GATHER FOR THIS CELEBRATION OF A LONG DUE TRANSFORMATION OF DENVER HARBOR PARK, CERTAINLY WE HAVE A ALL STAR LINEUP THAT MADE IT POSSIBLE, BUT ALSO OUR CONSTITUENTS THAT NEVER GAVE UP, KEPT THE DISCUSSION GOING, HOW MUCH LONGER IT WOULD TAKE WITHOUT THE LINEUP OF OUR COUNTY COMMISSIONER, OUR STATE REP, EVEN OUR DA HERE, TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT IT'S A SAFE SETTING. OUR STATE SENATOR, THIS IS COLLABORATION AND THAT'S HOW WE ARE REPAIRING ACROSS THIS GREAT CITY AND THIS GREAT COUNTY, THE NEGLECT THAT'S BEEN PRESENT FOR YEARS. LOOK AROUND, LOOK AROUND TO SEE THE DENVER HARBOR COMMUNITY THAT IS HERE TO HELP CELEBRATE THIS IMPORTANT OCCASION. GIVE YOURSELVES A NICE ROUND OF APPLAUSE, BUT I WANNA THANK, UH, MAYOR WHITMEYER FOR HIS LEADERSHIP AND FOR THE COLLABORATION THAT WE ARE ENJOYING THAT IS HELPING TO MOVE THIS PROJECT FORWARD. THIS IS PHASE ONE. THE DENVER HARBOR CIVIC CLUB GAVE EVERYONE A PLAQUE THAT'S HERE AND IT READS WITH OUR GREATEST APPRECIATION. WE HERE BY HONOR, WE HERE HEREBY HONOR, UH, STATE REPRESENTATIVE, AN HERNANDEZ MAYOR JOHN WHITMEYER, STATE REPRESENTATIVE ARMANDO WALLY, COMMISSIONER ADRIAN GARCIA, COUNCILMAN MARIO CASTILLO, AND OUR STATE SENATOR CAROL ALVARADO ON THIS STAGE, JULY 8TH, 2025, AN APPRECIATION FOR BEING A SUPPORTER OF THE DENVER HARBOR COMMUNITY WITH GRATITUDE FROM THE DENVER HARBOR CIVIC CLUB. THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU. SECOND, CHANCES CAN BE A WONDERFUL INSTRUMENT FOR CHANGE. THE COMMUNITY REENTRY NETWORK PROGRAM OF THE HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT KICKOFF THEIR 33RD BIANNUAL SPRING GRADUATION. THESE GRADUATES CROSSED THE STAGE WITH A RESET MINDSET AND NEW TOOLS TO SHAPE THEIR FUTURES. GARY TUCKER II HAS SOME INSPIRATIONAL WORDS FOR HIS FELLOW GRADUATES. PROGRAMS LIKE THIS MATTER. REENTRY, AS I STATED, IS MORE THAN JUST COMING HOME. IT'S FACING INVISIBLE BATTLES AND REBUILDING FROM SCRATCH. CRNP UNDERSTANDS THIS. THEY HELP US RESET OUR MINDSET AND PREPARE [00:05:01] TO FACE LIFE DIFFERENTLY. THEY HELP US TO BELIEVE THAT CHANGE ISN'T JUST POSSIBLE, IT'S ALREADY HAPPENING. ONE CHOICE AT A TIME. TO EVERYONE WHO MADE THIS POSSIBLE, THANK YOU. LET'S GO FORWARD WITH FAITH. LET'S GO FORWARD WITH PURPOSE AND NEVER EVER FORGET WE ARE MORE THAN OUR PAST. LIKE THAT YETI, WE ARE PROOF THAT GROWTH IS POSSIBLE EVEN IN THE DARKEST PLACES. THE COMMUNITY REENTRY NETWORK PROGRAM ADDRESSES THE WHOLE PERSON WITH INNOVATIVE EVIDENCE-BASED PROGRAMMING AND LINKAGE TO SERVICES DESIGNED TO MEET THE NEEDS OF FORMERLY INCARCERATED PERSONS AND INTERRUPTING THE CYCLE OF RECIDIVISM. TO LEARN MORE, PLEASE VISIT HOUSTON HEALTH.ORG AND CLICK ON SERVICES FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. OKAY, WE NEED TO TAKE A QUICK BREAK, BUT WHEN WE RETURN SPECTRUM FUSION TAKES US TO ELEANOR TINSLEY PARK AND HIGHLIGHTS THIS YEAR'S FREEDOM OVER TEXAS. IN HOUSTON, A TACO IS NEVER JUST A TACO. IT'S AN INSPIRATION FROM CONVERSATION, A REFLECTION OF EXPERIMENTATION, A PRODUCT OF OUR STREETS, OUR LANGUAGES, OUR ART, OUR DREAMS TAKEN FROM HERE AND THERE, A LITTLE OF THIS, A LITTLE OF THAT. IT'S WHERE HERITAGE AND AMBITION COME TOGETHER. THAT'S JUST HOW IT WORKS AROUND HERE BECAUSE WE KNOW TOGETHER MAKES IT AMAZING. THE HOUSTON HISTORY RESEARCH CENTER IS LOCATED IN THE HISTORIC JULIA IEN BUILDING. OUR MISSION IS TO COLLECT, PRESERVE, AND PROVIDE ACCESS TO HOUSTON AND TEXAS HISTORY IN THE FORM OF PHOTOGRAPHS, MAPS, BOOKS, BUSINESS AND PERSONAL PAPERS AND ARCHITECTURAL DRAWINGS. TAKE A TOUR OF OUR BEAUTIFUL BUILDING AND DON'T MISS OUR DOROTHY KNOX. HOW HOUT IN READING ROOM OR OUR GALLERIES SUCH AS THE NEW DR. JAMES AND BETTY KEY MAP ROOM COME CURIOUS, LEAVE INSPIRED HISTORY IS WAITING FOR YOU. YOU COULD EAT EVERY NIGHT OF THE WEEK IN HOUSTON AND ONLY SCRATCH THE SURFACE OF ALL THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF CUISINES THAT WE HAVE HERE. THERE'S SO MUCH TO EXPLORE. THE BEST WAY TO TAKE IT IS JUST NEIGHBORHOOD AT A TIME. EACH NEIGHBORHOOD HAS ITS OWN SPECIALTY AND THERE'S JUST SO MUCH TO LEARN. IT'S ONE OF THE BEST THINGS ABOUT FOOD IS THAT YOU CAN NEVER LEARN AT ALL. HOUSTON FIRST CORPORATION INTRODUCES A NEW CULTURAL CENTER IN DOWNTOWN HOUSTON. LYNN WYATT SQUARE, IN THE HOUSTON THEATER DISTRICT WITH OAK TREES, WATER FEATURES AND PROGRAMMING. OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. LYNN WYATT SQUARE.COM. THE FAMILY HISTORY RESEARCH CENTER AT THE CLAYTON LIBRARY CAMPUS IS ONE OF THE PREMIER GENEALOGICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS IN THE NATION. IN ADDITION TO OUR COLLECTION OF OVER 100,000 BOOKS, WE OFFER RECORDS FOR ALL 50 STATES, INTERNATIONAL RECORDS, FAMILY CHARTS AND NOTES, AND OVER 29 ONLINE DATABASES. WE ASSIST RESEARCHERS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD OF ALL LEVELS OF EXPERTISE, FROM BEGINNER TO EXPERT. COME UNCOVER YOUR PAST, UNDERSTAND YOUR PRESENT, AND PRESERVE YOUR LEGACY FOR THE FUTURE AT THE CLAYTON LIBRARY. WELCOME BACK. YOU CAN'T SPELL HOUSTON WITHOUT US. SO THE IDEA OF A VIBRANT COMMUNITY IS SOMETHING WORTH CELEBRATING, AS IS OUR NATION'S BIRTHDAY. OUR PARTNERS WITH SPECTRUM FUSION DO BOTH. IN TALKING TO THE VOLUNTEERS AT THE 4TH OF JULY, CELEBRATION, FREEDOM OVER TEXAS, UM, I AM OVER THE VOLUNTEERS FOR THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF THE EVENT. WE HAVE A NEW TEAM ON BOARD THIS YEAR, SO THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF CHANGES AND WE'RE WORKING THROUGH ALL OF THOSE AND WE'RE GONNA MAKE IT, IT'S EVEN BETTER. SO YEAH, ALWAYS HAS TO BE. SOME OF THESE VOLUNTEERS HAVE WORKED FOR ME FOR FIVE YEARS, SO I HAVE HUGE BASE, HUGE LOYALTY OF VOLUNTEERS THAT COME BACK EVERY SINGLE YEAR AND THEY LOVE THIS EVENT. I THINK, UM, BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY, UM, LIKE PLACES YOU CAN GO, LIKE THERE'S SO MANY BOOTHS EVERYWHERE AND THERE'S LIKE A LOT OF CHARACTERS AND I THINK IT'S JUST VERY ENJOYABLE. SO EVERYONE WOULD LIKE TO COME HERE. AND I THINK THE DIVERSITY OF ALL THE [00:10:01] HOUSTON EVENTS, UM, WE HAVE THE ARMY I PRESENTED, WE HAVE THE ASTROS HERE AND JUST MEETING SO MANY NEW PEOPLE WITH THE DIVERSITY HERE. I THINK THAT'S WHAT DREW ME TO THIS EVENT. OH, OUR FAVORITE PART ABOUT WORKING WITH THE CITY. WE LIKE CREATING CUSTOM EXPERIENCES FOR KIDS AND ADULTS, KIND OF FINDING THE NEEDS AND, AND MEETING THOSE NEEDS. IT'S A LOT OF FUN AND MEETING, WE LOVE MEETING THE COMMUNITY AND SERVING OUR COMMUNITY. ABSOLUTELY. WE'RE SUPER THANKFUL FOR OUR COUNTRY. YOU KNOW, IT'S THE DAY TO BE THANKFUL TODAY AND EVERY DAY SHOULD WE SHOULD BE THANKFUL, BUT TODAY ESPECIALLY, YOU GET TO GET TO BE WITH EVERYONE AND, AND SAY HELLO. ABSOLUTELY. EVERY YEAR IS UNIQUELY DIFFERENT AND EXCITING, SO IT'S HARD TO SAY WHICH ONE WAS BETTER THAN THE OTHER BECAUSE EACH ONE GIVES ANOTHER ELEMENT OF, OF SUCCESS AND, UH, PAGEANTRY. WE MAKE SURE THAT OUR VOLUNTEERS ARE DOING WHAT THEY NEED, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE ELEMENTS. SO IT'S BEEN REALLY EXCITING FOR ME TO WATCH IT GROW INTO WHAT IT IS TODAY. I REALLY DO ENJOY THESE EVENTS. LIKE I LIKE HELPING MY COMMUNITY. HOUSTON IS MASSIVE AND ALWAYS HAS A BUNCH OF THINGS GOING ON AND I TELL PEOPLE IT'S REALLY FUN TO SEE ALL THE CULTURES COME IN AND BLEND. THIS IS A GREAT WAY TO MAKE FRIENDS AND SEE PEOPLE AND LIKE I SAID, I LIKE GIVING MY TIME, SO WHY NOT ? YOU KNOW, EACH VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE IS DIFFERENT BECAUSE YOU'RE DEALING WITH, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT PEOPLE AND IT'S JUST FUN TO BE OUT HERE AND SEE DIFFERENT PEOPLE COME OUT. SOME, YOU KNOW, AS FAMILIES COME AND I, THAT'S PART OF THE REASON WHY I VOLUNTEER BECAUSE IT GIVES ME AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET DIFFERENT PEOPLE, NEW PEOPLE AND MAKE SOME FRIENDS ALONG THE WAY. SO I ENJOY DOING IT. NOTHING JUST THAT. I LOVE MY VOLUNTEERS. LOVE MY STAFF. COULDN'T DO IT WITHOUT 'EM. AND IT IS AMAZING TO ME THAT EVERY YEAR THEY COME OUT IN HUNDRED DEGREE WEATHER AND ARE HAPPY AT THE END AND HAPPY TO BE HERE. SO THAT IS AMAZING. IT'S ALL ABOUT