* 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.
          [District E Town Hall: Clear Lake on October 14, 2025.]
          [00:00:19]
          TONIGHT. 
          UM, BEFORE WE BEGIN, I REALLY WANT TO THANK SPACE CENTER HOUSTON FOR HAVING THIS FACILITY AVAILABLE TO US, UH, YOU KNOW, REALLY IS, UH, NICE THAT THEY CAN COME OUT TO A PLACE LIKE THIS, AND IT'S STILL IN THE DISTRICT, AND, AND IT'S A, A GREAT PLACE TO GET TOGETHER AND, AND JOIN. 
          UM, THANK EVERYBODY FOR BEING HERE AS WELL. 
          UH, REALLY APPRECIATE IT. 
          AND WE'VE GOT A REAL NICE, UH, ATTENDANCE TONIGHT, UM, SIGNIFICANTLY MORE THAN WHAT WE HAD LAST YEAR, SO HOPEFULLY THAT'S A GOOD THING. 
          UH, THE MAIN THING WE WANNA DO TONIGHT IS JUST TO MAKE SURE, UH, EVERYBODY GETS UPDATED AS TO WHAT'S GOING ON. 
          UH, WE HAVE, UH, A NUMBER OF THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE HERE. 
          IF YOU'VE GOT SPECIFIC QUESTIONS FOR ANY OF THE DEPARTMENTS, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO, TO ASK THEM. 
          UH, WE'VE GOT 3 1 1 THAT'S OUT HERE. 
          PARK HOUSTON, DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS, SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT, PARKS AND RECREATION CENTER POINT, ENERGY GENERAL SERVICES, AND THEY'RE WORKING, UH, WITH THE SYLVAN RODRIGUEZ, UH, DESIGN TEAM FOR THE COMMUNITY CENTER OUT THERE. 
          PUBLIC WORKS, THE HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT, HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, AND HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT. 
          THEY'RE ALL OUT HERE. 
          SO AGAIN, THESE ARE ALL RESOURCES FOR YOU. 
          IF YOU'VE GOT ANY QUESTIONS FOR 'EM, PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU ASK THEM. 
          UM, OVER THE SA PAST SEVERAL WEEKS, WE'VE, UH, TAKEN QUESTIONS ONLINE THAT PEOPLE HAVE SUBMITTED, AND WE'RE GONNA BE ANSWERING THOSE. 
          UM, BRIAN FRIEDMAN HAS, UH, AGREED TO, UH, KIND OF MODERATE, UH, THAT DISCUSSION. 
          SO, SO WE'LL HAVE THAT. 
          AND ALSO, IF YOU DIDN'T SUBMIT A QUESTION PREVIOUSLY, AND YOU'VE GOT ONE NOW THAT YOU'D LIKE TO ASK, YOU'RE ABLE TO FILL OUT A SHEET AND, AND, UH, HOPEFULLY WE HAVE ENOUGH TIME AND WE'LL GET TO THAT, THAT AS WELL. 
          UH, ALSO WANNA INTRODUCE MY STAFF, UH, DUSTIN ROGERS. 
          DUSTIN HODGES, MY CHIEF OF STAFF IS HERE. 
          DAMARI PEREZ, DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF SLOAN SWEENEY, WHO ACTUALLY TAKES CARE OF THE SOUTH SECTOR, IS HERE, AND, UH, WAS WITH THE CHAMBER BEFORE YARI RAMIREZ, ADRIAN GARCIA. 
          AND OUR NEWEST MEMBER, ANNIE COOK, IS HERE. 
          SO THEY BOTH, OR ANNIE JUST STARTED, AND ACTUALLY, ADRIAN, I THINK WAS ABOUT, WHAT, TWO, THREE WEEKS AGO NOW? MM-HMM . 
          SO, UH, PLEASE, UH, WELCOME ALL THEM. 
          UH, THEY KIND OF KEEP ME IN, IN LINE AND MAKE SURE I DON'T MESS THINGS UP TOO BADLY. 
          SO, UM, ALSO WE'VE GOT, UH, OUR BOOTH HERE FOR THE DISTRICT E. 
          IF YOU DON'T GET OUR NEWSLETTER, PLEASE SIGN UP FOR IT. 
          UH, WE TRY AND KEEP YOU AS INFORMED AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. 
          IT COMES OUT ONCE A MONTH. 
          WE DON'T BOMB YOUR EMAILS WITH A LOT OF UNNECESSARY ITEMS. IF SOMETHING'S GOING ON, WE'LL COMMUNICATE THAT, BUT WE TRY TO KEEP IT TO A, A MINIMUM, BUT WE DO, UH, SEND ONE OUT ONCE A MONTH TO UPDATE EVERYBODY ON, ON WHAT'S GOING ON AS WELL. 
          UH, ALSO, WE'VE GOT, UH, A COUPLE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS HERE, UH, WILLIE DAVIS, WHO IS AT LARGE, SALLY ALCORN AND TWILIGHT CARTER. 
          THESE COUNCIL MEMBERS REPRESENT YOU AS MUCH AS I DO. 
          UM, THEY'RE AT LARGE, SO THEY DON'T HAVE A SPECIFIC DISTRICT LIKE THE REST OF THE DISTRICT MEMBERS DO. 
          I MEAN, MY DISTRICT GOES FROM KINGWOOD TO CLEAR LAKE AND HAS A LITTLE BIT IN BETWEEN, INCLUDING THE NORTH SHORE. 
          UH, BUT THEY'RE CERTAINLY HERE TO HELP YOU. 
          AND TYPICALLY, UH, THEY'RE WORKING ON KINDA LARGER ITEMS. I KNOW, UH, COUNCILWOMAN CARTER HAS BEEN WORKING ON THE HOMELESS INITIATIVE QUITE A BIT. 
          UH, COUNCILWOMAN ALCORN HAS BEEN WORKING ON THE BUDGETING AND IS VERY VERSED IN THE FINANCIAL AFFAIRS OF THE CITY. 
          UH, AND COUNCILMAN DAVIS IS DOING A LOT OF, WITH THE, UH, UH, THE FAITH SIDE OF IT WITH THE PASTORS AND, AND WORKING WITH THAT. 
          SO, UH, EVERYBODY KIND OF HAS THEIR, THEIR NICHE AND, AND WORKS ON, UH, THE THING THAT, UH, IS IN THEIR WHEELHOUSE. 
          AND, AND THEY'RE CERTAINLY HERE TO HELP YOU AS WELL. 
          UM, LET'S SEE, WHAT ELSE DO WE HAVE? OH, THE, UH, OTHER ELECTED OFFICIALS, UH, STATE REPRESENTATIVE DENNIS PAUL IS HERE TODAY. 
          LET'S SEE. 
          ONE OF THE THINGS I WANNA IMPRESS UPON EVERYBODY IS, UH, 3 1 1, IF YOU'VE GOT A CONCERN OR GOT A PROBLEM, PLEASE GET IT REPORTED TO 3 1 1. 
          THAT'S KIND OF WHAT DRIVES EVERYTHING. 
          SO PLEASE, UH, MAKE SURE YOU'RE DOING THAT. 
          LIKE I SAID, 3 1 1 IS, IS ALSO HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU'VE GOT. 
          UH, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES THERE'S ISSUES WITH WHERE YOU'RE AT, IS TO WHERE THE THREE ONE ONE CALL GOES. 
          UH, I LIVE IN KINGWOOD, WHICH IS RIGHT NEXT TO MONTGOMERY COUNTY, AND A LOT OF TIMES MINE WILL GO TO THE COUNTY RATHER THAN GOING TO THE CITY, EVEN THOUGH IT'S SUPPOSED TO GO TO THE CITY. 
          [00:05:01]
UH, THERE'S A PHONE NUMBER THAT YOU CAN CALL. 
          IT'S 7 1 3 8 3 7 0 3 1 1. 
          SO IF YOU HAVE PROBLEMS, IF YOU GET DIRECTED TO THE COUNTY, YOU'RE ABLE TO CALL THAT PHONE NUMBER AND THAT PUTS YOU IN THERE. 
          UH, FOR SURE. 
          UH, LEMME SEE, WHAT ELSE? UH, CITY HALL UPDATES. 
          WE DID THE ERNSTON YOUNG STUDY LAST YEAR, AND WITH THAT, UH, THERE WAS A NUMBER OF EFFICIENCIES THAT THE CITY FOUND THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO KEEP THE EXPENSES DOWN. 
          AND, AND I DON'T KNOW ABOUT Y'ALL, BUT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFETIME THAT I CAN RECALL THE CITY GOVERNMENT ACTUALLY, UH, GOING FORWARD AND EXECUTING ON THINGS THAT ACTUALLY MADE THE GOVERNMENT MORE EFFICIENT. 
          AND THAT'S WHAT THIS STUDY WAS, WAS ALL ABOUT. 
          UM, THAT WAS PART OF, UH, THE EARLY RETIREMENTS, THE EARLY RETIREMENT PACKAGE THEY OFFERED TO THE CITY EMPLOYEES. 
          THEY, UH, ERNST AND YOUNG CAME BACK AND, AND SAID, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT MORE EMPLOYEES THAN WHAT YOU SHOULD HAVE FOR A CITY YOUR SIZE. 
          UH, THEY HAD A THOUSAND PEOPLE TAKE THE EARLY RETIREMENT PACKAGE, UH, SO THEY WERE ABLE TO KEEP THE SPENDING DOWN. 
          AND AT, AT THE SAME TIME. 
          ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO IS TO GET THE CONTRACTS WITH BOTH THE FIREFIGHTERS AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT DONE. 
          UH, AS PRETTY SURE EVERYBODY'S AWARE, THE THE CONTRACT WITH THE FIREFIGHTERS WAS VERY CONTENTIOUS OVER THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION. 
          UH, THE MAYOR WAIT, WAS ABLE TO GET THAT RESOLVED. 
          UH, ALSO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT'S CONTRACT CAME UP, WAS ABLE TO GET THAT CONTRACT DONE. 
          AND WE HAVE REALLY CHANGED, UH, KIND OF THE TRAJECTORY IN WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. 
          WE'VE HAD THE LARGEST CADET CLASS FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THE LARGEST CADET CLASS FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT SINCE INSTITUTING THOSE NEW CONTRACTS. 
          SO THE, THE MAYOR OBVIOUSLY IS VERY CONCERNED ABOUT SAFETY, POLICE AND FIRE, AND YOU CAN TELL HE'S KIND OF PUT, UH, I GUESS ALL OF OUR TAXPAYER MONEY WHERE HIS MOUTH IS, UH, TO TAKE CARE OF HIM. 
          AND, UH, ON, ON THAT, WE'VE HAD SOME REAL GOOD NUMBERS, ESPECIALLY IN DISTRICT E ON THE CRIME STATS. 
          UH, WE, WE PUBLISH THOSE IN OUR MONTHLY NEWSLETTER AS WELL. 
          AND THE CRIME HAS BEEN DOWN SIGNIFICANTLY OVER THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS, AND THAT'S BEEN A, A REALLY NICE TREND TO SEE. 
          ALSO, UH, A COUPLE OTHER THINGS THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO DO, UH, PERMITTING HAS BEEN OVERHAULED. 
          IN FACT, WE JUST HAD A MEETING WITH PERMITTING, UH, THIS WEEK, UH, WHERE WE TALKED ABOUT HOW LONG IT WAS TAKING THEM TO ACTUALLY REVIEW THE PLANS. 
          UH, THEIR GOAL IS TO REVIEW 80% OF THE PLANS WITHIN SEVEN DAYS, AND THEY'VE BEEN RIGHT AT THAT GOAL. 
          UH, AND IT'S BEEN A HUGE DIFFERENCE. 
          I MEAN, WE TALK A LOT. 
          I MEAN, I THINK ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS DO WITH, UH, PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THAT BUSINESS AND NEED PLANS APPROVED. 
          AND, AND THE FEEDBACK I'VE GOTTEN HAS BEEN VERY CONSISTENT THAT THEY'VE ABSOLUTELY SEEN IMPROVEMENT, UH, IN THAT. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, NOBODY GETS IT AS FAST AS THEY WOULD WANT TO, BUT THEY'VE ALL SEEN THE IMPROVEMENT. 
          THEY'RE ALL HAPPY ABOUT THAT. 
          UH, AND WITH THAT, I MEAN, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE THAT ALLOWS US TO HAVE MORE, UH, NEW DEVELOPMENT IN THE CITY, WHICH ALSO MEANS MORE, UH, PROPERTY TAX REVENUE, WHICH IS A GREAT THING. 
          UH, AND ON THE, ON THE PROPERTY TAXES, UH, WE'RE GOING TO KEEP THE SAME TAX RATE THAT WE HAD THE PREVIOUS YEAR. 
          IN FACT, THIS, THIS IS THE THIRD YEAR IN A ROW WITH THE SAME TAX RATE. 
          AND, UH, I, I KNOW WHEN YOU LOOK AT YOUR TAX STATEMENT, YOU'RE NOT REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE TAX RATE. 
          LOOK AT THE TAX BILL. 
          AND THAT IS A MULTIPLICATION PROBLEM BETWEEN YOUR TAX RATE AND THE ASSESSED VALUE. 
          UH, WITH THAT TAX RATE, THE CITY HAS TAKEN IN, LET'S SEE, $30.9 MILLION MORE THAN THEY DID THE PREVIOUS YEAR, OKAY? WHICH IS LESS THAN INFLATION. 
          UH, YOU KNOW, YEARS AGO WE VOTED TO SAY, HEY, THERE'S A CAP ON HOW MUCH YOU CAN RAISE OUR TAXES WITHOUT ASKING US FOR OUR PERMISSION. 
          AND THAT WAS THE COMBINATION OF INFLATION AND NEW POPULATION. 
          AND THAT IS SIGNIFICANTLY LESS THAN THAT. 
          AND IN FACT, OUTTA THAT 30.9 MILLION, UH, ALMOST 90% OF THAT WAS GENERATED FROM NEW CONSTRUCTION. 
          SO THE AMOUNT THAT EVERYBODY'S PAID ON THEIR TAX BILL FROM THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS ALMOST THE SAME. 
          NOW, OBVIOUSLY, INDIVIDUAL PROPERTIES, YOU KNOW, ARE DIFFERENT GIVEN THE INDIVIDUAL CIRCUMSTANCES AS TO WHAT YOUR ASSESSMENT WAS. 
          BUT IF YOU TAKE THE AGGREGATE THE ENTIRE AMOUNT, UH, IT'S ALMOST THE SAME AS WHAT IT WAS THE YEAR BEFORE. 
          AND CONSIDERING WHAT INFLATION WAS THAT, THAT'S REALLY A, A NICE THING. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, OUR OTHER TAXING ENTITIES HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT. 
          SO YOUR TAX BILL AS A WHOLE PROBABLY ISN'T AS GOOD AS WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE. 
          BUT PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THAT WITH THAT, THE, UH, SCHOOL DISTRICT MAKES UP 50% OF YOUR TAX BILL, TYPICALLY. 
          UH, AND THEN ALL THE OTHER ENTITIES KIND OF SHARE IN THAT OTHER 50%. 
          SO THAT'S, UH, SOMETHING FOR, YOU KNOW, YOUR SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS AND YOUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND THE STATE, UH, TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS. 
          UM, MEDIANS. 
          WE DID, UH, PARKS 
          [00:10:01]
AND RECREATION ACTUALLY, UH, TOOK A SMALL DECREASE TO THEIR BUDGET, LIKE A NUMBER OF OTHER APARTMENTS DID. 
          ONE OF THE THINGS THEY, THEY DID WITH THAT IN THE PLAN WAS TO, UH, DECREASE THE MOWING CYCLES FROM 28 DAYS, AND IT WAS GONNA GO TO 45 DAYS. 
          IN FACT, IT WAS MY CHIEF OF STAFF, DUSTIN HODGES, THAT ACTUALLY FOUND A PLACE WHERE WE COULD GET SOME MONEY TO BE ABLE TO KEEP IT AT 28 DAYS. 
          I KNOW, UH, COUNCILWOMAN ALCORN WAS LOOKING FOR IT AS WELL. 
          AND WE WERE GOING BACK AND FORTH TRYING TO FIND SOMETHING THAT WOULD WORK. 
          WE ACTUALLY DID FIND SOMETHING TO WORK, SO WE WERE ABLE TO KEEP IT TO THE 28 DAYS. 
          I REALIZED WHEN IT RAINS A LOT AND DURING THE SUMMER, 28 DAYS ISN'T OFTEN ENOUGH. 
          BUT WE WOULD LOVE TO, UH, DO IT EVEN MORE OFTEN THAN THAT, BUT AT LEAST WE KEPT IT TO, TO WHERE IT WAS. 
          UH, ALSO, WHEN IT COMES TO SPENDING TOO, I HAVE A DISCRETIONARY, UH, FUNDS THAT I'M ABLE TO SPEND THROUGH. 
          AND, AND THAT'S ONLY FOR THE DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBERS. 
          WE HAVE A HALF MILLION DOLLARS THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY ABLE TO SPEND ON DIFFERENT ITEMS. AND JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF SOME, SOME OF WHAT WE SPENT, UH, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, UH, WE SPENT $36,000 FOR, UH, OVERTIME FOR HPD AND CLEAR LAKE TO TRY AND KEEP THE NEIGHBORHOOD SAFE. 
          AND THEY ALSO TAKE CARE OF OTHER PROJECTS. 
          UH, WE BOUGHT SOME EQUIPMENT, BOUGHT A POLARIS UTILITY VEHICLE, UH, FOR 'EM. 
          UH, LEMME SEE THEN THAT INCLUDES OVERTIME FOR THE HOLIDAYS. 
          WE SPENT, UH, $50,000 ON ADDITIONAL MOWING AND EDGING AND TRIMMING. 
          AND THAT IS SOMETHING WE WERE ABLE TO DO. 
          UH, THE FIRST PART OF, UH, THIS OR LAST FISCAL YEAR, WE WERE ABLE TO ACTUALLY GET A CONTRACT APPROVED TO WHERE WE COULD DO ADDITIONAL MOWING BESIDES WHAT PARKS DOES AND BESIDES, UH, PUBLIC WORKS DOES, UH, WE ALSO HAVE, UH, $500,000 IN METRO FUNDS THAT GO TO STREET, UH, REPAIRS. 
          AND, UH, WE SPENT $300,000 ON PANEL REPLACEMENTS AND CURB REPAIRS. 
          AND, UH, QUITE A BIT OF THAT WAS, UH, ON BAY AREA BOULEVARD BETWEEN SATURN LANE AND EL CAMINO. 
          UH, I REALIZED THAT, UH, BAY BOULEVARD STILL ISN'T WHAT EVERYBODY WOULD LIKE IT TO. 
          I I DON'T DISAGREE WITH THAT. 
          UH, AND WE'LL BE SPENDING MORE MONEY AND CONTINUE TO WORK, WORK ON THAT. 
          UH, WE'VE ALSO GOT SOME ADDITIONAL, UH, PANEL REPLACEMENTS THAT ARE ALREADY IN THE QUEUE FOR, UH, BAYER BOULEVARD. 
          AND THAT'S JUST A MATTER OF WHEN PUBLIC WORKS ACTUALLY GETS TO THAT PROJECT. 
          UH, AND THAT IS GONNA BE FROM, UH, BROOK FOREST DRIVE TO KRUGER WAY. 
          SO HOPEFULLY WITHIN A YEAR, WE'LL, WE'LL BE DOING THAT AS WELL. 
          SO I WANNA GO AHEAD AND START OFF WITH THE PRESENTATIONS. 
          AND THE FIRST SPEAKER UP IS, UH, OUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE, DENNIS PAUL. 
          I THINK I'LL SEE ON THE SCHEDULE, FRED GAVE ME 50 MINUTES , SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO GO THROUGH ALL THAT. 
          BUT, UM, I KIND OF WANTED TO JUST HIT A CO A COUPLE LITTLE THINGS, 'CAUSE, UH, TALKING TO SOME OF THE PEOPLE OUT HERE AS WE WERE GOING THROUGH IT, AND THEN KIND OF GO OVER, UH, SOME OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS THAT ARE UP FOR Y'ALL TO VOTE ON HERE IN THE NEXT, UH, COUPLE OF WEEKS. 
