* 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. [Economic Development Committee on August 20, 2025.] [00:00:11] ALL OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS IN CHAMBER TODAY. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN FOR BEING HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN, COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER AND STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN'S OFFICE AND STAFF. ALSO FROM COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS'S OFFICE. THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE. UH, VICE CHAIR FLICKINGER, DID YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS TODAY? NO, MA'AM. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO FOR JOINING US AS WELL. AND ON ONLINE WE HAVE STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER CAROLYN EVANS SHABAZZ'S OFFICE. OKAY, I READY. OKAY. SO THIS MEETING IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. IT'S BEING HELD IN PERSON AND VIRTUALLY WE ARE BROADCASTING, UH, LIVE ON HTV AS WELL. OUR FIRST PRESENTATION, UH, TODAY WILL BE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR JENNIFER CURLEY WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND SHE'S GOING TO PRESENT ON THE TAX INCREMENT REINVESTMENT ZONE, BUDGET OVERVIEW, AND THE SCHEDULE. WE GET A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT OUR, OUR TURS BUDGETS AND WHEN AND WHERE. SO, VERY EXCITED TO HAVE YOU HERE TODAY. SO WHEN YOU ARE READY, WE ARE READY TO HEAR FROM YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON COUNCIL MEMBERS. I'LL BE PRESENTING THE PROPOSED 2026 TURS BUDGET SCHEDULE. FIRST, I'M GONNA HIT TS PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS. THEN I'LL GO OVER THE PROJECT DEVELOPMENT PROCESS, FOLLOWED BY HOW THE PROJECT BUDGETS WILL BE ALLOCATED FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026. LASTLY, A PROPOSED TS BUDGET SCHEDULE WILL BE PRESENTED. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. TAX INCREMENT REINVESTMENT ZONES ARE AUTHORIZED BY CHAPTER THREE 11 OF THE TEXAS TAX CODE. TSAS WERE CREATED BY THE CITY TO ENCOURAGE THE REDEVELOPMENT OF UNDERDEVELOPED, UNDEVELOPED COMMERCIAL AREAS, OR AS ALLOWED BY STATE STATUTE. THE CITY OF HOUSTON HAS CREATED 28 T'S. 27 TS ARE ACTIVE. IN ADDITION TO CITY INCREMENT, THE TOTS PROGRAM HAS FINANCIAL PARTNERSHIPS WITH HARRIS COUNTY, HOUSTON INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT, SPRING, ISD, ALDE, ISD, HOUSTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND LONE STAR COLLEGE. RECENTLY, HARRIS COUNTY BEGAN THEIR PARTICIPATION IN ST. ST. GEORGE PLACE, ALSO KNOWN AS LAMAR TERRACE, UPTOWN AND SOUTHWEST HOUSTON. TERRA HARRIS COUNTY CURRENTLY PARTICIPATES IN DOWNTOWN EAST DOWNTOWN, AND THE GREATER HOUSTON TURS, THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY, HARRIS COUNTY, AND THE TOWN. THE DOWNTOWN TURS ENDS THIS YEAR, DECEMBER 31ST, 2025. HARRIS COUNTY HAS RENEWED THE INTERLOCAL WITH DOWNTOWN TURS, UM, THROUGH 2043. HARRIS COUNTY HAS ALSO PARTNERED WITH SUNNYSIDE ANDS ON SPECIFIC PROJECTS. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. THE PROJECT PLAN AND REINVESTMENT ZONE FINANCING PLAN THAT CITY COUNCIL APPROVES GUIDES THE DIRECTION OF THET PROJECTS. THE PROJECT CAST, THE PROJECT COST CATEGORIES THAT ARE IN THE PROJECT PLAN ARE DISTILLED DOWN TO SPECIFIC PROJECTS. THE TERM THE TS TEAM WILL LOOK AT STUDIES THAT HAVE BEEN DONE IN THE AREA, ENGAGE HPDA, UM, HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS OR PARKS, AND CREATE A CAPITAL PLAN DRAFT FOR THE TS BOARD. THE BOARD APPROVES THE BUDGET AND SUBMITS IT TO CITY COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL BEFORE THE BUDGET IS SUBMITTED TO COUNCIL. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SETS UP MEETINGS WITH THE MAYOR'S ASSISTANT CHIEF POLICY OFFICER AND HPW TO LOOK AT THE SPECIFICS OF THE PROJECTS. SO WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IS WE MEET WITH THAT GROUP, UM, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND THE TR CONSULTANT, AND WE LOOK AT, UM, TURNING LANES. WE LOOK AT SIDEWALK WI WIDTH AND, UM, THE CONTINUATION OF SIDEWALKS INTO OTHER PROJECTS. WE LOOK AT THE STREET PLAN THAT THEY, THEY'RE, THEY'RE SUBMITTING IN THEIR PARTICULAR PROJECT. UM, PART OF THE GOAL OF LOOKING AT THOSE THINGS IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CAPITAL PROJECTS ARE CONSISTENT WITH THE MAYOR'S POLICIES. ALSO, WE'RE COORDINATING [00:05:01] WITH PUBLIC WORKS ON ANY OTHER PROJECTS THAT THEY MAY BE DOING IN THE AREA TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, UM, WHERE MAYBE THE TURS PROJECT STARTS OR STOPS. WE KNOW WHERE THE CITIES' PROJECT OR METROS PROJECT OR CARRIS COUNTY PROJECT WILL BE ALSO IN THAT PARTICULAR AREA. AFTER THIS REVIEW, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SCHEDULES MEETINGS OR BEFORE, IF, AFTER THIS REVIEW, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SCHEDULES, MEETINGS WITH THE DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBERS TO DISCUSS THE TS BUDGETS THAT ARE INCLUDED IN THEIR AREA. GENERALLY SPEAKING, MOST OF THE PROJECTS ARE APPROVED BY PUBLIC WORKS AND THE MAYOR'S ASSISTANT, UM, CHIEF POLICY OFFICER. THERE MAY BE CHANGES TO THOSE PARTICULAR PROJECT, BUT THE PROJECT ITSELF MAY STILL REMAIN IN THE BUDGET. IT'S JUST THERE WAS A CHANGE. MAYBE SIDEWALK LI UH, SIDEWALK, UM, WHIS WERE CHANGED, OR MAYBE A TURNING LANE WAS TAKEN OUT. IT'S BEEN RARE THAT AN ACTUAL WHOLE PROJECT HAS BEEN TAKEN OUT. THERE HAVE BEEN PROJECTS TAKEN OUT OF BUDGETS, BUT GENERALLY, ONCE, UM, THAT REVIEW HAS HAPPENED AND WE'VE GOTTEN THE GO AHEAD, THEN WE MEET WITH CITY COUNCIL, UM, OFFICES OVER THE BUDGETS. SO HISTORICALLY, WE HAVE ONLY SCHEDULED MEETINGS WITH DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBERS DUE TO THEIR PROXIMITY TO THE DIRECT IMPACT THESE PROJECTS HAVE TO THEIR COMMUNITIES. THIS YEAR, WE WILL OFFER MEETINGS TO THE, AT LARGE, UM, COUNCIL MEMBERS. ONCE THE BUDGETS ARE PUT INTO THE PUT ON THE AGENDA AND C CITY COUNCIL APPROVES THE BUDGET, THE TS TEAMS CAN BEGIN THE PROCESS OF IMPLEMENTING THEIR PROJECTS. THIS STARTS WITH HB DDS, HWS, UH, DESIGN CONCEPT REPORT, WHICH IS, YOU MIGHT HEAR SOMEONE CALL IT A DCR THAT STANDS FOR DESIGN CONCEPT REPORT REVIEW. THEN HPD, THEY, THIS IS WHERE THEY HAVE A SESSION WITH THE TURS. THEY TALK ABOUT THE SPECIFIC PROJECTS IN THEIR 30% PLAN, OFFER SUGGESTIONS, UM, TO THAT PARTICULAR PLAN. PLAN. THESE ARE SPECIFIC ENGINEERING TYPE, UM, FEEDBACK. THEN AS IT GOES, UM, WHEN THE CONSULTANT, WHEN THE ENGINEERING CONSULTANT GETS TO 30%, THEY SCHEDULE ANOTHER MEETING WITH PUBLIC WORKS, RECEIVE ADDITIONAL COMMENTS, THEN THEY GO FORWARD ON THEIR 60% AND 90%. ONCE THEY GET TO A HUNDRED PERCENT DESIGN PLAN, THEN THEY ARE A, THEY'RE ABLE TO BID THAT PROJECT OUT. AND SO, UM, THE PROJECT IS BID, UM, IT'S ADVERTISED, UM, THE, THEY GET THE BIDS BACK. THEN THE BOARD AWARDS, THE, THE CONTRACT, AND THEN CONSTRUCTION WILL BEGIN. TYPICALLY CONSTRUCTION'S ABOUT A TWO YEAR PRO PROCESS. ONCE THE CONSTRUCTION HAS BEEN COMPLETED, THE PROJECT IS REMOVED FROM THE BUDGET. THE FINISHED PROJECT PROJECT IS CONVEYED TO THE CITY AND BECOMES A CITY ASSET. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. SO, THE PROPOSED, UM, BUDGET SUBMITTED TO THE CITY FOR FISCAL YEAR 26, SO FAR, TOTAL 205 MILLION. THAT'S FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2026. THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE THE ENTIRE FIVE YEAR PLAN. UM, THE, THE ALLOCATION OF THE FUNDING IS NINE, UM, 96.5 MILLION ON STREET PROJECTS, 44.6 MILLION IN FLOOD REMEDIATION PROJECTS, 22.6 MILLION IN PEDESTRIAN INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS, PARKS AND GREEN SPACE. THE ALLOCATION IS ALMOST 21 MILLION IN PARKS AND GREEN SPACE RELATED PROJECTS. TOTAL PROJECTS, IF YOU HAVE ALL OF THE PROJECTS OVER A FIVE YEAR PERIOD, UM, THEY WILL TOTAL $936.3 MILLION. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. SO ON THIS PARTICULAR PAGE, WE ARE PRESENTING THE ORDER THAT WE'RE TAKING, THE PROPOSED ORDER, THAT WE ARE TAKING THE BUDGETS, UM, TO CITY COUNCIL. WHAT MAY CHANGE THIS ORDER IS IF THERE'S A CHANGE IN SOMETHING IN THE CIP, WE HAVEN'T HAD THE MEETINGS WITH PUBLIC WORKS YET TO, IF THERE'S A CHANGE IN A PROJECT, THEN THAT MIGHT CHANGE UP THE ORDER A LITTLE BIT. I LOOKED AT, I LOOKED AT THE SUBMITTED 2026 BUDGETS AND COMPARED THEM TO 2025. MANY OF THEM DID NOT CHANGE YEAR OVER YEAR. SO MY EXPECTATION IS THAT THE ONES THAT DID NOT CHANGE YEAR OVER YEAR CAN GO FORWARD. THE FEW THAT HAVE NEW PROJECTS, THOSE WILL HAVE TO GO, UM, THROUGH REVIEW, UM, WITH PUBLIC WORKS AND THE ASSISTANT, UM, CHIEF POLICY OFFICER. UM, AND SO ANYTIME YOU SEE [00:10:01] A CHANGE, GENERALLY THAT'S WHAT IT IS. THERE IS A LIKE, HOLD UP, LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT SOMETHING AND A CIP PROJECT IN THE BUDGET, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE TO MAYBE MOVE THAT ONE, UM, TOWARD A LATER DATE. BUT FOR RIGHT NOW, THIS IS THE PROPOSED ORDER THAT WE ARE TAKING THE BUDGETS TO CITY COUNCIL. DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? I DO. UM, FIRST, LET ME SAY, BUT FORTS, WE WOULDN'T HAVE ANY PROJECTS IN DISTRICT A. I NEVER GET TIRED OF, UH, SAYING HOW IMPORTANT I THINK THESE, THESE PROJECTS ARE TO OUR COMMUNITY. UM, THE ONLY CONCERN THAT I REALLY HAVE IS, IS THERE ANY WAY TO STREAMLINE THE PROCESS? UM, I KNOW THAT WE GO THROUGH ALL OF THESE STEPS, UM, BUT HAVE WE LOOKED AT, UM, I, I FEEL LIKE IT GETS TO ONE SPACE, AND THEN WE NEED TO REMIND EVERYBODY, OKAY, LET'S, LET'S KEEP IT MOVING. I, I, I WANNA SEE IF THERE'S ANY WAY WE CAN STREAMLINE THE PROJECT TO GET TO THE PROJECT FASTER, BECAUSE WE HAVE SOME PROJECTS. I KNOW THAT, UM, THE PURCHASE OF RIGHT AWAY TAKES A LONG TIME WHEN WE'RE DOING INTERSECTION PROJECTS MM-HMM . AND THEN WE HAVE TO BUY PROPERTY FROM THREE OF THE CORNERS TO IMPROVE THE INTERSECTION. I JUST FEEL LIKE THE PROJECTS TAKE A LONG TIME. THEY DO. WHEN YOU HAVE TO ACQUIRE THAT PROPERTY FOR PROJECTS, UM, IT DOES TAKE A, IT'S, THAT'S NOT UNUSUAL FOR OTHER CHURCHES AS WELL. UM, LAKE HOUSTON HAD THAT ISSUE WHEN THEY WERE ACQUIRING, UM, CLIPS FOR THEIR NORTH PARK, UM, DRIVE PROJECT. SO IT'S NOT UNUSUAL TO HAVE THAT DELAY. UM, WE LOOK AT TRYING TO, FOR, ESPECIALLY THROUGH OUR PROCESSES, WHATEVER WE HAVE OUR HANDS ON, MOVE IT AS QUICKLY AS WE POSSIBLY CAN. BUT WE CAN ALWAYS TAKE A LOOK AND SEE IF THERE ARE, UM, UM, THINGS THAT WE CAN DO. I KNOW THAT WE'VE COACHED, UM, ENGINEERS ON HOW TO KIND OF WORK WITH PUBLIC WORKS ON GETTING THINGS TO, TO MOVE, UM, FASTER. OKAY. UM, THROUGH THAT PROCESS. SO, UM, WE'RE, WHEN WE ARE AWARE OF IT, 'CAUSE SOMETIMES WE AREN'T AWARE THAT THEY'RE HAVING TROUBLE, BUT ONCE WE FIND THAT THEY'RE HAVING TROUBLES, GETTING TROUBLE, GETTING PROJECTS MOVED ALONG, WE WILL, YOU KNOW, COACH AND, AND TRY TO PROVIDE RESOLUTIONS. I KNOW THAT WE'VE GOTTEN ON PHONE CALLS WITH, WITH PEOPLE IN PUBLIC WORKS TO HELP GET SOMETHING MOVED, MOVED ALONG FASTER. OKAY. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. JENNIFER, I GOT A FEW QUESTIONS FOR YOU. UH, ONE OF WHICH I NOTICED FROM LOOKING AT THE PROPOSED BUDGET SCHEDULE. UM, SOME OF THESE COME CLOSE TO FOUR MONTHS OR MORE AFTER THE FISCAL YEAR BEGINS. CAN YOU TELL US WHY? UH, WELL INTO THE FISCAL YEAR, WE GET WELL INTO THE FISCAL YEAR BEFORE WE START LOOKING AT THESE BUDGETS, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO JUGGLE AGAINST THE CITY'S BUDGET BEING, UM, APPROVED BY COUNCIL. AND THEN, UM, THE CITY, CIP SO TYPICALLY THE SCHEDULE HAS BEEN THAT TURS BUDGETS COME IN AFTER THE CITY CIP CIPS PROCESS. SO THAT'S ONE, UM, ISSUE. TRYING TO LET ALL OF THE OTHER CITY ITEMS GO BY FIRST BEFORE WE START PUTTING ON C UMTS BUDGETS. THEN OF COURSE, WE HAVE THE MEETINGS THAT WE NEED TO HAVE WITH PUBLIC WORKS AND THE MAYOR'S ASSISTANT PO POLICY CHIEF. WE'VE GOTTA MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THOSE MEETINGS BECAUSE WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE OVERSIGHT IS THERE. THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS IN PREVIOUS COUNCILS THAT THEY WERE CONCERNED ABOUT. SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE OVERSIGHT, WE HAVE THE BUY-IN WITH REGARD TO, UM, WHAT'S IN THE, THE BUDGETS AND THAT IT IS COMPLIMENTARY AND CONSISTENT WITH WHAT THE CITY'S DOING. SO THAT KIND OF, THAT ALSO INCLUDES, UM, PART OF THE DELAY IN GETTING THOSE BUDGETS TO YOU. WE, UM, LASTLY, I WOULD SAY TO YOU THAT IT, IT'LL BE MUCH QUICKER AS WE, UM, GROW INTO THE NEW ADMINISTRATION, BECAUSE FIRST YEAR IS ALWAYS REALLY, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO GET AND, AND NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS AS WELL, BECAUSE WE HAVE TO GET YOU GUYS UP TO SPEED ABOUT WHAT WE'RE ACTUALLY DOING. AND THAT TAKES TIME AS WELL. AND THOSE, THAT TIME PUSHES BACK OUR TIME WITH RE WITH REGARD TO PUTTING THOSE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA. ALRIGHT, I APPRECIATE THAT AND I APPRECIATE YOU ALL BEING WILLING TO ALLOW THE AT LARGES TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT, THAT MEETING WITH, THAT'S FORMALLY BEEN HELD JUST WITH THE DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER. I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT, UH, STEP ONE AND STEP SIX. SO STEP SIX IS, AND THIS IS ON SLIDE THREE, [00:15:01] UH, IS THE COUNCIL VOTE ON THE, ON THE TOURS BUDGET. UH, ONE IS, UH, PROJECT PLAN AND REINVESTMENT ZONE FINANCING PLAN APPROVED BY COUNCIL. WHERE WHERE IS THE, UH, STEP ONE IN ALL OF THIS? SO THAT'S AT THE VERY BEGINNING. TSAS CANNOT SPEND ON, SPEND MONEY ON PROJECTS THAT ARE NOT IN THEIR PROJECT PLAN. SO, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, ONE OF THE PUBLIC FACILITIES IS ONE, IF YOU DO NOT HAVE PUBLIC FAC, IF A TURS DOES NOT HAVE PUBLIC FACILITIES IN THEIR PROJECT PLAN, THEY CAN'T, FOR EXAMPLE, CONTRIBUTE TO ANY FIRE STATION OR POLICE STATION, UM, ANY LIBRARY, UM, ANY, ANY INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, PROJECT DEALING WITH A PUBLIC BUILDING IF IT IS NOT IN THEIR PROJECT PLAN. SO THE FIRST STEP IS, UM, THE PROJECT PLAN. AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS ANOTHER ONE. IF YOU, IF A TOURS DOES NOT HAVE AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN ITS PROJECT PLAN, IT CANNOT CONTRIBUTE TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING. UM, EXCUSE ME. YEAH. AND, AND IT CANNOT CONTRIBUTE ANY DOLLARS TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING. IT CAN'T BUILD AFFORDABLE HOUSING. SO THE FIRST STEP IS THE PROJECT PLAN THAT IS GUIDING THE PROJECTS THAT THET WILL FOCUS ON IN, IN THEIR FUTURE. OKAY. UH, THANK, I APPRECIATE THAT. SO, STEP ONE, WHERE DOES THAT COME IN RELATION TO COUNCIL VOTING ON THE OVERALL BUDGET, WHICH WE DO IN, IN JUNE BECAUSE THE TURS THE COUNCIL VOTES ON THE PROJECT PLAN AND REINVESTMENT ZONE FINANCING PLAN HAS TO, THET CANNOT DO ANYTHING UNTIL COUNCIL APPROVES THE PROJECT PLAN. AND, UH, REINVE REINVESTMENT ZONE FINANCING PLAN O. OKAY. BUT IF I COULD JUST TIE THE KNOT ON THIS. SO, SO DOES STEP ONE COME AFTER COUNCIL APPROVES THE OVERALL CITY BUDGET OR BEFORE THAT? OH, THAT DOESN'T, THE PROJECT PLAN IS JUST A, A DOCUMENT THAT COULD COME TO COUNCIL AT ANY TIME. SO WE TYPICALLY TAKE THOSE ITEMS IN THE FALL. UM, THE ONE THAT COUNCIL MOST RECENTLY SAW, I'M FORGETTING WHICH ONE YOU JUST RECENTLY SAW. YOU JUST, YOU JUST SAW ONE LAST FALL AND YOU'LL SEE SOME IN, YOU MAY SEE SOME IN, IN THE COMING MONTHS. BUT WE CAN AMEND THOSE OR BRING IN A NEW PROJECT PLAN AND REINVESTMENT ZONE FINANCING PLAN AT ANY TIME. WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IS KIND OF AN OVERALL PROJECT PLAN THAT INCUMBENTS THAT, THAT COVERS A 30 YEAR TERM OF A, OF A TERMS. AND IT'S BASICALLY SAYING, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE THE AREAS THAT, UM, NEED TO BE LOOKED AT TO BE DEVELOPED OR REDEVELOPED IN ORDER TO IMPROVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN A PARTICULAR AREA. THUS ALSO IMPROVING THE TAX, UM, BASE IN THAT PARTICULAR AREA. AND, UM, TRANSPORTATION, MOBILITY ISSUES IN THAT AREA AND QUALITY OF LIFE. SO, SUMMARIZING GENERALLY WHAT THE PROJECT PLANS SAY, UM, THEY TALK ABOUT WHAT IMPROVEMENTS NEED TO BE MADE, WHETHER IT'S MOBILITY, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UM, UM, PARKS, UM, QUALITY OF LIFE TYPE OF THINGS. AND IT ASSESSES WHAT IT'S, IT PLANS TO PURSUE AND THE GOALS THAT IT HAS. AND THEN IT'LL PRO, IT GENERALLY PROVIDES A FINANCING SCHEDULE AND ALL OF THESE THINGS. UM, THE PROJECT PLAN IS REQUIRED BY CHAPTER THREE 11. SO YOU CAN'T SPEND MONEY UNTIL YOU HAVE THE OTHER THINGS IN PLACE FIRST. AND SO YOU HAVE TO SET UP THE CREATE COUNCIL HAS TO CREATE THE TOURS. UM, THE STATUTE, CHAPTER THREE 11 REQUIRES A PROJECT PLAN IN ZONE, UH, REINVESTMENT ZONE FINANCING PLAN. AND THEN AFTER ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE SET UP, THEN A BUDGET COMES. ALRIGHT, I'LL GO BACK IN THE QUEUE. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ. THANK YOU CHAIR. UM, JENNIFER, I JUST WANNA SAY, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR WORK. I'VE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF BEING ABLE TO WORK WITH YOU ON SEVERAL OF THESE TOURS, EVEN CREATING SOME TRIPARTY AGREEMENTS TO FINALLY SEE A PROJECT PLAN AND SEE PROJECTS COME TO FRUITION. UM, AND I, I, UH, AGREE WITH MAYOR PRO TIM, CHAIR CHAIRWOMAN, THAT, UH, WITHOUT THESE TOURS, UM, HONESTLY, I WOULD SAY 10 YEARS THAT I WAS ON STAFF, UM, WE PRO PROBABLY SAW LITTLE TO NO CIP PROJECTS. UM, AND SO, BUT FOR THESE TOURS, UH, ARE WE ABLE TO SEE INFRASTRUCTURE, WHETHER IT'S DRAINAGE, UH, PAVEMENT CONDITIONS, SIDEWALKS, EVEN PARK AND GREEN SPACE, UH, EXCITED ABOUT STUFF THAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE HARRISBURG TOUR, SPECIFICALLY WITH TELEPHONE ROAD PROJECT, BUT ALSO MASON PARK AND AND SO ON. UM, THESE TOUR ARE ABLE TO, TO ACCOMPLISH THESE, THESE, UH, THESE PROJECTS THROUGH, UH, BEING ABLE TO GET, UH, CREATE SOME BOND CAPACITY. UM, HOW OFTEN, HOW OFTEN ARE, ARE THE TOUR COMING FOR, UH, A RENEWAL OR TO BE ABLE TO, UH, INCREASE THEIR BONDING OR [00:20:01] BE ABLE TO HAVE PROJECTS WITH SOME OF THE BONDING TO, FOR THESE LARGER PROJECTS? 'CAUSE I KNOW THAT THEY HAVE THEIR ANNUAL INCREMENT, BUT TO BE ABLE TO TAKE ON A HUGE PROJECT LIKE MASON PARK, WHERE IT'S $15 MILLION, $16 MILLION THEY HAVE PUSHING FOR EASTWOOD PARK FOR THAT SAME TERRACE. HOW OFTEN ARE, ARE YOU, ARE YOU RECEIVING A REQUESTS FOR BOND CAPACITY? WELL, IT, IT DEPENDS ON THE PROJECTS. I'LL HAVE TO GET BACK WITH YOU. 'CAUSE I THINK, I THOUGHT HARRISBURG BROUGHT A BONDED CAPACITY A FEW YEARS AGO. YEAH. I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'VE, THEY'VE SPENT IT ALL, NOT IT'S, WE, IT'S IN THE PROJECT PLAN AND WE HAVE, WE'RE HAVING IT THINK WE HAVE LIKE TWO OR THREE MORE YEARS LEFT TO SPEND THOSE DOLLARS. BUT CAN THEY, WHEN CAN THEY COME BACK FOR ANOTHER, ANOTHER BONDING? SO USUALLY WHEN WE EVALUATE, UM, UM, BONDING CAPACITY, WE'RE LOOKING AT THEIR SPEND. AND SO THE QUESTION WE WOULD ASK TO TER IS, WHAT ARE YOU SPENDING THE MONEY ON? AND SO THEY HAVE TO GIVE US A LIST OF PROJECTS THAT THEY'RE PLANNING TO SPEND THAT FUNDING ON. IF THEY STILL HAVE CAPACITY, WE, WE WILL NOT GIVE THEM ADDITIONAL BONDING UNTIL THEY USE UP THAT CAPACITY OR GET CLOSE TO USING UP THAT CAPACITY. ULTIMATELY THOUGH, WE WANT TO SEE PROJECTS THAT WILL COVER THEIR CURRENT CAPACITY IF THEY STILL HAVE IT. AND IF THEY'RE SAYING, OH, I NEED EXTRA MONEY, THEN WE NEED THEM TO, TO SHOW WHAT PROJECTS THEY'RE GONNA BE DOING AND TO JUSTIFY THOSE PROJECTS. 'CAUSE ULTIMATELY WE DON'T WANT THEM HOLDING ON TO, UM, FUNDS. UM, THEY NEED TO BE PUTTING THE PROJECTS IN THE GROUND. UM, ALSO, YOU KNOW, COMING BACK TO YOU TO COUNCIL, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE SAY, OH, WE'RE GIVING 60 MILLION IN BONDING CAPACITY AND THESE PRO THESE ARE THE PROJECTS THAT THEY'RE GONNA BE DOING, WE WANT THEM TO DO THOSE PROJECTS BEFORE WE COME BACK TO YOU GUYS AND SAY, HEY, WE NEED ANOTHER 50 MILLION. OKAY. YEAH. SO THAT'S KIND OF HOW IT WORKS. WE HAVE THEM, UM, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE CALLS AND SAYS, WE WANT THIS. WE NEED A, UM, WE NEED THEIR FINANCIAL ADVISOR TO PROVIDE, UM, AN ANALYSIS OF THEIR INCREMENT THROUGH THEIR LIFE TO SUPPORT, BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO PAY. SO FOR THE, TO SUPPORT THE, THE, THE, THE, SO THEY DON'T COME, A LOT OF THESE STORES DON'T COME OFTEN? NO, IT'S, IT'S, YEAH. IT'S, IT'S MAYBE ONE OR TWO A YEAR, BUT IT'S DIFFERENT TSS YEAH. AND IT'S, AND THEN, YEAH, IT'S, IT'S MAYBE ONE, ONE A YEAR, MAYBE ONE, TWO, MAYBE ONE OR TWO COME A YEAR. AND MAYBE WE APPROVE. 