THEM. FINALLY, IT IS TIME TO CHILL OUT IN PLEASANTVILLE. RECENTLY HOUSTON PARKS AND RECREATION CELEBRATED A NEW UPGRADE AT THE JUDSON ROBINSON SENIOR PLAYGROUND BEFORE RESIDENTS COOLED OFF IN THE COMMUNITY POOL. IT'S BEEN A GREAT DAY IN PLEASANTVILLE. IT'S BEEN A DAY OF CELEBRATION. CAN WE CUT? YES. CELEBRATING THE NEW SHADE STRUCTURE OVER THE JUDSON ROBINSON SENIOR PLAYGROUND. WE CELEBRATE A COOLER, GREENER, AND BETTER FUTURE FOR EVERYONE AND CELEBRATING MORE CITY POOLS BEING OPENED. THIS WAS A TREMENDOUS EFFORT AND I CAN PROUDLY SAY THAT SINCE 2019 WE HAVEN'T OPENED THIS MANY POOLS FULL TIME. SO A ROUND OF APPLAUSE TO ALL STAFF INVOLVED IN THAT PROCESS. AND THE LIFEGUARD RECRUITMENT PROCESS HAS BEEN AIDED BY COMMUNITY PARTNER, CLEAR CHANNEL MEDIA AND ITS BILLBOARD. IT HAS CREATED OVER 58.8 MILLION MARKET IMPRESSIONS IN THE HOUSTON AREA. THAT MEANS A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN SEEING THESE, THESE SIGNS FOR, UH, TO APPLY FOR THESE POSITIONS. PULLS OPEN, GUYS, COME ON DOWN. THIS AND 26 OTHER NEIGHBORHOOD POOLS AROUND HOUSTON ARE OPEN SIX DAYS A WEEK NOW THAT'S THE MOST POOLS OPEN CONTINUOUSLY IN H TOWN SINCE 2019. I'M FEEL OVERFILLED WITH JOY BECAUSE I SEE MYSELF AS A LITTLE KID. YOU KNOW, MY MOM HAD 16 KIDS AND SO LIKE FOR A MOTHER TO HAVE LIKE AT LEAST EIGHT KIDS IN THE HOUSE AT ONE TIME OF HAVING A POOL AROUND THE CORNER, IT WAS GOOD. AND THEN RIGHT NOW WITH IT BEING EXTRA HOT, IT JUST OF GO AGAIN. IT KEEPS YOU COOL. AND SO THAT'S WHY I GOT MY FEET IN HERE BECAUSE IT'S HOT OUT HERE. THIS KEEPS ME COOL. SO I'M REALLY JUST THANKFUL, UM, THAT WE HAVE THIS POOL OPEN AND MY HOPE IS THAT, YOU KNOW, EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD SHOULD HAVE A POOL. THE JUDSON ROBINSON SENIOR COMMUNITY CENTER IN PLEASANTVILLE. IT'S JUST ONE MORE REASON WHY WE LIKE TO SAY HOUSTON PARKS AND REC, WHERE YOU BELONG. THAT'S ALL THE TIME WE HAVE OUR CITY PULSE TODAY. BUT I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T QUICKLY MENTION A FEW OF THE DECISIONS CITY COUNCIL MADE THIS MONTH. THE CIVILITY ORDINANCE GOT REVISED PERSONS CAN NO LONGER SIT, LIE DOWN, OR STORE BELONGINGS IN PUBLIC SPACES BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 11:00 PM AND 7:00 AM ALSO, IT'S GOING TO BE OPEN MIC NIGHT AT CITY HALL AS HOUSTON HOLTS. ITS FIRST NIGHTTIME PUBLIC SESSION OF CITY COUNCIL AT THE END OF AUGUST, OKAY, FOR HTV HOUSTON TELEVISION, HOUSTON PARKS AND RECREATION SPECTRUM FUSION AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON. THIS IS TRAVIS LEMONS LEAVING YOU LIKE I ALWAYS DO. UNTIL NEXT TIME, REMEMBER THAT WE CAN ALWAYS DO BETTER AND KINDNESS IS FREE. * 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.