          SO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH, WITH ALL THAT. 
          UH, I WANTED TO KIND OF TALK ON, I KNOW INSURANCE RATES HAVE BEEN GOING THROUGH THE ROOF, AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON DOING WHAT WE CAN, UH, TO WORK ON THOSE INSURANCE. 
          AND ONE OF THE BILLS THAT, UM, THAT I GOT DONE THIS LAST SESSION, I, I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT. 
          AND HOPEFULLY IT'LL BE SOMETHING THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO WORK AND SEE IF IT CAN HELP LOWER THOSE RATES. 
          BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, LIKE IF YOU'RE A GROUP OR AN ASSOCIATION, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PLACES YOU CAN GO GET HEALTH INSURANCE AS A GROUP OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. 
          SO THIS IS GONNA SAY, UH, WE AS A GROUP CAN GO AHEAD AND ASSOCIATE AND GET PROPERTY AND CASUALTY INSURANCE FROM YOUR HOMEOWNERS. 
          SO THIS WOULD BE A WAY TO TRY TO SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW, MAYBE YOUR HOA, MAYBE YOUR STREET, MAYBE YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, IF YOU'RE A SMALL CITY, A WHOLE CITY ANYWAY, Y'ALL COULD ASSOCIATE ANYTHING THAT YOU WANT AND TRY TO GET SOME RENT. 
          SO INSTEAD OF ME GOING AND SAY, HEY, I'M ONE HOME TRYING TO GO THROUGH THIS, THERE COULD BE 30, 40, A HUNDRED HOMES GOING THROUGH IT AND SAID, HEY, LET'S SEE IF WE CAN GET INSURANCE TOGETHER AS A GROUP AND GO BACK AND TALK TO THE DIFFERENT INSURANCE COMPANIES, UH, THAT ARE DOING IT. 
          A LOT OF THESE WILL BE SURPLUS LINE COMPANIES, UH, BUT YOU'LL BE ABLE TO CUSTOM WRITE THAT POLICY, WHATEVER YOU WANT TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR DEAL. 
          SO I KNOW COMPANIES ARE WORKING ON THAT NOW AND GETTING THE DEBT TDI HAS BEEN COMING UP WITH ANY KIND OF REGULATIONS THEY HAVE TO DO, AND WHICH IS NOT MUCH SINCE IT'S A SURPLUS LINE. 
          UH, SO VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT. 
          SO KEEP THAT OUT, THROW IT AMONGST YOURSELVES, YOUR NEIGHBORS, SEE IF THERE'S ANY INTEREST IN DOING SOMETHING WITH THAT TO DO IT. 
          UH, ANOTHER THING THAT I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT IS, UH, BILLS THAT WE TRIED TO GET DONE LAST TIME, AND I HOPE TO GET DONE NEXT TIME. 
          AND THAT WAS WORKING ON A REGIONAL FLOOD DISTRICT THAT COULD LOOK AT EVERYTHING AS A WHOLE. 
          YOU KNOW, UH, IN THE THIRTIES, UH, THE STATE LEGISLATURE CREATED HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL, AND IT WAS COUNTIES LARGE. 
          WE ARE A VERY LARGE COUNTY, AND THAT COULD LOOK LIKE IT COULD TAKE CARE OF EVERYTHING. 
          BUT NOWADAYS, YOU LOOK AT IT AND YOU REALIZE THAT THAT'S NOT THE CASE. 
          THAT WE REALLY ARE A MAJOR REGION. 
          AND I GO TO AUSTIN EVERY WEEK AND, AND IN FACT, I'M GOING UP THERE AT FIVE TOMORROW, BUT, UH, I COME BACK, I 71, I 10, AND I CROSS THE BRAZOS RIVER THERE ON I 10. 
          AND I'M, I'M THINKING THIS IS GONNA LOOK 
          [00:15:01]
LIKE HIGHRISE BUILDINGS. 
          IT'S GONNA BE BUILDINGS ON EACH SIDE. 
          IT'S GONNA LOOK LIKE THE, UH, WOODLANDS WATERWAY GIRLS WILL BE JOGGING ON THE BANKS OF THE RIVER WITH THEIR DOGS DOING ALL THIS STUFF. 
          THE CITY'S COMING, THE CITY'S GONNA BE THERE. 
          AND THAT WE AS CITIZENS HAVE TO HAVE THE BOLD LEADERSHIP, THE BOLD PLANS TO SAY, ALL RIGHT, WE'RE GONNA TAKE THIS BULL BY THE HORNS AND CREATE AND DO SOMETHING TO DO THIS. 
          THE STATE OF TEXAS HAS BEEN DOING THAT THROUGH LEGISLATION THAT WE WORKED ON TO LOOK AT WATERSHEDS AS A WHOLE AND THE WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD AND DO DRAINAGE FOR THE WHOLE STATE. 
          BUT WE NEED TO MATCH THAT ON A LOCAL LEVEL. 
          SO I'M TRYING TO WORK WITH THE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS NOW AND COME UP WITH SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD DO AND CREATE A WHOLE REGIONAL FLOOD DISTRICT THAT COULD LOOK AT ALL OUR STUFF. 
          SO NO LONGER YOU GONNA SAY, HEY, FORT BEND COUNTY'S FLOODING ME, MISSOURI COUNTY'S FLOODING ME. 
          NONE OF THIS IS TRUE. 
          BUT PEOPLE FEEL THAT THEY ARE NASSAU BAY. 
          HEY, WE'RE AT THE END OF THE DEAL. 
          WE'RE GONNA GET HAMMERED ALL THIS STUFF. 
          SAME THING ON SPRING CREEK ON THE NORTH SIDE. 
          SO LOOK FOR THAT. 
          WE'D LOVE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT IT. 
          AND HOPEFULLY SOME GOOD THINGS COMING AT THAT. 
          AND I'VE BEEN GETTING A LOT OF INTEREST. 
          UM, I DID WANNA GO OVER THESE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS BECAUSE THEY'RE UP IN THE NEXT WEEK. 
          YOU'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO START VOTING ON 'EM. 
          AND ELECTION DAYS NOVEMBER THE THIRD, THERE'S 17 OF THESE. 
          I'LL JUST KIND OF HIT IT REAL QUICK SO THAT YOU COULD SEE 'EM. 
          AND, UH, AFTERWARDS WE'LL BE GLAD TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. 
          UH, BUT, UH, PROP ONE IS GONNA BE A, A BILL TO CREATED A, A FUND FOR TEXAS STATE, UH, UM, TECHNICAL COLLEGE SO THAT WE CAN KEEP CONTINUING BUILDING A WORKFORCE THAT WE NEED IN THE TECHNICAL FIELDS TO WORK OUT AT THE PLANTS, TECHNICAL FIELDS TO DO BUILDING AND WELDING AND CONCRETE WORK AS WE GO THROUGH. 
          SO IT'S VERY EXCITING. 
          UH, BILL, ON THAT PROP TWO IS GONNA BE, UH, PROHIBITING A STATE CAPITAL GAINS TAX, SO NOBODY'S INTERESTED IN. 
          AND THAT ALSO REQUIRING, UH, NUMBER THREE IS GONNA BE VERY IMPORTANT, UH, REQUIRING DENIAL OF BAIL FOR CERTAIN FELONIES. 
          AS YOU KNOW, IN HARRIS COUNTY ESPECIALLY, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF JUDGES, PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ACTUALLY RELEASED ON BAIL FOR MURDER AND SERIOUS CRIME, AND THEY GO OUT AND COMMIT MURDER AND SERIOUS CRIME. 
          SO THIS IS GONNA PUT A LOT MORE RESTRICTIONS ON WHO CAN GET RELEASED ON BAIL FOR SERIOUS CRIME. 
          THERE'LL ALWAYS BE JUDGES, THERE'LL ALWAYS BE, UH, UH, PEOPLE REVIEWING ALL THOSE CASES. 
          BUT THIS IS GONNA HAVE SOMETHING A LITTLE BIT MORE FOR, FOR THOSE, THESE ARE ALL THINGS THAT THE CITIZENS OF TEXAS WILL VOTE ON. 
          UM, WE'RE ALSO GONNA CREATE A ANNUAL FUND FOR WATER TO KIND OF CREATE THE WATER INFRASTRUCTURE WE NEED. 
          WE'RE GONNA PUT $1 BILLION A YEAR FOR 20 YEARS TO CREATE A $20 BILLION FUND TO PAY FOR THIS WATER INFRASTRUCTURE AND EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE GONNA NEED GOING FORWARD. 
          THIS IS ALL DUE TO THE GROWTH. 
          THERE'S STILL 1500 PEOPLE A DAY COMING TO TEXAS, AND MOST OF THOSE PEOPLE ARE COMING TO THIS REGION TO COME 'CAUSE THEY KNOW WE'VE GOT THE JOBS OPPORTUNITY TO DO IT. 
          SO THIS IS GONNA BE, UH, ANOTHER GREAT INFRASTRUCTURE BILL. 
          UM, PROP FIVE IS GONNA BE AUTHORIZING PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTION, UH, FOR ANIMAL FEED HOLD RETAIL SLOTS. 
          THESE ARE PEOPLE WITH PROPERTY, UH, THAT THEY'RE BEING TAXED ON THEIR PROPERTY THAT SITS THERE FOR A WHILE. 
          SO THEY'LL BE ABLE TO GET A DISCOUNT FOR THOSE. 
          UH, PROPERTY SIX PROPOSITION SIX PROHIBITING ATTACKS ON SECURITIES TRANSACTIONS. 
          THAT WAS ANOTHER THING DISCUSSED IN WASHINGTON CHARGING YOU FILL IN FOR EVERY TRANSACTION THAT YOU DO. 
          UH, WE'RE GONNA ELIMINATE THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T HAVE IT, BUT MAKE SURE THEY COULD NEVER DO IT. 
          UH, NUMBER SEVEN, EXTENDING TAX EXEMPTIONS FOR SURVEY SURVIVING SPOUSES OF CERTAIN VETERANS. 
          SO, UH, VETERANS GET A LOT OF TAX BREAKS ON THEIR PROPERTY TAXES, UH, WHEN THEY DIE. 
          WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEIR SPOUSES CAN CONTINUE THAT. 
          'CAUSE THEY MIGHT HAVE TO GET HAMMERED WITH A MASSIVE TAX INCREASE AFTER THEIR SPOUSE DIES. 
          AND SO THIS SHOULD BE ABLE TO KEEP THEM, UH, IN THOSE TAX BRACKETS THAT THEY ALREADY ARE. 
          UM, ALSO ANOTHER PROP EIGHT IS GONNA BE SAYING THE T STATE OF TEXAS WILL NEVER HAVE A DEATH TAX. 
          ANOTHER ONE THAT TEXANS DON'T WANT. 
          SO I'M PRETTY SURE THAT WE'LL GET THOSE. 
          NONE OF THESE ARE THERE. 
          WE'RE JUST MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S ANOTHER LAYER OF PROTECTION THAT THE, YOU WOULD'VE TO CHANGE THE CONSTITUTION AND PUT 'EM IN. 
          UM, NUMBER NINE, REVISING THE BUSINESS. 
          PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTION. 
          SAME THING. 
          SO THIS IS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES. 
          IF YOU HAVE A LOT OF PROPERTY IN YOUR BUSINESS, UH, STUFF LIKE THAT, YOU'RE GETTING HAMMERED ON STATE TAXES FOR THAT. 
          SO THIS IS GONNA CHANGE IT FROM 25,000 TO $125,000 OF PROPERTY. 
          SO IF YOU'RE A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER RUNNING A SMALL BUSINESS, THIS IS GONNA BE A BIG DEAL FOR YOU THAT YOU'RE NOT GONNA HAVE TO PAY PROPERTY TAX ON THAT PROPERTY THERE THAT'S IN YOUR OFFICE. 
          UH, PROP NINE, AUTHORIZING A PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTION FOR LOSS DUE TO FIRE. 
          SO IF YOU GET, UH, DAMAGED BY FIRE, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO CLAIM, UH, LESS TAXES ON YOUR PROPERTY 'CAUSE IT'S OBVIOUSLY BEEN DESTROYED. 
          UH, PROP 11, INCREASING CERTAIN ADDITIONAL RESIDENCE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTIONS. 
          ALL RIGHT, THIS IS THE ONE THAT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE AND GET TO YOU ABOUT. 
          SO WITH THIS, YOU'RE GONNA BE ABLE 
          [00:20:01]
TO CHANGE YOUR, UH, EXEMPTION FROM $140,000 A YEAR TO 200,000. 
          AND JUST FOUR YEARS AGO IT WAS, IT WAS $40,000. 
          SO THIS IS FOR SCHOOL TAXES AND 100 Y'ALL, FRED. 
          SO WHAT, WHAT YOU'RE DOING, BUT FOR SCHOOL AND, UH, THE, THE LOSS OF MONEY THAT THE SCHOOL TAXES ARE NOT GONNA BE GETTING THE STATE OF TEXAS IS REPLACING AND MAKING 'EM HOLES AND NO, NO LOSS OF MONEY TO THE SCHOOLS, BUT YOU AS INDIVIDUAL TO DO IT. 
          AND THESE ARE ALL WAYS THAT THE STATE HAS BEEN PUTTING MORE AND MORE STATE MONEY INTO PUBLIC EDUCATION TO COVER THOSE LAWS AND LOWER THE TAXES ON Y'ALL AS CITIZENS. 
          'CAUSE WE ALL ARE PAYING ENOUGH TAXES, ESPECIALLY IN PROPERTY TAXES, YOU KNOW, AND WE ALSO, UM, IN THE BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL, THERE WAS $11 BILLION OF MONEY TO COME BACK TO TEXAS FOR THE MONEY THAT WE SPENT SECURING OUR BORDER. 
          UH, WHEN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DIDN'T DO ITS JOB, THAT 11 BUILDING'S GONNA COME BACK AND WE ARE GONNA MAKE SURE AND GIVE IT BACK TO Y'ALL IN TAX RELIEF. 
          SO Y'ALL GONNA BE ABLE TO GET THAT MONEY BACK FROM YOU COMING OUT. 
          SO THERE'S MORE TAX RELIEF COMING. 
          UM, PROP 12, REVISING THE STATE COMMISSION ON JUDICIAL CONDUCT. 
          THIS IS A REVIEW TRIBUNAL TO REVIVE JUDGES THAT ARE NOT DOING THEIR JOB PROPERLY AND THERE'S A CHANCE FOR THEM TO BE REVIEWED AND, AND, UH, DISCIPLINE THOSE JUDGES. 
          PROP 13, UM, HOLD ON A SECOND. 
          OKAY, SO THIS WAS THE ONE, THIS IS ONE GOING FROM A HUNDRED TO 140. 
          THE OTHER ONE WAS YOU COULD GO TO 140 200 IF YOU'RE 65 AND OLDER. 
          I WANNA BE CLEAR ON THAT. 
          SO RIGHT NOW, THIS IS FOR A HUNDRED, 140 FOR EVERY CITIZEN. 
          THE OTHER ONE WAS 140 TO 200 IF YOU'RE 65 AND OLDER. 
          SO THAT'LL BE ME VERY SOON. 
          ALSO, UH, PROP 13, INCREASING YOUR RESIDENTS. 
          OKAY, WE JUST DID THAT. 
          UH, PROP 14, ESTABLISHING DEMENTIA PREVENTION RESEARCH INSTITUTE. 
          UH, SO THIS IS GONNA BE A, A PROGRAM WE DO PUT 300 MILLION. 
          WAS, UH, ANN MARIE, SHE WAS TALKING TO ME ABOUT IT THE OTHER DAY. 
          THIS 300 MILLION A YEAR, BUT IT CAPS AT 3 BILLION, RIGHT? SO THIS 10 YEAR DEAL, SO IN THIS THING, WE'RE GONNA PUT THIS MONEY IN. 
          IT'S GONNA BE SEED MONEY FOR RESEARCH AND DEMENTIA. 
          WE DID THIS WITH CANCER RESEARCH. 
          IT'S BEEN TREMENDOUS GROWTH. 
          TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF OTHER BILLIONS OF DOLLARS COMING INTO THAT FUND, CREATING CANCER RESEARCH. 
          AND IT'S ALL BEING DONE HERE IN TEXAS, SPECIFICALLY PROBABLY IN HOUSTON, IN THE MEDICAL CENTER. 
          MORE MONEY GOING INTO FRED. 
          SO IT'S GONNA BE A, A GREAT BENEFIT AND I THINK THIS WILL BE GREAT. 
          THERE'S NOT MUCH DIMENSIONAL RESEARCH BEING DONE AROUND THE STATE, SO THIS WILL BE SOMETHING THAT'S CLOUDING FOR THAT. 
          UM, AND THEN PROP 15 IS AFFIRMING THE RIGHTS AND RESPONS TO THEIR PARENTS. 
          THIS MAKES SURE THAT PARENTS HAVE THE RIGHT FOR THEIR CHILDREN, THAT PARENTS HAVE THE RIGHT TO SAY WHAT GOES ON WITH THEIR CHILDREN AT SCHOOL AND PARENTS HAVE THE RIGHT TO TAKE CARE OF MEDICAL CARE FOR THEIR CHILDREN AT SCHOOL. 
          SO I THINK IT'S GOT ANOTHER GREAT REALLY PIECE OF LEGISLATION THAT Y'ALL GOING TO GET TO VOTE ON. 
          UH, TWO MORE. 
          FRED, UH, PROP 16, UH, PROHIBITING NON-CITIZENS FOR VOTING. 
          SO THAT'S ALREADY AGAINST THE LAW, BUT THIS IS SAYING BE CLEAR, IT'S IN TEXAS LAW THAT IF YOU'RE NOT A US CITIZEN CAN'T VOTE. 
          AND NUMBER 17, AUTHORIZED TAX EXEMPTION FOR BORDER SECURITY INFRASTRUCTURE. 
          SO IF YOU'RE BUILDING MORE AND MORE SECURITY AT THE BORDER AND PUTTING UP COUNTIES OR PERSONAL PROPERTY, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO GET TAX BREAKS FOR THAT. 
          SO I'LL BE GLAD TO HANG AROUND AND ASK YOU. 
          WOULD YOU REPEAT PROP NUMBER TWO, PLEASE? I DIDN'T CATCH THAT. 
          ALRIGHT, BEAR WITH ME A SECOND. 
          THAT'S SAYING THAT THERE WILL NEVER BE A CAPITAL GAINS TAX IN THE STATE OF TEXAS. 
          THERE IS NO SUCH TAX, BUT WE'RE PUTTING IT IN THE CONSTITUTION SO THAT YOU WILL NEVER HAVE IT. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S A HORRIBLE TAX WHERE YOU WOULD PAY TAX ON INCOME THAT YOU MADE FOR PR, UH, ON MONEY THAT YOU ALREADY PAID TAX ON, JUST LIKE DEATH PENALTY. 
          YEAH, I I DON'T KNOW HOW, UH, HOW LONG YOU GIVING ME HERE ALL? YES SIR. 
          TALK ABOUT PRODUCING THE, UH, EXEMPTIONS ON YOUR HOUSE. 
          IF YOU WERE ALREADY SIX FIVE AND YOUR TAXES WERE FROZEN, DOES THAT MEAN THEY'RE GONNA GET LOWERED OR, YEAH, SINCE THIS IS A, SINCE THIS IS A, A EXEMPTION, UM, YOUR HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION, YOU WILL STILL GET THAT UHHUH. 
          SO IT'S LIKE IF YOU HAVE A $300,000 HOUSE, 200,000 OFF AND YOU'RE DONE. 
          ALRIGHT, I THINK FRED'S GIVEN ME THE HOOK, BUT I WILL HANG AROUND AND BE GLAD TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. 
          I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE AND GET A CHANCE TO GO OVER SOME OF THAT VERY BRIEFLY. 
          'CAUSE YOU WILL BE VOTING ON THOSE RIGHT AWAY. 
          SO THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH. 
          GOD BLESS, GOD BLESS TEXAS. 
          JULIAN RAMIREZ JUST, UH, JOINED US, COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ. 
          AND UH, OBVIOUSLY MY STAFF'S NUMBER ONE JOB IS TO TAKE CARE OF THE CONSTITUENTS. 
          LIKE I TOLD YOU, THEIR NUMBER TWO JOB IS TO MAKE SURE I DON'T MESS UP TOO BADLY. 