1, 2, 2 MORE QUICK QUESTIONS. UH, ON EXPANSION. HOW, HOW OFTEN CAN I KNOW WE LOOK AT, UH, AND USUALLY IT'S RIGHT OF WAY FOR THE MOST PART, IT'S HARD TO BRING IN PROPERTY, UH, BECAUSE WE, WE HAVE THE REV CAP, BUT HOW OFTEN, UM, ARE YOU SEEING ANY MORE EXPANSIONS OR RENEWALS OF, UH, OF LIFE? I KNOW WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT EAST SIDE TURS, WHICH IS CHAVEZ HIGH SCHOOL. UM, IT'S PROBABLY COMING TO THE END OF ITS LIFE AND IT'D BE GREAT ENOUGH TALK TO MY COLLEAGUE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER ABOUT IT, EVEN SEEING SOME, SOME SUPPORT OUT IN THAT, THAT, UH, KIND OF GULF, UM, MEADOW CREEK AREA TO SUPPORT SOME INFRASTRUCTURE, POSSIBLY. BUT HOW OFTEN CAN WE START LOOKING AT, UM, EXPANSION OR RENEWAL OF, OF TURS THE LIFE OF THE TURS? SO WHAT I WOULD DO IN THAT, YOU CAN, UH, WE GET SUBMISSIONS. WE DON'T NECESSARILY TAKE ALL OF OUR SUBMISSIONS, CITY COUNCIL. OKAY. SO I WOULD START AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE HAVING THAT DISCUSSION WITH OUR OFFICE. WITH REGARD TO EAST SIDE, I WOULD START GETTING THE PROJECT LIST TOGETHER, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW THAT PARTICULAR TURS ONLY SERVICES THE DEBT SERVICE FOR SHOPPING AT THE HIGH SCHOOL. ONCE THAT FINISHES OFF IN 2027, UM, WE'LL STILL HAVE THAT, WE WON'T HAVE THE ISD INCREMENT PORTION, BUT WE'LL HAVE THE CITY INCREMENT PORTION. SO THE QUESTION WOULD BE, HOW DO YOU WANT TO SPEND THE MONEY? WHAT ARE THE PROJECTS? SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET WITH THE ADMINISTRATION ON THE PROJECTS THAT YOU WOULD WANT TO SEE IN THAT PARTICULAR AREA. AND THEN LAST ONE, SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN START WORKING ON. LAST ONE, IF I CAN JUST SQUEEZE IT IN. BILL . UM, NOT, NOT EVERY, UH, TOURS GET THEIR AFFORDABLE, AFFORDABLE HOUSING DOLLARS GOES TO THEIR TOURS. THAT'S CORRECT. FOR EXAMPLE, GULF GATE, THEY GIVE DOLLARS, BUT IT ISN'T GO TO GULF GATE. AND WE DEFINITELY NEED AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE GULF GATE AREA. UM, HOW, HOW CAN WE, IS IT SOMETHING AT THE STATE LEVEL OR IS IT SOMETHING POLICY WITHIN OUR, AT THE CITY THAT WE CAN CHANGE TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE HOUSING DOLLARS CAN STAY THERE? SO ONLY PETITIONERS HAVE, ARE REQUIRED TO, UM, SET ASIDE A THIRD OR THEIR, UM, INCREMENT FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING. THERE'S ONLY TWO TSS AND THAT'S HARDY AND FIFTH WARD. THAT BY AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY THAT THEY SET ASIDE ONE THIRD OF THEIR, THEIR INCREMENT FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING. YOU CAN DO IT THAT WAY. YOU CAN, UM, GULF GATE CAN ENTER IN, INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY TO SET ASIDE ONE [00:25:01] THIRD OF THEIR INCREMENT FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AND THEN ASK THE CITY TO DIRECT THAT FUNDING, UM, TO THE TURS FOR, TO BUILD AFFORDABLE HOUSING. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU, THE TURS MAY ALSO DO IS REACH OUT TO THE COUNTY FOR THEIR, SEE IF THE COUNTY IS INTERESTED IN DOING SOME SORT OF PARTICIPATION. I CAN'T THINK OF THE PRECINCT OUT THERE. PRECINCT TWO, IT'S TWO. OKAY. SO YOU MIGHT WANNA HAVE DISCUSSIONS WITH PRECINCT TWO BECAUSE THE COUNTY WANTS TO BUILD AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND SEE WHAT THEIR APPETITE IS FOR THAT PARTICULAR AREA. AND THEN THE JOINT, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER WE CAN CONTRIBUTE ON THE CITY SIDE AND WHATEVER CAN BE CONTRIBUTED ON THE COUNTY SIDE CAN GO TOWARD, EXCUSE ME, UM, CAN GO TOWARD, UM, AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE AREA. SO THAT'S ANOTHER THING. THAT'S ANOTHER SOURCE, UM, UM, THAT YOU CAN TAP INTO IS THE COUNTY. PERFECT. PERFECT. THANK YOU. MM-HMM . COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN. THANK YOU CHAIR. JENNIFER, HAVE YOU BEEN INVOLVED IN THE ERNST AND YOUNG REVIEW, THE SPENDING, UM, ANALYSIS AND THEN THE DEEPER DIVE THAT THEY WERE DOING ON SPECIFIC TOUR? UM, NOT, NOT, UM, DIRECTLY GWEN'S ASKED ME SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT IT. SO I HAVEN'T, UM, BEEN TOTALLY INVOLVED IN THAT PROCESS JUST YET BECAUSE I'M LOOKING AT THE SCOPE OF THE, AND COLLEAGUES, IF YOU'LL REMEMBER, THAT WAS ABOUT A $770,000 SPEND. AND, AND THE FIRST PHASE, JUST THE, THE SPEND ANALYSIS WAS TO BE ABOUT FIVE WEEKS. AND THAT WAS, THAT'S, IT'S BEEN WAY LONGER THAN FIVE WEEKS. SO I WOULD HOPE, I KNOW THE LONGER, THE DEEPER DIVE INVOLVES A LOT MORE, AND THAT WAS KIND OF OPEN-ENDED, UM, ON HOW LONG THAT WAS GOING TO TAKE. BUT ON THE SPEND ANALYSIS AND LOOKING FOR EFFICIENCIES AND ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WERE, UH, THAT ARE IN THE SCOPE OF WORK FOR THAT PHASE ONE, I MEAN, I WOULD CERTAINLY, UM, IT WOULD BE MY REQUEST THAT WE SEE, UH, SOME OF THAT BEFORE WE START APPROVING BUDGETS HERE IN SEPTEMBER. AND THAT, THAT, THAT'S, I, I THINK, LIES WITH THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT. BUT I JUST WONDERED IF YOU HAD BEEN, SINCE YOU'RE KIND OF IN THE TS AS IF ERNST AND YOUNG IS KIND OF WORKING WITH YOU AS THEY GO THROUGH ALL THE, THE, THE BUDGETS. SO, UM, I, I, I HEAR, I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. I, I WOULD ALSO LET YOU KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, EACH TS HAS THEIR OWN INDEPENDENT AUDIT, RIGHT. AUDITOR. AND IN THE, THERE'S A SCHEDULE THAT'S IN THE AUDIT THAT THE CITY REQUESTED WELL BEFORE MY TIME, THAT PROVIDES THE DETAIL SPEND BY, UM, VENDOR BY PROJECT, UM, I FORGET WHAT THE NAME IS. IT'S LIKE IN THE, IN THE FIFTIES, FORTIES, FIFTIES. IT'S LIKE IN THE BACK OF THE TOUR, UM, AUDIT. AND SO IT, IT, IT TELLS US HOW MUCH THEY'RE SPENDING, UM, ON, IN VARIOUS CATEGORIES. SO THAT MIGHT BE, UM, SOMETHING THAT YOU REFERENCE AND RESOURCE AS YOU LOOK TO SURE. LOOK AT THESE BUDGET. SURE. AND, AND, WE'LL, WE'LL CERTAINLY SPEND SOME TIME LOOKING AT THOSE AUDITS, BUT SPECIFICALLY ON THE, THE ONE THAT WE ENGAGED ERNST AND YOUNG ON, AND I CAN TALK TO FINANCE ABOUT THIS, I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, IF, IF THEY'RE STILL, IF PHASE TWO DEPENDS ON THINGS, I MEAN, THERE MIGHT BE SOME THINGS I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THAT IT, WHY IT'S NOT THAT PART IST OUT YET. 'CAUSE IT, WHEN, WHEN IT WAS FIRST, UH, KIND OF PITCHED TO US, IT WAS A FIVE WEEK ENGAGEMENT ON THE KIND OF FOUR WEEKS FOR DISCOVERY AND ONE WEEK FOR A REPORT. AND, AND I JUST AM, AM AS WE, AS WE ARE ABOUT TO START IN SEPTEMBER LOOKING AT, AT, UH, PROVING T'S BUDGETS. I, I JUST AM AM HOPING WE CAN GET SOME MORE INFORMATION ON WHAT SURE. ERNST AND YOUNG HAS DONE ON THAT. UM, THAT'S ALL I HAVE. THANKS. THANK YOU. AND I'LL FOLLOW UP WITH THE ADMINISTRATION AND SEE IF WE CAN GET AN UPDATE ON THAT AS WELL. COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER? YES. JUST TO FOLLOW UP ON COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ'S, AS FAR AS, UH, THE, UH, EXPANSION OR ANNEXATION OF, OF THE ZONES, THE, THE CAP IS AT 25%, IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT. AND WHERE ARE WE AT TODAY? I'LL HAVE TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT. I BELIEVE WHEN WE DID THIS PRES PRESENTATION FOR YOU LAST YEAR, WE'RE AT ABOUT 24%, 23% MM-HMM . ON THE, UM, BEFORE WE HIT THE CAP. BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT FROM A PERCENTAGE PERSPECTIVE, IT LOOKS REALLY LIKE CLOSE. BUT WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT IT BY VALUE, YOU GOT SOME ROOM IN THERE. THE ISSUE, UM, IS GENERALLY THE PRIORITIES AND WHETHER OR NOT, UM, AN, AN EXTENSION AND OR AN ANNEXATION IS NEEDED. AND JUST LIKE THE, UM, THE, THE DEBT AUTHORIZATION REQUEST, WHEN WE ARE ASKED TO ANNEX AREA, WE LOOK AT TWO THINGS. NUMBER ONE, IS IT RIGHT OF WAY? BECAUSE GENERALLY SPEAKING, WHEN PEOPLE ARE ASKING TO ANNEX RIGHT OF WAY, THAT'S BECAUSE THEY'RE GONNA DO A PROJECT IN THE RIGHT OF WAY. BUT IF THEY'RE ASKING FOR, UM, ADDITIONAL INCREMENT, THEN WE'RE SAYING, OKAY, WELL WHAT ARE YOU USING THOSE INCREMENT DOLLARS FOR? WHAT PROJECTS? ESSENTIALLY? RIGHT. YEAH. WHICH PROJECTS ARE YOU PURSUING [00:30:01] IN ORDER TO DO THE ANNEXATION? AND DOES IT MAKE SENSE GIVEN THE OTHER PRIORITIES, UM, THAT, UM, OTHER TS ARE TURNING IN WITH REGARD TO THEIR ANNEXATION? 'CAUSE WE STILL, EVEN THOUGH IT GIVES US A LOT FROM A, IT GIVES US A LOT OF CAPACITY FROM A TAXABLE VALUE PERSPECTIVE, WE STILL GET, UM, A NUMBER OF REQUESTS. SO THEN WE'RE LOOKING AT A PRIORITY THING. ONCE WE, ONCE WE GET THE REQUEST IN AND THEY HAVE THE LIST OF PROJECTS, THEN WE'RE LOOKING AT, OKAY, WHICH OF THESE PROJECTS ARE MORE, HAVE BIGGER PRIORITIES THAN THE OTHER PROJECTS? NOW, THE EXTENSION DOESN'T AFFECT THE PERCENTAGE, EXCEPT IT'S KIND OF A CONSTRAINT IN THE FUTURE, CORRECT? RIGHT. BUT WHAT IT'S DOING IS IT'S EX IT'S, IT'S PROVIDING MORE INCREMENT OVER THE LONG TERM. YES. SO IT'S, AGAIN, IT'S SAYING, OKAY, WHY DO YOU NEED THIS EXTENSION AND WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT? SO FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU ALREADY HAVE A 50 YEAR LIFE AND YOU HAVE 20 YEARS TO GO, IT'S SAYING, WELL, WHY DO YOU NEED THE EXTENSION? WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO, UM, IN THE NEXT, UM, 20 PLUS YEARS? BECAUSE IF YOU'RE AT 50 ALREADY, YOU HAVE 20, YOU, YOU ALREADY GOT 20 SOMETHING YEARS AND YOU'RE ASKING FOR ANOTHER 15, SO THAT'S 35. WHAT ARE YOU GONNA, WHAT'S THE PROJECT YOU'RE GONNA DO IN THE, IN THE NEXT 35 YEARS IN ORDER TO JUSTIFY THE EXTENSION? OKAY. THANK YOU MA'AM. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. THANK YOU CHAIR. AND THANK YOU JENNIFER, FOR THE PRESENTATION. YOU MENTIONED THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING FUND THAT PETITIONERS IS PAYING TO, AND A COUPLE OF OTHERS. WHAT WAS THE MECHANISM THAT ESTABLISHED THAT FUND? UM, IT WAS ESTABLISHED BY ORDINANCE. THE, THE 24 0 9 IS THE FUND. SO THE CITY ESTABLISHED IT AND MADE THE REQUIREMENT THAT PETITIONERS WOULD CONTRIBUTE TO IT. SO THE CHAPTER THREE 11 IS THE REQUIREMENT OF THE ONE THIRD SETASIDE. UM, THE CITY RECEIVES ONE THIRD SETASIDE INTO, UM, FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING. IT GOES INTO FUND 24 0 9. SO, UM, GENERALLY SPEAKING, THE T UM, MOST OF THEM WANTED TO SEND THEIR MONEY BACK TO THE CITY 'CAUSE THEY DIDN'T WANT TO ACTUALLY MANAGE THEIR OWN AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAM. AND SO THAT FUNDING COMES BACK TO THE CITY. UM, TWO T UM, THREET, SOUTH POST OAK, MIDTOWN, SOUTH POST OAK, AND, UM, FOURTH WARD RETAINED SOME OF THEIR ONE THIRD SET ASIDE FOR THEIR OWN AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS IN THEIR, THEIR OWN ZONES. OKAY. THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? YES. OKAY. SO WOULD THERE BE SOMETHING TO PREVENT THE CITY FROM SETTING UP A FUND FOR PARKS IN THE SAME VEIN WITH TS IS CONTRIBUTING TO THAT AND THEN IT BE USED TO ENHANCE CITY AS OPPOSED TO HOUSING? UM, IT WOULD HAVE TO BE BY AGREEMENT. I'D HAVE TO LOOK INTO, UM, HOW THAT WOULD BE SET UP. UM, BECAUSE IF I'M, I'M THINKING ABOUT YOUR, YOUR QUESTION. IF YOU'RE GOING TO MAINTENANCE IT, UM, TSS CAN'T SPEND MONEY ON MAINTENANCE, RIGHT? YEAH. THEY CAN BUILD TRAILS AND BUILD PARKS, BUT THEY CAN'T SPEND MONEY ON MAINTENANCE. SO IF THE QUESTION IS WHETHER OR NOT THEY CAN SPEND MONEY ON MAINTENANCE, THEY CANNOT. IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT AN INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, CONTRIBUTING TO A FUND, UM, FOR STRUCTURE, THAT'S A DIFFERENT, UM, THAT'S A DIFFERENT ISSUE. PROBABLY. WE NEED TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT THAT. OKAY. YOU SEE HOW THAT BUT IF THERE WAS A MANAGEMENT DISTRICT THERE, THE MANAGEMENT DISTRICT COULD TAKE ON THE MAINTENANCE, THE MAINTENANCE, MAINTENANCE, YES. MM-HMM . SO THE TURS CAN BUILD IT AND THE MANAGEMENT DISTRICT CAN TAKE ON THE MAINTENANCE. GOT IT. OKAY. YEAH. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ, WE'RE BACK TO YOU. THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR. UM, JENNIFER, JUST A COUPLE MORE AREAS. UM, SO LAST FALL WHEN WE CONSIDERED THE FIFTH WARD TOUR'S BUDGET, THERE WERE CONCERNS EXPRESSED ABOUT THE COMPOSITION OF THE BOARD. MM-HMM . HAVE ANY CHANGES BEEN MADE IN THAT BOARD SINCE THEN? I HAVE TO GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT. I NEED TO LOOK AND SEE WHAT, IF THERE ARE ANY ADDITIONAL CHANGES. I KNOW, UM, ERICA LEE IS NO LONGER ON THE BOARD. UM, I WANNA SEE IF SHE WANTED TO STAY ON THE BOARD. SHE WAS SERVING AT THAT TIME AS A, UM, MEMBER OF CONGRESS, SO THAT'S WHY SHE HAD TO RESIGN FROM THE BOARD. BUT THEN SHE SAID THAT SHE DID WANT TO COME BACK AFTER THAT PERIOD OF TIME WAS OVER. I DON'T KNOW IF SHE REJOINED THE BOARD OR NOT. 'CAUSE I HAVEN'T BEEN KEEPING TRACK OF THAT PART OF IT. UM, I'LL HAVE TO, I'LL HAVE TO, UM, CHECK AND MAKE SURE TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY CHANGES TO THE ACTUAL BOARD. OKAY. AND GENERALLY, UH, WHEN THE [00:35:01] T'S CIP PLAN IS BEING CONSIDERED, WHAT IS, WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THE MAYOR'S STAFF AND YOUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TEAM? WHAT, WHAT ROLE DO THEY PLAY IN THAT PROCESS? SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE, UM, OUR ROLE IS TO KIND OF KEEP THET ON TRACK AND LOOK AT PROJECTS THAT ARE GOING TO BE, UM, CONSISTENT TO POLICY. THERE ARE PROJECTS, UM, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, THAT SOMEONE MAY TALK ABOUT. AND, AND WE'RE SAYING, NO, , THAT WE'RE NOT GONNA GET APPROVAL FOR THAT. SO WE NEED TO KIND OF, UM, GUIDE YOU INTO THIS PARTICULAR DIRECTION WITH REGARD TO THE PROJECTS. 'CAUSE WE'RE NOT GONNA GET APPROVAL ON WHAT YOU'RE SUGGESTING OR TALKING ABOUT IN THE MEETINGS. SO THAT'S ONE WAY THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT THE PROJECTS. UM, I KNOW THAT I SIT THROUGH A LOT OF SESSIONS WITH REGARDING YOU DID TOO. YOU CAME OVER TO THE MONTROSE, UM, UM, TOWN HALL ABOUT THE WEST ALABAMA PROJECT. AND SO THAT'S TYPICAL, RIGHT? SO THEY CAME IN AND THEY LOOKED AT A LONG TIME AGO DOING THE PROJECT ON WEST ALABAMA. AND SO THEY KIND OF HAVE A HIGH LEVEL CONCEPT OF THAT PROJECT. AND THEN THEY PRESENT THAT TO THE, TO THE COMMITTEE, THE, THE COMMUNITY TO LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, HAVE THE COMMUNITY MAKE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS. AND SO IN THAT TYPE OF PROJECT, YOU KNOW, WHAT I'M SAYING TO THEM IS NOT LIKELY WE'RE GONNA HAVE 10 FOOT SIDEWALKS HERE, SO WE CAN'T INCLUDE 10 FOOT SIDEWALKS. IF THAT'S WHAT YOU WANTING TO DO. WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO SIT DOWN WITH THE TEAM AND SEE IF THERE ISN'T ANY EXCEPTION. SO I'M COORDINATING THE MEETING, UM, EARLY ON, EVEN BEFORE THIS BUDGET PROCESS, DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS BEFORE, BUT BEFORE BUDGETS ARE DUE TO THE CITY TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY EXCEPTIONS THAT ARE ALLOWED AND NOT IN THERE WILL. OR I'M JUST TALKING DIRECTLY TO PUBLIC WORKS OR THE, UM, THE MAYOR'S POLICY, UM, ASSISTANT POLICY TO SAYING, HEY, IS THIS SOMETHING THAT YOU GUYS WOULD CONSIDER? AND SHE WILL TELL ME YES OR NO. AND THEN I'LL GO BACK TO THE BOARD, THE TS UM, CONSULTANTS AND THE BOARD AND SAY, NO, WE ARE NOT, WE CAN'T DO ANY OF THESE. YOU'LL HAVE TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING ELSE. SO, UM, USUALLY OUR, YOU KNOW, COORDINATING THOSE PROJECTS, GUIDING THE ONES THAT WE BELIEVE THAT WILL BE PALATABLE NOT ONLY TO THE ADMINISTRATION, BUT ALSO TO CITY COUNCIL. OKAY. THANK YOU. IF NO FURTHER QUESTIONS, UM, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR CURLEY, WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME TODAY AND WE WILL STAY IN TOUCH, UH, WITH THAT TIMELINE AND, UM, FOLLOW UP WITH, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN'S QUESTIONS WITH THE ADMINISTRATION. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE. OH, THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANKS. NEXT WE WILL HEAR FROM DIRECTOR LENCIA HORDE FROM THE OFFICE OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY. AND SHE IS HERE TO PRESENT ON THE M-W-S-B-E POLICY UPDATE. UH, DIRECTOR HORDE, I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN ON A CITYWIDE TOUR. UM, YOU HAVE HOSTED MEETINGS ACROSS THE CITY. UM, WE'VE, WE'VE HAD SUCH GREAT, UM, FEEDBACK FROM THE MEETINGS THAT YOU'VE HAD AND, UH, FROM, AND AS A MATTER OF FACT, TODAY AT COUNCIL, WE HAD COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT WERE, UM, TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THE MEETINGS THAT YOU'VE HAD ACROSS THE CITY. SO WE THANK YOU FOR MAKING SURE HOUSTONIANS WERE ENGAGED IN THE PROCESS AND FOR SHARING THE INFORMATION AND THE OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO PROVIDE THEIR FEEDBACK. SO, UM, WE ARE READY TO HEAR FROM YOU WHEN YOU ARE READY. OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME. UM, ESTEEMED COUNCIL MEMBERS AND STAFF, UM, TODAY WE WERE, UM, CHARGED WITH GOING BACK AND BRINGING BACK RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE POLICY OF HOW WE WOULD MOVE FORWARD, UM, WITH THE, UH, RESULTS OF THE DISPARITY STUDY BY LOOKING AT THE INCLUSION AND AVAILABILITY OF OUR, UM, ETHNIC GROUPS HERE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. SO WHAT YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU, I THINK YOU HAVE A POWERPOINT. I'M JUST GONNA GO THROUGH THIS. THIS IS THE SAME POWERPOINT THAT WE HAVE BEEN, UM, SHARING OUT IN THE COMMUNITY. SO YOU'LL GET TO HEAR, UM, WHAT THE COMMUNITY'S HEARING. UM, SO THE FIRST SLIDE THAT YOU SHOULD SEE AS USUAL IS OUR MISSION AND VISION WITH YOU, WHICH YOU ALL ARE VERY, VERY FAMILIAR WITH. SO I'M GONNA GO THROUGH, UM, TO THE AGENDA. UH, TODAY. I WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS KIND OF A LITTLE BACKGROUND. WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE DISPARITY STUDY AND THOSE RESULTS. UH, WE'LL LOOK AT MARKET AVAILABILITY AND HOW WE CAME UP WITH THE PARTICIPATION THAT WE'LL USE GOING FORWARD. UM, I'LL DISCUSS SOME OF THE NEW PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE GONNA IMPLEMENT TO SUPPORT OUR SMALL BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND THEN OUR COMMUNITY EDUCATION AND TIMELINES FOR EDUCATING OUR DEPARTMENTS AND THE, AND THE COMMUNITY AS LARGE. SO THE NEXT SLIDE, [00:40:01] UH, OPENS UP OUR BACKGROUND ON THE DISPARITY STUDY. SO THE FIRST SLIDE YOU SEE SHOULD BE, UM, THE CERTIFICATE, THE CERTIFICATION BY NUMBERS. ARE WE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE? 