          UH, IT WAS JUST POINTED OUT TO ME THAT I OMITTED TO MENTION THE DIRECTORS THAT WERE HERE. 
          UH, I HAVE TOM MUNOZ, CAPTAIN OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CHIEF, SORRY, CHIEF OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. 
          THERE I GO. 
          AGAIN, I DIDN'T CALL YOU HPD THOUGH. 
          . 
          [00:25:02]
WE'VE GOT, UH, DIRECTOR HERBERT SIMS, DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS CHIEF DIAZ FROM THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT, CAPTAIN SMALL FROM HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT OUT HERE IN THE CLEAR LAKE SERGEANT LAZANO FROM THE, UH, HPD CLEAR LAKE DIVISION. 
          AND WE ALSO HAVE CONSTABLE SANDLIN HERE. 
          SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          LET'S SEE. 
          NEXT UP WE'RE GONNA HAVE COUNCILWOMAN TWILA CARTER. 
          WELL, GOOD EVENING. 
          I'M YOUR NEIGHBOR ON THE OTHER END OF DISTRICT E. 
          SO COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER IS MY COUNCIL MEMBER. 
          AND, UH, THANK YOU. 
          HE IS MY COUNCIL MEMBER AND MY NEIGHBOR. 
          HE'S BOTH, YES, HE IS MY COUNCIL MEMBER. 
          BUT, UM, ANYWAY, THANK Y'ALL FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT. 
          JUST TOUCH ON A COUPLE OF MY PRIORITIES. 
          I'M, UH, WORKING ON THE HOMELESSNESS ISSUE, UM, WITH CLOSELY WITH THE MAYOR'S TEAM, IDENTIFYING LOCATIONS, UM, TO ADDRESS THAT, THAT CERTAINLY NEED THE HOMELESS SITUATION ADDRESSED. 
          PRIMARILY DOWNTOWN IS A STARTING PLACE. 
          IF YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT THE SUPER HUB IN THE PAST FEW DAYS, THAT'S GOING TO BE ON THE AGENDA THIS WEEK. 
          UM, THAT IS ONE OF THE PROJECTS I'VE BEEN WORKING ON FOR QUITE A WHILE. 
          HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AFTERWARDS BECAUSE WE ARE LIMITED ON TIME. 
          UM, ALSO, ADDITIONALLY, I, UM, ONE OF MY OTHER AREAS OF FOCUS IS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. 
          70% OF ALL CALLS MADE TO LAW ENFORCEMENT IN HARRIS COUNTY ARE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE RELATED. 
          YOU'LL SEE PROBABLY IN YOUR AREA YOU'VE SEEN ON 45 A BILLBOARD THAT LOOKS SOMETHING LIKE THIS. 
          THIS IS MY AWARENESS CAMPAIGN AND WE TOOK IT STATEWIDE A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO. 
          AND SO THESE ARE, UH, KIND OF BATHROOM DOOR LABELS, DIFFERENT PUBLIC AREA LABELS THAT CREATE AWARENESS OF THE RESOURCES IN THE GREATER HOUSTON AREA IN HARRIS COUNTY. 
          HAPPY TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT ANY OF THOSE. 
          YOU CAN ALWAYS REACH OUT TO MY OFFICE, UH, WORK CLOSELY WITH MY NEIGHBOR AND COUNCIL MEMBER, FRED. 
          UH, SO HAPPY TO ASSIST IN ANY WAY. 
          BUT THANK YOU AGAIN FOR BEING HERE AND THANKS FRED FOR DOING THIS IN, IN CASE YOU MISSED IT. 
          UH, COUNCILWOMAN CARTER AND I HAVE A RUNNING JOKE ABOUT NEIGHBORS AND CHURCH FRIENDS, SO IT'S BEEN GOING ON FOR A WHILE. 
          NEXT UP WE HAVE COUNCILWOMAN SALLY ALCORN . 
          I THINK THAT WAS MY HUSBAND GEORGE. 
          THERE HE IS, MARRIED 37 LONG HARD YEARS, BUT WE'RE GOING TO FRENCHIES AFTER THIS. 
          SO ALL GOOD. 
          UH, I LOVE COMING TO CLEAR LAKE. 
          I DO CHAIR THE BUDGET AND FISCAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE FOR THE CITY. 
          I SPEND A LOT OF TIME REP PAUL WORRYING ABOUT THE MONEY . 
          WE DID DO GREAT CONTRACTS FOR POLICE AND FIRE, ABOUT 36.5% RAISES FOR FIRE, UH, FOR POLICE OVER FIVE YEARS. 
          34% FOR FIRE OVER FIVE, OVER FIVE YEARS. 
          UH, WE HAD A MUNICIPAL CONTRACTS RECENTLY GOING UP ABOUT THREE AND A HALF PERCENT RAISES EVERY YEAR. 
          SO WE HAVE THESE STRUCTURAL ISSUES WITH OUR BUDGET, WHERE COSTS ARE GOING UP YEAR OVER YEAR AFTER YEAR. 
          AND SO I SPENT A LOT OF TIME WORRYING ABOUT THE SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE, THE PARKS, LIBRARIES, ROADS, STREETS, DRAINAGE. 
          SO I'M CONSTANTLY LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS. 
          WE HAVE A LOT OF GOOD THINGS THAT FRED FLICKINGER SAID THAT WAS GOING ON AT THE MAYOR'S INSTITUTED. 
          THE ERNST AND YOUNG EFFICIENCY STUDY. 
          WE'RE DOING A LOT OF REORGANIZATION. 
          WE'RE LOOKING AT HOW WE SPEND MONEY ACROSS CONTRACTS. 
          A LOT OF TIMES ONE DEPARTMENT WILL HAVE A CONTRACT, SAME VENDOR WILL BE WORKING FOR ANOTHER CONTRACT. 
          WE'RE PUTTING THOSE TOGETHER. 
          WE'RE RENEGOTIATING AND BEING MORE STRATEGIC ABOUT HOW WE PROCURE GOODS AND SERVICES. 
          WE DID A VOLUNTARY RETIREMENT DEAL THAT SAVED THE CITY. 
          ABOUT A THOUSAND PEOPLE LEFT, AS FRED SAID, THAT SAVED ABOUT A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS CITYWIDE ACROSS ALL DEPARTMENTS, BUT IN A TAX SUPPORTED GENERAL FUND, WHICH IS WHERE YOU, YOUR SALES AND TAX AND PROPERTY TAX REVENUE GOES. 
          WE SAVED ABOUT $30 MILLION IN THERE, BUT WE ARE FACING A $227 MILLION BUDGET GAP IN THIS NEXT BUDGET YEAR. 
          SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S CONSTANTLY ON OUR MINDS, CONSTANTLY ON THE MAYOR'S MIND, HE'S GOOD ABOUT GETTING MONEY FROM THE STATE, HE'S GOOD ABOUT, ABOUT PARTNERING WITH THE COUNTY. 
          ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE IMPORTANT. 
          METRO HAS HELPED US OUT. 
          BUT AT SOME POINT, UM, WE ARE GONNA HAVE TO LOOK AT THE REVENUE SIDE OF THE EQUATION IN ORDER TO SUPPORT THESE VERY IMPORTANT PUBLIC SAFETY AND OTHER CONTRACTS THAT WE HAVE GOING. 
          SO THAT'S ALL I'LL SAY. 
          GREAT TO BE IN CLEAR LAKE. 
          AND, UM, Y'ALL SPEED THIS UP SO I CAN GET THE FRENCHIES FASTER. 
          THANK YOU, SALLY. 
          UM, THAT REMINDED ME, I FORGOT THAT THE MAYOR HAS BEEN FANTASTIC AT COLLABORATING WITH BOTH THE STATE AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WORKING WITH PEOPLE LIKE REPRESENTATIVE PAUL, UH, THE CITY WAS ABLE TO GET A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MONEY FOR 
          [00:30:01]
A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT PROJECTS. 
          UM, ONE OF THEM, THE LYNCHBURG PUMP STATION, WHICH IS RIGHT ON THE SHIP CHANNEL, THEY PUMP A BILLION GALLONS OF WATER A DAY. 
          UH, THIS IS THE WATER FOR A COUPLE OF MILLION PEOPLE AND ALSO INDUSTRY ALONG THE SHIP CHANNEL. 
          AND, UH, THE STATE PONIED UP AND PAID TO REPLACE THE WHOLE, UH, SECTION OF PUMPS THAT, UH, OPERATE ONE OF THE THREE PIPELINES. 
          UH, YOU KNOW, THESE PUMPS ARE MASSIVE. 
          I WENT OUT THERE AND TOURED, UH, THE LYNCHBURG STATION HERE ABOUT FOUR OR FIVE MONTHS AGO. 
          UH, THE PUMPS ARE SEVERAL STORIES. 
          UH, IT IS REALLY QUITE THE, UH, OPERATION OUT THERE. 
          UM, AND IT'S ALL VERY NEAT OR VERY WELL MAINTAINED. 
          IT WAS STATE OF THE ART 50 YEARS AGO. 
          UM, SO THAT'S WHY WE'VE HAVING TO DO SOME WORK TO IT. 
          AND, AND, UH, TO SALLY'S POINT THAT THE MAYOR IS, IS ON THAT, UH, AFTER BARREL, THE, UH, STATES OR THE CITY'S TEAM WENT UP TO WASHINGTON DC THEY LAID OUT A PLAN AS TO HOW MUCH MONEY THEY NEEDED, WHY THEY NEEDED THE MONEY. 
          UH, THEY ASKED FOR A TOTAL OF 310 MILLION, AND I BELIEVE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT GAVE US 314 MILLION. 
          UH, SO LIKE I SAID, HE'S DONE A REALLY GOOD JOB WITH PARTNERING WITH BOTH THE FEDERAL AND THE STATE GOVERNMENT. 
          SO, NEXT UP, I'VE GOT, UH, JULIAN RAMIREZ. 
          WELL, THANK YOU FRED, AND GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. 
          IT'S GREAT TO BE BACK IN, IN CLEAR LAKE. 
          I WAS OUT HERE A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, BUT A LOT OF GREAT STUFF GOING ON OUT HERE. 
          I SEE, UH, BRIAN FRIEDMAN HERE WITH BAY HEP. 
          UH, THE ECONOMY IS BOOMING AND SOME OF IT RELATED TO THE SPACE PORT. 
          SO, UH, YOU KNOW, KUDOS TO EVERYTHING GOING ON OUT HERE. 
          I'M GONNA TRY NOT TO REPEAT TOO MUCH OF WHAT WAS ALREADY SAID, BUT I PRETTY MUCH AGREE ALMOST ENTIRELY WITH WHAT, UH, SALLY HAS SAID. 
          AND, AND WITH WHAT, UH, FRED HAS SAID. 
          UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'RE MAKING STRIDES IN CITY GOVERNMENT TO MAKE US MORE EFFICIENT, MORE ACCOUNTABLE, AND TO SPEND OUR RESOURCES MORE WI WISELY, WHICH IS GONNA BE, UH, MUCH NEEDED. 
          NOW. 
          WHEN I CAME INTO OFFICE, ONE OF MY PRIORITIES WAS PUBLIC SAFETY. 
          YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT THE POLICE CONTRACT THAT WE APPROVED EARLIER THIS YEAR THAT'S GONNA MAKE RECRUITING EASIER, AND WE'RE ALREADY SEEING BENEFITS FROM THAT. 
          WE'RE SEEING RECRUITING CLASSES THAT ARE LARGER AT THE FRONT END OF THE BACK END. 
          OFFICERS ARE NOT RETIRING. 
          AND THE NUMBERS, THEY HAD BEEN PARTIALLY, UH, DUE TO THE FACT THAT, UH, THE LEGISLATURE PASSED, UH, A BILL THAT WOULD, UH, SWEETEN THE, THE RETIREMENT SITUATION, UH, IF THEY STAYED LONGER. 
          SO OFFICERS ARE STAYING LONGER. 
          LAST YEAR WE TOOK CARE OF THE FIREFIGHTERS. 
          THEY GOT A NICE PAY RAISE. 
          AND SO THE NUMBERS IN BOTH DEPARTMENTS ARE INCREASING. 
          FIREFIGHTER RECRUITING THIS YEAR HAS, HAS SET RECORDS WITH THE, THE SIZE OF THEIR CLASSES. 
          ALL THAT'S GREAT. 
          WHAT THAT MEANS IS IN SHORT ORDER, WE SHOULD SEE MORE POLICE OFFICERS ON THE STREETS AND MORE FIREFIGHTERS, UH, IN YOUR, IN YOUR FIRE STATIONS AS WELL. 
          UM, WE'VE BEEN FOCUSED A LOT. 
          I HAVE PERSONALLY ON, ON TRANSPARENCY, TRYING TO MAKE GOVERNMENT MORE TRANSPARENT SO THAT, UH, INFORMATION IS EASIER TO OBTAIN. 
          AND ALSO, UH, FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS. 
          UM, TRADITIONALLY IN OUR STRONG MAYOR FORM OF GOVERNMENT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE SOMETIMES FOUND IT DIFFICULT TO GET INFORMATION FROM ADMINISTRATIONS. 
          I'LL SAY MAYOR WHITMEYER HAS DONE A GREAT JOB OF COLLABORATING WITH HIS CITY COUNCIL. 
          UH, BUT, BUT WE HAVE TO PREPARE FOR THOSE TIMES WHEN, WHEN ALL OF US ARE GONE. 
          AND WE HAVE A MAYOR WHO MAYBE DOESN'T WORK QUITE AS WELL WITH CITY COUNCIL. 
          AND SO I'VE PROPOSED SOME AMENDMENTS THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD LOCK IN PLACE SOME RIGHTS OF COUNCIL MEMBERS TO HAVE INFORMATION SO THAT THEY CAN MORE EFFECTIVELY REPRESENT THEIR CONSTITUENTS, UH, LIKE YOURSELVES. 
          UH, LAST THING I'LL TOUCH ON IS, UM, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS GET THEIR OWN BUDGET OPERATING BUDGETS, UM, AT LARGE COUNCIL MEMBERS GET ABOUT LAST YEAR IT WAS ABOUT $580,000. 
          PROUD TO SAY THAT I RAN A SURPLUS OF A LITTLE OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS AND HAD, UH, SOME CHOICES TO MAKE. 
          WHAT, WHAT DO I WANNA DO WITH THAT? MONEY REACHED OUT TO OUR OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, UH, OFFICE, WHICH HANDLES, UM, EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE, ASKED WHAT THE NEEDS WERE. 
          THEY SAID, WE NEED, WE NEED, UH, RES MEALS READY TO EAT. 
          ALTHOUGH WE DODGED A BULLET THIS YEAR AS FAR AS, UH, TROPICAL STORMS AND HURRICANES, THE QUESTION IS NOT WEATHER, BUT WHEN WE WILL HAVE ANOTHER STORM, UH, SOONER OR LATER. 
          AND WHAT THEY NEEDED WAS MRE. 
          AND SO, UH, TRANSFERRED 45,000 OUT OF MY BUDGET TO THEIR BUDGET SO THEY COULD PURCHASE RES. 
          WE ALSO SPENT SOME MONEY ON COMPUTERS FOR OUR POLICE CARS AND SPEAKERS FOR OUR DRONES THAT ARE USED BY OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT. 
          SO ANYWAY, JUST TRYING TO MAKE EFFICIENT USE OF OUR RESOURCES. 
          HAPPY TO PARTNER WITH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER, WHO DOES A GREAT JOB AT REPRESENTING YOU AND KINGWOOD. 
          I JOKE WITH HIM AND I TELL HIM HIS JOB SHOULD COME WITH A HELICOPTER. 
          HE HAS GOT THE CRAZIEST SHAPE DISTRICT OF, OF 
          [00:35:01]
ANY OF OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS, BUT HE DOES A GREAT JOB OF REPRESENTING CLEAR LAKE AND KINGWOOD AS WELL. 
          BUT SO HAPPY TO REPRESENT ALL OF YOU AS WELL AS THE ENTIRE CITY. 
          AND IF YOU EVER NEED ANYTHING, PLEASE DON'T HESITATE TO REACH OUT AT LARGE, THE NUMBER1@HOUSTONTX.GOV. 
          AGAIN, MY NAME IS JULIAN RAMIREZ AT LARGE CITY COUNCIL MEMBER. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ. 
          AND NEXT UP WE HAVE FIRE CHIEF TOM MUNOZ. 
          OH, OKAY. 
          AGAIN, ANOTHER MISTAKE I MADE. 
          COUNCILMAN WILLIE DAVIS. 
          I'M SORRY, WILLIE. 
          THANK YOU, FRED. 
          GOOD EVENING TO ALL. 
          THIS IS ALWAYS A WONDERFUL, UH, APPROACH FOR ME BECAUSE TOWN HALLS, UH, EXCELLENT IDEA OF PEOPLE COMING TOGETHER, UH, AND WORKING WITH ALL OF OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS HAS BEEN, UH, A WONDERFUL THING. 
          AND I THINK I SEE THIS MOVING IN A GOOD DIRECTION. 
          DON'T NEED TO BE REPETITIVE OF ALL OF WHAT HAS ALREADY BEEN SAID. 
          UH, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE WITH THE, THE, THE PEOPLE AND, UH, CERTAINLY WANT TO COMMEND FRED FOR HIS WORK HERE IN DISTRICT E ON BOTH ENDS OF HIS DISTRICT. 
          UH, I'M ALWAYS PLEASED WITH THIS BECAUSE I'VE DONE EIGHT TOWN HALL MEETINGS WITHIN TWO YEARS BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN THE ENGAGEMENT OF THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE ALL OF THE RESOURCES THAT WE TALK ABOUT, IT OUGHT TO BE BROUGHT TO THE PEOPLE SO THAT THEY DIDN'T HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE PEOPLE FACE TO FACE. 
          SO I'VE BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH THAT. 
          UH, ALSO IN THE PERIOD OF TIME WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO, UH, CREATE SOME OTHER INITIATIVE THAT WE'RE WORKING ON LIKE CRIME RIGHT NOW. 
          AND ONE OF THE MINE IS THE, UH, PROGRAM TARGETING HOW WE REDUCE TEENAGE CRIME IN OUR CITY AND MANY OF OUR COMMUNITIES. 
          WE SEEING A GROWING NUMBER OF THAT GOING ON. 
          SO I PULLED THE DATA, WORKED WITH HPD, WHO HAS DONE A TREMENDOUS JOB. 
          OUR FIRE CHIEF AND OUR POLICE CHIEF ARE JUST EXCELLENT GUYS. 
          I KNOW THEY GENERALLY PROBABLY GET TIRED OF, UH, ME, YOU KNOW, BOTHERING THEM ABOUT THESE TOWN HALL MEETINGS THAT WE DO, BUT THEY'RE ALWAYS, THAT'LL SUPPORT US AS WELL AS ALL OF THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS. 
          SO WE'RE JUST HERE TO WORK. 
          WE WANT TO WORK WITH THE COUNCIL MEMBERS. 
          THAT'S OUR JOB AS AT LARGE. 
          AND, UH, YOU KNOW, SALLY'S BEEN ON THIS TRAIL FOR A LONG TIME. 
          A LOT LONGER THAN THE, THE, THE REST OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AT LARGE, UH, THE THREE OF US WHO ARE ON. 
          BUT IT'S GOOD TO BE HERE AND ALWAYS LOOKING FORWARD TO COMING. 
          AND I ALWAYS HAVE A CONNECTION TO CLEAR LAKE BECAUSE I DON'T LIVE NEAR, UH, IN CLEAR LAKE, BUT MY CHIEF OF STAFF DOES ANNETTE WISE, SHE'S HERE. 
          AND, UH, OF COURSE I GET ALL OF THE UPDATES THAT I DON'T GET FROM FRED. 
          I GET 'EM FROM ANNETTE, BUT GOD BLESS YOU ALL. 
          Y'ALL HAVE A GOOD NIGHT. 
          NOW WE HAVE CHIEF MUNOZ FROM THE HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT. 
          THANK YOU, SIR. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR ALL THE SUPPORT. 
          SO YEAH, A LOT'S CHANGED. 
          UH, I THINK WE'RE HERE 15 MONTHS NOW. 