'CAUSE I'M NOT LOOKING AT THE SCREEN. MM-HMM . OKAY. CERTIFICATION BY NUMBERS. UH, WHAT YOU'LL FIND IS THAT WE HAVE, UH, 303,644 MBE FIRMS CURRENTLY CERTIFIED IN A DIRECTORY, 2,145 WBE FIRMS. WE HAVE 142 PDBE FIRMS. AND THEN WE HAVE 71 L-G-B-T-B-E FIRMS. THUS OUR CURRENT CERTIFICATION, WE ACTUALLY GOT UP ABOVE 6,000, UM, IN THE FISCAL YEAR FY 25, UH, WE'VE DROPPED BACK DOWN TO ABOUT 5,100 DUE TO US MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE CLEANING OUR DIRECTORY, UH, RENEWALS THAT ARE COMING IN, UM, ENSURING THAT THE FIRMS THAT WE HAVE LISTED IN DIRECTORY ARE ACTUALLY ACTIVE FIRMS THAT ARE WILLING AND ABLE. SO WE'VE BEEN DOING A LITTLE CLEANUP. SO YOU SEE THAT NUMBER DROP DOWN A LITTLE BIT, UM, BUT IT IS ALSO INCHING BACK UP. NEXT SLIDE, BASED ON THE STUDY'S RESULTS, THE STUDY WAS CONDUCTED, AS YOU'RE AWARE BY MGT CONSULTING. UM, WE LOOKED AT FY THROUGH FY 18 THROUGH FY 22 DATA. UM, WE COVERED CONSTRUCTION PROCUREMENT, PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, PROCUREMENT GOODS AND SERVICES PROCUREMENT, UM, FOR OUR LOCAL PROGRAM. AND WE ALSO LOOKED AT THE A-C-D-B-E AND OUR DBE PROGRAMS BASED ON THE PROCUREMENT DATA AND AVAILABILITY WE LOOKED AT. WE FOUND THAT WE ARE SERVING AND WE, WE ARE, UM, HAVE PARTICIPATION FROM A NINE COUNTY REGION. SO THAT DEFINES OUR REGION AND OUR LOCAL PROGRAM. THE LOCAL PROGRAM IS DEFINED BY, UM, THOSE COMPANIES THAT PROCURE WITH THE CITY IN WHICH COUNTIES THEY RESIDE IN. SO THE MAJORITY OF COMPANIES THAT PROCURE WITH US ARE IN NINE COUNTIES SURROUNDING HARRIS COUNTY. UH, WE WERE AT 10, SO THEY ACTUALLY TOOK US DOWN ONE COUNTY. UM, WE ALSO INCLUDED IN THE STUDY, OF COURSE, QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE DATA. NEXT SLIDE. SO HERE YOU SEE WHAT WE LEARNED. SO THIS WAS, UM, THIS IS THE FEEDBACK THAT WE RECEIVED FROM THOSE COMMUNITY MEETINGS, THE PUBLIC SESSIONS. UH, WE ACTUALLY WENT THROUGH AND RECORDED THE FEEDBACK AND, UM, HAVE SOME THINGS THAT WE WANT TO OFFER UP. UM, SO WE LEARNED FIRST OF ALL THAT WE HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A PROGRAM. WE'VE BEEN AROUND 40 YEARS STARTING WITH ZERO MINORITIES AND WOMEN ON CONTRACTS. AND NOW WE'RE AT OVER, UH, 5,000 CERTIFIED FIRMS. THAT'S, UH, INCREDIBLE GROWTH. AND WE, WE NOTED THAT OUR MW SBS, AS WELL AS OUR DBS AND ACDBES HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY SUCCESSFUL. IN FY 25, THE CITY AWARDED OVER $500 MILLION TO OUR MINORITY FIRMS AND OUR WOMEN FIRMS HERE IN HOUSTON. SO I THINK THAT THAT SPEAKS VOLUMES, UM, TO OUR, FOR OUR DEPARTMENTS AS WELL AS OBO IN ENSURING THAT WE HAVE SMALL BUSINESSES REPRESENTED ON THE CONTRACTS HERE WITH THE CITY. UM, WE STILL FIND THAT NON-MINORITY FIRMS DO DOMINATE CITY CONTRACTING, AND THIS IS WHY THERE IS QUITE A DISPARITY IN A LOT OF THE AREAS. UM, WE ALSO NOTED THAT THE CITY'S BEEN COMMITTED OVER THE YEARS TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY. SO WE WILL ALSO BE COMMITTED TO NARROWLY TAILORING OUR MWSB PROGRAM, THUS THE DISPARITY STUDY. NEXT SLIDE. THE KEY FINDINGS FROM THE STUDY. AS YOU ARE AWARE, UH, 72 OF OUR SPEND WENT TO UNCLASSIFIED, WHICH ARE NON-MINORITY NON WOMEN FIRMS. UH, 29% APPROXIMATELY WENT TO OUR MWBE FIRMS ACROSS ALL OF THE CAP PURCHASING CATEGORIES. WHAT WE FOUND IS THAT THERE WAS DISPARITY WHEN YOU LUMP ALL THE CATEGORIES TOGETHER, BUT AS WITH DISPARITY STUDIES, YOU ARE TASKED WITH PULLING THAT OUT AND LOOKING AT THE GROUPS AS WELL AS THE SPENDING BY THE CATEGORIES. UM, SO WHAT WAS, WHAT CAME OUTTA THESE FINDINGS ARE THREE THINGS. ONE IS THAT HISPANICS AND CONSTRUCTION AND PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, IT DID NOT SHOW A DISPARITY. AGENTS AND PROFESSIONAL SERVICES DID NOT SHOW A DISPARITY. UM, NON-MINORITY WOMEN AND GOODS DID NOT SHOW A DISPARITY. NEXT SLIDE. THIS IS THE CHART THAT WE SHARED ALL ALONG. IT JUST HIGHLIGHTS THOSE AREAS SO THAT IT KIND OF POINTS OUT WHERE THOSE AREAS OF NO DISPARITY ARE. NEXT SLIDE. WHAT WE HEARD FROM THE COMMUNITY, UM, DURING OUR MEETINGS WERE MANY THINGS, AND SO WE'VE KIND OF CAPTURED THEM HERE. ONE IS THAT THE COMMUNITY SAYS THAT WE NEED TO IMPROVE OUR OUTREACH BETWEEN CITY DEPARTMENTS WITH TARGET MARKETS FOR PARTICIPATION. PROGRAMS THAT NEED TO, UH, BE ESTABLISHED, SHOULD HAVE PARTNERSHIPS TO ACCESS FINANCING AND LARGER CONTRACTING OPPORTUNITIES. WE SHOULD BE ACTIVELY GRADUATING FIRMS. WE SHOULD HAVE ENHANCED DATA TRACKING AND TRANSPARENCY. MORE FOCUS ON OUTREACH TOWARD DATA [00:45:01] PRESENTATIONS AND TRAININGS ON BIDDING. BIDDING AND TIERS WAS, UH, SOMETHING THAT WAS, UH, WE HEARD A LOT SPECIFIC OUTREACH ACCORDING TO THE SCOPES OF WORK MEETUP. OPPORTUNITIES BETWEEN PRIMES AND SUBS, HIGHLIGHTING PAYMENTS TO SUBS DURING OUR PROGRESS MEETINGS OR THE PROGRESS OF THE CONTRACT REJECTING PAY APPS WITHOUT SUBCONTRACTOR PAYMENTS AND LOW AVAILABILITY NOTIFICATIONS. SO THESE WERE SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT WE HEARD, UM, OVER AND OVER MORE THAN ONCE. AND SO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE ATTEMPTED TO DO TO ADDRESS THOSE IS TO COME UP WITH, UM, SOME POLICIES THAT ADDRESS THEM AND SOME PROGRAMS THAT ADDRESS THEM. SO START AT THE TOP. UM, INCREASING OUTREACH BETWEEN CITY DEPARTMENTS WITH TARGET MARKETS FOR PARTICIPATION. UM, WE ARE LOOKING TO WORK WITH OUR CITY DEPARTMENTS AND, UM, HAVE ALREADY STARTED WITH THE FIRST, WHICH WILL BE HPW, TO WORK WITH THEM AROUND OUTREACH TO OUR SUBCONTRACTING COMMUNITY WHERE THEY SEE GAPS, UM, THEY'RE AWARE OF WHERE THEY CONSTANTLY HAVE, UH, LOW PARTICIPATION. WE'RE ALSO AWARE WHERE WE DO A LOT OF WAIVERS BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE NUMBER OF FIRMS. AND SO WE'LL DO AN ACTIVE OUTREACH IN OCTOBER WITH THE HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS AROUND A FEW OF THEIR PROJECTS THAT'LL COME OUT IN THE, UM, IN THE SPRING. AND THIS WILL GIVE THE SUBCONTRACTORS HOPEFULLY OPPORTUNITY, UM, TO ACTUALLY MEET SOME OF THE SUBCONTRACTORS AND, AND THE PRIMES AS WELL, SO THAT WE CAN GET THEM VETTED PRIOR TO, AND THEY'LL HAVE OPPORTUNITY TO GEAR UP FOR THAT. UM, THE OTHER IS PROGRAMS THAT ESTABLISH PARTNERSHIP FOR ACCESSING FINANCING. WE ARE WORKING, UH, REALLY DILIGENTLY ACTUALLY WITH COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS AROUND LOOKING AT A FINANCING EXPO, UH, WHICH WILL ALLOW SMALL FIRMS, PRIMES OR ANYONE TO COME OUT AND UNDERSTAND THEIR FINANCIAL OPPORTUNITIES IN THE COMMUNITY. SO THIS WILL BE A FINANCIAL EXPO THAT INCLUDES LARGE BANKING ENTITIES AS WELL AS THE CDFIS. UM, OUR COMMUNITY BANKS. UM, SOME OF THE LENDERS THAT ARE NON-TRADITIONAL, UH, WILL ALSO HOPEFULLY HAVE OUR BONDING COMMUNITY THERE SO THAT THEY CAN UNDERSTAND BONDING, GET TO KNOW THEM. A LOT OF IT IS RELATIONSHIPS, BUT, UM, AS YOU MAY OR MAY NOT BE AWARE, EVERY BANK DOES NOT LEND EVERYTHING. AND SO UNDERSTANDING WHAT THIS BANK'S, UH, PRODUCTS ARE AND MAKING THOSE RELATIONSHIPS. WE'LL ALSO HAVE SOME, UH, WORKSHOPS AT THAT TIME ON CREDIT. UM, HOW TO LEVERAGE YOUR FINANCES WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON WHAT YOUR BALANCE SHEET SHOULD LOOK LIKE. UM, A LOT OF TIMES OUR SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS, THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT ACCOUNTANTS, THEY'RE PLUMBERS OR, OR THEY DO CEMENT OR SOMETHING. SO THIS IS NOT FAMILIAR TO THEM. SO WE HOPE THAT THIS WILL BE HELPFUL. AND ONE OF MANY. SO THIS WILL BE OUR FIRST ONE. UM, WE ALSO HEARD ABOUT ACTIVELY GRADUATING FIRMS. UM, AND SO THIS I THINK IS MORE OF AN EDUCATION PIECE. UH, WE GRADUATE FIRMS, UM, FROM THEIR NACE CODE AND NOT FOR THEIR TOTAL REVENUES. AND SO WE DON'T, UH, GRADUATE YOU BECAUSE YOU'RE MAKING 500 MILLION, BUT IF YOU'RE MAKING 500 MILLION IN THAT NACE CODE, THEN YOU DO GRADUATE. AND SO ONE OF THE SUGGESTIONS THAT I ACTUALLY HEARD AT THE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS MEETING LAST NIGHT THAT I THINK WE'LL PUT FORTH IS TO, UM, HAVE THAT LISTED ON OUR WEBSITE SO THAT PEOPLE KNOW WE GRADUATE ALL YEAR LONG. I'VE DONE A FEW ALREADY THIS YEAR. UM, IT HAPPENS AND SOMETIMES THEY COME BACK IN, JUST DEPENDS ON IF THEY EXPAND THEIR BUSINESS AND DECIDE TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT. IT'S NOT, UM, WE'RE NOT AVERSE TO THAT. UM, AND SO WE WILL, UM, PROBABLY ADD THAT TO OUR WEBPAGE SO THAT PEOPLE CAN SEE THAT THERE ARE GRADUATIONS GOING ON ALL ALONG. UM, ENHANCED DATA TRACKING AND TRANSPARENCY. WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING WITH, UM, IT AND CONSULTANTS TO, UM, HAVE A DASHBOARD ADDED TO OUR WEBSITE SO THAT, UM, IF WE GET ALONG FIVE YEARS FROM NOW, WE'RE NOT SURPRISED AT ALL THE NUMBERS AROUND THE DISPARITY STATED, BUT WE WILL SEE THE SPEND ONGOING. UM, AND THAT WAY PEOPLE CAN SEE WHERE THOSE DOLLARS ARE BEING AWARDED. WE DO PUT OUT, UM, AN AWARDS REPORT, SO YOU ALL SHOULD HAVE COMING TO YOU THIS WEEK, THE ANNUAL REPORT, A-M-W-B-E ANNUAL REPORT. UM, IT GOES OUT EVERY RECORDING AT THE END OF THE YEAR. WE ACTUALLY POST THAT. IT'LL GIVE YOU INFORMATION ON ALL THE AWARDS BY CATEGORY, BY INDUSTRY, UM, BY ETHNIC GROUP. IT ALSO SHOWS YOU THE, UH, PARTICIPATION OF DEPARTMENTS AND HOW MUCH WAS AWARDED PER DEPARTMENT. SO BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THE AWARDS. THE FINAL AWARDS REPORT FOR FY 25. UM, FOCUS OUTREACH TOWARDS DATA THAT GOES BACK TO WORKING WITH OUR DEPARTMENTS, BUT ALSO LOOKING AT OUR OWN DATA TO SEE, UM, WHEN WE ARE SETTING PARTICIPATION GOALS WHERE THERE'S LOW PARTICIPATION AND DOING SOME OUTREACH, UH, PRESENTATIONS AND TRAINING ON BIDDING, IF YOU'VE BEEN TO ANY OF THE COUNCIL, UM, AND DISTRICT PRESENTATIONS THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING LATELY. WE HAVE SPD IN TOW. AND SO A LOT OF THE QUESTIONS THAT OBO RECEIVES IS AROUND BIDDING, AND WE DON'T DO BIDDING. AND SO WE TRY TO HAVE, UM, THEM PRESENT CURRENTLY. AND WE'RE WORKING ON SOME GUIDES TO PUT TOGETHER, UM, COLLABORATIVELY [00:50:01] SO THAT WE CAN PRESENT AS WELL. THE OTHER ONE IS BIDDING IN TEARS, SO WE WON'T BE BIDDING IN TEARS, BUT THERE ARE A COUPLE OF PROGRAMS THAT I'LL HIGHLIGHT LATER THAT MAY ADDRESS SOME OF THAT, UM, SPECIFIC OUTREACH. ACCORDING TO SCOPES, OUTREACH WILL CONTINUE TO CONTINUE TO BE DONE AROUND PROJECTS AND INDUSTRIES. UM, AND NOT SO MUCH AROUND SCOPES BECAUSE AS YOU'RE AWARE, THERE ARE SO MANY SCOPES OF WORK IN OUR CONTRACTS. AND SO THAT IS, WE DON'T HAVE THE CAPACITY FOR THAT, BUT WE CAN DO A CONCERTED OUTREACH AROUND INDUSTRIES, UM, MEETUP OPPORTUNITIES WITH PRIMES AND SUBS. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE WORKING TOWARD TO PUSH OUT IN THE FALL. WE HAVE ONE COMING UP, I THINK WITH COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ WILL BE OUR FIRST PILOT WITH THAT. AND THERE'LL BE COFFEE AND CONTRACTS WITH OUR SMALL BUSINESSES TO BRING IN PRIME CONTRACTORS WHO ACTUALLY WANNA MEET SUBS AND SUBS WHO WANNA MEET THEM. WHAT WE HEAR CONSTANTLY IS, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T KNOW THOSE SUBS, AND THE SUBS SAY WE CAN'T GET WITH THE PRIME. SO WE'LL HAVE OPPORTUNITIES WHERE THEY CAN HAVE SMALLER, UM, VENUES WHERE THEY CAN MEET. WE ALSO HAVE MEET THE BUYER, BUT THAT IS REALLY A LARGE EVENT AND SOMETIMES PEOPLE FEEL, YOU KNOW, IF THEY KIND OF MOVE AROUND AND GIVE THEIR INFORMATION AND NOBODY'S PAYING ATTENTION. SO HOPEFULLY THIS SMALLER VENUE WILL ALLOW FOR THAT. UM, WE'LL ALSO HAVE HIGHLIGHTING OUR PAYMENTS DURING SUB UM, OUR PROGRESS MEETINGS. WE CURRENTLY DO THAT. UM, WE THINK THAT THAT HELPS WITH ENSURING THERE IS PAYMENT TO SUBS. OF COURSE, THERE ARE THINGS THAT ARE MISSED. UM, BUT WE ARE DOING THAT ALL, YOU KNOW, ALONG THE WAY. UH, REJECTING PAY APPS WITHOUT SUBCONTRACTOR PAYMENTS IS, UM, OUTSIDE OF MY PURVIEW. BUT WE DO, I THINK THAT IN WORKING WITH OUR PROJECT MANAGERS DURING THE, THE PROGRESS MEETINGS DOES ADDRESS SOME OF THAT. AND THEN LOW AVAILABILITY NOTIFICATIONS. THIS WAS A REQUEST SPECIFICALLY FROM THE MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS AND FROM THE CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE TO COMMUNICATE WITH THEIR CONSTITUENTS. AND SO WE WILL WORK TOWARD NOTIFYING THEM. UM, WHEN WE HAVE SOME, SOMETIMES THERE ARE BIDS WHERE WE GET NO BIDDERS. UM, SOMETIMES WE HAVE BIDS WHERE THEY CANNOT FIND, UH, THE SUBCONTRACTORS. AND SO WHEN THEY CLOSE THOSE AND THEY SAY THEY'RE GONNA REOPEN THEM, HAVING AN OPPORTUNITY TO PUSH THAT OUT TO, UH, THE COMMUNITY THROUGH THE MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS WOULD BE HELPFUL. NEXT SLIDE. JUST WANNA TOUCH AGAIN ON THE LEGAL CONTEXT. I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE GONNA ASK. SO, UM, LEGALLY, UM, WE ARE, UH, REQUIRED TO HAVE STATISTICAL EVIDENCE FOR THIS PROGRAM. AND WE TALKED ABOUT THIS DURING THE DISPARITY STUDY. UH, WE RELY HEAVILY ON THE CROWSON AND COSMIC CASES FROM 1989 TO 2016 RESPECTIVELY. UM, AND THAT SETS UP THE STATISTICAL, UH, STANDPOINT FOR THE PROGRAM AND MAKES US DEFENSIBLE. UM, IN 2023, THE CITY, UM, GOT INVOLVED IN LITIGATION AND CHALLENGING OUR MBE PROGRAM. UM, AND WHETHER IT WAS CONSTITUTIONAL, UM, BY HAVING ADOPTED THE DISPARITY STUDY, IT ALLOWS US TO HAVE CURRENT DEFENSIBLE DATA, UM, TO HAVE STATISTICAL INFORMATION, UM, FOR THE, THE COURT CASE. AND SO WE ARE, UM, VERY HAPPY TO HAVE THAT. AND RIGHT NOW, UH, WE ARE AWAITING OUR COURT DATE. SO I'LL COURT DATE, YES. UM, NEXT WILL BE MARKET AVAILABILITY. NEXT SLIDE, NEXT TWO SLIDES. WE'RE GONNA GO TO THE PARTICIPATION. SO, UM, IN GOING BACK AND LOOKING AT THE PROGRAM AND HOW WE COULD BE INCLUSIVE, UH, WE LOOKED AT, UM, A COUPLE OF MUNICIPALITIES. THE CONSULTANTS CAME BACK AND GAVE US, UM, THIS IS AN OPTION. FEDERAL PRESIDENT ALLOWS FOR JURISDICTIONS TO ESTABLISH WHAT'S CALLED ASPIRATIONAL GOALS, EVEN WHEN THERE IS NO DISPARITY. UM, PROVIDED THAT THOSE GOALS REFLECT MARKET AVAILABILITY, PROMOTE INCLUSION, AND DO NOT CONSTITUTE QUOTAS. THIS IS BASED ON CLOSE IN 1989 AND ENGINEERING CONTRACTOR'S CASE IN 1997. THE METHODOLOGY USED IN THIS JUSTIFICATION FOLLOWS THE STUDY'S DISPARITY INDEX AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE TESTING FRAMEWORK, BUT IT ALLOWS US TO PIVOT TOWARD AVAILABILITY BASED ON ASPIRATIONAL GOALS SETTING, WHICH IS AN ACCEPTED PRACTICE UNDER NARROWLY TAILORING PRINCIPLES AND RELEVANT JUDICIAL GUIDANCE. AND SO, UM, AS WITH EVERYTHING WITH THIS PROGRAM, UM, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO BE AWARE THAT JUST AS ANY OTHER, UM, INDUSTRY HAS STANDARDS, THERE'S A CERTAIN STANDARD THAT ALL OF THE CONSULTANTS USE WHEN THEY'RE CONDUCTING DISPARITY STUDIES. THEY'RE NOT JUST CHOOSING TO INCLUDE WHAT THEY WANNA INCLUDE, IT HAS TO BE BASED OFF OF CASE LAW AND THE, UM, INDUSTRY STANDARD OR WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO INCLUDE. UM, IN THIS GRAPH, WHAT YOU'LL SEE IS THE AVAILABILITY BASED ON, UH, WHAT IS IN THE STUDY. UM, AND WE [00:55:01] ARE CHOOSING TO PLACE THAT AS A PLACEHOLDER TO CAP THE PARTICIPATION IN THOSE CATEGORIES. AND SO, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, WE LOOK AT CONSTRUCTION, UH, FOR HISPANIC AMERICANS, THE CAP IS 16% AND THAT IS BASED ON THE MARKET AVAILABILITY THAT WAS CAPTURED IN THE STUDY. UM, IT ALLOWS PARTICIPATION IN THE MBE PROGRAM, BUT IT'S CAPPED ACCORDING TO AVAILABILITY BASED ON THE PRESIDENT THAT HAS BEEN SET, UH, FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES. THE CAP FOR ASIAN AMERICANS IS 6%. THE CAP FOR HISPANICS IS 7%. ALL GROUPS THAT HAD NO HAD THAT HAD DISPARITY AND SHOW SIGNIFICANT DISPARITY HAVE FULL PARTICIPATION IN THOSE CATEGORIES. UM, AND SO FOR INSTANCE, UM, YOU HAVE A CONSTRUCTION GOAL AND YOU HAVE, UM, 23%, 20%, THAT IS MBE AND 10% WBE AND 5% SPE. IF I HAVE ALL OF THOSE CERTIFICATIONS, I CAN BE CONSIDERED FOR ANY OF THOSE, THE MBE, THE WB OR THE SBE. IF I HAVE THE MBE CERTIFICATION ONLY AND I'M HISPANIC, I'M CONSIDERED FOR 15% OF THE MBE, UH, PORTION OF THE PARTICIPATION GOAL. NEXT SLIDE. AND NEXT SLIDE. SO, NEW PROGRAMS, UH, TO SUPPORT SOME OF THIS, SOME OF THE CONCERNS AND ONE OF THE REASONS WHY THEY UTILIZE THIS, UH, ASPIRATIONAL AVAILABILITY ASPIRATIONAL GOAL BASED ON AVAILABILITY IS THAT IT REDUCES THE AMOUNT OF SLIDE BACK INTO DISPARITY, RIGHT? SO THAT WAS ONE OF THE CONCERNS OF THE GROUP WAS, YOU KNOW, WILL WE SLIDE BACK IN DISPARITY? SO ALLOWING SOME PARTICIPATION, UM, THERE WAS ALREADY NO DISPARITY, BUT ALLOWING PARTICIPATION ALLOWS THE, FOR SOME ROOM SO THAT THERE IS NOT THIS SLIDE BACK IN DISPARITY WHILE ALLOWING THE OTHER GROUPS TO PARTICIPATE FULLY BECAUSE THEY DID HAVE A SUBSTANTIAL DISPARITY. UM, SO WE LOOKED AT SOME NEW PROGRAMS TO INSTITUTE TO KIND OF, UM, GUARD AGAINST THAT SLIDE AND TO BETTER ASSIST THE SMALL BUSINESSES. SO WE'LL START OFF WITH THE VETERAN AND, UM, DISABLED VETERAN OWNED SMALL BUSINESS. YOU GUYS EXPANDED THAT AS A PART OF THE ORDINANCE. SO WE ARE WORKING ON POLICIES AROUND THAT PROGRAM. THAT WILL BE A NEW CERTIFICATION CERTIFICATE. WE WILL NOT PROCESS THAT CERTIFICATION. IT WILL, UM, BE BASED UPON THEIR SBA CERTIFICATION. THEY'LL JUST NEED TO PRESENT THAT TO US AND PROVE THEIR LOCAL PRESENCE. BECAUSE THIS IS A LOCAL PROGRAM. UM, IF THEY HAVE LOCAL PRESENCE AND THEY HAVE THE SBA CERTIFICATION, WE'LL LIST THEM IN OUR DIRECTORY TO BE UTILIZED. UM, PERSONAL NETWORK CAP WAS ALSO SOMETHING THAT WAS HIGHLY DEBATED, DEBATED, UM, BUT WE THOUGHT THAT WAS A GOOD MEASURE TO KEEP LARGER FIRMS WITH MORE RESOURCES, UH, FROM CAPITALIZING ON THE LOCAL PROGRAM. SO WE DO NOW HAVE A PERSONAL NETWORK CAP ON THE LOCAL PROGRAM CERTIFICATION FLEXIBILITY FOR DISABLED PERSONS, UM, AND BUSINESS OWNERS. THIS WAS AS A RESULT OF A COUPLE OF OUR, UM, CERTIFICATION APPLICANTS WHO WERE UNABLE TO BE CERTIFIED BASED ON OUR OTHER REQUIREMENTS BECAUSE THEY HAD, UM, THE, UM, THE LICENSING, BUT THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE, THEY ARE DISABLED FOR SOME REASON AND THEY COULDN'T DO THE WORK, SO IT'S NOT REFLECTED IN THEIR WORK. AND SO WE HAD TO DENY THEM. BUT WE HAVE, UM, REMOVED THAT NOW AND SO WE HAVE MORE FLEXIBILITY WITH PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES. THE EXPANSION OF THE SBE FOR ALL PROCUREMENT, WE DISCUSSED THAT HEAVILY AS WELL. THAT HAS ALREADY OCCURRED. IF, UM, A FIRM IS AN MBE OR WBE, THEY WERE AUTOMATICALLY MIGRATED AND RECEIVED AN ADDITIONAL CERTIFICATION. SO THEY ARE NOW SPE, UM, IN THE SYSTEM AND THEY WILL BE ABLE TO BE COUNTED, STARTED JANUARY 1ST IN ALL THE PROCUREMENT CATEGORIES. UM, A MENTOR PROTEGE PROGRAM, WHICH THE CITY HAD YEARS AGO. UM, AND WE DO HAVE AN INTER-AGENCY MENTOR PROTEGE PROGRAM, BUT WE ARE WORKING WITH A PARTNER TO COME UP WITH, UM, PRI A PRIVATE PUBLIC MENTOR PROTEGE PROGRAM. UM, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT OUR BUSINESSES DON'T JUST RELY ON, UH, THE CITY. UM, THERE REALLY SHOULD BE DIVERSITY IN THEIR PORTFOLIO. AND SO WORKING WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR TO BRING IN SOME OF OUR LARGER CONSTRUCTION FIRMS. UM, AND WE ALSO HAVE A CO-OP THAT HAS OPTED TO, UH, OFFERED TO, UH, MENTOR OTHER GOODS, UM, COMPANIES THAT SELL GOODS AND, AND TO THE CITY ON HOW TO BECOME, UH, PART OF THE COOPERATIVE. SO WE'RE LOOKING AT EXPANDING THAT. 'CAUSE GENERALLY MENTOR PROTEGE IS YOUR CONSTRUCTION FIRMS, BUT WE REALLY WANNA EXPAND IT BEYOND THAT. AND SO THAT MAY BE AN AREA THAT WE OF INTEREST, UM, A SMALL BUSINESS HUB WHERE BUSINESSES ARE ABLE TO, IT'S KIND OF LIKE A COMMUNITY THAT YOU JOIN AND YOU CAN DO BUSINESS TO BUSINESS AT A DISCOUNTED RATE, UM, AS WELL AS OUR NEW COMMUNITY RELATIONS SPECIALISTS, WHICH IS, UM, GOING TO HELP WITH BRIDGING THE GAP WITH OUR L-G-T-B-E COMMUNITY, UM, IN THAT CERTIFICATION. UM, NEXT SLIDE. THERE IS A SMALL CONTRACTOR ROTATION PROGRAM THAT WE'RE, UH, CURRENT. [01:00:01] WE CURRENTLY HAVE THIS PROGRAM WITH HPW, UM, BUT WE'RE, UM, ROLLING THIS OUT ACROSS THE CITY AND WHAT THIS, THESE ARE, UM, CONTRACTS THAT ARE RECURRING OR JOBS THAT ARE RECURRING, NOT LIKE THE WORK ORDERS, BUT WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE CERTAIN LEGAL, UM, CASES THAT COME UP OR CERTAIN WAYS THAT LEGAL USES LEGAL FIRMS. THERE ARE CERTAIN, UM, IT THINGS THAT COME UP ON A ROTATIONAL BASIS. UM, AND SO DEPARTMENTS WILL, UM, BE ALLOWED TO DESIGNATE THOSE AS SMALLER ROTATION PROGRAMS. AND SO THAT WAY THAT OUR SMALLER FIRMS CAN ACT AS PRIMES AND NOT, UM, SUBCONTRACTORS, THEY'RE ABLE TO BE PRIME CONTRACTORS AND COME IN AND ROTATE THROUGH THAT AND ENSURE THAT THEY'RE GETTING MORE WORK. UM, THIS WE THINK WILL CREATE MORE OF A CASH FLOW FOR OUR SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS. ASSIGN THEM SMALLER WORK ORDERS, UM, IMPROVE THEIR A BOND CAPABILITIES IF THEY'RE, UM, UH, HAVE NEVER DONE BONDING OR THEY HAVE LOW BONDING CAPABILITIES, UM, HELP THEM BECOME PRIME CONTRACTORS. ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU'RE EVALUATED ON WHEN YOU WANNA BE A PRIME IS HAVE YOU EVER BEEN A PRIME? AND SO IF YOU'RE CONSTANTLY ANSWERING NO, UM, YOU DON'T GET ANY POINTS THERE. SO WE'RE HOPING THIS WILL HELP THEM TO, UM, STEP UP AND BECOME PRIMES. UM, IT HELPS THEM AT OBTAIN A REPUTABLE PERFORMANCE AND CREDIT HISTORY AND ESTABLISH RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE SURETY COMPANIES, THE BONDING COMPANIES, AND WITH THE DEPARTMENT. UM, NEXT SLIDE. THE SMALL BUSINESS RESERVE IS ONE THAT WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT. UM, UH, PROCUREMENT AND I WILL BE MEETING ABOUT THIS, UH, A LOT. UM, AND SO WHAT WE'RE INTRODUCING IS A SMALL BUSINESS RESERVE PROGRAM THAT WILL OFFER OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR MID-SIZE BUSINESS FIRMS TO COMPETE FOR PRIME CONTRACTS. UM, THIS PROGRAM WILL ESTABLISH A UNIQUE MARKETPLACE WHERE OUR SMALL BUSINESSES ONLY COMPETE AGAINST OTHER SMALL BUSINESSES AND CERTIFIED FIRMS. INSTEAD OF THE LARGER, MORE ESTABLISHED FIRMS. THE SBR PROGRAM WILL ALLOW DEPARTMENTS TO CHOOSE UP TO 20% OF THEIR PROCUREMENT EXPENDITURES TO GO TO CERTIFIED FIRMS. UH, RIGHT NOW WE ARE TOYING, WE'RE TOYING WITH THE TOTAL DOLLAR VALUE OF BETWEEN 100,000 TO 500,000 THAT THEY CAN COMPETE FOR. BUT WE THINK THIS IS GOING TO REALLY, UM, MOVE THE NEEDLE AND CHANGE THE MARKET FOR MID-SIZE FIRMS THAT WANT TO BE PRIMED WITH THE CITY. NEXT SLIDE. NEW PROGRAM BENEFITS. WE DEFINITELY THINK THAT THESE, UH, RETAIN OUR CERTIFICATION. IT HELPS EVERYONE TO REMAIN IN THE PROGRAM. UM, AND IT LENDS ITSELF TO RECIPROCITY WITH OUR OTHER, UM, SISTER AGENCIES HERE IN THE CITY AND COUNTY. UM, EXPANDS OUR SPE GOALS AND IMPROVES COMPETITION AND EQUITY, UM, AMONGST OUR SMALL BUSINESSES AND AVOIDS ANY DISRUPTION IN CONTRACTS. UM, NEXT SLIDE. AND NEXT SLIDE. SO, COMMUNITY POLICY MEETINGS. THOSE ARE THE MEETINGS WE'VE BEEN CURRENTLY HAVING. SO WE'VE BEEN OUT TO SOME OF THE DISTRICTS. WE'VE HAD MEETINGS AT THE HOUSTON PERMITTING CENTER, UH, WE'RE PRESENTING AT THE ION. UH, WE HAVE MEETINGS COMING UP, AND SO WE ARE HAVING THESE POLICY MEETINGS ALL ALONG. UM, JUST TO, WE ROLLED OUT THE FIRST ONE AND THEY WERE INDUSTRY SPECIFIC BECAUSE VERY DIFFERENT INDUSTRIES HAVE DIFFERENT QUESTIONS, RIGHT? SO JUST TO MOVE IT ALONG SO THAT THERE'RE NOT A LOT OF CONFUSION. I THINK THAT WENT PRETTY WELL. HAVING CONSTRUCTION TOGETHER, THEY COULD ASK THEIR SPECIFIC QUESTIONS, PROFESSIONAL SERVICES QUESTIONS. UM, AND SO WE'VE HAD THOSE AND WE CONTINUE, WE'LL CONTINUE TO HAVE THOSE. UM, THE NEXT TWO SLIDES OVER, YOU'LL SEE PARTNER EDUCATION AND TRAINING. SO THIS IS GONNA BE REALLY IMPORTANT. UM, OVER THE NEXT SIX MONTHS, WE'LL BE TRAINING, UM, OUR SISTER DEPARTMENTS. UH, WE'LL BE CHANGING OUR SISTER AGENCIES. SO WHAT YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU IS JUST A PARTNER EDUCATION TRAINING OF HOW THOSE WORKSHOPS WE'VE SCHEDULED THOSE. UM, SOME ARE STILL TO BE DETERMINED. LOCATION. WE HAVE SOME, UH, PROJECTED DATES. UH, WE HAVE OUR ORGANIZATIONS IN HERE, OUR CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE. YOU ALSO LISTED PRIMES AND SUBCONTRACTORS. WE REALLY WANT TO REQUIRE OUR PRIMES AND SUBS TO BE A PART OF THIS. SO THIS IS GONNA GO A LONG WAY FOR THEM TO UNDERSTAND THE PROGRAM SO THAT, UM, THEY'RE CLEAR ON HOW PARTICIPATION IS COUNTED AND HOW WE WILL PROCEED WITH COMPLIANCE. UM, THE NEXT SLIDE THAT YOU SEE IS A PROGRAM ROLLOUT. THIS IS A SCHEDULE INTERNALLY. UM, OF COURSE THERE ARE A LOT OF CHANGES THAT HAVE TO HAPPEN WITH CONTRACTS, WITH OUR BID FORMS, WITH THE FORMS THAT OBO UTILIZES AND BETWEEN DEPARTMENTS. SO WE'VE STARTED TO WORK ON SOME OF THOSE. AND SO WE'LL HAVE MORE PRESENTATIONS COMING TO YOU. WE'VE GOT, UM, PROJECTED IN OCTOBER TO UPDATE YOU ON HOW THAT PROCESS IS GOING WITH LEGAL SPD AND THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS. UM, THEN WE'LL HAVE AN INTENSIVE DEPARTMENTAL TRAINING WITH H HP STARTING WITH HBW, UM, THEN GENERAL SERVICES, OUR OTHER DEPARTMENTS, THE AIRPORT, AND THEN [01:05:01] OUR STAKEHOLDERS. SO WE LOOK FOR THE FALL TO BE ALL THE WAY TO PROBABLY DECEMBER THAT WILL BE TRAINING AND PUSHING THIS INFORMATION OUT, HOSTING EVENTS, AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE GETTING, UH, READY TO ROLL THIS OUT. AND JANUARY IS OUR GOAL. UM, I THINK THAT IS THE END. SO I'LL OPEN UP FOR ANY QUESTIONS YOU GUYS HAVE, DIRECTOR. THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION, AND THANK YOU AGAIN FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING. I THINK THAT, UM, AS I'VE BEEN READING ALL OF THE ARTICLES ABOUT THE CITIES THAT HAVE LOST THEIR PROGRAM OR STOPPED DOING THEIR PROGRAM, ESPECIALLY IN THIS CLIMATE, I THINK THE WORK THAT WE HAVE DONE, UM, THROUGH YOUR LEADERSHIP AND THE MAYOR'S, UM, LEADERSHIP ON WANTING TO MAKE SURE THAT HOUSTON CAN RETAIN ITS PROGRAM HAS BEEN STELLAR. UM, I WANTED TO TELL YOU THAT AND THEN ALSO, UM, LET YOU KNOW THAT SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE CALLED AND SAID, WELL, HOW ARE Y'ALL KEEPING YOUR PROGRAM? AND IT'S BECAUSE OF THE INPUT FROM ALL OF OUR BUSINESS OWNERS AND MAKING SURE THAT IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOT ONLY THE ELECTED LEADERS AND THE LEADERSHIP, BUT TO THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BUSINESSES IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON THAT THEY CAN PARTICIPATE IN CONTRACTING IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. SO I APPRECIATE THE, UM, COMPREHENSIVE LOOK AT WHAT WE DO IN THE CITY AND MAKING SURE THAT, UM, WE CONTINUE TO FIGHT TO KEEP THIS PROGRAM IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ. THANK YOU, CHAIRWOMAN, UH, DIRECTOR. I ALSO WANT TO JUST ECHO SOME OF THOSE SENTIMENTS AS WELL. UH, FIRST AND FOREMOST, THANK YOU. UM, YOU HAVE BEEN OUT IN THE COMMUNITY. I THINK THIS IS PROBABLY THE MOST THAT OBO HAS REALLY BEEN OUT IN THIS CAPACITY. UM, AND I KNOW IT'S BECAUSE OF WHAT WE'RE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE POLICY CHANGES, BUT TO HAVE TO HAVE YOU SPECIFICALLY, AND THEN OF COURSE YOUR TEAM BE OUT THERE, UM, BEING VERY HONEST ABOUT HOW WE WANT SMALL BUSINESSES TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN HOUSTON, IT IT IS, IT IS SOMETHING GOOD, GOOD TO HAVE. UM, WE WANNA MAKE SURE, UH, THAT SMALL BUSINESS CAN, YOU KNOW, AS, AS THEY ARE THE BACKBONE TO OUR, OUR ECONOMY, THAT THEY, THAT, THAT THEY'RE SUCCESSFUL. AND SO, JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU FIRST AND FOREMOST. UM, AS WE'RE MOVING FORWARD AND LOOKING AT THE, THE ROLLOUT SCHEDULE, KNOWING THAT THERE'S, COULD POSSIBLY BE MODIFIED, UM, THE POLICIES THAT, THAT YOU'RE, YOU, YOU AND YOUR TEAM ARE CONTINUING TO WORK ON, UM, AT, AT WHAT POINT WILL Y'ALL STOP TAKING FEEDBACK? WELL, WE DON'T EVER STOP TAKING FEEDBACK . UM, WE'RE GONNA TRY TO HAVE THESE POLICIES IN PLACE, UH, SEPTEMBER, UH, SO THAT WE CAN TRAIN ON THE MEAT OF THE POLICY. BUT IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO ADJUST, UH, WE CAN ADJUST IT. YOU KNOW, THE HARDEST THING IS ADJUSTING THE ORDINANCE, THE POLICY, YOU KNOW, WHEN I ROLL THIS OUT AND I WAS TALKING TO PEOPLE, THE POLICY IS THE MEAT OF WHAT WE DO. THE ORDINANCE KIND OF GIVES YOU THE OVERARCHING, BUT THE DAY TO DAY IS HOW WE ROLL IT OUT. AND, YOU KNOW, DEEPER THAN THIS, WE HAVE A HUGE BOOK OF SOPS IN EVERY DIVISION. SO THERE ARE THINGS, YOU KNOW, THERE'S FEEDBACK AS WE START TO MOVE THIS ALONG AND WE SEE SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE ADJUSTED, UM, PLEASE BRING THAT TO US BECAUSE WE ARE GOING DOWN. UM, I THINK, I KNOW JUST TALK TO, TALKING TO MY COLLEAGUES IN OTHER CITIES, UH, THIS UTILIZING THIS AVAILABILITY APPROACH IS THE MOST NARROWLY TAILORED THAT PEOPLE HAVE SEEN, UM, AND MAKES IT SO DEFENSIBLE MM-HMM . UM, THAT WE'RE HOPING THAT WE CAN HOLD ONTO THIS A LITTLE WHILE LONGER SO WE CAN GET MORE PEOPLE IN. YEAH. UH, NO, AND, AND I, AND I ASKED THE QUESTION JUST BECAUSE, UM, YOU, I'VE BEEN DOING A, A GREAT JOB OF BEING OUT IN THE COMMUNITY, BUT THERE'S ALWAYS FOLKS, WE, WE SHARED THIS, UH, COMMITTEE MEETING WITH, UH, A SLEW OF EMAILS THAT ARE, WE'VE BEEN HAVING CONSISTENT CONVERSATIONS. WE DID GET SOME EMAIL FEEDBACK, UH, BUT I'M SURPRISED THAT THERE'S NOT A LOT OF FOLKS HERE TODAY. UM, AND SO IF THERE'S ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY, WHETHER IT'S IN THIS COMMITTEE OR IF IT'S GONNA BE MENTIONED AROUND CITY COUNCIL, UM, I WANNA ENCOURAGE BUSINESS TO KNOW THAT THE CONVERSATION, THE LINES OF COMMUNICATION ARE OPEN. AND SO WE, WE WELCOME THEM. UM, AND JUST LOOKING AT THIS ROLLOUT SCHEDULE, IT LOOKS LIKE POSSIBLY OCTOBER WILL, MIGHT BE SOLIDIFYING, SO THAT WAY TRAINING CAN HAPPEN. AND I'M SAYING THAT PUBLICLY BECAUSE I WANT FOLKS TO CONTINUE TO KNOW THAT THIS, THIS, UH, THE TIME IS NOW TO HAVE THE CONVERSATION, UM, AS, AS WE START, UM, ENSURING THAT WE CAN KEEP THE M-W-S-B-E. UM, BUT AS, UH, MAYOR PROTON MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, I THINK DALLAS JUST GOT RID OF THEIRS RECENTLY. FORT FORT BEND, I MEAN FORT FORTT. CORRECT. AND, AND, UM, AND A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE, THE, UH, COURT CASE AND, UH, IN WITH THIS, UM, UNDERSTANDING THAT, THAT THERE, THAT THE, UH, COMPLAINT CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE, WITH THE LAWSUIT. UM, I APPRECIATE EXPANDING THE SBE PROGRAM, UH, HAVING THAT FORESIGHT, UH, TO KIND OF LIST WHAT DOES IT LOOK [01:10:01] LIKE IF THIS WERE TO HAPPEN? YEAH. UH, BECAUSE, UH, THEN THAT'S WHERE THE REAL WORK REALLY SHOULD BE INVESTED, BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, IF IT WERE TO HAPPEN, WE WILL BE SET UP TO MAKE SURE THAT SMALL BUSINESSES ARE STILL TAKEN CARE OF. SO AGAIN, JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU, UH, FOR THE ENGAGEMENT, AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT COMMUNITY UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS STILL AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH, WITH YOU ALL. AND OF COURSE, THIS HORSESHOE WE ARE, UM, CONSTANTLY WATCHING WHAT'S HAPPENING, OF COURSE IN OTHER CITIES AND HOW THEY'RE MOVING, UNDERSTANDING THAT WE WANNA PROTECT WHAT WE HAVE, BUT ALSO BEING PREPARED. SO I'M ALWAYS TRYING TO BE PREPARED AND THINK TWO STEPS AHEAD. I THINK EXPANDING THE PROGRAM GIVES US THAT. I THINK THAT IT ALSO BRINGS CREDENCE TO THE FACT THAT WE'RE FLEXIBLE IN THE COURTS, THAT WE ARE ALLOWING FOR THE FLEXIBILITY OF EQUITY AS WELL AS INCLUSION AND THROUGH THE AVAILABILITY, UH, MATRIX. SO I THINK THAT WE'VE ADDED A GREAT PORTION TO THAT. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TEM CHAIR, UH, SELEN, THANK YOU. A GREAT PRESENTATION TODAY. AND I CERTAINLY WANT TO HIGHLIGHT, UM, YOUR WORK AND YOUR STAFF FOR PUTTING THIS TOGETHER. THIS WAS A VERY, UH, THIN, YOU KNOW, TIGHT ROPE TO KIND OF COME UP WITH A PROGRAM. I ECHO MY FELLOW COLLEAGUES ABOUT, UH, OUR, UH, INVESTMENT IN WHAT WE LOOK FOR FOR THE MWBE, UH, FOR THE RECORD, WAY BEFORE, IN ANOTHER LIFETIME, WAY BEFORE I WAS EVER, UH, ON COUNCIL, EVEN CONSIDERED TO BE ON COUNCIL, THE ISSUE OF THE MWBE, WHICH I ECHO TO ALL PEOPLE DURING THAT PROCESS OF DISPARITY ISSUE THAT WE WANT TO REPRESENT FAIRNESS ACROSS THE BOARD. WE DON'T WANT ANYTHING IN THIS CITY. THAT'S THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF WHY MWBE WAS INSTITUTED SO THAT THERE COULD BE FAIR PLAY AND ALL OF THE DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES AND ARE, UM, RACES WOULD HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE. WELL, I SAY THAT BECAUSE WHAT YOU AND I HAVE DISCUSSED OVER THE PAST WEEKS WAS SOMETHING ON MY AGENDA COMING IN OFFICE. AND THAT WAS TO BRING FINANCIAL, UM, AVENUES TO THE SMALL BUSINESS MINORITY BUSINESS WOMEN BUSINESSES, EVERY CITY, STATE, AND COUNTY DON'T HAVE ALL OF THE MONEY. YOU ONLY GOING TO HAVE SO MUCH MONEY THAT'S ONLY SO MUCH MONEY. WE ARGUE AROUND THIS HORSESHOE EVERY WEEK ABOUT HOW MUCH WE SPEND AND YOU KNOW, WE GIVING HERE TOO MUCH. SO THAT WAS THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF US CREATING, AND I'M BRINGING TO WORKING WITH YOU. AND THANK YOU FOR PARTNERING. WE GOING TO CREATE THIS FINANCIAL SYMPOSIUM. YOU KNOW, CITY HAVE LIMITED MONEY, STATE HAVE LIMITED MONEY, COUNTY HAVE LIMITED MONEY, AND WE NOW SEE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT GOING TO HAVE LIMITED MONEY, BUT BANKS GOT MONEY AND BANKS HAVE MONEY UNDER THE COMMUNITY REINVESTMENT ACT OF 19 76, 77, WHICH SOMETHING THAT I PROTEST IN 1988, WHICH IS HOW A LOT OF NON-FOR-PROFIT AND SMALL BUSINESSES GOT SEED LOANS. BUT IF PEOPLE CHECK THE HISTORY AND LOOK BACK OVER WHAT THE FIGHT IS, AND SO WHEN BANKS WERE REDLINING AND DISCRIMINATING AGAINST SMALL BUSINESSES OF ALL RACES, THE MWBE HELPED PEOPLE TO GET IN IT BY USING THE VEHICLE OF THE CITY. SO I WANT TO AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR THIS. I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO IT. WHEN WE HOLD THE SYMPOSIUM, IT'S SCHEDULED FOR OCTOBER. UM, I'M GOING TO INVITE ALL OF THOSE, MY COLLEAGUES AND THOSE THAT WILL COME AND BE CONCERNED AND HELP OTHERS TO COME. SMALL BUSINESSES OF ALL, NO MATTER WHAT YOUR, UH, RACE OR IS, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET AT THE TABLE. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK. I WANT TO THANK YOUR STAFF FOR HELPING US PUT THAT TOGETHER. AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO HELPING ALL OF OUR CITY TO COME TO THE TABLE AND BE BENEFITED BY ACCESS TO BUSINESSES AND FUNDS. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU, DIRECTOR. YOU'VE HAD A BUSY YEAR. I APPRECIATE YOU ALWAYS BEING AVAILABLE TO TAKE MY QUESTIONS. AND I KNOW YOU'VE PUT A LOT OF WORK INTO THIS. UM, I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS FOR YOU. EARLIER YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU DO HAVE A LIST OF FIRMS THAT HAVE GRADUATED FROM VARIOUS, UH, NACE CODES. CAN CAN YOU SHARE THAT WITH THE MEMBERS OF COUNCIL? YES, I WILL. I CAN SEND IT. GREAT, THANK YOU. ALSO, UM, WITH REGARD TO SLIDE NUMBER 12 WHERE [01:15:01] YOU LAY OUT THE, UH, PROPOSED NEW CAPS, UM, WE'VE HAD A, A QUESTION AND A REQUEST FOR THE DATA ACCESS TO THE DATA THAT CONFIRMS THESE CAPS. IN OTHER WORDS, TOTAL CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL SERVICE FIRMS, AND THEN WITHIN THAT, UH, FOR INSTANCE, THE HISPANIC FIRMS AND THE ASIAN FIRMS CAN, WHERE, WHERE CAN WE FIND THAT OR CAN YOU MAKE IT AVAILABLE TO US? UM, I CAN SEND YOU WHICH APPENDICES YOU CAN FIND THAT IN. IT'S A PART OF THE APPENDICES THAT'S ON OUR WEBSITE. AND I CAN SEND YOU WHICH ONES, WHICH APPENDICES AND WHICH TABLE THAT REFERS TO IN THE, UH, DISPARITY STUDY REPORT. THAT'D BE GREAT. I'LL PROVIDE THAT. THAT'D BE GREAT. WE ALSO HAD SOME FEEDBACK, UM, THAT, UM, REGARDING THE, UH, MINORITY WOMEN NOT FITTING IN THE NON NON-MINORITY WOMEN CATEGORY AND FEELING THAT THEY'RE PENALIZED BECAUSE OF THAT, UM, THEY DON'T QUALIFY IN, UM, IN THAT. AND SO I'M, I'M CURIOUS TO KNOW, HAS ANY THOUGHT BEEN GIVEN TO CREATING JUST A, UH, UH, A COMBINED MINORITY AND NON-MINORITY WOMEN CATEGORY OR A SEPARATE CATEGORY FOR MINORITY WOMEN? SO THE WBE CATEGORY INCLUDES WOMEN. THE DISPARITY STUDY LOOKS AT NON-MINORITY WOMEN BECAUSE WHEN THE, WHEN, UH, THESE PROGRAMS STARTED, MINORITY WOMEN WERE COUNTED AS MINORITIES. WE WERE ALL S FIRST. SO I'M A M FIRST, RIGHT? AND THEN NON-MINORITY WOMEN WERE ADDED AS THE WBE. SO THE PROGRAM AS WBE WASN'T SET UP FOR ME, IT WAS SET UP FOR NON-MINORITY WOMEN. SO WHEN THEY DO THE DISPARITY STUDY, THEY WANNA LOOK AT HOW IT'S AFFECTING NON-MINORITY WOMEN, WHICH IS WHY YOU SEE IT IN THE DISPARITY STUDY THAT WAY. BUT THE WBE CATEGORY, I, IF I WANNA BE CERTIFIED AS A WBE, I'M ALSO IN THAT CATEGORY WITH THEM. BUT FOR THE PURPOSES OF THE DISPARITY STUDY, THEY SEPARATED OUT BECAUSE I'M ALSO FIRST AND M I'M SECONDLY A W. AND SO I KNOW THAT'S A LITTLE CONVOLUTED, BUT THAT'S HOW THE PROGRAM WORKS. OKAY. OKAY. HOW THEN DO WE KNOW HOW MINORITY WOMEN ARE BEING AFFECTED? WE CAN PULL THE DATA OUT. IT'S A PART OF THE AWARDS REPORT. SO THE REPORT THAT YOU'LL GET AT THE END OF, UH, YOU PROBABLY SHOULD GET IT THIS WEEK. SO OUR ANNUAL REPORT, AND IT COMES OUT QUARTERLY, ACTUALLY PULLS OUT HOW MINORITY WOMEN ARE DOING AND HOW MINORITIES ARE DOING. UM, IT HAS IT ALL DETAILED THERE. AND SO IF YOU WANT ME TO SEND IT SEPARATELY, I CAN SEND YOU THE AWARDS REPORT. THAT THAT'D BE GREAT. AND JUST FINAL QUESTION AND I'LL, AND I'LL BE DONE. UM, ARE THERE ANY ENTITIES THAT HAVE A CATEGORY FOR MINORITY WOMEN? UM, NOT MINORITY WOMEN. NO, JUST WOMEN. WHAT WAS YOUR QUESTION? SO THE WBE, ARE THERE ANY ENTITIES THAT HAVE A CATEGORY FOR MINORITY WOMEN? OH NO. YOU HAVE MINORITY OR YOU HAVE WOMEN. AND SO GENERALLY IF I'M THE 51% OWNER AND I'M AN MBE, I CAN GET THAT WBE. AND SO PEOPLE GET BOTH. AND SO YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO CHOOSE, UM, BETWEEN THE TWO. SO YOU CAN DO BOTH. SOME PEOPLE CHOOSE TO ONLY HAVE ONE. UM, AND SO YOU HAVE THAT FLEXIBILITY. BUT NO, THERE'S NO SAY, UM, BLACK B OR HISPANIC B OR MINORITY B? NO. OKAY. NOT FOR WOMEN. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER. THANK YOU CHAIR. UM, I TOO WOULD BE INTERESTED IN THE NUMBER OF, UH, YOU KNOW, LIKE HOW MANY ENTITIES WITH PROFESSIONAL SERVICES SPECIFICALLY AS RELATES TO THE HISPANIC AND ASIAN. I THINK THAT'S SLIDE 13. THERE IT IS. UM, YEAH, SO WHEN YOU SEND IT TO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ, OKAY. HOW MANY CERTIFIED, YOU KNOW, UH, ORGANIZATIONS. OKAY. ALRIGHT, YOU, WE'LL JUST SEND YOU ALL, SEND IT US AND WE'LL SEND IT TO EVERYBODY. THANK YOU. OR YOU CAN SEND IT TO EVERYBODY EITHER WAY. OKAY. WE ARE HAPPY TO HELP. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? IF NOT, DIRECTOR, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UH, WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME TODAY AND YOUR STAFF FOR BEING HERE AND FOR ALL OF THE GREAT WORK THEY'VE DONE ON THIS. THANK YOU GUYS FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT. I APPRECIATE IT. WE DO HAVE ONE PUBLIC SPEAKER WHO WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ONLINE, NOT ONLINE. WE'LL CALL HER NAME ANYWAY, JUST IN CASE SHE DECIDED TO COME TO CHAMBERS TODAY. IS ARLENE POCHE HERE? ARLENE POCHE. ARLENE POCHE. ONLINE? NOT ONLINE. OKAY. IF YOU, UH, SEE THIS OR YOU STILL HAVE A QUESTION, FEEL FREE TO REACH OUT TO US. ARE THERE ANY OTHER MEMBERS IN THE CHAMBER THAT WOULD WISH TO MAKE COMMENTS? UH, YES. UH, DOUG'S HERE. COME ON. ON DOWN. DOUG, COME ON DOWN. DOUG . [01:20:02] ALL RIGHT, DOUG, YOU GET A WHOLE TWO MINUTES TO TELL US HOW YOU'RE FEELING AND ALL THE GOOD THINGS, THINGS YOU WANT US TO KNOW TODAY. GLAD TO SEE YOU. THANKS. UH, WHEN IT DEALS WITH TOURS, UH, YOU KNOW, I HAVE TO BE HERE. OKAY? AND THAT'S WHY I'M HERE TONIGHT. TODAY, UM, THERE ARE LOTS OF RUMBLES, UH, ABOUT POSSIBLY INSTITUTING A TRASH FEE OR DOING SOMETHING ABOUT THE PROPERTY TAX CAP AND, AND DOING SOMETHING FOR, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY. AND I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST THAT BEFORE YOU GO TO THE CITIZENS TO DO, TO, YOU KNOW, HAVE TO PAY ANYMORE, YOU CONSIDER DOING EVERYTHING YOU POSSIBLY CAN TO SPREAD THE MONEY FROM THE TOUR AROUND TO THE WHOLE CITY, NOT JUST TO THE TOURISTS THEMSELVES. AND I'M PARTICULARLY DEALING ABOUT THE BIG FIVE. GOT MEMORIAL CITY AND UPTOWN, MIDTOWN, UPPER KIRBY AND DOWNTOWN. THEY ALL ARE VERY PROSPEROUS, UH, TOURS AREAS THAT HAVE LOTS OF MONEY. AND UH, I THINK IT WOULD MAKE IT A LOT EASIER FOR CITIZENS TO SEE THAT, HEY, WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE POSSIBLY CAN AND WE'VE DONE THIS AND WE'VE SPREAD THE MONEY AROUND AND WE STILL NEED YOUR HELP IN DOING THESE THINGS. NOT ONLY THE TOUR, BUT ALSO I KNOW WE'VE DRAWN SOME MONEY FROM METRO, BUT I THINK THERE'S STILL MORE MONEY FROM METRO THAT COULD BE DRAWN BEFORE. ONCE AGAIN, YOU COME TO THE CITIZENS AND HOPEFULLY AS YOU DO THE TOUR'S, BUDGETS, YOU KEEP THAT IN MIND AND SEE IF THERE'S A WAY TO SPREAD THAT MONEY AROUND. AS I'VE SAID BEFORE, UH, IT'S LIKE THE RICH GET RICHER AND THE REST OF THE CITY SUFFERS. AND, UH, HOPEFULLY WE CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT. AND THAT'S ALL I'M HERE TO SAY. THANK YOU, DOUG. I APPRECIATE THOSE COMMENTS. IF THERE ARE NO OTHER SPEAKERS, UH, COLLEAGUES, BEFORE WE ADJOURN, I'D LIKE TO LET EVERYONE KNOW THE NEXT SCHEDULED SPECIAL JOINT BUDGET AND FISCAL AFFAIRS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETING WILL BE ON TUESDAY, AUGUST THE 26TH AT 2:00 PM IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN RECEIVING INFORMATION ABOUT THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETINGS, YOU CAN CONTACT THE DISTRICT A OFFICE. THE TIME IS 3 23 AND OUR MEETING IS ADJOURNED. THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE TODAY. * 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.