          CHIEF BI AND MYSELF, AS I MENTIONED, OUR UH, TOP THREE WHEN I TOOK ON, UH, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS STAFFING STATION IN APPARATUS AS FAR AS STATION, UH, STAFFING, EXCUSE ME. 
          UM, WE GRADUATED THE LARGEST CLASS IN HISTORY. 
          AND WITHIN THE YEAR OF WHEN WE GRADUATED THE FIRST CLASS, UPON OUR ARRIVAL TO THE FULL YEAR, WE'RE GONNA GRADUATE APPROXIMATELY 425 AS OPPOSED TO, UM, PREVIOUS YEARS WE'RE PROBABLY HAVING 60 PER YEAR. 
          AND WE, WE RESTRUCTURED NOT ONLY FOR THE FINANCES, MAYOR WHITMEYER HAS ALWAYS SAID, YOU KNOW, LET'S SEE HOW WE COULD DO THINGS BETTER. 
          UM, SO WE CHANGED OUR MODEL AND NOW WE'RE RECRUITING MORE, UM, USING SOME INCENTIVES AS FAR AS WHAT WE CAN DO. 
          YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, THE VETERANS WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING WITH THE VETERANS. 
          WE GOT SKILL BRIDGE THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH. 
          SO THERE ARE SOME PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE DOING. 
          TO ALSO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE, PRIOR, UH, LAST AUGUST UPON OUR ARRIVAL, I THINK YOU WOULD HEAR OFTEN THE NEWS THAT WE HAD CERTAIN APPARATUSES OUTTA SERVICE OR BROWN OUT. 
          LAST YEAR IN AUGUST, WE HAD 104 THIS TIME IN AUGUST. 
          THIS YEAR THREE, UM, SEPTEMBER WE HAD 141 LAST YEAR THIS SEPTEMBER WE HAD EIGHT. 
          SO YOU'RE STARTING TO SEE THAT DIFFERENCE, UH, FOR US, WHICH INCREASES OUR SAFETY. 
          SOME OTHER THINGS THAT WE ARE, ARE LOOKING AT IS THE SAFETY FOR NOT ONLY THE RESIDENTS CITIZENS, BUT OUR FIREFIGHTERS. 
          WE'VE ESTABLISHED THANKS TO THE SUPPORTED COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR, MAYOR WHITMEYER, WE'VE ESTABLISHED THE FIRST EVER COMMITTED SAFETY OFFICERS, RIGHT? WHERE THEY ARE GONNA BE COORDINATING THAT PART IS PART OF THAT IS, IS, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ MENTIONED USING TECHNOLOGY, THE DRONE SYSTEM, YOU KNOW, WITH FLARES AND THOSE TYPE OF THINGS TO 
          [00:40:01]
INCREASE THAT. 
          SO WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT MODEL ALONG WITH THE ACCOUNTABILITY AS FAR AS TRACKING FIREFIGHTERS DOWN PRIOR TO SAY WHEN WE TOOK OVER, ONE OF THE GOALS WAS TO BE WORLD CLASS. 
          WE'VE, WE'VE, UH, GOTTEN NOW A TECHNOLOGY THAT OTHER CITIES SUCH AS NEW YORK, CHICAGO, AND BOSTON ARE COMING TO LOOK AT HOW WE'RE DOING THINGS ALONG WITH OUR ACADEMY THAT WE'RE DOING, THAT WE TALKED ABOUT HOW TO FIND WHAT WE CAN IMPROVE. 
          WE STARTED IDENTIFYING THE TOP FIVE BUSINESS CONSUMERS OF OUR EMS AND FIRE SERVICES, RIGHT? THE PROBLEM WITH THAT IS THAT IT IS, WE GOT THE TOP ADDRESSES, FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAVE ONE THAT'S ON AVERAGE, HAS 1600 RUNS THERE THROUGH THAT, UH, FACILITY AND LEADS THE CITY BOTH NOT ONLY IN THAT BUT AUTOMATIC ALARMS, RIGHT? THAT'S TAKING RESOURCES. 
          SO WE'RE LOOKING AT, WE'RE ACTUALLY MEETING THIS FRIDAY, UH, TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IS THIS? AND THAT'S JUST ONE EXAMPLE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO THAT. 
          'CAUSE THERE IS THAT TIME WHEN, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO LOOK AT WHAT IS HAPPENING BECAUSE IT IS, UM, AND JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, 30% OF THE EMS CALLS ARE TRANSPORTED. 
          THIS FACILITY, IT'S 72%, RIGHT? SO WE'RE LOOKING AT A LOT OF NUMBERS USING THAT BUSINESS MODEL OF WHAT IS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT A PRIVATE INDUSTRY UTILIZING THAT. 
          SO THOSE ARE SOME THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT TO WORK SMARTER OF HOW WE CAN SAVE THAT MONEY TO, TO DO WHAT WE HAVE TO DO, RIGHT? AND THEN OF COURSE, WORKING WITH THOSE INDIVIDUALS OR THOSE COMPANIES TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE CAN DO, UH, TO AVOID THOSE TYPE OF THINGS. 
          LIKE I SAID, ALSO, UM, FOR US NOW WE'RE STARTING TO SEE THE ATTRITION RATE. 
          FOR THE FIRST TIME IN ABOUT 22 YEARS, WE ACTUALLY HAD A POSITIVE, RIGHT? WE HAD, WE INCREASED 104, WHICH DOESN'T SEEM LIKE A LOT, BUT WHEN WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT THREE TO 400 NEGATIVE. 
          SO WE'RE TAKING THAT TREND, AND AGAIN, THAT'S TO ALL THE SUPPORT THAT WE'VE GOTTEN FROM, UH, THE ADMINISTRATION. 
          SO THAT'S REALLY HELPING US A LOT. 
          ALSO THE ACADEMY STRUCTURE, UH, PROUD TO SAY THAT THE AVERAGE SCORE THROUGHOUT THE STATE ON EMT AND FIRE SCORES WHEN IT COMES TO THEIR STATE TEST AT 72, OUR GUYS ARE HITTING 90, RIGHT? THAT, THAT'S, WE'RE PROUD OF THAT AND WE HAD A HUNDRED PERCENT PASSING RATE FOR THAT. 
          SO THAT'S, THAT'S, UH, A, A GREAT ACCOMPLISHMENT WITHIN THE CITY. 
          BUT AGAIN, IT CAN'T BE DONE WITHOUT THE SUPPORT THAT WE HAVE. 
          THOSE ARE SOME HIGHLIGHTS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT EVERY DAY. 
          WE'RE LOOKING AT THE BUDGET, SEEING WHAT WE CAN DO BETTER. 
          UH, PROUD TO SAY THAT YOU'RE HOUSTON FIREFIGHTERS. 
          WE HAVE 24 DEPLOYED TO THE KERRVILLE FLOODS AND WE'RE UTILIZING THAT, RIGHT? AND WE HAVE WALLING TEAM, A WALL LAND TEAM RIGHT NOW ON STANDBY. 
          SO WE DO A LOT, NOT ONLY FOR OUR INTERNAL BUT EXTERNAL PARTNERS, BUT ONCE AGAIN, WANNA KEEP IT SHORT. 
          SO THANK YOU SIR. 
          I APPRECIATE THAT COUNCIL MEMBER AND THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. 
          JUST WANTED TO FOLLOW UP REAL QUICKLY ON ONE OF THE THINGS THE CHIEF MENTIONED, UH, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT'S REALLY LOOKING AT WHAT IS DRIVING THEIR COST AND THEIR CALLS. 
          AND IN FACT, I WENT OUT TO A HOME WITH SEVERAL MEMBERS OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO AN INDIVIDUAL WHO HAD HAD NUMEROUS CALLS FOR LIFT, UH, WHERE THEY HAD FALLEN DOWN AND THEY NEEDED HELP GETTING UP. 
          AND BASICALLY WE WENT OUT THERE TO TRY AND FIND OUT, HEY, WHAT'S GOING ON? WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP YOU TO WHERE YOU DON'T HAVE TO MAKE THESE CALLS? AND AFTER GOING OUT THERE, THE NUMBER OF CALLS THEY NEEDED HAS DECREASED DRASTICALLY. 
          SO IF WE CAN, YOU KNOW, REDUCE THE NUMBER OF CALLS THAT, THAT THE EQUIPMENT IS HAVING TO GO OUT ON, WE CAN INCREASE OR IMPROVE THE RESPONSE TIME FOR THE OTHERS. 
          SO THEY'RE REALLY LOOKING AT, AGAIN, HOW THEY CAN BE MORE EFFICIENT AND HOW THEY CAN DO A BETTER JOB. 
          SO NEXT UP WE HAVE CHIEF SERGEANT, SERGEANT . 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU COUNCILMEMBER. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU CLEAR LAKE FOR HAVING US. 
          THANK YOU FOR THE SUPPORT. 
          THANK YOU COUNSEL FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU DO. 
          UH, THIS HAS BEEN AN INCREDIBLE YEAR. 
          THE 15 MONTHS HAVE BEEN REALLY, REALLY GOOD FOR US. 
          I'LL JUST GIVE YOU SOME HIGHLIGHTS OF OUR LEGISLATIVE ACCOMPLISHMENTS TO NOT BE REPETITIVE. 
          EVERYTHING WAS ALREADY SAID, BUT ONE THING THAT I'LL ADD. 
          YES, LOUDER. 
          OKAY. 
          SORRY, MY MOM DIDN'T LET ME TALK TOO LOUD. 
          SO I WAS, UH, ANYWAY, UH, BUT I'LL I'LL ADD THAT ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS THAT WE NEEDED WAS EQUIPMENT PATROL CARS. 
          AND MAYOR WHITMEYER WAS ABLE TO SECURE $10 MILLION AT THE END OF THE SESSION. 
          AND THAT IS COMING TOWARDS THE CITY. 
          SO THAT'LL BE IMPLEMENTED RIGHT AWAY. 
          WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO ORDER THE CARS YET BECAUSE OUR FLEET IS ENORMOUS, BUT OUR FLEET IS ALSO GETTING LONG IN THE TOOTH, IF YOU WOULD, RIGHT? SO ABOUT SEVEN YEARS. 
          AND WE DON'T HAVE THE LUXURY AS A POLICE DEPARTMENT TO DRIVE IT TO 50, 60,000 MILES AND TRADE IT IN THOUGH. 
          SOME OF THEM RUN TWO AND A HALF, 300,000 MILES. 
          AND THEN WHEN THAT'S DONE, WE PART IT OUT, WE PARK IT AND WE HAVE TO SCAVENGE PARTS FOR THE OTHER VEHICLES. 
          SO OUR 
          [00:45:01]
FLEET IS DOING INCREDIBLE AND IT'S ALL BECAUSE OF THE MONIES THAT ARE COMING. 
          AND COUNCILS CONTINUE SUPPORT AS AN ORGANIZATION, WE'RE DOING VERY WELL. 
          OUR RATES OF PRIORITY ONE CALLS, WHICH IS, I'M GONNA HIGHLIGHT IT 'CAUSE THE TEAM DOES SUCH A GREAT JOB HISTORICALLY, HAVE BEEN ALL OVER THE PLACE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN PROBABLY A DOZEN YEARS. 
          WE ARE UNDER THE SIX MINUTE MARK FOR A PRIORITY ONE CALL. 
          AND THAT IS A HUGE DEAL. 
          THANK YOU. 
          IN COMPARE IN COMPARISON, DALLAS IS 12 MINUTES. 
          SO YOU BETTER HAVE A BAT, A STICK, A HELMET, AND A MOUTHPIECE IF YOU'RE IN DALLAS, UH, IF YOU GET A PRIORITY ONE CALL, RIGHT? THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE. 
          BIG CITIES, UH, UH, WE HAVE A LOT OF CALLS FOR SERVICE. 
          CLEAR LAKE HAS DONE AMAZING. 
          WE ARE 99.3 OR 4% FULL AS FAR AS POLICE STAFFING. 
          AND THAT'S A HUGE NUMBER FOR US. 
          IN FACT, RIGHT NOW OUR CALLS ARE SERVICED. 
          WE HAVE THREE HOLDING, THAT'S IT. 
          BUT IN THIS YEAR, IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS, I'LL SHOW YOU SOME STATS WHERE I'LL JUST GO OVER 'EM TO BE BRIEF 'CAUSE I KNOW I'M GONNA YIELD SOME OF MY TIME TO THE, TO THE GOOD CONSTABLE . 
          UH, IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS, OUR KIDS, OUR P OUR OUR POLICE OFFICERS HAVE INSPECTED SEVEN AFTER HOURS CLUBS IN THE AREA OF THOSE SEVEN, SEVEN WERE CLOSED, RIGHT? SO THOSE ARE REAL ON THE BOOT. 
          THOSE ARE REAL NUMBERS THAT MAKE AN IMPACT IN YOUR QUALITY OF LIFE, WHICH IS SO IMPORTANT TO US, THE ILLEGAL GAME ROOMS. SO I HOPE NONE OF YOU WERE GOING TO THOSE GAME ROOMS, BUT THEY WERE AGAINST THE LAW. 
          UH, BUT UH, SIX WERE INSPECTED, FIVE WERE CLOSED, RIGHT? SO OUR VICE TEAMS, OUR UNDERCOVER TEAMS ARE DOING AMAZING WORK, AS IS OUR NARCOTICS TEAMS HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS. 
          IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS WE'VE DONE, WE'VE CONDUCTED 14 CLEANUPS, RIGHT? SO THAT YOU'D THINK HOMELESS IN THE POLICE. 
          BUT FOR US AS AN ORGANIZATION, OUR HOMELESS POPULATION, WHICH IS LARGE, THEY'RE NOT FACELESS PEOPLE. 
          THEY HAVE SOULS. 
          SO IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY AS AN ORGANIZATION. 
          'CAUSE WE DO ALL THE HEAVY LIFTING EVERY SINGLE DAY. 
          OUR HOT TEAMS ARE ENGAGING AND WORKING TO BETTER THEIR LIVES. 
          AND THEN WE HAVE THE NUISANCE PROPERTIES, WHICH IS A MASSAGE PARLOR. 
          SO IF YOU HAVE A MASSAGE PARLOR, IT'S OPEN AT THREE IN THE MORNING. 
          THAT'S A CLUE, RIGHT? SO, UH, WE'VE CONDUCTED FOUR INSPECTIONS AND WE'VE CLOSED TWO. 
          AND THEN THE LAST, UH, THE LAST THING THAT WE'VE DONE IS THE PREDATORY THEFT, WHICH IS WHEN SOMEONE FOLLOWS YOU FROM A BANK. 
          SOME PEOPLE CALL IT A BANK JUGGING OR FOLLOWS YOU FROM, FROM AND BREAKS YOUR WINDOW AND STEALS $25 THAT YOU GOT FOR A GIFT FOR YOUR GRANDKID. 
          SO WE'VE ARRESTED 20 SUSPECTS IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS. 
          CHARGES INCLUDED TAMPERING WITH A GOVERNMENT RECORD, EVADING ON FOOT, FELONY THEFT, POSSESSION OF A CRIMINAL INSTRUMENT, WHICH IS THE SCREWDRIVER, THE PUNCHES, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS. 
          BINOCULARS, MASKS, GLOVES THAT THEY USE TO PUT, PUT THESE CRIMES TOGETHER. 
          SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, THIS OFFICE IS DOING INCREDIBLE WORK FOR THIS COMMUNITY. 
          AND IF YOU SEE MY KIDS DRIVING A LITTLE BIT TOO FAST, GIVE 'EM A LITTLE BIT OF GRACE BECAUSE THEY'RE DRIVING WITH THEIR LEGS, TYPING IN A COMPUTER, TRYING TO GET TO YOUR CALL FOR SERVICE, RIGHT? UH, IF THEY'RE DOING CRAZY FAST AND REPORT IT, PLEASE. 
          BUT THESE KIDS ARE DOING AMAZING WORK. 
          WE HAVE 5,300 POLICE OFFICERS A LITTLE OVER AND WE HAVEN'T HAD THAT IN A LONG TIME. 
          IN 1997, THERE WAS 5,700 POLICE OFFICERS. 
          SO THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE. 
          RIGHT NOW, CURRENTLY WE HAVE 194 CADETS THAT ARE IN DIFFERENT STAGES OF GRADUATING FROM THE, FROM THE ACADEMY. 
          AND WE'VE SIGNED 76 THAT'LL START THE ACADEMY REAL SOON. 
          SO THE NUMBERS ARE THERE, BUT WE'RE VERY DISCIPLINED BECAUSE FOR ME, THIS OFFICE HAS TO BE REFLECTIVE OF THE COMMUNITY, RIGHT? SO IF YOU HAVE YOUNG PEOPLE HERE IN THE COMMUNITY THAT YOU THINK CAN DO THIS JOB AND COME BE A SERVANT IN YOUR COMMUNITY, PLEASE ENCOURAGE US TO GO TO HPD CAREER.COM. 
          'CAUSE WE'RE HIRING. 
          OUR SALARIES ARE, WELL, I THINK WE'RE, I THINK WE'RE THE HIGHEST PAID POLICE DEPARTMENT AT WHEN THE CONTRACT COMES THROUGH, COMES THROUGH FRUITION IN THE FIVE YEARS IN THE ENTIRE STATE. 
          SO THAT'S A BIG DEAL FOR ME. 
          AND I, WE'RE ALREADY WORKING ON THE NEXT CONTRACT, RIGHT? SO WE'RE NOT GONNA LET ANYBODY GET NIP AT OUR HEELS BECAUSE IT'S, IT, THE, THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE COMING INTO THIS OFFICE FLUCTUATES, RIGHT? ALL THE TIME. 
          SO WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAPTURE THOSE, CAPTURE THOSE PEOPLE THAT, THAT ARE INTERESTED ONE, AND DO THIS JOB WITH THEIR HARDEST SERVANTS. 
          SO THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM, FROM THE 5,315 YOUNG PEOPLE THAT I REPRESENT AND THE 194, UH, THANK YOU FOR THE SUPPORT. 
          CLEAR LAKE IS DOING AMAZING. 
          OUR STATS ARE GREAT HERE IN CLEAR LAKE AND WE REALLY NEED THE CONTINUED SUPPORT. 
          SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR HAVING US. 
          [00:50:03]
THANK YOU CHIEF. 
          APPRECIATE IT. 
          AND WE JUST GOT A NEW CAPTAIN IN THE AREA, WHAT ABOUT TWO MONTHS AGO NOW? FOUR MONTHS AGO. 
          FOUR MONTHS AGO THEY MADE A CHANGE. 
          AND THE NEW CAPTAIN IS CAPTAIN SMALL. 
          HELLO EVERYONE. 
          MY NAME'S DEREK SMALL, I'M NEW CAPTAIN AT CLEAR LAKE. 
          I'VE BEEN OUT HERE FOR ABOUT FOUR MONTHS. 
          SO, UM, IF ANY OF YOU GUYS HAVE SEEN ME AT THE PIP MEETINGS OR RECENTLY AT THE, UH, WHAT WE CALL IT NATIONAL NIGHT OUT, YOU KNOW, I DO MY BEST TO GET AROUND AND MAKE MYSELF AVAILABLE. 
          SO IF YOU NEED ANYTHING FROM US, MAKE SURE YOU LET ME KNOW. 
          UH, WE'RE GONNA GO OVER SOME OF THE CRIME STATS AND, UH, AND WE'LL, WE'LL TALK ABOUT 'EM A LITTLE BIT. 
          UH, THESE ARE OUR OVERALL NUMBERS, UH, FOR THE YEAR. 
          UH, IT GIVES US A RUNNING TOTAL OF, UH, THE KIND OF CALLS THAT THE OFFICERS ARE RUNNING. 
          WE HAVE IT KIND OF BROKEN DOWN BY MONTH, SO YOU CAN KIND OF SEE HOW IT VARIES FROM TIME TO TIME. 
          OFTEN WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT STATISTICS, UM, DEPENDING ON THE TIME OF YEAR, KIND OF DEPENDS ON HOW THINGS ARE GOING WITH A LOT OF THE CALLS THAT WE'RE GETTING. 
          SO IT GIVES US A BETTER IDEA. 
          WE CAN KIND OF GET A FEEL FOR, UH, WHAT'S GOING ON FROM MONTH TO MONTH. 
          THIS IS OUR GENERAL, UH, HOTSPOT. 
          UH, WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT CRIME STATS, WE'RE LOOKING FOR AREAS. 
          WE'RE LOOKING FOR PATTERNS TO SEE WHAT WE CAN INTERJECT OURSELVES TO TRY TO ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES. 
          SO WE CAN SEE OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST YEAR, THESE ARE THE AREAS THAT ARE RECEIVING A LOT OF THE SAME CALLS. 
          AND YOU'LL SEE THIS IS AT EDGEBROOK AND 45, AND YOU'LL SEE IT DOWN HERE CLOSER A LITTLE BIT TO EL DORADO, WHERE WE'RE GETTING A LOT OF THESE CALLS WHERE WE HAVE PEOPLE HANGING OUT AND A LOT OF THOSE, UM, WE HAVE, UM, PEOPLE HANGING OUT. 
          WE HAVE PEOPLE, UM, LOTS OF CALLS FOR DISTURBANCES, PETTY THEFT, THOSE KIND OF THINGS. 
          AND WE'RE DOING OUR BEST TO ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES. 
          AS WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, THE CHIEF WAS TALKING ABOUT DOING THE CLEANUPS THAT WE'VE HAD IN THE AREA IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS, WE'VE DONE ABOUT 14. 
          THAT'S BECAUSE A LOT OF THE AREA THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH, AS THEY TALK ABOUT THE HOMELESS POPULATIONS, WE'D HAVE IT DOWN OUR AREA. 
          UH, 15 YEARS AGO IT WAS UP AT EDGEBROOK. 
          NOW IT'S MADE ITS WAY DOWN TO DIXIE FARM ROAD. 
          IT'S DOWN TO EL DORADO. 
          AND WE FIND OURSELVES DOING A LOT OF PRIVATE PROPERTY CLEANUPS TO ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES. 
          AND WHEN I COME OUT AND TALK TO YOU GUYS, IT'S ONE OF THE MAIN QUESTIONS I GET IS HOW DO WE DEAL WITH THE HOMELESS? HOW, WHAT DO WE DEAL WITH THOSE ISSUES? ANSWER THE, IT'S A CONSTANT STRUGGLE, UH, TO DEAL WITH IT. 
          WE'RE ADDRESSING IT. 
          UM, WE'RE ADDRESSING THOSE ISSUES. 
          WE'RE TALKING TO THOSE PROPERTY MANAGERS, THOSE PROPERTY OWNERS, AND WE'RE ADDRESSING THOSE CLEANUPS, UH, AS MUCH AS WE CAN WHEN WE LOOK AT THESE NUMBERS. 
          UM, WHAT IT DOESN'T SAY IS OVERALL THE NONVIOLENT CRIME IS DOWN ABOUT 10% IN THE VIOLENT AND THE VIOLENT CRIME IS DOWN 24%. 
          SO WE DON'T HAVE ONE YEAR'S AVERAGE TO THE OTHER, BUT THAT'S WHAT THE NUMBERS LOOK LIKE WHEN YOU COMPARE IT AGAIN. 
          WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR VIOLENT CRIME, SAME AREA. 
          WE HAVE A, WE HAD AN ISSUE AT OUR REDFORD APARTMENT COMPLEX AND UM, OUR CRIME SUPPRESSION TEAM ACTUALLY WAS ABLE TO GET IN THERE AND MAKE SOME ARRESTS. 
          AND WE COME TO FIND OUT THAT WE HAD A LOT OF PERPETRATORS THAT ARE ACTUALLY DEALING WITH SOME OF THE SECURITY THAT WAS THERE. 
          THEY'VE GONE IN AND MAKE AN ADDRESS AND WE HARDLY GET ANY CALLS THERE. 
          SO WE DO USE THE STATS, WE DO USE THESE GRAPHS TO HELP US DETERMINE WHERE WE HAVE PROBLEMS AND WE GO IN AND TRY TO ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES. 
          AND WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT. 
          IT, THESE ARE OUR NONVIOLENT CRIME. 
          AND YOU'LL SEE THE CORRIDORS ON 45 WHERE WE HAVE LARGE PARKING LOTS AND WE HAVE BUSINESSES. 
          SO WHETHER THERE'S MALLS, WHETHER THERE'S LARGE PARKING LOTS, IF YOU GO TO BREAK THE CARS, YOU GO WHERE THERE'S LARGER PARKING LOT, THE THEFTS ARE AT THE SMALL STORES, CONVENIENCE STORES, THEN THE MALL PROPERTIES AND WE PUT IT ON A GRAPH, IT'LL POP UP BAYBROOK MALL, I'LL MEET 'EM MALL. 
          SO THOSE ARE THE STATS FOR CLEAR LAKE. 
          UM, I'LL BE AROUND ADDRESSING THOSE ISSUES WHEN WE GET DONE. 
          AND, UH, I APPRECIATE COMING OUT TO TALK TO YOU GUYS. 
          IF YOU NEED ANYTHING FROM ME, PLEASE LET ME KNOW. 
          NEXT UP WE HAVE CONSTABLE PHIL SANDLIN. 
          THANK YOU COUNCILMAN FOR HAVING ME. 
          UH, THANK YOU FOR INVITING ME TO YOUR TOWN HALL. 
          FIRST OFF, I WANNA TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT PRECINCT DATE. 
          UH, WE COVER 154 SQUARE MILES, UH, WEBSTER, NASSAU BAY, TAIL LAKE VILLAGE, EL LAGO. 
          BUT CITY OF HOUSTON AND PASADENA ARE THE TWO LARGEST CITIES IN MY PRECINCT. 
          AND I WILL TELL YOU, COUNCILMAN, WE, UH, WE WORK WITH YOUR OFFICE QUITE A BIT. 
          I CALL HIM, I CALL YOUR ASSISTANT. 
          IF I GET CONSTITUENTS, SAY, HEY, WHO DO I CALL FOR THIS? Y'ALL HAVE ALWAYS BEEN HANDS ON EVERY TIME I CALL. 
          AND I, I APPRECIATE THAT. 
          AS FAR AS WORKING WITH H-F-D-H-P-D, WE WORK VERY CLOSE WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON. 
          WE SHARE INFORMATION DAILY ON WHAT'S GOING ON. 
          I GET HPDS CRIME STATS. 
          WE SHARE, OUR DETECTIVES WORK WITH THEIRS. 
          AND, UH, I WILL TELL YOU THAT YOU DO LIVE IN PROBABLY THE SAFEST PART OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON. 
          I WILL TELL YOU THAT I ALWAYS TELL PEOPLE, I SAID, LOOK AT THE NEWS. 
          YOU DON'T SEE THAT TYPE OF CRIME DOWN HERE. 
          EVERY NOW AND THEN, WE MAY GET SOMETHING LIKE THAT, BUT 
          [00:55:01]
NOT, NOT VERY OFTEN. 
          AND THAT'S BECAUSE OF THE GOOD WORK OF THE MEN AND WOMEN OF HPD IN PRECINCT EIGHT. 
          YOU'RE, YOU'RE VERY SAFE. 
          YOU'VE GOT WEBSTER RIGHT HERE IN NASSAU BAY. 
          THERE. 
          PEOPLE ARE GONNA HAVE TO GO THROUGH THESE AREAS OF THESE CRIMINALS. 
          THEY KNOW IF YOU GET DOWN HERE IN CLEAR LAKE, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A LOT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT AFTER YOU. 
          I CAN, I CAN TELL YOU THAT AS FAR AS WORKING, UH, WE TALKED ABOUT BANK JUGGING. 
          WE'RE FIXING TO DO A, UH, COMBINED LAW ENFORCEMENT EFFORT ON BANK JUGGING HERE COMING UP PRETTY SOON. 
          AND THAT'S GONNA BE TO, UH, SET UP ON THESE PERPETRATORS. 
          SO IF YOU GO TO THE BANK AND YOU TAKE MONEY OUT, DO NOT LEAVE IT IN YOUR CAR, PLEASE. 
          'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE WANTING. 
          THEY'RE WANTING YOU TO LEAVE IT IN THE CAR. 
          THEY'RE GONNA BREAK YOUR WINDOW. 
          THE FIRST THING BACK YEARS AGO WHEN I WORKED THE STREETS, I'D SAY, DID YOU JUST LEAVE THE BANK? AND THEY'RE LIKE, YES. 
          'CAUSE THEY DIDN'T STEAL ANYTHING. 
          'CAUSE YOU HAD THE MONEY ON YOU. 
          SO TAKE THAT MONEY WITH YOU. 
          AS FAR AS BURGLARY, MOTOR VEHICLES, IT'S PROBABLY THE SECOND BIGGEST CRIME WE HAVE DOWN IN THIS AREA. 
          THEY BREAK INTO CARS DOWN HERE A LOT. 
          DO NOT LEAVE ANY VALUES IN ANY, UH, OPEN AREAS BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE GONNA TAKE FROM YOU. 
          BUT, UH, OTHER THAN THAT, UM, CALL US ANYTIME YOU'RE NOT BOTHERING US. 
          IF YOU GOT A SUSPICIOUS PERSON, SPECIFIC, A SUSPICIOUS VEHICLE, PLEASE CALL US. 
          'CAUSE UH, WE'D RATHER COME OUT AND CHECK THAT AND THEN COME BACK AND DO A REPORT LATER. 
          SO, UH, WE'RE HERE TO SERVE YOU A GREAT WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON. 
          THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TAKES REALLY GOOD CARE OF US ON OUR CRASHES AND ON THE TOW ROADS. 
          SO THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH. 
          JUST TO ADD REAL QUICK TO WHAT THE CONSTABLE JUST SAID, UH, BURGLARY OF A MOTOR VEHICLE, PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU DON'T LEAVE GUNS IN THERE OVERNIGHT. 
          UM, ONE OF THE BIG PROBLEMS WE HAVE IS GUNS BEING STOLEN. 
          THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR. 
          AND UNFORTUNATELY, UH, WHEN YOU HAVE A CRIME OR THE GUN'S STOLEN, A LOT OF TIMES THAT GUN ENDS UP BEING USED TO DO OTHER CRIMES AS WELL. 
          SO PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU TAKE 'EM OUTTA YOUR VEHICLES. 
          NEXT UP, I'VE GOT, UH, THE SPACEPORT AND JIMMY SPENCE. 
          THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER. 
          I REALLY APPRECIATE IT. 
          GOT SOME SLIDES I'LL GO THROUGH WITH YOU. 
          SO JIMMY SPENCE WITH THE HOUSTON SPACEPORT. 
          UH, WE ARE PART OF THE HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM, WHICH IS RESPONSIBLE FOR BUSH HOBBY IN ELLINGTON FIELD. 
          UH, PUT THE MIC UP WITH THE MIC UP. 
          I KNOW, I'M SORRY. 
          I WILL PROMISE I'LL DO BETTER ABOUT THAT. 
          UH, ELLINGTON AND THE HOUSTON SPACE BOARD ARE CO-LOCATED TOGETHER. 
          SO THE HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM RUNS ALL THREE OF THOSE FACILITIES. 
          COUPLE FACTS ABOUT THE OVERALL RECORD, UH, FOR 2024 IN THE HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM. 
          WE WELCOME 63 MILLION PEOPLE, WHICH SET A BRAND NEW PASSENGER RECORD AT OUR COMMERCIAL AIRPORTS, AND ALSO SET NEW RECORDS WITH OUR, UH, LATIN AMERICAN TRAVEL THROUGH MEXICO AND SOUTH AND CENTRAL AMERICAS. 
          WE DID AN ECONOMIC IMPACT STUDY AT THE HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM LAST YEAR. 
          UH, WE HAVE A TOTAL ECONOMIC OUTPUT OF ABOUT 40 POINT, WHAT'S SAY, $40.6 BILLION, UM, IN OUR AREA ACROSS THE GREATER HOUSTON AREA. 
          UH, 2.5 OF WHICH, UH, ELLINGTON AND THE SPACEPORT ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR. 
          SO WE'RE THE, WE'RE LITTLE BROTHER DOWN HERE, BUT WE, WE, UH, STILL HAVE OUR LITTLE, UH, POWERHOUSE GOING TO ELLINGTON. 
          SO, UH, JUST A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ABOUT SPACEPORT. 
          UH, WE'VE DEVELOPED A SPACEPORT AS A HUB FOR COMMERCIAL SPACE THAT WOULD COMPLIMENT WHAT'S GOING ON HERE AT NASA JOHNSON SPACE CENTER. 
          PROVIDE A SPACE OUTSIDE OF THE FENCE FOR COMPANIES TO GROW, UM, AND THEN WORK WITH COMMUNITY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE PROVIDING THE RIGHT KIND OF SUPPORT FOR THOSE COMPANIES AS THEY GROW. 
          UH, WE'VE BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN THIS BY COLLABORATING WITH THE PEOPLE HERE, FOLKS LIKE BAY H UH, UNIVERSITIES LIKE RICE UNIVERSITY, TEXAS A AND M UNIVERSITY, UH, UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON, CLEAR LAKE SENIOR CENTER COLLEGE, ALL GREAT PARTNERS OF OURS. 
          AS WELL AS I, AS I SAID, UH, NASA, JSC. 
          WE WORK CLOSELY WITH THEM AS WE'VE BEEN DEVELOPING THE SPACE PORT TO REALLY, AGAIN, PROVIDE WHAT THE INDUSTRY NEEDS AT THE SPACE PORT. 
          SOME OF THE FOLKS THAT WE HAVE AT THE SPACEPORT, UM, WE HAVE AXIOM SPACE, WHICH IS DEVELOPING THE FIRST COMMERCIAL SPACE STATION. 
          UH, IT'S PRETTY AMAZING. 
          THEY'RE ALSO DEVELOPING THAT COOL LOOKING SUIT. 
          UH, THEY WORKED WITH PRADA TO DEVELOP THAT SUIT, AND IT WILL BE THE FIRST SPACE SUIT THAT TOUCHES DOWN ON THE MOON THAT WAS COMPLETELY CREATED BY A PRIVATE CORPORATION INSTEAD OF NASA ITSELF. 
          WE HAVE INTUITIVE MACHINES THAT'S OUT AT THE SPACEPORT. 
          THEY HAVE LAUNCHED TWO LUNAR LANDERS TO THE SURFACE OF THE MOON, UM, OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS. 
          I THINK THEIR NEXT LAUNCH IS SUPPOSED TO BE EARLY 2026. 
          UM, ON TOP OF THAT, THEY'RE ALSO DEVELOPING A VEHICLE TO RETURN CARGO FROM THE SPACE STATION. 
          THEY'RE ALSO WORKING ON A DEEP SPACE COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK. 
          AND WE HAVE VENUS AEROSPACE. 
          THIS COMPANY IS A, UH, HYPERSONIC AIRPLANE COMPANY. 
          THEY'RE WORKING ON DEVELOPING THE FIRST 
          [01:00:01]
PASSENGER AIRCRAFT THAT CAN GET FROM HERE TO TOKYO IN ABOUT TWO HOURS FLYING ABOUT MACH SIX. 
          IT'S PRETTY AMAZING STUFF. 
          THEY'VE BEEN DEVELOPING A NEW ROCKET ENGINE OUT AT THE SPACEPORT THAT, UM, ALLOWED THAT THAT TO BE FEASIBLE AND BEEN PRETTY SUCCESSFUL. 
          THEY'VE ONLY BEEN AROUND SINCE ABOUT 2000, SORRY, 2020. 
          AND, UH, SINCE THEN THEY'VE GONE FROM SIX PEOPLE WHEN THEY FIRST MOVED HERE FROM SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. 
          THEY'RE UP TO CLOSE TO A HUNDRED FOLKS WORKING FOR THEM THESE DAYS. 
          SO VERY, VERY EXCITED ABOUT THEIR GROWTH. 
          WE HAVE A LOAN STAR FLIGHT MUSEUM. 
          YOU GUYS HAVE NEVER BEEN TO THE LONE STAR FLIGHT MUSEUM AT ELLINGTON. 
          YOU REALLY NEED TO DO YOURSELF A FAVOR. 
          THAT IS ONE OF THE BEST MUSEUMS THAT I'VE SEEN IN TEXAS. 
          THEY HAVE THE AVIATION HALL OF FAME, IF YOU LIKE, VINTAGE AIRCRAFT. 
          THEY GOT DOZENS OF THEM. 
          IT'S A BEAUTIFUL PLACE TO GO SEE. 
          PLUS THEY HAVE THE, UH, NOSE CONE TRAINER THERE FOR THE SHUTTLE. 
          LOTS OF GREAT EXHIBITS THERE. 
          WE HAVE THE SANDERSON COLLEGE EDGE CENTER LOCATED AT SPACEPORT. 
          THE EDGE CENTER IS DEDICATED TO PROVIDE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT TRAINING FOR THE AEROSPACE INDUSTRY. 
          SO YOUR TECHNICIANS THAT WORK ON THINGS LIKE, UH, COMPOSITE MANUFACTURING, UM, ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, UH, AVIONICS AND ELECTRONICS, THAT KIND OF THING, THEY WORK HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE PROVIDING THE WORKFORCE OF THE FUTURE FOR THE AEROSPACE INDUSTRY IN HOUSTON. 
          SO WHAT'S COMING UP AT THE SPACEPORT? WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT ARE, UH, KIND OF NEW? WE HAVE A COUPLE OF NEW TENANTS. 
          UH, RAVEN AEROSPACE HAS ACTUALLY KIND OF BEEN THERE A WHILE. 
          THEY'VE FLOWN UNDER THE RADAR. 
          THEY PROVIDE, UH, COMBAT TRAINING, UH, FOR THE MILITARY. 
          SO THEY PROVIDE, UH, TRAINING FOR TROOPS THAT ARE ON THE GROUND AND, AND WANTING TO GET A REALISTIC IDEA OF WHAT IT'S LIKE TO WORK WITH CLOSE AIR SUPPORT. 
          UH, THEY ALSO DO ADVANCED, UH, FIGHTER PILOT TRAINING, UH, FOR PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS. 
          UM, WE ALSO HAVE BDI MACHINING WHO IS A SUPPLIER FOR SEVERAL OF THE AEROSPACE COMPANIES IN THE, UH, REGION. 
          THEY, UH, DO CNC MACHINING. 
          THEY DO PROTOTYPING AND REVERSE ENGINEERING, ALL THAT REALLY SMART PEOPLE STUFF THAT I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT. 
          , THERE'S A NEW CONSTRUCTION UNDERWAY. 
          WE'RE BUILDING A NEW TAXIWAY, UM, ON THE SPACEPORT SIDE OF ELLINGTON. 
          SO THE, WHAT'S IT, THE EAST, THE SOUTH, EAST SIDE OF THE FIELD. 
          UM, TAXIWAY LIMA, THE FIRST PHASE OF IT'S GONNA BUILD ABOUT 4,000 LINEAR FEET, UM, WHICH WILL CONNECT THE SPACE PORT TO THE REST OF THE AIRFIELD AND PROVIDE ABOUT 30 NEW ACRES FOR DEVELOPMENT OF AIRSIDE LAND. 
          NOT BUILDING A LOT OF NEW AIRPORTS IN THIS COUNTRY. 
          I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE NOTICED THAT. 
          SO AIRSIDE LAND IS VERY VALUABLE. 
          WE LOOK FORWARD TO BEING ABLE TO DEVELOP THAT AND BRING EVEN MORE COMPANIES IN. 
          UM, TSU FLIGHT SCHOOL HAS BEEN UNDER CONSTRUCTION FOR ABOUT A YEAR NOW. 
          I BELIEVE WE'RE PLANNING ON THE RIBBON CUTTING HAPPENING NEXT MONTH, THE BEGINNING OF NEXT MONTH. 
          UM, THIS WILL BE A FACILITY THAT'LL, UH, HELP TSU TRAINED NEW PILOTS FOR THE AVIATION INDUSTRY. 
          WE HAVE TENANT EXPANSIONS AS WELL. 
          I MENTIONED, UH, INTUITIVE MACHINES EARLIER AND ALL THE GREAT STUFF THAT THEY'RE DOING. 
          UM, THEY'RE ADDING 24 AND A HALF THOUSAND SQUARE FEET TO THEIR EXISTING FACILITY. 
          AND THEN THEY'RE ALSO TAKING OVER THE FORMER COLLINS FACILITY THAT'S ABOUT 110,000 SQUARE FEET. 
          SO THEY'RE GROWING BIG TIME AT THE SPACE PORT. 
          UM, AND THEN WE HAVE VENUS AEROSPACE THAT IS EXPANDING THEIR TESTING CAPABILITIES. 
          THEY'RE BUILDING NEW TEST STANDS ON A FIVE ACRE SITE AT THE SPACE PORT AS WELL. 
          AND THAT SAID, AND I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T SAY THE AIR SHOW IS THIS WEEKEND, GO BUY TICKETS. 
          IT'S GONNA BE FANTASTIC. 
          YES, MA'AM. 
          UH, WHAT ABOUT THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS? WHAT'S THE SITUATION MADE? SO, UH, THEY ARE STILL THERE. 
          UH, OUR AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL WORKS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT AT ELLINGTON. 
          WE'RE ACTUALLY PROVIDED, UH, CONTRACTORS FROM THE MILITARY PRESENCE AT ELLINGTON. 
          UM, SO THEY'RE NOT FEDERAL EMPLOYEES THE SAME WAY THAT OTHER AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS ARE. 
          OKAY. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THERE'S A LOT OF REALLY NEAT STUFF GOING ON AT THE SPACEPORT. 
          UH, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE ADDING COMPANIES AND I THINK IT'S GETTING TO THE POINT THAT THEY'RE GONNA HAVE CRITICAL MASS TO WHERE NEW COMPANIES THAT WANT TO BE IN THE SPACE BUSINESS ARE GONNA WANNA BE AT THE SPACEPORT BECAUSE EVERYBODY ELSE IS OUT THERE. 
          SO IT'S, IT'S REALLY SOME GOOD STUFF GOING OUT THERE. 
          NEXT UP WE HAVE, UH, KENYA WILLIAMS FROM PUBLIC WORKS. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANKS. 
          ALRIGHT, GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. 
          I'M HERE TO SHARE WITH YOU. 
          UM, I'M WITH HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS, MORE SPECIFICALLY ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION. 
          AND SO IF YOU WANNA KNOW ABOUT ANY CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS OR RECONSTRUCTION PROJECTS IN THE HOUSTON AREA, WE HAVE A SITE CALLED ENGAGE HOUSTON.ORG. 
          AND ON THIS 
          [01:05:01]
SITE, IT LISTS ALL THE ACTIVE PROJECTS IN DESIGN OR CONSTRUCTION. 
          AND YOU CAN ALSO GO TO A MAP AND PINPOINT YOUR AREA OR YOUR DISTRICT AND GO STRAIGHT THERE TO LEARN ABOUT THE, THOSE UPCOMING PROJECTS. 
          SWAT PROJECTS. 
          UH, WE SUPPORT WATER PROJECTS, WASTEWATER PROJECTS, DRAINAGE PROJECTS, AND STREET PROJECTS. 
          SO PLEASE CHECK IT OUT. 
          IT IS ALSO A PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT PLATFORM, SO IT'S NOT A STATIC SITE. 
          UM, THE INFORMATION ON THERE, WE ARE IN IT DAILY TO UPDATE. 
          UH, THERE ARE PROJECT PAGES. 
          SO IF YOU ARE, UM, INTERESTED IN A CERTAIN PROJECT, YOU CAN GO STRAIGHT TO THE PROJECT PAGE, FIND OUT ALL THE PROJECT DETAILS, THE BUDGET OF THE PROJECT, WHY IT MATTERS, A MAP OF THE PROJECT. 
          UH, SO PLEASE, UM, UH, GO, GO TO ENGAGE. 
          IN ADDITION, I'M GOING TO SKIP OVER THIS. 
          UM, THAT IS, UH, THAT WAS A VIDEO WHERE YOU CAN GO TO ENGAGE AND WATCH THE VIDEO ON HOW TO NAVIGATE YOUR WAY ON ENGAGE. 
          UH, WE ALSO HOST VIRTUAL COMMUNITY MEETINGS. 
          SO WHEN WE ARE, UM, IF THERE'S A PROJECT IN YOUR AREA, WE WILL HOST A MEETING AND TALK ABOUT HOW TO PREPARE FOR CONSTRUCTION. 
          SO ALL THOSE MEETINGS ARE ALSO RECORDED AND POSTED THE NEXT DAY ON, UH, ENGAGE HOUSTON.ORG. 
          IN ADDITION, YOU CAN GO TO, WE HAD SEVERAL PEOPLE STOP AT THE TABLE. 
          THEY HAD SOME CONCERNS ABOUT, UH, SOME STREETS, UH, SINKHOLE, UM, TORN UP CURVES. 
          UH, SO YOU CAN ALWAYS GO AND, UM, DIAL 3 1 1 AND REPORT THAT. 
          UH, IF YOU WOULD LIKE, YOU CAN ALSO EMAIL US DIRECTLY AT ENGAGE@HOUSTONTX.ORG OR THERE'S THIS QR CODE, UH, RIGHT HERE. 
          YOU CAN, UM, TAKE YOUR PHONE OUT, SCAN THE QR CODE, IT'LL TAKE YOU DIRECTLY TO OUR ENGAGE FORUM WHERE YOU CAN TYPE YOUR QUESTION OR CONCERN, AND WE WILL, UM, GET BACK WITH YOU WITH A RESPONSE, UH, WITHIN THREE BUSINESS DAYS. 
          SO, UM, PLEASE CHECK OUT THE SITE. 
          UH, WE WANNA KNOW WHAT YOUR CONCERNS ARE, UH, AS FAR AS, UH, HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS. 
          AND, UM, JUST LET US KNOW. 
          AND WE ARE, WE'RE HERE TO SERVICE YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          JUST A REMINDER, WE ARE GONNA HAVE A Q AND A SESSION, UH, WHEN THE SPEAKERS GET DONE. 
          AND NEXT UP IS, UH, DIRECTOR SIMS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS. 
          THANK YOU. 
          WELL, I'M KIND OF JEALOUS. 
          I WISH I WAS UP TO TALK ABOUT SPACE, BUT I'M NOT, NOT AS INTERESTING OF A SUBJECT, BUT I DO HAVE TALK ABOUT THE ERNST AND YOUNG STUDY. 
          AS MANY, UM, OF OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS HAVE MENTIONED TODAY, HAS AFFECTED OUR DEPARTMENT GREATLY. 
          SO, DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS USED TO HAVE, UM, THE CODE ENFORCEMENT OF CHAPTER 10 AS WELL AS, UM, LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE TWO 14. 
          AND SO THOSE PROGRAMS ARE NOW ALIGNED IN HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS. 
          SO WHEN YOU'RE CALLING FOR RESIDENTIAL CODE ENFORCEMENT, DANGEROUS BUILDING, NUISANCE ON PROPERTY, OPEN STORAGE, JUNK MOTOR VEHICLE, THOSE PROGRAMS ARE ALL IN PUBLIC WORKS. 
          AND THE ALIGNMENT TO PUBLIC WORKS IS ONE, OPERATIONALLY, THEY ALREADY HAD COMMERCIAL CODE ENFORCEMENT. 
          SO OPERATIONAL, IT'S A BETTER FIT FOR CODE ENFORCEMENT TO BE IN PUBLIC WORKS ALIGNED WITH THE HOUSTON PERMITTING CENTER, AS WELL AS THE TAX DOLLARS SAVED BECAUSE NOW THEY'RE NOW PAID UNDER A REVENUE SOURCE IN PUBLIC WORKS VERSUS, UH, GENERAL FUND TAXPAYER DOLLARS. 
          SO IF YOU READ IN THE PAPER THAT DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS WERE CLUT SLASH I THINK I READ 50% IT, IT, IT SAID IN THE PAPER, THAT'S NOT ACTUALLY TRUE. 
          THE REMAINING 50% OF THE DEPARTMENT IS STILL THERE. 
          THE OTHER 50% WENT TO HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS. 
          SO, UM, IF YOU HAVE CODE ENFORCEMENT ISSUES, IF YOU WANT TO CALL ABOUT A BLIGHTED PROPERTY OR OPEN STORAGE JUNK MOTOR VEHICLE OR DANGEROUS BUILDING, PLEASE CALL 3 1 1. 
          UM, THEY WILL ASSIST YOU AND GET YOU IN TOUCH WITH WHAT'S NOW COMMUNITY CODE ENFORCEMENT. 
          THAT'S WITHIN HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS PERMITTING CENTER. 
          THE REMAINING OF DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS IS STILL OUT THERE WORKING. 
          WE HAVE ELDRIDGE PUGH, WHO'S HERE TONIGHT, ONE OF OUR BEST EMPLOYEES WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS MAYOR'S ASSISTANCE OFFICE, WHO PROVIDE SERVICES TO COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE, UM, THE LOCAL AREA, INCLUDING OUR SUPER NEIGHBORHOODS, CITY CLUBS. 
          THESE GUYS ARE EVERYWHERE. 
          EVERY NIGHT, I SWEAR ELRIDGE HAS A MEETING SOMEWHERE THAT HE'S PARTICIPATING IN TO GIVE INFORMATION OUT. 
          UM, WE HAVE OFFICE OF PEOPLES WITH DISABILITIES THAT'S TRYING TO DEVELOP MOBILITY PLANS AND CONNECT OUR COMMUNITIES 
          [01:10:01]
BETTER. 
          THOSE WITH PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES GET THEM TO WHERE THEY NEED TO BE TO MAKE SURE THEY HAVE ACCESS TO WHERE THEY NEED TO GO. 
          WE ALSO HAVE THE OFFICE OF VETERANS AND MILITARY AFFAIRS, WHICH HAS ONLY ONE PERSON. 
          WE HAVE THE MOST VETERANS. 
          SHE ALWAYS REMINDS ME, WE HAVE THE MOST VETERANS IN THE COUNTRY IN HARRIS COUNTY. 
          IT'S THREE, 300,000. 
          RIGHT. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS . 
          SHE ASSISTED OVER 1400 OF THOSE LAST LAST YEAR. 
          UM, SO AS A SPOUSE, AS A, UH, MY WIFE IS AN ARMY, DISABLED ARMY VET. 
          UM, THAT'S EXCELLENT WORK. 
          BUT WE ALSO HAVE THE OFFICE OF GANG PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION THAT DOES CASE MANAGEMENT WITH YOU TRAINED OVER 6,000. 
          YOU TRAINED OVER I THINK 400, UH, STAFF IN HEALTH AND SCHOOLS THIS YEAR. 
          AND, UM, I DON'T WANNA LEAVE ANYONE OUT, BUT, UM, HUMAN TRAFFICKING IS NOW IN THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS. 
          WE WE'RE BUILDING THAT PROGRAM. 
          IT ONLY HAS ONE EMPLOYEE RIGHT NOW, BUT HOPEFULLY THROUGH OUR REORGANIZATION WE'RE ABLE TO HIRE AND HAVE A MORE ROBUST, ROBUST PROGRAM. 
          BUT THAT PROGRAM STILL GAVE 1400 NIGHTS TO VICTIMS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING WITH THE HELP OF THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT. 
          SO THEY WERE ABLE TO HAVE SOMEWHERE TO GO AND GET OUT OF DANGER IN CONJUNCTION WITH OUR, OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH HOUSTON AREA WOMEN'S CENTER, AS WELL AS SALVATION ARMY. 
          AND, UM, SO WE'RE WORKING AT DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS. 
          I JUST WANTED TO COME OUT AND LET YOU KNOW THAT CHANGE. 
          I'M STILL HERE. 
          I KNOW CHAPTER 10, LIKE THE BACK OF MY HAND, AS WELL AS LOCAL CODE TWO 14. 
          SO IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO ANSWER 'EM. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU, DIRECTOR. 
          NEXT UP WE HAVE KELLY AND SILVANA WHO ARE COMING UP WITH THE SYLVAN RODRIGUEZ DESIGN TEAM AND THE, UH, ARCHITECTS FROM HOUSTON PARKS AND RECREATION. 
          I'LL LET THEM SAY THEIR LAST NAMES 'CAUSE LORD KNOWS I WOULD BUTCHER THOSE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          HI, I AM KELLY ANDRES. 
          I'M THE NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGER WITH THE HOUSTON PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT, AND WE'RE HERE TO TALK ABOUT SYLVAN RODRIGUEZ PARK. 
          UM, SO, UH, WE'LL JUST GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF AN OVERVIEW. 
          UH, IN 2017, WE DID A MASTER PLAN FOR THE PARK, AND WE HAD A LOT OF COMMUNITY IMPACT FOR THAT. 
          UM, IN 2022, WE PASSED A NATURE PRESERVE ORDINANCE AND, UM, WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT OUR CURRENT PROJECTS AT THE PARK. 
          UM, SO OUR PUBLIC INPUT, UM, WE REACHED OUT TO THE COMMUNITY, WE HAD MEETINGS AT THE PARK, AND THE NUMBER ONE ASK FOR THE PARK WAS, UH, A COMMUNITY CENTER. 
          UM, THERE WAS A ASK FOR TRAILS AND INCREASED MAINTENANCE AND SECURITY, WHICH ALSO COMES ALONG WITH STAFF AT A FACILITY RIGHT AT THE PARK, UH, AND THEN PASSIVE AREAS. 
          AND SO THE PARK IS DIVIDED INTO FOUR DIFFERENT ZONES. 
          WE HAVE A SPORTS ZONE, AN ACTIVE PARK ZONE, A TRANSITION ZONE, AND A PASSIVE ZONE. 
          UH, AND THIS WAS THE 2017 MASTER PLAN THAT WAS CREATED BASED ON THE COMMUNITY INPUT. 
          AND THEN IN 2022, WE PASSED, UH, NATURE PRESERVE ORDINANCE, THANKS TO CITY COUNCIL. 
          UM, AND WE ARE THE LARGEST CITY IN THE COUNTRY THAT HAS A LOCAL ORDINANCE TO PROTECT NATURAL HABITAT. 
          UM, WE'RE PROTECTING OVER 7,400 ACRES OF LAND IN 26 DIFFERENT PARKS. 
          AND SYLVAN RODRIGUEZ PARKS HAS ONE OF THESE, UH, NATURE PRESERVES. 
          SO IT'S 72 ACRES IN THE PARK, UH, AND A REALLY, REALLY COOL PARK. 
          UM, SO THIS IS OUR BEST PRAIRIE THAT WE HAVE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. 
          WE HAVE OVER 25,000 ACRES OF PARKLAND, AND IT WAS HISTORIC COASTAL PRAIRIE. 
          UH, IT HAD WETLAND DEPRESSIONS, WHICH WERE, UM, NEVER REMOVED. 
          SO THOSE ARE STILL THERE. 
          AND IT, IT LIES ADJACENT TO HORSE PEN BAYOU. 
          SO IT HAS REALLY GOOD RIPARIAN HABITAT, WHICH IS THE HABITAT ALONG A WATERWAY. 
          AND, UH, THESE WERE THE STARTING CONDITIONS. 
          SO WITHOUT LACK OF, WITH LACK OF MANAGEMENT AND NATURAL PROCESSES SUCH AS FIRE, UM, IT BECAME OVERRUN WITH AN INVASIVE TREE CALLED CHINESE TALLOW. 
          AND SO THAT WAS ABOUT 90, 95% OF THE SPECIES THAT WERE AT THAT PARK. 
          UM, BUT REALLY THE ORIGINAL HYDROLOGY WAS THERE. 
          IT STILL HAD PRAIRIE POTHOLE HABITAT. 
          UM, AND THIS SAYS IT HAS SOME REMAINING PRAIRIE PLANTS, BUT, UM, REALLY IT HAD SIGNIFICANT, UH, SEED BANK WITHIN THAT PRAIRIE. 
          SO IT STARTED OUT WITH UNDER 50 SPECIES THAT WERE PRESENT ON THAT PARK, TREES AND SOME OF THE GRASSES THERE. 
          UH, AND WE DO VEGETATION SURVEYS EVERY YEAR. 
          OUR LAST SURVEY SHOWED THAT THERE, UH, IT JUST WITHIN SPECIFIC PLOTS IN THE PARK, THERE WERE OVER 255 SPECIES. 
          UH, WE FUNDED ALL FOUR PHASES, UM, WITH THE TEXAS GENERAL LAND OFFICE AND THE TEXAS COMMISSION ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY. 
          SO, UH, WE HAVE FULLY RESTORED THIS ENTIRE PARK. 
          UM, THIS JUST SHOWS PHASE ONE, THE TREES INTO THE PRAIRIE. 
          UM, AND THEN YOU CAN SEE THE BIG POTHOLE, WHICH WAS A REMNANT PRAIRIE POTHOLE, WHICH IS STILL THERE. 
          AND NOW WE'VE BUILT A 
          [01:15:01]
BOARDWALK TO HELP PEOPLE ACCESS AND BE ABLE TO GET INTO THE PRAIRIE. 
          UH, WE HAVE THE SIGNAGE THAT TALKS ABOUT THE PROJECTS AND THE DIFFERENT HABITAT. 
          UH, WE HAVE A VOLUNTEER GROUP THAT'S BEEN FANTASTIC THAT COMES OUT THERE. 
          WE GROW OUR OWN PLANTS. 
          AND THEN WE HAVE DEVELOPED A REALLY FANTASTIC PARTNERSHIP WITH THE HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT, UM, AND THEIR WILDLAND TEAM. 
          SO WE HAVE BURNED THE PRAIRIE, UH, WITH PRESCRIBED FIRE FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS. 
          AND I THINK THAT'S PART OF THE MAIN REASON THAT WE HAVE SO MANY DIVERSE SPECIES OUT THERE, UH, REALLY SUPPORTING THAT HABITAT AND ALSO, UM, HELPING WITH WILDFIRE MITIGATION, REDUCING THOSE FUELS THAT ARE THERE. 
          UM, SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE ANY WILDFIRES. 
          AND I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO SWAN, UH, WHO'S GONNA TALK ABOUT THE UPCOMING PROJECTS THERE. 
          YES. 
          SO WE'RE, UM, WE'RE JUST STARTING THE WORK, SO IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, WE LIKE, WE WE'RE JUST LIKE GETTING, STARTING WITH THE STUDIES TO LIKE BRING THIS COMMUNITY CENTER SO WE HAVEN'T MISSED ANYTHING. 
          UM, SO, UM, GENERAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT, WE HAVE, UH, HERE, SARAH, UH, KCO AND LISA JOHNSON REPRESENTING THE TEAM. 
          THEY TEAMED UP WITH, UH, WITH PARKS. 
          AND WE WERE SELECTED, UM, SLV AND KODI, UM, PRINCIPAL WITH RDLR ARCHITECTS. 
          AND WE WERE THE TEAM SELECTED TO, UM, WORK ON THIS FANTASTIC, UM, BUILDING, UM, HERE THAT'S A LARGE, VERY LARGE, UM, UH, TEAM OF CONSULTANT ENGINEERS, UM, THAT ARE, UM, PART OF OUR TEAM. 
          WE ARE CURRENTLY IN THE INITIAL LIKE STUDY, UH, PHASE. 
          SO WE ARE, UM, WORKING MAINLY WITH SWA PLANNING AND LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS AND COAL, UM, IT'S LIKE, UM, CIVIL ENGINEERS. 
          AND WE'RE DOING THOSE SURVEY STUDIES AND THAT THOSE KINDS OF, UM, THAT KIND OF WORK CURRENTLY. 
          SO THIS IS THE ANTICIPATED SCHEDULE THAT WE HAVE. 
          AS I MENTIONED, WE HAVE, WE'RE IN THE PLANNING PHASE. 
          UH, WE, WE ARE SUPPOSED TO FINISH BY THE BEGINNING OF NEXT YEAR, AND WE'RE GONNA LIKE BE IN THE DESIGN PHASE IN NEXT YEAR, UM, PERMITTING BEGINNING OF 2027 AND HOPING TO HAVE, UM, OPEN DOORS BY, UH, FIRST QUARTER 2028. 
          SO AS CISO IN THE PHOTOS, THE, THE PRAIRIE IS LOOKING REALLY HEALTHY AND BEAUTIFUL, AND NOW IT'S TIME TO BRING THIS COMMUNITY CENTER. 
          SO PART OF THIS STUDY IS WE ARE ANALYZING LIKE LOCATIONS, POSSIBLE LOCATIONS FOR THIS, FOR THE BUILDING. 
          UM, THIS ONE IN PARTICULAR, UM, IT'S SHOWING THE, THE, THE ORANGE RECTANGLE IS WHERE LIKE IT'S REPRESENTING WHERE THE COMMUNITY CENTER WILL BE. 
          UM, THIS LOCATION, UH, WE IDENTIFY AS THE, THE CLOSEST TO THE PRAIRIE. 
          SO IT GIVES US THE MOST DIRECT CONNECTION TO, UM, THE NATURE THAT WE WANNA INTERACT WITH. 
          UH, SO THIS IS A REALLY GOOD, UM, LOCATION FOR IT. 
          UM, BUT IT WOULD LIKE REQUIRE RELOCATING SOME OF THE EXISTING RESTROOMS. AND, UM, I THINK THAT THAT'S THE MAIN, UM, ITEM THAT WE NEED TO, WE WOULD HAVE TO RELOCATE TO MAKE THAT, UM, THAT OPTION A REALITY. 
          UM, THE SECOND LOCATION IS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF AN EXISTING POND THAT WE HAVE THERE. 
          UM, WE DON'T HAVE TO RE RELOCATE ANY STRUCTURES FOR THAT LOCATION, BUT THAT'S A LITTLE BIT FURTHER AWAY FROM THE, THE, FROM THE NATURE. 
          SO STILL WE HAVEN'T DETERMINED WHICH ONE IT IS. 
          AND OH, AND I FORGOT TO MENTION, WE WILL HAVE A FULL COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, UH, ON THIS LIKE IN THIS LIKE DURING THE NEXT FEW MONTHS. 
          SO, WE'LL, LIKE, ONCE WE HAVE A A FEW MORE, UM, FEW MORE OPTIONS, WE'LL BE ABLE TO, UM, MEET AGAIN WITH THE COMMUNITY AND, AND HAVE SOME LIKE CALL, GET MORE FEEDBACK, UM, FROM YOU. 
          SO BEING A COMMUNITY, UH, COMMUNITY AND, AND NATURE CENTER, UM, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S, THESE ARE SOME OF THE SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES THAT WE WILL IMPLEMENT. 
          THIS WILL BE A LEAD, UM, A PROJECT. 
          SO VERY, UH, VERY INTERESTED IN, IN CONNECTING WITH NATURE AND HAVING A VERY HEALTHY BUILDING. 
          THIS, UH, WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS AN ADJACENCY DIAGRAM. 
          SO IT'S NOT A DESIGN, BUT IT'S WHERE WE START TO THINK WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF SPACES THAT WE WANT TO HAVE, UM, AND, UM, AND HOW WE WANT THOSE SPACES TO WORK TOGETHER. 
          SO, UM, ESSENTIALLY WHAT WE WANT IS A VERY LARGE SPACE FOR ONE THE COMMUNITY AND TWO FOR THE, UM, THE NATURE PROGRAM. 
          AND WE, WE WANT THOSE SPACES TO BE, UH, FLEXIBLE. 
          SO WE WANNA BE ABLE TO LIKE, SERVE LARGE GROUPS OR SUB THESE SPACES FOR SMALL CLASS CLASSROOMS OR SUMMER PROGRAMS AND 
          [01:20:01]
STUFF LIKE THAT. 
          WE, WE, UM, THE PLAN IS TO HAVE AN EXHIBIT SPACE, UM, THE FULLY DEDICATED TO THE NATURE PROGRAM, AND THAT'S GONNA BE A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF THIS, UH, OF THIS BUILDING. 
          UH, AND THE, THE, THE, THE BLUE AREAS THAT YOU SEE ARE THE HOUSTON PARKS IS GONNA LIKE OFFICE FROM THERE AND OPERATE THIS, UH, NATURE CENTER. 
          AND THE, AND THE, AND THE RED ARE LIKE SUPPORT SPACES. 
          UM, THESE ARE SOME OF THE INITIAL IDEAS OF HOW WE WANT THIS, UH, BUILDING TO INTERACT WITH THE, WITH THE PRAIRIE AND THE NATURE. 
          UH, WE REALLY WANT LIKE FULL LIKE GLASS AND DECKS AND OUTDOOR SPACES TO GO HAVE THOSE SUMMER CAMPS AND THOSE CLASSES LIKE LOTS OF SHADED AREAS FOR PEOPLE TO ENJOY AND LEARN ABOUT THE WONDERFUL EFFORTS AND THAT, UM, THAT ARE LIKE BEING DONE IN THAT, UM, PRESERVE. 
          SO I THINK THAT'S IT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          OH YES, YOU KEEP THAT. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          APPRECIATE IT. 
          AND, UH, NOW WE COME TO THE QUESTION AND ANSWERS SESSION. 
          UH, BRIAN FRIEDMAN WILL BE MODERATING THAT AND IN, I'M PRETTY SURE EVERYBODY KNOWS BRIAN, PRESIDENT OF BAY H UH, AND BAY H HAS OBVIOUSLY BEEN VERY INSTRUMENTAL IN, UH, DOING ALL THE NICE ECONOMIC THINGS THAT WE HAVE OUT HERE, ESPECIALLY THE SPACEPORT. 
          UH, SO IT'S, IT'S BEEN REALLY GOOD TO, TO WORK WITH HIM. 
          SO ANYWAY, THANK YOU BRIAN. 
          WELL, HEY, UM, IT'S GREAT TO SEE EVERYBODY. 
          AS FRED MENTIONED, MY NAME IS BRIAN FREEMAN, I SERVE AS THE PRESIDENT OF THE BAY AREA HOUSTON ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP OR BAY. 
          HE, UM, HEY, BEFORE WE JUMP INTO THE QUESTIONS, I I DID WANT TO, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S WHEN, WHEN YOU WATCH THE NEWS EVERY NIGHT, YOU GET DOWN AND YOU SEE ALL THESE THINGS. 
          IT'S MEETINGS LIKE THIS WHERE YOU GET TO HEAR FROM LEADERS ON THE GROUND GETTING REAL WORK, GREAT PROJECTS, KEEPING US SAFE. 
          WOULD Y'ALL JOIN ME IN A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR ALL THE, THIS IS WHAT, AND FRED, THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP IN PULLING THIS GROUP TOGETHER IN THIS EVENING. 
          UM, ALSO MENTIONED, ALTHOUGH WE'RE NOT DOING AN OPEN Q AND A, UM, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER AND, UH, MANY OF THE LEADERS THAT ARE HERE ARE GONNA STICK AROUND AFTERWARDS. 
          IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS THAT WE DON'T GET TO, UM, I WILL SHARE THAT OFTEN. 
          I GET INVITED IN TO THROW SOFTBALLS. 
          UM, TONIGHT IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT. 
          THEY, WE'VE ACTUALLY PULLED THE QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMUNITY ONLINE. 
          UH, HIS STAFF PULLED NO PUNCHES. 
          UH, AND OTHER THAN MAKING THEM CONCISE, UM, THESE ARE STRAIGHT FROM CONSTITUENTS, UH, WHO RESPONDED BACK TO THEIR FORUM. 
          AND WITH THAT COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, FLICKINGER, WE WILL KICK IT OFF. 
          UH, FIRST QUESTION IS ABOUT THE, UH, SIDEWALK WORK ON EL DORADO BOULEVARD, UH, NEAR BROOK FOREST DRIVE. 
          WHEN WILL IT BE FINISHED? I, SPEAKING OF NO SOFTBALLS, UM, THAT PROJECT'S BEEN GOING ON FOR I BELIEVE ABOUT SIX OR SEVEN YEARS NOW. 
          UM, IT IS A COUNTY PROJECT THAT, UH, THE CITY, UH, HELPED FINANCE AS WELL, AND THEY'VE GOT A PROBLEM WITH ONE OF THE CONTRACTORS THAT WAS INVOLVED WITH IT. 
          THEY'RE IN LITIGATION. 
          UH, I WISH I COULD GIVE YOU BETTER UPDATES. 
          UNFORTUNATELY, WHEN WE CONTACT THE COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE, WE'RE SIMPLY TOLD IT'S IN LITIGATION. 
          WE'LL GIVE YOU MORE INFORMATION WHEN IT'S SETTLED. 
          UH, SO I'M SORRY I DON'T HAVE A REAL GOOD ANSWER FOR THAT ONE. 
          AND I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG IT'S GONNA TAKE TO GET A REAL GOOD ANSWER. 
          IT'S OBVIOUSLY BEEN GOING ON FOR A VERY LONG TIME. 
          I KNOW PEOPLE ARE FRUSTRATED. 
          I CERTAINLY FEEL FRUSTRATION AND JUST AS FRUSTRATED AS WELL. 
          THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN. 
          THE THE NEXT ONE IS, UH, YOU, YOU MENTIONED IT SOME OF THE WORK THAT'S GOING ON, UM, ALONG BAY AREA BOULEVARD, UH, WITHIN THE DISTRICT. 
          AND, UM, AND SO THIS, AGAIN, STRAIGHT FROM THE, FROM THE ASKER, WHY DOES THIS, UH, FEEL AS IF IT'S BEING IGNORED THAT WORK? WELL, ONE OF THE THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT, UH, EVEN DURING THE CAMPAIGN, UH, I, IS THE FACT THAT CLEAR LAKE AND KINGWOOD WERE BOTH ANNEXED BECAUSE THE CITY WANTED YOUR MONEY. 
          UM, THEY DIDN'T PLAN TO SPEND ALL THE TAX DOLLARS HERE, UH, AND THEY DIDN'T PLAN TO SPEND 'EM ALL IN KINGWOOD EITHER. 
          UH, AND UNFORTUNATELY THEY DON'T. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, PART OF THE, THE DIFFICULTY WE HAVE IS THAT ALTHOUGH WE CERTAINLY SEE THE ROADS AND SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW, THESE ROADS ARE NOT AS GOOD AS THEY WERE 10 YEARS AGO, THEY'RE NOT AS GOOD AS THEY WERE 20 YEARS AGO. 
          AND YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT. 
          THE PROBLEM IS YOU DRIVE AROUND THE CITY OF HOUSTON, THE ROADS OUT HERE ARE SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER THAN WHAT THEY ARE IN A LOT OF PLACES IN HOUSTON. 
          AND WE'VE GOT THE SAME EXACT THING WITH, WITH KINGWOOD AS WELL. 
          BUT WE ARE SPENDING THE MONEY ON THE PANEL REPLACEMENTS WE TALKED ABOUT. 
          WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO DO THAT. 
          WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO FIGHT TO TRY AND GET MORE MONEY SPENT ON THE INFRASTRUCTURE OUT HERE. 
          UH, BUT IT, IT IS ABSOLUTELY A CHALLENGE. 
          NOW, ONE OF THE GOOD THINGS THAT WE DO HAVE WITH THIS IS THERE WAS A RECENT SETTLEMENT OF 
          [01:25:01]
A LAWSUIT THAT HAD TO DO WITH OUR STREETS AND DRAINAGE WHERE IT'S ACTUALLY FORCING THE CITY TO SPEND MORE MONEY ON STREETS AND DRAINAGE. 
          AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE ABLE TO LEVERAGE THAT TO BE ABLE TO GET MORE WORK DONE ON OUR ROADS OUT HERE. 
          COUNCILMAN A FOLLOW UP TO THAT ONE. 
          YOU KNOW, I KNOW STATE REPRESENTATIVE PAUL'S HERE, TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDING HAS BEEN A BIG PRIORITY, THE STATE LEVEL AND THE CITY HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN THOSE TYPES OF STATE PRIORITIES. 
          HAVE YOU SEEN ANY VISIBLE VIN VISIBILITY FROM THE FUNDS COMING FROM THE STATE? UH, IN CERTAIN PROJECTS, I, I MEAN OBVIOUSLY THE STATE WORKS ON, ON CERTAIN ITEMS, CERTAIN ROADS, UM, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT ESSENTIALLY THE MESSAGE FROM THE, THE STATE GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN TO THE CITY IS THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE WILLING TO HELP US WITH CAPITAL PURCHASES, BUT WHEN IT COMES TO MAINTENANCE AND THAT TYPE OF THING, THEY EXPECT US TO TAKE CARE OF OUR OWN. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, NEXT QUESTION IS, UH, RELATED TO WASTE REMOVAL. 
          WHY DOESN'T THE CITY ENFORCE THE RULES FOR PLACEMENT OF JUNK AND TREE WASTE AT THE CURBSIDE? WHAT YOU SEE FOR THAT ON THE CURB SITES, THE, THE, UH, LARGE TRASH, HEAVY TRASH IS REALLY KIND OF THE SYMPTOM OF THE PROBLEM. 
          UH, THE REAL PROBLEM IS THE FACT THAT THE CITY HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO COLLECT HEAVY TRASH ON A REGULAR SCHEDULE LIKE IT SHOULD BE. 
          UH, IT'S A LITTLE TOUGH TO, YOU KNOW, HAMMER A RESIDENT ABOUT, UH, HAVING THEIR, THEIR HEAVY TRASH OUT WHEN THE FACT THE CITY MAY BE A MONTH, MONTH AND A HALF BEHIND ON PICKING UP THE HEAVY TRASH. 
          NOW THERE'S ALSO SOME GOOD NEWS WITH THAT. 
          UH, WE'VE GOTTEN A NUMBER OF NEW TRUCKS FOR SOLID WASTE, UH, A TOTAL OF 25 IN THE LAST 30 DAYS. 
          IN FACT, THEY JUST PUT 16 INTO SERVICE THIS MORNING. 
          UH, THE MAYOR DID A POST FOR IT ON, UH, FACEBOOK. 
          I SAW, UH, THE TRASH, UH, THEY'VE ALWAYS DONE A, A DECENT JOB WITH THE TRASH. 
          TRASH HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY TO GET THAT PICKED UP. 
          THE RECYCLING WAS A REAL PROBLEM HERE, UH, 90 DAYS AGO. 
          A HUGE PROBLEM. 
          AND THEY'VE REALLY GOTTEN, UH, CAUGHT UP WITH THAT AS WELL. 
          THE LAST PIECE THAT THEY, THEY'RE NEED TO GET TAKEN CARE OF IS THE HEAVY TRASH, AND THEY ARE ABSOLUTELY WORKING ON IT. 
          UH, BUT LIKE I SAID, THAT IS THE LAST ONE. 
          AND, AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE THAT SOON TO WHERE WE CAN GET IT TO WHERE THEY'RE BEING PICKED UP ON THE DATE THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE PICKED UP. 
          AND THEN, YES, WE CAN ABSOLUTELY HOLD THE RESIDENTS ACCOUNTABLE FOR THAT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, THE NEXT QUESTION'S ABOUT, UH, THE ROAD MEDIANS. 
          AND, UH, THE QUESTION IS SORT OF WHAT'S THE STATUS ON MAINTENANCE FOR THEM? WHAT ARE WAYS THAT THEY MAY BE BETTER MAINTAINED? UM, SPEAK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT ECOSYSTEM. 
          A COUPLE THINGS, UH, WITH THAT, UM, IN THIS LAST BUDGETING CYCLE, IN FACT, I MENTIONED IT EARLIER, THEY WERE GONNA GO TO 45 DAYS. 
          UH, WE WERE ABLE TO GET MONEY MY OFFICE WAS, AND TO DO AN AMENDMENT TO BE ABLE TO KEEP THAT AT 28. 
          AND, AND AGAIN, LIKE I SAID PREVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, DURING THE SUMMER WHEN WE'RE GETTING A LOT OF RAIN, 28 DAYS ISN'T NEARLY ENOUGH. 
          UH, AND IT LOOKS PRETTY UNWIELDY. 
          UH, WE ALSO DO SPEND SOME OF OUR COUNCIL DISTRICT SERVICE FUNDS ON ADDITIONAL MOWING, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO THAT. 
          UH, I WAS TALKING TO A COUPLE PEOPLE EARLIER. 
          THE CITY ALSO HAS A MATCHING GRANT PROGRAM WHERE IF THE COMMUNITY COMES IN AND WANTS TO DO A PROJECT TO BEAUTIFY, UH, THEIR AREA, UH, THERE'S CERTAIN CRITERIA IT'S GOTTA MEET, YOU KNOW, CERTAIN, UH, CERTAIN THINGS YOU'VE GOTTA CHECK OFF TO BE ABLE TO DO IT. 
          BUT WE DO HAVE ONE THAT'S GOING ON IN THE CLEAR LAKE AREA, UH, THAT THIS YEAR, UH, I'VE GOT ANOTHER ONE GOING ON IN NORTH SHORE IN KINGWOOD. 
          WE DID ONE LAST YEAR, AND THE RESIDENTS WERE VERY HAPPY WITH IT. 
          AND WE'VE GOT PROBABLY ABOUT EIGHT OR NINE THAT ARE GOING ON UP THERE THIS YEAR TO TRY AND, UH, BEAUTIFY THE AREA WITH A LOT OF FOCUS BEING PUT ON THE MEDIANS. 
          SO THAT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING, UH, NEXT YEAR, YOU KNOW, OR WE CAN START TALKING ABOUT IT SOON WITH MY STAFF. 
          IF, IF YOU WANT TO, UH, TRY AND GET IN WITH THAT AND, AND DO SOMETHING WITH THAT, WE, WE'D LOVE TO BE ABLE TO WORK WITH YOU AND AND TO HELP YOU OUT WITH THAT. 
          YEAH. 
          AND COUNCIL MEMBER, I, I WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU. 
          YOU KNOW, YOU DIRECT RESULTS OF YOUR ACTIONS THAT YOU TOOK DURING THE BUDGETING DISCUSSIONS ARE WHAT KEPT IT AT THAT 20 DAY SERVICE INTERVAL. 
          AND THAT IS A BIG DEAL. 
          SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP ON THAT. 
          THANKS TO ALL THE MEMBERS OF COUNCIL ON THAT. 
          UM, I GET TO DRIVE AROUND COMPANIES WHO ARE LOOKING AT RELOCATING TO THIS AREA, AND THAT STUFF MATTERS. 
          AND, UH, AND SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR, YOUR LEADERSHIP THERE. 
          AND ALTHOUGH IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE MUCH, I MEAN, IT IS A QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUE AND, AND YOU LIKE TO SEE IT. 
          AND I KNOW ONE OF THE PLACES THAT WE HAVE A PARTICULAR PROBLEM HERE IS, UH, BAY AREA BOULEVARD. 
          UH, THERE'S A, A SUBDIVISION WHERE THERE'S CINDER BLOCKS THAT THEY'VE GOT FOR A WALL. 
          THAT AREA BETWEEN THE STREET AND THE CINDER BLOCKS IS ACTUALLY THE RESIDENT'S RESPONSIBILITY. 
          I, I KNOW IT SEEMS KIND OF ODD LOOKING AT IT. 
          UH, I'VE GOT SOME OF THE EXACT SAME ISSUES IN SOME OTHER PARTS OF MY DISTRICT AND IT, IT'S, IT'S REALLY A CHALLENGE. 
          SO, UM, THE NEXT QUESTION, UM, IT, SPEAKING OF DRIVING AROUND THE COMMUNITY, UM, IS RELATED TO LEFT TURNS. 
          [01:30:01]
UM, AND THE QUESTION COMES IN, MANY OF YOU HAVE SEEN THE, UH, THE FLASHING YELLOW LEFT TURNS WHERE YOU YIELD. 
          AND SO THIS INDIVIDUAL ASKS, LEFT TURN SIGNALS NEED TO BE UPDATED TO LEFT TURN YIELD ARROWS, THE FLASHING YELLOWS LIKE MOST OF THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES. 
          CAN YOU TELL US WHEN AND IF THIS WILL HAPPEN OR WILL IT CONTINUE AS IS? UH, FAR AS I KNOW IT, IT'S CONTINUING AS, AS IS ONE OF THE THINGS WE CAN DO IS, IS GO TO TRAFFIC AND TAKE A LOOK. 
          UM, TXDOT IS VERY PRESCRIPTIVE ON WHAT'S ALLOWED AND WHAT'S NOT ALLOWED. 
          UM, CERTAINLY THE CHIEF CAN SPEAK TO THAT. 
          UM, SO THAT IS SOMETHING THOUGH THAT I HAVE SEEN IN SOME OTHER LOCALITIES. 
          UH, I, I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT MEETS THEIR CRITERIA OR WHAT DOESN'T, BUT CERTAINLY WE CAN GET WITH TRAFFIC AND HAVE THEM TAKE A LOOK AND, AND SEE IF THAT'S EVEN POSSIBLE. 
          YEP. 
          AND I SAW THE REACTIONS FROM OUR, UH, POLICE LEADERSHIP HERE. 
          SO I SUSPECT THERE ARE SOME SAFETY AND TRAFFIC ISSUES THAT COME ALONG WITH THOSE PROTECTED YELLOWS TOO. 
          WHILE THEY'RE CONVENIENT, THERE ARE CERTAINLY TRADES THAT, UH, THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE WORTH THAT, THAT INVESTMENT. 
          UM, THE NEXT QUESTION, UH, HAS TO DO WITH SQUATTERS. 
          UH, WHAT'S CITY COUNCIL DOING TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF SQUATTERS? HOW'S THE CITY AND THE LEGISLATURE WORKING TOGETHER ON THAT ISSUE? THE FIRST MONTH THAT I GOT INTO OFFICE, WE, WE GOT A CALL FROM THE FREEWAY MANOR CIVIC CLUB, AND THEY WANTED US TO COME OUT AND TOUR THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD. 
          THEY HAD A NUMBER OF HOMES WHERE THEY, THEY'VE GOT SQUATTERS. 
          UM, THEY, WE GOT INTO A CHURCH BUS, UH, DROVE AROUND THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD. 
          WE ENDED UP ON HIND STREET IN FREEWAY MANOR, AND THEY OPENED THE DOOR AND THE STENCH WAS ENOUGH TO KNOCK YOU OVER. 
          IT WAS JUST ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. 
          THEY HAD ALL SORTS OF GARBAGE PILED UP. 
          UH, I MEAN, JUST A MOUNTAIN OF IT FOR RAW CHICKEN THAT HAD BEEN SITTING OUT FOR GOD KNOWS HOW LONG. 
          UH, IT IS A HUGE PROBLEM. 
          AND THE PROBLEM WITH THAT NEIGHBORHOOD, AND IT'S GONNA START GETTING INTO OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS, IS THAT IT'S AN OLDER NEIGHBORHOOD. 
          UH, THE PEOPLE LIVING IN THE HOMES ARE OLDER AND YOU WILL HAVE PEOPLE PASS AWAY THAT DO NOT HAVE A WILL OR DO NOT HAVE, UH, CLOSE FAMILY TIES. 
          IN FACT, UH, A LOT OF TIMES THEY'RE, THEY'RE ESTRANGED AND THEY HOUSE SITS EMPTY AFTER THEY PASS AWAY. 
          AND A SQUATTER WILL GET INTO THE HOME AND IT'S INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT TO GET 'EM REMOVED. 
          YOU BASICALLY NEED TO DO A NO TRESPASS, NO TRESPASS, UH, IN ORDER TO GET 'EM OUT, WELL, YOU HAVE TO HAVE AN OWNERSHIP CLAIM TO THE HOUSE IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT. 
          UH, SO WE, WE'VE REALLY HAD A TOUGH TIME. 
          I'VE WORKED A LOT WITH CONSTABLE JERRY GARCIA ON THAT. 
          HE'S DONE JUST A YEOMAN'S JOB ON THAT, GETTING, GETTING THEM OUT. 
          UH, ALSO I'VE BEEN, I, WHAT I DID IS WHEN WE FIRST HAD THIS, I SAID, HEY, I KNOW HOW WE CAN DO THIS. 
          THE PEOPLE HAVE PASSED AWAY, THEREFORE, OH NO, TAXES ARE BEING PAID ON THE HOME. 
          SO WE CAN HAVE THIS AT A TAX SALE, UH, GET THE HOUSE SOLD. 
          WE HAVE NEW OWNERS GET 'EM IN. 
          IT SEEMS VERY SIMPLE, NOT SO MUCH. 
          UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THAT HAS HAPPENED IS, UH, THE COUNTY UNDER, UH, JUDGE HIDALGO DECIDED THAT IF ANYBODY WAS LIVING IN A HOME, REGARDLESS OF THEIR STATUS, WHETHER THEY WERE ACTUALLY AN OWNER, A TENANT, OR, OR A SQUATTER, THEY DIDN'T WANT TO SELL THE HOUSE ON A TAX SALE BECAUSE THEY WERE AFRAID THEY WERE GONNA END UP HOMELESS, WHICH COULD BE A PROBLEM. 
          BUT MY ISSUE IS WE HAVE SQUATTERS IN HERE THAT ARE CAUSING ALL SORTS OF PROBLEMS. OH, BY THE WAY, WHEN WE PULLED OUT OF THAT HOUSE ON HIND STREET, THERE WAS A CONSTABLE CAR IN AN HPD CAR AT THAT HOUSE THAT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH US BEING THERE BECAUSE NOT ONLY ARE WE NOT COLLECTING TAXES FROM THOSE HOMES, BUT WE'RE SPENDING A HUGE AMOUNT OF RESOURCES ON 'EM AS WELL. 
          SO I GOT WITH PAUL BENTON COURT, 'CAUSE FIRST OF ALL, WE WERE TRYING TO FIND OUT, OKAY, WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THIS? UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENS TO THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTIONS? AND BASICALLY THERE IS NO MECHANISM WHERE THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION IS REMOVED AFTER THE LAST PERSON THAT RIGHTFULLY HAS THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION PASSES AWAY. 
          AND THERE'S, YOU KNOW, SOCIAL SECURITY WHEN YOU PASS AWAY, THEY NOTIFY SOCIAL SECURITY OFFICE IMMEDIATELY. 
          THERE'S NOTHING WITH THAT. 
          SO THERE'S A LOT OF HOME OUT HERE THAT HAVE ACTUALLY GOT HOMESTEAD EXEMPTIONS WHERE THERE'S NOBODY LIVING THAT ACTUALLY QUALIFIES FOR IT. 
          SO PAUL WENT TO PUT FORTH A BILL TO ACTUALLY MAKE IT MANDATORY FOR IT TO BE REPORTED TO THE, UH, APPRAISAL DISTRICTS. 
          UH, THAT BILL DID NOT PASS. 
          UH, I WILL BE WORKING WITH HIM ON THAT AGAIN, ALSO WORKING WITH THE HOUSE TO SEE IF WE CAN GET SOMETHING LIKE PA THAT PASSED. 
          'CAUSE LIKE I SAID, THERE'S A LOT OF TAX REVENUE THAT'S NOT BEING COLLECTED WHERE, I MEAN, IF, IF YOU HAVE A, A CHILD THAT IS, IS LIVING THERE AND CONTINUES TO LIVE THERE, THEY'LL GET THE ELDERLY HOME EXEMPTION THE ENTIRE TIME THEY'RE THERE IF THEY, UNLESS THEY GO TO ACTUALLY TRY TO CHANGE THE OWNERSHIP TITLE. 
          SO IT, IT'S A BIG DEAL AND WE'RE GONNA BE WORKING ON THAT IN THE NEXT SESSION ALSO. 
          YEP. 
          AND DENNIS, THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT, THE STATE'S DONE SO FAR, AND I KNOW THERE'S A LONG WAY TO GO, NOT ONLY ON THAT ISSUE, BUT THE DERELICT BOAT ISSUE IN CLEAR LAKE, AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING TO TRY AND FIND SOME FUNDS, UH, FOR THOSE. 
          BUT, 
          [01:35:01]
UH, THANK YOU BOTH FOR YOUR EFFORTS ON THAT FRONT. 
          UM, REALLY APPRECIATE IT. 
          UH, THE NEXT QUESTION IS, UM, I'LL JUST READ THIS, THIS AS PRESENTED. 
          HOW CAN HOUSTON BE REMOVED FROM SANCTUARY CITY CLASSIFICATION? UH, HOUSTON IS NOT ACTUALLY CLASSIFIED AS A SANCTUARY CITY. 
          UM, HOUSTON COOPERATES WITH HPD COOPERATES WITH ICE, WHEN THEY GET A WARRANT COME UP, THEY MAKE A PHONE CALL ON DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CHIEF HAS BEEN THAT ABOUT 80 TO 90% OF THE TIME ICE DOESN'T SHOW UP BECAUSE IT'S LOWER ON THEIR PRIORITY SCALE. 
          UH, THE ONES THEY SHOW UP ARE THE REPEAT, UH, VIOLATORS TO WHERE THEY'VE BEEN DEPORTED MULTIPLE TIMES. 
          THEY'VE GOT A, A SIGNIFICANT, UH, CRIME THAT THEY'VE BEEN CONVICTED OF, THAT TYPE OF THING FOR THOSE TYPE OF THINGS, THAT ICE WILL ACTUALLY SHOW UP. 
          UH, I I PROMISE YOU, IF YOU COME DOWN TO CITY HALL DURING PUBLIC SESSION, YOU WILL HEAR MANY PEOPLE COMPLAINING ABOUT THAT. 
          UH, THEY DON'T WANT, UH, HPD TO CALL ICE AT ALL. 
          UH, BUT THEY DO. 
          AND THAT WE ARE NOT A SANCTUARY CITY. 
          ALSO, REMEMBER THAT, UH, THE CITY OF HOUSTON DOES NOT RUN THE JAIL. 
          THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT RUNS THE JAIL, AND THAT'S TO THE COUNTY. 
          UH, AND I THINK THE, THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT'S COOPERATION WITH ICE HAS BEEN MORE THAN WHAT A LOT OF RESIDENTS WOULD LIKE AS WELL. 
          UH, I DON'T THINK THEY QUALIFY AS SANCTUARY EITHER, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S NOT THE CITY OF HOUSTON. 
          THAT'S ACTUALLY THE COUNTY. 
          OKAY, THANK YOU. 
          UM, NEXT QUESTION IS, WHAT CAN THE CITY COUNCIL DO TO COMBAT VIOLENT CRIMES COMMITTED BY REPEAT OFFENDERS? I'VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME WITH HPD OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, UM, IN THE CONSTABLE'S OFFICE AS WELL. 
          AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU'LL FIND OUT IF YOU SPEND SOME TIME WITH THEM IS THE, THE REPEAT CRIMINALS. 
          THEY KNOW 'EM, THEY KNOW THEIR NAMES, THEY'VE ARRESTED THEM BEFORE. 
          UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THAT ONE OF THE OFFICERS TOLD ME, HE SAID, THE GOOD THING ABOUT IT WAS AFTER YOU ARREST 'EM THE FIRST TIME, YOU DON'T HAVE TO FIGHT 'EM ANYMORE. 
          HE SAID, HEY, HEY JOE, AND PUT YOUR HANDS BEHIND YOUR BACK, AND THEY GO DOWN. 
          UM, WE'VE GOT A HUGE PROBLEM WITH A SPECIFIC NUMBER OF JUDGES IN THE COUNTY, AND THESE JUDGES ARE ELECTED. 
          AND I KNOW WE MAY NOT HAVE VOTED FOR 'EM. 
          I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY IN THE ROOM DID, BUT THEY GOT THE MAJORITY OF THE VOTE IN THE COUNTY. 
          UH, AND WE'VE GOTTA VOTE 'EM OUT. 
          I MEAN, YOU KNOW, AN ELECTOR REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT, YOU GET THE GOVERNMENT YOU DESERVE, YOU'VE GOTTA SHOW UP, YOU GOTTA GO VOTE. 
          AND HERE, I'LL GIVE YOU A SPECIFIC EXAMPLE. 
          UH, WE HAD A CASE COME UP, UH, LAST DECEMBER HAD, UH, AUSTIN COLLETTE, HE PLED GUILTY TO MURDER. 
          HE WAS ALREADY OUT ON PROBATION FROM JEFFERSON COUNTY FOR A CRIME HE COMMITTED THERE. 
          HE SET UP A DRUG DEAL, HE MURDERED THE OTHER PERSON THAT WAS INVOLVED IN THE DRUG DEAL. 
          HE PLED GUILTY TO THAT MURDER. 
          HIS PROBATION WAS NEVER REVOKED. 
          HE WAS OUT ON BOND THE ENTIRE TIME, EVEN AFTER HE PLED GUILTY TO THE MURDER, HE WAS STILL ALLOWED TO REMAIN OUT ON BOND. 
          FOUR MONTHS LATER, THERE'S A SWAT STANDOFF. 
          HE MURDERS HIS GIRLFRIEND AND KILLS HIMSELF. 
          AND THAT'S JUDGE HILLARY UNGER. 
          AND THAT IS NOT THE ONLY ONE SHE HAS HAD LIKE THAT. 
          THERE'S BEEN INCIDENT AFTER INCIDENT THAT'S LIKE THAT. 
          IT'S UP TO US TO GO OUT AND VOTE AND, AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE. 
          I MEAN, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING TO GET THE NUMBERS UP WITH HPD WITH OFFICERS. 
          WE'VE DONE A GOOD JOB WITH THAT. 
          UH, THE OFFICERS ARE OUT WORKING HARD. 
          THE CONSTABLES ARE OUT THERE WORKING HARD. 
          UH, THEY NEED SOMEBODY THAT IS ACTUALLY WILLING TO HOLD THE CRIMINALS ACCOUNTABLE AND WE'VE GOTTA FIND SOMEBODY THAT WILL DO THAT. 
          AND FRED PROP THREE, WHEN YOU GO TO NOVEMBER PROPOSITION, YOU'RE ALLOWING THE STATE TO TELL THESE JUDGES THEY CAN'T DO THIS. 
          YES. 
          AND THEY'VE, THEY'VE ALWAYS BEEN ABLE TO TAKE PUBLIC SAFETY INTO ACCOUNT WHEN SETTING BAIL, THE DECIDING BAIL, BUT SEVERAL OF THEM HAVE KIND OF HIDDEN BEHIND, OH, IT'S IN THE CONSTITUTION, BAIL'S GOTTA BE AVAILABLE TO EVERYBODY. 
          THIS, THIS PROP THREE ABSOLUTELY DOES IT. 
          AND I'LL GIVE YOU ANOTHER EXAMPLE. 
          THEY, YOU KNOW, THE STATE HAD ALREADY PASSED NO PR BONDS FOR VIOLENT CRIMINALS. 
          WE HAD A JUDGE IN HARRIS COUNTY AFTER THAT PASSED, GIVE A VIOLENT CRIMINAL, A PR BOND. 
          AND ON TOP OF THAT, THEY HAVE KIND OF A LEAD JUDGE FOR ALL THE JUDGES IN THE COUNTY. 
          THE REST OF THE JUDGES VOTED HER TO BE THE LEAD JUDGE. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT A JUDGE THAT ISN'T FOLLOWING THE LAW AND WE ELEVATE HER TO BE THE LEAD JUDGE IN THE COUNTY. 
          SO AGAIN, IT, IT'S UP TO US GUYS. 
          UM, IN A BIT OF A FOLLOW UP, THIS WAS ACTUALLY ON A COMMENT CARD THAT SOMEBODY HANDED ME THIS EVENING, UM, RELATED TO, UM, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SENDING IN LAW ENFORCEMENT RESOURCES AND POTENTIALLY THE MILITARY AND OTHER CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. 
          THE QUESTION WAS WHAT WOULD HAPPEN? HOW WOULD THAT WORK IF THAT HAPPENED TO HOUSTON? COULD IT EVER HAPPEN? AND, AND I THINK THEY ASKED IF THERE'D BEEN ANY DISCUSSION BETWEEN MAYOR 
          [01:40:01]
AND CITY COUNCIL. 
          UM, I DUNNO, UNLESS YOU GUYS KNOW SOMETHING, I DON'T, THERE'S BEEN ZERO DISCUSSION WITH THAT. 
          UH, THE MAYOR WORKS VERY COLLABORATIVELY WITH EVERYBODY, WHETHER IT'S, UH, THE COUNTY, THE STATE, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. 
          UH, I DON'T FORESEE ANY ISSUES WHATSOEVER COMING FROM ANYTHING LIKE THAT. 
          AND FOR THE RECORD, THAT WAS A QUESTION I HAVE HEARD NO INDICATIONS OR NEWS STORIES OR ANYTHING OTHERWISE. 
          BUT, UH, DID WANT TO PASS IT ALONG. 
          THANK YOU. 
          NEXT QUESTION. 
          UM, SHOULD THE GROWTH OF KINGWOOD AND CLEAR LAKE REQUIRE TWO SEPARATE SEATS ON CITY COUNCIL? ABSOLUTELY. 
          THE DISTRICT E BOUNDARIES WERE DONE TO LIMIT OUR VOICE. 
          UM, EVERYTHING THAT, YOU KNOW, THE ONE SIDE OF THE AISLE IS COMPLAINING ABOUT AUSTIN DOING RECENTLY WITH THE CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS IS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE WERE ANNEXED. 
          UM, AND JUST KIND OF TO PROVE THAT POINT, THERE'S A NUMBER OF PRECINCTS IN THE FORT BEND COUNTY THAT WERE ANNEXED AT THE SAME TIME, AND THAT WAS DONE TO OFFSET THE VOTE IN KINGWOOD. 
          UH, IN FACT, HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR THOSE PRECINCTS, IT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER. 
          IT WOULD'VE BEEN MAYOR BILL KING. 
          THAT WAS THE DIFFERENCE IN THE ELECTION. 
          UH, SO THAT WAS NOT AN ACCIDENT. 
          I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S KIND OF A POWER GRAB AND LOOK, BOTH SIDES DO IT. 
          UM, BUT YEAH, WE SHOULD ABSOLUTELY HAVE OUR OWN CITY COUNCILMAN IN CLEAR LAKE AND SHOULD HAVE OUR OWN IN KINGWOOD. 
          IT WOULD MAKE SENSE FOR IT TO BE WITH THE REST OF, UH, IN CLEAR LAKE FOR IT TO BE WITH THE, THE SOUTH BELT AREA AND GOING UP FURTHER NORTH. 
          AND IN KINGWOOD THE SAME THING GOING, GOING FURTHER SOUTH. 
          UH, YOU KNOW, I, I DO THE BEST I CAN TO TRY AND REPRESENT EVERYBODY. 
          I CAN TELL YOU IT'S, IT'S MUCH EASIER AS I DRIVE THROUGH MY NEIGHBORHOOD SPOTTING PROBLEMS. AND OBVIOUSLY I'M THERE MORE. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S EASIER FOR ME TO DO THE, THAT TYPE OF THING. 
          AND IF YOU HAD SOMEBODY THAT WAS OUT HERE, IT'D BE EASIER FOR THEM AS WELL. 
          SO YES, WE NEED THAT. 
          WELL, IF I CAN ADD EDITORIALIZE FOR JUST A MOMENT, WE HAVE BEEN, UM, ALTHOUGH I AGREE THAT I WOULD VERY MUCH VALUE HAVING TWO SEPARATE DISTRICTS, WE AS A REGION AND I GREW UP HERE, I LIVE HERE, UM, HAVE BEEN VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE SOME GREAT LEADERS IN THAT CITY COUNCIL SEAT, MIKE SULLIVAN, DAVE MARTIN, AND FRED. 
          WE ARE FORTUNATE TO HAVE YOU. 
          SO THAT WAS MY LAST QUESTION. 
          WOULD Y'ALL JOIN ME IN A ROARING ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR OUR COUNCILMAN FRED FLICKINGER. 
          I JUST WANNA THANK YOU EVERYBODY FROM COMING OUT. 
          UH, OBVIOUSLY WE HAD A GREAT ATTENDANCE TONIGHT. 
          I HOPE YOU LEARNED SOMETHING FROM IT. 
          UH, MY STAFF'S HERE IF YOU NEED TO GET A BUSINESS CARD OR ANYTHING, CONTACT INFORMATION, PLEASE DO SO. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          I'M SORRY. 
          SCAN THE QR CODE. 
          OH, ALSO IF YOU THE PARKING, YOU CAN SCAN THE QR CODE FOR THE PARKING AND THAT'LL LET YOU GET OUTTA THE PARKING FOR FREE FOR THE NICE, THAT QUESTION I SHOT PICTURE. 
          I GOT A PICTURE OF YOU LOOKING SO.
* 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.